The Signpost 2020 Back to School Edition 8.24.20

AUBREE ECKHARDT | The Signpost

Monday | August 24, 2020 | Volume 93 | Issue 01

02 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 03

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year!

This is sure to be a defining semester in the history of Weber State. The challenges of our times — a worldwide pandemic, calls for greater social and racial justice, and major economic disruptions — create amazing opportunities for unleashing creative thinking, new conversations, and engaged problem-solving.

While these challenges are frequently referred to as “unprecedented,” they are not. As an educational institution, Weber has endured the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, a campus closure that lasted 18 months, rapid transitions in the delivery of academic programs to meet the demands of World War II, and many other difficulties. Weber not only survived those challenges, but emerged from each as an institution better poised to thrive in the future.

You, as the Weber State students of 2020, have my complete confidence that you will also learn to thrive more vibrantly in the future through your education this semester. Our faculty and staff are more committed than ever to provide rich, individualized experiences focused on helping each of you be successful. We will meet you where you are and work with you to get to where you want to go. We have developed more tools than ever before to assist in this journey, whether your path is in person, digital, or a combination.

Finally, we all realize that 2020 probably still has a few curveballs to throw at us. Remember to show yourself and those around you empathy as we balance circumstances that could be different tomorrow than they are today. Please know how dedicated your Weber State family is to working to fulfill your dreams while promoting health and safety.

I appreciate each of you and your commitment to Weber State. I am looking forward to another year of success as together we pursue a trajectory that is ever upward.

Naassom Azevedo | UNSPLASH

Respectfully, Brad Mortensen President

ENRICHING CAMPUS LIFE WITH CLUBS AND ORGS FOR MINORITY GROUPS

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

WSU has over 27,000 students, each with their own unique traits that make them who they are. WSU Clubs and Organizations has over 100 clubs to choose from, and many of them are specific to students of color, nontraditional students and minority groups on campus.

Some of these clubs include the Asian Student Involvement Association, Latinos in Action, Black Scholars United and The Ohana Association. WSU Clubs and Organization Coordinator Heather Cimino stated that, of the 100 clubs, 13 clubs are specific to students of color and minorities.

These clubs all have mission statements and values that aim to help students feel connect-

ed to their peers as well as advance academically. Cimino and Lulu S. Faumui-Latu-Peters, the advisor for ASIA and TOA, said that students who get involved in clubs and interact with their peers are more likely to graduate.

ASIA and TOA work to celebrate the culture of Asian community as well as Pacific Islanders, according to Faumui-Latu-Peters. One example was the 2019 Intercollegiate luau.

Colleges from across the state were assigned an island, and participants then performed cultural dances and showed their personality through their culture. This event not only helped students in the club but also impacted the community.

Joining a club on campus allows students to find a place where others look like them and have similar perspectives. It can provide opportunities to serve people in the commu-

nity as well as bring awareness to others about ideas that differ from theirs.

Faumui-Latu-Peters added that these clubs are open to anyone who is willing to learn about Asian or Pacific Islander culture. Cimino stated students can create their own club if one does not fit their needs.

Another club that focuses on culture and academic excellence is the Multicultural Advancements in Science club, which is overseen

by Jon Marshall.

In a blog post written by Sara Naveed on the MAS website she says, “It was the first time I saw people of color and women truly celebrated for their contributions to science, math and engineering.”

Naveed also praised a diversity conference, which she said made diversity actually matter, not just feature as a buzzword.

The risks of joining a club can seem daunting to some students, especially adding something more to a jam-packed schedule during an already busy semesters. However, advisors can help students plan around busy schedules.

“Just reach out to the club president or advisor,” Marhsall said. You will not be sorry you did. What do you have to lose?”

He also stated that students who join a club can have a space to share their voices with others who have similar experiences.

Cimino stated that WSUSA also works to include diversity in its work. The student senate and vice presidential positions are held by students and are elected by the student body annually.

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YOU THOUGHT COLLEGE WAS HARD? TRY DOING IT DURING A PANDEMIC!

MARISA NELSON Columnist

ALLI RICKARDS | The Signpost

The global pandemic caused high school seniors and college graduates to miss out on a formal graduation and the last hurrahs of senior year. Returning students, including myself, are worried about this semester. But how does applying for college and registering for classes in a unique time affect new students?

Each recent high school graduate I spoke to could see pros and cons to the adjustments being made and how their college experience will look. Most of them said that college was still on their radar even with the risks of COVID-19.

“Going to college is something that I’ve always thought was really important,” Makensy Thompson, who will be a freshman at USU, this fall said. “A few changes because of coronavirus doesn’t change whether I want to go or not.”

Other students also said that college is a high priority and while the changes could make their college experience a little different, they were all eager to attend.

Transitioning to college comes with a lot of help from counselors and advisors. Meeting with advisors has been more difficult because of the restrictions that come with COVID-19. Chloe Bodily, who will be attending Weber State University, said that greater responsibility fell on her because of the restrictions of being on campus.

Without face-to-face instruction, communication between students and teachers can be difficult. Instructors are trying their best to work with students over zoom and other platforms. Working with students remotely can be challenging, but Thompson and Bodily sound willing to adapt to the changes that online school will entail.

Other students have missed out because of the campus closures.

“While my online school has fared quite well, there are some resources that I haven’t been able to take advantage of due to the pandemic,” Trelynn Gehringer, a freshman at SLCC, said.

Locating available resources can be tricky for students who have never been to campus and don’t know where resources are.

WSU has been known for its wide selection of online classes and majors. Some Weber State students graduate fully online.

But online experience isn’t fully inclusive for some freshman. Many students prefer to

attend events, join a club and interact with peers in and out of the classroom.

“I’m not really a fan of the online classes,” Bodily added. “However, I’ve found some good in the classes being online.”

Some students love that Weber has a variety of online options; many can find the time to work full time while still taking a full semester load.

Reno Gibbs, who will also be attending WSU, added that online classes will allow for more time to participate in his extracurricular activities.

“Going online [in high school] didn’t really help me at all but it made it easier to fit in my rodeo schedule,” Gibbs added. “It can be appealing because I can do rodeo during the day or work all day and then come home and do my schooling at night.”

Many students, including Gibbs, voiced that the feeling of moving away from home and having the full college experience is being taken away from them. Getting out of their parent’s houses and moving into the first stages of adulthood was one aspect of college they were looking forward to. The college experience is enhanced by being on campus and can provide study areas and resources to students they might not find off campus.

Being a new student in this state of the world seems almost overwhelming. I, for one, know that college can be hard. But just try to imagine navigating something new with a whole pandemic on top of that.

Brenda Marsteller Kowalewski, a professor of Sociology, stated in a town hall meeting on Aug. 17 that getting involved and connected is a way to adjust to college life.

Participating in a club, joining student government or participating in undergraduate research can help students stay connected.

One comfort is that we will all be navigating this time together. WSU has been providing information to students and staff as needed, and some professors have already reached out to students about how their class will look and offered to speak to their students one on one about concerns.

WSU also has courses that are designed for new students, such as First Year Experience course, which has hands-on options to help students be successful on campus The changes that have come with COVID-19 have certainly affected our lives.

Students seem optimistic about the future and want to pursue higher education in any way they can. Looking on the bright side seems to be one of our best options right now. Obstacles may arise and it will be frustrating at times to navigate the new normal, but the college experience will never be diminished.

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Cubiertas faciales (o cubrebocas) SON REQUERIDAS en todos lados de WSU.

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better and prepare ourselves for five months from now,” Larsen said.

The spring players feel for the fall teams as they have already experienced the pain of losing a season, and not knowing when for sure they will get to play again.

“We all feel for them because we went through that in the spring, so we know how much that sucks,” Camarero said.

The athletes are remaining hopeful though.

They’re still working hard, practicing and preparing for their time on the field, court or diamond.

“It’s just very uncertain, we don’t know how everything is going to play out and with all

06 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

sports playing in the spring we don’t really know how that’s going to affect us and so it’s a little scary going back into it, but as long as we all stay safe and be careful, all we can do is hope for the best as that’s all we can do at this point,” Camarero said.

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Studio 76 WSU digital media studio

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real-world.

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

experience.

Empty dugout at WSU’s soccer field due to Covid-19.

Asst. Section Editor

Everyone is wondering when the world will return to normal right now; however, it is an especially challenging and uncertain time to be a student athlete on a college campus.

This fall, sports seasons have seen start dates pushed back and changes implemented due to the life-altering effects of COVID-19.

Weber State’s softball team season was cut short before they started league play, which was especially disappointing after coming off conference win the season prior. While they are still the reigning champions, they were unable to defend the title in play.

“We had just finished our last preseason tournament up in Reno, and the next weekend we had a bye, and that’s when we kind of real-

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really high and then COVID happened,” said Faith Hoe, infielder for the Wildcat’s softball team.

They had big plans for the season and having those plans taken away and put on hold is not easy.

“Coming back after the previous year as Big Sky champions and tournament champions we were just excited to see what we were going to do this next year going forward,” Camarero said.

Student athletes put in a lot of work during the season, and they want to be able to show off all their hard work and dedication.

“It’s just hard because you put so much energy, effort and time, and it’s not just four years like this has been a lifelong goal. We as athletes have been working on and we only get four years to play so that’s really special,”

Hoe said.

With this past spring’s sports seasons canceled and with fall sports currently postponed, it leaves student athletes in an unenviable position, and with only guesses of what might come next.

“When we canceled in March it was just like, wait until fall and it’ll all be back to normal and then five or six months later it’s still the same,” Hoe said.

Jeremiah Larsen, Weber State Volleyball’s head coach, said his team has been focused on playing again and is keeping a positive attitude about the situation.

“For the most part, our team has not been affected by it at all; we’re practicing right now as if we’d be playing in the fall, our team is extremely focused and has a great attitude about this and it’s a great opportunity to get

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No activity on the scoreboard due to Covid-19 haulting sports at WSU.

ized what was happening, and the season was potentially going to be over,” Chloe Camarero, infielder for the Wildcat’s softball team, said.

Their season ended in a heartbreaking way. With no real warning, the senior players played their last game without even knowing it was their last.

“The seniors will alway be in the back of our minds because we saw firsthand how rough that was,” Camarero said. “A good thing that came out of it was we were able to be together and be there for each other during that time.”

The canceled season hurt that much more because of the season the players were planning on having.

“The year before, we won the tournament and went to the regional, and won our first regional game and made history, and had the best Big Sky record, so that year set the bar

COMMUNICATION

The press box at WSU’s soccer field.

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MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 09

They stole his wallet and took him to the outskirts of town, where they tied him to a fence using clothesline wire, stole his boots and then continuously pistol-whipped him.

McKinney and Henderson reportedly told police they wanted to make sure Shepard’s eyes were so swollen he couldn’t see well enough to make out their license plate as they drove away.

Henderson ended up pleading guilty and was given two consecutive life sentences in prison. McKinney tried his luck with a trial.

At trial, McKinney’s defense team argued he had gone into a violent rage because Shepard had touched his leg. What McKinney’s team suggested to the jury was that because Shepard was gay, McKinney felt threatened by the same-sex sexual advancement.

The use of this strategy is not uncommon in cases similar to this one. It’s known as the LGBT panic defense, or the gay panic defense, and is defined by the LGBTQ bar association as a strategy that asks the jury to “find a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is to blame for the defendant’s violent actions, including murder.”

There are three main ways this defense

can be used. The first is defense of insanity or diminished capacity, followed by defense of provocation and lastly, self-defense.

This defense not only justifies someone’s actions but excuses them as well. Many times, when this strategy works, defendants will get reduced sentences and sometimes, no sentences at all.

Luckily, in the Matthew Shepard case, the judge dismissed the use of this defense strategy, telling the defense team they would have to come up with something else. McKinney ended up serving two consecutive life sentences for kidnapping and murder, but not all cases end this way.

In 2013, Islan Nettles, a 21-year-old transgender woman, was beaten and murdered on a street in Harlem, New York. The assailant, James Dixon, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for manslaughter; a charge lighter than murder or homicide.

Because Nettles was trans, the defense team used the LGBTQ panic defense to help explain why Dixon reacted in such a violent way. The only difference between this case and the Shepard case was that the judge let the defense use this strategy. As a result, Dix-

on was only given 12 years.

Today, only 10 states have banned the use of this defense strategy, meaning it’s still completely legal in 40 states in the U.S. The first state to ban its use was California in 2014; the other states with bans are Illinois, Rhode Island, Nevada, Connecticut, Maine, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey and Washington.

According to hate crime statistics from the FBI, LGBTQ people are disproportionately targeted and research shows that one in five lesbian, gay and bisexual people will experience a hate crime in their life and every one in four trans people will.

The use of the gay panic defense only excuses the actions of those perpetrating these crimes. Dixon, and countless others who have committed similar crimes and got away with reduced sentencing, are only given a slap on the wrist.

The Shepard case, as brutal and terrible as it was, was the exception, not the rule. The use of the gay panic defense is still happening today, and it’s not okay. This defense is dangerous and stems from a long, deep-seated prejudice against the LGBTQ community. It allows the criminals who commit these heinous

acts to get reduced sentences with almost no jail time at all.

The fact that not all 50 states have banned the use of this unjust defense strategy is beyond me. This defense strategy is harmful not only to the victim but to the victim’s family as well.

At the end of the day, a victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity shouldn’t be used against them in a trial. Murder is murder no matter who the person is or what their gender identity or sexual orientation is. Being LGBTQ doesn’t diminish the fact that they were brutally murdered. The people who commit these crimes should be held accountable and shouldn’t get their sentences reduced simply because their victim was LGBTQ. We’ve come such a far way in terms of LGBTQ rights, but the fact that this defense strategy is still in use today, among other things, is an active reminder to us all that we still have a long way to go.

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OGDEN.FLYHIGHTRAMPOLINEPARK.COM

People show their pride support all over the state by hanging flags outside of their homes.

BREANNA HART Columnist

In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 22-year-old college student, was found tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He had

been burned, beaten and left for dead when a passing bicyclist found him. Shepard was barely breathing when first responders arrived at the scene. They quickly transported him to the local hospital where healthcare workers soon realized that his injuries were too severe for their small town hospital, so they transferred Shepard to a better-equipped hospital in Colorado.

The day after Shepard was discovered, police arrested Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, who were initially charged with

attempted first-degree murder. McKinney’s girlfriend, Chastity Pasley, and Henderson’s girlfriend, Kristin Price, were also arrested and charged as accessories to murder after the fact.

Only five days after he was found, Shepard died as a result of his injuries in the Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Following his death, the attempted murder charges McKinney and Henderson were facing increased to murder charges.

As police worked the case, they discovered

Shepard was an openly-gay freshman at the University of Wyoming. On the night of Oct. 7, 1998, Shepard was attending an LGBTQ event at a local bar when he met McKinney and Henderson. McKinney told police their plan was to rob Shepard, so they pretended to be gay in order to win over Shepard’s trust.

As the night drew to a close, McKinney and Henderson suggested Shepard get a ride with them, and when he agreed and got into their truck, they turned around and started to beat him.

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By FRANCIA HENRIQUEZ BENSON Asst. Section Editor

and asynchronous instruction; the students will to clean their personal areas and wear face coverings and the university will allow events to be hosted on meet on a set schedule, but the instructor may while indoors. campus starting July 27. deliver asynchronous instruction at no set time or If the state goes back to orange or red, face-to-face scheduled video classes. classes will be moved online.

Comment on this story at Finally, courses may be offered as Flex, which entails The testing center will resume its operating hours, signpost.mywebermedia.com in-person, technology-assisted instruction. Flex courses can include synchronous and/or asynchronous online instruction.

The Flex option is built for large classes such as labs or studio courses. Some students will meet in person while the rest of the class participates online.

Students will rotate through who meets face-to-face on any given day.

Students should receive an email outlining the new delivery formats no later than July 17. It’s likely that courses listed as face-to-face during registration will change to virtual, hybrid or online.

Along with that, there will be classroom changes to accommodate all the students and maintain the sixfoot safe distance.

At the beginning of the semester, professors will discuss what is required from each student to maintain a healthy environment.

Classes in the fall will be offered in a variety of formats that may not reflect Students taking classes on campus are required the current schedule. Students will receive an email about changes by July 17.

WSU Archives

To avoid further spread of COVID-19, Weber State University has changed some classes’ format delivery for fall semester.

Many flexible options are available. The course offerings will include a mix of face-to-face, on-campus courses, alongside virtual, hybrid and online offerings.

After reviewing course offerings, faculty decided which classes needed to be delivered face-to-face, such as labs.

Face-to-face classes will be offered in the classroom during the currently scheduled times with modifications for safety without moving the classes online.

Hybrid courses will be offered on campus with at least 20% of the course online and with no schedule for online instruction.

In virtual classes, students will meet online at a specific date and time via video conferencing. Students complete homework using Canvas or email.

Online classes may also not require any online video calls and be taught asynchronously.

Virtual Hybrid courses will combine synchronous

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By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

For the first time ever, NBA playoff basketball has been played outside of spring due to COVID-19, but the games have not disappointed. The playoffs have been as exciting, if not more so, than past years’ playoffs.

For any who doubted that basketball could be played with the same effort and intensity inside of the bubble rather than inside arenas packed with thousands of fans screaming and cheering on their teams, the last few weeks have put those doubts and worries to rest.

The bubble has seen records broken, games running to the wire and buzzer-beater game-winning shots, which

has been a smashing success for anyone who is a fan of the game of basketball.

The Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns came into the Orlando bubble on fire and with something to prove.

The Suns, led by All-Star Guard Devin Booker, went an undefeated 8-0 in their seeding games, but they still missed the playoffs, even after Booker averaged 30.5 points per game in the bubble, while also setting the franchise record for most 30-point games with 91.

His standout moment came when he splashed in 35 points and hit a midrange, fadeaway buzzer-beater over two of the best defensive players in basketball — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — to beat the L.A. Clippers 117-

115 and to keep the Suns undefeated.

The shot lived up to the late, great Kobe Bryant’s words to Booker of “Be Legendary.”

“Kobe’s with me everyday, you guys see what I put on my shoes, be legendary, that’s a reminder for me,” Booker commented after the game.

However, the biggest revelation coming out of the bubble’s seeding games was Weber State’s own Damian Lillard, who has stolen the show during the NBA restart, after a record-shattering two weeks of basketball.

Lillard averaged 37.6 points per game through the eight seeding games, while also showing why he has been given the nickname “Logo Lillard” as he has dumbfounded defenses with deep threes from near

half-court.

Lillard also broke his personal record of most three pointers made in a game; against the Denver Nuggets, he buried 11 on his way to 45 total points and a Trail Blazers victory.

Then, two games later, he went for 51 points on the 76ers, joining Kobe Bryant and James Harden as the third player in the last 20 years to score at least 293 points in a stretch of six games.

During this stretch, Lillard was shooting an astounding 57 percent from three-point range, which included a 61-point outing against Dallas and a 16 assist game against the Celtics to give his team a shot at the playoffs in a play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

After outstanding performances, Lillard and Booker headlined the All-Bubble First Team, with Lillard also earning the MVP of the two weeks of seeding games in the bubble.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers met for the first play-in game for the NBA playoffs in playoff history, as the bubble format dictated.

While Portland led by as many as sixteen, their lead was cut down and Memphis held the lead late into the fourth quarter with the help of rookie sensation Ja Morant dropping 35 points and dishing out eight assists.

It still wasn’t enough for Memphis as Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic proved too much and Portland walked away with a 126-122 victory.

With Portland’s victory, the 2020 playoffs were set; first round matchups pitted the Lakers vs. Trail Blazers, Jazz vs. Nuggets and in the Eastern Conference, Celtics vs. 76ers and Heat vs. Pacers.

Playoff action tipped off August 17, with the first playoff game a blazing start between the Jazz and Nuggets.

Neither team let their foot off the gas, with Donovan Mitchell carrying the Jazz to a seven-point deficit going into the second half.

Mitchell continued carrying the team and finished the game on fire, as he scored 38 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

However, it was still not enough for the Jazz, as the two-man game of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić proved lethal in overtime; Murray’s flurry of threes just couldn’t be stopped. The Nuggets pulled away, outscoring Utah in overtime 20-10 with Mitchell clearly gassed out after carrying the team for the entire game.

Mitchell’s team-carrying performance resulted in him scoring the third-most points in NBA playoff game, and the most since Michael Jordan dropped 63 points while flying through the air inside the Boston Garden in 1986.

Mitchell’s 57 points also broke the Utah Jazz playoff scoring record, previously held by Karl Malone, who

scored 50 against the Seattle SuperSonics in 2000.

With the playoffs off to a scorching hot start, it only heated up from there with the first Blazers-Lakers game.

The Blazers jumped out with an early 16-point lead in the first quarter, behind the strong aggressive play of Nurkic and Lillard, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis weren’t going away, despite the slow start.

James and Davis led the Lakers right back into the game as the Lakers took a six-point-lead midway through the fourth quarter off of James’ three pointer.

However, Lillard continued to prove he may be the most clutch player in basketball as he buried a game-tying three, a go-ahead three and dished an assist to Carmelo Anthony for a game-sealing three in the closing minutes.

James knows what he’s up against; he said before the game to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, “Lillard is the most under appreciated and underrated player in our game.”

The Lakers were the second number-one seeded team to lose their first playoff game in the bubble, as the Bucks fell to the Magic 122-110 despite the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo putting up 31 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.

The series is just getting started, as James’ 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 16 assists is the only time in NBA playoffs history a player has had over 20 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists.

Now after the last few weeks of basketball, the entire NBA knows what James and the Lakers had already realized when Lillard dropped 48 points on them at Staples Center back in February, and after he took Game 1 from them in the bubble, and that fact is it’s not easy trying to tame a Wildcat.

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MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 15 ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

By ADAM RUBIN Senior Reporter

Picnic tables are located on the southeast side of the Browning Center by lot W7 for students who want to study outside.

Fall semester 2020 is new territory for all Wildcats. WSU has been health-consciously preparing for the annual influx of fall students. Integrating both traditional and new academic practices during this socially-restrictive pandemic has taken a lot of preparation on WSU’s behalf. Here are some guidelines, resources and changes that will allow students to safely study while on campus.

For health-considerate studying, students will be required to wear masks while in any outside common areas and in close proximity to others, as well as in all buildings, elevators, classrooms, bathrooms, etc.

In accordance with WSU’s initiative to keep the Wildcat Family as healthy as possible, the only places not regulated to study with a mask on are in your car and outside while nobody is close around.

As the semester gets underway, WSU will, if need be, put up tents around the clock tower for outside studying.

According to the Masks Up campaign, on WSU’s visual breakdown of the new mask regulations, it’s important to bring a mask even if students don’t intend on being around anyone.

If you are not outside or in your car, there are some available drop-in locations, including the Shepherd Union Building, Student Services Center and Davis Campus Common Spaces. Due to the necessity for cleanliness, some hours of operation may have changed since last spring.

“Wearing a mask, we know, really does have a positive effect in limiting the spread of the virus,” President Brad Mortensen said during the Pre-Fall Student Town Hall on Aug. 17. “So we ask for all of you to help us comply with this and to be good campus citizens.”

Another concern is limiting the gather-

ings of groups. In all the drop-in locations, the seating is now spread out and students are encouraged to order their food online.

This will allow for smaller lines and quicker processing of orders. Aside from dining, many of WSU’s services are going cashless this semester.

“All of our spaces are safe as long as you wash your hands, wear a mask and keep a distance from people,” said Molly Ward, Director of the Student Union building. “We have moved a lot of furniture so that people don’t congregate in groups; I like the individual chairs with desks in the Bell Tower lounge by SIL.” There will also be select places that students may reserve to study safely in and attend virtual class, if needed, on campus.

Priority will go to those students who have stacked classes and will have to go from, for example, a face-to-face class directly to another virtual class 10 or 15 minutes after.

These spaces will be available for all students once the semester starts and things become more fluid.

Students with stacked schedules will receive an announcement email with the ability to click a link, go to a website and then select a room and a timeslot. Some of these areas include the library, empty classrooms, Austad Auditiorium and, soon to come, the Sky Suites in Steward Stadium and the concourse at the Dee Events Center.

According to John Kowalewski, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, it’s priority for everyone on campus to stay home if feeling sick, to practice social distancing, wear face coverings, practice good personal hygiene and self-report if diagnosed with COVID-19.

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16 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

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14 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 15 ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

By ADAM RUBIN Senior Reporter

Picnic tables are located on the southeast side of the Browning Center by lot W7 for students who want to study outside.

Fall semester 2020 is new territory for all Wildcats. WSU has been health-consciously preparing for the annual influx of fall students. Integrating both traditional and new academic practices during this socially-restrictive pandemic has taken a lot of preparation on WSU’s behalf. Here are some guidelines, resources and changes that will allow students to safely study while on campus.

For health-considerate studying, students will be required to wear masks while in any outside common areas and in close proximity to others, as well as in all buildings, elevators, classrooms, bathrooms, etc.

In accordance with WSU’s initiative to keep the Wildcat Family as healthy as possible, the only places not regulated to study with a mask on are in your car and outside while nobody is close around.

As the semester gets underway, WSU will, if need be, put up tents around the clock tower for outside studying.

According to the Masks Up campaign, on WSU’s visual breakdown of the new mask regulations, it’s important to bring a mask even if students don’t intend on being around anyone.

If you are not outside or in your car, there are some available drop-in locations, including the Shepherd Union Building, Student Services Center and Davis Campus Common Spaces. Due to the necessity for cleanliness, some hours of operation may have changed since last spring.

“Wearing a mask, we know, really does have a positive effect in limiting the spread of the virus,” President Brad Mortensen said during the Pre-Fall Student Town Hall on Aug. 17. “So we ask for all of you to help us comply with this and to be good campus citizens.”

Another concern is limiting the gather-

ings of groups. In all the drop-in locations, the seating is now spread out and students are encouraged to order their food online.

This will allow for smaller lines and quicker processing of orders. Aside from dining, many of WSU’s services are going cashless this semester.

“All of our spaces are safe as long as you wash your hands, wear a mask and keep a distance from people,” said Molly Ward, Director of the Student Union building. “We have moved a lot of furniture so that people don’t congregate in groups; I like the individual chairs with desks in the Bell Tower lounge by SIL.” There will also be select places that students may reserve to study safely in and attend virtual class, if needed, on campus.

Priority will go to those students who have stacked classes and will have to go from, for example, a face-to-face class directly to another virtual class 10 or 15 minutes after.

These spaces will be available for all students once the semester starts and things become more fluid.

Students with stacked schedules will receive an announcement email with the ability to click a link, go to a website and then select a room and a timeslot. Some of these areas include the library, empty classrooms, Austad Auditiorium and, soon to come, the Sky Suites in Steward Stadium and the concourse at the Dee Events Center.

According to John Kowalewski, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, it’s priority for everyone on campus to stay home if feeling sick, to practice social distancing, wear face coverings, practice good personal hygiene and self-report if diagnosed with COVID-19.

