The Arbiter 9.18.18 Vol. 31 Issue 6

September 18th, 2018

Vol. 31 Issue 6

IN DE PE N D EN T

S TU D EN T

VO I C E

O F

B O I S E

TAKING

S TATE

S I N C E

1 9 3 3

CHARGE

Martin Schimpf will serve for the year as interim president. What plans does he have in store for the university?

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: @arbiteronline.com @arbiteronline @arbiteronline @boisestatearbiter

NEWS

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Results of Bronco Giving Day

CULTURE

14

Semicolon Tattoo Fundraiser returns

SPORTS & REC

18

Student highlight: Akilian Butler

WELCOME TO THE ARBITER PHOTO OF THE WEEK Editor-In-Chief Jordan Erb editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Ximena Bustillo onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Chase Marsh opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor MaryAnn Fernandez news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Alyza Lovenguth news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Logan Potter culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter David Collie culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Editor Delaney Brassil sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Reporter Autum Robertson sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editors Chloe Baul Sophia Uhlenhoff Digital Content Manager Taylor Humby digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Splatter Party took place on Friday, giving students a taste of Bronco school spirit. Photo by Taylor Humby.

Digital Content Producer Ky Tucker

HOW TO REACH US:

Graphic Design Manager Maddie Ceglecki

CONTACT US: editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu 208.426.6302 PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located on first floor of Lincoln Avenue Garage Suites

Graphic Designer Isabel Sarhad Illustrator Wyatt Wurtenberger Distributed Tuesdays during the academic school year The Arbiter is the official independent student newspaper of Boise State University, where student editors make all content decisions and bear responsibility for those decisions. The Arbiter’s budget consists of fees paid by the student body and advertising sales. The first copy is free. Additional copies can be purchased for $1 a piece at The Arbiter offices.

MAILING ADDRESS: Student Media MS 1340 1910 W Universit y Dr. Boise, ID 83725 -1340

EVENTS ford idaho center

thurs september 20

LUKE BRYAN

7 pm

Luke Bryan’s What Makes You Country Tour will be taking the stage at the Ford Idaho Center this Thursday. The event starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are on sale now.

LOOKOUT ROOM

sat september 22 SERVICE SATURDAY

9 pm

The first Service Saturday of the fall semester will have students making care packages for the Boise Rescue Mission and dog and cat beds for the Idaho Humane Society. The event will run until 1 p.m.

morrison center

sat september 22 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE

2 pm

The Boise Philharmonic will be playing John Williams’ score live, accompanied with a showing of the film Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Tickets are on sale now.

the owyhee

fri september 21 AUTHOR EVENT

7 pm

Presented by Rediscovered Bookshop, Craig Johnson will be at the Owyhee with his novel, “Depth of Winter.” The event costs $35 and includes admission and one copy of the book. Photo courtesy of the event’s Facebook Page,

NEWS

UPCOMING EVENTS WILL TACKLE THE IDEA OF DEMOCRACY Distinguished Lecture Series and Frank Church Conference will take on big themes

Chloe Baul | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he Distinguished Lecture Series, created by the Honors College, will present “Is Democracy in Trouble – What Does the Rise in Populism and Authoritarianism Portend for Democracies Worldwide?” featuring Antony J. Blinken, former deputy secretary of state, at the Morrison Center for Performing Arts on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Garry Wenske, executive director of the Frank Church Institute, said Blinken’s lecture will set the tone for the 35th Annual Frank Church Conference on Public Affairs, themed “Global Struggle for Democracy,” on Oct. 18 in the Simplot Ballroom.

According to the Honors College, Blinken served as deputy secretary of state from 2015-2017. Throughout his career, he traveled to 38 countries to help lead

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diplomacy around the world. Prior to that, he served in the White House as assistant to the president and deputy national secretary advisor under President Barack Obama.

Blinken is currently a CNN global affairs analyst and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times regarding foreign policy.

Andrew Finstuen, dean of the Honors College, discussed the semi-annual Distinguished Lecture Series and its role in promoting the discussion of important issues and encouraged students to attend.

“Access to these kinds of events and speakers is harder to come by when you’re out in your careers and outside of the university context,” Finstuen said. “It’s great for students to take advantage of their opportunity to engage and hear from

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leaders across all different areas of expertise and endeavors.”

Past speakers of the Distinguished Lecture Series include Margaret Atwood, Julia Gillard, Sir Salman Rushdie and Jonathan Pence.

Additionally, the Frank Church Institute will co-sponsor the Distinguished Lecture Series this year.

The Frank Church Institute is housed in the School of Public Service and was established in 1982 to honor Senator Frank Church’s achievements and principles. The institute’s mission is to promote understanding of public policy and promote civic engagement with a primary focus on foreign relations.

“There are challenges to democratic institutions around the world, and (in the United States) one of them is technology

and social media. I think students will find it interesting—both talking about democracies around the world and the implications for our own democracy,” Wenske said. “I encourage students to attend both events, because they will have the chance to hear from those who are very knowledgeable about these issues and know them first-hand.”

According to Wenske, there will be a van from the Ada County Elections office on the day of the conference that will allow students to register to vote on campus.

Additionally, both events are free of charge and open to the public.

More information on the speakers at the 35th Frank Church Conference, “Global Struggle for Democracy,” will be available in weeks to come.

NEWS

MAYOR DAVID BIETER’S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS CALLS FOR KINDNESS

Bieter proposed and declared action on the city’s current obstacles Alyza Lovenguth | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he Morrison Center halls contained the roar of Boiseans, dressed in formal attire, mingling amongst each other and making their way to the theatre’s seats. Almost every seat was filled for Mayor David Bieter’s State of the City Address at 4 p.m. on Sept. 12.

The State of the City Address began and ended in entertainment: musician and singer Eilen Jewell, contemporary dance group LED and musical group Afrosonics.

“I believe that a society, and indeed a city, should be judged by how well we treat our most vulnerable, and we simply must meet the challenge.”

David Bieter, mayor of Boise While art was front and center, Bieter also claimed the stage during his State of the City Address by channeling a theme of kindness and wonder—naming Boise a “City of Imagination.”

The Address focused more actions in response to Boise’s current challenges and the power within the city’s alliance. While Boise may face challenges in its attempts to improve policy, Bieter said these challenges should be possible for the “City of Imagination.” However, Bieter also claimed kindness is Boise’s most important quality.

