The Arbiter Vol. 32 Issue 17

January 14, 2020

Vol. 32 Issue 17

IN D EP EN D E NT

Will stagnant NEWS

V O I CE

O F

B O I SE

STAT E

S I N C E

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voter turnout among college students explode in the 04

Idaho’s public universities announced a tuition freeze for the 2020 fiscal year for in-state undergraduates

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ST U D E NT

OPINION

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The end to climate crises is not in sight for 2020, and the Australian bushfires put the problem into perspective arbiteronline.com

CULTURE

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With the new year comes new resolutions, and students and faculty are determined to reach their goals @arbiteronline

2020 election?

SPORTS & REC

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Women’s basketball faced several challenging competitors over winter break, now sit at fourth in the Mountain West

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@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 Copy Editor Megan Mary Social Media Coordinator Trisha Kangas Digital Content Manager Taylor Humby digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu 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.

Boise State men’s hockey club split University of Washington, winning 7-0 on Friday and losing 5-4 in overtime on Saturday.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

ON THE COVER:

The 18-29 age demographic continuously has the lowest voter turnout of all other groups. This consistent pattern can be attributed to numerous factors, but lack of accessibilit y to resources continues to be the major contributor.

Cover design by Maddie Ceglecki.

HOW TO REACH US: 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

New plasma donors receive up to $400 in a month!

Biomat USA 4017 W. Overland Rd. Boise (208) 338-8417

EVENTS WINTER WELCOME BACK

micron business and economics building

UPCOMING SPORTS GYMNASTICS

JANUARY 14, 11:30 AM

Hot cocoa, cider, warm cookies and more will be served by the College of Business and Economics staff to welcome back students to the first week of classes.

TRANSFER STUDENT AND FRIENDS TRIVIA NIGHT

student involvement and leadership center

JANUARY 14, 5:00 PM

All are welcome to come to meet new students transferring to Boise State and enjoy snacks and a night of trivia at this free event.

at University of Washington: Monday, Jan. 20 at 2 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

HOSTED SPEAKER

sub simplot ballroom

JANUARY 16, 6:00 PM

Kimberly Clausing, economics professor at Reed College in Portland, Ore. will be visiting campus to speak on her new book: “Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital.”

MLK DAY OF GREATNESS MARCH AND RALLY

vs Air Force: Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at Utah State: Saturday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

JORDAN BALLROOM JANUARY 20, 8:30 AM

This event will begin with poster making in the Jordan Ballroom before marching between 10:30 and 10:45 from campus to the Capitol building.

Timing for this event will also be dependent on weather conditions.

at Air Force: Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. vs Utah State: Saturday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m.

NEWS

JANUARY 14, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

BOISE STATE FREEZES TUITION FOLLOWING 2020 BUDGET CUTS

Administration at Boise State searches for ways to make up deficit left by frozen tuition revenue Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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everal Idaho colleges and universities, including Boise State, have announced a tuition freeze that will prevent tuition rates from rising during the 2020 fiscal year. The freeze will only apply to in-state undergraduate students.

The Idaho State Board of Education and Idaho university presidents made the announcement in early December 2019.

Debbie Critchfield, president of the Idaho State Board of Education, stated that tuition increases need to occur less frequently than they currently do and made a pledge with university presidents last year to uphold that idea.

“As a Board, our number one priority is holding down tuition costs while still providing quality education and support students need to stay on campus and graduate,” Critchfield wrote in a press release.

Many Idaho students and families are paying more of the costs to operate these higher education institutions than in previous years, according to Critchfield. This results in a rapid tuition increase during each fiscal year.

“Forty years ago, state funding covered 88% and tuition revenue paid seven percent of that cost,” Critchfield wrote.

“Today, the numbers are nearly even. State funding covers 51% of costs and tuition revenue pays 47%.”

State funding for higher education has decreased greatly over the years which also contributes to consistent tuition increases.

Critchfield explained funding has decreased by 6% since the beginning of the last recession in 2008.

“We are grateful for the state’s continued investment, but when we have discussions about funding for higher education in Idaho, we must start with the fact that funding has not yet recovered to pre-reces-

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Satterlee stated that this tuition freeze is the right thing to do for Idaho students and families, especially considering the exponential growth in Idaho.

Kacie Fromhart | The Arbiter sion levels,” Critchfield wrote. “The effects of the last recession on higher education are no different than they were on public K-12 education. However, while resto-

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ration of operational funding has been underway for K-12 the same is not true for higher education.”

While the tuition freeze is good news

for in-state students, the Boise State administration could be looking at a very unclear 2020 budget. Along with the tuition freeze, Gov. Brad Little requested state agencies prepare for a 1% budget cut during this fiscal year.

Tuition increases provided Idaho universities with 16 million dollars for the 201920 year. Without that extra income and a mandated 1% budget cut, the university is left to makeup the deficit.

“What we want is equitable funding for our students as compared to other universities in the states, and we’re behind them currently in terms of per-student funding,” said Tony Roark, the interim provost for Boise State. “So this is not anything that we welcome; we don’t relish it at all. However, it’s not an uncommon occurrence unfortunately whether that you’re talking about the state of Idaho or any other state in the union. We need to keep it in perspective and realize that 1% or 2% cut in the grand scheme of things could be much worse.”

Chair of the President’s Leadership Council and Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee said the goal of the freeze is to promote higher education and address rising tuition costs.

“Our students in Idaho deserve an education that’s going to challenge them as individuals, inspire them to make positive change in our communities and ultimately, they deserve an education that will better their life,” Satterlee said. “Every student that would like to pursue that should have that opportunity. To do this, we must begin in earnest to address the issue of higher education affordability.”

NEWS

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE SEEKING REPLACEMENT FOR DEAN POSITION SPS students and faculty discuss necessary qualifications of new dean Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oise State’s School of Public Service (SPS) established in 2015 and has produced countless political science, criminal justice and other public service graduates. Since the establishment of SPS, Corey Cook served as the dean of SPS and worked to ensure students were prepared to serve the public.

“In the time that I was there, we took on a pretty substantial revisit of environmental studies, we adopted new programs in urban studies and Global Studies, we produced significant growth and evolution in our master’s programs,” Cook said. “I would say that the majority of my time was spent working with faculty on academic programming, fundraising and working externally with elected officials, administrators and folks throughout the state.”

In July 2019, Cook stepped down from the position and relocated to St. Mary’s College in California, leaving the dean position vacant. Cook says he is very pleased with the work he did within the school, especially considering the school was brand new when he stepped in.

“I didn’t step down because I didn’t love the job. I stepped down because I think there needs to be more turnover in higher education,” Cook said. “ I think a lot about how leadership in higher education isn’t for everybody, but you’ve got to create opportunities for people who exhibit leadership ability and can really move into associate dean’s and chair positions.”

