The Argonaut | April 6, 2023

Abortion laws push doctors out

that the hospital will still offer gynecological services, including surgical services, preventative and wellness exams and family planning consultation.

Freshmen prioritized

With an enrollment increase dorms may be pushing upper classmen out for Fall 2023

A projected 8-10% increase in incoming freshmen could reduce room availability for returning University of Idaho students.

Housing and Residence Life has created 171 more beds to accommodate more freshmen and those returning students who wish to live on campus. The projected growth follows the largest freshmen class in UI history, which left over 100 students without on-campus housing. Most overflow students were temporarily housed at the FairBridge Inn, but some never made it into the dorms, living in Sigma Alpha Epsilon instead.

Housing is guaranteeing that every first-year student enrolled this fall will have an on-campus living space, according to John Kosh, the director of marketing and communications for UI Auxiliary Services.

Options for overflow housing are being explored, including Targhee Hall and local hotels that housed students last semester.

Housing has made additional bed space in existing residence

halls, with limited single rooms. LLCs may open up to first-year students and have more beds per suite. Some currently unoccupied rooms will be renovated and made available for the next semester.

These changes have increased availability from 1,398 bed spaces in Fall 2022 to 1,569 bed spaces in Fall 2023, but this may not be enough.

Housing available to upperclassmen is decreasing from 642 bed spaces to 527, according to Kosh, with plans still being made.

Returning students who are unable to secure rooms can join a waiting list that Housing will use to determine overflow needs. Students on the waiting list “will be communicated every two weeks where you are on that (list) and where we are in numbers,” Kosh said.

This follows complaints of last fall, where overflow students cited difficulties in speaking with Housing and were not updated on how many overflow residents remained.

Kosh said students on the waiting list can expect communications regarding alternate housing options, including the Greek system and off-campus apartments.

In the past month, two hospitals in Idaho have announced they will soon stop providing labor and delivery services.

The closures for both hospitals cite difficulties leading to the decision, including a declining birth rate in the state of Idaho and in their respective regions.

Bonner General Health in Northern Idaho announced it will close its labor and delivery services on May 19, depending on staff availability. This closure will primarily affect Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry.

“We have made every effort to avoid eliminating these services,” Ford Elsaesser, Bonner General Health’s board president, stated. “We hoped to be the exception, but our challenges are impossible to overcome now.”

BGH cited that its hospitals only delivered 265 babies in 2022, a decrease relative to the past few years.

The hospital will also stop accepting new obstetrics patients and has made a referral list of other hospitals.

Erin Binnall, public information officer for BGH, said

“Bonner General Sandpoint Women’s Health is working with each OB patient one-onone to assist in coordinating and transitioning their obstetrical care,”

Binnall said. “In addition, we are working closely with Kootenai Health and other entities of the patient’s choice to ensure a smooth transition.”

BGH plans to refer patients wishing to continue receiving obstetric services to Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene. This may be problematic due to the hospital’s distance from individuals living in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry.

“Kootenai Health, Coeur d’Alene is 44.5 miles south of Sandpoint and 76 miles from Bonners Ferry,” Binnall said. “Kootenai in the future plans to provide prenatal and postnatal services somewhere in Sandpoint.”

Another hospital BGH recommended in its referral is Newport Hospital in Washington. This hospital is closer to Sandpoint, but the same distance from Bonners Ferry.

However, labor and delivery services will begin at Newport in June and it is considered as an in-

state hospital.

“Newport Hospital is deemed an in-state hospital and can accept Idaho Medicaid and is also contracted with Blue Cross of Idaho,” Binnall said.

Valor Health in Emmett, Idaho announced it will close labor and delivery services on June 1.

Valor cited similar reasons to BGH, noting a decrease in 50 deliveries from the year before.

Both hospitals also said that staffing was the main issue in providing obstetric care, with problems both recruiting and retaining staff.

BGH is the only hospital that has cited Idaho’s legal climate creating an issue of maintaining highly trained physicians in the state.

Last August, following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Idaho’s trigger law took effect and criminalized the administering of abortion care. The only exceptions to the law include cases of reported incest or rape or care necessary to save the life of the mother.

Sarah Dixit, public affairs manager for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho, said that the closure of BGH is heartbreaking.

Three years later, recycling returns

Round

Recycling is back on the University of Idaho campus, beginning Monday, April 3 in the ISUB and Pitman Center. a

The previous recycling program was quietly canceled three years ago. The program practiced multistream recycling, relying on individuals to properly sort between aluminum, plastic and trash. This often led to mistakes and contamination rates as high as 90%.

“When you see contaminated recyclables it’s hard to know if folks were just misinformed, they didn’t read or they were hoping that something would be recyclable,” Sustainability Director Sarah Dawson said. “Motives are hard to discern, but contamination can be very significant.”

Dawson came to UI six months ago with several years of experience in other university systems. This issue with recycling on campus isn’t a new one.

“Folks are coming from

all over the country, and the world, and recycling standards are different in almost every municipality,” Dawson said. The recycling program’s return can be partially attributed to President Scott Green making it a presidential initiative, helping acquire the $180,000 it takes to run the program.

Sustainability Coordinator

Olivia Wiebe explained that with the multi-stream program, workers were individually collecting and sorting recyclables, only for the majority of it to be contaminated anyways.

Contamination can occur in many ways, from leftover food to broken glass bottles.

“Commingled recycling and landfill just doesn’t work,” Wiebe said. “You don’t really see the labels till you’re up on top of it, and then you’re throwing it in the wrong hole.”

Switching to single-stream recycling, all recyclables can be placed in the same bin. Aluminum, cardboard and paper can all be grouped together, though Wiebe warned against throwing in glass.

Idaho’s recent abortion legislation is instilling fear in women

Folk singer Ani Difranco performing on the main stage at Treefort Music Fest, more photos on back page

Daniel V. Ramirez ARGONAUT

After receiving polling results and sending our reporters out, Best of Moscow 2023 is here! Check out readers’ top nine picks for cultural landmarks.

Differing from some of our usual categories, this edition is geared toward addressing some niche interests, while still highlighting the building blocks of the town.

“I hope people take an opportunity to go somewhere in Moscow they’ve never been to before,” Best of Moscow Editor Katie Hettinga said Reporters anticipate Idaho Press Club Awards

As the academic year nears an end, the IPC annual awards will be announced April 29. The following staff members have received awards, with specifics still to be revealed at the awards ceremony.

• Daniel Ramirez Haadiya Tariq

• Addison Thomson

• Katie Hettinga

• Royce McCandless

• Abigail Spencer Jayden Barfuss

• John Keegan

Congratulations to our team, they’ve worked hard this year!

Argonaut reporter receives Voces Internship of Idaho

In the second year of the Voces Internship program, Argonaut Digital Director Daniel V. Ramirez was selected as one of three recipients for this summer. Ramirez will be working at the Idaho Statesman this summer, relocating from his hometown of Idaho Falls to Boise.

“There are a lot of alumni in Boise,” Ramirez said. “It will give me a guided, helping hand.”

The internship aims to grow the prominence

of Latino and Hispanic Idahoans in media, providing both mentorship and financial support.

“Working here at The Argonaut for the last two years has been great,” Ramirez reflected. “But, working (with) professionals who have been in the industry for decades … it’s invaluable.”

Those interested in supporting the program can donate to the Voces Internship of Idaho website.

KUOI 89.3 FM takes Treefort

At the end of March, Our Student Media family over at the student radio station took a trip down to the Treefort Music Fest in Boise. With social media, written and audio coverage of notable artists, the team brought the music festival

straight to their listeners.

“Some of the best work we’ve put out,” Station Manager Ellie Erickson said. “It was great talking to people about their creative experiences.”

Photos from KUOI staff are featured in this print edition of The Argonaut.

