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Whose vote matters: Community members weigh in on the discussion around lowering the voting age
Photo by Erick L Graham Wood
In March, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that she supported lowering the federal voting age from 18 to 16. Her remarks to the press came after members of Congress voted down a bill led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) at the beginning of the year that sought to make that change. “I myself have always been for lowering the voting age to 16,” Pelosi said. “I think it’s really important to capture kids when they’re in high school, when they’re interested in all of this, when they’re learning about government, to be able to vote.” An advocacy group Vote16USA stated in a press release that “only a couple years ago, just one Member of Congress expressing interest in 16-year-old voting was a huge deal, so to see 126 members vote yes on Rep. Pressley’s amendment is a thrilling sign of how far we’ve come in a short time.” Last year the Utah legislature passed a law allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote and granted 17-year-olds the ability to cast a ballot in the primary election if they turn 18 on or before the general election in November. Now, Pelosi’s comments have sparked a conversation around the voting age, and students, politicians and professors in Cache Valley are weighing in. The history of voting in the U.S. An earlier conversation around lowering the voting age dates back to World War II and eventually lead to the age being dropped three years, from 21 to 18, to coincide with the draft during the Vietnam War. “In our culture, we recognize a distinction between adolescence and adulthood,” said Michael Lyons, a political science professor at USU. “There are certain things that are regulated, including gambling, using alcohol and even voting, at the state and local level. Simply put, in the United States, if you are under 18, you are not considered an adult.” Lyons said he is “not enthusiastic” about any proposal to lower the voting age, adding that minors aren’t granted full Constitutional rights, especially with the First Amendment, until they are out of secondary school. Multiple Supreme Court Decisions have ruled in favor of a school’s ability to restrict free expression. Possibly the most notable free speech case in a public school is the 1968 case Tinker v Des Moines, in which Mary Beth Tinker claimed that her siblings had a constitutional right to wear black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War. This was during a time when the voting age was set at 21 and many considered Tinker too naïve and uninformed to make such a statement. In 1971, the 26th Amendment was passed and ratified, preventing states from setting a voting age higher than 18, except with limitations on naturalization. In 2013, the City of Takoma Park, Maryland, became the first place in the United States to lower its voting age to 16 for local elections and referendums. Two other cities in Maryland followed suit as well as one in California. Lyons said he has heard no compelling argument for making the change from 21 to 18, but he said that that number makes sense to him. “We come from an agricultural heritage, and in the past, one’s size and their strength was what determined their adulthood,” Lyons said. “It would not be wise to lower that age-limit to any age where that physical growth process wasn’t complete.” Lyons said that while that he believes that many under the age of 18 may be smarter than those in their 30s, he does not believe teenagers have the maturity to vote. “We don’t grant adulthood to people under 18 for a variety of reasons,” Lyons said. “Some of it may be legacy from the past, but we universally regard 18 as the age of sexual maturity. Certainly, as people get older, they acquire more political knowledge.” Lyons said that he believes no one should be entitled to vote unless they pay taxes. “Sure, everyone under 18 is paying some taxes,” Lyons said, recognizing that many teens have jobs. “But 18 is the age when the majority of individuals enter the workforce.” Lyons said he doesn’t believe that taxpayers are the only people who should be represented and that he wishes the government would be more forward-thinking for the youth, citing climate change, funding public education and the national debt as issues that youth will have to deal with. “Our government is inadequately providing for people under 18,” Lyons said. “I don’t know if giving voting rights to 16-year-olds is the right way to contend to that, but I can’t think of a better way to contend to that, either.” Only 12 other countries have the voting age set at 16, with Nicaragua and Brazil leading the charge in the ‘80s. A local politician, her daughter and the internet generation Karina Andelin Brown is a county and state delegate and president of the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center Board. She is also a member of the Cache Chamber Legislative Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Better Days 2020 Top of Utah Organizing Committee. Karina said during her campaign she had the opportunity to talk to students in a Mountain Crest High School government class. “They had the best questions I received during the entire campaign,” Karina said. “They were the most informed and curious out of anyone I spoke to, and the same with Utah State students.” Karina has a 16-year-old daughter named Elizabeth who is involved in a variety of social issues. Elizabeth and her mother both shared their thoughts on the federal voting age. “Young people are so smart, but personally, I think no, 16-year-olds shouldn’t vote,” Karina said. “At 16 they are just getting started analyzing life issues. Most 16-year-olds are too easily influenced by their parents.” Elizabeth agreed. “While I don’t believe all 16-year-olds should be able to vote, I think teens who are legally emancipated and paying taxes are fully entitled to a vote,” Elizabeth said. “I think parental meddling with ballots would be too big an issue.” Elizabeth said, however, that she would “love the opportunity” to participate in U.S. democracy. “I wish I could vote on animal welfare issues,” Elizabeth said. “I’m a passionate animal rights activist, so the chance to vote on a matter to help them would be important to me.” Karina said that she believes parents need to model “perfect public behavior” for their teenagers. “We should focus on the age range not showing up and inspire the next generation,” Karina said. “They are depressed about the future and not engaged because they don’t feel like what they do is important. On the other hand, I think younger people are getting more involved than the older generations. My daughter follows the news.” Elizabeth said it is easy for her to be involved. “I don’t know what adults have been doing for the last 15 years, but we have the internet now,” Elizabeth said. “I can access a universe of information with a few clicks on a keyboard. Of course I’m knowledgeable enough. I can inform myself accurately on any issue I choose to research.” Karina said that she