The Lumberjack -- April 27, 2017

T H E L U MBE R JAC K

APRIL 27, 2017 - MAY 3, 2017

PUPPY S AVES P EO P L E PAGE 12

From the Editor

Online at JackCentral.org

F

or the record, I am not your normal college student. I am 31 years old, live off campus and would rather sit at home drinking tea and watching hockey than go out with friends on a Saturday night. That being said, I think it is important to stay young at heart.

Take it from me, someone who has experienced life outside of a high school and college setting, the real world can beat you down until you feel like you are an empty shell of who you once were. When this happens, it will help you to remember the important things in life like family, friends, a full stomach and a good heart.

With finals week coming up, it is easy to lose track of these things and worry too much about that exam coming up. Trust me, it won’t matter 10 years from now whether you got an A or a C in that class. What will matter is how hard you worked and that you did your best. Remember, there is only one person you must live with every day of your life, and that person is yourself. You need to take care of yourself first and foremost, and everything else will fall into place.

Whether you are graduating in a few weeks or you are in your freshman year, never forget to live in the moment. Sure, you might get that job you always wanted after you leave Flagstaff and grow up to be a responsible adult, but never lose that youthful curiosity for the world around you. Do not get so set in your ways that you forget to see things from your neighbor’s point of view.

MATTHEW We live in very interesting times. There are protests going on almost every STRISSEL week, we just got through an extremely divisive election, and people are not PRINT listening to each other to the point that proven facts are being disputed. It is CHIEF up to you, dear reader, to make the world a better place. Even if you completely disagree with someone, treat them as if they were a friend, and try to help them see things in a better way by engaging in honest debate rather than shutting them out. Everyone you meet will be fighting some kind of battle whether they are showing it or not.

So remember, my friends, stay young, have fun and no matter what you are doing at the moment, do it to the absolute best of your ability.

Oh, and one more thing — call your parents and tell them you love them. They love it when you do that.

I’m listening to “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan.

Thank you for reading.

LJ

Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313

lumberjack@nau.edu P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011

VOL 104 ISSUE 14

Managing Editor Rachel Dexter Faculty Advisor, Visuals Jennifer Swanson

Director of Visuals Jacqueline Castillo Sales Manager Marsha Simon

Student Media Center Editorial Board Director of Illustration Alanna Secrest

Asst. News Editor Conor Sweetman Sports Editor Peter Kersting

Asst. Features Editor Makenna Lepowsky Culture Editor Kari Scott

Copy Chief Hannah Noelle Cook

Asst. Sports Editor Lance Hartzler

Asst. Culture Editor Darrion Edwards

Director of Multimedia Gabriel Granillo

News Editor Sunday Miller

Features Editor Ariel Cianfarano

Opinion-Editorial Editor Emma Helfrich

Print Chief Matthew Strissel

Director of Photography Halie Chavez

— Sam Dilettoso, captain of nau logging sports team, 2017 Sam Dilettoso of the NAU logging sports team chops the first side in the vertical chop at the 78th Annual Association of Western Forestry Club conclave in the NAU Centennial Forest April 21. Andrew Holt Frazier| The Lumberjack

T H E L U M BE R JAC K

Editor-in-Chief Scott Buffon Faculty Advisor Mary Tolan

“Some people said it was the best conclave that they could remember, and nobody would have known it was our first time if we hadn’t already told them.”

Asst. Opinion-Editorial Editor Elizabeth Wendler Director of Social Media Allysia Lara

2 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN TR AL .ORG

On the cover Ava, an avalanche dog, runs up the mountain with trainer Hailey Hagerty April 21.

Andrew Ormonde | The Lumberjack

Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Scott Buffon at swb53@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat

April 17 At 5:59 a.m., staff reported damage to a bus stop near the intersection of Pine Knoll and McConnell drives.

An NAUPD officer responded.

All leads were exhausted, and the case was closed.

At 11:30 a.m., FPD transferred a 911 hang-up from the San Francisco Parking Garage to NAUPD. An officer checked the area. Everything was fine.

At 6:37 p.m., staff in the Ponderosa building reported a subject who was previously warned of trespassing had returned. NAUPD responded, and the subject was cited and released for trespassing and public consumption of alcohol.

At 10:58 p.m., a parent requested a welfare check on a student in Hilltop Townhomes.

NAUPD responded and made contact with the student. The student was found to be in good health.

April 18 At 1:46 a.m., a passerby reported an unconscious student in parking lot 32. The student was transported by a GMT ambulance to FMC. The student was deferred for underage drinking.

At 8:26 a.m., staff requested assistance opening a door at San Francisco Street and McCreary Drive. An NAUPD officer provided assistance.

At 7:50 p.m., a residence assistant reported a student was trespassing at the University Union. NAUPD responded and arrested the student.

The student was booked into Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Jail for trespassing.

April 19 At 9:50 a.m., staff in Hilltop Townhomes reported a student had been bitten by

Compiled by Scott sandon

a dog. NAUPD responded were seen carrying a traffic cone and notified Flagstaff Animal near the Health and Learning Control. Everything was fine.

