THENORTHERNLIGHT NOVEMBER 30, 2010
NEWS
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Proposition B: It passed. Now what?
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
A&E
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Harry Potter:
OPINION
‘Deathly Hallows’ revives series
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WWW.THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
Editorial:
Possible solutions to registration woes
Kent State, St. John’s take 2010 Alaska Shootout titles
COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
In the women’s bracket, UAA’s attempt at a five-peat was thwarted by the Kent State Golden Flashes, where the Seawolves lost 53-47 in the finals. The UAA men took fourth place, finishing with a 2-1 record in the Shootout.
FOR MORE ON THE SHOOTOUT, SEE PAGES 4, 6 AND 7.
Slow-moving chancellor search By Jerzy Shedlock The Northern Light
Report card grades UAA’s sustainable efforts By Alec Martinez
During the 2010-2011 academic year Chancellor Fran Ulmer has been working two important positions: chief executive officer of the University and member of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. Her workload will soon be halved, as she is expected to retire from the University as early as May 2011. The Faculty Senate is attempting to form a search committee to replace Chancellor Ulmer, but have expressed concern to UA President Patrick Gamble about prolonged inaction. The senate has not officially recommended anyone for the position, but a handful of senate members have approached Faculty Senate President John Petraitis suggesting UAA Provost Mike Driscoll. “Faculty members have talked about Mike Driscoll. They’ve approached me, but there is a lot of water cooler talk and at this point that’s what it is,” Petraitis said. “People have their opinions, but the senate has not taken a position on (Driscoll).” The provost’s name was mentioned multiple times during the recent Board of Regents meeting on Nov. 6. Faculty members commended Driscoll for his contributions to the university over the years. In addition, Ulmer supports the faculty’s comments. “I have relied upon Provost Driscoll’s energy, dedication and passion to move UAA forward during my time as chancellor,” Ulmer said. “His skill, intellect and humor have been indispensable in addressing the many challenges we’ve encountered and progress we have made. UAA would be well-served by his continued leadership in any position.” In the most recent chancellor search for UAA in 2002-2003 there were seven faculty members on a search committee. Petraitis recommends a search committee consisting of members from Faculty Senate, UAA APT (university governance) Council, UAA Classified Council, student government, UAA community campuses, administration and the community. The search typically begins with the hiring of a search consultant a full year before the new executive starts the job. Applicants apply for the position during the fall semester, semi-finalists are interviewed in early January or early February and finalists are brought on
SEE CHANCELLOR PAGE 03
The Northern Light
“Don’t waste water, water, water.” Some of us may remember the Sesame Street song that taught us how to be good stewards for our environment. Whether the song stuck with you or not, people are choosing to be conservative with our resources. Every year, a report card is sent out to every university in the U.S. along with colleges in eight Canadian provinces. It is no ordinary report card. This special report card is offers a grade scale telling how well any given college or university is sustaining its energy. On this year’s Green Report Card, UAA received a “B” while UAF received a “C.” According to the Green Report Card website, sustainability refers to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Universities, as leaders of innovation in our society, have the potential to demonstrate sustainable principles in their campus operations and endowment policies. Their
examples can provide a road map for others to follow. Paula Williams, director of the Sustainability Action Board, has put many of her resources into attaining a better grade for the university over previous years, but the efforts are meant to be enjoyable as well. “The Green Report Card is important to UAA because there is a sustainability competition going on between UAA and UAF,” Williams said. UAA and UAF’s Chancellors challenged each other to a competition, as to who could obtain a higher grade on the Green Report Card. The losing chancellor, UAF’s Brian Rogers, will now have to cook a dinner made from local food products for the winner, Fran Ulmer, UAA’s Chancellor. The College Sustainability Report Card is also important to the University because the more UAA conserves its energy, the more it helps reduce costs of electricity, heat, trash disposal and paper usage. It helps save money that UAA can use for additional important programs, such as intramural sports. In the last school year, UAA spent over $3 million
on electricity expenses and an additional $2 million on natural gas expenses. This is only on the main campus and does not include the costs at housing. Williams would like to have an A, but seeing the improvement UAA has made from 2008, which was a C- in a four year span, she considers the new grade a major improvement. The University received a C for the food and recycling portion of the report card for obtaining its food products from outside state sources and not local. Transportation also received a C because there isn’t an absolute percentage for students that use alternative forms of transportation around, to and from campus. Car pooling and sharing isn’t offered as well. A car-sharing program should be available either Spring or Fall 2011. Its grade on Climate Change and Energy was a B. To better this grade, UAA is currently installing Digital Energy Monitors on each building, so it can track how much heat, electricity, water, and gas each building uses, so that it can identify future problems and correct them to cut down costs. UAF had not hired a
SEE REPORT CARD PAGE 02
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NEWS| November 30, 2010
Parking hardships worsen during ‘Whales’ filming By Shana Roberson The Northern Light
I am going to be late. But I don’t want to walk that far. It’s cold outside. Should I make another loop? Such are the thoughts of students trying to find a parking spot. Parking, a seemingly simple concept, has driven quite a bit of drama to the UAA campus. Traditionally, the drama has stemmed from parking tickets and permits, but this semester a different issue has presented itself, resulting in a disconnect between school officials and students - yet again. From Nov. 19 to Nov. 30 the production company for the upcoming movie “Everybody Loves Whales” is scheduled to shoot scenes in the Journalism and Public Communications (JPC) television studio. The production company has paid a contracted rate to UAA for use of the space as well as 100 parking spots in the west parking lot and 60 spaces in the north parking lot. Both areas will be sectioned off and monitored by security personnel with the production company. The west and north lots are used by students who have classes in the Professional Studies Building (PSB) and other nearby buildings, such as Sally Monserud Hall. The west parking lot is located, fittingly, west of PSB and is the largest on campus parking lot with 500 spaces. Although it boasts a high number of parking spots, students battle over the spaces daily, much like a scene from any downtown parking garage across the country at 9 a.m.
One student battles that scene four times a week. Leighann Seaman arrives on campus at 11 a.m. or 4 p.m., depending on the day. Although the times are different, the parking availability is not. Seaman begins her scan for a spot 30 minutes before class starts in order to find a parking spot. That scan can take up to 15 minutes and
“We’re paying hundreds of dollars to park here and now there is even more limited parking. Not only is it costing us money, it’s costing us our education because it is putting time between when we can get to class.”
