UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | October 24, 2025

Category: News

City of St. George issues apology to Southern Utah Drag Stars after First Amendment lawsuit

by Ives HongPosted on

The city of St. George issued an apology to Southern Utah Drag Stars Feb. 7, noting the resolution of a years-long lawsuit.

In March of 2023, Southern Utah Drag Stars applied for and was approved for a permit to hold a family-friendly drag show at a private establishment, the now closed Cafe Elevato.

Just days later, the city of St. George revoked their permit based on the fact that the event was being advertised prior to the finalization of the permit.

Members and friends of Southern Utah Drag Stars, St. George, date unspecified. Photo courtesy of Mitski Avalox.

Mitski Avalox, CEO of Southern Utah Drag Stars, said: “I got an email saying that I got denied because I started advertising before my final permit was issued. At that point, I was like, ‘This is some screwy stuff.’ They don’t enforce this at all until it comes to drag.”

Despite this, Ryan Dooney, who at the time was the assistant attorney to the city, said special exceptions are made for recurring events.

When referring to the previously mentioned recurring events like the Iron Man triathlon, Avalox said: “You have all these events that advertise way before they get their final permit. Because often, the final permit is granted the day of the event or a week before. So how could you possibly advertise an event if you’re getting your permit the day of or a week before?”

Further, a six-month moratorium, a temporary prohibition, was issued by the city not long after the contention.

Though the city said that the revocation was done on neutral grounds, Avalox said it was done on a discriminatory basis.

Thus, Avalox sued the city of St. George on the grounds of discrimination and First Amendment violations in May of 2023, after working with the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah since April of that year.

Avalox’s case gained traction during its proceedings with the help of the ACLU of Utah, which led to the involvement of other legal entities such as Jenner & Block and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Aaron Welcher, the director of communications for the ACLU of Utah, said: “This was such a historic First Amendment case. This sort of ban and Mitski’s experience was really one of the first cases of its type.”

For Welcher, being responsible for making sure this lawsuit reaches a wide net of is people meaningful.

“One, just so that people who might be alone, especially in rural, areas that are a big part of Utah, don’t feel alone and know that there are people fighting for them,” Welcher said. “Two, it reaffirms that the U.S. Constitution does protect everyone, including LGBTQ+ people, and that the courts will have to continue to affirm that.”

Starlett Mars Magazine, also known as Johnathan Monge, drag queen and one of the first members of Southern Utah Drag Stars, said, “Mitski winning this lawsuit means a lot to the drag community; as far as I know, there hasn’t been anything this historic, especially involving drag.”

But to Avalox, the apology letter from the city of St. George held more meaning than the lawsuit. Avalox said: “I was most happy about the letter. I specifically asked for that because regardless if they mean it or not, it’s in writing.”

Avalox wanted to leave a message to the city of St. George.

“If anyone else tries to throw an event and they want to exclude me, they have the written apology as a reminder that they’re going to lose if they try that again,” Avalox said.

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Four Utah State Legislature bills, impacts on Utah Tech

by Alyssa BaylesPosted on

With the 2025 Utah State Legislature session well underway, there has been a variety of bills that have been signed and some that could potentially impact higher education.

The session began Jan. 21 and runs until March 7. During this time, members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate meet together to discuss and vote on new bills. If the bill is passed by both houses, it is sent to Governor Spencer Cox to either sign, veto or decline to take action, allowing the bill to become a law.

Here are four bills that could affect higher education.

HB 265

The Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment Bill, HB 265, was proposed on opening day of the Utah legislative session. This bill enacts and amends provisions regarding the funding of certain programs in higher education. The legislature is currently in the process of removing $60 million from institutions statewide to be placed in a reinvestment fund, with Utah Tech University’s estimated portion around $2.5 million.

Henrie Walton, interim chief of staff and assistant to the president for government and community relations, said, “If the bill becomes law, Utah Tech will work collaboratively to gather input from students, administration, faculty and staff in the development of our strategic reinvestment plan [through] forums for feedback [that] will include listening sessions and surveys.”

Additionally, the bill proposes several other changes including:

  • A 120 credit hour degree cap with the exception of up to 126 hours for certain licenses.
  • A three-year degree program created by the Utah Board of Higher Education.
  • A five-year program review cycle instead of seven, with qualitative and quantitative program standards created by UBHE.

If approved, this bill will take effect May 7, 2025. Higher education institutions will have three years to implement their reinvestment plan, with 30% reallocated in the first year, 70% in the second year and 100% by the third year.

“We are committed to an open process and on making decisions based on student needs,” Walton said. “Our primary focus is on providing an educational experience that prepares students for lives and careers in our community.”

HB 269

Sponsored by Representative Stephanie Gricius, the Privacy Protection in Sex-designated Areas, HB 269, was recently signed by Gov. Cox Feb. 14.

This bill entails that UBHE will provide new restrictions regarding the institution’s policies on transgender students’ on-campus housing. It will require students to reside in dorms based on their sex at birth or reside in a gender-neutral dorm.

On Jan. 28, the bill cleared the House with a 59-13 vote. After amending the bill, the Senate also passed it with a 20-7 vote Feb. 6. During a second meeting, the House passed the amended bill Feb. 10.

Ben Dawson, a junior criminal justice major from Dover, Delaware, is currently interning with Senator Stephanie Pitcher. Dawson said it doesn’t take into account whether or not you’ve transitioned or how you currently identify.

“I don’t know what the long-term effects will be, so it’s kind of hard to say,” Dawson said. “I think there’s always a chance that the bills play out in a way that isn’t foreseen, for better or for worse.”

HB 269 will go into effect June 1, 2025.

“We are committed to providing a welcoming environment for all our students and encourage any students who need support to contact the dean of students office or the Booth Wellness Center,” Walton said.

HB 449

A recent bill was introduced aimed at student athletes. HB 449, Student Athletes Amendments, would allow higher education institutes to use certain funds to compensate a student athlete directly for the use of their name, image or likeness.

In addition, the bill defines regulations for the student athletes compensation. Some of the regulations proposed include:

  • Institutions can’t prevent student athletes from participating in intercollegiate sports because they are receiving compensation.
  • Institutions can’t prevent student athletes from participating if they obtain professional representation from an athlete agent or attorney.

If passed, the bill takes effect May 7, 2025.

HB 267

The Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, HB 267, was signed by Gov. Cox Feb. 14. Sponsored by Representative Jordan D. Teuscher, this bill passed the Senate on a 16-13 vote.

This bill “prohibits a public employer from recognizing a labor organization as a bargaining agent for public employees; prohibits a public employer from entering into collective bargaining contracts; prohibits using public money or public property to assist, promote, or deter union organizing or administration.”

The bill prohibits the process where a school, city, county or organization that works with public employees meets with a union to negotiate contracts for those employees. Bryce Harding, Salt Lake Unit Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said it could potentially lead to a decrease in the quality of public services and a shortage of qualified workers.

“If you’re forcing the teachers to make a choice on where they’re going to teach, they’re not going to choose this school in Utah,” Harding said. “Really, wages and benefits are why we go to work. I know most teachers do it because they love it, but at some point in time, the love only goes so far.”

This bill has caused protests at the Utah Capitol to encourage Gov. Cox to veto the bill.

Photo courtesy of Ben Dawson during the protests at the Utah Capitol.

“It will be interesting to see how collective bargaining being removed will affect employees,” Dawson said.

HB 267 will go into effect July 1, 2025.

With the legislation halfway completed, there are still a variety of new bills awaiting to be proposed or passed. Follow along with the 66th Utah State Legislature Session to see how higher education could be potentially affected.

“The biggest thing I would say is just to advocate and make your voice heard,” Dawson said.

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Overview of recent President Trump executive orders, policies

by Carly MaxfieldPosted on

In less than a month into his second term back in office, President Donald Trump has made a range of policy changes. He has signed several executive orders into effect starting on the same afternoon he took office. Some of the orders have already gone into effect, while other changes are being further examined. 

An executive order is an order signed by the president that orders the government to follow laws faithfully. It does not override federal laws or statutes. 

President Trump promised to sign a large amount of executive orders on day one, and he kept that promise.

Some of the policy changes include:

DEI practices executive order

The DEI executive order was signed into practice Jan. 21. The official title of the order is Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.

The order states it aims to cancel practices that “adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion.’”

This order ended diversity initiatives in the federal workforce and ended affirmative action measures for federal contractors. 

Students like Peter Dunham, a freshman chemistry major from West Jordan, said diversity and initiatives that further diversity are beneficial when it comes to higher education.

“All it really does is decrease diversity at a university,” Dunham said. “In my mind, diversity is what brings ideas and ideas are what bring ingenuity, especially from universities.”

Utah legislature had already taken steps last year to remove DEI from administrative practice, so changes have already taken place at Utah Tech. Both the Center for Inclusion and Belonging and the LGBTQ+ Resource Center were dissolved.

Immigration policy

A promise President Trump made before winning the 2024 presidential election was to conduct mass deportations of millions of immigrants. This promise has been seen through the executive order Securing Our Borders among eight other immigration orders. 

This order said it seeks to “protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement.” 

The policy changed zones where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service can and cannot visit. ICE has conducted raids in schools, hospitals and churches, striking fear into immigrant communities. 

Geoff Allen, assistant professor of political science, said: “It’s something people should be aware of and know that can happen. Whereas in the past, a campus raid would have been against policy.”

Tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada

President Trump announced tariffs on Mexico and Canada following his tariffs on China. The China tariff proposed a 10% tax on all imports, and the Canadian and Mexican tariffs would be a 25% tax.

Should the tariffs go into effect, United States citizens could potentially be affected. Mexico provides the U.S. with fresh produce and if the tariff goes into effect, produce prices could rise across the country.

After speaking with the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, and the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, Trump reached an agreement on a 30 day pause on all tariffs. The agreements were made on the account that both Mexico and Canada would aid the U.S. in boosting efforts on the borders to stop drug trafficking.

Canada provides the U.S. with fuel and energy. If that tariff goes into effect, transportation of goods would go up due to gas prices.

On these tariffs, Allen said, “If the Canadian and Mexican tariffs go into effect, those are more serious… Canada provides a very large proportion of the United States’ overall oil.” 

Federal grants

On Jan. 27, Trump issued a memorandum that would freeze all federal grants. It excluded recipients of Social Security and Medicare from the freeze, as well as Pell Grants for students. 

The memorandum said, “Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology and the green new deal.”

The freeze never took place. Shortly after the memorandum was sent out, on Jan. 28, a federal court ruled a stay on the freeze. Then, following the stay, the Trump administration rescinded the freeze. 

When asked about the announcement of the federal grant policy freeze, Kaydnn Metzgar, a senior art major from Saratoga Springs, said, “It kind of rattled me, [because] I’m actively looking for a loan… when you’re actively looking for [a loan] and then see something related to it, it’s like, ‘oh no am I still gonna be able to do that?’”

Jonathan Jimenez, an electrical engineering major from Mesquite, Nevada, said the grant freeze could help some students consider better options than student loans.

He said, “I think the fact that it’s being held off is allowing people to really think, ‘Should I get a student loan?’”

Renaming Gulf of Mexico

On Jan. 20, one of the first few executive orders signed by Trump was Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness. This order sought to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. 

The stated reason for this change was to promote extraordinary heritage and American greatness. The new name would only be recognized in America and have no impact on what other countries call the Gulf.

Jimenez said, “It’s just stupid… the fact that he did that kind of shows that it’s just more of an ego thing.”

President Trump has made a list of policy changes since taking office at the beginning of this year. These executive orders have made changes to U.S. institutions and practices.

Students can stay up to date on current executive orders by following the official White House website, where executive orders are published for the public to read.

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Annual Vagina Project celebrates ‘Universal Love’ with education, empowerment, expression

by Annie MuirbrookPosted on

The Utah Tech University psychology department hosted the annual Vagina Project with this year’s theme being “Universal Love.” The event had interactive exhibits, booths, snacks and performances all promoting health and wellbeing.

This project was a free event hosted Feb. 6 in the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center lobby and main stage.

Hallee Hassell, a junior psychology major from Odgen, helped set up the event. When asked about why events like the Vagina Project are important, she said, “I think it’s how we are here… so why would we not want to learn about love?”

Some of the exhibits and booths included:

  • A love letter writing station where attendees could write messages to themselves or loved ones.
  • Emotional support dogs offering comfort and stress relief.
  • The Utah Tech Poetry Pharmacy provided personalized poetry for attendees based on their emotions.
  • The Dove Center provided resources and information on domestic violence prevention and support.
  • Multiple Utah Tech departments, including dental and art, contributed to discussions on self-care and expression.

One of the companies at the event was Avanti Beauty Academy, a beauty school based in St. George. They were there painting nails and educating attendees about their company.

Jaicee Judd, an employee at Avanti Beauty Academy, said, “We just like to support women and women’s health and resources in the community.”

The night also had educational lectures from students and professors. With the theme being “Universal Love,” some lectures included how to battle loneliness, stigmas around women’s sexuality and more.

Amanda Scott, assistant professor of English, gave a lecture on how love is stronger than hate. Tying in personal experience, she said, “I truly believe we have to care for ourselves.”

Students came to the event for many reasons. Some came for extra credit provided by psychology professors, others came to support friends or to learn more about what the event had to offer. The event fostered an open, inclusive atmosphere that encouraged conversation and understanding.

At the end of the event, a drag show was hosted by Southern Utah Drag Stars. The intimate crowd cheered the queens and king while celebrating and embodying the theme of the night.

Vee Gooch, a junior exercise science major from Spearfish, South Dakota, said, “I mean, from a feminist standpoint, I think it is really empowering to just have a community of… girls and women and obviously guys too [to come together].”

Overall, the Vagina Project successfully fostered an environment of inclusivity, education and celebration, leaving attendees feeling more connected and empowered.

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Missouri State students react to misconduct allegations against former Utah Tech president

by Lexy BorgognoPosted on

Missouri State University’s student-run news, The Standard, published an article about student tension rising after a lawsuit was released against former Utah Tech University president Richard “Biff” Williams.  

Liz Garcia, a senior journalism major from Branson, Missouri, is a co-editor-in-chief for The Standard. 

“I know, especially on social media, there was kind of a lot of upset… learning about… what [Biff] had done at Utah Tech,” Garcia said. “And so there was just kind of a lot of confusion. And, students were kind of wondering, ‘Where do we go from here now that he’s our president?’” 

Garcia said once students came back to school from being home during Christmas break, student voices became more apparent. 

On the college social networking app Yik Yak, an individual had posted a picture with “F— BIFF” written in the snow outside MSU’s Freudenberger House. 

Photo courtesy Liz Garcia.

Ruby Knight, a freshman business education major from Purdy, Missouri, is the reporter from The Standard that wrote the story. 

“I would mention too, that before Christmas break, I had mentioned the chalking practice in my article, where they write on the sidewalk,” Knight said. “I had seen that same message, written on the sidewalk in front of Carrington, which is our administration building.”

Flyers were placed, like this one in an elevator in the Brick City 1 building, on MSU’s campus. 

Photo courtesy Liz Garcia.

A couple of social media pages were created where students displayed their distaste for Williams, including @bearsagainstbiff and @zuweenie_gate. 

@bearagainstbiff has posted about flyers in the library that read, “We need Biff off our campus,” and a post about, “Meet the board of governors, the ones that okay-ed someone who abuses power.”

@zuweenie_gate’s page was at one point selling “Zuweenie-Gate 2024” shirts that said, “50 shirts bought and we’ll anonymously send one to Biff.” 

“I would just say that I think that sometimes things can get blown up or amplified by social media and, you know, to quote ‘Wicked,’ ‘The best way to bring people together is to give them a real good enemy,’” Knight said. “And I feel like we are seeing some of that phenomenon on our campus. And based on my reporting and the way things are trending, I do believe it will eventually blow over.”

Students weren’t the only ones voicing their concerns. MSU Faculty Senate passed a no-confidence resolution pertaining to Williams’ leadership. 

MSU Faculty Senate Chair-elect Micheal Foster shared the final language of the resolution reading, “Whereas, the conduct of President Williams at Utah Tech is not in line with Missouri State University’s (MSU) commitments to ethical leadership and inclusive excellence; and Whereas, the high-profile nature of his breech in ethical leadership and inclusive excellence could negatively affect MSU’s current search for a new Provost, development of a strategic plan, as well as the university’s ability to recruit and retain students, staff, and faculty.”

However, the MSU Board of Governors, composed of individuals who are affiliated with MSU but don’t necessarily live in Springfield, Missouri, voted unanimously to keep Williams as president. 

“It doesn’t really seem like if students did want to continue, sort of, expressing their distaste for him, if that would really have as much of an impact considering the board of governors decided to keep him instated as our president,” Garcia said. 

While Williams is remaining as president at MSU, Utah Tech’s Faculty Senate also passed a no-confidence resolution pertaining to six administrative individuals on campus.

Kyle Killebrew, Utah Tech instructor of the practice in English composition and Faculty Senate secretary, said though the majority of the press coverage has focused on Williams’ actions and how the administration has handled those actions, Utah Tech Faculty Senate’s no-confidence resolution addressed a variety of concerns.

No-confidence resolutions are not binding decisions and don’t have the power to compel change, but they do send a strong message of disapproval from faculty.

“However, the strongest voice at Utah Tech is that of its students,” Killebrew said. “Utah Tech students have an important role to play in shaping the climate on campus, and as your tuition dollars keep the university running, you have a power for change greater than that of our faculty, staff and administrators.”

Additionally, Utah Tech is in the process of searching for the next president. The education requirement changed from having a doctorate degree to a bachelor’s degree. 

“I think if that were to happen at Missouri State, I would be kind of concerned, especially since, having the bump down from a PhD to a bachelor’s degree is a pretty big difference in terms of just the pure education level that you would have,” Garcia said. “And it would kind of feel as if, you’re just prioritizing, seeking an immediate replacement rather than looking for a long term stability or different other qualities that might be more essential in a candidate.”

The Standard has reported on students’ reactions to the lawsuit against Williams, the Faculty Senate no-confidence resolution and the multiple meetings the board of governors held to determine Williams’ standing. 

“I would say that the student voice is very amplified and encouraged on our campus,” Knight said. “Exercising the right of free speech is always very welcome here, and I found that that’s an interesting part of our university that I hadn’t experienced in my educational journey thus far.” 

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LA wildfires destroy homes, memories

by Carly MaxfieldPosted on

Wildfires have been sweeping through Los Angeles since Jan. 7, 2025. For two weeks now, the fires have been windblown across 40,000 acres of land, destroying homes and lives in the process. Up until this point, the wildfires have at this point claimed the lives of 28 people.

The fires began as a brush fire starting in Palisades, a neighborhood in LA. They quickly spread and became a deadly wildfire. 

A number of factors contributed to the huge sweep of these fires including drought and dry vegetation, high wind speeds, climate change and a budget decrease for the LA fire department.

These fires have affected Utah Tech students and their relatives living in the LA area. One student, Madisyn Bishop, a senior English major from St. George, shared her family’s story. The families’ homes were located in the Pasadena and Altadena neighborhoods.

Bishop’s grandparents were evacuated in the middle of the night from their home and found out a few hours later that their home had been burned and destroyed. Bishop also has an aunt who lived in the area who has been battling with cancer and lost her home to the LA wildfires. 

“Their houses are completely gone,” Bishop said. “We saw pictures and all that’s standing are the chimneys.”

If you want to help Bishop’s aunt, you can check out her GoFundMe.

Their story of evacuation warnings in the dead of night is not uncommon. Many people living across LA have been asked to evacuate. At one point, there were around 180,000 people asked to evacuate their homes. 

Utah fire departments like Hurricane have been helping in California fight the wildfires. These volunteers are helping to stop the spread of the fires by setting up hose lines and doing structural protection work.

Jason Reed, from Pasadena, is Bishop’s fiance’s uncle, and he has also seen the effects of these fires in real time. His family didn’t live in a particularly dangerous fire zone until now, but the winds put their home in the line of fire. 

Reed and his family had to evacuate from their home and relocated three different times around California due to evacuation orders. Their house became uninhabitable due to toxic smoke containing lead, arsenic, asbestos and other chemicals filling the air.

Reed said another important contributing factor to these huge wildfire events is climate change.

“This has a lot to do with climate change,” Reed said. “I’ve been in Los Angeles for 38 years, and I’ve never seen this many fire events and this kind of Santa Ana wind condition as fierce.”

The overall dryness of the LA area is greatly caused by climate change. Higher global temperatures have sucked out moisture from plants, drying them out and causing them to be more susceptible to flame. 

Reed’s family does not currently have a GoFundMe but asks that those who are looking to donate do so at the World Central Kitchen.

Karina Boza, a graduate Weber State student based in LA, detailed her and her family’s experiences with the wildfires. Her aunt Aurora Barboza lost her home to the Eaton fire that occurred in Altadena. 

Not only were the physical buildings burned in these fires, but memories were lost as well. Barboza lost personal artworks that reflected her Latin roots, photos of the family, historical photos of Mexican relatives and many other treasured items were lost. 

“Nina [Aurora] stayed with me after being ordered to evacuate, bringing only a small suitcase and our family photos,” Boza said.

If you want to help Boza’s aunt after the fire burned her home, here is her GoFundMe.

Thousands of families lost their homes and even more in these fires, but community support within LA and outside of it from those with empathy toward the situation goes a long way. 

If students and St. George locals wish to aid, they can help by donating to GoFundMe’s linked throughout the story or by looking into other families who may need help at this time.

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TikTok ban results in dark app, returns as President Trump grants ByteDance a lifeline

by Lindy BlairPosted on

TikTok users in the United States opened the app Jan. 18 to a message stating it was unavailable, but President Donald Trump was working to restore it. Less than 12 hours later, TikTok was online again. 

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to upload and watch short videos. The app has gained popularity since its international release in 2017, obtaining over 170 million users in the U.S. 

TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. During President Trump’s first term, he attempted to remove TikTok from app stores due to security concerns regarding ByteDance. It has since been a topic of concern for Congress. 

Government officials are concerned about ByteDance’s ties with China. Geoff Allen, assistant professor of political science, said ByteDance has “tight” relations with the Chinese Communist party, including participating “in the development of monitoring technologies for the domestic population.” He said it is fair to believe the data TikTok stores is not secure from the Chinese state.  

Politicians are concerned about data being stolen because it can be used to influence American politics.

Nathan Snow, assistant professor of communication, called social media “one of the least recognized superpowers… [it] has been shown to topple governments and bring new ones about.”

Congress passed and signed into law the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act April 24, 2024. This law prevents app stores from distributing applications owned by companies located in foreign adversaries. Operations that allow downloads may face fines of up to $5,000 per person. It also gave apps owned by foreign adversaries 180 days to find new owners before facing bans. 

As the deadline of Jan. 19 approached, Americans waited to discover if TikTok would be banned. They found out Jan. 18 that ByteDance had removed access to the app completely. 

However, less than 12 hours later, TikTok was back online in the U.S. bearing a message that gave credit to President Donald Trump for the restoration. The next day, President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office, allowing a 75-day extension for ByteDance to find a new owner of TikTok.

Vince Brown, director of the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs, said U.S. presidents are made aware of national security concerns at the beginning of their term.

“They know a great deal… and you can just see it over their faces for the next four years,” Brown said.

He said their knowledge on the topic seems to be an indicator of TikTok’s removal, but President Trump is moving forward with the 75-day extension.  

For TikTok to continue its availability in the U.S. it must be sold to an American company. Only a few people are serious about buying the company, including former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, but ByteDance has shared it does not plan to sell. 

President Trump has proposed the U.S. government purchase 50% of TikTok. He said that by doing this TikTok will be saved, and in “good hands.” But, Allen said Congress would not be willing to buy TikTok, and a 50/50 ownership is not likely. 

Without a new owner, TikTok would not be distributed through app stores or receive updates. It would eventually become unusable and irrelevant. Snow said TikTok being banned would “leave a hole,” but people aren’t going to give up on social media.

We have already seen people move to new social media apps as a result of the ban. Apps where you can find content similar to TikTok are making their way to the stage. RedNote, Instagram and YouTube are among the most popular app migrations.

The fate of TikTok is still up in the air, but content creators will continue finding ways to share their stories.

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Updates for 2025 commencement: Multiple ceremonies aim to beat the heat, enhance experience

by Rylee HjorthPosted on

For the graduating class of 2025 at Utah Tech University, the commencement ceremony is going to look different compared to previous years. Each year, the ceremony has come with a host of challenges that the university is hoping to resolve with these adjustments.

Instead of holding one ceremony for all graduating students, there will be multiple ceremonies held throughout May 1-2. Associate degree recipients will have one ceremony May 1 at 7 p.m. in the M. Anthony Burns Arena. On May 2, there will be three bachelor’s and master’s ceremonies that are separated by college. Each will take place in the Burns Arena.

  • The College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Arts will have their ceremony at 9 a.m.
  • The College of Health Sciences and College of Education will have their ceremony at 2 p.m.
  • The College of Science, Engineering, and Technology and the College of Business will have their ceremony at 7 p.m.

In previous years, commencement was celebrated during a single ceremony that took place in the arena, but as Utah Tech’s student population grew, the ceremony was moved outside to Greater Zion Stadium.

This situation introduced a new problem as the outdoor temperatures in May can reach up to 80 degrees. To avoid the warm weather, the university has held a ceremony in the morning, and then another in the evening.

Del Beatty, the vice president of student affairs, is hopeful that the change will be a positive one.

“We don’t have to worry about bad weather or it being too hot or raining or windy,” Beatty said. “And so that way, we can still give a very personalized but professional [ceremony].”

Beatty also said the change might pose a challenge to faculty and staff members who want to attend commencement because they will be sitting through the various ceremonies for two days straight.

However, he said the change was made with the belief that it’d be more beneficial for the students and that he, himself, is a big advocate for them. He is optimistic about the change and hopes that the students will receive it well.

“I was really interested when it came out,” Kayla Gonzalez, a senior marketing major from Ogden, said. “I think it could be cool. I know some graduations that go on and on… I think it might meet a lot of people’s needs.”

Not all agree with this. Nathan Thomas, a senior history major from Stansbury, had a different point of view on the matter. 

“My energy is, I understand the need for the change, but it will make graduation less exciting,” Thomas said. “I think things will be a little more organized. I mean, they were having logistical issues with the graduation previously… but, you know, it is a little less exciting that we won’t get to see everyone that we’re graduating with.”

More information about the ceremonies, including a detailed schedule that includes lineup times for the graduates can be found here.

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HB 265—potential budget cuts, impact on Utah Tech

by Alyssa BaylesPosted on

With the fear of an estimated 10% budget cut, students, faculty and staff gathered in the Gardner Student Center Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. to discuss the potential effects this could have on Utah Tech University.

The Institute of Politics and Public Affairs hosted the event to create conversation about the upcoming bills proposed for the 2025 Utah State Legislature that affect higher education. With the goal of informing the audience, a discussion was held amongst a panel of speakers. Led by moderator Vince Brown, director of the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs, the panel included:

  • Stephen Lee, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Julie Chew, Faculty Senate president
  • Geoff Allen, assistant professor of political science
  • Bella Estes, student body president
  • Brad Ashay, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Utah

Brown said the panel was selected to give diverse thoughts and opinions regarding the upcoming bills, specifically HB 265, and the effects they could have.

“There is a lot of concern amongst the faculty, staff and students about what is going to happen in the legislature this year in terms of bills coming down that affect higher education, including possible cuts to funding,” Brown said. “At the IOP, our job is just simply to try to provide as much information as we can, and in this case, to allay concerns or to make people aware so that they’re active and involved.”

The Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment Bill, HB 265, is sponsored by Republican Representative Karen Peterson and is discussed in this year’s legislative. The legislature is in the process of removing $60 million from institutions statewide to be placed in a reinvestment fund, and Utah Tech’s estimated portion would be around $2.5 million.

Thus, the bill will “require each degree-granting institution to create a strategic reinvestment plan to reallocate funding from certain programs and divisions of the institution to certain programs and divisions that merit additional investment.”

The effective date for the bill is May 7, 2025 if passed, with universities having three years to implement the investment plan.

For many in attendance, the event was a way to become more informed about the potential effects on the university in the future. Kyle Killebrew, instructor of English, attended the event to learn more about the upcoming bills that could affect universities in Utah, specifically information about reallocation and budget cuts.

“Theoretically, if some of the proposed reallocations end up going through, it could negatively impact some of the important programs here at Utah Tech, especially if anything goes through that impacts faculty lines,” Killebrew said.

Similarly, Shauna Wight, assistant professor of English, said she is concerned about the impacts the bills could have on the students’ offerings, like the courses they can take or are required to take.

Daniel Klingler, a junior English major from South Jordan, was among the students who attended the event. Klinger said they attended to learn more about how the bills would potentially affect the university, fellow students and themself. However, a big concern of Klinger’s is the effect these bills could have on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences department.

“I just don’t see them [CHASS] getting as much funding, or they’re going to get downsized to such a degree we’ll lose a lot of degree programs, things like my degree, creative writing,” Klinger said.

With these potential cuts to certain programs, Klinger is concerned about the skills students will lose by not having these classes. He said these programs encourage people to create cultural impact.

“If we lose the ability to learn these skills to create change, then humanity stalls,” Klinger said. “People aren’t going to be able to fight for what they believe in if they don’t have the words, language or understanding to do so.”

Dean Lee discussed amongst the panel the importance of CHASS and the skills it can help students develop. Some of the skills mentioned in the discussion were critical thinking, communication and innovation. He said it’s important to be able to look at issues from multiple perspectives and challenge ourselves environmentally, which ultimately prepares you for life after college.

Lee said, “It is that we’re preparing you for life-ready and citizen-ready; that you are indeed a contributor to society and an informed citizen because that’s where your liberal arts or humanities and social science training will come to bear every day.”

An additional discussion that arose was the potential cutback on the credits required for general education. Part of this would mean that students could get a degree in three years instead of four. With a shorter time at the university, it would be a cutback on general education and elective classes. Chew discussed with the panel how these classes help make a more rounded individual.

“I think you learn grit and develop resiliency through taking classes that make you critically think, make you collaborate, make you examine values and beliefs and how they fit in with that, and develop an ethically principled adult who works in the world effectively,” Chew said.

The Utah State Legislature session begins on Jan. 21 and will go until March 7. If interested in taking action, Utah Tech Day on the Hill is Jan. 29, which is an opportunity for anyone to voice concerns at the Utah State Capitol. Moreover, if you want your voice to be heard, you can also email Governor Spencer Cox regarding concerns about the bills.

“It starts here, but it doesn’t end with us,” Klinger said. “They’re going to push these studies out without realizing the impact if we don’t stand up and fight back.”

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Lawsuit against Utah Tech results in faculty resolution, update on presidential search process

by Madisyn BishopPosted on

When the lawsuit against Utah Tech University administrators was released to the public, students, faculty and staff experienced a multiplicity of events.

This 42-page lawsuit named 13 administrative faculty and staff, as well as the Utah Board of Higher Education, the Utah System of Higher Education, Utah Tech University and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

This lawsuit was a result of repeated discriminatory, harassing behavior that three Utah Tech employees faced. These employees were:

  • Rebecca “Becky” Broadbent, general counsel
  • Jared Rasband, senior associate general counsel
  • Hazel Sainsbury, director of equity compliance and Title IX coordinator

This lawsuit shed light on what was going on inside Utah Tech. A court date has yet to be released to the public, even after the 2024 semester ended.

However, many things have changed around campus since the release of this lawsuit. First, quickly after the lawsuit was released, the Utah Tech Faculty Senate proposed a resolution to faculty members regarding administration.

The proposed resolution included a vote of no confidence in administration with executive duties in leadership positions which included:

  • Interim president Courtney White
  • Provost Micheal Lacourse
  • Del Beatty, vice president of student affairs
  • Jordon Sharp, vice president of marketing and communication
  • Henrie Walton, assistant to the president for government and community relations and interim chief of staff
  • Travis Rosenberg, executive director of human resources

A section of this proposed resolution states:

Screenshot of a section of the resolution published in The Salt Lake Tribune Nov. 24, 2024.

The resolution continues, saying the faculty senate will meet with the general faculty Nov. 20, 2024 to recall for the following actions: reviewing the allegations against the university and ensuring accountability, strengthening protections for whistleblowers, publicly sharing and detailing a plan addressing a recommitment to fostering a respected workplace culture, and acknowledging the apology issued by Courtney White to faculty and staff.

Robert Hall, assistant professor of communication and faculty senator for the communication department, said: “We didn’t just do this on behalf of faculty; we did take into consideration the student’s concerns. After we saw the news piece from the Sun News, I reached out to our senate president, president-elect and other members and said, ‘Our students are calling this out, we cannot be quiet.'”

After voting in favor of the resolution, the faculty senate met with Geoffrey Landward, Utah System of Higher Education chancellor, to express their concerns and aspirations for a new president.

Hall said it was a good opportunity to meet and discuss their concerns with him and they have been meeting regularly with the board of trustees since their initial meeting.

The Faculty Senate also hoped to bridge the gaps between administrators, students, faculty and staff. Hall said they are trying to figure out how to collaborate and be in the same lane rather than having faculty and students in one lane and administration in the other. The board of trustees has been working with the faculty senate to resolve this.

The second change occurred during the 2024 winter break, Dec. 24, when the Utah Board of Higher Education emailed the campus community to announce a new presidential search committee.

Student body president, Bella Estes, a senior communication major from Scottsdale, Arizona, said she was surprised they were establishing a new search committee.

In this email, UBHE announced that it had established a 10 member search committee to expedite the search for a new president.

Furthermore, the committee included Utah Tech and Utah Board of Higher Education trustees faculty, staff, students, alumni, administration and the local community, all of which will decide who the new president is.

These members were:

  • Danny Ipson, search committee co-chair and Utah Board of Higher Education member
  • Deven Macdonald, search committee co-chair and Utah Tech board of trustees member
  • Wendi Bulkley, Utah Tech director of community relations and athletic development officer
  • Jennifer Ciaccio, Utah Tech Faculty Senate president-elect and biology professor
  • Jon Cox, UBHE member
  • Bella Estes, Utah Tech student body president
  • Dan Nielson, alumni, Utah Tech administrator, Coral Desert Surgery Center administrator
  • Rich Nye, Utah governor’s senior adviser of education
  • Tasha Toy, assistant vice president and chief compliance officer at Utah Tech
  • John Willis, St. George city manager

In the email, the UBHE stated they understood the importance of this transition and, “want to reassure you that every effort is being made to select a president who will lead by example, elevate UT’s mission of innovation, strengthen the campus community, and further advance hands-on, student-focused learning.”

Moreover, on Jan. 9, UBHE held a Committee of the Whole meeting, during which they discussed the reasoning behind creating a new committee.

Utah System of Higher Education board member, Javier Chavez Jr., said they were determined to reconstitute a new committee to have a fresh perspective and fresh start.

Chavez said: “The search committee is proceeding on an expedited basis with the goal to appoint a new president by early March. That area of the state, that community, that university requires the care and attention for a president; therefore, the decision has been made to expedite the search. I want to reiterate by no less, does that mean that it’s a hurried search.”

With the formation of the new committee, a expedited timeline was also created, which proposed a new president by March 2025. However, the committee was not the only thing that changed with the presidential search. The presidential position details and requirements were updated when the search was announced.

The new, largest change made was lowering the minimum education requirement for prospective presidents. Now, applicants are no longer required to hold a doctorate and can maintain a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

“There are things we are still not happy with,” Hall said. “One thing we are very displeased about is that they changed the qualifications.”

While a graduate degree is still preferred, the minimum qualification could change the application pool significantly, creating the possibility that most of the faculty would be more educated than the president.

Estes said the qualification changed to broaden the overall scope. She said the committee would still do its due diligence and ensure the new president has leadership experience and upholds the university’s values.

“I would anticipate some people being frustrated, but I’m not quite sure because we wouldn’t know who that applicant is yet, so I can’t speak on it,” Estes said.

Once the committee narrows down to three to five finalist candidates, they will come to Utah Tech to meet with different stakeholders. Estes said these stakeholders represent different perspectives on campus and around the community.

“Those groups in those stakeholder groups get to share their feedback on those three to five candidates,” Estes said.

As the student representative on the search committee, Estes was advised to pick 10-12 students to represent the student body.

“I wanted to pick students who represent different areas, so I picked my UTSA executive council because they oversee different branches,” Estes said. “Then I chose student groups who oversee a large number of students in different branches.”

She also picked a student representative from the Peer Coach program who works with first-year students, a representative from the Ambassador Program who works with prospective students, and a representative from the Alumni Ambassadors. Estes said once the stakeholders met, USHE would pick a finalist who may come speak at the university.

“I appreciate everyone’s patience on this. This has been a very sensitive challenging topic,” Chavez said. “The system [of higher education’s] goal is that the people of Utah win, the students win.”

The university has experienced a myriad of changes over a short period of time. If students, faculty and staff have concerns about the presidential search, they are encouraged to provide anonymous feedback through the USHE form listed on the presidential search website.

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