The Lumberjack - January 29, 2015

LUMBERJACK The

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT

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INSIDE News: Governor cuts university funding — pg. 7 Sports: Men’s Basketball — pg. 17 A&E: Rumble on the Mountain — pg. 25

VOICE SINCE 1914 • VOL 101 • ISSUE 18 • JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2015

DEW DOWNTOWN 2015 FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE, SEE PAGES 4, 20 & 25.

Sam Horton finishes his best run of the competition at Dew Downtown Jan. 25.

(Photo by Zac Velarde)

Go to Jackcentral.org for daily updates, multimedia packages, extra content and stories before the issue hits the stands.

News FromTheEditor

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SoundOff

LUMBERJACK

would like to start this staff viewpoint off by saying that as exciting t’s been three weeks since the semester started, and school is pretty much as it is that the Super Bowl will once again be played in Arizona, it’s is full swing. While it’s been incredibly busy for me, and many other disappointing that the majority of the media coverage about the game is seniors who are also taking their capstones right now, the new semester about deflated balls and a certain player who doesn’t want to talk to reporters. is off to a great start.

In regard to the former, we’re still talking about what has come to While the new semester has been off to solid start, there have of course be known Deflate-gate, which is the alleged violation of NFL rules by been some challenges. the New England Patriots for using under-inflated balls during the AFC Here at the Lumberjack, we have run into some early bumps in the road, Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. Now I have to say if the but nothing that has been too much to handle. With the first issue, it was Patriots organization did intentionally take air out of the balls, then expected there would be some minor problems, and there were. But shame on them — but move on already, they won 45-7. the editorial staff and I are committed to the continual improvement Now about the second thing, the media is a bit frustrating at the of the newspaper, and hopefully our progress from week to week moment for its incessant attempts to get interviews out of Seattle reflects that.

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, who has been fined by That being said, I would like to encourage anyone with comments, the NFL repeatedly for refusing to speak to the media after games. questions, concerns or criticisms to not hesitate to contact me or an Despite Lynch being contractually obligated to speak with the media, VINCENT editor if you have ideas that would help improve the paper. I hope PEÑA I don’t understand why reporters continue to ask him dozens of you enojy this week’s issue and continue reading. questions even though he gives the same response to every one. Take EDITOR-IN-CHIEF the Super Bowl media day for instance, where he answered all 29 Thank you for reading. questions he was asked with “I’m just here so I don’t get fined.”

As an aspiring journalist, I understand how frustrating that might be when trying to get quotes because I’m trying to do my job, but he’s clearly not going to start talking anytime soon so why bother? I just wish the storyline was about one of the best Super Bowl matchups in recent memory instead of all this malarky about someone who won’t talk and a violation of a rule nobody realized existed until two weeks ago.

T

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News

Police Beat

BY BRIANNA FIELDS

Jan. 19 At 2:50 p.m., a staff member reported the Starbucks sign was stolen from outside of the coffee shop below The Suites. The theft occurred between 10:45 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. All leads were exhausted.

employee from Taylor Hall reported the smell of marijuana coming from one of the rooms. A NAUPD officer was dispatched to the dorm. One person was deferred for possession of marijuana while another was deferred for use of marijuana.

Jan. 20 At 2:08 p.m., a student reported that another student had lost consciousness near the lot 43 bus stop. Flagstaff Fire Department (FFD) and Guardian Medical Transport (GMT) were dispatched and the student was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC).

Jan. 22 At 1:35 a.m., an NAUPD officer reported assisting Flagstaff Police Department (FPD) locate a subject threatening suicide.

The subject was located and no other action was taken.

At 4:24 p.m., a staff member reported that an individual at Taylor Hall threatened to harm himself. The subject spoke with a counselor and was determined not to be suicidal.

Jan. 21 At 7:06 a.m., an officer from the Northern Arizona University Police Department (NAUPD) reported coming in contact with a suspicious person near lot 38. The suspicious person turned out to be a bag of trash positioned like a sleeping person.

At 5 p.m., an individual called to request a welfare check on their daughter.

NAUPD officers were dispatched but were unable to contact the individual. At 10:18 p.m., a NAUPD officer followed up and found the girl in good health.

At

10:15

p.m.,

an

At 3:38 a.m., a staff member from Gabaldon Hall called to report a male subject trespassing inside the building. The subject was arrested and booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility on two counts of firstdegree trespassing and one count of criminal damage. At 8:15 a.m., a student reported the man had trespassed into their dorm room.

Jan. 23 At 10:34 p.m., an employee at Taylor Hall reported an intoxicated student. NAUPD officers, GMT and FFD responded.

The student declined medical transport and was criminally deferred as a minor in consumption of alcohol.

At 10:26 p.m., a staff member at Prochnow Auditorium reported finding a pocket knife. The item was put into NAUPD lost and found.

Jan. 24 At 1:34 a.m., employees

of Cowden Hall reported the smell of marijuana coming from a room. A NAUPD officer was dispatched and the occupant of the room denied use.

At 1:30 p.m., a person reported two dogs left in a car at lot 7A. When the responding NAUPD officer arrived the dogs were not found to be in any distress.

At 3:42 a.m., a parent reported his son missing and had not been heard from since Jan. 22. The case is open pending further investigation.

At 5:41 p.m., a person called to report a fight near the Wall Aquatic Center.

There was no one present when NAUPD officers arrived at the scene. At 7 p.m., a subject reported that he had been assaulted after the fight at the Wall Aquatic Center.

Jan. 25 At 2:51 a.m., a student at The Suites called to report that she was having trouble breathing. The FFD and GMT responded and the event was determined to be a suicide attempt. The subject was transported to FMC and another student at the scene was criminally deffered for minor in consumption.

At 5:20 p.m., the NAUPD office received notification that a student was stuck in an elevator in Ardrey Auditorium. The student was released and facilities management was notified of the problem.

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 3

News

‘Don’t do the Dew’ downtown Flagstaff Residents protest water usage of annual games

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BY GRACE FENLASON

s snowboarders weaved down the slope between Cherry Avenue and Birch Avenue, protesters marched next to the man-made snow chanting “save our water, don’t do the dew” and “no justice, no peace, save our peaks.” Jan. 24 and 25, Flagstaff citizens protested the popular Dew Downtown Urban Ski and Snowboarding event where local skiers and snowboarders compete and demonstrate their abilities.

As many as 30 protesters marched downtown both days. They were specifically arguing against the use of over 300,000 gallons of potable drinking water for the event.

“We are using the same amount of water today that we used back in 1990 and that’s all based on our water conservation,” said City of Flagstaff spokeswoman Kimberly Ott. The City of Flagstaff does not use reclaimed water for Dew Downtown because the city would have to manage how to keep the snow off the street and what to do with the runoff. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality does not have rules set in place for reclaimed water and events like Dew Downtown.

Advocates of the protest claim the use of clean water for Dew Downtown is a waste of precious resources. However, city officials have said the amount of water used in Dew Downtown is the same amount as five large households in one month in the summer.

“Hard to believe we are in this place again, year after year. When I was at Council opposing the event [in 2014] it was kind of lonely. [I] Hope to get folks who oppose it to show up when Council is taking the vote next summer,” said director of Friends of Flagstaff ’s Future Moran Henn.

The protesters first gathered together in Wheeler Park and then marched downtown. The air was tense around the protest as it traveled up San Francisco Street.

Most of the time patrons and participants

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Several locals protest the Dew Downtown event Jan. 24. The protesters criticized the event for wasting thousands of gallons of potable water. (Photo by Nick Humphries)

of the event ignored the protesters. Only occasionally did people shout back “do the dew” or confront the protesters.

“Native lives matter. Protect the sacred mountains. It’s time to wake up, we’re almost out of water,” said one young protester who chose to stay anonymous.

A couple of times during each day of the event, the protest became heated. One time in particular, a younger snowboarder confronted the protesters and a protester approached too closely and began yelling at the young man in retaliation. This took place a couple of times until the other protestors held him back.

“It’s hard for each side to see the

other’s point of view. [The protesters] aren’t protesting [the snowboarders’] good times, they are protesting the fact that there is 300,000 gallons of clean water [used],” said senior anthropology major Tate Larrick, who was photographing the protesters.

In contrast to the Dew Downtown event in 2013, this tension is relatively mild.

On Feb. 9, 2013, an Arizona Snowbowl supporter, Lindsey Lucas, assaulted two Native American youth during the protest of Dew Downtown. The two victims of the assault were 11 and 13 years of age and a Flagstaff judge ruled that Lucas must pay restitution to the young men.

Many of the protesters were protesting

Snowbowl as well as Dew Downtown. They had grievances with Dew Downtown, using potable water on the streets of downtown Flagstaff for advertisement purposes and Snowbowl using reclaimed water on the San Francisco Peaks.

The protesters and citizens in opposition to Dew Downtown advocated Rumble on the Mountain, an event at the Orpheum Theater. Rumble on the Mountain was an all-ages concert that celebrated the sacredness of water. Rumble on the Mountain served as a counterpoint to Dew Downtown and served as an alternative, but was not held in direct opposition to Dew Downtown.

News

Immigration test mandatory for Arizona high schoolers

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BY JAMES GINGERICH

n just the fourth day of its newest legislative session, the Arizona House and Senate passed a bill making Arizona the first state to require high school students to pass the same civics test given to those seeking United States citizenship.

On Jan. 15, newly elected Gov. Doug Ducey signed his first bill into law necessitating that, beginning with the class of 2017, all those looking to earn either a high school diploma or a GED must first score a 60 percent or better on a 100-question civics test, the same test used during the U.S. naturalization process. The measure is being pushed by the Joe Foss Institute (JFI) as part of a larger nationwide effort to better engage students in the history and structure of their government.

Ducey pushed for the bill to be the first that he signed into law as part of what he claims is a revitalized effort to emphasize the importance of K-12 education.

“These next few weeks we could all use the fresh outlook of newcomers not trapped in the old ways of thinking about . . . public education,” Ducey said during his State of the State Address.

However, the JFI is not a newcomer to educational politics.

Since its formation in 2001, JFI, whose motto is “Patriotism Matters,” has had the self-stated purpose of addressing the purported dearth of civic-mindedness among American youth. As part of its mission statement, JFI makes the claim that increased attention to the STEM fields is minimizing the effort put toward ensuring the newest cohort of citizens fully grasps the history and basic functions of the American government.

The institute, which is headed by 2014 last-place Republican

candidate for Arizona Governor Frank Riggs, has set forth the goal that similar legislation be adopted in every state by 2017, the 230th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution. At least 14 other states anticipate seeing similar legislation come up for a vote this year, with North Dakota expected to pass an identical bill in the near future.

