The Lumberjack -- January 14, 2021

CREATIVE SPIRITS UNLEASHED PAGE 14

THE LUMBER JACK

JAN. 14, 2021 – JAN. 20, 2021

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

N

ew year, more bullsh*t. I don’t mean to sound cynical — and for the record, I’m not — but it’s the truth, isn’t it?

Almost everything, especially the things out of our control, roll over into the new year.

The fresh calendar is only symbolic, an excuse to develop new, better habits and ditch old ones, but every year around New Year’s Eve, I feel a naive sense of hope creep up, telling me maybe I’ll wake up on New Year’s Day and all the bad will be magically transformed. Alas, we know that’s not reality.

I woke up on Jan. 1 to the same world, for better or worse. The first week alone was filled with chaos, which persists. But I suppose this is a logical progression. Things were uncomfortable and tense six months ago, two months ago and they remain so. The factors at fault have yet to be eliminated, of course things will culminate regardless of the calendar’s end. 2020 wasn’t a movie — its events continue despite the credits rolling.

Maybe it’s not the start of the year when change happens, but rather all around us at all times, little changes are happening. Everything changes, but you SCOUT just have to give it time, not put a date on it. I’ll contradict Benjamin Franklin EHRLER by saying, in addition to death and taxes, the certainties of life include change EDITOR-IN-CHIEF and time, intermingling forever.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the New Year’s resolution. I enjoy the sentiment — who couldn’t? — but I’ve never been one to wait for things, nor one to force change. If I want to work out or read or eat healthy, I do without holding myself accountable to a goal I know I’m likely to fail at achieving. I guess it’s day-to-day for me, not year-to-year.

Regardless of my preference against New Year’s resolutions, I always begin the new year feeling both daunted and excited by what’s ahead of me. It’s a reminder of whatever you want it to be: goals to achieve, hope, mortality, years past, the future. I lean toward hope — naive or not — feeling relieved by the figuratively cleared slate and curious about what the year will hold. In terms of feeling, December for me is finishing a book, January is opening a new one.

This semester — my last ever, god willing — begins amid crises and anxieties permeating this country and the world. This academic year has been and is bound to continue as an abnormal one.

Despite this, I want to learn all I can and relish the ending of this chapter, knowing that once it’s over, time marches on and so will life.

Continuous local and campus covid-19 coverage available at jackcentral.org

Online at Issuu.com Latest Edition & Archive Social media

Thank you for reading.

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

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 111 ISSUE 1

Editor-in-Chief Scout Ehrler

Managing Editor Nathan Manni

Copy Chief Nayomi Garcia

Faculty Adviser David Harpster

Print Chief Jacob Meyer

Director of Digital Content Ash Lohmann

Media Innovation Center Editorial Board Director of Social Media Maddie Cohen

Op-Ed Editor Ryan Dixon

Culture Editor Katelyn Rodriguez

Sports Adviser Rory Faust

News Editor Camille Sipple

Asst. Op-Ed Editor Trinity Archie

Asst. Culture Editor Kyler Edsitty

Director of Illustration Aleah Green

Asst. News Editor Mark Fabery

Features Editor Olivia Charlson

Sports Editor Cameron Richardson

Asst. Dir. of Illustration Blake Fernandez

Online News Editor Kylie Soto Senior Reporter Molly Brown

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Asst. Features Editor Asst. Sports Editor Emily Gerdes Brenden Martin Director of Photography & Multimedia Shawn Patti

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Senior Photographer Michael Patacsil Senior Photographer Brian Burke

On the cover A paimter at Creative Spirits enjoys a glass of wine while creating a piece of art, Jan. 8.

Brian Burke | The Lumberjack

Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Scout Ehrler at see86@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat Jan. 4 At 12:13 p.m., staff at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences requested a welfare check on a nonstudent. NAUPD responded, but the subject was gone upon arrival.

Jan. 7 At 1:50 p.m., NAUPD reported suspicious yelling near the intersection of San Francisco Street and Benton Avenue. The area was checked, but no criminal activity was witnessed.

At 3:58 p.m., NAUPD reported a student requested information. Information was provided.

At 3:41 p.m., 1899 Bar & Grill staff reported a stolen vehicle. NAUPD responded and the vehicle was recovered.

The case remains open.

Jan. 5 At 7:42 a.m., Ponderosa building staff requested a welfare check on two nonstudents. NAUPD responded, but the subjects were gone upon arrival.

At 11:43 p.m., a resident at The Suites reported feeling ill. NAUPD, Flagstaff Fire Department (FFD) and Guardian Medical Transport (GMT) responded and the subject was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC).

Jan. 6 At 9:21 a.m., Facilities Management staff reported a collision. NAUPD responded and took a report.

At 10:23 p.m., a nonstudent reported a singlevehicle noninjury traffic collision at the intersection of South Humphreys Street and Dupont Avenue. NAUPD responded and determined that no collision had taken place.

Jan. 8 At 12:30 a.m., a McDonald Hall resident reported receiving a threatening text message.

NAUPD responded, but upon arrival the victim declined prosecution. Report for information only.

At 11:05 a.m., NAUPD reported a vehicle fire on the I-40 off-ramp and West At 1:31 p.m., staff at the McConnell Drive. FFD School of Informatics reported responded, the fire was a nonstudent they believed to extinguished and the vehicle be deceased. NAUPD, FFD was towed. and GMT responded and the subject was found in good At 10:26 a.m., a Health health. and Learning Center employee reported an unconscious At 2:07 p.m., Health and nonstudent. NAUPD and Learning Center staff reported GMT responded, but the a staff member possibly had subject refused medical a stroke. NAUPD, FFD and transport and was warned of GMT responded and the trespassing. patient was transported to FMC. At 2:18 p.m., a nonstudent reported two people yelling At 4:05 p.m., NAUPD near Drury Inn & Suites. reported a silent elevator call NAUPD responded, but from The Suites. The area no criminal activity was was checked, but no criminal witnessed. activity was witnessed.

Compiled by Mark Fabery Jan. 9 At 9:24 a.m., NAUPD reported assisting FPD with a house fire off campus. Report is for information only.

At 9:33 a.m., NAUPD reported seeing a suspicious subject on campus near lot 7.

NAUPD attempted to locate and make contact. However, the subject was gone upon arrival.

Coconino County COVID-19 Dashboard data

Community transmission Case rate

At 11:23 p.m., NAUPD reported seeing a car stopped on the side of the road near Beaver Street and University Drive. NAUPD informed the driver about parking rules and the vehicle left.

At 11:57 p.m., a Honors College student requested assistance, as they reported being suicidal and had given themselves several minor cuts.

NAUPD, FFD and GMT responded and the student was transported to FMC for treatment.

Jan. 10 At 3:45 a.m., NAUPD reported a chain link barrier fence blown down near the pedway between University Union and the University Union Fieldhouse. Facilities were notified. No criminal activity was witnessed.

At 10:52 a.m., NAUPD issued a written warning observed near South San Francisco Street and East Pine Knoll Drive.

At 12:17 p.m., NAUPD reported being out with a motorist near the Knoles Parking Garage. Subject was not in need of any assistance.

Substantial 659.3 per 100,000 pop.

Positivity percentage

19.8%

Cumulative cases

13,219

Flagstaff Medical Center COVID-19 Resources

In-house COVID-19 patients Hospital capacity Critical care capacity

Positive: 63 | Pending: 9 193/300 35/55

NAU Student Cases

Cumulative fall semester cases

1,530

COVID-19 vaccine makes its way to Coconino County Kylie Soto

T

he COVID-19 vaccine has started to be administered to all eligible patients in Coconino County within the Phase 1A and 1B criteria.

The Coconino County website states that health care professionals and long-term care residents and providers are among the first who are eligible for the vaccine in Phase 1A. Similarly, Phase 1B includes education and childcare workers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, facilities staff, law enforcement and protective services and individuals ages 75 and older.

NAU President Rita Cheng announced NAU’s plan for the implementation of the vaccine rollout on campus via email Jan. 8.

