The Lumberjack-- April 5, 2018

NARWHALS SEEK U.S. CUP PAGE 20

T H E L U M BE R JACK

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

I

was recently reminded about the importance of journalism. News and journalism encompasses so many facets of our lives without a second thought, be it Twitter moments, Snapchat stories, or a more traditional news source like a newspaper or an anchor on air. We have a constant influx of information and updates from reporters around the globe.

I think we turn to journalism more than we realize; when a major event happens and you want to know more information, where do you go? After a Google search of any recent event, the first things to pop up are news articles.

I’ve always thought journalism was important, that’s why I chose to major in it.

However, recent events made me realize just how vital it is.

“No further details at this time,” read the NAU alert about an unattended death at Hilltop Townhomes March 21.

I remember reading that at work, my mind going through all the possibilities of what happened and if this could affect my safety. And then I was frustrated. “No further details at this time.” Don’t we have a right to know what’s going on? To know ASHLEY what happened mere yards away from where I have class? To know if we are safe BESING walking around campus?

ASSISTANT Many of my professors have said it’s a journalist’s job to hold the powerful CULTURE EDITOR accountable. The Lumberjack has covered Rita Cheng’s bonus, the outrage over multi-term enrollment and now has investigated details on the unattended death of Joseph Michael Bock.

The article on Bock’s death in The Lumberjack was published just one day after the NAU alert.

I eagerly clicked on it the second I saw it. It was a relief to hear student voices and accounts on what they had seen, and it was even better to learn that NAUPD claimed there was no imminent threat to campus. The Lumberjack delivered the details I needed to know to give me a peace of mind.

“No further details at this time.”

The public deserves to know further details. We deserve to know what’s going on around campus, in our town, our state, our country and our world. It’s journalists that have held people accountable, exposed corruption, dug up the truth and given the public the information they have a right to.

This isn’t an easy profession. It’s stressful, time consuming and you never really get a break, but I wouldn’t trade being a journalist for anything.

My heart goes out to Joseph Michael Bock, his family, friends and everyone affected — losing a fellow lumberjack is never easy. I’m thankful that we have the media to keep us informed and bring us all together during this horrible tragedy.

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

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 106 ISSUE 11

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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- 19-year-old dancer katianna warren, 2017

Women dance in traditional dress at Flagstaff Community Health and Wellness Powwow.

Danny Saldivar | The Lumberjack

Thank you for reading.

Director of Circulation Asst. Culture Editor Luis Gardetto Ashley Besing

“This is a way for me to come out and be native.

I can come out and live my second life.”

Senior Photographer Michael Patacsil

On the cover The NAU Narwhals Quidditch chasers practice shooting during drills during practice Mar 30.

Wyatt Rutt | The Lumberjack

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

PoliceBeat March 26 At 3:56 p.m., a student at the HLC reported the theft of a bike tire. An NAUPD officer responded, and the investigation is ongoing.

Bicycle theft count: One. At 8:05 p.m., a student reported the theft of their cell phone at the HLC. NAUPD responded, and the cell phone was found.

reported someone yelling. but the subjects were gone NAUPD responded, and upon arrival. a student was deferred for disturbing the peace and minor At 8:08 p.m., an NAUPD in consumption of alcohol. officer reported assisting Flagstaff Police Department March 29 in recovering a stolen bicycle.

At 9:40 a.m., a staff Bicycle theft count: Five. member at the Health Professions building reported March 31 the theft of their bicycle. An At 11:02 a.m., staff at NAUPD officer responded, NAUPD reported a suspicious and the case was closed after all package.

An NAUPD leads were exhausted. Bicycle officer responded, and the theft count: Three. investigation is ongoing.

At 9:44 p.m., a student reported hearing yelling near Pine Ridge Village. NAUPD At 11:25 a.m., a student responded, but nothing was at Reilly Hall reported the theft found. Everything was fine. of their bicycle. An NAUPD officer responded, but the case March 27 was closed after all leads were At 11:17 a.m., a student at exhausted. Bicycle theft count: the Communication building Four. called to report the theft of their bicycle. An NAUPD At 4:54 p.m., an employee officer responded, and the at Parking and Shuttle Services investigation is ongoing. reported a student selling fake Bicycle theft count: Two. parking permits. An NAUPD officer responded, and the At 5:03 p.m., a shuttle investigation is ongoing. driver near Pine Ridge Village stopped two intoxicated At 8:51 p.m., an RA at students trying to get onto McConnell Hall reported the bus. NAUPD responded, damage to two exit signs. An but the subjects were gone on NAUPD officer responded, arrival. and the investigation is ongoing.

At 5:19 p.m., a student at Campus Heights reported March 30 being shocked by a light switch At 11:27 a.m., a student and feeling pain in their chest. at the Skyview Parking Garage NAUPD, FFD and a Guardian reported items from their Medical Transport (GMT) vehicle tool box stolen. An ambulance responded, but NAUPD officer responded, the student refused medical but all leads were exhausted transport. and the case was closed.

March 28 At 9:52 a.m., a staff member at the University Union used a panic alarm system as a test. NAUPD responded, and the subject was educated on letting police know ahead of time about alarm tests. at

Compiled by Chandler Coiner

At 12:51 p.m., a McConnell Hall staff member reported a subject trespassing in the building. An NAUPD officer responded, but no one suspicious was found.

At 2:51 p.m., a subject reported someone sitting in their vehicle for an extended amount of time in parking lot 11. NAUPD responded, and no criminal activity was found.

At 3:07 p.m., a student at the Skyview Parking Garage reported the theft of their bicycle. An NAUPD officer responded, and the investigation is ongoing.

Bicycle theft count: Six. At 6:44 p.m., a student at Hilltop Townhomes reported someone inside their residence.

NAUPD responded, and the subject was booked into Coconino County Detention Facility for trespassing.

April 1 At 5:03 p.m., an RA at McConnell Hall reported damage to a bulletin board and an exit sign. An NAUPD officer responded, but the case was closed after all leads were exhausted.

At 11:10 p.m., NAUPD officers reported seeing a subject running in the area of Hilltop Townhomes. Turns out, the subject was on their way to Pine Ridge Village. The At 4:44 p.m., a staff officers gave them a ride. member reported two subjects riding their bikes down an At 11:19 p.m., a resident escalator at the HLC. An Hilltop Townhomes NAUPD officer responded,

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 3

NEWS

ASNAU votes yes on Athletics fee, with conditions Adrian Skabelund

N

AU has asked the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to approve a new athletics fee of $75 per semester.

ASNAU voted in favor of the fee March 15.

The vote, which occurred just before spring break, was nearly unanimous, breaking down 10-1. Only Senator Jo Olas was in opposition.

But while a breakdown of the vote might suggest the fee was not controversial within ASNAU, that may not be the case for the student body at large.

The fee seemed to be unpopular with students at the forums held in early February.

ASNAU conducted a survey about the fee in mid-February. ASNAU sent an email to the student body and collected 2,816 responses from students.

The data collected, however, may be of somewhat dubious quality as ASNAU did not go through the proper channels when implementing the survey and did not take certain issues into account.

For example, the survey did not receive approval from NAU’s Institutional Review Board. The review board approval is required by the 1974 National Research Act for surveys and studies to ensure the ethical treatment of a survey’s subjects and the proper use of data collected.

Nonetheless, the numbers collected do appear to show a trend with a vast majority of respondents opposing the fee.

Of the 2,816 respondents, more than 92 percent said they opposed the fee and 6.8 percent said they were only somewhat supportive or unsure about the fee. Only 1.3 percent of respondents said they were in outright support of the implementation of the athletics fee.

ASNAU decided against opposing the fee, however, instead negotiating a number of changes in an attempt to improve it.

If approved by ABOR April 5, the fee would be implemented for the 2018 fall semester.

ASNAU president Lauren L'Ecuyer said ASNAU negotiated to improve the fee before they decided not to oppose it, temporarily capping its rate and implementing an advisory board to oversee it.

“We recognize fully that asking for $150 from students is not small, and the student government would never want to go out of their way to take more money from students if it wasn't needed,” said L’Ecuyer. “But in this case we felt that the administration and Athletics

Illustration By Colton Starley

did a fine job of presenting the case that made it seem as though we do need this fee.”

Olas said her fellow senators may have decided not to oppose the fee because some of them felt they were between a rock and a hard place. That is to say, according to Olas, NAU Athletics and the administration told ASNAU that if the fee was not implemented, it would likely be added to NAU’s tuition request that is before ABOR currently.

