December 8th, 2020

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, DEC. 08, 2020

DEC. 08, 2020 - JAN. 11, 2021

NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

OPINION

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Places to donate for the holidays

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Graduating during a pandemic gives me hope

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, DEC. 08, 2020

2

Places to donate for the holidays

By Daisy Carter news2@thenorthernlight.org

With the pandemic still raging on and the holidays coming up, this time can be especially hard for people. This is also a time when nonprofit organizations will ask people to donate for the season. This year many nonprofits are struggling to provide the services that the community needs. With how many people have lost jobs, Anchorage is preparing for a record breaking homeless population this year. Here are some nonprofit organizations you can donate to if you are feeling in the giving spirit this holiday season. ‌ Beans Cafe is a nonprofit organization that gives hot meals and emergency services to homeless people in Anchorage. Since its opening in 1978, they have always focused on helping the homeless in any way possible. They also give meals to children through their program called “The Children’s Lunchbox.”\ This year, they have made the Sullivan Arena a new center for the homeless to get services. Beans Cafe is asking for donations for their Christmas dinner as well as their “Beanie Boxes” which is a gift giving program. ‌ “We are certainly one of the largest, if not the largest in the country right now and that has been in response to covid.” Lisa Lauder, the

CEO of Beans Cafe said. ‌ Beans Cafe isn’t able to take any direct volunteers right now due to the pandemic, but is accepting volunteers through their other program, “The Childrens lunch box.” Lauder prides herself with not having a big spread of the virus due to daily testing for everyone who enters, as well as sanitizing the Sullivan Arena and requiring social distancing. ‌ The Covenant House of Alaska is another nonprofit organization that specifically helps homeless youth.

This organization helps at risk youth ages 13-20. ‌ Their mission statement is as follows: “The Covenant House of Alaska is to be the leader, through collaboration with the community, to provide compassionate, sustainable services and shelter to the homeless.”‌ The Covenant House of Alaska cares for the homeless youth of Alaska and hopes to help them in any way they can. They also provide a safe place for youth when their homes may not be. ‌ The Downtown Soup Kitchen Hope Center is one of the biggest nonprofit organizations in Anchorage. ‌ Their mission statement is as follows: “We offer those in need support,

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GRADIAN

With the pandemic many homeless people haven’t been able to take the proper protocol due to their conditions

shelter, sustenance and skills to transform their lives.”‌ This center provides hot meals and shower houses for the homeless. They also have a women’s shelter and train the homeless and formerly incarcerated in the culinary arts and assist them in finding jobs. They have a fully operational bakery that gives homeless women the opportunity to gain job experiences as well as help them apply and search for jobs. ‌ The Food Bank of Alaska is the primary food bank people have gone to for COVID-19 relief. They distribute food to organizations that are tax

exempt which in turn distributes food to needy, elderly and young people. ‌ Great Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to conserving the lands of South Central Alaska. Their mission is to identify lands that should be conserved because of their ecological and community value. They use state of the art technology to locate these lands as well as find ways to help conserve it. ‌ If you are not able to help out with funds, you could always find times to volunteer at your local food bank or homeless shelter.‌

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

There are many places people could donate or volunteer their time to help those in need.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, DEC. 08, 2020

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Financial help is available students this winter

By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org

COVID-19 has cost Americans their lives and put a financial strain on the country in ways that are unprecedented since the Great Depression.

With winter in full swing in Alaska, it may seem even bleaker, but there are resources available to help.

Job loss, reduction of hours, or inability to attend work due to COVID-19 has been a burden for many in the U.S. There has been no clear indication that the pandemic will end, but there is hope since vaccines are now being manufactured, with the United Kingdom first in line to release it to the public. If people cannot work, then basic needs like rent, food and utilities are at risk. UAA students have access to Cares Act funding through UAA, which will be made accessible on Jan. 11, 2021, at noon. Contact the financial aid office for more information or visit the information page at UAA online.

Remote jobs may ease the financial burden a little. There are many online jobs posted on WayUp, especially for students, such as positions in writing, editing, customer service, media and business. LinkedIn has a job search filter that shows remote jobs.

If you are proficient with computers, Remote.com has lucrative IT jobs, as well as many other remote jobs. Creative people can find unique employment through FlexJobs and Virtual Vocations. If employment is not an option, there is always unemployment insurance assistance.

There are two kinds of unemployment assistance available, standard unemployment assistance and pandemic unemployment assistance.

Applicants for the former need to have worked a certain amount of hours before applying for assistance on the State of Alaska Unemployment Benefits webpage. If they do not qualify for standard assistance, then pandemic assistance may be available. Cases are evaluated on an individual basis. When applying for assistance, make sure that a driver’s license or state I.D. is available, you

PHOTO COURTESY OF BREAKINGPIC AT PEXELS

are an Alaskan resident and information about previous workplaces is on hand. The Municipality of Anchorage is also using some of the Cares Act funding to provide one-time use vouchers ranging from $200-$400 per individual or family to use at the grocery store of their choice. Applicants can sign up for these vouchers which will be distributed using a lottery on the Municipality of Anchorage website.

Those in need can also access food and health insurance assistance through the Department of Health and Social Services Division of Public Assistance. For this website, make sure that identification and income insurance is available and accurate.

The Food Bank of Alaska has several disbursements of free food at different locations. They also have a mobile food pantry and if you are not in need and instead want to help, they have

With the pandemic many homeless people haven’t been able to take the proper protocol due to their conditions

opportunities to donate and volunteer.

Food Pantries also offer different avenues for food help like congregate meal locations, food boxes and local organizations that can help. UAA also has an emergency food cache for students with free food bags full of already prepared or easy to prepare packaged foods. Students can call (907) 786-4040 to set up a pick up from the UAA Student Health and Counseling Center.

Mental health is a key issue because of the isolation not only from the pandemic, but winter in Alaska.

For students who need physical or mental help, the Student Health and Counseling Center, or SHCC, is still open, but students must call to make an appointment and walk-ins are not accepted. SHCC offers help with compassionate counselors and other

resources for students and staff that may be experiencing a tough time.

UAA Psychological Services includes clinicians who are graduate, master and doctoral students supervised by licensed psychologists. To get a confidential counseling call (907) 7861795.

The Center for Advocacy, Relationships, and Sexual Violence can help those who are victims of violence, assault, abuse or harassment. Students can also call the 24-hour hotline number at (907) 276-7273. SHCC’s Mental Health page on UA Online also has other resources outside of the campus like suicide prevention and LGBTQ+ support.

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, DEC. 08, 2020

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Movie Analysis: ‘Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2’

By Daisy Carter news2@thenorthernlight.org

“Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2” is the final chapter in the “Hunger Games” series. It’s the climactic end to a series that had been going on for three years. Though not the longest book to film adaptation, I would argue it was the most accurate to the books. ‌ This film was released on Nov. 20, 2015 and was directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Peter Craig, along with Danny Strong. ‌ The budget was about $160 million and grossed $102.7 million in its opening weekend. This was the lowest grossing opening in the entire franchise, according to IMDB. ‌ “Mockingjay Part 2” won 16 awards and was nominated for 34. It won 2 awards from the Golden Trailer Awards for Best Fantasy/Adventure TV spot and Best Fantasy/Adventure poster. It also won an award for Best Original Score in the Sci Fi Fantasy Film Hollywood Music in Media Awards. ‌ Unfortunately this was Philip Seymour Hoffman’s (who plays Plutarch Heavensbee) final film due to his death a year before the release. ‌ Spoiler warning ahead.‌ “Mockingjay Part 1” left us in shock to see that Peeta was not what he seemed to be. We found out that he had been tortured with tracker jacker venom and was constantly being told that Katniss was the enemy. Now that Peeta is back with Katniss, the rebellion can start making moves to overthrow The Capitol. ‌ I remember watching this film in the theater opening day after school.

I had just finished reading the final book and was so excited to watch it. I was very underwhelmed the first time I watched it and watching it again hasn’t changed that.‌ It surprised me that this film was

from the same directors and writers as the first part because the tone and how things were handled in this film was so different. In the first part of “Mockingjay,” they lingered on scenes to draw it out and make it more dramatic. In the books, there was a whole chapter of Fidnicks death, but in the film they barely acknowledged it. It was so dark in the theater that you could barely see what was happening. Though it’s more of a technical issue, it’s still important to see when a character dies. ‌ Another issue I had with the film was that it didn’t tell the backstory of Haymitch. As a victor of the Hunger Games you live a lavish life, but like what Fidnick says in passing, you become a slave to The Capitol. In the books, it’s explained that Haymitch didn’t want to do some of the things The Capitol was going to make him do, so they killed his whole family including his girlfriend. With this context in mind, I think it would have given so much more depth to his character. Haymitch’s history as a victor is so sad and I would have loved to see it in the films.

I’ve only been talking about the negatives so far, but there are some things that I do like about this last film in the series. I loved what they did with Effie in these last movies.

They portrayed her as someone who was aligned with The Capitol in the first two films, but then they ‘saved’ her from The Capitol. I thought this was an odd choice when it came to her history, but then you end up rooting for her. She becomes more than a stylist, she becomes one of the main motivators for Katniss to agree to become the Mockingjay. The last scene in which we see Effie got me choked up.

When she says “promise me you’ll find it...the life of a victor,” you really

PHOTO COURTESY TO WALLPAPER ABYSS

Though this is a common poster for the film, this red outfit is never shown in the film.

feel for her in this moment. She understands that her job is done being the motivator for the Mockingjay. ‌ Something that the director admitted was that this is the most violent Hunger Games film out of all of them and I would have to agree. In the first film we see children getting killed, but in this one, you see characters that you’ve been rooting for getting mauled and it’s gut wrenching. However, I do think it was necessary for it to be that graphic in order to keep the integrity of the books. ‌ I absolutely love when films callback to another incident or event that happens in the previous movies and this film is filled with those moments.

My favorite one is when Peeta is freaking out over the gunshots and Katniss goes over to him and she says, “Stay with me,” and he responds, “Always,” this was a call back to “Catching Fire” when Katniss had a nightmare and she asked Peeta to stay with her. Another callback moment that I didn’t even realize until my most recent viewing

was when Gale is talking about how to deal with District 2’s resistance to joining the rebellion. He talks about a tactic that involves an unexpected bombing and then when people go to aid the wounded they plan another bombing. Katniss said that she didn’t like the idea of killing innocent people who didn’t want any part of it. Later in the film this is the exact thing that happens, but in the capitol and causes Katniss’s sister Prim to die. ‌ Overall, it’s a good finale to an amazing series of films. I’ve said this many times, but I believe that “The Hunger Games” films are the most accurate of all the book to film adaptations. If you have the time, I would definitely recommend the films and the books. May the odds be ever in your favor. ‌ Do you have any recommendations on what films I should look into next?

Send your suggestions to news2@the‌ northernlight.org.

PHOTO COURTESY TO WALLPAPER ABYSS

The Mockingjay has been the symbol of the rebellion, and now Katniss is fully willing to be it.

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, DEC. 08, 2020

5

Graduating during a pandemic gives me hope

By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org

Commencement at UAA is only a few days away for graduating seniors on Dec. 12. My experience during this semester has simultaneously flown by and felt like an eternity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has taken me longer than it should have to finally get my undergraduate degree. I started my educational journey in Chicago at my local community college, getting my associates in general studies because I was so uncertain about what career path to commit to. After getting my AA, I took a few years off school to travel via seasonal jobs, living and working at ski resorts, country clubs and lodges all over the country. The decision to go back to school was easy after a series of terrible recent jobs and managers and it has been a manageable experience so far... until 2020.

I will graduate with a bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in anthropology in just a few days. It is exciting, although I had hoped to walk the stage at commencement and get my hard-earned diploma while looking at a sea of my peers in caps and gowns.

A personalized Zoom slide during virtual graduation will have to suffice.‌ Learning online this semester has been more convenient and difficult at the same time. Thankfully, I have been blessed with professors that have provided class structures online that are easy to navigate and instructors that have also been empathetic to the challenges of online education.

It has been difficult to grasp concepts without an in-class discussion or lectures, but it has been nice being able to access classes online at home.

Though I do not miss in-person class that much, I miss interacting with actual people and lament on opportunities missed because of the pandemic.

Zoom was fun at first, like going to class in a chat room, but then it got old fast. I miss seeing my classmates in person and having chats in between classes, complaining about the discomforts of student and worklife and learning in an in-person environment where opinions would spark debate and discussion. I am an introverted and shy person, but I miss just being around people. There have been some missed opportunities for me this semester that would have been lifechanging experiences as well.

Last April, I had the opportunity to join a sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma at UAA and I was psyched! I would have been able to go to social events that were planned to fit my busy schedule, as well as spontaneous ones with other members. I felt like I had found sisterhood, something I had longed for my entire life.‌ Right after my initiation in April, classes went online and lockdown

PHOTO COURTESY OF VANATHA THANG AT PEXELS

mandates were imposed. Greek life has pretty much been on hold for me since then. I had also decided to accept an internship in Iceland soon after this that combined journalism and anthropology and would also have been counted as class credit.

This internship could not have been more perfect for me. That was eliminated too.

Though these experiences downright suck, I am thankful for my time at UAA and where I am in life. In Chicago, I lived, worked and went to school in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods for that part of the city. I remember carrying mace and a small knife in case I got assaulted or followed on the way to work, school or home, which happened more than a few times.

During my sophomore year in college, I remember being done with a long study session in my school’s

This year has been an interesting college experience at UAA.

basement library and trying to exit the school, but the doors were locked. A security guard informed me that the school was on lockdown because SWAT was outside taking care of a situation where someone with a gun was threatening to open fire from a nearby top-floor apartment onto the street, as well as holding a hostage. I had to hunker down for four more hours.

The stress of living in this kind of environment was ever-present and permeated all aspects of my life, from physical and mental health, sleep and grades. I wanted to take a break for a summer, so I took a seasonal job in Alaska in 2013 and taking that chance changed my life in wonderful ways I never foresaw.

Though 2020 has been a dumpster fire of disappointments and uncertainty, I feel optimistic that the next year will be rife with positive possi-

bilities. I will finally have my B.A., my sorority has alumni chapters all over the country, I can still take that internship in the future and one day the pandemic will be over.

What has been most important to me has been staying safe while pursuing my aspirations, taking care of those who are most important to me and knowing that there is not an abyss over the horizon, but greener pastures with solid grounds of certainty.

It is important to not lose sight of your goals, to not remain in depression and take care of those you love, as well as yourself. Though graduation may be another Zoom conference, knowing how hard it was to get here and all the experiences I’ve had along the way will be an important milestone in my life and a reminder to never stop relentlessly persisting.‌

REPORTS

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REPORTS

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UPD report Nov. 23 - Nov. 30 Total calls for service: 291 Unlock calls: 12 •

November 21: Agency assist at MAC Quad.

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November 23: Burglary: forcible entry at the GSS Warehouse.

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November 25: Medical assist at MAC 4.

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November 26: Mental Health at East Hall.

All information is provided by the University of Alaska Anchorage Police Department.

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News Reporter Daisy Carter news2@thenorthernlight.org‌

Layout Editor / Graphic Designer Michaeline Collins media@thenorthernlight.org‌

Multimedia Editor Lillie Younkins multimedia@thenorthernlight.org‌

Features Reporter Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org‌

Media Adviser Paola Banchero‌ Administrative Adviser Zac Clark‌

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