The Lumberjack -- September 6, 2019

THE LUMBER JACK

SEPT. 12, 2019 – SEPT. 18, 2019

PAGE 8-10

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

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t this point in my 17 years of continuous education, the beginnings and endings of each passing school year have become my most significant indicators of time. As the light at the end of my tunnel of academia grows brighter, I am able to appreciate the time warp that is

college.

I’m currently a junior with four semesters to go until graduation. I still have a sizable leg of the race to go, but the finish line is just around the corner. Although I’m technically only halfway through college, the occupations and lifestyles I once considered dreams are becoming reality as I transition from pseudo-adulthood into full autonomy.

I’ve spent the vast majority of my life absorbing knowledge, preparing to be a member of society and getting ready to live autonomously. Each year, I inched my way farther out the door — I slowly began to refer to Flagstaff as home more often, moved off-campus and began to live alone.

I’m convinced that time passes more quickly in college. The years stick out from each other, marked by the movement from dorm to dorm or apartment SCOUT to apartment, but blend together due to the sheer pace of university life. Only EHRLER when I saw all the new freshmen on move-in day did I begin to realize how much NEWS EDITOR time has passed since I was on that curb, scared out of my mind. Somehow, it feels like forever and no time at all, simultaneously.

Three weeks into the semester, things are beginning to settle, and freshmen are growing more comfortable with their new surroundings. If you grow too comfortable, time begins to pass you by.

Next thing you know, snow will be falling and summer will feel an eternity away.

At heart, I still feel like a freshman. Each new semester brings me anxiety and varying levels of discomfort. College has taught me to be comfortable with myself and helped me get out of my comfort zone, but I still haven’t gotten used to the whole impending adulthood thing. I’m technically a grown woman, but I rarely feel like it.

Your time at NAU will pass you by, feeling as if each year accelerates in speed. When you catch yourself going a bit too fast, pause. Take it in and remember this is an important chapter — don’t forget to savor each word.

Thank you for reading.

A group of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus on two occasions, according to the Coconino County Health and Human Services website.

Illustration By Blake FernANdez

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 109 ISSUE 5

Editor-in-Chief Bailey Helton Faculty Adviser David Harpster

Managing Editor Sebastian Moore Sports Adviser Rory Faust

Director of Digital Content Brady Wheeler

Sales Manager Marsha Simon

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

Copy Chief Collin W. Clayton

Faculty Adviser, Visuals Taylor Mahoney Valerie Devoy

News Editor Scout Ehrler

Features Editor Shaelene Walker

Sports Editor Molly Smith

Asst. News Editor Trevor Skeen

Asst. Features Editor Ash Lohmann

Asst. Sports Editor Jacob Terrill

Asst. Dir. of Illustration Aleah Green

Online News Editor Ray Anne Galzote

Culture Editor Sabrina Proffitt

Director of Circulation Robyn Monroe

Director of Photography Morgan Fisher

Asst. Dir. of Circulation Anel Lamadrid

Asst. Dir. of Photography Bess Valdez

Director of Illustration Madison Cohen

Senior Photographer Shannon Swain

Op-Ed Editor Caitlin Burke

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Asst. Culture Editor Nathan Manni Asst. Op-Ed Editor D’Anna Davis

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Illustration By Madison Cohen

Print Chief Bella Valenzuela

Media Innovation Center Editorial Board

Online News Editor Karin Johnson

On the cover

Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Bailey Helton at brs289@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat

Compiled by nancy flores

hall director at Reilly Hall called to report subjects having a barbecue with a grill in the bed of a truck. NAUPD responded and a report was taken.

to assist with a lockout.

NAUPD and a university operations employee responded. They were able to provide assistance to the staff member.

Sept. 4 At 9:34 a.m., a NAUPD officer reported three subjects sleeping at the intersection of Knoles Drive and West DuPont Avenue. One nonstudent was transported to FMC for extreme intoxication.

An officer conducted a field interview with the other two At 10:20 p.m., a RA at non-students, and they were Allen Hall called to report allowed to leave the area. drug paraphernalia. NAUPD responded and took a report.

At 3:54 p.m., a NAU shuttle driver reported a subject Sept. 2 dangerously passing in front of At 9:48 a.m., NAUPD a bus at the intersection of East received a call from McConnell Pine Knoll Drive and Huffer Hall about a supervisory Lane. A citation was issued to alarm. It was discovered that a pedestrian for failing to yield burnt food caused the alarm to to the bus. activate.

At 11:02 p.m., students At 12:48 p.m., a RA at reported a subject with a Tinsley Hall called to report firearm in parking lot 66. The a student who was having subject was contacted, but they abdominal pain. The student did not have a firearm in their was transported to FMC. possession.

At 9:30 p.m., officers reported finding four high school students at the Walkup Skydome who were drinking alcohol. All four students were handed over to parents and will be referred to juvenile court for underage consumption of alcohol.

Sept. 1 At 12:24 a.m., staff at Reilly Hall reported two juvenile students who were intoxicated. NAUPD deferred the students for possession of alcohol.

At 1:20 a.m., university safety aides reported an odor of marijuana at the intersection of San Francisco Street and McConnell Drive. NAUPD responded and three students were deferred for possession and use of marijuana.

At 10:31 p.m., a RA called Sept. 5 to report a subject smoking At 3:20 a.m., an cigarettes in Gabaldon Hall. anonymous source reported NAUPD responded but did a subject sleeping outside not locate the subject. of McKay Village. NAUPD deferred the student for the Sept. 3 consumption of alcohol as a At 7:56 a.m., a Parking minor. and Shuttle Services staff member reported finding a At 11:41 p.m., NAUPD suspicious item at the bus reported checking on four barn. NAUPD responded and students in the Hilltop took a report for information Townhomes parking garage. only.

One student was referred for violating the code of conduct, At 10:31 a.m., a non- and three others were deferred student reported a motorcycle for possession of marijuana gas leak. FFD responded and and possession of drug contacted the registered owner paraphernalia. to pick up the bike found at the Babbitt Academic Annex.

Sept. 6 At 8:16 a.m., staff at At 8:10 p.m., a residence Peterson Hall called NAUPD

At 11:49 p.m., a Skyview resident reported a suspicious vehicle near the apartment complex. NAUPD responded and checked the area, but no criminal activity was witnessed.

Sept. 7 At 12:22 a.m., NAUPD reported a domestic violence incident at Reilly Hall. The student was arrested and booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility for assault and consumption of alcohol as a minor.

At 2:56 a.m., Mountain View Hall staff reported a student sleeping outside the residence hall. The student was transported to FMC due to alcohol intoxication and will be cited at a later date for the possession of a fake license and consumption of alcohol as a minor.

At 5:16 a.m., an anonymous source reported a strange odor near Hilltop Townhomes.

NAUPD responded and checked the area. The odor was caused by a skunk.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS

Union efforts criminalized by Arizona Republic editor molly brown

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reg Burton, the executive editor of The Arizona Republic, has linked the actions of pro-union staffers to troublemakers, intimidators and criminals. In an email issued to employees Aug. 29, Burton warned staff members of surveillance efforts by coworkers wishing to unionize.

According to an article published by HuffPost, Burton accused union organizers within the newsroom of surveilling, harassing and intimidating coworkers opposed to unionizing.

He also warned of possible disciplinary action for the organizers, comparing the accused to troublemakers, intimidators and criminals.

“All: It has come to my attention that several employees, in pursuit of their goal of unionizing our newsroom, are tracking the comings and goings of a number of their co-workers (reporters, editors, producers and photographers) who do not support unionization,” Burton said in the email. “Any such conduct will be addressed through disciplinary channels.”

Rebekah Sanders has been with The Republic for 12 years, and she is currently a consumer investigations reporter. In a phone interview, Sanders identified herself as a member of the union organizing committee and defended an Aug. 30 statement made via Twitter.

“The executives back in McLean, Virginia are so bent on preventing employees from uniting and working together to protect local journalism that they’ve stooped to comparing us to criminals,” Sanders said.

McLean is the location of the corporate headquarters for Gannett Co., the parent company of The Arizona Republic.

Maria Polletta, a union organizer and eight-year veteran reporter with The Republic who currently covers state politics, agreed with Sanders’ insistence that Gannett executives are behind the pushback, using “heavy-handed tactics,” which are common with many unionizing efforts. One such tactic being used against union organizers are corporate meetings, which include mandatory attendance by newsroom staff. Additionally, much of these efforts come in response to ongoing merger talks between Gannett and Gatehouse Media.

“Most, if not all of us are new to organizing, and we have been trying to organize this drive in an environment where we’re unable to freely talk about this even though our right to organize is legally protected,” Polletta said.

Polletta denied any surveillance of coworkers by members of the union committee.

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Photos courtesy of ABC15 Arizona

“The idea that we have people under surveillance is just ridiculous,” Polletta said.

“Organizers tried to get a sense of how our coworkers were responding in some of these mandatory union-busting meetings we’ve had.”

Union organizers contacted coworkers to ensure they had all the necessary information to assist them in making an informed decision.

“There were cases where we tried to gauge if people were receptive or dubious (about unionizing) in these mandatory meetings leadership forced us to attend,” Polletta said.

“Even Gannett leadership has encouraged employees to ‘get all the facts’ before making a decision as it relates to union or organizing activity.”

A document provided by Sanders outlines “cost synergies” of over $115 million from newspaper operations proposed by New Media Investment Group, Gatehouse’s parent company.

These budgetary changes are often referred to as layoffs, which are designed to make merging

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

companies more fiscally efficient.

