January 9, 2023- The Utah Statesman- Utah State University

Utah State University, Logan, Utah

Students, staff react to arrest of suspect in U of I students’ killings

By Kate Stewart NEWS STAFF REPORTER

On Dec. 30, a suspect was taken into custody in connection to the ongoing investigation of the November killings of four University of Idaho students.

The 28-year-old man arrested was Bryan Christopher Kohberger, according to state and local officials and court documents.

Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania on an active arrest warrant for murder in the first degree of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

CNN reported authorities narrowed their investigation to Kohberger by tracing his ownership of a white Hyundai Elantra and matching his DNA to genetic material recovered at the off-campus house where the stabbings took place.

Kohberger is a graduate student in criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University, which is located roughly seven miles from U of I.

According to the New York Times, Chief James Fry of the Moscow Police Department said investigators are actively searching for more evidence, including what weapon was used in the killings, as well as any possible

motive in the attack.

The New York Times live updates reported the family of Ethan Chapin, one of the four victims, issued a statement saying they were “relieved this chapter is over.”

The family said they had learned that a suspect had been identified from the authorities and they were grateful to the police for their work.

In an email response to the news of an alleged suspect being arrested, Utah State University Police Chief Blair Barfuss said, “Many USU and Logan community members have followed this case closely and expressed concern and fear for their safety and security. News of an arrest helps our USU and Logan community better understand how USU and all public safety agencies work collaboratively with city, state and federal law enforcement partners to properly investigate any criminal action that may occur, and bring offenders to justice as expeditiously as possible.”

Aleah Card, a USU student from Idaho Falls, said she thinks U of I students probably feel much safer now that a suspect has been arrested for the murders.

The Moscow university is smaller than USU, and, according to Card, has a very “small-town feel” to it. She said the whole situation was probably very hard and shocking for students there.

“I also feel like most USU students feel a lot of relief too, like the ones that were aware of the situation, just because it was something that affected students at a university in a neighboring state,” Card said. “It kind of

makes you reflect, because we're all in that same state of life as those people, and so it's something that kind of hits a little bit closer to home.”

USU junior Malynn Smith is from Nampa, Idaho. She said many of her friends and people she went to high school with attend U of I.

Smith said it was hard for those students to attend school when they felt unsafe, sad and nervous.

Smith said she thinks it is important for USU students to take their own safety precautions when it comes to dealing with people.

“We're in college trying to make friends and meet people, but still make sure you don't let your guard down completely to random strangers,” Smith advised.

Barfuss confirmed the USU Department of Public Safety is also continually working to improve campus safety.

“We communicate through the Aggie Safe phone app and provide safety alerts or concerns for our campus community through text message, phone messages, computer alerts, and digital signage on campus,” he said.

Card suggested sharing your location with your close friends, letting people know your whereabouts, and communicating regularly with those close to you.

Smith said she knows that she, as well as everyone else, is glad a suspect was caught.

“I think it's a sigh of relief, especially because it's just kind of a random thing that happened. So yeah, it happened up there, but stuff like that could happen literally anywhere. And so I think it’s just a relief to have someone unsafe caught,” Smith said.

— kate.stewart@usu.edu

New Year, New Me: The tradition of creating a New Year’s resolution

By Carter Ottley NEWS STAFF REPORTER

New year, new me — at least that’s how the saying goes.

With 2023 starting, people around the world are looking back on 2022 and seeing how much they grew or changed. They are also deciding what changes they would like to see in the next year and figuring out what their New Year’s resolutions will be.

The tradition of creating a New Year’s resolution dates back around 4,000 years ago. At the beginning of their year, which would be around the middle of present-day March, Babylonians would make promises to the gods. This tradition is believed by historians to be one of the first forms of New Year’s resolutions.

Even though resolutions are often talked about, there tends to be a small number of people who follow through on their commitments throughout the whole year.

Discover Happy Habits found around 40% of Americans make a New Year’s resolution, but only around 10% keep it. Over 35% have given up on their resolution within a month of a new year.

They also found some of the most common resolutions are living healthier, personal improvement and happiness, drinking less and doing better in school.

Macie Washburn is a USU sophomore studying social

studies composite teaching. Her resolution this year is to focus on mindfulness.

“I try to always have a resolution I’m working on,” Washburn said. “I’m currently focusing on mindfulness in all aspects of my life.”

Washburn has found the last few years overwhelming and stressful.

“I’m hoping to be more present in my life and truly living in the moment,” Washburn said. “I’m also anticipating as I increase my mindfulness, I can improve my emotional intelligence along with expanding my capacity to help others.”

To be a part of the 10% who keep their resolution, Forbes suggested creating an accountability structure to sustain change, being willing to make changes in yourself and not being scared of achieving your goals.

Sydney Lemon is a USU junior studying liberal arts. Her resolution is to accomplish things now as presents for her future self, specifically doing hard things right away instead of waiting.

“I picked this resolution because it’s very much left up to interpretation,” Lemon said. "At the end of the year, I

get to decide how well I did sticking to my goal. There’s no sense of failure because there’s no concrete point to reach. I can only do better than I have been doing.”

Lemon hopes this resolution will allow her to build trust and gratitude for herself.

“I want to know that I can trust myself to finish small tasks instead of procrastinating them,” Lemon said. “I deal with a lot of day-to-day anxiety, and I think this goal will help me to push through that and get things done, even when I’m anxious.”

PHOTO VIA Monroe County Correctional

DESIGN BY Jacee Caldwell

C olumn: Flight cancellations ruined the holidays

By Jacee Caldwell

We all know what happens on planes — the vast majority of the time, you kink your neck and sit next to the talkative Sally that can’t stop talking about her third divorce.

If you aren’t next to Sally, you’re next to her kid, a 3-month-old, hates flying and isn’t afraid to let the whole plane know. Not only are you stuck next to the crying baby, but the free headphones the airline gives you aren't loud enough to cancel out any of the noise.

But I would take any of those scenarios, even if I was on Spirit Airlines, if it at least meant I was on the plane and going somewhere.

“Attention all passengers, flight number (whatever it was) to Honolulu has been delayed.”

This notification flashed on my phone on Dec. 26, showing the first sign of trouble on my way back to Oahu from Maui after spending Christmas there with my brother.

An hour later, another notification threatens to drain all the fun from the trip and instead bring anxiety. This time, it was, “Attention all passengers, flight number (whatever it was) to Honolulu has been canceled.”

You’ve got to be kidding.

Out of the group I was with in Maui, I was honestly the last person who should’ve been worried. Everyone else had work the next day, but I just wanted to get back to a shower, considering we had been sleeping in hammocks on the beach for the previous three days.

We booked another flight with Southwest, but after a few hours, it was also delayed and then canceled. Eventually, we drove to the airport and booked a flight with Hawaiian Airlines instead.

“I will say, it was a huge bummer to our trip. That sucked,” my brother, Tucker Caldwell, said.

Little did we know at the time, our flight wasn’t the only one affected – it was a problem all over the country.

According to an article from the New York Times, over 3,800 flights across the U.S. had been canceled on Dec. 26, and over 7,400 flights had been delayed.

FlightAware, a flight tracking website, showed Southwest had the biggest meltdown, with more than 2,800 flights canceled — close to 70% of their total. My Honolulu flight was one of them.

In a media news release from Southwest on Dec. 22, they announced, “Challenging working and travel conditions, especially in Denver and Chicago, have resulted in

disruptions to Southwest's nearly 12,000 scheduled flights Wednesday, Dec. 21 through Friday, Dec. 23.”

Southwest released another media news release on Dec. 26 apologizing for all of their delays and cancellations and warning of a continued reduced schedule for the next following days to recover.

“This safety-first work is intentional, ongoing, and necessary to return to normal reliability, one that minimizes last-minute inconveniences. As we continue the work to recover our operation, we have made the decision to continue operating a reduced schedule by flying roughly one third of our schedule for the next several days,” the release said. “On the other side of this, we'll work to make things right for those we've let down, including our Employees.”

Although Southwest took the brunt of it, they weren’t the only airline struggling with winter storms.

My flight with Delta Air Lines back to Utah on Dec. 29 was delayed eight hours less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take off.

The delay would have caused me to miss my layover, so I had to rebook another flight for much later that night. Luckily, Delta gave me a $15 food voucher and 10,000 SkyMiles points for the inconvenience.

Karlee Inman, another holiday traveler flying with Southwest, said her flight from Utah to Hawaii was canceled on Dec. 28 only six hours before takeoff. She was trying to get home to get to work the next day.

“I scrambled to find another flight that cost me an arm and leg,” Inman said. “I am a big fan of Southwest, always have been. But it did put a bad taste in my mouth about it. They screwed over a lot of people.”

Not only did flight cancellations cause some angry travelers, it also caused problems with hotels and rental cars.

“My parents landed in Hawaii trying to rent a car at the airport, and they had no cars,” Inman said. “The guy at the service desk told them it was because of all the flight cancellations.”

In an email to the Statesman, Southwest said although the disruptions are now minimal, they are working to give more support

to their “valued Customers.”

“We look forward to the opportunity to address any needs of our Customers over the coming days as we strive to return to our previous level of Southwest Hospitality and reliability,” a Southwest spokesperson wrote.

If you had a flight delay or cancellation during the holiday season with Southwest, you can request reimbursements and refunds at southwest.com/traveldisruption.

According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, the airline also offered 25,000 frequent-flyer miles points to all passengers who were affected by the meltdown on Jan. 3.

I appreciate the effort the airlines are taking to try to make amends. They can’t control the weather, but it shows they understand how they ruined a lot of plans for thousands of people, especially since it was at a popular travel time.

And if flight troubles happen to you at any point in the future, which I’m sure is inevitable if you travel often, then my brother has a word of advice.

“Keep a positive mind about it,” Caldwell said. “It is a big deal, and it can change a lot of plans and even cost a lot of money, but the biggest thing is positivity — it’s no one’s fault.” — jacee.caldwell@usu.edu

PHOTO BY Jacee Caldwell

USU student Brynlee Barker works to change the world right where she is

By Darcy Ritchie MANAGING EDITOR

On the lawn of the Mount Timpanogos Temple in Utah, Brynlee Barker gathered her family together to announce where she would spend 18 months serving and sharing the message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Choked up with tears, she announced where she was called to serve her mission: Montevideo, Uruguay.

But she would never make it there.

Ever since she was a kid, Barker wanted to do something to change the world. She thought going to a foreign country would be her chance.

Barker received her mission assignment in April 2020. Due to the pandemic, most Latter-day Saint missionaries at the time were being reassigned from foreign countries to missions closer to home.

Barker was reassigned to serve in Everett, Washington, and she hoped every day a call would come, telling her she could serve where she was originally assigned.

Only three weeks before she was to return home, Uruguay opened its borders, but by that point, it was too late. Barker had to change her mindset and figure out how she could change the world from Washington.

“I had to change what I thought the definition was of making a difference in the world,” she said. “So every day I kind of just was like, ‘OK, what good can I do today?’”

Barker never made it to Uruguay, but she learned to love Washington. “I don't think I would have loved it the way I did had I not learned that lesson to be where I was and to find the good I could do right where I was,” she said. “Not where I wanted to be, not where I thought I should be, but right where I was today.”

What she learned on her mission inspired her to create an online initiative, Change the World Right Where You Are. Started in January, the initiative’s Instagram page now has more than 400 followers, who are encouraged by Barker to take 10 intentional minutes a day to do something good.

Ally Haws and Dacia Rothwell both met Barker when they had just returned from their own missions and were struggling with the transition. All three of them had spent

the last 18 months serving others, and it was difficult to go back to “real life” and find a new purpose.

“When you're serving others, you find yourself so much deeper,” Haws said. “When that's gone, it's like I don't know who I am.”

Latter-day Saint missionaries are assigned to be with another missionary — their “companion” — at all times.

really wanted to do would take more than 10 hours.

“Yes, those 10 hours would make a difference, but I wanted to find something that I could keep doing with my life,” she said.

Her idea was to simplify making a difference by encouraging people to take 10 minutes a day to do good. She started the initiative by asking people for stories.

“I started asking people for stories of how they had seen the world become a better place and what had made a difference in their world by something that they had done for someone, or something that someone had done for them,” Barker said. “Soon enough, I was getting all these stories from people.”

The initiative’s Instagram page shares those stories and gives simple service invitations, such as getting to know your bus driver or doing something to make the world more beautiful.

“I realized most people were a lot like me, where they thought that to make a difference, you had to have money,” Barker said. “You had to have a lot of time. You couldn't be a broke college kid, and you had to figure out a lot of different elements to do good, but it's so much more simple.”

One person reached out to thank Barker for a service invitation, which was to reach out to a friend over text. This person texted his friend to check in and discovered he was planning to commit suicide that day. The text saved his life.

“Hearing stories like that is why I'm doing this,” Barker said.

After constantly being with someone else, coming home can feel incredibly lonely.

“You feel like you're the only one who knows how you're feeling in that transition,” Rothwell said. “It's super cool because we were all able to become friends through that transition to be like, ‘Wait, we all feel the same way, and we can continue the good that we did and just find a new way to fit it into our lives every day.’”

Barker found a way to fit doing good into her everyday life in a leadership class at Utah State University during her first semester after her mission.

The professor, Bret Crane, challenged everyone in the class to do a 10-hour service project. Barker was excited about the project, but she quickly discovered what she

Haws said the challenge of taking 10 minutes a day to do good is subconsciously in her mind now. One day while out shopping, she saw some cupcakes at the store and thought to spend an extra few dollars and drop them off with some friends on the way home.

“That took seriously, like, 10 extra minutes out of my day to just stop by their apartment on the way home versus just driving straight home,” she said. “Having that reminder — not only does it help them, but it helps me because you feel better when you serve.”

Though it started as a class project, Barker’s initiative has grown beyond that. Rothwell and Haws both said they admire how Barker genuinely wants to change the world — it’s not just about looking like a good person.

PHOTO BY Kate Smith

The Right Where You Are Instagram was created by Brynlee Barker to help inspire others to change the world.

Winter activities: how to kick it in the cold this season

By Leah Call

LIFESTYLES STAFF REPORTER

Winter can be hard. Temperatures are glacial. Seasonal depression kicks in, leaving students feeling burnt out and unmotivated. Finding ways to combat the slump and embrace the winter season is key. While it can be incessantly dark and frigid, it can be beautiful too. What better place to experience fun winter weather than in Utah, home of the greatest snow on earth? Here are suggestions for outdoor winter activities to help beat the winter blues.

Sledding is a classic. A night spent with friends hurtling down Old Main Hill is a surefire way to feel better amid stress. A sled isn’t even necessary — trash can or storage bin lids are just as effective and easy to obtain. Just don’t forget to bundle up. Speaking from personal experience, layers are absolutely necessary.

In the dreary winter months, the Quad is largely empty. A quick and fun break from studying could simply be making snowmen and snow angels for students to admire on their way to and from class. Or, try one in your front yard. Not only does an artfully-crafted snowman liven up the neighborhoods, creating one with your friends or roommates is undoubtedly a memory you’ll treasure.

Other than a showcase for snowmen, the Quad is the perfect snowball fight arena. What better way to ease the tension than with a snowball to the face?

If you’re looking for something to do off campus or on a weekend, Utah is prime winter sports territory. Beaver Mountain Ski Resort in Garden City is a great place to master skiing and snowboarding. Cherry Peak Ski Resort in Richmond is another option as well. For beginners or those without gear, check out the rental options from the Aggie Recreation Center and Outdoor Programs right here on campus.

The George S. Eccles Ice Center provides public ice skating sessions for when you feel like shredding indoors rather than down the mountain. Skates can be rented upon arrival, and it’s a great way to be active, whether you’re an experienced skater or not.

The ice castles in Midway are a fun and unique activity that brings the spirit of the Christmas season to life. It’s a bit of a drive, but the ice creations include slides, caves and tunnels and are a winter must-see. Whether you’re shredding the mountain or peacefully driving through the lit-up neighborhoods, there are

many options for enjoying the winter season, so get out there!

For more information on local skiing and snowboarding, go to skicpr.com/ or skithebeav.com/.

For more information on renting gear, go to usu.edu/ campusrec/outdoor/op-shop-.

Leah Call is a junior pursuing her degree in print journalism. In her free time she loves finding new music to jam to and is always on the lookout for the perfect iced chai tea.

Darcy Ritchie was born too late to join the Beastie Boys and too early to be the Jonas Brother’s great-great-great-granddaughter, but right on time to cohost Business Executives with her fellow business executive, Audrey Flood. Audrey and Darcy shoot the breeze and occasionally play music every Monday at noon!

Fight For Your Right Beastie Boys

PHOTO BY Kate Smith

A skier makes turns as she skis her way down Beaver mountain.

What is that green laser in the sky?

By Avery Truman LIFESTYLES STAFF REPORTER

Strolling across campus on a cloudless night, students can look up and see a bright green line pierce the sky. The “green beam,” as it is referred to by locals, is one of the many things that makes Utah State University unique.

The laser is used to collect data about the atmosphere’s temperature, contents and sometimes density by scattering the light of nitrogen, oxygen, methane and other elements. Some of that scattered light comes back and hits a large telescope with multiple mirrors that accumulate the light coming back from the atoms.

Jan Sojka, head of USU’s physics department, said they are producing an altitude profile of reflected light from the atoms and molecules.

“It’s just like a radar system,” Sojka said. “The radar system sends out a pulse of radio waves. It hits the airplane and comes back, and you measure the time it took the radio waves to go and come back, and then you know the distance.”

A significant part of the project is funded by The National Science Foundation and NASA.

“NASA would like this knowledge and NSF would too — that means that the scientific community worldwide is interested,” Sojka said. “The Department of Defense also is always interested in these things.”

According to Sojka, working with the laser is a good way for students to gain valuable experience with industrial safety.

“The first thing that the students learn in this industrial, very intense laser system is how to safely work with these things,” Sojka said.

Sojka said the “green beam” is powerful enough to immediately ignite a piece of paper.

“It has four very large mirrors that collect the light, and that makes it one of the most powerful LiDAR systems in the world,” Sojka said.

LiDAR is a type of system that uses remote sensing with a quick-firing laser. The laser pulses are used to measure returned light.

Jonathan Price, a LiDAR observation and data analyst, recently took charge

of the laser project. Since Vincent Wickwar’s death in September of 2022, Price now leads the observatory. Price joined Wickwar’s research group as a postdoctoral fellow in Aug. of 2021.

“We send the beam up with what’s called elastic collision,” said Price. “I guess you could say it sort of bounces off the particles and reflects down to us.”

Price said the laser helps measure an area in the atmosphere that is typically hard to gather data on.

“This region we’re looking at — there’s not very many instruments that can look there,” Price said. “We can only operate at night.”

The laser can also only operate when there are minimal clouds in the sky.

“To give you a comparison, 30 kilometers — weather balloons typically go to that altitude,” Price said. “So, we start where the weather balloons end. And then at 100 kilometers is considered the edge of space.”

The atmosphere is separated into layers that can be identified by their temperature structures.

“Our science is trying to couple what is happening in

the upper atmosphere to what is happening here below — where we are, in the troposphere — so that we can kind of understand how the sun is controlling the weather a little better,” Price said.

Aggie Figueredo, an undergraduate at USU, helps monitor the laser. Majoring in physics and computational mathematics, Figueredo said the correct frequency must be sent up for the results to come back.

“With electrons, you can send the right frequency that’ll give the other the amount of energy that it needs to bounce back and forth,” Figueredo said. “And certain molecules — when they’re together — indicate global warming.”

Figueredo said the laser has picked up other factors that point to global warming.

“Early 2000s, they started seeing an increase in the concentration of water and temperature,” Figueredo said. “It started getting more dry over time. So, Utah has always been dry, but it started losing more water. There’s also an increase in average temperature.”

While the team does not have enough information to indicate climate change with the laser, some signs point to global warming in the data.

“We might be able to see signatures in the data hinting at climate change,” Price said. “But we just don’t have enough of it — enough years of observation — to definitely pronounce climate change.”

PHOTO BY Bailey Rigby

Since Vincent Wickwar’s death in September of 2022, Jonathan Price now leads the observatory. Price joined Wickwar’s research group as a postdoctoral fellow in August of 2021.

Avery Truman is a first-year student pursuing environmental studies and geography. She is passionate about astronomy, writing and reading science fiction and learning about wildlife.

Students support children through Tabarak, a Kenyan orphanage

By Carlysle Price LIFESTYLES STAFF REPORTER

Iwas lucky enough to catch Asha Ramadhan for a Zoom call — she was in Kenya, and it was 10 p.m. The background was full of colorful curtains and people passing through the room. Ramadhan smiled as she told me the children were done with their activities and homework for the day.

Tabarak Children’s Home, located in Mombosa, Kenya, opened in 2005, and functions as an orphanage to support children and widows.

Ramadhan started the organization to make sure no child had to experience the same poverty she faced as a child.

“My wish was to see every child in the community have education, food and shelter,” Ramadhan said. “That was my dream since I was a child because I passed through so many difficult times when I was young.”

In 2021, Utah State University student Arissa Barton was visiting Kenya with a friend with plans to start a daycare called Kumbatia. While there, she was introduced to Ramadhan. Ramadhan began inviting Barton over for dinner, to go to the beach and to help at Tabarak.

“I can say to that— God’s plan. I did not even dream that one day I could have a friend from Utah or America,” Ramadhan said. “I just took them in as my own daughters.”

The two became close, and Barton began helping with the orphanage.

Barton has recruited a group of about ten USU students to help her mission of supporting Tabarak.

Dan Delacruz, a student in the Huntsman Business School, is part of Barton’s group.

“I met Arissa like two years ago, and literally the first day I met her, she had just gotten back from Africa and was showing us all of her pictures and videos of the orphanage,” Delacruz said.

Delacruz said he wished he had time to join Barton and work with Tabarak. So, when he was given an assignment for a leadership project, he went straight to Barton.

Did anyone in Logan feel that little earthquake?

Delacruz began recruiting other members to aid in his project — a fundraiser— including his classmate Eason Lyons. The fundraiser was a success and surpassed its initial goal by raising $1,265.

Since the first project, the group has expanded and plans to host one large event every month to support Tabarak. This includes a ski day at Beaver Mountain planned for this season.

“It’s really cool to see how the scope has been growing and growing, and how everyone on the team is really focused on making an impact,” Lyons said. “That’s something that I was really hoping to find in an organization.”

The next few fundraisers have a goal of raising $5,000, which will be used to complete the third floor of the Tabarak home.

Elle Robinson, a USU student and member of the group, said the third floor will serve as an office for administrative work.

“We’re going to be pre-paying a year of their Wi-Fi, which will be super impactful — make sure it’s a lasting

@christianbrits

Instead of a House Speaker, why don’t we try a House Listener?

impact and not just a small little donation,” Robinson said.

The group plans to go to Kenya in May to help complete the third floor, as well as meet the people they’ve been working to support.

Ramadhan said she is very grateful for the group and the way they’ve helped her kids. Over 20 children have passed through Tabarak, and many of them are starting families of their own. They come back to visit often.

“You can see as Tabarak, we have done something good in the community,” Ramadhan said.

Each member of the group said they were inspired by one another and joined in hopes of making lasting change.

“I think that’s what really inspires people,” said Robinson. “Don’t wait to invest your time in something that’s greater than you, to really dive in and take what time you have to make an impact.”

You can learn more about Tabarak at tabarakorphanage.org. Donations and volunteers can also be accepted on the website. Campus events are announced on the group’s Instagram account, @tabarakorphanagekenya.

Carlysle Price is proud of her extensive magazine collection which has surpassed 50 editions, all of which have been read thoroughly. She would never skip to the cover story.

— A02311769@usu.edu

Earthquake just now in Logan?

PHOTO COURTESY OF Tabarak Children’s Home

Members of Tabarak Children’s Home in Mombosa, Kenya.

2022: A year of growth, dissapointments

By Jake Ellis SPORTS EDITOR

In 2022, Utah State athletic teams and their players earned conference titles, set program records and garnered individual success. The following includes brief summaries of what the Aggies achieved during the last year, with a focus on their results in postseason play.

Cross Country

The Utah State men’s squad placed seventh and the women finished eighth at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November 2022. The result earned the men’s team a berth in the NCAA XC Championships, where they finished 26th overall, beating five squads ranked above them.

Football

After a 1-4 start, Utah State rebounded in the second half of the season, winning five of their final seven games to become bowl-eligible. The Aggies have gone to a bowl game in 10 of the last 12 seasons.

Highlights of the season included true freshman

“I’m speechless,” said former head coach Amy Smith after winning the championship. “The coaches have known what this team has been capable of all year, and to put it together tonight is so incredibly special. I don’t even have words to describe how proud, how happy and just how relieved that they were able to do this for them, to realize the potential that they could get to.”

Men’s Basketball

USU placed seventh in the Mountain West in its first year under head coach Ryan Odom. The Aggies earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament with their 18 wins, allowing USU to host Oregon — the first Power Five team to play in the Spectrum since 2013. After solid seasons, forwards Justin Bean and Brandon Horvath now play basketball professionally with the Memphis Hustle and Saint-Quentin, respectively.

Men’s Golf

At the Mountain West Championship, Utah State finished ninth, but freshman Esteban Jaramillo finished ninth overall, becoming the first Aggie to place in the top 10 in the MW since 2007. Jaramillo shot 4-underpar with three birdies and an eagle in his final round.

Men’s Tennis

USU’s third string quarterback Levi Williams gets tackled down during the game against Colorado State in Fort Collins on Oct. 15, 2022. USU won 17-13.

quarterback Bishop Davenport leading USU to a win at Colorado State after three other QBs sustained injuries, the Aggies knocking off San Jose State on Senior Night to become bowl eligible and Cache Valley native Ike Larsen earning All-American honors.

Gymnastics

The Aggies took home their first Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championship with a season-high score of 197.025. The win qualified USU for the NCAA Tournament, where they finished third in the Norman Regional with a program-high NCAA Tournament score of 196.825.

USU made it to the semifinals of the Mountain West Championship during their spring 2022 season. In the fall, senior David Cierny qualified for the ITA National Championships after finishing second at the ITA Mountain Regional Championships. Cierny’s run in singles play during regionals was tied for the furthest run ever by an Aggie at the tournament.

Soccer

Utah State recorded its third winning season in a row and qualified for the Mountain West Championship tournament for the second straight year. The Aggies fell 19-8 to San Deigo State in the semifinal after a marathon penalty shootout.

Additionally, juniors Alex Day and Kelsey Kaufusi and freshman Kaylie Chambers were each named to the AllMW Second Team. Chambers also earned All-Newcomer Team honors.

Softball

The Aggies finished fourth in the MW during the spring season. Star players Gabriella Jimenez and Lexi Orozco achieved program records in home runs, with Jimenez taking the single-season crown and Orozco tying the career record. Both also earned Mountain West Player of the Week honors throughout the season.

Track and Field

USU sent three Aggies to the NCAA West Preliminary Championships in May 2022. Senior Katie Haviland and junior Abby Jensen competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and junior Tori Bailey took part in the discus. Jensen and Haviland each finished in the top 20, with Jensen finishing 17th overall with a time of 10:17.27.

For the men’s team, senior Mark Crandall and Max Wehrli represented Utah State on day three of the championships. Wehrli placed 35th, and Crandall’s steeplechase time of 8:52.40 earned him 24th overall.

Volleyball

The Aggies won their first Mountain West Volleyball Championship in November 2022, defeating San Jose State 3-1. The victory gave USU its first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 2010. Utah State fell in the tourney to Arkansas, but head coach Rob Neilson praised the effort from his squad. “Unbelievably proud of our group and the season that we’ve had,” Neilson said after the game. “I love what it means for us going forward.”

Women’s Basketball

USU improved its record by 20% from the 20202021 season, winning 11 games. The Aggies also upset Fresno State in the first round of the Mountain West Basketball Championship before losing to eventual champion UNLV in the quarterfinals.

Women’s Tennis

Utah State had a solid fall season, including a day at the CSUN Fall Invitational, where the Aggies went undefeated in all three of their doubles matches. In the spring, USU fell 4-2 to Wyoming in the first round of the Mountain West Championships.

PHOTO BY Bailey Rigby Rine Yonaha stops after seeing the ball go out of bounds during a game at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field.

PHOTO BY Heidi Bingham

New year, new Mountain West Conference Comissioner

By Jake Ellis SPORTS EDITOR

After 24 years, the Mountain West Conference has a new commissioner.

Gloria Nevarez officially took over as MW commissioner on Jan. 1 to succeed Craig Thompson, who had been the only commissioner in conference history up until that point. “Excited to lead the Mountain West and embark on this new adventure!” Nevarez tweeted on New Year’s Day.

Nevarez comes to the Mountain West after serving four years as the commissioner of the West Coast Conference. There, she oversaw a rebrand, diversity-hiring initiatives and new television contracts that “nearly doubled” the exposure of some WCC sports, according to the Mountain West.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Gloria will lead our membership into the future during a critical and challenging period in intercollegiate athletics,” said Garnett Stokes, the chair of the MW’s board of directors, in a press release in November. “We had an impressive pool of candidates, but in the end, Gloria had the vision, the experience, the desire and the ability to elevate our league and our twelve member institutions. She will be a great leader for the Conference and take us to unprecedented heights, after working closely with Craig in the upcoming transition.”

Nevarez is looking toward the future and explained her enthusiasm for the job in a press release in November.

“We are well-positioned as a league thanks to the incredible legacy of Commissioner Thompson, but we cannot — and will not — rest on our success,” Nevarez said. “We will be aggressive, we will be innovative, we will be inclusive and we will keep our focus on the student-athletes who call the Mountain West Conference home.”

Nevarez previously worked at the Pac-12 Conference and at the universities of Oklahoma, California Berkeley and San Jose State.

Thompson announced his plans to retire back in September after his confidence that the College Football Playoff would expand, which was confirmed in December. The new format will include 12 teams and the top six highest-ranked conference champions, which would pave the way for future Mountain West champions to earn a bid.

“My one remaining priority was expansion of the College Football Playoff and viable access for the Mountain West,” said Thompson in a September press release. “With CFP expansion accomplished and having invested almost a third of my life in the Mountain West, the time is now right for me to conclude my tenure and allow the Conference to continue its momentum under new leadership.”

Thompson had been the commissioner since the MW was formed in 1998. He oversaw various changes and expansions that included the addition of Utah State to the conference in 2013.

“To work with our conference staff and the leadership of our member institutions through the years as we have pursued our collective vision has been a rewarding experience,” Thompson said. “I am grateful to every person and institution who has been a part of our journey and I wish them — and the conference — the very best in the years ahead.”

Jake Ellis is a senior studying journalism from Orem. When he’s not covering the Aggies, Jake spends his time adding Pepsi to dairy products.

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PAINT THE PIANO

“She just made it into a whole project that she sincerely wanted to do,” Rothwell said. “She wasn't doing it just to do it, to have people look at her through that. She wanted to do it out of the goodness of her heart.”

Barker recently headed up a scholarship fundraiser with her fellow students in the Huntsman Scholar Program, a highly selective program for undergraduate business students at USU.

Chalon Keller is the mentor of 25 students in the program, including Barker. Keller and the student leader of her group, Adam Smith, decided to start a scholarship fund, which the students in their group would raise money for.

The students were split into teams of five, and each team was required to start a “micro-business” to earn as much money for the scholarship as they could in a few hours.

Barker was chosen to lead her team. She had already designed stickers to remind people of the daily 10-minute challenge, so she decided to sell them for the fundraiser. Barker and her team also worked with local businesses to create a raffle, and everyone who bought a sticker was entered to win.

On Oct. 5, the group set up a table in front of Huntsman Hall on the USU campus and sold 200 stickers. People came up to the table who didn’t know anything about the initiative but still wanted to support, so Barker was able to raise money for the scholarship while spreading her message about changing the world.

They raised $750 for the scholarship from sticker sales and other donations, which was more than planned. Barker has more stickers to sell, so she’s planning more opportunities for fundraising in the future.

“I'd like to keep selling these and find different fundraisers that we can donate to,” she said. “I think we'll shift in between different nonprofits, different opportunities, and I'm looking into starting some of our own service projects using those funds. But yeah, all the proceeds are going to go to making good things happen in the world.”

Keller said Barker is a genuinely caring individual who not only wants to change the world but wants everyone to be part of it.

She’s the first person to volunteer to help out, and she’ll always bring others along.

“I know that’s something that she has that’s inherent to her and that she's honing those skills while she's here,” Keller said. “She's going to go out into the world and continue to grow those skills and just have her circle of influence expand and expand. I hope she runs for Senate.”

Barker’s dream of changing the world is now a reality, even though the scope has changed. The initiative has taught her the people who really need her are much closer than she thought — sometimes right next to her.

Barker had a roommate last semester who she chatted with occasionally, but she decided to be more intentional about getting to know her. As the two became closer, Barker learned her roommate’s father had cancer and didn’t feel like she had anyone in Logan she could turn to.

“I was missing out on loving somebody that I literally lived with, and I had no idea the challenges that she was going through,” Barker said.

Last semester, Barker sent a text to check in on her roommate, who was watching her four nephews while her brother-in-law was in surgery. Hours later, the roommate called and told Barker his heart was failing. Barker dropped everything and drove 30 minutes to be with her roommate and play with the kids.

Little things, like a text message, can lead to bigger opportunities, Barker said. She’s learned that changing the world comes one person at a time.

“If I can change one person's world,” she said, “then I know I've changed the world.”

Last week’s solution:

Sudoku puzzles are provided by www.sudokuoftheday.com.

PHOTO BY Kate Smith

Barker sold stickers for a scholarship fundraiser in October.