agrees there is more information at teenager’s fingertips. “They are living in a crazy political environment that has allowed them to read news, process and make decisions because of it,” Karina said. “They are so tuned in to social injustice.” Karina said that she believes the debate around lowering the voter age is a liberal-versus-conservative argument. “I don’t like a top-down approach,” Karina said. ‘It’s important for us older people to support and learn from the next generation as they get involved.” Responding to whether minors are underrepresented in the U.S., Elizabeth said, “I don’t think so.” “This may have been true two decades ago, but the internet and social media have given us massive platforms to make our voices known,” Elizabeth said. “I think refugees and foster children are the most underrepresented groups in America.” Teaching the next generation John Hart is a government and history teacher at Cache High School, an alternative school that serves approximately 145 students in need of services offered outside of a traditional high school. “They’re not ready, they don’t have the knowledge and they’re too immature,” Hart said. “There are so many opinions that even I have a hard time voting. It’s hard to sort out.” Hart said there are a lot of “bad voters” and he wants to be able to help teenagers form opinions. “I always tell students that if they come to me and complain about the government, I’ll say, ‘Well did you vote? Because if not, don’t complain,” Hart said. When asked whether teenagers could complain without representation, Hart said, “teens aren’t represented, but should they be? That’s the question.” Gordon Peer, a debate teacher and National Honors Society adviser at Green Canyon High School, said that he sees some of the brightest and most enthusiastic teenagers at the school. “As a teacher, mentor and coach, there are two components that I think are important to understand,” Peer said. “The first is what are we trying to get at. Is there some ulterior motive potentially for reaching this age demographic? The likelihood for voting among 18- to 30-year-olds is atrocious among eligible voters.” Peer said the nation needs to address ballot fatigue before adding more voters, because that wouldn’t solve poor voter turnout. “On one hand, it may help increase voter awareness with more exposure to the voting process,” Peer said. “I know many students who are more educated than some 50-, 60- or 70-year-olds.” The second issue, Peer said, is principle. “The intent of the 26th Amendment was to allow people who were risking their lives be able to have a say in the country they were fighting for, which sounded like a good idea,” Peer said. “But the prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed until almost 30, so maybe we should make that the age limit to vote.” Abby Slade, a counselor at South Cache Middle School, agreed. “Why would we let them vote if they are not even considered old enough to start drinking?” Slade said. “The rules and age limits in this country are out of whack.” Slade said that she believes schools and universities “brainwash students into thinking a certain way.” “We don’t encourage kids to explore and have original thoughts anymore,” Slade said. “There is no room for argument and debate. Until that changes, it wouldn’t be wise to lower the age limit.” What the teens think The Herald Journal spoke with 15 students at Green Canyon High School of various ages who are involved in Peer’s debate club and NHS. Lauren Smith, the Green Canyon National Honors Society vice president, said that she would “definitely” vote if the age limit was lowered to 16. “I think a lot of other students would, as well, because we are learning about all of these rights we have right now, so allowing us to practice those rights would be really helpful,” Smith said. Kaitlyn Hoffman, another student, agreed. “I think a lot of people would vote even if they agree or disagree with lowering the age because a lot of times teens are looked down upon, but we really do want to get involved,” Hoffman said. Many students said they know there would be individuals who didn’t care about politics or were too uninformed or immature. “A lot of older people don’t recognize the political engagement of the younger people,” said Lexi Fidel, a Green Canyon student. “We have grown up in a different time and we see things differently and would vote differently. Older people don’t want their voices drowned out by our voices. I also think they look at us as immature, and yes, our brains are still developing, but immaturity is not such an obstacle that it should be a reason to not allow people to vote.” Student Rachel Jackman said a lot of teens just want to have their voices heard. “There are studies that show that once you are 30 you don’t care anymore because you don’t feel like your voice can be heard, but if your voice is heard at such a young age, that might help voter turnout.” Samantha Boyce said that voting at a younger age would help prepare teens for the world. “We know what’s happening in the world and we do want our voices heard, so we would choose to vote,” Boyce said. “Anyone who didn’t know what was happening wouldn’t go vote so it wouldn’t be like people were voting misinformed. That’s how it is with adults already.” Fidel said that there are a lot of issues that affect her that she has no say in. “There are a lot of things going on that will affect us, and the representatives voted in will be the ones who represent us even if we didn’t vote for them,” Fidel said. Faith Locke said that teenagers are the most misrepresented group in America. “Adults try to do their best for us, but they haven’t been a teenager for so long that they are on the outside looking in,” Locke said. “Adults need to understand that we do want a part of the world and we want to be lawmakers and own businesses one day, and it will affect us.” Hoffman said that she believes adults feel entitled to voting. “A lot of people from the older generation have been through more things like war, and they believe they have earned the right to vote and we haven’t,” Hoffman said. “Are we being entitled for wanting to vote? That’s what this argument is going to come down to.” Some who don’t want teenagers to vote claim that Pelosi’s comments in March are part of a scheme from Democrats to influence young voters. “A lot of academics are worried that younger people voting would lead to a large shift to the left; however, ever since the landmark case of Tinker v. Des Moines, that was 50 years ago, students have just been fighting to get our voices heard ,and this is the next step,” Smith said. Jackman added that she believes older people have “babied” millennials and didn’t push them into the real world soon enough. “If our generation starts earlier, we will learn those consequences before going into the real world,” Jackman said. “We’ve grown up post 9-11, and ever since then we have been taught about the terrorists, and the older people didn’t get the same education as we did,” Smith said. “Maybe they didn’t experience politics until they were older, but we do. We live modern politics every day.”
