The Lumberjack-March 15, 2018

T H E L U M BE R JACK MARCH 15, 2018 – MARCH 28, 2018

ESCAPE THE PRESENT PAGES 12–13

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

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recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology concluded that fake news stories were 70 percent more likely to be shared on Twitter than true stories — and spread farther and faster than the truth.

That is terrifying. But despite how scary it all is, fake news isn’t new­— it’s been around since at least 13th century B.C. In the late 19th century, yellow journalism was rampant with its sensational stories, that included little fact checking.

It didn’t come about during the 2016 presidential race, despite the popularization the Republican candidate, and now president, gave to the term. While fake news isn’t a new thing, the methods through which it is transmitted, and ways we receive it, is. And the effects it can have are profound, far-reaching and often astonishingly polarizing.

The consequences of fake news in our modern era of instant news, social media and polarized political systems are intense, and exacerbates society’s existing problems. Fake news does not discriminate, either. While most of the news surrounding the Russian interference and influence on this past election was in CONOR SWEETMAN favor of presidential candidate Donald Trump, pro-democrat fake news stories and NEWS EDITOR headlines also made the rounds.

Even the media savvy fell victim to seemingly real accounts or real stories on social media. I fell into the trap of fake news during the election cycle and didn’t realize until mid-February when I heard the findings about accounts that were fake and used to plant dissent in the minds of voters. In a seemingly real Twitter account I followed, I discovered it was actually created by Russian trolls to promote a Conservative agenda.

As the news editor at The Lumberjack, there are things that I have to vet regarding stories being real or fake. One time, a source gave me a tip about something happening on campus, and if true, would have been incredibly damaging to the university.

But after a couple phone calls, no damaging activity was found.

If you are reading this and think that you could never possibly fall into the trap of fake news, think again. I didn’t think I could, but I did.

Fact check, verify with other sources, make sure you’re getting your news from a reliable source.

Don’t pick the news outlet because it supports your political views, pick it because it tells the truth.

The world is a dangerous place. News should be one of the few things that is kept safe from politics, pettiness and lies.

As my father always says, be smart and be safe.

Thank you for reading.

Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313 Lumberjack@nau.edu P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 106 ISSUE 9

Editor-in-Chief Megan Troutman

Managing Editor Lance Hartzler

Copy Chief Emma Helfrich

Web Chief Ariel Cianfarano

Faculty Advisor Mary Tolan

Faculty Advisor, Visuals Jennifer Swanson

Sales Manager Marsha Simon

Print Chief Matthew Strissel

Media Innovation Center Editorial Board News Editor Conor Sweetman

Op-Ed Editor Elizabeth Wendler

Sports Editor Bailey Helton

Director of Illustration Colton Starley

Asst. News Editor Mikayla Shoup

Asst. Op-Ed Editor Peggy Packer

Asst. Sports Editor Quinn Snyder

Director of Photography Shannon Cowan

Senior Reporters Adrian Skabelund Chandler Coiner

Culture Editor Katie Sawyer

Features Editor Darrion Edwards

Asst. Director of Photography Maxim Mascolo

Director of Circulation Asst. Culture Editor Luis Gardetto Ashley Besing

Asst. Features Editor MaryAnn Witt

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Senior Photographer Michael Patacsil

“[chickens] shouldn’t have to live like this.

There’s other ways. There’s a whole list of substitutes.”

- Freshman special education major Bianca Salinas, 2018 From left, Crystal Kozlak and Grace Amico, Brave the Cage outreach coordinators, stand in a cage with a family touring NAU. The group attempts to educate people on how chickens are treated March 12. Shannon Swain | The Lumberjack

On the cover Society for Creative Anachronism members J.D. Stocking (left) and Justin Davis (right), spar in their gear at Thorpe Park March 4. Matthew Strissel | The Lumberjack

Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Megan Troutman at mlt273@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat March 5 At 8:50 a.m., a staff member in Reilly Hall called to report damage to a camera.

An NAUPD officer responded, but it was apparently just a prank. It is unclear whether the call or the damage to the camera was a prank.

At 3:23 p.m., a student in Tinsley Hall reported a stolen bicycle. An NAUPD officer responded, but the case was closed when the leads were exhausted.

At 10:16 p.m., a staff member at the School of Communication called to report a campfire smell. An NAUPD officer responded, but nothing criminal was found. Smoke was visible across much of campus that night.

March 6 At 5:59 a.m., staff at the Health and Learning Center reported a subject with a baseball bat. NAUPD responded, but no one with a bat was found. Everything was fine.

At 12:41 p.m., an NAUPD officer cited and released a student for exceeding the speed limit by at least 20 mph near the intersection of Knoles Drive and McConnell Drive.

At 1:06 p.m., a staff member near the intersection of Knoles Drive and Dupont Avenue reported a subject urinating outside. An NAUPD officer responded and warned the subject not to trespass.

March 7 At 8:24 p.m., a subject reported someone intoxicated in the road near the ROTC building. NAUPD responded, and the non-student was escorted off campus.

At 11:15 p.m., an NAUPD officer found a case at Wilson Hall. Shortly after at 12:36 a.m., the officer found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the case. It is being held by NAUPD. March 8 At 1:38 p.m., a staff member in McConnell Hall reported the theft of three fire extinguishers. An NAUPD officer responded, and the case was closed after all leads were exhausted.

At 2:05 p.m., a staff member reported exit signs stolen from McConnell Hall.

The same NAUPD officer who responded to the 1:38 p.m. incident came again, but leads were exhausted and again the case closed.

At 2:30 p.m., staff member reported finding a bullet at the Health and Learning Center. A police aide responded, and the bullet was entered into safekeeping.

At 2:35 p.m., a student waved down an officer near the Blome building. The student reported a domestic violence dispute between two nonstudents, and the officer took a report on the matter.

March 9 At 2:28 a.m., an NAUPD officer noticed a subject cutting through the Citizens Cemetery. The officer stopped the subject and warned them not to trespass when the cemetery is closed.

At 10:03 a.m., a student reported things stolen from their room at Skyview Apartments. An NAUPD officer responded, took a report and an investigation is ongoing.

Compiled by Chandler Coiner At 7:21 p.m., NAUPD received an alarm from Allen Hall. An officer responded, and the alarm was determined to be caused by burned food.

March 10 At 3:27 a.m., a subject reported many doors inside the University Union open when they should have been closed.

An NAUPD officer responded.

No criminal activity was witnessed, and the doors were closed.

At 7:13 p.m., a student reported a group with a firearm at the Social and Behavioral Sciences West building.

NAUPD responded, but no criminal activity was witnessed.

At 7:52 p.m., a subject received a written warning in parking lot 67 from an NAUPD officer. The warning was for speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, no rear light and no rear license plate.

March 11 At 12:59 a.m., an RA at McConnell Hall reported damage to a beanbag chair. An NAUPD officer responded, but all leads were exhausted and the case was closed.

At 1:24 a.m., a student reported a suspicious person standing near the intersection of San Francisco Street and McConnell Drive. An NAUPD officer responded, but the person was just waiting for a taxi. Everything was fine.

At 1:46 a.m., an RA at McConnell Hall reported damage to three exit signs. An NAUPD officer responded, but the case was closed and all leads were exhausted.

MARCH 15, 2018 – MARCH 28, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 3

NEWS

NAU receives accreditation with an asterisk Adrian Skabelund

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AU’s report card is in, and the university received A’s on everything except joint governance for which the university received a C in the most recent accreditation report.

The Higher Learning Commission released the Nov. 28, 2017, report in February, announcing the university met all their standards, albeit with concerning practices regarding communication and joint governance.

First accredited in 1930, NAU must be re-accredited, or reviewed and certified as an academic institution, to assure the university is up to the standards for providing a quality higher education every 10 years.

The review covers everything from the state of university facilities to whether or not the university is acting in an ethical manner, and NAU President Rita Cheng applauded the report in an email to campus March 2.

“This re-accreditation is a reflection of all of the hard work taking place throughout our university,” read Cheng’s email. “I also want to thank all of the faculty, staff and students who participated in this effort. This is a proud moment for NAU, and I hope everyone takes a moment to celebrate their role in this achievement.”

Cheng also said NAU was commended for improving the quality of the education provided since the last accreditation review, as well as the amount of research that is undertaken by its faculty and, increasingly, by undergraduate students as well.

According to the commission, interviews with faculty showed the university has also had a “positive shift in the culture of assessment at NAU,” and that “NAU has made substantial progress in advancing meaningful assessment of its degree programs.”

In addition, NAU was recognized for the cultural and community events that are held and organized by many of the individual departments including a two-day workshop held by the university to discuss First Amendment issues last year.

But the commission’s report also points out some places where the university has room for improvement. For one, the report mentions that although adequate at the moment, many students have trouble meeting with advisors.

Primarily, however, the report states that NAU needs to improve how administrators, faculty, staff and students communicate and

NAU President Rita Cheng and Provost Dan Kain discuss resolutions during a Faculty Senate meeting Feb. 19. The administration has clashed with Faculty Senate over shared governance.

Shannon Swain| The Lumberjack.

jointly run the university. The commision gave NAU until 2019 to report back on the university’s improvements.

The commission’s report also pointed out some places where the university has room for improvement, primarily when it comes to joint governance with faculty, staff and students, and communication with those three groups.

This does not come as much of a surprise.

In a January report from the Arizona Auditor General, revealed that NAU had not consulted student government when implementing some new mandatory fees.

When the accreditation team came to tour campus last year, they met with students, faculty and staff and many expressed concerns over how the university was being run by the administration.

“Faculty do not believe they are being

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provided adequate voice in decisions that affect them and staff members indicated a frustration with trying to do too much too quickly,” reads the commission’s report. “All groups agreed that change is necessary, but there were clear questions as to how fast it had to occur and how much voice members of the University community had in those decisions and the plans for implementation.”

Faculty Senate President Gioia Woods said she was proud of the high marks NAU received when it came to educating students, and that the issues of shared governance were included in the report.

“Shared governance is a central piece of a quality education,” said Woods.

Woods also echoed the report by saying NAU already has policies in place that address these concerns, but it is the culture of shared

governance that must be improved.

“The [commission] believes that it is the culture around shared governance that could be improved, and the Faculty Senate looks forward to helping meet that goal,” said Woods. “It’s clear from the [commission’s] report and from my 19 years here that we all value this institution and we want to see it thrive.”

Most recently, faculty and the administration have been at odds over how the Endowed McAllister Chair vacancy was filled, as faculty say they were sidelined during that decision. The commission’s report points to the recent implementation of multi-term enrollment and classroom scheduling as another example of a breakdown in communication between administration and faculty. Both changes have proved controversial with faculty and students alike.

“Another example of the areas for improvement in shared governance, and the communication that is so necessary to the process, was the twin problems of centralized classroom scheduling and multi-term scheduling,” the report reads. “The ongoing growth on campus make both of these programs necessary, as was agreed to by the majority of staff and faculty we interviewed. Where the communication broke down was on the perceived amount of input allowed from these two important constituent groups of the University community.”

Because of these issues, NAU will not have to wait the usual 10 years before dealing with the accreditation group again. Instead, the Higher Learning Commission told the university to create a plan to improve communication and joint governance. Then, NAU must submit an interim report on how the situation has improved to the commission by May 31, 2019.

According to NAU spokesperson Kimberly Ott, although NAU is not yet ready to announce any particular plan or process to address the issue, the president is considering several options, and is pleased to do so.

“President Cheng said she is pleased with the progress made since NAU’s re-accreditation in 2007 and welcomes the opportunity to provide additional information to the HLC in 2019 regarding increased channels of communication across campus,” said Ott via email. “The university has already taken many steps to enhance communication as to how NAU is growing in order to expand its leadership position in student success initiatives and meet the increasing need for an educated workforce in Arizona.”

MARCH 15, 2018 – MARCH 28, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 5

NEWS

New bill could do away with odd-year elections Chandler Coiner

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he Arizona State Legislature aims to take away Flagstaff’s, and other cities that hold local elections, power to hold local elections in the years they select.

House Bill 2604, passed 34-22 in the House March 7, would implement a system where a charter city, such as Flagstaff or any other “political subdivision,” with an elected body, is subject to termination of its right to hold oddyear elections. If voter turnout in an odd-year election, such as 2019, is less than 75 percent of statewide voter turnout, the state rescinds the right of the city to hold those elections.

The stated purpose of the bill is to increase voter turnout, which is constitutionally a state interest.

“On the surface, it appears that turnout is exceedingly low when you’re not in a general election, even-number year,” said Rep. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, House speaker and prime sponsor of the bill. “I know that was the concern originally, which is what motivated the first version of this. This now is not saying everybody consolidates just automatically under a hypothetical. This is a very specific trigger that says if the turnout is so low, by actual data and actual evidence, then you consolidate because the turnout is much higher. So, I think it makes a lot of sense.”

HB 2604 is now on its way to the Senate for a second vote, and if it passes there, the bill will head to the Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk.

Mesnard’s bill is a second attempt at taking away municipalities’ power to hold special elections. In 2012 a similar law was passed, but then it was later struck down in 2014 by the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Judge Michael Miller wrote the decision that gave power back to local governments to hold their own elections. Miller wrote the court’s opinion for a unanimous three-judge panel. He wrote that local governments should be free of the “influence of partisan issues” that state and federal elections bring during even-number years if they so choose.

But now, Mesnard is back with HB 2604 with what he thinks is an improved argument of state interest in voter turnout, and the legislature mostly agrees.

Democrat House representative Mitzi Epstein began the debate on the House floor by saying to Mesnard she is “disturbed you’re messing with my cities again.” Epstein posited voters might not ever get to focus on local

elections with the fanfare of state and local issues at the top of the ballots every other year.

But Mesnard appears to be an absolutist regarding increasing turnout, even if it means telling cities what they can and cannot do.

“My opinion is that more turnout is better than lower turnout,” said Mesnard. “You [Epstein] may not agree, but I think most people think that more participation is better. The whole premise of this bill is that idea, so I can certainly understand that if you don’t see more participation as critical to democracy, you would oppose the bill.”

Epstein said she thinks voter turnout is only half the story, and voters being informed on local elections is the other half the bill is missing.

“The people in those political subdivisions should be the ones to decide, and that’s not just my opinion, that’s what the charters say,” said Epstein. “And so I would hate to see the number of lawsuits we might have from that.”

