In early July, Weber State University announced that it has been selected to become an education partner in the Amazon Career Choice program.
The program, which includes hundreds of schools throughout 14 countries, is meant to help the success of students and Amazon employees through education and opportunities. The program includes three tracks: foundations, pathways and college.
“The Amazon Career Choice Program is operated through Amazon and provides educational benefits to many of the employees there,” Jessica Oyler, WSU vice president for Student Access & Success, said. “We are now their partner, so employees can use that benefit to attend Weber State.”
With a new Amazon warehouse less than 10 miles from campus in Marriott-Slaterville, the program will help WSU students get jobs within the company, move through the ranks in the company and help current employees of the company further their education.
WSU prides itself on being a place for everyone. According to the university’s website, over 50% of WSU students are considered non-traditional, as of 2010. Because WSU is a place with such a wide array of students with different lifestyles and career paths, the program will help to bring even more students to the university who would not be able to attend otherwise.
“We were interested in pursuing a partnership with Amazon because they have expanded locations across Utah, so we wanted to ensure employees would have access to the educational opportunities at Weber State,” Oyler said. “There were also a few different Amazon employees who inquired at Amazon, and to us here at Weber, to ask if we could join the program so they could use their benefits here.”
There are currently 22 Amazon facilities in Utah, with three facilities between North Ogden and Layton. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Amazon also employs between 6000 and 9000 employees within the state. Because the company is so large and employs so many people, WSU joined the program to help these employees further their education and help them grow in their careers.
For those who qualify for the program, Amazon pre-pays tuition to the school and covers the cost of textbooks for their employees. Qualifiers can participate in a wide range of majors and minors and can earn a variety of degrees through the program including certificates, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
“To be a part of the program, individuals would have to be an employee of Amazon,” Oyler said. “If they are an employee of Amazon, they can talk to their supervisor and verify their eligibility through their Amazon portal.”
In addition to this, those eligible for the program need to apply to WSU, fill out FAFSA and scholarship forms, complete orientation, submit any test scores, meet with an academic advisor and submit their payment request through Amazon. WSU encourages anyone who thinks they may be eligible to verify their eligibility and use it to their advantage.
“Amazon employees will attend Weber State just like any other student and will apply, register for classes, meet with their advisors and have opportunities to get involved on campus,” Oyler said. “The difference is that they will also verify their eligibility through Amazon and will make a payment request through Amazon to utilize their benefit. Amazon will then pay up to $5,250 a year for their tuition.”
With the average cost for an in-state fulltime student at WSU being $5,421 for the year for the 2022-23 school year, excluding fees, books and boarding, the Amazon Career Choice program cuts the cost of attendance down almost entirely. With the addition of possible scholarships due to GPA, extracurriculars, etc., the Amazon Career Choice program could mean some students who go to school full-time may have their entire education program covered at WSU. Because of WSU’s flexible schedule and access to resources, the program works well for those students who may be working fulltime at Amazon and need to take courses outside of “normal” hours. Students who take their courses fully online are still eligible for the program and the benefits, though they may not actually be on WSU’s campus.
Many other employers including Walmart, Apple, Target and Wells Fargo, offer similar programs to the Amazon Career Choice program, though some programs are more selective than others. WSU encourages these companies and students who know about these programs and who are eligible to let them know so that they can join to help their students succeed in a university setting and earn a degree.
“We are continuously looking for additional programs to partner with to ensure that Weber State students can use the educational benefits provided by their employer,” Oyler said.
A principios de julio, Weber State University anunció que había sido seleccionada para convertirse en un socio educativo en el programa Amazon Career Choice. El programa, que incluye cientos de escuelas en 14 países, está destinado a ayudar al éxito de los estudiantes y empleados de Amazon a través de la educación y las oportunidades. El programa incluye tres vías: cimientos, trayectoria y universidad.
“El Programa Amazon Career Choice es operado a través de Amazon y brinda beneficios educativos a muchos de los
empleados allí”, dijo Jessica Oyler, vicepresidenta de WSU para Student Access & Success. “Ahora somos su socio, por lo que los empleados pueden usar ese beneficio para asistir a Weber State”.
Con una nueva bodega de Amazon a menos de 10 millas del campus en Marriott-Slaterville, el programa ayudará a los estudiantes de WSU a obtener trabajos dentro de la empresa, avanzar en los rangos de la empresa y ayudar a los empleados actuales de la empresa a impulsar su educación.
WSU se enorgullece de ser un lugar para todos. Según el sitio web de la universidad, más del 50 % de los estudiantes de WSU se consideran no tradicionales a partir de 2010. Debido a que WSU es un lugar con una variedad tan amplia de estudiantes con diferentes estilos de vida y trayectorias profesionales, el programa ayudará a traer aún más estudiantes a la universidad que de otro modo no podrían asistir.
“Estábamos interesados en buscar una asociación con Amazon porque han ampliado sus ubicaciones en Utah, por lo que queríamos asegurarnos de que los
empleados tuvieran acceso a las oportunidades educativas en Weber State”, dijo Oyler. “También hubo algunos empleados diferentes de Amazon que preguntaron en Amazon, y a nosotros aquí en Weber, si podíamos unirnos al programa para que pudieran usar sus beneficios aquí”.
Actualmente hay 22 instalaciones de Amazon en Utah, con tres instalaciones entre North Ogden y Layton. Según The Salt Lake Tribune, Amazon también emplea entre 6000 y 9000 empleados dentro del estado. Debido a que la empresa es tan grande y emplea a tantas personas, WSU se unió al programa para ayudar a estos empleados a continuar su educación y ayudarlos a crecer en sus carreras.
Para aquellos que califican para el programa, Amazon paga por adelantado la matrícula de la escuela y cubre el costo de los libros de texto para sus empleados. Los calificados pueden participar en una amplia gama de especializaciones y especializaciones y pueden obtener una variedad de títulos a través del programa, incluidos certificados, títulos asociados, licenciaturas y maestrías.
“Para ser parte del programa, las personas tendrían que ser empleados de Amazon”, dijo Oyler. “Si son empleados de Amazon, pueden hablar con su supervisor y verificar su elegibilidad a través de su portal de Amazon”.
Además de esto, aquellos elegibles para el programa deben postularse a WSU, completar la FAFSA y los formularios de becas, completar la orientación, enviar los puntajes de las pruebas, reunirse con un asesor académico y enviar su solicitud de pago a través de Amazon. WSU alienta a cualquier persona que piense que puede ser elegible a verificar su elegibilidad y
usarla para su beneficio.
“Los empleados de Amazon asistirán a Weber State como cualquier otro estudiante y se postularán, se registrarán en clases, se reunirán con sus asesores y tendrán la oportunidad de participar en el campus”, dijo Oyler. “La diferencia es que también verificarán su elegibilidad a través de Amazon y realizarán una solicitud de pago a través de Amazon para utilizar su beneficio. Amazon pagará entonces hasta 5250 dólares al año por su matrícula”.
Dado que el costo promedio para un estudiante de tiempo completo en el estado en WSU es de $5,421 por año para el año escolar 2022-23, excluyendo tarifas, libros y alojamiento, el programa Amazon Career Choice reduce el costo de asistencia casi por completo. Con la adición de posibles becas por el GPA, actividades extracurriculares, etc., el programa Amazon Career Choice podría significar que algunos estudiantes que asisten a la escuela a tiempo completo pueden tener todo su programa educativo cubierto en WSU.
Debido al horario flexible de WSU y al acceso a los recursos, el programa funciona bien para aquellos estudiantes que pueden estar trabajando a tiempo completo en Amazon y necesitan tomar cursos fuera del horario “normal”. Los estudiantes que toman sus cursos completamente en línea aún son elegibles para el programa y los beneficios, aunque es posible que en realidad no estén en el campus de WSU.
Muchos otros empleadores, incluidos Walmart, Apple, Target y Wells Fargo, ofrecen programas similares al programa Amazon Career Choice, aunque algunos programas son más selectivos que otros. WSU alienta a estas empresas y estudiantes que conocen estos programas y que son elegibles a informarles para que puedan unirse para ayudar a sus estudiantes a tener éxito en un entorno universitario y obtener un título.
“Buscamos continuamente programas adicionales con los que asociarnos para garantizar que los estudiantes de Weber State puedan usar los beneficios educativos proporcionados por su empleador”, dijo Oyler.
On April 12, Jenteal Jackson was named the head coach of Weber State University’s women’s basketball team following an upsetting season.
Last season, the women’s team had a 6–25 overall record and a 2–16 conference record with a 20-win percentage for the season.
“I’m extremely excited to be the new head coach,” Jackson said. “I think Weber is a great place with a great, supportive community. I’m really looking forward to the adventure with the women’s team and Weber State fans.”
Jackson is joining the Wildcats from her previous position as head coach at Westminster College, where she started with a 17–9 overall record, and a 17–12 record the next year.
Jackson also played basketball in college. She played for the BYU Cougars for two seasons, and plans to add her knowledge of the game to the Wildcats.
“We are going to start to build to get the program headed in the right direction, and that starts with recruiting and just implementing as much strategy and dial in as much as we can on the X’s and O’s with our kids as much as possible,” Jackson said.
Jackson said they have a plan in place for this upcoming season, and she feels
confident they will get things going in the right direction. Jackson said a way to bring a winning mentality is by making everything a competition.
“That starts every day in practice,” Jackson said. “We’re already starting to make every drill a competition. Every time we step on the court, we want them to be hungry and compete. We want them to always have winning in mind and have it be held high in really important no matter if it’s a drill, or a little scrimmage in practice or an actual game.”
Jackson said she looks forward to working with the players who stayed and can’t wait to work with the new pieces they added and that she really wants to cultivate
a culture that is healthy and happy.
“A big message that we try and convey to our players is that it’s going to be so much bigger than basketball,” Jackson said. “Basketball is a part of what we do and something that we will do every day together but we are going to be there for them on and off the court.”
Jackson said everyone she has met at Weber so far has been great, and she is looking forward to being a part of the big sky and looking forward to working with this group of girls.
The women’s team has some new and returning players, and they hope to have a bounce-back season with Jackson at the helm.
El 12 de abril, Jenteal Jackson fue nombrada entrenadora principal del equipo de baloncesto femenino de Weber State University después de una temporada decepcionante.
La temporada pasada, el equipo femenino tuvo unos resultados generales de 6-25 y un récord de conferencia de 2-16 con un porcentaje de 20 victorias en la temporada. “Estoy extremadamente emocionada de ser la nueva entrenadora”, dijo Jackson. “Creo que Weber es un lugar genial, con una gran comunidad de apoyo. Tengo mu-
chas ganas de comenzar esta aventura con el equipo femenino y los fans de Weber State.”
Jackson se une a los Wildcats tras su posición anterior como entrenadora en Westminster College, donde comenzó con unos resultados generales de 17-9, y obteniendo un 17-12 en el año siguiente.
Jackson también jugaba al baloncesto cuando iba a la universidad. Jugó para los BYU Cougars durante dos temporadas, y ahora planea añadir sus conocimientos de juego a los Wildcats.
“Vamos a comenzar a construir para que el programa vaya en la dirección correcta, reclutando e implementando estrategias y marcando las Xs y las Os con nuestras chicas tanto como sea posible”, dijo Jackson.
Jackson dijo que ya tienen un plan en
marcha para esta próxima temporada, y está segura de que las cosas van a tornar en la dirección correcta. Jackson mencionó que una manera de atraer una mentalidad ganadora es hacer de todo una competición.
“Eso comienza todos los días en la práctica”, dijo Jackson. “Ya estamos empezando a hacer de cada ejercicio una competición. Cada vez que pisamos la cancha, queremos que estén hambrientas y compitan. Queremos que siempre tengan en cuenta ganar y que lo mantengan en mente ya que es muy importante ya sea un simulacro, un entrenamiento en la práctica o un juego real.”
Jackson dijo que desea empezar a trabajar no solo con las jugadoras que se quedaron, sino también con las nuevas que se unieron, y que de verdad quiere cultivar
un ambiente que sea sano y feliz.
“Un importante mensaje que intentamos transmitir a nuestras jugadoras es que va a ser mucho más que solamente baloncesto,” dijo Jackson. “El baloncesto es una parte de lo que hacemos y algo que todos los días haremos juntas, pero vamos a estar allí para ellas dentro y fuera de la cancha”, dijo Jackson.
Jackson dijo que todas las personas que ha conocido en Weber hasta ahora han sido geniales, y está deseando ser parte del gran cielo y con muchas ganas de trabajar con este grupo de chicas.
El equipo femenino tiene tanto jugadoras nuevas, como otras que regresan de vuelta, y esperan repuntar en esta nueva temporada con Jackson al timón.
With so many new films arriving in theaters and on streaming services every week, it can be hard to keep up with all of the new films available for viewing. Here are a handful of films from the first half of 2023 that have not gotten the appreciation they deserve.
Rye Lane
“Rye Lane” was one of the biggest titles coming out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. This is the directorial debut for Raine Allen-Miller, a filmmaker who shows clear influence from Edgar Wright, Wes Anderson and Spike Lee. “Rye Lane” is a romcom starring David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as two people who are grappling with recent breakups and decide to spend the day together. The movie has a unique filmmaking style with some very colorful cinematography, giving Allen-Miller a lot of promise as a new filmmaker. “Rye Lane” is currently streaming on Hulu.
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Directed by Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim, “STILL” is a new documentary about the career of Michael J. Fox and his battle with Parkinson’s disease. Despite his hardships, Fox continues to have a charming and captivating screen presence. The audience gets to watch Fox’s rise to fame in the ‘80s, how Fox was able to hide his disease on set and in public for seven years, and what life is like now for him as a grandfather. “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” can be found on Apple TV+.
Flamin’ Hot “Flamin’ Hot” premiered at the South by Southwest film festival earlier this year and comes from first-time director Eva Longoria. This rags-to-riches story follows Jesse Garcia as Richard Montañez, a janitor at a Frito-Lays factory. This biographical film shows how Montañez created the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto and became one of the most respected executives in the Frito-Lays brand. While “Flamin’ Hot” certainly is not the best film of the year, the film packs a lot of charm and is a great way to spend 90 minutes. “Flamin’ Hot” is streaming on Hulu.
Stan Lee
Past Lives
Rye Lane was one of the
“Stan Lee” is a new documentary on Disney+ about Marvel Comics writer, editor, publisher and producer Stanley Lieber. The documentary follows the early career of Stan Lee as he makes his way through the ranks of a family business, Timely Comics, which later became Marvel Comics. This film uses archival recordings of Stan Lee as well as some never-before-seen footage of Stan and his family. The film shows how early Marvel Comics operated as one of the top comic book publishers in the United States. Lee explains his creative process for creating many iconic characters such as “The X-Men,” “Spider-Man” and “Hulk” and what those characters represent and mean to him. “Stan Lee” is streaming on Disney+.
“Past Lives” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro, and distributed by A24, this excellent romance/drama follows two childhood friends reuniting and contemplating the lives they have made for themselves. It is still early, but “Past Lives” is being eyed as a possible Oscar nominee for best picture as well as best original screenplay. “Past Lives” is currently still going through its theater run and is not on any streaming services yet.
In May, Weber State University finished building two 55-foot obelisks to greet those coming onto campus along Harrison Boulevard.
These brand-new obelisks, also referred to as statues or shark fins, are located at both main entrances at 3950 and 3850 S. on Harrison Boulevard.
“It is the main component of a larger project that we are doing out there on the frontage of campus to brand the insti-
tution,” Norm Tarbox, vice president of administrative services at WSU, said.
As part of the Frontage Gateway and Lighting Project, gate posts and artifacts along Harrison are being demolished to make way for new lighted elements better suited to the current size of campus structures, nearby roads and business features.
These lighted elements include Weber State University’s traditional flying “W” inside the purple shield on the obelisks. The “W” will eventually light up at night for those to see from hundreds of yards away. Crosswalks across Harrison Boulevard at
these locations will be enhanced with purple and white striping and lighted poles will illuminate the sidewalks along the frontage, which will glow purple.
“We have been planning it for several years now as a way to brand the university in a significant way,” Tarbox said.
Ever since Weber took down their electronic sign about 10 years ago, they have not had anything like this.
“It is something a lot of universities have, even now at Davis Tech, there is a massive sign that welcomes people,” Tarbox said.
Weber State University’s Davis campus
in Layton is in the process of putting up two 55-foot obelisks at both of their main entrances as well.
Weber is planning on co-branding their two campuses at the same time with a dedicated ribbon-cutting ceremony sometime later this year once the Davis campus obelisks are done.
To check out the obelisks in person, go to Weber State University in Ogden, or go to weber.edu for more information online.
Crowds bustle through rows of vendors. Food trucks line the street, filling the air with salty and sweet aromas. Families set up lawn games in the grass, as they listen to a local band play covers of songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine.” These are the sights, sounds and smells of Layton FEST.
Layton FEST, which stands for Farmers, Entertainment, Shopping and food Trucks, is an open air market that takes place in Layton City’s Commons Park. It occurs every summer on Fridays from 5:30 p.m. until dusk, starting July 14 and going until
August 25.
The market is a great opportunity for small businesses, as local farmers and vendors can apply to have a booth to sell their wares. A little bit of everything is sold. At the market on July 14, the booths sold items ranging from press-on nails, birdhouses, succulents and stickers.
Jade Connelly is one such vendor. Using a Cricut and a hand press, Connelly makes custom tee shirts, cups and more. This is her first year selling after she heard about it through a friend who has sold there before.
“We didn’t even know that it was an actual thing and that it occurred every year until my friend had mentioned it,” Connelly said.
Connelly said both her and her friend feel that Layton FEST has increased in popularity in the past few years, both for shoppers and vendors. According to her, getting the application back took longer this year than previous years because of how many applications were received.
Liz Whiting, another vendor, sold succulents at the event. She talked about the city’s selectiveness about which booths get a spot. She said from her experience, the city prefers handcrafted products instead of resale items. Getting a booth is becoming so competitive now because of the great opportunity it provides for newer small businesses.
“You get a lot of interaction and contact with the local community,” Connelly said. A Layton FEST booth is also less expensive than other venues. Connelly said a booth costs $20 a day for the market, whereas at the Davis Conference Center, rates can be around $100 for a single day of selling. “Between the two of us, we’ve spent $100 for the whole season, and that’s it. So that’s seven weeks,” Connelly said, of her and her friend.
For those interested in signing up for next year, applications appear on Layton City’s website around the end of April.
La gente se mueve por líneas de vendedores. Los camiones de comida por la calle llenan el aire con aromas dulces y salados. Las familias hacen juegos en la hierba mientras que escuchan a una banda local que toca versiones de canciones populares como “Ain’t No Sunshine”. Así son las vistas, los sonidos y los olores de Layton FEST. Layton FEST, o Farmers, Entertainment, Shopping y food Trucks (granjeros, entretenimiento, la compra y camiones de
comida), es un mercado al aire libre que tiene lugar en el parque Commons de la ciudad de Layton. Ocurre cada verano los viernes desde las cinco y media de la tarde hasta el anochecer, desde el catorce de julio hasta el 25 de agosto. El mercado es una gran oportunidad para los pequeños comercios, porque los granjeros y vendedores locales pueden aplicar para tener un puesto para vender sus cosas. Se vende una variedad de productos. El catorce de julio, se vendían uñas artificiales, las pajareras, las plantas suculentas, y las pegatinas.
Jade Connelly es una de los vendedores. Con un Cricut y una imprenta a mano, Con-
nelly crea camisetas personalizadas, vasos y más. Es su primer año en el mercado. Aprendió del evento de un amigo que ha sido vendedor ahí antes.
“No sabíamos que fuera real y que ocurriera cada año hasta que mi amigo me enseñó”, dijo Connelly.
Connelly dijo que ella y su amigo sienten que el Layton FEST ha crecido en popularidad recientemente, tanto para la gente como para los vendedores. Según ella, recibiendo la aprobación de su aplicación duró más este año por la cantidad de aplicaciones entregados.
Liz Whiting, otra vendedora, vendió las plantas suculentas durante el evento. Habló
de la exclusividad de la ciudad en decidir los que pueden vender. Dijo que en su experiencia, la ciudad prefiere los productos hechos a mano más que los productos de reventa.
Recibir un puesto llega a ser muy competitivo ahora porque es una gran oportunidad para los pequeños negocios nuevos.
“Se recibe mucha interacción y contacto con la comunidad local”, dijo Connelly. Un puesto de Layton FEST también es más barato que en otros lugares. Connelly dijo que un puesto cuesta veinte dólares cada día por el mercado, y en el Davis Conference Center podría costar alrededor de cien dólares por un solo día.
“Entre nosotros dos, hemos gastado cien dólares por esta temporada entera, y nada más. Eso es siete semanas”. dijo Connelly sobre ella y su amigo.
Para los que estén interesados en aplicar para el próximo año, las aplicaciones aparecen en el sitio web de la ciudad Layton alrededor del fin de abril.
survivors needing help in any aspect of life impacted by sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic or dating violence and stalking.
Last season, the Weber State football team finished the regular season with a 10–3 overall record and 6–2 in the Big Sky Conference.
Securing a guaranteed FCS Playoff berth, the Wildcats faced off against North Dakota for the first game of the FCS Playoffs. With the game ending in a 38–31 win for Weber State, the Wildcats moved to the next round to face No. 1-ranked Montana State. The Bobcats held off Weber’s late fourth-quarter comeback and were able to beat the Wildcats 33–25.
With the 2022 season ending on Dec. 3, the preseason honors for the 2023 season are in action. Weber State senior linebacker Winston Reid, senior offensive lineman Noah Atagi and senior cornerback Maxwell Anderson have been named on the KSL 60 in 60 list by Hans and Scotty on the KSL Sports Zone Network.
Counting down the top 60 college football players in the state of Utah, as voted by the
media and fan ballots, Reid was ranked No. 57 on the list. Reid will be returning for his senior year of play.
“I’m not the fastest guy, or even the tallest guy, but what sets me apart from the other linebackers is my work ethic towards this sport,” Reid said.
Throughout the 2022 season, Reid had a total of 112 total tackles and earned first-team All-Big Sky honors. He had 68 solo tackles last season, the fifth-most in a season in Weber State history. Reid’s single career-high for tackles in a game was 14, in a win over Montana. He also finished the season with four sacks as a linebacker.
Weber State All-American kick returner and cornerback Abraham Williams was also named in the 60 in 60 list. Ranked No. 49, Williams will be returning to Weber State for his junior year of college football.
In the 2022 season, Williams set a record of four 100-yard kickoff returns for a touchdown, a record no other college football player has accomplished. Williams led the nation in kickoff
