Student Life | Swingin’
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Sports | Next man up
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GREEK MYTHOLOGY Fraternities and Sororities take steps to bust stereotypes
By Amy Reid SENIOR WRITER
For Ashley Lindberg, it’s the typical story. She’s at her job waiting tables when her boss gathers the staff and tells them, “We got a party coming in. It’s a fraternity banquet.” One of her coworkers groans and turns to Lindberg to complain. “I hate frat guys,” he says. Frat. The first red flag and the first sign that she is about to encounter one of the many people who harbor stereotypes toward Greeks, and — as a Kappa Delta and member of the Greek community — she has to face these
people daily. “Some people aren’t willing to give any kind of shot, and they aren’t willing to listen to anything that would change their opinion,” said Lindberg, the vice president of public relations for the Kappa Delta sorority. She said she does her best to address the stereotypes when they come up. For instance, when her coworker complained to her, she asked him what he thought about Greeks. “He was like, ‘Well, I think they’re all stupid, they’re all this, they’re all that,’” she said. “So I asked him, ‘What do you think about sorority girls?’ and he said, ‘Well, they’re all sluts.’”
When she told him she is a sorority girl, she said his mind was blown. This girl that shared a ward, classes and honor society meetings with him was in a sorority. “All these things that he never would have expected changed, and I think that changed his opinion for the better,” she said. While she is able to reach through to some, she still encounters this stereotyping throughout her day — on social media,around campus while wearing her letters and even in class. “I’ve even had professors on campus be like, ‘Oh, you’re a sorority girl, you’re stupid,’” she said. “And I’ve proved that wrong, and I’ve
had them in later classes say, she’s the one that proved this wrong, which is cool for me, but the fact that just saying I’m in a sorority means I have to fight that from the beginning.” The “dumb sorority girl” is just the beginning. Both sororities and fraternities have multiple stereotypes attached to them. The one Greeks said they hear the most is partying. “The biggest one, of course lately, is we’re full of a bunch of people that like to get drunk, party, rape and sexually assault girls,” said Conner Gery, the sergeant-atarms at Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He said about half of the new members went to Pi Kappa Alpha
GRAPHIC BY Mikayla Higley
Thursday, November 19, 2015 • www.usustatesman.com • (435)797-1742 • Free single copy
Aggies look to replace Collette’s production following his departure.
President Alex Souvall’s office asking why they were called the rape house. This affects not just Pi Kappa Alpha, but the whole Greek community. “The hardest thing for us to combat lately is, it is one individual and not a whole chapter,” said Lindberg. “Normally we have to say it’s one chapter, not the whole community, but one or two individuals have given the whole Greek community a bad name.” Some fraternities at USU are dry this year, meaning they will not allow alcohol outside of private rooms, in an attempt to clean up see GREEK page
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STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT GETS PROMOTION By Brenna Kelly COPY EDITOR
Utah State University Student Association president Trevor Sean Olsen replaced the former Utah Student Association president Monday evening. This came after the resignation of former USA president and current Weber State student body president Cash Knight. “I have no comments on my resignation, but I believe Trevor will do a fantastic job,” Knight said. “I think he is very, very qualified.” The USA executive board consists of eight student body presidents from institutions of higher education around the state. Olsen was elected by the group to executive vice president in April and is now succeeding Knight. Olsen said the biggest challenge now will be tying up the loose ends from the last presidency. “I don’t honestly think it’ll take a lot more time than it has already, because — in the least conceited way possible — I’ve kind of done most of the work anyway,” Olsen said. “The last president didn’t have a lot of time.” As Olsen’s adviser, student involvement director Linda Zimmerman will be the primary adviser for the students in the executive board of USA. Weber State is in the process of hiring a student involvement director, so Zimmerman has already helped fill that role while Olsen was the executive vice president. “I’m excited for Trevor. I think he’s got some great qualities to lead this group up. He’s very well-respected throughout the state,” Zimmerman said. “I think he’s going to take this and run with it now.” Utah Valley University student body president Dylan Swarts said he knows Olsen well and believes he will be a great president of
the association. Swarts said that on Monday night, he and Olsen were discussing their statewide initiative for the year, which is mental health. Many students in the Utah System of Higher Education are underserved when it comes to mental health resources, including Utah State, where it can take three or four weeks to have an appointment at the counseling center. “Trevor has established and been running a great mental health task force at USU, and he has provided a lot of great examples and feedback to use as we do the same on our campuses,” Swarts said. Swarts is excited for the changes that will come with Olsen’s presidency, he said. Olsen introduced the initiative of mental health — called “Stand up to Stigma” — which all the other schools adopted. “[Knight] stepped down knowing that somebody else who was more passionate about the initiative would take over and hopefully get things moving a little bit easier,” Olsen said. The student body presidents represent the interests of the students for their respective institutions in USA, but as president, Olsen’s role consists of chairing, directing and representing the group. USA works with the Utah State Board of Regents, the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Utah State Legislature and other community and government agencies. Currently, the group is working to create a video with students from around the state in order to promote mental health awareness. “He has been working hard at USU on the mental health campaign and has been a great help as we have sought to implement similar programs across the state,” said Brandon Day, Southern Utah University student body pres-
TREVOR SEAN OLSEN at the USUSA election debate last semester in the Taggart Student Center.
ident. “He is very professional, has great energy and is well-organized.” Day said Olsen is familiar with the challenges of the position and is ready to take them on. Although this change is coming almost halfway through the school year, Day believes Olsen will do a great job.
FILE PHOTO
“He clearly understands what USA is about, and because of that I think he’s going to be able to step right in,” Zimmerman said. — brennakelly818@gmail.com @bckelly8
NEWS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
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@_josiegrossie_ Every morning I wake up and remind myself that C’s get degrees and I say that 50+ more times through the day. #aggiestrife #aggielife
@EmilyDaybell
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
HALF CREDIT: With funding cuts, debate team will get half the experience with all the work
PHOTO BY Johnny Morris MEMBERS OF THE USU DEBATE team and their mentor, Tom Worthen.
