EXPLANATIONS

Former President Donald Trump told supporters that he expects to be arrested on a certain day this week, following criminal charges. On what day does he expect this arrest to occur?

A. Friday

B. Saturday

C. Tuesday

D. Wednesday

On Page 15

By ISIAH BISHOP Contributor

Note: Isiah Bishop is a Weber State University undergraduate student, who wrote in about testing center procedures. See the following:

“I recognize that there is a problem that needs to be addressed concerning testing center procedures at Weber State University.

The root of the problem as I see it is that test takers are not allowed to leave the testing center (without premature termination of their tests) to accomplish a basic human need. That is, to use the restroom.

Because I’m aware that I’m not allowed to use the restroom during a test, I do not drink enough water to sustain optimal body and mind performance before I take a test.

This is a problem because, when I don’t drink enough water to be comfortable, I become dehydrated, which I know, because my mouth gets dry, and I begin to get a headache. Some tests take hours to complete, and it is not beneficial cognizably to work in an already stressful situation while being dehydrated. “The importance of an optimal hydration state for adequate cognitive performance has been highlighted by a range of studies” (Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and mood, British Journal of Nutrition).

If I decide to hydrate myself properly before a test, I know that I will need to use the restroom before I have time to complete the test.

Alternatively, what I have done and what I expect that many other test takers do at Weber State University’s testing centers is that they “hold” their urge to use the restroom, which is not healthy. “It is observed that women holding back urine from voiding has proved to be a potential risk factor for UTI [urinary tract infection] in this study” (Comprehensive assessment of holding urine as a behavioral risk factor for UTI in women and reasons for delayed voiding, National Library of Medicine).

There is also a comparable dilemma that the current testing center procedures have obviously overlooked. Many women attending Weber State University, and; therefore, likely being required to take tests at the testing centers, may unexpectedly begin their menstrual cycle in the process of taking a test.

In each of these instances, the test tak- er’s only reasonable option is to forfeit completing their tests to take proper care of themselves.

I urge Weber State University to address this issue to promote physical health and to encourage students to cognitively thrive during the college experience. I suggest to the powers that be to examine the testing procedures of other institutions of higher learning and certification providers to understand alternative policies.”

To submit a Letter to the Editor please email us at thesignpost@weber.edu and write “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line.

Share this story at thesignpostwsu.com

By COOPER HATSIS Reporter

The Asian Student Involvement Association at Weber State University celebrated their fourth annual Pan-Asia week from March 13-17. This week-long celebration of activities gives students the opportunity to celebrate their heritage and culture.

Pan-Asia week held game nights, potlucks, film screenings and performance celebrations, which were open to anyone who was interested in participating.

Lulu S. Faumui-Latu-Peters, the ASIA advisor and leader for the Pacific Islander Center at the Centers for Belonging and Cultural Engagement, explained that this is the first time Pan-Asia week has been entirely an in person event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We held Pan-Asia week back in person last year, and that was interesting because our culture performance celebration was mostly virtual,” Faumui-Latu-Peters said. “It was important for us to not cancel it and we continue to have it and sustain itself, so now this is the actual first year back since COVID having everything back in person.”

Faumui-Latu-Peters described how PanAsia came together back at the start of 2020, saying they wanted to expand the event and include other Asian cultures.

“This is the one and only event that we have on campus that celebrates, highlights and invites other Asian cultures,” Faumui-Latu-Peters said. “We changed it to PanAsia and not just Asia because we do realize that we have a lot of Middle East and South Asia students that don’t really have an annual activity or even have an organization for themselves. Because we are all of Asia, we want to be more inclusive and mindful.”

ASIA initially planned to celebrate this weeklong event during the Lunar New Year, which would have been the first week of February.

“We also wanted to be mindful of Black History Month, so this year, we held Pan-Asia week mid-March, to be able to leave February for Black History month,” Faumui-Latu-Peters said.

ASIA held a potluck and social activity in the Shepherd Union building on March 14. The potluck gave students the opportunity to bring food from different Asian cultures and share them amongst their peers. Despite being a potluck, Sodexo, a food catering company, also provided the event with a variety of different Asian foods.

