The Signpost: Waldo's World 2021

Tuesday | April 20, 2021 | Volume 94 | Issue 53

AUBREE ECKHARDT | The Signpost

2 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

• pg.3: Looking back on the iconic Stewart Bell Tower • pg. 4: Looking back on the iconic Stewart Bell Tower (Spanish translation) • pg.6: Crack down on homework while enjoying the view • pg.8: BRT progress update (English and Spanish translation) • pg.10: Taking a look at diversity within the University • pg.13: Taking a look at diversity within the University (Spanish translation) • pg.15: Take advantage of campus recreation • pg.16: WSU parking can get chaotic • pg.19: Raising the minimum wage for hourly employees • pg.20: Uplifting minority groups through student clubs and organizations • pg.21: Uplifting minority groups through student clubs and organizations (Spanish translation)

• pg.22: Campus history and building names • pg 24: Campus history and building names (Spanish translation) • pg 26: Wildcat football walk-ons make their mark • pg 29: Endless tripumphs for speech and debate team • pg 31: A guide through college withe peer mentoring • pg 33: Wildcat volleyball makes history at NCAA Tournament • pg 34: Don’t fear the FAFSA • pg 36: Behind the scenes of The Signpost • pg 39: Historic season comes to an end for volleyball • pg 40: A breakdown of student fees • pg 42: Managing the balance between work, school, and a social life • pg 43: ‘Cats football reaches top dog status

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 3

Brooklynn Kilgore | The Signpost

The Weber State Bell Tower stands tall against the horizon.

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

The Weber State University Bell Tower stands 100 feet tall on the Ogden campus, a stalwart beacon for the whole community with a rich history behind it.

The Bell Tower is located in the heart of campus, near the Shepherd Union building, and has its own plaza. The tower is takes up 14 square feet on the ground before it towers upward. The clock has four faces and chimes at the top of each hour for all students, faculty, staff and visitors to hear.

The tower itself was pitched to the institutional council in 1970, according to the WSU Archives. After sketches and a model were drawn up, Mr. and Mrs. Donnell Stewart do-

nated the money to erect the structure and the tower was named the Stewart Bell Tower.

According to WSU Archives and a scrapbook made about the construction and completion of the Stewart Tower, there are four large cast bells inside, which are suspended and visible below the clock faces. An electronic carillon instrument also sits in the tower, and it consists of 61 Flemish bells, 61 harp bells and 61 Celeste bells, for a total of 183 bells.

“As major point of interest, bells throughout the centuries have been interpreted as the voice to the people, and following this tradition, the bells of Weber State carry inscriptions selected by the donors as an admonition and challenge to all who hear their message,” one article in the scrapbook reads.

The bells were cast in Asten, Netherlands,

and arrived at WSU in August 1971. Each bell has an inscription in Latin. The first bell reads “Scientiam Discite,” which means “learn understanding.”

The second reads “Sapientiam Capite,” which means “to gain or grasp wisdom.”

The third bell says “Virtutem Agite,” which translates to “practice virtue.”

The fourth and final bell reads “Deum Amate,” meaning “to love God.” The funds for the tower were donated by the Stewarts, who were former students. They had a love of music and wanted to share a memorial for all future students, faculty and members of Weber State.

The dedication of the structure was to be held across the campus, but on Dec. 14, 1971, the wind chill was below zero, so the ceremony

was held inside the Union auditorium. Even though the construction around the plaza was not complete because of the heavy snowfall that year, members of WSU decided to move forward with the dedication.

In 2008, the Bell Tower was rededicated after the university added rock and water features to the surrounding plaza.

In an article from The Signpost about the 2008 rededication, one of WSU’s former presidents, Dean Hurst, was quoted saying, “That Bell Tower has served as an icon that has weathered the weather well.”

Another former president, F. Ann Millner, called it a centerpiece of the Weber State campus.

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Brooklynn Kilgore | The Signpost

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El histórico campanario de Weber State está situado entre Elizabeth Hall y Tracy Hall.

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

By MATIAS PEDREIRA

Translator

El campanario de la Universidad Weber State tiene una altura de 100 pies en el centro del campus de Ogden, un faro incondicional para toda la comunidad que tiene una rica historia detrás El campanario está ubicado en el corazón del campus, cerca del edificio Shepherd Union, y tiene su propia plaza. La torre ocupa 14 pies cuadrados en el suelo antes de que se eleve hacia arriba. El reloj tiene cuatro caras y sus campanadas se realizan a cada hora para que las escuchen todos los estudiantes, profesores, personal y visitantes.

La torre en sí fue propuesta al consejo insti-

tucional en 1970, según los Archivos de WSU. Después de que se elaboraron los bocetos y un modelo, el Sr. y la Sra. Donnell Stewart donaron el dinero para erigir la estructura y la torre recibió el nombre de Stewart Bell Tower.

Según los Archivos de WSU y un álbum de recortes realizado sobre la construcción y finalización de la Torre Stewart, hay cuatro campanas grandes de fundición en el interior, que están suspendidas y son visibles debajo de las esferas del reloj. Un carillón electrónico también se encuentra en la torre, y consta de 61 campanas flamencas, 61 campanas de arpa y 61 campanas Celest, para un total de 183 campanas.

“Como principal punto de interés, las campanas a lo largo de los siglos se han interpretado como la voz del pueblo y siguiendo esta tradición, las campanas de la Universidad Weber State llevan inscripciones seleccionadas por los donantes como amonestación y

desafío a todos los que escuchan su mensaje”, se lee en un artículo del álbum de recortes.

Las campanas se fundieron en Asten, Holanda, y llegaron a WSU en agosto de 1971. Cada campana tiene una inscripción en latín. La primera campana dice “Scientiam Discite”, que significa aprender a comprender.

El segundo dice ‘Sapientiam Capite, que significa ganar o captar sabiduría.

La tercera campana dice “Virtutem Agite”, que significa practicar la virtud.

La cuarta y última campana dice “Deum Amate”, que significa amar a Dios.

Los fondos para la torre fueron donados por los Stewart, que eran antiguos alumnos. Les encantaba la música y querían compartir un homenaje para todos los futuros estudiantes, profesores y miembros de Weber State.

La dedicación de la estructura se llevaría a cabo en todo el campus, pero el 14 de diciembre de 1971, la sensación térmica estaba

por debajo de cero, por lo que la ceremonia se llevó a cabo dentro del auditorio del edificio Union. Aunque la construcción alrededor de la plaza no se completó debido a la fuerte nevada de ese año, los miembros de WSU decidieron seguir adelante con la dedicación.

En 2008, el campanario se volvió a dedicar después de que la universidad agregó elementos de roca y agua a la plaza circundante.

En un artículo de The Signpost sobre la nueva dedicación de 2008, uno de los ex presidentes de WSU, Dean Hurst, fue citado diciendo: “Ese campanario ha servido como un ícono que ha resistido bien el clima”.

Otro ex presidente F. Ann Millner lo llamó una pieza central del campus de Weber State.

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CRACK DOWN ON HOMEWORK WHILE ENJOYING VIEW

By LUCAS MOORE Reporter

There are many places across the Weber State University campus that are perfect for studying. Incoming and even current students may not know of these areas due to the pandemic restrictions.

The Stewart Wasatch Hall, one of the dormitories, has a whole study level complete with private study rooms on the third floor.

According to students who frequent this spot, it is never crowded. The private study rooms are reservable, so you can always have a spot

when you need it.

The fireplace lounge in the Shepherd Union is also a student favorite, especially during the winter time. There are a plethora of chairs and tables to sit at and a fireplace to relax and finish big assignments by while staying warm.

Another study area is the top floor of Lindquist Hall. It’s a spacious study area with a favored view of the pond and its feathered inhabitants in front of the university. Tracy Hall also has one located on the third floor that contains booths to study in, minus the view.

The Stewart Library is a very common place

for students to work on their academic skills.

Students can reserve study spots and computer space within the building. There are also benches outside near the library in a small grove of trees. It’s a perfect spot to study in when the weather is nice and if you enjoy the outdoors.

The Union Patio outside of the Shepherd Union is another common area where students are able to work on classwork and eat from The Den simultaneously. There is also a fire pit for students to warm up next to in colder times. Students can even choose to study

inside The Den during serving hours.

An additional studying spot is located in the Student Involvement and Leadership room on the third floor of the Shepherd Union. It has an air hockey table, and the student ambassadors are always up there to talk to.

There are many areas that can be utilized for studying, researching or any time if you need to crack down on assignments. A walk around campus and its open buildings never hurts to further knowledge of these spaces.

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NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

Weber State’s duck pond is a popular spot to view ducks, geese and swans.

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

Weber State University’s Stewart Library is located right above the Shepherd An animated globe can be seen in the Tracy Science Hall on Weber State Union, making it easily accessible to all students.

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By MARISA NELSON

Section Editor

The Bus Rapid Transit construction has begun throughout Ogden as well as on the Weber State campus. Completion of the entire project will take until 2023.

On the WSU campus, BRT construction has begun around the Lindquist Plaza retaining wall, and a groundbreaking for the route in front of the Browning Center, where the BRT will stop to drop students off at the center of campus, took place on April 13.

“We are so excited about the benefits that it will have on behalf of Weber State to connect our community, not only between here and downtown Ogden but beyond,” President Brad Mortensen said.

Many members of WSU, including Waldo the Wildcat, turned dirt on campus to commemorate the beginning of route construction.

According to the Ogden BRT website, westbound 25th Street was closed between April 7-9 for the relocating of utility. Construction on 24th and 25th streets continues in preparation to build station platforms along both roads.

The Dee Events Center Marquee was also taken down on March 31 to make way for the

new route that will have stops in downtown Ogden, on campus, at the Dee Events Center and at McKay Dee Hospital.

The construction timeline seems to be on schedule. According to the Ogden BRT website, in 2021, the Ogden Intermodal Hub, 25th Street, Washington Boulevard, Harrison Boulevard, WSU central campus and WSU Village Drive will all be under construction and completed.

Partners for this project include UTA, Ogden City, Weber State University, Intermountain Healthcare, UDOT, Wasatch Front Regional Council, Weber County, USA Department of Transportation, Jacobs, AECOM, WCEC Engineers and Stacy and Witbeck.

Students and the community can get updates about construction by going to the BRT website and signing up for email and text alerts.

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

By MATIAS PEDREIRA Translator

La construcción del Bus Rapid Transit ha comenzado en la ciudad de Ogden, así como en el campus de Weber State. La finalización de todo el proyecto está prevista para el 2023.

En el campus de WSU, la construcción del BRT ha comenzado alrededor del muro de contención del Lindquist Plaza, y el 13 de abril se llevó a cabo una palada inicial de esta nueva obra. La palada inicial se llevó a cabo frente al Browning Center en el campus, donde la nueva línea BRT transportará estudiantes al centro del campus.

“Estamos muy entusiasmados con los beneficios que esta obra tendrá en el para Weber State, conectando nuestra comunidad, no solo entre aquí y el centro de Ogden, sino más allá”.

Dijo el presidente Brad Mortensen.

Muchos miembros de WSU, incluido Waldo the Wildcat, removieron tierra en el campus para conmemorar el comienzo de la construcción de la obra.

Según el sitio web de Ogden BRT, la calle 25 en dirección oeste se cerró entre el 7 y el 9 de Comment on this story at abril por la reubicación de los servicios públi-

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cos. La construcción en las calles 24 y 25 continúa en preparación para construir plataformas de estaciones a lo largo de ambas calles.

La marquesina del Dee Events Center también fue retirada el 31 de marzo para dar paso a la nueva ruta que podrá llevar a los estudiantes del centro de Ogden al campus y al Dee Event Center y al McKay Dee Hospital.

El cronograma de construcción parece estar siguiendo los planes previstos. Según el sitio web de Ogden BRT en 2021 se prevee que el Ogden Intermodal Hub, 25th street, Washington Blvd., Harrison Blvd., WSU Central campus, WSU Village Drive estén en construcción y/o terminados.

Los socios para este proyecto incluyen UTA, Ogden City, Weber State University, Intermountain Healthcare, UDOT, Wasatch Front Regional Council, Weber County, USA Department of Transportation, Jacobs, AECOM, WCEC Engineers, Stacy y Witbeck.

Los estudiantes y la comunidad pueden recibir actualizaciones sobre la construcción y los cambios al visitar el sitio web de BRT y registrarse para recibir alertas por correo electrónico y mensajes de texto.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com BROOKLYNN KILGORE | The Signpost

BROOKLYNN KILGORE | The Signpost

View of the new construction from across the duck pond on March 31. Two Máquinas excavadoras y de mano trabajan limpiando los escombros de la excavators carve out the future bus route. obra el 31 de marzo.

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 9

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Access & Diversity Weber State’s Office of Access & Diversity supports historically underrepresented students and fosters an

inclusive and welcoming campus environment

through university-wide initiatives, community partnerships and programs for current and future Wildcats.

Access & Diversity

Student Services Center, Suite 150, 801-626-7006 weber.edu/accessanddiversity

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Learn more and see the complete schedule at: weber.edu/CounselingCenter/wildcat-chat.html

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Anxiety Toolbox Group

Center for Multicultural Excellence 801-626-7330 weber.edu/multicultural facebook.com/wsumulticultural

College Access & First-Year Transition 801-626-7006 weber.edu/access

Community Engagement 801-626-8516

Diversity & Inclusive Programs 801-626-6957 weber.edu/diversity facebook.com/wsucdu

LGBT Resource Center 801-626-7271 weber.edu/lgbtresourcecenter facebook.com/WeberStateLGBTcenter

Most of us have some level of anxiety, but we still have to know how to manage it and keep living life. Anxiety Toolbox is a virtual group where you can learn about anxiety. It is not a counseling or therapy group, it is an educational group.

Learn more about the group at: weber.edu/CounselingCenter/virtual-anxiety-toolbox.html

Access & Diversity

Ogden School District GEAR UP 801-626-7006

Peer Mentor Groups 801-626-7332 weber.edu/mentors

State GEAR UP, Region 1 801-395-3547 weber.edu/stategearup

Advocates for FAFSA 801-626-7027 weber.edu/advocatesforfafsa

TRIO Talent Search 801-626-7369 weber.edu/talentsearch

TRIO Upward Bound 801-626-6798 weber.edu/upwardbound

10 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

By CAITLYN NICHOLS Section Editor

Weber State University has promoted itself as a school that values and encourages diversity among its students. With many resources for students from all walks of life, there’s a place and help for everyone.

But how diverse is WSU? Records from the Office of Institutional Research are available to the public on WSU’s website and show the demographics of campus population, from age to credit hour load and from gender to ethnicity.

