NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost
Tuesday | December 7, 2021 | Volume 94 | Issue 86
SPORTS » PAGE 6
SPORTS » PAGE 12
SPEEDING TOWARD THE SEMIFINALS
PICKING OFF THE COMPETITION Weber State Athletics
Weber State Athletics
2 | MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021
DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? Section Editor
1. In an effort to curb the spread of the Omicron variant, the U.S. enacted what new restrictions for arriving international travelers on Dec. 6? a. Proof of vaccination b. Vaccination or a negative COVID test 48 hours prior to boarding the flight to the U.S. c. A negative COVID test 24 hours prior to boarding a flight to the U.S. regardless of vaccination status d. All incoming international travel has been stopped
students by their son Ethan, were 2. White House Press Secretary found by police hiding in what Jen Psaki confirmed on Dec. 6 that Detroit building after an intense the White House has decided to manhunt? stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games next a. A gas station February in what city? b. A warehouse a. Moscow c. A motel b. Shanghai d. A grocery store c. Tokyo 4. A food truck exploded in Ogd. Beijing den on the night of Dec. 4, injuring the father and son who own the 3. James and Jennifer Crumbley, truck. What kind of cuisine did the parents charged with involuntary food truck serve? manslaughter in the Oxford High School shooting that killed four a. Filipino and Asian fusion
b. Korean barbecue c. Fish and chips d. Mex-American 5. A horse who was the disputed winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby died on Dec. 6. from a heart attack after an extensive workout. What was the horse’s name? a. Damascus b. Gun Runner c. Always Dreaming d. Medina Spirit
REBECCA GONZALES | The Signpost
By JOSHUA KAMP
MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021 | 3
By LUCAS MOORE Reporter
The end of finals week on Dec. 17 marks the close of the semester and the beginning of winter break, which will last until Jan. 10. With the pandemic still prevalent, Weber State University is encouraging students to continue to stay safe and protect others over the break. Justin Herbert, a program specialist for the Student Wellness Center, provides presentations for students related to general health and wellness. On Mondays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the center has a COVID-19 booth that answers questions for students curious about the virus. “We try to stay as up to date as possible with the information we give to students because there are many different avenues where people can learn false information,” Herbert said. “We do our best to stay accurate with credible sources to help cement what we know about the pandemic and other big situations revolving around public health.” During 2020, the SWC also participated in virus contact tracing to locate the spread of COVID-19 in the WSU community. The center has offered informational flyers with tips such as wearing a mask if exposed to anyone infected with the virus, taking advantage of free COVID tests, washing hands regularly, social distancing, getting enough rest and having a good diet. Matthew Domek, chair of the Department of Microbiology at WSU, encourages his students to follow WSU policies that are aligned with the county and state health departments. “This pandemic has been stressful, but as more information comes out, my faculty and I have a better understanding of how to keep ourselves and students safe,” Domek said.
He and other professors in the College of Science are open to questions from students regarding health and safety in this situation. “During the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, I started offering my courses virtually, except for microbiology labs, to help ease the spread of the virus,” Domek said. The Weber Morgan Health Department is also hosting a vaccine and booster shot clinic every Tuesday in the Shepherd Union building from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The national guard is helping distribute the shots, as assigned by the governor to help local health departments. Walk-ins and appointments are accepted, and a consent form is required. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being offered, with Pfizer the only one available for children ages 5-11. According to the Food and Drug Administration, administering the Moderna vaccine to children is only recommended if an Emergency Use Authorization is present. The Community Education Center on campus is also giving booster shots and vaccines every Monday and Wednesday from 12-7 p.m. Lori Buttars, public health information officer for the department, helps update the department’s website information and works on coalitions for public outreach as a spokesperson. “When students go home for vacations, that’s when they let their guard down and spread the virus to loved ones,” Buttars said. According to the department, the 30- to 39-year-old age group in the Weber-Morgan health district has the fastest growing COVID cases in the past 14 days. The second fastest is the 20- to 29-year-old age group, which encompasses many college students and the third fastest is the 10- to 19-year-old age group. “COVID tests should be taken no longer than three to five days after known exposure
