February 24, 2015 by The Northern Light

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

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SPORTS

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Seawolf women ranked No. 1 in nation

A slug’s take on ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’

NEWS BRIEFS

UAA forum sparks discussion about tough life questions

BY KELLY IRELAND AND NOLIN AINSWORTH

Regents vote 5% tuition increase for UA system

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTO BY LISA BYRNE-ERICKSON / COURTESY OF BRAXTON BUNDICK PHOTO BY KIERRA HAMMONS

On Feb. 20, the University of Alaska Board of Regents approved a 5 percent tuition increase for UA schools. Board of Regents President Jyotsna “Jo” Heckman, pictured above, led the meeting, wherein the regents passed the motion through majority vote. The tuition increase will take effect fall 2015.

Men’s track & field takes GNAC crown

The UAA Track and Field team was the cream of the crop last weekend at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Nampa, Idaho. The men’s side took the GNAC crown with a combined score of 142 points. The women’s side finished in second place out of nine total GNAC teams. The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships is March 13-14 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Recreational marijuana now legal for use

Marijuana is now legal for use, 90 days after Alaska voted in favor of recreational privileges. The 90-day period was established for regulations to be put into place. A town hall meeting will be held from 9 a.m.-noon Feb. 28 in the Loussac Library Assembly Chamber located at 3600 Denali Street. The meeting will allow community members to share ideas about how they suggest regulation of marijuana will be handled in Anchorage. The meeting will cover legalized cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, possession and use of marijuana within the municipality.

First National Bank Alaska opens new U-Med branch

First National Bank Alaska held its ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony Feb. 18 at its newly constructed branch on Providence Drive. The branch is the first bank located adjacent to campus. In celebration of the new branch, FNBA donated $89,000 to Alaska Pacific University and the University of Alaska Anchorage. $45,000 went to APU for updates to the Moseley Sports Center and the APU Early Honors Program through the FNBA Scholarship Fund. $44,000 was given to UAA for the Small Business Development Center and the Alaska Business Plan Competition.

Iditarod 2015 restart slated for Fairbanks

Due to low levels of snowfall, the Iditarod Board of Directors has decided to move the Iditarod restart from Willow to Fairbanks. The Anchorage ceremonial start remains scheduled for 10 a.m. March 7, and the restart is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. March 9 in Fairbanks.

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Cosplayers convene at a previous Alaska Gaming Convention held in the Student Union.

Alaska Gaming Convention coming to the Student Union By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org

Alaska has a vast gaming community, but for a long time, organizing it was rather difficult. However, the folks behind Senshi-Con, the massively popular annual anime and geek convention in Anchorage, have made the task a bit easier with the 2015 incarnation of the Alaska Gaming Convention to be held in UAA’s Student Union. And contrary to what some may think, it’s not just limited to video games. “It’s a place for anyone who loves any kind of games,” said event organizer Braxton Bundick. “Old, new, game consoles, trading cards, role-playing ... pretty much anything. That’s pretty much what it’s all about.” Bundick believes the Student Union is a perfect space for the convention, having different areas for multiples types of games. There are some games that will be played in the Den, and some types that will be played in the main cafeteria, and so on. Senshi-Con started at West Anchorage High School in 2005 and moved to UAA a year after. Senshi-Con moved from the Student Union to the larger Egan Center in 2013, and like Senshi, the staff at AGC have dreams for growing bigger. “I remember hearing that SenshiCon started at West High and moved to UAA,” said Loren Faatoafe, who, along with others, is organizing a “Super Smash Bros.” tournament for the con-

vention. “Now, Senshi-Con is coming up to its tenth anniversary held at the Egan Center. I believe if there is more demand of AGC, we will get a bigger venue next year.” Bundick, on the other hand, sees the choice to hold the convention at the Student Union as a chance for game enthusiasts at the university to bond. For example, he stated that classmates who don’t know each other outside of class may be able to find a common interest in gaming through the event. “There may be those who have the same interest, and they just don’t know about it,” Bundick said. Even those who can’t really get into a competitive spirit can find some interest in the convention. “I’ve never gone before,” said Darryl Skadsem, a biological science student at UAA. Skadsem doesn’t see himself as much of a competitive or skilled game player, but he has an interest in the convention. “I think I would be more interested in the panels than the tournaments,” Skadsem said. The Senshi-Con staff is working as hard as they can to make the event as accessible to Alaska’s gaming community as possible, with dreams of a larger scope in years down the line. For now, though, it could be a valuable hub for those who enjoy the hobby.

The Alaska Gaming Convention will run in UAA’s Student Union from Feb. 28 at noon until 1 a.m. The entry fee is $15, cash only. While some tournaments will be free, others charge a $5 or $10 entry fee.

A debate over faith and its relevance in education sparked common ground at the Student Union last Thursday night. Secular UAA philosophy professor John Mouracade and Francis Su, Christian mathematician and professor at Harvey Mudd College, discussed their faiths and how it helped them succeed. “Achievement is an idol. We opt for image over substance,” Su said. “Your achievements are not the basis of your dignity. Dignity for me comes from being loved by God.” Mouracade discussed the importance to reaching a deeper meaning through the lens of his philosophical background. “The value in your life is not something you get by chasing flashy things,” Mouracade said. A full life is exploring the deeper things in life. You need to discover within yourself the desire to know.” Su started the discussion by asking the audience “the big questions” — questions like, “Why am I here? What is my purpose? Did ‘The Hobbit’ really need to be three separate movies?” The two scholars discussed their views on absolute truth, humans’ purpose on earth and other puzzling questions many have pondered at some point in time. Music student Matthew Faubion said he didn’t know what to expect of the event, but found the discussion stimulating. “I thought it was going to be pushing more toward religion and faith,” Faubion said. “I didn’t expect it to be so enlightening and inspiring on an academic level.” Students weren’t the only ones who didn’t know what to expect. Moderator Kristin Helweg Hanson, who is also a faculty member of the UAA Department of Philosophy, was among them. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Helweg Hanson said. “Personally I would have enjoyed a sharper debate, but I think it went well.” Su began the forum discussing how he fell into his faith and how it contributed to his education and time in school. “Being made in God’s image and loved by God, you have a fundamental dignity you don’t have to earn,” Su said. When an audience member asked what the purpose of life is, Su cited religion. “Before Christianity, that question seemed unanswerable,” he said. “I believe it’s revealed in God’s purpose for my life. Yes, life has meaning.” Contrary to Su, Mouracade introduced a secular and philosophical stand on the

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FAITH: Campus forum explores the meaning of achievement CONTINUED FROM COVER matter with a metaphor. He described universities and institutions for learning as a sort of hospital intensive care unit for the terminally ignorant. “You will always be ignorant, I will always be ignorant — that’s just something we all need to understand,” Mouracade said. He said the university relieves the symptoms of ignorance and provides answers and guidance “to help you get out there in the world.” But despite these things, each person should decide what achievement means for him- or herself. “You decide what achievement is,” he said. “Society tries to define what achievement is. Authentic achievement is a worthwhile goal.” The debate, intended to focus on faith in education, then shifted into a discussion on the value of achievement and what that means. “Achievement-oriented culture is the

biggest detriment to a passionate pursuit of education,” Su said in agreement. “Find your dignity in something meaningful, for me this is God’s understanding in you. We all have clues around us to the things that really matter.” Mouracade said in his closing statement that “we have been conditioned by our culture to be intellectual cowards. We have to find the courage in our minds to take on the life of the mind. Wake up from your intellectual slumber and make life truly meaningful.” Despite the change in topical direction, international studies student Christian Taylor said the forum inspired him to ask new questions. “I was inspired by professor Su’s redefinition of the word achievement and what it means to be successful,” Taylor said. “This is something Dr. Mouracade touched on as well. It’s not an achievement if it’s defined by someone else, and it certainly doesn’t lead to happiness. I do feel more free knowing it’s OK to do what I deem successful.”

GRAPHIC BY JAY BALDWIN

MEET THE SEAWOLF

Business student shares entrepreneurial aspirations By John Sallee

jsallee@thenorthernlight.org

“I genuinely feel like we are all on this campus for change,” says business major Mikel Jay Foeh-Lang. What makes Foeh-Lang so interesting is that he comes from many backgrounds. He was born in Yokohama, Japan, and raised in Indonesia. In 2006, his family moved to Alaska to start a new beginning within the American world. His father is German-American and his mother is of Indonesian descent. He attended Campbell Elementary, Mears Middle School and then South Anchorage High School, where he graduated in 2012. Then Foeh-Lang enrolled at UAA the following semester and is in the process of obtaining his associate degree in business. “Hopefully I’m gonna be the person to actually be in the business industry,” he said. Foeh-Lang has long held an interest in the business career

field. With all the cultures he grew up around, he always witnessed how universal business was. “It was just like, you know, just everywhere,” he said. “It was very cool, just really like that.” His post-collegiate goals include attending Washington State University for graduate school. After that, he hopes to start his own hotel chain. Hospitality seems natural to him because he has been around various cultures and observed what factors are most important for the general public’s enjoyment. In his free time, Foeh-Lang enjoys lifting weights at the gym, as well as spending time with his close friends on the weekends. He is currently single and is open to love. “Always keep love close to your heart because it is the most powerful force in the world,” he said. Foeh-Lang believes he has what it takes to become a prominent businessman in the industry, and no one is going to stop him on his way to get to the top.

BORN Yokohama, Japan BIRTHDAY July 23, 1992 FUN FACT English is his second language. His first language was Bahasa Indonesia. He also speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Javanese. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKEL JAY FOEH-LANG

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

A backcountry getaway

A well-meaning column rife with clunky metaphors and horrible advice, Orange Rhymes With is the goto place to break the monotony of classes and laugh at someone else’s misfortune. PHOTOS BY EVAN DODD

Instructor Joshua Duffus hikes Turnagain Pass with students Jesse Munday and Devin Johnson.

By Evan Dodd Contributor

It’s been a rough year to be an outdoor enthusiast. Alyeska is a rock-ridden sheet of ice, the flu dashed my hopes of climbing Matanuska glacier, my winter camping class was dead on arrival due to low enrollment, and the one time I got to go on a proper adventure it nearly ended with five corpses frozen in Lake Louise. Needless to say, this year has been less than ideal. Generally by this point in the semester I’m blowing off my Wednesday and Friday classes to make an early morning Girdwood run for snowboarding. But not this year. This year I consider myself lucky if I only bust my ass once a day on the slowly melting heap of ice in front of my apartment. So you can imagine how ecstatic I was to discover that my backcountry skiing course had a large enough enrollment to help me break the monotony of this poor excuse for a winter. The class kicked off with the waivers and disclaimers inherent to outdoor courses. Though one might reasonably assume that a class teaching avalanche

safety might occasionally take students into avalanche territory, I suppose it’s still best to document that understanding in writing. When you hear backcountry skiing in an academic context, I’m sure a certain stereotype of bearded, beanie-wearing twenty-something’s itching to “shred the gnar” comes to mind. While I can’t completely refute that assertion — particularly given that my beanie is pulled down to my beard and I’ve once or twice used the word “gnar” in a semi-serious context — this class is far more than hurtling down a mountain with a GoPro to document your final moments. A huge portion of the course is avalanche safety and awareness, and upon completion all of us will have earned a level one avalanche certification and more than a handful of reasons not to get complacent in the backcountry. Our first field day took us up to Tin Can in Turnagain Pass, a fairly welltraveled run to get acquainted with the basics and practice some basic avalanche companion rescues. The avalanche portion lasted the first three hours or so and taught the basics of acquiring the signal from the victims transceiver, the proper technique to locate the victim, and how

The view atop Tin Can, with the Seward Highway far below in the distance.

to probe for (and dig out) a potentially injured partner without ineffectively smashing him or her with a shovel during the attempt. It was far from an ordinary day in class, to say the least. After establishing that we could do more than frantically scream in the event of an avalanche, we headed up the side of the mountain for a trek reminiscent of one of the longer travel scenes from the Lord of the Rings. The ascent was complicated for a couple of reasons, but primarily due to the fact that I don’t ski. While the skiers were able to attach “skins” to the bottom of their skis (allowing them to travel up inclines without the risk of back-sliding), and those lucky enough to have a split-board were able to do the same, I was not so lucky. Having (for some long-forgotten reason) decided to volunteer to use my own board due to the lack of split-boards, I had to strap my own gear to my back and venture up in snowshoes. If that sounds easy to you, then try to visualize climbing a mountain on your toes with 30-40 pounds on your back, and then politely apologize for that assumption. While there’s nothing I’d rather have been doing with my day, you can bet your last dollar that I found

a way to fill my CamelBak with some Deschutes porter for a therapeutic (yet startlingly convenient) “recovery bath” once I got home from the trip that night. However, when we finally broke out of the trees and looked out over the entire pass, the burning sensation in my legs gave way to unadulterated euphoria as we strapped in for the quick run down the mountain. While the skiers effortlessly ripped the mountain to shreds, I opted to perfect the controlled fall and managed to make it down without appearing completely incompetent. There may not have been the best powder in the world, and we certainly weren’t going to end up featured in a Red Bull video, but it was easily the best day I’ve had all semester. At the risk of exposing my granola side, that class was exactly the fuel I needed to muscle through this semester, because the monotony of finishing an economics degree isn’t so bad as long as I’m working toward my Wilderness First Responder certification and getting to spend my weekends high up in the backcountry. With a full weekend in Turnagain Pass looming, I can only pity all the people who missed out on signing up this semester — don’t make the same mistake next spring semester.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires bring soul to UAA By Samantha Davenport arts@thenorthernlight.org

old man didn’t let age factor into his dance moves. Several times, he let the mic stand fall to the floor, and then yanked it back up by the cord, making the crowd scream even louder. About halfway through the performance, Bradley slowed it down and played, in his words, “a song to love to and make love to.” Audience members all around grabbed those they loved and slow danced to his soulful voice. At one point in the performance, Bradley laid completely on the floor of the stage, serenading a woman in the front row, reaching out a hand for her to grab. After a costume change to a solid black outfit with tinsellike collar and cufflinks, Bradley thanked Alaska for its love and beauty and told the audience goodnight. The organ player came to center stage one final time to ask the audience if they wanted more Charles Bradley. The feedback from the crowd was phenomenal, screaming an obvious yes. He screamed again, “The screaming eagle of soul, Charles Bradley!” Bradley entered from left stage again, arms raised in the air with hands

the shape of a heart. Crowd members reciprocated the heart, screaming, “I love you, Charles! I love you!” While The Extraordinaires played backup, Bradley described how he hitchhiked to Alaska many years ago, ending up in Ketchikan where he worked for several months. “I was so ready to come back,” he said. Before his final song, Bradley took a moment to say a few words to the crowd. “God made us all different. Even though we have different skin colors, the blood that runs through our veins never changes color. There is a white flower, and she is beautiful. There is a yellow flower, he is beautiful. Everyone in the room is beautiful.” Bradley closed his performance with his most-known song, “Why Is It so Hard,” resulting in a standing ovation. Bradley then got into the crowd of people swarmed around cen-

PHOTO BY ADAM EBERHARDT

ter stage and hugged his fans. People went nuts, taking pictures and holding their hands out for Bradley to hold. After a few minutes in the crowd, Bradley went on stage to thank Alaska for all of the love he was given on this trip. One last time, Bradley exited the stage, holding his hands up in a heart.

Annie Griffiths

Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires performed a show last Friday night in the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. Fans piled around the base of the stage, reaching hands out to high five the soul singer during his performance. The Sweeteners opened up for Bradley, playing a 45-minute beginning act. The trio of three, consisting of a drummer, bassist/backup singer and lead guitar/vocalist, rocked the crowd with catchy tunes and whammy bar riffs to keep the audience pumped. “We came up with this one in the dressing room!” shouted lead vocalist Chad Revynaan, making the audience laugh. Bass guitarist Mark Nelson jumped in and said, “This is about the parking at UAA!” Hoots and hollers sounded from the audience, prompting drummer Eric Neet into a bass-filled drum kick to start off the next song. A short intermission followed The Sweeteners’ perfor-

mance, giving audience members a chance to get up, stretch, use the bathroom or buy merchandise from the band in the lobby. Suddenly, the lights went dim in the 800-seat auditorium. The Extraordinaries entered the stage. Members of the crowd screamed for Bradley. The group consisted of a drummer, trumpet player, saxophone man, organ player and three guitarists. The seven-man band brought the room back to a 1960s musical vibe. The organ player walked to center stage, introducing the ensemble. He screamed, “The one, the only Charles Bradley!” and the audience excitedly stood on their feet. Bradley entered from the left-hand side of the stage in a full red suit bedazzled with a pharaoh design covering the back. Bradley smiled and screamed, “Hello Anchorage, Alaska!” putting his arms in the air and moving them like a bird, referring to his moniker, the screaming eagle of soul. Bradley has a stage presence hard to describe with words other than astounding. The 66-year-

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE Take a photographic journey around the world 7:30 p.m. March 3 Discovery Theatre Tickets at CenterTix.net

SÁMI STORIES Exhibit uses art to explore this history and identity of these Northern Native peoples Opens Feb. 27

MEET THE WORLD Celebrate Anchorage’s diversity with Bridge Builders’ annual cultural festival Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 Free admission thanks to Wells Fargo

A MAN IN THE SHADOWS MARIANO GONZALES SOLO EXHIBITION Opens Feb. 27 Bold and experimental Anchorage artist explores ideas around seeing and being seen Meet the artist: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 Part of the Patricia B. Wolf Solo Exhibition Series, with support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts; the National Endowment of the Arts, a federal agency; the Municipality of Anchorage; and the Anchorage Museum Foundation’s Alaska Airlines Silver Anniversary Fund. Image: Mariano Gonzales, “American Samurai”

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

MOVIE REVIEW

SEAWOLF

SLUG

Fifty Shades of Slug

In the year 2013, an alien brain slug from one of the galaxy’s most feared empires crash-landed on Earth and assumed control of a lowly reporter at this newspaper. These are his stories.

By Klax Zlubzecon

Translated by George Hyde I am a true monster. An amoral, sick, twisted monster. One of the most abhorrent, evil beings on the planet. And I say all of this because I forced George to spend $12 on a ticket to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a piece of abusive dreck ,that’s offensive and also one of the most horribly written films George or I have ever seen. A while back, George wrote a scathing review for “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” in which he stated that seeing it embarrassed every fiber of his being. He went to that movie in disguise, and he desperately turned off his phone — not because that’s what people typically do during films, but because he was worried someone else would identify him through an open Facebook page on it. He did not want to be seen watching that movie, and now I feel remorse for not having him do the same this time. As readers know, I am asexual and aromantic, so I naturally didn’t find the film very arousing. But the thing is, George definitely is romantic and — well, I wouldn’t say he isn’t sexual — and he didn’t find the film arousing either.

Nobody in the audience did. It’s become obvious that the novel “Fifty Shades of Grey,” while still being a poorly written clump of wasted treee, is still a hit for its rather explicit sexual content. I have never read it, and neither has George. His friends have heavily advised against reading it, saying that it portrays a highly graphic, abusive relationship wherein Grey, the man, frequently deploys psychological tactics against Ana, the woman, to ensure sexy times for both. And when I ordered the ticket on Fandango, that warning should have been a huge red flag — because for all the neutering that the MPAA has enforced on the film’s sexual content, the abusive content remains intact. What happens in the movie is not kinky, risque BDSM sex. That’s what the marketing wants you to believe. George and I have friends who tell us that there’s a huge difference between what “Fifty Shades” calls BDSM and what BDSM actually is. BDSM is what takes place between two consenting individuals (CONSENT being the big, capitalized word here) who want to get a little dominant, submissive and frankly, a bit

GRAPHIC BY JAY BALDWIN

nasty. And that’s fine! If people find it arousing, good for them. But one thing they would never do is refuse to show any love or support afterwards, which, surprise, is Christian Grey in a nutshell. There are many ways that Grey manipulates poor Ana, but what I want to touch on in particular is the contract. He makes her follow a contract detailing what exactly she will wear, eat, drink, lick, touch, speak to, look at, breath on, listen to or smell at all times in and out of Grey’s “playroom,” as he calls it. She never explicitly signs this contract, but Grey enforces it anyway. When she wants to visit family, there he is stalking her and setting up a hotel room even though she’s staying with her

mother. When she tells him to buzz off, he breaks in to her room and rapes her. Oh, but it’s okay, because she enjoyed it. That counts as consent, right? It’s disgusting. I, as a brain slug, am offended that anyone would ever consider violating someone else’s free will for the sake of entertaining the masses. I never! I haven’t even started on the film’s writing, which is on a whole new level of uncomfortable. I’m sure the film improves on the novel’s writing in at least some moments, but it’s still awful. It feels like a poorly written “Twilight” fan fiction, which it actually started out ass. And as I type, this offensive, badly written and glorified story of an abusive relationship is

now one of the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time. There’s nothing more I can say. I’ve lost faith in the human race before, but this is another huge drop. I can at least pray that a lot of those tickets were bought out of irony or purchased by snarky, guffawing jokers who want to ruin everyone else’s sexy time. And you know what? I’d join them, if I could get away not paying more money to the Comcast machine that provided this piece of offensive trash. Glorifying mental manipulation — ha! What a horrible thing to do to a human. I would never do such a thing. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. EMBRACE THE SEAWOLF SLUG.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

‘I Saw the Devil’ is perverse fun By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

Revenge flicks have been done and redone to death. Man loves woman, woman is killed, man avenges woman’s death. Who avenges whom is interchangeable, but the formula stays the same for a reason: It works. What sets “I Saw the Devil” apart from a standard revenge flick is the intense emotion running through it. Dedicated secret agent Soohyun’s (Lee Byung-hun, “RED 2”) plans to marry his pregnant wife, Joo-yeon (San-ha Oh). While he’s on a job one night, Joo-yeon is killed by psychopathic bus driver Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik, “Lucy”). With nothing left to lose, Soo-hyun begins a deadly game of cat and mouse to exact his revenge. “I Saw the Devil” could, in some respects, be called a road movie. Soo-hyun chases Kyung-chul across a big stretch

of Korea, meeting people who give new meaning to the word “depraved.” With this travel comes wild fluctuations in tone and style, but thanks to the deft direction of Kim Ji-woon, it never feels jarring. One sequence in particular is exemplary. At one point, a cab driver picks up Kyungchul while he’s down on his luck. Things devolve in the car and knives are pulled. In a spinning single take, director Ji-woon watches the carnage unfold from 360 degrees. By the time it’s over, the viewer is left breathless. Interjections like this sequence keep the action fresh. Speaking of action, every mile covered brings about a new and intensely gory set piece. Where the first act is a surprising emotional gut punch, the second is a visceral thrill ride. If it weren’t for the incredible performances of Lee Byunghun and Choi Min-sik, these sequences wouldn’t have half

the kick they do. But thanks to a solid screenplay and actors brave enough to plumb its bloody depths, every gunshot becomes teeth-rattling. With a hard violent shell and a gooey heart, “I Saw the Devil” becomes something transcendent in the revenge genre. Make no mistake: The movie is taken with violence. It’s simply filthy at every turn. After all, watching two monsters go head-to-head is bound to dirty up the place. This hard-hearted revenge flick doesn’t clean up its mess anyway. It forces viewers to look at who started the violence, who continued it, and whether or not they’re that different. If Soo-hyun’s penchant for cruelty is any indication, they may not be. But does his cruelty reach Kyung-chul’s heights? Deciding just who the devil is in “I Saw the Devil” is a big part of the fun, and viewers with the stomach for it will find themselves more than satisfied.

TITLE “I Saw the Devil”

RELEASE DATE Aug. 12, 2010

DIRECTOR Kim Ji-woon

GENRE Thriller

COUNTRY Korea

MUSIC REVIEW

‘Vulnicura’ by Björk By Wright Franklin

KRUA 88.1 FM Music Manager

In this world of cliches, predictable plots and simplistic, overused song structures, the world can rest easy knowing there is at least one artist who is always ready and willing to break the mold. That artist is Björk, and with her ninth studio release, “Vulnicura,” she stays true to this and to herself. Returning in a way to her older sound, filled with complex string and vocal arrangements, Björk continues to grow and progress as a musician — even when it feels like many musicians remain stagnant. With long, full songs clocking in over six minutes (with a couple of exceptions) “Vulnicura” is quite the listen. Björk has described this as a break-up album, and the sound really reflects that. It is slow and moody, and it draws upon a lot of the same stuff stylistically that made up her previous albums “Homogenic” and “Vespertime.” There are lots of strings and slow crawling, bubbling electronic rhythms present. Björk’s voice crawls in a similar manner, and each word is drawn out as if she wants listeners to bear the full weight of what she is singing. A lot of the production work for “Vulnicura” was done by Arca, who has previously worked with Kanye West and FKA Twigs. He is responsible for a lot of the creeping beats, while Björk composed and arranged the violin work. Overall, the album goes in a new — if darker — direction, while staying true to the roots of exactly what made her successful, which is all one can ever really ask for from any musician. If you are not already a Björk fan, this may not be the one to win you over, but it is a strong and decent record nonetheless.

ARTIST Björk ALBUM “Vulnicura” GENRE Electronic, experimental

LABEL One Little Indian Records, Megaforce Records RELEASE Jan. 20, 2015

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

GAME REVIEW

‘Sunless Sea’ is an interesting voyage By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org

In the Victorian age, London has fallen underground. While it still remains in some level of contact with the outside world, it is surrounded by a massive underground ocean known as the Unterzee. What adventures await in this vast, dark expanse? That’s up to players to discover in “Sunless Sea.” The game is a spin-off of the browser game “Fallen London,” previously known as “Echo Bazaar.” In that game, players explored the world of Fallen London largely through text. It was a fascinating world with lots to do, but much of it relied on walls and walls of expository text to get stories and messages across. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and “Sunless Sea” adopts a lot of that narrative-driven game play. But it has just a twinge of extra interactivity that makes it even more imaginative and interesting than its source material. Fans of games like “FTL: Faster Than Light” should feel right at home with “Sunless Sea.” In terms of game play, they’re largely the same: manage crew and systems, carefully plot your next course and occasionally interact with a strange new character or life form. However, there are two main differences between “FTL” and this. First is the narrative. Players will be reading a lot more of “Sunless Sea” than they have of “FTL.” This

is a huge improvement, actually. As addictive as “FTL” was, it repeated a lot of its randomly generated stories over and over again. Because of that, players didn’t come to “FTL” for its storytelling chops. “Sunless Sea,” on the other hand, nearly drowns itself in new and interesting reading material at every turn, and all of it is fabulously written with the distinct style of the “Fallen London” browser game. The payoff, though, is “Sunless Sea’s” combat — and while it’s not bad, it does feel pretty clunky. Maneuvering the player’s ship seems easy enough at first, but running into a dangerous enemy, like, say, a shark, will spell all but certain doom if the player hasn’t mastered the game’s combat. And it is very hard to learn and master. However, the game was built around this, so that helps mitigate the problem a bit. The game flat-out tells players early on that their first few captains will die. It encourages more risk than safety, and when you make a mistake, it punishes that risk. But the game restarts quickly enough to let players jump right back into the world. It’s a fascinating, risk-reward style of design that is far more intriguing than other games that play it safe. Players who can jump through that hurdle are in for a fascinating tale on the high seas, a world with excellently written characters and scenarios that are randomized just enough to make exploration a worthy endeavor. The price to pay for all of that is a clunky combat system, but that’s a deal I’d easily make.

TITLE “Sunless Sea” DIRECTOR Failbetter Games RELEASE DATE Feb. 6, 2015

GENRE Roguelike PLATFORMS PC, Mac

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SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

National poll ranks Seawolf women No. 1

PHOTO BY ADAM EBERHARDT

Junior forward Megan Mullings cheers after the Seawolves score a 3-point basket Jan. 17 during a game against UAF at the Alaska Airlines Center.

By Nolin Ainsworth

sports@thenorthernlight.org

In sports, there is no shortage of average teams — teams that win some and lose some at about the same frequency. Very few are excellent.

False intimacy and the dangers of social media Just one hoopster’s well-meaning take on sports and sports culture.

By Nolin Ainsworth

sports@thenorthernlight.org Twitter has drastically changed the relationship between fans and sports teams. It has allowed fans to not only follow their favorite teams, but be in the loop with their favorite players in live time. Fans and teams are more connected than ever before. Winwin, right? Not so fast. One of the consequences of this new relationship reared its ugly head a week ago. Seattle’s favorite quarterback, Russell Wilson, has amassed over a million followers on Twitter. He stays in touch with his fans by sending them Bible verses, motivational quotes, and inspirational photos. But on Feb. 13 he sent out a tweet that irked some of his followers. It was the opening weekend of the sexy, controversial drama “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Wilson tweeted he had gone to an early premiere of the film. “Great movie,” the tweet said in part. Then the stones were thrown: “COME ON MAN!!! THAT MOVIE IS MORAL FILTH!!!” “if you call yourself a follower of Jesus then you should have never seen that movie. Makes you look like a hypocrite.” “lots of respect for you... but why endorse this movie? Disappointing.”

The responses were overwhelmingly negative. It created enough of a stir that that Wilson sent a follow-up tweet: “Saw a movie filmed in the town I call home. Provocative/disturbing no doubt but that does not make me less Faithful. Have a blessed day!” I claimed earlier this is one of the ugly consequences of fans being able to directly correspond to athletes and now I’ll explain why. As a result of being able to keep up with Wilson’s day-to-day thoughts, ideas and activities, a certain intimacy formed between him and followers. That is, after all, what Twitter was designed for. But is that intimacy actually real? By clicking “follow” next to a picture of Wilson, do we really become best buds with him? I don’t think so. There are serious limitations to social media and how close you can be with someone else through it. Whether it was going to see an R-rated film or something else, the Twitterverse has no business judging someone’s actions. It is hurtful, shameful and unfair to the person who gets the brunt end of it — which, in this case, was Wilson. In order to accurately judge anyone, you need to have a relationship with that individual. And being a follower is not the same as being in a relationship with them — period.

The UAA women’s basketball team is one of the few. Last Tuesday, the Seawolves rose to the top of the NCAA Division II Top 25 coaches’ poll. The Seawolves received 15 first place votes and moved up two spots from No. 3 in the weekly poll released by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and USA Today Sports. In other words, the Seawolves are the greatest women’s team in American collegiate ball. The Seawolves have a 24-1 overall record. Their lone loss of the year came on New Year’s Day against Northwest Nazarene. Only four other schools listed in the Top 25 poll have just one loss on the season like the Seawolves. Seattle Pacific University is only other GNAC team featured in the poll. How have the Seawolves been able to rack up so many wins and outscore their oppo-

nents on average by 23 points every game? One answer lies with the Seawolves’ deep rotation. On this team, the leading scorer isn’t always a starter. In fact, five Seawolves average 10 points or more per game this season. Junior Jenna Buchanan is one such player. She averages 11.1 points per game and shoots 41 percent from the three-point range. Buchanan said she and her teammates push each other in practice to hone their skills. “Everything is a competition. Nobody likes to lose,” said Buchanan. Head coach Ryan McCarthy concurs with his shooting guard. “We have some ladies who are committed to getting better every day,” he said. McCarthy thinks if his team can fine-tune some of the little things, including turnovers and fouls, they will continue to be

hard to beat. Over the weekend the team traveled to the Pacific Northwest to play their first games as the No. 1-ranked team. The Seawolves beat Simon Fraser University last Thursday night in a closely contested game, 63-59. Two nights later the Seawolves pulled out another tough road win. UAA beat Western Washington University by only three points, 81-78, with some clutch baskets from Buchanan in the waning minutes of the game. With the victory, the Seawolves secured the regular-season GNAC title, even with one weekend of regular-season games left at home. The Seawolves will return to the Alaska Airlines Center to finish off the regular season as No. 15 Seattle Pacific comes Thursday for a 5:15 p.m. tilt. Montana State Billings will face the Seawolves Saturday at 1 p.m.

SPORTS

UMED BRANCH

GRAND

OPENING FEB. 18  MAR. 18

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

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10 SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

SEAWOLVES face-off against

Bowling Green 7:07pm FEB 27 7:07pm FEB 28

at the Sullivan Arena

For tickets, visit GoSeawolves.com

On sale at Sullivan Arena box office and all Ticketmaster locations.

FREE TICKETS

for UAA students at the game.

UAA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution.

A WALDEN UNIVERSITY

To qualify for this study you must be white or Alaska Native, aged 18-30.

IS CONDUCTING A RESEARCH STUDY COLLECTING OPINIONS

The study will be a 15-30 minute Internet survey. To take part, go to:

DOCTORAL STUDENT on health and appearance among Alaska Native and white adults.

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PEOPLE

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

HOT TOPIC

Quick! Midterms are tomorrow morning, and you haven’t studied! What do you do?

Kyle Pace

Junior | Health Science

Senior | Environment and Society

Jessica Njaa

Benjamin Richardson Sophomore | Undeclared

Junior | International Studies

“Study all night! And drink a lot of coffee the next morning!”

“Review main concepts and wing it.”

“Wait for the professor to start handing out exams, stand up, look in the distance and yell, ‘The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!’ and then run out.”

“Call everyone I know and buy them early morning coffee to help me cram!”

Viva Pannor

HOT TOPIC PHOTOS, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS COMPILED BY GEORGE HYDE

EDITORIAL

The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.

UA students pay for their silent opinions By Kierra Hammons

content@thenorthernlight.org

At the Feb. 20 Board of Regents Meeting at the Gorsuch Commons, the University of Alaska Board of Regents voted 8-2 to raise tuition at UA schools by 5 percent. On social media, some students expressed grief regarding the tuition hike. But before the vote, regents had heard very little from students regarding their pending decision. During the meeting, UA President Pat Gamble and Regent Courtney Enright emphasized the lack of student voices regarding the issue. During the public testimony sessions of the Board of Regents meetings held last Thursday and Friday, students, faculty and community members stepped up to the mic to voice their passions regarding the Tanaina Child Development Center, the facilities fee and budget concerns. Yet no one commanded the floor to contest the pending raise in tuition, which was voted against last September before the dip in oil prices. Enright said that students had not called, emailed or otherwise contacted her to plead otherwise, and this informed her decision to vote in favor of the increase. There are a few reasons why students would not voice their opinions, even if increased tuition would be a detriment to their university experience. Many take low tuition for granted. The regents’ Septem-

ber vote offered a false sense of long-lasting security. But dead motions can be reintroduced — and, in this case, passed just a few months later. Other students assume their case is simply obvious: What student would want tuition to go up? But what we communicate amongst ourselves as students doesn’t always make it to the upper ranks of regents. Another kind of student may think his or her opinion doesn’t count, and that student input is irrelevant to the decisions the regents make. But as Gamble and Enright pointed out, the regents are listening, and student opinions do affect their votes. No drop of water ever fathomed being an ocean, but each bit is treasured in the desert. For those who are silent, the absence of their disagreement suggests acquiescence. Each person — silent and vocal alike — speaks simply by existing at all. But even the smallest of voices ring loud and clear in a desert devoid of opinion. This is what the regents were looking for last Friday. The topic of tuition has multiple viewpoints and valid arguments on every side. But it is unfair to sit back and hope others will do the talking. It’s impossible to have a legitimate democratic process with an immobilized public. Mobilize yourself for the causes that matter to you, no matter what side you’re on. Know the power and value of your perspective during the process — not just after the fact on Facebook.

LETTERS AND CORRECTIONS POLICY Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length is 250 words. Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum word length is 450 words. Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org. The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union, directly next to Subway.

THE NORTHERN LIGHT CONTACTS 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508

ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR arts2@thenorthernlight.org Jocelyn Stanley

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Kelly Ireland

SPORTS EDITOR Vacant

MANAGING EDITOR 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Kierra Hammons COPY EDITOR Vacant NEWS EDITOR Vacant ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Vacant FEATURES EDITOR Vacant ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Vacant A&E EDITOR arts@thenorthernlight.org Samantha Davenport

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR sports@thenorthernlight.org Nolin Ainsworth PHOTO EDITOR Vacant STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS aeberhardt@thenorthernlight.org Adam Eberhardt James R. Evans LAYOUT EDITOR Vacant GRAPHIC DESIGNERS jbaldwin@thenorthernlight.org Jay Baldwin jbautista@thenorthernlight.org Jian Bautista WEB EDITOR web@thenorthernlight.org Jaron Saturnino

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Vacant ADVERTISING MANAGER 786-6195 admanager@thenorthernlight.org Anthony Crouts III MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE ads@thenorthernlight.org Vacant STAFF REPORTERS gchyde@thenorthernlight.org George Hyde vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org Victoria Petersen jsallee@thenorthernlight.org John Sallee CONTRIBUTORS Evan Dodd Jacob Holley-Kline MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Annie Route ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Stacey Parker

CORRECTIONS On Page 1 of the Feb. 17 issue of The Northern Light, we misreported about the Green Fee proposal process. USUAA Sen. Devin Johnson brought his proposal before the Green Fee Board. The Green Fee Board alone holds the jurisdiction to approve Green Fee proposals.

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