April 3, 2018

APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2018

A&E

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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Student recital highlights array of guitar skills

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Shaina Afoa earns NCAA DII National Assistant Coach of the Year

‘Polished luminescence’ portrayed in New Dances 2018

Students take on civic engagement in Ted Stevens internship program

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEANNA O’SULLIVAN

Alliana Salanguit is Rep. David Guttenberg’s Chief of Staff for 2018 session. She interned with him in 2017 and will graduate in December.

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES EVANS

Dance students Sienza Chandler and Isabella Saxe perform during the dress rehearsal for UAA DANCE in Performance 2017 in the Fine Arts Building’s Harper Theater.

By Caleigh Jensen

cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Presented by the UAA Department of Theatre and Dance, the annual spring semester showcase of New Dances is back. This year’s showcase will feature five nights of performances from April 4 - 8.‌ According to Marissa Citro, third year psychology major and a choreographer for New Dances, a theme of these performances usually emerges naturally, and this year is unique.‌ “This show feels very fun, light and full of energy,” Citro said. “This is my first show choreographing for UAA, and I challenged myself to create new movement out of my usual style.

Most of the choreographers also challenged themselves to create their pieces in a way they do not normally.”‌ Seven choreographers and 30 performers came together to create New Dances 2018. Each choreographer brings in their own concept and works independently with a group of dancers throughout the semester, then shows their progress to the entire cast and crew in what is referred to as “in progress showing” before beginning technical rehearsals.‌ Marlee Mathews, elementary education major, dancer and choreographer for New Dances, feels that the 2018 performances are polished and well put together.‌ “We strive to let creativity

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flow in all the choreographers.

This semester we have a high quality show that is portraying polished luminescence. Our dancers are clean and ready to perform, and most of the dance concepts are lighthearted,” Mathews said.‌ Dance has benefited Mathews since she was three years old, giving her a “home away from home” during her time at UAA.‌ “Dance is beautiful to witness and embody. It heals people and can provide a way to communicate when words are not available,” Mathews said. “I moved to Alaska from Utah and because of New Dances and the dance program [at UAA], I now have an Alaskan family.”‌ Student choreographers rehearse a minimum of once a week, and the dance ensemble rehearses three times a week.

The ensemble also works with a guest artist right before the show begins technical rehearsals. New Dances, and the fall dance show Dance in Production, are the only opportunities for UAA dancers to showcase the hard work they put in during the semester.‌ For Kristal Perez, sophomore international studies major and one of New Dances newest members, dance has been a form of expression since she was young.‌ “[Dance] provides a glance into another dimension. With dance, one gets to break that fourth wall with the audience to expand a message or simply trigger thoughts and discus-

sion,” Perez said. “I love the adrenaline and the excitement that comes with showing our love to the public.”‌ Kimberly McGrath, junior biological sciences major and president of the dance club, is a cast member in three pieces of this semester’s production. Her positive experience as part of the dance department has improved her college experience in terms of creating healthy relationships and stress management mechanisms.‌ “[Dancing] gives me the outlet to express my feelings and struggles that come with college class stress in a healthy way,” McGrath said. “Being a part of the dance department has changed my college experience for the best because I have met friends that I will have for the rest of my life, and teachers that will continue to support and inspire me even after I graduate.”‌ The New Dances 2018 showcase will take place April 4 - 8.

The hour and a half performances begin at 8 p.m. Wed - Sat, and 6 p.m. on Sunday. The shows are located in the Harper Studio or “Black Box,” Room 129 of the Fine Arts Building.‌

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Tickets are $15.00 for general admission, and can be purchased through ArtsUAA.com.

The University of Alaska Southeast hosts a program for students to work full-time as interns for the Alaska Legislature.

The Senator Ted Stevens Legislative Internship Program has been sending them to Juneau since the 1988 session.‌ “It is the best way to learn about Alaska politics — legislative politics in particular — in the state of Alaska and possibly in the United States,” Glenn Wright, the program’s statewide coordinator, said. “Our legislature is such a phenomenal environment for an internship program such as ours that interns walk out of the program with such tremendous depth and understanding of the way legislative process works.”‌ Students from any of the three major UA campuses can submit applications that consist of a resume, writing sample and other requirements to be considered for an internship. When placing students into senators’ and representatives’ offices, the program helps facilitate communication between the two parties so that the best fits can be found.‌ The program does not make the placement decisions, Wright said, and it’s up to the offices and students to explore their needs and interests.‌ Kaitlyn Stansberry, who studies political science at UAF, is interning with Sen. Peter Micciche for this session. In his office, she has a range of tasks that comprises of helping with bills or working on newsletters. It usually isn’t consistent and always changes.‌ “It’s like having a full-time job only sometimes you don’t have extra to do,” Stansberry said. “I’m really lucky when I don’t have anything extra to do, maybe I can leave a couple min-

utes early or not have to work weekends.”‌ Stansberry just finished up her seminars that are part of the program. During 90 days of the legislative session, these seminars are required for students to attend to contribute towards their credits.‌ For Tasha Elizarde, she’s using her gap year after having graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School to work at the legislature with Rep. Ivy Sponholz.‌ “I knew that I wanted to do something with public policy and learn more about some of the interests that I had,” Elizarde said.‌ Elizarde has staffed for various committees and is currently carrying House Bill 138, which proposes to name the month of March as Sobriety Awareness Month. She said that she sees herself working longer with the legislature.‌ “It’s definitely changed how I think about myself working in the legislature, especially because I don’t see many women working in politics,” Elizarde said.‌ Wright said that he has seen interns stay on after finishing their internships, and Alliana Salanguit is one example.‌ She finished the program last year with Rep. David Guttenberg and was asked to become his Chief of Staff for this year’s session. Though she could have graduated this spring from UAA with a major in economics, she decided to stay in Juneau.‌ “It would be way to hectic with being down here,” Salanguit said. “I’ll be graduating in December.”‌ She recommends the internship and said that it has been a great experience.‌ “I would absolutely encourage anybody who’s even slightly interested in local and state politics… You learn a lot of skills

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TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018

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Neo-Nazi organization posters Sara Childress named Title IX Coordinator seen in UAA skybridges

PHOTO COURTESY OF IDENTITY EVROPA

Posters for the Identity Evropa group, a neo-Nazi group self-described as “a fraternal organization for people of European heritage” were posted around campus in early March. The posters have since been removed.

