The Argonaut | Jan. 23

JANUARY 23, 2020

UIARGONAUT.COM

CITY HISTORY

Two days, one month, signify historic events

WOMEN’S MARCH

Ellen Dennis | Argonaut

MARCH FOR LIFE

Alex Brizee | Argonaut

Jan. 18, 2020

Jan. 21, 2017

Jan. 21, 2017

Jan. 22, 1973

Jan. 22, 1974

Jan. 18, 2020

The Moscow Women’s March celebrates its fourth year on the Palouse.

Moscow’s first women’s march is planned, around 2,500 show up in support at East City Park.

National Women’s March begins the day after the inauguration of President Trump.

The Supreme Court ratifies Roe v. Wade, allowing women the right to abort.

March for Life begins nationally and in Moscow.

The Moscow March for Life celebrates its forty-seventh year on the Palouse.

The third Saturday for January every year for the past four years has filled Moscow with supporters of both the Women’s March and March for Life Alex Brizee and Ellen Dennis

ARGONAUT

Two days in January, just one day apart, mark historic national events which echo across America — both have made their way to Moscow.

The Women’s March was born on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after President Trump’s inauguration. While it has been four years since the original march, protesters continue to gather once a year on the nearest Saturday.

The other march, which initially took place on Jan. 22, 1974 — March for Life

— protests the ratification of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which grants a pregnant woman the right to abort.

Here in Moscow, these marches have crossed paths on the third Saturday in January every year since the Women’s March first began.

Women’s March on the Palouse began in 2017 with a turnout of over 2,500 community members, according to previous reporting on Jan. 22, 2017.

Increased governmental funding of women’s healthcare, voting accessibility and abortion rights were among the topics of discussion at this year’s Women’s March. Protesters toted signs with messages including “Keep Abortion Legal” and “End Period Poverty.”

“It’s easy to say, I don’t want to talk politics, I just don’t want to engage in it, it’s too much — but that’s really a sign of privilege to be able to say if I’m not

interested or it’s just not important to me,” Dulce Kersting-Lark, one of the two Women’s March organizers, said. “There are lots of people who have to engage with the political process and they’d rather not either, but they’re forced to engage with it.

So, we want to make sure that all of us are speaking and elevating the voices of those who might otherwise be marginalized.”

Linda Geidl, the former organizer of Right-to-Life, said Moscow’s March for Life began in line with 1974’s national march.

Geidl has been involved in Right-toLife, the current organizers for March for Life, since 1977 after moving back to Idaho from Alaska. She said she was involved with anti-abortion work in Alaska as well.

“We have attended the March every year since 1977,” Geidl said.

While March for Life has no official

BUDGET

$14 million deficit ‘largely resolved’ John Webb

ARGONAUT

As University of Idaho students begin the spring semester, university officials continue to work on the projected $22 million deficit. The projected $14 million deficit for fiscal year 2020 (FY20) has “largely been resolved,” said Brian Foisy, vice president for the Division of Finance and Administration.

Foisy and assistant vice president for University Budget and Planning, Trina Mahoney, said departments at UI have been taking one-time reduction cuts from this year’s budget.

It is up to each college or department to determine how they will meet those

cuts for Fiscal year 2021 (FY21), Jodi Walker, UI director of communications, said.

Other reductions include a $4 million cut on benefits and a $1.26 million cut for the Division of Finance and Administration (DFA).

Deans, vice presidents and administrators are already working on their budget reduction plans for the projected $22 million deficit, Foisy said.

Those plans should be submitted to President C. Scott Green by the end of January.

Outsourcing Outsourcing has been a possible solution for the projected deficit. It’s been strongly debated over the past couple of months, with much opposition coming from Facilities Services.

Other reductions: Before break, outsourcing vendors toured Other reductions, for FY20 are as IN THIS ISSUE

Learn about Climate Change Fridays.

LIFE, 5 News, 1

Life, 5

Sports, 7

Opinion, 9

follows, Walker said.

• President - $780,000 • Divsion of Fiance and Adminstrarion - $1.26 million • Inforamtion Technology Services - $518,000 • Research - $389,000 • Advancement - $330,000 • Benefits - $4 million

A dive into Idaho Vandal tennis.

SPORTS, 7

religious affiliation, most of the attendees are members of various churches throughout Moscow, Geidl said.

Geidl was not religious when she first started supporting March for Life and while she is now, she said she puts logic and science in the forefront.

“Scientifically and biological that from the moment of conception we are dealing with a human life,” Geidl said.

“Anyone who has taken basic biology could tell you that.”

Ty Knight, a march participant and member of Christ Church, spoke on his opposition to Roe v. Wade. Knight said while this year is important for Roe v.

Wade because of national conversations to reverse the law, every year is important because, “life is always an important issue.”

SEE MARCHES, PAGE 3

UI budget update on outsourcing, voluntary incentives and continuous reductions the campus in preparation to present a proposal to the Request for Proposal (RFP) selection committee, who then will review the proposals and make a decision based on the cheapest submission with the most innovative solutions.

“A lot of it depends on what comes back from the vendors. If they come back with solutions that are more expensive, then we’ll simply set this whole thing aside,” Foisy said.

“If they come back with some innovative solutions that we think can save us money in the long term, then there might be something for us to consider.”

SEE DEFICIT, PAGE 3

Feminism comes in all signs and forms.

Read our view.

OPINION, 9

University of Idaho

Volume 121, Issue no. 48

Recyclable

PAGE 2

ARGONAUT

Vandal Health Education

JANUARY 23, 2020

A Crumbs recipe

Four ingredient gluten-free cookies For many people it may be hard to find a cookie recipe that’s both delicious, gluten-free and easy. This four-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe is all of those things.

Ingredients • • • •

Outdoor Program

1 cup gluten-free peanut butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp of vanilla (optional)

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine peanut butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in a bowl.

3. Roll mixture into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Use a fork to press down on them.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

5. Let cookies cool for about 10 minutes.

Outdoor Program

Nicole Hindberg can be reached at crumbs@uidaho.edu

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Vandal Health Education

THE FINE PRINT

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Nicole Hindberg | Argonaut

Argonaut Directory Brianna Finnegan Editor-in-Chief argonaut@uidaho.edu

Alex Brizee

News Editor

arg-news@uidaho.edu

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JANUARY 23, 2020

ARGONAUT

PAGE 3

MARCHES FROM PAGE 3

“That’s the hope; that’s the goodness. That there’s forgiveness for those who’ve had abortions, for those who’ve advocated and allowed abortions, for those who are angry at abortionists,” Knight said.

Amy Wright, an LCSU nursing student and pro-abortion rights believer, came across Saturday’s March for Life after leaving the Women’s March. Wright said she doesn’t agree that March for Life doesn’t impede on separation of church and state.

