October 5, 2010

THENORTHERNLIGHT OCTOBER 5, 2010

FEATURES

06

Homecoming:

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

A&E

Many new activities on the calendar

10

‘Halo: Reach’:

Series prequel doesn’t disappoint

WWW.THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

OPINION

13

Editorial:

UA lacks unifying identity

Food Stamp Challenge provides new perspective Food Stamp Challenge participants find understanding in the struggles of those living on the program

By Ashley Snyder The Northern Light

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINA TALBOTT-CLARK

Student and faculty took part in the Food Stamp Challenge, where they were allotted $39.14 in Food Stamps for a week of meals.

Many found that grocery shopping was the most challenging and time-consuming aspect of the challenge.

Congratulations to all of the participants of the Food Stamp Challenge who made it through the week of September 26 to October 2 in one piece. Hosted by the School of Social Work, in association with the Food Bank of Alaska, over 20 individuals volunteered to be challenged to live for a week on $39.14 worth of Food Stamps. “’Really? Why?’ or ‘That is weird, you know it will not make a difference by you doing this.’

These are just a few statements I have heard about my participation in the UAA Food Stamp Challenge. I welcome them, for they will be, hopefully, one more person who will hear valid reasons, statistics and a different objective than their own,” Joy Britt said, a public health practice major.

“Raising awareness

about any issue is a feat in itself and I am very happy that I can participate in such a campaign.”

The shopping was a challenge in itself. Participants had to carefully make sure they had enough food for the week without going over budget. Many spent a good deal of time at the grocery store collecting items, adding up the costs and putting items back that they could not afford.

“I went to the store with a list, but noticed that it seemed to take forever at the store, pricing things and figuring out how they fit into my budget,” Ester Stirret, secretary for the School of Social Work said. “We generally price things at the store to get the best deal, but not because we will go hungry if we don’t plan everything properly. I was there 45 minutes and only had one sack of groceries.”

SEE CHALLENGE PAGE 02

Alaska PFD program serves as UAA will be tested model for developing countries early in 2010 Classic

By Ashley Snyder The Northern Light

Alaskans all over the state are eagerly awaiting the sweet sound of cash filling their pockets and bank accounts. The Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD), totaling $1,281 for this year, will be direct-deposited and mailed out on Oct. 7.

The PFD has been an annual Alaskan custom for over 30 years, and has inevitably caught the eyes of other countries. In order to fulfill their questions about the program, Dr. Scott Goldsmith, UAA economics professor, traveled to the 13th Basic Income Earth Network Congress at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil to give a presentation on the PFD. “There is growing interest around the world, particularly in developing countries like Brazil, in establishing what is called a ‘basic income,’” Goldsmith said.

“This is a cash payment to every citizen with no strings attached.”

“No string attached” means that there is no income test so that it only goes to the poor, no requirement that people seek employment, etc, according to Goldsmith.

This is why so many other countries are optimistic about implementing this program. It could mean a big turn-around for the economy in impoverished countries.

“It provides everyone with enough cash to escape many of the problems associated with extreme poverty, like poor diet, lack of education, inability to acquire assets, etc,” Goldsmith said. “The Alaska PFD is the only working example in the entire world of such a program, so people are very interested in learning about it.”

His presentation is specifically targeted toward the history of the PFD, its effects on our society and what impact it could have on our future, therefore helping people to consider how it might possibly effect another country’s culture.

The people who attended the Sao Paulo presentation were very responsive.

“They were particularly interested in the fact that the dividend helps to level the income distribution in the state, providing a ‘floor’. They were also interested in how the dividend is important to the income of rural Alaskans,” Goldsmith said.

He explains why it could be a good program to adopt and why it could have negative effects. To this, some might wonder what negative results could be derived from the PFD. Goldsmith describes one problem as a “population magnet,” meaning that people come to Alaska just to receive free money. In order to discourage that, a rule was put into place that in order to be eligible, a person must live in Alaska for a full January to December year.

So if a person comes to Alaska in February 2009 and is still

SEE PFD PAGE 03

By Taylor Hall The Northern Light

A young UAA hockey team will get plenty of game experience when they host the 2010 Kendall Hockey Classic Oct. 8-9 at the Sullivan Arena.

The second ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux, Air Force Falcons and two-time defending Classic champs UAF Nanooks will all invade the Seawolves’ home ice.

UAA head coach Dave Shyiak will get an early look at how his team is meshing and which of his 10 newcomers will be able to make immediate impacts in the Seawolf lineup.

“I’m looking for guys to execute things in game situations and get a good gage of where we’re at as a team and which players can perform,” Shyiak said.

Returners such as senior co-captains Tommy Grant and Craig Parkinson will look to help lead a young team to the first Classic championship since 2006.

Despite being young, Shyiak believes that the mix of returners and newcomers will be a good thing.

“We’re going to have real good depth up at the forward position and we have a good balance of veterans and new players back on defense,” Shyiak said.

On the blue line, senior Luka Vidmar, junior Curtis Leinweber, and junior assistant captain Brad Gorham will all log large amounts of ice time and help lead the defensive efforts.

The real question is who will be between the pipes for the Seawolves this season. The Seawolves lost the services of both Jon Olthuis and Bryce Christianson from last season and have left the Shyiak with an open competition in practice between three contenders for the number one spot.

“They all look good, are battling hard in practice and the job is certainly open until somebody proves otherwise,” Shyiak said.

SEE CLASSIC PAGE 04

Alaska Youth Vote registration high, participation low

By Shana Roberson The Northern Light

Voter registration for the upcoming November elections ended Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010. The good news is that over 50,000 18-24 year olds, aka the “youth vote,” registered to vote in Alaska, making up nearly 75 percent of that population.

The bad news? That is 6,000 less voters than were registered in 2008. Moreover, less than half of that number actually voted in the 2008 Presidential election.

Given the extremely small margin of victory in many recent races, the youth vote has an opportunity this election to make their voices heard. Yet, busy schedules and a general

ambivalence about politics could keep that from happening.

Although Junior Sarah Schmidt believes it is important for young people to vote, she might not make it to the voting booth this November.

“I don’t pay attention to midterm elections,” Schmidt said.

“I pay attention to presidential elections more. I think we could

make a difference, but I don’t think most students will (vote).”

For Schmidt, school and a full-time job keep her from getting enough information to feel confident going into the voting booth.

“I don’t really read about the candidates, so I would feel stupid voting when I don’t really know anything about them,” she said.

The lack of education on candidates and party platforms seems to be reflected in data reported by the State of Alaska Division of Elections. They break down the 50,000 youth registered to vote this November to 10,000 registered as Republicans and 6,000 registered as Democrats.

What is more telling are the

SEE VOTE PAGE 02

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NEWS| October 5, 2010

CHALLENGE: A week on Food Stamps CONTINUED FROM COVER The next challenge was getting creative with what they are able to eat on a Food Stamp budget, or else meals could get repetitive and influence people to not want to continue.

Aleksandr Pfaffe figured out how to spice up his food.

“Although the diet is quite boring, I figured out a couple of things to offset the mundane-ness of rice and ramen and make meals more interesting,” Pfaffe said. “I put together my own mix of spices for ramen instead of the provided packet. I use a little garlic powder, sage, oregano and sea salt which turned out to be so much better than ‘chicken’ flavor.”

Others opted to just go for the plain, simple and, most importantly, cheap route.

“For two days, I ate Easy Mac for lunch. It has over 1000mg of sodium, which I know is not the best for me, but you cant beat a fifty cent lunch,” Elisha Waugh, philosophy major, said.

Another problem observed was portioning and saving the leftovers for another meal. Some great budget dinners were leftovers that were saved for another night, including spaghetti, tacos, chili and stew.

“I’ve rediscovered that I do not know how to cook for two,” Christina Talbott-Clark, Administrative Assistant for the department of languages, said. “If I were doing the shopping today, I’d buy fewer beans and canned items, try to cut my portions down and buy more fresh fruits and veggies,” Snacks were one of the biggest temptations for everyone participating. Sometimes people don’t truly realize how much they spend and consume in a day, especially from vending machines and cafes, until they

experience what it is like to be barred from those places.

“My biggest issue with this challenge was that I couldn’t just randomly walk into some place and get whatever I wanted to have,” Sabine Dresely said. “I realize now, though, how much

‘Raising awareness about any issue is a feat in itself and I am very happy that I can participate in such a campaign.’

- Joy Britt, Public Health Practice Major money I am saving and I will see it as a treat now to eat whatever I want.”

By Wednesday, the majority of the participants were longing for the week to be over.

“As I recall, (Wednesday) is when the challenge became less of an interesting adventure and more of a boring chore, which is probably more like what shopping and eating is for the folks who are really on Food Stamps,” Dr. Tracey Burke said, Assistant Professor for the School of Social Work and one of the hosts of the challenge.

Caffeine was one of the crucial items that most could not fit into their meal plans. The people who have caffeine almost every day were hit the hardest, whether they craved tea, soda or coffee, and it started to have noticeable negative effects.

