Thursday | February 7, 2019 | Volume 89 | Issue 46
GOOD VIBEZ AND GIFTS
IN LOCAL SHOP » PAGE 8
SPORTS » PAGE 4
SCIENCE & TECH » PAGE 3
‘CATS CAUSE BUZZ IN WIN AGAINST HORNETS
LINGOFEST BRINGS SPEAKER ON BIAS IN GOOGLE ALGORITHMS
2 | MyWeberMedia.com | February 7, 2019
FEB. 7 The Weber State University women’s basketball team will take on the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds at noon in the Dee Events Center. As the first field trip day of the year, students from various elementary schools in the Ogden area will be bussed in for the game. Tickets are free for students.
FEB. 8 There will be an opening reception in the Kimball Visual Arts Center Shaw Gallery for Yasuaki Onishi’s “Reverse of Volume.” The reception will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. and is free to the public
FEB. 10 The Weber State men’s tennis team is taking on Gonzaga University at the Ogden Tennis Club. The match will begin at 10 a.m. and is free to students.
FEB. 11 Weber State history professor Matthew Romaniello will give a lecture entitled “Yeltsin, Putin, and Russia’s Continuing Empire” for the Weber Historical Society. The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. for free in the Hurst Center Dumke Legacy Hall.
By NIC MURANAKA Desk Editor
1. Super Bowl LIII saw the New England Patriots fighting for their sixth win since 2002 against the Los Angeles Rams. After a long defensive slog, the Patriots managed to close out a 13–3 win. Afterward, who took home the Super Bowl MVP trophy? a. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady b. Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman c. Patriots punter Ryan Allen 2. Which rapper, who built his fame through association with Southern rap traditions from Atlanta, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Feb. 3? a. 21 Savage b. Gucci Mane c. Quavo
3. 24-year-old William Brown, from Fort Worth, died late January in a somewhat nontraditional way. The medical examiners just released his cause of death, contradicting what doctors initially said was a stroke while driving. What did Brown actually die of? a. A heart attack suffered after smoking while driving b. An anaphylactic reaction after eating peanuts, causing him to crash c. A vape pen exploding in his face and severing his carotid artery 4. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has recently spearheaded a bid to avert the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan following efforts from President Donald Trump to remove troops from the region. Which senator accused colleagues of being warmongers in supporting the amendment?
a. Kentucky Republican Rand Paul b. Idaho Republican Jim Risch c. Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer 5. President Donald Trump delievered the 2019 State of the Union Address on Feb. 5 after having it delayed by the government shutdown. Early on in the speech, Trump promised an “economic miracle” in the U.S., opposed only by what? a. Foolish wars b. Politics c. Ridiculous partisan investigations d. All of the above e. None of the above
ANSWERS ON PAGE 14 Other Side of the Hill
by BC Sterrett
MyWeberMedia.com| February 7, 2019 | 3
LINGOFEST’S ALGORITHMS
OF OPPRESSION
By ALLY NELSON Reporter
shots and gang affiliations. When Ali searched “three white teenagers,” the images primarily showed teens studying. With one word change, the results were vastly different. Ali tweeted the video, and it went viral. When Google heard about this, they responded by saying that they do not have
control over the algorithms. However, Google admitted they have control over what users can find in their images. Shortly after, Google inserted one photo into the search of “three white teenagers,” of a white teenage criminal who was sentenced to fifty years in prison after he committed a hate crime against an Afri-
can-American man. Noble conducted research on Google algorithms by typing in “black girls.” She searched this assuming her daughter would one day search the same thing. When Noble left it at the two words, she said the first page contained almost exclusively pornography. Because of those results, Noble had concerns for her daughter. She did not want her daughter see those images and to think that all African-American women were perceived as sexual objects. Robert Fudge, professor of Philosophy at WSU, urged students and teachers to be aware of Google’s algorithms, as they might lead people astray from the truth. “The information we find on Google’s first page is determined by these algorithms, and it isn’t necessarily the best information that’s available,” Fudge said. After hearing of more backlash from the content of their search suggestions, Google addressed the issues. “An important part of our values as a company is that we don’t edit the search results,” a worker for Google said. “What our algorithms produce are the search results. People want to know we have unbiased search results.” Ami Comeford, professor of English at Dixie State University, said that she never thought about the idea of Google being a biased search engine. However, Noble changed her thoughts on it. “We do have a way to become more active in this. It can be changed,” Comeford said. “The more of us that become aware, the more we use our collective power to force these changes.”