“If we don’t make it a fee it’s going to be subsidized in our tuition,” said Olas.

Olas said she could not get past the evidence that pointed to the majority of students opposing it, and thus could not support the fee.

She did add, however, that she understood and respected her colleagues decision, given the choice ASNAU had to make.

L’Ecuyer said the choice presented to ASNAU was never as one sided as Olas suggests, but did describe the situation in a similar fashion.

“Senators had to make an educated decision: Is this list of nine requests worth it to support the fee, or do we say, ‘No we don’t support the fee and we don’t get these nine requests and the fee still has the potential to go through,’” L’Ecuyer said.

In all, ASNAU was able to negotiate nine

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changes or clarifications to the fee, including that the fee be capped at its current rate at least until 2026 and then it would be reviewed at that time.

It is unclear whether the fee could be eliminated should the review process find that it is no longer necessary, because there is currently not an official way to eliminate a fee, according to L’Ecuyer.

NAU was not willing to budge on every request made by ASNAU, however, and the cost to students was one of these non-negotiable items. Senators had originally tried to get the fee lowered but that was something NAU was not willing to change. ASNAU also hoped to mandate that NAU give at least 50 percent of the fee to student groups — but again NAU said no.

One request NAU did agree to was the creation of an advisory board that would decide what projects the fee was used for. This board would include “a group of diverse students to review where the money is allocated before the tuition-setting process begins annually to review the proposal,” according to ASNAU documents.

“We're hoping that by having a student advisory board, they can really begin to prioritize what students need from Athletics and develop the fee into something that is, directly or

indirectly, as beneficial as possible to the student body,” L’Ecuyer said. “[The advisory board] is a pretty big deal and it's not something that most fees have.”

During the forums on the fee, some students questioned what the fee would pay for and the answer students got from NAU Athletics was simple: They don’t know what exactly the money would pay for, only that it was needed.

So this advisory board, L’Ecuyer said, is one way to address that question. ASNAU also mandated that the fee will never pay for scholarships, wages for staff, recruiting for staff or students, travel expenses, athlete stipends or anything that the review board did not approve.

Students will also continue to receive free admission into NAU athletic events until at least 2026, and at least a portion of the fee will go to fund the renovation of the Walkup Skydome’s roof and construction of a multi-purpose fieldhouse, which could contain an ice rink.

L’Ecuyer said that without the fee some of those improvements may not happen.

ASNAU also negotiated that NAU is to provide a discounted rate for any ASNAU sponsored events and that other NAU students should be able use fields at a price comparable to what students pay at other NAU facilities.

“At the end of the day, the decision was out of our hands. We can't veto a fee.”

-Lauren L'Ecuyer, Asnau president Lastly, ASNAU also stipulated that NAU Athletics release a specific breakdown annually of what the fee is paying for.

In general, L’Ecuyer said she was happy with the process this fee went through and said it showed the university’s commitment to shared governance and student input.

“I think it's something that is unique to our campus and to our administration that they are willing to use this shared-governance model and bring the people to the table who are really paying the fee and have a vested interest in where it goes,” L’Ecuyer said.

She added, though, that there could always

NEWS

be improvements.

“I think [the administration] did the best job they could in the time they had to outreach to the student body,” she said.

L’Ecuyer said that one way to improve the fee-setting process would be to have the process span at least the fall and spring semesters, giving students plenty of time to provide feedback that would shape the proposal.

“I think hosting multiple forums throughout a semester may be easier than trying to do it the semester of,” L’Ecuyer said.

Another way of improving the process when it comes to fees would be to make advisory boards like the one implemented for the athletics fee a standard for setting fees at NAU. But the question of just how much sway student governance has and how much students should be able to impact the fees that NAU imposes on them remains.

In January of this year, the Arizona Auditor General released a report saying that NAU had failed to follow ABOR procedure when implementing some fees, including not seeking student input, which ABOR requires for mandatory fees.

The Auditor General also criticized ABOR for not having as definitive a process as it should when it comes to setting fees, and ABOR is now working to correct that.

For Olas, even if students decide to raise fees, she said she would like to see an option available to students that might allow them to say no to implementing new fees.

Olas agreed that the process for deciding on the athletics fee felt rushed and suggested that more student feedback may lead the university to invest in fees that might be more popular with students.

Olas said she has worked to get more student involvement in NAU Athletics, and “it’s like pulling teeth.” Olas added that for her, the survey helped confirm this.

“I don’t think that’s what students want to do with their time, I think the vast majority don't want to go to the games,” Olas said. “I don’t think it’s a very creative thing [NAU is] doing. I think [putting money into athletics] is something that happens at a lot of universities.

Why don't we show our unique character rather than trying to fit in to the standards of the rest of the world?”

ABOR is scheduled to vote on the fee and other tuition increases at NAU April 5.

“We understand the students don't want another fee. At the end of the day, the decision was out of our hands,” L’Ecuyer said. “We can't veto a fee.”

Additional reporting by Megan Troutman

ASNAU survey problems Adrian Skabelund

A

n ASNAU survey on what students think of the proposed $75 per semester athletics fee showed that the vast majority of respondents opposed the fee.

Nonetheless, ASNAU voted 10-1 to approve the fee, which the Arizona Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on April 5.

But now there is some question as to how useful ASNAU’s survey actually was. The survey process was rushed and did not receive approval from either the NAU Survey Review Committee or NAU’s Institutional Review Board.

Although the results seem definitive, there is some question about how accurately ASNAU’s survey conveys how students feel about the athletics fee.

According to a letter written by ASNAU President Lauren L’Ecuyer, much of this is due to the lack of time that ASNAU had before making a decision on whether or not to support the fee.

“This Athletics Fee survey was created with the best of intentions in a quick turnaround time before our senate wanted to vote on the fee,” L’Ecuyer said in a letter to The Lumberjack.

“After the survey had been sent out, we were notified of an official survey committee for the university that should have been notified, one [that] had final approval of the survey prior to us sending it out.”

Because the survey did not receive approval, many issues that would have been ironed out in that process were never addressed. For instance,

there was no way to know if everyone who took the survey was a student at NAU. There was also nothing stopping respondents from voting multiple times to skew the data. A respondent could take the survey as many times as they wanted.

These data-collection issues meant that ASNAU felt they could not release the results to the student body as a whole, instead utilizing it as an internal document only.

After The Lumberjack filed a public-records request for the survey results, however, ASNAU did release the survey data.

L’Ecuyer said the data still influenced their decision.

“We did take the data seriously and utilized it when discussing the fee with the parties that requested it,” L’Ecuyer wrote, adding that the survey helped get ASNAU the “best deal possible for the students” when negotiating with NAU. Of the 2,816 respondents, 2,586 respondents said they opposed the fee, 192 respondents said they were somewhat supportive or were unsure about their support, and only 38 respondents supported the fee.

The data was especially helpful when it came to implementing an advisory board on future fees and committing money to a multipurpose fieldhouse, L’Ecuyer said.

In the end, L’Ecuyer said the survey was a tool used to negotiate with the administration. ASNAU members believed it was better to approve the fee and get a seat at the negotiation table rather than to vote against the fee.

ASNAU requests made to NAU administration regarding proposed athletics fee The Associated Students of Northern Arizona University issues these formal requests to the administration regarding the proposed $150 per year, $75 each semester Athletics Fee: 1. We request: ​Athletics released a breakdown of their Operating Budget (revenue and expenses) at present, prior ​to the March Tuition and Fee talks with student leadership.

2. We request: ​The NAU Athletics Department release a specific breakdown annually of where each part of the fee monies are going to the Operating budget, to be done in conjunction with the advisory committee.

3. We request: ​A review committee will be appointed by ASNAU and Athletics, comprised of a group of diverse students to review where the money is allocated before the tuition setting process begins annually to review the proposal.

4. We request: ​The fee be capped at $150 per year until further review in 2026.

5. We request: ​The Athletics games and events remain free for student entrance at least ​until 2026, when it will also be reviewed by the committee.

6. We request: As part of this fee being passed, funds will be released and allocated to the building of the multipurpose facility in the Fieldhouse. We believe that it is a vital endeavor to the well being of our student population and it would increase not only the value of living on campus but also the likelihood of students staying on campus to partake in activities.

