The Signpost: AT LONG LAST - KICKING OFF A SEMESTER OF OPPORTUNITY - SPRING 2020 GRADUATION

Tuesday | September 01, 2020 | Volume 93 | Issue 11

AT LONG LAST NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

>>>PAGE 08

02 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS?

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

1. A Syracuse man was found by two passersby on Antelope Island calling for help on Aug. 29. Later that night he passed away; ofďŹ cials say his wounds were consistent with a _______ attack. a. Bison

great progress in getting them under control. a. National Forest Service

c. 600,000

b. Rain

d. 575,000

c. Cooler weather temperatures d. Aid from other states

b. Antelope c. Crane d. Elk 2. Fires raging in California have caused damage to over 750,000 acres.

Over the weekend, crews said that the __________ helped them to make

3. Hurricane Laura caused destruction in Louisiana and other surrounding states this past week. The Louisiana Department of Health recorded 14 deaths; approximately how many residents could remain without electricity for up to a month? a. 4,000

5. Schools are now back in session, and since then the Utah Department of Health has reported how many COVID-19 outbreaks as of Aug. 29?

b. 350,000

4. On Aug. 29, the commencement for the WSU class of 2020 was held at Stewart Stadium to honor the class of 2020. How many graduates were recognized at the ceremony? a. 3,000

a. 10 b. 0 c. 25 d. 7

b. 780 c. 5,700 d. 900

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ON PAGE 15

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

weber.edu/wildcatwelcome

BRIELLE HARKER | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020 | 03

Student attending a zoom meeting with Josh Winegar, Photography professor at Weber State.

By ADAM RUBIIN Senior Reporter

Student body officers and a panel of faculty and staff welcomed back WSU’s student body during the Virtual Kickoff for 2020’s fall semester on Aug. 27th.

Guest speaker and WSU graduate Ufo Eric-Auanya began the virtual meeting by sharing his professional experiences in the U.S. political realm and international relations, and how his far-flung and diverse career path started at WSU. Eric-Auanya’s story is unique and heavily-founded in his formative educational experience at WSU, demonstrating that a student can take a WSU education anywhere in the world.

“Being a big fish in a small pond can take you from Ogden, Utah, all the way to Vienna,” Eric-Auanya said.

As he spoke, Eric-Auanya reminded the student body that from times of crisis emerge tomorrow’s leaders. It is a bizarre time and Eric-Auanya urged all students to make the most of the opportunities presented to them.

Student Body President Ben Ferney and student senators, Paige Dawson, Jimmy Town and Amanda Jones also spoke during the Kickoff. Although the way students are engaging and learning this semester is non-traditional, all the student senators encouraged the student-body to utilize the tools and social events and make this a strong semester.

“We are here, we made it. We’re going, the light is green,” Ferney said. “This is going to

be a semester of growth, adapting and innovating.”

Ferney suggested that rather than wishing away the current situation or wanting society to go back to a pre-pandemic sense of normalcy, that students find the reasons to keep going forward and be present in the here-andnow.

Eric-Auanya and the student leaders touched on themes of making friends and keeping close with family, coming with an open mind and sharing cultures together.

President Brad Mortensen also advised WSU’s student body to attend virtual events this semester. Making the most of educational opportunities in the face of challenges can help build a stronger foundation for the future of WSU.

The faculty and student leaders expressed the importance of not hesitating to reach out— even during this socially-restricted semester— and taking advantage of creating a network to build our futures; with every crisis comes opportunity. It’s up to the Wildcat Family to be brave, proactive and move forward together.

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04 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020

By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

The next day’s session was with Wildcat Football’s Head Coach, Jay Hill, and senior wide receiver, Rashid Shaheed, who joined and discussed a variety of topics concerning the football season, which has been postponed until the spring.

“Well, we’re still at it hard, the players have got out on the field, there’s some things with the new NCAA rules that allowed us to go out there and throw the ball around and do some individual drills, and keeping the players in shape with working out and running and doing all those things,” Hill said.

