The Argonaut | May 2, 2024

Four Vandals get chance at NFL

like, ‘oh hey, what’s up,’ and you’re just waiting for one of them to pick you up. I’ll take anyone, I don’t care who it is.”

Luckily for him, one of those girls picked him up and is going to show him what the Emerald City has to offer.

DeWitt

Despite not being drafted, three Vandals have signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents, and a fourth has been invited to amini-camp. Hours after the final round had concluded, Hayden Hatten, Hogan Hatten and Jermaine Jackson received calls from teams notifying them of their signing as UDFA’s. Turon Ivy Jr., the Vandals’ 6-foot-5 240-pound Tight End also received the call, albeit a bit different from the rest of his teammates, inviting him to the New York Jet’s rookie minicamp beginning on May 3, 2024.

Hayden Hatten won’t be far from his alma mater, as the Seattle Seahawks signed the Vandal career receiving touchdown leader. All three have the chance to make around 750,000 dollars according to Pro Football Network and have a shot at the 53-man roster come Autumn.

Hayden, who has arguably gone down as the greatest Wide-Receiver in Vandal history told the Argonaut in an interview after his pro-day that “It’s a funny situation with these guys because it’s like you have 32 of the hottest girls walking around,” Hayden said. “They’re

Hogan, the former Vandal long snapper and Hayden’s brother, received a similar call from the Detroit Lions offering him a spot on their off-season roster. Hatten comes off of a strong season at UI and showcased his athleticism during his pro-day. Hogan is one of just a handful of long snappers that made it onto an NFL roster this offseason.

“Hogan has been really consistent and has established himself as someone who wanted to go pro since the beginning. Now he is following his dreams,” Head Football Coach Jason Eck said in an interview Tuesday.

Jermaine Jackson, the other part of the Vandals receiver tandem also signed as an UDFA with the New Orleans Saints. Jackson returned two special teams touchdowns this season while also bringing in just under 600 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. During this past season Jackson ascertained a Second Team All-Big Sky nomination as well as earning two Big Sky Player of the Week awards.

“He is always laughing, has great energy and is fun to be around.” Eck said. When asked about his favorite memory with Jackson, Eck said, “His two punt-return touchdowns.”

Ivy pulled in 287 yards and two touchdowns this season. Eck said that Ivy’s playmaking ability was his best quality referencing his season long 75yard touchdown against Nevada.

UI volleyball report enters final editing stage

Players hope Gonzalez decision comes before summer

Joanna Hayes ARGONAUT

The University of Idaho volleyball preliminary report is about to go through a second round of edits.

The initial report, 42 pages detailing the interviews and findings from a four month investigation into UI volleyball Head Coach Chris Gonzalez, was completed and given to the four complainants and Gonzalez on March 27. After they received the report, all parties involved were given a 10-day window for recourse.

That means that they were able to comment on the report, and the Office for

Civil Rights and Investigations could revise and rewrite the report.

The report summarized interviews that found “sufficient evidence” that Gonzalez committed sex-based harassment, retaliated against Idaho players and violated other UI policies, according to a current Idaho player.

The investigation also found that there was “sufficient evidence” that Gonzalez discriminated against players based on national origin and violated three further UI policies, the report said. However, there was insufficient evidence that Gonzalez sexually discriminated against female assistant coaches, the player said.

Idaho volleyball player Emma Patterson said the four complainants did have changes to the initial report. The parties then received the second draft on

UI tuition increase approved

Increase will be 3% next academic year

Alyssa Johnson ARGONAUT

The Idaho State Board of Education meeting was held on campus last week, where University of Idaho requested a 3% increase to their student’s total fulltime tuition and fees.

The board unanimously agreed

increase tuition by $216 for the 2024-2025 academic year after hearing from UI’s Division of Finance and Administration team, President Scott Green and Tanner Mcclain, ASUI president. In FY 2025, undergraduate tuition and fees will increase from $8,816 to $9,084, graduate tuition and fees from $10,548 to $10,816 and out-of-state fees from $28,052 to $28,320.

UI Commencement

Author Anthony Doerr will be speaking at commencement

Grace Boehland ARGONAUT

Commencement for graduates in Moscow is May 11 with each college graduating at different times. College of Art and Architecture, Education, Health and Human Science, Law and Letters, Arts and Social Sciences is set to graduate at 9:30 a.m. in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.

The next colleges to graduate at 2 p.m. are College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Business and Economics, Engineering, Natural Resources and Science. Boise and Idaho Falls have different times and groups graduating.

The speaker for the Moscow commencement will be Anthony Doerr, a bestselling author from Boise. His World War II novel “All the Light We Cannot See” won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2015. Doerr’s short stories and essays have won five awards, his work has been translated into more than 40 different languages and won Barnes and Nobel Discover Prize, the Rome Prizes and many more.

The honorary degree goes to Keiko

Ogura, a Hiroshima survivor. The University of Idaho welcomed Ogura as a guest speaker for the “Remembering Hiroshima” event in 2022. In recognition of her vast contributions to worldwide peace, education and relationship building with the university. University of Idaho is proud to bestow the honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree as part of the Spring 2024 Commencement.

The President’s Medallion is being awarded to Jean’ne Shreeve, UI chemistry professor of 63 years. Shreeve is the UI distinguished professor of chemistry; she is the longest serving employee. She and her coworkers have published more than 725 refered academic articles.

Roughly every other year, the Shreeve lab alumni gather to reconnect with one another and honor Dr. Shreeve. In 2022, she celebrated with former students Brian Hill ’65, Charles ‘Tom’ Ratliffe ’67, Richard Swindell ’72, Dennis Sauer ’72 and Ramesh Kumar ’81, who were all inducted into the UI Alumni Hall of Fame.

No tickets are required for any commencement ceremonies. UI is excited to be able to celebrate this momentous occasion with their graduates and their guests. General seating is free and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Aaron Serio | Argonaut

Head Coach Chris Gonzalez addressing the 2023 volleyball team

John Keegan | Argonaut Hayden Hatten celebrating on the sidelines during a game against ISU

Some South Hill residents forced to move on short notice

Due to construction, some residents must vacate their housing

Rebekah Weaver ARGONAUT

Planned renovation and/or construction of apartments in the South Hill complex off Taylor Avenue will require some of the residents to relocate within the next two months, according to Housing officials.

Residents of 12 apartment units in South Hill, a mix of students, graduate students and faculty and staff, were informed Monday they would have to move out of the current apartments. Depending on the apartment, the residents will have to vacate either at the end of July, end of August or the end of May 2025.

Housing officials hope to house as many as possible of the affected residents in other on-campus housing locations. South Hill residents were invited by email Monday morning to attend a Town Hall meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, less than eight-hour notice.

The Town Hall was led by Housing and Residence Life and Auxiliary Services staff, including Julie Kerr, Associate Director of Housing Operations and Campus Servies, Corey Ray, Director of Housing a Residence Life and Cami McClure, Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services.

When asked about why residents received such seemingly short notice about being relocated, McClure responded, “It’s

not that it’s short notice; we have to start at some point, and this is the best time to do it. We wanted to give as much time as possible.”

Affected areas include apartments 1011, 1012, 1016 and 1020 – expected to vacate by July 15, 2024 – apartments 502, 510, 514, 518, 524 and 528 – expected to vacate by Aug. 30, 2024 – and apartments 418, 486, 492 and 506 – expected to vacate by May 30, 2025. Those being forced to move will be assigned new units by the housing staff, with the soonest scheduled move being less than two months away.

The staff explained that current renters could access a housing application on their website from May 1 to May 15 and fill it out as normal to formally declare their intent to remain living on campus and receive a new apartment in exchange for their current unit.

“If you don’t complete [the application] by May 10, we’re going to take that as your notice of vacate,” said Kerr. “[But] we’re not kicking you out. We’re not making you move off campus.”

The time of when an application is submitted does not affect the applicant’s ability to receive housing, Kerr said. However, minutes later, she added, “the sooner you do [the application], the easier it is to put the puzzle pieces together to best accommodate individuals.”

She added that if applicants waited until May 10 to fill out the form, numbers would become much more limited, and

Prosecutors in Kohberger case cast doubt on alibi

The state says alibi is too vague and doesn’t add any relevant information to original alibi claim

Ben DeWitt

Prosecutors in the Bryan Kohberger case, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, said that his alibi of being around 30 miles from the crime scene at the time of the murders is too vague.

