May 26, 2020 - Utah Statesman - Utah State University

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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