“Transportation, housing and the environment—those are the challenges we face,” Bieter said. “But if we are truly the ‘City of Imagination,’ we can take those on. Those are important policy decisions that we can make for the value of our future. But probably the most important thing is how we treat each other.”

The mayor of Boise gave his State of the City Address on Sept. 12. Photo by Alyza Lovenguth.

Affordable Housing According to Bieter, funding to Boise to create affordable housing has depleted over the years, going from a $5 million grant in 1975 to $1.2 million grant in 2017. While Idaho created a housing trust fund during the 1992 legislative session, Bieter said the trust fund currently has no funds to support affordable housing.

In response to this problem, Bieter said the City of Boise invested over $5 million to create 250 units of affordable housing, including an affordable apartment complex on Adare Manor.

“I believe that a society, and indeed a city, should be judged by how well we treat our most vulnerable, and we simply must meet the challenge,” Bieter said.

According to the Capital City Development Corporation, Adare Manor is a mixed-use project that will include retail space and 134 units of rental housing along Fairview and 25th St. 121 apartments are to be rented to households

whose income does not exceed 60 percent Area Median Income, which is around $38,580 for a family of four, and the other 13 apartments will be leased at market rates. Construction should be completed by late 2019.

During the speech, Bieter also said they will be offering New Path community housing for those who suffer from chronic homelessness, totaling 120 people in Boise.

The New Path housing will be providing 67 units.

Additionally, Bieter said they are also offering housing, named Valor Pointe, for veterans who are currently homeless, which will provide 27 units.

Environmental Efforts In terms of Boise’s environmental challenges, Bieter proposed that the city stop new development in the Foothills and only finish the approximate 400 lots currently allowed under existing zoning, in order to protect the nature Boise holds dear. Addi-

tionally, the City of Boise will be making efforts to transition to renewable energy.

“Boise has to lead and take an important first step,” Bieter said. “That’s why today, I’m pleased to announce that the City of Boise’s own facilities and operations will be 100 percent powered by renewable electricity by the year 2030.”

Transportation Bieter proposed other modes of transportation and called for petitions for more funding from the state to fund it. According to Bieter, 80 percent of all commuter trips are by a single person in a car and the remaining 20 percent are walking, biking, riding the bus or carpooling.

“But if vehicles control our future, gridlock will, too. It is mobility we need, and the more modes the better,” Bieter said.

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NEWS

APLU REQUESTS PROTECTION FOR DACA RECIPIENTS

As legal lines blur, APLU asks for congressional action to ensure protection under DACA Alyza Lovenguth | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boiseans gather on the steps of the Capitol during a 2017 DACA rally. Photo by Axel Quartarone.

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eter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), sent a letter to Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and Charles Schumer which called to switch congressional action to protect Dreamers on Sept. 5—a year after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiated a wind down of the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

McPherson wrote that APLU is a research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities. The APLU letter called for a bipartisan and permanent solution to protect DACA recipients.

DACA is an Obama-era federal program created under an executive order in 2012 that gives temporary protection to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.

Benjamin Stein, a Boise immigration attorney at Andrade Legal who represents several DACA recipients, said the current

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situation with DACA is complicated.

Stein said unless a congressional action was passed by the House and Senate then signed by the president, there is no permanent, legal protection for DACA recipients.

“Congressional action is permanent,” Stein said. “It’s passed through Congress, and that’s why it’s the only solution because an executive action is not a permanent solution. As you’ve seen with the Trump Administration, an executive can seek to revoke that action at any time.”

Fructoso Basaldua, Boise State alumni and previous member of Movimiento Estaduiantil Chicanx De Aztlan (MEChA), said the current administration under President Trump is not respecting DACA. MEChA is a nationwide student organization which participates in community outreach programs aimed at the Latinx, a gender-neutral term referring to Latin American cultural or racial identity, population.

Basaldua said the current administration

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is much different from the past administration under President Obama where DACA students and recipients were considered low-level immigrants and were not targeted or deported.

“There’s been DACA people who, under the executive order, are protected but are still put into immigration detention centers,” Basaldua said. “That’s a common theme.”

Stein said it is possible for a DACA recipient to lose their temporary DACA protection or be detained, but it is a very complicated legal issue. DACA does grant deferred action which is a discretionary, limited immigration benefit by the DHS where individuals able to apply for employment authorization and are in the United States under color of law which is the appearance of legal right when the right technically does not exist.

“What is happening is the government is deferring any action in the person’s immigration case,” Stein said. “If someone were to have any issues or their DACA were

to lapse, then technically the government may try to terminate their DACA and put them in deportation proceedings.”

Stein agreed with APLU’s call for congressional action and claimed it was the only solution to remove uncertainty and provide a pathway to citizenship.

“As the APLU noted, I think the most important thing is to have congressional protection for DACA students and DACA recipients which would remove uncertainty and provide them a pathway to become residents and become citizens so that they can stay here in the United States,” Stein said. “The situation requires a permanent solution, and a permanent solution is passing a law with no strings attached that will protect DACA recipients.”

Basaldua said, as a third generation Mexican, he thinks a lot about people who were just born on the other side of the Mexican and United States border before coming here. While he may still experience racism, he is still protected under the law while others without citizenship are not.

“As a person of color and Latinx person, I will probably still experience racism at the hands of the police or other forms of government, but because I’m a citizen, I’m still protected,” Basaldua said. “So there are certain things that cannot be done to me, but other people do not have that protection.”

Basaldua also emphasized that DACA is not just a Latinx issue, but an undocumented people issue across the globe.

According to Basaldua, a Boise State organization named Students Honoring Active Demarginalization Efforts (SHADES) passed an ASBSU bill in 2017 where ICE agents cannot come onto Boise State’s campus—providing some protection to students on campus.

NEWS

BRONCO GIVING DAY RAISES OVER $328,000 FOR BOISE STATE

The money, raised from alumni, faculty, family and friends, will go to benefit various areas of the university MaryAnn Fernandez | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Bronco Giving Day, Boise State’s first-ever 36-hour online fundraising campaign, raised $328,395 for different departments across campus. Photo by Ximena Bustillo.

