APRIL 11 - APRIL 18, 2017
FEATURES
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Prof-iles: Religious background assists prof. on ethnohistory research
Reaching high speeds, being in the mountains and coaching an alpine ski team are part of Madeline Taschappat’s winter pleasures
PHOTO COURTESY OF MADELINE TASCHAPPAT
Tschappat posing with her skis. At the age of four, Taschappat’s parents enrolled her in ski lessons at Hilltop Ski Area, and she has been skiing, and coaching ever since.
features@thenorthernlight.org
Following in her father’s footsteps, Madeline Taschappat-Larson, found the passion for skiing as a child. At the
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Localize It: UAA sophomore designs wireless headphones
Radical Recreation: Rather be skiing
By Brenda Craig
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
age of four, Taschappat’s parents enrolled her in ski lessons at Hilltop Ski Area, but, after noticing how fast she was progressing, they decided to take her out of the class and let her hit the slopes with her father. After
that, all Taschappat wanted to do was ski with her dad and go inside for the occasional hot chocolate and soft pretzel. At the age of six, Taschappat joined the Nordic cross country skiing program and soon found a greater love for alpine skiing. The ability to reach high speeds is what attracted her to downhill skiing. “My favorite thing about skiing is the snow and being able to go really fast,” Taschappat said. “I downloaded an app on my phone that tracks miles per hour just by being in my pocket and bolted down Silvertip, a run at [Alyeska Resort], to the bottom of chair four, maxing out at a speed of 78 mph. It was thrilling.” Taschappat is going to UAA as a full-time student to pursue her justice major, working as a medical assistant at Hillside Family Medicine and coaching a five and six-year-old alpine race team for the Hilltop Alpine Race Team (HART). “It is one of the most rewarding things that I do with my
SEE SKIING
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UAA’s ESL program to be cancelled By Alexis Abbott
news2@thenorthernlight.org
University of Alaska Anchorage’s English as a second language (ESL) program was recently announced to be canceled prior to this academic year. ESL provides entry-level courses for students who’s first language is not English. Classes in the program give international and non-English speaking students practice including pronunciation, reading, writing and other critical skills. For students that come from other countries, ESL courses are vital to ensure a successful transition into their college classes. The cancellation of ESL will affect current students as well as prospective international students who will need to find language assistance off campus. Cuts to the ESL program may result in loss of tuition revenue and lack of diversity on campus. International students pay a higher level of tuition than Alaska residents or US citizens that attend UAA. Thus, the university will suffer a loss of tuition earnings and incoming foreign
students. Irasema Ortega, a language education instructor and investigator for Project Language Equity and Academic Performance believes that ESL classes are crucial for many students at the university. “The level of English proficiency required for success at UAA and at many other institutions is greatly improved by ESL classes in each of the academic English domains,” Ortega said. “Cancellation of classes could potentially cause international students to consider attending other colleges and universities. This will result in a loss of cultural and linguistic diversity in our campus thus decreasing the richness of the college experience for all students who attend UAA.” International students whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in either the test of English as a foreign language or the international English language testing system before being eligible to advance to regular content
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Cheese and wine pairing, weird things and bullshit: Fall 2017 classes By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
What do cheese and wine pairing, weird things and bullshit all have in common? They are all topics being covered in 2017 fall semester classes. Tim Doebler is the director of the Culinary Arts, Hotel Restaurant Management program, and he developed the course called World Cheese Exploration and Wine Pairing. He says this course, along with a whole series of Culinary Arts 490 classes, are one credit classes that teach students with any level of culinary experience some of the history behind cheese and wine, with the opportunity to sample pairings as well. “We think students learn best when they can actually see, hear, taste, touch and feel if you will,” Doebler said. “In this class, they actually do sample cheese samples. They sample wine samples and they’re all paired so they can see how it all goes together.” This class is new as of the fall semester, and Doebler intended it to be less about becoming a wine connoisseur and more about earning the history, process and traditions.
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“What we really wanted to do was enlighten people about the history, first and foremost about cheeses and then the process,’ Doebler said. “Then we also wanted to do likewise with wines. We want to explore history and the process of making wines and really look at world wines. The class is a sampling of all of that. We give students the historical background, the traditions, we look in different regions and we talk about cheeses and wines.” Outside of world cheese exploration and wine pairing, the culinary arts program also offers similar one credit style course about foods of Italy, foods of the Mediterranean, tastes of Asia and artisan breads. For students who know absolutely nothing about cooking, Doebler says there are classes they can take, like Culinary 490: Culinary Survival Skills, or another class on how to use knives. While the cheese and wine pairing class is only open for students who are 21 and older at the time of the course, assistant professor Mychal Machado’s Honors 292 class, Why People Believe Weird
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GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
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NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
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Conservatives aim to cut Planned Parenthood Bill to cut reproductive-health federal funding awaits final vote
By Alexis Abbott
news2@thenorthernlight.org
A bill to cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood was recently passed by the U.S. Senate and is awaiting the next step — approval from the president. The 51-50 vote was tie-broken by Vice President Mike Pence to advance the ballot. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was one of just two Republicans that voted against the restrictive bill. The measure will enable states to cut federal funds from Planned Parenthood and other women’s reproductive health organizations. Despite the recent GOP health-care bill failure, congress is still in position to halt federal funding and Medicaid to health care providers all over the country. This could strip millions of women of affordable mammograms, contraception and pap smears. Katie Rogers, communications manager for Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands, says that Planned Parenthood is working hard to make sure Alaskan legislators are aware of the potential harm of defunding women’s health facilities. “Since President Trump took office, we have been expecting these kinds of threats to women’s health care. We as an administration have chosen to be on a crusade to eliminate access for women and families when it comes to health care — so we’re keeping up the fight, and we’re staying optimistic and we’re going to continue to fight for our patients and
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
Planned Parenthood’s only location in Anchorage is found off of Lake Otis Parkway and East 40th Avenue.
