The Signpost: MANDATORY MASKS EXTENDED TO SUMMER SEMESTER

Friday | April 2, 2021 | Volume 94 | Issue 48

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

>>PAGE 16

NEWS » PAGE 4

PHOTO ESSAY » PAGE 10

MANDATORY MASKS EXTENDED TO SUMMER SEMESTER

NATURE THROUGH A CAMERA’S LENS pixabay.com

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

2 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 2, 2021

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

Man’s best friend A dog was reported as being left in a parked car on March 29. An officer was able to make contact with the owner of the car that was parked in the A2 lot. The temperature was 42 degrees, and the animal did not seem to be in any distress. The officer warned the owner of risk and criminal liability.

Wandering the halls On March 27, a homeless man was reported walking around the Stewart Wasatch Building. Students were uncomfortable, but cameras showed the male engaging in no criminal activity. An officer gave the man a ride to the New Hope Crisis Center and took no further action.

Sneaking a sip An officer saw two individuals stuff alcohol into a backpack on March 27. The individuals

were caught, the alcohol was confiscated and they were told to leave the premises.

More foggy windows On March 25, an officer observed a silver car parked at the Beus Pond after hours.

There was no one in the front seats of the vehicle. The officer made contact with the individuals in the backseat who both provided licenses, and neither were there under duress. Nothing illegal was found, and the individuals were informed of parking hours

and asked to leave.

Dizzy after vaccine On March 29, a female individual became lightheaded and dizzy after receiving her vaccine. An officer arrived, and the female was laying on the floor with her feet elevated. Medical checked her vitals and observed her for 10 minutes. After that, she was taken back to her husband, who was waiting for her, and no further action was taken.

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Photo by Matt Popovich on Unsplash

WEBER CAMPUS COVID CASE UPDATES WSU

UTAH

DAVIS COUNTY

WEBER COUNTY

7 days: 285 total: 36,194

7 days: 329 total: 28,875

7 days: 6 14 days: 14 total: 626 COVID CASE UPDATES

total: 385,641 total vaccines: 1,364,203 COVID CASE UPDATES

WEBER CAMPUS COVID CASE UPDATES

MyWeberMedia.com| April 2, 2021 | 3

JOIN THE SIGNPOST

• • • •

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.

The Signpost publishes twice a week on and off campus and online daily at signpost. mywebermedia.com. Staff members are compensated with scholarships and have opportunities for training and travel.

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.

NIKKI DORBER | 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.

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Weber State’s mask mandate will extend until June 25.

By MARISA NELSON

Section Editor

Last week, Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation that will lift mask mandates in the state of Utah on April 10. There has been anticipation around whether Weber State University will continue to require students and others on campus to wear face coverings.

This question was answered on March 31 when a campus-wide email stated that the

WSU campuses will extend the requirement for face coverings until June 25.

The email from Dane LeBlanc, Director of Public Safety said “Keeping mask requirements in place through the first block of summer session allows us to offer more in-person courses and experiences, and aligns with practices happening in K-12 education.”

The email also stated that restrictions and protocols could change as information from the CDC and local health officials is released.

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

WSU is also working closely with Weber-Morgan Health Department to look at the possibility of holding high school graduations on campus this spring as well.

International travel will continue to be suspended through June 25, and all study abroad trips are also suspended in summer 2021.

Event protocols will remain the same, guidelines still including not holding third-party events, no overnight stays, not serving food or drink, no conferencing and all attendees and

hosts following COVID guidelines and protocols.

“Recent developments in our fight against COVID-19 are promising. We will revisit our current COVID-19 guidelines at the end of June. In the meantime, I thank you for your continued vigilance and adherence to these guidelines in an effort to keep campus safe for all.” LeBlanc said.

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ISRAEL CAMPA | The Signpost

SEN. MITT ROMNEY HOLDS TOWN HALL ON CHINA RELATIONS

Peter Roskam interviews Sen. Mitt Romney during March 30 town halls.

By ADAM RUBIN

Senior Reporter

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition held a virtual town hall with Sen. Mitt Romney regarding the foreign relations between China and the U.S. on March 30. The town hall dove into how these topics impact the state of Utah, trade relations and education. Thousands of viewers showed up for the event to hear Romney’s views on China and the United States’ relationships both on the larger, geopolitical scale and locally.

Many of these attendees were non-governmental organizations and business and opinion leaders in Utah.

Romney suggested that the U.S. needs to develop an umbrella tactic for elements on geo-political strategy and hammered home the point that it’s important to maintain respect for Asian-Americans.

“We welcome legal immigrants,” Romney

said. “If you look at businesses, Asian-Americans have created more than their fair share, which help employ Americans and raise wages here. I welcome legal immigration among Asian-Americans — a people who are devoted to family, hard work, education and STEM subjects. These are people who have helped our economy.”

He also said the U.S. has to be assertive in approaching the geo-political world, and that China relies on the rest of the world for their energy needs. Romney wants to increase our trade relations and to sell U.S. goods and services to China.

Kent Davis, deputy district attorney in Salt Lake County and former veteran, was one of the attendees who asked questions during the hour-long town hall.

Davis said, “How can our military, alongside our diplomatic and development agencies, continue to mitigate these conflicts with China

in order to counter Chinese aggression?”

Romney also said he is concerned about the Confucius Institutes, or public educational partnerships between universities in China and in other countries, which has been reported to have been designated by the U.S.’s intelligence community as a way for China to spy on its American-located students.

“I am happy to sell them things, and with regards to military, we don’t insist that people go through the Panama Canal — which is in our region — and make sure they pay us a toll for doing so,” Romney said.

Shadman Bashir, director of International Student Affairs at Dixie State, asked a question about about cultural exchanges with countries after COVID-19.

“Utah is, or was No. 1 in students coming from China,” Bashir said. “Utah has more than 8,000 students from China.”

Romney stated again the importance of the

need to welcome Asians as legal immigrants.

“To the topic of students, these so-called ‘Confucius Institutes’ establish spies to spy on Chinese students and to see if the students here are saying or doing anything that might suggest that they are becoming enamored with America,” Romney said.

Romney continued on and said he is “skeptical” with letting in Chinese or Asian students who he felt were here to steal American technologies and take them back to their countries.

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COMMUNITY ED COURSE EXAMINES CURRENT POLARIZATION OF SOCIETY

By JOSHUA KAMP Reporter

Weber State University is offering a free Community Education course this spring to explore the pertinent question “Why Are We So Polarized?” The course began on March 15 and runs to April 29.

The course, led by WSU history professor Susan Matt, features guest speakers each week that offer a variety of perspectives with which to view the divisive current social climate.

Speakers include historians, economists, sociologists, communications experts and political scientists.

Matt, the interim associate dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, had the idea to offer free virtual courses, focused on current issues, for the community through WSU’s Division of Online and Continuing Education last year, when pandemic lockdowns began.

For summer 2020, the college presented the course Pandemics and People, then in the fall offered The Ongoing Struggle for Civil Rights, both free to students and non-students via Zoom.

When planning a course for the spring, Matt

said, “I asked my colleagues, what is the big issue on everyone’s mind? They said: How polarized we have become.”

Each speaker offers different contexts to analyze the state of our society, looking back as far as the Civil War, but also discussing new factors, like social media.

“The question that a wide array of scholars are grappling with is: Is this a continuation of longer-term patterns, or is this something brand new?” Matt said.

Apart from the political divide, the different speakers touch on issues such as race, civil rights and economic inequality.

“The point is to get as many different perspectives as possible,” Matt said. “We want to take all of these presentations together and see what bigger portrait they leave us with.”

Matt expects the college will present another course in the fall, with the topic yet undetermined.

Upcoming speaker Viviana Felix, former diversity affairs officer for the city of Ogden, will speak about what uniting and dividing factors on a local level with a presentation titled “Diversity in Ogden” on April 6.

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By JOSHUA KAMP Reporter

By MATIAS PEDREIRA

Translator

Weber State University ofrece un curso gratuito de educación comunitaria esta primavera para explorar la siguiente pregunta, “¿Por qué estamos tan polarizados?” El curso comenzó el 15 de marzo y se extiende hasta el 29 de abril.

