On March 19, the University of Idaho announced that they received a $4.5 million grant to go toward the implementation of generative AI in administrative processes, increasing efficiency in research management.
This five-year development and research project is being spearheaded by Principal Investigator Sarah Martonick, who serves as the director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, and is funded via the National Science Foundation’s GRANTED program.
In the original announcement from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences in February, Martonick shared her stakes in the project, being a firstgeneration graduate from UI. “UI is a special place to me,”
Martonick said. “It’s where I started my journey, and it’s where I’ve seen firsthand the challenges faced by faculty who are researchers at heart but must navigate complex administrative systems.”
Currently, all grants earned by universities involve substantial amounts of paperwork and information transfer. This workload falls on the shoulders of employees in research management. This burden is felt especially at smaller universities with limited resources.
In the news release, Martonick expressed a desire to utilize AI to establish programs that would more efficiently complete the necessary information transfers, sparing research management employees the tedium and time. The project aims to allow research staff to put more time toward research rather than overhead work.
Chris Nomura, the Vice President of UI’s Office of Research and Economic Development, shared his optimism. “This will allow us to submit more grants as an institution overall.
You could say the more shots we have on goal means the more opportunities we have to score. If these activities increase the number of grants, it will result in more opportunities for students to participate in research.”
He clarified that there will still be human oversight keeping an eye on the program, but recognizes the huge potential AI holds. “AI has already revolutionized many aspects in our lives, and I am certainly proud of the ingenuity and expertise of our team here at UI in developing new and useful tools in this area.”
A generative AI-powered solution is being developed by UI’s Research Computing and Data Services, dubbed “The Vandalizer.” It is intended to streamline the aforementioned administrative processes. In Fiscal Year 2024, over 400 new awards were processed, taking more than three weeks of annual staff time to process. The same quantity of work could be accomplished with only 20 seconds per document and astounding accuracy by
Trump to dismantle DOE
“Too early to know” how it will affect UI
Rebekah Brown ARGONAUT
On March 20, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that directed the Secretary of Education to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs and benefits on which Americans rely,” according to the White House’s fact sheet.
Trump’s effort to dismantle the Department of Education comes from a longstanding campaign promise to shift more educational power to the state level. Although Trump cannot shut down the department completely without approval from Congress, he can force layoffs and redirect functions that the department has traditionally held.
The department already had “mass layoffs, contract cuts, staff buyouts and major policy changes,” with the total number of employees nearly cut in half, according to the Idaho Capital Sun.
The order also directs that any programs or activities that receive remaining Department of Education funds will not advance DEI or gender ideology.
Trump’s reasoning for the order is that the Department of Education has spent over $3
trillion “without improving student achievement” as measured by standardized testing scores, which show decreased mathematics and reading scores in public schools. Additionally, the department issues schools with regulations and paperwork and burdens taxpayers with “tens of billions of dollars wasted on progressive social experiments and obsolete programs,” according to the White House.
“Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Education wasted more than $1 billion in grants focused on entrenching radical ideologies in education. Biden’s Department of Education rewrote Title IX rules to expand the definition of ‘sex’ discrimination to include ‘gender identity.’ The Trump Administration recently cancelled $226 million in grants… that forced radical agendas onto states and systems, including race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology,” said the White House fact sheet.
The Executive Order prompted a pair of lawsuits filed on March 24; the first was filed in federal court in Massachusetts by a teachers’ union and argues that Trump’s move “will interfere with the department’s ability to carry out its statutorily required functions.”
The second was brought to federal court in Maryland by the National Education Association union, according to the New York Times. The representation for the NEA lawsuit said, “It’s a brazen violation of the law that will upend
the lives of countless students and families.”
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban and urban communities across America,” said Becky Pringle, president of the NEA, in a press release on March 19.
“If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities and gutting student civil rights protection,” said Pringle.
“We won’t be silent as antipublic education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” Pringle said. “Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that allow every student to grow into their full brilliance.”
The Argonaut reached out to the University of Idaho’s Executive Director of Communications, Jodi Walker, for insight on how this legislation will affect students going forward. Walker said that it is too early to know how UI will be impacted by these layoffs and budget cuts.
Martonick shared the four major priorities of the project: flexibility, accuracy, reproducibility and security. She said, “Regarding AI ethics considerations, our team includes AI ethics expert [Bert Baumgaertner] to help ensure our project and any tools or infrastructure that we build and utilize is designed within the right framework.”
Students will be able to see the impact of this project in the coming years. Student interns in OSP and IIDS will both have a direct impact on the project and research administration.
“New grant projects can get started more rapidly, accounting can be more streamlined and efficient and many other administrative and technical aspects of sponsored funding management can benefit,” Martonick said.
This grant expands beyond UI, with hopes of expanding to three more institutions by the third year of the project.
ASUI election candidates set
The ASUI election candidates have been confirmed and will start their campaigning on on Monday, March 31.This year, there are two candidate teams for president and vice president. Seyi Arogundade will run for president alongside Bryant Sitts. The two held positions in current President Martha Smith’s cabinet: Arogundade as Chief of Staff and Sitts as Director of Legislative Affairs.
The second team running is Anya Zuercher for president and Arielle Hebison as her vice president. Zuercher was the Senate Pro-Tempore and Hebison was a senator.
Students running for senator positions are Zac Knapp, Saul Lorenzana, Devi Laishram, Maia Cuddy, Lance Butikofer, Julissa McDowell and Preston Hardcastle.
Idaho attempts to cut UI funding
Legislature cites concerns about alleged DEI spending
The Idaho Legislature’s budget committee is looking to cut $2 million in general funds for the University of Idaho and Boise State University.
Representative Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’Alene, who holds an accounting associate degree from North Idaho College, is leading the effort and did not make any similar cuts to the budgets of Idaho State University or other Idaho colleges.
Representative Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, voiced support, citing concern that both BSU and UI were “incorporating elements of diversity, equity and inclusion into programs despite the state prohibiting colleges and universities from using state money for such programs,” according to the Idaho Capital Sun.
“The more I actually look into [it] — whether you look into the DEI aspects, critical race theory, the actual professors and some of the classes that are actually being taught — it saddens me to see the direction that our universities have taken,” Tanner told the Idaho Capital Sun. Representative James Petzke, R-Meridian, and Senator Codi Galloway, R-Boise, both attempted to push back against the budget cuts.
“If this is related to DEI, I guess I’m a little bit confused, because there’s been language in the university’s budget the last couple of years that has specifically prohibited the universities from using any state-appropriated funds on anything DEI related,” Petzke said.
The motion to cut $2 million in funding was passed with a 13-7 vote in total among the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
The higher education budget will be sent to the Idaho Senate. For it to be successful, it must pass in the Idaho Senate and the Idaho House of Representatives, without being vetoed by Governor Brad Little.
John Keegan | Argonaut
DancersDrummersDreamers dancer Gracie Kennedy lights up the stage. See the full story on page 6
Rebekah Brown ARGONAUT
Zuercher
Arogundade
Dorm remodels to begin in May
According to Erik Elordi, Executive Director of Campus Services, this regulation has a number of positive outcomes.
As the spring semester begins to wrap up, renovations to on-campus housing complexes are growing nearer. Renovations for Stevenson Wing in the Wallace Residence Center and the top three floors of Theophilus Tower are set to begin after commencement in May.
After an initial $162 million bond approval for housing updates and renovation by the Idaho State Board of Education in November, plans for what to do with the money have been discussed by the university.
Since then, the construction on South Hill Apartments has progressed. That project is to be completed by August 2026, with improvements of Theophilus Tower and the Wallace Residence Center set to be finished between August 2025 and August 2027.
Though renovations will occur throughout the coming school years, displacing many students from both Wallace and the Tower, the University of Idaho is upholding the requirement for first-year students to live on campus.