health centers,” Rogers said. Moira Pyhala, president of the Planned Parenthood advocacy club at UAA expressed the importance of keeping affordable health care providers not only in Anchorage but all over the nation. “As a young, developing, person I used and continue to use the services that are provided by Planned Parenthood because they are one of the only health care options that are accessible to me personally. This is not only the case for me but for millions of women all over the nation,” Pyhala said. “I’ve met wom-
ESL: English as a second language no longer to be offered
PHOTO COURTESY OF IRASEMA ORTEGA
Irasema Ortega, a language education instructor, believes the cancellation of ESL classes will deter international students from enrolling at UAA.
Continued from cover
classes. Without offering remedial classes, many students will have to make other plans prior to registering for courses. Former ESL instructor, Jonathan Bower, felt the cut of ESL to be “discouraging” — having so many implications and impacts across the learning spectrum at UAA. “This decision fails to take into account the true, day-to-day, on-theground rigors that any international student faces in pursuing an opportunity to study here. To my understanding, the ESL classes are customarily where our international students receive the basic tools needed for them to proceed through their degree or academic pursuits here. How can we expect them to understand critical thinking or college essay writing or core philosophies in our disciplines if they’re
still trying to work out basic grammar and sentence structure?” Bower said. Bower worries what effect the loss of ESL will have on international students at UAA. “It concerns me that we may now see an influx of students throughout the disciplines who, lacking those basic skills afforded to them through ESL classes, may now also, in addition to basic grammar or sentence structure, be freighted with trying to comprehend critical thinking, traditional essay-writing, narrative structure, etc.,” Bower said. “I’ve lived in other cultures. I only survived in those places by first receiving certain, basic instructions and education in the language and writing before I could move on and attempt anything more complex or out of my league as a beginning student.” Gesar Bat-Erdene, a UAA student from Mongolia, admitted that many international students face communication challenges that ESL helps them deal with. “UAA has been known for it’s welcoming environment for international students. Cancellation of the ESL program will affect the performance of the students who need these classes the most, particularly, eliminating an opportunity to prepare for more advanced classes. In addition to the decreasing number of international students’ population in UAA, it will create less favorable conditions for new arrivals,” Bat-Erdene said. In result of the university budget crisis, important programs that contribute to the success of many students are being eliminated. What international and nonEnglish speaking students will do without the ESL program is to be tested following this academic year.
en all across the nation through Planned Parenthood, and their stories always end with ‘thankfully I had Planned Parenthood’. Without access to reproductive health, women — and men — do not have absolute control of their lives and bodies, and millions of low-income women would not have access to necessary care that they need.” Phyla pointed out that if funding to Planned Parenthood were to be cut, thousands of Anchorage residents would lose access to not only reproductive health but access to sexual education — which
could be detrimental due to Alaska having some of the highest rates of common STI’s compared to the rest of the nation. Currently, Generation Action is working on building Planned Parenthood advocacy on the UAA campus while also addressing the issues that are currently in the state. Tasha Hotch, Anchorage school board nominee, endorsed by Planned Parenthood votes Northwest and Hawaii for her longtime support, says that with the high rates of sexual assault and violence in the Anchorage community, that terminating Planned Parenthood would have a harmful impact. “I think that [Planned Parenthood] is an affordable place where people without many health care choices go. Although I have heard people with insurance go there, and I have even gone there. Specifically for me, I am eligible for [Indian Health Services] and could have gone to Southcentral Foundation, and although there are privacy laws, there are few things as embarrassing as everyone knowing your health care business, especially if it’s elective, such as exploring birth control options,” Hotch said. Defunding programs like Planned Parenthood would take away what public health calls “safety-net health centers,” a last-chance offering for those who cannot afford full price if they had to, but who are covered by Medicaid. Many women and men may no longer have access to health-related care if the bill to cut federal funding passes.
NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
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04 | NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
The March for Science is striding through Alaska April 22 marks the mission to promote the purity of science
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
By Sarah Tangog
stangog@thenorthernlight.org
Thus far, 2017 has been a year that promotes voices and ideas throughout different communities. The March for Science is no exception, and many scientists are pushing to make themselves heard. “As an ecologist and evolutionary biologist, former researcher, consultant and educator, I’ve been actively engaged in science for many years,” Ceal Smith, member of the March for Science Anchorage Team, said. “I attended the Women’s March, which was an inspiring and historical event for Anchorage, so when I learned about the March for Science in D.C., I immediately contacted the organizers and volunteered to help organize the March for Science in Anchorage.” Smith isn’t the only one who was encouraged to join. Bryan Box, UAA graduate with biology major, also felt compelled. He specializes in forest ecology, and focuses on forest entomology. “They gave me an out: I could heavily reword my manuscript to not include any mention on climate change, even though that’s the whole point of my research,” Box said. “All my friends who work at the [Environmental Protection Agency] and all my friends who work at the Department of the Interior started reporting the same thing, like, ‘Hey, we’re being told we can’t talk to the public, and that our data’s going to start getting shut
down.’ So we all started getting super angry, naturally.” Because the origins of the march are emotional, the march itself has received plenty of backlashes. One argument against it states that the march is too political and is based off of scientific policy. “The aims and functions of the march have been drastically altered in the first two months of its existence, especially as the organizers began to receive critique from the scientific community,” Zuleyka Zevallos, sociologist research fellow at Swinburne University, said in an article for minoritypostdoc.org. Since then, the intent has become clear: the march is to focus heavily on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, as well as differing branches of science. “Science is absolutely fascinating, and it’s a method of thinking about the world,” Box said. “It’s not political science, you know, it’s not people-based. It’s pure logic. It’s elegant, beautiful, and I love it. I really do.” The March for Science Anchorage is to take place April 22, at 10 a.m. Tony Knowles and Ethan Berkowitz are to be keynote speakers. It will start from the Veterans’ Memorial at Delaney Park and will end at the Anchorage Museum. This event is open to the public.
