On Feb. 12, Utah State University’s Facilities Enhancement Committee, made up of members of the Academic Senate with executive vice president Aly Cinq-Mars as chair, met to discuss how to fund all the requests made with the allotted $200,000 budget.
The facilities enhancement requests were open for the entire month of January for students, faculty and staff. Anyone could request to enhance any facility on campus that they see fit. With a total of 14 requests, all for the Logan campus, three requests stood out among the rest.
senator for Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. The HPER is located next to the ARC. It is not only used for academics across all nine colleges but also by Campus Recreation for group fitness classes such as stand-up paddleboard yoga, as well as for events such as cardboard boat racing. The lounge is frequented by students attending these activities as well.
Sponsored by the College of Science senator Jaxton Winder, this request seeks to add baby changing stations to specifically men’s bathrooms on campus. This is to aid student-parents as they attend USU.
“I was actually on a road trip and ended up in a bath-
The HPER lounge is used by 7,000 students spanning all nine colleges annually. The furniture has not been updated since the early 2000s. This request was made by one of USU’s associate deans and will decidedly be fulfilled using the facilities enhancement budget. “ We want to redo the furniture in there because it hasn’t been updated since the early 2000s And a lot of it is scuffed up and so we want to replace it with new furniture that is coated in a certain fabric that is easy to wipe down so that it will hopefully last a little bit longer than the last furniture,” said Chloe Richmond,
room and noticed that they had baby changing stalls that were very clearly marked. It just kind of popped in my head; I don’t think I’ve really seen any baby-changing stations in the men’s bathrooms at Utah State. I came back and looked at a few of the bathrooms I was in and was shocked to see how few there actually were,” Winder said.
The baby changing stations request can only be funded for what is known as ENG-buildings, or any buildings with a classroom in them. This is referred to as ENG-funds which come from the state and tuition.
With this request, there are plans to increase signage for baby changing stations as well as make them marked on USU’s digital map which can be found at maps.usu.edu.
Winder not only hopes to make the lives of student-parents easier on campus but also to push for gender equality with this request.
“The inequality of changing stations, where they’re in more women’s bathrooms than men’s, also just subtly reinforces gender norms that we’re all kind of working to fix,” Winder said. “If someone wants to be a caretaker, awesome, but that shouldn’t be pushed on someone because of their gender.”
Winder is planning on sending students to every bathroom on campus to check for baby changing stations. Students looking to get involved can contact Winder at sciencesenator.ususa@usu.edu.
Already partially funded by a donor, the Utah Water Research Lab is looking to remodel the basement to make a space for student researchers. This building is most frequented by grad students who often spend most of their day in this building.
With the new Water Lab bus loop this year, more student researchers are being hired. The committee was in a clear agreement to fund this facility enhancement. “Students eat lunch in the hallways outside of offices on the ground because there’s not a lot of space for it. And like the faculty that works there full time, they have offices and stuff, but there’s not really anywhere for the student researchers,” said College of Engineering senator Isabelle Santini-Haddock.
All other facilities enhancement requests, which consisted of classroom furniture replacements or outlet additions, were able to be either partially or fully funded, fulfilled without funding, or put on a list of classroom updates that are handled by facilities in the summers.
Malory Rau is a sophomore studying social media, public relations and marketing. When not skateboarding with friends, she is usually thrifting, reading or seeing the latest movie.
— m.rau@usu.edu
The results of the USUSA Executive Leadership Board elections were announced on Friday, March 1 at 11:30 a.m. The announcement was made at the Hub stage in the TSC. Here are the winners:
What do you hope to accomplish in your term as Logan VP?
No. 1, I would like to protect the students from breaching academic policies by updating and modifying the student code to directly address the proper uses of AI in the classroom. Another thing I want to do is I want to enhance and amplify the student experience on campus. This is just in general at Utah State, but specifically in the spring and winter when it’s dreary. By collaborating with the outdoor programs and on- and off-campus housing, we would be able to bring more activities to the students so they can feel more at place. Lastly, a bill was recently passed for the cutting of the funds for these DEI programs. I realize the fact that they deserve the chance to be heard, and I want to try my best to understand and help other students around me understand how we can help them feel included and heard at Utah State.
What do you think is the best way to reach and connect with students to be able to rightfully represent them?
I feel like the best way to reach students and represent them is to show up for them. We have a lot of students that are putting in work into clubs and activities on campus, and they want support. I think the best way to help them feel heard and seen is to show up for them, and be a part of what they are doing.
If the university was given a million dollar donation, and you were asked to decide what to do with the money, what would you decide to put it towards? I would put it towards parking. It’s hard to find a parking spot as a student — me being a student who has gotten parking tickets before for parking in the wrong places because I got to get to class. I think it’s just a very valuable thing that saves students time and effort to get to where they need to go quickly.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to be involved at USU?
There are just so many other ways to stay involved. Up until this point I have found ways to be involved off-campus, to bring students together through music and through what types of clothing we’re wearing. Just bringing people together and giving people a purpose to show up and be united in what we’re doing. There are many ways to do that, and that goes without a position and with a position as well.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you decide to bring?
I would definitely be bringing a bowl of sliced watermelon. I don’t think a potluck is complete without watermelon.
What do you hope to accomplish in your term as Logan VP?
As Logan VP, I would love to keep going with my Aggie Dreamers Lounge and help support every other member on the USUSA committee.
What do you think is the best way to reach and connect with students to be able to rightfully represent them?
One, through social media. It’s our biggest and easiest way to reach people. Then through just genuine connections. When I was student body president of my high school, Salem Hills, we lead with a promise of making genuine connections every day, and I think that’s what I would continue here.
If the university was given a million dollar donation, and you were asked to decide what to do with the money, what would you decide to put it towards? I think that we need more things on campus. So if I had a million dollars that was given to the university, I’d use it to fund the extracurriculars and clubs that get people involved that aren’t regularly involved.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to be involved at USU?
If I’m not elected as Logan vice president, I’m still going to join a couple boards and be a part of the HURD and do anything I can possible to make a change here.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you decide to bring?
I’d bring pizza, it’s my favorite food.
Interviews conducted by:
Caitlin Keith
Reagan Thomas
Ashley Dorius
Justin Brewster
Malory Rau
Cameron Carnes
Maren Archibald
Candidates’ answers exceeded the space given. To read the rest of the interviews or view their responses, scan the QR code.
What do you hope to accomplish in your term as Logan VP?