“We know from research that students living on-campus their first year, whether in the residence halls or fraternity and sorority life, perform better with higher GPAs, retention and graduation rates,” Elordi said. “The oncampus living requirement is essential to the success of our students and their connection to the U of I community.”
Despite this, part of the goal of the housing renovations is to accommodate more students. This has become a necessity, as the annual enrollment rates of UI have been continuously increasing over the past few years.
Elordi also provided details on the future number of beds.
In fall 2024, the residence hall communities offered 2,074 beds. By fall 2027, when the project is completed, 2,110 residence hall beds will be available, a net increase of 36. The South Hill Apartment communities previously offered 500 rooms in 242 units, and when the project is completed in fall 2027, 688 rooms in 362 units will be available.
Throughout the construction, as one wing of Wallace comes offline each semester for the next two years, the North
Campus Communities will be available for the overflow housing.
The Stevenson Wing currently has 159 beds, so while the renovations are underway in the upcoming semester, the NCCs will provide 200 beds to temporarily replace those spaces.
For upperclassmen who don’t have housing priority due to the first-year oncampus requirement, Elordi explained that the university has worked hard to provide resources to search externally for housing.
When asked if the university has
received student input on the renovations, Elordi said that the project has been introduced to students over the last few months.
“This upcoming fall, students will have an opportunity to see and test furniture that will be part of the project. Their feedback will determine what furniture we have and the upholstery that is selected,” Elordi said. “We’re going to continue to find ways to engage with students over the next two years, including ‘hard hat’ tours of the project starting in the fall.”
Pollinator Garden receives new life
Funds. SCB and SCASLA received $5,000 for the project.
The Society of Conservation Biology, in collaboration with the Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects Club, plan to renovate the Pollinator Garden located along Paradise Trail and across from the Guy Wicks Field.
The Pollinator Garden was originally established by SCB in 2018 as part of the “Pollinate the Palouse” Sustainable Initiatives Fund Project, intending to improve campus sustainability by establishing a native Palouse prairie patch on campus that would support local pollinators.
This revitalization of the Pollinator Garden is also funded by the Student Sustainability Cooper- ative’s Sustainable
SCB and SCASLA plan to revitalize a 6,000-square-foot section of the Pollinator Garden by removing invasive species and weeds from the garden and re-establishing native plants, which will encourage and support pollinators such as solitary bees, butterflies, other insects and hummingbirds.
The completed Pollinator Garden, designed by SCASLA, will feature the pre-existing semi-circle shape and continuation of the original design. It will also include hexagonal plant beds, bee hotels, rainwater collection, an education area and drip irrigation. Plants within the plant beds will also be different, so visitors to the garden can see which plants certain pollinators are interested in.
Some of the plants SCB plans to include in the Pollinator Garden are badland mule’s ear, Indian blanket flower, kinnikinnick, huckleberry, red osier dogwood, western larch,
Lemeshko, the President of SCB, he was inspired by a guest lecture given by Landscape Architecture Professor Roberto Capecci to see if any landscape architecture students would be interested in the project. Capecci was able to put Lemeshko in contact with SCASLA President J.W. Fay.
“When Steve [Lemeshko] contacted me, we kind of defined our roles as SCASLA being the designers of this space and SCB being the ecology practice behind it. It’s been fun to collaborate with them, we meet a lot,” Fay said.
With the garden, Lemeshko and Fay hope to support and bring education, awareness and inspiration to the Palouse prairie ecosystem, which is currently one of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, with less than 1% of its original habitat remaining. They emphasized their goal to inspire others to adopt native gardening practices that can support local plants and pollinators.
“The primary objective of this garden is to inspire people, inspire communities, to see that this is something that is possible,” Lameshko said. “This project is not a one-season thing. It’s going to take us a couple of years to establish those plants. They will start small, but the beauty of those plants is that, once they get established, they don’t need much and are very beautiful. They support local pollinators and they support local insects that have been struggling a lot.”
SCB and SCASLA also plan to add butterfly host plants, a hummingbird feeder and nametags for plants to
provide further education for visitors. Lemeshko commented on the importance of collaboration when undertaking this project.
“I like the [collaborative] nature of this project because I don’t think one club could do it by itself,” Lemeshko said. “Right now, we’re working with Facilities, the Student Sustainability Cooperative and with some professors. We’re also going to have other clubs join us to help as this project is so big. It’s a crosspollination of ideas of how we can make this space beautiful.”
Besides other clubs, SCB and SCASLA welcome anyone interested in helping to volunteer at their events, highlighting the importance of biodiversity and campus sustainability. There are two more events this semester on April 12 and 26 from 12-3 p.m. Gloves, gardening tools and refreshments will be provided to volunteers who attend the events.
For more information, SCB and SCASLA can be found on Instagram at @uidaho.scb and @uidaho.scasla.
Jaelynn Durels | Argonaut
The ongoing construction of South Hill Apartments on Sweet Avenue
SCASLA | Courtesy A simulated graphic of a northwest view of the future Pollinator Garden
SCASLA | Courtesy
A simulation of the future pollinator garden
UI sees historic enrollment numbers
Spring 2025 marks eighth semester of growth in a row
Paige Wilton ARGONAUT
During the last four years, the University of Idaho has seen student enrollment grow for eight consecutive semesters. This spring, record-breaking numbers have been set across many student populations.
Overall enrollment is up 4.2% and stands at 11,886 students, the largest spring enrollment in the history of UI, according to a press release from Executive Director of Communications
Jodi Walker.
Dean Kahler, Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, explained that the university has worked hard for this growth.
“UI has been working very deliberately to build enrollment in almost every category,” Kahler said. “Strategies include, but are not limited to, strong targeted enrollment marketing and recruitment efforts in diverse markets that include WUE, non-resident, Idaho markets and international markets.”
One of the most prominent groups that has seen a boom in enrollment has been the international student population, which has experienced a
23.4% increase since last spring.
Full-time undergraduate enrollment is 7,123, which is a 4.6% growth from spring 2024’s enrollment of 6,807. Undergraduate enrollment as a whole is currently 9,847.
The total graduate student enrollment sits at 1,947. Additionally, doctoral student enrollment is at 583, up 8.4% since last spring semester.
Although international student rates have seen the most dramatic changes, the Idaho resident undergraduate population has grown 5.1%, while non-resident undergraduate student enrollment is up 12%.
Kahler believes that with the work that’s being done to foster the Vandal community and promote the university, enrollment will continue to rise in the coming semesters.
“We will do our best to maintain a strong enrollment profile. The enrollment demographics in the nation have caused our competition to intensify,” Kahler said. “I believe the University of Idaho is in a good position to continue to be successful in our enrollment management efforts.”
The news release explained that the recent R1 classification the university has achieved will only continue to increase enrollment rates. As the only university to achieve the status in Idaho, it will draw many more potential students.
Panel discusses women’s sports media
Ethics symposium hosts four media professionals
Joshua Reisenfeld ARGONAUT
A panel discussion on women’s sports media was held as part of the 13th-annual Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium on March 25. The panel occurred during the Malcolm M. Renfrew Interdisciplinary Colloquium, a weekly event hosted at the library in partnership with the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.
The panel consisted of Christine Brennan, USA Today; Madison Campos, San Francisco 49ers; Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka, Washington State University; and Theo Lawson, Spokesman Review, and moderated by Don Shelton, UI-JAMM adjunct faculty.
The primary topic covered at the panel was gender-based discrimination, both present and historical. Although Title IX made it illegal to discriminate based on sex in federally funded programs such as education, women’s sports have been historically disregarded by media outlets.
Recently, and in large part thanks to the rise of women’s basketball and
the celebrity status of player Catlin Clark, newsrooms have become more willing to cover college and WNBA games. These basketball leagues continue to face issues of poor coverage and only 15% of courtside reporters are women, according to HawkinsJedlicka.
