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THENORTHERNLIGHT

September 27, 2011

University of Alaska Anchorage

www.thenorthernlight.org

Craig family sharing $20,000 justice fund

Green Fee likely see referendum

Following the conviction of Bonnie Craig’s killer in July, her family is reassigning fund to help others Matthew Caprioli

informed the father that a hiker spotted the 18-yearUAA Freshman Bonnie old’s body floating in Craig had a full day McHugh Creek. scheduled for September The bus schedule 27, 1994: English class at wouldn’t get her to school 7 a.m., a psychology paper in time, so Craig had due, and a meeting with decided to walk the 2.5 her boyfriend, Cameron miles to UAA. In the next Miyasaki. few days, detectives found She didn’t come home that Craig had abducted that night. between five and six a.m.

The next night, The case went unsolved for September 28. police nearly a decade.

11 years after her death, the killer New face at Confucius Institute was found. Six years later—after six court dates were scheduled then postponed—the Annie Ping killer was convicted Zeng takes on July 15, 2011. over as the Now Kenneth new Director, Dion awaits to be full of ideas for sentenced on October improving the program News Editor

See features page 05

On the Right Side:

The perils of secularism

Matthew Caprioli News Editor

31.

During all that time, Craig’s family was determined to keep her memory alive and to find the killer. They started the Family and Friends of Bonnie Craig Reward Fund to encourage anyone with information to help in the investigation.

The reward was successful in keeping Alaska vigilant for Bonnie’s killer. Police received hundreds of tips in the first few months.

Bonnie’s mother, Karen Foster, said that in the past 17 years, she has always tried to make something good out of Bonnie’s death.

“The most important things are that she did not die in vain, and that

Bonnie Craig’s senior photo that appeared on flyers and banners

there will be new changes because of her murder, so that others do not have to suffer, and that we can prevent other crimes from happening,” Foster said.

In 2006, a national database matched the DNA of Kenneth Dion to DNA found on Craig’s body. Dion was then in

New Hampshire, serving a 15-year prison sentence for armed robbery.

State Senator Hollis French cited the Craig case as a major reason for signing Senate Bill 110, which extends DNA retention of prisoners up to 50 years. see Craig page 03

College hockey realignment carousel keeps on spinning

Higher religiosity means a higher birth rate, which is an excellent solution to entitlement crises in the first world

See opinion page 08

48-Hour film challenge Film makers from around Alaska gather to produce

See A&E page B2

Overtime

By Taylor Hall Managing Editor

Alaska is an unusual melting pot for NFL fans of all breeds

See sports page B9

Index:

The revolving door of the college hockey world saw another two teams relocate this past week to new conferences. Leaving the WCHA is the St. Cloud State Huskies, a program who had sated in the conference since the 199091 season.

The Huskies are headed to the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) after

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they received an official invite to join the new super-conference that had seen five WCHA teams commit to playing beginning in the 2013-14 season. St. Cloud State will join the likes of North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth, Colorado College, and Denver as members of the current WCHA who will head to “The National” after two seasons.

Also receiving an invite to the

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NCHC was the Western Michigan Broncos, a current member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Conference. The Broncos were also quick to accept the invite and will join Miami (Ohio) University as the second current CCHA team to commit to the NCHC. With the inclusion of these two teams, the NCHC has grown to an eight-team conference and comes as a bit of a blow to the WCHA. see REALIGNMENT page B10

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Students will have the chance to vote for or against a three dollar green fee this November.

The fee would fund student research or projects that improve sustainability at UAA. “Referenda #12-01: Green Fee” would apply to all of UAA’s students taking 3 credits or more.

Last year, 14,354 students took 3 or more credits at the Anchorage campus, so the expected revenue is $43,062 per semester.

The speaker of USUAA, Daniel Ribuffo, and Senator Johnnie Templeton, sponsored the bill. Templeton believes the project can benefit everyone at UAA. “It’s a great way to get students involved in sustainable projects, which eventually benefits them in the long run,” Templeton said.

Templeton wants the bill to be large in scope, funding improvements to existing infrastructure as well as supporting student research.

“If students want to replace regular bulbs with LED bulbs, that’s a student project the board can fund. They can do research, a project, or just improve on something already available,” Templeton said.

Many schools around the nation already have a green fee. UAF students voted for a $20 ‘green fee’ back in 2009. When it passed, UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers pledged to match the $500,000 dollars revenue, according to the Fairbanks Daily Minor.

During the first year, revenue added up so quickly that UAF didn’t know how to spend it.

They eventually funded several projects, including one that replaced 4.5 percent of the school’s energy use, and a large bike program that allows students to rent bicycles with their student card.

UAA’s sustainability director, Paula Williams, says that as of now, the plan at Fairbanks is successful.

“There were struggles with how to set it up and how to determine which projects would get funded to start out with, but it has brought solar panels and an electric shuttle bus to Fairbanks and has funded some good student research,” Williams said.

To receive any funding through UAA’s program, students would have to get a faculty or staff member to support their written proposal. A green fee board would then distribute funds to successful projects.

The board would include the Director of Sustainability, one

see GREEN FEE page 03

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02 Say What?

TNL

News| September 27, 2011 Crime map

Council Bluffs man claims Hot Dog Man statue

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GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) -- An Iowa couple have discovered an eerie presence in their pear tree, just in time for the approaching Halloween season.

Des Moines television station KCCI reports that Phil and JaNelle Lovely recently discovered a pumpkin that appears to be growing in the tree at their Greenfield home, 50 miles southwest of Des Moines.

They say they have no idea how the pumpkin ended up in their tree, but it appears to be the work of Mother Nature.

JaNelle Lovely says people have been stopping by to see the suspended pumpkin since it was discovered on Labor Day. She’s hoping it remains in the tree until it turns orange.

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Atlantic City police made an unexpected discovery when they raided the home of a suspected drug dealer.

Two small alligators were found inside the Pennsylvania Avenue residence on Friday, along with a pound of marijuana and more than $2,600 in cash.

The alligators - each about 1 1/2to 2-feet-long - will be turned over to state wildlife officials, who will try to return them to their natural habitat.

Thirty-eight-year-old Kemyatta Johnson, who lives at the home, faces numerous drug and weapons charges.

He was being held Saturday at the Atlantic County Jail on $100,000 full cash bail, and officials did not know if he had retained an attorney

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2 alligators seized when police raid south NJ home

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) -- Police in Iowa say the case of the Hot Dog Man statue has finally been solved.s The Daily Nonpasreil reported that the owner of the 6-foot tall statue that suddenly appeared near a bus stop in Council Bluffs came forward to claim it. Police Capt. Terry LeMaster says the owner was able to prove the statue was his by supplying the statue’s arms, which had broken off.

LeMaster says it was taken from the owner’s yard by teenagers who hoisted the 400-pound into a vehicle, breaking off its arms.

He says the teens became “creeped out” by it and dropped it off at the street corner where it was later found.

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JPC department receives hefty check UAA’s Department of Journalism and Public Communications received $1.4 million from the Atwood Foundation to make the Atwood Chair of Journalism position permanent

By TNL Staff Journalism just got $1.4 million richer.

At a special ceremony held last week inside the television studio in the Professional Studies building, the Journalism and Public Communications (JPC) department accepted a check on behalf of the Atwood Foundation.

The money will go to permanently fund the Atwood Chair of Journalism.

Robert Atwood, the former Publisher of the Anchorage Times (now the Anchorage Daily News) founded the chair with his wife, Evangeline Atwood, in 1979.

Their goal was to bring nationally recognized journalists up to UAA as distinguished visiting professors.

“The Atwood Chair has been funded position on an annual basis for the last 30

years, but now it’s permanent.

It’ll be here at the university forever,” Ivy Spohnholz, a senior development officer at University Advancement, said.

Past chairs have included British journalist Julius Strauss, who taught war reporting, having gained experience in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

The most recent chairs were Scott Jensen and Patrick Yack.

Grauate student Nicole Aden had both professors.

“Both classes were not so bad with busy work. The things we did do I feel like they aided me in the real world, versus some classes that are just cut and dry—you have to turn this in—those classes aren’t always enjoyable,” Aden said.

The Atwood Chair of Journalism is one of UAA’s four endowed chair. Spohnholz explained why this chair is unique: “(The chair) guarantees another full time faculty position, but in this case, it also brings in professional journalists who can give students very practical

advice, having spent less time in academia,” Spohnholz said.

Present at the ceremony were Chancellor Tom Case, Rasmuson Foundation Chairman Edward Rasmuson who presented the check and other distinguished foundation members, alumni, faculty, staff and students.

JPC alumni and current KTUU employers Todd Walker and Abby Hancock were on hand to anchor the event, highlighting the

Photo courtesy of JPC department

history of the Atwood Chairs throughout its 32 year history.

UAA has pledged to raise an additional $100,000 over the next decade to bring the overall donation up to $1.5 million.

Chancellor Case wrapped up the ceremony by highlighting the importance of journalism, and writing a personal check to set the tone for university fundraising for the cause.

03 statewide briefs

September 27, 2011 | News

GREEN FEE: USUAA CRAIG: 4 other girls officers hoping to follow model of UAF Continued from cover

faculty member, two students The state funds the Office of appointed by the USUAA Sustainability, and the Office president, and up to three USUAA supports the Sustainability Club. members.

The Renewable Energy Alaska Williams supports the bill.

Project has endorsed the bill, but “It will directly support has yet to donate any money to students who are interested in the fund. Besides student fees, it’s sustainability – who want to have unclear from where other funding job experience would come in that field or from, but who want to Templeton do a project hopes some or research in that area. As I understand the current proposal, funds would be distributed similarly to how the Graduate -Paula Williams Student Sustainability Director Association (GSA) distributes their entrepreneurial students will find scholarships each year,” Paula it.

Williams, the director of the “If a student comes up with a Office of Sustainability, said. proposal and they take the time to Like GSA, this new investigate further funding from sustainability board would rank grants and charitable donations, proposals according to guidelines, they have a much greater chance such as the benefit to students, to be approved by the board,” to the community, and project Templeton said. attainability.

Templeton said Templeton said that that he spoke with a the project has yet to couple students who experience much are interested in opposition, and he is submitting confident that USUAA proposals. will approve the bill Williams also and that students will knows of several vote on it in November. students who are The bill originated interested. during the summer, and the only Some incoming students debate has been over what amount are intrigued by the bill. should be charged, five or three “I think it’s a good idea. I mean dollars. Supporters agreed that three bucks for me is nothing, three dollars was a good starting especially if you’re paying $100 point. for a book, this at least goes It remains unclear how many towards research that could benefit students would be granted money. everybody,” first year student Templeton said that it all depends Haley Lorenson said. on the proposal.

Williams hopes that UAA “If there are ten students and can improve on the model that there’s not enough to do all ten, Fairbanks uses. then the board would decide “The students there on the on which projects to fund,” RISE board are very motivated Templeton said. and active.

I hope that the There currently is no fee might bring that level of sustainability group on campus commitment and involvement to funded through student fees. students at UAA,” Williams said.

“I hope that the fee might bring (UAF’s) level of commitment and involvement to students at UAA”

Because it was a computer system and not a person who found Craig’s killer, the $20,000 reward was not dispersed. Foster and her family have decided to use that money to start a non-profit called the Homicide Reward Fund. The $20,000 is now offered for those who have information leading to the arrest of four other cold cases.

UAA students remember seeing posters at grocery stores and gas stations, or banners on city buses that asked, “Who killed Bonnie Craig?”

UAA sophomore Brandy Angervine was only three when Bonnie was murdered, but

remembers seeing posters around town. Freshman Afonzo Belancio was 12 in 2002, when “Unsolved Mysteries” aired a piece about the Craig case.

A 2004 issue of The Northern Light had a “who killed Bonnie Craig” insert for readers to place on their doors or walls.

For the 17th anniversary of Craig’s death, family and friends are meeting to remember Craig and raise awareness of the Homicide Reward Fund.

The time and place for this meeting were announced on Sept.

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The Homicide Reward Fund is offering up to $20,000

for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for the murders of these four Alaskan teenage girls.

Eileen Wafer, 14, of Haines, was home babysitting her younger brothers June 10th, 1982. When her mother returned the boys were in bed, but Eileen was gone.

Her body was found four days later under bushes on a beach in Portage Cove.

Jessica Baggen, 17, of Sitka, was found raped and murdered May 6th, 1996 in Sitka. She left her sister’s, after celebrating her 17th birthday on the 4th, but never made it home. Her body was found in a wooded area, off a bike trail.

Contact Sitka Crime Stoppers at 907-747-8980 Above are Alaska State Trooper cases. Contact Cold Case Investigators at 907-269-5611 with any information or Anchorage Crime Stoppers at 907-561-STOP on these cases.

Shelley Connolly, 16, of Anchorage, was raped and murdered January 7th, 1978. Her body was found by the railroad tracks just past McHugh Creek.

DNA evidence is available. She was last seen the night before talking to four men at Chilkoot Charlie’s.

Ann Saephan, 15, of Anchorage. On November 8th, 2003 Ann was a passenger in a car sitting in the parking lot at the Space Station on Spenard Road when a suspect fired several rounds into the rear of the car killing Ann. The suspect fled on foot and to this day has not been identified. From Ann’s obituary: Ann was born Jan. 21, 1987, in Portland, OR and moved to Alaska in July 1998. She was a sophomore at Bartlett High School. She was a member of The Anchorage Church of Christ. Her family wrote: “Ann loved being around friends and family. She loved to sing, dance and write. She was always helping friends and family in their times of need with a warm open, loving heart. Please contact Anchorage Police Department at 907-786-8900.

No one should get away with murder!

We are asking for the public to never forget these young girls and their families, and for those with any information to come forward.

The Homicide Reward Fund will pay up to $20,000 to get their killers behind bars. They are a risk to all of us. The families and friends of these teenage girls need answers and they deserve justice. For more information on the cases go to: www.AlaskaCitizensForJustice.com In honor and memory of Bonnie Craig

Regents hold twoday meeting in Juneau Engineering will be a main topic of discussion when the University of Alaska Board of Regents meets in Juneau.

A release from the university system says two-day meeting starts Thursday at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Regents will consider endorsing enhancements to the engineering program.

It’s the first step that may eventually see new and renovated buildings for the engineering program at campuses in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Regents have not yet requested funding, but the Legislature has given $8 million for planning.

Three charged in Nikiski vandalism Three Nikiski men have been charged with spray painting graffiti a school.

The Peninsula Clarion reports Anthony Ming, Roy Bellamy and Karl Buchholz each face five counts of criminal mischief.

Authorities found Nikiski Middle/ High School vandalized last week.

Graffiti was found on numerous outside walls, sidewalks, doors and windows. Vandals also put graffiti on three buses, another school vehicle and a flag. Alaska State Troopers put the costs at $16,000.

Troopers used surveillance video from the school to identify suspects.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Oct. 3.

Alaska-Declining Petroleum Alaska is in danger of not focusing on a major problem — the decline of state oil production — because of the continued high price of oil, according to a new University of Alaska Anchorage study.

The report by the Institute of Social and Economic Research says Alaska faces a transition to a “postPrudhoe economy” as North Slope reserves in fields such as Prudhoe Bay decline.

Institute economist Scott Goldsmith says Alaska continues to have great petroleum resources and the high price of oil gives the state time to react.

But Goldsmith tells the Anchorage Daily News there are possible obstacles to a smooth transition.

He says it could be a challenge to plan for the future if people don’t focus on the problem or believe it’s urgent.

FEATURES

Fellows program cultivates success, friendship at UAA

By Teresa Kennedy Staff Reporter

But in the end, it was the sense of community that enticed her.

Dordan had been a part of Junior ROTC at Eagle River High School, and was searching for that larger group to help connect her with the University and other people.

Which is one thing, according to Muller, the program excels at.

“One of the wonderful things about the Fellow’s Program is the chance for people from all over the State to get to know each other well and go to college together,” he said.

Through their difficult course work and out of class activities, the Fellows help each other out and create irrevocable bonds in the process.

“It’s a huge advantage to the Fellows to go to college with a fairly small group of other talented students who quickly become their best friends,” stated Muller.

But Dordan isn’t just looking for the social aspect of this program.

“I want a challenge and to become more well rounded,” she explained.

There are two parts to the Fellows Program. The first part is curricular. This designates history

offer the students the unique opportunity to see the variety and success of Alaskans and other professionals.

Rustication marks the beginning of the year for the Fellows. Essentially a camping trip, this kick-off event is a chance for the freshmen to bond with the older students and learn about what the program entails.

Through the classes and extra activities, the Program hopes to offer Dordan, and the other students, the fulfillment of the challenge and well roundedness they are looking for.

Each class gets an opportunity to choose a name and mascot.

Names this year include Imperium (after the infamous Harry Potter curse), Anuniaq, Legacy, and this year’s Intrepid “Unicorns”.

Between the one-on-one learning environments, meetings with distinguished professionals, and travels throughout Alaska and beyond, the 49th State Fellows Program aims to cultivate a tradition of success among young Alaskans. Two members of this year’s senior class are applying for Fulbright Teaching Exchanges,

The meeting is called to order at precisely 5:30. As Ezekiel Kaufman addresses the 13 students and three faculty members poised around the conference room table, the playful bantering in the room dies down.

The movie “Cheaper by the Dozen” comes to mind, only more of a “later years” edition and with an extra kid. The subject of the meeting is the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.

Professional attire donned, bodies straight and leaned forward, the chaotic breakfast table scene of a large family just turned into a high-class business meeting. Kaufman, a senior at UAA, is presiding over a meeting of the 49th State Fellows and the people sitting before him represent the program and its coordinators.

Professors James Muller and Steve Haycox founded the 49th State Fellows Program in 2005.

The flow of students going down South for college, coupled with the recently adopted UA Scholars program, inspired Muller and Haycox to create a program that would allows students to stay in Alaska and still receive a high-class education.

“I thought we could do even more for our very best students,” Muller explained.

While teaching classes in the Lower 48, Muller got a firsthand look at similar programs, and Photo courtesy Forrest Nabors New Forty-Ninth State Fellows on the day of their rustication, Sept. 6, 2011, brought the at the Tetradigm: above, from left, Alexander Schumann and Michael Horton; on the ground, from left, Aurora Dordan, Jennifer Chaudhary, Kalyssa Maile, and Angela Lee. inspiration home with him. He then asked and politics classes, an economics and several juniors are readying Haycox, who would become the course, honors seminars, and themselves to apply for Truman Director of the Fellows, to help for seniors, a thesis on a topic Scholarships this fall. found a program that could “give within their major. In addition, “Some people have compared students an outstanding education the Fellows take an Honors the Fellows Program to boot focusing on humanities and the Tutorial each semester. Much camp. It’s hard work,” Muller said. liberal arts.” like the meeting that Kaufman Not unsurprisingly, Kaufman Six years later, the program is commanded, these tutorials focus ends the meeting at 6:45 on the still striving to do just that. on reading, writing, conversation, dot. The discussion is over, and On Sept.17, the Fellows ushered and public speaking by choosing any heated arguments conjured in their new freshman class. The a reading and discussing it as a up during the intense debate lay students came from various parts group, or having a distinguished forgotten on the table. The Fellows of the state, but were all picked member of the community come pack up, joking and teasing each for distinguished talent in high and speak with them. other again as they walk out of the school and intellectual promise.

The second part of the program conference room.

Aurora Dordan, a freshman is co-curricular.

Some will stay at the library majoring in Japanese, just entered This includes a Polaris lecture and work on homework; others the “Intrepid” Class of 2015. At series, memberships with the head back to their beds for some first glance, the program was not Alaska World Affairs Council much needed sleep. But next appealing. and Commonwealth North, and a Wednesday they will return “I was scared away from it at partnership with the Anchorage determined to uphold their status first, because it looked like a butt- Symphony Orchestra. The guests as being some of the best students load of work,” Dordan chuckled. provided by these organizations UAA has to offer.

04

Extracurriculars versus GPA

Resume building extras are important, but don’t sacrifice academics

By Ashley Snyder Features Editor

Throughout students’ college careers, each person strives to achieve their individual goals, the main one being to graduate. Others might be to get a date, party every weekend, or get a job so they can pay rent each month. When asked what goals they want to achieve now that will help them in their future, the majority of students’ answers came down to one of two things: getting and maintaining a perfect GPA or concentrating on extracurricular activities. While both are significant factors to a student while in college, especially in regards to scholarships and grants, what matters in the long run is what comes after college; creating a resume.

“I think it all varies from major to major. The more math and science centered degrees would probably want the best and the brightest to hire, while arts and English degrees would probably look for art club members or editors on Understory rather than super high grades,” said student Martin Ellison.

What do potential employers look at the most? Students of all majors will be seeking a variety of jobs, which means that every resume will vary from student to student. But one thing remains the same, the more you can put on it, the more likely they will even consider the application.

“For grad school GPA is generally more important, and for the job market, specific experience in the field is more important,” said Deborah Ginsburg Academic Advisor for the Humanities and Fine Arts.

This is true when writing a resume. Adding a GPA is only a minute portion on your resume, usually a single line in the ‘achievements’ category, while having a variety of extracurricular activities can add several paragraphs to the ‘experience’ category, which employees generally look at more.

In a study called CareerBuilder’s “College Job Forecast 2008,” over 62 percent of employees don’t have a minimum GPA requirement when hiring college graduates. Only 11 percent require a 3.5 and above.

Sponsors from BP who came to UAA during the career fair hosted several weeks ago said that students should focus on both if possible because it shows employers that they are bright, able to take on multiple responsibilities while still producing top results.

But if a choice had to be made they like to see students who already have experience in the field and are able to jump right in without much training.

Annie Passarello,

Undergraduate Science Academic Advisor, agrees in regards to students in the science fields, “I look at this type of extracurricular as being more important than overall GPA because these experiences demonstrate to a potential employer that you have the skill set they require. The employer doesn’t have to train you.”

In some circumstances, it really depends on the job. Sometimes having dozens of extracurriculars doesn’t mean much at all when they just want a job to be done.

Having a high GPA will show them that a person is a hard worker and will work hard for their company.

“Not all employers are looking for a leader Some employers are looking for followers; the employee who will come in and do exactly what they are told to do and perform a certain function,” said Passarello. “I’m not saying that in any type of demeaning way at all. Businesses need people to perform. Those types of companies don’t necessarily want strong leaders but rather good, hard-working employees who will perform a certain skill set.”

This doesn’t mean that students should sacrifice their GPAs in order to participate in a lot of extracurricular activities, or blow off doing anything outside of school in order to study hard and get straight A’s.

“I think the key to this issue, like many, is balance. I do encourage students to participate in campus and other activities if their academic performance is high enough to allow them to do so,” said Ginsburg. “Volunteer opportunities and internships are reliable ways to boost your employability, and while education is about a lot more than getting a job, it is a good idea to think about those things while you are in school.”

Finding a balance may be difficult, especially if there are few extracurriculars available in a person’s skillset. But it is better to have fewer activities that relate to a persons’ degree rather than a long list that have no connection.

“Employers are savvy, then can tell when a student joined a lot of stuff to simply beef up their resume as opposed to when someone picked extracurriculars that would enhance their college experience and overall skill set,” said Passarello.

The general consensus agrees that if there was a choice between one or the other that absolutely had to be made, it should be extracurricular. However, those should be activities that are relevant to a person’s career field.

Bur try to find a balance so that the GPA won’t be sacrificed in the process.

September 27, 2011 | feATURES

New director for Confucius Institute hopes to bring more Chinese instructors to UAA

a humor column by Alden Lee

By Alden Lee

for the UAA CI. “We hope to There is a bridge give students who between China and have the passion to Alaska in the Rasmuson learn Chinese the Hall, behind the brightly opportunities they’re lit glass doors of the looking for,” Zeng Confucius Institute. said. “But in order to New CI Director do that, we need the Annie Ping Zeng, Ph.D., faculty.” is seeking to expand this Zeng has a plan. bridge.

UAA’s sister school The bridge is not in China is Northeast literal, of course. But Normal University, the Confucius Institute in Changchun, Jilin serves as the University’s Province, which has connection to Chinese been working together culture and language, with UAA to provide providing UAA students the Chinese programs with Mandarin Chinese and promote cultural courses, Chinese painting exchange.

The workshops, prominent cooperation has been Chinese speakers, and the “okay, but not very opportunity to travel to satisfactory,” Zeng China over the summer. said. She would like It also works with to reestablish and Anchorage K-12 schools deepen connections to introduce Chinese to with Normal, and younger-aged kids, among eventually use the other programs.

Chinese faculty at “The Confucius Normal to teach Institute here at UAA classes here at UAA is strong,” Zeng said. Annie Ping Zeng stands outside the Photo by Spencer Mitchell through the Chinese “However, there are Cuddy Hall as the newly appointed director of the UAA Confuciusteacher certification still several things we’re Institute. program. lacking.” outreach program, and I’d like to This teacher certification Already the assistant Professor do the same thing here.” program works by training of Chinese, and one of only This is what she says is missing teachers directly from China, who two professors to teach Chinese in Alaska: certified Chinese graduated from a Chinese major, language courses at UAA, Zeng professors. or taught Chinese as a foreign stepped into the role of UAA CI Zeng and adjunct professor language. These teachers are Director in August. She replaced Wan Yang are the only Chinese recruited from China, brought to Associate Professor of History language professors at UAA. In the university to be trained, and Paul Dunscomb, who held the addition, there are only three given a teaching certificate for position part-time from UAA certified Chinese teachers in K-12 schools and UAA. CI’s opening in September 2009. the entire Alaskan K-12 school Zeng also plans to expand Zeng previously worked as a system.

UAA’s Chinese programs. research associate at the CI at As such, the number of Chinese Chinese 101 and Chinese 102 Michigan State University, where courses available, for both UAA are the only Chinese courses she directed a Chinese teacher and school systems statewide, is offered at UAA. Zeng is seeking certification program and taught very limited. The supply does not to establish a minor program, at several graduate courses. meet the demand. least initially. Within two years “We tried to provide as many “There’re a bunch of she’d like to offer more Chinese Chinese teachers as possible for students who are interested in courses, beginning with teaching the local schools,” said Zeng, taking Chinese courses,” said 201 and 202 herself in the spring referring to her time at Michigan Haley Dampier, a 20-year-old and fall of 2012.

State.

International Studies major who In addition to utilizing the “That really enriched their works as Administrative Assistant certification program to recruit professors from China, Zeng would also like to train local teachers as a home base to draw from. She has contacted the School of Education to initiate such a program for the future.

With these changes, the UAA CI will be able to provide an even greater Chinese presence at the university and to Anchorage K-12 schools as well. By renovating the bridge already established between The People’s Republic and the Last Frontier, Zeng will leave a lasting legacy of cultural cooperation.

05

Assistant Features Editor

The morning routine There’s an art to waking up at the exact right moment. Some have the ability, with internal clocks so finely tuned they could provide the International Time Standard, to rouse themselves with EXACTLY enough time to shower, clean up, eat a wholesome breakfast, collect their necessary items for the day ahead, and be out the door in an effective yet leisurely fashion that involves zero frantic scrambling or forgoing of tooth brushing.

I’m not one of those individuals.

First off, I’m an athletic sleeper. I start out peacefully enough; generally an on-my-side type of guy (yes, ladies, I’m great for cuddling), but this never lasts.

During the night I’ll take on no less than 15 different sleeping positions, often forgoing the common horizontal sleeping pattern for dangling myself half off the bed, jamming my legs into the bedposts, and abruptly flinging my pillow across the room. I don’t know what causes this, but I should probably stop drinking coffee so late at night.

So when my alarm clock goes off like an air raid siren in the morning—BLAWWWT, BLAWWWT, BLAWWWT—I spend the first bleary moments of consciousness attempting to untangle myself from my sheets and figure out what I’m doing underneath the mattress.

This usually results in a violent explosion of bed things, in which I arise from a twisted bedframe and stumble about the room, grabbing

clothes to throw on my body.

I’m not waking up in the morning feeling like P-Diddy by any means.

And no matter what time I set for my alarm, there’s always only 15 minutes left before class.

I swear time is pulling a vicious practical joke. Regardless, my morning consists of a dead sprint to the shower.

Showering is a wonderful experience at the apartment. The water system is a failure. The toilet is constantly running, a steady gurgle that doesn’t go away regardless of how many times I wriggle the handle, beat it with a plunger, or stuff geology notes down the plumbing. As a result, the shower goes from freezing cold straight to boiling hot— there are no tolerable water temperatures to be had. I am driven wideawake by having my skin alternately boiled and frozen, coupled by my manhoodquestioning screams of pain.

By the end of this unavoidably short process, body tingling like I doused myself in a tub of Icy Hot, I towel off, wrench clothes on, do something with my hair, stab myself in the eye trying to put in contacts, blindly grab at any notebooks or papers I may need for the day ahead, pour some cornflakes in my hands and toss it in the general direction of my face, as I make a mad rush for the door.

Let the day begin!

I’m not waking up in the morning feeling like P-Diddy by any means.

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06

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features| September 27, 2011 @ your library

Nadine Gordimer, “My Son’s Story”

By Matt Caprioli News Editor

By Kate Lindsay Contributor

Why do wider hurricanes inflict more damage than others?

Although autumn in Alaska means early winter, it signals Indian summers and capri-pant season elsewhere.

Along the eastern seaboard, storms whip up and can inflict major damage.

Hurricane season is the real deal.

Take, for instance, Hurricane Irene several weeks back.

Weathermen advertised it as the be-all-end-all of storms for New York City. Rather than resulting in billions of dollars worth of damage, the storm came through with $55 million worth of damage, according to New York City officials.

Those in upstate New York were the unlucky ones. They endured massive flooding, power outages, and structural damages to properties. Long Island also saw its fair share of fallen trees.

Hundred-year-old hardwoods fell to the ground as the rain poured

and the wind howled.

This was much different from the storm surge that hit New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Irene was 510 miles wide (1/3 of the Atlantic coastline), according to NASA, and lasted for most of the weekend, resulting in continuous drowning of topsoil.

In addition, many parts of the east coast have shallow layers of topsoil before hitting bedrock, resulting in shallow root systems.

Like Mufasa just before he falls into the stampede of wildebeests, the trees have nothing to grasp.

The wind knocks them down, totally uprooting their shallow root systems. The trees hit power lines, houses and cars. They block roads so that emergency crews cannot get through. It’s a different kind of monster. Wider, weaker hurricanes pose more of an endurance threat to the economy and ecology of the coast.

How do I get a good job on campus?

Talk to your friends. Do any of them have a job on campus that they’d recommend? Or for that

matter, that you should stay away from? Make a list of your interests, skills and goals. Go ahead, the article will still be here when you get back.

Jobs on campus offer flexible hours, and the ability to have your work and study areas extremely close. This can be a major plus, especially for students relying on the Seawolf Shuttle or People Mover to get from point A to point B on a daily basis.

Got the list? Ok, here’s some categories of interest: organization or planning, helping people, writing, moving things, directing people, making food, broadcasting, maintenance, paperwork/filing, grading, techie things, the list goes on and on.

Many of these skills are actually connected with your major.

Once you’ve got that figured out, check out www.uakjobs.com.

You’re going to need to specify what campus you want the job at (heavens forbid you end up with an eight hour commute to Fairbanks), and that you’re a student. After you’ve browed and found a job opening you’re interested in, find the supervisor and meet with them. Find out more about the position before you commit to it.

You can also find jobs by asking. It never hurts to ask if there is a job position available around campus. It might surprise you what isn’t advertised.

I’ve had a couple of peers who joined a job thinking that $9.00 per hour was pretty good for what they were doing, until they realized that they hated their job and they had rushed into it, just because they needed the money.

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It’s important to pick a job that will work with your schedule and preferences so that when you build a resume, it can be something that you’re proud of and represents your interests, skills and work ethic.

This totally goes against the “beggars can’t be choosers” saying, but who wants to be miserable 20 hours per week when you’re studying on top of that?

Either get all of your friends to join the same workplace as you at the same time, or invest some time in finding your dream job in a workplace that already exists on campus and you’ll be happy as a clam.

This may be the most humorless book I have ever read. It’s a wonderful book.

The Nobel Committee, Yale, and Pen International all agree it’s a wonderful book, a wonderfully bleak, humorless book. “The Passion of the Christ” had more laughs.

“My Son’s Story” is the fictional tale of a South African leader, as told by his son William (named after the father’s favorite author of the same name). The larger setting is South Africa moving away from apartheid. The smaller setting, the focus of the novel, is how Sonny’s affair with a white Amnesty International activist, Hannah, essentially destroys his family.

Perhaps the work is so bleak because for the first 120 pages, it minutely examines every aspect of the affair. Will, as his father always wanted, has become (is becoming) a writer. He examines the affair through past and present tense, through first and third person, through different points of view,

he imagines his father in bed with Hannah, and then with his mother, thoroughly detailing every event as if it undoubtedly happened that way.

The writing is so convincing that it’s easy to forget this is a 67 year old white woman writing about a young black writer whose first book details the intimate, imagined events of his father’s affair.

This work clearly displays the negative consequences adultery can have on children. The clarity is frightful. Remembering when he saw his father at the cinema with another woman, William writes, “It’s hard for an adolescent boy to allow himself to weep; the sound is horrible, I suppose because it’s his voice that’s breaking.”

The rest of the novel deals with each incremental step towards ending segregation. The process was slow and dreary; reading about it is equally slow and dreary.

Not because it’s boring, but because Gordimer has spent her entire life in South Africa, and replicates everything. All the facts are there, and the facts happen to be incredibly bleak. She’s a masterful writer, and the reader (willy-nilly) empathizes with each character.

William’s pain is tangible; it’s seen in every line.

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

Executive editor 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Shana Roberson Managing Editor 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall Copy editor copy@thenorthernlight.org Wiley Cason news editor 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Matthew Caprioli FEATURES EDITOR 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Ashley Snyder A&E editor 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Heather Hamilton sports editor 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org vacant photo editor 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Spencer Mitchell Web Editor 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org vacant Layout Editor layout@thenorthernlight.org Jacqui Lockman ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR news2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR features2@thenorthernlight.org Alden Lee ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR arts2@thenorthernlight.org Leroy Polk ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR sports2@thenorthernlight.org Kenzie Masson photographer Jim Foster Graphic designer graphics@thenorthernlight.org CJ Beaudrie advertising Manager 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova Advertising Representative Samantha Hitchcock Executive Operations Assistant vacant Multimedia Editor Vicente Capala Contributors Bryan Dunagan Daniel McDonald Kate Lindsley 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

07

EDITORIAL

Peace should be the most important goal Palestinian statehood is in everyone’s worst interest, UN should vote no Although the United States is one of Israel’s largest allies, it seems many American’s have an extremely vague idea of what took place Sept. 23.

The United Nations accepted an application for Palestinian statehood from Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) President Mahmoud Abbas.

Currently, the Palestinian Authority (PA) occupies the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem and is seeking to have that area declared Palestine, giving them an official government and voice recognized by the UN. The 15 members of the UN council plan to have their answer early this week.

History between the Palestinians and Israelis clearly shows that allowing Palestine to be recognized as a state would be a bad idea. Doing so would nullify all previous peace treaties Israel and the PLO had already made which would result in pushing Israel back to its 1967 borders, losing West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, there has been conflict between surrounding Arab nations and the newly founded Jewish state. On the second day of its existence as a state, Israel was attacked by Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.

Hostility towards Israel has only slightly tempered off since 1948.

These new borders leave Israel vulnerable to attack from these countries that have been problematic and threatening. Two such countries are Egypt, who attacked the Israeli Embassy just last month, and Turkey, whose Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicked out Israeli diplomats this month.

The vote was a life changing experience for Israeli-American Mati BeKoach and PalestinianAmerican Dana Balboul.

“You have to be careful while traveling in the Middle East.

Some countries wont even let you in if they see you have an Israeli passport or your passport has a stamp from Israel,” said Mati BeKoach.

Another country that has lined up against Israel is Iran, whose President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a holocaust denier, gave an anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli speech at the UN. His words led to the walkout of more than 30 countries on Sept. 22 and included the likes of 27 European Union Members, Australia, New Zealand, Somalia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia and the two U.S. diplomats who specialized in the Middle East.

Faced with the threat of war yet again, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have already begun to call up its reserve members

in preparation for revolt in coexisting communities. Abbas has publically declared his intent to expel all Jews currently living in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Balboul feels that this would never happen.

“Everyone knows, even the Palestinians, that it’s not rational to expel the Jews out of the land.

The PA cannot do anything without the consent of their people or else the Palestinian people will revolt,” Balboul said.

Regardless of any stated goals for peace by Abbas, the control he has over groups like Hamas is virtually non-existent. With an on edge Israel, there is considerable potential for violence being sparked on both sides.

Abbas’s speech had already been greeted with defiance there, and Israel’s army said it had gone on high alert for what it was calling an imminent Hamas attack along its border with Egypt.

Hamas, the governing body in Gaza, has been labeled a terrorist organization in many countries.

They are responsible for the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli-French soldier being held in Gaza since 2006. Shalit’s

capture is commonly referred to as a kidnapping because he has been denied any aid from Red Cross or communications with family members. Hamas has stated they will return Shalit if Israel releases 1,000 Arab prisoners, all female and underage prisoners and Marwan Barghouti who is serving five life sentences for murder.

When asked her thoughts on Hamas demands for the release of Shalit, Balboul responded with a question “Do you see a difference between a man who kills a human dressed in civilian clothing and a man who kills a human wearing a uniform? Because both are murderers to me.”

BeKoach surprisingly agreed with Balboul in regards to her statement about murder but he stated that he feels a civilian murder is different than one from a soldier defending his country.

BeKoach expressed his thoughts on IDF calling up its reserves in preparation for the bid.

“Throughout history, the Jews have been pushed and pushed, whether it be Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Germans, or Palestinians and now that we are finally pushing back people are getting upset,” BeKoach

said. “Being the underdogs in this, it is amazing what we have accomplished since the creation of the state.”

For Alaskans, the vote might seem far away and, for some, inconsequential.

But imagine leaving Alaska for school in another country.

While you are away, a bunch of other countries decide that Alaska will become its own country with new authority (for the sake of this we will say Russia takes control because it is so close).

So now your homeland, the place that your family is from, you can no longer return to because Russian government is pushing out American settlements slowly but surely. The argument could easily be made that this land is not Americas since they weren’t the original occupants, even though it’s all you have ever known.

Even though they were from opposing sides, it seemed that in the end both parties wanted the same thing.

BeKoach ended by saying “I pray for the best in the creation of two states so when I’m done with school I can go home safely.”

e

GRANT DEADLINES Oct. 4, 2011

Oct. 11, 2011 Oct. 14, 2011

Undergraduate Research Grants Research in any discipline.

Fran Ulmer Transformative Research Award Projects with the potential to transform the way we live, work, and see the world.

Alaska Heart Institute Research Fellowship Biomedical research projects.

Dr. Alex Hills Engineering Research/Service Project in the Community Award Engineering project with a community focus.

ISER Policy Research Award Research in the analysis of public policy issues.

Oct. 18, 2011 Research in the Community Award Research with a community partner.

Dec. 6, 2011 Undergraduate Research Grants Research in any discipline.

Year-Round Discovery Grants Funding to support research travel.

08

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opinion| September 27, 2011

on the right side

The perils of a secular state: fewer kids, growth

By Daniel McDonald Contributor

It is now eminently clear that the European model of governance simply does not work. One by one, each of the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain) will eventually pay the piper. The Germans won’t be there to bail them out this time, and if Bret Stephens of the Wallstreet Journal has any foresight, “the riots of Athens will become those of Milan, Madrid and Marseilles.”

But the crisis in Europe is not merely economic, but spiritual as well. One does not have to look further than the riots in Athens or London to observe the soul-rotting effects of the welfare state.

In London, contrary to the preconceived notion that the riots were stirred up by inequality or lack of education, the looters were largely from mixed backgrounds.

“Shockingly, among those in the dock accused of looting are a millionaire’s grammar school daughter, a ballet student and an organic chef. A law student, university graduate, a musician and an opera steward also said to have taken part. They are just some of the youngsters

from comfortable middle-class backgrounds who have been charged with criminality,” the U.K. Daily Mail reports.

Not long before the riots began, a British member of the European Parliament, Daniel Hannan, lamented over the effects of the welfare state during an interview with Peter Robinson on Uncommon Knowledge.

“The real problem with the growth of welfare is not that it retards economic growth, although it does… The real malignancy is the way it frays the bonds that used to tie society together. It makes us less virtuous as individual citizens,” Hannan said.

He continued by pointing out the connection between the welfare state and the growth of secularism in society: “When the state expands, it squeezes out the private sphere,” most notably, the church. Hannan added that, “there was a time not so very long ago when we all had to look out for our elderly neighbors and make sure they were collecting their milk every morning. That is now seen as social services.”

The welfare state takes on responsibilities that used to fall to citizens and turns them into state functions. The result is an infantilized populace, one that is incapable of dealing with the

rigors adulthood.

The most obvious responsibility associated with adulthood, is of course parenting, and one which Europe has practically abandoned altogether.

There is a common belief that the strongest correlation to a nation’s birthrate is its wealth. Apart from the U.S., the wealthiest countries in the world tend to also have incredibly low birthrates; but upon a closer examination, the stronger corollary is religiosity.

Countries where religion plays an important role in the lives of its citizenry tend to have higher birth rates.

This is no mystery considering Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all highly value childrearing.

One can even observe this within the United States itself.

States in the south tend to have high birth rates as well as high church attendance in comparison to their neighbors in the north.

The dismal birthrate of Europe and the declining birthrate of the

United States have real and serious effects. The most apparent is that Europe is now producing below the replacement rate at 1.5 children per female. In order to produce enough children to replace a population, there must be at least 2.1 children per female.

Because Europe falls below replacement levels, every generation is smaller than the last; which means less economic activity; thus, fewer workers to pay into their elaborate social programs.

Social security in the United States is a good comparison to the mess across the Atlantic. The program isn’t a fund that is stored away someplace then withdrawn after retirement, but one that must be continuously paid into by new workers. Today’s recipients of social security are being paid by today’s workers, which is why a

The welfare state takes on responsibilities that used to fall to citizens and turns them into state functions. The result is an infantilized populace, one that is incapable of dealing with the rigors adulthood.

declining population means less people paying into the system.

That is what critics of social security mean when they say the program is unsustainable.

Somewhere, sometime, down the line, things will have to change.

Either the payments will have to be cut across the board, wealthier recipients barred, or what is more likely, is that the retirement age will have to be increased.

What is most perplexing is that there are still people in the United States who want to continue expanding these and other programs, replacing private charities and religious organizations.

It cannot be emphasized enough, that when the state grows, the individual shrinks, and with then individual goes the church.

In Europe, Christianity has been replaced by government. The great English writer G.K. Chesterton was only too right to observe that, “Once abolish the God and the government becomes the God.” The rioters in London are not suffering from a lack of material goods, but from spiritual emptiness. It must be understood that their behavior is the logical outcome of society that has abandoned Judeo-Christian morality in favor of secularism, which gives no objective basis determining right from wrong.

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September 27, 2011 | opinion

09

#2012 already

seawolf snapshots

2012 will define fair share

Should taxes be higher on the rich? ld shou who n o i t ple axa No. Tqual. peoouldn’t n be e hard sh ore the work to pay m on’t have le who d peop . work

Obama and Republicans face tough opponents on the road to 2012: themselves

By Shana Roberson Executive Editor

President Obama is already out clarifying his agenda to the American people. Raise the taxes on the rich, make them pay their fair share, and we will make a positive move toward solving the deficit problem.

For a man who is on record saying he wouldn’t raise taxes in a recession and who resisted his party in continuing the so-called Bush tax cuts, this latest rhetoric can only mean one thing.

It’s campaign season.

But it may not be what you think. Most think Obama is trying to court the middle class for the 2012 vote. I submit to you that he is trying to court his base back to his side as he draws nearer to next November.

Obama’s base has been extremely frustrated with his administration with issues ranging from Guantanamo Bay to extending Bush tax cuts. But now New York and Nevada elections foreshadow a possibility for a Republican, filibuster proof majority in the Senate. Add to that calls for an open democratic primary and a James Carville op-ed that called for the White House to “panic” and you’ve got an administration on a mission.

And that mission is taxing the rich. When the facts and figures are lined up, it’s at least debatable whether doing so would help solve the deficit problem. Furthermore, history has shown that raising the capital gains rate results in less revenue, however counterintuitive that may seen. That’s part of the reason President Clinton lowered the rates in order to balance the budget during his term. So the issue isn’t really economic. It’s political.

And that’s how you know that Obama is in trouble for 2012.

He’s starting his campaign as if he’s in a primary—a primary against himself. True, there is no likelihood of Obama facing a challenger, though whispers of “Hillary” surround him.

No, Obama has to find a way to channel 2008 Obama, as those who were bright eyed and eager to vote for him in 2008 question doing so next time.

That doesn’t mean his opponents will have an easy ride to victory in 2012. When it comes to fair share, their hope is to define the issue by saying that the rich do pay their fair share and that raising taxes on the rich will be detrimental to the economy and job creation. We might even all be able to deliver their speeches for them at this point as they beat them into our heads, over and over.

While an Associated Press fact check article did show that American’s making over $1 million are paying an average of 29.1 percent in federal taxes, the other arguments are getting stale.

Many small business entrepreneurs are saying certain taxes they’d have to deal with once they get to a profitmaking point are the last things they are looking at when deciding to make the plunge. Additionally, the federal health care mandate has more people struggling over hiring decisions than do taxes.

Furthermore, investors are less inclined to look at tax rates when deciding on a portfolio.

They’re focused on the business (front) end of the investment, not the tax end. That means the Republican idea of taxes hurting the small business is also at least questionable, and they haven’t yet made the argument believable to the American people.

The uncertainty of the economy is probably the biggest problem for job creation and investment. Republicans need to redefine themselves, going from “defenders of the rich” to “master job creators.” A move that is less and less likely as things heat up

[Obama’s] starting his campaign as if he’s in a primary—a primary against himself.

Robert Glavinic , 18 Accounting

d houl t tax s e r The blanke be a re every ed whe is charg one of there e.

X % ly incom year use beca ody can f anybout 1% oe pay e incom ther or poor. rich

once again in Congress and as that November date in 2012 looms ever closer. Even though we’re likely to see no legislation on the issue of fair share, neither side is being successful at convincing voters with their class warfare arguments. So they will continue.

Whichever side can both clarify and convince the American people of their point of view will win the election.

And then the really tough work will begin. Proving they were right.

Engage Week Oct 17-21

We volunteer at Project Homeless Connect.

How will you make a difference?

Get engaged and discover your passion:

www.uaa.alaska.edu/engage

I believe so. If 10% of the population controls 60% of the money then they should be more inclined to give back especially if the moneys just sitting there.

Mechanical

Sofia Fouquet, 19 Marketing

Doug Wiest, 22

Engineer

Photo by Spencer Mitchell

10 HOROSCOPE

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comics| September 27, 2011 SODUKU

YOUR STARS THIS WEEK

By Stella Wilder

The coming week is likely to carry with it certain surprises, but they won’t be revealed in ways that allow them to be fully appreciated -- either for their positive effects or their negative connotations -until certain steps have been.

Occurrences this week may require many to be light on their feet, nimble in thought and always ready to make adjustments on the fly, without much concern for the final outcome.

Eventually, of course, that outcome must be considered in full -- but for now, mobility is the key. Some may encounter obstacles on the home front, as communication between loved ones proves more difficult than usual. Certain revelations that are made in the heat of the moment are likely to prove quite valuable to all parties.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) A past episode must not be allowed to exert an unhealthy influence on current efforts -- but some bitter feelings may linger. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- Any rift that develops this week must be healed as quickly as possible; sacrifices may be required.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7)

It’s been your turn for quite a while, and this is a good week to give the reins to someone else who is ready to hit the road. (Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- Mixed feelings may result this week when you try to do that which has already been avoided for some time.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 7) A snag is likely to

develop this week if you try to force your own agenda on others without concern for their wants. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- Your desires are conflicting with your immediate needs this week; take care to address both.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 6)You may have a chance

to go faster, soar higher and accomplish more than expected.

You may feel as though you can move mountains. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- Trouble may be brewing this week, but what you must address first is still beneath the surface.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) What you’re looking for

will prove elusive until you realize that you’ve been wearing blinders for quite some time.

(Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- You may find yourself competing with one who has more experience than you -- but mere will can carry the day.

What is so interesting about you?

ARIES (March 21-April 4) You will want to distinguish

between rumor and fact this week; don’t let others persuade you of anything against your will.

(April 5-April 19) -- You may have to make a late start on more than one important day -- but you can still reach your goals.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) You could conflict with one

whose demands, as you see them, are wholly unreasonable.

The issue is that you do not understand his or her motives.

(May 6-May 20) -- You will have to step aside at some point this week and let someone else show you how something is done.

GEMINI (May 21-June 6)

You may realize only when it vanishes that you have been harboring a deep-seated fear that has kept you from fulfilling your potential. (June 7-June 20) -- You must be willing to forgive another who shows weakness this week, just as you must forgive yourself.

Solution to last week’s Sudoku

CANCER (June 21-July 7) Keep a lid on your emotions

during the first part of the week; you don’t want to give anyone the impression that you are out of control. (July 8-July 22) -- The decisions you make this week may not be all that popular until they begin to reap solid results.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7)

Accept responsibility only for that which is a product of your own will and efforts -- be it good or bad. Don’t be hard on yourself.

(Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- Tolerance, always a virtue, is something that you can display with pride this week -- and it comes naturally to you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7)

You may find yourself drifting off course for a while, but after the midweek point you can steer yourself back on track with ease.

(Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -- That which is the result of darker motives must not be overlooked this week. Get to the bottom of it.

Name the Halls UAA has long referred to its residential halls as MAC, West Hall, Templewood, East Hall and North Hall. The time has come to choose names for these facilities that better reflect Alaskans’ contributions to the fields of research, academic discovery, leadership and governance. We are currently accepting nominations for consideration based on the following criteria: • Naming will honor Alaska community members who are no longer living.

• The naming committee will place emphasis on contributions by distinguished Alaskans and others who have made outstanding contributions to the state, Alaska culture and/or the UAA campuses.

Good examples of potential nominees include: former members of the UA Board of Regents, the University of Alaska Foundation’s Board of Trustees, advisory boards, alumni, donors, former university presidents, chancellors, faculty and staff of the university who have significantly contributed to the UAA campuses.

UAA will accept nominations through Oct. 14, 2011. Recommendations will then be forwarded to the Chancellor’s Cabinet for consideration.

Please limit your submissions to 500 words and submit to: AVC Facilities, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508 You may also email a submission to afkad@uaa.alaska.edu

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) A friend comes to you with

a request that you want to fulfill -- and yet you may not be able to until much later than expected.

(March 6-March 20) -- You’re likely to be talked about much this week -- again and again.

UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution

September 27, 2011 | comics

cryptoquote

11

DINE IN • CARRY OUT DELIVERY

Cryptoquote solution for 09/20 issue The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Crossword by Erik Woelber Across 1 Simba’s love 5 Taboos 10 Canadian tribe 14 Is short 15 Cut short 16 Is not, shortened 17 Type of room 18 “The king” in Spain 19 Glasgow native 20 German industrial city 22 “___ Always Sunny in Philadelphia” 23 Follow 24 Canine, e.g.

26 Like a generous heart 27 Hgt. partner 30 Exist 31 Defined space 35 “You are” in Spain 37 Check in early?

39 *Heading 40 More hearty 41 *Heading 42 Forcing 44 Town in Manhattan: Abbr.

45 Property of 0 and 2 46 Expected 48 D.D.E. Opponent 49 Musical notes 50 Smoothes over 52 Pot piece 55 Small figure?

56 Sharp 60 Asian desert

61 “Coming?”

63 Side by side?

64 Dainty 65 Words on a Wonderland cake 66 Lean to the right or left 67 Hardens 68 Incinerated 69 Past time?

Down 1 Burled arch finish line town 2 Amazes 3 Camera feature 4 Home or car, e.g.

5 Denial from a 19-A 6 Demolish 7 *Heading 8 Raw metals 9 Pigpen 10 Poker contests with money on the line 11 Costa ___ 12 Son of Seth 13 Luncheon ending?

21 Israeli actress Tishby 23 Building blocks?

25 Parentless children 26 Firearm for a Grizzly 27 “Victory for us all!”

28 Bird closely related to the flamingo 29 Edison’s nemesis 31 Pay ten cents 32 Rodeo rope

33 Come after 34 Bar people: Abbr.

36 They’re made in woks 38 Yale student or graduate 43 Prod 47 Actors Norton and familiarly Harris,

50 *Heading 51 Like nanotechnology 52 Pepper, Bilko, and Abbr. others: 53 Hockey legend Gordie 54 Be an accomplice 55 Flappers’ accessories 57 Diva’s solo

58 Take a break 59 Gallery in London 61 5-D’s opposite 62 Homer’s neighbor

You could be saving 15%

HTC StatusTM

on qualifying AT&T services.*

a perfect fit As a part of University of Alaska, you’ll enjoy the AT&T Sponsorship Program discount and all the other benefits of AT&T: • Unlimited usage on the nation’s largest Wi-Fi® network • Simultaneous use of voice and data on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network • The power of the Internet in the palm of your hand • All the latest social networking apps Visit www.wireless.att.com/discounts to sign up online or www.att.com/storelocator to find a store near you. If you visit a local AT&T store, please have proof of eligibility (employee badge, pay stub, or student ID).

*IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Limited-time offer ends Oct. 15, 2011. Coverage not available in all areas. Qualified customers only. Activation Fee of $36. Early Termination Fee (ETF): None if cancelled in first 30 days, but up to $325 or $150 depending on device. Two or one year contract required unless purchasing at full commitment price. Requires voice plan. Smartphones require a Smartphone Data Plan. For more information see att.com/dataplans. Geographic usage and other conditions and restrictions (that may result in svc termination) apply. Taxes and other chrgs apply. Prices and equip. vary by mkt.

See store or visit att.com for details and coverage map. Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge up to $1.25/mo. is chrg’d to help defray costs of complying with gov’t obligations & chrgs on AT&T & is not a tax or gov’t req’d charge. Download uses data from your data plan. Monthly discount: Available to qualified employees of companies and/or government agencies and qualified students and employees of colleges/universities with a qualified business agreement (“Business Agreement”). Service discount subject to corresponding Business Agreement and may be interrupted and/or discontinued without notice to you.

Service discount applies only to the monthly service charge of qualified plans and not to any other charges. A minimum number of employees, minimum monthly service charge for qualified plans, additional AT&T services or other requirements may apply for discount eligibility. Discounts may not be combined.

Offer subject to change. Additional conditions and restrictions apply. If you have a question about available discounts and/or your eligibility, you can contact your AT&T representative. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract and rate plan for details. © 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All right reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

otio M September 27th, 2011

Film and music A&E

48-Hour Film Challenge

A&E

Turquoise Boy band profile

B2 B3

Retro Movie Review A&E

B4

‘Metropolis’ an old take on the future

Meet the Seawolf Sports Nate Sagan and

B10 Dallas Baldwin hockey sports

B9

The art, the madness of shotblocking

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48 Hour Film Challenge Senshi-Con 2011

the northern light’s sports & entertainment section

Senshi-Con: From humble beginnings to large-scale Alaskan convention

By Leroy Polk A&E Assistant

From high-profile events like the Super Bowl or a live concert with The Rolling Stones, to small comforts like Olive Garden or Urban Outfitters, there are many things that Alaska goes without.

Anime conventions used to be on the long list of continental US exclusives. Things have changed.

Anime is Japanese animation, and while it is a long-time treasured national art form to the Japanese, anime has become an explosive fad in the U.S. within the past two decades. An anime convention is essentially a largescale event that incorporates many anime-related media, merchandise, performances and culture in one place, much like a Star Trek convention, only without Star Trek.

In the contiguous United States, these kinds of conventions have exploded to very lucrative operations doing brisk business with anime fans, much of whom are younger and have a good amount of disposable income.

Alaska had, until mid-2000’s, been without any representation in terms of conventions, though the anime fad had definitely reached here earlier by way of shows like “Pokemon” or “Dragon Ball.”

When compared to other anime conventions (“cons” for short), Alaska’s efforts have been on a somewhat smaller-scale.

The Kenai Peninsula Anime Convention, Usagi-Con, a Fairbanks convention and others have tried to emulate the big conventions in the lower 48, but fell short due to lack of funding, attendance and general lack of involvement or interest. This is a logical hazard because the

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One attendee dressed as Finn, of Finn and Jake from Adventure Time, charged across the stage.

event is so specialized that it only really appeals to one particular target audience: anime fans.

Though the majority of conventionss in Alaska have invariably fizzled out without attaining much hype or publicity, there have been two unquestionably larger (and more successful) Alaskan ventures: Aurora-Con and Senshi-Con. Aurora was held at the Egan Civic and Convention Center, and had substantially more funding than all other Alaskan cons; it was able to afford a much larger venue and higher-profile guests, such as voice actors for the American versions of famous anime series like “Fullmetal Alchemist,” “Evangelion,” “Detective Conan,” and others.

While it was the largest convention in Alaska, it was not the most successful. After just three years, Aurora-Con effectively bit the dust after its last event in 2008. SenshiCon, the other well-known Alaskan con, has been around for much longer (coined as the first Alaskan anime convention) and is the only one still being held today.

Started in 2005 by West Two school girls took there time looking at plush toys in-between events.

High’s anime club, the event that occur throughout the year, increased vendor revenue and operated solely on student and definitely the only one of steady ticket pre-sales, Senshivolunteers and was held for such magnitude. In addition to Con has been able to afford free in the school’s cafeteria. increased attendance, Senshi- more advertising than previous At the time, it was a pioneering Con procures a large number of years. From website ads to large venture for anime fans, and vendors. Convention president for pictures on the sides of People did proportionally well for the 2011, Braxton Bundick, reported Mover buses, Bundick attests venue. Kira Buckland, one of that the vendor booths were at that Senshi-Con is “really getting the founders of the convention at capacity this year, and that the itself out there now.”

West, said, “We had almost 300 convention had sold out all of its The convention hopes to draw people, which wasn’t bad for only allotted space. even more attendees this year due four months of planning.”

Some of Senshi-Con’s vendors to having their first ever booth at Since then, the convention even come from out of state, since the Alaska State Fair this summer. changed venues like a hermit the Alaska market is unsaturated see ANIME page b3 crab, seeking out new housing with animeonce it becomes too big for its related items. old shell. When most of the “We’re anime club members in charge even going to of the convention graduated from be having a West, the next logical step was to vendor from found an anime club at UAA, and Japan this hold the next Senshi-Con in the year,” Bundick Student Union. As the venue grew said. Bosco’s, larger, so did attendance, which a long time has doubled and then tripled since Alaskan comic its meager beginnings to roughly and gaming 900. When it once was an event of business, the UAA Anime Club, it has now hasn’t missed become a separate organization. booth sign-up Senshi-Con has enjoyed for a single mostly positive responses year of Senshisince its inception, and being Con. Alaska’s longest-running anime Between convention, enjoys a lack of competition. This ensures that it gets a concerted effort from Alaskan anime fans as it’s one of the few community outlets A boy dressed as Young Trunks fought his way across the stage.

B2 A&E|

TNL

September 27, 2011

ANIME: Chris Cason guest stars continued from Motion

Cover

Above: The Pokemon gang preformed the theme song this year during the senshicon walk on! Below: These hand made Southpark plush toys came and went quickly during the convention.

Photos by Spencer Mitchell/TNL

Above: Two anime characters, Inuyasha and Kagome, arrived at the convetion completely costumed. Below: An attendee dressed as the black power ranger took a break from playing yu-gi-oh! to talk about a day in the life of a power ranger.

Not only advertising benefits from increased revenue. Getting guests (usually English voice actors) to present panels usually runs at approximately $2000 a person, and is a staple of this type of convention.

This year’s convention will only have one guest, Chris Cason, a slightly lesser known actor than previous years. Cason is credited as the first voice actor for Mr. Popo in “Dragon Ball” and the sole voice actor for Gluttony in”Fullmetal Alchemist.”

Time will tell whether Senshi-Con will meet the same fate as other Alaskan anime conventions, or flourish and rise to bigger and better things. As long as the community wants it, and the volunteers in charge of coordinating the effort are able to answer the community’s calls, it may yet remain Alaska’s premier anime convention.

Near Right: One attendee dressed as the character from the hit cult classic, “V for Vendetta.” Middle Right: A man dressed as Monkey D. Luffy flexed on stage during the senshicon walk on. Far Right: Two additional attendees made a grand entrance on stage.

September 27, 2011 | A&E

B3

48-hour film challenge tests local film enthusiasts

16 groups of local filmmakers spend a weekend designing and producing movies for local competition

By Heather Hamilton A&E Editor

In 48 hours, most college students can effectively write a last minute research paper. Most diligent students can cram for and, with a little luck, ace a midterm or final exam. But can most college students write, film, and produce a quality movie?

The Anchorage 48-hour Film Challenge, which began on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. and ran until Sunday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m., put local filmmakers to the test; create a movie no longer than 15 minutes and no shorter than a minute in two days.

It sounds easy enough; how hard can it possibly be to make a 15 minute movie? All you have to do is show up to registration with a movie already in mind.

Participating teams were each given these two things that they had to include in their movie for them to be eligible for the competition (the two prompts were: “something Mexican” and the phrase, “this isn’t a game”). In addition to those two prompts, organizers chose genres at random and gave them to the teams. By now, almost any movie a team could have conceived prior to registration is out the window, unless it was already in their assigned genre and the main character really liked tacos.

One team, Laputka Films,

was instructed to make a science fiction movie. With a core team of 18 actors and production workers, they wrote and designed their entry, “Contained,” overnight.

Woodruff Laputka, the director and sound designer for the movie, met with his team at around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and began

Laputka Films did all of their filming in the apartments above Cyrano’s Theater, and as they were filming, Laputka’s assistant editor, Nicholas Bradford, was already editing the shots and putting together the first raw product.

“You gotta work quick, so what

filming “Contained” at 10:30 a.m.

“Contained” is the story of a man who goes away on a trip and gives a young woman a chest to keep safe, but asks her not to open it (similar to the story of Pandora).

The other tenants all want the chest, thinking it full of money, and the girl must keep it out of their hands without being tempted to open it herself.

we had to do was, as soon as a scene was shot and finished, and they were setting up for the next shot, I would take hard drive off the camera and run back to the office, dump the footage, and start editing right away,” said Bradford, “There was a lot of back and forth.”

The team filmed for roughly 15 hours according to Bradford, and

after that, a nearly sleepless night of video editing ensued.

“I did actually get three hours of sleep. I wouldn’t call it sleep; I closed my eyes and woke up three hours later, and I didn’t feel any better,” said Laputka.

Bradford only slept for an hour Saturday night, as did their director of photography Kevin Dean, but when Sunday morning rolled around, there was still an entire day’s worth of work left to do, including sound. All of their editing took place at Alaska Channel, which was only a few blocks from the Alaska Experience Theater, where the end product had to be turned in. This served the team well when, at 6:50 p.m. they walked through the doors and handed in their 14 minute and 58 second labor of love.

“When we got there to deliver the film, I overheard that everyone’s films were pretty much three or four minutes,” said Bradford.

“I think 15 minutes was a lot to cram into 48 hours, but we did it.”

The contest was open to anyone who wanted to make a movie, and while Laputka Films was a large team, some teams consisted of only a single member. Participants of all experience levels were encouraged to enter as well.

Despite the advantages Laputka Films had in the way of experience, access to good equipment, and the sheer number of team members, Laputka himself didn’t think the other teams were necessarily at a disadvantage.

“If it’s quality content, and you did the best you can, it’s going to show. If it was one shot on a cell phone, if you were clever enough, it’ll come off stronger than that awful story, awful cast, and awful script on that awesome camera,” he said.

The 16 movies were viewed last weekend on Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24, and were judged by the audience. The winning movie, Laputka Films’s own “Contained,” won $300.

Laputka is glad that there were so many participants, both new and veteran to the Anchorage film community.

“The most important part of these projects is to generate more activity in the independent film community, which will ultimately encourage more film makers to make films.”

B4

TNL

a&e| September 27, 2011

Local band Turquoise Boy, searching for the fast track Anchorage ‘baby band’ an eccletic group looking to grow

By Nichole Luchaco Staff Writer

What strikes you immediately about the local band Turquoise Boy is the atmosphere that surrounds them: they are friends.

Bands that have been together for years usually begin to jive this way.

Bands that are created by high school buddies out of their parents garage usually have this atmosphere.

But an affluent band that was brought together through the usual auditioning process (a mere six months ago) generally doesn’t enjoy being together outside of shows.

Turquoise Boy, however, is an exception.

“For me it really is a matter of loving to play with these guys,” said bassist Marc Bourdon. “I don’t have to worry about them pulling their own weight, I really can’t say that of many other bands.

This is the best performance band that I have been in.”

Turquoise Boy, an Anchorage band, is the brainchild of lead guitarist and singer Derek Mangrobang.

Rounding out the quartet are drums by Kelsey McGee, and on guitar and keyboards, Winston Montecillo, (along with regular appearances by fill-in drummer

extraordinaire James Glaves).

None of these guys are rookies.

Montecillo has played piano intermittently for nearly seventeen years “Really, forced. My mom used to sit and watch me play for an hour a day.”

Michael Jackson inspired Mangrobang classically at a mere five years old.

Bourdon became inspired to pursue guitar while on exchange in Norway.

As for McGee: “He is probably the most affluent drummer I have ever worked with, he is incredibly talented,” stated Mangrobang.

Considering their short career, Turquoise Boy has met with notable success. Their first show was opening for St. Vincent at the Wendy Williamson back in April, and they have no plans to slow down.

“We play pretty regularly and all of our shows have been for national acts. If we got the chance to make it big, we would. We identify with Alaska so in that sense we love this for home base, but if we got the chance, we would go,” said Montecillo.

Influenced by such bands as The Rolling Stones, The Strokes and Bruce Springsteen, Turquoise Boy falls into the categories of indie pop/rock.

And while many bands in our generation shy away from the term “pop” as a reminiscent of the boy-band nineties, Turquoise Boy embraces it with style.

“We don’t think of ‘pop’ as a bad word. We embrace happy and poppy sounds more than weird ones. We are actually trying to be likeable,” said Montecillo.

One of the surprising things about Turquoise is that each member is involved in more than one other musical venture and/or band.

In the beginning, Turquoise Boy wasn’t necessarily the main band for each member, but their love for playing, mixed with the group dynamic and growing performance schedules keeps pulling them together.

While Mangrobang is the main lyricist, they hinted that new music is definitely in the works, and that in the future all of them will be contributing to the content.

“We are starting to write a lot more; we are really excited,” said Mangrobang with a smile.

On campus, there seems to be a consensus that this is a band to watch, that they could make it big.

With their attractive music, talented members and over-all charm, Turquoise Boy seems in no danger of extinction.

Music Review

‘Green Naugahyde’ an uncertain release

By Bryan Dunagan Contributor

After nearly ten years, Primus is back and weirder than ever. With their trademark sing-song vocals and funky bass infused sound, infectious grooves lie ahead.

However, long time fans may not enjoy the album fully. The album seems experimental, which seems strange, because with a band like Primus, it’s generally true to a formula.

From the outset of “Hennepin Crawler,” you know the boys are back in action. Still, it seems that they throw more of their funk and weirdness in the mix. It’s one of those things that only a Primus fan can discern.

They still have their infectious songs like “Last Salmon Man,” in which they dare you not to have fester in your brain and surrender yourself the crazy bass and bizarre guitar. Also, “Lee Van Cleef” is deliciously strange.

Basically, if you have grown up on old Spaghetti Westerns or seen anything where Clint Eastwood goes by “Blondie,” you’ve seen Lee Van Cleef. He plays the bad in the classic The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It’s an odd song that only Primus can give us.

They have more commentary this time around with “Moron

TV” and “Eternal Consumption Engine,” which isn’t normally a bad thing, it just feels ends up feeling out of place in a Primus album.

If you are new to Primus, you’ll be in heaven. If you are an old Primus fan, you might not really enjoy the breadth of what’s going on. Just try not feel a bit alienated, but keep in mind, it’s still a solid album, and given time it will grow on you.

Album: Green Naugahyde Artist: Primus Record Label: ATO Records, Prawn Song Release Date: Sept. 12, 2011

Bring your

iPhone toGCI Get $450 toward your GCI service Pick up a factory unlocked iPhone from Apple, link your iPhone to iTunes on your home computer, bring it to GCI, sign up, and we’ll give you $450 worth of GCI service.

Now your iPhone Get 4G with a Samsung Galaxy and GCI will works GCI. give you with a hundred dollars off.

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To stay up-to-date with events and giveaways follow GCI on Twitter and Facebook.

Must sign a new 2-year contract with smartphone data. Not eligible for miles upon sign up. Current customers eligible if they are 6 months or more into their contract but they must sign a new contract. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that the device is a factory unlocked iPhone and GCI can take no responsibility for the verification. The device will continue to be serviced directly through Apple. Handset insurance is not available on this device.

September 27, 2011

Retro Movie Review

Drink Review

| a&e

B5

Silent and timeless ‘Sweet Revenge’ a sweet sip

By Heather Hamilton A&E Editor

ByHeather Hamilton A&E Editor

Utopian societies are more likely than not impossible as long as the human race is the creature dreaming of them. Each person has his or her own idea of what a perfect society is, and not every person has perfect Boy Scout principles guiding them.

Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film “Metropolis” is set in a utopian city of the same name in the future. At first look, it truly is perfect; the economy is thriving, the community is peaceful and everyone is happy. But when Freder Fredersen (Gustav Fröhlich, “...und keiner schämte sich”) follows a beautiful and gentle young woman named Maria (Brigitte Helm, “Ein idealer Gatte”) down below the city, he discovers that his perfect world is kept running by an entire society of workers who man their tasks to exhaustion, and sometimes even death.

Freder runs to inform his father, Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel, “Mrs. Sylvelin”) who built and is in control of Metropolis, in hopes of aiding the people, his “brothers” underground. Joh is remorseless, and Freder decides to hatch his own plan to aid the workers.

“Metropolis” is ambitious for its time. The city, while slightly primitive, is very similar in design to futuristic societies still depicted on the big screen today - there are flying vehicles (small planes, but they are portrayed as every day vehicles that everyone has access to) giant buildings and sky high monorails that look akin to the one depicted in “Batman Begins.”

The film is also long; at just over two and a half hours in length, “Metropolis” dwarfs “The Call of Cthulhu” (a silent movie made in 2005), which is only 47 minutes long. One reason that “Cthulhu” is so short is because our generation is typically more accustomed to high end movies with computer

graphics about as real as life itself, and they have sound. Holding audience attention for long in this day and age without those elements is difficult.

Surprisingly, “Metropolis” has no such difficulty in holding attention, despite being over three times as long. There are enough elements to the story to keep even the current viewer interested; love, loss, betrayal, a robot, scheming, mad scientists, showgirl dancing while nearly naked, blatant Bible allusions (as well as several direct quotes and depictions from the Book of Revelations) and even revolution.

The use of the Book of Revelations was surprisingly well done, and added both interesting visuals, as well as provide helpful insight and foreshadowing for the overall story. Helm, who portrays the robot, Death and the Seven Deadly Sins in addition to the Maria character is utterly brilliant in each aspect of her part. Her transformation between roles is total, and makes the portions focused on a modernization of Revelations more iconic and vivid.

The only real drawback to “Metropolis” is the filming style of director Fritz Lang. He is fond of extended camera shots of the city, and does so in excess. He also focuses in on characters when they are gazing at one another for much longer than necessary to get the point of the scene across to the audience. “Metropolis” could possibly shave at least half an hour off its length if these shots were tightened, or some at least eliminated. They only serve to slow the storytelling.

Director: Fritz Lang Release Date: March 13, 1927 Starring: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich Run Time: 153 min.

Genre: Drama, Sci-fi

Captain Morgan’s Sweet Revenge is an aptly named cocktail that will knock you on your feet if you aren’t careful. Made with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, butterscotch schnapps, pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine, the Sweet Revenge is a balance of both light and heavy.

The first thing that hits your taste buds is the sweetness of the pineapple and grenadine, which slowly morphs into the rich and heavy flavor of butterscotch, which in turn provides a warm sensation in the mouth despite being chilled by ice. Although it’s a light flavor, the pineapple is still strong; the grenadine serves mostly to color the drink and add more sugar to the mixture.

The Spiced Rum itself is

completely eclipsed in flavor by both the butterscotch and the pineapple, and the drinker can easily forget it is even part of the recipe.

This is why it’s called the Sweet Revenge; both types of alcohol have a respectable ABV percentage (the schnapps at 15% and the rum at 35%) but with the rum possessing the majority of the kick with none of the flavor, its easy to drink the Sweet Revenge like one would a soda.

The Sweet Revenge is an enjoyable drink, but it is almost too sweet. Unless you’re a fan of fruity mixed drinks, or a really big fan of butterscotch, chances are, it’ll be too much. It’s a love or hate cocktail.

September 27, 2011 | A&E

Game Review

‘Hard Reset’ an enjoyable first person shooter

By Bryan Dunagan Contributor

“Hard Reset” will kill your reflexes - that’s a fact. With the popularization of cinematic, explosion-heavy military shooters like “Modern Warfare,” the world seems to have forgotten the joy of the insanely hard twitch-reflex shooter.

“Hard Reset” places you in the boots Major James Fletcher, an operative in a city full of human intelligence.

These people are being hunted by the system, which kill them in horrible ways.

Torture and mutilation are teased, but not directly shown. Also, the story is pretty abstract, so the real story is the game play.

Imagine the first time you played an FPS that had waves of enemies coming at you relentlessly, and the only thing you have to protect yourself is a ballistic rifle and a plasma caster.

You don’t have to reload, but you have a set ammo counter. So, a close eye is required to be on enemy behavior as well as your ammo counter to survive. Oh, and the game is really stinkin’ hard.

The first couple of environments are a breeze, but once the game gets into the thick of the action, it becomes an amalgamation of all the obscenity-riddled moments the player can handle. Only when you gaze upon the wreckage and ammo drops of your fallen foes, will you understand the sweet taste of success. Not only this, but you can use your environment to kill off as many enemies as get caught in your firestorm of death and whirlwind of electricity and metal.

“Hard Reset” has the best implementation of gun modification seen in a game.

Basically, it all amounts to killing anything that tries to take you out of commission and getting experience for the upgrade kiosks that dot the world. When you walk up to one of them, the game seamlessly puts you in the menu screen, which amounts to you putting down your gun and looking at the display and

choosing the selection you want with the mouse. To close the menu, just walk away.

This also adds tension, as when you do this, the game is not paused.

Also, the guns themselves morph based on what you have equipped. For example, the

B7

Zombie & Pirate Fitness Festival Complete details at

www.zombiepiratefest.com

Zombie Half Marathon

& Pirate 10k

Run the Little Buccaneer 2k with Capt’n Jack Sparrow.

For those who refuse to die... Lost Souls Marathon and Be Damned 50K

A hideously

new course

startingnext to Springhill Suites on University Lake Drive.

OCT. 1

2011

Saturday

Be Damned 50k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:00AM Zombie 1/2 Marathon . . . . . . . . . 10:00 AM Pirate 10 K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:15 AM Buccaneers 2K (Kids Fun Run) . . 2 minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .after Pirates leave.

Donate at the Blood Bank of Alaska during Oct. and receive a discount coupon at REI. $10 Discount for UAA, APU, and Military.

Game: “Hard Reset” Maker: The Flying Wild Hog Release Date: Sept. 13, 2011

assault rifle morphs into the shotgun, which morphs back into an explosives launcher at will. The same goes for the plasma/energy weapons.

The guns change with a flick of the middle mouse wheel, and use the static ammo counter.

The game’s visuals are probably one of the biggest points of notice. The graphics are easy on the eyes with their showing of drab industrial cities, yet also contain bright lighting effects and colorful explosions.

It’s one of the greatest cyber punk worlds in a video game.

The game play benefits from the graphics quality as well, with every plasma bolt that leaves your rifle lighting up whatever area is shrouded in darkness.

In all, for $30 and a decent PC, you can enjoy a surprisingly good game. A few flaws are that you can’t seem to avoid all the attacks thrown at you, and there is no discernable crouch function, because ducking under explosives would be nice. But, you can’t really do any better than this game to kill time. Because, really, who doesn’t like explosions?

B8

i

TNL

A&E| September 27, 2011 September 27 - October 4, 2011

FOCUS EVENTS CALENDAR

Compiled by Leroy Polk

Brasil Guitar Duo - October 1 Equally at home playing Classical or World music, the Duo’s innovative programming features a seamless blend of traditional and Brazilian works quickly made them a preeminent guitar duos of the generation, resulting in a touring schedule around the world and numerous critically acclaimed recordings. More information available at http://alaskapac.centertix.net/

Anchorage Go Club Thursdays and Saturdays

The Refugees - October 1

The German Club of Anchorage proudly presents the 45th Annual Oktoberfest with live music by Marge Ford & The Alaska Blaskapelle. Traditional German food and beverages will be available.

Student Activites presents

Tuesday, October 4th, 7:00pm Student Union Free for Everyone!

A hilarious stage magic, comedy hypnosis, and mind blowing close-up magic show filled with outrageous one-liners, goofy humor and amazing tricks.

"McVicar had our students in stitches... from Jerry Springer to interpretive dance, it was a show that left my stomach hurting" Brent Hickenbottom, Culver-Stockton College Director of Student Activities

UAA is an EEO/AA Employer and Educational Institution

Electronic-based duo Ghostland Observatory will be returning to the familliar venue of Bear Tooth Theaterpub on September 28 and 29. Known for their highenergy sets with dance-happy musi, the due hopes to repeat their sold-out Bear Tooth performance from earlier this year. More information is available at http:// www.beartooththeatre.net/

45th Annual Oktoberfest Sep 30 - Oct 1

The Anchorage Go Club will be meeting again beginning at the end of September at Title Wave.

Players attend to enjoy the strategic and ancient games of Go and backgammon. Players of all abilities are welcome, and there is always somebody available to teach a beginner. More information is available at http://www.knotical-arts.com/goclub

For more info: 786-1219 | events@uaa.alaska.edu www.uaa.alaska.edu/ACTIVITIES Check out the WolfWire: www.uaa.alaska.edu/WOLFWIRE Find us on Facebook!

Ghostland Observatory September 28 + 29

Accomplished solo artists Cindy Bullens, Deborah Holland, and Wendy Waldman each have logged more than three decades in touring, with nineteen solo albums and multiple Grammy Award nominations to their credit, featuring musical styles that blend country, rock, folk, and Americana.

For more information, go online to http://alaskapac.centertix.net/

SPORTS 50

55

60

45

5

overtime 10

By Kenzie Masson Assistant Sports Editor

As I walked into work, the Bears and Giants game was playing on the big screen, so I knew it was going to be busy.

The purple fluorescent light that hung along the wall gleamed off the piles of emptied beer glasses and mugs. The bar was starting to fill up with people eager to catch the game.

As football season gears up, more people stroll into the sports bar wearing jersey and t-shirts in a dizzying array of colors and mascots. The chatter turns to debates about quarterbacks, defense, and wagers on which teams are going to win their divisions.

This is what I love about Alaska; you can support pretty much any NFL team you want.

Sure, you are going to get grief if your

B9 Alaska gives NFL fans rare freedom to cheer whomever

team isn’t doing well, but you’re not going to get beat up in a parking lot for wearing your team’s jersey either.

There are several unique aspects about living in the Last Frontier. The landscape, the weather, the fact that we’re bigger than any other state (especially Texas) and the lack of a football team sets us apart from any other state.

This gives residents the freedom to cheer for any other team with very little criticism.

Alaska has the most diverse population of NFL fans I’ve ever seen in one place.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a fan that doesn’t have a story of how they came to support their team.

Maybe they used to live in that team’s state or they grew up cheering for that team.

Maybe they know one of the athletes.

Some residents have lived here their

whole lives and jump on a bandwagon for a new team each season.

My short curly blond-haired government teacher in high school was a dedicated Eagles fan, and proud of it. She plastered her classroom with almost as many Eagle’s headlines and posters as there were presidents of the United States. She would frequently offer extra credit if you could admit they were the “best team” or could give positive stats from that weeks game.

Giants fan were idiots and guaranteed to flunk.

Alaskans can freely fly their own team’s colors without any concern for their safety, a freedom that is a rarity in the Lower 48.

You wouldn’t walk around in Minnesota wearing a Green Bay hat. You wouldn’t fly a Broncos flag in front of your house if you lived in Oakland or you life might actually

REALINGMENT: new shakeup continued from Cover

\With St. Cloud State leaving, the WCHA now drops to eight-remaining teams set to begin play in 2013-14. Left to carry the WCHA flag is UAA, UAF, Michigan Tech, Bemidji State, Minnesota State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan, and Ferris State.

On Aug. 25, the WCHA issued an official invitation to five teams from the CCHA to join the WCHA beginning in 2013-14. While UAF, Lake Superior State, and Ferris State all responded quickly

5

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with acceptance, Western Michigan and Bowling Green University remained mum on if they would accept.

While the hockey world now knows Western Michigan’s answer, Bowling Green looks to be running out of time on the one-month long window to join the WCHA. Rumors still swirl that the WCHA and CCHA may not be through with looking to add to their conference numbers and stabilize their positions in the continually volatile college hockey landscape.

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be in danger. You don’t wear Redskin maroon and gold through the streets of Dallas.

This is common sense and an unspoken rule that applies no matter what region you’re from.

In one 2011 preseason game between the 49ers and Raiders, a brawl broke out between fans in the stadium. A man was beaten unconscious in a bathroom, and a post-game shooting in the parking lot left two injured.

So all you Alaskan football fans out there, embrace your unique freedom and cheer loud for your respective teams.

