The Lumberjack -- October 22, 2020

QUARANTINE TUNES PAGES 10-11

THE LUMBER JACK

OCT. 22, 2020 – OCT. 28, 2020

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

I

n mid-August, I moved into a new apartment filled with old problems: indecision, loneliness, sorrow. Especially during the pandemic — but not because of it — these battles felt more unfixable and unwinnable than ever. However, they were quickly turned around because of a close friend.

Over the summer, I turned 20. The milestone birthday was fun and exciting, but it also made me feel old, like I’ve already seen the cyclical nature of life. Entering my junior year at NAU, I noticed too many patterns: trying to get good grades, hoping to meet new people, aspiring to live a little more. And unfortunately, the 2020-21 academic year was just another cycle.

After moving into the apartment, I immediately spent more time with one of my roommates: Matt.

Such little time is packed with such precious memories. I think about our longboarding sessions, latenight adventures and lengthy conversations, how much we’ve connected in a matter of weeks.

Online school is challenging. I have little, to no, motivation, and although that problem is persistent, the semester is nearly over. With President Rita Cheng’s announcement that spring 2021 will follow a similar — and safe — schedule, we all need to be prepared for another demanding semester.

The best advice I can give is to find your people. I’m not saying to ignore your personal self, but I am saying to cherish your relationships. Without Matt, I don’t know where I would be today, because the TREVOR trips to Dutch Bros., journeys to Snowbowl and drives to music have truly kept me sane. I don’t want to SKEEN consider a life without him.

According to the United States Census Bureau, our planet is home to almost 7.7 billion people.

NEWS EDITOR That’s a staggering number of humans to interact and connect with, but sometimes, we’re prone to isolating and surrendering. Oftentimes, people talk about “self love” and “focusing on themselves,” and while I admire those ideas, they neglect everyone else out there.

A study from the University of California, Berkeley, documented that one billion steps — with an average of two feet per pace — would take you around the equator 15,278 times. Multiply that figure by 7.7, and you could lap the equator nearly 120,000 times to account for our planet’s population.

In other words, people are out there. There’s hardly a limit to the number of relationships we can form, and imagine the sheer ignorance of living without them. Yes, everyone should hope — and attempt — to be happy on their own. But no, that desire shouldn’t disregard — and abandon — everyone else.

It’s easy to consider demographics from a quantitative standpoint, like the fiscal, environmental and social problems overpopulation creates. From a qualitative perspective, however, I feel comfortable thinking about people. There’s hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people out there who could love you. And thankfully, some of them will. But you have to put yourself in a position to meet that friend, partner, or life-long travel buddy before those tangible relationships become distant dreams.

These are complicated problems, and such conundrums hold no single solution — but it’s surprising how close one person can come to fixing everything. That’s what Matt did for me, and it’s what someone else can do for you. Yes, you need to know, trust, and love yourself, but you also need to find your people. Find your Matt.

Thank you for reading.

THE LUMBERJACK

VOL. 110 ISSUE 11

Editor-in-Chief Brady Wheeler

Managing Editor Scout Ehrler

Copy Chief Nathan Manni

Faculty Adviser David Harpster

Print Chief Jacob Meyer

Director of Digital Content Sabrina Profitt

Director of Social Media Maddie Cohen

Op-Ed Editor Ryan Dixon

Asst. Culture Editor Katelyn Rodriguez

Director of Illustration Aleah Green

News Editor Trevor Skeen

Asst. Op-Ed Editor Kyler Edsitty

Sports Editor David Church

Asst. Dir. of Illustration Blake Fernandez

Asst. News Editor Camille Sipple

Features Editor Ash Lohmann

Asst. Sports Editor Cameron Richardson

Director of Photography Michael Patacsil

Online News Editor Alliya Dulaney

Asst. Features Editor Olivia Charlson

Sports Adviser Rory Faust

Asst. Dir. of Photography Mackenzie Brower

Senior Reporter Mark Fabery

Culture Editor Nayomi Garcia

Senior Photographer Brian Burke

Director of Multimedia Shawn Patti

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

Online at Issuu.com Latest Edition & Archive Social media

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

Media Innovation Center Editorial Board

2

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

On the cover Junior Sierra Bryan released an album amid the COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest in the United States. Bryan poses for a picture at her home Oct. 9. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Brady Wheeler at bew85@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat

Compiled by Camille Sipple

Avenue. NAUPD responded trespassing. and a student was criminally deferred for possession of drug At 2:23 p.m. NAUPD paraphernalia. reported backing up FPD on a shots-fired call off campus.

Oct. 14 Officers were unable to locate At 4:23 a.m., custodial the subjects. staff at the Aquatic and Tennis Complex requested a welfare At 7:14 p.m., NAUPD check on a subject sleeping officers reported attempting outside the area. NAUPD to serve an arrest warrant at responded, contacted the The Suites. One student was At 10:58 a.m., staff at nonstudent and determined booked into CCDF for an Drury Inn & Suites reported they were not in any distress. active warrant. a subject refusing to leave the property. NAUPD, FFD and At 9:14 a.m., NAUPD Oct. 17 GMT responded, and the reported contacting a At 12:08 a.m., staff at subject was transported to nonstudent who was already in Cowden Hall reported the FMC for intoxication. custody at Coconino County odor of marijuana. NAUPD Detention Facility (CCDF). responded and one student was At 12:12 p.m., a student The subject was charged with referred for a code of conduct at McConnell Hall reported theft and possession of stolen violation. someone stole their keys and goods in reference to an used them to move their existing case.

At 12:10 p.m., an vehicle. NAUPD responded NAUPD officer was waved and took a report.

At 12:48 p.m., a subject down by a subject who at the Union reported a informed them of a person At 1:41 p.m., Flagstaff suspicious person. NAUPD on the top floor of the San Police Department (FPD) responded and one nonstudent Francisco Parking Garage. The requested assistance with was booked for third-degree nonstudent was identified and locating a vehicle involved trespassing. instructed to stay off the roof. in a hit-and-run incident off campus. NAUPD located the At 9:05 p.m., staff at At 7:37 p.m., an NAUPD car in Knoles Parking Garage McConnell Hall reported the officer initiated a traffic stop and took a report. odor of marijuana. NAUPD at Knoles Drive and Riordan responded and two students Road. The case remains open, Oct. 13 were deferred for possession pending further investigation At 1:40 a.m., a resident and use of marijuana, and one for charges of drug at SkyView requested a welfare was also referred for a code of paraphernalia and narcotics check on a subject sleeping conduct violation. possession. outside the building. NAUPD, FFD and GMT responded, Oct. 15 Oct. 18 and the subject was transported At 12:28 a.m., a student at At 10:40 a.m., NAUPD to FMC for intoxication. One Mountain View Hall reported reported assisting FPD with student was deferred for minor attempting suicide. NAUPD, a trespassing incident off in consumption of alcohol.

FFD and GMT responded, campus. Two nonstudents were but the student refused identified and left the area.

At 10:46 a.m., staff at medical transport. Officers University Union requested provided a public assist ride At 5:34 p.m., a student assistance with a student who and Counseling Services was at McKay Village reported passed out. NAUPD, FFD advised. a late theft of food from and GMT responded, but their apartment. NAUPD the student refused medical Oct. 16 responded and took a report. transport.

At 12:39 p.m., an employee at Cline Library At 10:05 p.m., a student reported two nonstudents reported a suspicious person at possibly drinking alcohol. the intersection of South Beaver NAUPD responded and Street and West University warned the two nonstudents of Oct. 12 At 8:12 a.m., staff at the Science Lab Facility requested medical assistance for a student. NAUPD, Flagstaff Fire Department (FFD) and Guardian Medical Transport (GMT) responded, and the student was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC).

Coconino County COVID-19 Dashboard data

Community transmission Case rate

Moderate 137.5 per 100,000 pop.

Positivity percentage

4.7%

Cumulative cases

4,802

Flagstaff Medical Center COVID-19 Resources

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

Positive: 14 | Pending: 11 180/300 34/55

NAU Student Cases

On- and off-campus cases

72

NAU and ASA bring ballot box to campus ALliya Dulaney

L

ocated just outside the NAU Bookstore is a red, white and blue box for students to drop their early mail-in ballots. The ballot box is available 24/7.

Sophomore Jacob Carter already submitted his ballot, and he said having a drop box directly in front of the bookstore means students living on campus or in nearby student housing complexes have another way to ensure their ballots are cast and counted.

There are 18 ballot boxes where voters can submit their mail-in ballots across Coconino County, and the locations are posted on the county’s website. All of these drop boxes allow voters to submit their ballots up until 7 p.m. on Election Day, as opposed to having to send them up to two weeks early to ensure they are received and counted.

The final day for Arizonans to register to vote was extended to Oct. 23, but by order of an appeals court, The Arizona Republic reported the deadline was shortened to Oct. 15. Those who registered to vote during the extension period are allowed to vote in the Nov. 3 general election.

The changed voter registration deadline means those who already signed up have a greater responsibility to vote in this election, Carter said. The ballot is daunting as there are many names, positions and bubbles to keep track of, he added, but the important thing is to remember every single vote counts.

Read more online at jackcentral.org

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

3

NEWS

The voices of Legislative District 6 Mark Fabery

A

s the Nov. 3 general election nears, political battles close to home heated up, especially the highly contested race for two open seats in Legislative District 6 of the Arizona House of Representatives. Democrat and Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans, Independent and Coconino County Supervisor Art Babbott and Republican Brenda Barton are running to fill two open seats, while Republican Walt Blackman seeks reelection.

The district includes Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Holbrook, Sedona, Show Low and Williams, and it has an unbroken record of Republican representation over the past decade.

However, Evans raised significantly more money than her opponents with $219,206 as of her October filings, according to the Arizona Secretary of State office. Babbott has obtained the second highest amount at $78,997, Blackman has acquired $68,549 and Barton has the least at $16,390.

Another decision facing Arizona voters this election cycle is whether to approve or reject Proposition 207 and Proposition 208, in addition to other issues facing the state.

Proposition 207: The legalization of marijuana Prop. 207, otherwise known as the Smart and Safe Arizona Act, would allow limited marijuana possession, use and cultivation by adults 21 years of age or older. If approved, the proposition will impose a 16% tax on marijuana sales to fund public programs and allow for the expungement of marijuana offenses, according to Smart and Safe Arizona.

Blackman and Barton both agreed legalizing recreational marijuana would be detrimental to communities around Arizona, especially because of its negative effects on the body, as reported by the Arizona Daily Sun. In contrast, Evans believes the initiative has major flaws in how it was crafted, specifically regarding the language about who qualifies to have their record expunged for low-offense marijuana charges on Arizonans’ criminal records. She explained the proposition does not include how the state will help populations that have been disproportionately affected by these possession of marijuana convictions.

“First and foremost, there’s no legal mechanism in the state of Arizona for the expungement of criminal records,” Evans said.

“This is something that this particular proposition says it’s going to do, but there is no legal way to do it. It also talks about the fact that there is going to be a program set with the [Department of Health Services] that will make sure individuals who are in these communities that have been disproportionately impacted have the opportunity to purchase these licenses or work in these [marijuana growing] facilities.”

Moreover, Evans said she is worried about a potential repeat of 2010, when the state legalized medical marijuana and large corporations maximized their profits at the expense of others upon receiving licenses. These corporations were able to easily receive licenses to sell medical marijuana in the state.

Proposition 208: Education funding

4

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

Prop. 208 would impose a 3.5% tax surcharge on taxable income over $250,000 for single persons or married persons filing separately; additionally, the surcharge would apply to married couples who earn over $500,000 and are filing jointly. According to the Arizona Secretary of State office, these taxes would increase funding for public education.

The state of Arizona currently ranks 44th out of 50 states in K-12 education and 24th in higher education, along with a 79.5% graduation rate compared to the national average of 84.1%, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Evans said she supports Prop. 208 because Arizona continues to rank in the bottom 20% of K-12 education, although it remains at the cusp of the top half for higher education in the country.

“In 2019, the state of Arizona gave away $18.4 billion in tax incentives and credits, and we have to legislate the fact that we want an education system that is fully funded,” Evans said.

“We pay more money for a private prison system here in the state of Arizona then we do for a public university system, and we have defunded our community college systems. Arizona can be number one in education if we make it a priority.”

Evans is not the only candidate who supports Prop. 208.

Babbott also backs the proposition because he foresees citizen initiative tackling the persistent issue of Arizona’s failure to provide sufficient education funding.

“Proposition 208 finally makes progress on the number one public policy priority that the citizens of Arizona have enunciated year after year,” Babbott said. “We cannot settle for last in the nation in all of those metrics.”

Additionally, Babbott said these statewide failures to support students and teachers alike are connected to Arizona’s high student-to-teacher ratios, along with the limited number of trained counselors.

According to an ABC article from 2017, data obtained from the Arizona Auditor General documented the state’s average teacher salary as $48,372, which ranked No. 49 and 48 around the country for elementary and high school instructors, respectively.

Babbott advocated for pay raises for public and private school teachers throughout the state.

“We have the highest number of students per counselor in the nation, with today’s teachers, support staff and counselors doing a job that is on par with those in public safety,” Babbott said. “This initiative will address what has been one of the top priorities on teacher pay for both charter and public schools to make sure that we invest in the people who invest in our kids.”

However, Blackman and Barton are both against passing the citizen initiative to raise the wealthy’s tax rates and increase education funding in the state.

Blackman said he feels the state’s education system already received a significant amount of funding from the state’s budget.

“We have a budget of $11.8 billion — with $6.2 billion going to education — and education funding has received a $4.5 billion increase just this year alone,” Blackman said. “We have all of these ideas, but none of my opponents know what the budget is for education. It’s always either go back to 2008, or it is that we need more money.”

Arizona voters are given the opportunity to vote on Prop. 207 during the general election Nov. 3, which would legalize the use of recreational marijuana for individuals who are 21 and older, Oct 18. Madison Easton | The Lumberjack

However, a Jan. 13 press release from Gov. Doug Ducey stated, “In total, [since 2015], we’ve pumped $4.5 billion of new investments into Arizona schools. Without our latest budget, [in 2020], that figure will rise to $6.6 billion. And we’ve done all of this without raising taxes.”

Barton said she dislikes how the bill impacts higher tax brackets, which is not conducive to supporting businesses. She added that academic funding should be based on individual school performances, and moreover, that the state government should not influence the education of Arizona’s children. Instead, she advocated for more parent involvement and discretion in their childrens’ schooling.

“I believe funding should follow the student and be outcomebased,” Barton said. “One-size-fits-all is a poor way to spend our education dollars, and administrative costs should never be greater than the money flowing to the classroom. Master teachers should be developed and encouraged wherever possible, and every education dollar spent should return a maximum yield.”

Law enforcement and Black Lives Matter Blackman, who is Black, faced criticism over the summer for calling the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement a terrorist organization, as reported by The Arizona Republic. When asked to clarify his stance, Blackman doubled down on his past comments over the social reform movement.

“BLM is a Marxist, terrorist organization,” Blackman said. “If Black lives matter, they’d be thinking about the thousands of Black babies that are aborted every single day in Black communities.

Eighty percent come from fatherless homes and only 50% of Black males graduate from high school. If they cared about Black lives, they would be looking at these types of problems being seen in Black communities.”

However, Blackman acknowledged there are some bad law enforcement employees throughout the country, which he said happens because of the lack of resources provided to police officers.

“We don’t want the first encounter of a person with a

NEWS law enforcement officer to be negative, but unfortunately there are some bad apples everywhere in the law enforcement community,” Blackman said. “What we are asking police officers to do is to solve someone’s problems in 15 minutes, so they have to be a chiropractor, social worker, a mom, a dad, a teacher, so on and so forth, and police officers are not equipped to

do that because of a lack of resources.”

Babbott is against defunding or abolishing the police, but he said he believes the U.S. should strive to create a trusted law enforcement with good relationships, along with a system that enforces the law both fairly and effectively.

Additionally, Babbott explained that instead of using slogans and hashtags, the

state should tackle the issues within the law enforcement profession head on.

“One of my observations is we have a propensity to try to use simple slogans to solve really tough problems,” Babbott said. “I don’t believe in abolishing the police or defunding the police is actually a strategy. I don’t believe it really engages what we are trying to seek out of

the outcome of good, effective law enforcement.”

Early voting already started in Arizona and it will conclude Oct. 30, shortly before the Nov. 3rd election. For important election updates, visit the Coconino County elections website.

Flagstaff Brings Changes to local police Jorja Heinkel

T

he City of Flagstaff will begin redirecting nonemergency 911 calls to crisis professionals and a mobile crisis response team starting in November, with more advanced policing alternatives discussed in the virtual city council meeting.

Flagstaff Deputy Chief Dan Musselman confirmed on Oct. 13 that Flagstaff Police Department (FPD) will expand work with the Crisis Response Network and Terros Mobile Crisis Response for nonemergent calls regarding mental health, substance abuse and homelessness.

The Crisis Response Network and Terros Crisis Response are 24/7 mobile crisis teams that use hotline phone services and assign crisis professionals to meet individuals at the scene.