7. We request: Athletics open the spaces they currently manage to the entire student body at a comparable price that students pay at other NAU facilities 8. We request: ​The revenue generated from the student Athletic Fee cannot​be used for the following: a. Scholarships b. Wages - Professional Staff (allowed for programming efforts staff) c. Staff Recruiting Costs - Employee or Student d. Travel Expenses e. Athlete Stipend f. Any other area agreed upon by the review committee 9. We request: Athletics provide the Dome to ASNAU for a discounted rate for the ASNAU sponsored student events • Any amendment to this document will be voted on by the review committee and added to the document immediately.

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 5

NEWS

Environmental bill would gut ABOR, change university governance Chandler Coiner

T

he Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), the governing body for NAU, ASU and UA, could be restructured if a representative from Oro Valley, Arizona, has his way.

House Bill 2203, sponsored by Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, would completely restructure ABOR to give more power to the governor and members of the state legislature.

Members of ABOR are currently selected by the governor, but the bill would allow the governor to be on the board along with the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House and the majority and minority leaders of both chambers.

But the main thrust of the bill would be an installment of boards unique to each university that would inherit the powers currently delegated to ABOR. NAU would have its own board similar to ABOR that would become its own governing body and set policy for the university. For example, instead of ABOR, the NAU board would set President Rita Cheng’s salary and take on the duty of reporting the university’s progress to the governor.

The board would consist of four “business representatives” and three “academic representatives” to govern the university.

“What we are seeking to do with this is gain closer business management over the universities,” said Finchem. “With all due respect to the existing structure, I was told that we have something on the order of a $44.5 billion franchise when we talk about the university system as a whole.”

HB 2203 was originally an environmental bill. Despite sweeping definition and redefinition of how Arizona’s universities are to be governed, the bill is titled, “Wildland fuel loads; watershed protection.”

Because of this, the bill and Finchem’s ideas for ABOR were heard March 19, not by the Education Committee, but by the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee, a committee that does not typically oversee bills like this. The committee members did not have many questions for Finchem, specifically regarding his changes for ABOR, and the bill is now fast-tracked to be read in the chambers.

“We are the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee. I do not understand why we’re hearing an education committee [bill],” said Jamescita Peshlakai, a Democrat on the committee. “I know how important this bill is and how much it will have a direct impact on all of us.”

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s speaking at the 2014 Republican victory party in Phoenix Nov. 4, 2014.

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore

ABOR President Eileen Klein said in a release she opposes the bill and its restructuring of the board.

Klein spoke at the committee meeting hearing HB 2203, and had to explain the special position ABOR is in as an arm of the executive branch given broad powers by the legislature through statute.

“It’s a very different portfolio of responsibility than just a traditional policysetting board or just a regulatory board,” Klein said.

Klein urged committee board members to keep in mind three things: redesigning ABOR is a big task, local boards could result in one university dominating and she fears the local boards could become a “revolving door.”

“What we’re striving for, I think, is the proper balance between presidents who can drive the success of their institutions, but that you have public accountability,” Klein said during the committee meeting.

Klein said three separate boards would only exacerbate government waste and bureaucracy, and the universities under the current iteration of ABOR have made great strides in economic impact and students' success.

“Arizona would be a loser in this scenario,”

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Klein said.

But challenging the attorney general’s lawsuit and HB 2203 might be some of Klein’s last acts as president. On March 26, she announced that she will be retiring from her position in June.

The bill passed the committee 5-3 March 19.

Finchem’s proposal comes in the wake of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s ongoing lawsuit against ABOR for overstepping its authority on fees and tuition. The September 2017 lawsuit alleges that ABOR’s policy setting has been unconstitutional.

“ABOR unlawfully charges students who must attend part-time or online significantly more than actual cost, and ABOR requires students to pay for things other than instruction — such as athletic, recreation, technology, and health fees — to access instruction,” read one section of the lawsuit.

Brnovich’s claims that ABOR is stepping outside its bounds is reflected by some Arizona lawmakers. Many legislators want to return tuition-setting to the legislature, and in December 2017 the attorney general said he agrees the legislature has near-unrestricted authority to set tuition.

“On behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents, we are always open to discussions to improve university efficiency, accountability and oversight. The radical changes proposed in HB 2203 are not in the best interest of students, families or the state of Arizona,” said Klein.

Sen. Judy Burges, a Republican on the committee, was skeptical of ABOR’s tuition increases that are primed to be finalized and voted on later this month. Klein explained the tuition increase situation to Burges and cited NAU's and UA’s tuition guarantees for undergraduates as a way the board and the universities are helping students to cope with the debt Burges is concerned about.

“I think I’m the only retired educator who’s taught elementary, high school, community college and university, so I think I analyze the whole thing more critically and with greater depth,” said Sen. Andrea Dalessandro, a committee Democrat. “The failure to provide adequate resources does not fall on the Arizona Board of Regents; it falls on this body, which has cut university spending drastically, and has caused the legislature to fail miserably in the constitutional mandate to make university as near to free as possible.”

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 7

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APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 9

OPINION-EDITORIAL

The Amazon takeover Kelsey Spigelmire

A hands-off approach

I

t’s time to talk about something we’re all thinking — or maybe it’s just me. Regardless, there is something I feel the need to address: handjobs.

What is the point?

Don’t get me wrong. I am in no way against pleasing your man in whatever way you want. In fact, I wasn’t so against handjobs until I found out the truth about them. Granted, I obviously wasn’t a huge fan, but I also wasn’t nearly as confused as I am now.

One day, I was listening to one of the PEGGY PACKER numerous hateful preachers NAU allows on campus so often each semester. In the middle ASSISTANT OP-ED EDITOR of the preacher’s aggressively homophobic speech, a man stood up and yelled, “Let’s talk about what really matters: No guy likes handjobs!”

This came as a shock to me. If guys really don’t like them, and nobody really likes giving them, then what exactly is the point?

I understand a little touchy-feely is necessary to really get things going in the bedroom, but as far as a five-minute arm workout goes — why? It just seems completely pointless, especially if neither parties are enjoying it.

On another note, it’s something that most men can do themselves. And they do — all the time. Why waste your time doing something they can do on their own?

Instead of dilly-dallying and stalling what you really came to do, you could both actually be enjoying your time by doing something that at least benefits one of you. Hey, maybe both of you can even have a good time.

Instead, your arm is going numb, you’re bored and he’s stuck thinking he could do it better himself.

Now, I’m sure there are some men out there who enjoy handjobs, and maybe even partners who like giving them. If that is the case, go on with your life as you please. But if what this stranger felt the need to yell out in public really is true, we need to just give it up and take — a hands-off approach, if you will.

My advice to you?

If your man doesn’t like handjobs, find out, and stop wasting both of your time. If he doesn’t like them, there really is no point in wasting your energy. All you get is a hand cramp, and all he gets is a feeling he can easily give himself, and probably already has that day.

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W

hen people think of Amazon, naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is the website. Moms across the world get their last-minute Christmas shopping done with Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping, while students stream endless videos with their discounted accounts.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is the one attempting to create a life of nearly infinite conveniences for his customers. The world’s largest online retailer is beginning to dip into other industries and has already become a lifeline to many.

Amazon started just selling books in 1994. Flash-forward more than two decades and it is now the world’s largest online retailer, and they’re not stopping there. Amazon is making all the right moves to continue to grow not only online, but in many other markets as well.

That can’t be good, can it? Actually, I think it’s just what we need.

Let’s take a look at just how big Amazon really is. According to Business Insider, “Amazon owns 10 percent of North American e-commerce. Office Depot, [Staples], Apple, Dell, Walmart, Sears, and Liberty all own another 10 percent of the market — combined.”

In order to support this kind of customer base, Amazon has “more than 75 fulfillment centers and more than 125,000 fulltime Amazon employees,” in the United States and Canada.

One of their fulfillment centers in Phoenix is 1.2 million square feet. Obviously, business is booming. Also, Bezos clearly doesn’t plan on stopping for anyone.

Earlier this year, Amazon opened a checkout-less grocery store called “Amazon Go” in Seattle. Jake Bullinger, a writer for The Atlantic, decided to experience the store and see how it actually worked.

In his article about the experience, Bullinger wrote, “The moment I scanned a personalized QR code at the store’s subway-style gate, myriad cameras on the ceiling started tracking me. Every time I picked up an item, it was added to my virtual cart; when I placed the item back on the shelf, it was removed. A couple minutes after I walked out, Amazon charged $6.61 to the credit card linked to my account.”

Insane, right? Amazon really is taking over the world through their non-stop innovation of technology.