Center. NAUPD made contact with the students, and the At 12:47 p.m., a student traffic cone was brought in for reported a subject fell from safe-keeping. their skateboard.

When NAUPD arrived the subject At 6:31 a.m., a student was gone. Everything must in South Village Apartments have been fine. requested assistance jumpstarting their vehicle. An At 4:35 p.m., staff in lot NAUPD officer responded and 29 reported hitting a parked provided assistance. vehicle while in an NAU vehicle. An NAUPD officer At 10:31 p.m., staff in responded. The investigation is Cowden Hall reported the ongoing. odor of marijuana. NAUPD responded but could not find At 9:05 p.m., a student the source of the odor. who was previously warned about trespassing was caught Earth Day trespassing at the J. Lawrence At 5:08 p.m., a student Walkup Skydome. NAUPD in Pine Ridge Village reported responded and arrested the their prescription medication student. had been stolen. NAUPD responded. The medication April 20 was located.

At 12:33 a.m., NAUPD At 6:47 p.m., staff in made a traffic stop near the McConnell Hall reported two intersection of Beaver Street students in a physical dispute. and Ellery Avenue. A citation NAUPD responded, and the was issued for underage investigation is ongoing. drinking and a verbal warning was given for driving without April 23 headlights.

At 12:42 a.m., an NAUPD officer reported a At 2:48 a.m., a subject subject with a head wound reported a student making at the Rosebery Apartments. suicidal threats in Gabaldon FFD and a GMT ambulance Hall. NAUPD responded and responded, and the subject was found the student was in good taken to FMC for treatment. health. The student was given a ride to FMC. At 11:43 a.m., an NAUPD officer made contact At 4:38 p.m., a large group with a sleeping subject in lot of students were protesting 3. The subject was warned outside the University Union. about trespassing and was told NAUPD responded and to leave campus. The subject referred them to Student Life. complied.

Everything was fine.

At 7:11 p.m., NAUPD April 21 gave a presentation at At 12:07 a.m., University Mountain View Hall regarding Safety Aides reported students drugs and alcohol. smoking marijuana in lot 63.

NAUPD responded. Three At 11:52 p.m., a student students were deferred for use in McConnell Hall reported of marijuana, and one was cited she had taken several sleeping for providing false information pills. FFD, NAUPD and a to an officer.

GMT ambulance responded.

The student was transported At 2:19 a.m., students to FMC for treatment.

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Flagstaff marches for science and the existence of climate change Matthew Kruelle

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cientists, book-club members and other Flagstaff residents marched downtown in a crowd of approximately 1,000 to support science on Earth Day April 22. Since the presidential election, many groups have been spurred to take action against Donald Trump’s political agenda.

Some of the marchers are a part of a group of approximately 100 Flagstaff citizens who have used the writings of Mark and Paul Engler in the book This is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century as a jumping-off point for discussion and democratic change.

Author Mark Engler visited NAU and spoke March 30.

The book seeks to explain how non-violent social movements are created and function as well as how to use nonviolent means to affect the world.

Retired NAU professor Sandra Lubarsky, formerly director of master of arts in sustainable communities, co-founded the Uprising Reading Club.

“It’s a response to the election and the sense that we all need to get much more involved and participate in the democratic process,” said Lubarsky.

The members of the Uprising Reading Club act in smaller groups of six to eight. These small groups focus on issues such as protecting the national forest and attempting to remove Arizona Rep. Bob Thorpe.

Kathy Flaccus, member of the Uprising Reading Club, vehemently opposes Thorpe’s role in local politics. She sees the groups forming in resistance to Thorpe and his policies as a genuine grassroots movement.

“True grassroots is people talking to their neighbors,” said Flaccus.

Thorpe has pushed for myriad of controversial bills including bills to stop Arizona from following Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, prevent college students from voting in the town where they go to school and ban ethnic studies courses from schools.

“I don’t think people understand his voting record, and that it has betrayed a lot of things people value,” Lubarsky said.

While those leading the effort to expunge Thorpe have not decided on a candidate to support yet, Flaccus would like to see an environmentalist in the position.

“I like clean air and clean water. I think it’s done a lot for us,” Flaccus said.

Thorpe also pushed for the selling of public lands to private owners. This included many free campsites owned by the public via the Bureau of Land Management as well as parts of Coconino National forest.

“The economy of Flagstaff is very much based on public land,” Flaccus said.

Thorpe has not held more than one in-person town hall since being elected. He has hosted several radio call in shows with questions that are pre-screened. This leaves concerned constituents, like Flaccus, feeling that their representative does not represent them. “[Thorpe] won’t talk to constituents or answer their emails.

He will never meet with people,” Flaccus said.

Protests and social movements have often paved the way for

Thousands participate in the Flagstaff March for Science from Thorpe Park to City Hall. The community is standing up for scientific facts on Earth Day April 22. Max Mascolo | The Lumberjack

radical change as seen with the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Engler’s book argues that only 3.5 percent of the population has to be active and involved for change to occur.