The Terros program includes personalized safety plans and follow-up appointments, which are complimentary.

Musselman said this is not the first time FPD has worked with Terros.

“We usually wait until the officer gets there, and then the officer will see if it’s a crime issue or a mental health issue,” Musselman said. “If it’s a mental health issue, they’ll call Terros.”

Starting Nov. 2, the process will be conducted differently. The new protocol begins with a person calling FPD dispatch, which proceeds to ask the individual if they are willing to talk to a trained crisis counselor.

Musselman said the Crisis Response Network is able to handle roughly 70% of calls, but for the 30% that cannot be resolved by counselors, a Terros mobile response team comprised of two mental health professionals will be dispatched to meet the individual in need.

“The goal here is to connect the client or the citizen with the most appropriate services,” Musselman said. “Keeping them safe and out of the justice system.”

These new protocols are not the only policing alternatives pending in Flagstaff, and

Musselman spoke to city council about several different models throughout the country that could be replicated locally.

Musselman defined these alternative models as the practice of sending a paramedic, a mental health professional or a crisis specialist to nonemergency calls instead of a police officer.

Additionally, one compromise is to send both types of professionals to the scene.

One specific alternative was the Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) program, a mobile crisis intervention team based in Oregon. Instead of being a formal law enforcement agency, CAHOOTS teams are composed of a nurse or emergency medical technician (EMT), along with an experienced crisis worker who responds to nonemergency and nonviolent crises.

Musselman presented other options to the city council, such as the Anchorage Safety Patrol, a 24-hour service out of Alaska that cross-trains police officers as EMTs. The Denver STAR Program and the Crisis Preparations Recovery in Arizona were also addressed during the council meeting.

These response models are intended to reduce the burden on the city’s police officers, who do not necessarily have the expertise to navigate complicated behavioral health or substance abuse situations, Musselman added.

Additionally, he said the city of Flagstaff needs to expand these reforms beyond mobile response teams and into long-term resources.

“We need to design an alternate response program that works for our community and has good after-care resources,” Musselman said.

“Mental health, homelessness and poverty all impact our emergency services. Any alternate response model we get will not be successful unless we get some additional resource posttriage.”

Musselman encouraged a detoxification center, a day center and a treatment center with Native American ties like the San Francisco Friendship House.

Vice Mayor Adam Shimoni supported

revamping the Flagstaff Fire Department’s 2014 Community Alternative Response Truck program (CART), in cooperation with Native Americans for Community Action (NACA) to provide wraparound health services for Flagstaff residents and specialized cultural healing centers for the local Indigenous community.

Shimoni said a mobile response team under the CART model would include an EMT, firefighter and mental health social worker, while also acknowledging 911 calls are just one “piece of the puzzle.” In this regard, he outlined a four-part approach with the first component addressing how the city responds to these calls.

Included in this approach is a detoxification center for safe substance abuse recovery, as well as programs that provide housing and wraparound services for those in need and proactive efforts of mental health workers within the community.

Ross Altenbaugh, executive director of Flagstaff Shelter Services, commented publicly, along with two other virtual attendees.

Altenbaugh said any decisions regarding alternative policing programs should not be selected by city council alone, but also through citizen involvement and community organizations that have previously been left out

of the discussion. One of the many practices to better support the people of Flagstaff, he added, is affordable and accessible housing.

“Housing makes people healthier, and we should be putting our work and our engagement into housing solutions,”Altenbaugh said. “The work is bigger than diversion, and it’s bigger than budget lines.”

Councilmembers Charlie Odegaard and Jamie Whelan, in addition to Vice Mayor Shimoni, agreed affordable housing must be a priority in Flagstaff’s future. Mayor Coral Evans also said housing is an important issue that council has neglected in the past.

“We are saying that the root issue is housing, and housing is health care, but every single time housing comes before this council, there isn’t a political will to do something meaningful and directly about it,” Evans said.

She also spoke about the potential use of city-owned property to establish a more developed network of affordable housing.

Council decided to continue the discussion about alternate policing programs during the next meeting Oct. 20, while also setting a onemonth deadline for resolving the matter.

Flagstaff City Council gathers for a virtual work session, Oct. 13.

Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

5

NEWS

RAs: A love-hate relationship believe the adjustment was fair, and it added new responsibilities and stress for RAs who aren’t receiving compensation.”

Trevor Skeen

U

niversities around the world rely on resident assistants (RAs) to connect incoming freshmen, control ongoing parties and cultivate friendly living situations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, these responsibilities suddenly changed. A job that once revolved around relationships quickly centered on case exposures and safety precautions.

When the fall semester started, Housing & Residence Life was involved in a number of controversies: staggered move-in dates, designated quarantine spaces and eventually, contactless food deliveries. Before faculty even resumed in-person instruction, the Arizona Daily Sun documented an alleged outbreak among RAs that proved to be unfounded.

These concerns all stem from the basic question about whether face-to-face coursework is worth the risk during a global health crisis, and more specifically, whether RAs should have to deal with the potential consequences.

The Lumberjack reached out to a number of RAs regarding a comprehensive article about this semester, and many were unwilling to violate their contract agreements by speaking to the media. While respecting this decision, the paper’s editorial team managed to find one current and one previous RA to address these developments.

Mandatory testing and contactless food delivery Similar to how all on-campus residents were required to test negative for COVID-19 before moving in, testing was eventually made mandatory for RAs. However, an anonymous RA said this decision was both unorganized and unprepared just weeks before classes resumed.

According to an email sent to RAs from Housing & Residence Life on July 24 — three days before training began the following Monday — “You do NOT need to get tested prior to your arrival.”

Additionally, the source said the July 27th training date was announced via email in late June, approximately one month before the RAs’ employment started. From the anonymous source’s perspective, this decision was announced slightly too late — especially considering the pandemic.

Isaiah Gutierrez, an RA at McDonald Hall during the 2019-20 school year, decided

6

Photo Illustration By Brian Burke and Aleah Green

to forfeit his new position at Allen Hall in late August. However, Gutierrez still had the chance to work for Housing & Residence Life before the pandemic ever started, in addition to quitting after it spread. He said the administration’s disorderly response to COVID-19, specifically regarding mandatory testing, was conceivable given the difficulty of this situation.

“It’s very much believable that administration was disorganized, and that communication could have served to guide RAs in a better direction,” Gutierrez said.

Once students, faculty and staff settled into the semester, case numbers crept up around the local community. According to the university’s data dashboard, COVID-19 peaked the week of Sept. 14 with 277 confirmed cases and a 9.3% positivity rate. These figures could have prompted Housing & Residence Life’s decision

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

to relegate all of Campus Heights and the first floor of the Honors College as designated quarantine spaces, which raised additional controversy.

While students isolate at these two locations, along with other on- and off-campus facilities, they utilize contactless food deliveries.

During 14-day isolation periods with three daily meals, a total of 42 servings are theoretically allotted to everyone in quarantine.

Before the pandemic, these distributions were never part of RAs’ job descriptions, but their contracts were updated shortly into the fall semester.

“The newly implemented adjustment for contactless delivery was shoddily put together and created a lot of pushback with RAs since it seemed dangerous and could potentially expose them to COVID-19,” Gutierrez said. “I don’t

Desk assistants and compensated student workers Before the 2020-21 academic year, desk assistant (DA) duties were another aspect of the RA position that have since changed. The anonymous source said all RAs were previously granted automatic DA employment in their own residence halls for approximately 10 hours per week. However, interested RAs are now required to apply for the position — and they can never work in their own buildings.

The source said one theme within Housing & Residence Life, and generally the university’s higher administration, is enforcing separate duties that are incompatible. For example, one commitment is when RAs have on-call shifts from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, and they are supposed to stay within 15 minutes of their halls.

However, if an RA is on call at Mountain View Hall and working as a DA at South Village Apartments, the commute is potentially longer than 15 minutes. Traveling between north and south campus is time-consuming, the source added, but some RAs are expected to make this trip.

When freshmen visit the front desks to seek advice or receive encouragement, recognizing the employee is sometimes an added benefit.

“If a regular DA, or an RA from another hall, has a resident come up to them crying, they don’t know about that resident’s life,” the source said. “How are they supposed to handle that situation?”

In contrast, Gutierrez explained this newly implemented structure allows workers in Housing & Residence Life to experiment with other halls, while also keeping the environment more respectful and professional.

“Regarding the DA position, I hold no grudge with the decision made, as it was for the purposes that eliminated potential bias with residents and eliminated individuals who wanted the position for easy money,” Gutierrez said.

During previous school years, when RAs also worked as DAs, the $10 student minimum wage was the only form of financial compensation they received. Housing & Residence Life still provides complimentary housing and meal plans, but the source said they

“don’t cost the university anything.”