“NAU is working with Coconino County in accordance with standards set forth by the Arizona Department of Health Services,” Cheng’s email stated. “Currently, the county is administering the vaccine to individuals in Phase 1A, which includes health care workers. NAU has provided registration information to individuals in this first population.”

More information regarding NAU’s plan to distribute the vaccine can be found on NAU’s Vaccine Information page.

Read more online at jackcentral.org

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS

The Lumberjack’s best news stories of 2020 Mark Fabery & Camille Sipple

choice many faculty members were not granted.

Election for mayor to be held in November | Scout Ehrler As 2020 began, so did the 2020 election cycle for mayor of Flagstaff. Three challengers sought to fill the vacant seat of former Mayor Coral Evans as she launched an unsuccessful campaign for one of two seats in Legislative District Six.

The Lumberjack shifts focus to digital format | Brady Wheeler As the fall 2020 semester began, The Lumberjack was forced to make a difficult decision, which resulted in the end of a print publication for the foreseeable future due to budget cuts.

NAU President Rita Cheng won’t pursue contract extension | Camille Sipple Cheng stated in the beginning of September 2020 that she will not pursue a contract extension after it expires in June 2022.

ABOR immediately announced its intention to form a search committee.

With coronavirus in Arizona, NAU is prepared and attentive | Trevor Skeen By the end of January 2020, COVID-19 was already making an appearance within Arizona, and NAU stated its preparedness to handle the virus if need be. At this point in time, it was believed that Arizona residents were not necessarily at risk of infection unless they had recently traveled to Wuhan, China.

Illustration By Aleah Green

Cheng: “I’m not resigning” | Brady Wheeler In the wake of the student-led #RitaResign coalition, NAU President Rita Cheng addressed a bipartisan letter calling for her to step down.

The coalition was formed at the beginning of the spring 2020 semester and began a campaign calling for Cheng’s resignation. This campaign was created following an audit that revealed $40,000 of improperly documented travel expenses on Cheng’s behalf.

Coconino County faces $745,000 budget deficit | Mark Fabery After the Museum Fire scorched the landscape outside of Flagstaff, Coconino County was forced to manage a $745,000 budget deficit for post-Museum Fire mitigation efforts. The Flood Mitigation District came up with an array of safety measures to combat the 2020 monsoon season after the Museum Fire swept through northern Arizona.

with photos to celebrate their accomplishments.

Steven Jones sentenced to six years | Scout Ehrler and Brady Wheeler Last year was also the year that marked the sentencing of former NAU student Steven Jones, nearly five years after he fatally shot 20-year-old Colin Brough and injured three others. Jones was sentenced to six years in prison for the deadly campus shooting.

Flagstaff issues emergency and Arizona closes schools | Trevor Skeen As COVID-19 generated anxiety and uncertainty around the world, local entities also adapted. More specifically, the city of Flagstaff and local schools began preparations to address the ongoing situation through continued collaboration and closures.

Flagstaff City Council considers rent abatement for airlines | Scout Ehrler The lockdowns that the world experienced throughout spring 2020 led to airlines seeking financial assistance from the federal and local governments to keep the airline industry afloat.

ABOR meeting: Students and alumni demand Cheng’s resignation | Trevor Skeen During an Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) meeting, President Cheng faced controversy stemming from her past decisions as president of NAU, particularly surrounding the university’s recent expansion.

Students and residents lose jobs as virus continues | Tess Spinker As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to grow within Flagstaff’s borders, April 2020 saw a spike in unemployment within the city.

Many Flagstaff residents lost their jobs as all nonessential businesses were ordered to close due to coronavirus concerns.

COVID-19 spreads around the world | Trevor Skeen As the first COVID-19 death of a United States citizen was reported in Washington state, the U.S. and the world continued to monitor the disease’s transmission. At the time, the U.S. only faced roughly 16 presumptive positive cases.

NAU announces virtual commencement | Ray Anne Galzote For all spring 2020 graduates, NAU offered an alternative to an in-person commencement in the form of a virtual ceremony. Graduates were allowed to create a personalized message

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A new decade, a new climate action plan | Collin Vanderwerf The 2010 Climate Action Plan sought to attain carbon neutrality for NAU by 2020. In light of its failure, the university released a new 2020 Climate Action Plan to combat climate change and again meet their goal of carbon neutrality across campus.

The Black Lives Matter movement makes its voice heard in Flagstaff | Scout Ehrler Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter lined the sidewalk outside Flagstaff City Hall in late May 2020 to demand justice for George Floyd and speak out against systemic racism.

Flagstaff residents followed the lead of countless other cities across the country that gathered to peacefully protest Floyd’s death.

Faculty share concerns as in-person instruction nears | Scout Ehrler, Brady Wheeler and Trevor Skeen At the time, NAU planned to return to face-to-face instruction on Aug. 31, 2020. With the NAUFlex model in place, students were offered the option of whether or not to return, a

ABOR appoints NAU Presidential Advisory Search Committee members | Mark Fabery After Cheng announced that she would not pursue a contract extension, ABOR swiftly appointed a presidential advisory search committee to find the appropriate replacement to be the next president of NAU. Students required to move for more quarantine space | Alliya Dulaney As midterms approached, some students were required to move out of their current living spaces after a coronavirus surge plagued the NAU Flagstaff Mountain campus.

The question of presidential succession | Camille Sipple Leading up to the November 2020 elections and President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, questions began to arise regarding presidential succession. Some of NAU’s political science professors discussed the potential for a presidential succession.

Paul Deasy wins the Flagstaff mayoral race | Camille Sipple At 8:16 p.m. on election night, mayoral candidate Charlie Odegaard publicly conceded to candidate Paul Deasy via Twitter. Paul Deasy was later officially announced as the newlyelected mayor of Flagstaff.

NEWS

Flagstaff’s 2021 Community Development Block Grants Camille Sipple

R

ecently, Flagstaff City Council made decisions regarding the disbursement of the 2021 Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) that were allocated to the city by the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) and the United States Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department.

According to NACOG, CDBG funds are generally administered by both HUD and the state government based on the region. The cities within the northern Arizona region of the state are overseen by NACOG in terms of annual fund allocation and planning. CDBG typically provides funding to housing and community development activities.

Vice mayor Becky Daggett explained her knowledge of the CDBG process is based mainly on her time serving on the grant review committee as a private Flagstaff resident. The funds are generally allotted to the city with strict distribution and reporting requirements, Daggett said. The beginning of this process, based on Daggett’s personal experience, involves a committee of citizens that are knowledgeable about the community’s needs who read through, as well as score, each CDBG application. The committee then takes its recommendations to city staff who review them once more before sending them to the city council for a final approval.

“Affordable housing is a priority for this council as it has been for prior councils,” Daggett said. “Projects that help to provide housing or assistance with keeping people housed will be given priority.”

Flagstaff housing and grants administrator Kristine Pavlik detailed the specific objectives of CDBG on federal and local levels.

“The primary national objective of the CDBG is the

development of viable urban communities through the provision of decent housing, a suitable living environment and economic opportunity, specifically for low-to-moderate-income individuals,” Pavlik said. “Low to moderate is defined as 80% of the area median income … in Flagstaff this means a household of four would have an income limit of $60,150 in order to be considered low to moderate income.”

Daggett and newly-elected Mayor Paul Deasy said, some of the local programs and projects that have received funding from CDBG in past years include Flagstaff Housing Solutions and Flagstaff Shelter Services. Deasy said these programs aim to promote home ownership, as well as provide housing for those without shelter. Pedestrian sidewalks, crosswalks and storm drains across the city have also been funded by CDBG in the past.

Pavlik also explained there are several different ways the city is able to use CDBG money in partnerships with selected applicants.

“The city is able to partner with local agencies and social service providers that are administering programs and undertaking projects with shared goals, such as developing affordable housing and preventing homelessness,” Pavlik said. “CDBG can be used to support new programs and projects, as well as increase current services offered.”

In 2019, CDBG funded projects that served more than 5,000 individuals and an additional 13 households within the Flagstaff community, Pavlik said. These projects ranged from eviction prevention to shelter services. 693 individuals who were experiencing homelessness at the time were aided through the shelter and day services that CDBG helped to fund.

