Monday | March 18, 2019 | Volume 89 | Issue 54
WILDCATS BET ON » PAGE 11
BRET NEWS » PAGE 6
UTAH LEG.FAILS TO BAN CONVERSION THERAPY
SPORTS » PAGE 8
SEASON ENDS IN HEARTBREAK FOR WILDCAT HOOPS
2 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 18, 2019
WSU AND OGDEN EVENTS CONCERTO NIGHT
INTERMOUNTAIN SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT
Weber State University
By ALYSON JOHNSON Desk Editor
Weber State University’s Concerto Night on March 23 will recognize the winners of the annual music competition. Students will perform solos with the Weber State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Francisco de Galvez. The concert will be held in the Val A. Browning Center at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $7 for adults, $4.50 for students and $6 for seniors/military.
WSU’s Sustainability Practices and Research Center will host the annual Intermountain Sustainability Summit on Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22. Keynote speaker Paul Hawken will join entrepreneurs, business professionals and non-profits to work to improve our communities, environment and economy.
UTAH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS Weber State University will host the Annual Conference of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters on Saturday, March 23. Faculty and students from universities across Utah are invited to participate. Conference papers will be considered for publication in the refereed Journal of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
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INTERNATIONAL BANQUET Weber State’s International Student and Scholar Center will host an international banquet and silent auction to fund scholarships for international students. The event will showcase foods, traditions and fashions from around the world. The event will take place on Saturday, March 23 in the Shepherd Union Ballrooms from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general adults.
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BEYOND THE GAY BEST FRIEND Weber State’s LGBT Resource Center with LGBTQ+ Awareness programming will shed light on issues facing the Queer and Transgender student body. The event, held on Friday, March 22 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., will advocate against homophobia, different forms of oppression and other concerns of the LGBTQ+ community on campus. Weber State University
Weber State University
A SMALL STEP,
BUT A STEP NONETHELESS
By ISRAEL VELAZQUEZ Reporter
The Utah Medical Cannabis Act, a substitution for voter-approved Proposition 2, became law in Dec. 2018. The bill reduces the means of obtaining medical marijuana, but it had the support of groups like the Utah Patients Coalition because it was a step forward in the legalization of cannabis. Rochelle Creager, WSU student wellness coordinator, and WSU Chief of Police Dane LeBlanc held a panel to inform the WSU community about changes in laws surrounding medical marijuana. Creager said medical cannabis could be used therapeutically. Cannabis has the ability to help those who have illnesses like muscle pain, chronic pain and inflammatory disorders. Additional research is needed to see if it can treat further illnesses. Cannabis may have negative effects on some users. Symptoms might include short-term impaired body movement, altered sense of time and impaired memory, according to the National Institute on
Drug Abuse. An addiction to cannabis may cause mild withdrawals. One of the withdrawal symptoms might be anxiety. The passed act directs the Utah Department of Health to start the issuance of medical cannabis patient cards and the licensing of medical cannabis pharmacies. As of now, patients with a prior diagnosis of the qualifying conditions may receive a letter of recommendation from a qualified medical provider. The state must have the program up and running by March 1, 2020, according to the Utah Department of Health. Many medical providers might not be comfortable issuing letters of recommendation because medical cannabis is still new to Utah. Providers will need to go through a course to be able to issue a letter of recommendations or medical cards. By Jan. 2021, patients must have a valid medical cannabis card if they are found in possession of marijuana. LeBlanc said this leaves Utah law enforcement in a gray area for the next two years. He said within the two years, law enforcement will no longer be able
to detain someone with an out-of-state medical card if they are in possession of marijuana because they must honor other states’ laws. LeBlanc and Creager discussed the federal legality of cannabis on school grounds. Despite the state having passed legislation surround medical cannabis, universities must still comply with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act and the National Collegiate Athletic Association banned substances list. Creager and LeBlanc are working together to educate those who have been caught in possession of marijuana on school grounds. Creager has made a course to educate first violators so they will not be detained by LeBlanc. This is a one-time course. If the individual is caught with marijuana again, there are further consequences. Despite the overhaul of the voter-approved proposition, the passed bill is the first step to make cannabis — in any form — legal in the state of Utah. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
KELLY WATKINS | The Signpost
Institute of Religion at Weber State University - Ogden Campus
Presents:
Corbin Talley
WSU Men’s head Track & Cross Country coach
“Keep Moving Forward”