Institutional Analyst Juan Chavez said diversity numbers can change every day as students drop or add classes or change departments or schools. For consistency, the numbers WSU captures to report to the government and public always come from the third week of the fall semester.

It should also be noted that, unlike other Utah higher education institutions, WSU is an open enrollment school, meaning everyone who applies to the university is accepted.

As of the third week of fall 2020, there were 29,596 students at WSU. 16,846 (57%) were female and 12,750 (43%) were male. 12,432 (42%) were full-time students and 17,165 (58%) were part-time.

The racial and ethnic diversity of WSU’s students for fall 2020 were the following: 396 (1.3%) were Black or African American; 509 (1.7%) were Asian; 155 (0.5%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 128 (0.4%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 3,265 (11%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 22,018 (74.4%) were white; 1,028 (3.5%) were multiracial; and 1,829 (6.2%) were unreported. There were also 268 (0.9%) international students.

These numbers are fairly similar to the racial and ethnic demographics of Utah and Ogden.

According to the United States Census Bureau’s website, as of July 2019, the estimated population of Utah was 3,205,958.

Of this, 77.8% of the population was white; 14.4% was Hispanic or Latinx; 1.5% was Black or African American; 1.6% was Native American or Alaskan Native; 2.7% was Asian; 1.1% was Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; and 2.6% was multiracial.

According to the United States Census Bureau’s website, as of July 2019, the estimated population of Ogden was 87,773.

Of this, 61.3% of the population was white; 31.9% was Hispanic or Latinx; 1.9% was Black or African American; 1.2% was Native American or Alaskan Native; 1.2% was Asian; 0.3% was Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; and 3.9% was multiracial.

There are measures that WSU takes to promote diversity and recruit diverse students. Enrique Romo, assistant vice president for student affairs, who oversees access and diversity, explained that they use federal grant programs at middle and high school levels such as TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Talent Search, as well as their Ogden GEAR UP and state GEAR UP programs to serve students in need.

“These work with historically underrepresented, underserved, low-income, first-generation and ethnically diverse students to give them college knowledge as well as opportunities

to realize their college aspirations,” Romo said. “They give students the tools they need to successfully graduate high school and then transition over to postsecondary institutions.”

After admission, Romo said the programs like College Access and First-year Transitions, the Center for Multicultural Excellence, diversity and inclusivity programs, peer mentoring, the LGBT Resource Center and Center for Community Engagement try to ensure students feel connected to campus and give them a sense of belonging.

“We want them to be proud of who they are as well as with their traditions, costumes and backgrounds,” Romo said. “We celebrate their uniqueness by acknowledging their identities and their communities.”

Romo said they also center their work using an equity lens which aligns with institutional goals, helping them address issues of structural racism.

The institutional profile reports from Institutional Research also show the demographics of each college at WSU. Again, these statistics are as of the third week of the fall 2020 semester.

Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities had 1,686 students, 589 (34.9%) of which were male and 1,097 (65.1%) female. The racial and ethnic diversity of the college was comprised of the following: 35 (2.1%) were Black or African American; 15 (0.9%) were Asian; 5 (0.3%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 13 (0.8%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 192 (11.4%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,278 (75.8%) were white; 46 (2.7%) were multiracial; and 66 (3.9%) were unreported. There were also 36 (2.1%) international students.

Goddard School of Business and Economics had 1,900 students: 1,212 (63.8%) of which were male and 688 (36.2%) female. Thirty-one (1.6%) were Black or African American; 44 (2.3%) were Asian; 15 (0.8%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 3 (0.2%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 200 (10.5%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,330 (70%) were white; 72 (3.8%) were multiracial; and 141 (7.4%) unreported. There were also 64 (3.4%) international students.

Moyes College of Education had 1,680 students, 419 (24.9%) of which were male and 1,261 (75.1%) female. Twenty-one (1.3%) were Black or African American; 13 (0.8%) were Asian; 12 (0.7%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 10 (0.6%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 183 (10.9%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,222 (72.7%) were white; 72 (4.3%) were multiracial; and 127 (7.6%) unreported. There were also 20 (1.2%) international students.

The College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology had 2,996 students, 2,449 (81.7%) of which were male and 547 (18.2%) female. Fifty-one (1.7%) were Black or African American; 69 (2.3%) were Asian; 16 (0.5%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 13 (0.4%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 299 (8%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 2,262 (75.5%) were white; 99 (3.3%) were multiracial; and 118 (3.9%) unreported. There were also 69 (2.3%) international students.

Dumke College of Health Professions had 4,647 students, 1,000 (21.5%) of which were male and 3,647 (78.5%) female.

Seventy-seven (1.7%) were Black or African American; 126 (2.7%) were Asian; 23 (0.5%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 33 (0.7%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 562 (12.1%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 3,377 (72.7%) were white; 144 (3.1%) were multiracial; and 267 (5.7%) unreported. There were also 38 (0.8%) international students.

The College of Science had 1,233 students, 559 (45.3%) of which were male and 674 (54.7%) female. Sixteen (1.3%) were Black or African American; 21 (1.7%) were Asian; 5 (0.4%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 8 (0.6%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 141 (11.4%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 932 (75.6%) were white; 58 (4.7%) were multiracial; and 39 (3.2%) unreported. There were also 13 (1.1%) international students.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences had 2,123 students, 721 (34%) of which were male and 1,402 (66%) female.

Fifty-five (2.6%) were Black or African American; 19 (0.9%) were Asian; 13 (0.6%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 18 (0.8%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 383 (18%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,464 (69%) were white; 94 (4.4%) multiracial; and 64 (3%) unreported. There were also 13 (0.6%) international students.

Finally, there were 13,331 General Studies or Bachelor of In-

BLYTHE EVANS | The Signpost

tegrated Studies students, 5,801 (43.5%) of which were male and 7,530 (56.5%) female. One-hundred-ten (0.8%) were Black or African American; 202 (1.5%) were Asian; 66 (0.5%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 30 (0.2%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 1,305 (9.8%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 10,153 (76.2%) were white; 443 (3.3%) were multiracial; and 1,007 (7.6%) unreported. There were also 15 (0.1%) international students.

Institutional Record’s Institutional Profile can also display the varying percentages of records of specific programs and the change in diversity over time.

While diversity can’t be forced, the different colleges still strive to do their own part to promote and recruit diversity in their programs.

For example, Alicia Ingersoll, assistant professor and chair of the Goddard School of Business and Economics’s newly launched committee for equity, diversity and inclusion, said they are working to develop programs for outreach to women to improve gender diversity within their programs. The college also has been improving their outreach to the Latinx community, especially taking into account the Ogden community’s higher Hispanic and Latinx percentage.

Ingersoll also said the college is exploring new faculty-recruiting avenues with its search committees to improve diversity within its hiring pools. They’re also working on an addition to the tenure and promotion document which will “require faculty to address their efforts to increase equity, diversity and inclusion [EDI] within their teaching, research and service,” Ingersoll said.

Ingersoll said while there’s still more work to do, the college is celebrating the progress and success they’ve had in nearly doubling the enrollment of women into the Master of Business Administration program, putting them in line with the national average for women in MBA programs.

“We know that we have a lot of work ahead of us at the Goddard School in order to reach our goals related to EDI,” Ingersoll said. “However, we are committed to progress and putting in place actionable plans to meet our objectives.”

In Lindquist College, focuses on diversity are handled more by individual departments.

For example, Hal Crimmel, professor and chair of the English department, said that in summer 2020 the department created a Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force to look at curriculum, course content, hiring, marketing, recruitment, retention, scholarships and student engagement. Crimmel said the department’s identified strengths include curriculum, speaker series and course materials, while areas for improvement include marketing, targeted diversity scholarships and new faculty hiring.

Crimmel also said the English department’s majors are about 75% female and 25% male, so they’re currently specifically working on identifying ways to attract more male students.

Kayla Griffin, instructor and chair of the Communication department’s diversity committee, said the department is working on extensive plans of goals, objectives and activities to both recruit and retain diversity, as well as create a sense of community. With these future events they hope to create more relationships with and work with other diversity organizations in the community and on campus.

Griffin said, while most of their current ideas are still in planning stage and are not yet approved, the department has seen progress and success with the speech and debate team.

The speech and debate team was created to give students the opportunity to learn to speak about important issues

they’re passionate about. Because of COVID-19, all of their recent debates have been virtual, but usually, they travel around the United States to debate their topics. This travel is completely paid for by the department so the students can participate without financial worry.

Griffin said they’re always looking for social and diversity issues that aren’t really being addressed anywhere else to use and talk about in their curriculum, mentioning that the communication department is equipped to teach skills in protest communication, conflict management, debate and argumentation, public speaking and more.

She said they strive to promote diversity not just with their committee but through their curriculum, social and community engagement and getting students involved.

“We do it by making sure our students are involved in every step of the way, because we can’t fix a problem unless we understand what the problem is,” Griffin said. “And if we care about our students, our students should be the ones who are leading it, so it’s fostering that environment for them to lead it.”

Griffin said diversity is more than just race and gender, but also includes age, religion, neurodiversity, cultural background, political ideas and more.

She specifically talked about a focus in the communication department on neurodiversity, providing opportunities for those with anxiety, depression and autism to still be able to learn the skills the department teaches.

Jenny Kokai, associate professor and Department of Performing Arts chair, said the department’s three distinct areas — theatre, dance and music — all do their separate recruiting and efforts to promote diversity.

Kokai said it’s critical in the theatre department to choose plays and cast plays in a way that represents the diversity at WSU. She said the professionalized discrimination of casting people based on “types” or who “fits” the part visually, intentionally or unintentionally, has been too common for too long in theatre, and WSU’s program is not interested in replicating or continuing the practice.

Kokai said they also strive to read plays from all kinds of authors around the world, not just for representation, “but because how do you try to understand an art form if you’re not looking at the many ways people have approached it?”

Kokai said the dance program also has many partnerships with under-represented groups. For example, a couple of years ago the Moving Company did a piece based on interviews with Ogden Latinx community members.

“In theatre, I feel that if

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 11

prospective students do not see anyone who looks like them or read works from people who share their perspectives, why would they choose to come be a part of our department?” Kokai said.

Kokai also remarked that diversity is more than just recruitment of diverse peoples, but also making sure the environment is safe and welcoming to all.

“Recruiting diverse folks is great, but if the climate is hostile to them when they get here, that’s its own kind of bad,” Kokai said. “So it is a two-pronged effort: improve the climate here so all students feel included and that their education is equitable, and improve recruitment of students.”

As Ingersoll said, there’s still much to do to improve diversity within the university, but there are already some visible achievements. As Griffin described, progress can already be seen year by year through students’ conversations and projects, and by the fact that the university is willing to face the problem and treat it. Continuing efforts toward growth in diversity will be important for WSU. “When we engage and are a part of diverse communities, we learn from each other across differences,” LGBT Resource Center Coordinator Jayson Stokes said. “We expand our view of the world and come to understand ourselves and others better. We learn to think in a more holistic and inclusive way.”

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12 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

By ANDRES RODRIGUEZ Translator

Weber State University se ha promocionado como una escuela que valora y fomenta la diversidad entre sus estudiantes. Con muchos recursos para estudiantes de todos los ámbitos de la vida, hay un lugar y ayuda para todos.

Pero, ¿qué tan diversa es WSU? Los registros de la oficina de Investigación Institucional están disponibles para el público en el sitio web de WSU y muestran la demografía poblacional del campus, desde la edad hasta la carga de horas de crédito y desde el género hasta la etnia.

El analista institucional Juan Chávez dijo que los números de diversidad pueden cambiar todos los días a medida que los estudiantes abandonan, agregan clases, cambian de departamento o escuela. Para mantener la coherencia, los números que WSU captura para informar al gobierno y al público siempre provienen de la tercera semana del semestre de otoño.

También debe tenerse en cuenta que, a diferencia de otras instituciones de educación superior de Utah, WSU es una escuela de inscripción abierta, lo que significa que todos los que se postulan para la universidad son aceptados.

A la tercera semana del otoño de 2020, había 29,596 estudiantes en WSU. 16.846 (57%) eran mujeres y 12.750 (43%) eran hombres. 12.432 (42%) eran estudiantes a tiempo completo y 17.165 (58%) eran estudiantes a tiempo parcial.

La diversidad racial y étnica de los estudiantes de WSU para el otoño de 2020 fue la siguiente: 396 (1.3%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 509 (1,7%) eran asiáticos; 155 (0,5%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 128 (0,4%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 3265 (11%) eran hispanos o latinos; 22.018 (74,4%) eran blancos; 1.028 (3,5%) eran multirraciales; y 1.829 (6,2%) no se declararon. También hubo 268 (0,9%) estudiantes internacionales.

Estos números son bastante similares a la demografía racial y étnica de Utah y Ogden.

Según el sitio web de la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos, a julio de 2019, la población estimada de Utah era de 3.205.958.

De esto, el 77,8% de la población era blanca; El 14,4% eran hispanos o latinos; El 1,5% era negro o afroamericano; El 1,6% era nativo americano o nativo de Alaska; El 2,7% era asiático; El 1,1% era nativo de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; y el 2,6% era multirracial.

Según el sitio web de la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos, a julio de 2019, la población estimada de Ogden era 87,773.

De esto, el 61,3% de la población era blanca; 31,9% eran hispanos o latinos; El 1,9% era negro o afroamericano; El 1,2% era nativo americano o nativo de Alaska; El 1,2% era asiático; El 0,3% era nativo de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; y el 3,9% era multirracial.

Hay medidas que WSU toma para promover la diversidad y reclutar diversos estudiantes.

Enrique Romo, vicepresidente asistente de asuntos estudiantiles, que supervisa el acceso y la diversidad, explicó que utilizan programas de subvenciones federales en los niveles de secundaria y preparatoria, como TRIO Upward Bound y TRIO Talent Search, así como su Ogden GEAR UP y el estado GEAR UP. programas para atender a los estudiantes necesitados.

“Estos trabajan con estudiantes históricamente subrepresentados, de bajos ingresos, de primera generación y étnicamente diversos para brindarles conocimientos universitarios, así como oportunidades para realizar sus aspiraciones universitarias”, dijo Romo. “Les brindan a los estudiantes las herramientas que necesitan para graduarse con éxito de la escuela secundaria y luego hacer la transición a instituciones postsecundarias”.

Después de la admisión, Romo dijo que los programas como College Access y Firstyear Transitions, el Center for Multicultural Excellence, los programas de diversidad e inclusión, la tutoría en conjunto, el LGBT Resource Center y el Center for Community En-

gagement intentan garantizar que los estudiantes se sientan conectados con el campus y les brinden un sentimiento de pertenencia.

“Queremos que estén orgullosos de quiénes son, así como de sus tradiciones, vestuario y antecedentes”, dijo Romo. “Celebramos su singularidad reconociendo sus identidades y sus comunidades”.

Romo dijo que también centran su trabajo utilizando una lente de equidad que se alinea con los objetivos institucionales, ayudándoles a abordar problemas de racismo estructural.

Los informes de perfil institucional de “Institutional Research” también muestran la demografía de cada universidad en WSU. Nuevamente, estas estadísticas corresponden a la tercera semana del semestre de otoño de 2020.

Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities tenía 1.686 estudiantes, 589 (34,9%) de los cuales eran hombres y 1.097 (65,1%) mujeres. La diversidad racial y étnica de la universidad se componía de lo siguiente: 35 (2,1%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 15 (0,9%) eran asiáticos; 5 (0,3%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 13 (0,8%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 192 (11,4%) eran hispanos o latinos; 1.278 (75,8%) eran blancos; 46 (2,7%) eran multirraciales; y 66 (3,9%) no fueron declarados. También hubo 36 (2,1%) estudiantes internacionales.

Goddard School of Business and Economics tenía 1.900 alumnos: 1.212 (63,8%) de los cuales eran hombres y 688 (36,2%) mujeres.

Treinta y uno (1,6%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 44 (2,3%) eran asiáticos; 15 (0,8%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 3 (0,2%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 200 (10,5%) eran hispanos o latinos; 1.330 (70%) eran blancos; 72 (3,8%) eran multirraciales; y 141 (7,4%) no declarados. También hubo 64 (3,4%) estudiantes internacionales.

Moyes College of Education tenía 1.680 estudiantes, 419 (24,9%) de los cuales eran hombres y 1.261 (75,1%) mujeres. Veintiuno (1,3%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 13

(0,8%) eran asiáticos; 12 (0,7%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 10 (0,6%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 183 (10,9%) eran hispanos o latinos; 1.222 (72,7%) eran blancos; 72 (4,3%) eran multirraciales; y 127 (7,6%) no declarados.

También hubo 20 (1,2%) estudiantes internacionales.

El College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology tenía 2.996 estudiantes, 2.449 (81,7%) eran hombres y 547 (18,2%) mujeres. Cincuenta y uno (1,7%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 69 (2,3%) eran asiáticos; 16 (0,5%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 13 (0,4%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 299 (8%) eran hispanos o latinos; 2.262 (75,5%) eran blancos; 99 (3,3%) eran multirraciales; y 118 (3,9%) no declarados. También hubo 69 (2,3%) estudiantes internacionales.

Dumke College of Health Professions tenía 4.647 estudiantes, 1.000 (21,5%) de los cuales eran hombres y 3.647 (78,5%) mujeres. Setenta y siete (1,7%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 126 (2,7%) eran asiáticos; 23 (0,5%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 33 (0,7%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 562 (12,1%) eran hispanos o latinos; 3.377 (72,7%) eran blancos; 144 (3,1%) eran multirraciales; y 267 (5,7%) no declarados. También hubo 38 (0,8%) estudiantes internacionales.

El College of Social and Behavioral Sciences tenía 2.123 estudiantes, 721 (34%) de los cuales eran hombres y 1.402 (66%) mujeres. Cincuenta y cinco (2,6%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 19 (0,9%) eran asiáticos; 13 (0,6%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 18 (0,8%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 383 (18%) eran hispanos o latinos; 1,464 (69%) eran blancos; 94 (4,4%) multirracial; y 64 (3%) no declarados.

También hubo 13 (0,6%) estudiantes internacionales.

Finalmente, había 13.331 estudiantes de Estudios Generales o Licenciatura en Estudios Integrados, de los cuales 5.801 (43,5%) eran

hombres y 7.530 (56,5%) mujeres. Ciento diez (0,8%) eran negros o afroamericanos; 202 (1,5%) eran asiáticos; 66 (0,5%) eran nativos de Hawái o de otras islas del Pacífico; 30 (0,2%) eran nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska; 1.305 (9,8%) eran hispanos o latinos; 10.153 (76,2%) eran blancos; 443 (3,3%) eran multirraciales; y 1.007 (7,6%) no declarados. También hubo 15 (0,1%) estudiantes internacionales.

Si bien la diversidad no puede ser forzada, las diferentes universidades aún se esfuerzan por hacer su parte para promover y reclutar diversidad en sus programas.

Por ejemplo, Alicia Ingersoll, profesora asistente y presidenta del comité de equidad, diversidad e inclusión de la Goddard School of Business and Economics, recientemente lanzado, dijo que están trabajando para desarrollar programas de alcance a las mujeres para mejorar la diversidad de género dentro de sus programas. La universidad también ha estado mejorando su alcance a la comunidad latina, especialmente teniendo en cuenta el mayor porcentaje de hispanos y latinos de la comunidad de Ogden.

Ingersoll también dijo que la universidad está explorando nuevas vías de reclutamiento de profesores con sus comités de búsqueda para mejorar la diversidad dentro de sus grupos de contratación. También están trabajando en una adición al documento de tenencia y promoción que “requerirá que los profesores aborden sus esfuerzos para aumentar la equidad, la diversidad y la inclusión (EDI) dentro de su enseñanza, investigación y servicio”, dijo Ingersoll.

Ingersoll también dijo que la universidad está explorando nuevas vías de reclutamiento de profesores con sus comités de búsqueda para mejorar la diversidad dentro de sus grupos de contratación. También están trabajando en una adición al documento de tenencia y promoción que “requerirá que los profesores aborden sus esfuerzos para aumentar la equidad, la diversidad y la inclusión (EDI) dentro de su enseñanza, investigación y servicio”, dijo Ingersoll.

Ingersoll dijo que si bien todavía hay más trabajo por hacer, la universidad está celebrando el progreso y el éxito que han tenido al casi duplicar la inscripción de mujeres en el programa de Maestría en Administración de Empresas, colocándolas en línea con el promedio nacional de mujeres en programas de MBA. “Sabemos que tenemos mucho trabajo por delante en Goddard School para alcanzar nuestras metas relacionadas con EDI”, dijo Ingersoll. “Sin embargo, estamos comprometidos con el progreso y con la implementación de planes viables para cumplir con nuestros objetivos”.

En Lindquist College, los enfoques en la diversidad son manejados más por departa-

mentos individuales.

Por ejemplo, Hal Crimmel, profesor y presidente del departamento de inglés, dijo que en el verano de 2020 el departamento creó un grupo de trabajo de justicia, diversidad, equidad e inclusión para analizar el plan de estudios, el contenido del curso, la contratación, el marketing, la contratación, la retención, las becas y participación de los estudiantes. Crimmel dijo que las fortalezas identificadas del departamento incluyen el plan de estudios, la serie de oradores y los materiales del curso, mientras que las áreas de mejora incluyen el marketing, las becas de diversidad específicas y la contratación de nuevos profesores.

Crimmel también dijo que las especialidades del departamento de inglés son aproximadamente un 75% mujeres y un 25% hombres, por lo que actualmente están trabajando específicamente para identificar formas de atraer a más estudiantes varones.

Kayla Griffin, instructora y presidenta del comité de diversidad del departamento de comunicación, dijo que el departamento está trabajando en amplios planes de metas, objetivos y actividades para reclutar y retener la diversidad, así como para crear un sentido de comunidad. Con estos eventos futuros esperan crear más relaciones y trabajar con otras organizaciones de diversidad en la comunidad y en el campus.

Griffin dijo que, si bien la mayoría de sus ideas actuales aún están en la etapa de planificación y aún no están aprobadas, el departamento ha visto avances y éxitos con el equipo de discursos y debates.

El equipo de discursos y debates se creó para brindarles a los estudiantes la oportunidad de aprender a hablar sobre temas importantes que les apasionan. Debido a COVID-19, todos sus debates recientes han sido virtuales, pero por lo general, viajan por los Estados Unidos para debatir sus temas. Este viaje es completamente pagado por el departamento para que los estudiantes puedan participar sin preocupaciones financieras.

Ella dijo que se esfuerzan por promover la diversidad no solo con su comité, sino a través de su plan de estudios, participación social y comunitaria y la participación de los estudiantes.

“Lo hacemos asegurándonos de que nuestros estudiantes participen en cada paso del camino, porque no podemos solucionar un problema a menos que entendamos cuál es el problema”, dijo Griffin. “Y si nos preocupamos por nuestros estudiantes, nuestros estudiantes deben ser los que lo dirijan, por lo que está fomentando ese entorno para que ellos lo lideren”.

Griffin dijo que la diversidad es más que solo raza y género, sino que también incluye edad, religión, neurodiversidad, antecedentes culturales, ideas políticas y más.

Ella habló específicamente sobre un enfo-

que en el departamento de comunicación sobre la neurodiversidad, brindando oportunidades para que las personas con ansiedad, depresión y autismo aún puedan aprender las habilidades que enseña el departamento.

Jenny Kokai, profesora asociada y presidenta del Departamento de Artes Escénicas, dijo que las tres áreas distintas del departamento (teatro, danza y música) realizan sus actividades de reclutamiento y esfuerzos por separado para promover la diversidad.

Kokai dijo que es fundamental en el departamento de teatro elegir obras de teatro y emitir obras de una manera que represente la diversidad en WSU. Dijo que la discriminación profesionalizada de las personas de casting en función de los “tipos” o de quién “encaja” en el papel de forma visual, intencionada o no, ha sido demasiado común durante demasiado tiempo en el teatro, y el programa de WSU no está interesado en replicar o continuar la práctica.

Kokai dijo que el programa de baile también tiene muchas asociaciones con grupos subrepresentados. Por ejemplo, hace un par de años, Moving Company hizo un artículo basado en entrevistas con miembros de la comunidad Latinx de Ogden.

“En teatro, siento que si los futuros estudiantes no ven a nadie que se parezca a ellos ni

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 13

leen obras de personas que comparten sus puntos de vista, ¿por qué elegirían venir a formar parte de nuestro departamento?” Dijo Kokai.

Kokai también comentó que la diversidad es más que solo reclutar personas con rasgos diversos, sino también asegurarse de que el medio ambiente sea seguro y acogedor para todos.

Como dijo Ingersoll, todavía queda mucho por hacer para mejorar la diversidad dentro de la universidad, pero ya hay algunos logros visibles. Como describió Griffin, el progreso ya se puede ver año tras año a través de las conversaciones y proyectos de los estudiantes, y por el hecho de que la universidad está dispuesta a enfrentar el problema y tratarlo. Los esfuerzos continuos hacia el crecimiento en la diversidad serán importantes para WSU. “Cuando nos involucramos y somos parte de comunidades diversas, aprendemos unos de otros a través de las diferencias”, dijo Jayson Stokes, coordinador del Centro de Recursos LGBT. “Ampliamos nuestra visión del mundo y llegamos a comprendernos mejor a nosotros mismos ya los demás. Aprendemos a pensar de una manera más holística e inclusiva “.

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August 28

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

WSU will be open on Saturday for you to access the resources you may need!

Free Parking!

weber.edu/StudentAffairs/saturday.html

The Emerging Leaders Program is a self-discovery program designed to help you better know yourself and how you effectively lead others.

Students get a scholarship to participate in the program. Learn more about this program, requirements, scholarship amounts and apply at: weber.edu/StudentInvolvement/emerging-leaders.html

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MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 15

Weber State’s Outdoor Adventure and Welcome Center are located in the same building on Weber State University’s campus in Ogden.

By ADAM RUBIN Senior Reporter

Weber State offers many things as a higher education institution, and campus recreation is one department that both incoming freshman and WSU’s current student body can take advantage of to incorporate outside-the-classroom aspects of their university experience.

With the new Outdoor Activities and Welcome Center on campus, it’s now easier than ever to gain access to everything from events like the annual Wildcat Outdoor Welcome to Experience Weber, which are events designed for incoming students to have as much of an immersive introduction to WSU as possible.

When it comes to the outdoors and taking advantage of WSU’s campus environment, Associate Director of Outdoor Recreation Daniel Turner said, you name it, we offer it.

The center has everything from Adventure Program trips, overnight or single-day events, training clinics, certification courses and outdoor equipment rentals to the technical train-

ing center where students can come in for a quick recreational rock-wall climb and even the ability to test team-building skills during the summer months with the challenge course.

Experience Weber — which is offered the week before school starts, and is open only to incoming students — is a great place for any incoming students to start their education at WSU, according to Turner. It’s an overnight experience at Pineview Reservoir where there are plenty of activities and a chance to engage with WSU staff members and acquaint themselves with WSU. “The purpose of the Welcome Center is to create this unique experience for students who have come to experience this university,” Turner said.

Sarah Mackay, marketing coordinator at campus recreation, expressed how important having a communal aspect to her education has been for her.

Fischer Grubb, a trip leader who is also in-

volved with the Technical Training Center on campus, spoke about his WSU experience and how being involved with these events has made for a richer education.

“Everything we offer is summarized by access and connection,” MacKay said. “A lot of times, there can be a barrier to outdoor recreation. Whether it’s cost or ability levels, or the know-how, we offer all of that, whether it’s adaptive rec. or affordable access or free activities, and then there is connection with others and the community.”

Mackay continued to explain the importance of “engraining” connection with others in her WSU education experience.

Grubb said, “The thing that I would tell all these students is to not be scared to try because people are intimidated to go camping or rafting for the first time, and we offer all the gear, all the instruction. We are there the whole time to give them a helping hand.”

WSU is unique in its placement on Ogden’s East Bench, right next to so many outdoor

opportunities, and that is exactly where the Recreation Center and Adventure Center come into the bigger picture.

“Not only are students here for a great return on investment, but there are so many other activities and other things to help them feel engaged to connect them with other students, faculty and staff — well beyond just an incredible education — to Ogden, Utah,” Turner said.

While many of the activities, such as the Challenge Course, and equipment rentals are open to the public, being a part of the Wildcat Family brings its perks for students, faculty and staff at WSU, such as 30% off on rental discounts, being able to stop in the Welcome Center and getting training certifications that WSU now has to offer.