“The lack of coffee was starting to hit me. Hard. I made an egg/imitation cheddar melt cheese sandwich, but while my stomach was full, my head was asleep. Not the most productive combination for sitting through classes,” Heather Aronno, journalism major, said. “It would have been swell if I’d thought ahead and at least gotten some black tea.”

Temptations sprouted up everywhere throughout the school. Two examples were the free pizza that was passed out at the Student Union on Monday and the Daily Den’s free food that they distribute multiple times a day.

Just sitting in the cafeteria could drive a hungry person crazy.

It makes you stop and wonder how someone who lives on the program can stand being around anyone with food.

To alleviate a little bit of the struggle, $4.50 could be spent on anything, as long as someone else was buying it. Many people took full advantage of this, dividing it up through the week to buy coffee or sweet snacks, but in the end, it still seemed like it was not enough to satisfy the constant cravings.

Before the week was even over, participants were planning what they were going to go out and eat on Sunday Oct. 3, the day after the challenge ended.

“Surviving on this budget is unreal. I couldn’t picture actually living on this kind of budget. I’ve grinded out some tough times, but this by far a unique and challenging one,” Keith Eraso said.

It is a tough life for anyone who lives on Food Stamps, and even though participants only lived for a week on the program, it gave everyone a good sense of what it is like to face the struggle.

VOTE: Youth essential in November CONTINUED FROM COVER 30,000 plus 18-24 year olds who registered as non-partisan or undeclared. Did they register as non-partisan and undeclared because they are ambivalent, disenfranchised or because they truly consider themselves nonpartisan?

Senior Jess Adams is registered to vote this November and has voted in every election since she turned eighteen. She says most of her friends do not vote because they are not educated about the issues or the candidates and, like Schmidt, they do not feel confident voting.

“They don’t want to vote on something that they don’t know about,” Adams said. “Since they don’t really know about it they don’t feel like it matters to them. Sometimes that’s a problem, because they might miss something that is really important to their future and they blew it off because they didn’t know about the details.”

If they can overcome what traditionally keeps them from voting, the Alaska youth vote has an opportunity to make a big difference this November due to the small margins of victory in recent races.

The 2008 Senate election declared Sen. Mark Begich winner by only 4,000 votes, and Congressman Don Young won with a 16,000-vote margin of victory in the same election. Other state races in 2008 had victories in the range of 1,000 to 400 votes.

This year, Joe Miller won the Republican primary by only 2,006 votes. Now, looking forward to the general election, a recent CNN/ Time poll showed Miller ahead of Murkowski by only two percent, both with a double digit lead on McAdams.

The message is that, in Alaska, every vote counts.

Students can fit voting into their busy schedules by stopping by the Student Union on Nov. 1 and 2. All 40 district ballots will be available, meaning you can

vote on campus no matter where you are registered. Come with an I.D., leave with the satisfaction of making your voice heard.

STATEWIDE BRIEFS

House passes bill honoring Ted Stevens The U.S. House on Thursday passed a bill naming a mountain and part of an ice field after the late Ted Stevens.

The bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska passed earlier this week. Congressman Don Young sponsored the companion bill in the House.

Stevens was the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate. He died in August in a plane crash in southwest Alaska.

Young’s office says the mountain to be officially named Stevens Peak is located in the Denali National Park and Preserve, just south of Mount McKinley. The 13,895-foot mountain is the tallest unnamed peak in Alaska, and is commonly referred to as South Hunter Peak.

Young’s office says the northern and eastern half of the Chugach Mountains will become the Ted Stevens Ice Field.

Alaska petitions to limit park service regulations Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says the state will intervene on behalf of a Central man arrested on the Yukon River by National Park Service rangers on disorderly conduct and three other charges.

But Parnell says the state’s interests are less about the circumstances of the arrest of 70-year-old Jim Wilde and more about whether rangers should be enforcing park service regulations on the state’s navigable waters.

Parnell says the state will formally petition Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to keep out unwanted application of federal regulations on state-owned land — in this case the land under the navigable waters of the Yukon River, which splits the Yukon-Charlie Rivers National Preserve.

Murkowski takes aim at Tea Party Express in advertisment A new TV ad by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski takes aim at a national Tea Party group days before it’s set to return to Alaska to support her GOP rival.

The statewide ad features people talking about the role the Californiabased Tea Party Express played in the GOP primary and vowing not to be “fooled” again.

The group reported spending over $550,000 to help Joe Miller upset Murkowski. It made claims about Murkowski’s record that she called distortions or lies.

Murkowski is now running a write-in campaign, and the group has pledged to do whatever it takes to defeat her; it plans to launch a campaign supporting Miller Monday.

Murkowski spokesman Steve Wackowski says the campaign isn’t afraid to throw the first punches this go-round.

Miller deletes ‘inappropriate’ tweets A series of tweets in which Alaska Senate hopeful Joe Miller sounded confident in his chances of winning have been removed from his Twitter feed.

Statements from Miller’s Twitter feed late Wednesday, when he was in Washington, D.C. fundraising, said he thinks he’ll “do some house hunting.” He also says he figures he should pick out office furniture and expressed appreciation for the welcome he’d received — including from those he called future colleagues.

The campaign of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski labeled this “hubris.”

The tweets later disappeared. Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto said Thursday that they came from a volunteer who will no longer have access to the account. DeSoto said the tweets were deleted because the campaign considered them inappropriate.

Before Murkowski conceded the primary, a Miller staffer got into trouble with another tweet on his account that appeared to liken a possible party switch by Murkowski to prostitution when there was speculation she would run as a Libertarian. Miller later apologized.

Murkowski is now running as a write-in candidate. The Democrat in the race is Scott McAdams.

-Compiled by Jerzy Shedlock

-Graphics by Shana Roberson

October 5, 2010 | NEWS

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PFD: Brazilian students learn pros and cons of PFD program CONTINUED FROM COVER there after February 2010, they will be ineligible for the 2010 dividend. However if they stay until February 2011, they will be eligible for the 2011 dividend.

Another dilemma speculated to be caused by the PFD is an increased birth rate. While this may seem fairly unlikely for Alaska, according to Goldsmith, this could potentially cause a major problem in other countries that already have high birth rates.

Besides population problems, implementing the PFD could also have negative economical effects, as well.

Goldsmith observes in his presentation the extreme inflation in the local communities cause by the PFD. “When the annual dividend payment is distributed, retailers compete to lure recipients to

consume as much of their checks

‘The Alaska PFD is the only working example in the entire world of such a program, so people are very interested in learning about it.’

-Dr. Scott Goldsmith Economics Professor as possible,” he said.

So instead of putting the money into savings, or paying

off important bills, many people opt to spend their checks on material items.

While the last thought can be negative, it also has a positive side because it can provide a sense of economical stability, especially for a diminished economic culture.

All ideas must be taken into consideration in order to decide on a program that will have such a big impact on a society.

Goldsmith plans to further his study and put his findings into a book.

“Several conference participants are working on a book on the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, and I will be writing a chapter, largely based on the San Paulo paper,” Goldsmith said. “The purpose of the book is to explain the Permanent Fund

and the dividend and discuss its applicability in other parts of the world.”

If people had a better understanding of the money they are receiving, there might be a better understanding on how it is continuously impacting our society.

While the program has flourished for many years, many wonder how long it will last. Goldsmith fears that we may face a problem continuing this program in the future.

“Here in Alaska we face our own economic predicament with the PFD. The state faces a dilemma in the future as oil revenues fall with declining production,” Goldsmith said. “The PFD was established to provide a stream of revenues to replace oil, but now we use that stream of revenues to pay the

dividend. So how will we pay for public services in future years?”

It is a grim truth that many need to take the time and think about.

How would many Alaskans, especially in rural areas where it is the main source of income, cope?

How would our state’s economy be affected if this program ceased to exist? Only time will tell.

Goldsmith’s closing words in his presentation were, “[The PFD] remains a controversial program because it challenges traditional economic and social relationships.

If asked, many Alaskans would choose to eliminate the program; but just a many would probably vote to enshrine it in the state constitution.”

For the link to Dr. Goldsmith’s full presentation, visit www.thenorthernlight.org.

SEAWOLF SNAPSHOTS

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CCEL hosts ‘Speed Dating’ of a different kind Faculty and non-profits partner to benefit students and community

By Stephanie Wonchala Special to The Northern Light

Consortium Library Room 307 was alive with the hum of speed dating this past Friday, but no one mentioned long walks on the beach.

Hosted by UAA’s Center for Community Engagement & Learning (CCEL) and the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, speed datingformatted conversations took place to bridge the gap between the campus and the city. In five-minute discussions, UAA faculty and Anchorage non-profit organizations discussed each others’ topics of interests, how university students could become involved and each field’s pressing issues.

Representatives included the Alaska Literacy Program and Alaska Family Services to Catholic Social Services, United Way, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Alaska Immigration Justice Project and UAF’s Cooperative Extension.

“A cohesive university outreach program would be very meaningful

since non-profits are so understaffed,” Becca McClure of Food Bank of Alaska (FBA) said.

By working with FBA, students and faculty would see the many different faces of hunger.