In 2009, Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble, professor at the University of Southern California, questioned Google’s search algorithms about specific phrases. When she searched phrases like black, Latina or Asian girls on the images tab, the photos predominantly consisted of pornographic images. Noble, a researcher on gender and race bias in media, discussed search engine algorithms for LingoFest 2019 on Feb. 1 at the Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart Stadium. LingoFest is an annual twoday conference that invites technologists, students and academics to speak on a variety of topics. In her book, “Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism,” Noble stated her goal was “to get people thinking and talking about the prominent role technology plays in shaping our lives and our future.” The United Nations launched a campaign in 2013 to discover what genuine Google searches were. Comparing various parts of the world, they used Google’s autocomplete to see suggestions of beginning statements. When experimenters typed “women should” into Google, they found that “stay at home” and “be in the kitchen” were among the top finishing statements. As for “women cannot,” the top suggestions were drive, have rights and be trusted. Kabir Ali, a student from Baltimore, recorded himself Googling “three black teenagers” and “three white teenagJOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost ers.” “Three black teenagers” Guest speaker Safiya Noble, associate professor at UCLA, speaks about the subgave Ali image results of mugject matter tackled in her book.
Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
4 | MyWeberMedia.com| February 7, 2019
'CATS OUTLAST HORNETS By CHRISTIAN JOHNSON Reporter
As the 13–8 Weber State University Wildcats looked to knock off the 9–9 Sacramento State Hornets, they played an energetic game that secured the win 75–65. Both teams entered the night with two elite guards as the Hornets’ Marcus Graves came in averaging 16.2 points a game and Weber’s Jerrick Harding averaged 21.8 points a game. Both Harding and senior Brekkott Chapman came out firing after the first tip. Harding had two flashy layups and Chapman chipped in with a 3-pointer and a layup of his own as Weber took a 9–6 lead. Midway through the first half, Harding went down with what appeared to be a leg injury, but he was able to walk off the court on his own, giving the crowd a sense of relief. With Harding on the bench, the Hornets found themselves back in the ball game, tying the score at 22, forcing head coach Randy Rahe and the Wildcats to call a timeout and regroup. Chapman took on the primary scoring duties for Weber State as he now had 10 points on the half, giving WSU the lead after the break. Harding checked back into the game at the seven-minute mark and appeared to be fine as he showed no signs of being bothered by the injury. Harding’s presence brought life into the Wildcats as not even a minute later, center Zach Braxton threw down a posterizing dunk that ignited the crowd and a “Who’s your daddy?” chant from the student section. A layup from Weber’s Michal Kozak gave
the ‘Cats a 36–25 lead with four minutes to go until halftime, and WSU's defense held Graves to just five points. With just over two minutes gone in the second half, Weber State enjoyed a 13 point lead. “We want to be aggressive; we want to test what they’re going to give us,” Rahe said about Weber’s offense. The Dee Events Center erupted with cheers as Harding hit a corner three to extend Weber’s lead to 18 with 15 minutes left in the game. These were his first points since going down with the injury earlier in the game. Facing a 17-point deficit, frustrations boiled over for Sacramento’s head coach as he was issued a technical with a little over 11 minutes to go. Sacramento State cut the Wildcats lead to to seven in less than a minute, showing Weber State it wasn't going to be an easy win. “Basketball’s a game of runs," Harding said. "The other team's going to make a run. We just have to figure out a way to get through it.” With a minute left and the shot clock winding down, Harding hit a contested fadeaway 3-pointer, driving the dagger into the hearts of the Hornets, sealing the 75–65 conference win. Weber improves to 14-8 as they look to regain possession of first place in the Big Sky Conference. They hit the road before hosting the Montana Grizzles Valentines night, in a matchup that could decide who is taking home the regular season Big Sky Championship. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com Zach Braxton defends the ball against Sacramento State Defense.
