The Lumberjack -- March 23, 2017

T H E L U MBE R JAC K

MARCH 23, 2017 - MARCH 29, 2017

200 M ILLION YEARS YO UNG

PAGE 14

From the Editor

Online at JackCentral.org

Spring is finally here! I don’t know about you but after the snow and cold, I am definitely ready for warmer weather. I know to some people, especially those who aren’t from Flagstaff, 60 degrees is not warm. But to those of us who know the joys of living in Flagstaff, 60 degrees is most definitely warm.

Now after spending my spring break in Southern California and Scottsdale where the weather was a constant 90 degrees, I was sad to be leaving that and coming back to what I thought was colder weather. But once I got back, I remembered that Flagstaff doesn’t abide by the laws of nature. Because here, 60 degrees is shorts-and-sandals weather.

But I didn’t always have this mindset. When I first arrived in Flagstaff four years ago, I didn’t think it was warm, in fact it was quite the opposite. Coming from California, that temperature calls for jeans and a sweatshirt. But living here for four years changes that. Now, when I wake up and look at the weather, I get excited if it’s projected to get above 60 degrees. Because that means I can wear that cute pair of sandals that have been neglected over the winter months or that sundress that hasn’t seen the light of day since October. When the weather is 60 degrees, Flagstaff can be a magical place.

But then I walk outside, get knocked over by the wind and my attitude changes.

RACHEL The winds that torment Flagstaff residents are horrid. In California, I DEXTER thought the springtime Santa Ana winds were the worst. But then I came to MANAGING Flagstaff and I realized the Santa Ana’s were a breeze compared to Flagstaff wind.

EDITOR Literally. Walking to class at an angle so you don’t tip over should be an easy task but it’s actually pretty difficult. You have to walk leaning forward so much that you’re not knocked over but not so much that you make yourself trip and fall on your face. I’ve seen a person riding a bike who got knocked over by the wind like they got hit by a wrecking ball. Mother Nature will give us warm weather, but then like some cruel joke, she adds these winds that makes that sundress you thought was a good idea turn into a very bad idea, very quickly.

But in reality, I’ll take warm weather with wind over 3 feet of snow and below-freezing temps any day. And besides, we still get to see that beautiful view of the San Francisco Peaks, even if our hair is blown in our face every time we try to look at it.

Thank you for reading.

LJ

Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313

lumberjack@nau.edu P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011

VOL 104 ISSUE 9

Managing Editor Rachel Dexter Faculty Advisor, Visuals Jennifer Swanson

Director of Visuals Jacqueline Castillo Sales Manager Marsha Simon

Student Media Center Editorial Board Director of Photography Halie Chavez Director of Illustration Alanna Secrest Copy Chief Hannah Noelle Cook News Editor Sunday Miller

-eric o’connell, Assistant Professor of practice, 2017

Eric O’Connell shares his university experience and answers the question about higher education “Is it worth it?” To view the first part of the video series, visit jackcentral.org. Andrew Holt Frazier | The Lumberjack

T H E LU MBE R JACK

Editor-in-Chief Scott Buffon Faculty Advisor Mary Tolan

“If you can at all figure out a way to afford [college] without the loan part, go that route.”

Asst. News Editor Conor Sweetman Sports Editor Peter Kersting

Asst. Features Editor Makenna Lepowsky Culture Editor Kari Scott

Asst. Sports Editor Lance Hartzler

Asst. Culture Editor Darrion Edwards

Director of Multimedia Gabriel Granillo

Features Editor Ariel Cianfarano

Opinion-Editorial Editor Emma Helfrich

Print Chief Matthew Strissel

Asst. Opinion-Editorial Editor Elizabeth Wendler Director of Social Media Allysia Lara

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On the cover The Petrified Forest National Park is located about 110 miles east of Flagstaff and covers roughly 230 square miles of canyons.

Aaron Fortin | The Lumberjack

Corrections & Clarifications In the sports section March 9, a sidebar was referenced but not included.

The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Scott Buffon at swb53@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat March. 6 At 12:49 p.m., Parking and Shuttle Services reported a loud noise in the area near the Chemistry building. NAUPD responded, and everything was fine.

March 7 At 10:34 p.m., staff in McConnell Hall reported a domestic violence incident.

NAUPD and Victim Witness responded. A student was arrested for aggravated assault, criminal damage and a minor in consumption. The investigation is ongoing.

medical transport, another was cited and released for minor in consumption, and a third was booked into the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Jail for a minor in consumption.

March 12 At 12:57 p.m., NAUPD made a traffic stop in the area of Knoles and University drives.

They cited the subject for driving on a suspended license, no insurance and for running a red light.

COMPILED BY CONOR SWEETMAN At 5:48 p.m., an NAUPD officer provided a student escort from the Aquatics and Tennis Complex to the Health and Learning Center.

March 16 At 12:22 p.m., an NAUPD officer contacted a driver who was parked in the roadway at Beaver Street and University Drive. The driver was asked to avoid parking there in the future.

At 1:17 p.m., an NAUPD March 13 officer was giving stickers At 10:14 a.m., an NAUPD to a 6-year-old off campus.

March 8 officer provided directions Everything was adorable.

At 10:26 p.m., a student to lost motorists at the San reported a suspicious subject Francisco Parking Garage.

March 17 climbing a tree near the North Everything was fine.

At 4:58 a.m., custodial Quad. NAUPD responded staff in the Applied Research but no criminal activity was At 7:29 p.m., staff in and Development building witnessed.

Cowden Hall reported the odor reported a door was left open. of marijuana in the building. NAUPD checked the area March 9 An NAUPD officer found a and found nothing out of the At 9:20 p.m., staff in South student and a subject with ordinary.

Village Apartments reported a marijuana and cited both for student trespassing. NAUPD possession of the substance.

At 10:15 a.m., an responded. The student was NAUPD officer reported arrested for an outstanding March 14 a skateboarder near the warrant and trespassing.

At 8:26 a.m., a staff intersection of Knoles member in the Chemistry and McCreary drives. The March 10 building reported the smell skateboarder was trespassing At 2:29 a.m., NAUPD of gas. FFD and an NAUPD campus wide and was asked stopped a bicyclist at Beaver officer responded but were to leave the area.

Street and Ellery Avenue for unable to find any leaks. riding without headlamps. The March 18 bicyclist was given a verbal At 3 p.m., staff in Pine At 4:26 p.m., a student warning.

Ridge Village reported an reported a subject lying on alarm sounding. Fire Life and the ground outside the ARD At 6:11 a.m., custodial Safety responded to the call and building. An NAUPD officer, staff in the High Country found the alarm was caused by FFD and a GMT ambulance Conference Center reported a defective detector. responded and found the multiple subjects throwing subject to be in good health. snow off the roof of the parking At 10:36 p.m., an The subject was asked to leave garage. NAUPD contacted NAUPD officer responded campus, and he complied. four students and told them to to a traffic problem at not throw snow. The students University and Runke drives.

March 19 complied.

The officer removed a rogue At 1:52 a.m., NAUPD shopping cart from the street. made a traffic stop in the March 11 Everything was fine.

San Francisco Parking At 2:04 a.m., an NAUPD Garage. The officers cited a officer reported witnessing a March 15 student for driving under the bicycle accident off campus.

At 5 p.m., an NAUPD influence, extreme DUI of NAUPD, FFD and a GMT officer assisted in locking up .15 and a stop-sign violation. ambulance responded to the Peterson Hall. incident. One student refused

NEWS

Brother Jed faces protests from NAU students Joey Postiglione On March 20, Brother Jed Smock and his religious group, the Campus Ministry USA, came to NAU preaching inflammatory language.

Campus Ministry USA and Smock are infamous around the nation for preaching at college campuses. The ministry’s message is one of anti-LGBT, anti-alcohol and anti-drug.

Unlike other ministries on college campuses, Smock’s group purposefully uses inflammatory language such as “Stop the war on the anus” and “Slut” to attract groups of people around them.

“Well our ministry thrives on conflict. And wherever Jesus went, there was conflict, and people say what are these people arguing about?” said Smock. “It gets people’s attention, so if no one protested, we’d probably have about maybe a third of the people we do today. So, though they might be opposing us, it’s really helpful to us in the long run in getting our message out.”

Smock’s group at NAU consisted of his wife, Sister Cindy and Brother Mikhail, one of Smock’s Evangelist students.

“We started around 11. Students slowly gathered, but it was going strong by 11:45,” Smock said.

