The Lumberjack--April 26, 2018

T H E L U M BE R JACK

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018

ARTISTS OF THE AIR PAGES 12–13

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

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t is interesting being a photographer in a newsroom full of writers. I think we speak in a different language, and it has been a joy to spend the last three semesters being part of that world.

Photography and writing are different, but also very similar. They are just two distinct mediums of expression.

I am a photographer because I like capturing the feeling of the moment in a single photograph.

Photography to me is about walking into a situation and making a split-second decision of what I want people to see and what I hope they feel when they look at my photographs.

This is true with any event, whether it is a protest or a concert.

The people who know me know I can be found at just about every concert in the Flagstaff area. When I think about capturing the moment, I think about illustrating the vibe of the music. It is my goal to document the feeling of the night, from the butterflies you feel waiting in line for doors to open, to the moment the music starts and you feel it throughout every inch of your body. I want to capture the pain, love, sadness and hope in the music that artists have poured their hearts SHANNON and souls into creating.

COWAN In today’s society, it is easy for us to get caught up in the world of social media DIRECTOR OF that shows us the good but hardly ever the bad. We have been told we are closer than PHOTOGRAPHY ever because of technology, but it often feels like the exact opposite. It is easy to lose yourself in the artificial and not talk about the real issues at hand. This is what sets musicians apart from the rest. They take the stage and address life’s worst hardships night after night.

This means something special in a world where people are often too afraid to tell the truth.

This place of vulnerability brings people together in a way social media could never do. Music is, and has been, one of the truest forms of expression. It is a place where people come together to hear someone talk about what they have experienced in a raw and emotional form. Concert goers can feel the emotion radiating from the artist the second the music fills the room.

It will forever be my goal as a concert photographer to chase that feeling. When the music starts, I feel at home in the emotion of the artists and the excitement of the fans.

We could learn a thing or two from these artists.

Thank you for reading.

“It’s been really difficult this year in the music industry. A lot of things have been changing, a lot of artists have blown up overnight.”

- Doug Quick, Sun Entertainment event coordinator, 2018 Rich the Kid performs at NAU’s Spring Concert April 19 at the Walkup Skydome.

Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

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

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 106 ISSUE 14

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

On the cover Nathan Pulley works on his trapeze skills at Momentum Aerial during open gym April 7.

Bess Valdez | 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

Compiled by Valentine Sargent

April 16 At 1:44 a.m., a nonstudent called to report a suicidal student at The Suites.

An NAUPD officer responded, and the student was discovered in good health.

an odor of marijuana. An NAUPD officer responded and one student was deferred for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

April 19 At 4:12 a.m., a custodial staff member requested a walk-through of the Health Professions building as it was left unsecured. An NAUPD officer responded and found that a second group of custodial At 5:42 p.m., NAUPD staff was in the building and received a call from a person had left the door open. in an elevator in Audrey Auditorium. A NAUPD officer At 10:42 a.m., a staff responded and the area was member called to report the searched. No criminal activity theft of their bicycle at the was witnessed.

Science Lab Facility. The Bicycle is a red Columbia April 17 Deluxe beach cruiser. An At 11:49 p.m., a student NAUPD officer responded and called to report having been took a report. involved in a fight with another student at the Hilltop At 8:27 p.m., an NAUPD Townhomes. NAUPD officers officer reported contacting responded and one student an intoxicated subject at was deferred for misdemeanor the Walkup Skydome. One assault and disorderly conduct. student was deferred for minor in consumption of alcohol.

April 18 At 1:01 a.m., a passer-by At 8:29 p.m., an NAUPD reported unidentified subjects officer reported a subject who in the construction area in had been kicked out of the Lot 16. An NAUPD officer Walkup Skydome was trying responded and discovered that to re-enter. Officers checked the subjects were employed the area but did not find the with a construction crew. subject.

At 1:52 a.m., a resident in Hilltop Townhomes reported excessively loud music. An NAUPD officer responded and one student was deferred for use of marijuana and disorderly conduct.

At 2:37 p.m., a staff member called to report a student passed out at the du Bois Center. NAUPD officers, FFD and Guardian Medical Trasport responded and the Student was transported to FMC.

At 12:49 p.m., a staff member called to report a hitand-run collision near Lot 7A. NAUPD officers and FFD responded.

April 20 At 2:16 a.m., a staff member reported a fight that had occurred on the bus near Wilson Hall. NAUPD officers responded and one student was deferred for disturbing the peace.

At 4:20 p.m., despite the date and time, no criminal activity was reported. NAUPD still suspects that marijuanarelated activity may have been occurring at this specific time.

At 6:16 p.m., a staff member called to report a group of people skateboarding along the Science Lab Facility building walls. An NAUPD officer responded and no At 4:46 p.m., an RA in contact was made.

Tinsley Hall called to report

UPCOMING SHOWS

April 21 At 11:28 p.m., Southwest Protective Services requested a welfare check on subjects along the Urban Trail along the Skydome practice fields.

NAUPD officers responded and three students were deferred for possession of marijuana. An additional eight students were deferred for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

420 Weekend Passes On Sale $

At 4:44 a.m., a McConnell staff member reported a residence had been burgled. NAUPD officers responded and one nonstudent was arrested for 2nd degree burglary, resisting arrest and aggravated assault on an officer.

At 4:02 p.m., an RA in McConnell Hall called to report a non-resident in the building. An NAUPD officer responded and informed the subject they were trespassing.

The subject left the building.

KIDS

UNDER 12 ARE FREE !

Doors 6PM

Show 630PM

Music By

SIHASIN (CD RLEASE) “Fight like a Woman”

Ed Kabotie Berta Benally David Millgram Stella Lora

A Benefit for Grand Canyon Youth Informational Tabling

ulApril 2021 Friday, Friday, November

At 5:06 p.m., a student reported another student with an NAU Denial of Access served to them at South Village Apartments violating the Denial of Access.

NAUPD officers responded and found that the subject was never actually served with the Denial of Access. The student was served and left the area.

April 22 At 1:23 a.m., a Wells Fargo employee requested NAUPD assistance to see if their ATM at the University Union was functional. An NAUPD officer responded.

5

Doors a 8PM, Show at 9PM | ALL AGES

Saturday, April 21 Friday, November 21

Doors at 7PM, Show at 8PM | ALL AGES

Speakers & Presentations

Sunday, April 2221 Friday, November

Tickets available at the Orpheum Box Office, Rainbow’s End (Flagstaff/Cottonwood) and OrpheumFlagstaff.com

Doors at 6PM, Show at 630PM | All Ages

Ty Segall

& The Freedom Band

Friday, November 21 Friday, April 27

UPCOMING EVENTS 4.26 Save the Waves 4.28 PRIDE: Spring Fling 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.5 5.6

Drag Show Jenny Don’t and the Spurs KJACK: Battle of the Bands Hemlock Morning Family Film: Coco Cinco de Mayo w/ XIXA! NAU Student Film Festival WE ARE AN

sunday, ,April 2929 Sunday April 5.10 Flag Flo 5.11 5.12 5.27

Four Cornered Room Anger MGT Comedy Show Against Me!

Tickets at the Orpheum Box Office, Rainbow’s End ( Flagstaff/Cottonwood ), and OrpheumFlagstaff.com

STAY CONNECTED: Tickets at:

The Orpheum Box Office or Rainbows End (Flagstaff / Cottonwood)

ALL AGES

VENUE!

With Sextile

15 W Aspen Ave, Flagstaff, AZ @orpheumflag

928.556.1580 | orpheumflagstaff.com

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 3

NEWS

NAU offers partial docs after threat of legal action Adrian Skabelund

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or more than a year and a half, The Lumberjack has submitted multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to NAU’s administration concerning cases of sexual misconduct by faculty against students between 2010 and 2016.

NAU responded, only after the threat of legal action. After first denying the requests, NAU has now offered The Lumberjack two options. Those include providing either seven redacted versions of the 13 requested records, or a summary of the records and what they contain, as well as an off-the-record conversation about the alleged misconduct.

The Lumberjack has responded by requesting the complete set of documents without the professors’ names redacted, and would like all conversations to be on the record.

The university responded to a series of other Lumberjack FOIA requests by providing blank versions of documents used to report sexual misconduct. Those requests were made Feb. 17, 2017, Sept. 19, 2017, and Nov. 14, 2017.