Sanders also referenced an attempt by the hedge fund Digital First Media to acquire Gannett back in December 2018. She said that according to Gannett executives, this was a “hostile takeover,” because of Digital First Media’s reputation for ruthless business practices and for that reason their employees were encouraged to vote against the proposed acquisition.

Sanders said while employees were considering the request from Gannett, a separate deal with Gatehouse was being organized without the staff’s knowledge. She also said the move was insulting and terrifying for her and fellow staff members, who later found out the deal also contained plans for a centralized restructuring in favor of cost savings. Oftentimes, centralization efforts eliminate positions within the paper by consolidating previous group assignments to individual employees.

“That means fewer local editors and fewer

people keeping an eye on their communities,” Sanders said in an email.

The Arizona Republic will be the first of Gannett’s publications to seek unionization with The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America while under its ownership. Sanders said this is not the first time staff at The Arizona Republic have pursued unionization. An effort to unionize in the late 1970s was initially successful, but pressure under the ownership of Eugene Pulliam forced the union to disband.

The main point expressed by Sanders and Polletta was a concern for all Republic staff as the merger proceeds. Additionally, both employees were vocal in their support of Burton as a great asset to the newsroom, especially with his various efforts to make improvements.

A strong majority vote in favor of the union is expected to take place in approximately four weeks, as union authorization cards continue to be signed and submitted to the National Labor Relations Board.

NEWS

Prior to its closure, the NAU Campus Health Services’ pharmacy held a sale to clear out their stock, Aug. 19. Shannon Swain | The Lumberjack

Pharmacy manager opens up about recent closure Trevor Skeen

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ue to potential economic setbacks, the Campus Health Services pharmacy permanently closed Aug. 30. An investigative article published by The Lumberjack examined the reasoning behind the decision and the subsequent affect on university faculty, staff and students. Since the official closure of the pharmacy, more information from employees and administrators has become available. This information includes the contrasting views of fiscal responsibility and student mentorship, specifically as they relate to the pharmacy’s former service.

Julie Ryan, the executive director of Campus Health Services, provided a statement to the Arizona Daily Sun and The Lumberjack about the closure of the Health Services pharmacy.

In her email, Ryan said the decision was made because the pharmacy lost significant amounts of money annually. Furthermore, she said business had steadily declined over the last few years.

“The [Health Services] pharmacy was also experiencing consistent declines in prescriptions and sales due to the fact that there are multiple

pharmacies adjacent to campus,” Ryan said in an email. “We made the decision to close the pharmacy to be fiscally responsible and to redirect those funds toward sustainable student health services.”

Lenore Goetzke was the final pharmacy manager at Campus Health Services. Goetzke held her position for six years, and she said this job allowed her to develop and enjoy numerous relationships with pharmacy customers. Goetzke, now unemployed, spoke about her passion for working at NAU. “I couldn’t have worked with better people,” Goetzke said. “It was the best job I’ve ever had.”

In regard to the recent changes in pharmacy policy, Goetzke said she was unaware of any previous efforts to increase utilization or profitability.

She also explained that the lack of earlier attempts to improve the pharmacy on a fiscal or usage scale made the decision feel unexpected and abrupt. Numerous other staff and students at NAU have also said the closure was sudden.

In her statement, Ryan said there has been various attempts to increase the fiscal responsibility of the Health Services pharmacy. This assertion

contradicts what Goetzke said she was aware of during her time as manager.

“Despite numerous efforts to increase use and profitability, the [Campus Health Services] pharmacy continued to lose money every year,” Ryan said via email.

An article from Health Affairs identified the changing structure of the pharmaceutical industry at the start of the 21st century. The article stated the pharmacy industry is facing a decline in productivity and rises in cost. Additionally, it explained the complexity and uncertainty involved with pharmaceutical practices in general. Goetzke said that even if efforts were conducted to make the university pharmacy more costeffective, the industry is unpredictable and challenging to understand.

“Pharmacy, as a business, is very complicated with all the rules and regulations it requires,” Goetzke said.

“It’s very difficult to try to explain the business end.”

The university pharmacy lost money and suffered from a subpar usage rate, according to Ryan’s email.

Goetzke said there is validity to these claims, but also that the pharmacy was more than just figures and finances.

In particular, the university pharmacy

offered a place for pre-pharmaceutical students to learn, work and gain experience.

Goetzke said the teaching and learning environment at the pharmacy was a memorable aspect of her job. Shortly before the Health Services pharmacy closed, Goetzke received a handwritten letter from Raquel Gallego-Martinez, one of her former employees and a senior at NAU. In her letter, Gallego-Martinez said her time at the pharmacy under the guidance of Goetzke changed her experience as an NAU student.

“Words cannot explain how grateful and blessed I am that you are in my life,” Gallego-Martinez wrote in her letter. “I could not have asked for a better mentor to guide me through my journey to pharmacy school.”

In her email, Ryan stated former pharmacy funds will be reallocated to other sustainable student health services. The first priority listed in Ryan’s email statement was to hire more counselors, which will help to eliminate the counseling waitlist and improve mental health services on campus. NAU’s student health and recreation fee was increased in spring 2019, and a reason for the increase was to help mitigate the counseling

shortage. Regardless of university reasoning, Goetzke said she is satisfied that previous pharmacy budgets can go to a worthwhile cause for students.

One feature that will help staff and students get their medications off campus is the electronic prescription system. Goetzke said the e-prescription system at campus Medical Services will be fully implemented by Jan. 1, 2020.

Through this software, prescriptions can be instantaneously and wirelessly transferred from NAU to pharmacies off campus. With the closure of the university pharmacy compromising convenience, this service will help customers save time.

Campus Health Services will continue to offer various medical and counseling services at the Health and Learning Center. As of now, there is no plan for using the vacant pharmacy space. Goetzke said she will remember the university pharmacy and the good run it had.

“I didn’t plan it. I didn’t want it, but now I understand a little better how things work,” Goetzke said. “The [Health Services] pharmacy is closed, and now all we can do is move on.”

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS

Lowell Observatory receives $14.5 million grant for new facility Jacob Meyer

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owell Observatory announced plans to create a new Astronomy Discovery Center after recently receiving a $14.5 million grant from The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation.

As announced Aug. 26 by the observatory via a press release, the grant funds will fuel the project. The new science facility will include the Universe Theatre and the Dark Sky Planetarium.

These upgrades are part of the second phase of a long-term expansion plan, with the first part near completion. The first phase centers around the Giovale Open Deck Observatory, a facility with several powerful telescopes that will open Oct. 5.

According to an Arizona Republic article, The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation was formed in 1990 by the late philanthropist and businessman Kemper Marley, whose name has long been associated with the murder of Phoenix-based reporter Don Bolles in 1976.

John Harvey Adamson, who admitted to killing Bolles, testified that he was hired to commit the murder by a Marley associate in response to Bolles’ reporting on Marley. Marley was ultimately never arrested or charged with a crime.

The $14.5 million grant came after the Marley Foundation gave the observatory $1.4 million for research related to the Discovery Channel telescope — a 4.3 meter aperture telescope — in 2017.

Lowell spokesperson Kevin Schindler said the new center is set to be completed within the next three to five years. However, before the observatory breaks new ground, additional funds need to be raised.

“We don’t start construction on a project until we have at least 80% of the funding …

[The] Marley Foundation grant — that’s 50%, so we’ll still [need] another 30% until we start construction,” Schindler said. “But we fully expect to have that over the next several months or so.”

Schindler said that no closures are expected during the construction, and that any disruptions to operations at the observatory will be minimal. In addition to the Astronomy Discovery Center, the construction will include some minor infrastructure improvements, including a new parking lot and machine shop.

The initial rendering for the facility was designed by Timothy Whiteside of JWA Architects, a Flagstaff-based firm that has participated in the construction of dozens of

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public and private facilities around northern Arizona.

Lowell Observatory employee and junior Megan Gialluca shared her thoughts on the new facility.

“I think it’s going to be huge ... it will make the observatory have the ability to handle a lot more people,” Gialluca said. “It will make it a lot more appealing. There will be more stuff to do, there will be more telescopes, there will be more talks.”

Gialluca explained the work she does as a public program educator at Lowell Observatory.

“I’m a public program educator … I give talks and tours and run telescopes as the main part of my job — just interacting with the public and teaching people about planets,” Gialluca said.

When the Giovale Open Deck Observatory opens to the public, Gialluca will work there as a telescope operator.

The Astronomy Discovery Center will physically increase the size of the Lowell campus and the guest capacity of the observatory.

Schindler said the expansions will create new jobs at the observatory, especially in the education and outreach program.

“We’ll definitely be expanding the staff as we get larger visitor capacity,” Schindler said.

“We’ll need more people to operate it.”

While the Astronomy Discovery Center will be catering more to visitors’ experiences and public education rather than higher education and research, many of the new hires will be students like Gialluca.

“Many of our staff are NAU students,” Schindler said. “Quite often they’re astronomy or physics students who are going into the field, so this is great experience. Plus, they’re earning money.”

According to the Lowell website, the observatory was founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell and was initially built to study Mars.

Since then, Lowell Observatory has contributed to the Apollo program and has been an important part of many astronomical discoveries, including the discovery of Pluto and the expansion of the universe. The observatory was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1965, and 2019 marks the 125th anniversary of its founding.

The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation was not available for comment.

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Top: Megan Gialluca is an NAU student and Lowell Observatory public program educator, Sept.