Although the Arizona bill passed with a wide margin of victory in both the state House and Senate, the legislation has faced criticism from some educators who see it as unnecessary at best and symptomatic of an out-of-touch state government at worst.

“I see it as a red herring to make voters believe that this new legislature and governor care about the provision of quality public education for all, but it accomplishes nothing of the sort,” said chair of the social studies department at Flagstaff High School and executive board member of the Flagstaff Education Association Tim Tomlinson. “If they really cared about greater quality of citizenship in high school graduates, then the legislature would fund public education adequately and appropriately.”

The bill was passed amid the controversy concerning $1.3 billion in back payments owed to Arizona schools by the state government, a result of the failure of the state legislature to implement voter-approved legislation requiring school funding to rise in equal measure with inflation. The state is expected to take the matter to court, as it claims it is simply unable to pay the schools what money the legislation dictates they are owed.

“Teachers in Arizona are already overburdened by standards and other high-stakes tests, all of which is compounded by a severe budget crisis that undermines their ability to deliver high quality education to their students,” said associate professor of history and

instructor at NAU’s College of Education Leilah Danielson.

Beyond the tension between educators and the state legislature drawn taut by the budget controversy, the utmost criticisms came from the bill’s reliance on traditional methods of evaluation.

“Another test of rote, memorized knowledge is a waste of time and potential funding for the already strapped public schools,” Tomlinson said.

Educators throughout the state have echoed the criticism of the flawed reliance on standardized testing.

“Researchers have long shown that memorizing facts does not constitute learning, nor is it compatible with the sort of engaged citizenship that public schools try to foster,” Danielson said. “Arizona already has more standards and assessments than the national average, but this clearly has not led to educational achievement, since we continue to be ranked among the lowest in the nation.”

During his State of the State address, Ducey cited a Goldwater Study — that was later repudiated by said organization — as proof that Arizona students rank among the lowest in the nation in terms of civic knowledge. However, much debate remains whether the test, which includes questions concerning major events in American history and the basic structure of American government, is an effective hallmark of an engaged student or if it is rather a redundant and ineffective prerequisite for graduation.

“Gov. Ducey’s logic that such a test will automatically create better citizens is deeply flawed,” Danielson said. “If Gov. Ducey truly cares about education he would commit to funding Arizona’s public education.”

Civil rights activist recognized through Brother Outside

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BY SCOTT BUFFON

hen Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial in front of a protest 200,000 strong, a man stood in the background named Bayard Rustin.

Rustin is now known for being behind the scenes — for being unknown. He often stayed out of the limelight because society could not handle a black, homosexual man demanding equal rights. Instead of lending his face and voice to the black civil rights movement, he lent his vision as an organizer.

The Gardner Auditorium showed the documentary Brother Outside Jan. 22. The event brought his vision, face and story to light for NAU students and Flagstaff locals.

“It is important to highlight [Rustin] or people like Rustin, who are sort of forgotten, or in the shadows,” said Assistant Director for Inclusion and Multicultural Services Yoleidy Rosario.

The White House agreed with that statement when it awarded Rustin the

Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. Rustin died in 1987, but through documentaries, books and conversations, his contributions to humanity have been preserved.

In high school, Rustin played on the football team, where one of his teammates remembered him being “like a brick wall.” He eventually attended Villefort University, where he sang in a quartet at the school.

He was later kicked out of the university for organizing a strike against food that he believed to be cooked below standard.

In the early 1940s, Rustin boarded a bus heading to Tennessee. He sat in the second row, before Rosa Parks did a similar protest in 1955.

When asked to move or leave, he pointed to a white child and said, “If I move, this child will not know that injustice is taking place here.”

Rustin was often rejected from movements after joining them — his worth to their cause slandered by his sexual orientation. When Rustin met Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin inspired him to adopt the principle of pacifism — a trait of King’s that is often highly revered.

“I think it’s fair to say that Dr. King’s view of non-violent tactics was almost non-existent when the boycott began,” Rustin said. “In other words, Dr. King was permitting himself and his children and his home to be protected by guns.”

Later, a congressman would threaten King that if he did not leave Rustin behind, he would tell the presses that King and Rustin were involved in a homosexual relationship.

Even King Jr. would decide to alienate Rustin from his group of advisors.

The showing was followed by a set of activities that tried to put the film into context, build bridges and more open perspectives.

“We’re looking back at history and seeing that people struggled with similar issues as us,” Rosario said. “How they navigated those identities and who they were can really be a source of inspiration for our generation.”

The movie-watchers separated into groups and had people share their opinions on the movie, their perspectives and civil rights in general. After, they read summaries of

other civil rights movements like the LGBTQ, Chicano and Native American movements.

The showing and subsequent activities were co-sponsored by the Inclusion & Multicultural Services, LGBTQA Resources & Support and the Black Student Union.

Rosario hopes that instead of only retelling the stories people have heard, this event will inspire people to look fairly at other people and groups that were equally important to founding the history of America.

“Right now we have a limited amount of voices that tell history,” Rosario said. “There were masses [of people] who were equally as important, so we need to tell all those stories not just from one perspective.”

Sophomore psychology major Ondriah Guillory attended the event in hopes of learning more about the civil rights movement.

“You can’t just say, ‘Oh, black people did it all!’” Guillory said. “There were white people involved, gay people involved, Mexicans involved, everybody was involved in this. It’s about human rights.”

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 5

News

Ducey proposes budget cuts to state universities funding G

BY AMY OWINGS

ov. Doug Ducey has released his budget proposal for the 2016 fiscal year budget and it does not do the state universities any favors.

Ducey’s proposal cuts a total of $75 million in funding from the three state universities, which equates to a 10 percent decrease from the current funding figures. Under this plan, NAU would lose roughly $13 million, whereas ASU would lose about $40 million and UA $22 million. Arizona’s community colleges would fare no better, with a $9 million cut to those in the Phoenix-area counties alone.

In a time when state support makes up only a quarter of the universities’ operating funds, according to the Arizona Board of Regents, it is not a surprise to the universities that they will lack assistance from Arizona lawmakers once again. Although a lack of funding generally translates to a bigger financial burden for students, it is uncertain whether this decrease in support will lead directly to higher tuition costs.

“It’s too early to say how [the cuts in funding] may or may not impact the tuition-setting for incoming students,” said Director of NAU Public Affairs Tom Bauer. “NAU is committed to the Pledge program, which guarantees the same undergraduate tuition rate for four years. The pledge will remain.”

In a statement from NAU’s Office of Public Affairs, NAU President Rita Cheng said the proposed reduction in funding from the state would be difficult to manage, but not impossible, due to NAU’s experience in cutting costs during the great recession and other recent years.

“All options will be considered in addressing this reduction while we continue to emphasize maintaining a quality educational experience for our students,” Cheng said as part of the statement. “NAU’s campus community will be engaging in a number of planning sessions to discuss critical priorities and necessary cuts. We will share these plans with policy makers as they are developed.”

The legislature is divided on the topic of funding for universities. Some agree with Ducey’s proposed budget, while others, like Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-27, believe that higher education should be viewed as a bigger priority.

“The budget cuts to universities and community colleges are devastating,” Bolding said. “Unfortunately, they will result in forcing more students out of the classroom . . . Universities are the economic engine to this recovery and the last thing we should be doing is cutting resources from them.”

Whether for or against, the legislators will almost certainly change the budget as it moves through the House and the Senate.

Ducey’s ultimate goal is to reduce the deficit in the state

budget as soon as possible without tax increases. His overall proposal is a $9.1 billion spending plan, with increases in funding for state prisons and aid for mistreated children and seniors, as well as a decrease in funding for the promotion of tourism. The budget also would pull $126 million from the state’s rainy-day fund, which currently holds $454 million. “[Ducey] is proposing that the state spend nearly an additional $100 million on private prisons, which actually cost the state more money per prisoner,” said Rep. Diego Espinoza, D-19. “The governor is picking winners and losers with this budget. Arizona’s kids and the economy will lose out, while private prisons and other special interests will win.”

The proposed budget does allocate funding to Arizona’s K-12 schools, as Ducey wants to place an emphasis on classroom funding as a way to urge schools to spend less on outside costs such as transportation. However, $74 million of the $134 million would go toward missed inflation boosts that the state owes the schools, while $84 million would represent current inflation boosts. This money is only a part of the $331 million a year that courts say the schools are indebted from inflation boosts.

Only time will tell if schools and universities receive more funding from the 2016 state budget. Legislative committees will begin to debate the budget Jan. 27.

Interim takes position after vice president retires

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BY SCOTT BUFFON

new interim vice president for institutional effectiveness has been appointed until a new permanent person can be found.

Bjorn Flugstad was appointed to the temporary position from his previous position as the associate vice president of the University Budget Office. When the exiting vice president Pat Haeuser retired administrators needed an experienced person to temporarily fill the position until a new one could be found.

“I felt that I could help during this transition with Pat’s retirement by utilizing my experience and ability to work across areas of the university,” Flugstad said.

The department of institutional effectiveness collects information to help plan, budget and analyze NAU’s actions.

The detailed information is mainly for the college president. The more public-focused facts are listed on their Quick Facts page on the NAU website. Institutional effectiveness lists statistics like the campus’ most enrolled major, how student populations are composed by ethnicity and the freshmen’s average SAT scores for 2014.

Institutional effectiveness is not its own

department. It is actually made up of two separate offices.

“The institutional effectiveness unit includes the office of Planning and Institutional Research and the University Budget Office,” Haeuser said.

In 1996, Flugstad graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Master’s in finance. Afterward, he went straight into the field to work at the International Business Machine Corporation as a financial analyst.

Flugstad had several finance analyst and manager jobs until he moved to Flagstaff and started working in the University Budget Office.

“I have worked at NAU in the budget office since 2008,” Flugstad said. “Having had several years of experience at NAU, and within the Budget Office specifically, gave me a good background and helped me prepare for this position.”

He became the budget director of the University Budget Office in 2010. Now as an asset to the campus, he helps keep NAU moving.

“I enjoy working with the great team of people within the institutional effectiveness division, along with the work our area is able

Bjorn Flugstad works at his desk in Babbitt Administrative Center building Jan. 16. (Photo by CJ Penido)

to do with many other areas of campus to help make progress on the president’s initiatives,” Flugstad said.

Haeuser was around when Flugstad began working at the University Budget

Office. NAU hopes to have a replacement for Haeuser by the end of this year.

“I reported to and worked closely with Pat,” Flugstad said. “She has been a tremendous asset to the university and she will be missed.”