“Some stereotypes are blown out the water,” McClure said. “Only 20 percent of hungry Alaskans are actually homeless.”

Dr. Tracy Burke, Associate Professor of Social Work and host of UAA’s Food Stamp Challenge asked specifics. How could students further their relationship with the Food Bank of Alaska? How could UAA classes be matched up with FBA events? Similar discussions at other tables took place, all bursting with ideas to benefit students, community and faculty teaching.

While connections between academic programs and community needs were being discovered on the third floor, CCEL staff hustled on the second in preparation for their Open House event.

Following speed dating participation,

attendees were welcomed to CCEL’s offices with sparkling pomegranate punch, meticulously arranged cheese and cracker plates and vibrant flowers.

CCEL’s Program Coordinator Shauna Dunn could be overheard amongst the excited chatter.

“We promote community engagement,” she said. “Service courses that take students out of the classroom and into the community.”

Dunn shared a service learning project led by Dr. Frank von Hippel in which UAA biology students sampled Chester Creek water, proved pollution and initiated a clean-up of the creek.

The possibilities of bettering the learning process for students and faculty while improving Alaska’s communities are numerous.

“Everybody told me they made great connections,” Dr. Judith Owens-Manley said, CCEL’s new director. “They are looking forward to continuing the dialogue.”

STEPHANIE WONCHALA/TNL

CCEL Director Dr. Judith Owens-Manley discusses student and faculty engagement with Food Bank of Alaska’s representative at the Community Partner speed dating and CCEL open house Sept. 24

SPORTS

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CLASSIC: 2010 Kendall Classic has no shortage of firepower CONTINUED FROM COVER

The three hopefuls for the opportunity are sophomore Dusan Sidor, and freshmen Rob Gunderson and Chris Kamal.

The Classic provides an excellent tool for the UAA coaching staff to get a look at where their team stands, as well as gives hockey fans a long awaited arrival of the season.

“It’s great starting the season in your hometown against some of the best programs in the country,” Shyiak said, who enters his sixth season in charge of the program.

“Our young guys are going to be tested early by tough opponents and will get to see what they’re up against this year.”

Their first test will come against a foe they will see plenty of this year in conference play, and one of which is a national title contender.

University of North Dakota (UND) will come as the heavy favorites to win the tough-as-nails WCHA title. The Sioux return an experienced group of players (they only lost two seniors from last year) and will be bolstered by the return of fifth-year senior defenseman Chay Genoway.

Genoway, the preseason pick to win the WCHA player of the year, was an All-American in 2009 but was limited to only nine games last year due to a season-ending injury he sustained. He will again serve as team captain for a team loaded with talent in all positions.

The team is led by head coach Dave Hakstol, who enters his seventh season at the reigns.

Hakstol, who couldn’t be reached for comment, is 155-84-22 during his tenure with the Sioux and is a five-time finalist for National Coach of the Year.

UND, who last year won the WCHA conference playoffs and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for an eighth straight appearance, will also have the services of a Anchorage native.

Evan Trupp, a senior forward who attended South Anchorage High School, is coming off a fantastic junior year. His 34 points were a career high and he led the team with 26 assists, another personal best. He also won Most Valuable Player of the WCHA Final Five last season during the Sioux title run.

The Falcons of the Air Force

Academy will prove to be a test as well for the Seawolves.

Last year, the Falcons went 16-15-6 and are very familiar with the Kendall Classic, as this year will be their third Classic appearance.

The tournament is good fit and opportunity for the team and 13th year head coach Frank Serratore.

“We’ve done it before and it’s in the west, so it’s a good trip for us,” Serratore said, who is the brother of Bemidji State bench boss Tom Serratore. “I think it’s a win-win because we get some early games against good opponents in UAF and UAA and people in the Air Force up in Anchorage get to see our Academy team skate.”

Two years removed from a 28 win season that included a conference title and first ever NCAA Tournament victory, the Falcons are a proven contender in the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) conference.

Similar to the Seawolves, the Falcons face inexperience when it comes to goaltenders.

“We graduated our senior goalie last year, Andrew Volkening, who was probably our best player ever

in the program,” Serratore said.

“So, filling that hole will be our biggest question mark.”

Volkening finished last season with a 2.44 goals against average and .918 save percentage leaves big skates to fill for returners junior Stephen Caple and sophomore David Bosner, who saw only five games combined last season.

Senior Jacques Lamoureux will look to lead the charge for the Falcons offensively this season.

He is coming off a season in which he had 22 goals and 20 assists to go along with his team leading 52 penalty minutes.

The road to the Classic title goes through the UAF Nanooks though who will look to threepeat this year.

Head coach Dallas Ferguson will look to lead his No. 12 Nanooks into the Sully and come out with more than just a title.

“Obviously, we’re coming down (to Anchorage) to win, but we need to make sure we are getting better before we start conference play,” Ferguson said.

When asked about his team feeling the pressure of their highest preseason ranking ever,

Ferguson pointed out that it was more about taking care of their own business first and foremost.

“From our standpoint, it’s nice to be recognized; but we have a lot to prove to ourselves first,” Ferguson said. “Working towards our identity and making sure we’re playing together and disciplined is our goal.”

The ‘Nooks only lost three seniors last season and boast strength at all positions.

Andy Taranto, 2009-10 CCHA Rookie of the Year, looks to be the focal point of the UAF attack. His freshman year saw him post 14 multi-point games and finish with 18 goals and 24 assists.

On the other end of the ice, a combo of juniors, defenseman Joe Sova and goalie Scott Greenham, will keep UAF opponents frustrated. Both players were featured on last year’s Kendall Classic All-Tournament team.

Sova, is a strong two-way defenseman who contributed six goals and 18 assists last season while Greenham was the backbone in net and had 2.20 goals against average to go along with his .919 save percentage.

OVERTIME

After first round playoff exit, Aces look to rebound

By Taylor Hall The Northern Light

It’s a tough crowd to win over up here in Anchorage.

First year head coach Brent Thompson came up to the Alaska Aces organization following in the footsteps of the likes of Keith McCaimbridge and Davis Payne.

McCaimbridge, in his two years at the helm, led the Aces to the national Conference semifinals in 2007-08 and then took the team one game away from the Kelly Cup in 2008-09 after the Aces won both the Conference finals. Not to mention the fact that he was the captain of the Aces championship team back in 2006.

He now is an assistant in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose.

Payne, who now is the head

coach of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, led the Aces to their first title in the 2005-06 season and three straight appearances in the Conference finals. The ECHL Coach of the Year in 2006-07 got the call-up to the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen where he was an assistant then head coach before getting the call from the big club in St. Louis.

Now back to Thompson, who by no means is a slouch when it comes to coaching or hockey reputation. Along with a 14-year professional playing career that included time in the NHL, he spent four years as an assistant with Peoria working alongside Payne.

However, despite guiding the Aces to a first round playoff appearance after a season that saw

them go 36-28-8, loyal Aces fans were already calling for a change of the guard.

Tough place to coach, indeed.

In response, Thompson gutted the roster from last year and has brought on so far an eye-catching 12 rookies fresh out of the junior or college ranks.

And there is still time to pick up more before training camp begins in October. Not to mention the very likely chance that their affiliate clubs, St. Louis and Peoria, will send prospects down to the Aces for development.

Expect at least 25 to 30 players in camp for the hometown team, leaving Thompson with no shoratge of players to look at.

So far, only three players have returned from last year, forward captain Scott Burt, forward Curtis

Fraser and defenseman Bryan Miller.

However, the Aces hope the addition of two veteran players will help guide a young (but hopefully hungry) team.

The Aces picked up perennial goal scorer Wes Goldie from the rival Victoria Salmon Kings. All Goldie has done is amass 289 goals and 461 total points in 555 total ECHL games. He should be well known by Aces fans as a constant thorn in their side seeing as 175 of those goals came in the last four years with Victoria, some of which came at the agony of the Aces.

Brian Swanson should prove to be a very useful pick up as well for the Aces. The Eagle River native is a well-traveled veteran center who has 70 games of NHL

experience and 257 games in the AHL under his belt. The former Colorado College standout has spent the past six seasons overseas in Germany playing in the Elite League there.

With a solid core of veterans and proven pro players, Thompson can now look to take his pick of the young generation coming into Anchorage.

Though many fans will not recognize any of the new faces or names coming in, they can expect one thing: these guys will be working hard around the clock to earn their spot.

Let’s face it; they have to now.

It’s their first “play for pay” job and they need to make their names known.

October 5, 2010 | HOMECOMING

2010

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For thirty years, the Dirty Dozen has revitalized the brass band around the world with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances.

Friday, October 15 7:30 Wendy Williamson Auditorium General Public: $23 adv/$27 door UAA Students $3 adv/$5 door with valid UAA ID taking 6 or more credits Other UAA Community: $20 door with valid ID tickets available in advance at UAATix.com.

For more on homecoming events, visit

www.uaa.alaska.edu/homecoming for more information: 786-1219 | events@uaa.alaska.edu UAA is an EO/AA employer and educational institution

And farce about human duplicity

By Lauren Wilson Directed by Tom Skore

October 8 - 24, 2010

Friday/Saturday @ 8:00 pm, Sundays @ 3:00 pm UAA Mainstage Theatre (Fine Arts Building) Tickets Available at 786-4849 or CenterTix.net www.uaa.alaska.edu/theatre UAA is an EEO/AA Employer and Educational Institution

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HOMECOMING 2010| October 5, 2010

Homecoming 2010: Events to plan your week by From sports, free stuff and everything in betweeen, here’s how to get the most out of Seawolf Spirit

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

October is here and the smell of Homecoming 2010 is in the air, or is that just the free grub?

Homecoming Week is full of events that UAA students, and sometimes even the general public, are invited to partake in celebration of our university’s community, both residential and commuter. Various campus organizations have slaved since last spring to plan this year’s weeklong affair, and The Northern Light has the breakdown of the brightest events on the list, as well as where students can score a free meal or two during the week.

All of the competitive events are free for students to participate in and are open to all students. These events are all new to the Homecoming circuit, but are likely to be a great time for students, especially since students requested them in a survey last spring.

The spirit of Homecoming is best described as competitive fun.

Homecoming Week 2010 is no different.

Homecoming Competitions The spirit of Homecoming is best described as competitive fun. Homecoming Week 2010 is no different. In addition to the annual Kendall Classic Hockey Tournament, this year’s competitions include a Tug-O-War match, an Ultimate Frisbee game, a Wii tournament and Rock the Den: UAA Idol.

True, some of these events may seem cheesy, but don’t dismiss them because of pre-conceived notions of possible embarrassment or silliness. Competitions like these build tradition, which is what Homecoming Board and student Commuter Services is going for.

Monday, Oct. 11 will feature the Rock the Den: UAA Idol competition. Like most of the competitions this week, this is low stakes. You walk into the Student Den between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., you write down your name and possibly a few songs you’d like to perform on Rockband. If you don’t know any songs on Rockband, no worries. Potential prizes for participants in this event are in the works, but don’t expect to win a free TV. Tuesday’s fun competition is the Tug-O-War in the Cuddy Quad from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be multiple Tug-O-Wars during the event, with themes. There will be a Coke vs Pepsi round, a Zombie vs Vampire round, a Pirates vs Ninjas round and possibly even a Democrats vs Republicans round, among a few others. Participants aren’t required to wear costumes, but event coordinators certainly would love to see them if students are feeling silly and ambitious. Any students wishing to participate in this event need only show up and pick a side.

On Wednesday, an Ultimate Frisbee (a sort of frisbee/ football hybrid sport) match will be held on residential campus in the North Hall field from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Once again, students wishing to participate need only show up.

On Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., students are encouraged to poke their heads in the Student Union Den for the Wii Tournament. Participants may sign up for various games upon arrival, and winners will bring home prizes (possibly games to feed their video game hobby).

Spectators are also welcome.

Free Food Another, possibly the most opportunistic, aspect of Homecoming is the chance to score free food. No selfrespecting college student passes up a free meal when randomly walking by. Here’s the scoop on where and when to “randomly” pass by this week to reap the benefits of other people’s labor.

The free food fiasco begins on the morning of Monday, Oct. 11 from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. with Good Morning Seawolves at the Bookstore. Enjoy free coffee, tea, pastries and possibly some fruit to start your day.

Good Morning Seawolves will be in a different location every day during Homecoming Week to give more students access to the festivities, but will take place between 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. each day. Tuesday, Oct. 12, GMS will be at the Gorsuch Commons on residential campus; Wednesday, Oct. 13 it will be at the Aviation Center; Thursday, Oct. 13 students can grab breakfast at the Administration and Humanities building and on Friday, Oct. 14, GMS will be at the Student Union.

Students who don’t want to get up early for Good Morning Seawolves will be glad to know that from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 11 through Friday Oct. 15 there will be BBQs held at various locations on campus.

Monday’s location is on the Bookstore patio, Tuesday’s is at the ANSEP Building, Wednesday one will be at Rasmuson Hall, Thursday the free food will return to the Bookstore patio and on Friday the BBQ will be at the Gorsuch Commons.

General Entertainment UAA Student Activities and UAA Concert Board have a history of bringing up fun entertainment throughout the academic year, and they certainly don’t slow down during Homecoming. This year’s entertainment is as diverse as it is fun spirited.

Nate Staniforth, a magician, will be performing two shows on campus that are free for students taking six or more credits and $10 for the general public. Staniforth, unlike most magicians, gets the inspiration for his tricks and shows from filmmakers and musicians. The first show is on Monday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gorsuch Commons and on Tuesday, Oct. 12 in the Student Union at the same time. Tickets for both events are available at the door.

This Homecoming Week also boasts the talents of comedian Stephen Lynch. Lynch will appear for a show on Wednesday, Oct. 13 in the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for students are $10 in advance and $5 at the door, while tickets for the general public are $27 in advance and $32 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at www.uaatix.com.

A Cappella Festivella 17, which will be held at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7:30, looks to be just as fun as in past years. This year’s headliners are the House Jacks out of San Francisco and the Tufts Beelzebubs from Tufts University. The House Jacks perform anything from funk, to rock and even ballads with their five members, while the Tufts Beelzebubs perform a mix of pop, R&B and rock. Tickets for this event can be purchased online at www.uaatix.com. Tickets for students are $5 in advance and $10 at the door, while tickets are $16 for UAA staff, faculty alumni and for youth. Tickets for the general public are $22 in advance and $25 at the door.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band out of New Orleans will also be making an appearance this year on Friday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. The Dirty Dozen has performed in over 30 countries and on five continents, bringing their brand of brass around the world.

Tickets for their show are available at www.uaatix.com, and are $3 for students taking six credits or more, and $23 for the general public. Students must present their student ID at the door.

But before all that happens, before the cheesy but fun competitions, the free food or the high class, yet wonderfully inexpensive, entertainment, there is one event that is the pinnacle of Homecoming: the dance.

This year, the Homecoming Dance is one of the first events of the weeklong celebration. On Friday, Oct. 8 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., UAA students take over the Egan Center for a night of fun and partying. This year, there will also be a, wait for it, chocolate fountain. Yes, you read correctly, this year, USUAA, the student government, sprung for a chocolate fountain. Tickets for this event are $3 for students and $15 for staff, faculty, alumni and non-UAA affiliated dates. Tickets can be purchased online at www.uaatix.com.

Free shuttles to and from the dance will be available from the Gorsuch Commons and the Bookstore, so even vehicle deficient students can enjoy the night’s fun.

There are many other events going on during Homecoming Week. For a complete list, see the Homecoming Calendar in this insert.

Hockey homecoming is a nontraditional start to fall

By Katie Forstner The Northern Light

Homecoming was a big deal in high school. Between dress-up days and football games, the week that preceded the ultimate dance party was the highlight of fall.

When college comes around, the euphoria that goes hand-in-hand with high school homecoming fades. Everything — the who’s who that determines royalty and the excitement of face-painted pep rallies — ceases to hold an existential power over students. Especially when your school, as the University of Alaska Anchorage does, lacks a football team.

Don’t get me wrong; college homecoming can still commence without

football. UAA, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Colorado College are just a few schools nationwide that still hold perfectly functional existences without turf. At schools like UAA, hockey season kicks off the season for school spirit and the beloved American tradition of bundling up to watch the game lives on.

“I liked homecoming in high school, and it’s kind of a bummer that UAA doesn’t have a football team,” UAA student Stephanie Stewart said. “It’s nice, though, that the athletic department compensates with a hockey homecoming. It’s kind of an unexpected twist to the tradition.”

Hockey has been an integral part of UAA student and campus life since the 1980’s, when the Anchorage Community College

and the University of Alaska Anchorage merged to become a single institution.

Due to the sudden freezes that plague the state of Alaska starting in late September, establishing a traditional college football team is nearly impossible.

“It doesn’t make any sense for UAA to have a football team,” UAA student Mason Wick said. “It gets so cold so quick that nobody would ever go to the games. I think hockey is a nice alternative to a bad football environment.”

Hockey is an integral part of Alaska culture. The ice sport has captured the hearts and minds of local youth and adults alike. Children as young as 10 can join competitive teams that travel all over the United States and Canada and adult

leagues are prevalent in many ice rinks.

Alaska is home to the Wasilla-based Alaska Avalanche, an NAHL competitive league, and the Alaska Aces, the 2006 ECHL champions.

Homecoming is a piece of college life that unites the student body and welcomes each and every student into the melting pot of a contemporary campus. It makes sense for the University of Alaska Anchorage to embrace this local favorite as an essential piece of their homecoming week.

It makes such perfect sense, that it almost seems okay to have homecoming without football.

Almost.

UAA Homecoming 2010 It’s an all community - all campus celebration.

Friday 8:

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........ october 8 - 15 .........

Saturday 9:

Sunday 10:

Monday 11:

Tuesday 12:

Kendall Classic Hockey Tournament: Alumni Night 8:07 PM • SULLIVAN ARENA • UAA VS. NORTH DAKOTA UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA PRESS AND UAA LIBRARY BOOK PRESENTS:

6:00 - 9:00 PM • UAA LIBRARY

UAA CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE PRESENTS: A

Book Signing of Arctic Images

Concert of Chinese Classical Music

7:00 - 8:30 PM • UAA FINE ARTS ROOM 115 USUAA - STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESENTS:

Homecoming Dance

8:00 PM - 12:00 AM • EGAN CENTER • FOR TICKETS GO TO UAATIX.COM UAA CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE PRESENTS:

The Chinese Adventure Festival

1:00 - 4:00 PM • UAA STUDENT UNION

Kendall Classic Hockey Tournament: Student and Armed Forces Night 7:07 PM • SULLIVAN ARENA • UAA VS. AIR FORCE

Green and Gold Alumni Gala 7:00 - 10:00 PM • MARRIOT HOTEL UAA CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE PRESENTS:

“Go LaLa, Go” Chinese Movie Afternoon Film Screening

3:00 - 5:00 PM • UAA FINE ARTS ROOM 150

Good Morning Seawolves with the UAA Bookstore 8:00 - 10:30 AM • UAA BOOKSTORE ENTRY

BBQ with Greek Life

12:00 - 1:00 PM • BOOKSTORE PATIO UAA STUDENT UNION AND COMMUTER STUDENT SERVICES PRESENTS:

UAA Idol - Rockband Tournament

UAA STUDENT UNION AND COMMUTER STUDENT SERVICES PRESENTS:

BBQ and Monday Night Football

2:00 - 3:30 PM • STUDENT UNION DEN

4:00 - 7:00 PM • STUDENT UNION DEN STUDENT ACTIVITIES PRESENTS:

Magician Nate Staniforth

7:30 PM • GORSUCH COMMONS

Good Morning Seawolves with Residence Life 8:00 - 10:30 AM • GORSUCH COMMONS

BBQ with ANSEP

12:00 - 1:00 PM • UAA ANSEP BUILDING

Tug-O-War

3:00 - 5:00 PM • UAA CUDDY QUAD

College of Education Alumni Event

5:30 - 7:30 PM • ATRIUM OF THE CPSB BUILDING UAA PRESENTS:

Thomas Lovejoy - Community Lecture

7:00 PM • WENDY WILLIAMSON AUDITORIUM STUDENT ACTIVITIES PRESENTS:

Magician Nate Staniforth

7:30 PM • STUDENT UNION • TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR

Wednesday 13: Good Morning Seawolves with the Student Union and Commuter Student Services 8:00 - 10:30 AM • AVIATION CENTER

Wellness Fair

8:30 AM - 1:00 PM • RASMUSON HALL

BBQ with the Student Health and Counseling Center 12:00 - 1:00 PM • RASMUSON HALL

Ultimate Frisbee

3:00 - 5:00 PM • HOUSING NORTH FIELD UAA CONCERT BOARD PRESENTS:

Comedian Stephen Lynch

7:30 PM . WENDY WILLIAMSON AUDITORIUM • FOR TICKETS GO TO UAATIX.COM

Student/Alumni Speed Networking

5:30 - 7:00 PM • STUDENT UNION LOUNGE

Thursday 14: Good Morning Seawolves with the Alumni Association

Friday 15:

8:00 - 10:30 AM • ADMINISTRATION AND HUMANITIES BUILDING

BBQ with Student Activities

12:00 - 1:00 PM • BOOKSTORE PATIO UAA STUDENT UNION AND COMMUTER STUDENT SERVICES PRESENTS:

2:00 - 4:00 PM • STUDENT UNION DEN

Wii Tournament

A Cappella Festivella 17 with the House Jacks

UAA CONCERT BOARD PRESENTS: 7:30 PM • WENDY WILLIAMSON AUDITORIUM • FOR TICKETS GO TO UAATIX.COM

Good Morning Seawolves with Campus Programing Board

8:00 - 10:30 AM • STUDENT UNION

BBQ with Residence Hall Association

12:00 - 1:00 PM • GORSUCH COMMONS STUDENT ACTIVITIES PRESENTS:

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

7:30 PM . WENDY WILLIAMSON AUDITORIUM • FOR TICKETS GO TO UAATIX.COM

For a full schedule of events visit the homecoming website: www.uaa.alaska.edu/homecoming For more information or to volunteer contact Campus Programming Board @ 786-1215 or email events@uaa.alaska.edu Check out these and more events @ the WolfWire at www.uaa.alaska.edu/wolfwire

UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution.

08

TNL

| October 5, 2010

Brandon chose WSU because of its top-rated Agricultural

Economics program, and because he had never been out west before.

“Pullman is home to people from many different countries. And I like that diversity.�

WSU Graduate School Come for the degree programs.

Stay for the atmosphere.

FEATURES

09

NoNotes.com offers an alternative to notetaking

By Melissa Newton

Special to The Northern Light

Are you an athlete who has to miss class because of your game schedule? Are you an upper -classman who has trouble taking good notes during your research interviews? Are you going to have to miss class for a trip or another personal reason? There might be a solution to all these problems.

NoNotes.com is offering a new and growing transcription service to students. Basically, you create an account at NoNotes.com, record audio during your class and upload the file to the website.

Then, a typed, word-for-word transcription of your recording – that can be distributed, searched and stored for your records – will be emailed to you and is available on the website’s server within one to three business days, according to the website.

The website offers not only transcription services, but also translation of over 80 languages,

transcript custom formatting, a legal level accuracy guarantee, conference call attendance, a guaranteed turnaround time and time coding. You can also choose to get your files in both PDF and Word Format.

The website also offers a new NoNotes brand digital voice recorder with up to 280 hours of recording time, one GB of memory and a digital readout, which comes with two hours of free recording time.

A variety of products and packages are offered, and there is no monthly commitment.

Basically, you purchase however many hours of recorded content you need transcribed and each time you use the service, the time is simply deducted from your account. The company is also very flexible with creating custom packages for those who need more time than the options outlined on the website.

Just this year, NoNotes.com launched its new customer portal,

which is very easy to use and now offers a job rating system. This service is perfect for upper-level students’ research interviews; athletes who, because of sports

‘A service like this seems to me to be a disservice to the students. It can’t replace face-toface interaction in a classroom.’

- History Professor Andrew Janco scheduling, must miss classes; and disabled students who need notes taken for them.

“It saves students time and energy,” Matt Whitteker,

President and co-founder of the service, said. “Our service has grown exponentially.”

With the numbers of subscribers currently in the thousands and still growing, and the company’s recent step into selling products such as the recorder, his assertion is difficult to argue against.

“In the end, it’s what you know that matters,” James Muller, political science professor at UAA, said. He went on to say that how you get to knowing doesn’t make a huge difference, but the discipline of summarizing what you’re hearing is still important.

“I think this service could be really helpful for students, especially those with a lot of online classes or those with children,” Sheree Moser, a UAA dental hygiene student, said.

“International students who have problem with the English language, or students who have issues with illness could find this service really helpful, I think.”

However, not all opinions of

this service are positive.

“A service like this seems to me to be a disservice to the student,” Andrew Janco, adjunct instructor for the Department of History, said. “It can’t replace face-to-face interaction in a classroom.”

There are also students who don’t look on this service all too fondly.

“I could easily see students attempt to use this service as an excuse to just not go to class,” Brett King, UAA political science major, said.

Whitteker stated that the staff in no way encourages students to use their service as an excuse to miss class, and the company tries not to position it in that way.

The company is optimistic and hopeful for the future. Next, they plan to integrate themselves into university television stations by providing captioning and continuing with their new product line of recorders.

New student retention program begins pilot year

By Jerzy Shedlock The Northern Light

Freshman year is no cakewalk.

Students enter the university system under their own unique individualized circumstances, and many new students often run into problems.

The problems that arise can be easily fixed, but students are unaware of existing channels of support.

The UAA Office of Student Affairs is launching MAP-Works, a student success and retention program that will help newer students overcome common issues.

An acronym for ‘Making Achievement Possible,’ the program aims to improve the student transition into a college atmosphere by addressing such issues as homesickness, roommate conflicts and academic concerns.

Surveys are a big part of the program. Students who choose to do so can take a 15-minute survey.

The information obtained from the survey is used in combination

with existing historical research concerning student success.

A small group of support staff takes this information and uses

‘This new system allows professional staff at the university to have a refined idea of who the should be doing outreach on.’

- David Weaver Office of Student Affairs Director

it to address students’ individual needs.

Questions on the survey include, “how are you getting along with your roommate,” “are

Alaska Permanent Fund Board Confirmation Committee www.apfboardconfirmation.org/moran.html P.O. Box 191078 Anchorage, Alaska 99519-1078 (907)278-9455 Phone/Fax/Msg.

you losing sleep over stress about tests,” “do you know who your academic advisor is,” “do you feel that you can pay next month’s bills,” and “do you feel that you are fitting into the university?”

After 50 years of research on student success and retention, it has become conventional wisdom that students typically need a lot more support early on in their academic careers, according to the Office of Student Affairs director David Weaver.

As an undergraduate at UAA, Weaver struggled with certain issues himself simply because he did not know who to go to for help. He was unsure of what to ask administrators and what specifically it was that he needed.

“If I needed extra support, all of those resources existed, but I didn’t know how to access them. This new system allows professional staff at the university to have a refined idea of who they should be doing outreach on,” Weaver said. “Previously, a student would have to identify his or her problem and seek out help.

Now, based on what the student tells us, we can contact them directly and offer them the free support that is already available in a more meaningful way.”

MAP-Works is now in its pilot year at UAA, with roughly 2,400 new students are participating.

Student affairs has been obtaining a lot of interesting information thanks to the surveys, stated Weaver.

Like UAA, there are a number of progressive schools already using the program, such as Colorado State University, Minnesota State University and the University of Iowa.

Major regional universities are realizing that they can better serve their students by gaining a deeper understanding of their needs and linking them to services that already exist, according to Weaver.

The program has gained recognition since universities started implementing it five years ago. Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania increased its first-to-second-year retention by 2

percent in one year and Ball State University in Indiana increased its retention rate by 3.9 percent over three years, according to information approved by campus officials on the MAP-Works website.

The program will also utilize personalized video messages from advisors and coordinators.

For example, Willie Templeton, the director of Native Student Services, created his own video message welcoming new native students to UAA. He also gave the location of his office and encouraged the new students to complete the MAP-Works survey so he can better help them in the future. The video was e-mailed to over 500 students.

Weaver and his staff are hoping the program will cause more first-year freshmen to return for a second year.

“We feel we can retain a few percent higher (of returning students) than we have been simply by better understanding our students,” Weaver said.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

10

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Legend of the Guardians’ soars on powerful wings With the director of “300” behind the helm, “The Owls of Ga’Hoole” movie appeals to more than kids

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” is quite possibly the most visually stunning motion picture of 2010.

When combined with 3D effects, and rest assured that this film is at its most spectacular in 3D, it is a mind blowing, beautiful and epic adventure that will leave any viewer breathless.

“Guardians” is based off the first three books in the “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” series by Kathryn Lasky, who published all 15 books from 2003 to 2008.

Soren, played by Jim Sturgess (“The Way Back”), is a young barn owl enchanted by stories of a legendary group of owls, the Guardians, who protect their world. Soren dreams of one day finding and joining them.

His older brother Kludd, played

by Ryan Kwanten (“True Blood”), bickers with him over his fantasy, and the two owls end up falling out of their treetop home, only

to be carried away by the Pure Ones to St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, where they face a frightening future as either soldiers or slaves.

Soren meets Glyfie, (Emily Barclay “Lou”) and the two escape with the help of a guard.

They are charged with the mission to find the Guardians and enlist their help.

The acting in this movie is wonderful, and overall relatively powerful. Sturgess does well in making the viewer believe in Soren. He makes us want him to succeed in his journey, to overcome every obstacle and to find and become one of the legendary owls he idolizes so deeply. Barclay is enchanting as Glyfie.

In movies where animators take care of the character’s expressions and body movements, actors need to put more effort and emotion in their lines in order to properly portray a character. In many ways, animated and CGI movies require better voice acting than live action

movies, and rarely get it. The actors in “Guardians,” at the very least, make a valid attempt at this higher level of voice acting.

As far as action is concerned, “Guardians” boasts an epic feel not unlike that of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Director Zack Snyder (“300” and “Watchmen”) brings a level of intensity to the battle scenes that is quite surprising, and utterly humbles similar attempts in other CGI movies. With such gore-infested and battle oriented movies under his belt, it is nice to see Snyder broaden his directing horizons, but still maintain his seemingly innate gift of producing eye-popping action sequences that get the heart pounding.

As a movie geared towards a younger crowd, with owls as characters, “Guardians” should have its work cut out for it in enticing an older audience and retaining an older audience, but it overcomes that potential hurdle immediately with top notch CGI. “Guardians” has beautiful, and

frighteningly lifelike at times, graphics that pique viewer interest and appreciation in even the adult crowd.

One noteworthy scene is of Soren flying in a storm.

Reflections are seen in individual raindrops, feathers are clumpy with moisture and the lightning is incredibly life-like.

Watch the movie in 3D. If you watch only one 3D movie this year, make “Guardians” that movie. The beauty of the scenery is enhanced, the lightness of a feather fall made more vivid and the intensity of battle elevated from epic to heart-pounding when seen in 3D. While many movies throw 3D in almost as an afterthought, and still others are so dependent of 3D that the movie is worthless and cheesy without it, “Guardians” is merely complimented by it. In every way possible. The movie is worth seeing in either 2D or 3D, and is a visual masterpiece either way as well, but do your senses a favor and see it in 3D. It’s worth

the higher ticket price.

MOVIE: Legend of the Guardians DIRECTED BY: Zack Snyder STARRING: Jim Sturgess, Emily Barclay RUN TIME: 90 minutes GENRE: Animation, adventure, fantasy

★★★★

GAME REVIEW

MUSIC REVIEW

‘Halo: Reach’ reels in fans

New Ice Cube album is deliciously obnoxious

“Reach” is a phenomenal prequel to the “Halo” series

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

“Halo” is back, and not only does the story make sense this time, but it is also a prequel. “Reach” presents the way that the universe was before the embittered fight between Master Chief and the Covenant.

It’s a bit of a gamble as far as games go, but it pays off in spades. This is the best “Halo” game since the first in 2001, and makes up for some of the wrongs done by a few previous titles.

The game opens with the introduction to the destruction of the planet of Reach, which long time fans will recall fell before beginning of the first “Halo” game. It chronicles the invasion, and how the team of Spartan super soldiers, Noble Team, valiantly fought but ultimately failed in suppressing the invading Aliens.

With the addition of Noble Six (the player), Noble Team is complete, and the High Command sends them out on a recon mission to see what has been killing entire towns and burning the land. The weathered team sets out to investigate. Throughout the game, the player will navigate corridors filled with Elites, which are nastier this time

than in all the other previous titles, and pilot a space fighter in a very interesting space combat section.

What fans will notice right away is that the life bar system is back from “Halo,” as well as the pistol zoom.

They are likely the most welcome additions to the gaming screen.

Making its debut are the armor abilities. This adds the much-needed sprint, the jetpack, armor/shield lock up and the hologram. These give a very slight edge in the frenetic combat that is the “Halo” way. The sprint ability is the player’s best friend until the jetpack is acquired. It adds a slight edge to quickly get out of harm’s way and fight back.

The lock-up abilities give the player near invincibility for a short time and are useful when presented with intense firefights. The hologram ability is by far the best for cutting and running. It’s very hard to learn to use well, but once mastered it’s an invaluable tool.

The new weapons are a welcome addition, and have answered the prayers of those that crave a single shot rifle.

The DMR’s variable firing speed and high accuracy will win over fans’ hearts. There is also the grenade launcher, which is the Covenant’s

answer to the Spartan Laser.

The story is dark, and by the end of it, the player will have gotten very much attached to the team, as they are picked off one by one. There is a twist at the end that has a huge “ah-ha” moment. Unfortunately, the climax seems to drag on, but is redeemed after the credits roll, allowing for a playable epilogue.

GAME: “Halo: Reach” MAKER: Bungie RELEASE DATE: Sept. 14, 2010

★★★★★

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

It has been quite a while since Ice Cube has put out something decent. Still, it’s refreshing to see a staple of the original hip-hop community still putting out jams.

Ice Cube opens this album with a serious track that, with the help of Omar Epps, quickly becomes funny. This wit and comic relief has served Cube well with his “Friday” series and, strangely enough, it translates well into his music.

With the title being full of swagger, and the album with its humor and hardcore tendencies, it comes off as strange. But the more times you listen, the more the album grows on you. It turns out to be really excellent and, even if slow in the beginning, it grows to be more amusing through the second half.

The song “Life in the California” is much like Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” but Cube uses it to ignite the East-West tensions by using the line “… without Alicia Keyes/this ain’t R&B/this isn’t Motown, this R-A-P.” This is just one of many lines that makes one think about how far hip-hop has merged with Soul and Motown.

Another song of note is “Drink the Koolaid,” where Cube tells other rappers how they have used the industry to make their name instead of earning it. “The

Koolaid,” in this instance, is selling out, and Cube uses a rather obscure metaphor and brings this up to other hip-hop performers who have more swagger than talent.

The lead single, “I Rep that West,” is deliciously obnoxious, stating that the song is too “West Coast,” which immediately sets the tone for the entire track.

Ice Cube steps up to the center stage with his wit and humor.

Sometimes the rhymes are contrived and a little unoriginal, but get better in the second half.

Ice Cube seems to be trying to bring his music back to the way it originally was. With an aggressive record like this, listeners are reminded very clearly that Ice Cube used to be at the forefront of gangsta rap for a reason.

ALBUM: “I Am The West” ARTIST: Ice Cube RECORD LABEL: Lench Mob RELEASE DATE: Sept. 28, 2010

★★★

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October 5, 2010 | A&E

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A&E| October 5, 2010

TNL

OPINION The Northern Light 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508 Phone: 907-786-1513 Fax: 907-786-1331 info@thenorthernlight.org

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Josh Edge MANAGING EDITOR 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Jerzy Shedlock COPY EDITOR copy@thenorthernlight.org Brittany Bennett NEWS EDITOR 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Vacant FEATURES EDITOR 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Katie Forstner A&E EDITOR 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Heather Hamilton SPORTS EDITOR 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall PHOTO EDITOR 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Logan Tuttle WEB EDITOR 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org Ashley Snyder LAYOUT EDITOR layout@thenorthernlight.org Lisa Wagner ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR news2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR features2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR arts2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant GRAPHIC DESIGNER graphics@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ADVERTISING MANAGER 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Vacant CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel Jackson CONTRIBUTORS Bryan Dunagan Daniel McDonald Melissa Newton Shana Roberson Stephanie Wonchala MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Annie Route

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 5,000. 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.

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EDITORIAL

Student loyalty remains close to home The University of Alaska Southeast’s Juneau campus is small compared to the UAA campus, but to say that it is not equipped to properly educate and accommodate the attending student body is a misstatement.

The campus is beautiful. The main congregation of buildings rests on the edge of Auke Lake, which receives its waters from nearby Mendenhall Glacier, so from many classrooms students can enjoy views of the pristine lake and its surrounding natural habitat.

The learning environment is prosperous and unique, and the same can be said of the student body attending the Juneau campus. Traveling to the state capital for the Board of Regents September meeting, it quickly became apparent that Juneau’s student identity was fixed on the campus itself and not on the entire UA system.

The same can be said about UAA students. Our student body does not identify themselves with students in Fairbanks or the Southeast campuses. It is hard to, as we tend to live very

separate lives, and a vast distance lies between UAA and the other campuses. The enormity of distance between each of the main campuses causes a sense of isolation in students’ minds.

Sporting events, comedy shows and the Daily Den help bring students together in Anchorage. Hockey and volleyball games are a big factor. The games help band students together, and rooting for our sports teams creates a cohesive sense of belonging to the university. This occurs despite the variety of colleges that the students are enrolled in.

These events create a sense of loyalty that remains even after UAA students graduate.

Students at UAS exist in a much smaller community. Enrollment at the main campus is about 800 full-time and 1,600 part-time students. Classes vary in size, but are typically smaller than that of the larger universities; the average class size is approximately 15-20 students.

Many of the Juneau students know each other, having grown up in the capital or having quickly

meant each other within the limited space of the campus. They

Our student body does not identify themselves with students in Fairbanks or the Southeast campuses.

care not if the Seawolves recently won a hockey game, for they are concerned with their own affairs, which have little to do with the sporting events taking place in Anchorage.

Students on campus were welcoming, always willing to shoot the breeze. They seemed surprised to see college-aged individuals that they did not recognize. After classes, students were seen leaving in large groups, chatting with one another about the class and discussing plans for the rest of the day. No students were

spotted sitting by their lonesome.

For every instance where students were spotted studying, they were doing so in groups of two to four. This tight-knit structure of students further perpetuates an identity that is separated from the goings on of UAA. The UAA campus is much larger. The Office of Institutional Research’s headcount in Fall 2009 totaled 15,622 students. This larger student body contributes to our campus’s identity. It is hard to imagine attending a campus that manages only a fraction of the students that the UAA takes in every day.

These are the factors that separate the campuses, but do they ever band together? Students from campuses statewide certainly cooperated to fight the tuition increase. It did not matter what university a student attended, because no student wanted to see tuition rates rise as much as was being purposed. Beyond this coming together to protest the tuition hike, little exists to foster the larger UA identity.

OPINION

Affirmative action is institutional racism Advocates fail to understand that favoritism toward one group of people hurts another

By Daniel McDonald The Northern Light

Perhaps one of the strangest positions taken by the liberal establishment in America is the support for various affirmative action programs.

Their mantra has traditionally been along the lines of ending discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion and sexual orientation; but when it comes to the promotion of individuals on this very basis, they see no contradiction. What difference does it make if someone is either promoted to, or denied a position on the basis of their race? In either case, the deciding factor is the color of their skin.

What advocates of affirmative action all too often fail to understand is that, by granting favoritism to one group of people, they are in turn, hurting another. For every beneficiary of affirmative action there are unseen victims passed over, not for lack of ability, but for lack of melanin.

In 2009, the city of New Haven, Conn. invalidated the test results of nineteen firefighters due to the fact that none of those who passed happened to be black. The firefighters decided to challenge

the decision, which was taken up by the Supreme Court in the case of Ricci v. DeStefano. In a 5-4 decision, the side of good sense won the day with the majority opinion ruling that the city of New Haven violated title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex or national origin.”

This levelheaded decision was written by Chief Justice John Roberts who in a similar case a few years earlier argued, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” If only more people had such clarity of thought on what should be a simple issue.

But what are we to make of the other four members of the Supreme Court? Does not racial discrimination go against the American bedrock of equal protection under the law? It is this odd contradiction that forces one to come to the conclusion that ending arbitrary forms of discrimination was never the goal to begin with.

An egalitarian society, by any means possible, is their end in sight. Where conservatives generally adhere to the ideal of equality of opportunity, liberals

PRIDE

justify all actions to achieve equal results, whether by the implementation of institutional racism or confiscation of private property. The ends always justify the means.

Interestingly enough, what is rarely ever asked of them is to actually justify the need for more affirmative action programs.

They always assume that unequal results are due to institutional discrimination.

The problem with that line of reasoning is that the mere fact that certain groups achieve more in society is not itself enough evidence to come to the conclusion that there is some sort of inherent barrier.

For example, the percentage of black players in the National Basketball Association during the 2008-09 season was 82 percent, up from 80 percent the previous year. Would any rational person argue that there exists some sort of nationwide discrimination against non-black athletes, making them ill prepared for professional sports? Should we perhaps petition Congress to force the NBA to fulfill racial quotas in order to reflect American racial makeup as a whole?

Both questions are utterly

ridiculous as far as professional sports go, yet the assumed discrimination argument is considered legitimate when used elsewhere.

In the academic realm, the average SAT math score among Asians and Pacific Islanders is an average of 32 points higher than their white peers. The liberal’s logic (or lack thereof) would have to conclude that whites are being discriminated against. Since this obviously can’t be the case, there must be additional factors unaccounted for. We can or cannot know for certain what these other factors are, but the burden of proof is on those who claim to know.

Whether in the area of college admissions or job promotions, discrimination on the basis of race is always wrong, in all cases. It was wrong before the achievements of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s and it is wrong today in the form of affirmative action.

All we can hope for in society is to remove every barrier possible and to let the chips fall where they may.

It’s about creating the optimal environment for the equality of opportunity, not the equality of results.

CHIDE

UAA Students...

Just about anyone...

...who participated in the Food Stamp Challenge and made it the entire week.

...who eats at a fast food restaurant more than four times a week.

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TNL

COMICS| October 5, 2010

BROKECOMICS | Alec Fritz

TUNDRA l Chad Carpenter

SODUKU

CRYPTOQUOTE PUZZLE l M. Proskuryakova

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WORDSEARCH: VIDEO GAMES CHARACTERS Bomber man Daffy duck Darth Rader Dope fish Dracula Gohan Guile Knuckles Kraken Mario Peach Spider man Toad Trunks Yamcha Yoda Yoshi

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS:

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ACROSS Cleopatra’s wooer Japanese noodles Pound on the door Water, in Baja Rod-shaped bacteria (2wds.)

Sandwich cookie In — (as found) Oater baddie Puccini opera Drop — — line Radio part Stock or bond “Wolf Man” Chaney Tax no-no Early settler Snub “— A Lady” (Tom Jones tune) Outback bird LAX guesses Bitter Woe is me!

FDR program Kimono sashes Do a favor for Stole Flattened a fly Checkers side Texas spread Rose-petal oil Long fish Submarine Pub nicety (2 wds.)

Arm bone Storm about Playwright — Loos Toothed wheel Gen. — Bradley Appraised Chopped down DOWN Antenna pole Currency-exchange fee Wheel tracks Mount Elbrus range Not decaf.

Shrewdness Water-lily painter

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Movie lioness Zero Preparing fish Galley of myth Must have Wound a matador Archeology finds Get real! (2 wds.)

Overnight guest accommodation Command to Rover (2 wds.)

Not slouching Forage crop Beaded calculators — Beta Kappa Fixed the pilot Reflection Pondered

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AARP members British FBI In spite of Plain as day Fugue composer Pencil end Military greeting Send money Dated hairdo Cable car Forum attire Novelist — Ferber Helm position Chew on Kitten’s toy Hearing aid?

Traipse about

“Everything has been figured out, except how to live” -Jean-Paul Sartre

TNL HOROSCOPE l Stella Wilder

October 5, 2010 | COMICS

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THE COMING WEEK IS LIKELY TO SEE MANY INDIVIDUALS IMPLEMENTING A CHANGE OF PLANS, STRATEGY OR TACTICS IN ORDER TO PURSUE A NEW SET OF GOALS, BUT SOME WILL BE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT SACRIFICING ANY OLD, FAMILIAR GOALS IN THE PROCESS. INDEED, THE CONVERGENCE OF THE OLD AND THE NEW CAN YIELD TREMENDOUS REWARDS, BOTH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE, AND LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED REGARDING THE WAY THE FUTURE IS SHAPED BY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE PAST. IT MAY SEEM OBVIOUS, BUT THERE ARE THOSE WHO REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THEY MUST REAP WHAT THEY SOW. ANYONE WHO HAS LET A FRIENDSHIP SLIDE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WILL FIND THAT IT’S A GOOD WEEK TO REKINDLE AFFECTIONS AND REDISCOVER WHAT MADE THE RELATIONSHIP WORK IN THE FIRST PLACE. NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A FRIENDSHIP FADE COMPLETELY INTO MEMORY -- AND MANY A FRIENDSHIP CAN BE SAVED. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 7) -- YOU’RE TRYING TO QUANTIFY SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE MEASURED IN THAT WAY; TRY TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE AND RECEPTIVE TO INTANGIBLES. (OCT. 8-OCT. 22) -- YOU AND A FRIEND HAVE BEEN PUTTING OFF A REUNION LONG ENOUGH; THIS IS THE WEEK TO GET BACK TOGETHER. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 7) -- AN EXPERIENCE YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE DULL ACTUALLY PROVES TO BE SOMETHING OF AN ADVENTURE; YOU HAD BETTER BRING YOUR A-GAME. (NOV. 8-NOV. 21) -- YOU’RE AFTER SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE TO YOU AT THIS TIME, BUT PERSISTENCE CAN AND WILL PAY OFF. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 7) -- ROUTINE EFFORTS TO STOP A NEGATIVE TREND AREN’T LIKELY TO WORK AS PLANNED, SO YOU’LL WANT TO TAKE A MORE AGGRESSIVE STANCE. (DEC. 8-DEC. 21) -- ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ARE KEENLY FELT THROUGHOUT THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK; TRAVEL SAFELY. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 6) -- YOU’RE INVOLVEMENT WILL BE HIGHLY PRIZED WHENEVER AN EVENT REQUIRES SOME LAST-MINUTE REARRANGEMENT. YOU’RE QUICK ON YOUR FEET. (JAN. 7-JAN. 19) -- YOU’VE BEEN PERHAPS A BIT TOO COMPLACENT LATELY ; IT’S TIME TO MAKE A FIRM STAND. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 3) -- YOU’VE SURROUNDED YOURSELF WITH MUCH OF WHAT YOU WANT, AND YET YOU MAY FEEL AS THOUGH IT’S NOT ENOUGH. YOUR PERSPECTIVE NEEDS ADJUSTMENT. (FEB. 4-FEB. 18) -- THOUGH YOU ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR COMPLAINTS ARE VALID, OTHERS FEEL THAT YOU ARE MERELY BEING NEGATIVE. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 5) -- OTHERS ARE LIKELY TO SOLICIT YOUR OPINIONS, BUT SOME ARE NOT MEANT TO BE SHARED WITH JUST ANYONE. USE CAUTION. (MARCH 6-MARCH 20) -- YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF GRAVITATING TOWARD SOMEONE WHO CHALLENGES YOU IN WAYS THAT ARE NEW -- AND INTRIGUING. ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 4) -- YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE DISCERNING THE GOOD FROM THE BAD, SO YOU MUST BE READY AND WILLING TO TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS AT ALL TIMES. (APRIL 5-APRIL 19) -- SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING, AND YOU’LL HAVE A CHANCE TO PROVE THAT THE LITTLE GUY HAS A LOT TO OFFER. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 5) -- YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE PUTTING YOUR THOUGHTS INTO WORDS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK WHEN SO MUCH SEEMS TO BE RATHER TURBULENT. (MAY 6-MAY 20) -- IT’S A GOOD WEEK TO PURSUE ONE OF THOSE DREAMS THAT USUALLY DOESN’T SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. BE DARING. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 6) -- YOU’LL WANT TO INSIST THAT OTHERS LEAVE YOU VERY MUCH ALONE WHENEVER YOU ARE IMMERSED IN A PARTICULAR PET PROJECT. (JUNE 7-JUNE 20) -- YOU MUSTN’T LOSE TRACK OF ANY COMMON THREAD THAT TIES TO OTHERS WHO ARE WORKING TOWARD THE SAME THINGS. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 7) -- YOU CAN HAVE A GREAT DEAL MORE FUN THAN YOU HAD PLANNED, THANKS TO A FRIEND WHO IS ABLE TO HELP YOU RECONFIGURE YOUR PRIORITIES. (JULY 8-JULY 22) -- TAKE CARE THAT AN ATTENTION-GETTING SCHEME DOESN’T BACKFIRE ON YOU. IT’S TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MOTIVES ARE PURE AND DIRECT. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 7) -- OTHERS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES YOU AT THIS TIME, BUT THAT IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS PROVING TO THEM THAT YOU CAN DELIVER THE GOODS AS EXPECTED. (AUG. 8-AUG. 22) -- YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANY DOWNTIME IF YOU STAY AT HOME; TRAVEL BRINGS SOME RELAXATION. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 7) -- YOU’RE LIKELY TO WIN FAVORABLE REVIEWS FOR A PERFORMANCE THAT IS OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. IT’S A GOOD TIME TO PLAN AN ENCORE. (SEPT. 8-SEPT. 22) -- WHAT YOU SEE IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU GET; BE PREPARED TO UNCOVER A FEW SURPRISES.

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Open Tuesday– Friday 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Last seating 12:30 p.m.

Lucy Cuddy Hall, Main Campus Walk-ins welcome, reservations appreciated Online reservations available at www.uaa.alaska.edu, search “Lucy’s” and click on OpenTable® or call 786-1122 • Parking vouchers are available •

~ Amuse ~ Alaska Smoked Salmon Risotto Croquettes House-smoked wild-caught Alaska salmon Italian rice croquettes stuffed with fresh dill and French chevre. Served with crispy artichoke hearts and vanilla aioli $5.50 Tuna Tartar Fresh sushi-grade tuna tossed with lemongrass oil and layered with toasted pine nuts, dried apricots, sliced radish, avocado, and topped with curry oil “caviar pearls” $7.50

~ Entrees ~

Ostrich Sliders Three seared mini ostrich burgers set atop toasted brioche and black truffle mayonnaise.

Finished with seared fois gras, sunny-side up quail eggs, and a side of Alaska purple potato chips $12.00 Banana Leaf Steamed Fish Marinated and steamed Alaska sea scallops and fresh Alaska rockfish in a banana leaf box with coconut red curry and served with an Asian style soba noodle salad $10.00

Duck Confit Quesadilla Shredded duck confit with Oaxaca cheese melted in a flour tortilla.

Accompanied by chipotle-Oaxaca gelato and plum, peach fruit salsa $6.50

Beef Filet with Hibiscus Red Wine Reduction Seared 6oz. filet mignon accompanied with hibiscus red-wine syrup sauce, sautéed asparagus spears, and savory shallot custard $13.00

Guava-Rum Glazed Seafood Skewers Alaska scallops and Black Tiger prawns glazed with guava-rum sauce and grilled. Served over a banana-papaya salad $7.50

Slippertail Lobster Club Sandwich Tender slices of Slippertail lobster tossed with lemon aioli on grilled ciabatta bread with sliced avocado, ripe tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and onion “fries” on the side $9.50

Roasted Squab Roasted mint-brined squab with cardamom and ginger rub.

Completed with wild mushroom-butternut squash risotto, apple chutney, and poultry jus $13.00 ****************

Poulet En Croute Savory braised shredded chicken with mushrooms duxelles, brandied cranberries, spinach, and roasted red pepper encased in crisp golden-brown puff pastry. Served with mashed potatoes, Dijon-Marsala demiglace, and sautéed fresh Brussels sprouts $10.00

Salad

Tempura Bacon Salad Tempura applewood smoked bacon served with arugula, roasted red pepper foam, cilantro oil, and roasted corn-poblano salsa $6.50 Fennel-Sage Tortellini Salad Hand-made tortellini pasta filled with fennel and sage, tossed with fresh mozzarella, diced ripe tomato, sliced kalamata olives, and Dijon-herb vinaigrette $5.50 Smoked Alaska Halibut Salad House-smoked wild-caught Alaska halibut, mixed baby greens, apple, pear, and fennel tossed in fig vinaigrette $7.00

Rosemary-Crusted Rack of Lamb Dijon-rosemary crusted rack of lamb roasted to medium rare, Gorgonzola polenta, sautéed Gai Lan, and dried cherry demiglace $12.00 Vegetarian In order to offer the many wonderful vegetarian ideas culinary students have, we will feature a special of the week. Please ask your student server for the week’s delicacy $9.00 ~ Add a soup or salad to your entrée for an additional $2.50 ~

This menu was prepared by students in the A La Carte class under the guidance of Assistant Professor, Chef Naomi Everett Please note that the menu is subject to change Tips are appreciated and provide the opportunity for our students to participate in a fine dining experience at the end of each semester UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution