The Arbiter Vol. 32 Issue 18

January 21, 2020

Vol. 32 Issue 18

I N D EP ENDENT

ST UDENT

V O ICE

O F

BO ISE

STAT E

S I N C E

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MAKING DISCOVERIES How Julianna Ramirez uses her passion for science to find success

NEWS

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Sen. Maryanne Jordan introduces Add the Words as personal bill during the legislative session

VISIT US ONLINE:

OPINION

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Idaho has an obligation to prioritize its children as faith healing and child marriage come into question arbiteronline.com

CULTURE

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Tutors across campus urge students in need of academic help to utilize their services consistently @arbiteronline

SPORTS & REC

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Point guard Jayde Christopher leads the nation in assists while leading her team with an open heart

@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 Social Media Coordinator Trisha Kangas Digital Content Manager Mackenzie Hudson digitalcontent@stumedia.boisestate.edu Digital Content Producer Chandler Thornton 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.

The Arbiter’s editorial team sat down with President Tromp to discuss budget cuts, the tuition freeze and campus inclusion.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

ON THE COVER:

A s the only student in the countr y to receive the Keith Sherin Global Leader Semester in Washington, D.C. award, Julianna Ramirez talks about the achievement s that brought her there and how her love of science has opened up vast oppor tunities for her future.

Cover design by Maddie Ceglecki.

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EVENTS INVOLVEMENT FAIR

SUB JORDAN BALLROOM JANUARY 22, 2 PM

UPCOMING SPORTS WOMEN’S TENNIS

The start of the new semester is the perfect time to start searching for more ways to get involved on campus. Check out the Involvement Fair for information on student organizations while also enjoying the activities each booth has to offer.

JANUARY 26 AT 10 AM

OUR PATH HOME VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY STUDENT INVOLVEMENT JANUARY 22-24

MEN’S TENNIS

Our Path Home is looking for volunteers to assist in their Point-In-Time Count, an event counting and surveying individuals known to be experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Volunteers must sign up no later than 1/21.

‘WOMEN AND CIVICS’ EVENT

BOISE ART MUSEUM JANUARY 22, 7 PM

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s’ suffrage, the Boise Art Museum is hosting an evening of humanities discussions, music and art. This event is 18+ only. RSVPs are required but admission is free.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER EVENT

SPECIAL EVENTS CENTER JANUARY 27, 7 PM The Special Events Center is pleased to welcome Eric Love, this year’s MLK Living Legacy Celebration Keynote Speaker. He will be speaking on “Lessons From the Past for a Path to the Future.”

HOME

VS SEATTLE

JANUARY 24, 6 PM

VS IDAHO STATE

HOME

VS MONTANA STATE & SEATTLE

JANUARY 24, 10 AM + 6 PM VS IDAHO STATE & WHITMAN

JANUARY 26, 10 AM + 4 PM

WOMEN’S BA SKETBALL HOME

VS FRESNO STATE

JANUARY 25, 1 PM

MEN’S BA SKETBALL AWAY

AT FRESNO STATE JANUARY 25, 6 PM

NEWS

JANUARY 21, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

ADD THE WORDS BILL REINTRODUCED IN IDAHO LEGISLATURE

Sen. Maryanne Jordan and Add the Words seek to modernize the Idaho Human Rights Act anti-discrimination clause Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Sen. Jordan is hopeful that this bill will receive a hearing in the next legislative session.

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dd the Words, Idaho is a local organization “committed to elevating awareness of how many marginalized communities and what impacts them are not singular but intersected,” according to the organization’s website. Through the last 14 legislative sessions, Add the Words has sought to update the Idaho Human Rights Act to include protection from discrimination for all people, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Sen. Maryanne Jordan introduced the Add the Words legislation as a personal bill in the Senate on Jan. 14. Senate Bill 1226 seeks to add gender discrimination and sexual orientation to the Idaho Human

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Rights Act to protect members of the LGBTQIA+ community from discrimination in employment, housing accommodation and other areas.

“I thought that it was important to bring this bill again to keep the attention on the issue,” Jordan said. “When you read a bill as a personal bill, you’re automatically assigned a bill number and it goes onto the roster. Whether or not you get a hearing is another story, but you have something concrete to speak to. You have an actual piece of legislation that allows people to contact their representatives and encourage them to give this a hearing.”

Even with the recent amendment to

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Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter the Idaho Human Rights Act to include LGBTQIA+, Jordan said people within the community are still facing discrimination in workplaces and housing. Should this bill pass, she believes it will benefit Idaho’s people and economy.

“This is important to businesses that their employees feel safe and protected.

We’ve got a less than 3% unemployment rate in this state with a lot of good jobs going unfilled,” Jordan said. “Part of the reason for that is that companies are concerned about coming to a place or bringing employees to a place where those employees are not going to feel safe. I think it’s important that all Idahoans enjoy

these protections under the law.”

The Add the Words organization is not working directly with Jordan to push this bill through the legislature, but they are aware of her efforts. Add the Words vice-chairwoman Megan Carter, who has seen this bill pass through legislatures 14 times, is thankful that the fight is not over.

“We are so thankful and thrilled to see it before the legislature again,” Carter said. “We’d like to see it advance and have a hearing, open up for public testimony to hear things out and to hear the live experiences of LGBTQ folks in the state of Idaho and what their lives look like.”

Carter explained the importance of modernizing Idaho’s Human Rights Act in order to make the community feel safer living their everyday lives.

“Knowing that we have the support and the backing of the state and a process within the Idaho Human Rights Commission so that if we were to encounter some form of discrimination, that we have every right to go through that same process as anyone else, for other forms of discrimination, such as religious or age discrimination,” Carter said.

Senate Bill 1226 does not yet have a hearing date, but Jordan and Add the Words are hopeful that 15 will be the magic number that pushes this bill through the legislature.

“We will see the Human Rights Act updated in Idaho, and we’ll keep working on this issue until all hardworking Idahoans are protected,” said Cindy Gross, chairwoman of the Add the Words campaign, in a press release. “With these powerful stories [from those testifying], our legislators can no longer claim that there isn’t discrimination in Idaho.”

NEWS

LEGAL AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO, NICOTINE RAISED TO 21

Federal age change restricts 18 to 20-year-olds from purchasing once-legal substances Celina Van Hyning | News Editor | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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he United States Food and Drug Administration has officially changed the federal minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. The new minimum age applies to all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping cartridges.

“It is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product — including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes — to anyone under 21,” The FDA’s website reads. “FDA will provide additional details on this issue as they become available.”

Sen. Fred Martin was instrumental in legislation attempting to raise the minimum age to 21 back in 2017. He explained that the new law was created in the best interest of the public’s health and, like any new law, it will take some getting used to.

“I remember in 1984 when Congress passed the requirement that people had to be 21 to drink,” Martin said. “States passed their own legislation regarding consumption and it took a while, but 18-year-olds were drinking, so how do you stop them?”