5. Bottom: Kevin Schindler, the on-site historian and spokespersn at Lowell, has worked at the observatory for 24 years, Sept. 5. Brian Burke | The Lumberjack

NEWS

Left: Louie’s Cupboard stocks non-perishable food items for students who struggle with food insecurity and financial setbacks, Dec. 1, 2018. Right: A student browses Louie’s Cupboard, Dec. 1, 2018.

MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

Louie’s Cupboard participation may point to food insecurity at NAU Trinity Archie

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ouie’s Cupboard is an oncampus food pantry open to NAU students, faculty and staff. Participants submit online forms and then schedule times, typically on biweekly distribution dates, to receive nonperishable food items. These items include canned and boxed goods such as vegetables, fruit, meat, beans, pasta, grains and more.

According to a presentation given during the new faculty orientation by Executive Director of Undergraduate Retention Melissa Welker and Director of First Year Experience Cody Canning, 496 students were enrolled in Louie’s Cupboard during the 2017-18 school year. During the 2018-19 school year, the number of participants more than doubled to 1,024 students. Of all NAU students, 45% reported experiencing food insecurity within the 30 days prior to being surveyed.

Program coordinator Sandra McCurry said this may be attributed to Flagstaff’s high living costs.

“Our students living off campus

may be utilizing the program more,” McCurry said. “That, and the cost of living maybe has gone up.”

As of now, the program does not ask participants exactly why they come for food. As a result, the exact reason for any participant increases is unknown.

“We haven’t done a survey that asks what is bringing you in, have you been here before, have things happened in your family and do you need to come in,” McCurry said. “I think we would have to conduct a survey to really get an answer to that.”

A possible factor in program participation involves NAU students facing additional cost-of-living struggles compared to college students in cheaper living environments like Phoenix and Tucson, as mentioned on the Louie’s Cupboard website.

These staff and students living off campus face the high cost of living in the Flagstaff area, which could create heightened food insecurity. For those who may fall into this category, the Louie’s Cupboard application process can be found online.

“The students will go on our

website and fill out a form,” McCurry said. “Depending on how many people are in their family, that is the amount of food they would get. The quantity will increase if you have more people in your family.”

According to McCurry, Louie’s Cupboard relies on donations and volunteers. For volunteer work, students often help on distribution dates. As for donations, the program accepts both non-perishable food items and monetary contributions.

McCurry explained how volunteers can get involved.

“There is a form online for volunteers,” McCurry said. “Our staff or students who work with Louie’s Cupboard look at the volunteer forms and call people when we need someone to come in for a certain time or distribution.”

In addition to volunteer forms, the Louie’s Cupboard website also explains how the pantry was developed.

According to the site, the program started as a class project designed to promote social movements. Once the idea spread, First-Generation Programs and Campus Dining helped

make it a reality.

Louie’s Cupboard was originally located in the First-Generation offices. Since then the program was relocated to the Office of the Dean of Students. First-Generation Programs Assistant Director Dani Donaldson explained why.

“We wanted students to know that the program is open to everyone, not just first generation students,” Donaldson said. “Students thought that because Louie’s Cupboard was located in the First-Gen office, only those students could use the program.”

According to the Louie’s Cupboard website, it is common for college students across the country to compromise their nutrition in order to finance their education.

What started out as a class project is now a resource many NAU students rely on to receive food. An article by Denise-Marie Ordway from Harvard’s Shorenstein Center, discusses how other universities nationwide have implemented programs similar to Louie’s Cupboard.

According to Ordway’s article,

there were about 2,000 students who used Anabel’s Grocery at Cornell University. All Cornell students involved in Anabel’s Grocery have some form of financial aid, whether it comes from school or family members.

Despite this outside assistance, they still struggle to reliably afford food.

A study from the University of Iowa and the University of California, San Diego states that food insecurity around college campuses is a significant problem. It also showed how students’ eating habits suffer as a result of financial uncertainty.

According to the study, about one in three students from low-income families either skip meals or eat less because of limited amount of food resources.

As food insecurity influences universities nationwide, Louie’s Cupboard continues to grow at NAU. On-campus food pantries can be a helpful resource for students to utilize, and anyone can offer assistance through volunteering or donation. The next distribution date of the semester is Sept. 20.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

Letter to the Editor:

Budget cuts to student media Cheyanne Mumphrey and NAU Alumni To Northern Arizona University, the School of Communication and those concerned with the future of the Media Innovation Center:

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Illustration By Maddie Cohen

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THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

he day I stepped into the School of Communication is the day that changed the trajectory of my life forever. I came to Northern Arizona University as a student-athlete pursing a degree in Economics. I left NAU six years later with two degrees in journalism and communication studies, a few internships and real-world experience. Now I work for the Associated Press, a news agency known as the definitive source for independent journalism across the globe.

Let’s take a step back though.

I would not be where I am today without my family, friends, professors and mentors, but I credit a lot of my success to the Student Media Center (referred to now as the Media Innovation Center). I speak for many when I say being involved with NAZ Today, The Lumberjack, KJACK Radio and UTV Studios has granted students the opportunity to learn the basics of journalism in a hands-on environment, act on what is learned in class, develop professional real-world experience and cultivate our voice and presence as journalists, photographers, producers, filmmakers and more.

It is disheartening to know opportunities for future students will be limited because of funding, but it is comforting to know you are taking the time to read this letter.

Through these programs we were given the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them, build relationships and became better for them and tell important stories while we learned more about ourselves in the process. We broke stories, we served students across the campus and we engaged with the Flagstaff community.

This is not a request for more money, but instead a question of allocating what has already been provided back into the programs that mean the most to students, even if not all of them have realized their importance yet.

OPINION-EDITORIAL NAZ Today, The Lumberjack, KJACK Radio and UTV Studios are vital to a thriving communication department, because it means the school is serving its students and maintaining an interest in each and every one of their futures.

And you don’t need me to tell you: Tresa Marie The NAU MIC was where I spent every waking second of my college career. I would not have the ability and skill set that I do now had it not been for the MIC. I was involved in KJACK Radio and was the first female sports director for the station. I broadcasted live hockey games and from my experience there, I landed a radio internship with a local station, KVNA Yavapai Broadcasting. My heavy lifting was in NAZ Today. I spent five days a week working in sports and news. I learned how to shoot, write, edit, anchor, report, and produce all starting with my time at NAZ Today. By the time I was 23 years old and pursuing my master’s degree, I landed an internship at KPNX Channel 12 NBC in Phoenix right out of school. I am now a weekend sports anchor and sports reporter at 3TV/CBS5 in Phoenix. I cannot stress how imperative it is that we do not cut funding from a facility that teaches real-life, hands-on experience in an industry that is still relevant. Video skills, public relations, social media and marketing are all jobs outside of journalism that are developed within the MIC. Please find a way to consider allocating money back into the broadcasting department.

Lauren Wyatt I cannot even express how much these programs have contributed to my professional career. From a television perspective, I have learned more in the Media Innovation Center/ Student Media Center than I have learned in any of my classes.

These programs provide incomparable hands-on experience!

Xavier Rangel When I heard about the effects these budget cuts would have on the MIC and the programs within, I was shocked. I spent all four years of my college career involved with NAZ Today and landed a job with NBC Network News in New York City right after graduation because of the hands-on experience I received while completing my undergraduate education. I was incredibly frustrated to learn the programs that have gotten me where I am today, are being scaled back.

“working for NAZ Today gave me the competitive edge I needed, at age 23, to become an Associate Producer for NBC’s TODAY Show” – Xavier Rangel While I do not want to undersell the value of classroom learning, I know the immersive experience and opportunities I had while working for NAZ Today gave me the competitive edge I needed, at age 23, to become an Associate Producer for NBC’s TODAY Show, the top morning show in the nation.

But this goes beyond learning how to produce, write and edit a good television news story. In my four years with NAZ Today, I learned how to think differently. The daily grind of producing a live broadcast five days a week taught me to be resourceful, strategic and most importantly, cool under pressure.

I have interned and worked with other people who have gone to bigger institutions, with more robust journalism programs, but none have had the same amount of hands-on experience that I was provided in the MIC and the difference is clear.

In this industry especially, learning before doing is crucial, but learning without doing is unacceptable. This is true for any field of study. Would you trust a surgeon who had never completed their medical residency? Or a lawyer who had never stepped in a courtroom? To those who approved the decision to cut this budget, and are perhaps considering more cuts, I ask: when did you feel confident in your ability as an educator? Was it when you passed your last college final? Or did it come after years of experience in the classroom?

By taking away the financial support behind the programs in the MIC, you are robbing students of unmatched experiences and learning opportunities, you are undermining the School of Communication’s potential for growth and you are giving up on your commitment to give students at NAU the best education possible. I owe my entire career to the MIC faculty who have mentored me and the programs that have given me so much, and so I beg you not to quit.

James Maxcy NAZ Today and my experience working for one of the faculty as a Student Broadcast Engineer have created the foundation for my professional career. I graduated from NAU with a Criminal Justice degree and minor in Electronic Media and Film. However, it wasn’t until I was a police officer for a few years that I realized my heart was still in video production. With my MIC experience several years behind me, no professional video experience and my demo reel from college, I beat out 60 candidates and got a job as a video director for a virtual reality police training company.

Recently, I switched jobs and am now a project manager and producer for a nonprofit organization that does seaplane medical evacuation operations in Papua New Guinea. In this job, I will spend a portion of every year overseas in remote villages shooting aerial video and documenting the locals’ way of life. I guarantee my life would look nothing like it does today without my experience at the MIC. Ashley Lindsay NAZ Today and the MIC/SMC impacted my professional career more than any of the college classes, electives or lectures I sat in during my four years at Northern Arizona University. I worked at NAZ Today for just one year, and that year shaped what I wanted to do professionally. I am now the managing editor at a news station in Phoenix, and this would not be possible without NAZ Today. In a world where the media is so prevalent, it’s heartbreaking to hear of possible budget cuts to an area that affects us all.