Thorpe, along with other Republican politicians, has denied the existence of climate change. Flaccus, wants to seat politicians who understand science and work to help the protect the environment.

“You can know all the science you can know and learn, but unless you’re involved in the political system, you can’t bring about change,” Flaccus said.

Since Trump’s election, many groups and factions have formed in Flagstaff, and many protest have occurred, including the March for Science April 22 where science and activism collided to show that Flagstaff is with the rest of the world in supporting science.

“There’s an amazing re-engagement of people across the country [since the general election], and I think we’re part of that,” Lubarsky said.

The march launched in deliberate fashion from Thorpe Park and concluded at city hall.

“My hope for [the march] is that it’s going to let people around the world know that Flagstaff stands with the rest of the world in support of science,” said Todd Barnell, program manager for NAU’s Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals.

Barnell works on grants from the EPA, which Thorpe intends to dismantle in Arizona.

“Attacks on the EPA [are] screwing with people’s careers, their livelihoods,” Barnell said.

The March for Science in Flagstaff included people of all ages, a man dressed as Charles Darwin and even a two-legged dog.

4 T HE L U MBE R JACK | JACKC E N T R A L . ORG

They marched to drums, chants for science and even an agogô, a traditional instrument that sounds similar to a cowbell.

One dog was adorned with a sign reading, “Cat: Alternative Fact.”

“This is a time in our world when we need to be paying attention to science,” said Mitchell Magmuson, freshman physics and astronomy major who participated in the march.

The participants did not appear angry, rather they were seemingly enjoying each others’ company and having fun with people who shared their beliefs. The line of marchers was seemingly endless. To wait out the march and get across the street took upward of 10 minutes.

“I hope that [the march] opens the eyes of those who aren’t attending to the value of science,” Magmuson said.

Flaccus and Lubarsky tried to keep their focus at the march promoting science while only occasionally touching on Thorpe.

They did not want to take away from the purpose of the march by heavily pushing a specific platform, though they did hand out small fact sheets about Thorpe’s voting record.

Many participants were appalled at the denial of science by some current politicians.

“Most of this was hopefully settled in the 1600s during the Age of Reason, but I guess not,” said march for science participant Ken Epstein.

The Uprising Reading Club accepts new members and encourages people to make a stand for the change they want.

“People really understand that a lot of where they have power is in local democratic work,” Lubarsky said.

The Lumberjack reached out to Thorpe for comment but did not receive a response.

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NAU research under fire from student animal-rights protesters Chandler Coiner

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t the base of the double doors to the Biological Sciences Research Annex sat as many as 10 students protesting animal testing for research at NAU April 24. The students felt their call for change has gone unanswered.

“Release the information, stop the experimentation; release the information, stop the exploitation,” the students chanted as they took to the sidewalks and streets of NAU. The group spent most of their time protesting in the entryway of the Biological Sciences building but also circled around the Geology building and ended in the University Union. The protest lasted more than an hour.

The protesters passed by a university tour group as they were chanting. One member addressed the tour group and pointed to the biology building and said, “Animal testing goes on in there.”

A primary goal of the students in the “Flagstaff Animal Liberation Die-in” was to demand more transparency from the research body of NAU. However, the group’s objective is ultimately larger than that.

“If that door was glass, everyone would be protesting,” said a protester outside the Biological Sciences Research Annex.

The group held signs with things printed on them such as “There’s no excuse for animal use” and “Over 100 million animals killed each year for animal testing.”

At one point during the protest, a student researcher who asked to remain anonymous, walked by the protest and had a conversation with the protesters. The student who is studying muscles and how protein works to produce heat was on his way inside the annex when he stopped to talk about the issues.

“I believe in not experimenting with animals irresponsibly,” said the student researcher. “We do everything we can in test tubes. And I can tell you it’s extremely hard to experiment with animals. I started here, and the first time I had to kill one ... It’s really hard.”

He was the only student researcher the protesters saw go in and out of the research annex.

“I am glad that the guy came out and we got to ask him a few questions,” said sophomore sociology major Cameron Bonitto, an organizer of the protest.

Several students at the protest said their passion comes from a First Year Seminar Action

Learning Team class they are taking this semester titled “Animal Rights, Holistic Justice.” The class delves into some of the issues they want addressed, however, is not continuing for the fall semester.

Freshman elementary education major Kaitlyn Gallen, who is taking the animal rights class this semester, said the class is to be discontinued after this semester.

“We were in class, and my teacher’s boss, who’s the head of the first-year seminar program, was there for some reason,” said Gallen. “Everyone was meeting in their alts-groups in class, and so we were just talking about our next steps. And we’re totally joking, like ‘Hey, let’s break into the [research annex] building and rappel from the roof.’ Like, ridiculous things that we didn’t actually do. But I think he was watching over us and overheard us, and he might’ve taken it seriously and told [the administration].”

