The Lumberjack -- January 26,2017

UN IT E F O R L OVE

PAGES 8 & 9

T H E L U M BE R JAC K

JAN. 26, 2017 - FEB. 1, 2017

From the Editor

Online at JackCentral.org

B

etween the inauguration, subsequent protests and the snow, this semester is off to an exciting start, to put it one way. As both students and student journalists, we here at The Lumberjack have been feeling the effects in many ways.

Our news and multi-media teams have been working hard on multiple political happenings, from live-tweeting President Donald Trump’s inauguration to covering Flagstaff’s March for Love. I am proud to congratulate our director of photography Halie Chavez, on having her photo chosen

by The New York Times for their spread on women’s marches across the globe. She also has a photo of Mayor Coral Evans in this week’s news section. This not only shows how talented she is but also how much potential students have to make and impact.

Trump recently implemented a media blackout at the Environmental Protection Agency, blocking the agency from publishing press releases, posting to social media and publishing blog posts. This is not an isolated incident.

As a senior journalism student, I find this troubling. The First Amendment plaza has been a daily sight for me for years, further emphasizing its importance and meaning to my life and my career. I see it from the Student Media Connection window when I work on our publication, and it has stood out from the sea of white snow and weather this past week. I have had multiple lectures on the importance of watchdog jounralism. Restricting information from the press and from the public can lead to a slippery slope.

KARI SCOTT With freezing temperatures, falling snow and mornings spent prying CULTURE EDITOR vehicles free from the weather’s frozen clutches, it can be easy to be pessimistic and down. It’s important to note that many other individuals are going through the same situation. Reach out, help that person dig out their car and hope someone will return the favor when you need it. Now is the time to find unity.

For those who have faith in this nation’s new presidential administration, I applaud your optimisim, and I hope it transfers to those who do not.

Speaking of hope, every semester, we establish a new staff at The Lumberjack. Some members graduate, others advance to higher positions and some are completely new. We have spent the past weeks getting to know each other, establishing a proper workflow and becoming familiar with our other hard-working student media outlets, KJACK and NAZToday. I am so honored to be a part of this publication and hold the title of culture editor. I could not have Protesters fill the ice-covered asphalt on Aspen Street at the March for Love in done it without the support of such a diverse and talented staff.

Downtown Flagstaff Jan. 21. Halie Chavez| The Lumberjack Thank you for reading.

[This march] is better than crying like we did “ after the election. if we stay silent and polite then

”

nothing will get resolved.

— pepper fox, freshman political science major, 2017

LJ

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

T H E LU MBE R JACK

Editor-in-Chief Scott Buffon Faculty Advisor Mary Tolan

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

VOL 104 ISSUE 2

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

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

2 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

On the cover Over two-thousand people attend the March for Love in Downtown Flagstaff Jan. 21. Prior to the event 950 people had marked that they were ‘interested’ in the march on the Facebook event. Halie Chavez|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

reported their student missing from Gabaldon Hall. NAUPD responded. The student was located.

Jan. 19 At 6:27 a.m., a student in Allen Hall reported they had lost consciousness. FFD, GMT At 10:24 a.m., staff in and NAUPD responded. The Parking Lot 62 reported a student was transported to FMC suspicious subject carrying a for evaluation. bicycle with a lock attached.

NAUPD responded and found At 7:41 a.m., an NAU the bicycle belonged to the counselor requested a welfare subject. check on a student in Gabaldon Hall. An NAUPD officer Jan. 17 responded. The student was At 5:15 p.m., staff reported found in good health and was a subject attempting to open escorted to the HLC. doors near the Southwest Forest Science Complex building.

At 10:34 p.m., staff NAUPD responded and the reported the odor of marijuana subject was given a ride to San in Cowden Hall. NAUPD Francisco Street. responded. One student was arrested and booked into At 8:46 p.m., an NAUPD Coconino County Detention officer found three subjects in Facility on an outstanding a stairwell at the San Francisco warrant. Two other students Parking Garage. One subject were deferred for possession of received a referral for possession marijuana. of drug paraphernalia. Another subject had a medical marijuana Inauguration Day card and was warned to not At 2:35 p.m., a student bring marijuana on to campus. reported subjects throwing snowballs off of the San At 10:26 p.m., staff in Francisco Parking Garage.

Tinsley Hall reported the odor of NAUPD contacted the subjects marijuana. NAUPD responded. and advised them to not throw One subject was cited for objects in the area. possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and underage At 4:05 p.m., a staff possession of alcohol. member in the Cline Library reported a passed-out subject.

Jan. 18 NAUPD responded and the At 1:48 p.m., multiple subject was booked into CCSO students at the University Union on three outstanding warrants. reported a subject in possession of a firearm. NAUPD responded At 7:18 p.m., a resident and the subject was warned of assistant in Reilly Hall reported trespassing. The investigation is a student under the influence of ongoing. dangerous drugs. FFD, GMT and NAUPD responded. The At 3:12 p.m., a student subject admitted to using the in Cowden Hall reported an drugs with multiple people. altercation with their roommate Three students were transported that they said occurred Jan. 17. to FMC. The investigation is An NAUPD officer responded. ongoing.

The roommate was arrested, and the investigation is ongoing.

At 11:58 p.m., staff reported a student returned to At 6:48 p.m., a parent Tinsley Hall after a previous Jan. 16 At 3:04 a.m., several fire alarms went off in The Suites.

FPD, FFD, GMT and NAUPD responded and found broken hot water lines triggered the alarms. Everything was fine.

COMPILED BY KAYLA RUTLEDGE

trespassing incident. NAUPD responded. The student was booked into CCSO for false reporting to law enforcement, possession of marijuana, minor in possession of alcohol and possession of drug paraphernalia.

UPCOMING SHOWS UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan. 21 At 1:29 a.m., a subject reported an intoxicated student at Reilly Hall. FFD, GMT and NAUPD responded. The student was transferred to FMC and criminally deferred for a minor in consumption of alcohol.

1/26-Blade Runner-Film 1/28-Rumble on the

Mountain 3 2/1-Groundhog Day-Film 2/10-Beer and Gear

At 5:35 p.m., an NAUPD officer issued a citation at the San Francisco Parking Garage.

The driver could not provide proof of insurance or a form of current registration. The driver also possessed a fake driver’s license. The investigation is ongoing.

2/11-Halos and Horns 2/15-Hungry Hearts Cabaret

and Love Advice Show 2/15-Jelly Bread 2/16-19-15th Flagstaff Mnt

Film Festival 2/20-Atmosphere

At 5:43 p.m., a staff member in the Cline Library reported a subject passed out in the bathroom. NAUPD responded and made contact with the subject. The subject was warned about trespassing.

Jan. 22 At 1:51 a.m., staff reported three subjects outside of McConnell Hall disturbing the peace. NAUPD responded. One student was booked into CCDF for a minor in consumption of alcohol, false reporting to law enforcement and disorderly conduct.

2/26- The Wild Reeds 3/2-Jaykode 3/5-Social Distortion

wednesday, February 1 DOORS AT 730 pm SHOW AT 830 pm |ALL AGES

FREE

At 3:05 a.m., NAUPD received a call from an elevator in Sechrist Hall. An officer responded and searched the area. Everything was fine.

At 2:54 p.m., a subject at Knoles and University drives reported two subjects throwing snowballs at vehicles. NAUPD responded and told the subjects to stop.

3/23-Dawes

Food and Drink Specials friday,November february21 3 Friday,

Doors at 7pm Show at 8pm | ALL AGES

WE ARE AN

thursday , february Friday, November 21 9 Doors at 630pm Show at 7pm | ALL AGES

STAY CONNECTED:

ALL AGES

VENUE!

sunday, february215 Friday, November

doors at 330 pm kickoff at 430pm | ALL AGES

Tickets at: @orpheumflag

The Orphuem Box Office or Rainbows End (Flagstaff / Cottonwood) 1 (877) 987-6487 | orpheumflagstaff.com

NEWS

Marching for Love: Flagstaff demands equal rights JOEY POSTIGLIONE

A

pproximately 2,000 people gathered in Flagstaff Jan. 21 to march from city hall to Heritage Square in a peaceful protest against President Donald Trump’s administration and support equal rights for all.

The March of Love aimed to reject hate and divisiveness and unite the citizens of Flagstaff.

The march was held in tandem with women’s marches on the same day in Washington, D.C, San Antonio, New York City and Tucson.

International support was even seen worldwide in cities such as Paris and London where people joined in the solidarity.

“I have no idea what Trump is going to do,” said Flagstaff resident Wray Willey. “And that scares me. There doesn’t seem to be any plan.”

Despite the cold weather and sporadic snowfall, the marchers appeared to be in high spirits: passing out signs, pink hats and heating pads. As more of the Flagstaff community gathered, the energy became more lively. The crowd started to chant things like ‘Stand up,’ ‘Speak Out,’ and ‘Hands too small to build a wall.’ Cars passing city hall honked their horns at the demonstration.

Some of the marchers said the atmosphere of the march started to resemble that of the great civil protests that have come before.

“I’m old enough to remember the protest and marches against the Vietnam War and the marches in support of the Equal Rights Amendment,” said Flagstaff resident Patrice Horstman, a Democratic delegate who supported Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. “I would say this march equals or surpasses those.”

The marchers represented a wide range of people, from toddlers carrying signs with their parents to college students to senior citizens.

Each marcher had their own personal reason for attending. “[I came today] because women’s rights are human rights, and we needed a counterdemonstration to yesterday’s inauguration,” said Flagstaff resident Hattie Braun.

The march was also a way for people to speak out against the rising use of hateful rhetoric in today’s political world.

“I’m disturbed with the racism and the misogyny that was associated with the campaign.

Now that Trump is president, he needs to know that a majority of Americans feel differently,” said Flagstaff resident Kimberly Samuels-Crow.

NAU students showed up in large numbers in search of a way to get involved and to take an

active role in democracy.

“I’m an activist,” said freshman political science major Pepper Fox. “[This march] is better than crying like we did after the election.

If we stay silent and polite then nothing will get resolved.”

To some students, the march was a way to show solidarity with groups that feel threatened by the new administrations and its possible future actions.

“I’m here to show that we cannot be divided by hate, that our differences won’t divide us but bring us closer together,” said sophomore general studies major Olivia Schwartz.

People poured out onto the streets when the march departed from Flagstaff City Hall at 2 p.m. They divided into several routes, and the marchers covered the entire downtown area as they made their way to Heritage Square.

City workers were in the process of clearing snow from Heritage Square when people first started to arrive. Hundreds of the marchers had to be moved from the square to the street because the combined weight of the snow and marchers was putting too much stress on the roof of the underground parking garage.

The crowd was so large, the eight-block route took some marchers more than an hour to complete.

Birch Street became so congested that the Flagstaff Police Department had to close much of the downtown streets to traffic. People were packed shoulder to shoulder in and around Heritage Square with the crowd reaching far beyond the audible range of the speakers.

“It is beautiful to see all these Flagstaff people,” said Robert Neustadt, NAU Spanish professor and director of Latin American Studies. “I think this is the biggest march in Flagstaff history.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Top: Mayor Coral Evans speaks to the crowd that marched from Flagstaff City Hall to Heritage Square Jan. 21.

Halie Chavez | The Lumberjack

Middle: Protesters gather by the hundreds on Aspen Street during the March of Love.

Flagstaff police closed the surrounding streets because of the crowd.

Conor Sweetman | The Lumberjack

Bottom: Penelope Scott, of Flagstaff Pride, waves a flag over the crowd at the March of Love. Flagstaff Pride was one of the many LGBTQ groups that participated in the march.

Halie Chavez | The Lumberjack

4 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

NEWS

At Heritage Square, speakers including Mayor Coral Evans, Vice Mayor Jamie Whelan and former congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick spoke to the crowd about the strength of organizing.

“I think we are here because we love community, because we love democracy,” said Evans. “We’re here because we have the audacity to make change.”

The speakers also used the opportunity to acknowledge the anxiety and shock many people have been feeling since the election.

“For some it took days to pass, for some it took weeks or months, and there are some who are still dealing with it,” said Whelan.

The speakers also talked about the future of this country and the need for everyone to stay active in the community and political world.

Top: A marcher beats his drum as members of the Flagstaff community proceed toward Heritage Square Jan. 21.

Multiple drummers from the local group Sambatuque later formed a drum circle in the square.

With her fist in the air, activist and musician Jeneda Benally stands in solidarity with other U.S. marchers around the world.

Wyatt Rutt | The Lumberjack

Conor Sweetman | The Lumberjack

Bottom: A participant in the March of Love carries a flag symbolizing unity between Arizona and Mexico.

Halie Chavez | The Lumberjack

JAN. 26, 2017 - FEB. 1, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 5

NEWS

FFNAU walks out for climate change

Elevate Flagstaff and their hopes to reduce minimum wage ADRIAN SKABELUND

ADRIAN SKABELUND

S

tudents with Fossil Free NAU (FFNAU) organized a class walkout Jan. 23. The group asked students to walk out of their classes at 10:30 a.m., and meet at the University Union to protest President Donald Trump’s denial of climate change.

The walkout lasted about an hour and gained some traction despite severe weather conditions.

Approximately 35 to 40 NAU students attended the event. Junior environmental studies major Kristi White, who is also involved in FFNAU, considered the walkout a success given the heavy snowfall outside.

The walkout was not organized by FFNAU alone. According to White, Defund the Dakota Access Pipeline (Defund DAPL) and the Carbon Pricing Alliance also took part in the event. White said she hopes for further collaboration between these groups.

Junior biology and environmental science major Lara Blair also took part in the walkout. Blair said the walkout was more than just a local event.

“Dozens of universities are organizing walkouts to show that, though Trump has his own agenda for the first 100 days, we are organizing during his first 100 hours,” said Blair.

“I think the crowd that we drew had a lot of positive energy inside of them, and they’re all looking forward to some change.”

FFNAU is again calling on the NAU Foundation, which helps fund the university through investments in a variety of industries, to divest from the fossil fuel industry. White said members of FFNAU feel the university does not have the students’ best interests in mind by investing in fossil fuels.

“The university is supposed to be investing in our futures, but when they’re investing in the fossil fuel industry, it’s kind of a [conflicting situation],” said White. “They are supposed to be investing in our future, but they are really investing in the destruction of our future. We, as Fossil Free NAU, are calling for the NAU foundation to divest from those investments and reinvest in just and sustainable alternatives.”

Beyond the university, the protest also opposed the Trump administration’s position on climate change and fossil fuels. Trump has promised to reinvigorate the coal industry and has called climate change a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese government.

Freshman environmental studies major Sierra Cottle said she is already feeling the weight of the Trump administration when it comes to the environment.

“We’re talking about what we can do as students to help the situation because obviously the national government is not on our side at the moment,” said Cottle. “So we as students have to organize on the local level to make the change that we want to see.”

Blair said organizing future events is something that FFNAU will be doing.

“You’ll definitely be seeing a lot from Fossil Free NAU this semester,” Blair said.

NAU students take turns speaking at the end of the campus walkout in the University Union Jan. 23. Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

6 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

P

roposition 414 passed in the November election with the goal of raising the minimum wage in Flagstaff.

The bill has come under fire recently because the proposition could cause nonprofits and small businesses to close. A group calling themselves Elevate Flagstaff, made up of 200 local businesses and the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, collected nearly 9,000 signatures to amend the law.

Though the signatures have yet to be verified by city staff, Elevate Flagstaff believes the law puts an undue burden on businesses and nonprofits and could force many of them to close their doors.

Stuart McDaniel, vice president of the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, believes the jump in wages “is unrealistic and will put people out of work or have their hours cut.”

For McDaniel and others who support Elevate Flagstaff, the most concerning part of Proposition 414 is the speed at which it will raise the local minimum wage.