Shaheed reiterated the team is fully embracing a positive attitude which is being instilled by the coaches.

“It’s tough, life without football right now is not something any of are use to, but we got to adjust and deal with what’s a hand, and so far I think we’ve done a great job with no football right now,” Shaheed said. “Like coach said, we just got to stay positive through this.

There’s not much we can do other than go out

and work every chance we get.”

With dates tentatively scheduled, all the players and coaches can do is work hard each day.

“Nobody knows how to exactly prepare or set your schedule moving forward, the only thing I do know is you can do your best with what you’ve been given, and right now we can work out, and when they let us play, be ready to go,” Hill said.

Another tough question the NCAA was left having to answer was how eligibility would work with such a different schedule than the usual one, the solution being the athletes get the year back without having played.

“I think it’s the only way the NCAA could have done it in a fair way because if some players got to play and others didn’t, it wouldn’t be fair to take some of the players eligibility and not others. If you only get to play three games and the season’s cut short how do you deal with that, I think what the NCAA did was the best decision for everybody,” Hill said.

MILES SHAW | The Signpost

As the sport’s world continues to navigate this tricky time, the Wildcats are doing their best to stay connected amidst the lingering questions about this year’s seasons.

However, Weber State Athletic’s “Week with the Wildcats” helped address some of these concerns.

The week saw a series of Zoom conversations hosted by Weber State Athletic’s Communication Director Paul Grua in which he spoke with Wildcat coaches and players about some of the questions surrounding around Weber State athletics and in the grander sports world.

The week kicked off with Wildcat’s Athletic Director, Tim Crompton. He discussed the sports climate right now and the uncertainty that has shrouded athletics since the beginning of the pandemic.

“It’s a unique first day of fall semester, more unique than any first day of school I’ve ever been involved with for sure,” Crompton said.

“We don’t have any games currently or competitions that we would normally be playing right now, so we don’t have that same excitement, so we’ll try and create excitement in a different way.”

Some of the excitement comes from many of the student athletes who are back on campus and continuing their practices and workouts, which are allowed by the NCAA. However, since the delay of fall sports until spring, the sports world has had to question if it’s feasible to run two seasons back-to-back.

“It seems to be the billion dollar question, and I don’t think they have a really good model for that right now. I’ve seen a couple of them where there’s eight-game spring season, which could be a seven plus one or six plus two with non-conference games,” Crompton said.

He also factored in the guidelines and rules in place to help keep the student athletes safe and out of harm’s way. The fall sports athletes are still preparing, just in a different time of year than usual.

“Really, in essence, we’ve flipped what we’re doing in the fall and what we’re doing in the spring, so we’re not doing anything different, we’re just doing it at a different time,” Crompton said.

The NCAA basketball tournament is a moneymaker for universities, and it allows for schools to bring in revenue that helps student athletes. Crompton noted the importance of the tournament taking place this upcoming season.

“That’s on the forefront of our minds, in terms of what does that look like. The conference season is when we begin play in January, or if there’s non-conference games how do we do that safely,” Crompton said.

He discussed how fall sports teams have been able to deal with the changes a bit better than in the spring when the rug was pulled out from under them without warning. The fall teams have been expecting changes and are preparing in the best and safest ways possible.

“After the initial announcement they have now moved past that and are now in the mindset of what do we need to do to be prepared, what do we need to do to be great academically, and what do we need to do to make sure we stay mentally healthy,” Crompton said.

Paul Grua, Steve Klauke, Rashid Sasheed and Jay Hill are all members of the sports teams at Weber State.

MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020 | 05 ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

Shaheed shared his perspective as a student athlete.

“I think it’s cool and a good opportunity for some guys to get extra experience, and time on the field, it’s definitely a good idea,” Shaheed said.

In late July, the Wildcats were voted No. 1 in the preseason Big Sky poll by the coaches and media, for the first time ever.

“Well this may be the best team we’ve ever had and we got to go prove that on the field,” Hill said.

Hill is not a big proponent of preseason poll’s, as he talked about the only thing that matters is where you end up at the end of the season.

“Hopefully this gets us excited about what we’re working towards and we finish the end of the year ranked No. 1 instead of just preseason ranked No. 1,” Hill said.

With student athletes and coaches hard at work in practices and workouts, all Wildcat fans can do now is hope for the start of sports, when they are currently scheduled to begin.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com Waldo entertains the crowd at Weber State vs Northern Arizona football game in October 2019.

BELLA TORRES | The Signpost

Cody John with a shot for the Weber State Wildcats.

06 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020

SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 Reduzca la propagación del COVID-19

Wash your hands

OFTEN Lávase las manos con frecuencia

Keep the lather going for at least 20 seconds.

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

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Fall 2020

08 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 02, 2020

SPRING 2020 GRADUATION CEREMONY

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

THE CLASS THAT PERSEVERED:

President Mortensen offering words of praise at WSU’s 2020 Graduation, which consisted of both in-person and virtual speakers.

By ADAM RUBIN Senior Reporter

WSU’s 115th commencement ceremony saw more than 5,700 spring and summer graduates finally celebrate their graduation on Aug. 29. The sun has now set on WSU’s graduating class of 2020 — “The Class That Persevered.”

Attendees came to support their family members, classmates and loved ones who were not able to attend commencement as

anticipated due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

Graduates were seated on the stadium’s field, socially-distanced. Both sides of the stadium’s bleachers were as full as could be with attendees socially distanced.

Crystal Maggelet, CEO of FJ Management Inc., and a member of the Utah State Board of Higher Education, received an invitation in Jan. 2020 to speak at spring commencement and had planned to speak at the April ceremony.

The Honorary Degree Committee granted

Maggelet a degree at WSU. President Brad Mortensen asked her to give the commencement speech for this “memorable” ceremony.

“Everything is different, and so no one can say, ‘We’ve always done it that way,’” Maggelet said. “I would say that graduating is that way too.”

During her speech, Maggelet asked the graduates how they would embrace the new normal, what they can do for others and what they would make of their lives one day at a time.

The graduates arrived at a new jumping-offpoint in their lives; some are considering what to do with their degrees after finishing school while others continue their pursuit of higher educational goals.

One attendee, Rod Gerherdy, came out to support his daughter, who earned her high school diploma and had graduated with university certificates. He was happy to have the opportunity to come out and celebrate his daughter’s achievements.

“I think we can get back to normal, responsi-

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020 | 09

Graduates are asked to move their tassles from right to left as a symbol of the completion of their degree.

bly, and enjoy events like this,” Gerherdy said.

“It looks like they did a great job with plenty of space between the students and everybody here, I applaud WSU for doing it.”

However, this belated commencement was socially-restricted by pandemic requirements, meaning that graduates did not walk, at least not in the traditional sense.

WSU acknowledged all of the students, with Mortensen asking all to rise and turn the tassels on their caps from the right side to the left. Then, each graduate’s name was called

out; the graduates stood and faced the closest camera, which showed them on video display on the southern scoreboard screen, and the seated attendees applauded the students individually.

Mortensen spoke on the challenges the Class of 2020 pushed through: academic challenges like midterms, finals, clinicals, group projects and capstones, as well as the emotional and financial struggles students normally face. On top of all that, Mortensen acknowledged the trials of the pandemic.

“When we announced on March 12 that we would be moving to an online format, it collectively felt that the degree of difficulty for your climb to your degree increased 10-fold,” Mortensen said. “It was like the earth shifted beneath you; wait, the earth really did shift beneath you because we had an earthquake right after.”

Ultimately, Mortensen stressed during the ceremony that there will always be unforeseeable challenges that life presents, challenges that cannot be prepared or planned for, but

the class that persevered will be ready for them.