Some criticize the idea of a checkout-less store because it might eventually lead to people losing their jobs as cashiers. This is true. However, Amazon recognizes the importance of the job market and continuing to have human employees.

They exemplify this year after year by employing thousands of seasonal and full-time employees. Before this past holiday season, Amazon announced that they would be temporarily hiring 120,000 people, according to CNN. Of course, this is not the only advancement Amazon has made and it certainly isn’t going to be the last. Recently, they have announced the testing of a drone-delivery service for Amazon Prime members. This might sound a bit invasive to some people,

but ultimately, it could end up lowering costs for customers.

The drone-delivery service is yet another way Amazon is continuing to use technology to their advantage. Amazon recently received a patent that would help cushion boxes and allow the drones to drop packages as high as 25 feet.

“The drone could use cameras and other sensors to make sure the ‘drop zone’ is empty of people, animals and ‘fragile objects,’ and decline to make the delivery till all is clear,” according to The Seattle Times.

They are even developing their own banking system with checking accounts in coordination with other big banks. The checking account’s target customer base is said to be millennials and those currently without checking accounts.

“The strategy could help Amazon lower fees it pays to financial firms and give it a bigger window into customers’ income and spending habits,” according to Bloomberg Technology.

The moral of the story is this: Amazon is not impartial to change, and other people shouldn’t be either. Technological advances should be embraced. We should celebrate the seemingly ever-lasting conveniences that are to come from the e-commerce conglomerate in the future.

Illustration By Camryn Bowers

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Better pay at a lower cost Caitlin Burke

I

n the beginning of February, a statewide teacher strike in West Virginia captured the eyes of many and was the focus of multiple, prominent news sites. Teachers protesting for higher wages caused public schools in the state to temporarily close for nearly two weeks. While the students of these schools most likely enjoyed an early spring break, the issue at hand is nothing to jump for joy over.

Educators in Arizona have also spoken out recently, demanding better pay at a protest coined “Red For Ed” at the State Capitol in Phoenix March 21.

This rise in advocacy for those in the education profession who deserve a living wage is fantastic.

Teachers are incredibly hardworking professionals. They’re the reason the next generation will be set up for success. They’re the foundation for the next Albert Einstein, Malala Yousafzai or Steve Jobs.

Teachers all across the United States deserve to be treated with the amount of respect that their jobs put upon them,

as this country’s future leaders.

At the very least, teachers deserve more than having to live paycheck to paycheck.

Education is a crucial profession and deserves to be respected, which means paying teachers a fair salary. The members of the state government in West Virginia ultimately realized this. They also came to terms that there was no end in sight for the ongoing, twoweek-long shutdown of schools. As a result, Gov. James C. Justice signed a bill to give teachers, along with other state employees, a 5 percent pay raise, ending the extensive strike, according to The New York Times.

This solution, however, is not the end-all, be-all of the issue.

Arizona teachers also protested.

On March 21, approximately 350 teachers in the Pendergast Elementary School District in the Phoenix West Valley went on strike, causing nine of the 12 schools in the district to temporarily close, according to The Arizona Republic.

In the March 21 rally, organized Illustration By Brady Wheeler

by the Arizona Education Association, hundreds of educators in the capital and across the state wore red and waved posters with phrases such as, “The future of Arizona is in my classroom,” and, “This is lesson #1: How quickly will you learn?”

This was done in order to gain the lawmakers’ attention.

The goal in mind was to get a similar result to that of the West Virginia teachers who earned their 5 percent pay raise and the listening ears of Gov. Justice. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey likely paid attention to the West Virginia situation and feared more possible strikes from Arizona educators. As of March 27, Ducey extended the 0.6-cent sales tax for education until 2041, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

This gave Arizona teachers a little breathing room. However, having to form rallies of hundreds and go on strike for more than two weeks is a very extreme manner of demanding change. Local lawmakers need to realize the responsibility they have over the future of students when it comes to giving educators a livable wage in their profession.

It’s time to listen to teachers when they ask for something so reasonable before the situation comes to such extremes. Hopefully, lawmakers across the U.S. will learn from West Virginia and Arizona.

Perhaps they will give all teachers the respect they are worthy of — without them having to fight so hard for it.

The club is no place for strict dress codes Nick Pijler

A

fter a long week in college, there is nothing better than going out for a night. It can be an escape from the hard-knock life of never-ending assignments, readings and essays. A break from it all. It is healthy for relieving stress, according to the blog Virtuagym. So, drag a friend downtown, spend money on funky drinks and make sure to sync up with the slick people on the dance floor.

Visualize it with me.

You are cat-walking toward what seems to be a nightly paradise. Catchy club tracks bonk in your ears and random people attempt, and fail, to walk straight. A smoky aroma fills the air. Slowly but steadily, you reach the entrance of a popping club.

Thinking you’re ready to turn up, you try to pave your way inside, but there is a large, rigid bouncer who thinks differently.

“Hold it right there,” the bouncer says.

The bouncer inspects you as a whole, looking from top to bottom in the most crucial seconds that could make or break the evening. The bouncer says you cannot enter the club wearing the particular shoes you chose that night. When you ask why not, the bouncer merely says they are not there to discuss such matters, and you are dismissed.

Situations like these affect the people who are not able to genuine interest in clarification, I was told that it made me look sneak by due to knowing a guy, who knows another guy, who provocative. They were not dangly earrings either. knows the off-duty club manager — the infamous guest-list I was granted access, but I should “not even think about concept. No, this applies to the honest students who simply putting them back in.” I remember it as if it were yesterday. attempt to enjoy the 21-and-up scene with some good vibes and According to BBC News, in the United Kingdom, one might not-so-good shoes. be refused entry due to dress code, excessive alcohol consumption I have encountered various noteworthy obstructions or moving in a large, and therefore risky, group. It like this when attempting to access clubs. personally saddens me, though, that this is such a hassle This happened to me in Tucson. The bouncer in 2018. explained that my shoes were “too sporty,” and he I mean, why is it fairly simple to retrieve a gun proposed that I go around the corner and buy at 21 while it takes deep effort to enter a club to some flip flops. I thought to myself, “You must enjoy a beer? be a comedian. Where would I stash the pair I Really, dear Bouncer, what difference does it am wearing right now?” make how a person looks? What difference does In that moment, and many others, I was it make to have a perfectly retouched, high-class forced to make a U-turn away from the appearance as opposed to a neutral, casual look? Does entrance. I have also been denied entry to a one really need to wear shiny shoes, a threeclub because I cuffed my pants. A hat has piece suit and complementing jewelry to also killed the vibe on the regular, but establish a sufficient, night-life look? one of the more surprising instances Is this what is needed for grabbing a of barred entry due to wardrobe Some clubs have dress codes that do not allow drink with a couple of friends? was when I was required to take logo hats, among other clothing and accessories, Give me a break, Bouncer. out my earrings. After I expressed a March 29. Alyssa Tavison| The Lumberjack

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 11

FEATURES

Members of the NAU twirling team, Madelaine Schmidt (front left) and Mackenzie Saurer (front right), stand in front of Sarah Herst (back left) and Kayla Morrow (back right) while demonstrating a routine during tryouts March 17. Shannon Cowan| The Lumberjack

The twists and turns of being a twirler Darrion Edwards

D

uring the cold and early morning of March 17, when NAU’s spring-break campus was empty of almost all students and faculty, a group of women prepared for an opportunity to join a team of competitive members of NAU’s band. However, this group of determined women did not play instruments.

Inside the Rolle Activity Center on NAU’s campus, the NAU twirling line’s flashy dance moves and display of talented hand-eye coordination were shown. Their ability to throw a baton into the air as they twisted their bodies only to catch the spinning aluminum stick in a display of athletic ability proved their years of practice. This was the beginning to next year’s season for NAU’s twirling line.

NAU’s twirling line is relatively new: Only two years ago

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did they hold their inaugural tryouts as a line. Before the team officially joined NAU’s marching band, there was only a featured twirler that performed during games. Over the years, these featured twirlers were not a part of a team and consisted of only one twirler who had the freedom to perform in any way they deemed fit.

With the goal of increasing the awareness of twirling as a competitive sport and the desire to improve NAU’s sporting experience for students and fans, NAU’s first official twirling line was formed in fall 2015. This was the first time that a team of twirlers would be utilized along with NAU’s band to perform during sporting events.