One of the main changes to the 2021 funding and application process, Deasy said, is a greater focus on providing high-speed internet to low-income neighborhoods. This internet

infrastructure would ideally include Wi-Fi hot spots as a priority, Deasy said.

“To me, the internet, now as a priority, is the equivalent of electricity 100 years ago,” Deasy said. “This is the infrastructure of the 21st century that we must get on board with and expand to better our community. This is the new infrastructure that we can use to create more equity, opportunity and access for those that don’t have the privileges and opportunities that I’ve been afforded in my life.”

Additionally, Deasy and Pavlik explained that city council also decided to include a new question in the CDBG applications.

This question would require the applicant to explain how their project or program intends to address equity, diversity and overall inclusion within the community. Due to the pandemic, applicants will also receive an additional month to respond to the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) with their proposals, Pavlik said.

Despite these changes, both Deasy and Daggett said the overall goal of the CDBG funding remains the same as it always has. It aims to help those within the community who reside within low income or historically disenfranchised neighborhoods, as well as those who remain homeless.

“Funding to assist the most vulnerable in Flagstaff is scarce and CDBG money enables the community to work together to address critical needs,” Daggett said.

While CDBG funds do truly help city council to chip away at the housing problems in Flagstaff, Deasy said it will never completely eliminate the issue. He stated that the city would need a much larger source of funding in order to attain the amount of housing the community needs.

“The primary national objective of the CDBG is the development of viable urban communities through the provision of decent housing, a suitable living environment and economic opportunity, specifically for low-to-moderate-income individuals” – Flagstaff housing and Grants Administrator Kristine Pavlik

As the city of Flagstaff faces an affordable housing crisis, council hopes CDBG funds will assist the current housing problems, Jan. 6. Shawn Patti| The Lumberjack

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS

A brief update: The state of the city Scout Ehrler

W

hile Lumberjacks took a respite from their courses, Flagstaff City Council stayed hard at work. Over the month of December 2020, councilmembers discussed and voted on issues spanning from the city’s water supply to vaccine distribution, as new members transitioned into their seats.

COVID-19 in Flagstaff On Nov. 30, 2020, the city returned to Phase Two of its reentry plan, which, once again, demanded a return to remote work when possible, restricted gatherings to 10 or fewer people and closed certain public amenities with essential services and outdoor parks remaining open, according to a press release from the city of Flagstaff.

Confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 peaked in Flagstaff throughout late November and began to decline until spiking again the week of Dec. 25, 2020, public works director Andy Bertelsen said during a Jan. 5 council meeting.

The city reported 946 positive cases over the week of Jan. 2 with 12,194 cumulative cases in the county as of Jan. 8, according to a weekly report published by Coconino County Health and Human Services.

Flagstaff’s current positivity rate is 19.8%, which is 9.8% over what is considered substantial by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Saliva testing at the University Union Fieldhouse resumed Jan. 6 and will be held until May 6, Christy Farley, NAU vice president of the Office of External Affairs and Partnerships, said during the Jan. 5 meeting. Testing is available in the University Union Fieldhouse weekly Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Additional testing for students is available at the COVID Clinic in the Health and Learning Center.

The university will continue

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its randomized mitigation testing throughout the spring semester and all other COVID regulations will remain in place.

Vaccine distribution Rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine began Jan. 4 and is projected to continue throughout the year, director of special initiatives Kim Musselman reported during a Jan. 6 city COVID update. Flagstaff is currently in Phase 1A of the rollout, which is limited to health care workers, emergency service workers and long-term care facility staff and residents. Phases 1B and 1C include educators, law enforcement, essential workers and people over 65 years old.

Rollout of Phase 1B is scheduled to begin later this month.

The general population should expect to receive vaccinations some time before the end of summer, but dates are tentative. Furthermore, the vaccine is available to everyone for free, with or without insurance, Musselman said.

“I think in light of the limited resources that have been provided, with respect to counties being able to roll this out, a lot of great work is going on,” Musselman said. “Coconino has administered just under 2,000 vaccines and in comparison to other counties, we’re rolling along very well and expect to see [the number of vaccines administered] increase exponentially on a daily basis.”

The new council Three fresh faces joined Flagstaff City Council Dec. 15, 2020 — councilmember Miranda Sweet, vice mayor Becky Daggett and Mayor Paul Deasy. These new additions meant goodbyes to former Mayor Coral Evans, as well as former councilmembers Jamie Whelan and Charlie Odegaard, who both ran for mayor last year.

Prior to the inauguration, the Arizona Daily Sun reported tensions between then-mayor-elect Deasy and the previous council, with Whelan telling him he had “gone rogue” and

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his relationship with council was on “thin ice,” according to the Sun. The issue arose from a debate over whether or not the inauguration and subsequent team building retreat should be held in person or virtually, which Deasy made a decision on via social media prior to being sworn in or speaking to his council. In the end, Deasy and Sweet were sworn in from home while Daggett and council member Jim McCarthy attended in person, according to additional reporting by the Sun. Despite initial tensions, Flagstaff City Council and its new additions continue to make headway on important issues.

A declaration of a housing crisis At a Dec. 1, 2020 council meeting, Flagstaff City Council declared a housing emergency. This declaration prioritizes affordable housing, which the resolution acknowledged as a crisis-level need for the city and has been a documented necessity for 50 years.

The resolution states many residences in Flagstaff are second homes and short-term rentals, skewing local housing availability.

In contrast, data from the Coconino County Coordinated Entry Front Door program indicates nearly 700 people, representing 366 households, experience homelessness in the community, according to the resolution.

“The housing crisis we’re having right now is not unique to our city,” Evans said during the Dec. 1, 2020 council meeting. “I also think, in my mind — and this is just me personally — I’m not understanding why it seems to be an ‘us against them’ issue.

I spoke to a group today of people from Flagstaff and they were very, very candid in what they had to say.

They said, ‘It’s nice we’re saving the environment for Flagstaff, for the privileged people who have moved here, but what about us? Don’t we get to stay here or did we just build the town, make sure it looks pretty and now we have to exit stage left because

Flagstaff residents attend a council meeting, April 17, 2018.

Rylee Sherhouse| The Lumberjack

we can’t afford to live here.’ I think it is a value statement.”

Within nine months of the adoption of the resolution, council will, with input from the city’s Housing Commision, review a housing plan, which will detail development and preservation plans for the next 10 years. The plan is projected to consider how the city can better utilize land and financial resources, encourage more economical construction and increase attainable housing opportunities locally.

The resolution also states the city will explore options for further funding for affordable housing developments and expansion of accessible housing programs. Additionally, the city will continue lobbying the state and federal governments to increase funding for affordable housing.

Fresh water conservation plan Also Dec. 1, 2020, Flagstaff City Council adopted a new Water Conservation Plan, which was designed to save and protect the city’s water.

This 20-year plan is projected to include water budgeting and various conservation strategies, which will delay a need for new water supply by about six years, Tamara Lawless,

water conservation manager and project lead on the plan, said during the meeting. With the plan in place, the city is not expected to need new water until around 2048. Without it, the city would need to invest in a new supply by 2034.

Furthermore, this new plan should defer approximately $160 million in water costs.

“Investing in the water conservation programming that is laid out in the plan may reduce our city’s long-term demand enough that we can delay the need to invest in a new water supply,” Lawless said in an email interview. “We’re not sure what that new supply will be, but we do know that it will be expensive … There’s a saying in the water conservation field that water conservation is our cheapest water supply. In other words, investing in water-conserving technologies and behaviors is much less expensive than using our existing supply at an accelerated rate.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic in flux, the new council has a busy year ahead. As 2020 came to a close, much headway was made on several issues — expect to see plans and action in 2021.

COMIC SPOT

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

No major resolutions, just a new perspective Ryan dixon

Saying goodbye to PillowTalk

A

s we enter 2021, many changes are occurring around us. We are ushering in a new school year, president of the United States, way of living and a vaccine that could potentially put an end to the virus that seemingly controlled most of 2020. It is fitting that with all of these fresh starts, The Lumberjack shares one as well.

Starting with our next issue, a new weekly column will replace PillowTalk.

The Brief will fill PillowTalk’s spot on your pages for the foreseeable future. Before we jump into The Brief, a goodbye is due to the column that has been a steady presence on the Opinion section’s pages for years.

In 2018, Peggy Packer and Liz Wendel, former editors of the OpinionEditorial section, crafted PillowTalk.

RYAN They expressed goals to create a safe space DIXON to discuss the typically taboo topics of OP-ED EDITOR sex, love and relationships. For the past three years, The Lumberjack challenged the stigma of talking about sex in a professional publication.

Writers and editors alike, including myself, have written stories that were often uncomfortable to share, but that we felt our readers would relate to and enjoy reading.

From the challenges of dating a member of Greek life as an outsider, to exploring sexuality, to the societal views and intricacies of interracial dating, PillowTalk has covered it all.

If a reader felt discouraged about a lack of dating experience or alienated in an opinion regarding sex, they could turn to PillowTalk and find comfort knowing they are not alone. For a generation challenging the sexual beliefs of those before us, PillowTalk was extremely fitting. With the legalization of samesex marriage and a move away from the slut-shaming of the past, a sex and relationship column was just what this paper needed.

However, all good things eventually come to a close, and thus we start a new chapter at The Lumberjack we look forward to our readers enjoying. With that, I introduce to you the column I have had the pleasure of creating: The Brief.

The Brief will bring you weekly opinion articles regarding current political happenings of the U.S. Democracy is a sacred privilege and institution, and there is much to be discussed as we delve into 2021 and the years to come. Whether a reader has political beliefs which fall to the right, left or somewhere in between, The Brief will have a story to spark thought.

I hope to create a space for discussion of the things that really matter. This column will give our readers the opportunity to stay informed and find topics to debate regarding the political events or stances of the U.S. government. With the start of The Brief, I give you my baby and wish you happy reading!

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Illustration By Aleah green

M

any would consider 2020 the year from hell. We had a devastating wildfire season, our favorite royal couple quit the royal family, COVID-19 swept through the world, Kobe and Gianna Bryant died, we had political turmoil with President Donald Trump’s impeachment, the economy nosedived, peaceful and violent clashes over social justice movements dominated the summer, murder hornets arrived in the United States, we lost Ruth Bader Ginsburg and so much more.

When you list it all out, it is hard to imagine all of this happened in a single calendar year. Despite all the tragedy and unrest that commandeered 2020, we gained a beneficial new perspective that I hope we carry through this new year: selflessness.

In my lifetime, it seems as a society, we have made a gradual climb toward blatant selfishness. The prevalence of social media allowed us to flaunt our good fortune and beauty to anyone with access to the internet. It became common practice to count likes on our selfies rather than hype up our friends in person.

We careened toward an elitist mindset where Gucci belts and Hermès Birkin bags cement a person’s status in a friend group.

We had little to no awareness of public health, cramming ourselves into crowded fraternity basements and sharing drinks even if we were sick.

After the events of 2020, it is hard to imagine any of that mattering anymore. As we became more and more acquainted with loss, the mindset started to change.

The basketball community, and those beyond, mourned with Vanessa Bryant as she grieved the deaths of her husband and daughter. We collectively put away NBA team allegiances and appreciated the yellow-and-purple jersey with No. 24 stitched on the back.

When racial injustices overwhelmed the tolerance of the American people, humans of all walks of life and racial makeup united in solidarity. White people and Black people, the rich and the poor, stood together and campaigned for the change they wanted to see in a movement of empathy.

As family members and friends died or were sick with COVID-19, we endured quarantines and a more cautious outlook toward sickness and public gatherings. Many people wore masks to protect loved ones and even total strangers.

Gone are the days of frat parties and massive get-togethers with strangers in restaurants.

“Why did we do this?” one might ask. Because it was no longer a matter of personal gain and fun, but rather a majority agreement that the health and happiness of the whole outweighed the comfort of oneself.

I can truly say that I have never seen such a collective societal move toward selflessness. It’s a new normal, a new perspective and a new way of life.

2020 taught me the fragility and preciousness of life. It was an abrupt reminder that life went on outside my little bubble of privilege and health.

So, as I sit at home in the early days of January, I am struggling with my typical new year goals. There are no major

resolutions, no daily, weekly, or monthly boxes I feel I need to check off to gauge my success in this odd time. There is simply a new perspective, new boxes I mentally check off.

Is this cough because the air is cold or do I need to get tested and stay away from the people I love? Am I taking the freedom and privileges I enjoy for granted? What can I do to keep the people I care about safe and happy? Have I reached out to that friend or loved one enough?

Losing five pounds or going to the now-closed gym now seem like trivial resolutions. Spending more time with family is something we all do now and that is something to be celebrated and continued. 2020 may have robbed us of a lot — graduation ceremonies and spring break trips to Italy are off the table — but we are alive and we have tapped into an empathy and compassion that can benefit our society greatly.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people.

A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”

So instead of attempting a five-days-a-month juice cleanse that is bound to die as soon as we move into February, let’s keep the ball rolling with our new perspective. Selflessness is the new sexy selfie on Instagram. It’s a trend I can get behind and one that can carry us through whatever 2021 has to bring.

OPINION-EDITORIAL

Black vaccine skeptics raise valid concerns trinity archie

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n Dec. 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines will first be distributed to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As vaccine manufacturers, health care providers and local governments prepare to offer vaccines to the general public, misinformation results in concerns regarding the safety of the upcoming distribution process.

People of Color are among those who have expressed concern for the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. Some believe vaccine distribution aims to harm or place their communities at risk.

This is harmful misinformation that will inevitably place these already heavily impacted individuals at greater risk.

However, these concerns are valid and should be met with solutions rather than criticism.

Health care inequality has always existed in the United States.

Specifically, Black Americans have been victims of neglectful medical trials and racial bias within the U.S. health care system.

A research article published by scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) revealed Black patients are less likely to receive the appropriate medications from their doctors.

This is one of many examples of racial inequality in U.S. health care.

Many Black Americans are hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to distrust of a health care system that has been historically racist.

While health care inequality is an ongoing issue, today’s distrust partially stems from disturbing historical events such as the Tuskegee Study.

According to the CDC, this United States Public Health Service study began in 1932 in Macon County, Alabama and went on for 40 years. The Tuskegee Study aimed to observe the progression of untreated syphilis from diagnosis to death.

However, the 600 Black men recruited for the experiment were instead told they were receiving free medical treatment for bad blood.

Additionally, those who tested positive for syphilis were not informed they had the disease. When an effective treatment was developed, the test subjects were blocked from receiving it.

Researchers prevented these men from receiving proper medical

treatment so they could remain test subjects.

Participants were deceived by placebo medication that contained harmful ingredients such as mercury and arsenic.

When subjects died, researchers conducted autopsies to further study the effects of syphilis on the body.

Illustration By aleah green

The study finally came to an end when U.S. Public Health Service employee Peter Buxtun leaked information to The New York Times. It was revealed that researchers lied to the public about details of the study. They claimed that Black men would likely refuse any syphilis treatments and suggested this justified the unethical nature of the study.

The Tuskegee Study unsurprisingly damaged the reputation of the U.S. health care system within the Black community.

Researchers knew participants could receive treatment that would save their lives but continued to block proper medical care for the sake of their experiment.

I completely understand the COVID-19 vaccine distrust within my community. Especially when our health care system has done so little to prove they have abandoned the racist mentality researchers used to justify the Tuskegee Study.

Although the Tuskegee Study concluded in 1969, ongoing inequalities continue to drive a wedge between the Black community and a health care system that should protect all citizens equally.

Some health care inequality results directly from racist beliefs held by health care professionals and providers.

According to a 2016 research article published by peer-reviewed scientific journal PNAS, physicians were 47% more likely to underestimate the pain of Black patients due to the false belief that Black people have a higher pain tolerance than other races.

These racial biases lower the quality of health care we receive. It also results in the fear that we will be neglected or mistreated when receiving health care. Many believe this holds true for the COVID-19 vaccine as well, especially given that it’s new.

Black people have historically served as test subjects of dangerous experiments as an effort to preserve the safety of white patients. As a result, some believe the COVID-19 vaccine could be history repeating itself.

One of the most concerning aspects of this medical distrust is how it will negatively affect Black communities that are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The COVID Tracking Project produced by The Atlantic in partnership with Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, gathers race and ethnic data on COVID-19 in the U.S. According to the data, Black people have died at 1.6 times the rate of white people from COVID-19. These rates will only increase if we refuse the vaccine.

Unfortunately, our government and health care system do little to rebuild their relationship with Black people in the U.S. Some health care workers continue to treat Black patients on the basis of racist misconceptions.

Our skepticism regarding the U.S. health care system will not go away until the racism and mistreatment does.

Although I plan to receive the vaccine, I will continue to advocate for those who feel unsafe doing so.

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

Lab classes give students new ex “Everybody did as well as they could.

It’s not ideal but it was the best we could do, and I think a lot of the students appreciated that. It’s always a debate that I have in my mind — is it the right thing to do — but based on the way things have gone, what I’ve seen and just the experience, I still think it is.”

– David John, instructional labratory director for NAU’s Microbiology Lab

The Science and Health building overlooks the bikepath/pedway, Sep. 1, 2015. Nick Humphries | The Lumberjack

Olivia Charlson

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AU has observed and adapted as students and professors continue the school year in remote and socially distanced settings.

During the fall 2020 semester, many lab programs went through their own metamorphosis, shifting to accommodate students.

According to NAU’s website, online classes will be held Jan. 11-22 and NAUFlex will be implemented for the remainder of the semester, meaning online learning will play a heavy hand in education this semester.

Depending on the class, students will continue in person or online because procedures vary between programs and professors.

David John is the instructional laboratory director for NAU’s microbiology lab and is in charge of everything from the curriculum and instruction to the facilities and equipment. The labs that John

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oversees are in person, so a lot of thought was put into how to structure the space to allow maintaining physical distance in the lab and other procedures for minimizing contact.

John said the physical space of their lab provides a lot of benefits, such as pods, which are workspaces set up to be six feet across from the next.

The classes are divided into two groups with students spending half of their class time in the lab, then rotating out, John also said.

All the procedural and background information is provided through videos before the lab.

Other procedures are set for the students to be safe in the lab, including required masks, each student getting their own safety glasses and having to wipe their microscopes and work space down with alcohol, John said. He said because students get information as early as possible before class, they could focus on doing the exercises and hands-on work.

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“Basically, I just didn’t think that [online labs] would be rewarding and fulfilling enough for the students, and they just wouldn’t get the same experience in any way compared to if they’re doing it in person,” John said.

“I wanted, if at all possible, to have it remain as an in-person class, since it is just 100% hands-on from day one.”

John said looking at the total 550 students enrolled, few expressed concern about coming in person and the students were really engaged with the labs in the fall. He said the program has seen a dropoff of about 5% from last year, but advisers have been accommodating and the program has been flexible.

“Everybody did as well as they could,” John said. “It’s not ideal but it was the best we could do, and I think a lot of the students appreciated that. It’s always a debate that I have in my mind — is it the right thing to do — but based on the way things have gone, what I’ve seen and just the

experience, I still think it is.”

Even for those who do not have a science-related major, everyone has to take a lab at one point in their college career at NAU. Sophomore Abigail Brown took a geology class in the fall 2020 semester, which she chose to take fully remote.

Brown said the in-person class had about eight or nine people.

Each class was about 20 minutes of lecturing and students could choose to go or stay for the rest of the time to do the lab and have questions answered.

The online labs were challenging and she said she would have to go to her professor’s office hours a lot because it was hard to get questions answered on Zoom while the professor was in the classroom. She said if she had been in the classroom, she could have had questions answered there.

Attending office hours can be an obstacle because instructors only have them twice a week, so sometimes she

would have to cancel other activities in order to attend, she said.

It was difficult to learn in the labs when students were not learning what they were supposed to in the class, Brown said. She said with the accompanying class there were 300 students and only one tutor for the geology department. To get a hold of the tutor, she said she had to schedule an appointment two weeks out and was put on a waitlist.

Brown said she spoke to her professor during class and was met with multiple students thanking her for saying something. She also reached out to a director in the geology department, and after speaking together on the phone, she did not hear back again. Brown explained that she served on ASNAU as a senator and brought up the issues she was seeing in her class with NAU President Rita Cheng but nothing changed.

“Nothing was taken seriously,

FEATURES

xperiences with experimenting “Nothing was taken seriously, but as a student, that’s really discouraging.

I’m someone that has a 4.0 not because I’m just naturally smart, but because I’m willing to put in the work. If I don’t understand something, I’m going to go to two hours of tutoring. When that’s not available, I mean, what do you do?”

– Sophomore Abigail Brown

but as a student, that’s really discouraging,” Brown said. “I’m someone that has a 4.0 not because I’m just naturally smart, but because I’m willing to put in the work. If I don’t understand something, I’m going to go to two hours of tutoring.

When that’s not available, I mean, what do you do?”

Brown said she thought the way the lab was handled was great, but even her lab instructor agreed that the class should not have been so hard.

She said the way the class was handled overall seemed unprofessional, and as a student who is willing to work hard, it felt as if NAU did not step up.

Although adjustments have been difficult and took lots of careful planning and work, classes like the one Mar-Elise Hill teaches have been virtual before the pandemic started.

Hill is an associate clinical professor in the biology department at NAU, and her classes have catered to remote students for the past four years.

The NAU Geology department has a number of artifacts on display in the Geology building, but students do not have acccess to these physical resources Nov. 1, 2018. Bess Valdez | The Lumberjack

Some of her labs are taught using just a virtual platform, but she has other labs she calls kitchen labs.

In those labs, students complete experiments in their dorm room or kitchens on their own, Hill said. To do a simple proof of concept lab, Hill said students acquire different materials and report their experiment and results through photos.

“Pre- and post-COVID, it feels

like students are more willing to understand different platforms as simple as Blackboard Learn and other online platforms,” Hill said. “Online got destigmatized by students and fellow faculty with COVID. So, for me, it’s kind of been a positive thing.”

Hill explained that the pressure to learn is put back on the student, so the student has to be engaged with the material and be present with their

work. Hill said the benefit to teaching asynchronous courses is that students can do work when they have time within the given time frame.

It can be hard for students to feel like they have the confidence to do these experiments, though. Hill said that some get overwhelmed having to do it by themselves. She said she really believes each student can do the lab if they slow down and work to

understand.

“I think the biology department has really done the best that they can do given the circumstances, and they’ve tried to deliver the most hands-on, collaborative experience they can while also managing the risks of spreading COVID,” Hill said.

“I think they’ve put their best foot forward.”

With different professors and departments determining the rules and layout for each lab class, every student is bound to have a different experience. Although there is a big difference between going to a lab, answering questions on a computer or doing an experiment in one’s kitchen, professors and students have worked to make it all run smoothly.

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

A new year brings new goals: Working out on a budget Emily Gerdes

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he new year is a time for reflection, growth and setting new goals. New Year’s resolutions vary from year to year, but each is personalized. Some are attainable like doing the dishes each night, while others are more hopeful and less practical like winning the lottery. Despite the wide spectrum, there are a few resolutions that have stayed popular throughout the years.

According to a survey conducted in 2019 by international research data and analytics group YouGov, out of the United States citizens who make New Year’s resolutions, 50% commit to exercising more and 49% commit to saving money.

Senior Sean Clark prefers to create more practical New Year’s resolutions that he can put into practice over a period of time.

“I usually try to make one simple resolution or just something that I can work on,” Clark said.

Clark previously contracted COVID-19 and decided to use his New Year’s resolution to kickstart the return to his typical fitness regime.

“I recently got over COVID, and the biggest thing about COVID is that it kind of wrecks you energy-wise, so getting your energy back up is very vital,” Clark said.

The statewide restrictions by the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) limit the potential for indoor gyms and fitness centers to reopen, causing individuals to adapt to new workout conditions.