“It was hard work, but it was good work and fun work,” Erickson said.

Check out their coverage at kuoi.org. Follow KUOI on Spotify and all social media from Twitter to TikTok Blot Magazine highlights campus colleges

On the other side of Student Media, the March edition of the Blot features the colleges within University of Idaho.

“It’s been great working with my team and collaborating with writers and designers to figure out what kind of stories fit each team,” Blot Editor-inChief Katarina Hockema said. Check out the magazine on racks on campus to explore the university from eight different views.

ASUI Election 2023 candidate profiles

Leggett has found an issue with the lack of notable resolutions. Most of the ones seen over the past year have been more reactionary and unsubstantial.

“It has a reputation for pushing extremely opinionated policies,” Leggett said. “The ASUI senate needs a wake-up call: a zap by the spirit of courage and zeal.”

Leggett hopes, if he is elected, that ASUI can become a medium for students to be able to lobby both the school and senate on important topics.

“The only way for the senate to attain this authority is by following precedent, procedure and sound governing philosophies,” Leggett said.

Jared Sherman

Former ASUI senator Jared Sherman is once again throwing his hat into the ring to continue his work last semester.

Sherman, a junior studying human resource management and a member of Greek life, hopes to bridge the gap between those living in Greek houses and those living in the dorms.

be installed throughout campus to allow for students in a potentially unsafe situation to request immediate help at a location that is near to them.

For sustainability, Zuercher says that she will work to further the efforts to bring recycling to residential areas on campus as well as strive to make trash cans easily accessible on all areas of the campus.

To address lacking community involvement, Zuercher says that she will work to create more events on campus that will allow the community to get involved and ultimately strengthen the bond between the university and the population of Moscow.

Emma Johnston Emma Johnston is a criminology and psychology major from Merced, California. With prior experience as a senator for ASUI, Johnston is centering Vandal pride in her campaign.

To address Vandal pride, Johnston is looking to offer students more incentives to attend sporting events as well as additional opportunities for students to connect through outdoor activities.

Tanner McClain and Peyton Loffer

Looking to prioritize the Vandal Family, Tanner McClain is rerunning for president of ASUI again with his former Chief of Staff Peyton Loffer as his vice presidential candidate.

With his current VP, Madison Fitzgerald, looking to be involved in other things on campus, McClain looked for someone that could fill that space going into the fall semester.

“(Loffer) was automatically the first person I could think of, after Madison, (to run) together because she was my chief of staff last semester, and she did an incredible job in running the cabinet,” McClain said.

McClain’s goal is to get students more involved as they are working on a module on Canvas to serve as a personality test about the clubs and organizations at the University of Idaho.

McClain hopes also to find a way to bridge the gap between the types of organizations at UI.

“Coming up here, I saw just such a divide between many groups on campus and everyone was doing their own thing,” McClain said. “After hosting things such as winter social, where we had all these groups I mentioned, hosted carnival hallway together that would help bring them together.”

One objective that McClain is focused on is making a change in the Idaho Legislature regarding legalizing fentanyl testing strips in Idaho.

“At the state capital level, these tests of strips are currently illegal in the state of Idaho and are considered paraphernalia,” McClain said. “Students don’t have access to these test strips which are a low-cost method that prevents drug overdoses.”

This effort to push the legislature to recognize student issues is another facet that McClain has been working on and hopes to push further into the next semester.

Idaho Student Association is a coalition of student presidents of universities and colleges in Idaho that aims to elevate student voices.

McClain said that the Idaho State

Board of Education would formally recognize the ISA next year, and the group is making efforts to aid North Idaho College.

“I plan to introduce a resolution… to help fight against the current state of North Idaho College where there’s a possibility of them losing their accreditation,” McClain said. “That’s one thing where the ISA (being a) recognized body (can show) a strong and united (front), and we will be able to push back successfully against those efforts.”

Overall, McClain is excited to have another year to continue the projects he has worked on this past year.

“I deeply care about my work, and I show up to campus every day. I come to my office every day to make the campus a better place and help get more students engaged,” McClain said. “And as always, Go Vandals!”

Hayden Cassinelli

Hayden Cassinelli, a freshman studying finance, is running for a seat in the ASUI Senate. One of the platforms that Cassinelli looks to accomplish is mending the relationship between those living in the dorms and those choosing to live in Greek houses.

Looking at the current senate, Cassinelli said that he is impressed by the work that has been done with, at some points, very few senators. However, when it comes to ASUI, discussing politics has been an issue.

“I hope to bring a different perspective to the senate and counter this,” Cassinelli said. “While it might lose me votes, I’m not ashamed to say that I am a conservative and a Christian and will be voting as such on political matters.”

Mason Stampfli

Driven to improve the lives of students attending UI, Stampfli is running on a multitude of platforms. Improving student turnout, recycling on campus, types of food and infrastructure are some of the many things this candidate hopes to bring to ASUI.

One aspect of student life that Stampfli focused on is Greek life and the need to have events that regenerate the spirit of the Greek community. He hopes to do more events based on myth and the history of Greek life.

Jimmy Leggett

Jimmy Leggett is a junior studying English hoping to leave UI in a better shape than when he first arrived.

Looking at the current state of the ASUI,

“I really hope to continue working on projects such as the events of the ThankA-Thon, that connects our donors to our students,” Sherman said. “Hopefully increasing the amount of scholarships we have available to students, not to mention the better relationship from our students to our alumni.”

Nathaniel Rawlings

A freshman from Nampa, Nathaniel Rawlings is currently studying global disease ecology.

Rawlings is hoping to work on connecting Greek life with the rest of the student body.

He will work on “making the organizations more approachable to those unfamiliar with the formal and informal recruitment, and the Greek system as a whole,” Rawlings said. “It could also encourage unaffiliated, general students on campus to participate in Greek philanthropy events.”

Using UC Davis as an example of what UI’s recycling program can be more environmentally sustainable campus.

“The university generally is clean, but could always be a little cleaner,” Rawlings said. “Implementing such programs would make the university easier on the eyes and the environment.”

Alexandra Gomez

Alexandra Gomez is a junior anthropology major from Fruitland, Idaho. In a statement, Gomez said that her primary goal is to ensure that the UI campus provides a safe and welcoming environment for both current and incoming students.

Gomez said she is also looking to change student involvement on campus to better allow the university to feel more like a “second home.”

Anya Zuercher

Anya Zuercher is a freshman from Twin Falls, Idaho. Her platform consists of five key issues: mental health support, student involvement, campus safety, sustainability and community involvement.

To address mental health support, Zuercher said that she will “push for increased funding for mental health resources on campus.”

In terms of her broad goals, Zuercher says that she will work to allow students to have a say in ASUI decisions.

As a solution to her concerns on campus safety, Zuercher suggests that “safe buttons”

On-campus dining is an additional concern for Johnston, who hopes to work directly alongside Idaho Eats to bring healthy and diverse eating alternatives to campus.

Luella Smith

A transfer student from Boise State University, Smith firstly acknowledged that “everyone makes mistakes.” Using this background, however, Smith hopes to create more events designed for transfer students specifically by focusing on the shared unfamiliarity of a new campus environment. Having worked previously to implement harm-reduction measures on college campuses, Smith highlighted Narcan, a spray used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose, as a significant contributor to harm-reduction efforts.

Mo Jabril

Mo Jabril is a freshman civil engineering major from Boise, Idaho and a member of Greek life.

Looking to keep an ear to the ground for students, Jabril said that he wishes to make the needs of the student body heard and has proposed providing students with up-to-date information on the campus housing spaces whenever available as one way to make this possible.

Nikhil Gill

Nikhil Gill is a sophomore medical sciences major from Gurdaspur, Punjab, India.

