December 5, 2017

DECEMBER 5 - DECEMBER 11, 2017

NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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Deferred Action applications face rejection from USPS errors

Tax reform repeals college tuition benefits for graduate students

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

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Women’s hoops extends winning streak

Local radio, local musicians

Out North Radio’s Studio Sessions give lesserknown bands a chance to play a show live on air

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON SEAR

Matthew Terry and Justin Ferguson of Aural Imago perform at KONR studio on Nov. 3, 2017.

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

GRAPHIC BY LEVI BROWN

By Marie Ries

Since they stopped playing Bill Withers 24-hours a day to maintain their broadcast license, Out North Radio has been focusing their efforts on local music shows and live in-studio First Friday

have some solid time on the radio,” station manager Jason Sear said.

Other than a recent show meant to raise money for a new transmitter featuring Emma Hill and Lucky Spider, the

SEE KONR

PAGE 10

Library survey will track impact of budget cuts

news2@thenorthernlight.org

On Nov. 16, Republican lawmakers released a proposal for a bill that would make major modifications to the tax code of the United States. Besides tax cuts for corporations and for middle-class families, it includes a series of other changes for taxpayers.

It is estimated that the tax cuts proposed by the House bill will amount to roughly $1.5 trillion dollars total. To finance the cuts, the reform is seeking to eliminate individual tax breaks.

The impact on graduate and doctoral students who are currently benefiting from tuition waivers could be severe. For their research work, they are receiving annual stipends. These are oftentimes minimum wage stipends and already deemed taxable income.

In addition to the annual stipends, doctoral students and teaching assistants are also benefiting from tuition waivers which are exempt from taxation. Under the recently introduced House GOP tax plan, however, these waivers would be considered taxable income. This would significantly increase taxation on students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree.

For example, a doctoral student researcher, who is receiving an annual

SEE REPEAL

Positive views of library

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

A corgi, a donkey, a polar bear — you name it and the UAA/APU Consortium Library has put it on their LibQUAL survey advertisements. LibQUAL is a survey offered by the Association of Research Libraries that assess constituent perceptions of library services.

The Consortium Library surveys stakeholders at the university every three years by asking about users’ minimum, perceived and desired levels of service.

This year is the first time the library has surveyed users after being cut over $1.8 million over the last four years.

“Now that we have even less money, we will be paying even more attention to what the results tell us,” Stephen Rollins, dean of the Consortium Library, said.

Survey data from the 2014 LibQUAL survey show that UAA students generally rate their satisfaction with library services high at seven to eight out of 10 for categories of “I am satisfied with the way I am treated at the library,” “I am satisfied with library support for my learning, research, and/or teaching needs,” “How would you rate the overall quality of the service provided by the library?”

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performances.

106.1 KONR is already playing about 50 hours of local music a week, but the Studio Sessions, performed and broadcast live from the station’s downtown studio, are opportunities for local musicians to get some exposure.

“We’re trying to give people a place to play and then give them an outlet to

facebook.com/northernlightuaa

The library is generally reviewed positively by UAA students when it comes the spaces offered. LibQUAL data from 2014 showed that on a scale from one to 10, the library was rated high as a quiet study space (7.55 mean), as a comfortable and inviting location (7.63) and as a gateway for study, learning and research

(7.56).

“It’s a gigantic facility, there are a lot of places to study, it’s really, really quiet,” Genevieve Mina, political science major, said. “There’s a bunch of computers, I can eat there, and the study rooms are also the things that are really crucial.”

SEE SURVEY

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PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Signs raising awareness for the LibQUAL survey, which is offered by the Association of Research Libraries, can be seen around UAA/APU Consortium Library.

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

| 02

DACA applications rejected due to post office delay A number of renewals were delayed and thus rejected by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, but the agency will be reconsidering some applications

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applications submitted by “Dreamers,” based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act, were rejected by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services due to mail problems in the weeks approaching the deadline.

After the Trump administration had announced its plans to end the DACA program in September, they also said that recipients whose permits would expire before March 5, 2018 could renew their application for another two years.

The deadline was Oct. 5 and many applications — even ones mailed out weeks in advance — did not arrive until the day after

because of an unplanned processing delay in Chicago.

The New York Times reported on Nov. 30 that the number of applications rejected due to mail issues had reached 900, though it could possibly be in the thousands.

David Partenheimer of the United States Postal Service says that they are working with USCIS in order to address this issue.

“This mail processing delay issue has been resolved and we are investigating how it occurred,” Partenheimer wrote in an email. “Nothing is more important to the Postal Service than the timely, secure delivery of the mail.”

USPS had initially taken responsibility for the numerous applications being delayed. The immigration agency had said that there was nothing to be

done and decisions were final.

Days later, USCIS rescinded their statement and announced that they would reconsider renewal applications by sending letters out to applicants and having them show evidence or proof that their application had arrived late due to mail delay.

According to a page on the USCIS’s website regarding rejected DACA requests, applicants have 33 days following the date of the letter to resubmit.

Margaret Stock is an attorney at Cascadia Cross Border Law Group and she says that these delays with the postal service have been a “chronic problem.”

Applicants are free to choose a carrier other than USPS, such as FedEx or DHL, but Stock has found the U.S. Postal Service to be typically slower than the others and that it has become less reliable over the years.

GRAPHIC BY LEVI BROWN

“That’s been a change since I started practicing law because we used to send everything through the [postal service] because they would guarantee delivery the next day,” Stock said.

USCIS said that renewals had to be received on or before the Oct. 5 deadline, meaning that the applicants had to depend on

their carrier of choice to deliver on time.

Stock says that the agency should have gone by the postmarked date instead.

“If postal delivery is delayed or slowed, then the person pays the price. It’s not their fault,” Stock said.

Bean’s Cafe is facing existential challenges

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Located on Third Avenue next to the Brother Francis Shelter, Bean’s Cafe has been serving as a non-profit organization in Anchorage since 1979.

By Karolin Anders

sports@thenorthernlight.org

Founded in 1979 and located in Downtown Anchorage, Bean’s Cafe has one mission — to feed the hungry and the homeless without discrimination. Everyone is welcome to receive breakfast or lunch at Bean’s Cafe with no questions asked.