Mayson Agnew Because of the experience I gained through NAZ Today and the MIC, I was able to find employment in my field immediately after college. I would not have been able to do so without the real-world experience NAZ Today offered to students like

myself. I still use the skills I learned in these programs. It would have taken longer to be successful without the head start these programs provided to me. By cutting the budget to NAZ Today, opportunities to students post-graduation are also cut.

Cierra Shipley The NAU MIC is the one place where all of my journalistic skills were put to good use. Without the experience I‘ve gained at NAZ Today, I would not have been properly prepared going into my first job. Without the experience that the MIC, NAZ Today and the faculty provided to me, I would not be excelling at my current job at KXXV in Waco, Texas — a top 100 market. When I’m complimented on my work, I credit NAZ Today: “Without an elective I chose to take for eight semesters, I would not be where I am today.” The real-world experience that the MIC offers is beyond compare, I was there each day of the week learning to write, shoot, edit, produce, anchor and report for television news.

I joined NAZ Today for ‘fun’ my first semester freshman year as a film student. I quickly changed my major to journalism and found a passion I would not have otherwise discovered without this place.

Lance Hartzler I worked with The Lumberjack from fall 2016 to spring 2018 in a few different roles from covering sports to becoming managing editor. What helped most was the opportunity I was given to do so much so early on and really just toss myself into what I was doing on the sports side.

Kaleigh Sheree Like many School of Communication alumni, I too got my start in the MIC/SMC. I started my journalism journey with NAZ Today as a wide-eyed freshman, learning the ropes of TV news.

With high hopes of becoming a sports reporter, I knew it was possible with the help from the staff, facility and opportunities available not only through NAZ, but in the Communication building. On top of participating in NAZ Today, I got the opportunity to learn how to run a radio show and how to do play-by-play for various sporting events through KJACK Radio.

Though I didn’t spend much time writing for The Lumberjack, I did have the chance to contribute to some feature stories. If it weren’t for the NAU MIC/SMC, I would not have been able to get my first on-air sports anchor job at KFYR-TV a week before graduation, or even be at my current job working in Minneapolis for FOX 9. The NAU MIC/SMC not only has helped the journalists working out in the field today, but it certainly can help those grow tomorrow. With budget cuts to the MIC/SMC, not only will this affect current students from completing the program and getting the jobs they want after college, but future students from pursuing their journalistic career at a school they want to attend.

Taylor Trujillo The MIC has prepared me for a lifelong career. It has given me the skills I needed to be confident in my abilities and to understand every bit of the journalistic path. NAZ TODAY made me the person I am today. The MIC is also home and that about explains it.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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OPINION-EDITORIAL George Heckard My first semester at NAU was the semester NAU Live! was rebranded to NAZ Today. My last year, we switched from SD to HD. My time at NAZ Today was very immersive, so when the chief photographer of a Phoenix news station turned in his chair after seeing one of my pieces and said, “Do you want a job?”

I knew just how important my education through NAZ Today had been. I had not even graduated yet. NAZ Today provided me the skills to be a clear front runner in every position I applied to. During my time as a multimedia journalist in other states, I met people from rival stations who remembered NAU alumni they had worked with because of their degrees and excellence in journalism. NAZ Today has proven time and again it is valuable.

It gives students the opportunity to excel in jobs across the state, and even country. Potential on-air viewership of content created or affected by students who came out of this program is likely in the tens of millions (about 5 million potential viewers in Phoenix metropolitan area). On several occasions, I have met journalists who graduated from “big” journalism schools who said they wish they received the training offered from NAZ Today’s program. By providing an environment where students can receive hands-on instruction, NAU is preparing and providing students with the tools to be passionate journalists around the world.

Alexa Vagnozzi While it’s easy to learn about television, radio, print, and journalism in general in the classroom, the only way you get to experience what it takes is with the interactive opportunities the MIC provides. NAU isn’t one of the “big” schools like ASU Cronkite where you have major newspapers, television and radio stations around the corner from campus at your disposal. We’re a college in a small mountain city. You eliminate the MIC, you eliminate the opportunity for journalism students to be able to compete toe-to-toe with other students across the nation. You eliminate their job experience, their hands-on learning, their understanding of how a newsroom/radio station works, their ability to work a tricaster, their chance to see their work in print, and their on-camera opportunities. The MIC provides a place for networking, a sense of community and lifelong friendships. Why eliminate, arguably, one of the best parts about the journalism program? I was at NAZ Today from 2012-2014 and I was a part of The Lumberjack’s first social media team in 2016. I got a job with KSAZ FOX 10, in the 12th largest TV market in the nation, right out of college, and I now manage the station’s social media team, I write articles and I help with website/app development.

How is that? Because of my experience in the MIC. If I didn’t have the MIC, who knows what I’d be doing. I probably wouldn’t be in a top market newsroom doing a job I love.

Matt Jarecki The MIC changed the course of my career. I was a business major, trying to start up a sports podcast on the side. When I discovered the MIC, I was taken in immediately by the people inside. Three years later, I am hosting my own show at Sports Radio 610 in Houston, an Entercom station. It’s because of the people inside the MIC. Matias Tautimez Experience: it is absolutely the best way to learn something, to take it in and make it a part of you. During my time at NAU I took several classes on filming, editing, voice work, and more,

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but it wasn’t until UTV Studios and NAZ Today that I had the chance to regularly apply those skills. I had the chance to experiment, experience and evolve. I was able to try my hand at everything NAZ Today had to offer, from reporting to producing to directing to anchoring, and if not for all that I would’ve gone nowhere after graduation. Fortunately, that experience led to a job — immediately — in Las Vegas, Nevada. Within a few months I went from filming Flagstaff City Hall meetings to filming President Obama visits to Nevada and that would not have been possible without NAZ Today.

Makayla Clark I was lucky enough to call the MIC and NAZ Today home for all four years that I was at NAU. It impacted my learning, and ultimately my career, by giving me a place to implement what I learned in classes (or what I learned in the MIC) in a real world setting. I graduated in May 2019 with my bachelor’s degree in journalism. I consider myself very lucky to have gotten a job within a few short months of graduation. I am working as a producer in the town I want to live (which not many journalists can say).

NAU does not have a class that teaches broadcast producing, or anything close to it. Producing is not a path I thought I would want to take, and it is still not the job I ultimately want. However, NAZ Today gave me the opportunity to learn those skills, which I took advantage of in case I was put in this exact position. NAU’s journalism program is geared toward print journalism. Which was great when I started college wanting to be a print journalist, but I discovered a new passion in broadcast journalism, and NAZ Today allowed me to learn the skills necessary to get a job in the broadcast field. I have friends who graduated with me and were involved with the MIC, but not with NAZ Today. Many of them expressed to me weeks before graduation that they wish they had the skills I had learned though NAZ Today, because they felt their skills were limited to print. While passing classes is what helped me fulfill the requirements to graduate, I feel confident NAZ Today and the MIC is what prepared me for my career. I also believe I would not have a job I am happy with right now if it was not for NAZ Today.

Shaun Higgins As an Aussie exchange student, I came to be part of NAZ Today by chance. The immersive experience and hands-on pedegogies of delivering professional journalism to a genuine viewership from a university, by university students, was something both foreign and exhilarating to me. The resources available to faculty and students was ahead of anything I had experienced at my home university in Australia. Through my involvement with the MIC, I was also afforded the opportunity to host a radio news show on Friday mornings on KJACK Radio. I was involved in a workshopstyle course which mirrored the real challenges and characteristics which I would one day encounter in a professional digital agency.

To this day, I regard my experience of being involved with NAZ Today (and the relationships and skills developed through it) as one of the most rewarding personal experiences and certainly the highlight of my academic life.

Stayson Isobe It’s funny how life plays out sometimes. I was a math education major at NAU, who wanted to teach high school math upon graduation. At the same time, I had an interest in sports writing. It was unusual, and quite frankly unique. The Lumberjack

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provided me with an opportunity to pursue this interest. Without my time as a sports writer with The Lumberjack, I would not have gained the experience, nor established the relationships, required for me to be in the position I am today. As it turns out, life did not bring me into a high school classroom. Instead, I’ve worked the last eight years in the NAU Athletics Department and ascended to Director of Athletics Communications. The Lumberjack expanded my horizons and I am forever grateful for my years on the staff of Northern Arizona University’s long-standing student-run newspaper. I’d hate to see a day that The Lumberjack ceases to exist because the possibilities are endless with the experiences afforded to students in the MIC. Bree Burkitt I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without The Lumberjack and Northern Arizona University. NAU’s journalism program and the Student Media Center provided me with vital resources to get valuable hands-on experience while I was still in college.

I worked in a number of editorial positions during my time at The Lumberjack, including editor-in-chief. It’s this experience that helped me land my first reporting job and equipped me for a real newsroom in a way no classroom ever could. Additionally, I graduated completely debt free, which allowed me to focus on advancing my career post-graduation, instead of worrying about finances. I graduated from NAU in 2015. In the four years since, I’ve quickly been able to move through the field to a position as a public safety reporter at the state’s largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic. That wouldn’t have been possible without The Lumberjack and NAU. Do not rob future students of the same opportunity.

“Do not rob future students of the same opportunity.”

– Bree Burkitt Cody Bashore The Media Innovation Center and the professors who teach within it are the only reason I chose to attend NAU. I would never have been able to find a job in the field I always dreamed of working within if it wasn’t for the opportunity to learn through the hands-on experience offered in the MIC. Corderro McMurry The MIC has impacted my career by providing me the fundamentals of journalism. I wouldn’t have gotten my first reporter job without NAZ Today.

Sincerely, Cheyanne Mumphrey In collaboration with Alumni

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

Students in debt are still hungry D’anna davis

Romantic roommates Editor’s note: The author of this column is writing under an alias to protect their identity.

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iving with other people is tough. Roommates are an unpredictable force that inhabit the same space where you eat, sleep, breathe and try to build a home. A roommate could be anyone, from a stranger on a Facebook forum to a life-long best friend.

Imagine living with the person who once was your world, your lover, partner and best friend all wrapped up into one human. Now, imagine they’re your exworld, ex-lover, ex-partner and ex-best friend.

Living with my ex-girlfriend adds a ALEX whole new dimension to the complex arena THORNE of roommate problems.

WRITER I still have to navigate the usual obstacles of who does the dishes and takes out the trash. But on top of that, I’m faced with the everyday struggle of coming home and seeing the person I used to share a life with, who now travels a separate path from me.

The rent gets paid. The hallway gets vacuumed. But my heart gets messed up.

The first time I walked in on her with a new girl in our apartment, I wanted to fly to New York and never come home again. But life isn’t a movie — this is college, and I have a lease.

Interrupting intimate moments between your ex and someone else isn’t even the worst part.

Without a doubt, the worst part is facing the feelings that accompany a breakup while being in painfully close and constant contact with your ex-lover and current roommate.

As the cliche goes, time and space heals everything, but there is no such thing as time and space when you’re living with the other half of your heartbreak.

It’s not healthy — not for me, you, her or anyone in this world. But it is the situation I’m stuck in, and one that is undoubtedly faced by other people.

To cope and manage the unfortunate scenario that is my reality, the first step is to establish boundaries. I say should, because it is easier said than done.

Until I brought up the extremely awkward elephant in the room, we were stumbling through a fresh breakup as roommates with zero boundaries. It was a confusing continuation of what we had before.

Do not take a page out of my book. After breaking up and while still living with your ex, do not keep cuddling, holding hands or doing anything that people in relationships do.

This is damaging and derails the moving-on process. On the list of things you shouldn’t do with your ex, living with them is No. 1.

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ast semester I worked two jobs, equalling over 40 hours per week, as a food service delivery driver. I struggled to make ends meet and could barely find time to do schoolwork, much less go grocery shopping.

Groceries were an expense I simply couldn’t afford. I made biweekly trips to Louie’s Cupboard, an on-campus food pantry for students, which is located in the University Union, room 212.

The pantry offers things like pasta, rice, beans, cereal, peanut butter, jelly and canned goods, which are items that students can live on.

In the past year, the number of students seeking this resource has doubled.

As stated in a presentation given at the new faculty orientation by Executive Director of Undergraduate Retention Melissa Welker and Director of First Year Experience Cody Canning, in the 2017-18 school year there were 496 students who utilized Louie’s Cupboard rescources. However, during the 2018-19 school year, the number of participants reached up to 1,024 students.

Of those students, 45% reported experiencing food insecurity within the 30 days prior to being surveyed.

While it’s great that this resource is being utilized, it’s concerning that so many students might be unable to pay for their own groceries in

order to sustain themselves.

The lengths that students will go just to make some extra money is disheartening, especially in Flagstaff where the cost of living is higher than average. Compared to Phoenix, the cost of housing is higher in Flagstaff, according to the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Cost of Living Index.

It can be difficult to find this money, especially in college.

Students might pay anywhere between $500 to $1,200 in rent. If someone works a minimum wage job at $12 an hour for 20 hours per week, they would make approximately $960 a month. While this may cover rent for some, it doesn’t include other expenses students have to pay to survive.

The root of this issue doesn’t only come down to the cost of living, but also the cost of attending an academic institution.

There is a fee for almost every class offered at NAU, and some students pay up to hundreds of dollars in textbooks only for one semester.

Some students have scholarships or financial aid, while others pay for their tuition entirely out of pocket.

The financial instability students face stems from flaws in the United States. education system. Students can’t even get a meal plan at a reasonable cost. For example, meal plans can range between $1,213 and $2,816 for one semester at NAU. Students already struggle to find the means to do something as simple as eat or buy food, and the university isn’t making it much easier for them.

A study conducted by the University of Wisconsin stated that 20% of students reported being hungry. Look around you — that means if NAU is anything like the University of Wisconsin, one fifth of people in your classes could be hungry or struggling to find the means to feed themselves.

This shouldn’t be the reality students face. If someone is in college they likely want to further their education, not have it hindered by expenses they face outside of fees and tuition.

Louie’s Cupboard distribution dates for the rest of the semester are Sept. 20, Oct. 4, Oct.18, Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Nov. 22 and Dec. 6.

Illustration By Maddie cohen

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Buy a ticket to the balancing act that is College I go to my lectures and take appropriate notes to reflect upon later. I use the boring parts of my lectures or the 20-minute gaps inding a balance in life for each and every pressing matter between classes to knock out homework. That way, the second that can occupy the day is something every college student half of my day can be devoted to work and personal time. faces.

Next, I go to Someburros and pour everything I have into Whether it’s big responsibilities or little responsibilities, a making sure I’m fulfilling my position as kitchen manager to the balance must be found. best of my abilities. By the time 9 p.m. rolls around, all I want to For college students, the balancing act often involves do is pass out in the living room and stress about figuring out where to fit all the classes, work shifts and the next day. homework into a short 24-hour day.

I’ve found that my best days follow when I For students, a crucial piece of the puzzle is left out. resist the urge to overwhelm myself with stress Along with scheduling time for work and school, students about upcoming assignments or taco Tuesdays at need to schedule me-time. work. Instead, I indulge in a little bit of highly One can achieve excellence at work, be an necessary me-time. employee of the month and get straight A’s.

The rarity that is me-time can include things However, if a small portion of the day isn’t set like going to sleep earlier or calling up friends and aside for personal time or a mental health check, socializing. It is a block of time that everyone the well-oiled balancing machine will start to break should add to their day. Relaxation is the body’s down. natural process of rejuvenating itself and returning As a full-time student and a nearly full-time to equilibrium. employee, I handle the workload of my shifts at Someburros If students are constantly running from class and my three classes per day with ease. This only comes to class, shift to shift, and stressing about all the from an understanding of how to manage my time in a items of life that need balancing, the simplest form way that makes sense for me. of finding balance is overlooked.

I devote the first half of my day to schoolwork. Illustration By Kaylyn dunn Relax. Take time for yourself. Let go of that

Ryan dixon

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stressful deadline looming in the future or the pesky coworker who keeps messing up, and let your body and mind reset.

However, taking time for relaxation does not mean you get to avoid your responsibilities and school assignments.

Relaxation in the form of meditation has even been shown to improve brain function and memory, as well as lower anxiety and depression, according to the Harvard Health Blog.

Perhaps the best form of relaxation is multitasking these responsibilities. Destressing and preparing your brain and body to handle more at the same time can serve as a justifiable reason to add relaxation into a busy schedule without having to feel unproductive.

The biggest excuse for not taking time for ourselves is that we simply don’t have the time. That is probably true for a lot of my fellow students at NAU. However, to that statement, I would urge everyone to create the time.

For myself, me time works best at the end of my day, but my habits and preferences are not the same as everyone else’s. Extra time for yourself can come from resisting the urge to hit snooze and from starting your day earlier, or even just having a few quiet moments in a secluded spot on campus between classes.

However you choose to take time for yourself in this precarious balancing act of life, I urge you to just do it. Take the time or make the time, and the benefits will be felt.

Don’t kick kindness to the curb Madeline hollmann

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’ve been at NAU for a year now, and I can honestly say I’ve never been anywhere with such friendly and kind people. Walking around campus, people smile even if they are complete strangers. People will go out of their way to help someone. No one has to do any of these things, but they go out of their way for others.

Kindness is relative to everyone. Being kind to one another could mean something different to everyone. However, kindness is not optional.

On a college campus, students are exposed to a variety of new beliefs and people. For some, coming to college is the first time they are exposed to a more diverse population.

A key to kindness is leaving bullying or hazing behind in high school. There is no need for it anywhere, especially not in college. When exposed to something that may seem different, it is important not to judge a book by its cover.

Living away from home can be hard for some at first, but new people can make a huge impact in a person’s life. Being open to hearing new ideas or opinions increases the level of immediate kindness rather than judgment.

Although disagreeing is a part of human nature, disagreeing with someone through putting them down should not be

automatic unless their opinion is hateful. Tolerance should be given everywhere, especially in the classroom.

Everyone is here to learn, so being open to other ways of thinking is crucial to maintaining a healthy learning environment on campus. This does not mean automatic agreement, but the least everyone can do is listen.

Listening to people makes them feel validated, even if the people involved are at a complete roadblock with one another.

Luckily, I can say that I have not seen disagreement to the extent of targeting people or bullying others here at NAU. However, that does not mean it never happens.

Why go out of your way to make someone feel bad or not included on campus when kindness is free?

It is the little acts of kindness that can make a difference. In my personal experience, people have gone out of their way just to make my life a little easier.

During the recent monsoon season, I was walking home in the pouring rain without a jacket or umbrella. A stranger came up to me and put their umbrella over me. It may sound like nothing, but it completely made my day and kept my clothes from becoming totally soaked.

Going a little bit out of the way can completely turn someone’s day around. Kindness is not optional, it is essential.

Health resource information and free suckers are provided at NAU’s second annual Kindness Expo held in the HLC Sept. 4.

Megan Ford-Fyffe | The Lumberjack

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

With school back in session, we sat down with some first-year students to discuss their plans for the semester.

Stories by Ashlyn Easley | Photos by Jay Soliz

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Marina Davis

Hayden Earll

Ashly Sahawneh

Business

Biomedical Science

Biomedical Science

Seville, Spain

Chandler, Arizona

Kingman, Arizona

y dad owns his own company, and I want to be like him. So, I decided to major in business.

I came to NAU because they offered the best

financial aid.

“I love to play sports with my friends, go to the movies, go shopping and listen to Beyoncé. One of my hobbies is playing guitar.

“I’m slowly adjusting to college life. Even though it was hard at first, I learned to appreciate it.

“Something that sets me apart from other students is that I was born and raised in Spain and barely knew any English when I came to the United States. I still managed to get the Lumberjack Scholarship and take honors classes though.

“My favorite part of being here so far is my Spanish class.

This semester, I’m most excited to go home for Christmas and see my family.”

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came to NAU for the Lumberjack Scholarship, and I’m most excited for the weather up here.

“In my free time, I like to hang out with friends and partake in soccer.

“Adjusting to college life was actually really easy. I thought it was going to be a little tricky, but I was wrong. I’m also really enjoying not having to wake up early for classes.”

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“I

’m majoring in biomedical science, because I want to be a surgical physician’s assistant. I really like NAU and Flagstaff. I like the nature vibe it has here.

“So far, my favorite part of being here is the weather, and I’m really excited to see some snow.

“I’m also going to try to get involved with the club softball team later in the year.”

FEATURES

With school back in session, we sat down with some first-year students to discuss their plans for the semester.

Stories by Ashlyn Easley | Photos by Jay Soliz

“I

Rose Bycott

Kayvon Bashar

Johan Swart

Interior Design

Business

Exploratory

Glendale, Arizona

San Diego, California

Phoenix, Arizona

started out with wanting to go into the medical field and realized very quickly that I didn’t like blood. I’ve always had a thing for design work though.

“I came to NAU because both of my parents went here. This is actually where they first met.

“I’m really excited for everything this semester. I love the weather, and I’m excited for snow. It’s just a new experience.

“I love Old Main. It’s so nice to go at night and look at the stars. It’s such an amazing place.

“I haven’t joined any clubs yet, but I’m looking at some. I’m also thinking about studying abroad over the summer.”

“I

want to go to law school, and I’ve gotten advice from other lawyers that business is a good major for that.

“I chose NAU because I like the small campus, and I love the environment. I used to go camping all the time when I was a Boy Scout. California schools are also expensive, and this is not too far away. But, it’s far enough.

“I like how close everything is on campus. I have to be better at managing my time, because in San Diego, everything is like a 10-minute drive, and now it’s like a 5- minute walk. I’m excited to meet new people and have new experiences.

“I

haven’t exactly decided what major best fits my personality, so I’m looking forward to figuring out what it is I want to do with my life.

“I chose NAU because I loved the weather and the scenery on campus.

“In my free time, I like to go to the gym, play video games, hang out with friends or just learn new things about cars and the medical field.

“Apart from being 6-foot-6, my determination is what makes me stand out from others, because if I want something, I will do anything to achieve it.

“I would have to say that I’m really enjoying the independence of college life, and I’m adjusting pretty well. I’m taking things one step at a time, and that helps quite a bit.”

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

The Letters from Hope mailbox is set up in front of the Rainbow’s End boutique. The mailbox is accompanied by chairs and a table to welcome anyone wishing to write, Sept. 9.

Renee’ Hanneken | The Lumberjack

Words of encouragement wanted Katelyn Rodriguez

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s another college semester begins, so does the stress and anxiety that comes with it.

However, Rainbow’s End is working to relieve some of that pressure by spreading hope and positivity with their Letters from Hope mailbox.

Rainbow’s End has been part of downtown Flagstaff for 19 years as of September. It is a shop that houses a wide variety of affordable clothing, jewelry and accessories. The shop is also active in showcasing numerous products made by local artists, such as paintings and woven plant holders.

It is owned by NAU alumna Miranda Sweet, who is running for Flagstaff City Council in 2020 and is the community outreach coordinator for the Flagstaff Birth and Women’s Center. Sweet has also been through the Flagstaff leadership program and is actively invested in the community.

Sweet said she wants locals and tourists to treat Rainbow’s End as a community space. People can come in and talk to her about issues they have, both positive and negative, or just about Flagstaff in general,

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especially now that she’s running for city council.

If someone has walked by Rainbow’s End recently, they might have noticed an open mailbox sitting in front of the store with a “Letters from Hope” sticker on the top and wondered what it is for. Letters from Hope is a local Facebook project that provides people with a support system and encouragement through an arrangement of mailboxes placed throughout Flagstaff with handwritten letters inside.

Anyone is welcome to participate in this community-wide project. All a participant has to do is send a message to the group on Facebook Messenger with their address. The founders can send back a Letters from Hope sticker for the intended mailbox. These stickers ensure postal workers will not confuse these special mailboxes for real ones.

According to their Facebook page, there are two mailboxes in Flagstaff: the one at Rainbow’s End and one at The Market of Dreams in east Flagstaff.

Sweet said she wanted to be part of the project from the moment

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she heard about it, because the community and the world are going through tough times, causing angst and anger to be taken out on one another.

“I think the Letters from Hope are trying to foster one another to communicate positively,” Sweet said.

“We need something that means it might make someone’s day — those words of encouragement, words of positivity. I do believe this is a time where we really need to stick by one another, help one another and encourage one another.”

The way the mailbox works is simple. A participant goes to the table outside Sweet’s shop, uses the stationery to write a letter and leaves it in the mailbox. If someone doesn’t want to write a letter, they can just take one of the letters in the mailbox for themselves.

Sweet said she’s been receiving a lot of positive feedback since putting the mailbox outside her shop in August. She has also noticed tourists using the mailbox just as much as locals. She wants to continue fostering the constant stream of positivity that has been coming out of this project

since it started.

“When I see someone sitting at the table, it warms my heart,” Sweet said.

The Facebook page for Letters from Hope also details various ways an individual can get involved. The page reported that people can donate mailboxes, old or new, by dropping them off at the Market of Dreams.

They even offer the opportunity to decorate them.

Minda Simmons is a local artist whose paintings have been showcased in Rainbow’s End. When she first saw the mailbox outside of Sweet’s shop, she said it was a great thing for the store to have and that more love could be spread around the Flagstaff community. Although she hasn’t written or taken a letter from the mailbox yet, she has a general idea of what she would write.

“I would say to this town in particular, slow down,” Simmons said. “Enjoy the beauty that’s around you, and be kind to one another.”

Ashley Atkisson has been an employee at Rainbow’s End for about two years. She said the mailbox is the kind of refreshing change the

community needs because there is so much negativity going on in the world today. Atkisson said she writes some of the letters that go into the mailbox, and doesn’t want the idea to be intimidating.

“You never know what your thoughts or words that you put down on paper will do for someone else, and it’s something that’s always worth doing,” Atkisson said.

Overall, Sweet said she wants more NAU students to explore the downtown Flagstaff area and see everything the locally owned shops, galleries and restaurants have to offer, because students don’t always realize it’s there.

“I feel that there’s a shift going back downtown,” Sweet said. “I feel for a couple years maybe we were missing that, but personally, I’m working with NAU quite a bit on getting the message to students.”

Sweet said she wants to encourage everyone to spread love and know the mailbox is there to counterbalance the negativity in the world.

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5 S SAN FRANCISCO ST | 928.779.2739 3 S Beaver St | Flagstaff, Az | 928.779.0079

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

17

CULTURE

The B Words No pancakes allowed

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ne morning before class, I asked my roommate where she wanted to go to breakfast. I knew I was going to review whatever place she chose, but I wanted the decision of the place to be completely unbiased and a surprise. She immediately told me she wanted to go to a place called Eat n’ Run Cafe on Route 66, and without any question or a glance to their online menu, I agreed.

Keep in mind that my roommate does CrossFit and loves a good breakfast burrito — I promise this information will help us later in the column.

We headed to the cafe ready for breakfast with a few hours to spare before we had to get to campus for our first classes of the day. If I was the one driving, I probably would’ve missed it when SABRINA we drove past. It was small but PROFFITT cute from the outside, with a sign I CULTURE EDITOR barely noticed until we pulled into the turn lane.

The cafe is set up like a fast-food restaurant with a twist. You go to the counter to order, then they give you a number for your table and bring out your food when it’s ready. It seems to be the new-age, hipster way of having a nice, but on-the-go type of meal.

The first thing I noticed about the menu was that there was nothing sweet, like pancakes or french toast, which was fine but a little unexpected considering an entire side of the menu was dedicated to breakfast. I also realized right away that this place was healthy and would be a great place to eat after a workout, or if you were beginning a vegetarian or vegan diet. At that moment, I realized that letting my super healthy roommate choose our breakfast may have backfired on me, and that maybe it would have been a good idea to check the menu online first before agreeing to go with her.

So, I ordered the Arizona bowl, which had beans, potatoes, eggs, sour cream and salsa. It was delicious, though it wasn’t something I’d normally eat for breakfast.

If you like Mexican style or spicy foods like chorizo for breakfast, this is the place for you. They also have a huge variety of smoothies and coffee drinks, and a whole part of the menu is dedicated to avocado toast that the four middle-aged moms who sat behind us really enjoyed.