Experts talk about how to have conversations over religion, politics
Religion, sex and politics are off limits. At least, that’s what it was like at the dinner table for Dr. Bonnie Glass-Coffin, author of “Lessons in Courage” and “The Gift of Life.” Glass-Coffin said that for her family, discussions beyond “buttered peas” were off limits. But according to Dr. Anne Fishel of The Family Dinner Project, there is power in “table talk” to enrich the dialogue in one’s relationships. This may be difficult as many might agree that having conversations in today’s age can be emotionally hazardous. Not everyone is guaranteed to like what is being said. When trying to have conversations, Glass-Coffin said that using healthy communication techniques and understanding can go a long way in forming better discussion habits. Glass-Coffin studied Peruvian shamans for more than 30 years and was inspired to lead a life that helps others build metaphorical bridges. A Divided America There are so many things that divide Americans — the economy, religious beliefs and political leanings — but the things that bring Americans together are often overlooked. Learning how to have healthy conversations is the first step in finding meaning and compromise in relationships with conflicting ideals. “We have to get rid of that imposed prohibition at the dinner table,” said Glass-Coffin. She added that learning how to better communicate can lead to happier familial relationships and a better sense of meaning in one’s life. The Pew Research Center conducted two separate surveys in late 2017 regarding life fulfillment. The first asked U.S. adults to describe what makes their lives feel meaningful, fulfilling or satisfying. The second survey was a set of closed-ended questions asking adults to rate how much meaning they received from 15 possible sources. The popular answer from both surveys was simple and clear: Americans say that family is the thing that gives them the most meaning in life. So why can familial relationships be some of the hardest relationships to navigate in 2019? Pew discovered that while family is important to most Americans, there are a plethora of sources that also provide meaning to Americans’ life. Answers included careers, money, faith, friends, health, hobbies and learning. With so many different things important to different people, one can see why forming understanding around these things can be difficult. Simply, some individuals value different things. Glass-Coffin said that when having conversations, individuals need to approach them as curious learners. “Life can be more interesting and rewarding if we just listen, ask a curious question and engage in dialogue rather than debate,” Glass-Coffin said. Pew found that Americans with higher incomes find friendships, health and travel as important sources of meaning. Those with lower incomes are more likely to say that stability is important to them. Evangelicals and black Americans are the most likely to find religion as a source of meaning, while atheists find meaning in activities and finances. In 2019, younger Americans also are finding less meaning in religion. Although politically conservative Americans often find meaning in religion, liberals tend to find meaning in creativity and philanthropic causes. “It’s about finding a common ground,” Glass-Coffin said. “Not everyone cares about religion as much as they do politics, or the other way around. However, I think we want to talk to each other, but a lot of times we just don’t know how.” How to Have Healthy Conversations At Utah State University, Professor Clair Canfield teaches interpersonal communication classes as well as communication and conflict lectures. Canfield explained that understanding the differences in one another is important to ultimately communicating in healthy ways. “Conflict washes ashore in all of our relationships,” Canfield said in his TedxUSU talk from 2016 titled “The Beauty of Conflict.” “Sometimes communication just seems to make it worse,” Canfield said. “The advice we get tends to treat conflict as a problem, but what if conflict is the solution? A thing of beauty?” Canfield picked up this topic again with The Herald Journal. “How we talk about conflict is pretty important,” Canfield said. “It’s safe to say that the reason communication can be so hard is that we do a bad job at it.” Canfield said that people are in a rush to be understood. The tendency in a conversation is for an individual to try and make the other person see them and that it is important to listen first, ask questions and try to understand rather than just getting angry. In most cases, calling names or believing that someone is inferior comes from not wanting to try and connect. “A lot of people aren’t open to understanding the other party, so they close off or get angry and defensive, especially with social media because it’s easier to dehumanize people when you don’t see them. “We care so much that we want to make other people agree, and we try to control them,” Canfield said. “When we try to control someone, that’s objectifying them.” Introducing the Dunning-Kruger Effect Charles Darwin wrote in his book “The Descent of Man” that “ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.” The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in psychology that allows for individuals to believe their thinking is correct when everyone else in the room knows that they are wrong. David Dunning and Justin Kruger are two social psychologists who first described this psychological phenomenon. In their studies, they found that there is a social aspect to the phenomenon. They found that women performed equally as well as men on a science quiz, and yet women underestimated their performance while men were overconfident. Dunning and Kruger suggested that some people have an inability to recognize lack of skill or their own mistakes. Some are unable to look outside themselves. And for some, a little knowledge can lead to overconfidence. According to Dunning and Kruger’s 1999 paper, every single person on this planet is susceptible to this effect. The ability to question what an individual knows combats confirmation bias. Asking good questions and being a curious learner helps individuals gain better communication skills and admit when they are wrong. “Understanding about conflict doesn’t remove it from your life,” Canfield said. “Close proximity to people leads to desires and unmet needs, which create conflict.” According to Canfield, the way to combat unhealthy dialogue is by thinking about the future and what desired outcome one wants. If it is to eventually be happy, contentious dialogue won’t help. “Willingness is a currency in conflict,” Canfield said. “I know these are difficult conversations, but they are important, and most of the time people are communicating the best that they know how.” Religion and politics working together Meg Vail is a pastor for the First Presbyterian Church. Discussing religion and promoting relationships with God, family and one’s religion is something she tackles daily. “Churches and worshiping are relationship organizations,” Vail said. “We tend to cast people as ‘others’ rather than focusing