The growing crowd of students and faculty asked the preachers what they considered sin at NAU. “What are these sinners guilty of? Well, they don’t love Jesus Christ, and there are homosexuals here, drunkards and party animals, and that just ain’t Christian,” said Mikhail.

NAU students gathered together like many of the students at other universities across the country to protest Campus Ministry USA’s language and values.

“I think that’s really cool that we are all going against this one guy because he’s bashing [LGBT students],” said sophomore fitness and wellness major Devon Garner. “I think it’s cool that they’re defending each other” The heated debate that transpired between Smock and Mikhail, and the students also inspired some positivity in an environment one student described as “filled with animosity.”

Freshman biology major Morgan Coker climbed onto one of the concrete terraces by the

University Union and called her parents to inform them of her sexuality. Coker was cheered on by the protesting crowd.

“When I was in the middle of talking to [Smock], I left, and I came out to my family and I came back,” said Coker. “The thing is with all the negativity surrounding this situation, it brings in positivity, so the amount of support given by everyone else makes up for the negativity and they can’t get rid of that. They can’t fight the fact that we do love ourselves and we love who we are no matter what. They can’t fight that no matter how much they say God doesn’t love us and all that.”

Despite the commotion Smock and his group purposefully created, they had approval to be on campus according to NAUPD. “This was an approved registration for a religious group to come on campus and demonstrate their freedom of speech,” said NAUPD officer Dillon Jenkins. “They came onto campus, and they have just been talking about the different things that they believe in and what they’re trying to do and helping people is what they’re saying. The crowd ... started getting a little out of control, so Student Life at the Union called us to help just make sure to keep their crowd under control.”

There were other religious student ministries near Smock to counter-protest his way of preaching like the Canterbury Episcopal Campus Ministry and Lutheran Campus Ministry.

The chaplain for the Episcopal Campus Ministry Brad Eubanks, who has met Smock before at Texas State University, worries about the effect his harsh words could have on students.

“At first, it’s this idea that it’s street theater, and it’s kind of humorous. But I have also seen people get hurt,” said Eubanks. “I’ve seen him in the past pointing at women as they walk by, calling them sluts and whores and telling them they are burning in Hell. For some people, they can brush that off. For other people, that stays with them. Even a stranger saying that, that stings.”

Eubanks, who has been a chaplain for the past four years, said this is the first time he has seen Smock and his group at NAU. As Mikhail packed up, he told one the protesters that all of the protests just meant Smock and his group would have to come back to NAU. Additional reporting by MaryAnn Witt and Will Inkhet

Left: Evangelical speaker Jed Smock talks to students March 20 at the University Union. A large crowd of students gathered during midday to protest his inflammatory speech. Right: A crowd fills the University Union amphitheater to listen to Smock talk about religion. Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

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NEWS

City Council vote supports indigenous land and communities

A crowd of about 40 people turned out for a “last stand” against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), in a rally organized

by Defund DAPL Flagstaff. The Flagstaff City Council voted March 21 in support of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, indigenous communities and their sacred sites. Ryan Vanderpool | The Lumberjack

In Flagstaff, the lawn of City Hall has been a longtime hotspot for protests.

Protesters Dave Russell and Mary Ann Cain attended the protest to support indigenous water rights. Ryan Vanderpool | The Lumberjack

Despite public protests and support from the Obama administration to halt construction, President Donald Trump passed a bill to move the DAPL construction forward. Ryan Vanderpool | The Lumberjack

Protester and organizer Jody Clemens stands behind defunding big banks.

Many DAPL protesters fight to protect indigenous water rights and the pipeline’s impact on the environment. Ryan Vanderpool | The Lumberjack

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NEWS

Women engineers address inclusiveness in restrooms and STEM Halie Chavez The Society of Women Engineers has started leaving menstrual-hygiene products in the restrooms of the Engineering building.

“It’s part of our community service, a part of our commitment to anything that can make life better for all students in engineering, specifically,” said treasurer Daniel’le DeVoss. “We want to take it campus wide.”

Menstrual-hygiene products are taxed with the normal sales tax, placing them in the category of non-necessary items. Feminists argue that they are not a luxury and hope to elevate these products as a necessity.

“Most people, as far as I know, don’t bring their toilet paper everywhere they go,” DeVoss said. “This is just another bodily function that we actually have a little less control over, so it doesn’t make sense.”

However, making menstrualhygiene products readily available to students is not only about the convenience. The group hopes to make a statement about gender and inclusiveness.

“We’ve also expanded to the male restrooms because the group supports diversity in the broadest sense, and we want to make sure everyone is covered with this program,” said president Mellisa Yin. “We’re working to be trans-inclusive, which is why we want them in all bathrooms.”

The group has faced some resistance to leaving the products in the men’s restroom. About the third week after the program’s launch, a bucket of products went missing. While DeVoss believes they may have been stolen, it is unclear what happened to the products.

Despite the missing products, the program has been utilized by restroom patrons. The bowls of products are being refilled at least once a week and have been found by group officers to be consistently emptied. In the first two weeks, Yin filled the restrooms with 50 tampons and 50 pads, compared to the hundreds of students who utilize three sets of bathrooms.

The lack of the dispensers in the restrooms has created the void the group

seeks to fill themselves, and the officers do not understand why the university does not provide these products.

“Imagine being in an engineering class where maybe you’re the only girl in the class. You know, you might just have better luck going home … I think NAU doesn’t include them because women get overlooked so often, and there’s a taboo around periods in our society in general,” DeVoss said.

“And it’s not just NAU,” Yin said.

“I think we’ve just seen this across the board — they’re not provided, they’re taxed despite being a necessity for women. So hopefully this will spread the word and we can get this everywhere.”

NAU claims the budget no longer allows them to provide menstrualhygiene products.

“Most (if not all) restrooms on campus no longer carry these supplies, and our custodial staff no longer stock and maintain machines for menstrual-hygiene products due to budget considerations,” said NAU spokesperson Kimberly Ott. “I don’t see why NAU, which is supposed to be a public state university, wouldn’t take care of the needs of over half their population,” said sociology graduate student Sian Mahl. “I don’t know what kind of message that sends.”

The group is a small campus organization that sustains their program solely on donations. Yin and DeVoss hope the program will continue to grow.

“Overall it just sends the message that you matter here, you exist, and we’re acknowledging you. Historically STEM hasn’t been the most inclusive field,” said DeVoss.

The women hope that by menstrual products more available for those in the Engineering building, they will spread a message of inclusiveness within NAU’s science community.

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Top: Arizona is one of the states that taxes menstrual-hygiene products. The products, placed in NAU’s Engineering building, are taxed under general sales tax, which is often referred to as a luxury tax because tampons are considered non-necessities. Bottom: Mellisa Yin, the president of the Society of Women Engineers (left), and Daniel’le DeVoss, the treasurer (right), hope they share a message of inclusiveness in STEM by providing menstrual products.

Halie Chavez | The Lumberjack

NEWS

Councilmember Charlie Odegaard sits alone during recess after casting the sole vote against the amendment to slow the rate of minimum wage increase. Scott Sandon | The Lumberjack

Flagstaff City Council passes amendment to minimum wage Scott Sandon Flagstaff City Councilmember Charlie Odegaard was the singular vote against the city’s minimum wage amendment, as it passed 6-1 March 21.

Odegaard entered the chamber four minutes late for the city council meeting. As he spoke, his hands were visibly shaking.

“I’ll start off since all eyes are kind of looking at me anyways,” said Odegaard, who was the first councilmember of the night to discuss the amendment.

Flagstaff voters passed Proposition 414 by 54 percent in November 2016, to raise the minimum wage in the city to $15 an hour by 2021. Proposition 414 would have changed the minimum wage to $12 an hour July 1 but the amendment will instead raise the minimum wage to $10.50 an hour by the same date.

The November election also saw Arizona’s state minimum wage increase to $10 per hour with the passing of Proposition 206. Feb. 14, Flagstaff City Council voted to draft an amendment to Proposition 414 that would increase the minimum wage by smaller amounts, starting with $10.50 an hour July 1.

The amendment would also increase the city’s final minimum wage to $15.50 an hour by 2022 instead of $15 by 2021.

In the Flagstaff City Council meeting March 7, it appeared as though Odegaard, who was undecided on the amendment, would cast the deciding vote during the March 21 meeting.