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oise State launched Bronco Giving Day, the first-ever 36-hour online campaign on Sept. 13 to raise funds for various Boise State colleges, scholarships, athletics and programs. Overall, Bronco Giving Day raised $328,395 from 923 donors nationwide.

Bronco Giving Day had various events to increase community engagement.

Events that took place on campus on Sept.

13 included games, challenges and raffles, according to Andrew Gauss, director of advancement communications.

Gauss explained that nearly 1,000 contributors gave to the campaign, including Boise State faculty who gave 647 times for a total of $34,299.

“I was pleased and surprised by the level of engagement and the number of donors that contributed,” Gauss said. “The campus community really stepped up and engaged.”

According to Leslie Webb, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, the division of advancement created and implemented the Bronco Giving

campaign.

“It was a bit unexpected that much would be raised, but I’m delighted because these donations will help to offset the cost for students to attend programs like alternative spring breaks,” Webb said. “Each and every dollar raised for club sports helps decrease the amount of money that has to be raised by students.”

Webb said that Bronco Giving Day included numerous categories and community spaces that donors were able to contribute to.

“What happens in our society affects our campus, and different folks on campus are the ones who create community spaces for us to react to and share how we’re impacted,” Webb said. “Resources are stretched way too thin in these areas so the money raised for these programs is much appreciated.”

Students in the Student Impact Board assisted in outreach on social media to increase engagement for Bronco Giving Day. Katherine Seo, vice president of the Student Impact Board and a senior accoun-

tancy major with a Spanish for business minor, said that she enjoyed being part of Bronco Giving Day.

“Resources are stretched way too thin in these areas so the money raised for these programs is much appreciated.”

Leslie Webb, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management

Seo added that being a social media ambassador for Bronco Giving Day was an opportunity that assisted the community at Boise State overall.

“When I moved to Boise from South Korea, I received a lot of support from

the community, and I wanted to help give back to Boise State,” Seo said. “It was exciting to be a part of something big, like Bronco Giving Day, and to become more hyped about being a Bronco.”

Brendan Shollenbarger, a sophomore material science engineering major, is also a Student Impact Board member. Shollenbarger explained that members of the Student Impact Board were out on the quad on Sept. 13 to increase awareness about Bronco Giving Day. Additionally, Shollenbarger was active on social media to increase engagement.

According to Shollenbarger, #broncosgive reached number two on Twitter, and received over 11,000 reactions.

“It was exciting to see the constant stream of energy of everyone who came out to volunteer and to get as many students as excited on the quad,” Shollenbarger said. “I can’t wait to see how much Bronco Giving will grow in the upcoming years.”

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OPINION

IN RESPONSE TO THE NEW YORK TIMES ANONYMOUS OP-ED

We need a real resistance from within, not anonymous sources hiding in fear Chase Marsh | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Photo courteousy of Jomar on Unsplash.

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he anonymous author of the recently published New York Times op-ed claims to be a part of a “resistance.” While they clarify the resistance they represent is not the one many of us are familiar with and possibly identify with, there is an argument to be made against their definition of the word.

The source uses a term coined by progressives actively attempting to push America away from the destruction of President Donald Trump’s actions and words. This is a much different concept from what is being presented by the Republican official who wrote this tell-all–a Republican that is part of the party that actively backed Trump during his campaign against other, more qualified representatives of their party.

They continue, presenting characteristics

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of Trump that make his presence a burden to the effectiveness of the administration.

“Meetings with him veer off topic and off the rails.” This is something that has gathered buzz time and time again in the media. It’s something that should have been a blatant red flag during his campaign.

And they further criticize his jovial spirit concerning foreign leaders Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, inferring that they have no way of keeping him under control when it comes to his statements and behaviors. Again, the same behaviors he has actively displayed continuously since before his campaign.

To cap it all off, the source places blame on the people rather than on themself. “(Americans) have sunk low with him and allowed our discourse to be stripped of civility.” This is a statement from a mem-

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ber of an administration and party–who claims to be a part of a “resistance”–that has backed and defended the president on his every blunder.

So why, I ask, are you coming forward now? Why not do this before allowing a man with this “erratic behavior” to enter office? This isn’t any attempt to resist.

There is no push-back against the president, only an attempt to salvage any future political career for those enabling Trump’s inexcusable conduct.

It pains me to say it, and I’ll never say this again, but I agree with President Trump: whoever submitted this is “gutless.” If there are so many “like-minded colleagues” aiming to take down Trump, why aren’t you all openly coming forward rather than trembling in the shadows attaching yourselves to a movement who

would likely disagree with the agenda of any members the administration?

If President Trump is really at a level of destruction for his own cabinet to come forward anonymously, then why not come forward openly? Don’t hide behind your Leftist counterparts. Make a difference, rather than writing something that will be forgotten with Trump’s next scandal–something that will likely happen soon.

To members of the Resistance–the one actively opposing Trump, not the fictitious one propagating his actions and cowering fearfully behind anonymity–stand up against this anonymous source. Fight for your title and continue to resist. Your impact is evident, and it can only grow.

To other opposers of this administration, no matter where on the political spectrum you land, know the importance of your opinion. Your voice will be heard.

Don’t let fear be the barrier keeping you from standing up for what you believe.

Now is the time to unite publicly. As Americans, we have the freedom to do so.

And the current climate of our nation calls for it. If the officials with the power to act swiftly elect instead to only shed light on the dysfunction of our national politics, we the people must do what is necessary to make this right.

So, before claiming to be a part a part of a Resistance, resist. Resist the pandemonium, resist everything that goes against what we, as Americans, believe. A president attacking freedom of press but protecting autocratic leaders is not what our Founding Fathers fought for–it’s what they fought against.

Don’t let this anonymous source fool you into believing that they care. They aren’t helping their own cause, let alone the Resistance’s. Hold them to their claims and hold them accountable for the actions of the president and his cabinet that they are not fighting against to a full extent. They need to be on the side of the people, and the president needs to know that.

OPINION

REBUTTAL: LET’S BURY PRINT NEWS AND MOVE TOWARDS THE FUTURE

Print newspapers are dying, so journalists need to find a way to make the digital business model work now Blake Simony | Guest Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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s I sat in Riverfront Hall reading The Arbiter issue two weeks ago, I came across an opinion article that seemed to be a direct attack on me, the general manager of University Pulse Radio. The article, “Streaming killed the radio star (or at least it’s plotting to),” had me feeling pretty flustered until I realized that the station I manage isn’t even true radio, but only an internet stream.

The article cited podcasts and internet radio as a few of the new technologies that are taking the place of traditional radio, and I found myself agreeing. Audio media isn’t necessarily under attack by new technology, but the old delivery system, AM or FM radio, isn’t so popular anymore.

This parallels written media. It still has a place in the digital world, but some of its old delivery systems are on their way to the graveyard. One of those old delivery systems is print newspapers, like the one you’re probably not reading this in. Printing is useless when news outlets make use of online publishing.

“One of those old delivery systems is print newspapers, like the one you’re probably not reading this in.”

Historically, newspapers were the only source of news media until radio came around in the early 1900s. Even after broadcast television came into the world, newspaper circulation continued to increased, and peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, according to Pew Research Center.

The highest point in 1984 had more than an estimated 63 million print newspapers in circulation. The decline in those numbers came with the age of the internet and online publishing.

What’s more is that online publishing makes news articles more accessible and more permanent. Imagine the process of trying to get a copy of a printed article that broke a national news story, like the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault scandals.

A simple Google search from anywhere in the country can find 10 different articles published on that same day in a fraction of the time that it takes to get a print article.

So there’s really no point in printing what can be published online and digitally archived for posterity.

Although print newspapers are certainly not going to be around forever, the digital prospects aren’t necessarily good for the state of journalism in the United States.

With online news, there is much more responsibility on individual readers to figure out if a news source is credible or not. So far, it looks like the American public is failing at that, given the current #FakeNews hysteria.

Plus, the traditional business model associated with print newspapers doesn’t transfer well online. Journalism jobs are being cut, and newsrooms are under much more stress. Pew Research Center recently reported that in the last 10 years, newspaper employee jobs dropped by about 45 percent in the United States.

Instead of investing more time in trying to keep print newspapers afloat, it’s time that the few journalists left find a way to make the digital business model work.

There is a future where news outlets can support their businesses online, and that future doesn’t include printers.

HAVE A COMMENT OR REBUTTAL? EMAIL US AT: OPINION@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU

Illustration by Wyatt Wurtenberger.

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F E AT U R E

MEET THE PRESIDENT

Martin Schimpf has the rest of the school year to make his mark as interim president. These are his plans.

Jordan Erb | Editor-in-Chief | editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Interim President Martin Schimpf sits in his office in the administration building. Photo by Taylor Humby.

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artin Schimpf, the interim president of Boise State University, paid his own way through college. Years later, he now sits in his office in the administration building, a Boise State pin positioned proudly on his chest, reflecting on the times when he struggled to buy groceries and pay tuition.

Schimpf, once a Pell Grant-eligible college student himself, recognizes the need to help increase student success for those who require financial assistance. He also recognizes the increasingly difficult path to a college education.

His experience—one that many students

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know first hand—has helped fuel his passion project for his tenure as interim president: striking a balance between needbased funding and merit-based funding, and closing the gap in success between students who fall into each group. This, along with bolstering diversity and inclusivity on campus and improving affordability and accessibility, is Schimpf ’s shot at improving Boise State and changing the system of higher education.

“I worked 20 hours a week and I was able to support myself and pay the tuition,” Schimpf said. “You can’t do that anymore. I don’t have that direct, full

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knowledge, but I’ve been there. I’ve been in that situation where I’m struggling to buy food while I’ve got the next tuition payment. I understand it and I’m on (students’) side. Since I’ve been there, I want to make sure that as tuition goes up, we have the financial aid in place.”

He’s working—and has been working for years—to do just that. As provost, the position he held before being selected for the interim presidency, Schimpf pushed for a scholarship campaign that raised over $50 million for student funding. The True Blue Promise scholarship, a scholarship for Pell-eligible Idaho residents with strong

academic achievements, made its debut from the campaign.

During his tenure as provost, Schimpf worked alongside former President Bob Kustra to increase student success rates.

Still, he thinks more can be done.

“We’ve increased student success pretty significantly,” Schimpf said. “All of our students, if you look at the various demographics of our students, in terms of financial need, everyone’s success went up.

But what didn’t happen, that we need to have happen, is the gap in success between a Pell-eligible student and a student who’s not Pell-eligible because they have more

F E AT U R E family resources, that gap hasn’t closed.

They’ve both gone up in success, but we haven’t closed that gap.”

Although he’ll only be in the presidency for the year, Schimpf believes reasonable headway can be made on his passion project. The first steps? Compiling data and creating a plan. According to his peers, Schimpf is the best man for the job.

“He’s got an incredibly sharp mind,” said Richard Klautsch, theatre arts department chair and friend of Schimpf. “He’s an analytical chemist. He’s a data guy. He’s a data-miner, if you will. He loves data and digging into the stuff, and he’s very good at it. At the same time, you can still talk to him like a human being. He will listen to what the issues are, and he is always ready to work with you to try to figure things out.”

Schimpf hopes to data-mine to determine how to balance need and merit-based aid. Beyond that, it’s a matter of talking to donors, listening to their wants and needs and educating them on the necessity for need-based aid. Though many donors want to help the best student of a certain program, Schimpf proffered an alternative.

“Maybe you don’t need the best

“Maybe you don’t need the best student. Maybe the best students are the students who will be the best once they have the financials and the backing so they don’t have to work 40 hours a week to go to school.”

Martin Schimpf, interim president

student,” Schimpf said. “Maybe the best students are the students who will be the best once they have the financials and the backing so they don’t have to work 40 hours a week to go to school.”

Beyond his special interest in closing the gap in student success, Schimpf has also expressed support for what Interim Provost Tony Roark called “a number of important initiatives,” including increasing diversity and inclusion and making a Boise State education accessible and affordable for underrepresented student populations.

According to Michelle Payne, assistant provost for academic leadership and faculty affairs, Schimpf ’s leadership will help achieve those goals.

“Our efforts at retention and recruitment are going to stay strong,” Payne said.

“I think that under his leadership we’re also going to make some progress on addressing diversity and inclusion. The deans are focused on what that means as well, and what that means for the long term.

We’re going to do some really hard work on that.”

In 2017, the Commission on Diversity and Inclusion was released as a call to action for the Boise State administration to take the appropriate steps towards improving the campus environment. The report is filled with recommendations for the administration, and Schimpf plans to prioritize the recommendations and form an actionable plan.

For Schimpf, policies and practices are at the top of the list, and are reasonably attainable by the end of his time in the president’s office. He said he is asking the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to look at Boise State’s policies to ensure that the structures are in place to promote a more diverse university, in terms of both attracting new faculty and staff, and integrating that into the extracurricular activities that are available to students.

According to Roark, this critical thinking on Schimpf ’s part will fuel his success.

“Dr. Schimpf has several skills that are fundamental to his success as a leader,” Roark wrote in an email. “He’s perceptive, asks probing questions, and thinks critically about lots of data and evidence. These help him to diagnose situations and make well-informed decisions.”

Susan Shadle, director of the Center for

“He says it out loud: ‘this matters.’ I think that is really important because people listen to what the president has to say about what we’re about, what’s important to us, and what we should focus on.”

Susan Shadle, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching and Learning and distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry, said that Schimpf has provided continuous rhetorical support for more diversity and inclusion. He also shows support for the deans and their respective colleges, giving them room to work within their spheres of influence to impact change.

“He says it out loud: this matters. I think that is really important because people listen to what the president has to say about what we’re about, what’s important to us, and what we should focus on,” Shadle said. “I think that kind of rhetoric helps people say, ‘oh, that’s something that is important to us right now.’”

Finally, Schimpf has expressed serious interest in helping make college more ac-

cessible and more affordable for incoming students. Asides from pushing for affordability for students with greater financial need, Schimpf hopes to increase accessibility through the use of Open Educational Resources, easily transferable credits for general courses between Idaho universities, Advanced Placement score consistency across the state and dynamic new payment models.

According to Schimpf, in order to reach the state’s goal of seeing 60 percent of Idaho’s young adults complete a post-secondary degree or certificate by 2020, Boise State is going to have to make a shift.

Making a college education attainable for much of the population means coming up with a new system, and Schimpf hopes to start working towards it during his presidency.

“We’re no longer talking about this elite fraction of the population like when I was growing up—20 percent. You’ve got a variety of people who’ve got a variety of learning styles, and different life forces and different ways that they learn, and you need to account for that or you’re not going to achieve this goal that we have,” Schimpf said. “I think competency-based learning and the use of technology will enable that, instead of just forcing students into this cookie cutter.”

For the interim president, the student experience is at the forefront of his mission. With any luck, Schimpf will lay the foundation for Boise State to mold into this new system, one uniquely tailored to the ever-evolving student body, before he moves back into the faculty.

“It’s a start, and we need to build off that,” Schimpf said. “That’s what I really would like to see us building momentum on in this year and beyond. Of course, I’m only here for a year, but I can at least show the way and hopefully the next person can continue it.”

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C U LT U R E

LOCAL ART EXHIBIT ADDS VOICES TO NUCLEAR CONVERSATION

Ten artists from Boise State and beyond take part in the conversation of living in a nuclear world David Collie | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State profesors Kate Walker and Mitch Wieland at MING Studios. Photo by David Collie.

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he third annual “Holding What Can’t Be Held” art exhibition is on display at local art gallery, MING Studios through Sept. 29, and was visited by Boise State professor Mitch Wieland on Sept. 13.

Wieland read an excerpt from his new novel, “Strange You Never Knew,” alongside the work of other artists in a radioactive-themed night.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between a number of artists and organizations. 10 artists worked together with the Snake River Alliance—a nuclear watchdog group that raises awareness and advocates for “renewable and nuclear-free energy”— to tour radioactive cleanup sites at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls.

One artist in the exhibition is Boise State art professor, Kate Walker.

Coming from a background of painting, Walker started making videos in graduate school and now has one on display in the gallery. Walker is not only familiar with this medium, but also with art regarding social and political issues. However, Walker was also interested by the community nature of this project.

“I thought it was a really interesting project because artists often work on individual projects, but this was sort of a group process,” Walker said. “The group went on a tour site and regularly met to talk about that, so I’m really interested in that kind of community-based art.”

The exhibit features the work of multiple artists and, while there are certain threads that connect their work, it offers a wide variety of mediums and approaches to the conversation.

“I think it’s a really interesting, wide range of media and imagery from more conceptual to more documentary or poetic,” Walker said.

With this diversity, there is likely to be a number of messages that viewers can take away.

“I think it’s about starting a conversation,” Walker said. “We’re all part of this issue; it’s not like we’re pointing the finger or making judgments. I think the message for us is encouraging people to engage in the conversation and pay attention.”

Another contributor to this conversation was Wieland. Although he was not a part of the group of artists working with the Snake River Alliance, his novel added another unique voice to the exhibit.

The excerpt that Wieland read takes place in Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. It tells of an American boy and a Japanese girl who sneak into the girl’s hometown, which was evacuated after the incident.

Wieland himself lived in Japan for more than four years, where he developed his passion for writing fiction.

Originally receiving an undergraduate degree in marketing, Wieland spent some time working in the field before finding it was not for him.

“After about four months, I quit and I sold my car for the plane ticket to Japan,” Wieland said. “While I was there, I started writing fiction.”

The exhibit provided a fitting setting for Wieland’s work and created a compelling, thought-provoking night.

This exhibit, and Wieland’s novel when it is released, will offer a look into the conversation of how society lives in a nuclear world.

C U LT U R E

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Boise State student Travic Fishburn finds time for a startup, Intrepid Clothing Co. Logan Potter | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Travis Fishburn, founder of Intrepid Clothing Co., in one of his brand t-shirts. Photo by Taylor Humby.

I

n 2016, Travis Fishburn, a Boise State student, was studying abroad in Australia, his homeland, when he had an idea that would change the course of his college career; he wanted to start a t-shirt company.

Upon his return, he received what he described as a great job offer in the states, all while going to school full-time, and his grand idea hit the backburner of his longterm plans. When he lost his job this past

January, however, something clicked.

“I either needed to stop daydreaming about it, or I needed to jump in with both feet,” Fishburn said.

It was this change of heart from which Intrepid Clothing Co. came to be. While the startup began in January, the official launch date fell in April, and now the clothing is sold online and through event marketing. Luckily for Fishburn, he had a model to base his company on from an

early stage, and it happens to be the one that inspired him to begin with.

“Originally, the inspiration came from two of my friends that own a clothing company in California that they launched about 10 years ago,” Fishburn said. “I saw random people wearing their shirts around town and I was amazed; it was so cool that other people were supporting them and their vision. I needed a certain avenue or niche that was my own special brand.”

The brand that Fishburn created does have a certain uniqueness to it, and he believes that is what makes Intrepid Clothing Co. so worthwhile. Alexis Mcintosh, a physician recruiter for St. Alphonsus and one of Fishburn’s product testers, believes that she brings a unique female perspective to this vision, and it’s one that Fishburn has been open to since the company’s start.

“I give him advice on what’s ‘hot’ right now on terms of colors and types of shirts, tank tops, etc.,” Mcintosh said. “He leans on (me) to try on different styles and blends of shirts to give input on. It’s cool because he’s very open to getting feedback from different people and doesn’t just make it up as he goes.”

According to Matt Maneilee, Fishburn’s right-hand man and male product tester for Intrepid Clothing Co., many of the obstacles in the company’s journey have been overcome by the individual that Fishburn has always been.

“I just think that Travis is a bold, confident and genuine guy, and it was really cool that he took a leap to follow his dreams,” Maneilee said. “Hopefully it can evolve into something where he doesn’t have to work for the man like the rest of us.”

While the company is still relatively new in the business world, Fishburn has no intention of taking any breaks in the future. Building a startup as a full-time undergraduate student is no easy feat, and Fishburn credits his drive to his prioritization of tasks.

“Having military experience and being 35, I have more life experience than the typical 18-year-old does. It’s about making sacrifices and having certain commitments.

Whatever I need to get done I remind myself, ‘That’s not a priority,’ Fishburn said. “I will get it done and find time for it if it is a priority. I make a list of the top three each day, and everything else is just a bonus.”

This prioritization, while beneficial for Fishburn, isn’t all it takes to run a business. However, much like the brand name Intrepid, Mcintosh says Fishburn seeks to embody the values behind the company “I think the best thing is that his brand is all about forging your own path and not being afraid to take chances and follow your dreams; to be intrepid,” Mcintosh said. “He follows exactly that with this brand. It’s something he’s always wanted to do, and he finally pulled the trigger. There’s a fear that he will fail, but his desire is intrepid, and that is the clothing company.”

As a student, persistence is key to success in all aspects of one’s life, and Fishburn seeks to be as effective as possible in each of his endeavors. With a different story behind every design, Fishburn believes his goals are some that each buyer can get behind, and hopes that at his next event called “Locals for Locals” on Oct. 13 at the R Bar, he can persuade the public to become part of the mission as well.

“My mission is to try to get people to share their stories, because we can share these stories and learn these lessons from many different people, and we can rise together for a better good,” Fishburn said.

“We can connect as humans and as people and learn from others’ stories. Everyone in the world has gone down different paths than many other people have, good, bad or indifferent.”

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C U LT U R E

AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE

The fourth annual Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline Semicolon Tattoo Fundraiser to take place this week Ben Harris | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Semicolon Tattoo Fundraiser promotes suicide awareness and removes the stigma from support. Photo by Ben Harris.

J

ohn Reusser, director of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline (ISPH), said that the Chinese expression for “crisis” is the combination of the words danger and opportunity.

These two words can also provide meaning to the fourth annual Hotline Semicolon Tattoo Fundraiser, an event sponsored by the hotline.

Whether they’re experienced with the needle or not, those desiring a new tattoo in Boise will have the opportunity to raise money for a cause and start a conversation.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19, Resurrected Tattoo and Piercing will be giving semicolon tattoos to raise money for the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline.

According to Donna Carter, manager at Resurrected Tattoo and Piercing, the semicolon is a metaphor for not ending one’s own life.

“Essentially, the semicolon obviously represents a part of a sentence where it

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could end, but the person chose to continue,” Carter said.

While participating in the fundraiser brings money to a good cause, it also creates a sense of community.

“This level of connection levels the playing field and makes people feel more

“It’s just kind of one of those things where, when you see somebody with a semicolon tattoo, you feel like you’re automatically connected to them.”

Donna Carter, manager of Resurrected Tattoo and Piercing

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comfortable,” Carter said. “It’s just kind of one of those things where, when you see somebody with a semicolon tattoo, you feel like you’re automatically connected to them.”

Carter first heard about the Semicolon Project from a regular client about a year before she started working with the ISPH. When the organization was trying to find artists for the event, she and her team went all in.

“Our shop just sort of fell into it,” Carter said. “It worked out really well because we were able to handle the volume.”

In 2017 alone, about 150 individuals showed up to participate in the fundraiser.

According to the ISPH, $4,000 was raised in 2017, and $9,000 has been raised in total over the past four years. According to Reusser, 2017 was the fundraiser’s biggest year yet.

“I’m always amazed at how many people get involved with the Semicolon Tattoo

Fundraiser,” Reusser said. “People are still wanting to get those permanent tattoos, and it’s a really interesting conversation starter.”

Nick Bates, a senior criminal justice and psychology major at Boise State, who attended the event in 2015, has also found that his semicolon tattoo has been an introduction to discussions with strangers.

“You know, I’ve got (the tattoo) right here on my calf, and people ask me all the time if it’s a Naruto tattoo,” Bates said.

“That’s when I get to talk to them.”

According to Bates, it’s important to open doors of conversation because that’s the best way to remove the stigma surrounding suicide and its prevention.

“It only makes sense for me to go and do this to help support people who were struggling with the things that I experienced first hand,” Bates said.

As someone who has struggled with suicidal thoughts, there wasn’t any hesitation from Bates on participating in the event.

In fact, he didn’t even know about the event until the day before.

“Knowing that there are people out there who are struggling and hurting so bad, and that I can give a little bit of money in that direction through this charity and through this organization, was important to me,” Bates said.

While getting a tattoo may seem a little intimidating, participating in the Semicolon Tattoo Fundraiser has the potential to open doors of communication surrounding suicide prevention. For more information about the event, visit the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline or official event page on Facebook.

C U LT U R E

BOISE STATE’S BLUE AND ORANGE SPLATTER PARTY RETURNS

For five years in a row, the Splatter Party has brought students together for a night of dancing and school spirit Megan Schuessler | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Splatter Party brought together people from campus and beyond on Friday. Photo by Taylor Humby.

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oise State’s Blue and Orange Splatter Party was a big turnout this Friday, Sept. 14, when students from all across campus got together for a night of dancing and school spirit in the Quad.

Mikayla Mitzel, campus programs coordinator, played a key role in making this event happen. According to Mitzel, this year’s Splatter Party was expected to have an attendance of at least 1,500 people, included a foam cannon, free t-shirts for the first 1,000 students into the event and more paint than there has been in the past.

According to Mitzel, the party brings people together for the common purpose of having fun.

“This event provides a space for students to come together and engage in an activity that promotes school spirit. I believe it was

“This event provides a space for students to come together and engage in an activity that promotes school spirit.”

Mikayla Mitzel, campus programs coordinator created to bring in the fall semester with a blue-and-orange-themed dance to get students out of their rooms and meeting new people,” Mitzel said.

Students from all years in school attend-

ed the party and were there for a variety of reasons. Some students had attended before, but there were also many newcomers.

One of these first-timers included Sierra Boddy, freshman criminal justice major, who said there has been a similar event in Washington.

“We have something similar back in Seattle. It’s called The Color Run, and then I also did some photography with a friend who did stuff that is similar to what’s in Splatter Party,” Boddy said.

When it was time for everyone to be let into the party area of the Quad, students who were there early rushed in to receive their Splatter Party t-shirts. The area in front of the DJ and Splatter Party staff filled with students quickly. The music being played by the DJ on stage ranged from current favorites to several throw-

backs from different eras. Students eagerly awaited being sprayed with paint, and at multiple times at the beginning of the party, chanted, “We want paint!”

Shortly, several student staff members came onto the stage in front of the crowd waving blue and orange flags, and tossed several glow sticks to students below. As the party built up, the demands of the crowd were finally met and the staff members on stage brought out their squirt guns and buckets full of paint.

Students were soon getting soaked with bright hues as they continued to dance all the way up until midnight. After the party, students walked home or to their cars covered in the splatter paint they had danced in.

Behind the scenes, planning the party and other large events on campus is a long process that requires people all across campus to come together and communicate effectively, according to Mitzel. The event’s schedule must work for everyone involved in the decision-making process and any music artists from Uprising LLC, the company Boise State has used from the first time this event took place.

Secretary of Student Organization Affairs, Michael Gentile, discussed why he believes student involvement on campus in organizations and events like the Splatter Party are important through his own experience of being on his own at Boise State.

Gentile said he plans on encouraging even more student involvement in on-campus clubs and events this upcoming school year.

“When I came here I really didn’t know anybody,” Gentile said. “I remember signing up for a bunch of clubs and that’s how I met a lot of my friends. It was through these clubs because it brings people with (similar) interests together.”

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SPORTS & REC

BOISE STATE CROSS COUNTRY RUNS AWAY WITH TITLES TO KICK OFF SEASON

XC

Ostrander and Uchikoshi secure victory for women’s and men’s teams; men earn a perfect score Nathan Cook | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he Boise State men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the season-opening Sundodger Invitational in Seattle, Washington on Sept. 8, 2018.

The men garnered a perfect score of 15 points, taking the first seven placements and winning the meet as a result. Meanwhile, the women scored 17 points, earning the team title.

The men’s perfect score is the first one in program history since the Idaho Invitational 20 years ago, where the men’s and women’s teams both scored 15 points and landed a victory for Boise State.

“I’m really excited with the way both groups competed,” said Boise State head coach Corey Ihmels. “They followed the race plan very well by getting out hard and staying as a pack.

They closed well, and I was really proud of how they started the season.”

Along with the team title, Boise State also snatched individual titles merited by Yusuke Uchikoshi and Allie Ostrander. Uchikoshi (24:17.20) led the men while Ostrander (20:21.70) carried the women.

This is the first meet Uchikoshi has won since the 2016 Mountain West Men’s Cross Country Championships in Kuna, Idaho. This is also notable for Ostrander achieving her sixth career win.

The women’s and men’s cross country teams will compete again at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational on Sept. 28 to preview this season’s national championship course. A second group of Boise State runners will participate in the Charles Bowles Invitational in Salem, Oregon the following day.

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MEN’S 8KM

WOMEN’S 6KM

1 . Allie Ostrander 2. Clare O’Brien 3. Emily Venters 4. Alexis Fuller 7 . Maxine Paholek 8. Gracie Tostenson 9. Kyra Lopez 13. Kristie Schoffield 14. Jordan Jacob 15. Claire Graves 18. Olivia Johnson 20. Yukino Parle 26. Malia Pivec 33. Christina Geisler 37. Ali Deitsch 38. Emily Demarco 39. Anne Brinegar 46. Morgan Diefendorf 50. Alissa Pudlitzke 51. Anna Hartwick

SUNDOGER INVITATIONAL RESULTS

20:21.70 20:26.60 20:31.30 20:51.90 20:58.40 20:59.60 21:03.10 21:28.40 21:29.90 21:42.90 21:47.40 21:48.00 22:11.80 22:56.50 23:22.70 23:31.70 23:40.40 24:18.80 25:27.50 25:28.30

1 . Yusuke Uchikoshi 2. Ahmed Muhumed 3. Elijah Armstrong 4. Jeff Lautenslager 5. Miler Haller 6. Addison DeHaven 7 . Noah Horsburgh 9. Andrew Rafla 11. Riley Campbell 16. Keegan McCormick 17. Leif Everson 21. Kammi Kalil 25. Jacob Grinwis 26. Israel Anaya-Carmona 29. Tom Richardson 31. Albert Beckham 33. Cade Greseth

24:17.20 24:22.60 24:23.80 24:25.40 24:26.20 24:26.30 24:28.50 24:43.60 24:45.30 25:02.30 25:09.70 25:34.70 26:16.70 26:17.50 26:51.60 27:08.30 28:00.10

Graphic by Isabel Sarhad. Yusuke Uchikoshi led the men’s cross country team during their meet on Sept. 8. Photo courtesy of Boise State Media Relations.

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SPORTS & REC

UNDERSTANDING THE NCAA’S ELIGIBILITY COLOR WHEEL New rules could affect when coaches redshirt players

Addison Dehaven | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

through the first two games.

