One Sweet Win: The Signpost 01/31/23

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS?

By TIM COSTELLO Section Editor

The NFC and AFC football championship games are over. What teams are slated to play in the upcoming Super Bowl?

A. Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs

B. San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals

C. Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers

D. Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals

How many power outages were reported across the Salt Lake Valley on Jan. 29?

A. 24

B. 13

C. 31

D. 6

Gov. Spencer Cox signed two bills this weekend from the legislative session. What is the main feature of Senate Bill 16?

A. Enforces social media guidelines for minors

B. Allows for school vouchers and teacher pay raises

C. Allows pregnant individuals to drive in the HOV lane

D. Bans gender-affirming and transgender surgeries for minors

How much are Utah lawmakers expected to spend on water conservation and Great Salt Lake measures this year?

A. $50 million

B. $250 million

C. $500 million

D. $100 million

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ON PAGE 15

By GRETEL MONJAR Reporter

The Student Fee Recommendation Committee held their second meeting of the semester in the Shepherd Union on Jan. 27 and discussed the state of student fees for the upcoming academic year.

The committee is made up of 10 WSU students and two full-time faculty members and serves to divide student fees among different university departments.

“The main difference between student fees and tuition is that student fees are not for curriculum or instructional use,” Daniel Killcrease, executive director of Student Affairs, said.

In two upcoming meetings, the SFRC will discuss dividing the fees among departments.

“We have $100,000 in one-time funding that we are allocating this year,” Kilcrease said. “There’s about $175,000 worth of requests, so there will be some deliberation with that.”

Fourteen departments from the university have applied for funding from the committee. Several, such as Disability Services and Studio 76, were requesting funding to pay student staff.

“We rely heavily on hiring students,” Shawna Werner, a representative of Disability Services, said.

Representatives from each department were given seven minutes of presentation time during the meeting to explain what they plan to do with the funding and how it

would benefit WSU students. After each presentation, SFRC had seven minutes to ask questions.

“Hopefully, you can see how important this is to help students actually stay in school and to get to graduation,” Katharine French-Fuller, a representative of the Weber Cares Pantry, said during her presentation.

The pantry, run by the Center for Community Engaged Learning, asked the committee for $10,000. The money would be used to provide “culturally appropriate food” and continue regular pantry maintenance.

“It’s an awesome opportunity, and it’s really nice to apply what I’m learning into an actual department,” Emily Sorenson, a student member of the SFRC, said.

This is Sorenson’s second year on the committee. She values her position and is committed to being an advocate for WSU students.

“We are here to voice student opinions,” Sorenson said. “It’s our money, so that’s why I really like to be a part of this.”

Not all universities have a student-involved process for the allocation of student fees.

“What we want to do as an institution is say, ‘the students have a voice in where their student fee funds go,’” Kilcrease said.

The next SFRC meeting is open to the public and will be held Feb. 3 at 12:30 p.m. in room 404A in the Shepherd Union building with options to attend in-person or virtually.

Committee members spoke at the Student Fee Committee meeting on Jan. 27.

SARA

SARA

Attendees of the Student Fee Committee listened to speakers during the meeting on Jan. 27.

the struggles that students face with WSU’s late fee policy.

WSU’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter spearheaded the initiative to abolish late fees given to students who miss payments for their classes.

Efforts were initially made through an active petition that has now gathered over 350 signatures, with nearly 100 of those signees leaving their own testimonials of how the financial burden put onto them by late fees has negatively affected their ability to succeed in both academic and personal life.

Currently, according to WSU’s Office of

the semester with an annual rate of 12%, an interest rate that Brexton Olesky-Lee, chair of the coordinating committee for WSU YDSA, said is comparable to interest charged on a credit card.

Olesky-Lee said that when looking over the responses provided through WSU YDSA’s petition, he was shocked to find multiple instances of students who attested to accumulating $1000 or more in late fees. Many who responded to the petition said falling behind on late fees made them feel guilty for eating or caused them to skip meals altogether.

Hunter Jex, a student majoring in music direction at WSU, said he had taken a fall

‘Do I put away $5 every day for food?’ or ‘Do I feel guilty every time I eat because that money isn’t going towards the late fees?’”

Jex also said he lost a significant amount of weight trying to save money on food while paying off his unpaid balance in late fees. He was unable to clear his balance until the holidays arrived and his family gave him money during Christmas.

Indavady Sopraseuth, a freshman who started at WSU in fall 2022, said she had begun falling behind on her tuition payments, unaware of the repercussions for doing so.

Sopraseuth found herself having to choose between buying food and buying textbooks

for her classes due to the fees accumulat-

Sopraseuth said that because she is someone with a smaller frame and a low BMI, it’s important to her physical well-being that she makes sure she doesn’t skip meals.

As a result, Sopraseuth said her academic performance in class suffered due to her not being able to afford the textbooks needed. With the passing of the resolution, Olesky-Lee hopes the struggles students face because of the consequences of WSU’s late policy become more visible to WSU’s decision-makers, namely President Brad Mortensen.

“We can’t make the goal to just be to get people to agree, we have to make the goal to actually use that to turn an advantage and really improve these students’ lives,” Olesky-Lee said.

Top: Signs on a board located in the Shepherd Union building on Ogden campus. Bottom: YDSA pamphlets and papers laid out on a table in the Shepherd Union building.

KENNEDY CAMARENA | The Signpost

KENNEDY CAMARENA

En una reunión celebrada el 23 de enero, el senado estudiantil de la Universidad

Estatal Weber aprobó una resolución que adopta una postura estricta contra los recargos por mora. La aprobación unánime de la resolución demuestra la comprensión de los senadores de las luchas que los estudiantes se enfrentan con la política de pago tardío de WSU.

La sección de la WSU de los Jóvenes Socialistas Democráticos de América encabezó la iniciativa de abolir las multas impuestas a los estudiantes que no pagan sus clases.

Los esfuerzos se hicieron inicialmente a través de una petición activa que ahora ha recogido más de 350 firmas, con casi 100 de los firmantes dejando sus propios testimonios de cómo la carga financiera impuesta sobre ellos por las cuotas atrasadas ha afecta-

do negativamente a su capacidad para tener éxito en la vida académica y personal.

En la actualidad, según la política de multas y recargos por demora de la Oficina del Ecónomo de la WSU, a los estudiantes se les aplica una multa de 40 dólares por demora en el pago si su saldo no se abona en su totalidad antes del viernes anterior al primer día de un semestre determinado.

La política también establece una evaluación de intereses sobre los saldos impagos en la cuenta de un estudiante comienza 30 días después del inicio del semestre con una tasa anual del 12%, una tasa de interés que Brexton Olesky-Lee, presidente del comité de coordinación de WSU YDSA, dijo que es comparable a los intereses cobrados en una tarjeta de crédito.

Olesky-Lee dijo que al examinar las respuestas proporcionadas a través de la petición de WSU YDSA, se sorprendió al encontrar múltiples casos de estudiantes que atestiguaron haber acumulado $ 1000 o más en cargos por pagos atrasados. Muchos de los que respondieron a la petición dijeron que el atraso en los pagos les hacía sentirse culpables por comer o les hacía saltarse las

comidas.

Hunter Jex, estudiante de dirección musical en la WSU, dijo que había sufrido una caída justo antes del semestre de otoño de 2022 que le había dejado hospitalizado con la mandíbula destrozada. Jex dijo que pasó tres meses entrando y saliendo del hospital mientras acumulaba más de 600 dólares en cuotas atrasadas por pagos no realizados de las clases de otoño.

“Llegué a un punto en que no tenía dinero, pero aún así tenía que comer”, dijo Jex. “Así que se convirtió en ‘¿Guardo 5 dólares todos los días para comer?’ o ‘¿me siento culpable cada vez que como porque ese dinero no se destina a las cuotas atrasadas?’”.

Jex también dijo que perdió una cantidad significativa de peso tratando de ahorrar dinero en comida mientras pagaba su saldo impagado en cuotas atrasadas. No pudo saldar su saldo hasta que llegaron las fiestas y su familia le dio dinero en Navidad.

Indavady Sopraseuth, una estudiante de primer año que empezó en la WSU en otoño de 2022, dijo que había empezado a retrasarse en los pagos de su matrícula, sin ser consciente de las repercusiones por ha-

cerlo. Sopraseuth se encontró con que tenía que elegir entre comprar comida o comprar libros de texto para sus clases debido a las cuotas acumuladas.

Sopraseuth dijo que, como es una persona de complexión pequeña y con un IMC bajo, es importante para su bienestar físico que se asegure de no saltarse comidas. Como consecuencia, Sopraseuth dijo que su rendimiento académico en clase se resintió por no poder permitirse los libros de texto necesarios. Con la aprobación de la resolución, Olesky-Lee espera que las luchas a las que se enfrentan los estudiantes debido a las consecuencias de la política de retraso de la WSU sean más visibles para los responsables de la toma de decisiones de la WSU, en concreto el presidente Brad Mortensen.

“No podemos hacer que el objetivo sea sólo conseguir que la gente esté de acuerdo, tenemos que hacer que el objetivo sea realmente utilizarlo para convertirlo en una ventaja y mejorar realmente la vida de estos estudiantes”, dijo Olesky-Lee.

POR SKY MUNDELL Reportero

KENNEDY CAMARENA | The Signpost

POR MARIANNA LOPEZ-LURITTA Traductor

From left to right, YDSA member Ira Cox-Berry and Treasurer Nathaniel Holland stand at their YDSA booth, located in the Shepherd Union building.

By BRISA ODENTHAL Reporter

Thirty-nine percent of Weber State University students identify as first-generation students. Weber State University has resources for these students to acclimate to university life, such as the First Generation Club.

First-generation students are defined as students who are the first member of their family to either attend a college or university or whose parents have not completed a bachelor’s degree.

The First Generation Club is open to students who identify as first generation students or peers who want to help support

these students.

“The Weber State First-Gen Club helps bring students together, providing academic and social support, new friendships and networking opportunities ultimately creating a sense of belonging at Weber,” Ernesto Hernandez Jr., an advisor of the club, said.

The club offers a multitude of resources to these students, including financial help, academic support, networking opportunities and connections, student support services and services that can help these first-generation students transition from high school or the workforce into college.

The club’s mission statement is “The First

Generation Club strives to create a community of first generation students, but not limited to, and facilitate opportunities for recreation, community service and networking.”

First-generation students receive a cord at WSU graduation ceremonies to show off their pride in becoming a first-generation degree holder.

“The first gen club holds monthly activities, either social or service related, in order to connect with each other and the campus community. Some activities that we have done are the Horror Movie Festival, Christmas Lights, and an Ice Cream Social,”

Hernandez said.

The First Generation Club welcomes all first generation students and allies to their events and hopes to gain new members with each activity. Students are welcome to join the club at any point in the year.

The First Generation Club is currently planning events for the future months. They are planning a Valentine’s Day dance and a first-generation student, staff and faculty mixer on March 3 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Wildcat Lanes in the Shepherd Union.

Members of the First Gen Club volunteered at the Youth Futures Shelter Home.

By RAYSHAUN BAKER-LYNCH

Asst. Section Editor

Weber State University’s women’s softball team dominated last season, going 13–1 in the Big Sky and 38–10 overall. They were named 2022 Big Sky conference champions and won their ninth overall championship as a program, run-ruling every team they faced in the playoffs on their road to the title.

Last season, coach Mary Kay Amicone won her 100th game. In 2019, the Wildcats were the first Big Sky school to win an NCAA regional game.

With all of the success from past years, Weber State will host the Big Sky tournament, getting an opportunity to repeat as champions.

“We won a lot last year,” middle-fielder Faith Hoe said. “We’re going to have to learn a new way to win. Every year, you have to get to that point and learn how the team ticks.”

With the first game of the season just weeks away, it’s time to look again at the Wildcat’s roster.

2023 Roster

Outfielder Katelyn Whiting is a veteran from last year who had 46 putouts with two assists for a 1.000 fielding percentage — the highest on the team.

Third base/utility sophomore Abby Grundy is going into her second year and was previously a part of the 2022 championship team.

Utility player Taegan Smith is an incoming freshman. She was named Mountain Ridge’s Most Valuable Player her senior year and will bring new blood to the Wildcat locker room.

A team veteran, senior outfielder Kortney Kemper was a part of Weber State’s Big Sky Championship teams in 2021 and 2022. She earned All-Academic Big Sky honors last season.

Infield Emily Ruhl is going into her junior year. In the 2022 season, she was an All-Big Sky conference honorable mention and had 14 putouts and 54 assists for a .958 fielding percentage.

Junior infielder/pitcher Brooke Hatfield pitched in eight games last season. Pitching

against notable programs last season like the University of California, Hatfield played a total of 8.2 innings and made one start.

Jayci Finch is a sophomore but hasn’t played for the Wildcats. She will make her season debut this year. In 2021, she played at Clearfield High School and was named First Team All-State and a three-time Golden Glove recipient.

Junior pitcher Madison Peterson played in four games last season, starting in one. She pitched 6.1 innings for the Wildcats.

Sophomore outfielder Gianna Memoli had 10 putouts and a .833 fielding percentage last season. In her prep/club career, she won Region Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.

Middle fielder Faith Hoe is a Veteran on this team. Playing second base, she has been named to the All-Big Sky Conference First Team the past two seasons. She was also a part of the 2019 team that won the NCAA regional tournament, the first in Big Sky history.

Veteran infielder McKell McCuistion last season had 10 home runs, a .583 slug percentage and 41 RBIs. McCuistion also

had 294 putouts and nine assists for a .993 fielding percentage. She was also a part of the 2019 championship squad.

Outfielder Victoria Rey is an incoming freshman. During her prep/club career, she was named First-Team All-State in 2021 and First-Team All-League in 2021 and 2022.

Junior middle infielder Makayla Donahoo received All-Big Sky honorable mentions in 2021 and 2022, having 52 putouts and 81 assists for a .943 fielding percentage.

Junior outfielder Mia Rushton was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year in 2021. Last season, she had 145 at-bats and 16 RBIs with a .359 slugging percentage. Rushton was also an honorable mention for an All-Big Sky team last year.

A veteran presence, senior outfielder Noelle Foster has been a part of two Wildcat regular season titles and last year’s championship-winning team. Last season, she had eight putouts with a .889 fielding percentage.

Catcher Mika Chong is going into her second year. Last season, she was named to the All-Big Sky Conference First Team as a nonpitcher/utility player. As a freshman,

Lauren Hoe at bat during a game against the University of Montana on April 16, 2022.

KENNEDY CAMARENA | The Signpost

Chong led the Big Sky in batting percentage and won a player of the week award.

Freshman catcher/outfielder Riley Whalen received First-Team All-League every year she attended at Vista Murrieta High School in California. Her prep/club career was played at Mercado Academy.

Senior pitcher Amanda Johnson pitched for 62 innings last season with a 10–1 record in the games she played. She had a total of 39 strikeouts, two putouts and a fielding percentage of .941.

Sophomore pitcher Cali McCraw was a four-year all-conference athlete while playing for her club team, the Indiana Gators. This season will be her debut with the Wildcats.

Veteran catcher/utility Lauren Hoe was named to the Big Sky Conference Second Team last season with 123 at-bats, 17 runs, 40 hits and 21 RBIs. She also had 300 putouts with a fielding percentage of .991. In 2021, she was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year.

Sarah Ruhl, an incoming freshman, is Emily Ruhl’s sister. In 2021 and 2022, she won First-Team All-League at Diamond Bar

High School in California.

“We have a lot of returners coming back on the infield and our defense looks strong,” Faith Hoe said. “We have enough solid hitters to make something happen, and we’re excited about a couple of freshmen that should make an impact. I think all around, the team is very close this year.”

Facing the 2022 NCAA-championship-winning University of Oklahoma team this season, Memoli is excited for the tough matchups.

“There’s always a little bit of pressure but I feel like if we’re just confident and playing the way we know how to play, we should have a great season,” Memoli said.

Faith Hoe said as a team, they have already been through a lot and it’s a privilege to be a part of this game. She is hoping to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

The Wildcats start their season on Feb.10 against Baylor University at a tournament hosted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

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Faith Hoe running back to the batter’s box during a softball game on April 22, 2022.

The Weber State softball team celebrates a home run during their game against the University of Utah on March 27, 2022.

By RAYSHAUN BAKER- LYNCH Asst. Section Editor

El equipo femenino de softball de la Universidad Weber State dominó la temporada pasada, yendo 13-1 en la Big Sky y 38-10 en total. Fueron nombradas 2022 campeonas de la conferencia Big Sky y ganaron su noveno campeonato general como programa, arrollando a todos los equipos a los que se enfrentaron en los playoffs en su camino hacia el título.

La temporada pasada, la entrenadora Mary Kay Amicone ganó su partido número 100. En 2019, las Wildcats fueron la primera escuela Big Sky en ganar un partido regional de la NCAA.

Con todo el éxito de los años pasados, Weber State será el anfitrión del torneo Big Sky, teniendo la oportunidad de repetir como campeones.

“Ganamos mucho el año pasado”, dijo la mediocampista Faith Hoe. “Vamos a tener que aprender una nueva forma de ganar. Cada año tienes que llegar a ese punto y aprender cómo funciona el equipo”.

Con el primer partido de la temporada a

pocas semanas de distancia, es el momento de mirar de nuevo a la lista de los Wildcats.

Lista 2023

La jugadora Katelyn Whiting es una veterana del año pasado que hizo 46 putouts con dos asistencias para un porcentaje de fildeo de 1,000, el más alto del equipo.

Abby Grundy, tercera base y jugadora auxiliar de segundo año, comienza su segundo año y ya formó parte del equipo campeón de 2022.

Taegan Smith es una jugadora de primer año. Fue nombrada Jugadora Más Valiosa de Mountain Ridge en su último año y aportará sangre nueva al vestuario de los Wildcats.

Una veterana del equipo, la jugadora senior Kortney Kemper fue parte de los equipos del Campeonato Big Sky de Weber State en 2021 y 2022. Ella ganó All-Academic Big Sky honores la temporada pasada.

Infield Emily Ruhl va en su tercer año. En la temporada 2022, fue una mención honorífica de la conferencia All-Big Sky y tuvo 14 putouts y 54 asistencias para un porcentaje de fildeo de .958.

La lanzadora Brooke Hatfield participó en ocho partidos la temporada pasada. Hatfield lanzó contra programas notables la

temporada pasada, como la Universidad de California, y jugó un total de 8,2 entradas e hizo una salida.

Jayci Finch es una estudiante de segundo año pero no ha jugado para los Wildcats. Ella hará su debut en la temporada este año. En 2021, jugó en Clearfield High School y fue nombrada First Team All-State y tres veces Golden Glove.

La lanzadora junior Madison Peterson jugó en cuatro partidos la temporada pasada, comenzando en uno. Lanzó 6,1 entradas para los Wildcats.

La jugadora de segundo año Gianna Memoli hizo 10 putouts y tuvo un porcentaje de fildeo de .833 la temporada pasada. En su carrera prep / club, ganó Región Jugadora Defensiva del Año en 2021.

La mediocampista Faith Hoe es una veterana en este equipo. Jugando en la segunda base, ha sido nombrada miembro del Primer Equipo de la Conferencia All-Big Sky las últimas dos temporadas. También formó parte del equipo de 2019 que ganó el torneo regional de la NCAA, el primero en la historia de Big Sky.

El veterano jugador de campo McKell McCuistion la temporada pasada tuvo 10 jonrones, un porcentaje de slug de .583 y 41 RBI. McCuistion también tuvo 294 put-

outs y nueve asistencias para un porcentaje de fildeo de .993. También formó parte del equipo campeón de 2019.

La jugadora de campo Victoria Rey es una estudiante de primer año. Durante su carrera de preparación/club, fue nombrada miembro del primer equipo del estado en 2021 y miembro del primer equipo de la liga en 2021 y 2022.

La mediocampista junior Makayla Donahoo recibió menciones honoríficas All-Big Sky en 2021 y 2022, con 52 putouts y 81 asistencias para un porcentaje de fildeo de .943.

La jugadora de campo junior Mia Rushton fue nombrada Jugadora de Primer Año de la Big Sky en 2021. La temporada pasada, logró 145 bateos y 16 carreras impulsadas con un porcentaje de bateo de .359. Rushton también fue una mención honorífica para el equipo All-Big Sky el año pasado. Una presencia veterana, la jugadora de campo senior Noelle Foster ha formado parte de dos títulos de temporada regular de los Wildcats y del equipo ganador del campeonato del año pasado. La temporada pasada hizo ocho putouts con un porcentaje de campo de .889.

La receptora Mika Chong va por su segundo año. La temporada pasada fue nombrada

Mckell Mccuistion getting ready to bat during a game on April. 22, 2022.

POR MARIANNA LOPEZ-LURITTA Traductor

KENNEDY CAMARENA | The Signpost

miembro del Primer Equipo de la Conferencia Big Sky como jugadora no lanzadora/utilitaria. En su primer año, Chong lideró la Big Sky en porcentaje de bateo y ganó el premio a la jugadora de la semana.

La jugadora de primer año Riley Whalen recibió el premio All-League del primer equipo todos los años que estudió en el instituto Vista Murrieta de California. Su carrera de preparación/club la jugó en la Academia Mercado.

La lanzadora senior Amanda Johnson lanzó 62 entradas la temporada pasada con un récord de 10-1 en los partidos que jugó. Tuvo un total de 39 strikeouts, dos putouts y un porcentaje de fildeo de .941.

La lanzadora de segundo año Cali McCraw fue atleta de la conferencia durante cuatro años mientras jugaba para su equipo de club, las Indiana Gators. Esta temporada será su debut con los Wildcats.

La veterana catcher/utility Lauren Hoe fue nombrada miembro del Segundo Equipo de la Conferencia Big Sky la temporada pasada con 123 bateos, 17 carreras, 40 hits y 21 carreras impulsadas. También tuvo 300 putouts con un porcentaje de fildeo de .991. En 2021 fue nombrada Jugadora del Año de la Conferencia Big Sky.

Sarah Ruhl, de primer año, es la hermana de

Emily Ruhl. En 2021 y 2022, ganó First-Team All-League en Diamond Bar High School en California.

“Tenemos muchos regresos en el campo interior y nuestra defensa parece fuerte”, dijo Faith Hoe. “Tenemos suficientes bateadores sólidos para hacer que algo suceda, y estamos entusiasmados con un par de novatos que deben hacer un impacto. Creo que, en general, el equipo está muy unido este año”.

Enfrentándose esta temporada al equipo de la Universidad de Oklahoma, campeón de la NCAA en 2022, Memoli está entusiasmado con los partidos difíciles.

“Siempre hay un poco de presión, pero creo que si tenemos confianza y jugamos como sabemos, deberíamos tener una gran temporada”, dijo Memoli.

Faith Hoe dijo que, como equipo, ya han pasado por muchas cosas y que es un privilegio formar parte de este juego. Ella espera hacer lo que sea necesario para ayudar al equipo a ganar.

Los Wildcats comienzan su temporada el 10 de febrero contra la Universidad de Baylor en un torneo organizado por la Universidad de Nevada, Las Vegas.

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Emily Ruhl prepares to catch a ball.

Emily Ruhl on deck during a game.

Winning their first game against a Big Sky conference opponent, Weber State University’s women’s basketball team beat Eastern Washington University 68–65 at the Dee Events Center on Jan. 28.

“I think that’s what we’ve been working up towards,” Wildcat forward Laura Taylor said. “We’re going to take what it is, whether it’s 2 points, 5 points, whatever it is. We’re just hyped. We’ve just come together as a team and we’re so excited.”

Eastern Washington was the first to get on the board as guard Jamie Loera hit a shot from the baseline, drawing contact off Wildcat forward Daryn Hickok and converting on the and-1 attempt.