The group objects to the amount of hourly wages that Proposition 414 demands.

Proposition 414 mandates the minimum wage should be set at $15 an hour by 2020. Following the passage of state Proposition 206, wages already rose Jan. 1 to $10 an hour. Proposition 414 will raise wages again in July of this year to $12 an hour in accordance with the new law.

“Prices are going up, and even some businesses are going out of business,” said McDaniel.

Hozhoni Foundation, a local nonprofit which provides care and housing for those with mental disabilities, is one of the organizations most negatively affected by the wage hike.

CEO Monica Attridge explained to the city council Jan. 17 that the foundation receives funding from the state and is only given a set amount of money each month.

The foundation was able to support the jump to $10 an hour, but Attridge said Hozhoni could not survive another raise of wages. Attridge explained this would likely lead to the closure of the Flagstaff branch, and she could not be sure what might happen to those who need the care services Hozhoni provides.

However, there are those who support Proposition 414. Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (F3) is one such group.

F3 is a local community organization that strives to make Flagstaff a better place to live. According to F3’s website, the city and its businesses should respect “the will of local voters” because Proposition 414 passed with 54 percent of the vote.

“There is another perspective that is under represented in the current discussion: Workers who are now slated for a raise will see a significant boost to their quality of life,” F3 wrote in an announcement earlier this month. “A living wage for all community members is directly aligned with our mission to promote a more socially just Flagstaff.”

Dulce Madrid, a single mother making minimum wage, is another supporter of Proposition 414. Madrid said she is extremely sympathetic to the Hozhoni Foundation and the other nonprofits that may be affected but also said she needs help surviving in Flagstaff.

“It is hard. Flagstaff is known as the city with a beautiful view and poverty and I believe that is true,” said Madrid. “I cannot be the mom for my son working at this minimum wage. I can’t be there for him.”

Among the changes to Proposition 414, Elevate Flagstaff is proposing the reduction of the propositions living wage of $15 an hour by 2020 to $12.50 an hour by 2021. Elevate Flagstaff believes this increase will allow organizations to survive while still raising wages for workers.

Many supporters of the law, however, say these changes go too far, and Flagstaff city councilman Jim McCarthy said the changes basically “gutted” the law, though he said he could see both sides of the issue.

Because of this, another group called Bridging Flagstaff has offered an alternative set of adjustments to the amendments set forth by Elevate Flagstaff. The group is made up of local residents, a businesses and is headed by local economist Paul Deasy.

Deasy said he decided to bring an alternative plan forward because he sees the debate over Proposition 414 is “tearing this town apart on all sides.”

“I grew up within [Flagstaff], and I grew up with people on all sides of this issue: the business owners, the minimum wage workers, the home care workers — and I’m seeing them attack each other,” said Deasy to the city council. “This is why Bridging Flagstaff was formed.”

The plan called Bridging Flagstaff tries to create a middle ground between the original language in Proposition 414 and the changes that Elevate Flagstaff proposed. However, Bridging Flagstaff’s plan proposes the council slow the increase in wages while staying with the $15 an hour minimum wage by 2020.

Flagstaff City Council can amend a voter initiative that has passed, if the amendment passes council with a super majority, which furthers the intention of the voters.

At this time, the council has no plan to do so and continues to gather public opinions and look for possible solutions with the city’s legal team.

Despite the seeming lack of action, Mayor Coral Evans assured the public that a solution would be found.

“We understand the level of fear that’s coming from all sides in this particular situation, and we understand that the community is looking for us to come up with a solution,” said Evans.

As soon as all the signatures of Elevate Flagstaff’s petition are verified, it will become a voter initiative and, by default, will be on the ballot in 2018. Elevate Flagstaff is calling for a special election in May though, which the city council can decide to make a reality or not.

㻿㼜㼕㼞㼕㼠㼡㼍㼘㻌㻰㼕㼟㼏㼛㼢㼑㼞㼥㻦㻌㻌 㻴㼛㼣㻌㼏㼍㼚㻌㼥㼛㼡㻌㼎㼑㼠㼠㼑㼞㻌㼠㼔㼑㻌㼣㼛㼞㼘㼐㻫㻌 㻭㻌㼒㼞㼑㼑㻌㼛㼚㼘㼕㼚㼑㻌㼠㼍㼘㼗㻌㼣㼕㼠㼔㻌㼀㼛㼙㻌㻹㼏㻱㼘㼞㼛㼥㻌 Thursday, February 2, 2017, at noon For information on how to participate in this talk, go to http://christiansciencetempe.com/community-events/ At a time when many people are thinking about how to make change in the world for the better, genuine spirituality has a valuable and unique contribution to make. It’s not about joining a club, or blind faith, but discovering new perspectives of universal Truth and Love, God, that embrace everyone, and bring to light reliable healing solutions even where it might seem like there are none.

Join us for this webinar to learn and share with others about how new spiritually-based perspectives can help make change for the better.

This webinar is sponsored by First Church of Christ, Scientist, Tempe and the Christian Science Society, Flagstaff

McElroy is a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.

EDI TOR IAL & OPINION

Senior perspective: Investment in the future, annoying in the present ALIE WILKINS

S

ure, it’s pretty annoying that I have to drive all the way around campus to get to the parking garage and, without fail, I always end up behind that one person who respects the 15 mph speed limit. Yeah, it’s pretty annoying that the status of parking on campus just went from almost none, to absolutely nowhere to park with the loss of the Wilson parking lot.

But what’s most annoying about this new construction project is that NAU administration seems to be more concerned about competing in size with Arizona State University (ASU) and University of Arizona (U of A) than it is about keeping up with the problems we had on campus before the expansion started.

The Social and Behavioral Sciences West building has been condemned for at least 10 years now, Babbitt has a really weird smell that I’d be willing to bet is not safe to breathe, the inside of the geology building looks like a 1970s murder house and the elevator in the

parking garage shakes in between the first and second floor every single time.

Those issues wouldn’t seem so bad if the administration was working on fixing them instead of building a new pool, a new admissions office and so-called leveling out the pedway. I don’t know about you, but the pedway seemed pretty flat to me.

Don’t get me wrong I love this place, and I feel incredibly fortunate to get the opportunity to call myself a Lumberjack, but I also can’t remember a single time in my four years attending NAU when there wasn’t some kind of construction project going on.

We’ve always been told construction is good because it means we’re growing and expanding, but part of what appealed to so many people who attend NAU is the small size and quiet atmosphere. None of us wanted to go to a humongous school like ASU or U of A. It’s created an air of annoyance around campus because, not only do we have to deal with the wildly inefficient detour route and traffic back-ups on campus, but some of us

will be gone before all of this building is even finished. Imagine being inconvenienced by construction that you’ll never even see completed.

I’m talking about you, class of 2017.

We’ve given the last four years of our lives to this place, and how do they repay us? With closed roads and loud construction noise.

Every. Single. Year.

What good is this new honor’s hall doing me? To us, that honor’s college will always be the fenced off Wilson parking lot. Anyone who graduated before 2016 never got to see the brand new pool, or as they know it, the pile of dirt where that field used to be.

I don’t want to spend my last few months here surrounded by noise, dust and detour signs. I want to make the most of the time I have left here. I want to be able to walk through the pine trees to south campus without hearing the walls of SkyView going up.

I want to be able to look at the peaks without a crane blocking my view. I want to be able to get to class without going 15 minutes

out of my way. I want to remember NAU as the perfect, quiet mountain campus that I fell in love with four years ago, not as a construction site that seems to have a campus in its way.

Sarah Booth | The Lumberjack

Crowdfunding shouldn’t be only option when paying for student tuition ALEX RAND

I

t’s no secret tuition prices have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. Southern Methodist University (SMU) has taken an approach to solving this with a method I can only describe as dystopian: They are asking students to crowdfund their tuition expenses.

SMU has partnered with the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to help students pay their tuition. The university is offering $100 to their own students who use GoFundMe to raise money for the cost of school, but the offer comes with fine print.

Students must use gofundme.com/smu and no other crowdfunding platform, they must raise at least $500 with their campaign and that $500 must come from at least five different donors. Only then will SMU give students any money.

Even at NAU, some students are turning to crowdfunding to help with tuition.

Crowdfunding has become a way for people to pay for nearly everything from a new phone after the old one has shattered to medical expenses. The difference between those two examples is that one is a luxury and the

other is a necessity.

It should not be this hard to pay for college, but something has gone very wrong in the past 30 years. According to collegesimply. com, in 1990 the tuition for an Arizona resident attending NAU for a semester was $1,362. This year, tuition for one semester at NAU is $11,450.

That’s a 740 percent increase in 27 years.

Based on the United States inflation rates from 1990 to 2016, that increase would have been 84 percent.

With tuition costs rising dramatically from one generation to the next, it’s no wonder students are turning to crowdfunding campaigns to help take the burden of debt off their backs. A search for “Northern Arizona University” on gofundme.com returns nearly 300 results, most of them students asking for help to pay tuition.

Crowdfunding started with good intentions, but it has become a corrupt system.

It isn’t supposed to be used to pay for necessities like rent or tuition, and yet that’s increasingly becoming all it’s used for. Entire websites like giveforward.com have sprung up based on the idea that people need to use crowdfunding for

8 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

basic necessities such as medical costs or even affording their next meal.

Crowdfunding has become a way for businesses to make money. But at its roots it was a way for us to help each other without letting businesses get involved at all. This is why universities are able to partner with crowdfunding platforms: The platform is making money for every student who chooses to start a fundraiser there.

All a university like SMU has to do is offer students an incentive to join and students flock to the platform in droves. The platform then sets a minimum amount, in this case $500, before a student can receive extra funding from their university. GoFundMe specifically keeps 5% of

each donation, meaning if a student raises the $500 necessary for help, they only keep $475 and the extra $25 goes to GoFundMe. We can not keep pretending this is a sustainable system. Universities need to stop pretending that begging strangers on the internet for money is a reasonable way to pay for college. Crowdfunding is a fantastic tool, but it can never be the only tool in the toolbox.

If a student’s only option to afford higher education is to ask for money online, something desperately needs to change.

outofcontrol

illustration by colton starley

EDI TOR IAL & OPINION

The black woman’s persecution and the black man’s double standard PEGGY PACKER

H

air extensions. Wearing revealing clothes. Sex on the first date. Braided hairstyles, simply walking around with a straight face — these are just a few of the things that many black men constantly criticize black women, and only black women, for. Despite the fact that plenty women of other races do these things as well, black women are the main target of persecution for these simple behaviors.

Every day, men around the world make it very clear what they do and don’t like in a woman.

One noticeable trend about the commonly expressed preferences of black men specifically is that they display a huge double standard. The things they supposedly can’t stand about women are somehow tolerable when it comes to white women.

They are willing to overlook the things they claim to hate in a woman if the woman who possesses those traits is not black. From the way they act all the way down to their looks and hairstyles, black men prefer white women who act

like black women over black women themselves.

Especially in the past year, we’ve seen women strive to achieve looks or characteristics that have always been prominent in African-American culture.

Kylie Jenner captured the attention of the world after she got lip injections, wider hips and started rocking cornrows in all her Instagram pictures. Her bigger lips, body shape and new hairstyle were all things borrowed from the black culture. These are all attributes that black men go crazy for, but only on white women.

Many men claim this is just their preference, and they simply prefer to date white women because that is what they are attracted to. This may be true. And while everyone has a personal preference in the the type of people they choose to engage in relationships with, the constant favoring of white women and persecution of black women goes deeper than some aesthetic preference.

To black men, black women resemble some of the most important women in their lives: their mothers, aunts, grandmothers and sisters.

Because of this, the bar is subconsciously set higher for them because of it.

White women, or women of any other race for that matter, aren’t as often compared to these women, so the standards they have to reach aren’t nearly as high. This is not the fault of the women, but rather the fault of the men who do not recognize the contradictory standards they are trying to set for these women. Black men need to start accepting and respecting black women as much as they do women of other races.

In no way am I saying they should shun white women and only date black women. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with people choosing to date outside of their race. The problem is black men’s preference for dating outside of the AfricanAmerican community is preceded by the double standards they created.

If white women are allowed to look or behave a certain way, black women should be accepted for it, too. White women cannot be “chic” in the same braids that make a black woman “ghetto.”

Instead of white women being praised for the same things that make black women “ratchet,”

women should just be allowed to look and behave in whatever way they want. And they should do so without having to worry about meeting the ridiculous double standards set by the men who may wish to pursue them.

illustration by Alanna Secrest

When those sworn to protect us fail to empathize with our plight ELIZABETH WENDLER

D

iscussing sexual assault is not easy.

For those who have never experienced sexual assault, and even for those who have, it can be incredibly difficult to know what is appropriate to say and what is not. For those who are confused about what not to say regarding sexual assault, allow me to make one thing clear: Never compare one sexual assault to another. Additionally, do not imply that one case of sexual assault is somehow better or worse than the other.

Police Capt. Peter R. Rose of the New York Police Department is one of many folks who seem to believe sexual assault is only terrible depending on who perpetrates it.

Rose’s comments on the matter were made at the 94th Precinct Community Council meeting Jan. 4 and were later included in an article by Gwynne Hogan for dnainfo.com.

Rose is quoted in Hogan’s article saying that acquaintance rape is “not a trend we’re too worried about because out of 13 [sexual assaults], only two were true stranger rapes.”

He then goes on to define what constitutes as

a true stranger rape. The image Rose paints here is a stereotypical one of a shady man in a dark alley jumping out and assaulting a woman he’s never met before. To Rose, true stranger rapes are a greater cause for concern than a rape committed by a coworker, close friend or someone you recently met.

The minimization of any kind of sexual violence is central to tolerating it. It prevents the focus from being on providing aid and justice from the victim of such violence.

Instead, this notion that certain acts are better or worse than others encourages victim blaming and victim silence.

One of the largest obstacles I faced as a victim of sexual violence was believing my feelings of sorrow were undue because what happened to me wasn’t as bad as what could have happened. Even when seeking help, I was constantly made to feel as if I were exaggerating. This is because we have this idea there is always something worse out there happening to somebody else.

At least I wasn’t beaten. At least I wasn’t killed. At least, at least, at least.

Protip: Never say the words ‘at least’ to a

survivor of anything.

Rose was also incorrect in implying stranger rape is worse or more concerning than acquaintance rape. Being assaulted by someone you know or care about can make matters all the more complicated (though no more or less horrible than being raped by a stranger). So many thoughts and worries might plague someone who was sexually assaulted or raped by an acquaintance.

There are a number of reasons why people do not report sexual assault. The lack of support, awareness and justice for victims is a large part of it. This is another thing we get wrong about sexual assault. It isn’t underreported because victims are lying or exaggerating. They underreport because, more likely than not, they are not taken seriously.

No sexual assault is worse than another because different things affect people in different ways. We must respect that and do our part to help in any way we can. And we most certainly should never say “it could have been worse.”

Regardless if their assailant was an

acquaintance or a stranger, sexual assault is sexual assault. It is wrong, it is cruel and it should be treated with the utmost seriousness.

Rose has since apologized for his statements in a twitter post.

illustration by Alanna Secrest

JAN. 26, 2017 - FEB. 1, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 9

FE ATUR E S

MORE THAN JUST KICKS: KUNG FU MIKAYLA SHOUP

S

ingle leg flying crane and hiding dragon, leafing tiger. These are a few positions to master when learning kung fu. For sifu Matthew Banks, kung fu became a practice he would gain confidence from while he was attending NAU. In the beginning of his journey, Banks was always at the gym, building muscle and gaining strength, but not discipline. His life changed one day when he came across some people in the basketball courts practicing karate and decided to join them.

“I loved it. I built confidence and calmness. I got addicted and couldn’t quit,” said Banks.

Banks teaches kung fu and other martial arts at Sacred Mountain Fighting and Healing Arts in Flagstaff, as well as a Chinese martial arts class at NAU. Most people think of kung fu as simply a form of martial arts, but Banks disagrees. “[Kung fu is a] skill acquired through hard work and effort. It’s really not the moves we’re learning, but the process of becoming better,” Banks said.

Banks’ wife, Carly Banks, has been training in the art of kung fu since Sacred Mountain first opened its doors.

“Kung Fu is something I never thought I’d be interested in, but it’s become a big hobby and I’m very passionate about what it stands for and what it gives back to the community,” said Carly.

Kung fu is not just about physical movement; it’s about balancing and learning how to breathe.

“It’s a great way to productively let out energy and replace it with positivity,” Banks said.

“Martial arts gives you time to get into your head and get to know yourself. It helps you identify yourself, not just you, but how you identify with others and the world around you.”

A martial arts practice that is from Chinese culture, kung fu also includes the Five Element Theory. It is all about balance, the importance of subtle changes and an understanding of the natural world.

Banks is a strong believer in the Five Element Theory, which is an extension of yin and yang.

While yin and yang represent opposites, light and dark, sun and moon, summer and winter, the Five Elements Theory breaks this down even more. It is the idea that nothing is ever solid or permanent, things change and things are created.

Instead of focusing on the opposites, it focuses on the in-between, the things that occur naturally. Such as how plants grow in the spring, and when the crisp fall air arrives, the weather changes and the leaves turn brown and fall from the trees.

The Five Element Theory actually does have five elements that represent different ideas: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each of these elements is connected to a part of the body and an emotion. Wood is the liver, it represents anger. Fire represents love or joy, something that expands and contracts, much like the heart it is connected with. The earth is connected with the stomach,

12 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

Top: Sifu Matthew Banks (right) guides a student through a martial arts move at Sacred Mountain Fighting and Healing Arts. Bottom: Instructor and students practice at Sacred Mountain Fighting and Healing Arts. photo courtesy of Matthew Banks

which is worry. Metal is grief, and is connected to the lungs. Finally, water is connected to the kidneys and represents fear.

There is also the Five Animals Theory, which connects each of these elements to an animal.

Wood is a leopard, earth is a snake, fire is a tiger, metal is a crane and water is a dragon.

According to the China Highlights website, the Five Element Theory can bring good luck if practiced correctly. Finding both the animal a person is paired with, and the type of element, will bring good luck to the person.

“It’s not just these five things, but a way of explaining how we work naturally,” Banks said.

These theories are so complex that Banks and the other instructors at Sacred Mountain teach entire courses about the elements.

For the Banks and others, kung fu is about much more than simply learning to move the body, or defend oneself. It’s about the mental and spiritual balance that it brings which is what truly makes it an art.

FE ATUR E S

HORRORS: BEHIND THE SCENES MONTGOMERY GLASER

H

orror — the movie genre specializing in the feeling of dread that rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars yearly. But why are we attracted to horror?

After all, a visual experience dependent on frightening people and creating general misery seems like a terrible idea to show people and expect them to return for movies. Yet, the second Conjuring movie released in 2016 made around $1.4 million in North America alone, not counting the worldwide box office number of over $300 million.

Coincidently, it’s the second highest grossing horror film of all time behind only the 1973 movie The Exorcist, which brought in approximately $441.3 million worldwide. Clearly, there is a desire for the genre — so where does this need come from?

Freshman computer science major Bowen Boyd enjoys horror flicks like any other pastime.

“They get your heart racing, and you want the main characters to live even though there’s a very slight chance of that happening,” said Boyd.

What Boyd finds enjoyable about horror movies is the plot; the horror is what attracts someone to the story and the survival of the protagonists.

According to a 2009 study conducted by Andrew Walsh and Laurier Brantford from the British Psychological Society, “50 slasher films released between 1960 and 2007 [were analyzed], including the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hatchet. The researchers found that male characters were more likely to be victims of rapid, serious violence, whereas females were more likely to be victims of less serious, but more drawn-out violence, including confinement and stalking.”

Walsh and Brantford also said that in horror movies female characters are more likely to be depicted partially or fully naked when scenes involved a mix of sex and violence.

“Frequent depictions of women in prolonged states of terror may reinforce traditional gender schemes of women as helpless and, as a result, may serve to normalize aggression or hostile attitudes toward women,” said Walsh and Brantford.

But unlike real life where things happen without cause, the majority of horror films are fantasy based. After all, it’s highly unlikely someone will run into an alien predator from space that hunts humans for sport.

A common consensus is that people who watch horror movies do it for the rush, like a rollercoaster of emotions.

Even in a fantasy, the theme hits a primal instinct in us all. It’s the reason why horror is so popular in the first place, intentionally focusing on the impending doom around different demographics like teenagers being hunted in a campground or Bloody Mary hiding in mirrors.

The morbid themes of scary movies can have a horrific effect on the human psyche. They also can leave room for satire. Horror points out the darkness in our imagination and past actions, like the eradication of the Native Americans in the horror trope of defiling a Native-American burial site. The commentary on political or social issues serve the same purpose in horror: to remind us of our mistakes.

Karen Renner, NAU English professor, said horror may actually be good for us.

“Some horror films allow us to explore anxieties indirectly, which might be safer,” said Renner.

“American Horror Story: Hotel had a really nuanced story about a man who thinks he is ‘just’ a transvestite but who learns that he is actually transgender: a woman in a man’s body - probably one of the most enlightening and touching investigations into the complexities of sexual identity that I’ve ever seen.”

One of the most recent issues regarding feminism has propagated questions about feminine and masculine horror.

Illustration by Katie Dobrydney

According to a study, “Sex and Violence in Slasher Films: Reexamining the Assumptions” by Barry S. Sapolsky, Fred Molitor and Sarah Luque, female victims in slasher films are shown to be in a state of fear five times more than men, specifically occurring during the chase. Men are usually portrayed as the saviors, or at least attempted saviors, taking charge of the situation — a classic case of the damsel and knight in shining armor.

Of course, that’s not always the case, because men can be quickly killed before they can become heroes. Regardless of the ending, the audience should be left in fear — the point of watching a horror movie.

JAN. 26, 2017 - FEB. 1, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 13

CULTUR E

No Coachella? No problem Kari Scott

W

inter rages on, but spring will be here soon. And with spring comes concerts and music festivals. Coachella is one of the most popular and talked-about music festivals. However, with high ticket prices and travel time to Indio, Calif., it might not be accessible for everyone. There are many music festivals happening here in Arizona during the festival season.

Music festivals have a way of bringing people together. Ryan Orr, guitarist of local band False North, shared why he enjoys festivals and why others might too.

“You just don’t have anything to worry about while you’re at a festival,” said Orr. “There’s a weird social aspect to festivals because it’s just not like how you would act in public, but you’re still in public with way more people around you. Everybody’s in the same mood as you, everyone’s in the same mindset — it just makes the festival that much better.”

Here are several festivals scheduled for the near future, covering a broad range of music genres and price ranges.

Gem and Jam Festival in Tucson, Ariz.

Running Feb. 3-5, Gem and Jam is a showcase of electronic music with the famous Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show as a backdrop. While primarily being a music festival, Gem and Jam also features artists of visual arts, fine arts and even has workshops and discussions. Headliners include Gramatik and Mike Gordon. Tickets range from $65 for single day passes to $199 for weekend passes.

Crush Arizona Festival in Chandler, Ariz.

A one-day festival Feb. 18 also features well-known artists in the electronic and house music genres. Promoters Relentless Beats and Insomniac Events are the hosts of the event. Headliners include Black Tiger Sex Machine and Chris Lorenzo. Tickets range from $63 for general admission to $109 for VIP passes.

Hades promoter and aspiring producer Jesse Gildner highlighted why the event is a credible and fun festival.

“Relentless Beats is so good at putting on shows at this point and so is Hades,” said Gildner. “They do extreme productions in Arizona, like, these weekend events are on a crazy scale.”

McDowell Music Festival in Phoenix With the tagline “community, culture and charity,” the non-profit music festival places emphasis on bettering the Arizona community. McDowell Music Festival is a family-friendly event, featuring several genres of music.

Proceeds benefit the Phoenix Children’s Hospital and UMOM New Day Center. Taking place March 3-5, headliners include The Shins, Flume and Chromeo. Tickets range from $40 for single-day general admission tickets to $80 for three-day general admission tickets and $170 for single-day VIP passes to $510 for three-day VIP pass. There is also a discounted student pass, three-day general admission for $75.

Pot of Gold Festival in Chandler, Ariz.

A punk music festival taking place over Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17-18, to highlight the genre’s Irish roots.

With two stages and four different lineups, the festival is sure to be busy. Headliners include Flogging Molly, G-Eazy, Sublime with Rome and Death Cab for Cutie. Tickets range from $69 for single-day general admission to $130 for two-day general admission and $200 for single-day VIP package and $350 for two-day VIP package.

Country Thunder in Florence, Ariz.

A well-known event in Arizona, Country Thunder labels itself as “the premier Country Music Festival” proving that festivals aren’t just for rock and electronic music fans.

This festival is known for its rowdy energy, enthusiastic fans and its campgrounds. Running April 6-9, this year’s headliners include Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley and Chris Young.

Campground tickets are sold out.

Tickets range from $50-$75 for single-day admission tickets to $160-$320 for weekend passes.

Illustration by Alanna Secrest

16 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

AFI: The Blood Album

A review

Chloe Greeley

A

lternative rock, emo and punk-rock fans rejoice as A Fire Inside (AFI) released their tenth, self-titled studio album, also referred to as the The Blood Album. A fun, yet oddly disturbing concept is that the album was released on four limited edition vinyl color variants matching the four different human blood types.

Produced by Matt Hype and AFI’s own Jade Puget and released through Concord Music Group, the album features 14 new songs by the band, including “Aurelia,” “Get Album cover image courtesy of iTunes Hurt,” “Snow Cats” and “White Offerings.”

The band wrote 40 to 50 songs for this album, and “Aurelia” was one of the last ones written, according to lead singer Davey Havok’s interview with BBC 1.

The song begins with a beautiful guitar melody and drums in the background with a ‘thump-thump’ rhythm. Throaty vocals provided by Havok are captivating and lovely to listen to, but as for the message of the song, there doesn’t seem to really be one — only that this Aurelia is in a new set of chains and is going along with what is demanded of her. It would have been nice to hear about how she broke free of these chains and learned something from the incident.

“White Offerings” starts off with a much harsher tone, sounding more hardcore. This song borders on metal, which is a bit intense for me. But for those who like metal would enjoy the harsh vocals that accompany the riffs from the guitars and dark lyrics. This is the kind of song that would be a part of an opening act for harder alternative and pop-punk bands like Pierce the Veil or Man Overboard.

Unlike “White Offerings,” the song “Snow Cats” is much calmer and seems to fit with the rest of the album’s moody and captivating tone. This song is much more pleasant to listen to and actually has a message behind it. It’s about someone trying to be something they aren’t for someone else, and then decides not to anymore. They don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t accept them for who they are.

Overall, the album is not something I would normally listen to but it’s a good album for those who enjoy rock, metal or punk music. The song “Snow Cats” is definitely one of my favorites from the album and I added it to my iTunes library as it was interesting to listen to and had beautiful lyrics. The album is definitely something to try out.

CULTUR E

Flaglaffs brings laughs to Flagstaff Matthew Kruelle

F

or almost a year, the program Flaglaffs has been expanding the comedy scene in Flagstaff.

The name of the program is, obviously, a play on the words laughter and Flagstaff. The organization’s goal is to give performers a chance to display their talents and share those talents with an audience. The program accomplished this by hosting comedy events around the city.

One of these events was a comedy showcase at Firecreek Coffee Company Jan. 20 featuring Arizona comedians Derek McFarland and Mo Urban. These comedians often draw upon current events and their personal experiences to rouse laughter from the crowd.

McFarland draws influence from events in his life.

“I have a bit about how I observed my white friends ordering Mexican food with a Spanish accent because they think it’s a form of respect and you’ll get ‘the good’ Mexican food if you order like that,” said McFarland. “I thought it was extremely racist. And then I demonstrate how doing that in a Chinese restaurant would never be acceptable.”

McFarland has been performing in Phoenix for the past two and a half years. He presents his own show every two weeks at the Catalina Sports Bar and Grill in Phoenix.

Urban is a Tucson-based comic who has recently gained traction around the state.

“I have always loved comedy and enjoy making people laugh,” said Urban. “Being a fat kid helped me make fun of myself and beat people to the punch.”

Urban said aspiring comics should go to as many open mics and gigs available. Urban also emphasized how comedy should not be used as a platform to make money.

“Don’t do it for money because you’ll be disappointed,” Urban said. “You don’t start out great, so don’t get discouraged. Just keep at it. If you truly love it, then you’ll just keep working at it, even if the biggest thing you do is a guest set for a fancy comedy club.”

McFarland doesn’t know where his comedy career is headed next.

“I have zero expectations. Before I ever told a joke on stage I made a promise with myself that I would remember that I’m doing this because I love to make people laugh and that I would never do this for fame or money,” McFarland said. “That way I would never feel like I failed or be frustrated.”

Firecreek is one of the venues that presents Flaglaffs events and is happy to do so.

“We believe the arts are important, are pillars to a community’s quality of life, and venues have a big part to play in that,” said David Strackany, venue manager for Firecreek Coffee.

Firecreek hosts concerts and other shows like comedy and slam poetry throughout the year, placing importance on programs such as Flaglaffs.

“Firecreek tries to support as broad a range of arts as we can, and comedy is a color in that spectrum I hadn’t been seeing as much of around town until recently. We should all thank the Flaglaffs crew for helping with that,” Strackany said.

Paul Goebel has been doing stand-up comedy for decades. He was booked to appear at the Flaglaffs show at Firecreek Jan. 20, however, could not make it due to weather conditions. This was unfortunate for Goebel as he considers comedy is one of his best skills.

“I have a very limited skillset. Aside from bugging people on the internet, standup comedy is one of the few things I do well,”said Goebel.

The next Flaglaffs event is an open-mic night at Southside Tavern Jan. 31. There are also other upcoming comedy shows not related to the Flaglaffs program. In March, comedian Brian Regan will be performing in NAU’s Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. For die-hard comedy fans, the Big Pine Comedy Festival returns to Flagstaff Sept. 14-16.

JAN. 26, 2017 - FEB. 1, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 17

CULTUR E

Theatrikos: A ghostlight in the dark

Located north of the Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff, the Doris Harper-White Community Playhouse is home of Theatrikos Theatre Company and provides opportunities for the community to be united through art. Abigail Bieker| The Lumberjack

Abigail Bieker

U

nderneath a set of glowing lights, snow fell from the sky, settling around a tan home located in the middle of downtown Flagstaff. A sign held above the door in purple, red and gold reads Doris Harper-White Community Playhouse Home of Theatrikos.

Joining a nationwide movement, Theatrikos took part in the Ghostlight Project Jan. 19. This project intends to bring together communities of shared interests in unity, involvement and compassion toward surrounding theaters and local artists.

The event was brightly lit as the theatrical tradition, a “ghostlight” welcomed attendees to come. By shining LED flameless tea-light candles around the center of the room, the shadows were casted forward toward a large light held in the middle of the room. This ghostlight created a visual representation for the safety that would be contained amongst all those who entered.

The group gathered at the theatre was friendly, and participants enjoyed each other’s company and discussed their beliefs.

According to the Theatrikos Theatre Company, the theatre offers a safe space for “greater inclusion of people and ideas ...

Being a light and reflection of humanity for the theatre’s patrons, donors, volunteers and staff.”

The Ghostlight Project defines a safe place as an area where members can come with ideas regardless of race, class, religion, disability, immigration status, gender identity, country of origin or sexual orientation.

Becky Daggett, member of the Theatrikos Artistic Committee, read a passage during the lighting of the candles, and the audience shared their thoughts and reasons for visiting the group that night. She talked about the importance of compassion and being the light in someone else’s life. Daggett emphasized the importance of a safe space and said the theatre holds as an available spot for people looking for comfort or just a place to talk.

“Theatrikos joined in this nation-wide project because we felt that now is a good time for our community to take a collective breath and recommit to all of the values we talked about this evening,” said Daggett. “Being inclusive, being compassionate, being empathetic, supporting art, telling stories; we just wanted to bring people in to have a quiet moment and talk about those values and recommit those values to the theatre.”

For junior theatre major Emily Newell, the project served as something so important to the members of Flagstaff.

18 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

“As a theatre student, I think it’s super important that we stay committed to the art that we are doing and not let anyone get in the way of that,” said Newell.

Theatrikos is focused on the comfort of its community and believes in different forms of collected work from both artists and the theatre, allowing for all age groups to be mentored by people who care.

“I think, not only will it remind us who already [does] the work [and] how important it is, but also to those people that don’t really know how involved art is in their lives, [they] will be reminded of how important it is, and hopefully that will bring them out to do more work,” Newell said about the Ghostlight Project.

Education and equal opportunities provided by the theater allow for individuals of all sorts to join the community, emphasizing the Ghostlight Project’s mission of inclusivity.

“I came because, in dark times, we are inspired to do our best work, and I think we’ve got some dark times ahead of us, so let’s shine as much light as we can,” said NAU graduate Garrison Garcia. “I think it’s important to not just go through the motions but inspire people to do things and to take action.”

Theatrikos shares the Ghostlight Project’s vision to enhance values, norms, beliefs and habits, tying the two together.

Get Connected.

TheNAULumberjack TheNAULumberjack Lumberjacknews The Lumberjack @JackCentral

jackcentral.org

SPORT S

Risk and reward: The decision for international athletes Peter Kersting

F

or NAU’s Director of Tennis Ki Kroll and many of his peers, the job extends far beyond the boundaries of the court or pool. International student athletes have an incredible amount of cultural differences to account for upon their arrival to the United States, but the promise of an education and a chance to compete at a high level is an allure that cannot be resisted.

“It’s difficult,” said Kroll. “I become mom, dad and everything. You take the kids out, and you have to remember: they have to get sheets, they have to do a lot of things that, now they are in America, they have no idea how to do.”

Lucas Taylor is part of a growing number of international athletes who have made the trek to the U.S. for a chance to get an education while playing the sport they love. A sophomore at NAU, Taylor cracked top-10 national polls while attending high school in the United Kingdom in 2010, and consistently started at two or three on the Lumberjacks men’s tennis team his freshman year. For Taylor, the decision to come overseas was a no-brainer.

“Sports here in America are massive, compared to pretty much anywhere else in the world,” said Taylor. “I was always looking to come to America to continue my college tennis career.

I just got in contact with [Kroll] and it sounded like a good fit.”

The opportunity to combine competitive sports with higher education is something unique to U.S. universities. Even so, the decision to leave the comfort and familiarity of home is not an easy one, and the decision is not taken lightly by prospective student athletes.

Urte Kazakeviciute competes at home against Idaho Feb. 6, 2016 Liu Zheng | The Lumberjack

“These kids are doing a lot of research, too, even though it’s on the internet,” Kroll said, who has seven international athletes on his men’s tennis team. “They are trying to find out as much as they can, but I don’t think until you actually step onto the university you can actually know what is really involved and how it really is.”

There is a level of uncertainty felt by both the athletes and the coaching staff until well after the student has set foot on campus.

Because of this, it has become the job of the respective coaches to do their best in helping discern whether or not an athlete will be a good fit for the school and vice versa. Head coach Andy Johns is instrumental in the discernment process for NAU’s swim and dive team and on selling the school to athletes who may be unsure of their decision. Four of the 30 athletes on the swim and dive team were international athletes in 2016, which accounted for 13.3 percent of the team.

“It’s on me,” said Johns of his role in the recruitment process.

“Most of these girls have reached out to us initially. They reach out to a number of schools trying to find the right place for them, but a lot of these girls, they contact us first.”

A city like Flagstaff has a unique appeal for many athletes, especially runners and swimmers, because of the location and altitude. Flagstaff is a destination frequented by professional athletes seeking an edge in their off-season training regimen, and NAU has some of the best facilities in the area. For Johns, the elevation is a key selling point to prospective students, but perhaps it’s not the most important factor in the recruitment process.

“In my opinion, I think Europeans, and the rest of the world, places a lot higher value on altitude training than Americans do,” Johns said. “They are a little bit more knowledgeable about the effects of it, so that’s a big sell for them. The other part of it is do they fit in? Are they going to get the scholarships that they need to come over? And for a lot of them you can’t swim and go to university at the same time. It’s one or the other, so this is a great opportunity for them to continue their swimming careers and get an education.”

Urte Kazakeviciute, a senior at NAU and the Lithuanian national record holder in 200 breaststroke said she came to the U.S. so she could continue swimming.

“I really didn’t want to give up on swimming and I knew that if I stayed in Lithuania I might have not really gone anywhere with that. Coming to the states was a huge opportunity, and I was just happy to have that,” said Kazakeviciute. “I emailed a lot of coaches and Andy was the one who supported me. He gave me a full scholarship. I guess that was the main reason I came here because I was trying to find the best of both worlds.”

Kazakeviciute received one gold medal in the WAC Championship during her 2016 campaign with the Jacks, along with two All-WAC first-team honors and one second-team honor at the WAC Championship. An accomplished swimmer, Kazakeviciute made a leap of faith in choosing to attend the university without the ability to first visit in person.

“It’s hard to compare because I haven’t gone anywhere [else],” Kazakeviciute said. “But I’m so happy I came here. The choice was kind of random. I looked at the environment through Google Maps, and it was me and my parents’ decision. They said this is great, we liked the weather and altitude training. I don’t know. I

20 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

just chose something similar to home, I guess.”

Taylor’s and Kazakeviciutes’ decisions to continue their schooling in the U.S. were somewhat predetermined. However, many international student athletes are confronted with the challenging decision of whether or not to leave home in the first place. For these athletes, the ability to pursue further schooling along with their athletic dreams is close to impossible.

Kimmy Richter, a New Zealand native and junior swimmer at NAU, knows the difficulties of trying to compete and attend university in New Zealand because her sister did it.

“It’s very rare,” said Richter. “My sister was a competitive athlete, and she was one of the few people who performed at a very high level and actually got her degree. It’s difficult because you don’t get any excuses like you can here to miss stuff, so you can easily fall behind. That makes it hard to keep on track for graduation. A lot of professional swimmers are more than likely not going to university.”

Richter helped propel NAU swim and dive to their third consecutive WAC championships while competing in the freestyle and has the third-fastest time in program history in the 200 freestyle (1:50.05). Richter was also one of NAU’s 16 allacademic honorees for the 2016 season.

Whatever the cause, NAU has seen a steady rise in international athletes committing to their program in recent years, especially in sports like swim and dive and tennis. The rise has translated, in large part, to greater success in the athletic programs, and seems certain to continue trending upward if the programs remain successful. Johns has something of a unique perspective on what may have been the catalyst for the recent success NAU has seen in international recruitment.

Johns celebrated his 20th year as head coach of the swim and dive team in 2016 and recalls the turning point as he sees it for the program. To Johns, Fi Connell was a major catalyst for the success the swim and dive team has had with international students to this date. Connell, an Australian, was named a mid-major allAmerican three times by CollegeSwimming.com and still holds the school record in 100 backstroke (1:02.77), 200 backstroke (1:56.56) and 200 individual medley (2:01.29).

“We had one South African boy the last year we had a men’s team, and then we went a good stretch where we really didn’t have too many internationals. It was Fi Connell from Australia who really kind of started this connection that we seem to have now with New Zealand and Australia. We had always been interested,” Johns said. “We had always been talking to them, we just hadn’t gotten them to come. Once we got Fi, it just kind of started rolling something along.

“With some of them, I feel like we’ve gotten lucky,” Johns said as he cracked a smile. “But we are really happy that they are here and helping us get better.”

After international athletes have made the initial time investment of looking into the school and have fully committed to the program, many experience different levels of culture shock upon their arrival on campus. Tennis teammates Hanneke Lodewijks (Breda, Netherlands), Blanka Szavay (Soltvadkert, Hungary) and Marta Lewandowska (Biqtystok, Poland) all experienced the culture shock differently, but each of them related to the importance of former head coach Kim Bruno in helping

SPORT S

them feel at ease in their new environment.

A sophomore on the team, Lodewijks quickly moved to the No. 1 spot due to her singles play her freshman season, finishing 10-10 in singles and 8-2 in conference. Lodewijks has also been ranked as high as 81st in the nation along with her doubles partner Szavay after finishing 14-4 overall, including an upset win against ASU’s No. 22 ranked doubles team Ebony Panoho and Alexandra Osborne.

Lodewijks’ competitive nature was a driving influence for her decision to attend NAU. “I really had a good feeling with [Coach Bruno],” said Lodewijks. “I saw some results of the team and thought they did really well. The team is more important to me than anything else. I looked at other schools, but the teams were not as good or I didn’t have a good feeling about the coach.”

Lewandowska and Szavay both had similar sentiments for the importance of their fit with a new team.

“I am a transfer,” said Szavay. “I started at a different university in Miami, but I had problems over there, so I decided to transfer here. I knew Hungarian people here. Plus, I liked the school and the place.”

“Everything is so different. The practices, school, the language,” Szavay said of the culture change. “I had difficulty in the beginning trying to understand some things. In classes, I had to use a dictionary in the beginning, but after a while you get used to it.”

“Americans are just so open and happy all the time,” said Lewandowska. “It was weird at the beginning because Polish people are more reserved and don’t really talk that much. It was so weird for me when, at the store, people were talking to me randomly. I thought, ‘What is happening? Why are you talking to me?’ Right now, it’s cool though. I really like it.”

Top: Marta Lewandowska prepares her backhand against Emory University March 5, 2016 Sara Krug | The Lumberjack Bottom Right: Doubles partners Hanneke Lodewijks and Blanka Szavay celebrate a point against Sacramento State March 24, 2016. Andrew Holt Frazier | The Lumberjack Bottom Left: Lucas Taylor serves against Montana Feb. 28, 2016 in the Aquatic and Tennis Complex. Sara Krug | The Lumberjack

JAN. 26, 2017 - FEB. 1, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 21

SPORT S

Team challenge accepted: Anderson axes PR Peter Kersting

I

t’s been a busy semester already for track and field as they concluded the Lumberjack Team Challenge Jan. 20, the second scheduled set of events in the young season. Nearly 2 feet of snow couldn’t slow down the Jacks as they began events at 8 a.m., powering their way through the day with 11 event victories and an impressive personal record for thrower Brooke Andersen.

Andersen set a new NAU school record Jan. 13 with her first throw of the season coming in at 20.36 meters. Seemingly unsatisfied with the results, Andersen wasted no time besting her personal record in the weight throw Jan. 21. She managed an impressive 20.54m heave to set a new PR. The Jacks saw quite a bit of success in the track events with several athletes showing improvements from the previous week.

Kylie Goo, a senior mid-distance runner, participated in the women’s mile and 800-meter run. Goo says her performance was a planned approach.

“Coach Smith and I, we came up with a bit of a race plan.

The goal was to go out at 75 [percent], which is a little more conservative than my goal race pace. Up here, it’s still hard the first race back,” said Goo. “I took it out a little too slow with the intention of not going too fast. I think that kind of hurt me as far as overall time, but it was a really good rust buster.”

Goo and other members of the team are coming into the season with a specific approach in order to build on the successes of last season. As an integral part of the game plan, coach McDaniel focuses on the sprints and hurdles. McDaniel seemed pleased with the results of the day.

“Today was a huge improvement from last week, and you know that’s what we’ve been talking about this whole week; progress,” said McDaniel. “We want to make sure we trust the progress and do what we are supposed to do. I saw huge improvement from last week to this week, and that’s really what we want to see because that’s going to help from a mental standpoint. That’s what we’ve been talking about, just sharpening up mentally. That’s pretty much what I was looking for and I am pleased with today from everybody. Normally, in track, you’re pleased with two or three athletes, but I’m really pleased with everybody, 100 percent.”

Isaiah Kennedy, a senior on the team, posted a career-best time in the 60m dash (6.79). According to McDaniel, Kennedy’s performance was no accident, and there is more to come.

“We saw that coming into training,” McDaniel said. “He’s had a really outstanding fall training. We see this thing where he’s really planted a seed, and now we are starting to see a beautiful flower. He really trained hard in the fall, he really did put some beautiful seeds in the ground. Now we are seeing the fruit of it, but there’s more in him. There is more to come. We haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s excited, and that 60 meters is all about emotions. He’s an emotional guy, and he showed it today.”

McDaniel is an emotional man himself. The coach could be seen all over the track, bringing energy to the team and cheering on his players. When asked his impression of new head coach Michael Smith, McDaniel didn’t hesitate to speak.

“I like how he interacts with the athletes. I like how he

Top: Isaiah Kennedy, Devin Villarreal and Jalen Mondane compete in the Lumberjack Team Challenge Jan. 21, 2016.

Bottom Left: Kylie Goo (center) waits at the start line for the mile with her NAU teammates and a competitor.

Bottom Right: Obang Odol finishes long jump. Ryan Vanderpool |The Lumberjack

interacts with the coaches, and I like how he sits around and absorbs,” McDaniel said. “He can relate to anyone, and that is his greatest attribute. He can relate to everyone, and his overall personality is contagious. It’s even affecting me. It’s hard to be in a bad mood around him, because he’s a guy who just makes everyone stand up a little bit taller. That’s what I like about him.”

There’s a lot of energy surrounding this track and field team, part of which is undoubtedly fed by the men’s NCAA championship. The team boasts quite a few talented pieces, and they all appear willing and eager to take the next step.

22 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

As Smith looks to build upon the legacy established by former head coach Eric Heins and previous coaches, he has already managed to gain the full support of his team.

“It’s been a clean transition,” said Kennedy. “He’s fun. He’s just like coach [McDaniel]. I can come to his office and talk to him about anything. He’s very motivated, so it feels like he’s been coaching here for years. That’s how good it’s been with him. He’s been amazing so far.”

If the hype around the team is any indication, track and field isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Yo u

1 0 7. 1 F M

r

!

New AX ess M

c usi

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Naked Mobile is a brand product of Smith Bagley, Inc., dba Cellular One of North East Arizona. Offer only available at Naked Mobile retail store located in Flagstaff, AZ. Contact store for hours of operation and more information. Buy three (3) months of service and get the 4th month free. Must be new activation. No renewals. All New Activation Naked Mobile plans are eligible for participation. Free fourth month is for same plan at time of 3 month purchase. Must be 18-years-old or older. Naked Mobile may discontinue this promotion at any time in its sole discretion without notice. Some restrictions apply. Your Naked Mobile agreement includes your service agreement and additional terms and conditions available at www.nakedmobile. com. Service is good for a 30-day billing cycle. For questions visit your local retail store or call 1-844-236-2533. Data speeds are not guaranteed. Any unused data does not roll over to next 30 day period. No tethering allowed unless specifically provided as part of your data plan. Your Naked Mobile Plan remains subject to Naked Mobile’s excessive use, disproportionate roaming and Fair Use Policies. See www.nakedmobile.com. Naked Mobile complies with the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) Open Internet Broadband Industry Rules as they pertain to Cellular One as a mobile broadband provider. Naked Mobile’s Open Internet Disclosure is available at any retail store or online at www.nakedmobile.com and is intended to allow customers to make informed choices about our mobile broadband services; and so that content, application, service and device providers have the information needed to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.

2017-01-303