Week of May 26, 2020 www.usustatesman.com (435) 797-1742 TSC Room 118 Free single copy NEWS | Are you a hoarder?
LIFESTYLES | A never-ending story
SPORTS | New recruits
The USU pyschology department is studying how to help those who face hoarding problems.
You might like reading books, but have you ever tried viewing your life as a novel?
USU men’s basketball team announced two new recruits from Europe during the past week. Who are they?
see PAGE 3
see PAGE 2
see PAGE 4
THE DIFFERENCE MAKER Why Neemias Queta’s return is important for USU men’s basketball
Some push for removal of Logan officer involved in McCluskey case By Taylor Cripe NEWS CONTENT MANAGER
Some Utah State Universi-
ty students and alumni have
started a Twitter campaign calling for the removal of a Logan police officer who handled the case of mur-
McCluskey
dered University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey after al-
legations arose that he may have shown off explicit photos of McCluskey to a co-worker.
McCluskey, a senior track athlete at the U., was murdered
by her ex-boyfriend in October 2018. Before her death, she
reached out to University of Utah police for help. As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, McCluskey explained to Officer Mi-
guel Deras that she was being blackmailed for compromising
photos taken of herself. After she sent the photos to campus police for evidence, Deras allegedly showed off the photos to
an unnamed male co-worker and bragged he could look at them whenever he wanted.
Deras resigned from the U. and started working for the Lo-
gan Police Department in September 2019.
One of the people responsible for starting the Twitter cam-
paign is Paulina Rivera-Soto, recent political science graduGRAPHIC BY Dalton Renshaw USU men’s basketball center Neemias Queta announced he will be returning for the 2020-21 season. What does that mean for USU men’s basketball? By Jacob Nielson SPORTS WRITER
Well over a month after the suspension
of all athletic activities, there wasn’t
much to be excited about in the world of sports. That was until a three-word
message from Neemias Queta was sent
on Twitter, sending shock waves across Cache Valley and beyond: “I’m back… again.”
Utah State men’s basketball center
Neemias Queta made the decision to
forgo the NBA draft (again) and come
back for his third season at Utah State. Queta told USU play-by-play announcer Scotty Gerrard in a recent interview, “It just wasn’t the right timing to go and I
just felt like I really had a really good
gonna be scary for some teams that we
proving…I just felt that we had probably
The Neem and Bean Machine had the
opportunity to stay here and keep im-
play against.”
the same amount of chances as we had
fourth and fifth best defensive ratings
So, what does Queta’s return mean for
past season — Bean at 24.6 and Queta
last year to win another championship.”
Utah State basketball in the 2020-21 season?
“His abilities on the court are so valu-
able and it’s gonna elevate our team so
much and it’s gonna be so good to have him back,” said junior guard Brock Miller.
Junior forward Justin Bean, shared a
similar sentiment.
“My right-hand man is coming back,”
he said. “I think that being able to have
him alongside me in the frontcourt is
in the Mountain West conference this at 23.3 — which helped the Aggies earn
a 94.6 defensive efficiency rating as a
team. That rating was No. 2 in the conference and No. 48 in the nation.
Queta has been a near immovable
force defensively. The seven-foot center earned Mountain West defensive player
of the year his freshman year, and this past year led the league in blocking per-
centage at 7.79%. His seven-foot-four
wingspan limits the space that opposing see “Queta” PAGE 5
Aggiethon organizer wins national leadership award peer fundraising, raise money
By Karcin Harris NEWS SENIOR WRITER
for our local Children’s Mira-
A Utah State University
graduate was one of 25 stu-
dents nationwide awarded the 2020 Miracle Network Dance
Marathon
Distin-
guished Leadership Award on April 30.
Jenna Stoker, who recently
graduated USU with degrees
in dietetics and human move-
ment science, received the award for her work on the Aggiethon Dance Marathon.
The Aggiethon is a stu-
dent-led
event
that
part-
ners with Children’s Miracle
Network Hospitals to raise awareness of childhood illPHOTO COURTESY OF Utah State Today Jenna Stoker, a recnet USU grad, recieved recognition for her work on the Aggiethon.
ness and injury.
“Students, through peer to
cle Network hospital, Primary Children’s Hospital,” Stoker
said. “Each year we have a culminating event to show
our support for the Miracle
kids from the hospital and to celebrate all that has been
fundraised by the students.
This event includes dancing, activities, stories from Miracle kiddos and their fami-
lies, performances, food and more.”
Stoker
has
three
nieces
who are regularly treated at
Primary Children’s and said she’s seen the positive impact the hospital has on children.
Stoker said she was “super see “Aggiethon” PAGE 5
ate and former USU Student Association Student Advocate
vice president. She said she believes in second chances but “not when the safety of others is involved.”
“I’m not saying the public should play judge, we have laws
and a system,” Rivera-Soto said. “However, with what we
know, how can you ask women, especially when Logan is a college town, to feel safe if that’s the kind of example set?”
Rivera-Soto, along with fellow USU political science gradu-
ate Logan Loftus, has been urging people on Twitter to con-
tact Mayor Holly Daines and Chief Gary Jensen to ask that Deras be removed from law enforcement.
“The city of Logan deserves better than him,” Loftus said.
“The fact that he was hired after such a controversial case is discouraging.”
When the news broke about the allegations against Deras,
the Logan Police Department released a statement saying
they were unaware of the situation but were launching an
internal investigation. On Monday morning, after receiving multiple phone calls and emails, Jensen released another statement urging the public to “remember they are allegations.”
“Reportedly, through the investigation of the University of
Utah, there was no evidence to substantiate any part of the
claim,” Jensen said in the press release. “We intend to reach out to the Tribune to seek opportunity to speak to their unnamed source for further clarification and information.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Rivera-Soto said after reading Jensen’s
statement. “It’s already hard enough for victims to come for-
ward and the message that is being sent is they will not be taken seriously. It’s victim blaming at its core.”
Jensen received heavy criticism for his decision to hire
Deras in September. At the time, he called Deras “a quality young man.”
Loftus said she wished Jensen had listened to concerns
about Deras when they considered hiring him in the fall.
“Miguel Deras should not have been hired in the first place
and should be removed from the force immediately,” she said.
It should be noted that the University of Utah was aware
Deras had McCluskey’s photos and showed them to another officer. However, according to Christopher Nelson, the U.’s
communications director, the question is whether he showed
the other officer as part of an investigation or if he did it with lewd intent.
On Monday evening, Chief Rodney Chatman of the Univer-
sity of Utah police also issued a statement and said the U. was opening an outside investigation into the incident with Deras.
— taylorcripe@gmail.com @cripe_taylor
PAGE 2
WEEK OF MAY 26, 2020
NEWS
Have a hoarding problem? The USU pyschology department wants to help ence, we can get good help to people with hoarding problems who might not otherwise have access,” she said. “Also, while
we know skills like mindfulness and acceptance are helpful for mental health in general, they haven’t been tested for hoarding very much, so we want to see if this is a useful set of skills to teach for hoarding specifically.”
Michael Levin, Ph.D., one of the leaders of the ACT Research
Group, said the website used in the study is a version of a
website the group used in fall 2019. He said the new program is called Making Space.
“This website will walk people through a set of skills to learn
new ways of responding to their thoughts and feelings, including those related to their possessions,” he said. “They will
learn how to get unstuck from unhelpful struggles with their
thoughts and feelings, how to notice their thoughts as just thoughts, and how to open up to difficult emotions.”
Levin said he hopes people will use the website to receive
therapy at their own pace, whenever and wherever they want. “If we find the program is helpful in the ways we are expect-
ing, we will continue to offer it to the public as part of our suite of ACT Guide self-help programs,” he said. “Especially with all
of the challenges with the pandemic, it’s really important to find new ways to help people cope and learn how to improve STATESMAN FILE PHOTO The USU Department of Psychology, which is housed in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, is studying how to help those with hoarding problems.
something will be wasteful or a mistake. She said about 1.5 to
By Karcin Harris NEWS SENIOR WRITER
six percent of people meet criteria for hoarding disorder.
Utah State University’s Department of Psychology is conduct-
ing a study to determine if a self-help website could help people with hoarding disorder.
Doctoral student researcher Jennifer Krafft said the Accep-
tance and Commitment Therapy Research Group started tak-
ing participants in February 2020 and will continue accepting participants until they wrap up in the fall.
According to Krafft, the study is open to anyone in the United
States who shows hoarding symptoms.
Krafft described hoarding problems as rigid ways of think-
ing about belongings, like buying into worries that discarding
“People with hoarding problems have lower quality of life
and it can really affect their physical and mental health,” she said. “And despite how common and serious it is, we don’t know that much about how to treat hoarding.”
Krafft said the goal of the study is to find a short-term, effi-
cient way to help people live more meaningful and healthy lives. Normally, treatment can take 20 weeks, but the website
is supposed to only take eight. The website teaches a series of psychological skills, including mindfulness, acceptance of emotions and connecting with personal values to help people with hoarding problems overcome barriers.
“If using a self-help website for eight weeks makes a differ-
their mental health.”
Krafft added that one reason her group wanted to study this
disorder was because of the stigma around hoarding.
“Much of what people know about hoarding in the general
public is based on reality TV portrayals, which play to the ex-
tremes,” she said. “That can make it really hard for people to get help, because just acknowledging having a hoarding problem can feel very painful or embarrassing.”
The website, Krafft said, has resources to help people navi-
gate self-judgement and shame without letting it control them.
“I’d also encourage people to be aware that hoarding disorder
is a mental health problem like any other,” she said. “Having compassion and understanding is really essential.” —karcinrose@gmail.com @harriskarcin
University to distribute over $8 million to students in need “50 percent of the amount
By Karcin Harris NEWS SENIOR WRITER
that USU received is des-
Utah State University is
distributing through
an
funds
raised
emergency
grant for eligible students this week.
