The Signpost: THE NUMBERS AND THE STRATEGIES: TAKING A LOOK AT DIVERSITY WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY

KALIE PEAD| The Signpost

Tuesday | March 30, 2021 | Volume 94 | Issue 47

>>PAGE 9

SPORTS » PAGE 11

NEWS » PAGE 13

HAIL MARY PLAY BRINGS HOME VICTORY

POPULATION GROWTH EXACTS ITS TOLL

NIKKI DORBER| The Signpost

SARAH EARNSHAW| The Signpost

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DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS?

By MARISA NELSON

cer Stockard serve with the sheriff’s office?

1. The Suez Canal reopened on March 29 after a giant ship was cleared from blocking the canal.

The canal is one of the world’s busiest ________ ________?

5. A location of Walker Cinemas, run by WSU student Shawn b. 10 years 4. After the shooting in Boulder, Bennion and his family, is getting Colorado last week, President Joe ready to host its second year of c. 17 years Biden made comments about work- _________? ing on gun control, but advocates d. 2 years were dumbfounded when he said a. Virtual community film festival __________ would still remain 3. On March 27, what company the administration’s next priority b. Free movie theater snack day held an Easter egg hunt for the and not gun reform. community, where they filled over c. Filming his own movie 6,000 eggs? a. Infrastructure d. Partnering for a fundraiser a. Autoliv b. COVID-19 relief

Section Editor

a. Water ways b. Trade routes c. Tourist sites d. None of the above 2. A Weber County Sheriff’s sergeant passed away unexpectedly this weekend. How long did Spen-

c. Weber State University

a. 25 years

d. Ken Garff

b. Staker Parsons

c. Police reform

d. Abortion laws

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ON PAGE 15

WEBER CAMPUS COVID CASE UPDATES WSU

UTAH

DAVIS COUNTY

WEBER COUNTY

7 days: 286 total: 36,119

7 days: 294 total: 28,742

7 days: 9 14 days: 14 total: 622 COVID CASE UPDATES

total: 384,756 total vaccines: 1,307,533 COVID CASE UPDATES

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JOIN THE SIGNPOST

The Signpost, the news organization at Weber State University, is looking for people to do the following jobs in the 2021-22 school year.

• • • •

News reporters Photographers Culture writers Spanish writers and translators • Copy editors

• • • • •

Graphic designers Section editors Videographers Social media addicts Multimedia salespeople

All majors welcome.

All you need is a willingness to learn.

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To apply, pick up an application at The Signpost office, Shepherd Union, Room 401, or download it from our website, signpost.mywebermedia.com under Join Our Staff. If you have questions, email Dr. Jean Norman, jeannorman@weber.edu.

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Reporter

Weber State University has been designated as a Voter Friendly Campus, a title offered by a program started through the partnership of two organizations, the Campus Vote Project and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, in 2016.

The Voter Friendly Campus program aims to help college administrations develop strategies to increase political engagement and voting rates among students, an age group known to have low voter turnout. It’s not just the Generation Z students currently coming of age or the millennials before them who don’t turn out in the same numbers as older voters.

“The younger people are, the less likely they are to vote,” said Leah Murray, academic director for the Walker Institute of Politics and Public Service at WSU. “That’s just a general rule of every generation,” and true of young baby boomers in the past.

One reason young people vote less is because traditional motivations to vote aren’t yet present. According to Murray, voting can be driven by financial interests, and most people do not begin to accumulate wealth until later in life.

People are also more likely to vote after settling down in a community, Murray said.

Young people tend to stay mobile, especially students who frequently move between apartments and student housing.

Barriers also arise out of the voting system itself. Because of more frequent moving, some college students may not have a permanent address, which is necessary in order to register to vote.

These factors and more lead the age group of 18 to 24 to have the lowest voter turnout rate.

“It is harder for students to register to vote, to stay on the voter roll and then actually be able to go vote,” Murray said.

In the past, Utah has had more accessible voting than many other states, becoming a vote-by-mail state in 2013. According to Newsweek, Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington were the only states before the pandemic to use a vote-by-mail system.

This benefits students in Utah who can receive a ballot in the mail at their current address and not have to find voting locations in a place they have lived for only a short time.

A ballot box was installed in front of Stewart Library, in the process eliminating another inconvenience: the need for postage stamps

BRIELLE HARKER | The Signpost

By JOSHUA KAMP

BRIELLE HARKER | The Signpost

Weber State University was designated a Voter Friendly Campus. The Voter Friendly Campus program aims to help college administrations develop a larger voter turnout and more political engagement.

that students may not have.

“We had 731 ballots come in that ballot box in the 2020 election,” Murray said. “That’s a lot of students who didn’t have to go find a stamp.”

WSU uses TurboVote, an online voter registration website and app. That way, students can be provided with links that will take them to the registration process, bypassing the steps of filling out paper forms that need to be mailed in.

Using TurboVote, WSU students with permanent addresses out-of-state were able to receive absentee ballots in Utah. “No matter where you are registered, we can help you figure this out,” Murray said.