Martin says he does feel sympathy for those 18 to 20-year-olds who no longer have access to these products.

“I do feel for those trying to stop,” Martin said. “I’m not naive to think everyone can stop overnight. But the health and cost to society is more important.”

“I’m not naive to think everyone can stop overnight. But the health and cost to society is more important.”

Sen. Fred Martin The community has given Martin many of the same excuses regarding opposition

The minimum age change has been very controversial, with many in favor of stopping the vaping ‘epidemic’ and others against government restriction of adults.

Chandler Thornton | The Arbiter to the law, and Martin urges people to understand that the world is changing.

“I continue to hear the argument that if you can enlist in the military, you should be able to have a cigarette or a beer,” Martin said. “When I was in the military, I was rationed two cigarettes a week. When my grandson went to basic training, it was tobacco-free for the whole ten weeks. It’s not just states that are implementing these laws, it’s everywhere.”

Research has shown that raising the minimum age to 21 has a significant effect on youth access to tobacco, according to health education specialist Emily Gravel-Fletcher. She explained that this research is widely regarded within the healthcare industry, and also the reason behind Con-

gress’s December action.

“To put it in latent terms, high-schoolers are often 18-years-old themselves (the former purchasing age), which makes it easier for young students to get tobacco products because if they can’t purchase it, their friends can,” Gravel-Fletcher wrote in an email.

“This phenomenon shifts dramatically at 21 [because] not as many 21-year-olds are hanging around high-schoolers as 18-year-olds.”

Despite the health risks and new possible legal implications, some students still feel the new law is unnecessary. Kai Hart, a sophomore sociology major, says the new law is a trap for those who have already developed nicotine or tobacco addictions.

“It’s obviously not a good thing to be addicted to nicotine, but now we have no

access to even things like Nicorette gum and nicotine patches to help us quit,” Hart said. “So now we’re stuck in a limbo of not being able to have this vice or even get rid of it in a way that isn’t agonizing.”

Hart believes the federal government should decide whether 18 or 21 is the age to be a legal adult. Once decided, adults should have access to all restricted items.

“Many people have argued in favor of low percentage alcohol being 18 as well,” Hart said. “The argument behind this is that if you can join the military you should be able to have a cigarette or a beer. I agree with this completely. This country is treating adults like children.”

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NEWS

INCUBATOR PROGRAM SHAPES STUDENT ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS

The Venture College gives students 10 weeks to find out if their idea can become a reality Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Nic Miller (left) and Ryan Vasso (right) help students from every academic background through the Venture College.

Chandler Thornton | The Arbiter

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business’ main goal is to succeed, however, it can often be difficult to make that happen.

For the Associate Director of Boise State’s Venture College, Ryan Vasso, his first business idea failed. During his time in the Incubator Program, he learned skills that have allowed his current business to flourish.

“I launched my software company which failed miserably at the beginning. But [the] Venture College taught me the principles to keep working through it,” Vasso said.

“Today [my company is] in 30 different countries; we’re doing pretty well actually.”

The Incubator Program began in 2013 to curate and develop students’ business ideas into a reality through a mentor-like program. Currently, the program is 10 weeks long and is a non-credit class. Students participating in the program meet once a week and receive help with their ideas.

No prior business knowledge is needed and students with any major are allowed to sign up for the program.

“I love [the] Venture College because the

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idea is I can teach anyone how to run and launch a business,” Vasso said. “I had an English literature degree and zero business experience. Within a semester program, I learned the basics enough to keep moving, keep innovating and keep learning.”

The program has a seed fund for the college that is funded by donors and past entrepreneurs from the Venture College. Once students show they are making strides in their business, they can request anywhere from $100 to $3,000 depending on their needs.

According to the executive director for the Venture College Nic Miller, even if a student’s idea does not work out, the skills they learn can be used in their other career paths as well.

“If your idea goes and you keep pursuing it as your company, that’s awesome. We would love that,” Miller said. “But even for those who don’t end up pursuing that idea, they still leave with some skills that will help them in their career, plus a network of people in this community that care about their success.”

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The Venture College works to launch students’ businesses by connecting them with resources and companies that could use their services. The network created allows for the business created in the program to stay local and flourish the economy in the Treasure Valley as well as other places.

HannahLore Hein was one of the first students to be a part of the Venture College in 2013. As a second-year master’s student, she studied applied historical research.

Although Hein did not end up

pursuing her entrepreneurial idea, she did take the skills she learned and applied them to her career. “[The program] complicated my graduate studies in a way I didn’t think was possible but it was absolutely the highlight of my experience at Boise State,” Hein said. “It has changed my world.”

With her current position at the Idaho State Historical Society, Hein is exploring her skills learned through the program to conduct a business model canvas (BMC) to test a program she is interested in. A BMC is the basic flow students follow when creating their own business and testing it to see if the outcomes are plausible.

Along with learning about the BMC, the Venture College offers additional assistance and mentoring after the 10-week program is over.

“This 10-week incubator course is one of our primary offerings, but really any student who has an idea can walk through those doors and get help today,” Miller said.

“Whether they’re in the incubator or not, we’re here for those students that want to move beyond the classroom and pursue their ideas.”

Kacie Fromhart | The Arbiter

NEWS

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES LOSES ACADEMIC ADVISOR

With one less advisor available, the College of Health Sciences works to aid all students Taylor Rico-Pekerol | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Student services and academic advising aids students in the pre-nursing and nursing program such as freshman Shelby Hymas.

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dvisors are an outlet for students to ask for help regarding their academic journey. From major exploration to enrolling for classes, ensuring students are in the correct classes based upon their degree plan and catalog year, advisors assist students in preparing for the next step.

The College of Health Sciences (COHS) was left with one less academic advisor before the winter break and is actively searching for someone to fill the position according to Mary Crowell, the director of advising and previous advisor for the College of Health Sciences.

“A loss of any employee is difficult on everybody — students, staff, leadership; however, we have done the best we can partnering with the School of Nursing as well as providing a team effort to assist where needed,” Crowell wrote in an email.

“We have some very seasoned advisors

who have done a great job supporting the pre-nursing population and each other.”

Within the School of Nursing and the COHS, an emphasis has been placed on student services and academic advising (SSAA) to help pre-nursing and nursing students.

“The students who met with our previous advisor have the opportunity to meet with other advisors who are professionally trained in advising pre-nursing students,” Crowell wrote. “Each advisor approaches student situations as unique and individual.”

Part of the advisor’s role is advising students through changes, challenges and opportunities that come about and helping students learn about additional resources that can help in the development of their experience.

Ann Hubert, professor and divisional dean for the School of Nursing, said having the SSAA located on the first floor of the NORCO building is crucial to the accessibility of their resources to students.

“[Advisors] have national credibility and we appreciate those that focus on nursing advising. In the past few years, we expanded 33% and went from 60 students in the [nursing] program to 80 students per semester,” Hubert said. “The SSAA worked along with the school of nursing 18 months prior to the expansion and hired for the College of Health Sciences advisors.”

Registering for classes and preparing for the future can be a daunting task. For students like Shelby Hymas, a freshman nursing major, it can be especially helpful to have advisors who can aid in the process.

During her fall semester of 2019, Hymas dove into the process of mapping out her future.

“She was there to help me and was willing to take time past my appointment to talk with me,” Hymas said. “I told her that I was interested in going to grad school so she helped me find things that would assist

Chandler Thornton | The Arbiter me to get into grad school.”

By the end of the meeting, Hymas decided to minor in psychology and sat with her advisor to sort through which lower and upper-level classes she would need to take.

Freshmen at Boise State receive a hold on their student account towards the end of their first two semesters until they meet with their advisor. This hold ensures that new students receive the help they need. Miles believes that the help freshmen receive from advisors should expand to all years and majors.

“I think having freshmen schedule meetings is important because she really helped me sort out my classes so that they actually worked with my schedule,” Hyman said.

“Also, planning ahead is important to do now instead of waiting for junior or senior year because then you’re out of luck.”

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OPINION JANUARY 21, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

WHY FEMINISM IS NOT A DIRTY ‘F’ WORD

People of all identities have an obligation to listen to women’s experiences and support women as individuals Stephanie Gull | Staff Writer | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Hundreds of citizens from across Idaho and multiple tribal nations gathered at the state Capitol building in Boise on Jan. 18 for the fourth annual Women’s March.

Blake Hunter | The Arbiter

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remember hearing on the radio once that most men dream about sex, while most women dream about getting chased.

I was instantly incensed.

I remember living on the second floor of an apartment complex, and being excited when I could open my bedroom window at night, with little chance of someone

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being able to get high enough to break-in.

I also realized I should get a firearm or dog since I was living alone downtown.

In high school, I learned different methods to protect myself, and listened to countless stories of women who had been attacked, kidnapped, raped — and what to do in that situation to survive.

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I know that long hair, overalls, dresses and other characteristics are more likely to make a woman a target for an assault.

I learned when I should look someone directly in the eye and say hello, to let them know I would put up a fight. Or when to quickly avert my eyes and cross the street.

I park close to an entrance, in a well-lit area and not next to big vehicles.

It is not smart to go to a gas station or grocery store at night alone, or a parking garage, or stairs at all or an elevator with only one man inside.

I have learned statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center: that one in five women is sexually assaulted while in college.

Running at night is my absolute favorite, but it is dangerous to do so with headphones on. And when I realized I would constantly turn at every sound, every light and that I had set an impromptu escape route every time I ran, I knew it was not worth it.

I have learned to watch each drink of mine being made, and then to hold my glass at all times with my hand over the top, to prevent getting drugged. It only took one time for me to make that mistake. I hope others learn without having the experience.

I have learned that it will not matter what my story is; he will try to claim that it was not his fault, because I was still nice to him after the fact.

Or people will ask how much I had to drink.

Or what I was wearing.

Or if I had asked for it.

These are not just my stories and experiences. Ask any woman you know, and I guarantee she will tell you the same.

We are in a dangerous political climate where women are still fearful, repressed and dehumanized. Feminism is often used

as a dirty word spat in the faces of those who simply want equality. This is still true, even after what women have always known individually about men became public knowledge with #MeToo. This is still true, even as women experience sexual assault and stalking at rates far higher than men.

The most powerful man in our country, and arguably the world, perpetuates the idea that women are simply objects, telling men they can do anything with women’s bodies.

“Grab ‘em by the pussy,” Trump arrogantly stated, for the whole world to hear.

This can not be ignored or brushed under the rug anymore, and there is still work to be done.

Even the feminist movement has its own shortcomings, as white women have historically oppressed women from every walk of life, often for their own temporary benefit. Racism, homophobia, transphobia and more all need to be removed by women once and for all, because we cannot scream for equality while continuing to oppress those whose experiences are different from our own. As the black lesbian feminist Audre Lorde said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even if her shackles are very different from my own.”

The annual Women’s March was Jan. 18, and was an opportunity for every person to join together in solidarity with women.

However, it is important for people to interrupt sexism all year. Believe women, support them, do not tell them to smile and let them take up space.

These are your mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, lovers, friends--but most importantly, we are individual human beings.

And our stories are important.

Because most men dream about sex… and most women dream about being chased.

OPINION

THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, IDAHO MUST CHOOSE TO PROTECT ITS CHILDREN It is time to put aside arguments for ‘religious freedom’ for the sake of our most vulnerable citizens Blake Hunter | Opinion Editor | opinion@stumedia.boisestate.edu

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daho’s legislative session this January has already seen a significant change in how the state prosecutes domestic violence. The House Health and Welfare Committee chose to add acts of emotional and psychological violence to the state’s definition of domestic violence on Jan. 14, which includes acts such as coercion, intimidation and financial abuse.

The rules also removed the requirements for a victim of domestic violence to be the perpetrator’s spouse, roommate or relative, rising to the standards used by many organizations that work with victims and survivors of abuse and violence.

Before the session is over, however, the legislature has an obligation to protect children, a demographic that is often targeted by abuse and left vulnerable by the state in two key ways, entirely for the sake of parental autonomy and one of Idaho’s favorite catch-alls: religious freedom.

The first is child marriage. Though data is limited, a report from Unchained at Last showed that Idaho has the highest rates of child marriage in the nation with 4,080 children married between 2000 and 2010 and that such marriages are overwhelmingly between a girl under the age of 18 and a man older than 18 — sometimes much older.

For children younger than 16 to be married in Idaho, consent is required of the child, parent or guardian and the court.

For people older than 16, no judicial review is required. In Idaho, a person cannot legally consent to sex under the age of 16, yet there is no age limit for marriage, meaning that girls as young as 13 have been married in Idaho in recent years.

With this in mind, Rep. Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise) proposed legislation last February that would match Idaho’s marriage laws with its statutory rape laws, so that no one under 16 can be married at all, and 16 and 17-year-olds would require judicial approval. The bill was voted down, 39-28, because, as Rep. Bryan Zollinger (R-Idaho Falls) said, “[the bill] put too much authority in

Advocates place child-sized coffins on the Capitol steps in 2018.

Photo courtesy of Aspen Jarvis the government’s hands.”

In an Idaho State Journal article last October, Reps. Zollinger and Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls) announced plans to introduce child marriage legislation this session, which would put an age limit for marriage that has yet to be announced. They did not say that any of the approval processes would change.

The second significant way that Idaho legislators can protect children from unnecessary harm is by removing religious exemptions that protect parents or guardians from child abuse charges when a child dies or suffers a disabling injury due to a

lack of medical care. Faith healing, which is practiced by the Followers of Christ Church — some of whom live in Canyon County — uses prayer to attempt to heal children.

Protect Idaho Kids advocates for the removal of religious exemptions to prosecution; according to founder Bruce Wingate, faith healing has caused the deaths of at least 200 Idaho children. The practice of withholding critical medical care for children in the Followers of Christ Church has been decried for years, largely because of former members like Willie Hughes publicizing their experiences.