One of the concerns Odegaard voiced in previous meetings regarding the amendment was the possibility that it may violate Arizona’s

Voter Protection Act. The Arizona Voter Protection Act is an amendment to the Arizona Constitution that requires “three-fourths [of a legislative body] to amend measure, to supersede measure, or to transfer funds designated by the measure, and only if each furthers the purpose of the measure.”

After many public speakers, including members of Flagstaff’s disabled and business communities, the city council entered a period of intense debate. Councilmember Eva Putzova put forth a motion to postpone the vote on the amendment until May 23, but later withdrew her motion.

Councilmembers eventually voted on the amendment at approximately 7:30 p.m., with councilmember Scott Overton changing his vote from a confident ‘no’ to a reluctant ‘yes.’

Odegaard was the only councilmember to vote against the amendment despite being the swing vote in the previous meeting. The 6-1 vote fulfilled the legislative criteria of the threefourths vote known as a supermajority, thus passing the amendment.

“The advice we received from our attorney [inspired his decision to vote no],” said Odegaard.

Overton switched from a vote against the amendment to one in favor of it, which surprised many and was enough to pass the amendment regardless of Odegaard’s vote against. The results of the vote pleased many Flagstaff residents who were present at the meeting stood and applauded when the results of the six to one decision were announced.

To view the full story, visit jackcentral.org.

M ARCH 23, 2017 - M ARCH 29, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 7

COMIC SPOT

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OPINION-EDI TOR IAL

Updating technologies: is the switch worth the price?

KAITLYN MUNSIL

The need to buy new technology when a device or console is broken is understandable.

But until that point, it’s just a waste of money.

If a person were to continuously buy the best and newest technology, they would be paying thousands, if not millions, of dollars over their lifetime.

Technology has an expiration date because of the way it’s made. This is the reason new technology is evolving. However, it’s done so at quite a high price.

One of the newest game consoles that has been released is the Nintendo Switch. It was released March 3 for $300. I enjoy gaming, but there’s no way I could spend that kind of money right now.

The whole purpose of this game console is ridiculous anyway. The concept of multifunctional gaming is the last thing this generation needs.

However, one of the main issues with game console is that $300 does not sound like a bad price at first glance. But after adding up any extra controllers, charging docs, games and car

adapters it adds a few extra hundred dollars to the total price. The problem with this is gamers already have controllers, charging docs, games, car adapters and all those other things for all of the old game consoles. But they don’t work for these new devices.

Nintendo, other gaming companies and even phone manufacturers are so profitable because they make a new product and then all of the accessories for it must be updated along with it. The chargers for it don’t work for any other phone or game, and the games for the new consoles are different from the older ones.

Companies shouldn’t do this to people because there’s already the expense of buying a new device and replacing it if it breaks. Why should we have to keep buying new devices in order to play the newer games?

At home, I have a PlayStation 2, Wii and Xbox 360, all of which still function properly.

The problem with the PlayStation 2 is no new games are released for it. I am stuck with the games I already have or purchasing pre-owned games that might not work.

This isn’t only applicable to game consoles.

It’s also applicable to cell phones and any other

technology people use on a daily basis. The most recent cell phone released by Apple was the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. The phones cost anywhere from $650 to $750 through Apple, depending on the amount of storage space.

Thankfully, with these cell phones, it comes with the charger and earbuds. However, this price excludes phone cases, which can not be the same from any previous phone because it won’t fit. Thanks for changing the shape, Apple!

Gaming and phone companies should be more understanding. They should make new devices with the same chargers, games and accessories as the older devices in order to allow for a cheaper expense.

Purchasing a new technological device is situational.

Not everyone will be

able to purchase them even when they need one or if they simply want one. College students especially can’t afford to purchase every new game console or every game.

This Nintendo Switch release has been one step too far for me. All the game consoles we have had until this point have been great.

This one seems to be another reason to spend more time on technology rather than interacting with other people.

As long as they’re working, keep those game consoles you have and use them.

Who needs those new ones? It will just waste your money because more and more new ones will be released.

No one will be able to keep up with the latest and greatest technology no matter how illustration by alanna secrest hard they try.

Providing a new perspective on perspective-shifting drugs PETER WRIGHT

In the 1970s, the federal government passed the Controlled Substances Act that effectively classified psychadelics as schedule 1 controlled substances, which holds immense legal consequences for possession, distribution or production. The ban on drugs under the category of psychedelics made it more difficult and risky for people to obtain them.

This legal action was by and large the result of the government reacting to a cultural movement that conflicted with the mainstream ideal of American life and behavior in the 1960s.

Within this Act, it also made it nearly impossible for academic institutions to study their properties and possible benefits in a controlled environment. These drugs could hold very real benefits for people who desperately need them. Although they were used recreationally, there was little opportunity to study their effects through a scientific lens.

During the Baby Boomer generation of the 1960s, psychedelic drugs became a staple of youth and counter-cultural communities.

In fact, the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health doesn’t show much difference

intergenerationally in usage of psychedelics.

“Overall rates of lifetime psychedelic use are roughly the same among the ‘baby boomers’ and younger adults,” the researchers said of their collected data.

These drugs could hold very real benefits for people who desperately need them.

Many people describe using psychedelics as a very effective way of expanding the mind and gaining a new perspective on their own experiences, leading to a heightened or improved sense of self that extends long after the drugs wear off. Recent scientific studies being done in foreign countries have been able to obtain a more in-depth idea of the benefits psychedelics offer, which so far show promise in the treatment of conditions such as alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression and anxiety.

With the recent legalization of recreational

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and medicinal marijuana throughout the states, scientists and doctors are regaining interest in how psychedelic drugs may actually be sources of great medical advancement.

One such researcher is professor David Nutt who has dedicated his life and career to studying the benefits of psychedelic drugs. Nutt has published 400 research papers, 27 books and eight government reports on the subject.

Nutt explained how clinical use of psychedelics may realistically work as a treatment of addiction and depression in the future.

“I imagine that you’d come to a clinic to get your treatment — a single-dose therapy that would give you a profound change lasting for months,” said Nutt. “With depression, people can see how long they can go without feeling anxious and when the depression starts to creep up again, they would come back in, too.”

It of course goes without saying, but let’s say it anyway: It’s absolutely not advisable to use psychedelics in an attempt to treat mental illness independently. Predisposition to depression, anxiety, PTSD or any other mental illness could easily cause extremely negative consequences. All clinical trials and studies were held by professionals in controlled, manageable

environments to ensure the safety of the patients going through such a clinical trial.

Attempting to treat mental illness by yourself with psychedelics could very well leave long-lasting and immensely harmful results to a person’s psychological state.

That being said, the notion that laws can dictate public opinion more than hard science is ridiculous. We live in a time when drugs such as Xanax or Adderall are viable options to treat mental illness even though they are extremely addictive and have been known to bring serious harm to people when used incorrectly.

Psychedelics, on the other hand, are not at all addictive and are effective when used one time instead of as a consistent prescription, showing extreme promise to become a future staple of psychiatric work. It’s important to maintain an open mind and not allow cultural stigmas to create an environment where even academic professionals are unable to further explore such substances.

Psychedelics have, and will continue to bring, positive changes to the lives of millions of individuals worldwide. With luck, these positive changes will become more easily and safely accessible in the years to come.

OPINION-EDI TOR IAL

When religion ceased to contribute to my health and happiness OPHELIA SMITH

I first started distancing myself from this God when my family moved away from my grandparents. My parents weren’t nearly as dedicated to their religion as my grandparents were, so going to church slowly became a thing of the past. Yet, over time, I still tried to uphold any beliefs I had by going to church, bible studies and small groups with my friends, regardless of what religion they were.

I felt as if I had a duty to attend church and hold onto my religious beliefs, whether or not I wanted to.

My senior year of high school, I realized I was not doing this to get closer to God or gain a better relationship with Him; I was doing this out of fear. I had this subtle fear that maybe Hell truly did exist, and my lack of church-going and praying would send me there to burn for eternity. But even more than that, I feared the religious people in my life.

I was scared of my friends, my extremely religious family members and even the man I was in a relationship with. I had no idea how they would react to my failure to believe in something that meant so much to them.

I was scared they would be disappointed, that they would judge me or even slander me for giving up on this idea that there was some God in charge of my life and what happened after it.

Even today, after I’ve fully accepted I no longer believe in a God or consider myself religious, I’m scared to admit it to some people.

My fear of judgement is the reason I have to sit behind a computer screen and type this under a pen name. I’m trying to avoid being attacked by those whose biggest motto is to “Love thy neighbor.”

To be quite honest, the reason I chose to abandon Christianity and all its branches is because I truly do try to love and respect all of the people I encounter. I don’t like to exclude or judge anyone, and though people try to deny it, the beliefs of Christianity try to force me to do just that.

Over time, religion has proven to only be exclusive, never empowering and uplifting. A majority of times anyone recited a Bible verse to me, it wasn’t to comfort me or help me through my problems.

Instead, Bible verses have been used to degrade me. The Bible is too often used to inflict hate on gay people and to slut-shame and berate

women. I scarcely hear verses that make me feel than I did unity. Upholding these standards had safe and loved. no positive impact for me, so I left those beliefs It’s almost always the opposite. Throughout and ideas behind. the course of my life, I grew tired of being Now I sometimes struggle to figure out attacked by a religion that was what I really do believe. But I don’t feel the supposed to make me feel need to know. I am comfortable with safe. I was pushed not knowing what is beyond this further and further life because I have chosen from the beliefs of to focus on the life I am Christianity. currently living.

I I have made the acknowledge decision to serve the fact religion myself and appeal to brings people my own happiness together and and the happiness motivates some to of others rather than be better in their rules written out for me day-to-day lives. too many years ago. I no longer However, in my feel the need to change myself and personal experience, my personality to comply with I was motivated to any ancient book that tells be a better person me certain parts of me are even without the unacceptable. threat of being sent to I had to make a burn in the afterlife. decision between my I saw more division due to own happiness and the difference in beliefs and religion illustration by alanna secrest Bible. I chose me.

Contemporary feminist movements cater only to privileged women ALIE WILKINS

The world celebrated International Women’s Day or, as it was dubbed this year, “A Day Without Women.” March 8, in 50 countries across the world, women took their sick days, got their shifts covered or simply didn’t show up to work for a one-day strike. This strike was intended to make a statement about just how important women are, even if they aren’t paid the same wages as the men who came to work that day.

This is another movement organized by the same group of people who put on the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration. The strike was aimed at bringing awareness to reproductive rights, violence against women and equal pay. Thousands of companies were impacted by the absence of their female employees and some schools across the country closed their doors because so many of their female teachers requested the day off. In fact, the entire Prince George’s County Public School district in Maryland gave students, and most importantly women, the day off.

While this was a nice sentiment from the Maryland schools, other women weren’t so lucky.

Those of us who work for our rent and grocery money or who have families depending on us or who don’t have sick days to use up weren’t able to participate in this day. This begs the question: Was it really a day without women? Or was it a day without the privileged women who are lucky enough to be able to skip a day of work?

Female students were especially affected by this because, not only can we not leave work, we also can’t just skip class. As cool as it is, a day without women is not a federally recognized holiday, which means our professors are not going to take this as an excused absence. This leaves a huge population of women who weren’t represented in this strike.

While there were other ways to participate in the strike that were offered up instead of not working, nothing made the same statement as absence would have. Women were encouraged to wear red in solidarity with the movement, donate to women’s organizations and show their support on social media.

There are a lot of problems with western feminism right now, and this years’ International Women’s Day was just an example of a bigger issue: Our current feminism is not feminism for every woman. This is feminism for the woman

who is a partner at a law firm in New York City.

This is not feminism for the single, working mother of three. Active feminism on a global scale should not just be available for those who are privileged enough to participate because if we start to divide among ourselves, the entire movement will crumble.

There was already a lot of public attention being drawn against the women’s march in January for their neglect of women belonging to minority groups. Transgender women especially did not feel included in or welcomed at the Women’s March on Washington.

The problem then continued when those women who got to strike two weeks ago turned around and told the women who couldn’t that they weren’t doing enough. Feminism should be a global movement of all women, not a way to put other women down.

The feminism I grew up with was never about who could do it better. It was about making sure that, someday, our daughters could grow up and never know about what it was like to not be equal to a man. Somewhere along the way, we lost track of the movement and got caught up in the competition: who could be the best feminist, hashtag the most, go to the most

protests or be Lena Dunham’s biggest fan.

“A Day Without Women” only widened that gap. What we should be focusing on is the acts of feminism each individual woman can do. Maybe the single mother of three can’t go on strike, but she can stop supporting businesses that are paying their female employees less, and that’s OK. The partner in New York can donate a lot of money to a women’s charity, and that’s just as OK. We need to find a way to create feminism for all women and work towards a world in which we don’t need one day to be International Women’s Day because everyday should be International Women’s Day.

illustration by alanna secrest

M ARCH 23, 2017 - M ARCH 29, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 11

FE ATUR E S

HUMANS OF NAU MIKAYLA SHOUP | PHOTOS BY MICHAEL PATACSIL hrough the lens similar to the blog Humans of New York, NAU students and community members share interesting stories and facts about how they spend different holidays. St. Patrick’s Day and Easter are two days that are contrary to one another, but the way people choose to celebrate them may be the same. Whichever way people choose to spend their holiday, they often celebrate with friends and family.

T

Kesar Bhalt

Collins Denetdeel

Vadodara, Gujarat, India | Biology

Tsaile, Ariz. | Exercise science

“This is the first time that I came here out of India, and I celebrated Christmas with my family for the first time. So it was very exciting. And I have two cousins — they are younger and they’re small kids, basically — so we got them gifts saying it’s from Santa and everything. So it was fun.”

Eve Edwards Boulder, Colo. | Exercise science

“There was this one time, back when I was, like, probably 9 or 10, when we were out at my grandma’s, and I had like this disposable camera, but my uncle was being really silly with a basket, like, posing and everything. I ended up winding the whole camera and taking a picture, and I didn’t even know, like, it still had film in it. Then the picture itself came out, like, when we actually got it processed, and we have it up to this day at our grandma’s house.”

“I am not super religious, but I have [celebrated Easter] in the past with my extended family because they are. We always just used to go to Florida a lot with my grandparents, and we would have an Easter egg hunt for all the kids in the neighborhood. It was fun.”

Raul Rodriguez Tucson | Global economics and languages

Teresa Valente Phoenix | Early childhood education

“I would have to say from Easter it’s like it’s been since we were all little and our grandparents started it, so it’s kind of just like we had to carry on the tradition since my grandpa passed away. So it’s been, like, every other year we change it: We’ll go to a different mountain, we’ll go to a different section and just, like, hide eggs and do little, fun games.”

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“[For Easter] we go Easter-egg hunting and then go to brunch.

So I’m from Tucson, and it doesn’t snow in Tucson. So when I first moved to Tucson, I was 7, and it started snowing on Easter day. So that was the coolest experience for me and my little brother.”

Check out jackcentral.org for full stories

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2017-01-303

FE ATUR E S

Pieces of petrified wood remain at the Petrified Forest National Park and are still intact despite the passage of millions of years. Aaron Fortin | The Lumberjack

TWO HUNDRED MILLION YEARS LATER, THE FOREST REMAINS CHRISTOPHER MOORE

T

he Petrified Forest National Park holds centuries of historic character, culture and geological significance. Spread across the Apache and Navajo counties in northeastern Arizona, the land was formed roughly 200 million years ago and is comprised of diverse tree species from the late Triassic period. The park is 137 miles east of Flagstaff.

The Triassic was the first period of the Mesozoic Era dating back to 251 million years ago. The forest shows its age through colorful rock formations and fossils of tree stumps, leaves and logs.

These remains are now almost entirely crystallized.

Anita Varnon is an interpretive ranger at the park. Varnon said the park’s land was believed to once be a tropical forest region where dinosaurs roamed. It’s also understood that volcanoes were abundant throughout the region and earthquakes were common.

Over the course of 200 million years, the trees in the surrounding area were uprooted by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and floods. Trees that washed into river systems were buried beneath sediment, and the wood slowly began to decay.

According to the National Park Service website, minerals have dissolved from volcanic ash into the wood, creating crystallized structures. These trees have prevailed decades of ecological change and weathering. However, the remains don’t appear worn down but, in fact, have new character.

“Most of it is silica, quartz, with some minerals like copper and iron,” said Varnon. “Different amounts of that mineral mixed in with the silica and quartz creates the rainbow colors.”

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Park rangers put forth great effort to protect the Triassic character and historic remains of the park. However, there are other organizations that contribute to its preservation while also trying to add something new.

The Petrified Forest Field Institute is an organization dedicated to bringing a new kind of entertainment to the petrified forest. A few years ago, the institute was approached by the park superintendent Brad Traver. Traver had a new idea for the park and intended to develop hands-on programs to attract new visitors.