Even if there are no obstacles to turning in Weber State’s Ballot Box is just outside of the Stewart Library on the main a vote, there is another dimension to the procampus in Ogden, Utah. This is one of the many things that WSU has to help cess: keeping students involved and informed. students and the surrounding community vote during elections.

Throughout the year, the Walker Institute offers programs aimed at voter education for students, but the October of an election cycle is particularly focused on the current issues surrounding an upcoming election.

Virtual programming was offered in the fall of 2020, including an explanation of the ballot, virtual debate screenings and discussion of main issues.

“We never tell students how to vote, but we try to give them all the information they need to make a good decision for themselves,” Murray said.

WSU’s current designation of Voter Friendly Campus will be valid March 2021 to December 2022.

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MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021 | 5

By JOSHUA KAMP Reporter

By MATIAS PEDRIERA Translator

La Universidad Weber State ha sido designada como un “Campus amigable para los votantes”, un título ofrecido por un programa iniciado a través de la asociación de dos organizaciones, Campus Vote Project y NASPA, en 2016.

El programa “Voter Friendly Campus” tiene como objetivo ayudar a la administración de la universidad a desarrollar estrategias para aumentar la participación política y los porcentajes de votación entre los estudiantes, un grupo de edad conocido por tener una baja participación en las elecciones. No son solo los estudiantes de la Generación Z que ahora están alcanzando la mayoría de edad o los Millennials antes que ellos los que no tienen interés en votar a difrencia de los adultos mayores.

“Cuanto más jóvenes son, es menos probable que voten”, dijo Leah Murray, directora académica del Instituto Walker de Política y Servicio Público en WSU. “Esa es solo una regla general de cada generación”, y es cierto para los jóvenes Boomers en el pasado, dijo.

Una razón por la que los jóvenes votan menos es porque las motivaciones tradicionales para votar aún no están presentes. Según Murray, la votación puede estar impulsada por intereses financieros y la mayoría de la gente no comienza a acumular riqueza hasta más tarde en la vida.

Las personas también tienen más probabilidades de votar después de establecerse en una comunidad, dijo Murray. Los jóvenes tienden a mantenerse en movimiento, especialmente los estudiantes que se mueven con frecuencia entre apartamentos y residencias estudiantiles.

Las barreras también surgen del propio sistema de votación. Debido a las mudanzas más frecuentes, es posible que algunos estudiantes universitarios no tengan una di-

rección permanente, que es necesaria para registrarse para votar.

Estos factores y más hacen que el grupo de edad de 18 a 24 años tenga la tasa de participación electoral más baja. “Es más difícil para los estudiantes registrarse para votar, permanecer en la lista de votantes y luego poder ir a votar”, dijo Murray.

En el pasado, Utah ha tenido una votación más accesible que muchos otros estados, convirtiéndose en un estado de votación por correo en 2013. Según Newsweek, Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon y Washington fueron los únicos estados antes de la pandemia que usaron el voto por sistema de correo.

Esto beneficia a los estudiantes en Utah, quienes pueden recibir una papeleta por correo en su dirección actual y no tener que buscar lugares de votación en un lugar donde han vivido por poco tiempo.

Se instaló una urna frente a la biblioteca Stewart, eliminando en el proceso otro inconveniente: la necesidad de sellos postales que los estudiantes pueden no tener. “Recibimos 731 boletas en esa urna en las elecciones de 2020”, dijo Murray. “Son muchos los estudiantes que no tuvieron que ir a buscar un sello”.

WSU utiliza TurboVote, un sitio web y una aplicación de registro de votantes en línea. De esa manera, los estudiantes pueden recibir enlaces que los llevarán al proceso de registro, sin pasar por los pasos de completar formularios en papel que deben enviarse por correo.

Con TurboVote, los estudiantes de WSU con direcciones permanentes fuera del estado pudieron recibir papeletas de voto ausente en Utah. “No importa dónde esté registrado, podemos ayudarlo a resolver esto”, dijo Murray.

Incluso si no hay obstáculos para entregar un voto, hay otra dimensión en el proceso: mantener a los estudiantes involucrados e informados. Durante todo el año, el Instituto Walker ofrece programas destinados a la educación de los votantes para los estudiantes, pero el octubre de un ciclo electoral se centra particularmente en los problemas actuales que rodean las próximas elecciones.

La programación virtual se ofreció en el otoño de 2020, incluida la explicación de la papeleta, las proyecciones de debates virtuales y la discusión de los temas principales.

“Nunca les decimos a los estudiantes que votar, pero tratamos de darles toda la información que necesitan para que tomen una

buena decisión por sí mismos”, dijo Murray.

La designación actual de WSU de campus amigable para los votantes será válida de marzo de 2021 a diciembre de 2022.

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A drive-thru event to show appreciation for all A&H students. Drive-thru procession will take place in front of the Kimball Arts, and Browning Center round-about.

Tables will line the sidewalks with spots for check-in, information, activities, and swag pickup. All activities will provide you participation from within a car or walk-up with physical distancing.

Be ready to answer questions about our college and your plans for summer and fall to earn extra swag! Sign up for your spot ASAP. See you soon! Please register at this link for a time slot. http://bit.ly/andhstudentappreciationday

6 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021

By ALLY NELSON Senior Reporter

merchandise to promote the new album.

Gem Studio, a store at the City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, teamed up with Holmes and Trease by providing gift cards for the first few buyers on the website.

During checkout on Holmes’ website, the first few customers to buy two or more items will win a merchandise basket that will in-

clude a hat or t-shirt, stickers and more.

On April 11, Holmes will perform “Commonground” in full at Slackwater Pizzeria & Pub in Ogden. Attendees will be able to donate to the Polaris Project in person during the concert.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com CADEN HOLMES

Local musician and Weber State University student Caden Holmes will be releasing his second album, “Commonground,” on April 10 on streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.

April 10 will also be the launch of Holmes’ online merchandise store. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds made from the store will be donated to the Polaris Project.

The Polaris Project, founded in 2002, is a non-profit organization that has educated people about and saved people from human trafficking all around the world. According to their website, it was inspired by the story of the North Star, which guided slaves in the United States as they broke away from the chains of ownership.

When Holmes began working on his album over a year ago, he never imagined it would have turned into the purposeful project it is now.

Before Holmes began working on “Commonground,” he and his friend and future manager Ryan Trease worked at Goldenwest Credit Union together. They became fast friends after realizing they both had a common desire of pursuing future advocacy for issues around the world.

While Holmes and Trease sat down to discuss possible ways the album could make a positive impact in the world, they came to an agreement that human trafficking, and more specifically, child trafficking, is the most important social issue that occurs today.

“It’s something that hits home for everybody,” Trease said. “I don’t know of anybody who can hear about an incident or a run-in with somebody at the grocery store about a

child getting abducted without feeling some sort of emotional response.”

Despite the gravity of the issue and the emotional response it induces, Trease said it still tends to get swept under the rug.

Even though music has always been a passion for Holmes, he had a bigger passion for making a change in the world. It’s an aspect he never dreamt of actively participating in, but it has made creating music that much more important to him.

“As I finished the whole album, I realized that I was kind of taking on a whole different form,” Holmes said. “I’ve started to see it as a vehicle to do good.”

Feeling dissatisfied with his first album, “Ghost,” not because he didn’t enjoy the songs he wrote, but because he questioned the album’s purpose, Holmes wondered, “What good has come out of this project?” That thought process segued him into fundraising for a better cause.

Aside from the music, Holmes’ and Trease’s main goal is to bring awareness to the dangers and the commonality of child trafficking.

“We’re working towards something that could potentially save someone’s life, thanks to the help from the Polaris Project,” Holmes said. “I’m sure that this won’t be the first and only project that does this. I’m sure there will be many others to follow.”

Trease described Holmes’ genre style as “more on the folk/indie side.” “Commonground” features laid-back acoustics inspired by the Ogden mountain ranges and has a general theme of exploring outside of your company.

From that, Holmes traced an outline of the Ogden mountain range as a simple yet eye-catching way of representing the sound of the album. He is also using the graphic on the

Local musician and WSU student Caden Holmes’ album, “Commonground,” will release on April 10.

MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021| 7 pixabay.com

Caden Holmes’ genre style is described as “more on the folk/indie side,” with smooth, laid-back acoustics. Holmes’ second album, “Commonground,” will be released Apr. 10.

By ALLY NELSON Senior Reporter

By ANDRES RODRIGUEZ Translator

El músico local y estudiante de la Weber State University, Caden Holmes, lanzará su segundo álbum titulado “Commonground” el 10 de abril en plataformas de transmisión, como Apple Music y Spotify.

El 10 de abril también será el lanzamiento de la tienda de productos en línea de Holmes.

El 25% de las ganancias obtenidas de la tienda se donará al Proyecto Polaris.

El Proyecto Polaris, fundado en 2002, es una organización sin fines de lucro que ha educado y salvado a personas de la trata de personas en todo el mundo. Según su sitio web, se inspiró en la historia de la Estrella del Norte, que guió a los esclavos en los Estados Unidos mientras se separaban de las cadenas de propiedad.

Cuando Holmes comenzó a trabajar en su álbum hace más de un año, nunca imaginó que se habría convertido en el proyecto decidido que es ahora.

Antes de que Holmes comenzó a trabajar

en “Commonground”, él y su amigo y futuro gerente, Ryan Trease, trabajaron juntos en Goldenwest Credit Union. Se hicieron amigos rápidamente después de darse cuenta de que ambos tenían el deseo común de perseguir en el futuro la defensa de problemas en todo el mundo.

Mientras Holmes y Trease se sentaron para discutir las posibles formas en que el álbum podría tener un impacto positivo en el mundo, llegaron a un acuerdo en que la trata de personas, y más específicamente, la trata de niños, es el problema social más importante que ocurre en la actualidad.

“Es algo que le pega a todo el mundo”, dijo Trease. “No conozco a nadie que pueda escuchar acerca de un incidente o un encuentro con alguien en la tienda de comestibles acerca de que un niño fue secuestrado sin sentir algún tipo de respuesta emocional”.

A pesar de la gravedad del problema y la respuesta emocional que induce, Trease dijo que todavía tiende a ser movido debajo de la mesa.

Aunque la música siempre ha sido una pasión para Holmes, él tenía una pasión mayor por hacer un cambio en el mundo. Es un as-

pecto en el que nunca soñó participar activamente, pero ha hecho que crear música sea mucho más importante para él.

“En lo que terminé el álbum entero, realicé que yo estaba asumiendo una forma completamente diferente,” dijo Holmes. “He empezado a verlo como un vehículo para ser bien.”

Sintiéndose insatisfecho con su primer álbum “Ghost”, no porque no disfrutó de las canciones que escribió, sino porque cuestionó el propósito del álbum, Holmes se preguntó: “¿De qué ha salido bien este proyecto?” Ese proceso de pensamiento lo llevó a la recaudación de fondos para una causa mejor.

Aparte de la música, la meta principal de Holmes y Trease es llamar la atención a los peligros de la trata de niños y lo común que es.

“Estamos trabajando para lograr algo que potencialmente podría salvar la vida de alguien, gracias a la ayuda del Proyecto Polaris”, dijo Holmes. “Estoy seguro de que este no será el primer y único proyecto que lo haga.

Estoy seguro de que habrá muchos otros a los que seguir.”

Trease describió el estilo de género de Holmes como “más en el lado folk/indie.”

“Commonground” presenta una acústica relajada inspirada en las cadenas montañosas de Ogden y tiene un tema general de exploración fuera de su empresa.

A partir de ahí, Holmes trazó un contorno de las montañas de Ogden como una forma simple pero llamativa de representar el sonido del álbum. También está usando el gráfico de la mercancía para promocionar el nuevo álbum.

Gem Studio, una tienda en el centro comercial City Creek en Salt Lake City, se asoció con Holmes y Trease para proporcionar tarjetas de regalo a los primeros compradores en el sitio web.

Durante el pago en el sitio web de Holmes, los primeros clientes que compren dos o más artículos ganarán una canasta de productos que incluirá un gorro o camiseta, calcomanías y más.

El 11 de abril, Holmes presentará “Commonground” en su totalidad en Slackwater Pizzeria & Pub en Ogden. Los participantes podrán donar al Proyecto Polaris en persona durante el concierto.

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8| MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021

By CAITLYN NICHOLS Section Editor

Weber State University has promoted itself as a school that values and encourages diversity among its students. With many resources for students from all walks of life, there’s a place and help for everyone.

But how diverse is WSU? Records from the Office of Institutional Research are available to the public on WSU’s website and show the demographics of campus population, from age to credit hour load and from gender to ethnicity.

Institutional Analyst Juan Chavez said diversity numbers can change every day as students drop or add classes or change departments or schools. For consistency, the numbers WSU captures to report to the government and public always come from the third week of the fall semester.

It should also be noted that, unlike other Utah higher education institutions, WSU is an open enrollment school, meaning everyone who applies to the university is accepted.

As of the third week of fall 2020, there were 29,596 students at WSU. 16,846 (57%) were female and 12,750 (43%) were male. 12,432 (42%) were full-time students and 17,165 (58%) were part-time.

The racial and ethnic diversity of WSU’s students for fall 2020 were the following: 396 (1.3%) were Black or African American; 509 (1.7%) were Asian; 155 (0.5%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 128 (0.4%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 3,265 (11%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 22,018 (74.4%) were white; 1,028 (3.5%) were multiracial; and 1,829 (6.2%) were unreported.

There were also 268 (0.9%) international students.

These numbers are fairly similar to the racial and ethnic demographics of Utah and Ogden.

According to the United States Census Bureau’s website, as of July 2019, the estimated population of Utah was 3,205,958. Of this, 77.8% of the population was white; 14.4% was Hispanic or Latinx; 1.5% was Black or African American; 1.6% was Native American or Alaskan Native; 2.7% was Asian; 1.1% was Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; and

2.6% was multiracial.

According to the United States Census Bureau’s website, as of July 2019, the estimated population of Ogden was 87,773. Of this, 61.3% of the population was white; 31.9% was Hispanic or Latinx; 1.9% was Black or African American; 1.2% was Native American or Alaskan Native; 1.2% was Asian; 0.3% was Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; and 3.9% was multiracial.

There are measures that WSU takes to promote diversity and recruit diverse students.

Enrique Romo, assistant vice president for student affairs, who oversees access and diversity, explained that they use federal grant programs at middle and high school levels such as TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Talent Search, as well as their Ogden GEAR UP and state GEAR UP programs to serve students in need.

“These work with historically underrepresented, underserved, low-income, first-generation and ethnically diverse students to give them college knowledge as well as opportunities to realize their college aspirations,” Romo said. “They give students the tools they need to successfully graduate high school and then transition over to postsecondary institutions.”

After admission, Romo said the programs like College Access and First-year Transitions, the Center for Multicultural Excellence, diversity and inclusivity programs, peer mentoring, the LGBT Resource Center and Center for Community Engagement try to ensure students feel connected to campus and give them a sense of belonging.

“We want them to be proud of who they are as well as with their traditions, costumes and backgrounds,” Romo said. “We celebrate their uniqueness by acknowledging their identities and their communities.”

Romo said they also center their work using an equity lens which aligns with institutional goals, helping them address issues of structural racism.

The institutional profile reports from Institutional Research also show the demographics of each college at WSU. Again, these statistics are as of the third week of the fall 2020 semester.

Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities

had 1,686 students, 589 (34.9%) of which were male and 1,097 (65.1%) female. The racial and ethnic diversity of the college was comprised of the following: 35 (2.1%) were Black or African American; 15 (0.9%) were Asian; 5 (0.3%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 13 (0.8%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 192 (11.4%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,278 (75.8%) were white; 46 (2.7%) were multiracial; and 66 (3.9%) were unreported. There were also 36 (2.1%) international students.

Goddard School of Business and Economics had 1,900 students: 1,212 (63.8%) of which were male and 688 (36.2%) female. Thirty-one (1.6%) were Black or African American; 44 (2.3%) were Asian; 15 (0.8%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 3 (0.2%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 200 (10.5%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,330 (70%) were white; 72 (3.8%) were multiracial; and 141 (7.4%) unreported. There were also 64 (3.4%) international students.

Moyes College of Education had 1,680 students, 419 (24.9%) of which were male and 1,261 (75.1%) female. Twenty-one (1.3%) were Black or African American; 13 (0.8%) were Asian; 12 (0.7%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 10 (0.6%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 183 (10.9%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,222 (72.7%) were white; 72 (4.3%) were multiracial; and 127 (7.6%) unreported. There were also 20 (1.2%) international students.

The College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology had 2,996 students, 2,449 (81.7%) of which were male and 547 (18.2%) female. Fifty-one (1.7%) were Black or African American; 69 (2.3%) were Asian; 16 (0.5%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 13 (0.4%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 299 (8%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 2,262 (75.5%) were white; 99 (3.3%) were multiracial; and 118 (3.9%) unreported.

There were also 69 (2.3%) international students.

Dumke College of Health Professions had 4,647 students, 1,000 (21.5%) of which were male and 3,647 (78.5%) female. Seventy-seven (1.7%) were Black or African American; 126 (2.7%) were Asian; 23 (0.5%) were Native

Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 33 (0.7%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 562 (12.1%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 3,377 (72.7%) were white; 144 (3.1%) were multiracial; and 267 (5.7%) unreported. There were also 38 (0.8%) international students.

The College of Science had 1,233 students, 559 (45.3%) of which were male and 674 (54.7%) female. Sixteen (1.3%) were Black or African American; 21 (1.7%) were Asian; 5 (0.4%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 8 (0.6%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 141 (11.4%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 932 (75.6%) were white; 58 (4.7%) were multiracial; and 39 (3.2%) unreported.

There were also 13 (1.1%) international students.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences had 2,123 students, 721 (34%) of which were male and 1,402 (66%) female. Fifty-five (2.6%) were Black or African American; 19 (0.9%) were Asian; 13 (0.6%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 18 (0.8%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 383 (18%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 1,464 (69%) were white; 94 (4.4%) multiracial; and 64 (3%) unreported. There were also 13 (0.6%) international students.

Finally, there were 13,331 General Studies or Bachelor of Integrated Studies students, 5,801 (43.5%) of which were male and 7,530 (56.5%) female. One-hundred-ten (0.8%) were Black or African American; 202 (1.5%) were Asian; 66 (0.5%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; 30 (0.2%) were Native American or Alaskan Native; 1,305 (9.8%) were Hispanic or Latinx; 10,153 (76.2%) were white; 443 (3.3%) were multiracial; and 1,007 (7.6%) unreported. There were also 15 (0.1%) international students.

Institutional Record’s Institutional Profile can also display the varying percentages of records of specific programs and the change in diversity over time.

While diversity can’t be forced, the different colleges still strive to do their own part to promote and recruit diversity in their programs.

For example, Alicia Ingersoll, assistant professor and chair of the Goddard School of Business and Economics’s newly launched committee for equity, diversity and inclusion,

MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021 | 9

recent debates have been virtual, but usually, they travel around the United States to debate their topics. This travel is completely paid for by the department so the students can participate without financial worry.

Griffin said they’re always looking for social and diversity issues that aren’t really being addressed anywhere else to use and talk about in their curriculum, mentioning that the communication department is equipped to teach skills in protest communication, conflict management, debate and argumentation, public speaking and more.

She said they strive to promote diversity not just with their committee but through their curriculum, social and community engagement and getting students involved.

“We do it by making sure our students are involved in every step of the way, because we can’t fix a problem unless we understand what the problem is,” Griffin said. “And if we care about our students, our students should be the ones who are leading it, so it’s fostering that environment for them to lead it.”

Griffin said diversity is more than just race and gender, but also includes age, religion, neurodiversity, cultural background, political ideas and more.

She specifically talked about a focus in the communication department on neurodiversity, providing opportunities for those with anxiety, depression and autism to still be able to learn the skills the department teaches.

Jenny Kokai, associate professor and Department of Performing Arts chair, said the department’s three distinct areas — theatre, dance and music — all do their separate recruiting and efforts to promote diversity.

Kokai said it’s critical in the theatre department to choose plays and cast plays in a way that represents the diversity at WSU. She said the professionalized discrimination of casting people based on “types” or who “fits” the part visually, intentionally or unintentionally, has been too common for too long in theatre, and WSU’s program is not interested in replicating or continuing the practice.

Kokai said they also strive to read plays from all kinds of authors around the world, not just for representation, “but because how do you try to understand an art form if you’re not looking at the many ways people have approached it?”

Kokai said the dance program also has many partnerships with under-represented groups.

For example, a couple of years ago the Moving Company did a piece based on interviews with Ogden Latinx community members.

“In theatre, I feel that if prospective students do not see anyone who looks like them or read works from people who share their perspectives, why would they choose to come be a part of our department?” Kokai said.

Kokai also remarked that diversity is more

than just recruitment of diverse peoples, but also making sure the environment is safe and welcoming to all.

“Recruiting diverse folks is great, but if the climate is hostile to them when they get here, that’s its own kind of bad,” Kokai said. “So it is a two-pronged effort: improve the climate here so all students feel included and that their education is equitable, and improve recruitment of students.”

As Ingersoll said, there’s still much to do to improve diversity within the university, but there are already some visible achievements.

As Griffin described, progress can already be seen year by year through students’ conversations and projects, and by the fact that the university is willing to face the problem and

treat it. Continuing efforts toward growth in diversity will be important for WSU. “When we engage and are a part of diverse communities, we learn from each other across differences,” LGBT Resource Center Coordinator Jayson Stokes said. “We expand our view of the world and come to understand ourselves and others better. We learn to think in a more holistic and inclusive way.”

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said they are working to develop programs for outreach to women to improve gender diversity within their programs. The college also has been improving their outreach to the Latinx community, especially taking into account the Ogden community’s higher Hispanic and Latinx percentage.

Ingersoll also said the college is exploring new faculty-recruiting avenues with its search committees to improve diversity within its hiring pools. They’re also working on an addition to the tenure and promotion document which will “require faculty to address their efforts to increase equity, diversity and inclusion [EDI] within their teaching, research and service,” Ingersoll said.

Ingersoll said while there’s still more work to do, the college is celebrating the progress and success they’ve had in nearly doubling the enrollment of women into the Master of Business Administration program, putting them in line with the national average for women in MBA programs.

“We know that we have a lot of work ahead of us at the Goddard School in order to reach our goals related to EDI,” Ingersoll said. “However, we are committed to progress and putting in place actionable plans to meet our objectives.”

In Lindquist College, focuses on diversity are handled more by individual departments.

For example, Hal Crimmel, professor and chair of the English department, said that in summer 2020 the department created a Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force to look at curriculum, course content, hiring, marketing, recruitment, retention, scholarships and student engagement. Crimmel said the department’s identified strengths include curriculum, speaker series and course materials, while areas for improvement include marketing, targeted diversity scholarships and new faculty hiring.

Crimmel also said the English department’s majors are about 75% female and 25% male, so they’re currently specifically working on identifying ways to attract more male students.

Kayla Griffin, instructor and chair of the Communication department’s diversity committee, said the department is working on extensive plans of goals, objectives and activities to both recruit and retain diversity, as well as create a sense of community. With these future events they hope to create more relationships with and work with other diversity organizations in the community and on campus.

Griffin said, while most of their current ideas are still in planning stage and are not yet approved, the department has seen progress and success with the speech and debate team.

The speech and debate team was created to give students the opportunity to learn to speak about important issues they’re passionate about. Because of COVID-19, all of their

10 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021

By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

Down by one point and two seconds away from a shocking upset loss to Northern Arizona, Wildcats’ quarterback Randall Johnson dropped back and rolled to his right, launching a high-arcing Hail Mary from the 50-yard line into the end zone.

The football landed in the hands of leaping tight end Justin Malone, who fell to the end zone turf, swarmed by NAU defenders for the game-winning touchdown.

“I actually didn’t see it until the ball was coming down,” Malone said. “I didn’t see Randall release the ball. All I know is we do that drill every Thursday and I went up and tried to go grab the ball and came down with it. All props to Randall for throwing the perfect ball.”

After wide receivers Rashid Shaheed and Ty MacPherson started jumping around in celebration, a frenzy ensued on the Stewart Stadium field as the Weber State football team left the sideline and rushed onto the field while the Wildcat fans let out a cheer for WSU’s jaw-dropping 28–23 victory.

“I got to give credit to the offensive line for actually letting me get the ball off,” Johnson said. “They were blocking their butts off. I just had to put it up there. We got a specific way of how we run our Hail Mary, so I just had to put it up there and let playmakers make plays.”

Malone leapt over four NAU defenders on his game-winning touchdown snag while two other Lumberjacks were standing in the front of end zone trying to bat the ball down, along with three other Wildcats trying to catch the ball.

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“During the timeout, I caught eye contact with Justin Malone, and I said somebody’s going to have to go high point this and come down with it,” Wildcats’ head coach Jay Hill said. “He just made a huge play.”

Until the final play of the game, Malone had caught just one pass for four yards.

“Every kid dreams about stuff like this,” Malone said. “Making a big play when it’s crunch time.”

The game was junior quarterback Johnson’s first start for the Wildcats after it was announced hours before kickoff that starting quarterback Bronson Barron was out with a left wrist injury.

“He did a lot of good things, but I think he’s got to see things a little bit better at times and put the ball out there to where our guys can make plays,” Hill said of Johnson’s play. “To

put your backup in that situation when most people didn’t know that he was going to be the starter this week. That’s just a big win for Randall.”

Johnson completed 11 of 19 passes for 133 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

The play that set the scene for the Wildcats’ astonishing finish was a fourth-quarter fumble by junior running back Daniel Wright Jr. with 4:14 to play — WSU’s second red-zone turnover of the game.

The play was reviewed and the fumble stood as called on the field — which was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd of 4,218 inside Stewart Stadium.

The fumble ended WSU’s 16-play 79-yard drive that had run 8:07 off the clock.

“We turned it over twice in the red zone in the second half, and you can’t do that,” Hill

MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021| 11

said.

The Lumberjacks took over at their own 5-yard line with the Wildcats clinging to a 22–16 lead.

NAU quarterback Keondre Wudtee threw for 72 yards on the Lumberjack’s 14-play 95yard drive while also running in the go-ahead touchdown from one yard out with only 17 seconds left on the clock.

After NAU kicker Luis Aguilar’s kickoff sailed out of bounds for a penalty, the Wildcats were set to take the field at their 35-yard line, trailing 23–22.

An unsportsmanlike conduct call on NAU’s Lionell Wiggins set the Wildcats up at the 50yard line, but WSU’s final drive of the game stalled out when Johnson’s first two pass attempts fell incomplete, including a first-down scramble that took nearly 10 seconds off the clock.

Hill said players would have ideally gotten the ball field-goal range and kicked it in for another 3 points and the win, “but that would’ve been boring.”

Hill called the Wildcats’ final timeout with two seconds left.

“When I called timeout with two seconds

left, it was just to really gather the troops and tell them we’ve practiced this Hail Mary every week for this reason,” Hill said.

Then magic happened in the north end zone of Stewart Stadium.

The Wildcats were in position to put the game away multiple times throughout the game, but turnovers kept the Lumberjacks in striking distance.

Johnson was picked off by NAU’s Morgan Vest at the Lumberjack one-yard line, and redshirt freshman running back Dontae McMillan fumbled in the third quarter at the WSU 38yard line.

On the defensive side of the ball, WSU’s Preston Smith was on the prowl and forced two turnovers.

The senior safety picked off NAU wide receiver Brandon Porter after the Lumberjack took a handoff from Wudtee on an attempted trick play.

The Wildcats’ defense gave up two touchdowns in the game, the first an NAU running back Draycen Hall 49-yard run, and the second being Wudtee’s go-ahead QB keeper in the fourth quarter.

Smith snagged his second interception of

the game from NAU’s backup quarterback Jeff Widener after he replaced Wudtee for a single drive.

On NAU’s first offensive possession, Wildcat cornerback Eddie Heckard’s diving one-handed interception set up WSU with the football.

Johnson dropped back and tossed a 44yard bomb to Rashid Shaheed, who dove for the ball, landing on the purple turf with the ball secured for the first Wildcat touchdown of the game.

“The first touchdown to Rashid was just on the button perfect,” Hill said.

WSU took a 14–0 lead after Johnson rocketed a pass left to MacPherson who pitched the ball to O-lineman Noah Atagi, who trotted in for the razzle-dazzle touchdown.

To start the second half, Shaheed took off upfield toward the left sideline and faked a handoff to Josh Davis running the opposite direction, confusing the NAU special teams unit, and Shaheed found daylight and hit the afterburners turning into a blur of purple for a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown.

“We got the lead at halftime, and we came right back out of the gate with a kickoff return that I thought Coach Ridley did a great job of

designing,” Hill said. “Then we got the twopoint conversion.”

Shaheed was named the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week for his fifth kickoff return touchdown as a Wildcat, which is not only the most in Weber State school history, but a Big Sky Conference record.

Shaheed led WSU in receiving — catching three passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.

Davis rushed for 141 yards, including his explosive longest run of the game of 42 yards.

WSU improved to 3–0 on the season, and the win was Hill’s 50th at Weber State.

“This’ll be a great lesson for them,” Hill said.

“Sometimes you learn way more in an experience like this than you do in a 21-point win.”

The Wildcats are undefeated at home in the team’s last ten games at Stewart Stadium — a Weber State school record.

WSU’s next game comes on April 3, when the team heads south to take on the SUU Thunderbirds in Cedar City.

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Weber State University’s Rasheed Shaheed, 22, ensuring Justin Malone, 88, catches the Hail Mary pass.

12 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021

Congrats!

Class of 2021 Since 2016, WSU graduating students have contributed more than $32,000 to create

Cat2Cat

scholarships for fellow WSU students.

CONTINUE THE TRADITION Make a donation in the amount of your grad year, such as $20.21, and help a fellow Wildcat!

With your donation, you will receive a green philanthropy cord to show your status as an official donor of WSU!

