Sundance, Ice Castles and Bowling: The Signpost 1/30/24

Tuesday | January 30, 2024 | Volume 98 | Issue 6 Cover Photo By: Anna Kuglar | The Signpost

Culture | Pg. 8

News | Pg. 4

Marianna Lopez Luritta | The Signpost

AJ Handley | The Signpost

2 | NEWS | thesignpostwsu.com | January 30, 2024

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? 1.

By GRETEL MONJAR Asst. Section Editor

Which two football teams will play in the Super Bowl this year?

A. Chiefs and Lions B. Chiefs and 49ers C. 49ers and Lions D. Ravens and Lions

B. Bear Lake

3.

A. Sen. Dan McCay (R)

4.

C. Jordanelle

B. Rep. Katy Hall (R)

B. No time

D. Flaming Gorge

C. Rep. Kera Birkeland (R)

C. 6 months

D. Both A and C

D. 18 months

2.

Which reservoir in Utah did a small plane crash into?

A. Pineview

What representative sponsored Utah House Bill 257, which would restrict transgender people’s access to public bathrooms?

How much prison time was Terry Jon Martin, 76, sentenced for stealing the original ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz? A. 15 years

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ON PAGE 15

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AJ HANDLEY | The Signpost

AJ HANDLEY | The Signpost

4 | NEWS | thesignpostwsu.com | January 30, 2024

LEFT: Students line up to sign up for the raffle being held at the Wildcat Lanes Reopening. RIGHT: Tickets for the raffle being sold to students in attendance to the grand reopening.

By GRACIE WOODBURY Reporter

Renovations to Weber State University’s Wildcat Lanes were recently completed after five months of planning.

A grand reopening was held after the lanes were closed for the last portion of the 2023 fall semester.

The upgrades to the lanes, which are located on the second floor of the Shepherd Union building on the WSU’s Ogden campus, were installed within a two weeks period. They featured improvements to the scoring system and pinsetters. The lanes were modernized through the installment of touch screens which allow players to take photos of themselves, share to Facebook and play interactive games while bowling.

Graham Sodom, retail manager at Wildcat Lanes, believes that the renovations were a long time coming. The lanes were originally constructed in

the early 1950s and featured Brunswick A pinsetters, one of the first models of pinsetters.

“1962 is when we switched over to the A2 style pinsetters, which was the modernized version,” Sodom said.

“We’ve been running strong with the exact same ones ever since.”

The renovations will help workers keep the lanes running smoothly.

“The old lanes would break a lot and you’d have to go back and kind of mess with it. Since it was like a machine, it was almost similar to fixing a car, where you’d have to figure out what was wrong,” Joshua Hancock, a WSU student who works at the lanes, said. “But this one, it’s electronic. We go back there, and most of the problems are solved by pressing a few buttons, so it’s really nice.”

These improvements were completed with the goal of increasing student activity at Wildcat Lanes. As part of these efforts a free activity was held

on Jan. 24 from 4–8 p.m. to celebrate the grand reopening of the lanes. As part of the event the lanes organized a giveaway with prizes featuring a mini fridge, free bowling punch cards and a bowling ball package donated by Storm Bowling.

“We’re trying to have the Grand Reopening Event and other events to kind of show, like, hey, we have new lanes. There’s a lot of new improvements happening here,” Hancock said. “We love it when there’s a ton of people in here and the vibe’s really high.”

Sodom says they are trying to become more modernized and think of new ways to engage with both students on campus and the Ogden community as a whole.

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AJ HANDLEY | The Signpost

January 30, 2024 | thesignpostwsu.com | NEWS | 5

Get Mentoring, Advising & Support!

Find free support resources: weber.edu/studentlife

Emma Williams lines up a shot at a billiard table in Wildcat Lanes.

Por MARIA MANTILLA Reporter

Por GRACIE WOODBURY Traductor

La renovación de la bolera Wildcat Lanes de la universidad Weber State fue completada recientemente tras cinco meses de planificación. Se celebró una gran reapertura tras el cierre de Wildcat Lanes durante la última parte del semestre de otoño de 2023.