On March 15, a film screening of, “Breath- in’: The Eddy Zheng Story” was held in the Wildcat Theater. After the screening of the film, there was a panel discussion with Eddy Zheng and Ben Wang, the director of the film.

This year, ASIA collaborated with the International Club to celebrate Nepalese culture. International Club hosted a game night on March 16 at the Wildcat Lanes. The event highlighted Nepalese culture and food.

The final event was a cultural performance celebration held in the Shepherd Union Ballroom on March 17. The celebration was a huge event involving communities outside of WSU.

ASIA will be hosting a Nepalese Cultural Night on March 31 in the Wildcat Theater from 5-7:45 p.m.

La Asociación de Participación de Estudiantes Asiáticos de Weber State University celebró su cuarta semana anual de Pan-Asia del 13 al 17 de marzo. Esta celebración de actividades de una semana de duración brinda a los estudiantes la oportunidad de celebrar su legado y cultura.

La semana de Pan-Asia celebró noches de juegos, comidas compartidas, proyecciones de películas y presentaciones de celebraciones, que estuvieron abiertas a cualquier persona interesada en participar.

Lulu S. Faumui-Latu-Peters, asesora de ASIA y líder del Pacific Islander Center en los Centers for Belonging and Cultural Engagement, explicó que esta es la primera vez que la semana de Pan-Asia ha sido un evento completamente en persona desde el comienzo de la pandemia de COVID-19.

“Celebramos la semana de Pan-Asia en persona el año pasado, y eso fue interesante porque nuestra celebración de espectáculos culturales fue en su mayoría virtual”, dijo Faumui-Latu-Peters. “Era importante para nosotros no cancelarlo y seguir teniéndolo y sosteniéndolo, así que ahora este es el primer año real de regreso desde COVID teniendo todo en persona nuevamente”.

Faumui-Latu-Peters describió cómo PanAsia se reunió a principios de 2020 y dijo que querían expandir el evento e incluir otras culturas asiáticas.

“Este es el único evento que tenemos en el campus que celebra, destaca e invita a otras culturas asiáticas”, dijo Faumui-Latu-Peters.

“Lo cambiamos a Pan-Asia y no solo a Asia porque nos damos cuenta de que tenemos muchos estudiantes de Medio Oriente y el sur de Asia que realmente no tienen una actividad anual o incluso una organización propia. Como todos somos de Asia, queremos ser más inclusivos y conscientes”.

ASIA planeó inicialmente celebrar este evento de una semana durante el Año Nuevo Lunar, que habría sido la primera semana de febrero.

“También queríamos tener en cuenta el Mes de la Historia Negra, por lo que este año celebramos la semana de Pan-Asia a mediados de marzo, para poder dejar febrero para el Mes de la Historia Negra”, dijo Faumui-Latu-Peters.

ASIA llevó a cabo una comida compartida y una actividad social en el edificio Shepherd Union el 14 de marzo. La comida compartida les dio a los estudiantes la oportunidad de traer alimentos de diferentes culturas asiáticas y compartirlos entre sus compañeros. A pesar de ser una comida compartida, Sodexo, una empresa de catering de alimentos, también proporcionó al evento una variedad de diferentes comidas asiáticas.

El 15 de marzo, se llevó a cabo una proye- cción de la película “Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story” en el Teatro Wildcat. Después de la proyección de la película, hubo un panel de discusión con Eddy Zheng y Ben Wang, el director de la película.

Este año, ASIA colaboró con el Club Internacional para celebrar la cultura nepalí. International Club organizó una noche de juegos el 16 de marzo en Wildcat Lanes. El evento destacó la cultura y la comida nepalesa.

El evento final fue una celebración de actuación cultural que se llevó a cabo en el Shepherd Union Ballroom el 17 de marzo. La celebración fue un gran evento que involucró a comunidades fuera de WSU.

ASIA organizará una Noche Cultural Nepalesa el 31 de marzo en el Wildcat Theater de 17:00 a 19:45.

By MEGAN SWANN Reporter

Like most students when spring break approaches, I always get the travel bug. I want to go somewhere and do anything outside of the regular schedule I’ve had for the last several weeks. There’s only one problem: Traveling as a student isn’t always easy.