KELLY WATKINS| The Signpost
MyWeberMedia.com| February 7, 2019 | 5
LEGO ROBOTS INVADE WSU By KAINOA NUNEZ Reporter
Elementary and middle school students gathered in the Shepherd Union Ballroom on Feb. 2 to participate in the Utah FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Competition. In this event, children ages six to 18 researched a topic such as food safety, recycling or energy, and used LEGO to construct a real-world robotic solution. This year’s theme of the event was “Into Orbit," inspired by NASA’s preparations for future space missions. The event sold out to a total of 800 people including families, friends, students, volunteers and faculty members. With 72 teams from across the north-
ern region of Utah in attendance, students competed in a robot-design and individual project challenge in order to win tickets to LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, California. Trophies made out of LEGO and certificates were also awarded for the all of the participants' hard work. “This year, we have double the teams that are registered than our previous year," computer science Assistant Professor Kyle Feuz said. "It's great and exciting for the growth for the program.” The event was comprised of four tables where the teams were judged on their performances. During the project challenge, students researched a physical or social problem commonly faced by people during long-term space exploration. After completing this task, they
constructed and coded their robots. Each competition was a timed race to complete the mission without students touching or moving the robot by hand. “Our goal was to not only have this team do their best, but to also have fun and to learn,” First LEGO League Coach and parent Brent Peterson said. Peterson's team, The Space Sloths, focused on how to grow food in space during a long journey. In order to achieve this, they served cutter dried spinach on a small plastic container to show how much food astronauts eat when conserving their energy. Teams kept the competition lighthearted by coming up with creative names to set them apart from others. Some notable names included the LE-
GOBOI Masters, The Gentlemen and Huper Builders. "It is so fun to be around all these kids and their energy," Director of the Center for Technology Outreach Dana Dellinger said. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) offers a progression of four K-12 after school programs meant to spark student interest in science and technology and encourage them to consider education and careers in STEM fields. For more information on upcoming FIRST LEGO events or how to donate and volunteer, visit utfll.utah.edu and usfirst. org. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
unsplash.com
Norton Jewelry 801-791-0524
6 | MyWeberMedia.com| February 7, 2019
WSU SET FOR
FIRST PITCH
THIS WEEKEND
JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost
By RAYMOND LUCAS Reporter
After months of training, the Weber State University softball team will be back in action during this weekend as they travel to Tempe, AZ to play in the Kajikawa Classic. Since the 2015 season, the Weber State Wildcats have been dominant as they hold a record of 140-86-1. During their dominant stretch, WSU has earned three straight Big Sky championships and looks to add to that streak during the 2019 season. The 2018 season ended with a 28– 26 record and a trip to the National Invitational Softball Championships where they played Utah Valley University, UNLV and the University of Nevada-Reno. The ‘Cats will begin their season against the Oregon State Beavers on Friday afternoon. Later that day, WSU will face against the Seattle University Redhawks. After having a doubleheader on the first day of their season, the Wildcats have two games in one day once again. On Feb. 9, they play against Bradley University and the hosting Arizona State Sun Devils.
As the season goes on, WSU will continue to travel deeper into the west coast for tournaments. After the trip to Tempe, the Wildcats will travel to Nevada and play in Las Vegas. Then the team will head off to San Diego and Santa Clara. The ‘Cats’ final tournament will have them returning to Arizona as they play in Phoenix. This year’s Wildcat team consists of six freshmen, seven sophomores, six more juniors and three seniors. Two of the key Wildcat returners are junior outfielder Takesha Saltern and senior pitcher Tatiana Su’esu’e. The other returning seniors are pitcher Addie Jensen and infielder Sadie Blacker. Despite how young this Wildcat team is, Saltern feels that the young players are ready for the moment. “As teammates, we can guide each other, and even the young players can help and guide us, which lets us learn every day as a team,” Saltern said. When a team is built up of young players, there tends to be lots of growing pains and adjustments. It