Este curso, dirigido por la profesora de historia de WSU, Susan Matt, cuenta con oradores invitados cada semana que ofrecen una variedad de perspectivas con las que ver el clima social divisivo actual. Los oradores incluyen

historiadores, economistas, sociólogos, expertos en comunicaciones y politólogos.

Matt, en el papel de Decano asociado interino de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y del Comportamiento, tuvo la idea de ofrecer cursos virtuales gratuitos, enfocados en temas actuales, para la comunidad a través de la División de Educación Continua y en Línea de WSU el año pasado cuando comenzaron los cierres a raiz de la pandemia.

Para el verano de 2020, la universidad presentó el curso “Pandemias y personas”, luego en el otoño ofreció “La lucha continua por los derechos civiles”, tanto gratis para estudiantes como para no estudiantes a través de Zoom.

weber.edu/registration

Al planificar un curso para la primavera, “les pregunté a mis colegas cuál es el gran problema en la mente de todos”, dijo Matt. “Dijeron: Cuán polarizados nos hemos vuelto”.

Cada ponente ofrece diferentes contextos para analizar el estado de nuestra sociedad, mirando hacia atrás hasta la Guerra Civil, pero también discutiendo nuevos factores como las redes sociales.

“La pregunta a la que se enfrentan una amplia gama de académicos es: ¿es esto una continuación de patrones a más largo plazo o es algo completamente nuevo?” dijo Matt.

Aparte de la división política, los diferentes ponentes abordan temas como la raza, los

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CURSO DE EDUCACIÓN COMUNITARIA EXAMINA LA POLARIZACIÓN ACTUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD

derechos civiles y la desigualdad económica.

“El punto es obtener tantas perspectivas diferentes como sea posible. Queremos tomar todas estas presentaciones juntas y ver qué retrato más amplio nos dejan ”, dijo Matt.

Matt espera que la universidad presente otro curso en el otoño, con el tema aún sin determinar.

La próxima oradora Viviana Felix, ex oficial de Asuntos de Diversidad de la ciudad de Ogden, hablará sobre lo que nos une y nos divide a nivel local con una presentación titulada “Diversidad en Ogden” el proximo 6 de abril.

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LISSETE LANDAVERDE | The Signpost

THE OVERLOOKED STORY OF THE FIRST STEP TOWARD DESEGREGATION

A clipping from a newspaper sharing the new ruling giving Mexican children equal rights is shared and used to invoke conversation among the members of the Zoom session.

By LISSETE LANDAVERDE Reporter

It is well-known that the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case led to the desegregation of schools across the country. Less well-known is another case that came before that paved the way for the passage of Brown v. Board.

In the presentation, titled “Whose school?

The pursuit of equality in Mendez v. Westminster school district,” Andrea Garavito Martinez, assistant professor in teacher education, and María del Mar González, art history assistant professor, presented the overlooked case that led to desegregation in California.

Felicitas Mendez and her husband Gonzalo Mendez spearheaded the Mendez v. West-

minster class-action lawsuit against the school district, which resulted in the first federal court ruling against public school desegregation.

This case took place from 1946 to 1947, almost a decade before Brown v. Board of Education.

They were not alone in this case. The Mendez family was accompanied by four other families of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent.

They were also supported by different racial and ethnic groups, such as Asian Americans, African Americans and Jewish Americans.

“What is interesting is that, despite these legal wins, much of the U.S. Latinx community today actually continues to struggle to obtain a just and equitable education,” González said. “This is actually something that we’ve seen deepen even further with the Coronavi-

rus pandemic.”

The case took place due to the couple’s attempts to enroll their three children in Westminster Elementary School, an all-white school and were denied based on the children being dark-skinned. They were then sent to Hoover School, a school for Mexican children.

On the other hand, other members of their family could go to Westminster because of their lighter skin color.

In the 1940s, Californian school districts, by law, would segregate American Indian and Asian children. They would also place Latinx and African American students in separate programs.

Additionally, they had de facto segregation, meaning Mexican students were attending separate so-called Mexican schools, even

when it was not part of the law.

These Mexican schools often looked like barns and had different water fountains and teachers compared to the all-white schools.

Rather than being separated by grade level, all the children were often taught in the same room.