The boss Gallen referred to is Kevin Ketchner, director of the First Year Seminar Program.

Ketchner said in a phone interview that the reason for the class’s cancellation is because the part-time faculty member who teaches the class is no longer teaching for the university.

“I think [the class is] really important because we talk about issues that involve humans, animals and the planet, and we kind of connect them and find the common issues,” Gallen said. “We talk about real-world problems.”

Bonitto said she hopes the protests grow in size, and her group is aiming for at least 50 participants for their next protest.

“I figured it wouldn’t be too large since we started planning a week ago, but I think in the future we will be more successful,” Bonitto said. “This is great for the first one ever.”

Bonitto’s dog joined the students for the protest as well, displaying a small sign on his tiny body that read, “Doggo against animal testing.”

One student said she had emailed vice president for research William Grabe in hopes of setting up a meeting to address the issues the students have.

In an email response, Grabe did not take up the student’s offer to set up a meeting. Instead, he pointed to resources available about himself and the university’s research.

NAU spokesperson Kimberly Ott also responded in an email to the students’, and reiterated that NAU is an animal-testing university.

“I will leave this research puzzle for you to work on. If you solve the puzzle, you will know that your inquiry was inappropriate,” Grabe wrote in his response.

Left: Students protest for animal rights in the Biological Sciences Annex where animal testing occurs for research April 24. Right: A dog named Doggo joins the Flagstaff Animal Liberation Die-in.

Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

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NEWS

Letter to ABOR highlights NAU’s minimum-wage problems Chandler Coiner

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n NAU student organization is resorting to the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) because of the university president’s inaction on minimum wage.

The NAU Student Action Coalition sent a letter to ABOR April 11 after many workers at NAU have not had their wages increased from the federally mandated $8.05 per hour.

Statewide, the minimum wage has increased to $10 at the start of 2017, and the Flagstaff rate is set to increase even more in the coming years. The minimum wage will peak at $15.50 an hour by 2022.

The student organization’s letter to the governing body of Arizona’s universities came in the wake of a series of protests of NAU President Rita Cheng’s policies and her responses to student inquiry.

The protests began at Cheng’s spring forum March 29. In a question-and-answer session, the president had harsh words for safe spaces and the decline of state aid. However, she was unclear on the possibility of increasing NAU’s minimum wage.

“There are no specific plans to automatically raise every student’s wage on our campus,” Cheng said at the forum. “We’re exempt from the requirement only because our ability to generate revenue to support that is very limited. Either the state has to give us dollars or we have to raise tuition.”

Cheng also said an overhaul to campus job wages could be coming in fall 2017. Cheng has a team reviewing current policies, and is scheduled to submit a report in the fall. Action will be

taken then if necessary.

“Currently, many students make above minimum wage at this point in time, but not all jobs on campus are equal,” Cheng said at the forum. “So we are looking at the requirements of a job, the skill set that’s there, the longevity that a student has in a particular officer, and we will be addressing wages in the fall based on the recommendations of that review team.”

The NAU Student Action Coalition is not interested in waiting for these changes.

On April 11, the student group sent a letter to ABOR in an attempt to have these issues redressed. The letter calls NAU’s exemption from state minimum wage and Cheng deciding to go by federal standards a “loophole” in the law. The letter was accompanied by a petition signed by members of the organization and passersby of the various protests.

“By doing this, President Cheng has made it very clear that she does not value the livelihood or well being of her employees or students,”wrote students in the letter. “ABOR needs to take action when President Cheng refuses to do so. It would be a disservice to the students, staff and Flagstaff community if ABOR and President Cheng choose to not honor the new minimum wage.”

The students also wrote that the other two universities in the state have not taken advantage of the law’s exemption despite its availability to them.

Cheng’s justification for the lack of a minimum wage increase at the campus forum was partially that there has been a drop in state aid from 40 percent to 19 percent over the past nine years. However, the other universities have been affected in the

same way. Arizona State University state funding sits at a mere 11 percent, for instance, down from 28 percent in 2009 according to the university’s budget office.

Junior psychology major Steven Starin was willing to defend some of Cheng’s comments on the issue of minimum wage. “[Cheng] just said, ‘Not all campus jobs are created equal,’” said Starin. “I think what she meant was if you raise the minimum wage of the lower-paying jobs, then now the higher-paying jobs have to be raised as well or else there’s an unintended equalizing effect. And at that point, wages might get out of control with the budget and all.”

“We deserve to be paid minimum wage. We are students who work hard in school and shouldn’t have to work every night just to earn a little bit of money. We still have to study and feed ourselves, and most importantly, pay bills. However, paying the bills should be slightly easier if we have the minimum wage increase,” said one post on their website.

One student who is working part-time at NAU for below $10 per hour was happy with the organization’s outreach to ABOR. “NAU and Rita Cheng are not doing anything about this obvious problem. At least not in a timely enough way,” said sophomore finance major Kylee Davidson. “Students in college are the last people you should tell you don’t deserve a living wage; $8 in Flagstaff is not livable, if that wasn’t clear.”