In this regard, RAs were described as “compensated student workers” who lack the typical protections of regular employees.

This label parallels the United States Department of Labor under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as referenced by the business and litigation law firm Husch Blackwell.

According to the firm’s website, which cited the Department of Labor’s Field Operations Handbook, “Students serving as residence hall assistants or dormitory counselors, who are participants in a bona fide educational program, and who receive remuneration in the form of reduced room or board charges ... are not employees under the Act.” However, RAs’ standing as untraditional workers could change following a decision from the National Labor Relations Board in 2017. In an unprecedented ruling, regional director Sean Marshall declared the 110 RAs at George Washington University do fall under the definition of employees.

At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, RAs and community development assistants benefitted from a partnership with the United Auto Workers in 2002, which ended with unionization and solidified the position as “organized labor.”

“Arizona is a right-to-work state, and I feel like Arizona’s public universities exploit that loophole so much,” the source said. “RAs really aren’t employees, so they don’t have employee rights — they’re just workers.”

Hypothetically, if every RA at a dormitory went on strike, the source said NAU could terminate everyone involved, RHDs included.

On a campus-wide level, if all RAs around the university protested, administrators could potentially relieve the entire group and consider hundreds of prospective replacements.

Unionizing is one of many options, and the source said they are willing to pay monthly dues — potentially around $40 — to ensure more transparency and security within the position. This change would allow RAs to be considered more like regular employees and less like expendable

workers, in addition to affording more leverage. Otherwise, the source recommended that everyone stand together and continue effectively communicating.

FERPA and HIPAA A number of laws around the U.S. offer protection and guarantee privacy for personally identifiable information.

Among these stipulations is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which prevents personal details — names, phone numbers, addresses and more — from being released without consent.

NAU, ASU and UA all publish COVID-19 case statistics on a regular basis, but these numbers are compliant with HIPAA because they avoid identifying specific individuals who contracted the disease. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, however, one exception is that personal information can be shared “to notify a public health authority in order to prevent or control spread of disease.”

Although NAU and other universities are separate from public health authorities, some have speculated about whether RAs should receive updates regarding COVID-19 infections — and more specifically, who has it.

Jason Chang, a graduate resident student at Cornell University, informed Ithaca Times about the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Ivy League’s dormitories.

“Due to HIPAA laws that guarantee the protection of personal health-related information, Chang said he worries that when a case does appear in the dorms, residents and staff won’t be informed who or where the case was located, leaving residents wandering the halls unbeknownst of the risk to their safety,” Ithaca Times reported.

A syllabus from EPS 406 — Resident Assistant Pre-Service Training Course — listed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as a required portion of online training. FERPA is comparable to HIPAA in the academic world, and although this syllabus was from spring 2017, the anonymous source said no HIPAA training was included this

academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, FERPA also prevents the public disclosure of private facts by shielding education records. At the age of 18, these protections transfer from parents to eligible students and continue

“It’s very much believable that administration was disorganized, and that communication could have served to guide RAS in a better direction.”

– former resident assistant isaiah Gutierrez indefinitely.

RAs at public and private universities alike are often educated about the invasion of privacy, and during the age of COVID-19, the anonymous source said HIPAA training should also be provided. After all, they explained that delivering food and monitoring parties could

“I can claim a high ground, and I can pretend — at the end of the day — that my job is more important than student lives, But it’s not. My job is about student lives.”

– Anonymous Resident assistant risk exposure.

An article in The Wall Street Journal outlined the story of 20-year-old Janae Stevenson, a former community assistant at

ASU’s Manzanita Hall. Community assistants are the university’s equivalent of RAs, but Stevenson decided to resign and return home.

In Tempe, training protocols were allegedly similar to NAU’s when they hardly considered the pandemic.

“The assistants said they received training in how to address mental health concerns, how to handle incidents of sexual assault and how to connect students to resources on campus, but many said they didn’t receive training in how to handle students who test positive or quarantine on their floors,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “The university said in a statement that is because the role doesn’t include handling positive COVID-19 cases.”

In contrast, Gutierrez said he is a “firm advocate for privacy,” but administrative action should immediately take place for individuals who test positive. He added it would be unfair to disclose such personal information on a case-by-case basis.

The message Back in March, no one expected COVID-19 to spread so severely and suddenly around the world.

However, the pandemic became increasingly deadly over the summer, and according to data from Johns Hopkins University, the disease has killed over 220,000 people in the U.S. and more than 1.1 million globally. Although numerous vaccines are currently in different stages of development, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned U.S. citizens to cancel Thanksgiving plans amid resurging case figures.

COVID-19 has infected nearly 40 million people, but the source said NAU expected the disease to “go away” this summer. They added that administrators blame RAs for a lack of policy enforcement, but instead, the university itself needs more disciplinary structure for holding its community accountable.

“They’re not being serious about anything: the people in Central Quad who are maskless and playing volleyball, the potentially positive students walking around in public spaces, the frats and sororities,” the source said. “They’re blaming them, but they’re not being serious about it.”

Oppositely, Gutierrez explained he forfeited his position at Allen Hall because of his immediate supervisor, not the university’s higher administration.

“I’m not sure how much I am allowed to share, but I quit due to having issues in terms of supervision and the handling of staff and policy,” Gutierrez said. “The administration and my staff were excellent, but the opposition I had with my supervisor led me to resign from the position …

I know I made the right decision.”

Although Gutierrez shared his positive experiences with the university’s administration, the anonymous source expressed different opinions. They referenced a common statement Housing & Residence Life uses, which prioritizes workers as people, then students and finally RAs. However, they said the opposite is true: RAs are always asked to be RAs first.

“To residents reading this, we’re trying our best to keep you safe,” the source said. “We don’t want to write you up, and we don’t want you to get in trouble — we want you to be safe and healthy. The people who are in charge are just as scared as you are, and if no one talks about it, then nothing will get better.”

They added that Housing & Residence Life, along with the university’s administration, uses fear tactics to prevent RAs from speaking up. If an employee knows something is fundamentally wrong — and decides to question or publicize it — he or she is unlikely to be rehired.

Ultimately, RAs’ jobs are always “held above our heads.”

The anonymous RA said they love most of the position’s duties, especially meeting and connecting with residents. Although the source violated their contract agreement by speaking to the media, they explained that actually, the position is about keeping students safe.

“I can claim a high ground, and I can pretend — at the end of the day — that my job is more important than student lives,” the source said.

“But it’s not. My job is about student lives.”

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

7

OPINION-EDITORIAL

A cashless society promotes classism trinity archie

The tribulations of birth control

F

our years ago, I started taking birth control, but my perception of it was a lot simpler than reality. I thought I would be prescribed a pill and take it until I wanted to stop taking birth control. What I didn’t know was it only works out that way for a handful of women. For many others, including myself, taking birth control involves many trials and even more errors.

Menstrual irregularity, fatigue, mood swings, weight changes and more side effects had me switching through six pill prescriptions over the next three years. By then, I was becoming tired of not knowing the right option for me. That, combined with the effects of a four-month-long period, led me to set up an appointment to consider other nonpill options.

After researching possibilities, I decided to get an intrauterine device ASH (IUD) — a small piece of plastic with LOHMANN copper or hormones used to prevent FEATURES EDITOR pregnancy and alleviate period symptoms.

I liked the idea that you didn’t have to worry about it until six years down the line when it needs to be removed.

However, complications with insertion left me without an IUD, in severe pain, $300 down and frustrated that my struggles with birth control were far from over. Before I could consider other options, I was unexpectedly thrust onto one.

Due to the severity of my symptoms with the pill I was on, my doctor administered a birth control shot to immediately stop my period. From before I was even given it to a few months later, I knew the shot wasn’t for me. So, I decided to give the IUD another try.

So finally, after a successful insertion of an IUD, side effects put me out of commission for over a month from work and nearly every other activity that involved standing up for longer than two minutes. I was miserable and not yet satisfied that my hunt for a birth control option was over, as my body started rejecting the device after the first two months I had it.

Birth control can seriously mess with someone’s body, and finding the right option is frustrating. While everyone’s experience is different, I know the process can be disheartening and cause other complications. It can have an effect on mood, motivation, relationships and one’s sex life. It is important for people who don’t use birth control to understand how difficult it can be on those who do. However, it is even more crucial for people who do use hormonal birth control to know no one is alone in the trials and tribulations of it.

8

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

T

It would also be easier to manage and track expenses, as every single transaction would be documented.

These benefits do not justify the harmful effects a cashless society will have on the homeless and the elderly. The article also cites that low-income and older individuals often have limited access to technology that would place them at a disadvantage when attempting to make purchases.