Hickok started Weber State’s scoring with two made free throws. Hitting a long 2-pointer, the Wildcats’ first field goal came from guard Aaliyah Ellis off an assist from guard Kaiija Lesane.

Driving inside and making a layup, guard Ava Williams gave Weber State their first lead of the game. Eagle guard Aaliyah Alexander responded with a layup of her own. Battling for the lead, Wildcat forward Laura Taylor made a reverse layup under the basket. Weber State guard Charlotte Hegvold dove into the opposing benches, directly into Eastern Washington’s director of operations, Jordyn Boesel, to save the ball from going out of bounds. She passed to forward Jadyn Matthews who scored a 3-pointer.

“I talked to her [Hegvold] yesterday because I said ‘you haven’t played but I just need steadiness at the PG spot,” Wildcat head coach Velaida Harris said. “She came in and she gave me exactly that. That’s a big deal.”

Tied at 18 points at the end of the first, Alexander hit two free throws to give the Eagles an early lead in the second quarter. Matthews responded by making a layup and drawing contact, converting on the and-1 opportunity. Building on the lead, Williams hit a heavily contested turnaround jumper inside to put the Wildcats up 23–20. Following a layup from Eagle power forward Milly Knowles, Taylor hit an inside floater right before the shot-clock violation buzzer sounded.

“When I shoot, I pretty much just don’t think,” Taylor said. “It’s just my time.”

At the end of the half, the Wildcats were up 32–26. Matthews finished the first half with 10 points and Taylor with 9 points, two rebounds and two steals.

Trying to turn the game around, the Eagles came into the third quarter strong. Starting with two made free throws from Loera, Eastern Washington went on a 7–0 run out of the gate.

Stopping the Eagles’ momentum, Wildcat forward Vicky Parra blocked a layup attempt from Loera, leading to a layup from Hickok to put the Wildcats up.

Eastern Washington small forward Jaydia Martin made two free throws. Loera added to the 1-point lead with a 3-pointer. Ellis responded with a 3-pointer of her own to bring Eastern Washington’s lead down to 1 point.

Trying to pull away, Alexander made a 3-pointer and a layup to put the Eagles

up by 5 points. A 3-pointer from Hegvold stopped the run but couldn’t stop Eastern Washington from finishing the quarter with a 52–46 lead.

Martin made two free throws early in the fourth quarter to put the Eagles up by 8 points. Working their way back into the game, Wildcats Lesane and Taylor both hit unanswered 3-pointers. Drawing a foul on Martin, Lesane made two free throws to tie the game at 54.

With under five minutes left, Lesane drove under the basket, wrapping a pass behind an Eastern Washington defender to find Williams for inside points.

With three minutes left, Williams scored to put Weber State up by 7 points. Trying to catch up, Martin hit a layup and a free throw. A free throw from Lesane was able to provide some breathing room with a minute left, but a 3-pointer from Eastern Washington guard Jaleesa Lawrence made

the score 67–65.

A free throw from Williams brought the score to 68–65 with 10 seconds left. Attempting a 3-pointer, Loera missed in addition to Eagle guard Gabrielle Jung missing a layup. Hickok caught the rebound and held onto the ball till the final buzzer rang.

Matthews finished the game with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Williams, Hickok and Taylor were all able to score over double-digits.

“I think what was important for these women is to know that you just have to keep battling,” Harris said. “I said to them the other day, the quote of the day was ‘The only way is through. We can’t avoid this.’ I also said, ‘You have to be prepared to fight because your competition won’t rest.’”

Weber State will square off against Idaho State University in

on Feb. 4 at noon.

Pocatello

KENNEDY CAMARENA

Signpost KENNEDY CAMARENA The Signpost

By COOPER HATSIS Reporter

Weber State University students and Ogden community members gathered in the Wildcat Theater on Jan. 24 for a free screening of “Animalia,” a feature film that is being shown in this year’s Sundance Film Festival screening selection in Park City, Utah.

The free screening was hosted by adjunct film professor Carla Woodmansee in collaboration with KWCR Wildcat Radio, Weber State’s radio station.

Woodmansee has worked with the Sundance Film Festival for over 25 years and would like to host more screenings at Weber State in the coming years.

“We’ve got a nice audience here in Ogden, and so with your help, maybe we can get some more films next year,” Woodmansee said.

Jackson Feldbauer, a digital media major, agreed with Woodmansee, “I think it’s a

support GETCONFIDENTIAL

really cool opportunity. I’ve been wanting to go to the Sundance Film Festival for a while, but I haven’t been able to. I thought it would be fun to see this.”

Ivonne Camas, the general manager for KWCR, said Weber State and Ogden having a more active role in the Sundance Film Festival is not only a great way for these films to get more exposure, but would also save people the hassle of driving to Park City. Having more screenings in Ogden and on campus would also be beneficial to local

businesses and tourism throughout the city.

Camas said hosting an event like this is different from other events KWCR has been involved in.

“Most of the time when we did our events it was just us doing everything, but this time, it was very different because we were in communication with so many other people, and I got to meet other people … to make some new connections,” Camas said.

Camas also said the screening was a

great way to promote the radio station.

“When COVID hit, hardly anyone came back to the studio,” Camas said. “It wasn’t super well known after. Working with Carla, people were like ‘Oh yeah, that’s a thing,’ it kind of keeps us in mind.”

With the success of the Sundance screening, a conversation about the future of film screenings at Weber State is something worth considering. Weber State having further involvement with Sundance would create an opportunity for students to come

TOP: Before the film’s showing, audience members watched previews. BOTTOM: Audience members look out onto the screen in preparation for the film showing.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 2

The answer is A, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. According to USAToday, they will play for the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy on Feb. 12 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Eagles will serve as home team for the game, so they will have the option to select light or dark jerseys.

The answer is B, 13. According to KSL, an outage map provided by Rocky Mountain Power shows there were 13 outages across the Salt Lake Valley. These outages affected 2,240 customers and stemmed from the latest cold front and wind chill dangers. The National Weather Service of SLC said that the cold front on Jan. 30 brought the coldest air seen since 2017.

THE SIGNPOST TEAM

Editor-in-Chief Breanna Hart breannahart@mail.weber.edu

Managing Editor Alexandrea Bonilla alexandreabonilla@mail.weber.edu

Design & Graphics Editor Star Neil starneil@mail.weber.edu

Asst. Design & Graphics Editor Emilie Hart emiliehart@mail.weber.edu

Photo Editor Kennedy Camarena kennedycamarena@mail.weber.edu

Asst. Photo Editor Anna Kuglar briannakuglar@mail.weber.edu

Chief Copy Editor Justin Steed justinsteed@mail.weber.edu

News Editor Lucas Moore lucasmoore@mail.weber.edu

News Editor Tim Costello timcostello@mail.weber.edu

Sports Editor Simon Mortensen simonmortensen@mail.weber.edu

ARE YOU ?

Find free health resources: weber.edu/StudentAffairs/healthy.html

The correct answer is D, Bans gender-affirming and transgender surgeries for minors. According to KSL, the recently-signed SB16 bill is controversial amongst many in the state and was contested by two Republican senators — Senator David Hinkins of Ferron and Todd Weiler of Woods Cross — as well as the Democrats in the State. The Utah Legislature made their approval on this bill this past weekend.

Asst. Sports Editor Rayshaun Baker-Lynch rbakerlynch@mail.weber.edu

Culture Editor Adam Montgomery adammontgomery1@mail.weber.edu

Culture Editor Lexie Andrew lexieandrew@mail.weber.edu

Translation Editor Marianna Lopez-Luritta mlopezluritta@mail.weber.edu

The answer is C, $500 million. According to the Standard Examiner Utah, lawmakers are expected to spend $500 million on water conservation and Great Salt Lake measures this year. Utah House Representatives and Senate members are expected to make an announcement on these spending bills later this week. Senate President J. Stuart Adams told news outlets to stay tuned as to when.

The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and to refuse to print any letters. Letters should be submitted online to thesignpost@weber. edu and read letter to the Editor in the subject box. Letters should not exceed 350 words.

Advisor Jean Norman jeannorman@weber.edu

Business Manager Rob Steedley robertsteedley@weber.edu