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Columnist

HIKING & BIKING TRAILS 200+ MILES

PROGRAMS 225+

MAJORS 100

GRADUATE DEGREES 14

STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO 21:1

CLUBS & ORGS 200+

NCAA SPORTS TEAMS 16 (DIVISION I)

SPORTS CLUBS 14

STUDENT TO DUCK RATIO 750:1

Beginner

ANNEX DIRECTORY

Intermediate

Fatigue Studies Lab Outdoor Program Upward Bound ROTC Veteran’s Upward Bound

Mostly downhill, few stairs, shade

Mt. Ogden

Some uphill, some stairs

Significant uphill portions, many stairs, little shade

Marquardt Field House Newman Center Ogden LDS Institute Weber State Credit Union

Wildcat Express Shuttle

PARKING LOTS Permits as Designated Public Pay Lot Dee Center

Dee Events Center/ Browning Center loop Monday - Friday

(hiking,

NAME CODE Browning Center BC Campus Services CS Davidson Track Locker Rooms TR Dee Events Center DC Elizabeth Hall EH Engineering Technology ET Facilities Management FM Heat Plant HP Hurst Center for Lifelong Learning HC Information Booth IN Interprofessional Education Building IE Kimball Visual Arts Center KA Lampros Hall LP Lind Lecture LL Lindquist Alumni Center AL Lindquist Hall LH Marriott Health MH McKay Education ED Miller Administration MA Portable Classrooms M1-18 Public Safety PS Receiving and Distribution Services RD Residence Hall I R1 Residence Hall III R3 Science Lab SL Shepherd Union SU Stadium House AA Stewart Bell Tower ST Stewart Library LI Stewart Stadium Sky Suites SK Stewart Wasatch Hall R2 Stromberg Stadium Offices SD Stromberg Strength Training WR Student Services Center SC Swenson Building SW Technical Education TE Tracy Hall Science Center TY University Village V1-5 Village Community Center VC Wattis Business WB Wildcat Center for Health WI Education and Wellness Wildcat Village R1-3 Youngberg Football Center NE

MF NC OI CU

A, R, S, W PPL DC

(Shuttle Available, Permit Required)

Motorcycles

(Green lined spaces)

Meters

6:30 a.m.-7:45 a.m.

Every 15 minutes 7:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Every 5-7 minutes 1:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Every 15 minutes 801-626-7220 or 801-626-6294

morveenoututdreoor ad

BUILDING DIRECTORY A02 A09 A03 A11 A12

NON-CAMPUS BUILDINGS

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A1, A2, A7, S2

ADA Access Groundsource Heating/Cooling Solar Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

rvoirs, rts, rese etc) ski reso , biking, camping

RD

WSU Discovery Loop to Stadium

S3

S4

FM

SKYLINE DR. W3 W4

W3 to SW

W2 W1

A03

LL to LH

LL

A3

A02

M12 M11 M10 M9 M8 TE

M17

M7

M3

M4

A4

IE

CS

SK

IE to MH

M2 ET

SD

TR

TY

TE to WB

SW

LI

ST

LL to EH to SU to KA

W7 BC

R1

SC MA

SU to the ducks

KA

W8

PPL

A10

A1

W10

PS A14

futurer ouetdnoo c ter!

HARRISON BLVD

Map of WSU Ogden campus.

en’t really far from campus buildings, but they usually do require a bit more of a walk than A lots.

W lots tend to fill up fast. If you get to campus for an early class, from about 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., or for a later class in the afternoon, you’ll probably be fine and have an easy time finding a parking spot. However, during the common hours between about 9 a.m. and noon the lots are packed, nigh impossible to use. You’ll literally see cars driving in circles around the lots ready to pounce the moment somebody leaves, and you never know how long that will take.

I still remember trying to park my first couple of days of college: I had come to campus during the summer to acquaint myself with which W parking lot I wanted to use and where my classes were, but summer is very different from an active fall semester. On one of my first days of class, I had a hard time parking and got to class about 10 minutes late, where I spent almost the rest of class being lectured by my professor about how I was disrespectful and unprepared for college. A couple of days later, when I got stuck in bad traffic on Highway 89 and would’ve been late to the same

R2

CONSTRUCTION ZONE

A9 A11

WB

A12

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A8

SU

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R2

R3

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R1

V4 V3

R4

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COUNTRY HILLS DR.

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A7

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WI to DC

A6

MH

W9

M18 M1 A2

WR

M6

A09

AA

M5

M16 M13

NE

W5

M15

M14

S.

There are various types of parking lots on campus — A, W, R and DC (Dee Events Center) — with various types of permits.

The most expensive permit, at $84 a semester and $125 a year, is the A permit. This allows the student to park at a one of the 14 A lots, as assigned, as well as any W or R lot, Davis Campus and the Dee Events Center. A lots are typically the closest to buildings on campus.

This permit is first only available to seniors and grad students through the A Permit Senior Lottery. The lottery opens for a short period during the summer preceding the academic school year, during which eligible students can apply. When the lottery closes, parking services will randomly assign permits. Any permits left or not picked up afterwards will then be available to underclassmen on a firstcome-first-serve basis.

The next permit is the W permit, at $57 a semester and $81 a year, which may be purchased at any time. This permit allows the student to park at any of the 10 W lots, Davis Campus and the Dee Events Center. W lots ar-

AVERAGE YEARLY SNOWFALL 40”

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This past year of mostly virtual classes has made parking at the Ogden campus of Weber State University so easy. With most students at home, parking lots usually don’t even fill up.

If we’re honest, though, it’s typically not even close to this easy.

Current plans for fall 2021 look to returning to more in-person classes. So, whether you’re a new freshman, a student coming up on your second year having only known college during a pandemic, or a longer-term student who has simply forgotten the struggle while at home or enjoyed the ease of parking this last year, chances are we all need a refresher on parking and transportation at WSU. Sadly, (or luckily?) I have almost too much experience with this. So, as I come up on my final year at WSU, here’s the information and advice I can offer:

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class again, I simply opted to skip class that day, rather than be lectured again.

I’ve heard from fellow peers that many other professors are more understanding the first week about parking problems, but it’s still a situation to be avoided.

The DC permit, at $18 a semester and $27 a year, allows the student to park only at the Dee Events Center. Parking here to get to main campus also requires use of the free shuttle bus. The shuttle’s only stops are located in the south side parking lot of the Dee Events Center and near the library. It runs about every 15 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. during fall and spring semesters.

This permit is a good option — it’s cheap, and the Dee lots are never completely full.

Just make sure you’ve allotted some time to ride the shuttle to campus. While the shuttle comes fairly often, there’s often a long line of students waiting to board, so you might have to wait in line for another trip to arrive. Plus, it will take a little bit of extra time for the shuttle to get from the parking lot to the main campus, and then for you to walk from there to wherever your class is.

Additionally, R and R/W permits are avail-

3848 HARRISON BLVD. OGDEN UT 84408 801-626-6000 WEBER.EDU

Weber State University

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able only for campus housing residents and adjoining tenants. R/W (same price as a W pass) allows the student to park in the R lots near their residence, any W lot, Davis Campus and the Dee Events Center, whereas an R permit ($36 per semester, $58 per year) only allows the student to park in the R lots near their residence.

Disability permits can be registered for and purchased at the same price as a W permit by any qualified student and are valid for any lot except reserved stalls, meters and public pay lots.

Students on motorcycles or mopeds can park for free. As the parking services site describes, “There is no permit required to park motorcycles on either campus; however, you must park your motorcycle in the designated motorcycle area. These areas are typically found at the end of parking rows and have green hash marks on the pavement. Motorcycles may not use automobile spaces except at paid meters.”

Temporary permits are also available at $3 per day or $10 per week for no more than two weeks.

All of this information and more can be

found on the parking services page of WSU’s website.

Parking rules are enforced and violators will indeed receive a little green ticket on their windshield (oops…), so be sure to comply.

However, there are times when permits don’t matter. Permits and parking meters are only enforced Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. What does that mean for your night classes? You can park in any lot.

You probably won’t have a hard time finding a spot, either. Just steer clear of reserved spaces, where you can still get fined and make some faculty grumpy.

Aside from university parking, there is also some parking available at the Ogden LDS Institute. The Institute’s website provides information about applying for a free parking permit, which are given out on a first-come-first-serve basis. To qualify for a permit, the student must be registered for any Institute class.

Many students choose to park along streets, such as Harrison Boulevard. However, like the W lots, one might find that even street parking is packed during an active semester.

UTA Ed Passes Do you want to know a great thing about Weber? Free UTA passes. Free! This is a great

alternative method of transportation.

Students can apply for and receive free UTA Ed passes at the Shepherd Union Information Desk. This pass allows the holder to ride any UTA bus, FrontRunner or TRAX (excluding ski buses) for free for as long as the holder is a student at WSU. If there is a route near you that goes to Weber, I highly recommend this option. I lived in Kaysville when I started school, so when my parking woes were realized, I turned to the UTA pass because there was a straightforward route to WSU (455 UofU to WSU) from the Fruit Heights Park-and-Ride not far from where I lived. I would drive to the Park-andRide in the morning, catch the bus to school, catch the bus back to my car in the afternoon and return home. This is a very popular route for many other students in Davis County who can drive or walk to the other Park-and-Rides and stops located along Highway 89. (This specific route may be affected by construction right now, so check UTA’s website.)

Use UTA’s website to find route options, stops and schedules near you. Don’t worry about the bus being late — I’m pretty sure UTA has accounted for expected traffic in their schedules, because the bus was almost always on time, if not early.

There are some downsides to using UTA.

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You have to allot a little bit more time in your schedule because the bus (or FrontRunner, etc.) has to make other stops. In fact, get to your stop a little bit early, because the next downside is that there’s also no mercy if you get to your stop late and miss the bus. Waiting for the next bus would take a while and make you inevitably late for class, so I would, in these sad cases, either try to beat the bus to the next Park-and-Ride or, if unsuccessful, just drive to the Dee Events Center and take the Shuttle.

The upsides? You save so much gas money!

That was a blessing! It should definitely be an incentive with the way gas prices are hiking up right now. The time you spend on the bus also gives you some free time to do homework or just relax. You avoid the stress of parking and having to drive in traffic yourself. Public transportation is also better for the environment.

Even when I moved to Ogden and wasn’t too far from campus, I still found a bus route to campus that made the morning trip easier and let me avoid the parking lots.

So, if you can fit it into your schedule and you have a route near you, public transportation is a great option. The only thing I don’t suggest is taking the bus at night — that gets a little sketchy. If you have a night class, I recommend you just drive, if possible.

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 17

Even if you don’t plan on using UTA to get to school, I still recommend every student take advantage of the free UTA Ed pass. It comes in handy for emergency transportation. It also makes a trip to downtown Salt Lake City, using FrontRunner and TRAX, that much cheaper.

Other forms of transportation Alternatively, I’ve known students who have used carpools, or even carpooling apps like Uber, to get to school.

If you live close enough to campus, you can also walk or ride a bike. This is a great opportunity to get a little exercise and fresh air. There are several bike racks located all over campus.

You can even mix and match all of these forms a little. When I’ve had semesters of both day and night classes, I would often use the bus for day classes and drive for night classes.

When I moved to Ogden, I sometimes would ride the bus up to campus and then walk home.

So find what works for you and breathe easy when it comes to college transportation.

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D LEADER

Get Involved!

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

Weber State University is raising its minimum wage to $10 an hour.

The decision was made several years ago to keep raising the minimum wage of the University each year, and every year since, the university has continued to raise the minimum wage by $.25. For the past year, the minimum wage has been $9 per hour, according to President Brad Mortensen.

“We feel this is important for a couple of reasons. By increasing the hourly rate a little each year, it will help us be in a better financial position as an institution to implement a new state or federal minimum wage,” Mortensen said.

He added that raising this gives hourly students and non-student staff a better wage for

living and can use it towards their education.

Those who have initiated most of the changes have been the Human Resource department at WSU along with Norm Tarbox, Vice President for Administrative Services.

Tarbox said that by January 1, 2022, the university hopes to have all hourly employees up to the $10 minimum.

Some reasons that Tarbox and the University wanted this change is to make Weber an attractive option for student employment and that this is likely to happen on a federal scale in future years.

Both Mortensen and Tarbox stated that by increasing the wage over time, this better prepares them for the financial impact of the possible federal increase, rather than just implementing it all in one year.

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• Student Government • Clubs and Orgs • Leadership Programs • Events such as Homecoming • And so much more!

Stop by SIL to see what opportunities are waiting for you!

WSU OGDEN Shepherd Union Room 326, 801-626-6349

WSU DAVIS Building 3 Suite 221, 801-395-3441

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Weber State University announces an increase of minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.00 an hour.

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Visit weber.edu/studentinvolvement for a list of upcoming events!

Asian Student Involvement Association

20 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

The Asian Student Involvement Association aims to provide academic and extracurricular opportunities for Asian students.

By LISSETE LANDAVERDE

Reporter

Starting college is not easy for anyone, especially for minorities, who may feel out of place and may not have the resources needed to get through the process.

The Weber State Center of Multicultural Excellence provides many clubs and organizations for minority students to find a community and support as they make their way through college.

These groups help students develop different skills to help them after they graduate, such as leadership, networking and time management. Additionally, they serve as a way for students to connect to their roots while also receiving a higher education.

They also educate people on the different cultures and traditions within their own communities, showing the vast culture connected to these identities.

The Native American Student Association’s mission is to address any Native American issues on campus and get involved with communities on and off-campus. They aim to provide activities and events that honor the beauty of Native American cultures.

Different extracurricular experiences NASA provides are designed to enhance awareness and learning. This includes having guest lecturers, cultural presentations and cultural

trips.

Amanda Jones, president of NASA, believes joining the organization gives students a great sense of belonging and knowledge that there are people on campus who have similar backgrounds and experiences.

The Asian Student Involvement Association has a similar mission to NASA: to provide academic and extracurricular opportunities.

Additionally, it provides a space for Asian students to socialize, collaborate and participate in leadership and volunteer opportunities.

Christian Phomsouvanh, president of ASIA, believes storytelling and sharing are the best ways of learning.

“With learning your cultural history and ethnic history, I think you start to form an appreciation for not only yourself, as you identify, but it’s also a great way to network and meet new people,” Phomsouvanh said.

There are two different groups that are targeted toward Latinx and Hispanic students and retaining these populations in higher education.

Hispanic Area Council is an organization aimed at creating a sense of awareness for the different Hispanic and Latinx cultures while also providing community service and involvement opportunities.

Jennifer Nava, the president of HAC, believes it is important for students to join to help with the transition from high school

to college while also providing information about the university’s different resources that many minority students are unaware are available.

WSU Ballet Folklórico promotes higher education to the community while also educating people about Latinx and Hispanic culture through dance. The dances the group performs come from various countries all over Latin America, showcasing the variety of cultures.

Rosa Rodriguez Luo, secretary of WSUBF, believes being involved in any group on campus will help students in need, providing a place to reach out in any situation.