seems as if the WSU underclassmen are ready to make an impact early. “Our team is young, but it does not feel like I am on a young team,” Su’ese’e said. “We are young agewise but I feel like everyone is on the same wavelength when it comes to mindset.” The ‘Cats have been dominant for the past few years, which is a tough thing to do in college sports due to the rosters constantly changing. The ‘Cats have a bond, and whether they are dancing to music or having fun before practice, it is noticeable. Another major reason for their success is the mindset. No matter how youthful and experienced the roster is, the mindset is to win. The Wildcats have 13 underclassmen but those players are ready to win and continue the WSU run of dominance. The ‘Cats will not have a game in Ogden until March 20. That matchup is an in-state battle against the Utah State Aggies. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
Graphic by Alicia Hall and Madison Osborn
MyWeberMedia.com | February 7, 2019 | 7
By HANNAH OLSEN Reporter
Working together, the student body of Weber State University did over 100,00 pushups to bring awareness to human trafficking in countries around the world. “The team was successful in networking in such a way that led to a total of 123,519 push-ups and $5,050 raised,” said Mike Moon, assistant director for the Center for Community Engaged Learning. “The Wildcats really came together and exceeded every expectation anyone had.” Weber State University joined in the Operation Underground Railroad PushUp Challenge after Jacob Hutchins, the director of alternative spring breaks, learned about it. Participants in the challenge located donors who would donate per pushup, all fighting against human trafficking. Hutchins wanted to help fund Alternative Breaks and draw attention to the OUR challenge. The challenge spread rapidly on social media and around campus, es-
pecially among the clubs and organizations. The goal? Meet 100,000 pushups. “I am grateful for the way our school reacted and all the support we have around here for good causes,” Rachel Hales, participant and alternative breaks trip leader, said. “Almost everyone we talked to was willing to pitch in and add push-ups.” Weber Recreation was among the organizations on campus that got creative with the challenge. Students received free sunglasses if they came and participated in pushup sessions with Weber Recreation on the last day. Weber Housing set a goal of 5,000 pushups collectively, offering a pizza party for the building that contributed the most. In an email sent from University Village Area Coordinator Shane Rivera, he said that the village well exceeded their goals. According to Rivera, the five buildings combined for 7,657 pushups between 66 students. In the end, Rivera gave the pizza party to all students who contributed to the push-
up goal naming two residents specifally. Building one resident advisor Kohl Battleson completed 1,000 pushups and Marquis Murphy who did just under 1,000. The ROTC and Athletics department also played a fundamental role in WSU’s success. Athletics came in with over 50,000 push-ups and ROTC with over 42,000. “We would not have been able to accomplish our goal without these incredible organizations on campus,” Hutchins said. In Fall 2018, the Alternative Break Trip Leaders were challenged by the fundraising and collecting donations from local businesses. “Despite the challenge, our team was able to raise over $5,000 for the initiative,” said Hutchins. Many local businesses donated generously to help WSU reach their goal. Rachel Badali produced the video. Some of these businesses have started their own push-up challenges, inspired by WSU. Beauty Industry Group will be doing
a push-up challenge of their own on Feb. 22 with all of their employees. “For future initiatives of this sort, we plan to increase our connections with businesses to be able to increase our overall donations,” Hutchins said. OUR was grateful to WSU for their participation. They messaged a few participants saying how amazed and grateful they were for the participation. Tim Ballard, founder and CEO of OUR, personally thanked Weber State for the efforts that were put into the challenge. OUR sees their mission as starting with awareness. With WSU’s participation in spreading these challenge, they also saw that their organization and the issue of human trafficking was also getting more attention. “Ultimately the best part is the fact that so many people are more aware of problems with child trafficking now,” Hales said. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
MyWeberMedia.com| February 7, 2019 | 9
8 | MyWeberMedia.com| February 7, 2019
By KELLY WATKINS
Photojournalist
The plan is simple. You have a shopping list. Get in, get what you need and leave. It’s a mundane process. A small shop in Ogden called Vibez is working to create a different kind of place to shop that is safe and welcoming for locals. There are many different products in the shop, such as an array of high quality crystals, jewelry, sage smudging sticks and tarot cards. Nikki Edwards, a Vibez customer, wasn’t expecting to be drawn into the store when she went in to find presents for her family members. “I went in for presents and instead discovered so many objects and passions I never knew that I had,” Edwards, said. “My favorite is my tiger’s eye stone, which I believe gives me energy.” Aside from their collection of items, Vibez offers a variety of classes on how to achieve goals. Some other classes they offer are on topics like intuitive healing, understanding energies, yoga and self-help classes. “We are a heart-centered healing center as much as we are a
retail store,” Vibez employee Kyle Lawrence said. “The healing behind it and the energy work that is done here and the classes, the retail portion of that just supports and keep the doors open for us to do that.” Vibez prides itself on having a staff who strives to make the shop as welcoming as possible. And while classes and tools are offered to customers and community members, the staff answers questions and wants to have conversations with their customers. “I was experiencing a lot of depression and anxiety in my life when I came across Vibez,” customer Holly Connelly said. “Not only did they help me find what I needed to combat that, they listened to my story and to my concerns to help me find what I needed to overcome those blocks in my life.” Vibez is a place that employees describe as welcoming to all, like a family or a tribe. “It’s a great environment,” Lawrence said. “It’s a great tribe. We refer to people who come as the Vibez Tribe. All are welcome to come and to feel the magic love that is here.” Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
ALL PHOTOS BY: KELLY WATKINS| The Signpost
10 | MyWeberMedia.com| February 7, 2019
POLYPHONIC SHRINES CONQUERS
SEVEN SHOWS IN SEVEN DAYS By COLTON HEWARD
Reporter
closed out the show. Rogers said incorporating poetry into the show was important to the band. The poets “made the tour more than just music and added another element of art,” Rogers said. Laura Stott, a Weber State Professor, attended four of the seven shows and read poetry on the opening night of the tour. “There is so much overlap in the arts, and this tour helped create a new interpretation of art,” Stott said. Along with Professor Stott, Weber State faculty members Abraham Smith, William Pollett and Sunni Wilkinson read poetry on different nights of the tour. WSU alumni Megan Alyse and Alex Alfaro also made guest appearances to read poetry during the tour. Mother Lights consists of four Ogden res-
idents. Both the drummer, Joe Lucius, and the pianist, Brent Sorensen, are students at WSU. “We have a feeling of cohesiveness and everything has just snapped into place,” Rogers said. Mother Lights is wrapping up the recording of their new album titled “Night Magic,” which will be released in the coming months. Mother Lights’ music can be found on all music platforms, including Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes and Apple Music. The band can be found on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with their latest singles and upcoming concert dates. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
Marissa Wolford
| The Signpost
What started out as an off-the-wall idea for the local band Mother Lights came to fruition last week after completing a week long tour at different venues around Ogden. Mother Lights teamed up with local bands Black Labrador and Maggie of Salduro, as well as several local poets to bring the Polyphonic Shrines Tour to Ogden. Some of the poets who participated in the tour included faculty and alumni from Weber State University. “One of our main goals for this tour was to help others set aside their differences and be able to come together and enjoy some local art,” said Jake Rogers, the lead
singer of Mother Lights. “To me, that is one of the highest achievements of art.” Rogers said in the beginning he wasn’t quite sure how the tour would come together. The band planned on playing seven nights in a row, at seven different venues throughout Ogden. Rogers said the band was blown away by the support and generosity of the local businesses who opened their doors to something new and different, which gave them an opportunity to bring their ideas to reality. The venues included a yoga studio, a barbershop, a coffee shop and a local book store. Each show was an hour long and opened with one of the local bands. Following their performance, a local poet read poetry for 10 to 15 minutes. Mother Lights then
RECOGNIZING TOP GRADUATING SENIORS WHO SHOW EXCELLENCE IN: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE COMMUNITY SERVICE INCLUSION & DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP RESILIENCE & TEAMWORK APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN TO APPLY PLEASE VISIT: WEBER.EDU/MULTICULTURAL/CEREMONYOFEXCELLENCE.HTML DEADLINE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Kade Byrd lead guitarist, Logan Sullivan starts druming along, Jake Martinez on bass and crowd enjoying Black Labrador’s music.
Center for Multicultural Excellence Access and Diversity
MyWeberMedia.com | February 7, 2019 | 11
INTRODUCING
YOUR NEW
GRADUATE STUDENT
SENATOR By HANNAH OLSEN Reporter
On Feb. 4, Cydnee Green was confirmed by the Weber State University Student Association as the Graduate Student Senator for the remainder of the 2018-2019 academic year. “A few weeks ago, someone I know who sits on a senate board told me that they might be looking to appoint a new Graduate Student Senator and asked me if I would be interested,” Green said. “I said yes, of course.” Green graduated in spring 2018 with a Bachelor of Communications. She was immediately accepted into the Masters of Professional Communication and began in fall 2018. “I have never served in student government here at Weber State,” Green said. “I was involved in student government in junior high,
The Signpost
but went another direction in high school and in college.” Although she hasn’t previously been involved with WSUSA, she did maintain several roles for The Signpost while pursuing her undergraduate degree and worked as a student employee for the Browning Center. She is now employed full-time as the Events Coordinator. Green noted that before being approached about the position, she hadn’t spent too much time thinking about student government at the college level. After she was approached about the position, she learned about the Senate and planned for the potential position. “After being introduced to the idea, I took
IRS IS HIRING
Processing Jobs start Feb. – April 2019 Entry Level Seasonal Positions Interested in being part of an organization that collects over $2 trillion in revenue and processes over 200 million tax returns annually? Paid training, weekends off, great benefits, gain new skills. To search for current jobs, visit: • www.usajobs.gov • Filter by: o IRS & Ogden, UT For Application help & more, visit: • www.jobs.irs.gov/careers
Required • U.S. Citizen or Naturalized Citizens • Registered for Selective Service • Fingerprint & tax compliant • All documentation must be included by the closing date
Internal Revenue Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Get Job Alerts at http://www.USAJOBS.gov
the time to meet with the Graduate Student Advisor, Valarie Herzog, who shared her vision of the Graduate Council with me,” Green said. As part of the confirmation process, prospective senators meet with the advisors to share ideas and standards of the senate, as well as their goals for the future. Afterward, Green had her work cut out for her. “After that meeting, I spent time reading the WSUSA Constitution, Bylaws and previous meeting minutes and agendas,” Green said. “I also reviewed, in-depth, the meeting minutes from the Graduate Council to see what projects they are already working on, and thought about the new projects I could propose if appointed.” Green mentioned that her process toward this role was much different than others. Because her predecessor, David Brog, stepped down, she did not have to campaign for votes for the position. Otherwise, her process followed the same path with interviews, meeting mandatory eligibility requirements and showing full knowledge of the WSU Constitution and Bylaws. “It is definitely a weird feeling to be invited to join a group that has been working together for quite some time,” Green said. Because Green’s time as a senator will be shorter than a normal senator term, she has less time to determine if she would like to run
for a full term next academic year, but she anticipates finding it a fit. “I would really love for that opportunity,” Green said. “I would like to be able to serve Weber State’s graduate students for as long as possible.” Green is hopeful this position will provide her better connections with her graduate student peers. One of her main goals as the new senator is to increase knowledge and advertisement of the graduate programs at WSU and get graduate students more involved. “In these next few weeks and months, I hope I can learn as much as possible about what it means to be a student senator, and also what it means to represent graduate students,” Green said, “I am excited to work with the Graduate Council and provide my input as a student.” Green has very clear goals planned for the remainder of this year and hopes to continue her efforts into a graduate student senator next year. “I want to focus on what student senators in my position have done in the past, and in collaboration with the Graduate Council, make plans for what I need to do in the future to support graduate students to the best of my ability,” Green said. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
‘CATS ICED IN
By BRANDON MAY Desk Editor
With just a month left in the season, the Weber State University hockey team entered the Wasatch Cup riding a six-game win streak and looked to bring the Wasatch Cup back to Ogden. WSU finished 1-1 on the weekend and took third place after losing to Utah State University and beating Utah Valley University. The Wasatch Cup is played each year between UVU, USU, BYU and WSU switching between the universities hosting each year. WSU entered Friday night’s matchup with Utah State as the 13th ranked team in the west region of the ACHA, Utah State was right behind them at 14. “It’s been a great run,” head coach Alan Kapinos said. “We’ve lost some guys at the break and have asked a lot from all of our guys, and from the pipes out, we’ve been solid and beat some good teams during that time.” Before the puck dropped on Friday night, the Utah State fans who made the drive down from Logan made their presence known and kept the chants louder than the Weber State crowd all night. The first period got off to a slow start as both hadn’t faced off in three months and were feeling each other out. Utah State was able to find the back of the net when a deflected goal got past WSU’s net minder Kyle Lane. “The game started out with us feeling out each other,” Kapinos said. “They got that first goal, and we were chasing the game.” WSU was never able to rally back. Despite having eight power plays, the Wildcats weren’t able to bring USU lead under two. The Wildcats lone goal came senior forward Zan Hobbs in the second period, his 14th on the year. Senior forward William Fobair added assist 27 on the season. “It was a great pass, and I was able to put it in the back of the net,” Hobbs said. It was a short turn around for WSU as they were back on the ice Saturday night to take on the Utah Valley Wolverines for third place in the Wasatch Cup. The ‘Cats got on the board early and never looked back, finishing the Wasatch Cup with a 7–1 win. Weber State will compete in the Mountain West Tournament next weekend with a spot in regionals on the line. “Right now in the rankings we are on the outside looking in,” Kapinos said. “We have just a few games left to prove our worth and hopefully get into regionals.” The ’Cats are 7-3 in their last ten games and are looking to keep winning into the final weeks of the season. “It’s going to be a little bit of an uphill battle, but MARISSA WOLFORD | The Signpost our guys have been playing well the last month,” KaTOP: Joel Johnson and Thomas Simpson talk strategie with fellow pinos said. “We have no doubt that we can leave it all WSU teammate while waiting to hear the refs call. out there, and we’ll see what happens.”
WASATCH CUP
February 22
Earthworm, Folk Hogan & Baby Gurl
February 9PM 16 February 23 The Pour Live at 9PM
WEEKLY EVENTS SUNDAY Texas Hold’em
MONDAY Comedy Open Mic
TUESDAY Poker Night
WEDNESDAY Bingo & Trivia Night
Thursday Karaoke Night
february 9 Bill n' Diane at 7PM
MIDDLE: WSU coaches talking to the team during a timeout.
BOTTOM: Brian Martinez hits puck between USU players legs to win control during the faceoff.
Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
MyWeberMedia.com | February 7, 2019 | 13
LINGOFEST BRINGS VOICES OF THE FUTURE
JOSHUA WINEHOLT | The Signpost
By KAINOA NUNEZ Reporter
Representatives from Amazon, Comcast, Google and several other telecom companies gathered at Stewart Stadium on Feb. 1 and 2 for Weber State University’s annual Lingofest, a tech conference exploring the future of voice-activated technology. The event was held in conjunction with the fifth annual Digital Humanities Utah conference and attracted attendees from the computer science, web development and electrical engineering departments, as well as those studying English and communication. With a total of 12 speakers at the conference, students had the chance to learn about possible career paths in the industry
of voice-based technology. “This is an opportunity for them to see the kind of jobs that are available and interact individually and realize the value of interdisciplinary thinking,” Dean of the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology David Ferro said. Most smart devices today are designed with a built-in digital assistant that responds to commands or questions made by the owner’s voice. Programs using this technology, like Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana and Google Home, have become a dominant trend in the modern electronic market. According to Pragmatic Digital marketer Scot Westwater, researchers predicted that in 2018, voice assistants in technology
will be around 27 percent prevalent in the United States. Furthermore, that number will reach 55 percent by 2022, making it the “next big thing” in technological development. “It’s not hard to recognize the potential voice has for engaging and building relationships with users in a compelling and valuable way,” Westwater said. “But now that the opportunity is clear, the road forward is not.” One of the first companies to pioneer this type of technology was Apple with their virtual assistant, Siri. However, experts claim she was only a starting point for the industry to grow and develop. “She was the guinea pig and was the new fun thing to try out, but her algorithms
skewed towards that interaction model instead of being an assistant,” Product Lead for Witlingo Brielle Nickoloff said. Ahmed Bouzid, founder and CEO of Witlingo and Lingofest, said voice technology is popular because it is a more natural form of communication for humans than pushing a button. In an interview with Bouzid, Director and Developer Engagement of Microsoft Noelle LaCharite said, “A child at three can develop work from a smartphone and understand how to use it. Just imagine if they are 15 or 20 how experienced they will become.” Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
14 | MyWeberMedia.com | February 7, 2019
QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 2 1. b. Edelman took home the MVP trophy the afternoon of Feb. 4. Edelman caught 10 passes for 141 yards during the game, according to the Los Angeles Times. Edelman tends to shine most in the postseason, where, after Super Bowl LIII he ranks second only to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in postseason receptions at 115 receptions for 1,412 yards. 2. a. 21 Savage, long associated with Atlanta Southern rap, was arrested by the ICE on Feb. 3 for overstaying his visa, according to NPR. NPR noted that the news
shocked many fans, as the Atlanta-Journal Constitution noted that 21 Savage had been considered a local act for his career. According to NPR, federal officials have said that 21 Savage is actually a U.K. national. 21 Savage was taken into custody after law enforcement stopped his car to arrest another rapper in the vehicle, and the officers learned of his immigrant status. 3. c. On Feb. 4, medical examiners released Brown’s cause of death as shrapnel from a vape pen severing his left carotid artery, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Investigators believe the
pen’s battery was the cause of the explosion. Previously, there was one other recorded case of a person’s death caused by an exploding e-cigarette. 4. a. Paul accused fellow Kentucky senator McConnell of being a warmonger and forming a “war caucus,” according to the McClatchy Washington Bureau. Paul argued that “we are no longer fighting anyone who attacked us on 9/11” and that the amendment to keep troops in the region was the result of a war caucus that included both Democrats and Republicans.