Clark said he intends to use Planet Fitness as his main source of exercise in the new year for a variety of reasons. Due to Flagstaff’s transmission rates, gyms are allowed to operate if they follow AZDHS guidelines.

He said Planet Fitness is a cheap option and the basic $10 plan allows members to utilize a bunch of different machines that cover almost every muscle group.

Clark emphasized the high cost of having an at-home gym. He compared the price of a $20 free weight to the $10 monthly membership at Planet Fitness.

Clark said he believes the better deal is to simply pay for a gym membership instead of buying free weights individually.

Sophomore Holly Hansen has consistently made New Year’s resolutions since the beginning of high school.

Hansen said she plans on being consistent with her resolutions throughout the year. She said she likes to think of resolutions as ways to

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build new habits into everyday life, which helps her implement them in the coming months.

If some resolutions are not upheld for the entirety of the year, that is OK with Hansen. She explained that if her resolution made her better, then she is accomplishing the ultimate objective.

“I know I’m growing, even though I might not be achieving a specific goal,” Hansen said.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, NAU’s Campus Recreation has been closed since the beginning of the pandemic, forcing students to find other ways to exercise.

Since Clark lives off campus, he said he plans to use an off-campus gym, so the closure of Campus Recreation does not affect him.

However, he said if he was still living on campus he would have a different response. Clark said if Campus Recreation had closed during his first three semesters at NAU before he had a car, he would have had to rely on running around campus for exercise.

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Hansen agrees with Clark that the closure of Campus Recreation is an inconvenience.

Hansen said she had a whole plan laid out for living off campus this year that relied on the Health and Learning Center (HLC) being open.

She said she planned to wake up at 6 a.m., go to the HLC, do a two-hour workout, come home, shower and go to class.

Campus Recreation has tried to adapt to these unfortunate circumstances, and assistant director Paul Rehn said Campus Recreation is working to determine how to open the facilities in the safest manner possible.

“As we receive new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state/local authorities and campus partners, we’re making adjustments to our response and opening timelines,” Rehn said via email. “Once we’ve established an official reopening date, we’ll be updating our website and social channels.”

As of January, Campus Recreation allows

Illustration By Aleah Green

students to reserve time slots at the South Fields Complex. This facility was closed for the winter session but will reopen Jan. 25. Students can reserve their time slot on Campus Recreation’s online portal.

Hansen said she has thought about going to reserve a time slot, but she would rather go on her own time.

Rehn said when the facilities eventually reopen, students can expect to see enhanced cleaning protocols, an additional separation between machines and the continuation of reserving workout times.

Saving money and budgeting is a large part of life for most college students. Hansen said the cost of a gym membership is a huge factor in choosing one and Clark said he has plans to get a part-time job to help pay for his additional expenses.

Hansen’s workout routine involves deadlifting, which makes it harder for her to find a gym that has those capabilities.

“I was really counting on going to the HLC to work out because I lived in the Honors College last year and they had [a fitness center], which was super nice,” Hansen said. “Since I don’t have a lot of weights or anything at home, it’s been kind of difficult for me to work out.”

Clark said finding fitness centers that have flexible hours is another obstacle he has to overcome.

“There are a lot of great aspects of my apartment gym, but it’s just because of COVID that it isn’t 24 hours like it usually would be,” Clark said.

However, Campus Recreation has made strides to incorporate exercise into the virtual space and be more accessible to everyone.

Rehn explained that Campus Recreation is offering virtual fitness opportunities, including Zoom classes and YouTube videos which will be available throughout the semester.

Rehn said NAU’s Wall Aquatic Center and Recreation Center tend to see an increase in visitor participation at the beginning of the semester and at the eightweek mark.

As students transition back into the routine of college life, individuals will have to be creative to find new ways to exercise while staying safe and simultaneously saving money. Through the pandemic there are still those who make both practical and hopeful resolutions, and those who are willing to put strength behind their goals.

FEATURES

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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CULTURE

Release your inner art Katelyn Rodriguez

‘Wonder Woman 1984’ is 2020’s final disappointment

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et me begin by talking about all the reasons why I loved 2017’s “Wonder Woman.” Diana Prince, played by Gal Gadot, has one of the most interesting origin stories mixing Greek mythology with the 1900s. The plot taking place during World War I was so different, while also commentating on war and why it exists. The elaborate, gritty fight scenes made me watch the movie over and over again. The film gave me hope that the DC Universe was not a lost cause.

However, this sequel goes in the complete opposite direction and against everything that made the first film a hit.

In “Wonder Woman 1984,” Diana finds herself KYLER in the colorful 1980s, but that tone is not consistent. I EDSITTY kept forgetting the film took place during this decade and was only reminded when I saw big hair and ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR breakdancing. The ’80s was not the right time to create a compelling narrative because it seems immature compared to the seriousness of the first film. The fact that there was a dressing room montage is inexcusable for a movie I had such high expectations for.

For a superhero movie, the plot is so unrealistic and that is saying a lot.

Wonder Woman must find a way to reverse wishes granted by an ancient stone that will ultimately lead to the apocalypse. However, this plot seems childish compared to the dark tone of the original.

The villains in this film are also extremely juvenile and forgettable.

Cheetah, played by Kristen Wiig, has the most typical origin story and is not menacing at all. This is unacceptable considering this is the Amazon’s archenemy. Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro Pascal, is a character that is so confusing to me. I don’t know if I should feel sorry for him or if I should see him as a terrible person. The villains are the best part of superhero films, and this plot did not do these characters justice.

The ending is probably the most disappointing part of the film. The villains are so easily defeated and the conflict is so quickly resolved. The final minutes are so cheesy, and when the credits rolled, my fellow viewers and I looked at one another in shock.

However, the acting is what made this movie somewhat watchable. I think Gadot is the perfect actor to play the iconic Wonder Woman and she executes the role flawlessly. Wiig was very convincing in her role, which I was initially skeptical about.

I understand the pandemic may have rushed the movie’s production and maybe the film would be more tolerable in theaters. I think all the actors did really well with what they were given and that is the film’s only redeeming quality. However, it’s hard to believe that this film is in the same universe as the first.

I’m glad I didn’t waste my money or risk catching a deadly virus by going to the movies to watch this. Just like perms and upturned collars, this film is better left forgotten.

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reative Spirits paint studio, located just off campus next to Chick-fil-A and Speedway gas station, is co-owned by NAU alumnae Stephanie Gerst and Keli Openshaw. The pair acquired the business after the former owner moved out of state, and they are going into their fifth year of operation. The studio also allows guests 21 and older to bring their own alcoholic beverages into the studio after 4 p.m. to enjoy during classes.

In March, the studio had to switch gears and go fully virtual to accommodate former Mayor Coral Evans’ emergency proclamation regarding the pandemic. The studio began offering paint classes via Zoom and are continuing to do so in addition to in-studio classes being held weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Gerst said a silver lining of going virtual has been the opportunity to bring back former artists who now live out of state to lead Zoom classes.

“We definitely identified a new need that we may keep even after most folks start to come back and want to do in-person events,” Gerst said in an email interview.

She said anyone in the country can sign up for the virtual classes listed on the Creative Spirits website and that virtual sessions can have a capacity of up to 98 households. If an individual wants to take part in a specific event but cannot attend during the designated time, a recording of the Zoom call is sent to everyone registered.

According to its website, participants in virtual sessions have the opportunity to register for a takehome kit when signing up for Zoom classes. These kits

come with a canvas, paint brushes and acrylic paint. All someone has to do after registering is call the studio to schedule a pickup time.

In terms of selecting artwork for each class, Gerst said she starts by looking through the variety of pieces they haven’t painted in a while before deciding if it can be taught to participants within a two-hour period.

NAU alumna Maddie Adams teaches virtual classes for children and adults at Creative Spirits. Adams said she found the studio during her time in Flagstaff searching for a creative outlet within the community, and has recently had the opportunity to reengage with the studio through teaching virtual sessions.

When teaching virtual classes, Adams said the only challenge comes in regard to music.