An international student himself, Gill is hoping to provide UI’s international students with a representative who can voice their concerns. To help create an inclusive campus environment, Gill said that he is looking to improve ASUI’s outreach to international and minority students to allow them to play a bigger role in the decisions that ASUI makes.

More generally, Gill said that he believes “cross-cultural experiences” are integral to making a college experience that best it can be. To accomplish this, Gill hopes to start by “building bridges” among the multitude of groups on campus to bring about an environment that “celebrates diversity.”

First-year guarantee limits upperclassmen’s housing options

Software and space allotments have limited students’ ability to secure on-campus rooms

Katie Hettinga ARGONAUT

Returning students seeking on-campus housing may be waitlisted as a result of a large incoming freshman class taking priority.

Housing and Residence Life has set aside a larger-than-usual block of rooms for first-year students due to continued growth in projected freshmen enrollment, according to John Kosh, the communications director for university Auxiliary Services.

A guarantee that all freshmen will have on-campus dorms means there would be less availability for students returning to on-campus housing.

Hannah, a student in her first semester at University of Idaho, who asked for her last name not to be used, chose to live on campus again next semester for convenience. Now on a waiting list, she feels discouraged.

“It’s kind of gross. It’s kind of immoral. It’s scary to be a student, especially if you’re not from town,” she said on the decision to prioritize freshmen over upperclassmen.

Hannah said she received one initial email from Housing and Residence Life after she joined the housing waitlist. To her knowledge, she has not received further communication.

“I wish they pressed this problem a little bit more. I wish it was kind of a bigger deal to let us know,” Hannah said. “I feel kind of neglected because if I was in charge, I would be shoving this information down my students’ throats.”

Valentine Piere is another freshman planning to live on campus next year. They understand that freshmen are required to live on campus, but are nonetheless frustrated.

“It just sucks that (Housing is not) being accommodating towards other people as well,” Piere said. “(UI) honestly should just be taking in less freshmen if they can’t handle it. Nothing against freshmen, but the school could be making smarter choices.”

Like many students who live on campus, Piere benefited from the campus’ convenience and accessibility.

“I think there’s a lot of support built into being on campus,” said one RA, who asked not to be named due to Housing policy for giving interviews. “There’s (academic peer mentors), there’s just a lot of accessible support and resources available.”

Both Pierre and the RA secured rooms for next semester, but they each still had issues with the housing portal.

After logging on at 9 a.m. sharp on March 21, right when the housing portal opened, both students had to continually refresh the page until the bandwidth issue was mitigated and they could reserve rooms.

Even when they gained access to the portal, housing availability was limited.

“I was originally going to try to go to the LLCs, but that didn’t even show up as an option for me,” Piere said. Instead, they reserved a room in McConnell.

The resident assistant expressed concerns about people who were planning to renew rooms that are now blocked out for first-year use.

For some halls “you can’t renew because to renew means you’re stuck in a freshmen building,” the RA said. “You can’t do that. So you’re forced out of your room, but then you can’t find another room, because they all fill up too fast.”

Dean Kahler, the vice provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, attributes the increase in enrollment to campus-wide efforts.

“The colleges are all in, the auxiliary areas are all in – everybody on this campus,” Kahler said. “Everybody is on board with ‘we need to grow our enrollment.’ I think that team effort is important.”

Kahler said he has heard some concerns from returning students and their parents.

“The university is here to help them and we’re going to do everything we can,” Kahler said. “I think there’s going to have to be conversations with off-campus folks about, ‘what are the options?’ And ‘can we partner as a town-gown community even better to help serve those students?’”

Kahler expressed interest in working with other campus units, including ASUI, to provide information to students about resources available.

Kahler also mentioned that another

housing option is the UI Greek system with availability in fraternities and sororities.

ASUI President Tanner McClain echoed this option.

“I went talking with presidents of IFC and Panhellenic and they had talked about this as well,” McClain said. “We need students to come over here because they are struggling on getting students to live in their chapters and to join Greek Life.”

He added that this is not the solution to figuring out the housing overflow, but that the university would need to build more housing, which will take time.

McClain has experience living in Targhee Hall when it was a dorm for students who tested positive for COVID-19. He said that having to live somewhere he wasn’t planning on living was hard.

“Especially for being a first-year college student getting away from home for the first time,” McClain said. “That’s an uncomfortable situation to be in, and we want to ensure students aren’t put in that situation.”

While freshmen can count on having dorms available to them, returning students may need to seek out alternative options.

While there are many familiar faces, a few names make their appearance Staff Report ARGONAUT

Daniel V. Ramirez and Royce McCandless can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu

Katie Hettinga can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @katie_hettinga

Daniel V. Ramirez | Argonaut

I ncumbent President Tanner McClain sitting in his office, currently the only person running for ASUI president in the ASUI election 2023

ABORTION LAWS

FROM PAGE 1

“(Housing will) encourage them to stay on the waiting list even while they’re exploring other options,” Kosh said. “We will refund deposits. If you go on a waiting list, though I know we used to be nonrefundable, you will be refunded.”

A large volume of students tried to reserve a room at the same time, too many for the portal’s bandwidth to handle.

“There’s a technical issue, fixed within hours, but then there was something assigned as a technical issue but it was not,” Kosh said. “It was just an actual logistics issue.”

With this resolved, any

upperclassmen unable to reserve a room in not a technical issue, but housing being prioritized for freshmen. Living in the residence halls is a valuable experience for first-year students according to Alex Call, a senior resident assistant who has lived on campus for four years.

Expanding current bed spaces and finding overflow housing are both short-term solutions, Kosh said.

Kosh said UI is exploring building plans to utilize property around the VandalStore as an opportunity for a combined retail and residential space. This type of housing would not only benefit undergraduate students, but also professional students,

as they can and keep things from going to the landfill,” Dawson said.

university employees and visiting faculty. In the face of a difficult situation, Kosh commended Auxiliary Services’ staff.

“(They) are doing an amazing job and they’re working incredibly hard. I don’t want people to think they’re heartless,” Kosh said. “They are making hard decisions, but they’re doing it with a great deal of thought.”

HOUSING

FROM PAGE 1

“We know that patients are being asked to travel pretty far outside of their community, and we don’t believe that patients should have to do that,” Dixit said. “They should be able to access the care that they need in the community that they live in.”

Dixit said that making patients travel further to access services like reproductive health care forces members of the community out. These types of legislation also affect the quality of care people will receive due to a multitude of factors.

“We know that when there are restrictive bans and stipulations on the health care people can receive

that people’s health are not being elevated,” Dixit said. “Patients having to travel super far or just opt out of care and hope that they can manage the situation from home is likely what we’ll see.”

The consequences of this legislation will continue to grow beyond just the issue of transportation.

“We know that there’s a lot more wrapped up whenever a state pushes for abortion bans, or gender affirming care bans, and it has a larger impact on just healthcare in general,” Dixit said. “We know it will have an impact on maternal health rates. We know that it has disproportionate impact on patients based on whether they live in an urban or rural area, whether they are a person of color, have preexisting conditions, based

on their income or access to transportation.”

Dixit also talked about fear of the consequences that providers face when having to balance restrictions placed by the legislature.

“We’ve seen with states like Texas, people could be experiencing a miscarriage and the providers have to consult with lawyers before being able to intervene and help a patient out,” Dixit said.

“I imagine that in Idaho, we’ll see something similar where hospitals and providers will have to figure out how do we provide this care for patients in need, while also balancing politics and the lawyers being involved.”

“That’s the big piece. Glass is not accepted in single stream,” she said. “Largely because glass, when it breaks down, can get so small and granular that it’s almost impossible to separate out from the other components.”

The program is purposefully relaunching on a small scale. Indoor recycling at the ISUB and Pitman will be easier to manage starting off. Signs by each bin will hopefully deter students from “wishful recycling.”