“I think that, aside of giving you something to do, having those connections really determines how you manage your own time at the university,” Rodriguez said.

The African American Heritage Initiative started out of a lack of focus on the pre-slavery heritage and lost history of Africans and African Americans that is often excluded from history books.

The initiative includes DNA testing for African American students with the company African Ancestry, which has over 30,000 DNA samples from Africa to determine what African country and tribe the students come from.

Along with this comes education about these places, connecting the students with their heritage.

“Before I found out the tribe my ancestors

came from, I felt a little lost,” Meltia Hickman, president of AAHi, said. “Now that I know and I have a sense of who I am and where I’m coming from, it means all much more to me. It makes me feel positive of where I come from.”

The Ohana Association is a Pacific Islanders club that addresses issues that pertain to people of Pacific Island backgrounds and educates people about the different heritages and traditions while also recruiting, retaining and graduating students.

It provides a space where students can openly express their experiences and offers moral support and guidance. They hold cultural and social events to enhance experience and education at the university.

Finau Tauteoli, president of TOA, believes the organization is a good way to have fun and to learn about culture while also providing help for newer members in any aspect they need.

Even if a student is not part of these ethnicities, the organizations are still open to everyone to join.

“All of the student organizations and clubs welcomes everybody with open arms whether you identify as that ethnic group or not,” Phomsouvanh said. “We want to share a part of our culture and ourselves to those who are interested.”

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Translator

Comenzar la universidad no es fácil para todos, especialmente para las minorías que pueden sentirse fuera de lugar y posiblemente no tener los recursos necesarios para hacer el proceso.

Hay muchos clubes y organizaciones que el Center for Multicultural Excellence de Weber State ofrece para los estudiantes minoritarios.

Estos grupos ayudan a los estudiantes a desarrollar diferentes habilidades para ayudarlos después de graduarse, como liderazgo, creación de redes y gestión del tiempo.

Además, sirven como una manera para que los estudiantes se conecten con sus raíces mientras reciben una educación superior.

También educan a las personas sobre las diferentes culturas y tradiciones dentro de sus propias comunidades, mostrando la vasta cultura conectada con estas identidades.

La misión del Native American Student Association es abordar cualquier problema de los nativos americanos en el campus y involucrarse con las comunidades dentro y fuera del campus. Su objetivo es proporcionar actividades y eventos que honren la belleza de las culturas nativas americanas.

Las diferentes experiencias extracurriculares que NASA ofrece están diseñadas para mejorar la conciencia y el aprendizaje. Esto incluye tener profesores invitados, presentaciones y viajes culturales.

Amanda Jones, presidenta de NASA, cree que hacerse miembro de la organización da a los estudiantes un gran sentido de pertenencia y conocimiento de que hay personas en el campus que tienen antecedentes y experiencias similares.

Asian Student Involvement Association tiene una misión similar a NASA: ofrecer oportunidades académicas y extracurriculares. Además, ofrecen un espacio para que los estudiantes asiáticos socialicen, colaboren y participen en oportunidades de liderazgo y voluntariado.

Christian Phomsouvanh, presidente de ASIA, cree que contar y compartir las historias son las mejores maneras de aprender.

“Al aprender su historia cultural y su historia étnica, creo que empiezan a formar un aprecio no sólo por sí mismo, como uno identifica, sino que también es una gran manera de establecer una red y conocer gente nueva,” dijo Phomsouvanh.

Hay dos grupos diferentes que están dirigidos a estudiantes latinos e hispanos y que retienen a estas poblaciones en la educación superior.

Hispanic Area Council es una organización destinada a crear un sentido de conciencia para las diferentes culturas hispanas y latinas, al mismo tiempo ofrecer oportunidades de participación y servicio comunitarias.

Jennifer Nava, la presidenta de HAC, cree que es importante que los estudiantes se unan para ayudar con la transición de la es-

cuela secundaria a la universidad y también ofrecer información sobre los diferentes recursos de la universidad que muchos estudiantes minoritarios no saben que están disponibles.

WSU Ballet Folklórico promueve la educación superior a la comunidad, al tiempo que educa a la gente sobre la cultura latina e hispana con la danza. Los bailes que interpreta el grupo provienen de varios países de toda Latino América, mostrando la variedad de culturas.

Rosa Rodríguez Luo, secretaria de la WSUBF, cree que estar involucrado en cualquier grupo en el campus ayudará a los estudiantes necesitados, ofreciendo un lugar para llegar en cualquier situación.

“Creo que, además de darte algo que hacer, tener esas conexiones realmente determina cómo manejas tu propio tiempo en la universidad,” dijo Rodríguez.

African American Heritage Initiative comenzó por falta de enfoque en el patrimonio preesclavista y la historia perdida de africanos y afroamericanos que a menudo se excluye de los libros de historia.

La iniciativa incluye pruebas de ADN para estudiantes afroamericanos con la empresa African Ancestry, que tiene más de 30.000 muestras de ADN de África para determinar de qué país africano y tribu vienen los estudiantes. Junto con esto viene la educación sobre estos lugares, conectando a los estudiantes con su patrimonio.

“Antes de enterarme de la tribu de la que

vienen mis antepasados, me sentí un poco perdida,” dijo Meltia Hickman, presidenta de AAHi. “Ahora que lo sé y tengo una idea de quién soy y de dónde vengo, significa mucho más para mí. Me hace sentir positiva de dónde vengo.”

The Ohana Association es un club de los isleños del Pacífico que aborda temas que pertenecen a personas de orígenes de las Islas del Pacífico y educa a la gente sobre los diferentes patrimonios y tradiciones, al tiempo que recluta, retiene y gradúa a los estudiantes.

Ofrece un espacio donde los estudiantes pueden expresar abiertamente sus experiencias y ofrece apoyo moral y consejos. Hay eventos culturales y sociales que organizan para mejorar la experiencia y la educación en la universidad.

Finau Tauteoli, presidente de TOA, cree que la organización es una buena manera de divertirse y aprender sobre la cultura mientras también ofrece ayuda a los miembros más nuevos en cualquier aspecto que necesiten.

Si un estudiante no es parte de estas etnias, las organizaciones siguen abiertas a todos.

“Todas las organizaciones estudiantiles y clubes reciben a todos con los brazos abiertos si identifiquen a ese grupo étnico o no,” dijo Phomsouvanh. “Queremos compartir una parte de nuestra cultura y de nosotros mismos con los que están interesados.”

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African American Heritage Initiative focuses on the pre-slavery heritage and lost history of Africans and African Americans, including DNA testing from African Ancestry for African American students.

African American Heritage Initiative

By LISSETTE LANDAVERDE

22 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

By JOSHUA KAMP Reporter

Weber State University first opened its doors in 1889, long before it was ever known as WSU. Originally, it opened under the name Weber Stake Academy and has gone through a few name changes since then. It was established by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an education center for elementary and high school classes with an emphasis in training future teachers, which is a legacy it has carried forward.

The first day of classes was Jan. 7, 1889.

They took place at a red-brick church meetinghouse on the southwest corner of Grant Avenue and 26th Street in Ogden. Ninety-eight students were enrolled for classes that day.

The first president, Louis Moench, is now memorialized in stone with a statue that greets students as they enter the campus through

the central Ogden campus walkway.

Weber Stake Academy then had many quick name changes, becoming Weber Academy in 1902, Weber Normal College in 1918 and Weber College in 1922. By the late 1920s, the college had entered some financial hardships. In 1931, the state passed legislation that acquired Weber College from the church.

The school did not move to its present location until 1954. Before that, it was located entirely in downtown Ogden. The new location allowed for more room for the exponential growth that resulted from the booming postwar era.

Weber College became Weber State College in 1962 and gained status as a four-year college in 1964. In 1991, it finally became Weber State University, and the Davis campus opened in 1997.

The campus has been extensively expanded and renovated since the early 2000s, and

many of the modern buildings at the Ogden campus carry names of influential Ogden residents and university donors.

Elizabeth Hall is named in honor of Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart, a longtime supporter and benefactor of the university and the Ogden community, who passed away in 1996.

The Tracy Hall Science Center is named for H. Tracy Hall, an Ogden native and Weber College graduate. Hall is credited with creating the first successful laboratory process to manufacture synthetic diamonds. He went on to hold 19 patents and receive numerous awards for scientific achievement.

When the social science building was undergoing renovation, John E. Lindquist, president of Lindquist Mortuaries and Great Western Insurance, pledged $5 million to help create the building that now bears his name.

Lindquist Hall opened in January 2019.

The Browning Center for Performing Arts

bears the name of Val A. Browning, another university benefactor. He was born in Ogden in 1885 and inherited his family legacy of designing and innovating firearms and held 128 patents — the Browning name is recognizable today as a hunting and fishing gear brand. He passed away in 1994.

The latest addition to campus is the Noorda Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Building, which bears the name of another inventor and innovator, Ray Noorda. He is best known as the father of network computing.

Born in Ogden in 1924, Noorda went on to become the CEO of Novell Technology and led a team that created a groundbreaking file-sharing system and operating system.

The Noorda Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Building is expected to open in fall of 2022.

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The Tracy Hall Science Center is located on the northeast end of Weber State’s Ogden campus.

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 23 NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

A rich history of education is recognized on the Weber Academy Wall near the Stewart Library.

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

A statue of the founding father of Weber State University, Louis Moench, stands in the center of campus.

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

24 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

Una estatua del padre fundador de Weber State University, Louis Moench, se encuentra en el centro del campus.

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

By MATIAS PEDREIRA Translator

La Universidad Weber State abrió sus puertas por primera vez en 1889 mucho antes de que fuera conocida como WSU. Originalmente, abrió bajo el nombre de Weber Stake Academy y ha pasado por algunos cambios de nombre desde entonces.

Fue establecida por la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días como un centro educativo para las clases de primaria y secundaria con énfasis en la formación de futuros maestros, que es un legado que ha llevado adelante.

El primer día de clases fue el 7 de enero de 1889 y se llevó a cabo en un centro de reuniones de una iglesia de ladrillo rojo en la esquina suroeste de Grant Avenue y 26th Street en Ogden. Ese día se inscribieron noventa y ocho estudiantes para las clases. El primer presidente Louis Moench ahora está conmem-

orado en piedra con una estatua que saluda a los estudiantes cuando ingresan al campus.

Weber Stake Academy cambió rápido de nombre, convirtiéndose en Weber Academy en 1902, Weber Normal College en 1918 y Weber College en 1922. A fines de la década de 1920, la universidad había atravesado algunas dificultades financieras, ya que en esos años muchos tenían problemas financieros.

En 1931, el estado aprobó una legislación y adquirió Weber College de la Iglesia SUD. La escuela no se mudó a su ubicación actual hasta 1954. Hasta entonces, estaba ubicada

completamente en el centro de Ogden. La nueva ubicación permitió más espacio para el crecimiento exponencial que resultó de la pujante era de la posguerra.

Weber College se convirtió en Weber State College en 1962 y ganó el estatus de universidad de cuatro años en 1964. En 1991, finalmente se convirtió en Weber State University, y el campus de Davis se inauguró en 1997.

El campus se ha ampliado y renovado ampliamente desde principios de la década de 2000, y muchos de los edificios modernos en el campus de Ogden llevan nombres de

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 25

El Centro de Educación Interprofesional en el Cuidado de la Salud se encuentra en Weber State University en Ogden Utah.

residentes influyentes de Ogden y donantes universitarios.

Elizabeth Hall recibe su nombre en honor a Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart, una antigua defensora y benefactora de la universidad y la comunidad de Ogden, quien falleció en 1996.

Tracy Hall lleva el nombre de H. Tracy Hall, un nativo de Ogden y graduado de Weber College, que usó el primer nombre Tracy, el apellido de su madre. A Hall se le atribuye la creación del primer proceso exitoso de laboratorio para fabricar diamantes sintéticos. Luego

pasó a poseer 19 patentes y recibió numerosos premios por logros científicos.

Cuando se estaba renovando el edificio de Ciencias Sociales, John E. Lindquist, presidente de Lindquist Mortuaries y Great Western Insurance, prometió $ 5 millones para ayudar a crear el edificio que ahora lleva su nombre.

Lindquist Hall abrió sus puertas en enero de 2019.

El Browning Center for Performing Arts lleva el nombre de Val A. Browning, otro benefactor universitario. Nació en Ogden en 1885 y

heredó el legado de su familia de diseño e innovación de armas de fuego y tenía 128 patentes: el nombre de Browning es reconocible hoy en día como una marca de artes de caza y pesca. Falleció en 1994.

La última incorporación al campus es el edificio de ingeniería, ciencia aplicada y tecnología de Noorda, que lleva el nombre de otro inventor e innovador, Ray Noorda. Es mejor conocido como el padre de la informática en red. Nacido en Ogden en 1924, Noorda se convirtió en el director ejecutivo de Novell

Technology y dirigió un equipo que creó un innovador sistema operativo y de intercambio de archivos.

Se espera que el edificio de ingeniería, ciencia aplicada y tecnología de Noorda abra sus puertas en el otoño de 2022.

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26 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

Playing college football is a dream of millions of high school football players across the country. They dream of campus glory and running onto the field while the crowd is roaring and the band plays the fight song, but the odds of earning a college football scholarship aren’t in the players’ favor.

According to the NCAA, there is an average of 1.5 million high school football players playing every year and only 1% are offered positions on Division I teams in college.

But not receiving a scholarship to play doesn’t have to mean the end of an athletic career at the high school level. The NCAA reported that in 2018, 46% of all college athletes are walk-on players.

There are different types of walk-on players.

A typical walk-on player must attend tryouts to earn a roster spot, but a preferred walk-on is guaranteed a spot on the roster at the start of camp.

Wildcat senior linebacker Conner Mortensen and Weber State football’s team leader in tackles during the 2019 and 2021 seasons didn’t have a scholarship offer when he decided to attend Weber State in the fall of

2015.

Mortensen is from Overton, Nevada, and wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school where he earned All-State Honors playing running back at Moapa Valley High school and set the Pirates’ school record for the most touchdowns in a single season.

While originally planning to walk-on at Southern Utah University, the coaching staff was no longer there after the Thunderbird football program cleaned house when he was on his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Dominican Republic.

“Coming out of high school, I was planning on walking on at SUU,” Mortensen said. “I hadn’t got a lot of looks from Weber, and they weren’t doing a ton of recruiting down where I was from in Southern Nevada.”

He got in contact with then Weber State linebackers coach Lance Hunsaker, who was in charge of walk-ons and tryouts through a friend on his mission.

“He just said there were spots available,” Mortensen said. “So I walked into the offices and told them I was there to walk on.”