By Amy Reid SENIOR WRITER
Over the weekend, the Utah State University debate team placed first in their tournament, which is much of the usual for this group. "We do very well," said Tom Worthen, the director of forensics at USU and coach of the debate team. Worthen said the team has taken first in most of its tournaments for the past 11 or 12 years, taking nationals in 2010. But due to a loss of funding, the team will have to cut the number of tournaments it attends in half, which, in turn, could turn this first-place team into just another team. "People can still compete, but not as well when they go to fewer tournaments," Worthen said. "When you go to one or two tournaments instead of three or four, it's hard to keep first." The debate team is not a budgeted item at USU, and, up until a few years ago, it was funded mostly by its coach. When the university heard of his donation, they offered to match him through departmental money, donations or other outside sources — Worthen gave $5,000, the university gave $5,000. But eventually, the money ran out. Worthen said he is grateful for what they can do with what they have, and they'll take what they can get, but it won't allow them to compete
at the same level. Mariah Andreasen, the secretary for the debate team, said the loss of funding horrifies her. "The debate team has helped me and influenced me so much," she said. Andreasen said members of the team put in approximately 12 hours a week writing, memorizing and practicing for debate, and by the time tournaments roll around, the time has added up. With only one or two tournaments, the time may not be worth it. "You put in 40 hours for two speeches you get to perform once," she said. She said this could affect membership to the team. "It makes me kind of sad that there's going to be a missed opportunity for those coming to USU," she said. The team has discussed fundraising, but Andreasen said it could limit membership and dedication more. "People could fundraise," she said, "but I know it would limit people's opportunities." Many of the students on the team are working part-time jobs in addition to school and debate, which doesn't leave much time for fundraising, she said. USU is the only team not school-funded in the North Western Forensic Conference, Worthen said. Most of the other teams give out scholarships to their members. "Utah State doesn't put pri-
ority on academic extracurricular activities as much as they do on football or basketball," Andreasen said. "There's merit to expressing yourself in an academic setting." Jeff Sonderreger, the academic senator for the college of humanities and social sciences, put the debate team's funding on his platform for election last May. "I don't mean to criticize, but it makes me question how much students are in power," Andreasen said. Sonderreger declined to comment on funding. "They compete in regional competitions and have historically done very well," said Sonderreger in an email to the Statesman. Andreasen hopes, though the funding hasn't been saved, more awareness of the issue could change that. "I think if we could show whoever is in charge of funding the merit of debate and how it has influenced so so so many people, they may be able to allocate funds," she said. Worthen said the team is always accepting donations. In the meantime, the team will continue to compete because it is good for the university and good for the students. "We all do it because we believe in the activity and it's good for the university," he said. — reid.al73@gmail.com @alreid000
Here’s to driving around the library for 20 min trying to find a parking spot after 5 #aggiestrife
@Rachlyn77 Senior Year: still gets painfully lost in the fine arts building. #aggiestrife
@G_Faylor USU may be losing a Collette, but its gaining a Denny’s. #GrandSlam
GREEK
from PAGE 1 their reputation and further emphasize that there is more to it than partying. Chris Roberts, the assistant recruitment vice president for Sigma Chi, said this was enough to keep some potential members from joining. “We said, ‘Just so you know, we’re not having any parties this year,’ and I’d say maybe 10 or 15 kids just walked out,” said Roberts. “But we’re a leadership organization. We’re here to build leaders, not to party.” Gery said while partying still happens, it is only a small part of Greek life. In order to better the image of the Greek community, Connor Maloney, the president of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, created a five-year vision that includes the goals of getting the cumulative GPA of the Greek community higher than the campus average, 40 hours minimum of service per member, $100,000 donated to charity annually and 50 percent less liquor law violations than the school’s average, all by 2020. He has applied similar goals to Delta Sigma Phi and has had success. “It’s working really well,” Maloney said. He hopes to apply his vision to the entire Greek community through the Inter-Fraternal Council, a leadership group comprised of elected members from the various fraternities at Utah State. Maloney hopes this also helps combat the stereotypes surrounding Greeks. However, there are some that couldn’t be covered by policy or have already been outlawed. Another common stereotype is the concept of Greeks paying for friends, Lindberg said. “Our money goes to a lot more than just us,” she said. “We donate to a lot of outside organizations.”
Fraternity and sorority dues go toward their respective philanthropies and back to the organization to bring speakers to share about things like leadership and networking. “We need to bring to light what the money is used for and how the brotherhood works,” Maloney said. It’s an investment in themselves, he said. But it is hard to tell from the outside, which is why members encourage those that are curious to go to the houses and learn more. “You don’t know unless you go through rush,” Gery said. However, many might be nervous because of the stereotype surrounding Greek houses participating in hazing. “We are an anti-hazing fraternity. We don’t believe it. We don’t support it. And everything we do is based on our ritual that has been approved by our nationals,” Gery said of Pi Kappa Alpha. Lindberg said the same principle is in place at both Alpha Chi Omega and Kappa Delta sororities. “There is an absolute no-hazing policy, both from our nationals and from National Panhellenic,” she said. When Greeks are faced with these stereotypes, many said they try to fix them with conversation. “I try to bring up the positives of Pike when I talk to people,” Gery said. But sometimes, talking isn’t enough. “We can talk, talk, talk, say that’s not true, that’s not true, that’s not true,” he said. “But it’s only when we bring people into our organizations that they realize that they aren’t true and there’s more to gain from joining a fraternity than there is to lose.”
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
TECH & MONEY USU extension program awarded $7.6 million grant
By Jillian McCarthy WRITER
Healthy Relationships Utah, a Utah State University extension program, recently received a $7.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Family Assistance. This grant will provide statewide healthy relationship and family life education as well as offer USU students the chance to get involved. Pamela Morrill, the project manager over the family life educators, said that this grant will allow the program to add a new class called Love Notes, as well as teach young adults in Utah’s youth detention centers and alternative high schools. Healthy Relationships Utah wants to show these youth ways to get to a better place in their relationships and in their communication. Because Healthy Relationships Utah is part of the extension system, the program extends throughout 10 Utah counties. There are four classes offered: How to Avoid Falling for a Jerk or Jerk-ette, Cou-
ple Links, Parenting with Love and Logic and Smart Steps for Stepfamilies. These classes are offered free of charge, which is why they rely on federal and state grants to keep the program running. “USU has such a variety of students that are enrolled in these classes from those looking for relationship advice, to married couples and students in Family Consumer and Human Development, or FCHD, that want more information for their majors,” said Leticia Clegg, a family life educator in the Cache, Box Elder and Weber counties. “These classes offer great information and advice to help these students with relationships.” Healthy Relationships Utah provides research opportunities for students, with this new grant as well as in the program’s classes. Clegg said that a certificate is awarded when someone completes the Parenting with Love and Logic class. She said that it is a great source for students to put on their resumes if they want to work with children. “Some of my FCHD students
PHOTO COURTESY OF USU Extension Communication and Marketing Office
(ABOVE) Brian Higginbotham
have expressed interest in being a part of this new project funded by the grant allowing us to teach these young adults in Utah’s youth detention centers and alternative high schools,” said Brian Higginbotham, Utah State University Extension associate vice president and professor in the FCHD Department. “This gives students real life experience; practicums for undergraduate students and assistantships for graduate students.” There might also be some oppor-
tunities available for students who have received a degree in any of the family sciences. “We will look at possibly hiring some additional life educators to provide services that will be offered due to the new grant,” Morrill said. Due to the funder of the grant’s request, this new project will not start until the summer or fall of 2016. This will give Healthy Relationships Utah and the family life educators time to prepare and gather resources. The grant will be
distributed over a five-month period and will also go to continue funding the Smart Steps for Stepfamilies class, since the funding for this class is almost gone; this grant will ensure that this class stays in the program. For more information on Healthy Relationships Utah, visit healthyrelationshipsutah.org. — jillian.mccarthy@ aggiemail.usu.edu
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY Kyle Todecheene
TUITION EDUCATION: WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW By Shanie Howard WRITER
Every year college students pay thousands of dollars to continue their education; how that money is spent, though, is unknown to a lot of those same students. “I don’t know. I don’t think much about it, I normally just trust the system because I don’t really know where to check it,” said Bron McCall, a mechanical engineering student at Utah State University. Others believe tuition goes towards the faculty at the university. “I hope tuition goes to paying our profes-
sors,” said Sara Albertson, a journalism major. The first thing to understand about tuition is that once it is collected, it is all put into a single “pot,” along with state tax dollars granted to universities by the Board of Regents, a government board created specifically to oversee higher education in their state. Once all that money is collected it is broken into two separate categories, called tiers. The first tier is created by the Board of Regents, which then decides how much money will be given a college, which determines how much teachers are paid. Currently, about 80% of tuition is spent on this.
The second tier is a bit more complicated. Student body officers must first decide how they want to spend the money they are given, and once they do, a public hearing for all students must be held before it can be sent off for approval by the Board of Regents before being spent. This entire process takes about a month or two. Although this process remains the same every year, tuition continues to rise. It has risen 13 percent in the past three years alone. In 1988, the price to attend a semester at Utah State was only five dollars and in less than 30 years has risen to about $3,300 for resident students. For nonresident students it is three
times that much. The reason for the enormous increase, according to David T. Cowley, USU’s vice president of business and finance, is due to government refusal of paying for university inflations. “There are inflations in every industry, including higher education… States have chosen that they either cannot or will not keep up with the inflationary costs of providing higher education,” Cowley said. Because of this lack of government funding, USU is forced to continue rising the price of tuition to make up the difference. — shaniehoward214@gmail.com
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
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STUDENT LIFE
Vampire-hunting kit gifted to USU folklore professor By Whitney Howard WRITER
Lynne McNeill, a folklore professor at Utah State University, is giving Buffy the Vampire Slayer a run for her money. It all began when Dee Ansbergs, a USU graduate student alumni, enrolled in McNeill's summer workshop on vampires years ago. Ansbergs had moved to Massachusetts, where she still lives and works as an anthropology and folklore professor. She flew to Utah knowing that McNeill, one of her favorite professors at Utah State, was teaching the class. The idea came when Ansbergs saw a picture of a vampire-hunting kit from the 1700s on a Facebook board. "I casually made a comment saying, 'Oh, that would be a really cool display to take around to schools to talk about folklore.' The next thing you know, someone's saying, 'You should do it,' and people are mailing me things," Ansbergs said. Between frequenting antique stores in Massachusetts — Ansbergs left her wishlist and contact information with some — people began mailing her items from all over the world. The items she couldn't find, she built with the help of her carpenter husband. Eventually, Ansbergs was able to acquire enough relics for two kits. Ansberg said McNeill would not only find the vampire-slaying kit handy as an educational tool, but wanted to present it as a token of her appreciation. "Dr. McNeill has had a huge impact in my life — personally and academically," Ansbergs said. "USU is very lucky to have her." McNeill, uncharacteristically, was speechless when she received the gift. "Seriously, when I opened this gift, my mind was blown. For literally a day, I just couldn't even articulate any statements about it," McNeill said. "I've had students write me thank you notes before, but this is above and beyond." The vampire slaying kit is a three-compart-
ment, velvet-lined briefcase with a trove of surprises. The items inside include stakes and daggers, a non-firing cap and ball pistol, an antique billy club, blood and wax candles, crucifixes, crosses, multiple items made from silver or iron, holy water, a book of the Catechism, garlic oil, salt from the Dead Sea and holy soil from Israel. Accompanying the kit is a two-page list compiled by Ansbergs detailing what each item is, how old it is, where it came from and how it relates to vampire folklore. "It's charmingly funny, the way she's written all of these things," McNeill said. "'The wooden mallet and the cup are used together. Use with wooden cup to crush herbs wolfsbane and hemlock. Do not ingest. Give to vampire.'" McNeill said she was always interested in the supernatural, and realizing her interests could be studied academically was exciting. "I was interested in fairy tales and took my first folklore class as an undergraduate and spent the whole semester going like, 'You can study this? This is real? This is a degree you can earn?'" McNeill said. "Then when I did my master's degree, I started studying legends and the supernatural and it was just like, 'Another thing that I think is so awesome that is also folklore.' My career path was set at that point, pretty much." McNeill finds monster mythology interesting, in part, because of its ability to examine the humanity alongside it. Vampire folklore has posed many questions since its origin in the 1600s, including how one controls urges, whether a person could stay entertained and engaged if they were immortal, if ultimate power corrupts ultimately and how to handle a person who is bad news — even biblically, demonically so, McNeill said. "This is what, of course, folklore has always let us do as a society, is talk about these things in an abstract way, in a way that isn't as emotionally charged as if we were truly dealing with it ourselves, but a way that lets us symbolically ask those questions," McNeill said. With the vampire-slaying kit, Ansbergs not
PHOTO BY Kyle Todecheene
THE THIRD COMPARTMENT SHOWS the holy water, garlic oil and cross, among other things.
only wants to show gratitude to McNeill, but hopes that this inspires students to get more involved in folklore and begin projects of their own. "Without teachers who excite students... we lose a huge amount of knowledge and information that is really important in life," Ansbergs said. "Folklore and legends and mythol-
ogy are vital pieces of our survival as a species." — whitney.howard@aggiemail.usu.edu
@omgwhitshutup
Utah State draws in students from all over the world
PHOTO BY Dane Rasmussen ANDREW SIMPSON (23) CHOSE USU for many reasons, but one of the main reasons was to climb.
By Nadia Searle WRITER
Utah State University is notorious for its student body’s enthusiasm and school spirit. But where some members of that student body call
home and why they are here is not so well-known. Many students have a variety of reasons and experiences that prompted them to come to Utah State. “I went to nationals for
gymnastics and I met the coach here,” said Kailey Morrissey, an exercise science sophomore and New York native. “And I didn’t have a school yet at that point, so she talked to me for a while.”
After hearing what USU was like, she was intrigued by the idea of coming to school here. The school, from the words of the Utah State gymnastics coach, appeared to be promising.
“In July my dad was like, ‘You should just fly out to Utah State because it’s really cheap and check it out,’” Morrissey said. “So I did, and I really loved it. So I came here, and I applied at the end of July, registered for classes in August and now I’m here.” For those like freshmen Kelsie Boswell, a native of Nibley, Utah, growing up near Utah State provided her with a different perspective of Utah State. “I like that everyone’s nice, and willing to help you,” she said. “Like you can go and ask anybody anything. And you can start conversations with people pretty easily too. They are all really social.” Although some people from Nibley want to get out of Cache Valley, Boswell remained firm in her decision to attend Utah State. “I’ve been down on other college campuses and they are just not the same,” she said. She said the size of Utah State is perfect in terms of getting involved, being social and still maintaining that
college campus feel. She has been able to meet many different people at her time at Utah State, including Daxi Zhang, a first-year graduate student in the aerospace engineering program. Zhang came to Utah State from China in 2011, but ended up staying for reasons other than education. “I like the weather,” Zhang said. “During the winter, I like skis. I like that it’s quiet here, so you can enjoy a lot of time in nature. It’s a great way just to enjoy life.” The director of admissions, Katie Nielsen, said multiple factors come into play when it come to students deciding on Utah State. “Academics, involvement and location give students a true college experience at Utah State,” Nielsen said. “We are ranked in the top 3 percent of Carnegie research institutions. We have the largest residential campus in Utah with 84 percent of our students living away from home, giving a great student life.” — nadia8searle@gmail.com
STUDENT LIFE
PAGE 5
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
BIG-BAND SWING AND THE OCCASIONAL ROMANCE
PHOTO BY Dane Rasmussen THE BIG-BAND SWING CLUB TEARS up the dance floor Thursday night in room 102 in the HPER building.
By Kortni Wells WRITER
Kristopher Luthy didn’t ever picture himself dating someone on a competitive big-band swing dancing team, but when he met Maunia Julander, his perspective changed. Last semester, Luthy had returned from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said he hadn’t quite transitioned back into college life when he met Julander at a dance class. But he didn’t ask her out — not that semester anyway. It wasn’t until after a summer apart that Luthy began dating Julander. “We went on the perfect first date,” Luthy said. “Mountain top sunsets, stargazing, shooting stars, classic rock, Jeeping, romantic first kiss in a hammock under the shooting stars, and things have just gone great from there. I’m just lucky to be dating her. It’s been the best couple of months.” Not every swing dance class experience
ends with a relationship, but there are other opportunities in the club. The swing club is an on-campus organization that has over 200 members and meets weekly on Thursday nights in HPER 102 for dance lessons and social dancing. Those involved are mainly Utah State University students, but anyone interested in learning is welcome to join. “Big-band swing is the term for various styles of dance that were popular from the 20s to the 50s, mainly Charleston, Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug,” said Brittany Daniels, one of two lead instructors for the swing club. “These styles are unique to American culture because they are one of the only styles of dance truly native to our country.” The club meets the first and third Saturday of each month to perform at the Elite Hall in Hyrum, Utah. On Dec. 5, the club will even perform to live music from local jazz and swing band, CC Big Band.
Is multitasking a good thing? Miranda Lorenc THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
College often feels like a circus act. Each week I juggle my classes, jobs, assignments and social life — all the while balancing the tight rope of health. How are we, college students, able to manage all these things and still have time for the basic necessities of life such as eating, showering and sleeping? Through multitasking, of course. Our generation has grown up in a stimulating world of developing technology, and multitasking has become pretty much second nature. Even as I write this column, I have Youtube playing music and Facebook giving me notifications. I have tabs open to email, Canvas and Google along many other pages. Is this productive? Probably not. I could probably do with closing a few tabs and turning all my attention to what I'm writing. I could turn off the music and sit with the sound of quiet punctuated by roommates and neighbors all around me. But I probably won't. Mostly because I like to have music playing while I'm writing, movie soundtracks especially. Music helps me focus on what I'm doing and I'm able to tune out a lot of distractions with it. Don't get me wrong, music can be distracting too. I know having too many things going on at the same time splits my attention in
many different directions and takes away from the quality of what I'm working on. On the other hand, multitasking also lets me get more things done in a timely fashion. By multitasking, I can have more than one project going at once, switching back and forth between tasks so I can use my time more efficiently and finish all the things I need to get done faster. That's part of the juggling act, and it may not produce the best results, but it means I have more time to do the other things in my life that need to be done, like taking care of myself, finishing other assignments or working that extra shift at work. I'll admit it, sometimes I'll drop something, a commitment or project, by accident or I'll set them to the side so I can focus on the things that demand more immediate attention. I've discovered that there is a limit on how much each person is able to handle when it comes to multitasking. Some can manage several things at once, while others have trouble focusing when there is too much going on. And sometimes it just depends on what's going on or the level of stress. No matter your ability to multitask, I think there will come a time for everyone where it's nice to just put everything down for a while. Take a break from distractions every so often to give the brain some rest and get away from all the stimulation in the world. Juggling can be fun, but it can also be exhausting after a while. — Miranda Lorenc double majors in biology and technical writing. She also has two jobs and when she's not doing homework, she's writing for Aggie Radio Theater. You can reach her at miranda.lorenc@gmail.com or on Twitter @miranda_lorenc
There is also a competitive team set to compete in intercollegiate competitions later in the year. The other is a performance team, also known as Swing Set, a team that performs all over Utah. “I love making new friends and getting to learn new things about what I’m passionate about,” said Julander, a member of Swing Set. “I usually prioritize dance and make time for practice by not scheduling things at night until I know my dance practice schedule. I think the most challenging part is making every move perfect so that it looks good when you perform it.” Both teams usually meet once or twice a week to perfect the routines they will be competing and performing. “Dance is so much more than just moving your body while music is in the background. It’s a form of communication,” Daniels said. For those less sure of their swing dancing abilities, there are also big-band swing classes taught on campus by Daniels and Joseph
Mullen. These classes meet twice a week and cover a wide variety of big band styles and steps. “My favorite thing is when I can take someone who is convinced they can’t dance, and turn dance into something that they love,” Daniels said. “I love the lightbulb moment that comes when a move clicks for someone who has been struggling, and how happy they are to have accomplished what they thought they couldn’t.” Not every swing class experience ends like Luthy’s — once in a swing dance class with a crush, now a member of Swing Set and in a relationship. And Luthy said learning new dances and piecing together dance routines is a different process on a competitive team. “The learning of a new dance can often be very fast-paced,” he said. “I find time for it because it’s a ridiculous amount of fun.” — kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu
IT’S JUST A CUP Whitney Howard HOW’S THE WORD
If you have a Facebook account and an Internet connection, you've probably heard about the red Starbucks cup "controversy." You're also tired of hearing about it, but I wanted to throw my hat into the ring and share my opinions anyway. Just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, Starbucks released the design for their 2015 holiday cups, which are a tradition of sorts. Starbucks forewent traditional holiday symbols for a simple, classic design — a solid red cup with the green Starbucks logo. By not singling out any one particular holiday, Starbucks vice president Jeffrey Fields told CNN that Starbucks, as a company, "wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories." Meanwhile, some people lost their ever-loving minds.Joshua Feuerstein, an evangelist and self-proclaimed social media personality, claimed, "Starbucks removed Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus." And the removal of Christmas symbols is a "war on Christmas."Feuerstein began a campaign called #MerryChristmasStarbucks. In this campaign, people are challenged to say "Merry Christmas" in lieu of their name when ordering. Baristas will write the sentiment boldly in black permanent marker, adding the
Christmas spirit that the cups — in Feurstein's opinion — lack. If you honestly believe Christmas is at stake because of a cup, you've got bigger problems. I'll never understand how including other religions and holidays — or at least not singling any one out as superior — is meant to be an attack on the majority. I don't know anyone — Christian or non-Christian — who is actually offended by a minimal holiday cup design. This is by no means meant to be a general attack on Christians, most of whom I know are reasonable and respectful people. This is more-so aggravation toward the fact that some individuals can be so intolerant that any attempt to be inclusive, a mere whiff of another belief or value, can send them into a rage. In the grand scheme of things a cup is insignificant, especially when it's a product offered by a company you don't have to give your business to. You can boycott or troll a company for not being Christmas-y or Jesus-y enough if you really want to, but I will also give you side-eye for it. If you're psyched for this time of year, by all means, adorn your living room with as many Christmas trees and nativity scenes as it will hold. Tell people "Merry Christmas" with joy and sincerity. Just remember, not everyone thinks, feels or believes the same, and take an extra moment from your day to acknowledge and understand. And if a cup makes you feel singled out or attacked, reevaluate your priorities. — Whitney Howard is a Christmas and coffee lover who gets fired up when people are intolerant jerkwaffles. Contact her at whitney. howard@aggiemail.usu.edu or on Twitter @ omgwhitshutup.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
STUDENT LIFE
PAGE 6
Winter blues strike again, affecting both students and professors
PHOTO BY Kyle Todecheene
USU STUDENT RYAN HARLOW By Ashley Stilson WRITER
Winter is coming, and daylight hours are decreasing along with the temperatures. The cold winds and snow can bring somber
faces and downcast eyes to those all over campus. The change in season also brings winter blues, otherwise known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Some students and profes-
sors at Utah State University are no strangers to seasonal depression, but there are many ways to perk up before spring comes. Lorelle Frank, a creative writing USU graduate, has coped with seasonal depression since her junior year in high school. Since coming to college, she said the effects become more prominent. “It’s usually fatigue and not feeling happy or not feeling anything,” Frank said. “Not enjoying things I usually enjoy. Sometimes during the winter it’s hard to make myself do things or feel like I want to.” Other symptoms of seasonal depression include oversleeping, negative thoughts and feelings, apathy, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, insomnia and inability to deal with stress, according to the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association website. Seasonal affective disorder affects half a million people every winter. People ages 18 to 30 are more prone to seasonal depression, and three out of four of those with SAD are women, according to the Mental Health America website. English professor Bonnie Moore has dealt with seasonal depression since her first winter in Cache Valley in 2004. “I absolutely have been affected by seasonal affective disorder,” Moore said. “When Cache Valley gets prolonged periods of inversion, it really gets to me.” Cache Valley residents face inversion every winter, when stagnant cold air is trapped in the valley and traps local pollutants, according to the Utah and Utah/Idaho Area Designations for the 24-hour fine particle national ambient air quality standards. According to the report, “During episodes
such as this, emissions increase because more home-heating occurs due to the cold temperatures. The low sun angle, short length of the days during winter months, and strong likelihood of snow cover to reflect the solar radiation are all factors that limit daytime surface heating and aggravate the situation. As a result, some inversions may not break for many days.” Coping with seasonal depression can be done through all types of methods. “When I’m depressed, I do my homework,” said Willson Higham, a sophomore majoring in accounting. “Doing something productive makes me feel good. When I can see visible progress in my school work it makes me feel productive. Or cooking something for other people.” Frank works on keeping busy and distracted to alleviate her seasonal depression. “For me, just being distracted is good,” she said. “Trying to keep myself busy, surrounding myself with people that make me do things. Once I get going, it’s easier to keep doing the things that are on list.” The lack of natural sunlight is often a contributor to SAD, so Moore seeks out sun as often as she can. “I manage it in four ways,” she said. “I listen to upbeat, happy music. I try to read a funny or a play on words at least once a day to get a laugh. I watch funny videos. And every time I get the chance, I head to the high country to get into the sunlight.” — ashley.ruth.stilson@aggiemail.usu.edu
PAGE 7
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
SPORTS
AGGIES LOOK TO GO BOWLING AGAINST WOLFPACK By Ben Fordham WRITER
Utah State will look to snap a two-game losing streak on Saturday against Nevada at home in Maverik Stadium. Nevada has won three of its last four games and gained bowl eligibility with a 37-34 win over San Jose State last week in Reno. The Wolfpack have posted a 6-4 record to this point in the season and are 4-2 in the MW. Following a disappointing 35-28 loss on the road to the Air Force Academy last week, USU is looking for a way to save its season that once had hopes of a Mountain West Championship. The Aggies are now 5-5 on the season and 4-3 in MW play. “That was a tough loss. It’s two weeks in a row that the game has gone down to the wire, really in the last possession of the ballgame, and we haven’t come out victorious either time,” said Utah State head coach Matt Wells. “If we find a couple of plays here and there, around four or five in the last two weekends, we’re sitting here with a pretty good season, too.” USU must win at least one of their remaining games to become bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season. “We want to be in a bowl game — there’s no question about that,” Wells said. “We’ve lost the last two weeks and we can’t go back and change that. But we can control our attitude, our effort and our mindset and give everything we’ve got to this program for the next two weeks as coaches, first of all, and then as players.”
Following a marquee victory over Boise State on Oct. 16, the Aggies have done the opposite of the Wolfpack and dropped three of their last four games. “I don’t think our preparation has been less and it hasn’t been any less focused,” Wells said. “We’ve had two games on the road where we didn’t make enough plays, either at the end of the game or some series in the middle of the game. We’ve made those plays in the last couple of years, but we didn’t make them this time.” Nevada is a veteran team, led on offense by junior wide receiver Hasaan Henderson with 608 receiving yards on the season. “I see a quarterback that’s got two really good receivers,” Wells said. “Hasaan Henderson is a long and lanky receiver that catches the ball out in front of his body. He is very talented.” On defense, the Wolfpack are also experienced and strong. “I see a front seven with all seniors, and they’re very experienced,” Wells said. “They’ve played a lot of football on defense for Nevada. Those four defensive lineman, collectively as a group, are as an aggressive upfield defensive line as we’ve seen since maybe in the middle of the year.” Saturday’s game will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Maverick Stadium. — benfordhamsix@gmail.com @bfordham6
PHOTOS BY Kylee Larsen
(TOP) DEVANTE MAYS runs down the field against Washington on Sept. 19. (BOTTOM) HUNTER SHARP jukes Washington defenders en route to a 31-17 loss to the Huskies in Seattle.
NO By Kalen Taylor SPORTS EDITOR
The Aggies are in the midst of a mental breakdown that I’m not sure can be fixed. Utah State’s football team could have been in the Mountain West Championship and a high-quality bowl game. But things didn’t pan out. The pass offense has performed well. The pass defense has played good. So has the run defense and rush offense. The problem is, none of those things are consistent. One phase of the team chooses to have a big game each week, but that’s not enough to win. You have to be consis-
tently good at everything. Nevada has won three straight games and already gained bowl eligibility. One of Nevada’s six wins even came against Aggie-nemesis New Mexico. The Wolfpack beat the Lobos handily 35-17. I hope USU wins, but I just don’t know what will happen anymore. The Aggies no longer play with heart. I think the team crumbles and loses two straight home games ending the bowl game streak. — kalen.s.taylor@ gmail.com @kalen_taylor
WILL USU GET TO A BOWL GAME? STATE YOUR CASE
YES By Joe Baraiolo WRITER
We have seen how good the football team can be. Kent Meyers has been solid all year through the air with 14 touchdowns, two interceptions and a QBR of 154.1. The run game has been strong. Devante Mays averages 5.8 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns. Defensively, Utah State secondary is currently ranked 14th nationally, along with the famous Aggie front seven led by Nick Vigil, Kyler Fackrell, and David Moala. The problem with this team isn’t a lack of talent. Injuries to the defensive line allowed San Diego
State to run for 334 yards and Wyoming to run for 270 yards, and it seemed to have a mental effect on the team. Luckily, the Aggies are now healthy and will finish the season with two home games against Nevada and BYU. USU currently has a 13game home winning streak, and I don’t see that ending this year. The Aggies will win both games, along with their fourth straight bowl game victory. — joebaraiolo@ gmail.com @joefish_2
SPORTS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
PAGE 8
AGGIES LOOK TO FILL COLLETTE’S VOID
PHOTOS BY Matthew Halton
(LEFT) JALEN MOORE SHOOTS A FREETHROW against Adams State on Tuesday. (RIGHT) QUINN TAYLOR DRIVES to the basket in a 83-68 win against Adams State in the Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum. By Thomas Sorenson SENIOR WRITER
On Nov. 10, the Utah State men’s basketball team was just three days away from a difficult season-opening game at Weber State. As the only team in the Mountain West to return all five starters from a season ago, the Aggies had experience and proven playmaking at all five positions. One day later, the Aggies announced the departure of sophomore forward David Collette. The loss of last season’s second-leading scorer (and second-leading rebounder, as well as the team’s leader in blocks and steals) just two days before the season opener put the Aggies in the unenviable position of needing to retool the offensive gameplan on the fly. “We have an offensive identity
that we’ve got to change a little bit,” said head coach Tim Duryea. USU has handled the change admirably, though, beating Weber State on Friday and handling Division II Adams State in the home opener on Tuesday. Still, Duryea admitted that the Aggies have not completely overcome Collette’s loss yet. “It’s still there,” Duryea said. “We’ve got to retool some things and we haven’t had a chance to do that, so no, it’s not behind us yet. The offensive results have been inconsistent so far. “It’s going to be a little up and down I think… as far as our low post scoring,” Duryea said. “The other night at Weber it was really good, [Tuesday] not so much.” “I think guys are kind of just getting around the fact that he’s not on the team anymore,” said junior forward Jalen Moore.
While the low-post scoring through two games has had some ebb and flow to it, the three players that have played the majority of the open minutes – sophomore Elston Jones, junior Lew Evans and freshman Quinn Taylor – have each shown the ability to impact games on the offensive side of the floor. Evans provided a spark off the bench against Weber State, scoring 17 points and grabbing five rebounds while shooting 7 of 9 from the field. He was less productive against Adams State, but Taylor picked up the slack and nearly recorded a double-double in his second career game, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds. Six of the points – including an emphatic put-back dunk – came during a 10-0 run by the Aggies that turned a two-point deficit into an eight-point lead that they never relinquished.
Jones, for his part, has received the starting nod in each game and has been consistent, scoring six points and four rebounds in the first game and eight points and another four rebounds in the second game. A sequence late in the first half of Tuesday’s game, though, showed that Jones’ potential impact is greater than what the numbers show. Moore rebounded a missed shot by the Grizzlies and brought the ball up the floor. Jones, who had beaten the defense back and established himself under the hoop, received the ball in the post and then passed it to senior guard Darius Perkins in the corner when Perkins’ man doubled down on Jones. Perkins swung the ball back to Moore at the top of the 3-point arc, who calmly hit the wide-open shot to give the Aggies a 14-point lead. Jones’ impact on that play isn’t listed anywhere in the box score,
but his early hustle forced the defense to scramble, eventually leading to Moore’s open shot. “Guys have to step up and I think that’s what people are doing,” Moore said. “Other people have to do what [Collette] did for us last year and I think guys are stepping up and doing that just fine.” The Aggies will need to iron out the kinks quickly, as they travel to Durham, North Carolina to play defending national champion Duke University on Nov. 29. Utah State hosts Union University on Friday at 7:00 and Utah Valley University on Tuesday at 7:00 before a stretch of three consecutive road games, beginning at Duke. — thomas.sorenson@ aggiemail.usu.edu @tomcat340
Sports writers have to earn more access to athletes Logan Jones TRAIL BLAZIN’
New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall is a blessing to professional football. He’s one of those rare athletes who speaks his mind and doesn’t concern himself with his public image. As I watched him discuss the connection between the media and players on Tuesday night’s “Inside the NFL,” I couldn’t help but listen as he expounded on the troubles players face when it comes to sports media. Marshall said the media’s invasive questioning is “an epidemic,” and that he personally believes the me-
dia has too much access — specifically citing the frequent post-shower interviews minutes after the end of a game while players are merely trying to get dressed. Here’s something I’ve been meaning to get off my chest for a while — I don’t generally like sports reporters. From my few years of experience in this field, I’ve come to learn that most of them have no regard for what an interview is like for an athlete. I’ve looked on as a small mob of local beat writers backed Aggie hoopster Chris Smith against a wall and drilled him with questions minutes after a tough loss. I’ve seen frustration brewing under the surface of USU football head coach Matt Wells’ generally stoic expression because of needlessly intrusive inquiries. I’ve witnessed Stew Morrill, an Aggie legend notorious for his disdain for all things media, stare at a fellow reporter in disbelief after he was asked to repeat his response to an earlier question be-
cause said reporter had arrived late to the post-game presser. To put it bluntly, sports reporters can be jerks. They forget these coaches and players aren’t just names and numbers on a game book. They forget to think of injuries as the emotionally taxing challenges they so often are. They don’t even let teams digest a tough loss before asking them to assign blame. But failing to put themselves in the shoes of their interviewees is just half of the problem. It’s also commonplace for sports writers to entirely forget about the storytelling element of journalism, and replace it with an unending search for a scandal that never surfaces. The beauty of sport is that it’s pure unscripted entertainment — so many stories are begging to be shared. Tales of personal struggle, of overcoming odds, of comebacks and setbacks and unexpected quarterbacks all just waiting for a writer with enough sense to ask about it to
knit it all together into a good read. Instead, too many sports writers waste everyone’s time and patience searching for non-existent dirt on an unfortunate coach or looking to expose a player for some inconsequential wrongdoing. Here’s where I depart from Marshall’s sentiments. There are good writers out there looking to tell stories that ought to be told, but they cannot do it without access — and access still doesn’t guarantee trust. To write a good story — and more importantly, an honest one — reporters have to have access to athletes, but they must also earn their trust. Reporters have to be able to level with players like they’re normal people, since outside of the arena that’s exactly what they are. Players need to know journalists aren’t just trying to jot something down before deadline. They need to know they’re being interviewed out of genuine interest in their thoughts and feelings and views, and not because they happened to be the
team’s leading scorer that particular night. We’ve seen what distrust of the media looks like — Marshawn Lynch famously ripped Super Bowl reporters back in February for not really caring what he had to say. Honestly it was sort of beautiful to watch a running back school a bunch of journalists at their own game. It shouldn’t be that way though. If good sports writing is to survive, it’ll start with using the limited access we do have to assure athletes we can be trusted. Not to paint everything these players ever do in a positive, welcoming light, but to be fair and firm and truly interested in what they have to say. Sports writers ought to quit looking for a good quote, and start looking for a good story. — Logan Jones is a junior majoring in journalism. Contact him with feedback at Logantjone@aggiemail. usu.edu or on Twitter @Logantj.
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PAGE 10
OPINION Message to U.S. Governers: Get over it
Jeffrey Dahdah CARDINAL RULE
I wish I could say that I’m surprised. I really wish that I could. But unfortunately the fact that more than half of the state governors in the United States have said they will not take Syrian refugees isn’t surprising. It is frustrating, maddening, sad — but not surprising. It is predictable.
It shows that most Americans are still not over their prejudice of the Middle East. Well, get over it. It seems obvious to say this, but a handful of terrible people don’t represent an entire geographic region. It sounds so obvious that I didn’t think anyone needed to say it. But apparently someone needs to tell our elected officials. At the time that I am writing this ,31 state governors have said they don’t want Syrian refugees since the Paris and Beirut attacks. Apparently they don’t realize that is the exact reason that the refugees exist. They exist because they are escaping the living hell of the Syrian Civil War. It’s a war with no rules. The govern-
ment kills its people, the rebels kill their people, the terrorists kill everyone. Hell. Governors of our states are actually actively trying to deny huge groups of people an escape. They are trying to deny these people the same privileges that they happened to be born into. It’s selfish. It is also accepted and even applauded by many Americans. I will say that I have never been more proud of an elected official in Utah as when Gov. Gary Herbert said that Utah will take refugees. But I shouldn’t have to be proud. That should be the norm. But it’s not.
Other governors cite security concerns, but this wouldn’t be an issue if these were European or Asian refugees. This isn’t an issue of security for them, it’s an issue of prejudice. Prejudice against not just an organization, or a single ethnic group, or even a country. It is prejudice against an entire geographic region. I am a citizen of Jordan. When I was younger I would go to Jordan for three or four weeks periodically and enjoy Arab culture and people. When I would come back I experienced the same shock every time. People view every single person in the Middle East the same: radical. It is a terrible misrepresentation of these people and far from the truth.
Yet socially, Americans are okay with discriminating against Arabs. It’s both subtle and broad; it’s both on the street and online. Now it is spilling into our government’s ability to be humane and compassionate to a displaced and traumatized group of people. It’s been like this for as long as I can remember. Get over it. — Jeffrey is a senior majoring in journalism and minoring in religious studies. He has dual citizenship to Jordan and the U.S. He loves the Middle East. You can reach him at dahdahjm@gmail.com or on Twitter @dahdahjeff.
Connecting orangutans to your ramen noodles Darren Bingham GO GREEN
I have a riddle for you. What is used in chocolate, is destroying orangutan habitat, and precooks your Ramen Noodles? Palm oil. Ever heard of it? Well you should. It is in almost half of all packaged products in the supermarket. The most common items to contain palm oil are foods, body products, cosmetics and cleaning agents. Unfortunately, determining whether or not a product contains palm oil is easier said than done because it can be identified in a variety of ways. Currently, there are over 20 names used to identify palm oil in a products label. With large scale deforestation in Indonesia using fire to clear land for new palm oil plantations, global carbon emissions have spiked. So far in 2015, there have been over 100,000 fires and many have gotten out of control. These fires in Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra rainforests emit more carbon pollution per day then all U.S. economic activities. The Global Fire Emissions Database reports that the “emissions from these fires over a three-week period are already higher than the total annual CO2 emissions of Germany.” This helps explain why global deforestation accounts for close to 20 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Indonesia has the world’s third largest rainforests and produces over 50 percent of all palm oil. These rainforest fires occur on top of peatlands, emitting up to 10 times more methane than other types of fires. This monoculture palm crop replaces thousands of square miles of once carbon-sequestering trees. With gigantic plantations replacing animal habitat, native wildlife is either displaced or killed. Not only is Western consumption endangering species habitats but entire ecosystems as a whole. For example, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has classified, “the Bornean orangutan as endangered with approximately 55,000 left with 5,000 killed a year. The Sumatran orangutan is critically en-
dangered, with approximately 6,300 left and 1,000 being killed a year.” As chainsaws close in, The Orangutan Project is fighting to save these beautiful creatures. It is the work of nonprofits that help facilitate the safe capture of wild orangutans to relocate them to protected forests. Humans are 97 percent genetically identical to these species, and we should be nicer to our distant cousins. Of greatest concern is the complete ethnocide of the indigenous people of the forests. With little to no warning, they are pushed aside to make way for large-scale plantations. Many of these people have lived off the land and have no other way of life. Their culture must redefine itself and its people. Some men find jobs working on the plantations and others move to the city to work in factories. Most women and children are forced to work for pennies a day. All too often, these people are taken advantage of by others and forced to live in industrialized poverty. The suffering of these people comes as a direct result of palm oil consumption. We cannot blame this all on packaged goods, since over a third of all palm oil is exported to China and India for cooking mainly noodles. Since, all humans are personally driving the extinction of the orangutans, tigers and indigenous cultures in Indonesia; we must do something to stop it. This issue will require all stakeholders to come to the table and play ball. Both businesses and consumers must work together with farmers to evaluate the crops’ complete supply chain and reflect the true cost of all externalities in the price of palm oil. Society needs to consider all alternatives to palm oil and look into phasing it out of products. To make an impact, speak out for the wild animals being silenced by unsustainable palm oil production. Be the consumer that demands better, more sustainable farming practices. Begin reading the food and product labels that you purchase. You can make a difference. Learn about your palm oil consumption and begin with small changes. Be the change you wish to see. —Darren is a super senior majoring in environmental studies. He wishes one day to work for large buisnesses as their sustainability consultant. Darren strives everyday to improve the status quo. Shoot him an email if you want to talk at darren.bingham@aggiemail.usu.edu or on twitter @darrenbusu.
MY CHRISTMAS-MUSIC-BEFORE-THANKSGIVING-CONFESSION Katherine Lambert I’D TYPE THAT
This is coming from a very anti-Christmas-music-before-Thanksgiving person. In the eyes of all anti-Christmas-music-before-Thanksgiving people, I have sinned. It was Nov. 3. I was alone in my apartment studying snugged up in a fleece blanket sipping hot chocolate. It was quiet, so I reached for my phone to put on a little study music. Two hours later, I was stunned to find myself singing “Jingle Bell Rock” horribly off-key. How this happened, I’m not quite sure. The events leading up to the Christmas station playing on my Pandora app are a little blurry. But from what I can piece together, these factors played a significant role in my music selection: 1. Baby, it was cold outside. 2. It was a silent night. 3. My homework was due on a midnight clear.
Oh the subtlety of Christmas carols! I stood little to no chance against their wiley ways. Once infected with this “holiday cheer,” I found it spread quickly. By the end of the week, I was watching “Christmas with the Kranks,” shopping online for gifts and looking up Christmas cookie recipes on Pinterest. I was Christmas-music-before-Thanksgiving terminal. It was time to go cold turkey. I shifted my focus back to one of the most over-looked holidays of all time, Thanksgiving. Cast in the shadow of Christmas, this holiday is not always easy to focus on. But bit-by-bit I was able to crawl out of my Christmas-music-before-Thanksgiving trance into an attitude of thanksgiving. Every day is a struggle. I sometimes relapse. “Santa Baby,” “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “I’ll be Home for Christmas” are just too popular on radio stations. But I pick myself up. I think of cranberry sauce. I think of candied yams. I think of mashed potatoes. I think of turkey. For those of you struggling with Christmas music before Thanksgiving, stay strong. There will be all of December to indulge in holiday music. For now, enjoy the other holiday, the one about thanks. — Katie Lambert is a print journalism senior graduating in December. She loves running outside, reading and occasionally eating her weight in Swedish Fish.You can email her at katie.l.lambert26@ gmail.com or message her on Twitter @klamb92.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
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Horoscope Nov. 23 - 29 By Jennifer Shepherd THE LIPSTICK MYSTIC
Aries: March 21 — April 19 Issues of justice and equality are on your mind, thanks to Saturn. If you’ve been doing all the work in your relationship, you might complain about it. Or if you’re dealing with legal or contractual negotiations, you’ll demand favorable terms. Taurus: April 20 — May 20 You won’t have much patience with lovers who don’t support you. The moon is inspiring you to issue some demands. Maybe your on-again, off-again guy has become annoying since he won’t commit. State your intentions and give voice to your desires. Gemini: May 21 — June 21 There’s a funky full moon in your sign, and this is making you a little weird. You could decide to get all freaky with your lover, proposing some unusual and lusty activities. Or you might decide to do something spontaneous and creative, like doing stand-up comedy. Cancer: June 22 — July 22 Relationships are feeling weird. You’re not sure if you want to be in one or you want to be alone. The important thing is to feel balanced within yourself. Maybe things are just too hectic right now for you to properly focus on a romance. The moon says be honest. Leo: July 23 — Aug. 22 People are demanding a lot of you right now, and you could feel overwhelmed. It’s hard keeping a strict schedule and tending to every little task and every responsibility. The sun says carve out some time to hit a spa, giggle with a friend or take a long bike ride. Virgo: Aug. 23 — Sept. 22 A financial and professional breakthrough is in the works, thanks to Jupiter. Maybe you’ll finally land that dream job. If you’re still in school, maybe you’ll receive an award or a killer recommendation from a famous professor. Your hard work is definitely paying off. Libra: Sept. 23 — Oct. 23 You and your lover will enjoy intense
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times of pleasure this week, thanks to the moon. Make sure you can focus on your honey and give him or her your full attention. You’ll be caught up in sensual, physical and ecstatic vibrations. Scorpio: Oct. 24 — Nov. 2 You could be drawn to someone who is more intellectual and emotionally disconnected than you are. Sometimes opposites really do attract! The moon is bringing you some opportunities to learn about people who have a very different outlook on life. Sagittarius: Nov. 22 — Dec. 21 You could experience a restless energy this week, thanks to Mercury. It’s important to stay on the move. Get a lot of exercise. Keep a busy schedule. Surround yourself with lots of people. And see if you can arrange to do some short or long distance traveling, which will be fun. Capricorn: Dec. 22 — Jan.19 Stay focused on what you really want and don’t let anybody or anything get in your way. It’s possible your honey supports you but still doesn’t completely understand that you need to push hard to achieve your goals right now. Don’t be distracted. Aquarius: Jan. 20 — Feb. 18 Mars is giving you extra energy, and you might need to burn some of it off. Indulge in some sweaty and sensual rendezvous with your honey. Go jogging, biking or hiking, and sweat some of that tension out. Pisces: Feb. 19 — March 20 You could encounter someone whose culture, religion or ethnic background has very opposing views from yours. It’s a great opportunity to learn and to communicate with someone fascinating. You could even experience an intense flirtation. — Jennifer Shepherd, the Lipstick MysticŽ, is an astrologer and syndicated columnist with over 2 million readers. For mystical fun and psychic insights visit www.lipstickmystic.com.
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