The Edge Update: President Xi in Alaska, reforming Baltimore’s police and political chaos in Venezuela
By Max Jungreis KRUA
The Edge Update can be heard every weekday on KRUA 88.1 FM The Edge, UAA's college radio station. Local Chinese President Xi Jinping made a surprise stop in Anchorage Friday night after meeting with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Mr. Xi met with Gov. Bill Walker, dined at the Crow’s Nest in the Captain Cook hotel and traveled to Beluga point before leaving in his personal Boeing 747. The stop is thought to highlight China’s interest in the Arc-
tic’s natural resources. Over the last few years, China has passed Japan to become Alaska’s largest trading partner. In 2016, the state exported minerals, oil, seafood and other products, valued at about $1.2 billion. Gov. Bill Walker used his time with the Chinese president to pitch for a gas export project and recognize China’s status as Alaska’s largest trading partner. Xi expressed that he has flown over the state many times, and always wanted to visit. National On Friday, a federal judge approved a consent decree to overhaul the Baltimore police department against the wishes of
the justice department. The decree would introduce major reforms to the troubled department, including new technology, training and community oversight. On Monday, the Justice department sought a 90-day delay to review police reform agreements, including Baltimore’s. Attorney General Jeff Sessions expressed concern at the decision, stating the decree was signed in a “rushed process” during the previous presidential administration. “While the Department of Justice continues to fully support police reform in Baltimore, I have grave concerns that some provisions of this decree will reduce the lawful powers of the police department and result in a less safe city,” Sessions said. The Justice Department had previously found that the police department of Baltimore, a majority-black city, disproportionately targeted black people. The consent decree would seek to address this by requiring reforms like an additional 80 hours of training on protocol such as stop-and-search procedures and the upgrading of technology that keeps police officers accountable, such as video cameras inside police vans. At a press conference, mayor Catherine Pugh called the decision “a great victory for the citi-
zens of Baltimore, as well as the Baltimore Police Department”. Global The politician most likely to unseat Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in an election has been barred from holding public office for the next 15 years. Henrique Capriles, governor of the Venezuelan state of Miranda, narrowly lost to Maduro in the 2013 election. The government released a list of issues it claims disqualifies Capriles from running, including failure to secure approval for various budgets and contracts. Capriles is an outspoken critic of the current president, frequently appearing at the large protests that have continued to grow after the Supreme Court attempted last month to remove from Venezuela’s legislature, a body stocked with Maduro’s opposition. In the last week, government forces have put down demonstrations with force, using tear gas, water cannons and clubs to repel protesters. “More than yesterday, more than today, tomorrow there are even more reasons for us to mobilize ourselves in all of the country,” Capriles wrote on Twitter.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
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College Cookbook: Kim Sunee’s just-in-case key lime pie
Step into summer with this citrus packed pie
By Victoria Petersen Contributor
Ingredients
Directions
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs • 1/3 cup macadamia nuts (or walnuts) • 3 tablespoons sugar • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted • 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk • 2 large eggs • 1 1/4 cups key lime juice • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream • 2
teaspoons
powdered
sugar • 1/2
cup
thick
creme
fraiche (or sour cream) • 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
For Christmas, I got “A Mouthful of Stars” by Kim Sunee. Sunee is a local writer. Her food memoir “Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love and the Search for Home,” and her recipe book “A Mouthful of Stars” takes readers on a journey through her life and travels. Since receiving the book for Christmas, I’ve bookmarked multiple recipes to try, her key lime pie especially. Initially, I was intrigued by the homemade graham cracker and macadamia nut crust the recipe calls for. The recipe says to use a food processor, but I don’t have one. I put all the nuts and graham crackers into a gallon size zip-loc bag, sealed it and then used a rolling pin to crush the nuts and graham crackers. It worked pretty well. The recipe also calls for creme fraiche. Sunee gives the option of using sour cream, but I decided to opt for the high-brow ingredient since I’ve never used it before. It did not disappoint. It has a sour, kind of cream-cheesy flavor but makes the whipped cream so much creamier. Sunee urges the reader to avoid bottled key lime juice, noting that fresh juice is much more flavorful. I believe her, but I did use bottled key lime juice because I had it on hand and wanted to use the rest of it up. Nellie and Joe’s key lime juice is a little higher end bottled key lime juice that I found at New Sagayas City Market. Next time, I’ll squeeze fresh juice to compare. The recipe yields one 10-inch pie.