Mackenzie Saurer, a junior criminal justice major and captain of NAU’s twirling line, played a pivotal role in helping to establish the team. She pursued a chance at twirling in college from high school before she even arrived at NAU. After initially being told

by NAU’s former band director that there would not be a twirling line, Saurer was persistent, and eventually, tryouts were held.

Although there were only three original members who attended the tryouts, with the help of William Kinne, director of the Lumberjack Marching Band and associate director of bands at NAU, the team expanded and brought in more talent. With the expansion of the twirling line showing success, the members of the team are determined to continue bringing in talent from across the nation.

“Our goal is just to continue gaining interest from future twirlers and keeping the skill level up and maintaining the idea that we are here to represent the band and accent the band. We are part of the band but we are also twirlers,” said Saurer.

Twirling and performing during the sporting events are some of the things that the members of the twirling line take pride in.

Their athletic abilities and demanding schedule have helped them

FEATURES perfect their skills as twirlers and created a love for what they do.

“I did all kinds of sports growing up, and [twirling] was the one that I stuck with,” Saurer said. “I love twirling because performing is amazing. It’s an indescribable feeling to be on the field. To hear the crowd in amazement.”

Saurer said that twirling is a difficult sport because of the multiple techniques needed to be a good twirler, such as planes, patterns and toss placements. She said that NAU’s twirling line does flat and vertical tosses, where the baton spins on vertical and horizontal planes. The pattern is how the baton flows and how smooth of a spin it is. The toss placement is dependent on the how straight in the air the baton is tossed.

In order to help improve the talent of the team, Erin Link, NAU twirling instructor and member of Arizona State Baton Council, was hired from Tucson to coach the team.

“We brought in Erin Link who has been fantastic and has been really well-established and well-respected in the state of Arizona, twirling nationally. When you got the right coach in place, everything else works really well,” said Kinne.

The members of the team felt it was important to establish an official twirling line to NAU’s sporting experiences. Freshman elementary education major Madelaine Schmidt joined the team during the 2017-2018 season. She was able to show off her experience as a skilled twirler during the tryouts for the 20182019 season, displaying her routine while juggling and twirling up to six batons at once.

“Twirling is such a unique sport that has been a part of college football for many years,” said Schmidt. “NAU’s Lumberjack Marching Band is such an amazing band, but definitely needed some twirlers. Now with the team, I believe that together we make half time during football games one of the most exciting parts.”

Part of the planned improvement of the team has been raising the awareness of twirling available to those interested. Although the members feel they have established a competitive team, they still feel promoting themselves has proven to be a challenge.

Saurer said that they have received promotion from the United States Twirling Association’s Facebook page to future members, but the size of NAU’s band makes it a challenge to bring in more talent.

“Getting people interested is difficult because our NAU band is much smaller,” Saurer said. “Establishing relationship with band and other sports for pep rallies is a challenge because dance and cheer already have a place as part of the team.”

Along with convincing more twirlers to tryout for the team, struggles for self-funding have created challenges for the members of the twirling line. Because the twirling line is a part of NAU’s marching band, the team is not directly associated with NAU Athletics, which means the twirlers that make the team have to pay for the expenses out of their own pockets.

Senior elementary education major Audrey Carlson helped Saurer establish the official twirling line. She explained that the price of the gear and costumes adds to the already stressful situation of paying to be a student in college.

“Our costumes run about $600, so they’re not cheap ... our shoes are about $25 a [pair], and then we have to buy at least three batons, and those are about $25 a piece as well,” said Carlson.

In order to address the situation of the funding for the team, Saurer said the twirling line has reached out to several sponsors including Adidas and NAU Athletics. They are hoping in the future to provide scholarships for the members of the team in the future and work more with NAU Athletics in order to be

Junior criminal justice major Mackenzie Saurer (left) and freshman elementary education major Madelaine Schmidt (right) are members of the NAU twirling team, March 17. They hope promoting the twirling line as a competitive sport will entice more talent to NAU. Shannon Cowan| The Lumberjack

recognized as an official sports team.

“I don’t think it’s fair because we are at soccer, football, basketball, all of the sporting events,” Saurer said. “We split our bands into two seperate pep bands this year so that they could be at all of these different events. I feel like they’re not appreciated the way they should be.”

The members of the twirling line believe that their athletic abilities and dedication to the improvement of NAU sporting events should be showcased more.

“I want to see twirling highlighted a lot more. Everybody thinks of old school 1960s majorettes with the boots. It’s not like that anymore. It is a sport,” said Link. “I want to see twirling developed more on the field as a sport.”

With the amount of time that the twirlers dedicate to the sporting events and the amount of money they have paid to be a part of some of NAU’s most glorified moments, such as the homecoming football game, the members are hoping that NAU Athletics will work on helping to fund the team in the future.

“While the twirlers are part of the marching band, we are skilled athletes with years of practice to be able to perform at a high level,” Schmidt said. “We would appreciate being considered

part of NAU Athletics as well with access to available sponsorship programs available to other NAU athletes and other college twirlers. I for sure wish athletics helped us out.”

While some members of the twirling line are hoping that funding is improved through the university in the future, Kinne said that the team as a whole has been grateful for the help that has been received.

“We receive support from many offices on campus. The office of the president has been very generous to the band. We were very grateful for the support that we receive,” Kinne said. “[NAU] Athletics funding at the university is a larger issue that I’m not qualified to talk about, but we come together and we put on a fantastic show no matter what. In the end, it works out.”

The twirlers sweat while they danced with smiles at the tryouts, striking each pose in their routine with practiced perfection. They were determined to prove their abilities as athletes and members of NAU’s marching band. Although it has only been two years of an established twirling line, this team of twirlers hopes to be recognized more in the future as a competitive and highly skilled team of athletes that make NAU sports more fun to enjoy.

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FEATURES

Depleted Water sources threaten wildlife Bailey Helton

O

ver the past few months, northern Arizona has received a lower than usual supply of rain and snowfall. Flagstaff, a mountain town surrounded by the ponderosa pine forest, is facing dehydration leading into summer.

Flagstaff has seen numbers in the past five years higher than those currently recorded for precipitation. Often times, precipitation is measured in a hydrological year, which differs from the standard calendar year. The hydrological calendar is from Oct. 1 of any given year to Sept. 30 of the preceding year.

However, with the current hydrological year still in observation, the reported numbers are a measurement of the months of October through March.

According to wunderground.com, from October 2013 to March 2014, the rain and snowfall total was 5.7 inches. From October 2014 to March 2015, 12.59 inches were recorded. From October 2015 to March 2016 it was 11.40 inches, October 2016 to March 2017 it was 22.75 inches, and this year, there has been 4.34 inches of precipitation recorded from October 2017 to March 2018.

“Arizona, along with much of the west, is experiencing some of the driest and warmest fall weather in record-keeping history.

In some cases, that’s nearly 120 years,” said KNAU meteorologist Lee Born in an article on the station’s website.

Joseph Currie, habitat program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said he believes the drought is caused by the rotation of the weather. Some years are very hot

while others are incredibly cold.

With the lack of precipitation, wildlife populations across Arizona have been put under stress. According to Ed Jahrke, the Game and Fish Department wildlife specialist statewide supervisor, the wildlife population most impacted by the drought are pregnant wildlife females.

“As [the lack of precipitation] grows and goes on, it’ll have more impact on the females because, if they’re pregnant, that’s going to set that up for problems,” said Jahrke. “They’re not going to probably be able to carry a full term, or if they were going to have twins, they may only have a single. It’s impacting all of the wildlife species. But the pregnant females are going to be feeling it.”

The fish population is a major wildlife group being impacted by the lack of water. According to Jahrke, the fish habitats hardly exist. With an entire species under stress for survival, the department has resorted to water catchements: An aid that has been implemented over the years.

“Water catchments are a man-made or a man-altered permanent water source for wildlife during the dry times of the year,” said Currie.

According to Currie, the purpose behind using these water developments is to maintain consistency. Often, when the weather gets terribly hot, the number of animals in a given population can dwindle. Water catchments are created for the sole purpose of maintaining population numbers in the different wildlife species.

“A year like this where it’s so dry, those animals will become habituated to those water developments because, in a lot of

Log Cabin Tank is a water catchment located about nine miles east of Flagstaff April 2. Maxim Mascolo| The Lumberjack

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cases, that’s the only reliable source of water. As the storms come through, we get rain [and] we get snow,” Jahrke said. “[During that] time of year, that will kind of push those animals off those drinkers because they would rather drink where they feel more comfortable.”