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 7

Editorial&Opinion

Sexual harassment in eSports

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Political Cartoon by Eric Paul Johnson

Arizona veterans should be prioritized

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ur nation’s veterans and their families have sacrificed more for this great country than most of us could ever comprehend. Veterans sacrifice their health, their lives and time with their loved ones, among other things that people take advantage of. Growing up with my father in the military, my family saw firsthand the sacrifice my dad made for this country; giving up his health, not being stateside for the first year of my life and so much more. Only now am I beginning to truly grasp his tremendous sacrifice.

After the Veterans Affairs hospitals’ complete lack of regard for veterans and the following overhaul, I was hopeful that Arizona veterans would become a priority. That is why when Gov. Doug JOSH SMALLEY Ducey announced first his proposal The Rookie to redirect nearly $1 million from the Military Family Relief Fund and then reversed the proposal, I was left wondering if this was a bad omen for things to come.

The proposal would have taken the money, which consists of donations made by citizens to help returning veterans, and used it to operate new veterans’ cemeteries near Flagstaff and Marana as well as to maintain the current one in Sierra Vista. The proposal was made without consulting anyone in the veteran community, figuring that either they would not care or they would support the shifting funds. The veteran community did care, however, and shortly after the proposal was announced, the community’s fierce opposition was enough to cause Ducey to reverse his misjudged call. While I wholeheartedly support the building and maintaining of cemeteries for

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our veterans, there has to be a better source of financing than a donated fund to support our living veterans and I am glad Ducey realized that.

Balancing a state budget is no easy task and choosing what to focus on as a priority is even more difficult, but to actually suggest taking an entirely donated fund set aside for one purpose and then using it for something else shows a lack of respect for the taxpayers and the veterans it would have affected. Ducey and the legislature need to buckle down and really decide what programs can be either funded with less money or cut entirely in order to pay for these final resting places for our nation’s veterans.

This is a priority, not only for the state, but for people with families like mine who are directly affected by the decision. If the state cannot find the funds, they will be forced to pay back the federal government the $15 million that it spent building the facilities. Ducey assumed office not even a month ago and has already set a poor precedent for his administration. I have high hopes that he will learn from this blunder and serve the residents of Arizona well these next few years.

Want to write a letter?

The Lumberjack encourages an open forum on approporiate public issues. If you would like to respond to one of the opinion pieces in The Lumberjack we would love to put it into print.

Letters can be e-­mailed to OpEd Editor Kevin Morrow at kmm578@nau.

big hit was dealt to the Super Smash Bros. community with the recent news that Johnathan “Alex Strife” Lugo has been sexually harassing female players in the community since 2010 — some as young as 14 year old. These claims were validated with screenshots of past online messages to the girls. Alex Strife has been one of the most important tournament organizers in the community, especially with his heavy involvement in the leadership of the Apex Series of annual tournaments, which host tournaments in Smash, Pokémon and many other competitive eSports.

Due to the nature of his offenses, there is no reason to allow him to continue his position, no matter how important it is to him. Despite the valid concerns about his reported depression and potential suicide threats that could result from his effective removal in the gaming community, Alex Strife should be punished for his actions. Sexual harassment is too DALTON great of an offense; however, I think the proper course of action DAVIDSON is to pray for the healing of those he has hurt and for his change The Pokémaster of heart.

Another huge concern that comes from Alex Strife’s actions relates to Nintendo’s recent announcement to partner with Apex Series. This announcement is incredibly exciting for the competitive Smash community which has long desired to be recognized in some official way by its creator.

Danger clearly arises if Apex is already having such a huge internal and public problem with one of its leading members. Nintendo has no business in taking part in any sort of publicity scandal.

But Apex is the largest and most respected Smash tournament in the world and one of the most anticipated eSports events of the year. It is, therefore, no surprise that Apex reacted quickly and properly to the allegations by cutting ties with Alex Strife. This action helps Apex avoid a potential media circus within the eSports world and keeps Nintendo away from any sort of sexist association. The worst thing Apex could have done would have been to wait for the allegations to gain further proof or weather the legal process. Such patience would have allowed the tournament — which runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 — to be swallowed in negative publicity, turning Apex into the main target of a social justice war.

Had Apex decided to allow Alex Strife to remain on board, Nintendo would have had no choice but to jump ship, possibly partnering with another tournament series and thereby ending the credibility of Apex forever. So the fact that Apex did remove Alex Strife puts Nintendo in an interesting position.

Leaving the tournament now would disappoint many fans, rob Nintendo of its plans for a special announcement and destroy an important opportunity.

Of course, the company will be given the floor to say whatever it desires at the tournament. Therefore, Nintendo should take this opportunity to publicly speak out against sexual harassment and become a leader for all gamers and game companies around the world. Nintendo has the incredible opportunity to cast shame on those who participate in sexual harassment, while also setting an example for men around the world to respect women of all ages.

It is tragic that these girls have been harassed, especially at such young ages. It is wrong, and these actions need to be removed from society. The girls who have come forward with proof have acted with incredible bravery and have brought a true good out of the evil that was done to them. Their courage has opened the door for all females in eSports to open up about other sexual harassment cases that have ensued within the community. Also, their courage has taken Alex Strife out of a position where he could harass other gaming girls. Most importantly, their courage has provided an opportunity for a new campaign against sexual harassment in the gaming world and a chance for a new, worldwide movement toward chivalry in eSports.

Editorial&Opinion

Educate: Right or riot?

Political Cartoon by Eric Paul Johnson

D

uring the State of the Union last week, President Obama pushed for his latest proposal: free community college.

Now because he used the word “free,” the proposal has been instantly decried by elements of both the left and right of American politics. Some cry that the President’s policy is not enough, considering it does not cover things like living expenses nor increase enrollment at four-year colleges, while those who fear anything free are deriding Obama’s plan as a new entitlement program.

The cost of American community college is already very low, especially considering good fouryear college expenses are comparable to the black market price of your kidney.

But Obama wants to “lower the cost of community college — to zero,” but zero is not free.

KEVIN Who pays for it? Doesn’t matter: it’s a good idea.

MORROW Other detractors in academia fear the plan will Opposition encourage students to avoid universities and go to Editor community college, reducing the inflated admissions to four-year universities around the country. Lots of students who take advantage of Obama’s plan will never go on to obtain anything higher than their high school diplomas.

Even if their two years in the community college system neither lead to an associate’s degree nor a transfer to a four-year university, that’s the point. Free community college will help keep students out of the fly traps that are four-year universities. Students who fail to succeed at community college could not be expected to succeed if they’d ventured to a university, especially a school like ASU that only requires a Social Security number and a pulse to be admitted, and it’s lax on both.

Only 28 percent of NAU’s incoming freshmen will graduate in four years, according to NAU’s Office of Planning and Institutional Research, while about twice that will graduate, eventually. Meaning about half of NAU’s oversized freshman class is taking out enormous student loans and will not receive a degree. Only mortgages and the U.S. public debt are larger then the total amount of student loans, $1.2 trillion, that has surpassed even all credit card debt.

Obama has a good idea here. It is surprising it took so long considering Republican states like Tennessee and Mississippi are already working to implement free community colleges. Obama has turned to stealing Republican programs and ideas in order to present passable laws to the GOP-run Congress.

But as The Onion both humorously and accurately pointed out, free community college is a “slippery slope to other improvements in public education.” We still need to eliminate those leeching-forprofit colleges and remove cost as a barrier to medical schools. The U.S. needs more physicians, especially considering a population rapidly approaching decrepitude, and when you need something you pay for it. So, as a country, we should fork over more money for our children.

And if seniors and the middle-aged take issue with free community college or cheaper medical school, well they can find someone else to write their Social Security welfare checks.

This nation spends 40 percent of its budget on the old and the handicapped, while only investing 10 percent on the youth who are expected to provide for them.

I

Hottie with a body (of water)

don’t care what you have to say about climate change — global warming exists. How else does one describe the abnormally hot summers, the warm winters, the melting glaciers and the rising sea levels?

Recently, President Barack Obama gave his State of the Union address and announced that “2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does — 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.” He is not the only one stating these facts either. According to The New York Times, “The 10 warmest years in history have all occurred since 1997, a reflection of the relentless CHEYANNE planetary warming that scientists say MUMPHREY is a consequence of human activity Multitalented and poses profound long-term risks to civilization and nature.”

So, in other words, our planet is getting hotter each year and there is no evidence to state otherwise.

So why, then, do people have the audacity to say that global warming doesn’t exist? As you sit here in January, wondering when it is going to snow more than an inch, think about why. Why it is not snowing is the same reason why it is warm in the winter — global warming.

Take Dew Downtown, for example. Normally it is snowing already when winter sports take over downtown Flagstaff, but not this year. Because of global warming, the snow used for Dew Downtown was made by the city at Thorpe Park and literally trucked to San Francisco Street. “This adrenaline-rich, two-day urban ski and snowboard demonstration and competition” would have been ruined if not for snow made by people, and not nature.

Now, I get it, I’m not a scientist and I’m not even studying in the field, but there are scientists out there who research this for a living and if there is an expert out there who is saying that we need to change some things, I’m going to believe it. It would be different if only one person was stating that global warming was an issue, but there are multiple scientists, experts and other folks who are warning us about our lives and about the future of our planet.

“The best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we’ll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe,” Obama affirmed.

There are other things Obama could be worrying about, but I think the status of our planet is of great importance. All the other problems would be of little concern if our planet died. I’m not saying the end of the world is here, but we should all be willing to slow the process of global warming, or at least to take actions that can benefit future generations.

So for those of you who think global warming does not exist, I strongly disagree. Some of you may be misinformed on some level, but I’m willing to bet that most of those who are misinformed aren’t going around stating global warming is some kind of hoax. At the very least, if you’re misinformed you don’t have enough grounds for rebuttal. If you just ignore the idea of global warming, for whatever reason, I think you are ignoring the future and contributing to the problem. Regardless of your stance, not taking action is just as bad as spreading false information about it.

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 9

Editorial&Opinion

No uterus. No opinion.

F

or the past several decades, abortion has been at the center of a heated debate in courtrooms and coffee shops across the country. The controversy has been whether abortion should be legal in the United States. Many religious groups claim that it should be outlawed, believing that all human life is important, even if that life is only an embryo. The opposition argues that a woman should have the right to her own body and be able to make her own choices without the interference of the government. This debate is not just about whether or not abortion should be legal, but also whether it should be funded by Obamacare.

Jan. 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would permanently ban all abortion coverage under Obamacare.

In the House currently sitting 362 men, there are only 76 women.