Also included on the NAU Student Action Coalition website is a section dedicated to anonymous student testimonies on the issue.

Pima County judge rules The Hub can continue construction ADRIAN SKABELUND

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fter more than a year of controversy, The Hub is here to stay.

The court heard arguments from both sides about the construction of this student housing development for about four hours. The judge announced his ruling to the packed courtroom April 21.

Pima County Judge James Marner said the decision was by no means an easy one to make. In the end, however, Marner said stopping The Hub’s construction would infringe on the rights of the land owner and developer, Core Campus.

“I can tell you, this has been a hard one. I’ve gone back and forth on [the case] all afternoon,” said Marner. “[But] private property rights have to be respected.”

The plaintiff who brought the case was 120 Cottage Place, a landowner near The Hub’s construction sight.

Cottage Place representatives said city staff had not followed the proper steps when approving The Hub and the building is not allowed to be built within the zoning that regulates the neighborhood. Whitney Cunningham, the attorney representing Cottage Place, said The Hub did not fit within the definition of

compatibility to the surrounding neighborhood that the zoning code calls for.

“The Hub is bigger than any structure in the Southside neighborhood,” said Cunningham. Cunningham said five Coconino County courthouses could fit into The Hub. Cunningham pointed to the zoning code, which asks for staff to ensure the compatibility of new buildings to not overtake old ones.

However, Christina Rubalcava, who represented the city, said what the plaintiff was asking for is imposable for the city staff to follow. The Hub meets all of the objective standards for the zone.

For the city staff to then determine if a building is appropriate outside of those objective perimeters would be not only against the law but unconstitutional, Rubalcava said. As an example, she used a hypothetical situation to play out what following something like this would result in.

“Well, you meet all the standards,” said Rubalcava, pretending to be city staff. “But it still feels a little tall.”

Instead, the compatibility review looks at things like landscaping, signs and the facade of the building.

Cunningham, however, said the building should not be there to begin with and said the zoning code does not allow the

commercial block building type to exist in the zone.

The difference of opinion seems to have come out of two contradictory lists within the code. A general list, that says the building type is allowed, and a sub-zone list, which does not list commercial block as an approved building type.

But the city disagreed. Rubalcava said the building is allowed according to the general list, or what the city calls the master list. Not only this, but the sub-zone list also contains a footnote pointing to the general list for more information.

Cunningham countered by reading the code in the way the city wishes to, the city essentially eliminates the concept of subzones.

In the end, although Marner said the plaintiff had standing, the court ruled against 120 Cottage Place.

In his decision, the judge cited the Arizona Supreme Court case Kubby v. Hammond. This dictates that, when zoning code is ambiguous, it must be decided in favor of the property owner as to preserve their rights.

120 Cottage Place could appeal the decision. In the meantime, The Hub will continue construction. To read the full story visit jackcentral.org.

A PR I L 2 7 , 2017 - M AY 3, 2017 | T HE LU MBE R JACK 7

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2017-01-303

OPINION-EDI TOR IAL

Line between religious freedom and enforcement blurred mckenna rodriguez

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he Alabama Senate has recently approved for Briarwood Presbyterian Church to have its own police force (or should I say their own army?), which allows them to have the same powers as local law enforcement.

Church administrator Matt Moore said in a press release, “After the shooting at Sandy Hook and in the wake of similar assaults at churches and schools, Briarwood recognized the need to provide qualified first responders to coordinate with local law enforcement who so heroically and effectively serve their communities.”

The 2012 Sandy Hook shooting took place in Newton, Conn., which is 1,038 miles from Birmingham, so I suppose they can say it’s perfectly viable for the church to start a police force because of an incident that took place five years ago in a different state. Seems necessary.

Briarwood Presbyterian Church, located in suburban Birmingham, is the third-largest church in the state of Alabama, with a weekly attendance of nearly 4,000 members. In extension to the church, there is also Briarwood Christian School. The church is located in the suburb of Vestavia Hills where the black population is 4 percent, whereas the black population in the city of Birmingham is 74 percent. Both the church and the school have previously been in the spotlight for issues of

racism and segregation, yet they are allowed to form their own army.

Briarwood is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America and the founding of the Presbyterian Church in America settles in roots of racism. It dates back to the Civil War when the Presbyterian church was formed in the Confederate States of America.

In the article, ‘Race and the Roots of the Presbyterian Church in America, no. 1’, Sean Lucas wrote, “racial conservatism was a factor in the defeat of reunion with the northern Presbyterian church in 1954 and it continued to be an issue that divided the Presbyterian Church in the United States in the years that followed.”

Although past issues of racism have improved, there are still underlying issues that lie in the roots of the organization.

The Presbyterian Church in America publicly made an apology as they posted an overture and asked for forgiveness for their racist sins in the past, but out of the 984 votes there were still 123 church leaders who voted against the overture.

Presbyterian churches in the past were segregated by race, inter-racial marriage was not accepted and they participated in white supremacist organizations. The public forgiveness and apology may offer a fresh start for the Presbyterian Church in America, but it would be interesting to see how many black members

there currently are in these Presbyterian Church support not accepting people of the Muslim in America congregations, especially Briarwood. religion into our country, yet it’s adequate for It would also be Christians to build their own interesting to look police force. If one at the number church decides to of black staff start their own members police force, then who are in shouldn’t it be charge. suitable for others to do the During a same? football game about Flashback to the a year ago, the crusades, and it seems students at Briarwood the start of religious Christian presented a police forces, especially sign reading, “Make in such a rebellious place, will America Great Again only end in a religious war.

Trump the Tigers” as It is reasonable for the they faced the opponents o f Briarwood Church and school Fairfield High School, known to be to want protection for their predominantly African American. members and students, but as Not only was it inappropriately Michael Harriot of The Root, directed toward the opponent, a website about black culture, but many other people in the crowd who said, “If the state of Alabama were not Trump supporters were also offended. gives Briarwood its own police force, it Although the superintendent of the school made will no longer be a church. It will be a white, a public apology, it’s concerning fundamentalist, Christian illustration by alanna secrest that these kids are growing up in armed compound with its own the type of environment where army, right next to one of the they initially thought it was acceptable to put blackest, most defiant cities in America. What up such a provocative sign. could go wrong?”

There are United States citizens who

The bloody tactics of the period-positivity movement peggy packer

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he period-positivity movement has taken on the mission of making women’s periods a less taboo subject in today’s society. However, many of the activists’ means of doing this are unhygienic and, quite frankly, gross.

Some of these women have taken up “free bleeding,” which is when they allow their period blood to leak directly on their underwear and pants rather than using feminine products to contain the blood. Some have proudly worn the blood stains left on their pants from their periods, and others have even worn pants purposely manufactured to look like they have real period stains. Some find the best way to spread positivity about periods is to post pictures of their used pads and tampons or stained underwear all over their social media pages. The more creative women have even decided to use their period blood to create art pieces.

As a woman, it is easy to have mixed feelings about this movement and its methods.

It’s obvious that menstruation is definitely something the world needs to be more positive about and be more comfortable discussing. As a society, it’s important that we understand periods are part of nature and stop making women feel ashamed of what their bodies do naturally.

However, the tactics used by the women in what could be a positive movement are only making people more afraid of periods, which is the exact opposite of their goal.

Showing off your used tampons is not going to paint periods in a positive light; it’s just going to make even more people think they’re utterly disgusting. There are certain things that just shouldn’t be shown off to the world, and period blood is one of them.

If this were any other natural occurrence, like urination or defecation for instance, it would be seen as completely inappropriate to show it off all over social media and wear it all over your

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pants. Period blood should be regarded the same way. It shouldn’t make women feel ashamed, but it also shouldn’t be physically shown off to the whole world.

Walking around bleeding on yourself or advertising your period all over social media is just an abandonment of basic hygiene, not a way to create a movement. The period-positivity movement should focus more on educating people and normalizing talk about periods.

Instead, its main focus is showing off used tampons, which makes no progress whatsoever and just disgusts everyone who happens to see it.

There are plenty of other ways to make periods a normal and comfortable topic in society. Talking about them openly as if they are not something to be ashamed of is a way to make more people comfortable with talking and learning about periods. Educating men who shame or ridicule women for menstruating is another way. Both of these are more effective and hygienic than purposely walking around

with blood all over your pants.

We can express the truth and normalcy of periods without showing everyone what they look like. Periods simply don’t have to be seen to be understood.

illustration by katie dobrydney

OPINION-EDI TOR IAL

Anne Scott’s policy on the word ‘mankind’ is completely valid alie wilkins

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AU has been receiving national attention over the last couple of weeks because of one point taken off an English assignment. Freshman English major Cailin Jeffers is taking a class with professor Anne Scott about the human condition.

In Scott’s class policy, set by the Modern Language Association (MLA), students were required to use gender neutral terms in their writing. So when Jeffers used the word “mankind” in her essay, and Scott took a point off for a clear violation of the class policy, it shouldn’t have been a big deal, right? Apparently not.

It’s startling to me that this many people have gotten this upset over the word “mankind.”

How hard is it really to just use the genderneutral term? According to the conservative, right-wing news outlet Campus Reform Jeffers took her story to say, yes, it is that hard. How dare this professor, or anyone for that matter, try to tell someone not to use a term that excludes half of the population? Mankind means men.

Humankind means all humans. This doesn’t seem hard to follow.

And yet here we are, with The Washington Times, The Daily Caller, The Daily Times, and even Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight all covering this story. Here we are with Scott receiving threatening emails and phone calls over a clear class policy and one point on a 50-point assignment. One point this student knew she would lose if she used the word “mankind.”

This wasn’t a surprise or an unfair grade or some liberal agenda Scott tried to sneak into this class. It was explicitly stated in the class policy, and it falls in line with the English Department’s standards and with MLA guidelines and NAU’s Writing Style Guide. Also it’s not like Jeffers failed this assignment or was reprimanded in front of the class or anything like that. In my mind, it seems pretty easy to see why Scott is on the right side of this.

I’ll probably never understand why people are so mad about this because, to me, using language that includes everyone, regardless of how they identify, seems like a great idea. To me, it seems like this is one more step forward for a country that’s trying its hardest to move backward right now.

Maybe it’s because this is just another one of those radical moves we liberals won’t shut up about. Maybe it’s because conservatives are getting everything they wanted from this presidency (a wall, an impending war, less rights for women and minorities), so now they have more time to get upset about one point on an essay. Maybe it’s because this is one more point for team feminism and men just cannot bear the thought of losing this title. Maybe this is one of those things people think they should be mad about because it sounds like something they should be mad about, but they haven’t

actually thought it through.

There are so many words in the English language that are better illustration by alanna secrest

than “mankind.” There are so many other words we could use to encompass everyone. I think that the word “mankind” is a symbol of a bigger issue and a symbol of the power men hold in this country. I think that many men are scared — more scared than they’d like to admit — about losing their power, and the attack from Scott, who is being painted as a crazy, liberal feminist in this conflict, is unacceptable. It’s too big of a threat to the manhood of this country.

I’d be willing to guess that the majority of the angry emails and phone calls Scott got were from men. I’d also be willing to bet they were from straight, white men, but what do I know?

I’m just another liberal hippie who thinks we should stop using the word mankind.

Now, I don’t know Jeffers, and I don’t want to make any assumptions about why she handled this the way she did. I think it’s important to note she’s entitled to her opinions and she’s entitled to voice those opinions. I’m just suggesting that the rest of us, especially those of you who are upset about this, take a step back and think about what you’re really upset about.

And, meanwhile, let’s be kind humans to one another.

Survivor contestant outs opponent, faces deserved consequences alex rand

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ike most reality TV shows, Survivor gets its views by putting its contestants in uncomfortable, dangerous situations and listening close to the petty fights that erupt because of it. In one of the show’s most recent episodes, however, things may have gone too far — one contestant outed another as transgender, and the out-er faced every consequence he deserved for it.

In the show Survivor, contestants must vote one player off the show at the end of each episode. One contestant, Jeff Varner, knew he was on the chopping block. During the tribal council, Varner admitted to the host that he “felt he was going home,” according to EOnline.com.

Varner decided to handle this by telling the host, Jeff Probst, “There is deception here. Deception on levels, Jeff, that [the other contestants] don’t even understand. There’s more.” When asked to continue by Probst, Varner turned to the transgender contestant, Zeke Smith, and asked, “Why haven’t you told anyone you’re transgender?”

What followed was several seconds of stunned silence, both on the contestants’ end

and mine. I was horrified to see this unfold because, as someone who is transgender, the word ‘outed’ strikes fear into my heart. Smith hadn’t just been outed in front of everyone on the show, he’d been outed in front of millions of people watching the show, and I’m well familiar with the dangerous consequences being outed can have.

Instead, the best possible outcome happened — a cacophony of other contestants yelling at Varner for what he’d done. Varner was unanimously voted off of that episode, and the transgender community rejoiced.

Everyone involved in this handled it near perfectly. Not a single contestant let Varner off the hook for what he’d done, immediately telling him that he was overstepping boundaries and that outing Smith had no place to be brought up on the show. When Varner tried to backpedal and explain he hadn’t meant to cause harm, the host would hear none of it and told him, “You can’t unring the bell.” Probst was happy to ensure Varner’s departure from the show as soon as possible.

It was even handled well on the part of CBS. The New York Times stated, “CBS and the producers of Survivor have been preparing for

months for just the kind of uproar that ensued said Smith in an interview with People Magazine.

Thursday over the outing of Zeke Smith.” Both “What’s great is that nobody bought it.” worked closely with Smith and the Gay & Varner is now trying to garner unearned Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, a LGBTQ sympathy. “My former boss told me that I was rights group, to make sure nothing aired that he in a news story they wanted nothing to do with,” was uncomfortable with. Smith never asked for Varner said in an interview with EOnline.com. the segment to not be aired and Plenty of news stories, like one published by the instead has turned what Huffington Post, are trying to paint Varner in happened into a way to a sympathetic light by explaining the therapy highlight the dangers he’s been in since the episode was filmed. transgender people This sympathy is entirely undeserved, and face. he gets none from me.

“I think Varner I wish Smith had never been outed hoped others would at all, but to see it handled in such an believe that trans impressive way did make me feel better people are dangerous about the whole ordeal. This is how and fraudulent. That something like this needs to be handled reasoning is infinitely every time it happens, whether worse than him it’s on national television or outing me not. People willing to put because it’s LGBTQ people in danger the same deserve to face the fullest one used to extent of the consequences discriminate in store for them. against, attack I have no sympathy for and murder people who have none for us. trans people,” illustration by katie dobrydney

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FE ATUR E S

Ava the avy dog: training a hero Mikayla Shoup

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steep slope, unstable snow and some sort of trigger is all it takes to bring a huge sea of snow crashing down a mountainside. Avalanches are not uncommon up in the mountains, and Arizona Snowbowl is preparing by training its first avalanche dog, or avy dog, a puppy named Ava. Ava is a 4-month-old English cream golden retriever. She came from a litter of eight puppies in Salt Lake City. Avalanche dogs are chosen based on how well they do in a series of aptitude tests. Some of the tests the puppies go through include having the puppy give a person a kiss or dropping an object next to the puppy to make sure the puppy is not bothered by loud sounds. “[Ava] tested with mostly 3s and 4s [out of 5], so that means she’s going to be a really easy dog to train at first, which has definitely been the case. She’s very mellow and an easy dog for me to train. She’s been awesome for everybody up there,” said Hailey Hagerty, ski patroller and avalanche dog handler at Arizona Snowbowl.

Hagerty is also a senior public health major at NAU. She worked with both Snowbowl and NAU to allow her to start an avalanche-dog program as an internship to complete her degree.

This is Hagerty’s fourth season working at Snowbowl.

“We got [Ava] up there because it would be good public education, teaching about skier safety, snowboarding and avalanche hazards,” Hagerty said. “Also having her be, when she’s all trained up, a rescue resource for us. So it’s a pretty awesome internship.”

Snowbowl has avalanches every year, but how many they have depends on the snowpack and the weather. According to the National Avalanche Center’s website, snow is layered in most mountain snowpacks. The danger comes when unstable snow is underneath a stronger and more cohesive slab of snow.

Snowbowl sits at the beginning of most avalanches. Beyond Snowbowl, the inner basin is also an avalanche hazard because it is covered in slide paths. While there are many avalanches, it has been a long time since someone has been caught in one at Snowbowl.

Once Ava has completed her basic training, the goal is for her to be a resource for both Snowbowl and the surrounding area if someone is caught in an avalanche.

Ava is also Hagerty’s pet, and she spends at least 60 hours per week training with her. Training for avy dogs includes extensive obedience training and mock rescue training. Searching games like hide-and-seek, hiding in snow caves and tug-of-war are also a major part of early training for avy dogs.

“I just make it the most exciting game in the world for her, and play tug-of-war and give her treats,” Hagerty said. “Then, repeatedly, we make it harder and harder for her. Eventually she’ll really see it as a game and then be able to find people buried under snow.”

Avalanche dogs are able to find people buried deep under snow by practicing searching for faint human scents under the snow. Training includes the handler hiding in snow caves or burning clothing, and when the dog finds the source of the scent,

Ava is going to be Arizona Snowbowl’s first avalanche dog. For her internship, Hailey Hagerty, ski patroller and avalanche dog handler, is training Ava. Andrew Ormonde| The Lumberjack

they are rewarded with treats or playing a game of tug-of-war.

Eventually the dog begins to associate the human scent under the snowpack with a reward. Contrary to popular belief, the dogs do not need an article of clothing to find a person. The dogs associate all human scent with a reward and can find anybody without having previously smelled a person’s particular scent.

Avy dogs also need to be accustomed to distractions in their environment. They cannot be bothered by chaos from skiers, snowboarders or scents, and they have to be comfortable riding the chairlift to the top of the mountain. Ava is working on these skills and can check riding the chairlift off her training list.

“She really likes the chairlift rides right now,” Hagerty said.

“She’ll take nice naps in the morning and everything.”

Eventually Snowbowl hopes to expand its avalanche dog program. For now, it is focusing on learning more about avy dog programs from books, classes and experienced handlers.

Avalanche dogs have a primary handler, but they also have a secondary handler who helps out with the dog and can take them to work if the primary handler is not available.

While Snowbowl wants to be prepared for rescuing people from avalanches, its main goal is to prevent these accidents altogether. Preventing accidents is one of the main jobs of a ski

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patroller.

“Your first priority is mountain safety,” said Ed Rudd, ski patroller at Snowbowl. “You want to make sure you know the mountain’s safe for all the general public up on the hill, and if somebody gets hurt or injured, we render first aid. We get them down to the bottom of the mountain where we can get them transported if need be to higher-level care.”

Rudd has been a ski patroller at Snowbowl off and on for 18 years. He is also a paramedic for Flagstaff Medical Center and a flight nurse for Guardian Air. Rudd said one of the biggest dangers at Snowbowl is skiers and snowboarders not following the rules. It is important for people on the mountain to wear helmets, go with a buddy and watch out for each other to avoid collisions. Accidents happen frequently at Snowbowl, and depending on the day, it can range from five to 30 accidents.

“Not only is it always good to have a buddy in case something does happen — you have somebody to help you out or to go get help — it’s also fun skiing with a buddy,” Rudd said.

Many ski resorts have avalanche dogs, including Crystal Mountain Resort in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington. Crystal Mountain is also dedicated to