“From my perspective, the only challenge in teaching a virtual class is the lack of music due to copyright laws and poor audio,” Adams said via email. “Otherwise, I was rather surprised at how seamlessly this works.”

Adams also said she tries to keep participants engaged in her classes by keeping the conversation going throughout each session and by calling them by their names.

NAU graduate Destanee Reckeweg is another instructor at Creative Spirits. She said she began working at the studio when it first opened and was excited to have the opportunity to instruct classes.

“I went to school for painting, so I was very excited about instructing art classes and being able to apply my education in a professional setting,” Reckeweg said in an email interview.

Reckeweg said the implementation of virtual paint

Left: Alexis Garbrick and Chyna Kantaphone paint an image of the San Fransisco Peaks while led by instructor Andrea Barran

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CULTURE

tist at local buisness Creative Spirits classes was great because it has given the studio the ability to hold classes with over 50 participants — in-studio classes can accommodate up to 45 people. She also said they’ve been able to connect families from other cities and states through these sessions.

Teaching painting virtually is something Reckeweg said she hasn’t had a problem with despite inevitable connectivity or audio issues.

She also said she has had to modify a few aspects of how she teaches.

“This includes repeating steps more often because it’s a little harder to gauge where everyone is at in a painting virtually, since I cannot see their canvases,” Reckeweg said.

In addition to modifying her way of teaching, Reckeweg said she gives detailed instruction throughout each session and even provides participants with suggestions regarding modifications or things they can add to their art piece to personalize it. She also said she utilizes Zoom’s reaction feature in which those in the call can give feedback in the form of a thumbs up or down. This feature allows her to see where participants are in the painting process.

When it comes to keeping painters safe and socially distanced during weekly in-studio sessions, Gerst said they’ve developed a strict COVID-19 policy with the help of Openshaw, who works at Flagstaff Medical Center as a Senior Process Improvement Facilitator in the Care Transformation department.

“We have limited capacity for in-person painting events, in addition to setting up paint stations six feet apart,” Gerst said. “We clean all surfaces after being touched, encourage frequent hand washing and masks are required.”

Overall, Creative Spirits paint studio has found an effective way to keep artists and clientele safe during the COVID-19 pandemic through its wide variety of virtual sessions offered each month. Despite minor inconveniences that are bound to occur during online sessions, the artists at Creative Spirits are determined to keep each experience fun, engaging and personal for each aspiring artist.

ntes at the Creative Spirits paint night, Jan. 8. Right: Uriah De La Cruz inspects his painting of the San Fransisco Peaks at the Creative Spirits paint night, Jan. 8. Brian Burke | The Lumberjack

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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CULTURE

MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS: THE Top 10 albums of 2020 10 7

Kyler Edsitty 10. “Positions” — Ariana Grande In Grande’s sixth studio album and third album released in the last two years, she shows an explicit side of herself and it pays off. Ethereal tracks like “positions” and “34+35” make the listener want to bite their bottom lip. The final track “pov” is so vulnerable and is the perfect ending to the album. However, I’m still waiting for Grande to experiment more with her sound in future projects.

9. “Ungodly Hour” — Chloe x Halle I remember falling in love with this duo when I first heard “Forgive Me,” a single from Chloe x Halle’s second album. From their VMA performance, to the mixture of trap and pop, this album is simply beautiful and refreshing. Every track is heavenly in terms of their celestial lyrics and upbeat production. The title track “Ungodly Hour” sounds like what you would hear when

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you ascend to paradise. This album left me craving more from the sisters and I can’t wait for their next LP. 8. “Plastic Hearts” — Miley Cyrus I never knew I needed a Miley Cyrus and Stevie Nicks collaboration until I heard this album. In her seventh project, Cyrus proves to us how versatile she can be by transitioning from country to pop, and now rock music. The “Heart of Glass” and “Zombie” covers transport the listener back to the ’80s for a joy ride that was unexpected from Cyrus. Her gritty voice seems to be made for rock music and I’m anxiously waiting for more music like this from Cyrus.

7. “folklore” — Taylor Swift This folk album was the change Taylor Swift needed as she deviated from her overdone pop sound. I can only describe this album as a warm sweater on a cold fall morning. Everything about

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it whispers comfort and safety, but also makes the listener feel so vulnerable. The album imagery and every track is so beautiful, and this is replicated in her second 2020 release “evermore.”

6. “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞” — Kali Uchis This follow up to “Isolation” places a bigger emphasis on Spanish lyrics, but Kali Uchis sounds dreamier than ever. By mixing several genres like pop and trap music, and inspired by the ’60s and ’80s, this album creates a divine experience for listeners.

Uchis collaborates with Rico Nasty on “¡aquí yo mando!” to make a single that screams confidence and independence. Tracks like “de nadie” and “telepatía” are angelic and make me excited for future projects from the truly versatile artist.

5. “Good News” — Megan Thee Stallion It has been great to watch Megan’s rise to popularity and see her become one of the best rappers in recent years. This playful

CULTURE Album art courtesy of 10: Ariana Grande, 9: Chloe x Halle, 8: Miley Cyrus, 7: Taylor Swift, 6: Kali Uchis, 5: Megan Thee Stallion, 4: Lady Gaga, 3: The Weeknd, 2: Dua Lipa, 1: Charli XCX

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album has the potential to make anyone feel like a baddie. Tracks like “Body” and “Do It on the Tip” invoke self-confidence with fun lyrics. The most experimental track, “Don’t Stop,” is the coolest blend of rap and hyperpop, an experimental form of pop that draws inspiration from EDM music that I need more of immediately. Most of all, it’s amazing to see a young Black woman unapologetically take complete ownership of her sexuality — something that has been suppressed and taboo for years.

4. “Chromatica” — Lady Gaga After “Joanne” and the “A Star Is Born” soundtrack, Lady Gaga makes an explosive return to pop music with stunning imagery straight out of an “Alien” film. Gaga’s collaboration with Ariana Grande on “Rain On Me” was the perfect song to bring the girls and gays out of the quarantine slump. Gaga also reflects on her past and rise to stardom in the beautiful tracks “1000 Doves” and “Sine From Above.” This space odyssey of an album

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was the perfect follow-up to more subtle projects from Gaga.

3. “After Hours” — The Weeknd Despite being snubbed by the Grammys with no nominations, The Weeknd’s fourth studio album performed really well, opening with 221,000 streams and 275,000 copies sold. The album’s single “Blinding Lights” was also named 2020’s most streamed song with 1.6 billions streams, according to The Daily Mail. In this album, The Weeknd gives us a drawn-out narrative surrounding romance and drugs with unique visuals. As repetitive as these topics may seem, The Weekend’s mixture of synth-pop and devastating lyrics creates a new experience.

2. “Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa It’s such a shame this album was released during the pandemic because it was made for clubs. The perfect mix of modern pop with ’80s-inspired music was so refreshing and is what made me a

new Dua Lipa fan. She perfects electronic pop with “Levitating” and “Hallucinate,” while serving heartbreaking tracks like “Love Again.” All the music videos and visuals are also so stunning and give me the futuristic aesthetic that I crave.

1. “how i’m feeling now” — Charli XCX In an initial review, I talked about how this quarantine album was everything I needed in a pop record. Trendsetter Charli XCX launches what pop music can be into the future, an impressive feat considering it was entirely written and produced in a matter of weeks. Every track is full of texture and dreamy lyrics that set the bar for other artists. I think this album will become synonymous with quarantining and will be entertaining to revisit in the future.

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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SPORTS

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SPORTS

The NFL postseason is peak sports entertainment

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ighteen seconds.

This was how much time was left on the clock in the Week 17 game between the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans. The Titans got the ball back at their own 25yard line after the Texans tied the game at 38 on a field goal during the previous drive. With the Titans facing overtime, they had a critical decision to make: Do they kneel the ball and risk overtime in a game where they couldn’t stop Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, or do they go for the win with all three of their timeouts remaining?

With an AFC South title up for grabs, they decided to push the ball down the field. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill launched the ball to wide SEAN receiver A.J. Brown, who reeled it in at the CLARK Texans 22-yard line to set up kicker Sam WRITER Sloman’s game-winning 37-yard field goal.

The Titans won 41-38, winning the AFC South and setting up a showdown with the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round. If they had lost, they would’ve played the Buffalo Bills on the road instead.

This was one of many games during Week 17 that set the bracket for the NFL postseason. The drama to set up the participants and their seeding in the playoffs are peak entertainment in sports.

From Week 14 to 17 of every NFL regular season, many teams are jockeying for not only their postseason lives, but seeding. This allows many of the games on the schedule to have some playoff implications. After each result, the playoff scenarios update, allowing for new possibilities and storylines to emerge.

With the “Any Given Sunday” mantra, games with playoff implications are unpredictable, prompting fans to become nervous while watching other games that could affect their team. It is incredible to see the drama unfold, treating fans to many intense battles as the season winds down with the weather getting colder. While this can happen in the NHL, NBA and MLB, what makes those fall short is the sheer amount of games played, and the lack of clinching scenarios and games on the final day of the regular season.

Another reason the NFL’s playoff race is so great is the TV channel known as NFL RedZone. When playoff races heat up, energetic host Scott Hanson constantly updates the scenarios and seedings in real time as games with implications occur simultaneously.

Watching NFL RedZone during Week 17 was an enjoyable experience for many, and a reminder of why NFL playoff races are so entertaining every year. With the unpredictability, any of the 16 games can have a major impact on the postseason, whether it’s for seeding or to reach the playoffs. This helps catalyze the best part of the sports calendar — January football.

A young IceJacks fan bangs on the window at the rink of Jay Lively Activity Center, Nov. 6, 2016.

Erin Twarogal | The Lumberjack

2020-21 season axed for IceJacks Kristen Chancellor

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he NAU IceJacks are a club sport on campus created by students who grew up with love and passion for hockey.

This club consists of two teams at the Division II and Division III levels. The club has existed since 1971 and has boasted wins over ASU and UA, and produced four former NHL players in Brent Mowery, Tony Fairfield, Glen Engevik and Doug Alan.

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait until the 2021-22 academic year to cheer the IceJacks on. The hopes of a season were dashed Dec. 2, 2020 when general manager Kris Walsh announced the cancellation of the 2020-21 season. He wrote a tweet on the Division II team’s Twitter page, emphasizing the regret of canceling the 2020-21 hockey season.

This club is one of the most popular at NAU as it is known to advertise and create a buzz around the community. Sophomore Ashley McCollister remembers hearing about the team through interactions with the passionate players.

“During my freshman year, the players would come and talk to us in the residence halls to promote the game,” McCollister

said. “It was cool because I didn’t know we had a hockey team, and you could tell the players were passionate about fans being in attendance.”

Players want to make sure fans know they are important to the games. With NAU not playing on campus, it makes it difficult for students to attend. Senior Jordan Nolan, captain of the Division II team, said the team got feedback from fans about the club not being on campus.

“We heard a lot of complaints from students about the commute to our games, since a lot of students do not have cars and our rink is just out of walking distance,” Nolan said. “I think that if we got our rink on campus, we would get a lot more fans at our home games, and this support would bring in better players.”

Nolan has played for the IceJacks throughout college and has played hockey since he was 4 years old.

The on-campus ice rink is something Nolan said he has heard about since the start of his college career and something he has lost hope of happening due to COVID-19. In January 2020, construction for the rink resumed, but the onset of the pandemic paused construction once more.

JANUARY 14, 2021 – JANUARY 20, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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SPORTS Concept art of the proposed on-campus ice rink in the University Union Fieldhouse courtesy of the Arizona Daily Sun

“COVID-19 ruined these plans and now it seems that these plans are still up in the air,” Nolan said. “I think that playing on campus would help take this program to the next level.”

While the IceJacks wish they could play on campus, they currently have a rink in Flagstaff willing to host them. The Jay Lively Activity Center is home to the IceJacks and has maintained this connection for many years. However, due to the pandemic the rink has shut down all practices and left the IceJacks without a home.

Without a rink and with NAU restricting clubs from practicing, a focus on the season is difficult for the teams.

Ryan Harr, head coach of the Division III team, said he senses the struggle for the team and hopes something will happen soon, but until it does, they are in a long waiting game for news of a possible season.

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“Many other American Collegiate Hockey Association teams have at least begun practicing, but we are handcuffed currently by both the university and our home rink.”

– Ryan Harr, Division III IcEJacks Head Coach “Many other American Collegiate Hockey Association teams have at least begun practicing, but we are handcuffed currently by both the university and our home rink,” Harr said.

According to the IceJacks’ schedule, the two teams would be in the middle of the season and prepping for the playoffs in the early weeks of March, if not for the cancellation of the season.

The pandemic has also affected the IceJacks’ ability to work out and practice. Being able to meet in person does have

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the benefits of creating team chemistry, but until the pandemic subsides, the team has to remain separate.

For Nolan, he has passed time in small workout groups or exercising outside of hockey.

“Currently, I have a membership at Summit Health and Fitness and have been using that,” Nolan said. “While the gyms were closed, my friend Bridger Hershey has been running small group workouts with some of his friends. His workouts were a huge help in staying in shape while being able to get some social interaction.”

For now, the NAU IceJacks are in a wait-and-see environment with the season canceled and no practices planned.

According to a Facebook post from the team, they will be holding spring camps to recruit players for the 2021-22 season.

Photo of Elle Kocourkova courtesy of NAU Athletics

Elle Kocourkova’s overseas obstacle Tyler Magee

T

he COVID-19 pandemic affected the NAU golf team a lot more than just postponing the season. Students had the choice to continue their education in Flagstaff, but many international students, such as junior Elle Kocourkova, were unable to make it back to the United States for school.

Kocourkova returned to her home in Hřebeč, Czech Republic when the pandemic hit the U.S. in March 2020. The Big Sky Conference canceled all spring 2020 athletic competition at that time. Like many student-athletes, Kocourkova watched her sophomore season vanish right in front of her.

On Aug. 13, 2020, the Big Sky suspended all fall 2020 athletics.

“I knew it was going to be tough if we had a season because I knew we have so many international players that probably wouldn’t be able to get here,” NAU golf head coach Brad Bedortha said.

Kocourkova said this gave her a difficult choice to make.

“I was trying to decide if I was going to come back to the U.S. or stay here [Czech Republic], and when the season got

canceled, I was pretty sure I was going to stay here,” Kocourkova said.

She explained being away from the team and not being a part of in-person practices brought their own challenges — one of which was practicing by herself.

“There is no one pushing forward to do things like go to the gym or the golf course,” Kocourkova said. “When I am actually on the golf course, I can spend the time really well.”

However, while being away from the team, she hasn’t been completely alone at practice. Kocourkova is a coach for players ranging from ages 15 to 18 in the Czech Republic.

She normally holds three lessons a day, but due to winter approaching and COVID-19 restrictions, she is coaching just five lessons a week.

“They really listen to me and really want to get better,” Kocourkova said. “It’s very rewarding when I can teach something that I love to do and I can see that they love it, too.”

Although school has been completely online for her, she finds ways to stay busy throughout her day. She said school hasn’t been as difficult as she thought being away from campus.

Kocourkova said she begins her day with online classes, then

hits the golf course. In the afternoon, her days tend to be routine.

She said she makes her days less repetitive by staying in contact with her friends.

Whether she was playing golf with her friends or bingewatching shows on Netflix, her days did not change much because the golf courses stayed open throughout the pandemic. She said this allowed her to continue to stay in touch with her game.

During the summer, she played in three tournaments to stay in shape for the upcoming season. Although she was still competing, it wasn’t the same without her teammates and being away Flagstaff.

“I am really excited for the different schedule of my day because right now I can do whatever I want and I am the boss of my day,” Kocourkova said. “When I get back, everything will be planned and scheduled. I will know exactly what I will be doing in January and February.”

With a new year here and spring sports on the horizon, NAU golf is currently prepping for a season that is scheduled to begin Feb. 15 at the Rebel Beach Intercollegiate in Las Vegas.

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