According to court documents, the prosecutors stated that Kohberger’s alibi lacked specificity in terms of describing a place or places at which the defendant claimed have been at the time of the murders and names and address of witnesses upon whom he intends to rely his alibi on.

Kohberger’s alibi that was submitted on Wednesday, April 17 originally put him

near Wawawai Park, Wash., in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, nearly 40 minutes from the scene of the homicides.

The prosecution said that except for the reference to Wawawai Park, this alibi does not add any new information to the original alibi notice dated July 24, 2023. They also stated that Kohberger’s travels during this time are described in the original probable cause affidavit, supporting the original criminal complaint.

The prosecution also referenced the use of Kohberger’s cell phone information does not rise to the level of an alibi at the time of the homicides because Kohberger’s cell phone stopped reporting to the cellular network before the homicides and continued to not report until after the homicides.

The prosecution is requesting the court to deny all further opportunities to add to any purported claim of alibi and preclude testimony by anyone other than the defendant.

they would lack the ability to move students around as much.

One attendee asked if rent pricing would be affected by this forced move, as the apartments that the university intends to move residents into currently cost more than the old units.

Housing staff responded that they intended to take current rent cost into consideration but that there was a scheduled rent increase of 1.5 to 3% regardless of moving.

A student also asked if the size of their apartment would change, to which one of the staff responded that they would do their best to work directly with individuals to find the best option possible.

The Town Hall failed to ease the worries of residents who plan to be off campus or out of state during the time of their scheduled move, but Kerr affirmed that she was more than willing to work out each specific situation with individuals to make the process as smooth as possible.

Ray added, “We can give you a week to move stuff – it doesn’t have to be all in one day or overnight. There are options based on where you’re [living] at now and where you’re moving.”

Town Hall attendees also expressed concern at faculty staff housing being disrupted during this construction process, to which they were assured that their moving process would be the same as all other South Hill Apartments inhabitants.

UI recently placed a two-year time limit on staff housing, claiming that their

main concerns lay with housing students and that, as enrollment increased, availability for on-campus staff housing would decrease. This caused alarm among employees who were concerned about being displaced after living on-campus for years and for those with families and children who could only afford to live in a university-owned building.

One such employee explained that they were currently living in one of the two four-bedroom apartments that is scheduled for construction with their three children and, with no guarantee of being able to move into another four-bedroom unit, they feared that they would be facing a substantial obstacle.

“This [the relocation information and schedule] would have been useful information a couple months ago, before 98% of the housing for the fall was already taken,” the resident told the panel.

Kerr said that involuntary move would have no effect on this two-year limit, and those approaching the end of their second term on campus would still be required to relocate off campus.

Despite having no set dates to begin groundwork on construction, UI is insisting on such immediate relocation due to potential site preparation and taking down existing structures.

The goal of the new construction is to create a more efficient layout, set up in a grid-like structure as opposed to just following the lay of the land, as the current apartments do.

A big factor in this increase is due to inflation and colleges making their requests in funding the CEC.

“These increases will generate approximately $2.0M to fund the nonstate funded portion of the 3% CEC for General Education positions and a portion of the impact of inflation,” according to UI’s tuition and fee request overview.

Some students at the University of Idaho feel upset and worried about tuition increasing. Next academic year tuition will increase 3% from last semester due to inflation and colleges submitting their funding requests for the CEC (Change in Employee Compensation). This is having many students contemplate how rising tuition is going to affect them.

Dillan Clark, an undergraduate heading into his final year as a medical science major, says it’s frustrating to hear about tuition increasing each year. Clark says he didn’t have to take loans out to help pay for college until this semester.

“This was my first semester I had to take out student loans, and I will have to next semester too,” Clark said.

Clark recalls a big reason he chose to come to UI was because of the university’s reputation around its “great value” in comparison to other colleges. He questions if UI will be able to hold the title of “Best Value Public University in the West” if they keep raising tuition. When Clark started at UI tuition was $8,340, next academic year he’ll pay $9,084.

“If you increase tuition by 3% every year, it adds up. And I think that’s the main reason why college tuition has become so expensive and unaffordable,” Pat McMahon, an international studies major from California said. McMahon, a junior, is part of the

Western Undergrad Exchange program, to save on out-of-state tuition. She reflects on how much she pays for tuition now compared to her freshman year,

“Tuition increasing greatly affects me, like the amount of loans I take out and then it also affects how much interest I have to pay,” McMahon said.

McMahon says she wishes the university could be more supported through state funding or that there were other solutions to financially support the university without raising students’ tuition and suggests money from tuition increases isn’t being allocated correctly.

“I think students would be happier if tuition got raised and the majority of them benefited from it. Like if we were to improve parking or dorm life,” McMahon said.

She also opened up about having a lot of friends who have dropped out or changed their academic plans because of financial reasons over the past 2 years. She said she feels sympathy for students who can’t rely on financial support from their parents, which she says might diminish the amount of first-generation college students going to college.

Clark and McMahon both express their frustrations with lack of communication from the university about when they choose to raise tuition and why. Clark says he only knows how much he’s going to pay when he opens his billing statement to pay his tuition. As for McMahon, she wishes the university was more transparent about where her money is going,

“See every time they raise tuition, I have no idea why it’s changing, so I think they should probably be more honest about where your tuition is going at the least,” McMahon said.

ARGONAUT

John Keegan |Argonaut

The South Hill Apartments are near the Lionel Hampton School of Music

Free Palestine demonstrators call for ASUI to comment on the war

Demonstrators urge ASUI to make resolutions and officially comment in support of Palestine

Andrea Roberts ARGONAUT

On April 24, demonstrators advocating for a free Palestine discussed their views during ASUI’s open forum at their weekly meeting. They urged ASUI to make and pass resolutions to support Palestine and condemn legislators in Boise who, in their view, are using taxpayers’ money to support Israel.

“I am here, with other students, to advocate the associated students at the University of Idaho to take action against the genocide that is currently ongoing in Gaza,” Bergen Kludt-Painter, one of student demonstrators, said. “Moscow and the University of Idaho have been silent. Meanwhile, our representatives in Boise are blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Nick Koenig, a graduate student, further discussed the companies that invest in scholarships for UI’s students, and how they are also supporting Israel in the war.

“The letter that I recently drafted to the Director of Trusts basically states that we need to start having open and transparent conversations about these trusts and where these investments

are,” Koenig said.

Another demonstrator, who wishes to stay anonymous due to the controversial nature of the topic, also took to the stand and spoke out about their goal for ASUI.

“What we are seeing is one of the greatest atrocities of our lifetime,” the anonymous demonstrator said. “Gaza is to us as the Holocaust was to Germany and that is not an understatement. ASUI is a crucial opportunity to be the first step in that change. I hope you guys will work with us by drafting resolutions and urging Boise to change their policies.”

When the floor was open for senators to ask questions, Senator Palak Pandey shared an opposing viewpoint.

“As for the news I have heard and the information I have gathered, the first attack was by Palestine,” Senator Pandey said. “Also, as for Idaho, why do you think Idaho should be using tax money to give to some other country?”

In response, the anonymous demonstrator answered by saying that their goal is not to continue to use taxpayers’ dollars for the war.

“That is what we are doing right now in sending money to Israel,” the anonymous demonstrator said. “As far as the first attack is concerned, this has been a crucial issue in the world for the past 75 years. So, saying that Palestine was the first attack that happened is factually incorrect.”

Pro-Palestine

Senator Pandey also inquired about Hamas being considered a terrorist group in several countries.

“Hamas has nothing to do with the resolutions that we want passed,” the anonymous demonstrator said.

“We are talking here about Boise to call for a cease-fire and to stop sending our tax dollars to Israel.”

Senator Amy Zuercher asked about what ASUI could do to help the demonstrators. She elaborated that getting the student body

more informed and involved would be the most effective way to get resolutions passed.

“Writing to the legislators as 13 people is different from getting the whole campus informed through tabling and events,” Senator Zuecher said.

The anonymous demonstrator argued that the student body was already well-informed about the issues and the war.

“It’s important that we first focus on informing ev-

students rally in support with other campuses across the nation

Chants, signs and a call for divestment from the University

Andrea Roberts ARGONAUT

As students were leaving their classes Thursday, they heard chants and saw signs supporting Palestinian liberation and the students arrested at Columbia University on April 18.

Some of these chants included: “Free, free, free Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

While the group started with a dozen people, that soon doubled as the protest went on through the afternoon. One of the protestors, who asked to remain anonymous due to the controversial nature of the subject, remarked on how this was one of the largest groups they had seen thus far.