In an interview with The Argonaut, Hawkins-Jedlicka said that she views men’s and women’s basketball as two separate sports due to the difference in play styles and culture.
“Celebrate the sport for the sport,” Hawkins-Jedlicka said.
In language, women’s sports exist in the shadow of the men’s leagues. An example given by Brennan is the classification of the NBA and WNBA as opposed to being referred to as MNBA and WNBA.
With March Madness currently ongoing, the way in which newscasters would use the singular “bracket” instead of “brackets” was a topic of discussion from Hawkins-Jedlicka and Campos. Campos pointed out that the popular singular use of “bracket” still referred to only the men’s team. In 2024, ESPN’s coverage of women’s March Madness received 18.9 million views, 4 million more than the men’s. Lawson, a sports reporter for the Spokesman Review, said that the
paper only had four sports reporters, and not one had the beat of women’s sports. That task is given to a freelancer, a point which Hawkins-Jedlicka responded to in disbelief. Brennan acknowledged that neither Lawson, the reporters nor the editor were at fault, saying that, in her experience, it takes community feedback for coverage to change.
“We should be doing this instead of being on this panel,” Brennan said jokingly, but encouraged the audience to take action to create the local media
landscape they wished to see by contacting local media with concerns.
The panelists affirmed that this push for progress in women’s sports coverage is a necessary conversation. Twenty years ago, the belief that male sports viewers wouldn’t be interested in women’s voices was pervasive enough to shape reality. Now, despite being a low overall percentage, women such as those on the panel have thrived in athletics media.
“If you can see it, you can be it,” Campos said.
Speaker highlights value of women’s sports
Sports columnist
Christine Brennan speaks on Title IX, Caitlin Clark and transgender athletes
Joshua Reisenfeld ARGONAUT
Girls’ and women’s participation in sports has increased exponentially since Title IX was passed in 1972, according to USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan.
“[Title IX] is the most important law in our country over the last 53 years,” said Brennan. Title IX was signed into law in 1972, making it illegal to discriminate based on sex in educational institutes which receive federal funding.
Prior to Title IX, one in 27 women were in athletics. Now, one in two women participate, according to Brennan. “All of the women who will be running the country are not going anywhere now that Title IX exists.”
Sports columnist for USA Today and senior Olympics reporter Christine Brennan gave her keynote address for this year’s annual Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium on March 25, hosted by University of Idaho’s school of Journalism and Mass Media.
This year’s symposium focused on the increasing prominence of women’s sports and the demand for media coverage in response.
Topics included the importance of encouraging girls to be involved in athletics during childhood, how Title IX changed collegiate sports, the rise
of basketball star Caitlin Clark and the treatment of transgender athletes.
As she recounts, when Brennan was a child, women didn’t play sports.
Some of this came from outright bans such as in the Olympic 800-meter race, which was deemed unsuitable for women based on false reports from 1928 of them fainting during the race. The other limitation was the lack of female role models in sports, not just in the games, but also on the sidelines and media coverage.
Brennan was able to develop a successful career as a woman in sports thanks to her parents’ support, which at the time was rare. Today, women are encouraged to be involved more than ever thanks to the opportunities athletics-based scholarships and Title IX protections provide.
Further discussed were the benefits of athletics in child development, such as teaching sportsmanship, teamwork and overcoming challenges. This is reflected through the statistic that 94% of women who hold C-suite or executive positions played sports and 52% played at the collegiate level, as per the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Women who go on to be professional athletes are proving their worth, too. During the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, women won more than half of Team USA’s medals, responsible for 67 out of 126.
“Why are we seeing these things?” Brennan said. “Because girls who were told no are now being told yes.”
An athlete who is impossible to ignore in this conversation is basketball star Caitlin Clark. Clark, who emerged into the spotlight just
two years ago during 2023 March Madness, is the subject of Brennan’s upcoming book on the modern revolution occurring in women’s sports. Many commend Clark as a phenomenal athlete, and her excellence comes at a pivotal point in women’s sports.
Brennan told The Argonaut that ESPN didn’t broadcast the first round of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament until 2020, and women’s teams couldn’t use March Madness branding until 2022, despite being used for men’s teams since 1982.
Additionally, collegiate athletes have only had the rights to their name, image and likeness necessary to form a brand and accept sponsorship since 2021. According to Brennan, Clark was able to make an estimated $3 million while playing for Iowa State from NIL deals.
Maddie Duplessie, a UI Public Relations and Exercise, Sport and Health Science student who introduced Brennan at the keynote, spoke on the recent dramatic increase in media coverage of women’s sports. In just five years, coverage increased three-fold from 5% in 2019 to 15% in 2024. This statistic is expected to reach 20% of total coverage by the end of 2025.
Clark’s spotlight and associated viewership of women’s basketball is beneficial to many other players who also get the opportunity to show their remarkable skills. While she may have been the first, other collegiate athletes such as JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers have captured the spotlight for themselves and have continued to increase NCAA women’s basketball viewership.
However, media coverage of women’s sports is still lacking. The U.S. Women’s National Basketball Team is being discussed as the most dominant sports team in history amidst their eight-gold medal streak following the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Their unprecedented success, however, went underreported.
At the open forum following the address, Brennan responded to a series of questions on transgender athletes. “Get rid of the hate,” she said.
In 2022, American swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a NCAA Division 1 National Championship. In response, World Athletics and World Aquatics, the governing bodies of track and field and aquatic sports respectively, banned all trans-female athletes who had gone through male puberty.
The decision by World Athletics was made with doctor consultation, but is considered discriminatory by trans advocates. An alternative plan by World Aquatics was to create an open category which allowed trans athletes. This failed partly due to a lack of high-level trans swimmers, which received zero registrations.
Brennan emphasized that women’s athletics have made many advances in recent years. However, female athletes still receive fewer sponsorships, lower pay and less coverage by the media. Additionally, women’s sports, as Brennan acknowledged, still exist under specified categories, as is the case with the WNBA versus NBA. The fight for equality is still ongoing, but Brennan and others like her aren’t going to settle for less.
Joshua Reisenfeld | Argonaut Panelists speak during the Renfrew Colloquium
Various cultures on display in Moscow
Cruise the World drew many people looking to experience international cuisines
Cal Torres ARGONAUT
The 27th annual Cruise the World took place in the Bruce Pitman Center from 11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 23. Over 20 countries were represented at the event, which was hosted by the International Programs Office and involved a number of student clubs and associations.
The event featured multiple tributes to famous international figures such as the Lionel Hampton School of Music’s tribute to Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes and performer Sandra Isabel Gallardo Quintana de Cook’s tribute to Cuban singer Celia Cruz.
“When you learn from another country, it opens your mind that there are more people,” said Gallardo-Cook, who was one of the Panama representatives at the event.
She has been involved in a variety of multicultural events in and around Moscow since moving to the area
about two decades ago. “I learn from every single country and enjoy what I do. When I dance, people can see my passion, that I’m really into it... Now I know people from all over the world.”
Volunteers found themselves at Cruise the World in a variety of ways.
Jayden Pope, who was running the Italy table, wanted to host after doing a study abroad program in Florence, Italy.
Pope, a senior in art and design, said, “I remember coming here to this event when I was a kid, so it’s really cool to be... on the other side of it... I get to, like, stamp all the little kids’ passports and represent Italy. It’s really fun!”
Performances also included dances by the Vandal Hip-Hop Club, the Chinese Student Club, the Native American Student Association and by volunteers representing Bangladesh, Nepal and Morocco.
Other events included a presentation on Ukraine given by professor Andrei Smertenko of Washington State University and a performance by the Mariachi Leones del Monte.
Refreshments and souvenirs from a number of countries were available, purchased with tickets or cash. Small pins were sold or given as a reward for
stamping a paper passport at each table.
Steve Lemeshko, a junior in environmental science, who had volunteered with the Ukrainian table in the past, was in awe of the tribute to Celia Cruz and the performance from the Native American Student Association.
“It’s just so much work [the performers] are willing to contribute to this event... [The dedication] just blows my mind,” Lemeshko said. “[Here’s] the thing: with Moscow, Idaho, here you can experience... twenty, thirty cultures in one day. Which is mind-blowing, like, it really is.”
Palouse Women Artists exhibit will feature 27 female artists
Unique opportunity to see the creativity and skill of local artists
Brooklynn Jolley ARGONAUT
Glass art, ceramics, mixed media, collage art and watercolor paintings are just a few of the art styles that attendees can expect to see at the Palouse Women Artists Group’s Spring Exhibit.
This exhibit will be hosted by the non-profit organization, Artisans at the Dahmen Barn.
Beginning on April 6 from 1-3 p.m., art from 27 female artists of the Palouse Women Artists Group can be seen until April 27.
During the reception on April 6, the artists of each piece will be present to discuss their artwork.
The Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is open Thursday through Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and located at 419 N Parkway, Uniontown, Wash.
The wide array of art mediums will provide attendees of the spring exhibit with a diverse and enriching experience.
The exhibit creates a unique opportunity for art lovers to appreciate the vast creativity among these women while also gaining insights into their
artistic processes.
“They are a great supportive group,”
Julie Hartwig, the manager of The Artisans at the Dahmen Barn, wrote in an email. “They encourage each other and share their techniques with each other.”
Attendees of the spring exhibit can expect to see a lot of unique collage works by various artists.
Additionally, local artist, Belinda Rhodes, will showcase her gel printing
art style.
This is a new technique of Rhodes’s, who is a member of the Palouse Women Artists Group, and she teaches classes on how to use this technique to create colorful and unique art pieces.
She has also shared this technique and her creative process with fellow members of the group.
The Palouse Women Artists Group strives to create a sense of community and foster an environment of learning and creativity.
They work to provide support to female artists pursuing a professional or personal career in the arts.
The members of the Palouse Women Artists Group share passion, ideas, techniques and more with each other to foster their values of education and community among each other.
“[We are] motivating women everywhere to pursue artistic endeavors with integrity,” Hartwig wrote.
The Palouse Women Artists Group promotes an environment of openness and acceptance of diversity and individuality of each member and of prospective members as well.
For more information, visit their website at www.ArtisanBarn.org or call 509-229-3414 or email info@artisanbarn.org.
Laugh out loud at the comedy festival soon
Two nights of laughter at the second annual Ha Ha Palooza
Layla Phillis ARGONAUT
Looking for a good laugh? Get ready for Vandal Entertainment’s second annual “Ha Ha Palooza,” a two-night comedy festival on March 27 and 28 at 7-9 p.m. Both shows feature a different lineup of acts from various performers. Night one will kick off in the Administration Building auditorium, showing sets from well-known comedians such as Tyler Korso, Ben Palmer and Leonard Ouzts. The next night takes place in the International Ballroom in the Pitman Center with acts by Cody Woods and Sailesh the Hypnotist.
Labeled “The World’s Best Hypnotist” by MTV, Sailesh brings his renowned performance to many campuses across North America. Create unforgettable memories by taking the opportunity to participate in his act or watch as he puts your friends under a spell.
Combining humor and magic, Korso delivers a truly unique experience when it comes to comedy. With more than a decade of experience under his belt, he’ll keep you at the edge of your seat with interactive and witty tricks.
Following the success of the event last year, Vandal Entertainment has brought “Ha Ha Palooza” back with many surprises in store.
Jaelynn Durels | Argonaut
Nathan Tinno performs a dance at Cruise the World
Brooklynn Jolley | Argonaut
A flyer for comedy show,“Ha Ha Palooza”
Rose Graham
A painting of water lillies done by local artist of the Palouse Women Artists group
Belinda Rhodes
A gel printing art piece by a local artist of the Palouse Women Artists Group
Honey Garlic Salmon Bowls
A simple, yet luxurioustasting dinner
Megan Kingsley ARGONAUT
When you hear the word “salmon” as a college student, you might feel a sting in your pocket right where your wallet sits. Fear not! These honey garlic salmon bowls are more affordable than you think. Yielding about three to four portions, this could be your dinner for most of the week. They’re salty, sweet and delicious when paired with a fresh topping of avocado and cucumber slices.
Ingredients
1 lb. salmon, skinless and cubed
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger, minced
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
¼ c. honey (or maple syrup)
Rice of choice
Optional: avocado, cucumber and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Begin by cooking the rice according to package instructions. You will be able to prepare the rest of the meal as it cooks, so everything will be done around the same time.
Remove the skin from the salmon and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
In a bowl, add salmon, seasonings and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Mix until salmon is evenly coated.
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet. Then, add salmon and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it loses its raw, pink color. As salmon cooks, mince garlic and ginger.
Once salmon is cooked, remove it from the pan and toast the garlic and ginger. Add the soy sauce, vinegar and
April Horoscopes
What does this month have in store for you?
Brooklynn Jolley ARGONAUT
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
You may have been feeling held back by your inhibitions, but this month will help with that. April will be the month for you to spring into action and take hold of your life. Don’t let the small things get you down and create hesitation.
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
April will be a month of healing for you. Revisit some unresolved conflicts with friends, loved ones or coworkers and try to find a solution to the quarrel. You should put effort into your health and well-being this month and engage in more socializing.
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Perhaps you’ve been dealing with some overwhelming emotions lately. This is the month to sort those out and put your feelings in check. You’re a very sensitive and emotionally perceptive person, which may feel draining sometimes. This is not a bad thing, though; many people appreciate this about you.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
April will be an eye-opening month for you. Perhaps you’ll come into some newfound knowledge and or expertise. This may make some others feel jealous of your success, but do not worry. Things will find a way to work themselves out, and you’ll find that your confidence and hard work have paid off greatly.
Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)
Open your mind to new experiences this month. You tend to be the center of attention as your confidence attracts many others, so use that to your advantage. New opportunities are coming your way, and your spirits will be high this month. Try to broaden your horizons and maximize your confidence.
Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)
You may have been feeling quite exhausted lately. Your energy levels are running dry, and daily tasks may feel heavier to complete. It’s okay to ask for help, and you’ll discover that your loved ones are more than eager to help you. Your relationships are very important for your well-being.
Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)
Perhaps you’ve been too involved in your work life lately. Your balance between work and play has been greatly skewed, and it’s starting to affect you. Take time to focus on your personal life and reset the work/play balance in your life. You’re a very hard worker but know that things will still run smoothly without your supervision. Trust others’ work ethics this month and give yourself a break.
Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)
Don’t believe everything you hear. Perhaps some rumors have been spreading lately, and you’re unsure of what to believe. Focus on your trust in people and seek the truth. This month can be very eye-opening for you if you stay vigilant and search for the answers to all your questions. You may be surprised in the end once the
truth surfaces.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)
Foster your creative side this month. You may have been neglecting your hobbies recently, but April is the month to dedicate some time to the things you love. Revive your skills and creativity and have some fun. Your commitment to other things has put a damper on your “me time.” This is the month to put yourself first.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)
Perhaps you’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately, but don’t let your stress and anxiety get the best of you. April will be a month of relief, and you’ll feel the weight slide off of your shoulders. Communicate your feel-
ings with your loved ones. Allow their support to pull you out of this funk.
Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)
You have a lot happening this month. These adventures are exciting, and there are many new experiences and opportunities coming your way. Don’t be afraid to let loose and try new things. Be sure to give some attention to your close relationships and don’t let all the excitement cause neglect to your connections.
Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)
Your successful endeavors may cause pressure for you to work harder, but don’t let it put a damper on your routine. Trust your intuition, and choose the path that feels right to you.
honey and combine into a sauce. Let simmer for several minutes to thicken. Add salmon back to pan and stir until
well-coated. Then, remove from heat Serve over rice, top with preferred garnish and enjoy!
Megan Kingsley | Argonaut
A delicious and savory meal to make for dinner
DancersDrummersDreamers comes alive
Imagination moves to reality through dance and music
Sierra Rode ARGONAUT
Music, lights, movement—the Hartung Theater at the University of Idaho welcomed the 34th annual DancersDrummerDreamers, a creative collaboration between UI’s Dance Program and the Lionel Hampton School of Music Percussion and DDD Ensemble last weekend.
If you missed the shows, worry not! There will be a virtual stream available to purchase tickets starting at $10 at uitickets.com. The virtual stream will be available March 24-30.
The show opened with the entire company performing the “DDD Overture 2025.” The piece was a blend of percussion and dancing that set the tone for what the audience could expect
for the next hour and a half.
Following that, “Chromatic Jubilee” was comprised of all the dancers. This piece was a whirlwind of color and gave off an air of joy. Afterward, the DDD Ensemble performed “Feet Beet,” showcasing how percussion doesn’t always need instruments. For the next few numbers, the DDD Ensemble and the dancers alternated, captivating the audience.
About halfway through the show, an audience favorite took the stage. “Broken O’Clock” emphasized the abstract choreography for the tap dancers’ performance. One audience member said, “The lights, music, and movement perfectly captured the essence of a clock. It made me feel like time fractured and then started up again!”
Another fan favorite piece came shortly after. “Boomwacker Medley” included well known songs, such as “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen. This piece was performed by the DDD Ensemble.
The entire production showcased
15 pieces, and many of them were composed and choreographed by students participating in DDD this year. Kaylee Clough, a third-year dance major and a theatre B.F.A. candidate said, “This was my first year choreographing for DDD and it was so much fun!”
She explained the challenges she needed to face during her planning process. “I think the hardest part for me was learning how to communicate with my composer what I was envisioning musically because I don’t have a lot of musical knowledge when it comes to instruments.”
This was Clough’s third year participating in DDD and she plans to return next year. “This is one of my favorite shows to be involved in.”
The production for DDD took months to prepare for. Belle Baggs, one of the dance faculty and co-program coordinators, explained that planning began during the fall semester. The DDD choreographers auditioned their pieces, and once dances were selected, they were paired with a composer. Baggs said, “In the spring,
the choreographers audition dancers and then launch into the creative process, working incredibly hard in the studio multiple days a week.”
Preparing for the production wasn’t the only difficult part. Timing was a big factor in the performances as well. Alexander Ramella, a sophomore music education major, said, “The hardest part is keeping track of transitions between the beginning and endings of pieces, because the transitions need to be smooth and seamless.”
Ramella was a DDD Ensemble member and musician playing the tenor saxophone and clarinet. “Performancewise, my favorite part was probably playing in the band for the piece, ‘Broken O’Clock,’ where I played the bass clarinet and tenor saxophone,” he said. “It was a really fun piece.”
DancersDrummersDreamers performs every year and auditions are open to students of any major. If you missed DDD but want to see more of what the UI Dance Program and others do, there will be workshops and a performance for JazzFest in mid-April.
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Vandals prove rankings aren’t much
Vandals end up and down season with future incredibly bright
Jayden Barfuss ARGONAUT
This season, the Idaho Vandals women’s basketball team had a mission: to prove that rankings are just numbers, not destiny. Picked to finish seventh in the Big Sky Conference, they took to the court like players determined to rewrite the playbook. Every dribble was purposeful, every rebound was a battle won and every shot taken with the belief that they could defy the odds.
With a third head coach in three seasons and only three returning players, the Vandals were doubted and deemed to be in rebuilding mode. However, Head Coach Arthur Moreira and the Vandals thought differently. Through the ups and downs of the season, they finished with an 18-12 (10-8) record and showed that the future is bright in Moscow.
“I’ve been preparing to become a head coach for the last four or five years of my career. You think you have everything figured out, but when you get put in that situation, you realize that you don’t,” Moreira said.
“The season was good for us. If you had asked me [on the day] that Carrie Eighmey left that I would take over, only have a couple of players return, and this team would win 18 games, I would have signed up for that,” Moreira said.
When the Vandals stepped foot on the court, they had a team motto to “prove them wrong.” Throughout the season, each game and each week, the Vandals held themselves to that standard and proved that they belonged as a top contender in the Big Sky.
“In July, we bonded quickly. We
couldn’t take this for granted because we knew we had such a special group,” sophomore guard Hope Hassmann said. “We knew we were a great team, and we worked so hard throughout July, August and September to get ready. Once the season started, we were able to prove to people who we were and what we could do, and people quickly realized what we were capable of.”
The Vandals landed nine transfers including the talented backcourt duo of graduate guard Olivia Nelson and Hassmann. The duo combined for 800 points, and Nelson, with her teamleading 432 points, eclipsed 2,000 points for her career.
Alongside the electric backcourt duo, the Vandals got a frontcourt duo with graduate forwards Rosie Schweizer and Jennifer Aadland who were a huge part of the Vandals success as well. The transfers not only helped the Vandals on the court but also helped set the culture and foundation of the team on the court and will have a lasting impact on Idaho basketball.
The Vandals’ experience was first tested at the beginning of the season as they faced Big 12 opponent BYU, and West Coast Conference, border rival Washington State in their first two games. The Vandals lost both but showed that they would be a force in the Big Sky.
Idaho anchored that losing streak with a seven-game winning streak, which got them into a rhythm. Everyone stepped up when their number was called.
They had their highs and lows, including a six-game winning streak soon after their first winning streak. However, they ended the season losing eight of their last 11 games, and the ups and downs took their toll on them when it mattered the most.
Idaho fell to the red-hot Montana Grizzlies in the Big Sky tournament quarterfinal 65-54. This is their third consecutive quarterfinal exit, second straight to Montana.
Idaho has the potential to have 10 returning players, six of which played meaningful minutes this season.
These players were Hassmann, junior guard Anja Bukvic, junior forward Sarah Brans and freshman guards Ana Pinheiro, Ella Uriarte and Ana Beatriz Passos da Silva. Another exciting prospect is redshirt
freshman guard Kelbie Washington, who did not play in 2024-25, but should be an exciting player to watch next season.
The other possibly returning players are junior forward Catelyn Deaver and redshirt junior guard Mackenzie Curtis, who played sparingly for the Vandals but could be considerable
contributors to the Vandals next season. With a culture in place, Moreira is looking for players to complement his team and fill the shoes of the four departing seniors.
“It starts with the people that are returning,” Moreira said. “We’re in a blessed position. Although we lose Olivia [Nelson], Rosie [Schweizer], Jennifer [Aadland], and Vitoria [Carvalho] to graduation, we bring back six of the nine rotation players. That’s more than probably any other team in the league.”
Moreira is looking to fill out next season’s roster with players who have a hunger and work ethic to continue to move this program in the right direction.
“They need to be competitive and tough. I can make you a better basketball player and more skilled, but I don’t want to have to coach effort,” Moreira said.
The Vandals had a roller coaster of a season, but for Hassmann and the Vandals this was a special season.
As one of the most talented players in the conference, she is excited for the future of Idaho Vandal basketball.
“This is the best decision I made,” Hassmann said. “I had such a fun year with the team. It was such a special group of girls. I’m grateful for the year we had. Next year, I’m excited to continue our legacy and hopefully get to March Madness.”
Reagan Jones | Argonaut
Men’s hoops fall short of post-season goals
Men’s Basketball season in review
Liam Bradford ARGONAUT
On Feb. 6, the Vandals lost at home to Portland State after failing to even score 20 points in the first half. This first half was by far their worst of the season, and it appeared as if Idaho was not competing at a level of talent comparable to Portland State. It was clear to all the fans packed in the ICCU Arena that the Vandals were outmatched that day.
Just 32 days later, Idaho faced the Vikings in the second round of the Big Sky Tournament. Coming into this game, Portland State was the thirdseeded team in the conference and boasted a 19-12 record. The Vandals got off to a hot start and never looked back, claiming their first Big Sky Quarterfinal win ever.
Halfway through the first half, a thunderous Julius Mims dunk began a 16-3 run that lasted over 11 minutes. The Vikings’ lone field goal during this run was an Isaiah Johnson layup. Other than that, this dry spell was very damaging to the Vikings’ chances in this game, as it catapulted the Vandals to a 39-20 lead.
Knowing that Portland State is very capable of erasing large deficits, the Vandals were sure to maintain the pressure, leading by double-digits for around two-thirds of the game. Kristian Gonzalez and Jack Payne combined for 44 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals en route to an 80-70 upset.
“One of our biggest goals was to win a game down in Boise and we got that done, which meant a lot to us,” Mims said. “That quarterfinal win really gave us a lot of hope for the future of the program.”
After defeating the Vikings, the Vandals advanced to the semifinal round to face off with the eventual tournament champions, Montana. Montana claimed a double-digit lead before the second media timeout and maintained it for the remainder of the game. The Grizzlies made 14 three-pointers, compared to Idaho’s five. They also shot 15% better from the field than the Vandals.
Grizzlies had seven steals, which led to 19 points off turnovers. They also had 14 more assists than Idaho.
Leading by as many as 31 at one point, the Grizzlies eliminated the Vandals with a 78-55 win. Idaho finished the season 14-19, but they had not quite found their stride until conference play.
“It is a step forward for us… When conference play came around, I think we showed that we can compete with anybody,” Head Coach Alex Pribble said. “It’s a group of guys that can really shoot the ball and really get hot.”
Their nine total wins against Big Sky opponents were the most since the 2017 season.
In classic Rick Pitino style, Pribble has completely uprooted the Vandal basketball program in just two short seasons by developing a strong winning culture. In the NIL era, this is a considerably difficult feat to accomplish in such a brief period.
“The culture’s gotten better, the communication’s gotten better,” Pribble said. “More than anything, we’re focused on building a group of hardworking, high-character, young men who do it the right way.”
The coaching staff instilled this culture into the players, which helped the team’s chemistry continuously develop throughout the course of the season. Mims said that this season was “night and day” compared to last season, and
that the team clicked right away.
“We have to think ‘we over me.’ It is a team first atmosphere,” Mims said. “Coach Pribble drilled that into us early. The coaching staff influenced us a lot. They were on us all day every day. They developed more of a family system rather than just a player-coach relationship. It was honestly great to see them grow as a staff as well as us grow as a team.” Pribble arrived in Moscow in NIL’s early days, the Vandal basketball program was put to the test in terms of recruiting.
Rather than complain about the cards he was dealt, Pribble embraced the NIL era and quickly capitalized on the ability to recruit transfers.
This team boasted one of the most prolific shooting offenses in the Big Sky. It has one of the least experienced rosters in Division 1 but still managed to break the school record for threepointers made in a season. The Vandals finished with a total of 293 threepointers, which is nearly 10 triples per game.
A substantial portion of the team’s shooting success can be attributed to two first-year transfers: Payne and Kolton Mitchell.
Payne finished his sophomore season as the most well-rounded player on the roster. He averaged 10.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He also shot 36.2% from beyond the arc.
Mitchell averaged 11.1 points, 3.5 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He was top 10 in the nation in free throw percentage, finishing at 89.5%, and he shot 34% from beyond the arc.
Now that the Vandals have a talented core group of underclassmen, the goal is to retain as many players as possible. Pribble believes Mitchell and Payne will
be Vandals for a long time.
“Hopefully, if you retain them year after year, as a program you keep taking strides as well,” Pribble said. “You can just try to flip the roster every year and try to bring as much talent as possible, but we’re building this thing year over year.”
“I have had a great experience being a Vandal. The coaching staff treated me great, and I would not give it back for anything,” Mims said. “I feel right at home here. As a player, I definitely made some major growth as far as my mindset on the court and being a leader goes.”
At the end of the team’s summer sessions, Mims learned that he had microfractures in the top of both of his tibias. This required him to need plateletrich plasma injections in his knees, which set him back six to eight weeks.
“With the help of my teammates, my coaches and the athletic training staff I was able to overcome this challenge and get back to the game that I love,” Mims said.
In his senior season, despite battling injuries, Mims averaged 8.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He also led the Big Sky with a 66.1% field goal percentage.
Despite graduating and moving on to play professionally, Mims is optimistic about the future of this program. He says the team battled through everything and became one cohesive unit down the stretch.
“Our biggest challenge was getting out of our own way. When our guys would get down on themselves, it would create kind of a snowball effect,” Mims said. “Throughout the season we were really able to hone in on what we needed to get done. I cannot say enough about my fellas and how they much they have grown this year as a unit.”
UI Tennis travels for triple tennis meets
Red-hot Vandals look to stay warm for lateseason run
Jack DeWitt
ARGONAUT
Idaho Men’s and Women’s Tennis have had strong seasons thus far. The men’s team sits at 8-4 and 3-0 in conference play and the women’s team sits at 11-3 and 3-1 in conference play. Both teams will take to the road to face the Griz, Bobcats and Bengals in league meets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a three-day league play weekend.
The women’s team was on fire for 10 meets in a row, winning all of them decisively. Players Hanna Kaprowska and Chenyue Xu have the best singles records on the team, currently at 9-2 and 5-0, respectively. Kaprowska not only has the best singles record, but is also one of two 7-win doubles players alongside Diana Khaydarshina.
Their most recent meet was against Northern Arizona on Mar.15. The two tennis powerhouses fought tooth and nail until NAU came up victorious in the end and continued their undefeated season.
Next up on their schedule are the closely ranked Idaho State Bengals, who are one game behind the Vandals at 9-8 and 2-0 in conference play. The Bengals are less rounded than the Vandals, and have struggled with high-level competition in the past, with almost all of their eight losses coming with at least a 3-point differential in score.
The Vandals will want to rebound quickly from the loss against NAU and get their momentum back.
The Idaho Men’s Tennis team has also been performing well this season and has sat atop the Big Sky rankings at no. 1 in recent weeks. They will look to continue their 4-match winning streak and keep their momentum going before the end of the regular season.
The men’s singles players are led by Chetanna Amadike and Sebastian Medica who are 11-2 and 7-4, respectively. However, the entire men’s team
has lost only one conference play singles match thus far and is looking just as strong in doubles play with just two conference match losses.
This weekend the men’s team will take on both Montana and Montana State teams in a road-trip weekend. Montana sits at third in the Big Sky standings and is poised for a shot at the post-season, while Montana State is ranked last and looks to pick up its first conference win.
Montana is led by Duncan McCall and Eivind Tandberg who sit at 11-4 and 11-5 in singles play respectively. Duncan McCall also has the best doubles record on the team at 12-5. Montana has performed well this season against tough opponents on the road, however, the team has yet to be truly tested at home, having played only one game there. Idaho will need to capitalize on this if they wish to keep their no. 1 position in the Big Sky.
Tennis has a long weekend ahead of them. With playoff implications behind every serve, breakpoint and backhand,
Kiefer named WAC Swimmer of the Year
Breaking records and making Idaho history
Jackson Hamelund
ARGONAUT
Sophomore Ginger Kiefer has been the best performer for the Idaho Vandals Swim Team, finishing atop the leaderboard in most events and making history. Kiefer was also awarded as the 2025 Western Athletic Conference’s Swimmer of the Year for her performance this season.
“To me, it reflects a lot of the hard work I’ve put in this season,” Kiefer said. “It felt really good and meant a lot to me.”
This season, Kiefer broke five University of Idaho records, including her own in one event. The events were in different strokes and distances, demonstrating Kiefer’s range as a swimmer. Earlier this season, she swam a record of 1:58.84 in the 200-yard individual medley. Then, at a later meet, she topped that, coming in at 1:58.35.
She also set records in the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:13.43 and the 200-yard backstroke at 1:55.07. She also beat the previous record in the 100-yard IM and set a new one at 0:57.27. Finally, Kiefer set school records in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:53.41 and a time of 10:09.17 in the 1,000-yard freestyle.
Kiefer said she goes into each race with the goal of trying her hardest.
“My training prepares me really well. I do a lot of longer distance and endurance stuff. It translates itself into all of my races and just being able to race really hard in all of them,” Kiefer said.
Kiefer’s swimming background
that loves the sport that they put me into, and it really rubbed off on me. A lot of my success and passion for the sport comes from her,” Kiefer said.
UI Swim and Dive is officially moving from the WAC conference to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in the 2025-26 season, meaning
Kiefer’s main mentality is to have fun. This season, she has focused on being prepared mentally by appreciating her teammates’ help in performing at her best.
In addition to swimming, which she also enjoys doing recreationally, Kiefer likes backpacking and shopping. She doesn’t have a favorite place to do those things, just anywhere she can get the opportunity to do them.
spans across generations. Her greatgrandfather Adolph was an Olympic swimmer and, in the 1936 Berlin Games, became the first man in the world to complete the 100-yard backstroke in less than a minute.
Kiefer said she could not choose a favorite event.
“Focusing on what I like about each event helps me succeed at doing every single one of them,” Kiefer said. “I love them all so much for different reasons.”
Kiefer’s great-grandfather does have some influence in her love of swimming, but she says a lot of the credit goes to her mother, who is also a swimmer.
“I’ve grown up having a parent
Kiefer will be the last Vandal to win the WAC Swimmer of the Year title. Reflecting on the first half of her collegiate career, Kiefer said, “It’s exciting to see how far I’ve come since coming here and I’m really excited to see where else I can go.”
Last October, Kiefer participated in and won the 5K in the MPSF Open Water Championship. This qualified her for the national championship.
To prepare herself for the finals,
Kiefer is studying operations and supply chain management, which she is similarly passionate about and would like to go into after college. Once again, she is following in her mother’s footsteps.
Kiefer decided to come to UI based on two major factors: how much she liked the coach and how close to home it was for her. Being from Bend, Oregon, home is only 6.5 hours away, and she really liked Head Coach Mark Sowa.
“He was my favorite coach that I talked to out of any single coach,” Kiefer said.
Even as a freshman and back in high school, Kiefer was the best she could be. She set three UI school records last year, finished in the top five at the state championship in high school and was a two-time district winner in the Intermountain Conference.
Kiefer will take part in the Open Water Nationals April 4-6. Her event, the 5K, will be held on the second day of the competition.
“Shout out to my team and coach. They’re a huge piece of why I’ve been so successful here,” Kiefer said.
this weekend is sure to be good time.
Women’s Tennis will be at ISU at noon on Friday. Men’s Tennis will travel to Montana to take on Montana State on Saturday at 11 a.m. and then the Montana Griz on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Anti-intellectualism is on the rise
Why this movement could be disastrous for the United States
Chris Sprague ARGONAUT
Anti-intellectualism, marked by opposition to or distrust of education and intellectual pursuits, has grown in the last decade. This movement is damaging Americans’ trust in science and medicine.
Matt Motta, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, published his book, “AntiScientific Americans: The Prevalence, Correlates, & Political Consequences of Anti-Intellectualism in the U.S.” in September 2024. He explains that there has been a significant rise in anti-intellectual rhetoric since the 2016 presidential campaign, and that the pandemic increased its prevalence. A 2023 Pew Research Center poll showed that 27% of Americans had little to no trust in scientists. Many people do not value education for the sake of learning anymore and are only interested in the job opportunities a degree can lead to. Understandably, the high cost of education doesn’t help.
The message that college and education in general is a scam continues to spread. From popular news outlets, to the current administration aiming to dismantle the Department of Education, many American institutions are perpetuating this myth with their exclusivity. Sources such as Fox News have run several articles calling college a scam or featuring people who do so, such as the March 2023 article titled, “These top colleges scam you and your kids as
woke insanity soars.”
Academia is part of the problem. Scientific papers are full of jargon and extremely specialized terminology while also being locked behind paywalls, making academic literature more inaccessible. On top of this, basic high school classes do not teach scientific literacy and, depending on their major, college students may not learn it either. This results in many adults having low scientific literacy.
Michigan State University professor John Miller found in his research that 70% of Americans cannot understand the science section of The New York Times. In conjunction with this, social media is helping grifters peddle medical conspiracy theories, pseudoscience remedies and general misinformation. The fast pace of content like this means anyone in the world is subjected to questionable and unproven information presented as fact.
While educational institutions teach the methods necessary to identify misinformation, anti-intellectualism aims to cut down on teaching critical reading, writing and thinking. The sinister part of this is something we’ve seen before: Authoritarian regimes attack education and the spread of information because an uneducated, fearful populace serves their goals.
If people are not able to identify misinformation and mistrust scientists as a result, then they are much less likely to question the world around them. President Donald Trump himself even said on the 2016 campaign trail in Nevada, “I love the poorly educated.”
The effect of this attitude on college students should not be understated. If
the administration succeeds in eliminating the Department of Education, it will drastically change student loans and federal student aid, making it even more prohibitive for people to get an education. As anti-intellectualism proliferates through state and federal governments, public funding for colleges decreases, which will consequently raise tuition costs.
Here at the University of Idaho, we receive $124 million in state and federal funding. This funding makes it possible for thousands of students to not only attend college, but to have experiences and opportunities while there that are invaluable to their futures. If either level of government cuts back on education funding, this will be put into jeopardy.
Brogan Bates, a UI senior majoring in biotechnology and related fields, has concerns about what this means on a
practical level. “To halt the collection of knowledge because of who collects it, and their perceived motivations, means that there will be stagnation in places you wouldn’t think,” Bates said. “Everything from medicine, to engineering, to agriculture. This will have a detriment to practical fields.”
Forsaking education will only allow Americans to be sold fear, rage and propaganda. This will just further the cycle of misinformation and anti-intellectualism, creating a world where the rich can pay for their children’s education, while everyone else is unable to be educated. From the 1950s to the 2000s, America was a world leader in science, innovation and academics. The U.S. put a man on the moon, but if this current wave of scientific mistrust continues, it is unlikely that breakthroughs like that will happen again.
DOE shutdown will have a grave effect
Trump’s executive order will have significant impacts on United States education
Hilary Valdez ARGONAUT
On Thursday, March 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the Department of Education and give more control over schooling to the states. This was after the Trump administration initiated a “reduction of forces,” cutting nearly half of the DOE’s staff. The potential closing brings concerns about the possible consequences of shutting down such an important department.
The DOE was established in 1980 by the Carter administration and has taken on the responsibilities of establishing federal regulations for education, providing equal access through laws, conducting research, funding and data
collection about education. Some of the services included in these responsibilities are things like Pell Grants and federal loans to help students fund college, Title I Funding that gives schools with a high percentage of lowincome students funding and programs for students with disabilities and special needs.
In Trump’s speech before he signed the executive order, he said that Pell Grants, federal loans, Title 1 funding and disability assistance will “be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments.”
This raised concerns about where these services will be moved. Trump said to reporters in the White House on March 6, 2025, that federal loans specifically will be moved to either the Department of Treasury, Department of Commerce or the Small Business
Administration. There is also speculation by Forbes that federal loans may become privatized, which would likely increase interest rates. This speculation is due to a line in the order, “The Department of Education is not a bank, and it must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students.”
This could suggest that loans will be moved to private banking entities. This also seems to follow a similar plan laid out in Project 2025, a far-right policy blueprint made by The Heritage Foundation in collaboration with many politicians on the right.
One of its policy plans includes dismantling the Department of Education and privatizing student loans. Although Trump has claimed multiple times that he is not associated with Project 2025, many of his high-ranking officials have credits on the document, including
Brenden Carr, Trump’s pick for chairing the Federal Communications Commission; Paul Atkins, Trump‘s pick to lead The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and Peter Navarro, Trump’s previous trade advisor.
Not to mention, plenty of his executive orders have closely mirrored the plans outlined in Project 2025, especially the attacks on DEI. This leads some to believe that Trump has a closer relationship to the project than he has previously stated.
Based on what Trump has said so far regarding this order, it seems that he has not done much planning on how exactly his administration will move the DOE services and funds. Ultimately, shutting down the department is an incredibly large task and, if it is not properly planned out, will lead to interruptions in these incredibly important services.
Another worry is what might be lost with the department. Federal oversight allows schools to have a more consistent and regulated way of teaching to ensure the collective quality of the U.S. education system. The data collection and research done by the DOE is also incredibly important in identifying issues and finding solutions within education.
The department helps to ensure equal access to public and higher education as well. The cuts on DOE staff have already reduced the department’s Office of Civil Rights significantly, which will likely affect the thousands of pending civil rights investigations, ultimately affecting students’ well-being in school. The order still has to go through Congress and there are many organizations trying to halt it.
However, if Trump succeeds in shutting down the DOE, it will bring incredibly detrimental consequences to the future of the U.S. and its education.
Andrea Roberts | Argonaut The Administration building
Shealah Craighead | Flickr
President Donald Trump signing an executive order
Expanding medical education at UI
Should prospective Idaho medical students have cause for worry or celebration? Two house bills have been proposed this legislative session that affect medical education in Idaho: House Bill 176 and House Bill 368.
These bills are very different in purpose. HB 176 advocates for the reducation of seats reserved for students in the Washington, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and Alaska medical program after the 2026-27 academic year.
Part of the bill’s proposal is for the State of Idaho to cut funding to the WWAMI program after the 2026-27 school year for everybody except Idaho students already enrolled.
As a pre-med student, HB 176 is especially worrying to me. This bill had three readings on the Idaho House floor before it was sent to the Education Committee, where it has stalled.
Even though this bill has not been enacted, it shows that a significant portion of Idaho’s state government wants to divest from WWAMI. Since the bill does not propose a replacement for it, Idaho pre-med students would be left hanging in the wind.
The average cost of out-of-state medical school in the United States is $58,000 per academic year, totaling to $232,000 for all four years. Without an in-state option like WWAMI, many prospective medical students won’t be
able to attend medical school.
That is why the ideas behind this bill should be cause for worry. The state of Idaho has been participating in the WWAMI program since 1971. What reason do the representatives who penned this bill have for getting rid of this program, a program that has been giving rural physicians to Idaho for so many years?
In contrast, HB 368 goes in the complete opposite direction of HB 176. HB 368 advocates for adding 10 more state-funded slots to the WWAMI program in the 2026-27 academic year, and another 10 slots in the 2027-28 academic year.
With the recent spotting of moose on campus, named Regina and Louie by Vandal Security, the topic of wildlife and how students should interact with it has been raised. While moose can be harmless, they are still wild animals. A mother with a calf tends
HB 368 also proposes a plan that will address the physician shortage in Idaho while maximizing residencies. This plan would be delivered to the governor and legislature by 2026.
As of March 21, HB 368 has been passed by the House and sent to the Senate, where it went through committee and first reading and is currently awaiting second reading.
This bill shows support from our legislature for the college students who benefit from WWAMI.
Medical schools have extremely competitive acceptance rates and strenuous application processes, so divesting from WWAMI would cause
to be especially aggressive if they feel she or her calf is threatened.
Regina and Louie stayed on the admin lawn and Hello Walk for about a week, which is a frequently traveled area for many students. Vandal Security and police were stationed a few feet from the moose to ensure people did not get close to them.
However, many students still tried to take pictures or even pet the moose. While no attacks occurred, the University of Idaho still issued an email to all students and staff with a subject line stating, “Keep your distance from the moose.”
“While seeing a moose can be exciting, remember they are wild animals and are unpredictable,” the email said. “It is tempting to want to get as close as possible or to stop your vehicle in the street to capture a photo. However, you should refrain
more hardships on students pursuing those programs.
There should be support for increasing medical education in Idaho outside of the WWAMI program. This could be done by building medical programs within Idaho universities or by partnering with other medical schools.
However, this should be an extension of WWAMI, not a replacement for it. By expanding the options available for students seeking careers in the medical field, we can increase the number of professionals trained each year, taking a step torward solving Idaho’s physician shortage.
by nature and wild animals. While these animals may seem exciting, it’s important to give them their space. Not only can they harm people, people can be harmful to them, and domesticating wild animals can be detrimental to their lives.
In the case of the moose, being around people for so long could have inadvertently domesticated them and adjusted them to people. They are still animals that should be out in nature with very little interaction with humans. While the moose were docile, it could be a sign that they are already too used to being around people, and they will continue to try to do so.
Wildlife can be beautiful and great to experience on campus, but keeping a distance from them is vital for safety. Nature can be appreciated from a distance without the risks that
Henry Halcomb | Argonaut Moose laying
Henry Halcomb | Argonaut Gritman Medical Center
First part of a Korean martial art
Boy band formerly known as Immature
A popular hardwood
Your well-off parents might give you
weekly or monthly
_____ Treasure, with Nic Cage
Command, abbr.
Guitarist and composer David
British surgeon Alexander, or a reservoir
Hotel sign flips off or no
Shoulder piece
heart rate, abbr.
Also known as pop
“Seven” in Czech
English version of “eye”
Relating to the kidneys
Not glossy
Traditional Spanish unit of weight
disorder characterized by inattention and activity
Act protecting against unwanted telemarketing calls, abbr. 31 Lead investigator of Paranormal Lockdown
33 They Might Be Giants bassist Danny
Medium for radio signal transmission, singular
Gallic tribe of Brittany
Country code of Bhutan
Massachusetts-based justice non-profit
National song
Raised 43 Breathing device, but not just underwater, abbr. 44 Something you can stub
of
by Dakota Steffen
Cruise the World
Cultures from across the world came together in Moscow for a night of performance and food
Reagan Jones ARGONAUT
Last weekend, the International Programs Office hosted the 27th Annual Cruise the World event. Both ballrooms of the Bruce Pitman Center were filled with cultural performances and countless aromas of cuisine from around the world.
Cruise the World is put together annually to show cultural diversity in Moscow. This event brought both students from the University of Idaho and local community members together. Many people showed up to the event, filling up the ballrooms with fun and contagious energy.
In both of the ballrooms, there were stands that showcased 25 different countries. At the individual stands, guests were able to buy tickets to try local cuisine from the area. There was also information and objects from the cultures on the tables.
Aside from the food, there were live performances that were unique to each country. These performances included singing, dancing, music and more, and involved colorful wardrobes swirling and swaying around the room.
Jaelynn Durels | Argonaut
A performer offers her hand to an audience member during a performance at Cruise the World
Jaelynn Durels | Argonaut
Nathan Tinno perfoms a dance at Cruise the World
Jaelynn Durels | Argonaut Attendees get food from one of the many booths
Reagan Jones | Argonaut
Hfiza Sikder tattoos an attendee’s hand with henna
Jaelynn Durels | Argonaut
The crowd at Cruise the World awaits the next performance in the International Ballroom