Las mejoras de las pistas, situadas en la segunda planta del edificio Shepherd Union del campus de Ogden de la WSU, se instalaron en un periodo de dos semanas. Se han implementado mejoras en el sistema de puntuación y en los colocadores de bolos. Las pistas se modernizaron con la instalación de pantallas táctiles que permiten a los jugadores tomarse fotos, compartirlas en Facebook y jugar a juegos interactivos mientras juegan a los bolos.

Graham Sodom, director comercial de Wildcat Lanes, cree que las reno-

vaciones tomaron mucho tiempo en llegar. Las pistas se construyeron a principios de la década de 1950 y contaban con colocadores de bolos Brunswick A, uno de los primeros modelos de colocadores.

“En 1962 fue cuando cambiamos los colocadores de bolos al estilo A2, que era la versión modernizada”, dijo Sodom. “Llevamos funcionando firmemente con las mismas piezas desde entonces”.

Las renovaciones ayudarán a los trabajadores a mantener las pistas en buen estado de funcionamiento.

“Las antiguas pistas se rompían a menudo y había que volver y arreglarlas. Como era como una máquina, era casi como arreglar un coche, había que averiguar qué iba mal”, dijo Joshua Hancock, un estudiante de la WSU que trabaja en Wildcat Lanes. “Pero éste es electrónico. Volvemos allí y la mayoría de los problemas se resuelven pulsando unos pocos botones, así que está muy bien”.

Estas mejoras se completaron con el objetivo de aumentar la actividad

de los estudiantes en Wildcat Lanes.

Como parte de estos esfuerzos se celebró una actividad gratuita el 24 de enero de 4-8 p.m. para celebrar la gran reapertura. Como parte del evento Wildcat Lanes organizó un sorteo con premios como una mini nevera, tarjetas de bolos gratis y un paquete de bolas de bolos donado por Storm Bowling.

“Estamos intentando celebrar la gran reapertura y otros eventos para mostrar que tenemos pistas nuevas.

Hay un montón de nuevas mejoras sucediendo por aquí”, dijo Hancock.

“Nos encanta cuando hay un montón de gente en este lugar y el ambiente es realmente alto.”

Sodom dice que están intentando modernizarse y pensar en nuevas formas de relacionarse tanto con los estudiantes del campus como con la comunidad de Ogden en general.

Share this story at thesignpostwsu.com

By ZAIRA CORIA Reporter

Weber State University men’s hockey played a thrilling triple-game weekend with Mile High Matchups against the University of Colorado, University of Denver and Metro State University. After securing two of three wins, the Wildcats were ranked No. 4 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men’s D2 West rankings.

On Jan. 25, the Wildcats faced off against CU and came out on top, steamrolling the Buffaloes 9–3 in the first game of the weekend.

In the first period, the Wildcats scored two goals, with one from Rob Simmons in the first four minutes of the game and Rigo Aceves in the last minute of the first period.

Andrew Alonzo started the second period with the third goal for Weber. Kevin Norwood was the next to score in the second period, with an assist by Bryon Fobair, making this Fobair’s third assist of the night.

Jakob Besnilian scored the fourth goal of the night for the Wildcats which was assisted

by Jacobi Clark. Assisted by Lewis Izadi and Luke Artukovich, Nick Demchuk finished the second period with a goal.

Weber finished the third period with three goals from Norwood, Fobair and Justin Leger.

Simmons and Izadi assisted Leger in his first goal as a Wildcat. This is Leger’s first semester at Weber State after moving from Montreal, Canada. WSU was put on Leger’s radar by fellow teammate Louis Poliquin.

“It was a beautiful moment and I was waiting for it for a couple of games, and I am glad it finally happened,” Poliquin said. “We are all

supporting him and welcoming him to be a part of our family.”