Tara Cheney is the field institute coordinator with Petrified Forest Field Institute. Cheney said the curriculum of courses focuses on the science, culture and evolution of the petrified forest.

“The [Petrified Forest Field Institute] is dedicated to making sure people who visit the park both understand what they are seeing and can enjoy it to the fullest,” said Cheney. “We have all these great landscapes and incredible stories of the geology, paleontology, archaeology and history all in this one park, and people just don’t get out to see it all … There’s also an incredible amount of science going on in the park, and it’s largely unseen to the average visitor.”

The Petrified Forest Field Institute’s mission is to provide people with an educational, exciting and hands-on experience of the park that is different from traditional guided tours.

“There are some of our events ... like the fossil digs, for example, that can only be experienced through participating in the field institute workshops because they’re not open to the general public in any other way,” Cheney said. “By hosting the workshops, people can still get their hands on the land, so to speak, or have access to the park in a controlled environment … We also have

FE ATUR E S some pretty fragile areas — a petroglyph canyon or Devil’s Playground, for example — that needs some protection.”

Fossil digs will take place at the Triassic Chinle Formation in the park. Students who participate in the class will first be taken on a guided tour of the parks exclusive fossil collection then participate in a paleontological dig to uncover giant fossil bones of dinosaurs, amphibians and reptiles. Visitors who take these courses will be shown the behind-the-scenes efforts that go into protecting the forest.

Another course offered by the institute is a reptile and amphibian class. Students will be guided to several live-trapping sites throughout the area to collect data and monitor six species of amphibians and nine species of lizards and snakes. Animals will be tagged, measured and released after studies are complete.

Lauren Carter is the park’s division of interpretation education specialist. Carter said park visitors will learn from nature and field experts who also lead guided hikes.

“Currently we have several special hikes and ranger talks for Arizona Archeology and Heritage Awareness Month,” said Carter.

In celebration of Arizona Archeology and Heritage month in March, tours of heritage sites and archaeological classes are being held throughout the region. Events by region can be found on the Arizona State Parks website.

The Petrified Forest Field Institute will offer exhibitions such as the “10,000+ Years of Human History on the Petrified National Forest” and hikes like the Puerco Pueblo Walk, Historic Route 66 hike and McCreery Pueblo hike.

Top: Two hundred million years ago, a tropical forest stood where the Petrified Forest National Park now exists. The ancient pieces of wood are now crystalized into a variety of minerals.

Bottom Left: Minerals that visitors can see at the park are reminiscent of ancient trees. Their petrified state was caused by volcanoes and earthquakes, burying them underground by volcanic ash.

Bottom Right: Many of the petrified pieces of wood at the park consist primarily of silica and quartz, creating a rainbow of colors. Aaron Fortin | The Lumberjack

M ARCH 23, 2017 - M ARCH 29, 2016 | T HE LUMBER JACK 15

CULTUR E

Spring brings hiking-trail flings Abigail Bieker

W

ith spring settling in and snow starting to melt, adventuring outside is, for many, an itch needing to be scratched. With trails surrounding all corners of Flagstaff, it can be easy to select a trail that is suitable for beginner, moderate and advanced hikers.

Camping, backpacking and canoeing are just a few items on a list of the many outdoor quests that can be done in Arizona. Northern Arizona offers the Grand Canyon, the Sedona Red Rocks and the Arizona Snowbowl. These three locations provide a variety of settings to become one with nature.

For senior environmental science major Brad Thrower, hiking in Flagstaff is his preference, but he also enjoys mountain biking in Sedona. His favorite Flagstaff trails are Soldier Trail and trails on Mount Elden, while in Sedona he likes Slim Shady and Bell Trail.

“I enjoy any hike, easy or hard, but I like a challenge,” said Thrower. “My recommendations for someone new to hiking would be bring plenty of water and enjoy the journey as much as your destination — it makes hikes a lot more fun.”

Well-known trails in Flagstaff include Mount Elden, Mount Humphrey’s and the Lava Tubes. All three of these trails are made up of different terrains and require different experience levels. The Lava Tubes are pitchblack, underground caves made of runoff from a volcano. This hike requires warm clothing and flashlights.

Mount Elden, a mountain that stands to the east of Mount Humphreys, is a 7-mile hike.

The trail travels 3.5 miles up and back, looping through switchbacks and gaining 2,000 feet in elevation. Mount Humphreys, which can be reached through Lockett Meadow, is a tough hike to the top of one of the tallest peaks in Arizona.

Ben Sinatra, manager of the Five Guys Flagstaff branch, said as the weather is warming, he is finding himself hiking, exploring, biking, camping and swimming in surrounding areas.

Some of his favorite trails in or near Flagstaff include Mount Elden and Walnut Canyon.

Outside of Flagstaff, he enjoys traveling random trails in Sedona, such as those off Jordan Road and Oak Creek.

“I enjoy harder hikes, it’s usually more worth it once you get to the end,” said Sinatra.

The Bell Rock Trail in Sedona is a moderate and popular trail among hikers in Northern Arizona. Shannon Swain | The Lumberjack

“Just make sure to bring water and food, and dress comfortably.”

Walnut Canyon, a gorge of boulders and trees, is a unique place to hike right off Route 66 in Flagstaff.

“The hiking is not strenuous and we went on a cloudy, rainy day, so the weather was surreal,” Sinatra said.

Havasupai trail, an advanced, 20-mile hike into the Grand Canyon and back, consists of a trek from the rim, down into the canyon and up toward Havasu Falls.

For Mallory Summers, employee at Sizzler, Havasupai is one of her favorite hikes she has done so far. Summers went with friends and family members, camping in the Canyon as they

18 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

went. The crew spent three nights on the trail.

“When we were hiking out of Havasupai, we left as the sun went down, so the first few hours were just dusk,” said Summers. “Then we got to the bottom where you have to do the switchbacks back up to the rim, and it was dark, but there was a full moon. Hiking back up, I was by myself, which was fine, though, because there were people in front of me and people behind me. I didn’t have to use my flashlight at all because I just had the moon guiding the trail.”

Summers said there were donkeys led by a guide that are available to take traveler’s backpacks to and from the trail.

Manon Ambrico, senior speech language pathology major, said it’s important to wear

shoes that have a good grip. Traction is important when attempting to get back down any trails that travelled upwards. Ambrico enjoys hiking in Sedona more than hiking in Flagstaff. “I’m more of an easy-hiking-level kinda person. I like to enjoy the outdoors and take my time,” said Ambrico. “Going to school in Flag has turned me into a huge nature lover.”

When hiking, it is important to gather all the necessary tools in order to complete a hike successfully. This includes hiking boots, water, food and a first aid kit. In order to be prepared, it is wise to carry maps or find established trailheads, and stick to paths. This is the best way to prevent getting lost in the Northern Arizona wilderness.

NAU SUMMER 10 WEEK

Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice CCJ 345W Oden-Stiglitz, D CCJ 345W Bisto, A CCJ 408 Arazan, C Department of Geography, Planning & Recreation GSP 239 Staff GSP 408 Hawley, R PRM 308 Hammersley, C Department of Psychological Sciences PSY 408C

Walters, A

Department of Sociology and Social Work SOC 365

Winters, S

Social and Behavioral Sciences (Division) BUS 450C

Butcher, R

NAU SUMMER 12 WEEK Department of Anthropology ANT 608

Downum, C

Department of Geography, Planning & Recreation GSP 689 Huang, R PRM 308 Hammersley, C PRM 408 Hammersley, C

NAU SUMMER 3 WEEK Creative Media and Film CMF 275

DeAztlan, T

Department of Applied Indigenous Studies AIS 101

Trujillo, O

Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice CCJ 325 Arazan, C Department of Geography, Planning & Recreation GSP 148 Hawley, R Journalism JLS 104

DuMity, A

Photography PHO 300 PHO 401

Horn, A Minkler, S

Visual Communication VC 101

Mitchell, K

Women’s and Gender Studies Program WGS 191

Upadhyay, N

NAU SUMMER 5 WEEK - FIRST Communication Studies CST 151 CST 524

Deterding, A

Creative Media and Film CMF 122 CMF 482

Torn, J Lancaster, K

Department of Anthropology ANT 101 ANT 102 ANT 103 ANT 104 ANT 106 ANT 205 ANT 306

Burke, C Humphrey, C Fenigsen, J Dale, E Smiley, F Antes, S Downum, C

Hardy-Short, D

Department of Applied Indigenous Studies AIS 101 AIS 201 AIS 255

Jarratt Snider, K Ishii, L Soza War Soldier, R

Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice CCJ 101 CCJ 210 CCJ 240 CCJ 250

Hannon, S de Heer, B Limmer, J Hannon, S

Department of Geography, Planning & Recreation GSP 150 Stan, A GSP 240 Barnes, J GSP 524 Lew, A GSP 599 Lew, A PRM 205 Hammersley, C PRM 220 Finlayson, K PRM 326 Montoya, J PRM 346W Lynch, J PRM 350 Montoya, J Department of Politics and International Affairs POS 220 POS 230 POS 359 POS 501 POS 543 POS 642

Nuno, S Tagma, H Parson, S Nuno, S Otenyo, E Smith, Z

Department of Psychological Sciences PSY 101 PSY 215 PSY 227 PSY 230 PSY 240 PSY 347 PSY 378 PSY 432

Woodruff, C Whetten, J Weidler, D Donohue, D Wilkins, J Busath, G Mishra, A Birkett, M

Department of Sociology and Social Work SOC 204 SOC 210 SOC 217 SOC 301 SOC 316 SOC 353 SOC 356 SOC 360

Everhart, K Eyraud, T Garelick, R Desmond, D Mohamed, M Lemons, G Van Ness, M Staskey, D

Ethnic Studies Program ES 100 ES 160 ES 191 ES 200 ES 255

Garcia, J Moreno, J Burford, A McAllister, L Soza War Soldier, R

Journalism JLS 131

Rackham, B

Photography PHO 100

Mehmedinovic, H

School of Communication COM 101 COM 131 COM 200 COM 212 COM 301 COM 400

Neumann, M Faust, R Krueger, B DuMity, A Schutten, J Torn, J

Strategic Communication ADV 207 ADV 310 MER 135 PR 272 PR 373

Hitt, A Lei, R Nelson, D Hitt, A Thull, J

Visual Communication VC 102 VC 161

Mitchell, L Mitchell, K

Women’s and Gender Studies Program WGS 191

Burford, A

NAU SUMMER 5 WEEK - SECOND Communication Studies CST 315 CST 321 CST 424

Umphrey, L Mahaffey, J Baker-Ohler, M

Creative Media and Film CMF 328W CMF 382

Torn, J Helford, P

Department of Anthropology ANT 101 ANT 102 ANT 103 ANT 104 ANT 106 ANT 205 ANT 206 ANT 305 ANT 350 ANT 351

Smiley, S Humphrey, C Fenigsen, J Smiley, F Smiley, F Antes, S Burke, C Rickli, R Smiley, S Downum, C

Department of Applied Indigenous Studies AIS 101 AIS 201

Ali Joseph, A Ishii, L

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Limmer, J Hannon, S Tichavsky, L Robb, A

Department of Politics and International Affairs POS 120 POS 220 POS 313 POS 356 POS 543 POS 581

Tagma, H Bekafigo, M Bekafigo, M Lerma, M Smith, Z Smith, Z

Department of Psychological Sciences PSY 101 PSY 215 PSY 250 PSY 255 PSY 302W PSY 340 PSY 348 PSY 490C

Craddock, E Whetten, J Weidler, D Wilkins, J Walters, A Donohue, D Busath, G Woodruff, C

Department of Sociology and Social Work SOC 101 SOC 215 SOC 216 SOC 301 SOC 301 SOC 318 SOC 339

Reed, J Everhart, K Eyraud, T Mohamed, M Garelick, R Schipper, J Reed, J

Ethnic Studies Program ES 150 ES 160 ES 204 ES 270

Gooding, F Garcia, J Moreno, J Gooding, F

School of Communication COM 100 COM 150

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Thull, J

CULTUR E

Life after death: a local legend’s lasting impact

A

Gabriel Granillo

s Richard Neville, general manager at Arizona Music Pro, grabbed a step stool, his eyes were red.

Neville placed the stool in an archway, climbed atop and reached delicately for a white Jackson Dinky coated with signatures. In the middle of the guitar’s fret board and between the strings is a photograph of Rafe Sweet III. With signatures from family, friends, band members and students, Neville struggled to come up with a concrete number of how many individuals have signed Sweet’s memorial guitar. As well as the guitar, a quilt with even more signatures hangs above djembe drums and other percussion instruments on a brick wall.

Neville shook his head and sighed. It has been just over a year since Sweet’s passing, and often death turns the proletariat into a philosopher.

“Imagine a wagon wheel,” said Neville “Our lives are like the

lines in the grooves, some spread out and turn and bend. [Sweet’s] line wasn’t like that. His was straight, and it cut straight through.”

For Sweet, only 41 years old, his line ended in a Phoenix hotel room on March 21, 2016, as his amplifier hummed hollowly into the dry, desert night.

Sweet’s line began in 1974, born in Flagstaff. By age 3, he was banging on his mother’s pots and pans. By age 11, he was playing gospel piano. By age 17, he was playing heavy-metal bass.

Music consumed Sweet. After graduating from high school in 1992, Sweet broke into the Flagstaff music scene, dominating the stage with his technical prowess and energetic performances.

He began using his home as a studio and classroom, teaching young Flagstaffians who would use Sweet’s inspiration to create their own bands that now populate the burgeoning music scene.

Though he favored metal, Sweet was constantly bouncing between genres, from blues to reggae, performing in numerous bands such as Ink Child, Delta Blues, Burning the Bridge, Ty One

On and Bionic Jive, to name a few.

“You’re not gonna make it if you’re not playing in seven bands,” said Sweet in 2004 during an interview with FlagLive!

Sweet maintained this philosophy until his end. His body was discovered in Phoenix where he was set to play a show with Bionic Jive. Sweet suffered from asthma and near-fatal attacks for most of his life, and according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s report, an asthma attack claimed his life.

Beth Dennison, a lab manager for the Center for Bioengineering Innovation at NAU, was Sweet’s long-time partner. Dennison was doing lab work on mice when she began to worry about Sweet.

“I remember I had to call people myself to find out,” said Dennison. “No one really knew. I just heard rumors.”

The rumors were true, and people reacted immediately, arranging benefit shows and online crowdfunding campaigns to help pay for the funeral services as well as provide funding for

Left: Rafe Sweet performing at Joe’s Grotto in Phoenix in 2012. Photo Courtesy of Beth Dennison Top Right: A Jackson Dinky guitar was signed by numerous attendees at Sweet’s funeral at the Orpheum Theater April 3, 2016. The guitar now hangs inside Arizona Music Pro in Flagstaff. Bottom Right: Numerous signs honoring Sweet, such as the one in Altitudes Bar and Grill, can still be found around downtown Flagstaff March 16. Altitudes was one of Sweet’s regular performing venues. Gabriel Granillo | The Lumberjack

20 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

CULTUR E Dennison after her and Sweet’s home was sold only a week after his passing. Posters, some of which can still be found, were placed around Flagstaff, and Nick “Lotus” Shepherd, a tattoo artist at Sacred Ground Tattoo and Piercing, spray-painted a mural which now hangs on Beaver Street and Benton Avenue.

“I [painted the mural] out of respect towards him for being a friend to the community,” said Shepherd.

Sweet’s reach went well beyond music and art. When friend and former student Alec Tippett found himself embarrassed about not knowing how to change a tire, Sweet rushed to help without hesitation.

“I was able to count on him for more than just music,” said Tippett. “We would talk about everything: music, art, metaphysical shit — connections to everything.”

The Orpheum Theater offered use of their venue for Sweet’s funeral, an event for which Dennison feels pride.

“When people die you try to be sensitive to their culture,” Dennison said. “Cultural sensitivity in Rafe’s case is to throw a f----ing rock show.”

After a few black eyes, a broken nose and a knife fight, the party found itself leaving the Orpheum to the Hotel Monte Vista, a hub for Sweet and what Dennison called “the family.”

Just six days short of the one-year anniversary of Sweet’s death, Dennison was back at “the V” and ordered a Rafe Eraser: grape vodka, Razzmatazz, Red Bull, and soda water, garnished with lime, all of which is to be consumed in one large gulp.

Though it is ordered now as a memorial, the Rafe

Eraser was invented by Sweet.

“He just wanted to put his name on something,” Dennison said as she laughed.

