April192011

THENORTHERNLIGHT APRIL 19, 2011

FEATURES

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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

Brazillian blowout:

Formaldehyde in hair products

OPINION

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WWW.THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

Glenn Beck leaves FOX: Not a moment too soon

MOTION

B1

The Real Fighters:

Micky & Dicky visit UAA, pose for pics

ALCOHOL, SUICIDE A MIXED CAMPUS COCKTAIL

by alden Lee

The Northern Light

“He was in a fetal position, literally, crying, with his head buried between his legs. He just let it all out, just sat there crying in my arms.”

In that moment, supporting his grief-stricken friend, 18-year-old Torren Harrison found himself caught up in emotional turmoil that left him feeling shaken and useless.

Suicide.

The word alone is taboo. It is one of the most difficult and uncomfortable things to discuss, or even think about, in our culture.

Whether it be our own personal experiences or the experiences of others, suicide conjures up deep and troubling emotions.

Phrases like “committed suicide”, “attempted suicide” and “thoughts of suicide” haunt our ears and minds with the frightening possibility of what if.

Let’s throw one more idea into the mix, one common among college students across the nation: Alcohol abuse.

That memorable night, Harrison, a UAA student, found himself at a friend’s house with a group of people. Alcohol was present in large amounts.

“Lots of people were drunk,” Harrison said. “They were

SEE SUICIDE PAGE 03

graPhic/Photo by cJ beaudrie

UAA Cadet Lounge dedicated to fallen ROTC pilot at memorial UAA ROTC graduate Jeff Hill honored at UAA by family, friends and fellow service members after tragic C-17 accident has raised over $3,000, with the goal of awarding the money to cadets from Air Force ROTC detainment 001, UAA’s detainment.

Smith said the goal is to pass on Hill’s legacy and for cadets to understand the footsteps in which they’re following.

Also speaking at the event were Dr. William Spindle, Vice Chancellor of UAA, Matthew Sargeant, cadet wing commander, and Rachel Hill, Jeff Hill’s wife.

The large room was filled with solemnity and respect, as members of the armed services and their families commemorated Hill’s life.

Soldiers of Elmendorf Air Force Base listen as collegues and friends reflect on Hill’s life.

danieL Jackson/tnL

by kate Lindsley The Northern Light

“Jeff Hill was an airman, he was a cadet, an officer in the Air Force, a pilot, a hunting buddy, a fishing buddy, a hard worker, a pilot; he was a father and a husband,” Lieutenant Patrick Weeks said.

The plane crash that killed Captain Hill and his three crewmates happened mere seconds after liftoff. Pilot Major Michael Freyholtz had performed many aerial feats, exhibiting the C-17’s impressive abilities at the Thunderbirds air shows.

On July 28th, 2010 however, Freyholtz went beyond the United States Air Force’s safety guidelines. First, Freyholtz took off at 40 degrees while flying at too slow of airspeed and then leveled the airplane at just 850 feet. After a couple of steep banks, the plane slowed and quickly stalled. It crashed in a matter of seconds.

When Colonel Doug Smith first heard of the crash, he knew Hill was a man that should be remembered in an honorable way. Each speaker at the ceremony spoke of Hill as a guiding light for them, even if they were his superiors.

“Jeff would say to ‘have your goal’. He would also say to take advantage of the opportunity presented today. When the sun comes up and is willing to give you another day, what are you going to do?” Weeks said.

To commemorate Hill’s life, the Cadet Lounge of UAA’s main campus was renamed in his honor at a ceremony at the UAA Aviation technology center on Friday the 15th of April.

“To do something like this will leave a permanent thumbprint to remember him through,” Rocky Capozzi, director of the Aviation Technology division of UAA, said.

In addition, a scholarship fund in Hill’s name

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NEWS| April 19, 2011

Powerful positions at UAA vacant in coming year Large numbers of faculty leaving English department; administrators say routine transitions planned for next semester

By Matt Caprioli The Northern Light Two of the six academic dean positions will be vacant once the semester ends.

Several professors in the English Department, including the Chair, will leave for other universities. The Confucius Institute and the Native Studies Program have no permanent director.

Of these vacant positions, only Chancellor Ulmer has a permanent replacement.

With so much efflux, the question has been asked- is UAA up for grabs?

“I don’t get the sense these are ominous signs of trouble at UAA. In fact, with Alaska’s economy being so much stronger than the economies of other states, Alaska’s university system is also much stronger and drawing people in. I know that some of the departments in CAS this year are seeing a steep increase in the number of applicants for faculty positions,” John Petraitis, President of Faculty Senate and Professor of Psychology, said.

The consensus among faculty is that UAA will have enough time to find qualified applicants. But in the English Department, where four professors are leaving, this may be prove difficult.

“While term faculty can teach courses in first-year composition, which is crucial to both the department and the students in these courses, they can’t replace some of the services that tenure-track faculty engage in on a daily basis,” Lori Mumpower, Assistant Professor of English, said.

Mumpower and her husband Janson Jones, also an instructor at UAA, will be leaving for Valdosta State University in Georgia.

“It’s a good move for us, both geographically and professionally,” Mumpower said.

Professor Genie Babb, the English Department Chair,

will travel her husband John Liska, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, to SUNY Plattsburgh in New York.

“The opportunity at SUNY Plattsburgh is a good career move for us, and we feel right about taking it. But the move will be bittersweet for both of us. We leave behind many wonderful colleagues and students, as well as family, friends, and countless happy memories. UAA is a very rewarding place to work, and Alaska is an amazing place to live,” Babb said.

‘It’s pretty normal in higher education to see people come and go, and it’s always for a variety of reasons.’

-Diane Kozak, Interim director of AHAINA Babb said that the changes in the English Department were unusual.

“It’s coincidental, not related to the department, but to individual faculty member’s professional and personal situations,” Babb said.

As of April 12, 2011, 35 staff and 31 faculty positions remain vacant. Though the number of vacant positions at UAA seems large, UAA staff agreed with faculty that these fluctuations are expected.

“It’s pretty normal in higher education to see people come and go, and it’s always for a variety of reasons,” Diane Kozak, the interim director of the AHAINA program, said.

Kozak herself has had an interesting journey through the higher education system. She worked in Student Life and Leadership for four years prior to pursuing a position in the SUNY system. She returned to UAA last year to

become the interim director of the AHAINA program.

Kozak is very familiar with SUNY Plattsburg, where Dean Liszka will become Provost in the fall. The higher education system is, as Kozak said, a revolving door.

From the Provost and Chancellor Provost Mike Driscoll and Ulmer agree that overall, the number of faculty and administrators leaving is not unusual.

Historically, faculty at UAA seem to stay for a long time.

“In 2009, HR looked at the longevity of faculty at UAA and found that it was rather high – we had quite a few people who could have retired but chose not to,” Ulmer said in an email.

Academic departments temporarily fill open positions through adjunct, term, and visiting faculty. Administrative positions follow the same procedure.

“As is often the case for administrative leadership, I will appoint interim occupants while we search for permanent replacements,” Driscoll said.

Last Friday, Provost Driscoll announced that Dr. Kim Peterson will serve as the interim dean for CAS. Peterson is Professor of Biology Sciences and Associate Dean of Research in CAS. The search for a permanent Dean for the College of Education (CO) and for the CAS has not yet began.

“At this point I’m not aware of anyone who might apply, which is not unexpected this early in the process,” Driscoll said.

The Dean of Education, Mary Snyder, announced her resignation on April 14.

“Mary Snyder has been Dean for eight years and is returning to teaching as a tenured professor. UAA will continue to benefit from her leadership and experience. An interim dean will be named soon,” said Ulmer.

Books of the Year educate beyond polarizing politics The Books of the Year Program brings authors to campus and provides opportunities for students

by Matt caprioli The Northern Light

First year students will have difficulty dodging the Books of the Year.

“I don’t think I have had a time when I wasn’t able to take one of those books and apply it to intro to sociology,” said Anne Jache, who teaches sociology and genealogy.

The Books of the Year program began in 2006, as part of a Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues.

Faculty from APU and UAA decide on a challenging topic and then choose two books that explore the topic. The initiative has become a model for other schools throughout the nation.

Authors Charles Wohlforth and Robert Rosenburg have visited UAA because of the program,.

2008/09’s Alaska Native Q & A was written expressly for the program.

Since its inception, the program has influenced students outside class.

Students have used it as a source for Student Showcase, Dance recitals, and Undergraduate Research.

Jache recalls a student who used depictions of the burqa in The Swallows of Kabul as inspiration for a First Friday.

The novel, written by Yamina Khadra, challenged Jache’s own assumptions.

“Just after 9/11, this hadn’t been an issue yet, and most feminists considered the veil oppressive. But in exploring some of the images of

the veil, we saw how in some ways the veil could offer freedom.”

She recalled a scene in The Swallows of Kabul where a woman laughs with her husband; the police cannot see her face, so they beat only her husband.

In this case, she has freedom of expression.

“She can do all kinds of things with her face that those in western culture can’t,” Jache said.

Jache loves the program because it encourages the entire community to address a topic that

religion, service abroad, and fundamentalism, can become included in everyday chats. The goal has succeed in the past.

Students in the resident halls have decorated their floors based on a year’s theme.

The books of the Year are carefully selected by a Steering Committee. This year’s committee included six professors, all in distinct fields, from APU Biology and Math Professor Roman Dial, to UAA Justice Professor Deb Periman.

This year’s books:

is pervasive, but that may not be commonly discussed.

“Everyone is reading the same book so that we can talk about themes that are hard to talk about,” Jache said.

The program encourages that themes like immigration,

Reading the preface of David Shipler’s The Working Poor: Invisible in America, a quote from Voltaire comes to mind: “A long dispute means that both parties are wrong.” Exactly how to solve the issue of inequality in America was debated before America even formed.

But Shipler, following Voltaire, refuses polarizing views for the sake of entertainment. Instead, he held in-depth interviews with hundreds of people and spent years analyzing institutional data.

“I have tried to see (poverty) with clear eyes, not through an ideological lens. Indeed, devout conservatives and impassioned liberals will be bothered by this portrait of poverty, at least I hope so, for the reality I discovered does not fit neatly into anyone’s political agenda. I want to challenge and undermine

longstanding assumptions at both ends of the spectrum,” Shipler writes in his preface.

It may be common knowledge that social aid programs, foreign and domestic, are in need of a tune-up.

For example, in determining the poverty line, the Census Bureau still uses a model formed by the Social Security Administration in 1964. That model was based on the average household’s spending habits in 1955. At that time, the family spent 1/3 of their income on food. Today, 1/10 of their budget goes to food. The modern family isn’t getting the same amount of food; they’re simply spending more on bills. The Census though, and every law resultant of it, does not recognize this new reality.

Michael Lewis’s The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, similarly exposes politics that many of us would have never known. Like Shipler, Lewis is hardly an armchair theorist. When he was 24, Lewis’s job was to

distribute investment advice. He had no clue, yet three years later left much richer.

“The whole thing still strikes me as totally preposterous.”

Lewis wrote of the experience in Liar’s Poker, 21 years ago.

“I expected readers of the future would be appalled that, back in 1986, the CEO of Salomon Brothers, John Gutfreund, was paid $3.1 million as he ran the business into the ground. I expected them to gape in wonder at the story of Howie Rubin, the Salomon mortgage bond trader, who had moved to Merrill Lynch and promptly lost $250 million.

I expected them to be shocked that, once upon a time on Wall Street, the CEOs had only the vaguest idea of the complicated risks their bond traders were running,” Lewis writes.

With Wall Street’s latest impulsion, Lewis hopes the public will finally notice Wall Street’s tendency to reward incompetency.

03 SUICIDE: Alcohol, suicide tear students apart April 19, 2011 | NEWS

CONTINUED FROM COVER definitely at that place to get plastered.”

