Week of April 7, 2020 www.usustatesman.com (435) 797-1742 TSC Room 118 Free single copy NEWS | ‘Stay home, stay safe’
STUDENT LIFE | Speaking in tongues
SPORTS | Gorman out
Gov. Herbert is encouraging people to stay home as much as possible to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Find out why this time of social isolation might be the perfect time to learn a new language.
The minutes leader for USU women’s hoops has entered the transfer portal. Who will take her place next year?
see PAGE 3
see PAGE 2
see PAGE 4
Former Aggie linebacker provides meals to local kids By Jacob Nielson SPORTS STAFF WRITER
Just days after the former Aggie signed with the New York Giants, linebacker Kyler Fackrell
and his wife, Elizabeth, teamed up with the Pauni Island Grill in Logan to provide free hot meals to children in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over a five day span from March 19-23, the restaurant on 400 N gave out over 1,600 free
meals — consisting of an entree, rice, and roasted veggies — to kids in Cache Valley.
With schools shutting down and the knowledge that many families rely on the school lunch
program for their children, the two former Aggies wanted to help out, according to Spencer
Pauni — whose wife is Elizabeth’s sister. And Spencer’s mom, Seneti, owns the family-run Pauni Island Grill.
Kiera Greene, of Logan, said her family members were grateful recipients of the free meals.
“As a mother of four, this opportunity for a hot meal with protein for my kids was such a relief,”
she said. “Not only did it help with the budget, but it helped bring a smile back to my kid’s faces during this hard time.”
Jennifer Bryner, another Logan resident, was also grateful for the service provided.
“I know of many families who were helped immensely by the free kids lunches, ourselves
included,” she said. “It was such a comfort to our family to know we had the meal from Pauni Island Grill to help us get by.” PHOTO COURTESY OF Pauni Island Grill Former Aggie linebacker Kyle Fackrell and his wife, Elizabeth, teamed with Pauni Island Grill to provide over 1,600 free meals to Cache Valley kids.
COVID-19 at USU: A timeline
PHOTO COURTESY OF Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Spencer said Kyler loved his time in Cache Valley and was excited for an opportunity to help see “Fackrell” PAGE 5
Review: ‘Onward’
PHOTO COURTESY OF Disney Disney/Pixar’s “Onward” was released in theaters last month, and was just released on the Disney+ streaming service. By Maggie Mattinson STUDENT LIFE STAFF WRITER
By Multiple Writers STATESMAN NEWS TEAM
Disney released the Pixar film “Onward” to
Sunday, April 5. 7:04 p.m.
Three members of the Utah State University community have reported positive COVID-19 test results.
theaters on March 6. Shortly after its under-
whelming opening weekend, many theaters
closed down due to the quickly spreading
By Alison Berg
According to a news release from Utah State University, one case is an employee who has not
been on campus for at least 14 days, the other two are students. One student lives out-of-state
and has not been on-campus in weeks, said university spokesperson Emilie Wheeler. The other student lives off-campus and is recovering at home, Wheeler said,
These cases are the first three confirmed in the university community, and USU relies on
students and employees to self-report a positive test result.
“I know this information may cause our students and employees concern, and I want to
reassure you that we are working hard to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” USU President Noelle Cockett said in the statement. “We’ll get through this by treating each other with compassion and doing our part to prevent the spread.”
USU relies on students and employees to self-report positive results and the university will
not release information, to encourage members of the community to report, Wheeler said.
“USU relies on individuals in our community to self-report if they have a positive test so we
can take steps to support that individual, put into place cleaning protocols where necessary,
and include this information that the university uses in our decisions about how to protect the community,” she said. “Protecting people’s privacy provides an incentive for them to self-report.”
Wheeler said university administrators are unsure whether the third student developed
symptoms in Logan or elsewhere, but they know the student is recovering out-of-state.
COVID-19 pandemic. Disney+ quickly announced that it would be streaming the film
within less than a month, and it has been available on the platform since April 3.
“Onward” follows the story of brothers Ian
(Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) on a magical quest to spend one day with their father, who died of an unnamed illness when they were both young. It’s a classic fantasy
story in almost every way. There are quests, magical beings, classic hero arcs and spells:
everything you would see from Tolkien, Lewis or Rowling.
However, “Onward” gives a very unique per-
spective on the fantasy trope. Rather than leaning toward the storybook-end of the
spectrum like we’ve seen in countless movies, shows and books, this story feels more like
a Dungeons and Dragons campaign come to
life. The pixies are small, mean and gruff; the elves are tall masters of magic. Barley —the
see “Timeline” PAGE 5
older of the two brothers — is obsessed with
a D&D or Magic: The Gathering-like game
called “Quests of Yore,” which is “historically accurate” in the film’s universe and inspires the direction of their quest.
“Onward” set high expectations as being the
first Disney-Pixar movie to feature an openly LGBTQ+ character. The first lesbian char-
acter in a Pixar movie is very butch, only in one short scene, is really of no importance to
the story and is a cop. I recognize that Pixar
is still taking steps in the right direction and any effort is important, but it seems like they
could have done much more, especially after the disappointing LGBTQ+ representation in Star Wars IX. (It’s 2020. Come on, Pixar. Have
some tact and make some real strides for representation and diversity.)