5. d. Trump’s argued that the only things stopping an economic miracle in the U.S. were “foolish wars, politics and ridiculous partisan investigations,” the Los Angeles Times reported. Trump’s speech, which ran close to an hour and a half, one of the longest on record, did call for unity but was marked by attacks against his critics and focused largely on his promise of a border wall. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com
Tribune News Service
President Donald J. Trump arrives for the State of the Union address in the chamber of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 5.
HELP WANTED
MyWeberMedia.com | February 7, 2019| 15
FEATURED JOB
FEATURED JOB
SIGNPOST NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTION
COPYWRITER/EDITOR - ONLINE & CONTINUING EDUCATION
The position performs the following functions and duties:
The position performs the following functions and duties:
•Distribute newspapers to the various locations on and off campus. Will update ads on newsstands. Will be responsible for recycling old newspapers. Track number of papers left on newsstands. Various hours.
• Must be a WSU student during the academic school year. • Must have own vehicle with current driver’s license. • Must be available during morning hours. $10.00
Requisition Number: H00554P
• Write and/or edit marketing copy for Online & Continuing Education credit and non-credit program promotional materials including flyers, posters, brochures, rack cards, websites, digital advertising and other marketing pieces as needed. • Work closely with graphic design
Advisor, Recruiting & Admissions International Student Services $E31 Requisition Number: S00260P
IT Portfolio & Project Administrator IT Business Services $E32 Requisition Number: S00220P
Science Fair Technology Assistant Zoology $13.00 Requisition Number: H00619P
Receptionist/Office Assistant Athletics Admin $10.50 Requisition Number: H00368P
Junior Proposal Development Officer Office of Sponsored Projects $E31 Requisition Number: S00257P
Assistant Property Control Manager Property Control $N25 Requisition Number: S00258P
Site Facilitator CE Online Support $10.00 Requisition Number: H00194P
THE SIGNPOST TEAM
Assistant Professor Educational/School Psychology Psychology $Inquire Requisition Number: F00054P
and Web programming team members to create and edit copy. • Help produce digital ads and assist with other marketing projects as needed. $12-14.00 Requisition Number: H00529P
Vehicle Repair and Fleet Manager Fleet Management $E32 Requisition Number: S00251P Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Business Administration $Inquire Requisition Number: E00004P Enrollment Specialist I Financial Aid Officer $N24 Requisition Number: S00254P
Editor-in-Chief Harrison Epstein harrisonepstein@mail.weber.edu
Chief Copy Editor Cole Eckhardt eckhardtco@gmail.com
A&E Editor Alyson Johnson alysonjohnson@mail.weber.edu
Adviser Jean Norman jeannorman@weber.edu
Managing Editor Daryn Steed darynsteed@weber.edu
News Editor Nic Muranaka nicholasmuranaka@mail.weber.edu
S&T Editor Tori Waltz waltzvictoria@gmail.com
Ad Manager KC Sanders kcsanders@weber.edu
Graphics Editor Samantha Van Orman samanthalvanorman@gmail.com
Asst. News Editor-Diversity Danya Gil danyagil@weber.edu
Webmaster Nate Beach nathanbeach@mail.weber.edu
Photo Editor Sara Parker saraparker2@mail.weber.edu
Sports Editor Brandon May brandonmay1@mail.weber.edu
Social Media Manager Chloe Walker chloewalker@mail.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.
MyWeberMedia.com | February 7, 2019 | 16