or immediately when experiencing symptoms,” Buttars said. Aside from boosters, vaccinations are also still encouraged by the department for individuals not yet vaccinated. Students volunteered for the department earlier this year in administering vaccines at the Dee Events Center. “We appreciate the proactivity at WSU. They have been a great community partner in helping keep students trained on safety with this pandemic,” Buttars said. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website states that building immunity through vaccination is a two-dose course. The second dose is administered two weeks after the first is given. A person is not fully immunized until two weeks after receiving the second dose. Booster shots can then follow after the immunizations within six months of the last vaccination. If the doses are of the Pfizer vaccine, a minimum of 21 days have to pass before a booster shot can be safely administered, and 28 days for Moderna. Lower-dose booster shots for children ages 5-11 were proposed by the FDA on Oct. 29 and authorized on Nov. 18. Originally, booster shots were only available for high-risk individuals such as the elderly, healthcare workers and students or staff at institutions. Booster shots at WSU are also available in the Community Education Center on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. The CDC has also released reports of a new variant of the virus, B.1.1.529, infecting individuals in the United States, which the World Health Organization named the “Omicron” variant on Nov. 26. Omicron remains a rapidly evolving situation, and more information regarding the variant is sure to come out over the next several weeks. Students looking for more information re-
garding the new variant or vaccinations and booster shots can refer to the CDC, FDA and WSU COVID-19 information pages. “The best tools we have to continue staying safe are vaccinations, booster shots and CDC guidelines until more research is done,” Buttars said. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
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By LEXIE ANDREW Reporter
The Festival of Trees embodies the spirit of Christmas by giving back and helping those in need. Every year, the festival acts as a fundraiser for Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, and this year, it was held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4. In previous years, it has been an in-person event with many trees, nativities and treats for all to enjoy. However, due to COVID-19 precautions, this year it was held virtually. Natalie Mayhew, co-chair for the Festival of Trees volunteer board, said the Festival of Trees has been going on for 51 years with countless decorators, families and donors. Mayhew said the event being virtual this year had no effect on the number of trees donated, coming to a total of 201 trees. Individuals could visit the Festival of Trees website to see the trees, wreaths, centerpieces, quilts and more. There was a silent auction for the donated items. A gift shop was open on the website as well, along with an option to simply donate. All the money raised goes to Primary Children’s Hospital and the children there. Becky Yamasaki, member of the executive board and decorator, said donations don’t have to be big — every dollar counts. Decorators can dedicate their tree to a specific child at Primary Children’s, and spectators can learn about their story. Yamasaki and her family created a wreath and dedicated it to her daughter, Madeline, who is now 17 years old. She was born with a severe complete cleft lip and palate. Every year they dedicate their donations to her to show their gratitude for the help Primary Children’s gave. Nikki and Adri Mortensen have been decorating trees for the festival for 17 years
now. It has become a family tradition. Nikki Mortensen explained that it first started with her mom wanting to give back to Primary Children’s for helping her brother, who had a rare and fatal heart defect. After the first year of decorating a tree, they became hooked. This year, they dedicated their tree to her brother’s heart surgeon at Primary Children’s. “It’s pretty amazing and humbling to walk around the event center after you’ve finished decorating,” Nikki Mortensen said. “So many trees and stories. Some miraculous and some heart-wrenching, but all of them are given in gratitude for the work that is done at Primary Children’s.” The whole Mortensen family gets together to help create and decorate the tree and it becomes a process. Adri Mortensen explained that each member in her family is assigned a task to help complete the tree. Like the Mortensen family, the Yamasaki family comes together to help build their piece. The community helps by donating and bringing awareness to the festival. This year held a big surprise. Yamasaki explained that TikTok user JT Laybourne and his wife, Brooklyn, made a video to bring awareness to this year’s Festival of Trees in honor of Jocelyn Ducharme, who had brain cancer. The TikTok influencers went live to raise money for Jocelyn’s tree and give it back to her family. Yamasaki said they raised over $55,000 that night, which TikTok matched. “There’s a special spirit that’s here,” Yamasaki said.
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BLYTHE EVANS | The Signpost
4 | MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021
The Festival of Trees was virutal this year due to COVID. All proceeds went to Primary Children’s Hospital.