Jahrke said that animals may not be attracted to the manmade structures, but will eventually use them because the natural resources dry up.

One city in particular that has used the water catchment aid is Payson, Arizona. According to the Payson Roundup, the game and fish department has transported 120,000 gallons of water to wildlife catchments since November 2017. However, according to Jahrke, those 120,000 gallons are only about 25 percent of the total number of gallons hauled during 2017.

“Statewide we’ve hauled 485,000 [gallons] in 2017, and that’s by no means the record, not that a true record exists,” Jahrke said. “One of our biggest water years was back in 2002, which was nearly similar to this year as far as the lack of moisture. That year we hauled 1.4 million gallons of water. We’re probably on track to have maybe not quite that big of a year, but we’ll easily see half a million gallons before we see summer rain.”

Arizona collectively has about 2,000 water developments installed, with 300 to 400 in northern Arizona. According to Jahrke, 1,000 of those developments are from the department, while the other 1,000 are shared between Forest Services and the Bureau of Land Management.

While positive outcomes are seen in the use of these water developments, a few negative aspects come along as well.

With numerous animals sharing one single water source, the chance of disease transmission and the spread of rabies is one that Flagstaff has seen before.

“In the Flag area, we saw a skunk population a few years ago,” Jahrke said, referring to the disease transmissions such as rabies spreading in the Flagstaff area. “We saw it in fox populations in the eastern parts of the valley.”

Another factor that ties into having 2,000 man-made and maintained water developments is the demand for larger quantities of water. Larger animals like elk and deer are populations that, when given water, consume it and consume it quickly. Due to these large-animal populations growing, the need for redeveloping the water systems has also grown.

The game and fish department is currently in process of expanding the capacity of these in-ground water systems, some of which hold as many as 20,000 gallons of water. However, the department is not working alone in the redevelopment of these water systems.

“We also get amazing support from the different groups out there, the deer associations, elk associations, big horse [and] sheep societies. We get tons of help from them monitoring these systems,” Jahrke said.

Although maintaining water systems and constantly adapting to varying weather conditions may seem difficult, Arizona Game and Fish workers are confident that these practices are beneficial to wildlife.

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CULTURE

Fight cancer and rock on at the Rock-a-Thon

Northern Arizona Healthcare Cancer Center attendees in need of encouragement can pick up a painted rock from the rock garden to take with them on their journeys, March 28. Madeleine Dill | The Lumberjack

Kaylin Dunnett

F

or some, painting rocks is used as a creative outlet. To Grace Marks, a health coach at Northern Arizona Healthcare, it is something more.

Marks is the coordinator of the new Rock-aThon, a rock painting event for cancer patients, survivors, their families and the community as a whole. She first had the idea this past year after reading about it in the local paper.

“I saw an article in the Arizona Daily Sun about a cancer center that was doing something similar, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to do that,’” said Marks. “This is an all-new event ... it really just was to provide inspiration for cancer patients. We did not advertise to get cancer patients here and family members, it was open to everyone. [The idea was to] come support cancer patients with inspirational words.”

Marks wanted to inspire patients as they walk through the doors of the cancer center with a colorful rock garden inscribed with positive messages. She was inspired by her own journey at the cancer center, having battled cancer herself.

“It’s tough,” Marks said. “I’ve had my own journey here, so that’s another reason why I’m so adamant about making this happen. It’s not an easy journey to have to be here.”

She said the rocks will also be available inside the center, including the cancer infusion room meant for chemotherapy treatment, for patients to take home with them as a reminder.

“We will have rocks that patients can actually paint as well, so that’s the vision. This is just the kickoff, and of course tonight we won’t be able to supply all the rocks, but I will coordinate afternoon lunch programs for employees to paint rocks so that we can continue populating this place,” Marks said. “We want people to take them, to be inspired by them ... to take a rock that resonates with them.”

Marks said out in front of the cancer center, the rock garden will be made up of two, separate parts. One part of the garden will be made up of a rock structure formed out of rocks painted white in the shape of a heart. This area, according to Marks, is specifically for survivors and people who have passed away from cancer.

These rocks are not to be taken.

The second part of the garden is a colorful display of rainbow rocks spelling out the word “hope.” Among these lay the rocks painted by Rock-a-Thon attendees, and it will continue to be populated in the future. The rocks in this garden are free for attendees to take with them when they leave the garden.

During her battle with cancer, Marks felt

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determined to come back and work for the hospital that helped cure her. Shortly after finishing her last round of chemotherapy, she became a health coach at the hospital.

“A lot of my clients, the hospital employees, have cancer or have had cancer. So it’s a blessing for me to be able to show them the way. Whether it’s through financial resources, [or] resources in our community that can provide additional support for them as they go through this, it’s really partnering with them on that journey,” Marks said.

“ it’s a really beautiful way to use art, beauty, positivity and community to tell cancer patients that they are loved.”

-Karen Polder, Office Coordinator for Flagstaff Medical Center Office coordinator for the hospital Karen Polder felt that rock painting was a great way

to get any message across, and the simplicity of painting a rock makes it easy for anyone to create a work of art.

“I love painting inspirational rocks, I don’t just do it here at the hospital, I do it within the community and statewide,” said Polder. “I take my rocks, and I travel. It ties me to other places.”

Polder started working at the hospital in November 2017, where she started to give away her rock creations. She gave one away to Marks, who recognized her talent and recruited her to become a part of the Rock-a-Thon project.

“My mom is a cancer survivor. They pulled me into the project, and I’m like, ‘Yes! I want to be a part of that,’” Polder said. “I have been looking for any type of volunteer work, but I don’t want to just volunteer for anything, I want to volunteer for something that I really enjoy and that means a lot to me.”

Janeece Henes is an art teacher at Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA) and is the head of their National Art Honor Society. She attended the event with her students in tow, who all painted rocks to fill the cancer center garden.

One of her student’s parents gave Henes the idea to come to the event, and she thought it would be a good way to teach her kids a broader idea of what art can be.

“We thought this would be a great way to get the FALA students who are really passionate about the arts to do a service project,” said Henes.

Polder said that because cancer patients can feel lonely during the treatment process, the more people that are involved in this community project, the better.

“I think everyone unfortunately knows someone ... affected by cancer in some way. I think it’s a really beautiful way to use art, beauty, positivity and community to tell cancer patients that they are loved, they are special, we’re thinking of them [and] we’re rooting for them,” Polder said.

Northern Arizona Healthcare encourages those who take the rocks and travel with them to post photos of the rock’s new home on Facebook, using the URL Facebook.com/ flagstaffmedicalcenter.

“It’s a community event. There’s so many people who have [been] touched by cancer in some way, either a family member, a friend, a neighbor and they feel so helpless,” Marks said.

“This is one way that they can do something and feel good about it — to rock someone’s day.”

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CULTURE

Drumming to an ancient beat Ashley besing

E

nergy filled every square inch of Jazzercise Flagstaff Fitness Center March 27 as dancers’ bare feet swiftly moved across the hardwood floors and their hands stretched towards the ceiling. The sound of drums echoed throughout the room, some with a deep, resonating sound, like a heartbeat, and others that pierced the ears like a shrill, chanting voice.

Every Tuesday, Jazzercise hosts a WestAfrican dance class at the center on East Route 66, where people of all ages and skill levels come to learn to dance with live drumming.

The guest instructor for the evening was Soriba Fofana. Originally from Guinea, West Africa, Fofana has lived in New Mexico for the past 10 years.

Fofana spent most of the class with a huge grin and seldom stopped moving, even to teach.

Whether his hands were grazing the floor or beating on a drum — his feet moving along to the rhythm — he was always in motion.

Fofana danced while the participants followed his moves, occasionally shouting numbers or words of encouragement over the loud sound of the six drummers.

Fofana said drumming and dancing isn’t just something he likes to do — it’s part of who he is.

“The reason dancing is important to me is, it’s my culture. That’s what I came from. That’s what I know in my life,” said Fofana. “I really love it and enjoy it because that’s my life.”

Fofana said his love for dance and music was something ingrained in him by his culture in Guinea. He credited his love for dance to his two brothers, who always encouraged him to keep dancing.

“We use dance to tell stories to each other, we use it to share culture from city-to-city, this is how we live, this is how we survive,” Fofana said. “We don’t have anything but, this is what we have, it makes us happy to drum and dance.”

Hannah Griscom is the usual instructor, but joined the participants in following Fofana for the March 27 class. Clad in traditional WestAfrican attire, she was challenged by Fofana’s class.

