"Facebook let a fake page Socialposing as the Security trump campaign money for the "BREAKING: Nancy Pe- "Trumps grandfa run political ads" impeachment losi's Son Was Exec At was a pimp and Gas Company That Did Business in Ukraine"
IN D EP EN D E NT
“Joe Biden Calls Trump Supporters ‘Dregs of Society’”
misinformed
“Trump is Now Trying to Get Mike Pence Impeached”
"Facebook let a fake page posing as the trump campaign run political
ST U D E NT
V O I CE
O F
B O I SE
STAT E
campaign run political ads"
"Trumps grandfather was a pimp and tax evader; his father a member of the KKK"
S I N C E
1 9 3 3
"Democrats have finally admitted what they truly want: a repeal of the Second Amendment"
"BREAKING:
Vol. 32 Issue 14 fathe evader; his member of the K
"Nancy Pelosi diverting money for the impeach
“Trump is Now Trying to Get Mike Pence Impeached”
“Joe Biden Calls Trump Supporters ‘Dregs of Society’” Social Security money for the "Democrats "Nancy Pelosi diverting impeachment inquiry" have finally "Facebook let mitted what a fake page they truly nt: a repeal posing as the the Second trump mendment"
"BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi's Son Was Exec At Gas Company That Did Business in Ukraine"
inquiry"
November 19, 2019
"Democrats have finally admitted what they truly want: a repeal of the Second Amendment"
"Nancy Pelosi diverting Social Security money for the impeachment inquiry" “Joe Biden Calls Trump Supporters ‘Dregs of Society’”
Facebook and Twitter spark debate within the Boise State community over political advertising policies
NEWS
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Gov. Brad Little announces plans to require state agencies to cut 1% of their budgets in the next fiscal year
VISIT US ONLINE:
OPINION
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A student veteran expresses his concern over Boise State’s lack of Veterans Day recognition arbiteronline.com
CULTURE
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Idaho Dance Theatre launches into its 31st season with choreography that takes on life and politics @arbiteronline
SPORTS & REC
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True freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier spoke to the media for the first time on Nov. 5
@arbiteronline
@boisestatearbiter
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Editor-In-Chief Logan Potter editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu Online Editor Emma Freitas onlineeditor@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Editor Celina Van Hyning news@stumedia.boisestate.edu News Reporter Taylor Rico-Pekerol news@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Editor Will Meyer culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Culture Reporter Michelle Johnson culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Editor Delaney Brassil sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Sports Reporter Autum Robertson sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu Opinion Editor Blake Hunter opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu Copy Editor Megan Mary
Students Ryann Banks and Maricela Deveney led chants at the DACA rally on the Idaho State Capitol steps. Taylor Humby | The Arbiter
ON THE COVER:
Twitter has announced a new policy banning political advertisements, while Facebook continues to allow advertisements of any type, true or false. Students and faculty discuss the issues that may arise, what fake advertisements can look like and how both policies may affect future elections.
Social Media Coordinator Trisha Kangas
Photo courtesy of JD Lasica/CC BY 2.0. Photo was altered. Cover design by Taylor Humby and Kacie Fromhart.
Digital Content Manager Taylor Humby digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu
HOW TO REACH US:
Digital Content Producer Mackenzie Hudson Graphic Design Manager Maddie Ceglecki design@stumedia.boisestate.edu Graphic Designer Kacie Fromhart 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.
CONTACT US: editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu 208.426.6302 PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located on first floor of Lincoln Avenue Garage Suites
MISSION:
As a student-run organization, we produce accurate and hyper-local information through non-par tisan and socially responsible media.
MAILING ADDRESS: Student Media MS 1340 1910 W Universit y Dr. Boise, ID 83725 -1340
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(Carhops can earn tips) Starting pay based on experience To Apply 2145 S. Broadway: Text APPLY5023 to 876-642 851 N. Orchard St: Text APPLY4687 to 876-642
EVENTS TRIVIA NIGHT
MERIWETHER CIDER HOUSE
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS VOLLEYBALL
NOVEMBER 19, 7 PM
This is the cider house’s first trivia night. The competition is free to play with prizes given to the winning team. This event is open to anyone age 21 and up.
STRESS RELIEF WORKSHOP
EDUCATIONAL ACCESS CENTER
NOVEMBER 21, 3:30 PM
With finals week quickly approaching, “Less Stress When You Test” is a workshop dedicated to helping students manage their stress levels and anxiety when preparing for exams.
PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE CONCERT
MORRISON CENTER
NOVEMBER 21, 7:30 PM
All proceeds from the concert fund Boise State Music Scholarships. Admissions for the ensemble are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and free for Boise State students and faculty with ID.
The Broncos had a tough week on the road last week, falling 0-3 to both Wyoming and No. 12 Colorado State. Boise State (16-11) will close out their regular season this week with two home games: Thursday, Nov. 21 against Fresno State at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 23 against San Diego State at 2 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Boise State competed in the NCAA West Regional on Friday, Nov. 15 and finished with top five performances, solidifying their spots at the NCAA National Championships. The No. 13 women came in third place behind No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 Washington, while the No. 27 men came in fifth place and were led by senior Miler Haller’s fourth place finish in the 10k (29:55.0).
WINTRY MARKET JUMP BOISE
NOVEMBER 24, 10 AM ‘Wintry Market: Handmade for the Holidays’ will feature various arts and crafts dedicated to the upcoming season.
FOOTBALL No. 19 Boise State (9-1, 6-0) blew past New Mexico 42-9 on Saturday, Nov. 16 for senior night. In his first start for the Broncos, third-string quarterback Jaylon Henderson led the charge with 292 yards for three touchdowns. The Broncos will travel to Utah State on Saturday, Nov. 23.
NEWS
NOVEMBER 19, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
GOVERNOR BRAD LITTLE REQUESTS STATE AGENCIES MAKE BUDGET CUTS
State agencies are required to cut budgets 1% by the end of fiscal year 2020 Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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ov. Brad Little sent all state agencies a memo calling for a “spending reset,” and requested that budget cuts be made for fiscal year (FY) 2020. Each agency’s general fund budget will include a 1% rescission to the 2020 budget and a 2% base reduction to the 2021 budget. Idaho’s fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The request is in response to the tax revenues coming in lower than projected. According to Alex Adams, budget chief for Gov. Little, Idaho expected to have about $174 million dollars to fall back on at the end of the year; that number has decreased to $69 million. “You leave a cushion to give yourself flexibility in case revenue doesn’t come in,” Adams said. “So because of the uncertainty, we left $174 million. The new projected end balance is $69 million for the year and that doesn’t account for some of the bills that we know are coming in.” Adams said that because the cushion is decreasing, Gov. Little was forced to take action. “The governor has called it a ‘spending reset,’” Adams said. “The goal is to get spending back in line with revenue.” Gov. Little’s chief of staff Zach Hauge wrote in an Oct. 29 memo to all state agency heads that everyone is required to make cuts, but K-12 education is the only agency exempt from these cuts. “Gov. Little’s No. 1 priority is education,” Hauge wrote in the memo. “He has said it is our moral and constitutional obligation to ensure Idaho students are prepared for a lifetime of learning and eventual careers. Gov. Little’s executive budget recommendation not only leaves K-12 schools harmless, but is guaranteed to include continued investments.” Because K-12 education will not be affected by these budget cuts, many wonder
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why Boise State University is not exempt if adding $7 million to this Opportunity Adams explained the other program Gov. Little’s priority is education. Scholarship Fund. That program would be related to higher education that would be “The funding for K-12 and for universiheld harmless.” unharmed is graduate medical education. ties is very similar in a lot of aspects,” said “The state invests in medical residency Tony Roark, the interim Provost for Boise throughout the state that increases our State. “School districts don’t typically apply physician workforce,” Adams said. “We for federal research grants, for example, so have one of the lowest rates in terms of universities and colleges have different revphysicians per capita, which is why that enue streams and different financial inputs program would be held harmless this that public schools don’t.” year as well.” Roark supports further investIn response to university ment in K-12 education, but budget cuts, Boise State says Gov. Little’s message president Marlene Tromp about the importance of edsent a memo to all faculty ucation is rather confusing. assuring them that discus“I think that, to the sions of spending resets extent that K-12 public can be difficult, but education is not only they will not change being held harmless, but the foundation of the in the memo it says that university. governor little intends to in“Discussion of vest more in K-12-that’s great,” budget reductions can Roark said. “I absolutely support be genuinely difficult, that, but it is a mixed message when but our goal is to respond he says Gov. Little’s highest priority is thoughtfully, creatively and ineducation and yet we’re planning and novatively,” Tromp wrote. “One cutting funding for higher education.” thing remains as clear to me today Adams is aware of the concern the as it was the first day I visited campus for university has about the budget cut. While my interview — Boise State is resilient. cuts fall to the discretion of the university, Innovation and creativity are core to our Adams explained multiple programs character — and these attributes help us affiliated with the university will face challenges and have fueled our unique remain exempt. trajectory in Idaho and in the nation.” “There are a couple exceptions for higher ed,” Adams said. “One of the programs that the state has is the Opportunity Scholarship, which provides scholarships to deserving Idaho students to help offset the cost of tuition. The goverAll state agencies must make 1% cuts this year and potentially 2% next year. nor made record investment Kacie Fromhart | The Arbiter
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ADJUNCT FACULTY MAKE SACRIFICES TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE
NEWS
A wide gap exists between average salaries for adjunct faculty versus full-time faculty Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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full-time professor at Boise State receives benefits, is on track to receive their tenure —or already has it— and are paid more than their counterparts, adjunct faculty. Adjunct professors are allowed to teach a maximum of 11 credits per semester, whereas fulltime faculty teach over 12 credits. Currently, there are 590 adjunct faculty members and 833 full-time employees at Boise State. The role of any professor, adjunct or full-time, is to take the knowledge they have on a specific subject and teach it to the next generation. Lana Kuchta is a lecturer in the English department and has worked at Boise State for 14 years. During her first 10 years, she taught as an adjunct professor and has been a lecturer for the last four. “I mean, their original purpose of adjunct labor was to have somebody who was an expert in a field, just share that knowledge and teach that class, but they had other jobs and they would teach it as a night class or something like that,” Kuchta said. “Universities have relied more and more heavily on this adjunct labor, which has created, in my mind, an ethical dilemma.” Sam Heidelberg, a junior English education major, has had good experiences with adjunct professors in the past and credited her University Foundations (UF) 200 professor with making her care about that class. “She really brought a lot of passion, engagement and expertise to the class,” Heidelberg said. “I felt that it was structured in a way that was engaging and different and kind of broke the mold a little bit compared to other entry level classes I have had.” The average salary for an adjunct compared to a full-time professor are highly diverse in range. An adjunct makes about $3,500 per course, or $20,000 to $25,000 yearly. A full-time professor can make anywhere between $50,000 to over $100,000 and the same goes for Boise State faculty. “Adjunct pay is ridiculously low, I’m not gonna lie about that,” Kuchta said. “I am
very fortunate that I have a husband who makes money and can pick up the slack where my income doesn’t make enough.” Most adjuncts are unable to live off their salary, and oftentimes take on one or more jobs to subsidize the income they are not receiving. Kuchta worked as an adjunct for the College of Western Idaho and Boise State for one year raking in 21 credits in total before she decided to stay at Boise State. “And at that point, part of the decision to just keep adjuncting versus giving it up entirely was because it did give me a flexible schedule to be around when I was raising my kids,” Kuchta said. Kuchta decided raising her children and adjuncting would be enough with help from her husband’s salary and insurance. It was not necessarily a fair trade concerning earnings, but it was a trade she made and acknowledges. By hiring adjunct faculty members, the university can save money and be able to have more teachers for entry level courses that most first-year students have to take. Jonathan Lashley works for the Idaho State Board of Education as the Associate Chief Academic Officer, he also worked as a staff member for Boise State’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) Department. Lashley was an example of another way the university works to have adjuncts teach classes. As a full-time staff member in OIT, he was also able to adjunct for first-year writing and taught English 101 and 102. “I would say in terms of developing course work, designing and delivering those courses, they [adjunct] are not inferior to a full-time faculty member or assistant or full professor,” Lashley said. “If anything, what the difference is that in traditional faculty roles those on the tenure track or secure tenure, the life of an academic is occupied with not only teaching and service but also scholarship and research.” Bob Casper works full-time as a staff member for the Instructional Design
Staff members are hired to be adjunct faculty for entry-level courses. Taylor Rico-Pekerol | The Arbiter Consultant for the Instructional Design and Educational Assessment (IDEA) shop and receives the same benefits as a fulltime professor does. Casper began teaching developmental workshop courses and was eventually asked to teach a web development class as an adjunct. “I only teach at Boise State, but I have friends and coworkers who teach and I know some people who drive two hours, twice a week, down to Twin [Falls] to teach a face-to-face class at the College of Southern Idaho and drive back,” Casper said.
The hope for most adjuncts is to earn enough experience to eventually become a full-time professor. Casper outlined how people will teach from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. to make ends meet while building their resume, all in the hopes of receiving benefits that are allotted to professors. “They’re experts in their field, and if we brought and hired these people on campus and we’re saying, ‘You’re an expert,’ and they’re contributing something,” Heidelberg said. “We should give them basic benefits.”
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NEWS
PROPOSED STUDENT HOUSING COULD BE COMING TO BOISE AVENUE
New off-campus student housing could potentially displace affordable housing tenants Marcos Guadarrama | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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newly proposed student housing complex could be coming to Boise Ave. on the site of an old Maverick right next to a series of affordable housing units. The project is headed by Collegiate Development Group, an out-of-town developer. They plan to tear down the current Maverick on site, as well as the affordable apartments and construct a four-story building on a 3.3 acre site. In order for the project to come to fruition, the property will have to be rezoned to a single, higher-density destination. The rezone would include the old convenience store, as well as the 20-unit affordable housing complex. With such rapid growth occurring in Boise, many out-of-state developers are looking for opportunities to break ground on new housing complexes in the area. At Boise State, students are looking for housing on or near campus. Boise State housing director Luke Jones explained that there is an increased need for housing within reasonable proximity of the university. While there are many new apartment developments aimed at student housing, Jones feels there is always room to add more affordable options. “Boise State is currently in the process of planning for additional housing options,” Jones wrote in an email. “We are currently planning to add additional bed spaces [and] buildings to help accommodate the growth of our student population.” Students at Boise State have mixed thoughts on the idea of another proposed student housing complex. Garret Hay, a junior studying business, feels that out-of-state students should have more housing options. “Being from California and moving here, it was nice to know that there was plenty of housing. Considering the cost of living in California, some of the housing here is a lot cheaper,” Hay said. “I like the idea of new student housing being built to offer more variety to students coming from
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Potential new student housing will be built on Boise Avenue and Protest Road at the site of an old gas station. Taylor Humby | The Arbiter out of state.” Daniel Franco, a junior media arts major, is a commuter student. Franco sees the need for potential student housing, but feels current housing rates are too expensive for the average student.
“I like the idea of new student housing being built to offer more variety to students coming from out of state.” Garret Hay, junior business major
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“It’s good to have more housing options but it depends on what they decide to price the rent at. If it’s [a] high rate, it will be kind of pointless,” Franco said. “It’s become unaffordable for students like me.” While the proposed project is good for students, tenants at the current affordable housing complex are worried they will be left without a home. Jose Lopez, a tenant living in the affordable housing units, said with the fate of his future living situation still being unclear, there is little transparency coming from the complex owners. He was given a flyer informing him about attending a potential rezone meeting, but has not heard much else from the owners. “It’s not good on our part, because this is a good spot for us to live, not to mention it’s affordable,” Lopez said.
Brian Foster, another tenant living on the property, moved in only a month ago. Foster said he was told there was investors looking at the property and the future of the apartment complex was unknown. “I hope they don’t tear them down, I like living here. I understand the need for more housing and the rental market is so scarce here, but at the same time the new buildings they put are too high in rent,” Foster said. “This is kind of my limit of what I can pay for rent. All these new places are pushing the locals out of town to find cheaper rent elsewhere.” An application would have to go through Boise planning and development for approval, and any zone application would have to be approved by the city of Boise. No hearing date has been set.
NEWS
OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS FACE LOWER GRADUATION RATES
The struggle to balance work, school and finance is particularly difficult for those living off-campus Karsyn Preble | Staff Writer | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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ince 2011, students living off-campus are on average roughly 18% less likely to graduate within four years compared to students living on-campus, and the gap continues to grow. Dr. Luke Jones, director of Housing and Residence Life, discussed the ways in which on-campus housing can affect the college experience for students. “Students who can afford to live on-campus have resources that increase their likelihood to succeed,” Jones said. “In general, [these] students are more connected to opportunities for involvement, have greater access to resources and make connections with other students and faculty members sooner than those who do not live on campus.” The convenience and connections that come with campus housing play a major role in the success of Boise State students. Out of nearly 17,000 undergraduate students, Jones reported that only about 3,000 students live on campus. That means roughly 14,000 students are facing lower chances of graduating in four years. In acknowledgment of the low graduation rates and struggling students, the university is trying to find ways to tackle this issue. The Advising and Academic Support Center (AASC) is one of the resources available to off-campus students that need guidance. From academic coaching to events like Bronco Welcome, AASC strives to find ways to make off-campus students feel welcomed and supported. Dr. Tomas Baiza, director of AASC, explained that, as someone who spent his college years as a commuter and transfer student, he understands the obstacles that off-campus students face. “I remember thinking that I lived two different lives when I was an undergrad: college me and real me,” Baiza said. Many off-campus students face difficulties juggling the many aspects of their lives that reach beyond the boundaries of the campus.
“I remember thinking that I lived two different lives when I was an undergrad: college-me and real-me.” Dr. Tomas Baiza, Advising and Academic Support Center director Baiza explained that students living off-campus rarely lead campus-centric lives. Instead, they face many extrinsic obligations that do not cohesively fit into their college experiences, such as jobs, living arrangements, non-academic social circles and much more. Angel Mora-Carrillo, a junior political science major, is one of many students commuting from an off-campus location. Although he recently moved into an apartment 10 minutes from campus, Mora-Carrillo spent his first few years at Boise State living in Nampa. “It was very difficult to make it to class regularly time-wise, financially as well as balancing work schedules,” Mora-Carrillo said. “I had weeks where I had little or no gas money to be able to make it to class.” Mora-Carrillo, who works
three jobs in order to pay for gas, rent and many other expenses college students face, explained that he often skips class to pick up extra shifts at work. “That lack of ability to be present due to external pressures shows up academically in my grades,” Mora-Carrillo said. Many students face the same reality as Mora-Carrillo. Despite the many benefits of living on-campus, it simply is not realistic for the majority of college students. Although off-campus students are obligated to pay steep prices for rent, gas, utilities and more, it is still more affordable than cam-
pus housing. “Living off-campus is cheaper than living on campus. Period,” Mora-Carrillo said. “The inflation of prices at universities are universally too high. I don’t think living on campus is realistic unless you’re privileged financially. That is the reality of the students at Boise State University.”
Students who reside in on-campus housing receive many advantages. Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter NOVEMBER 19, 2019
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OPINION NOVEMBER 19, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
BOISE STATE FAILED TO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS ON VETERANS DAY
The absence of Veterans Day at Boise State: one student veteran’s perspective Topher Dayton | Guest Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Topher Dayton is a student veteran and president of the Boise State Student Veterans of America. am a veteran and a senior here at Boise State University. I am very proud to be a veteran and I was, until recently, proud to be a Boise State Bronco. This past Veterans Day, as I was walking around campus, I saw no indication that it was a national holiday. Instead of a holiday dedicated to the men and women who have and are serving in our country’s military, it seemed to me that it was just another day. In years past, Boise State Veteran Services did a magnificent job honoring student veterans. However, they recently lost multiple employees, thereby increasing the workload for the ones still there. This year, they had no time to plan a Veterans Day event. In my opinion, though, it should not be up to them. Veterans should not be left to plan an event that honors themselves. Would someone plan their own birthday party? Do we leave it up to a bride to plan her own bachelorette party? Boise State administrators were fully aware of the increased workload for the hard-working people in Veteran Services, but they were unable to step up to the plate. I feel very sad and disappointed that Boise State did nothing to remind students, faculty and staff that this past Monday was a day to remember current and past veterans who have sacrificed so much for everyone on campus, our community and the nation. I served six years with the Idaho Air National Guard here in Boise. I also served a six-and-a-half-month tour in Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. I deployed with nearly everyone in my squadron so naturally we
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Dayton and his comrades signed a Boise State flag in the Veteran Student Services. all waved the blue and orange flag of Boise State University while we were there. We even went so far as to get a Boise State flag flown on a combat mission. We then signed it, included a picture of us with it and donated it to the university. That flag is displayed in the Veteran Services Center. I now have mixed feelings about my signature on that flag and the picture of me holding it. Even in a hostile environment far, far away, we proudly displayed the flag of our local university, but here at home, the same thing is not reciprocated. There seems to be a disconnect between those who understand the sacrifices of serving in the military and those who do not. Nearly every Bronco Veteran joined
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the military after Sept. 11, 2001. We joined fully aware that we would most likely be deployed to a very dangerous place. But, since there have been enough volunteers, no draft has occurred since 1972. No matter how someone feels about war, it should give them peace knowing that military drafts are no longer prevalent. That peace is provided solely because a small percentage of the population decided and continues to decide to take on that burden. There are many student veterans at Boise State who struggle with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and addiction. The truth is that any average person would struggle with the same things if they experienced war. For those that did remember Veterans
Blake Hunter | The Arbiter
Day and reflected on what it means, I thank you. For those students and teachers that told me to have a happy Veterans Day and thanked me for my service, I deeply appreciate it. I am not angry, though it may seem like I am. I am simply disappointed in my university. All the students, faculty and staff should be disappointed as well. There are more than 1,200 student veterans at Boise State and, while I cannot speak for everyone, I think we all would have appreciated getting at least some semblance of recognition from Boise State, the school that so many of us support and the school that should have our back.
SENATOR WARREN’S WEALTH TAX IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD
OPINION
Billionaires are worried that the new tax proposal would take away too much wealth
Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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merica’s richest taxpayers, formally known as the 1%, pay 39.4% of federal income taxes according to the Congressional Budget Office. Among these taxpayers are Microsoft founder Bill Gates, worth $97 billion, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who is the richest man in the world, worth $160 billion. These wildly successful individuals (two of whom are white women, and the rest are white men) possess more wealth than the remaining 99% of the country. Under democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s new tax plan, these men and women could lose a portion of their wealth. Warren’s tax plan, known as the Ultra-Millionaire Tax, sounds modest; only two cents per dollar of net worth above $50 million, and three cents per dollar of net worth above $1 billion. Altogether, this new tax on 0.1% of American households could bring in $2.75 trillion over a decade. This huge number has America’s elite already fearful of the outcome her tax plan may present, though Warren has not even earned the democratic nomination for president. As an example, if Sen.Warren’s plan had been implemented since 1982, Bezos would now be worth $95 billion instead of $160 billion. Are we really supposed to feel sympathy for someone that would still have $95 billion after paying taxes that would help close the wealth gap and provide more resources to lower-earning citizens? The reactions to the proposed tax are rather revealing. Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, said that Warren’s tax plan is not only illogical, but morally wrong. “Warren’s tax could cut roughly in half the fortunes of the very wealthy over its first 10 years. The aggressiveness of her plan should not be understated,” Strain wrote in a series of tweets. “All Americans deserve protection from the tyranny of the majority, including the very rich.”
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is one of the American billionaires who would be affected by Sen. Warren’s Ultra-Millionaire Tax if she is elected president. Photo: Jorg Carstensen/DPA/Zuma Press/TNS Strain is one of hundreds of people who are extremely fearful of the proposed tax plan. During a live report on CNBC, billionaire Leon Cooperman broke down in tears while discussing the impact Warren’s plan would have on his far above average income. Rather than focusing on a billionaire crying over the possibility of losing a por-
tion - not all - of his wealth, look at some of the socioeconomic factors that make up the American economy. 552,830 people are counted as homeless in the United States. The overall population of Americans experiencing homeless on a single night represents 0.2% of the U.S. population, or 17 people per 10,000
in the population. In other words, Sen. Warren’s tax would affect roughly half the amount of people who experience homelessness every night. As of 2018, 38.1 million people were living in poverty. Of that number, 16.2%, or 11.9 million, are children. That equates to almost one in every six children. Additionally, Native Americans and African Americans are more than twice as likely to be living in poverty as white and Asian Americans. About 44 million people in this country have no health insurance, and another 38 million have inadequate health insurance. This means that nearly one-third of Americans face each day without the security of knowing that, if and when they need it, medical care is available to them and their families. What does this have to do with billionaires losing a portion of their money? Warren’s tax plan was not created to exploit wealth in America. Nobody would argue that all of the men and women with the highest net worth in America worked extremely hard for what they have. However, it poses the question: does any one person need that much money? And with income inequality at rates not seen since the 1920s, is it responsible for them to have that much money? Jeff Bezos will not spend his $160 billion in his lifetime. Nobody in America needs $160 billion when thousands of people do not have the comfort of knowing where their next meal is coming from.
HAVE A COMMENT OR REBUTTAL? EMAIL US AT: OPINION@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU
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"‘BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi’s Son Was Exec At Gas Company That Did Business In Ukraine" "Nancy Pelosi diverting Social Security money for the impeachment inquiry"
"Ilhan Omar Holding Secret Fundraisers With Islamic Groups Tied to Terror"
"Trump’s grandfather was a pimp and tax evader; his father was a member of the KKK"
"Tim Allen: ‘Trump’s wall "Trump Is Now Trying To Get Mike costs less than Pence Impeached" the Obamacare website’" "NYC coroner who
"Democrats Vote To Enhance Med Care for Illegals Now, Vote "Joe Biden Calls Down Vets Waiting 10 Years for Trump Supporters Same Service” 'Dregs of Society'" gals Now, Vote Down
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acebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was recently grilled by representatives and lawmakers on Capitol Hill regarding his decision to bypass fact-checking political advertisements on Facebook. While Zuckerberg is sticking by this decision, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey stated that his company will no longer allow sponsored tweets promoting political campaigns. Social media political advertising is at an all-time high, at a time when America’s political climate seems to be heavily split between the right and the left. According to Tech for Campaigns, there was a total of $623 million spent on digital advertising for the 2018 midterm election, and that number is predicted to increase for the 2020 presidential election.
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declared the death of Jeffrey Epstein a suicide made half a mill ion dollars a year working for the Clinton Foundation until 2015"
PAYING FOR MISINFORMATION
Social media platforms spark debate over political advertising policies MICHELLE JOHNSON | CULTURE REPORTER | CULTURE@STUMEDIA.BOISESTATE.EDU With the amount of content circulating on social media everyday, fake news is more prevalent than ever, particularly on Facebook. Since Twitter is banning political advertisements, Facebook’s misinformation and political advertising may increase. On social media, in most cases, people can write and post whatever they want. With the digital world at everyone’s fingertips, it is easy to get lost in a rabbit hole of
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information — or, rather, misinformation. A social media standoff While Twitter denouncing political advertisements may be seen as positive to some, Facebook’s lack of fact-checking can provide room for misinformation to spread like wildfire. Robert Herold, a senior majoring in political science, discussed the significance of both Twitter and Facebook’s decisions. He
put into perspective how easy it is to create a sponsored advertisement on Facebook and what that can look like. “If you look at Facebook, for example, all it takes to run a political advertisement is to verify your identity, which is easy to do, then you pay them obviously, and then put ‘paid for by’ and that’s it,” Herold said. “And then according to Facebook, as long as I put my identity like, okay, that’s cool. So I don’t have
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F E AT U R E FACEBOOK IS NOT WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SPREAD OF MISINFORMATION ON ITS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, SO NOW IT IS UP TO INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS TO MAKE DETERMINATIONS ABOUT FACTS AND MISINFORMATION. - LOGAN STANLEY, SENIOR POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR to prove that what I’m saying is factual. And I think that’s the more dangerous thing.” Herold touched on how political advertising for campaigns can be tricky, specifically on Twitter. He said that one reason advertisements are not always effective is that advertising too far in advance ultimately has no lasting effect on the reader. “Ads have diminishing returns,” Herold said. “There’s a lot of research to prove that, especially this far away from the election. Our elections are over now for our municipal elections, and 2020 is still about a year away now. The thing is, research shows that political advertising does nothing this far away from the election.” With the simplicity of creating sponsored posts, Twitter’s banning of political advertisements could potentially be a smart move. Steve Utych, an assistant professor of political science, shared his thoughts and experiences with political advertising on social media and what he has encountered. “The political ads I’ve seen on Twitter have honestly been pretty benign — stuff like begging for donations and the ‘like’ of the tweet, possibly due to the short post format on there,” Utych wrote in an email. “I don’t know that it’s going to change a lot for people who are politically interested, and I’m not sure how much advertising like what I typically see on Twitter really does to move the needle in elections anyway.” The new policy on Twitter also puts restrictions on political issue advertisements, rather than isolating it to only candidate campaigning. While this may raise some concerns regarding how issue groups will spread their information, the restriction
simply limits promoting to vote on the specific issue’s legislation. Twitter’s new policy will roll out on Nov. 22. Misinformation through groups and propaganda Facebook has been a hot spot for “fake news” in the last few years, which has made it easier to identify what is real and what is false. While misinformation can be found through fake articles, it can also be presented in the form of propaganda. This makes it harder to determine the validity, especially when it comes from unknown groups. With Facebook being spread across many countries, it can translate propaganda across borders. “Myanmar had a problem with their political propaganda that led to the genocide, and Facebook washes their hands off of this thing,” Herold said. “Either they start backtracking or they get rid of it, because the propaganda is filtering in. And it is impacting elections because the difference is, if we’re not seeing political advertisements, we know what they look like, we’ve been around them a while, we’ve seen them on TV, so our brains have learned what those advertisements look like. But when people like Russian propagandists are putting in that propaganda, we don’t know what that looks like nearly as much.” To show how fake news spreads, Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently released fake information through Facebook to demonstrate how quickly viewers are convinced and how fast it can gain traction. Logan Stanley, a senior majoring in political science, explained one of the reasons why Sen. Warren did this. “A lot of ‘fake news’ is spread through
social media through organizations that are willfully spreading facts and information,” Stanley wrote in an email. “Recently, Elizabeth Warren purposely put out an ad with ‘fake news’ to show just how easy Facebook is allowing there to be misinformation slipping through. Facebook is not willing to take responsibility for the spread of misinformation on its social media platform, so now it is up to individual citizens to make determinations about facts and misinformation.” Fact-checking and the impact on future elections Political advertising on social media seems that it will only grow in terms of persuading people to vote for certain candidates in all elections, and with Facebook not taking responsibility to fact-check, it becomes important to citizens to determine if the news they are obtaining is factual. “I think we should be able to recognize and critically think, ‘Is this real?’ more often than we currently do, even if we don’t like the outcome,” Stanley wrote in an email. “But I think the platform should take responsibility for fact-checking. Especially if the information can sway the outcome of an election.” With the next presidential election coming up within the next year, it is important to be well-informed and seek out multiple sides of a particular argument. Jaclyn Kettler, a political science professor, feels it is important for younger generations to challenge themselves in order to be well-versed in all political perspectives. “It’s actually good to be challenged some on what you think and believe because it can actually help you further develop
your ideas or your arguments or your understanding of why you might have that position by understanding what the other side thinks,” Kettler said. It may be too early to tell whether or not the banning of political advertisements on Twitter will have a serious effect or not. Kettler explained that, regarding the upcoming election, people could miss out on certain news due to that loss of political advertisements on Twitter. “You may be missing out on information, because political advertising can be helpful for learning about the election coming up or learning about candidates or learning about different issues and groups working on it,” Kettler said. “So it could potentially decrease information for those who rely heavily on online sources for news.” While the reliance on social media for information looms over citizens’ heads, it is common to stick to getting information from one specific outlet for information. In debating fake news and banning political advertisements, it is more important than ever to rely on multiple sources for political information. With younger generations being urged to vote, students in particular, it is important to be well-informed and get information from a variety of places. “Students need to be doing research, learning about political opinions, learning about what’s really happening and not just hearing propaganda,” Herold said. “It makes you question yourself, because it’s very easy to get in our filter bubbles. I think seeing those other opinions lets you engage more with them, lets you find common ground and see the other side as human, which I think we are losing.”
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IDAHO DANCE THEATRE ‘LAUNCHES’ INTO NEW DECADE Dancers showcase diverse choreography from six members of the company
Taylor Humby | Digital Content Manager | digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu
Dancers use their art to engage in contemporary political conversations. Taylor Humby | The Arbiter
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o celebrate their launch into a new decade as a company and the beginning of their 31st season, Idaho Dance Theatre (IDT) showcased its fresh talent with a new show. “LAUNCH” incorporated a diverse range of choreographed performances, sharing pieces from stories inspired by personal life experiences to spotlighting issues like incarceration. Through the expression of physical movement, IDT aimed to explore six different takes on life through our relationships to one another, the world and the current political climate. Recent Boise State graduate and choreographer Taylor Munson started dancing with the company during her sophomore
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year. Munson choreographed the piece “In Her Shoes,” which shares the stories of incarcerated women through movement, voice and guitar. “For my piece, I actually pulled some interviews that I did with incarcerated women for a podcast for my senior project, and I took their voices and turned them into solos for dancers.” Munson said. “I wanted there the focus to be on what they’re saying, but also on the movement. I’m hoping that it could give people a new perspective, by kind of thinking about the issue in a more artistic way. By adding this other layer of movement, it might change the way people receive it.” The use of movement to share stories from all walks of life in a new and engag-
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ing way is what makes the company so unique, according to Munson. “We don’t really have a set thing that we do, which I think is cool, because then people come to the show not really knowing what to expect,” Munson said. “It’s a new story and a new theme each time, so it gives lots of different types of people something to enjoy, instead of just appealing to one specific type of person. It’s something that everyone can get on board with.” IDT choreographer and adjunct faculty member Yurek Hansen created the piece “Catharsis.” The performance hoped to bring awareness to the idea of healers among us, or those that can help provide release from pain and suffering. “The idea for my piece came from personal experiences of death in my life,” Yurek Hansen said. “The imagery in the beginning was about the pain and the suffering that we all hold on to. Then from there, the essence is breaking free from those patterns, but then being pulled right back in because you can break free from the physicality. But if you haven’t changed the mind, the mind will pull you right back into those old moods or those old configurations of body.” Although Yurek Hansen hopes audiences draw catharsis from his choreography, he also explained that the most exciting part of this show is the ambiguity in regard to audience reaction. “If a concept comes into someone’s mind in relation to the kind of dances I mostly create, that’s theirs. It has nothing to do with the dance,” Yurek Hansen said. “If somebody hates it, we still affected them somehow.” Marla Hansen, IDT’s artistic director, hoped audiences would recognize the level of talent found within this show. Marla
Hansen founded the company in 1989 after an extensive background in dance before eventually becoming the director of dance at Boise State through the Department of Theatre, Film and Creative Writing. “We bring a lot to the program here because the quality is very high, and for a program that’s just a dance minor, not a BA or BFA, we rank up there pretty darn high,” Marla Hansen said. “A lot of it is because we do have this professional level of dancers who the students can aspire to [be], and the good ones, like Taylor Munson, get to join the company as students. Many dancers come here because of the company and then decide to go full time to school.” Marla Hansen described the most important process for creating the show as one of collaboration, giving opportunities to those new and old within not only the company, but Boise State as a whole. “We have four new dancers in the company. We have dancers, who have been with us for many years, like Yurek Hansen, and then dancers who are coming back into the company after taking a break,” Marla Hansen said. “So this show is so important because we are giving artists, choreographers and lighting designers opportunities. Let alone, the community gets to see these amazing creative works.” Marla Hansen urged students to take the opportunity to witness and be inspired by upcoming performances by IDT, regardless of background. “Unless you have come to see a show, you have no idea what a visceral feeling you get from it,” Marla Hansen said. “It doesn’t matter whether your interests lie in any other performing arts or sports, you’re going to find something there that really hits home. Try it; don’t graduate without it.”
EDUCATING AND ENTERTAINING: THE BOISE PHILHARMONIC AT 60
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The local orchestra embraces its position as a community staple Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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he Boise Philharmonic has made its home at the Morrison Center, and consequently the campus community has become an inextricable part of the orchestra’s performances. Ryann Aery is a violinist for the Boise Phil and is also working on a graduate degree in music at Boise State, tottering between performances for both institutions. “I was looking, and there was an audition for the Philharmonic coming up, and then I saw the graduate program, and I was like, ‘This seems like such a cool opportunity,’” said Aery. “I got here, and not only is the program that [Boise State] offers amazing, and I get to work with these great chamber musicians, but the philharmonic here is amazing, and is so much more than I ever expected.” Aery had never been to the west coast when she moved to Boise, but after several years in New York City, she decided that a dramatic change would be beneficial. Aery said that she was shocked at how many people were invested in the classical music community in Boise, and also at the extensive outreach that the Boise Phil does to engage the Treasure Valley. “They do a lot of cool things to get people to go to the concerts too, like we have ‘Harry Potter’ that we do, ‘Star Wars,’ I think we’re doing a Disney one, too. So we try to get bigger audiences,” Aery said. “Once you go it’s such a different experience. I think it seems intimidating at first, because classical music isn’t something people go to listen to.” Aery said that Eric Garcia, the music director for the Boise Phil, manages to combine many styles of music to appeal to the variable preferences of people in the audience. For Garcia, this is a priority that keeps the community engaged and excited about the work the Philharmonic is doing. “If you look back at the history of this philharmonic, so much incredible music that we’re performing was composed
orchestra and the university in terms of artistic progress and innovation. “Whenever you can combine educational opportunities with the Philharmonic, you’re doing a major part of outreach. So much of what we do is to educate,” said Garcia.
“Whenever you can combine educational opportunities with the philharmonic, you’re doing a major part of outreach.” Eric Garcia, Boise Philharmonic music director
Orchestra members work to educate and involve the Boise community. Taylor Humby | The Arbiter during the last 100 years. So if we can be part of that tradition of encouraging new music that will be performed 50 years later, 60 years later, 100 years later, then we’re doing our job as a vital performing arts organization,” said Garcia. This season to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the philharmonic, they decided to co-commission a piece of music by the composer Zhou Tian entitled “Transcend” which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad. Tian’s work was premiered in Boise
in October, and was an integral part of the Boise Phil’s current season. “Putting together a season is a very difficult project, and it takes lots of time and lots of consideration of many different people,” Garcia said. “We have a top notch orchestra with the Boise Philharmonic that can perform any work and make it sound world class.” Along with creating seasons that are interesting to patrons year after year, Garcia said that being connected to an institution like Boise State is integral to both the
On the night of Nov. 16th, the philharmonic performed a concert composed of Johannes Brahms and Dmitri Shostakovich. The Shostakovich piece was his “Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major,” and so the philharmonic invited renowned cellist Julian Schwarz to accompany the orchestra. After finishing, the crowd gave a standing ovation for the distinctive performance. “I was shocked to be giving an encore in Nampa yesterday, and so I feel like it’s only fair if I give one here as well,” Schwarz said. For his final section, he played Bach’s famous “Cello Suite No. 1 in G-Major Prelude.” The Boise Philharmonic celebrates both the tradition of classical music, and embraces new ideas that carry the genre into the future. As a mainstay in the Boise community, the philharmonic works to educate and involve the Treasure Valley using resources such as Boise State to expand their reach to more people, and involve local music aficionados in their journey.
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STUDENT GAME TO BE USED BY MICRON FOR TRAINING
Senior computer science majors use their skills to build a game to be used across continents Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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hough it is impossible to live in an urban area and avoid technology, many people do little to no investigation into the creation of that technology. One of Boise’s largest employers, Micron, works in myriad technological industries, specifically with digital memory. For Boise State students finishing their degree in computer science, this is an exciting prospect. This semester, a senior design class built a game that was commissioned by the Global Quality department at Micron which will soon train an estimated 30,00035,000 of their employees worldwide. “People from industry sponsor by saying, ‘We need this project done,’ and students get to choose their topic,” said James Davison, one of five students who worked on the game. “And then the teacher picks who fits best for the project, so we all got chosen.” Davison, who worked on the project alongside Keaton Gillihan, Rhett Hancock, Cesar Loya and Taylor Roberts, said that the game would be used to train Micron employees in quality control. He mentioned that the Global Quality department realized there was much higher engagement with their information when it was made into a game. “They gave us the example of the New York Times online crossword puzzle and were like, ‘Here’s some inspiration for kind of what we’re going for,’” Hancock said. “And then we asked them for the list of words, because we don’t necessarily know them, and then the format of the crossword we just built it into an app.” Amanda Moore, global quality communications specialist for Micron, said that the game the students designed will play an important role in their department’s role in maintaining safe, high-quality products across Micron’s huge network. “Our current tagline is ‘Guardians of the Brand,’ so we’re responsible for making sure that not quality issues escape to our
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customers,” Moore said. “The game that they built is going to help reinforce that messaging in a way that resonates with our whole audience.” Moore said that the game would be connected to a video of four leaders of major manufacturing environments and then the clues for the crossword would be taken directly from that video. She said this is to communicate the importance of rigor and discipline throughout Micron, and that making it into a game is more interactive. The students’ contributions to Micron are preparing them to integrate into the workforce easier by showing them what it is like to work with a real company said the professor of the course, Shane Panter. “I work with companies, and we work together to get a project that’s small enough in scope to where students can finish them in one semester,” Panter said. “Really, all the students are very talented, it’s not a matter of their skills, but it is a matter of time.” Panter said that on top of giving students professional experience, it also exposes them to the stakes that a project has in the real world. Though the game for Micron may never have been stopped altogether, the students still got to experience what working for a technology company might mean in the near future. Classes such as the senior design class help Boise State students adjust to the impending possibility of joining the workforce in their field after graduation. By working with large and important companies, students gain first-hand knowledge about what it means to be an employee in these environments as well as ways they may be able to apply their hard-earned degrees in a way they enjoy.
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From left to right: Keaton Gillihan, James Davison, Rhett Hancock, Cesar Loya, Taylor Hancock. Will Meyer | The Arbiter
UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONS TEACHES CITIZENSHIP UF program brings students of various majors together Ben Harris | Staff Writer | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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r. Jennifer Black has been teaching a University Foundations (UF) course at Boise State for the past seven years. According to Dr. Black, a lecture hall full of students requires a different teaching strategy than a classroom with only a few rows of desks. It is easier for students to disengage from learning when sitting with 80 other students. “I think when we get in a big group, we think, ‘Oh I don’t need to contribute anything, I can just sit back and either listen or do whatever I feel like,’” Black said. “So it takes more creativity to use active learning in a big class like that.” Active learning is especially important in a UF course, where students with varying majors all come together to gain a better understanding of concepts like media literacy, social change and self-identity. From Black’s perspective, the college experience is about more than just vocational training. “I think a lot of students who come to college think they’re coming to be trained for one specific career,” Black said. “I believe that college should be much more flexible and adaptable than just preparing you for a single job.” While many students benefit from a required explorative learning experience, some already feel like they have the knowledge they need. Felix King, a junior psychology major and transfer student, wishes for a better option for those who have already made substantial progress in their college career. “I think it’s really important for freshmen to take it,” King said. “It makes you start thinking about things in a different way, and I think that’s really important, but for me, as a junior, I feel like it’s sometimes a waste of time.” Plenty of students have thought negatively of UF courses, but Black has seen the overall sentiment change for the better. As the program has become more ingrained in university practice, students
have embraced the educational opportunity for what it is. “For those first few years of students, this was a new thing, and there was always a rumor going around that somehow it was going to go away,” Black said. “Since the program has really come into its own, it seems like students are much less resistant and much more open to letting this be a significant learning experience for them.” In the original implementation of the UF program, Black said there was a lack of understanding as to what it was. A lack of university-wide buy-in led to students not having a full grasp of the courses’ potential for learning. “Not as many faculty were engaged in the program as there are now, so it was not as integrated into the university,” Black said. “I think that made it harder for students to understand and harder for faculty to explain to students.” Today, many students are fully embracing the learning opportunity of UF courses. Colin Ferry, a freshman business major, finds that his UF course does not just cover relevant topics, but gives him a wide-range of perspectives from students across the academic spectrum. “You have people in my grade that are in college algebra; then you have people who are in calculus,” Ferry said. “Being in one class altogether where it’s the exact same topic, you’re getting a lot of refreshing ideas.” Through the UF program, Black argues that students are not just becoming better learners, but better citizens as well. Through the use of other perspectives, Boise State students create a more informed society. “They’re gonna go on to be the ones who are making laws, are voting on laws, or making decisions about the future of our country,” Black said. “It’s important that we have a really well-educated citizenry.”
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JUST A THOUGHT ‘Relatable’ celebrities miss the mark on real problems Logan Potter | Editor-in-Chief | editor@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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he detachment from reality for many pop culture figureheads is an age-old issue, but the problem seems to reach new heights when “relatable” celebrities are the ones making the mistakes that make those without fame, especially college students, roll their eyes. This time? Chrissy Teigen was the culprit of a serious misunderstanding of common financial challenges. Disclaimer: I love Teigen. If you scroll through my Twitter profile, you will find at least 10 tweets where I proclaim my love for Teigen, her cookware and my desire for her to adopt me. That, however, is a large part of my disappointment to see her superficiality jump out on social media. “My mom treats her air pods like they’re disposable,” Teigen wrote in a tweet. “Buys a few a month. She says they would be easier to not lose if they had… a cord.” Teigen’s tweet clearly meant this to be a joke about the change from corded to
cordless earbuds, it came across as something more aloof about the ability of the average person to pay for a commodity like AirPods one time, much less daily. At $159 for the basic set, it comes as no surprise that her comments upset her followers. We often hail celebs like Teigen and Anna Kendrick as being “just like us,” assuming that their wealth will not discredit their tendencies to do human things like go to the grocery store or drink wine while binging shows on Netflix. That is, until they tweet something “super tone deaf” and “icky,” as Teigen put it. She did apologize, but the tweet was just a greater reflection of a disconnect between the elite and the real world. The words truly are tone deaf, especially when Teigen’s family lives in Beverly Hills — just miles away from the Los Angeles homelessness crisis. This concern can extend to Boise State students, as well. Many of us are struggling to stay afloat amidst student loan debt and broader financial hardship, and we idolize people like Teigen who manage to stay “relatable” despite being a constant target for the spotlight. The college student budget is no joke, but our tendency to fetishize fame is. Rather than spending our time wanting the over-the-top lives of our idols, we should be dedicating it to fighting financial crises in our local communities. Sending a tweet is simple, but it will certainly not be bringing up those beneath the poverty line. Consider stepping back from the stars and stepping into change-making — just a thought.
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SPORTS & REC NOVEMBER 19, 2019 | ARBITERONLINE.COM
‘WHY NOT BOISE STATE?’ HANK BACHMEIER SPEAKS OUT
Bachmeier talks with the media about winning the starting job, winning at FSU and the quarterback room
Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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bout a dozen media members gathered in the Bleymaier Football Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5 to await a much-anticipated interview. Nervously walking in for his media debut with his pads still on was true freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier. One member of the media joked about his pads, saying, “He’s heard we’re pretty rough.” Though Bachmeier arrived in Boise in January, this was the first time the media was able to speak with him as Boise State Athletics generally does not allow firstyear players to partake in interviews. Like former true freshman quarterback Brett Rypien, Bachmeier was an exception. Bachmeier’s collegiate career began at Doak Campbell Stadium when the Broncos took on Florida State University. The history of Florida State and its fan base makes playing at FSU a heavy task for anyone, but Bachmeier led the Broncos to a 1-0 start and threw for more than 400 yards. “It was an incredible honor. It was definitely very exciting,” Bachmeier said. “It was a great place to play and I just think, as a unit, we prepared really well. And then obviously, we won the game. It’s definitely a moment that I’ll always remember.” Bachmeier graduated high school a semester early, came to Boise State and won the starting job over quarterbacks Chase Cord and Jaylon Henderson. He has since missed two games but is 7-0 when starting. On the field, Bachmeier is cool, calm and collected, but in interviews, his teammates have often called him “weird.” Bachmeier was asked about how much being “weird” plays into his leadership style. “I hope they’ve said some nice things about me,” Bachmeier said with a laugh. “[I] just bring passion and play for fun. I look back to the days when I just played Pop War-
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ner and I think that that’s the biggest thing that translates. If you have fun every day, I think that it’s gonna just translate to all the other guys. I just bring that energy.” Bachmeier runs physical. Generally, coaches prefer a quarterback to slide rather than take a hit, but sliding is somewhat of a rarity for Bachmeier. “I just do whatever I can for this team,” Bachmeier said. “I know that every single one of my teammates is going to do everything they can for us to win the game. So I’m going to do my best and just help us win.” Bachmeier has taken hard hits this season, and the coaching staff has emphasized that he needs to work on sliding. When Bachmeier was asked if head coach Bryan Harsin has talked to him about this, he smiled and said, “Maybe a little bit.” Bachmeier risking injury by taking hits shows heart and commitment to the team, and it is not going unnoticed by the coaches. “[Bachmeier] has been steady in his progression. He’s a competitor,” Harsin said. “It’s just his nature, his ability to go out there and create plays, his ability to go out there and execute, not just the game plan, [like] in situations where [he makes the] decision to run.” For a few years now, the Broncos’ game plan has consisted of giving multiple quarterbacks snaps on the field. Bachmeier has earned the majority of playtime this season, but Cord and Henderson have had their fair share. For these quarterbacks, it is not a competition to win the most reps. It is about watching each other succeed and using it as motivation. “It’s fun seeing guys succeed, I’m never rooting against any of our guys at any
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moment,” Cord said. “When [Bachmeier] goes out and throws a touchdown or makes a big play, that fires me up. Even if that’s not my number being called.” Bachmeier commented on the dynamic of the quarterback room, whose nature is supportive. “Chase, Jalen, Zach [Matlock]; they’re all my brothers. It’s very genuine. We prepare every single day in the weight room, on the field, in the film room, so I think that just all those hours spent together have just created a unique bond,” Bachmeier said. “I think the whole unit is amazing and whoever the starter is, they’re always just helping prepare and everybody is just trying to help each other out. Our goal is to win as a unit.” Bachmeier’s passion for being a Bronco is crystal clear. When he was asked, “why Boise State?” he answered simply, “Why not Boise State?”
Bachmeier remains undefeated as a starter since his collegiate debut in August. Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter
WATER POLO DEFEATED IN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP Broncos lose in final game to powerhouse Oregon State Paul Gourley | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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ountless hours of sacrifice led to a special opportunity for the Broncos in Pallayup, Wash. on Nov. 2. After joining the Northwest Conference for the first time, the team found themselves in the conference championship game. Winning the tournament would allow the Broncos to travel to Pittsburgh, Pa. to compete in the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship — a first for the club. In game one, the Blue and Orange competed against the No. 5 seed, Western Washington. Western Washington came ready to play, only trailing the Broncos by one goal at the half. However, the No. 3 seeded Broncos finished strong, defeating the Vikings 15-8. “We came out pretty slow, and Western Washington came to play,” said captain Eli Foli. “A lot of my teammates said to me that they didn’t feel warmed up until the fourth quarter.” Game number two for the Broncos saw an even tougher opponent in the No. 2 seed, University of Oregon. Going into the semifinal matchup, Boise State was 0-1 on the season against the Ducks. Now a significantly improved team, the Broncos were able to compete with the talented Oregon unit. Tied at 8-8 with under two minutes left in regulation, flat Jack Jenkins scored a goal from half-court to give the Broncos the lead. A defensive steal and another goal would seal the deal, providing the Broncos with a 10-8 win and a spot in the championship game. “That was probably the best game that we’ve played all season,” said goalie Lucas Denny. Two weeks after handing Oregon State University their first regular-season loss in three years, Boise State would meet
the Beavers once again — this time, for a chance to compete in the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship. The Beavers were able to gain early momentum by going up 5-1 in the first quarter, and a late resurgence by the Broncos was not enough, as Oregon State would go on to win 14-10. “To go to the championship game in our first year in the conference was pretty awesome,” Foli said. “Our defense didn’t really show up, but I really couldn’t be mad with how we played.” Thanks to Central Washington dropping out of the tournament a week prior, Boise State was able to bring a “B,” or secondary, team to Pallayup. Although the “B” team finished 0-3 in the tournament, having both teams compete allowed for more Broncos to receive playing time. “Since it was a championship tournament, it was nice that more people were able to play this way,” said center and club vice president Serena Krause. “On the final day, we were even more unified when we were cheering on the ‘A’ in the championship game.” The success over the past season is, in large, due to the family-like environment created by the team. Krause credits much of the family aspect to spending more time with one another. “Playing in more tournaments this year has allowed us to become familiar with one another,” Krause said. “We also had a barbecue at the beginning of the year that helped us grow closer together and gain friendships.” The Broncos will continue their practice schedule until the conclusion of the 2020 spring semester. Practices are held in the Boise State Rec pool on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 10 p.m.
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HOT TAKES Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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he Broncos easily took down the New Mexico Lobos in a 42-9 victory last Saturday. Boise State’s offense was led by quarterback Jaylon Henderson, who was impressive in his start as a Bronco. 10 games into the season, the Broncos gave their fans the game they had been looking for: a blowout. It came against a New Mexico team that has yet to win a conference game, but the win was still meaningful and presented takeaways: Henderson can lead the Broncos to victory, the defense could struggle against the Aggies and Khalil Shakir needs the ball. Here are my hot takes. The Broncos will still win with their third-string quarterback under center at Utah State. Henderson showed out on senior night. He finished the game going 15-28 for 292 yards and had three touchdowns with only one interception. Henderson came out hot, leading the Broncos to 28 points in the first quarter. Henderson’s first three drives ended in touchdowns. He connected with seven different receivers and had a couple of impressive first-down runs. The Broncos’ win came against the Lobos, who have carried a bad record all season. It is not certain who will be under center for the Broncos when they take on the Aggies, but if it is Henderson, they should be fine. The Aggies are a better team than the Lobos, but Henderson should be able to secure his second win as a starter. Henderson led the offense almost perfectly, and he was on the same page as his receivers all night. This type of play should translate to Utah.
Injuries could hold the Broncos back I am confident in Henderson, but I am not confident in a defense that has lost two playmakers in the last two games. Safety DeAndre Pierce went down against the Wyoming Cowboys, and STUD Curtis Weaver left the game against the Lobos. Pierce and Weaver are two of the Broncos’ biggest defensive assets and it would be nice to have them at Utah State — one of the top teams in the Mountain West. The Aggies are 5-1 in conference, but not as strong as they have been in previous seasons. Injuries have been a problem for the Broncos thus far, arguably losing them the game against BYU. Hopefully, this game plays out differently than BYU. There is a spot in the Mountain West Championship on the line for the Broncos, and that should be plenty of motivation for the backups who will be stepping up. If Khalil Shakir has a good game, so will the offense Shakir can now add a touchdown pass to his highlight reel after the New Mexico game. Shakir has the ability to make a play out of every pass, and he has shown that he can run a good route. The Broncos have struggled this season when Shakir is not getting touches; he had only had one catch in the Broncos’ loss to BYU. The Broncos and Henderson, or whoever is starting at quarterback, need to ensure that Shakir is getting the ball. Utah State has a dynamic defense, and Shakir needs to have a good night to ensure a win.
NOVEMBER 19, 2019
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SPORTS & REC
SOCCER FALLS TO BYU IN FIRST ROUND OF NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Broncos’ record-breaking season comes to a hard-fought close Delaney Brassil | Sports Editor | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu
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o. 15 Boise State fell to No. 2 BYU 5-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Provo, Utah. It was the first NCAA appearance for the Broncos since 2009, who won their program-first Mountain West Championship title on Saturday, Nov. 9. The Cougars went into the game undefeated at 18-0-1 and ranked No. 4 in the nation, and the Broncos, entering at 18-4-0, were able to keep up with them in almost every faction but goal-scoring. “When you get the opportunity to play against the best of the best, you learn a lot about yourself and I think we got to do that today,” said head coach Jim Thomas. “I couldn’t be more proud of our girls for the way that they handled the moment, handled the crowd, handled the pressure.” The highly physical, aggressive game presented a challenge for both sides, featuring 15 foul calls against the Broncos and 11 against BYU. Several players went down and were slow to get up throughout the night, including seniors Raimee Sherle and Mikayla Schachtell. Sherle went down on a yellow-card foul against BYU in the 72nd minute and would not return to the game, and Schachtell stumbled out of bounds after blocking a shot in the 84th minute. In front of a sold-out crowd of 3,682, BYU’s Cameron Tucker scored the Cougars’ first two back-to-back goals in the 19th and 20th minute. A header from Emily Curry, assisted by Morgan Stone and McKenna Kynett, in the 22nd minute brought the Broncos within one at the half. “To be within a goal on the road against a team like that is a great place for us to be, and one that’s a little bit of a jerk for [BYU]; it woke them up a little bit, and you saw a lot more aggressive, assertive runs off the ball from them,” Thomas said. BYU, who holds the title for No. 2 scoring offense in the country, came out firing
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Senior forward Raimee Sherle dribbles past her defenders in what would prove to be her final game as a Bronco. Photo courtesy of Gabriel Mayberry in the second half. BYU scored in the 54th, 64th and 67th minutes, and Boise State never caught up. The Broncos ended the night with just six shots, two of which were on target. Despite being down 5-1 for the last 23:41 of the game, the Broncos never lost their fight. Goalkeeper Sydney Smith had two momentus saves in the last nine minutes of play to prevent the Cougars from extending their lead. She ended the night with nine saves, matching her season-high (Sept. 8 against Utah), and faced 14 shots on goal. Smith ended her collegiate debut season with 78 saves. “They are the most amazing group of women that I’ve ever been around, and it’s been a pleasure to work with them,”
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Thomas said about his team. “I thought they held themselves with great aplomb today. They competed and they represented Boise State incredibly well. They overcame a lot of nerves. [It was the] first time for all of us doing this together and they competed, and they gave their best shot.” The emotion was clear when the buzzer sounded; it was the final buzzer of their career for the seniors. But despite the loss, the group of seven seniors, as well as the rest of the team, will go down in Boise State history as the winningest (and arguably the most determined) soccer program to date. “I’ve loved my experience at Boise State, I love my teammates to death and this one’s going to be a hard one to move on
from,” Sherle said. “Not being a Bronco anymore, it’s going to be touch. But once a Bronco, always a Bronco.” Boise State finished their record-breaking season with a program-high 18 wins and just five losses. The team also broke school records in goals (46) and shutouts (13) and shutouts (13). Thanks to their 2019 Mountain West regular-season title, Boise State will host the Mountain West tournament again in 2020. “We’ve all dreamed of going to the NCAA tournament, and to have it at this place with that kind of crowd, it was almost like a dream come true,” Kynett said. “We’re never going to experience anything like this again so I think it was an awesome way to end our career.”
OUR BEST GUESS The Arbiter aligns your stars.
SCORPIO:
Mars has crossed over for you, Scorpio, which means you are going to get a surge of “get it done� energy. You will have plenty of motivation to jump start your week and to carry you through all necessary tasks. However, this feeling can only take you so far.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 22
You have done something worth praising. Slow down and take some time to smell the roses. Your life has been eventful; allow yourself to sit with this achievement for a little bit. You are a selfless sign and do not always want to take credit, but this recognition has been owed to you for some time.
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CAPRICORN
DEC 22 - JAN 20
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23
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OV E M B E R 2
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TRISHA KANGAS
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR TRISHAKANGAS@BOISESTATE.EDU
Venus is headed straight for you, so it is time to get romantic. Plan a special date for you and your partner or, if you are single, think about putting yourself out there. It can be scary to open yourself up to the world of dating, but with this planet guiding you, you will see all avenues of love clearly.
AQUARIUS
JAN 20 - FEB 17 Your restless spirit is kicking in. You are feeling bored with your surroundings, so it is time to change it up. Do not be afraid to voice your concerns and use your excellent communication skills to be clear about what you want.
PISCES
FEB 18 - MARCH 20
Neptune is leaving retrograde right now. This means that as you have been struggling with spirituality and big ideas about yourself, it will become much clearer to you this week. The right decision and the right road will present itself to you.
ARIES
MARCH 20 - APR 20
Uranus in retrograde is sticking with you at the moment. Your rebellious energy that you are used to is waning. It is totally okay for you to let go of that controlling side of yourself. Although you are often used to going against the grain, the world is telling you to let go of yourself for just a minute.
TAURUS
APR 20 - MAY 21
You are feeling stuck in life. This week, try and seek outside opinions from those you trust. Do not be afraid to lean on those you trust for sound advice on where you should go next. You will be inspired by the answers you receive.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUN 21
In the spirit of staying present in your life, try to make sure that you are at the forefront of your life. That is to say, do not let things happen to you this week whenever possible. Make sure that you are the deciding factor in what goes on for you.
INE DEADL ED! D EXTEN
CANCER
JUN 21 - JULY 23 You are feeling a bit more confident on your journey this week, Cancer. Things are coming together in a specific area and you feel good knowing you initiated this change by yourself. Try to work on being confident when discussing change with others.
LEO
JUL 23 - AUG 23
You might make some impulsive decisions. Try to reign yourself in and limit decisions to only those crucial to be made. If a hasty decision is necessary, think on that subject for some time before you narrow in on what needs to be done.
VIRGO
AUG 23 - SEPT 23
It is up to you to show your dependable side this week, Virgo. It is that time of the year when things start to get a bit hectic for you and everyone around you. You have the gift of being the rock for many people in your life, but you also need to do your best to feel grounded as well.
LIBRA
SEPT 23 - OCT 22 As you have been getting organized, you have stayed ultra busy and you do feel a bit more in control of your life. The universe is giving you a nudge and telling you to focus on your needs. Try to stay balanced in work and self-care.
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