As a child, Hughes watched his two-

year-old brother die of treatable causes while his parents took themselves to the hospital, and has since worked to rally Idahoans against the religious exemptions.

In February 2018, advocates placed childsized coffins on the Capitol steps, each labeled with a name of a child who had died while their parents refused medical care and avoided abuse charges.

Wingate and Hughes both spoke as part of a panel discussion on Jan. 16 held at the Capitol to raise support for a legislative change. The nine-person panel included another former Follower of Christ Church congregant Linda Martin, Canyon County sheriff Kieran Donahue and Rep. John Gannon (D-Boise).

One of the barriers to a potential change in legislation is confusion with vaccination laws, which panelists assured would not be affected. The main barrier, however, is religious freedom, a notion that Idaho’s GOP takes as serious as any.

Religious freedom and parental autonomy are valid philosophical talking points, but they lose their grasp when they oppress other people, particularly children. Idaho’s children represent their future legacy.

Current laws have fostered the highest rates of child marriage laws in the nation and sustained the rights of parents to abuse their children in favor of faith healing.

Children, who cannot understand religious exemptions or give consent to marry, must be protected by laws that do not leave them vulnerable to adults who, at best, want to maintain autonomy from the government and at worst, want to use their power to harm them.

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

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PASSION AND DRIVE TAKE BOISE STATE BIOLOGY STUDENT TO NEW HEIGHTS

MICHELLE JOHNSON | CULTU

CULTURE@STUMEDIA.BOISES

Julianna Ramirez discusses how she turned her personal struggles into greater opportunities

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hen Julianna Ramirez was 13 years old, she felt her dream of becoming a scientist falling out of her reach. A lack of funds and information about higher education left Ramirez uncertain about her vision for her future; one mentor involved in material engineering, though, inspired her to revisit the idea of pursuing her dreams and getting involved with the scientific community.

“One of my role models was the Big Sister I was matched with through a Big Brothers Big Sisters program,” Ramirez said. “At that time I had given up on being a scientist because I thought, ‘Oh, you have to get a Ph.D., like that’s impossible.’

Once she told me what getting a Ph.D was like, I looked into revisiting the topic of becoming a scientist.”

Now a fourth-year student who is studying cellular, molecular and biomedical biology, Ramirez leads a busy lifestyle. From mentoring for the TRIO program, preparing for graduate school in the McNair Scholars program or being a research assistant in the lab of an associate biology professor and interning in Washington, D.C. this semester, a large part of Ramirez’s success stems from the determination she displays.

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At 17 years old, Ramirez started the journey of her dreams. Ramirez is a first-generation student who grew up in a single-parent, limited income household — all factors that Ramirez used as motivation to get where she is at 21.

THE SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT SHAPED HER FUTURE

Ramirez was born and raised in the Treasure Valley, frequently moving around the area. Raised by her father, her influence for success came from her home life.

“My mother had a lot of drug problems, always being in and out of prison,” Ramirez said. “That actually had a lot of influence over me and why I am so driven.

What my family members, like my mom, had gone through really just motivated me to want something in my life that I can work towards.”

From a young age, Ramirez carried interest in the field of science. Like most children, she loved to watch television, but not the typical shows that come to mind at a younger age.

“I was always a curious child,” Ramirez said. “One of the things I loved to do was

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watch this TV show called ‘Nova.’ The show had documentaries and science history a lot, and I think that was something that really sparked my interest and then turned into my passion for science.”

Her father, Raul Ramirez, also saw her drive in anything that she pursued, whether it was academics or other activities as she grew up.

“She was always a go-getter,” Raul Ramirez said. “She didn’t need any pushing. She just picked anything up right away and knew what she wanted to do.”

Julianna Ramirez always had the motivation to succeed in school; other obstacles, though, would become struggles for her when she chose to go to college. That’s where TRIO came in.

TRIO is a federally funded program designed to help students with disadvantaged backgrounds and involves multiple programs such as Upward Bound and Rising Scholars. Julianna Ramirez joined the TRIO program in high school.

“I was a freshman in high school when I saw the flyer for TRIO and it applied to me. I met the criteria, and I always knew I wanted to go to college,” Julianna Ramirez said. “So it was being advertised to help you figure out the ins-and-outs of college

and being a first-generation student. I obviously didn’t know anything about the process. I was in TRIO all of high school and then when I got to Boise State, I joined TRIO Rising Scholars.”

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE

When Julianna Ramirez was 17 years old, she started her first semester at Boise State University. She quickly became involved with many communities on campus, such as TRIO Rising Scholars and the McNair Scholars program.

The McNair Scholars program is an undergraduate preparatory program for first-generation and low-income students, or students who are underrepresented.

With her work in TRIO, Julianna Ramirez met her advisor, Anna Torti, who has come to be a big inspiration to her.

Torti is an educational specialist and the coordinator for the peer mentor program for TRIO Rising Scholars.

“From her first semester at Boise State, Julianna was quite certain about her choice of major and desire to work within the field of conservation biology,” Torti wrote in an email. “She has never wavered in her dedication to this goal, though she has taken time

F E AT U R E

ULTURE REPORTER

OISESTATE.EDU

Julianna Ramirez has had a lot of doors opened for her and can attribute many to the TRIO program, but has utilized her skills and desire to succeed to go above and beyond.

Photo courtesy of Julianna Ramirez to explore other areas at Boise State such as philosophy. She has been able to integrate these into her chosen field of study.”

Julianna Ramirez has been president of the TRIO club for two years and has worked for the TRIO program for three years.

“I tutor for the program for various subjects,” Julianna Ramirez said. “But my main role is peer mentoring. For the TRIO Rising Scholars for each incoming cohort, they’re assigned a peer mentor. I work with the students individually throughout their whole first year.”

Aside from her work as a peer mentor, Julianna Ramirez has made quite the influential impact at home.

“Julianna being the first in our family to go to college means everything to me,” Raul Ramirez said. “She is a role model for her younger sisters. It’s extremely important to our little family and to our extended family as well.”

Currently, Julianna Ramirez is in Washington, D.C. taking classes and interning under a congressperson for a nonprofit organization. This opportunity was made possible by a scholarship that she was awarded exclusively through the TRIO program. As the only student in the nation to receive the Keith Sherin Global Leader

Semester in Washington, D.C. award, Ramirez is able to experience a once-in-alifetime opportunity.

“So basically how it works is that the council offered a scholarship to one TRIO student in the nation and then that student comes to Washington, D.C, enrolls in Marquette [University], does the program and has an internship,” Julianna Ramirez said.

“So that’s the program I am doing. I am taking government classes with Marquette students and then I’m interning for the National Parks Conservation Association.”

Julianna Ramirez’s passion for science has driven her college career and is also what inspired her to apply for the program.

“I consider myself a scientist,” Julianna Ramirez said. “I want to be a researcher.

