Six beds lined one wall of a medical bay in Salt Lake City, each one filled with a young man waiting to get his blood drawn after taking an experimental medication. In an adjacent hallway, six young women did the same. None of them were ill, but they had all chosen to be test subjects in return for financial compensation.
Many students at Utah State University work full time and take out loans, and often have to find other ways to make money on top of that to pay for college, as tuition and cost of living has been on the rise in the U.S. for decades.
On March 6, USU President Elizabeth Cantwell announced starting fall semester of 2024, tuition will be raised by 3.4% across all campuses.
Scarlett Kluge, a sophomore, believes tuition is “incredibly overpriced.”
“We live in a capitalist economy, and our educational institutions reflect that,” Kluge said. “I do believe universities should have tuition rates compatible with the quality of their education. I don’t believe that’s currently the case.”
Kluge relies on various sources of income to fund her education. Despite receiving scholarship money, she has taken out approximately $5,000 in loans, works 40 hours a week and often donates plasma to pay her bills.
“I go more or less often depending on the current state of my health,” Kluge said.
In the past, she has donated plasma twice a week for a month, the maximum amount that can be donated within that time frame.
Compensation amounts for plasma often vary due to occasional special offers and differing rates for new versus returning donors. On average, the Grifols Biomat in Logan compensates up to $900 for max monthly donations.
Heather Grant, a junior, has worked at least part-time since her first year. She has also spent a significant amount of time inside plasma centers.
“I donated the max amount I could during my third semester,” Grant said. “It got to the point where I would pass out while at work later in the day, but I needed the money.”
Other students have turned to participating in clinical trials to afford attending college. These are studies that test new treatments or drugs on volunteers, often conducted by pharmaceutical or research institutions.
ICON is a pharmaceutical company that has research centers worldwide for testing new drugs and treatments, including one in Salt Lake City. According to their website, “ICON manages an average of 150 studies per year around the world at our various clinical research sites.”
They offer financial compensation for study group volunteers, drawing in many young adults trying to make ends meet. Compensation can be anywhere
from $2,000 to $20,000, depending on the duration of the study, which can range from a few days to a few months.
Several USU students have volunteered at ICON to help make more money. Gabriel Larson, a junior, works 25 hours a week and has participated in five different clinical trials at ICON.
“I try to take part in a study before every semester,” Larson said. “It’s difficult to fit it in between school and work, but it’s almost impossible to get into a study during the summer because that’s when everyone else is trying to get in.”
Grant recently discovered clinical trials after quitting plasma donation and is currently participating in a nine day study at ICON despite the semester starting to wrap up.
“I’m having to work on final projects and do a lot of studying while here,” Grant said.
Despite this, Grant sees it as the best option to avoid going into debt or having to take semesters off to work, which is what she’s done to pay for school in the past.
Nate Jefferies, a first-year student, recently attended a medical screening to participate in a medical trial at ICON.
“I honestly wouldn’t choose to do it if college wasn’t so expensive,” Jefferies said. “I work between 30 and 36 hours a week and still barely make enough to take care of all my expenses.”
According to USU, the average yearly cost of attendance without financial aid is $22,920 for Utah residents and $38,494 for nonresidents.
“Honestly, the cost of living as a college student might
end up being the reason I drop out,” Jefferies said.
According to Grant, many things need to change in order to make higher education less expensive and therefore more accessible and worth it to young adults.
“We need to revolutionize financial aid programs for college students,” Grant said.
Kluge agrees. “I qualify for almost nothing despite my parents not helping me pay for school,” Kluge said about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
“If a student is fully supporting themselves, I think it should be easier for them to disconnect themselves from their parents on FAFSA.”
According to studentaid.gov, Federal Student Aid is the largest provider of financial aid for college in the U.S.
“FAFSA expects parents to help out when they aren’t legally required to, so family’s income shouldn’t be the determining factor for whether or not a student receives financial aid,” Jefferies said.
This would reduce the financial burden on students and make it less likely they would have to participate in clinical trials to pay for school.
“Universities are supposed to be higher education institutions, but right now they just feel like money-making institutions,” Jefferies said. “I don’t want to rely on essentially selling my body just to get a degree.”
Avibrant show of cultural appreciation comes as Utah State University’s Native American Student Council, NASC, has begun to host hoop dance classes.
NASC is an organization that represents and creates a community on campus for Native American students, though they welcome non-Native students as well.
According to the USU Inclusion Center’s website, NASC “provides Native American and non-Native American students with elements of peer support, leadership development, and various cultural experiences enhancing appreciation of the Native peoples’ of North America.”
The classes are taught by NASC secretary Kris Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer is a member of the Navajo Nation and grew up surrounded by Navajo culture.
“I grew up only speaking Navajo. I didn’t learn English until I was about six,” Pfeiffer said. “Even though I’m half German, I see myself as Navajo, and I’ve always been proud of that to share it. And so the more I know, the stronger connection to my culture, I feel and I just want to share that connection.”
Pfeiffer first learned hoop dance from his mother’s cousin, J. Michael Crank, a National Hoop Dance champion.
“I learned this at 11 from J. Michael, who was probably 50 at the time, and that just took off from there. I just picked it up,” Pfieffer said.
Native American Hoop Dance features a solo dancer dancing with a dozen or more hoops and using them to form a variety of both static and dynamic shapes.