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18 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

ADAM RUBIN Columnist

I don’t deny the magnitude and care shown in the efforts on behalf of the WSU Family in providing a safe and interactive environment for the student body, staff and faculty for fall semester 2020. However, this would be the perfect year for considering not raising tuition, and perhaps the consideration of lowering the tuition costs. The recently announced lowering of student fee’s by $75 this semester is a small step in a healthy direction. However, imagine the impact WSU could make by lowering tuition costs, sending a supportive message to the community and possibly sparking new interests in the educational goals of would-be students in the community.

By comparison, WSU isn’t as expensive as other schools—especially for the level of education that the school provides its students—yet school is expensive, nonetheless, and comparisons are often wasteful and limiting. There is a reason that the starving college student is an old cliché.

Implementing measures for public safety is a hard-to-grasp responsibility. It takes all resources to adapt to today’s pandemic lifestyle, planning, time, communication and money, plus a joint effort of community action.

It seems to me that “these uncertain times,” are character-building times. I also don’t deny the validity of the global scale of grief that’s been inflicted upon our species by this virus. But, I do see the fear which struck our community in a different, more negative light. Some in our community are paralyzed by uncertainty—all the while the sun’s up and the world’s still spinning.

Within the last week, I spoke to one 19-year-old, would-be student who is simply not going to school until, “all this COVID shit is over;” I also spoke to another nontraditional 34-year-old, would-be-returning student who said, in so many words, the same thing.

It ignited my mind, and I thought about

how many potential students have let uncertainty stop them in their tracks.

They are actively choosing inactivity and putting-off their educational goals rather than pursuing them expressly, either out of fear or necessity.

I believe the more educated any given community is, the more promising a future there is for that community, and other communities as well. Who wouldn’t want a more well-educated community in Ogden?

WSU—as a higher education entity—is also a pillar of the community. WSU is a central leader of thought and influence that extends far beyond the school itself.

If WSU is ready to take in roughly 8,000 students this fall, it should be done safely or not reopened at all.

What if, to help incentivize would-be, potential students, the school decided to not raise tuition again this year? What if, in the midst of all the bustling preparation to reopen its doors this fall, WSU mustered the strength to restructure the rates of tuition? Or, at least, begin more serious consideration regarding students’ financial health?

What if WSU went as far as to lower their tuition by a certain percentage, invested additional resources into marketing a positive message that incentivized the community—especially during “these uncertain times” – while so many are so hesitant and, frankly, scared: everyone has their own opinions, however, there are families that will not hug each other. That’s almost unfathomable in a pre-pandemic life.

With the role that WSU holds in our community, I can imagine WSU being a much more positive force, pushing themselves even harder than initially imaginable, just as they encourage us students to do each semester. When the community is at a weak point, using WSU’s power and influence as an opinion leader and the community’s center for higher education to get the community jumpstarted, will help breathe new inspiration into the community and get more people moving in a positive direction.

Why not set the standard and educate by example? It’s already happening by

STUDENT JOB FAIR

EDITED BY AUBREE ECKHARDT | Unsplash

providing a safe open for fall semester 2020. Now is a great time to help build our community’s character, define what it means to be a part of the Wildcat Family—even if that’s achieved by giving up a little more now, pushing project timelines back re-structuring long-term goals in the face of a global emergency—and grant support, incentives and promote positive action to a disheartened community.

Perhaps staffing would be a problem for the school. Maybe there would not be enough room, yet I really can’t imagine those types of short-term issues not being resolved with an influx of students, and more staff means more jobs provided. A more educated community today, and, yes, even during pandemics, leads to a healthier and more capable community tomorrow. Otherwise, what’s the point of earning a degree?

So, in the long-run, let’s say maybe the carbon neutral goal is put off by a few years. In the meantime, there’s an influx of students that will, eventually pay back both in a capitalistic sense as well as a communal sense. More students, taking in less money initially, will turn into more money in the future.

The more educated the community is the brighter chance it will have at a progressive future. It seems like a win-win, especially for an institution like WSU. Set the standard, raise the bar, show additional compassion for students’ financial health and incentivize would-be students.

Further consideration of not raising tuition and perhaps even lowering it cannot hurt that bad. I urge you to pursue that financial health aspect, especially in the face of all the other safety measures that have been implemented.

Lastly, I’d like to thank the WSU family for all the hard work. I am also appreciative of the care and efforts made for this as-safe-as-possible return for students during this stressful fall semester of 2020.

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MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 19

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Meet with employers virtually about student job positions for the school year and sign up for one-on-one session with the employer through Handshake.

Register for event: Login to Handshake. Click on the Events link. Click on Virtual Student Job Fair 2020 and then register for the event in the upper right hand corner.

Career Services

weber.edu/careerservices

20 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

By BRIELLE HARKER Assistant Photography Editor BriElle Harker and Robert Lewis are photographers for The Signpost at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. During summer vacation they have been practicing their craft and trying different camera techniques to give readers some ideas for taking their own photographs.

Hi, Robert here. This week I tried night photography, again. My goal was to make star trails while photographing the night sky. Holding the camera’s shutter open for a few minutes makes the stars appear as streaks of light on the photograph. This is caused by the rotation of the Earth.

To do this, I needed a tripod and a remote timer for the camera, Ado-

be’s Lightroom, LR, and Photoshop, PS, software. The tripod is used to keep the camera steady. The remote is used to hold the shutter open while the camera is set in bulb mode. Lightroom and Photoshop are for processing and combining the photographs. Also, it helps a lot if you are in a dark-sky area.

I was at Causey Reservoir near Huntsville, Utah, for my photos. It’s not a dark-sky area, but it worked okay for my first attempt at learning how to photograph star trails.

The equipment I brought along included a tripod, a 15-millimeter-to-35-millimeter-zoom lens with a f/2.8 stop, the Canon EOS R and one of Canon’s Timer Remote Control units.

The timer remote control was necessary to operate the camera. It is used to set the self-timer, interval, length of exposure and the number of shots.

I set the self-timer for a two second delay – to avoid vibration from pressing the shutter button, the interval between shots at one second,

the exposure time to four minutes and the number of shots to five.

It was about 10 p.m. when I finished setting up my equipment. At the time there was no moon in the sky. Here are five of the photos I had taken.

Now, I could have taken one 20-minute photograph, but I didn’t.

The reason I took five photos at four-minute lengths was to prevent noise from appearing in the pictures. Noise/graininess appears when the camera’s sensor gets hot from being on for a long period of time.

Allowing the sensor a second to cool between photos helps to prevent noise. But, a time greater than one second between photos leaves a very noticeable gap in the star trails – there is software to fix the gaps.

However, I didn’t have any when I took these shots.

To process the photos, I used Lightroom to adjust the colors and exposure. Then I exported them to Photoshop for combining them into one image.

To do this I started in LR by selecting photos, edit in, open layers in Photoshop. Once inside PS, select all the layers by clicking on the bottom layer then press the shift key and click on the top layer. Then go to edit, auto-blend layers, turn on stack images in the small window and click Ok. Now go to layer at the top and choose flatten. This will reduce the file size. Finally, click on file then save, file then close to return to BRIELLE HARKER | The Signpost

BRIELLE HARKER | The Signpost

LR. The image will be sent to LR as a JPEG with xxxx-Edit.jpg file name the less they will be visible in the end photo. The person does not show All I did was make the colors more vibrant and lighten the photo overextension. up because compared to the time the shutter is open they are not in all. I encourage everyone to get a friend and go take photos. One never Here is my photo of the five images stacked as layers. one place long enough for the sensor to capture them. knows how they might turn out.

I think it turned out okay for my first time making this type of photoTaking photos like this requires very little work in post production.

Comment on this story at graph. I’m sure BriElle has some great photos, let’s signpost.mywebermedia.com see what she has going on.

Hey, it’s BriElle. This week I did something very fun, I used long exposures to paint with light. Depending on how long the camera’s shutter is held open, one can move lights through the frame and they will appear everywhere they were placed.

For this type of photography one needs some supplies: a camera, tripod and a light source. I used my Canon Rebel T7 with an 18-millimeter-to-55-millimeter lens and a tripod to keep the camera still while taking photos. And I used glow sticks for my light source. I also purchased 6 puck lights off of Amazon that can change color. I attached them to a straight piece of wood in a line.

It is important to find a dark area to take your photos. It prevents your photos from getting over exposed.

I went to Weber State University’s main campus in Ogden, Utah to take my photos. The first ones were of the statue of Louis F. Moench. I gave my stick of lights to my friend so that he could move the lights around while I controlled the camera. I set the lights to Weber State purple and we started drawing lines.

I learned that moving the lights and twisting them gave them a more interesting look than just drawing straight lines. Next, I wanted to play with more depth. So we took the lights up to the courtyard by the clock tower and used a longboard to go back and forth. We also set the lights to fade between colors making a rainbow effect.

The more the person holding the lights moves Five photos of the night sky layered and combined in Photoshop to create star trails.

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

By ROBERT LEWIS Photography Editor

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 21

A five minute exposure of the night sky.

A five minute exposure of the night sky.

A five minute exposure of the night sky.

A five minute exposure of the night sky.

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

Statue of Louis F. Moench with purple light painting.

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

BRIELLE HARKER | The Signpost

Changing the colors of the lights can add an interesting effect.

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

Rainbow lines swirling through campus.

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 23

Weber

Arts

A DIGITAL THEATRE EXPERIENCE

A six-part series of virtual panel

discussions and fully-produced and filmed theatrical showcases.

SEPTEMBER 10 | Working A panel discussion with professionals from a range of unusual theatrical careers

OCTOBER 01 | Theatre Fever A student-driven showcase of scenes and songs

DANCE

ORCHESIS

OCTOBER 15 | Behind The Curtain

OCTOBER 20 & 22 Excerpts from H.M.S. Pinafore

Students going back to school during fall 2020 may be nervous about what the semester will look like because of COVID-19 restrictions. On Aug. 12, Weber State University sent an email to all current students that contained essential information for the fall semester.

The email contained statements regarding mask requirements as well as encouraging staying in touch with your instructors.

Students were prompted to check their schedules and be familiar with what formats their classes will be offered. The email also gave links to pages with step-by-step instructions of how to register and drop classes or discuss schedules with academic advisors.

The email informed students coming to campus that they need plan to wear face coverings. Students who don’t comply when directed or violate coronavirus mitigation protocols will be in violation of the Student Code.

WSU will require appointments to some buildings, including the library and empty classrooms in buildings like Elizabeth Hall, Wattis Business building and Lampros Hall.

These will be limited, and students will need to wear face coverings as well as wear headphones. Eric Amsel, associate provost for academic programs and assessment, also stated that more information will be forth coming.

Students will be allowed on campus to join virtual classes when they have face-to-face classes before or after the virtual class. Designated spaces will be provided for students,

but this information has not been released yet.

The town hall meeting held on Aug. 17 encouraged students to start asking questions.

Contacting mentors or advisors will help you to find someone who can answer your questions. Amsel said the WSU family is here to help all members.

Keeping up-to-date through the WSU Keeping Connected website as well as staying in touch with professors will help the semester run smoothly for students. Some services will be offering Saturday hours before Aug. 24 to help make sure students have everything they need to kick off the start of the school year.

Town hall panelists encouraged students to stay involved and engaged even though this semester will look different. Ravi Krovi said

NOVEMBER 07

Symphony Orchestra Fall Concert

NOVEMBER 13

Symphonic Band Fall Concert

NOVEMBER 05 | Choices

An experiment in digital theatre

NOVEMBER 19 | Illumination

A reading of new plays written by students

“Dancing in the Stream”

DECEMBER 3 | A New World

NOVEMBER 7, 14 & 21

A virtual weekly concert series showcasing student and faculty performances and presentations.

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

A behind-the-scenes look at WSU’s production of “Pippin,” featuring singing, dancing and meeting the cast, crew and designers

DANCE THEATRE

Three weekends of virtual dance

MUSIC

A musical showcase exploring life and the world we live in through the art of song. Experience all the highs and lows, joys and sorrows, and messy in-betweens life has to offer from the comfort of your own screen

that faculty is looking for ways to connect to students, through email or discussion boards in canvas.

The email concluded with this statement and was signed by Brett Perozzi, vice president for student affairs, and Krovi: “While the fall may look different in many aspects from previous semesters, we are providing courses and student services to meet you where you are and are excited for Aug. 24! Welcome back Wildcats.”

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com pexels.com

FALL 2020

THEATRE

CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS RETURNING TO CAMPUS

LIVE STREAM ON SEPTEMBER 12

FOR TIMES, LOCATIONS AND MORE INFO: WEBER.EDU/ARTSCALENDAR

A look into the new “normal” when going back to class in the midst of a global pandemic.

24 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

By JAIME HEINER Correspondent

Stepping into Jeanne Mitkowski’s home is like entering a botanical oasis. Home to more than 800 plants in her private collection and more than 700 additional plants housed for sale in her basement, Mitkowski has turned her self-professed plant obsession into a business.

“You’ve got to see this plant,” she said, rushing over to a vining plant with white splashes

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 25

on its leaves. “It was an n’ joy, but it’s reverting to an emerald.”

She pointed to a Zamiculous zamifolia, a dark green plant boasting tall stalks with small, bulbous leaves.

“I love ZZ plants. They’re everywhere,” she said.

The same could be said for hundreds of species of plants, which were arranged on nearly every horizontal surface, crowded onto glass shelves and trailing down banisters. Every conceivable vessel was used to house the

plants, with multiple species in everything from terra cotta planters and plastic pots, to 5-gallon buckets and a ceramic owl.

Mitkowski’s home, filled to the brim with houseplants, is no longer a rare phenomenon.

As social media feeds have become overgrown with pictures of potted succulents, tropical and generic houseplants, more and more people have flocked to become “plant parents.”

Even before COVID-19 caused major self-quarantine across America, people were

pexels.com

A well decorated home, incorporating the vibrance a house plant (or two) brings.

buying houseplants at record rates. The trend has bloomed across the United States, with houseplant sales growing almost 50% to $1.7 billion in the last three years, according to the National Garden Association.

The rise in popularity of houseplants, especially among millennial consumers, has been well-established in recent years. Of the 6 million Americans who started gardening in 2017, 5 million were between the ages of 18 to 34, according to that year’s National Garden Survey.

The growing trend has continued to take root, even as U.S. economic markets have taken a downturn in recent months. The National Bureau of Economic Research, which officially declares recessions, says that “a recession is defined by significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months.”

That significant decline can be seen in a recent report from the US Department of Commerce. While the GDP was positive during every preceding quarter since 2016, the first quarter of 2020 saw a 5% downturn, and the second quarter saw it plunged by 32.9%.

Although the national economy is seeing steep downward trends, the demand for houseplants remains on the rise. Online plant sellers have seen recession-proof plant sales in recent months, as stores closed and people were forced to remain at home. Toni, who did not want her last name used, previously worked as a dental assistant, but was able to make plants work for her during the quarantine.

“I quit my full-time job during the pandemic because I was making more selling plants on the side,” she said.

Toni is now a stay-at-home mom and online plant seller.

Mitkowski said she has bought more plants for her personal collection during the pandemic, but she has also sold more plants. She said she went from selling a handful of plants a month at the beginning of the year, to 50 by the end of March. In June, she sold 570 plants.

“People are buying more than they used to. They have time to invest in caring for and learning about them, and they’re home more, so they want their space to be more welcoming,” Mitkowski said.

The tremendous growth of the houseplant market isn’t all roses, according to Chloe Southwick, a member of the Facebook group, “Plant Purge USA.” Southwick, a plant buyer and occasional seller, has watched the plant market take off during the pandemic.

“Plant prices have increased significantly since the pandemic started,” she said.

Southwick agreed with Mitkowski’s observations, that people stuck at home have had more time to dive into new hobbies. Thanks to Instagram, she said, this time it’s plants.

“It’s a short jump from admiring a beautifully staged photo of plants to deciding you have to have every single one of them,” Southwick said.

Southwick said that the increase in buyers in the market has brought an increase in sellers, as well – though not necessarily for the better. In a typical market, more sellers translates to lower prices, but Southwick has seen the opposite.

Although there are more sellers, she said,

they aren’t necessarily reliable or knowledgeable about the plants they’re selling. Southwick said the blame for overpriced plants belongs to both buyers and sellers.

“People just aren’t doing their research and it shows,” she said, sharing posts she’s seen where uninformed buyers spent more than $500 on falsely-labeled “rare” plants, or specimens that were dying.

“When people sell and have no idea what they’re doing, it really does hurt a lot of others,” said Southwick.

Toni has seen the same patterns emerge on other plant-selling sites.

“What I am seeing with a lot of sellers is they are trying to make as much as they can, so the prices are ridiculous,” she said.

Although many plant enthusiasts are placing the blame solely on greedy sellers, Southwick said there’s more to it. The wave of inexperienced buyers has fundamentally altered the plant collecting community.

Many people who are new to collecting plants are willing to spend increasingly higher prices, she said, because they think all plants are this expensive.

“I watch many auctions on eBay go over $100 for the same small plants I bought a few months before [the pandemic] for $15-30,” Southwick said.

Although naïve buyers have driven the market to unprecedented highs, there is another side to the story.

A recent report from the US Department of Commerce revealed that disposable personal income – the amount of money a person has available to spend or save after taxes – increased.

Toni has seen this influx of disposable money firsthand. She said there’s no doubt that people had more disposable income during the quarantine.

“I don’t know a single person who didn’t make more on unemployment,” said Toni.

She and her husband doubled their income, she said, and had a lot more wiggle room for spending on frivolous purchases.

Indeed, U.S. unemployment rates hit a record high over recent months. Over 1.4 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits at the end of July, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, marking the 19th straight week of over 1 million unemployment applications.

The New York Times reported that prior to the coronavirus, the record was almost 700,000 claims in 1982.

Mitkowski said she has also seen these financial variables impact the plant community during the pandemic.

“People are obsessing more over the big, expensive plants,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a rush to own a rare, expensive plant.”

She isn’t alone in this sentiment. In response to a post in the Facebook group, “Rare/ Unusual Plants,” many plant collectors echoed similar feelings.

“I regret buying this, but I don’t know anyone else who has one in the U.S.,” said Akia Jackson, of a two-inch variegated Jade Satin Scindapsus, which she paid $500 for.

“I imported it from Indonesia, but until I see someone else with it, I’ll justify my recklessness,” she said with a winking emoji.

The post received more than 80 responses in just four hours, with several commenters saying they spent more than $1,000 and as much as $5,000 on a single plant.

Meghan Johnson, a plant seller and collector for more than 11 years, said the changes over time have been astronomical. Plant prices, for both rare and more common plants, have hit an all-time high over the last five years, she said.

“I’ve seen prices more than quadruple on some selling platforms, such as Mercari, in just a few short months,” Johnson said.

In another response to the post, Elyse Malcolm, a plant hobbyist said, “I work in behavioral health, and the quarantine has been extremely stressful and dangerous for the mental health community.”

Malcolm posted a picture of her $600 Anthurium Warocqueanum, a tropical plant with dark green leaves that stretch more than 12 inches long.

“Plants are my form of self-care,” she said, “and coming home to care for them after caring for my patients all day brings me peace.”

This pattern of millennials who are willing to spend more on their plant budgets because they consider plants important to their sense of well-being – particularly when they work at high stress jobs – is echoed across the group membership.

Callie Culbertson, a veterinary nurse and plant hobbyist, said she uses plants to destress from work. The pandemic restrictions meant the large animal veterinary hospital where she works was consistently understaffed during the peak of their busy foaling season.

Culbertson said although she has always had a few houseplants, her passion for them, and rare plants especially, was ignited during the quarantine.

“I couldn’t do anything outside of work and realized I needed something to decompress and relieve stress,” said Culbertson.

She said above all, she has enjoyed coming home from work and seeing her plants, and gets especially excited about their new baby leaves.

“It’s nice watching something grow and live as a break from the constant chaos I normally see at work,” said Culbertson.

Mitkowski agrees, arguing that plants help

decrease anxiety and provide a connection to the outside world, much more than just providing something to look at.

It’s not just the placebo effect, according to a growing body of research. The psychological and physical benefits of owning plants have been studied extensively over the last decade. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology revealed that, “interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress.”

The researchers found that this stress was reduced “through suppression of sympathetic nervous system activity and diastolic blood pressure.” They also concluded that interacting with indoor plants resulted in “comfortable, soothed and natural feelings.”

With the unprecedented stress levels that Americans are facing during the pandemic, it’s no wonder that they’re looking for relief wherever it may be found.

The American Psychological Association’s recent “Stress in America” 2020 report unearthed “the first significant increase in average reported stress since the survey began in 2007.”

The report indicates that average reported stress level for American adults related to the coronavirus pandemic is significantly higher than their general stress level, which has also risen significantly since the 2019 report.

The advantages of plant interaction don’t stop with stress reduction. A publication from Texas A&M University cited over a dozen studies which support additional plant-related benefits such as accelerated healing after medical treatments and a relationship between plant interactions and reduced healthcare costs.

Even as the cost of plants continue to rise, demand remains high as hobbyists continue flocking to online purges of plants ranging anywhere from $50-$500. A recent purge of 20 plants, both common and rare, yielded more than 500 responses on the post. Several Facebook users commented that they were disappointed they missed the unexpected sale because they’re back to working normal hours.

As states continue to reopen and unemployment rates level out, will the inflated prices of plants remain high in months to come?

Johnson said the market will eventually level out, after what she called the “perfect storm of more time, more money and more boredom” clears up.

“Will the prices level out to where they were before? I doubt it,” she said. “But they won’t stay this high forever.”

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26 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

DINING ON CAMPUS

Making campus dining great again!

1

WELCOME WILDCATS! We are excited to serve you! You may notice some differences since you were here last. This card gives you all the important information to safely dine on campus.

2

YOU STILL HAVE OPTIONS Einstein's Bros Bagels, Starbucks, Tres Habaneros, Waldo's Cheesie Grill, Union Sushi and 626 Marketplace will be open this fall. The business hours may have changed so refer to the back of this card for updated hours. Follow us on social media for great deals, specials and updates!

3

SAVE TIME AND MONEY Your time is valuable and so is your health.

Minimize your waiting in lines and order ahead through GrubHub. Download the app. Save money with Dining Dollars. Get a bonus 10% for every $25 increment. Purchase at our website below or the information desk in the Shepherd Union.

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Commuter Plan Starts at $25.Bonus $5 in Dining Dollars for every $50

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MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 27

28 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

THE HEATED DEBATE BETWEEN PRO-MASKERS AND ANTI-MASKERS.

By FRANCIA HENRIQUEZ BENSON Columnist

Pro-maskers and anti-maskers have been involved in fierce debate and drawnout fights.

There is a broad range of reasons some people refuse to wear a mask. Anti-maskers believe the government doesn’t have the constitutional right to tell people what to do or what to wear. They feel their free-

ALLI RICKARDS | The Signpost

dom is violated, which makes them angry and defensive. They also often doubt the effectiveness of wearing a mask.

Pro-maskers feel that it is people’s duty to protect others, especially the immunocompromised and elderly. Public health officials have recommended the wearing of masks when in public to curb the virus outbreak.

Regardless of whether or not it is effective, people have forgotten to express

their opinion in a polite and kind manner.

It is becoming eminent that the need to speak our own minds, despite sounding rude and disrespectful, is more important.

Pro-maskers blame anti-maskers for the increasing number of cases, which pro-maskers claim is why the economy is going downhill. Anti-maskers, on the other hand, believe pro-maskers are accountable for the shrinking of the economy.

The fights between the two groups are

getting out of hand and becoming ridiculous. People are unfriending friends and family over their personal views of masks.

Anti-maskers are calling pro-maskers sheep and claiming they are incapable of thinking for themselves. They believe that by wearing a mask, people are giving more power to the government, and in the long run, it will bite us.

Pro-maskers call those not wearing a mask selfish, capable of only thinking of

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 29

themselves and caring little about other’s health.

Shaming people for wearing or not wearing a mask leads to confrontation. No one likes getting humiliated, let alone in public. The same happens for ridiculing people for wearing masks.

The fight over masks is causing emotional stress and taking a mental toll on citizens. Stress and anxiety are rising even among children and teens.

Some cannot wear a mask for physical or mental reasons; I am one of them. People stare at me angrily, and I can see their struggle to stop themselves from shouting at me. I suffer from asthma and masks make my breathing difficult. When I am in places where masks are required, it’s agony during the time I am there.

On one occasion, I was about to run out of the bank to gasp for air. I did not dare to uncover my face for a few seconds to breathe easier for fear of being shamed.

Others may get anxiety attacks when having their faces covered, just like some people get scared riding an elevator.

Those who have different views shouldn’t have to explain themselves to others. We should go back to the “Live and

Let Live.” If wearing a mask was so effective, then those wearing masks shouldn’t be worried; they are protected.

I believe people should wear masks where required. My argument is that we need to take a step back and be respectful to one another regardless of our beliefs.

The reality is no one has the right to tell another person what to do. People need to come to their senses to avoid more divisiveness. Going through a pandemic is hard enough. We should all cooperate to make the hardship a little lighter.

Every day, angry anti-mask and promask statements are posted on social media. The country is being divided between those who comply with the order and those who fight against it.

Some customers have gotten infuriated when store employees have denied them entrance. Cases such as customer spitting on employees or hitting them are becoming commonplace.

People are confronting physically and verbally with each other in public. Families have stopped talking to each other.

Peaceful neighborhoods are now in dispute. Mask advocates have gone to the extent to demand fines imposed on those

not wearing a mask, while anti-maskers shout insults.

In the last month, I have talked to people, paid more attention to social media posts and listened to the conversations of people in public spaces.

Fear seems to fuel pro-masker’s anger.

They have been glued to the media, which only reports the worst scenarios and does not mention the recovery rate. Fear of dying is natural, and people have been responding with personal attacks and lashing out.

On the other hand, anti-maskers have expressed that they would rather die from COVID-19 than stop living life. They state fear won’t stop them from moving forward and recovering the economy.

Government and health officials are, in part, to blame for chaos since they have been giving contradictory statements.

The fights over masks have escalated since authorities say children need to wear a mask during school. Parents are confronting each other on social media, and rallies are taking place around the country.

Even some pro-maskers don’t feel comfortable with their kids wearing masks for

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SHEPHERD UNION

eight hours, so they vote for online learning.

Anti-maskers want their children to attend school and not to wear a mask. They are concerned about the safety of their kids and comfort. One mom posted on a Facebook group that her daughter passed out during PE because she was forced to wear a mask. She claims that the heat and low oxygen caused her child to faint.

The post received more than 200 comments, some of which made fun of the mom and called her a Trump supporter.

Other moms were more compassionate and showed concern for the child’s well being.

No matter where you stand on the mask debate, shoving personal and political agendas down people’s throats is wrong.

Shaming and dragging people on social media is immature and hurtful.

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30 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 31 ALEXANDRA KOCH | Pixabay

By NELLIE BUTLER Correspondent

Weber State University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Ravi Krovi’s first weeks in his new position didn’t go as planned after COVID-19 reached Utah. During his second week, the university was faced with the decision to shut down campus in the middle of the spring 2020 semester.

“My first day was March 2, right over spring break. The following week we got hit with the pandemic. So, one of the first things I had to do was to close the university,” Krovi said.

He said the decision to go digital with all classes in spring 2020 wasn’t an easy one, but faculty rallied together and were willing to jump in and do what needed to be done to keep educating students. The changes had to be implemented quickly since the semester was already in progress.

Campus courses had to change their entire curriculum to fit a digital platform, and hands-on classes had to find another way to teach their concepts. Both students and faculty have struggled to adjust to the changes.

“You have an excellent faculty, but they are used to teaching a certain way,” Krovi said.

On-campus students were used to being in a more intimate, interactive setting where they could ask questions and discuss the material they were covering. That was difficult to replicate in an online setting.

“It was a bit of a disaster,” adjunct communications professor Matthew Gerrish said of his Interpersonal and Small Group Communication course.

The class is centered around small groups working together through the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) on a service project.

During the 2018-2019 school year, CCEL students contributed 132,626 hours with 4,130 students involved in the community. In 2020, they reported having 233 community-engaged learning classes and 91 community partners.

“I had to put an ax on the service group projects,” Gerrish said.

He believes much of what makes the class successful is the face-to-face communication and interaction that happen during the group projects.

Instead of community projects, groups had to write a position paper on a community issue that was important to them and send a letter to their local city council, city legislator or whomever seemed relevant to the issue.

Gerrish understood the necessity of the safety measures to avoid exposure to the virus, but he’s concerned that students didn’t take away as much from his class with the changes he had to make.

He believes nonverbal communication is a critical part of what students learn to respond to in class, and that’s something that he hasn’t figured out how to put into a digital classroom.

WSU President Brad Mortensen agreed community-engaged learning has been impacted by the pandemic and said the university is working to keep up their relationships with their community partners.

Mortensen said other hard-hit areas have been athletics and clinical settings for health professional students. He said they are still trying to work through those issues on a case-by-case basis.

Michael Olpin, professor of health promotion and the director of the WSU Stress Relief Center, taught several of his courses online before the pandemic, but his Wellness Coaching course has always been done on campus. He said it is a class where students learn skills they have to practice in person.

Olpin has been working to create a hybrid format where he can do the virtual lectures and also give the on-campus experience students need.

Despite exploring several options, he hasn’t yet figured out how to reopen the Stress Relief Center and it will stay closed for fall 2020.

Olpin is concerned about making sure students get the education they paid for.

“They’re expecting a good experience, and you don’t want to let them down,” he said.

This is also a concern shared by Mortensen.

“Weber State University has always prided itself

on being able to have that personal interaction to help students who might fall through the cracks someplace else because they don’t have that personal interaction,” he said.

The university surveyed students in May and asked what students wanted to see happen with their fall classes. Many respondents answered they wanted to resume face-to-face classes. An almost equal number of students wanted to keep their courses online.

While many students want to return to campus, along with faculty who feel their courses can’t be done virtually, other faculty members are hesitant to come back to campus until the pandemic subsides because of their risk factors. Based on the results of the survey and feedback from faculty, the university looked at how they could safely bring back students.

The university started by creating the COVID-19 Taskforce to collaborate with state and health department leaders to lessen the impact of the virus as the campus reopens in stages. The university is proceeding with caution so that they can take a step back if needed with minimal impact on students if the number of cases went up in Utah.

“It really can’t be a one-size-fits-all model,” Mortensen said. “Each area needs to customize what works best for them and work with our COVID Taskforce.”

Those faculty who prefer to keep their classes online will be able to. Mortensen said the university has worked to accommodate both students and faculty because no two people have the same circumstances.

“We’ve tried to take the approach of being very flexible and having a lot of options and give people the chance to make choices for what fits their situation best,” Mortensen said. “We’ve learned that we can be a lot more flexible than we ever thought we could in the past.”

Mortensen believes the quality of online instruction will be higher across the board for fall.

“Faculty have had time to rethink their curriculum and how they present topics,” he said.

Besides providing training and resources to faculty to improve their online curriculum, Krovi said many faculty members took advantage of the offering of an experiential learning grant. To qualify, faculty had to find creative ways they could teach experiential things, such as dance and science labs.

While campus will be reopened fall 2020 semester, it will look different than past semesters.

Mortensen said about 8,000 students are registered for face-to-face courses, whereas normally that number would be closer to 20,000. This will allow social distancing protocol to be in place with fewer students in the classroom. A classroom that once accommodated 50 students will now only hold 20 students.

With 65% of courses being taught virtually, teachers now face the challenge to make those courses personally engaging. The Goddard School of Business and Economics has accepted that challenge and wants to make sure their students have what they call a High Impact Education Experience throughout the pursuit of their degree.

Last year, 80% of business classes were taught on campus. This fall the percentage will be 11%.

Niki Tonks, Economics Marketing Manager, said teachers are working to give that personal touch, be engaging in their environment and be supportive of their students. They want to make sure they are doing what they can to better serve their students.

Director of the Goddard Career Services, Brett Merrell, believes the one positive thing to come out of COVID-19 is that it’s forcing faculty and staff to step forward and leverage the available technology.

“I think it’s pretty amazing how Weber State has adapted to the needs,” Merrell said.

Krovi agrees that the university community has met the challenges head-on. “I think the biggest thing that I’ve gotten out of this is that I’ve found the Weber State University community is incredibly passionate and incredibly collaborative.”

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A nontraditional student experience 32 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

Hey Wildcat, Whether it’s your first semester at Weber State or your last, WELCOME! I am so excited you have chosen Weber State to be part of your journey.

This semester things may look a little different due to social distanced learning, an increase in online courses, different activities and athletics have been pushed to spring. But, you’ll also find some things haven’t changed. Weber is still a University full of resources to help YOU thrive and provide you a high quality education with faculty who are rooting for your success. There really isn’t any other university I’d rather be at, especially during a global pandemic.

WSU Archives

It could be pretty easy to feel like your missing out on what could have been or get caught up in the ‘what ifs.’ In those moments, you may also consider how unique this semester is. It’s an opportunity to redefine education and recommit to growth. Plus, we can come out of this time better educated and qualified for future opportunities.

The Nontraditional Student Center, located on WSU main campus, logo.

By MCKAYLEE BURTON Correspondent

Joe and Valarie Barrett, a couple in their 70s, attend their History 1510 class at Weber State University every week. The couple both graduated from Weber State University in their 20s but returned to the university years later to enjoy the process of learning.

The couple are considered nontraditional students, but that’s not uncommon at WSU. A nontraditional student is defined as a student who is 25 or older, married, divorced, widowed or a parent.

Utah Valley University has 37,282 students and their student body consists of 27% nontraditional students. The University of Utah has 32,760 students, almost 30% of whom are nontraditional.

In comparison, Weber State University has 28,247 students. WSU’s student body, however, is comprised of 56% nontraditional students.

While the other universities have more students than Weber State, their percentage of nontraditional students is still lower. Younger students can learn not only from professors but also from nontraditional students.

“I have had several classes with people older than your typical college student,” said 21-year-old Jenna Child, a current Weber State student. “Weber State is known as a commuter school, causing a wide age diversity. Seeing people who are in their 30s all the way to 60s

or 70s is not uncommon in any of my or my friends’ classes.”

Like many other students, Child notices a lot of her classmates are almost twice or three times her age. Traditional students like Child sometimes wonder why Weber State University has a larger population of nontraditional students compared to other Utah universities.

Trisha Durham is a married mom of four in her 40s. She is currently attending a psychology program at Weber State and has been involved with the school for about three years.

Durham previously never received a degree due to her focus on her family.

After Durham’s children grew older, she knew she wanted to pursue a degree. She decided to attend the university after discovering a passion for mental health and a desire to help others.

“There were two things drawing me to Weber over other schools,” Durham says. “First is proximity. I wanted to make sure I could go somewhere that I could reasonably attend in person but still be there for my kids. Second, Weber offered the cheapest tuition of other schools in the area.”

Child was not surprised to hear Durham came back to school after her kids got older.

She said a lot of people, specifically in Utah, get married young and pause their education to concentrate on their family.

“With that, some start careers young and later realize it is not what they want to be doing,” Child said. “Then when they are older, they come back to school to get a different career.”

With the number of nontraditional students at Weber State, the university offers the Nontraditional Student Center specifically to academically support them. The center’s mission statement promises students a helpful environment and allows students access to different academic resources. The center hopes to aid students with individual growth and skills to help them be successful both in and out of the classroom.

The center offers a kitchen with a microwave and fridge, a computer lab that is food- and child-friendly and a study area. The center also offers childcare at the Ogden and Davis campuses for only $3.50 per hour for children ages 2 through 9.

Dr. Hailey Gillen-Hoke is an Associate Professor in Communications at Weber State. She explained that the university prides itself on catering to nontraditional students with evening and online classes and on-campus childcare.

As an associate professor, Gillen-Hoke has seen firsthand the effect nontraditional students have in the classroom.

“Nontraditional students bring a unique and invaluable perspective to the classroom,” Gillen-Hoke said. “The other universities I have taught at have seen primarily the traditional 18 to 22 college-age students, and so it was certainly a different environment coming to Weber.”

The Barretts’ agree with Durham that they first attended the university because it offered affordable tuition and a conveniently-close

location. Valarie Barrett said it allowed them to save a lot of money after they were married and starting their family.

Shortly after the couple retired, they discovered the university’s lifelong learning program and became hooked. Lifelong learning is a program the university offers for $10 per semester to Utah residents over 62.

If the individual fits the criteria, they can qualify to register for classes as a lifetime, non-degree seeking student. They can take one or several academic courses they find interesting without an admission fee.

“We returned as old people because there were classes we wanted to take but couldn’t take because we were doing necessary classes,” Valarie Barrett said in discussing their return. “The classes are now fun and informative with no pressure like the first time around.”

The program seems to be a factor in drawing in people over 62. The Barretts’ say it helped cure their boredom after retirement.

The pair always loved learning but wanted a different experience than just reading books and watching documentaries.

“I have always loved learning and loved the idea of taking classes again,” Joe Barrett said in relation to the program. “I like taking classes I have always wanted to take and enjoy learning from college professors. Although assignments and tests are not required for us, I did all of them to contain what I had learned.”

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Most of all, I need you to know something pretty important.

Regardless of your background or what you’re studying, you have a place at Weber State. You will find that as you come, you will be seen, heard, valued and you’ll know you belong.

I look forward to meeting you and serving you this year.

Your fellow Wildcat, Ben Ferney Student Body President

Weber Rec We’re ready for you!

WEBER REC For more information go to Weber.edu/CampusRecreation or contact us at CampusRecreation@Weber.edu

Fall 2020

34 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 35

SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

SLOW

Reduzca la propagación del COVID-19

FEELING SICK? ¿Se siente enfermo?

THE SPREAD OF

COVID-19

DO NOT ENTER if you have a cough, fever, shortness of breath, or are feeling unwell.

We’re Open

OFTEN Lávase las manos con frecuencia

NO ENTRE si tiene tos, fiebre, falta de aliento o se siente mal.

Reduzca la propagación del COVID-19

Wash your hands

AQUATICS & SAFETY COMPETITIVE SPORTS FITNESS OUTDOOR PROGRAM

COVER YOUR FACE

WASH YOUR HANDS

Cúbrese la Cara

Lávase las Manos

Wear a mask or face covering.

They are required on campus.

Wash your hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds.

Use una máscara o cubrebocas.

Son requeridas en el campus.

Lávase las manos con jabón por al menos 20 segundos.

SOCIAL DISTANCE

Asegúrese de enjabonarse las manos por al menos 20 segundos.

HELP KEEP US ALL SAFER ON CAMPUS AYUDE MANTENERNOS A TODOS MÁS SEGUROS EN EL CAMPUS

For more information, go to: Weber.edu/Campus Recreation

visit weber.edu/coronavirus for more info and updates

LIMIT CONTACT 6ft

Distanciamento Social 6ft

Keep the lather going for at least 20 seconds.

Límite Contacto

Maintain six feet of social distancing.

No handshakes or unnecessary physical contact.

Mantenga la sana distancia de al menos seis pies.

No salude de mano ni tenga contacto físico innecesario.

6ft

Wil l you be outside your personal vehicle?

No mask needed Are you going inside a building?

Are you outside?

Will you be in a classroom, hallway, bathroom, lobby, study space, office, stairwell, elevator or lab?

Are there people around?

Can you guarantee that?

Bring a mask just in case

AYUDE A MANTENERNOS A TODOS MÁS SEGUROS EN EL CAMPUS

visit

weber.edu/coronavirus for more info and updates

36 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 37

LINDZ KANGER| The Signpost

LINDZ KANGER | The Signpost

BLACK-BARBER INFLUENCE

By LINDZ KANGER Correspondent

At first glance, combs are lined up, clippers are buzzing and locks of hair are swept from the floor after a haircut, just like any other barber shop. But within the doors of Black-owned barber shops, there is more than a new cut at the ready.

Black-owned barbershops have long played a crucial role in African American life. For a member of the Black community, a barber is someone who can be trusted to handle more than just a pair of clippers.

Black-owned barbershops weclome their communities to come in and stay awhile. It’s often a safe place where African Americans feel they can let their guard down and talk freely about their lives.

ManCave, located in Clearfield, is a Blackowned barbershop where visitors come for more than a haircut. In addition to the barber stations, the space is filled with couches, a dart board and a pool table, all of which make the space more of a place to hang out than to simply get a cut.

“A trip to the shop is a way of connecting with people,” Kevin Mickinzie, a Black barber at ManCave Barbershop, said.

Marcus Johnson, owner of ManCave, said

that he strives to provide an environment where those who enter feel welcomed, respected and inspired. Growing up in the South, he recalls spending much of his time at the local barbershop.

“The barbershop was a place I could go without my parents worrying about me,” Johnson said.

The people there were role models for him as a young boy. Johnson learned how to play checkers and picked up life lessons from his hours at the barbershop.

Both Mickinzie and Johnson described the local barbershop as the cornerstone of Black communities. Barbershops were one of the first ways African American men became entrepreneurs.

In his book, “Cutting Along the Color Line,” Quincy T. Mills examines the historical impact of barbershops.

“They were doing more than making men look good; they were making Black men look good, acceptable and employable,” Mills wrote.

Throughout the years, Black barbershops have given Black men something they were unlikely to get elsewhere: a place to experience Black culture and history.

Black-owned barbershops continue to demonstrate their unique contribution to so-

At ManCave, a barbershop in Clearfield, the barbers strive to offer support and advice to their clients.

ciety.

Matthew Moore, who used to be a barber and visited barbershops growing up, said the existence of Black-owned barbershops teaches young Black children they have many career prospects.

“Our community has severe trauma due to poverty and violence,” Moore continued.

“Barbershops are seen as a sanctuary because barbers are respected and trusted in our community.”

In addition to poverty and violence, the African American population continues to experience high rates of life-threatening health issues.

“Black men have the highest rates of high blood pressure related disability and death of any group in the United States,” Dr. Ronald G. Victor, an expert in hypertension, said.

Despite this fact, Black men are less likely than others to see a doctor because of a lack of trust in the medical community and less access to healthcare. Barbershops have been seen as a way to address this issue.

Victor found in a study that adding hypertension programs into an estimated 18,000 African-American barbershops across the country would result in 800 fewer heart attacks, 550 fewer strokes and 900 fewer deaths in the first year alone.

In several ways, the environment created in a barbershop makes it the ideal place to manage certain health issues that disproportionately affect Black men. Participants in this study received guidance from their barber to see a doctor, which contributed to the positive results.

Mickinzie can say from experience that giving sound advice is well received among clients. Mickinzie recounted a time when one of his client’s was having a hard time with his son. He reached out to Mickinzie for support.

“He asked me to go to his son’s school to speak with him about making better decisions and getting back on the right track,” Mickinzie said.

Mickinzie was more than willing to make the visit and his conversation with his client’s son was effective. Mickinzie sees it as part of the job.

“As an African American, in your barber you’ll find a father figure, a friend, a counselor and someone you can trust with more than just your hair,” Mickinzie said.

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LINDZ KANGER | The Signpost

Black barbershops have played a crucial role in African American life and help foster a sense of community.

Black-owned barbershops offer members of the community a welcoming, respectful environment.

FALL SPORTS 38 | MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020

HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD

By RAYMOND LUCAS Section Editor

Hopes were high after the Weber State Wildcats football team finished their season, despite a loss against the James Madison Dukes, having advanced further into the postseason than any other team in the school’s history. Now, people are wondering if there will be teams to watch.

The Big Sky and other conferences around the country made a decision that many football fans had been hoping would never come: football was being postponed until further

notice.

COVID-19 has been a thorn in the NCAA’s side since March when the NCAA Men and Women’s basketball tournaments were canceled. Now, many schools are losing their fall sports until at least spring.

“Our student-athletes always have been and will continue to be our top priority. We are disappointed that we are not able to move forward and provide the opportunity to compete this fall. However, we understand and are acutely aware of the current circumstances,” Weber State University Athletic Director Tim Crompton said. “In addition, we are very fortunate to have outstanding leadership

from our president and his administration.”

The last time a Weber State team played a game was in the Big Sky tournament. Big Sky teams will be the only teams that WSU will compete against this year during the regular season. The FCS is looking for a way to hold playoffs in the springtime, which will give the football team a shot at reaching a national championship.

Last season, the ‘Cats reached the semifinals before JMU ended their season, and they were only one win away from reaching the National Championship game. While they have not made a splash on the national stage, the Wildcats have been a strong team, questing

for their fourth straight Big Sky championship.

In the past three seasons, the Wildcats dominated, winning 32 games while only losing 10. Accounting for only for conference opponents, the Wildcats have gone 21-3.

The Wildcats football team was set to kick things off on Sept. 5 against the Wyoming Cowboys, but the game has been postponed.

While uncertainty about the upcoming months fills the air, fans are left sitting, waiting and wondering if better times are ahead.

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Join us for virtual and in-person events and involvement opportunities the first four weeks of school!

weber.edu/wildcatwelcome

MyWeberMedia.com| August 24, 2020 | 39

Remind politicians they work for you.

Vote.

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