I am interested in a lot of environmental science and to really make a difference in environmental science you need to know about policy, which is something I don’t know a lot about. So that’s a part of why I applied for the program and what I’m hoping to get out of it.”

From pushing through hard classes to juggling multiple ventures at once, college can become easily overwhelming. Julianna Ramirez has some advice for others that has kept her motivation alive. One of the

biggest pieces of advice she offered was to find a community that fits well with career goals and life outside of college.

“For me it has come down to networking and finding mentors,” Julianna Ramirez said. “You hear that networking is a big buzzword in academia but it really does help you a lot. Most of that has been through the TRIO program so meeting people, finding a community that speaks to you and that you feel comfortable with.”

THE PROMISING FUTURE AHEAD

As for the future, Julianna Ramirez is ready for anything that comes her way.

With her spot in the McNair program, her ultimate goal is to go onto graduate school.

“The goal of the McNair program is to help students from underrepresented backgrounds go to graduate school,” Julianna Ramirez said. “However, I am thinking about taking a year off to do some traveling but ultimately, my goal is to enroll in a Ph.D. program and continue with my academic career.”

Ramirez was accepted into the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program, which is specifically for undergraduate students who want to work in conservation. Located in

Santa Cruz, the program ultimately put the University of California Santa Cruz on her radar as one of her top choices of graduate schools to attend in the future.

“I did a program at UC Santa Cruz this last summer and I will be going back this summer,” Julianna Ramirez said. “I will be working in a professor’s lab who could potentially turn into my future graduate mentor.”

Any obstacles that Julianna Ramirez encountered has never once stopped her from taking her life into her own hands and following her dreams. From a parent’s perspective, Raul Ramirez considers it a blessing to watch his daughter grow into an inspirational young woman.

“You know, as a parent watching your child grow, they blossom into these you know, people,” Raul Ramirez said. “It’s just a growth in her that I’ve never really experienced in my life. When you say, are we proud? We are extremely proud. But it’s a gift for me, too, because I could actually see a young person grow into somebody that’s going to make a difference, and you could just see it in her.”

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C U LT U R E JANUARY 21, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

UTILIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS

On-campus tutors urge students to take advantage of their services more frequently Megan Mary | Copy Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

A

fter checking in for her shift, junior film and television major Kennedy Binegar scans the schedule, seeing what activities await her day. Like many college students, Binegar juggles a job alongside her classes. Her position, however, merges with some students’ least favorite pastime: homework. Binegar is a tutor with the Writing Center, comprised of approximately 30 individuals eager to provide students with a variety of assistance. “[I] can see what the students want to specifically work on within their writing, if it’s an essay, research project, fictional story, resume, cover letter, personal writing or any other form of writing they would like help with,” Binegar wrote in an email.

Tutoring services on campus, such as the Writing Center or Math Learning Center (MLC), seek to lead students into an environment in which they are not afraid to ask questions or request additional help with coursework.

Gary Hagerty is the director of the MLC and works closely alongside the tutors in the department. The MLC offers tutoring sessions for lower-level classes, and Hagerty connects this to a need for services in those classes.

“If you have a question as a senior, you’re asking for help,” Hagerty said.

“You’re not sitting there at home saying ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this.’ But as a freshman, there are probably times that you [do].”

Hagerty continued that much of the work for a standard 3-credit course is done outside of the designated classroom, and if students are hesitant to ask questions to begin with, he is concerned that this uncertainty will remain while they work independently at home. Hagerty believes this is especially relevant for freshmen

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who have not been in a higher education learning environment.

“The greatest need for tutoring is getting the students who are straight out of high school to recognize the services there, to recognize the need for the service and to recognize that it is part of the educational process that is very valuable and very important,” Hagerty said.

“The greatest need for tutoring is getting the students who are straight out of high school to recognize the services there [...]”

Gary Hagerty, Director of the Math Learning Center Senior accounting major Angeles Rizo has utilized another branch of tutoring services specific to her major. Graduate Assistants (GAs) are tutors working to complete their Master’s degrees and assist upperclassmen in higher-level courses. Rizo said she schedules time to meet with GAs often during large projects, which allows her to complete those projects more efficiently.

“After tutoring, I’ve gained more confidence to ask for help when something is unclear or when I need to verify if my answers are correct,” Rizo wrote in an email.

“Tutoring has also allowed me to learn how to ask more specific questions.”

Both the MLC and the Writing Center schedule staff depending on demand,

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Kennedy Binegar caters to students’ specific needs in her tutoring.

Chandler Thornton | The Arbiter which means the centers often see an increase towards the end of semesters as final due dates creep closer.

“By the end of last semester, I was booking students with any tutor we could find,” Binegar wrote. “The Boise State Writing Center increases the amount of appointments made and students seen, so I’d like to think the center is, and continues to be, helping students who choose to use our services!”

No matter the department or center, the

individuals hired as tutors and assistants want students to recognize that it is okay to not always have all the answers, and to be confident in asking for further direction.

“I would tell students who have never been in [to tutoring] that it’s really easy to make an appointment, and then all you have to do is show up with your work and we will help you!” Binegar wrote. “Our services are always free, and we always have a cup of coffee or tea waiting for you.”

C U LT U R E

TAKING A BREATHER: OUTDOOR PROGRAM ENCOURAGES STUDENT EXPLORATION Students from many majors work together on a common passion for the outdoors Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

B

ronwin “Brownie” Jones sits at the desk of the Outdoor Program in the Rec Center, where students and employees meander amongst recently returned gear, and discuss rental rates for equipment for their next adventure. Jones, a junior history major, has many roles in the program and has recently been training to become a leader for the trips that the program facilitates throughout the year.

“All of our trips are student-led, and only students go on the trips, so the trip leaders are in charge of organizing food, taking care of the participants, they scout the locations; we usually do about three trips a semester,” Jones said.

As well as training for this new position, Jones recently completed a Wilderness First Responder training which taught employees, as well as students, emergency medical practices specific for wilderness settings.

“There’s a difference between more urban medicine – you know ambulance, EMT – and the backcountry, because you do have a disconnect between care and availability of resources out there,” Jones said. “It taught you practical stuff, but it also taught you how to manage the emotional and the harder stuff.”

Dani Ruffing is a fourth-year student studying Global Studies who has been guiding trips for the Outdoor Program for over two years now. Ruffing said that the program brings students from all different backgrounds together who have a common interest in the outdoors.

“I actually came into Boise State as a computer science major, and I switched because I realized that’s not what I want to do. Now I’m actually planning to go into the outdoor industry,” said Ruffing. “We have a lot of students here [who] aren’t necessarily going into the industry, but a lot of the skills that we learn in our time here are pretty transferable to other careers.”

Ruffing said she has been trained in leadership, conflict management and risk

The Outdoor Program guides several trips every semester that are composed completely of students.

Photo courtesy of Ashlyn Molino management. She also said that past peers have been asked about their experience in the program during job interviews that were not centered around the outdoors.

