The Lumberjack--April 19, 2018

A SPECIAL ISSUE

T HE LUMBER JACK

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

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s a 22-year-old man raised in a house with five women, I have discovered that no words ring more true than that of James Brown: This is a man’s world.

As a man, albeit an African-American man in a world where I face certain challenges of my own, I realized I have some societal privileges that many women may not.

For instance, one night as I was riding in a car with three friends of mine, all who are women, and I was left almost speechless by the experiences they shared about the challenges they faced. Cat calling, groping, sexual assault, unapproved sexual passes from men who were excused with the boys-will-be-boys mentality — these were things that I have never experienced.

It even comes down to the dangers of walking home alone at night, something I have never had to worry about.

The issue of sexual health and awareness is vital in our society today because it is up to us as journalists to educate our friends and family of the importance of sexual education and health risks that go along with sexual activity. This is why we are dedicating a special issue to this topic.

It is up to us to inform the public on the ongoing problems in our world DARRION EDWARDS that are considered taboo, especially of the ones that women face in a world where FEATURE EDITOR their sexuality is put under a microscope and criticized harsher than the sexuality of men. It is up to us to report the concerns that our community has for any sexual health problems and it is up to us to raise awareness of sexual assault and create an understanding of what healthy sexual relationships are like.

Although we at The Lumberjack do not have all the answers to a complete solution for any of the problems, I do believe we can help inform our readers about the issues and help create dialogue toward solutions.

The education of sexual health and awareness does not stop at the differences between men and women. Sexual health and awareness includes the awareness of people a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I have been lucky enough to have friends in my life who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community that have educated me on many of the challenges they face as well.

As I was riding in that car with my friends that night, one of them, who identifies as bisexual, asked me one of the best questions I have heard in my life: What about our sisters, what about our mothers? As a brother of six siblings, I hope that my sisters are able to not be scrutinized for their life choices and that my brothers are educated about the sexual health and awareness issues in the world.

I hope you enjoy this special issue and I hope these stories are helpful to the entire community.

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

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 106 ISSUE 13

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

Asst. Features Editor MaryAnn Witt

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- event organizer John Grahame, 2018 Flagstaff local Jim Babbitt gives a speech during a community forum at the Museum of Northern Arizona March 8 about growth in Flagstaff. On April 16, some of the same community leaders discussed challenges with growth. Matthew Strissel | The Lumberjack

Thank you for reading.

Director of Circulation Asst. Culture Editor Luis Gardetto Ashley Besing

“We want to figure out who’s going to be a part of the larger group that’s going to roll up their sleeves and do the work.”

Senior Photographer Michael Patacsil

On the cover Amidst political times of the #MeToo movement, sexual assault and misconduct cases, and unreasonable body images in the media, this special issue of The Lumberjack reports on sexual health and awareness. Illustration by Camryn Bowers

Corrections & Clarifications In the story titled “Depleted water sources threaten wildlife” published April 5, The Lumberjack incorrectly named the U.S. Forest Service.

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 April 9 At 7:50 a.m., a staff member in Sechrist Hall reported damage to the building’s sign. An NAUPD officer responded and discovered a sticker was placed on the sign. NAUPD notified facilities to remove the sticker.

At 11:57 a.m., a staff member at the du Bois Center reported the theft of their parking permit. An NAUPD officer responded, took a report and assured the staff member that whoever stole the permit would still have trouble finding a parking spot on campus.

At 7:36 p.m., a Student and Academic Services employee reported that a student had been staying in the building for several hours.

NAUPD responded and found that the student was using the building to study.

At 9:40 p.m., an RA at the South Village Apartments called to report the odor of marijuana. NAUPD officers responded, and two students were criminally deferred for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

At 10:51 p.m., a subject reported that someone was lying down on the sidewalk near where University Avenue turns into Beaver Street.

An intoxicated student was discovered by NAUPD who responded, and the student was arrested and booked into the Coconino County Detention At 8:37 a.m., a Tinsley Facility for aggravated assault Hall staff member called to on a police officer and underage report that a student wanted consumption of alcohol. to turn in someone else’s marijuana. An NAUPD officer April 12 responded, and a report was At 11:05 a.m., a student filed. reported the theft of their bicycle outside of the du Bois At 9:48 a.m. at Tinsley Center. An NAUPD officer Hall, NAUPD cited and took a report, and the blue and released two students white GT Mountain Bike has for possession of drug not been recovered. paraphernalia.

At 2:46 p.m., a staff At 11:06 a.m., a Tinsley member at Ernest Calderón Hall staff member reported Learning Community called that a student was being to report a suspicious package harassed and assaulted. An on the premises. NAUPD NAUPD officer responded and responded only to discover filed a report. a package containing nonsuspicious bedding supplies.

April 11 At 8:31 a.m., a student April 13 at McConnell Hall called At 10:06 a.m., a to report their bicycle was Biological Sciences building stolen. An NAUPD officer staff member called to report responded and took a report. a suspiciously placed item in The student’s gray mountain their office. NAUPD officers bike is still missing. and FFD responded to the call and discovered custodial April 10 At 5:56 a.m., a student called to report a possible campfire near the Urban Trail entrance on South San Francisco Street. Both NAUPD and FFD responded and discovered an almost-dead fire, which they extinguished.

Compiled by Owen Sexton supplies.

At 4:00 p.m., an HLC staff member called to report four students smoking cigarettes. An NAUPD officer responded and discovered that the students had finished their smoke break and were no longer in the area.

April 14 At 7:32 p.m., NAUPD received a supervisory alarm at Campbell Hall. An NAUPD officer responded and discovered the alarm had been set off by a student burning food.

April 15 At 2:17 a.m., a Hilltop Townhomes resident called and reported trouble sleeping due to a loud party. An NAUPD officer responded and advised the participants of the party to keep it down.

At 8:51 p.m., an NAUPD officer made contact with three students in the Skyview Parking Garage. All three were cited and released for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

At 10:54 p.m., an RA at Tinsley Hall called to report finding a sign that had been previously reported as stolen.

An NAUPD officer responded and recovered the sign.

At 11:42 p.m., a Drury Inn employee called to report someone sleeping on a bench in their parking garage.

NAUPD responded and warned the person that they were trespassing. The subject left the premises.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 3

NEWS

Lack of student donations to 2016 mayoral campaigns Chandler Coiner

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s of April 18, Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans is still running unopposed for the 2018 midterm election.

In 2016, Evans unseated then-Mayor Jerry Nabours 57 to 43 percent, amassing 14,989 votes from Flagstaff residents to do it, but now might be looking at a much smoother race.

Earlier that year, then-councilmember Evans announced she was challenging Nabours Jan. 26. Nearly two months from that same date this election cycle, no such challenger has appeared for Evans. There have been rumblings, like councilmember Celia Barotz posting on her Facebook account that she’s “thinking of running,” but nothing has come to fruition.

Evans’ 2016 bid did not go entirely smooth. In early February, her campaign, Coral4Flagstaff, accepted two donations from limited liability companies (LLC), a violation of Arizona campaign finance law. The two donors were Herron Interior Designs Inc. and Noah Stalvey Allstate Agency, LLC for $300 and $100 respectively.

“The fact that the contributions were dutifully reported indicates that there was no intent to defraud the public and that the volunteers were unaware of the regulations,” read a press release from Evans’ campaign.

The contributions were refunded, and Evans’ campaign was not charged. Five months after the initial illegal donations were made, the owners made the contributions as individuals.

But even if the contributions had not been renewed by the individuals, the money would barely have been a dent in Evans’ $25,237 campaign haul in 2016. From Jan. 1, 2016, until the Nov. 8 election, the campaign brought in that money from local businesses, individuals and even some political committees.

While there was no absence of dollar signs for Evans, there was an absence of something else for her 2016 campaign finance — students.

Out of the $25,237 in total campaign contributions, $21,682 came from contributions of more than $50. The individual contributions of less than $50 do not have to be reported, like name, address and occupation. Out of the $21,682, zero dollars came from students.

Likewise, zero dollars came from the 86011 ZIP code, an NAU-central area that comprises roughly 7,800 individuals, according to censusreporter.org.

Senior engineering major Stacey Fowler considers herself fairly politically active relative

to her friends. She was one of the thousands of students who did not contribute to either mayoral candidate in 2016.

“I mean, I voted in local elections, but when all your time and energy is going into studying, paying rent and of course the whole Trump-Clinton thing too, you’re not really thinking about contributing to the mayor,” said Fowler. “Fifty dollars? That’s a lot of money for a college student.”