By Robin O’Donoghue arts2@thenorthernlight.org

On March 10, Identity Evropa, a neo-Nazi organization, tweeted out photos of their posters posted in multiple locations UAA’s campus.‌ Identity Evropa was founded in March of 2016. On the organization’s website, the group is self-described as, “a fraternal organization for people of European heritage located in the United States that participate in community building and civic engagement.”‌ On March 23 at 11:15 a.m. in response to Identity Evropa’s original tweet pertaining to UAA, Eric Jones tweeted back, “ha you thought,” with photos of the same areas at UAA, without an Identity Evropa poster in sight.‌ Jones, a junior studying electrical engineering, was alarmed

by the presence of the posters. ‌ “I did not actually take them down, I think the school took them down before I got there,” Jones said. “I have been seeing my father and family racially abused for my whole life. Multiple threats have been made.

So the fact that a bunch of insecure white males… need to believe that America should be for white people only, is completely the wrong view.”‌ The group, which has over 29,000 followers on Twitter, is known for encouraging its members to put up posters like the ones spotted at UAA. The University of Washington, Northern Illinois University, Eastern Washington University and the University of Oklahoma have denounced the organization after finding similar flyers posted around their respective campuses.‌ “I don’t understand why they think they should be advertising their hate freely,” Kim Michaca,

an undergraduate student studying business management, said.

“We had a literal war over how we all feel about nazis and what their place in society should be… nonexistent.”‌ Identity Evropa is classified as a hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center, a public interest law firm and civil rights advocacy organization, located in Montgomery, Alabama.‌ The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks over 1,600 extremist groups, and outlines their criteria for a hate group as a group which “based on its official statements or principles, the statements of its leaders, or its activities — has beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.”‌ Currently, The Southern Poverty Law Center lists there to be 954 active hate groups in the United States, four being active or headquartered in Alaska. ‌ “The university has designated areas to post printed materials. These are open to all members of the campus community, as well as the public. They are designed to promote engagement, interaction and the exchange of ideas,” Ben Morton, Dean of Students at UAA, said.

“Department bulletin boards are managed by the given department. Unless specified, they are not for public posting. The department manages the content and will remove unauthorized materials from those boards.”‌

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

On March 28, Interim Chancellor Sam Gingerich announced that Sara Childress has accepted the position of Title IX Coordinator after a search process that included two other candidates.

Childress has been in the UAA Office of Equity and Compliance since 2017 as a civil rights investigator, Gingerich’s memo said.‌ “Sara [Childress]’s experience includes work as the Anchorage regional manager in Alaska’s Office of Children’s Services where she was responsible for child protection outcomes for the state’s largest region and oversaw a team of more than 175,” Gingerich’s memo stated. “While there, she constructed child welfare performance improvement plans that required strict adherence to federal guidelines and laws, as well as state statutes.”‌ At Childress’ open forum for the UAA community on Feb. 19 she said she had experienced several issues in the current office that she would fix.‌ “When I came to the office, it was really clear that all these things were missing. So I really [would] like to see a structure to that office, written expectations, protocols,” Childress said. “We have a huge retention issue in that office, as I am the only one

in the office at this point.”‌ The position of Interim Title IX Coordinator was formerly held by current Director of Human Resource Services Ron Kamahele since the beginning of the academic year. Gingerich’s memo said that Childress would start immediately on March 28.‌ In her presentation, Childress focused on ways she would improve the office. She said lack of awareness on how to report complaints was one key issue she wanted to tackle.‌ “Clearly the reporting process is unknown across the board; faculty, staff, students, nobody really knows what happens when you make a report,” Childress said.‌ Childress said she also wanted to tweak some of the job duties of the coordinator and the investigators so that there was more objectivity in the complaint process. Childress also stated that she wanted to see more supervision on investigator’s reports.‌ “What do you think about me reviewing all of my own cases? Not a lot of fidelity to that,” Childress said. “That was one of the shocking things to me is that I review all of my own cases every month and turn it in.”‌ Gingerich said Childress had experience in leadership through her role as co-chair of the Anchorage Tribal-State Collaboration Group in the past.‌

House judiciary considers gun violence protective orders

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

A bill is making its way through the Alaska House of Representatives, calling for gun violence protection and “common sense public safety legislation.”‌ House Bill 75, proposed by Rep. Geran Tarr in January of 2017, would allow families and law enforcement to take away firearms from those who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others.‌ According to Tarr’s sponsor statement, “Alaska needs this kind of common-sense measure that is temporary in nature and limited in scope to help people suffering from a mental health crisis.”‌ The statement also mentioned the shooting in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as well as the shooting at a Florida airport

by Esteban Santiago, a veteran

from Anchorage.‌ “This legislation doesn’t infringe on the Second Amendment,” the statement also read.

“The individual can retrieve his/ her firearms when the high-risk behavior is no longer a threat.”‌ Diana Rhoades, legislative director in Tarr’s office, said the bill has gained more traction since the Parkland shooting and Tarr wants to help those in need.‌ “[Tarr] has been looking for legislation that would help people in a critical time of need, a tool for families that would address these issues,” Rhoades said.‌ Immediate family members would be able to petition for a protective order against someone who they believed to be a danger to themselves or others.

If the court issued the order, the respondent would have to surrender firearms and ammunition to law enforcement or sell them to a firearms dealer.‌ The House Judiciary Committee met Wednesday to have the seventh hearing for the bill and spoke over the phone with Alaska State Troopers.‌ Representatives spent time discussing Alaska’s existing domestic violence protective orders and how they related to HB 75’s proposition.‌ Rep. Matt Claman, chair of the committee, asked Sgt. Matthew Hightower if there was a

difference between HB 75’s gun violence protective orders and procedures carried out for domestic violence protective orders.‌ “Based on my understanding of the order, I don’t believe there will be any difference other than what we serve to them and what we’d be required by law to take from them,” Hightower said.‌ Officers usually assume that those for whom they are serving a protective order has a firearm in the house, Hightower said.‌ There are situations in which officers will seize weapons without a warrant, Capt. Dan Lowden said, such as having concern for a person’s wellbeing and needing to keep the firearm for safekeeping if there are no family members willing to do so. ‌ Another situation could be that the firearm is out and plainly seen on the coffee table or gun rack in a truck. Based on the circumstances, sometimes the person will have their firearm returned on the scene.‌ “There are several ways that we end up with weapons in our possession without a warrant,” Lowden said.‌ Reinbold brought up the U.S. Constitution, the Second Amendment and expressed concern about the seizure of firearms.‌ “I’m trying to figure out

where, in your opinion, do you think it’s okay to confiscate those guns even if you’ve sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution?” Reinbold asked.‌ Lowden reiterated the different situations in which officers would take a firearm and for what reasons, but not before she asked again if he takes an oath to defend the Constitution.‌ “He does take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution,” Claman interjected.‌ The committee will continue

holding hearings for HB 75 before referring it to the House Finance Committee. It would then go to the House floor for a vote and to the Senate.‌ Rhoades said that there have been several amendments drafted for the bill, including some that are at the request of the NRA.‌ “We’re hoping that we have the votes in the committee to make sure that those amendments that would weaken the bill don’t pass,” Rhoades said.‌

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TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018

| 03

UAA works on filling interim positions

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

At the beginning of this academic year, five of the top executive positions were held by interims. At this point in the semester, three of those positions have been filled for the upcoming year and a fourth is in the search process.‌ Sam Gingerich, interim chancellor of UAA, has been in the position since former Chancellor Tom Case retired in June of 2017. Last semester, a search committee was assembled to find a new chancellor, and this semester the committee had their consulting firm, Storbeck/Pimentel Associates hold several listening sessions for the UAA community. ‌ “The next opportunity for the campus community at large to weigh in will be when we have candidates actually on campus,” Sharon Chamard, chair of the search committee, said. “Right now, we are actually looking at exam week and the week after to have candidates on campus.”‌ The chancellor position is still open for applications. Chamard said the search committee is trying to find a list of possible candidates to bring to campus this year so that the university has a full-time chancellor next year.‌ “One of the goals is do we want to try get it done this year or, because if it’s not pretty much wrapped up in terms of input from the committee and other key constituencies, if that’s not wrapped up by the end or basically the middle of May, it’s going to stop,” Chamard said. “Nothing will happen until the university is back in regular session in August. So then we are looking at not having a new chancellor until possibly another year.”‌ Hiring processes for academic positions typically start in the summer and try to find successful candidates before the following academic year said Fred Barlow, dean of the College of Engineering and chair of the completed search committee for dean of the College of Business and Public Policy.‌ Barlow’s committee used a consulting firm starting in summer of 2017 to find candidates for a dean. ‌ “When you are looking for a more senior person, whether that be the provost, the chancellor, a dean, someone like the vice chancellor, something along those

lines, using a search firm and having it go through a search firm is the normal process.”‌ On Jan. 19, Interim Provost Duane Hrncir announced that Karen Markel would be the next dean of the College of Business and Public Policy starting in June. ‌ “Dr. [Karen] Markel has presented her research at numerous conferences worldwide and published in journals such as The Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Business Ethics and Human Relations,” Hrncir wrote in the memo to the UAA community. “She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Washington University in St. Louis, a master’s degree in sociology from SUNY Buffalo and a doctoral degree in human resource management from Michigan State University.”‌ On March 27, UAS’s Executive Assistant to the Chancellor and Public Information Officer, Keni Campbell, wrote in a press release that the position of Executive Dean for the new Alaska College of Education would be Steve Atwater, who was the interim dean of the College of Education at UAF.‌ “Atwater will be based in Juneau but will travel extensively to work with university leaders, faculty, and staff across the entire state,” Campbell wrote in the release. “In addition to the new Alaska College of Education at UAS, UAA and UAF will continue to provide high quality teacher preparation and other education programs at their respective campuses. They will be led by directors who, together with faculty from all three universities, will make up the new UA Teacher Education Council.”‌ These two recent announcements account for two of the formerly interim dean positions held by Paul Deputy in the College of Education and by Bogdan Hoanca for the College of Business and Public Policy.‌ On March 9, the interim chancellor announced that Beverly Cotton Shuford would fill the position of vice chancellor for Administrative Services.‌ In an article from Sept. 10, UA President Jim Johnsen told The Northern Light that by the summer of 2018, “We will have a permanent chancellor and a permanent provost and the deans will all be permanent deans.”‌ The fifth unfilled position is for provost and executive vice chancellor.‌

GRAPHIC BY CHEYENNE MATHEWS

04 | NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018

Claudia Lampman discusses student success in open forum

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Claudia Lampman, UAA’s interim vice provost for student success, held an open forum titled “Student Success — Who We Are and Where We’re Going” on Tuesday, March 27 in the Consortium Library. ‌ Student success is one of the four UAA 2020 core values, also including excellence, access and affordability. Lampman was named vice provost in November after having served as a psychology professor at UAA for over 25 years.‌ In her new position, she collected and analyzed data of diverse student success issues to identify potential obstacles preventing UAA students from succeeding. The first part of the presentation was focused on the analysis and comparison of these data sets.‌ “I want to understand who our students are and how [UAA] compare[s] to others across the nation,” Lampman said.‌ About 45 percent of UAA students switch their major during their first two years in college, according to the data presented. Even though switching majors is common for first-year students, institutions with student success initiatives experience less fluctuation between degree programs, Lampman explained.‌ To find out more about the application process for new students, the vice provost applied

to several universities and compared her findings to the process at UAA.‌ “I wanted to see what it was like to be a college student today,” Lampman said.‌ The very first decisions students make when applying for college are of great importance for their later success, she said.‌ The first thing applicants are asked to do is to make decisions – about their academic level, their college and degree program. The main problem is that most students make these decisions “completely uninformed,” according to Lampman.‌ “Many of the students do not know what ‘undergraduate’ or ‘graduate’ means,” Lampman said. “That’s why we sometimes have [incoming undergraduate students] applying for graduatelevel programs.”‌ She also pointed to UAA’s low retention and graduation rates. Of the students beginning a baccalaureate degree in 2012, only 71.8 percent came back after their first year at UAA. The numbers dropped to 55 percent after the second year — and less than one in ten students finished their bachelor’s degree in four years.‌ The numbers for associate degrees are even lower. Three percent of the 2014 cohort finished their degree in two years; 15 percent graduated after four years.‌ “Our graduation rates are half of what our peer institutions [open-enrollment institutions] have,” Lampman said. “We need

to figure out why [the rates] are so low and change that.”‌ One reason for the low retention and graduation rates is that freshmen often take classes they are not prepared for and drop out of college when they fail them, Lampman explained.‌ “Biology A111 is not a class you should take your first semester if you’re not taking college-level math or writing classes,” Lampman said. ‌ The vice provost for student success also looked at general course pass rates. In fall 2017, UAA students took a total of 25,877 courses — 8,014 of these courses were not passed, according to the data presented.‌ “That’s $5 million in tuition spent on classes students didn’t pass,” Lampman said. “Too many of our students are starting out on the wrong track without any guidance.”‌ Lampman said one of her biggest goals is to establish a mandatory first-year advising program helping incoming students through their first 30 credits. ‌ The university is currently in the process of hiring a director of first-year advising; 10 more first-year advisors will be be hired soon.‌ UAA is also launching the EAB Student Success Collaborative, a data driven tool for academic advising. This tool will be connected to an app called Seawolf Tracks, helping students to stay on their path to graduation.‌ The app is going to be customized based on a survey the students are taking and serves as

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

an organizational tool including schedules, to dos and relevant academic advice.‌ Instead of asking incoming freshmen to choose a major right away, universities offering meta majors ask students to choose a broader area of interest such as health sciences and professions, humanities and communication or education. ‌ With meta majors, it would be easier for students to explore their options first and choose a specific major later, Lampman explained. Students would still be able to declare a major if they wanted to.‌ The reactions to this idea were mixed, but generally positive. ‌ “Some of these categories would require cooperation between the colleges and this could be both a challenge and an opportunity,” Shannon Gramse, associate professor for writing,

said.‌ He also emphasized the importance of social cohesion in the campus community for academic success – students need to feel like they are actually part of a community, he said.‌ UAA junior Daniel Remington generally feels positive about the idea. He thinks that it could be beneficial to replace some GERs with more classes based on these interest categories.‌ “I think [having meta majors] is good idea as long as taking classes in a broader category first doesn’t keep you from graduating on time,” Remington said.‌ There is another opportunity to attend the open forum on Thursday, April 5. The 90-minute presentation begins at 2 p.m. in Room 307 of the Consortium Library.‌

FEATURES Radio show brings Mountain View community together

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK SWANN

Kate Davis and Kirsten Swann co-host “The Mountain View Post Radio Hour” to inform the Mountain View community of stories and events happening in their neighborhood.

By Mizelle Mayo

features2@thenorthernlight.org

The Mountain View community has held numerous events and activities for friends, families and neighbors to learn more about each other and what they do. Among those activities and events is a new radio show cohosted by Kirsten Swann and Kate Davis.‌ KONR 106.1 FM is a volunteer-based radio station that has provided “The Mountain View Post Radio Hour” a platform for the community to share their voices.‌ “People seem psyched to be a part of it, and I’m really happy with how many people have wanted to come and have a sweet idea for it,” Swann said. “There

are people that are listening and getting useful information. I just hope it gets bigger.”‌ For Swann, a radio show was not something she expected to be doing. Along with the process came an obstacle when putting on their first show, since it aired during Fur Rondy.‌ “The street was all shut off, and they were having all the sled dog races right in front of the studio. It was so freaking loud, there were no places for the guests to park. It was kind of a logistics for a nightmare,” Swann said.‌ Juggling the first few weeks with minimal experience in radio, Swann brought in co-host Kate Davis to help the show run more smoothly. The 13-year-old co-host was originally a guest on the show. Then, Swann asked

Davis to volunteer some of her time on the weekend to be a part of the segments.‌ “She’s been a long time active member of our community.

She does the Mountain View Farmer’s Market, helps volunteer for the Mountain View Post and now the radio show. It’s nice to have her voice out into the community,” BreeAnn Davis, Kate Davis’ mother, said.‌ Swann has plans on expanding the show into smaller segments of various topics pertaining to all things Mountain View.

One of those ideas is hosting local musicians to take part and a playlist of songs from the community.‌ “I’ll have Kate [Davis]... ask people to write down their favorite song that week, and we’ll kind of have like a curated playlist by kids in the neighborhood and play that,” Swann said.‌ Swann and Kate Davis have invested their time in learning more about their community in hopes for the people of Mountain View to take part in the show.‌ “I like it a lot. It’s really fun because I can see people around the neighborhood that are important that I haven’t met yet,” Kate Davis said.‌ The “Mountain View Post Radio Hour” on KONR 106.1 FM is on Saturdays from 9 - 10 a.m. At the moment, the show cannot reach the Mountain View area but can be streamed on mtviewpost.com.‌

INTERNSHIPS: Applications due Oct. 15

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEANNA O’SULLIVAN

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018

| 05

Spring foraging for beginners

Three easy-to-find plants for spring harvesting

By Abby Slater

features@thenorthernlight.org

With temperatures rising, spring is in the air for Anchorage residents. For avid foragers, spring means the beginning of a bountiful season filled with fruits and greens, all of it free, fresh and local. If you’ve always wanted to bring home a five-gallon bucket filled with blueberries still wet with rainwater, then knowing when and where to go is crucial.‌ In Alaska, foraging seasons can vary greatly depending on whether or not the summer is hot and dry or rainy and chilly.

Consider this a guide on when to start keeping an eye out for various yields during the upcoming Spring season. ‌ Early Spring‌ This time of year can be tricky for foragers. Unlike fall, which tends to have longer foraging seasons for crab apples and berries, spring’s foraging season for things like fiddlehead ferns can be as little as two weeks. Because of this, it’s important to be on your game for this part of the year. ‌ In the Anchorage area, the easiest things to forage in early spring are devil’s club, nettles, and fiddlehead ferns. They are simple to identify and usually aren’t mixed up with anything that can be poisonous, though you want to have a thorough understanding of what they look like before you bite down on anything. ‌ Typically, fiddlehead ferns come first in the season. Fiddlehead ferns are a spritely green colored vegetable that corkscrew at the top. They are usually found near bodies of freshwater, such as creeks or rivers. In

Anchorage, areas like Russian Jack and Kincaid have plenty to go around. They can be sautéed with butter and garlic as a side dish or preserved and pickled.‌ Quickly after fiddleheads come nettles, also known as stinging nettles. While the stem of the nettle plant is irritating to the skin and can cause itching, the leaf of the plant is fine to consume once it’s cooked They are often found both on sunny, exposed hillsides and in more shaded areas, making parks a great place to keep an eye out for them. They tend to appear in mid-April, though they sometimes come in earlier. ‌ Around the same time as nettles, you can also find devil’s club. Largely believed to have medicinal properties, devil’s club can be used in salves and teas. The base of the plant has long spikes that will break off in skin, making it one of the more difficult plants to pick, but also making it easily identifiable. A pair of leather gloves will take care of any skin-to-spike contact. It typically grows in woodland areas, making places like the Eagle River Nature Center and Kincaid great spots to forage. ‌ Foraging Etiquette‌ With a few hundred thousand residents within the Anchorage and Mat-Su area, locals could wipe out these resources if we don’t practice good foraging etiquette. It’s important to keep a few things in mind if you want to forage sustainably. ‌ 1. Never take more than you need for the immediate future‌.

2. Don’t litter in the areas you forage or disturb wildlife‌.

3. Don’t wipe out entire areas; harvest every few plants and leave some in between‌.

4. Share your bounty with others when you have excess‌‌.

Foraging can be a rewarding hobby. For those of us who like to multitask, it gives hiking a delicious purpose. By being mindful of sustainability practices, you can enjoy what Alaska has to offer while making sure that it can continue offering it for many years to come.

Interns from the 2018 30th Legislature with Governor Bill Walker, members of the Ted Stevens Foundation, UAS Chancellor Rick Caulfield and UA President Jim Johnsen at the Governor’s House.

Continued from cover and the people are great down here,” Salanguit said. “You get treated like full-time staff; it’s not like I was going to get coffee or file papers. I was helping with legislation and helping with the budget.”‌ The program helps link students to politics despite what

they are studying, Wright said, since they can major in political science, humanities or other fields.‌ “Essentially what we’re doing is channeling the best and brightest from the University of Alaska System into politics in the state of Alaska, so it’s a real benefit to the legislature and, more broadly, to Alaskans,”

Wright said. ‌ Application packets are due Oct. 15 and each major campus has a designated coordinator for the program. UAA has a page on the political science website that outlines the program, requirements for the application, as well as contact information for the coordinator.‌ PHOTO BY ABBY SLATER

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018

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Student guitarists showcase their talent through upcoming recital tice that as well.”‌ Abdihodzic teaches private guitar lesfeatures2@thenorthernlight.org sons throughout the day until 9 p.m. The lessons are flexible to meet the needs of On the third floor of UAA’s Fine Arts the students’ availabilities.‌ Building, a plethora of musical instruEach student comes from a different ments are being played all at once. With- background of guitar skills. A sophomore in each room sits a student or two prac- in the program, James Bodolosky learned ticing their musical skills. Among those how to play the guitar when he was 12 students are the guitarists that are prepar- years old.‌ ing for the Guitar Studio Student Recital.‌ “My neighbor taught me how to play.

Students are able to showcase their He was just trying to make his way into repertoire they have been learning music. He taught me the basics of playing throughout the semester. Classical guitar guitar,” Bodolosky said. “When I moved pieces will range in sounds from Spain, from South Carolina to Alaska, I had to South America, Baroque, Renaissance kind of teach myself. It was a lot of transiand other times and parts of the world.‌ tioning during that time. I went with very “There are two things: to test out some little instructions on how to play the guiof the pieces they’re working on and to tar until I got here.”‌ practice performing, which is very imStudents like Mischa Shimek also portant. Most musicians don’t feel super wanted to pursue guitar, despite having comfortable with that. It’s uncharted ter- no musical family background.‌ ritory. Everybody is looking at you, it’s “I didn’t know if I was going to stick silent. If you make a little mistake, it’s with it or not. It was one of those things I audible,” Armin Abdihodzic, assistant wanted to try. I had experience in music professor for UAA’s department of mu- when I was in high school and throughout sic, said. “There’s a process and strate- my life… It’s been very developmental in gies that go with preparing the students my career,” Shimek said.‌ for that. For that reason, I incorporated Not only do students have the opporguitar studio to give my students to prac- tunity to showcase their skills as musiBy Mizelle Mayo

PHOTO BY MIZELLE MAYO

James Bodolosky, a sophomore in the Fine Arts Program, likes the structure of classical guitar and how it is versatile in different forms of guitar instruments.

cians, Abdihodzic welcomes the guitar community in Anchorage to participate in the recital as well.‌ “Last year, we also featured some high school students who studied with local guitar teachers. We also had other community members, people that played the guitar that look for places to perform and opportunities to present classical repertoire, to perform too,” Abdihodzic said.

“It’s a good opportunity to get all the guitarists from the community together in one place to hear some music, and it really works out well for all the parties involved.”‌ The Guitar Studio Student Recital will be held on April 11 from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

It is a free event. Seats are first come, first serve.‌

A night of music, dogs and face paint

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Singer and songwriter Walter Martin, known for his family-friendly music and as a former member of the band The Walkmen, is coming to Anchorage.

Martin will perform at the UAA Student Union on Friday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m.

The family event is hosted by the UAA Student Activities and Commuter Programs.‌ “We have a lot of great activities… including face painting, family photos and comfort dogs,” Corey Miller, coordinator for UAA Student Activities, said.‌ It is going to be Martin’s first concert in the 49th state.‌ “I have never been to Alaska. I really don’t know what to expect,” Martin said.

“I’m imagining moose walking down the streets and things like that. I’m very much looking forward to it.”‌ The musician from Brooklyn embarked on his solo career in 2014. Since

then, he has released four studio albums as a solo performer.‌ For 2014’s “We’re All Young Together” and 2017’s “My Kinda Music,” he was honored with two awards. Both albums are designated for children.‌ “When my old band The Walkmen broke up, I decided I wanted to do something on my own and wanted it to be as unlike my old band as possible,” Martin said.‌ Inspired by rock and roll singers and songwriters from the 1950s, Martin wrote his first solo album and decided to call it a kids record.‌ “It was about the least cool thing I could think of. I wanted to write something totally fresh,” Martin said.‌ Martin released his latest album, “Reminisce Bar and Grill,” in early 2018.

He tries to put a personal note in all the songs he writes.‌ “I try to do it in an unvarnished way, so it’s as unique as possible,” Martin said.

“The songs have my sense of humor… my way of thinking and talking and tell-

ing stories… my imperfect way of playing various instruments and my shaky singing. So, I honestly don’t think anyone could make this music except me.”‌ At UAA, he will perform a mix of his music for children and adults.‌ “Since it’s an all-ages show, I’ll mostly play my kids records and a few adult songs that make sense with them,” Martin said. “To me, there’s not much difference between the adult stuff and the kids’ stuff.”‌ Companies like Google and Apple have been using Martin’s music in their commercials. In addition to his studio albums, Martin is also composing music and songs for visual productions.‌ Former UAA student Katherine Osborne-Hightower is looking forward to Martin’s performance at the university.

She first learned about the family event on Facebook.‌ “I have heard a few of Walter Martin’s songs on the local KNBA radio station and also on YouTube. He has great music and I am glad that UAA is able to host

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEBASTIAN KIM

Singer and songwriter Walter Martin will perform in the UAA Student Union on April 13. Martin is known for his family-friendly music and has released two award winning family albums.

him for this event,” Osborne-Hightower said.‌ The event is free for UAA students and all children age 12 and under. Tickets for the general public are $15 and are available on uaatix.com.‌‌

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Afoa granted exclusive national award

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM WASSON

Shaina Afoa hugs sister, Sierra, at the 2016 NCAA Final Four at Grand Valley State University.

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

Associate head coach Shaina Afoa was named the NCAA DII National Assistant Coach of the Year. The award was decided by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.‌ Afoa was thankful for her award, but insisted that she can’t take all the credit. ‌ “I was very honored and proud. I love that it gives a little more recognition to Alaska,” Afoa said, “I am also the product of great coaches throughout my life and feel that they all have a part in this

and can take ownership in the award as well.”‌ Afoa is a native of Alaska and, being a product of Anchorage athletics, her goal was to coach at UAA. ‌ She spent her teenage years at Dimond High School, competing in four different sports and then continued in college to again be a multi-sport athlete.‌ Remaining in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Afoa competed at UAA rival Central Washington from 2006-11. In addition to playing basketball, she also competed in track & field and volleyball.‌ For three of those years, Afoa was a

starter at center, which lead her to finish as No. 2 on the CWU’s career list for blocks with 126, fourth in rebounds (599), sixth in games started (79) and 10th in field-goal percentage (.461).‌ Afoa said that sports was all she ever knew, she loved being a part of athletics and knew that’s what she wanted to do with her life. ‌ “During college and my first year after I helped coach with my dad at Dimond High School with his JV volleyball team.

My dad is an unbelievable coach and I fell in love with while working with him.

He was my biggest influence,” Afoa said.‌ Afoa has seen plenty of success with the Seawolves. Last year, in the 2016-17 season, she helped UAA attain a recordbreaking team that only lost two games of the 32 they played in. Afoa also contributed to the undefeated conference status of the Seawolves during that same season. ‌ Afoa’s success did not go unnoticed.

She was named to the Thirty Under 30 list of up-and-coming coaches, also decided by the WBCA.‌ “Shaina [Afoa] is extraordinarily deserving of this honor. She has an incredible rapport with our student-athletes and is extremely skilled in post player development,” UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy, said.‌ Afoa’s accomplishments at UAA seem to be never ending. In her total time at UAA, she has helped the Seawolves to the impressive 160-31 overall record, re-

sulting in a 83.7 percent win average.‌ Conference accomplishments include four straight GNAC regular-season and tournament titles. Her national accomplishments were five straight NCAA Tournament berths and a spot in the 2016 NCAA DII National Title Game.‌ The national accomplishment is one Afoa is most proud of. ‌ “It is by far the best experience I have ever had, player or coach,” Afoa said. ‌ The success Afoa brought to previous seasons only continued with the recently finished 2017-18 season. ‌ Afoa helped the Seawolves to a 27-5 overall record, despite a dramatically altered roster from the previous season.

She lost seven players, four of which were starters, but still managed to help the team to a fourth GNAC regular-season title. ‌ Despite all the success, Afoa said it hasn’t always been as successful and easy as she makes it look. ‌ “Starting out you don’t realize how much of coaching is not basketball. I had the blessing of having my sister, [Sierra Afoa] on the team, and it was hard for me to figure out the balance of sister and coach. We worked it out, but definitely had some hard times,” Afoa said. ‌ Regardless of the struggles that she has encountered, Afoa and her team continue to learn every year. Afoa will be returning for the 2018-19 academic year for her seventh season of coaching. ‌‌

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

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Seawolf Rugby club’s first tournament results in ‘a resounding success’ en aback by some inexperience of other teams, but realized that sports@thenorthernlight.org could be a good sign for the future of rugby in Alaska.‌ On March 23, the Seawolf “I felt that all the teams were Rugby club was able to host their very positive. [One of the teams] first ever rugby tournament, that was a little inexperienced but it resulted in a unanimous success. was good that hopefully newer The club, which has just been people to the game felt comfortgaining publicity and visibility able,” Filley said.‌ this academic year, ultimately The Seawolf Rugby club hopes to join the National Col- works to promote an environlegiate Athletic Associate for ment that is open to everyone. rugby once it becomes an offi- They try to equally recruit men cial collegiate sport. ‌ and women, disregarding inUntil then, individuals and experience in rugby as long as clubs around Anchorage have there is a general interest.‌ worked together to promote a The Alaska Referee Society successful and enjoyable rugby and Alaska Rugby Union procommunity that people of all vide the largest amount of help skill levels can participate in. ‌ for game and tournament logisAlaska Rugby Union Presi- tics, but that would not be posdent, David Delozier, was ex- sible without other sources. ‌ tremely pleased with the success “We have many supports and turnout of the tournament. ‌ from the local rugby communi“The tournament was a re- ty and of course the UAA Club sounding success, the only pos- Council. The UAA Club Counsible negative thing about the cil funded 50 percent of the entire event was having to lim- event. It has been a great help. it it to only five clubs when we Without them, the event could could have hosted double that not financially happen,” Dai Phu if we had more reserved time,” said.‌ Delozier said.‌ The support doesn’t just Seawolf Rugby club presi- come from organizations. Student, Tran Dai Phu, helped plan dents on the Seawolf Rugby and coordinate the event beside team and academic staff at UAA Delozier.‌ have helped maintain the suc“Rugby is growing and UAA cess that rugby has been seeing. is lagging behind from nation- Professor Larry Ross, a profesal trends. The players, mostly sor of economics at UAA, has from Eagle River High School provided ample support to the and local Anchorage men’s and team as their advisor.‌ women’s teams, show great apInvolving as many people as preciation for the tournament. possible is a goal of Dai Phu. They take this tournament as an As rugby all over the country is attraction for recruiting and as a growing, he hopes to promote standard for the summer rugby his own Seawolf Club to grow seasons,” Dai Phu said.‌ as well.‌ Dai Phu uses the expertise of “The USA Rugby organiother programs to help plan his zation is growing as well with own. He said programs such as USA, winning the Las Vegas 7s the one at BYU Hawaii gave him tournament and them hosting the inspiration to create a thriv- the first ever Rugby World Cup ing intramural program recog- 2018 in San Francisco,” Dai Phu nized by USA Touch Federation.‌ said, “it will be a huge deal. My Jessica Filley, a masters stu- goal for Seawolf Rugby is to be dent at UAA, was happy with as involved as possible and qualthe success of the tournament. ify for a NCAA team.”‌‌ However, she was slightly takBy Lauren Cuddihy

PHOTOS BY JAY GUZMAN

Tran Dai Phu, president of UAA’s Rugby club, stands with Justin Green who owns and operates Alaska’s first rugby facility, Alaska Mountain Rugby Grounds, on Sept. 9, 2017.

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

The Semiahmoo Old Boys in a scrum with Alaska Old Oosiks on Sept. 9, 2017. The Seawolf Rugby club met every Monday and Thursday during the fall semester to prepare for the March 23 tournament.

SPORTS

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Academic credit for athletic-based classes Included in those are 22 different options of athletic based sports@thenorthernlight.org course to choose from that have no prerequisites. ‌ With the end of spring seThe 100-level classes inmester inching closer, it is time clude a broad range of activities. to start planning for fall of 2018. While there are several basic, inOpen registration begins on troductory courses, there is also April 16, and students will be a large variety of specific opscrambling to fill in the gaps of tions to choose from. Some intheir schedules. ‌ clude courses involving strength With many degrees requiring training, others focusing on carGER’s or electives to meet credit diovascular activities, and even requirements, choosing extra some to get students to engage classes may seem like a daunt- in outdoor activities. ‌ ing task, but with even a minor As for the more general. interest in athletics, a whole new courses, options are Fitness for door is opened. ‌ Life and Fitness Cross Training‌ Originating almost strictly Other cardiovascular-type from the Physical Education and courses include Aerobic WalkRecreation department, there ing, Aerobic Kickboxing, Cirare numerous athletic classes cuit Training, Beginning Zumavailable for all students to take.‌ ba, Beginning Swimming.‌

By Lauren Cuddihy

Strength based courses provide a variety of options to engage in, such as Beginning Pilates, Beginning Yoga, Yoga For Athletes, Shape Up With Weights and Beginning Weight Training. ‌ Utilizing the outdoors for athletic purposes and academic credit is also an aim of several PER courses, including Beginning River Rafting, Beginning Sea Kayaking, Backpack Alaska and Crevasse Rescue Techniques.‌ In addition to those, several classes are often that don’t exactly fit in a specific category.

Included is: Beginning Tai Chi, Beginning Hockey, Beginning Rock Climbing, Beginning Indoor Sport Climbing, Introduction to Boxing and Pickleball. ‌

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

The majority of these classes are one or two credit offerings; they make the perfect addition to a busy schedule or alternative to going to the gym.‌ To learn more about the spe-

cific course details, visit UA Online’s class search and look under the “Physical Education and Recreation Category.” ‌‌‌

OPINION

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Persecuted for faith: Christians in Egypt

By Caleb Berry

cberry@thenorthernlight.org

Caleb Berry is a senator for USUAA. It is always a tragedy when human rights are violated. Targeted violence against a group of people is never acceptable. It is a sad reality that at this very moment, targeted violence against Christians is taking place half a world away. ‌ Christian sects in Egypt are suffering a horrendous amount of human rights violations from both the official govern-

ments of the region as well as from unauthorized violent hate groups.‌ In his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”‌ If a single person on this beautiful planet is made a victim of violence for his or her faith I proclaim that is one victim too many. The bloodshed of peaceful practitioners of one religion is a threat to the welfare of every practitioner of any religion.‌ Article V of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 217 (III) declares that “No one shall be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” There has been a mass evacuation of Coptic Christians from Egypt beginning in 2012.‌ Those observant in world affairs understand that mass persecution is usually followed by mass evacuation. Raymond Ibrahim, author of the “Al Qaeda Reader” and “Crucified Again,” reports that beginning in 2012, tens of thousands of Coptic Christians had fled Egypt to escape rising violence against their denom-

ination of Christianity.‌ On New Year’s Day in 2011, the Saints Church Bombing in Alexandria was used to commit mass murder against Coptic Christians. 23 were killed and at least 97 were wounded. Samuel Tadros, a reporter for the Washington Post, said that in April 2017, an attack upon Coptic Christians ended in 17 of their number dead with many more wounded. ‌ Such tragedy, such needless violence, such a loss of innocent life is truly horrific. Unprovoked bloodshed on a group of people for no other reason than how they worship. Such acts are in clear violation of Article V of the UN General Assembly Resolution 217 (III). Attacks on Christians by radical hate groups are unjust, equally unjust is violence against Christians by a legitimate government.‌ In February 2011, 24 protesters were killed by Egyptian soldiers. The protestors were largely members of the local Christian congregation. The protest was held outside of a state-owned television station and was orchestrated as an outcry against attacks on churches and other places of worship in Egypt. Talaat Youssef is a Christian trader who was present during the assault on peaceful protesters by the Egyptian military. Youssef, giving an

interview for The Guardian, proclaimed that “We were marching peacefully...

When we got to the state television building, the army started firing live ammunition.” There are always two sides to every story.‌ The Egyptian government claims that the protesters had grown violent. In the early 1960’s the Birmingham Police Department violently assaulted peaceful civil right protesters. The Alabama government justified the violence against the protestors on the grounds that the protestors had grown violent and that such a response was necessary for public safety. If such violence could be used to put down peaceful protesters in America than why could it not happen in Egypt. Many citizens accuse Egypt’s government of cruelty and police brutality towards Christian and their complaints are worthy of consideration. Human rights abuses must not be allowed. It must not be allowed for a government to violently end the lives of protestors who have done no wrong. Let’s do something to help the persecuted and harmed. ‌ Opinions expressed in The Northern Light do not necessarily reflect that of the newspaper, its staff or faculty advisor(s).

Letter to the Editor: Vote by mail is Why we are voting voter suppression no on Proposition 1

By Ben Edwards and Suzanne Snyder Contributors

Many arguments have been presented as to why Prop 1 should be rejected, but there is one important argument missing: government would have no right to do this. ‌ If we truly consider individual liberty to be the reigning virtue of this country, then we need to understand that government does not have a right to penalize an individual’s decision, so long as that decision does not infringe on another’s life, liberty or property. In other words, you are free to be who you want, love who you want and do what you want; just don’t hurt anyone else. ‌ A transgender individual’s decision to use a public facility consistent with their identity is not a threat to anyone else’s life, liberty or property. Therefore, government would be unjust to penalize their decision to do so.‌

We do not penalize innocent people because we can imagine them committing a crime. Only when they do commit a crime, or overwhelming evidence suggests that they intend to commit a crime, is government justified to intervene. ‌ Americans made this mistake prior to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, when southern governments segregated bathrooms because they could imagine the horror of black men assaulting white women. Today, we can see parallels with how some people disparage the transgender community as mere criminals in disguise.‌ Real conservatism, as we understand it, is founded on the beautiful philosophy of mind-your-own-damn-business. Anchorage should not err when it comes to individual liberty. Anchorage should vote “no” on Prop 1.‌ Opinions expressed in The Northern Light do not necessarily reflect that of the newspaper, its staff or faculty advisor(s).

By Theresa Obermeyer

Contributor, obermeyer.theresa@gmail.com

Fair elections are the underpinning of American democracy. Please vote in the current Anchorage Municipal Election even though it is “Vote by Mail.” This is voter suppression. ‌ This is the first Anchorage Election in which “Vote by Mail” is taking place. On the ballot are the reelection of the mayor, three school board seats, service area elections and 12 propositions. Proposition 10 is the $1 billion sale of Municipal Light & Power to Chugach Electric Association, changing the charter from 60 percent to 50 percent plus one voter approval.‌ Nine Assembly members enacted “Vote by Mail,” cancelling 122 polling places on December of 2015. Bill Evans and Amy Dembosky voted against this change. Presumably, the measure was supported to save money rather than updating current voting machines. ‌ State of Alaska Election Office uses the same voting machines which will be used for the primary election, Aug. 21, 2018 and General Election, Nov. 6, 2018.

Why was “Vote by Mail” implemented and how much has it cost?‌ Municipal officeholders are non-partisan and elected to serve all voters. Our

city is 40 percent of the population of the State of Alaska. Anchorage School District serves 40 percent of the PreK - 12 children of Alaska. “As Anchorage goes, so goes the rest of the State.”‌ Anchorage Daily News reported on March 20 that 194,000 mail-in ballots were sent to registered voters on March 13. 20,000 were returned as “undeliverable.” ‌ Replacement ballots were issued to 1,400 people who had changed their addresses. In Chugiak, 54 new ballots were sent out after there had been stolen ballot packages. This new system compares voters’ signatures on their voter registration forms to their mail-in ballot signatures which is unreliable.‌ The current Anchorage Election Commission includes Bonny Lynn Babb, Joyce Anderson, Suzanne Miles and Norman D. Van Manen. Assembly Ethics and Election Committee chaired by Pete Petersen, and members, Eric Croft, Forrest Dunbar and Dick Traini will meet April 25, 2018 at noon in Room 240 of the Municipal Hill Building.‌ The Election Commission should review the lack of reliability of “Vote by Mail” and the cost comparisons of voting at 122 polling places with verified voting equipment using paper ballots. Review of the upcoming State of Alaska primary and general elections should be included.

The Election Commission will submit a final report to Assembly in December of 2018.‌ Let your Election Commission and Assembly members know how dissatisfied you are with “Vote by Mail” and demand that the next Municipal Election reestablish 122 polling places April 2, 2019 with verifiable paper ballots at which time municipal voters will pass or reject resolution: “Vote by Mail” by majority vote regarding its continuance in future Municipal Elections.‌ Opinions expressed in The Northern Light do not necessarily reflect that of the newspaper, its staff or faculty advisor(s).

CONTACT

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A S S O C I AT E D CO L L E G I AT E P R ES S 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 2,500. 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.­­­

N OT I C E O F N O N D I S C R I M I N AT I O N The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution. The University of Alaska does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, physical or mental disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, parenthood, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, or other legally protected status.

The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, including against sex discrimination, applies to students, employees, and applicants for admission and employment.

Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UA’s statement of nondiscrimination available at www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y The Northern Light encourages readers to express their views in the newspaper. The Northern Light reserves the right to reject or publish any submission, online or in print.

Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a letter to the editor is 250 words, and 150 words for letters specifically endorsing candidates for federal, local, or university office. A letter to the editor is written by someone who does not have authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing. Contributors are restricted to one published letter to the editor per month.

Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a contributor’s opinion piece is 450 words. Contributors are restricted to one published opinion piece per month. Opinion pieces written by staff of The Northern Light are limited to 800 words. An opinion piece that is published in The Northern Light should be written by someone who has authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing.

Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. All letters and opinion pieces must include names, major and/or group affiliation and contact information for verification purposes. The Northern Light will not publish anonymous letters or pseudonyms.

Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org. The deadline for submissions is the Friday before publication at noon, no exceptions.

The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union Room 118.

T H E N O RT H E R N L I G H T CO N TAC TS

Executive Editor

Sam Davenport 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org

Managing Editor

Kathryn DuFresne content@thenorthernlight.org

Copy Editor

Victoria Petersen copy@thenorthernlight.org

News Editor

Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant News Editors

Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org Marie Ries news2@thenorthernlight.org

Features Editor

Staff Reporters

Web Editor

Assistant Features Editor

Joseph Diaz jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

Advertising Manager

Abigail Slater features@thenorthernlight.org Mizelle Mayo features2@thenorthernlight.org

Arts & Entertainment Editor Malia Barto arts@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Robin O’Donoghue arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Sports Editor

Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

Opinion Editor

Caleb Berry cberry@thenorthernlight.org

Caleigh Jensen cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Staff Photographers

Jay Guzman jguzman@thenorthernlight.org Christian Cielo ccielo@thenorthernlight.org

Multimedia Editor

Caitlin Buxbaum web@thenorthernlight.org Alexis Abbott 786-6195 admanager@thenorthernlight.org

Contributors

Jacob Holley-Kline

Media Adviser Paola Banchero

Yoshina Okamoto multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

Administrative Adviser

Graphic Designer

Administrative Assistant

Layout Editor

3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508

Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org Levi Brown layout@thenorthernlight.org

Zac Clark

Allie Hartman