This is common among young college students. A national study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that underage students are likely to engage in bouts of heavy drinking with the goal of getting drunk, and therefore suffer greater alcohol problems.

The study also found that individuals with suicidal thoughts and attempts were much more likely to involve themselves in this type of binge drinking.

“My friend went to the bathroom, without even saying anything, and he was in there for a long time,” Harrison said about that night. “So I knocked on the door and he didn’t open, and right then I knew something was up.”

“He’d been having some issues before and he’d been drinking for a long, long time. So at that time, I was more perceptive toward him, and I knew I couldn’t let him out of my sight for more than five minutes.

Some of the shit he had talked about doing earlier that day, and with how depressed he was, all these family issues – I knew I had to keep pounding on that door. Finally he opens it, and I see him sitting in the corner of the bathroom, crying on the carpet. And not just crying; sobbing. Really sobbing.”

Harrison said the sight was shocking and completely unexpected. He was unsure what to do, eventually sitting down next to his friend and asking if he wanted to talk.

“He told me his girlfriend that he really cared about had broken up with him, his dad had an aneurism in his head, just a lot

of shit going down on him that he couldn’t In addition, among those individuals cope with,” Harrison said. with major depressive disorders, there is Harrison said his friend’s only real a definite relationship between suicidal solution to deal contemplation and alcohol with his tumultuous use. feelings was the “There was another saddest thing about incident, with alcohol it. involved, where we had to “It was pretty take pills away from a guy scary, because he because he told us straight kept talking about up that he was planning on suicide, how he killing himself with them couldn’t deal with later that night,” Harrison it anymore,” said said. “Like, if we didn’t Harrison. “There get to those pills before was nothing I could he did, he’d be dead right do but just be there now.” for him, but it was Professor Vivian terrifying for me to Gonzales, a Psychology see. He had given professor at UAA, says that up on life.” binge-drinking students According are at greater risk for to Dr. Jim Cole, future suicidal behavior a counselor at and are a population in University of need of suicide prevention Alaska Fairbanks, efforts. Gonzales defined the suicide rate binge-drinkers as those among college who consume five or more students is 50% drinks in one sitting on at higher than the least three occasions per rate among young week.

-Torren Harisson adults as a whole.

Harrison believes that Suicide is the alcohol abuse and suicidal second leading tendencies are significant cause of death problems at UAA. among college students, eclipsed only by “Depression on campus and suicidal car crashes. thoughts, from what I’ve noticed, are big

things,” Harrison said. “Huge amounts of kids on campus are suffering from it. And I think drinking is their way of coping with that.”

According to studies by M. Cooper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, college students with a history of suicidal contemplation and attempted suicide are positively associated with using alcohol or other substances to cope.

Harrison agrees with these findings.

“This kind of stuff is terrible,” Harrison said. “It’s such a bitter feeling to know that people are suffering this way, and drowning in alcohol and thoughts of suicide. But it’s the reality.”

well-wishers, people listed on the museum’s website as “honorary members.”

Arason was described by Hjartarson as a former tourism worker who died Jan. 5 in the nearby town of Akureyri. Thorvaldur Ingvarsson, the medical director of Akureyri’s hospital, didn’t give a cause of death but said the specimen was removed from the body under the supervision of a doctor.

The phallus was officially installed in a ceremony last week, Hjartarson said, adding that he saw nothing wrong with the idea of having someone donate their penis to be shown off to the public.

“People are always donating some organ after they died,” he said. “It’s no more remarkable to donate a penis than it is to donate an organ like a kidney.”

Hjartarson said the donation fit with Arason’s personality.

“He liked to be in the limelight, you know? He was a funny guy,” he said. “He was a boaster, a braggart ... he liked to be provocative.”

But the museum director was coy when asked about the size of his newest acquisition.

“I can’t tell you that,” Hjartarson said. “You will just have to come and see it.”

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) -- A pharmacist in southeastern Mississippi says some drug store burglar got a surprise when they broke into his business to steal the pain medication Lortab the pills had been replaced with beans.

Pharmacist Mac Clark works at Fred’s Drug Store in Pascagoula and told WLOX TV the store has broken into several times in the past six months, and each time the burglars got Lortab.

He decided he needed a decoy.

He put kidney beans in a large Lortab bottle.

Around 6 a.m. Wednesday, the burglars came back. The only thing stolen was the Lortab bottle filled with beans.

Investigators believe the burglar cut him or herself during the break-in because they found a trail of blood leading away from the building.

‘It was pretty scary, because he kept talking about suicide, how he couldn’t deal with it anymore... There was nothing I could do but just be there for him, but it was terrifying for me to see. He had given up on life.’

Students who find themselves battling depression and contemplating suicide should visit the Student Health and Counseling Center, located in Rasmuson Hall, Suites 116 and 120. The center offers individual counseling, medications, health education, outreach screenings for anxiety and depression and couples counseling.

Please call 907-786-4040 to schedule an appointment.

SAY WHAT? Iceland’s penis museum finally gets human specimen LONDON (AP) -- In life, Pall Arason sought attention. In death, he is getting it: The 95-yearold Icelander’s pickled penis will be the main attraction in one of his country’s most bizarre museums.

Sigurdur Hjartarson, who runs the Phallological Museum in the tiny Icelandic fishing town of Husavik, said Arason’s organ will help round out the unusual institution’s extensive collection of phalluses from whales, seals, bears and other mammals.

Several people had pledged their penises over the years - including an American, a Briton, and a German - but Arason’s was the first to be successfully donated, Hjartarson said.

“I have just been waiting for this guy for 15 years,” he told The Associated Press in a brief telephone interview.

Hjartarson’s museum started in Reykjavik but has since moved to Husavik, a small community better known for its whale watching. The Phallological Museum is an important part of the region’s tourist industry, bringing in thousands of visitors every summer.

Highlights of the museum’s collection include a 170-centimeter (67-inch) sperm whale penis preserved in formaldehyde, lampshades made from bull testicles and what the museum described as an “unusually big” penis bone from a Canadian walrus.

Hjartarson, 69, said his interest in what he calls “phallology” began when, as a youngster in rural Iceland, he was given a whip made from a bull’s penis to help him herd cattle. Later, when he worked at a school near a whaling station, colleagues brought him whale penises as gifts.

“That was how it started. I opened this museum 15 years ago with 62 specimens,” he said. Now, with the addition of Arason’s organ, he has 276, many suspended in formaldehyde or dried and mounted on the walls.

Photos posted to the museum’s website show small army of ghostly, whitish penises stuffed into jars, tall glass cylinders and large aquariums. There are sculptures, molds and other penis-related craft items. Outside, the museum has a large tree trunk carved into the shape of an erect phallus.

Most items are donations from friends and

No strings attached: Puppets robbed in Hawaii HONOLULU (AP) -- Thieves broke into a performing arts organization’s van and stole three puppets worth $10,000, cutting the company’s cast in half in the middle of a popular tour and prompting workers to frantically dig through trash bins in search of the missing characters.

Maui Academy of Performing Arts officials said the cloth-covered foam puppets were created in 2009 by puppeteer Frank Kane, who once worked for Jim Henson and the Muppets, and stolen Saturday night in Kahului. The group made a plea for the public’s help in locating the missing puppets as workers searched roads and trash bins for any sign of them.

“They’re really not of any value to whoever took them, but they’re of great value to us,” executive and artistic director David Johnston said Monday. “We scoured the area looking for them.”

The theft occurred as the company prepared to fly to Oahu to perform “The Further Adventures of Tikki Tikki Tembo” for elementary and preschool children, an adaptation of a

popular Chinese folk tale that is seen by 45,000 kids a year across Hawaii.

“This is one of our main events,” Johnston said. “It’s a pretty strong income stream for us.”

The missing puppets portrayed Chang, Tikki Tembo’s younger brother, their mother and Nobu, a village minstrel. The missing puppets’ characters were re-cast by reconfiguring facial features on other puppets.

“We did some emergency plastic surgery,” said production manager Mark Collmer.

Johnston said losing three out of six puppets puts a financial strain on the nonprofit’s ability to put on shows because they are used so frequently. He said the economic downturn has put a financial strain on the fine arts organization along with other nonprofit groups around the country.

“We are operating hand-to-mouth right now, and these thieves just cut off one of our hands,” Johnston said in a statement.

The thefts were first reported by The Maui News.

Oregon legislature’s prank becomes Internet sensation SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Who says government has to be boring?

A dozen state lawmakers in Oregon are convinced it doesn’t need to be. They slipped the lyrics to Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” into their speeches on the House floor last year. And they did it right under the noses of colleagues, journalists, lobbyists, staff and the public.

The video was released on April Fool’s Day and went viral this week, attracting more than 780,000 views and comments from fans cheering the politicians eager to have a little fun while doing the people’s business.

The mastermind is Rep. Jefferson Smith, a 37-year old Portland Democrat who says he wants to drive people to politics instead of driving them away with partisan venom

Drug store thief comes for pills, leaves with beans

New Hampshire cops seek woman accused of lifting 14 lobsters ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Police in Rochester, N.H., would like to get their claws on a woman accused of shoplifting 14 live lobsters.

Authorities released a surveillance photo Monday that shows the woman pushing a shopping cart near the front of the Milton Road Market Basket grocery store.

Police tell the Foster’s Daily Democrat that the woman entered the store Friday afternoon and asked for a selection of lobster from the clerk in the seafood department.

Store employees say the woman received the lobsters and then left the store without paying.

She left in a blue van with a partial license plate “222.”

Police Capt. Paul Callaghan says the 14 lifted lobsters amounted to about 16 pounds of seafood.

–compiled by Matthew caprioli

04

TNL

NEWS| April 19, 2011

STATEWIDE BRIEFS

Legislature passes union, muni compromise The Alaska Legislature has approved raising the threshold for prevailing wages in public contracts.

The Senate on Sunday unanimously passed House Bill 155, which increases from $2,000 to $25,000 the limit for work on public contracts to qualify for the prevailing wage.

Democratic Sen. Dennis Egan of Juneau, in describing the bill on the floor, said the change will allow local governments to do small-scale construction projects, like fixing potholes, at much lower costs.

He said the current limit dates to the 1930s. The proposed new limit was agreed to by Alaska unions and municipalities.

UAA students inducted to national honor society Eighteen Justice majors were awarded certificates and pinned as members of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society, Omega Xi Chapter, on Wednesday, March 30 at the Justice Center. Family and friends attended the ceremony, followed by a reception.

To be selected for this honor, each student had to maintain a 3.2 overall cumulative GPA and 3.2 GPA in their Justice major. Alpha Phi Sigma is the only National Criminal Justice Honor Society for Criminal Justice Majors.

The society recognizes academic excellence of undergraduate and graduate students of criminal justice.

Dr. Marny Rivera, faculty advisor, moderated the ceremony, assisted by Justice Center faculty members Dr. Brad Myrstol, Dr. Troy Payne, and Dr. Sharon Chamard.

Committee authorizes North Slope labor study The Senate Finance Committee has authorized spending up to $200,000 on a study of oil and gas employment on Alaska’s North Slope.

The authorization came at the end of a long hearing on the Legislature’s last scheduled day.

Committee co-chair Bert Stedman says the study is intended to sort out conflicting jobs data that lawmakers received during the debate on oil production taxes. The proposal to cut taxes stalled in the Senate with leaders saying they didn’t have the information needed to make a sound decision.

Stedman expects the debate to be revived when the Legislature reconvenes in January and for the study’s findings to inform it.

Committees have their own funding, and chairs can spend up to $25,000 on their own. More expensive items must get committee support.

CONGRATULATIONS SPRING 2011 GRADUATES!

Juneau man sentenced to 26 years on drug charges A Juneau man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for selling drugs.

Assistant District Attorney Angie Kemp says John White’s criminal history and his performance on probation for previous offenses was abysmal.

The Juneau Empire reports White’s criminal history includes nine felony convictions, including robbery and sexual assault.

White said at sentencing Thursday that he sold drugs because he could not find work as a fisherman, only as a manual laborer.

Superior Court Judge Phillip Pallenberg called White a worst offender and said the Legislature has made it clear that people who commit serious crimes when they have multiple felonies should have long sentences.

Pallenberg sentenced White to 20 years for his latest conviction and added time previously suspended from other convictions.

Alaska Senate passes cannabinoid ban The Alaska Legislature has approved a ban on synthetic cannabinoids.

House Bill 7 criminalizes possession of less than 12 grams of the drug as a misdemeanor, and possession of more than that amount as a felony.

The substances are designed to mimic marijuana and are undetectable by most drug tests.

Marketed under brand names like K2 and Spice, the substances have been credited with causing side effects like nausea, hallucinations and panic attacks.

The state Senate unanimously supported the ban on Saturday; the House later agreed with the Senate’s changes, sending the bill to Gov. Sean Parnell for his consideration.

–compiled by Matthew caprioli

Graduate Dedication Ceremony

Spring 2011 Grads RSVP Soon!

AHAINA is the acronym for African-American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, International and Native American.

Our motto is Goals, Grades, Graduation and we want to celebrate you and your accomplishments AHAINA style!

Although your official 2011 UAA Graduation Ceremony at the Sullivan Arena will be on May 1st, the AHAINA Graduation Ceremony is an other celebration because you deserve it!

AHAINA: Your Campus Connectors AHAINA Student Programs Rasmuson Hall, Suite 106 3211 Providence Drive Anchorage, AK 99508 Ph: 907-786-4070 Fax: 907-786-4079 www.uaa.alaska.edu/ multicultural/

Fall 2011 Grads: RSVP your attendance by December 2011!

April 19, 2011 | NEWS

05

It’s Your Campus. Get Active. Get involved.

Ad space courtesy of The Northern Light

Want to see your student club’s ad here for free?

Call the Student Life & Leadership Publicity Center at 786-6070 or email aypc@uaa.alaska.edu

Check out our website to see how we can help your student club! www.uaa.alaska.edu/publicitycenter

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FEATURES

06

Brazilian blowout blown out of Europe, straight in USA No longer allowed as a solution to chronically unruly hair for Europeans, American still free to breathe formaldehyde by kimkoa robinson Special to The Northern Light

Long, smooth, straight hair.

Just like in the magazines. Some women would risk their lives for it. You might be risking your life for it without even knowing it.

The popular keratin treatment ‘Brazilian Blowout’ promises “smooth, frizz-free, radiant hair”.

At first glance, it delivers. For a hefty price tag of around $300, a stylist can turn even the most unruly mop into a work of art. Of course, there’s a catch.

The controversy surrounding the Brazilian Blowout first took hold in late October of last year, when the Oregon division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported unsafe levels of formaldehyde in the popular products’ formulas.

The panel conducted tests on 105 samples from 54 salons and concluded that small amounts of formaldehyde gas were released into the air when the products

were heated.

A series of complaints from stylists and customers spurred the investigation. Symptoms ranged from irritation of the eyes and throat, to nosebleeds, respiratory problems and even hair loss.

By November, action kicked into high gear when the California Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against the makers of Brazilian Blowout for failing to warn consumers that their hair products might give them cancer.

Salons everywhere reacted swiftly. In Canada and Australia they pulled the products from the shelves. Similarly, in France, England and Ireland the products were recalled. In fact, all over Europe they stopped giving people Brazilian Blowouts altogether.

The United States took a different course of action. Salons continued offering the treatments, despite growing concern over their safety.

Others took a slightly different route. Shortly after OSHA

released the reports, Mark Garrison, of the Mark Garrison Salon in New York, came up with his own solution.

He began requiring gas masks.

In November of last year, ABC news aired a segment on the dangers of the Brazilian Blowout with the bizarre scene of a stylist and client wearing the masks. Apparently New Yorkers are willing to go to great lengths for great hair. But what about Alaskans?

Local stylist Kimberly Werner of Bella salon seemed unconcerned.

“Obviously formaldehyde is known to cause cancer. But...we’re not feeding it to you,” Werner said.

This point is debatable, considering that the gas is inhaled.

Kimberly’s client Alissa Thomas shared her lack of interest in the

potential health risks posed by the products.

“I loved it, and I had no

the price of beauty is worth paying, regardless of any cost.

Putting up a good fight, the chemists behind the Brazilian Blowout fought back by filing their own lawsuit against Oregon OSHA. Initially claiming that the agency reported false and misleading information, the developers eventually dropped their lawsuit in early March and launched new, “formaldehyde free” products.

They are currently under investigation by the Federal Drug Administration. Perhaps the best advice in this case is the simple, classic “buyers beware.”

graPhic by cJ beaudrie

negative reaction of any kind,” Thomas said.

Their opinion seems to mimic a disturbing trend in this country:

Latrine Dean: Seeking simple sanitation In the final installment of the Latrine Dean series, a turn towards the more serious toilet-related issues of the day, and a call to action for responsible public restroom use by all UAA students

by John budnik The Northern Light

It is certainly that time of the year again, with the snow melting and finals rapidly approaching.

Trying to balance time needed for studying with the desire to seek the sun outside can be like taking on a second job. Soon enough though, we’ll all make it through safe and sound, but certainly not without a few restroom breaks.

This being the final Latrine Dean article for the semester, I want to wrap the series up a feeling of legitimate commentary that may have been lost with extensive descriptions of aesthetics, stall privacy and toilet paper appeal.

I didn’t realize back in November what an endeavor the Latrine Dean column would turn out to be. More importantly, though, it was a learning experience and an eye opener.

Through the course of critiquing the restrooms, it dawned on me that we are in a luxurious position to warrant a

‘restroom critic’. There are many places in this world, including in our own state, that don’t have the luxury of plumbing and running water for public restrooms, much less for a bathroom in individual households.

There are numerous sociopolitical factors that play into the lack of quality in many of the world’s restrooms. But there are also people doing something about it.

The World Toilet Organization (WTO) is an organization that a reader of mine enlightened me with.

Founded in 2001, the WTO is a global non-profit organization “committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide.”

My personal favorite of their stated goals is “eliminating the toilet taboo,” which is probably where the Latrine Dean articles serve the greatest purpose on our campus. You can read all about them on their website, www. worldtoilet.org.

What the WTO helps me realize is that having to dispose of our human waste goes beyond the simple ten minute break between classes and a flush. It is about the medium that use to do so. If sanitation conditions are subpar, or equipment is used and outdated, we expose ourselves to risks of illness.

For the restrooms that the Latrine Dean critiqued, I doubt that somebody getting ill from them is especially likely, as four out of five of them scored three stars or more. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have anything to worry about, however.

Though our restrooms are relatively excellent, any latrine can get dirty quickly. It is up to YOU to not leave them in worse shape after use. If not for yourself, think about it for the sake of the next ueser.

Many of the simple aesthetic qualms that I ran into are easily avoidable. The next time you have an urge to draw a phallus on the stall wall, just think to yourself

that it really isn’t all that funny, and how it damages the restroom that you, as a tuition paying student, will have to pay and fix.

Granted, some sanitation issues may be out of the patron’s control. If you recall the critique of the Administrative Building’s atrium restroom there was mold found on the stall wall separating the urinals. I wouldn’t expect any patron to clean that mold between their classes, and that is an issue the University needs to take up with their maintenance crew.

But other simple sanitation issues can, and should, be handled by the patron. If you drop a paper towel, pick it up. If a little water or soap splashes onto the counter while washing your hands, wipe it up. If you come across dysfunctional hardware, such as an overflowing or clogged toilet, tell somebody about it so it can be fixed as soon as possible.

Needless to say, sanitation concerns in restrooms are serious business.

Steve Lindamood, a

professionally trained chef and someone who has worked in the culinary arts profession for numerous years, uses a good rule of thumb when determining the quality of a restaurant.

“If you want to know how clean the kitchen is take a look at their restrooms. If they can’t keep the restrooms clean then they can’t keep the kitchen clean.”

Think about this the next time you and your sweetheart decide to go out to dinner. My advice would be to choose wisely.

A debt of gratitude is owed to the TNL staff for their help publishing the Latrine Dean coulmn, that has enabled me to speak my piece about the restrooms here on campus. A huge thank you also goes to the wonderful correspondent Kellie.

She has been a major asset in keeping the Latrine Dean focused and unbiased toward only the Men’s side of the restroom. My final thought for you as we enter the crunch time of the semester: If you must, please flush twice.

Follow TNL on Twitter @TNL_Updates

April 19, 2011 | FEATURES

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Friday

Lessons from Jonesboro, Littleton, and vietnam: how kids are Learning to kill and Learning to Like it 7:00-9:00 p.m. student union cafeteria

April 22

sinfonia ensemble concert 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Fine arts building rm150

April 23

guitar ensemble concert 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Fine arts building rm 150

April 24

Saturday

immigrants to the Pure Land

by Michichiro ama 5:00-7:00 p.m. uaa bookstore

April 21

Sunday

Wii, Wii, Wii Fun 5:00-9:00 p.m. gorsuch commons, cama-i room

April 20

Meaning in Life among rural alaska native and american indian college students: tonie Marie Quaintance 5:00-7:00 p.m. uaa bookstore

April 25

Monday

ingenious elder teachings 5:00-7:00 p.m. uaa bookstore

April 19

Thursday Wednesday Tuesday

Seawolves’ weekly enrichment calendar

Saturday April 23

Sunday April 24

Slush Cup Pond

2:30 pm | Dummy Downhill 3 pm | End of Season Luau @ Sitzmark 4 pm | XTRATUF Pull Tug of War 7 pm | Seven Glaciers Wine Dinner featuring Joseph Drouhin

2 pm | Snowbunny Promenade 3:30 pm | Idiot Swim Across 4 pm | Slush Cup

2011-12 Season Pass New! Spring Sale

Buy before May 31 & receive bonus Powder Cache.

Check online for details.

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TNL

FEATURES| April 19, 2011

GURU KATE

Picking your beverages wisely: Is the artificial sweetener in diet sodas really more healthy?

Dear Guru Kate, What is the difference between diet pop and regular pop?

Dear soda spellbound, To best explain the answer to this question, let’s stick with just one brand of soda and take an in-depth look at

graPhic by cJ beaudrie

its ingredients. Because I grew up around Coca-Cola fans, I’ll defer to my conditioned bias. Sorry Pepsi people, but your soda is the same stuff, in slightly different ratios.

Let’s look at the history: we all know that the Coke brand is super old, hence the classic logo that looks totally late 19th century. Now that it’s on every pop star’s lovely lady lumps, it’s got a new vibe to it.

The recipe however, has changed over the years- from using cocaine as an ingredient to going kosher. Now it has a cocaine-free coca leaf extract farmed straight from New Jersey. This extract, plus sugar, caffeine, carbonated water and phosphoric acid make up the often-addicting drink.

Diet Coke, on the other hand, is a little different. Made in 1982, it was a big deal because it didn’t have sugar. Instead, it had aspartame. This means it only had 1.3 calories compared to the 142 in regular Coca-Cola.

Big-freaking whoop. As it turns out, aspartame has the ability to do some pretty messed-up stuff; and its healthfactor is a major point of current debate.

It can be a trigger for epileptic seizures, affect nervous system function, learning and behavior. This is only in high doses though. There’s a pretty slim chance of anyone consuming this much aspartame. Most people consume only a fifth of the maximum recommended amount if they drink diet pop every two hours.

There’s a comprehensive evaluation on the safety of aspartame available through the Consortium Library’s website, published in 2007, if you need to really know the biochemical relationship there.

The other difference between Diet Coke and Coca-Cola is high fructose corn syrup. What a buzzword- it always gets everyone’s heart racing (literally). But high fructose corn syrup means: sugar from corn (plus some glucose converted to fructose).

In the world of monosaccharide sugars, there’s sugar

from sugarcane, which is straight up glucose. Then there’s sugar from mammal’s milk, lactose. So really, high fructose just means there’s a higher concentration of fruit sugars than would be in a regular corn syrup. That’s where the trouble comes in.

Foods with high fructose corn syrup aren’t necessarily bad for you. The main concern is how much of those foods are you eating? Most of the time, foods with high fructose corn syrup tend to be overeaten because they’re the packaged, yummy sweets.

So really, the actual high fructose corn syrup isn’t bad, it’s just how much is packed into the pre-packaged foods.

And our society tends to consume a lot of those.

So, should you pick diet or regular pop?

It’s really depends on your lifestyle. For diabetics, it makes sense to drink diet pop because of the lower sugar content. I really don’t see the sense in drinking either. I know it tastes good and has caffeine but it’s not really a good alterative to regular ol’ water.

Yes, yes, I know pop comes free with a meal at Subway.

That doesn’t mean you have to get it.

A good reason against is that your teeth are made of calcium and phosphorus (mainly) and therefore can be softened by phosphoric acid’s powerful effects. Yikes. Just one more reason to just stick with water, the purest form of what your body really wants.

OPINION

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

EDITORIAL

Journalists for the busy, modern students Journalism should amplify the conversations that people are already having. At The Northern Light, that’s what we try to do. Journalists often report on what they think people should know instead of what people actually want to know.

TNL reports on things that are relevant to the UAA campus. And TNL recognizes that their audience, like the TNL staff, consists of busy, but modern college students. That is, we try not to bring you too many stories about Medicare and 401Ks. In the last semester, TNL has reported on some important issues ranging from military mistreatment to the appointment of incoming Chancellor Tom Case. TNL also had some fun with stories about Zumba and the recent beard contest. Our publication is an award winning paper and we have even seen our stories picked up by Anchorage Daily News, KTUU and the Alaska Dispatch.

That’s certainly not meant to toot our own horn. TNL has printed the wrong names in photo captions, among other mistprints. And last week, TNL misspelled toilet. It’s what the advising staff affectionately refers to as “a learning lab.”

TNL’s learning lab breaks down to a mix of students who range from freshmen to seniors and from natual

eXecutive editor 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Jerzy Shedlock Managing editor 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Shana Roberson coPy editor copy@thenorthernlight.org Wiley Cason neWs editor 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Matthew Caprioli Features editor 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Kate Lindsley a&e editor 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Heather Hamilton sPorts editor 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall Photo editor 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Dan Jackson

See Yourself?

Web editor 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org Ashley Snyder Layout editor layout@thenorthernlight.org Brittany Bennett assistant neWs editor news2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant assistant Features editor features2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant

09 sciences majors to English majors. Writing a news story is nothing like writing a term paper. Everyone is learning journalism; at the same time they’re balancing their classes with a job that requires even more academic exercise on a brain that’s already overlaoded enough.

The process of making a story at TNL starts with the idea.

The ideas come from everywhere. They can come from you, from the staff or from a tip.

Then, in a week’s time, the reporter becomes a quasi-subject matter expert on the topic, does research, interviews, plans the photos, graphics and eventually writes the story.

Then the story gets shredded by an editor, a process not unfamiliar to college students since

we’ve all seen and feared the red pen. Eventually, the story ends up in the paper where hopefully you read it.

While TNL is most certainly not perfect, we are working very hard to bring the UAA campus relevant, important and interesting news.

Sometimes that requires us to ask unpopular questions. And as many UAA students have been featured in TNL, you know that you’re all usually willing to answer our questions. And we appreciate that.

As the semester wraps up, TNL would like to thank all of our readers and give a special shout out to those who are graduating. In the unlikely event you get school-sick, check us out online for a little UAA dose.

And for everyone who will continue to read our paper throughout the year, we hope to hear from you over the summer as to what we can do to make your paper better. TNL would love to know what you want to read about, what you’re tired of hearing about and any other suggestions you might have. If you have more than a suggestion, if you’re willing to try your hand at writing, taking photographs or designing layouts and graphics, drop by because we’d love to have you.

While TNL is most certainly not perfect, we are working very hard to bring the UAA campus relevant, important and interesting news.

Sometimes that requires us to ask unpopular questions.

If a photo of you reading TNL is in this issue, come to TNL’s office and pick up your FREE TNL thumbdrive!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To The Northern Light:

assistant a&e editor arts2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant assistant sPorts editor sports2@thenorthernlight.org Megan Edge graPhic designer graphics@thenorthernlight.org CJ Beaudrie advertising Manager 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova advertising rePresentative Celina Hodge circuLation assistant Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir eXecutive oPerations assistant Daniel Kirby MuLtiMedia editor Joshua Tucker PhotograPhers Patrick McCormick contributors Alden Lee Bryan Dunagan Daniel McDonald Eli Johnson Grace Hawkings Kimkoa Robinson Sean Talbot Thomas McIntyre Media adviser Paola Banchero adMinistrative adviser

Annie Route

The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales.

The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 5,000. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or The Northern Light.

For those who don't know, my job is the USUAA Speaker of the Assembly. This position requires me to be a non-biased member of the student government. That is to say, if an argument were to be taking place on the floor, I have to maintain neutrality and allow both sides of the argument to be presented. I hope you understand, now, my problem. For me, an unbiased member who allows everyone to share an opinion, to have to come out and speak against this paper means that the situation has gotten to the point where I am now compelled to say something.

This is a sad state of affairs.

I did not endorse the budget because I feel that by passing a favorable vote for the budget of The Northern Light we would be sending a message to the students as a whole and the writers of The Northern Light that we are alright with the quality of the writing and substance that is in the paper. I feel that this is not the case. The paper has, on many occasions, misrepresented peoples’ words , along with having sloppy grammar and poor spelling.

I'd like to state that this is not based upon an isolated incident; this is a chronic (weekly) problem.

The articles are poorly written and the subject matter is rarely newsworthy. Most of the articles are full of exaggerations and unsubstantiated claims that detract from the truth and are being used to attempt to increase the readership.

Such instances like printing a photo of our empty office on a Friday, and alluding that this is the norm is proof of this. There is a term for this type of journalism-- it's called yellow journalism. Collins English Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 10th Edition from

2009 states the definition of yellow journalism as: "the type of journalism that relies on sensationalism and lurid exaggeration to attract readers."

I feel that The Northern Light is a textbook case of this.

Addressing my concerns of how the newspaper affects us: The paper has rarely, in the two years I've been a part of USUAA, printed something that portrays us in a good light.

That is to say, the bad outweighs the good. When representatives from The Northern Light came to the General Assembly meeting and gave a short list of positive articles, there was a lot of concern about how many negative articles were in print. They consistently print articles that portray USUAA as this dark looming "cloud" that sits above the student body simply waiting to "rain" on them. To say that we as an organization have done nothing good isn't true. A lot of work is done in committees before being brought forth to the General Assembly. I have not once seen a writer from The Northern Light at the Student and Academic Affairs committee, and I would wager the same goes for every committee. I feel that writers for this paper forget that we are students and not by any stretch of the imagination perfect, and that we are volunteers willing to put in our time for the greater good.

They simply stop at our titles and use that to "fight the man," hoping to increase readership. One may wonder why USUAA is so looked down upon, and have trouble bolstering its numbers. This may

be due to the repeated negativity that this paper gives us. Why would anyone like to be a crew member on this supposedly sinking ship?

The Northern Light puts us on the defensive. We cannot anticipate every thing they say, and to change someones mind when their first impression is negative is incredibly difficult. I am not trying to say that everything about us needs to be printed to make us look like saints, but credit should be given where credit is due.

I have a few personal reasons that I feel are relevant to add to this as well. As Speaker, I have used this title to attempt to sit down and discuss concerns with the Executive Editor, and each time my requests have been ignored. On one occasion, times simply didn't work and when I sent a counter proposal for a meeting time I never received a response. Another time I was simply ignored outright. I cannot be expected to continually extend an olive branch when all I receive are arrows in return. I also feel that it is irresponsible of University Employees to be allowed to harass students, with no recourse, under the guise of the First Amendment.

As a fellow UAA student employee,

if I were to behave in a manner like The Northern Light, I would be terminated without hesitation.

This is, in essence, a case of harassment masquerading as the first amendment. A true journalist would know that they are protected, not that they can hide behind this.

In closing, I feel that I must reiterate that there is a problem.

Please do not mistake this as wanting censorship-- that is a far cry from the truth. It is, however, a rampant misuse of the power the newspaper holds, to report in the manner that they do. This problem is, in the most simple of terms, a blight-- one that must be stopped.

-Daniel Ribuffo

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TNL

OPINION| April 19, 2011

What’s the word @ THENORTHERNLIGHT.org RE: Letter to the Editor – RE: Military Article By: Michael The people that defend our country and way of life deserve far better than what is given. We worry about the rights of of so many groups of people but none is given to those that protect our rights. They can risk their lives to defend us but nobody will reschedule a test for the when they come home. Policy is not the only issue here. Doing all we can for people that defend our way of life should be at the top of the list.

RE: Letter to the Editor – RE: Military Article

By: Still Waiting I am extremely grateful that Chancellor Case has made this issue a personal matter, and taken the time to address the entire UAA community with his letter. I

can tell that he, with many years of his life dedicated to the military, will work diligently to make sure any lack of military support is resolved within UAA. However, his statement fails to address several very-present and very-pressing problems concerning UAA’s policies on military students…

RE: Abortion clash at heart of shutdown debate

By: J. Galt It’s refreshing to see womens’ health defined solely through their creation of children. God bless this modern age!

RE: Abortion clash at heart of shutdown debate

By: Nate H. sorry, i’m going to believe the statement put out by Planned Parenthood over the words of a group that only cares about slandering a organization set up to help women. I realize that the Catholic Church has it’s views and that the civilized world has it’s own differing views, but lets keep certain things out of politics. If your only campaign agenda is to close down abortion, you really don’t have the best intentions for the country.

OPINION

Budget cut talks continue...

“Indeed, to those in my own party, I say that if we truly believe in a progressive vision of our society, we have the obligation to prove that we can afford our commitments.”

President barack obama “What we’re trying to do with a bipartisan group is say let’s actually start with something that takes a lot of the ideas from the Simpson- Bowles commission, puts everything on the table. And let me assure you, we’re going to make everybody mad with our approach-Democrats, Republicans, independents because we’re touching every part of the problem.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

“Nobody is going to like what we come up with.

The left isn’t going to like it and the right isn’t going to like it. And that’s one thing that would be an indicator that is probably the best compromise we’re going to be able to get.” rep. tom coburn, r-okla.

“President Obama’s proposals are too little, too late” Mitt romney, rMass.

Where do YOU stand?

Visit thenorthernlight.org and click on Opinion Roundup to vote

Chicago school bans bagged lunches, further strips parental rights by daniel Mcdonald The Northern Light

Whether it’s the recent ban on trans fat in California, sugary drinks in Massachusetts, or salt in New York, one thing is for certain, the state is becoming increasingly involved in the dietary choices people make.

Until recently, these regulations only targeted what businesses and schools were allowed to provide. The Healthy HungerFree Kids Act, a bill signed into law by President Obama in 2010, permits the federal government to regulate the content of school lunches nationwide, but now the extent of government control has gone beyond food providers.

In Chicago’s Little Village Academy public school, students are banned from bringing homemade lunches. The one exception to this rule applies to those with food allergies.

According to Principal Elsa Carmona, the enactor of the policy, “Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school… It’s milk versus a Coke.”

To be clear, there’s no doubt about the poor state of health in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the obesity rate at nearly 34 percent, the highest in the world. But this does not warrant the complete violation of both the right and the duty of parents to feed their own children.

There has been much debate over whether schools should even provide meals

to students to begin with. Schools have one purpose, and that is to educate. In the last fifty years, however, it has become a basic requirement for public schools to provide some sort of food option for students. School lunches were only meant to supplement the nutritional needs of students, not replace the role of parents as primary provider.

Beyond the obvious violation of parental rights, this policy is absurd on many other levels.

For one, the premise of the argument is faulty at best. Proponents of the policy begin with the assumption that parents are stupid; that parents do not know how or care enough to provide a nutritional meal for their children. And to some extent, this may be true. Many parents are themselves obese and make poor health choices for themselves and their children, but for the majority this is not the case. Even if it were, you cannot put everyone into a straightjacket for the perceived poor choices of others.

That brings us to the next false assumption made by Principle Carmona and her supporters, that district bureaucrats know what’s best for kid’s health. All-toooften, busybodies in government who feel they have a solution to a problem in society go on a crusade to ram through their policies without thinking too much of the consequences.

A recent example of this is the disaster of implementing low-flow toilets in San Francisco. A few years ago, the city spent

millions of dollars installing toilets with the intention of reducing the amount of water used, with both economical and environmental concerns in mind. The result has been a multi-million dollar plumbing job. These low-flow toilets don’t contain enough water to thoroughly flush down all the waste in one go, forcing users to flush multiple times, which defeats the entire purpose of low-flow toilets to begin with. On top of that, not enough water flows through the plumbing to clean it out, so the city has used bleach to help cleanse the system. Unfortunately, many environmental activists are now concerned that using bleach is polluting the bay. More often than not, government solutions lead to unintended consequences even worse than the problems they were attempting to fix.

Assuming for a moment that government workers really do know what’s best for each child’s dietary needs, banning homemade lunches makes very little economic sense. In a time when state governments are debating over where to make cuts in expenditures, why would a school ever consider forcing students to purchase lunches? The district has to pay food providers to meet the demand of students. The more students bring lunches from home, the less the district has to pay for the cost of running a school.

Some parents have also found ways to provide relatively healthy lunches for their children, who would otherwise have their

costs increased by being forced to pay the $2.25 for school lunches. Northwestern education policy professor Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach told The Chicago Tribune, “We don’t spend anywhere close to that on my son’s daily intake of a sandwich (lovingly cut into the shape of a Star Wars ship), Goldfish crackers and milk.”

This policy is unlikely to remain in place do to its immense unpopularity with nearly everyone involved, but it should illuminate the negative aspect of the Nanny State, which small-government advocates have been warning about for so long. It seems people only realize the harm it does when it directly affects them, but in reality, the entire system of “soft despotism” is a danger to our freedom and should be fought everywhere, even if the issue at stake only affects the few.

In Democracy in America Tocqueville expounded the conflict we find ourselves in today, when he wrote that “Our contemporaries are constantly excited by two conflicting passions: they want to be led, and they wish to remain free. As they cannot destroy either the one or the other of these contrary propensities, they strive to satisfy them both at once.” We cannot exist in this un-free state, allowing government officials to make every decision for us, while at the same time claiming to be free.

Either we are a free people or wards of the state, but we cannot be both.

April 19, 2011 | OPINION

TNL

11

OPINION

Dormant for a year, the Students for Life are back grace hawkins The Northern Light

One may not expect such open-minded answers from the president of Students for Life.

O’Neil, the recently appointed president of Students for Life, said “My interest in UAA Students for Life began because of a few friends of mine who are actively involved in the pro-life movement. I felt led to help our club inform the UAA campus and our city of the heartbreaking and devastating truth concerning abortion.”

Before taking a yearlong break last year, the club was led by Paige Tiede from 2008-2009. Under her leadership, Students for Life displayed a series of images in front of the Lucy Cudy Hall, with signs placed around the borders of the display reading “Graphic Images Ahead!” The signs were not warning enough. Pictures, while a common outlet for peaceful protesting, showcased a series of aborted fetuses. These ‘graphic

images’, provided by the Center for Bio-ethical Reform, were a way of “exploiting truth,” said club counsel representative Windy Thomas.

When asked what some of the student reactions were, Thomas said “‘They are disturbing.’ We agree. Abortion is disturbing.”

Club members Brianna O’Neil (president), Windy Thomas (club representative), and Natalia Balaban (secretary), described the pictures as a tactic to get their point across. Thomas compared this particular tactic to a tactic she said was effective during the Civil War; that only when pictures of racial brutality were circulated did the severity of the situation take hold.

However, not everyone seems to be agreeing with Students for Life and their means of expression. As the eyes and ears of UAA, I sought out the students behind the Information Desk.

The Information Desk is plastered with flyers and want ads, among which are some of the new

flyers the Students for Life (SFL) are putting up around campus.

The group has spread these flyers throughout UAA. They show a fetus on a bright blue background.

This piece of paper serves as an informational pamphlet for Students for Life.

When asked about these flyers, UAA freshman and Information Desk (attendant) Cassie stated that, “I think that they are a very rude and disturbing showcase of opinion.”

I asked sophomore ‘Chris’ what he thought about the circulating flyers. He retorted with, “…aborted fetuses are case sensitive and if you are going to claim that they have rights and a mother doesn’t have the right to not carry her child to term, then display that.”

Digging a little deeper, I sought out the professional opinion of UAA faculty. Assistant Professor Ron McGee stated that a member of the club had approached him with the flyers image to gain his input. “It is a picture of a fetus.

It’s not a picture of an aborted fetus, just a fetus inside a person.

I personally don’t see anything wrong with it.”

While the club’s approach may seem a little forward to some, the SFL leaders see this as necessary. Discussions with UAA students, thanks to these flyers and the booths that were set up, have proven to be fruitful as well as confrontational. A list of ten plus email addresses compiled over a couple of days. Students requested information on the topic of abortion and the club itself. The booths also resulted in several new members.

Thomas, one of the club’s longest members, takes a very forward, yet diplomatic approach to her outreach “It’s not people that we have any problem with…it’s the philosophy that does not support the sanctity of human life.”

While the club hasn’t provided much controversial stimuli as of late, they are working on expressing their beliefs and

educating fellow students. The current agenda for next semester includes movie nights, as well as speaker and rape victim Tiffany Rye. Rye will speak about her rape as a teenager, her conception and abortion, and her post-abortion regret as well as forgiveness towards her rapist. Dates for these events are to be announced.

The club is also seeking involvement in the UAA orientation kick off.

Whether you agreement or not with the efforts of the SFL, it is hard to deny that their efforts bring up what are important issues to be debated. I recommend that you take time to look at the facts as objectively as possible, and then look internally towards your conscience, in order to formulate an opinion of your own.

To get involved with either club, search them on Facebook and join their page. Additional sources for Students for Life include uaasfl@ gmail.com, Collegiate Link, and www.freewebs.com.

OPINION

The End of an Empire: Glenn Beck almost done on FOX Glenn Beck is leaving Fox News for what he believes to be greener pastures, and not a moment too soon eli Johnson

The Northern Light

Fox News announced recently that Glenn Beck’s time on Fox News is coming to an end. This is good news for advocates of free thought. It is the end of the television career of a man who has passed himself off as being so absurdly mad, that reality doesn’t matter anymore.

It only seemed to be a matter of time before this announcement came out. Beck has a long history of making completely insane comments on his show. Lawrence O’Donnell put it best.

“Do you ever get the feeling that Glenn Beck’s job is to be a smokescreen for Bill O’Reilly?

Beck is busy saying so many utterly insane things that get him so much attention that it’s easy to miss O’Reilly’s lower-voltage lies,” he said during one of the “Rewrite” sequences on his show, The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.

Beck has a long and notparticularly pretty history for saying things that are insulting, untrue, and so over-the-top that even his sponsors have backed off quickly.

He began his career on Fox News in January 2009. It quickly became clear that he is a rather

‘opinionated’ individual, and that most of his opinions are completely crazy.

“But I’ll tell you this- whether you call it Gaia, or whether you call it Jesus, there’s a message being sent,” he said on his radio show on March 14, 2011, talking about the tsunami in Japan. Yes, a horrible disaster is a message. It’s kind of shameless, no?

And that is just a recent example. Beck has a long history of saying some pretty unpleasant things. He also has a history of saying things that are just plain dumb.

“It would have to burn a hole through the Earth. Does that even sound reasonable? Nothing like that has even happened at the worst nuclear in history- Chernobyl.

And experts verify, not going to happen, it’s impossible, it’s a movie,” he said in a rant on his show misrepresenting the China Syndrome, which is a real thing, as well as a title of a movie. Guess that Beck didn’t hear about that with all of his fact-checking.

Now, it has been brought up that Beck may just be acting.

Stephen Colbert did a rather nice hit with this angle on his show, The Colbert Report. He made a comparison between his level of “seriousness” and Glenn Beck’s.

“It’s like looking into a mirror,

after you’ve done a ton of Coke off of it,” he joked on his show on October 8, 2009. There are some eerie comparisons to be made between Beck and Colbert, to which Colbert is perfectly suited.

However, Beck’s sponsors didn’t believe that he was just full of it, or making jokes. In July, 2009, Color of Change, an African-American political advocacy group, organized a boycott against him. They succeeded in getting 36 major companies, including Wal-Mart and Sprint, along with companies like AT&T and Procter & Gamble, who were not advertisers on his show to begin with, but who had ended up there, to join them.

The boycott didn’t even remotely affect Beck and his ego. “…And I will use American ingenuity and my ingenuity to pull myself up, and I will find another way to get this message out, on a platform that will be a thousand times more powerful,” he said on his show after the boycott began.

This guy has this really hyperinflated ego that seems to never be fed enough. He does rally after rally. He even did one up here in Anchorage on 9/11. It seems that no occasion is taboo for him to use to his advantage.

Beck also had a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on

August 28, 2010; on the same day that Martin Luther King Jr. had done his rally 47 years earlier. He made an impassioned speech about how America needed to come back to God, and why President Obama and the Democrats were the enemy.

“Something that is beyond man is happening,” he yelled out into the crowd, “America today begins to turn back to God.” Apparently, this nation’s problems are that simple to solve, because that was basically the moral of his whole speech.

However, no matter whether he is serious or not, there are times when Beck says things that are so heartless, he leaves some listeners in disbelief.

On April 11, 2011, he went on a tirade, attacking Lawrence O’Donnell for an emotional outburst that he had on his show.

After all the crocodile tears that Beck has shed, he decided to go after somebody else for showing genuine emotion. Of course, O’Donnell admits that losing control of his emotions was not the most professional thing to do, but it was real.

O’Donnell had broken up on the last line of a letter from a woman who depended on Planned Parenthood for her health services, like breast examinations. It has

escaped Republicans notice how Planned Parenthood does more than abortions. Abortions only count for three percent of their total business.

“Stop just a second- hookers?

Who? Who depends on Planned Parenthood? I have to have- I’ve got 400 abortions that I have to have. I have to have these children aborted, I’m depending on Planned Parenthood,” Beck said on his radio show.

He continued to listen to the clip of O’Donnell losing control of his emotions, and then started laughing maniacally at this.

Apparently, a woman who is expressing genuine concern for her health future is a joke to him.

So, what lies in the future for Beck? I think Keith Olbermann said it best on his web broadcast.

“But frankly, Beck had decided that Fox has been making way too much money off him that he should have been keeping for himself,” he said, and rightly so.

Beck apparently believes that he will aspire to Oprah Winfrey’s game, and have his own network or something like that. Yeah, right.

An empire is dying on Fox News, and it is about time. Glenn Beck is a stain on all that is decent in America, and it’s time for him to go into the shadows, and to be forgotten by history.

PRIDE

CHIDE

Bipartisan working group of the senate...

Governor Parnell...

...For saying “no” to the governor.

...For trying to rush money to oil companies.

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OPINION| April 19, 2011

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aPriL 19, 2011

B Section

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the northern Light’s sPorts & entertainMent section

thenorthernLight.org

‘The Real Fighters’ knock out UAA campus

by sean talbot

The Northern Light

MUSIC REVIEW A&E

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atmosphere releases a new full length album

SPRING SPORTS SPORTS

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hilltop ski resort opens a frolf course

MEET THE SEAWOLF A&E

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seawolf student Profile: ivy o’guinn

“How many of you have made mistakes?”

Richie Farrell asked the Wendy Williamson audience. Nearly everyone raised his or her hand.

“How many of you have had those mistakes broadcast on national television?” he added.

No hands rose.

Farrell, a former heroine addict whose book What’s Left of Us outlines his first week in detox, mediated the autobiographical discussion between ‘Irish’ Micky Ward and his older brother, Dicky Ecklund.

The three of them grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, a town notorious for drug abuse and crime. Now clean, Farrell tours with the brothers around the U.S. to talk about their careers, and drug abuse.

Ward and Dicky Ecklund, his half-brother, visited UAA to talk about “The Fighter,” the Oscar-winning movie based on their lives.

This movie is more than a boxing movie.

It is a story of addiction, perseverance and family.

In the 70’s, Dicky Ecklund won three Golden Gloves, a prestigious amateur boxing feat. At the height of his career, he fought boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson.

Soon after, Ecklund plummeted into a crack cocaine addiction, which ended his career in 1985. He was thrown in jail for armed robbery, kidnapping and several other crimes.

Farrell showed a clip from High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell, a 1995 documentary showing Ecklund smoking crack out of a coke bottle.

As a result of Ecklund’s drug use, the brothers had a massive falling out. After Ecklund served a lengthy prison sentence, they made up, and Ecklund started training his younger brother.

Managed by his mother, Ward started his

sean taLbot/tnL

“Irish” Micky Ward (Far Left) and half brother Dicky Ecklund (far right) spoke at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on April 13. The award winning movie “The Fighter” was based on their lives. Both men stayed at the theatre well into the evening signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.

boxing career in the wake of his brother’s success.

Mickey Ward went on to win 38 fights in his career, and, according to one student in the audience, became one of the “greatest boxers who ever lived.”

Now retired from boxing, both Ward and Ecklund still live in Lowell.

Ward is a member of the Teamsters, Local 25 in Charlestown [MA], he said with a smile.

He runs a gym and a deck hockey rink.

Ecklund still trains fighters in the ring. He even coached Bale for the movie.

Overall, he said, the movie is a pretty accurate portrayal of their lives. “[Mark Wahlberg] never had a chance to

win an Oscar for playing me,” Ward said, “He played me the way I was, more quiet.”

“My brother’s character was more flamboyant,” Ward said. Christian Bale received an Oscar for his depiction of Ecklund.

“Some people wonder, what’s it like to have Christian Bale play you?” Ecklund said, “but I asked him, “How’s it feel to play me?””

The personality contrast between the two brothers in real life was palpable. Ecklund’s dramatic speech and gestures eclipsed Ward’s quiet and subtle countenance.

More than a hundred people stood in line to trade punches and get autographs from the former champs. The brothers stayed until the last fan left.

‘Love, Sex and Marriage’ a student-produced labor of love by heather hamilton The Northern Light

To get what you want out of life, one often has to go after his or her desire and grab it by the reigns.

The same can be true for college course offerings.

Three theatre majors wanted to expand upon what they learned in a directing class, but found that part two of the course wasn’t being offered this semester. With one student slated to graduate this May, the other two looking to graduate in December and no guarantee that their course would be offered in the fall, the three seniors took matters into their own hands.

“Jon, Jaron, and I approached David about having it as an independent study course. So there’s no technical class meeting; we’re all doing this on our own,” said Kelli Brown, a senior Theater major.

After a semester of individualized study, Jonathan Minton, Jaron Carlson and Brown are showcasing what they’ve learned in their Directing II independent study.

“Love, Sex & Marriage” is a series of three one act plays the trio will be directing. The production will run from Thursday, April 21 through Saturday, April 23 in the Fine Arts Building’s Harper Studio at 7 p.m.

Each one act play pertains to the theme, and has at least one of the three words in the title. According to the directors, this was an odd coincidence.

“It was really an incredibly fortunate accident,” said Minton, “We actually came up with the title before any of us realized that “love” and “sex” and “marriage” are, one way or another, in one of the titles of the plays.”

The first of the three one acts, “The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year” (written by John Guare and directed by Carlson) is a story about two characters, known only as He and She, who meet in a park on a Sunday afternoon

and fall in love. As opposed to the other plays, “The Loveliest Afternoon,” which runs for about 15 to 20 minutes, deals primarily with the romantic aspect of love, and true love in general.

“It’s a love story about how two very different people can fall in love,” Carlson said, “Even the craziest of crazy people can fall in love.”

“Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” written by David Mamet, is Minton’s contribution to the evening. The play, which deals with the sexual aspect of love, revolves around four individuals, their relationships dealing with the opposite sex and their conversations with one another regarding those relationships. “Sexual Perversity” runs for about 45 minutes.

“It’s one profanity after another. It’s so layered, and everything that David Mamet writes is incredibly layered, but this play especially,” Minton said, “With every single read, even today after six or seven years...every single read, you discover something more.”

Brown’s chosen play, “A Marriage Proposal” (by Anton Chekhov) is a Russian piece that pokes fun at the mechanics of marriage proposals and the reasons for marriage. Originally set in the late 1800’s in Russia, Brown modernizes the 30 minute play by setting it in the United States during the 1930s Dust Bowl.

“It’s really just about how preposterous the constitution of marriage really is,” said Brown.

graPhic by cJ beaudrie

When the university didn’t offer a desired class, these students found a way of educating themselves

Minton, who is graduating this May, plans on pursuing directing as a career, and has already directed productions locally. Before he moves to New York in October, he plans on directing a few more productions as well.

“In July I’m directing “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” at Out North Theater,” said Minton, “And I will probably be having a final stab at “Rocky Horror” in the fall.”

Minton has directed the local annual “Rocky Horror Picture Show” production for two years.

Tickets for “Love, Sex & Marriage” are $7 for the general public and $5 for students with a valid id. Tickets are available at the UAA Box Office in the Fine Arts Building. A pay-what-you-can student preview of the three works will be held on Wednesday, April 20 at 7pm. For more information, check out the Facebook event page.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

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MUSIC REVIEW

‘The Family Sign’ a sign of growth and musical maturity Atmosphere’s new full-length album release is as edgy and catchy as those that have come before by bryan dunagan The Northern Light

Indie hip-hop super group Atmosphere has been on a roll of album releases lately, with a double EP a few scant months ago, and now a new full studio album. Following the motif of the previous album, “When Life Gives You Lemons,” Slug and Ant took another page out of dysfunctional families.

Case in point is the track “Bad Bad Daddy,” a tale of a father who takes his children to the bar with him. He gives them money just keep them entertained and eat, and later gets caught up in a court case due to negligence.

Another great example is the song “Who I’ll Never Be,” The narrator of which is a man that

‘Anyone who has heard Atmosphere in recent years will still have to wait for Slug to start singing his whole choruses.’ lives next to a damaged woman who writes songs in the next apartment over. He talks about

how he wants to help her out with her song, but can’t, since it would destroy the façade that he fronts.

The years have been kind to the duo, as they have worked on their production and delivery. Anyone who has heard Atmosphere in recent years will still have to wait for Slug to start singing his whole choruses. He gets closer than he ever has in this record, and it’s not a bad thing.

In all, “The Family Sign” benefits from better storytelling than previous releases. Fans will not be disappointed, and any patron of rap/hip-hop needs to hear this album. aLbuM: “the Family sign “ artist: atmosphere record LabeL: rhymesayers reLease date: april 12, 2011

★ ★★★★

GAME REVIEW

Don’t bother with ‘Alliance’ New ‘Dungeon Hunter’ download released; we wish it wasn’t by bryan dunagan The Northern Light

Gameloft is setting its sights on the PS3. The mobile game publisher only releases downloadable games, which usually are clones of more famous games, but they get them right.

“Dungeon Hunter: Alliance” is basically a “Diablo” revamp.

It has an isometric 3D landscape where the player chooses a class and starts to dispatch the minions of a generic evil entity. Where the title differs, though, is where the player controls the game. This is probably the first dungeon crawler type game on consoles that allows

for a control scheme that can closely resemble the mouse and keyboard. Yes, this is in reference to the PlayStation Move.

While it’s a bit tricky to get used to, it actually allows for a fluid control scheme. Since players always change their stance during play, you can calibrate it, and then recalibrate at any time by holding down the X button. It works surprisingly well, considering the limitations of just one controller, but the cursor moves quickly and can mimic the player’s intentions accurately.

The game is suited for multiplayer, offline and on. It works, but sometimes stutters

when played online. Other than that, the game plays like a dream.

Unfortunately, it’s a port of the first iPhone game. It’s not bad, but the graphical quality should have been upgraded more than it has been. Gameloft’s proprietary engine needs a huge overhaul to compete. However, the effects are nice and light plays realistically on and around the player.

The game really hasn’t changed much since the iPhone iteration, but it incorporates some of the changes from “Dungeon Hunter II” quite nicely. The player can use two different weapon sets, and can switch between the two at will.

Tedium sets in relatively quickly, at around hour 5, but the multiplayer function definitely gives the needed kick to be more enjoyable. Vanquishing evil and collecting better loot only works if the story holds up or there is some constant and tangible change.

Multiplayer gives a good smack on the rear, but just isn’t enough to carry the game for prolonged play sessions. It’s a good try, but needs a new story, and for the sake of all of us, needs to run on a more efficient engine.

gaMe: “dungeon hunter: alliance” Maker: gameloft reLease date: april 12, 2011

★ ★★ ★

It’s Your Campus.

Get Active.

Get involved.

Ad space courtesy of The Northern Light

Want to see your student club’s ad here for free?

Call the Student Life & Leadership Publicity Center at 786-6070 or email aypc@uaa.alaska.edu

April 19, 2011 | A&E

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4.19-4.29.2011

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FOCUS COMEDY

DANCE SOCIAL SPRING CARIVAL Alyeska is hosting their Spring Carnival and Slush Cup from Friday, April 22 through Sunday, April 24. The carnival events include the Big Air Competition, snowboard demonstrations, Tugof-War and live music. There will also be children’s activities. For more information, go to www. alyeskaresort.com.

MUSIC

Alaska Dance Promotions is hosting a community dance party on Tuesday, April 19 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Cover price covers a dance class, drinks and snacks. There will be games, dance competitions and prizes. Cover is $12; for more information, go to www. alaskadancepromotions.com.

Stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt will be performing at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on Friday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Oswalt has acted in movies such as “Ratatouille,” “Balls of Fury,” “Observe and Report” and television shows such as “Caprica,” among many others. Tickets to see this comedian are $27 advance and $32 at the door for general public, and $10 advance and $15 at the door with UAA students with a valid ID. Tickets are available at www.uaatix.com.

Rap and crunk artist Lil Jon will be performing at Club Millennium on Friday, April 22 at 10 p.m. for a glow-in-the-dark party, complete with glow sticks, lasers, body paint stations and a wall of bass. This show is 17 and up, with a full bar available for those 21 and over. Tickets are $30, and are available at all Zumiez locations, Mammoth Music, The Look, and online at www.groovetickets.com.

The Whipsaws will perform at the Sitzmark at Alyeska on Friday, April 29 at 10 p.m. This show is 21 and over, and tickets are $5. Tickets can be purchased online at www. shopalyeska.com/eStore/.

Compiled by Heather Hamilton e-mail arts@thenorthernlight.org to submit an event!

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A&E| April 19, 2011

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SPORTS

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Hilltop Ski Area to open new frolf course in summer Hilltop attempts to cash in on the disc golf craze with an update to Anchorage’s inconsistantly maintained course offerings

by Megan edge

The Northern Light

Some call it frolf, some say disc golf, and others say Frisbee golf.

Whatever you call it, one thing is for sure- it’s pulling people out of their houses, and into the sunshine.

West Chester lagoon, Kincaid Park, Service high school, and Hanshew middle school all caught onto the fad a few years ago, and now Hilltop Ski Area is jumping on the bandwagon.

“We have had some interest in it the last couple years, different parties have approached us and we have considered it, but finally last year the disc golf association approached us, and we were able to come up with something that we think will work for both of us.” Hilltop manager Rick Cramer said, about their planned frolf course.

Hilltop’s goal is to open the 30 acres of developed area for play in the first week of June.

The course will run up and down the mountain’s ski runs and will cost five dollars for a day of play.

Hilltop has an advantage over the rest of the disc golf courses in town though- it has the prettiest view, at least according to Cramer.

An attractive quality of the sport for users at other Anchorage locations however, is the fact that

the only cost to play is buying the disc itself. So will a pay-to-play plan work at Hilltop?

“I think the fact that it’s free really contributes to how popular it is, everyone can do it.” Junior pre-med major Eric Holland said.

Holland, who claims to of been frolfing since birth, but realistically has been frolfing since his senior year of high school, may give up loyalty to his current favorite course, West Chester, if Hilltop proves to be worth it. “I will definitely use it, at least once or twice and see how I like it.”

Hilltop’s new course seems to be on a successful path already, gaining a large amount of interest from the public, according to Cramer.

The Frisbee golfers of Anchorage see room for improvement in the city’s frolf courses as they stand.

“At Service there are beer cans everywhere, it needs better maintained,” junior physical education major Ryan Olberding said. “Like they did at West Chester.”

West Chester was recently redone, after determining the course was a safety hazard, due to players crossing the road.

“It flows a lot better now,” said Holland.

Frolf has is an excellent way

to come together for a taste of friendly competition, and is the source of many cherished memories for players.

“There were nine holes at Hanshew, and the first time I ever went I got my disk stuck on top of the roof. So I just climbed up there and got it!” said Olberding.

The sport is a hit, it’s free (usually), it’s fun, and it’s outside; but like all things, there is a downside. “The worst part about frolf is the winter, we really only get to play for four months out of the year.” said Olberding.

As summer roles around though, pick up a disc, a couple friends, and set the course for a day in the sun.

‘The worst part about frolf is the winter, we really only get to play for four months out of the year.’

-Ryan Olberding Megan edge/tnL

OVERTIME

Possible eligbility change in NBA shows promise by thomas Mcintyre Special to The NorthernLight

According to Yahoo! reporter Marc Spears, the current NBA eligibility rule could be reshaped under the new collective bargaining agreement.

As the rule stands, players must be at least 19 years old to enter to the NBA draft, but the rule change would bump the age limit up to 20. The proposed change is currently the source of much controversy, but the positive impact of a two-year plan would be well worth the backlash.

My argument in favor of an eligibility rule is usually very concise and convincingI simply yell Leon Smith over and over on an ascending scale. Or I plant a mental image into your brain of a world in which Jonathan Bender would have never been able to be taken as the fifth overall pick in the 1999

NBA Draft.

The reason these strategies work so well: Both sum up everything that is wrong with a potential high school-to-NBA leap.

When there was no rule, there were loads of unprepared high school prospects skipping college for an NBA contract. Yes, there have been a handful of Kobe Bryants. But for every Kobe Bryant, I can give you five James Langs.

A 20-year-old age limit would force prospects to spend two years playing college ball. Although, if they’re really against the idea of playing in the college system, they’ll still have the right to play professionally overseas until they become eligible.

What does the two years do for the NBA? It creates a much larger sample size for teams to base their draft selections on, and it molds the college prospects into pro prospects. Overall, it greatly improves the

NBA product.

Too many general managers have made poor investments in gangly 17-year-old athletes with heaps of potential. This high but unrealized potential, lures GMs into committing picks to players that have never had their talents put to a true test. The fact is that the high school game of basketball just doesn’t correlate closely enough to the NBA version.

Two years of college basketball has a massive effect on a player’s development.

They learn from some the of best coaches in the world; they begin to fill out physically; through the responsibility of being a college student, they gain maturity; they learn what it’s like to play on big stages, in high pressure situations. All of these experiences help turn them into pro-ready prospects that are more likely to contribute right out the gate.

College basketball will receive the same

type of boost from the proposed rule change.

The new requirements would do away with one-and-done players, improve the parity within the sport, and enhance the level of play.

The two-year plan would also play right into the NCAA’s greedy hands. They would have an extra year to build the brand of their top players, and profit from them. Plus, those players would be go into the league with a more marketable name, so the NBA wins as well.

The way I see it, the NBA and NCAA have a responsibility to protect the Leon Smiths of the world, and this new rule would do just that.

Trying to leap from the 12th grade to the NBA is a good way to sprain an ankle, or even to spoil a career. Give the players and their future fans what they deserve- make them wait.

B6

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SPORTS| April 19, 2011

April fish frenzies fuel summer angling dreams

by Patrick Mccormick The Northern Light

As the days get longer the itinerant angler breaks out of winter hibernation. Flies are tied and rods are built at the pace of a hungry grizzly mowing down on the first grass shoots of spring.

Trips long dreamed about seem close at hand, lists of needs grow and get checked off, rods, reels, lines, and flies all stretch the budget, as credit cards appear out of wallets.

The weather turns for the better and the t-shirt becomes commonplace outdoors, fisherman crain their necks every time a lake is driven past, eyes fixed on the ice looking for open water.

Perhaps the angler will visit an urban stream, swollen with snowmelt, to try a new piece of gear, or to simply swim some flies; just for the sake of being able to say that he had gotten out.

Fly shops are abuzz with activity as regulars hang out by the counter chatting up the proprietor as if he were a bartender and it wasn’t three o’clock in the afternoon; pausing only to allow an outsider, who’s bought a few flies and fondled a reel, to get rung up. It’s a season of hope, like opening day in baseball- except here it’s every fisherman that has a chance at catching the fish of his lifetime this summer.

Top Left: Former UAA student Nicholai Smith ties a marabou fly pattern. Top right: a lathe and sandpaper is used to shape the handle for a homemade seven weight flyrod. Middle Right: The completed handle is epoxied to the new seven weight, complete with teal butt wraps and gun smoke aluminum winding check.

Right: Spring steelhead are the first of the large ocean going fish to return from the sea, and provide one of the first opportunities of summer for fly fishermen to catch very large fish. Bottom Right: A polar shrimp takesshape in the vice. Bottom Middle: Junior engineering major Sean Evenstad displays what happens when it all comes together. Bottom Left: A forty year old fiberglass rod gets stripped down for restoration. Left: A new fly rod gets a workout under the spine, on campus.

April 19, 2011 | SPORTS

TNL

by taylor hall The Northern Light

It seems UAA freshman Ivy O’Guinn has this whole running thing pretty much figure out.

A two-sport athlete in both cross-country and track and field for the Seawolves, it could be said that she made a decent first impression.

O’Guinn appeared in all seven meets for the ‘Wolves and helped the women’s team take down the GNAC and West Region titles.

Individually, she came away with six top-20 finishes including a season-high 9th at the HawaiiPacific Invite back on Sep. 4, 2010.

The rookie also gained Division II All-Academic Cross Country status during the crosscountry season, which recognizes individual runners who compile a 3.25 or better grade point average while also placing in the top 50 percent at the NCAA national Championships.

Alright, let’s go ahead and change the classification of her first impression of decent to spectacular.

Perhaps it shouldn’t come as such as shock given her career at Skyview High School where she practically filled their trophy case during her career there.

In cross-country, she won the Region III individual title before placing runner-up in the state during her senior year. Track and field saw her capture three state crowns winning the 800, 1600, and 3,200 while there on top of the back-to back Region III titles in both the 1,600 and 3,200 events.

But joining the collegiate athletic ranks is a whole new realm in which prior success doesn’t always translate. Like so many things in college, especially the freshman year, there was a bit of a transition period that O’Guinn needed to overcome.

“It was a weird adjustment but it didn’t take that long to figure out that all of us run the same and

we’re all around the same speed,” O’Guinn said.

Also, the jumping from crosscountry to track and field is anything but a simple change from the trails to the oval.

“It’s different from crosscountry because with that we have team goals. With (track and field), I’ve gone from being solely with the team to now being a bit more individuals,” O’Guinn said. “It’s a little bit harder.”

Well, even though she says it’s a bit hard, she sure is making it look easy thus far.

Just two races into the track and field season, O’Guinn broke a UAA record in the 1500 meters with her 4:34.34 time at the Occidental Distance Carnival on Mar. 11.

Apparently she enjoyed it as she went out and broke another UAA record just a day later for an encore.

The record time of 2:12.30 came in the 800 meters at the Northridge Relays on Mar. 12.

Teammate, friend and fellow freshman Susan Bick snatched the 800 meter record just 13 days later with her 2:10.87 time at the Stanford Invite. Nothing but a bit more healthy competition between O’Guinn and the person who she says makes her better by just training together.

“I really look up to Susan and the two of us are like the underdogs as freshmen,” O’Guinn said. “The two of us work so well together and we’re back and forth all the time. I enjoy running with her because we push each other.”

The two times not only put O’Guinn’s name in the UAA history books (even if temporary in the 800), but also provisionally qualified her for the NCAA National Championships, which came as a bit of a surprise to the Soldotna native.

“It really shocked me. As a freshman, I wasn’t expecting to provisionally qualify for Nationals.

I wasn’t even expecting to go to Nationals,” O’Guinn said. “To qualify my second race in was

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really a big thing for me and gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”

Getting a provisional qualification doesn’t automatically send a runner to Nationals though.

What it does do is puts the athlete receiving the provisional in a good spot to make the Nationals as one of the top times in the country. It also allows that runner to focus on bettering those times and work towards gaining an automatic qualifying time set by the NCAA. O’Guinn is very aware of this fact and has zeroed in on her

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goal of making sure she will be in Turlock, California come may 26-28 for Nationals.

“Right now I’m working toward lowering those times to set myself up in a better ranking for Nationals and, hopefully, ensure my place to go to Nationals.”

Something tells us she won’t have any problems figuring that one out either and will be making her second NCAA National Championships appearance in her first year as a Seawolf.

Most memorable moment in your athletic career so far?

- I’d have to say in cross-country this year when we won the conference.

Most embarrassing?

- In my first race of my senior year I ran in Nikiski. It was very hot that day and I didn’t drink a lot of water and I decided to go really hard during my race. I had about a (kilometer) left and was at least three minutes ahead of everyone else and…I passed out. Yeah, disqualified.

I’m a runner, but I’m even better at…

- Fishing, I’m good at commercial fishing.

Favorite meal?

- I really like mac and cheese.

Favorite TV show?

- Glee.

What are you listening to on your iPod? - It’s mostly Lupe Fiasco right now and some good beats to dance to.

Guilty pleasure in life?

- Cheesecake...it’s been hard to give up.

When I’m not at a meet or practicing, I’m…?

- Probably studying.

Favorite Athlete? Why? - Steve Prefontaine, he is phenomenal.

Celebrity crush?

- James Franco.

Favorite sport to play other than Track and Field?

- Basketball.

And to watch?

- Basketball, I just love it and it’s great.

If you could trade places with someone for a day, who and why?

- Lady Gaga, I think it would be really fun to live her life for a day.

