University of Idaho Argonaut

In the 2026 outdoor track and field season, the mighty Idaho Vandals have proven meet after meet, that they are a force to be reckoned with. While multiple athletes compete in the individual events, only a select few have the honor to compete in the relays. So far this season, the men’s and women’s 4×100 meter relay has been putting on a show and rewriting history in nearly every meet they participate in this season.

After opening Big Sky play with dominant wins over Idaho State and Sacramento State in mid-March, the Idaho men’s tennis team hit a difficult stretch. The Vandals dropped five consecutive matches following their 2-0 conference start, falling to 2-3 in Big Sky play and slipping down the standings before regrouping late in the season to secure a postseason spot.

Elections for the ASUI spring election ended last Friday, April 10, at 5 p.m. with Lance Butikofer and Alma Azocar Agurto being elected ASUI President and Vice President respectively for the 2026-27 academic year. Due to a lack of candidates, all seven of those who ran for senate seats were elected into the seven open positions. This includes Charlie Peacock, Isaias Vera-Ramirez, KJ Parsons, Miguel Albir, Rainy Rocker, Scarlett Cromwell and Shirlyn Ngure.

Nez Perce Drive on the University of Idaho campus will be closed for construction from Monday, April 13, through September. The road is fully closed from University House to Walenta Path trail located opposite of the UI water tank. Beginning on April 18, the road closure will extend to Blake Avenue, blocking all street parking for the Greek houses along this segment. The road will remain open to local vehicles.

Nearly 80 people filled the courtroom in the University of Idaho Menard Law Building, not for a court hearing, but for the 14th annual Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium. The keynote speech was given by David Folkenflik, a media correspondent for NPR, who covered censorship, the growing pressures media professionals face and the important role journalists have in bearing witness to the world around them.

When the University of Idaho dissolved its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, in compliance with state law, there became a support gap for minority communities on campus. In its place, UI’s Multicultural Greek Council has stepped up to provide support and structure for students that was previously offered through university DEI programs.

No new funding bills were proposed at the ASUI Senate meeting on April 15, marking a pause in club funding as the semester comes to a close. The senators shared updates on ongoing projects after which the meeting moved quickly to adjournment. No audience members spoke to the senators.

With the 2026 outdoor track and field season near the mid-way point, junior standout Jana Willems has proved to be a pivotal piece to this Idaho squad. As a sprinter, Willems has emerged as one of the Vandals’ most consistent and explosive performers, using her speed and steady progression to establish herself as a key contributor in both individual sprint events and even relays.

The Faculty Senate voted 18-4 on April 14 to allow non-tenure track faculty to apply for sabbatical leave and removes a stipulation that 100% of sabbatical leave must be dedicated to research. These changes came from a Faculty Senate non-tenure track task force that has been exploring different ways that the university could support non-tenure track faculty members.

Despite significant cuts to scientific funding over the past year, now is a good time for University of Idaho faculty to submit grants to the National Science Foundation, according to Christopher Nomura, Vice President for Research and Economic Development.