“It’s people that have good intentions, and they just want to be able to recycle as much

The campus needs to understand contamination for the program to remain, making education a key step in the process. The current contractor requires contamination to remain under 5%, according to Wiebe, contrasting with 2018’s 80%-90% contamination rates on campus.

Some of the largest culprits for contamination include paper coffee cups, used paper plates and pizza boxes. So, Wiebe said, when in doubt, throw it out. Dawson has lived in

several states, including Utah, where nearly everything seemed recyclable. In contrast, Moscow is relatively isolated and has been more of a challenge than she

anticipated.

“Our trash, for instance, goes over 200 miles one way to get to a landfill, which is shocking to me,” she said. “Every other place… there’s a landfill or an incinerator

within a few miles.” Dawson was also surprised to find that the town doesn’t recycle glass. “Glass that we take to the recycling center in Moscow is just ground up and turned into an aggregate that’s put on the ground,” Dawson said.

“Basically, it’s not actually recycled. I hadn’t experienced that elsewhere.”

For the future, Wiebe

and Dawson are hoping to implement a number of sustainability projects across campus. Ideas include recycling in staff offices, collecting glass to recycle out of town and implementing a composting program.

Composting on campus was a small-scale project back in 2020. Food waste from dining and the cafeteria’s kitchen was often collected by bike and heavily reliant on volunteers. The program was short-lived due to contamination of plastic and bones as well as a poor location, according to Wiebe.

To bring composting back, Dawson hopes to obtain a grant for a biodigester to

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make composting more efficient.

Looking at the bigger picture, Dawson took issue with the marketing behind the recycling industry placing responsibility on consumers.

“(Corporations) who are producing the waste … are putting their hands in the air and saying ‘this is not our problem if its left our facility, it’s the fault of the consumer,’” she said. “I think we have been conditioned to accept that.”

Questions about recycling? Contact the team at recycling@uidaho.edu

Haadiya Tariq can be reached at argnews@uidaho.edu

Daniel V. Ramirez can be reached at argnews@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @DVR_Tweets

Katie Hettinga can be reached at argnews@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @katie_hettinga

Life

Exploring new cultures while studying abroad

old palaces,” Valentine said. “Because South Korea is significantly older than America, and it was really cool to just see and be around these older buildings.”

Heart for service at Moscow Volunteer Fire Department

can help advance careers and give students great experience.

Many students travel or vacation over spring break, but a group of 20 University of Idaho students got to experience a truly memorable week in South Korea. Thanks to a collaboration between the UI History Department and the Idaho Asia Institute, a group of 20 students spent 10 days exploring South Korea during spring break.

Each day of the trip consisted of guided outings and having free time to explore so that everyone could have a unique experience.

The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department offers a unique program for students who would like to support and help their community. The MVFD offers a student residency program with the fire stations around Moscow. The program offers free housing in the fire stations and on-duty training, as well as Driver and Operator training. Student residents make up around 25% of MVFD volunteers.

Throughout the academic year, residents receive around 300-400 hours of training and experience in on-duty shifts as a firefighter or EMT. Student residents take on the role of “rookies” and get crucial hands-on experience, including live-burn training later in the program. The program starts in August, with beginner fire training starting in late July.

Current student fire station resident Shelby Hobbs explained how the program

“If firefighting is a career you would like to go into, this program sets you up with experience, and helps you get your foot in the door,” Hobbs said.

Any students that are interested must have graduated high school, be enrolled in 12 credits, have at least a 2.5 GPA, pass a criminal background check and pass a physical fitness test. Though the application deadline has passed for this year, interested students can apply for residency next spring. Even though residency spots are full for the year, students can still sign up to be volunteers or receive fire/EMT training. If any students are interested in the program, they can call EMS coordinator Pam Rogers at (208)-883-7163.

The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department is over 125 years old and has over 100 volunteers that operate in the community. The MVFD provides fire and EMS services to the city of Moscow, the rural fire district and support Latah County.

Rogers described the experience of working at the MVFD and how their team works together.

“Everyone in our agency has a passion and a heart for service and it’s amazing to be on a team where everyone is feeling that as well,” Rogers said.

The MVFD responds to many EMS and fire calls throughout the year. On average, the MVFD answers around 2,800-3,000 fire and medical emergencies every year.

Hobbs highly recommends volunteering for the MVFD and said that she loves supporting her community.

“The best part about being a firefighter is knowing that you can support your community,” Hobbs said. “Knowing that you can be there for someone on the worst day of their life and give them the help and support they need is a great feeling.”

The group consisted of Professor Jeff KyongMcClain and 20 students from many different majors who were all connected by their interest in South Korean culture and history.

Laney Kinnick, a sophomore studying business, explained that she was drawn to the trip due to her love for Asian media and her interest in the opportunity to explore new cultures.

“I have consumed a lot of Asian media, like K-dramas and just Asian music in general,” Kinnick said. “I actually originally wanted to go to Japan, but Korea was the trip we were taking, and it ended up being such an amazing trip.”

Luke Goodwin, a junior majoring in political science and history, did not have a previous interest in Korean culture like many of the other members of the group. He saw the trip as an opportunity to learn about a culture he didn’t know much about and travel to a unique place.

“I just really wanted to travel, and frankly I didn’t know much about Korea. It wasn’t a country I had considered travelling to,” Goodwin said. “But I had a previous study abroad trip to Germany last summer, and I wanted to go abroad again for at least a short amount of time, so when Jeff mentioned he was going to South Korea, I kind of jumped into that opportunity.”

One of the main focuses of the trip was visiting and learning about historical places in South Korea. The country has a long and rich history that the group was able to explore over the duration of their trip.

Hanna Valentine, a freshman environmental science major, enjoyed the opportunity to experience the culture and see the historical buildings.

“My favorite part of the trip was probably when we would get free time and be able to explore all the night markets that were in the cities that we went to, and then also getting to see the old buildings and

“We got to explore a lot of really cool museums and historical sites all over the country,” Goodwin said. “A couple of us went to a baseball game in South Korea. It was my first ever Major League Baseball game, which was so great because I love baseball. We had a lot of fun going, and that was a unique experience.”

The food was also something to remember for these students, as many were able to experience foods that they had never heard of before. The group became fully immersed in South Korean culture in a way that many Americans may never get to experience.

“A lot of the food was amazing. Having authentic Korean food was absolutely incredible, and my favorite was probably gimbap, which is similar to sushi,” Kinnick said.

While many students may feel as though travelling abroad while in college might be too expensive or difficult, the group from this trip seemed to agree that is not only travel abroad possible but also well worth it. Trips like this allow students who might not be able to study abroad for a whole semester to get the experience of travelling abroad with peers.

“I think absolutely anyone should do it. Before going abroad, I was hesitant because I really didn’t know if I had the ability or money, but it was doable,” Goodwin said. “It was a lot of fun, and there’s also a ton of support out there from the university to provide financial aid. It’s the perfect time to travel, so you might as well.”

Kinnick explained that having a chance to leave the country and experience the world beyond her immediate community was an unforgettable experience.

“If you ever do get a chance to do any kind of study abroad, or even just something like this spring break trip that I did, just do it,” Kinnick said. “It’s an amazing experience. Just getting out of this small town, Idaho, and being able to see a different culture...I do highly recommend it.”

UI Students traveled to South Korea for an unforgettable spring break experience

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

Courtesy

UI students pose in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace in South Korea

Ben Dewitt | Argonaut Shelby Hobbs poses in front of fire truck at the station

Grace Giger can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu

Ben Dewitt can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu

Student volunteers make all the difference at the fire department

Daneil V. Ramirez ARGONAUT

Sexual Assault Awareness Month at UI

Calendar of events to support survivors and how to take action against sexual violence

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to support the survivors of sexual assault and take action to help end sexual violence in our community. Students, faculty and staff can help raise awareness and show their support by participating in the many events and activities happening throughout the month.

Survivor love letters display –April 10-14

In the TLC, there will be an interactive display of letters that students, employees and community members have written to survivors of interpersonal violence. The display will be up all day from April 10-14 and students can interact with and add letters to the display throughout the week.

Women’s Center Crafternoon –

April 14

From noon–2 p.m. students can attend the afternoon of crafts at the Women’s Center. Attendees can make a teal bracelet in support of sexual assault survivors and decorate

empowerment succulents as another way to support and come together as a community.

Snacks and craft materials will be provided.

Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence Training –

April 17

A 90-minute training entitled “Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence in a Culturally Responsive Manner” will be happening from 9:30–11 a.m. online. University of Idaho staff, faculty and students are invited to attend to learn more about how to handle disclosures of interpersonal violence. Those interested in attending this Zoom training can register online.

Survivors Strength Display –April 17-22

There will be a display in the ISUB called The Clothesline Project in which shirts made by survivors and allies will be hung as a visual display to draw attention to interpersonal violence statistics that often go ignored. The display can be viewed from April 17-22 and is meant to support survivors in our community and bring awareness to the issue of interpersonal violence.

Denim Day – April 26

Everyone in the UI community can wear denim on April 26

to show solidarity with survivors and take a stand against victim blaming. This campaign originated in Italy, when the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because they felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the rapist remove them, implying consent. In response, the women in the Italian parliament came to work wearing jeans in support of the victim. The UI community can show their support by wearing denim as well. There will be tabling with more information in the ISUB from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Breaking Silence Event – April 27 Community members and UI students alike are invited to this event where survivors and allies can share their stories

anonymously in a supportive setting. Sponsored by Lamba Theta Alpha, Violence prevention programs and Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, the event is taking place in the Shattuck Amphitheater from 6-7 p.m. confidential support people will be present, and all are welcome to come and share their stories in a safe and respectful community. Green Dot Training – April 29

From 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Albertson Building, students are invited to attend this Green

Vandal Recovery Program offers support

New program coordinator talks resources and opportunities available for UI students

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

Reaching out for help can be the most challenging step for those struggling with addiction. That’s why the Vandal Recovery Program provides a safe space with an abundance of resources to support students on their recovery journey. Located at 822 Elm Street, the center is staffed for dropins Wednesday and Thursday from 1-4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 2-4:30 p.m. There are also events scheduled throughout the week, and students can text or call the Vandal Recovery number at 208-874-2942 to find out more information, ask questions or schedule an appointment.

Vandal Recovery Program Coordinator, Emily Levine, also serves as an on-call crisis worker at the Latah Recovery Center and just began working at the Vandal Recovery Program in January of 2023. Although she is new to the program, Levine is passionate about spreading the word about the resources provided by the program and getting students connected with programs that could help them on their recovery journey.

“What Vandal Recovery is trying to do is raise awareness that it’s okay to seek services for the long term,” Levine said. “And that it’s okay to have a community of people who want to practice healthier lifestyles, and that

there’s other people on campus that share the same values.”

The program supplies students with many different free resources such as condoms, Narcan, a medicine used to reverse opioid overdose, and hygiene kits with basic supplies like toothpaste or hairbrushes. Along with providing free health materials, the recovery program also serves as a safe space for students who need help connecting with other resources or finding help.

“If someone showed up in my office, and they were clearly distressed, I can de-escalate the situation and I can contact the crisis center and let them know that...the person is in crisis,” Levine said. “If they want to talk to a clinician, I can bridge that gap and we can set it up so that the person can get the help that they need.”

Vandal Recovery is also a place for long-term recovery, and the program hopes to create a space where students in recovery can find a community to support and encourage them. This community aspect of the program includes promoting sober activities on campus and weekly recovery meetings that convene every Tuesday at 6 p.m.

“The recovery meeting addresses a wide variety of issues like mental health challenges, substance abuse challenges and eating disorders. The group tries to find a broad way to share our experiences and how we got through our struggles that could potentially help someone else if they’re struggling with something similar,” Levine said. “So, it’s just a safe place to go and be able

to non-judgmentally share and disclose things that people are struggling with.”

Levine emphasized that all of the resources and services provided by the Vandal Recovery Program are completely confidential, so students do not need to worry about anyone finding out about the help they have received. The stigma surrounding addiction and recovery can make it challenging for students to reach out, but Levine explained that there is no shame in asking for help.

“It’s hard to get to the point where you’re admitting that you need a little extra help, or that extra support,” Levine said. “But for me personally, when I finally had the courage and reached out and was able to ask for help, it was so relieving to be able to have people reach back and say ‘we know what you’ve been through, and it’s okay. And we’re here to help you through it.’ So, I would encourage people to definitely reach out if they feel like they’re struggling with anything.”

For anyone in recovery or wanting to start their recovery journey the Vandal Recovery Program is a safe and judgementfree place to find community and get help. Other resources available for students on campus include the Counseling and Testing Center and the Hope in Change: Alcohol and Other Drugs Support Group meets Wednesday’s from 5–6:30 p.m. in LLC 3.

“There’s no shame in getting help. We all deal with things that are challenging and hard in life, and having that extra support is ok,” Levine said. “I’d encourage people to reach out when they’re struggling, because it’s not fun going

Dot Bystander Intervention Training. Attendees will learn techniques to assess and intervene in risky situations and will be given the tools needed to empower bystanders and reduce interpersonal violence in our community. Registration is required and those interested can register online at the UI website.

“Cocaine Bear” review

Horror and Hilarity: a movie and the true events it’s based on.

through it alone.”

Imagine a 500-pound apex predator high on cocaine set loose in a national park with a taste for human flesh. That is a loose plot summary for the movie “Cocaine Bear,” released in late February. What’s even more shocking about the movie, is that it’s loosely based on true events.

The movie takes place in 1985, in the height of the Reagan administration’s War on Drugs. A drug smuggler attempts to parachute out of a plane with dozens of kilos of cocaine into Georgia. His parachute fails to open, and the cocaine drops into the forest below. It drops down beside a bear’s cave, and the bear gets into it, thus creating the “Cocaine Bear.” Criminals and police race to recover the cocaine while helpless hikers and park rangers flee from the hungry, drug-addicted bear.

The most shocking aspect of the movie is that it’s based off of true events. The real events of “Cocaine Bear” fortunately did not play out like the movie, however. In real life, in 1985, there was a drug smuggler who jumped out of a plane with around 40 kilos of cocaine, but due to the heavy load, his parachute did not open. Three months later, a bear was found dead in northern Georgia along with 40 opened packages of cocaine. The bear presumedly ate the cocaine and died. The bear was stuffed and is currently on display in a mall in Lexington, Kentucky. Luckily, it never even came close to attacking, let alone eating anyone, which is where the movie takes its strongest creative liberty.

The movie is a dark comedy with strong elements of horror, but lots of tension-breaking moments of humor. “Cocaine Bear” also features some actors you may be familiar with, such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson from “Modern Family,” O’Shea Jackson Junior from “Straight Outta Compton,” Alden Ehrenreich from “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Kristofer Hivju from Game of Thrones, and most notably the late Ray Liotta from “Goodfellas.” This would be the last movie Ray Liotta would star in before his death. The movie also features Scott Seiss, who you may see on TikTok frequently.

Despite how dumb and simple the plot of the movie sounds, it is a decent movie. It has a good production value for its 35-million-dollar budget, and the notable cast adds to the horror and hilarity of this movie. Overall, I would recommend watching this movie if you are a fan of the dark comedy genre, and I would rate it 7/10.

Ben Dewitt can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu

Ben Dewitt ARGONAUT

John Keegan | Argonaut

Vandal Recovery Center cards with

about resources available to students

Grace Giger can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu

Getting “Eck”cited for spring football: Week one

Positions for next year were set during the first week of spring practice

James Taurman-Aldrich ARGONAUT

Week one of spring practice has come to an end, and very few questions have been answered. Gevani McCoy will be under center, Anthony Woods will be next to him and Hayden Hatten will line up with Jermaine Jackson as the main wide receivers. Outside of the offensive and defensive lines, defensive backs and tight ends are all unknown.

Day one of practice was also pro day and it was outside. Mathias Bertram got the battle axe, Jack Layne was named offensive MVP, Tommy McCormick got defensive MVP and Jake Kindel landed special teams MVP.

“For spring ball, I’m looking to take more of a leadership role,” Bertram said. “I’m playing outside linebacker right now, a new position group, (so I’m) still figuring that out.”

After months without football, players could’ve had issues getting the rust off, but it returning players didn’t miss a step.

“Everybody played well,” head coach Jason Eck said. “It was great to see the defense get some turnovers. Mathias had a nice interception, so did Tommy McCormick.”

Thankfully, the facilities crew was able to get the field ready so that day two of practice could be inside. McCoy received the battle axe this time around, and it was well- deserved as he only threw one questionable pass. Michael Graves, who is trying to land a spot as the third wide receiver, earned offensive MVP. Tylen Coleman, who transferred from Western New Mexico University stood out as defensive MVP. Jackson showed his versatility as a wide receiver and returner as he was named special teams MVP.

After two days of practice, pads came on. Players seemed to reach new heights with the addition of pads. Murvin Kenion III had a great swat while Hayden Hatten leaped in the air for a deep catch. Eck was

pleased with how the team did during this practice and has seen a lot of improvement.

“I think we’re ahead of last year,” Eck said. “Guys probably stayed on their feet better. We still wanted to stay up today, we didn’t want to be on the ground, and I thought guys did a better job of that.”

Although there are still a lot of practices to go, position groups are starting to get figured out. The only well-known starters coming into day one of spring ball were on offense as the defense graduated a lot of players and moved others around.

“It’s a work in progress, but I see some guys stepping up,” Eck said. “Malikai Williams caught my eye today, he won the ax, he did a great job at defensive end. Jahkari (Larmond) has been doing a good job at D tackle. Sam Brown has been doing a good job at D end.”

Many Vandal fans are also looking at is the offensive line. It was a position that caused fans concern last year,

Vandals lose spring opener to Washington State

cross into the box, Witte couldn’t handle it cleanly, and Washington state capitalized with a tap-in goal to put the Cougars up 1-0.

and it’s under a microscope once again.

“On the O line, Terrian Rainey getting some good reps, our centers have had a few good days and Eli Sanchez (has played well),” Eck said. “We have to keep getting better. Sometimes the D line is a little ahead of the O line, so we just gotta keep working on those different combinations and find the right chemistry.”

The Vandals have a few weeks left of practice before their annual spring game on April 28 at 7 p.m.

James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @jamesaldrich25

New head coach Alex Pribble

Coming off a 12-3-3 2022 season, the Idaho Vandals opened their 2023 spring slate in Pullman Washington, taking on the Washington State Cougars. Seven p.m. hit, the lights were on, rain came down and Vandal Soccer was back.

The Vandals and Cougars showed their rust with some bad passes and turnovers early. Neither team was able to get control of the game until midway through the first half.

The Vandals got the first real chance of the game, getting fouled just outside the 18-yard box. Midfielder Margo Schoesler took the free kick however, the kick went straight into the wall of the Cougars defense. Washington State woke up after that and started putting pressure on the Vandals. They pressed high and forced multiple Vandals’ turnovers. Despite the awoken Cougars, goalkeeper Kira Witte made sure to take the Vandals into the half tied 0-0.

After a frustrating half for both teams, Washington State put Idaho on its heels. The Cougars sent a

Idaho tried to shake off WSU’s goal with some offense of their own. After not getting a single shot on goal in the first half, the Vandals finally had a chance. However, the Cougars’ defense held up to keep the ball out of the net.

The Cougars became more aggressive and physical as the half went along. Their physicality led to another goal, putting WSU up 2-0. Idaho was unable to figure out the Cougars, finishing their first spring game with a 2-0 loss.

Despite the loss, head coach Jeremy Clevenger liked the challenge Washington State brought the Vandals.

“It’s a good game for us,” Clevenger said. “They were very physical, they pressed us, and these types of games will help us come conference time.”

With the Vandals still trying to replace star midfielder Savannah Foster, Clevenger believes that spring is a big opportunity.

“Savannah was amazing for us,” he said. “When you lose an impactful player, the rest of the team has to step up. I think it’s also a good opportunity for some players to step into Savannah’s role.”

The Vandals have five games left of the spring season, and for some players, it is their best chance to earn some playing time.

“We will definitely give... our players opportunities to play and prove themselves,” Clevenger said. “That’s what spring’s about.”

The Vandals next test will be the spring home opener against conference foe Eastern Washington on April 7 at 6 p.m.

The “Pribble Plan” is underway as Alex Pribble has taken the Idaho men’s basketball head coach position. Pribble comes to Idaho after a four-year stint as the associate head coach at Seattle University. He led the Redhawks to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1960s and the team’s first Western Athletic Conference regular season title.

Coach Pribble has brought success to programs that haven’t been very successful. He took Saint Martin’s from a team that went 6-22 before he arrived to a team in the Sweet 16. With Idaho finishing the 2022-2023 season 10-22, Pribble is looking to bring this same turnaround to Moscow.

“As we begin this journey, I want to make one thing very clear,” Pribble said. “We are here to compete for championships at the University of Idaho.”

Before the Pribble Plan can commence, the Pribble Process must begin. In order to make Idaho men’s basketball the best it can be, coach Pribble has a three-step process when it comes to looking at players.

“One is academics, the second piece is talent and the third piece is character,” Pribble said. “We want to exhaust ourselves with the recruitment process with specific individuals. We want to make sure the people we’re interested in, we do all the research necessary to make sure they’re the right fit for the Vandals.”

In a room full of alumni, reporters and other coaches, coach Pribble spoke on the proud nature of being a Vandal.

“I want to hear from the alumni on what it means to them to be a Vandal,” he said. “I want our players to understand what it means to wear Idaho on their chest. When we hang the first championship banner in ICCU Arena, I want everybody in this community to take pride in that.”

Coach Pribble’s Vandals may not take the court until late in the Fall 2023 semester, but their coach is already getting to work. In just his first few days as head coach, he gave Jase Butler, a junior out of the Branson School in California, an offer. He followed that up by completing a request many Vandal fans asked for as he extended an offer to Kase Wynott, a junior in Lapwai, Idaho.

Coach Pribble’s staff hasn’t been set yet, but he’ll have someone helping him make decisions here soon as his

James Taurman-Aldrich | Argonaut

Coach Eck gives the battle axe to Mathias Bertram after the first practice

Jayden Barfuss ARGONAUT

Aaron Serio | Argonaut

Hannah Alfaro looking to dribble past Reese Tappan and Lindsey Turner

Jayden Barfuss can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu

The Pribble Process began Monday James Taurman-Aldrich ARGONAUT James Taurman-Aldrich

Vandal football holds pro day

Six former Idaho players participated in the 2023 pro day

James Taurman-Aldrich ARGONAUT

Six total Vandals took part in Idaho’s pro day on Monday. Roshaun Johnson, Fa’avae Fa’avae, Juliano Falaniko, Jeremiah Salaam and Leo Tamba finished their collegiate careers this season while Caleb Lightbourn graduated in 2021.

Johnson was the sole offensive player to take part in drills. He ended the day with the second most bench reps with 20 reps, and third highest vertical, jumping 29.5 inches.

Fa’avae has been one of Idaho’s top defensive players since transferring from Washington State in 2020. He put up 18 bench reps and jumped 28 inches in the vertical. His 20-meter split and shuttle times were the best of anyone at 2.75 and 4.43 seconds, respectively.

Falaniko had a short pro day as he only took part in bench reps and vertical jump. He put up 16 225-pound bench reps and jumped 25.5 inches.

Salaam started his day out hot with a 34-inch vertical and a 9-foot-10-inch broad jump. He also ran a 4.64-second 40, the fastest of anyone.

Tamba showed off his strength in the morning with 22 bench reps, the most of anyone, and a 32-inch vertical.

Lightbourn didn’t take part in the numbers side of things, but he kicked in front of all the scouts. While his official numbers aren’t available, he had a few good punt and kick attempts.

Scouts from both the NFL and Canadian Football League were in attendance. All five players were showing out for scouts from the owners of the number two pick in the draft, the Houston Texans, to the Super Bowl winning Chiefs. Coming from the CFL was a scout for the British Columbia Lions.

Every team that showed up has at least one hole on defense. From New England to Seattle, teams are in need of defensive backs and linemen, both of which Idaho has. The two teams in attendance that the NFL says need a running back are the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.

Johnson spent six seasons at Idaho, racking up 1,407 yards over 47 games. His dedication and passion for football culminated with his pro day.

“All the hard work and all the training came to fruition,” Johnson said. “I just put it all out there on the table, and hopefully I get an opportunity and get to put on for the Vandals.”

Almost every college player’s dream is to get that phone call either during or after the draft. Although Johnson’s college career is over, and his pro day has passed, he’s still going to put the work in to get that call.

“I got to get my name out there,” Johnson said. “The Vandal Nation knows me, but hopefully all of America can know me.”

James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @jamesaldrichs25

Recapping the 2022-23 women’s basketball season

The Vandals finished below .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season

Jayden Barfuss ARGONAUT

After a 14-18 record and Big Sky Tournament semifinal appearance last season, Idaho looked to continue its success this year. To start the path towards potential success, the Vandals went on the recruiting trail. Head coach Jon Newlee was able to sign guards Rosa Smith from Kirkland, Washington, and Jaiden Bea from Washougal, Washington.

The Vandals continued landing reinforcements with forward Sarah Brans from Dublin, California. After Brans, Idaho brought in guard Asha Phillips from North Nowra, Australia. The Vandals finished the offseason with a surprising move, signing a player from bitter rival Idaho State. Brook Malone hails from Perth, Australia, and gave the Vandals some key depth at forward.

Idaho began the season by traveling to Salt Lake City, for a game against the Utah Utes. The Vandals were on the wrong side of the Utes as they were defeated 88-63.

The Vandals got their first win of the season in the Navy Classic. After losing the first game of the tournament 80-49, Idaho defeated Navy 90-84 to snap a three-game losing streak. The Vandals finished the non-conference schedule 4-7, winning a huge game over Grand Canyon University.

With non-conference play out of the way, the Vandals moved onto the games that really mattered. They opened the conference slate with a game against the defending champion, and the team who defeated them in the semifinals the year before, Montana State.

Since students were on break, ICCU Arena was nowhere near full. Despite low attendance the Vandals came prepared as they defeated the Bobcats 72-53. Idaho followed that game up by beating Montana. However, their win

Bank, is happy to announce our Spring Food Drive and Fundraiser

F O O D D R I V E

When: April 12th-14th

Drop off location: Lambda Chi Alpha @ University of Idaho / 720 S Deakin St, Moscow ID

What we're looking for: Canned goods, packaged goods, dry ingredients, or any other non perishable items

(For larger donations contact us for front-door pickup)

C

When: April 12th: 10am - Close

Location: Corner Club @ 202 N Main St, Moscow, ID

Event Info: Bring 2 canned food items for half off your first domestic beer (one use only)

Items in Need: (Canned) Fruit, Tomatoes, Soup, Tuna, Pasta, Beans

Silent Auction: All proceeds go to Moscow Food Bank Items include: Home Coming Tickets, Signed Jerry Kramer Football, and more!

Contact info

Dylan Solly: Philanthropy Chairman

Phone: 949-370-8226

Email: dylansolly@yahoo com

Donate Through Venmo!

streak ran short as they lost the next six games.

The Vandals would finally break the losing streak with a road win at Weber State. They followed their huge win with two more, beating Idaho State and Portland State. Idaho went 2-2 over their next four games before their second matchup with the Bengals.

In Battle of the Domes part two, the Vandals swept the Bengals and kept moving up in the standings. Idaho split their final two games, moving them to the sixth seed in the Big Sky Tournament. As fate would have it, they would take on one of the two teams that swept them during the regular season. However, unlike last year, the Vandals got a break the first two days before taking on the Sacramento State Hornets.

Just like the first two rounds, the Hornets stung the Vandals, sending Idaho home with a 73-58 loss. It was the first time since Idaho’s 2009 59-58 overtime loss to Utah State that they’ve lost in the first round of a conference tournament.

On top of their tournament loss, Idaho also lost a key player as Tiana Johnson ended her Vandal career. Luckily for Idaho, Beyonce Bea announced that she will be returning for the 2023-2024 season. Bea is on pace to break the Vandals all-time scoring record.

The Vandals did not end the season as they hoped, however there is a sense of optimism as the Vandals will return 11 of their 13 players. They’ve also added two recruits to help them next season; Guards Aspen Caldwell from Idaho Falls, and Madelyn Muniz from Pheonix, Arizona, will help the Vandals chase the Big Sky Championship next season.

James Taurman-Aldrich | Argonaut Jeremiah Salaam hitting the 34-inch mark

Jayden Barfuss can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu

Lambda Chi Alpha, partnered with St Mary's Moscow Food

Our View: House Bill 242 is a threat to Idaho security

The “abortion trafficking bill” is another move by the pro-life community to control Idaho

Idaho’s war against abortion is impacting the lives of both those seeking abortions as well as maternal health care, jeopardizing Idaho women.

The Gem State has a long and complicated relationship with abortion and women’s bodily autonomy. That relationship had been made even more complex with the passing of House Bill 242, nicknamed the “abortion trafficking law” by those who support it. Gov. Brad Little signed the bill into law on Wednesday evening.

Sen. Melissa Wintrow, a Democrat from Boise, calls the bill “one of the ugliest attacks on women’s reproductive rights,” in an interview with The Argonaut. She likened the atmosphere to George Orwell’s “1984” and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

With HB 242, women under the age of 18 could be prosecuted if they obtain an abortion without parental consent. Furthermore, any person who assists a woman in getting an abortion without parental permission can also be prosecuted. The doctor who performs an illegal abortion by Idaho standards can also be sued by family members of the

aborted fetus, even if the abortion was performed in a state where it is legal, like in the bordering states of Washington and Oregon.

The day prior to the bill’s signing, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee urged Little to veto the bill.

“Make no mistake, Governor Little, the laws of another state that seek to punish anyone in Washington for lawful actions taken in Washington will not stand,” Inslee wrote in a letter to Little. “We will protect our providers, and we will harbor and comfort your residents who seek health care services that are denied to them in Idaho.”

Inslee raises an important point in that Idaho is actively scaring off health care providers.

Idaho is suffering from a lack of OBGYN physicians, which has resulted in two hospitals, Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint and Valor Health in Emmett, closing their labor and delivery units. This means soon-to-be mothers will be forced to travel hundreds of miles in order to deliver their babies.

The reason for these closures is the political climate. Many physicians do not feel safe making decisions for their patients, not because of abortion access, but because they are no longer able to safely advise their patients with pregnancy complications.

The bill allows family members of the aborted fetus to sue physicians for $20,000, creating an even more precarious situation

physicians must operate under.

Instances in which an abortion may be legal are when it is necessary in saving the mother’s life. The exception to this is when the threat to the mother’s life is mental health related. A physician will also be free from civil action if they “provided the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive.”

The bill also clarifies that if a woman over the age of 18 reports an instance of rape or incest and provides a copy of the police report to a physician, she will not be prosecuted for “criminal abortion.”

A concern raised by those against the bill, like Planned Parenthood and Wintrow, is that this is the first bill in the United States to criminally charge adults who aid minors seeking an abortion.

Rep. Barbara Ehardt, a Republican from Idaho Falls, said parents can still aid their child in getting an abortion.

“This legislation does not prevent parents from taking their child across the border to get an abortion,” Ehardt said in an interview with The Argonaut. She added that the bill also allows parents to cede this right to another adult, who can now help a minor get an abortion across state lines.

The bill states that any person who “commits the crime of abortion trafficking” will serve between two to five years in prison.

Regarding a pregnancy as a result of rape or incest, “Your first inclination should not be “hey, let’s get an abortion,’” Ehardt said. “Your first inclination should be to go

Students crave freedom from standardized testing

Many institutions are against tests like the SAT and ACT, but the federal government still requires students take them

Standardized tests are enjoyed by none, yet most institutions offering higher education still require them.

The SAT and ACT are rival testing companies, yet thousands of students each year opt to take both. Many colleges and universities use the tests to determine the level of course a student should take as well as what advisor the student may benefit from. While these may sound like good things, many students find the two tests irrelevant and irritating.

According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, standardized testing diminishes the overall approach to education by shifting away from experience-based learning and towards rote memorization.

The pandemic resulted in many institutions temporarily suspending their standardized testing requirement, including the University of Idaho. This was due to the diminished accessibility of testing centers and reduced number of proctors for the exams.

With many institutions adapting to the new world the pandemic has created, these limitations are less prevalent. This raises the question of whether colleges and universities will reinstate the required SAT, ACT and other standardized tests.

Students aren’t the only ones who oppose the tests, even teachers have a disdain for them.

Many of these tests are tied to outcomes like school funding, graduation and college acceptance. This places an immense amount of stress on a student, which can take a toll on their academic performance, leaving teachers to try and pick up the pieces.

Due to these tests being viewed as having such high stakes, they often drive what is taught in the classroom. This takes away the teacher’s autonomy in the classroom, while also removing all creativity and substituting it with memorization.

Standardized tests plague many schools, but there are some that have broken the mold and refuse the tests.

In 2021, an organization called FairTest took to demanding that standardized testing no longer be federally mandated. They adopted the motto “testing is not teaching,” in order to get their point across.

Additionally, the

Every Student Succeeds Act is a federal act that recognizes parents’ rights to have their kids opt-out of standardized testing. As of Feb. 2018, ten states have implemented these opt-out laws, with Idaho being one of them.

FairTest seeks to educate the community about resources, like the ESSA, that can help phase out standardized testing.

In 2021, the Biden Administration released a statement saying that standardized testing must continue, their reasoning being that schools and parents alike need to see how the pandemic has impacted their students’ learning.

Many schools, parents, teachers and states have acknowledged the need to understand the pandemic’s impact on learning, but most feel there are better ways to accomplish this.

One alternative to standardized testing is the use of portfolios; by helping students compile a portfolio, their strengths, accomplishments and skills could be more accurately represented. This would provide educational institutions with a more accurate view as to what an individual student can bring to their institution.

Another alternative would be assessing schools and students through multiple measures, rather than the one test. By measuring schools based on graduation rates, demographics, teacher assessments and lowstakes tests schools and the organizations that fund them will be able to get a more holistic and accurate depiction of the school.

Standardized tests were once a valuable tool used to help students, teachers and institutions to succeed. Now, they are creating more problems than benefits and need to be replaced.

Makenzie Davidson can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @makenzie_films

to the police.”

In response to that statement, Wintrow said that Idaho is trying to dictate what an individual should and should not do.

“No one can tell an individual what their first inclination should be,” Wintrow said.

This bill assumes that young girls are comfortable telling their parents and the police that they have experienced sexual assault and are now in need of an abortion. The Justice Department estimates that 80% of sexual assaults across the country go unreported.

HB 242 is willfully ignorant to this fact and will punish those who respect the privacy and safety of young girls and women in Idaho.

The Idaho pro-life movement vocalizes their disdain for abortion because it takes away an opportunity for new life, yet bills written and sponsored by members of that community only do harm to resources that are meant to be lifesaving.

In the words of Wintrow, the proponents of pro-life legislation like HB 242 are “anti-choice, anti-freedom, and anti-(self) determination.”

The continued attack on reproductive health care is damaging Idaho and will lead to an increase in unsafe abortions, often resulting in irreversible harm.

MOUNTAIN THOUGHTS

A symbol of hope, beavers are bouncing back

Nearly eradicated in the 1800s, conservationists are helping beavers

The U.S. government is looking to an unlikely rodent in an effort to repair ravaged riparian ecosystems, and it might be working.

Beavers are one of the odder species, in terms of appearance. With their long buckteeth, paddle tail and rounded shape, they don’t often attract sympathy from the owners of the land they choose to settle down on.

Due to unregulated trapping in the 1800s, beavers were largely eradicated from the U.S. This had cascading effects on the ecosystems they once called home. Beavers, as “ecosystem engineers,” change their environment in ways that promote a healthy ecosystem. With beavers gone, the riparian, or water based, ecosystems they frequented were in trouble.

Many other animals rely on the work beavers do to remain healthy. Without beavers, fish populations, predators, birds, amphibians and even the plants lining water banks were suffering.

Since 2008, the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has been reintroducing beavers to various areas in order to promote riparian health. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the project has documented an increase in salmonid spawning and rearing as a result of the beavers’ presence.

In Idaho there are between 50 and 75 beaver restoration projects currently operational. These projects either directly introduce beavers to damaged riparian areas or have biologists build dam-like structures in order to encourage beaver populations to return to those areas.

The U.S. has a history of killing off vital species, directly resulting in whole ecosystems decaying; a cursory examination of the history at Yellowstone National Park can attest to that. The eradication of wolves, grizzly bears, mountain lions and, of course, beavers have all resulted in the lack of riparian vegetation, predatory species and healthy landscapes.

It brings hope to the environmental community seeing these restoration projects underway, reversing the damage once done to the American landscape. Recent legislation, like Idaho’s SB 1211 and Utah’s HB 469, attempt to undo some of those efforts, but biologists and conservationists are not so easily deterred.

The beaver represents a great success in conservation; once nearly extinct, there are now almost 15 million in North America alone thanks to supremely dedicated conservationists.

Mackenzie Davidson ARGONAUT

Makenzie Davidson ARGONAUT

Boise comes alive during Treefort

KUOI 89.3 FM took a trip down to Boise

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The Treefort Music Fest has been going on for 11 years. In that time, it has changed drastically from a small event in downtown Boise to a near city-wide event that lasts an entire week.

Treefort 11 introduced new main stage acts with one returning guest; Built to Spill. Rather than shutting down most of downtown large shows were held at Julia Davis Park.

In following years Treefort hopes to grow and appeal to those outside of Idaho.

Connor Anderson | KUOI 89.3 FM

Doug Martsch and Melanie Radford of Built to Spill play on Treefort’s main stage

Connor Anderson | KUOI 89.3 FM

King Youngblood bassist Samy Garcia grinning at the camera

Anderson

Local Moscow band, Desolation Horse, performing in the Hound Garage in Boise

FM

Connor Anderson can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu

or on Twitter

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