There is no reason why a group of people should even be voting on women’s reproductive rights, especially one where the men outnumber the women four to one. Men do not have the right to an opinion in the matter of abortion. State Rep. Jim Buchy of Ohio is one of those men in the House. He is proposing to ban all abortions in Ohio, unless it is specifically chosen to save a woman’s life. In an interview for the documentary The Abortion War, Buchy is asked why he thinks women have abortions. His reply was “Well, there’s probably a lot of . . . I’m not a woman, so I . . . I’m thinking, if I’m a woman, why would I want to get a . . . Some of it has to do with economics.

A lot of it has to do with economics. I don’t know, it’s a question I’ve never even thought about.”

First of all, shouldn’t someone who is trying to ban abortion know why women get abortions? Secondly, most male senators and representatives think that women use abortions as our first safety net, when in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most women don’t get abortions because it is the easiest thing to do. Women get abortions as if they are animals with their leg caught in a trap and they have to gnaw it off.

The bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would force all women on Obamacare to pay for their abortions out of pocket. An average first-trimester abortion costs anywhere from $300 to $1200. People have insurance for just that reason, to help pay for medical expenses when they can’t afford them. If a woman can’t afford an abortion out of pocket, then there is no way she can afford a pregnancy. If she can’t afford a pregnancy, then there is absolutely no possible way she can afford a child. Why 242 members of the U.S. House of Representatives thought this bill would be a good idea is beyond me. It is only hurting women’s rights in this country.

As of 2013, there is speculation that there are around 600 laws regulating women’s bodies. While these have actually been passed by both the House and the Senate, the bill recently passed by the House still has to go through the Senate and the President. While it is unclear what will happen in the Senate, Obama released a statement declaring that the House-passed bill “would intrude on women’s reproductive freedom and access to health care and unnecessarily restrict the private insurance choices that consumers have.”

I strongly agree with the belief that women’s bodies should have no regulations placed on them by the government, no matter the reason. This recent bill passed by the House is unnecessary and impedes the rights all women have the right to. The majority of people voting to pass this bill are men, who should have no say on a woman’s reproductive rights, at all.

Rachel Dexter is a sophomore history major at NAU and contributed this article for the The Lumberjack.

8 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.org

Political Cartoon by Eric Paul Johnson

A

More Mickey Mouse measles

nyone who has been to Disneyland, or any amusement park for that matter, can attest to the sheer volume of people who pass through on a daily basis. People of all ages come from many parts of the world to experience “the happiest place on earth.” Recently, a visitor to the park brought with them an unseen passenger and a potential threat to many—“Morbillivirus paramyxovirus.”

This virus causes the disease known as measles in humans. It takes 7 to 10 days for the virus to start presenting symptoms such as a high fever, coughing, red eyes, a runny nose and a full-body rash. In the 1920s, the average number of measles-related deaths was around 6,000. There is no way AUSTIN to cure measles beyond supportive care.

SHANNON The only tool we have is prevention through The Scientist vaccination. A vaccine was developed to prevent the spread of the disease in 1963 and was further improved upon in 1968. Through extensive vaccine distribution and mandatory vaccination of school children, measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.

So, if the disease has had little impact on the U.S. population in the past decade and the majority of people have been vaccinated, should we still be worried about one person carrying the virus into a highly trafficked public space? Yes. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can easily be spread through the air by a cough. If someone has received both rounds of the vaccine then there is only a one percent chance they will acquire the disease when coming in contact with it, while the chances are around 35 times more for an unvaccinated individual. Children and elderly people are particularly susceptible.

This single, infected person’s visit to Disneyland has so far resulted in the infection of over 50 other persons across five states and into Mexico. This is not surprising when considering the contagious nature of the disease, the large number of interactions that can be expected at a popular amusement park, and the fact that southern California has shown a significant increase in vaccine exemption for children entering school.

The problem here is twofold: there is substantial

misinformation surrounding vaccination and the dangers of these preventable diseases doesn’t feel relevant anymore.

First of all, vaccination does not cause autism.

Extensive scientific literature and studies demonstrate that.

Also, the side effects of most vaccines including the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) are negligible, or incredibly rare. The diseases themselves will undoubtedly cause more complications for someone than the vaccine that prevents them. If this were not the case, then these vaccines would never have been FDA-approved and would not play as vital a role in public health as they do. But therein lies the problem.

Few have experienced the time when these diseases were rampant and essentially unstoppable. As a result of this, people don’t see what the big deal is anymore and decide it is not their responsibility.

Let this be a wake-up call: public health is the responsibility of the public. These diseases will become relevant again if we allow them.

It is interesting to see that areas of California that are increasing in general wealth appear to be decreasing in their vaccination rates. Apparently, privilege begets lack of responsibility. “No, no, I will not risk giving my child a shot of autism just to prevent your ancient, peasant diseases. Oh, are you not aware that it has already been eliminated?” Cue laugh track.

Elimination is not the same as extinction when it comes to diseases. A reduction in vaccinated individuals means a loss of herd immunity. Essentially, those who are vaccinated act as physical barriers between diseased persons and other potential victims. Vaccinated individuals are usually a dead end for the pathogen, which is subsequently stopped from spreading. This is why it is so important that people continue to utilize the effectiveness of vaccines and collectively work to stop the reemergence of potentially deadly diseases like this.

All of the small contributions we make to the bigger picture, like voting, recycling, etc., may seem futile and pointless from the individual’s perspective. But when you are the vaccinated individual standing between the diseased person and the susceptible infant in a stroller, you have the potential to save a life. If you haven’t yet, go get your shot of heroism today.

Comics

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Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 11

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Sports

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n unpredictable weekend displayed many highs and lows for the NAU women’s basketball team. After an abysmal performance against the University of Montana, losing 69–42, NAU turned things around with a strong and efficient 79–64 win against Montana State Jan. 24.

After a four-game losing streak, capped by the loss against the Grizzlies, the Lumberjacks were in desperate need of a win and they made the most out of their COMMENTARY opportunity against the Bobcats.

From the beginning of the game, the Lumberjacks looked poised to win.

They shot efficiently in the first half of the match, completing 50 percent of their field goal attempts, and led the Bobcats for 16 minutes in the first half.

The Lumberjacks seemed to fall into a groove that they are familiar with, receiving big contributions from some of their main players.

Senior forward Erikka Banks sparked the match for the Lumberjacks by scoring eight of the Lumberjacks’ first 10 points, including two threeRICHIE TRUNZO pointers. Banks led the Lumberjacks with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Everything seemed to work for the Lumberjacks as they shot their second-highest field goal percentage of the season at 51.8 percent.

NAU also received help from its defense, specifically in the second half. Montana State had trouble finding open shots and scoring in the second half due to NAU’s defensive play, which held the Bobcats to just 28 points.

This game was a good way for the Lumberjacks to bounce back from their losing streak and get a win as they move deeper into conference play.

Even though NAU played well against Montana State, they struggled the most in their match against Montana Jan 22.

Senior center Raven Anderson is swarmed by the Montana defense on her way to the basket Jan. 22 at the Walkup Skydome. The Jacks went on to lose the game 69–42. (Photo by Robert Tyler Walker)

Scoring issues were a major problem for the Jacks as they shot 25.4 percent from the field, totaling 42 points, which was not enough to combat Montana’s ability to score consistently from multiple spots on the court.

NAU also did not receive big contributions on offense from its typical go-to players. Banks and senior center Raven Anderson combined for 19 points while no one else scored more than seven points in the game.

The second half of the game was the weakest point in the game for the Lumberjacks in terms of scoring. The point deficit appeared to wear the Lumberjacks down as the game continued.

Scoring became scarce for the Lumberjacks toward the end of the game, and they were unable to score in the final five minutes of the game.

The Lumberjacks’ inability to score was not the only issue that hurt them against the Grizzlies. Although the Lumberjacks are one of the top three-point defenses in the Big Sky Conference (BSC), they could not stop the Grizzlies from behind the arc. Montana knocked down its first six three-point attempts and made 60 percent of its three-pointers throughout the game, resulting in 27 of its 69 points.

The Grizzlies’ ability to score efficiently from three-point range had a big impact on the game overall, as it allowed them to take a big lead on the Lumberjacks very quickly, while making it more difficult for the Lumberjacks to come back.

Along with offensive and defensive issues, NAU could not capitalize on many scoring opportunities against Montana. The Lumberjacks rebounded efficiently with 15 offensive rebounds, but it amounted to only four second-chance points.

The Lumberjacks had one of their worst and one of their best performances back-to-back Junior guard Mariah Willadsen looks for an open teammate against Montana State and came out of this weekend at 3-4 in BSC play. Although the Lumberjacks have some time with 11 games left in the season, they cannot afford another consistent losing streak and will Jan. 24. The Lumberjacks won the game against Montana State 79–64. have to find a way to continue to play at a high level in order to stay in the competition and make (Photo by Ryan J. Wesson) conference playoffs.

SportsShort DIII IceJacks vs. Arizona State University Jan. 30 at 8:30 p.m.

Jay Lively Activity Center

Women’s Basketball

Track & Field

vs. Southern Utah Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m.

Walkup Skydome

Mountain T’s Invitational Jan. 31 at 10 a.m.

Walkup Skydome

14 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.org

Follow the Lumberjack Sports reporters on Twitter Vincent Peña: @vincent_pena7 Jasmyn Wimbish: @JasmynWimbish

Sports

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Senior Alexander Odem performs practice jumps during the NAU Team Challenge meet Jan. 24.

Odem qualified for the Indoor Big Sky Conference Championships in men’s triple jump at the season opener Jan. 16. (Photo by Bryanna Shantal Smythe)

N

BY SARAH BROWN

AU hosted its second home meet Jan. 23, when 10 Lumberjacks hit marks that will qualify them for the Indoor Big Sky Conference Championships in February.

“I think we have a lot of areas to build on for our conference championships,” said head coach Eric Heins. “Each week, we try to get a couple more qualifiers and hope to have as close to 26 qualifiers for the championships in February.”

Coming into the meet, NAU had nine qualifiers for the Big Sky Indoor Championships, and on the men’s side, seniors Deante Kemper and Vernon Jamison led the Jacks by qualifying in two events.

Kemper qualified in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles, while Jamison hit qualifying marks in the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash. Finishing up the sprints side was sophomore James Fisher, winning the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.84

seconds.

For field events, senior Gus Margiotta and sophomore Shawn Collins led the shot put with a distance of 16.66m and 16.05m. For the women junior Jessica Weise finished shotput with a distance of 14.66, leading the Big Sky Conference, and freshman Brooke Andersen qualifying for the weight throw with her distance of 17.72m.