The November request was aimed directly at records pertaining to the statement made by NAU spokesperson Kimberly Ott in late 2016 that there had been 13 cases of misconduct.

The Lumberjack’s request was acknowledged the next day, only to be denied Dec. 4, 2017 based on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects students’ right to privacy.

The Lumberjack repeatedly clarified the newspaper was not requesting records pertaining to students. The newspaper expected any identifying student information to be redacted.

The paper’s goal was, and still is, getting information on the actions and identity of faculty who may still be employed at NAU. Ott responded 13 days later on Dec. 18, 2017 saying, “Personal records are confidential,” per Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) policy.

Dan Barr, a Phoenix-based attorney specializing in media law, disagreed with NAU’s statement. Barr, of the law firm Perkins Coie, said that personnel records are not confidential in the state of Arizona.

Working with Flagstaff attorney Lee Phillips, The Lumberjack sent a letter to NAU again requesting records Feb. 20, 2018.

NAU’s general council Michelle Parker officially responded April 16 and treated the Feb. 20 request as the first official request. Previously, Parker told Phillips that Ott misspoke when she

The Lumberjack has requested documents of the NAU Office of the President through the Arizona public records laws. This illustration demonstrates the process of redaction.

told a reporter there were 13 cases. In Parker’s subsequent letter, however, she said NAU has gone through the cases and seven of the 13 were found to have merit.

Due to this, any records NAU would release would only be the records from the seven cases that were found to have merit.

Barr said that the #MeToo movement showed that even when investigators believe a case may not have merit, in fact it may.

“One of the things we have discovered in the #MeToo movement is that investigations we thought showed no wrong doing [showed the opposite].”

He added that NAU could easily redact identifying information but still release the bulk of the documents being requested.

NAU maintains these records are exempt from any FOIA requests under state law.

“In the case of allegations and complaints of sexual assault and harassment on university campuses, the privacy interests of NAU employees and students, and the interests of NAU in encouraging the reporting of such misconduct in the university setting, outweigh The Lumberjack’s interests in obtaining the records,” read Parker’s letter.

Once again Barr disagreed.

“What the law says is what is in the best interest of the state, meaning the people of the state of Arizona,” Barr said. “So they are conflating the university and the state. I would

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think there is a high public interest in seeing how the university would deal with these complaints.”

She continued that NAU may be unable to release records as certain details might reveal victim identities even if their names are redacted.

“Nearly all of the records would require significant redactions that would take days, if not weeks, to complete and result in a production of records that are void of any probative value,” Parker said in the letter.

NAU has been aware of The Lumberjack’s interest in the records for 18 months and has had the most recent request since November 2017.

The Lumberjack is not the only news agency to have requested these records. According to Ott, the Arizona Daily Sun has also been attempting to obtain similar records. The Daily Sun staff said they have yet to receive them.

The Lumberjack’s interest in the topic originated in 2015. Shortly after the bodies of former NAU lecturer Jeriah Hildwine and his girlfriend Ashley Darby were found in the forest outside Flagstaff in an apparent murdersuicide, The Lumberjack began to look into how widespread issues of sexual misconduct between faculty and students are.

At the time of his death, Hildwine was under investigation for such behavior with students, including sexual assault. And according to Ott, Hildwine’s actions were not an isolated

incident.

Ott told The Lumberjack in 2016 there had been 10 formal cases of sexual misconduct between a faculty member and a student, and three formal reports of sexual assault.

Since then, The Lumberjack has continued to try to get information on those cases through Arizona public records law. As a state institution, which is partially funded by taxpayers, the law gives anyone the right to request documents, communications and other pieces of information that are created by a government employee or deal with the business of the state, with only a few exceptions.

Arizona public records laws have been on the books for more than 100 years, but despite that, the university has not cooperated with The Lumberjack’s requests.

The Lumberjack first sent NAU requests for documents related to those cases in late 2016, and after being told documents were being readied for release and would be provided shortly, the requests were denied. This was done either by providing The Lumberjack with blank versions of the forms requested or telling the publication that the documents, that a week before were being readied for release, did not in fact exist.

The records requested only cover incidents from 2010 to 2016.

NEWS

Grievance committee denies AAUP’s claim Adrian Skabelund

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he Faculty Senate Grievance Committee dismissed the formal grievance that had been submitted by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at NAU in January.

The decision was made after the co-chairs of AAUP at NAU, professors Heather Martel and Robert Schere, made their case to the committee April 3. AAUP at NAU received the decision April 11.

At the pre-hearing, Schere and Martel addressed four of the issues that had been in the formal grievance: e-learning, centralized classroom scheduling, multi-term enrollment and the search process for the Endowed McAllister Chair.

Centralized classroom scheduling and multi-term enrollment have proven controversial with faculty and students alike, and many faculty said they were excluded from the decision-making process before the new policies were implemented.

The Endowed McAllister Chair, which was filled in December 2017, has also been controversial with faculty as some feel the president did not go through the correct procedure when filling the position.

Faculty in and outside AAUP at NAU have pointed to all three as examples of NAU administrators ignoring the concept of shared governance that is outlined in NAU’s constitution, an issue the Higher Learning Commission said NAU needed to improve in the commission’s most recent accreditation report, released November 2017.

“On each of those issues, they denied our right to a full hearing,” said Schere. “That was their conclusion following the pre-hearing.”

It is not yet clear what the reason for the committee’s denial was. Neither Martel nor Schere would comment on the reasoning, and The Lumberjack was told by Faculty Senate that records are confidential under university policy. The Lumberjack, however, will continue to request such records.

According to the Conditions of Faculty Service (COFS), which outlines what happens in the grievance process, a full hearing would have allowed AAUP at NAU to bring witnesses and evidence to support their claim. But after the committee’s decision, this will not happen.

Instead, the decision now goes to NAU President Rita Cheng, or Provost Dan Kain if Cheng is indisposed, who will make the final decision on whether the grievance was resolved correctly in the next few weeks.

But given the conduct of the NAU administration — ­ including Cheng herself — is included within the grievance, Schere said he is not optimistic her decision might be in favor of AAUP at NAU. The process a grievance goes through is problematic, Schere said.

“The fact is, say you have the run-of-the-mill case where a faculty member is denied tenure or promotion of some kind,” Schere said. “This process could work perfectly well. The recommendation from the grievance committee goes to the president or the provost, and they make their decision; not a problem. But what do you do when either of those parties is

Illustration By Brady Wheeler

named in a grievance? It’s a clear conflict of interest.”

According to COFS, AAUP at NAU does have the ability to appeal the decision, but only in two ways. Firstly, they can write a response asking Cheng to reconsider the decision, something Schere said they plan on doing.

If this does not succeed, according to COFS, the only other option would be to go off campus.

“Say we get a decision from the president that we disagree with, we could file a motion with the superior court,” Schere said, adding that it was an option that AAUP at NAU has not ruled out. At the moment, however, the group is still trying to consider all of its options.

Faculty Senate President Gioia Woods said the Faculty Senate has been making some changes to COFS, including one subcommittee looking at the grievance process, but she described these changes as “very mild” and “nothing startling.”

Woods said the Faculty Senate is conducting a “regular COFS cleanup undertaken by senate to review and revise certain sections of the conditions of the faculty service. A subcommittee has revised parts of the grievance language.”

But no matter what happens, Schere made one thing clear:

This is not the end of these issues for AAUP at NAU. “Shared faculty governance and constitutional violations, those aren’t going to go away. We chose to focus very narrowly on those six to seven issues because they pertain to those grander principals. They aren’t going anywhere and neither are we,” Schere said. “[We] really want to respect the process as it exists but having gone through it, we’re recognizing things need to be, or could be improved.”

Since they submitted the grievance, AAUP at NAU has not been dormant. Instead, the group has been visiting various departments’ faculty meetings to give presentations on what they do and what their goals are.

So far, the group has met with every department within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences as well as the biology, chemistry, forestry departments and even Faculty Senate.

“We’re trying to build membership,” Schere said. “We want people to recognize that they don’t need to be afraid. If [faculty members] keep doing what they’re doing, nothing is going to change.”

The Lumberjack reached out to President Cheng’s office but did not receive any comment.

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 5

NEWS

NAU will not posthumously recognize student at commencement Chandler Coiner

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AU rejected the pleas of the family of a deceased NAU student to have him recognized at the upcoming commencement ceremonies.

Nick Acevedo, who was a senior psychology major, committed suicide in March. While the NAU community was grieving over his death, Nick’s mother, Karen Acevedo, approached the university to have her son awarded a posthumous degree — a symbolic testament to a person’s educational attainment before they died.

While NAU does award posthumous

“I want his name announced; he deserves to be recognized. It would be such a small thing.”

-Karen Acevedo, Nick Acevedo’s Mother degrees and has agreed to in this case, the president’s office declined the family’s request to announce Nick Acevedo’s name at commencement, citing that it is against typical posthumous-degree practice for the university.

Acevedo’s family was dismayed.

“I want his name announced; he deserves to be recognized. It would be such a small thing,” said Karen Acevedo via phone call.

NAU Dean of Students Cynthia Anderson denied the family’s request on April 20. After Karen Acevedo learned the university was not going to accept her request, the family pushed forward. On April 23 Nick Acevedo’s grandfather, William Noble, sent a letter to President Rita Cheng requesting NAU to reconsider its position.

“I am unable to comprehend the rationale for such a ruling, which on its face can only be described as cruel. I would implore you to reconsider this decision,” Noble said in his letter.

Noble also sent his letter to the president to the entire Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) and The Lumberjack.

“I don’t know where to go with this,” said Noble via a phone interview with The Lumberjack. “I don’t think my daughter is asking a whole lot, asking for an acknowledgment of posthumous diploma or a slight mention at

Photo courtesy of Karen Acevedo

graduation. And for the president to just flatly refuse, saying it’s not our policy — it’s just beyond my imagination.”

Noble said he reached out to a former chief of staff to the governor’s office to see what the family’s options are.

Noble had not received a response to his

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letter as of April 24.

NAU’s posthumous-degree policy outlines the requirements for earning a degree this way. The student must have completed at least 75 percent of his/her coursework, be in good academic and disciplinary standing and be enrolled in the university at the time of death.

The university agreed to award Nick Acevedo his degree because he met all of these requirements.

At the same time, however, there is no mention in NAU’s policy on whether or not a student may be recognized in a commencement ceremony. According to NAU, this is the university’s practice.

“It is an unfortunate reality that several students die from illness, accidents, or even suicide during an academic year,” wrote NAU spokesperson Kimberly Ott in a statement to The Lumberjack. “It is NAU’s policy to present a degree posthumously if substantial degree credits have been earned.

“It is NAU’s practice, if requested by the family, to present the diploma to the family at a small private gathering,” the statement continues. “If the family prefers, we will also mail the diploma. NAU does not present posthumous degrees at venues where other students are celebrating their own accomplishments, such as a commencement exercise.”

Karen Acevedo said she thinks the university ought to take the extra step because of the nature of her son’s death. Nick Acevedo was involved in the October 2015 shooting on NAU’s campus.

Although he wasn’t injured, he was a witness, and testified in the ensuing trial in April 2017.

In May of that year, Coconino County Superior Court Judge Dan Slayton declared a mistrial, and after several delays, the retrial is slated for July 2018, during which Acevedo and others would have to testify again.

Karen Acevedo said her son, along with many others of the witnesses involved in the shooting, deserved more options for grief counseling from the university, as the event “affected him greatly” and made him “unhappy.”

“They were very receptive when I went up there after the shooting, but the thing is I asked them ‘why aren’t there grief counselors here?’”

Karen Acevedo said. “And I was told that their counselors came from varied backgrounds, but that is not specific to grief counseling. I said, ‘you need to get grief counselors.’”

While Karen Acevedo said she does not consider NAU responsible for her son’s death, she did say the university owes the family this favor, for how it was handled.

“The boys have basically become the ‘forgotten boys,’” Karen Acevedo said.

Anderson, the dean of students, declined to comment to The Lumberjack after repeated requests, and referred the reporter to NAU Communications and Media Relations.

Nick Acevedo would have graduated May 12.

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 7

COMIC SPOT

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APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 9

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Editorial: Waiting on FOIA the lumberjack editorial staff

Navigating age-power dynamics

W

hether or not you have daddy or mommy issues, chances are you’ve thought about dating someone far older than yourself. I’m not talking a year or two older, either. I’m talking a young person fresh out of college pursuing a relationship with a 40-year-old divorcee.

Every situation is different, as is everyone’s reason for entering any sort of relationship with an older person. The thing is, a young person’s reasons for doing so are typically vastly different than an older person’s. In my experience, any relationship where the power dynamic is skewed can only lead to disaster.

Dating someone older is an automatic ELIZABETH power imbalance. They use their advanced WENDLER age to justify them “knowing better” than OP-ED EDITOR their younger partner. They often seek the thrill of pursuing a youth, not the love or intimacy.

Consider your position of power in a relationship. Are you on equal footing? Could they get you fired, expelled or put you in any kind of danger? Do you find yourself hiding the relationship from your friends or family due to fear of judgment?

In an ideal, intimate relationship, both parties have the freedom to go out when they please, to be their own person and end or advance the relationship as they both see fit.

Abusive relationships don’t come out of nowhere. There are signs, of course, but what makes abusive relationships so tragic is that they aren’t immediately obvious or easy to get out of.

Like most relationships, they begin out of passion. Then, as the abuser becomes more comfortable, they slowly begin to seize control, isolating their victim and using their status as the more powerful partner to justify their authority. This is why significantly older people make for riskier partners.

The moment problems start to arise, suddenly they’re smarter than you because they’re an “adult” and therefore more experienced and “mature” than you. It’s hard to argue with someone if they pull the “you’re just a child” argument on you.

Of course, not all relationships where the power is uneven or where one person is older are abusive. Actually, some of these relationships can be quite loving and successful. Even if things seem great, however, always question your role in the partnership. How much authority and autonomy do you have? How much risk is involved on your end and theirs? Is there any potential danger if you decide to leave?

Love is a game of chance. The best any of us can do is take the risk while staying as safe as we can. That’s why we should aim to enter relationships where we have equal power or close to it. No one should use their authority to control their partner, and no one should submit to their partner because of their age.

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AU students deserve to know if they are in danger of being sexually assaulted, harassed or mistreated by a faculty member. We at The Lumberjack have aimed to inform students about the potential dangers in NAU classrooms.

Over the past year and a half, The Lumberjack has been trying to find information about 13 alleged sexual assault and/or misconduct cases by faculty against students.

In December 2017, the Office of the President made an official statement that “NAU takes any allegations against university employees seriously” and NAU “is thoroughly responsive” addressing the cases. Yet, over the past 18 months, the university’s actions have not aligned with that statement.

NAU has chosen to not disclose information even at the risk of its students’ safety and well-being.

President Rita Cheng has claimed the university does what it is best for the students. Yet, when NAU needs to take a stand for its students, the answer has not been enough.

Even if the requests are fulfilled and the documents are released, the fact remains that many of the accused may still be employed by NAU. If the university does release the documents, they said that faculty names would be blacked out.

At The Lumberjack, 10 seniors are graduating in May and each has been invested in finding the facts of the 13 alleged cases.

Although much of the editorial staff is leaving, The Lumberjack will not stop searching for the truth.

The future is unclear. NAU students still do not know if they are safe in classrooms and if they can trust their professors.

The past 18 months have shown that NAU is unwilling to engage the student body on an issue that is so prevalent, not just at NAU, but nationwide. As a state institution, NAU and its administration must be held accountable for the way they have denied or ignored public records requests to stop the process of releasing information.

Sexual assault and harassment are serious crimes. It is time for NAU to treat them as such.

Check it, you won’t regret it KELSEY SPIGELMIRE

to bones, skin and lungs — so you can determine your level of comfort with the program.” t wasn’t until I walked into the Flagstaff Motor Vehicle The amount of people a donor can help by checking a simple Division and looked down at the form I was filling out that I box on a form is astonishing. realized just how easy it was to become an organ donor.

“One organ and tissue donor can save and heal 50 lives,” Initially, I thought it was a huge decision. I hadn’t given according to the Donor Network of Arizona, a nonprofit that myself much time to think about it. There wasn’t enough time works to match organ donors with recipients across Arizona and for me to make the choice to check the box or not before I got t h e country. called up to the next cubicle.

There are many reasons as to why people I took a step back to briefly reflect on choose not to become a donor. Some think doctors what kind of person I have always thought won’t work as hard to save their life if they know myself to be. Helping people has always been that person is a donor. Some people can’t make the a staple of my character. This need to help decision right away and will register online when was instilled in me from my loving mother they come to a decision. who, even when she had nothing, made my Let me explain why each of these reasons isn’t brother and I feel like we had everything, enough to stop people from becoming a donor. and from my father, who is an EMT-turned First of all, the notion that a doctor won’t police officer. He has been known to jump work as hard to save a life is preposterous. A into a flame at a moment’s notice if it meant doctor’s first and only priority is to keep people he could potentially save a life. alive, regardless of condition and background. It The thought of having my eyes donated would be no different for an organ donor. post-mortem may have my next of kin at a loss Finally, procrastination gets the best of many Illustration By brady wheeler for words. However, the thought of a living blind people. I know because I am a queen of it, but not when person who could be given the opportunity to it comes to a decision like this. Nobody knows when see the world before leaving it, is more motivation to become an their last day is, which is why it is important to make the decision organ donor. to check the little box right away.

Now, while giving eyes to another human may be beyond Don’t be the person who says they will go online to do it many peoples’ comfort levels, that doesn’t mean they can’t still after more internal debate because it will likely never happen or donate other organs. even cross your mind ever again. Meanwhile, a child waiting on a According to dmv.org, “Organ donors can specify what liver transplant in order to live past their two-year life expectancy they will donate — everything from corneas, kidneys, and hearts could benefit from what could be your final act of kindness.

I

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Students’ scholarship struggles any of them, which definitely discouraged me from putting more effort into applying to others just to get let down.

This was my own fault, and I admit to that.

As I grow older, I’ve come to realize that putting effort into applying to something or getting in contact with a potential employer really only helps halfway. I’ve also learned most of the time, people will not reply to something they definitely should reply to.

Welcome to adulthood, I guess.

After my first semester at NAU, I decided to give applying another shot, so this time I searched for some scholarships specific to my major. This gave me more confidence knowing there should be less people applying to a specified scholarship, like one only for NAU journalism majors. My hope was restored. I applied to about five scholarships that looked promising.

That was more than four months ago, and I have not heard anything back.

The whole process of searching for scholarships, going through a considerable amount of time and effort writing specific essays one at a time,

oftentimes needing to find a professional reference to use, then not hearing anything at all from the organization offering the scholarship, is really discouraging.

This is especially frustrating because scholarships have a reputation of being easy to attain. All through high school, students are told to keep good grades and get involved in extracurriculars to make the process of getting into college and being able to afford it easier. In my own experience, with failing to get scholarships, this information is incorrect.

Getting a higher education is regarded as the smartest option in order to live comfortably and get employed.

However, at the price college comes with these days, getting help through federal aid or through scholarships is absolutely necessary in order to afford getting an education without going up to $100,000 in debt.

How are students expected to attend college if available scholarships are hard to come across and even harder to receive after Illustration By Alia Kruger putting in the effort of applying?

One facet of identity is ethnicity. Understanding ethnic backgrounds can provide a sense of why people have certain he past is the past. So, why learn about your great-great- family practices, why their family lives in a specific region, speaks a great grandmother or the origin of your family? This specific language and where their family stands in society. This generational curiosity has always come to my mind. can help us make a deeper connection with people around us.

Who are my ancestors? What did they do in this world? Was My tata is the grandest storyteller I know. When I asked it good or bad? him about my family’s story, he told me, “Mira These questions should be explored by Vanessa, your great-great grandmother was the everyone. This knowledge is nothing less than cook for Pancho Villa, the famous Mexican powerful to an individual and greater society. revolutionary general during the Mexican Take grandparents, for example.

Revolution. Then, she made it up here to the Grandparents tell stories from their family’s past, Arizona borderlands.” whether everyone is ready to sit at the couch Now, I don’t know if I believe that or for the whole afternoon or not. They tell the not, but it does make me curious about story of their parents migrating from another how the story really went. country, surviving war, persevering through Knowing who your ancestors are can poverty or details about your favorite, be inspiring. What if you had an ancestor mouthwatering family recipe. who was a trailblazing woman? Or a family Stories from a grandparent — or exploring member that made a positive impact in the family tree in general — brings the past their community? They may be a distant to the present, and it helps answer the universal Illustration By kaitlin gould relative, but regardless, they are an ancestor question,“Where do I come from?” who shares the same DNA as you.

Humans search for a sense of identity in this vast world.

Some people may say a family’s past doesn’t matter because Understanding more about one’s ancestry can provide a sense of they live in the present. While individuals do live in the here and comfort and certainty. now, they still carry much of their family’s history, including

personality traits, medical history, abilities, ethnicity, appearance, successes and even failures. If this history isn’t talked about or explored, the result is a lack of understanding of the present.

Learning about a family’s past can be as discomforting as it can be comforting. Take, for example, colonization and slavery in the United States. Your ancestor could have been a slaveholder of 500 slaves, a colonizer of Native Americans or a brutal dictator.

They may have benefited from the exploitation of humans, or they may have been someone who was exploited or enslaved.

If a past is explored, the present can be understood. A better future can be built by refusing to make the same mistakes or take the same actions your ancestors made.

Individuals who are adopted, who don’t know their parents or who have unanswered questions have a different way of going about exploring family history. Modern technology has made genealogy, the study of one’s family lineage, much more accessible.

Popular tests for genealogy are AncestryDNA and 23andMe. The motto of AncestryDNA is, “After all, your family story is the story that leads to you. Uncover your ethnic mix, distant relatives, and even new ancestors.”

So, next time there is a family reunion, pull your great-aunt or grandpa aside and ask them to tell you some family history.

Tuck those words into your mind and preserve them.

Take advantage of learning about your family’s past while it is alive.

CAITLIN BURKE

I

’ve got a bone to pick with scholarships.

All throughout high school and going into my freshman year at NAU, I was under the impression that getting a scholarship would be easy. I was told, as long as I took the time to search and apply for scholarships both big and small, I’d surely get one.

There are so many different scholarships out there. They can be based on merit or athletic ability, and some are specified toward minorities. There is even one scholarship for left-handed students.

With so much variance and diversity among scholarships, it should be easy to receive at least one to help finance the expensive bill that is college, right?

All of my friends in high school were getting scholarships for their respective colleges at the end of senior year. My roommate has The Lumberjack scholarship, along with what seems like a large chunk of students here at NAU. While I’m happy for them, I unfortunately wasn’t awarded any of the three merit-based scholarships NAU automatically grants to eligible students with their application to the university. This meant I had to work harder on my own to find scholarships to apply for.

Before graduating from high school, I probably applied to only six or seven scholarships I found. I didn’t hear back from

Know your roots to know yourself VANESSA SAVEL

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APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 11

FEATURES

Momentum Aerial: moving strong and steady Gabriella Johnson

J

ust three months since its opening Jan. 15, Momentum Aerial has aimed to provide community support and foundational skills because they understand that, for many, the aerial arts are challenging and perhaps a bit frightening. Momentum Aerial seems to be a steadily progressing place for both community and muscle building.

Morgan Louvier and Joanie Garcia are the co-owners of Momentum Aerial, though they got their start with teaching aerial arts. It was about four years ago, at Flagstaff Aerial Arts, that Louvier and Garcia began teaching aerial arts.

They were teaching there until this past December when they decided to leave Flagstaff Aerial Arts and start their own studio where they could have more control over how it was run.

“Joan was the program director of Flagstaff Aerial Arts, and I was the assistant program director, and it was kind of a hollow title,” said Louvier. “We didn’t have any real control over our program, yet we did all of the work to make it happen.”

Louvier and Garcia believed they were a fitting choice to become owners of a new aerial arts studio because of their experience at Flagstaff Aerial Arts.

“We needed to see some stronger leadership,” Louvier said. “We needed to see some changes that would make working there more equal for everybody as well as more equal for all of our students.”

After they came to believe that no changes were going to be made from their requests, they decided to leave and start their own studio. Louvier said their goal was to create a better environment and future for both the instructors and the students.

Louvier said she is also simply trying to make it a healthier environment. She believed the work environment at Flagstaff Aerial Arts was not welcoming.

The executive director at Flagstaff Aerial Arts, however, disagreed with Louvier’s perspective.

“We try to create an open and welcoming place for our students to do what the they love,” said Exectutive Director Esther Smith. “Everyone doesn’t have to be a 20-year-old yogi to enjoy the aerial arts.”

She explained that when Louvier worked for Flagstaff Aerial Arts, she was unhappy with the position she was offered, which led to her resignation.

“Studios break up across the country everyday because people have different needs and that is OK. If someone is unhappy they should leave,” Smith said.

Flagstaff Aerial Arts, in hopes to create community within all art forms in Flagstaff, has opened their doors to other events such a theater performances.

Despite the drama, Flagstaff Aerial Arts’ Smith expressed her hope that Momentum Aerial would find success and happiness in their future endeavors.

One of the things that Louvier and Garcia believe makes Momentum Aerial a more positive environment, is the way the money is distributed.

“I can actually afford to pay myself, and I can survive on this job now. We pay our instructors the standard rate, as well as charge the standard rate,” Louvier said. “We put our money into the business rather than sitting on it or putting it into other things that maybe don’t matter so much.”

The co-owners of Momentum Aerial want the studio to help provide a solid community and foundation of comfort because they realize the fears of aerial arts can deter people from participating.

When nine instructors, including Garcia and Louvier, moved from Flagstaff Aerial Arts to Momentum Aerial, the students moved too.

“It wasn’t about a name, it was just about the quality of instruction that’s given,” Louvier said.

One of those students is Nathan Pulley, who got involved with trapeze aerial arts under the instruction of Louvier at Flagstaff Aerial Arts.

“I just wanted to support her and go with her wherever she went because I like the way she taught,” said Pulley. “I haven’t taken any classes with Joanie, but I like to support their venture together.”

Louvier explained that while Momentum Aerial has its own community, each of the classes at the studio form subcommunities. These subcommunities are formed because the students in a class move up in levels together and have similar experiences with the aerial arts as one another.

Not only is Louvier proud to have helped create an aerial arts studio with a positive environment, she is proud to be a part of a women-owned business.

“I think it’s really important to create a community of women especially,” Louvier said. “I think

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Myra Popjoy works on her skills during open gym April 7 at Momentum Aerial.

Bess Valdez | The Lumberjack

FEATURES

Left: Terry Sisulak practices on the trapeze bar at Momentum Aerial during open gym April 7. Right: Nathan Pulley holds his position upside down on the trapeze bar at Momentum Aerial during open gym April 7. Bess Valdez | The Lumberjack

that because women have been oppressed and put down throughout our society throughout the decades, throughout the centuries, I think it’s really important that there’s women business owners now.”

Pulley is just one of the students who expressed their support for the fact that Momentum Aerial is women-owned.

“I think Joanie and Morgan have done a tremendous job at stepping out and making a big impact. It’s a great addition to the community, and I feel that it’s going to go really far,” Pulley said.

Louvier said that they do not necessarily want to be defined by the definition of “womenowned,” but that it is an important piece to how she and Garcia run the studio together.

Momentum Aerial is helping the community not just for women, but by showing that women can create and lead successful businesses.

“We want to be able to give women a safe space to try things,” Louvier said. “I feel like a lot of women especially are really insecure when they try to come do aerial arts, and we want to make sure they feel really welcome here.”

Liz Gehret, part-time instructor for youth at Momentum Aerial, would like to see more men involved in the aerial arts because it is not just for women. She said men have the capabilities to excel in aerial arts, just like women.

Louvier thinks it is important for people to get outside their comfort zones and to realize that it will be OK when trying aerial arts.

“We start at the basics,” Louvier said. “They start low to the ground, and they learn the foundations, and they gain the muscle strength, and they gain confidence.”

The classes available at Momentum Aerial run from level one through four. One is for absolute beginners, while four is for the more experienced people who have done aerial arts for a couple years.

“We try to offer something for everybody,” Louvier said. “We offer aerial silks, trapeze, lyra, which is the aerial hoop, and pole. We offer conditioning classes which are workout classes where you

don’t have to learn the tricks, you just come and workout in creative ways, using aerial apparatuses.”

Louvier said the most popular classes are the aerial silks classes.

“It’s challenging with the silks because you have to wrap yourself in an intricate way,” Louvier said. “It’s not about memorization, but understanding how wraps and knots work. It’s like a brain teaser. It’s fun for adults especially.”

The studio sees people of many ages and with many goals. Louvier said one-third of the clients are children who are 12 years old and younger.

Gehret has seen the young students progress through her years as an instructor.

“For kids too, it’s a really great environment for them to be in. I think it’s really helpful for them to have a positive outlet,” Gehret said. “I think this really helps minimize [insecurities].”

Gehret said she has instructed several kids with self-confidence issues, and she reassures them that they have the support of the aerial community and that they are doing amazing things.

Louvier said many community members are interested in aerial arts so they can increase their confidence and strength.

“A lot of them want to get stronger. Some of them [are doing] cross-training. Some people also do it to gain self-confidence,” Louvier said. “This is a really scary thing, getting up in the air and trying something new.”

At Momentum Aerial, they believe community members should try new things. Instructors are there to offer support if the new thing is aerial arts because they understand everyone starts somewhere and trying new things can be challenging.

“Nobody ever starts out professional and super strong, and that’s fine,” Gehret said.

Momentum Aerial is not only a place of building strength through the aerial arts, but is also a place of community and confidence building.

Additional reporting by MaryAnn Witt.

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 13

FEATURES

NAU Silver Wings become national staff Brittany Viar

D

uring their college careers, students have opportunities presented to them, and it is up to them to choose their own path toward success. When it comes to finding work after college, the ability to demonstrate innovation, knowledge and professionalism plays an essential role in landing a desired job. Being a part of Silver Wings, a nationwide leadership organization with a chapter at NAU, is a step in that direction.

According to the Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings website, “Silver Wings is a national, co-ed and professional organization dedicated to creating proactive, knowledgeable and effective civic leaders through community service and education about national defense. It is made up largely of civilians interested in personal development, leadership, service and support of our military personnel.”

Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings are sister organizations that share the same goal but are structured differently. Silver Wings is comprised of both Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets as well as civilians, but Arnold Air Society members are only ROTC cadets.

“It’s really an organization that is trying to prepare individuals to work in civilian-contracting positions that may or may not be affiliated with the military,” said Christina Meehan-Vernon, junior criminology and criminal justice, and political science major as well as Silver Wings national business chair.

Meehan-Vernon, who is also in ROTC at NAU, chose to be a part of Silver Wings because she wanted to develop her civic awareness and national-defense knowledge.

“It has given me the opportunity to run for regional positions and national positions and obtain those, and really learn through that and kind of develop myself in that aspect,” Meehan-Vernon said.

The Silver Wings and Arnold Air Society organization is divided into 11 regions, and NAU is a part of region 10, which is comprised of chapters from nearby universities including NAU, ASU, UA, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

In addition to the national business chair, Meehan-Vernon is also the national parliamentarian.

“This essentially means that I will lead the business sessions during the executive boards as well as some of the business sessions at [National Conclave],” Meehan-Vernon said.

National Conclave is a conference where collegiate leaders from Silver Wings and Arnold Air chapters across the nation come together to make decisions that will affect the club in the following school year.

“We’re a student organization with chapters all across the nation,” said Everest Berggren, Silver Wings National President and junior criminology and criminal justice major. “We focus on civic engagement, community service and support for the military.”

Berggren said the military is seen in society as an “iron fist,” but he said it can also be a helping hand.

“The Air Force does a whole lot of humanitarian stuff. We’re generally centered around Arnold Air Society squadron, our sister

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Amilia Chromy is a member of Silver Wings, a group on NAU’s campus that works closely with the Air Force ROTC, April 20.

Raymond Olivarez | The Lumberjack

organization, and that’s kind of like the National Honors Society, but for Air Force ROTC cadets,” Berggren said.

Silver Wings members on campus dedicate hundreds of hours of volunteer work, professional development workshops, morale events, chapter bonding, regional and National Conclaves.

“Arnold Air Society was started as kind of an exclusive club, almost a fraternity, at the University of Omaha in 1952. It was named after Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold, the only five-star general that’s ever been in Air Force history,” Berggren said.

Recently, March 28 through April 2, three members from NAU’s Silver Wings chapter were granted national staff positions at the organization’s conclave in New Orleans.

At the recent conference, the former national president announced not one chapter was running toward becoming national headquarters. A leader is a necessary part of the organization.

NAU’s Silver Wings chapter staff is too small to handle their day-to-day duties as well as the duties of a national staff. As a solution, Berggren reached out to the Embry-Riddle chapter and suggested the two schools combine into a joint command.

Berggren said, often times, this kind of situation is not allowed, but the national staff was open to it.

“It was definitely a hard sell because we had to make this kind of headquarters that was split between two universities two

hours away. [We had] to sound better than this other group, University of Illinois, who had their whole headquarters in one place,” Berggren said. “But we did it. We got elected. [I] still am trying to wrap my head around how all of that happened.”

Berggren said he was very excited for what happened at the conclave and hopes it will encourage to join forces with other schools to pursue higher positions in the organization.

Sophomore strategic communication major Amelia Chromy is the NAU Silver Wings’ public affairs officer, treasurer, chaptersquadron chief of protocol at the chapter level and national secretary.

“We have national projects that we work on each year, and this year is ‘Natural Disaster Prevention and Relief.’ So, each chapter around the nation will work toward this, whether it be raising money, donating first aid supplies, volunteering time, etc.,” said Chromy.

Each Silver Wings chapter volunteers with an organization.

NAU volunteers with the American Legion, a veteran service group, in downtown Flagstaff.

“During chapter meetings we do professional workshops such as creating, updating and editing resumes, cover letters, PowerPoints [and] public speaking. We also do fun things like team bonding activities, pizza nights, movie nights [and] study sessions,” Chromy said.

Chromy explained she values the connections and networking opportunities she has created for herself through Silver Wings.

“As a national staff, we get to meet and have dinner with many Air Force generals and civilian leaders,” Chromy said.

“What I like most about Silver Wings is the national conference we go to every year. It is in a different city every year, and we get to explore the city as well as network. It is a very fun time.”

Also as part of national staff, Chromy said weekly meetings are attended either in person or via Google Hangout. In addition, there are four schools that work together on the same team, including NAU, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Colorado State University.

“We all have different positions on staff, so we all work in different areas,” Chromy said.

Chromy continued to explain that some of her duties include creating spreadsheets, transcribing emails and other tasks the president asks her to do.

“Something that we’re really pushing this year is getting people involved with those [scholarships and internships offered through Silver Wings] because they have these wonderful opportunities and these wonderful chances to really improve their portfolio or bulk up their resumé, and just in general develop people as leaders,” Meehan-Vernon said. “Really, just that development of leadership characteristics that will allow them to take that further with them and just benefit in the long term as well as the short term.”

Silver Wings has opened up many opportunities for those involved, and it continues to do so. Obtaining a leadership role can be beneficial to NAU students in their academic career as well as their future endeavors. The future of this NAU club will be defined by these national positions and can allow them to serve the Flagstaff community.

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 15

CULTURE

Rodrigo de Toledo’s Chronicles of Entanglement is an interactive exhibit of paintings, video and objects at the Flagstaff Modern and Contemporary Gallery April 21.

Taylor Hamilton | The Lumberjack

A review: The imagination of Rodrigo de Toledo Kaylin Dunnett

R

odrigo de Toledo’s Chronicles of Entanglement is a visually astounding experience.

The interactive exhibit opened April 6 at the Flagstaff Modern and Contemporary Gallery on South San Francisco Street, featuring a multitude of paintings by de Toledo as well as a book, an animated video and an arrangement of objects in the center of the floor.

De Toledo, an NAU visual communication professor, is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Despite growing up in what he described as a lush and green environment surrounded by the sea, he was deeply influenced by the color palette of the Arizona deserts. He was inspired to work the desert into his paintings, using it as a background for his whimsical art.

Five colorful paintings of the series sequenced side-by-side on one of the walls details what de Toledo described as part of his narrative.

“Those five paintings each have a symbolic narrative, and there is a connection between the five,” said de Toledo. “You see common symbols that are present in all of them and connect them ... it’s a mythological narrative of the unconscious, of archetypes.”

Each painting is unique in its own way, telling a story laden with fantastical characters and symbols. Hands sporting eyeballs sprout from the gold, desert ground. Portals to other worlds are apparent in the sky. A throne of colorful masses sits at the end of a pathway adorned with blue, egg-like objects.

“I started sketching,” de Toledo said, detailing the beginnings of his project. “I sketched shapes separately in different sketchbooks ... it was a process of synthesis, like bringing together something that was scattered, sort of pieces of my imagination.”

He said the formation of his personal mythology was combining these scattered drawings into something that was cohesive to him.

De Toledo said the central theme of his work is the

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human search for the meaning of life and knowing oneself both psychologically and spiritually.

“We, in life, get entangled with things,” de Toledo said. “The process of life is untangling things and getting entangled again.”

Many of de Toledo’s personal mythologies are evident in the themes represented in his exhibit.

He described a hero figure depicted in one intricate painting, as well as angels, deities, the concept of childhood, the cosmos and the Kabbalah, also known as the Tree of Life.

The “boy” character is a concrete example of the archetype he depicts, and this character appears throughout the selection of paintings. The “boy” is a deeply personal symbol to de Toledo, relating to childhood and memory, and is a symbol for de Toledo himself.

Aside from being rich in thematic elements, the artist’s use of color was deliberate.

De Toledo’s work was inspired by Tibetan Buddhist paintings, also known as thangkas, that traditionally depict Buddhist deities on cotton or silk.

“There is some inspiration from Tibetan thangkas,” de Toledo said. “These Buddhist paintings are very bright, very colorful. I used a combination of vibrant colors and earthy pastel tones for the desert.”

A particularly fascinating aspect of de Toledo’s work are the paintings were placed in a black-and-white Monte Vista Hotel.

The viewer is provided first with a familiar scene of downtown Flagstaff. Through deep rumination, the paintings slowly overlap, creating a new reality of the mythological and bizarre.

The works in Chronicles of Entanglement represent a journey to a final piece — a deep realm shown in de Toledo’s painting, titled “The Knot,” described by de Toledo as being the core of a human being, represented by an eye-shaped mass of deep red tones reminiscent of flesh and parts of the body.

“I associate [‘The Knot’] with thoughts,” de Toledo said. “It’s almost as if there is an internal organ that is our center. That organ

moves and changes and shifts. If you look at what meditators talk about, there is an idea of the mind that is always shifting and always in movement.”

This concept relates de Toledo’s idea of entanglement being a constant process.

“We look at ourselves as thoughts, troubles, happiness and challenges,” de Toledo said. “This challenge is entanglement.”

Paul Helford, an NAU creative media and film professor, had many positive things to say about Chronicles of Entanglement.

“I read Rodrigo’s book that this exhibit was based on six or seven years ago,” said Helford in an email. “The exhibit not only allowed me to revisit that work, but gave me new insights into what his work is about.”

Helford said the book had both a fantastical and realistic element. Seeing Chronicles of Entanglement in person on opening night gave him a new perspective on the artwork and the book.

“I became aware of how personal the fantasy is, which made me appreciate both worlds more,” Helford said.

He appreciated de Toledo’s multi-media approach.

“The two mediums Rodrigo used to supplement his artwork were animation and a live performance,” Helford said. “I would say the animation with Rodrigo’s voice over narration was my favorite part. Rodrigo’s son choreographed the performance, and his movements were beautiful. As the older mentor, Rodrigo proved very effective.”

Eric O’Connell, an assistant professor of photography at NAU, is a colleague of de Toledo. He decided to show his support by attending opening night as well.

“I was blown away at the detail and the intricate level of the technical aspects of the work,” said O’Connell in an email. “I loved that he made interactive performance part of the exhibit, which is very child-like to play-act, so it makes perfect sense.”

Viewers can head down to the Flagstaff Modern and Contemporary Gallery to see the exhibit through April 28.

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 17

CULTURE

Flagstaff goes green for Earth Day Joey Felton

T

he Earth Day celebration at Bushmaster Park April 21, was a community affair and attracted hundreds of like-minded festival goers.

This free event, hosted by the City of Flagstaff and the Flagstaff Sustainability Program, began with a volunteer trash cleanup in surrounding neighborhoods before returning to the park where festivities lasted until 2 p.m.

Vendors of local businesses and organizations lined the pavilion area of the park while bands played, children hula-hooped and dogs sunbathed.

Nearby was an exhibit for the Flagstaff Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, a city project that started in January to combat climate change on a local level. Members of Flagstaff’s sustainability program encouraged community members to voice their opinions about Flagstaff’s environmental issues and how to solve them.

Jenny Niemann, climate and energy specialist with the City of Flagstaff, talked with those in attendance about the changing climate, and how the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan will address the issue.

“The most important part of this plan is to have community input,” said Niemann.

Earth Day celebrators were encouraged to vote with stickers on posters for potential strategies addressing four focuses of concern: energy, economic prosperity and recreation, water resources and public well-being pertaining to health, services, facilities and safety.

The Climate Assessment for the Southwest, compiled a detailed climate profile of Flagstaff and Coconino County in March. The city plans to use this profile in conjunction with public opinion to produce viable solutions to environmental problems.

“First, we want to talk about how the climate is changing, but the real question is what we are going to do about it,” Niemann said. “We can talk about our goals and vulnerabilities and brainstorm actions.”

Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans was at the celebration and recognized some of the environmental successes the city has already attained.

Last year, Flagstaff won the Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, a national competition that encourages communities to educate and inspire community members to be more water conscious.

Heartwood performs live at Bushmaster Park during the Earth Day celebration April 21. Devyn Coons | The Lumberjack

“[Flagstaff] has saved 15 gallons of water per day, per individual,” said Evans.

Evans identified the Earth Day celebration as being more than a day to count previous successes.

“It’s important for people to celebrate Earth Day to really recognize our sense of place in this world,” Evans said. “There’s only one Earth, and I think sometimes we need to have that gentle reminder and be surrounded with like-minded people.”

The celebration catered to an eco-friendly crowd and emphasized education as much as fun.

Three different workshops were offered during the celebration. Each providing practical ways for the community to become more environmentally friendly. Different Flagstaff organizations hosted interactive workshops on mushroom gardening, composting and rainwater harvesting.

Other activities were offered by the

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numerous vendors to promote environmental projects, products and news.

Vendors sold solar-powered lights and energy-efficiency installations for homes. Some promoted bike rentals and gardening, and others educated about fire and water conditions.

These examples represent only a portion of the variety available.

Flagstaff City Council candidate Adam Shimoni has lived in Flagstaff for 13 years and was inspired by the large turnout and positive feel of the event.

“Flagstaff seems to be more engaged and aware of the issues ... than, I’d say, a lot of other communities,” said Shimoni.

Earth Day celebrators flocked to Shimoni and Evans, not only to take a selfie and shake a hand, but to ask questions and express concerns.

“I’d love there to be more engagement between the community and those that represent them,” Shimoni said. “The council is very receptive to hear from you, the members

of the public.”

Shimoni has many ideas about alternative transportation, voter turnout and local businesses, but wanted to stress community involvement.

Beyond the environmental aspect of the Earth Day celebration, Earth Day celebrators took advantage of the nearly 70-degree spring day that was free of clouds and full of laughter.

Fratelli’s Pizza and Alejandro’s Mexican Food both had food trucks present, and local yoga instructor Laura Fallon led a free, beginner-friendly yoga session in the morning.

In 2017, the Earth Day Celebration attracted over 2,000 attendees and 50 local vendors. The 78 volunteers from last year collected 85 bags of trash and recycling, according to the City of Flagstaff website.

The 2018 event coordinators estimated the event to include 1,200 attendees.

APRIL 26, 2018 – MAY 2, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 19

SPORTS

Personality matters

A

lthough this column was published on the first day of the 2018 NFL Draft — I’m writing this column six days before the first round of the draft, and here is my one promise: To the five or six NFL teams that need to sign a quarterback in the draft, personality matters. For some reason, though, we in the media find this idea hard to wrap our minds around.

Josh Rosen, the 6-foot-3 inch prospect out of the University of California, Los Angeles, has been under scrutiny for the past month and a half. That scrutiny — spoiled, rich, sarcastic and entitled — has nothing to do with football.

In fact, Rosen may be the most talented MATTHEW quarterback in this year’s draft. But, Rosen JARECKI also wore a “F--- Trump” hat while golfing HOST OF “THE at President Donald Trump’s course. Rosen JERK” ON KJACK famously had a Jacuzzi in his college dorm, and in March, his college coach, Jim Mora, alluded to the notion Rosen wasn’t all in on football throughout college.

NFL teams are left wondering, “Does this kid have the personality to lead my franchise to Super Bowl?” Predictably, many in the media find this to be unpalatable.

You see, we in the media are in the personality business.

Bombastic, sarcastic, arrogant, whatever your personality is — newspaper editors, radio program directors and television producers encourage you to embellish it.

“Go ahead, Matt, connect to your audience!” So, when we see a league that discourages strong personalities, especially at quarterback, it’s hard for us to understand.

Many in the media have chosen to oppose the NFL’s personality-stifling business model with examples of successfully flamboyant NBA stars. Allen Iverson, Joel Embiid and Russell Westbrook are all incredible talents with strong personas. Kevin Durant, a 2017 NBA Champion, recently got drunk for three hours on a podcast with Bill Simmons just weeks before the playoffs.

The NBA, though, is about art, swagger and one man with the ability to take over a game. Game film doesn’t even become relevant until the postseason.

The NFL is about culture, symmetry, repetition and, most importantly, making sure the 53 roster members have the same goal. With many young, testosterone-driven men on a roster, no other sport requires leadership like the NFL. Naturally, that leadership is bestowed on the team’s most important and often highest-paid player — the quarterback — whether he likes it or not.

Undoubtedly, Josh Rosen has already been drafted, and if he goes anywhere close to where draft experts predicted, it was to a team that didn’t win much last season.

Fifty-two men, hungry, eager and looking for direction.

There’s no question Rosen can sling it. When the tough gets going, though, can the boy who cried “F--- Trump” lead them through adversity?

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Senior quarterback Hunter Correll (right) celebrates with senior wide receiver Dan Galindo (left) during an intra-squad scrimmage April 21. Matthew Strissel | The Lumberjack

Football: spring to fall Maddy Willett

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AU football concluded its spring season after the spring football game in the Walkup Skydome, April 21.

The game featured breakout drills finishing with an 11-on-11 scrimmage. The first part of the drills, featured a highenergy competition between the wide receivers, running backs and tight ends against the linebackers and defensive backs. They then moved into seven-on-seven play.

Junior quarterback Case Cookus connected with freshman wide receiver Justis Stokes for a 25-yard touchdown in the first offensive possession of seven-on-seven.

Head coach Jerome Souers was content with the overall performance in the spring game, but he was particularly satisfied with the improvement of the offense.

“We were doing better on defense than we were on offense, but our offense was catching up today,” said Souers. “They are getting more comfortable with the adjustments we have made.”

Before the scrimmage began, the Lumberjacks showcased a

match between their offensive and defensive line. The team then played 11-on-11.

In the first play of the scrimmage, Cookus connected with senior wide receiver Emmanuel Butler for a 70-yard touchdown.

The offense ran four plays in what was considered the second quarter.

The chemistry between Cookus and Butler still remained, despite Butler being out for the majority of the 2017-2018 season due to a shoulder injury.

“It has been great to get the time back with him,” said Cookus. “He has been working on his routes, and we have been working well together.”

Butler still remained in a red jersey for the spring season, making him unable to be hit, but is expected to make a full comeback in the fall.

“My first couple weeks back were different because it has been so long since I have been on the field,” said Butler. “A couple weeks into spring ball I started to get back to myself and make those plays again.”

SPORTS Later in the scrimmage, Cookus met the intensity of the defense when he was sacked twice, the first sack coming 19 snaps into the game. In total, the offense ended with 29 snaps during 11-on-11 drills. NAU totalled 12-of-17 passes completed for 139 yards with two touchdowns. NAU had a total of 10 runs, without the two sacks. Cookus was three-of-five passing for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Butler had two catches for a total of 72 yards.

