The Signpost: Orange Cone Edition, 11/17/22

ROBERT

KENNEDY

By BREANNA HART Editor-in-chief

By SKY MUNDELL Reporter

I want to ride their bicycle

On Nov. 1, WSUPD responded to a call about a bike being stolen from Wildcat village. The victim of the theft later saw the thief riding his bike in Riverdale, and reported this encounter to the local law enforcement. The thief was arrested on multiple charges and the bicycle was returned to its original owner.

Dumpster fire

On Nov. 1, a fire was started in a large trash receptacle outside the Student Service Center after a janitor had mistakenly thrown a still-ignited cigarette into it. No injuries were reported.

DUI

On Nov. 3, a WSUPD officer pulled over a reckless driver on Harrison Boulevard. The driver was pulled over for driving with a faulty tail light and for the “illegal use of horns and warning devices.” The driver was found to be intoxicated after submitting to an Intoxilyzer breath test. After being cited for faulty vehicle equipment, a moving violation and a DUI, the driver was released to his residence.

Stalking

On Nov. 4, WSUPD responded to a case of stalking near the LDS institute building on campus. The victim reported that had

been the victim of an assault on Sep. 2, after which the suspect reportedly began to stalk the victim. Upon responding to the situation, the suspect was served with a pre-existing protective order involving the victim. WSUPD also provided the victim with resources to help them establish contact with the women’s center.

OG un-X-clusive

On Nov. 6, WSUPD reported that two verbal warnings were given to individuals operating their vehicles on the OGX bus-only route. Individuals operating their vehicles on the OGX bus-only route have become a fairly commonly-reported instance.

Clean-up on aisle 5

On Nov. 8, officers responded to a traffic accident in the W5 parking lot on WSU’s Ogden campus. Vehicle 1 was driving northbound and turned eastbound down a parking aisle. Vehicle 2 was driving westbound down the same aisle and stopped when they reached the end. V1 turned wide to avoid a truck that was parked at the end of the stall, then they turned directly into V2, hitting V2 head on. Both cars were damaged; V1 had a crunched, broken passenger side fender, headlight and quarter panel, and V2 had a cracked front center fender with scrapes and bent inner metal. Both drivers exchanged information and denied medical attention.

Workplace harassment

On Nov. 9, WSUPD responded to an information law incident at the Weber County Ice

Sheet. Officers found a string of texts that had been sent by one current employee to a former employee that the director of the Ice Sheet found concerning. The officers found that the suspect had a protective order against him from another victim due to similar actions. The victim said she thought his texts were sent while he was at home in Syracuse and that she did not want to press charges at this time.

A threatening time

On Nov. 9, a threat was reported to WSUPD through the Safe UT messaging system. Officers found that a student was making threats against other students and the school. Officers responded and escorted the suspect to NUAMES offices. The threat was assessed and officers talked to witnesses and the suspect. The suspect was a juvenile and his parents were called.

Social media harassment

On Nov. 10, a WSUPD officer got information of a student getting harassing messages because of a social media post. Officers confirmed that the harassment occurred off campus and then put the victim in contact with the local jurisdiction so they can handle the case moving forward.

A clean hit

On Nov. 11, WSUPD responded to a suspicious circumstance at the Browning Center. The suspect was reported to have hit someone multiple times with a custodial mop cart in the elevator. The officer gave the suspect a

trespassing notice.

Ouch! My kidneys!

On Nov. 11, a WSU student was having abdominal and back pain due to kidney stones. Medical officers evaluated her condition, but she refused to be transported by them. The police officer assisted her vehicle to the front of the Browning Center where she was then picked up and taken home.

Let me out!!!

On Nov. 12, WSUPD responded to a burglary alarm at the Weber County Ice Sheet. A WSU police officer made contact with an individual who had exited the building and told the officer that someone was locked inside and they had opened the door to exit the building. The officer located an open door and conducted a search of the building. Dispatch confirmed the information provided by the WSUPD officer with Mountain Alarm.

Breakin’ down the door

On Nov. 13, WSUPD responded to a trespassing call at the Automotive Technology Building at the Davis Campus. When officers arrived, they found two juveniles inside the locked building. Upon further investigation, officers verified that the building doors on the west side of the building weren’t locking properly. Officers directed the juveniles to leave the building, and the case was closed out.

