February 20, 2023- The Utah Statesman- Utah State University

Utah State University, Logan, Utah

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ABE RODRIGUEZ

USUSA PRESIDENT

• Marketing and public relations major

• From Logan, UT

• I’m authentic, outgoing and adventurous

BEN SWAN

USUSA PRESIDENT

• Information systems and management major

• From Logan, UT

• I’m kind, process-oriented and a peacemaker

Visited family from my mom’s side in Argentina for the first time!

Graduated high school! Family first.

My roommates and I watching a lighting storm in our little house last year. There’s not a day I don’t miss this.

I LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT. It’s honestly my biggest red flag. This is the Red (Taylor’s Version) Party that I hosted on release night.

First in-person game back from COVID! Super stoked to cheer on my

with my friends!

Grew my hair out for 3 years…finally went surfing in Hawaii with my guy Erik from School!

My cousins and I at an exhibit in Las Vegas. My most unrealistic dream is to have one in my house one day.

High Stakes Bingo this past fall where I got to co-host. It was so much fun.

52-hour road-trip with the boys to Alabama! Go Aggies! First kiss/true Aggie!

I am meant to live by a beach. I’ve only been surfing a couple of times, but it’s one of my favorite things ever.

Aggies

Me at a conference in August where we got to meet students from all across the country and represent USU!

@noahjensen1984

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NOAH JENSEN

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

• Economics and political science major

• From Preston, ID

• I’m confident, committed and open

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ALY CINQ-MARS

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

• Civil engineering major

• From Draper, UT and Montreal, Canada

• I’m driven, personable and spontaneous

Student-run newspaper for Utah State University since 1902. Reporting online 24/7. Printed weekly during the school year.

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Darcy Ritchie managing editor editor@usustatesman.com 435-797-1742

Jacee Caldwell news editor news@usustatesman.com

Jake Ellis sports editor sports@usustatesman.com

Maya Mackinnon lifestyles editor life@usustatesman.com

Maren Archibald copy editor copyeditor@usustatesman.com

Bailey Rigby multimedia editor photo@usustatesman.com

For advertising inquiries studentmedia@usu.edu

Student Media Office TSC 118 435.797.1775

Cover art by Monique Black

This is my wife. She’s my best friend and partner in crime. She graduated last spring.

This fall I was in D.C. I was there for a forum on obstacles to socioeconomic mobility.

This is my dog. His name is Cache. I love to travel. My career plan is to work in the Foreign Service in an embassy.

The International Student Council is a group I have been a part of for two years now.

I am a huge fan of all art. All cultures that I am exposed to, I really appreciate.

I love Razors. I’m very spontaneous.

Canadian hockey is my favorite sport to watch. I’ve been to every USU Hockey game.

This is my family and me wearing our Christmas pj’s. They are my best friends.

I’m part of the USU Hurd. Involvement and being social is really important to me.

I love to travel. This is me in Nashville, Tennessee.

Photography is something I do for fun. This is me taking photos for USU Basketball.

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TYSON PACKER STUDENT ADVOCATE VICE PRESIDENT

• Integrated studies major

• From Sandy, UT

• I’m authentic, outgoing and adventurous

@jonah_feigs13

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JONAH FEIGLESON STUDENT ADVOCATE VICE PRESIDENT

• Economics and statistics major

• From Kaysville, UT

• I’m a fun guy

I like being outside and doing things like this. I love going places, reading, just thinking, putting my phone away, and spending some time alone.

My secret passion is writing and performing music. If college doesn’t work, I’ll just drop out and play in bars.

My intramural volleyball team last semester. I want to get the intramural t-shirt. Next semester, we’re going to take it.

I’m in the Air Force ROTC program. I’m doing active duty Air Force after college. It’s a big part of my life.

I love seeing places. Traveling has formed a very big part of my life.

I love dogs and my whole Instagram feed is of stupid dog videos.

This photo speaks for itself.

I love my friends. Utah State is where I feel like I’ve found my people.

My family is my everything. Everything that I am today is through something my parents or siblings taught me.

There’s nothing more important in my life than my

my best friends.

family. They’re

A picture of me and my celebrity look-alike — it’s Zook, the Muppets character.