After her drink, Dennison eyed the pool table curiously. “Puzzles,” she said. “Rafe loved puzzles, and pool is one big puzzle. I only know of a few people who were better than him at pool, and they were professionals.”

For much of Sweet’s life, he saw puzzles — pieces that needed connecting, patterns within music and life.

“Rafe would see patterns in everything, even in places where patterns don’t exist,” Dennison said.

Sweet himself was a puzzle, yet he never quite fit in. “[Sweet] would say, ‘I was too black for the white kids and too white for the black kids,’” Dennison said. “It made things hard for him. It would be a lie to say [the relationship] was always awesome, but it was always worth it.”

To many, Sweet was a bandmate, a teacher and a friend, but he was also a puzzle who sought to find patterns and purpose — a flawed creature who used his desire for truth and understanding as a torch for others to find their own light.

The influential figure’s light continues to shine in open jams at the Hive and through local musicians such as Tippett who seek to teach and inspire the way Sweet did — to enable people to seek their own paths and their own truths.

“Rafe taught us a lot,” Tippett said. “He would always say, ‘truth is hidden in plain view; the answer is within us.’”

A canvas mural of Rafe Sweet done by Nick “Lotus” Shepherd hangs outside of a home on Beaver Street and Benton Avenue March 16. Gabriel Granillo | The Lumberjack

Finding a foot to stand on Maria Angulo

I

n the current political climate, many groups of people are feeling attacked. It is felt by some that society has the right to defend themselves with the law by their sides.

The week of March 27, Joseph Gomez Moreno is hosting workshops and symposiums to help students understand their rights. This is Moreno’s first year teaching at NAU as a lecturer for Ethnic Studies. Moreno has a Ph.D. in history and Chicano studies, and worked in Michigan, California before moving to Arizona.

Growing up near Los Angeles, Moreno saw how people who lived in areas with gangs and societal troubles were generalized and he wanted to make sure people are aware of their own rights. The troubles he witnessed motivated him to do the symposiums and workshops.

Pablo Aceves is one of the activists leading one of the workshops. Aceves is from San Diego and has been part of the Chicano Movement for 30 years and joined the Union del Barrio, an independently run organization based on volunteer work, in June 1987.

Aceves’ workshop will be held March 28 in Social and Behavioral Sciences room 70.

March 29 there will be a panel featuring a different speaker and moderated by Moreno.

The workshops are for students who want to participate and share knowledge about their rights.

“Aceves understands [people], as he lived near the border for many years. He has seen, in both sides, how police affects people who live in Mexico but work in the U.S.,” said Moreno. “He has worked with other issues in San Diego, he has a lot experience.”

Aceves’ work focuses on human rights in defense of the community, police and border patrol brutality and also prison and mass incarceration.

“I think right now it is necessary, because of the climate we have right now,” Moreno said. “People are hungry.”

He works with the area of an independent press that works closely with the Raza Press and Media Association. Aceves has coordinated the publication named Guerrilleros de la Pluma since 2012.

“I have been doing this kind of workshop for 30 years,” said Aceves. ” I was approached to come and share some of the struggle and how my organization sees today’s political

climate and what must be done”.

Aceves feels everyone should be interested in what is going on in today’s political standing.

“Today, as never before, fascism is more and more open,” Aceves said.

He especially feels the Mexican/Latino community has been targeted by the current United States administration and many others.

“We must know what our rights are.

We must know what is being taken away and how organize and fightback,” Aceves said.

During the workshop, Aceves will be talking about the current repressive trends that have been in the Southwest historically and the colonial oppression Mexicans have faced.

He will also be discussing how to defend the rights the people have and how important organizing to fight back is.

“We live in a time where even the pretense of democratic rights are being stripped away, where the racism and oppression is as or more blatant than at any time in history,” Aceves said. “This is the time to not only talk about these subjects but to mobilize and do something.”

Faculty member Luis Alberto Fernandez of criminology and criminal justice, said a rise in a kind of nativism in the U.S. is happening and has happened before which created consequence in many different groups.

“Events that teach us our rights are worth attending,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez said is important for students to know what is going on. He believes it is the job of educators to make their students talk about difficult subjects. This means all ideas must be heard and have the strongest scrutiny because he believes this will make students critical thinkers.

“Discussion, dialogue, critique and debate are cornerstone of democratic practice,” Fernandez said.

This can be a challenge for some at NAU. “Many students, they don’t know what to do, they are frustrated,” Moreno said.

Moreno has organized this type of event before. For him, focusing in ethnic and cultural events is more than just about the current situation. He wants to make sure students are prepared — and protected for the future.

M ARCH 23, 2017 - M ARCH 29, 2017| T HE LUMBER JACK 21

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SPORT S

Archery club hits the target Niki DeShazo

I

t’s right at home in an episode of Game of Thrones, a rerun of Robin Hood or a classic John Wayne flick, but it’s not the first club sport one would expect to see offered on a college campus.

As an on-campus club, Archery is free to join and open to all students. Members range from casual participants to serious competitors.

Along with the club, there is a team who travels and competes, and club members have the option to join if they so desire.

Junior exercise science major Tayler Stevens is the president of the club and has been a member for nearly four years.

“For the club, we take people who have no idea how to shoot a bow and arrow,” said Stevens. “A lot of people that are on the team this year just started last year. They were just on the club and getting used to it, and they decided that they really wanted to be a part of the team, so now they travel with us.”

Stevens started doing archery after picking the sport up as a hobby with her father and brother. Once she found the club, Stevens said she knew she had to join.

There are four main types of bows used in archery. Recurve bows are typically used in Olympic events, but there are also compound bows, known for their stabilizers and scopes, the traditional barebow, consisting of a stick and string and the crossbow, most often used for hunting and modified for accuracy and range.

Each bow requires a certain level of skill and familiarity that can make picking up a different type of bow challenging.

“I think recurve is more challenging just because I grew up shooting compound,” Stevens said. “But recurve is like a whole different form of how to hold it and how to shoot it.”

The club participates in two outdoor competitions, outdoor regionals and outdoor nationals as well as indoor. The rules, standards and level of the competition can change based on whether the event is inside or out.

The distances for indoor and outdoor competitions are different. For indoor, competitors must hit a target from 18 meters while outdoor competitions vary in distance based on the type of bow.

Compound bows are reserved for a distance of 50 meters, and recurve bows from 70.

The outdoor competitions have individual

shooting rounds where participants compete against everyone in their categories. There are four categories that correlate with each type of bow: Olympic recurve, freestyle compound, barebow and bowhunter. In these competitions a single spot target is used, which is larger than the ones used in indoor competitions.

Indoor competitions use one target and a three-spot. The target is assigned a point system based upon the difficulty of hitting a ring. The middle most ring is worth ten points, and each subsequent ring is worth one less point with the final ring only worth one.

The three-spot consists of three small targets with a similar point system but different values. When shooting three-spot, the archer must hit all three targets to be awarded a score.

The competitions consist of mixed-team rounds. Teams are made with one female and one male archer from each of the four categories.

Cody DelRincon, freshman civil engineering and Spanish double major, is the only freshman on the team. He heard about the club when he attended an NAU student event and signed up. DelRincon started by shooting barebow and has stuck with it ever since.

A multi-sport athlete in high school, DelRincon has found himself in love with archery.

“Archery is its completely own thing in the sense that you don’t have a team,” said DelRincon. “We are a team, but you’re not competing for a group score. You’re literally competing against your teammates. It kind of reminds me more of karate than anything I did in high school. That’s why I love it more than anything I did in high school because I loved karate more than what I did in high school.”

The friendly team competition brings club members even more together, DelRincon said.

“We’re definitely very close. We all watch each other shoot,” DelRincon said. “A lot of us practice together, even though we didn’t schedule it. We just ended up practicing together. We’re still really close. We still mess around with each other and stuff. We’re still friends.”

Meeting new people from around the world who compete in the same sport is one of the biggest draws for DelRincon. The early morning practices is one of the challenges he’s not as enthusiastic about, but its not the worst aspect.

“Just remembering everything that’s in what we call our check list,” DelRincon said. “Which

24 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

is your shot progression and everything you’re doing before that shot goes off. Being someone that’s new to it, there’s always one or two things I’ll forget.”

The checklist DelRincon refers to is important for a good shot, and it’s different for every athlete.

“It shows up on the target. Everything that you’re forgetting,” DelRincon said. “So it’s always just remembering every single part of your check list and then feeling the shot. And you can feel if it’s a good shot as soon as that shot breaks.”