“The outdoors is pretty interesting because, obviously, a lot of the distractions are removed. You’re with a group–very close spatially–so you have to learn how to deal with things that come up in the moment, you can’t push things aside,” Ruffing said.

“There’s a lot of learning in terms of group dynamics, communication, and making decisions. People are pretty vulnerable, and so they also learn a lot about themselves, and how they handle challenges.”

Ashlyn Molino, fourth-year visual arts major said that she started at the Outdoor Program on a whim, and was hired despite having no experience in the outdoor industry.

“I knew I wanted to be involved in the outdoor community, but I didn’t really know how to get involved. They offered this training and this awesome job where I get to meet a lot of people and be active not only on campus but outside as well,” Molino said.

According to Molino, Boise has many natural resources that students who may have recently moved here are sometimes unaware of. In large, the Outdoor Program

wants to acquaint students with their environment as well as helping them meet other students who enjoy being outside as well.

“The Outdoor Program has given me so much guidance, they’ve opened so many doors, because of the opportunities for development this program has,” Molino said.

The Outdoor Program has an eclectic group of students who work there both to learn more themselves, and help their peers experience the outdoors in ways they may not have without guidance. The Outdoor Program website details about how students can get involved in any capacity if they are interested.

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C U LT U R E

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS INTERACT WITH THE WORLD OF STEM

SheTech shows participants what a career in STEM can look like Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

T

he conversation about underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) of women has made progress over the last few years, with 70 more women working towards a bachelor’s in the field in the 2018-19 school year than in 2014. However, with women making up over half of the world’s population, there is still work to be done to encourage women to become STEM majors on Boise State’s campus.

Addressing this problem, the upcoming event, SheTech, will engage high school girls with different subjects throughout the STEM industry in order that they can have a better idea of what they would like to study if they enroll at a university.

“We’re encouraging young women to go into STEM fields. There’s a big demand for engineers [and] computer scientists in the Treasure Valley and in Idaho,” said Leandra Aburusa-Lete, student support coordinator for the College of Engineering. “We’re always working on increasing the number of women that come into the engineering program at Boise State, so the SheTech efforts just go right along with our goals.”

To encourage the attendees of SheTech, which will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23, the College of Engineering has assembled a panel of current women in the program to answer questions about their experiences. Addie Lupercio, a Ph.D. student in the material sciences department, will be participating on the panel.

“I think events like these are important for girls to be able to not only get exposure to what career options are out there, and what support and programs are out there to get them where they want to go but also to see other women in the roles that they typically see men in,” Lupercio said.

Encouraging young women to see themselves in new ways is exactly what Women Innovators, one of the organizations putting on SheTech, does. Alecia Murray, the co-founder of the organization, said

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that they hope to show girls at an impressionable time that women really work in the same capacity as men, and events like these are necessary to show that.

“STEM and technology is part of everything we do, and so we want to find the interest that the girls already have, and we want them to embrace it and feel confident that they can be a part of it to solve the problems of tomorrow,” Murray said.

The SheTech event will be designed around what the students want to engage with and are interested in. By doing this, Murray hopes that the event will encourage them to explore different options, as well as see real-world examples of what it will be like working in those fields.

Tiffany Bernsten, a senior in computer and electrical engineering, explained that this exposure might make choosing a STEM major less daunting for students.

“I know when I was in high school or younger I had no relations to the STEM field so I ended up just stumbling upon engineering without really knowing what STEM was,” Bersten wrote in an email. “If any girls do end up in the STEM field, being a part of events like this will help them feel just as prepared as all of the other students.”

By bringing high school students together to engage with different areas throughout the STEM field, SheTech aims to help young women further understand what their interests might create for them, and the ways in which they can achieve their goals despite it being difficult.

SheTech is looking for volunteers from the Boise State campus. Those interested can reach out on their website.

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SheTech will allow high school students to learn about different elements of the science and tech world.

Wyatt Wurtenberger | The Arbiter

CLEAN SLATE

PLAYLIST

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY?

A column that dissects obsessive consumerism Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu

Will Meyer | Culture Editor | culture@stumedia.boisestate.edu A compilation of songs to help you bring in the new year and new semester with a fresh and rejuvenated perspective.

SAVE TO YOUR LIBRARY

Freedom by Beyoncé

4:50

Because It’s In the Music by Robyn

4:35

Religion (You Can Lay Your Hands on Me) by Shura

4:08

I Got You (Always and Forever) by Chance the Rapper

4:46

Nobody by Mitski

3:13

Way to the Show by Solange

2:57

Enjoy Your Life by Marina

3:37

Venus as a Boy by Björk

4:43

Bizness by Tune-Yards

4:23

Short Court Style by Natalie Prass

3:43

Utopia by Austra

4:02

Fruitflies by Gabriel Garzón-Montano

5:31

C U LT U R E

I

t is touching to think that Boise State chose its neon colors to pay homage to the highlighters used so often by students. The tribute to our hard work is deeply appreciated. To recognize this, it appears that students’ responses to the colors have been to incorporate them into almost everything they wear, a sort of self-celebration.

Though the spirit that is transmitted through the neon colors could nearly energize, or startle, any onlooker, what is the price of this stylish addition that so many Boise State community members incorporate into their daily outfit?

Though purchases of blue and orange apparel through the campus bookstore do support scholarships, shouldn’t the worth of scholarships be evident without people needing to be rewarded for their contribution? And furthermore, should Boise State be encouraging further spending on costly trivial items when many of the buyers are, or are about to be, entrenched in student loans?

I transferred to Boise State as a junior and was immediately shocked by the amount of school color that I saw around me. I had gone to the University of Idaho

before, and the school’s colors were gold and black. Although the apparel was donned by many campus members in Moscow, it didn’t stand out in the same way the Bronco colors did.

Another distinction I have noticed is that my sole association with the colors of Boise State is the sports program. I may have joked earlier about blue and orange being suggestive of student highlighters, all jokes aside, the colors were designed for sports teams, not for an institution of learning.

This is an important distinction. With irrefutably low 4 to-6-year graduation rates, Boise State is somehow still scarily good at promoting its sports program.

Though the pervasive argument for so much marketing is the monetary support the university gets, it can become unclear what the purpose of the university in general. Do the sports supporters really care about our primary purpose as an academic institution at all?

I do not mean to suggest that students who wear orange and blue are less likely to graduate, and I do believe that campus benefits from the unifying aspects of our colors. However, it is important to recognize the ways in which buying into anything, and encouraging people to buy into things, can alter or blur our personal set of values.

The flashiness of Boise State colors is a deliberate tactic to encourage students to buy into the high-energy sports culture that is pervasive on campus. As long as people can engage with that, while still recognizing that the average student experience has little to do with that perfectly marketed culture, I see no problem.

However, the university has an obligation as the promoter of these commodities, to ensure that students understand the importance and value of the rest of the culture; other forms of student involvement should receive equal attention to the ones who garner — but also cost — millions of dollars a year.

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SPORTS & REC JANUARY 21, 2020 | ARBITERONLINE.COM

POINT GUARD JAYDE CHRISTOPHER DEMONSTRATES ALL-AROUND SELFLESSNESS

The senior’s infectious personality and fast pace continue to help the Broncos as she leads the nation in assists Delaney Brassil | Sports Editor | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

W

hen Boise State women’s basketball alumna Joyce Harrell learned that her best friend and long-time teammate Jayde Christopher was looking to transfer from Kansas University, she made a beeline for head coach Gordy Presnell. Before Christopher’s official transferring process even began, Harrell had it all sorted out.

“I went to Coach P. and was like, ‘My best friend is gonna transfer, we need to get her ASAP. Just trust me on this, you’ll love her,’” Harrell said. “...I didn’t really give her an option. I was telling the team, ‘Hey, my best friend is coming to Boise State.’ I was going around telling everybody, so she had to commit or I would have [sounded] crazy.”

Harrell had played alongside Christopher for several years, from high school to club, and Christopher never fails to impress her.

“The first time I ever played with Jayde, she passed me the ball and it hit the backside of my head, and she was just like, ‘Well, you were open,’” Harrell said. “Ever since that, since she clocked me in the head, I was always looking for the ball when it deals with her because I was like, ‘You’re never gonna hit me in the head again.’”

Along with Harrell, Christopher knew Ellie Woerner and Marijke Vanderschaaf from playing on the same club team.

Harrell’s theory that Christopher would fit in with the rest of the Broncos quickly became reality after a weekend visit.

“What I was coming here for, or looking for, was a family atmosphere, and that’s kind of what they gave me,” Christopher said.

During her time at Kansas, Christopher had began not feeling like herself and decided it was time to make a switch.

“I kind of just had stuff built up and

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I wasn’t like ‘goofy Jayde,’” Christopher said. “I just started kind of like falling off... I wasn’t really happy. When you’re not happy or you feel yourself start to change that’s when you’re like, ‘Okay, I think we need to make a change.’”

The Broncos attempted to gain immediate eligibility for Christopher from the NCAA, but the request was denied. For Presnell, the appeal’s denial turned out to have a silver lining: while Christopher would have to spend the 2017-18 season on the bench, it

meant that the program got to have her around for another year.

When Christopher made her long-awaited return to the court in 2018, she did what she does best: share the ball. She quickly surpassed her 82 career assists at KU and ended the season with 182.

Several of Christopher’s stats nearly doubled in her debut season with the Broncos. She went from averaging 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game to 6.3 points and

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3.2 rebounds per game. She finished her last season at Kansas with 91 points, 28 steals and four blocks — her opening season with the Broncos ended with 208 points, 46 steals and 10 blocks. “[Christopher’s redshirt year] was a blessing in disguise because it gave her time to work on her shot and get to know the team, because when you come in at point guard, you have to know everybody,” Harrell said.

“It was so beneficial to us because it gave us someone to practice against that we wouldn’t really see, and so it sped up our team… When she came in the year after, she didn’t miss a beat.”

When Christopher first arrived, her experience in the Big 12 showed in her

speed. Having been accustomed to pushing the ball up the floor, Christopher’s style prompted the rest of the team to communicate more and speed up their own game.

“The best thing about her is she’s so coachable,” Harrell said. “We ran a completely different system for her than at Kansas and she took the time to stay after practices and meet with coaches to learn everything.”

While it may be obvious that Christopher’s passing skills come from her visibility and creativity in the game, it is also fitting that her personality off the court matches her generosity and positivity on the court.

“She is a light. She brings the best out of people, personality-wise. She is a magnet in that people are drawn to her because of her sense of humor and her lightheartedness, and she’s just a really good person,” Presnell said. “She is able to create shots for other people… Having the personality that she has - giving, caring, humble, sharing - is very similar to what great point guards have...It just so fits her position on the court; she wants people to be happy.

She lives very humbly.”

Now, through just 20 games of 2019-20 season, Christopher has earned herself a national ranking which perfectly complements her giving nature: She leads the country in assists with 154.

Christopher is well on her way to breaking the Boise State single-season record of 192 (Yaiza Rodriguez, 2016-17), and is doing it all with a smile on her face.

“You do this for 33 years and sometimes it becomes a little bit routine and you don’t always see the fun,” Presnell said. “And [Christopher] has made basketball really fun.”

Christopher transferred to Boise State from Kansas University in 2017.

Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

SPORTS & REC

MATT MILLER RETURNS TO BOISE STATE AS NEW WIDE RECEIVER COACH

Alumnus Miller fills a vacancy on the Broncos’ coaching staff after multiple departures Autum Robertson | Sports Reporter | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

er also worked as a recruiting coordinator below the Bobcats’ head coach Jeff Choate.

In 2015, prior to his hiring at Montana State, Miller stayed at his alma mater of Boise State, working as an offensive quality control assistant.

“Matt Miller is one of the best young coaches in the country — a great offensive mind and someone that can recruit anywhere in the country.”

Bryan Harsin, head football coach

Miller played for Boise State from 2011 to 2014 and has spent the last four seasons coaching at Montana State University.

Photo courtesy of Joe Nickell

A

fter the departure of former offensive coordinator Zak Hill, who now resides at Arizona State, the Boise State football team opted to promote within, hiring wide receiver coach Eric Kiesau as the new offensive coordinator. This move left a vacancy for a wide receiver coach, prompting the Broncos to bring in a familiar face to fill the role: former Bronco Matt Miller.

“Matt Miller is one of the best young

coaches in the country — a great offensive mind and someone that can recruit anywhere in the country,” said head coach Bryan Harsin in a press release. “It just so happens that he’s also a Bronco, and we’re excited to have him joining this staff. He is going to do great things at Boise State.”

Miller was a standout wide receiver for the Broncos from 2011-2014. He holds Boise State’s all-time receptions leader title with 244 and is tied with Thomas Sper-

beck for single-season receptions with 88.

At the young age of 28, Miller brings an impressive coaching resume to Boise.

Miller has spent the previous four seasons coaching at Montana State. In the Bobcats’ 2016-17 season, Miller was the wide receiver coach but earned a promotion halfway through the 2018 season to become the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

During his time at Montana State, Mill-

“My wife and I couldn’t be more thrilled to return to Boise,” Miller said in a press release. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Bozeman, but an opportunity to return to my alma mater and a city I fell in love with during my collegiate career, in addition to working with a championship football program with an outstanding staff and culture, was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I can’t wait to work in Boise.”

In Miller’s final two seasons as a coach with the Bobcats, he helped lead them to the Football Subdivision Playoffs. Miller and the Bobcats reached the second round in 2018 and the semifinals in 2019.

2019 was Miller’s first complete season as Montana State’s offensive coordinator.

The Bobcats finished the year with an offense ranked nationally in total offense at 25th (426.5 yards per game) and 27th in scoring offense (32.7 points per game).

Montana State concluded the season as the Big Sky Conference’s leading rushing offense (258.1 yards per game).

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SPORTS & REC

BRONCOS COMPLETE COMEBACK WITH THRILLING 88-83 VICTORY OVER AGGIES

Freshman RayJ Dennis’s late-game shooting forces overtime Dawson Danner | Staff Writer | sports@stumedia.boisestate.edu

defense, causing the Aggies to get out of sync.

After the Aggies committed a few turnovers trying to break the p ress, freshman guard RayJ Dennis made three consecutive 3-pointers, cutting the Broncos’ deficit to three points, 66-63, with under a minute to go.

“I put a lot of work in and I am confident in myself,” Dennis said. “You see one go through and the basket just gets bigger.”

With 8.9 seconds left in regulation, the Broncos were down 75-70. Dennis made his fourth 3-pointer in a row. On the following inbound pass, Jessup’s steal and layup tied the game at 75-75, forcing the game into overtime.

“We were gonna fight until the very end, no matter what happened.

We’re a really special team.”

Marcus Dickinson, senior guard Boise State trailed by 18 points with four minutes left before forcing the game into overtime.

I

n a game that was almost entirely controlled by the Aggies, the Boise State men’s basketball team completed a comeback with an 88-83 win in overtime against the Utah State Aggies at ExtraMile Arena on Saturday, Jan. 18.

“I can’t remember a better win in my 10 years here,” said head coach Leon Rice.

“We’ve had some great runs over the years, but that one was pretty special.”

Three minutes into the game, the Aggies got things going on the offensive end. All five starters scored and Utah State took an early 14-2 lead, forcing the Broncos to take their first timeout of the half.

Coming out of the timeout, the Broncos continued to hurt themselves with turn-

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overs, allowing the Aggies to widen their gap to 25-13.

Despite committing several turnovers, the Broncos took advantage of Utah State’s early foul trouble. Boise State attacked the basket and got to the foul line, allowing them to shoot free throws and put points on the board.

The Aggies, who had 10 fouls going into the half, continued to put pressure on the Broncos with their fast-paced offense. They scored 10 second-chance points and 10 points on Bronco turnovers.

In the final minutes of the opening half, the Broncos proved just how dangerous they can be from beyond the arc. After a pair of made threes, the Broncos found

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Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter

themselves trailing 38-25 heading into the locker room.

Coming out of halftime, the fans in ExtraMile Arena provided an extra boost for the Broncos. In the first five minutes, Boise State looked like a different team on both sides of the ball.

After a couple of defensive stops and a 3-pointer by Justinian Jessup, the Broncos cut the deficit to 42-33, causing the Aggies to call a timeout to regroup.

Throughout the rest of the second half, the Aggies got the ball inside to their big men and got to the foul line, allowing them to extend their lead to as much as 19 points.

With three minutes remaining the Broncos, trailing by 14, started to utilize their press

“We were gonna fight until the very end, no matter what happened,” said senior guard Marcus Dickinson. “We’re a really special team.”

With all the momentum heading into the five-minute overtime, the Broncos kept on with their stifling defense and relentless shooting, allowing them to complete the comeback and finish with a thrilling 88-83 victory over the Aggies.

After scoring zero points in the first half, Dennis led the way for the Broncos with a team-high 19 points in the remainder.

Utah State’s Sam Merrill scored a gamehigh 30 points, including 18 points in the second half.

Boise State (12-8, 4-4 MW) will continue their conference schedule at Fresno State on Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. MT.

OUR BEST GUESS The Arbiter aligns your stars.

AQUARIUS:

Your personality and sense of self is bursting through the roof right now. Show the world what you have to offer and make no apologies for the energy you feel currently. You will make an impression on those around you and your good attitude will be contagious.

PISCES

FEB 18 - MARCH 20

Not only is it a great time for love, but you feel like you have hit your stride this week, Pisces. Use this confidence to your advantage and be particularly inviting to new people you meet. It will lead you to a beautiful new romantic opportunity.

AR JA N U

MARCH 20 - APR 20

Y

20

ARIES

-F

EBRUARY 17

TRISHA KANGAS

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR TRISHAKANGAS@BOISESTATE.EDU

This week, Aries, that rebellious nature of yours is going to recede for a bit. Be okay with letting things calm down for a moment. You will be facing a wall of yours which you have had up for some time. It is something you have not wanted to face, but in order to grow and expand your happiness and sense of wellbeing, you need to prepare for it now.

TAURUS

APR 20 - MAY 21

Now that you have had a moment to think about things logically, it is time to consider something drastic, yet calculated. A big change is on the horizon for you, Taurus. This change may also bring you relief in a modern and chaotic world. Keep your eyes open this week for it.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUN 21

This feeling of being drained and having little to no motivation is going to stick with you for a while longer, Gemini. You have the drive to move past this mental blockage if you just break off events in bite-size portions. Do not agree to things which you aren’t sure you can complete or commit to.

CANCER

JUN 21 - JULY 23

Sadly, things have been a bit unlucky for you, Cancer. This just means you have to be extra diligent about what you say and any decisions you make this week. If you find yourself being impulsive or non-exacting with your daily choices, you will find yourself in an uncomfortable and vulnerable spot.

LEO

JUL 23 - AUG 23

You have a very strange and foreign sensation filling your mind this week, Leo. That is, you are feeling as if you have lost a part of yourself. You feel a bit deflated and as if some of your roar has quieted momentarily. Remember that this is okay.

No one person can be at 100% all of the time. So, give yourself some grace and time to recharge.

VIRGO

AUG 23 - SEPT 23

Now that you have had time to recharge and recenter yourself, think about others this week.

Some sort of interaction you have with someone else in the coming days will have a significant impact on you. Do your best to really hear what others are saying to you right now. Take their nuggets of advice and turn it into gold.

LIBRA

SEPT 23 - OCT 22

You are worried about the environment this week, Libra, and how you can make a difference in the state of the world. Do not overwhelm yourself by thinking too broadly. Try to focus on a small task that will make you feel environmentally productive. Then, you can work your way outward from there.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOV 21

You are still feeling a bit out of whack, Scorpio. You feel low-key and as if exuberance is just not the cards for you right now. Do not worry, you will get your groove back soon enough. Take time to take pleasure in being a bit withdrawn and maybe even somewhat more introverted than usual.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 21

You feel full of it this week, Sag--full of energy, ambition and even some extra romance. Do not let these feelings go to waste. Show someone how much you love them, put some extra energy into your passion projects, and reach for the stars when planning your goals. Pace yourself, but know that this drive will give you plenty of “oomph” for a while.

CAPRICORN

DEC 21 - JAN 20

Saturn is on its way out for you, Cap, which means you are currently struggling with learning a difficult lesson. However, this will be over soon. You are right in the thick of making some realizations about areas of personal growth that you should not ignore. It will be intimidating but do not doubt yourself. Luck is on your side and you will be stronger on the other side.

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