On Jan. 26, Weber State continued their winning streak with a 6–1 win over UD. Demchuck scored the only goal of the first period with assistance from Norwood.

Cole VanOrman scored both of Weber’s goals in the second period. The first was assisted by Jack Jones and Besnilian and the second was assisted by Fobair and Besnilian.

Two more goals were scored by Weber in the third period. Stanford Zito scored his first two goals of the night and the season in the third period. The first goal was assisted by Aceves and Izadi, while the second was assisted by Cory Mater.

The Wildcats ended the Mile High Matchups with a 2–3 loss to Metro State University.

MSU scored the first goal of the game in the first period, followed by a goal from Demchuk which leveled the game for the Wildcats.

By the end of the first period, Izadi had given WSU a 2–1 advantage.

With little time left in the second period, MSU tied up the game against Weber and finished by scoring once more in the third period, securing the win.

“We knew it was going to be a tight game, they played well,” Yosh Ryujin, Weber State’s head coach said. “I think it could have gone either way tonight, they just made one extra play more than we did.”

Weber State will host The Wasatch Cup with home games on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m.

SARA STAKER | The Signpost

6 | SPORTS | thesignpostwsu.com | January 30, 2024

Jakob Besnilian skating after the puck.

Art Elements

Closeout Sale January 22nd-31st Art Elements will be closing and moving inventory to the Shepherd Union Wildcat Store Come experience great deals During our Closeout Sale HOURS Monday-Thursday 7AM-3PM Friday 7AM-1PM

25% to F OF % 50

See the Art Elements Store in the Kimbal Visual Arts Center for more details

ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA NELSON AND MARIANNA LOPEZ LURITTA

8 | CULTURE | thesignpostwsu.com | January 30, 2024

Night view of the entrance of the colorful Ice Castle on a full moon.

By MARIANNA LOPEZ LURITTA

MARIANNA LOPEZ LURITTA | The Signpost

As temperatures drop and winter settles in, the Ice Castles at Midway, Utah, stand as a must-visit place that showcases the beauty and resilience of nature.

The Castles are generally open from early January through the first week of March but it depends heavily on the weather conditions.

Open Monday through Saturday, ticket prices depend on the day and range from $19 for general admission for ages 12 and up, to $12 for ages 4 to 11 Monday through Thursday. On Fridays and Saturdays tickets are $25 for ages 12 and up and $17 for ages 4 to 11.

Illuminated by thousands of colorful LED lights, the Ice Castles come alive at night full of magic, casting an ethereal glow across the landscape that makes adults feel like kids again, making the long drive worth it by being surrounded by Utah’s best side of the winter.

From families seeking adventure to couples seeking romance, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in the frosty wonderland.

MARIANNA LOPEZ LURITTA | The Signpost

Managing Editor

Left: Lighted-up green and blue slide inside of a cave. Right: Illuminated ice dragon sculpture outside of a cave.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA NELSON AND MARIANNA LOPEZ LURITTA

January 30, 2024 | thesignpostwsu.com | CULTURE | 9

Vista panorámica de una cueva de hielo iluminada en verde y azul.

Traductor

By MARIANNA LOPEZ LURITTA Redactora jefe

Mientras las temperaturas bajan y el invierno se establece, los castillos de hielo en Midway, Utah, son un lugar que demanda la visita y que demuestra la belleza y resiliencia de la naturaleza.

Los castillos están abiertos generalmente desde temprano en enero hasta la primera semana de marzo, pero depende en mayor parte del clima. Abierto entre lunes y sábado, el precio de billetes depende del día y varía entre $19 por admisión general de 12 años y mayor, y $12 por 4 a 11 años entre lunes y jueves. Los viernes y sábado los billetes cuestan $25 por 12 años y mayor y $17 por 4 a 11 años.

Iluminados por miles de luces LED coloridas, los castillos de hielo parecen vivos y llenos de magia durante la noche, proyectando un resplandor sobre el paisaje que hace que

los adultos se sientan como niños de nuevo.