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jobs.irs.gov “In Pieces,” a musical based around the songs of Joey Contreras, opened at Weber State University. Phone: 801-620-4JOB (4562)
By MAKAYLA GEDDES Reporter
A new musical based on songs by songwriter Joey Contreras titled “In Pieces,” opened as a regional premiere on Dec. 3, with Weber State University Theatre being one of the first in the state to showcase it. Director and choreographer Cassidy Wixon has been a fan of Contreras’ work for a long time, specifically with his contemporary pop style of music. “This being a regional premiere and a new work with all my favorite songs in it made this show a love letter to one of my favorite composers,” Wixon said. George Michael Edwards III, who plays the character Charlie, explained that the musical was given to them in pieces as well. “When we were given the script, we were given character names and songs and that’s all,” Edwards said. “We were told ‘Put togeth-
er a story,’ and Cassidy, our director, said, ‘Yeah, sure, I’ll see what I can do.’” The story takes place in New York City, following the interweaving stories of several relationships. The characters interact with each other in relatable ways as they try to figure out their relationships. Funny, poignant and sweet, it touches on the fears of confessing feelings, regrets of lost relationships, online crushes and the excitement of new love. Wixon said she is most excited for the way the characters’ stories weave together throughout the show. “We made this beautiful thing where all of our cast members connect in different ways throughout the show. If you were to come multiple nights and pick a different cast member to watch you would get a different story because they all fit into each other’s lives differently,” Wixon said. “The show really explores love and connection in a modern society. It’s a show that celebrates love and connection.”
The contemporary pop style of the music also affected the dance choices for the musical. Wixon said the dance sequences were influenced by popular TikTok dances from numerous creators. The choreography also incorporated a number of props, with one scene using flashing phone screens as lighting and emphasis on the movement of the characters. There was a great turnout for opening night, with nearly all the seating filled. Audience member Madison Waymer said, “I thought it was beautiful. I thought all of the actors were phenomenal. The set was really simple, but it made the actors stand out more. The lights were succinct and the choreography was fabulous.” The musical will have more showings every night from Dec. 8 through Dec. 11, with a matinee on Dec. 11. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
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Weber State’s Volleyball team celebrates a play during the NIVC post-season tournament.
Weber State Volleyball players chat while setting up for their next match. By SIMON MORTENSEN Reporter
Weber State University’s volleyball team cruised to the third round of the National Invitationals with commanding 3–1 wins over CSU Bakersfield and Portland State University on Dec. 3 and 4. Opposite Emma Mangum came up strong early in the game against the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners, earning 8 kills and 3 blocks in the first two sets. The redshirt sophomore finished the night leading in blocks with 6. “Emma had an awesome night, and our middles did really well in the beginning of the match, which helps even out our offense,” Rylin Adams, outside hitter, said. Despite the hot start, the Roadrunners were able to rally back in the third set, led by middle blocker Brooke Boiseau. The
Wildcats started off cold, with the score at 4–1. However, kills from Adams, middle blocker Baylee Bodily and outside hitter Dani Nay tied up the game, 7–7. Weber State maintained the lead until CSU Bakersfield tied them again at 11–11. Boiseau’s 9 kills were too much for the Wildcats to handle, and they lost the third set 25–22. Despite Boiseau’s dominant third set performance, Weber State was able to hold her to just two kills in the fourth. “We come in with a certain game plan, but as you know, the game changes,” Nay said. Nay said the key to stopping Boiseau’s performance was making small adjustments and slowing the game down. The Roadrunners fell apart in the final set, as Weber State scored six of their points off service errors. The final score was 25–21. A victory in September and ugly loss in
October put Weber State at 1–1 with the Portland State Vikings. Coming into the Dec. 4 game, Adams and Nay said the Wildcats were ready to break the tie at Swenson Gym. “We’re going to go into Portland State giving it our all, giving everything we have, just putting our heart out on the floor,” Adams said. The match started off rough for Weber State, as they only scored 16 points in the first set. Nay had 6 kills for the Wildcats, but her efforts were trumped by Portland State outside hitters Makayla Lewis and Gabby Hollins, who combined for 11 kills. Weber State responded with a crushing 25–13 victory in the second set. The Wildcats were able to force 8 attack errors, largely thanks to Bodily. Despite 5 kills from Lewis, Weber State won the third set 25–20. Nay had 5 kills,
and middle blocker Sam Schiess had 3. The fourth set was close, with Portland State doing everything they could to stay in the tournament. Lewis, middle blocker Ashleigh Barto and outside hitter Parker Webb all had 4 kills in the fourth. However, a combined 10 kills from Nay and Adams put the Wildcats on top, 25–23. “We’re grateful that we get to keep playing,” Nay said. “There’s not a ton of teams that get to play this deep into the season, so we’re just going to go out and enjoy playing with each other and take advantage of every moment.” Weber State will travel to Texas and face the University of Texas at El Paso on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. A victory there will put the Wildcats in the semi-finals. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
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NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost
Infusion Rock and C. Valenta perform at the Dumke Art Plaza’s grand People gather at the new Dumke Arts Plaza in Ogden, Utah, to watch the opening. performances of Latin rock band Infusion Rock and C. Valenta. NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost
NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost
NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost
MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021 | 9 NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost
8 | MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021
A spherical art display is the centerpiece for downtown Ogden’s new Dumke Art Plaza.