“I loved it. It was hard,” said Griscom, who has studied West-African dance for 15 years.

“I definitely didn’t get it all, but it’s really great when we have guest artists like this because they totally challenge us to reach higher and to do better.”

Soriba Fofana, guest instructor at Jazzercise Flagstaff Fitness Center, ends the class with a fastpaced traditional African dance March 27. Rylee Flowers | The Lumberjack

In addition to teaching the West-African dance class every week, Griscom is also a biologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

She said there are rhythms and dances she isn’t as familiar with and invites guest instructors like Fofana to teach her and her students the authentic dance.

“There’s specific rhythms from specific places, and we only dance the moves that are associated with that rhythm,” Griscom said.

“We try to keep it as close to the original dance as we possibly can.

Griscom doesn’t keep the money she gets from instructing so she can continue inviting guests and broaden her students’ ideas of African dance.

“With his class, all of the money I make from it — which isn’t a ton — I put away, I don’t keep any of it.” Griscom said. “I save it up to bring in artists that are from Africa that can really teach us the real thing.”

Griscom not only stressed the importance of making sure the dance is authentic, she also emphasized the importance of respecting the culture it comes from.

“We have to acknowledge where this music comes from, we can’t appropriate it as Americans

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and say that it’s ours. It really comes from Africa, and we have to continue to acknowledge that,” Griscom said.

The live drumming also adds to the appreciation of West-African Culture and enhances the experience.

“It’s so different to be able to share that connection with the drummers while you’re dancing, it makes it personal and it fills your heart. I do other kind of dance, too, to recorded music, and it’s just such a different experience,” Griscom said.

Sam Neeley has been a drummer in Flagstaff for 18 years and is an instructor for a WestAfrican drum class he teaches every Sunday.

Neeley and his students come to Griscom’s dance class every week to practice what they’ve learned.

Neeley said he appreciated what Fofana had to offer his students because West-African drumming isn’t typically taught in universities.

“Many places don’t offer a degree for this kind of stuff, so you have to seek out a teacher.

It’s an oral culture — oral tradition. So they pass it on, and you have to spend time with your teachers. We’re lucky enough to have some master drummers that will spend time with us

and teach us their culture,” said Neeley.

Halfway through class, Fofana took a few minutes to teach the drummers a new rhythm on the spot that was then incorporated into their sequence for the rest of the class.

“The drummers didn’t know that rhythm and [Fofana] just taught it to them in two minutes. He’s a good teacher enough that he can do that,” Neeley said.

While some used hands and others used drumsticks, the drummers banged tirelessly on the array of drums for the most of the class.

Neeley said that this style of drumming benefits more than just musical skills.

“We use our right hand all the time, but this teaches you to use your other hand equally, which means you’re using the other hemisphere of your brain equally,” Neeley said. “So even just learning how to drum and dance can teach you how to walk more efficiently, talk more efficiently, think more efficiently and clearly communicate.”

Suzy Hunter, a 65-year-old participant in the class, has come to various West-African dance classes in Flagstaff nearly every week for the past 12 years, and said the live music helps her experience the culture. “[The live music] enriches the whole experience, versus hearing a tape or a video,” said Hunter. “It makes a stronger connection to the whole experience and dance. Because it’s not just dance, it’s the drums, it’s the song, and it’s the dance that enriches the whole culture that we’re experiencing.”

Not only does the live music enrich the experience, the sense of community rooted in West-African culture makes the classes special for Griscom.

“It’s all about the community for me. I love seeing everyone every week and being able to share the energy that we have here and the back-and-forth with the drummers,” Griscom said. “We’ve lost a little bit of this community connection in our modern culture, the ability to connect with people. I think sometimes, if we go back to these traditional customs, it helps us feel more connected to each other in a way that we probably did more traditionally.”

The dancers, drummers and instructors filtered out of Jazzercise after the class, stepping into the Flagstaff air after getting to experience a slice of culture from the other side of the world for an hour and a half. There is a little piece of West Africa every Tuesday at Jazzercise Flagstaff Fitness Center.

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 19

SPORTS

‘Lame-duck’ territory

I

n early February, the NAU basketball team was about to collect its 20th loss of the season against Weber State. NAU boosters, who sit courtside at home games and don’t quite have the influence or financial backing of say, UA boosters, made one thing clear: Their patience was wearing thin for head coach Jack Murphy.

For NAU’s highest-paid coach, in a sport that tends to attribute wins and losses to coaches before it does players, a call to action is expected after three straight under-10 win seasons. But with poor basketball facilities, a crowded Arizona sports market and an apathetic fan base, the question becomes, MATTHEW did Murphy ever have a chance?

JARECKI Eight of the 12 Big Sky Conference HOST OF “THE basketball programs play in intimate, closeJERK” ON KJACK quarter arenas, used strictly for basketball.

Portland State and the University of Idaho will have their own basketball-centered arenas by 2021.

NAU is one of only two schools in the conference that cannot sell an intimate basketball arena to potential recruits.

In a Southwest region full Division-I options including UA, ASU and even Grand Canyon University (GCU), who has their own basketball arena, facilities alone may cause recruits to shy away from NAU. The phrase “even GCU” may still hold water today. But with GCU coming off a 22-12 season in just its first year of Division-I eligibility, led by former Phoenix Suns’ Dan Majerle, you can add them to a list of local schools that generate more excitement and geographical significance than NAU. Murphy has been criticized for his team’s lack of Arizona talent, only 25 percent of the 2017-18 roster. But is it possible that when UA, ASU, the rest of the Power-Five schools, and even GCU, finish cherry-picking Phoenix and the surrounding area, it may be more efficient to scout out of state?

Not only is Flagstaff the third or fourth Arizona option for top local players, but it may also be for sports-centric students.

Would an avid sports fan from Arizona be more likely to attend NAU — with little to no pro-level players, less heralded coaches and poorer facilities — or UA or ASU? Ergo, NAU is left with a student population of mostly apathetic sports fans. Even the less-heralded GCU’s average men’s basketball attendance in 2016-17 dwarfed NAU’s highest 2017-18 attendance total by 5,800 fans. This is especially significant since GCU had a student population of 15,500, while NAU had 19,700 in the spring of 2016.

Folks, this past season, NAU didn’t even fill up the Skydome for NAU’s first football playoff game since 2013. Try recruiting athletes to that.

Jack Murphy entered the offseason thinking he had two scholarships to fill. Since then, his leading scorers, JoJo Anderson and Torry Johnson, have decided to transfer. With another revamped starting line-up entering the 2018-2019 season, Murphy is quickly entering “lame-duck” territory.

My question for you is, again, did he ever have a chance?

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Head coach and captain Adam Beller (right) of the NAU Narwhals Quidditch team defends chaser Colin Statt (left) during a scrimmage at practice March 30. Wyatt Rutt| The Lumberjack

NAU quidditch flies at 7,000 feet Chandler Staley

T

he NAU Club Quidditch team, the Narwhals, have been soaring to new heights this season. Whether you believe in magic or not, they have been casting spells on their competition.

The team chose the name Narwhals because of the tradition among Quidditch teams to name their mascot after the first letter of the univeristy they represent. Narwhals are small Arctic whales.

After not qualifying for nationals last year, the Narwhals will drive to Round Rock, Texas, to compete for the United States Cup. The schedule has yet to be released, but senior coach and cocaptain Adam Beller is not worried, no matter who the opponent is.

“We’re gonna play in their face. Just fast, hard, physical Quidditch,” said Beller.

NAU competes with other colleges and club sport teams, and is the No. 32 nationally ranked team out of 138 teams with a record of 20-9. For senior co-captain Corban Stevens, the Quidditch team stands out above all the other club sports.

“I grew up around a lot of sports ... and [Quidditch is] something I haven’t done before, and it was super interesting,” said Corban Stevens. “It’s a fun, competitive sport. You make a lot of friends, and I would say the team is like a second family.”

Quidditch is based on the imaginary flying sport in J.K.

Rowlings’ Harry Potter novels. The sport consists of seven players per team who run with a stick in between their legs and four different types of balls: a quaffle, two bludgers and a golden snitch, that can be active at the same time. A quaffle ball is used to score goals, bludgers are used to attack opponents, and the golden snitch is the ball that, when caught, rewards the recipient team with an automatic victory.

