Student Life | Hackathon
see PAGE 6
Sports | “Meet and Greet” Monday, November 9, 2015 • www.usustatesman.com • (435)797-1742 • Free single copy
The USU gymnastics team introduced themselves to local fans Saturday. see PAGE 9
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROTC ARCHIVE
USU ROTC HAS LONG, ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY By Shanie Howard WRITER
Utah State University is well known for its origins of being the agricultural college of Utah, but in addition to that, USU is also known for its military science training. From 1888 to 1957 two years of military training was required for all male students at the school. This training wasn’t meant to teach men attending the Agricultural College of Utah — the name of USU at the time — to become professional soldiers, but rather to “teach men to be capable of drilling their neighbors for service,” as stated in the 1890 ACU catalog. Men weren’t the only ones with the chance to participate in military based activities at the time though. In 1893, the Army Corps of Sponsors — Sponsors Corp, for short — was created, allowing women to participate in the army by helping them foster interest in the newly formed Cadet Battalion.
Although it might not seem like much in the twenty-first century, this sort of program was the first of its kind at the time and allowed women to be more active in the military than they had been before. The program was not disbanded until women were allowed into officer producing programs. In 1916, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Jim Bridger Battalion was officially established. The battalion was named after famous frontiersmen Jim Bridger. “We want to see traits in our cadets from men such as Jim Bridger ... He was very self-aware of what the land was like and was able to relay that,” said Captain Michael Anderson, a current instructor for USU’s ROTC. By 1931 ACU’s ROTC had over 500 cadets and had even formed a marching band which performed at football and basketball games. Despite the growing popularity of ACU’s ROTC, the program found itself at risk of being disbanded. Once WWII
ended, the school considered shutting down the program entirely until they received a letter from General George C. Marshall demanding that the ROTC program be reinstated immediately. By 1949 the ROTC Jim Bridger Battalion had over 2,200 cadets and was officially declared “The West Point of the West” by the War Department due to its massive number of graduating cadets, which was second only to the West Point Military Academy located in Orange County, New York. Today the ROTC is still active at USU, commissioning more than 15 second lieutenants annually. “I feel proud of the USU’s ROTC, a lot of the fame still carries forward as we tend to produce very high quality Cadets,” said Connor Taberski, a international studies major. —shaniehoward214@gmail.com
Students petition for transparency of Koch Foundation financial donations By Brayden O’Brien WRITER
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT Campus
Utah State students respond to LDS church manual revisions By Brenna Kelly COPY EDITOR
Utah State University students are responding to revisions to Handbook 1 for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which clarifies that children of same-sex couples may not join the LDS church until they are 18 years old and meet certain criteria. Senior Jeannie Woller said she brushed off the information at first because of the understanding between the gay community and the LDS church — “there’s a fostering of love,” she said, so she didn’t look too deeply into it. “And then I read the article that was posted on KSL,” Woller, an English major, said. “I was utterly disappointed in the church — completely baffled and floored, to be honest. As somebody who was raised in that church, and who identifies now as a more sexually fluid
person — currently dating a girl — it hurt a lot.” According to the updated handbook, children of same-sex marriage will not be allowed to receive a name and a blessing, which is typically performed by elders when children are babies. In order for the child to participate in certain ordinances of the church, he or she must receive special permission from the Office of the First Presidency. In addition to being 18 years old, the child must disavow the practice of same-sex cohabitation and marriage and not live with a parent living in such a situation. Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, said it’s always shocking for a same-sex couple to hear themselves referred to as “apostates.” Equality Utah’s mission is to secure equal rights and protections for LGBT Utahns. “Children of same-sex couples are
treasured,” Williams said. “We want to honor all families.” Woller said she has never held any animosity towards the religion. She attributes her morals and many of her qualities to her upbringing. “Last night was the first time I felt a glimpse of anger at this thing that I consider a part of me,” she said. “I can’t revel in the goodness of this church that I believe has fantastic qualities. I can’t revel in the church that my parents grew up in, that my mother loves, that my grandparents fostered me in. I can’t share that with my children, because my children will not be wanted in it. And that stings in unimaginable ways.” Senior mechanical engineering major Ty Rupp thinks leaving the church and raising one’s children in the church is a double-standard, because he said it is an “all-or-nothing thing.” see LDS REVISIONS page 4
On Thursday 15 students organized a protest against the lack of transparency in financial donations from the Charles Koch Foundation. Meeting at the John M. Huntsman Business Building at noon, they marched to the president’s office to hand-deliver a formal letter requesting all past, current and future records for arranged donations between 2008 and 2018. The Charles Koch Foundation, a nonprofit charitable operation established by the billionaire Koch brothers, is known for its numerous donations to conservative and libertarian think tanks, as well as extensive promotion and advocacy of “free societies and well-being” by donating to more than 250 universities across the country, according to the foundation’s website. The protest, organized by Utah State University students, is part of a nationwide movement known as “UnKoch My Campus,” where students at 50 colleges and universities have organized to increase the transparency of Koch donations on their campuses and around the country. All records, including documents and emails related to the agreement between USU and the Koch foundation are requested by students, including sophomore Diego Mendiola because “students at Utah State deserve an education that hasn’t been bought, sold, or owed,” Mendiola said in the press release he wrote for the petition. Freshman Anders Hart, who is majoring in conservation and restoration ecology, participated in the protest. “It seems like the Kochs attempt to promote their political views on college campuses across the country by donating to programs like ours at USU,” he said. see KOCH page 4
NEWS
PAGE 2
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Students tickets given to Athletics, low attendance possible
PHOTO BY Mark Bell
THE USUSA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL met on Tuesday in the Taggart Student Center. The EC voted to give 694 student seating tickets to the USU Athletics Department to sell to the public for the BYU game. The game will be held Nov. 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving in Logan. By Ashley Stilson WRITER
Last Tuesday, Utah State University Student Association officers voted to give 694 student seating tickets to the Utah State Athletics Department for the Nov. 28 football game against Brigham Young University. “We’d rather have a full stadium seen by national television than a half-filled student section,” said USUSA athletics vice president Thomas Rogers. “I’m hoping we have students show up so we don’t have to give out any more tickets, but it’s all up to the students right now.” This year the number of students attending USU football games has been dropping, Rogers said. With the BYU game falling during Thanksgiving break, he said it’s less likely for students to come back to attend the game. “I hope I’m wrong and we have 6,000 students show up, but the numbers aren’t saying
it. We’re going to push as hard as we can to get students to come to the game,” Rogers said. If students have any concerns or frustrations, Rogers encouraged anyone to come and talk to him. “I don’t think that people understand we’re not selling out this arena every single time,” he said. Those at the USUSA executive council meeting discussed at length issues about the tickets, including the number of tickets given to the athletics department and the precedence being set. “We want to release the tickets behind the band because it is the least-filled spot,” said student involvement director Linda Zimmerman in the executive council meeting. There are 6,500 seats reserved for students in the Maverick Stadium, with the rest of the 25,513 seats open to the public. Zimmerman stated this is the first season the athletics department has requested tick-
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ets, mostly because of the loss of 4,000 seats due to press box construction. The athletics department first asked for student tickets for the game against Boise State University on Oct. 16 during fall break. Rogers said the odds of USU playing rivals over fall break and Thanksgiving break were low. “I don’t think this will happen again in other years. This is a freak of scheduling and the renovation. I understand why [the athletic department] are asking for tickets but I don’t think they will later,” he added. Tickets for the BYU community and alumni are sold out, said Rogers, and there is a demand from the athletics department for tickets. In the event that the athletics department requests tickets for another game, Rogers is currently drafting a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, for next USUSA executive council meeting. The MOU will clarify why the athletic department is requesting
tickets and documenting the number of decreasing number of students at games. “If we want to be transparent, we should make a record that says this is what we are doing. Whatever is done, it would be nice to have this record that will serve us well now and in the future,” USUSA public relations and marketing director Madison Maners said during the meeting. Graduate Studies Senator Ty Aller suggested drafting a formal proposal for requesting future tickets, but a vote resulted in favor of a MOU. A straw poll resulted in six officers in favor of releasing tickets behind the band: Leah Calder, Ashley Waddoups, Sawyer Hemsley, Thomas Buttars, Luis Armenta and Rogers. Aller was the only on who opposed. Another straw poll releasing tickets next to the band section was unanimously opposed. — ashley.ruth.stilson@aggiemail.usu.
NEWS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
PAGE 3
POLICE BLOTTER FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30
DUI the subject was also charged for being a minor in possession of alcohol. • USU Police assisted Logan Police at the Sigma-Chi residence in locating an individual that ran from a Logan Officer last night. The suspect is an under age male who had been consuming alcohol and lives at the Sigma-Chi Fraternity house. Officers were unable to locate the male individual.
• USU Police received a report of an auto burglary that occurred in a USU Parking lot south of the Stadium during the football game.
SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 1
•USU Police contacted the driver of a vehicle, passed out, in the loading and unloading area west of Valley ViewTowers. The driver was determined to be under the influence of alcohol and was arrested for DUI after he failed his field sobriety tests. In addition to being
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2
• USU Police received a report of some damage done to the New-
Contact USU Police at 797-1939 for non-emergencies. Anonymous reporting line: 797-5000 EMERGENCY NUMBER: 911 Business building over the weekend. This investigation is continuing. • USU Police responded to the Taggart Student Center in four minutes for a report of some counterfeit money. This investigation is continuing. • USU Police responded to a suspicious odor in Building D of the LLC. Officer’s found a candle burning and a faint smell of possible Marijuana. The incident was investigated without further incident.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
• USU Police responded to the LLC building F on a suspicious odor complaint. When police arrived the odor had dissipated and could no longer be detected.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5
• USU Police responded to the Lilywhite building in four minutes 75004 for a report an odor in the lobby area. The odor was taken care of by facilities.
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PAGE 4
NEWS
KOCH
USU ROTC HONORS FALLEN MILITARY
from PAGE 1
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
PHOTO BY Brayden O’Brien
STUDENTS PROTEST THE KOCH BROTHERS funding at USU on Thursday on campus.
Previously released Koch agreements with the university have included the establishment of an annual $45,000 Koch Scholars program where selected students read and discuss literature on freedom and responsibility, as well a $625,000 grant over five years to help hire new professors whom the foundation can help select. Some are concerned that records may indicate that the Foundation’s relationship with USU is similar to the one at Florida State University. Last year, the Center for Public Integrity uncovered that in 2007, a proposed multi-million dollar Koch donation to the FSU economics department came with stipulations attached, including ethically questionable demands that the economics curriculum “must align with the libertarian, deregulatory economic philosophy of Charles Koch.” The agreement with USU indicates that the school “agrees to recruit Professors who support the Objectives and Purposes” of the organization. When the records are released, they will clarify the exact nature of the relationship between the school and the Foundation. “Utah State students should have a right to know if their professors are hired to support and advance ideologies of donors,” said protester Chris Tonan. “This is not a partisan issue as we are against undue influence of donors on our education whatever end of the political spectrum they fall under.” However in a Statesman piece last year, Professor William Shughart, who is heavily involved with the Koch Scholars program, said, “We are not influenced one bit by the Koch Brothers. They finance this program because they like what we do. We’re not doing what they want us to do. They like what we do.” In addition, USU spokesman Tim Vitale said in a statement today that “[USU] worked closely with the Koch Foundation to ensure that academic freedom is first and foremost in the contract. [Both parties] cared about
that as we worked on the contract; we worked on it together. We expressed our concerns about academic freedom, and they made clear their belief in total academic freedom as well.” USU is working to fulfill the request that Mendiola formally made on Monday, but they must give the Foundation 10 days’ notice before releasing details and records of the agreement. The Government Records and Management Act, which helps create access to public records, allows for this 10-day delay. “We’re not saying the Koch brothers can’t do this, what we’re asking for is just transparency,” Mediola said in a statement to the Associated Press. The Koch brothers, well-known for pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into conservative and libertarian causes and candidates, have created a powerful political network with which they aim to promote pro-business, anti-regulation economic policy. A top aid reportedly told a group of Koch supporters last year that “[Koch] political success begins with reaching young minds in college lecture halls.” This may explain the millions of dollars in grants, which in many cases don’t come without strings attached. A similar records request made by a student at the University of Kansas in 2013 led to the release of emails indicating that economics professor Art Hall was being paid by the Fred & Mary Koch Foundation for the specific purpose of producing research to attack clean energy incentives, which other Koch subsidiaries were actively lobbying against. Professors at USU who have benefited from Koch money in some way, namely Dr. Randy Simmons and Dr. Ryan Yonk, have also published research and editorials critical of clean energy subsidies, though there is no evidence to suggest that they did so because of their relationship with the Koch Foundation.
PHOTOS BY Johnny Morris
USU AIR FORCE ROTC honored soldiers who are missing in action or prisoners of war Friday on the Quad.
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NEWS USUSTATESMAN.COM — braydensobrien@gmail.com
LDS REVISIONS from PAGE 1
“The LDS church is not a buffet,” said Rupp, who is an active member of the faith. “You don’t come and take what you like and then leave what you don’t like. It’s never been that way. It’ll never be that way.” The church is in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation, Rupp said. He thinks the church is covering its bases for when concerns arise in the future. “I don’t think it’s a question of whether or not they want to extend fellowship to certain people. It’s the practicality of same-sex marriages — how many of them would actually be happy with their children joining the LDS church,” Rupp said. “It’s a potential nightmare in the future for them.” What Rupp is more concerned about, however, is the amount of attention it has received on social media. The change reflects a stance the faith has already taken on the issue of samesex marriage, and the revision in the manual is just for bishops and stake presidents. “They’re just clarifying their literature on it,” he said. “Social media isn’t even a true forum for enlightened discussion. It’s mostly just mud-slinging.” According to church doctrine, parents will be held accountable for their children’s upbringing in the next life. Rupp thinks this point is important for people to understand. Woller wants USU students to take a step back and think about religion as an individual. With same-sex marriage legal in every state, Woller said it’s becoming socially acceptable and Latter-day Saints should welcome different beliefs — when they do that, “they are going to get along with the rest
of humanity.” Brittney Mattison is studying piano pedagogy online through USU, and while she is not an active member of the LDS church, she was raised in the faith. Her concern is that the change — and the resulting social media posts — are causing emotional stress among her LGBT friends, as well as her LDS friends. “I have some friends who identify as LGBT who actively go to the LDS church; I’m afraid this will cause tension between them and other members,” Mattison said. “I hope they will react to it with love, by studying what their church really teaches and by believing in the golden rule — love one another.” Several USU students shared a photo that read, “If you’re struggling after learning about the new LDS Church policy on children of LGBTQ couples, and you need to talk to someone, please reach out.” It included a suicide hotline and a lifeline for LGBT individuals and invited the reader to message the sharer. In a large font, it read, “You are loved. You are wanted.” Twitter user @alclark35 tweeted a Bible verse, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Matt. 10:37.” The LDS church released a video on mormonnewsroom.org on Friday addressing the concerns about the manual revisions. In the video one of the faith’s apostles, Elder D. Todd Christofferson from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, clarified the church’s position.
“We regard same-sex marriage as a particularly grievous or significant, serious kind of sin that requires Church discipline. It means the discipline is mandatory — doesn’t dictate outcomes but it dictates that discipline is needed in those cases,” Christofferson said. “It’s a statement to remove any question or doubt that may exist.” He went on to explain that when a baby is blessed in the church, a membership record is created. It then “triggers” an expectation that the child will attend and be involved which church, which Christofferson said creates a conflict in the home. “It’ll be another thing that people will either have to build their faith on or move forward with,” Rupp added. Members of the Latter-day Saint Student Association council declined to comment, saying they aren’t qualified to represent the church’s standpoint on the issue. Woller hopes that USU students will think critically about the change and decide whether they think the church can be wrong. “At the end of the day, I have to find it within myself to come to peace with this because I can’t hold onto anger, and I honestly don’t want to,” Woller said. “Because this is a church that I grew up loving and I’d like at some point for my kids to find that love, as well.” New information will be added to this story as it is received. — brennakelly818@gmail.com @bckelly8
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
NEWS
PAGE 5
NATION & WORLD
California lawmaker plans to introduce bill to phase out killer whale shows
JOSHUA C. CRUEY/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT
Orcas during a show at the Shamu Up Close attraction at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla. on, Jan. 7, 2014. By Hugo Martin LOS ANGELES TIMES
LOS ANGELES — Adding to a chorus of critics of SeaWorld’s killer whale shows, a U.S. congressman from Southern California has announced legislation to phase out the display of orcas for entertainment. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said Friday he plans to introduce a bill to prohibit the breeding of captive orcas, end the capture of wild orcas and stop the import and export of the killer whales. The bill, if approved, would put an end to shows across the country featuring the marine mammals once the existing whales in captivity die. “The evidence is very strong that the psychological and physical harm done to these magnificent animals far outweighs any benefits reaped from their display,” Schiff said in a statement.
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., the parent company of SeaWorld San Diego, has 24 orcas in three parks across the country. Miami Seaquarium has one killer whale. A SeaWorld representative responded to Schiff ’s announcement, saying the company does not neglect or abuse killer whales. “Through our work with scientists, conservation leaders and the government, SeaWorld is ensuring that all animals in human care are treated with the dignity and respect they require and deserve,” said Jill Kermes, a spokeswoman for SeaWorld Entertainment. Schiff ’s announcement comes as SeaWorld struggles to fight back against charges leveled in the 2013 documentary “Blackfish” that captive killer whales are abused and neglected at the marine-themed parks. SeaWorld tried to fire back against the negative publicity by announcing plans recently to spend $100 million to expand its killer whale
enclosure at SeaWorld San Diego. The California Coastal Commission, which has authority over construction along the coast, approved the project but added the condition that SeaWorld end its breeding program and import no new orcas. SeaWorld has announced plans to challenge the decision in court. SeaWorld officials have rejected calls to end whale breeding, saying the only way to ensure the animals don’t breed is to separate male and female whales. That would mean separating siblings and parents from offspring. No whale has been caught off U.S. waters since 1976, and no wild-caught orcas have been transferred to the U.S. from other countries since 2001, according to Schiff. The 11 whales at SeaWorld San Diego range in age from 10 months to 50 years, which could allow the park to display animals for decades, depending on the longevity of the
whales. Animal rights activists have demanded that SeaWorld release the orcas to seaside sanctuaries, although none currently exist to hold the 11 whales. Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute, said the fact that captive whales are breeding with close family members shows that captivity is harmful to the orcas. She also said the legislation would create an incentive for SeaWorld to develop a long-term contraceptive for whales. “Right now, they have no interest in developing a long-term contraceptive,” she said. Last year, Schiff tried to add an amendment to a funding bill to update the federal Animal Welfare Act to “reflect the growing scientific and public concern about the effect of captivity on these animals.” The amendment was not added to the final funding bill.
Glance at the Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders By Lily Wachtor WRITER
Editor’s note: This is the fourth part in a series in which we break down 2016 presidential candidates. Bernard “Bernie” Sanders: He was born on Sept. 8, 1941 in Brooklyn, N.Y.He was elected as the mayor of Burlington, Va. in 1981, and served four terms. He transitioned to the national level by winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991-2007. In 2007, he won election to the United States Senate and then was reelected in 2012. Sanders is the only self-proclaimed socialist member of Congress, and the longest-serving independent. Foreign Policy: Sanders is an anti-war activist and was openly against the invasion of Iraq. He believes that Middle Eastern countries should play the lead role in fighting the Islamic State and that the United States should take care of domestic issues like economic disparities. He supports President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. He has been critical of the Israeli Prime Minister’s opinion to increase sanction on Iran; Sanders said he believes the prime minister is “unnecessarily antagonist.” Education: Sanders believes that all public colleges and universities should be tuition free. He would do this by slightly increasing taxes on large expenditures like stock trades and hedge funds. Sanders also suggested increasing federal spending on education by a dollar-for-dollar match by state governments. He would like to lower student loan interest rates as well. Environment: In the first presidential candidate debate, each candidate was asked what they thought was the biggest threat to the United States national security. Sanders replied, “Climate change.” He speaks about the dangers of human-induced climate change. He would push for companies to be charged for their carbon emission and the money made from that would go towards sustainable, alternative energy.
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS
Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders launches a new climate campaign on Wednesday aimed at fighting global warming by banning new coal, oil and gas mining on public land during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 4, 2015 in Washington D.C.
Immigration: Sanders believes immigrants should have a pathway to legal status. He condemns exploiting foreign workers for cheap labor and says it is a great disservice to the American public. Sanders supported Obama’s policy of helping current undocumented workers on a track towards citizenship. Social Issues: Sanders is an advocate for same-sex marriage
and applauded the Supreme Court decision. Sanders voted for a national instant background check system that would be imposed on anyone that wanted to buy a gun. He supports the decriminalization of recreational marijuana. — lilywachtor3@hotmail.com
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
PAGE 64
STUDENT LIFE
Aggies participate in 36-hour hackathon By Ashley Stilson WRITER
After 30 minutes of brainstorming, Fabio Gottlicher and Derek Hunter agreed on one thing: an idea. Grabbing markers and heading to a whiteboard, they drew diagrams and lines, figuring out how to make their idea a reality. “It’s nice to sit down for a couple of hours and code hard,” Gottlicher said. Hunter laughed, “A couple of hours? More like 36 hours.” Both in their junior year at Utah State University, the two friends decided to create a date-matching app using image recognition software. “Instead of matching a person, you see 10 or 20 random pictures from the internet, and we match you with another user if you like similar pictures,” explained Gottlicher, a computer science major. Hunter and Gottlicher were participating in HackUState, Utah’s first intercollegiate hackathon.Hosted at USU on Nov. 6-7, the hackathon lasted from Friday at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. “The students are going to build and code things with hardware or software for 36 straight hours,” said Alex Lutz, the HackUState organizer. Over 400 students registered
for the hackathon, Lutz said. Students flocked from in-state colleges like Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, as well as out-ofstate schools. Selected local high school students were invited to the hackathon as well. Sponsored by Major League Hacking, or MLH, HackUState is just one of many international hackathons that happened last weekend. “It’s about learning. Don’t be afraid of doing anything here, because literally the opportunities here are to do anything,” said Carl Domingo, an MLH representative at HackUState. “Everybody assumes hackathons is for the smartest or the elite people in the room, but that’s entirely the opposite case.” Domingo started out as a college student looking for a career in computer science. Through working with MLH, he helps provide opportunities to students to pursue their own careers. “Here, you don’t just hand in your resume. You’re making something. It’s a great opportunity for companies to understand you as a person,” Domingo said. MLH provides many resources for schools hosting hackathons. The organization helps with tricky logistics, such as securing transporta-
PHOTOS BY Mark Bell
(TOP) PARTICIPANTS AT HACK-U-STATE work on their team projects in a room at the event. (BOTTOM) A participant of Hack-U-State codes on his computer.
tion for students traveling to the event or funding food for the hackers, said Domingo. “These hackathons serve to help kids learn how to program and to network,” Domingo said. HackUState provided that networking opportunity for Joseph Ivie, a junior majoring in computer science. He attended the event to work on an app to help programmers create android apps, but he also wanted to meet other hackers. “It’s really fun to talk to all the people here and see what they’re working on,” Ivie said. Not only were students given the chance to network, but local companies were invited to the hackathon to offer direct help and interaction with hackers. “A hackathon is one part
code party, another part career fair,” Lutz said. “It gives local companies an opportunity to get hands-on with students and work together on projects with hardware or software and really see that passion that can’t be found on a typical resume.” Throughout the day, students worked separate or in teams to create software or programs to enter into prize-winning competitions and to present to companies. Sponsors donated cutting-edge technology for raffle prizes and for winners of the various competitions. If students needed a quick break from working on their project, a game room and hardware lab was set up for students to explore. Freshmen Carson Bradshaw and Michael Hixon, both majoring in computer science,
were excited to come to the hackathon. Even without working on a specific project, they were impressed by the resources available for free for students during HackUState. “We want to participate more in this next year,” Hixon said. Lutz is already planning the next hackathon. But for now, he said he’s happy with how everything has worked out so far. “This may sound a little
cheesy,” he said. “We’ve worked so hard as a team to make this event happen, and it’s so different for this campus. I think the biggest thing for me is seeing all of our organizers happy, all of our hackers happy and having an awesome time.” — ashley.ruth.stilson@ aggiemail.usu.edu
From folklore to environmental psychology, Aggies discuss nontraditional majors By Whitney Howard WRITER
“Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” This quote, commonly attributed to Confucius, was given by junior Julie Wardell when asked why she chose to major in folklore. Wardell said she has always had an interest in folklore. She was inspired by her Native American heritage when her mother told her about storytellers in their tribe. “They basically have the stories and they tell them,” Wardell said, “and I was like, ‘That would be fun! What if I went and collected them?’” Taking advantage of Utah State University’s folklore archives — USU boasts one of the largest in the nation — Wardell has a lot of fun with her field, she said. Since a common goal for college students is to obtain employment, some may be curious about how students find these unconventional majors and how they plan on finding employment in their fields. For Ben Davis, a graduate student in range science, the interest in agriculture has been there since childhood. His family owned dairy cows growing up, and he was drawn to books about agriculture, soil, plants and livestock during library visits. As for how Davis discovered range science — the study of non-cultivated and non-urbanized land — he
PHOTO BY Mark Bell
RICHARD BUYS, a sophomore from Centerville Utah, studies Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in the College of Natural Resources
talked to a professor at BYU, who gave him a push. “He walked me down the hall to the advising center and said, ‘Change your degree to range sciences.’ I haven’t looked back since,” Davis said. Davis is currently undergoing a livestock grazing project at USU for his graduate work. Logan Christian, a junior in environmental studies, has also had an interest in his field since he was young. Christian grew up with a family of environmental advocates, and his dad is an environmental psychologist. Christian’s mother, a teacher, raised him to value educa-
tion as well. “My parents have definitely had a big influence on me, both in terms of giving me some of the environmental values that I now have in caring about the earth and, in addition to that, just inspiring me to constantly be learning,” Christian said. Christian adds that lifelong learning is valuable, especially with those pursuing unconventional or niche degrees. “To get yourself ahead — whereas with engineering you have a pretty good skill set — you have to do a lot on your own,” Christian said. The work Christian does on his
own includes advocating for solar energy on campus. Christian recently submitted a grant to install solar panels to the water pump house south of the Industrial Science building. However, the extra work gets grueling if the passion isn’t there, Christian said. “I think the only reason why I’m choosing to do a major where I’m pretty much shooting myself in the foot in terms of job opportunities is because I’m going to be happy with what I’m doing, and that’s pretty critical,” Christian said. For Wardell, this happiness helps her deal with people who react to
her major with judgment. “I’d tell them what I was going into and they’d be like, ‘Well, you can’t expect to get a lot of money out of that,’” Wardell said. “I’m not expecting money. It kind of just brushes off me because I already expect that I’m not going to be rich.” Christian reminds himself that society values money, and that’s what produces the criticism. Judgement happens, he said. However, the world functions like an ecosystem. While value is placed on science, technology, engineering and math fields — or STEM fields — people of all studies depend on each other and need to work together, Christian said. People pursue STEM degrees due to the job opportunities found there, Christian said. This means that the unconventional degrees need to work harder to bridge the gap and make their ideas heard. “If we can get more people in these smaller degrees to really speak loudly for their smaller bunch and be like, ‘Hey guys, these are very important issues too,’ I hope we all can start paying attention to them more. That’s really what I’m trying to do on campus,” Christian said. — whitney.howard@ aggiemail.usu.edu @omgwhitshutup
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
STUDENT LIFE
PAGE 7
Food trucks face roadblocks on campus By Michael Burnham WRITER
Over the past six years, a trend in the restaurant business has been rolling across the United States: food trucks. All over the country, particularly in cities like Los Angeles and Portland, food trucks are being established as competitive outlets for customers who are looking for quality food at bargain prices. Though that desire has also reached Logan and Utah State University, it has been stopped in its progress because food trucks are not allowed on campus. Tony Valdez, a senior majoring in accounting, marketing and business administration, said he wants to have food trucks on campus. “I would like to see that,” Valdez said. “But you’d definitely need to come up with a strong proposal.” Valdez said there are many obstacles to getting food trucks on campus. “I’ve tried to sell tacos on campus before and you can’t do it unless you’re affiliated with some kind of organization and you’re doing it just for the purpose of supplying your organization with money,” Valdez said. “You can’t do it for profit because you have to go through the dining services.” Earlier this year, Mitch Henline, a former Aggie, partnered up with some friends and competed in the Entrepreneurship Club’s student startup competition. Henline and his partners won the competition with their Granny’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese food truck. But they were only allowed to sell their product on campus three times. Granny’s tailgated a football game, sold at Day on the Quad and was present at the movie night before Day on the Quad, where it had its most successful sale to date. “We broke records for our sales the night before day on the quad,” Henline said. Henline said he thinks these are perfect indicators that food trucks would do well on campus. “I think they would thrive on cam-
PHOTO BY File photo
GRANNY’S GOURMET GRILLED CHEESE, food truck was allowed on campus for Day On The Quad. The truck set sales record for themselves at the event.
pus,” he said. “We were so impressed by how we did, we started asking fraternities if we could sell near campus.” Valdez and other members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity sold tacos earlier this year from a small cart on their front lawn on Lars Hansen drive. He said they didn’t attempt to sell on campus. “We knew we wouldn’t be allowed on campus,” Valdez said. He also said USU Dining Services is the main roadblock for the food trucks. “They kind of monopolize all food vending on campus,” Valdez said. Alan Andersen, the executive director of USU Dining Services, said many of the restrictions on campus dining options are out of his control. “That’s not my decision,” Andersen said. “A lot of people are under the impression that I control that, but I don’t. Policies on campus are not made by us.” Andersen said there are other common misconceptions about dining
services as well. “One of the things that a lot of people don’t understand about dining services on campus is that we are a business,” he said. “Even though we work for USU, we have to behave like a business.” Andersen said not only does dining services not receive special reimbursement, but it has to pay for its spot on campus. “I pay a lot of money to be in business up here,” Andersen said. “We pay over half a million dollars back to the university to be a part of it.” Andersen said in the past, a Wendy’s franchise made a bid for a spot in The Hub. But Wendy’s backed out when they discovered the pay they would have to give to the university and the low dining revenue during dinner hours. Though Andersen agreed that food trucks would thrive during breakfast and lunch hours on campus, he said he still doesn’t want them here. “It’s a real challenge when we’re up
here and trying to contribute back, and we get stabbed in the back by someone wanting to bring a food truck up here,” he said. “To me it’s like a food truck wanting to go into the parking lot at Sizzler and wanting to sell their food.” Andersen said there are no policies that specifically restrict food trucks on campus, but there are two university policies that make it difficult. The first is a no solicitation policy, which restricts general solicitation and vending on campus without permission. The second is policy 536, which prohibits campus-affiliated businesses from advertising for their services off-campus. “I can’t go down and advertise in the paper,” Andersen said. “I can’t intentionally compete with the private sector. My job is to provide to the campus community.” Andersen said his and the university’s protectiveness over what happens on campus is a direct result of policy 536.
“Because we’re not allowed to do that, the university is a little protective over what goes on up here,” he said. Andersen said he would love to have the policy 536 lifted to give him more freedom. USUSA president Trevor Sean Olsen also said he would like to see the policy lifted to allow dining services to expand its services. “I think that’d be a great option,” Olsen said. Olsen said two of the school’s senators, Ben Vera and Sam Meredith, are currently working on a proposal to get food trucks some more freedom on campus. The proposal would possibly securing temporary approvals for food trucks, not permanent residence, in order to avoid competition with dining services. — mikeburnham3@gmail.com @mikeburnham31
CONCRETE MANNERS NEEDED FOR USU By Veronica Stephen WRITER
Everyone on Utah State University campus has experienced it at least once in their college career. While walking to class, a bike or a notorious long boarder comes right up behind a student and scares the bejeebers out of the clueless, music-blasting pedestrian. For some students, this is not a huge problem — they recognize the need for their peers to get from place to place quickly. But for others, this is becoming a problem that needs to be fixed. Natalie Peterson, an undeclared freshman, rides her bike to class every day. “Quite a few people listen to music while walking to classes. I go faster than people so that’s not too big of a problem,” she said. “But sometimes I have to try to not hit people.” So the problem is not just bikers and long boarders. It is about pedestrians, too. Music can be a way to de-stress between classes and tune the world out — literally. Pedestrians can solve part of this problem by turning down music, only putting one earbud in or just waiting until they get back to their apartments.
“I wish the bikers would give you a little more room,” said Jordan Provost, an animal dairy and veterinary sciences freshman. Long boarders are also a large part of the chaos on the sidewalks. “I’ve almost been run into sometimes, by long boarders especially,” said Lauren Bennett, an undeclared freshman. “There will be a crowd of people walking and they will just go through the crowd, but at the same time we should probably ask pedestrians to share the road.” The increasingly popular trend of long boarding has taken over the USU campus. It can be a convenient way to get around campus and is not as bulky as a bike, but sidewalk etiquette should still be followed. “I do think that if you don’t know how to ride a long board, you shouldn’t ride it around campus. You should practice and get better so that you can ride on campus,” Provost said. Aside from campus, the Logan community in general can also be a little chaotic for all types of transportation. “I rode to Walmart once and that was a terrible idea,” Peterson said. “First of all, because it is so far, but
PHOTO BY Kyle Todecheene
A BIKER RIDES PAST the Biology and Natural Resources Building on campus. Bikers and walkers share the sidewalks at USU.
also because riding in Logan is really scary. I’m not from here and there are so many cars and lanes, and it is really hard to cross the street or just ride, because I feel like people driving aren’t really paying attention to me and I have to pay attention to what they should be looking for, which are pedestrians and bikers. I usually take the bus when I go places because I don’t want my bike to get stolen and logistically it’s just a nightmare.” It is easy to find chaotic driving anywhere, but especially in a college town, it is important to have a safe flow of traffic by obeying the rules. “There are a lot of jaywalkers,” Pro-
vost said. “I almost ran somebody over, but she was walking in the middle of Main Street.” Peterson said there could be ways to improve the sidewalks on USU for bikers, long boarders and pedestrians. “Especially on the bigger sidewalks like near the TSC where there is tons of space I kind of wish it was divided or there was a separate bike lane or walking or long boarding lane,” Peterson said. “I avoid the areas where there are a lot of people because it is hard for me to go at any speed, which is why I ride my bike in the first place.” Instead of dividing sidewalks, pe-
destrians can be more conscious of who or what is coming toward them. “We should ask pedestrians to stay to one side and share the road a little bit,” Bennett said. “I think it’s a mutual relationship. They shouldn’t cut through a crowd of people, but there shouldn’t be a crowd of people to begin with.” There are already bike lanes designated for bikers and long boarders. “I think people should leave room along the side of the sidewalks for them to bike and the bikers should stay in that lane.” — roniastephen@gmail.com
PAGE 8
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
SPORTS
Up-and-down start for Aggie basketball
PHOTO BY Kylee Larsen
(LEFT) CHRIS SMITH DRIVES to the basket against Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. (RIGHT) DAVID COLLETTE GOES UP for a dunk through two Cal State Monterey Bay players. USU lost 77-60 to the Otters. By Kalen Taylor SPORTS EDITOR
It’s not even the regular season yet and USU basketball has already taken Aggie fans on a roller coaster ride. First, Utah State dominated Oklahoma Panhandle State 87-48. USU shot 54 percent from the field and showed strength on the boards against a smaller team. The Aggies also held its opposition to shooting just 11 percent from behind the 3-point arc. “Statistically we did a good job on defense,” said head coach Tim Duryea after the Panhandle State game. “I was pleased once we got our defense set, but we’re still having some trouble in transition, getting our defense set quick enough.
We have to get better with that. Once it’s set, I think we do a good job communicating what we want to do.” Then came the lurching, downhill drop expected on any roller coaster. USU lost to Div. II opponent Cal State Monterey Bay 77-60. It was the Aggies’ first loss in an exhibition game since 2007 when they lost to EA Sports. “I guess if anything it’s a good thing it happened now,” said sophomore forward David Collette. “It gives us a lot of things to work on. It was a good wake-up call. You better believe we’ll come back. Starting Monday at practice we’ll be turning things around. We’ll be ready.” Utah State led for only 16 seconds of the game, when it was up
1-0 at the beginning. After that, poor shooting proved to be the downfall of the team. USU shot only 33 percent from the field, 18 percent from behind the 3-point line and 66 percent from the freethrow line. “Offensively, we could not string anything together,” Duryea said. “We settled for quick shots; we settled for bad shots. Nobody got anything going rhythm wise. Not a good performance at all by anybody offensively.” Last season, 3-point shooting was one of the strong points for the team. The Aggies shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point land during the 2014-2015 campaign led by Chris Smith at 47 percent. This season, Utah State is sitting at a meager 20 percent through two
games and Smith is just 2-of-7 or 28 percent. “Those are shots we usually make,” Collette said. “We led the league last year in field goal percentage. That’s not like us to miss that many shots. It’s a lack of confidence and a lack of effort.” Some of USU’s other top shooters, Darius Perkins, Julion Pearre and Jalen Moore, are also struggling shooting the ball from deep. Perkins has yet to connect and is 0 for 5, Pearre is 1 of 8 and Moore is 1 of 4. “Really bad shot selection,” Duryea said. “We shot a lot of early shots, a lot of guarded shots and then when you get open shots you miss those too because you’re playing out of rhythm.” Utah State has also given away 37
turnovers in the two exhibition games while only dishing out 28 assists. Luckily for the Aggies and fans, the ride isn’t over yet. “You get exposed to problems you need to fix and solve,” Duryea said. “That’s what next week will be all about.” The regular season hasn’t started. The team record and stats all go back to zero on Friday when USU plays Weber State on Friday in the season opener. Last time Utah State lost an exhibition game, the team pulled together for a 24-11 record during the year and went to the NIT. — kalen.s.taylor@gmail.com @kalen_taylor
AT LEAST WE BEAT BOISE : TAKEAWAYS FROM SATURDAY’S GAME Logan Jones TRAIL BLAZZIN’
PHOTO BY Kelsie Lott WYATT HOUSTON RUNS UPFIELD against Southern Utah University on Sept. 9 at Maverik Stadium.
Utah State’s awesome defense held New Mexico to just 14 points and 104 yards passing Saturday, en route to a dominant 14-13 — wait a second, what? They lost? The Aggies’ Mountain West title hopes were dashed by the freaking Lobos? Sorry USU fans, but it’s time to be honest with each other. Maybe the Aggies just suck on the road Losing on the road in San Diego was supposed to be this team’s wakeup call — instead, it was a sign of things to come.
I don’t know what’s happening on that team bus that has USU sitting on a miserable 1-4 road record, but it’s effectively crippled any chance the Aggies had at a historically great season. Maybe the team captains just don’t have the leadership to get players to focus. Maybe they got caught up in their own press clippings and honestly believed every game after Boise would be a cakewalk. Maybe the bus driver listened to Adele all the way to Albuquerque. Whatever the cause, the fact is this team has failed to live up to its potential. I’m sure the Boise beatdown and a mediocre Bowl appearance in December will give USU plenty of recruiting material for the coming year, but there is no reconciling the fact that this iteration of Aggie Football won’t be breaking any new ground. There won’t be a conference championship, a flashy bowl game or a Top 25 ranking. At best, there will be a decent game against BYU and a PR department see FOOTBALL page
9
SPORTS
5 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
.
MEET AND GREET
PAGE 9
Aggie gymnasts get personal with fans
By Joe Baraiolo WRITER
Utah State gymnastics held its third annual Meet and Greet Saturday afternoon in the Wayne Estes Center. The event gave fans an opportunity to get to know the team, and got a sneak peek of some of the athlete's floor routines. "This is our third year doing the event, and the second year hosting it in the Estes Center," said USU head coach Nadalie Walsh. "I just want to kick start the buzz that gymnastics is about to start." The first half-hour of the event gave fans the opportunity to walk around the Estes Center and talk to the gymnasts. The athletes were spread out among tables giving out tattoos, signing autographs and meeting fans. Later, as fans got to their seats, Walsh introduced herself and the Aggie assistant coaches Andi Dolinsky, and Josh Nilson. “I just want to kick-start the buzz that gymnastics is about to start,” Walsh said. “We are excited to have the team and community come out and support us. We want to double the attendance this year, so we’re going to do a lot more promoting of our events.” Walsh brought all of the freshman and sophomores to the front, to introduce themselves and opened up to some questions from the fans. After the introductions, Junior Bailey McIntire taught the fans a few cheers to use during the meets. The Aggies showed off some of their skills at the event as well. Sophomore Melanie Oster, senior McKinzey Martinez, freshman Emily Briones, and McIntire all preformed their floor routines for the fans. Martinez and McIntire helped teach the crowd how to best cheer on the team during the routines.
FOOTBALL from PAGE 8
scrambling to find stats that indicate USU is a dominant force. But we all know better. It’s kind of everyone’s fault First, it’s New Mexico’s fault, because that team stepped up. The Lobos forced fumbles, bullied the Aggies on defense and capitalized on each of Utah State’s big blunders. Committed to bottling up USU’s ground game, New Mexico held USU to 78 yards rushing. They didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, but it turns out they didn’t have to — New Mexico managed to win with just a pair of touchdowns. Next, it’s Matt Wells’ fault. Dispute it all you want, he’s the head coach and it comes with the territory. Wells is still one of the more underrated coaches in the country, and by no means do I think we should take a 1-point loss against UNM as a signal to start shop-
PHOTO BY Kyle Todecheene THE USU GYMNASTICS TEAM introduces themselves to fans in the Wayne Estes Center on Saturday at its annual “Meet and Greet” event.
"The fans have a really big impact because I do a part in my routine that the fans can stand up and do it with me," McIntire "If they didn't do it with me, the routine wouldn't be nearly as much fun." The juniors and seniors then took center stage for more questions introductions. The event finished with the gymnasts raffling off a few prizes, and teaching a few more cheers to the crowd.
ping him around. But just 24 hours after Aggie basketball lost at home to the CSMB Otters by double-digits, Wells still managed to direct the most disappointing USU loss of the weekend, and that’s quite a feat. Perhaps most obviously, it’s the team’s fault. Football is a team sport. You can’t put this on Brock Warren’s missed field goal any more than you can put it on Andrew Rodriguez’s fumble. In fact, shame on any Aggie fan who thinks that way — Warren and Rodriguez were the only two Aggies to put points on the board Saturday. USU is mentally weak. The uninspired play when they’re losing games tells fans a whole lot more about what this team is made of than when they’re blowing a team out by 30. They have the potential to be great, but the willpower isn’t there if they have to fight for it. When things go bad in the first quarter, the Aggies are content to pack it in and fight another day. If you think this is an overreaction to one game, take a closer look at USU’s
Utah State will host its Blue and White meet at 7 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The Aggies will officially start their season Jan. 8 when they host Centenary at 7 p.m in the Spectrum.
unlikely comeback victory over SUU — without a last-minute special teams miracle, the Aggies would be below .500 right now. It’s all or nothing with Heupel USU’s offensive coordinator has put together a few masterpieces this season, which makes the duds that much more frustrating. At the start of the year, I was willing to give Heupel the benefit of a doubt. He’s coached against some tough competition, dealt with a starting quarterback change and implemented his own philosophy into an offense in just a few months. But he also fails to adjust a game plan when things are going south, a habit that has now cost USU two conference matchups and its spot in the MW title game. USU got nothing on the ground Saturday, and an especially bad gamble on fourth down probably cost the Aggies the game. The anemic play calling showed little creativity or variation in the second half, and it’s not the only time USU’s predictability has been an issue this year.
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— joebaraiolo@gmail.com @joefish_2 Heupel’s stint in Oklahoma reveals the same type of inconsistency. When he didn’t have a Heisman-winning quarterback at his disposal, Oklahoma’s offense wasn’t exactly a force to be reckoned with — emphasized by a 40-6 Bowl loss to Clemson costing Heupel his job. That being said, he’s done an excellent job at USU in games where his players actually show up. It’s tough to find where the line is between botched play calling and athletes underperforming, but I’d like to continue giving Heupel a shot. A midseason loss to New Mexico smarts, but it’s no grounds for putting a guy on the hot seat. However, if USU gets blown out by 30 in a Bowl game at the end of the year, I’ll be to revising that statement. — Logan Jones is a junior majoring in journalism, because "being a hater" isn't a major currently offered at Utah State. Contact him at Logantjones@aggiemail.usu.edu or on Twitter @Logantj.
The President invites nominations for the 22 nd Annual
USU DIVERSITY AWARDS Award recipients will be announced and will receive recognition by President Albrecht at an appropriate forum during the academic year
Award Categories:
Award Criteria:
One individual or organization from each of the following categories will be recognized for furthering the principles and values of affirmative action, equal opportunity, and diversity:
1. Models behavior that promotes diversity. 2. Nourishes acceptance of individual differences. 3. Strives to enhance academic, employment, or community relations among people who are different. 4. Integrates diversity concepts and values into academic curriculum, management functions, or community service. 5. Develops methods for increasing and valuing diversity among students, faculty, staff, or local businesses/associations. 6. Maximizes opportunities to achieve diversity. 7. Has not received the award in the past 5 years.
• • • • •
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Nomination Guidelines: •
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Write a nomination letter (recommended not more than 2 pages) addressing the six criteria stated above. Please include contact information for both the nominee & nominator. Nomination letter must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 by letter, fax, e-mail or in person. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office Utah State University 1475 Old Main Hill Old Main, Room 161 Logan, UT 84322-1475 Telephone: (435) 797-1266 Fax: (435) 797-0291 Email: [carolyn.baker@usu.edu] This call for nominations is available in large print, audio, and braille format upon request. Please contact the AA/EO Office at 797-1266 for further information.
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
OPINION
Trail Blazin’
A family member recently posted an article on Facebook detailing NFL player Greg Hardy’s unpunished abuse of his now ex-girlfriend. It was an unfortunately familiar story — the rich celebrity got caught doing something terrible, but then got away with it because having money and being good at football is a dope alibi these days. You’d think this is the type of story with no room for arguments in the comments section — other than the most delusional Cowboys fans, nobody’s going to defend Hardy’s actions. There is only one side to this issue, and that side is “Hardy is a scumbag.� Unfortunately, someone took this story as an opportunity to bash every human male in existence, claiming any guy is capable of this level of abuse if anything stands between him and food or sex or control. Yes, after reading a story about a high-profile athlete getting away with assault, this guy’s reaction was to declare an entire gender morally bankrupt. My mental response to that could’ve been a column all on its own. I mean, I’m a guy and my life consists of being hungry, sexless and decidedly out of control almost 100 percent of the time, and I’ve yet to lay a hand on anyone. Am I just an anomaly? Does someone need to rewrite the psychology textbook that dude apparently reads before bed? Joking aside, this random commenter was justifiably angry that things in the Hardy case were not handled the way they should’ve been, but also convinced every dude on the planet was another Greg Hardy waiting to happen — and that’s not an uncommon reaction to news stories these days. Last week’s announcement from the LDS
The Board
church concerning children of same-sex marriages gave rise to all manner of chaos. Now in many people’s eyes, Mormons are collectively thought of as intolerant punks who hate the LGBT community. But believing every LDS student on campus feels this way is like assuming all males are abusers waiting to happen, or that every agricultural science major loves Luke Bryan. You may end up being right in a few rare instances, but mostly you’re just going to look foolish for needlessly stereotyping a group of people. It’s a noble goal to try to change the world for the better, to be bothered by injustices and to always be searching for ways we can improve our treatment of one another. But it’s really difficult to succeed in those endeavors if you’re convinced all of mankind is inherently evil. I’d hope most people would hesitate before branding an entire group with particular stereotype. It’s especially common to hear peers of mine talk about how awful our generation is, suggesting all the world’s problems began with ‘90s kids. Social media is full of posts detailing how our generation has permanently killed love, or how music will never be good again because of our generation’s poor taste. We blame our particular age group for many of the world’s often unsolvable problems, even going so far as to expressing hatred for ourselves via a facebook status that reads “I hate my generation.� Look, despite truly heroic efforts from Florida Georgia Line and the creators of Tinder, music and dating aren’t dead yet, and probably won’t ever be. Hating on our whole generation for all of our perceived problems makes about as much sense as assuming every dude on the planet is a Greg Hardy-level abuser. Most dudes aren’t abusive. Most Mormons aren’t discriminatory. Most ag science kids have better taste in country music than Luke freaking Bryan. People aren’t as bad as you think. — Logan Jones is a junior majoring in journalism, and hopes all those shots at bad country music lightened the tone of this column a bit. Contact him at Logantjones@aggiemail. usu.edu or on Twitter @Logantj.
Letter to the editor: Koch Brothers Recently, Al-jazeera America, The Atlantic and the Center for Public Integrity published an article about corporate money and its influence in academia. The article says that millions of dollars have been spent by the Koch Brothers to promote their agenda from the legislature and into educational institutions. The Koch brothers have a lot more free speech than you, I guarantee that. If they want something, they buy it. Even the reputation of our universities. In a contract signed by Utah State and Charles Koch Foundation, “USU will allow Charles Koch Foundation to review and approve the text of any proposed publicity that includes mention of the foundation or the funding amount.� Quite clearly, they held the power to silence our university from commenting. In addition, the foundation said it would require the university to “recruit and maintain the professors in accordance to the objectives and purposes� established by Koch. The contract also made it clear that the foundation would not be obligated to pay for a professor position that has not been approved of. So they chose the professor, they chose the reading list for students and they chose what the university was to say and not to say about its contract. The issue here, for me, is more about the transparency or lack thereof on the issue.
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Utah State University has neglected my requests for donation records of the Koch Family and the Charles Koch Charitable Foundation, and has followed the contract’s rules on confidentiality. Under the Government Records and Management Act, taxpayers of the state of Utah have a statutory right to determine for themselves how public monies are solicited, accepted, and spent. Access to public financial information promotes trustworthy institutions. For those who don’t know, the Koch family is among the most powerful in the world, they own Koch Industries, Georgia Pacific, many other companies relating to fossil fuels, synthetic materials, cattle ranching and industrial farming companies, not including the Charles Koch Foundation and all its affiliated groups like Americans for Prosperity. What’s dangerous about the Koch brothers et al., is that their wealth directly translates into power, influence and a greater freedom of speech than the average citizen or even average wealthy person. The Kochs wish to make a “marketplace of thought� on campuses. Why is our education a marketplace? Can our education be bought or sold? — Diego Mendiola
Jeffrey Dahdah
Annie Hall
managing editor
photo editor
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Kylee Larsen
Colby May
managing editor
advertising manager
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Mandy Morgan Ditto
Mckay Webb
news editor
representative
advertising
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——— Katie Lambert
Brenna Kelly
student life editor
copy editor
——— Elise Wilding
——— Kalen Taylor
copy editor
sports editor
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Name: Matt Josh Smith Clegg Major:Major: Biological Economics Engineering Year: Year: Sophomore Senior From: From: Richmond, BountifulUT
Mikayla Higley design editor
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USUSA View Aggie Ice Cream, True Aggie Night, Light the “Aâ€? Blue. Utah State University is a unique institution because of all of the unique traditions we embrace. Utah State University, founded in 1888, is a land-grant institution that truly exemplifies school spirit and symbolizes what life is like as an Aggie. As traditions director of USUSA, I have had an incredible experience overseeing and promoting the classy traditions we have at Utah State. As previously mentioned, one of our biggest traditions at USU is Aggie Ice Cream. Utah State is the only university west of the Mississippi that makes their own ice cream on campus. With yummy Aggie Blue Mint and 25 other savory flavors to choose from, it makes it one of USU most attractive traditions. “Show me the Scotsman who doesn’t live the thistle, show me the Englishman who doesn’t love the rose! Show me the true-blooded Aggie from Utah, who doesn’t love the spot ‌ where the sagebrush grows!â€? Our most recognized cheer is also one of campus’ favorite foods, the Scotsman Dog — a cheeseburger in a form of a hotdog, a tasty treat you don’t want to miss out on. Ever wondered what the perfect kiss feels like? Utah State True Aggies know what it’s all about. In 1888 there was a group of high school students from the Salt Lake area whose principal did not allow there to be any clubs. Once at Utah State, these students created the “Be No Club,â€? which only admitted members that would climb up to the A-Tower on a full moon at midnight to kiss and become True Aggies. After becoming such an
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explosive tradition, the Block-A was built in 1916 and it continues to be one of USU’s golden gems. For a student to become a True Aggie, one must kiss a significant other who is already a True Aggie at midnight on a full moon, unless it falls under the only two exceptions: Homecoming Week and A-Week, where two people who aren’t True Aggies can become one together. Utah State has a breathtaking campus and is surrounded by beautiful natural features, but have you ever wondered why the A-Tower on Old Main changes colors between white and blue? I recall taking long walks at night as a freshman and always thinking this school was the best thing ever because we had a glowing “A.� My question was answered after attending my favorites, Aggie football and basketball: anytime Utah State pulls a win against the opposing team, the “A� lights blue! Along with this, one of our favorite things to do as students at all sporting events is singing the Scotsman and Fight Song at the top of our lungs to cheer on our Aggies! These are just a few of our traditions that highlight our beloved university, but there are so much more. Just a couple of weeks ago we witnessed a week full of traditions, Homecoming: Go Blue or Go Home. It was such a moving and exciting time of year seeing students live the passion of being true-blooded Aggies and getting involved with the various activities held throughout the week. I am looking forward to taking part in planning and organizing three other events that celebrate the traditional festivities Utah State University has to showcase: Festival of Trees, Traditions Week and the Robins Awards. —Alexander Aburto, USUSA Traditions Director
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
CALENDAR | NOV. 9 - NOV. 14
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ADD YOUR EVENT AT USUSTATESMAN.COM/EVENTS WEDNESDAY NOV 11 2015 UNDERGRAD EXHIBITION MONDAY NOV 9 Readymade Gallery
MOVIE MONDAY-AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
WHAT MAKES WOMEN BETTER INVESTORS
North Logan City Library
USU Taggart Student Center 336
FRIDAY NOV 13
Free, 6:30 pm
Free, 11:30 am
TUESDAY NOV 10
THE ANTICS COMEDY IMPROV
CACHE DUP MUSEUM
Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre
IT’S ALWAYS TOO EARLY UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE
Cache DUP Museum
$5, 9:30 pm
Free, 3:00 pm
SATURDAY NOV 14
Logan Library Free, 2:00 pm
AVIATION OPEN HOUSE AND AIRLINE VISIT Logan Cache Airport
WHAT MAKES WOMEN BETTER INVESTORS Family Life Center
Free, All Day
JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY The Bullen Center
Free, 7:00 pm
$50, 10:00 am
THURSDAY NOV 12
BEYOUTIFUL INTERNATIONAL GIRLS DAY
Free, 2:00 pm
MORMON WOMEN AUTHORLECTURE AND MARINE CORPS ITY & LEADERSHIP: PAST, BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION PRESENT, FUTURE
Thomas Edison Charter School
TSC Ballroom
Eccles Conference Center Auditorium
Free, 4:00 pm
Free, 12:00 pm
FAURE QUARTETT
Utah State University Taggart Student Center
NASHVILLE TRIBUTE BAND
$5, 6:00 pm
Free, 1:00 pm
ROCK AGAINST RAPE
USU Performance Hall, USU Campus
Ellen Eccles Theater-Cache Valley Cen- USU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL $10-$24. See website for details, 7:30 pm ter for the Arts Dee Glen Smith Spectrum $12-$25. See event website for details, See Website, 7:00 pm 7:00 pm