Rather than claiming racial discrimination, as Mexicans were legally considered white in California, the family instead claimed it was discrimination based on ancestry and language deficiency, denying the children of their 14th amendment rights.

The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs due to the social, psychological and pedagogical damage the Mexican-American students faced. This ruling was supported by lawyers having the children testify their experiences

LISSETE LANDAVERDE | The Signpost

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A photo of Hoover School’s first grade class of 1944 is shared for all members of the Zoom call to see.

and describe the Mexican schools’ condition.

Following the case coming out in favor of the Mendez family, many appeals were submitted by school districts, claiming federal courts did not have jurisdiction over education.

Martinez brought up a quote by Judge Paul J. McCormick, who oversaw the Mendez v.

Westminster case: “A paramount requisite in the American system of public education is social equality.”

She said the quote argues that separate does not mean equal.

While legal segregation was eradicated with Brown v. Board of Education and school districts were forced to integrate, segregation based on race, income level and geographic location can still be seen in public schools today.

According to the Civil Rights Project, the past two decades have shown that many schools were released from desegregation orders. Therefore many districts never truly integrated since most of them were based on geographic boundaries.

Those exact geographic boundaries reflect decades of discriminatory housing policies that would often categorize neighborhoods on race.

Since 2007, Los Angeles Unified School District has dedicated a new school to Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez. Sylvia Mendez, one of their children, was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by former President Barack Obama.

There have also been efforts to add the Mendez v. Westminster case to California lesson

plans, but attempts have not been successful.

Now that ethnic studies courses are being required in Californian high schools, there will be another vote to include the case in lessons later in 2021.

Sylvia Mendez and Duncan Tonatiuh, a Mexican-American author, have been trying to educate people about the case, school desegregation and the complexity of the civil rights movement.

Felicitas Mendez told her daughter to continue telling the family of their story since it was not just about them, but the hundreds of other families that were impacted by their victory.

González and Martinez recommended different resources for both students and educators, one of them being Tonatiuh’s book, “Sep-

arate is Never Equal.” They also recommended visuals such as the Mendez v. Westminster mural located in a courthouse in Santa Ana, California.

Martinez said the mural could serve as a reminder that “segregation and the impact that it has is that it can divide. It can serve as a wedge.”

González and Martinez reminded the audience that Latinx identities are complex, given the wide range of ethnic and racial groups within them, to wrap up the presentation. They said it is often forgotten about when discussing Latinx people in the United States.

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By NIKKI DORBER

Photographer

I remember as a child if I told my parents I was bored, they would give me a crazy look and simply tell me to go outside. At first, I would go outside sulking because, if I am being honest, I was expecting them to entertain me. When they did not give into my wishes, I would venture out and find something to do.

As a nontraditional student, my children are the same age or close to the same age as many of you who are reading this article. And as a young mother, I found myself being on the flip side of that scenario. My children would tell me how bored they were, and you guessed it, I would tell them then go outside.

We joke about this now, but my children and I learned valuable lessons from this small statement. We learned to appreciate the outdoors, and we all thrive when we step foot outside. We did everything from making mud pies to finding hiking trails, and if we didn’t have hiking trails, we would pretend to have one in our backyard.

To the horror of many of you, I did not allow my children to play video games often. In fact, for many years, we had no video games in our home. And when we did, they may have played for an hour every month. Instead, they would go outside.

As grown-ups, my children and myself have learned to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, no matter where we are. Utah has a special place in our hearts. The mountains are majestic, and the rivers feed our thirsty souls. When we find ourselves consumed with life, overthinking scenarios and feeling the pressures of society, we grab our hiking shoes and enjoy the beauty that our state has to offer. Simply put, it resets our minds.

It only takes a peek outside to see what we have at our fingertips. If you look west, you will find the beauty of the Great Salt Lake — it is spectacular, an enormous body of salt water that is not connected to the sea. If you look east, you will see the grandeur of the mountains that exist within our state, sometimes topped with white, other times with green or fiery red. The southern part of our state offers the beauty of rocks that have been through years of weather and erosion, creating amazing arches, red cliffs and hoodoos. And if you go north, you will see the Rocky Mountains take on a different form. The adventure is in getting to each of these places, for there is so much more in between. How incredible that we get to enjoy of the things Mother Nature has created.

As Edward Abbey once said, “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, as vital to our lives as water and good bread.”

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

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The sun sets behind a mountain near Logan, Utah.

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

Left page: Large red rocks and high cliffs surround the man-made waters in Lake Powell. Top: The cliffs of Flaming Gorge, Utah above an outlet become hidden by a fog.

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Burch trees and shrubbery with the sun shining through is a common sight in Utah.

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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.

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KIERSTYNN KING | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| April 2, 2021 | 13

A variety of class options are offered by the community education center.

By KIERSTYNN KING Reporter

Weber State University is partnering with the Utah Strong program to offer a series of classes geared towards helping people handle COVID-19 stress.

The courses began March 30 and will run through April 21 and cover topics such as managing stress during the pandemic, mindfulness and understanding stress and how it affects the body. Classes are offered with a variety of daytime or evening and virtual or in-person options.

According to Community Education’s webpage, the purpose of the courses is to improve mental health and overcome challenges during a time of immense worry and stress.

Stuart Boyd, a marriage counselor and former WSU employee, is the main instructor and will be joined by co-instructors Debbie

Tolton and Dennis Perkins.

Participants do not have to be a WSU student or graduate in order to attend the courses.

The Utah Strong Crisis Counseling Program was developed in July to help people find ways to cope with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is operated by the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health in the Department of Human Services and provides free crisis counseling services through virtual outreach, public education, emotional support, information, referral and community outreach.

Community Education also offers other classes: You, Too, Can Become a Fiction Writer; Amateur Drone Operation; Piñata Making; Criminal Profiling; How to Create Cartoons and Graphic Novels and more.

According to Community Education Center Director Luis Lopez, a committee helps make

WSU is partnering with Utah Strong to offer classes helping people manage stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

the decisions about which classes to offer. The committee also considers feedback and suggestions from previous students.

“Our goal is to serve the lifelong learning needs of the community, to keep education at the forefront of people’s lives,” Lopez said.

Lopez credits the team of people throughout the community education division that help create the classes every semester.

“Before the pandemic, we were never able to offer classes that were fully online,” Lopez said. “We’ve learned that people don’t mind learning online, so now we plan to continue teaching online even after the pandemic.”

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NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

14 | MyWeberMedia.com| April 2, 2021

Sadie Newsom, 6, defends against Southern Utah, kicking the ball down the field.

Weber State’s Sadie Newsom pushes back against Southern Utah’s defense.

By JACE COOK Reporter

Weber State soccer split the results against Southern Utah in the team’s first two matches in Ogden this year.

The Wildcats won their first game against the Thunderbirds 1–0 on March 26. The goal scorer was freshman Yira Yoggerst. This was her first goal of the season. She intercepted the ball at the top of the box and was able to dribble past her defenders to slot it home in the 36th minute.

“It was super cool to score my first goal and then be there with my teammates,” Yoggerst

said.

The Wildcats took 10 shots, with seven being on goal. The Thunderbirds got four shots with two on goal. Southern Utah’s keeper, Jennifer Kovisto, got six saves with Weber State’s keeper, Mekell Moss, getting two saves. Both teams were awarded three corner kicks in the match. Weber State committed 15 fouls while Southern Utah committed 10 fouls. Southern Utah was shown two yellow cards. One card went to Kamryn Farro, and the other went to Alison Keller. Weber State got one yellow card, which went to Jasmine Lotey.

“I thought we played really well,” Yoggerst said. “I think that we played the Weber way.”

Wildcats’ head coach Craig Sanders thinks his team played better than what the score shows.

“I thought we had a number of chances that on another day we could have converted,” Sanders said. “But I’m very happy with the result.”

Sanders also talked about how it was to be back playing at Weber State.

“It’s good to get on the home field, have a few fans in the stands and get the result,” Sanders said.

The Wildcats also played Southern Utah on March 28. This was also the team’s Senior Day in case later matches ended up being can-

celled. The team’s seniors are Mylee Broad, Lotey, Cambrie Lake, Haley Thomas, Grace Youngberg and Kylie Harris.

The Wildcats lost 1—0. The one goal came from a penalty kick. It was not called initially.

The referee had a discussion with their assistant referee and the result was the penalty.

Thunderbird Jaylynn Barton converted the penalty kick in the 34th minute. Weber State were able to create some chances at the end of the match, with one hitting the post. The Wildcats’ efforts were not enough in the end, and the Thunderbirds earned a road victory.

Southern Utah shot the ball four times with two on target. The Wildcats got 15 shots off

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| April 2, 2021 | 15

Weber State hosts game two of two on March 28 against Southern Utah.

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

Mylee Broad, 7, fights to keep possession against a Southern Utah player.

Midfielder Jasmine Lotey works to keep the ball away from Southern Utah.

Weber State’s goalkeeper and defense block a corner kick attempt by Southern Utah.

with 10 on target. Kovisto earned 10 saves.

Weber State’s goalkeeper, Kaytlin Bradley, earned one save. Weber State had seven corner kicks, and Southern Utah had one. Weber State committed 11 fouls, while Southern Utah committed 13 fouls. There was one yellow card shown in the game, and it was shown to Thunderbird Monica Brown.

Sanders mentions that playing during the Lauren McConnell, 12, is met head-on by the Southern Utah defense. pandemic has brought changes to the schedThe Wildcats will face off against Idaho State ule. A team usually does not play the same try something different,” Sanders said.

Sanders said the positioning and oppor- on April 2 and 4 in Pocatello, Idaho. team a few days apart.

Sanders talked about how the different kind tunities were there for his team, but the ball of schedule and the Wildcats’ win on March would not go in the goal.

After these two games, the Wildcats’ record 27 impacts how teams prepare for games.

Comment on this story at stands at two wins, three loses and one draw.

“We knew they were gonna come out and signpost.mywebermedia.com

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

16| MyWeberMedia.com| April 2, 2021

Faith Hoe celebrates hitting the first home run of the game.

By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

Weber State softball swept Idaho State out of Ogden after the Wildcats scratched out the Bengals three times in two days with victories by the scores of 8–6, 19–0 and 7–1 in WSU’s first Big Sky softball games in nearly two years.

“It’s great cause the last six weeks, we’ve been traveling all over the place,” Wildcats’ catcher Lauren Hoe said of playing at home. “I think we’re a different, rejuvenated team, and I think we’re known for really stepping it up in conference play.”

Not since junior third baseman Chloe Camarero walk-off homered in the bottom of the eighth inning for a WSU win at Wildcat Softball Field in April 2019 had the Wildcats played a Big Sky Conference game on the

team’s home field.

“It feels so great, and we appreciate the fans, the support and the administration working,” Wildcats’ head coach Mary Kay Amicone said.

“They do everything to help us be successful.

We love being at home. It’s absolutely fantastic.”

In the first of the two games on March 27, doubleheader sophomore right-hander Mariah Ramirez started for WSU in the circle and pitched 5 1/3 innings, striking out one batter, walking another and giving up three runs.

After a scoreless first inning, Bengal Jillian Martinez scored the game’s first run after four batters hit.

The Wildcats found offense in the bottom of the second inning when sophomore second baseman Faith Hoe hit a line drive to right field. Hoe raced to home plate for a scored run

when Ramirez knocked a RBI triple to right field to tie the game at 1–1.

Wildcat sophomore catcher Lauren Hoe’s RBI double brought in Ramirez for WSU’s second scored run of the inning.

After Ramirez put away three Bengal batters in the top of the third, the Wildcats’ success at the plate continued.

After Camarero reached the base paths on a walk, and Wildcat first baseman Ashlyn Visser singled to left field, Faith Hoe stepped in the batter’s box and ripped a shot over the right-center field fence.

The three-run homer gave WSU a 5–1 lead.

The Wildcats fielded a quick three outs and a Camarero double brought an RBI, with freshman Mia Rushton home for a run to extend WSU’s lead to 6–1 heading into the fifth inning.

The Bengals were held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, and the Wildcats led by Lauren Hoe’s double and Rushton’s triple brought 2 RBI’s, bringing WSU’s lead to 8–1.

Ramirez gave up 3 earned runs but got the win after Wildcat reliever Kate Donaldson’s save in the sixth inning.

Amicone said of the players’ efforts, “Hitting as a team, relentless effort and great energy and our pitchers did amazing; they were fantastic.”

The Wildcats brought the power bats in the second game of the doubleheader.

Camarero’s 3 RBI double and Faith Hoe’s 2 RBI home run over the center-field fence took the Wildcats to a 10–0 lead in the bottom of the second.

Sophomore Katelyn Whiting’s RBI triple in the fourth inning sealed the Wildcats run away

MyWeberMedia.com| April 2, 2021 | 17

pitching of freshman Amanda Sink.

“The whole team was all in. We hit and attacked,” Sink said. “We played solid defense, which really helped me out so I don’t have to throw as many pitches.”

Sink pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out six ISU batters.

Sink said her style of play is to attack batters “and if I get ahead, I’ll stay ahead.”

The right-hander was one out away from a shutout when ISU’s Isabel Cargill walked across home plate, scoring a run with the bases loaded.

But the WSU hitting couldn’t be stopped, and the twins out of Walla Walla, Washington broke the game open for the Wildcats.

Faith Hoe bunted to get on base and Lauren Hoe ripped a RBI double to put WSU up 5–0 in the the third inning, and the Wildcats never looked back on the way to victory.

“I think, as a team, we really hit the ball, and that’s going to be a really big thing to happen in the Big Sky because a lot of the teams can hit really well,” Lauren Hoe said. “There’ll be a lot of big scores like the 8–6 game.”

The Weber State softball team’s cleats next touch the diamond at Wildcat Softball Field when the team faces Colorado State in a double header on April 3 and Utah Valley on April 6.

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

in a 19–0 victory, and the game was stopped at the fifth inning because WSU was up by more than eight runs.

“It was great, hitting is contagious when you’re seeing the ball well and you’re working together,” Amicone said. “It’s exactly what we needed to come out and put those runs up.”

The Wildcats took down ISU, 7–1, on March 28, for the three-game sweep behind the

MILES SHAW | The Signpost

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NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

Chloe Camarero prepares for the right pitch against Idaho State.

Mariah Ramirez (18) unwinds a pitch against Idaho State.

The Wildcat infield meets with pitcher Amanda Sink, 20, and catcher Lauren Hoe at Wildcat Softball Field on March 28 in Ogden.

14 | MyWeberMedia.com| March 26, 2021

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Weber State Athletics

THE WILDCATS SET TO TAKE ON THE T-BIRDS IN CEDAR CITY

Wildcat O-lineman Noah Atagi, 79, celebrates with teammates after Weber State’s astonishing win over NAU on March 27 at Stewart Stadium.

By TYLER HASLAM

Reporter

After the miraculous roller coaster ride that was Weber State’s 28–23 victory over Northern Arizona on March 27, the Wildcats now turn to their next opponent — in-state rival Southern Utah University.

WSU will make the trip south to Cedar City to square off against the Thunderbirds on April 3.

Although SUU has just a 1–3 record, the record may not be completely telling as to how good the team really is. The Thunderbirds’

three losses have come by a mere four points combined.

The Wildcats’ defense will have their hands full as they try to contain a dangerous Thunderbird aerial offensive attack. In four games, sophomore quarterback Justin Miller has thrown for over 1,100 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions for SUU. Miller threw for a season-high 422 yards and 3 touchdowns in SUU’s loss to Idaho on March 27.

Miller has a pair of talented receivers in Brandon Schenks and Landen Measom, both of whom average over 70 receiving yards a

game, while combining for nine touchdowns.

The Thunderbirds’ passing attack is second in the Big Sky with 297 yards per game, while the Wildcats allow the conference’s second-least amount of passing yards with 215 per game. The ability of the Wildcats’ secondary to contain Miller and his receivers will be a key matchup to watch for.

Offensively, the Wildcats will look to take advantage of their ground game on the heels of a dominant, 253-yard rushing performance against Northern Arizona. SUU allows just over 120 rushing yards per game.

Weber tailback Josh Davis comes into the

game, leading the Big Sky in rushing yards at 106 yards per game.

It’s been nearly 18 months since these two teams last met. The Wildcats defeated the Thunderbirds in that contest by a score of 29–14 in Ogden.

The No. 2-ranked Wildcats look to improve to 4–0 on the season.

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