There’s classes to work around and vacation requests from work. Another factor is the cost of travel. Sometimes even just the planning process for a vacation can be mentally exhausting.

However, this spring break, I learned about a great way to travel as a student: joining a club. Weber State has many clubs available to students that offer a variety of unique experiences and interactions.

Oftentimes, clubs will get to travel to events like competitions or conferences. For example, some of The Signpost’s staff attended the ACP Spring National College Media Conference in San Francisco.

I was initially nervous, but excited to go. I was worried I wouldn’t truly feel like I got a break, since most of our time would be spent attending journalism panels and lessons.

But as we crossed over the Bay Bridge and I saw all the city lights for the first time, I knew I had made the right decision. I saw gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean, toured Alcatraz, ate more Ghirardelli chocolate than I thought possible and as an added bonus, I got to make closer connec- tions to my fellow staff members.

Student trips like this are a great way not only to make friends, but to gain better skills in their education field.

The conference offered many different classes, from covering protests, to creating TikToks as a journalist, to even covering tragedy. We were shown new techniques that we can implement into the future of The Signpost.

Beyond the conference, we had the opportunity to spend a day sightseeing, where we got to explore the city and try to squeeze in as much touring as possible. While the primary reason for being in San Francisco was learning more about journalism, we still got to have fun.

Because the trip was school affiliated, there were less things we had to worry about than if it were a personal trip. We had rental cars to get there and we got to stay in an Airbnb. If a regular trip is unaffordable at the moment, a field trip through a university club could be just the solution to get you traveling.

If you spent spring break scrolling through your social media feeds and looking at all the places your friends went, maybe it’s time to consider going on a trip with your club. It can enrich your college experience by providing friendships and making the club or organization closer as a whole. You might even pick up a few skills that you can add to your resume.

By SHANIA EMMETT Reporter

Spring break is a week many students look forward to. It’s a time to relax or go on vacation. But at Weber State University, students are given the opportunity to help out in communities with the Alternative Spring Break Program.

The ASB program is provided by the Center for Community Engaged Learning. This year students were able to go to one of three trips offered: Brooklyn, New York; Atlanta, Georgia; or San Diego, California.

“In Atlanta, we helped out at an after-school program helping out young women in STEM and also helped at a big nonprofit organization that had a lot of medical equipment for people with disabilities,” Ulises Lopez, the trip leader for Atlanta, said.

Lopez said that during the trip, they learned about the nonprofit organizations that are in Atlanta, other ways to help people in need and all about the Civil Rights Movement.

“I was also able to learn a lot about myself and the things that are healthy for me,” Lopez said.

It was Lopez’s first time leading an ASB Trip, though they did attend last year as a student. Lopez said they would love to lead another sometime again.

One of the New York City trip leaders, Paige Walkins, and fellow trip leader, Nina Villanueva, learned a lot with their fellow students on their trip to New York City to help the homeless and learn about how poverty affects individuals in the area.

“Through my experience as a trip leader for the Alternative Spring Break Program, I had the opportunity to learn and develop a range of valuable skills, including cultural awareness and leadership skills, which were cultivated by immersing myself in a different community and culture, guiding and managing a group of students, and making decisions that positively impacted the communities we served,” Walkins said.

Walkins said that through the trip, she held reflections within the group in New York and Utah to discuss how they can better help the community and learn what positive impact they can make through volunteering and giving back. Through many of the spring break trips, each trip leader has mentioned how they both learned and grew through their experiences.

Volunteering can give somebody a sense of purpose and learn how to use their talents to grow and benefit not only themselves but everyone in their community. Walkings said that the ASB program is a way to learn not only about yourself but about the community around you.

By BRISA ODENTHAL Reporter

Weber State University students may have noticed an increase in the availability of free menstrual products around campus. This is due to efforts from the Scientistas Student Club, in partnership with Aunt Flow.

The Scientistas Student Club is part of a national organization of women who “empower pre-professional women in science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEM),” according to their webpage.

As part of empowering women, the club aims to make menstrual products more readily available to not only STEM students, but to all students on campus, which will also help to destigmatize menstruation.