Kevin Kovach, sophomore information systems management major, is the vice president of the club and has been in archery since high school. Kovach uses archery as a way to de-stress and keep his mind off the busy life of being a college student.

“It’s just one of those things when you have a rough day. It’s like therapy,” said Kovach.

“It’s something to do that’s not stressful. It takes your mind off of stuff. Most of archery is focusing as much as you can. And when you don’t have to think about other things for a little while, it’s kind of nice.”

Top: Northern Arizona University Archery Club members Thomas Sullivan and Cody DelRincon take aim March 7.

Ryan Vanderpool | The Lumberjack Bottom: Tayler Stevens aims her bow at the target in the Health and Learning Center.

Victoria Kaschl | The Lumberjack

SPORT S

Snowboarders and Skiers shred together despite their differences BROOKE BERRY

I

n the shadow of Mt. Humphreys in Flagstaff lies the NAU Snowboard and Ski club, a hidden gem among the various clubs on campus.

Gershom Huyor, junior forestry and club president, and Philip England, senior photography and club photographer and member, sat down to discuss the experiences they have had in the club and about all of the opportunities to come.

“We are unique in our league because we are one of the few schools that has a mountain 20 minutes away from where we live, so we get to go every day,” said Huyor. “We have that level of advantage on our competitors. We try to have events rather than meetings just to keep everyone interested.”

You really can’t do this sport alone. Even though it is an individual sport, you can’t go out and push yourself. You need that camaraderie and your friends getting stoked for you. That is really what the club is all about.

-Gershom Huyor snowboard and ski club president The club also participates in intramural sports on campus, and the members spend time together in order to stay in shape and keep close as friends.

The NAU Snowboard and Ski team has been around for seven years, but this is only the second year they have been involved in competitions. Even with the added stress of competition, the team seems to be equally focused on having a good time.

The team participated in the Red Bull Bracket Reel Snow Edition this year, a video competition hosted by the well-known energy drink company. The competition showcases the skills of different snowboarding teams who enter with the hopes of winning the grand prize.

“How it works is you submit a video, and you have to get people to vote on your video,” said England. “The top 16 teams with the most

votes get into the full competition, and then from there they pair you off with other schools, and you have to create a video on short notice.

Basically film it, ride it, edit it, post it, get people to vote on it and get more votes than the other school in order to advance to the next round.

The winners get an all-expenses-paid ski trip to wherever they want.”

Although the results were not what they hoped for, Huyor and England expressed enthusiasm for the thrill of the experience.

The Red Bull Bracket Reel isn’t the only place where the shredders of NAU strut their stuff. The team said there are many more open windows for success this semester.

The club competed in The United States Collegiate Ski Association national championship March 7, 10 and 11, which brings together schools from six regions of the U.S. to compete in alpine and freestyle skiing.

The club took sixth place in men’s snowboard and ninth in men’s freeski.

Working as a team allows club members to meet other riders. Besides the obvious bonus of a shared ride up and down the mountain, England said the added level of competition and camaraderie made him a better freestyle skier.

“You really can’t do this sport alone,” Huyor said. “Even though it is an individual sport, you can’t go out and push yourself. You need that camaraderie and your friends getting stoked for you. That is really what the club is all about.”

The club is a mix of skiers and snowboarders who enjoy shredding together despite their differences in practice.

But when it comes to the tricks they choose for competition, they all work individually while supporting each other as a team.

“Most of us are freestyle skiers, and as far as freestyle goes, you just have to push yourself, put down the best tricks you can, take some risks and just go for it,” Huyor said.

Huyor and England are both freestyle skiers who practice regularly at Arizona Snowbowl and have experience competing. They know it takes a lot to separate themselves from the competition.

“Throw as many spins as you can … off rail off jumps … spins while on rail. You have to be really technical,” England said.

Every year, the team has an annual spring break trip to Tahoe, Calif., where they train and practice tricks for the Arizona snow at Woodward, a local training facility as well as enjoy a classic college break together.

Snowboarding and skiing are all about practice and mastering the skill, while getting a trick down means you have another one on your

Gershom Huyor shreds down Snowbowl March 2. Philip England | NAU Snowboard and Ski

belt to show. But the endurance and patience do not always come easy. Technical work and long hours take place behind the scenes.

“We’re also working with the gymnastics club to go train with them. They’re going to walk us through some body-control stuff, use their trampolines and stuff like that,” Huyor said.

“We’re going to keep doing events even after this season ends,” Huyor said. “In the beginning of the year before the mountain opened, we would take snow from the ice rink to create our own sessions. We’ll probably keep doing that at the end of the year. We keep it spontaneous. We just try to have fun however we can.”

M ARCH 23, 2017 - M ARCH 29, 2017 | T HE LUMBER JACK 25

SPORT S

NAU athletes get no rest and relaxation over spring break LANCE HARTZLER

W

hile students of NAU were basking in relaxation during spring break, NAU athletics was still in full swing.

Sophomore diver Tanya Kurach, the second diver in Lumberjack history to compete in the NCAA championships and the only diver to represent the Western Athletic Conference, placed 49th in the women’s 1-meter at the NCAA Division I championship meet March 16.

Track and field competed in a championship meet of their own, the NCAA Indoor championships March 10 and 11 in College Station, Texas. Sophomore distance runner Tyler Day earned first-team All-American honors along with an eighthplace finish in the 5000-meter running a 13:53.93 time. Redshirt junior distance runner Matt Baxter also earned second-team All-American honors. Unfortunately for Baxter, he lost his shoe partway through the race and was unable to race the 5000-meter at his full ability.

Redshirt junior thrower Brooke Andersen finished off her indoor season with an 11th-place finish in the weight throw at the NCAA championships with a 20.29-meter throw, the best throw ever recorded by a Lumberjack athlete at the indoor championship meet. Brooke joined Baxter earning second-team All-American honors.

With the conclusion of the indoor season, track also started their outdoor season at the UC Irvine Spring Break Invitational March 17 and 18. Andersen broke the Big Sky hammer-throw record on her first attempt, throwing 67.43 meters. Senior thrower Adam Keenan threw a meet best of 68.64 meters on his final attempt in the hammer throw. To cap off their weeks, Keenan and Andersen each won Big Sky Athlete of the Week honors.

In total, NAU logged eight victories at the first meet of the outdoor season. First-year head coach Michael Smith has his group clicking and working towards championship aspirations.

Out on the clay, the men’s tennis team christened the new outdoor tennis complex, playing the first match on the court March 16.

Men’s tennis (8-6, 4-0) also had a busy week, with four matches over the break March 14, 16, and a double-header on March 17. The men began the week with a loss at University of New Mexico 5-2 but won their next three matches to close out the week.

March 17 was a big day for men’s tennis, winning both matches of a double-header. The Lumberjacks beat the Highlanders of UC Riverside with a resounding score of 4-0, proving there can only be one.

The next match against Southern Utah University resulted in a lopsided victory for the Lumberjacks, winning 6-1. NAU won

the match early, coming out to a 4-0 lead to clinch.

On the women’s tennis side (9-3, 4-0), they had a busy week with three matches on March 14, 17 and 18, going 2-1 in the week.

March 14 against University of New Mexico, NAU was down 2-1 until a late rally with a clinching win with freshman Chiara Tomasetti besting sophomore Ruth Copas 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The Lumberjacks dominated University of Northern Colorado March 17, winning 6-1 on the road.

To finish up spring break, the Lumberjacks lost 4-3 in a comeback victory for the University of Wyoming, ending NAU’s ten-game winning streak.

Doubles team partners freshman Brandy Walker and sophomore Hanneke Lodewijks lost for the first time this season as a pair, 6-4. NAU came back to clinch the doubles point with Tomasetti’s and senior Blanka Szavay’s 7-5 win. The singles portion of the day is what hurt NAU, with Wyoming coming back from a 3-2 deficit in what was a hard-fought loss for the Lumberjacks.

As NAU students begin their final stretch of the semester, so does NAU Athletics. Clearly track and field, as well as men and women’s tennis, are off to good starts with the conference championships on the horizon.

Left: Track and field head coach Michael Smith has led the Lumberjacks to recent success. Victoria Kaschl | The Lumberjack Right: Women’s tennis doubles partners Chiara Tomasetti (front) and Blanka Szavay (back) defeat their opponents from UTEP, 6-2, March 3. Aaron Fortin | The Lumberjack

26 T HE LUMBER JACK | JACKCEN T R AL .ORG

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