“It’s kind of a reverence dance. It showcases all the different animals, deities or spirits and shows thanks for the past year,” Pfeiffer said.
Pfieffer is accustomed to teaching younger students through government-funded programs aimed at mentoring Native American youth, but he eagerly embraced the opportunity to bring hoop dance to the university.
“We’re always down to share,” Pfieffer said. “We welcome Caucasian, Black, Asian and anybody to come”
Teaching hoop dance in a university setting has helped foster appreciation across different cultures. The class welcomed participants of all ages and backgrounds, spanning from 10 years old to over 30.
The classes consisted of learning how to use the hoops, different steps that can be incorporated and making the hoops themselves.
“We’re all here together, sharing a workshop and having fun,” Pfieffer said.
In addition to planning more hoop dance classes in the future, NASC is preparing to put on the Echoing Traditional Ways 47th Annual USU Powwow. It will be an opportunity to celebrate traditions, achievements and community through dance.
The last powwow put on at USU was in 2019, and Pfieffer is excited to bring it back.
“Powwow is coming April 6. Come to it,” Pfieffer said. “We want to share this culture that we haven’t for four or five years.”
The event will take place on April 6, at the USU Nelson Fieldhouse with entry at noon and 6 p.m. More information can be found at usu.edu/nacc/powwow. Information on the next hoop dance class will posted @nasc.usu on Instagram.
Aubrey Holdaway is a junior studying print journalism. She loves doing anything outside, the band Pinegrove and listening to hours of true crime podcasts in an effort to become invincible.
— a.holdaway@usu.edu
Arecent study done by Utah State University’s Utah Women and Leadership Project shows female representation in state politics is getting incrementally better, but there is still progress to be made.
According to the report, The Status of Women in Utah Politics: A 2024 Update, “County commissions and councils in Utah are overwhelmingly held by men at 78.6% compared to 21.4% by women.”
The study also found Utah ranks 39th in the nation when it comes to women serving in the state legislature. In 2020, Utah was 32nd, so that number has fallen. Only 22.7% of mayors in Utah are women, but that is up from 9% in 2017. There are 47 all male city councils in Utah, up from 44 in 2022, and zero comprised solely of women.
In 2023, Utah ranked last in the country on WalletHub, a personal finance company’s ranking of the best and worst states for women’s equality.
UWLP and a Bolder Way Forward, an organization within UWLP, are working on understanding the problem and looking for solutions. According to their website, A Bolder Way Forward’s goal is increasing female candidates and elected officials in Utah.
Kolene Anderson, one of the study’s authors and the associate director of UWLP, said studies like these that track the number of women in Utah politics are helpful.
“Part of the reason that it’s so important to track over time is the incremental wins,” Anderson said. “It’s encouraging. We need to be able to see the progression.” Anderson said the trends give UWLP insight into the bigger picture happening in Utah politics.
Becki Wright, founder and CEO of Proximity, a company that provides campaign management software, said another way to increase the amount of women in politics is encouraging girls as early as high school to get involved in leadership, allowing girls to see themselves as future leaders and boys to see girls as leaders.
“It challenges those perceptions,” Wright said. Wright worked on Becky Edwards’ U.S. Senate campaign in 2022 and said often the media often clumped Edwards and her competitor, Ally Isom, together just because they were women.
“Becky and Ally actually had very different platforms,” Wright said. Wright also said women are often scrutinized for what they wear and how they hold themselves in a debate.
“I’m just looking at fair and equal treatment of female candidates as something that we want to bring light to,” Wright said.
Anderson said women are more likely to be harassed and receive comments on their personal appearance. According to Anderson, this could be part of the reason women aren’t as likely to run for office.
“I mean, who wants to be picked apart on a public stage?” Anderson said.
According to Anderson, a survey done by UWLP showed another negative perception of women in politics. A significant number of participants believed when women serve in public leadership or political positions, their families will be negatively affected.
“The numbers of that were surprising enough that I thought, ‘Oh, there’s some perceptions that we need to shift here,’” Anderson said.
Anderson said questions like these are UWLP’s focus in the future.
Many times people aren’t willing to discuss these issues, Anderson said, and she is discouraged when the issues are dismissed. Some women say there are no barriers or challenges in Utah.
“That’s great if there are women that feel that way. The research, the data tells a different story,” she said. “That’s not the case for all Utah women.”
However, there is reason to hope.
“We have seen some great success in our state, even just in recent years, about women in leadership roles at the more local and municipal level,” Wright said.
“Even though we are still far behind, we are making momentum in that area.”
Involvement in the local sphere gives women success and experience to feel comfortable running for higher positions, she said.
“We’re not looking for the token females in the room, we are genuinely looking for women who are given that opportunity to lead and are trusted to do so. I do think that there’s going to be some good progress in the future,” Anderson said. “I am very optimistic about the future of Utah. We’ve got some work to do for sure, but I see some great momentum.”
Reagan Thomas is an avid news junkie studying journalism and political science. When not perusing the latest stories of the day, she enjoys running.
— reagan.thomas@usu.edu
By Ella Stott LIFESTYLES REPORTER
FFrom diversity to education to athletics, the annual Miss USU pageant is a showcase of many fields of the student population.
This year, the pageant will be held on April 9 in the TSC ballroom from 6-8:30 p.m. The event will not have tickets, and the contestants advised arriving early to claim a seat.
The theme for this year’s pageant is “We All Belong.” The 15 girls running for the title have already been crowned in their category and are working on their platforms.
Miss Agriculture is Zoey Olaveson, a sophomore studying agriculture business.
“My platform is ‘Empowering Women Through Opportunity, Community and Activity,’” Olaveson said. “It’s all about providing women with opportunities to grow outside of the classroom and learn skills that will benefit them in all aspects of their lives.”
Olaveson is the first president of USU’s branch of the Sigma Alpha sorority, and she said being part of a supportive community of women pushes them all to achieve excellence.
“I want to do this through mentorship opportunities, speaker series, skill sharing and other similar things,” Olaveson said. “This way, women can get involved in what they’re interested in and meet others who have similar interests.”
Olaveson said she was born an Aggie and grew up learning about the impact of Miss USU on the campus community.
“My mom and I have loved to travel to campus and watch the incredible women share what they are passionate about,” Olaveson said. “I want to make a difference at Utah State just like the amazing women before me and continue to strengthen our campus culture.”
Miss Art is Madison Black, a junior in music therapy with a vocal emphasis. Black’s platform, entitled “Showing up for Others,” involves increasing student awareness of resources on campus.
“People feel more belonging on college campuses if they’re aware of the resources available to them,” Black said.
Black is passionate about normalizing multiple types of therapy, including music therapy, in order to increase mental health awareness. In her research, Black has found hearing multiple stories about methods to overcome a sense of loneliness helps students determine their best method for taking care of their mental health.
“Different things work for different people,” Black said. “I plan to implement a required reading for incoming freshmen to read just a few stories of recent graduates from USU of how they overcame struggle with a sense of belonging.”
Miss Athlete is Lexie Tueller, a junior studying communications studies. Tueller went to USU Eastern before coming to Logan, playing on the volleyball team there.
Now, she is on the pickleball team and plays a lot of intramurals.
“There’s two parts of my platform,” Tueller said. “Part one is ‘Be Yourself’ and part two is ‘Make it Happen.’”
The first part, “Be Yourself,” is focused on learning individuality and how to put yourself before other parts of the world.
“I think that by cultivating positive habits, showing ourselves some grace and becoming the most healthy version of ourselves, we are able to find ourselves,” Tueller said. “Once we do that, we’re able to share those unique gifts with others.”
The second part, “Make it Happen,” is about finding communities to increase support and belonging.
“My goal is to encourage my peers to find who they are while cultivating a community around them so they are able to make their dreams come true,” Tueller said. “I think that everybody has a right to pursue anything that they put their mind to, and it’s important that at Utah State we recognize the individual worth of each person.”
Miss Business is Grace Engst, a sophomore in finance. Engst’s platform is focused on mentorship.
“I’ve had some really great mentors that have connected me to some really great opportunities on and off campus,” Engst said. “I feel like mentors are a great way to find belonging, because I think you can find belonging in places that you can contribute to the conversation.”
According to Engst, mentors are a great way to push students in the direction of finding their niche and connecting students to important opportunities.
“What I want to focus on is creating a network of professors and alumni to match with students, so they can learn more about the students,” Engst said. “Learning more about their interests will help them to be able to connect them to the wonderful opportunities on campus that maybe students aren’t as aware of.”
Engst said she entered the pageant to meet new people and have a platform for what she is passionate about.
Ella Stott is a first-year student studying English and journalism because she hates money. When she’s not writing, she’s watching sitcoms, eating Greek yogurt and admiring Nebraska corn.
The Kappa Delta sorority’s motto, “Go confidently,” is inspired by philanthropy and service.
From April 2-6, the sorority is hosting charity events to raise money for their cause as part of Shamrock Week.
Riley Croll, president of Kappa Delta, has been involved for almost four years and plays a large role in organizing and initiating their service projects.
“As president, I oversee our company counselors,” Croll said. “I also manage everyone in our chapter and talk with them — help them manage their way through college.”
Croll had a vision for the week since her days on the sorority council and is seeing her project come to life.
“In Kappa Delta, we work with a lot of Girl Scouts,” Croll said. “I grew up in the Girl Scouts and I like that we work with a lot of kids with troubled homes.”
The sorority works closely with Prevent Child Abuse America and the families the organization works with.
According to Croll, 20% of the funds collected during the event will go directly to PCAA, and the other 80% will go to The Family Place to help local families.
“They focus a lot on child abuse or domestic violence for those kids, and we give them money for them to do whatever they need,” Croll said.
Philanthropy is a big part of the USU KD chapter, and its members are passionate about the work they do.
Olivia Frye is the current vice president of the sorority. She has been heavily involved since her first year at USU.
“I think it’s really awesome that we are so involved with PCAA and the kids — getting them out of those households and helping them get back to being confident in themselves,” Frye said. “We are able to help the less fortunate.”
According to Frye, the service she provides and being a part of the sorority as a whole is important.
“You always have your sisters to fall back on,” Frye said. “It’s always fun to have friends to hang out with and just a good group to surround yourself with.”
Aspen Batie, a member of the sorority, joined this fall as a first-year student. Batie is helping organize the event.
“I had always wanted to join Greek life, and so I decided to go through recruitment and just meet the girls,” Batie said.
Though she joined to become more involved socially, she is now immersed in the philanthropy that comes with it.
“It’s something really important to us as a chapter, and it’s one of the reasons I chose KD,” Batie said. “For the events we’re hoping to raise money to be able to give some more.”
The event lasts a week, starting on April 2 at the KD house, where they are hosting a dinner and silent auction.
On Wednesday from 5-10 p.m., Raising Cane’s is donating 15% of any order to PCAA and The Family Place.
On April 4, they are hosting a dodgeball tournament at the ARC.
On April 6, the sorority is hosting “Shamrock and Roll” to close the week.
In addition to these philanthropy events, Chugz is donating a quarter for those who order specific drinks the entire week.
For Croll and the other members, their motto is what fuels their charity work.
“Kappa Delta’s biggest motto is to ‘go confidently’ and to build confidence in others — that’s our biggest goal,” Croll said. “The foundation of our confidence comes with building confidence in children. They’re going to be a lot more successful in their life; they’re going to put themselves in better situations when they get older.”
According to Croll, many of the funds go towards working with children to go confidently.
“A lot of our money goes to defending this organization, which helps those kids shape themselves to having a better future,” Croll said. “That’s what I feel is most important for what we do.”
A master and his young padawan come together as equals to host this wonderful show where they talk about everything from sports and pop culture to advice and conspiracy theories. Max and Hunter (and unofficial mascot Zac) host External Input every Wednesday at 1 p.m. on Aggie Radio 92.3 FM. Keep
According to a 2022 study from the Women’s Reproductive Health Journal, nearly 12 million menstruating women in America lack access to menstrual products. A 2022 national survey from BMC Women’s Health found 14.2% of those unable to afford items like pads or tampons were university students. Days for Girls is an organization working to bridge this gap and end period poverty for women around the world.
Days for Girls provides sustainable menstrual products, hygiene kits and reproductive health education in over 100 countries. The organization has 17 chapters in Utah, with a local chapter operating out of Utah State University.
Third-year public health student Emily Gibbons has been involved with the chapter for three years. They meet every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Room 226 in Huntsman Hall, where members help make menstrual health kits.
“What we primarily do is we cut out PUL, which is a lining that goes into the shield for the pads,” Gibbons said. “Then we add snaps to the cloth.”
PUL, or polyurethane laminate, is a breathable, flexible, machine washable and waterproof fabric. Members put together reusable pads which are then shipped to another chapter who sews them together.
sent to Ukraine when the war started happening, and then a lot got sent to South America and Africa.”
According to Gibbons, reproductive health education is a broader focus of Days for Girls, while local chapters are geared towards making kits.
“We’ve done a little bit of education in the club itself, just about what we do in menstrual care and helped in period drives,” Gibbons said. “Most of the education is done on an international level.”
For Gibbons, Days for Girls represents an opportunity to get involved with service.
“It’s the perfect way to give back,” Gibbons said. “It’s something that I’ve been so blessed with that I’ve never had to worry about my period or where I’m getting my menstrual products from next.”
According to a study by the University of Michigan, one in five girls will miss or stop attending school altogether due to barriers in accessing menstrual products. Those who lack appropriate products may overuse items like rags or towels, which can increase the risk for genital infections.
“I’ve never had issues with period poverty, and because of that I’ve been able to go to school and have my career and education,” Gibbons said. “But places where girls have to miss school because of period poverty, they’ve stopped going, which really puts a hinder on their improvement through life.”
nates research efforts and resources for better menstrual health management in South Africa.
“Getting to come and work with all these amazing girls here and being able to share this mutual experience of having periods then being able to give back to others has been my favorite experience,” Gibbons said.
Ben Teames is a fourth-year student studying outdoor product design and development. Teames has been with the chapter for three years.
“I had friends that were in the club that were like, ‘Come make reusable period products,’” Teames said. “I’m all about reusable products.”
Destigmatizing menstruation is a core component of Days for Girl’s mission. According to research from the University of Leeds, a culture of shame has surrounded periods throughout history, with menstruation regarded as dirty or embarrassing.
“The organization does really good work with going into communities and educating people,” Teames said. “They’re educating not just women but especially men in other communities just to remove some of the preconceived notions about menstruation.”
Teames said cliches about white savior work in other countries don’t capture the full picture of the organization, because the organization works towards breaking menstrual stigma in local communities as well.
While education is not the primary focus, it has become a byproduct of the physical work the chapter does each week to end period poverty. Teames hopes initiatives like Days for Girls at USU continues to create discussion and inspire change.
“I wish stuff like this was talked about more,” Teames said. “I just don’t think a lot of people know that there is a conversation going on, even at this level of university.”
According to Teames, USU’s chapter is a part of breaking down the cultural stigma surrounding menstruation and sexual health in Logan.
“I think change is hard to implement at a bureaucratic scale just because we are a state university,” Teames said. “But I think the fact that we have non-gendered bathrooms and that both sides have free menstrual health products is really cool.”
The chance to meet with like-minded people and work towards a cause is one of Teames’s favorite parts of being in the chapter.
“This is my one day a week where I know I’m going to be social with people doing something that is actually worthwhile,” Teames said.
“The kits have two shields and three to five pads plus an underwear,” Gibbons said. “Those pads are able to be washed after every use and they last for about five to eight years.”
Kits can also contain different hygiene products, such as soap and a washcloth. Local chapters put together the kits to be shipped to areas most in need.