B8

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SPORTS| April 19, 2011

OVERTIME

Manny being Manny, no third chance with steroids

by Megan edge The Northern Light

Super Man was just Clark Kent, who was really just a cartoon.

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.”

Ralph Walter Emerson.

Columbus, courageous on his journey to America, also was a murderous owner of slaves.

And Manny Ramirez, arguably the best hitter in the last 15 years, takes steroids.

So what do these iconic figures have in common?

These men were all heroes of

their trade, who have failed and disappointed many with each

discovery of darker underlying facts.

“Any time that this comes up, it’s kind of a black eye for baseball,” said New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

The 38-year old Ramirez, has tested positive for the second time in his baseball career. He is leaving MLB “at peace,” according to an interview with ESPN. In Manny’s first drug bust, he blamed his doctor, but this time around he had only himself.

Ramirez didn’t steal second…

Manny stole retirement as a quick out to what would

be a 100 game suspension.

Ramirez was warned in spring training of his failed test, but told the Rays that he had family business to attend. The next day he shocked Tampa Bay by retiring, leaving the team one hitter down.

But hey, that’s just Manny being Manny.

SPORTS BRIEFS

UAA Track and Field keeps on rolling in California Sophomores Micah Chelimo and Ruth Keino registered NCAA automatic times in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 10,000 meters, respectively, at the 53rd annual Mt. SAC Relays on Apr. 14.

Chelimo, from Kapkoi, Kenya, posted a time of eight minutes, 52.41 seconds in the steeplechase, qualifying himself for the 2011 NCAA Championships on May 26-28 in Turlock, Calif. Chelimo, who finished 10th in the elite race, easily bypassed the qualifying time of 8:56.00 and currently holds the fastest time of the season in Div. II. Keino, a local of Kapcheno, Kenya, crossed the finish line of the 10K with a NCAA auto time of 34 minutes, 57 seconds. In addition to qualifying for the NCAAs, the time also breaks the UAA record in the event held by Laura Carr at 35:08.51, set almost a year ago today. Keino had previously qualified for the NCAAs in the 5K. Also competing on the women’s side was senior Emma Bohman . A local of Palmer (Palmer HS), Bohman recorded a time of 11:31.25. Bohman currently holds a provisional time in the event at 11:03.67, set March 25 at the San Francisco State Invite.

Finishing their time at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, CA on Apr. 15, Senior David Registe and sophomore Ethan Hewitt both qualified provisionally for the NCAA Championships in their respective events, while breaking their own Alaska Anchorage records.

Hewitt broke his own UAA record in the 400 meters with a new time of 47.51 seconds, besting the previous time of 47.62 that was set on Mar. 13, 2010. The time also provisionally qualifies Hewitt to the NCAAs. The Eagle River product will need to hit 46.42 for an automatic bid.

Registe, from Palmer (Colony HS), smashed the school record in the 200 meters, while qualifying provisionally with a time of 21.44. A two-time AllAmerican, Registe held the previous record at 21.71, which he recorded on Apr. 18, 2008.

Registe has already booked himself a ticket to the NCAAs with an automatic mark in the long jump.

Setting a season best in the 1500 meters and improving upon his provisional time was sophomore Alfred Kangogo with a time of 3:49.66.

Kangogo, from Eldoret, Kenya, needs to reach 3:45.50 to guarantee himself a flight to Nationals.

The teams completed their road slate in the Los Angeles area with two NCAA provisional qualifying times and three school records on Apr. 16 at the Long Beach Track & Field Invitational. Setting a UAA record was junior Miriam Kipng’eno in the 1500 meters, while both men’s and women’s 4x400-meter relays teams registered School-record times.

From Eldoret, Kenya, Kipng’eno was clocked at 4:32.20 in the 1500 meters, besting the previous record of 4:33.56. The time qualifies Kipng’eno provisionally for the NCAAs in the event and she will need to reach 4:27.50 for the automatic bid.

Kipng’eno has already qualified for Nationals in the 5,000 meters.

Also recording a NCAA provisional time in the men’s 1500 meters was Chelimo, who raced to a time of 3:49.92, bypassing the 3:52.50 provisional marker.

Setting a school record in the women’s 4x400-meter relay was the freshman foursome of Sasha Halfyard , Ivy O’Guinn , Susan Bick and Haleigh Lloyd . The quartet carried the baton across the line at 3:56.17, beating their school record of 3:56.18 The men’s 4x4-meter relay of sophomore Ethan Hewitt and seniors Levi Sutton and David Registe and junior Shaun Ward completed the four laps in a time of 3:14.74 for a UAA record.

Throughout the week in California, the Seawolves combined for two NCAA automatic bids, four NCAA provisional times, one Great Northwest Athletic Conference record and six UAA records.

-compiled by taylor hall

The Rays didn’t lose much anyways, since Ramirez was only batting a .118 average thus far into the season. They also saved two million dollars thanks to his early retirement.

This isn’t his first strike out, though.

In 2008 Ramirez worked his way from the Red Sox to the Dodgers. Both moves ended in conflict and controversy.

Manny is quite possibly best known for his self-centered play in game. He has faked injuries, and has even simply sat down when he didn’t want to play anymore.

But hey Manny can be Manny right?

Ramirez never really played for the Red Sox, or the Dodgers, or the Rays. Manny played for team Manny, and team Manny only.

Ramirez isn’t alone though, and the last week was a rough one for MLB. Barry Bonds, who is the home-run king of the

nation, and an iconic sports

idol, was found guilty of obstruction of justice; also related to performance enhancing drugs.

Both men were up for the hall-of-fame.

Now, without a doubt, both men will receive no vote for the spot.

Maybe Bonds had a chance, Ramirez never really did.

Ramirez, who was set up to be the poster child for the Tampa Bay Rays will now be replaced by Sam Fuld, who moved from the Chicago Cubs.

Replacing the Manny Ramirez bobble heads are will be “Super Sam” capes.

So yes, say goodbye to the has-been, one time legend of Manny Ramirez, who has finally struck out.

UAA CONCERT BOARD

21

presents

Tickets available at www.UAATix.com and the Student Union Information Desk.

UAA is an EEO/A employer and educational institution

B10 COMICS|

TNL

April 19, 2011

BROKECOMICS | Alec Fritz

TUNDRA l Chad Carpenter

SODUKU

CRYPTOQUOTE PUZZLE l C. Beaudrie

CROSSWORD

SUMMER ACTIVITIES

W R O L L E R S K I O S I Z J

E H E R I F N O B B V X K E A

R P I H S N R E T N I L P D P

F I K T L N R R B Q Y M V R B

Y C A D E U P E E L S E A E L

U F O F N W H I K I N G N G G

M O U N T M A R A T H O N N R

V E I F B S L T U E G M I I O

S N T I L E E R E N V K S M C

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS:

G K K A V O E R I R L U C M K

E E Y A M J R K O A R L P I C

O M R D M I A F W F C A W W L

N T O F I Y T G I J A S F S I

A N E G A V O L G D M Q P T M

C W T K E D E W U R P Y H Z B

ADVENTURE BIKE BONFIRE CAMP CANOE DOG WALKING FOREST FAIR FROLF HIKING INTERNSHIP KAYAKING MOUNT MARATHON ROCK CLIMB ROLLER SKI RUNNING SKY DIVE SLEEP SWIMMING TRAVEL ULTIMATE WHITE WATER RAFT

1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 28 32 35 37 38 39 41 42 45 46 47 48 50 54 58 61 62 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 1 2 3 4

ACROSS Group of quail Humane org.

Apparel Hodgepodge Joyous outburst Eurasian range Watermelon part Turbaned seer Signature Dawn horse epoch Forwarded on Stone monument Brags Facile Princess topper Strong connection A Gershwin Glossy paint Eco-friendly feds Peace Prize founder Mir successor Pinball palace Underwater shocker Nix Tenth US president Syrup brand Gaucho’s nooses 1950s record Open Mild protests (hyph.)

Tree anchor Unmoving Formic acid makers Miner’s quest “Cannery Row” star Crawford’s ex The — the limit!

Wave hello Son of Aphrodite DOWN Drills George who was a she Lombardi Called from the Tyrol

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 23 25 27 29 30 31 32 33

Domed recess Got a load of Porous gem Brief guest appearance True inner self Mediterranean country By mouth Monopoly or solitaire Husky’s burden Teachers’ org.

Envelope abbr.

Pita sandwich Calculator key Yves’ girl Break Too Ready to drop Nashville landmark

34

Ocean 36 37 40 43 44 46 49 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 64

compound Homer Simpson’s dad La senorita Cartoon shrieks Fills with fizz Trickle down 120 or 240 King, to monsieur Mimicry Male vocalist An Astaire Train restaurant Lead-in Slalom runs WWW addresses Alcove Buffalo Bill — Dele canceler Tpk.

Quote: “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new - Albert Einstein

TNL

April 19, 2011 | COMICS

B11

YOUR STARS THIS WEEK

By Stella Wilder

The coming week is likely to require of most individuals a healthy dose of self-control, as events and surprise develowpments lead to otherwise emotional responses -- even from those who are not overtly emotional people. Progress results from a calm, steady dialogue, not from a heated or impassioned interchange in which, most likely, no one is listening to anyone else. Indeed, if one engages in that kind of brick-wall behavior, one may well be courting disaster -- for depending on who is engaged in such a hotheaded battle of raised voices, the results can range from temporary fury to long-term rift.

The one is loud but short-lived; the other may last a lifetime.

This is not a good week for promoting agendas with little or no thought for others. In other words, while selflessness may be downright impossible, selfishness can prove quite damaging in both the personal and professional arenas. Advice to all: think before speaking.

Free for All.

ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- If you find yourself heating up, you may want to channel that energy into a creative endeavor instead of lashing out.

(April 5-April 19) -- It is likely to be more painful to say nothing than to share a difficult truth that is on your mind.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 5) -- Interesting news comes your way about your past and your future. Something may not seem completely fair -- but what can you do?

(May 6-May 20) -- Word is that you may not be getting the short end of the stick after all. Advancement may soon be yours.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 6) -- You may not know it, but you can provide both inspiration and hands-on assistance to someone who needs it right now.

(June 7-June 20) -- What you learn today can be put to immediate use as you are put in charge of making someone feel at home.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- What begins as amazement may turn, very quickly, into a strange kind of resentment as someone else gets the results you are after.

(July 8-July 22) -- An old friend may re-enter your orbit today, but what you get as a result may not be in sync with expectations.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- You and a rival have been neck and neck for quite some time; this week, you have the chance to move ahead -- not temporarily but for good. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- The perfection you seek is likely to elude you, but progress comes in healthy doses.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- There may be some questions left unanswered even after you dig deeply into someone else’s affairs.

Are they the right questions?

(Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -- Simplicity may be hard to come by, but you must do what you can to avoid unnecessary complications.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -- You will be looking for extra time to tend to business that is yours and yours alone; be prepared to make use of the evening hours.

(Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- You’re likely to be exposed to something that has you thinking differently about what lies ahead.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- You’re likely to have plenty of time to do what is required of you, leaving you enough time to go above and beyond.

(Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- Don’t let someone else put you on the defensive.

Focus on those things that give you confidence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- You may have chosen a path recently that is fraught with unexpected dangers, but you are well equipped to deal with them one at a time.

(Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- A decision you make in the heat of the moment may come back to haunt you later on.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- You may feel as though you are all alone in a situation that only you can understand, but you are isolating yourself needlessly.

(Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- Time spent with family members serves to remind you of what is really important to you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- You don’t have to begin moving in a new direction right away, even though you’ve determined that a new road beckons.

(Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- You may find yourself moving slowly toward another whose methods and motives are nothing like your own.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- The what is easy to determine, for signs are everywhere; the why will be nowhere near as simple to figure out. (March 6-March 20) -- Don’t let your expectations rule you; be willing to adjust your thinking to suit changing circumstances.

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