The Scientistas partnered with Aunt Flow, a women-owned brand that creates free menstrual product dispensers that dispense or- ganic cotton pads and tampons. Previously, WSU’s campus had pay vending machines for menstrual products in their bathrooms, which were often not used or not stocked.

“There’s been so many times that I’ve had to use toilet paper because I didn’t have a pad or tampon, so I’m so glad Weber has those dispensers in the bathrooms. I’ve definitely used them more than once,” WSU student Lauren Grover said.

Not only are period products available in the WSU bathrooms, but a more diverse range of menstrual products are available in WSU’s Women’s Center, including pads, tampons and even menstrual cups.

Having these products available for free to students in need has also helped to fight period poverty. Period poverty is defined by the United Nations Population Fund as “the increased economic vulnerability women and girls face due the financial burden posed by menstrual supplies.”

According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, one in eight women, or 767,397 women in the state of Utah, are below the Federal Poverty Line as of 2020. Though programs like WIC, which 12,650 women in the State of Utah use, can help these women in poverty, they do not cover menstrual products and individuals are forced to buy them out of pocket.

Utah has made efforts to help with purchasing menstrual products in the past, though. In 2019, the state passed a bill which would get rid of the sales tax on menstrual products as part of a tax reform bill. However, the bill was later repealed after public outcry against the raise in grocery prices.

Similarly, CVS pharmacy decided in October 2022 to absorb the tax on menstrual products in the state of Utah in order to make those products more affordable for residents.

On March 2, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced that period products will be available in Utah state government buildings in partnership with The Policy Project, which also aims to increase the availability of period products anywhere and everywhere.

Accessible and affordable menstrual products help those facing period poverty to attend school while on their menstrual period. According to Aunt Flow’s website, offering free period products increases school attendance by 2.4%.

WSU’s Scientistas Student Club has worked to increase the availability of menstrual products in order to help student success on campus and to create better and more opportunities for women, not only in STEM, but in any pathway at WSU.

Both the Scientistas and Aunt Flow are committed to making menstrual products on campus easily accessible to all.

“We take menstrual equity very seriously, and this includes creating a safe space for all people with periods, no matter their gender identity,” the Aunt Flow website states. “Also, our free-vend dispensers are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, making period products accessible to everyone regardless of ability or language. Providing free period products with all of this in mind is a small, but meaningful step to help change the world.”

The State of Utah, WSU, CVS, Aunt Flow and the Scientistas have increased their focus on the accessibility of menstrual products throughout the state of Utah.

The Scientistas are working to build up other women in all walks of life at WSU, whether student, staff, faculty or just a visitor. The implementation of free period products throughout campus bathrooms has created more opportunities for those on campus who may be facing period poverty, or who may have just been unprepared for the surprises of the day.

“I think this is a step in the right direction to end the stigma against periods and to help with period poverty,” WSU student Emily Coleman said. “I think it could help a lot of people.”

POR BRISA ODENTHAL Reporter

Los estudiantes de la Universidad Weber State pueden haber notado un aumento en la disponibilidad de productos menstruales gratuitos alrededor del campus. Esto se debe a los esfuerzos del Club de Estudiantes Scientistas, en colaboración con Aunt Flow.

El Club de Estudiantes Scientistas forma parte de una organización nacional de mujeres que “empodera a las mujeres pre-profesionales en ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería, matemáticas y medicina (STEM)”, según su página web.

Como parte del empoderamiento de las mujeres, el club tiene como objetivo hacer que los productos menstruales estén más fácilmente disponibles no sólo para los estudiantes de STEM, sino para todos los estudiantes en el campus, lo que también ayudará a desestigmatizar la menstruación.

Los Scientistas se asociaron con Aunt Flow, una marca propiedad de mujeres que crea dispensadores gratuitos de productos menstruales que dispensan compresas y tampones de algodón orgánico. Antes, el campus de la WSU tenía máquinas expendedoras de pago de productos menstruales en los baños, que a menudo no se utilizaban o no estaban abastecidas.

“Ha habido tantas veces que he tenido que usar papel higiénico porque no tenía una compresa o un tampón, así que estoy muy contenta de que Weber tenga esos dispensadores en los baños. Definitivamente los he usado más de una vez”, dijo Lauren Grover, estudiante de la WSU.

