The Signpost - September 24, 2018

Monday | September 24, 2018 | Volume 89 | Issue 17

F O S E I R A D N E U C O A B R S E D H N S A U S P T 6 E E N G A N P O > S >

SARAH CATAN | The Signpost

COLUMN » PAGE 4

WE MAKE OUR OWN HELL, AND SHE SAVES ME FROM MINE

NEWS » PAGE 8

FINACIAL AID CHANGES STIFLE STUDENT FUNDS

2 | MyWeberMedia.com | September 24, 2018

WSU AND OGDEN EVENTS

DOLORES HUERTA

WSU VOLLEYBALL

MI FAMILIA

Thursday Sept. 27: Coming off their home loss in the season opener against BYU, WSU volleyball is looking to improve their season against Idaho.

The game will take place in the Swenson Gymnasium at 7 p.m. The event is $7/$5/$3/ free to WSU students + four student guests with Wildcard ID, 801-626-8500, weberstatetickets.com.

By DARYN STEED A&E Editor

Tuesday, Sept. 25: Dolores Huerta will be the keynote speaker at WSU’s “Hispanics: One Endless Voice to Enhance our Traditions” as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Huerta is among the most important activists in American history. She fought for racial and labor justice and was one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century. At 87, she still fights for the same causes. Her fight reveals the personal stakes involved with committing her life to social change.

WC OPEN HOUSE

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Wednesday, Sept. 26: WSU’s Department of Foreign Languages will host the Fall 2018 World Film Series: Origins & Destinies, “Mi Familia/My Family.” The film depicts three generations of a Mexican American family who emigrated from Mexico and settled in East Los Angeles. The film will be screened at 12:30 p.m. in Elizabeth Hall Room 229. The event is free for the public.

JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

OKTOBERFEST

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FRIDAY NIGHT CLIMBIMG Friday, Sept. 28: WSU’s Outdoor Program will host Friday Night Climbing every Friday this fall. The program staff will be there with top ropes already set up. Basic top rope climbing instruction will be provided at no cost. If you are interested in connecting with other climbers, this is a great place to learn or continue building on your skills. You can start climbing at 4 p.m. and it will be available until dark, located at the 9th St. Climbing Crag.

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Saturday, Sept. 29: Oktoberfest continues at Snowbird. Held every Saturday and Sunday until Oct. 21, Oktoberfest attracts over 60,000 visitors annually and is one of the largest festivals in Utah. Snowbird offers lodging, food and other activities during the festival.

Music at the festival includes Marketplace Music Garden and Alp Horns on top of the Hidden Peak. There’s a $10 fee to park at Snowbird during the festival. pixabay.com

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ASL

interpreted

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MADISON OSBORN | The Signpost

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A DEVIL IN MY HEAD

AND AN ANGEL IN MY BED CAMERON GIFFORD Columnist

Self-worth has never been my strong suit.

I recognize that, ironically, it’s never entirely been under my control. Both of my parents suffer from chronic depression and anxiety disorders, and I won the genetic lottery. I saw both of my parents in states that can only be described as “non-functional,” and that’s before I even hit double digits in age.

When my parents got divorced, I was eight. At that point, I had one of two options: remain blissfully ignorant of my life exploding around me in a cataclysmic fashion, or brace for what would invariably be years of petty litigation between two people I thought loved each other.

I chose to forge headfirst into a grotesque and unsightly new reality, which meant for all intents and purposes, my childhood was over. I no longer had the luxury of developing my own self-esteem. I resigned myself to picking up the pieces every what felt like endlessly apocalyptic fights between my parents.

Growing up in the middle of an overwhelmingly antagonistic divorce for me meant a constant internal struggle of which “side” was in the right. I lived with both parents separately, at different times, for different reasons.

Weeks passed where I would hate — as much as any 13-year-old can hate — one parent or the other for what felt like world-shattering offenses.

I gained a lot of weight in my adolescence, and at the time, I felt that made me worth even less. My classmates and peers were talking about going on rig-

orous hikes that, for me, were physically impossible. I didn’t fit in any social circles.

It didn’t help matters that, after the divorce, neither of my parents had very much money. Try as she might, my mom couldn’t afford to get us the latest and greatest. I was always late to the party, as it were.

By the time I had saved up for a few packs of Pokémon cards, everyone had moved on to Magic: The Gathering. By the time I’d managed to grab some Magic Cards, it was all about having an iPod. When I finally got an iRiver MP3 player for Christmas, everyone was talking about their new cell phones.

As I trudged through the quagmire of adolescence into the uncertainty of young adulthood and college life, I had to figure out what I was going to do for the rest of my life.

It certainly didn’t help that I had ostensibly lost all but one of my friends during my senior year of high school.

It’s funny how priorities change once all your supposed “mates” are trying to date your sister.

Nevertheless, a brief internship with a mortuary in high school had given me a sense of purpose. I still had bad days, fantasizing about simply disappearing into the ether to escape the emotional minefield of existence, but I finally had something to call my own. I didn’t have to be a soldier in my parents’ never-ending war with each other.

I started at Weber State University in 2009, fresh out of high school, still smelling like teen spirit. I paid for it with the part time jobs I could get as a scrappy 17-year-old and supplemented the rest with any grants and loans I could get my hands on.

Admittedly, I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. I was still shaking off the high school mentality that said, “this is temporary.” It took me a few semesters to pull myself together and use the $3,000 per semester in earnest.

Seven years of work and school later and I’m 18 credit hours deep in the last semester of my bachelor’s degree.

More importantly, I’m unemployed.

My wife, who is the single most important person in my life, has forbidden me from gainful employment. 18 credit hours and a host of extra-curricular activity means I have very little time not focused on academia. To be perfectly honest, with the boundless inconsistency of my schedule, even I likely wouldn’t hire me.

Therein, as the Bard would tell us, lies the rub. I recognize that I’m buried in homework, writing, video production and copy editing for this very publication.

“Ladies: there’s nothing wrong with being the bread-winner in the relationship.

Gentlemen: don’t feel emasculated, feel gratified; you have a strong intelligent partner and she chose you.”

Everything I do now — my wife insists, unceasingly positive — I do for the betterment of our future. Why then, do I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt over my utter lack of financial contribution?

It’s not about gender roles. My wife has an amazing career she worked incredibly hard to obtain, and I have no qualms over her making more money than I do. She’s a brilliant, beautiful

woman and I’m so incredibly proud of her.

Ladies: there’s nothing wrong with being the bread-winner in the relationship. Gentlemen: don’t feel emasculated, feel gratified; you have a strong intelligent partner and she chose you.

It’s certainly not because of my wife.

She’s nothing but supportive, encouraging me with daily affirmations that I’m doing the right thing. Did I mention my wife is an outstanding human being?

We’re not hurting for money. My wife makes enough to get us by, without the need for hours of overtime. We’re not starving or living paycheck to paycheck.

We make sure we’re budgeting appropriately and have a savings in case of emergency.

The reason I feel so tremendously guilty is because of that little voice in my head telling me I’m not worth it.

My insidiously omnipresent companion, always listening, ready to whisper vitriolic nagging doubts into my ear.

From my earliest memory, to writing the words you’re reading now, nothing I do has ever been good enough for me.

But I haven’t stopped trying.

I am worth it. I’m worth the effort. I’m worth the struggle, blood, sweat and tears. I’m worth the sleepless nights writing 15-page papers and classes so early I question whether this degree is worth a few hours of sleep.

And so are you.

You’re worth every moment you spend in pursuit of higher education.

You’re worth every dollar spent on tuition and textbooks. You’re worth every hour you spend in a job you hate just to pay for one more semester.

Don’t let anyone, especially yourself, tell you otherwise.

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WORLD-RENOWNED

POET COMES TO

OGDEN

By MATISSE MOSHER A&E Reporter

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tyehimba Jess had a reading and discussion on Sept.

18 at St. Joseph Catholic High School and visited Weber State University on Sept. 19.

Jess has two published books of poetry: “Leadbelly” in 2005 and “Olio” in 2016.

“Olio” includes themes of music, history and culture. The book discusses marginalized groups and addresses the topic of racism. To write his poetry, Jess learned about African Americans in history and uses his platform to illuminate their struggles.

“What we have in ‘Olio’ is African American creators who were busy trying to forge lives for themselves,” Jess said.

Poetry instructor Laura Stott assigned “Olio” to her students this semester. Stott explained how valuable it was to meet with authors when she was in college and said she wanted to create the same experiences for her students.

“It’s such an amazing opportunity for students to get to meet and speak with an author that they’re reading,” Stott said.

“Especially somebody who is doing so much in the poetry conversation today.”

In Stott’s classroom, she leads conversations about cultural appropriation, structure and form. She uses these as a framework from which students can develop their poetry and voice.

Destinie Comeau, a student in Stott’s poetry course, explained how Jess’s work is something she has never seen before.

“He takes personal poems and mixes them in a way that can be read in about five different ways,” Comeau said.

Beyond Jess’ style with words, he’s also developed a unique talent for how he presents his poems and how readers can interpret them.

“Bert Williams/George Walker Paradox” is a poem structured with lines of poetry down the left and right sides of the page, with separate stanzas down the center

SARAH CATAN | The Signpost

separating them.

Jess explained his poems can be read like a conversation, where you read down each side, or it can be read straight across.

You can read the left side, drop down a line to the center and then jump up back to the first line to end with the right side.

“It’s mathematical,” said graduate student Sherilyn Olsen. “It’s lyrical, and it just inspires me to try different forms with my own work.”

This combination of form and culture met when Jess held up a copy of his book and ripped out a page of his own work.

Jess rounded the page into a cylinder and read the poem differently when it was folded, showing students their work doesn’t need to be linear. They can take risks and reach the limits of their creativity.

“Now you’re no longer dealing with a two-dimensional representation,” Jess said. “You can turn it into a three-dimensional framework. Just like how our friends were trying to go from a two-di-

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mensional caricature into a three-dimensional reality.”

Jess then compared his work to the ‘Say Their Name’ campaign from the Black Lives Matter movement.

His book contains a list of the 148 black churches that have been burned down in American history with each name placed at the top of sonnets throughout the book.

Jess thought he completed the list complete in May of 2015. One month later, there was the shooting at the Emmanuel African Episcopal Church in Charleston.

The Emmanuel AME church was originally at the top of Jess’ list, having been burned down in 1822. The church was rebuilt after the Civil War. After the shooting, Jess included the name of the church again at the end of the list.

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W I L D C AT VILLAGE

Three facilities provide the lastest amenities in oncampus living. Made-to-order restaurant, convenience store, gym, volleyball court, outdoor fire pit, meeting hall, printer station, and much more.

For more information: Stop by the Stewart Wasatch Hall housing office Visit us at www.weber.edu/housing Call 801-626-7275

MyWeberMedia.com | September 24, 2018 | 7

FORMER WNBA SUPERSTAR STRIVING

FOR STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

By TORI WALTZ News Reporter

After speaking at the Weber State University fifth Annual Allen Holmes Diversity Symposium Sept. 18, former WNBA player, three-time NCAA champion, Chamique Holdsclaw revealed a darker side to her story of success.

On the surface, she seemed a dedicated face and successful athlete who seemed to be in control, but underneath constantly battles with mental health and anxiety.

As the keynote speaker of the event, Holdsclaw talked about her personal struggle and diagnosis with bipolar disorder. After a long fight with depression, mood swings and insomnia, she now spreads awareness about the issue to college students and athletes.

“Chamique has been authentic to the public about her struggles with mental illness, and in sharing her story, she has been helping countless people to understand, recognize and thrive everyday,” Weber State Mental Performance Coach Riley Jensen said.

Under the direction of legendary coach Pat Summitt, Holdsclaw led an illustrious career. Deemed by many as the “female Michael Jordan,” she was the number one pick for the 1999 WNBA draft, started in the All-Star Game, received the Rookie of the Year award and won a gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

In spite of her achievements, Holdsclaw said, “the story that I am most proud of is my journey of resilience and perseverance.”

After being separated from her parents, both of whom suffered from alcoholism, Holdsclaw was exposed to extreme change and loss at an early age. She eventually moved in with her grandmother and discovered her love for basketball.

“I learned to take out all of my frustrations with my family and things I was going through on that basketball court,” Holdsclaw said. “It became my drug and my coping mechanism because that was the one thing I could control.”

Throughout her college and professional careers, Holdsclaw vascillated betwen elation and despair. After years of nonstop victory and coaching, she couldn’t help but feel disconnected from the world around her.

“I became a professional ‘stuffer’. All emotions, anger and everything that I was feeling I always tucked away. I had to be perfect,” Holdsclaw said.

This detachment worsened as time progressed. In 2013, Holdsclaw was indicted on six federal counts, facing 130 years of imprisonment. She was released on $100,000 dollar bond.

“All I had to do was open up my mouth and say that I was going through these things and couldn’t cope,” Holdsclaw said.

“But because of sports and being coached and told that I’m great for so long and people catering to me, I never wanted to seem weak.”

Now, with the correct medication and therapeutic help, Holdsclaw has directed her attention to young athletes and students who may have similar experiences with mental illness.

“Approximately between the ages of 18 and 25 is the time when, neurologically, if a mood disorder is going to show up for the first time, this is when it would show up,” Director of the Weber State Counseling and Psychological Services Center Dianna Abel said.

The Counseling and Psychological Services Center is dedicated to providing help to those experiencing stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health-related issues.

“If you or a friend is dealing with this, there is no shame in wanting to be better,” Holdsclaw said.

To schedule an appointment or learn more about the resources available, you can visit the center’s website at https:// www.weber.edu/CounselingCenter/ or call 801-626-6406 Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com

Jerry Bovee

WHERE DO YOUR STUDENT FEES GO? Apply to serve on the

STUDENT FEE RECOMMENDATION COMMITTEE to make recommendations for the distribution of your student fees.

To apply, pick up an application at the Shepherd Union Information Desk or online at www.weber.edu/studentaffairs APPLICATION DEADLINE: 4 pm, Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Submit completed applications to Student Involvement & Leadership, Shepherd Union 326 or email to jenniferbrustad@weber.edu Questions: Call (801) 626 – 8904

OUT OF THE

MyWeberMedia.com| September 24, 2018 | 11

DARKNESS

By ALEXA NIELSON News Reporter

This year’s honors program “Food for Thought” series began on Sept. 19 with a seminar on domestic violence awareness: “Out of the Night - When it is Dark Enough You Can See The Stars.” The hosted series is generated by students. This particular seminar gave great insights on domestic violence.

Lauralee Solimeno ran the presentation.

In 2015, she was living in an abusive relationship. She tried to ignore it, but her children reported the experiences to their school teachers. Solimeno received references and resources to leave an awful sit-

uation. With these resources, she was able to escape with her children. After she was able to find a job and a place to live, she found a coping mechanism in painting, something she had never done before.

One in three women and one in four men have experienced domestic violence within the United States, equating to more than 12 million people every year.

While in an art class, Solimeno met other women with similar experiences. They too had turned to painting to help them deal with their situation.

Tami Havey, a friend of Solimeno, had an ex-husband that psychologically abused her until she felt insane. She went to doctor after doctor, attempting to diagnose her

psychological abuse. She suffered from severe depression and engaged in physically and emotionally harmful behavior.

“Art is how I feel right with myself - no longer a victim but a survivor. No one should ever be made to feel less than what they are,” said Caitlin Stuckey, who also met Solimeno through her art class.

Nola Hitchcock Spicer grew up with a physically abusive step father. When she got married, she had children quickly. Her husband had an accident that left him with non-military PTSD. Because he couldn’t handle it, he physically abused her and had affairs throughout their marriage.

When the abuse turned to her children, she knew she needed to leave.

JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost

She got an attorney and was finally able to procure a restraining order after three years of police calls about the harassment.

Her ex-husband broke into her house, would follow her and call repeatedly during a two-hour period. She was forced to attend church with two police officers escorting her and her children.

“These are my sisters in sorrow,” Spicer said.

Weber County has the highest rate of domestic violence in Utah. Staying informed and keeping oneself educated is important for staying in safe situations and making smart decisions.

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News Reporter

Weber State University Student Association executives want to make the option of excluding the public from meetings official. Nontraditional Student Senator Shalay Beenfield sponsored Senate Bill 180910-1, which includes the option of closing doors on meetings, and American Indian Students Senator Bessie Pettigrew cosponsored, thereby bringing it to the senate for a vote.

The bill states that meetings will only be closed for a portion of the session on the first Wednesday of each month, or when a member of the branch asks to do so. WSUSA Vice President Minsum Choi confirmed this. The senate voted whether or not the bill would be added to the bylaws on Sept. 17.

The senate meeting concerning the bill, which remained open to the public, was not held on the main campus as per usual. Instead, it was taken to the Davis campus, which was decided well befor this particular bill was put up for a vote.

Per the WSUSA bylaws, the senate must hold one meeting a month at the Davis campus.

There are 19 senators that make up the legislative body. Only two-thirds are needed to make the closeout official in the bylaws; however, a unanimous vote is required among executives whenever a proposal is made to close a meeting.

During the pro/con portion of the Sept. 17 senate meeting, Senator of African-American Students Lauryn O’Reilly and Senator Kaly Thompson

of College of Health Professions expressed their support in keeping students’ physical and mental health matters private.

When put to a vote, Senate Bill 180910-1 was signed into the bylaws by a unanimous decision of 19 yays, 0 nays and 0 abstentions.

“There is no real incentive other than putting it on paper,” Choi said.

As in every senate meeting, time is allotted before the vote takes place for concerned students to raise any questions or concerns they have with the legislation. Each student who attends is given five minutes to speak to their issue.

However, College of Science Senator Kade Crittenden has asked the most questions as to why executive meetings would need privacy. After speaking with fellow senators, he supported the reasons for passing the bill, but he is hopeful for a compromise that will lead to meeting openness for students, as well as privacy when discussing issues that require it.

Crittenden believes the bill can help us all be on the same page.

“This will help, not hurt, the working relationship,” he said.

According to Choi, the doors will remain open when discussing anything other than private matters of individual team members, to include budgeting.

weber.edu/diversity

By DEBORAH WILBER

The Signpost

TuEsday, sEpT 25

6:30 –8 P.M.

WSU OGDEN · SU BALLROOMS B & C FREE PARKING

hispanics: one endless voice to

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enhance our traditions KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

DOLORES HUERTA LABOR LEADER & CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

Office of the President • Diversity and Inclusive Programs Access & Diversity • Stewart Library • Women’s Center College of Arts & Humanities • Browning Presents!

For more information or to request accommodations in relation to a disability, contact Andrea Hernández at andreahernandez2@weber.edu

WSU ALUMNUS

PASSES AWAY AT 41

Leo Tyson Dirr Facebook

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By HANNAH OLSEN News Reporter

Leo Tyson Dirr, Weber State University Alumnus and former Signpost reporter, passed away on Sept. 10.

“Leo was a brilliant writer and a good friend, and he will be deeply missed,” said Angie Welling, editor-in-chief of The Signpost for the 1999-2000 academic year.

Dirr was a Campus/Student Affairs desk reporter and then editor in the late 90’s to the early 2000’s. Student Affairs is no longer a desk at The Signpost, but it was described by Preston Truman, a former colleague of Dirr’s, as a mix of general news and politics.

Specifically, Dirr loved to focus on campus politics such as the Student Senate. Welling added to this, “As campus affairs editor, Leo covered things like student elections and the WSU administration.”

Dirr went on to be recognized nationally for his writing abilities while pursuing his Communications Journalism Degree. In 2000, Dirr won first place at the Society of Professional Journalists national conference for general news reporting, according to WSU’s journalism page.

Dirr was also prolific in his career as a journalist in the Utah area. Throughout his life, he worked as a copy editor at the Salt Lake Tribune and as a reporter for the Standard-Examiner, the Salt Lake Deseret News and The Spectrum.

“He was an incredible writer with a witty bite and a mind for pushing people’s buttons,” said Lisa Roskelley, a close friend of Dirr’s. She says his talent for writing was only matched by his ability to read into a situation and ask great questions.

Dirr had recently published a book titled “Burn Down Jonestown,” under the pseudonym Burgmeister B. Duckworthy. Roskelley described the book as a loose autobiography “outlining the importance of stories in life — stories we tell ourselves and others.”

Roskelley praised Dirr’s unmatched talent for storytelling, and his way of helping people “understand depths beyond what they knew before.”

Roskelley provided two quotations from Dirr’s book: “I uprooted the debilitating lies that held me back and replaced them with empowering stories that served

my mission and purpose: I’m here to learn and help others learn.”

“Neuroscience matters to me because my brain betrays me daily… grit and generosity shall set you free, but you’re not born with either. You get to choose how much you want to develop them.”

Although Truman hasn’t seen or spoken to Dirr in close to ten years, he distinctly remembered that Dirr had “the most contagious laugh,” and was “always wearing his baseball cap.” Truman also praised Dirr’s ability to come up with story ideas that no one else would think of, ever.

“His personality was larger than life, and it shone through in his writing.”

Angie Welling 1999 Signpost editor-in-chief

Common in memories of Dirr was his personality.

“His personality was larger than life, and it shone through in his writing,” Welling said.

Dirr’s latest undertaking, an organization called “The Generosity Engine,” wasn’t a shock to anyone that knew him. Dirr acted as “Chief of Kindness” for the organization, which has the goal of “helping people build and nurture strategic relationships by developing a habit of generosity,” according to its mission statement on LinkedIn. Welling commented on the organization, “Like all of his ideas, this one was intended to make peoples lives better simply by acknowledging the positive impact of others.”

She even noted that Dirr had hand-written an eloquent and inspiring letter to her, that she kept and often read to herself in times of need.

“Now, I will do it in his honor,” she said.

Roskelley is currently working to create a memorial and scholarship fundraiser for a WSU scholarship in his honor.

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14 | MyWeberMedia.com | September 24, 2018

By BRANDON MAY Sports Editor

Each fall, trees are not the only part of Northern Utah that change colors by turning red: So do sockeye salmon.

Every year at this time, thousands of sockeye salmon surge upstream to the tributaries they once hatched, where they swim, spawn and die.

Causey Reservoir, which is just east of Pineview and Huntsville, has a tremendous population of salmon stocked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for anglers to try their luck. As the fish begin their run upstream, it is a must-see for any adventurer in Northern Utah.

The run typically starts either in late August or early September, continuing till mid-November, and typically peaks in mid to late September.

Sockeye salmon are not only unique to other fish species, in which they die after giving birth, but also to other salmon: They hatch in freshwater streams.

Instead of swimming to the oceans, they swim to freshwater lakes, such as Causey, to feed and grow.

Sockeye generally mature after four years and undergo a rapid change before reproduction.

The fish put all their energy into producing eggs and sperm, inducing a change in shape and color from silver to bright red. Males tend to have the most transformation as they develop humps and snouts.

Causey Reservoir offers three ways to enjoy the salmon run — paddling, hiking or driving.

Since Causey is a non-motorized boat lake, people have to paddle via canoe, kayak or stand-up paddle board. For those who paddle, the one mile trip to Left Fork is the biggest payoff.

The fork cannot be reached by foot and has the largest concentration of salmon. Because there are no boats allowed on the water, the water is always a calm and serene place to paddle.

For those who love to hike, the Skull Crack Trail offers a moderate hike to the Right Fork of the upper Ogden River. The 2.5-mile trail offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, wildlife and the reservoir. The trail is heavily used during this time of year and is a perfect hike to take the family.

The Right Fork has many small waterfalls, and if hikers are lucky, they can watch the salmon jump up to the next pool.

The potential of watching a bald eagle or other wildlife waiting to feed on the brightly colored fish is also abundant.

A large number of sockeye gather at the Right Fork too. In some pools, hundreds of red fish can be found fighting upstream, using each other for help.

For people who don’t wish to hike or paddle, it’s an easy drive up to the Wheat Grass Creek and a short walk down. Not many salmon are in the area, but it’s a quick and easy way to see them.

People are reminded to not disturb the fish as they are laying eggs in the stream. The fish don’t taste good at this time; they have burned off all their fat and are ready to die.

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MyWeberMedia.com | September 24, 2018 | 9

By JENNIFER GREENLEE Assistant News Editor

In 2016, Ruffalo Noel-Levitz (RNL) was recruited to help Weber State University come up with a Strategic Enrollment Plan (SEP) to help encourage student enrollment, retention and graduation.

“In a recent campus visit, experts in financial aid offered suggestions for new scholarship models,” states the “Academic Affairs Goals from 2016/2017 and Accomplishments thus Far” report.

The goal from the report is to “offer students scholarships at the point of admission to the university. Our yield will increase from in-state, out-of-state and international students.”

According the report and the minutes from the Feb. 21 presidential meeting, Dr. Bruce Bowen facilitated the relationship with RNL and help come up with the SEP for the scholarship changes.

In conjunction with RNL, WSU developed the SEP. RNL reviewed the university’s enrollment practices and financial

SAMANTHA VAN ORMAN | The Signpost

aid and helped focus a plan for growth and improvement. The SEP was adopted in 2017 and has been approved in sections since then.

The scholarship deadline opened on Sept.

1 and the priority deadline will close on Dec. 1. All scholarships will be served on firstcome-first-served basis.

The biggest change the RNL recommended be made was the way the Weber State awards scholarships.

The upcoming academic years will have several large changes coming into effect regarding scholarships. The plan has been in development since 2016.

Beginning this semester, non-resident students who enrolled and qualified for academic awards were granted four-year (eight semester) academic scholarships, rather than the one-year scholarships that WSU traditionally offered. In Fall 2019, the same change will be made for in-state students.

There is no minimum GPA once the scholarship is received; the only contingencies are maintaining 12 credit hours per semester and remaining in good academic standing.

Current students will be required to re-apply each year just as it has been in the past.

Everyone is still eligible for the Dream Weber four-year program.

For non-resident students, the Presidential Scholarship has been discontinued, but other scholarships have been added in its place: the Mount Ogden Scholarship, the Golden Spike Scholarship and the Waterfall

Canyon Scholarship. The Presidential Scholarship will be available for residents, but it is a scholarship distinction. “(WSU) is changing the way academic scholarships are awarded with the goal of recruiting and retaining more students by providing financial assistance to a greater number of students for a longer period of time,” said Director of Media Relations Dr. John Kowalewski.

With students not having to maintain a specific GPA to keep their academic award, it allows for students to take classes for which they may have been unwilling to risk their GPA. Also at the beginning of the semester, academic award caps were diminished. In the 2017-18 school year, a student could be awarded up to 150 percent of their tuition.

This academic year, 2018-19, the awards are capped at 125 percent.

The original cap allowed for a student to take home additional academic awards from the school up to 50 percent beyond the cost of tuition and fees. The current system caps the percentage a student can take home at 25 percent.

Under the original SEP, the 2019-20 school year would implement a 100 percent cap, not allowing a student to take home any extra award money. WSU decided to wait to roll out the 100 percent cap until the 202021 academic year to first weigh the impact the current decrease has on students.

“By limiting awards to 100 percent of tuition and fees to individual students, the uni-

versity will be able to spread the $93 million in awards annually to a greater number of students, allowing more students to enroll and graduate,” Kowalewski said.

The change to limit the awards will allow for students to have more four-year academic awards.

Another facet of the SEP coming into effect is how the stacking of awards, waivers and grants will change.

“Stacking” is the colloquial term to describe the hierarchical way that WSU applies university awards and federal grants toward tuition and student fees.

Under the current award stacking system, if a student’s tuition and fees amounted to $3,000 and they had an academic award of $1,500, an activity waiver for $1,000, a departmental scholarship of $1,000 and a Pell Grant for $1,000, the awards would stack as follows: Academic Award: $1,500 Activity Waiver: $1,000 Department Award: $1,000 _______________________ Institutional Awards: $3,500 Pell Grant: $1,000 _______________________ Total Awards: $4,500

In the above scenario, the student’s tuition would be covered, the student would receive $500 refund from the school and $1,000 from the Federal Pell Grant. This is money the student can use at their discretion. As the Pell Grant is outside of university funds, the money received from the grant does not go toward any university cap placed on scholarships from the university.

Beginning in the 2020-21 academic year, if the stacking system stays as proposed, it would look as follows: Academic Award: $1,500 Pell Grant: $1,000 Department Award: $1,000 Activity Waiver: $1,000 _______________________ Total Awards: $4,500 By implementing the 100 percent cap, the student would not take home anything additional, as the Department Award and Activity Waiver are both WSU awards. The Pell Grant will be second in the hierarchy instead of last, coming before university awards.

“WSU will always honor our multiple-year academic awards and Pell Grant Awards, even if the combination of those awards exceeds the 125 percent, or down the road, the 100 percent caps,” Kowalewski said. “If activity awards and other awards that are applied after taking those first two factors into account,

then activity awards will not be given so that financial compensation can be awarded to other students.”

Before any changes planned for 2020-21 are implemented, deans of colleges and areas of campus need to understand concerns and address them, especially regarding activity waivers.

With these changes, the necessary index scores have been lowered so that more students are eligible for the scholarship. There have also been scholarships added, such as the Opportunity Scholarship awarding at $500 per year.

“Since 2012, (WSU’s) enrollment has been flat. Working in partnership with RNL, the university identified strategies for growing its enrollment along with metris to evaluate the success of those efforts. These are strategies employed successfully at institutions around the country,” Kowalewski said. “(WSU) wants to make the dream of higher education a reality for the greatest number of people.

Education enhances lives and communities, and Weber State is making changes in order to have the greatest impact on the greatest number of people.”

According to the RNL website, WSU was awarded the Peter S. Bryant Marketing and Recruitment award for implementing the SEP. Out-of-state enrollment increased by 57 percent as well as in-state enrollment gains.

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10 | MyWeberMedia.com| September 24, 2018

SARAH CATAN | The Signpost

THERE IS HUMANITY IN THE COYOTE

By CAMERON GIFFORD Correspondent

Dr. Dan Flores was a guest of Weber State University on Aug. 21 as he regaled listeners with the history of coyote in the Garden Room of the Alumni Center. The lecture was organized by Mason Lytle and Amber Bell, both WSU students.

The coyote, he said, has a history strikingly similar to that of humans. Coyotes have a remarkable intelligence, and over five million years, have developed a nearly unparalleled level of adaptability. Over several decades focused on the destruction of bears, wolves and other predators deemed a threat to American life, the coyote has not only survived but thrived.

Social science major Bryson Wilson said, for him, the lecture was an opportunity to learn about a subject too infrequently explored at an academic level.

“The work done in the historical field as far as animal research and their overall impact with humans is very limited, and Dan Flores provides a unique insight that hasn’t been available beforehand,” said

Wilson.

Flores’ latest book, “Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History,” explores the history of the coyote and why we should stop trying so hard to eradicate them.

Flores’ fascination with coyotes began as a child in Louisiana. He purchased a call in a hardware store for $3 meant to simulate the wailing of a dying rabbit.

From the perches of a deer stand in the woods a couple miles from his home, he used the call in hopes of seeing a fox.

What he saw, however, would serve as a lifetime of inspiration.

“As (this animal) is coming toward me it passes through an opening in the trees, a glade where the sun is shining. I distinctly remember seeing the sun rippling on the fur on its back, a kind of chestnut color, and I remember it had yellow eyes,” Flores said.

Flores was struck not only by the beauty, but the intelligence of the creature he was seeing. As it got within 30 feet of the Flores’ perch, its expression changed from one of inquisitiveness, to one of alarm.

The animal immediately turned around and fled in the direction it had come, looking over its shoulder until it was out of sight.

When Flores was finally able to regain his composure and return home, he wrote a letter to Louisiana Parks and Wildlife saying, “I just saw a wolf in Louisiana.”

The reply he received told him that it was certainly possible he’d seen a red wolf, as they were still in Louisiana. It was more likely, however, that what he’d seen was a coyote. In Flores’ book, he argues that what he probably saw was a wolf/coyote hybrid.

His childhood experience, and an endless fascination with the world, is what drives Flores to continue writing.

“One of the things I love about writing, is it allows you to burrow deeply into a topic that you have some interest in.

Sometimes you don’t know exactly what you think about something until you sit down write about it. The act of writing forces you to be rational, to mine your inner depths and is a mechanism for understanding the world itself and how you

relate to it,” Flores said.

As part of his continued work to educate people on the breadth of the natural world, Flores acts as an ambassador for Project Coyote. According to theeewdfgn mir website, Project Coyote is a non-profit organization based in Northern California and founded by Camilla Fox, whose mission is to promote compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science and advocacy.

Flores has worked with Fox to promote her films about the mistreatment of coyotes, and spreading the awareness of what Flores calls “brutal and senseless” coyote hunting contests. Flores hopes that after getting California and Vermont to ban these contests, New Mexico will be next. Following that, Project Coyote will set its sights on Nevada.

“This animal has been howling the original national anthem of North America for a million years,” said Flores. “Long may that song reign.”

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MyWeberMedia.com | September 24, 2018 | 15

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CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE The position performs the following functions and duties: • Individual will answer multi-line telephone • Greet walk-in customers.

• Input work requests into computerized database.

• Assist Customers with requests.

• Assist other FM employees with miscellaneous office duties.

• Run errands on campus each day.

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The position performs the following functions and duties: • Use a computer-aided dispatch system • Receive emergency calls from the public requesting police, fire, medical or other emergency services.

• Determine the nature and location of the emergency; determine priority and dispatch police, or other emergency units as necessary and in accordance with established procedures • Maintain contact with all units

on assignment, maintain status and location.

$15.00 Requisition Number: H00102P

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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.

By HANNAH OLSEN News Reporter

“I am hoping to interact with as many students as possible,” said Student Body President Jordan Slater at the Student Services Expo on Sept. 19. He was tending a booth for the Weber State University Student Association and explaining to people the processes of the student government on campus, what they do and how to get involved.

The expo hosted a myriad of booths ranging from WSUSA and Service team, Campus Recreation, Student Wellness and Study Abroad. Unfortunately, likely due to the 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. time of the expo, it saw less attendance than other events this semester displaying services, clubs and organizations to students, such as the Block Party.

Slater and WSUSA Leadership Vice President Bret Alexander were continually informing people about Student Government at WSU. Many of the students didn’t know much about the student government at WSU; in fact, some didn’t even know we had student government on campus.

“We are the ones that plan all the fun events for you,” Alexander said, who was sad to note that a majority of the students that came to the table didn’t know who Slater was, saying, “And, he is your president!”

Carla Jones represented the Center for Community Engaged Learning and spoke at length about the Americorps Program that WSU takes part in. The program is for students who are heavily involved in volunteering with nonprofits. The program gives scholarship money for hours of volunteer service to all of the enrolled students.

Jones noted that all you have to do is talk to her, do the online orientation and then follow the documentation process to be on your way to logging volunteer hours toward scholarships.

Alexander, who is also a member of the American Democratic Project at WSU, encouraged passers-by to register to vote as well. WSU is honored to be participating in the Campus Cup for 2018 that was created by the Lieutenant Governor of Utah, Spencer J. Cox. WSU is competing to get the most students registered to vote, and then the most to actually see it through to voting in the Midterm Elections.

“We are competing against all the colleges and universities in the State, except BYU,” said Jake Robbins, public relations officer.

Alexander took it upon himself to inform the NUAMES students, high schoolers who are new to the WSU campus, that they may not be old enough to vote, but they can still preregister.

He also advertised the upcoming National Voter Registration Day booth being put on by ADP and WSUSA Service Team because the students that register to vote on National Voter Registration day count as double the points for the Campus Cup. The majority of the booths at the expo emphasized the importance of Weber Connect, the new app for WSU replacing Weber Sync.

Multiple clubs and organizations, from athletics to government, are using the app to create, set reminders for and check in to easy-to-find events with QR Codes for attendance credit.

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The Student Services Expo was held in the Union Atrium.

STUDENT SERVICES EXPO-TISE

16 | MyWeberMedia.com | September 24, 2018

Kelly Watkins | The Signpost