“Weber State graduates,” Mortensen said, “may you remember that sometimes the challenges that you are preparing for are not the challenges you will face.”

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10 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020

By DARYN STEED Managing Editor

Scene: it’s Monday. It’s more than ninety degrees outside. Your Twitter feed is full of heartbreak and despair. You are full of heartbreak and despair.

There are several healthy ways to work through anxiety and stress—don’t doctors and Buzzfeed recommend yoga?—but I advise avoiding the anguish altogether. Here’s an escapist’s guide to surviving the rest of 2020, full of altogether terrible advice from a depressed college student.

1. Take a hike No, really. There is no better distraction than traipsing through the mountains, swatting

away potential murder hornets and vaulting over rattlesnakes (or was it a twig?) It’s impossible to think about America’s racial caste system when you are sweating through every article of clothing you have on. Have you ever considered our motive for entering World War II while hiking? No, because you can’t hear yourself think over the sound of your own panting. Problem solved.

2. Get local takeout You’re shopping local, so you can feel good about yourself while gorging on servings big enough for three people. You’ll be so full, you’ll forget there are nearly a billion starving people in the world. And you can take the food home, so you’re limiting risk to strangers you

want to avoid anyway.

In terms of instant gratification, buying local rather than corporate has to be near the top of the list. It hardly takes any effort and it makes you feel like a modern-day Mother Theresa.

3. Watch sports There has never been a better time to be a sports fan. The NBA might just be taking token steps to appear compassionate, but watching one basketball game will make you feel like you’ve done something important. You’re a necessary audience member, helping convince the Board they made the right decision in becoming more politically vocal.

If basketball isn’t your thing, take a walk on the wild side and dive into the world of eS-

ports. It’s long past time for you to develop a new hobby, isn’t it? Watching underfed teenagers click a computer mouse two thousand times a second is exponentially more riveting than I just made it sound. We are well on our way to seeing eSports become an Olympic sport. If you’ve never set aside time to watch someone else play a video game you’ve never played, now is the time to start.

4. Call your (grand)parents The only thing more infuriating than the current state of our government is trying to talk about it with your parents. Any relative will do—bonus points if your grandmother mentions an article she read on Facebook!— but one phone call is sure to beat the desire to

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MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020 | 11

major superhero movie with a majority Black cast. Chadwick Boseman filmed “Black Panther,” “Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” while undergoing chemo treatments. Strong isn’t even the word.

6. Watch your local news If you find yourself frustrated and uttering the term “mainstream media,” take a deep breath, find yourself some ice cream and restore some minor faith in humanity by watching your local news. These reporters are working hard in your community to tell genuine

stories. They care about local businesses and are able to dive deeper into stories you care about. Plus, when you hear the statistic that 20 percent of local newspapers have shuttered in the last 15 years, you’ll know you’re doing your part to help.

This year, we’ve watched Australia burn; our president get impeached, then acquitted by the Senate; millions take to the streets to protest systemic racism; hundreds of thousands of Americans die from COVID-19; and we still have four months to go.

There are many hiking trails around Ogden, Utah for adventrous hikers to explore.

Getting through it will require tenacity in some form. Whether it helps you to engage more or disengage, surviving this will take perseverance and a sense of humor. Settle in, Wildcats. At the very least, we’re in for a noteworthy semester.

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be informed about anything right out of you. I recommend discussing a film you’ve enjoyed recently instead. Or complaining about your incompetent coworkers. Surely your mother has mastered the “mmhm, yes, that sounds tough” by now.

5. Watch “Black Panther” This might seem counterintuitive, since “Black Panther” is the most socially-conscious Marvel film and tackles colonialism, nationalism and othering. But Shuri, am I right?

It’s the perfect time to rewatch the first

12 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020

WEBER STATE PROFESSOR

A new monument at the Utah State Capitol commemorates the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote.

By LISSETE LANDAVERDE Reporter

A new monument honoring women’s suffrage, titled “A Path Forward,” was unveiled at the Utah State Capitol building on Aug. 20.

The monument commemorates the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote constitutionally and the 150th anniversary of the first woman to cast a vote in Utah.

Better Days 2020, a nonprofit organization that aims to bring awareness to women’s history, commissioned Weber State associate

professor Jason Manley for this piece, along with Memphis University associate professor Kelsey Harrison.

The monument is made of bronze, stainless steel and concrete. It includes four doorways, with the last one surrounded by quotes from suffrage leaders such as Susan B. Anthony and Emmeline B. Wells.

In an artist’s statement, Harrison and Manley wrote, “This sculpture gives form to the words and deeds of advocates who achieved landmark victories for the women’s suffrage movement.”

The doorways lead to two chairs and a tea ta-

ble, which has the text of Article 4 of the state constitution engraved into it. The other side of the doorways face the Capitol building.

Manley said he and Harrison created the monument this way so the viewer could experience the site by walking through and sitting in it.

To Manley, the monument is about looking to the people who led the way for equality for both women and people of color alike.

“The artwork is a way to bring attention to what else needs to be improved, such as restoring the Voting Rights Act, which was invalidated by the Supreme Court in 2013,” Manley

ISRAEL CAMPA | The Signpost

CO-CREATES SUFFRAGE MONUMENT

said.

With national elections coming up, Manley hopes the monument will encourage the public to vote.

“Voting is the true way to honor the suffrage activists,” said Manley. “When you vote this November, you may also appreciate the rights we have but also consider what improvements we need to make on the voting system.”

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SLOW

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.

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

Reduzca la propagación del COVID-19

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

LIMIT CONTACT 6ft

Distanciamento Social 6ft

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

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14 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 02, 2020

It’s Almost Here.

Young Adult Pass Just $619 Prices Increase Sept. 9th

MyWeberMedia.com| September 01, 2020 | 15

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 2

itive progress but are worried about the high temperatures and gusty winds that will come with this next week.

3. The correct answer is B, 350,000.

According to USA Today, as many as 350,000 residents could be without power or water for up to a month while

2. The correct answer is C, cooler weather temperatures. According to USA Today, the ďŹ re crews are making pos-

damages are repaired.

4. The correct answer is C, 5,700.

According to Deseret News, not all graduates were in attendance, but those who were wore masks and were spaced six feet apart. The other guests were social-distanced as well.

5. The correct answer is D, 7. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, only 55 people have tested positive and there have been 0 deaths.

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1. The correct answer is A, bison. According to KSL, Larry Adams was found by rangers and other visitors to the island, but no one witnessed the accident.

WSU saw a record number of graduates during the Class of 2020 commencement.

THE SIGNPOST TEAM

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

Photo Editor Robert Lewis robertlewis7@mail.weber.edu

Sports Editor Raymond Lucas raymondlucas@mail.weber.edu

Managing Editor Daryn Steed darynsteed0@gmail.com

Asst. Photo Editor BriElle Harker brielleharker@mail.weber.edu

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

Chief Copy Editor Nic Muranaka nicholasmuranaka@weber.edu

Culture Editor Caitlyn Larsen caitlynlarsen@mail.weber.edu

News Editor Marisa Nelson marisanelson@mail.weber.edu

Social Media Manager Kalli Prendergast kandidkalliP@gmail.com Webmaster David Morris david.lee.morris@gmail.com

Design & Graphics Editor Aubree Eckhardt aubreeeckhardt@mail.weber.edu Asst. Design & Graphics Editor Alli Rickards alexandrarickards@mail.weber.edu Videography Editor Sarah Earnshaw sarahearnshaw@mail.weber.edu

Asst. News Editor Francia Henriquez Benson fhenriquezbenson@weber.edu

Adviser Jean Norman jeannorman@ weber.edu Ad Manager KC Sanders kcsanders@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.

16 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 02, 2020

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