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pulse your graham crackers and nuts in a food processor until ground finely. If you do not have a food processor, put your nuts and graham crackers in a large zip-lock bag and crush with a rolling pin until crackers and nuts are ground finely. 2. Add the sugar to the crumb and nut mixture. Pour mixture into a 10-inch pie pan. Using your fingers, spread the mixture evenly across the pan and up the sides of pan, about 1/4 inch high. Pour the melted butter evenly over the crumb mixture and press down on the crust with your fingers to set the crust in PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN place. 3. Bake the pie crust for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on. 4. In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, eggs and lime juice together and mix until fully blended. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust and bake for 18 minutes or until it’s set but still jiggles in the center. Chill the pie in the refrigerator at least four hours and up to overnight. 5. Create the whipped topping that will go on top of the pie once it has chilled and set. In a stand mixer, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Add the creme fraiche and lime zest and fold into the whipped cream until well blended. Add across the top of the pie evenly once it has chilled. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top of the pie for extra citrus and garnish with lime wedges for a nice presentation.
06 | FEATURES
UAAnonymous: Why do relationships fail?
By Student Health and Counciling Center
Contributor
The UAA Peer Health Educators host a weekly peer-to-peer discussion about healthy sexuality. Questions are taken from UAA students. Relationships fail for a variety of reasons. For example, there could be a lack of trust or lack of emotional connection that leads to the end of a relationship, no matter what stage the relationship is at. The two people could have different expectations for the relationship or different priorities in life. There could also be compatibility issues or communication issues. One or both may or may not be ready for the relationship as it progresses. Regardless of the many possibilities, it is important to evaluate your side of the relationship. Do you have unrealistic or conflicting expectations for the person you want to go out with? Are you afraid of commitment? Are you communicating exactly what you want and expect in
this relationship? If your relationship history happens to fall under these, it may be time for some self-evaluation. In order to be in a successful relationship, you must have a good relationship with yourself, whether you’re single or in a relationship. You should be comfortable with being single. People who need to be in a relationship all the time may lack the confidence and strength you gain from being single. When you have a good relationship with yourself and value yourself, you are able to find people who will also value you as a person and screen out those who don’t appreciate you. If your past relationships have failed due to compatibility issues, perhaps you could try to hang out with those who have similar interests to you, whether that be professionally, socially, politically, athletically or religiously. If you’ve struggled with communication issues, you could try to be open with your close friends first, and then also be open in your relationship and invite your partner to be open with you as well. They may not want to be as open as you, to the relationship’s detriment, but in that case, you did the best you could. Being open in communication can also help with the relationship’s expectations by being clear with what you wish the relationship to entail. You cannot force the person you’re with to trust you, to forge an emotional connection, to be completely compatible, nor to be completely open with communication. However, you can do your best and that is all you can do. While you’re at your best, you might end up finding someone very special who’s willing to give you their best.
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
CLASSES: Fall 2017 semester course schedule is offering some fun classes Continued from cover
Things, is open to any University Honors College student who needs to fulfill their 292 credit. Machado said this class is about studying the world in an objective way and analyzing beliefs or superstitions, like, ‘why do people wish upon a star?’ “Just in general, I think folks will want to take this course because where else are you going to get to talk about mermaids, Bigfoot, Chupacabras and Jesus all under the same roof,” Machado said. “What I have students do in this class, is pick a belief that they have, or a claim they believe in, there’s no judgement statements here. If you want to believe in Jesus and you want to believe in a lama, OK fine, go out and look for the evidence that suggests those two things. Analyze your own beliefs.” In this class, students analyze their own beliefs, at the same time as they analyze other beliefs out there. Machado said the class isn’t about proving Bigfoot exist, but it’s about finding the evidence. “The question shouldn’t be whether Bigfoot is or is not real, but rather what evidence do we need to see or obtain or collect in order to objectively make that claim of reality or fantasy under those conditions?” Machado said. Another fun class offered this fall is Unpacking Truth, Lies and Bullshit: Data Analysis in an Age of Fake, taught by professor of education policy, Diane Hirshberg. Hirshberg got the idea for the course from a class at the University of Washington titled Calling Bullshit. She
thought that type of course was needed at UAA to tackle fake news, fake academia and other fake claims. Hirshberg has two main reasons she is teaching the class. “One, we need to have the conversation about what’s going on and two, this may be the first time students are excited about the research part and not just about the content. Usually it’s students being excited to learn about [the topic]…. This time it’s actually the research methods that look at someone and say that’s not right — or that is right.” Hirshberg said the last election cycle made her believe a class like this was necessary, and that her own experience with fake information has given her examples to use in class. “My mother-in-law would forward me these emails,” Hirshberg said. “I would go to Snopes and the write her back with this isn’t real and here’s the evidence. You can’t do that anymore, it’s such a huge firehouse of fake information.” Hirshberg’s class is also an Honors 292 class, and she encourages interested students to enroll. Registration is now open for all admitted UAA students and seating is limited for all three courses.
Fall 2017 classes are available for open registration on uaonline.alaska.edu
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
| 07
The UAA Justice Club serves time for students
A combination of legal education and community service creates a tantalizing environment By Sarah Tangog
stangog@thenorthernlight.org
The Justice Club has come a long way to opening their doors for the community. The club’s focus has shifted to provide more service for UAA students and the UAA area in general. “Most of our events have all been free and open to anybody on campus, even in the community.” Joseph Mitzel, club council representative and legal studies major, said. “We like to keep it open to everybody and make sure everybody knows that they’re welcome. We appreciate any kind of support that anybody wants to give for the club. We’re very much about the community.” The Justice Club is certainly improving and growing. However, unavoidable obstacles prevent the club from forming a consistent transition from year to year. “It comes down to the difficulty of student engagement and student involvement in extracurricular activities on campus,” Troy Payne, faculty advisor for the Justice Club, said. “We have not had enough interest from students.” Because of this, some changes may have to occur to not only the Justice Club, but the PreLaw Society as well.