Wednesday Devotional March 20, 2019 12:30 - 1:15pm
In-
BELLA TORRES | The Signpost
A still from the film "Johnny Got His Gun." By ALEXA NIELSON Reporter
The third movie in Weber State University's History Film Festival, "Johnny Got His Gun," tells the story of a soldier rendered deaf, blind and almost completely paralyzed in a story depicting the horrors of war. "Johnny Got His Gun" was originally filmed in 1971 and is based on The Great War. Directed by Dalton Trumbo and based his 1939 novel of the same name, which was blacklisted after its release, the film portrays a young man, Johnny, serving the U.S. in the Great War. Johnny left his family and the girl he loved behind to serve his country, only to be grievously injured during the conflict. During a battle, a bomb goes off
near him and takes off his arms and legs. While being taken care of by nurses afterward, he had virtually no perception of the outside world. The film depicts dreams Johnny had that revolve around his life before the war. He had memories of his childhood in Colorado with his mother and father. He would dream of the girl he loved, and he wanted to get back to her. Eventually, Johnny begins to recover some perception of the world. When the head nurse orders that the shutters in his room stay open, he gains a sense of night and day. One day, a nurse spells "Merry Christmas" on his chest, which tells him the time of year. Soon Johnny gains the ability to commu-
nicate in Morse Code to the officers, and he describes his want for people to come see him. When denied this, he asks the officers to kill him since he has no quality of life. However, the officer instead orders that the shutters be drawn again, sending Johnny back to the oblivion he experienced before. The audience described the depiction as "disturbing" in the group discussion that followed the film. "For people who are eager to go to war, I think this would be good for them to see; to show this brutal reality of what happens, no matter what time period it is," one attendee said. Part of the discussion focused on spirituality. Trumbo was raised Christian, then decided to convert to Christian Science before
ultimately becoming an atheist, which some in the audience saw as why Johnny struggled so much when the nurse talked to him about faith. It was likely Trumbo wanted to communicate the struggle a young man was having with his faith, as many do, when in traumatic situations. “I’m glad I didn’t bring my wife to this," another attendee said. "It was very realistic and definitely would have upset her.” The final film in the lineup will be "Gallipoli," which depicts the doomed campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the Dardanelles in WWI. "Gallipoli" will be shown on April 4, at 6 p.m. in the Wildcat Theatre. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
MyWeberMedia.com| March 18, 2019 | 5
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6 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 18, 2019
BANNING CONVERSION THERAPY WOULD HAVE BEEN A SHOCK TO UTAH’S SYSTEM. BUT IT DIDN’T PASS. By DARYN STEED & SIERRA HAWKINS Desk Editors
On March 4, Utah was on the cusp of becoming the most conservative state to ban conversion therapy, the psuedoscientific programs designed to change a person’s sexual orientation. HB 399, the legislation written to ban the practice, had the support of Republican and Democratic representatives, as well as LGBT activists. Equality Utah, an organization that works to secure equal rights and protections for LGBT Utahns, worked with chief sponsor Craig Hall to draft the bill. For a moment, it seemed Utah might display a
rare show of bipartisanship. Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah, was optimistic about the possibility of the bill passing. “It feels like the stars have aligned,” Williams said. HB 399 would have built upon a foundation of other bills to protect LGBT members, including statewide legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and a repeal of “no promo homo,” a law restricting discussions of homosexuality in schools. When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints didn’t stand in the way of the bill, activists hoped Utah’s culture had shifted sufficiently for it to pass. Instead, on March 5, the House Judicia-
ry Committee voted in favor of a significantly-altered bill, introduced by Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, that earned the surprise endorsement of Gov. Gary Herbert. The next day, after losing support from Equality Utah, the bill was tabled indefinitely, meaning it will not advance this legislative cycle. In its original form, the bill would have banned “any practice or treatment that seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a patient or client.” Lisonbee’s rewritten bill removed “gender identity” and narrowly defined conversion therapy, banning only the most extreme forms of the practice and leaving transgender minors unprotected. The new bill provided authorization for discredited
therapists to continue harmful practices. In a surprise move, the LDS Church didn’t stand in the way of the original bill. The church released a statement, recognizing the harms of conversion therapy. “They made a very affirmative statement of love and support for LGBT youth,” Williams said. “We’re grateful to them for that effort.” While the church’s history with LGBT rights is mostly disparaging, Equality Utah put those differences aside in order for the bill to pass. “When it comes to politics, we don’t have to agree on everything,” Williams said. “When we do find common ground, it’s meaningful. We both had a common goal to protect young people from harm.