Despite the relative lack of financial support from students, there have been signs during Evans’ first two years as mayor that she’s ready to work for her student population. In January, the mayor and NAU President Rita Cheng sat sideby-side at the first joint city-university council meeting. The two groups said they’re open to new programs beneficial to both the city and students.

In addition to that council meeting, the mayor, along with Cheng, a state senator, the

ABOR president and a local businessman headed up a “Growing Pains” event aimed at coming up with solutions for the colossal growth both the university and the city have seen.

Evans was clear with her dissatisfaction with student behavior there.

“Many of you know that I have been nothing but consistent in talking about student behavior, about the noise, about the parties, about the litter, about what I see as blatant disrespect in the neighborhood,” Evans said about the Southside neighborhood, where she lives. “I know that they’re students, and I know they want to have to fun. So, I don’t want to have to call the cops on them.”

Despite her criticisms of students, the mayor at the meeting was big on the suggestion for better public transport for students in Flagstaff to better address the often prohibitive prices for housing in the NAU-adjacent areas.

Although students were not financially

represented, retired persons no doubt were — over 25 percent of contributions came from the retired, or $5,720. At the same time, those that are 65 and older in Flagstaff only make up about 8 percent of the town’s population.

While 86011 brought in likely next to nothing, ZIP codes 86001 and 86004 were the main contributors. 86001 saw $23.18 of contributions per 100 people. 86004, mainly comprising the east side of town, was less represented at $17.33 per 100 people.

Money from Arizona voters outside Flagstaff was not uncommon either. 11.3 percent, or $2,450, came from cities like Parks, Tucson and Phoenix.

While 2018 elections are now getting underway, reports on contributions will be seen in June. In the meantime, Flagstaff and NAU continue to contemplate the negative impacts of growth on both sides under the command of the mayor.

Mayor Coral Evans speaks at the Flagstaff City Council meeting Feb. 20. Rylee Flowers | The Lumberjack

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NEWS

Campus survey polls NAU students about mental health Jayna Arola

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AU’s mental-health rates have reached a new high and are just below the national average.

Despite the multiple services provided for students, the numbers are high. As of March 2018, NAU is just below the national average for students who had considered suicide. Approximately 9.1 percent of students have seriously considered suicide, compared nationally to 11.3 percent.

The March 26 Faculty Senate meeting brought awareness to the issues of mental-health services on campus.

NAU Campus Health Promotions Manager Melissa Griffin, Executive Director of Medical Services Julie Ryan and Director of Counseling Services Megan Gavin described the significance of campus-health problems that continue to rise.

According to Health Promotions’ “Health Nuts Facts” website, the mental health and sleep statistics have not been updated since 2014.

Currently, NAU’s Health Promotions site shows health statistics from five years ago. There are no current statistics available on the website.

In 2013, “58 percent of students felt lonely,” which was increased to 62.6 percent for this year. The site also showed that “51 percent of students felt more than average or tremendous stress” in 2014. These numbers have increased drastically this school year.

The March 26 meeting showed faculty members that mental-health issues continue to grow at NAU among students. At the meeting, Griffin said 87 percent of students at NAU say they are overwhelmed. In addition to this, she found that 62.6 percent are very lonely.

Although NAU Campus Health Services provides students with multiple Health Promotion resources, students are still struggling with mental health.

“They should promote it more. So many other disorders besides anxiety and depression.

They should reach out to the hundreds of other disorders out there,” said NAU junior psychology major Rachael Gavin.

Currently, Health Promotions has services for sexual health, violence and sexual assault, alcohol and other drugs, mental health and nutrition, and fitness. All include information on each issue along with counseling services.

According to NAU’s counseling website, there are “counseling services for students who can benefit from short-term counseling.”

The Health Promotions Mental Health website includes information on two mental

Source: NAU Health and Learning Center Illustration by Kaitlin Gould

health issues: stress and depression.

The stress section includes the definition of stress with information on what it can do to an individual. There are also stress tips, programs and resources. The current stress programs that NAU hosts are Stress Busters, Paws Your Stress and Stress Less Workshops.

According to Health Promotions, Stress Busters is a program that is “designed to provide instant relaxation through brief back rubs and stress management tips.” Students may request to attend an event or see where they will be during the week on their website.

Paws Your Stress works with Pet Partners of Northern Arizona to bring the joy of dogs onto campus. Once a month, Paws Your Stress helps distress students through the company of dogs.

In addition to these two stress programs, there are also Stress Less Workshops available. These are hour-long workshops that teach students how to manage their stress.

The depression section of the site provides students with information about depression and

the signs and symptoms of it. In addition to this, the site provides information on NAU’s mentalhealth programs. The depression programs include, free mental-health screenings, Kognito and Campus Connect.

Rachael Gavin had a positive experience with the mental-health services at NAU. “Their mental-health counseling and doctors were able to show me a psychiatric nurse who has been able to help me better,” Rachael Gavin said.

According to Counseling Services, they have catered toward helping students with “psychological growth, emotional well-being and learning potential.”

There are different forms of Counseling Services available for students. Currently, counseling services provides couples counseling, group counseling, crisis services, psychoeducational outreach and consolation.

Students are able to walk in for triage or brief assessment. However, counseling services is currently at capacity and are operating from an

end-of-the-semester protocol. This means that students must be aware that ongoing counseling will be difficult due to the limited time before the end of the semester.

Megan Gavin explained that students cannot handle stress as well if they are not eating properly.

“I see a lot of students skipping meals just to get by. When you’re not eating, you can’t learn and focus and concentrate and also your moods are really impacted, too,” Megan Gavin said.

Despite these statistics, Health Promotions workers are trying to increase the promotion of mental health on campus. Some plans include having more faculty involvement with mental health. This would mean adding a Blackboard Learn shell with information on mental-health services.

This could aid in students feeling more secure in discussing their own mental-health issues.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 5

NEWS

NAU implements clear bag policy for major events Valentine Sargent

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AU announced a new security policy for major NAU events. The clear bag policy was implemented in an attempt to reduce the risk of weapons or explosives being smuggled into the Skydome. The events impacted by this policy are the spring concert, commencement, and Flagstaff High School and Coconino High School graduations, all scheduled to take place in the Skydome.

“In light of national trends at public events in recent years, Northern Arizona University will implement a clear bag policy,” read an email from President Rita Cheng to students April 12.

The clear bag policy has been in effect at NAU for concerts with a larger attendance. ASU and UA have had clear bag policies in place since 2016, with similar requirements to NAU’s policy.

The NFL also implemented this policy in 2013.

In the email announcement, there is a link for more information about the clear bag policy where it is outlined which bags are prohibited and which are allowed.

NAUPD spokesperson Kevin Duffy said that the policy could be installed for all future football games in the fall and winter commencement, but did not give a firm answer.

Duffy also did not say whether or not the policy stemmed from a specific incident or threat.

There are four options of bags that are allowed into events when this policy is in effect. Two are NAU-branded bags that are for sale in the bookstore for $11.95. One is a small backpack-style bag, while the other is a purse-style bag.

The other two options are an inexpensive, one-gallon, plastic, resealable bag or a small clutch. The clutch purse is still allowed to maintain privacy with any sensitive items, but the bag is subject to a security search. The small, clutch bag for privacy can be a maximum of 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. One clear bag is allowed per person.

Exceptions will be made for bags containing medical supplies such as oxygen tanks or medication.

If a person comes to an event with a backpack or purse, they will have to take the bag back to their residence or leave it in their vehicle after putting any necessary items in their pockets.

“Only bring what you need to bring to the event,” said Duffy.

Additional security measures will be taken, including metal detectors, possible bag searches and additional security officers at checkpoints.

“There will be separate entrances for the people arriving. So we are going to have one section for the students that they can enter into the Skydome from and also people can enter if they have no bag, they can actually go straight in, and then obviously we are going to have a different section for people who do show up with bags,” Duffy said.

The reason for the clear bags is the threat of active shooters, bombs or knives.

“It improves safety because when people are entering the venue, they can quickly enter, and we can see through all the bags that people are bringing in,” Duffy said. “Once people are inside the event, if they see a bag that’s not a clear bag or approved by the policy, they can point that out to law enforcement.”

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Photo Illustration by Matthew Strissel

Meg Mosley, a parent of a graduating senior at Flagstaff High School, was aware of the policy and decided to email an employee at Flagstaff High School to pass on the information. The employee said that they were unaware of the new policy.

NAU and NAUPD have made large pushes on social media and traditional communication lines to inform the public about the policy. The goal, they said, is to make sure no one is surprised when they get to the door.

There are a variety of concerns that Mosley expressed, such as policing the thousands of cars, which will potentially contain valuable items, how all guests will be informed and if graduation

will be able to start on time when families are waiting to enter and then find out about the policy at the door.

“I think that’s a major concern of mine, is how [will] people feel about it when they get to the door uninformed? I would be angry if that happened to me,” said Mosley.

Mosley plans on getting to the event early, expecting there to be a long wait due to the implementation of the policy.

Events that will require a clear bag will be listed on the clear bag policy website for guests.

NEWS

Despite NAU’s tobacco-free policy, cigarettes butts can be found throughout campus, April 16. Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

Tobacco-free policy leads to increased litter Tiera Oliver

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espite the campus-wide ban on tobacco products and smokeless nicotine products that started summer 2016, tobacco use on campus is still an ongoing issue. It is not uncommon to find cigarette butts around campus and even in the Citizens Cemetery, which borders campus on South San Francisco Street.

Promise West, sophomore criminal justice and applied indigenous studies major, also works for NAU Facility Services.

She recently found a note criticizing people for leaving cigarette butts on the grounds after smoking.

“We clean up cigarette butts all the time, but today that note was there. I mean people are always going to break the rules, but if you’re going to do it I feel like you should clean up after yourself,” said West. “It was upsetting to see that people really just throw their cigarettes on the ground just to spite people that are trying to enforce the rules.”

West also said she thinks NAU needs to do a better job of enforcing the campus tobacco ban.

“They know where people smoke and claim to be a tobaccofree campus, but why are there piles of cigarette butts that end up everywhere by the end of the day?” West said.

The decision for NAU’s tobacco ban came after various student groups pushed for NAU to improve its health conditions for students.

“The official policy, no cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah, chew, dip, snuff, cigars, pipes or vaporizers may be used on campus at any time. This extends to private vehicles while on campus and private residences that are on university property,” according to a fall 2015 article in The Lumberjack.

The purpose of the university’s tobacco policy is to create a healthier working and learning environment free of tobacco and second-hand smoke. It also prohibits the use of tobacco on all NAU properties and in all NAU vehicles. While not part of NAU’s campus, Citizens Cemetery shares the South San Francisco Street and Mountain View Drive borders with campus. It is easily accessible to the students, faculty, staff and visitors who are on campus and is approximately a two-minute walk from the NAU bookstore.

“You would think that once we went smoke-free that the cigarette butt problem would have gotten better,” NAU professor Rachel Tso said.

Another problem that arises with the debris of cigarette butts is the wildlife that surrounds the NAU campus. With a campus surrounded by ponderosa pines, there is more of a chance of small animals digesting these toxic chemicals. There is also a chance of a wildfire if cigarettes are not disposed of or put out properly.

“Ponderosa pine forests are extremely well adapted to, and dependent upon, frequent low-intensity wildfires, but they are extremely vulnerable to high intensity fire events,” according to the Wildland-Urban Interface Code Adoption.

Some students around campus have also been vocal about seeing the waste of tobacco products and have even left notes.

Tso expressed her issues with not only seeing the litter on campus, but litter in the cemetery as well.

“Part of my big issue is that my son is buried in that cemetery, and I go into that cemetery a lot, and it is sacred,” said Tso. “It is as sacred as you can get.”

Tso also said prior to the ban of tobacco on campus, there used to be areas for smokers to put their cigarette butts. Those have since been removed to discourage smoking, but people continue to smoke and now there is no place for people to put their cigarette butts — save the ground.

Tso said before the new policy the amount of litter compiled of cigarette butts was not as common. Now students and other people on and near campus are looking for less-conspicuous places to smoke, and one of those places is the cemetery located just off campus.

Tso introduced the idea of NAU placing cigarette urns at the entrances of the campus, so that if people do smoke they will be encouraged to do it off campus and dispose of the waste prior to stepping on the property.

“As noted in the enforcement section of that site; all members of the university community share the responsibility of adhering to, enforcing and educating others about the tobaccofree policy. That same statement applies to littering,” said NAU’s spokesperson Kimberly Ott.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 7

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APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 9

OPINION-EDITORIAL

The emotional toll of birth control

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e all know birth control has its many downfalls: nausea, headaches, weight gain, acne, decreased libido — the list goes on. But perhaps the worst of the side effects is the intense, unexpected mood changes.

The hormones in birth control make mood swings very common. They can occur all the time or just near the time of your period. Regardless, they’re not a good time for anyone.

I recently switched from a form of the pill to the NuvaRing, a flexible plastic ring that is placed in the vagina to prevent pregnancy. I expected to experience some changes, but not to the extent that I did.

PEGGY PACKER After switching, I found myself feeling extremely angry and aggressive. I wasn’t ASSISTANT OP-ED myself at all. I was constantly lashing out at EDITOR the people I cared about, and even at people I didn’t know.

It wasn’t just anger either. At times, I would have this overwhelming feeling of sadness, a feeling I couldn’t seem to shake. The happy me would very rarely make an appearance, and she would disappear at the snap of a finger.

Part of this could have been due to the stress of college or life in general, but it was easy to tell that these feelings were magnified by my intimate friend the NuvaRing. My emotions were in the palm of her hands, and I had significantly less control in the situation.

Despite my mood change, I didn’t want to switch birth controls and risk the side effects the others could have.

We tend to acknowledge the physical effects of birth control quite often, but we never really address how it affects our emotional well-being. Birth control can make women angry, aggressive, depressed, anxious and a variety of feelings.

It comes at an extreme price. If we want pregnancy protection, regulated periods or acne prevention, we have to be willing to risk our emotional stability.

On the other hand, we can’t simply blame our actions on our birth control — even if they are the primary reason we are acting a certain way. At the end of the day, most people don’t understand that the hormones in our body are making us act differently. Sometimes we don’t even understand it.

Some women will be on the same birth control method for years and experience these mood swings without even realizing that their birth control is the reason their emotions are so intense. As women, we can’t control how our birth control makes us feel. What we can do, however, is be aware of it and make the changes when we need to.

Birth control may never come without sacrifice, but that sacrifice doesn’t always have to be our emotional stability. Find a birth control method that works for you and doesn’t change who you are.

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Photo Illustration By Matthew Strissel

The bloody wonders of the divacup Ashley Besing

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y period journey started like many people who have them.

My mom already had a box of pads ready for me by the time my period arrived when I was 12. By high school, I graduated to tampons and remained using them for several years.

I was part of the majority — according to a study called “Tampon use in young women,” 81 percent of people with periods use tampons.

My freshman year of college was when I ventured from the usual path. I stumbled across a YouTube video about a menstrual cup, something I had never even heard of. Curious about this new method, I ordered the DivaCup online. A few days later, I was the owner of a small, silicone cup.

The first few cycles were rough. It was hard to figure out how to insert it, and the idea of having to empty it out was much more personal and hands-on with my body fluids than I was used to.

By my third cycle, however, I had no plans to go back to tampons.

When it comes to managing periods, usually only two options are discussed: tampons or pads. But a far-superior method lurks underneath the surface. After three years of use, I can speak from firsthand experience that menstrual cups are the best option by far.

The best thing about them, in my opinion, is how they last for up to 12 hours. I work full time and go to school on top of that, so I don’t have much time in my day to eat, much less to change my tampon every few hours.

Tampons have to be changed every few hours for fear of leakage and the rare possibility of toxic shock syndrome. With the cup’s size and material, it can be left in for hours without any

risk of toxic shock syndrome.

It used to stress me out to have to make so many frequent trips to the bathroom, to carry an adequate amount of tampons in my bag and to remember to pick them up when I went to the grocery store. Now I sometimes forget I’m even on my period since I only have to change my cup when I wake up and before I go to bed.

Not only that, but they’re better for the environment.

According to an article in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, an average person with a period uses between 11 and 30 tampons per cycle, which amounts to 5,000 to 14,000 for their lifetime.

However, many menstrual cups can be used for several years.

That’s one small cup instead of hundreds of boxes, wrappers and plastic applicators a year.

Fewer tampons also equate to less cost. At around $40 per piece, the menstrual cup may seem like a steep price at first, but costs much less in the long run when compared to how many tampons you’d need to buy. After just a few months of use, I found that I had already saved money by buying the menstrual cup instead of having to constantly buy tampons.