The life of a walk-on player isn’t glamorous and working harder than everyone else is the expectation.

“You come in, and you really have no presence,” Mortensen said. “You start at the lowest of the low. No one knew my name. Nobody knew who I was.”

He didn’t even get team-issued gear to wear and bought his own from the bookstore.

“I couldn’t get a pair of shorts, a shirt or anything to go work out with the team,” Mortensen said.

After making the team, he first took the field in a Wildcat jersey at Utah State’s raucous Maverick Stadium.

“It was pretty cool — a crazy atmosphere to play in for my first game,” Mortensen said. “It was surreal. I didn’t have a lot of expectations as a walk-on.”

Like most walk-ons, he was excited to be part of the team, but improvement quickly followed.

Mortensen finished the 2017 season 17th on the team in tackles and also snagged an interception.

“It’s been stepping stones, but in my first start, we were playing Cal Poly, and I was being used like a safety to chase down the triple-option, and I just remember studying a ton of film and wanting to be ready for it,” Mortensen said. “I was able to go out there

and make some plays.”

His dedication to the team paid off, and his improvement was noticed. Right before the kickoff of the Wildcats’ 2018 season at Rice-Eccles Stadium against the Utes, Mortensen was awarded a scholarship.

“I signed literally right before we got on the bus,” Mortensen said.

He’s gone from a walk-on to a pillar on the Wildcats’ championship defense, and has been a crucial contributor to WSU’s fourstraight Big Sky Championships.

He led the team in 2019 with 104 total tackles, with 9.5 tackles at a loss, and also led the team this spring with 44 total tackles on the way to another conference championship.

“There were amazing linebackers who came before me. Guys like LeGrand Toia and Landon Stice,” Mortensen said of who helped him improve. “Guys that were just ballers that I was able to learn from.”

Toia and Stice finished WSU’s 2018 season first and second on the team in total tackles with 89 and 70.

A unique part of college athletics is the players that make up a team come from varying backgrounds and from different places all while having played different levels of foot-

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Weber State Athletics

ball. practice, he had to sit out and hasn’t appeared Weber State.

Freshman defensive end Tyler Williams was in a game yet, but he’s been cleared for the “My whole senior year, coach Hammer, he’d attending a game in the Ogden snow and tak- upcoming fall season. kept in touch with me, and that summer I’d ing in the purple Stewart Stadium atmosphere while cheering on his brother Jonah Williams, 2019’s Big Sky Defensive MVP and currently a Los Angeles Ram, during the 2019 FCS quarterfinals against Montana, when his journey as a Wildcat started.

“I went to my brother’s game, and the coaches started talking to me a little bit, and they offered me a walk-on spot,” Williams said.

Williams was a rugby player at Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho, where he traveled the country competing with his high school club team Rocky Mountain Rugby and his travel team.

He hadn’t played football since his sophomore year of high school where he was a wide receiver.

“I was smaller, probably like 5’6” and pretty light, so every time I played football, I was Weber State’s senior linebacker Conner Mortensen, 11, and junior safety Desstruggling with playing time,” Williams said. mond Williams, 0, bring down UC Davis running back Ulonzo Gilliam Jr., 34, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden on March 13.

“So I just committed to rugby.”

Once at Weber, he thought he’d play linebacker, but because of his size he was moved Another Wildcat walk-on — freshman wide went to all of Weber’s football camps,” Wilcox to defensive end. receiver Jeremy Wilcox — came to WSU after said.

“I was pretty excited about the move and playing for Farmington High School.

During his junior and senior seasons for the playing the same position as my brother,” WilAs a preferred walk-on, he had established Phoenixes, he hauled in 46 receptions and 10 liams said. “I just hope I can make an impact.” a relationship with the Wildcats’ offensive touchdowns as wide receiver and rushed for After tearing a ligament in his foot during a coordinator, Matt Hammer, before arriving at two more scores.

weber.edu/registration

“Coming in as a walk-on, I definitely have loved it and love being apart of the team,” Wilcox said. “You definitely have that feeling that you have to outwork the other guys that have come in on scholarship to get recognition and be noticed.”

While walk-ons like Williams and Wilcox are still working to rise in the ranks and haven’t seen game action, Mortensen’s success as a walk-on isn’t from talent, he says, but from simply putting in the work.

“What I’ve always tried to do, and what I feel like saved me and gave me the opportunity, was putting in the work off the field, in the weight room and in conditioning,” Mortensen advises other walk-ons. “And just being scrappy and giving my best effort.”

Mortensen’s experience as a walk-on allowed him to become one of the staples of a Weber State football program with championship expectations.

“For me, it’s been the perfect storm coming up that way, and I think that’s what’s really allowed me to become the player I am.”

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28 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

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By LUCAS MOORE

Reporter

The Weber State University Speech and Debate team has been continuing to turn heads.

At the International Public Debate Association nationals, the team placed third in novice teams and also received an award for participation all year round.

The IPDA debate has provided them a oneon-one platform. It is also considered more organized because of this.

Head coach Mark Galaviz said, “With our small team, we’ve been able to still place ourselves with bigger schools and teams in the nation that we haven’t gone up against

Members of the WSU Speech and Debate team wear masks for a group photo.

before.”

Even though this season is wrapped up, the same teammates are returning for next year as well as some newcomers. Galaviz explains that to get involved, he likes students to get in contact with him and to have an open conversation.

He asks the question, “What do you really care about?” This gives him an idea of how students want to project themselves with words or in general. “We recruit students who want to really make a critical impact on the world,” Galaviz says.

Volunteer coach Kayla Griffin, along with Galaviz, wanted to also put emphasis on the team captain, Rebecca Brown. They describe

her as someone to look up to and who provides that ground floor of communication and leadership while still learning how to fly.

Brown has been on the team since August.

Brown explained that it was fun to travel and have in-person experiences before COVID-19, but that learning how to not only be on a team during the pandemic but to coach during it as well is a feat.

Virtual tournaments have not only given the team a different competitive perspective but have also allowed them to go against schools they don’t usually compete against.

“The achievements aren’t only academic, but the improvement in the team has been phenomenal,” Brown said.

Being able to help the team adapt and building a base of trust and communication are very important to Brown. Advice from her to an oncoming team member is to sit down and write a paragraph about the things that are most important to you.

“The skills from the team help us pursue things we really care about. The ability to fight and advocate for something applies to any job you can be in. Our coaches make it very important to find what works for us,” Brown said.

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The Signpost, the news organization at Weber State University, is looking for people to do the following jobs in the 2021-22 school year.

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MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 29

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The Signpost publishes twice a week on and off campus and online daily at signpost. mywebermedia.com. Staff members are compensated with scholarships and have opportunities for training and travel.

To apply, pick up an application at The Signpost office, Shepherd Union, Room 401, or download it from our website, signpost.mywebermedia.com under Join Our Staff. If you have questions, email Dr. Jean Norman, jeannorman@weber.edu.

30 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

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WSU OGDEN TY 101 ∙ 801-626-7484 Tutoring for the life and biological sciences.

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MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 31

By KIERSTYNN KING Reporter

Peer Mentoring Programs

Weber State’s campus provides an abundance of resources for students, but sometimes it’s hard to know what questions to ask, which resources are the right fit and where to find certain resources.

That’s where WSU’s Access and Diversity Peer Mentor Program comes into play.

The Peer Mentor Program is a free resource where students receive needed support and guidance from a mentor and fellow student.

Students can get a mentor by visiting the peer mentor office, the peer mentor webpage, by phone, email or attending orientation. Students are then matched with a peer mentor based on their major, personality and time schedule.

Once a mentor and mentee are paired together, mentees have the support of their mentor for a full academic year.

“The support can look different depending on each student; maybe it’s helping them get involved in clubs or activities, or connecting to academic and wellness resources,” Olga Antonio, mentor coordinator, said.

Mentors can also help students understand how grades work, financial aid, class registration, finding internships and scholarships.

“Depending on what students want, mentors and mentees can have one-on-one sessions or group sessions,” Antonio said. “The group sessions can be anywhere from small groups to program events. Right now we’re doing virtual events, but in the past we’ve done a winter social and had picnics.”

Shawn Bennion has been a peer mentor for a little over two years now.

Bennion can recall starting his college experience wishing he had someone to show him what resources were available to him. It was one of the reasons why he became a peer mentor.

A past group of peer mentors welcomes students during orientation.

“I’ve received an enriching experience by being a mentor,” Bennion said. “It’s been rewarding being able to help people find out where they belong and what their interests are.”

Mentor adviser Andrea Salcedo said mentors also aim to empower their mentees in ways that maybe they haven’t been empowered in the past.

“The mentors help their mentees realize that their knowledge and experiences can still be used in the classroom and in the overall college experience,” Salcedo said.

Mentees also have the chance to become peer mentors later on.

Melanie Melgar was a mentee for a year before becoming a peer mentor, and she is now a peer mentor lead.

Melgar is a first-generation college student and heard about the peer mentor program during her orientation.

“For me, college felt like a completely new

environment and I didn’t know what to look for,” Melgar said. “I saw that peer mentoring was a free resource I could connect with, so I reached out.”

Melgar initially thought the whole experience was going to be more intimidating than it ended up being.

“Once a mentor reached out and we started meeting one-on-one, I felt more comfortable and welcome at Weber,” Melgar said.

Melgar’s mentor helped her get her student ID and showed her around the library.

“Mentors basically guide you through Weber State, give you advice, answer your questions or just help you stay connected with someone,” Melgar said.

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32 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

eight blocks. Bowling Green’s Katie Kidwell had five blocks. Power also led the match in assists with 49. Bowling Green’s Hanna Laube Wildcat volleyball participated in the NCAA led her team with 40 assists.

Tournament in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 14 The leader in digs was Bowling Green’s Juand 15. lia Walz with 39 digs. Weber State’s leader in Their first match on April 14 was against digs was Makayla Sorensen with 22 digs.

Bowling Green. Weber State won that set 3–1.

The Wildcats’ head coach, Jeremiah Larsen, This is the first NCAA Tournament win for gave his thoughts after the match.

Weber State’s volleyball team in their history.

“This is a huge day for Weber State volThe Wildcats won the first set 25–18. Then leyball,” Larsen said. “Six years ago, we were Bowling Green tied it up after winning the sec- barely getting by.” ond set 25–22. Weber State won the third and The Wildcats are now making history with fourth sets 25–22 and 25–21 to win the match. their first win in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats were able to get 54 kills, while “It was just a really good team win,” Larsen Bowling Green earned 53 kills. Weber State said. achieved nine aces, and Bowling Green got six Larsen liked how his team kept fighting aces. The Wildcats earned 16 blocks. Bowling throughout the game to get the win.

Green got seven blocks.

Sam Schiess also spoke her thoughts after Bowling Green were also able to get 47 as- the match. sists, while Weber State were able to earn 52 “All year we’ve been a team that we haven’t assists. The Wildcats got 74 digs just under ran from a fight or ran from adversity,” Schiess Weber State’s volleyball team group together for a quick photo during their Bowling Green’s 77 digs. said. “I think it showed in those last few points time in Omaha, Nebraska for the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

Wildcat Dani Nay was the match’s kill lead- especially.”

Weber State ended up losing the match against a team as high ranked as Wisconsin in er with 18 kills. Bowling Green’s Jacqueline Schiess, like her coach, also enjoyed that the 3–0. Wisconsin won the first set 25–17, the a big tournament like this.

Askin had 16 kills. Wildcat Ashlyn Power led team kept fighting and being resilient. second set 25–19 and the third set 25–15.

“Overall, I’m really happy for our players,” the match with four aces. Bowling Green’s The Wildcats had another challenge on April Weber State earned 36 kills in the match Larsen said. “I think we’re pretty happy with leader in aces was Yelianiz Torres with two.

15 when they played the number one ranked compared to Wisconsin’s 45 kills. Wisconsin the way the season went about.”

Weber State’s Caroline Broadhead earned team from the University of Wisconsin. was able to get seven aces, while the Wildcats The Wildcats ended the season with 19 wins earned two aces. and two losses. They won the Big Sky Regular Wisconsin achieved 11 blocks. Weber State Season and the Big Sky Conference Champihad four blocks. The Wildcats earned 35 as- onship Tournament. sists, and Wisconsin earned 45 assists. Weber “I’m pretty proud of them being able to State tallied 40 digs, while Wisconsin got 48 handle the adversity that was kind of thrown digs. at them through this COVID year,” Larsen said.

Weber State’s Rylin Adams led the match This has been an unusual season due to with 13 kills. Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke, Dan- playing in the spring instead of the fall, when ielle Hart and Grace Loberg all earned nine the normal volleyball season is. It has also kills each. The match’s block leader was Hart been different with the COVID guidelines and with nine blocks. having masks on while playing.

The Wildcats’ block leader was Schiess with Power, along with the other seniors, plans three blocks. Wisconsin’s Sydney Hilley was to return in the fall, and she wants to improve the assist leader with 37 assists. Power led from this year.

Weber State in assists with 33 and in digs with “Super proud of what we’ve done this sea10. The match’s leader in digs was Wisconsin’s son,” Power said. “But also ready to go get betLauren Barnes with 19 digs. ter and be back here again next year.”

Larsen expressed his thoughts after the match.

“Wisconsin’s pretty good,” Larsen said. “It was a really good opportunity for our team to The Weber State volleyball team group together in excitement to participate compete.”

Comment on this story at in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship. signpost.mywebermedia.com It is not often Weber State gets to compete WEBER STATE VOLLEYBALL

By JACE COOK

Reporter

WEBER STATE ATHLETICS

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 33 WEBER STATE ATHLETICS

WEBER STATE VOLLEYBALL

The Wildcats prepare to take on Bowling Green in the opening round of the The lady Wildcats point to their top position in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball NCAA Tournament. bracket.

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Competitive Sports Looking for a way to be active, meet new people, or even learn a new skill?

Join us for the opportunity to play competitive sports, either on club teams that compete against other universities or for fun through our intramural competitions!

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We can help you meet your fitness goals! *Drop in strength and cardio and GroupX are FREE with an active Wildcard!

Outdoor Program Whether you need rentals for your next adventure, or someone to guide you along the way, we have you covered!

We also have a 55’ rock wall and 15’ bouldering wall in our amazing new facility! Oh, and we have a pretty cool challenge course too!

34 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

DON’T FEAR THE FAFSA: FINANCIAL AID FOR BEGINNERS Reporter

Many college students planning to attend college for the first time face a daunting task: figuring out how to pay for tuition, housing and other expenses. A major resource and solid first step in the process is to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is an application processed by the government that determines how much aid, in loans and grants, a student is eligible to receive based on income and other factors.