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By SKY MUNDELL Reporter

The month of November has been quiet as far as business at the student senate goes. Both Nov. 7’s and Nov. 14’s student senate meetings opened with issue forums that received no response from those in attendance.

During the meeting on Nov. 7, the only business discussed was a vote deciding whether or not a funding request presented to the senate by representatives from WSU’s American Dental Hygiene Association would be approved. This was previously discussed

in the senate’s Oct. 31 session.

The funding request met no resistance and was voted into approval by the student senators. The funding granted from the request totaled $3,284 and will help pay for the expenses of dental procedures that will be given to those in need by WSU student dental hygienists.

The fund’s contribution to the WSU community helps dental hygiene students on their path to becoming board-certified and establishes the opportunity to provide dental care to those who are not able to afford it.

The student senate meeting on Nov. 17 featured the introduction of Yudi Lewis, WSU’s newly-hired executive director of Hispanic-serving initiatives. Lewis was hired by WSU back in September in an effort to improve the university’s outreach and communication with Utah’s Hispanic community.

“Right now, we’re formulating how we’re going to move forward, understanding that we cannot do everything at once,” Lewis said.

Lewis explained to the student senators that she’s in the middle of a listening tour and is currently in the process of meeting

with students, members of the community, school districts and a multitude of departments on campus.

“The first step is conveying the message of all the great things that Weber State has to offer for all students, and understanding that we need to amplify how we communicate that message to all communities — specifically Latino communities, in this case,” Lewis said.

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NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT CENTER

Members of the senate meeting.

By BRISA ODENTHAL Reporter

Weber State University students may have difficulties finding parking and navigating campus for the rest of this semester due to construction of the Wildcat Shuttle campus bus line.

This construction, which began in early November, will connect the busway to Harrison Boulevard and should be finished by the end of 2022, depending on weather and other external factors. Though the project does not plan to shut down Dixon Drive, certain factors may lead to road closures.

“As part of the current campus construction, the south entrance to the A1 parking lot is temporarily closed while new utilities are run under this roadway near the University Circle,” Chad Downs, the senior project manager, said.

Ogden Express, Utah Transit Authority and WSU will be busy during the following year completing the on-campus bus line, landscaping and more bus lines off campus.

“There is also landscaping work along the remainder of the campus OGX route that still needs to be finalized next spring, and various details such as the glass windscreens at the three campus OGX stations, each of which showcases a different local artist’s work, are currently being installed this month,” Downs said.

Over the past year and a half, WSU has been doing construction on creating a bus line to run through campus with the main stops being the Shepherd Union, Wildcat Village and the Dee Events Center.

This construction will connect the bus route to Harrison Boulevard and the Ogden Transit Center in downtown Ogden. Stops will be along Harrison Boulevard and 25th Street and will also include the McKay-Dee Hospital and The Junction.

WSU isn’t the only place dealing with construction. In fact, many busy Ogden streets will be undergoing construction to aid with this new bus system.

“Currently, the majority of the construction on the new OGX bus line is occurring along Harrison Boulevard, as well as some work on 25th and 23rd Streets in Ogden, to enable the full OGX route to open up before classes begin next year in August of 2023,” Downs said “This is when the entire

The OGX bus stops to drop of its passengers.

OGX project is slated to be substantially complete, with the public being able to ride upon the new electric buses from campus to connect to downtown Ogden.”

The OGX project, which has cost around $120 million, will allow students who live or work off campus to get to WSU from almost anywhere in Ogden. All buses running on this system will be electric and parking at the Dee Events Center will be free in an effort to push students to take the bus and assist in WSU’s environmental consciousness efforts.

This project is also being done in an effort to make Ogden more of a college town and to get more WSU students off campus and into the community of Ogden. These bus lines will also provide those who want to spend more time on campus with a more economical and environment-friendly way of getting to and from WSU’s main campus.

The large budget also allows the Wildcat

Shuttle to run without charging riders. WSU students already receive free UTA cards as part of their student fees, and this project hopes to enable students to have better access to transit. As of right now, OGX makes stops on each of the campus locations around every 10 minutes between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and every 15-30 minutes on weekends.

OGX is the first all-electric bus rapid transit system in the state of Utah, and Ogden is one of the first cities in Utah to have a BRT system, with Provo and Orem also working on their own BRT systems. This BRT system hopes to have the efficiency and capacity as a light rail system while also being cost-efficient, thus using a bussing system.

Construction for the project began in early 2021 with the Ogden International Hub and stops along Washington Boulevard, and it will end in 2023 with the completion of the Harrison Boulevard line.

WSU has many construction projects planned for the coming years, including a renovation of the McKay Education Building, which will be similar to the previous renovation of Lindquist Hall, and has recently finished the Noorda Engineering Building and the main on-campus section of the OGX bus line, which was officially unveiled in August of this year.

WSU is also in talks to explore a private-public partnership for housing, renovations for the Center of Diversity and Equity, a hotel on Harrison and renovations of the Stewart Stadium East bleachers.

“There are always upcoming projects on campus, with building renovations slated to concur,” Downs said. “Most of these will be started after spring commencement during the summer semester so as to impact folks on campus as little as possible.”

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KENNEDY CAMARENA

KENNEDY CAMARENA

KENNEDY CAMARENA

KENNEDY CAMARENA The Signpost

TOP LEFT: The OGX bus arrives at the Weber State Central location. TOP RIGHT: The new backgrounds of the OGX bus stop, the pictures show objects that reflect Weber State University. BOTTOM LEFT: The Weber State Central sign at the bus stop outside of the Shepherd Union building. BOTTOM RIGHT: A group of students preparing to board the OGX bus at Weber State University.

POR BRISA ODENTHAL Reportero

POR NATHANAEL STOUT Traductor

Los estudiantes de la universidad Weber State pueden tener dificultades de encontrar estacionamiento y viajar por campus durante el resto del semestre por causa de la construcción de la línea de autobús del campus Wildcat Shuttle.

Esta construcción que empezó al principio de noviembre conectará la ruta de autobuses al bolívar Harrison y se terminará para el fin de 2022, depende del tiempo y otros factores externos. Aunque el proyecto no cerrará la calle Dixon, ciertos factores conducirán a cierres de carreteras.

“Como parte de la construcción actual de campus, la entrada del sur del estacionamiento A1 está cerrada temporalmente mientras que nuevas utilidades se ponen debajo de la calle cerca del círculo universitario,” dijo Chad Downs, el gerente señor del proyecto.

Ogden Express, Utah Transit Authority y WSU estarán ocupados durante el año venidero mientras que completan la línea de autobuses en campus, el paisajismo, y más líneas de autobuses fuera del campus.

“también hay trabajo paisajismo por el resto de la ruta de campus OGX que todavía se necesita terminar para la próxima primavera, y varios detalles como las parabrisas de vidrio en los tres paradas de campus OGX, cada una de las cuales destacan las obras de una artista distinta, se instalan esta mes,” dijo Downs.

Durante un año y medio, WSU ha trabajado en construir una línea de autobuses que pasará por el campus con paradas principales en los edificios Shepherd Union, Wildcat Village, y el centro de eventos Dee.

Esta construcción conectará la ruta de autobús al bolívar Harrison y el centro de tránsito de Ogden en el centro de la ciudad. Las paradas estarán por el bolívar Harrison y la calle 25 y también en el hospital McKay-Dee y el Junction.

WSU no es el único lugar que tiene que tratar con la construcción. De hecho, muchas calles ocupadas de Ogden tendrán construcción para apoyar este nuevo sistema de autobús.

“Actualmente, la mayoría de la construcción en la nueva línea de autobús OGX ocurre por el bolívar Harrison, tanto como en las calles 25 y 23 en Ogden, para permitir que la ruta OGX entera se abre antes de que empiecen las clases en agosto de 2023,” dijo Downs. “Este es el momento en que se debe ser completado sustancialmente, con la intención de que el público pueda andar por autobús desde el campus y llegar al centro de Ogden.”

El proyecto OGX, el cual ha costado alrededor de $120 millones, dejará que los estudiantes que viven o trabajan fuera del campus puedan llegar a WSU desde casi cualquier lugar en Ogden. Todas las autobuses que se conducen en este sistema serán eléctricas y el estacionamiento en el centro de eventos Dee será gratis con intención de influir a los estudiantes a usar el autobús y apoyar a los esfuerzos de conciencia ambiental de WSU.

Este proyecto también se realiza con intención de hacer que Ogden sea más como un pueblo universitario y para que los estudiantes visiten a la comunidad de Ogden. Estas líneas de autobuses proveerán a los que quieran pasar más tiempo en cam-

pus una manera de viajar entre el campus y otros lugares que sea más económica y beneficiosa al ambiente.

El presupuesto grande también permite que el Wildcat Shuttle pueda conducirse sin cobrar a los viajeros. Los estudiantes de WSU ya reciben tarjetas del UTA gratis como parte de su tarifa como estudiantes, y se espera que este proyecto permita a los estudiantes tener mejor acceso al tránsito. Actualmente, el OGX visita cada parada de campus alrededor de cada diez minutos entre las seis y media de la mañana y las ocho y media de la tarde los días de la semana y cada quince o treinta minutos los fines de semana.

OGX es el primer sistema de transporte rápido en Utah que solo usa autobuses eléctricos, y Ogden es uno de los primeros ciudades en Utah que tiene un sistema BRT, junto con Provo y Orem que también están trabajando en sus propios sistemas.

Se espera que este sistema BRT tenga la misma eficiencia y capacidad de un sistema de metro ligero mientras que sea económico, así que usa los autobuses.

La construcción para este proyecto empezó al principio de 2021 con el centro

internacional de Ogden y con paradas por el bulevar Washington, y terminará en 2023 con la finalización de la línea del bolívar Harrison.

WSU ha planeado muchos proyectos de construcción para los años que vienen, incluyendo una renovación del edificio de educación McKay, que será similar a la renovación pasado de la sala Lindquist, y ha terminado recientemente el edificio de ingeniería Noorda y la sección principal en campus de la línea de autobús OGX, que se presentó oficialmente en agosto de este año.

WSU también ha iniciado conversaciones sobre explorar una colaboración privado y público sobre la vivienda, renovaciones para el centro de diversidad y equidad, un hotel en el bolívar Harrison y renovaciones de las gradas de la parte este del estadio Stewart.

“Siempre hay proyectos nuevos en campus, con renovaciones de edificios que ocurrirán,” dijo Downs. “La mayoría de estas se realizarán después del comienzo de la primavera y durante el semestre del verano para que impacte la gente en campus lo mínimo posible.”

A few students getting onto the OGX bus after their day at WSU.

KENNEDY CAMARENA The Signpost

KENNEDY CAMARENA | The Signpost

KENNEDY CAMARENA | The Signpost

TOP: Students await the OGX bus. BOTTOM LEFT: The OGX bus arrives to pick up students. BOTTOM RIGHT: The OGX busses have a sign on the back of their vehicle with the number of the bus, as well as the term ‘Wildcat Shuttle’ for the school.

THE BEARS BITE BACK

By RAYSHAUN BAKER-LYNCH Reporter

Weber State football will hit the road and take on Northern Arizona University on Nov. 19 for the No. 7 Wildcats’ final regular season game of the 2022 season.

This will be the 55th meeting between the two programs and the series is split 27–27. Both teams hold winning records when playing at home, We ber State is 19–9 in Ogden against NAU and NAU is 18–8 against the Wildcats in Flagstaff.

Both Weber State and Northern Arizona intro duced the new name and trophy for the rivalry, the “Red Rock Rivalry,” on Nov. 14.

The trophy was designed and crafted by a local Flagstaff artist, Joshua Meyer, who used elements shared between the two universities’ geographical locations that include red rock, wood and steel.

The two programs previously met annually, al ternating locations between Flagstaff and Ogden, until Southern Utah University joined the Big Sky Conference in 2012. The series was moved to a ro tation of every few years to cater to the unbalanced conference schedule. Due to SUU leaving the Big Sky, the two programs will return to annual meet ings.

NAU joins Idaho State as the two programs who play against Weber State every year.

NAU has traveled up to Stewart Stadium for the program’s last two meetings and have fallen to the Wildcats both times.

The ‘Cats broke the Lumberjacks’ four-game winning streak in 2019 with a 51–28 victory. We ber State went on to share the Big Sky Champion ship with Sacramento State.

The last matchup between the two schools was in the 2020-2021 spring season where Wildcat quarterback Randall Johnson threw a 50-yard Hail Mary to Justin Malone in the endzone. Wildcat fans now refer to that famous play as the “Hail Malone.”

The touchdown secured the ‘Cats a 28–23 win.

Key players in the previous matchup that will also be playing on Nov. 19 include Noah Atagi, Bronson Barron, Josh Davis, Ty MacPherson and Malone.

NAU is currently 3–7. In conference play the ‘Jacks have handed Cal. Poly and Idaho State loss es while losing to the University of Idaho, Portland State, UC Davis, Montana State and the University of Northern Colorado.

Following the game, the FCS Playoff Selection Show will be held on Nov. 20, where the Wildcats will find their seeding and learn their next oppo nent.

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Running Back Josh Davis, now a senior, avoiding a tackle made by a Northern Arizona University player. Photo taken Oct. 19, 2019.

ROBERT CASEY The Signpost

Wide Receiver David Ames, now graduated, clutching to the ball as he’s tackled by Northern Arizona University player. Photo taken Oct. 19, 2019.

ROBERT CASEY | The Signpost

By ANGELINA FONTENOT Columnist

With the playoffs on the horizon for football and volleyball, along with season openers for basketball, November becomes an exciting time for many reasons. However, one of those reasons takes place off the court. Lately, Weber State University has been posting about athletes who’ve committed to certain teams — primarily softball and volleyball.

Putting together the best softball team in the Big Sky Conference’s history last season, head coach Mary Kay Amicone has found impressive additions during the offseason.

Playing second base, the Wildcats recruited Faith Byler from Castle Rock, Colorado. A

force on both ends, Byler had a .445 batting average, .886 fielding percentage, 38 putouts and eight home runs during her varsity career at Lutheran High School.

Another standout recruit, Weber State signed shortstop Sienna Solis from Gilbert, Arizona. While playing at Highland High School, Solis played shortstop, second base and various outfield positions. With a .529 batting average and a .921 fielding percentage, Solis recorded 136 putouts and 14 home runs during her varsity career.

Also signing with the softball team is pitcher Kiaira Smith from Herriman, Utah. Smith had a batting average of .424 and a fielding percentage of .967 in high school. A right-handed pitcher that’s also a left-handed power hitter, Smith will make a great addition to a bullpen that consists of Mariah Ramirez, Amanda Sink, Jaclyn Gold, Brooke Hatfield and Madison Peterson.

Approaching the Big Sky Tournament with the second best record in the conference, head coach Jeremiah Larsen recruited strong additions to Weber State’s volleyball team.

Coming from Herriman High School, outside hitter Nana Asiata recently signed with

the Wildcats. With over 1,000 kills during her varsity career, Asiata recorded 129 service aces and 803 digs in high school.

“So excited to have Nana part of our program,” Larsen said in a tweet. “She makes our outside hitter position deeper and looking forward to seeing how she grows.”

Another star outside hitter recruit, Ali Wiest from Phoenix, Arizona committed to Weber State. Starting her career in 2020, Wiest played a total of 174 sets at O’Connor High

School. Weist recorded 498 kills and 59 blocks while only having eight errors on her 313 digs.

New recruits are posted to the team’s social media pages regularly.

The empty press box at WSU’s softball field. Photo taken Aug. 17, 2020.

ROBERT LEWIS

By EMILY MILLER Section Editor

Weber State football will hit the road and take on Northern Arizona University on Nov. 19 for the No. 7 Wildcats’ final regular season game of the 2022 season.

This will be the 55th meeting between the two programs and the series is split 27–27. Both teams hold winning records when play ing at home, Weber State is 19–9 in Ogden against NAU and NAU is 18–8 against the Wildcats in Flagstaff.

Both Weber State and Northern Arizona introduced the new name and trophy for the rivalry, the “Red Rock Rivalry,” on Nov. 14.

The trophy was designed and crafted by a local Flagstaff artist, Joshua Meyer, who used elements shared between the two universi ties’ geographical locations that include red rock, wood and steel.

The two programs previously met annu ally, alternating locations between Flagstaff and Ogden, until Southern Utah University joined the Big Sky Conference in 2012. The series was moved to a rotation of every few years to cater to the unbalanced conference schedule. Due to SUU leaving the Big Sky, the two programs will return to annual meetings.

NAU joins Idaho State as the two programs who play against Weber State every year.

NAU has traveled up to Stewart Stadium

for the program’s last two meetings and have fallen to the Wildcats both times.

The ‘Cats broke the Lumberjacks’ fourgame winning streak in 2019 with a 51–28 victory. Weber State went on to share the Big Sky Championship with Sacramento State.

The last matchup between the two schools was in the 2020-2021 spring season where Wildcat quarterback Randall Johnson threw a 50-yard Hail Mary to Justin Malone in the endzone. Wildcat fans now refer to that fa mous play as the “Hail Malone.”

The touchdown secured the ‘Cats a 28–23 win.

Key players in the previous matchup that will also be playing on Nov. 19 include

Noah Atagi, Bronson Barron, Josh Davis, Ty MacPherson and Malone.

NAU is currently 3-7. In conference play the ‘Jacks have handed Cal. Poly and Idaho State losses while losing to the University of Idaho, Portland State, UC Davis, Montana State and the University of Northern Colorado.

Following the game, the FCS Playoff Se lection Show will be held on Nov. 20, where the Wildcats will find their seeding and learn their next opponent.

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The “Red Rock Rivalry” was announced on Nov. 14. The trophy was designed and crafted by a local Flagstaff resident, Joshua Meyer, and is intended to tie together the two schools similar geographical locations. It is made of red rock, steel and wood.

WSU Athletics

By AARON LOWE Reporter

The International Student & Scholars Cen ter is launching a Friendship Family Program to connect incoming international students with Weber State University faculty and staff members.

WSU has a large population of interna tional students who attend the university, and the goal of FFP is to provide assistance to students as they navigate through their educational path.

“As of Fall 2022, we have 313 international students. They come from 70 different coun tries,“ Shannon Sandau, Internationalization Specialist for the ISSC, said.

While FFP has not started, Elizabeth Ham

mond, assistant director of International Ad mission & Recruiting, said that they are push ing to get the program running for students.

“We are now seeking applicants to be able to set up the program,” Hammond said.

Hammond will be hosting an information session via Zoom on Nov. 22 at noon for fac ulty members to learn more about the pro gram.

The idea is for staff members to be able to assist with any questions an international student may have and offer an opportunity for staff and students to attend events the FFP program hosts together.

Hammond said that holidays celebrated in the United States may be different from what international students may celebrate.

”In the past years, we hosted a Thanksgiv ing Dinner for our international students on campus the week of Thanksgiving,” Billie At sitty De Paiva, sponsored student advisor for the ISSC, said. “We sometimes have some families that are close with the university that open their homes to them on Thanksgiving day. This year, due to the food shortage of tur keys, it is not possible.”

Hammond shared her hopes for the FFP program and her experience with being in a similar program during her education in the United States.

“We are asking our faculty and staff to open themselves to our international stu dents and just be a friend to our internation al students who left all their family members

back home,” Hammond said. “The hope is for more students to feel more welcome here.”

The FFP program hopes to be able to cre ate similar events bringing international stu dents and their host families together.

At this time, the program is looking toward partnering international students with facul ty and staff members only, but there is room for the program to expand in the future.

“We wanted to throw a lifeline to inter national students, and we felt a program like this would be one good way to do that,’’ Hammond said.

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Left: Scarecrows stand in front of the wall in the Department of Student Involvement and Leadership. Top Right: A leaf garland bordering a whiteboard outside the Department of Student Involvement and Leadership office in Shepard Union. Bottom Right: Bright orange pumpkins and leaves line the counters inside the sitting area of the Department of Student Leadership Involvement and Leadership.

ANNA KUGLAR |

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ANNA KUGLAR | The Signpost

ANNA KUGLAR | The Signpost