The federal Coronavirus
Aid, Relief and Econom-
ic Security (CARES) Act
granted USU $17,428,745. Approximately
half
that
amount, $8.7 million, will be going toward students who qualify under eligibility guidelines.
“We know many students
faced unanticipated costs associated with the pan-
demic this last semester,
and many are struggling right now trying to make ends meet,” said USU President Noelle Cockett. “We’re distributing
CARES
Act
funds in a way to help those who need it the most, while
also providing other ways
for students to access help.” Director of crisis communi-
cations and issues manage-
ment Amanda DeRito, said the CARES Act allocated
and distributed funds for each university depending on the number of students and student needs.
ignated to go directly to
students,” she said. “The
purpose is to help students whose lives were disrupted. Specifically, those who are
facing financial challenges.” DeRito said some of the
remaining 50 percent of the emergency grant will go toward the university’s un-
anticipated expenses. These expenses include over $2
million in refunds on hous-
ing, meal plans and parking for students after they left campus.
A portion of the remaining
funds is also being reserved for the summer and fall semesters.
USU administrators explain how emergency funding from the CARES act will be distributed to students in a video released by the university.
probably
of having to buy addition-
student. Students with a
eligible to receive emergen-
the next few semesters,”
classes,” she said, “or if a
According to USU’s press
DeRito said the emphasis
“Students
will
have some needs going into DeRito said. “We’re not over the pandemic quite yet, so we wanted to make sure we could continue to help stu-
dents until we are free of
al technology for online
an airline ticket on short
the number of credits a stu-
cation.
notice.”
DeRito said the amount
amount of aid a USU stureceive
from $500 to $800.
ranges
“That’s enough to make
an impact if a student has faced unanticipated costs
asking them to fill out in-
is to make sure students can
financial need. After fac-
can
emergency funding will re-
release, eligibility consider-
and needed to suddenly buy
it.”
dent
cy funding.
student had to return home
of
According to DeRito,the
greater need are prioritized.
funding
students
can
receive depends on their toring in the cost of tuition,
fees, room and board and looking
at
contributions
from family and federal aid,
an index is created for each
ations for the grant include dent took Spring of 2020,
Students who qualify for
continue their college edu-
“The worst scenario would
ceive an email this week
formation needed to receive their aid.
Students who do not qual-
and information from their
be students cannot contin-
ify for the CARES act, but
er, international, undocu-
whole life,” she said. “If
tance, can apply to the USU
2019-2020 FAFSA. Howevmented and non-matricu-
lated students are excluded from receiving funds. Students enrolled exclusively
in online classes prior to March 13, 2020, are also in-
ue and this disrupts their they can’t finish college, it will affect how much they earn overall, so we really
want to make sure we keep
students on their path and help them graduate.”
still need financial assisCOVID-19 Student Emer-
gency Hardship Resources Fund.
—karcinrose@gmail.com @harriskarcin
WEEK OF MAY 26, 2020
PAGE 3
LIFESTYLES
Understanding your life as a novel
@tmonson23 I am a very strong advocate of breakfast for dinner
@LOTUS3030 “I REFUSE to download tiktok” Cool, no one is impressed by your determination to be unhappy
@taylorbybee8 But have we checked in on the Pokemon-Goers in this time of quarantine?
@GageCarling Who is Joshua and why does he have a Tree
GRAPHIC BY Sarie Jenkins
can help us understand a lot
By Kristian Fors STUDENT LIFE STAFF WRITER
about both ourselves and oth-
“The privilege of a lifetime is
to become who you truly are.” – Carl Gustav Jung
life can be conceptualized through the stories we tell ourselves.
It is revealed evidently in
Joseph Campbell’s “Hero of a Thousand Faces,” that oftentimes, the way we under-
stand human psychology as it pertains to the world around
us is through telling stories. This famous work explores the idea of a monomyth— a
psychological truth embedded deep within us relayed
over and over again— for thousands of years in the form of mythology. This narrative-centric
er people. It is for this reason
element
of
human psychology is very
useful and, if used properly,
When
something
“makes
sense” in a story, it is not ar-
bitrary. It is the subconscious putting together puzzle piec-
thinking through different possibilities,
one
outcome
will likely feel most natural or
make the most sense. There will be one character or per-
son who feels most likely to be the culprit. What does this
tell you about how your subconscious views that person?
William Ernest Henley’s fa-
es. It is the articulation of
mous poem, “Invictus,” ends
lieves, in a fluid and digest-
ter of my fate. I am the cap-
what the subconscious beible way.
An exercise I do is to create
stories in my head featuring people I know and see how
the narrative “naturally” un-
veils itself. While certainly subject to error, I find the process quite revealing. Imagine
taking a group of people and mentally putting them into a murder mystery novel. After
with the lines, “I am the mas-
tain of my soul.” In a similar vein, you are the writer of your own life and the protagonist of your novel. The choices we make affect the
plot of our lives. So, It is important we consider the novel
in terms of your character development? Where is your character going psychologically, ideologically and geographically?
What
should
they be aspiring for? What
type of friendships and romantic relationships would suit your character? What
does the ideal ending look like? But the most important question is whether or
not your character’s actions make sense within the greater sense of the novel. If you
find the answer is no when
analyzing your own behavior perhaps you should start acting like your own ideal self.
There are plenty of things
as a whole before continuing
outside of our control. Yet,
If you were a literary char-
there are certain steps one
writing.
acter, what would make sense
this does not change the fact can take, and certain “plot
directions,” that make more
In my own life, viewing my-
sense than others. Unforeseen
self as a literary character
what the ideal path forward
has given me greater clarity
life events merely change
is, just like how a ship must
adapt its movement during a storm. One of the most fa-
mous novels in history, “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy,
even incorporates the tragedy
and chaos of the world into its plot. Yet, despite the char-
acters’ lives being thrown out
of alignment repeatedly, they
always act in such a way that
has helped me immensely. It
into who I am, what I want and where I am going. It has
helped me to refine my de-
cision-making processes and has caused me to make some decisions against my immediate gratification because
they make sense in the great-
er context of the overarching story. It’s also quite fun.
Take control of your story.
“makes sense.”
Discover who you really are.
ible amount of choices and
with a new way of viewing
Life is full of an inexhaust-
options. It can be hard to
know what we want out of life so I think the fundamen-
tal question “how should I live?” is better left to the subconscious.
Doing so will provide you the world that will hopeful-
ly lead to a life ending with “happily ever after.”
—kfors@gmail.com
Not throwing away its shot: Hamilton comes to Disney Plus By Dara Lusk STUDENT LIFE STAFF WRITER
Social distancing, self-iso-
lation
and
quarantining
have fueled the popularity of online streaming services. While some films set to be
released during this time
have been postponed, some have continued on schedule
with streaming-only releases. Some have been pushed forward entirely.
In February 2020, it was
announced that the Tony Award-winning
Broadway
show “Hamilton” was being
released as a film. Before the original cast members left the show in the summer of
2016, a film crew was hired
The decision to bypass the
to film the show on stage at
2021 release date for a fif-
in New York City over the
in direct correlation to the
the Richard Rogers Theatre course of several days. The
film was set to be produced by Disney and released theatrically on Oct. 21, 2021.
In light of all that has hap-
pened, however, Lin Manuel
Miranda and Disney have decided to push forward
this date. It was announced on Tuesday, May 12 across social media the “Hamil-
teen-month sooner one is current COVID-19 pandem-
ic. Broadway has been shut
down in NYC since March 12th and as of this past week, will be until Sep-
tember 6th. Beyond this,
theatres across the US are closed so that no one is see-
ing Hamilton anytime soon, at least on stage.
The streaming release was
ton” film will be released
announced as a way to give
on July 3, 2020; just in time
enjoy theatre in these re-
for streaming on Disney+ for the most patriotic day of the year.
people opportunities to still stricting times as well as assist Disney, who is current-
PHOTO BY Travis Wise
ly losing a large amount of
through oppression would
amusement parks. Disney
times, which it certainly has
money due to their closed executive, Robert Iger, ex-
pressed on Twitter his hope that the show’s themes of
leadership, kinship and love
uplift people during these already. The
announcement
was
spread all over social me-
dia and Hamilton fans of all
ages are now eagerly awaiting July 3rd.
—dara.lusk@outlook.com @dara_marie_
PAGE 4
WEEK OF MAY 26, 2020
SPORTS
Baseball, apple pie and social distancing By Scott Froehlich SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Recently, the 30 owners in Major League Base-
ball approved a plan that would allow baseball
to return to the field by early July. During an ap-
pearance on CNN, commissioner Rob Manfred
discussed elements of the MLB’s safety proposal
and the precautions to be taken to ensure the health of the players and personnel wouldn’t be compromised.
In the 67-page document, the proposal outlined
the several measures to be taken before, during and after each game.
Among the changes to be implemented were:
1. Each team will have an extended 50-player
roster, with the number active for each game still being negotiated.
2. Players and other team personnel not partici-
pating in the game would sit in the stands, sepa-
rated by at least 6 feet, same goes for the national anthem.
3. Extensive testing (10,000 COVID-19 tests
per week, daily temperature screening, antibody
testing) of players, umpires and other staff will
be conducted, with exposed individuals isolated from the team while contact tracing. Sounds reasonable, right?
Well, there are some more interesting wrinkles
to this lofty plan.
During each game, there is to be no high-fiving,
hugging or spitting of any kind while on the field.
Although, Big League Chew is probably still okay. Base coaches won’t be allowed to approach runners or umpires, with socialization between op-
ponents also discouraged. Even throwing around the horn is prohibited!
Not only will the players be distanced on the
field, they’ll also be spread out in the clubhouses,
as well. Lockers will be spaced out six feet apart and showering after games will be banned.
With all of these rules to be put in place, just to
play 82 games, it begs the question: “Is this all worth it?”
“Nothing is risk-free in this undertaking.”
When asked how the league would address a
hypothetical situation where a player contracted coronavirus, Manfred gave a per-
plexing response. While the
person testing positive would be removed from the group
and be quarantined, players exposed to the infected player would remain eligible to
play and merely go through
contact tracing protocol, with point of care testing as a precaution.
It is understandable that
professional
organizations
want to get back to business, as the players are missing valuable games and money is
PHOTO BY AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File
being lost at every level. Ma- Wrigley Field’s marquee displays Lakeview Pantry volunteer information in Chicago. The Chicago Cubs are instituting pay cuts because of the coronavirus crisis, jor sports, including the MLB,
but there will be no furloughs through the end of June.
NBA, NHL, MLS and college
sports, stand to lose upwards $10 billion, according to Forbes magazine online.
As for the players in both MLB and the NHL,
ongoing negotiations surrounding player safety
and condensed-season formats, the return isn’t just transactional.
Many players have been vocal in their opposi-
tion to the preemptive reopening of sports, citing various reasons and concerns. Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout, called the plan to return to base-
ball this season “pretty crazy” and sees a lot of red flags.
“We want to get back as soon as we can, but
obviously it’s got to be realistic,” he said.
Not only does Trout worry about player safety,
he has his own personal life to worry about, with
he and his wife expecting their first child this summer.
“What am I going to do when she goes into
labor… quarantine for two weeks after I come back?” he asked in an interview with NBC Sports. It seems absurd to expect players to risk their
health by jumping back into the season, for multi-
ple reasons. In addition to the very real possibility that players will encounter the coronavirus, there
is a question as to whether they’ll be in game
thrillers won’t have the same intensity without
Many athletes are training at home, but work-
enth inning stretches will ring hollow, as there
shape come time for their games to begin.
outs and isolated practice can only go so far in
preparing for in-game competition. The NBA has planned to give players a 25-day period to ready
their teams, though that doesn’t make up for the
time lost training and re-building chemistry with
fans to erupt in excitement. As for baseball, sev-
will be no massive chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” or “God Bless America” to bring har-
mony to each outing — even if that harmony is slightly out of tune.
There is no doubt that sports are the ultimate
teammates. Injuries, performance and health are
unifier in times of crisis, when people are search-
affect a condensed season.
bond. After the attacks on Sep. 11 in 2001, Amer-
all at stake and any, or all, of these factors will
And what about the fans? Pro sports live and
die at the hands of viewers, both in the stands
and on TV. If and when each league resumes their seasons, the absence of cheering sections in the stands will be devastating, to both the mo-
mentum of each game and the collective spirit of competition amongst rivals. How will the home team have an advantage, if there are no people
in the arena to lift them up or tear the opposing team down?
This void will undoubtedly be exploited in the
NBA and NHL, as a return to the season will
thrust certain teams into the playoffs right away. Game-winning free throws or triple-overtime
ing for a distraction or are in need of a common ica rallied around the New York Yankees during
the remainder of the season, reminding fans that
it is okay to enjoy “America’s Pastime” in the face of tragedy. Unfortunately, this time around, the country would be best suited to put sports in order to show solidarity in the midst of a ravaging pandemic.
So, in the meantime, everyone should enjoy
the overwhelming catalog of classic games being aired online and on TV, keeping in mind that we are all in this together.
— swfroehlich@gmail.com @froehlich_scott
USU men’s hoops adds two European recruits classroom,” said USU head coach Craig Smith in
statistical outliers as he played fewer minutes in
and possesses great skill, physicality, and has a
his 30.0 average in the other six games). If you
a press release. “Szymon is 6-11 and 240 pounds,
high IQ for the game. He has played at an extremely high level, representing the Polish Na-
tional team. He has also been very well coached
tough, gritty, highly skilled and has a very good
Stanford, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Maryland.
“It was a very difficult decision; a lot of great
colleges contacted me,” Zapala told 247Sports.
“In the end I chose Utah State because I can see a bright future over there.”
On the same day Utah State received a com-
mitment from one center, the 6-foot-11 Szymon
Zapala, the Aggies wound up losing a stateside recruit in 6-foot-9 center Nigel John.
One day later, Utah State head coach Craig
Smith added another European prospect, this time a 6-foot-4 shooting guard and Ukranian international, Max Shulga.
Zapala comes way of Poland — the same home-
land as current USU 7-foot-2 Aggie center Kuba Karwowski — and tips the scales at a sturdy 240 pounds to fill out his near 7-foot frame. His resume includes extensive play in the U18 Europe-
and 2019-20 Division B tournaments. Prior to that, Zapala played for the U16 squad.
In his most recent play with the Polish U18
team, Zapala averaged 19.3 minutes per game and in that time scored 7.5 points with 5.1 re-
bounds — 2.5 of those being offensive boards. At the high school level, Zapala averaged 17.9
points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.1 assists,
making 58.6 percent of all his shots, 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) of his 3-point attempts and 57.7 percent of free throws)
“We are thrilled to announce Szymon will be
joining the Aggie family. Szymon has the unique
combination of being an absolute warrior on the floor and a borderline nuclear physicist in the
of the court,” said Smith in a press release. “He’s
feel for the game. Max has great passion and en-
ergy. When you combine that with his character, he will thrive at Utah State.”
Following the European Championships, Luka
Drca of Eurohopes Basketball Prospects wrote a short evaluation on Shulga who was listed as one of the top performers of Division B.
“Crafty guard who can play both on and off
“Their basketball program made a great impres-
the ball. Solid frame. Not a great athlete but sol-
with head coach Craig Smith and I feel that I can
game, moves well on the court. Tough, fearless.
sion on me,” Zapala added. “I enjoyed talking
By Jason Walker SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
“As witnessed by his numbers, Max is a versatile
pression on everyone that he is in contact with.”
According to 247Sports, who have Zapala rated
an Championships, playing in both the 2018-19
9.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
player that does a lot of things well on both ends
as a four-star recruit, he chose Utah State over
PHOTO BY The Utah Statesman
exclude those, his averages rise to 17.3 points,
in Poland. Above all, he is a tremendous person with a great attitude that leaves a positive im-
Utah State men’s head coach Craig Smith stands at the podium on his day of hire in 2018.
those games (14 and 11 respectively, down from
truly trust him.”
The addition gives Smith five centers that
now includes three seven-footers in Karwowski (7-foot-2), Neemias Queta (7-foot) and Trev-
in Dorius (7-foot), along with the beleaguered 6-foot-10 senior Klay Stall and the newest man, Zapala.
id enough. High basketball IQ, understands the Attacks the rim with both hands and finishes
through contacts. Very good using fakes, screens
and hesitations to create space. Good shooter off the catch, efficient from beyond the arc. Proper feel on the P&R, knows where his teammates are all the time.”
Utah State has been linked through rumors to
With the departure of John, Smith retains one
numerous guards who have been in the transfer
three-star center out of Texas had committed to
left by the departure of Sam Merrill, Diogo Brito
more scholarship to hand out. John, an athletic USU in November but opened his recruitment back up Tuesday.
This past year, Shulga participated in the 2019
U18 FIBA European Championships for his native Ukraine, playing in eight games during the com-
petition. He averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals.
One thing to note about his stats is that two of
those eight games, vs Ireland and Slovakia, are
portal this spring as Smith attempts to fill the void and Abel Porter. The current stable of guards Shulga will join includes Virginia transfer, Marco Anthony, who will be eligable to play after sitting out a season, along with sophomore Sean Bair-
stow and fellow incoming recruits, Rollie Worster and Steven Ashworth.
— jasonswalker94@gmail.com @thejwalk67
WEEK OF MAY 26, 2020 “Queta” FROM PAGE 1 offenses have to operate and forces opposing players to think twice before taking it to the hole.
“He’s our anchor to our defense,” said Mill-
er.
With potent scorer Sam Merrill’s gradua-
tion, the Aggies — who were already more
efficient on the defensive end than on offense
according to KenPom — will have to be even more defensive.
“We know that we’re going to be a really
good defensive team and that’s gonna be definitely our strong suit, so we just need to
continue to play to our strengths,” Bean said. But points will still need to be scored.
“Its gonna be interesting to see who can fill
in that void with Sam being gone,” Bean said. “But I definitely think our coaches have been
thinking about that and we trust that they’re gonna come up with a gameplan that’s gonna benefit everybody that’s on the court and help us score some points.”
Expect that gameplan to be feeding the ball
to Queta, whose offensive prowess is often overlooked. He boasted an offensive rating of 104.5 last season, No. 6 in the conference,
all while averaging 13.0 points per game and shooting 62.4% from the field. His touch
around the rim is fantastic and his footwork and physical strength continue to grow every season.
But his offensive value goes beyond his
scoring ability.
“The attention Neemy draws into the post-it
relieves a lot of pressure for me as a shoot-
er on the perimeter to be able to get open
looks,” said Miller. “Neemy is such a willing passer and a very good passer so when he
gets doubled-tripled teamed which happens every game he knows the spot he hits you right in the pocket.”
Neemias Queta is the most experienced
returner for the Aggies on both ends of the court and will have a pivotal role in every aspect of the game, including as a team leader.
“He has a great heart and just makes ev-
eryone feel super important,” said Miller.
“To have him back as a friend and also as a teammate on the court its really gonna help everyone’s game elevate.”
“Just knowing that he’s not only going to be
with us physically, protecting the paint and scoring on offense, but just a presence as a leader, and what he does for us off the court is going to be huge as well,” Bean said.
The Aggies will have to prepare for another
demanding schedule next year, they return many much-needed qualities in Queta. Their
defensive force. Their offensive magician. And their passionate leader.
With (hopefully) a full off-season to im-
prove his game and not to be stuck in rehab, expect Queta to lead the Aggies to where they want to go this upcoming season. Brock Miller said it best.
“He’s the difference-maker, and he’s gonna
be helping us in a big way putting us in a position to win another championship.” — jacobnielson12@yahoo.com @jacobnielson12
PAGE 5 “Aggiethon” FROM PAGE 1
“You can give an award for raising the most
money or talking the most people into par-
shocked” when she heard she won the lead-
ticipating,” Ault said, “but real leadership
“My hope in receiving it is that I have
records, making plans for next time, and
ership award.
means being down in the trenches, keeping
helped begin an inclusive movement on cam-
inspiring the next group of leaders to keep
a difference,” she said. “They meet our Mira-
Ault said she was impressed with all Stoker
pus where everyone feels like they can make
growing the movement.”
cle kiddos who are strong and go through so
accomplished while at USU.
a cause that is helping heal future and cur-
passion to any service that she does, wheth-
Stoker said now that she’s graduated, she
encouraging people to raise money for a
much and as they interact with each other in
“Jenna brings great enthusiasm and com-
rent Aggies.”
er it’s checking people into the food pantry,
may continue working with the Miracle
good cause, or caring for other service direc-
“I didn’t know about child life specialists
said. “Her motivation behind kickstarting
athon but it may now be the direction I head
to keep the event going is icing on Jenna’s
has solidified my dream of working with kids
David Higashi is a friend of Stoker’s and said
Dance Network Marathon.
tors who want to give of themselves,” Ault
before becoming involved in the Dance Mar-
Aggiethon and cultivating a leadership team
with my career,” she said. “Dance Marathon
service cake.”
in some way, shape or form. They are the
Stoker truly deserves the leadership award.
next generation and are truly amazing.”
“Her dedication and passion for Aggiethon
Stoker said she hopes Aggiethon becomes a
is endless,” he said. “From getting partici-
“It would be so fun to have each college,
hard alongside her team. She is definitely a
popular event in Logan.
pants to finding donors, she was working
club, organization, class, professor, adminis-
leader that leads by example, and who is not
in this movement,” she said. “There are so
Higashi said he was impressed with what
trator, business and family become involved
afraid to do the small tasks.”
many fun ways people can raise money and
Stoker did with Aggiethon, saying she raised
while also being individually impacted in so
the next year.
awareness for the kiddos at the hospital many positive ways.”
$15,000 the first year and more than $35,000
“Jenna’s passion for helping others and her
Stoker plans on staying connected with the
dedication to her work is truly inspiring,” Hi-
an alumni team that continues to fundraise
hardest to put on and do not gain a lot of
Nelda Ault, USU’s service center coordina-
and I think that is due to Jenna’s leadership
Aggiethon program. This includes creating
gashi said. “Usually, the first events are the
for Primary Children’s.
success. However, Aggiethon is so successful
tor, has known Stoker for four years and has
and all of her hard work that she put in.”
worked with her on many volunteering and service events. She said Stoker is the “perfect candidate” for the leadership award.
— karcinrose@gmail.com @harriskarcin
you are what you read
We’ve got your back. usustatesman.com
UtahStatesman web print
smart
PAGE 6
WEEK OF MAY 26, 2020
OPINION
Allegation and accountability By Taelor Candiloro OPINION MANAGER
Editor’s note: This coulmn was pared down for the print edition.
To read the full article, go to the Utah Statesman’s website.
In February 2019, a police officer working for the University
of Utah police department was sent out on a call to speak with a woman who called for information on how to report abuse. As the Salt Lake Tribune reported, he did not follow proper
procedure when he arrived. The suspect of the report was present upon his arrival, and the officer allowed the suspect to remain for the duration of his interview with the concerned woman. In his official file, a warning states that he placed the woman’s life in danger, and that his “improvement must be
immediate and sustained” — otherwise, he would be facing termination.
The year before, this officer was the primary officer on Lauren
McCluskey’s case. His alleged mishandling of McCluskey’s case
has recently been the focus of many articles at both the state and national level, but it appears to be one of multiple instanc-
es that he fell short of following through with his responsibility as a police officer.
PHOTO BY Taelor Candiloro
The Logan City Police Department in Logan, Utah.
we grapple with now is accountability and transparency, on a structural scale.
He now works for the Logan police force.
I don’t believe this record says anything about this officer’s
inherent character. I’ve never met him and can’t speak to who
he is or may be. However, I do think that his history of in-
adequate police work and allegations that he shared explicit photos of McCluskey before her death to be alarming. When I think about the circumstances in which I would need to call
the police, the last thing I want to worry about in those mo-
ments is whether or not the officer responding to my call has a sense of urgency or respect.
Now that the Logan City Police Department has launched
their own investigation to determine whether or not the of-
ficer did share explicit photos of McCluskey, I am able to put
some of my worry to rest. But in thinking about the structure, within which these instances occurred, my concern reaches much further than the behavior of an individual officer. What
the McCluskey case accountable.
But this is a small step in a larger quest for sustainable and re-
Ultimately, accountability is the cornerstone of community.
liable public institutions. An investigation is necessary, but the
created and constructed by human beings, could escape the
tion is being handled. Transparency is crucial to accountability,
It would be unreasonable to believe that these institutions,
long shadow of imperfection humanity casts. But it is not unreasonable in the slightest to expect that they should learn,
adapt and grow as we all try to. This is especially important when we consider institutions such as the police force, quite
public deserves to be made aware of how an internal investiga-
and in the coming days and weeks, the Logan community will play a critical role in assuring that the LCPD are held to the same standard they have sworn to uphold.
When allegations such as these are not only taken seriously,
literally tasked with policing the mistakes and wrongdoings
but handled transparently within their communities, it pre-
transgressions, can we trust them to know when and how to
from decay. Time will tell if LCPD procedures can prevent mu-
in their districts. If they aren’t held accountable for their own act in their communities?
Logan City Police Department’s announcement of an inves-
tigation is a positive step in the direction of community ac-
countability. Their choice to take the allegation seriously when they were made aware means they are making themselves, the officer and others aware and complicit in the mishandling of
vents the collective trust we hold in our public institutions tual respect and trust from becoming artifacts of our past, instead reinforcing them as tenants of our present.
Taelor Candiloro is an undergraduate transfer to the Anthropol-
ogy department at USU. When she’s not reading, she’s writing.
Culture and personal happiness pressure. Your very environment becomes an object of anxiety. As a result, you might be afraid to be yourself. You might be afraid to
speak your truth and say what you think. On
the contrary, I have lived in some cultures I felt incredibly compatible with. I could be my-
self and speak my mind without the worry of
social repercussions. The difference was night and day.
Whether it be financial or social commit-
ments, there are many reasons that it may not
be possible for someone to leave everything
behind and embrace a new culture. Yet, this does not change the fact that culture remains a salient issue, especially for those that feel marginalized.
Fortunately, the internet is connecting us
more than ever before in human history, making it possible to seek out community online.
The internet has provided a near limitless amount of information about the world we
live in, including various cultural orientations. GRAPHIC BY Keith Wilson
The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the artist. By Kristian Fors OPINION COLUMNIST
Human beings are social creatures. We do
not live in isolation but operate in social units
— through families, hierarchies and societies. When a group of people lives in an area over
time, a common culture begins to emerge.
There are random elements, biological elements and historical elements that melt to-
gether to create the construction we perceive to be culture.
Culture determines the ideological, political
and demographic features of an average per-
son in society or subgroup. While it could be said that you can find “your people” wherever
you go, it is self-evident that everyone is dif-
ferent and some people will fit into different cultures better than others.
Regardless of where it may come from, cul-
ture plays a crucial role in our lives — an un-
stated. I have lived in several places through-
The culture that one surrounds themselves
much shorter periods than others. Neverthe-
avoidable role.
with has real consequences, and ought to be considered in major life decisions because of
its prominent role in mental health, personal identity and general well-being.
While a self-identified atheist might be able
to find some like minds in Provo, Utah, it
out my life, albeit I lived in some places for less, I can attest that in all these locations,
to be themselves, unapologetically. And, alternatively, the degree to which they are not
compatible with their culture is the degree to which they will feel culturally oppressed.
The importance of culture cannot be over-
quented by people looking to expatriate their countries.
There is truth to the idea that you can find
that is completely aligned with their iden-
dissonance and uneasiness.
When I studied in Russia, I experienced a
never previously encountered. I could ask
degree to which they have the social freedom
forums with names like “r/IWantOut” fre-
culture I did not agree with, it led to cognitive
my quality of life. When I lived in states with a
thus feel disconnected from those around patible with their surrounding culture is the
different alternatives. There are even Reddit
“your group” wherever you go. While it would
level of widespread forthrightness and free
him. The degree to which someone is com-
it has never been more possible to research
culture was perhaps the greatest indicator of
might be unlikely that he will relate to the
overwhelming Latter-day Saint majority, and
If you feel like you don’t fit into your culture,
be preferable if people could find a society
tities, you can always find people that think similar to you and that can offer support.
We all need to be ourselves in life — I do not
speech in everyday conversation that I had
think we can be anything else. We live in a
questions and state my opinions without be-
of every variety. The world is your oyster, and
ing afraid of the ideological backlash. This
appeared in stark contrast to other regions I have lived in that possessed prominent politi-
cal and religious ideologies that did not match my own.
To live in a culture in which you are devi-
ant is to be surrounded by social tension and
diverse country and world, filled with cultures it’s up to you to figure out which shade of “pearl” is right for your own life.
Kristian Fors is a student at Utah State Univer-
sity majoring in Economics and Philosophy and
is an opinion columnist for the Utah Statesman.
WEEK OF MAY 26, 2020
PAGE 7
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