“We’re working on a merger. Pre-Law Society is actually going to be dissolving into the Justice Club, and the new club is going to be called the Society of Law and Justice. That’ll start next year,” Brad Foster, club president and criminal justice major, said. As president of the club, Foster is working hard to get this merger done before he graduates. Despite this, the Justice Club is actively branching out to showcase a variety of events and bring in different speakers of differing professions. “If you want to really learn about what happens behind the scenes — to a certain extent — in regards to Anchorage and what really happens to the justice side of it, the club is in a perfect spot right now to where you can learn about that,” Foster said. The importance of college clubs can’t be stressed enough, and the Justice Club is no exception. “I think my favorite part is very much about the sense of community. A lot of the other members are very close, you know. We’re all friends; a lot of us take the same classes,” Mitzel said. “The clubs are very much there to help and support you throughout the school year.” Payne agrees with Mitzel
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Austin Rodgers, secretary of the UAA Justice Club, mans the booth in order to raise awareness and attract new members for the club. The club meets every other Friday at 5:30 p.m. in room 119 of the Social Science Building. Their next meeting will be on April 14.
regarding the club values. “The more students are involved in these kinds of organizations at this kind of ground level, where the rubber meets the road, they get exposed to these bigger ideas, and then they have an increasing voice on campus,”
Payne said. The Justice Club voices its importance by giving back to the community. Throughout April, the club will be manning a booth every Tuesday through Thursday called “Breaking the Silence,” which provides sup-
port and awareness for domestic abuse and sexual assault victims. The club meets every other Friday at 5:30 p.m. in room 119 of the Social Science Building. Their next meeting will be on April 14.
Prof-iles: From one frontier of Eastern Christianity to another
For UAA professor, Medeia Csoba DeHass, religion has always been important to her life and career in Alaska
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
After attending university in Budapest, Medeia Csoba DeHass moved to Alaska to conduct research on Eastern Christianity. As part of her Ph.D research, she has studied how Eastern Christianity and Alaska Native culture existed together in the community of Nanwalek.
By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
Born in Hungary during the communist regime, UAA professor Medeia Csoba DeHass, grew up cognizant about her religion. Before 1989, when the Communist system collapsed, religion was repressed. For Csoba DeHass, religion was a huge part of her life growing up — her grandfather was a priest of Eastern Christianity —and after
1989 a new Democratic system of government allowed her to be more open about her religion. After attending university in Budapest, she moved to Alaska to do research on Eastern Christianity. “I was interested [in] looking at Eastern Christianity in Alaska, especially that was so displayed in Alaska Native communities,” Csoba DeHass said. “People are so proud of it, and yet I grew up in an era when you couldn’t talk about it, you
had to hide it. If someone asked you, you couldn’t tell the truth about it. That was interesting to me, and I wanted to know more about it — when people are still Russian Orthodox in Alaska, today, even though the Treaty of Cession happened a long time ago.” Csoba DeHass is currently an assistant professor of Anthropology and Alaska Native Studies. For her Ph.D. research, she lived in Nanwalek, a single denomination Russian Ortho-
dox community, to understand the way Eastern Christianity and Alaska Native culture grew together. Not only did she live in Nanwalek, but Csoba DeHass was also a Postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth, where she was able to work with one of the most prominent scholars in ethnohistory. Csoba DeHass has been able to immerse herself in Alaska Native culture, and she believes that coming at the subject from a different perspective has helped her continue to learn. “I do have this very immersive experience in this one area of Alaska, and I started such projects with other areas, but I think the key is you’re learning just as much in class,” Csoba DeHass said. “It doesn’t matter what class, but you are learning as much as your students are learning… I think it is more along the lines of sharing experiences.” For Csoba DeHass, her experiences with Alaska have centered around her religion, and studying that religion in different contexts. “If you look at the world, Hungary is here and Alaska is almost totally opposite,” Csoba DeHass said. “If you are looking at Russia, Eastern Christianity is totally prevalent there, the other half is more Western Christianity, so we are the two
ends: Hungary and Alaska. We’re frontiers in that way when it comes to religion...It just interested me, people having very similar things in Alaska.” Her passion for ethnohistory has kept her in Alaska for 15 years on and off, and she is currently working on a collaborative pilot project that looks at 3-D modeling of Alaska Native artifacts for heritage preservation. She hopes the project will restore knowledge to Alaska Native communities about artifacts that can only be found in museums today. “Now this piece that was sitting in a museum, nobody knew what it was, nobody knew about it in the community where it came from, [but] all of a sudden we can add knowledge back into the origin community because we know we can share 3-D models,” Csoba DeHass said. “That’s going to change how people think about themselves… maybe there are some artists who say, ‘Hey in a museum I saw this and this, and I think I’m going to try that.’” In the future, Csoba DeHass hopes to continue working on 3-D modeling, and one day she would like to find a new research area, one that deals with the Finno-Ugric language group and heritage.
08 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
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A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
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Localize It: Getting down to business with Peak Audio UAA student releases his own line of wireless headphones
By Madison McEnaney arts@thenorthernlight.org
Chidiebere Iwouha, a sophomore in the business program at UAA, has recently released a new product called Peak Audio. These are wireless headphones that he is currently sell-
ing through Amazon for profit. At 20 years old, Iwouha has found himself becoming an entrepreneur through Peak Audio, already selling out on his first order. “Fitness has always been a big part of my life, and when I thought about what I wanted to start selling, it just made sense to find a product that could be used for that. Then I had the idea about headphones, wireless specifically, and found the manufacturer that I thought was the best fit,” Iwouha said. Iwouha’s target audience for these headphones are primarily people who are in the fitness community, but anyone can use Peak Audio’s headphones. They come in a compact case that
Chidiebere Iwouha, student in the business program, has already sold out of his first order of his wireless earbud product, Peak Audio. Iwouha plans to release more products in the near future.
allows the headphones to be portable and easily accessible and can be charged with any access to an outlet. While Iwouha’s business is still fairly new, he has already found himself selling out of his product online within the first few weeks of its initial release. It took him several months of testing products and figuring out the exact brand of headphones he wanted to sell, and it proved to be challenging to find a quality product that would sell to his preferred audience. “There were a few different companies that I tried out before I found the ones I am currently selling, but none of them had as good of a connection as the ones Peak Audio currently has. I know I wouldn’t want headphones that worked poorly, so I wanted to make sure I was selling a good product,” Iwouha said. As a business owner now, Iwouha has to take things like advertising and branding, competition and customer service into account. If he does not perform well in these areas, his product will not sell and succeed like he wants it to. “I think my timing with the release of these wireless headphones worked out well, because now that Air Pods are a thing, people want wireless headphones more and more. Peak Audio offers an alternative option that are less expensive which has really been a good
PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM
Sophomore Chidiebere Iwouha displays how his wireless earbuds fit in the ear in a profile view. His target audience for this product are those in the fitness community.
marketing strategy for me,” Iwouha said. Currently, Iwouha’s only product through Peak Audio are the wireless headphones, but he plans to release more products
through the brand in the future. Even though he is still a business student at UAA, Iwouha has gotten ahead of his own game by beginning his career as an entrepreneur through Peak Audio.
Anchorage Rocks for Autism and Family Tree Presents host weekly concerts for the month of April By Madison McEnaney arts@thenorthernlight.org
With the help of the organizations Anchorage Rocks for Autism and Family Tree Presents, the month of April is stacked with concerts featuring local musicians, all wanting to help a cause. Every Monday in April, various artists will be featured in the Anchorage Rocks for Autism acoustic nights, and every weekend shows will be hosted at Anchorage Community Works or Hard Rock Cafe. The profit made by all these concerts will go directly to FOCUS Outreach, an organization based in Eagle River. This is the sixth year that Anchorage has had Rocks for Autism shows, with each year showing growth in the music community. Sarah Pederson, the owner of concert commission company Family Tree Presents, has witnessed this growth and seen what the community can do to help donate to FOCUS. “Between the musicians who donate their time, the venues who give their space and the people who attend and give their donations, it always shows how Anchorage cares for the music commu-
nity and the Rocks for Autism shows. We’ve raised around $40,000 total in the last six years, and hope to only keep that number growing,” Pederson said. So far this month, two shows have already been held for the Rocks for Autism event. The all-ages concert featured bands Atlas, Old Hounds, Bad Friday, Bottlecaps for Dollars and Bulletproof Jay at ACW last Saturday. Also, Koots’ first acoustic show featured The Eternal Cowboys and Diana Z & Shannon Marie. “I’ve been attending Rocks for Autism shows for probably around four years now. It’s really great to see the music community grow and have more people attend these shows to support a really great cause,” Kevin Kuhn, a show attendee at the ACW concert, said. While these shows have passed, there are still two acoustic shows at Koot’s and one at Hard Rock Cafe that can be attended and given support to. On April 17, Jared Woods and Robb Rood will play an acoustic night at Koot’s, and on April 24 the Rebel Blues Band will perform. Along with those, Hard Rock Cafe will host a benefit concert on April 29, with ATF, Transitions, The High Pets, Granddad, Devilwitch, Griffith and
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
Anchorage Community Works, located in downtown Anchorage, serves as a creative center that hosts events, concerts and art exhibits. ACW will be hosting several events for Anchorage Rocks for Autism this month.
RunLikeHell performing. These shows have an entrance fee of $10 which goes to FOCUS, but other donations will be accepted as well. “We are more established now, with having held the same event in the same month for six years in a row so people know it’s coming. People in Alaska are very generous, and I hope to see the Rocks for Autism shows only get bigger
and better,” Pederson said. At the end of the month, Family Tree Presents and the Anchorage Rocks for Autism committee will announce the amount of money raised for FOCUS in 2017. With multiple shows still yet to happen, there is an opportunity for anyone to attend and donate while enjoying some of the local music that Anchorage has to offer.
A&E
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SPORTS
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Inside UAA intramural sports By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
In addition to UAA’s successful division I and II sports, the university also implements and promotes a successful program of intramural sports. Since many students like having opportunities to stay active and be social outside of class, there are many sports that are offered and many ways to be join and stay active. The sports range from flag football, basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, broomball, hockey, inner tube water polo to special events that take place randomly throughout the school year. All of these sports are coed, which many of the participants enjoy because it gives the games a more competitive appeal. Participants such as Eric Barragan, a sophomore biological science major at UAA, who competed in intramural soccer, enjoys the fact that all the sports incorporate a standard minimum of how many males and females can be on one team. Basketball specifically requires that each team must have six members overall, but there must be a minimum ratio of three males to one female. Other sports that implement that same policy include basketball and volleyball, whereas the other sports require more than one female on the starting line up. The intramural sports at UAA and most other public universities instill similar gender equality policies such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The NCAA requires an equal number of female and male teams in each division at each university, similar to that, UAA requires each intramural team to have general equality rules to make sure everything stays fair.
Other students enjoy the co-ed aspect as well, such as Michael Giles, a culinary arts major at UAA. Giles plays on the “Aurora” team in basketball. “It definitely makes [the game] more fun and more exciting,” he said. Giles’ team is a mix of five males and three females. However, players such as Giles don’t just play in intramurals to have fun, but also to help stay active during the long Alaska winters. He admitted that there is always the option to work out individually, but the intramurals at UAA provide a good outlet for many students. “This is my third semester doing intramurals and the reason I got into it was to stay in shape while in college, because I was no longer doing school related sports competitively. UAA definitely does provide a good intramural program, but like any program it’s not perfect and has its flaws, but I think they do a good job and it’s a successful program,” he said. As far as flaws in the program, other athletes find that the facilities for specific sports aren’t ideal. Barragan voiced that it would be more enjoyable if the games would have available turf to play on, rather than the gym floors. “Playing soccer on the gym floors definitely isn’t the best, but I don’t see how or where there would be any turf to play on. Also, the referees aren’t the best [which makes it difficult to play], but it’s still worth it,” he said. Barragan isn’t the first to notice that some of the referees aren’t the best option for some sports, but it has never been a large problem in the UAA intramural program. Regardless of any differences or flaws that the program has, intramural sports is a healthy way to get out and stay active while also being social and staying involved on campus.
SKIING: Justice major finds her love for skiing and teaching
PHOTO COURTESY OF MADELINE TASCHAPPAT
Madeline Tschappat with her Hilltop Alpine Race Team. This will be her the third season coaching the HART team of five and six-year-olds.
Continued from cover life, there is nothing better than being able to share my love for the sport with kids who have their entire life to develop the same kind of passion that I have for skiing and continue to be little ski bunnies,” Taschap-
pat said. Taschappat first started instructing at Hilltop around 2013 as a private instructor, then was promoted to race coach for the next season. This will be her third season coaching the HART and plans on continuing. “Nothing is better than
returning to the pre-season barbecue and having 15 little ones running at me screaming ‘Coach Maddie, Coach Maddie!’ it absolutely warms my heart,” Taschappat said. “Not just the kids, but the parents who keep coming back, year to year, and being a huge part in their skier’s
success in the sport.” Many live for the summer, but Taschappat’s love for skiing is just as strong as her love for her favorite season. “I love the cold and the snow, the skiing is just the cherry on top. Skiing clears my mind, I can spend the entire day on the
mountain and not worry for a minute about my bills that I have to pay, how well I am going to do on an upcoming exam, or any other issue that causes me grief,” Taschappat said. “Skiing is most definitely my happiness and is so healthy for me. You will never find me without a smile on my face while I am on a pair of skis.” Taschappat is passionate about skiing for a variety reasons, but the lack of repetitiveness, nature and friends is what makes each time more enjoyable. “Different trails, different turns and lines, different riders, that is the beautiful thing about the sport,” Taschappat said. “Skiing to me means happiness, being able to be a part of nature, doing something that brings me such joy, is my definition of perfection. The only thing that makes it even better is shredding with my buddies who have just as deep of a passion for skiing as I do.” Taschappat plans to graduate with a major in justice and minor in legal studies while continuing to ski every winter and coach her race team. With winter coming to an end, she plans hiking and spending time with her dogs outdoors.
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Recruiting new Seawolves for 2017-18 Athletics After the commencement of the 2016-17 school year and athletic seasons, many of the UAA teams are losing a significant portion of their rosters and aim to reboot their teams By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
Lauren Cuddihy is a member of the UAA Seawolves Track and Field team. With the loss of numerous prominent athletes from every team, the official National Collegiate Athletic Association signing period isn’t until mid to late April, depending on the sport. Coaches have been recruiting for quite a while and many already have promising prospective athletes. Volleyball: Volleyball will be the first season to kick off the 2017-18 school year in August, two very prominent athletes used their remaining eligibility and won’t be returning. Morgan Hooe, the standout setter and team captain finished off her senior season. Hooe was a very significant contributor to team for the past four years, racking up numerous awards and All-Americans, she will be followed by freshman Madison Fisher to take the place of setter on the team. Erin Braun is the second loss the team will suffer, who
athletes signing during the signing period in mid-April, but as of now no comment is allowed to be made until they sign. Women’s Basketball: Women’s basketball is another fortunate team, similar to volleyball, the team only loses three players, however, they happen to be three of the most successful. The first to go is Alysha Devine, the Wasilla local and 6’0” forward who has been a key component to the team for the past four years — even playing in all but one game her freshman season. The GNAC AllAcademic and conference honorable mention leaves the team as being the fifth-leading scorer. In addition, forward Autummn Williams and guard Kiki Robertson both depart their collegiate basketball career for UAA. While this was only Williams’ first and only season at UAA, Roberston has played and been a significant player for the past four years. Robertson also ended her career with 15 different awards and notable accomplishments during her career. Again, head coach Ryan McCarthy noted that although
NCAA rules, at this point in time we are unable to do so,” McCarthy said. Men’s Basketball: Of all the sports at UAA, men’s basketball is taking the second biggest hit, losing seven of their 16 current players. Included in these loses are guards Suki Wiggs, Diante Mitchell and Spencer Svejcar. Wiggs produced top performances for UAA and earned numerous awards including First Team All-West region and USBWA National player of the week. He ended his career with an impressive 24.4 points per game average, good for fifth in all of NCAA Div. II. Mitchell also ended the season with an honorable mention All-GNAC status as well as being All-Academic in the conference. In addition, the team is losing forwards Travis Parrish, Corey Hammell, Tayler Thompson and Connor Devine. Devine just started and finished his only season at UAA, after transferring from South Dakota State, but he proved to be a vital asset to the team. He was the fourth leading scorer, third leading rebounder and top shot blocker for the Seawolves. Hockey: Only four players of their current 27-player roster are moving on from the team. Defenseman and assistant captain Chase Van Allen finished off his fourth year of eligibility with the Seawolves, competing in the majority of games all four years. Van Allen played in all 34 games of his junior season, 31 of his sophomore season and 30 of his freshman season. In addition, the team loses forward Dylan Hubbs, forward Brad Duwe and goalie Rasmus Reijola. Hubbs and Duwe, similar to Van Allen, played in the majority of the games all four seasons. Skiing:
PHOTOS BY ADAM EBERHARDT
UAA guard Kiki Robertson takes a shot over Point Loma Guard Amy Ogren during the first round of the NCAA Division II Western Regional Championships on March 13, 2015 at the Alaska Airlines Center.
had been a duo with Hooe for the past four years. Braun was a middle blocker for the team, successfully ending her career with numerous awards such as First Team All-GNAC, West Regional Championships AllTournament and maintaining GNAC All-Academic for her entire collegiate career. Head coach Chris Green confirmed that they had prospective
they have prospective athletes, due to NCAA regulations no specific information can be released. “At this point we are unable to comment on anyone we have signed until the NCAA signing period for women’s basketball which is in mid-April. Once we do get everyone signed, which should be around May, we can comment publicly but due to
The skiing teams, split into Nordic and alpine, look at a loss of only four players, but all of them belonging to the alpine side. On the men’s side, Curtis McKillop and Hughston Norton depart after the 2017 season. McKillop made several NCAA Championship appearances in his career and was also named to the All-Academic ski team every year. Norton also managed to make NCAA championship appearances every year of his career. On the women’s side, Katherine Lamoureux and Miranda Sheely both concluded their final collegiate season. Gymnastics: Although the gymnastics team is losing only three ath-
UAA guard Travis Parrish and an opponent reach for the ball during the game against Northwest Nazarene University on January 24. 2015 at the Alaska Airlines Center.
letes, their roster is only topped off at 14 athletes total. The first to depart is Nicole Larkin, who has made appearances in nearly every single meet since her freshman year and helping to contribute to several school records in team totals. Larkin made a significant contribution to the team, being co-captain for three years straight as well as being named to MPSF All-Academic team every year. In addition, Brice Mizell and Kallie Randolph will not be returning after expiring their four-year eligibility. Both have also contributed to school records in overall team scores. Randolph produced some of the best floor scores in her time at UAA and earned several AllMPSF honors. Head coach Paul Stoklos also confirmed that no athletes have officially signed until late April, but their team is expected to increase in size. “It is out hope to sign three athletes and to add four walkons to bring our team size closer to 18 athletes,” Stoklos said. Cross Field:
Country/Track
and
The last season of the year and the final team to compete contains members of the cross country and track and field team, who are still in competition until late May. Being one of the largest teams in the UAA program, it is also the team that loses the largest amount of athletes, at 14 after the commencement of their outdoor season. On the men’s sprint team, only one athlete is being lost. Adam Commandeur, a prominent member of the men’s 4x400
sprint team and a successful 400m runner. For the men’s distance and cross country team, the Seawolves will lose six runners, including Joe Day (800m), Michael Mendenhall (mile, 3k, 5k), Philip Messina (mile, 3k, 5k), Jesse Miller (800, 5k), Michel Ramirez (5k, 10k) and Victor Samoei (3k, 5k, 10k). In addition, the men’s team is losing a prominent jumper, Tevin Gladden. He holds the UAA record in high jump and holds several top jumps in the UAA record book for long jump and triple jump. On the women’s sprint side, very prominent loses will be seen. Karolin Anders (heptathlon), Jamie Ashcroft (100m, 200m), Hayley Bezanson (200m, 400m), Alexia Blalock (jumps/ hurdles) and Mary-Kathleen Cross (100m, 200m, 400m) will not be returning. Three of them, Ashcroft, Cross and Bezanson, are a part of the 4x400m UAA record team. In addition, Ashcroft holds the UAA indoor and outdoor record in both the 100m and 200m and is a part of the 4x100m outdoor UAA record. Anders is currently finishing off her final outdoor season; she holds the UAA record in the indoor high, triple and long jump, as well as shot put and the pentathlon. Dakayla Walters is another member of the track team not set to return. Walters competes in the shot put and discus, making appearances at numerous GNAC Championships. With the departure of many talented athletes, teams will be adding many new faces to Seawolf athletics, finalized recruits added to teams will be announced by the end of April.
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CONACT
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