“It’s the assumption that everybody here is Christian, and anything that is Christian is right,” Wright said.

For the participants in March for Life who aren’t Christian or otherwise religious, Knight said he believes the biology of women’s bodies’ ability to conceive children is beautiful.

“And (a women’s pregnancy is) a gift to be protected, to be shepherded, to be loved and quite simply not be killed,” Knight said.

Other March for Life supporters like Bobbi Finken, a supporter for the last eight years, said she values children and wants more women to be open to the idea of life.

“We value the sanctity of life, from the womb to the tomb,” Finken said. “So even the elderly, everyone has value.”

On the other hand, according to Wright, March for Life’s mission is not respectful of women’s rights. She said she doesn’t believe being proabortion rights makes her “anti-life.”

“I don’t think anybody goes to get abortion (thinking), ‘Oh, this is great birth control,’ Wright said.

Wright, a Washington resident, said she’s never feared her right to abortion being taken away but is concerned for people who have less access to birth control, contraceptives and abortions.

While not directly addressed on Saturday’s March for Life, signs supporting the defunding of Planned Parenthood, which read “#defundPP” were held high by March for Life protesters.

Pullman’s Planned Parenthood, which is nearest in proximity, does

Alex Brizee | Argonaut

Pastor Jonathon Krenz, speaks to a crowd of around 200 pro-life supporters Saturday at Moscow’s March for Life event. offer services such as abortion, according to their website. Planned Parenthood in Pullman also offers birth control services, general health care for women and men, STI testing and more.

At Saturday’s Women’s March many were in favor of upholding and increasing U.S. government funding for Planned Parenthood.

Other key topics of discussion were the cost of healthcare in the U.S. and extra expenses women have to account for, such as feminine hygiene products. And in Idaho the sales tax is 6% which applies to feminine hygiene products.

“One thing some of the signs that I saw today brought up was how people have to pay to be a woman. That is a serious struggle,” Katya Bobenhouse, a Women’s March participant, said.

“I don’t make a lot of money; I work in Idaho. I’m at minimum wage right now, and it is a struggle having to pay for women’s products. Definitely puts a damper on the paycheck.”

March for Life participant Finken, along with Sabrina Johnson and Meghan Blankenship, two Washington

DEFICIT FROM PAGE 3

The university will hear back from the vendors on Jan. 22. Selection committee members will then invite selected vendors to come back and present to their committee and the campus community, which includes interested employees and campus community members. If the committee finds a vendor that they wish to pursue, a recommendation will be made to Foisy and then he will submit a final recommendation to Green by April.

Voluntary separation incentives A potential solution to save the university $14.5 million is the voluntarily separation plans which were sent to employees last semester, to resign from UI after this year. Inquiry about the plan doesn’t require those employees to go through with it, but UI will provide them an offer.

At that point, they have 45 days to decide if they will take the offer or decline.

If they take longer than the 45 days to decide, the offer lapses.

The two incentives offered to staff were the Voluntary Separation Incentive

State University students, do not support any form of abortion.

The three of them said they were supporters of an ectopic pregnancy, a medical situation where the mother’s life is threatened.

An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg attaches to the fallopian tube or elsewhere outside of the uterus. If untreated, this can cause severe harm or even death to the mother, and the only way to treat it is to remove the egg — ending the pregnancy.

Despite the contrasting opinions of the two marches, Finken said they always offer the supporters of the Women’s March hot chocolate — but she has never had anyone accept.

“They just share a different opinion and we honor their presence,” Finken said. “We’re not angry with you, we want to have dialogue, we want to be willing to talk.”

Alex Brizee and Ellen Dennis can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

Ellen Dennis | Argonaut

A pro-abortion rights sign Saturday.

Program (VSIP), available to employees who have at least 10 years of consecutive service without an already-approved resignation or retirement announcement and the Optional Retirement Incentive Program (ORIP). The employee must have worked at least 20 consecutive years for the university and do not have an approved retirement plan.

Between VSIP and ORIP 200 employees responded by Dec.13, 109 expressed interest in VSIP and 91 for ORIP. According to a memo sent out by Green, the university doesn’t expect all 200 employees to leave, which means the $14.5 million savings is unlikely. Another negative aspect of separation incentive’s is vacated positions that will have to be refilled. The supervisors will have lost all the knowledge and expertise the former employee obtained and will have less money to rehire a new one, Foisy said.

“There will be some cases where this is not advantageous to the university,” Foisy said.

John Webb can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

Argonaut Religion Directory Sunday Services

Meeting at Short’s Chapel 1125 E. 6th St., Moscow

Mr. Kirk Brower - Senior Pastor Mr. Kim Kirkland - Assistant Pastor Mr. Nate Anglen - Assistant Pastor

Sunday Worship Service — 10 a.m.

Christ Centered

Pastors:

960 W. Palouse River Drive, Moscow 208-882-0674 www.bridgebible.org

www.moscowbible.com Pastor Josh Shetler 208-874-3701

Augustana Lutheran Church 711 Fairview Drive Moscow, ID 208-882-2015 Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. www.trinitymoscow.org College Dinner + Study at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday 10am 1015 West C St. Moscow moscowlutheran.org .

If you would like your belief-based organization to be included in the religion directory, please contact Student Media Advertising at

PAGE 4

ARGONAUT

JANUARY 23, 2020

Alex Brizee | Argonaut

The conceptual side of the year old mural done by artist FABS on the side of the Moscow Water Filter Plant, on the corner of Jackson and A street. The mural was done to show the value and importance of water.

RESEARCH

Water use and its long streamy history with the Palouse How water has been an issue in the Palouse since the 1800s, and the difference this time Alex Brizee

ARGONAUT

From the 1800s to today, the challenge of water has been an integral part of the history and life in the rolling hills of the Palouse.

Tyler Palmer, Moscow’s deputy city supervisor for Public Works and Services, said that all early settlements have the same story — the story of water — and the Palouse is no different when it comes to this.

In the Palouse, our water comes from the Palouse Basin aquifers; the Wanapum and the Grande Ronde.

“There’s an old saying in the West that whiskey’s for drinking and water’s for fighting,” Palmer said. “Water is rife with conflict. The wars that were fought over oil in the last hundred years will be fought over water in the next hundred.”

While most are fighting over water, the Palouse is doing something different.

The Palouse Basin aquifers provide water for not only Latah County but Whitman County, sharing water over a county line, a state line and between two universities.

But as Palmer said, there aren’t significant battles of conflict between the two.

And coming together across state lines isn’t unusual to the Palouse. Moscow City Councilor Anne Zabala said the PullmanMoscow Regional Airport is another example of the collaboration.

Collaboration is part of why Palmer and Zabala believe they can fix the water crisis.

Water has been an issue in the Palouse, since the first settlement.