Medical Redshirt A medical redshirt occurs when a player gets injured during the season. A player applies to the NCAA to get their eligibility for the season back and, pending review, is often granted a redshirt that saves them a year of their five-year running clock. It is important to note that a player cannot have previously redshirted to be granted a medical redshirt.

Greenshirt A “greenshirt,” more commonly known as early-enrollee, is when a prospective student-athlete graduates from high school a semester early (December) and then heads to their college choice a semester early.

This practice is done to give student-athletes a full semester of experience and the ability to participate in spring ball before their first fall season.

Current starting quarterback Brett Rypien greenshirted, graduating from high school early and enrolling at Boise State for the spring semester in 2015.

Graphic by Isabel Sarhad.

W

ith the 2018 college football season about to kick into high gear, it’s time to re-familiarize ourselves with eligibility terms, such as “redshirt,” that dot the Broncos’ roster.

This summer, the NCAA also introduced new legislation that will greatly affect the eligibility of many players. Below is a guide to these terms and the rule changes that the NCAA has recently enacted.

Redshirt A redshirt, or “redshirting,” is a term used to describe a player who practices for an entire season but does not play. The NCAA gives student-athletes a five-year

clock to compete in four seasons. Once a student-athlete steps on campus, that clock begins. By redshirting a season during those first four years, a player can play a fifth year, being labeled a “redshirt senior.”

Redshirts are usually given to freshmen to gain strength and experience for the coming years. The logic behind this is that a student-athlete would be a better player in their fifth year as a 22 or 23-year-old than they would be in their first year as an 18-year-old freshman.

Standout wide-receiver Sean Modster redshirted his freshman year in 2014. He is currently having a breakout year with two touchdowns and over 200 yards receiving

Graduate Transfer This occurs when a player graduates school in four years but has a year of eligibility remaining on his clock. That player is then free to transfer to another school without restriction. A notable graduate transfer from Boise State is current North Carolina State quarterback Ryan Finley who graduated in the spring of 2016.

Finley was then able to transfer without sitting out a year and is currently the starting quarterback for the Wolfpack.

games before using a redshirt. These four games can occur at any time of the year, including bowl games.

“This change promotes not only fairness for college athletes, but also their health and well-being. Redshirt football student-athletes are more likely to remain engaged with the team, and starters will be less likely to feel pressure to play through injuries,” said council chair Blake James, athletics director at Miami (Florida) in a press release. “Coaches will appreciate the additional flexibility and ability to give younger players an opportunity to participate in limited competition.”

This is a significant change from the previous rule which made it difficult to get a redshirt once a player stepped on the field. This change will give student-athletes in college football more opportunities and offset the risk of early injuries, which could cost them full seasons.

When asked about the new rules during the Mountain West media day in July, head coach Bryan Harsin was ecstatic about the rules.

“I know for everybody on our staff, it was like winning the Super Bowl when this rule passed,” Harsin said. “I think its a huge advantage for everybody to be able to manage our rosters.”

New Legislation According to a press release by the NCAA in June, Division 1 student-athletes now have the ability to play in up to four SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

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SPORTS & REC

BOISE STATE FOOTBALL WIDE RECIEVER AKILIAN BUTLER HAS BIG DREAMS

Butler is in the midst of his comeback season, and has his sights set on the future Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Wide reciever Akilian Butler is coming back from an ACL tear that turned his third season into a redshirt season. Photo courtesy of Joe Nickell.

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edshirt junior wide receiver and communication major Akilian Butler has high aspirations when it comes to football and his future. The 2018 college football season is just beginning and Butler has already grabbed his first touchdown catch of his career during the game against Troy.

Butler is a three-star recruit out of Dallas, Texas. He was ranked amongst the top 25 receivers in his state coming out of high school, according to scout.com. Whether one is looking at size or the football scene, Boise and Dallas are different. Butler called the difference a “good difference” and said that coming to play ball here was an easy decision for him.

“The relationship I had with my coaches during the recruiting process, they seemed like they really believed in me, and wanted to give me a fair shot,” Butler said. “I felt like (Boise) was home for me.”

After committing to play college

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football, Butler found himself taking on the challenging, but rewarding, role of a student-athlete.

“It’s a lot of work, but I can manage it. I just enjoy every moment of it,” Butler said.

Butler started playing football when he was just three years old. He came into Boise as a true freshman, allowing him to play 10 games his first season. Nothing got in the way of playing football, until his junior year at Boise State. Just a few games into the season, Butler would face adversity with football like he never had before. The Broncos traveled to Washington State on Sept. 9, 2017, and during the game Butler tore his ACL, turning his third season into a redshirt season.

“It was a difficult process because I’ve never stepped out of football,” Butler said.

“The injury made me stronger mentally. It made me buy into the process and really understand why we do the things that we do.”

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Naturally, Butler did anything he could to get himself back on the field. After a long year of recovery, Butler said that he’s happy he went through it all.

Butler is back on the field for his redshirt junior season and isn’t taking anything for granted.

“It feels good. At this point I’m just happy to be out there, and to play,” Butler said. “I know it can be taken from me at any moment. I’m just trying to stay healthy and help my team win.”

He called his brothers his biggest inspirations, as they are a huge reason why he has been playing football since such a young age. Butler’s twin brother, Joshua Butler, plays college ball at Michigan State University.

For now, Butler plans to continue his education after he graduates, aiming to get a master’s in finance. He ultimately wants to take over his step-father’s business of shipping cars. Butler has dreams that go

beyond education and football: he wants to be an actor.

“I went to a couple casting calls back home,” Butler said. “I’ve talked to a couple producers, but due to what I have here, I couldn’t buy into it, but I still stay in touch with them.”

Like most athletes, Butler isn’t opposed to the idea of playing professionally. He said he’s leaving that dream in the hands of God. Butler happily contested that his favorite part about being on the Boise State football team is his teammates.

On Saturday, Sept. 15, Oklahoma handed the Broncos their first loss after routing Boise 44-21. Butler and the Broncos look to bounce back after their bye week, when they travel to Wyoming to play the Cowboys.

FUN & GAMES

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.86)

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Fri Sep 8 20:41:11 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

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UNIVERSITY PULSE PRESENTS

WITH GUNNAR DIETSCH WEDNESDAY 3-4 PM FRIDAY 6-7 PM

FIND HIM ON INSTAGRAM @FLATLINERADIOBSU

@bsupulse @universitypulse @universitypulse