Donate Today WEBER.EDU/CAT2CAT

SARAH EARNSHAW | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021 | 13

Snow covers a bridge located at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve. The preserve is a bird refuge located in the wetlands just off the Great Salt Lake in Layton, Utah.

By SARAH EARNSHAW Videography Editor

The Great Salt Lake is drying up, and it’s only going to get lower as more and more people move to Utah. This was discussed in a public forum by Weber State’s Walker Institute on March 23 in a Zoom conference.

“At any one time, the lake is around 11 feet lower than it would be if nobody was doing anything to any rivers running to the lake,” Tage Flint the general manager/CEO of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District said.

Three rivers feed into the Great Salt Lake: the Bear River, Weber River and Jordan River.

These rivers not only fill the Great Salt Lake but are used to provide water to communities for “agriculture, irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, power generation and recreation,” according to the Bear River Watershed Information System.

“The lights are going out on the Great Salt

Lake,” WSU professor of sociology Carla Trentleman said during the forum.

Trentleman noted that the lake is already experiencing historic low levels, and that’s not including the population growth or climate change.

“We’re just over 3 million folks in the state, with the projection of it growing much higher, nearing 6 million by 2060,” Flint said.

With the lake drying up, representatives for the Great Salt Lake are trying to raise awareness for the reasons behind it.

“The spoiler alert is that there really are no silver bullet solutions for the Great Salt Lake,” 18th District Utah House Rep. Tim Hawkes said.

Hawkes pointed out that there are other political factors that are causing the lake to dry up as well.

The lake water is being allocated in a way that prevents the lake from drying up and there are no laws that prevent people from

taking ownership of the water.

This could prove potentially devastating to the lake if people took the water that they claimed from the lake.

Another factor against the lake, as pointed out by Hawkes, is the government agencies over the different parts of the lake and the cities along the borders of the lake, have no desire to work with each other.

This results in the agencies and cities using the lake for their needs rather than working together toward the needs of the lake.

“We’re going to have to be careful to be sure that we mitigate and do not impact the Great Salt Lake any further than it already has,” Flint said.

Flint said that unlike in the past, water managers in Northern Utah are now regularly keeping an eye on the Salt Lake so that there are no further negative impacts to it.

In order to keep the lake healthy, Utah water managers are trying to implement new ways

to reuse water, but the planning is still ongoing.

Hawkes said that fortunately, things are starting to look good for the lake. Policies have changed in the last year that will benefit the lake with the recommended state water strategy that was implemented between 2013 and 2017.

Hawkes noted that government agencies and cities have begun to make it a priority to work together for the lake’s benefit, and the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council has tried to raise awareness toward the drying of the lake.

“We will continue on with our planning here to be sure that the water supply that’s relied upon so heavily by our citizens is still here in the next decades,” Flint said.

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14 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 26, 2021

BE THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

APRIL VIRTUAL GALLERY: -JULY HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE

Photo collection commemorating the victims of the Holocaust Virtual at weber.edu/diversity

8

APRIL KEYNOTE: ONE SURVIVOR REMEMBERS: HOLOCAUST EDUCATION AND CLOSING THE GAP IN TIME with Ruth Kapp Hartz Virtual at weber.edu/diversity | 6 P.M.

Ruth Kapp Hartz is a Holocaust survivor and educator, author, teacher and recipient of numerous awards. Learn more about her and her work at yournameisrenee.com.

BOOK GIVE-AWAY: YOUR NAME IS RENÉE: RUTH KAPP HARTZ’S STORY AS A HIDDEN CHILD IN NAZI-OCCUPIED FRANCE Contact Laurie Rader at laurierader@weber.edu to receive a copy.

Supplies limited.

weber.edu/diversity

Access & Diversity • Diversity & Inclusive Programs • Office of the President Lindquist Arts & Humanities • Honors Program • Department of Political Science & Philosophy • College of Social and Behavioral Science

For more information or to request accommodations in relation to a disability, contact Tia Nero: tianero@weber.edu, 801-626-6030.

MyWeberMedia.com| March 30, 2021 | 13

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEWS? 1. The correct answer is b, Trade routes. According to BBC, the Ever Given boat was freed on March 29 after being stuck for nearly a week in the Suez Canal.

Egyptian officials have said the backlog of ships that have been waiting to get through will take about three days to be cleared.

pected, as stated in his obituary, but the actual cause was not specified. Stockard is survived by his wife and five children.

3. The correct answer is d, Ken Garff. According to ABC4, the egg hunt was hosted as a way to connect with the community and let community members know the Ken Garff team is “HEAR” for them.

4. The correct answer is a, Infrastructure. According to NPR, the Biden Administration was already holding meetings and making plans to reduce gun violence, instead of just “reacting to tragedy.” Because of this, many people were shocked that the administration is still not considering gun reform a top priority.

5. The correct answer is a, Virtual community film festival. According to the Standard Examiner, Bennion saw last year’s as a success and wanted to continue that into this year. Community members can submit films up to 10 minutes, and others will vote for their favorites.

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Google Images

2. The correct answer is c, 17 years.

According to KSL, his death was unex-

QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 2

The Ever Given ship was stuck in the Suez Canal for nearly a week before it was finally dislodged.

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