There have been improvements and attempts, no one has found the perfect solution.

A 1955 report, “Ground-Water Problems in the Vicinity of Moscow, Latah County, Idaho” generated by the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey, stated that by 1970 the water needs in Moscow would double, according to an

article Palmer is working on.

That meant the Palouse had to work together to find a long-term solution.

With the topic of water being prevalent, the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee (PBAC) is focusing on not just the research side but the community perspective.

Alexander Maas, a University of Idaho economist, is working with PBAC to learn what the Palouse cares about when it comes to water.

Maas has surveyed 420 Palouse residents to determine what the community cares about, what they know about PBAC and how much they are willing to pay for water supply changes.

PBAC, which first formed in 1967, is made up of 12 members, six from Latah County and six from Whitman County — prioritize members from both Washington State University and the University of Idaho. The committee is made up of elected officials like Zabala and engineers or public service managers like Palmer.

PBAC is still working with academics and researchers from UI, but UI is no longer a financial supporter of PBAC due to the UI’s budget issues, Palmer said.

While PBAC is still in the process of finding an updated solution, they are prioritizing the community input along with multiple long-term water solutions.

No solution has been decided but PBAC is still working to educate the community about water.

According to the “PBAC Supply Survey” results from Maas, Moscow residents on average would be OK with up to a $14 increase in their water bill to pay for a reservoir. But there was strong opposition to outside watering restrictions, and residents would want a $6 decrease to their bill if they were asked if their water use was restricted.

The communities’ input is so important, because Palmer said the downfalls in the past of PBAC were the committee’s lack of involvement with their research and plan.

An example of this lack of communication was the pumped storage proposal in 1976, Palmer said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had come together in Pullman with a plan

Data provided through PBAC’s Supply Survey to pump and store water, yet they were planning to store it on farmers’ land.

The farmers came together and formed the Organization for the Preservation of Agricultural Land (OPAL) and pushed back aganist the Corps’ plans.

So today, the committee has a longterm city council member — Zabala — instead of rotating through councilors each year. Zabala has only worked with PBAC for a year, and when this year’s rotation comes to an end, Zabala will be staying on with PBAC — allowing her to understand the learning curve that being on the PBAC can take.

But in the meantime, the city is making sure to engage the community and promote PBAC. Palmer and Zabala said they’ve seen an increase in support and knowledge from the community. A large part of people’s awareness comes from the city council

Alex Brizee | Argonaut

election, as Zabala and other candidates made it the forefront of their issues.

“There’s little things — everyone generally, once they’ve been somewhere long enough knows about a community,” Palmer said. “This restaurant (is) good for this, or this sledding hill’s over here — and having water and the water situation becomes just part of the gestalt of the place. I think it’s been really gratifying to see that increase.”

Alex Brizee can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @alex_brizee

JANUARY 23, 2020

PAGE 5

LIFE

LIFESTYLES, INTERESTS, FEATURES AND ENTERTAINMENT

COMMUNITY LIFE

e t a m i l C e g n a Ch s y a d i Fr

Alex Brizee | Argonaut

Logan Helfin encourages the group to chant during the Climate Crisis Walkout in September

Logan Heflin seeks to promote action against climate change Ryan Hill

ARGONAUT

Logan Heflin, a former member of the ASUI senate, took 17-year-old activist Greta Thunberg’s words to heart and sought to promote action to combat climate change.

Last September Heflin and Nicole Xiao, sophomore at Moscow High School, co-created the Climate Crisis Walkout involving Moscow High School students and University of Idaho students.

Similar events were held across the world on that day.

For the past five months, Heflin has continued to make a statement against climate change by sitting outside Moscow City Hall with signs promoting action against climate change. He has done this

every Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Every week, he posts on his Instagram page photos of himself holding his signs.

The signs read, “#FridaysForFuture Climate Action Now #ChangeNow” and “Moscow Sierra Club Ready for 100 Campaign.” He also frequently posts about issues regarding climate change on his Instagram story.

Heflin said he is taking part in the Fridays for the Future Movement, a global movement started by Thunberg to encourage people to protest in front of their political leaders and demand action against climate change. Heflin said he is proud to be participating in this.

“I think about all those people and other places that don’t even have the right to do what I’m doing right now,” Heflin said. “It’s a global movement, so the least I can do is sit out here for a few hours and protest.”

Heflin has managed to get the support

of some community members. He said mostly he gets a few honks from cars, but some people will bring him coffee.

However, he has gotten the support of environmental groups such as the Friends of the Clearwater, the Extinction Rebellion Campaign and the Sierra Club in Moscow.

Heflin is working with the Sierra Club in Moscow on a campaign called the “Ready for 100 (resources)”.

“That’s a campaign that a lot of cities are adopting in the U.S. to pass a resolution that pretty much guarantees that they’ll become carbon neutral and utilize 100% renewable,” Heflin explained.

Heflin said he is working with the Sierra Club and the UI Sustainability Center to encourage more students from UI to join him on Fridays for the Future.

He said he’s gotten a few to join him, but most of the time he is by himself.

However, he said he still remains resilient

and hopeful. He also said he hopes that more people will join him soon.

“I would just ask that they take the necessary steps as an individual to reduce their carbon footprint and limit their greenhouse gas emissions,” Heflin said.

“We have to reduce our emissions by such a steep amount. We do need a system change, but that can’t happen without individual change. Each one of us should really look into how we can help care for the environment.”

Ryan Hill can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu.

THEATER

Fundraiser to take UI Theater performance on the road “This Random World” one night only performance to raise funds to travel to Fort Collins, Colorado Nicole Hindberg

ARGONAUT

This weekend there will be an opportunity to see one of the University of Idaho Theatre Department’s previous performances, “This Random World”, again for one night only.

This performance was originally put on in October of 2019 and was directed by UI Professor of Performance David LeePainter and UI alumnus, Daniel L. Haley.

The cast and crew of “This Random World” have been selected to perform this play at the Region VII of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Film Festival Feb. 15 through 22. This one night only performance will serve as a fundraiser to help cover the cost of traveling to the festival in Fort Collins, Colorado.

There will be 1,100 students and faculty at the festival from nine states including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Colorado and the northern parts of California and Nevada.

During the festival, there will be three performances showcased. “This Random World” will be performed on Feb. 19.

Lee-Painter said he is glad for the opportunity to show this play to the community again before they travel to the festival. Lee-Painter said the play is about connections and missed connections.

“The closest connections in this play are with people that they’re not related to, and truths are told to people that are not directly connected to them, and they all sort of mourn that,” Lee-Painter said.

“Through the course of this play, many different characters have a moment of connection with someone, and it’s not what they expect.”

Lee-Painter said this opportunity to travel to the festival allows them to show what they value as a program at UI. “The things that we value (like) truth, connection and community seemed to really come through in this production, so it’s a chance to sort of showcase that,” LeePainter said.

This opportunity will also allow them to showcase their work to prospective The cast and crew of “This Random World” students and colleagues at adjustments to their original performance institutions in the area. because of the larger size of the theater at Lee-Painter is excited to show this the festival and some students from the production to more people. The venue it was original performance have graduated. But previously shown in held 80 seats, while the Lee-Painter said he is excited to figure out theater at the festival holds 350 seats. those changes.

“It’s one of my favorite experiences of The play features more than 30 UI my life and career. It was great, we had students and community members. a wonderful time through the process,” The one night only showing of the play Lee-Painter said referring to putting on the will be held on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in performance the first time. the Hartung Theater. Admission to the The cast and crew will have to make

David Harlan | Courtesy

performance is by donation.

Tickets for the show can be reserved by calling (208) 885-6465 or by emailing theatre@uidaho.edu or at the door 60 minutes before curtain.

Nicole Hindberg can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @HindbergNicole.

PAGE 6

ARGONAUT

JANUARY 23, 2020

COMMUNITY LIFE

Maintaining and enhancing the experience $70,000 grant will help maintain and enhance historical space in Moscow Nicole Hindberg

ARGONAUT

The Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre recently received a $70,000 grant to help improve and maintain the historic theater.

The Kenworthy received the grant from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. This organization has provided grants in the Pacific Northwest in five states — Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington since 1975.

In that time M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust had given more than $1 billion grants in total to nonprofit organizations across the Pacific Northwest.

According to their website, this organization “helps support community focused organizations at every level of their development through grants, enrichment, programming and other resources.”

Executive Director of the Kenworthy, Christine Gilmore, said the grant will be used to continue renovations that started in November, causing the theater to close for eight weeks, as well as enhance the audiences’ experience at the theater.

Gilmore said the grant will allow them to continue to renovate, repair and upgrade the theater.

Gilmore said some of the renovations include upgrading the 20-year-old screen and the projector to make them more user friendly, putting in new ergonomic chairs and replacing carpet to

something that is more historically and aesthetically accurate.

Gilmore said all upgrades and changes that are going to be made with the grant money are focused on maintaining and enhancing audience experience, safety and comfort during all of their events.

The Kenworthy provides a place to watch films and many other forms of entertainment like plays or documentary screenings. The Kenworthy also provides rental spaces for other groups or organizations. For example, recently Vandal Welcome rented out the space and used it to show a free screening of “Napoleon Dynamite” on Jan. 14.

“That partnership with the U of I, downtown Moscow and the Kenworthy is important in keeping the Kenworthy relevant for all who live here,” Gilmore said referring to the free movie showing.

The Kenworthy strives to provide a wide variety of entertainment that fits the desires of the people who live in Moscow. A full list of events and more information about the theater can be found on the Kenworthy’s website.

“We are here for the community and whatever the community asks for, we’re going to serve it,” Gilmore said.

Nicole Hindberg can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @HindbergNicole.

Outside the Kenworthy in downtown Moscow

Nicole Hindberg | Argonaut

REVIEW

Top 10 Episodes of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” A look back on the show’s best episodes prior to the new season Ryan Hill

ARGONAUT

With season seven of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” set to premiere in February, fans might want to re-watch the series to get caught up with the story.

“The Clone Wars” has some of the best “Star Wars” moments ever. It is packed with action, thrills and answers to questions fans want to know.

With this in mind, here are my picks for the top 10 episodes of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Warning: there are spoilers ahead.

8). “The Citadel” (season three episode 18) A Star Wars prison break episode?

Count me in! This episode features a team of Jedi and clone troopers breaking out a captured Jedi and his men from an unbreakable Separatist prison. This episode is incredibly action packed and full of tense moments. You would think a Jedi accompanied by clone troopers would be able to accomplish this mission without any problems, but the twisted warden makes it difficult.

10). “The Hidden Enemy” (season one episode 16) In this episode, Captain Rex and Commander Cody have to find a traitor in their midst, which is difficult considering the entire army is comprised of clones.

Trying to determine who is the traitor and what consequences the traitor brings on the army is a thrill to watch.

7). “Landing at Point Rain” (season two episode five) This episode feels like a mixture of the opening scene of “Saving Private Ryan” and the battle scenes from “Hacksaw Ridge.” It’s action packed and brutal.

This episode takes fans back to Geonosis, where the locals have started up a droid factory, and the Republic wishes to put a stop to it. The episode is chalked full of amazing action and intense battles that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.

9). “Rookies” (season one episode five) This episode centers around a squad of clones attempting to defend an outpost from invading droids. It’s packed full of action and it gives a human side to the clones. This episode introduces many fan favorite clone characters like Heavy, Fives and Echo.

6). “Orders” (season six episode four) In this finale of a four-part episode, a clone trooper uncovers a sinister plot involving the clones and the Jedi. The information in this episode is critical to the series, and it feels like a spy thriller.

One man knows the truth, but he can’t convince anyone.

5). “Darkness on Umbara” (season four episode seven) You ever wonder what Space Vietnam would be like? Well this episode will show you. The Republic invades the planet Umbara where the local militia puts up a tough fight. The dark environment and enemy tactics have the clones on edge.

To complicate matters, General Anakin Skywalker has to leave his men with Jedi General Pong Krell, who isn’t as kind to the troops and his strategies put them in danger. This episode shows the struggle to maintain loyalty to the commander, but also to the men you are responsible for.

4). “The Lawless” (season five episode 16) If you watched “Solo,” then you know Darth Maul is alive. However, it was Clone Wars that brought him back first. This episode features Maul and his brother Savage Oppress taking over Mandalore and Obi Wan attempting to save the woman he loves from him. This episode features amazing action and one of the best lightsaber fights in Star Wars.

3). “Ghosts of Mortis” (season three episode 17) This final installment in a three-part episode series sees Anakin, Obi Wan and Asohka trying to bring balance to the force. Unfortunately, the dark side of the force is very tempting and is fairly

good at swaying Anakin. Featuring some amazing imagery and answering questions about the force, it also shows us see why someone would turn to the dark side.

2). “Carnage of Krell” (season four episode 10) This final installment of the Umbaran arc sees Krell going too far. Captain Rex is pushed to the brink with Krell’s actions and it doesn’t look good. This episode is chalked full of tense moments with amazing action to accompany it. It also shows what happens when men are pushed to the breaking point.

1). “The Wrong Jedi” (season five episode 20) This season finale features Ahsoka Tano attempting to clear her name, with the help of Anakin Skywalker. It’s an emotional finale, which has a very unexpected ending. It also shows the dark side of Anakin and shows why the Jedi shouldn’t get attached. It’s one of the best episodes out there.

Ryan Hill can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu

JANUARY 23, 2020

PAGE 7

Sports

Vandal Athletics | Courtesy

(Top) Vandal Womens Tennis huddles up before a big match against Washington State (Right) Junior Melissa Huchet goes low to return the ball

VANDAL TENNIS

Vandal Tennis teams kick start their season

Hangstefer and Akbar lay out what they expect from their players this season Armin Mesinovic

ARGONAUT

The men’s and women’s tennis teams opened up their season last week after being on a two month hiatus.

The Idaho Vandal men’s tennis team is led by head coach Daniel Hangstefer.

He became the head coach last year and is the fifth head coach in program history.

Hangstefer is an experienced head coach with his most recent run of success being with Ferris State University in the 2017-18 season where they posted a record of 21-3 and were undefeated in conference play.

Hangstefer led the team to win the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament.

Hangstefer will be leading a young and inexperienced Vandal squad this year as it is mostly comprised of freshman with one sophomore and three seniors.

“I don’t feel like my expectations would change based on whether we have a majority of freshman,” Hangstefer said.

“We are going to have high standards for

our team and the high standard for this team is that we come to practice ready to go everyday, that we come prepared and that we work hard and smart.”

Senior players Bence Da Re, Esteban Santibanez and Guilherme Scarpelli will have to take on leadership roles to guide the young core to success this season.

“I do expect the seniors to be leaders.

I spend a lot of time with the seniors by meeting with them and communicating with them about what it means to be a leader,” Hangstefer said.

The Vandals started the season on the road with matches against the University of Utah and Utah State University. They lost against the University of Utah 0-7 to open up the season, but they did not leave the state empty handed. They beat USU 5-2 to secure their first win of the season.

They travel to Portland this Saturday to face off against the University of Portland and their first home match is on Feb.7 against Lewis-Clark State College.

“We had our first official practice and you could tell they had been training, getting ready and working hard,” Hangstefer said. “You’ve got to have that trust between the player and the coach, that the coach is going to do everything he can

Vandal Athletics | Courtesy

Sophomore Bruno Casino hits a backhand at his opponent

to push the guys, and the coach is going to have to trust the player that they are going to take care of business off the court.”

The Vandals will have hurdles to overcome being a young team, playing in a tough conference and with the season just beginning they will be continuously tested in the coming months.

“We want the fans, alumni and the campus to know that we want to represent them very well by how we do in the classroom, how we participate in the community and how we compete on the court,” Hangstefer said.

On the other side of Vandal tennis, the women’s team will look to continue the success they had last season by winning the Big Sky Championship. They fell short last season to Northern Arizona 4-0 in the title match. The Vandals are led by head coach Babar Akbar and junior players Marta Magalhaes and Laura Spataro.

Akbar is entering his fourth season with the Vandals and has 17 years of coaching experience.

Last season Magalhaes recorded a 9-1 conference record and Spataro was 8-1. Both players earned Big Sky AllConference honors. The Vandals are five time conference champions and were named third in the pre-season Big Sky coaches poll right behind Northern Arizona and Weber State.

“For me this is a very different experience than we’ve had the last few years with a whole new team dynamic.

We’ve got new leaders and new faces,” Akbar said. “We are third in the poll and our job is to go out and work for every match in the regular season. We want to win the whole thing.”

The Vandals started their season going a few miles west to face off against Washington State University and fell to the Cougars 0-7. They return to action on Jan.

31, as they face off against Brigham Young University in Pullman, Washington.

The Vandals will look to continue their success from last season with most of their team returning and only two freshman newcomers. With a loss to start the season, the Vandals will look to bounce back and improve their game in with the concept of pressure in practice.

“Pressure, the big thing we are trying to do in practice is to develop a habit with dealing with pressure,” Akbar said.

“I’ve got four kids returning who won the Big Sky Championship, they know what it takes to win and we are trying to get the other kids to understand that the pressure that’s on you to keep playing and performing at your best, is not easy to recreate in practice.”

The Vandals look to get more exposure this season with having more fans come support the team and showing them what Vandal tennis can achieve.

“Just come out and watch if you get a chance, if you see a kid with a Vandal tennis shirt just stop them and tell them you’ve read about them,” Akbar said.

“Those things make a big difference, the athletes would really appreciate some sort of connection with other students, alumni and other people who follow tennis.”

Armin Mesinovic can be reached at arg-sports.uidaho.edu

PAGE 8

ARGONAUT

JANUARY 23, 2020

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Newlee makes history once again Women’s Basketball head coach Jon Newlee reaches new milestone Zack Kellogg

ARGONAUT

One of the most accomplished coaches at the University of Idaho has added another marker to his already impressive resume.

In Thursday’s game against the Eastern Washington Eagles, Jon Newlee reached 200 career home wins as the head coach of Vandal Women’s Basketball.

Newlee joins current volleyball Head Coach Debbie Buchanan as the only coaches in Idaho athletics history to reach this milestone.

Despite having his name being put in the record books as one of the winningest coaches in school history, it didn’t take long for Newlee to thank everyone around him.

“It just means to me that I’ve had great coaches. I’ve had a great associate head coach with me in Krista Sandford.

I’ve had great staffs through the years: (Gavin Petersen), (Jordan Kelley), (Drew Muscatell) and (Jeri Jacobson). I could name them all because they have all done a great job,” Newlee said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without those guys. And of course, great players.”

Throughout the years at the helm of the program, Newlee has had many staff members and players enter and exit but kept the winning formula.

Newlee jokingly said that the only reason he knew that the record was coming was because Doug Taylor, the voice of women’s basketball, kept reminding him after every game.

Two of the most notable players to help Newlee reach this milestone in recent years are the Splash Sisters, Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce.

Ferenz and Pierce both graduated from UI in the spring of 2019 and have now moved on to playing professionally together in Australia.

But even after being away from the program, the Splash Sisters still apply the lessons learned in Moscow every day.

“What has stuck with me the most is how (Coach Newlee) taught me to work.

As a professional, it is on you to do workouts outside of team practices, which are only a couple times a week,” Ferenz said. “You are responsible to improve your individual game. Because (Coach Newlee) instilled a work ethic in me, I have noticed that I have Saydee Brass | Argonaut been better prepared Newlee goes over a play during a timeout in the Eastern Washington game on Jan. 16 in Cowan Spectrum for professional basketball.” puts into the system, and the way that he and I’m glad they could be a part of that.

Along with the work ethic to push thinks about things, you just can’t find it But I have had great players through the players on and off the court, Newlee’s anywhere else.” years that have all put the bricks in place. I investment in learning and perfecting the With another stamp left on a historic would like to thank them and thank all of game is noticed by his players. career, Newlee still doesn’t wish to dwell the coaches that have worked for me; it has “Just the way that (Newlee) thinks on it and just wants to continue to win been a great ride here,” Newlee said. about the game is unlike any other,” games and make a run at the Big Sky title.

Zack Kellogg Pierce said. “His mind and the way that But he did have one more thank you can be reached at he puts in time and the amount of film in him, honoring not only the team that arg-sports.uidaho.edu that he watches is unlike any other coach helped him reach the record but all those or on Twitter @kellogg_zack. you will ever meet. He shows that on the who came before too. court every day with the things that he “I’m happy with our team this year,

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Saydee Brass | Argonaut

Taylor Pierce and Mikayla Ferenz stand with their families on senior night in March of 2019

Back together again Former Vandals Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce rejoin in Australia Zack Kellogg

ARGONAUT

The Splash Sisters left Idaho almost a year ago, but the memory of what Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce were able to accomplish is still fresh in the minds of Vandal fans.

As Vandals, the sharpshooting duo put up stats that impressed not only Idaho’s program and the conference, but the nation as well.

It seemed like the days of Pierce and Ferenz shooting threes and lighting up the stat sheet were over, until now.

The Ringwood Hawks in the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia signed the Splash Sisters, rejoining the two, but this time in the big leagues.

“I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to play with Taylor again. She’s not just a teammate, she’s one of my closest friends,” Ferenz said. “So, to be able to see the world and play basketball together is incredible.”

The NBL regular season will tip-off on April 18 and go through August 8.

“We got the call about two months ago, so we have been keeping it quiet

for a while now,” Pierce said. “The minute we got the phone call, it was a little bit of a freakout. We did some thinking – but there was really no question.”

Looking back at the success of the duo, the numbers are still as impressive as the day they were put in the record books.

Ferenz, the Walla Walla native, left Idaho as one of the best overall scorers in program and conference history.

She finished her career with 2,466 points, the most in program and Big Sky history, and holds the program record for points in a season with 749 in 2018-2019.

This led to Ferenz being the 20182019 player of the year.

Pierce became one of the deadliest three-point shooters the nation has ever seen.

The Carlsbad, California native, broke the NCAA record for most threes per game for a season, averaging over four a game during her final season at Idaho.

Pierce wrote her way into the Idaho record books too, making a program-record 472 threes during her four-year career.

All of this added up to the Splash Sisters becoming two of just five college women to make over 400 threes in a career.

“I think Taylor and I will still

have the chemistry we built together at Idaho,” Ferenz said. “Because we played alongside each other for four years, we know how to play off of each other, which is something I think we will continue to do down under.”

Ferenz is enjoying a successful start to her pro career, averaging 24.6 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game in Luxembourg, playing for AB Contern in the Total League.

This will be Ferenz’s second professional contract while Pierce is making her initial jump to the pros.

“The main thing I can help Taylor with is the adjustment of life as a student-athlete to a professional athlete. The routine and lifestyle is different, but I think Taylor will adjust quickly,” Ferenz said.

“Basketball will always be basketball so the difference in play will be no problem for Taylor to adjust to.”

Despite being a big life decision to move across the globe to play as a professional, there was no hesitation for the two to reunite.

“Just the chance to play with each other again was just something that you can’t pass up,” Pierce said.

Zack Kellogg can be reached at arg-sports.uidahoedu or on Twitter @kellogg_zack.

JANUARY 23, 2020

ARGONAUT

PAGE 9

Opinion GUEST VOICE

EDITORIAL

Liberty and suffrage for all Feminism comes in all shapes and forms This Saturday marked the fourth annual Women’s March on the Palouse. On the same day the annual anti-abortion march, March for Life occupied Friendship Square in downtown Moscow.

Having two very conflicting views, it was a shock to see the two different programs occupied Moscow early this weekend. Though the two movements are known for having different voices, they were both protesting for one same value – efforts for better quality of life.

March for Life was established in 1974, originally to protest Roe v Wade. Overtime, abortion as well as topics concerning women’s reproductive rights rose to popularity after the 2016 election and President Trump’s interest of uplifting the law.

People protesting for March for Life were avid about their cause.

Both men and women gathered for the event, to voice what they believe in.

The Moscow Women’s March experienced its fourth year. Back in 2017, the Women’s march was

brought to Moscow as a way for people to safely express their voice for women’s rights.

It wasn’t until a year later when the Women’s March earned its name being the largest single day protest according to the Women’s March Network. Tension started after the inauguration of President Trump in 2017, the goal of the march was to fight for human rights and other issues regarding human rights.

This year, more than others, the march’s focus had centered around women’s voting rights.

2020 makes a 100-year anniversary for women’s suffrage nationwide. Because of this anniversary, the march became even more special.

People participated in the Women’s March were passionate about their movement. 2020 marked a special commemoration of development for women’s rights.

This brings up a serious issue

when choosing which event to voice an opinion at. Being on the same day meant it was impossible to march for both.

Being anti-abortion carries the stigma of being anti-feminist.

Protesting Roe v Wade meant that women’s reproductive rights would be challenged. There is no definitive definition of feminism, being fluid is a part of what makes it so powerful.

Because two programs occupied this Saturday, there was a divide between these two protests. With both events occurring at the same time this only furthers the stigma.

March for Life was protesting Roe V Wade but that did not make it any less progressive. There is power in forming a group to express belief. Women’s rights can still be advocated for as well as being prolife. Women who are pro-life should not be discounted as anti-feminist.

When choosing who to march with this Saturday, getting our voices heard mattered most.

Just because we couldn’t march for both does not mean we cannot believe in both – feminism comes in all shapes and forms.

– Editorial Board

POLITOON

Mic Dougherty | Argonaut

Trump administration subverts religious freedom at UI Keira Terchowitz

President Trump recently announced “guidance on constitutional prayer in public schools” on January 16: Religious Freedom Day. Trump first announced his prayer push at a Miami mega-church rally, “I’ll be taking action to safeguard students’ and teachers’ First Amendment rights to pray in our schools…

They want to take that right along with many other ones.”

But we already have the right to pray at school. It seems especially likely that around midterms and final exams, tens of thousands of students across the country are praying. We can pray alone or in groups.

We can even use school property to hold meetings to discuss the Bible and pray as long as the same accommodation is provided to nonChristian students. The constitution already protects our rights as students to personal prayer and worship on campus—and the right to not pray or be forced to participate in prayer.

The law holds that in public schools, which are funded in part with tax dollars, employees of the school including faculty, coaches, administrators and other paid staff cannot lead or participate in prayer. To do so would be a violation of the constitutional provision for the separation of

government and religion.

There are many past examples and court cases where teachers, coaches and principals already abuse government power to impose their personal religion on other people’s children. Trump is exacerbating the problem.

This new Trump administration guidance is not about constitutionally protected prayer, but about giving cover to unconstitutional prayer in public schools and violating our right to religious freedom.

Since Trump took office, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a state-church watchdog, sent 519 letters to public schools where staffimposed prayers on a captive audience of schoolchildren. FFRF stopped nearly 250 of those violations, protecting the religious freedom of students.

This is the area where public schools could use guidance.

The Secular Student Alliance at University of Idaho stands strongly against any actions that would further marginalize non-religious students by privileging Christian practice at a public, state institution.

The Trump administration is working to subvert, not defend, the Constitution.

This move is about Christian nationalism, the student government and administration of University of Idaho should vocally oppose it.

COMMUNITY

My McConnell Experience Lindsay Trombly

ARGONAUT Community – when people hear that word, what do they think of? Maybe friends, family and loved ones. Personally, I think of the time I spend with my residents in McConnell Hall.

10 months ago, I signed up to become a Resident Assistant (RA) in the residence halls on campus. I assumed I would be put in the Theophilus Tower or even the Wallace Residence Center, but McConnell was the last place I expected to be placed.

In training I was nervous about the future. Would my residents like me?

Back in August during training, they told us we needed to interact with our residents and create a safe community for them to live in. I don’t think I really realized what that truly meant until recently.

These past few months of being an RA have been crazy between making sure to

talk to all of my residents, planning events and making deadlines between it all. One thing has been consistent –my residents.

I joined such a unique community when I accepted the job of being an RA in McConnell. Little did I know it would have such a big impact on me.

Community is everything in the residence halls. Every day they support each other, they live life to the fullest and spend time with each other. Every day they inspire me.

When I’m not in class or on the third floor of the Bruce Pitman Center, people usually find me in the first floor lounge of McConnell. I’m working on homework or better yet, spending time with my residents. Between sessions of “Uno Attack” to yelling at a projector screen over “Mario Kart” – I wouldn’t have it any other way.

But, it isn’t just the small moments, we’ve had events in the residence halls such as a Bob Ross Paint Night and even Karaoke Night. Those moments spent in my community I will treasure the most.

Sure, I may feel a bit sappy over this column, but that is because I graduate

this spring. I have been thinking about the future of my life after graduation, but I’ve also been reflecting on how lucky I’ve been my senior year to meet such inspirational people.

I have lived in the residence halls all four years of my college career and I have never experienced something like this before. I’ve experienced bad roommates, created friendships that will last a lifetime, but I’m also proud to say I’ve experienced building a community.

To be honest, I was looking at statistics online to be more convincing about how community impacts residents. But as I wrote this column sitting in the lounge, I looked around myself to see my residents smiling and laughing. When I edited this, they were screaming over who will win this intense “Mario Kart” race.

That’s what I see every night.

All I do is feel content to my core.

I’m content with where I was placed and blessed to have met these humans.

Freshman, sophomores, whoever you are, be sure to come to your RAs events.

And if you don’t want to, simply open your door, walk to the main lounge and

Community is everything in the residence halls socialize. You’ll be pleasantly surprised about the people you’ll meet and the connections you will build.

It isn’t just one sided though, RAs need to make the effort too. Don’t worry, your residents won’t bite. And you will feel great after making the effort to spend time with them.

I never thought becoming an RA would impact me this much – or the people. Everyone should experience what I have in McConnell – a community. This community is the most important part of living in the residence halls.

When I come home to McConnell from a long day of class or stress, my residents are there to pick me up and vice versa.

Community makes the residence halls more than a building you’re sleeping in; it makes it a home. And my residents became my home this year. I’m so grateful for that.

Lindsay Trombly can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu

PAGE 10

ARGONAUT

JANUARY 23, 2020

MEDIA

RENEWAL

Return of the ERA New momentum for the Equal Rights Amendment puts the spotlight on Idaho’s legal past Jonah Baker Column

ARGONAUT

Sometimes, the most important news happens too far in the background to make reverberations befitting its importance. Concepts like judicial decisions often fit this mold as changes that seem incremental in the moment but explode into importance as time goes on. Against all the odds, Idaho might be right at the center of a political firestorm because of some shady politics from three and a half decades ago.

We may have experienced something similar in the early days of 2020. On Jan. 15, the Virginia state Legislature ratified their version of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), becoming the 38th state to ratify the ERA. Despite being first passed by Congress for approval by the states back in 1972 with an ambiguous deadline for ratification in 1979, Virginia’s decision brings forth new questions for Americans in general and Idahoans more specifically.

For those that are unfamiliar, the ERA is a piece of legislation that has labored through seemingly every challenge possible en route to legitimacy, beginning with its introduction to Congress three years after the

passing of the 19th Amendment, way back in 1923. The basic summary of the amendment is that it would rectify any sex discrimination baked into the Constitution, essentially removing any excuse to put different standards on the sexes before the law.

Idaho was the fifth state to pass, what would have been the 27th Amendment and in emphatic fashion. Of the 109 votes cast between Idaho’s congressional members cast in favor of ratification. Then, as it so often does in Idaho politics, the other shoe dropped in favor of a more nonsensical approach to lawmaking.

The second half of the ERA’s story lies with one of the most impactful and loathsome figures in recent American history: Phyllis Schlafly. Her antifeminist work in spearheading programs like the Eagle Forum and STOP ERA aimed at cementing what we would recognize today as hyperconservative ideals regarding the family, women’s rights, abortion and many others.

Upon her arrival on the national scene in the early ‘70s, the ERA had achieved ratification in 28 of the 38 necessary states.

Only seven more would ratify it and five would attempt to rescind their ratification as Schlafly’s influence tapped into impressionable legislatures.

More than a handful of historians would have flatly stated that Schlafly is the chief reason as to why we still lag behind most developed countries in definitively equal rights.

Idaho, of course, was one of the five states to make an attempt at rescinding the ERA, nearly five years after

its ratification. Despite only a small shift in the legislature’s composition (majority Republican to slightly larger majority Republican), the vote achieved a supermajority in the state House and passed by a single vote in the state Senate.

In spite of all this, there is no stipulation in the Constitution allowing or denying the un-ratification of constitutional amendments, casting shadows on the legal viability of such a move. Now that we may potentially have the necessary conditions to finish something so prolonged, Idaho will find itself in the spotlight once again.

Should the ERA continue to gain traction, there wouldn’t have to be a discussion of whether or not states can rescind ratification. If pressed on the cowardice that occurred in 1977, I would hope that Idaho, along with legislatures in Tennessee, South Dakota, Kentucky and Nebraska, would rectify historical black eyes and reassure their support for the ERA. Our country is laughably behind European countries like Norway and Sweden which legally assured equality between men and women more than 40 years ago.

There haven’t been many days to be proud of our legislature in the recent past and I grant that Idaho’s Legislature is more sluggish than most. In spite of these facts, the nearly 50-year fight for the ERA is something that our legislature can still get on the right side of history for.

Jonah Baker can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu

Brianna Finnegan | Argonaut

News tries to change, readers change quicker As the world slams people with an onslaught of information, the news industry struggles to break through the crowd of attention getters of this generation.

Anteia McCollum

ARGONAUT

College students lead an incredibly busy life, one of the things that this generation hardly does is take the time to read the news.

It’s understandable, college students are busy studying, socializing and going to classes.

Added to the busy college life is the blitz of attention-grabbing advertisements, Instagram posts and sensational Snapchat stories.

It is difficult to even think about making time to read the news.

Today’s worldly happenings are not just at the top of the list of concerns.

Not reading the news may not seem like a huge deal, but it is. News keeps the community informed about local hazards, car accidents and thefts as well as the weather and local politicians. It also is a source of entertainment, revealing UI football scores for those who missed the game.

Local news is especially important because it makes the community aware of what will affect them the most. For example, media tells the public when the local government will be changing and how. If the property taxes are rising due to a change in local government, the news is where the community can find the most helpful and accurate information on new taxes.

The news also reports on important events like accidents and disasters. Say, a popular restaurant burns down and it wasn’t reported in the news.

The community would be bombarded by posts on social media with no definitive answer how the fire started. The local news is reported swiftly and with accuracy, something that is nearly impossible to find on platforms

like Instagram and Facebook.

News sources, such as Big Country News, have begun taking advantage of social media in order to make their reporting swift, brief and easy for everybody to access. The use of social media makes it easier for almost everyone to read the news as soon as it comes out, rather than waiting for the print paper in the morning.

There is a problem with this, when news sources go online, reporters put the same amount of work to publish their content as they would to print. Online content makes a lot less money from ads than it does in print. In essence, putting content online lowers the material value. As a result, news sources is make less revenue off the same amount of work.

Take textbooks as an example.

When a student buys a textbook in print, it is a material object and therefore more expensive. With the exact same content, that the student could find a digital verson of that same book with a fraction of the cost.

Without sufficient funds to keep reporters working, news sources end up having to cut down labor costs, meaning less reporters. A shortage of reporters means a lack of news leaving the community less informed. This is an issue worldwide, not just in Moscow.

Being aware of what is happening in your town, area, country and even the world is one of the best things a young adult can do to help themselves and their community. We are in college now, but when we are finished we will be out there in that big, bad world. The news is the best tool when it comes to navigating through it.

Anteia McCollum can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu

SPIRITUALITY

Faith is not an extremist ideology A rebuttal to Ceri Radford’s “I spent a week becoming a witch and the results were worrying Alexis Van Horn Column

ARGONAUT •Bad Boys For Life R Daily (3:35) 6:50 9:45 Sat-Sun (10:20) (1:10) •Doolittle PG Daily (4:20) 7:05 9:30 Sat-Sun (11:15) (1:45) •1917 PG13 Daily (4:10) 7:00 9:50 Sat-Sun (10:30) (1:20)

•The Turning PG13 Daily (5:00) 7:20 9:55 Sat-Sun (12:00) (2:30) •Bombshell R Daily (4:25) 7:10 9:40 Sat-Sun (11:00) (1:40) •Bad Boys For Life R Daily (3:50) 6:50 9:45 Sat-Sun (10:20) (1:10) •Dolittle PG Daily (4:20) 6:45 9:20 Sat-Sun (11:15) (1:45) 1917 R Daily (4:10) 7:00 9:50 Sat-Sun (10:25) (1:20) Just Mercy PG13 Daily 9:25 Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker PG13 Daily (3:25) 6:30 9:35 Sat-Sun (11:45) Jumanji: The NextLevel PG13 Daily (3:40) 6:40 Sat-Sun (10:00) (12:50) Knives Out Kni PG13 Daily (3:45) 6:35 9:30 Sat-Sun (10:00) (12:55)

Self transformation is hardly immediate.

Anyone who has ever tried to create an exercise routine could tell you that. Finding and sticking to a new spiritual practice that best fits you is a similar process. It takes more than a few days.

That’s why I took some offense to Ceri Radford’s article, “I spent a week becoming a witch and the results were worrying” in The Independent. Radford was poorly informed and resorted to slinging insults instead of providing reasons for her conclusion that the New Age “trend” is dangerous.

It’s understandable to be cynical about witchcraft. A lot of the time, it makes little sense, that’s part of the point. Spirituality, in all its forms, depends on the faith of the believer. It isn’t an exact science, it’s a way of finding your place in the world and figuring out how to act within it. It isn’t a way of avoiding reality, it’s a way of understanding it.

Radford, like many others before her, made the mistake of placing scientific understanding and faith on opposite ends of a single spectrum.

However, the two are not mutually exclusive.

They exist in balance.

Take this scenario as an example: a child in a Christian family breaks their arm. The family will take the child to the hospital, but the family, friends and churchmates of the child may also pray that God will bring swift healing. Both actions make equal amounts of sense because they fulfill different needs.

The same scenario may play out similarly in a Pagan household: a child in the family breaks their arm. The family will take the child to the hospital, but the family may pray or make an offering to their deities in hopes of swift healing. The actions of the two different kinds of faithful people are not so different, are they?

Witchcraft — secular and otherwise — is simply a means to an end, a way to put energy into the universe to support actions that are already underway.

Radford mistook this for an anti-science, extremist ideology, comparing the practice to anti-vaccination activists and climate change deniers. There are certainly Pagans who are anti-science, but there are also anti-science Christians. But we don’t think of all Christians as opposed to modern medicine, do we?

Radford said, “however benign or even beneficial the rituals, it’s all built on a wobbling base of bat****. No matter how many spells we cast to ask the universe for help, the universe isn’t listening.”

This sounds less like a call to action against witchcraft, Paganism, New Age spirituality and the like than a strike against faith and spirituality in general. Radford states several

times in the article that she is cynical and doesn’t believe any of this will work. The problem there is faith is dependent on belief.

That’s what being faithful means.

Witchcraft may not have been the right fit for Radford. That’s fair, not every spiritual practice will fit everyone. This isn’t a onesize-fits-all kind of world. That does not mean, however, that she can take her one week of dipping her toes in the water of something new and claim that what she has found is a world of science-shunning “bat***.”

That would be the same as deciding to try out Christianity and a week later reporting that all Christians are against vaccination and crazy for believing in a centuries-old book. Sounds like a bit short-sighted and insecure.

The practice of witchcraft itself, like Radford admits at the end of her article, is harmless. Finding solace and understanding of the world around you is perfectly acceptable, regardless of the form it comes in. What is not okay is making predisposed judgments of others, because you’re too cynical to understand the personal importance of their practice to them.

Alexis Van Horn can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @AlexisRVanHorn