@nilslarson

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NILS LARSON

LOGAN ATHLETICS & CAMPUS REC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• English teaching - Secondary education major

• From Murray, UT

• I’m not too shabby

TATE BENNETT

LOGAN ATHLETICS & CAMPUS REC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• Outdoor product design and development major

• From Nashville, TN

• I’m funny, loud and rambunctious

Bon Jovi and Ozzy Osbourne take the Spectrum. Mardi Gras with the best committee!

That’s the way we spike it. Spectrum Magic!!!

Mr. USU with my biggest fans! Just a couple of city boys at the rodeo.

This is me with the boys at Panama City Beach. I traditionally wear a toga at the whiteout basketball game.

My dog stealing my socks.

Tailgating is my #1 hobby.

Fishing is my #1 off-season hobby.

Spectrum Magic is my favorite night of the year.

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ALEX GARCES

LOGAN DIVERSITY & ORGANIZATIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• Global communications major

• From American Fork, UT

• I’m curious, intentional and considerate

AMAYA BACA

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LOGAN DIVERSITY & ORGANIZATIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• Journalism major

• From Lehi, UT

• I’m goofy, raw and unhinged

My

I made homemade sweet potato gnocchi the other day. I enjoy cooking.

Here I am with my friends at the Bear River Hot Springs in Preston, Idaho.

A game of Bananagrams I played at a New Year’s Eve party. I love Bananagrams.

Pictured with my little brother and cousin. I enjoy spending time with my immediate and extended family.

This is me volunteering at the True Aggie Night. A picture of me with my family at my sister’s wedding.

My besties and I went to Cancun in 2022 — literally the best vacation ever!

Big Blue and Baca are besties. #ILOVETHEHURD

siblings and I have massive hands, but they make for good LEGO hands.

I went to Egypt last summer and met King Tut’s mummy. He isn’t always in his tomb, so we lucked out that day!

We’re die-hard Pitbull fans at my house. My sister, mom and I dressed up as Pitbull when we saw him in concert.

Get Diggy With It, my fall 2022 intramural volleyball team. We always wore the colors of the rainbow.

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HAL MAGNUSON

LOGAN DIVERSITY & ORGANIZATIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• Bio-veterinary science major

• From Sandy, UT

• I’m loyal, dependable and a little quirky

I feel like this is me. I’m the mom friend that’s always calling everyone and checking in on them. I like talking to people about their day. Cool art collage. I think it defines femininity within the Black community. I’ve recently been tapping into my culture.

Black Student Union Council when I was president. Being on the council shaped who I am and my presence on campus.

I love animals, and my pets are my favorite thing. The best way to end your day is snuggling up with your dog.

The gum wall in Seattle. Seattle is one of my favorite cities! There are so many stories behind each piece of gum.

I took this while snowboarding. I recently got into it and is something I’m proud of pushing myself to try to get outside of my comfort zone.

Why should you care about the USUSA elections?

By Cait Keith LIFESTYLES STAFF REPORTER

Feb. 22 is the start of elections for Utah State University Student Association officers.

The Executive Leadership Board, which includes the USUSA president, executive VP and student advocate VP, is up for election, as are positions on the Logan Campus Executive Council, including the Logan VP and executive directors for athletics & campus recreation, diversity & organizations and student events.

Along with executive positions, the ballot will include statewide positions for college senators and VPs for the Blanding, Brigham City, Eastern, Moab, Southwest, Tooele, Uintah Basin and Wasatch regions.

The current president of USUSA, Clara Alder, said the students who hold these positions represent the needs of the whole of USU’s student body and the senators represent the needs of the students in their college.

“You want to be involved because these are some key stakeholders to many opportunities for improvement and change,” Alder said.

The elected students oversee tuition and student fees, and they advocate for the best interest of students.

USUSA public relations assistant Janeal Rydalch, who is serving on this year’s elections committee, said those elected make big decisions that impact students.

“It’s similar to student council or student government in high school, and everybody coming from high school would probably be able to understand that,” Rydalch said. “And maybe it didn’t matter to them in high school, but in college, I feel it’s a little more important because the decisions that those people are making are bigger.”

Alder is serving as the chair of elections, along with co-chair Ethan Conlee, the current student advocate VP. Alder facilitates and coordinates the elections, and the elections committee sets up voting, encourages people to vote and helps with other election events.

Elections are divided into two parts.

Voting for the executive board will take place Feb. 22-23 with a potential runoff on Feb. 24. All students, including those on the statewide campuses, can vote for these positions.

Voting for senate and statewide positions will take place on Feb. 27-28 with a potential runoff on Mar. 1. For students in Logan, this round of voting includes the Logan Campus Executive Council.

Elle Brown-Horton, USUSA’s public relations director, said in November, there was a special election to amend the USUSA Constitution.

“This change allowed us to shorten the elections period from three weeks to about a week,” Brown-Horton said. This year there will be rank-choice voting, another change to the elections.

“We have incorporated rank-choice voting in our system this year,” Alder said. “And what that entails is the likelihood of going on to a runoff election is slimmer than it was in the years past.”

Rank-choice voting, also known as preferential voting, is a voting system where voters rank their candidates in a sequence of first, second, third and so on. Voting is done online at vote.usu.edu.

USU has its own system for tabulating votes, and a small committee of people confirm the votes to make sure they are correctly counted.

Election results are announced at 9 a.m. the morning after the voting is closed.

Dakota Oldham, current USUSA executive director of student events, said it is important to know who to vote for.

“I believe the students at Utah State should make an effort and read through all candidate profiles,” Oldham said. “We as student leaders spend a lot of time being your voice and starting the conversations of advocating for you.”

Information on each of the positions and responsibilities, along with information on each of the candidates, can be found at elections.usu.edu.

“I feel the best thing for people to do also is to educate themselves on the website because you can look up what people’s responsibilities are,” Rydalch said. “You don’t

have to know everything, but even having a little bit of information. If you know, then you can help someone else as well.”

Caitlin Keith is from Utah and is currently a junior studying journalism. Other than writing, she enjoys watching and ranting about tv shows or sports, speaking German and eating snacks.

— A02312868@usu.edu

DESIGN BY Monique Black

Executive Leadership Board Candidates

President

The duties of the President include serving as the USUSA Executive Leadership Board Chair, The Logan Executive Council Chair, and the Statewide Campuses Executive Council Chair. The President shall also serve as a member of the USU Board of Trustees, appoint the Public Relations Director and Chief of Staff, establish communication with the student body, verify all executive council position descriptions are up-to-date and fulfilled, and oversee follow-through and implementation of legislation and represent USU at events.

Abe Rodriguez

Class Rank: Junior

Major(s): Marketing & Public Relations

Minor(s):

Instagram: @abeerodriguezz

Campaign Platform: I will advocate for the needs of all students by drawing on my experience as the USUSA Executive Vice President and prioritizing safety, financial aid, and unity. Advance with Abe!

Qualifications:

• Current USUSA Executive Vice President

• Student Fee Board Chair

• A-Team & Connections Peer Mentor

• Business Council & Huntsman Scholar

• HURD & USU Athletics Broadcaster

Goals/Plans:

• Streamline student involvement in Campus Safety operations.

• Create training for students to learn about financial aid resources that will recognize & support students’ economic needs.

• Strengthen supportive measures for our multicultural organizations & Veterans & Disability Resource Center.

• Enhance incentives for FSL organizations to affiliate with USU & comply with the Relationship Agreement.

• Advocate for statewide students to have equitable access to opportunities like the University Honors Program.

Scholarship: Stipend: Full Tuition/Fees

$1,000/month for 12 months

Ben Swan

Class Rank: Junior

Major(s): Information Systems and Management

Minor(s):

Instagram: @ben_swan_

Campaign Platform: Be Seen. Be Heard. Belong. As student body president, I will ensure every Aggie feels included and succeeds through inclusive policies, amplified student voice, and effective, actionable change.

Qualifications:

• USUSA Traditions Committee Member: As a member of the Traditions Committee I help plan and execute events that preserve and celebrate USU’s rich history and student involvement.

• Huntsman Ambassadors President: Lead ambassador team through the recruitment processes and identify improvements while creating relationships with prospective students and sharing my love for USU and the Huntsman School.

• ProSales Director of Account Management: Coordinate and oversee the formation and continuation of professional relationships between students, the organization, and corporate partners.

• Huntsman Scholar Program: I believe that education is one of the most valuable experiences and I’ve had the opportunity to enrich mine through leadership, analytical rigor, and global vision labs.

• Diverse Involvement History: Involvement across campus has helped me develop many skills but most importantly how to listen, identify the root of a problem, and create effective, lasting solutions.

Goals/Plans:

• New TSC: An epicenter of student involvement, the new student center will offer inclusive spaces, improved common areas, dining options, and room for USU/Student organizations to grow and thrive.

• Amplify Your Voice: Create and utilize effective ways to best represent your voice/opinions while serving as President. I’ve taken action and you can follow @president_polls on Instagram for info.

• Support Your Interests: Promote growth and ensure safety from budget cuts for all student organizations and clubs. | Meet with Statewide VPs to understand how USU can support every student.

• More Resources for You: Streamline the process of identifying the best resource for you, then assess the effectiveness of each resource and supplement or replace where needed.

• Ensure Your Future: Work with the Career Design Center to ensure Aggies are prepared, interviewed, and chosen for the best jobs, especially during economic uncertainty. More info at benswan.org.

Executive Vice President

The duties of the Executive Vice-President shall be to assume all duties assigned by the president, and assume presidential duties when the president is absent, serve as the parliamentary expert for the USUSA Executive Council, chair the USUSA Academic Senate, oversee implementation of all legislation in Academic Senate, chair the University Student Fee Boards, and be a voting member of the Executive Leadership Board.

Scholarship: Stipend: $3,750/sem. $300/month for 8 months

Aly Cinq-Mars Noah Jensen

Media Subcommittee Director

• Aggie Blue Leadership Conference Facilitator

• Professional experience through internships with Engineering Firm

TetraTech

• Established relationships with students, faculty, and staff statewide through leadership positions

Goals/Plans:

Class Rank: Senior Major(s): Civil Engineering Minor(s):

Instagram: @alycinqmars

Campaign Platform: My platform is based on 3 simple points; Align, Advance, and Amplify. Through these points I will make concrete changes and improvements that every USU student statewide will benefit from.

Qualifications:

• USU Hurd PR & Marketing/Social Media Director

• USU Hurd Committee Member & Social

• Create university wide campaigns to raise awareness and gather student input on student fee utilization and allocation.

• Organize the student fee board to align it with student demographics in Logan and Statewide.

• Employ position on the Facilities Enhancement committee to advance and improve the areas of campus students use every day.

• Expand the student marketing surrounding student-fee based services such as the Student Health & Wellness Center, Athletics, Campus Rec, Aggie Shuttle Fees.

• Update and modernize the MyVoice platform to foster connections between students and officers.

Class Rank: Junior

Major(s): Economics, Political Science

Minor(s):

Instagram:

Campaign Platform: I want to represent the will and voice of the students of Utah State University, and aid in the management of the University.

Qualifications:

• I served as President of the USU International Student Council.

• I served as Finance Vice President of the USU International Student Council.

• I serve as an Economics student

research fellow for the Center for Growth and Opportunity.

• I am a Huntsman Scholar.

Goals/Plans:

• I hope to use my leadership experience gained serving on the International Student Council to represent the will of the students of USU.

• I hope to serve as an effective student body leader, and help conduct university business for the benefit of the students.

• I hope to learn more about the university and its students, and use this knowledge for their benefit.

Student Advocate VP

The duties of the Student Advocate Vice President include representing student concerns over local, state and federal government, represent student concerns to student government and student services, maintain relationships with key faculty and administrators to better bring change, organize and chair the Government Relations Council, chair the Student Voice Committee, communicate current legislative issues to the Public Relations Director to be advertised on campus, provide for a process where students can address their grievances concerning university policies, procedures and decisions, shall act as a moderator to find solutions and corrections for grievances, be responsible for conducting student surveys concerning policies, and serve as a voting member of the USUSA Executive Leadership Board.

Scholarship: Stipend: $3,750/sem. $300/month for 8 months

Jonah Feigleson Tyson Packer

Qualifications:

• Member of Government Relations Council

2022-Present

• Business Council President 2022-Present

• Director of Government Initiatives, Presidents Cabinet 2021-2022

• Huntsman Scholar Program Member; Team Lead 2022-Present

• Undergraduate Policy Research Fellow at The Center for Growth and Opportunity

Goals/Plans:

Class Rank: Junior

Major(s): Economics, Statistics

Minor(s): Business

Instagram: @jonah_feigs13

Campaign Platform: As Student Advocate VP, I will amplify student voices to create lasting change. I plan to strengthen ties between students and leaders, and help USU become a more informed campus.

• Promote events encouraging healthy political discussion to help USU become a more informed campus.

• Strengthen communication between students and their USUSA representatives by creating a student-led campaign to promote awareness for resources like MyVoice.

• Hold semesterly visits to USUSA clubs and organizations to collect student input on advocacy efforts, and support legislation that upholds student interests.

Class Rank: Junior Major(s): Integrated Studies

Minor(s): Aerospace Studies, Anticipatory Intelligence

Instagram: @tyson_packer

Campaign Platform: I will be dedicated to reaching out to students to understand their concerns, thoughts, worries, and then fighting with them to get the results and solutions that they deserve.

Qualifications:

• Member of the USUSA Activities Committee, helped to plan and execute the following events: The Howl; Mardi Gras; Movie on Old Main; Snacktivities

• Member of the Student Alumni Association (SAA), dedicated to making lifelong Aggies through events/projects such as: True Aggie Nights; Miss USU; Thank A Donor; Highway Cleanups; Service Events/Scholarships

• Member of the USUSA Task Force,

promote student relationships with local and state governments.

• Vice Wing Commander of the Air Force ROTC program, responsible for running a +100 cadet program that prepares students to become future officers in the United States Air Force.

• I’m passionate about making sure everyone gets a seat at the table. Every person here matters and I’m dedicated to making sure all students feel important at USU.

Goals/Plans:

• Plan events that introduce students to programs and initiatives that Utah State offers such as Studen Nutrition Access Center (SNAC), legal advice lawyers for students, and life skills workshops.

• Develop a polling system that is capable of reaching a wide spread of students and allows the USU community to voice concerns and express feelings about university policies.

• Create a committee of representatives from all clubs, colleges, and organizations on campus to discuss problems, advocate for student opinions, and find solutions to issues that impact the student body.

Executive Board Elections

• Increase awareness of the MyVoice program by working with the university to create better marketing strategies that help students understand how to get their voice heard.

Voting open from February

Senate & Elections

• Utilize existing resources to solve student’s issues by pushing campus organizations to collaborate. This will allow them to be better equipped to solve the needs of all students.

Executive Leadership Board Elections

NEHMA hosts new cultural experience: The Squares and the Beats

By Leah Call LIFESTYLES STAFF REPORTER

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University’s art museum is hosting a new exhibition, “The Squares and the Beats” which opened on Jan. 28.

On display until May 6, the exhibit consists of 14 objects gifted to NEHMA by art collectors Jeffrey and Meri Lane in 2021. The 14 pieces are done by six different artists.

Curator of collections and exhibitions Bolton Colburn explained the preponderance of the gift consisted of something called assemblage art.

“Three artists were assemblage artists and the other three have one piece each, and they are a little different in that they were artists that were seen in California the generation prior to the assemblage artists,” Colburn said. “So naturally, we began to play with the idea of one generation reacting to another.”

Analia Evans, museum attendant, said the assemblage art movement came from California in the 1960s and ‘70s, and portrays the idea everyday objects can be recycled and turned into art.

‘The Squares and the Beats’ is an assemblage show, which is collaging with recycled materials, and I think if you’re looking at the amount of waste that we leave behind, having people take that waste and trash and turning it into art is really cool,” Evans said.

The exhibition description page on the NEHMA website states, “The terms ‘square’ and ‘beat’ are taken from the era of the 1950s and 1960s and applied loosely here. The term Beat has its origins in music, the beat, particularly in American Jazz and Blues, as well as its colloquial meaning of being tired or down as in, ‘I’m beat.’ ‘You’re square’ was a derogatory term used by the Beats to describe the values of conventional mainstream culture, which they were rejecting and reacting against. For the Beats, the art that came the generation before them would have been considered square or out of date as well.”

Evans compared the way the three assemblage artists differentiate from the artists that come before them.

“The Squares and the Beats is a great example,” she said. “It is the juxtaposition of the ideals in the 1950s and the changing ideals of the ‘60s. You have your Squares who were — pardon my French here — hardasses, who were very much sticklers for tradition and don’t want to break away from tradition. The Beats

were the younger generation, challenging the status quo. They stepped away from tradition and made their own way for their voices to be heard.”

Colburn said the exhibition took about nine months to put together, from creating a theme to figuring out the installation, and is an important reflection of the cultural and social setting of the current times.

Others involved include the chief curator Katie-Lee Koven, exhibition registrar Zaira Arredondo, and coordinator of exhibitions and collections Selina Christensen.

“Some exposure to 20 and 21st century American art is really important for students, especially with students that aren’t familiar with museums or familiar with art,” Colburn said. “Because you’re getting to know a lot about the history not only of the arts and culture of Utah, but the history of arts in the United States. That’s invaluable.”

Luke Arnold is a sophmore studying computer science. Luke is currently serving as the production director for Aggie Radio. In his position, Luke is focusing on bringing an emphasis of music recording and live performances within Aggie Radio. Look out on Aggie Radio’s Instagram and YouTube for new recorded sessions with local artists dropping soon.

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.

— A02395831@usu.edu

NAVY BLUE Miss Valentine

Stranger Justin Warnick

Oxygen Sky Olson

Sunstone Cactus Tree

Ape Speed Guava Tree

PHOTO BY Claire Ott

Seersha Bickerstaff looks at Rectilinear #7 by Sidney Gordin at the Squares and the Beats exhibition in the NEHMA.

By Elise Gottling

Elise Gottling is a first-year student currently in the exploratory major. Besides photography, she also loves playing the guitar, singing and music in general (especially Taylor Swift ––she’s a genius). — A02386895@usu.edu

‘The game for life’

USU Handball team headed to nationals

By Jacee Caldwell NEWS EDITOR

Ahail mary, a half-court shot, a home run — all connected in our minds to sports we know and love.

One sport many haven’t even heard of, however, is one on our very own campus — handball.

A sport that untraditionally involves goggles, walls and padded gloves, handball can’t be played just anywhere, so the USU Handball club practices twice a week in the HPER to keep up their skills.

And they’ve been preparing all year for the championship, held Feb. 23-26 in Tucson, Arizona.

Sydnee Andreasen, a graduate student who has been playing with the team for six months, will be attending nationals for the first time.

“I’m terrified,” Andreasen said. “I’m terrified, but also super excited for the opportunity to go. There’s a lot of good people, and it’ll make me better.”

It’s not the team’s first year heading to nationals, however. They won the championship last year, which makes this year’s players hopeful about their chances.

“I think the best part of playing nationals last year was just the experience and playing other people so we know what it’s like to play in a tournament,” said Rachel Fisher, a senior who's been on the team for over a year.

But travel comes at cost — a cost that head coach Herm Olsen takes upon himself, whether by taking money out of his own pocket or calling up community members and alumni for donations.

“Utah State gets great publicity, and the university doesn’t put up a nickel,” Olsen said.

He explained that because of the tight budget and their status as the only university handball team in the entire state, they use all of their money to go to nationals, even though there are other tournaments around the country.

Olsen, who has coached the team with his wife for nearly 30 years, doesn’t just love and believe in the players.

He loves and plays the game himself.

“When I came to Utah State, I wanted to play a sport. Handball was the only game in town,” Olsen said. He’s played ever since. Olsen said this is common, making handball known as “the game for life.”

“Kids maybe played football or were on the softball team in high school, but then they never put on pads again or throw an under-hand pitch again in their life.”

Olsen said. “Handball, you can play until you’re 80.”

Handball is played in the Olympics; however, there are different versions. The version you see on TV is more like soccer with your hands. The version the USU team plays is related to racquetball and is played off walls.

There is a server who stands in the box and must hit the front wall without hitting the backing wall. The serve has to pass a line, or else it’s short.

People can play in doubles or singles, and after the serve, players take turns hitting the ball – with their hand

– against the wall. The ball can bounce once on the floor.

“Then you get points – rally scoring. You can only get points when you serve, and usually you play to 21,” Andreasen said.

If you haven’t heard of the game before, you’re not alone. The majority of players on the handball team didn’t know what it was either until taking the class at USU.

“I think it's just more people that need to know about it,” said Trevor Williams, a first-year student and player on the team. “I feel like since there’s less people who play, the community is a lot more tight-knit.”

The team is always welcoming new players. To join, you can start by signing up for the handball class, taught by Olsen and the new head coach, Stacey Marble.

“Literally anyone can pick it up quickly and play,” said Bryson Petersen, a junior who has been a part of the club for close to a year. “It is fun, it’s cool. It’s one of those slept-on sports, so just come try it.”

Jacee Caldwell is a senior studying broadcast journalism who just got a job at KSL 5 TV. Other than her passion for writing, Jacee loves Colorado boys, Dr. Pepper with vanilla cream and watching “The Bachelor” every Tuesday night.

PHOTO BY Jacee Caldwell

Members of the USU Handball team from left to right: Rachel Fisher, Sydnee Andreasen, Carson Kendrick, Joshua McKee, Isaac Ydegger and Trevor Williams.

New Unified Sports league doing more than just playing basketball

By Madison Weber SPORTS STAFF REPORTER

Special Olympics Unified Sports has come to Utah State University with one goal in mind: to create friendships and understanding by playing and training together. The unique basketball league started this semester and partners USU students with people who have intellectual disabilities.

“This creates lifelong relationships and allows partners and athletes to interact with folks that they may not get to interact with on an everyday basis,” said Bailey Adams, the coordinator of competitive sports for USU Campus Recreation. “That creates friendship and community.”

Bailey Adams first participated in a unified sports league during his undergrad. When he came to Utah State, he knew he wanted to start the league as soon as he could.

Campus Rec partners with Special Olympics Utah to find athletes, and USU students can sign up for flag football in the fall or basketball in the spring. Employees, students and athletes agree the experience benefits everyone participating.

“We just don't get to interact with folks from Special Olympics on an everyday basis, and they’re some pretty cool folks,” Bailey Adams said. “There is never a lack of positive attitude or smiles when you're participating.”

“I like being able to meet new friends and people,” athlete Zak Adams said. “Just stay out of trouble and come hang out with us.”

Quentin Faamoe has participated in Special Olympics since he was four years old. His mother, Rochelle Myers, believes Unified Sports provides an opportunity for Quentin to feel like any other 25-year-old.

“It just makes them feel like they're around peers their own age,” Myers said. “That they're not looked at differently, that they have some inclusion.”

Faamoe says he likes being able to hang out with his friends.

“It makes me pretty proud when I make a basket,” Faamoe said. “I like being a part of the Utah State Aggies basketball team.”

Myers expressed how important the league is for both students and athletes.

“I think it’s important for Utah State students to understand that there are different people in this world,” she said. “What a difference they can make by just partnering up with them and being their friend.”

The games are fun for everyone, but parents hope the friendships made will last outside the regular season.

“For Quentin to have somebody make him feel important, I think it's really, really, really helpful,” Myers said. “I’ve just been so impressed with Utah State students and how they treat these kids.”

Myers hopes Unified Sports will help students want to bring the Best Buddies program back.

Best Buddies is a worldwide non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those with intellectual

and developmental disabilities. In 2015, Best Buddies International named USU’s Best Buddies program the largest college chapter in the world.

“There's not a lot of places for these kids to find friends when they don't go to the university and they feel it's hard to transition,” Myers said. “Quentin had a best buddy named Skyler here at Utah State. They still keep in contact and I mean, they both learned from it, and they both developed a true love brotherhood for each other.”

Wendy Smith, the mother of athlete Nicole Carroll, said she’s grateful for Unified Sports since Best Buddies fizzled out.

“They just want to fit in,” she said. “And that's why the program was one of the best things. I mean, it started and then it crashed. And I know that Nicole was just devastated because of that.”

Today, Smith can’t get a returned text message from her daughter’s buddy.

“Hopefully, some of this Unified Sports will bring Best Buddies back,” Myers said. “Where the Utah State students will be like, ‘Oh, I want to do this on a larger scale,’ and have a best buddy and see these kids all year round rather than just an individual sport.”

Kayla Irlbeck, the graduate assistant of competitive sports for Campus Rec, looks forward to the games each week.

“This is genuinely the best part of my week, every week. Just getting to hang out with athletes, getting to know them by their names, and seeing them make those connections with other kids,” she said. “Just getting the opportunity to grow and play sports in a different atmosphere. It's genuinely been the best part of my job here.”

Dawson Blackburn is a student at USU who played flag football with the athletes. He signed up for basketball based on the experience he had in the fall.

“It's just fun to work with the athletes. Just create an atmosphere where everyone can have fun, where everyone can try their best,” he said. “At the end of the day, you hope to go home with a win, but that’s really not what it's all about. Just being there with the athletes and involving everyone is super rewarding.”

Some students were even invited by the athletes to play with them again.

“The athletes love it. This is something that they look forward to every week. They love those moments where they just feel part of a community, and then they're able to make new friendships that last,” Irlbeck said. “We have

partners here from last season, and they'll come back and the athlete gives them hugs because they remember them. And they've just made those friendships that they're never going to forget.”

Read the rest of this story at usustatesman.com.

PHOTO BY Phil Weber

An athlete shoots the ball at Unified Sports’ first basketball practice on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the ARC.

Madison Weber is a senior studying journalism and international studies. Her favorite things include good food, travel, dogs, and spending time with family.

Pinner: USU continues to improve sexual misconduct policies and procedures

This week, the USU Office of Equity released updates to our policies and procedures that address sexual misconduct and discrimination. At Utah State University, our aim is to provide an inclusive and respectful learning and working environment. Our policies and procedures outline expectations for all university community members, as well as what happens when things go wrong.

Each individual in our community is bound by these policies and should understand what is expected of them. Students who violate the sexual misconduct policy could face disciplinary consequences, which could include required training, probation, or even expulsion. Employees who violate the policy could face disciplinary consequences up to and including termination of employment.

Affirmative Consent

Perhaps the most notable change in the new sexual misconduct policy is in the definition of consent for sexual activity. USU now defines consent as an affirmative agreement: an “informed, freely and actively given, mutually understandable exchange of unmistakable words or actions…”. This definition creates clear expectations for behavior while also reducing ambiguity for hearing panels when looking at sexual misconduct cases. Note this is not the same definition used in the state’s criminal code. An individual may be held accountable by the university for violating USU policy even if they are not held accountable under criminal law.

Sexual Exploitation

Sexual exploitation that occurs in an employment or education program or activity is now specifically covered as prohibited misconduct. It is defined as “taking non-consensual sexual advantage of another for one’s own advantage or benefit…”. Examples of sexual exploitation include taking or distributing images of nudity or sexual activity without the consent of the individual in the image. Again, consent must be affirmative by all individuals involved.

In addition to the above changes, revisions were made to the sexual misconduct and discrimination policies to create more consistency and a better understanding of how the administrative process works.

As you likely know from your annual training, many USU employees are required to report disclosures of sexual misconduct to the Title IX coordinator. In this policy update, the exceptions to required reporting were further narrowed in an effort to receive more reports. Reporting is vital to addressing sexual misconduct and preventing it from happening again.

If you or someone you know experiences sexual misconduct, I encourage you to seek help and report it to USU. Learn more about confidential resources and reporting options at sexualrespect.usu.edu.

As Aggies, it’s up to all of us to champion the change we want to see in our campus communities. It takes each of us to create a culture of respect and inclusion.

***

USU’s new policies can be read in full at usu.edu/equity/policies-procedures.

Matt Pinner is the executive director of the USU Office of Equity. Matt enjoys working with faculty, staff, students, and the local community to promote USU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. When he is not working, Matt enjoys exploring Utah, travel, and spending time with his family. He can be reached at matthew.pinner@usu.edu or 435-797-1266. — matthew.pinner@usu.edu

Sudoku puzzles are provided by www.sudokuoftheday.com.

Last week’s solution:

USUSA Elections Statesman Debates

Executive Leadership Board debate: Feb. 22 at noon

Logan Executive Council debate: Feb. 27 at noon

Both debates will be held in the Hub, streamed to The Utah Statesman YouTube and broadcast on Aggie Radio.