Like all Disney-Pixar movies, “Onward” has
its share of humor mixed with sentiment. The setting of the film — a fantasy world collided with one like ours — lends itself to laughs.
There is also strategically placed subtle hu-
mor throughout, like a pixie eating Pixy Stix or the struggle of a centaur driving a car. Pix-
ar is known for teaching its main characters lessons they didn’t think they needed on the
journey of fulfilling their dreams, but in very see “Onward” PAGE 5
PAGE 2
WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2020
NEWS
Ut. Gov. Herbert issues ‘stay home’ directive By Alison Berg NEWS CONTENT MANAGER
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert asked Utahns to immediately begin staying home as much as possible, emphasizing the need to slow the spread of COVID-19 in a press conference on March 27 “Coronavirus is a serious challenge that we face,” he said. “It brings with it a lot of uncertainty, some fear, apprehension, high anxiety.” Herbert acknowledged, “I recognize we’re asking you to do some things that are uncomfortable, that are disruptive,” but said the sacrifices would be worthwhile sooner rather than later if people follow directions now. “If we do this, we’re gonna come out in good shape at the end of the next few weeks,” he said. Herbert unveiled three phases of a plan to slow the spread and help boost the economy. Phase 1: Urgency, Phase 2: Stabilization, and Phase 3: Recovery. Utah is currently in Phase 1, he said, and “if we don’t get this right, the other two phases won’t count much.” The announcement came shortly after Herbert issued a directive asking people to stay home, continue to practice social distancing (including standing six feet apart if they must leave the house), follow strict hygiene standards, avoid contact with elderly or immunocompromised individuals and limit travel to what’s essential. “All individuals should stay home as much as possible,”
he said. The instructions are to remain in effect until Monday. Unlike the shelter-in-place orders issued in Summit County and several other states, Utah’s directive is not enforceable by law, but is a strong suggestion. “There’s an expectation that all of us will follow these directives, and we need to do that,” he said. “All of us need to work together if we’re going to get through and survive, and in fact, not only survive but then be able to thrive in a few weeks.” When asked why he didn’t follow states like California, Idaho and Colorado in issuing shelter-in-place orders, Herbert said he felt this approach was “more positive.” “We think we have enough fear about this without adding to it,” he said, arguing that a “shelter-in-place” order sounded like a World War II effort. State parks will remain open for the time being, Herbert said. However, parks are only open to those who live in the county where the park is located. “This will help us control the spread of the virus,” he said. The state is still waiting on answers from the federal government to determine whether or not national parks will remain open. Herbert encouraged employers to find ways to allow their employees to work from home and, if they cannot work from home, to allow employees who say they’re sick to stay home as long as they’re ill. As of Monday, Utah had 1,675 confirmed cases with 13
PHOTO BY AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool Utah Gov. Gary Herbert shares updates during a COVID-19 pandemic press conference at the Utah State Capitol Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in Salt Lake City.
deaths, but the state epidemiologist, Angela Dunn, said in a press conference she expects the number of cases to increase in the next few days as tests from the weekend are processed. Of those cases, 33 are in the Bear River Health District, which includes Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties, and six of the individuals are hospitalized. The Bear River Health Department announced Thursday that a healthcare worker in the area had tested positive for the coronavirus and potentially spread it to up to 56 patients — 10 of whom are symptomatic, and the others were asked to quarantine. — alisonberg28@gmail.com @alison__berg
USUSA ‘twists’ events, goes online By Taylor Cripe NEWS STAFF WRITER
Utah State University’s Quinney College of Natural Resources just finished its first week of virtual events on Friday. The event was part of USU Student Association’s new program to connect students online. “We already had a whole week planned for student events and we were bummed that we couldn’t do it because of COVID-19,” Natural Resources Senator Rachel Chamberlain said. Chamberlain, who initially came up with the idea to move USUSA events online, said they didn’t want to waste planning that had already gone into the event. As a result, she said they decided to “twist Natural Resources Week into an online challenge.” “We want our students to stay connected. It’s important right now,” Chamberlain said. “We also just want to get people outside.” The Virtual NR Week primarily took place on Instagram and asked students to complete a different challenge every day. On Monday, students were asked to take a picture of themselves fishing and — if they caught anything — to post their catch on Instagram or Facebook. Mark Devey took to Instagram to show off his rainbow trout glistening in the sun after being netted, but it paled in comparison to Catch of the Day winner Megan Christensen’s.
Other challenges included students taking pictures of themselves hiking, finding the tallest tree in the canyon, identifying different plants and going on a “wildlife safari” to find an interesting animal. “Doing this was a good way to reach a big audience,” Chamberlain said. “We could promote our college and show we have awesome things going on.”
We want them to know their money is going somewhere. — Rachel Chamberlain, USUSA QCNR Senator
Students who participated in the photo scavenger hunt every day were eligible to receive a prize once they verified their university A-number. Chamberlain also said she knows students pay extra fees to the university for USUSA events, so they want students to feel like they are actually getting a benefit from their fees. “We want them to know their money is going somewhere,” Chamberlain said. “Making sure people come together right now, even if it’s just through pictures, seemed like a good way to do that.” According to USUSA Student Events Vice President
Cooper Low, all future virtual events will be advertised like any normal event: by posting graphics to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. While many of these events will take place via Instagram, Low said USUSA will use Instagram and Facebook Live to broadcast whatever content they are working on. “For example, a virtual paint night on March 23 was advertised as ‘use your own art supplies at home, and if you’d like, you can tune in and watch someone doing art live at a specific time on a specific day,’” Low said. Some events also have a cash prize. The March 23 paint night offered a $50 cash prize to the most upvoted art piece, and from April 6-9, students who participate in a “Roommate Lipsync Contest” can win up to $300. Low said virtual events will likely be a temporary situation until the coronavirus pandemic has passed. “However, we have discovered we can now reach different types of people,” Low said. “There are people who don’t like the hustle and bustle of in-person events and want to do things from the comfort of their own home. This could be a game-changer.” Chamberlain said it may be too much work to do in-person and virtual events in the future but said they have received “all positive feedback.” —taylorcripe@gmail.com @cripe_taylor
SAAVI kicks off Sexual Assault Awareness month “Only a small minority of
quences for their crimes,”
assault to law enforcement or
Believing,’ you help stop this
victims report their sexual
file a formal complaint with
university authorities,” she
said. “In USU’s most recent sexual
misconduct
survey,
more than a third of victims did not tell anyone at all. The
most common reasons in-
By Karcin Harris NEWS STAFF WRITER
Wednesday is not only Utah
State University’s fifth Start by Believing day, it’s also
Anti-Violence
Information
reach and prevention coor-
awareness
campaign is crucial for sexual
(SAAVI) office is kicking off sexual
assault
Felicia Gallegos, the out-
month with its annual “Start by Believing” campaign.
dinator for SAAVI, said the
assault survivors to feel com-
fortable to share their stories.
said
sexual
assault
“It gives the university the
ant for a lot of reasons.
disclose their own experienc-
opportunity to outwardly rec-
can get essential support.”
periences of survivors within
es with sexual assault so they Gallegos said survivors that
er individual about the attack
are likely to never tell anothever again.
“That is not acceptable,” she
ognize and validate the ex-
our community,” she said. “Raising
awareness
about
sexual violence demonstrates that the university cares. We do not tolerate sexual vio-
lence, and we are here to
Gallegos said knowing how
said. “Survivors should feel
ical,” which is why the uni-
ence and trust that they will
el, Songs for Survivors Ben-
es they need. This campaign
the Night Community March
to respond to a victim is “crit-
when the Sexual Assault and
She
encourages more people to
al and professional reactions
their experience and the fear believed.”
ing their story.
awareness month is import-
aren’t listened to or believed
they would be blamed or not
and validate the person shar-
cycle. Improving our person-
cluded concerns about priva-
cy, shame, the seriousness of
STATESMAN FILE PHOTO Sarah Jensen and Kenzie Hyer at a booth for the Start By Believing Day on April 3, 2019 in the LDS Institute Building.
she said. “When you ‘Start by
versity is so supportive of the
national Start by Believing movement.
“A negative response can
worsen the trauma and fos-
ter an environment where perpetrators face no conse-
safe to share their experibe connected to the resourc-
gives us the opportunity to educate
individuals
how to respond.”
about
Gallegos said SAAVI advises
people to listen with empathy
support survivors.”
The Heroes Not Victims pan-
efit Concert and Take Back
were some of the awareness events SAAVI had planned for
April before having to cancel due to the COVID-19 pansee “SAAVI” PAGE 5
WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2020
PAGE 3
STUDENT LIFE
Bored? Learn a foreign language!
@tmonson23 The streets miss me
PHOTO COURTESY OF Pexels
There are many benefits to learning a foreign language, including job opportunities and brain stimulation. By Kristian Fors STUDENT LIFE STAFF WRITER
sible to enter without a skill
of a language will allow trav-
some other languages have
language experience always
in the culture to a degree that
never thought about how
like this. In addition, foreign
Learning a foreign language
is an activity that many high
looks good on a résumé.
Despite what my high school
skills associated with lan-
about it, there are many ben-
among these is discipline. To
tongue. And, even if you
guage requires great energy
grade
concentration and intention-
schoolers view with drudgery.
There are also many soft
peers might have had to say
guage study. The most salient
efits to learning a foreign
become proficient in a lan-
had a bad time in your ninth
and hard work. It demands
should reconsider learning a
al study. Going through the
The first and most obvious
continual repetition for the
is better communication. Pro-
mediate benefits establishes
open up sectors of the world
other areas of life. If you can
all languages are created
you’ll gain confidence in your
will clearly be far less useful
anything.
Spanish
class,
you
elers to immerse themselves
would be impossible otherwise. Even if someone doesn’t
reach fluency, attempting to
to travel to places that you would never otherwise visit.
Learning a language will
benefit of learning a language
learned Swedish, a language
ficiency in a language will
a precedent for discipline in
to the learner. However, not
learn a difficult language,
equally. Mastery of Icelandic
abilities to pretty much do
unique opportunities inacces-
and foremost, the thought of
fields, like international busi-
travelers a goal and challenge
guages will be qualified for
ly for a study abroad. First
sible to many people. Some
learning a local tongue gives
ness or diplomacy, are impos-
to orient their efforts while abroad. Attaining knowledge
way
languages
are
glish is very different from
guage will give you an excuse
sake of a skill with non-im-
traveling more fun, especial-
The
Maybe even learning a lan-
foreign language.
People who learn other lan-
when they are deconstructed. structured can be wildly dif-
cultural experience in itself.
teach you more about your
than fluency in Chinese.
bizarre these idioms seem
learn the language will be a
process of memorization and
Language learning makes
similar constructions, I had
own native tongue. When I with a fairly similar construc-
tion to English, I learned so
much about the technical
ferent. The structure of En-
that of the Russian language, a language that uses many alphabetical cases and declensions. By definition, languag-
es are a different way to say the same ideas. Exposure to a
foreign language enables the
learner to develop and think differently about the world.
College is a time for learn-
components of our language.
ing and growth. It’s a time for
language that we seldom an-
selves intellectually. To go
We are so accustomed to our alyze it. I had never realized
what an infinitive verb was, what a supine tense was or how many weird idioms we have. For example, how
strange is it that we say we are “going” to do something,
or that we use “of course” to respond affirmatively. While
students to challenge themthrough university and only
take mandatory classes is a waste of a great opportunity. Our university offers intro-
ductory classes for at least seven different languages. If at all possible, put yourself
see “Language” PAGE 5
@HeyBMoon for someone who hardly ever went to the gym, i sure do miss the gym
@AriWRees Dystopian novels didn’t prepare me for the amount of DoorDash I’d be eating.
The struggle is real:
Finding structure during online class By Emily White STUDENT LIFE STAFF WRITER
Does anyone know what day
it is? I feel like I’m in a constant loop of weekends; time has be-
come meaningless. Alas, I still
have so much school work to do. And even though I have all the
time in the world, it feels like I have no time for schoolwork, and I have no one to blame but
myself. It’s time for us to finally start adjusting to these crazy
times, but how can we possibly do that? One word: structure.
It’s so important for people to
have structure, and usually, we can rely on school for that structure. But online school is a dif-
ferent kind of beast that requires
more time management and self-control. Needless to say, we
aren’t used to either of those. So what’s the first step in developing these skills?
It’s time to get to know yourself.
worked out, plan a good way to
work ethic? When do you find
out of bed in the morning? If it’s
What’s your personal style and you get the most work done? Do
you find yourself procrastinating more when you are busy or more
when you are bored? Take time to consider your work ethic and how you operate. You can still
get work done, it’s just a matter
start your day. What will get you
food, plan out a breakfast that will get you moving. Morning time is the best time for medi-
tation and yoga, so if that’s your
jam, go for it. After that, it’s game time.
Writing a to-do list is a great
of knowing when. After you fig-
way to make sure you don’t for-
out a morning schedule.
feeling of your stomach sinking
ure yourself out, it’s time to work If you’re anything like me,
you’ve officially sunk into a comfortable schedule of sleeping in
late. This is a huge enemy to pro-
ductivity, but you need to make
sure you get your eight hours of sleep in, so set a bedtime for yourself. For example, Go to bed
at midnight and wake up at 8 a.m. Wake up at the same time every day so your body gets used
to your new circadian rhythm. After you’ve got your body clock
get anything. We all know that to the center of the Earth when you realize you’ve forgotten to
do an assignment. Usually, it’s too late to do it, so you just take the L. Well, to-do lists are a great
solution to that. Even though it
can be a little bit overwhelm-
ing to write out the millions of homework
assignments
and
lectures that you have to do, it’s worth it.
As a side note, making priorities
on your to-do lists is an excellent
PHOTO COURTESY OF Pexels
way to improve your focus and
that without a to-do list. I’m
thing you can do for yourself is to
done first. If that’s not how you
Caves, a walk around Logan,
aid your productivity rather than
get the most important things
roll, you can put the easiest things first! Remember, it’s all
about how you operate, so tailor your lists to your needs.
Work in time for fun things
during your day. No, I’m not talking about Netflix time. We both know you’ll find time for
talking about a hike to the Wind FaceTime with a friend or relative or doing a new puzzle. The
options are endless. You could
even take up baking or cooking! Scheduling these breaks in between mundane tasks can help
motivate you big time. Times are tough right now, but the best
get a solid routine going that will give in to your Achilles’ heel.
—emily.white@aggiemail.usu.edu
PAGE 4
WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2020
SPORTS
Record Breakers: Part 2 Detailing what went into USU gymnastics’ best season in 20 years up a pair of titles on beam and floor, and Utah
By Dalton Renshaw SPORTS CONTENT MANAGER
State completed a perfect home season for the first time in 41 years.
The warmup prior to Utah State gymnastics’
After the win against BYU — what ended up
meet against Air Force didn’t fill head coach
being the last meet of the season — the belief
Amy Smith or her staff with confidence that
really started to take hold in the players.
the team would go out and perform up to the
“You could just see in our team meeting that
level she knew they could. According to her,
we had. After that meet, talking about going
it was bad.
into Utah and talking about going into the
“I mean, Amanda, Eric and I were looking
conference championship,” Smith said, “you
at each other going, ‘Oh my gosh, what are
could see the belief in their eyes, and the con-
we going to get today’,” said Smith. “I just
fidence in their eyes that it finally just really,
stopped them after warmups and was like
really clicked and like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re re-
guys like, ‘what are we doing? Like, you’ve got
ally good.’”
two choices: we can continue down this path,
The trip to meet the Falcons also kicked off
or you can go put your leotards on and come
the team’s reign as the best beam unit in the
out and let’s handle some business.’”
MRGC. Freshman Sofi Sullivan set the school
The team took the latter path.
record on beam with a score of 9.975 against
Utah State dominated the Air Force Fal-
Air Force in the third meet of her college ca-
cons, posting a 195.550-192.375 win on the
reer. She and DeHarde were integral to the Ag-
road that would set the tempo for weeks to
gies getting to as high as No. 19 in the nation
come. Prior to that, the opening two weeks
in that discipline. By season’s end, DeHarde
for the Aggies were not necessarily pleasant.
set the school record with 12 career beam ti-
The team battled two top-five schools — Utah
tles as well as earning MRGC Gymnast of the
and UCLA — and four top-25 programs across
Year and Sullivan picked up the conference’s
two meets, winning none of them. However, a
Freshman of the Year honor.
shift in focus got the group on the right track,
“I think our mindsets are just different this
and the Aggies went on a nine-game tear in
year. I think we really wanted it,” DeHarde
which they lost just once.
That shift — according to multiple players
said. “Unfortunately, our season had to be cut
and Smith — might have resonated as they
PHOTO COURTESY of Wade Denniston/USU Athletics Junior Autumn Deharde set the school record with 12 beam titles in her career this season against No. 17 BYU.
was really formed before the season started.
taste of that at Air Force,” but there was still a
were taking the floor against Air Force, but
Utah State’s program had been moderately
successful for the past 10-20 years, though it
never reached the heights that it could have. But 2020 was the first winning season in 21
years for Utah State gymnastics — a culmination of three years of work by Smith and her
staff that included convincing the players just how good they could be.
“It was a big culture shift this year,” Smith
said. “It takes everybody collectively getting
on board and believing in the process and all of that, and they really did.”
It’s one thing just to think that the team’s
good, but it’s a completely different and more
challenging task to prove that it is. Although USU was headed on the right track, its belief
in how high the ceiling could be was still a
lot of work to be done.
The following week after beating Air Force,
the team dropped its last meet of the sea-
son — a loss by less than a point against No.
23 Southern Utah. From then on, the Aggies racked up three wins against ranked opponents and a win against every member of the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference.
It’s cliche to say things like ‘competition is
the greatest motivator.’ But often, the sentiment ends up manifesting itself into reality.
Senior Brittany Jeppesen noticed that the
coaches made an effort to shake up the lineups before every match early in the season,
which ended up being one of the tools the team used to push past its previous plateaus.
slow build. As Smith put it, “They got a little
“Every single day, the girls were in there
working their butts off, like it was basically
a competition in the gym almost every day because we never knew who was going to be
put up in lineups,” Jeppesen said. “I think that
made the biggest difference just this season, and I also feel like the whole attitude shift and the leadership I feel I like has been better this year.”
At Boise State, the group put up a score of
196.800 — the second-highest in program history. On the same night, they also set the
school record on the beam with a score of 49.575. Two weeks later, Utah State hosted
No. 17 BYU on senior night and put up anoth-
er incredible performance. Jeppesen earned a
share of the title on bars and set a career-high 9.900, a score she had been looking for her
whole career. Junior Autumn DeHarde picked
short, but we really wanted to make regionals this year. And that was our goal, and we were set to do that.”
The way the season ended was no doubt
challenging for everyone involved. However, 2020 was a positive step forward for the pro-
gram. And while the team will lose two of its best athletes and leaders in Jeppesen and Elle
Golison, Smith is focused on improving an al-
ready great group of women that come back for 2021.
“Looking ahead I do get very excited,” she
said. “I believe we’re losing those three routines and I think we’re gaining 12 or 13 routines — not athletes — within five athletes. So looking at the numbers, I’m not a numbers
person, but we should be incredibly stronger
than what we were this year across the board.” — sports@usustatesman.com @dren_sports
Steph Gorman won’t return to play at USU State,
By Jason Walker SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
Less than a week after Utah
State’s women’s basketball
program turned over a new
leaf by hiring head coach Kayla Ard on March 24, the
process of rebuilding could be taking a new hit.
Steph Gorman, the minutes
leader for USU this past sea-
son, has reportedly entered the transfer portal. The Aggies ended 2019-2020 with
an 8-23 overall record in-
cluding its worst conference
record since the program’s reinstatement in 2003.
The Twitter account “NCAA
WBB
Transfer
NCAAWBBT)
List”
tweeted
(@ on
March 27 that Gorman is in the portal. The Utah States-
man later confirmed Gorman will not return to play in Lo-
gan next year, and she has already been removed from the 2020-21 roster on the official athletics website.
Gorman
averaged
8.7 points per game, 2.8
In two seasons with Utah
rebounds and 2.5 assists
in 31.2 minutes per game. Gorman led the Aggies in
minutes during the 2019-20
campaign, playing 35.6 per night in 30 starts. She fin-
ished third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game, while leading them
in assists (2.8 per game) and steals (2.0) along with 3-pointers made (68) and attempted (210).
Utah State will dearly miss
Gorman’s experience on the floor as next year’s team was already going to desperately
lack players with Division I
minutes. Just three returning Aggies can boast career min-
utes totals north of 400 with 10 projected members of
next year’s team having few-
er than 200, including five
freshmen. And looking at the
Steph Gorman takes a moment to pause in Utah State’s game against San Diego State on March 1.
of court time — senior Em-
Franson — their combined
three players with some level
Brantley and junior Taylor
rebounds. As of now, none
mie Harris, sophomore Faith
career per game average is
will be filled by a player who
2.3 points, 0.9 assists and 1.9
of the projected roster spots
has averaged more than four
points per game in a Division I basketball season.
PHOTO BY Iain Laurence
— jasonswalker94@gmail.
com
@thejwalk67
WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2020 “Timeline” FROM PAGE 1 Tuesday, March 24, 9:46
for COVID-19 in nine of the state’s 13 health districts.
p.m.
Saturday, March 14, 1:24
ceremony rescheduled to
Classes moved online
USU commencement
p.m.
August
By Camille Nelson
By Taylor Cripe
Utah State University
Starting Wednesday, all
academic courses held at
PAGE 5 Aggie Marketplace were all
part of Danielle Weinerman’s everyday life.
Fears of catching or spread-
ing a virus and warnings to avoid large crowds didn’t
stop her from an afternoon visit to the Marketplace.
“It definitely feels emptier
announced Monday com-
Utah State University will be
than normal,” Weinerman
on Aug. 28-29, providing
will be canceled until then.
about half full, which an
mencement would be held circumstances allow.
moved online, and classes
This change is in response
said. The Marketplace was employee said is “pretty stan-
and following their example, that help us feel
like we can all get through this by helping
the community.
each other.”
to perform and put Utah State on the map,”
back to the community they love, it has also
Utah State did a lot for him. I think it was a
to Spencer.
had.”
valley that don’t even know we exist and nev-
Pauni families set would spread through the
is kind of opening up marketing for us, open-
“This is where he met his wife. He was able
Not only did the service help the Paunis give
Pauni said. “He did a lot for Utah State, and
given the business some exposure, according
connection and a good relationship that they
“There’s actually a lot of people here in the
Bryner hoped the example the Fackrell and
community of Logan.
“It makes our hearts and minds feel more
er tried our food before,” he said, “and so this ing the eyes of the valley to letting them know that we’re here.”
USU previously said com-
to the coronavirus pandemic.
place at the end of April as
ulty and staff, USU President
living in the Living Learning
primary objective is to
diet revolves around her
“Onward” FROM PAGE 1
“hasn’t figured out” what
different ways than expected. “Onward” does
tion to detail in the intricacies and subtleties
It is worth noting much of what makes this
make the film an emotional rollercoaster, and,
mencement would not take
In a letter to all students, fac-
originally planned.
Noelle Cockett said, “USU’s
senior Tarren Jessop said.
protect the health and safety
to stress we will only get this
throughout the state.”
in slowing the spread of the
dents have many emotions
“I am over the moon,”
“But I do feel it’s important
of our campus communities
chance if we all do our part
Throughout campus, stu-
dard” for a Friday at 3 p.m.
“Fackrell” FROM PAGE 1
Weinerman is a freshman
at ease, knowing we have their family in our community,” she said. “It’s people like them,
Community on campus. Her campus meal plan, and she
—jacob.nielson12@yahoo.com @jacobnielson12
the surface level, but it’s very similar to any
other buddy adventure movie. It’s the atten-
not stray from this format.
of a nearly perfect sibling relationship that
movie so meaningful is the relatability. I have
quite honestly, a flawless movie.
isn’t too far, but I haven’t
our dynamic and personalities are very similar
to anyone looking for an easy, lighthearted
said.
example, in one early scene, Barley drives his
sweet, it’s got adventure and it’s uncomplicatuncertain, “Onward” is the perfect escape.
she’ll do if USU Dining Ser-
vices closes their operations. “I can go grocery shopping
Overall, I would recommend “Onward”
virus.”
about the cancelation of
and home (Pleasant Grove)
a younger sister who I am very close with, and
survey sent around social
campus.
really thought about it,” she
to the movie’s portrayal of Ian and Barley. For
watch. It’s full of laughs, it’s nostalgic, it’s
their input on whether they’d
Friday, March 13, 12:03
USU Dining Services direc-
run-down van up to Ian’s school, creating cha-
ed. In a time where everything is scary and
and how far in advance they
Campus starts to empty out
immediately return a request
My sister and I have lived through that exact
services locations — which
siblings have. “Onward” is a great movie on
Jessop orchestrated a
media to seniors seeking
classes and the shutdown of
like a postponed graduation
p.m.
tor Alan Anderson did not
os and embarrassment for Ian and his friends.
would be willing to return to
By Alison Berg
for comment, but dining
situation countless times, as I’m sure many
Logan.
While some were excited
It’s 12:03 p.m. on Friday. As the sun beats down
about the date change, oth-
and a slight breeze stirs the
“I most likely will not be
students stand on the Utah
ers did not receive it as well.
54-degree March day, four
here, and I probably won’t
State University quad passing
make the trip to attend
around a football.
said.
six campus buildings and,
ment is still there.
the weather climbs above
not getting to celebrate with
students studying, playing
planned,” Kaylyn Patenaude
joying the sun — especially
later,” senior Kimmie Stewart
The quad sits between
For others the disappoint-
on days like Friday where
“The date change means
45 degrees, is packed with
include all campus cafes,
dining halls and concession
stands — were open during normal business hours Monday.
Additionally, USU emailed
all students Monday ask-
ing on-campus residents to “return to their permanent homes,” and alerting stu-
dents the Aggie Recreation
games, socializing and en-
said. “I don’t have closure in
around noon.
Wednesday, March 11, 2:49
not even sure I can come
telling students all campus
USU cancels in-person
this season of my life. I am
also be planning graduation in September. More details
a normally crowded campus
announced Tuesday after-
coming weeks.
shrank to sparse groups of
occurring after Thursday
Wednesday, March 18, 3:05
the 450-acre campus.
First two COVID-19
and Sarah Flint sat at a table
County
food court. On another Fri-
tential COVID-19 outbreak,
will be announced in the
of at least 20,000 students
p.m.
students spread out through Emily Harris, Renae Curtis
confirmed cases in Cache
in the TSC Hub — USU’s
By Alison Berg
day at this time, one would
partment has announced two
spot.
in Cache County.
friends sat at a table with no
years old and did not need
them.
River Health Department
Harris, a sophomore study-
Budge also said the cases
“The virus thing feels like a
The Bear River Health De-
confirmed cases of COVID-19 Both patients are above 60
hospitalization, said Bear
be hard-pressed to find a
But on this day, the three
one in a 20-foot vicinity of “It doesn’t feel real,” said
spokeswoman Holly Budge.
ing elementary education.
were travel related.
fever dream. It doesn’t feel
“Please continue to practice
social distancing, that’s the
way we’re going to slow the
real.”
The three students were
among the few on campus
spread,” she added.
Friday after the series of
a day after the department
While campus was noticeably
Box Elder County.
tinued their daily routines —
This announcement comes
coronavirus announcements.
reported a confirmed case in
emptier, many students con-
According to the Utah
Department of Health, 53
Utahns have tested positive
—kfors@gmail.com
is essentially enough information on the in-
By Alison Berg
Utah State University
noon all university events
2
will be canceled until April
8. University faculty are also encouraged to “transition to
online course delivery if nec-
essary and should create contingency plans to teach their classes remotely,” according
to an email sent to USU fac-
ulty and staff members from President Noelle Cockett.
Additionally, all university
travel between Thursday through April 8 must be
cancelled. The email made
no mention of study abroad programs.
Cockett also encouraged
university personnel to
follow “best practices to
prevent the spread of disease and to stay home if you are
sick, even if your symptoms are mild.”
hot chocolate at the Quad-
side Cafe and dining at the
the opportunity to educate
said.
“We will be posting every
violence on our campus,” she
week day throughout the
In lieu of in-person gather-
ries and resources,” she said.
behaviors that are considered
ings and events, Gallegos said
duct policy, how to practice
ness through their social me-
consent and how we can all
want.
Homework at the library,
play a part in ending sexual
a violation of student miscon-
to incredible amounts of information. There
out conversational in it, or any language you
minus attending classes.
demic.
the campus community about
quarantine time. We live in a time with access
if you dedicate enough time, you can come
coronavirus outbreak.
“SAAVI” FROM PAGE 2 “It also gives the university
occupy your time with during your COVID-19
quarantine conversational in Afrikaans, but
events due to potential
be moved online due to a po-
events for the first two weeks
a language now, it will give you something to
guage you want. Maybe you didn’t go into
p.m.
back for graduation.”
canceled, and classes would
As an added bonus, if you started studying
ternet that you can reach fluency in any lan-
be closed beginning Tuesday.
events until April 8 would be
Statewide campuses will
out there and go sign up for one in the fall!
@maggiemattinson
Center and Fieldhouse will
my family like I already
But after a series of emails
“Language” FROM PAGE 3
—mlmattinson@gmail.com
SAAVI will still raise awaredia accounts, @USUSAAVI.
(your brain) 2 It’s science. Read more, get smart. usustatesman.com
month including videos, sto-
—karcinrose@gmail.com @harriskarcin
UtahStatesman web print
smart
PAGE 6
WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2020
OPINION
GRAPHIC BY Keith Wilson
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those held by the graphic designer.
Six silver linings during the time of coronavirus By Sam Paepke OPINION COLUMNIST
learn and stay positive during
you feel more grateful next
that are quarantined, connect-
grocery store employees, and
two apps are particularly pop-
linings I’ve found in trying to
have told me six months ago
chat, phone calls, texts, social
ing our society healthy.
to simplicity and low cost: Rob-
this time. Here are six silver
Editor’s note: The following
column was pared down for the
make the most of this situation.
print version of the newspaper.
Renewed gratitude
the Statseman’s website.
Picture this: It’s Saturday.
In this period of uncertain-
friends, eat out at your favorite
To view all six silver linings, visit
ty and turmoil regarding
COVID-19, there are plenty of articles addressing the risks, precautions and negative
effects of the virus. The number of worldwide cases has
reached nearly 1.3 million with a majority of the world’s countries now affected. There are, however, still opportunities to
You gather with 10 or more
time you can go? If you would that I wouldn’t be able to plan a night like this, I would’ve
thought it was crazy. Now, I
look forward to when we can
gather and participate in these activities.
restaurant and catch a movie
Technology and processes
night, you hug your friends
ever
afterward. At the end of the
goodbye. Sunday you have the
are more sophisticated than
option to attend religious ser-
If there were a “good time” to
attend classes in-person, hit
would probably be it. Consider
vices. Monday comes, and you the gym, and finish the night
at the skating rink — are you
excited to do that again? Will
live through a pandemic, this the technology available to
us. For all of us who are social distancing, and even people
ing is possible through video media, etc. If this pandemic
anyone playing a part in keep-
were to occur as much as
Learn about investing
options would be unavailable
In terms of world finances and
medical technology is also
has obviously had a devastat-
20 years ago, many of these
or, at least, less accessible. Our more advanced, and testing
as well as symptom-treating drugs are available, with a
vaccine hopefully on the way..
Even our distribution channels (i.e. grocery stores, online
shopping) are better prepared
for social distancing with many already offering pickup and
home delivery. God bless our
doctors, nurses, medical staff,
the economy, the coronavirus
ing effect. However, there is a
silver lining, especially for college students: there’s a lower
cost-barrier for investments. By
investing, you can benefit yourself and society at the same
time. And now, many sections of the market are facing de-
creased value and prices. If you are looking to begin investing
ular among new investors due inhood and Stash. Even if you aren’t looking to make money
on an investment now, there is educational value in watching the market and how it reacts to world events and societal
perception. For example, even though the market as a whole has shown decreasing value,
some stocks are increasing in
value, such as Clorox, COSTCO and Zoom.
Sam Paepke is a USU business student.
and don’t know where to start,
Venezuelan crisis: Another opportunity for U.S. imperialism By Taelor Candiloro OPINION COLUMNIST
cently announced that Venezu-
elan President Nicolás Maduro is wanted in the U.S. on counts narcoterrorism,
laundering
and
cutting Maduro’s legitimacy
countries came together last
sioner for Human Rights Navi
shift to a sustainable Vene-
after calls from Venezuela’s
his collaborators.” However,
ican Treaty of Reciprocal Assis-
the failure to close Guantana-
I believe that our efforts to
intervention happened only
The Trump administration re-
of
a re-election — international
money
corruption.
These accusations come in the
wake of increased sanctions on the Venezuelan government to pressure the removal of
Maduro from office. However
necessary these actions, the
United States’ politicization of the Venezuelan crisis serves as a crude example of U.S. global imperialism.
Since his election in 2018,
Maduro has enjoyed an in-
famous reputation at home and abroad. While the elec-
tion results were considered illegitimate — many Venezu-
elans protested for Maduro
to step down in order to hold
U.S.-friendly opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
When Maduro took office, he
took control of the National Assembly — previously headed
by Guaidó. Since being pushed out of office, Guaidó has con-
ducted international tours to
gain traction for his campaign to unseat Maduro as interim president but is fully aware
that his largest obstacle is the unyielding loyalty of Venezuelan military officials. Incentiv-
izing high-ranking officers to reassess their loyalties is considered by many to be the key
and eroding the cohesion of
shortly after these charges
were announced, the U.S. also released a plan to instate a temporary “Council of State” that would act as a transi-
tional government capable of holding a free election. While
mirroring a plan released by
Times identified as “under-
Venezuelan officials entry, the
questionable control the U.S.
exercises over UN movements should raise concerns.
The United States is current-
than $10 billion in 2017,
and Guaidó to relinquish their
claims to leadership. The plan did not prevent Guaidó from running for office, and Maduro, predictably, rejected it.
Increased sanctions on Ven-
to isolate the Maduro regime
Camilleri of the Los Angeles
act economic sanctions or bar
tionally calls for both Maduro
United States’ approach addi-
$15 million reward for insider steps toward what Michael
a number of countries to en-
ly the largest financial donor
ezuela in the last year have
information were considered
tance (TIAR), which allowed
Guaidó shortly before, the
to unseating the autocrat.
Narcoterrorism charges and a
year to invoke the Inter-Amer-
made clear the U.S.’ intentions but also highlight the fog of im-
perialism that still lingers over
our political framework. While
participating United Nations
to the UN, “contributing more roughly one fifth of the body’s
collective budget,” according to a 2019 report by the Coun-
cil on Foreign Affairs. While the
U.S.
disproportionately
funds an organization built as an international check on global leadership, it has held
a unique impunity for human
Pillay went so far as to call mo Bay – the detention cen-
ter used by the U.S. during its “so-called ‘global war on
terror’” – a “clear breach of
international law.” Despite the density of academic literature concerning human rights vio-
lations committed within the confines of the prison, the U.S. government
has
continued
to hold detainees indefinitely
and without the hope of due
process, a practice the deputy
director of the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch, Laura
Pitter, said “poses a far greater security threat to the US than the release of any one detainee.”
This hypocrisy does not di-
rights abuses while simultane-
minish the egregious nature of
ing the same.
that the U.S. has joined with
ously criticizing others for doFormer U.N. High Commis-
the Maduro regime. I’m glad
other countries to support a
zuelan democracy. However, lead this movement can only
appear less formidable in the
wake of long-standing rights violations committed by the United States itself. Lack of accountability may be due to the excessive influence the
U.S. wields on the internation-
al stage — an influence that
may be waning in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic — and should be considered as we attempt to move forward
in securing just governments in other nations. Perhaps we should concern ourselves with restructuring our own ac-
countability measures before policing others.
Taelor Candiloro is an under-
graduate transfer to the Anthropology department at USU.
WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2020
PAGE 7
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WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2020