No sólo hay productos para la regla en los baños de la WSU, sino que en el Centro de la Mujer de la WSU hay una gama más diversa de productos menstruales, como compresas, tampones e incluso copas menstruales.

Disponer de estos productos de forma gratuita para las estudiantes necesitadas también ha ayudado a luchar contra la pobreza menstrual. El Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas define la pobreza menstrual como “el aumento de la vulnerabilidad económica de las mujeres y las niñas debido a la carga financiera que suponen los suministros menstruales”.

Según la Alliance for Period Supplies, una de cada ocho mujeres, o 767.397 mujeres en el estado de Utah, se encuentra por debajo del umbral federal de pobreza a partir de 2020. Aunque programas como WIC, que utilizan 12.650 mujeres en el estado de Utah, pueden ayudar a estas mujeres en situación de pobreza, no cubren los productos menstruales y las personas se ven obligadas a comprarlos de su bolsillo.

Sin embargo, Utah ha hecho esfuerzos para ayudar con la compra de productos menstruales en el pasado. En 2019, el estado aprobó un proyecto de ley que eliminaría el impuesto sobre las ventas de productos menstruales como parte de un proyecto de reforma tributaria. Sin embargo, el proyecto de ley fue derogado más tarde después de las protestas públicas contra el aumento de los precios de los comestibles.

Del mismo modo, la farmacia CVS decidió en octubre de 2022 absorber el impuesto sobre los productos menstruales en el estado de Utah con el fin de que dichos productos fueran más asequibles para los residentes.

El 2 de marzo, el gobernador de Utah, Spencer Cox, anunció que los productos menstruales estarán disponibles en los edificios del gobierno del estado de Utah en colaboración con The Policy Project, que también pretende aumentar la disponibilidad de productos menstruales en cualquier lugar y en todas partes.

Los productos menstruales accesibles y asequibles ayudan a quienes se enfrentan a la pobreza menstrual a asistir a la escuela mientras tienen la regla. Según el sitio web de Aunt Flow, ofrecer productos gratuitos para el periodo aumenta la asistencia a la escuela en un 2,4%.

El Club de Estudiantes Scientistas de la WSU ha trabajado para aumentar la disponibilidad de productos menstruales con el fin de ayudar al éxito de los estudiantes en el campus y para crear mejores y más oportunidades para las mujeres, no sólo en STEM, sino en cualquier vía en la WSU.

Tanto los Scientistas como Aunt Flow se han comprometido a hacer que los productos menstruales en el campus sean fácilmente accesibles para todos.

“Nos tomamos la igualdad menstrual muy en serio, y esto incluye la creación de un espacio seguro para todas las personas con periodos, sin importar su identidad de género”, afirma el sitio web de Aunt Flow.

“Además, nuestros dispensadores gratuitos cumplen con la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA), lo que hace que los productos para el periodo sean accesibles para todos, independientemente de su capacidad o idioma”. Ofrecer productos gratuitos para la regla teniendo todo esto en cuenta es un paso pequeño pero significativo para ayudar a cambiar el mundo.”

El Estado de Utah, la WSU, CVS, Aunt Flow y las Scientistas han aumentado su atención a la accesibilidad de los productos menstruales en todo el estado de Utah.

Las Scientistas están trabajando para fortalecer a otras mujeres en todos los ámbitos de la vida en la WSU, ya sean estudiantes, personal, profesorado o simples visitantes. La implementación de productos gratuitos para el periodo en todos los baños del campus ha creado más oportunidades para aquellos en el campus que pueden estar enfrentándose a la pobreza del periodo, o que simplemente pueden no haber estado preparados para las sorpresas del día.

“Creo que es un paso en la dirección correcta para acabar con el estigma contra la menstruación y ayudar con la pobreza menstrual”, dijo Emily Coleman, estudiante de la WSU. “Creo que podría ayudar a mucha gente”.

By COLLYN COWLES Reporter

By SIMON MORTENSEN Section Editor

Finishing their preseason, Weber State University’s softball team will return to Wildcat Softball Field for Big Sky Conference play on March 31.

“We’ve learned so many new things from pre-season after playing against these ranked teams,” Wildcat outfielder Mia Rushton said. “We’re really excited to show what we learned in our Big Sky play.”

Last season, Weber State finished 13–1 in the Big Sky and had an overall record of 38–18. Crowned as the 2022 conference champions, the Wildcats won their ninth title as a program.

Weber State kicked off their pre-season tournament on Feb. 10 with a trip to Las Vegas for the UNLV tournament. The Wildcats left the tournament with a 1–4 record, beating the Running Rebels 4–0 on Feb. 11.

Traveling from Las Vegas to Phoenix, Weber State participated in the Grand Canyon Tournament from Feb. 17-19, going 2–3.

Weber State participated in four more pre-season tournaments from Feb. 25 to March 18, playing in the Utah Tech Tournament, Arizona Tournament, part of the Long Beach/Fullerton Tournament and the Omni Hall of Fame Classic in Oklahoma City.

Rushton said opponents are starting to see the Wildcats differently after their performance last year.

“We were used to seeing some second pitchers, third-string pitchers,” Rushton said. “We’re kind of seeing everybody’s aces because they know just how hard we played and how hard we worked last year.”

Almost finished with pre-season softball, Weber State currently has a 6–20 record with all of their games to this point being outside of Ogden. While they were supposed to play their first home game on March 15 against the University of New Mexico, the game was canceled due to rain.

“Our pre-season this year has been the toughest that we’ve ever had, and that’s pretty exciting to be a part of,” Rushton said. “During this difficult preseason, it really challenges us and shows what we’re really made of.”

To kick off the 2023 Big Sky softball season, Weber State will be hosting a threegame series at the Wildcat Softball Field against Idaho State University, starting on March 31. Weber State currently has a 13game win streak and a 28–16 record against the Bengals. The last matchup between the two ended in a 10–0 win for Weber State.

“It’s honestly the best time for us when the Big Sky play starts back up,” Rushton said. “We’ve been preparing for this year the whole year and we’re really excited to show what we’re made of.”

Before their at-home Big Sky matchup, the Wildcats will travel to play a double-header against the University of Utah on March 25, with the first game starting at 1 p.m. and the second at 3 p.m.

POR COLLYN COWLES Reportero POR SIMON MORTENSEN Editor de Seccion

Terminando la pretemporada, el equipo de sóftbol de la universidad Weber State regresarán al campo de sóftbol Wildcat para la conferencia Big Sky el 31 de marzo.

“Hemos aprendido mucho de la pretemporada después de jugar contra estos equipos con clasificaciones”, dijo la jugadora de campo Wildcat Mia Rushton. “Estamos muy emocionados por mostrar lo que hemos aprendido durante esta conferencia.”

Durante la temporada pasada, Weber State terminó con un récord de 13–1 en la conferencia Big Sky y su récord sobre todo fue 38–18. Coronados como campeones de la conferencia de 2022, los Wildcats ganaron su noveno título como equipo.

Weber State empezó su torneo de pretemporada el diez de febrero con un viaje a Las Vegas para el torneo UNLV. Los Wildcats terminaron con un récord de 1–4, ganando contra los Running Rebels 4–1 el once de febrero.

Weber State participó en cuatro torneos de pretemporada adicionales entre el 25 de febrero y el 18 de marzo, jugando en el torneo Utah Tech, el torneo Arizona, un parte del torneo Long Beach/Fullerton, y el torneo Omni Hall of Fame Classic en Oklahoma City. Rushton dijo que los oponentes ya empiezan a ver a los Wildcats con una perspectiva diferente después de su rendimiento del año pasado.

“Estábamos acostumbrados a ver algunos lanzadores de segundo o tercero golpe”, dijo Rushton. “Ahora vemos a los mejores lanzadores de casi todos los equipos porque saben lo duro que era nuestro juego y nuestros esfuerzos del año pasado”.

Casi al final del juego de pretemporada, Weber State actualmente tiene un récord de 6–20 y todos sus partidos ocurrieron fuera de Ogden. Aunque debían tener su primer partido en casa el quince de marzo contra la universidad de New México, el partido fue cancelado por la lluvia.

“Nuestra pretemporada de este año ha sido la más difícil que hemos tenido jamás, y ser parte de esto es emocionante”, dijo Rushton.

“Durante esta pretemporada difícil, hemos sido retados y nos ha mostrado lo que nos constituye”.

Para comenzar la temporada de sóftbol Big Sky de 2023, Weber State albergará una serie de tres partidos en el campo de sóftbol Wildcat contra la universidad Idaho State, empezando el 31 de marzo. Weber State actualmente tiene una racha de trece victorias y un récord de 28–16 contra los Bengals. El último partido entre los dos terminó con una victoria de 10–0 para Weber State.

“Para ser honesto, es el mejor tiempo para nosotros cuando el juego de Big Sky empieza de nuevo”, dijo Rushton. “Preparábamos para este año durante el año pasado entero y estamos muy emocionados por mostrar nuestras habilidades”.

Antes de su partido en casa de la Big Sky, los Wildcats viajarán para jugar una doble jornada contra la Universidad de Utah el 25 de marzo, con el primer partido comenzando a las 13:00 y el segundo a las 15:00.

Question? webercarespantry@weber.edu

By RAYSHAUN BAKER-LYNCH Asst. Section Editor

By SIMON MORTENSEN Section Editor

After losing 60–58 to Montana State University in double-overtime during the Big Sky Conference tournament on March 7, Weber State University’s men’s basketball team’s offseason has officially started.

“I think guys are, even though they’re disappointed in the loss, I think they’re really looking forward to the offseason,” Wildcat head coach Eric Duft said. “We have some continuity in our program now and we can have a good offseason with most of our core pieces, and continue to get better.”

Weber State will have four roster spots to fill before the fall season. Guards Keith Dinwiddie and JJ Louden will be transferring while guards Zahir Porter and Junior Ballard are graduating.

“Right now, our focus is trying to get another playmaking guard. It’s probably a transfer,” Duft said. “We don’t need a lot of guys, so we can really focus in on exactly who we want and make sure that person fits us in every way.”

Duft said the players know what the coaches want out of them going into this upcoming season. They are bringing back the same core and focusing on player development.

Averaging 16.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, Wildcat forward Dillon Jones was a central part of that core. Selected for the all-conference first team this season, Jones recently told the Standard-Examiner that he’ll be returning for a fourth season with Weber State.

Returning with him is guard Steven Verplancken Jr., who averaged 13.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. A new addition to the Wildcats at the beginning of last year, Verplancken landed on the all-conference third team this year.

Sophomore forward Dyson Koehler said the team had a tough start to the previous season, but that once they got comfortable with each other, things turned around.

“We started understanding our roles. We capitalized on that,” Koehler said. “I’m proud of how we defended and we didn’t really fold under pressure. I like how we always tried to fight and didn’t give in to anything.”

The Wildcats started their season 3–7 and finished with an overall record of 18–15.

“I’m looking forward to not having a big change with the roster so everything is going to build off of what we started this year. Just the continuity,” Koehler said.

While the season didn’t end with a title, the Wildcats were able to succeed against noteworthy opponents this season.

“We’ve had some good performances on the road against high-level teams this year,” Duft said. “The win at Utah State is something we can hang our hat on. If we play the right way on a certain night we can beat pretty much anybody.”

A matchup that’s developed into a classic Big Sky rivalry, both Duft and Koehler said they are looking forward to playing Montana State next season.

“I think this year when we played them it was kind of strength-on-strength, it was defense vs. defense,” Duft said. “I think that’s why you got some lower scoring games, some games that were really close down the stretch and lower possession games. I just thought we were kind of mirror images of each other in some ways.”

After winning the conference championship, the Bobcats fell to Kansas State University 77–65 on March 17. While a schedule has not been set for next season, Weber State will play Montana State at least twice in 2024.

“Obviously, we’re always going to have winning the Big Sky regular season and tournament as our main objectives,” Duft said. “Last year, we were kind of the hunter, and teams maybe thought we weren’t going to be quite as good and now we’re going to have some expectations for next year and we’ve got to learn how to handle that too.”

A date has not been currently set for the Wildcats’ opening game.