In 2015, Flagstaff actually did decide for itself. Ironically in an odd-year election, Flagstaff voted 71 percent to have even-year fall elections by default, and voted 65 percent to not have odd-year spring elections.

Mayor Coral Evans affirmed Mesnard’s premise of his bill back in 2015.

“I think fall elections provide the best voter turnout, and the more people involved in the democratic process the better,” said Evans, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. Evans’ comment in no way endorses Mesnard’s conclusion that the state should have the power to take away odd-year elections from cities.

Data procurement has also been an issue for HB 2604. Mesnard said they’re still putting together the information from all of the municipalities on statewide turnout versus local, odd-year election turnout. Without this, it is unclear which cities would qualify for the trigger for their elections to be consolidated, though most are anticipated to not retain their right to an odd-year election.

Democrat House representative Athena Salman said she wished the data collection had come before the introduction of the bill, but Mesnard is confident voter turnout is a goal worth having.

“When Phoenix had its sort of special election runoff last year in November of 2016, their voter turnout skyrocketed,” Mesnard said.

“So when they actually did align with the normal time frame, much, much higher turnout than what they normally see. So I think the evidence

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Illustration by Brady Wheeler

really does point to a strong likelihood that voter turnout will increase, but even if it’s lower, it only gets triggered if it’s a 25 percent reduction.”

Even if the bill becomes law over the coming weeks, the courts could — similarly to its 2012 incarnation — reject it as many representatives are counting on.

According to Coconino County Elections Commission, Flagstaff had 38,493 registered voters for the 2016 November election.

However, it’s difficult to know how odd-year turnout reflects on Flagstaff’s chances to avoid a trigger now that the city voted to stop those elections.

MARCH 15, 2018 – MARCH 28, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 7

COMIC SPOT

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MARCH 15, 2018 – MARCH 21, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 9

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Hitchhike outside your comfort zone Nick Pijler

Sex isn’t about numbers

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ar too often, I’ve been asked or witnessed someone else being asked, “What’s your body count?”

For those who aren’t familiar with the phrase, someone’s “body count” is the number of people they have had sexual intercourse with. This may seem like a touchy, inappropriate question to ask someone.

That’s because it is.

The reason this question comes up so often in day-to-day conversation is because of the misogynistic view that the number of sexual partners a woman has had in her lifetime somehow diminishes her worth.

Men can also be victims of this aggressive curiosity for having lower PEGGY PACKER numbers, but are less often attacked for their ASSISTANT OP-ED EDITOR answer. Regardless of your gender, people will ask you your body count as a method of determining your sexual value.

The fact of the matter is, it is incredibly narcissistic and vain to think that by having sex with someone, you somehow have an impact on their worth. While having sex can be a very emotional experience, it has no impact whatsoever on your worth as a human being.

Quite frankly, it is none of your business how many partners someone else has had. If they want to tell you, they’ll surely bring it up themselves. If not, don’t push it. Chances are, they don’t want you to know.

The person on the receiving end of this question usually ends up feeling embarrassed, shameful or outright uncomfortable. You end up with knowledge you had no right to in the first place, and they end up feeling attacked.

Some may argue that body counts are important because they don’t want to be with someone who has “slept around.”

This is where things may get tricky. Who you choose to and not to sleep with is all up to you, but perhaps preoccupying yourself with numbers isn’t the way to go.

Just because someone only has a body count of one does not mean they are safe from STDs, and just because someone has a body count of 24 doesn’t mean they are guaranteed to have one either. Sometimes, numbers do lie. Perhaps we should focus more on protection, and screenings and tests that give us real answers about our own sexual health rather than a superficial number.

At the end of the day, whether you reveal your body count to someone else is up to you, but let’s get out of the habit of asking other people about theirs.

This is still personal information, and you’re not entitled to anyone’s personal information but your own.

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F

rom riding horses to driving cars, transportation has evolved throughout the years. It may, however, be liberating to get back to the basics sometimes.

Leave the car in the parking lot and go hitchhiking. It could result in an unforgettable adventure.

During the Great Depression, it was very common for United States citizens to hitchhike along main roads. According to Living History Farm, an internet site about farming in the 1930s, people were low on money and had to find new ways of transportation. The amount of hitchhikers increased so much that it raised concerns and was later criticized for being dangerous and criminal.

I believe this counter-effect persists to this day. When I talk about hitchhiking to people, their first responses are often along the lines of, “What if you’re never seen again?” “You can never trust the driver,” and “You will probably die.” A former lecturer of mine once said, “Assumption is the mother of screw-ups.”

Hence, I like to recall his accuracy.

I believe in solidarity. We can connect more by giving each other a chance. My friend, Thomas Keulemans, 23, is the best example I can illustrate.

A long time ago, Keulemans told me he had this plan of hitchhiking to a festival in Portugal. I had known him for a couple of years already. We often reflected on our thoughts and walked around in our home city in the Netherlands. I had great admiration for his idea, but I had somewhat-concerned questions.

“Where will you start? What if you don’t get picked up by anyone? What if you meet bad people along the way?”

Even though a voice in my head said that I should chill out and remember my beliefs, I just hoped he would be all right.

“I will start in Utrecht,” said Keulemans about the Netherlands city.

“And I intend to reach the Portuguese festival in a full week. The key is to believe in fellow humans and neglect thoughts of them to be bad.”

It felt romantic to imagine a successful trip and actually reaching Portugal in a week. I mean, we are talking about a nearly 1,300-mile distance. Surprisingly,

Keulemans reached his destination early.

He told me that he had enough time to chill at a Spanish beach before proceeding with his trip.

“What a hero,” I thought.

Keulemans explained that it was one of the best challenges he took in his life.

“It is a wonderful experience, but it is very intense,” Keulemans said. “At some points during the trip, it seems you do not make progress. My fellow hikers and I were sleeping next to a gas station in our tents.

In the middle of the night, some sprinklers went on and completely soaked all of our baggage. We were freezing!”

With growing wanderlust, Keulemans bought a characteristic hippie van. His first adventurous trip became motivation to see more and more of the world.

“I can highly recommend you to

hitchhike,” Keulemans said. “As you meet so many beautiful people on your way. I tell you, life starts outside of the comfort zone.”

Obviously and undeniably, one should be cautious when planning on hitchhiking.

Let people know when, where and who you intend to go with. Buy a sufficient outdoor bag that properly carries your living essentials such as flashlights, map markers and a map of the area you are about to visit.

Do not bring useless items. Construct multiple ways of reaching your desired destination. Take some cash with you to conquer unexpected obstructions.

And, last but not least, enjoy the journey to the fullest.

Thomas Keulemans, who once hitchhiked from the Netherlands to a festival in Portugal, is an advocate for that mode of travel. Nick Pijler | The Lumberjack

OPINION-EDITORIAL

A reasonable, delicious compromise Kelsey Spigelmire

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any semi-environmentally conscious people want to be doing more than what they currently are to help preserve the world around them. They don’t, however, necessarily want to change anything drastic about the way they’re currently living. Any sort of change in lifestyle is hard, but with consistency and perseverance, what was once a nuisance can become part of regular life. Eating meat is bad for the environment.

A key way people can lessen their impact on the environment while simultaneously boosting their health is ditching meat until the weekend. It would be insane to just tell people who have eaten meat all their lives to just stop cold turkey — pun intended. It is reasonable to push for only indulging in meat on the weekends because it would significantly reduce their impact on the environment.

There is a movement already going with this kind of mentality, and they’re known as flexitarians. For those who admire vegetarians for their commitment, but family barbecues are their kryptonite, a partial vegetarian diet is perfect and easy to achieve.

Speaking of barbecue, it takes approximately 1,847 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef, according to the Huffington Post. That’s right, a single pound.

To give this even more context, according to NPR, “Though meat consumption in the U.S. has dropped off slightly in recent

years, at 270.7 pounds per person a year, we still eat more meat weigh 15 percent less than their more carnivorous counterparts; per person here than in almost any other country on the planet.” have a lower rate of heart disease, diabetes and cancer; and live an So, if giving up half-an-hour showers after a long stressful average of 3.6 years longer.” day isn’t something worth sacrificing, giving up meat a few days a If that’s not enough to convince week is a much better option to reduce water footprints. someone to eat less meat, I don’t I’ve always thought of myself generally as an know what will. environmentally conscious person, but it wasn’t until Many people think about I learned about how my consumption directly vegetarianism as only eating impacts the environment around me that I truly almonds and pieces of lettuce. began to rethink what I was putting in my body.

It’s not. College students may Not only has this mentality allowed me to sometimes be flexitarians already mentally feel good about what I’m doing, without even realizing it by eating but it has also significantly impacted my ramen for three days straight or by physical health. ordering a cheese pizza with their buddies I’m a chicken nugget and burger addict to the library for a long study session. and always have been. Ever since I reduced Just because it might not be my frequent trips to Wendy’s and Five intentional, it’s a step in the right direction Guys, I would be lying if I said I didn’t and is enough encouragement to at least feel better about myself and my health. attempt to cut meat out a few days a week.

Obviously, no change comes easy. Yet, People may already be halfway there without the thought of slightly helping the environment even realizing it. more than the average person is something to make At a time where things may be spiraling Illustration By Brady Wheeler anyone feel good about themselves. If not for the out of control in college or life in general, environment, do it for your body. It will thank you. there is one thing that can often be controlled: The food you put According to the U.S. News & World Report, “Flexitarians in your body.

Is it morally OK to be pro-life and pro-guns?

Maria Angulo

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bortion and gun control are two of the biggest policy issues in the United States. People who call themselves pro-gun and pro-life also typically call themselves conservatives.

This has always confused me: How can you be both, and how do these people not see the hypocrisy in this?

One of the concerns many gun enthusiasts have is that they have the right to bear arms as it is expressed in the Second Amendment. They believe that the federal government should not regulate guns. When it comes to a woman’s body, though, they don’t think twice in supporting the government for trying to regulate abortion.

Why can the government decide what a person can or can’t do with their body, but not whether or not they can purchase a gun?

Many conservatives are known for these exact views. They see themselves as the protectors of gun rights and unborn babies.

But what about when that fetus becomes a human?

We have a leader like President Donald Trump who calls himself both of these things by being an advocate for the Second Amendment and being against abortion. Both of these issues were very important for him to win conservative votes.

The funny thing is that most people are not even asking

for all guns to be removed. They are just asking for them to be regulated more strictly. How can an 18-year-old go into a store and buy a weapon but not a beer? And how come there are still hundreds of women being told what to do with their bodies in 2018?

I believe this is about more than just having the power to decide for others, as a political science professor of mine said. He said that these two issues are always entangled in order to keep power in the patriarchy.

Lately, it seems people are more focused on their guns not being taken away than their kids not being shot. With the most recent shooting in Parkland, Florida, this became a very important point for discussion.

Are your guns more important than our lives? And this is my problem: People are enraged that the rest of the country is talking about gun control after a shooting, but when it comes to abortion and talking about other people’s decisions about their bodies, they are all about it.

How many politicians are on Capitol Hill saying they have to protect the unborn children? One example is Vice President Mike Pence, who was part of the March for Life in January 2017, but when it came to the shooting in Parkland, he did not say anything about gun control.

This, for me, is one of the biggest slaps in the face because

it makes no sense. How is a lack of background checks or an age limit for buying weapons more acceptable than abortions?

Truly by no means am I saying that all the people who are anti-abortion are against gun reform, or that you have to choose to be either or. You can be both, but is it morally correct? That is up to your opinion.

Illustration By Kaitlin Gould

MARCH 15, 2018 – MARCH 21, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 11

FEATURES

Hear ye! Hear ye! A kingdom at battle Jerod Didway

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t’s a sight seldom seen in the 21st century.

Under the harsh sun, hundreds of people in full sets of armor, most bearing a sword and shield, marched on a grassy field as the fighting commenced. The sounds of battle filled the air as arrows were strewn from one side of the conflict to the other.

For the people who are members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), this is chance for them to recreate history.

Every year, during the latter part of February, people from across Arizona gather to escape the present by living in the past.

Their organization is a non-profit, medieval re-enactment group, and their goal is to make history come alive all over again.

Members have the opportunity to camp, craft, cook, fight and live the way people did during the Middle Ages. Historical recreation is the foundation for the group.

“We like to say in the SCA that we recreate the Middle Ages the way they should have been, not necessarily the way they were,” said Kathleen Sweebe. “We leave the plague out of it.”

Sweebe serves as the deputy herald of Barony of Ered Sul, which is known to SCA members as the area of Flagstaff and northern Arizona. She has been a part of northern Arizona’s SCA chapter for 39 years and has seen the organization grow across Arizona as well as the globe.

The SCA is divided into 20 kingdoms throughout the world, and in each kingdom, there are designated regions known as baronies and shires. These regions are scattered throughout the kingdom and fall under the governance of a king or queen.

“Arizona is known within the SCA as the Kingdom of Atenveldt. We were actually one of the earliest groups and began in the 1960s,” Sweebe said.

Within Atenveldt, there are 13 different regions in the kingdom, each operated by an elected baron or prince whom the king has to approve after the votes are confirmed. These people delegate, manage and plan everything that goes on within their respective regions.

The Barony of Ered Sul is also home to the College of St. Vladimir, NAU’s own SCA club.

These two SCA groups attend many of the same events, workshops, fighting practices and gatherings together. When members of the College of St. Vladimir are due to graduate,

Hannah Schneider, junior creative media and film major, known in the Society for Creative Anachronism as Hannah Av Vladimir (left) and fellow member Justin Davis (right) battle in their gear in Thorpe Park March 4. Matthew Strissel | The Lumberjack

many of those who remain in northern Arizona cross over into the Barony of Ered Sul to continue growing within the organization.

Many members who are with the barony for a long time choose to become officers. They work closely under the leadership of the baron and baroness.

Rob and Kelly Rexroat both said that the The College of St. Vladimir is basically the face of Ered Sul. The couple was elected this past year in July and serve as baron and baroness.

“The Barony of Ered Sul is a family. We like to call each other our chosen family,” said Kelly Rexroat.

They are responsible for shaping the public image of Ered Sul and must exhibit the types of qualities that the SCA values in its members.

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“The SCA in general displays hospitality, chivalry, honor, you know, all of the good things of medieval life. Ered Sul, to me, seems to exemplify all of it. Especially the hospitality and focus on family,” said Rob Rexroat.

Those in elected positions are able to bond more with other members, and they are able to enjoy the spoils of being elected.

“Being baron and baroness, you get to see more of the pageantry, the feasting; we get to connect more with the people and bring their aspirations to life,” Kelly Rexroat said.

The SCA has a way of bringing history to life in a way most people never get to experience.

One of those ways is combat.

Hannah Schneider, a junior creative media and film major, has been in the SCA for three

years as a member of the College of St. Vladimir and serves as the chapter’s club president.

Schneider said she was influenced to join the SCA by the club’s previous president, Aurora Babcock-Cooke, and was drawn into the fold due to her love for history and lore.

“I loved the fantasy realm. Everything mythical and medieval, as well as historical, which is everything the SCA stands for, rather than Live Action Role Playing (LARP). They focus more on Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of The Rings type stuff,” said Schneider.

Schneider was immediately drawn to the excitement of battle and the various forms of combat and competition. She has since become the College of St. Vladimir and the Barony of Ered Sul’s only female combatant in the region.

FEATURES “[Aurora] told me about the knights, armor and fighting, and I was, like, cool,” Schneider said. “I got into fighting. It’s kind of my thing.

I started showing up at Thorpe Park on Sundays and began learning the basics of fighting.”

The Barony of Ered Sul and the College of St. Vladimir hold fighter practices every Sunday at Thorpe Park. There, they put on their gear and practice proper form, striking and defending techniques, as well as how to move around in a full suit of armor without exhausting all their energy.

“They threw me into what’s called loaner gear, which is either loaned armor or garb. It’s circulated within the SCA and provided to new members who really want to get started,” Schneider said. “It never fits because it was made for someone else, but it helped me begin learning.”

As far as combat is concerned, bruises are especially common among the more daring fighters, and broken bones do sometimes happen.

“In the SCA, we like to say we kill our friends, not hurt them,” Sweebe said.

It is required to wear helmets and full armor during combat. The weapons range from anything from the standard wooden sword and shield, to axes, bow and arrows, spears and war hammers.

“You get to choose what way you feel comfortable fighting, whether you want to be up close or at a distance,” Schneider said.

All SCA weapons are made of a more durable wood called katan, which has the same weight as metal without the sharp edges.

Designated referees who monitor the conflict make sure everyone is abiding by the guidelines set in place.

While Rob Rexroat is out fighting, Kelly Rexroat is on the battlefield assisting fighters with water, aid and repairs they might need.

“The energy and spirit during battle is so exciting and intense,” Rob Rexroat said. “We want to make it as easy and as welcoming as possible to get started. Whatever your interest is, if you are not a fighter, there is something in our arts and sciences for you.”

Providing that opportunity to learn and experience what the SCA has to offer without any kind major investment, besides interest and time, is exactly what members of Ered Sul and St. Vladimir want to offer the community.

“You get what you put into it. If you want to be someone who just goes to events, puts on a single tunic and just hangs out for five days, you’re welcome to. But if you are interested in learning a skill or craft, or create an art piece, there is a place for you,” Rob Rexroat said.

Trade crafts such as blacksmithing, brewing, construction, fine art and jewelry,

leather work, tailoring and scroll making are common practices among SCA members. The fruits of such labors can be seen on display in shop booths and campsites.

“Needle work and other domestics were always my thing. My husband has been a blacksmith and metal worker,” Sweebe said.

Some members of the club even create and design custom attire.

“We make our own clothes, we make our own banners, we even make our own tents.

Everyday people will learn how to make leather shoes and sell them at events, ” Schneider said.

The variety of abilities make it easier to create different workshops for people to improve their skills. Because all the members have varying interests in the Middle Ages, there are multiple people willing to help new members learn some of the needed skills to be successful.

“If you want to learn how to embroider, I know 10 people right now that would be willing to teach you. If you like blacksmithing or you think you might like blacksmithing, we have people who have forges and want to teach you.

If you are a cook and you want to learn period cooking, there are people for that, ” Rob Rexroat said.

Events often include historically accurate cooking competitions where contestants are given a basket of common ingredients found during the time period. Teams of chefs prepare dishes using old-school recipes for a panel of judges.

“We definitely wear the term geek with pride, though we are more eloquent about naming it,” Sweebe said.

For the members of northern Arizona’s SCA club, it’s about having a good time, even if some may think it is unusual.

“It’s not for someone else’s entertainment, we do it for ourselves. A lot of people expect us to be like the renaissance fair, but it’s so much more involved in that,” Schneider said.

There are opportunities to learn, sing, play games or fight on the battlefield. Archery, knife and ax throwing, trebuchet (a type of catapult) competitions and lessons are available on camp grounds.

At night, the members meet by a fire and share songs, food and drink.

“You will be sitting around a fire and there is a doctor across from you, a plumber beside you and a high school kid next to him. There’s such a wide range of people who come to just enjoy each other and enjoy the fun,” Rob Rexroat said.

The combat may be brutal, the hours of practice and crafting might be a challenge, but for the members of the SCA, it is about escaping the present by experiencing the past.

Top: Justin Davis, of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), adjusts his gloves between battles March 4. Bottom: Equipment belonging to J.D. Stocking, who goes by Donovan MacEgoin in the SCA, rests on the ground at Thorpe Park March 4. Matthew Strissel| The Lumberjack

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FEATURES

Humans of NAU During Diversity Week at NAU students took time out of their busy schedules to explain their experiences at NAU and describe some of their unusual talents and hobbies. From creating music to open heart surgery, these students are examples of the talent at NAU.

Jaylon Williams

Chris Mulholland

Aulii Soloman

Freshman Business sciences, secondary education Tempe, Arizona

Freshman Business economics Anchorage, Alaska

Sophomore Public relations Pearl City, Hawaii

“One hobby and unusual talent is that I’m really good at surgery. I’ve done open-cow-heart surgery before. I’ve also done piglets, like dissecting as well. I also do drag, and I’m getting into that as well.”

“It all started my freshman year of high school. I took a biomedical class, and we got to do cow-heart dissection. It was really cool looking at ventricles and everything.”

“Drag, I will be auditioning next week on Tuesday the 13th.

I will see if I get it. I have been interested in drag for about two years now.”

“I think unusual talents makes a person. You don’t know a person until you actually ask them what’s going on in their life.”

“NAU has been fun. It’s a lot different than home. I like it a lot. I’ve never been to Arizona, and I thought it would be cool.”

“I make electronic music on the side. I got a synthesizer for Christmas one time. It’s a little beat machine I got four years ago.

I’ve been doing that pretty much every hour of my free time for the last four years.”

“I’ve fully recorded four or five songs.”

“That’s what makes you unique and sets you apart from everyone else. Everyone has a unique talent. So, it’s like everyone has their own little special thing. I respect that.”

Stories by Darrion Edwards | Photos by Devyn Coons 14 THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

“I think if there’s anything that I would want to see out of this school is that kind of exposure for indigenous people, just as much as we see with athletics and things like that.”

“I don’t know if I’d say unusual, but I’m definitely passionate about dancing hula. I don’t know if you’ve seen it in movies and what not, but I’ve been dancing since I was 6, and I’m the luau choreographer for our [HAPA Hawaiian] club. So if you do come to the luau, we perform the dances that I’ve taught.”

“I think it teaches me that there’s always something I can learn. Whether if I’ve seen it or not, it’s different, and I like seeing things that are unique and different, and seeing people that are so passionate about their hobbies.”

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CULTURE

Celebrating tradition with Stammtisch Sebastian A. Moore

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very Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., NiMarco’s Pizza turns into a miniature European community by hosting German Stammtisch. In German, Stammtisch means a regular get-together at a Gasthaus, but because there isn’t a German bar in Flagstaff, NiMarco’s is the next best thing.

In German, a Gasthaus is primarily an inn, but also serves as a pub. NiMarco’s, located on South Beaver St., has become something similar for the Stammtisch members.

Richard Helt, who has a doctorate in German studies and history, founded Stammtisch during the fall of 1990 at Alpine Pizza in Flagstaff. In the spring of 1991, Stammtisch moved to a larger location at NiMarco’s, where the tradition has continued for 27 years. Helt currently lives in Sedona, but still tries to go to Stammtisch whenever possible.

“Stammtisch is a German tradition of a group meeting once a week at a pub,” said Helt. “I started it here in Flagstaff after 10 years as a professor at [University of ] Arizona with a very successful Stammtisch there.”

There are events like Stammtisch in many cities. In Germany, Stammtisch is a night to meet up with your friends and catch up on each other’s lives. However, there is a unique aspect to the Flagstaff Stammtisch.

“Our Stammtisch is the only regularly occurring event in Flagstaff, at which NAU people and German speakers from Flagstaff and environs can meet,” Helt said.

The German word “kneipe” translates to “a pub.” In Germany, many pubs, restaurants and inns have signs above tables that indicate they are for Stammtisch members. A regular knows that there will always be a place for them no matter how busy the restaurant is.

“I’d say NiMarco’s has more of a kneipe atmosphere,” Helt said. “But I know that the owner and staff enjoy our group on Thursday evenings as a special night at NiMarco’s.”

When weather permits, there is a patio at NiMarco’s where members like to sit. According to Helt, this event has welcomed other German speakers who were passing by to join them.

“It’s a way to connect with the German community in town, which is a lot larger than I think most of our students realize.”

- NAU German professor marilya Reese “We also sometimes have the experience ... [where] German speaking tourists hear us speaking German and join the table for the evening,” Helt said.

Helt is a United States military veteran who was stationed in Germany during the Cold War from 1959 to 1961 and fell in love with the culture. Upon returning to the U.S., he began studying German and history and went on to achieve a Ph.D. in

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Stammtisch participants engage in German conversation at NiMarco’s Pizza in Flagstaff March 8. The group meets Thursday evenings. Madeleine Dill | The Lumberjack

both subjects.

“We also have always had a sizable number of military veterans who have Germany experience and join us when they are in town,” Helt said.

Stammtisch has been visited by locals and by those who live in German-speaking countries. The variety of people who attend is diverse.

“A world-class marathon runner from Berlin came to Flagstaff to train more than 10 years [ago],” Helt said. “He and his wife now visit us every year when they come.”

Marilya Reese, who has a doctorate in German studies, is a German professor at NAU. Reese received her degree from the University of Texas at Austin in German literature, foreign language, pedagogy and Swedish.

Reese has attended Stammtisch night for the past 25 years.

However, due to personal reasons, she is no longer able to attend Thursday meetings.

As a professor, Reese likes Stammtisch for more than just a group of people getting together to speak German. It’s a great way for students to practice their language skills.

“It’s an informal way to practice German, not in the classroom setting,” Reese said. “It’s a way to hear accents from all over the German-speaking world. It’s also a way to connect with the German community in town, which is a lot larger than I think most of our students realize.”

English is a Germanic language, and the two languages share many similarities. According to the website Lingoda, both English and German are comprised of the same 26 letters that make up the Latin alphabet, with the exception of the Latin letter Eszett and the umlaut — the dots above letters. Some English words, such

CULTURE as “computer,” “album” and “skateboarding” are recognizable in the German language as well.

Learning another language can be intimidating in the classroom setting. Reese and many other attendees believe Stammtisch is a great place to listen, learn and practice outside the classroom.

“Talking to your professor can be really intimidating. We try to be as inconspicuous as possible, make it fun and not do a whole lot of correcting,” Reese said. “A lot of the more advanced students, or even the exchange students that come from Germany, they are really good about mentoring the people that are sitting around them that have shown up on day three of [German] 101 trying to say something.

That’s always really gratifying.”

Reese recalls two members that stood out to her the most during the years she attended.

“At one point, our youngest participant was a little, tiny toddler and our oldest one was a NASA scientist who was part of the Apollo 13 mission, who was in his mid-80s,” said Reese.

“People would come who grew up in Germanspeaking countries like I did. The variety was huge so we try to impress on the students that they shouldn’t be intimidated.”

Professor Vicky Vandermale graduated from NAU in 2002 as a nontraditional student, and has been working as a German professor since 2005.

Vandermale has been attending Stammtisch since before she was a student at NAU in the late 1990s.

“I have a sister who grew up in Germany along with me, and she used to go. She told me about it, I didn’t live here in town, but when I would come and visit, then I would go,” said Vandermale.

Like Vandermale’s predecessor Helt, she believes Stammtisch in Flagstaff brings something special to the community and local German speakers.

“It’s a place where German people who are homesick that have moved here have a place just to feel like home,” Vandermale said. “It’s a nice, intimate atmosphere, there are regulars that come all the time, so you are looking at familiar faces every week and keeping up with what they are doing.”

All ages are welcome at Stammtisch.

Vandermale believes that it also has a positive effect on children if they hear others speak the language as well.

“When kids see that other people are speaking German, they are going to be much more willing to speak it at home,” Vandermale said. “It’s important for outside of the family to see that other people are speaking it as well. Not just at home where they might feel that it’s being forced upon them to speak German when they

really don’t want to.”

Erika Greene has been coming to Stammtisch almost every Thursday for the past 10 years. Greene was born during World War II in Germany and moved to New York before finding her way to Flagstaff in 1976. After 10 years, Stammtisch still holds a special meaning that motivates her to come back.

“I meet people who are interested in the German language and interested in German culture,” said Greene. “I thought young people could [not] care less, and I want to be here to inspire the young people and make sure I help them feel as comfortable as they can. That’s why I always like to sit with students and not the other old folks.”

The Stammtisch table can only continue if the next generation keeps coming in. Greene believes this can help strengthen community in Flagstaff.

“The culture is always changing,” Greene said. “Young and old people can exchange experiences with one another.”

Paul Wiener is a professor at NAU’s school of hotel and restaurant management, and he coordinates international programs. Wiener has been working at NAU for 26 years and this will be his last; he is retiring in May. Wiener has known how to speak German since he was 3, but forgot it and had to re-learn the language as an adult.

“There is a term ‘use it or lose it,’ and that’s the way it is with languages. You need to use it or you lose your facility,” said Wiener.

“Stammtisch provides a very informal and pleasant opportunity and situation where people can practice their German language in a congenial environment.”

Pia Driessen-Knittle grew up outside of Frankfurt, Germany. Driessen-Knittle was an exchange student at UA where she met her husband.

“After traveling and moving back and forth, we decided to move to Flagstaff 22 years ago,” said Driessen-Knittle.

Driessen-Knittle has two children who have attended Stammtisch since they moved to Flagstaff.

“My kids essentially grew up with Stammtisch every Thursday night,” DriessenKnittle said. “It was a great way to expose them to more German speakers.”

A similar group centered around practicing language is La Tertulia, the Spanish Table. In the past, similar NAU events have also been available for both Italian and French speakers.

The German community within Flagstaff is a welcoming group of people who want to pass down their experience, language and stories to the younger generations.

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CULTURE

Left: Boxes of donated groceries and canned food items sit outside the Flagstaff Family Food Center on Second Street March 8. Right: A large box of oranges donated to the Flagstaff Family Food Center is ready for distribution March 8. Kendra Hastings | The Lumberjack

Flagstaff food doesn’t need to cost a fortune Kendra Hastings

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very community faces an ongoing battle with food insecurity, and many lowincome families do not realize the options available to them due to lack of awareness of programs available to help.

Many nonprofit organizations and local community-based organizations, such as the Full Circle People’s Pantry and the Flagstaff Family Food Center: Food Bank and Kitchen, offer nutritious and good-quality food to those in need.

Families that face food insecurity, experience a lack of accessible and affordable food options that are also high in nutritional value. Local programs like these create a sense of security for people who might not otherwise know when their next meal will be.

Full Circle People’s Pantry is a local, nonprofit organization, owned by Barbara and Bill Packard, who have been in operation for about nine months. They are located at 2529 E. Seventh Ave. across the street from C-A-L Ranch. The ultimate mission of the People’s Pantry is to provide food security to community members by opening a unique type of pantry creating a community-based effort to solve the issue of food insecurity.

The People’s Pantry is a 100 percent

volunteer-based organization. They follow the principle of “Flagstaff helping Flagstaff,” meaning it is a community effort to help minimize the major effects food insecurity has on the Flagstaff community.

“Anyone who is hungry is able to shop at the pantry,” said Bill Packard.

The pantry is open Wednesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Clients are able to shop at the People’s Pantry once per week, allowing low-income families access to fresh and nourishing food. Each client is able to shop for at most 15 pounds of food items they desire. Meat, dairy, eggs, fresh produce, dry pantry goods and some toiletry products are also provided.

Clients are welcome to shop versus receiving a pre-packaged food box, and Packard shared the reasoning behind this approach.

Packard said it allows people to choose the food they want and are able to plan for their meals, similar to shopping at a real grocery store.

Silvia Born is a People’s Pantry client that has been going there for about a month.

“It helps a lot, and coming here, it’s great to have good food to choose from,” said Born.

Another facility in Flagstaff that tackles the issue of food insecurity is the Flagstaff Family Food Center: Food Bank and Kitchen, which has two different locations where community members are able to receive emergency food

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boxes or pre-prepared meals.

The Flagstaff Family Food Bank, at 3805 E. Huntington Drive, welcomes those who are in need of food and offers emergency food boxes Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Chris Budwig, the executive director for the Flagstaff Family Food Center, shared that anyone is able to receive food. Interested community members just have to show an ID. Budwig also said there are different boxes they offer. One is a fresh produce box while another box contains pasta, beans and meat.

Community members are welcomed to take one food box per household and are able to pick up boxes twice per month. Each box contains 50 to 75 pounds of food, and each household receives about 100 to 150 pounds of food per month.

The Flagstaff Family Food Center, located at 1903 N. Second St., is the facility where community members are able to receive preprepared meals.

The Flagstaff Family Food Center prepares hot meals every day of the year, and they have missed only one day in the past 27 years.

Community members are able to receive as much food as they desire and are not limited to the number times they can go through the line. The kitchen also prepares bagged lunches, producing about 75,000 lunches per year.

The lunches are distributed in two

ways. One way is they are given to nonprofit organizations in town, where those organizations distribute them out. The other way individuals receive the lunches is by knocking on the back door of the food center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Budwig said that nonprofit organizations and churches are also permitted to go into the food center’s warehouse and take the food they need to support their programs.

The Flagstaff Family Food Center is also enacting a delivery service to 50 senior citizens in the community this month. This service is still in its early stages but could be an opportunity to reach those who aren’t able to directly go to the various food centers.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security Family Assistance Administration program is another option available to lowincome families to help improve their current financial situations. Applicants are able to go into the DES building located at 1701 N. Fourth St. and apply in person for nutrition assistance or apply faster online healthearizonaplus.gov.

The options available for low-income families are certainly not limited to these organizations. There are many other food pantries and centers available throughout Flagstaff, and the foodpantries.org website provides a list of the food centers in Flagstaff.

CULTURE

Top left: Stand-up bass musician Kyle Motl answers questions about his experimental solo piece at Kickstand Kafé March 11. Top Right: The Interference Music Series is a radical piece of performance art that incorporates a variety of instruments and musical styles. Bottom Left: Kyle Motl performs a solo stand-up bass piece at Kickstand Kafé March 11. Bottom Right: Rob Wallace jams on a melody horn during his set with the band Kompromat at Kickstand Kafé. Austin Corbett | The Lumberjack

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SPORTS

Kicking Axe one hammer throw at a time Chandler Staley

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rack and field redshirt senior thrower Brooke Andersen has built an impressive resume during her time of competing for

NAU. Andersen began her career by participating in the hammer-throw event during the outdoor season.

The weight-throw event is held indoors, with the standard weight being 20 pounds. The hammer throw is held outdoors, and is lighter than the weight throw, weighing in at 8.8 pounds. Moreover, because this event is outside, weather conditions like wind can create more resistance for the thrower.

In her freshman year, Andersen put herself on the map by throwing for 59.37 meters during the Big Sky Outdoor Championships, earning a bronze medal in the process while also qualifying for NCAA West Preliminaries.

“I wasn’t really recruited so I didn’t have a lot of expectations for myself,” said Andersen.

“After my freshman year, my career took off as a hammer thrower, I found my true passion for it and it’s grown since then.”

Throwing coach Nathan Ott describes what separates Andersen from other athletes.

“A lot of people would be complacent and happy considering what she achieved young in her career,” said Ott. However, this would only be the beginning for her. In 2015, Andersen went from sitting out for the indoor season to competing in six meets, where she continued to accumulate achievements. Andersen finished second at the Mountain T’s invitational January 2015 by throwing for 18.05 meters in the women’s weight throw, then competing in the Big Sky Indoor Championships, recording a 16.25-meter toss in the same event.

Andersen views her coach, teammates and family as her motivation to succeed throughout her throwing career.

“Coach Ott has been very supportive and so has my family. I’m very hard on myself, which I think has motivated me. If I was complacent, I would never get anywhere,” Andersen said.

Andersen continued to improve, participating in nine meets in the outdoor season where she achieved seven individual victories.

She set the bar for herself in the weight throw: tossing for a career best 63.3 meters at the Sun Angel Classic in April 2015, later earning a Big Sky Conference title in the hammer throw.

Redshirt senior Brooke Andersen spins during the women’s weight-throw competition at the NAU Tune-Up Meet Feb. 17. Nicole Babler| The Lumberjack

This qualified Andersen to enter the NCAA West Preliminaries for the second consecutive year.

Andersen’s junior year involved noticeable growth. While she sat out the outdoor season, Andersen participated at the Olympic Trials in the summer of 2016 for the hammer throw and placed 13th as an unattached athlete, competing independently from NAU. She continued to improve throughout the indoor season.

Ott affirmed that her growth has been difficult to quantify.

“When I first got here she was obviously very talented,” Ott said. “She’s really developed in her training with her technique. Brooke wanted a whole lot in a very short amount of time.”

Andersen recorded a personal record in the weight throw at the Big Sky Indoor Conference championships Feb. 27, 2016, throwing for 19.31 meters and finishing third.

Despite all of these accomplishments, they would be nothing compared to what she accomplished in 2017. Andersen achieved a personal record in the weight throw every week during the indoor season before peaking at 21.66 meters at the NAU Tune-Up February 2017.

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This was a new school and Big Sky conference record.

Apparently, she was shocked by her performance.

“For some reason, I exploded so much,” Andersen said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Andersen then received an invitation to the NCAA Indoor Championships and placed 11th with a 20.29-meter toss. Her momentum carried into the outdoor season where she secured three victories in a row, going to the NCAA West Preliminaries for the third straight year and recorded the third-best throw in the nation.

This granted her the chance to advance to the semi finals in Austin, Texas. Here she placed second in the hammer throw and advanced to the NCAA Championships as she threw for 68.62 meters, setting an NAU and conference record, and was the national runner-up.

To Andersen, this has been her greatest achievement as an athlete at NAU. “I was proud of how I held myself going into the final round,” Andersen said. “I knew that the person before me had just thrown a personal record, and if I wanted to get within the top three I needed to throw close to my own personal record. I just told myself, ‘You got this.’

That was a moment I will never forget my whole life.”

No other field athlete in NAU’s history has made it that far and performed so well. Ott said Andersen takes a fine-tooth comb approach to improve her capabilities.

“She’s always a been really talented and hard thrower,” Ott said. “She’s allowing herself to grow is probably what I’m most proud of her for.”

However, Andersen didn’t seem satisfied.

During the NAU Tune-Up Meet Feb. 16, Andersen once again broke both the NAU and the conference record for women’s weight throw with a 21.66-meter toss.

“I think the main difference this year was I have a lot better technique in the weight than I did last year,” Andersen said. “It has not been easy, I can tell you that much.”

This was just a warm up for her performance at the Big Sky Indoor Conference Championships, where she once again set the bar by throwing the for 22.5 meters. Andersen not only broke the school record again, but also won the gold for this event.

Ott feels as though it is her growth that has set her apart to continue to crush the competition.

“She’s very strict with herself and how she operates, and she holds herself to a high standard and expects excellence all the time,” Ott said.

During the NCAA Indoor Championships March 9 through March 10, Andersen threw for 21.1 meters in the women’s weight throw. This placed her at No. 10 in the nation for the event.

As a result, she was one spot short of qualifying for a reverse order final.

“It’s an amazing experience to able to do both weight and hammer at the national level,” Andersen said.

Despite her previous accolades, this year was different from her previous seasons.

“My nerves kind of got the best of me last year,” Andersen said. “Now I feel more confident in my abilities to execute, hit my technique, and build from there.”

Once the dust settles and she graduates from NAU, Andersen is looking forward to her next challenge.

“I’m gonna give it a shot at throwing professionally once I’m done and just take it from there day by day,” Andersen said. “I’m really excited to focus on track and throw myself into my training.”

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SPORTS

The balancing act of everyday life Kelsie Coval

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AU sophomore James Tsai has a busy life comprised of being an indoor club volleyball player and maintaining good grades, all while taking 19 credit hours, aiming to achieve a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and assistant coaching the Northern Arizona Juniors 17 Black volleyball team.

The NAU men’s indoor club volleyball team earned the gold medal at nationals this past year, an achievement that has helped to grow the competitive spirit.

“It was a huge accomplishment for the team,” Tsai said.

Tsai graduated from Horizon Honors High School located in Ahwatukee, Arizona. Originally, Tsai received scholarship offer from Concordia University Irvine, a Christian private school located in southern California. Because the scholarship was not a full ride, Tsai decided to look into Arizona colleges and ultimately chose NAU because he enjoyed the Flagstaff atmosphere.

Tsai now attends NAU on the Lumberjack scholarship, a full-ride academic scholarship awarded to in-state students for maintaining a core GPA of 3.5 in high school.

Playing basketball throughout his childhood, Tsai decided to try an all-male volleyball team created during his sophomore year of high school in order to practice his vertical leap for basketball.

However, Tsai put his basketball career behind him when he got injured his sophomore year of high school with a torn ACL. He focused more on his true passion: a love for the game of volleyball.

After graduation, Tsai underwent a total of three surgeries over a span of three months. His recovery time spanned about 10 months.

When Tsai came to NAU, he was excited to see that club volleyball was offered.

“I lived in a dorm when I got my surgery done my freshman year. While I was recovering, I had a lot of cool friends that lived in the same dorm. My long time friend Vivian was one of the people I hung out with the most during that recovery,” Tsai said.

Tsai and sophomore biology major Vivian Fretwell attended high school together and have known each other for about six years. Vivian was also a high school athlete with a busy schedule, and it comforted Tsai to know that he had a friend that understood his busy schedule.

“He is just the kind of guy who takes sports and school very seriously, always has been. I think he looks at high school sports a little more leisurely than college just because college sports consist of more time and effort and the skill levels are so different,” said Fretwell.

Vice president of the team and friend of Tsai, sophomore fitness and wellness major Spencer DePaso, relates to the life of Tsai. DePaso is maintaining a schedule of 18 credits as well as serving an important role on the team as vice president. DePaso has played volleyball for almost seven years. He enjoys bringing his knowledge and strength to the team as well as extra coaching when he heads back home to Tucson. DePaso understands how schedules can affect one’s mood and everyday life.

“From a coach perspective, James is the type of guy to not

22 THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

Sophomore exercise science major James Tsai is an NAU club volleyball player and he coaches children is the USA Volleyball program.

Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

let mood outside of practice affect the way he plays and treats his teammates,” said DePaso. “And [he] is always showing up to practice with encouraging things to say to others.”

Coming back from an injury that kept him out for so long, Tsai got a job coaching kids and used his skills to mentor others in September 2017. He is now an assistant coach to the Northern Arizona Juniors 17 Black team. The team travels to tournaments, mostly in Phoenix.

Between his injury, high school and college career, it is no surprise that Tsai has seen fewer years playing volleyball than some of his teammates. However, Tsai does not let that discourage him in being a team player.

“The only downside to what James is doing [coaching] is sometimes events collide, making him have to choose one over the other, which is bound to happen when doing as much as he is doing,” DePaso said.

The close connection between DePaso and Tsai has helped encourage their determination of picking up the team, and even

helping out others in need whether they are on their team or another.

“From a friend perspective, I joined the team halfway through last year and was very hesitant because I didn’t know anyone, and the first person that welcomed me was James. Since then, I am very proud to be able to call him one of my closest friends,” DePaso said.

The team strives to maintain an outlook of “keep pushing forward” whether they win or lose.

“We all really do support and push each other in the best ways and even outside of practice,” said Tsai.

The opportunities to compete and look for new ways to consistently improve are what excite Tsai most about being a club student athlete.

Since the men’s indoor club volleyball team performance at nationals, the team is coming back more determined than ever.

This year, the men’s volleyball players has their eyes on the prize again and are hoping to compete in nationals April 2018.

MARCH 15, 2018 – MARCH 28, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 23

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