Eat n’ Run is Instagramable, designed in an adorable way, has quick service if you really do need to run and has healthy options for those of us who don’t like syrupy, dessert-esque breakfasts. I’d also love to go back and try one of their sandwiches or salads for lunch. I would recommend this place to basically anyone, unless they are looking for pancakes.

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Smooth sailing in the drama department Olivia Charlson

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his semester, NAU theatre department takes on “The Yellow Boat,” a tragic yet hopeful story where the lead actor is none other than a 21-year-old female playing an 8-yearold boy. College students playing parents and young children in itself may pose a challenge. On top of that are the obstacles of relaying an emotional story, small but intricate set pieces and trying to hold the attention of young school students.

“The Yellow Boat” is based on playwright David Saar’s son and depicts a young boy who is dying from an AIDSrelated disease. Despite his illness, the boy is moved to paint and draw colorful aweinspiring visuals through pain, according to a synopsis from Dramatic Publishing.

Senior Kacie Debevc will play Benjamin, a talented but sick young boy.

Debevc said she is excited and ready for the challenge that this role brings, and the story that comes with it.

“Playing an 8-year-old boy is definitely a transformative challenge, but just being able to tell his story in this space and being able to perform it in front of kids and families makes me ready for the challenge,” Debevc said. “I think what is super interesting about this play is how we’re designing it.

Although I am a transformative character, this play transforms itself throughout the entire time we are telling the story.’’

Debevc said the play comes to life and is as vivid as an 8-year-old’s imagination.

The play is minimal with few pieces because the troupe will travel with it, but they still have many that bring the story to life, such as a boat, a medical room and Benjamin’s home.

“This play is constantly transforming with color,” Debevc said. “We’re working as an ensemble together to build this set and to create this story.”

Senior Ella Johnson taped boxes as the actors started to trickle in before a rehearsal.

Johnson is the stage manager and has been engaged with the show long before the

The cast of “The Yellow Boat” rehearse Sept. 5 for their upcoming performances Oct. 4 through Oct. 6. Megan Ford-Fyffe | The Lumberjack

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actors were even cast. The production staff worked on the show before the school year began.

“The first production meeting was a week before school started, and then we hit the ground running,” Johnson said. “The design team already had it designed when we got to school. We only have a month process, since it’s a smaller show that only runs for about an hour.”

Johnson said the play is an Arizona story and represents a pivotal point in the state’s medical history.

According to an article on Healthline, a health information website, the original consensus surrounding the AIDS epidemic was that only certain groups were at risk for the disease. Gay men were most often associated with AIDS, so when cases like Benjamin’s came up in the medical field, they were considered shocking and opened people’s eyes to the fact that the disease wasn’t limited to sexual transmission.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Benjamin had hemophilia, meaning his blood did not clot normally. He contracted HIV from a blood transfusion.

With such a short rehearsal schedule, each day has to count. Senior Emily Wood will play Benjamin’s mother. She said their process is not quite like it has been with other plays.

“This [show] is a little different because we are touring it, so the rehearsal process is about three to four weeks shorter than it normally is,” Wood said.

Emily explained that the reason for choosing this show was that all the plays that will be performed this year are retellings of other stories. The performance after “The Yellow Boat” will be called “Playing with Fire,” which is a retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. “The Yellow Boat” is a retelling of Benjamin’s story through his father’s eyes.

Director Robert Yowell walked in just as a rehearsal was about to start. Yowell said that while the show has dark elements, it is brighter than one might expect.

“It is a celebration of one’s life,” Yowell said. “It is playful, not a downer.”

If all goes right, “The Yellow Boat” will hopefully be able to live up to Benjamin’s story. Students who are interested can get tickets now at the NAU Central Ticket Office website, or in the performing arts building.

CULTURE

Left: Freshman Paula Yepes paints a scene depicting how we affect the Earth Sept. 10. Right: NAU students can come and paint on the walls in the Beasley Gallery as part of the Wall Draw show, which runs until Sept. 26. Materials are provided and anyone is able to participate. Morgan Fisher | The Lumberjack

The writing is on the wall Kyler Edsitty

S

cattered across the white walls of the Beasley Gallery are works of unique art ranging from portraits of Godzilla to phrases in the Navajo language. In this gallery, nothing is off-limits. NAU students have the opportunity to be a part of an art exhibit on campus. Located inside the Performing and Fine Arts Building, the gallery is now a room filled with dozens of drawings done by everyday NAU students. Throughout September, students can come to the gallery and draw whatever they want in an annual Wall Draw.

Since 2010, gallery coordinator Christoper Taylor has been inviting people to draw on the gallery walls.

Taylor started this event as a way for new and returning students to express creativity and to have an inclusive environment for all community members.

“Drawing is the most democratic form of art making,” Taylor said.

“Virtually anyone can do it … and for most people, they’ve been doing it since they were kids. This exhibition is a way to test those skills as a community.”

Taylor created a space where anyone can be an artist and display their work in a gallery. People may paint whatever their hearts desire, but only with black paint for the purpose of uniformity.

He also placed brown paper above and below the wall as a template. The paper underneath is placed in unique patterns that resemble mountains and valleys to create personality. During the final display, the paper is removed to reveal a singular art piece. He also teaches visitors how to properly use water-based paint and the differences between brushes.

He said the first people that arrive to draw are usually the ones to set the trend of future drawings, and this year a lot of the illustrations are text-driven, with quotes and phrases lining the wall. The early birds get

as much space as they want to use, and Taylor said it is interesting to see subsequent drawings get smaller.

Some people spend hours perfecting every detail, while others come and go.

The exhibit is aimed to welcome new students and allow them to come out of their comfort zone by having an exhibit that isn’t intimidating.

“I wanted this event to challenge what people think a gallery can be,” Taylor said. “This space is positive and welcoming, and that is how all galleries should be. Some people have the idea that art is only for certain people, but it is for everyone.”

Each year, the exhibit has a great turnout, Taylor said, with many people interacting with one other and the art on the wall. Every year, some of Taylor’s former students attend with their families to add to the display.

Some NAU professors have even brought their classes to the gallery.

Freshman Rochelle Cardenas came to the event to express herself.

Cardenas said she usually just sketches, but she had no idea her painting would come out as good as she thought it did.

Over several hours, she painted two trees in a forest — one standing straight up and the other cut in half. She called the piece “Eye of the Forest.” Cardenas said it represents people, and how one person can be thriving while another can be struggling in the same environment.

She clarified this by saying two people can be in the same class, but one person can struggle more than the other. She also highlighted the importance of offering support to other people.

“Being here helped me see that art can be anything and everything,” Cardenas said. “Art can be realistic drawings or just quotes, and it is still all beautiful.”

Sophomore Britney Weaver said she finds the gallery to be an outlet for relieving stress.

“The beginning of the semester

can be challenging,” Weaver said. “I’m not an artist, but I thought painting could help get my mind off things.”

She painted a simple sun as a way to show herself and others that there is always a brighter side to things.

“Being in the gallery showed me that everyone has a story to tell or an idea to get across,” Weaver said. “It’s great to see them physically on a wall.

This is one of the rare instances where so many people can share one thing peacefully.”

When the event is over, Taylor will paint over the drawings and wait for next year’s new drawings. He said he is fascinated by the fact that there are years of drawings in the wall.

The final day to paint on the wall will be Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the reveal reception will be Sept. 27 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Anyone interested in more Beasley Gallery events can visit their website for more information.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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CULTURE

The brotherhood of The Highlanders Nayomi Garcia

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he NAU Highlanders not only create music, but the group establishes a brotherhood between all its members. The Highlanders were formed in 2013 as the first male a cappella group at NAU. Now the group has become two-time International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) semifinalists and received awards for best choreography and best vocal percussion.

This is junior Sebastian Garcia-Valle’s third year participating in The Highlanders and his second year as president of the group.

“My major is music education, and my goal is to be a high school choir teacher,” Garcia-Valle said. “I was already involved with the choir program here, and some friends encouraged me to join The Highlanders. I enjoyed being a member of the group, but then I decided to run for president. Being president is a big responsibility, but I enjoy taking care of the logistics and helping everyone out in the group.”

Garcia-Valle began singing his sophomore year of high school. Although GarciaValle has not been singing for a long time, he said it’s something he fell in love with.

“I love music, music theory and singing in general,” Garcia-Valle said. “Senior year [of high school], I realized that it was a passion of mine, and I wanted to teach music. The Highlanders have definitely made me love music more.

Our goal as a group is just to make beautiful music for our audiences.”

Since the group formed, they have performed different

20

Junior Sebastian Garcia-Valle is the president of NAU’s all male a cappella group, The Highlanders.

MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

genres of music each year.

At the ICCA competition in February, they performed music by Michael Bublé, Sam Smith and The Black Eyed Peas.

“Although we won’t be competing at ICCA this year, we are sticking to a broad range of music for our gigs,” GarciaValle said. “This year we’re going to be singing music by 5 Seconds of Summer, Panic! at the Disco and The Weeknd.

Any song that we think would

fit our group’s sound is what we choose to perform.”

Garcia-Valle said their music director, Sague Molina, is in charge of choosing music and arraging it into a capella style. He also sings in the group.

Despite not performing at ICCA in 2019, The Highlanders have big plans for their group.

“In February 2020, we will be going on a four-day tour in northern California.

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

We’ll be performing at local high schools up there,” GarciaValle said. “As for our album, it will most likely be released in April. This album will feature songs we’ll be performing this year and will be available on most streaming services.”