Cook believes the leadership within SPS is incredible, but felt the best way to bring the potential in the program to the surface was to move out of the way.

“To me, it was really a difficult decision because I love Boise State and I really love the work,” Cook said. “But it was the right time. As a founding dean, you get out of the way and folks can take a fresh look at what you’ve worked on and make corrections, fix things and have a new perspective on things that you might have been blind to.”

There was only one person that Cook felt

would be able to continue improvements “They do a good job for the most part,” dents and have relevant experience in order within SPS. Interim Dean of SPS Andrew Bartlett said. “I think that they try and help to better assist the school.

Giacomazzi stepped into the position short- out students but they can be hard to iden“I think they ought to be personable and ly after Cook’s resignation. Giacomazzi first tify with, and they don’t push study abroad know Boise State and its students,” Bartlett joined SPS as the associate dean and worked like they should.” said. “We’ve had a lot of in and out. We very closely with students and faculty, an Bartlett explained the ideal dean of SPS really need to develop from within and not attribute he feels prepared him to take over should be able to identify with Boise State hire out.” as dean.

Although Giacomazzi currently holds the interim position, moving into a more stupermanent dean role is something he is unsure of.

“That opportunity is there for me if I want to do that, but for now, my job is to continue the great work that is going on in the school and to tell our stories, both internally and externally, about what our students are doing, what our faculty are doing and all the creative and innovative things that are going on at the school,” Giacomazzi said.

Giacomazzi explained the dean position is not an average 9-5 job. He knew that coming into the position would come with big shoes to fill after Cook, and is not interested in only doing the bare minimum in the interim period.

“We have so much momentum here in the school and we’re providing students with so many good things going in our community research initiatives,” Giacomazzi said. “I didn’t want to be one of these interim deans who just says, ‘Okay, let’s wait for a new dean to come and just kind of do the status quo’. We’re moving forward as if I were not in an interim position, but rather in a dean’s position, kind of making more of a seamless transition.”

Rex Bartlett, a senior political science and communications double major, feels that Giacomazzi is doing a fine job in the interim position but also notices improve- SPS hopes to hire a dean looking to create equal opportunity for all students.

Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter ments that could be made within SPS. JANUARY 14, 2020

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NEWS

STUDENT VETERAN CENTER LOSES GRANT-FUNDED POSITION

Veteran Services looks to expand support systems for student veterans Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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eteran career and academic advisor Paul Bridle recalled a student veteran that needed his high school transcripts to receive admission to Boise State, but the high school in his town had closed for renovations over the summer. Unsure of what to do, the student contacted Bridle to assist.

After contacting the school with no answer, Bridle decided to go straight to the mayor of the small town to see what could be done. The mayor found the transcripts for the student, and he now attends Boise State.

“There is no student veteran course catalog, but there are many different things that can affect how they complete their program, whether or not their benefits are late, or if they do their Declaration on time or how many months of benefits they have left,” Bridle said.

“That is where my position comes into play.”

Leslie Webb, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, has worked with the Office of the Dean of Students and Veteran Service Center (VSC) to boost recruitment, academic support and certification services.

One of the academic support systems instituted was Bridle’s temporary two-year, grant-funded position. A new position was instituted in the VSC this year for a second Certifying Official to help with paperwork and benefits for the veteran students enrolled at Boise State.

“The advisors in the central academic advising and career services offices, our online eCampus and spread throughout academic colleges and departments are committed to helping veterans, active military and all students reach their academic goals on time and on budget,” Webb wrote in an email.

“When we applied for the grant four years ago, we knew at that time - as did all staff who were hired using grant funding - that the grant was temporary and we’d eventually merge the work back into existing support programs and services on campus.”

Every day, Bridle sees a handful of veteran students with unique problems and questions

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Veteran Services Center on campus works to accommodate veteran students; the loss of a position places extra work on student employees.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter regarding their future in higher education.

Matt Lester is a junior mechanical engineering major and works for Veteran Services on campus as a part of Work U. During his time in school, Lester has seen the direct impact of having a veteran career and academic advisor position versus not having one.

“[Veteran Services] is really the only area on campus that facilitates veterans and can really relate to them.”

Matt Lester, Junior Mechanical Engineer “[Veteran Services] is really the only area on campus that facilitates veterans and can really relate to them,” Lester said. “Not that other counselors can’t, but specifically

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veterans feel most comfortable coming there because pretty much everybody that works there is either a veteran themselves or is closely related to a veteran.”

During the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) student assembly meeting on Nov. 11, Lester presented a resolution that passed in assembly asking During the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) student assembly meeting on Nov. 11, Lester presented a resolution that passed in assembly asking for the support of ASBSU and the student body in finding funds to keep the position for the future.

“I think it will have a pretty big effect [to] not see it continuing,” Lester said. “There are some very knowledgeable student veterans that work in work studies and that can help with some scenarios, but I don’t have the time or the knowledge to connect with as many people as Paul has on campus.”

The students that work in Veteran Services aid in helping veteran students with answering questions to the best of their abilities. Martin Schroeder is a senior

interdisciplinary studies major who also works at the VSC and has personal experience helping Bridle reach out to students.

A student had stopped showing up to classes he had perfect grades in and did not reach out to any of his professors. Bridle was asked to contact him, but Bridle passed the duty onto Schroeder, who had the same military occupational specialty as the student.

After contacting him, Schroeder realized the two men were in the same platoon several years apart and knew the same marine.

The student was going through a rough time and, with the connection to Schroeder, was able to receive support.

“It was essentially like community outreach, except it was more proactive than that because he didn’t have to inquire,” Schroeder said. “It was everybody inquiring for him, which is a big problem that veterans have is they have a hard time talking to anybody regarding any real problems.”

Although there are no plans to keep the position of veteran career and academic advisor in place, Webb listed other ways the VSC is looking to be expanded.

In May, a new promise scholarship program launched for military students, and more online options became available to both Boise State’s physical and online presence of students. A large majority of the online presence comes from students at Gowen Field and Mountain Home Air Force. Another grant pays for the Veterans Upward Bound program that is designed to help prepare veteran students to succeed in higher education and beyond, according to Webb.

“If [someone] knew a student was struggling, I know they would probably stop and try to help them,” Bridle said. “But relying on not having a designated person to respond to the need, I think certainly it can limit some of the success that we will see from those veteran students.”

GROWTH OF TREASURE VALLEY HAS MAJOR IMPACT ON FARMLAND

NEWS

Grant-funded research looks into loss of farmland in Boise and surrounding areas Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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fter writing an 18-page application proposal, Jodi Brandt and her team was awarded a $200,000 two-year grant-funded study by the United States Department of Agriculture to observe the loss of farmland, the spread of urbanization and the effects it has on the Treasure Valley.

“I anticipate that we’ll be working on this issue for several years because the urban growth is not going to go away in the Boise area so we are going to keep working on this issue about how to protect farmland,” Brandt, assistant professor in human-environment systems in the College of Innovation and Design, said.

The team working on the grant-funded project is interdisciplinary, and having a well-rounded team aids in analyzing every aspect of city growth and the effects on the environment. Faculty members from the biology department, rural sociology and other science fields work with a Ph.D. student to investigate and conduct research.

Sarah Halperin, a first-year doctoral student in the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior program, was chosen by Brandt to help lead the study. The main purpose of the study is to focus on the reasoning for the loss of farmland and creating materials with information that is targeted and useful.

“Depending on the data set, you might get a wide range of answers on how accurate those are. Some are done by census data, others are done remotely from satellites that are collecting information,” Halperin said. “But those numbers can vary.

We’re still working on how to get the best answers we can get. It’s not going to be perfect but some numbers have suggested that between 1997 and 2017, Ada County has lost 10,000 acres of agricultural lands.”

One of the main focuses of the study is projections from past and future years for the amount of farmland lost. A second component of the research is to understand the policy mechanisms available for farmland preservation and what might be

The loss of farmland continues to grow and the grant-funded team from Boise State researches the effects on the environment.

Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter more suited for the Treasure Valley.

By talking with local farmers, Brandt and Halperin hope to better understand the effects of such rapid growth from those that deal with the changes on a day-to-day basis. As the city of Boise continues to grow, the 10,000 acres previously lost continues to grow.

“We’re both excited [about the study] and excited that people are interested and it’s just the beginning right now,” Halperin said. “So hopefully we’ll get out there and get to visit some stakeholders and farmers and really see what’s going to happen on the ground to better inform our research.”

Investigative researcher and associate professor in the biology department Mary-Anne de Graaff is investigating the cycle of carbon dioxide between soils and the atmosphere. According to Graaff, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and in plants combined is lower than the amount of carbon in the soil, and the amount of carbon in the soil directly affects how much carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere.

The research Graaff is conducting particularly examines the benefits and consequences of carbon soil being locked into place by urbanization in the Treasure Valley.

“If we convert wildlands or pasture lands to cities or neighborhoods, the question is what happens to that carbon in the soil,” Graaff said.

By creating scenarios, they can estimate the impact of global warming by a certain year. Graaff considers the grant a seed that will start looking into the impact of a growing urban life will have on an environment.

“I think our cultural lands are a vital ecosystem. People rely on it for their livelihoods and it’s a big part of the culture of Idaho. It’s something that’s worth protecting for all those reasons,” Halperin said.

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OPINION JANUARY 14, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

CLIMATE CRISIS IS IN FULL SWING IN THE NEW DECADE, NO END IN SIGHT

Australia’s bushfires are just the first climate emergency of the 2020s Blake Hunter | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he 2020 Golden Globes ceremony hosted speeches by yacht and mansion owners distressed about Australia’s bushfires and the emerging climate crisis globally. While the average college student cannot relate to the privilege and luxury of Hollywood celebrities, we share their anxieties.

As the new decade begins, the climate crisis has turned a corner from warning to alarm.

If nations around the globe had set the pace to avoid climate crisis as the 2010s ended, we could predict the coming decades. We could know at what point mid-century atmospheric carbon would hit its ceiling, and when to expect temperatures to begin cooling.

But the political resistance to climate awareness, fueled by anti-science ideology capitalized upon by corporations, has prevented this from happening in the face of unprecedented destruction. Australia’s bushfires, if anything, raise more haunting questions than they are resolving. If someone had seen these images in 2010, what would they have done? If someone watches last week’s Golden Globes ceremony in 2050, what will they think?

Australia’s conservative government is blaming the escalating fires on anything but their own lack of effort to mitigate the impacts of the changing climate, even as the fires continue to rage, destroying thousands of homes, killing dozens of people, wiping out vegetation and over a billion animals so far. Their Prime Minister has been heckled while visiting damaged areas, and has scrambled to express his regret. It would appear, for the time being, that the price of a political ultimatum is ecological devastation.

Idaho, and the world, must learn from Australia.

Currently, Idaho’s largest environmental hazard is also wildfires. Fires in Idaho’s forests and deserts directly influence water

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sensitive political topics along party lines.

The toxicity of the conservative defense has seeped into our moral fabric, including our gender binary. For example, a recent study showed that many cisgender, heterosexual men do not want to recycle or use tote bags for fear of appearing feminine or gay, as taking care of the earth is viewed as a feminine task or role. Though this feels laughable, it reveals a deep failure to prioritize collective well-being and our planet.

In the face of such grim prospects, it might feel like our actions have no power.

The reality is that we have no choice.

But for Hollywood and the scientific community to claim the moral high ground on climate change is not only disrespectful but a grave mistake. It is often said that without identifying the problem, it is impossible to identify the solution.

As Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, a writer, activist and scholar of the Nishnaabeg nation explained in her book “As We Have The bushfires in Australia are just one point of anxiety for climate crises in the Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through foreseeable future. Radical Resistance,” native and indigenous

Photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo Global people around the world have long understood the links between colonialism and and air pollution, agricultural capability problem is that companies have profited deteriorating environmental system stability; and ecology — perhaps forever, as invasive off of fossil fuel use, fast fashion, animal and since inequity has not ended, neither has species rebound faster than native species. agriculture and many other unsustainable natural resource exploitation.

And despite Gov. Brad Little’s recognition industries for decades, and have recruited “Indigenous peoples have witnessed of climate change, the state legislature, anti-science conservatism to their defense. continual ecosystem and species collapse convening this month, has actively prohib- This was not accidental. since the early days of colonial occupation,” ited public schools from teaching climate Reports from fossil fuel companies Shell Simpson wrote.

“We should be thinking change in existing science courses. and Exxon show that their scientists preof climate change as part of a much longer Luckily, at Boise State, climate educadicted increasing rates of atmospheric carseries of ecological catastrophes caused by tion is expanding with a new climate stud- bon accurately, and attributed the global colonialism and accumulation-based society.” ies minor and a global trend in environrepercussions to their own practices in the As we enter a new decade, we must mental consciousness among young people 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s, Repubrefocus. To understand the climate crisis is suffering from eco-anxiety and frustrated licans and Democrats were equally likely to understand its constitution of inequiby governments and corporations. to be concerned about climate change, ty. Greed, executed by displacement and That frustration will continue to turn but with most of the energy industry’s exploitation, delivered us into this mess. It into more anger and action. We know the large companies lobbying to Republicans, will not deliver us out. science behind climate change; our biggest climate change became one of the most

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OPINION

TOM BRADY IS A SYSTEMS QUARTERBACK DISPLAYING HIS WEAKNESSES Brady needs to prove he can win under other coaching systems

Tom Drorbaugh | Guest Author | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

same consistent winning records as the Patriots. This is because Belichek’s coaching system is like no other, and the Patriots have only needed a better record than the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins to get into the playoffs each year - none of whom have had a winning season in this century.

This season, the Patriots’ offensive line is terrible, leaving Brady exposed. In previous years, Brady’s offensive line has been tremendous, allowing the QB to sit in the pocket for what felt like years to find an open teammate. Now that Brady has less time to find an open receiver, his inability to improvise and make plays outside the pocket is shining through. This shows Belichek has recruited offensive lines and play designs to camouflage this shortcoming.

Without Belichek’s highly-tailored system, Brady proves himself to be just a slightly above average QB.

After the Patriots’ elimination from the NFL playoffs, it’s time to question whether it is Brady or the coaches that got them there.

Photo courtesy of Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports

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he New England Patriots have experienced a 19-season dynasty since Tom Brady was drafted by the Patriots in 2000. In this span of time, the Patriots have won six Super Bowl championships, played in 14 Pro Bowls, had a winning record every season and have won eight out of nine American Football Conference (AFC) championship games. But who else came to the Patriots in 2000? Bill Belichek.

Rather than focusing on Tom Brady, the Patriots’ coaching staff deserves credit for New England’s success in the 21st century.

Sorry Patriots fans, but I am here to tell you Tom Brady is just an above-av-

erage system quarterback in an amazing coaching system.

ity of the choices that dictate individual actions and, thus, the entire game.

What is a system quarterback?

A system quarterback (QB) is a QB who flourishes under a particular offensive system. Football has often been compared to a game of chess between offense and defense. Coaches will develop strategies on both sides of the ball to put their players in the best position to beat other players.

In this metaphor, the coaches are the chess players and the athletes are the pieces on the chessboard. Players actively read schemes and adjust themselves throughout games; but the coaches make the major-

So, why is Brady a system QB? Without Bill Belichek coaching, Tom Brady has never done anything to address his weaknesses. This is not to say that Brady is a terrible QB with no skills whatsoever, what I mean is that Belichek is such a great coach that he can design an offense around Brady’s strengths to minimize his weaknesses - which is what every coach tries to do, but none as efficiently as Belichek.

There are other great QBs in the league that have had similar or better stats than Brady each season; but none have had the

What will change the fans’ minds about Brady?

For NFL fans (besides Patriots fans) to finally respect Brady as a great QB and not just Belichek’s groomed golden boy, Brady must do what Peyton Manning did: Prove he can maintain his skill and success under another coaching system. Manning left his 13-year, Super Bowl-winning career with the Indianapolis Colts and was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2011 where he led the struggling team to two Super Bowls, winning the second.

For Brady to earn respect without having an asterisk next to his legacy, he needs to prove he can do it somewhere else. If not, people should only remember how Bill Belichek schemed the Patriots to six Super Bowls with merely the help of Brady.

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

JANUARY 14, 2020

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F E AT U R E

CHANGING THE TURNOUT

Examining stagnant voter turnout among college students as the 2020 election looms Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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oter turnout in the United States is significantly lower than other established democracies, but in 2018, midterm election turnout peaked to the highest it has been in 40 years. According to the United States Census Bureau, 53% of voting age citizens voted in the 2018 midterms, marking a historic 11% increase in voter turnout over the 2014 midterms, including increases among all major racial and ethnic groups of voting age citizens.

Turnout for the 2020 election is expected to hit record highs.

In 2018, the 18 to 29-year-old demographic in particular turned out in record numbers. Voter turnout among 18 to 29-year-olds saw a 79% increase from 2014.

However, the overall turnout rang in at 36%, less than half of the age demographic.

At Boise State, 17,500 students fall into the lower half of the 18 to 29-year-old age demographic. Low overall turnout from voting college students can be attributed to numerous factors, from lack of knowledge about the candidates and policies to when and where one can register to vote. The misinformation can be costly to first-time voters, impacting their ability to be an informed voter in each election cycle.

According to assistant political science professor Dr. Jeffrey Lyons, the voting patterns within this demographic have remained consistent since early 2000.

Lyons explained that the college-age de-

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mographic has consistently had a progressive lean. The most common trend among this age group is the discussion of high turnout possibilities, which has proven contrary to fact during each election cycle.

“There has yet to be an election where, all of a sudden, we have this large surge of younger turnout,” Lyons said. “So I think that's one of the big narratives is always about that, but it just hasn't happened yet.

Until it happens, my guess is always that we're going to continue to see generally low turnout rates amongst that age group.”

“There has yet to be an election where, all of a sudden, we have this large surge of younger turnout."

- DR. JEFFREY LYONS, ASSISTANT POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR

The 2020 election With a vast pool of candidates and a controversial incumbent, there has been speculation that 2020 could be a record year for voter turnout. While turnout overall could be higher, Lyons is unsure

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that the 18 to 29-year-old voting group will have a significant increase.

“When we're looking at 2020, our comparison category should always be other presidential races. So we wouldn't want to compare that to 2018. There's no doubt turnout in 2020 will be higher than 2018, just by virtue of being a presidential year compared to a midterm year,” Lyons said. “But if we were going to compare 2016 turnout to 2020 turnout, it's always possible that we pick up a point or two.”

While lack of information is one of the main reasons college students do not vote, according to Lyons, there are other factors that first-time voters may be completely unaware of. These voters have not experienced the voting process, which may overwhelm them.

Lyons says one of the main reasons students do not vote may be because of other “life” things. A student’s environment may not give them the opportunity to inform themselves about the candidates; during the 2020 election, though, it could prove to be more difficult to ignore.

“When we have our national level races, you're going to look at hundreds of millions, if not over a billion dollars spent campaigning. What that does is drive up knowledge, it drives up interest and it gets people to vote,” Lyons said. “But when you've got these local level races where the candidates and the campaigns just don't have the resources, the money, the bunch

of TV ads, they don't have the ability to reach people quite the same. You just get much lower turnout lips, and that's generally speaking across the board.”

Local versus national elections Local elections generally receive even less attention from the college-age demographic, but for Lauren McLean’s recent mayoral campaign in Boise, college students played a key role.

Before McLean became mayor of Boise, she served two terms as city council president. When running for city council, McLean ran unopposed and had very little citizen engagement from the 18-to29 demographic. She relied on herself to fundraise and reach out to voters, but did not have many volunteer efforts due to the nature of a city council campaign.

McLean explained that, in order to win the mayoral race, she had to involve a variety of target demographics. That said, she and her team focused on involving groups that typically have low voter turnout.

“In my mayoral race, the 18 [to] 24-yearolds in Boise were very involved in my campaign. We offered stipends for emergent leaders - Field Fellows - which created opportunities for students and recent grads to learn how to organize campaign activities and be deeply involved in the race,” McLean wrote in an email. “We also had many young volunteers showing up weekly to help us out, engaging their friends and

parents and participating in events we held.”

Getting college-age locals involved was McLean’s way of showing students how impactful local elections are. McLean visited Boise State weekly with the intention of informing students who is running for office and the issues being voted on.

“It was obvious weekly, every time I stepped into a classroom or onto a campus, that 18 [to] 24-year-olds in Boise are thinking a lot about the place they live in and the future they want to have,” McLean wrote.

Despite her efforts to involve 18 to 29-year-olds, some students still felt uninformed of McLean and other candidates' platforms. Kyra Dean, a senior business major, explained that she has not voted in any local elections because she did not feel she was educated enough about the candidates to make an informed decision.

“I don't think we inform ourselves the same way we do with the national elections, especially with how far we are with social media,” Dean said. “Everything's about the presidential elections, and I think we forget to think about what's going on locally.”

“I felt like in that election in particular, it was really important for as many people to vote as possible because everything seems so divided,” Dean said. “But really, in my opinion, college students don't think it's important enough to vote. So I feel like I needed to be a little voice for the college students, because everything that happens affects us, too.”

“I don't think we inform ourselves the same way we do with national elections, especially with how far we are with social media."

- KYRA DEAN, SENIOR BUSINESS MAJOR

Although Dean did not vote in the Boise mayoral election, she voted for the very first time in the 2016 presidential election. She explained that her family taught her the importance of voting; Dean felt she had a responsibility to vote in that election.

18 to 29-year-olds had the highest voter turnout out of any other group in 2018.

Kacie Fromhart | The Arbiter

The student vote National elections commonly produce greater turnout than local elections, but some young voters believe that local elections hold just as much, if not more, importance as federal elections. Pryce Robinson, a senior political science major and former president of Boise State College Republicans, believes local elections impact everyday life more than national elections.

“I personally believe that there's a great level of political apathy in our generation,” Robinson said. “It's really important that people understand that [the] base level voting has such a greater impact on your day-to-day life, whether it's you paying 10 cents more for a plastic bag at the grocery store, or paying 30 cents more for a gallon of gas. I mean, those are the kinds of things that you have to vote on.”

Like Dean, Robinson believes that local officials fail to engage the 18-to-29 demographic during election cycles. However, Robinson explained the information is available to those who do the research, and because of this, there is never an excuse for not voting.

“I personally have little sympathy for people who say they're too busy to vote.

It comes down to personal accountability and you taking advantage and becoming more knowledgeable in regards to who's running, what policies they stand for, how you can vote, if you’re registered to vote,” Robinson said. “I honestly think there's not a lot of excuses.”

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C U LT U R E JANUARY 14, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

‘INVENT FOR THE PLANET’ CHALLENGES STUDENTS TO SOLVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS Boise State is one of 26 universities across the nation to host this event Michelle Johnson | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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48-hour extensive-design experience, Invent for the Planet, is returning to Boise State for the third year on Feb. 14. In the event, students from across the world compete in teams to solve global issues.

Nic Miller is the executive director of the Venture College which partners up with the College of Engineering to host Invent for the Planet. While it is Miller’s first year being part of this competition, he says it is a great opportunity for students.

“It gives students from Boise State the opportunity to not only put their skills on display at a national and global level, but it also gives them an opportunity to see teams across the country and across the world and see how they stack up against some of that competition,” Miller said. “They also get to learn about some of the challenges that are facing our planet and try to come up with solutions to those.”

JoAnn Lighty, dean of the engineering department, is an avid supporter of a competition such as this one being part of Boise State.

“Boise State’s known for its innovation, and being an innovative transdisciplinary place,” Lighty said. “This is a really good way to get students across our campus involved in a design experience in 48 hours. And the more transdisciplinary the team is, the better those solutions are because they’re these grand-challenge problems that require not only technical expertise but also communication skills and social science issues and business issues, as well.”

Riley McCrady is a junior majoring in elementary education and has participated

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in Invent for the Planet for the past two years, as well as being signed up again this year. While it may be a stressful and quick competition, she feels the benefits outweigh the stress.

“The combination of critical thinking, prototyping, teamwork and

competition may seem stressful in the 48hour time span, but once it is over the payoff is extremely beneficial.”

Miller said that although the competition is only 48 hours, there is a lot of work put

Invent for the Planet challenges students globally to create solutions for world problems.

Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter presenting really allows students to hone in on their preexisting skills and continue building upon them,” McCrady said. “Students get the chance to work with students that they may have never met before and are from different academic backgrounds. Overall, the

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into the event.

“Friday afternoon is when they come in and get the challenges. They will form teams and start formulating their ideas,” Miller said. “Then all day Saturday they’ll start prototyping solutions while also

working with advisors. That evening they will start working on their elevator pitch.

They’ll come back Sunday morning, they’ll finish their elevator pitch, make a short video, and then they’ll deliver the pitch Sunday afternoon to our judges, and then the winners will be announced.”

This competition is free to enter and open to all students within any major.

Miller said that it is not only a competition designed to take on real-world problems, but also a chance to experience working together as a team.

“Our engineering students need to know what it’s like to work with a humanities student, a business student, an art student, because that’s what the real world looks like. Journalists don’t just work with journalists and business people don’t just work with business people,” Miller said. “We all have to work across disciplines.

So this event enables people to come together for interdisciplinary teams, and have a real-life experience all packed into one weekend.”

Lighty expressed how this is not just a competition with a goal of winning, it also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and thinking outside the box.

“This is a great example of our opportunities that we would like to have our students participate in because it really provides a distinctive and interdisciplinary opportunity for them,” Lighty said. “It affords them to push their creativity, innovation, team building, and communication skills in a really inclusive, fun and globally impactful way.”

C U LT U R E

RESOLVING THE RESOLUTIONS DEBACLE

Students and faculty discuss how they create goals for themselves in the new year Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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ow that the semester has begun and 2020 has officially set off, many campus members have altered their routines to accommodate new goals that they have set for the new year. New Year’s resolutions are a contested subject, with many scoffing their legitimacy; yet, many people take time to reevaluate their lives around this time.

“I think the appeal of making New Year’s resolutions by then [sic] the renewal of a new year, and wanting to seek growth and self-improvement,” said Amy Roberts, a Boise State counselor. “I think it’s important to look at progress, not perfection, when setting goals or resolutions because perfection is inherently unattainable.”

Roberts said that although the phenomenon is popular, different people practice it in ways that may not be perpetuated in popular culture.

“I used to make New Year’s resolutions, but over the past few years, I’ve shifted my perspective from resolutions to revelations,” Roberts said. “I like to look at it more in a retrospective way rather than, ‘What should I do this next year?’ but, ‘What learning did I gain from this past year?’”

For Becca Pierce, senior psychology major, reinventing resolutions is key to them being successful. She said calling them goals, rather than resolutions, breaks it away from this often-criticized social practice that is notorious for not lasting.

“You’re not treating it like a goal, and the only way goals work is if you make a plan and then execute that plan,” Pierce said. “I think many people fail at their New Year’s resolutions because they don’t look at it as a plan, they just look at it as another part of the holidays. It’s another thing you’re supposed to do.”

Pierce said that taking time to reflect on her goals and think of plans of action for their achievement has helped her be more successful.

Just as Pierce finds ways to progressively implement change in her life, Maddie Iott,

Roberts, Pierce and Iott say that concentrating on progress instead of perfection is key to making change in the new year.

Maddie Ceglecki | The Arbiter

a senior in the nursing program, believes that small life changes help her see progress toward her goals.

“I have to remind myself that time continues to go, and as long as you continue to go or move forward you’re making progress,” Iott said. “Trying to develop a habit as opposed to trying to develop a lofty goal is a little bit more actionable.”

By starting small routines, Iott finds that she is able to slowly progress toward a goal, whereas big and drastic changes tend to be difficult to maintain.

“You say, ‘I’m going to run a marathon this year,’ and people do that, but I know that I would be frustrated if I had that goal in mind, and then didn’t achieve it,” Iott said. “It would basically burn me out to even go on a run.”

Iott said that the new year is a great time to think about how she wants her life to be different based on the past year of learning.

Though many people work towards resolutions as the new year rolls around, each person approaches the concept differently, and by doing so, create change in a way that is meaningful and personal to them.

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C U LT U R E

FIRST INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE ZINE COMES TO BOISE STATE Inclusive Excellence Student Council creates their own representation for students Michelle Johnson | Culture Reporter | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

The Inclusive Excellence Student Council works to make messages of diversity and inclusion accessible with the help of a zine.

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oise State’s first inclusive excellence zine is being brought to life to emphasize and encourage student art. The Inclusive Excellence Student Council (IESC) is producing the zine and is accepting admissions from any students on campus. Zines are commonly small-circulated prints of original works that can include any type of art.

Alyssa Wainaina, a sophomore double majoring in sociology and ethnic studies, is a part of the council and originally sparked the idea to create the zine. With the community having little to no options, Wainaina felt that creating a Boise State zine could be both educational and influential on campus.

“I think that it would be really cool for us to have our own kind of representation of the students at Boise State who are for inclusivity and diversity and equity and different expres-

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sions of that,” Wainaina said. “I personally have been in a lot of organizing spaces where we’ve used zines to uplift certain messages or share art in a way that’s very accessible, because you can make as many copies as you’d like and distribute it for free.”

Submissions are open to all students at Boise State and can be anonymous if preferred. When coming up with the idea of a zine, Wainaina wanted to make sure that it was very open to interpretation when it came to pieces being submitted.

“We really wanted to leave it open to everyone because we know that by putting specifics on it that can be exclusionary,” Wainaina said. “So we are welcoming things like poetry, paintings, we are welcoming sculpture, any type of artwork, any type of creation, anything that represents inclusivity at Boise State can be submitted.”

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Joel Weisel, a senior majoring in interdisciplinary studies, is also involved with the idea and production of the zine. Once he heard the pitch for the zine, Weisel knew it could be a great contribution to the community.

“I had talked about the need for a space for people from frontlined communities to express themselves artistically,” Weisel wrote in an email. “Alyssa brought this to the table and I was incredibly interested and immediately voiced my approval.”

Brian Wiley is an assistant professor for graphic design and has had positive experiences with zines, even incorporating them into his curriculum. When it comes to zines, he feels they can be an important platform.

“From my perspective generally, I think a zine gives voice to anyone who has something to say,” Wiley said. “Historically people from any non-dominant culture

Photo courtesy of Alyssa Wainaina don’t always get to say it with the same volume, and I think a zine can be a really great way to show different perspectives, ideas and viewpoints.”

The zine has many purposes, one being to create a space for artists who may feel unheard or criticized. While the submissions may be anonymous, it allows for the art to have the exposure it may not have received before.

“We are talking about narratives around diversity and inclusion on campus and I think this zine is a great chance to engage with narratives that are constantly left unheard,” Weisel wrote in an email. “Alyssa has made it a point to find ways to get all mediums of art engaged. There is an opportunity for every kind of artist to showcase their work.”

The deadline to submit pieces for the zine is Jan. 31.

C U LT U R E

SKIMMING THE SYLLABI: WHAT IS IT ALL FOR?

Students and professors weigh in on how to best take advantage of your syllabus Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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s the semester begins, students and faculty alike will come together for the ritual of syllabus week. This week, little coursework will be done, and the faculty usually concentrate on defining the route of the class for the rest of the semester. Though the week is commonly known to be easy in comparison to the weeks following, the syllabus is a document that foretells the structure of the rest of the semester for students.

“I feel like a lot of the information sometimes is just copy-and-pasted stuff that students kind of need to know, but that they don’t really care about,” said Lauren Kerner, a junior studying graphic design.

Kerner said that the most important element of syllabi is a course schedule, or something that outlines what the coursework will look like throughout the semester if professors choose to include it.

“I took a couple of online classes last semester, and I noticed that the syllabus for both of those classes had a calendar that had really different due dates. We’d get emails from our professor saying, ‘Oh, ignore that date,’ and it was just kind of messy,” said Kerner.

Although going through a syllabus can seem like a futile use of time, professors often work hard on the documents to ensure that they accurately portray the class to come, according to English professor Samantha Harvey.

“I really see the syllabus as a contract between me and the student. That means I try to be very transparent about my expectations, and about the assignments and due dates,” Harvey said. “Students are then responsible that everything in that syllabus they have been informed about [sic].”

Harvey also noted that a syllabus can be a useful tool for students in under-

Making sure syllabi are up to date each semester is key to informing students on what to expect from their professors.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

standing the progression of a course and how to best navigate it according to the direction of the professor.

“Ideally, a syllabus can be an aid for students for where they’re going to go,” Harvey said. “And then once they’ve completed their term when they’re studying for the final exam, they’ll look back and say, ‘Wow, we really covered all different authors and genres and movements.’”

For Taylor Spikes, a junior studying elementary physical education, professors that provide strong guidance for students give her the structure she wants in a class.

“I like a clear and concise schedule of what I’m supposed to be doing,” Spikes said. “I do think some professors get too lengthy in their syllabi; all I really expect is how to contact them, the schedule of what is expected of me to turn in and do, and an outline of the class.”

When syllabi are too long, Spikes said that she often does not read them because it seems like unnecessary content.

As long as the professor lets the students know what is expected of them weekby-week, Spikes feels that the professor is using the syllabus correctly.

“I use [the syllabus] more as a reference than as a bible for the class,” Spikes said. “I think that the reason professors do it is so there are clear expectations for everyone including the professor, and if there’s something not completed it’s on the student not on them.”

Though syllabus week may seem like a free pass with little to no work, a syllabus can be an important element of students’ experiences with a class, and their ability to understand what the professor will expect from them in the weeks to follow.

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SPORTS & REC JANUARY 14, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BATTLES OVER WINTER BREAK Boise State returns to spring semester 12-6, 4-2 Delaney Brassil | Sports Editor | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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hile most Boise State students were away on winter break, the women’s basketball team continued grinding through their season and dove back into conference play. Boise State went into winter break 9-4 and on a five-game winning streak and emerged 12-6.

During the brief hiatus from classes, the Broncos played five hard-fought games, three of which were decided by five points or less. Boise State saw a range of ups and downs over the last three weeks, making for a noteworthy stretch of the season as they look to defend their Mountain West title.

Dec. 22 vs Pepperdine: W, 76-74 Thanks to senior guard Riley Lupfer’s final-minute 3-pointer, the Broncos were able to pull ahead of Pepperdine for their last non-conference victory of the regular season.

Lupfer hit the go-ahead shot with 41 seconds remaining, and guard Jayde Christopher went 1-2 on the line to extend the lead to two, ultimately securing the victory.

Boise State trailed until the last five minutes of the second quarter when they pulled ahead 29-27. Pepperdine got within two points at the third quarter buzzer, sending them into a 56-54 fight for the final quarter.

Each team scored 20 points in the fourth quarter battle. Five ties and four lead changes later, and with the hand of Lupfer, the Broncos downed the Waves 76-74.

Jan. 1 at Wyoming: L, 68-73 The Broncos led by as much as 15 points in the second quarter, but Wyoming brought the score to 38-37 at halftime. The Broncos pulled ahead to lead 56-50 by the end of the third, but then faced a cold fourth quarter.

Boise State scored just 12 points on 4-16 shooting in the fourth quarter, while the

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Cowboys put up 23 boards.

“We’ve had sustained effort issues all year long. When you give up a 30-point quarter to a team that just scored 44 here against Northern Colorado, that is not good,” said head coach Gordy Presnell. “We did that, and showed a lot of vulnerability. [Wyoming] took advantage of that, credit to them. They were prepared, they were fired up. They’ve lost two championships to us in the last two years.”

Jan. 4 vs Nevada: W, 54-40 The Broncos’ defense returned to Boise ready to win after a disappointing night in Laramie. No Nevada players ended the night in double-digits as they were held to a season-low 26.9% shooting.

While the Broncos’ 54 points were the lowest they have scored this season, the same can be said for Nevada’s 40 points.

The Wolf Pack was averaging 68.7 points per game before facing the Broncos.

While their defense was formidable, Boise State faced some offensive struggles of their own. The Broncos shot just 37.9%, their lowest average of the season. Only Braydey Hodgins (17) and McGwire (14) scored in double-digits.

A 37-17 second half in which the Wolf Pack hit just two of their last 17 attempts put the Broncos back in the win column.

Jan. 8 at UNLV: L, 65-66 Despite a promising battle, Boise State’s seven-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter slowly slipped away. An 11-0 run from UNLV and seven missed attempts by the Broncos tied the game at 62-62 with 1:32 remaining. McGwire broke the scoring drought with a 3-pointer, but was immediately answered by back-to-back shots from UNLV’s Letecia Smith, putting Boise State down by one.

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The Broncos are currently sitting in fourth place in the Mountain West.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter The Broncos looked once again to Lupfer, but her buzzer-beating shot did not fall and the Broncos picked up their second conference loss.

“We didn’t perform or execute down the stretch of the game,” Presnell said. “That’s been the thing we have done well through the years and have not done that in our last two losses, especially in the fourth quarter...

We had a lot of seniors who should be making plays and they didn’t do it. We’ve got to coach better, and we have to play better.”

Jan. 11 vs San Diego State: W, 86-72 After a tough night in Las Vegas, the Broncos returned home to prove their conference strength in front of 1,394 fans.

After SDSU claimed the first quarter 17-14,

the Broncos hit the floor running, picking up 29 points in the second.

The Broncos’ bench was on fire as Ellie Woerner, Rachel Bowers and Jade Loville scored 40 points. Loville drained a career-high 21 points, scoring 11 in the fourth quarter. Hodgins dished out 10 assists, matching her career high.

A fired-up fourth quarter sealed the deal for Boise State. The much-needed victory after a challenging week has the Broncos focused and optimistic about taking on their remaining conference opposition.

“Today was great, all the energy and the excitement and the talking. That’s what we need every day,” Woerner said. “I think seeing a productive win like that today helps us know that’s what we need to do every day.”

SPORTS & REC

THE BRONCOS LEAVE LAS VEGAS BOWL FEELING UNLUCKY IN 38-7 DEFEAT Coach Peterson and the Huskies rout the Broncos in his final game

Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Boise State’s hopes for a 13-win season were lost after a disappointing performance in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 21.

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uarterback Hank Bachmeier reemerged for the first time since Nov. 2 as Boise State’s starter in the 2019 Las Vegas

Bowl. Much like the rest of the game, though, Bachmeier’s return was lackluster.

The Las Vegas Bowl was one of the most anticipated games of the bowl season, in large part because University of Washington head coach Chris Peterson would be taking on his former team and offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin in the final game of his career. Peterson and the Huskies outcoached and outperformed the Broncos 38-7.

Redshirt senior quarterback Jaylon Henderson had earned the Broncos’ past four starts, but missed practice in Las Vegas due to an illness. Both Harsin and Henderson said that Bachmeier’s start had nothing to do with the illness.

“I was only sick for like a day, so it wasn’t really anything that bad at all,”

Henderson said. “I was good. I was in bed sick and then the next day I was good and ready to go.”

The Broncos’ first drive of the game concluded with a careless interception.

Bachmeier evaded a sack but made the decision to throw the ball down the field into a sea of purple and gold. The interception paved the way for the Broncos’ poor performance. Bachmeier went 15-for-26 for 119 yards and two interceptions.

The Broncos’ offense managed to put together one solid drive, and that was in the third quarter when Henderson took the field. The drive was 11 plays for 77 yards and it led to the Broncos’ first and only score of the game, a 10-yard pass to true freshman running back George Holani.

Holani’s impressive season extended the Broncos’ 1,000-yard rusher streak, but he and the rest of the running backs were unsuccessful against a tough Huskies defense.

Holani had 11 carries for 35 yards.

The defense, which was the Broncos’ strength for most of 2019, struggled as much as the offense. 38 points were the second-most points the Broncos’ defense allowed all season. The Huskies’ offense anticipated every one of the Broncos’ defensive moves.

“Obviously, it doesn’t feel great going out like this,” said senior tackle Chase Hatada.

“I know every single one of the guys on the outside didn’t quit, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of those guys and the coaches.

It doesn’t feel great, but I know these guys next year will come back and ball out and keep the Bronco tradition going.”

After the game, STUD Curtis Weaver sat alone crying on the sidelines — it had already hit him that the Broncos would have to sit on this ugly loss until September of 2020.

“I take it very personal,” Weaver said. “It goes back all the way to when we had our first players’ meeting before fall cap. The whole defense and the whole offense, those

Photo courtesy of Joe Nickell guys every day are going to give you their all, and that’s what it is at Boise State. No one is going to give you 90%. Everyone is going to give you 110%, and if they can’t, that means they’re injured.”

Two Broncos forego their final year of eligibility Since the Las Vegas Bowl, the Broncos have lost stars in Weaver and offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland to the NFL Draft.

Cleveland started in 267 straight games for the Broncos in 2017-18 and only missed one game in 2019 while battling a foot injury.

Weaver finished his career at Boise State with 34 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Weaver is projected to be taken in the first or second round of the NFL draft that is taking place on April 25-27.

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SPORTS & REC

CLUB VOLLEYBALL PREPARES TO FACE NATIONAL COMPETITORS Boise State looks toward another trip to Kansas City national tournament in April Paul Gourley | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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ew club teams on Boise State’s campus are given the opportunity to compete on a national level against schools from across the country. Boise State’s club volleyball team has been an exception to the norm.

Last season, the Broncos finished the regular season first in their division but failed to win the Pacific Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (PIVA) Championship. Winning the tournament would have granted the Broncos an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2019 National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) tournament in Denver, Co. However, relentless fundraising and foresight still allowed Boise State to travel and compete in the 2019 NCVF, where the Broncos won the Division IAAA Copper Bracket title. While the team is grateful for the community’s support in getting them to last season’s national tournament, this year’s goal is to claim the PIVA title and go for free.

“It cost a lot of money to go to nationals,” said team secretary Maya Alvarado.

“This year, because there are so many girls on the team, fundraising has become easier. Finishing well enough to go for free would be huge because of all the expenses.”

The PIVA division includes colleges in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, such as Gonzaga, University of Oregon, University of Washington, Montana State and more.

In order to ready themselves for future competition, the Broncos spent the fall and winter traveling throughout the northwest and competing in “tune-up” tournaments. The extra practice will likely help the team succeed come divisional play in 2020.

“Attending as many tournaments as we can and getting some touches on the ball is a big thing outside of practice,” Alvarado said. “We see such good competition in nationals, so seeing a lot of competition before then really helps us.”

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Last season, the club volleyball team traveled to Denver, Co. for the 2019 NCVF Tournament.

Due to the frequency at which the team practices and plays tournaments, many of the women on the team are close friends, with some even living together.

“Last year’s team is not near as close as this year’s team,” said sophomore Aleah Yundt. “We had some cliques on the team last year, and I don’t see that at all with this

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team. Everyone this year is better friends on and off the court.”

The optimism towards this year’s team has already begun to show on the court.

“We are a very competitive team this year,” said club president Kayla Caton.“Every girl on the team has high school, club and even some with college volleyball

Photo courtesy of Harley Cope

experience. The depth and experience are what’s going to help us reach our goals of going to nationals.”

The team practices in the Bronco Gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

OUR BEST GUESS The Arbiter aligns your stars.

CAPRICORN:

Not unlike last year, Cap, you still have a lot going on. You are juggling a lot of life events, but also different parts of your personality in order to gracefully handle each area. Take time to breathe in between learning valuable lessons and handling the spotlight being directly on you.

AQUARIUS

JAN 20 - FEB 17 You are getting some attention, Aquarius. People are noticing that thing you are doing which you are so undeniably good at. Praise yourself for your hard work. Of course, you, being a humble sign who works for the people, are taking everything in stride.

DECE

PISCES

FEB 18 - MARCH 20

MB ER

22

0 - J ANUARY 2

TRISHA KANGAS

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR TRISHAKANGAS@BOISESTATE.EDU

Love is in the air, Pisces. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, your radar will pick up on something new in the way of love. Allow yourself to be free and uninhibited in your romantic choices. Do what feels right and trust your instincts.

ARIES

MARCH 20 - APR 20

New year, new you, Aries. You have an impulsiveness brewing that is telling you to do something different. You want to break outside of your normal box and show the world that you can do it all. This week, take it one step at a time. You can definitely achieve everything that you want, but remember pacing and taking it moment by moment is just as important.

TAURUS

APR 20 - MAY 21

Taurus, you are feeling as if many things you tried last year did not work. You feel like you want to throw out those decisions and start fresh with something exciting and maybe even shocking.

However, when that logical side pops up in your head and has some criticisms, listen to it.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUN 21 While you feel like you just had a fire lit under you to accomplish everything and more, you are feeling burnt out, Gemini. This week, try and narrow your scope of what you can achieve. The time will return soon to zoom out once again.

CANCER

JUN 21 - JULY 23 Unfortunately, the end of last year drained you completely, Cancer. Do not deny yourself this moment of reflection and recharging. Think about climbing back into your shell for a short period of time so that you can emerge stronger than ever.

LEO

JUL 23 - AUG 23

You made a breakthrough in relationships and how you interact with others in general recently, Leo. Stick with that feeling this week and try to think about how bettering your communication, listening, and skills of compromise can bring an overall benefit to your life at large.

VIRGO

AUG 23 - SEPT 23

Virgo, now is not the time to be mixing up your love life. Stay away from any big decisions in the way of relationships. Instead, this week, you crave time with yourself so you can center and reflect on your goals for this upcoming year.

Make it a trend of 2020 to check in with yourself mentally and do not forget to give yourself adequate care this year.

LIBRA

SEPT 23 - OCT 22

Your life has felt out of control as of late, Scorpio. This week, lean into your desire for organization, structure and order. Your determination will make everything come into place for you. Not to mention, a little bit of planning will set you up for success in the new year.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOV 21

Mars will not stick around for too much longer, Scorpio. Now is the time to buckle down and tackle some intimidating tasks you may have been putting off. You will find it easier to make choices right now and good, insightful ones at that.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 21

Your fieriness is flaring up this week, Sag. Go ahead and bask in that confidence and determination. Just make sure that you keep yourself in check and do not let yourself become big-headed or fall arrogant unintentionally, which should be fairly easy for you to control.

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