Estar rodeado por el mejor aspecto del invierno de Utah hace que el viaje largo valga la pena.

Desde las familias que buscan la aventura hasta las parejas que buscan el romance, hay algo de disfrutar para todos en este paraíso invernal.

Share this story at thesignpostwsu.com

MARIANNA LOPEZ LURITTA | The Signpost

POR NATHANAEL STOUT

Gente preparandose para resbalarse en las resbaladillas dentro de una cueva de hielo.on Jan. 30.

LEO MATIZ | Sundance Institute

10 | CULTURE | thesignpostwsu.com | January 30, 2024

Frida Kahlo appears in FRIDA by Carla Gutiérrez, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

By COOPER HATSIS Reporter

“Frida,” the debut documentary film from filmmaker Carla Gutierrez, premiered at this year’s Sundance Festival, and documents the life, career and artwork of Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo.

Kahlo always had an interest in art from a young age, but in 1925, she was in a severe bus accident. During her time of recovery, Kahlo learned how to paint and would pursue a career in painting until her death in 1954.

Kahlo experimented with realism, symbolism and surrealism oftentimes in her paintings and she used her art, specifically her self-portraits, as a way to express her sexuality and pain.

After 70 years, Kahlo has become one of

POR NELLY HERNANDEZ TEJADA Traductor

POR COOPER HATSIS Reportero

“Frida”, el documental debut de la cineasta Carla Gutierrez, se estrenó en el Sundance Festival de este año, y documenta la vida, carrera y obras de arte de la pintora mexicana, Frida Kahlo.

Kahlo siempre tenía interés en el arte desde una edad temprana, pero en 1925, ella tuvo un accidente de autobús grave.

Durante su tiempo de recuperación, Kahlo aprendió a pintar y comenzó una carrera en pintura hasta que falleció en 1954.

Kahlo experimentó con realismo, simbolismo y surrealismo bastantes veces en sus pinturas y usó sus obras de arte, especialmente en sus autorretrato, de una forma para expresar su sexualidad y dolor.

the most recognized and important artists from her era.

This new documentary is largely made up of archival photos and videos. A particularly interesting aspect of the film is the way in which it handles Kahlo’s individual paintings within the larger context and story of her life.

The film has reworked the paintings into short animated sequences that support the narration in the film. This creative decision could be controversial for some viewers.

There is certainly an argument to be made that the paintings do not need to be made into 3D animations to express the messages Kahlo wished to convey.

While most of the archival footage is in black and white, there are instances where the film colors some of the images on screen. For example, the film may show a

crowd of people, all black and white, but then it might highlight some of the people and objects in the frame in bright colors.

The coloring of the film looks like something that could come from a painting and brings life to the images that are on screen.

The narration and voice over in the film is another important aspect. “Frida” is told through the words of the artist directly from her diaries, interviews and letters. This allows Kahlo’s story to be told in her own words. In the film, Kahlo is voiced by Frenanda Echevarria del Rivero.

Using Kahlo’s own words is an effective method that the film uses to help viewers better understand Kahlo’s tragedy and the politics of her life. The film does not shy away from who Kahlo was, her desires are put on full display in this documentary.

“Frida” is a unique entry in learning the

history, life and work of the artist. What works so effectively is the film’s way of not holding back on any of the subject matters or feelings that Frida Kahlo may have had that could be considered controversial. Through the use of del Rivero’s powerful voice acting performance and Frida’s famous art pieces, we are better able to understand the artist as a person, her legacy and what art means to her and so many other people.

In this documentary, every time period and moment of Kahlo’s life is given the chance to shine through the use of her paintings whether it be the bus accident that changed her life, her complicated relationship with Diego Rivera or the illness that plagued the final few years of her life.

“Frida” will be made for wider release on March 15, via Amazon Studios.

Después de 70 años, Kahlo se convirtió en una de las más reconocidas y artistas importantes de su época.

Este nuevo documental está hecho mayormente de fotos y videos de archivo.

Algo particularmente interesante del documental es la forma en que tratan las pinturas individuales de Kahlo en un contexto más grande y la historia de su vida.

El documental revisó las pinturas en secuencias animaciones cortas que apoyan la narración en el documental. Esta decisión creativa quizás sería controversial para algunos en la audiencia.

Ciertamente hay un argumento que pueden hacer sobre las pinturas que no necesitan hechos en animaciones de 3D para expresar los mensajes que Kahlo deseaba expresar.

Mientras bastantes de las grabaciones en el archivo son en blanco y negro, hay instantes donde las grabaciones tienen color en

las imagines en la pantalla. Por ejemplo, la grabación pudiera enseñar un grupo de personas, todo en blanco y negro, pero a veces puede recalcar algunas personas y objetos en la marca con colores brillantes.

El color del documental se mira como si algo pudiera salir de la pintura en la pantalla.

La narración y voz en off en el documental es otro aspecto significativo. “Frida”, es contado por las palabras del artista directamente de sus diarios, entrevistas y cartas.

Esto deja que la historia de Kahlo sea contada en sus propias palabras. En el documental, el actor de voz es Fernanda Echeverría del Rivero.

Usando las propias palabras de Kahlo es una forma efectiva que el documental usa para ayudar a la audiencia a entender mejor las tragedias e ideas políticas de su vida. El documental no esconde quién era Kahlo, sus deseos son exhibidos en este documen-

tal.

“Frida” es una forma única para aprender la historia, vida y obras de arte de la artista.

Lo que funciona efectivamente en el documentario es no esconder cualquier tema o sentimientos que Frida Kahlo pudiera tener que pudieron ser considerados controversiales. Usando la voz poderosa y la presentación de Rivero y las obras de arte de Kahlo, nosotros podemos entender al artista como una persona, su legado y lo que arte significa para ella y a otras personas.

En este documental, cada época y momento en en la vida de Kahlo tiene la oportunidad de brillar usando sus pinturas como si fuera el accidente en el autobús que cambió su vida, su relación complicada con Diego Rivera o la enfermedad que la hizo sufrir los últimos años de su vida.

“Frida”, va a tener un estreno más grande el 15 de marzo, en Amazon Studios.

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

January 30, 2024 | thesignpostwsu.com | CULTURE | 11

Jacob Levy appears in Bug Diner by Phoebe Jane Hart, an official selection of the U.S. Shorts Program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

By MEGAN SWANN Section. Editor

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival Jury announced “Bug Diner” as the winner of the the Short Film Jury Award for Animation on Jan. 26.

“Bug Diner,” directed by Phoebe Jane Hart, is a stop-motion animation short about various creatures in a diner experiencing lust. A fly waitress longs for the mole chef. A praying mantis couple discuss affairs. An anteater tries to confess his love to a squirrel. What starts out appearing to be a quaint little short about stop-motion animals quickly turns more and more sexually explicit.

“We didn’t stop laughing at this from start to finish,” said the festival jury, according to a press release from the Sundance Institute.

“It has that magical effect of making you walk around all day with a smile on your face. The

dialogue was incredibly written and the animation style was amazing…there’s also never been a better bug’s voice done on film.”

The voice acting from Hart and Jacob Levy is unique because it mimics the sounds these animals would make–resulting in the dialogue to be somewhat unintelligible. However, through the help of the subtitles, the viewer is able to understand what they are saying.

The short is approximately 7 minutes long, yet packs in a number of surprises.

According to Hart’s website, the short film is also an official selection of South by Southwest (SXSW), which will occur this March.

“Bug Diner” was featured in the Animated Short Film Program, which played at several showings at the Egyptian Theatre and Holiday Village Cinema in Park City, as well as the Megaplex Theatre at the Gateway in Salt Lake City. The program was also available to online

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You can get your UTA EdPass at WSU Davis!

viewers between Jan. 25-28 and included both domestic and international animated films.

“Bug Diner” was one of eight short films included in the program, running alongside “Drago,” “Matta and Matto,” “Martyr’s Guidebook,” “Dona Beatriz Ñsîmba Vita,” “Baigul Nuur - Lake Baikal,” “Larry” and “27.”

“Matta and Matto,” from Swiss directors Bianca Caderas and Kerstin Zemp, discussed the need for human touch. Set in a world where physical touch is forbidden, this film follows the characters as they end up at Hotel Vaip, which offers simulated touch through severed fingers of previous hotel occupants.

“Baigul Nuur - Lake Baikal,” depicts the formation of Lake Baikal in Siberia. Directed by Alisi Telengut, the film appears to be drawn in chalk on asphalt, while a narrator recites words in Buryat. The film reveals at the end NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT CENTER

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that Buryat is an endangered language from the Trans-Baikal region of Siberia.

Another notable short from the program is “Drago,” which was written and directed

by Daniel Zvereff. “Drago” tells the story of a boy who has a great interest in science, but has to give it up when he and his mother are forced to flee to the United States due to a war. Depicting various stages of his life story, the main character becomes a shoe maker and bus driver and eventually is able to put his own daughter through medical school. It is very cyclical in nature, and points out what previous generations do for future ones.

The 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival concluded on Jan. 28, but interested viewers can visit the websites of these directors to find out what other opportunities they have to watch these shorts.

Find more information and apply at:

weber.edu/nontrad/childcare.html

ERIC ZACHANOWICH E

12 | CULTURE| thesignpostwsu.com | January 30, 2024

A still from Suncoast by Laura Chinn, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

By COOPER HATSIS Reporter

This year marks the 40th year of the Sundance Film Festival. Like every other year, the festival is home to showing many new independent feature films and short films. The festival ran from Jan. 18-28.

Here are a few films that premiered at this year’s festival: “Handling the Undead” “Handling the Undead” is a new Norwegian drama/horror film from filmmaker Thea Hvistendahl, starring Rensate Reinsve.

Adapted from John Lindqvist’s book with the same title, this film follows the story of three

separate people dealing with their loved ones coming back from the dead as “zombies.”

It should be noted that the phrase “zombie” is never used to describe the reanimated corpses. They can be described as semi-alive shells of what a person used to be.

The story takes place on a warm summer night in Oslo, Norway. Unexplained electric fields in the city cause recently deceased individuals to come back to life. The film makes an effort to cover the themes of grief and letting go, but does include some more horrific and intense moments during its third act.

While a “zombie” film about grief is an interesting premise, the film struggles with its pacing and characters. There is a constant

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sense of dread and gloom over the entire runtime, even when the characters are in daylight, the clouds are always gray, creating a bleak look and feel that never goes away.

This element of filmmaking assists the somber tone of the film but does not help with the slower moments that make up most of the scenes.

The reflective aspects of the film are impactful from an emotional standpoint, but “Handling the Undead” struggles to balance this with having remotely interesting characters. Dialogue is used rather sparingly, which could be one of the reasons the characters lack dimension . Despite this, the cast still makes the most of what they have been given, with worthwhile performances across

the board.

Even with the monotone look of the film, the cinematography and score assist the film with what it is trying to say about grief. For a film about the undead, it would benefit from a bit more life.

“Handling the Dead” is distributed through Neon and while no release date has currently been set for the United States, it will be available later this year.

“Suncoast” “Suncoast” is a coming-of-age, directorial debut from Laura Chinn. The film is largely based on Chinn’s own experience of being a teenager in the 2000s. “Suncoast” has performances from Nico Parker, Laura Linney

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

January 30, 2024 | thesignpostwsu.com | CULTURE | 13

DANIEL PRAKOPCYK

David Schwimmer appears in Little Death by Jack Begert, an official selection of the Midnight program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Laura Chinn, director of Suncoast, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

and Woody Harrelson.

“Suncoast” is a film about how we value the people in our lives and is told through the story of Doris, a teenage girl living in Florida.

Doris and her mother have spent the past several years caring for her brother who is dying of cancer. The relationship between Doris and her mom starts to become strained as Doris begins to make new friends.

This new coming-of-age film is by no means doing anything that the sub-genre has not already seen before, but the film certainly has a lot of heart and emotion that makes for a touching story once the film ends. For a directorial debut, Chinn does a good job expressing the themes of the story while also showing what youth was like during this time. The performances between Parker and Linney are another highlight of the film, the dynamic between their characters is the most compelling part of this story.

Harrelson’s role in the film is an interesting

one. Harrelson plays the mentor character in the film who has a strange father-daughter relationship with Doris. Managing this character’s position in the film seems difficult. If the film cut Harrelson’s character from the story and simply focused more of its time on the relationship between Doris and her mother it would be a much more effective story. On the contrary, if Harrelson was more present than he already is, the film would probably work better in that sense too.

For the most part, “Suncoast” sticks the landing as a compelling drama about a mother and her daughter. Laura Chinn is an upcoming filmmaker that movie audiences should keep an eye on going forward.

“Suncoast” is coming to Hulu on Feb. 9 via Searchlight Pictures.

“Little Death” The directorial debut from Jack Begert, “Little Death” is a dark comedy about a strug-

Jack Begert, director of Little Death, an official selection of the Midnight program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

gling TV writer who has an encounter with two teenagers searching for a stolen backpack.

This film stars David Schwimmer and Dominic Fike and has won an Innovator Award at this year’s festival.

For a first-time feature, “Little Death” is quite ambitious with its style and narrative structure. To say that it hit the mark is not as easy. The first half of this film follows Martin Solomon, played by Schwimmer. Solomon is a cynical and unlikeable TV writer who cannot quite seem to find a way out of his general unhappiness. This first half of the film makes statements about the state of the entertainment industry and addiction, and does so with a strange sense of style. We follow Solomon until a surprise twist that happens at the midpoint of the film. From there “Little Death” becomes an entirely different film.

After the midway point, the story focuses on the young adults who are in search of some stolen property. While the second half

of the film is arguably stronger and less jumbled, the film struggles to shift into a new point of view, making for two stories that do not reach their full potential.

Despite the strange narrative swings the story makes, the most glaring creative decision is the heavy use of AI images during the first half of the film. The film relies on a handful of montage sequences that come from AI. This is a bold choice considering how polarizing AI art is at this point in time. The use of AI is often distracting and unappealing to look at.

Somewhere in here there is a well made and interesting first feature film. Unfortunately the use of AI and messy narrative structure hold this film back from reaching the heights that it should.

“Little Death” does not currently have a set release date but will have a wider release this year.

14 | SPORTS | thesignpostwsu.com | January 30, 2024

Section Editor

Weber State University’s men’s basketball team embarked on a week of nonstop competition, facing off against consecutive Big Sky matchups like the University of Montana and Idaho State University. The rollercoaster of emotions left fans eagerly anticipating the team’s next steps, as they navigated through highs and lows on the court.

The opener against the University of Montana on Jan. 22 proved to be a challenge for the Wildcats, culminating in a 77–62 defeat at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula.

Despite the loss, standout performances from Dillon Jones and Alex Tew offered hope during the difficult games. Jones, in a career-defining display, showcased his scoring dominance with a 30-point outing, while Tew delivered a career-high with 16 points, underscoring their significance to Weber State’s offensive firepower.

Transitioning to the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Weber State squared off against Idaho State University on Jan. 27 in a bid for redemption. The Wildcats faced a challenging opponent in Idaho State, but despite a valiant effort the Wildcats fell short in a hard-fought 74–64 contest.

Once again, Dillon Jones emerged as a pivotal player, recording a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, supported by Dyson Koehler’s 14-point contribution and Blaise Threatt’s 13-point effort.