Sometimes it’s easy for me to forget that not everyone uses menstrual cups, since they seem like clearly the best option to me at this point. There’s a bit of an adjustment period, but if you’re OK with handling your blood and want to make your time of the month much more convenient, I highly recommend a menstrual cup.

It’s time the period conversation ventured from just tampons and pads. With the long amount of time they can be kept in, the convenience and the environmental and cost benefits, I’m a menstrual-cup user for life.

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Don’t ditch your friends for love Vanessa Savel

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aven’t we all had a friend who pays less attention to friendships in favor of a new romantic lover? It’s like they were swooped up on a horse and carried into the sunset, and they never looked back. Why does that happen when friends are the ones who have been there through everything?

This shouldn’t happen, and it doesn’t have to.

The love and commitment in friendships should be practiced and appreciated as much as the love and commitment in romantic relationships. This makes friendships so much more meaningful and doesn’t leave people in the dust when a friend is in a relationship. Society puts an emphasis on romantic love over friendship when it is just as important, if not more important, than romantic love.

Friends reciprocate support, kindness, love and they can bring so much meaning to our lives. Andrew Sullivan, the author of “Love Undetectable,” wrote about why friendship is a greater gift than romantic love.

“Friendship uniquely requires mutual self-knowledge and will,” wrote Sullivan. “It takes two competent, willing people to be friends.”

Even so, friendships often don’t provide the same, sexual

satisfaction that romantic relationships do. Being infatuated and Sullivan made another great point about romantic love romantically in love with someone can be blinding. Science says versus friend love. so.

“You cannot impose a friendship on someone, although According to a study by anthropologist Helen you can impose a crush, a lawsuit, or an obsession,” E. Fisher, chief scientific adviser to Match.com, Sullivan wrote. “If friendship is not reciprocated, the three stages of romantic love are lust, it simply ceases to exist or, rather, it never existed attraction and attachment, each of which in the first place ... Friendship delivers what release different chemicals in the brain. love promises but fails to provide.”

These powerful, chemical releases Good friendships aren’t forced. They can lead to irrational behavior, such happen because both people make it happen. as putting everything else aside to Effort has to be put into a good friendship to prioritize the person that satisfies their continue its existence. Sometimes, lovers can be desire for romantic attention. brought together solely by sexual connections.

This love can be amazing. But just because If a relationship can be both a friendship Illustration By Kaitlin Gould and a romance while other friendships are a romantic relationship can provide this, doesn’t mean it is any more important than valuing the love, care and maintained, then that is wonderful. support of a friendship. When a romantic partner comes into a Most importantly, friend love is just as important as romantic person’s life, they may act as if all their time must be committed love. It is necessary to say “I love you,” hug, love and admire your to that relationship, and they think, “Yeah, friendships will always friends for being the incredible people they are. That is the space be there.” Some people act as if a romantic relationship suddenly a friendship should create anyway. satisfies the love in life that they were always longing for.

As long as these friendships are treated as such, people will But hasn’t this love always existed in a friendship? And what never feel like they are without love. They will never be left behind happens if that romantic relationship ends? or leave friends in the dust for a romantic relationship.

Toxic love: No one loves you like you Whether it’s physical or mental, the toll abuse takes on a person is indescribable and dangerous to their physical and ho is to say what classifies a relationship as healthy mental health and to future relationship endeavors. or toxic? Psychologists, probably. When it comes I was sitting in a bar with my best friends of to relationship advice, however, most people turn more than 10 years when one of them introduced to their closest friends and loved ones us to her current boyfriend. Immediately after being for solutions that deal with relationship introduced to a seemingly normal guy, my friend problems. began telling us stories about their relationship after In terms of relationships, many he walked away. I couldn’t help but notice everything tend to think, because it didn’t work she was saying was extremely negative, and she had out, it failed. This is not even remotely the facial expressions to match. I have known her long true and may even convince people to enough to know that she is anything but happy after just stay in unhealthy relationships because 15 minutes of conversation. they are afraid of failure. Relationships “What do you even like about him?” I asked. “You’re are valuable, whether you are with talking like you hate him.” a person for an entire lifetime, a She, of course, replied in a defensive, halfIllustration By Alia Krueger few years or even just a couple of joking tone, saying my claim was preposterous and months. that he does, “Such amazing things for her.” Then, I asked what I believe every relationship holds value and lessons. After those things were. reflection and processing, those lessons can be taken along into Her response made me chuckle. the next relationship. I’ve realized time and time again after “Well, he always makes sure to open and hold the door for supporting friends through abusive, manipulative relationships me everywhere we go,” she said. and heartbreak that it is hard for them to know when enough is I thought, seriously? Classic chivalry is great and all, but enough before it’s too late. overall, the bar is set pretty low at this point.

Abuse is abuse.

Now, I’m not here to judge my friend for what makes her

Kelsey Spigelmire

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happy, but I know one thing’s for sure: Relationships can blossom into something truly great or they can slowly tear away every healthy fiber of a person’s body.

People need to know when it is time to go.

This may be a hard thing for some to determine, given that, when things are going great, they might feel like they’re on top of the world. But when things are bad, they’re detrimental to a person’s overall mentality toward life and relationships.

A short word of advice: Don’t sacrifice happiness and personal health for what potentially isn’t even true love. Don’t be afraid of what some might consider failure.

Will Smith posted an Instagram video recently where he addressed a key factor in how his marriage to Jada Pinkett-Smith has flourished throughout the years.

“We were two completely separate people, on two completely separate individual journeys and that we were choosing to walk our separate journeys together,” said Smith.

It is this perspective that allows people to take a step back and recognize they are responsible for their own happiness. They should not invest it in others, even in what is deemed a healthy relationship.

A mentality similar to this may help people realize their own happiness is more important than being looked at as a failure in terms of relationships. It will help people gain the personal strength they need in order to leave their toxic partner.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 11

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Sluts versus womanizers Maria Angulo

Y Illustration By Dominic Davies

The health risks of birth control Caitlin Burke

B

irth control is always advocated for among sexually active young people. This is understandable, of course, because staying protected is an important aspect of a healthy sex life, and avoiding an unwanted pregnancy is crucial.

Personally, I’ve had peace of mind being protected on hormonal birth control pills for the past four years. I’ve always thought, since I was being responsible, I could feel secure with how aware and conscious I was about my health. After all, that’s the illusion being on birth control gives you.

I eventually realized that prolonged use of hormonal birth control pills could one day give me breast cancer, especially because it is genetic in my family.

According to a relevant 2017 study from cancer.gov, “Women who were using or had recently stopped using oral combined hormone contraceptives had a modest (about 20%) increase in the relative risk of breast cancer compared with women who had never used oral contraceptives ... The risk of breast cancer also increased the longer oral contraceptives were used.”

To me, it seems that women just can’t win.

Women are expected to be responsible for their sexual health. The risks to their own personal health are not stressed enough by society in comparison to the amount of pressure put on women to be taking some form of birth control.

Women take hormonal birth control for other reasons beside preventing pregnancy. I started taking birth control pills at 15 years old to combat acne and a temperamental menstrual cycle.

Women are commonly prescribed birth control for these reasons and to combat heavy menstrual flows and even to prevent mood swings. This means an even larger number of women are affected by the dangerous health risks that come along with hormonal contraceptives.

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Of course, a majority of medicines have some risk or side effects attached to them. Along with a risk of breast cancer, hormonal birth control can cause an increased risk of cervical cancer, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, blood clots and liver tumors.

Specifically talking about the IUD method, there is a chance a woman’s body can reject the IUD, meaning the body will aim to physically push out the foreign object from a woman’s uterus, especially if a woman has never been pregnant before.

Personally, all of those possibilities terrify me.

Birth control pills and IUDs are high up in popularity, but even more advocated for is the use of condoms. They’re one of the few methods to prevent STDs along with pregnancy, which is great.

The only issue I have with condoms is that the simple method of putting a piece of latex on a penis before having sex is one of the only forms of birth control that affects men.

Coincidentally, it is the only form of birth control to not pose any terrifying health risks for the person using it, save for those with an allergy to latex. Men can also get a vasectomy or try the just-developed man birth control pill.

It’s completely absurd and unfair that women are expected to just deal with the risk of cancer or blood clots or having a T-shaped item fall out of their uterus and damage their body.

Especially when most men only have to worry about putting the condom on all the way. Men should have an equivalent form of birth control with potential health risks so the woman isn’t getting the short end of the stick. Or, scientists should come up with a safe form of birth control for women.

Until hormonal birth control methods are as safe as they are effective for women who rely on them, society shouldn’t blindly pressure women to stay protected.

ou would think that in 2018 women would be free to live their lives the way they want. But, in these times, they are still being controlled by other people’s opinions about what they should and should not do.

No matter how much society strives for equality, for some reason, slut shaming still mostly happens to women, while men are still seen as “just being men.” I noticed this when my girlfriends, who tend to have fun with different guys, were called sluts, whores or easy.

When my male friends do the same thing, however, they are just players or womanizers. But I never really understood why.

When I was a senior in high school, some of my classmates handed out “awards” to different people. While women received recognition for being “Cinderella,” which meant being loose after midnight, or were called “The Flu” because everyone got it, the men received awards for being “The Player” or “The Cutest.”

This is when I first realized how the double standard works.

There are so many problems with this. The stereotype that women should save themselves for a committed relationship but men can act out is something that should not be happening in 2018. I believe people use names and titles like “Cinderella” to degrade the women who choose to have an active sex life — whether they date often or decide not to confine themselves to one relationship.

Words have weight. When you call a woman a slut, her image to society is tarnished. She is immediately seen as trashy and the kind of person who is a floozy just because she decides to have a good time.

While for men, when they get called playboy or womanizer, people tend to think they are just having fun and they do not want to have a relationship.

But guess what? As Madonna said, women “just wanna have fun,” and it’s not cool to judge them about it. The main problem is the way society and men classify women. Even women engage in slut shaming. Sometimes, when a random girl is flirting with our crush or boyfriend, we tend to call her those names.

Especially in college, we are in a phase where we want to try and experience new things, but women are being watched every step of the way. Women should not have to feel bad for acting the way they want to. They should not have to deal with the double standard society puts on women. That said, men should not be congratulated for doing the same thing.

People have been trained to believe that men act a certain way and that women should act another way, but why do we have to?

I am not saying that women should be praised or men should be beaten down for their sex life. I am saying there should be equality, so that everyone can have fun the way they want.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 13

FEATURES

“It’s not a phase” is a phrase that senior art education major Vivian Phu uses to describe her asexuality, April 12. Rye So | The Lumberjack

Asexuality: A Misunderstood Orientation Kendra Hastings

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n a hyper-sexualized society, many believe that physical intimacy plays a pivotal role in any romantic relationship. However, that is not the case for those who identify as asexual, also referred to as “aces.”

Those who are asexual typically do not experience sexual attraction toward others.

Sexual intercourse is not a key component

for asexual individuals when determining a potential partner.

“People who identify as asexual do not have that sexual attraction. They can have a romantic attraction, meaning they want a romantic relationship with someone. But the sexual desire is not there,” said Hannah Janiec, who is the cochair for the LGBTQIA Commission at NAU and also identifies within the gray area on the asexual spectrum. LGBTQIA stands for lesbian,

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gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, intersex and asexual.

The definition of asexuality can be complicated to understand. Many asexual individuals are on a spectrum between asexual to allosexual, a term used by aces to describe someone who experiences sexual attraction.

Others may identify being “gray asexual” or “gray-a,” which is the gray area between the spectrum of asexual and sexual.

“Gray-a” includes, but is not limited to, those who tend to lean toward the asexual end of the spectrum, but there are those who may experience rare occasions of sexual attraction.

There is also demisexual, someone who only develops a sexual attraction for others through a strong emotional connection.

The most common misconception about asexuality is that many think an asexual individual is simply choosing to abstain from

FEATURES any sexual activities, although there may be some abstinent aces.

According to the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, an organization that has forums for the sexual and asexual communities to discuss and educate about asexuality, there is vast diversity among the asexual community and each individual experiences and views attraction, relationships, and arousal differently.

“Every single person who identifies as asexual has a different experience. There are aces who engage in sexual activities and enjoy it and have lifelong partners. Then, there are people who are averse to it completely. So, it really just depends on that ace spectrum,” Janiec said.

Asexuality is based on what one feels, not what someone does. It is about attraction, not action. Many aces experience the same wide range of emotions as anybody else, aces just express their emotions through platonic affection.

When it comes to dating, some do it and some do not. It all comes down to the ace spectrum and where an individual identifies on that spectrum.

Janiec said she does casually date. Her goal when it comes to dating is simply to just have a good time and to find someone who is accepting and likes her for who she is. She also discussed that she typically does not share that she is asexual with a potential partner until the second or third date. The reason behind this is to just focus on getting to know someone without having to explain the complexity of asexuality.

“Explaining your identity to someone you’re dating can get complicated because asexuality is one of those identities that is still invisible, not a whole lot of people know about it,” Janiec said.

There are some people who never come out to their partners because either it is not an issue or they are too ashamed. Janiec said it is also becoming less of a norm to not share one’s asexuality because asexuality is slowing gaining more recognition.

On the other end of spectrum, there are those who do not date at all and have no desire to engage in any type of romantic relationship, which is when one identifies as aromantic.

“Being aromantic can be defined in a few ways. One of the ways is that you have no interest, and you don’t feel feelings of romance, and the other is you prefer the idea of romance more than actually getting involved in it,” said senior art education major Vivian Phu, who identifies as asexual and aromantic.

According to the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, being asexual does not make one’s life any better or worse. Asexual individuals just face a different set of challenges than sexual people. This is especially true when

Hannah Janiec is the co-chair for the LGBTQIA Commission at NAU, April 11.

Rye So | The Lumberjack

it comes to living in a hypersexualized society.

“When you’re an ace person, there’s a lot of concern in the asexual community that identity is infantilized because our current society says, ‘You either enjoy sex or you’re a child,’” Janiec said. “So, there are a lot of issues where people who identify on the asexual spectrum face issues where people will disregard their opinions, and it can get very dangerous.”

Living in a hypersexualized society, many sexual individuals tend to disregard asexuality as an orientation because they do not fully understand the meaning of it. Because asexuality is a rather unknown topic, there are many misconceptions, and many of those misconceptions are followed by ignorance and can be very offensive.

“There has also been some backlash in the

psychology community to acknowledge that asexuality is just as valid as any other identity, and it’s not part of a mental illness,” Janiec said.

Janiec is hopeful that as time progresses there will be more people who identify as asexual because more people will know what it means to be asexual.

The ace community has seen this progression. Twenty years ago, a British study was done in the 1980s and found that 1 percent of the world population identified as asexual, which shed light on the concept of asexuality.

More people are figuring out that they identify on the spectrum due to the education network and other online forums that connect the asexual community.

In recent years, there has also been a cultural increase with asexuality in the media and entertainment industries. In 2014, “Sirens,” a comedy TV series, had an asexual character.

In The CW teen-drama series “Riverdale,” a controversy erupted when a major character, Jughead Jones, was revealed as asexual. The asexual community views the cultural increase as necessary gains to improve societal tolerance.

With recognition increasing, asexuality has been subject to recent scientific research due to the founding of Asexual Visibility and Education Network. Back in 2001, 1,500 people joined the forum, and 17 years later, that number has increased to 35,000 registered members. Today, the network remains an effective safe place for anybody and everybody to share and explore their identities.

A forum from the network stated there is no one factor that determines if an individual is asexual. At its core, asexuality is similar to any other identity, it is simply a word used by a person to help figure themselves out.

On the Asexual Visibility and Education Network’s website, it is stated that if a person finds it comfortable to define themselves as asexual then they should identify as so. Phu shared advice for those who believe they may identify within the ace spectrum.

“Do a little bit more research and don’t be afraid to do that, don’t be afraid to really take the time to reflect and think and explore yourself and see where that leads you,” Phu said.

Asexuality exists and is based on a spectrum.

It is the most misunderstood orientation, but anyone can identify as asexual. The ace spectrum is a vital component for asexual individuals because there are so many different types of identities out there. Individuals can fall anywhere on that spectrum based on their own unique experiences and preferences.

“Every experience is different, and no one should feel ashamed about their identity,” Janiec said.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 15

FEATURES

Conceiving contraception Hayley O’Connor

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nce students enter college, it is important for them to understand sexual health and the measures they need to take in order to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

NAU has taken steps to increase education for sexual health for students. NAU Campus Health Services and Health Promotions encourage the use of birth control and getting tested for STDs. A variety of birth control is offered to students at NAU, and there are other places where students can get birth control as well in Flagstaff. These other locations include Planned Parenthood and North Country Healthcare.

Junior public health major Kirsten Shiner learned about birth control through her major, but her sexual education started sooner.

“I learned plenty about birth control when I was in high school and [through] my doctors. I always knew there were various types depending on what was convenient for the individual and what worked with their body,” said Shiner.

“Personally, most people I know use condoms, the birth control pill or they have the implant in their arm. I think these are all good options. The implant is really good for people who have the habit of forgetting to take their pill.”

Shiner has always dreamed about being a nurse. She knows it is important to be knowledgeable about all the different types of birth control that are available. So, if she needs to work with a patient later in life, she can be understanding of what they need.

“A lot of my instructors at NAU are very interested in sexual health so they make sure to tell their students as much information as possible. I felt like my health classes prepared me well for life, and I remember a lot of what I learned. But NAU has given me deeper information that I probably would not have known before,” Shiner said.

NAU’s Campus Health Services provides resources for students. On their website, they offer other websites as guides for when students are unable to come in for a consultation with a doctor. Some of the websites they refer to are Mayo Clinic, American Academy of Family Physicians, Managing Stress, Women’s Mental Health (information for pregnant and nursing women) and Health Promotion.

On NAU’s Health Promotion web page,

Students can fill their birth-control prescriptions at the HLC pharmacy, April 14.

Austin Corbett | The Lumberjack

they have a section that provides resources for STD testing. The places that offer these tests are NAU Campus Health Services, Coconino County Clinic, Planned Parenthood, North County Health Care and NAU Health Promotion offers free testing throughout school semesters.

NAU Health Promotions also offers an online birth control class. This class offers students opportunities to learn about contraception and safer sex.

A former NAU student who wished to remain anonymous used to get her birth control through NAU Campus Health Services. She also visited the medical office for urgent care and women’s health checkups.

“I always had a nice experience and I liked the doctors who I saw,” said the anonymous source. “They had good bedside manner and always made me feel comfortable, even though going to the doctor for that reason is not always the most enjoyable experience.”

To get birth control from medical services, someone would have to follow the steps provided online.

The first step is to decide which birth control works the best based off a person’s body and what fits with their lifestyle. NAU’s

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website provides a link to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals site. This link shows the different types of birth control which can be available to someone who needs it.

Different types of birth control include: an Intra-Uterine Device (IUD), an implant, a shot, a patch, a condom, a cervical cup, sterilization and emergency contraception. Some specific types of birth control are the pill, which is a hormonal birth control that is taken daily, and the contraceptive ring, which gives off hormones to prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs. The contraceptive ring is taken out during a person’s menstruation.

Some of these options are more long term and do not need to be taken out for several years.

These options include an IUD and an implant.

The pill needs to be taken at the same time every day for it to work effectively. If the person using it forgets to take it every day, they have a higher chance of becoming pregnant. If someone takes the pill, it does not protect them from sexually transmitted infections or diseases.

If primary forms of birth control fail or are not used, a woman can use emergency contraception to prevent getting pregnant. A common form of this is the Plan B pill. The sooner it is used after conception the more

effective it will be. It is recommended to take it within 72 hours of intercourse.

If someone wants to get birth control through NAU’s campus health services, they need to decide which type they want and then they need to attend the online birth control class. This course takes approximately an hour to complete.

Once someone has completed the first two steps, they need to read and sign the informed consent form. They receive two copies of this form. They keep one of the forms for their own personal record and they need to bring the other signed and dated form to their appointment at NAU Campus Health Services.

After a person has arrived at NAU Campus Health Services they need to complete an online health history form. This step is important because the doctors need to know of any preexisting conditions a patient may have. This can eliminate certain options that are available for forms of birth control.

The final step is to attend the appointment, and the doctor will talk with the patient to discuss the options they have and what they recommend for them.

Birth control can be used for other purposes besides contraception. Many people use hormonal birth control to improve troublesome acne or abnormal hormone levels. Birth control can also control when someone will get their menstrual period. The birth control pill has one week of placebo pills, which do not have hormones in them. This is the week when the menstrual period would occur. The person would still need to take the pills during this week so they can stay consistent with the habit of taking the birth control pill at the same time every day.

Certain forms of insurance are not accepted at NAU Campus Health Services. Students from California who have Kaiser Permanente health insurance are not covered in Arizona. They need to get the insurance offered by NAU to pay for the services they offer. They will still need to pay for any lab work that is performed. If someone does not have health insurance, they will need to pay for their services and prescriptions out of pocket.

There are options available for students that are looking to make their sexual health a priority. NAU promotes the use of safe sex and making smart decisions.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 17

CULTURE

Top Left: Eric Howk, member of Portugal. The Man, plays the electric guitar as smoke and light fill the stage at Prochnow Auditorium April 14. Top Right: Portugal. The Man performs their first song of the night, “Purple Yellow Red and Blue,” April 14. The lead vocalist and bass player are both from Alaska and were in many bands in Alaska before creating Portugal. The Man. Bottom Left: Portugal.

The Man stands in front of an artificial rainbow made by their luminescent light show April 14. Their song “Feel It Still” plays in a Vitamin Water commercial featuring Aaron Paul from “Breaking Bad.” Bottom Right: The lead singer of Portugal. The Man, John Gourley, is surrounded by a multicolored light show at Prochnow Auditorium April 14. Danny Saldivar | The Lumberjack

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APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 19

CULTURE

Long live the PRISM drag queens Joey Felton

T

he drag community continues to grow, increasing their impact on Flagstaff and dissolving gender norms to facilitate individual expression. With their help, the already popular drag scene in Flagstaff can expand.

PRISM, short for “People Respecting Individuals and Sexual Minorities,” is an NAUsponsored organization started in 1991. They support the LGBTQ+ community through advocacy and education and, especially, drag.

Freshman secondary education major Jakob Hunter is vice president of external affairs for PRISM. He is involved with organizing drag events, auditioning performers for drag events and performing under his stage name, Eve. “The biggest goal is to get everybody who wants to be involved, involved,” said Hunter.

“We’re here to create a stronger, more unified community.”

Hunter explained the need to identify potential drag queens and kings, as many of them may already be interested but simply need a nudge of support.

Fall 2017, PRISM supported 13 performers.

This spring, that figure has doubled to 26.

Freshman film major Roberto Gonzalez became active in the drag scene after stumbling upon PRISM on the NAU website. Performing as Lady Nightingale, he now hosts and appears in drag shows on a regular basis.

Gonzalez uses drag to show confidence and release emotions. Like many in the LGBTQ+ community, he has struggled gaining acceptance and support from important people in his life.

“The drag community has helped me continue to discover who I am,” said Gonzalez.

“If I want to go out one day with a full face of makeup ... NAU and the resources like PRISM and the drag shows have allowed me to become comfortable enough with myself to do that.”

Many PRISM performers are NAU students like Gonzalez, and some are seasoned veterans of the runway.

Anya C. Mann — who goes by her stage name — has been with PRISM the longest and has performed extensively in Arizona. She won Miss Congeniality at the Copper City drag show and competed in Miss Gay Arizona America.

“We accept anybody who wants to join our scene,” Gonzalez said.

Cyris Panos, who performs as Alexis Catour, is a promoter for Sold Out Productions.

Left: Jacob Hunter, one of the main performers at Drag Down the Regime gets ready backstage at the Oprheum Theater April 13. Right: A queen known as Merci Beaucoup shows off their makeup backstage at the Orpheum Theater April 13. Devyn Coons | The Lumberjack

He spreads the word about drag shows.

Panos said the shows used to only happen twice per year, but now happen as much as twice per month. He expects they will have weekly shows in the future.

Much of what makes the drag shows in Flagstaff so popular is the interactive nature of the performances. Hunter explained that drag shows in Flagstaff, oftentimes at Firecreek Coffee Company or The Green Room, are audience oriented.

“At the show, the queen is paying attention to you,” Hunter said. “I think our shows are a little more alternative.”

Panos stressed that drag is not limited to traditional queens. The performances also include drag kings and Bio-queens.

Bio-queen, or “faux queen,” is a term used for people identifying as female who dress and

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perform in drag as queens. Panos said these performers are less common than traditional queens, but are welcome to perform and equally champion the bending of gender norms and expectations.

Not all drag shows in Flagstaff are limited to just drag, either.

Their most recent show, scheduled to take place April 20 at Flagstaff Brewing Company with the band, The Blunts, is similar to a show last summer where three bands performed tandem to the drag show.

Hunter said he wants drag shows to feature talents as much as individuality.

“I want to see queer performing arts ... putting on the wig and face of makeup is what we do, but not what we’re here for,” Hunter said.

Panos is accustomed to performing with raw emotion and wants to be a positive influence to

those hoping to challenge homophobia. Several people have decided to come out to their friends and family after witnessing his involvement in the LGBTQ+ community. “[Drag] is sharing a part of yourself,” said Panos. “Not all drag queens are accepted by their families.

Panos, along with many other experienced kings and queens, has a drag “son.” This is someone he mentors and emotionally endorses on a journey of self-discovery and expression.

The families that arise from the drag scene are part of what gets more people involved, especially among those whose own families have discouraged or even deserted them.

Drag shows are a fun time for queens, kings and the audience, and also an effective way of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and standing up to harmful stereotypes.

CULTURE

Tackling the tricky tampon tax Gabriella Johnson

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or students who have periods, especially those who don’t want to use the women’s restroom or who can’t afford menstrual products, it can be embarrassing and burdensome to ask around for these necessities.

But starting this year, Associated Students for Women’s Issues (ASWI) has made it easier to find and use menstrual products.

Executive board members of ASWI believe menstrual products should be more accessible to not only women, but people of all genders, as well as people who may not be able to afford these necessities, especially due to the so-called “tampon tax.”

ASWI’s mission as a student organization is to promote gender equality, both on campus and in the greater Flagstaff community. In January, ASWI officially launched a campaign that provides menstrual products in all the restrooms in the University Union free of charge.

Senior English major Helen Weathers, president of ASWI, said members decided the campaign would be carried out in the University Union due to the proximity to the organization’s office and because it is a central meeting location for many students. Although the campaign was launched in January, ASWI has provided free menstrual products to the NAU community for more than eight years.

“We started providing tampons and pads and menstrual products outside of our office,” said Weathers.

Up until this semester’s campaign, a bulletin board outside the ASWI office on the second floor of the Union included a box to hold menstrual products for the community to take. But the organization realized that the board wasn’t enough.

“We felt it was really important to expand that outreach to more people, and not everyone [that] comes upstairs,” Weathers said.

Because some NAU students cannot afford to buy menstrual products, ASWI felt it was important to make menstrual products more accessible than common, coin-operated hygiene product dispensers sometimes available in women’s restrooms.

“I think they should be free and especially in a restroom. It’s just as necessary as toilet paper,” Weathers said.

ASWI places the donated menstrual products in all restrooms, not just women’s restrooms, because people of multiple sexual

Illustration by Colton starley

identities can have periods.

“Just because you use the men’s restroom doesn’t mean that you don’t need menstrual products,” Weathers said.

Other people don’t seem to think so.

While ASWI members haven’t gotten any verbal responses about menstrual products being in the men’s restrooms, they have had issues with the products being removed from the men’s restrooms. “[We’re] having to go check and make sure that they are there and take them back whenever they are taken out of the men’s restrooms,” Weathers said.

There are four ASWI members currently refilling the menstrual product boxes in the University Union. Weathers said they typically refill each box twice per week.

“We started getting the boxes out in January, and we realized really quickly that the demand was a lot higher than what we expected, which is great. I’m super happy that people are taking what they need,” Weathers said. “We put out a call in February to get donations.”

Weathers said they have been receiving a steady amount of donations since then.

Donations can be dropped off by anyone at the ASWI office, room 202 in the Union.

Sarah Lydford, junior environmental studies major and the director of administration for ASWI, said the menstrual-product donations have come from various students and organizations on campus.

“Some of them have been random people

and some of them have been sororities,” said Lydford. “It’s not like people specifically buying it for our drive. They have these [extras] and are willing to donate.”

Lydford believes a significant aspect of the ASWI campaign is its ability to repurpose and redistribute unused products as well, as it reduces waste.

ASWI is trying to be intentional and inclusive in the language around menstrual products, as well as where they place the products. Weathers thinks it is inappropriate to use the phrase “feminine hygiene products” to refer to menstrual products.

“Not everyone who has a period identifies as feminine or female,” Weathers said.

Sara Johnston, a student in the sustainable communities master’s program at NAU, said she believes that using the word “hygiene” to reference menstrual products is also harmful.

“We have these things called hygiene products, which means we need to clean ourselves up, like our bodies are a mess,” said Johnston.

Lydford said they also believe that, in society, the menstrual cycle is something to keep hidden and is often deemed a taboo topic.

Because of this, there are not enough resources available.

“It’s so expensive, so it bars people from having adequate hygiene,” Lydford said. “[We’re] making it more accessible because it’s expensive since there’s a luxury tax on menstrual products in Arizona. It’s not a luxury to have a period.”

Political officials in Arizona introduced legislation in January with the goal of exempting menstrual products from sales tax, according to usnews.com. For now, menstrual products remain categorized as a luxury product and are taxed as such. Similar products targeted to men, such as condoms, are exempt from sales tax in many states.

“It’s a lot of money that people spend on these products every year and in their lifetime,” Weathers said. “So having that extra tax on top of it is really damaging for people who might not be able to afford the menstrual products to begin with and then have to pay extra as a luxury product doesn’t make any sense.”

Johnston said people are forced to purchase single-use menstrual products, because the products are created to be disposable.

“They have to buy them repeatedly because they are not created to be sustainable,” Johnston said.

Santana Soto, sophomore political theory major and director of communication for ASWI, recalled an experience when he didn’t have access to menstrual products and had to remain in the stained clothing the rest of the day. “[Periods are] not an optional thing. It’s going to happen,” said Soto. “When I was in high school, I ruined a pair of pants and I couldn’t go home. Hopefully, we help somebody prevent that and they can take the menstrual products home if they just cannot afford them.”

ASWI executive board members hope that the campaign will continue to grow and include more buildings with high student traffic.

“I really hope that in the future we can expand to having boxes in many of the centrally located buildings on campus,” Weathers said.

“I hope that people see this is something that is really necessary for people and expand outside of our little fight in the Union.”

Sophomore women and gender studies major Kiley Romano is the director of special events for ASWI. She believes the progress the campaign has made so far is important to recognize, as well as their hopes for the future.

“Even on a small scale, we’re doing something great for the community and the students of NAU,” said Romano. “We shouldn’t diminish that.”

ASWI hopes to continue destigmatizing periods, breaking down gendered language and making menstrual products accessible for all people in the Flagstaff community, one tampon at a time.

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 21

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APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 23

SPORTS

I

A seat at the table

n the midst of #MeToo stories and #TimesUp statements, there is a collection, an army rather, of women tackling the world of sports media and taking it by storm.

Here are just a few of my personal favorites.

When I hear sports and female in one sentence, my mind goes to one person: Doris Burke. Burke began her broadcast career as a basketball analyst on her alma mater, Providence College’s campus radio station. She has been an ESPN contributor since the late 1990s working with the WNBA, and in 2000 was the first female commentator for the New York Knicks on TV and radio.

Burke has been a sideline reporter for the NBA Finals, featured in the “NBA 2K” video game series as a reporter and has been a staple on the QUINN pregame program NBA Countdown.

SNYDER ASSISTANT SPORTS Burke became an NBA game analyst for EDITOR ESPN, the first woman to hold a fullseason regular role at the national level.

In 2018 she was selected to enter the Basketball Hall of Fame for her dedication and work.

Rachel Nichols is an ESPN host, anchor and reporter.

She has her own show, “The Jump,” weekdays on ESPN where she leads discussions and offers commentary on the happenings of the NBA. Sports Illustrated called her “the country’s most impactful and prominent female sports journalist.”

Nichols has continually been on the forefront of questioning athletes, executives and officials to bring truth to her audience regarding many issues, including ones of domestic violence in the NFL. Kirtsen Karbach and Emma Tiedemann are pioneers in the world of broadcast. The two are the first women to become the play-by-play broadcasters for a professional baseball team. Karbach and Tiedemann both work for the single-A affiliates of the Phillies and Royals organizations.

Karbach began working for the Clearwater Threshers in 2015 as the first female play-by-play announcer to ever work in professional baseball at any level.

In 2018, Tiedemann became the voice of the Lexington Legends, and did so with the statement, “If you want to do it, then do it.”

These are just a few of the women who have helped to create a space for the modern female sports reporter, broadcaster, announcer, writer or producer. They are in the company of many more women like Erin Andrews, Hannah Storm, Sara Walsh, Kristen Ledlow, Katie Nolan, Sam Ponder, Jenny Dell and the list goes on.

I feel beyond fortunate to be joining an elite team at CBS Sports Digital in its production department this summer and work toward leaving my mark as a female in this industry.

The time is now, to not only have a seat at the table but to take it and make it your own.

24 THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

Assistant soccer coach Sam Monahan (left) and assistant soccer coach Kylie Louw (right) provide instruction on the field.

Photo courtesy of NAU Athletics

Forty-three NAU coaches, 11 WomeN Cara Heise

F

orty-three people in the athletic department at NAU have the word “coach” in their title. Eleven of the 43 are female, which is 25 percent of the coaching staff. One of the 11 is a head coach — that is 2 percent.

“Last year we had an event, and they called all the head coaches up,” said women’s basketball head coach Loree Payne. “I think I knew that I was the only female head coach here, but that moment I was up on stage with the other head coaches I looked around and it was kind of like an epiphany moment like, ‘Wow, I am the only female head coach here.’”

Payne knew she wanted to coach when she was in college.

Injured her sophomore year playing basketball, she sat out for roughly two months and became a student of the game. She was able to view the game from a coach’s perspective.

After her student-athlete career at the University of Washington, Payne sought out coaching jobs at other colleges.

She coached at Northwest Nazarene from 2003 to 2004 and the University of Portland from 2004 to 2007 before returning to her alma mater where she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator until 2010. Prior to coming to NAU, Payne coached at Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Kylie Louw, an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at NAU, also started her coaching career at another school before joining the Lumberjack coaching staff.

Louw started at youth soccer camps while she was attending Stephen F. Austin University. After living in Texas, she moved to Arizona to coach women’s soccer at UA where she spent four years.

“For me, when I was a student athlete, I would work the

summer camps, and I had a lot of energy and enthusiasm when I coached,” said Louw. “My coach at the time then made me one of the head coaches and gave me my own group. It was him, the two other assistants at the time and then me, and from then on it felt more natural to me. It became easier for me in terms of running a camp, and I just enjoyed it.”

Sam Monahan is another coach for the women’s soccer team.

She is a 2009 NAU soccer alumna and played soccer overseas in Finland, Sweden and Denmark since graduating. The 2017 season was also her first season as an assistant coach for NAU. Assistant volleyball coach Rachel Dunlap has been coaching for six years, with this past season being her first at NAU. Dunlap knew she was made to be a coach since her sophomore year of high school.

“I’ve always been into sports, and I had some good coaching when I was younger,” said Dunlap. “I just knew I wanted to be involved in sports somehow and someway, and I knew this was the best avenue for me to take charge. I couldn’t see this not being a part of my life since I was such an athlete when I was younger.”

Anna Gott, assistant volleyball coach for NAU, graduated from NAU in 2013 and started coaching right out of college.

“I don’t picture volleyball being a male-[dominant] sport,” said Gott. “Coaching in general gets that stereotype. But in women’s volleyball, I don’t feel like that, and I don’t feel like we’re competing in a man’s world. I don’t feel like we’re different.”

In sports, athletes tend to find a way to relate to their coaches, and for some female athletes, it can be hard to relate to a male coach.

Louw thinks that female coaches tend to be more understanding of female athletes because they know what they are experiencing.

“There should be one female on staff. They don’t have to be

SPORTS

Assistant women’s basketball coach Kellee Barney (left) and head coach Loree Payne (right) shout from the sidelines. Photo courtesy of NAU Athletics

head coaches, but there needs to be at least one female on staff because that gives student athletes a chance to relate,” Louw said.

“There needs to be one male and one female represented in a coaching staff. There are exceptions, perhaps you have a male trainer.

I think from a relatability standpoint, females should be more involved or involved in a coaching staff.”

At the end of the day, it is not the school’s responsibility to hire more female coaches. It is on women who want to pursue a coaching career to actually apply for the position.

While there is a small number of women coaches on campus and in the sports world, that does not mean these women are not successful.

“You look at Notre Dame who won the national championship this year, [they were] coached by a female,” Payne said about Norte Dame head coach for women’s basketball Karen Keyes. “As women continue to be successful and continue to lead programs to the top success, you can have very elite competition. There becomes less pressure to prove yourself, but there still is.”

While every sport is different, and every coach has different experiences, there are a number of things that are consistent across the board. Spending time away from family, balancing work and trying to get the team working together as a unit are challenges every coach faces. However, the challenges can be overcome.

“You surround yourself with great

people,” Payne said. “I have a great staff who is like family, so it doesn’t seem like a job a lot of the times. You build relationships with the kids, and you get to see them grow.”

While the male coach to female coach ratio is off, the person who gets the job is going to be the person who is the best fit for the program.

“If I was an athletic director hiring coaches, I would hire the best person for the job,” Louw said. “That’s what it is. If I get this pool of candidates that I’m interviewing, as an athletic director, my decision is to get the best person for the job to help student athletes grow, graduate and be successful. As females we have to put ourselves in these positions to compete at the same level.”

The female coaches at NAU are showing their student athletes what it means to be successful in their fields and are teaching them that they can do what they want and be who they want in life.

Women today are breaking down barriers and are allowing younger generations to not feel like a minority in workplaces, especially in sports.

“Don’t be scared,” Dunlap said. “That’s silly, because there aren’t that many of you.

Take a negative and turn it into a positive in the sense that there aren’t very many females out there. Use that to your advantage and get your foot out there. Go and apply everywhere because there are hundreds of companies and organizations that are looking for strong female leads.”

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 25

SPORTS

Hit a home run or strike out?

Bailey Helton

O

ver the years people have been using the benefits of sex for the driving force of having it. It reduces stress, it burns calories, it boosts testosterone levels and it reduces the risks of cancer or heart attacks. But the topic of having sex has not immersed itself in is the world of sports.

Depending on what kind of athlete you are and your own sexual preferences, you may be someone who believes having sex before a big competition or game is the best way to prepare.

However, you may believe abstinence is the way to go.

According to the “Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine,” Muhammad Ali, a world-renowned boxer and activist, was one that believed staying abstinent was the best option before competing. In fact, in the same journal article, “Marty Liquori, one the world’s number one-ranked 5,000-meter runner believes that ‘Sex makes you happy, and happy people don’t run a 3:47 mile.’”

But just as there are people in favor of being abstinent, there are just as many who believe having sex, and plenty of it, will show in athletic performance.

According to CNN, former MMA fighter Ronda Rousey is someone that claims that not only does she try to have sex the night before a big fight, but that she tries to have an much sex as humanly possible. Not only does Rousey believe in sexual preparation, but so do Olympic medalists David Wottle and Karin Lee Gardner.

So one boxer and at least one runner support both sides of the spectrum. But how does one determine which method is best and which method actually contributes to athletic performance?

The sports medicine journal claims that the reason some people prefer the abstinent route may be due to the emotion that comes from sexual frustration such as anger, aggression and, you guessed it, frustration. The way that translates into a sporting event is determined on the sport. If it’s a high-contact sport, like football, there is potential for a greater chance of someone getting to the quarterback or just laying someone out.

If it’s an individual sport, like cross-country, there is a chance that the combination of self-motivation and frustration is just a recipe for disaster. However, there is also a chance that the competitor is out to just demolish the competition. Thus, creating a larger motivation.

Frustration seems to be the only leading cause in the argument for abstinence, while it’s opposing view — sex, and a lot of it — seems to have far more supporting details.

Let’s say an athlete hits the gym hard the day before a competition. They are not sore and their body is tense. According to onhealth.com, “Sexual stimulation (including masturbation) and orgasm can help keep pain at bay. Both activities can reduce pain sensation and increase your pain threshold. Orgasms result in the release of hormones that can help block pain signals.”

Not only that, but often times when engaging in sexual activities, one’s body is working out and is stretching, which also helps alleviate the pain or tenseness in the body.

Another contributing factor to the argument to have sex

26 THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

Illustration By Dominic Davies

before competition is testosterone levels. During sex, both men and women have an increase in the amount of testosterone in their bodies. According to BBC, an International Association of Athletics Federations study showed that “If, as the study shows, in certain events female athletes with higher testosterone levels can have a competitive advantage of between 1.8%-4.5% over female athletes with lower testosterone levels, imagine the magnitude of the advantage for female athletes with testosterone levels in the normal male range.”

According to the “U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health,” a testosterone boost in men can

lead to a power-hungry performance. What this means is, the motivation to do better in the sport is driven by the desire to dominate all other competitors. This could be particularly useful in sports like cross country, track and field or fighting sports.

All in all, the argument on whether to be abstinent or to have sex has supporting evidence on both sides. However, the decision on which one to practice comes from how you want to feel during the competition.

Would you rather be frustrated and aggressive or be loosened up and power hungry?

APRIL 19, 2018 – APRIL 25, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 27