By CAITLYN NICHOLS Section Editor
Ogden celebrated the grand opening of the newly completed Dumke Arts Plaza, on the corner of 25th Street and Ogden Avenue, on Dec. 3 with a night of music, poetry, art and gratitude. A press release from Ogden Arts described the plaza as an “arts-focused community space, a dynamic outdoor gallery and an intimate performance venue,” designed to “inspire creativity, elevate diverse perspectives and anchor Ogden as a hub for contemporary art.” The new plaza will be used to feature art installations and community-led arts programing, like concerts, dance performances and video art. However, the community space will also be an open place for casual,
everyday gatherings, such as a walk with family or lunch with a friend. The plaza’s design has the ability to support many types of art, from large-scale installations to small performances, and includes an LED screen for displaying film and video art. Included in the space is an elevated platform, known as “the plinth,” which allows for more room for seating and displaying art. The plaza also features a permanent sculpture, called the “Beacon,” which extends a few feet over 25th Street. The same unique lighting used throughout the plaza is used on the piece, allowing it to change colors. Visitors to the new plaza could be heard making comments such as “Ogden’s cool now!” The lead founder of the arts plaza, for whom it was named, was the Dr. Ezekiel R.
NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost
Ogden’s new Dumke Arts Plaza provides an area for outdoor live performances, poetry readings and art.
The Dumke Art Plaza displays artwork by American sculptor Chakaia Booker and is curated by Weber State University.
and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation, partnering with Weber County R.A.M.P., Ogden City, Weber State University and Ogden Contemporary Arts. Speakers at the grand opening included Jeremy Dunn, Weber County R.A.M.P. chair, Mike Caldwell, mayor of Ogden City, and Claire Dumke Ryberg, president of the Dumke Foundation. The speakers all gave their gratitude to those involved in the project and told the story of how the plaza came to be, talking about the inspiration to revive the little corner of land behind the Bigelow Hotel in which an old, dilapidated motel once stood. The motel was torn down and plans for a community arts plaza came forth. The Dumke Foundation then decided to take the leap of faith and get it going with a gift of over $2.2 million. The Dumke Foundation operates in honor of the Ogden-based couple for whom it was named who held a love and passion for the Ogden community, the arts and the outdoors. Because of how the new arts plaza embodies all three points, Ryberg called the donation a “trifecta legacy gift.” “Our grandparents loved Ogden, and they
Onlookers watch a time-lapse video showing the development of the Dumke Arts Plaza.