“Every night, we get out there, we’ve got three or four guys, 3 1/2 guys, playing as hard

as they can play and we’ve got to get better effort from everybody else,” head coach Eric Duft said. “I told the guys, the guys who are going to play the hardest are the guys who are going to play going forward.”

Looking ahead, Weber State finds itself at a significant juncture in its season, with upcoming matchups against Northern Arizona (10– 11, 3–4 Big Sky) and Northern Colorado (12–8, 5–2 Big Sky) presenting fresh opportunities for growth and redemption. Both teams are a combined 12–1 at home this season.

“It’s gut-check time now. We are past anything else,” Duft said. “We are at the point where we’re either going to get better or we’re going to get worse, it’s up to everyone to dig down deeper. We’ve proven we can do it; we’ve beat great teams this year.”

The Wildcats now stand at 12–9 overall and are 3–5 in Big Sky conference play. The road ahead will hold both challenges and opportunities for the team to redefine its identity and reclaim the competitive spirit that has characterized Weber State’s basketball legacy.

The Wildcats’ journey, marked by highs and lows, serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of collegiate athletics, where every setback serves as an opportunity for growth and renewal.

As Weber State’s basketball journey unfolds, the unwavering support of fans and the broader college community remains a source of inspiration and motivation for the team.

SARA STAKER | The Signpost

By COLLYN COWLES

Hanje Tamba (32) preparing to make a free throw.

MASTER OF SCIENCE  Computer Science  Computer Engineering  Data Science  Electrical Engineering  Systems Engineering (Online) Engineering, Applied Science & Technology

January 30, 2024 | thesignpostwsu.com | NEWS | 15

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? 1.

The answer is B, the Chiefs and the 49ers.

According to NBC News, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will face each other in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.

2.

3.

4.

QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 2

The answer is A, Pineview. KSL reported that a one-engine plane crash landed onto the frozen surface of Pineview Reservoir.

The two occupants have been released from the hospital.

The answer is D, Sen. Dan McCay (R) and Rep. Kera Birkeland (R). According to Axios, the bill was co-sponsored by McCay and Birkeland. Within two weeks the bill was publicly released and supported by the Utah House in a vote of 58-16. The bill is designed to require transgender individuals to use the restroom of the gender listed on their birth certificate.

The answer is B, no time. According to AP News, the 76-year-old Terry Jon Martin stole the red shoes in 2005 from a museum in Minnesota. His sentence hearing was on Jan. 29, 2024.

THE SIGNPOST TEAM Editor-in-Chief Kennedy Camarena kennedycamarena@mail.weber.edu

Chief Copy Editor Justin Steed justinsteed@mail.weber.edu

Managing Editor Marianna Lopez-Luritta mlopezluritta@mail.weber.edu

News Editor Brisa Odenthal brisaodenthal@mail.weber.edu

Design & Graphics Editor Star Neil starneil@mail.weber.edu

Asst. News Editor Gretel Monjar gretelmonjar@mail.weber.edu

Design & Graphics Editor Emilie Hart emiliehart@mail.weber.edu

Sports Editor Collyn Cowles collyncowles@mail.weber.edu

Photo Editor Anna Kuglar briannakuglar@mail.weber.edu

Asst. Sports Editor Jacoba Jones jacobajones@mail.weber.edu

Asst. Photo Editor Norlito Ranchez norlitoranchezjr@mail.weber.edu

Culture Editor Adam Montgomery adammontgomery1@mail.weber.edu

Culture Editor Lexie Andrew lexieandrew@mail.weber.edu Culture Editor Megan Swann meganswann@mail.weber.edu Translation Editor Nathanael Stout nathanaelstout@mail.weber.edu Advisor Jean Norman jeannorman@weber.edu

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

by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and to refuse to print any letters.

Letters should be submitted online to thesignpost@weber.edu and read letter to the Editor in the subject box. Letters should not exceed 350 words.

Business Manager Rob Steedley robertsteedley@weber.edu

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