Back on the track for the women, seniors Darriel Banks and Shamelle Pless led sprints with times of 7.55 and 24.86 in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, respectively.

“My overall performance was okay, but my times went down from last week,” Banks said. “Hopefully over the course I can be ready for Big Sky. I could improve on my 60 by gaining more speed work, and lifting my legs up at the end of my race.”

In the jumps, senior Alexis Clay qualified for the Big Sky Championships at the Jan. 16 meet in the long jump with a distance of 5.60m. Instead of competing in the long jump event at this meet, Clay took part in the triple jump, and finished in second place with a distance of 11.05m.

“I feel like I did okay. Not really what I wanted to do, but we are training to peak at a certain time, so we will be good during conference,” Clay said. “I want to improve on my second phase in the long jump, and in triple jump I want to get a better positioning on the runway.”

Senior Alexander Odem also qualified for the Indoor Championships in February at the Friday Night Duels in the men’s triple jump with a distance of 14.28m. Odem competed in both the long jump and triple jump at this meet, but fouled or scratched, on all of his attempts.

“I didn’t even know I [qualified] until after the whole competition, I wasn’t even focused on doing that,” Odem said.

“I’m hoping I get that energy again with focus for the marks, and fix up the small mistakes. Once those get fixed I believe the jumps will be better.”

For the distance runners, junior Futsum Zienasellassie qualified in the 800-meter run with a time of one minute and

53.98 seconds, which was good enough for a second-place finish. Seniors Caleb Hoover and Tyler Byrne were the only two to compete in the 3000-meter run and finished with times of 8:41.54 and 8:53.70, respectively.

Senior Shayla Freemen won the women’s 3000-meter run with the time of 10:49.55. In the 800-meter run, sophomore Kylie Goo and junior Caroline Hogardh finished first and second with the times of 2:16.74 and 2:16.94.

On the relay teams, the men took second in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:18.07, while the women finished first with a time of 3:57.03. The women’s team had a new addition to the relay team, sophomore Nicole Fotinos, who led the women with her 57-second split.

The Jacks will be back in action at home again in the twoday Mountain T’s Invitational Jan. 30-31.

TOP: Freshman Madison Belnap participates in the women’s long jump event where she finished with a distance of 4.96m at the Skydome Jan. 24 as NAU hosted the Lumberjack Team Challenge.

BOTTOM: Senior Darriel Banks and junior Shamelle Pless take off from the blocks in the women’s 60-meter dash.

Defending their titles, Banks took home a second-place finish with a time of 7.55, and Pless later took second place in the 200-meter dash. (Photos by Jasmine Coro)

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 15

Sports

DII IceJacks swept by Sun Devils

LEFT: Junior forward Dedrick Wiese and Fullerton forward Sean Saligumba collide mid-ice Jan. 10 at the Jay Lively Activity Center. (Photo by Anna Bradley) RIGHT: A Weber State defenseman fires the puck toward the NAU net Jan. 17 at the Weber County Ice Sheet. The IceJacks fell the Wildcats 5–2. (Photo by Anthony Caruso)

W

BY BRIAN WADE

ith less than two minutes remaining in play, the Division II IceJacks made the move to pull their goaltender to erase a two-goal deficit against topranked ASU and try and send the game into overtime.

With the 6-5 skater advantage, senior forward Cameron McDonald managed to find junior forward Dedrick Weise near the top of the blue line for the much-needed NAU goal to narrow the ASU lead to 7–6.

Despite the hard-fought effort, the comeback staged by NAU was not enough, as ASU held on to secure a 7–6 win in the second game of a two-game series Jan. 24.

“That was definitely a tough one to swallow, but I think we showed a lot of heart,” said senior goaltender Anthony Caruso.

“I think it serves as a great reminder of what we are capable of against a top team in the country.”

Entering the game as the top-ranked team in the nation, the Sun Devils were simply looking to continue their hot hand against their familiar opponent.

Sun Devils’ sophomore forward Ryan Francis appeared to do just that, slipping an early, glove-side goal by Caruso into the

16 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.org

back of the net to put the Sun Devils on the board.

ASU scored two more unanswered goals to go up 3–0 before NAU converted a power-play opportunity, when McDonald managed to find junior forward Kirby Carlson in the crease for the first IceJacks’ goal.

The Sun Devils were up 7–2 with 15:26 left to play in the third period, when head coach Travis Johanson did something he rarely does — pulling the goaltender in the middle of the period. Head coach Travis Johanson decided to go with junior Seth Kollman, and from that point on the IceJacks went on a 4-0 run to get within one goal of the Sun Devils.

“Coach told us during the last intermission that he noticed the rhythm we had at the end of the second [period] and to just continue to play aggressively, throw pucks at the net, and good things will happen,” Caruso said.

Although the IceJacks made a run at the end of the game, the deficit was too big to overcome. “[We] showed that we just won’t give up,” said senior forward Greg Park. “[ASU] plays consistent, which is what we have struggled to do throughout the second half of the season.”

The previous game on Jan. 23 was a much less competitive game as the IceJacks were overwhelmed from the start against

ASU, eventually losing 5–0 at home.

Behind a hat-trick from junior forward Jason Kuta, the Sun Devils never trailed in a completely one-sided game.

“We just didn’t have the jump that we normally do in the second and third [periods],” said Director of Hockey Operations AJ Fairchild.

Ahead 2–0 after the first intermission, the Sun Devils appeared in control of the tempo of the game against an NAU squad that is typically strong while playing on its home ice.

NAU penalties and Jason Kuta’s goals, characterized much of the final period of play as the Sun Devils closed the game out with two more scores, seemingly putting the game out of reach 5–0.

“After a game where [you] get shut out like that, everyone has to look around and see what each of us can do to change things up,” said junior forward Kirby Carlson.

Ironically, Carlson notched his first career hat trick the next night.

With only four games remaining in the season, the IceJacks will have to rebound quickly before going on the last road trip of the season against Loyola Marymount University and San Diego State University Jan. 30-31.

Sports

A

Men’s hoops still looking to hit offensive stride

fter coming off one of the best offensive halves in the season against Montana State, the NAU men’s basketball team could be peaking at the right time down the stretch heading into conference playoffs.

The Lumberjacks beat the Bobcats Jan. 24, 71–64, behind a complete team effort from all of its starters. NAU shot 48 percent from the field and 66 COMMENTARY percent from three-point range in the second half, which resulted in 43 secondhalf points in its win.

With that win, NAU is now 4-3 in conference, which is good enough for a share of the No. 4 spot with Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference (BSC).

The Jacks have 11 games left in the JASMYN WIMBISH regular season, and will need to string together some wins and emulate the offensive presence they showcased against Montana State, to be one of the top eight teams to advance to the postseason.

Of the 11 games remaining, five of them are against the top five teams in the BSC, with only one of those being on the road, which is a good thing for a team that is 3-8 when playing away from the Skydome.

The Lumberjacks have yet to have a statement win against any of the teams above them in the conference standings, going 0-2 in those games, but they will get plenty of chances, four to be exact, in the final weeks of the season.

The four biggest games left on NAU’s schedule that should be circled are against Eastern Washington, Sacramento State and Northern Colorado twice. Each of these teams, aside from Northern Colorado, has a better conference record than NAU, and the Jacks will at least need to go 2-2 in these games.

Although those games are arguably the most important on NAU’s schedule, none of the games should be taken lightly, especially considering NAU’s tendency to have a lot of closecall finishes against the lesser teams in the conference.

In three of the four conference wins that the Lumberjacks have, each game has been decided by fewer than 10 points. The reason behind these close games is due to the inconsistency on offense, which means the Lumberjacks rely heavily on their defense.

NAU is ninth in the BSC in scoring, averaging 66 points per game (ppg), but is third in defense, allowing 68 ppg.

The saying “defense wins games” is true, but the offense still needs to score in order for that statement to be valid.

NAU has the issue of playing tremendous defense at one end of the court, but falling short at the other end when it comes to scoring.

Although the Jacks have struggled throughout the season with scoring consistently, their win against Montana State could be the spark that they need going forward. Four of NAU’s five starters scored in double figures, with sophomore guard Kris Yanku recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.

The flipside of that could be that the Montana State win was just a flash in the pan, considering that the Bobcats are last in the conference with a 1-6 record.

Regardless of what it is, this is the time NAU needs to make a run, and the Lumberjacks need to be able to not only beat the lower teams in the conference, but they have to be able to compete with the top teams to go deep into playoffs.

The chances of the Lumberjacks making the playoffs are high, unless they completely fall apart, but it’s a matter of where they are seeded for the tournament that can make a big difference.

Before the season started, NAU was picked in the preseason coach’s poll to finish third in the BSC behind Weber State and Eastern Washington. This isn’t unattainable for the Jacks, but they will need to get ahead of Montana, which they’ve already lost to, and Northern Colorado, which they have yet to play.

The higher the seeding NAU gets, the better the chances it has at going further than the first round of the postseason.

In their last 11 games, I predict that the Lumberjacks will go 7-4, and finish in fourth place in the conference provided they are able to score consistently down the stretch.

In order for that to happen NAU will need its key players, like seniors Aaseem Dixon and Quinton Upshur to provide a steady offense if the Lumberjacks want to make a run at the BSC title.

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BY JACQUIE LEMARR

T

he NAU women’s tennis team finished out its week in New Mexico with a disappointing loss to No. 23-ranked University of South Carolina 4–0 Jan. 23.

South Carolina is the highest-ranked team the NAU program had played in three years since they played the then 20th-ranked Sun Devils of ASU. South Carolina dominated the singles play with an impressive three-win victory over NAU. Freshman Livia Hollosy was defeated in straight sets 6–1, 6–1 by Hadley Berg of South Carolina, while last week’s standout performer, Emelia Box, lost to Gamecock Meghan Belvins 6–0, 6–1.

Caroline Dailey of South Carolina started off the 4-0 singles play wins by defeating Jacks’ Hailey Rochin 6–1, 6–4.

The Gamecocks overtook the Lumberjacks in only two matches in doubles play, where Caroline Dailey and Ximena Siles Luna defeated Hollosy and junior Jordan

Denesik 6–1.

Brigit Folland and partner Meghan Blevins defeated the duo of Rochin and sophomore Marta Lewandowska 6–2 to start the day off. While there was a noticeable margin between the two teams, Coach Bruno saw an opportunity to gain experience from playing such a notable team.

“This match will only help us compete at a higher level in the season,” Bruno said via NAU Athletics.

On the first day of their road trip, the Lumberjacks matched up against the Lobos of the University of New Mexico where NAU fell 4–3 Jan. 22.

For the second match in a row, NAU started with a disappointing doubles performance but increased the level of competition in the singles portion of the match to close the margin.

“Today’s match was a complete turnaround from last week’s performance, and if we continue to play like this and improve throughout the season, we are going to be a very good team,” Bruno said via NAU Athletics.

The biggest turnaround came when senior Johnna Vang came back from her doubles forfeit and captured a 6–4, 6–0 win over Emily Olivier of New Mexico. The Jacks were then able to build off this momentum, and clench two more singles wins.

Despite their efforts, these performances were not enough to mount a strong comeback against the Lobos.

New Mexico countered with three straight wins from Natasha Smith over Rochin 6–1, 6–4 to tie the match 2-2, and sealed a 7–5, 3–6, 6–1 win from Rachana Bhat over Hollosy.

“As a team I think we competed hard, and I’ve definitely seen some improvement in the past couple of weeks,” Vang said. “We still need to focus on how to become more consistent and stick to our game plans.”

Though early in the season, the team seems to lack strength and drive during doubles play as shown by the strong lead the Lobos built up in the beginning of the match.

New Mexico made its presence known in the beginning of the day by firing off a 2–0 lead in the doubles with the team of Hopson

and Olivier, who overtook NAU’s Rochin and Lewandowska 7–5.

The Lumberjack duo of Hollosy and Denesik lost their early momentum to the Lobos Bhat and Sharon Coone 6–1. In the first doubles match of the day, Vang and Box started off the match with a scratch, which gave the Jacks their first loss of the day.

“Emilia and I are a relatively new team, but based on how we’ve been looking in practice, I think we can grow a lot as a doubles pair this season,” Vang said.

The Lumberjacks are now on a threegame losing streak to start off the season, and will look to get their first win against Arizona when they travel to Tucson Jan. 31.

Last season, NAU took on Arizona and lost on the road 7–0 to the Wildcats. The Jacks were out-played in nearly every match, except for one where senior Sarah Maria Spruch challenged Laura Oldham in the singles competition with a 6–2, 6–4 match.

NAU will need to come out strong against Arizona in order to pick up its first win of the season.

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 17

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Life Students and community members discuss “Who is Charlie?” with a panel of NAU professors

I

BY GABBI WEISS

n light of the recent terrorist attack that took place in Paris Jan. 7, when people hear “Je suis Charlie” (“I am Charlie”) their minds probably redirect to the attack that targeted the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

A couple weeks ago, two brothers — Chérif and Saïd Kouachi — felt outraged by the caricatures in the newspaper that satirically poked fun at their Islamic religion. The brothers entered the Charlie Hebdo building and killed 12 people: eight journalists, two police officers, a caretaker and a visitor.

In response to an act that left many Americans fearing the hinderance of their First Amendment rights, NAU held a discussion in the Liberal Arts building open to all students and local community members interested in furthering their knowledge on the subject.

“The point of this discussion is to bring together a variety of NAU faculty to shed light on different perspectives of the event,” said associate French professor and event organizer Erica Hess. “In addition, this discussion will allow students and community members to share their related reactions regarding the Charlie Hebdo attack.”

In order to create a thorough discussion on the subject, the event was focused around a panel of NAU professors who knew much historical and relevant information about the incident. Panelists were responsible for holding a five-minute presentation or lecture on their perspective and knowledge of the attack. Each panelist highlighted many different aspects regarding the Charlie Hebdo incident. After each individual’s presentation or lecture, there were designated times for audience members to ask questions or to comment about things relating to the attack.

In addition to a wide array of professors on the panel, an NAU student who was studying abroad in France when the incident occurred also joined the panel table. His personal insight on the social chaos he experienced while studying abroad provided audience members with his first-hand, emotional reaction that he had dealt with

when hearing about the attack. The prevailing concept of the whole discussion was to introduce different perspectives and angles on the incident, why it occurred and what different groups of people thought about it.

Assistant professor and panelist Mohamed Mohamed discussed reasons, not justifications, as to why the brothers committed the Charlie Hebdo crime. He touched upon the stigmatization of Muslims, how they are marginalized and how the brothers who committed the crime should be viewed as common criminals without any attachment to their religion.

Director of Philosophy in the Public Interest and panelist Andrea Houchard discussed the roots behind the idea of freedom of speech, along with what it entails and how it relates to Charlie Hebdo. She mentioned how Charlie Hebdo exercised the right of freedom of speech and how its satirical standpoint served as an instrumental value to protect its expression.

“The Charlie Hebdo incident, although very disturbing, is an important event that we need to touch upon,” Houchard said. “It is imperative that we create space and time to discuss this event with students and with community members. We need to create a space for reflection and discussion.”

From touching upon the inequalities between the French and Arab world to learning about the roots of freedom of speech, this discussion relayed an abundance of intellectual information revolving around the Charlie Hebdo incident.

“This act of terrorism will affect the rest of time,” said sophomore French major Chamelea Mullican. “This discussion broadened my knowledge and introduced me to different perspectives about an event that will change the world.”

When one hears, “Je suis Charlie” it is important to remember that he is more than just the first name of a newspaper — he is a movement that has inspired people across the world to reflect and be proud of who they are by responding, “I am Charlie, I am a Jew, I am a Muslim, I am a cop, I am a human being.”

Ever y week is

P

BY KYNDALL ARNOLD

laids, army-green anoraks, ankle booties and puffer vests are just a few of the winter fashion trends that have been seen around the NAU campus and have also been covered by CollegeFashionista. CollegeFashionista is a website dedicated to reporting the latest college fashion and style trends seen on campuses around the world.

The website consists of columns written by students with a wide variety of fashion opinions. These students are interns called Style Gurus, who are responsible for photographing their peers’ outfits and writing articles that highlight the trends students are wearing around school. They also give advice on how to achieve similar looks.

Junior strategic communication major Reed Emerson has been a CollegeFashionista intern since spring 2014.

“When I spot a fashionista, I look for someone who really has a sense of who they are, and carries themselves with a high confidence in their style.

Someone who is unique and daring with what they wear,” Emerson said.

Emerson is one of three Style Gurus on the NAU campus. Sophomore business and marketing major Ali Lixandru and freshman special and elementary education major Stephanie Horton are the other two members of the NAU Style Guru team.

“I think I’m different than other Style Gurus because I am not pursuing a career in fashion or anything of that matter,” Horton said. “I also don’t like to stick to one specific style for myself.

I love mixing it up every day. I am not a design major or anything like that, but I’ve always had a love for fashion and being a Style Guru has helped me express that.”

Style Gurus contribute one post a week during the term of their internship. They participate in weekly Twitter chats with fashion industry executives and attend webinars. Interns also have the opportunity to work on brand campaigns and to organize local fashion events.

“CollegeFashionista benefits me

fashion week by giving me an outlet to talk about style and fashion,” Emerson said. “I really enjoy being able to experience a fashionable lifestyle in such a small town. I get to correspond with women who are directly in the fashion industry. They help teach and guide me with what steps I can take to get where they are.”

CollegeFashionista’s mission is to “empower students to make the campus their runway and give them a platform to share their unique pointof-view.”

In addition to the student-written articles, the website also features exclusive access to interviews with influencers in fashion, media and business, insider job openings and articles about designers and their collaborations with brand partners.

They also send out a weekly newsletter that readers can subscribe to. Being a CollegeFashionista Style Guru is essentially an unpaid internship. The company rehires each semester and is already looking for fashion enthusiasts who love photography and social media to join the Style Guru team for the summer.

“I just started as a Style Guru this semester,” Lixandru said. “Last semester I met someone that was doing this and they told me to apply, so I did. It wasn’t really difficult. You have to submit a mock article about something that you think is trending with your application and they get back to you and let you know if you got the job or not.”

The summer Style Guru position is from May 28 to Aug. 24. Requirements include owning or having access to an digital camera camera.

Students who are ambitious, interested in the fashion industry, have experience in journalism and photography and are looking to expand their writing portfolio could certainly take advantage of this internship opportunity. Visit collegefashionista.com for further information about applying to be a Style Guru. Applications are due by March 26.

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 19

Life

BY MEGAN TROUTMAN

A

drenaline pumps through the heart of Flagstaff as skiers and snowboarders prepare for a weekend of freestyle competition.

For the past four years, Flagstaff has hosted one of the most popular urban ski and snowboard festivals — sponsored

by Mountain Dew — known as Dew Downtown. Once a year, snow is molded into a freestyle ski and snowboard course down San Francisco Street. Students, locals and professionals are welcome to register and participate in this highly anticipated event Jan. 24-25.

“It’s an opportunity to be in the middle of a downtown environment with a bunch of people lining the street,” said City of Flagstaff spokeswoman Kimberly Ott. “Part of it is to win and have fun, but part of it is because it’s unique.”

Ott has been involved with Dew Downtown since it first started in 2012. Since then, each year has been more successful than the last, corralling a significant number of locals and students to the downtown area. “[I am most excited] for the people. Not only the competitors but the people who come and see it,” Ott said. “It’s a big festival that everyone will enjoy and the weather’s going to be perfect so despite the protests and controversy behind man-made snow, locals were excited to see what kind of competition was in store for the weekend.”

Certified urban skiing and snowboarding judge Stu Howe was just as excited for the event. “[I’m excited for] the caliber of riders. There’s a lot of good riders out here — we’re going to be seeing a lot of cool tricks, keeping the crowd entertained, maybe some big crashes, but hopefully no one gets hurt,” Howe said.

Howe is head judge for Dew

brings car ve-onation to the streets of Flagstaff Downtown and has been judging this event for the past three years. Judges specifically look for difficulty, amplitude, variety and execution when scoring contestants.

“We’re looking to see allaround good riding. Somebody who can take the course and turn it into a canvas, making it almost like a piece of art,” Howe said.

In order to become certified judges, Howe and the rest of the judging panel had to take certain classes and tests to familiarize themselves with high-scoring tricks.

“There are crowd-pleaser tricks, which the crowd will go crazy for, but a lot of them won’t even score you points,” Howe said.

“A front flip will not score points in a competition like this.”

Each judge had to watch past events like X-Games and other freestyle competition footage in order to differentiate which tricks will score higher than others.

“The first year I had no idea what I was doing, but you learn as you go,” Howe said. “I get nervous talking to the riders because they all want to yell at you [as a judge].”

Nerves play a huge role in any competition, especially for the

participants.

“Yeah [I was] super nervous,” said Flagstaff local and snowboarder Alan Splitter. “For whatever reason, this contest makes me more nervous than a lot of contests out there.”

Splitter placed first in the men’s open snowboarding division. He has been snowboarding for the past seven years and has participated in Dew Downtown each year.

“You kind of forget that people are watching,” Splitter said after receiving his $100 first-place prize.

“If you’re doing [the competitions] right, that’s the goal to forget that people are watching.”

While each course of Dew Downtown has been different from the last, this year’s course was particularly favorable among the contestants.

“It was a lot better than it’s been in the past few years. It’s faster and they limited the amount of features so it’s a little easier to keep speed,” Splitter said.

Most participants came to the agreement that this course was the most successful course in Dew Downtown history. This year, the slope was steeper so riders were able to maintain their speed throughout the course.

A participant of Dew Downtown takes a drink during a break Jan. 24 (Photo by Zac Velarde)

20 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.org

“The difficulty is the size of the features — they’re a little bit bigger, giving us a better spread to see how everybody’s riding,” Howe said.

“It’s real flowy — it’s fun to ride this year. It works really well.”

Jan. 23, the day before the weekend event, snow was brought in to be packed down on San Francisco Street. Shortly after the snow was brought in, workers began to carve out the course.

“This year we’ve shortened the course, partly because it’s been so

warm,” Ott said. “We’ve shortened the course up so it amounts to a little over a city block. In years past we’ve had it run two blocks.”

Splitter was happy with the competition results and was excited for his next opportunity to compete.

“I just hope that I can continue to shred for cheaper than average for as long as I can,” Splitter said. “I just really like to snowboard.”

A snowboarder jumps the ramp at Dew Downtown Jan. 24. (Photo

by J. Daniel Hud)

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Life

A-chording to Andrea Through the pitches of life

I

do not know if my colleagues will agree with me or not, but I have found out that as a music major, we always get to a point when someone asks us, “When did you decide to become a professional musician? Who influenced you the most? Who tried to keep you out of this road?”

If you have not been exposed to these questions yet, I encourage you to think about them, because there is always someone we should be grateful for, even the teacher who once told ANDREA you that you were useless LUQUE for music.

KARAM Things for me did not really start until I was 7-years-old.

Even though Santa Claus brought me a small guitar when I was three, and my parents gave me a violin when I was four, I never really played any of those instruments.

In second grade, though, there was this new music teacher named Mayra, whose classes were very different from our previous music teacher’s. She was not just sitting there playing and singing for us — which could be fun but not very educational; instead, she got into the classroom and taught us how to read music, how to sing music and how to play it with our recorders.

I will not write the whole procedure that taught me how to play the recorder, but instead I will tell you that she, my teacher Mayra, is now one of my best friends. I even consider her a part of my family. She believed in me and convinced me that I was good, which for a child who found it hard to merge with the other kids in school was like a miracle.

I experienced my first choir with her and my first recorder ensemble, and she even let me conduct in some concerts, events that still affect me today. Still, Mayra

was not the only one who motivated me.

Gloria, my piano teacher who continues to listen to my crazy thoughts, pushed me to look at music as something even more serious than I thought it could be.

When I was 13-years-old, I attended a summer camp in a music conservatory in Mexico and had a piano teacher who kept asking me, “What are you planning to do with music? Are you planning to be a musician?” To which I would answer, “I am not sure” and “Maybe, I haven’t thought about it.”

Here is the sad part: When I said maybe, he immediately told me “you know what? I don’t think music is your thing, I don’t think you are useful for music.” I was 13. I was dedicating my summer to music.

I was studying all afternoon, and this man said so easily “this is not for you.”

My reaction: get better. I don’t recommend anyone discourage their students this way, but I surely recommend to my friends that whenever they receive comments like this, instead of looking down, they should look forward and convert these people’s words into motivation.

We will keep finding friends and enemies, good colleagues and jealous people, but what will make the difference is our attitude and passion for what we do. Have you asked yourself why you do this? Why do you sing? Why do you play an instrument? Why do you write music?

Is it only because you like it, or is there something behind that love? I know the answer for sure. Because this is not only about what happens in the practice rooms, it is also about what happens when people join you while you are performing.

Music is not about applause either, and in a lot of ways it is not about recognition. The path of music is so complex sometimes that it is hard to explain it to non-musicians; but other times it is so easy going in our lives, that it is hard not to love it, right?

22 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.org

Life

BY KATIE SAWYER

O

n Dec. 11, sophomore biochemistry major Luis Gardetto and sophomore civil engineering major Garrett Chott set out to make the 276-mile journey from Flagstaff to Phoenix with nothing more than their mountain bikes and their backpacks. Primarily using dirt trails, they battled their way through heavy rain and hailstorms, soaked sleeping bags and tents, food shortages and also ended up getting lost. Most NAU students commute home via trains, buses, cars and planes, but these two relied on only their own physical prowess and pure adrenaline.

The duo has always been interested in mountain biking as a recreational activity, but the two never could have dreamed that they would one day make this behemoth of a trek back home. As the fall semester was drawing to a close, the pair started to realize this was something they could actually attempt.

“We’d never done anything like this before. Day, after day, after day of constant riding,” Gardetto said.

Though both had experience as mountain bikers, neither had done anything like this before. They packed only ramen, peanut butter and granola bars for food. No first aid kit was added.

“I actually just barely started mountain biking . . . Garrett told me I was going to join him, so that’s what I did. Sometimes it’s that easy,” Gardetto said.

The two left Flagstaff at around 3 p.m. and camped out without issue their first night. However, the second night they were not so lucky. Heavy rains bombarded their campsite, and by morning their seemingly waterproof equipment — their tent and sleeping bags included — were soaked from the rainstorm.

“We woke up and we were soaked, everything was wet,” Chott said.

Luis Gardetto rests atop a Sedona mountain range Dec. 13 during his 276-mile bike trek with Garrett Chott. (Photo by Garrett Chott)

Luckily, they were close to a laundromat, so they successfully dried out their supplies before continuing on their journey. However, they had only ridden for a few miles when they were hit by a hailstorm.

“It was the biggest hailstorm I’ve ever been in, it was felt like rocks of ice stinging my neck,” Gardetto said.

Due to heavy rain and hail, their dirt trails had turned to mud and the climb up Mingus Mountain, a key destination on their trail, became impossible for the duo.

They were forced to hand-carry their heavy packs and bikes two miles up the trail. “[The mud] was like the consistency of peanut butter,” Chott said.

After reaching the top of Mingus Mountain, the two could no longer find the trail that was meant to lead them further

south.

“I was freaking out, we were getting lost and we were cold and we were wet,” Chott said. “I was the one who was supposed to be planning the whole trip out. I was supposed to be the one who had the plan,” Chott said.

After two flat tires, a broken seat and low food supplies, the duo eventually rode the 67 miles across the mountain range to Black Canyon City where they could restock and rest before continuing down to Phoenix.

“Out of all the different places we saw, the valley was by far the ugliest. That was kind of the bummer of the trip, was that we ended up in the place that was the ugliest,” Gardetto said.

They reached the valley slightly the worse for wear, and looked forward to real

food and showers.

“Not showering for four or five days, we looked gnarly at the end,” Chott said.

When looking back on the trip, Gardetto and Chott agreed they would do it all again and are looking forward to a time in which they can accomplish more feats.

Chott already has his eyes on a mountain bike race from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, a 2,700-mile trip over the span of 30 days.

“The experience in general was great.

Sleeping in a different place every night, living on the road; it was just really a cool experience,” Chott said.

Through all the dirt, sleet, hail, rain and snow, the two college students learned that taking the road less traveled is a more rewarding experience than they could have imagined.

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 23

Arts&Entertainment Breaking boundaries with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra

O

BY ANDREA LUQUE KARAM

n Jan. 23, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra (FSO) continued its season this year with a unique experience not only for the audience, but for its musicians as well.

With an extremely contrasting program, the FSO’s performance took the audience’s energy with each of the works performed. The orchestra featured the “Festive Overture of William Grant Still,” the contemporary world premiere of Bruce Reiprich — who is a composer and professor of music theory/composition at NAU — and the Symphony No. 6 of Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Without any doubt, the center of attention that night was the world premiere of Bruce Reiprich’s piano concerto “Flowing Waters Caress Fallen Petal,” which is a transformation of a piano solo piece Reiprich composed for pianist Vicki Ray Steinway in 2010.

For this event, Steinway traveled from California to premiere with the FSO on this masterpiece.

“We met at the Summer Music Festival at Massachusetts,” Steinway, artist and head of the piano department at California Institute of the Arts, said. “Bruce came up to me after a performance and we got to be friends there.”

Steinway has since played his piano solos everywhere — she has even recorded some of them for Reiprich.

“Last year he got together with the FSO talking about writing something new for them to premiere,” Steinway said. “He thought ‘why don’t I write a piano concerto for Vicki?’ and I was excited.”

Having the composer of a work that is about to be premiered, an outstanding pianist and the orchestra conductor all on stage together is an uncommon but honorary moment for all the people united in Ardrey Auditorium.

“It’s been a week of discovery,” said FSO conductor Elizabeth Schulze.

For musicians who are not used to working alongside composers, because music education is based primarily in classical music, this was something enriching and new.

“I was working with the score, along with our musicians,” Schulze said. “Every week Reiprich

24 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.org

would send a new revision and at the end six extra measures.”

The audience could not be more amused about this fact, showing comprehension of what it is like to work with a whole new piece no one has heard before.

One positive aspect about working with a composer personally is that you get to ask for and give suggestions, but this was not the case for Steinway.

“I didn’t have a lot of questions for Bruce because he writes so beautifully for the piano,” Steinway said. “I didn’t really have to change anything.”

As the title of this masterpiece implies, you could hear the water cascades and even small drops of water as the orchestra followed the atmosphere provided by Steinway’s delicate touch on the piano.

There was not only water falling through the audience’s ears, but also a surprising background of continuous growth and change.

“When I play this piece I feel in a sea of colors, and like swimming through them,” Steinway said.

“If you can hear this piece and get lost with these colors, then we have done our jobs.”

Reiprich explained how he came out with the name of this piece while walking in Massachusetts, where he used to walk with his family, placing the audience in the perfect mood to listen to his new music.

“I know I will never be able to embrace my parents again,” Reiprich said. “I hope this music embraces their spirit.”

Visually speaking, percussion instruments conquered the stage with two pianos in the front, which is uncommon since it wasn’t a two-piano concerto.

“The logistic was Ray was playing in one of the pianos for almost the entire concerto, but for the cadenza she will turn to the ‘prepared’ piano and ‘resurrect an eighteenth-century practice in that it is improvised,’” Reiprich said.

The concerto was a historical moment for music. The moment the masterpiece was over, the audience responded with a standing ovation, which TOP: Conductor of Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Elizabeth Schulze bows without doubt is the best gift for a live composer at the end of FSO’s performance at Ardrey Auditorium Friday Jan. 23. and his team.

BOTTOM: Cellist Andrew Hamby performs passionately. (Photo by Christina Flores)

Arts&Entertainment

Concert exposes water controversy on the Colorado Plateau

M

BY ROBINLI UBER

embers of the Flagstaff community gathered at the Orpheum Theater Jan. 24 to enjoy music, educational presentations and live art performances while sharing perspectives on local water issues.

Musician Ed Kabotie organized the event Rumble on the Mountain as a way to spread awareness about water controversies on the Colorado Plateau and provide a venue for all ages to celebrate the sacredness of water.

“It is my hope that the event sends aftershocks that resonate in our conscience and bring encouragement to those engaged in the fight — a fight not with people and institutions, but against the paradigms and philosophies that govern our irresponsible behaviors,” Kabotie said.

The event showcased eight musical guests including Kabotie himself, Twin Rivers, Kill Babylon Coalition, Sihasin, Tha Yoties, Innastate, Summit Dub Squad and Pato Banton. Sounds ranged from reggae to punk with a majority of artists conveying messages about sustainable ways of living.

“We were added to this event late, so do we have a song about water specifically? No. But we do have songs about living consciously,” said guitarist for Kill Babylon Coalition Pete Collins. “We try to write songs that don’t just talk about the world’s problems, but talk about the solutions as well.”

In addition to musical performances, the event included presentations from local organizations such as Friends of the Rio de Flag and the Flagstaff Sustainability Department to national organizations

like the Sierra Club.

“Water is the essence of life and in Arizona we are especially reminded of how important this is because water is so rare. People treat it like it’s a very renewable resource, but the fact is we’re mining our water in Arizona,” said Alicyn Gitlin of the Sierra Club. “We don’t know how to make water or replace it; if we damage our watersheds and cause our soils to erode we don’t know to recreate those things, so we cannot continue to live like water is replaceable.”

Visual artist Bahe Whitethorne Jr. also performed at the event by completing a painting live in front of the audience.

“Just trying to focus on that moment of now in an event like this where we’re trying to bring awareness to environmental concerns, different causes, sacred sites like the Confluence, it all comes down to just being human beings and connecting to everybody,” Whitethorne said. “Right now it’s just kind of like me using my talents to help do that.”

Rumble on the Mountain was held at the same time as Dew Downtown, an annual ski and snowboarding event in which downtown Flagstaff ’s San Francisco Street is coated with artificial snow, allowing people to compete in various ski and snowboard events in an urban environment. Many locals protested Dew Downtown because of its use of potable water for the artificial snowmaking process, which was one topic covered at Rumble on the Mountain.

“It’s a slap in the face to Dew Downtown because it’s held at the same time, but that’s not what it’s about,” Kabotie said. “It’s really a slap in the face to all of us about what our selfishness is doing.”

ART HAPPENING AROUND FLAGSTAFF

TOP: Jeneda and Clayson Benally perform in their band Sihasin at Rumble on the Mountain Jan. 24. The event showcased community members’ perspectives on water issues on the Colorado Plateau. (Photo by Tim Fox) BOTTOM: An onlooker observes Bahe Whitethorne, Jr. painting during his live-art performance. (Photo by Tim Fox)

LEFT: NAU’s very own Dr. Pamela Stephens takes photos of the Jan. 23 exhibition to share during her upcoming presentation in New Orleans this upcoming March.

Beasley Gallery is home to many impressive art projects throughout the school year. (Photo by Anna Marisa Hernandez) MIDDLE: Bryan Barbarin from The Routine takes the stage at the Green Room Jan. 21. (Photo by Nick Canaday) RIGHT: Steamroller prints made by students from NAU and Arts and Leadership Academy hang on the walls of Beasley Gallery. (Photo by Anna Marisa Hernandez)

Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2015 | The Lumberjack 25

Arts&Entertainment Album review: American Beauty/ American Psycho by Fall Out Boy

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BY MARISSA WHITE

hen I heard Fall Out Boy was coming out with a new album, I could not have been more ecstatic.

Patrick Stump’s familiar raspy voice on top of Pete Wentz’s guitar riffs accompanied by classic bass and drum sets was just what I was hoping for and this album delivered.

With the release of its sixth and newest album American Beauty/American Psycho, I was extremely pleased to hear they have stuck to their roots of rock. Lately, it seems artists stray from their classic and familiar sound in order to stay relevant. Considering the band formed back in 2001, it is especially impressive that their music is still able to captivate listeners nearly fourteen years later.

The album itself consists of eleven songs all performed solely by Fall Out Boy, no featured artists. American Beauty/American Psycho was released Jan. 20 and climbed to the number-one spot on iTunes top albums in just a matter of hours.

While American Beauty/American Psycho sticks to the traditional sound of Fall Out Boy rock, the album offers a variety of tempos and intensities within the songs.

The album opens up with “Irresistible,” a three-and-one-half minute song about a romance gone bad and loving the thing that sometimes hurts us most. The use of other instruments throughout the song gives it a sense of depth that is refreshing for their rock sound. “Irresistible,” in general reminds me of the band’s previous album, Save Rock and Roll, with its use of repetitive lyrics throughout the song.

Their track “The Kids Aren’t Alright” offers a slower rock-ballad feeling to the album. The lyrics are sweet and comforting, which is probably why this is one of my favorite songs from the album.

One of the more fierce tracks on the album,“Novocaine,” starts off with a really grungy sound, introduces some choral vocals and begins to sound more like rock about 20 seconds into the song. However, throughout the song a grunge sound randomly shows up. It is a unique sound and adds a good variety to the album, but this definitely caught my attention at first.

Fall Out Boy has always seemed to be a band with the ability to hit the top 100 charts with at least one song from each album. “A Little Less Sixteen Candles” from the album From Under The Cork Tree, “Dance Dance” from Infinity on High, “Alone Together” from Save Rock and Roll — the list goes on and on. Well with this new album, “Centuries” seems to be taking its turn on top 100 charts everywhere. Currently resting as No. 9 on iTunes top singles, I can see why this song is a fan-favorite.

The song starts of with a soft vocal introduction of multiple “do-doo-doo’s” and builds up with guitar and Stump’s voice.

Once the song gets going it has a bit of a pop feel — just a tiny amount — but it could be one of the reasons it was so popular amongst a wide variety of music fans.

The only song I was not a fan of on this album was “Uma Thurman.” Not because it was not well made, repetitive or even boring.

I did not like this song because I thought it had too many sounds to it, all of which seemed to clash. This song sounds as if modern day rap/pop meets the brass section of an orchestra meets the Beach Boys. The song does not grab your attention from the start and gets a little odd at about 10 seconds in. Trombones and a guitar with a twang are brought in to create a very unusual sound.

This Beach Boys sound practically gets its own solo about two-thirds of the way through the song and it is a little distracting.

It reminded me of modern pop/hip-hop and rap songs where the majority of the background beats are a voice just yelling “hey.” I thought this song could have done without all of these odd musical aspects.

Overall, I was fairly pleased with American Beauty/American Psycho. I thought it offered a really colorful variety of sounds, which for the most part stuck true to who they are as a band. While there were some musical tendencies I think some of their music could have gone without, the album as a whole was pleasing to listen to which is why I am rating it at 4.5 stars. As a long-time fan of Fall Out Boy, I thoroughly enjoyed their newest work and would strongly recommend other rock fans give this album a listen.

26 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.org

Album review: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists

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BY TIM NUTTING

h yes, The Decemberists. It has been a while since I last heard from them.

The last song I remember listening to was “The Mariner’s Revenge Song.”

That was long ago in seventh grade, back when I was into Fall Out Boy and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

The release of their seventh album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World has gained notoriety amongst its fanbase and critics alike. After a four-year hiatus, fans are likely to get excited about this album.

This album includes songs that make me want to lie back in a hammock and watch the clouds roll by. While the title itself has not completely sold me, the songs have grown on me. It is nice to hear an album where it is possible to relate to the songs.

This album is certainly different from previous ones. Compared to past works, such as Picaresque and The King is Dead, this album has carved its own niche into the band’s history. For example, Picaresque is a lot more exciting and heroic sounding, while this album is more serious and thoughtful.

Overall, the songwriting on this album sounds well thought-out. It is one thing to release a song and have it sell millions due to a key lyric or funky beat, but it means more to the listeners when the songs contain serious and caring lyrics that perhaps can mean a lot to the listener. This is what What a Beautiful World, What a Terrible World does.

The title is a little ambiguous — if you are like me and take a literal interpretation, it makes it sound like we live in a place where it can be beautiful and terrible at the same time. The title sounds indie and weird at the same time.

To top it off, main singer Colin Meloy’s mellow and passive voice is interesting and distinct.

The song “12/17/12” draws inspiration from President Barack Obama’s speech in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. It was noted by Meloy’s differing feelings about the event as well as

his life.

I personally find this to be my favorite album by the Decemberists, not only because of the content, but also because it sounds like Bob Dylan with the typical harmonica and easy-going sound.

Meloy’s voice is very smooth and cool to listen to; it entices and ensnares you.

“Make You Better” is a lofty and smooth song. The feeling of the song is as if you are going with the flow. It also sounds like a sweet pop song that everyone can relax to.

Another song that stands out is “Carolina No.” The song sounds similar to “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin due to the acoustic guitar sounds and Colin’s voice singing in an eerie yet subtle way of enticing the listener.

“The Wrong Year” sounds a bit similar, but it is nice to listen to as well. You know the old saying, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it?”

A lot of their songs have the same formula for success.

Finally, “Anti-Summersong” is another great track from this album. It sounds like an excerpt from a song by The Band.

The Band is one of my favorite musical groups ever — when you sound like Canadian southern rock you’ve got my vote. Except, they do not have that southern drawl to their sound, but it is all right with me.

Overall, this album is great and awesome to listen to due to its stylistic sounds and key tracks that it contains. I would rank this among my favorite albums of the new year so far. I have yet to hear anything else that sounds this good.

It has been a while since I last heard from the Decemberists — their last hit song was “The Mariners Revenge Song” off their album Picaresque, which is a song about two companions inside the belly of a ferocious whale. Sheer accordion melodies and screams from people make this song really cool, but eerie to listen to.

Do not bother searching on Wikipedia if you don’t know who the Decemberists are, just listen to this album and you will be convinced. If you are into indie folk, then these indie darlings will be the perfect fix for you.

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