Homeless populations’ struggles during the current coin shortage show these individuals rely on the use of cash. If businesses and local governments fail to accommodate these citizens during a pandemic, I think it is safe to assume that circumstances will only worsen when society abandons cash completely.

Small towns like Flagstaff will likely be among the most impacted by the transition. Flagstaff’s many small businesses will be forced to cope with an increase in credit and debit card processing fees. Additionally, the city’s large homeless population will struggle to adapt.

Coconino County’s annual Point-in-Time count records the number of individuals experiencing homelessness on a given night. According to Arizona Daily Sun, a 2018 count found that 415 citizens did not have permanent shelter. This is at least 415 people who likely do not have the resources to set up a bank account and obtain a debit card.

In the case a homeless person is able to purchase necessities, they should be able to do so without worrying about if their payment method will be accepted. I hope Flagstaff and similar cities draft solutions to guarantee fairness for their large homeless populations who will still need to make purchases.

A cashless society will inevitably hurt low-income citizens.

For these populations, the transition will be far more inconvenient than a simple switch to online and card-only purchasing.

Technological advancement only advances the upper and middle class. Low-income individuals are only further disadvantaged.

A cashless society must involve accommodation for those who cannot afford to abandon the most accessible form of payment.

he national coin shortage is one of many inconveniences presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses have posted signs requiring either exact change or electronic form of payment. This is a preview to the seemingly inevitable future: a cashless society.

According to CNN Business, the coin shortage began months ago when many businesses temporarily closed at the start of the pandemic. People now spend less cash in stores and rely primarily on electronic payment methods. This cash flow disruption resulted in the current shortage, as reported by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a June 17 virtual hearing.

We have adapted to become less cash-reliant. The transition has been easy for some, as many of us rarely use cash and instead use debit cards or online payment systems like Apple Pay. This is a privilege.

Homeless populations and low-income individuals may not have bank accounts or cellphones that allow them to make electronic payments. As a result, society’s most vulnerable are struggling to purchase basic necessities.

According to a 2017 survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 6.5% of households in the United States did not have access to a checking or savings account.

These families, many struggling with poverty or homelessness, cannot simply pull out a debit card when a business requests electronic payment.

A cashless society would neglect the needs of those who do not have access to the resources needed to open a bank account.

Bank of America, for example, requires proof of residence and a minimum deposit during the application process. Most banks have similar requirements that exclude those who do not have permanent housing and may not be able to afford banking fees.

As a result, low-income citizens cannot easily obtain debit cards. As we move toward electronic-only payment, it is important to acknowledge the transition will primarily benefit the wealthy and middle-class.

I hope those pushing for a cashless society are also pushing for resources that will aid low-income individuals in the transition. Otherwise, a cashless society will devastate those without the means to a bank account.

We already have many examples of what a cashless society would look like. In addition to the U.S. coin shortage, some countries are testing out the idea through trials. According to Business Insider, China’s Luohu District issued 50,000 virtual red envelopes containing $30 worth of digital currency.

Participants are required to make transactions through the government’s digital currency app between Oct. 12 and Oct. 16. The results of this move toward digital currency will be recorded upon completion of the trial.

If this approach to a cashless society proves to be successful, other countries may do the same. I understand why China and other countries advocate for the switch.

There are benefits to a cashless society. According to a Forbes article, some theorize that elimination of cash handling could result in lower crime rates and less money laundering.

Illustration By Rainee Favela

OPINION-EDITORIAL

A nation gambling with its leader’s health kylie soto

T

here should be a maximum age for those who are eligible to run for president. The first 2020 presidential debate convinced me of this.

Professionalism and exemplary civility could not be found on either side of the debate stage Sept. 29. The 90 minutes meant for thoughtful discussion was turned into a rather gruesome, yet cringe-worthy dissing match between two men in their seventies.

Viewers use these debates as an aid in finalizing their decision before voting, but it’s difficult to pick a clear side when the two candidates spend the majority of the time bickering rather than discussing policy or plans.

Not even a few days later, Oct. 1, President Donald Trump announced his positive COVID-19 status on Twitter.

This prompted me to think of the importance of a president’s health and particularly how age degrades people’s ability to stay healthy.

Gallup News conducted a poll which asked, “How important would you say the health of a president is to his ability to be a good president — very important, somewhat important, not too important or not at all important?”

The results revealed 96% of respondents felt that the status of a president’s health is somewhat important to very important. Although this poll was conducted in 2004, it’s relevance has not diminished. In reality, it’s likely even more important in 2020, the year of COVID-19.

If a president’s health is so important to the majority of voters, why do we consistently elect older people? Part of the problem is older people are more involved in politics than younger people.

Of course, the world is changing and the youth of today are not only getting more involved politically, but they are also much more likely to express their opinions through protest, both in person and behind a phone screen.

However, many youth who have suddenly gotten involved with politics have only recently become eligible to vote.

The Atlantic reflected this idea in an article and added, “Voters over 65 routinely go to the polls more often than young voters do, and politicalscience research has found that voters typically prefer candidates ‘who are closest to themselves in age.’”

Granted, a few people from the younger modern generations are gaining traction and inspiring their generation to walk alongside them. A prime example is New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who set the record in 2019 as the youngest woman in history to serve in

Congress at age 29.

Perhaps a large reason for her popularity is her age, which makes her more relatable to those her age and younger.

How can we honestly and truly expect an elderly president to best serve the country if they cannot relate to, nor captivate, the younger generations of the nation?

Settle for Joe Biden, a grassroots campaign, was created with this very idea in mind, as most younger eligible voters back the Biden-Harris campaign.

NPR reported, “60% of likely voters under the age of 30 say they will vote for Biden compared with 27% for Trump, according to a poll from the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics.”

The choice between candidates is not an easy one, as neither are truly desirable for the average first-time voter.

NPR supported this idea further in the same article in which they stated, “56% of likely voters who support the president are ‘very enthusiastic’ about voting for him, compared with 35% of likely voters who back the Democratic nominee when asked about their enthusiasm.”

Perhaps, though, young voters would be more enthusiastic about electing a president who isn’t old enough to be their grandfather.

Either Trump, who is 74, or Biden, who is 77, will set the record for being the oldest president ever elected, regardless of the outcome on election night.

Forbes discussed the likelihood of their individual survival through their potential presidential terms based on their respective genetic predispositions.

“Biden, now 77 years old, is expected to outlive Trump due to his ‘exceptional health profile for a man his age,’ with a projected lifespan of 96.8 years and a 95.2% likelihood of surviving his presidential term,” Forbes stated.

Whereas, “Trump, who’s 74, has ‘significant but modifiable’ risk factors due to his ‘obesity and sedentary lifestyle,’ but his estimated lifespan is 88.6 years and he has a 90.3% probability of surviving a second term.”

Still, I cannot help but think the nation should not be forced to gamble with fate in hopes that whomever is elected will, in fact, make it through their four years in the Oval Office.

No matter what, this election will not be taken lightly and everyone must do exactly as stated above and settle for whomever ends up being inaugurated in January. In the future, however, it might be in the best interest of the people to put an age cap on presidential candidates, just as there is a minimum age. If someone is too young to run for president, surely some are too old to sufficiently fulfill the duties of commander-in-chief.

Illustration By TOnesha Yazzie

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

9

FEATURES

“Breathing in, Breathing Out:” Lis ash Lohmann

F

Junior Sierra Bryan released an album amid the COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest in the United States. Bryan poses for a picture at her home Oct. 9. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

10

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

rom writing her first song at 15 to releasing her album, “Breathing in, Breathing Out,” music occupies a special portion of junior Sierra Bryan’s life. Bryan’s indie-folk, yet still genreconvergent album, hosts songs which tell stories of her experiences living in Flagstaff and processing complex emotions that come with being a college student. Those who know Bryan said the album itself is a testament to her personality, and the accomplishment of releasing an album in college is a hallmark of her passion.

Bryan said she grew up loving music and has been learning how to play since middle school. However, she hadn’t seriously considered pursuing music until she was given the option to write a song in order to make up for a low score on an assignment in a high school English class.

Ever since, Bryan started songwriting and taking her music more seriously, which led her to make friends with other musicians when she came to NAU. Some of the musicians Bryan met included Flagstaff band Tow’rs. The band owns a recording studio and invited Bryan to record there.

“I recorded a song for free in February 2018 and it turned out really well, and I was just super surprised because I didn’t think that I could actually put out something like that,” Bryan said.

With her single “Watercolors” recorded, Bryan said she was motivated by herself and others to keep going and make a full-length album. Taking advice from Tow’rs, Bryan turned to Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform for creators, in order to finance the recording and production of the album. She ultimately fundraised $4,800 to put toward creating “Breathing in, Breathing Out.” Bryan explained that the opportunities came to her, which seemed like a sign that putting together an entire album was something she had to do.