MyWeberMedia.com | March 18, 2019 | 7
That’s where we put all our energy.” Public awareness, helped by films such as, “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,“ and, “Boy Erased,” brought conversation about conversion therapy to the mainstream. 24 years ago, J.S. had just returned from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he signed himself up for conversion therapy. Because J.S. isn’t publicly out, we will be using his initials to protect his identity. “The message I was getting from my community was that this was something I had to change,” J.S. said. “The only way I would be accepted by my community — even by God — was to change my sexual orientation.” J.S. underwent cognitive behavioral therapy, which focused on having him develop a male gender identity. The belief was if he could become more masculine, he would cease to be attracted to men and would develop an attraction to women instead. His therapy included sports programs, based on the idea that gay men must have wounds around sports. If they were able to heal those wounds, it would have an effect on their gender identity, thereby changing their sexual orientation. J.S. remained active in the LDS church, despite feeling unwelcome. He was determined to make the therapy work, despite the negative effect it had on his mental health. His self-esteem deflated, and he began to feel hopeless. “My activity in the LDS church and my attempts to change my sexual orientation ended with me searching for ways to kill myself,” J.S. said. “After about a month of that, I realized I had to get help. I had to reject this whole expectation and accept myself for who I was.” J.S. knew his sexual orientation couldn’t be changed, and he stopped conversion therapy. By then, he was 36, and the prospect of shifting his worldview was overwhelming. “I was attempting to change my sexual orientation for over 15 years,” J.S. said.
“That’s a long time to try doing something that you can’t do.” After rewriting the bill, Rep. Lisonbee, a Republican, faced heavy criticism from LGBT activists. She said she was looking for a compromise that would still protect LGBT rights. However, comments uncovered on Facebook by The Associated Press suggest Lisonbee still supports the practice. In 2013, Lisonbee wrote that, “living a homosexual lifestyle may cause individuals to choose to commit suicide.” Lisonbee added that using electric shocks to change sexual orientation shouldn’t be considered torture if the subjects volunteered. Though her online comments have since been removed, Lisonbee didn’t disavow them when her stance was questioned. Instead, she pointed to legislative testimony by a man who said he successfully overcame unwanted same-sex attraction, and said such therapy should be available to others who want it. HB 399 wouldn’t have protected adults who might choose to undergo conversion therapy, like J.S. Because he was 21, this bill wouldn’t have affected him. He doesn’t want any children to endure the emotional toll the therapy took on him. “I went through my roughest times as an adult,” J.S. said. “It’s these teens who are most vulnerable who maybe feel like for their parents’ love, they need to go change this thing about themself.” Utah has one of the highest LGBT youth suicide rates in the country, a statistic fueled by familial and social rejection of queer youth. Conversion therapy has serious negative effects on mental health. According to a study conducted by Dr. Caitlin Ryan, who worked with a team of researchers for the Family Acceptance Project, minors subjected to conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide than LGBT youth not subjected to conversion therapy. Suicide attempts nearly tripled for LGBT who reported intervention efforts by both their parents and clergy members
or therapists. “The history of sexual orientation change efforts is gory, especially in Utah,” J.S. said. Brigham Young University has a complicated relationship with the LGBT community, stemming from an address from then-president Ernest Wilkinson, who stated in a speech to the student body that people with homosexual feelings wouldn’t be allowed to enroll because they would contaminate the campus. In 1965, then-apostle Spencer W. Kimball called homosexuality a, “gross, heinous, vicious” sin that could be corrected and overcome by an individual who desired to change. Kimball said BYU would never, “knowingly enroll, nor tolerate, anyone with these tendencies who fails to repent.” Then, in 1976, a study was released by Max Ford McBride at BYU, promising electric aversion therapy could cure homosexuality. Students signed up willingly. Tubes were placed around the man’s penis, and he would view nude images of men. When he was aroused, shocks would be given in three 10-second intervals. While electroshock therapy is mostly a thing of the past, other methods, including chemical compounds and nausea-inducing drugs, still persist today. In 2015, a group at BYU-Idaho tried to hold an event encouraging students to overcome same-gender attraction. Programs were distributed in a congregation, advertising a discussion with a professional counselor who had helped many overcome same-gender attractions. After the flyer was released publicly, the event was called off. Now, the LDS church publicly opposes the disavowed practice, and of the approximately 4,000 therapists in Utah, none of them advertise conversion therapy. But that doesn’t mean sexual orientation change efforts have ended. The practice has just moved underground. “They don’t call themselves conversion therapists, but they still do various forms of conversion therapy,” Williams said. “We’re talking about rogue therapists.”
J.S. didn’t go through aversion therapy or other physically severe forms. For him, the most harmful thing about conversion therapy was the constant expectation for him to change. “Everyone with a different sexuality has to learn to accept themselves and face it in their own way,” J.S. said. “For me, for a long time, that was trying to change. It ultimately had such a negative effect on my self-esteem that I almost destroyed myself.” Herbert endorsed the rewritten bill, causing Williams to resign from Herbert’s Youth Suicide Task Force. Taryn Hiatt, area director for the America Foundation for Suicide Prevention, also resigned from the task force. In a letter addressed to Herbert, Williams wrote, “My hope was that your administration was serious about addressing issues related to LGBTQ youth suicide. I’ve come to realize that you are not.” After a group of protesters gathered outside Gov. Herbert’s office, he issued a letter of apology. “I realize there is much I do not understand about the issues that LGBTQ youth face every day,” Herbert wrote. “We have had an enormous misunderstanding, and I am sorry.” Though HB 399 didn’t pass this year’s legislative session, Equality Utah will try again next year. “Being gay is not a mental illness that needs to be fixed by a therapist,” Williams said. “It’s a beautiful variation of the human experience.” Ultimately, conversion therapy is only a symptom of the problem. Conversion therapy stems from the cultural belief that certain sexual orientations need to be changed. “What drives people to conversion therapy is a sense of shame that there’s something wrong with them,” Williams said. “It’s important young people know they’re beautiful, they’re healthy, and they’re strong.” Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
8 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 18, 2019
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for a long time. They made shots early and it got their confidence going.” Before the teams had even come out both fans, bands and cheer teams were making CenturyLink Arena a college basketball atmosphere. Montana showed their experience and age as they jumped out to a commanding 42–22 lead into halftime. Redshirt senior guard Ahmaad Rorie led the way with 18 first-half points. “They are very experienced. They have been playing together for a long time,” Rahe said. “They are veterans, and they are hard to match up with. They played with five guards, and they were harder to guard.” Montana was again without their star center Jamar Akoh, and the Wildcats couldn’t stop the high-powered offense the Grizzlies had with all five guards on the court. “It was different,” Braxton said. “I don’t play away from the key very often, and we knew that it was going to be a challenge.” The Wildcats twice nearly rallied from 20-point first-half deficits against Montana in the regular season, but the Griz wanted no part of it in Boise. With three minutes to go in the half, Rahe took out Chapman and Braxton as both players walked off to a standing ovation from the Weber State faithful in their final games in Wildcat uniforms. Chapman finished with a team-high 16 points, while Braxton pitched in nine points and six rebounds. WSU shot just 32 percent from the field. “We played hard,” Braxton said. “We couldn’t get shots to fall, and (the Grizzlies) played very well. At the end of the day, they got it done, and we didn’t.” Braxton and Chapman finished their careers tied with 100 blocks for the Wildcats. Weber State fell 78–49 to drop their season record to 18–15. None of the Wildcats ended up on the All-Conference Tournament team. The Wildcats also declined a bid to a postseason invitational tournament, ending their 2018-19 campaign. attem
Desk Editors
minutes remaining. With the loss, Weber State finishes the 2018-19 season with a record of 6–25. “It was a very disappointing loss because I think it was a game we could have won. It was in our control,” Harris said, “but when it comes down to it, I’m just proud of my youngins.” Three days later, the fourth seeded Wildcat men’s team took the floor against the fifth seeded Portland State Vikings looking to shake off a rough stretch that saw them lost eight of 11 contests to close the regular season. WSU was able to survive and advance, defeating PSU by a final score of 81–71. Junior guard Jerrick Harding led the way with 23 points. Senior forward Brekkott Chapman and sophomore forward Michal Kozak combined for 18 boards against the nation’s top offensive rebounding team. “When you play a team like that, they play such a different style than anyone in our league,” head coach Randy Rahe said. “The full court pressure and they just basically make you abandon your system. We gotta be strong with the ball and I thought our guys did that today.” It was a physical contest, with the teams combining for 51 fouls and 57 free throw attempts. “You have to take it one possession at a time,” junior guard Cody John said. “You gotta keep grinding it out, it’s going to be a grind, everyone is fighting to stay alive.” A back and forth first half saw the game tied at 34, then WSU took control after the break. The Wildcats went on a 22–4 run in the first nine minutes of the second half to take a game-high 18 point lead. John keyed the spurt with nine points and finished with 17 overall. Another highlight was a dish from Chapman to senior center Zach Braxton, who threw down a two-hand-slam and drew a foul to for a three-point-play. “It always takes an adjustment period to start the game,” Rahe said. “We got to get used to the speed and the aggressiveness, and I thought our guys adjusted to it really good, especially in the second half.” Despite Portland State’s aggressive style, WSU continued to press on the gas, taking down the Vikings for the seventh time against no defeats in the Big Sky Tournament by a final 81–71. After being swept in the regular-season series against Montana, the Wildcats looked to pull off a postseason upset but were overmatched from the opening tip. The Grizzlies showed why they were the number-one team in conference with a decisive 78–49 win in the semifinals to send Weber State packing back to Ogden. “We don’t like it one bit,” Rahe said. “You have to tip your hat off to them. They were as good as I’ve seen them
Drake
By BRANDON MAY & JOE TRAUB
The month of March brings out madness like none other in college basketball, and this was the case for the Weber State University teams that participated in the Big Sky Tournament in Boise last week. When the dust settled, the women lost in the quarterfinals and the men were defeated by the Montana Grizzlies in the semifinals after a firstround win over Portland State. The tournament was held at CenturyLink arena after taking place in Reno, Nevada, the last three seasons. On March 11, the women’s team experienced a problem that plagued them throughout the regular season. The Wildcats were competitive in a majority of their games, but one poor quarter doomed them on the way to a last-place finish. WSU led Eastern Washington after three quarters, but the hot-shooting Eagles came out in the fourth quarter and blew the doors off. EWU made five three-pointers in the final ten minutes while scoring 33 points to defeat the ‘Cats 81–74 and end Weber’s season. “I’m proud of my team,” Wildcats first-year head coach Velaida Harris said. “It was a long season, but I think the most important thing is we were in every game. We could have easily just given up, but the leadership of our seniors was critical for them to keep pushing.” It was the last game for seniors Emily Drake and Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman in Wildcat jerseys. The guards did their part to keep WSU in, Welch-Coleman finishing with 27 points and Drake with 16. “It was a good experience these last four years with Jai,” Drake said. “Through the biggest ups and downs, we have stuck together, and that is something special. It was emotional to come off the floor, but sooner or later, it needs to be done.” The ‘Cats went on a 10–1 run in the early stage of the third quarter, keyed by two three-pointers by freshman guard Kori Pentzer. The Melba, Idaho, native helped give her team a seven-point lead. WSU kept the momentum for the rest of the quarter and led 54–48 with 10
arnes rael B ard Is Forw JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost
MADNESS IN BOISE
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WILDCATS EXPERIENCE
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JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost
10 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 18, 2019
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Outgoing president Jordan Slater congratulates incoming Bret Alexander.
KELLY WATKINS | The Signpost
AND THE WINNERS ARE... By NIC MURANAKA
Desk Editor
After a few close races, Weber State University students running for executive and legislative office can breathe: election results are in. WSU Student Association elections concluded March 14 with winners announced at the Weber’s Got Talent show on March 15. The race for WSUSA president was particularly close, with the winner taking the result by a mere 11 votes. Here are your new WSUSA representatives. Executive Positions Bret Alexander took WSUSA president over Scott Lund by 11 votes. Alexander’s campaign focused on his experience within WSUSA, where he served for four years. Alexander ran a platform centered on the idea of campus unity, bringing more information to the diverse student population at Weber State. Senator Jovany Bahena-Rosario finished in third place with 276 votes and Julio Otay came in fourth with 266 votes. Kade Crittenden took Legislative VP with over 1800 votes in an unopposed race. Crittenden’s campaign also focused on his experience at the university, with his work on the SFRC and in the Senate. His goal is to increase information access at the university to keep students invested and involved. Michelle Thao is the new Activities VP, winning with 1227 votes to Wyatt Walk’s
626. Thao wants to shift events focus to large, quality events over smaller programming. Isabela Alvarado won the Diversity and Unity VP race with 799 votes over opponents Miriam Samiu, with 556 votes, and Enallia Brooks, with 355 votes. Alvarado wants to provide educational opportunities for students with diverse backgrounds to learn about their culture through events. The Service VP race went to Hyrum Packard, who currently works as the WSUSA Special Olympics chair, in a close, four-person contest. Packard described his goals for the Service Team as increasing student involvement through collaboration with other clubs and organizations on campus. Katie Giddens, last year’s Clubs and Organizations VP, has been re-elected for the coming year. Giddens ran on a platform with four major goals: networking for clubs and increasing their accessibility. Hannah Olsen took Leadership VP over Raven Uribe, 1,096 votes to 723. Olsen has worked on the Service Team for the past year, but described her desire to transition into a more focused, higher-level role. Olsen’s platform focused on collaboration within the WSUSA branches and protecting students’ rights. Legislative Positions
Trinity Wentling won College of Engineering, Applied Sciences & Technology Senator over opponent John Bradford.
Wentling finished with 84 votes compared to Bradford’s 69. Jamie Lobato took College of Arts and Humanities Senator over opponent Zoie Greenwood. Both candidates ran as writeins, with Lobato collecting 70 votes. Lobato ran on a platform of uniting the College of Arts and Humanities because the college is spread throughout three buildings across campus. Jessica Westover is the new College of Business and Economics Senator. Westover wants students to move beyond the “Just Weber” attitude and seeks to increase student involvement in student events through the business college. College of Education Senator went to Maddie Lund, who wants to increase communication within the Moyes College of Education and to provide a platform for education students to speak through in the senate. Sierra Hart won College of Science Senator and ran on a platform of decreasing the communicative distance between the administration and the students. And that’s pretty much it. Thaddeus Bean is the new College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Senator. Bean’s platform focused on transparency in the college and increasing student involvement. Cydnee Green took Graduate Student Senator over opponent Sarah Giddens. Green’s platform centralized on increasing undergraduate recruitment for graduate programs and the creation of virtual
town halls, allowing graduate students a place to voice their concerns outside of the usual meetings, which can be difficult for graduate students to attend. Hispanic Senator went to Salvador Ceja-Monroy, who beat out William Angel for the position. Ceja-Monroy’s platform centralized on his goal to put Hispanic students in touch with the people and departments who can best benefit them for scholarships, tutoring and other resources. Ingrid E. Oseguera is the new Honors/ BIS Senator after picking up 103 votes. Andres Felipe Rodriguez Peralta is the new International Students Senator. Rodriguez’ campaign focused on his commitment to being an advocate for international students and his goal of creating a space where all international students are represented. Monique Ho Ching took Pacific Islander Student Senator. Ching said she sought the position in order to represent the Pacific Islander constituency, which she feels needs consistent representation in student government. Andrew Frost, former Residence Hall Student Senator, took Traditional Student Senator. Frost’s goal is to help students succeed both in the classroom and beyond while transitioning to the workforce. Grayden J. Hollister took Veteran Student Senator. Hollister sees veteran students as having knowledge and experiences he wants to bring to organizations across campus. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
KELLY WATKINS | The Signpost
’CATS SHOWCASE THEIR SKILLS
IN ANNUAL TALENT SHOW By KIERSTYNN KING Reporter
Ultra Violet performed an acapella rendition of Africa.
March 15-17 (Three Day event) Terri Hughes was the final act for the show.
Featuring bands Tail Light Rebellion and Murphy the Giant. Music starts at 9PM. Friday is only a $5 cover. Keep your wristband for $5 entry both Saturday and Sunday.
WEEKLY EVENTS SUNDAY
Jaden Nandneshwar performed an Alicia Keys song.
Texas Hold’em
MONDAY Comedy Open Mic
TUESDAY Poker Night
WEDNESDAY Bingo & Trivia Night
Thursday
Devin Bringard performed a soulful orginal song.
Karaoke Night
Karaoke Night
March 15
Carrie Myers at 7PM
Tyler and Jordan performed a partner swing dance.
With eight acts, three judges and $1,000 in cash prizes, Weber State University hosted its annual Weber’s Got Talent show on March 15. Francisco Ramos, a comedian who starred in both the animated film “Rio” and the television series “Shameless,” brought a light-hearted atmosphere to the evening as the show’s host. The panel of three judges included Weber State’s Vice President of Student Affairs Brett Perozzi, Weber State alumna Jessica Haslip and student Luke Schweinsberg. “I’ve never judged a competition that has multiple acts,” Haslip said. “I’m excited to find the hidden talent in someone, there are a lot of talented people out there.” Schweinsberg was selected to judge after a recommendation from a friend in WSUSA. “I’m excited, but nervous, I’m worried about giving effective feedback. It takes a lot to come up and perform, let alone be judged based on your act,” Schweinsberg said. After each contestant’s performance, the judges collectively decided on the top-three talents. The first-place winner was awarded $500, second place received $300 and third place received $200. Caden Holmes, a digital architecture student, won first place by the end of the night. Holmes wrote and performed an original song called, “I don’t,” which took him over a month to write. “I picked up a guitar around the age of six and taught myself through Youtube and books,” Holmes said. Holmes began singing at the age of eight and later started performing at school assemblies, half-time shows and eventually moved on to restaurants and weddings. “Honestly, I didn’t even know there was going to be a cash prize until earlier this week,” Holmes said. “I just wanted to go out and perform my song. I didn’t even expect to win. I’m shocked and humbled that I did.” Holmes says in the future he would love to pursue a career as a musician. “My dream is to produce an album and just put it out on Spotify,” Holmes said. “I plan to take this money and put it towards time in the studio, so I can record and make
more music.” Jaden Nandkeshwar, a Weber State nursing student, sang “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys and won second place. “I was hoping I would place, but I didn’t expect it. I’m ecstatic to have won,” Nandkeshwar said. “I’ve been singing since I was six years old, and I’ve always loved Alicia Keys,” Nandkeshwar said. “I always sing her songs in the car or the shower, and I decided it would be a fun song to perform.” For Nandkeshwar, singing has always been a hobby, although she said she would be interested in making it a potential career. “I do think this has possibly opened doors for me. You never know who could be in the audience one day,” Nandkeshwar said. Awarded third place was a capella group Ultra Violet. One of the members, Cam Peterson, said he and his roommates decided to create an a capella group because of their mutual love of singing. The group performed “Africa” by Toto. Peterson said it took the group about three to four months to nail the song. “We’re very honored that we made third place,” Peterson said. “There’s so much talent here tonight, so we are very humbled to even win. We’re going to keep performing. It’s something we all love to do.” Peterson said with the money they won, the group plans to invest in T-shirts and more music. Weber State students Tyler Dopp and Jordan Mondfrans participated in the talent show together, performing a country line dance. The two friends first met at a local dance spot in Ogden and continue to go country dancing every week. Mondfrans and Dopp thought it would be fun to step out of their comfort zone to participate in the talent show and become dance partners. The two ended up spending 15 hours per week rehearsing their performance. “I got into dancing because I had just gotten out of a relationship, and I needed new people to talk to. I’ve been into it ever since,” Dopp said. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
MyWeberMedia.com | March 18, 2019 | 13
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OGDEN CROWNS 14 | MyWeberMedia.com | March 18, 2019
OGDENITE OF THE YEAR
By COLTON HEWARD
Reporter
Ogden City celebrated the 7th annual Indie Ogden Awards on March 8, with 35 different awards spotlighting individual residents and local businesses. Mikaela Shafer, founder of the Indie Ogden Awards, said the awards are given each year to, “showcase the locals that make Ogden special.” Some of these awards include best restaurant, musician of the year, best community leader and event of the year. The most prestigious award of the night is the Ogdenite of the Year, which is given to a member of the Ogden community who goes above and beyond to serve the community. Although there were several qualified nominees to receive the award, the people of Ogden voted, and Anna Davidson of Jesse Jean’s Café was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Ogdenite of the Year award. Davidson and her husband, Ron, own Jesse Jean’s Café on Historic 25th Street in Downtown Ogden. Davidson said she was “overwhelmed and humbled” by receiving the award. Anna and Ron Davidson live by a simple motto, “pay it forward.” Since their move to 25th Street, they have welcomed the homeless with open arms by providing them with meals, jackets and a place to feel at home. Shortly after opening their doors in Ogden, Anna Davidson said a customer walked in and noticed a homeless man in the café. The customer made a comment to one of the employees that they shouldn’t allow homeless people in their doors, and that it would hurt their business. Homelessness has always plucked a heart string for Anna Davidson, as her husband was once homeless.
“Who are we to judge someone just because they are homeless?” Anna Davidson said. This was a turning point for Jesse Jean’s Café. From that point forward, Anna and Ron Davidson made it their mission to do everything they can to help the homeless that call Ogden home. Besides providing a hot cup of coffee and meals each morning for those in need, Jessie Jean’s Café provides a coat rack full of coats to provide warmth for those who can’t afford a coat themselves during the cold winter months. The employees know many of the homeless by name and consider them close friends. They have also helped many of them find permanent employment and a roof over their heads. During the government shutdown, Anna Davidson and her staff provided meals to government workers who were struggling. Their willingness to help those in need did not go unnoticed. Anna Davidson and Jesse Jeans Café have been spotlighted for their willingness to help those in need by not only local media outlets, including Fox 13 and KSL, but national outlets as well. During the government shutdown, both MSNBC and CBS caught wind of the good the Davidsons were doing for the community and covered stories about the Café. Anna and Ron Davidson and the entire staff at Jesse Jeans Café exemplify what it means to be an outstanding citizen of the community. “We are just doing what we should be doing and being kind to everyone,” Anna Davidson said. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
Anna and Ron Davidson are the owners of Jesse Jean’s Café. (Colton Heward/The Signpost)
Jessie Jean’s Café is located on Historic 25th Street. (Colton Heward/The Signpost)
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MyWeberMedia.com | March 18, 2019 | 15
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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.
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