Loans are debt a student promises to begin to repay after leaving college, and grants do not need to be repaid after college.

Even if a student does not expect to need assistance in paying for college, it is recommended to complete the annual process anyway. As the name implies, the application is free, and the completed FAFSA allows students to apply for scholarships and other money that they are sometimes eligible to receive outside of federal loans and grants.

This is especially important now, as the government has allocated money to universities as part of pandemic relief legislation, and some of this money is to be given to students directly and can only be distributed to a student if they have filed their FAFSA. Students need to submit a new FAFSA application every year, even if life circumstances have not changed. The federal deadline for completing the FAFSA each year is June 30, but the application can be sent in as early as October for the school year beginning the following fall. Weber State’s priority deadline is annually on April 1.

Completing early gives students an edge in getting any aid that is on a first-come, firstserved basis. This especially applies to scholarship money, which can’t be received until the FAFSA is processed and can disappear quickly.

Weber State’s priority deadline for fall is the beginning of April each year.

Before beginning the application, the student will need their social security number and their parent’s social security number.

Students that are not U.S. citizens will need an Alien Registration Number. It will also help to have a driver’s license or any other state-is-

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sued ID number handy.

The applicant will need to provide the most recent tax information, as well as their spouse’s or parents’.

At fafsa.gov, new applicants register with a login and password. The site presents a straightforward series of steps with very clear language and explanation, so expert knowledge about taxes or finances is not necessary.

The site will also save any progress if the process is interrupted.

Some personal questions are asked to determine eligibility for special aid, including ethnicity, military service or questions about the applicant’s parents. Many of these are optional.

After the application is completed, the applicant will be notified via email about any updates regarding the FAFSA. Processing time can vary, but generally takes three to five days.

After the student receives a confirmation that the FAFSA has been processed, they can complete the specialized scholarship application on the WSU website, which will allow for any scholarship money that the student is eligible for to be applied for and processed.

If paying for college still seems impossible, WSU has a special program called Dream Weber. The Dream Weber program provides free tuition and general student fees to students whose annual household income is $40,000 or less. More information about this loan can be attained through the financial aid office.

One other option is a private student loan, which some students may be able to get from their bank or through their parents’ bank.

However, these loans can end up costing a lot more than government student loans over time.

AMBER BENITEZ | The Signpost

By JOSHUA KAMP

AVAILABLE

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MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 35

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Through Testing Services, you can evaluate major and career goals and be placed in correct courses. Testing Services also offers ACT, ACCUPLACER, CLEP, and graduate school preparation in addition to the tests you take for class.

36 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

The Signpost has seen many faces come in and out of the office for many years. Some people stay forever and some only stay for a few semesters, so we wanted to put together a compilation of reasons why we have stayed on the staff of The Signpost.

me there isn’t. If I want to be a halfway decent writer, I have to be an expert listener and observer.

To keep it blunt, before I started reporting, I had no clue how much I didn’t listen, how much I didn’t consider, how much I let get past me in conversation or in my environment, which, if it weren’t for Jean Norman and The Signpost, I’d be a communications major with an extremely dim idea of how to communicate.

ADAM RUBIN Columnist

For me, my betterment and growth comes down to two things—two truly important things—and it makes me cringe thinking about how I had no regard these two things before I joined The Signpost. I didn’t have a very good grasp on them as I thought I did, and joining The Signpost put me to the test.

First and foremost, being a team player is a big benefit of being involved with The Signpost. I’ve heard about and endured all those old clichés university students hear over and over. The clichés about “the real world,” or the “professional world”; well, they hold a lot of truth, especially when it comes to being a team player or being involved with something greater than my own immediate world.

Whatever company or career I decide to pursue, being involved with The Signpost has helped me appreciate the hard work of my peers. I see the dedication, the endless and, seemingly, inexhaustive effort, the daily and weekly tasks and trials that my fellow Signposters handle and overcome regularly. In that kind of environment, I don’t want to be a weak link. I want to make sure that I am covering my zone, delivering the best work I can, offering my support and navigating the wilderness that is the news world in our era, and being involved with The Signpost has shown me what being dependable really entails — not being dependable solely for personal gain — yet to make sure that The Signpost achieves its mission of being a voice for Weber State University.

Second, when it comes to reporting, I have learned to listen. Reporting has allowed me plenty of opportunity to listen to people’s stories, and there’s no two ways about it, for

BREANNA HART Columnist

My time at The Signpost has been short compared to other staff members, but when I think about, it I feel like I’ve been part of this team for much longer, and I mean this in a good way.

I joined at the beginning of the spring semester of 2020, right before the outbreak of the pandemic. I never cared to do extracurricular activities in high school, so joining The Signpost was something that I never really considered doing before I went to the new student orientation.

As a small incoming freshman, Weber seemed huge and daunting to me as I attended the campus tour. I didn’t think that I would find my place at this seemingly huge school because in my mind it was just going to be the exact same as high school, just with more rigorous courses and strict professors.

At the end of our guided campus tour, there was a big set up in one of the ballroom’s in the Shepherd Union building, and it had some of the clubs and organizations on campus; The Signpost was one of them.

As I approached the table, I didn’t expect to be very excited about hearing about the university’s student-run newspaper, but as Jean Norman, the adviser for The Signpost, kept talking, the more intrigued I became. I took an application and the newspaper offered and went to visit all the other booths.

As the weeks wore on, I kept thinking about how I wanted to get involved a bit more with my school than I was in high school and my thoughts kept coming back to The Signpost

application.

Applying was daunting to me and very intimidating, so much so that I didn’t apply in my first semester. My life got crazy and I was dealing with a plethora of personal problems that the idea of applying wasn’t at the forefront of my thoughts anymore. I didn’t really think about joining The Signpost until I met someone in my rock climbing class who worked as a copy editor.

We became friends, and when he mentioned to me he worked for The Signpost, I was suddenly hit with the reminder that I was going to apply. I told him this, and he grew very excited and filled me in on all of the details of what it was like working as a copy editor, and I was intrigued once more.

One thing led to another and I ended up getting an interview and then a job. I’ve been here for a year now and I wouldn’t change anything that’s happened.

Joining The Signpost has been one of the best experiences I’ve had. It has become my home away from home. I love everyone I work with and truly feel that I have finally found my place, something that I never felt before now.

I never believed the adults who told me getting involved in extracurricular activities would be fun or enhance my school life, but unfortunately, they were right. Joining The Signpost has connected me to campus life in ways I don’t think I would have been had I not joined. I have met so many amazing people and have made new friends, which is something that has always been hard for me.

I have learned so many important things in my short time here and I wouldn’t change anything about it.

My advice to all the incoming freshmen, and honestly, any student, is to join a club or organization and get involved in campus activities because it makes such a big difference in your college experience.

I’ve found my place and something that excites me. My college experience has been heavily impacted by The Signpost in such an unexpectedly positive way.

CAITLYN NICHOLS Columnist

When I came to The Signpost, I had already discovered an interest for journalism in high school and had participated with the high school news broadcast for a year. The Signpost was way different. Reporting and writing for The Signpost pushed me and made me realize what a career in journalism would actually look like, and it really helped me grow my ability in journalism.

I ended up having to take a break from The Signpost for a semester, though I still wrote stories for them here and there through my news writing class. However, the following summer of 2020 was a hard one. I saw so much negativity in the news, between riots, elections and other politics, COVID-19, and more, I started feeling overwhelmed with the news world. It didn’t help that I knew so many people disliked journalists and blamed the news for the country’s problems, and I really hate confrontation. I started to wonder if I even wanted to be involved in such a career field, or if I should pursue something else, like public relations. At the time, I was supposed to be preparing to be assistant editor of the culture desk. Feeling so much uncertainty, I decided I was going to decline the position and stick to being a reporter for fall 2020, and then stop working with The Signpost after that. Around the same time, my editor-in-chief wanted to set up a virtual meeting with me, and I decided I would inform her of my decision about the assistant editor then.

Before I knew it, my editor-in-chief was telling me the culture desk editor had quit and that meant she wanted me to be the desk editor. I froze — I had my declination in my head and yet I was unprepared for the change and didn’t want to disappoint or upset her. I also felt a little pressured. So I accepted the position. Mind you, I had only been a reporter for The Signpost for basically one semester before suddenly being an editor, so I was scared out of my mind.

When fall 2020 came, I just had to hit the ground running and learn everything I needed to know to start managing a desk and editing stories. I thought it would be a crash course. Instead, I found in myself an ability to adjust quickly and an affinity for editing other journalists’ stories, again growing my journalistic ability as well as my leadership ability. I discovered a group of people at The Signpost, my fellow editors, who I really enjoyed being around and working with.

I also ended up taking an intro to PR class that semester, just in case, and discovered that

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 37

while I liked writing news releases, I didn’t particularly like marketing…

So here I am: Still involved as an editor at The Signpost, with at least another semester of it ahead of me, continuing in my journalism emphasis and looking at applying for internships with newspapers in the near future. I found that, despite the difficulties, I still really enjoyed journalistic writing, and I discovered I enjoyed editing.

I don’t know where life will take me. I’m still deciding if I really want to make a career out of news journalism, or whether that kind of lifestyle is for me. I don’t know where I’ll end up working, or if I’ll be writing, editing or something else. But I do know that I am so glad I was pressured to stick with The Signpost. It’s been fun, it has pushed me, it’s given me some cool experiences, it has gotten me more involved on campus, it has helped me figure out a little bit what I want in life and I’ve met some awesome people. I don’t regret a thing about it.

JENNIFER GREENLEE Columnist

People all make choices. Everyday, we choose what to eat, what to wear, if we are going to class. But it’s the choices we make that change our life that are by far the most interesting.

I was getting ready to leave high school in March of 2018, which feels both like yesterday and a decade ago now. I reached out to Jean Norman, the adviser at The Signpost, and asked if freshmen were allowed to apply. I had just finished being the editor-in-chief of my high school yearbook, and I was eager to do similar extracurricular activities in college.

I would have never known that a single email would change my whole life, but sending my application to Jean would change my entire trajectory for the rest of my life.

I had my orientation on the same day I interviewed for The Signpost. I had already known I was going to change my major from English Teaching to Creative Writing after taking the introductory course to teaching as a concurrent enrollment in high school. It wasn’t what I really wanted it to be or anything I had imagined it to be, and I quickly realized teaching K-12 wasn’t going to be for me.

I walked into the office on the fourth floor of the Shepherd Union. (There really is a fourth

floor to the Shepherd Union, I promise.) Everyone was laughing and having a good time while putting out a paper for the next day.

Of course, I made a fool of myself in the interview, but hey, who doesn’t trip over every moment of an interview?

That night, the editor-in-chief, who for that year would be Harrison Epstein, called me and asked if I would be willing to take on the assistant news editor position.

I said yes, and that yes was the best choice I ever made.

Four weeks into fall, I declared a double major in Creative Writing and Communication with a Multimedia Journalism emphasis. Crazy? Absolutely. The best time of my life? Also yes.

So, three years have passed now, and why have I stayed? Why have I decided to take on the challenge to not just being a part of it but taking it over? The short answer is because The Signpost has become a family for me. It has become my passion, and in some ways, it has become a part of me in my soul.

Yeah, some of the nights are long, and some of them are hard, but there is absolutely nothing like the high you get when you see the thing you have worked on, the thing your family, your friends, your brothers and sisters in newsprint have put their heart and soul into on the stands. There is nothing like the feeling of making a difference by informing your readers on big and sometimes immeasurable changes. There is nothing like the feeling of being a journalist. Even on the big, bad, mean, scary days.

So why The Signpost? Well, dear readers, because here is where I make the biggest difference I can. Here is where my life changed forever and where I hope to keep making a change in the world around me.

So, why stay at The Signpost? Why be a part of it? Well, I ask you, why not?

brought onto staff by Harrison Epstein and Jean Norman after submitting some sample work even though they weren’t looking for new reporters for the fall semester.

That stubbornness I had when typing up a story in my notes app while driving through Nevada led to Harrison and Jean becoming two of the most impactful people that have entered my life.

When I first stepped onto the Weber State campus, I noticed that Utah was drastically hotter than I realized and that the state was, uhh, lacking in color. I then began to wonder what The Signpost staff would look like, and as you can imagine, I had the same thoughts.

What I didn’t know at the time was that it would become the most inclusive space that I’ve ever stepped foot in. I realize that there are many journalists throughout the country that have not had that same experience, so I’m very grateful for everyone that made me feel welcomed.

Throughout my four years at Weber State, there have been times where I seriously struggled. It was so hard for me to get used to a place that felt nothing like home, but there are two reasons why I never left. One is Christian Johnson, who in a short period became a lifelong brother of mine. The second is The Signpost, a student publication that I’ll refer to as a life-changing experience.

This isn’t a goodbye, and it won’t ever be a farewell, but the time has come for me to move on to the next step in life, so to all that have shared the office with me, read my stories or simply enjoyed a moment with me…

I simply say thank you.

JUSTIN STEED Columnist

RAYMOND LUCAS Columnist

In life, love and appreciation are two of the things we seek most from our peers and it can determine how long a person sticks around, along with how happy they are.

I’ve almost always left a Signpost meeting happy.

Back in 2017 when I first arrived in Ogden, I was excited yet nervous, because I’ve never enjoyed school, but I also had just been

I joined The Signpost in the fall 2020 semester. It was my first semester at Weber State, so I had no idea what I was doing or what I was going to do. My sister worked at The Signpost at the time and told me I would love it. She wasn’t wrong.

I’m a math major, so choosing to go to a student multimedia organization was something strange. But being at The Signpost has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

At The Signpost, I get to meet and talk to new people, which is a big plus amid COVID-19, which has limited my social interaction to almost exclusively my family. And the people I

get to work with are always friendly and fun to be around.

Being here is so fun, and having somewhere to go during COVID-19 has really helped me mentally. There’s absolutely no question to me about continuing in The Signpost, and I will happily do so for as long as they allow me.

MARISA NELSON Columnist

If you would have told me five years ago that I would be writing for the school newspaper and well on my way to becoming a journalist, I would have laughed in your face. My whole experience at the Signpost has been a series of being in the right place at the right time. The Signpost was way out of my comfort zone, but I have had so many life changing experiences through my time on the team and it has become second nature to me now.

Being a reporter allowed me to get to know campus on an intimate level as a transfer student and interview people whose stories have changed my perspective.

Being the news editor, I learned a whole new set of skills that I honestly didn’t feel prepared to handle. But I did it. Leading a group of people is never easy, and I think that the mistakes I have made have shaped me into being a better person and a better leader.