“It was kind of serendipitous,” Bryan said. “I didn’t really go out looking for it, it all just kind of came into my lap which was super nice, but once it was there, I was like, ‘OK, let’s actually do this.’”

However, the recording process

turned out to be a lot of work, Bryan said, especially when it had to be balanced with school. She explained she was driving back and forth between the studio and campus and sometimes had to skip classes in order to record. Bryan said if she wasn’t in school, managing time while recording would not have been so difficult, but all in all, it was worth it.

While the opportunity to record came to Bryan unexpectedly, her roommate, senior Brooke Apana said the overall process of creating “Breathing in, Breathing Out,” took years. Apana explained she played guitar parts for a few of the songs on Bryan’s album. She said it was interesting to be able to spend time in the studio with Bryan and see how the recording process worked.

However, Apana explained that the work Bryan put into the music started years ago, outside the studio. She said she would hear Bryan playing the songs on her guitar and singing them in her room. As Bryan’s roommate, Apana heard the songs evolve from their simplest versions to what they are now.

“Sierra put a ton of work into the album, dedicating years to writing these songs and then dedicating hours to finally recording them,” Apana said.

When Bryan thought the recording process was finished, she had 10 songs for “Breathing in, Breathing out.” Though a babysitting gig for one of Tow’rs’ band members bought her an extra song on the album: “Mountain Song.”

Bryan explained she was also lucky in that she finished recording all her songs before the quarantine hit in March.

Additionally, COVID-19 made it so Tow’rs were unable to go on tour when they were scheduled to, Bryan said. So, the musicians were able to get the post-production process done quicker and get the songs back to Bryan before she anticipated.

The quarantine also gave Bryan more opportunities to finish putting the album together, she explained. Bryan said social distancing worked to her advantage, as she was able to have more time to look into finishing touches, such as designing an album cover, uploading all her files, creating a website and putting together her Spotify page.

“Sierra p work into dedicatin writing the then dedic to finally th

– Brook Sierra Brya

“‘Brea breathin lovely fus folk and p like you’r driving do highway window

– Loga Former N

FEATURES

stening to the mind of Sierra Bryan

put a ton of o the album, ng years to ese songs and cating hours ly recording hem.”

ke Apana, an’s roommate

athing in, ng out’ is a sion of indie, pop. It sounds re blissfully own a forest ay with the ws down.”

an Sager, NAU student

While the release date for “Breathing in, Breathing Out” would normally have been pushed up because everything was finished early, Bryan said she pushed it back due to the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I recognized that there’s a time to take up space and there’s a time to not,” Bryan said. “So, I held back a lot during summer because I understood that it was time to make space for other voices during that time, specifically Black voices in the music industry or even just generally around social media.”

“Breathing in, Breathing Out” officially released Aug. 20 and former NAU student Logan Sager described it as a folk album that’s much more accessible to the general ear. Sager was in a band with Bryan called Glazed Jeans in 2018 and saw some of the earliest versions of the songs on Bryan’s album. He said Bryan’s songwriting keeps folk instrumentation centered, but she also spices the music up with her personality and charm. “‘Breathing in, Breathing Out’ is a lovely fusion of indie, folk and pop,” Sager said. “It sounds like you’re blissfully driving down a forest highway with the windows down.”

Apana said the album has both slow and upbeat songs for listeners to enjoy, and said the collection is beautifully put together. Though finding a cohesive theme for the album is something Bryan said she struggled with.

Bryan said her songwriting mainly involves her using music as a way to process emotions. She said when she’s impacted by an experience, she feels she needs to sit down and write about it. Regardless of whether it’s a breakup or coming back from an amazing hike, Bryan said whenever she’s overwhelmed with an emotion — good or bad — she feels compelled to write about it. Bryan said understanding that the element of processing emotions was what brought the album together.

When it came down to figuring out a name for the album, Bryan said she drew inspiration from her song “At the Party.”

“It was about an experience I had at my first college party,” Bryan said. “I was super nervous, and I hadn’t really

been to a real party before, and what got me into settling into my own skin was understanding that everyone else is just here. They’re all humans, not these big, scary others. Everybody is experiencing things. Everyone’s escaping from something else, whether that be homework to worry about, or if they’re dealing with things, this is our defense and our way of just calming down. We’re all just humans, breathing in and breathing out.”

Bryan classified the album as a combination of the indie, folk and rock genres as she draws inspiration from Maggie Rogers and her mentor band, Tow’rs. However, Sager said the album is very characteristic of Bryan. He said he hears Bryan’s personality and mannerisms in her lyrics, which he described as tonguein-cheek and goofy, especially in “At the Party” and “Weird Vibes.” Though, he also said one can hear her melancholy side in songs like “Smile” or “Watercolors,” as they express her less positive, yet still important emotions.

“Sierra’s passion has truly gone into this album and it serves as a magnificent reflection of who she is,” Sager said.

The album is worth listening to, Apana said, as Bryan has a beautifully soothing voice and compellingly relatable lyrics. Further, Apana explained she especially loves “Breathing in, Breathing Out,” because of the familiarity of hearing her friend’s voice and knowing what the songs are about. Though Apana said anyone can appreciate Bryan’s music, especially because of her honesty and vulnerability.

“She is very honest about how she feels in her songs, even if those songs are about someone who will eventually hear the song and knows it’s about them,” Apana said. “I really love that about her songwriting, and it shows that she’s not afraid to be completely honest and vulnerable through her music.”

For those interested in listening to Bryan’s album, “Breathing in, Breathing Out,” it can be found on major streaming platforms including Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.

Sierra Bryan’s album is called “Breathing In, Breathing Out” and can be found on Spotify and other major streaming platforms, Oct. 9. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

11

FEATURES

The secret world of D&D dungeon masters Jorja Heinkel

T

he magical world of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is thriving at NAU, giving creative minds throughout Flagstaff the opportunity to create fantastic adventures through roleplay and develop friendships through collaborative storytelling.

D&D has a long legacy of stereotypes: It’s nerdy, it’s only for boys and it’s always about, well, dungeons and dragons. But the fantastical role-playing game has grown since its origin in 1974 to be a more inclusive game for all. Connor Danley, NAU graduate and campaign creator, or dungeon master (DM) said D&D was a game his parents cautioned him against when he was a child. After a first rough campaign as a player, Danley became fascinated with the world of D&D and taught himself to become a DM.

Since then, Danley said he has led several campaigns with different genres and characters and has become skilled in the many arts of a DM, such as acting, improvisation and writing.

Danley described campaign writing as a creative storytelling process with his players.

Unlike a typical story, DMs write the outline and direction of the campaign, but the players are the ones that decide the majority of the story.

“When you first get into DMing you think you’re writing a book, and you’re telling a story that way,” Danley said. “Eventually, you have to let go and allow players to make choices.”

Danley said the shared control of the

Illustration By Blake Fernandez

12

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

story is part of the magic of D&D, though it can also pose significant challenges to the DM. He explained that once in his early DMing years, he allowed a player to break a key rule of D&D: never betray the party.

“I thought that everyone should be able to have their fun, no matter the price,” Danley said.

“So, I let [the player] be evil and she coerced with the bad guys and ambushed the party.”

The betrayal caused the permanent death of several characters and taught Danley that a DM shouldn’t sacrifice everybody’s fun for the enjoyment of one.

Sophomore and DM Colette Barteau started her D&D adventure as a player in Danley’s campaign. Barteau said she has her own difficulties in campaign writing. She explained that one of her campaigns was a twist on the classic trope of a princess being locked in a tower, with the dragon being benevolent and the princess an evil, unusually powerful druid.

“I accidentally spoiled the fact that she was evil in the first session,” Barteau said.

“I had to walk away and rewrite the entire plot.”

Pesky plot holes and disastrous slip-ups are only a few of the difficult aspects of D&D DMing, Barteau explained. Perhaps the most difficult problem DMs face is the stifling and often inaccurate stereotypes surrounding D&D. Such stereotypes often scare players from the game and may intimidate potential DMs. Danley said a stereotype that needs to be broken is that a DM must have acting experience to lead a campaign.

“Even though [acting experience] helps, you don’t have to have it,” Danley said.

“As long as you have a story to tell and a whistle in your heart, you can play D&D. It feels more like being interactive in a TV show.”

In the lengthy list of stereotypes, Danley also said the idea that a campaign must be high fantasy — putting the dragons and dungeons into the name isn’t always true.

Barteau said she has tapped into high fantasy campaigns like her princess in the castle trope, but her campaigns often include historical themes such as Norse mythology and vikings.

DM and sophomore Anthony Zapata described his first campaign as a genre of alternate historical fiction, in which the world is based on ancient Greek culture and values.

With genres ranging from fantasy to historical fiction to thriller, players have endless possibilities to make the stories their own. And that, the DMs said, is the highest compliment.

“The more they care about my stories, the more I also care about it,” Barteau said. “It makes me want to put more effort in return.”

The work of a DM is effort to the highest extent, the DMs explained. The combination of writing, acting and improvisation makes DMing an exciting experience, but also a challenging one.

For those interested in entering the world of D&D, the DMs explained the best tip is to get connected with others in the community.

Organizations like NAU’s Roleplaying Game Club provide opportunities for new players to find a DM, join a campaign and start making magic. In Flagstaff, game stores like The Geekery have the answers to players’ D&D questions and needs.

The Geekery owner Steven Brently said he opened the shop in 2010 to create a space for Magic: The Gathering fans. The shop offers a selection of merchandise for Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer and more.

Magic: The Gathering posters featuring druidic women with glowing eyes, gorgons with heads full of snakes and armored muscle men baring axes adorn the walls. A wall entirely decorated with playing cards lines the back of the game room, where tables are set up for tournaments of various games. Playing mats, D&D dice, Magic: The Gathering cards and even snacks like donuts and muffins are available for purchase to provide players what they need to enjoy a night of gaming, Brently explained.

For the first time, The Geekery will be hosting a D&D Live Action Role Playing (LARP) session Oct. 22 through 30.

“D&D always involves some aspect of role playing,” Brently said.

Even in a non-LARP D&D session, Brently said acting out a character can inspire the DM to give certain modifiers, or advantages, to the player.

Whether a D&D player is highly involved in the LARPing scene, or prefers to stick solely to tabletop, the diverse range of genres, characters and clubs in D&D make the game a promising opportunity for anyone.

CULTURE

Respect for pronouns can make a difference sophia salazar

A perfect movie for spooky season

W

ith Halloween right around the corner, I’ve been seeing many people posting about scary movies on social media. I’m not the biggest fan of watching a movie that will scare me, but I knew I had to watch “The Devil All the Time” to feel some Halloween spirit.

This Netflix original is a psychological thriller that tells the story of how many of the characters’ lives become intertwined at some point. There are a lot of different characters involved in this story, and I was confused about what impact each of them would have on the plot. Despite some of my confusion at first, I was hooked the whole two hours the movie lasted.

The movie begins in 1945 when Willard Russell NAYOMI (Bill Skarsgård) comes back to his hometown of Coal GARCIA Creek, West Virginia after serving in World War II. CULTURE EDITOR While on his way to Coal Creek, Willard stops in Meade, Ohio and falls in love with a waitress named Charlotte (Haley Bennett). The two marry and move to Knockemstiff, Ohio where they have their son, Arvin.

Also in Meade, another waitress at the same restaurant, Sandy (Riley Keough), meets Carl (Jason Clarke), and they hit things off. While the movie doesn’t center around these two, they’re an important duo to remember as the plot unfolds.

As Arvin grows up, Willard’s traumatic experiences from the war are eventually passed onto Arvin. Arvin sees the way his father tends to act violent when he gets upset, and this eventually impacts him as a teenager.

After both of his parents die, Arvin is sent to Coal Creek to live with his grandmother. Teenage Arvin, played by Tom Holland, begins to have violent mood swings like his father. He goes out of his way to defend his adopted stepsister, Lenora (Eliza Scanlen), as she is teased by boys at school.

Then, Arvin meets the ostentatious personality of the new church preacher, Preston Teagardin, played by Robert Pattinson. Preston makes a bad impression on Arvin when they first meet and Arvin knows he is not trustworthy. This situation eventually leads to another angry outburst from Arvin in order to defend Lenora.

Back in Ohio, we start to see Sandy and Carl become an evil couple that murders hitchhikers traveling near Ohio. The couple’s attack on their victims is purely vicious. While they have the travelers alone, Carl has Sandy seduce them in order for him to strike and kill. To make it even worse, Carl is so sick that he takes photographs the entire time. Their characters had me the most on-edge during the movie because of their dark personalities.

Although the movie was confusing to keep up with at times, I would recommend adding this to your watch list. The cast also makes the movie even better. Seeing all of the actors take on such intriguing personalities added to the excitement of the movie.

Continue reading on jackcentral.org

O

ctober celebrates a variety of occasions and events throughout the month. International Pronouns Day falls on the third week of October and is an annual celebration. This special day seeks to make asking, learning and respecting one’s preferred pronouns routine and focuses on transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Junior Eden Wendler, an ally of transgender and nonbinary individuals, said International Pronouns Day, which is celebrated on Oct. 21, spreads awareness about those who identify as a different gender than that assigned at birth.

“To me, International Pronouns Day means that no matter how you identify, you are valid, and you are seen and heard,” Wendler said in an email interview. “It means that respect for everyone can be shown even in little ways like including your pronouns in your [social media] bio to show that you’re an ally.”

Wendler said one way people can celebrate International Pronouns Day is by retweeting or sharing stories of those who are nonbinary and transgender.

She said this helps amplify transgender and nonbinary voices and shine light on the importance of pronouns.

International Pronouns Day can also be celebrated by using #PronounsDay on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

More activities are listed on the International Pronouns Day website, including creating custom pronoun pins and an event that promotes inclusion.

NAU’s Office of Inclusion provides resources for transgender and genderdiverse students, which include inclusive housing, a map of all the gender-neutral bathrooms on campus and a Trans Health and Wellness ebook. NAU has also posted an introduction to pronouns guide for students to understand the importance behind pronouns.

Rea Harris, a librarian at Cline Library who specializes in finding LGBTQ+ resources, said it is essential to respect one another’s pronouns.

“Respecting a person’s pronouns is not only essential to basic human dignity, but is also essential for the safety of the person, particularly transgender and gender nonconforming people,” Harris said in an email interview.

Harris said outing a person by using incorrect pronouns can lead to a negative impact on one’s mental health. Campus Health Services offers mental health support to those in need, including individual counseling, group therapy and 24-hour emergency crisis interventions. Due to COVID-19,

all counseling services will be held via Telehealth, a virtual health care provider.

NAU also provides a free online health assessment through ULifeline. This online service does not provide a diagnosis, but helps students access local resources. NAU lists a variety of sites that help guide students through mental health resources, such as Seize the Awkward and NAU’s Stressbusters Wellness App. Seize the Awkward is an interactive website that helps students learn the signs that someone might be experiencing poor mental health, while the Stressbusters Wellness App includes deep breathing techniques.

Harris said International Pronouns Day is about acceptance and giving students the opportunity to share their stories as others listen and learn from their peers.

“If you are having trouble remembering a person’s pronouns or using them, practice on your own,” Harris said in an email interview. “There are websites you can use that help you practice pronouns you may not be familiar with using, such as Practice with Pronouns. It is important for you to put in the effort to support those for whom the correct pronouns are vitally important.”

Continue reading on jackcentral.org

Illustration By diana ortega

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

13

CULTURE

Five national parks to visit near northern Arizona emily gerdes

F

lagstaff and NAU are located in a spot near numerous national parks in the southwest that present countless breathtaking landscapes. Here are five that are currently open for visitors.

Zion National Park Utah’s first national park and is located in the southwestern part of the state. Throughout Zion’s history, many different people lived off it, each leaving a piece of their history. The Virgin River flows through Zion and is attributed to carving much of the park.

The Narrows and Angels Landing hikes are the biggest draws to the park. Visitors can hike narrow sections of Zion Canyon where they may wade in water up to their waist while standing next to the towering canyon walls.

Angels Landing is a strenuous hike with steep inclines and switchbacks that provide beautiful views of Zion Canyon.

Day hikes are open and are available and backpacking within the park is allowed, but requires additional permits.

Right next door to Zion is Bryce Canyon National Park, which has its own special features. Maddie Anzovino, photographer, traveler and social media influencer said Bryce is her favorite park.

“The hoodoos are so staggering and bizarre, and the rock colors are so stunning — pale pinks and oranges that glow like crazy at sunset,” Anzovino said. “The landscape is otherworldly!”

Mesa Verde National Park Mesa Verde is located in southwestern Colorado near Durango.

Approximately 1,400 years ago, the land was inhabited by Ancestral Pueblo people who lived in the area for 700 years. The park is famous for its complex cliff dwellings built underneath the overhanging cliffs.

Since the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center remains closed, the park is offering an Online Virtual Ranger Station with videos, podcasts and webcams of the park.

On May 24, Mesa Verde announced in a press release that most trails and driving loops will be open for self-guided tours.

In an email, administrative specialist Cristy Brown explained what is still open.

“At this time, we do not have a date for resuming tours of the cliff dwellings for the 2021 season,” Brown said. “With the cliff dwellings and Wetherill Mesa being closed to visitors, the hiking and driving areas of Chapin Mesa are seeing increased visitation.”

Cliff dwellings can still be seen from the Mesa Top and Cliff Palace Loop Roads. With Mesa Verde still in the reopening phase, visitors can look on its website to find out more before arriving.

Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah is an elaborate canyon full of unique rock formations built from of years of erosion, July 20, 2019. Madison Easton| The Lumberjack

14

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

Petrified Forest National Park Only two hours away from Flagstaff is the Petrified Forest, making it the closest national park on this list. The park shares land with the Painted Desert and is known for geological formations, fossils, wildlife and petrified wood.

The Petrified Forest offers countless activities, but one of the most popular is geocaching. In 2012, Arizona created a geocaching project along Route 66 for its 100-year anniversary. The park decided to join in as they are the only national park with a portion of the famous Mother Road.

William G. Parker, chief of science and resource management at the park, said geocaching is controversial among other parks, but as long as it is

CULTURE Zion National Park in southern Utah offers 232 square miles of scenic drives, hikes and camping through its expansive canyons and rivers, July 19, 2019. Madison Easton| The Lumberjack

allowed, it does not cause any negative impacts on the park’s resources.

“Our program has been very successful and extremely popular with visitors,” Parker said.

“We think it is safe, nonthreatening to resources and provides families and other visitors with a fun and educational outdoor activity.”

Overnight camping is prohibited and wilderness camping permits are not currently issued.

Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree is where the Colorado and Mojave Desert merge in Southern California.

Visitors come to bird watch, backpack, camp, stargaze, hike, ride horses and rock climb.

According to the park’s website, all ranger programs are canceled and the museums and

“The hoodoos are so staggering and bizarre, and the rock colors are so stunning — pale pinks and oranges that glow like crazy at sunset.”

– SOcial Media Influencer, Maddie Anzovino exhibits are temporarily closed. The park is encouraging people to maintain distance, avoid crowds and bring hand sanitizer as most restrooms do not have running water.

Joshua Tree has adapted to the pandemic by offering ways to visit the park virtually through social media, livestreamed guest speakers and digital scavenger hunts.

Arches National Park Located near Moab in southeastern Utah on the Colorado Plateau is Arches National Park. This park is home to over 2,000 sandstone arches of all sizes. Colder months are expected to receive fewer visitors, but may allow for views of the red rocks covered in snow.

The park is open and operating, but current exclusions include the Fiery Furnace area, museum exhibits and the park’s film theater.

The stargazing opportunities are plentiful as Arches is a National Park Service-certified dark sky park. Campsites are operating on a firstcome, first-served basis between November and February with parking lots filling up quickly.

A 30-minute drive from Arches allows visitors to explore Canyonlands National Park, which hosts an experience in itself.

No matter where one chooses to go, visitors must act responsibly and follow local health guidelines. Following these guidelines ensures safety for others and allows for visits to the parks to continue.

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

15

SPORTS

B

Bill O’Brien was actually a good coach

ill O’Brien was fired by the Houston Texans on Oct. 5, after a 0-4 start to the season. The poor start was most likely due to his questionable trades, as he was given responsibilities of both the general manager and head coach of the Texans. He traded for wide receiver Kenny Stills and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, but gave up two years of firstround draft picks, which left the Texans without important future draft picks.

Arguably his worst move was trading away possibly the best receiver in the league, DeAndre Hopkins. O’Brien has clearly been a terrible general manager, However, I believe he was good — possibly the best coach the Texans ever had.

Through O’Brien’s tenure, he only had one losing season, quarterback ARTHUR Deshaun Watson’s rookie year. Watson MEYER tore his ACL and only played in six games, WRITER which halted his development.

O’Brien was able to lead them to four postseason appearances in five years. He has always been an offensive-minded coach, however, his offenses were not always great. Since O’Brien took over the head coaching job in Houston, the Texans have never cracked the top in offensive scoring. He still was able to take a team led by Brock Osweiler at quarterback to the playoffs and win.

This probably has to do with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who was hired by O’Brien, coaching a good defense.

O’Brien’s offenses were always steadily improving. Once they got Watson, the offense became one of the NFL’s elite. O’Brien created a system, which allowed them to use Watson’s unique running ability to their advantage. They finished in the top 10 in rushing in his final two seasons as head coach per ProFootball-Reference.

In O’Brien’s seven seasons with the Texans, he put up a record of 52-48, the highest winning percentage in team history. He is also the only head coach in Texans history to have a winning record once they left the team. He was able to lead them to four division titles in five years. Without him, they only won two division titles in their 11 years as a franchise.

O’Brien also accounted for half of the team’s playoff wins and four of their six appearances. While playoff wins are signs of success, things started to deteriorate once the Texans decided to fire general manager Brian Gaine in July 2019.

O’Brien told the team he would be willing to be the general manager. That turned out to be a poor decision, as over the years, O’Brien’s management team slowly became the straws that broke the camel’s back, Not only that, he signed his players to huge contracts that gave the team very little salary space for the next few years.

In his defense, O’Brien should have never been in the position where he had to be both the head coach and general manager. Due to that, he will likely have trouble finding another head coaching position in the NFL.

16

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

The NAU cheerleaders dance in sync to the marching band’s music for their halftime preformance, Sep. 9, 2017.

Austin Sudweeks| The Lumberjack

Keeping spritis high with NAU cheer Sabrina Proffitt

T

he crowd roars and the sound of a chainsaw is heard in the background cutting off a cookie of wood symbolizing a touchdown as the NAU Cheer team does what it does best: cheer.

Now, in the middle of a pandemic, the cheer team meets virtually, practicing and working out together via Zoom. Senior President Becky Wanca said this transition has been difficult because cheer is a hands-on contact sport.

“I think as hard as this situation has been, there have been some positives,” Wanca said. “This situation has shown how

resilient this team really is. It has shown that this team can go through anything and yet we will come out stronger on the other side. The main thing to be learned, not just for my team but society as a whole, is that we don’t need to be physically together to feel like a family and I think that is a pretty beautiful thing.”

Senior Vice President Faith Taylor said the transition to online has been difficult and different, but it is important to keep their team dynamic and build bonds like they usually would.

Taylor said their online practices include a team workout, bonding by splitting into breakout rooms, and a game to keep the spirits high.

“Because of COVID-19, one of our extra goals this year has

SPORTS been to give people on the team an outlet from all of the chaos surrounding everyone,” Taylor said. “We strive to provide each and every person with a reminder that we are all in this together and that we are all here for one another.”

As a senior on the team, Wanca said it has been hard without her usual outlet of cheerleading, but the team is making the best of it.

“Throughout my entire life, I have always had this channel that allows me to destress, so this semester has been quite different for me,” Wanca said. “I am graduating in the spring, so I am looking forward to hopefully being able to cheer at games, go to appearances and have a somewhat normal last semester. But even if that does not happen, I am looking forward to strengthening the bonds I have with my teammates already and building bonds with the new athletes on the team.”

It is without question COVID-19 has affected many people at NAU, either directly or indirectly.

Taylor said she didn’t expect her senior year to begin like this and she would have liked to have a normal season, but it is important for her team to be safe.

“Although this is not quite how I pictured my senior year, I am very lucky to get to be a part of this team,” Taylor said. “This team is filled with some of the most genuine boys and girls I have ever met and I can see that each one of my teammates wants the best for the team.

It bums me out that our first years, and even our returning cheerleaders cannot have a normal season because I would love to get that full experience with this team. But because everyone is so positive, we have all made this the best that we can and I am very grateful for this team.”

While NAU cheer has been practicing remotely, Taylor said if they get the chance, they are ready to take protocols to keep the team safe.

As of now there is no plan to meet inperson, but she said the squad is looking ahead.

“A few things in our protocol include doing a health screening before any time we meet, guaranteeing that bags and cheerleaders are at least six feet apart from one another, everybody bringing their own water bottle, mask-wearing and more,” Taylor said. “We will continue to take the necessary steps to hopefully getting to be together one day, but for now, we are all on the same page of ensuring the safety of one another.”

With the football season pushed to the spring, the cheer team is looking forward to returning to the field, but for now, team members’ focus is on unity and being prepared for what is to come.

A few members of the NAU cheer team practice their chants, Sept. 6, 2018 at the Walkup Skydome. Bess Valdez | The Lumberjack

OCTOBER 22, 2020 – OCTOBER 28, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

17

18

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG