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Pandemic stress can be manageable with the right resources
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Hitbox Impressions: Marvel’s Spider-Man
ACS Alumni speak up about racist experiences By Daisy Carter news2@thenorthernlight.org
Controversy surrounding Anchorage Christian School, or ACS began this past summer when former students revealed information about racist experiences and the curriculum. Many students have urged the school to comment on the controversy, but ACS has yet to address anything about it according to many news cites including ADN, and Alaska Public Media. Former UAA Alumni Carlos and Gerardo Arias were one of many students that attended ACS. Carlos graduated from UAA in 2011 with a degree in anthropology, and Gerardo graduated from UAA in 2010 in journalism. “One of the things I experienced was just blatant discrimination,” Carlos said in a recent interview with Alaska Teen Media. They continued to speak about how the racial issues weren’t so much
about the students but involved faculty and staff. “It was the first time of your life being called racial slurs regularly,” Gerardo said in an interview with Alaska Teen Media. Both brothers said that they knew little about other students’ experiences, but knew that they weren’t the only ones getting the racial comments. “I think that people are just surprised about how in your face it was,” Carlos said in an interview with Alaska Teen Media. The Arias brothers also mentioned how they were taught different things in school than in a regular school. They said the curriculum would gloss over civil rights and slavery. “They taught us that manifest destiny was God’s will for the white christians to move from east to west,” Carlos said in the interview with Alaska Teen Media.
Both brothers were heavily involved in sports such as track and field, cross country, and wrestling. They both said that the racist comments were specifically more prominent in sports. “My personal issue with it was just the administration and the church both having such a strong political stance on issues were detrimental to people of color and lack of respect for people of color,” Carlos said in an interview with Alaska Teen Media. The Arias brothers didn’t receive much help from ACS administrators regarding the discrimintation and bullying they experienced either. “I was getting bullied pretty severely in eighth grade so my parents went to the administration and said that I was being called racial slurs and beat up and their response was that it wasn’t racism that there isn’t racist in our
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALASKA PUBLIC MEDIA
Anchorage Christian School has had over 180 alumni come out to talk about daily racism they faced there.
school,” Gerardo said. Pastor Ron Hoffman was appointed to be the lead pastor at the Anchorage Baptist school in 2019. He said he is willing to talk to each student about the problems they faced in school according to an ADN article. In a follow up interview, the brothers had nothing negative to say about their time at UAA. “I don’t think I had one
problem at UAA,” Carlos said. Both brothers have now helped draft a legal memo to present to legislators and some public officials. This memo is to make it harder to make a private school in Alaska. Currently it is extremely easy to make a private school in Alaska, but with these proposals in the memo it would give more liability to the people in the private
schools. The Arias brothers encourage people to check out their change.org page or share a post from @a.christian.school. They also encourage you to contact the legislature about this official memo. If you would like to listen to the whole podcast with the Arias brothers, you can go to Alaska Teen Media.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALASKA DAILY NEWS
Anchorage Baptist Church is in junction with Anchorage Christian School.
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Pandemic stress can be manageable with the right resources By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on daily life as we know it. Schools are online, jobs and the economy are down and over 177,1777 deaths and counting in the U.S. are associated with COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control or CDC. All these factors and more can cause mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. COVID-19 is a new coronavirus or a ‘novel’ coronavirus, with this strain being discovered in 2019. Information about COVID-19 is evolving and new information is revealed as research is being done currently. That is why information about the virus changes, because scientists, doctors and researchers find new information through studies. The uncertainty of this disease and the times we’re living in can cause anxiety, especially for people who are already anxiety prone. The CDC has a list of symptoms associated with pandemic stress that include but are not limited to: fear and worry about your health and the health of your loved ones, your financial situation or job, or loss of support services you rely on, changes in sleep or eating patterns, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, worsening of chronic health problems, worsening of mental health conditions, an increased use of tobacco and/ or alcohol and other substances, according to the CDC website. These symptoms can often go unnoticed at first but can progress to a point that may be harmful. Some people are also at a higher risk of developing these issues. Individuals with underlying medical conditions, health care providers and first responders and those caring for family members or loved one’s may be more prone to experiencing pandemic stress. Information about COVID-19 on the internet can be overwhelming and some of it
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINA SWAYNEY
is scientifically false. Knowledge is power and knowing the facts about the virus can ease some uncertainties. Basic facts and guidelines can be found on The World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, The Alaska COVID-19 Hub, and the UAA COVID-19 Information Website. The CDC has a stepby-step guide on what to do if someone suspects they are sick. There are testing sites around Anchorage and testing are also available through UAA Student Health and Counseling Services and there is an at-home test available from Pixel Labs that can be paid either out of pocket, by insurance, or through federal funds for COVID-19 if available and the tester qualifies. The CDC also has a guide to taking care of mental health during this difficult time. They suggest connecting with others as the pandemic fosters an isolating environment for many. Social contact is beneficial in many ways. It is positive for the
Feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression are common during times of social distancing. Knowing how to manage these things and when to get help can be very helpful.
mind and the body. In a report by the Journal of Health and Social Behavior in 2010, it was stated that “consistent and compelling evidence linking a low quantity or quality of social ties with a host of conditions, including the development and worsening of cardiovascular disease, repeat heart attacks, autoimmune disorders, high blood pressure, cancer and slowed wound healing,” according to the study. Socializing during a pandemic can be problematic and some solutions will not satiate the need for a huge party or a simple dinner out with loved ones but may ease loneliness. Zoom is ever-present these days and meeting overload can be common among students and those that work from home. This video conference platform can also be used for activities that are more fun than hour-long lectures about math. Zoom can be used for the family to get together and have virtual reunions
when traveling is not an option. There are also Netflix Zoom parties, where friends will all watch the same movie or show while having Zoom on and comment, laugh and enjoy a program together virtually. Getting outside and meeting people in person is also possible. It has been noted that COVID-19 transmission outdoors is much less likely to occur than indoors, where there is less air circulation, if COVID-19 preventative measures are enacted. Nature walks, taking a bike ride with friends or even outdoor dining are options to break the confinement of social distancing. As winter approaches, skiing, snowboarding, and snowball fights with friends become options as well. The point is that any social interaction, even if it is virtual, will help with overall health. If anxiety and depression have gotten to a point where it is unmanageable, there are also
many avenues for help. UAA Health and Counseling services offer mental health services with counselors. There are also online resources available through UAA. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also has a toll-free national helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) that can provide guidance. Mental Health America also has numerous and specific information about situations where mental health may be impacted, from LGBTQ+ issues during COVID-19, financial help, domestic violence and many more. Over-exposure to news can cause more anxiety. COVID-19 is a topic that is widely discussed because of its magnitude and ever-evolving information. News agencies always have numbers of deaths and cases to present, which can cause stress. Yale Medicine says that too much news all the time may not be helpful. “It may be impossible to avoid some negative news every day, but you can restrict your sources to objective news outlets that don’t sensationalize what’s happening,” according to Yale Medicine in an article published in August 2020. They also have other suggestions that are simple and anyone can do at home. Some of these include keeping a journal, which can be an outlet for strong emotions and anxiety, getting enough sleep and making sure enjoyable activities are done regularly. Keeping a schedule can also be helpful, as being at home most of the time can make time seem muddled and day after day seem like the one before. To talk to a counselor about mental health or get COVID-19 testing, call the UAA Student Center for Health and Mental Services at 907-786-4050. For resources for a variety of COVID-19 related issues, contact Mental Health America.
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UAA Love Poem Contest asks what healthy relationships look like By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org
PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEE HAZE
Ashlee Haze is an award-winning spoken word poet known for her outspoken and stirring works, such as “For Colored Girls (The Missy Elliot Poem)”. She will be judging the UAA Love Poem Contest.
Healthy relationships are important to the overall well-being of people, especially college students who may be vulnerable to stress. Feelings and connections can be complicated and it can be difficult to make sense of them, even when talking with friends, family, lovers, or counselors. Writing can help a lot and that is why UAA is having a Love Poem Contest, held by UAA Student Activities and Commuter Programs and UAA Student Health and Counseling. The contest is a part of Health and Wellness Month, which has a theme of “Healthy Relationships.” Relationships can be tricky and sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish if one is more positive than negative. For example, abuse within them is not always cut and dry. A partner can be controlling another partner in subtle ways, like finances, expectations and socially. All relationships have pros and cons, but there are tipping points between good and bad, like if a partner is very thoughtful and caring but also extremely flaky and unreliable. Corey Miller is the UAA Students Activities Coordinator and talks about how relationships are not always crystal clear and how the contest can bring clarity to some. “This contest will let students share their creativity. It asks, ‘what does a healthy relationship look like’ and has an open format on how students can write these poems,” Miller said. The poetry contest has only a few guidelines as to what kind of poems can be submitted. Poems can express any emotions like happy, sad, deep, funny and can be long or short. The only stipulations for submission are poems cannot include any offensive language, including hate speech, racial slurs, sexual innuendos, sexist comments or violence, nudity, or threats of violence, as shown in the official submission form. The contest is open to all UAA students 18 years old and over until Sept. 25. To submit entries, go to the submission form found on the UAA Student Activities and Commuter Programs Facebook page. Participation in the contest permits UAA to share the submitted poem on UAA Facebook pages. The contest winners will be announced on Oct. 1, during a Zoom
meeting and the winner will receive a $100 cash prize payable by check. Ashlee Haze, an award-winning spoken word artist and published author will judge the contest. She was featured on National Public Radio’s’ Tiny Desk Concert series for “For Colored Girls (The Missy Elliot Poem)” as part of Blood Orange’s performance of “By Ourselves” from the album Negro Swan. Haze is a well-established poet; her literary roots originate from Atlanta and Chicago, both big spoken word scenes. She discusses how she will judge the poems and what inspires her as a writer. “I am inspired by the world around me. I am constantly writing the world both as I wish it to be and as it is,” Haze said. She also speaks of an important component when judging poetry. “Vulnerability [is an important aspect of how poems are viewed]. I want to know that you connect with the words you wrote first. Then I will connect with them.” The contest supports Health and Wellness month at UAA and can be beneficial during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students can feel more isolated due to a lack of social contact and events being limited. Writing, with poetry in particular, can be a great way to stay mentally healthy, according to Psychology Today. Classic poetry such as “She Walks in beauty,” by Lord Byron or contemporary pieces such as “Fons,” by Pura López-Colomé can be very enjoyable to read. Haze speaks about the importance of creative outlets during difficult times. “Poetry for me has been a way to process what is happening to me. I think in quarantine it’s so easy to feel isolated or alone poetry allows you to tell your story, even without an audience. We become an audience to ourselves,” Haze said. For more information about the UAA Love Poem Contest, visit the UAA Student Activities and Commuter Programs Facebook page. To enter a submission, participants must be UAA students who are 18 years of age or older and adhere to the poetry guidelines listed on the submission form. Open submissions will close on Sept. 25. For more information about mental or physical health, contact the UAA Student Health and Counseling Center.
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Hitbox Impressions: Marvel’s Spider-Man By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org
Spider-Man is back to do whatever Spider-Man does, which is to swing from webs through the skyscrapers of New York. Developer: Insomniac Games Release date: Sept. 2018 Platforms: PlayStation 4 Price: $39.99 In almost every way, Marvel’s SpiderMan feels like a standard formulaic Ubisoft game. There are a plentiful amount of icons on the map to check off and main missions to advance the story. There are also a few side-missions where SpiderMan helps out the citizens of New York thrown in for good measure. Where Spider-Man differentiates itself, is through how good it feels to just get around from place to place. Being Spider-Man, he can move through the bustling city of New York with ease by attaching webs and swinging from building to building. It turns out that the simple act of swinging is enough to keep me playing, even though I have a growing backlog of games with more engaging stories and gameplay. Combine the ease of swinging with the ability to zip to a point on roofs and launch off of it to gain extra speed, and there’s really no barrier to prevent the player from moving through the city however they want. Spider-Man can also run up or use webs to scale buildings. Epic music, in the literal sense, begins playing when Spider-Man starts swinging too. Every movement tool in Spider-Man’s kit makes racing to the next icon a blast. It also helps that Marvel’s Spider-Man is the first game that I haven’t immediately noticed was running at only 30 frames per second. The primary reason for that being how rock solid the frame rate is. Not once did I notice the frame rate drop
SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF PLAYSTATION.COM
at all. The reason that’s so significant is that literally every other open-worldstyle PlayStation 4 game I’ve played has had frame rate drops. They usually occur when a lot of action or visual effects are happening on the screen, but not in my experience with Marvel’s Spider-Man. Maybe that’s because there aren’t a ton of visual effects happening on the screen, but it’s worth pointing out regardless. Most of those icons are just collectibles, such as backpacks with lore tidbits, or photographing famous landmarks, but there are also combat-focused activities like crimes or gang hideouts. All activities reward tokens which can be used to craft unlocks or upgrades such as new suits or gadgets. Crimes are a bit more dynamic. A robbery in progress or drug deal are fairly common, but there are also car chases where Spider-Man must catch up and stop a speeding car. After successfully completing a quick-time event, these chases always end with Spider-Man pushing against the car to stop it in its tracks. I’ve spent the past few paragraphs describing everything but the main missions for good reason, they just haven’t connected with me. By no means am I a Spider-Man fan. Sure, I’ll watch a SpiderMan movie, but it’s because it’s a bigbudget Marvel movie, not because I especially like the character. For some, I suspect it’ll be a relief to hear that playing Marvel’s Spider-Man is like watching one of any number of
SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF PLAYSTATION.COM
Spider-Man can swing and utilize certain objects in the environment to give him an edge in combat.
Spider-Man movies that have come out in the past 20 years. To its credit, Marvel’s Spider-Man skips the origin story and dives deep into his career, having imprisoned several villains already. In this timeline, Peter Parker works for Dr. Octavius, helping advance his research into prosthetic limbs. I’ve barely started the story, but I can already see miles ahead. Maybe there are surprises ahead, but the story being set up so far is very predictable. Another significant plot point is Parker’s relationship with freelance journalist Mary Jane Watson. It seems that the couple broke up several months earlier. That’s basically all I know at this point, but I suspect it’ll develop into a will-theywon’t-they situation. Throughout all this, Spider-Man still maintains his usual wise-cracking demeanor, but that casual upbeat tone creates a major tonal shift whenever he is working with the police. In order to reveal more of the map, Spider-Man must repair police surveillance antennas. That’s right, Spider-Man is actively perpetuating mass surveillance of the city and people he claims to love so much. The degree to which Spider-Man admires the police of New York and seemingly wants to be one is also pretty gross considering the numerous instances of police violence perpetrated against Black Americans, including the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin in front of his children, which left
Marvel’s Spider-Man features a selfie camera mode.
him paralyzed. Combat in Marvel’s Spider-Man is the familiar button-mashing style popularized by the Batman Arkham games. Essentially, it boils down to pushing the square button to attack and circle to dodge. The player can also use one of several gadgets such as the web shooter to ensnare enemies. I don’t have much to say about the combat aside from how oddly difficult I’ve found it to be. Attacks from enemies with guns can be dodged, but if the player slips up just once, they’ll find a quarter of their health bar missing. I’ve heavily relied on one of the numerous suit powers, Web Blossom, to neutralize multiple enemies at once as a result. Speaking of suits, there are a ton of them to unlock. They range in tone, from comical to referential. For example, the Spider-Punk suit gives SpideMan a Mohawk and denim jacket, while the Iron-Spider suit has a metallic look. Unlocking a new suit also comes with a new suit power. Thankfully, instead of being forced to wear a specific suit for its power, the player can mix and match. Marvel’s Spider-Man is a perfectly fine open-world cluttered with trivial side activities. The main story is very concerned with Spider-Man’s work-life balance which could be especially resonant now that we seem to live at work now.
SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF PLAYSTATION.COM
The simple act of swinging from buildings feels fluid and smooth.
REPORTS
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KRUA charts and adds. Top Ten Adds Artist: LOMELDA Record: Hannah Label: Double Double Whammy
Artist: COREY FLOOD Record: Hanging Garden Label: Fire Talk
Artist: ST PANTHER Record: These Days [EP] Label: Nice Life
Artist: WASHED OUT Record: Purple Noon Label: Sub Pop
Artist: SAMIA Record: The Baby Label: Grand Jury
Artist: MARGARET CHAVEZ Record: Into An Atmosphere Label: We Know Better/State Fair
Artist: DECLAN MCKENNA Record: Zeros Label: Tomplicated
Artist: DOLLY VALENTINE Record: How To Be Good Label: Self-Released
Artist: AVERY LEIGH’S NIGHT PALACE Record: “Into The Wake, Mystified” [Single] Label: Self-Released
Artist: BRONSON Record: BRONSON Label: Foreign Family Collective/Ninja Tune
Artist: FRST, THE Record: Prelude Label: Self-Released Artist: TRICKY Record: Fall To Pieces Label: False Idols Artist: DIRTY PROJECTORS Record: Super João [EP] Label: Domino Artist: MT WOLF Record: “Anna Maria” [Single] Label: Akira Artist: CAITLIN PASKO Record: Greenhouse Label: Whatever’s Clever Top 30 Charts Artist: HALF GRINGA Record: Force To Reckon Label: Self-Released Artist: YOUNG JESUS Record: Welcome To Conceptual Beach Label: Saddle Creek Artist: DUVAL TIMOTHY Record: Help Label: Carrying Colour
Artist: RAPHAEL FUTURA Record: Riviera Label: Self-Released Artist: MOMMHEADS, THE Record: New Kings Of Pop Label: Self-Released Artist: JUNI ATA Record: Saudade Label: Flying On Fire Artist: MATT MALTESE Record: madhouse [EP] Label: Nettwerk Artist: WIDOWSPEAK Record: Plum Label: Captured Tracks Artist: YALC123 Record: Yalc Nitsua Mailliw Label: Citrus City Artist: GLASS ANIMALS Record: Dreamland Label: Wolf Tone/Republic Artist: FAST ROMANTICS Record: Pick It Up Label: Postwar Artist: JUICE WRLD Record: Legends Never Die
Label: Interscope
Label: Bar/None
Artist: ORACLE SISTERS Record: Paris I [EP] Label: 22Twenty
Artist: CLOUD NOTHINGS Record: The Black Hole Understands Label: Self-Released
Artist: BETHS, THE Record: Jump Rope Gazers Label: Carpark
Artist: ALICE IVY Record: Don’t Sleep Label: Last Gang
Artist: COCO Record: Last Of The Loving Label: FCA/Coco Time
Artist: JESSY LANZA Record: All The Time Label: Hyperdub
Artist: SAM RAE Record: Ten Thousand Years Label: Self-Released
Artist: DEHD Record: Flower Of Devotion Label: Fire Talk
Artist: HELVETIA Record: This Devastating Map Label: Joyful Noise
Artist: DREAM WIFE Record: So When You Gonna... Label: Lucky Number
Artist: LIONEL BOY Record: Who Is Dovey [EP] Label: Innovative Leisure
Artist: RIZ LA VIE Record: Feed [EP] Label: Self-Released
Artist: WINTER Record: Endless Space (Between You And I)
Provided by Zach Smith-Brookins, Music Manager at KRUA 88.1 FM.
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