I want to work on enhancing and making accessible parking and transportation options; diversifying and improving our dining options here on the Logan main campus; improved department spaces — so just making sure that some of the departments that are in smaller areas have more accessible learning opportunities; and then utilizing the MyVoice platform.
What do you think is the best way to reach and connect with students to be able to rightfully represent them?
I think that ties perfectly into my fourth statement on my platform is utilizing MyVoice. It is such a great program that’s already accessible to every student here statewide and also on Logan main campus; for them to be able to put in feedback, whether it be anonymous or have their name included so that it can either go to the correct position or correct department so that we can better look at that.
If the university was given a million dollar donation, and you were asked to decide what to do with the money, what would you decide to put it towards? I would want to first off, spread it throughout all of our statewide campuses. I think the Logan campus gets a lot of attention due to it being our main campus, but first, look at where we can allocate that to the other campuses that might not have the most funding. And for most of the money being funded up to the Logan main campus, working on those department spacing, making sure that every major or person here feels like they have a place on campus.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to be involved at USU?
Since my freshman year, I have wanted to get involved. I did a part with the Aggie Blue Leadership Conference, which is under the Logan vice president position. Within my first year, I joined USUSA events, USU HURD, and that’s where I found my drive and passion for being a part of involvement here at Utah State. And then my second year, I now sit on the Logan Vice President Committee Council. I was a DEI director for the first half of this year, I worked as an ambassador for the business school and various other positions throughout the university. So getting this position will just give me a better platform to continue to work on what I’ve been working on. But still, there’s so many ways to be involved on this campus.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you decide to bring?
I would have to bring funeral potatoes. I know that can be kind of a bit of a hot take in the state of Utah, but it’s something that I’ve always loved. It’s pretty easy to make on that student budget. But bringing that in always tastes good, and yeah, I think she’d love it.
What do you hope to accomplish in your term as Logan VP?
There is so much I want to accomplish, and a year is not enough. The main thing I want to do is set up structures here at Utah State to continue the process of building up opportunities for students to build on as the years go on. I think Utah State has such an incredible community, and I think we can really thrive if we focus on connecting together, communicating together, collaborating and curating a really great space for students to know what resources they have — to know where they can go if they need help, to know where they can find support from other students, from professors, from their deans, know where they can go to their colleges and find those support systems all throughout campus.
What do you think is the best way to reach and connect with students to be able to rightfully represent them?
Being on campus, talking to them, getting to know them, going to events, meeting with organizations. It’s really important that you know them one-on-one on a personal level, because even though we’re in college, we’re all figuring it out. It’s that connection. That one-on-one connection is really important, and that is where growth and relationships happen. One of the greatest things about college is you can make those connections.
If the university was given a million dollar donation, and you were asked to decide what to do with the money, what would you decide to put it towards? I would suggest that we put it right back into the students and the student organizations here on campus. There are so many students who have so many beautiful goals and things they want to achieve. Sometimes the only reason they can’t achieve it to the degree that they want to is because of funding, and so to be able to give students the opportunity to have the budget to use towards their goals and their dreams and their ideas — there’s nothing better, because the students here are so creative, so passionate. I would love it if we got that donation to be able to feed and support the students and their desires. I think that’d be really cool.
If you are not elected How will you continue to stay involved at USU?
I’m on student events right now, and I would likely just apply again; I love student events. The community that it’s provided for me here has been life-changing. To be a part of it again, to any degree, would be so amazing. I’d also hope to be on the Logan Vice President’s Committee as well.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you decide to bring?
some jalapenos, some cheddar cheese, into the savory cornbread. It is undeniably delicious.
Why do you think attending athletic events is important to the college experience?
Attending athletic events is huge for the college experience. It’s an opportunity to get together with other students and then support your fellow students. And whatever sport that is, whatever event it is, you can kind of come together and unite as Aggies and cheer on other Aggies.
Do you plan on promoting women’s sports, and how will you do that?
I do. Women’s sports are huge. I mean, they’re every bit as competent and capable of athletes as the men’s sports that we have. And to be honest, a lot of our women’s sports are extremely entertaining, even more so than some of the other men’s sports. So I think we should have equal attendance of both for a lot of those. Some of those examples you see like volleyball games are a ton of fun. And we have more people at volleyball games than a lot of other sports. And one of my main ways that I want to get more people there is I want to treat them equally as far as the HURD goes — planning tailgates and things like that.
What makes the HURD special? What will you do to preserve that?
What makes the HURD special? I would say the HURD is a very unique experience throughout the country. I’ve been to sporting events at different universities throughout the country, and the HURD is unique. For one aspect, we put a lot of thought into going there beforehand. We’re not just showing up and just cheering, like ‘Yay, go sports.’ But we put a lot of pride into being unique and creative, whatever we’re doing, and that’s something that you don’t get everywhere.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
From my very first day on campus, I’ve always been supporting Aggie sports, and it’s one of the main reasons I even chose to come to Utah State in the first place. And whether or not I’m elected, it’s not going to change what I’m doing. I’m going to go out there, I’m going to support my athletes. I’m going to put time into thinking of creative signs and ways to support them and cheer them on and maybe give a hard time to some of our opponents. And that’s something that I hope every student does. That’s something that I’ve done. I will continue to do either way.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you bring? I’d probably bring some killer mashed potatoes!
Why do you think attending athletic events is important to the college experience?
Our student fees go to getting tickets for games for students, so if you’re not going, you’re kind of losing out on that where your money’s going to. And then especially at our school, athletics is a huge part of our culture — HURD is infamous for being one of the best students sections out there. So not going out, you’re just losing a whole part of like what Utah State actually is.
Do you plan on promoting women’s sports, and how will you do that?
Yes. So women’s sport was actually one of my top priorities. This past year, I got really close with coach Rob and coach Manny of the women’s volleyball team and women’s soccer teams. So I’ve been working closely with them on how I can kind of increase the atmosphere at each games and trying to make it more of a unique experience than what we have at basketball and football, so create a whole new experience with them.
What makes the HURD special? What will you do to preserve that?
For me, what makes the HURD so special is people within it. There’s a lot of characters within it, but I think that’s what makes it just so great. There’s a lot of personality with it. And I think my priority for next year is just prioritize, kind of showing off the personalities that we have in the HURD. So I want to work more closely with kind of the students — do interviews with them and try to get more of their voice out for the world.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
I’m still going to be at every game, front row, cheering on the Aggies, I’m a diehard fan — I’ve been one since I was a kid. And then if I’m not elected, there’s still a lot of ways I can impact the school. There’s a lot of great organizations out there, and then even within athletics. My sophomore year worked with the USUSA development team to help kind of help support our student athletes, and so I’d probably just go back and continue working with the athletics program.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you bring?
If I was invited for dinner, I’d probably have to do my family’s like homemade fajitas recipe — try to do something a little bit different than any other candidate can do. Just show off kind of who I am and my cooking.
How do you plan to represent each organization on campus?
When it comes to representing every organization here on campus, one of the biggest things I want to push is fostering a sense of community at Utah State. A lot of that is through clubs and organizations, but my biggest push is especially now, as we all know, there has been an anti-DEI bill that was signed off. And the time is really important from now until July 1 in order to get our voices heard and get all that going.
What are your thoughts on the Equal Opportunities Initiatives bill and its potential impacts on USU?
The bill recently nicknamed the anti-DEI bill, the HB261. That one is a little bit of an interesting bill. It’s been talked about a lot within our own legislature and recently, as we know, has been signed off. It is planned to take effect July 1. It’s meaning to not have that much of an impact within a university, but we know that it will have an impact. My thoughts on it is that I understand both sides of the bill. I am coming with this with an open mind and an open perspective to possible resolutions.
How will you use your own experiences to help you promote diversity on campus and give a voice to those who aren’t typically heard?
There are many ways that I can use my own experiences to promote diversity on campus to make sure our student voices are heard. One of those is just given my own history. So I’m Latino, parents are from Guadalajara, from Mexico, and I am first generation as well, so I am part of that minority group. So even just coming here from Utah State, this being my second year, I’ve been involved with programs such as Aggie First Scholars. I’ve also been involved with Huntsman Scholars as a business student, the honors program, and a couple more as well.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
One of those ways is possibly becoming a business ambassador within the business school. As I’ve mentioned already before, we’re starting a new club in it, ALPFA for short, Association of Latino Professionals for America. So even if I don’t have a role, such as D&O [diversity and organizations], I’m still going to work in the community and help build up that community that I’m striving to build, and even if it’s not this year, I will keep striving forward, title or not, to help continue strengthening our community.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you bring? I’m actually a part of USU A-Team, and last year, after every orientation, Tuesdays and Thursdays, we’d always go to Los Primos for tacos. It’s just a tradition. So knowing myself, you know, I’d probably pull up with some Mexican dish. My favorite Mexican dish, quesabirria tacos, they are really good.
How do you plan to represent each organization on campus?
I want to help improve organizations here at Utah State by letting the student body know that all clubs, organizations and programs are open to everyone, no matter what race, religion, beliefs or perspectives.
What are your thoughts on the Equal Opportunity Initiatives Bill and its potential impacts on USU?
When I first heard about the anti-DEI bill, I was in high school, and back then the bill was very against DEI, and throughout the years it has improved slightly but still, it’s been something that I have been very cautious in knowing over the past couple of years. It breaks my heart to see it happening and having it be placed in the coming years, but I know that there are students, groups and organizations that are here for students, and I am one of them, and we are going to continue to fight and advocate, raise our voices and show how these programs are important to us — important to not only those that it’s targeted towards but how it’s open to everyone.
How will you use your own experiences to help promote diversity on campus and give a voice to those who aren’t typically heard?
As someone who has been living in Logan and has gone through a lot of experiences with discrimination and racism, microaggressions, I understand the feelings that multicultural people feel here. Not just in Logan, but as well as at Utah State. And when I mean multicultural people, I mean everyone, including gender, your race, ethnicity, religion, not just your skin color. I understand how it feels to be excluded, to feel like you don’t have a place to belong, a place to call home. I hope through different initiatives, activities, programs, to bring both sides closer together and unite as one.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
I know a lot of different organizations, programs and clubs that are associated with DEI. I am very involved with the Latinx Cultural Center. I am well acquainted with the Inclusion Center. So in the case that I am not elected, I will continue supporting those organizations as programs. Since my freshman year, I have been involved with USUSA. I have been pushing more DEI initiatives and opportunities for multicultural people. I will be a leader for those who don’t have their voices heard, and be a role model for students who look like me.
If President Cantwell invited you to a potluck, what dish would you bring?
I would bring out arroz con leche is what we say. So, in translation, it’s rice with milk, also known as rice pudding. Growing up, I ate it warm, and it gave me a sense of love, childhood and belonging at my home. So I’d bring arroz con leche with Cantwell so she can feel that belonging.
What is your favorite USU event and why?
My favorite Utah State event is Mr. USU, which is one that I planned earlier in the fall semester. It’s my favorite just because you get a ton of different guys from all areas, each college and they get together. They do — it’s just honestly all fun.
How do you plan to create an inclusive, safe and fun atmosphere at USU events?
USU events are interesting because there’s not — with the variety of events that we do, there’s not just like one way to keep it safe and inclusive and fun for everyone, which is something that I love. There’s many things you can do to include, you know, everybody. Keep it safe, keep it friendly, but also make it memorable. And I plan on doing this by doing individual director trainings. So one thing that this position would be able to do is pick the next student event directors, and those are the people that are going to be planning the majority of the student events that we go to. And I would choose strong and passionate directors that are also going to plan strong and exciting events.
Why do you feel events are important for the college experience?
I feel like events are not only important but crucial for not only student retention but just the benefit of student life. There are tons of studies — as a psychology major, I’m a nerd on studies — but there are tons of research that shows that with student events, students are more likely to stay within their college, but also have a higher college experience. And it actually turns out, you think that maybe by doing the most studying, you’d have the most like academic success. It’s actually the opposite — like if you in participate and get involved with student life and student activities, you’re more likely to reflect better and positively in your academic work, which is really exciting.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
I would do everything I could even in the academic sense to keep involved. One thing that’s different about Utah State and other college campuses at that there’s not like one point blank, way, you know, get involved and meet people. I think I would probably get more involved into the communication department and see what other ideas I can, you know, move over in there.
If you were to perform at PoBev, what would you do?
So I actually did perform at PoBev not too long ago, and I played my kazoo and I sang “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. And it was epic. I think if I were going to do it again, I would probably reenact some kind of like iconic movie scene like probably the scene from “Mean Girls” when they’re like screaming at each other in like a moving car.
What is your favorite USU event and why?
My favorite event at Utah State is Festival on the Quad because it’s the biggest event at Weeks of Welcome, and it’s just a great way to meet people. And students just love to go out — it’s warm, it’s fun and there’s so much to do. There’s so much variation, and there’s something for everyone.
How do you plan to create an inclusive, safe and fun atmosphere at USU events?
One way that I want to create an inclusive atmosphere is by making the student events office committee application process super transparent and accessible for students so that they feel like they have a home here at Utah State and have opportunities to get involved. Another way that I want to make it a safe environment is by looking at the events that we have and look at ways that we can improve them by looking at surveys and past feedback, and look at ways that we can improve them and make them a little bit more safe, especially around big events like the Howl and Viva Las Logan, where safety can sometimes be a difficult subject. I think we do a great job, but it can always be improved.
Why do you feel events are important to the college experience?
When I was looking at schools from all over the country, I looked at Utah State and I saw the time, money and resources that they pour into the student experience here. And I just think that student experience makes Utah State so special, and we have events that are so unique and aren’t found anywhere else in the country. And I just think that that Aggie experience is just so unique and so special to enjoying your time here at college.
If you are not elected, how will you continue to stay involved at USU?
That’s a good question. I would love to continue to do student events. My opponent has the same passion as I do, and I know that both of us are great candidates for what we’re trying to do. And I would love to keep doing student events. I’m also super involved with the College of Education, and I know that they’ve been wanting to work on pushing events and unifying the college as a whole, so I would probably try to do events in addition to helping that unity in the College of Education.
If you were to perform at PoBev, what would you do?
Oh man, I had this performance when I was probably like five or six, and it was to “Oppa Gangam Style.” And I would perform it for my mom in order for her to let me sleep over at my friend’s house, because my mom’s a dance teacher so she would really like it. And it worked every time, so I would probably revisit that choreography and bring it out again.
On Feb. 22, the Interfaith Student Association and the Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information Office held an event to discuss how to build healthy relationships.
Andrew Hunting, president of the interfaith club, organized the event.
“Living in America, you experience a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures and backgrounds,” Hunting said. “People need to have a tool set to be able to connect with people who really aren’t coming from the same space as them.”
The discussion was led by a SAAVI student advocate, Ingrid MacMurray, who presented tips and informa-
tion on how to strengthen communication and trust within relationships.
At the event, discussion focused on how individuals can change their behaviors to prevent harm within relationships.
“I really think it’s important to not tell people how to not be victims,” MacMurray said.
MacMurray said the conversation was centered about learning how to better educate people, and not about avoiding becoming a victim.
“That is an important part, is to know how to be able to protect yourself,” MacMurray said. “What I think isn’t talked about enough is how to stop your own harmful behaviors and how to fix them.”
Participants were taught strategies they could use to identify and transform their own harmful behaviors. Some examples shared were the use of “I” statements when expressing one’s feelings, and to take responsibility for one’s actions, especially if those actions hurt someone else.
MacMurray said acknowledging one’s wrongdoings can sometimes be difficult for people because admitting when one is wrong can be difficult.
“Everyone is learning how to communicate together,”
MacMurray said.
The discussion aimed to demonstrate that people are bound to make mistakes in relationships, but that it is OK.
“Learning how to forgive yourself for how you’ve behaved in the past so that you can change your behavior to be better in the future,” MacMurray said.
Another strategy shared was a form of dialectical behavioral therapy.
According to Psychology Today, dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a form of therapy that involves navigating intense emotions and social relationships through the development of acceptance skills.
There is a DBT strategy used for strengthening communication called DEAR MAN, which stands for describe, express, assert, reinforce, mindfulness, appear confident and negotiate. This strategy is used to deal with conflict in relationships in a healthy way.
MacMurray said these strategies often scare people because they seem “cheesy.”
“It takes a lot of practice and a lot of repetition before those cheesy little things start to actually make a big difference,” MacMurray said. “It doesn’t always work, but it is a stepping stone in the right direction to be able to help guide those conversations.”
The discussion also touched on how to build healthy interfaith relationships as well, especially because religion can be such a significant part of people’s lives.
“It’s about taking it one step at a time, and making sure to really validate the other person’s faith and beliefs and to respect them,” MacMurray said.
Hunting said building interfaith relationship skills is important because the U.S. has many different affiliations.
“We live in a very polarized, very tribalized society,” Hunting said. “You can really get into echo chambers and stick with your people you’re comfortable with, and you could go your whole life, get to a job and never have an experience talking to someone who sees the world differently than you.”
According to Hunting, uniting people who can acknowledge their differences and come together anyways is an important part of the Interfaith Student Association.
“People from any spiritual or religious identity can agree with this thing,” Hunting said. “We are going to agree to disagree, and we will live together in peace.”
Essence Barnes is a first-year student. She enjoys reading, writing and spending money she doesn’t have on coffee.
— a02413313@aggies.usu.edu
Andie and Monique host Bookish
Beats. Each week they pick a new book to create a soundtrack for. Each song is curated around important plot points and characters. Think of it as a book club but with music! Tune in every Thursday at 10 a.m. on Aggie Radio 92.3 FM.
Made Up Story
Andi
Bookstore Girl
Charlie Burg
Story of My Life
One Direction
Book Boyfriend
Piano House
Love Story
Taylor Swift
PHOTO BY Jack Burton
Ingrid MacMurry presents a slideshow on Building Healthy Relationships in the TSC on Feb. 22.
For gym bros and couch potatoes alike, Utah State University’s third annual Big 3 Challenge is in season. The event is open to all levels of powerlifters, providing inclusion for those who have never lifted and a challenge for those who lift every day.
This year, the Big 3 Challenge took place from Feb. 2729 and will happen again from Mar. 4-7 from 6-8 p.m. in the Fieldhouse. The event is free for USU students, and those who complete the challenge get a t-shirt.
Jordan Higbee, lead personal trainer at Campus Recreation, is a sophomore studying exercise science and elementary education. Higbee said the Big 3 Challenge consists of recording how much weight one can bench press, squat and deadlift and combining the numbers.
“You’re put into a club based on the totals being added together,” Higbee said. “That goes all the way from 250 up to 1,200 pounds.”
According to Higbee, the challenge started because the powerlifting club needed volunteer hours.
“You just show up, and we’ve got all the powerlifting team and all the trainers to help you out,” Higbee said. “Everyone there is happy to have you there.”
Higbee helped run the event last year, and said he was excited to help with the challenge again.
“I just love being around the energy around people lifting,” Higbee said. “It’s a very positive environment, like whether you’re a new lifter or very advanced.”
Higbee said the atmosphere in the Fieldhouse during the challenge is inspiring.
“I can’t count how many times people have been ready to lift, and they see someone else about to start and they’re like, ‘Wait, I want to watch them achieve that one,’” Higbee said.
Derek Hayes, a sophomore in nutrition science, is a personal trainer with Campus Recreation. Hayes has helped with the event for the past two years.
“We follow close to powerlifting guidelines from actual competitions,” Hayes said. “You have to squat to a certain depth, things of that nature.”
Hayes said the staff enjoys helping with the challenge and have established a system to assist students.
“We have assignments as far as spotting, helping load and judging goes,” Hayes said. “We have judges to make sure it meets the standards we have set for it.”
Hayes said the set-up of the event is mostly getting plates and barbells from the weight room. The other important factor in preparing for the event is advertising.
Taylor Sledge, a graduate student in organic chemistry, saw the advertisement for the Big 3 Challenge in the ARC last year.
“I enjoyed the challenge,” Sledge said. “I really enjoyed being very pumped up for other people, to just be supportive of people exercising.”
Sledge said he’s going to come back to do the challenge again this year because he loved the positive environment.
“It’s like a powerlifting competition for everybody,” Sledge said. “It’s about testing yourself to lift, but also in a fun, open manner with people there to support you.”
Aaron Bryner, a junior in kinesiology, has participated in
2/20
• Crystal Giordano presented data from a survey of students asking about the Student Health and Wellness Center.
• The council discussed with Giordano about changing hours of the center and adding a widget on MyUSU to make it more accessible.
• Applications for the events directors positions are open along with applications to be a stuent board member.
the challenge the past couple of years.
“I don’t really do any strength training,” Bryner said. “Lifting weights and just trying to see people have fun is interesting to me.”
According to Bryner, the supportive nature of the Big 3 Challenge makes it feel possible to meet weight goals.
“Last year, I tried to do a 15 pound increase on my deadlift to get to the 1,000 pound club,” Bryner said. “With all of the support, I could do it.”
According to Bryner, free and available campus recreation opportunities like the Big 3 Challenge are incredibly important.
“The more it’s accessible, the more people are going to be willing to do them,” Bryner said. “Especially for college students who may be more prone to just hanging out in their apartments.”
According to Hayes, participating in campus recreation is a good way to have variety in a period of life dominated by school.
“As students, we need to be able to de-stress,” Hayes said. “Recreational activities, especially activities you enjoy, is a good way to balance yourself and be more successful in school.”
Although the Big 3 Challenge is only open to USU students, Higbee said Campus Recreation is opening more opportunities to the community.
“We do offer things that community members can come to, like training and events,” Higbee said. “Campus Rec is great for anyone because they all have access to it.”
To find out more about the Big 3 Challenge and how to participate, visit usu.edu/campusrec/fitness/special-events.
“I think everybody should try it,” Sledge said. “It’s a morale booster.”
Ella Stott is a first-year student studying English and journalism. When she’s not writing she’s admiring Nebraska corn.
— ella.stott@usu.edu
2/27
• The council discussed complaints received from students about the lack of snow days.
• Students can request snow removal from specific areas of campus through facilities.
• The council read and made amendments to ECB224-03 which would create a student events board.
• USU’s Native American Cultural Center will be holding its annual Pow Wow on April 6 in the Nelson Fieldhouse.
3 p.m., TSC Ballroom
Join President Elizabeth Cantwell and USUSA Student Body President
Abraham Rodriguez for a discussion about
Utah State University is proposing that there will be a 3-5% tuition increase on the Logan and Statewide campuses. No increase is proposed for Technical Education.
All concerned students and citizens are invited to a public hearing on the proposed adjustment to be held in the TSC Ballroom on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 3 p.m.
This hearing will be broadcast to all USU campuses through aggiecast.usu.edu.
Kids squealed over dinosaur bones and sparkly rocks on Feb. 24 for Rock-n-Fossil Day, put on by Utah State University’s geoscience department. With three floors filled with exhibitions, presentations and activities, people wandered throughout the building soaking in science and unlocking secrets of the past.
Ellen Imler, a program assistant with the geosciences department, said planning started for the event about two months prior. The group thought about which aspects of geoscience were a priority to highlight and figured out how to make the event interactive and interesting.
“We start probably in January to make sure that we have all the stations sorted out, because we have new stations every year,” Imler said. “There’s some that happen the same each year, but we still have to get the helpers organized.”
This event included many programs celebrating geology and paleontology, even across statewide campuses.
Josh Lively, the curator of paleontology at USU Eastern, presented findings from archeological digs he’s been a part of studying ankylosaurs.
“We’re associated with USU Eastern, one of the campuses of Utah State University,” Lively said.
There were not just presentations at the event. Kids also played games teaching them about archeological digs or the rock cycle.
Chloe Danos, the outreach and recruitment coordinator for the geoscience department, said she loves teaching the kids with interactive experiences.
“I’ve been at the rock cycle game,” Danos said. “Kids get a little keychain, and they get to pick a rock that they want to go start at, and so they started at a sedimentary rock or whatever, and they roll a die, and the die makes them randomly go to a different rock station, and then they get a different bead at every station.”
“It’s just so funny how excited the kids learn about rocks being exploded out of a volcano or melted by a meteorite or eroded down a river,” Danos said. “The kids’ enthusiasm is what is my favorite part.”
Imler said seeing the sparking of curiosity and excitement for geosciences was another favorite part.
“The kids’ enthusiasm is just so exciting,” Imler said. “At all the different stations, each kid will have something different that they like about it, and it’s just it’s so cute to watch them, and then those kids that do actually know things about science that are like, ‘Oh, I’m going to tell you everything I know.’ It’s just adorable.”
Imler said watching them make connections between things they learned at the museum and school work was fun.
“They just took flight,” Imler said. “They’ve learned about some sort of related topic in school. And they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, we did this, and we talked about this.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, you should keep asking questions about this and keep thinking about it.’”
Danos said the kids with a passion for rocks and fossils
are told about further resources at the event.
“Lots of kids like to watch geology-related YouTube videos, and I said, ‘You should follow Benjamin Berger!’ He is a professor here, and he does really good videos,” Danos said.
According to Imler, even parents got in on the fun.
“Parents are really funny because they usually stand off, but they’re totally engaged, and you see it from a distance,” Imler said. “They’ll be nodding their head like, ‘Ah, yes, I vaguely remember that.’”
The event allows the geosciences department to spark curiosity and a passion for STEM on a Saturday morning, which made it a tradition.
“We do it every year, and we always do it the same weekend, always on a Saturday,” Danos said. “Come ask questions. Talk about rocks and other things!”
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. — ashley.dorius@usu.edu
Aggies Elevated is inclusive post-secondary education, a nationally recognized program meant to make college accessible. Both the Logan and Price campus have a program.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 19% of undergraduates and 12% of graduates report having a disability. Despite making up one-fifth of America’s student body, colleges are often ill-equipped in providing an equal experience for students with disabilities. Aggies Elevated seeks to remedy this problem at Utah State University.
Michelle McKnight, Aggies Elevated executive director, said students with disabilities face unique barriers in college admittance.
“Students with intellectual disabilities have, historically, been unable to attend college because college admission is dependent on SATs, ACT and GPA scores,” McKnight said. “These things are not naturally easy for somebody with an intellectual disability.”
Programs like Aggies Elevated admit students to universities based on different criteria that take their disability into account. These students can experience college life without being bound by academic constraints suited to students without disabilities. The program is residential, providing the full college experience — dorms and all.
“We know that college is so much more than academics,” McKnight said. “There’s a lot of independent living growth, social growth, being in the dorms, dating and figuring out who you are.”
Aggies Elevated students complete a two-year certificate providing both college credit and career readiness skills. In the first semester, half of the courses focus on job application skills and emotional self-regulation. In the second semester, courses dig deep into navigating interviews and shadowing different jobs. As summer approaches, students are expected to find and work a job they like.
The final semester asks students to participate in a 50- hour internship at sites like the USU Campus Store, Aggie Blue Bikes, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art and the Utah Conservation Corps.
“Last year, we had 11 graduates, and all 11 graduates received the Aggies Elevated certificate,” McKnight said. “Four students also got an associates degree with their certificate, so that’s huge. They did it all the same as a traditional college student.”
The rest of the Aggies Elevated coursework is up to the student.
“We’ve had students in most 1010 courses that the university offers,” McKnight said. “Literature, media and movies, whatever they want to take.”
Students live in the dorms and are afforded the same
degree of self-sufficiency any of their peers have.
“It just gives them so much freedom,” McKnight said. “You’re going to live in the dorm and do your own thing. Nobody’s telling you what to do or how to live your life. For so long these opportunities haven’t been granted to people with disabilities because society infantilizes these individuals.”
As part of the program, students work with a peer mentor for 10 hours a week, receiving support with whatever aspect of college life they have questions about.
“This peer mentoring relationship works differently for every student,” McKnight said. “If a student wants homework help, then they work on homework. If they want to use the bus, they go and learn how to use the bus. If they want help with laundry — it’s very different.”
Reagan Wengreen is a graduate student studying social work and a peer mentor in Aggies Elevated.
“It’s been really good,” Wengreen said. “I did not have any experience with disability before, but I knew that I loved and wanted to work with people, so it was an easy fit.”
Stereotypes surrounding disability have shaped the way people act, which is one aspect of discrimination the program aims to break down.
“People think there’s a certain way that you have to be or act, or you have to know a certain amount of things
before you can interact with this population,” Wengreen said. “That’s just not true. They’re humans, and if you know how to talk to people you’ll be fine.”
Close bonds are formed between student and mentor as they progress through the program.
Read the rest of this story at usustatesman.com.
— a02388032@usu.edu
Utah State University wrapped up Engineering Week with an egg drop contest hosted by several clubs, including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Engineers Without Borders, Society of Women Engineers, oSTEM, Tau Beta Pi Honor Society and the Engineering Tutoring Center.
Stations were set up in the engineering building, equipped with the materials needed to protect a fragile egg. Attendees constructed their protective gear out of plastic foam cups, cotton balls and balloons.
KJ Segura, the president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, is a sophomore studying mechanical engineering.
“The E-Council decided to combine a bunch of clubs to do one big event,” Segura said. “We all took the reins on the project.”
The Engineering Council at USU manages clubs and events in the engineering department.
Segura said the coronavirus had an effect on club attendance.
“SHPE was a club that was really significant at the college pre-COVID — once it hit, all the clubs hit a decline,” Segura said. “It wasn’t until this year until we decided to restart the SHPE chapter here at USU.”
SHPE’s goal at USU is to empower Hispanic and Latino students in the engineering field through leadership skills and service opportunities.
The Engineering Tutoring Center was at the event to help host. The center offers support and guidance for students in math, science, writing and programming courses.
Landon Hendricks is a tutor at the center.
“I went to the meeting for this event when it was first being planned,” Hendricks said. “I love being an engineering tutor. I really like helping people — just being able to see that light of understanding appear is an awesome feeling.”
Engineers Without Borders was also there to help host. EWB focuses its resources on humanitarian-based initiatives by emphasizing technical knowledge, volunteering and outreach.
In the summer of 2023, a team from EWB went to Peru to implement shelters and to see how they could better respond to the community’s needs.
Gabby Gowen, a junior studying environmental engineering, is the president of Engineers Without Borders.
Read the rest of this story at usustatesman.com.
5, 2024
3:45 p.m., TSC Ballroom
Layla Alnadar is a first-year student studying public health. She loves music, hiking, writing and the sun.
— a02414012@aggies.usu. edu
Join President Elizabeth Cantwell and USUSA Student Body
President Abraham Rodriguez for a discussion about changes to student fees
Utah State University is proposing an increase of $6.39 on the Logan campus. There will be no increases on the Statewide campuses.
All concerned students and citizens are invited to a public hearing on the proposed adjustment to be held in the TSC Ballroom on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 3:45 p.m.
This hearing will be broadcast to all USU campuses through aggiecast.usu.edu.
The Utah State University club baseball team has a history of achievement, including conference, regional and national championship titles. This legacy serves as a source of inspiration and motivation for the players as they prepare for the upcoming season. For the last two years, the team has been named the regional champions, with head coach Jake Anderson sending them to compete at nationals.
Some of the opposing club teams don’t have coaches, but the Aggies have Anderson, who is an Aggie alum, along with Colton Draney and Anthony Peterson as assistant coaches.
This coaching is volunteer based.
“It’s really nice to have a coach so it’s not as personal if someone is pitching bad and needs to sub out. It keeps us all in check, and having someone to make the decisions rather than us is a huge benefit,” said Phil Zahn, senior right fielder on the team.
The team started practicing for the spring season in January. Twice a week, the team practices at the Stan Laub indoor training Center, mainly focusing on the basics – practicing ground balls, infield drills and hitting. The team also practices batting outside of their normal practice time.
“A lot of us get together outside of practice at Cache Valley Electric. There’s a batting cage in there, and we
rotate pitchers and get some live at bats there,” said Trevor Price, a pitcher and outfielder on the team.
With a blend of returning players and promising newcomers, the Aggie roster is full of talent and depth across all positions.
A majority of the starting lineup are upperclassmen, and the whole outfield will be graduating this year.
Zahn eagerly anticipates his last season with the Aggies. “I have no expectations going into it, I’m just going to have a good time with it,” he said.
One of the many aspects of Aggie baseball he will miss the most is going on the road with his teammates, “my boys.” He said traveling with the team is a great bonding experience and an overall good time.
One of the major strategies the team wants to focus on is acknowledging the pressure that comes with preseason rankings and past performances, but not internalizing it.
“Unfortunately last year we weren’t very successful going in as the NO. 1 seed. I think the biggest thing with that was that we had all that pressure,” Zahn said. Their goals emphasize staying grounded and focusing on the fundamentals figuring out the little things, working on the mentality of the sport, putting less pressure on themselves and having fun.
On the mound, Ben Hill, the starting pitcher, wants to focus on improving his velocity by incorporating weighted baseballs into his training regimen to reach higher speeds.
“I’ve been throwing weighted baseballs, and hopefully it leads to being able to throw the actual baseball at higher speeds,” Hill said.
Price looks to take on a more prominent pitching role while maintaining his hitting prowess from the previous season.
“This year, I definitely want to either take a relief position and get some more innings, or I’m happy to start if we need me on the mound,” Price said.
The goal is to win nationals, but having fun on the road there is just as important, according to Brayden Howard, team captain and an All-American player.
“The expectation is to win, and sometimes we go through the motions where we’re like, ‘Oh, we’re going to win and we don’t need to worry about anything.’ But, anything can happen, so we got to keep that mentality up,” Howard said.
The team is currently ranked third in the conference.
“I try to tell the guys not to worry about the rankings because they’re just numbers. We get on the field and play our baseball, then we’ll be successful,” Zahn said.
The competition looms large, with Oregon posing a formidable challenge as the team to beat in the region. However, the Aggies are undeterred. Their true focus lies on the field.
“With the name of ‘club baseball,’ you don’t think it’s going to be very competitive, but some of the teams definitely have potential to be junior college or DII or III teams,” Howard said.
Howard is aiming to make his final season a memorable one.
“I had the opportunity to play junior college baseball for two years before this, and this team is so much more fun,” Howard said.
The team draws strength from the unwavering support of their fans and dedicated sponsors.
aClub sports do not receive funding from the school, so players are responsible for the cost.
“Guys individually go out and get sponsors for posters to hang on the field to help cover the costs,” Price said.
According to Price, sponsors such as Buffalo Wild Wings, BRD Marketing and Aptive Environmental help the team financially.
The support from fans and sponsors alike fosters a sense of unity and camaraderie, driving the Aggies to push harder and aim higher.
“Our team is playing for the small town of Logan, Utah,” Zhan said.
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
tah State’s chess club has taken the college chess market by storm. With weekly practices and online tournaments, the members of the club have practiced strategy, openings and the different ways to “check” their opponent in competition.
Throughout their most recent competitions, the club has remained unbeatable against colleges in Texas and California. According to some members, their winning streak isn’t just due to the time they spend with the chess board.
Carson Richards shared how impactful it is to play against other people to further learn about the game’s complexities.
“For me personally, I initially viewed chess as a really deep game that you can really get into,” Richards said. “It kind of blew my mind with how much you can actually learn about one game. The game itself is really simple at its core, but with the different tactics and move combinations, it makes the game much more fun when you strategize to beat your opponent. One of the best ways to learn these things is by playing against people better than you.”
The club views its practice matches as learning experiences where the more advanced player can teach their opponent different strategies as they come along.
“We’ve had beginners come, and we make sure to adapt to what they want to get out of the experience,” Richards said. “For example, if they don’t want to use a clock we won’t make them use a clock. We also make sure to define the different strategies we have made after each match.”
Playing against an opponent that is more experienced than you can enhance your skills, but each club member doesn’t always have someone else to play against during their own time. Luckily, the club has found alternative ways to grow their knowledge and experience.
Club member Sam Dahlgren said the club uses computer programs to practice.
“As people, we don’t understand the moves that computers are making sometimes, but we are able to get to that point when playing against a computer,” Dahlgren said. “Sometimes, computers will make moves that we’ve never seen before, but we are able to adapt to.”
The computers are also able to help the players expand their knowledge on openings.
“Books used to be the best way to learn about openings,” Dahlgren said. “But, now we have a chess engine where you can plug in different moves and learn the different ways to react, specifically the most popular ways and best ways to react.”
As helpful as computers’ ability to play chess has been for the Aggies, some members have seen a different reaction in the chess community.
“There’s this big misconception that since computers are way better than people at chess that computers have completely solved the game,” Dahlgren said. “But,
there are computers that will compete against each other and beat each other. So, even computers haven’t perfected the game. Just like, they are still learning how to actually play chess through adaptive strategy.”
The club’s unconventional way of training through online chess simulators in addition to in-person training has helped members improve their knowledge and experience, making different openings known to them like the back of their hand.
Levi Hinrichs, the club captain, is incredibly passionate about certain chess openings.
“My favorite opening would have to be the Ruy Lopez, otherwise known as the Spanish Opening,” Hinrichs said. “This opening has so many different theories behind it, and it has been studied through many different books.”
Most openings also have an interesting story behind their origin.
“Another interesting thing about the Ruy Lopez is that it is one of the oldest openings we know about,” Dahlgren said. “It was named after a Spanish priest. The opening is about 400 years old, and we still play it today.”
Along with the most famous openings, including the Ruy Lopez, the Queen’s Gambit and the Catalan, the chess club also focuses on learning unpopular openings that are more likely to surprise an opponent.
In addition to learning the different strategies of each opening, the club members also focus on the different ways to react to each opening and adapt to an opponent’s changing strategy throughout the game.
The club is constantly working to exercise the minds
of its members. This applies to anyone with any level of experience.
“Our club is always accepting new people, regardless of the amount of experience they have,” Hinrichs said. “Our practices are every Tuesday and Friday from 5-6:30 in the TSC Hub. If someone is interested in joining, all they have to do is stop by.”
Anything less than nationals is a failure,” Aggie forward Alec Moser had said in the weeks leading up to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Western regional playoffs, hosted at the George S. Eccles Ice Center.
Utah State University was down a goal to Metro State University-Denver with less than two minutes remaining in the game on Sunday afternoon. The team pulled goaltender Titan Anderson off the ice for another skater in a last-ditch effort to find a tying goal.
Then Metro State intercepted an errant pass and calmly shot the puck into the back of the net, sealing their victory with a 3-1 scoreline. The game was over, and Utah State was not going to nationals.
Quiet filled the Aggie locker room after the game. The athletic trainer who would normally tend to the team’s injured players sat quietly in a chair with nothing to do. Next to her, forward Sean Johnston sat on a large white plastic table, staring downward at the ground, wishing the game had gone another way.
“It’s tough. A lot of us are thinking, ‘What if I did this or that instead,’” Johnston said. “We are also feeling down for the seniors. This was their last game of competitive hockey, maybe forever.”
The last player to enter the locker room was defenseman Brendan Woolcott, who held his head high. Woolcott was considered a leader and a “great locker room presence” by the whole team throughout the season.
“That’s playoff hockey,” Woolcott said. “Someone’s got to lose, and someone’s got to win. And I think both teams battled it out, and they just got the better of the opportunities.”
Woolcott spoke highly of his team and showed respect to Metro State after the game. He said the
defeated Metro State to make it to nationals.
“There is a lot of behind-the-scenes adversity that the team went through,” Woolcott said. “But I think us even getting here is huge. It really goes to show that this is a really good group of guys that can get things done.”
Woolcott’s comments have weight. With injuries to key players, losing head coach Rob Girard early in the season and dealing with consistent locker room mentality issues throughout the campaign, the Aggies showed resilience by making it as far as they did.
Many players were still visibly upset and didn’t make eye contact as they left the locker room. Jackson Ferry didn’t stick around to talk; he instead went out the back door to try and leave as quickly as possible.
“It’s a little dark in there,” senior captain Ben Carlson said about the locker room. “But the sun always comes out after the storm. We have a bunch of leaders and a good hockey team that will take care of this program.”
Interim head coach Sam Lindquist reflected on the season while processing the result inside the small, dimly lit coach’s office.
“I think the second semester of our season was very up and down,” Lindquist said. “But we managed to turn it into something that took us here today.”
Lindquist said the team is feeling the weight of the loss, but he and the coaching staff emphasized the importance of not dwelling on the negatives. He specifically mentioned it was difficult for the seniors on the squad.
“It’s never easy to lose the last game of your competitive hockey career,” Lindquist said. “It’s painful, but it’s also a valuable experience.”
Carlson’s normal soft-spoken manner had a very clear side of sadness with it, and his eyes seemed as though they had lost something integral.
Carlson is one of the seniors who will not be back for the next season. He said he has been playing hockey for almost twenty years, referring to it as a “privilege” and his “life.”
to give his underclassmen one final piece of leadership advice before leaving the locker room for the last time.
“I just reminded them that hockey is a good medium where you can be the best version of yourself,” Carlson said. “Don’t take it for granted. Take it seriously.” This marks the official end of the season for Utah State hockey. In April, the team will begin actively recruiting new players and begin brainstorming ideas for fundraising. The next season will begin at the end of August.
Assistant coach Olli Jansson recommended fans check the team’s Instagram page @usu_hockey for the latest updates during the coming spring and summer.
Brian Kirk is a human sophomore studying journalism. When he is definitely not abducting cows, he enjoys sports, board games and Godzilla movies.
brian.kirk@usu.edu
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
Ivery much doubt that I would have remembered for more than 50 years the murder of a tenant farmer I never laid eyes on if (1) the murderer hadn’t been the father of somebody I knew, and (2) I hadn’t later on done something I was ashamed of afterwards.”
“So Long, See You Tomorrow” by William Maxwell initially seems to be a book about murder; however as one reads it, they find out it is about relationships especially those between friends.
I usually do not read fictional books, because I feel like they fall into tropes of heroes protected by plot that ultimately take the stakes away for the reader; i.e. what is the point of reading this if I know it will all work out OK for the main character? This is also one of the reasons the Marvel movies have been heavily criticized for following a generic format and not using creative skill to create compelling narratives.
OK, I will step down from my soap box now. My mind was changed on fiction because of my fiction
writing professor, Amber Caron, who had our class read this for studies in fiction. We discussed the ins and outs of the book and the true meaning of it all, because the book is a lot deeper than it seems.
The narrator starts by reflecting on the murder that took place years before writing this book. Then he does not
he made. He looks at choices as something one must regret for their entire life because they are stuck the way they are. Initially, the narrator can’t come to terms with the choices he made, although by the end of the book, the narrator has figured out how he deals with the past.
I hadn’t later on done something I was ashamed of afterwards.
— William Maxwell
follow up with the murder at all and pulls the reader into a long digression of why he is writing this book. Within those digressions, he digresses even more. In fact, about the last half of the book is the narrator speculating on what happened to his friend after he moved away not long after the murder took place, but I digress.
The narrator takes on a writing style of meandering to get to the final point he wants to make. He goes on to casually reveal how the murder happened and takes away the mystery part of reading this book, leaving room for the narrator to talk about his relationship with his friend, whose father commits suicide after committing a murder and whose mother loved the murdered person.
The whole book is about the moment Maxwell talks about in the quote above — “I hadn’t later on done something I was ashamed of afterwards.” This thing was when the narrator (whose name the reader never gets) passes his friend in a school corridor without talking to him about the murder. Rather, the narrator, as a teenager, says nothing and regrets it his entire life. They never say hi, and that is what haunts the narrator telling this story decades later.
Moreover, the narrator feels the need to write an entire book about regret and memory and how those two things function to change how we reflect on the past. The narrator wrestles with the idea that he can’t undo the choices
Maxwell makes a point to say that memories are the medium we use to access the past. But he doesn’t let the reader figure that out on the surface and makes them read deeper into the novel to unravel what he is saying. The narrator and Maxwell want the reader to understand that “what is done can be undone” when looking at the past through memories. Yes, the narrator can’t literally go into the past and fix his problems, but his mind can change what happened in the corridor he passed his friend in. He can mentally compensate for the feelings he has in the present reflecting on what happened in the past.
He changes the past in his head to protect himself and his feelings in the present moment just as he did in the corridor of the school.
Jack Johnson is not named after a singer, but a buttermilker. Everyone knows his name, but he rarely knows theirs.
— jack.johnson@usu.edu
Last week’s solution:
Sudoku puzzles are provided by www.sudokuoftheday.com.
PHOTO BY Claire Ott