When asked about why the demonstration was happening today, Nick Koenig, a graduate student and instructor for UI, elaborated.

“I think it’s really linked to the growing visualization of the genocide of Palestine going back 75 years,” Koenig said. “We are seeing the growing call of college campuses, especially in the U.S., to start divesting trusts to get away from fossil fuel extractions.”

The group called for a divestment in funds made to certain companies that UI has invested in. This would mean that UI would sell these investments to no longer be associated with these companies.

“I went into the archives and dug in more at the University about what divestment looked like,” Koenig said. “We are calling for a divestment from the University’s consolidated investment trust which is currently invested in a myriad of international companies that support and enable or are currently doing fossil fuel extraction. I hope that’s what the investment campaign can really speak to. That’s why I’m here.”

The group was also protesting Idaho taxes being used to support Israel

through the war as well as speaking out against religious groups on campus who have been advocating for the support of Israel. It should be noted that this is an opinionated stance based off their research.

Zeph, a student and one of the demonstrators with tally marks on their body and face took to the microphone.

“For every single tally mark on my body, every single one, twenty children are dead in Gaza,” Zeph said. “This is not a war. This is a genocide. We will not be silenced, and we will not give up. We will continue to speak out and continue to fight as long as this genocide continues. We stand with Palestine.”

Representatives from clubs sponsoring the protest also spoke up.

“An entire culture and nation are being wiped away,” Segi Arogundade, a journalism and political science student and a representative from the Black Student Union, said.

The audience was urged throughout the protest to

sign multiple petitions concerning Palestine and divestments.

When students who joined the protest were asked how they heard about it, they responded that they found the events through social media.

“I wanted to stay informed and know if there was anything that I could do from this terrible genocide and I learned that we are investing in,” Kaitlin Peterson, a sophomore at UI said. “I emailed our school to see our investment profile. We invested in companies that are actively helping the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

The protest went on for a couple of hours.

“We may be only few, but we can still make change and we can still have an impact,” a demonstrator who asked to stay anonymous said.

This protest marked the end of a week-long string of events called “Free Palestine Week of Action,” led by student groups such as Amnesty International and the Black Student Union.

eryone because I know that a lot of people get information from social media,” Senator Zuercher responded. “As a representative body, we are privileged to speak on behalf of all the students, but my concern is that, if not all the students are informed, are we misrepresenting?”

The anonymous demonstrator further went back to illustrate their point and the demonstrators and ASUI need to think of a solution.

“Where is ASUI coming into this?” the anonymous

demonstrator asked. “It sounds to me as if you are pushing the entire responsibility onto the students, but ASUI has a large responsibility to represent these students who cannot represent themselves. You guys need to convey what we are feeling and thinking to Boise. It’s not that you guys need to inform us. It’s that we need to inform you.” The meeting ended with no formal comment from ASUI on the matter, nor a resolution.

UI music students shine with top awards for education brilliance

UI’s chapter of NAfME wins tops awards for service projects

Grace Boehland ARGONAUT

University of Idaho students earned top awards for music education from the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the Chapter of Excellence Award for Service in April.

The U collegiate chapter of NAfME is made up of more than 30 students from the Lionel Hampton School of Music. They have worked closely with Lapwai Middle and High School where they cleaned and inventoried school band instruments.

UI students made simple repairs, labeled those that needed professional repair and organized the instruments.

The service project contributed to the revival of the school’s band program which hasn’t

been met since 2014. Alexis Gist is a senior at the Lionel Hampton School of Music and the 2023-2024 president of the Idaho Collegiate NAfME chapter. She has been an advocate for music education and works to connect performers and educators through opportunities to teach, perform and inspire.

Gist is an accomplished flautist and served as a section leader in the Vandal Marching Band. She is due to graduate in May. She said, “These students are well on their way to becoming awesome music educators.”

Lori Conlon Khan, advisor to the group and clinical associate professor at Hampton School of Music, said, “I am so very proud of our NAfME chapter leadership and members and their hard work in planning and executing service projects, education opportunities and social gatherings for our music education community.”

John Keegan | Argonaut

Demonstrators gather in the UI free speech area to protest the Israel-Palestine conflict

John Keegan | Argonaut

Student demonstrators gather in the UI free speech area to protest the Israel-Palestine conflict

Connor Anderson | Argonaut The UI Marching Band in the 2022 Homecoming parade

“Orlando”: a complex and captivating show

“Orlando” cast members on stage at the end of

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

Friday April 26, the UI Theater Department hosted the opening night for the play “Orlando” in the Forge Theater at 7:30 p.m. The play, adapted from the classic Virginia Woolf novel of the same name, explores themes of sexuality, selfidentity and what it means to be alive. Directed by Blake Watson, there were shows the weekend of the 26-28 and there will be another weekend of performances May 3-5 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2-4 p.m. on Sunday. The play follows the story of Orlando, a young nobleman played by Kylie Morris, whose story starts in Elizabethan England where

he serves Queen Elizabeth (Melissa Van Der Veen) as a steward and lover, and she lavishes him with riches and status. As a 16-year-old boy, however, Orlando’s passions cannot be contained, and he soon abandons the love of the Queen to explore many new relationships and affairs. As Orlando grows older, he meets and becomes enchanted with a beautiful Russian princess named Sasha (Kari Wilsey). Although he is engaged to another, Orlando falls in love with Sasha, and they run away from the court to London together. Later, however, Orlando experiences his first heartbreak when Sasha abandons him, and he flees to Constantinople to drown out the pain. While in Constantinople, the story takes a drastic turn when a 30-year-old Orlando

sleeps for seven days and then emerges as a woman. She quickly adapts to her new life as a woman and decides to return to England where she can avoid the scrutiny of her confused acquaintances.

Orlando quickly discovers that her life as a woman is completely different from the one she lived as a man.

As she adapts, we realize that the spirit of Orlando remains the same no matter what gender she appears as. The entire adventure spans over the course of 500 years and when leaving the theater, it feels as if viewers have lived many different lives right alongside Orlando.

Woolf’s “Orlando: A Biography” was originally published in 1928, and it is as revolutionary now as it was almost 100 years ago. It boldly criticizes the constraints of gender roles and calls attention to the ways in which gender and sexuality impact who a person is and how they are perceived.

Full of both laughs and moments of contemplation, the show was a joy to experience from start to finish. Featuring a small cast of only seven ensemble members, audiences could hardly blink before there were costume changes and a constant flurry of new characters being played by the same rotation of actors. The only character who remained consistent was Orlando, played by Kylie Morris, who managed to artfully portray every version of

Orlando from teenage boy to heartbroken man, to middle aged woman. Morris’s acting was enchanting, and as a slew of people fell in and out of love with Orlando, so too did the audience.

The intimate setting of the Forge theater also adds to the experience of viewing this show. Being in a such a small space brings the audience into Orlando’s world, and there was considerable audience interaction throughout the play.

While watching “Orlando” it feels as if audiences are experiencing each of Orlando’s triumphs, failures and heartbreaks themselves. Viewers have a front row seat to Orlando’s life, and it is at once beautifully intimate and heartbreakingly tragic. Leaving the Forge Theater almost felt as if parting with an old friend, and the questions posed by the show are likely to follow viewers for days or weeks after the final curtain falls.

A brilliant and masterful performance that will thrill audiences, UI students and the Moscow community shouldn’t let the chance to see “Orlando” pass them by. This is the final show of the 2023-2024 school year, but the Theater Department will have several performances throughout the Summer through the Idaho Repertory Theater. A full schedule of upcoming events can be found at www.uidaho.edu/ class/theatre/productionsand-events.

“Fallout” thrills video game and action fans alike

Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten and Walton Goggins star in the video game adaptation

Lee Cloward ARGONAUT

“Fallout,” released on April 10 on Amazon Prime, is a show based on the hit game series of the same name. It takes place in the year 2296, over two hundred years after the world came to an end via nuclear destruction during the Great War of 2077. Most of humanity was scorched, save for those who found safety in the U. S’s many Vaults designed by Vault-Tec, remaining in isolation while the rest of the world burned. Now the once great United States of America has been turned into a desolate wasteland comprised of mutated monstrosities and factions each with their own end goal.

The story follows three characters, each with their own motives. The first of our trio is Lucy, played by Ella Purnell. Lucy is a Vault Dweller of Vault 33, who was supposed to get married to another Vault Dweller of Vault 32, only to discover the residents of 32 were supposedly killed by a group of raiders led by a woman named Moldaver. Lucy’s father ends up being taken away as a result, leading Lucy to leave the vault herself to find him in the vast world above.

Next, we have Maximus, played by Aaron Moten. Maximus is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, a faction who uses pre-war tech to collect pre-war tech to make sure no one else has pre-war tech. He doesn’t share the same terroristic motives the faction has and over the course of the story he begins to doubt the Brotherhood and his place there.

Finally, we have Cooper Howard, aka. The Ghoul, played by Walton Goggins. He’s a former actor turned Bounty Hunter after becoming ghoulified when the bombs dropped in 2077. Throughout the show we go back and forth from past and present learning of who he was and how he came to be the ruthless man of the 23rd century. Each of the three characters become intertwined with a member of The Enclave, a deserter, after they have taken a valuable object that could change the Wasteland forever. They would have to bring the deserter’s head to their respective destinations to achieve their goal, and only fate would determine if they succeeded.

There’s also a side plot focusing on the residents of Vault 33 as they begin to grow suspicious of the mystery behind the death of Vault 32’s residents and what lies behind Vault 31.

Purnell does a good job playing Lucy in the series, starting off as naïve and doing whatever she can to maintain

her morals in a world that forsaken them long ago, slowly adapting to her surroundings overtime. The same goes for Goggins as The Ghoul; he does an amazing job playing a mercenary cowboy who knows everything about the Wasteland and survival.

The show does a wonderful job in creating the world of Fallout with all the sets and scenes resembling the feel of the games themselves; from the power armor suits, to the locations and the people who live in them. It also does a good job in recreating the feeling of the games, such as the slow-motion effects of Fallouts V.A.T.S system and the fear of encountering some of the more lethal monsters that exist in the world. The choice of music from the 40s, 50s and 60s also gives the show a timeless feeling.

While portraying an entertaining story, the show occasionally fails to deliver on the storyline. While it isn’t too complicated, it retcons some of “Fallout” canon, leaving game fans confused by what did and didn’t happen.

Overall, the show is a great addition to the Fallout timeline, expanding the world more than ever. You can watch all eight episodes of the first season on Amazon Prime, and there’s more to come with season two confirmed. So, whether you’ve played the games, or are just a big fan of action and violence, this show is for you.

Local art and community at ArtAbility

People with disabilities showcased art created in the program

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

On Monday, April 29, the Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development hosted the annual artAbility showcase in the 1912 Center from 5-7 p.m. The event featured art created by adults with disabilities on the Palouse who participated in the program over the year. The gallery featured art from 23 artists, much of

which was available for purchase. The art mediums displayed included monochromatic texture art, relief block printing, watercolor paper weaving, quilting collage, ceramics and tree ring paper printing, which was offered as a workshop hosted by UI graduate student Nick Koenig during the event. The event was the 10th anniversary of the artAbility program, which encourages adults with disabilities to participate in art workshops led by local artists. Over the past 10 years of the program, there have been more

Horoscopes: May Overview

What’s in store for you this month?

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

Aries (March 21-April 20)

Do not be afraid to live authentically this month. Your honesty will attract the right people toward you and repel the wrong ones. Do not try to hide who you are for the sake of others. Be unapologetically honest with yourself and the choices you make.

Taurus (April 21-May 20)

Open yourself to new opportunities and possibilities this month, Taurus! You have been harboring a close-minded view of your life. Set your expectations for yourself high and then do whatever it takes to reach them. You are capable of so much more than you know, so don’t hold yourself back from the future that could be waiting for you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

There is no such thing as wasted effort this month. You may feel lost and dejected after something you’ve been working toward didn’t turn out as expected, but remember that all of your experiences, both good and bad, are shaping who you are as a person. Every effort is worthwhile and will come back to serve you someday, even if it feels futile now, so keep pushing forward.

Cancer (June 21-July 20)

When it feels impossible to keep moving, remember that each step you take today is bringing you closer to the future you have always dreamed of. The work you are doing is worthwhile, it is important, and you have no idea what tomorrow could look like if you only persevere today. You are stronger than you know, and someday you will look back and be grateful for the effort you put in now.

Leo (July 21-August 20)

Take a deep breath this month and look back at how far you have come. You should be so proud of yourself and you deserve to celebrate the challenges you overcame and the hard work you had to put in to get here. Take a moment to thank the ones who helped you along the way and revel in the peace that no matter what the future holds, you have made it this far and can overcome anything that comes your way.

Virgo (August 21-Sept. 20)

Be confident in yourself this month, don’t let the voices of others make you doubt who you are. You bring something completely unique to your work, your relationships and everyone you encounter, so don’t hide that light from the world.

Libra (Sept. 21-Oct. 20)

While you may be reeling from disappointment and heartbreak now, remember that the most painful losses can lead to the most powerful transformations. You bounced back before, and you will do it again. Do not let yourself lose hope—the best is yet to come.

Scorpio (Oct. 21-Nov. 20)

Instead of fearing the uncertainty of what’s to come, embrace the excitement of the many opportunities that lie before you now. Reframe your mindset to celebrate the unknown. Your whole life is ahead of you, anything can happen! Marvel in the beauty of having a choice in how your life will go, and dive headfirst into the next chapter without looking back.

Sagittarius (Nov. 21-Dec. 20)

This month may be a valuable opportunity for you to reevaluate your priorities and where you want to spend your precious energy. Stop wasting your time on things and people that are not bringing you any closer to the person you want to become and the future you hope to create for yourself.

Capricorn (Dec. 21-Jan. 20)

Reconnect with what drives you forward this month. Never allow yourself to lose sight of the end goal, and if you have lost the vision of the finish line, then sit down with yourself and create a new goal to strive towards. Even if you decide to change directions and work towards something else, remember that nothing is wasted if you learn from it.

Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 20)

than 189 participants and more than 1000 pieces of artwork created. Along with the interactive tree ring paper printing workshop, the event also included a collaborative storytelling station, where participants had a chance to share their stories on how artAbility has impacted their lives. Additionally, there was a raffle where one lucky winner won a print of one of the first paintings created by an artAbility participant 10 years ago. More information about the program can be found online.

Never let anyone make you feel ashamed for making a choice that brings you peace and well-being. Part of life is letting go of what’s holding us back, so congratulate yourself on being brave and making the hard decision to release what was dragging you down. And if you are still holding to some dead weight, take this as your sign to let it go without feeling guilty and embrace the freedom that will come.

Pisces (Feb. 21-March 20)

Step out of your comfort zone this month and make a conscious effort to connect with those in your life you usually overlook. Your deep need for connection is felt equally by those around you, and the community you’ve been searching for could be within your reach. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation and forge a connection with the people in your life.

Latest UI production celebrates life’s beauty

Katie Place | Argonaut

the show

UI Fencing Club brings home silver from District Qualifiers

Fencing club offers opportunities to learn to parry and make friends!

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

After a year of hard work and practice, University of Idaho Freshman, Lucinda Meshberg, fought all the way to the podium and earned second place at the Fencing Inland Empire Divisional Qualifying event in Women’s Foil.

The competition was held in Spokane on April 13, with competitors from North Idaho, Eastern Washington and Montana.

Meshberg joined the club at the beginning of fall semester, having always wanted to try fencing but never having the opportunity before coming to UI.

“I’ve always been interested in fencing, but there wasn’t a club near where I lived,” Meshberg said. “So, when I was able to join the club here I was a complete beginner. I just started learning advances, retreats, lunges and reposts right away, and I still have a lot to learn.”

Meshberg explained that preparing for a competition, like the one earlier this month, required consistent practice and discipline.

“We have practice every week, and I try not to change anything about my routine. The term ‘practice how you play’ is really applicable here,” Meshberg said.

The President of the UI Fencing Club, Kyra Young, who also competed in the Divisional Qualifiers, explained that joining the fencing club has enhanced her time at the UI.

“My freshman year, I was trying a bunch of different things. I wanted to see if I could find something that interests me. And I was also just chasing experiences to make me a better writer,” Young said. “I really got hooked, and now I can write better fight scenes and fight better.”

The club is open to all students and community members, so there are members from across the area and of all ages.

“The club is open to everyone, which means undergrad, grad students, people who live in Moscow and even those who don’t,” Young said. “So, anyone from the age of 11 and up, because fencing is a lifelong sport.”

Meshberg agreed that fencing is something that she hopes to participate in for the rest of her life.

“I hope to do it for my whole life, just because I really enjoy it,” Meshberg said. “I mean, since our club is open to the community we have a lot of older

members, and it’s something you can do throughout your whole life.”

Meshberg reiterated that while fencing may seem intimidating at first, the club members are welcoming and happy to teach beginners the basics.

“If it’s something you’re interested in, there’s no reason not to give it a try,” Meshberg said. “Because the people at the club are super nice and they’ll teach you everything. We’re all really excited when new people come because it’s an opportunity for us to practice our basics, and then we get a new person to fight.”

Practices are open for anyone to come observe or get taught the basics of fencing. A coach or more experienced members are always happy to teach beginner skills to new fencers.

“Once you learn more and you get more competent, you will get more confident. The learning curve is very steep, but everyone goes through it. If you like it and you have fun doing it, just ride the curve,” Young said.

The club practices from 4:30-6:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Physical Education Building room 111. Those looking to get connected can reach out to the Fencing Club email at uidahofencing@gmail.com.

“At the heart of it, fencing is just a really fun sport,” Young said. “It’s easy to learn, hard to master, but there’s no waiting for someone to pass you the ball. It’s always your turn, you’re always on the court, and that’s the fun of it.”

Congratulating Spring 2024 Graduating Students

In Computer Science and Cybersecurity

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Jackson Robert Baldwin

Dan Lee Blanchette

Dawson Harrington Daniels

Spencer Douglas Butler

Alphonse Crittenden

Sean Payson Devine

Logan Finley

Ian B Fleming

Bryan Frahm

Triston J Hardcastle Peck

Kyle J Hash

Bryce Aaron Hendrickson

James Lasso

Lucien McCorrey Lee

Liam M Mathews

Toby A McIenon

Molly Erin Meadows

Conner Dean Mullins

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

Sean Payson Devine

Oscar Michua-Zarate

Matthew Robert Neel

Hunter Ala Squires

Academic Certificate in Cybersecurity

Karina Cherise Permann

Academic Certificate in Robotic Engineering

Adegbola Shadrach Babs-Ogunleye

Robert H Carne

Wesley Kohl Gates

Kris Olds

Master of Science in Computer Science

Adegbola Shadrach Babs-Ogunleye

Matthew David Cox

Steven Thomas Daniels

Kris Olds

James M Peters

Johnny Michael Stuto

Master of Science in Cyber Security

Tiffany Fuhrmann

Kyle Patrick LeDoux

Robert Walko

Ph D in Computer Science

Azan Hamad Alkhorem Joel Oduro-Afriyie

Nyah Morgan Nelson

Karina Cherise Permann

Jenna-Luz Pura

Zherong Qian

Jordan Leigh Rieth

Carson James Rueber

Marissa Jolie Samayoa

Carson Jack Sloan

Fei Teng

Jonna Jlee Waage

Ryan Patrick Wagner

Riley Eaen Walsh

Yiqun Wang

ZheYang Wei

Jeremy Mitchell Wisecarver

Benqi Zhang Cheng Zhao

Hongxi Zhu

Lucinda Meshberg | Courtesy Lucinda Meshberg (third from right) poses with her scond place medal

Moriera to take over women’s hoops

Former head coach Carrie Eighmey leaves for South Dakota

Joanna Hayes ARGONAUT

The women’s basketball program is currently being run by associate head coach Arthur Moreira, according to University of Idaho Athletics.

Jerek Wolcott, UI Athletics spokesperson, confirmed Tuesday Moreira will fill in for the time being since he is now the senior coach on staff after the announcement that former coach Carrie Eighmey is leaving UI to take the head coaching job at the University of South Dakota.

“I am excited to coach and continue to build the Vandal basketball team. I am also thrilled that Drew (Muscatell) will stay on with us and his family will have the chance to stay here in Moscow,” Moreira said in an email to the Argonaut. “Our goal of bringing a Big Sky title to the ICCU Arena has not changed, and we are focused on retaining the tremendous student-athletes we have recruited. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but we know that this is still a great place to play basketball and get a great education, and we look forward to helping our student-athletes succeed on and off the court.”

Eighmey spent less than a year as head coach for UI, finishing the 2023-2024 season at 15-16 overall and 8-10 in Big Sky conference play. Eighmey was set to sign a multi-year contract with UI but never actually put the pen to paper.

Her contract was pending during her entire stint as the Vandals head coach, according to Wolcott. Because her contract was never finalized, she was able to avoid the contract-required $500,000 buyout in order to leave the position.

Eighmey would have had to pay the half million dollars “to the university as liquidated damages and not a penalty,” according to her contract.

If the contract had been finalized, it would have been a five-year deal, with decreasing buyout amounts as the years progressed. If UI had terminated the contract, it would have owed Eighmey a year’s salary, about $120,000, plus $30,000 in media fees.

Wolcott said that Eighmey initially interviewed for the South Dakota head coaching job in 2022 and did not get it. Kayla Karius, who Eighmey is replacing, was hired instead. Karius announced a week ago that she was leaving South Dakota to coach at her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

“I am so excited to have Carrie Eighmey joining the Coyote family,” South Dakota Athletic Director Job Schemmel said. “She is a proven winner. Her energy is infectious and is matched only by her passion for teaching and impacting the lives of the young women she coaches. I couldn’t imagine a better fit to be the next leader of our women’s basketball program and I am thrilled to welcome her and Devin (Eighmey) to USD and the Vermillion community.”

Eighmey shared the same excitement about the move.

“I am honored to accept the role as the head coach of the South Dakota women’s basketball program,” Eighmey said. “There is a long history and tradition of success and excellence here, and I couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to continue building on that tradition. I have followed this program for many years and I’ve always been impressed by the support of the Coyote fan base. I am excited to get to work and see what we can build together.”

Eighmey leaves amid a changing Vandal roster. Before the news of her departure, five players from the 2023-2024 team entered the transfer portal, including First Team Big Sky player Kennedy Johnson. The four other players to leave were Aspen Caldwell, Madelyn Muniz, Jenna Kilty and Georgia Gray.

Johnson has since committed to Saint Mary’s College. Aspen Caldwell committed to Utah Valley University. Madelyn Muniz committed to Cal State Fullerton. Georgia Gray committed to Appalachian State University. It has not been confirmed if Jenna Kilty has signed anywhere yet, and the transfer portal closed May 1, according to Wolcott. Gawlik said that the unique situation created by Eighmey’s departure

Spring Roundup

Men’s Golf

Men’s Golf approaches the end of their season with Joe Sykes being invited to the NCAA Men’s Golf Regional Tournament after his exceptional performance at the Big Sky Championship. UI placed third in the tournament, just four strokes under Sacramento State according to a press release.

However. Skyes had the single best performance and was the individual champion. He shot a 209 and will represent UI at the Division 1 regional tournament. The tournament’s location is still unknown, but it will occur on May 13.

Track and Field

The Vandal Track and Field season closed their 2024 season with a meet at the University of Arizona.

In the Desert Heat Class in Arizona, Justyn Rogers finished eighth in men’s long jump at 7.41m, just 0.08m shy of his personal record he scored at last year’s Desert Heat Classic. Rogers stands fourth in the conference heading to the Big Sky Championship.

First-year student Gioele Tengattini threw a new personal record of 50.03m in men’s discus for the seventh farthest mark in the conference.

In the men’s 800 Zac Bright and Lorenz Herrmann scored within the top ten. Bright took ninth with a time of 1:49.80 and Herrmann took tenth at 1:49. 88.

First-year student Hanna Tait finished eleventh in the women’s long jump with a new personal record of 5.89m. Tait has the Big Sky Conference’s eighth longest jump this year. In the women’s high jump Annika Jozin got a mark of 1.65m and placed tenth. In men’s high jump Dante Cox got a mark of 1.95m and finished in ninth place.

Mia Slyvester finished thirteenth in women’s shotput and sixteenth in women’s hammer throw.

According to a press release, Vandal Track and Field will complete their season with the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont. The meet will happen Wednesday, May 8. through Saturday, May 11. After that, Vandal athletics will completely wrap up its 2024 Spring Season.

extends their ability to enter the portal by one month.

“As far as student-athletes currently on the roster, the window to enter the portal closes on May 1, but it would extend their transfer window to 30 days from today,” Gawlik said in an email to the Argonaut.

Eighmey signed seven players from the transfer portal this spring in hopes to stabilize the program after the five departures. However, because Eighmey left for South Dakota, those seven players have the option to opt out of their decision to come to UI.

“Any transfer student from the portal signs an aid agreement and is not held to the same standards as a high schooler who would have signed a National Letter of Intent,” Gawlik said in the email. “Committed transfers would be eligible to get out of their commitment without penalty, but we are hopeful that they will still become Vandals.”

“We hope the student-athletes that we have already recruited, whether through the portal or otherwise, stay committed to Idaho. Coach Moreira and Coach Muscatell are hard at work to retain our strong

VOLLEYBALL

The University of Idaho volleyball preliminary report is about to go through a second round of edits.

The initial report, 42 pages detailing the interviews and findings from a four month investigation into UI volleyball Head Coach Chris Gonzalez, was completed and given to the four complainants and Gonzalez on March 27. After they received the report, all parties involved were given a 10-day window for recourse.

That means that they were able to comment on the report, and the Office for Civil Rights and Investigations could revise and rewrite the report.

The report summarized interviews that found “sufficient evidence” that Gonzalez committed sex-based harassment, retaliated against Idaho players and violated other UI policies, according to a current Idaho player.

The investigation also found that there was “sufficient evidence” that Gonzalez discriminated against players based on national origin and violated three further UI policies, the report said. However, there was insufficient evidence that Gonzalez sexually discriminated against female assistant coaches, the player said.

Idaho volleyball player Emma Patterson said the four complainants did have changes to the initial report. The parties then received the second draft on April 16.

“There were some changes, nothing super significant. There were enough changes that they have to send another draft,” Patterson said.

According to Patterson, the four complainants have given their comments and OCRI is waiting to get comments from Gonzalez before writing

recruiting class and build on their success,” Gawlik said.

Four of the seven players that signed for the upcoming season have confirmed they will be transferring to UI despite the head coaching change. These players include Rosie Schweizer from University of the Pacific, Olivia Nelson from the University of Central Missouri, Hope Hassmann from Cal State Fullerton University and Jennifer Aadland from Augustana University.

The players that have not confirmed they are sticking with Idaho include Ruthie Loomis-Goltl from Colorado University, Anja Bukvic from Louisiana Tech University and Tyler McCliment-Call from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Eighmey’s single season in Moscow was riddled with injuries to several players. She lost the team’s leading scorer Hope Butera midway through the season due to injury.

Prior to Idaho, Eighmey coached at Nebraska-Kearney for eight years. She led the team to three consecutive NCAA D-II tournaments, including a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2020-2021 season.

With Moreira acting as the senior coach on staff, UI athletics

the third and final draft. The deadline for recourse is April 30.

“We are anticipating that Gonzalez won’t submit anything until the day of the deadline,” Patterson said.

She said that the last round of edits took “about a week” so she is expecting to get the final report before the end of the semester.

Jodi Walker, Senior Director of Communications for UI, confirmed that there is still not a final report, but it will be given to the four complainants, Gonzalez, Athletic Director Terry Gawlik and President Scott Green.

Patterson said she is still not exactly sure who will be making the decision, saying that communication has been unclear. However, Walker confirmed Tuesday that Scott Green will be deciding if Gonzalez is fired or not. Green will make this decision based on the final OCRI report, as well as a written recommendation from OCRI director Jackie Wernz.

Gonzalez was placed on paid administrative leave on March 27. Since then, assistant coach Romana Redondo Kriskova has been acting as interim head coach. Patterson said that Kriskova has been planning for next season and has been working on recruiting players for the fall.

She confirmed that all 11 players on the spring roster have returned to practice since Gonzalez was placed on leave. However, Patterson said that some of the players that had initially opted out were nervous to return to practice. The nerves stemmed from previous experiences with some of the assistant coaching staff.

“Some people had a lot of apprehension initially interacting with Maria (Logan),” Patterson said. “Just from how she interacted and spoke with us before.”

Patterson said that “no one else” has left the program since the end of

is hopeful the current roster holds steady.

“We hope the student-athletes that we have already recruited, whether through the portal or otherwise, stay committed to Idaho. Coach Moreira and Coach Muscatell are hard at work to retain our strong recruiting class and build on their success,” Gawlik said in the email.

Although Eighmey’s stay at Moscow was short-lived, Gawlik is thankful for the impact she and her husband Devin had on the women’s basketball program.

“We are grateful to coach Eighmey for her contributions to Vandal women’s basketball over the last 12 months and wish her the best as she and Devin return to the Midwest. We believe that we have the resources to build a successful program, and we will move forward with that goal in mind,” Gawlik said in the email.

UI athletics is currently working to fill the head coaching position as soon as possible, according to Wolcott. They hope to find stability for the program amid an expeditious coaching changes, unsure transfer commits and mass player departures.

the season. However, she expects more players will leave no matter the outcome of the investigation or what Green decides based on the report.

“There are three different levels,” Patterson said. “There are the people that will obviously stay regardless of the report. There are the people that will leave if Gonzalez stays, and there are people that will leave if the university does not do its due diligence in hiring the next coach.”

Currently, the hiring process for head coaches at UI changes from case to case, according to Gawlik. Patterson and others on the team want UI volleyball alumni to be on the hiring committee. She is currently drafting an email to Gawlik and Green requesting that alumni be consulted if Gonzalez is fired and another coach needs to be recruited.

“Our coaching hiring processes vary depending on many factors. We do not have non-staff members on our hiring committee,” Gawlik said in an email to the Argonaut.

Patterson said there are players that will leave the program if Kriskova is made head coach without the consideration of other candidates. She hopes that Kriskova is not directly made head coach instead of the athletics department opening up the position to other competitors.

“We want to be given the same and equal opportunity given to the football team in hiring a new coach,” Patterson said.

She believed that alumni were on the hiring committee for football Head Coach Jason Eck, but Gawlik confirmed that people on these committees are all on the UI Athletics staff.

With the report’s recourse deadline approaching, the players hope a decision regarding Gonzalez will come before the end of the semester.

John Keegan| Argonaut

Eighmey draws up a play in a huddle

Ben DeWitt ARGONAUT

John Keegan | Argonaut Eighmey draws up a play in a huddle

Volleyball players suffer from Athletics’ mistakes

VB players, Vandal Family deserve better

The University of Idaho has let down the volleyball players in almost every way throughout Head Coach Chris Gonzalez’s time in Moscow. In November 2023, the university’s Office for Civil Rights and Investigations launched an investigation into Gonzalez’s alleged abusive behavior. It was a year too late. In November 2022, multiple players approached university administration, including Athletic Director Terry Gawlik, about behaviors from Gonzalez.

Kate Doorn, a setter on the 2022-2023 Idaho team, and her father wrote a letter to university administration, detailing alleged abusive conduct toward players. This letter, combined with a meeting with administration in November 2022, detailed instances where Gonzalez reportedly restricted the players’ food intake, pushed a player to the ground during practice and made comments about the players’

NFL DRAFT

Nine players took part in the 2024 Vandal Pro Day and while four of them received the news that they would be headed to the next level of football, the other five did not. Ricardo Chavez, Tre Thomas, Ben Bertram, Logan Prescott and Tylen Coleman are the other Vandal players that were not given the shot.

Chavez was predicted by many to be a low pick and, at minimum, to be a UDFA. His ambidextrous kicking ability was historically unique. However, kickers and punters in the NFL have less room for failure than other positions, and the player pool for these positions is much smaller. Combined with the fact that teams don’t usually use draft picks on either punters or kickers, Chavez’ NFL future is in a type of limbo that his other teammates’ futures aren’t.

Vandal fans are ecstatic about this turnaround from the football team, and it is clearly paying off for players too. The last Vandal football player to be drafted was in 2019 under former head coach Paul Petrino, comparing that to the now three, possibly four, players who might make an NFL roster this offseason it is clear that the football program is gaining momentum.

“It is a great example for the Vandal Family to take pride in the University, seeing them (Hayden, Hogan, Jackson, Ivy) in NFL jerseys,” Eck said.

bodies.

These claims were ignored by university administration, namely Gawlik, but also President Scott Green, who recieved a complaint letter about Gonzalez from a player’s parent in November 2022. Anonymous players previously told the Argonaut that they were “laughed out of her office.” They were struggling to find purpose and passion on their team. The players wanted their time as a Vandal to be unforgettable, to be their golden days. The players approached Gawlik specifically because she has a background in women’s athletics.

Before coming to UI, Gawlik worked for 14 years at the University of Wisconsin as the designated senior woman administrator. In this role, Gawlik specifically “oversaw the department’s implementation and compliance with policies and procedures regarding Title IX, gender equity, diversity and sexual assault and violence training,” according to her UI biography. Gawlik has more than a decade of experience at a major Division I school working with similar problems that the Idaho players were facing in November 2022. And yet, when the players built up the courage to approach those they thought could help,

their voices were silenced. Their voices were laughed out of the office.

Because of this, good players left the school. Doorn transferred to Sacramento State after the 2022 season. The Hornets finished the season at 22-12 and 13-3 in Big Sky Conference play with Doorn as their starting setter. Even with Doorn as the starting setter for Idaho in the 2022 season, Idaho finished at 4-24 overall and 1-15 in conference play.

The records don’t lie. Idaho had the players and the skillset to find success on the court. If they had the talent, why did the Vandals only rake in one conference win? The players knew why. The players told the university administration why. They said that Gonzalez was reportedly physically, mentally, emotionally and verbally abusing them.

He was showing fail montage videos of a single player after games, Idaho player Emma Patterson previously told the Argonaut. He was commenting on their bodies. He was saying the program “has been crap for almost 50 years.” He said that other teams laugh at the Vandals, that they humiliate them. All these allegations combined with a 4-24 record was not enough

evidence for the university to reconsider Gonzalez’s employment.

If that wasn’t enough evidence for the university, there might not ever be enough. They repeated the exact same offenses a year later. Once again, players approached university administration. They asked Gawlik for help. They asked associate athletic director Chris Walsh for help. They filed formal complaints with the OCRI.

And once again, Gawlik “laughed them out of the office” for the same allegations against Gonzalez in September 2023 that she was made aware of in November 2022. An anonymous player told the Argonaut earlier this year that Gonzalez heard the players complained about him to administration and brought it up in a September 2023 meeting. He reportedly told the players he sees and hears everything they are saying about him. That he warned them to never do that again.

This fear of retaliation forced the players to seek help outside of the university and the programs that are supposedly put in place to protect athletes from these kinds of situations. The players were forced to speak to the media. The only person that would lend them an ear and give them a voice was a news outlet in southern California and, after the story broke, the Argonaut.

With the news breaking and the story no longer being one the university could laugh out of an office and sweep under a rug, the administration continued to avoid accountability. Yes, they sent out a Jan. 19 memo to the student body voicing support for Vandal athletes. Yes, they said this situation is awful and that no athletes should have to go through it.

And yet, their actions said otherwise. Patterson told the Argonaut that even though Gonzalez was being investigated for alleged abuse, the players initially could not opt out of practice. They could only opt out of non-physical volleyball activities, such as film and team meetings. Patterson said the players had to specifically request the ability to opt out multiple times before it was approved.

That shouldn’t have even

been a conversation. They should have immediately been able to opt out of practicing with and for their alleged abuser. Their alleged abuser should not have been at practice in the first place. Gonzalez was under investigation as soon as the 2023 season ended in November.

He was placed on paid administrative leave on March 27. The university took more than four months to place Gonzalez on leave. Because of this, Gonzalez was actively coaching players. He was actively recruiting and signing players for the fall. All while he was under investigation for alleged abuse.

It almost seems like the university wants to keep Gonzalez around. They ignored complaints in 2022. They ignored complaints in 2023. They ignored a 4-24 record. They ignored a 1-27 record. And they ignored their duty to place him on leave while the investigation was being conducted.

They only placed him on leave after the 42-page preliminary report was completed, detailing the exact same situations players brought to light in the previous two seasons. The university seemed to only believe the allegations because they came from a lawyer’s mouth and not a player’s.

This extreme delay, lack of accountability and the intense instability for the volleyball program is a disservice to the volleyball players. It is a disservice to the Vandal Family. These players deserve better. They deserve to be believed. They deserve to take pride in being a Vandal and to not be ashamed of the black and gold.

The same people that heard the complaints more than a year ago will be the same people making a decision regarding Gonzalez’s employment. Hopefully the final OCRI report, the recommendation from OCRI director Jackie Wernz and the complete and utter support from the Vandal Family for the players is enough evidence for the university to make the right decision, to prioritize the team and to get rid of Gonzalez.

Hopefully the university listens to the lawyers, because it doesn’t seem like they will listen to Vandals themselves.

John Keegan | Argonaut

Chris Gonzalez talking with assistant coach Romana Redondo Kriskovat at a March 2 basketball game

John Keegan | Argonaut Jermaine Jackson (bottom left) returning the ball against Southern Illinois Turon Ivy Jr. (top left) stiff arming an Idaho State player

Hogan Hatten (top right) conducting the UI band after the Southern Illinois game

Kennedy Jr.’s run catches people’s attention

Kennedy Jr. is an impactful force in the upcoming election

As America gears up for its 60th presidential election, a new contender with a familiar name has emerged onto the scene: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Running as a third-party, Independent candidate, Kennedy is making an unexpectedly strong showing in early polls, catching the attention not only of voters but also of his fellow candidates.

Across five national polls released in both March and April, Kennedy received an average of 13% support when his name was included in the survey question. This may not sound like a large portion, but when compared to another independent candidate Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, their average was closer to 3% each.

mances hardly ever satisfy their polling numbers.

Let’s take Gary Johnson as an example. Johnson was the 2016 Libertarian nominee for president. Similarly to Kennedy and his fellow nominees today, the two major party runners, Hillary Clinton and Trump, were not very popular. However, after Trump succeeded in the 2016 election, many people believed that if Johnson was not in the race, his supporters would have voted for Clinton over Trump.

Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are currently in a deadlock in many surveys, meaning that Kennedy’s support could prove crucial to the election’s outcome. However, historical precedent has suggested that third-party and independent candidates’ election perfor-

Johnson polled at an average of 8% and frequently registered in the double digits but ended up getting only 3% when it came to Election Day.

Now, there is no way for us to know how much Kennedy’s polling will change from now until the election, but if he ends up with a similar case as Johnson, it could have a great effect on the presidential results. If Kennedy does take votes from either Biden or Trump, it could tip the balance of the election like many claimed in 2016. The question then arises: Who should be more worried about Kennedy’s candidacy?

In the political realm, trying to assess the impact of candidates often involves many variables. When a new contender

emerges, the name can have a large impact on the way people view a candidate. The name Kennedy carries a legacy of American political history, but seeing as Kennedy is running as an Independent, it’s important to review the dynamics of both the Republican and Democratic parties.

Trump is a Republican figure who reshaped the party in his image. He has a large base of supporters whose loyalty remains unwavering. While his grip on the Republican Party seems firm, there are many Republicans who remain ambivalent or even opposed to Trump. Kennedy could potentially appeal to these undecided voters, tilting the scales away from the main Republican candidate.

On the other hand, Biden has been facing both internal and external pressures as president. Though his support base remains at large, Kennedy’s presence might awaken progressive factions within the Democratic Party that align with Kennedy’s promises.

His appeal to the younger voters could potentially divert attention away from Biden, seeing as the youth who are extremely likely to vote this election are likely to vote for a Democratic candidate.

When weighing the potential threats posed by Kennedy to both sides, it seems that his impact will be more pronounced in the Democratic camp. Al-

The longstanding problem with UI campus design

Materiality can be the bane of architecture’s existence

The University of Idaho has an issue that needs to be addressed in its campus architecture.

The campus has confused the idea of vernacular architecture and the use of similar materials to the point of creating buildings that blend rather than stand out.

The UI campus can be split into two separate pieces. The first is the old campus, which contains buildings such as the Administration Building, the Lionel Hampton School of Music and Art and Architecture South. The second part of campus is newer and comprised of buildings like the Integrated Research and Innovation Center.

with the main material of bricks. They all followed the same style of architecture called Collegiate Gothic.

The newer buildings on campus ditched the style of Collegiate Gothic and instead opted to follow the material and design everything using brick as the main material.

The biggest example of this issue comes from the IRIC. The IRIC’s main structural material can easily be seen as brick, with the rest of it being a glass wall covered by a rain screen colored to look like brick. With this combination of materials and colors, the IRIC does not stand out much except in a way that it looks like a giant brick was placed on the academic mall.

The issue with this separation of campus is that the new buildings try to imitate the old buildings but don’t do a good job of it. Most of the new buildings get confused about the difference between vernacular architecture and materiality.

The older buildings were not just made

This is an issue that UI has struggled with for a long time. Even though we have a prestigious architecture school on campus, most of our newer buildings lack clever design qualities. A lot of the buildings in the academic mall, which should highlight some of our best architecture, end up looking like giant blocks made of brick.

If the newer UI campus buildings wanted to try and fit in, they should not just be made

though his favorability ratings are higher among Republicans, Kennedy began running in the Democratic primary and most of his admirers also hold a favorable view of Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University poll from 2023.

This makes it seem tough for Trump supporters to vote for Kennedy, even if they like what he says.

However, the likelihood of Kennedy winning the presidency remains slim. The dominance of the two-party system in American politics presents a formidable barrier to third-party candidates. Many voters feel discouraged from supporting alternative candidates, fearing that their votes might be wasted on someone who has little chance

of winning. It is sad, but true. Despite this, there is a significant dissatisfaction with the major-party candidates, with an unusually high 29% of U.S. adults expressing support for neither Trump nor Biden. With the race between Biden and Trump still neck-and-neck, neither side can afford to dismiss the potential impact of Kennedy potentially siphoning votes away from them.

As the election draws nearer, only time will tell how Kennedy’s candidacy will ultimately shape the outcome. Until then, both the Trump and Biden camps would be wise to keep a close eye on this Independent Party challenger and the potential disruptions he may bring to the presidential election.

of the same material; they should be made to look like the original buildings as well. However, campuses should not follow vernacular architecture in the first place.

Campuses should change with the times by allowing newer and more innovative architects to have a chance to express themselves and improve the campus.

Studying the existing vernacular architecture is important in the design process, but unless it can be perfectly replicated, the architect should only use it as a reference point.

UI should consider reaching out to alumni from its College of Art and Architecture to help design newer campus buildings. Who else would know what this campus feels like or what the students want better than someone who went to school here?

The next wave of UI buildings should turn away from brick use and encourage the use of newer materials that are more sustainable to help push the campus’s design into the next generation. Architecture should always push the boundary between what is possible and what isn’t. For this to be possible there needs to be a place for architects to experiment.

What better place is there for experimantation apart from a place of learning. Campuses across the country should step up and encourage new architects to test their skills and expand their range of design.

Our View: The increasing threat to press freedom in America

Press freedom ensures the role of journalists in upholding democracy

Editorial Board

ARGONAUT

Early Tuesday morning, a reporter was arrested on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus while she was reporting on student encampments protesting their universities’ involvement in Israeli businesses and government for the local ABC affiliate station.

But this reporter is not the only one to be arrested. Last week, a reporter was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer after what looked to passersby like an accidental brush with an officer with a camera at a protest at the University of Texas at Austin.

But this isn’t even an uncommon occurrence, unfortunately. According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, there have been 64 incidents of actions being taken against journalists in the last six months. This includes 15 criminal arrests or charges and 21 incidents of assault.

We believe that this is not only horrible but also unjustifiable. In order for a democracy to function, members of the press must be able to report on events without being arrested and

assaulted by law enforcement.

“It’s crystal clear from every angle of videos capturing the incident that Sanchez did not intentionally hit anyone while covering protests at the University of Texas at Austin last week,” Society of Professional Journalists National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins said in a statement about the arrest on the UT-Austin campus.

“This is such a dangerous escalation by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and it feels like the agency is trying to send a message to journalists across the state who are covering this highly publicized and developing story.”

When the ABC reporter was arrested, she was told by officers to “find a new job” because her job as a reporter put her in harm’s way. But reporters, and especially those who report on protests, do a vital job

of supporting our democracy. Without reporters at protests, we would not have the photos of MLK Jr. and the civil rights protests. These reporters provide a service to the populace that cannot be overstated. Without a reporter, the public does not know what is happening in their community.

Without the press, our government can push those things they would rather the public not see underneath the rug. And if we do not protect journalists in events like protests, it is a slippery slope towards reporters being denied access to political entities and access to crime reports.

Journalists deserve our respect, as well as robust legal protections to carry out their duties without fear. Upholding press freedom is not merely a matter of journalistic integrity but a cornerstone of a healthy and accountable society.

John Keegan | Argonaut

A photograph of the American flag

Presley Zimmerman ARGONAUT

Connor Anderson ARGONAUT

Fight the cringe monster

Avoiding campus events to be cool will cost you

The trees are coming back to life, and Patty’s is open. The world is coming back from the brink of death and events are happening again. Which means we must engage with the biggest enemy of you having your best life ever: The cringe monster.

The cringe monster is

the physical embodiment of all of your anxieties about being seen as uncool to those around you and typically takes the form of everything you hated about your 17-year-old self. And he tells you lies that doing that thing that sounds fun with your friends is “cringe,” and you will regret and feel foolish doing it. It tells you that going to campusorganized events is stupid and you should not do it because it will be lame anyway. But he is the enemy of your greatest memories.

Doing things that are

cringe is almost always the way you make the best memories. Going to dress up like 90’s rom-com heroines and take photos at the farmer’s market?

That’s how your friend met their now partner. Going to that one club meeting that you thought was going to be stupid and waste your time? You got your summer internship through your involvement in that club.

But more importantly, every time you fight the cringe monster and win, you establish yourself as someone who goes outside and does things.You estab-

lish yourself as a lover of community and a person who participates in the world around you. You live in a society, and beating your cringe monster means you want to participate in that society.

Cringe culture is the enemy of good memories everywhere. I truly pity those who have been

subsumed by their cringe monster, these people who sit in their sad, dark dorm rooms and only make friends by being absolute haters. These people will be asked by their families about their memories of college and have none to talk about because they spent college making fun of the rest of us who were having fun.

In all seriousness, getting involved in the world around you and going to those events have been one of the unexpectedly wonderful parts of college. Without going to these events, I would not be working for the Argonaut, been a teaching assistant, or been able to study abroad. Deciding not to put yourself out there so that you don’t “embarrass yourself” is a betrayal to yourself, and makes all of this much less worth the money you spend to be here. So get out there and be a little cringe.

by Eric LeGere

Work With Us

We are looking for

Associate Editor

Creative Director

Photo Editor

Copy Editors

Web and Social Manager

Reporters

Creative Writers

Photographers

Designers

Illustrators

Apply online at blotmagazine.com

Email blot@uidaho.edu with questions

Editor application

Staff application

1. Range of alphabetical academic

6. Star garnet, for a semi-precious one

9. Humidor item

10. Has a Major and Minor in astronomy?

11. Get to the point?

12. Highlands haberdashery headwear

13. Mama bear, in Madrid

14. Marks, like 1-Across

16. Cartoon chihuahua

17. Barack's birthplace

18. "Oh, shoot!"

20. Smartphone download

23. Temperature tick

25. Some like it hot

26. Small matter?

27. Lambasting litigiously

29. Spreadsheet stacks

30. Thermal blanket?

31. Slice of history

32. Beats a pair of eights

Down:

1. Two-faced professional?

2. Worldly apathy

3. Baccalaureate's garb

4. Grammy-winning Dr.

5. Victory is hardly this type of conclusion

6. Traditionally accompanied by a turning of the tassel

7. Salinger's title girl

8. Congregation

10. Six-sided state

15. Persists raucously

19. Equips

21. Diagonally-edged, unlike ziti

22. Damaged by dog-ears

23. Elementary drug-education program

24. Current Cameroonian Football Federation president and former African Football Player of the Year recipient, Samuel ____

28. Compact gun

A month of music

With summer nearing, Jazz Fest and Finals Fest bring joy

John Keegan ARGONAUT

Last month, ICCU Arena’s stage was rocked by dozens of performances. Jazz Fest’s many concerts were joined later in the month by Finals Fest. Highlights from Jazz Fest include Veronica Swift, Kenny Garrett, the Lionel Hampton Big Band and numerous student performances.

Finals Fest saw Fleet Foxes along with opener Desolation Horse. Thousands of students and community members came out to see the performances. They could hardly stay in their seats; at points during the concerts, they flooded down to the floor to dance and be closer to the performers.

John Keegan | Argonaut

Kenny Garrett jams with Sounds from the Ancestors during Lionel Hampton’s 116th Birthday Celebration at Jazz Fest

“Hargrove” by Kenny Garrett

Connor Anderson | KUOI 89.3

Cooper Trail of Desolation Horse playing guitar

Connor Anderson | KUOI 89.3

Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes jamming out on stage at Finals Fest

John Keegan | Argonaut Professional and student musicians perform at Jazz Fest