-Andy Deloose, JPC Student
usually results in a long, cold walk to the building. “I dress for the walk. I double up on coats and everything,” Seaman said as she secured her wool hat on her head and buttoned up a second coat in preparation for
a trudge to her car. Seaman does admit that, as a JPC student, she is kind of excited about the benefits the department might receive as a result of the movie shoot. Even with those benefits, however, Seaman said her personal feelings on the matter were “not so hot” considering she had already purchased a parking permit. Parking was sparse before the production company planned its use of the campus, according to Seaman. “It’s pretty jacked up. They should quit selling space that they don’t have,” she said. Seaman was not alone in that opinion. Donny McSherry, another JPC student, is habitually unable to find a spot in the west lot, which usually causes him to go to a lot further away. “It’s a short walk. It’s not that big of a deal,” McSherry said, lamenting that it was only going to get worse. “The point is that there was never enough parking to begin with.” Both McSherry and Seaman said one fix would be for Parking Services, because they have reduced the amount of parking available, to reimburse students a small amount of what they paid in permit fees. McSherry believes that by not doing so, Parking Services has made a statement. “They clearly don’t have the student’s best interests at heart,” McSherry said. JPC student Andy Deloose seconded that sentiment with a word unfit for print. “We’re paying hundreds of dollars to park here and now there is even more limited parking,” Deloose said. “Not only is it costing us money, it’s costing us our
education because it is putting time between when we can get to class.” Deloose is on campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and he spends about 15 minutes looking for parking upon arrival. In the middle of his schedule, Deloose has a class across campus in the Fine Arts building. In order to save time and his parking spot, he takes the shuttle, which often causes him to be late to class. That might make some professors irate, but they are not the only ones. Deloose said other drivers in the parking lot get irate. “I had a guy yelling at me yesterday,” Deloose said. “People get really frustrated when they can’t find a parking spot.” Parking Services Director Glenna Schoening said she had considered those student frustrations before coming to an agreement with the production company, but concluded the benefits to the university (and thereby to students) outweighed them. “I feel that allowing off campus users to visit our campus is an important piece of serving the community,” Schoening said. “The more we can champion the great things Alaska has to offer, the better opportunity we will have in the future.” The sentiment expressed by Parking Services represents a complete disconnect between staff, faculty and students. Whether that disconnect changes at all because of a film on campus limiting parking for 12 days remains to be seen. Leighann Seaman, Andy Deloose, and Donny McSherry have previously contributed to The Northern Light.
REPORT CARD: Food, recycling, transportation drops grade CONTINUED FROM COVER
sustainability coordinator by the time the survey was due or completed a greenhouse gas inventory, but the Fairbanks campus is now in the process of doing so. They have a facilities master plan that mandates more efficient buildings. Additionally, they have a higher student involvement than UAA. UAF’s students voted last fall semester to mandate a green fee of $20 a semester. Williams has suggestions to better UAA’s sustainability grade. Some suggestions she gave were to offer car pooling and car sharing; get more student involvement through sustainability internships, fellowships, and research; work with dining services to increase use of local and organic foods; and advocating for clean electricity through funding renewable energy products in Southcentral Alaska. It is also necessary to show gratitude to Chancellor Ulmer for her great support, Williams stated.
Recycling has become a big part of the nation since the Go Green Initiative went into effect. From a local standpoint, students at UAA are either taking this seriously or making a joke out of it. There are a number of students on campus who do recycle. “I recycle newspapers,” freshman Eric Cothran said. Freshman Benjo Holganza’s stated she recycles paper and plastic. Another student’s answers were lacking enthusiasm. Joseph Tunilla, freshman at UAA, shared his thoughts on UAA’s sustainability progress. When asked about his opinion on the grade UAA received, he didn’t have anything to say or know what to say. The next question was if he thought UAA was doing a good job with conserving its usage of power, energy and food. His answer was a simple “yes”. When asked if he did any recycling the student responded with a quick “no.”Lastly, he was asked if there was anything UAA
could do better to improve its sustainability record he stated that the University should lower its heating temperature. A variety of students, depending on
how they were brought up, decide to either recycle or not recycle. But the question is, “why should we recycle?” As discussed earlier, there is broad spectrum of factors to consider. One must think about what everyone has the need to use or what people need to survive, and then think about how to be conservative in the usage of those resources. On average, a person will take 15 minutes daily using the bathroom for hygiene and 15 minute for its facilities, according to an online survey, so people are generally aware of water consumption. People who throw plastic materials such as water bottles, newspapers or aluminum into recycling containers help the environment by preserving valuable resources. In the end, many people are helping save the planet and ourselves.
November 30, 2010 | NEWS
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Prop B allots $60 million to UAA athletics building By Melissa Newton The Northern Light
While Alaska construction workers wait, unemployed and unhappy, our schools are in desperate need of a face-lift. Proposition B was put forward to solve both of these problems. Now that it has passed, one question remains: What happens now? Prop. B is a $397 million investment in education and research. This project will provide for projects for Southeast, Kenai, Anchorage, Mat-Su, Fairbanks and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Among the more expensive projects are a lab and life sciences building at UAF, an art and learning center at the Mat-Su campus, student housing and a career and technical education center at Kenai Peninsula College, various renovations at the Prince William Sound community College in Valdez and a community arena and athletic building for the UAA. Administrators and students are pleased with the Election Day results. “This proposition has given
us a welcome infusion of capital project money for us,” Bill Spindle said, Vice Chancellor of UAA. “For UAA, in the community athletic facility, but it is also great for our community campuses who haven’t had much capital money in a long time.” Through this proposition, UAA is provided with $60 million to build a new athletic facility suitable for a university of its size. This means more space for practicing, instructional classes and possible space for a concert on campus. “It passed with a wide margin, with lots of support from the community in Anchorage. At the big picture level, I think this indicates a validation of what we knew was out there, and that is that the people of Alaska think that education is important and that the University is a key part of that,” Mike Driscoll said, the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UAA. The first project to move forward will be the life sciences building at UAF. The schematic designs have been approved, so the project is on its way to becoming a
reality, according to Driscoll. “I am grateful that the voters said yes to Prop. B, and that the Legislature unanimously passed the legislation putting these projects on the ballot. Each project responds to different local and state needs,” Fran Ulmer said, Chancellor of UAA. Over the next few months, officials at UAA will be getting things in front of the right committees for approval. A couple of internal discussions about how to stage these projects appropriately are the next step for the university, according to Driscoll. Through this process, the details of the arena will be nailed down; the next stage will be designing and digging in. “We want to make sure we’re doing the best job possible to spend the state’s money wisely,” Driscoll said. As far as challenges for the next steps forward, there are a lot of big projects to manage. Getting the pieces lined up properly will take a significant investment of time. “In reality, we still don’t have
all the money we need. We’re still in the concept stages, but we may need more to build a building that will last 50 years,” Spindle said. Spindle went on to say that UAA may need another $25 to $35 million, but that will require going back to the legislature for more funds soon. All the projects are still in their initial design phases. They still need approval on the design work have more planning to do for the arena. This is beginning to sound like a long wait, but according to Spindle, “We have to spend the bond money within three years.” So within that amount of time, at least $60 million will have been spent on this arena. At that point, things will definitely be set in motion and be visible to the UAA community. This facility will mean 130,000 square feet of space for athletics and student activities – five gyms, seating for 5,600 and the opportunity to have a school dance on campus. This arena will be the only generally mid-size arena in town. Thus, for events that don’t make sense for the Sullivan arena, but that make more sense for our
students, this will be the go-to place, according to Spindle. There will be areas for students to work out, and it will be located right next to student housing at the corner of Elmore Road and Providence Drive, according to Spindle. “The sports arena on the Anchorage campus is long overdue for a student body our size, with many different space and use requirements,” Ulmer said. “One of the main things that has been shown to influence where students choose to go to school has been athletics and recreation facilities. I think we’ll see the ability to attract even more students and that even more Alaskans will choose to stay in Alaska for school,” Driscoll said. Driscoll believes that this project will bring more community involvement to the university, which will strengthen the part of student life that is based on these shared venues. Through this project, UAA’s campus should become a great deal more active.
CHANCELLOR: Faculty members recommend Driscoll CONTINUED FROM COVER
campus in late February or early March. In a letter to Gamble, Petraitis stated, “we (faculty senate) are concerned that we are falling behind schedule to recruit top external candidates or retain top internal candidates.” Whether a search committee will be formed or a research consultant will be hired remains unclear. There is the possibility of direct appointment in which Gamble will ultimately make the decision of whom to hire. In March 2007, President Hamilton appointed Ulmer to interim chancellor. After a vote of confidence by the Faculty
Senate and support from several other campuses and community groups, she was appointed permanent chancellor in April 2008. The chancellor has spoken with President Gamble about initiating a search and provided suggestions for a search committee, according to Ulmer. Each new chancellor brings new ways of fulfilling academic matters. The job does not change, but the person making important decisions does. Different perspectives cause different reactions to the similar problems. Mike Driscoll has served as the provost and vice chancellor for academic
affairs at UAA since June 1, 2006. His list of responsibilities includes providing University attendees offerings that lead to associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees. Prior to joining the University, Driscoll served as professor of electrical engineering, associate dean and executive dean of engineering at Portland State University. On the one hand, Driscoll’s background is purely in academia. On the other hand, Chancellor Ulmer was involved in politics for many years before joining the University. Ulmer served as an elected official for 18 years as the mayor of Juneau, a state representative and
as Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. During her more than 30 years of work in public service on the local, state and national level, the chancellor has helped to shape public and environmental policy. Her many connections have helped UAA immensely in her time as chancellor. The viable candidates for chancellor will be top professionals with a certain level of influence over public policy and management of revenue and funds. Gamble is expected to address the appointment of a new chancellor in an e-mail to the UAA community with in the next two weeks.
SPORTS
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St. John’s storms off with title, UAA claims fourth By Taylor Hall The Northern Light
Despite having a tournament field without some of the high profile basketball programs Shootout junkies are used to, the 2010 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout sure had fans on the edge of their seat throughout the duration of the annual Thanksgiving tourney. After a shaky start to the 2010 Shootout, UAA ended up taking 4th in their signature tournament. UAA was thoroughly disposed of by the Weber State Wildcats in the first round in a 86-54 loss in which the Seawolves looked completely out of sync and outmatched by their Division I opponent from the Big Sky Conference. UAA junior forward Taylor Rohde was one of the lone bright spots for the home side with a game-high 19 points. It was the first home appearance for the 6’9”, 255 pound transfer out of Arizona State. From a statistical standpoint, the loss was made all the more alarming by the combined 13 points from UAA’s trio of senior captains, forward Casey Robinson and guards Brandon Walker and Drew Robinson. Walker, a 2009-10 All-GNAC First Teamer, fouled out of the game in which he had zero points on 0 of 3 shooting.
However, the ‘Wolves and Walker both came back to the Sullivan Arena court with a purpose the next day and dished out a bit of redemption in a 74-67 victory over the Houston Baptist Huskies. Walker led all scorers with 25 points and quickly shrugged off questions surrounding his poor play in the first game. Casey Robinson also was a big factor in the win as he contributed 14 points in the victory. The win set up a showdown with the Ball State Cardinals in the 4th/6th Place game. UAA quickly showed that they weren’t just satisfied with one win in their tourney and romped to a 62-44 upset over BSU. The 44 points UAA allowed was the least amount ever surrendered to a Division I opponent and their 18-point margin of victory was their sixth-best (out of 52 alltime victories) against D-I opponents ever. The fourth place finish matched UAA’s best ever in the Shootout. A feat they have accomplished six times in the 33-year history of the Shootout. Reserve freshman guard Travis Thompson led the Seawolves with 13 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Thompson, a 2010 Dimond High grad, was last years 4A High School Player of the Year and showed that he would be a useful weapon this year for the ‘Wolves. It was easy to see the improvement UAA
made through their three games in the tourney and their play has to have Seawolf fans excited as to just what they can accomplish this year in GNAC Conference play. Championship Game It was a heavyweight clash for the title as the Arizona State Sun Devils out of the Pac-10 Conference went toe to toe with St. John’s Red Storm who represented the Big East Conference. The title game in which most people had predicted saw ASU jump out to a 30-20 lead at halftime over the Johnnies. However, the Red Storm came out of the locker rooms and went to their highpressure defense in which first year Head Coach Steve Lavin has been known for. The Sun Devils were notably flustered by the stifling constraints put on them and were forced into a high number of turnovers. This opened the door for a St. John’s comeback. St. John’s came roaring back for the 67-58 victory en route to a title in their first Shootout appearance. SJU used a clutch performance from senior forward Justin Brownlee who had 20 points for the Red Storm on way to the 2010 Shootout Most Outstanding Player award.
3rd/5th Place Game In a game that wouldn’t be decided until the final seconds, Weber State came from behind to defeat the Drake Bulldogs 82-81. DU was called for a technical foul after Bulldog sophomore forward Aaron Hawley spiked the ball in celebration of a charge called against the Wildcats. After a near five- minute review on TV monitors, the referees called the technical foul on Hawley and awarded Weber two shots from the charity stripe. WSU used a tournament-high 31 points from junior guard Damian Lillard, including the two technical game clinching free throws to steal the win from DU. 7th/8th Place Game No shortage of drama in this one either as the Southern Utah Thunderbirds used a 3-pointer from senior guard Ryan Brimley with three seconds left to hold off a serious comeback bid from Houston Baptist and win 64-61. Junior center Matt Massey led the charge for SUU with 20 points and help his team claim 7th place in the 2010 Shootout. HBU made thing interesting after being down as many as 15 points in the second half and were led by a team-high 18 points from senior forward Andrew Gonzalez.
KSU takes crown from UAA, ruins bid for five-peat By Taylor Hall The Northern Light
For the first time since 2005, the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout Championship gold pan will leave Anchorage and be taken home by the Kent State Golden Flashes out of the Mid-American Conference. KSU ended the No. 11 UAA Seawolf women’s basketball team’s run of an astounding four straight Shootout titles when they edged the ‘Wolves 53-47 in the 2010 title game, one which was close all the way to the buzzer. KSU senior guard Jamiah Humes scored a game-high 23 points, 14 of which came in the second half, in which the Golden Flashes started down 24-22 to the Green and Gold. Humes also added four assists and five steals in the game, which helped her win Most Outstanding Player for the 2010 edition of the Shootout. Also contributing for KSU was senior forward Taisja Jones who put up 17 points along with six boards and three steals. Junior forward Hanna Johansson, who finished the game with 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, led the Seawolves who came up just a bit short. The Gothenburg, Sweden native continued her solid play in the early stages of the season and was named to the 2010 All-Shootout Tournament team. UAA made it to the Championship after a 48-35 win over the Spartans of San Jose State University. The sting of the championship game loss was very noticeable on the faces of the UAA squad after
the game. It’s hard to imagine that UAA, a Division II team, would be unhappy with their runner-up finish in a tournament with all Division I teams. Then again, those four straight Shootout championship banners spanning from 2006-2009 may have been hanging a bit heavy on the Seawolves who had aspirations of cutting down the nets and adding their name to the legacy. Perhaps the frustrations of not winning the Shootout is a testament to just how good this program has been under the direction of fifth year Head Coach Tim Moser and the expectations they have. Perhaps some have forgotten that the Seawolves are always the underdog going into the Shootout when going against the opponents who come to play in the annual tournament. You’d be hard pressed to find another Division II program that has enjoyed this much success against their big brother Division I opponents like the Seawolves in the Shootout. Just because the Seawolves didn’t get the storybook finish this Shootout doesn’t mean the ultimate goal of winning their last game this season goes away with it. UAA will now go into GNAC play, again as one of the favorites, and will look to get back to doing what they know best: winning. 3rd/4th Place Game The Washington Huskies easily cruised to a 49-27 win over San Jose St. to claim the bronze at the 2010 Shootout. UW used another solid
performance from senior guard Kristi Kingma. Kingma, who would later be named to the AllTournament team, would finish the game with 14 points and four steals to pace the Huskies in the win.
SJSU set a record in the game but for all the wrong reasons. Their 27 points in the game was the fewest a team ever has scored in the Women’s Shootout. The old record was 24 points set in 1981 by Notre Dame.
The Spartans were plagued all game long by turnovers as they wound up with an eye-catching 31 giveaways when the final buzzer went off.
2010 Great Alaska Shootout Tournament Results Women’s Bracket Game 1: Washington 58 vs. Kent State 59 Game 2: Alaska Anchorage 48 vs. San Jose State 35 Women’s Consolation Game: Washington 49 vs. San Jose State 27 Women’s Championship Game: Alaska Anchorage 47 vs. Kent State 53 Men’s Bracket Game 1: Drake 78 vs. Southern Utah 59 Game 2: St. John’s 78 vs. Ball State 73 Game 3: Arizona State 73 vs. Houston Baptist 55 Game 4: Alaska Anchorage 54 vs. Weber State 86 Men’s Consolation: Ball State 73 vs. Southern Utah 54 Men’s Consolation: Alaska Anchorage 74 vs. Houston Baptist 67 Men’s Semifinals: St. John’s 81 vs. Drake 39 Men’s Semifinals: Arizona State 59 vs. Weber State 58 Men’s 7th/8th Place Game: Southern Utah 64 vs. Houston Baptist 61 Men’s 4th/6th Place Game: Alaska Anchorage 62 vs. Ball State 44 Men’s 3rd/5th Place Game: Weber State 82 vs. Drake 81 Men’s Championship Game: Arizona State 58 vs. St. John’s 67
November 30, 2010 | SPORTS
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SPORTS| November 30, 2010
2010 Great Alaska Shootout: Men’s Bracket
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
UAA forward Philip Hearn (25) goes up for a rebound against Ball State senior forward Malik Perry Nov. 27. The Seawolves won 62-44 giving them a fourth place finish in the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
St. John’s sophomore guard Malik Stith attempts a shot over Drake sophomore center Seth VanDeest during one of the semi-final games Nov. 26. The St. John’s Red Storm beat the Drake Bulldogs 81-39 and went on to win the men’s bracket of the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout in their first Shootout appearance.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
Houston Baptist junior forward Terry Bembry attempts a shot during the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout. The HBU Huskies finished in eighth place in their first ever appearance in the Shootout.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
St. John’s sophomore guard Malik Stith looks for an opening during the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout. The St. John’s Red Storm were the tournament champions in their first appearance in the Shootout.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
UAA junior guard Mario Gill grabs a rebound against Ball State Nov. 27. The Seawolves won the game 62-44 giving them a fourth place finish in the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout. for the sixth time in school history.
November 30, 2010 | SPORTS
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2010 Great Alaska Shootout: Women’s Bracket
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
Kent State sophomore center Leslie Schaefer (33) attempts a pass while defended by UAA’s Alysa Horn (23), Tanee’ Denson-Griffin (20) and Hanna Johansson (50) during the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout Women’s Championship game Nov. 24.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
UAA junior guard Tanee’ Denson-Griffin brings the ball up the court against Kent State in the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout Women’s Championship game Nov. 24. The Seawolves lost the game 53-47.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
Kent State freshman forward Tayler Stanton (21) attempts a shot while defended by Washington junior forward Mackenzie Argens (33) during the first round of the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout. Kent State won the game 59-58.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
Kent State senior guard Jamilah Humes drives by Washington junior forward Charmaine Barlow (22)Nov. 23. Humes, who would become the 2010 Shootout Most Outstanding Player award,
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
San Jose State Univeristy sophomore guard Liz Johnson (12) tries to dribble by Washington freshman Marjorie Heard (40) during the 3rd place game Nov. 24.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOOTOUT.NET
Washington freshman Ashley Moore drives the lane against San Jose State University during the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout 3rd place game Nov. 24. Washington won the game 49-27.
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
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Local film makers to show movie at film festival “The Beekeepers” sports the talents of a local cast and crew, most of which are former UAA students By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light
There’s been a lot of hype regarding the filming industry in Alaska lately thanks to a certain movie currently being filmed here. “Everyone Loves Whales” not included, very little happens in Alaska with big movies. This little fact is a shame, because Alaska is the setting for quite a few movies lately. “30 Days of Night” in 2007, “The Fourth Kind” in 2009, part of “Resident Evil: Afterlife” in 2010, “The Proposal” in 2009, “New in Town” in 2009, “The Edge” in 1997 and “Snow Dogs” in 2002 all take place in Alaska, but not a single one of those productions set foot in the state to film. “Into the Wild,” another movie depicting Alaska as the backdrop, actually did film up here; the movie was filmed roughly 50 miles south of where the true events depicted in the movie took place. “Into the Wild” and “Everyone Loves Whales” aside, Alaska seems to be the Bermuda Triangle of the big movie industry. Is it that we’re too expensive? Too remote? Whatever the case, it doesn’t stop home grown film makers. Alaska’s local film industry is picking up faster than our big one. Some local film makers, like former UAA journalism student Bryant Mainor, have been writing and directing low budget movies for years. Mainord’s latest indie movie, however, has gotten a bit of a boost; it’s going to play as part of the Anchorage International Film Festival on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Bear’s Tooth. “The Beekeepers” is a comedy about growing up and moving on after college. Longtime roommates Gary (played by writer/director Bryant Mainord), Barrett (John Whitlock) and Mike (Jay Gourley)
all hang around their local university, essentially stuck in their college years. Keyes (played by UAA alumni John Norris), their childhood friend and former roommate, has been in a coma for three years. The movie’s plot revolves around Gary, Barrett and Mike learning that their friend may be revived through an experimental surgery. The trio must raise $150,000 for the procedure. Daunted at first by the large sum, they eventually make a bet with their rival, who happens to be a local YouTube celebrity. If they win, he gives them the money for the surgery; if he wins, they give him their game collection composed of 768 of the 790 American licensed video games. The bet? They have to amass two million genuine online video hits by the end of the summer. “This is a movie about these guys coming to terms with feeling like there’s something better for them, and taking the steps necessary to move on,” said Mainord. “The Beekeepers” is actually a sequel of another movie producer David Turnbull (a UAA journalism alumni) and Mainord worked on together in 2005. The original movie, called “Beekeeping,” wasn’t shown at any festivals or events, so no one has seen it. “The Beekeepers” utilized the cast and characters from the first movie, as well as it’s ending as the launching pad for the new movie’s plot. Keyes’ coma-inducing car accident occurred in the ending dialogue of the first movie. “The Beekeepers” is built to be a stand-alone movie however, and seeing the first movie isn’t necessary to understand the second. Indie movies are difficult enough to make with their smaller budgets, but Mainord’s movie was virtually unfunded altogether. The entire cast and crew went
unpaid for their hard work and time spent. No one minded though. “Most of the people who worked with us were pretty stoked to work on it; I don’t think a person ever asked if they were being compensated for it,” said Joey Weaver, who plays an eccentric Sci-fi club vice president named Dale. The majority of the group has been making movies together for five years now, since the first movie, but some have been filming movies together longer than that. “Well, me and Bryant for about ten years, and I’ve known Dave for seven years, so since then we’ve all kind of collaborated,” said Weaver. Turnbull and Mainord employed methods known as “guerilla filming” to shoot their movie in the summer of 2009. “Guerilla filming” is essentially filming in locations you do not have permits to film in and using under the table methods to get away with it. Or try to get away with it. “If you’re walking around with fancy equipment, and you act like you have permission, it really looks like you do,” stated Weaver. “You gotta be quick on your feet; if you see someone that’s walking over, and you suspect that they’re going to kick you out because you don’t have permission to be there, you’ve got to be ready to hurry up and finish the shot before they walk over,” said Mainord. According to Mainord, most places were open to their film crew and willing to let them shoot. Security in other locations was relatively open to the idea, but still had to ask the crew to vacate the premises. “Most people are pretty understanding, and think it’s pretty cool that people are working on a creative project, but still, if you’re some place you’re not supposed to be, it’s someone’s job to shuffle you along,”
he said. While the movie takes place in the fictional town of Stathem County, any local who sees the movie will recognize most of the locations. Much of the movie was shot at UAA, in fact. “We shot scenes in the library, we shot around campus; we were careful to avoid people in the background that we don’t know, and some of the art around campus that’s distinctive,” said Turnbull. In addition to most of the movie being filmed at UAA, most of the cast and crew met at UAA, or at least are affiliated with the university. “The Beekeepers” is the group’s first movie to be shown at a film festival. They were looking for a convenient, and cheap, way to premier the movie before an Alaskan audience in addition to getting exposure for the movie. It is also the group’s first time submitting one of their movies to a film festival. “I’m excited about it,” said Mainord, “I’ve never seen one of my films on HD on a big screen.” “The Beekeepers” has been submitted to several other film festivals, including Sundance Film Festival, South By Southwest Film Festival, London Independent Film Festival and several others, and will be hearing back from these festivals one way or another at varying points within the next three to four months. “The Beekeepers” runs for approximately 112 minutes, and there will be a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening at Bear’s Tooth. There, Mainord and the crew will tell you more about how they don’t need a lot of money to make a funny movie, or have a lot of fun in the process.
MoVie reVieW
Newest ‘Harry Potter’ movie epic, witty and very angsty ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I’ sets the stage for the final showdown of good vs evil By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light
Finally, the directors, writers, producers and anyone else involved in decisions regarding the “Harry Potter” movies did something right. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” is quite possibly the closest representation of the “HP” books since the first movie (released in 2001), and that means five movies, and eight years, of complete and utter failure. All that I can say as a fan of the books is this: it’s about time they did the series justice. Were things still different from the seventh “HP” book? Yes, but very few. It’s also nice to see that most of the changes were made to help the overall plot along while conserving time. Conserving time? Yes, three hour movies that only cover half of a novel still suffer from not having enough time to show everything. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”), Ron (Rupert Grint “Wild Target”) and Hermione (Emma Watson “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”) meet up at the Weasley’s home during the summer for a wedding, and to keep Harry safe from Voldemort (Ralph
Fiennes “Cemetery Junction”). The dynamic trio is given items bequeathed to them by the late Albus Dumbledore, former headmaster of Hogwarts, and run away to find the Horcruxes, (the enchanted items housing the pieces of Voldemort’s soul), destroy them and even the playing field for the final showdown.
It’s about time they did the series justice. For those who haven’t seen any of the “HP” movies or read the books, ignore this review and go along your merry way to another section of the paper; this review isn’t going to interest you and you know it. For the rest of you: go see the movie. See it in as high quality as you can; ticket prices don’t matter, see it in style. It’s worth it. The movie really only has one flaw: it may not, depending on the viewer, be able to succeed as a stand alone piece in the series. It is very obvious that the movie is, in all honestly, only half completed. There is no finished character arc, (unless you count characters who may or may not die in
this movie). There is no sense of completion like is granted at the end of all other “HP” movies in the series, there isn’t a very solid build up to an overall climax and until the end, not much happens in the way of action...at all. A viewer who has read the books can look past this because he or she knows that all the intense situations, action sequences and true climax reside in the second half of the seventh book. The first half, which is what we are shown in this movie, is nothing but necessary build up. Nearly every sentence in the seventh book is crucial to the ending; author J.K. Rowling didn’t make it easy on screenplay writers to cut corners with this installment, which is a major part of the reason why the book has been broken up into two movies. Unfortunately, this practical split has its drawbacks, such as leaving viewers unsatisfied with the first part because they want more. If you want to see the movie but haven’t read the book, go ahead. Don’t feel bad. Just bear in mind that you might not get everything you want out of it because it isn’t finished. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel “HP” fans: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II” is already in
post-production, and is currently set to be released on July 15, 2011. Where’s Hermione Granger’s Time Turner when you need it?
Directed by: David Yates STARRING: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint RUN TIME: 146 minutes GENRE: Adventure, Fantasy
★★★★★
November 30, 2010 | A&E
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MoVie reVieW
MUSic reVieW
‘Megamind’ fun, but not a mega hit
‘Bad Books’ first release a doozy
By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light
Any movie that spoofs “Superman” without seeming like a complete jerk is worth looking into. “Megamind” is no different. While this Dreamworks movie is geared towards a younger crowd, many adults have been drawn in to see super-villain Megamind (Will Ferrell “Everything Must Go”) interact with reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey “30 Rock”), destroy super hero Metro Man (Brad Pitt “Inglorious Bastards”) and face off against the new hero Titan (Jonah Hill “Get Him To The Greek”). Megamind’s planet is destroyed when he is a newborn, and true to “Superman,” his parents send him away in a space pod, (but with a little fish minion to look after him). As his planet is destroyed, a second pod catches up to him from the neighboring planet carrying a human looking baby with a snobbish attitude. Enter baby Metro Man, (who, even in infancy, looks like an itty bitty Superman). Both pods land on Earth; Metro Man lands in the living room of a fancy mansion with a wife and husband, while Megamind lands in the recreation yard of the Metro City Prison for the Gifted, (a parody of Professor Xavier’s School for the Gifted in “X-Men”). When the two meet up in school a few years later, the stereotypical villain vs. hero rivalry blooms and rages on into adulthood. The animation for “Megamind” is top notch. The movie is built for 3D, and it shows in the usage of the effect. There isn’t any over the top and phenomenal scene in 3D, but the gimmick isn’t laid overtop the movie as an afterthought,
and it most certainly isn’t used in a cheesy manner either. The effect seems to be used purely to assist in immersing viewers in the story rather than to ‘wow’ them. Kudos to Dreamworks for not overplaying the 3D card. Acting in “Megamind” is also fantastic. Possibly the most enjoyable sections of dialogue and character interaction are when Fey as Ritchi and Ferrell as Megamind banter with one another. The humor is quick, witty, dry and altogether fresh and completely believable. Possibly the best line in the movie is delivered by Tina Fey during the kidnapping scene shown in the movie trailers while Metro Man and Megamind are bickering like school children over the video feed. Fey steals the show from Ferrell from time to time, but the audience’s hearts are abducted by Megamind’s lovable fishy sidekick, Minion (David Cross “The Legend of Secret Pass”). He’s cute, funny, caring and takes his one purpose in life (watching over Megamind) very seriously. There isn’t a moment in which the audience doesn’t adore him. The one flaw with the entire movie is that it is simply too short. While the children watching the movie will love every moment of it, the adult viewers will find it lacking in character development. Every important character shows distinct change by the end of the movie, and there is a general pattern of internal growth, but it isn’t shown enough. Megamind creates Titan so he has a new hero to fight after defeating Metro Man, but viewers never really see him get bored without the usual fighting. Titan turns from hero to villain, but this complete flop isn’t shown
MUSic reVieW
‘Great Vacation!’ a new sound for trio’s third CD By Lilly Conducy
Special to The Northern Light
The new album by the trio Sleeping in the Aviary, titled “Great Vacation!” can best be described by the band’s own Elliott Kozel, “I think it would be boring to make the same record over and over again…I want to surprise people with each album that I make.” This is exactly what their new album does. “Great Vacation!” is the band’s third album. Their first, “Oh, This Old Thing?,” which was released back in 2007, had a pop-punk sound, while their second album released in 2008, “Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel,” shifted to a more indiefolk sound. With the new album, they have once more shifted gears and give their listeners a more pop sound that also tells a story. The group tells a story with each song on the album. The stories range from silly to serious, and from songs about relationships to songs about death. The ideas for
these stories came from the groups very own experiences while they were traveling, hence the name of their album “Great Vacation!” This album has something for everyone and the fact that they serve it up in a different way makes this album that much better. Fans of all kinds will be sure to enjoy the alternative sound that is Sleeping in the Aviary and who knows they might even find a story they can relate to.
ARTIST: Sleeping in the Aviary RECORD LABEL: Science of Sound RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2010
at all. Viewers accept the character change because it’s shown in the previews, but wonder in retrospect exactly what triggered it. The best show of sophisticated and conscious character development is in Roxanne Ritchi. Her growth is not only the easiest to follow, but also the smoothest and most believable. This was aided by Fey’s great acting, but was mostly due to the character’s part simply being written better than that of the other characters. A longer movie, (two hours instead of one and a half, for example) could have easily been entertaining enough to sustain viewers as well as allow for better character development in other key players. “Megamind” is a fun romp with great actors, but children will definitely enjoy it for its simplicity more than the adults will. The movie generated more early hype than it deserves, but is still worth seeing in theaters to the older crowd. If the theater is Bear’s Tooth.
DIRECTED BY: Tom McGrath STARRING: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt RUN TIME: 95 minutes GENRE: Animation, Comedy
★★
By Lilly Conducy
Special to The Northern Light
Kevin Devine and Andy Hull, from the indie rock group Manchester Orchestra, never intended to form a group together let alone create an entire album. But, after working together on another project, the two filled their free time jamming out together. With assistance from members of Manchester Orchestra to help fill in the melodies, Devine and Hull created their self-titled debut album. The two divided the work up, each producing five of the album’s ten songs. These two, creatively, could not be more different; Devine, who is an English major, is very particular in his word choices and takes his time finding exactly the right words to relay the message he is trying to send. Hull is a bit more of a spur of the moment sort of person; he’ll start off with an idea in his head and just go from there. You might think that this would create a noticeable rift in the flow of the album, but that could not be further from the
truth. Though these two have a completely different way of coming up with their songs they both come to pretty much the same conclusion, and that is an album that is both lyrically interesting and musically entertaining. The sound can be best described as a mixture of Elliott Smith, a splash of Simon and Garfunkel, a sprinkling of Brand New and a touch of Silversun Pickups. If you enjoy a more alternative/poppy sound, be sure to check out this album. You will not be disappointed.
ALBUM: “Bad Books” ARTIST: Bad Books RECORD LABEL: Favorite Gentlemen/Razor & Tie RELEASE DATE: Oct. 19, 2010
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OPINION
12
editorial
Online registration problems must be addressed The Student Union is open later and most people are focusing on finals – or should be at least. But, there are at least a few who are still a little more than upset with the way that registration went a few weeks ago. Once a semester, the ritual of logging onto UAOnline on Sunday night at around 11:30 p.m., thinking that you might be among the lucky few who get to register for classes after the theoretical registration time after midnight. Unfortunately, even if you are one of those who logs on early, you may very well still be trying to register at 1:00, 2:00 or even 3:00 a.m.. This is been the case for what seems like forever, or at least since online registration has come about. This problem is unacceptable and is something that should have been fully addressed years ago. With everyone attempting to register for classes at the same time, it overloads the servers so badly that they all but shut down, and even crash in some circumstances. UAA registration needs to go the way of, what seems
like, most other colleges – especially those who have upwards of 20,000 students. At the very least, it would be in everyone’s best interest if there were staggered registration times. On the first day of registration, only seniors should be allowed to register and have first pick at the classes, since they typically only have a few classes that they absolutely have to have in order to graduate. The next day, juniors should then be allowed to begin registering. On day three, sophomores should be able to start registering. Finally, on the fourth day, freshmen could begin their registration. A system like this, one based off of seniority, would make the most sense. Since freshmen need a much wider range of classes to graduate, they should not be registering at the same time as seniors, who only have those three or four classes that they must take before graduating. Getting
into those classes should only be a competition between seniors, not between everyone. Also, a system such as this one would lighten to load on the the servers considerably, so we don’t have any more incidents like the one in Fall ‘09 where the servers crashed for around a week, though there were more factors involved in that one besides the overload. This problem has done nothing but add stress to the already stressful environment of college. As we were beginning to transfer our focus from the run-of-the-mill semester to the final push to get final papers and projects done as well as really actually begin studying for tests we have another wrench thrown into the mix – registration. A new system using seniority as a way to determine who can register when may be inconvenient for some – like freshmen, it is better than being inconvenient and unworkable for everyone. It would probably also put an end to the Facebook status barrage of, “I hate UAOnline.”
opinion
Anti-evolution arguments fallacious and ignorant By Emerson White
Special to The Northern Light
In a previous week’s opinion section I read an opinion piece by Michael Janti and felt that it couldn’t go unanswered. Michael didn’t so much prepare an argument against evolution as he declared victory over it. This may be his opinion, but it has little basis in fact. Let’s examine the argument. There isn’t much meat to it. There are two basic premises: First, that there is a difference of opinion between scientists on the subject. Second, that there is a difference in the way evolution shifts gene frequency and the way that evolution splits species. From these two premises he concludes that science is a dogmatic institution out to crush those who disagree. Looking at the first premise about scientists disagreeing, the list of scientists who do not accept evolution is pretty short and the numbers are primarily padded with people who have no more education on evolution than a high school student. The Discovery Institute has a list of about 800 scientists and engineers who “dissent from Darwin.” While some of them have prestigious educational backgrounds, the only ones who are famous within the realm of biology are known for incompetence or dishonesty in their presentation of evolution, specifically Michael Behe and William Dembski (interestingly enough, Behe would argue against the article’s objection to evolution, as he supports the idea of common descent). The National Center for Science Education has compiled a larger list of scientists named Steve who ascribe to evolution.There are indeed legitimate controversies within the study of evolution, primarily the controversy of gradualism
versus punctuated equilibrium. To use an analogy, this is like pointing out the fact that some cars use manual transmission and some use automatic transmissions, then use that as evidence that cars don’t actually move at all. However, this whole argument is further damaged because this bitter battle and a real disagreement within the field proves the point that evolution is a real science and not some dogma instituted by an ivory tower elite. If it were a dogma, a Science Pope would simply wave his scepter and end the debate. Moving on to the second major argument, we can see that it is based on a magical divide and a whole lot of ignorance. There is no mechanism to stop evolutionary changes from adding up to species level changes, or genus level changes. There is no one change between our ancestor with chimpanzees and us that cannot have occurred as a part of evolution, and no mechanism that would stop all of them from occurring. Using another analogy, it’s like looking at the Great Wall of China and saying “Sure, I can see that they could build one segment of the wall, but I just can’t fathom how they could have built it all”. The ignorance may not be on purpose, and having it doesn’t imply fault (there are many misleading books, such as the one mentioned in the article, which will happily spread misinformation), but that ignorance isn’t evidence. The whole creationist’s machine is about appearing to look like a scientist with out actually doing any biological science. It’s a library research heavy exercise. When Massimo Pigliucci asked the people at the Discovery Institute what research they would do if they received a $3 million grant—a question real research scientists could answer easily—they didn’t
have an answer, because they lacked the ability to study what was preached. The simple answer for this is that the phenomena they are trying to identify, the gulf between “micro” and “macro” evolution doesn’t exist... Any one can become a scientist, anyone can contribute, but you really have to put in the legwork first. A creationist could dedicate their life to finding evidence against evolution—I think that would be a poor use of time, but it’s theirs to use. Science works on a sort of consensus driven model, and we all know it works, but it doesn’t respond to outside pressure. In the words of Bill Maher: “When the topic is science, the non-scientist doesn’t get a vote.” The responsibility, the burden of proof, lies with creationists to show that evolution is flawed. It’s a monumental task because of the huge mountains of evidence from the last 120 years supporting it. The Northern Light was first put out in 1988, and if we filled all the pages of all the issues with the scientific evidence for evolution it would only amount to what could be called a summary. To briefly touch on one such piece of proof, there are remnants in our genomes of viral infections called ERVs, and they can end up in one of roughly 350 million locations in the ape genome (different numbers for different phylogenetic families), so the odds of ending up with one in the exact same location are roughly 1 in 350 million, yet we share a number of these in the same locations on the same chromosomes with the other apes. We share more with chimps than we do with gorillas. Chimps and gorillas share none that aren’t in humans (no specific instances, there is one type of retrovirus, now extinct, which could not infect humans
due to a mutation in our toll-like 8 receptor). It’s the same story when you look at humans and gorillas and compare them to orangs or look at chimps and orangs and compare them to gibbons. This is just one of several independent lines of evidence. If someone wants to hold a religious conviction that evolution did not occur, the institution of science is neutral to that choice. Simply asking to be left alone is fine. It’s an entirely different thing to ask for us to hobble ourselves in order to make creationists a little more comfortable. The freedom to hold a religious conviction must not be mistaken for a license to spread ignorance. This strain of anti-evolutionary, anti-science is in all cases religious in nature, similar to the antiastronomical claims that come from the Hare Krishna, who believe firmly that the moon is the most distant of astronomical bodies. If someone cannot reconcile their own personal beliefs with the findings of science, it is their responsibility to avoid science, not science’s responsibility to avoid them. Evolution is a well-founded and important theory; it is subtle and profound, sometimes difficult to understand but powerfully predictive, having made valuable contributions to ecology, economics, agriculture, medicine, political science, psychology, linguistics and even anthropology. It is important to teach evolution, as that opinion piece proves. I would have preferred that the editorial staff of The Northern Light had bothered to vet what the article claimed with any of the dozens of professors in the biology, anthropology, geology, or philosophy departments who could have easily exposed this article as what it is: a check that no one can cash.
pride
chide
Seawolves...
UAA...
...for playing their hardest at the Shootout.
...for shutting down campus two weeks before finals.
November 30, 2010 | OPINON
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critiQUe
13
The ‘Latrine Dean’ declares mission to grade restrooms on ‘A.P.T.-itude’ scale By John Budnik
Special to The Northern Light
Folks, I come to you in an instance where the pen is mightier than the sword. I come to you to with critiques of our wonderful University’s restrooms on the main campus. I am not writing these critiques for only the student body, or just the faculty, but for UAA as a whole. I aim to make my campus a better place for the remainder of my stay and for future and current alumni and faculty. Now I know what you are thinking, “But, why do you critique our University’s restrooms and what good does it serve us?” After spending four and a half years of my life walking up and down the University’s main campus, sometimes in a haste to make the next class and sometimes not, I walk amongst a diverse population. This diversity is not only of racial, ethnic, sex and political value, but even as simple as a difference in hair color. I ask myself what it is that we all have in common. What is it that unites every single person that has ever attended UAA regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, and of all majors and hair color? We all use the same restrooms. With the number of coffee establishments and eateries here on main campus, the probability of the person reading this article of having to use a restroom here on the main campus is high. Thus, you will have a good perspective of the best and most comfortable restroom to answer the call of nature. After all, you deserve one.
It is understandable that the activities that go on within a restroom may be labeled as ‘taboo’ and may be deemed disgusting and not for public forum. I assure you all that these critiques will not be child’s potty talk or aim to offend. To reiterate my motives, it is to simply make our campus a better place by offering a perspective of advisable comfort. If so, by happenstance, that a reader of mine is of the authority to change something of a restroom I have critiqued to improve said comfort then I shall credit my motive being of success, as this person understands what I am trying to achieve; that is the bettering of the University through the comfort of restrooms we all share together. The development of a stringent critique was needed to accurately analyzing the University’s bathrooms. First, I plan to take you through ten of main campus’s restrooms. I will be critiquing these restrooms in order from east to west beginning at the Fine Arts Building, examining each restroom from a different building for every critique. Second, an implementation of what I am referring to as an “A.P.T.-itude” test for each restroom in which it has potential to be of comfortable use. The “A” stands for atmosphere, which entails the status of sanitation of the restroom, aesthetics of the restroom and functionality of the restroom. Basically, the condition and comfort of the hardware available in the restroom examined.
The “P” stands for privacy. This part of the test is of mere intuition. This will be described in upon the level that I feel exposed or not, because we all want a little anonymity. The “T” stands for toilet paper. In all honesty, is there really anything more important than what we have to finish our “business” with? We have all used public restrooms before and have been guests in an acquaintance’s abode, and nothing is more reassuring of this fact than when we must use foreign toilet paper that I.D. different from what you may purchase for yourself at the grocery store. These three letters will each receive a rating between one and five stars. Five will be the highest rating and one will be the lowest. An overall star score will be issued through the average of all three criteria. I am only going to be able to critique the male side of each restroom first hand, but that is why I will be relying upon my friend and colleague to assist me with the female side. She will be known as “Correspondent Kellie” and will tell me what she thinks of the female side to the best of her knowledge, according to the test that has been described. I look forward to this journey in which I set forth, self-proclaiming myself as the “Latrine Dean.” Not for the good of me, not for the good of you, but for the good of us and to better the campus through furthering the comfort of each other’s company while we achieve great things here at the University of Alaska Anchorage. So grab yourself a bran muffin, fire up a pot of coffee, grab your favorite magazine and I’ll see you at the Fine Arts Building!
opinion
GRAPHIC DESIGNER graphics@thenorthernlight.org Paige Tiede
Gay marriage upends traditional family
ADVERTISING MANAGER 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova
By Daniel McDonald
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Yulia Kim
Proposition 8 in California defining marriage as being between a man and a woman was overturned in August of this year in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger and is now set for a Dec. 6 hearing before the Ninth District Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Vaughn Walker wrote the decision arguing, “Gays and lesbians… have intimate relationships similar to heterosexual couples” and “deserve the full recognition of society.” Judge Walker makes some important claims that must be addressed. It may be true that same-sex couples share intimate relationships similar to that of their traditional counterparts, but it cannot be said that they share the same sort of relationships; men and women are intrinsically different. Former President of Harvard Larry Summers presented a hypothesis in 2005 suggesting inherent differences between the genders as far as aptitude at the high end in mathematics is concerned. Following the discussion he encountered fierce opposition bordering on religious fanaticism from the side rejecting any male-female differences, in
CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel Jackson CONTRIBUTORS Daniel McDonald Emerson White John Budnik Lilly Conducy Melissa Newton Shana Roberson 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.
The Northern Light
spite of reality. It is the difference between the sexes that allows for something imitable when they join together. Even some of the most radical advocates for same-sex marriage would agree that traditional marriage is also the optimal environment for the upbringing of children. A child benefits most from a having both a father and mother because each bring something unique to the table. We call this union between man and woman a marriage, and whatever else one says about a same-sex relationship it cannot by definition be a marriage for the simple fact of nature that men and women are not the same. However many similarities there may be between traditional and same-sex couples, the two are different and should be recognized as such. Judge Walker’s second point is a strange one. His job is to interpret law, not pass judgment on whether society should or should not recognize same-sex relationships. That is for society to decide, not a single man. The people of California already passed a constitutional amendment establishing what they believe the definition of marriage ought to be, and Judge Walker is entitled to his vote and opinion on the matter but no more than the next citizen. His position
as a Federal Judge does not grant him power of sole legislator. Now there is a misunderstanding that infects the whole discussion over marriage that needs to be examined, which is the idea of gay “rights”. Often, people confuse rights with privileges. For example, society grants the privilege of driving a car to persons above a certain age and
Often, people confuse rights with privileges. able to perform at a designated level of aptitude, but certainly driving a car is not a birthright. There are standards one must meet in order to receive a driver’s license, much like entering into a legal marriage. In order to communicate this more clearly, it should be acknowledged that there are real and serious disagreements between conservatives as liberals as to what constitutes a right, but one thing is certain, all rights have a corollary duties. In the winter of 1944, President
Roosevelt presented a Second Bill of Rights in his State of the Union Address which included a right to employment, housing, medical care, and so on. Many vehemently disagreed with Roosevelt’s new assessment of rights, but agreed that these new rights would impose additional duties. If one has a right to housing, then the government has a duty to build one. Likewise, all Americans have a right to legal counsel and are provided it by the state if they cannot afford it. Therefore if marriage is in fact a right, it would mean the government has a duty to provide a spouse. Properly understood, a contract of legal marriage is not a right but a privilege, and all claims by gay “rights” activists to be obtaining their proper rights are frivolous. With the exception of a few states, marriage in the U.S. remains between one man and one woman as it has been since its beginnings. The traditional family model has worked for America for hundreds of years and centuries before that going back to our Anglo-Saxon tradition. It is because of this historical tradition that the burden of proof is on those who seek to change this ancient institution without using false claims to “rights” or denying the nature of men and women.
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COMICS| November 30, 2010
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horoScope l Stella Wilder The coming week is likely to be unusually, unnaturally and uncomfortably calm, as if there is something so big just around the corner that the world itself must take a kind of spiritual timeout in order to psych itself up for what’s coming. Indeed, this may prove to many to be the calm before the storm, as opportunities for quiet reflection are in abundance, and many are afforded a rare look into the future that yields surprisingly clear images of what may be if things go according to plan. Many will want to know just what it is that everyone is waiting for at this time, but that answer is not likely to be provided -- yet. There may be a tendency for some to force certain issues, to try to fit a square peg into a round hole, or otherwise impact things in a way that is premature or simply unwise, inappropriate or impossible. Patience is the watchword; impatience can prove quite hazardous.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 7)-- A parting of the ways may be in order at some point, but you mustn’t interpret this as a permanent separation. (DEC. 8-DEC. 21)-- See things from a negative perspective, and others are likely to keep you at bay when you should be taking part. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 6) -- It’s a good time for you to take responsibility for something that has already been forgiven, but that can offer you an important lesson. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- You’ll feel as though you’re on pins and needles through much of the week; focus on private affairs. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 3)-- You may find yourself racing against the clock more often than not, especially when you’re doing the boss’ bidding. (FEB. 4-FEB. 18) -- You can take comfort in some of your domestic routine, but other aspects are easily abandoned. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 5) -- You may be surprised to learn what has been happening in your own backyard lately. It’s time to make clear what is and isn’t acceptable. (MARCH 6-MARCH 20) -- You’ll enjoy a bit of private exploration; what you discover raises questions. ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 4) -- You should be able to take care of business one-two-three, but then certain surprises may arise that have you hustling more than usual. (APRIL 5-APRIL 19) -- It should be quite easy to move from one thing to another; decisions come quickly. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 5) -- While others grapple with uncertainty of a new kind, you’ll enjoy a certain level of confidence that provides an advantage. (MAY 6-MAY 20) -- Something you see or hear early in the week sends you on a trip down memory lane -- and has you counting your blessings. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 6)-- Any time you spend waiting can be time well spent, provided you are equipped with what you need to be productive. (JUNE 7-JUNE 20) -- You can combine business and pleasure, but someone close to you may challenge your state of mind. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 7) -- You’ll receive credit for a job well-done, but with it will come an assignment that is quite daunting in scope. (JULY 8-JULY 22) -- You’re not going to want to leave the place that is most comfortable for you. Someone is seeking you out. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 7) -- You’ll want to take the lead early, and not find yourself struggling to catch up late in the game. Front-load your efforts. (AUG. 8-AUG. 22) -- You can make an outstanding showing and surprise others by working outside your comfort zone. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 7) -- Even though you’re not in a position to dictate what others should do, you can certainly chart your own course with confidence. (SEPT. 8-SEPT. 22) -- Avoid any kind of deception; things may be shaky enough without playing unnecessary games. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 7)
-- It’s important to know when to get out of the way and let someone else bring his or her expertise to the situation. You’re still the boss. (OCT. 8-OCT. 22) -- You can increase your own pleasure by taking a journey into unknown territory with a loved one. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 7) -- You’ll come to understand something about yourself better than before when you come up against an obstacle that is self-created. (NOV. 8-NOV. 21) -- You can save a little money even as you plan for future spending. Every little bit counts.
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