were committed to Ogden, and they would be so thrilled to know that their lives live on in this great place,” Ryberg said. Ryberg said their contribution will also go towards plans to make improvements to the adjoining portion of Ogden Avenue this summer. The whole Dumke Arts Plaza project embodies a goal to continue reviving and revamping parts of Ogden, a theme which was on display in the inaugural art exhibition curated by WSU’s Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Art Gallery and Department of Visual Art & Design. The exhibition, titled “Revive,” features three major recent pieces by American artist Chakaia Booker. Lydia Gravis, Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Art Gallery director, said the abstract pieces, which were crafted from repurposed automotive tire rubber, were intentionally created for the Dumke Arts Plaza,
speaking to the characteristics of transformation and re-contextualization embodied in the plaza. “Considering the history of cars and transit, and the freedom they afford, the automotive tires that she uses inherently symbolize upward mobility, expansion and possibility,” Gravis said. “This new Dumke Arts Plaza represents the same for Ogden as it enhances the Nine Rails Art District and eliminates the barriers inherently associated with traditional white-cube art galleries that sometimes deter the masses from experiencing meaningful, thought-provoking art.” Gravis also talked about how the Ogden Bicycle Collective donated bike tires for Booker to make additions or repairs to the sculptures, which have already been on display in Chicago, Illinois, and Laguna Beach, California, before coming to Ogden. Booker used them on the side of one of the sculp-
tures, so the exhibition will carry a little piece of Ogden with it to its next destination. Booker’s art will be on display in the plaza until May 15. The grand opening festivities also included an interpretive dance performance from Ogden MoveMeant Collective and live music from Infusion Rock and C. Valenta. Ogden’s Poet Laureate, Abraham Smith, also performed a five-minute poem expressing his gratitude for the position he has held the last couple of years and for Ogden. “Friends, take a look at this Dumke glory and the Monarch just up the hill. These are surely architectural poetries with visual poetries just indoors,” Smith said in his poem.
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JENNIFER GREENLEE | The Signpost
10 | MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021
The Ogden City Council meets several times a month in the Ogden Municipal Building. By JENNIFER GREENLEE Editor-in-Chief
The Utah redistricting process may seem to be wrapping up after the Utah Legislature and Gov. Spencer Cox signed new district maps into law on Nov. 10, but the work is only just beginning for Weber County Officials. In each county, election officials are now working to divide the new districts into precincts. Precincts, also known as voting districts, are smaller divisions of a population inside of counties and state districts and determine where and what voters get on their ballot. “Precincts can’t cross over state district boundaries, so we have to kind of follow a little bit where they go,” Daniel Wade, Weber County election support specialist, said. Once the precincts are finalized, the redistricting process is still not over. The new precincts are then given to individual city councils and grouped together to create city council, voter participation areas and school voting boundaries. Voter participation areas are divisions in a county used to determine which ballot initiatives, referendums or propositions are on certain ballots, used for specific location or
community specific propositions. The goal is to have a total of 28 precincts in Ogden city, which is reduced from the 46 it has had for the last 10 years. Wade explained that it used to be beneficial to have more precincts to reduce voter congestion and to make sure voting centers were as close and convenient as possible. Now, he says, with mail-in voting and vote centered where anyone can vote at any polling place across the county, there is no longer the same need to have so many precincts. “It eliminated the need to keep the precinct numbers small. It makes it a lot easier from an administration standpoint,” Wade said. “Right now in Weber County, we have 154 precincts, so when we have an election, we have 154 ballots that we have to proof, that we have to create, that we have to get to the right voter.” With Wade and the Weber County Elections team striving to create relatively population equitable precincts, the hope is that Ogden will be able to easily take those precincts and create the new districts. “The amount of precincts is dependent on where we want it to be,” Wade said. “There’s a cap on how many people can be in a precinct, but not a total number of pre-
cincts you have to have” In each precinct, there can be up to 1,250 active registered voters, which means there can be a significant portion of a city or county as one precinct if there is a small population or few active voters. For Ogden City, the idea is to be able to take four groups of seven precincts to form both the city council districts and voter participation areas and seven groups of four for the school voting boundaries, according to Ogden City Council documents. The city council is made up of three atlarge seats, or seats voted on by the entire city, and four district seats, which may or may not get shaken up when the boundaries are redrawn. The city divisions can get even more complicated when adding in the three additional guidelines stipulated by state code that Ogden must follow when dividing the precincts into the districts. “Each district needs to be substantially equal in population, geographically compact and they need to be contiguous,” Ross Watkins, Ogden City policy analyst, said. “So, following those three rules, they can really shuffle things a lot. If the community wants to get involved, they need to contact their city council member and say ‘Hey, I
think this community needs to be in our district.’” However, if the precincts are relatively equal in size, it will allow for easier and quicker grouping, which is good since the city will only have about two weeks to finalize their groups after receiving the new precincts with federal and state deadlines looming just around the corner. Wade said it had been difficult with such a time crunch because of how delayed the census data was, which dominoed into delaying all the boundaries being drawn, from the legislature down. Ogden City Council must have its voter participation districts finalized by Jan. 1 and the school voting districts done by Jan. 11. While the city council districts can be finalized up to six months later, the voter participation districts and the city council districts are planned to be the same, which gives the city council a tight turnaround on the new districts. They are currently on track to meet that goal with a planned vote on the finalized districts on Dec. 23.
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Weber Institute Singers
Dyson Koehler looks to take a shot.
By ALEC CIPOLLINI
Reporter
Weber State University’s men’s basketball team opened up their 2021-22 Big Sky Conference campaign with a 67–44 win against Northern Arizona University at the Dee Events Center on Dec. 2. When the two squads faced off against each other in the spring, WSU freshman guard Josh Sanders broke the program’s all-time record of most 3-pointers made against a National Collegiate Athletic College Division 1 opponent as he scored the eighteenth 3-pointer of the game in the Wildcats’ 92–59 home win over NAU on Feb. 18. NAU lost former star guard Cameron Shelton as he transferred to Loyola Marymount University after finishing as the highest scorer in the Big Sky last season. Shelton averaged 19.2 points in 22 games for the Lumberjacks. Things got chippy right from the get-go when the score was 12–8 in favor of WSU as ‘Cats senior guard Jamison Overton drove to
WSU ATHLETICS
WSU ATHLETICS
12 | MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021
Dillon Jones looks for an open teammate.
the basket and missed a layup at 12:48 in the first half. Lumberjacks forward Carson Towt taunted Overton by shrugging his shoulders and laughing at him. Overton responded by headbutting Towt before receiving a technical foul on the play. “It’s going to happen once in a while,” Dyson Koehler, freshman forward, said. “There will be those games where the refs will call everything. You just have to adjust through tough moments, and that is what we did then.” After a layup by Towt to minimize the Wildcats’ lead to 12–10, WSU senior guard Koby McEwen made two free throws to create a 10–2 scoring run for Weber State as they led 23–12 with 5:52 remaining in the first half. WSU freshman guard Alex Tew split between two NAU defenders and dunked the ball before WSU went into halftime with a 28–18 advantage. In the second frame, the Lumberjacks would try to chop their deficit down, and junior guard Mason Stark did so by scoring
5 points and assisting once in a 0:54 time span to minimize the Wildcats’ lead to just 9 points, 43–34. “Obviously, we got good players on our team,” Dillon Jones, WSU freshman forward, said. “If we are going to be successful against tough teams, our shots have to fall, and we know that. We just have to play smart.” After a television timeout, McEwen ignited a 28–6 run as he windmill dunked the ball to set the crowd on their feet and roared with cheers at 8:30 in the second half. WSU junior guard/forward Zahir Porter would steal two pass attempts by Towt and NAU guard Jalen Cone 32 seconds apart before sending an alley-oop pass to Overton at 7:07. Overton missed the shot, but McEwen picked up a rebound to score a layup at 6:55, and the Wildcats went up 53–36. “We kept amping up the defense, got some turnovers and played well defensively,” WSU head coach Randy Rahe said. “I told the team to avoid giving them [NAU] offensive rebounds, stop giving up turnovers, and we did that.”
Porter would pull off a euro-step past Northern Arizona guard Carter Mahaney before finishing with a layup as the game finished 67–44 for the Wildcats. Jones led the way for Weber State with 18 points and 5 steals. Koehler added 15 points, while McEwen finished with 13. This was the first home game in nearly a month for WSU since the 100–60 blowout victory against Western Colorado University on Nov. 9, and Jones said it felt weird being at home once again after a five-game road trip. “I was kinda lost because we haven’t played a home game in a while,” Jones said. “It’s always nice to play in front of the home fans, and I have a lot of pride when I play for Weber State. Being 7–0 now, we want even more fans to show up.” Weber State beat Portland State University 80–69 on Dec. 4 at the Dee Events Center to remain undefeated and now have an eight-game winning streak. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
KENNEDY ROBINS | The Signpost
KENNEDY ROBINS | The Signpost
MyWeberMedia.com | December 7, 2021 | 13
A close-up of the piano available for use in the recording studio in room 117 in the Browning Center. A large TV, speakers, monitors and computers are available for use in the recording studio, located in the Browning Center on Weber State University’s Ogden campus.
By JACKSON REED
Columnist
Music streaming services and social media platforms like TikTok have ultimately changed the way music is listened to and discovered by audiences. In part, this is due to increasing digital connectivity. Many musicians now have the ability to have their music discovered and go viral overnight. Virality is not a new feature of the internet, but it is occurring at a seemingly exponential rate. Olivia Rodrigo and Surfaces are just two examples of the many artists who have been discovered and popularized in such a short amount of time due to the rapid acting nature and design of using music in multimedia posts.
Whether the songs by these artists are used ironically in a TikTok video, or the music is genuinely well written, these songs eventually make their way to playlists. Individual playlists, yes, but more importantly, curated playlists. Curated playlists often have certain themes or musical genres that they adhere to. They are a way for listeners of a genre or artist to find closely related music. These curated playlists made by algorithms, companies, record labels and even paid individual users are constantly growing and expanding, exposing listeners to songs that they would not have likely heard of otherwise. Before streaming services, in the time of record label tycoons, labels would produce a select few musicians and market them on the radio. This was expensive, so labels would take fewer risks with the types of music they would select to record and pro-
mote, resulting in a handful of musicians that many people would know, because that was the music that was available to be purchased and listened to. And while there are still collectors of CD and vinyl, these mediums remain largely for collectors and are not the dominant way people discover music due to its cost. Economically, a person can’t beat the subscription price of $5-10 per month for a streaming service, where new records range anywhere from $20-30. Before, record labels had an immense amount of power deciding who to produce and where to market the music. Now, musicians can record music in their own bedrooms. Musicians like Clairo, Mac Demarco, Boy Pablo and Cuco helped catalyze the genre of bedroom pop, and now this DIY approach of recording and marketing has become quite pervasive in the music industry. Musicians can now go through a service
like CD Baby and pay a one-time fee of $69 to get their music on every streaming platform. This brings up the question of what a record label is needed for in today’s music industry. If distribution and recording can be done on a smaller and more affordable level, and most people do not listen to the radio or discover music though the previous distribution methods like they used to, why would a musician want to be signed to a record label? We no longer live in a time where what we listen to is dictated by record labels. We now have access to a wider selection of music that has allowed for more and more obscure preferences in music to be listened to and recorded, and that’s something that’s worth celebrating for music lovers. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
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2. The correct answer is D, Beijing. According to The Guardian, the Biden administration will refuse to send U.S. diplomats to the Winter Olympics due to “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity,” Psaki said, amongst other human rights abuses, but that American athletes will still compete. 3. The correct answer is B, A warehouse. According to the New York Times, prosecutors say there is overwhelming evidence that Mr. and Ms.
Crumbley should have known that their son was a danger to his school. This is a rare instance of parents being held accountable in a school shooting case. 4. The correct answer is A, Filipino and Asian fusion. According to ABC4 Salt Lake City, the World Famous Yum Yum food truck exploded due to a fryer malfunction, inflicting burns on two men while a third person escaped harm.
5. The correct answer is D, Medina Spirit. According to the Courier-Journal, the horse is also subject of a controversy that has not been resolved regarding the use of a man-made steroid, which is illegal when found in a horse’s blood on race day due to possible performance enhancement. It is yet unknown if steroids had a role in the horse’s death. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com Pexels
1. The correct answer is C, A negative COVID test 24 hours prior to boarding a flight to the U.S. regardless of vaccination status. According to Fox 2 Now St. Louis, all air travelers, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, will be required to show a negative pre-departure COVID-19 viral test taken the day before they board their flight into the United States. The CDC has noted that the Omicron variant has already been detected in 23 countries.
The U.S. has enacted new restrictions due to the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.