There are also four different field positions. There are three chasers, two beaters, one seeker and one goalkeeper. The chasers job is to score goals, while the two beaters are responsible for throwing bludgers at their opponents. The seeker’s goal is to seek out the golden snitch and capture it if possible, while the goalkeeper does what every goalkeeper does in every other sport.

However, despite all the chaos that happens on the field, Beller, who also plays beater, reminds the team that when they play it’s to have fun and to be better than their competition.

“We tell the team at the end of the day, remember we’re running with sticks in between our legs and throwing balls at each other, so have fun,” Beller said. “And of course just be better than the other team.”

Quidditch is known for being an inclusive sport as everyone is allowed to join.

Beller and Corban Stevens have been on the team as players and as leaders for four years. The atmosphere that they’ve worked to create is one of acceptance. They allow all to come spend

SPORTS time with a fun group of people, and if those who want to take it a step further and actually compete than show up to practice.

The team consists of Harry Potter fans and athletes alike. Beller and Corban Stevens both played high school football and run their practice in a similarly strict fashion. This coaching style, Beller thinks, is attracting more athletes to the once-imaginary sport.

“When we joined Quidditch, it was pretty mixed with bookworms and athletes,” Beller said. “Over the last four years, with our coaching style attracting more athletes, I would say that 90 percent of our roster has played high school sports as well.”

Corban Stevens and Beller encourage a physical approach to the game as a form of strategy. For example, it is legal for the beater to hit their opponent in the face with the bludger, which is something that NAU has become notorious for. This strategy forces opponents to hesitate and try to defend themselves, slowing them down immensely.

This style of play has been the difference for the Narwhals this season as they took down their rival ASU in the West Regional Cup. Ranked No. 21 in the nation with a record of 19-5, ASU consisted of mostly seniors who had been playing for years.

The relatively young and inexperienced

team has several freshmen on their roster, but that only puts a chip on their shoulder. The golden snitch was captured during the ASU match, and the team was so excited that they rushed the field before the referee could blow the whistle. “[It was] a giant feeling of relief [when we beat ASU],” Corban Stevens said. “It was something we’ve been trying to do for years. We knew it would be our last game of the day, so we went into that day writing that game off already.

We played the entire day, and we did so well that when it was time to play ASU, we were gonna play to win. The team rallied and won.”

Corban Stevens’ freshman brother, Christian Stevens, joined the team this year. The duo has unmatched chemistry when they’re on the field.

“It’s super fun to have him on the team,” Corban Stevens said. “Especially when we’re on the field together. There’s nothing better than scoring goals with him.”

With West Regionals in the past, the Narwhals focus is on the U.S. Cup. They have 30 players on the roster but can only take 21, so they have to build their roster. Beller says the diverse talent the Narwhals display at the U.S. Cup is a result of taking the top-21 players each season to compete.

The U.S. Cup is a two-day tournament

with four games on the first day. However, NAU hasn’t played an East Coast team in two years, making it difficult to gauge the competition and formulate a strategy.

Pushing themselves to perform at their peak in nationals, Beller claims that being a disciplined team will be the key in achieving victory.

Corban Stevens, on the other hand, notes that staying healthy will be the X factor. The Narwhals physical style of play is risky because it leaves players prone to injuries, and roster

depth decreases as a result. However, they seem ready to sacrifice their bodies if it means they intimidate their competition.

“Even if we lose, they’ll remember us next time we play,” Corban Stevens said.

Regardless of the outcome, the team has already exceeded their expectations of this season.

“Our goal this year was to qualify,” Beller said. “Then after getting a solid roster, we knew we could place because we were doing pretty well. But this is a whole new level.”

Left: Senior spanish major Adam Beller, head coach and co-captain of the NAU Quidditch team, has been with the team for four years and is scheduled to graduate in May 2018, April 1. Right: Senior computer science major Corban Stevens is co-captain and assistant coach for the Narwhals and plays goalkeeper, April 1. Wyatt Rutt | The Lumberjack

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 21

SPORTS

Cardboard, tape, glue and a yard sale?

Cara Heise

T

he sleds were constructed. The helmets were strapped on.

The contestants were ready. The third-annual Cardboard Derby Classic on March 31 was underway on the Agassiz Run at Arizona Snowbowl.

The Classic started in 2015 and has been a communityengaging event ever since, reoccurring by popular demand.

The registration table awaited the brave racers. There, competitors signed their waivers, registered their sled and received a paper plate with a number on it for identification.

Cardboard sleds held together by nothing but tape and glue lined the bottom of the Agassiz Run. The racers were next to them with their helmets strapped on tight, a requirement to race. The $10 entrance was paid, and the sleds were inspected for safety. It was time to race.

There were two sets of races: solo riders and team racers. The solo racers went first.

In the solo race there were sleds designed like an Amazon Prime truck; The Resolute, a ship from Star Wars; Shred ‘til You’re Dead, a sled shaped like a coffin; and just plain cardboard boxes.

Jesse Weber was the first to cross the finish line with his Dirty Bird sled. The Dirty Bird was a penguin suit he slipped on right before he went face first down the hill.

“You can call it inspiration from nature,” said Weber. “I spend a lot of time watching Planet Earth, and I like the penguins.

I noticed they are extremely streamlined when they slide down snow, so how could you go wrong as a penguin?”

Weber has attended all three of the Cardboard Derby Classics. The two previous years he competed in the team event with this year being his first solo race. “[The last two years], we got second both times, which is kind of a heartbreaker,” Weber said. “I came back this year and wanted vengeance and decided to take matters into my own hands.”

This year, for the team race, the first to cross the line was Team Awesome. Decked out in a blue and red with a silver unicorn on the front, the team of five took first. They snuck through the field of racers and quickly and quietly stole the show.

The team competition included sleds designed like a train, the Agassiz Express; a slice of cheese, Cheese the Day; a hot tub, the Sled Machine; and a regular cardboard box, the Spank Tank.

Prizes at the event included two tickets to a Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert, Goal Zero Yeti 150 Portable Power Station, a one-night stay at Doubletree by Hilton and a $50 gift card to Sakura restaurant.

Awards were given for the following: Solo Run, Team Run, Best Solo Sled, Best Team Sled, Public Favorite Solo, Public Favorite, Best Yard Sale Solo and Best Yard Sale Team.

A yard sale happens when the sled is completely obliterated, and while others compete for first place or best sled, others strictly come for the yard-sale category.

Prizes were given to the following sleds: Shred ‘til You’re Dead, Agassiz Express, Love Machine, The Resolute, PBRider and Team Green, in addition to the solo and team race winners.

“We worked on it on and off for about a week, so probably

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like three days, maybe 12 hours,” said Cho Robie, a racer from The Resolute team. “We work here, we’re in the IT department, so building our cardboard sled was our team-building activity for the month. The IT director, the two of us and the rest of the team helped make it.”

There was a two-person minimum but no maximum to the number of sled riders, but each team had to choose a pilot for the sled. To be considered a finisher, all riders must have been in or on the sled and could not be chasing it or be chased by it.

In its third year, the Cardboard Derby Classic welcomed new riders to the scene.

“We saw the video of last year, and it was really funny watching everyone fall,” said Dave Dufek, a first-time rider. “We had a lot of fun making the sled and watching it come together.”

One of Dufek’s sons raced in the single-rider category in his Amazon-Prime-truck-style sled, while his other son’s sled was just cardboard and he wanted a yard-sale win.

This year, the Derby Classic raised $190 for Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center for the Michael “Mikee” Linville Backcountry Awareness Scholarship. This scholarship is designed to help disseminate crucial safety information to the backcountry enthusiast and to help support the efforts of the avalanche center, according to their website.

On the deck of the Agassiz Lodge music was blaring from speakers, and people of all ages were wearing costumes to get in the spirit. People wore costumes to match their sleds, while others wore them just for fun.

Before the races began, people of all ages were on the deck of the Agassiz Lodge eating, drinking and hanging out. Raffle prizes, which included gift certificates to different places around town, hats, beanies and even a new pair of skis, were given away.

“It may not have been the greatest season this year, but you got to blowout like this to end it,” said Bob Larkin, one of the judges. “It’s a great way to let out steam and get ready for next year.”

Additional reporting by Nadya Armenta

Top: Team participants race down the Agassiz Run at the Cardboard Derby Classic at Arizona Snowbowl March 31.

Bottom: The PBR sled team finished first in the Cardboard Derby Classic team race March 31.

Raymond Felix Olivarez | The Lumberjack

APRIL 5, 2018 – APRIL 11, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 23

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