“We send the kits to a drop point in Salt Lake and then they get sent all over the world,” Gibbons said. “A lot got
At the global level, Days for Girls advocates for supportive policies and menstrual health research. Maryland’s chapter helped establish free menstrual supplies in prisons, shelters and schools and was the first state to do so statewide in 2017.
The organization partnered with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education to develop a menstrual health education program in 2019 for students grades 5-12.
In 2020, the organization launched the South African Coalition for Menstrual Health Management alongside the United Nations Population Fund, South Africa Department of Women and WaterAid. The coalition coordi-
in psychology. She loves learning about the human mind, sharing stories and naps.
— a02388032@usu.edu
By Essence Barnes LIFESTYLES REPORTER
Danielle Stewart, a small town girl who discovered her love of art history through travel, education, independence and motherhood, is a curator and head of academic initiatives at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art.
Stewart has curated the recent women-centered exhibits the museum has been showcasing since January, prioritizing the inclusion of underrepresented art media through her position.
Stewart said she holds a strong love for the cultural influences of art today, but she wasn’t aware of her appreciation for it as a young girl growing up in the small town suburb of Antioch, California.
“Living there, it was very stable, but it was a little bit boring,” Stewart said. “It made me want to see what was beyond Antioch.”
The neighboring city of San Francisco gave Stewart a taste of broadened culture, movement and opportunity. It influenced her educational aspirations and inspired her to see more of the world.
“A really well-rounded education has two components,” Stewart said. “One is learning deeply about the place that you’re from, and the other one is learning broadly about the breadth of experience.”
Stewart wanted to attend college, though she wasn’t sure what to pursue. She decided to attend Brigham Young University, where she discovered an interest in art history.
“I’m a very visual person, so it felt to me like it made history make sense, and social relationships and the way people interact,” Stewart said. “That really felt like a way of explaining the universe.”
Throughout her college years, Stewart traveled to 20
countries in Europe as a part of a study abroad program. She visited many of the major European art museums and witnessed some of the most historically significant works of Western art.
Stewart then visited Brazil and Syria, continuing to broaden her knowledge of different cultures of art.
“It also opened up doors for me to think about what was available outside of Europe, and outside of the textbook, canon art history,” Stewart said.
After graduating, Stewart wrote her thesis statement on the cultural significance of Alice Brill’s Sao Paulo photography. Her thesis adviser and former professor, James Swensen, quickly became aware of Stewart’s passion for her artistic education.
“She just cruised to the top of her class,” Swensen said. “She was a glutton for punishment because I think even after she took it, she sat in on it a second time.”
Though Stewart had found her passion for art, she was unsure about what she wanted to do with her career.
“The expectation that I was given was that I would be home with children,” Stewart said.
Stewart had no husband or kids at the time and soon realized she was going to need to take care of herself.
Stewart decided to attend graduate school at the City University of New York. She continued to study art history and taught art all across the state as a part of her university fellowship program.
“When I finally got to live in New York, that was like the culmination of a dream for me,” Stewart said. “I realized I wanted to have a professional life. I just had never really been able to entertain that before.”
When she completed her Ph.D., Stewart continued her professional life and went to live in the United Kingdom where she worked as an assistant professor of Latin
American art history at the University of Warwick for three years.
Stewart said she loved the time she spent traveling, but she began feeling a sense of homesickness.
“I felt like I had been imbibing that breadth of human experience, but I didn’t have any sense of rootedness or any sense of heritage or place that I was from,” Stewart said.
Stewart’s family had moved to Idaho while she was in college, but that place never became home for her.
Eventually, Stewart found her current job as an art curator in Logan. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Stewart moved into a home that had been originally built by her great-grandfather.
“It really felt like it was balancing for me,” Stewart said. “Even though I had never lived in Logan before, it felt like I was coming home to a family home.”
Stewart found a sense of connection, not only to her new home, but to her new job as well. She understood the importance of curating and connecting with the community, and especially with underrepresented groups.
Katie Lee-Koven, the executive director and chief curator at NEHMA, said she witnessed the impact Stewart has on the museum.
“Our goal is to serve all of campus, and as much of campus as we can, and she’s a really key piece to that,” Lee-Koven said.
Stewart said she had the idea to curate women-centered exhibits for the museum. She recognized the importance of including women’s perspectives, especially because historically, their work has been greatly underrepresented.
Stewart said her true appreciation for feminist art didn’t become whole until she became a mother. She hoped she would have a son because she was scared of the cruelties a daughter would face.
“Personal experience led me on a path of thinking more about women artists and what seeing their work and hearing their stories might have meant to me, and what they could still mean to me,” Stewart said.
Essence Barnes is a first-year student who can’t come to terms with deciding a major. She enjoys reading, writing and spending money she doesn’t have on coffee.
— a02413313@usu.edu
Aformer Aggie herself, Amy Crosbie is in her fifth year as the executive associate athletics director and senior woman administrator for Utah State University.
“I couldn’t be happier being at my alma mater,” Crosbie said. “Not many people get to do that, and I’m grateful for it every day.”
In her position, she talks to her student-athletes about the mentality they should hold while being an athlete and a student.
“I talk to our student-athletes now about separating like you as an athlete and who you are as a human,” Crosbie said.
Crosbie didn’t start in USU’s athletic department as an admin, but rather as a volleyball player. From 19972000, she was one of USU volleyball’s best outside hitters.
“I had no idea that it would create a foundation and a runway for my career — was not even intending for that,” Crosbie said.
Originally from Visalia, California, she grew up play-
ing a variety of sports, including gymnastics, before following her older sisters’ footsteps and falling in love with volleyball.
From the age of seven, she played volleyball through junior high and high school. She thought she could get a degree in college with her skill and landed upon Utah State.
“I was not super familiar with Utah State, although my family had traveled to Park City like religiously to go skiing,” Crosbie said.
That, along with the snow, is what brought her to Utah.
“Anytime I could live in the world with the greatest snow on Earth, I was like ‘Sounds like a good idea,’” Crosbie said.
Crosbie said there’s a photo of her in front of Maddox Ranch House in Brigham City when she was 12 years old. She took the picture because she had a schoolteacher named Mrs. Maddox; at the time, she didn’t know she would end up spending her life in Utah.
“I came up here, fell in love with the people, fell in love with the team. The coaches had a vision for me. I wanted to go somewhere where I could make an immediate impact, or at least I hoped I could make an immediate impact,” Crosbie said.
When Crosbie played for USU, the team was still in the Big West Conference, and according to her, this was the “powerhouse conference” for volleyball.
There is a different kind of intensity collegiate athletes have when it comes to training, weightlifting and practicing, and Crosbie fit right in because she loved working hard and competing.
Crosbie described her greatest moment as an athlete as a matchup between USU and Brigham Young University, one of the best teams in the country at the time.
“I had a ridiculous amount of kills,” Crosbie said. “I was named national player of the week after that match.”
In 2001, she won the Robins Award for female athlete of the year.
“That was pretty special for me because it culminates all your hard work,” Crosbie said.
Her collegiate career ended with an NCAA tournament loss to BYU at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo. She was one of two Aggies to score in the double digits, with 11 kills in that game.
Although Crosbie is no longer a collegiate athlete, she recognizes the growth volleyball has made and keeps up with developments.
“I’m biased. It’s one of my favorites,” Crosbie said. “To watch it grow even just this past year nationally — the viewing, the viewership, the attendance records that were all blown out of the water.”
Crosbie said what she did in college as an athlete was what formed her mental attitude and confidence for the rest of her life.
She decided to stay in Utah for a variety of reasons, one being to stay closer to the family of her husband Jeff, who she met at USU.
The month of March is a celebration of the contributions women have made throughout history. Among these contributions stand the achievements of female athletes who have paved the way for generations to come.
Title IX gives women athletes the right to equal opportunity in sports in educational institutions that receive federal funds, from elementary schools to colleges and universities.
the electrifying atmosphere of Logan and the unwavering support of the community.
“We definitely didn’t have the same number of spectators, compared to football or basketball, but we had a core group of friends and people that would come to all of our games, and it felt like we had the love and support,” McArthur-Fisher said. “I love Logan. I felt at home there.”
During her time at USU, McArthur-Fisher celebrated memorable victories, including winning the WAC tournament and securing notable wins in NCAA competitions.
But her journey wasn’t without its challenges. As a female collegiate athlete, she faced the scrutiny of body measurements and expectations that didn’t always align with athletic performance.
“They would measure our body fat percentage, and being good at a sport isn’t necessarily correlated to that.
I was OK, but I know that was hard on the team, especially for girls, who are probably a little more sensitive to that,” McArthur-Fisher said.
Despite this, she persisted, fueled by a deep passion for the game and the opportunities it afforded her.
Now, as she prepares for induction into the Utah State Aggie Hall of Fame, she views this recognition as both a personal accolade and a testament to the dedication and hard work of countless female athletes who have blazed trails before her.
“It’s really cool to show my kids, ‘Look what you can do if you want to. If you’re willing to do it, you can,’” McArthur-Fisher said. “I know that a lot of women paved the way for me to have this incredible opportunity, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Similarly, Tana Call Davis emerged from the world of gymnastics, where her impressive skills on balance beam and floor exercises were expressions of her strength, agility and determination.
Her journey began at the age of six and continued through her collegiate years. From 1987-1990, she found herself part of a supportive Aggie team driven by a shared goal of excellence.
“The best part was being a part of the university and the team and getting an education and doing the thing I loved most, which was gymnastics,” Davis said.
said. “They were amazing; it was so fun to meet Marilyn Weiss because she was the one that really got Title IX going at the university.”
“Any reason to celebrate human beings on all levels is awesome. I know a lot of women paved the way for that and tried to play on boys’ teams, and there wasn’t a place for them — and it’s awesome to celebrate the women that took that leap,” McArthur-Fisher said.
When asked if she had any advice for future female collegiate athletes, Fisher said, “I say go for it. If you want to do it, you should do it. Don’t make excuses for yourself or set limits for yourself. And if you want something to change in your life, you be the one to do it.”
Davis similarly said, “Keep moving forward. Keep going for it. Don’t let anyone discourage you from doing what you want. The opportunities are there for you to be taken. Women will reach their goals if they do those things.”
The clause states no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
For Liz McArthur-Fisher, a former Utah State athlete, volleyball was not just a game but a journey that spanned from seventh grade through college. Playing predominantly as an outside hitter, her love for the sport transcended individual success, finding fulfillment in the camaraderie of teamwork and the unwavering support of her teammates.
“I love that you can’t do any of it on your own. It takes your whole team to accomplish anything,” McArthur-Fisher said.
Reflecting on her time at USU, Fisher fondly recalled
She never wavered in her pursuit of success, fueled by the opportunities provided by Title IX and the realization her athleticism could open doors previously closed to women.
“I really didn’t notice any difference between the men’s programs as far as privileges. I know that in years previous when Marilyn Weiss was there, she felt that it was unfair that it took universities a long time to become equal,” Davis said. “I feel like when I came in, all of those pioneers and people that struggled to get those things put in place, were there when I got there.”
Reflecting on her induction into the Utah State Aggie Hall of Fame in 2023, Davis Marveled at how far she’s come since her days as a first-year gymnast.
“It was a huge honor to be honored with those other women during the 50th anniversary of Title IX,” Davis
Addie Hemsley is a junior studying English creative writing and journalism. In her free time, she loves watching movies, reading, writing, hanging with friends and playing all types of sports.
— addie.hemsley@usu.edu
Coaching a team of college students to dance, flip and throw is not a task for every person, but adding motherhood into the mix takes it to a whole new level. However, Spirit Squad head coach Morgan Watts does all of this, balancing creating Aggie spirit and raising a family.
Morgan is a Utah native and has cheered and danced for her entire life. She cheered competitively in high school and graduated from Bear River High School while also performing as a dancer and ballerina.
Morgan went to Utah State and cheered her first year before spending three years as an Aggiette. Her unique experience being part of both teams gave her a more comprehensive understanding of all the Spirit Squad does. She also met her husband, Dallin Watts, while she was on the squad.
“[Morgan coaching] is a total honor because we met at Utah State,” Dallin said. “Utah State is a huge part of our life, and so to be here with her as the coach is just really a blessing.”
After graduating, Morgan was a dance teacher, and she still teaches part-time. She said she was so excited to coach a team that meant so much to her when she was on it, and getting hired as Spirit Squad head coach in 2020 was a dream come true.
“I worked hard to be on the team, and I worked just as hard, if not harder, to become the coach,” Morgan said. “It's always been a dream, and to coach the things that I was once doing as a student is just super empowering. Everything is full circle, and that's pretty great.”
Morgan calls her team her kids and says building the Spirit Squad as a family is important to her. She said one of her favorite parts of when she was on the team, and when she coaches now, is the family unity they experience.
“My No. 1 goal going into every year is improving their experience,” Morgan said. “Their experience as a Spirit Squad member and as a student is important for me for them to feel proud about what they're doing. And I just always want to make sure they're fulfilled with our program.”
Morgan sees course correction as an important part of helping her achieve her goal.
“If I ever sense that they're not getting a great experience, I re-evaluate and restructure a lot of things,” Morgan said. “I haven't had to do that a lot, but when I see a struggling student, we make sure and stay on top of it. It is all about their personal experience at Utah State.”
or seven times that she travels so well. She always stays with us.”
They also love having fun with the other kids.
“Their kids are so fun,” Smith said. “They're so interactive with us. Like we'll go swimming and they're letting us throw them around. It's like how we throw around all of our girls.”
Osborne added to the sentiment, saying the four kids make them feel like a big family. She said she’s gotten to know them all through her three years on the squad, and it has been an amazing time.
“They're a part of the family, so it's been really fun,”
“They are mine, and I am theirs,” Morgan said. “When I was on the squad, they were my siblings. My coaches were my parents. It was that dynamic that changed everything for me and why I never wanted to be away from it.”
The people Morgan coaches also notice the family she builds, and they say they love her for all the love and support she gives them.
“Morgan is unbelievable,” said Hunter Smith, a cheerleader. “Morgan’s the biggest sweetheart ever, and I love her.”
Smith’s teammate Jada Osborne also said Morgan is an incredible coach and role model.
“She's the best,” Osborne said. “She knows so much about each and every single one of us. She's very helpful. She's not only just a good coach, she helps us and asks for our input. She is just very friendly, and she cheers us on individually.”
Morgan makes a goal of helping her team have an incredible experience while at Utah State.
However, Morgan doesn’t just have children on the team. She is also a mother to four children named Lucas, Winnie, Penelope and Lettie. Dallin called them “future Aggies” and said Morgan handles her maternal and job duties really well.
“Obviously, being the Spirit Squad coach is a huge time commitment, but she always, always prioritizes being a mom and taking care of our four kids,” Dallin said. “To me, she’s the best mom in the world.”
Morgan knows balancing it all can be hard, but she’s said she’s grateful for everyone who helps her live both of her dreams.
“I've got two great cheer assistants and a great family support system at home, and it all works out,” Morgan said. “My hours work around my mom schedule. I'm practicing early hours in the morning. So it works — not all the time and it doesn't always feel like it's working. But at the end of the day, it's balanced most of the time.”
Members of the team love when Morgan brings her family to team events, especially her baby.
“Lettie is a sweetheart,” Smith said. “I've told her like six
Osborne said. “They're all so adorable, and they're, like, the cutest kids and most well-behaved kids ever. So it's very helpful to have her family around us as well because it’s just one big, happy family.”
The Watts love having the team in their kids’ lives. Dallin said the they always makes the kids laugh, and they love having the team babysit when je and Morgan have date nights.
“It’s so fun for my kids to be able to hang out and be spoiled by the Spirit Squad members, because they just love them,” Dallin said. “It’s like our kids become their kids too.”
Morgan's being a working mother inspires her team. Kate Spencer, one of the Aggiettes, said watching Morgan coach and mother influences her.
“She's not only an inspiration to me, as a coach, but also as a human being,” Spencer said. “Watching her be a mother is making me want to be a mom. She's just the best with her kids. It makes me so happy.”
Doing it all can put a lot on the family’s plate, but Dallin said he loves seeing Morgan be in her element.
“She is such a great coach, and I love to see her use her talents to make the program the way it is right now,” Dallin said. “I just love to see her thrive in something that she’s so good at, and so grateful to be part of Utah State University.”
When the times get hard, Morgan reminds herself to do her best and let the rest work itself out.
“Don't sweat the small stuff,” Morgan said. “Keep your eye on the big picture at all times. I tell my kids the key to life is work. If you work hard, you're going to see yourself succeed in anything that you do.”
Ashley Dorius is a first-year student studying English with a teaching emphasis. A Nebraska native, she loves exploring old bookstores, quoting New Girl, eating soft pretzels and being a Swiftie.
R I T S N A P S H O T S
Jack is a second-year student majoring in graphic design. He likes playing soccer, rock climbing and most importantly, listening to music.
-a02387022@usu.edu
Idid not read “Anne of Green Gables” for the first time until high school, which is surprising, considering how many times I have seen the masterful 1985 movie adaptation. Either way, it’s a story I’ve always loved, and it only seemed fitting to revisit this poignant description of girlhood during Women’s History Month.
We meet Anne on the platform of a train station, daydreaming about the nearby cherry tree and waiting to be picked up. Anne is an intelligent, imaginative orphan with freckles and red hair, features she continually despairs over — “‘I can’t be perfectly happy. Nobody could who had red hair.’”
She gets picked up by Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, who were expecting a boy, not a girl, to help around their homestead, Green Gables. But through some mix-up, they get Anne. Matthew immediately takes a liking to the young chatterbox, and Marilla realizes she doesn’t want to send Anne away to worse circumstances, so they decide to keep her.
Edward Island in Nova Scotia, and the book is filled with enchanting descriptions of its beauty.
“The water was a glory of many shifting hues — the most spiritual shadings of crocus and rose and ethereal green, with other elusive tintings for which no name has ever been found.”
Anne’s imagination runs wild in Avonlea. She renames the trees, ponds and lanes with her own more romantic monikers, like “Snow Queen” and “The Lake of Shining Waters.” Though others, especially Marilla, are inclined to scoff, her enthusiasm invites everyone to more deeply appreciate the beauty of their home.
The book follows Anne from age 11 to 15. She quickly adjusts to life at Green Gables, and she excels in school, spurred to excellence by her rivalry with her classmate Gilbert Blythe.
Anne’s best friend, or “kindred spirit,” as she is apt to say, is Diana Barry, a steady, if somewhat nervous, balance to Anne’s confident, tempestuous self. Attached at the hip from the day they meet, the two girls spend their growing-up years together, sharing every moment of sorrow, happiness and adventure.
‘Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.’
— L.M. Montgomery
Marilla is a strict and serious woman who scoffs at idleness, daydreams and frills of any kind, and Matthew, her brother, is a hard worker whose defining personality trait is shyness. Anne, dreamy and dramatic and full of commentary about anything and everything, is the opposite of them both.
Their contrasting personalities make for an entertaining household dynamic. Lost in daydreaming, Anne forgets to add flour to the cake batter and drags out simple tasks for extended periods, which drives Marilla up the wall. But Matthew is content to listen to Anne, and Anne doesn’t mind supplying the lion’s share of the conversation, so they enjoy many afternoons together.
Green Gables is located in the town of Avonlea on Prince
At one point, Anne spends an evening in tears, hating Diana’s future husband — “I cannot ever live without her. But I know very well when we grow up that Diana will get married and go away and leave me.” The relationship between Anne and Diana was one of my first introductions to the joy of female friendship. They are supportive, affectionate, silly and serious all at once.
Anne makes friends with nearly everyone she meets, even those she doesn’t initially like, and her spirit earns her the love of even the prickliest personalities, from Marilla to the nosy neighbor Rachel Lynde to Diana’s grumpy Aunt Josephine.
“‘Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.’”
Anne is surprisingly self-aware, but she is still a preteen, which makes for many dramatic speeches that are both insightful and comically naive — “That is one of the advantages of being thirteen. You know so much more than
you did when you were only twelve.”
It’s rare to see a protagonist so aware of their own flaws and so willing to embrace the struggle of personal growth. Anne approaches herself and the world with open arms.
In her eyes, every day is overflowing with excitement and wonder, and this optimism carries her through hard times — from silly mishaps, like a botched hair dyeing incident and a cake flavored with liniment instead of vanilla, to the real tragedies of illness and death.
Anne is refreshingly honest and impossibly hopeful, and each time I revisit her story, I fall in love with her zest for life.
“‘Dear old world, you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.’”
Maren Archibald is about to graduate with a degree in technical communication and rhetoric. Her second favorite color is purple. —
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HOST CARLIE PALMER-WEBB
COHOST ARIEL FINLINSON (LADIES TALKING LOVE)
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