This means that half of the yards for the offense were gained in the first few plays of the scrimmage.

Cookus was confident in the overall performance of the team during the spring game.

“We had guys making plays on both sides of the ball, and it was really great to see,” Cookus said.

The offense overall was missing several players who are still recovering from injuries, causing first and second-team rotation throughout the game. The only position group that remained consistent was the offensive line.

Cookus was pleased with the development of the offensive line throughout the game.

“I think today we narrowed it down and found positions for guys that work, offensive line wise,” Cookus said.

There were also several position changes for the game.

These changes could be seen as possible position changes for the upcoming season.

Redshirt sophomore Malik Noshi shifted to right tackle and sophomore JaSean Harrison to the right guard. Sophomore Cole Habib was pushed to left tackle, as he recently returned from an injury.

These adjustments were all made due to the Lumberjacks depth being hampered because of injuries and the upcoming arrival of new players in the fall.

The Lumberjacks’ goal is to place their five best lineman on the field regardless of specific positions. It was the players’ ability to adapt to the diversity that had Souers confident in the decisions.

“We are so thin in numbers and the guys behind our veteran players in that position still have a ways to go,” Souers said. “So, to get the most consistent look where we are executing at a higher percentage, coach Davis put those five to look better.”

The defense, again, looked as strong as it has all spring. The defense had allowed only 3-out-of-29 plays in the game to reach double-digit yardage.

Butler was equally impressed with the performance out of the secondary, specifically the defensive backs.

“Our secondary, in my opinion, is the best in the country because they challenge me every day,” Butler said. “They challenge me more than some of the secondaries I have faced.”

The Lumberjacks now have four and a half months until kickoff at the University of Texas at El Paso Sept. 1, the team’s first game of the season.

They added 21 new faces to the roster. Some of these players will adjust and be immediate-impact players on the field. The strongest impact is needed on the offensive line, recently suffering a hole due to senior Blake Porter and senior Tyler Shank set to graduate May 2018.

Four offensive linemen from junior colleges have been added since February and two from high school. Mitchell Kay, Keenan Norris, Trevor Reinwald and Harrison are all expected to be playing, if not starting, in the 2018 season. Soon-to-be high school graduates Brogan Heath and Jayden Lee will also be added to the roster.

Lee and Kay have potential to fill Porter and Shank’s spots at

Senior running back Cory Young flies through the air as he is tackled by senior cornerback Maurice Davison (right) April 21.

Matthew Strissel | The Lumberjack

center and guard in the fall.

The new recruiting class offers the Lumberjacks experienced players from junior colleges, allowing for more depth in the roster, and immediate impact.

The offense will face adversity in the quarterback position with senior Gerrit Groenewold graduating and freshman Stone Smartt transferring out of NAU. Cookus is the only quarterback on the roster with considerable playing time, but the fall will bring the addition of Gino Campiotti out of Manteca High School in California.

The Lumberjacks recently caught the eye of Arizona-native, and University of Washington transfer, Daniel Bridge-Gadd for the quarterback position. He was previously named Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year in 2015. He played for the Huskies for two seasons and only maybe one appearance in a single game.

His only stat is one rush for minus 1-yard.

Offensive coordinator Aaron Pflugrad added two junior college receivers, Deyton Jackson and Stacy Chukwumezie, to the roster to create competitive depth.

Unlike the uncertainty of the offensive line and quarterback

positions, the defense is returning nine of its starting 11 from the 2017 season. There are also eight new players in the 2018 recruiting class. Two of the eight were signed from junior colleges.

“Watching our secondary develop depth, [and] the guys behind our starters gaining improvement are showing bright spots. [It’s] incredible,” Souers said. “Our linebackers have been really steady.”

The 2018 schedule contains five home games for the Lumberjacks, including a nonconference matchup against Eastern Washington Sept. 8.

The Big Sky Conference opener for NAU is against Southern Utah Sept. 22. The Lumberjacks previously lost to the Thunderbirds in their second-to-last game of the 2017 season.

NAU will also go up against defending Big Sky cochampions, Weber State, in early October 2018. This game will be in Flagstaff, and it will be the first time the teams have played each other since 2015.

Other conference games NAU will play during the season are matchups against Northern Colorado, Cal Poly, UC Davis, Sacramento State and North Dakota.

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SPORTS

Bling, bling, we’re going for the rings Cara Heise

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t’s championship season for the Big Sky Conference. Women’s golf kicked off the action last week, and both the men’s and women’s tennis tournaments start April 27.

Women’s golf played its tournament at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada. The following universities competed in the conference championships: Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State, Southern Utah and Weber State.

At the beginning of the season, NAU’s women’s golf team was predicted to finish fourth in the Big Sky Conference preseason poll.

“If we play well, we can play with any of those other teams,” said NAU golf head coach Brad Bedortha. “The other three teams in front of us are good, but I think we’re just as good as they are. If we show up and compete to the best of our abilities, we can play with them without a doubt.”

Junior Sofia Anokhina finished in fourth at 2 under. Senior Kaitlyn Saum finished tied for 19th at 9 over. Senior Sierra Bezdicek finished tied for 20th at 10 over. Sophomore Loren Skibba finished 30th with a total score of 230, being 14 over.

Rounding out the team was freshman Lexi Keene who finished tied for 42nd at 22 over and a total score of 238.

As predicted, women’s golf finished fourth in the tournament.

Idaho, Sacramento State and Portland State took the top-three spots. The women finished 27 over with a total of 891.

With golf wrapped up, it is now tennis’ turn to compete in their championship tournaments. The action starts April 26 in Phoenix.

The women’s tennis team is ranked No. 1 in the Big Sky and are the only undefeated team in the conference. They are 11-0 in conference and 17-3 on

the season. Other teams in the Big Sky who have their tickets punched for the championships are Idaho, Southern Utah, Weber State, Eastern Washington and Idaho State.

The women have won three-straight conference titles, but are still competing for their tournament rings.

The No. 3 seed, Eastern Washington, will play the No. 6 seed, Weber State, at 9 a.m. April 26. The winner of that match will face NAU April 27 at 9 a.m., and the winner of that match will play April 28 at 9 a.m. for the championship title.

The other side of the bracket sets up the No. 4 seed, possibly Idaho State, and No. 5 seed, Southern Utah, at 10:30 a.m., with the winner playing No. 2 Idaho April 27 at 10:30 a.m.

Looking at Weber State, NAU beat them earlier this month with a score of 6-1 on the road and was one of the closest matches of the season. The Lumberjacks defeated Eastern Washington in March, 5-2.

“We can’t wait for the opportunities we will have next week,” said women’s tennis head coach Maciej Bogusz.

On the men’s side, they are currently ranked No. 2 behind Idaho. The men are 10-10 on the season and 8-2 in conference after winning three-straight matches against Montana, Montana State and Southern Utah.

Other Big Sky opponents headed to the tournament for men’s tennis are: Idaho, Montana, Weber State, Southern Utah and Portland State.

The men were the Big Sky Champions in 2017 and are hoping to repeat that season’s success.

The men are seeded

No. 2 in bracket play behind Idaho. Having a bye the first round ­— an automic advancement into the second round of the championship — the men will play the winner of the No. 4 Weber State and No. 5 Portland State match, who play at 2:30 p.m. April 26. The Lumberjacks will play at 2:30 p.m. April 27.

“Having a bye is so important because it allows us to get more preparation in,” said men’s tennis head coach Ki Kroll after the April 21 double header. “We’ll have time to make adjustments in Phoenix in terms of court positions if needed.”

The other side of the bracket will showcase No. 3 Montana and No. 6 Southern Utah at 1 p.m. April 26. The winner will play Idaho at 1 p.m. April 27.

The only losses the men have are against Idaho, 4-3, and Weber State with a defeat of 7-0. The men defeated Portland State 6-1 in February.

“It’s been a tough season,” Kroll said. “We’ve played a lot of tough teams, but it’s not over yet. The potential of this team is really off the charts, but what matters is putting it all together.

We are in a really good spot right now and excited to see what [the Big Sky] holds.”

Logo Courtesy of Big Sky Conference

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