However, anyone who knows anything knows that the Denver Broncos are where it’s at.

Orange crush!

sports briefs UAA earns road wins over Clan and #25 Vikings, run win streak to four straight Middle blocker Robyn Burton notched 16 kills and four total blocks Sept. 22 to power the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team to a 26-24, 25-16, 25-19 sweep of Simon Fraser at the SFU West Gymnasium.

The Seawolves also got 10 kills from senior outside hitter Jackie Matthisen as they recorded their third straight sweep for the first time since late in the 2009 campaign.

Middle blocker Kristjana Fridfinnson led the home team with nine kills, however the Clan (0-9, 0-5 GNAC) remained winless despite jumping to a 13-6 lead in the opening set.

UAA overcame its early deficit with an 8-point rally behind Matthisen’s serve, getting kills from Nikkie Viotto and Nora Anders along the way. After a Burton kill put UAA ahead 23-20, SFU responded with three straight points, leading to a Seawolf timeout.

Anders, a freshman right-side hitter, then traded kills with Fridfinnson before Viotto and Matthisen gave UAA the set with consecutive kills.

Burton, who entered as the GNAC’s attack percentage leader at .387, had another sterling performance, ripping her 16 kills in just 22 attempts. Her .591 percentage (16-3-22) marked the sixth time in 12 matches this year that the sophomore has hit .500 or better. She also had a pair of solo blocks.

Meanwhile, the Seawolves got a lift with the return of junior setter Kimya Jafroudi, who had missed the previous two matches with a leg-muscle strain.

The Huntington Beach, Calif., native tallied a match-high 27 assists and a team-best eight digs.

Viotto finished with six kills and seven digs, and Anders had four kills.

Burton had another huge performance with 12 kills and 10 total blocks to lead the ‘Wolves to a 27-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-18 upset of 25thranked Western Washington on Sept.

24 at Carver Gymnasium.

The Seawolves (8-5, 4-1 GNAC) also got a season-high 51 assists from junior setter Jafroudi, who helped the visitors to a .448 attack percentage in the clinching fourth set. Matthisen had 18 kills and 10 digs, while junior right-side hitter Ariel Austin had 13 kills in her first game back from an injury.

Outside hitter Marlayna Geary led the hosts with a match-high 19 kills and 14 digs, but the Vikings (7-3, 5-1) could not convert early advantages in the first and second sets and saw their 13-match home winning streak come to an end.

UAA trailed 9-4 in the first set

before scrapping back to tie it at 18.

The Vikings earned a set point at 25-24, but Matthisen responded with her fifth kill for the equalizer. Geary was then blocked by Austin and Miranda Doing, and Austin converted a kill to give the Seawolves the early advantage.

Burton, a sophomore middle blocker from Eagle River, matched her career-high in total blocks and earned her second career double-double with another standout performance. The GNAC’s attack percentage leader hit four points better than her average coming in, converting at a .409 clip (12 kills-3 errors-22 attacks).

Matthisen, meanwhile, reached the 900-kill mark for her career as she hit .364 (18-2-44) and earned three total blocks. Doing had seven kills on .545 hitting and four block assists, and Austin converted at a .364 clip after missing the last two matches with a knee strain.

Sophomore libero Quincy Haught paced the back-row defense with 15 digs, while the Seawolves’ 15 team blocks were four more than their previous season-high.

Cross Country teams both ranked nationally Both Alaska Anchorage men’s and women’s cross-country teams were among the top 25 squads ranked by the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), released on Sept. 21. The UAA women’s team remained in the top 10 at No. 6, while the men’s team sits at No. 12 in the Week 1 poll.

Leading the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and second in the West Region, the women’s team fell one position from the preseason poll to No. 6, marking the 25th consecutive week that they have been in the top 10 since ascending to ninth in the final poll of 2008.

UAA leads GNAC foe Western Washington (No. 21), while trailing West Region member Chico State (No. 2). Western State maintains the No. 1 position for the second straight poll, while Ferris State collected the No. 3 position.

The men’s team advanced one slot from its preseason ranking of No. 13 and leads the conference over WWU (No. 19) and Western Oregon (No. 20).

Adams State tops the board at No. 1, while Western State and Grand Valley State round out the top three.

The Seawolves are amid a threeweek break before competing in the Western Washington Invitational on Oct. 8 in Bellingham, Wash.

Coimpiled by Taylor Hall

B10 sports|

TNL

September 27, 2011

By Taylor Hall Managing Editor

The game of hockey features many split-second decisions that an individual must make in the blink of an eye to help make his team successful. A half-second too soon or too late can lead to an odd-man rush going the other way for the opposition or a missed scoring opportunity However, one split-second decision that may have the highest risk versus reward credentials is shot blocking. Players must choose in a heartbeat whether or not to throw their bodies in harms way for the greater good of the team in order to stop the puck from getting to their own net.

“It takes a special courage to get in front of guys that are

shooting pucks and we did a tremendous job with that last year,” said UAA Head Coach Dave Shyiak. “When you have guys that sacrifice themselves and get in shooting lanes to block shots, those are opportunities that aren’t getting to the net.”

Different players have different ways of getting the job done.

Of course, the hope is that players can get their stick in the shooting lane and let it do the work for them. Sometimes, that isn’t enough and players have to hurl their bodies in front of heavy shots from the point.

Reckless abandon anyone?

Some players will drop to one knee and try and use their shin pads or pants to take the brunt of the shot. Others will dive skates or even head first to try and get their body in the path of the puck.

Both techniques can leave the player very exposed in certain

areas. Main areas of concern are the ankle, inside thigh, and wrist, which have limited to no padding in those areas.

Last year, Seawolf sophomore Andrew Pickering what would have to be labeled as a unusual but nonetheless unpleasant injury.

During a Jan. 21 game in Denver, Pickering was caught with a puck in the ear. The damage was a substantial cut and concussion, which knocked him out for a considerable amount of time late in the season.

Due to the high risk of injuries, ranging from the minor cuts and bruises to the more severe injuries (fractured or shattered bones), coaches often times don’t have players practice their shot blocking in practice.

“It’s tough to practice shot blocking because you don’t want guys getting hurt,” Shyiak said.

“It’s in video breakdown where we

show guys that they could’ve been in shooting lanes or blocked a shot.”

When it’s game time, the players have to take what they learned from these video sessions and try and put it to use without taking themselves out of commission and into the trainers room.

So what is the secret to being effective on the shot block?

According to Shyiak, the answer is really quite simple.

“Timing and anticipation,” Shyiak said.

Perhaps the coach left out a few other personality traits that seem necessary for a successful shot blocker: words like demented, fearless, and irrational all seem appropriate.

The boost of a big shot block, especially on the penalty kill, can be a contagious thing for a team

Photos by Patrick Mccormick/TNL

The art of shot blocking: part skill, part insanity

Above: UAA junior forward Tyler Currier goes down to one knee to take away a shooting lane for a Colorado College Tiger on Mar. 17 at the WCHA Final Five in St. Paul, Minnesota. Left: Sophomore forward Mark Pustin dives for a shot block.

and can immediately change the mood on the bench.

“It’s a momentum changer,” Shyiak said. “When guys on the bench see the guys on the bench blocking shots, it certainly lifts their spirits up and brings the team together tighter.”

The stat of shot blocking is one that is not an officially kept in college hockey.

Upon Coach Shyiak’s request, UAA Sports Information does keep track of UAA individual shot blocks during their games here at

the Sullivan Arena.

Last season, UAA totaled 143 blocked shots in 17 home contests.

That averages out to 8.41 shots per contest that never get to the net.

Returning this year are puck magnets such as junior defenseman Scott Warner (43 blocks last season at home), senior blue liners Curtis Leinweber (41) and Brad Gorham (31) and senior forward Jade Portwood (29).

The common bond: all saw substantial time on the penalty kill last year and in close-game situations.

This a big reason that the

Seawolves also were the best penalty killing team in the WCHA last season. Their 85.8 kill rate hinged a lot on their effectiveness in blocking shots and went a long way in their late-season surge.

“Special teams are a big part of today’s game and to reach the upper echelon of the league you got to be good there,” Shyiak said.

“It’s a big reason why we made a big push at the end of the year last season.”

Sacrificing for the greater good of the team is an unglamorous but essential part of this teams success rate.

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September 27, 2011 | sports

B10

B11 TNL

By Kenzie Masson

Nate Dall Sagan an as B aldw d in

Assistant Sports Editor

Kicking off their fourth season at UAA as a team are Seawolves Nate Sagan and Dallas Baldwin. However, you won’t see them on the court, but rather above or around it doing everything from stats to videos, to social media for UAA Athletics. Sagan is in his 13th season here as Sports Information Director, backed by Baldwin starting her fourth season as Assistant Sports Director.

An interview with TNL TNL: This is your 13th year at UAA, what draws you to UAA specifically?

Nate Sagan: It was a natural fit. When I was living in California in 1999, it was a natural draw to come back home. My mother still lives in Anchorage and now I have a family here, we have to kids in grade school, so it makes things pretty comfortable.

This is your fourth season at UAA as Assistant Sports Information Director. What made you want this job?

Dallas Baldwin: I went to school on the East Coast is Massachusetts as a way to make money. I worked in the athletic department and did basic stuff like stats, returning balls from the sidelines. I had a lot of fun with it. I moved to California and took an internship at Cal Poly State University. I had a lot of fun getting paid to watch sports!

What specific jobs do you do for the department?

NS: Both of us in general, we oversee day-to-day maintenance of goseawolves.com and write the stories and load photos. There are a lot of other people that go into getting that done too and we have the day-to-day hands on most input for that. We are also historians for the department. We’re the people to come to if you need old stats, pictures or information about stuff that happened back in the day. We do a lot of layout/ design work, team posters around campus all come from here. Another thing we work a lot on now is our Facebook site. It’s a new facet of the job here in the last few years.

What is the most difficult part of this job? Is there anything that is particularly easy for you?

NS: For me, writing comes pretty easily. I feel really comfortable with words. The hardest part for me is keeping up with the technology curve and everything that comes in with video. That’s where as a team Dallas and I compliment each other really well because she’s really good at design and video work.

The other hardest part is probably separating emotionally from the results.

How has this experience been for you so far?

DB: It’s been really great. I grew up down in Kenai, I’m an Alaskan and you can’t pass up the summers here so being able to spend the winter doing something I love and getting the summer off to enjoy it is great.

You and Dallas have done so much for the UAA Athletic Department, what is it about this job that you love?

NS: I think it’s because I grew up loving sports and especially college sports. It’s a lot of fun to deal with the subject that comes naturally, and its also twice as much fun for me because I’m from anchorage, I went to East and UAA. I get the double bonus of getting to see Alma Matter and having a job that’s fun to come to every day.

What sports have you played and currently play?

DB: Currently I am playing intramural basketball here as well as cross training with gym, swimming and yoga. Prior to here I did track and field for a division three school and in high school I played almost every sport.

NS: I don’t play any sports. I like to get out and when I was a kid I played baseball and soccer but I never played in high school or anything past that. I just like to get out with my family. My wife and I, we have two grade school kids, we like to get out and hike during the summer.

Most memorable moment from working here?

NS: Probably when both of our basketball teams went to the Elite Eight, single final four in 2008 at the same time. Crazy couple weeks, we won our respected tournaments. The men were up here the women were in Seattle, lot of craziness and fun here.

What do you hope to get out of this job and what are your plans for the future?

DB: Just more experience whether it’s with writing, graphic designing, communication within the department, and to build my resume as I move forward in my career. As of right now I plan on staying in this field or something very similar. I see myself here for a couple more years, but nothing is set in stone.

What is you’re favorite part about this job?

DB: Probably being able to have a flexible schedule. If other things come up I can take off, summer break, watching sports, it’s enjoyable.

How about the least favorite?

DB: Sometimes working on the weekends as activities are going on that I can’t be apart of.

Photos by Spencer Mitchell/TNL