on shared human experiences, but churches and worshiping communities are hopefully always focusing on the ‘others.’” Vail said that Jesus is the best example of building relationships, and his followers should intentionally be creating welcoming and diverse places. Vail acknowledged that religion can be a source for contention for some. “In my experience with religion, we are interpreters of the Bible,” Vail said. “We can never read scriptures objectively, so it is important to create opportunities for different voices and different groups to get together and read sacred texts.” Vail explained that a migrant who has come to a different country will always have a different take on the Bible than someone who has lived in the same place in comfort all their lives, just as an example. In Utah, a source of contention in families sometimes comes from feelings of worthiness among different belief systems. “There is never a time for me when a person is not worthy,” Vail said. “God loves us no matter what, so why wouldn’t our family?” Vail said that religion isn’t an escape from the outside world and that not only should families be having difficult conversations, so should churches. “My community of faith should be socially involved in the community,” Vail said. “This doesn’t mean enacting change for other people, but hopefully our religious organizations aren’t escapes. God and religion equips us to be more politically and socially involved.” Vail said that it is important when families are taking different political stances that those stances are coming from their own personal experiences and beliefs. “They should still discuss them with one another and help each other understand why those beliefs are important to them,” Vail said. “It is important to me that churches aren’t dividing members by political affiliation but rather are fostering healthy and safe dialogue.” A broader understanding of relationship dynamics In 2020, another presidential election year will come. In 2019, campaigning is already ramping up. Last year, NBC News reported that the effect of partisanship and political advertising hurt close family ties. Instead of repeating recent history, individuals may want to arm themselves with healthy communication skills. “It makes life richer,” Glass-Coffin said. “Why do we have to agree? We may never agree. Non-attachment to the outcome is key to healthy discussions.” Glass-Coffin said that the point is “to develop and deepen connections with the people we love. Social media doesn’t foster healthy connections if we don’t speak kindly.” She said that fostering kindness, compassion and curiosity leads us to deeper connections. “Don’t be afraid to enter brave spaces and have more authentic conversations,” Glass-Coffin said. “I missed out on a lot because my mother was afraid to have difficult dialogues at the dinner table. It starts there.” Canfield said that he no longer sees conflict as negative because he understands how to better communicate. “It’s a chrysalis of change. It’s a doorway of opportunity,” Canfield said. “It’s the first ray of light after a dark night. What do you want it to be for you?
USU economist uses pop culture to teach economics on YouTube
Skrulls and Wakanda might not be the first thing people think of when they hear “economics.” However, Utah State University assistant professor Craig Palsson is using pop culture and films like “Captain Marvel” and “Black Panther” to introduce new audiences to key economic concepts on YouTube. His channel is called Market Power, and every Thursday Palsson promises a new video highlighting the types of lessons he teaches in the classroom. “Students would come up to me and say they changed their major because of my class,” Palsson said. “I thought maybe I can reach more people on YouTube.” Palsson came to USU in August as an assistant professor to teach economic history in the Huntsman Business School. Now he teaches about 200 students and said that he enjoys getting people excited about economics. “The school districts in Cache Valley don’t really teach AP Economics,” Palsson said. “Very few students take the AP Economics test in Utah. They take the government and history ones, but not economics.” Palsson said there is a lot of growth in economics right now with companies like Amazon and Uber changing the marketplace. “Economics isn’t just about the stock market and the GOP,” Palsson said. “It’s all around us, including in pop culture.” Palsson’s most popular video is called, “How much does vibranium cost in the Marvel movies” with over 3,000 views. The video looks at the cost of the fictional metal vibranium, which powers cities and weapons in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a recent video coinciding with the release of “Captain Marvel,” Palsson compares Skrulls, a fictional alien race of shapeshifters, to how unproductive workers might “pretend to be productive workers during an interview.” Palsson tells viewers how they might easily spot them. “I collected comics in high school, and the superhero trend is really popular right now, so I’ve kind of decided to capitalize on that,” Palsson said. “I worked at a movie theater in high school and I have four kids, so I like to keep my finger on what’s popular.” Palsson also has videos related to the Oscars, the trending #TrashTag challenge and a video for Pi Day on March 14. “It’s 3.14, known as Pi Day, and academics tend to get excited about it,” Palsson said. “For economists, we celebrate Pi Day by talking about inflation.” To get his viewers excited about Pi Day, Palsson is entering everyone who retweets his Pi Day tweet into a drawing to win 20 billion Zimbabwe dollars, which is practically worthless due to extreme hyperinflation. “I’m trying to get individuals to sign up for my newsletter and share my videos because the endgame is to reach more audiences,” Palsson said. Tyler Cowen’s blog “Marginal Revolution” is what inspired Palsson to do his videos, and he received a grant from the blogger. “I am pleased to announce that Craig is a newly minted Emergent Ventures fellow,” Cowen wrote on his blog. “He also is an economic historian, and has lived for two years in Haiti, both big pluses in my view.” The Emergent Ventures is a new fellowship and grant program from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. According to their mission statement, they “seek to support entrepreneurs and brilliant minds with highly scalable ‘zero to one’ ideas for meaningfully improving society.” “It gave me validation,” Palsson said, “that somebody is interested in what I wanted to do. I’ve seen many videos where I watch them and immediately want to take action. That’s the feeling I want my viewers to have.” Palsson has upcoming videos focusing on the Lori Loughlin college scandal that broke Tuesday, the effects of the transcontinental railroad in honor of its 150th anniversary in Utah, and a video highlighting the newly opened Aggie Chocolate Factory. “I love teaching, and I don’t ever want to separate from it,” Palsson said. “But just for fun, it would great to be one of those YouTubers who has millions of views on every video. I don’t think I have to get to there to be successful, though.”