Now as I get ready to take on a new role and expand my skill set further, I can’t help but be eternally grateful for all that I have gained the last two years. Strong friendships, connections on campus and polished skills, just to name a few.

Life is about seizing the moment that comes to you and I feel that I have done exactly that with my journey at The Signpost. Being a student journalist has been a learning experience to say the least, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

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38 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

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MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 39

By EMILY MILLER Reporter

The historic spring season for the Weber State volleyball team has come to an end. The Wildcats fell to the No.1 team in the nation, the University of Wisconsin Badgers, on April 16, in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Badgers swept Weber State 25–17, 25– 19 and 25–15. The Wildcats end their season at 19–2.

The day prior, the Wildcats won their first ever NCAA tournament match after defeating the Bowling Green University Falcon in four sets.

“This has been a great experience for not just us as a volleyball program but to raise the standard of what Big Sky volleyball is known

as,” Jeremiah Larsen, Wildcats head coach, said. “I think for a long time the Big Sky has been a grossly underrated volleyball conference. I think we’re sometimes overlooked in the west, and now we have the opportunity to compete.”

In the regular season, Weber State went 15–1, 8–0 at home and 7–1 away. Northern Arizona was the only other team that handed WSU a loss this season. The Lumberjacks took the match in four sets, 3–1.

The Wildcats rolled into Omaha, Nebraska, for the NCAA tournament already with new program records under their belt.

For the first time in program history, the Wildcats won the regular season title and the Big Sky Tournament Championship. This was the program’s first ever outright regular-sea-

son title.

“This has all been a dream of mine and my teammates since we were little girls to play in the NCAA tournament,” Rylin Adams said.

“We’ve been excited and humbled to compete at this level. At the beginning of this season, we weren’t guaranteed games, so we have just taken advantage of every opportunity that we’ve had.”

The Wildcats beat Northern Colorado 3–1 in the championship game. This was a rematch of the 2019 tournament championship where Weber State fell to UNC in five sets.

Weber State had four of their own be named to the Big Sky All-Conference First Team: Dani Nay, Sam Scheiss, Ashlyn Power and Rylin Adams.

Adams was also dubbed as Most Valuable

Player in the Big Sky Conference and the AVCA Pacific North All-Region.

Larsen entered into his sixth season with the Wildcats and was awarded the Big Sky Coach of the Year. He is only the third coach in program history to receive this accolade.

Larsen helped the Wildcats to a second-place finish for 2019 and, after their 2020 season was postponed, pushed the Wildcats even further in 2021. WSU entered into the Big Sky tournament with the first-ever No. 1 seed.

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40 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021

By JENNIFER GREENLEE Editor-in-Chief

Each year, students pay thousands of dollars in tuition and student fees. Each dollar has a purpose, from funding student services like the Health Center to paying faculty to teach courses.

This year, student fees will have an overall decrease by 12.85%, or about $130.62. This is because of a reorganization of what is covered under student fees versus what is covered by tuition. Nine programs have been moved to be covered by tuition instead of student fees: Children’s School, Creative Writing, Davis Learning Center, Computer Labs, Honors Program, Performing Arts, Undergraduate Research, Vice President of Student Affairs Operations and the Online Delivery Fee. This reorganization happened based on the guidelines given to the universities by the Utah System of Higher Education about how student fees are used. These guidelines outline three allowed uses for these funds: student-approved facility construction, student-approved facility operation and student activities, programs and services.

It was recommended, after a review of these programs and organizations, to the Board of Trustees by Norm Tarbox, vice president for administrative services, that these funds move to education and general funding, which consists of tuition payments and state funding.

This was approved by the board on March 16, and it will officially take effect for the summer 2021 semester.

These changes caused a significant decrease in student fees, and there will be a lower net cost, but there will be an overall increase in the student fee budget for the remaining programs. This 1.5% increase will result in an approximate $238,952 increase in student funds.

Scholarship and compensation account for 48.2% of the increases. These adjustments are made for annual cost of living salary increases and the increase in scholarships based on the increase in tuition and student fees. Just over 18% of the increase will go to building fees.

The other $80,375 will be split between 10 departments: Athletics, Disability Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Campus Recreation, the Center for Community and Engaged Learning, Model UN, Peer Mentoring, Debate, the Stress Relief Center and the Money Management Center.

The monetary distribution of the remaining funds looks like this: Athletics will get a $6,000 base funding increase and one-time funds of $17,000.

Disability Services will receive a $20,210 base funding increase and one-time funds of $2,000.

Counseling and Psychological Services will get a $19,165 base funding increase.

Campus Recreation will be allotted a base funding increase of $5,000 and one-time funds of $6,000.

The Center for Community and Engaged Learning will get one-time funds of $10,000.

The Model UN will get one-time funds of $5,000.

Peer Mentoring will get one-time funds of $5,000.

Debate will get one-time funds of $2,500.

The Stress Relief Center will get one-time funds of $1,500.

The Money Management Center will get one-time funds of $1,000.

Overall, student fees at the university comprise a budget of $9,900,988 for the new fiscal year 2022 and will give funding to 34 departments.

The breakdown of the overall student fee budget is as follows: Athletics receives 24.8% of the budget, or $2,457,580.

Student Involvement and Leadership receives 11.29% of the budget, or $1,118,238.

The Student Health Center receives 8.98% of the budget, or $889,491.

The Shepherd Union receives 12.26% of the budget, or $1,214,844.

Campus Recreation receives 13.17% of the budget, or $1,299,839.

The other 29.5%, or $2,920,791, are split between the other 29 departments. Those breakdowns can be found in the attached document on the online story.

In order to determine the distribution of these funds each year, the Student Fee Recommendation Committee, composed of eight students and two faculty, is created from applicants and determines the budget for each organization.

The students apply at the beginning of spring semester, and they are then interviewed by the Student Body President, who this year was Ben Ferney, the legislative vice president, who this year was Hannah Olsen, and Daniel Kilcrease, executive director of student affairs auxiliaries.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with the SFRC,” Kilcrease said. “For them to make decisions on how their student fees are used is really neat.”

Once those students are selected from the applicants, they have several training sessions to help them understand how student fees are distributed and how to determine which departments may or may not get funded.

“I wanted each student to know that their voice matters, just as I felt my voice had mattered,” Ferney said.

Individual departments who receive student funds reapply each year for funding, whether or not they are asking for an increase in funds. Those who are asking for an increase in funds then present to the SFRC to describe

what the funds are needed for.

“We would took it one department at a time to give them each fair consideration,” Ferney said. “We wanted to give funding to all the areas we looked at, of course, but we looked at each area and said ‘we want to lock this in’ and ‘this area will probably be okay without some of that.’”

Students then make a decision for the overall budget and each department, which requires full consensus from the committee, and the proposed budget is then sent on to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

“The way that we allocate student fees at Weber State is really good,” Vice President of Student Affairs Brett Perozzi said. “I just love that students do the allocations. I’m technically the co-chair, but myself, Daniel Kilcrease, who helps with the financial piece, and then Dave Taylor, who does the actual nitty gritty of it in terms of creating the spreadsheets and things like that, over the two days of deliberation, we hardly say anything. We’ll answer questions or if there’s ever any facts that are inaccurate, we’ll correct any facts, but outside of that, the students do everything. It’s a really good feeling and it’s a really great thing to watch.”

While student fees will see an overall decrease in what students are paying, the tuition will be going up for the 2021-22 school year by 2%.

One-point-fourty-nine percent of the increase is required by the Utah Legislature mandates. The other .51% increase will be used for various institutional needs: .25% will go to faculty promotions, .16% will go to fuel and power rate increase and .1% will go to administrative software upgrades.

This increase will look different for graduate and undergraduate students or whether one is a resident or non-resident student.

For full-time resident undergraduate, the increase will amount to about $239; for fulltime non-resident undergraduate students, the increase will be about $474; for full-time resident graduate students, the increase will be around $263; for full-time non-resident graduate students, the increase will be about $521.

This increase was also voted on and passed by the Board of Trustees on March 16. This change will also be implemented in summer 2021.

The net change in cost of full-time attendance between both student fees and tuition changes is an increase of $108.38 for a resident undergraduate student, an increase of $343.38 for a non-resident undergraduate student, an increase of $132.38 for a resident graduate student and an increase of $390.38.

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MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 41

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MANAGING THE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK,

SCHOOL AND A SOCIAL LIFE ALLY NELSON Columnist

me to stay better organized because I tend to remember my schedule better.

Something else I do is double check plans that I’ve made with friends. Hanging out with friends is important to me and my overall well-being, but if plans fall through, I know I should be doing something productive in the meantime, like cleaning, working on homework or working on a hobby.

Staying productive while taking frequent breaks refreshes my brain. Listening to my body has helped me realize when I need to take breaks, when I need a nap and when I can push through finishing my work.

Attending WSU has taught me so much about myself and how much of a workload I can handle, so I am grateful for all of the experiences I have had at Weber, despite the countless hours I have spent stressing over t e s t

scores, my GPA and balancing school, work and my social life.

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ALLI RICKARDS | The Signpost

For the past 18 years, I have had a basic set schedule. Wake up and get ready for school, attend classes and go home to do more work.

Attending Weber State University for the past four years, I have learned numerous lessons.

Among those have been critical thinking, leadership skills and, my greatest downfall, time management.

Procrastinating was something I could get away with in high school, so I unfortunately made a habit of it throughout my college experience. College is a completely different ballgame. How much time I spent on a project or a final paper was a reflection of my grade, and more often than not, my professors would notice.

A couple of years ago, I was a psychology major before switching to multimedia journalism. Thinking I could get away with procrastinating, I gave myself one night to finish a poster project and a research paper for my child psychology class.

Needless to say, it did not work out in my favor. I rehearsed my main points in my head as best as I could, but when my professor asked more difficult questions, my brain was left empty.

I gave myself approximately five hours to work on both the poster and the research paper, and my professor pointed out the flaws in my research. With invalid and unreliable sources, my project ended up being a failure.

Learning from that experience, I told myself I would never wait until the day before to do a semester’s worth of work in five hours.

With much to learn still, my procrastination problem has gotten better over the past year.

If I have something to turn in, I no longer wait

until the day of to do it, and I do my best to balance school, work and The Signpost.

With that being said, I don’t only allow myself to be available to school and work. That will cause burnout, and I have 100% been there.

With strictly online classes, after attending my classes from Zoom, I’ll sometimes take a nap for a couple hours, play some video games or spend time with my sister to refresh my brain from the never-ending blank stare at the screen.

According to the organization and website Lifehack writer Jill Harness taking a 40-minute nap improves alertness by an average of 34%.

For those who refuse to take breaks throughout the day, studies show that taking regular breaks of just two minutes increased productivity over 11%.

Taking those two minutes to stand and stretch, rest your eyes and check on social media is beneficial and has helped me. I have been disciplined to stay at my desk whilst taking two-minute breaks, despite the fact that my bed is three feet away from me.

Understanding how I learn has been a journey throughout my college career, and even though I still have more to learn as I move beyond college, I have a basic understanding of how I need to keep my procrastinating in check.

Struggling with attention deficit disorder, I still have yet to find what works best for me. All I can do is give myself enough time to complete my work, ask my professors clarifying questions and know that, at the end of the day, I am doing my best work.

Some tasks I do to help me stay on top of assignments and appointments, among other things, is to make a schedule. I find that writing a basic rundown of my week helps

MyWeberMedia.com| April 20, 2021 | 43

‘CATS FOOTBALL REACHES TOP DOG STATUS

By TYLER HASLAM Reporter

For those who haven’t been watching, the Weber State football program has gradually solidified itself as one of the top FCS programs in the country.

Ranked third in the country, the Wildcats clinched their fourth-straight Big Sky conference championship and will appear in the FCS football playoff for the fifth straight year.

Weber is currently 5–0 in a shortened spring season due to the pandemic.

The ‘Cats are the second school to win four

consecutive conference titles in the history of the Big Sky conference.

Historically, the Wildcats have struggled to maintain consistent winning-ways on the field, with an all time record of 273–280–3. A big key for the recent bout of success, though, has been the hiring of Jay Hill as head coach.

Hill was an assistant coach at the University of Utah before being hired as the head coach of the Wildcats in 2014. Though things didn’t take off right away, Hill has led Weber to a 52–29 record in his seven seasons at the helm, with 10 of those 29 losses coming in the first

season.

This spring season, Hill and the Wildcats are looking to build upon last season’s appearance in the FCS playoff semifinals where they lost 30–14 to James Madison University, which is currently slotted as the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

Hill, a former cornerback in his playing days at Utah, has instilled a reputation at Weber for strong, hard-nosed defense. With Weber State boasting the Big Sky’s top-rated scoring defense and a league-leading eight interceptions through five games, that reputation has

continued on this spring.

The offense is quarterbacked by true freshman Bronson Barron, and the backfield trio of Josh Davis, Dontae McMillan and Daniel Wright Jr. lead the conference’s second ranked rushing attack.

This year’s FCS playoff matchups were determined on April 18, and the playoff games will begin on Saturday, April 24.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com PAIGE MCKINNON | The Signpost

The Wildcats celebrate after a touchdown that leads them to a win on their home field.

THE SIGNPOST TEAM

Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Greenlee jennifergreenlee@mail.weber.edu

Photo Editor BriElle Harker brielleharker@mail.weber.edu

Asst. Sports Editor Miles Shaw milesshaw@mail.weber.edu

Adviser Jean Norman jeannorman@weber.edu

Design & Graphics Editor Aubree Eckhardt aubreeeckhardt@mail.weber.edu

Chief Copy Editor Breanna Hart breannahart@mail.weber.edu

Culture Editor Caitlyn Nichols caitlynnichols@mail.weber.edu

Ad Manager KC Sanders kcsanders@weber.edu

Asst. Design & Graphics Editor Alli Rickards alexandrarickards@mail.weber.edu

News Editor Marisa Nelson marisanelson@mail.weber.edu

Webmaster David Morris david.lee.morris@gmail.com

Videography Editor Sarah Earnshaw sarahearnshaw@mail.weber.edu

Sports Editor Raymond Lucas raymondlucas@mail.weber.edu

The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted

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

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ACCREDITED HANDS-ON LEARNING Ogden School District is fully accredited

This means that when students take classes like the award-winning health sciences pathway, they know that they are receiving outstanding instruction from caring educators who are dedicated to student success beyond high school graduation.

No charter schools in Utah are accredited in grades K-12.

Whether you dream of becoming a doctor, computer programmer, mechanic, author or musician you have the support of a fully accredited school system to help you get there.

Learn more at www.ogdensd.org