Junior social media director Parker Jackson is also a dedicated member, and has become involved in more than just singing.

“This will be my third year in the group,” Jackson

said. “Apart from singing, as social media director I do all the advertisements for The Highlanders. I take photos for the group, manage our website and help create the flyers. I get to combine things I love like social media and photography for this awesome group. I love that I get to sing but also help out the group through a social media lens.”

Jackson has been singing for most of his life. He said he remembers watching “Hannah

Montana” when he was young and wanted to sing for a crowd.

Apart from The Highlanders, Jackson also sings for NAU’s Men’s Chorale and the Shrine of the Ages Choir.

“My ultimate goal was to make it into Shrine of the Ages, because they are the top choral group at NAU,” Jakcson said. “After I made it into this group, my roommate freshman year pushed me to audition for The Highlanders. I messed up during my audition, but I ended up making it in. This group has created so many great memories for me, like going to ICCA competitions.”

Sophomore Clayton D’Angelo also said attending the ICCA competitions was a great experience. This will be D’Angelo’s second year participating in The Highlanders.

“My mom is a music teacher, and I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember,” D’Angelo said. “I was looking for ways to get involved on campus when I stumbled upon this group last year. I ended up auditioning, and the rest became history.”

D’Angelo said he is excited to start his second year as a member of the group. He said he is most excited about the California tour.

“I’m from northern California, so it’s going to be really fun to get to perform up there,” D’Angelo said. “I’m excited for people to see us perform our music in another state.”

The Highlanders will be performing shows on campus and around Flagstaff. Their performances on campus are held at Ardrey Auditorium.

The Highlanders are also available for bookings through their website.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

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SPORTS

F

Love for the lost

irst week of September, information was released regarding two completely separate cases.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died July 1. His body was found in a hotel room where the team stayed during a road series against the Texas Rangers. The game was canceled, but what happened to him was left up to our assumptions.

Unfortunately, Flagstaff can relate to this situation more than we would like.

NAU football offensive lineman Malik Noshi’s body was found in his local home July 7. No details of the player’s death were released. The public was left with their imagination as to what actually happened.

Ironically enough, informative and MOLLY clarifying statements were released in the SMITH same week in regard to both athletes, SPORTS EDITOR showing unsettling parallels.

Skaggs’ death was ruled accidental.

His cause of death was asphyxiation — he choked on his own vomit. Fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol were all found in his system. The beloved 27-year-old MLB pitcher overdosed, and all the world could do was accept it.

The Flagstaff Police Department said there was no sign of foul play in Noshi’s death. His cause of death was listed as acute fentanyl intoxication, but he had traces of alcohol and cocaine in his system, according to the Flagstaff coroner’s report. The 22-year-old Lumberjack overdosed, and all we could do was accept it.

The similarities are disturbing. I love Angels baseball.

I love NAU football. The fact that both of these teams and communities are experiencing great losses that are nearly identical shows a deeply rooted issue in society.

Fortunately, the sports world receives press, and stories like Noshi’s and Skaggs’ can be heard and seen. The major downside is how many stories are not being shared.

There are children who are raising themselves without parents. There are mothers and fathers who are growing old without their children. There are friends who are trying to move on without their best friend.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl was responsible for 59% of opioid-related deaths in 2017. In 2010, it only caused 14% of these deaths.

Statistics are easy to share. However, once you put a name to a number it makes things more difficult.

Skaggs and Noshi were talented athletes and loved by many. These athletes died too young. They had families who will know them from memories. For most of us, all we are left with is what we’ve learned from their deaths.

Do not let these athletes’ stories go unheard. If we are going to talk about them, let’s talk about this epidemic that has taken over and how we are going to lessen the number of people living life without their loved ones.

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Shallow ticket sales need a spike jacob terrill

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he Lumberjacks have struggled to find a great season in football considering their last conference championship appearance was in 2003.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Flagstaff has grown from 66,145 in 2010 to 73,964 in 2019. However, attendance at NAU football games hasn’t seemed to increase throughout the years.

The goal for the team is to get the city excited about coming to games again.

Football head coach Chris Ball seeks to change the culture of the team and is trying to get Flagstaff to notice.

Ball came into a new coaching position and was excited to see what the fans could bring. Attendance of the first game is typically higher because of the Running of the Freshmen tradition, but ticket sales were not as good as last year’s opening game.

According to the box score on the NAU football website, attendance for the game against the Bears only reached 6,891, while last year’s opening game against the Eastern Washington Eagles had an attendance of 8,938.

Attendance for the second home game of last season went down tremendously compared to the first game. The box score calculated 5,832 total tickets sold.

The highest attendance of 2018 was the game against Weber State University, with about 10,000 tickets sold.

NAU’s senior night last season had the lowest attendance with only 4,306 tickets sold. The seniors had to leave with the least amount of fans of any game.

Ball has involved his players in the community by making sandbags after the wildfire this summer. He is already changing the lives of these young men and will continue to help them grow — a fact that should help drive sales up.

The Lumberjacks were able to start the season on the right foot by winning their first home game against the Missouri State Bears 37-23. In last year’s matchup against the Bears, the Lumberjacks lost 40-8.

Their win against the Bears was crucial because the Lumberjacks are able to start the season 1-1 after facing the highest ranked team they will play this year. After losing to UA 65-41 Sept. 7, the Lumberjacks will be able to play for a winning record when they go up against

Illustration By diana ortega

Western New Mexico University Sept. 14.

The players love the fans and want them to come out and support the team.

It means the world to them to see those seats filled. Sophomore wide receiver Brandon Porter said the game against the Bears was the best game of his career, with six catches, 140 total yards and two touchdowns. He was excited to see the fans and feel the love they gave the team.

“The fans are great,” Porter said.

“We have the support of the staff, which is great, and the support of the boosters helping us out.”

Coming out of their second game, the Lumberjacks will have a chance to improve over the next couple of weeks and prepare for conference play.

Senior quarterback Case Cookus is striving to lead the team to a winning season after his last season was cut short due to collerbone injuries he sustained in the second game. He threw for 3,413 yards in 2017 with 22 total touchdowns.

A college town that loves and supports their team can become something amazing. This year is the year the Lumberjacks are looking to turn things around.

Ball has been a part of large programs, and is used to seeing seats sold out and large crowds cheering on the team. He has proven to be successful in his coaching career at schools such as ASU and coaching NFL safety Damarious Randall who plays for the Cleveland Browns.

Through his coaching career, Ball has prioritized his fans and loves that he is able to share the experiences with his players.

“We just need to continue to get more people there — fill up those seats,” Ball said.

Having a stadium with supportive fans can bring people together and can make them enjoy the city more. It’s a way to connect to the city and have everyone in the town cheering for the same team.

Ball is determined to fill up those stadium seats and let the Big Sky Conference, as well as the Flagstaff community, know who the Lumberjacks are this year.

SPORTS

Returning champions claim another win thomas rodgers

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AU cross country jump-started its season at home as the Lumberjacks hosted the 39th annual George Kyte Classic. The Sept. 7 race was an opportunity to get a good look at the team’s depth.

Among Saturday’s competitors came some fresh faces from some unexpected origins. Running alongside the Lumberjacks was Tokai University, who arrived from Tokyo, Japan.

As the runners made their way closer to the finish line, sophomore Ryan Raff was the first to emerge, leading the pack as Tokai runner Ryota Natori followed behind by a little more than 10 yards. Raff was victorious, crossing the line with a time of 21:52.0 to win the race. Natori crossed at a time of 22:10.7, and fellow Tokai runner Akihiro Gunji took third just 5 seconds after Natori at 22:15.6.

“It was fun to have some really good competition,” Raff said. “About a quarter to a half-mile in, [Tokai] started going. They definitely came out hard and made it an honest race.”

Following the two Tokai runners were a string of NAU runners. Freshman Drew Bosley came in fourth with a 22:21.0 time, while Abdihamid Nur and Luis Grijalva tied for fifth at 22:26.0. Nur is expected to be a valuable new edition to the program.

“We had good racing upfront,” Michael Smith, director of cross country, said. “[Nur’s] debut for was fantastic. It was good to see [redshirt freshman Brody Hasty] in uniform, and also we had another [freshman], Drew Bosley, who ran unattached and finished super-high, which is really hard to do for him, coming from sea level — great things upfront overall.”

It was time for the women to stretch their legs, as the women’s team stepped to the starting line for the final race of the afternoon. The women’s team made some pretty crucial moves over the offseason. One move included bringing in sophomore Taryn O’Neill, a Villanova University transfer student who is set to be a game-changer for the women’s team this season.

“We’re seeing the pieces of this team starting to come together,” Smith said. “Now it’s just a matter of putting things together with a little more training.”

For the women’s team, today was a chance to get a better look at the team’s assets. This included redshirt seniors Miranda Myers, who finished third with a time of 15:56.7, and Mikayla Malaspina, who finished fifth at 16:08.1.

Junior runner Pipi Eitel finished first with a 15:36.6 time, while junior Hannah Behunin came in at second with a 15:36.7 time. NAU finished with the top five spots in the women’s race.

It’s right back to the trails for the two teams during a three week training period before they head to Terre Haute, Indiana for the John McNichol’s Invitational race where they face off against Indiana State University, among other schools, for their second meet of the season Sept. 21.

“It’s taken hard recruiting and a lot of training and commitment, but [the team] is really coming together,” Smith said.

The men’s cross-country team takes off at the start of the George Kyte Classic Sept.7.

Damia Drewek | The Lumberjack

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | THE LUMBERJACK

23

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