Ag professor retires after more than 40 years of hands-on teaching
Lyle “Doc” McNeal was honored at the Riverwoods Conference Center on Monday night, celebrating his more than 40 years at Utah State University. McNeal will be retiring in July from teaching agricultural sciences. McNeal recounted a time in 2007, near Evanston, Wyoming, where he lay unconscious after a 385-pound ram hit him in the chest and face, knocking him off a ledge and into the sagebrush below. McNeal wasn’t alert for six minutes while a medical student cleaned up his wounds. The rest of the students in attendance worried and waited for an ambulance to find them in the middle of nowhere. This is only one of the many stories McNeal shared while talking about his career. He said that in the last four decades he has had almost every part of his body operated on due to multiple accidents with animals and students alike. However, McNeal said he has no regrets: he loves his work and that these accidents come with the territory. “Working with large animals, things happen, and students mess up,” McNeal said. “In that instance, and it was the most recent one, a few students, freshmen — who I had told not to let any animals out — did, and before I knew it, he just leaped and hit me right in the face and chest knocking me off the ledge.” McNeal said that as a result, his spine was fractured. “I’ve had a number of surgeries and chronic pain and I hate it,” McNeal said. “I’ve got scoliosis and I have to get people to help me and I can’t bend down.” Despite the accidents, McNeal said that he loves taking students out to get hands-on experience. Many students refer to him as “Doc” because he received his doctorate from USU in a time when he said “master’s degrees were the highest one would typically go.” “Doc is just the nicest teacher on campus and he really does care about his students,” said Ashlee Jenkins, a former student. “All of his classes are experience-based rather than textbook-based and he’s a fountain of knowledge.” The American Sheep Industry Association states: “As an animal and veterinary science educator and rancher consultant with more than 50 years of academic and industry experience, McNeal is widely regarded in the scientific community as a sheep, goat and fiber specialist.” McNeal has had many jobs in his lifetime. He’s worked as a county agent for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Service, a professor in the Animal Science Department at California Polytechnic State University, and was a collaborative staff scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sheep Experiment Station. It was July 1979 when he joined the USU faculty, and before that, he conducted a one-year research sabbatical at the university. “He’s such an amazing man and has made a huge impact on my college career and life,” said former student Hilary Johns. McNeal was awarded the CHaSS Faculty Mentor of the Year Award in 2017 and the 2017-2018 Undergraduate Faculty Member of the Year Robins Award. In addition to these awards, McNeal has a 12-page vitae that highlights 59 other awards and 17 jobs in his career dating back to his family ranch in Montana. McNeal was also a professional consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, has numerous publication credits, worked with the Boy Scouts of America and served in the Air Force. “I feel blessed with what I’ve been able to do in my life, besides just my family,” McNeal said. “It’s not about money. I have four boys and five girls, who I love dearly. McNeal has a Navajo foster daughter and 16 grandchildren, only two of which are boys. He said that two of the girls want to be veterinarians and all his children moved to cities to get away from the farm life. McNeal spoke about his time in the Air Force, relating it to how he treats students. “It’s interesting, the chain of command,” McNeal said. “We have that here at the university too, with the students being enlisted, but we have to remember to respect them as well even though they are learning the basics.” McNeal said he has seen a lot of change on campus. “Back in the early days, our classes were mostly guys,” McNeal said. “We didn’t have many ladies or a vet school program like we do now. The classes were small, the campus only being about 3,600 people.” McNeal has spent years working with a rare, almost extinct, breed of sheep called the Churro in California. This breed is considered sacred to the Navajo people. “I formed the Navajo Sheep Project, a nonprofit, to help breed up the numbers of these sheep and find remnants on the Navajo reservation so that they could use the wool to make their tapestries,” he said. After bringing the program to USU, now 42 years later, McNeal continues to take students to California to help the Navajo people. “We would take my truck and bedrolls and hay for the sheep, if we found any, because they had been all but killed off,” McNeal said. “In my research I found out these sheep are resistant to parasites and many diseases.” McNeal also took over the swine program at USU when the previous professor was fired. “I do the job of two faculty members. I’m here every day no later than 6 a.m. to get ready for the day, if I’m not working on the ranch or on a field trip with students,” McNeal said. McNeal said that he wants to spend time doing genealogy with his wife, traveling with his family, continuing his work with the Navajo reservation and wants to establish a museum here in Cache County for his expansive Western memorabilia and World War II collection. His advice to anyone who asks for it is it “listen to your heart and follow what you really want to do.” “We all make mistakes and we all take detours in life, but be open-minded and let your spirit guide you to what you want to do,” he said. “Those closest to you should not tell you what to do. You are a free agent and have the power to do anything you want.” McNeal said that he still reads every night in a continuous effort to learn. “Learning is a lifelong process and it’s never over,” He said. “I love history and I like to be outside, with animals. Things you see and do with your hands will never be forgotten.”
Experts discuss the psychology behind collecting, hoarding
Comic books, PEZ dispensers, Beanie Babies and postage stamps are just a few of the more “typical” things people collect, at least according to eBay. However, collections come in all shapes and sizes from teapots to seashells, doorknobs to ceramic Christmas villages. Logan resident Jeremy Taylor said he had a pencil collection when he was a child. “Only, it was a specific type of pencil,” Taylor said. When Taylor was in fifth grade, he started collecting the tiny “pencil nubs” left over from completely sharpened pencils. “It became obsessive, and I had other students sharpening their pencils all the way to the nub just to give them to me,” Taylor said. “I think the teacher encouraged my collection because I was kind of a shy kid and it was funny to see me pull out my container full of tiny pencils. I think I had over 150.” Taylor said that eventually his collection became too much of a disruption, and he disposed of it before moving onto “more adult things” in sixth grade. “Sometimes I think about how happy that collection made me for those two months of school,” Taylor said. “It really is where my frenzy around collecting started.” Many, like Taylor, find joy in the things that they collect. Across Logan, inside apartments, garages and homes, are collection of every size. Decluttering may not ‘spark joy’ Marie Kondo, author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and creator of the KonMari lifestyle brand, got a big boost in popularity this year when her Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” became a hit and an internet meme. “Yes, I’ve heard of Marie Kondo,” Taylor said. “All of my stuff does give me some type of joy, though,” he said laughing. Kondo popularized the idea that items around the house should “spark joy.” Otherwise, individuals should think about tossing them. With Spring just around the corner, many might be looking at their collections and determining whether their treasures are clutter or keepsakes. According to Utah State psychology doctoral student Clarissa Ong, letting go of one’s belongings may be easier said than done. Hoarding versus collecting Ong’s thesis was titled “Effect of Acceptance Versus Psychoeducation on Hoarding,” and she currently works under Michael P. Twohig at USU. “One of the biggest differences between hoarders and collectors is that the emotions are typically tied to one specific item or type of item,” Ong said. “For both, there is some type of association between the object and a memory, however, with hoarding, that association applies to everything.” Ong said that shows like “Hoarders” create a stigma around individuals with a hoarding disorder, and she wants to dispel it. “There are a lot of negative impressions because of TV shows,” Ong said. “Hoarding wasn’t considered a diagnosis for a long time. They added it in 2013, the same year I graduated.” Ong said that a major difference between hoarders and collectors is that hoarders can’t stop doing it. “Mike studies obsessive-compulsive disorders, which includes hoarding,” Ong said. “Current studies involving cognitive behavioral therapy has a success rate of about 50 percent. With these types of disorders, the rate is usually higher so there is a lot still to study.” TV shows typically “solve” a hoarder’s problems in an hour of broadcast TV, making it seem like a more manageable issue. “Individuals who hoard can approach the idea of experiencing guilt if it leads to better habits,” Ong said. “Their emotions are tied sometimes to the fear of making mistakes and not wanting to let go of things.” Examples of this guilt include the idea that getting rid of an item is wasteful, that it was a gift and the gift-giver might get upset, that the item was expensive initially even if it has decreased in value, or other complicated emotions related to an object or objects. “With collectors, the emotions are specific to the content being collected,” Ong said. “Collectors typically don’t experience distress, and their hobbies don’t affect their relationships or their abilities to do every day things.” Ong said if a collection does affect one’s personal life, a diagnosis might be required. “Collectors can still function,” Ong said. “Extreme collectors might qualify for a diagnosis, but typically that’s not the case.” Ong said that extreme collectors are usually specific in how their collection looks, whereas hoarding eliminates the ability to use the stuff that is being hoarded. “There’s an enjoyable feeling to both,” Ong said. “I think that’s why we do it.” The business of collecting In Logan, Dave Miller owns Cache Valley Coins. “Dave is a big collector and has been doing this for 60 years,” Richard Ballam at Cache Valley Coins said. “He’s always at different shows, and this weekend he is at a coin show in Pittsburgh.” Ballam works with Miller and sees multiple coin collectors each day. He looks at collecting from a business aspect rather than a personal aspect. “Most collections are hard to sell because the value depreciates, but coin collections are fairly liquid,” Ballam said. “They have a monetary value, so they are easy to sell.” Ballam said he sees patrons who decide to sell their collections for financial reasons or because they lost interest in collecting. “Most people get into collecting because of the history,” Ballam said. “I used to collect as a kid, but I’m nothing like these big collections you see sometimes.” Ballam said that some get into collecting for enjoyment and others for money, but Miller’s coin shop helps collectors no matter their background. Kameron Evans is a paleontologist in Logan who collects a card game called Magic: The Gathering. Evans, who works for Green River Stone Company, said that it’s a misconception that many collectors can’t afford their collections. “I spend a lot of money on my collection, but I still pay my bills,” Evans said. “It’s a great way to pass time and kind of a livelihood for me. I get pretty obsessive and have to sit down and sort my cards whenever I buy new ones.” Evans walked into Heebeegeebeez in Logan, a comic book shop that sells the cards and other collectibles. There, Manager Chris Jepsen discussed why he thinks individuals get into collecting. “With comic books, the entire idea is this compulsion to buy and complete a set,” Jepsen said. “It’s really story-driven and the market knows this.” Jepsen said that comic book publishers’ goal is to get consumers to buy other titles. “If you’re collecting one specific story and then it says at the end, ‘The story continues in Ghost Rider No 9,’ the publisher is hoping you will cross over into another story and start collecting that series too,” Jepsen said. “Much of the industry is preview driven too and that plays on the idea of FOMO.” FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is a marketing ploy that drives buyers to purchase items with limited quantities. “My collection is video games,” Jepsen said. “If someone looked at my collection, they wouldn’t consider me a hoarder because I am meticulous in how they are organized.” Jepsen said he alphabetizes and color-codes his collection, but he purchases games for practical reasons rather than keeping them sealed. “Maybe I’m compulsive, but I recognize when I have enough stuff and when I need to scale back. From pencils to Pop Vinyl Taylor is 22 now and said that his idea of collecting has changed “just a bit.” Taylor lives in an apartment and travels for work. He said that his collection isn’t as “extreme as others” he has come in contact with, but it still gives him a “sense of satisfaction.” The inside of Taylor’s home looks like a lot of homes do. The living room has a couch and a TV, the bed in the bedroom takes up most of the room and there’s a succulent in the kitchen. However, if one looks closer, Taylor’s collection becomes more apparent. There’s a plastic Iron Man bobblehead by the TV, a Star Wars bobblehead on his dresser and a Wonder Woman bobblehead beside the plant in the kitchen. “I’m a bit of a nerd,” Taylor said. “In a good way.” Taylor now collects figurines from an American toy brand named Funko that was started in 1998 but began to rise in popularity in 2013 when they introduced the square-head “Pop” vinyl figurines. Now Taylor said he probably has about 100 of them. “They are just a ton of fun to collect,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen hardcore collectors who have thousands of them, but I have to tell myself no sometimes.” Taylor said he does a lot of research to ensure he doesn’t spend more than a figurine is worth. “A lot of collectors are older, and they think these things are going to go up in value,” Taylor said. “Take Beanie Babies and PEZ, for example. They are toys, they aren’t retirement funds.” Taylor said that many collectors keep their items in mint condition, but he isn’t concerned with that. “I paid for them now and I want to enjoy them now,” Taylor said. “They line my shelves and make nice decorations, but that’s about it.” Taylor said he has no regrets when it comes to spending what he calls “fun money.” “I pay my bills, I eat well enough,” Taylor said. “Some people buy tattoos, others buy fine china. I like this.” What characterizes a collector A psychology review written by Ashley E. Nordsletten and David Mataix-Cols of the Institute of Psychiatry in London states that “work in collecting behavior has been characterized by discipline-diverse, theory-heavy, investigations spanning decades.” Nordsletten and Mataix-Cols said that collecting is defined by an extensive list of features: First, that the seeking, gathering and storing of objects have a subjective value for the collector and in most cases are an attempt at completion. Second, that in a focused, systematic way the collection is limited to a definable area or topic. Third, the collection has depth, including an interest in secondary literature and background information, and the individual has a passionate grasp on their collection. And finally, the behavior continues over a long period of time and is not just a fad. Nordsletten and Mataix-Cols cited a 2006 piece of literature titled “On the Psycodynamics of Collecting” from the International Journal of Psychoanalysis as how they compiled their list. “I grew up loving superheroes and a lot of my time has been spent with these characters,” Taylor said about his collection. “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop liking what I like.” Services in Cache Valley In Ong’s studies, she and Twohig screen individuals looking for elevated hoarding scores. Those who believe they or someone else might be a hoarder can get help. “Hoarders are struggling, too, in their own way,” Ong said. “We are always looking for participants for our studies and the anxiety clinic on campus offers free therapy for research testing.” According to Psychology Today, Julie Swenson at Peak Mental Health is the only verified therapist who deals with hoarding in Logan. Ong said that her research isn’t to make hoarders seem like they are different. “People think hoarders think in a different way than we do and do it for crazy reasons,” Ong said. “But they hold onto things for very real and relatable reasons that many of us do.” Collecting seems to be something that everyone does. Whether it’s a scrapbook full of concert tickets and theater stubs, coins or comic books, or even the nubby end of a sharpened pencil, collections are everywhere, which of course includes Cache Valley.
Memorial sesh: Community celebrates life of local skater Billy Ryan
Friends, family and community members gathered at the Logan Skate Park on Saturday to remember the life of William Ryan, known as Billy to many. “I have been a single mom for 11 years, and Billy was the closest thing to a father figure my kids have ever had,” said Kelly Arnold, who organized the Billy Ryan Memorial Sesh on March 9. Shirts and hats that honored Billy’s memory were sold to help cover funeral costs and medical expenses for the family. Billy’s former wife, Melinda Ryan, and his son Parker were at the event meeting those who wanted to celebrate his life. “It’s just so healing for the community to come together and turn something sad into something positive,” Ryan said. “To Billy, his son was the love of his life. They just lit each other up, and this memorial really helps give peace to our son and me.” Ryan said the amount of support from the community is “overwhelming.” “Billy just had this great big heart and really enjoyed people,” Ryan said. “They energized him, and he would love that they have come out to do something he loved, to skate.” Arnold said that they plan to conduct this event every year in the summer going forward. “Billy is truly one of a kind,” Arnold said. “We are so grateful for everything he was to us and everything he continues to be as our guardian angel. Arnold said she also wanted to honor Parker with the event and "give him a happy memory to see all the people who were impacted and touched by his dad's love for skating and passion for life.” Attendees released white balloons as part of the memorial. Some attendees wrote words such as “You are my sunshine,” “We love you,” and “We’ll shred again soon” on the balloons then watched them float away in a moment of silence. “As hard as this is, it’s helping me,” said Janette Roholt, Billy’s mother. “He always took kids and encouraged them to do great things. Billy lived a full life in 41 years and did so much to help the community.” Billy’s son Parker learned to skate from his dad at the Logan Skate Park. “When Parker was old enough to walk, Billy figured he was old enough to be on a board,” Arnold said. “Whether it be skateboarding or snowboarding, Billy made lasting memories with Parker and his friends.”
Event offers space to discuss intersection of religion, queer identity at USU
A panel of LGBTQ+ and religious affiliated speakers took the stage at the Taggart Student Center Thursday night in an event called Rainbows and Religion sponsored by the Interfaith Student Association and the Queer Student Alliance. Both clubs are part of the Access and Diversity Center at Utah State University. “Many people think that if you are religious you can’t be queer or if you’re queer you can’t be religious,” said Geo Hunter, vice president of the Interfaith Student Association. “We want to challenge that.” Jaime Soule, president of USU QSA, said that the primary goal is to create a network and reach out to LGBTQ+ youth. “This is a discussion, not a debate,” Hunter said. “We are here to listen and not debate any theological position. This is a two-way street, and we want to be as understanding as possible.” Audience members were invited to submit questions on Twitter with #USUrainbows and on Instagram @USUinterfaith or in person. “What are some tips for loving people with beliefs that don’t accept you?” one student asked the panel. Felicia Rose, an openly gay writer who was raised Jewish, told the audience to try and “listen for the feelings that underlie beliefs.” “My mother-in-law was talking to me about Relief Society one day, and she was smiling a lot, but I don’t connect with that,” Rose said. “I wasn’t raised in that religion, but I could see how happy it made her, and I acknowledged that.” Rose said that her in-laws are conservative members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and she has experienced culture shock moving to Utah. “When I’m in New York I don’t have to navigate my sexual orientation,” Rose said. “I’m just a person there. Here, it’s an issue because people make it an issue when they treat me as invisible or they call my wife my friend.” Rose told a story about an incident at a hospital in Utah where she and her wife were filling out paperwork. “We wrote down ‘wife’ on the form and the receptionist crossed it out and changed it to ‘other,’” Rose said. “That was a little annoying and scary because it was such a high-stakes issue.” Rose went to a Jewish girls school and said that she didn’t have the language to discuss sex until after college. “I live in a bubble now with people who are accepting,” Rose said. “I feel like coming out is a continual process. Religion has been a big part of my life, even up to meeting my wife, and we bonded on our religious backgrounds.” Other speakers came from a variety of other faiths. Josh Johnson, the diversity and clubs VP on campus, was raised in a Latter-day Saint family and served a two-year mission. “I knew since I was 12,” Josh said. “At that time, I identified as gay. I served my mission to help people, and I truly believed that if I gave my heart and soul to God for that time, he would take away that gayness.” Josh said that after six months of trying to date girls, he prayed to God and decided to come out. “I went home to Thanksgiving, and I told my family, and they were really supportive,” Josh said. “What was it like coming out?” another attendee asked the panel. Spencer Johnson was also raised in a Latter-day Saint family. Coming out was an interesting experience, he said. He served a mission and loved it, but he always knew something was different about himself — he just wasn’t able to put words to it until after his mission. “Everyone said gay people were bad, and I knew I wasn’t a bad person,” Spencer said. “I tried not to be gay, and I started dating girls, but I knew I was that way.” Spencer came out to his sister first and said that she was the most supportive. “I’ve always been really active in the church, and I was in an Elder’s Quorum presidency until about two weeks ago,” Spencer said. “For the most part people have been good and loving.” The topic of “love the sinner, hate the sin” also came up at Tuesday’s panel. Spencer said he feels like that’s a harmful mindset. Even though people often think they’re being loving and accepting with that idea, a lot of focus winds up on the “hate the sin” part of the equation. “Jesus taught us to love everyone; he didn’t teach us to hate sin,” Spencer said. “We should focus so much more on a focus of pure love for everyone.” Josh agreed with Spencer, adding that you can still feel loved even when others don’t accept you. “Whenever someone says, ‘I love you, but I can’t accept what you’re doing,’ I’m like, ‘well honestly, I don’t need your approval anyways,’” Josh said. “That was the biggest issue I had when I first came out. That immediate, inadvertent ostracization. People didn’t know how to have a relationship with me. At the end of the day, if we are all brothers and sisters, who really cares what people accept?” Meg Vail, a pastor for the First Presbyterian Church in Logan, spoke about her experiences as clergy and leading a more “accepting religion.” “For me, my work as a minister and personal identity have had some very interesting intersections,” Vail said. “After college, I felt like God was calling me to be a minister. I met my wife, who is also a minister, in a class on religious ethics. I have the support of the Presbyterian Church which, in the last 15 years, have reconciled to full inclusion of members and pastors.” Vail said that she is still working on inclusion in the same ways any straight person might be. “I’m happy to be a resource for those who haven’t had that experience,” Vail said. An audience member asked Vail, “Do beliefs come first or sexual orientation first?” “For me, there isn’t a first and second,” Vail said. “They go together.” Vail explained that for her there isn’t an aspect of her identity that isn’t beloved by God or known by God. “Every aspect of my identity is celebrated by God,” Vail said. Jacob Hayden is the president of the Interfaith Student Association. He said that he came out in eighth grade and had a supportive grandma who wanted him to be happy. He joined the Episcopalian church in 2015, the same church his family was a part of, when they started accepting gay marriage. “I feel like I know God personally, and he or she guides my actions and knows my actions,” Hayden said. “My experience with religion has been so affirming and so good. There’s always the possibility someone will say something wrong or make a mistake, but in my experience, mistakes are still coming from a place of love.” Joseph Lombardi was raised Roman Catholic and came out as bisexual four years ago. “There was a lot of self-conflict and battling with myself because the church says it’s OK but just to be chaste,” Lombardi said. “I came out last August to my brothers first, and they were so accepting. I came out to my immediate family the next day and it was a big mistake. My parents weren’t accepting, and they retaliated.” Kacey Craig, the seventh person on the panel, said that she came out to her parents her junior year of high school. Craig was also raised as a Latter-day Saint. “I tried to stay in the church and marry a man, but I became depressed and felt like I would have a short, sad life,” Craig said. “I had to leave, and I am now exploring what God and religion means to me.” Craig is now attending an Episcopalian church. “For me there was no intersection between sexuality and religion, and it was just conflict,” Craig said. “Now I am just feeling better about it and it’s really nice to have a version of God that accepts me and I’m comfortable with, which I didn’t have in the LDS Church.” The panelists were asked about their views on personal worthiness. “I don’t believe in God at this point,” Rose said. “I don’t derive my self-worth from religion at this time, but I can’t take my religious background from who I am; it’s interwoven.” “The elements of who I am are part of my background,” Josh said. “To deny my sexuality would be to deny my testimony in Christ. Neither portion defines me but they both help to paint the full picture. “The biggest moment I’ve had in finding my self-worth and coming into my own has been being able to compartmentalize my religion and God’s love for me as two separate things. Being able to love myself in my relationship to God has helped me to love others as well,” Josh said. Craig said, “The best thing my religious friends have done is listen to me and be empathetic. A true ally would speak up and talk about something being said in their church that is anti-LGBT.” Tuesday’s Rainbow and Religion event was the first combined event from Interfaith and QSA. Hunter said the conversation will continue and that this event was just the start.