Some clients of the facility are struggling to make ends meet. Others are homeless and in need of shelter and food.

Bean’s Cafe happily serves about 900 meals a day. 400 of these meals are breakfasts and lunches at the shelter. Additionally, they fund the Children’s Lunchbox program for 17 different community programs, which include meals, snacks and weekend meals for children in need.

They also offer goodie bags for their many volunteers and meals for the Brother Francis shelter.

Last year, Bean’s Cafe was able to offer overnight shelter for 100 people a night. The shelter was open every night from Dec. 2 to April 30. Bean’s Cafe’s executive director, Lisa Sauder, described it as a welcomed alternative.

“We didn’t necessary meet capacity every night, but we never had to turn anyone away,” Sauder said. “People really enjoyed it, because it was a smaller and quieter shelter space and we were also able to provide a hot dinner last year. It was very appealing and were able to engage clients that were involved in a workforce pilot project as well as some of our harder to shelter clients that don’t do well in a larger environment.”

In prior years, Catholic Social

Services has operated the Bean’s Cafe’s building as an overnight shelter when the Brother Francis Shelter reached its maximum capacity. After an incident in 2016, when one of Brother Francis Shelter’s clients bled in Bean’s Cafe’s facility, the soup kitchen had to face confrontations with their insurance company, which later dropped them altogether.

The soup kitchen, which now exclusively operates as such, seeks to find an insurer that will meet the organizations’ needs.

“Almost all of the money for Bean’s Cafe comes from donations from individuals, businesses and money we raised at certain events,” Sauder said.

“We are not federally funded.

We get one grant, a competitive grant through the [Municipality of Anchorage] by basic human services, and we aren’t guaranteed that either. We have to com-

pete for that every two years and it’s $150,000.”

For now, Bean’s Cafe’s primary mission will remain to feed people in need. Franz Burghagen, business administration alumnus from UAA, said that volunteering at Bean’s Cafe highlights the essential need for shelters and soup kitchens to support Anchorage’s community.

“Hearing, almost daily, about the increasingly drastic spread of homelessness, while considering the impact of Alaska’s winters on those without a home, allows for only one conclusion,” Burghagen said. “These facilities are a crucial part of our community and keeping them open and running has the highest priority.”

Bean’s Cafe faces further challenges, should assemblyman Dick Traini’s proposal to treat non-profit organizations like commercial properties be executed. It would limit the amount of free police calls to 100 per calendar year for organizations such as Bean’s Cafe.

Every call exceeding the limit would be charged with a $500 fine each.

The count would not include medical emergencies or reports of sexual assault, theft and child neglect, but Bean’s Cafe’s main reason for contacting Anchorage Safety Patrol is alcoholism, which would not be excluded from the fine.

“The majority of our calls are for Anchorage Safety Patrol — for individuals who are intoxicated. To me, it seems kind of counterintuitive to fine a facility, which is trying to help people, for requesting help themselves,” Sauder said.

Nora Morse, deputy communications director of Anchorage’s Police Department, stated that by Nov. 15, Bean’s Cafe has recorded approximately 680 responses in 2017. The 580 extra phone calls would result in an fee of $290,000, if the proposal should pass.

Introducing such a surcharge would impede Bean’s Cafe to operate in the same way it does now. Lisa Sauder addressed the organizations responsibility to secure their volunteers and clients safety and therefore, need to be able to reply on Anchorage’s first responders. Volunteers keep Bean’s Cafe operating. With only one professional chef on kitchen staff, the organization depends on individuals who are willing to give back to the community.

Alexandria Scott, UAA natural sciences alumna, volunteers at Bean’s Cafe and always felt secure while doing so.

“I believe that Bean’s Cafe is very important in Anchorage, whenever I was volunteering, it was very busy the entire time and it was evident that it meant a lot to the people we were serving,” Scott said. “It really teaches you to be grateful for what you have and how important it is to reach out and serve others in any way that you can.”

For their annual “beanie boxes” collection, Bean’s Cafe asks for donations of wrapped shoe boxes filled with personal care items, warm weather gear and holiday cards to give to their clients. Donations of prepackaged boxes or bulk donations can be dropped off at Bean’s Cafe administrative office, 1020 E. Fourth Ave., Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

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FCC to vote on repealing net neutrality rules

Chair Ajit Pai announced his proposal in November to roll back Obama-era regulations

GRAPHIC BY LEVI BROWN

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Later this month, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on whether or not internet service providers, or ISPs, such as Verizon or Comcast, will be able to block certain content or provide faster streaming and services to desirable companies. This is a move that would essentially toss out the Obamaera regulations of net neutrality.

Net neutrality refers to a policy, known as Title II, instated by the FCC that says that the internet must be regarded as a utility, just like traditional telephone lines. It defines ISPs as common carriers to be regulated in order to ensure an open internet for all

users.

When FCC chair Ajit Pai announced in a statement on Nov. 21 that he was proposing to repeal these rules and “the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet,” the praise and criticism came swiftly.

Comcast’s corporate page commended Pai’s plan and also said: “We applaud the Chairman’s efforts to repeal the illadvised and outdated burden of Title II classification, which has harmed broadband investment and innovation. We also commend the imposition of a transparency rule that requires ISPs to disclose their net neutrality practices to consumers.”

The company also mentioned that it would continue to treat

websites the same.

The hashtag #NetNeutrality quickly swept over Twitter with thousands of users voicing their thoughts, and much of it was in opposition to the proposal.

“It seems kind of dangerous to me,” Erik Carlson, assistant professor of library sciences at the UAA Consortium Library, said. “[Net neutrality] is one of the things that makes the web so vibrant and useful.”

Much of Carlson’s concern revolves around the idea of equal speed and equal access for internet users. This is especially important for a place like the library for people who study and look up research.

“You have these open repositories where you have all this great research that’s free and they get served up at the same speed as, say, the journals we pay for,” Carlson said. “If there wasn’t a neutral net, those could be served at different speeds or even blacklisted.”

AT&T has a webpage that states, “We support an open internet” and Charter issued a statement online that says their “support for an open internet is an integral part of our commitment.”

Kenrick Mock, UAA’s department chair of computer science and engineering, is not so sure about these comments of support.

“In the past, the carriers have said that they believe in net neutrality as a guiding principle, but

at the same time, they’ve wanted to — for business purposes, it kind of makes sense that they want to own a particular property,” Mock said.

For example, the video on demand service, Hulu, is partially owned by Comcast. Net neutrality proponents argue that this kind of relationship could allow Comcast, Verizon and other ISPs to play favorites.

“It makes some sense that Comcast may want to prefer Hulu traffic over Netflix, for example,” Mock said.

Issues surrounding what ISPs and other tech companies can or cannot do have risen in the past.

In 2009, AT&T was investigated by the FCC after news stirred regarding the mobile network’s blocking of voice services, such as Skype, from connecting to iPhones via their data network.

Skype had made a formal complaint in the years prior regarding their service being blocked. It wasn’t until Julius Genachowski was appointed FCC chairman that the commission investigated the issue and began considering applying rules to mobile networks.

Some have described a web without net neutrality as a platform similar to cable television.

What consumers see in terms of content would be determined by how much they pay and managed by only a few service providers.

“Cable is more for consuming specific content whereas the

internet is providing more basic access to information,” Mock said. “It provides more fundamental information access and needs to be treated a little more differently.”

Eliminating net neutrality could still present advantages for the economic growth within the United States, such as providing more choices for consumers.

“If there is good competition, then you could actually see lower prices. There could be the case of tiered pricing structures and someone really wants basic services and they could just pay for that,” Mock said.

Carlson says that the effects of repealing net neutrality rules won’t happen overnight. Large internet companies and ISPs would gradually gain more advantages through time, such as charging streaming providers for “fast-lanes” in order to deliver faster content.

“That becomes less egalitarian. It becomes more about the big players and less about everybody,” Carlson said.

Currently, there are a number of advocacy groups fighting against Pai’s proposal. Websites like savetheinternet.com and battleforthenet.com are urging the public to take action, and Reddit has been flooded with protests.

The FCC plans to vote on the proposal during its Dec. 14 meeting.

SURVEY: ‘Budget cuts are budget cuts’ Continued from cover Students in the 2014 survey also rate the category of “the library enables me to be more efficient in my academic pursuits or work” at 7.37 but with a dip to 6.57 when it concerned the topic of “The library helps me stay abreast of developments in my field(s) of interest.”

“I think it’s an excellent library,” Brian Schroyer, geomatics major, said. “It’s got all the resources I need, all the books, and when I do need to do projects for the library, it’s definitely a good spot to use.”

Rollins said that the number of people using the library has increased over the last three years. An average week at the library in the fall semester has 12,000 people walking through the building.

Budget reductions have impacted library offerings “We are falling behind by not having inflationary increases, and we’re falling behind because we’ve been cut a total of $1.8 million,” Rollins said.

Cuts to the library budget have impacted staff positions and online offerings from the library. In fiscal year 2015, the library budget was cut by over $400,000 followed by steeper cuts in FY16 and FY17 of

$602,423 and $741,320 respectively, according to the Consortium Library website.

This year the library faced a smaller reduction of $80,471, but Rollins said offerings are still being cut due to rising costs of materials.

“We are falling behind by not having inflationary increases, and we’re falling behind because we’ve been cut a total of $1.8 million,” Rollins said.

Those cuts have manifested themselves in reductions of staff positions, hiring freezes, reductions to library hours and fewer subscriptions to online journals.

Nick Tabaczka, political science major, has attended the university for the past four years. While he describes the library as “a 10 out of 10,” he has seen the impact of budget cuts on after hours.

“I really hate when they close it early,” Tabaczka said. “Last spring they were shutting the thing down at nine or 10 in the evening, it’s horrible... It closes way too early, but I understand.

Budget cuts are budget cuts.”

Rollins said the library originally extended hours because of student interest, but staffing concerns have made it hard to extend hours.

“We had to reduce hours for the library because we didn’t have as many people working in

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Although the UAA/APU Consortium library has experienced budget cuts in over $1.8 million over the last four years, surveys show that students are generally pleased with what the library has to offer.

that area as well, although that’s been something that I’ve been working on,” Rollins said.

Since FY15, subscriptions to over 500 journals were eliminated. Some of the online resources cut were popular, including access to the online version of the Oxford English Dictionary and the historical New York Times.

“We have a list now that we are starting to build up of things to restore once we get more money,” Rollins said of the Oxford English Dictionary and historical New York Times.

All of these cuts impact the library and university’s academic missions.

“As our collection resources shrink, our knowledge center becomes smaller, and that jeop-

ardizes our ability to support the research efforts,” Rollins said.

Few alternative streams of revenue Currently, the majority (92.5 percent) of the library budget is funded from general fund allocations. The other 7.5 percent of the budget comes from alternative revenue streams.

“The library also brings in it’s own external funding, so like the medical library downstairs has contracts with the health care providers,” Rollins said. “So they’ll bring in over $100,000 a year. We have a partnership with ARLIS [Alaska Resources Library & Information Services]... so they pay us to

be here in the building with us.”

Since only 7.5 percent of the revenue is independent of general fund allocations, the library is very vulnerable to state cuts.

Rollins said he is working on increasing alternative revenue streams.

Another source of funding for the library comes through grants and donations.

“With grants we could get a million dollars in any given year,” Rollins said.

The nature of grants usually prevents the money from going to general operational costs, and they are typically targeted to a specific project.

Rollins is glad the university limited the impact of budget cuts on the library this year.

04 | NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

Anchorage faces highest number of mumps cases in decades

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

This fall, a major mumps outbreak occurred in Anchorage. The first case was reported in May 2017, and the number of affected citizens has grown over the past months. On Dec. 2, the Department of Health and Social Services published an update on the outbreak along with recommendations for the prevention of the disease.

Symptoms typically start with several days of fever, headaches, muscle aches and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands.

As of Dec. 2, 71 confirmed and 15 probable cases have been identified in Alaska. Since all confirmed and probable cases were either residents of or spent extensive time in Anchorage, the outbreak has been limited to the city so far.

It is the largest outbreak Alaska has experienced since the mid-1970s.

Mumps is commonly referred to as a childhood disease. This term, however, can be misleading since other age groups can be infected by the virus as well.

The median age among the 44 confirmed patients is 24 years.

Even though mumps is considered a vaccine-preventable disease, about half of the confirmed cases received at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR).

Being vaccinated against mumps does not necessarily mean that one is completely immune to the disease, Dr. Joe McLaughlin, the Alaska state epidemiologist, said.

“The MMR vaccine confers

immunity in about 78 percent of people after they get one dose of the vaccine and in 88 percent of the people who get two doses of the vaccine. So that means that 12 percent of people who get two doses of the MMR vaccine will still be susceptible to mumps,” McLaughlin said.

Not only does the number of vaccine doses a person receives influences a person’s immunity, the timing of the vaccinations is a critical factor, too. After getting the MMR vaccine, the immunity to mumps tends to wane over time.

“If you got your two MMR shots when you were a year old, and when you were five years old and you haven’t been exposed to mumps since then, your immune system hasn’t had the opportunity to recall that particular antigen,” McLaughlin said. “So there’s a chance that you may not be immune to mumps currently.”

At the moment, the national recommendation for children is to get one dose of the vaccine when they are between 12 and 15 months of age and their second dose between 4 and 6 years of age. Under special circumstances, the recommendations have now changed as McLaughlin explained.

“This year, for the first time ever, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended a third dose or a booster dose of vaccine in outbreak settings to high-risk groups,” McLaughlin said. “In our particular outbreak, we know that over 80 percent of the cases have been in the Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander population here in Anchorage.”

While the original source of the outbreak is uncertain, there is a possible connection between a Pacific island and the transmission of the virus to Anchorage residents.

Several of the initial patients reported recent travel to or close contact with a person who had recently visited a Pacific island where mumps is circulating.

“For people who do come down with the mumps, our strong recommendation is that as soon as they think they might have mumps, to stay home from school or college or work as well,” McLaughlin said. “We want them to stay home at least five days after the onset of parotitis, which is the swelling of the cheeks.”

During these five days, people affected by the virus are most infectious.

The majority of higher education institutions in the U.S. require their students to get at least some vaccinations based on the current scientific knowledge. Generally, immunizations are not mandatory for the majority of the UAA student body.

However, there are some exceptions to this arrangement as Rhonda Johnson, a UAA health sciences professor, said.

“Some students, such as those training to be clinical providers, or working or traveling in high risk situations may be required to take additional vaccinations,” Johnson said.

Even though the effectiveness of vaccination has been verified scientifically, many parents still choose not to immunize their children.

“I think there is often incomplete understanding of the overall risks and benefits of immuni-

GRAPHIC BY LEVI BROWN

zations,” Johnson said. “In some ways, the success of vaccination programs in controlling infectious diseases in the last century has led to both unfamiliarity with the devastating impacts of some diseases and unwarranted complacency about the real risks of infections in a global community.”

The two-dose series of the

MMR vaccine is provided at no cost to all Alaskans aged 18 years and younger. A limited supply of MMR vaccine is available free of charge for uninsured adults aged 19 years and older at the Municipality of Anchorage, Department of Health and Human Services.

REPEAL: How the tax reform plan will affect students Continued from cover stipend of $30,000 and a tuition waiver of $50,000 is currently getting taxed on $30,000. However, if the tax overhaul comes into effect, the student will be forced to pay taxes on a sum of $80,000 — more than double the previous amount.

Financing the payment of the new taxes with student loans could be difficult since the House bill is also aiming to repeal the Student Loan Interest Deduction. According to the American Council

of Education, about 12 million taxpayers profited from SLID in 2014.

Ajit Dayanandan, associate professor of finance at UAA, believes that the bill could have a deterrent effect on some students if it becomes law.

“The present proposal to withdraw income tax exemption on tuition benefits and scholarships is sending a wrong message to the low-income students and their ability to study and conduct research,” Dayanandan said.

The declared goal of the substantial

reform is to bolster the American middle class and simplify the tax code. Doubts have been expressed that the general tax cuts might not compensate for the repeal of other tax exemptions.

“The Trump tax reform plan is seemingly focused on the middle class tax benefit. The present proposals on tax reduction for middle class is small compared to the largesse for the corporate sector,” Dayanandan said. “Secondly, the tax reduction for the middle class is transitory and will expire after a certain number of years. On the other hand, tax reduction for corporate America is substantial and permanent.”

Many of the affected graduate students are conducting research on science, technology, engineering and mathematics areas which play an important role for the national economy.

“STEM research is crucial for maintaining and increasing the competitive advantage of U.S. in the global market place,” Dayanandan said. “Student tuition benefits and scholarships is the incentive mechanism presently in place to undertake such cutting-edge research which has made American companies global leaders in the field of science and technology.”

When taxed, the inducement of these educational benefits will be forfeited.

“If their student tuition benefits or scholarships come under the ambit of income tax, it will adversely impact their

motivation and ability to undertake research and innovation in the country.”

With fall graduation approaching soon, many students have to decide whether they want to continue their education. Tevin Gladden, a mathematics and computer sciences major, is considering to pursue a higher academic degree after getting his bachelor’s at UAA. “Grad school may give me more options for future careers which gives me a better chance at obtaining a job. It could also bring me the chance of meeting more like-minded people that I could partner up with in some way,” Gladden said.

In comparison to other universities, the consequences of the GOP tax plan at UAA could be relatively minor according to Jim Murphy, professor of economics.

“Most [UAA] students do not get waivers, so the impact in terms of how many students are affected would be small,” Murphy said. “Tuition at UAA is low, relative to other universities, so even though our [graduate] students could be impacted, it won’t be as bad as at places with higher tuition — especially private universities.”

The reform of the taxation system was one of the promises President Trump made during his electoral campaign. Recent public opinion polls show a decline in the popularity of the tax overhaul after the initial release of the draft.

Most of the provisions will take effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

| 05

College Cookbook: The bread pudding he never got

By Victoria Petersen copy@thenorthernlight.org

He slept in, ate his breakfast, read the paper and drank his coffee a year ago. He didn’t have trouble speaking, breathing, chewing or walking then. He wasn’t on oxygen or jaundiced or in pain. Grandpa was fine.

Last Christmas, I found myself struggling financially and decided to give the gift of homemade meals and treats to my grandparents; a rather humble gift, considering they have been letting me live with them rent-free for over a year and a half now. Two envelopes were opened at my aunt Laura’s house, one for my grandma and one for grandpa. Inside was a coupon for their favorite dish. My grandma’s coupon was for soup and my

PHOTO COURTESY VICTORIA PETERSEN

Hazel Butcher, with her children Paula, Darwin and David, my grandpa. Hazel often made bread pudding, a favorite treat of my grandpa’s.

grandpa’s for bread pudding.

His mom used to make it for him as a kid. My grandpa suffered from dementia and I thought that making him something that tasted like his childhood, like memories, would help him feel better.

Sometimes we would look out the window in the kitchen, out at the house his parents homesteaded as morning snow fell and he would be sure as hell we were in California. One time he thought I was his cousin. He never forgot my name, though.

My grandpa never redeemed his cou-

pon. I would tell him I, “would make it this weekend,” or, “next week.” “Just let me know when you want it.” He never asked and I never went to the store to get the ingredients. Social, school and work lives came before bread pudding.

This fall, after I finished my job working 15-hour shifts on the train for the summer, I tried to make time for bread pudding. Several ambulances, emergency room visits and tests later confirmed my grandpa’s deterioration wasn’t temporary. First, he was given a walker. He didn’t like to use it. Then came oxygen, and then came a liquid diet. Problems chewing is a symptom of late-stage dementia. Smoothies, protein shakes and mashed potatoes for grandpa. Now he couldn’t eat bread pudding, even if he wanted to, even if I actually made time to make it.

He was in the hospital for weeks. He wouldn’t eat much. He wouldn’t talk much. He wasn’t awake much. His eyes were hardly open, his breathing was labored and his skin was yellow the last time I saw him in October. I held his hand and told him to feel better and that I would see him later. I wouldn’t: he died the next morning.

It’s too late now, but I’m still going to make time for bread pudding, posthumously, for grandpa.

I couldn’t find his mom’s recipe, but my grandma said the Betty Crocker recipe was just fine. I’m not adding raisins because we don’t have any, but you could add raisins and serve with whipped cream if you so desire.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • •

2 cups milk 1/4 cup butter 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 cups soft bread, cubed (about 6 slices bread) 1/2 cup raisins, if desired Whipping cream, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted.

2. In a bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the bread, raisins and milk mixture. Stir together and pour into a pan.

3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife or fork inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Serve warm with whipping cream.

The benefits of student employment on UAA’s campus

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Caleigh Jensen

cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Along with the flexible hours and new relationships created through working on-campus, working as a student employee provides a number of benefits. Flexible schedules are specifically made to work with course loads and relieve some of the stresses of working while attending college, and some positions allow students to save time and money on transportation and scholarship opportunities.

“One of my favorite things about having an on-campus job is that school comes first, which is not something I’ve experienced before,” Jeanette Sweetman, sixth year fine arts major with a concentration in photography, said. “A lot of my work is self paced, and I do a lot of my own scheduling. I really appreciate that aspect of it.”

Described as the “station mom” of UAA’s radio station, KRUA, Sweetman began her position as program director by volunteering as a DJ her freshman

year. Her passion for media, along with her choice of major, came together for her job on-campus.

“What I hope to do in the future is continue to work in media, whether that be video, photo, broadcasting or music,” Sweetman said. “It excites me how all those areas can interact.”

The UA system is currently offering over 200 student employee jobs, half of them available at the Anchorage campus, not to mention the hundreds already occupied by students.

Aside from the commonly known positions, many unconventional careers are also offered at UAA. Information Technology Services, lifeguard and culinary arts lab aide jobs are available to students, as well as positions in the UAA Planetarium, Facilities Planning & Construction and the Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce.

The majority of the positions available at UAA fall under the categories of office and clerical, or student affairs and services. One student services job that proves very beneficial is becoming a Wolfpack leader. Their biggest role is leading the Howl Day new student orientations, “navigating the way,” as stated by their motto, for students in the transition between high school and college.

“When I first came to school here, I didn’t have a lot of people to help me transition,” Nathan Kipchumba, senior nursing and psychology major and Wolfpack leader of two years, said. “I’m doing this job to help other students get the experience that I didn’t when I was a freshman.”

When the Wolfpack isn’t leading orientations, they are busy assisting students through other events, such as FUSION (For Unity and Service in Our Neighborhoods), workshops, career fairs, recruit-

ment and running information desks in the Rasmuson Hall and Social Sciences Building.

“We’re one of the offices that interacts with the most students,” Kipchumba said. “Everyone [who works] here is responsible for what we do, and we have the opportunity of exercising our leadership and communication skills. I think that’s really important.”

Many student employee co-workers are peers as well, creating an opportunity to meet new people that share common interests.

Senior language and international studies major Ioana Lobontiu also enjoys that her on-campus job helps connect her with other students. Lobontiu is in her third year as a German tutor at UAA. Studying the language for about six years now, she shares her expertise with students of various levels three times a week.

“I think there is a great sense of camaraderie to be gleaned from working with fellow students,” Lobontiu said. “It’s gratifying to work in an environment where you share a common appreciation for learning and scholarship, and it’s amazing to be in the same room with people who share my passion for languages.”

Holding a position as a part-time student employee requires registration in six or more credits in the UA system, as well as maintaining a cumulative grade point average of a 2.0. In addition, more specific requirements, such as a resume or references, are associated with certain jobs.

Wages typically range from $8.50 $12 per hour, with a maximum workload of 20 hours a week, encouraging students to focus on their academics.

“It means a lot to me that I can prioritize school and that won’t be taken into question or put my job on the line,”

Sweetman said.

Kipchumba likes that employers at UAA are understanding and flexible of the workload students endure.

“They understand that you’re a student first and allow you to work around your schedule. Most employers off campus don’t understand that,” Kipchumba said.

These positions serve as a way to get students more involved in the university itself, while also providing a means of financial support.

“There’s something really cool about being a part of on-campus functions and getting to know people,” Sweetman said.

“I’ve made some really great friends and gotten to know a lot of people I wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for working at KRUA.” The majority of student employees at the university have found their experience to be extremely enjoyable, rewarding and beneficial in gaining experience in their desired career fields.

“I would highly recommend being a student employee at UAA, especially if there is a specific field or job that piques one’s interest,” Lobontiu said.

Sweetman encourages students to seek out campus jobs early on in the academic journey rather than later.

“I didn’t know it would be something I’d value so much, and I’m glad I eventually started,” Sweetman said.

If you’re interested in becoming a student employee at UAA, the UA job search is available under the Student Employment section of the university’s website.

This site shows all the available positions throughout the UA system. You can refine the search by work type, location and category to find the job most suitable to you.

06 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

Swapping out pencils for a broomstick Quidditch comes to life with the help of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation department

GRAPHIC BY LEVI BROWN

By Caleigh Jensen

cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Have you ever dreamed of becoming part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? That dream can now become a reality with the help of the department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation’s Qudditch events.

Through partnering with the on-campus club Exercise is Medicine, HPER is working together to put on the events Knockout November and Destress December, one of them

being Quidditch, a game played by the wizards and witches of J.K. Rowling’s series Harry Potter. Other activities taking place include dodge ball, aqua basketball, simple circuits, Zumba and more.

In their third year, the two events serve as a way to relieve the stresses of finals and the end of the fall semester in fun ways, while also incorporating exercise.

“Exercise has been shown to alleviate stress, improve mood, and increase ability to focus, which should improve students’ academic success during finals

week,” Natalie Hearn, senior physical education major, said.

Students from PEP A284, Leadership in Fitness Activities class, are leading the various fitness activities that make up Knockout November and Destress December.

Hearn, along with physical education major Jordyn Block, is leading the Quidditch event.

“The initiatives are a way to promote physical activity and movement to college students in a fun way during a stressful time of the semester,” Hearn said.

All the events that make up Knockout November and Destress December are designed to benefit students by giving them non-typical ways of receiving the recommended amount of daily movement in a safe and supportive environment.

The events also serve as a way for students in the physical education program to showcase the leadership skills they learned in class in a hands on way, as they plan to use them in their desired health careers in the future.

Quidditch is a new event this year for Knockout November and De-stress December.

Hearn’s experience playing it in one of her leadership classes last semester prompted its addition to the anti-stress related games.

Both Hearn and Block are Harry Potter fans, and excited to help turn the widely popular fictional world into a reality for the students of UAA.

“I thought it would be fun to introduce the game to students outside the HPER department,” Hearn said. “Believe it or not, there’s actually a professional United States Quidditch league.”

HPER’s Quidditch follows the rules of the fictional game from the Harry Potter series.

“Minus the flying and magic, it was as close to the actual thing as it could’ve gotten,” Alex Flores, physical education major and participant, said.

During the game, two teams, made up of chasers, seekers and beaters, perform their specific roles and work together to reach the goal of scoring 150 points.

This goal can be achieved by either passing the quaffle, or ball, through the target hoops, or by the seeker catching the snitch, in this case a handkerchief. While this is taking place, the beaters are throwing bludgers, or dodge balls, at the chasers in attempt to get them out.

Flores has participated in Quidditch games prior to Knockout November, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, despite his team’s losses in two of the three rounds.

“We’ve played Quidditch before in my class, and they just kind of threw us in, but this time I felt like I actually knew what I was doing because the rules were explained really well,” Flores said. “The presenters were very knowledgeable about the game and its rules, and they promoted fair play and were

good referees. I feel like every game was equally matched.”

Aside from being enjoyable and engaging, the Quidditch event also has health benefits due to its fast pace.

“This Quidditch game is designed primarily for fun and stress release, but will incorporate cardio respiratory fitness, as well as throwing and catching skills,” Block said.

Flores felt the effects of incorporated exercise. With his position as seeker, he was required to chase a chosen presenter in attempt to grab a yellow handkerchief they had, which posed as the snitch.

“When you’re really into it, it becomes a good workout,” Flores said. “I was sweating a lot.”

Quidditch began on Nov. 28, and will carry into December, taking place on Tuesday, Dec. 5 in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex from 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

“The more people who come, the more magical the experience will be,” Hearn said.

All activities available during Knockout November and Destress December are scheduled from 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ending on Dec. 7. A full schedule with details of activities and their locations is posted on the Employee Wellness section of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation page on the UAA website.

An interactive blend of health care and fitness

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Exercise is Medicine is a club affiliated with the American College of Sports Medicine, which is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. UAA’s club is just one of the many university chapters scattered throughout the nation.

The main initiative for Exercise is Medicine on campus is to gather and have students in health-related fields collaborate on educational and professional matters that are health and exercise based.

Members, like vice-president Jordyn Block, work diligently to meet goals.

“We want to help college students appreciate the value of physical fitness and exercise as the first step to this bigger goal of prevention. This semester, we participated in some fun activities that included Zumba and a Pure Barre class,” Block said.

“Over the summer, we had unofficial group hikes and ultimate frisbee games. Additionally this semester, our biggest event we participated in was our American College of Sports Medicine Fall Speaker Tour.”

On a direct campus level, Exercise is Medicine aims to con-

PHOTO COURTESY OF EXERCISE IS MEDICINE

The Exercise is Medicine club aims to set students up for post-college success.

tribute to movement on campus, instilling fitness and physical activity in students and connecting club members to healthcare and sports-related professionals.

To incorporate external resources, Exercise is Medicine utilizes guest speakers and educational events.

In November alone, Exercise is Medicine hosted a Speaker Tour that incorporated three guest speakers, including Dr. Robert E. Sallis, Dr. Carena Winters and Dr. Renee Jeffreys

Heil.

These speakers provide beneficial advice and knowledge for students in the club, many of which are physical education majors.

“These three incredible speakers gave us a lot of insight and ideas for new activities to implement into our club,” Block said.

Students in the club who are attempting to get their B.S. in Physical Education utilize the club’s information to provide

a backbone for their future endeavors relating to physical education, that includes scientific foundations, psychological and cultural aspects, assessment and testing methods, trends and leadership development in a variety of physical activities.

Many of the students in Exercise is Medicine choose the “health and fitness leadership” route of the physical education degree, as opposed to the “outdoor leadership and administration” route. The health route

prepares students for hospital or community based health education and fitness programs.

Exercise is Medicine helps to set these students up for postcollege success by giving them beneficial experience and connections.

Despite the communitybased initiatives, the Exercise is Medicine UAA chapter is actually a part of a big-picture health initiative the spreads across the world. Exercise is Medicine is only a subset of American College of Sports Medicine.

“Our main goal is to promote healthy lifestyles through physical activity. The bigger goal of Exercise is Medicine is to start prescribing exercise as a means to prevent chronic illnesses including things like diabetes and high blood pressure. Basically, prevention is key,” Block said.

Through the American College of Sports Medicine students get the ability to connect with professionals in upwards of 70 different occupations of sports medicine around the world, they can attend conferences and meetings, consider funding options for research, find policy or advocacy work or even find future career opportunities.

To learn more about Exercise is Medicine, visit their Facebook page Exercise is Medicine on Campus at UAA.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEIDI MANNION

Program Director of Medical Laboratory science Heidi Mannion works with some of her students in the medical laboratory. After 20 years in UAA’s School of Allied Health, Mannion will be retiring at the end of the 2018 spring semester.

Medical laboratory science program director to retire after 20 years

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

Heidi Mannion, program director of medical laboratory science at UAA, has dedicated the last 20 years to the School of Allied Heath. Mannion will be retiring after the 2018 spring semester, leaving behind a positive impact on her students, fellow faculty members and the medical laboratory technology program.

When Mannion first started working at UAA, she was an adjunct professor working on her masters in biology. However, financial struggles and early retirement of a medical laboratory science professor created uncertainty within the program.

Mannion, with the help of adjunct professor David Pierce, decided to revise and update the curriculum to keep the medical laboratory technology program alive through creation of a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science and a certificate in phlebotomy.

“We really wanted to see the program succeed, we knew that there was a shortage in our field,” Mannion said. “We helped it get through accreditation and at that time it was only an associate’s degree in medical laboratory technology, so once we got it reaccredited, they decided that they would keep the program going.”

Through an initiative program created

by Mark Hamilton, former UA president, the School of Allied Health acquired funding for the new degree and certificate programs.

“Gloria Tomich and I worked on the curriculum for the bachelor’s program and now we have what is called an articulated program,” Mannion said. “All the courses needed for the associate’s degree is also needed for the bachelor’s degree, so students can start in the associate’s then come back to finish the bachelor’s.”

The Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation took interest in the developing program, which would allow for new trainees in phlebotomy who could perform basic lab tests.

“We created both the phlebotomy program and the clinical assistant program to help them have trained people,” Mannion said.

Mannion’s former student, Angela Craft, is now the phlebotomy program director at UAA and believes that the medical laboratory technology program has benefited greatly from Mannion’s contributions.

“I think that the program is not what

it would be today without Heidi [Mannion]. She is always looking for ways to improve our program for the students and has built a strong program based on continuously looking for ways to make things better,” Craft said.

The Medical Laboratory Technology Program started as a 12 student per cohort associate’s degree program, and now offers both degrees with 24 students per cohort.

Mannion has worked closely with professional organizations such as Clinical Laboratory Scientists of Alaska and the state’s clinical facilities, which has helped in creating more opportunities for students through donations of supplies and equipment they can no longer use, which reduces laboratory fees for the students. They also provide clinical training sites required for students to become certified as laboratory professionals.

“Our students are able to do almost every task they do out in the work force before they ever leave the student lab, so they are doing it in a safe environment where they can make mistakes and it’s not going to harm a patient, and they can learn from that,” Mannion said. “That relationship has been so important and being able to make those connections and develop that relationship has been my biggest accomplishment because this program wouldn’t be here without the community.”

Mannion not only played an important role in building relationships within the medical community, but as a mentor to fellow faculty members.

“I consider Heidi [Mannion] a mentor, prior to this position I was an in instructor in the radiology program, so a lot of the questions I had being new to academia, Heidi [Mannion] was my goto person,” Robert McClung, director of School of Allied Health at UAA, said. “I think she helped mentor quite a few of us in academia and getting me to where I am today, I have a lot of respect for Heidi [Mannion].”

Teaching comes with many benefits, but for Mannion, the most fulfilling part of teaching was talking with graduates about their achievements.

“The graduates always come back and tell us about their accomplishments and it’s really rewarding that we have been able to help them accomplish a bunch of the things they do,” Mannion said. “They’re so willing to tell you what they’ve accomplished and they feel connected to the program.”

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08 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

UAA student wins Rhodes Scholarship

PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIP HALL

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

A proposal approved by the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Green Fee Board paid for new lights in the West Hall dorms, which haven’t seen lighting renovations since the 90s.

West Hall gets lit

By Malia Barto

arts2@thenorthernlight.org

West Hall was long overdue for new lighting. Comments by students said that the lighting in West was rather low quality and made the dorms dark and gloomy; something that does not mix well with dark, Alaskan winters.

A proposal, initiated by the Director of Housing, Dining and Conference Services, David Weaver, and political science major, Joey Sweet, was approved

by UAA’s Green Fee Board to bring new lighting that would not only make the hall brighter, but would also save the university some extra cash.

“The Quality of Life surveys for oncampus housing revealed that year the issues that residence life would like to see addressed on campus. Forty percent [of] respondents said that lighting was something that could be improved,” Sweet said.

Lighting was the second most critical issue to those who took the survey, behind the cost of housing. The lighting systems in West Hall had not had any major renovations since the 90s. In addition of the lights being of poor quality, students would, often absent-mindedly, leave lights on in their dorms, only hiking up the electricity costs.

At a resident assistant’s training in 2015, Weaver gave a presentation; in his presentation, he urged students to reach out to him if anyone wanted to pursue a Green Fee Board proposal. Sweet, who attended the RA training as an RA in North Hall, said he never forgot about Weaver’s presentation and kept the idea in the back of his mind.

Sweet left for the U.S. Legislative Internship Program in Juneau the semester after. When he returned to UAA spring 2016, he wanted to work on a project before he finished his undergraduate degree, so he contacted Weaver.

Weaver and Sweet decided to base their proposal on continuing a pilot lighting program started in West Hall. In fall 2015, University Housing contracted with AMC Engineers, Inc. and talked about potential ways to update lighting in housing.

A pilot program followed shortly after, where Housing funded new lighting in the Templewood and Mac apartments, by replacing the lighting with LED bulbs.

In addition, they also replaced four of the

light fixtures in the suites of West Hall with LED fixtures and asked for student feedback. The students who responded were all “overwhelmingly happy” with the update of lighting in their rooms.

Sweet and Weaver began drafting their proposal to the Green Fee Board in September of 2016 and was approved by the Board around mid-February 2017.

They proposed that the Board grants $60,000 and then have University Housing match the cost. Essentially, the Board would help pay for the first two floors and then Housing would finish the last two of the four floors and pay for the engineering labors. Ultimately, the Board granted one floor, which was around $30,000, and Housing matched it with another floor.

Installation began in Sept. 2017, finishing the first two floors of West Hall.

The new LED fixtures will save about $80,000 a year of the Housing costs, about 20 percent of the electricity cost. Weaver, Sweet and Green Fee chair, Heather Jesse, all wanted to make sure that the savings from installing the LED lights would go back to student life to improve laundry facilities, kitchens, bathrooms, mattresses, food services and other necessities all around campus. The LED lights can last up to around 40 years, nearly ten times as long the previous lighting regime.

“I think it’s crazy how many different aspects a small change can manage to affect,” Jesse said.

The three halls, North, East and West, together house up to 600 students and each hall has four floors. Including Templewood and Mac, the campus apartments, residential housing capacity is around 1,000. Weaver hopes that by May 2020, all twelve floors of the residence halls will have LED lighting. “[The project] is a triple win because it’s saving the university a ton of carbon footprint, the fixtures can last up to 40 years — I mean, the fixtures will be there when the building’s life span is done — and it’ll save the university money. And, it’s just brighter for students,” Weaver said. “I’m really happy... this has been one of the coolest projects. It just makes so much sense, it’s a cool partnership and I am so thankful for the Green Fee Board.

[They] really supported this project from the very beginning.”

If anyone is interested in pursuing a Green Fee proposal, contact the Green Fee Board at uaa_greenfee@uaa.alaska. edu.

Samantha Mack poses for a photo with the cookbook she used for her project on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus on Jan. 15, 2016.

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Before Samantha Mack applied, no UAA student had never been invited to interview for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Mack, a teaching assistant and master’s student in the English department, was the only UAA student to apply for the prestigious scholarship this year. She was the only one that mattered.

On Nov. 19, The New York Times published the list of 32 American students who were awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, including Mack. The Rhodes Scholarship funds postgraduate students who desire to study at the University of Oxford.

Mack interviewed for the scholarship late last month, and after several hours of waiting, the interview committee announced this year’s two scholars from District 14. District 14 includes all students applying from Montana, Alaska, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

“It was the most intense and stressful two and a half hours of my entire life,” Mack said. “And then they just came into the room and told us who had won, and it was overwhelming.”

Mack is also the first Alaska Native student to win the award. Though she was born in Anchorage, Mack was raised in King Cove, and her Aleut heritage has become very influential in her academic pursuits.

“I think that my indigeneity shapes every single part of my being,” Mack said.

“My values, the things I value, the things I aim for in my education, the way I behave even as a role model for a younger generation for my cousins whom I love and care for and feel very deeply protective of.”

In spring of 2016, Mack graduated with degrees in English and political science as well as a minor in Alaska Native studies. In the spring of 2018, she will graduate with her M.A. in English before traveling to Oxford to pursue either a master of philosophy or doctor of philosophy in political science. Her ultimate career goal is to be a college professor.

“I think if you had told me at 18 that I’d be in this situation now, I would have laughed at you,” Mack said.

Mack was a part of the Anchorage school district’s gifted program, but she didn’t expect a career in academia after college.

“I just had no aspirations beyond an undergraduate degree,” Mack said. “I didn’t get particularly good grades in

high school, like and A, B average certainly not a straight A average like my peers were getting, who did go onto Ivy League schools. I always felt like that probably wasn’t going to be the path for me, but then I got to UAA and did get straight As the entire time and really enjoyed learning. Now that’s what I want to continue to do.”

Mack attended Western Washington University before citing affordability as a top reason to come back to Alaska and attend UAA. Since returning, she has thrived by taking opportunity of a United Nations internship through her Tribes, Nations and Peoples class, she was an intern for Senator Dan Sullivan over the summer and she has been a research assistant for Carnegie Fellow and political science professor, Landry Signé.

Jennifer Stone, associate professor of English, said Mack’s extracurricular involvements are what make her really stand out.

“What’s been really impressive about Samantha [Mack] is she’s taken advantage of everything UAA has to offer her as a student,” Stone said.

Stone has worked with Mack on several projects, and the two were part of a group that presented at the Alaska Native Studies conference last year.

“I think for all of us who have worked with Samantha [Mack] it’s so obvious she deserved the award. It’s really incredible that she got it,” Stone said.

Francisco Miranda, associate professor of Spanish, is also the UAA advisor for national and international scholarships.

“I think Samantha [Mack] is proving all of those doubts [about UAA students] unreasonable, absolutely. The other winner of the Rhodes Scholarship from our district, District 14, attended Yale. So of course we compare, quite well,” Miranda said.

Miranda said he wishes more students applied for nationally competitive scholarships, and he hopes Mack will set the example for more students to continue in her footsteps.

“Samantha [Mack] is definitely one of the more worthy candidates that we’ve seen coming through,” Miranda said.

“I know that she’s not alone. She’s not a unicorn out there. I’m sure that there are more students out there that just need to see themselves fitting into this kind of profile.”

For students interested in applying to nationally competitive scholarships, both Miranda and Mack recommend planning a semester or more in advanced.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

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KONR: A chance to be on the radio Continued from cover performances are free to the public and the studio can hold around 25 to 30 people, he said.

KONR is a low-power, volunteer-run station operated by the Out North arts organization.

Things can be rough around the edges, but they don’t have strict program guidelines, Sear said.

With more leeway controlling the airwaves, a performance running long won’t get anyone cut off.

“If it’s an hour and five minutes, who the hell cares,” Sear said.

David Rittenberg plays with blues trio Bobby and the Concussions who performed last October on KONR. He liked the loose structure of things and the low-pressure environment.

“It’s like your buddy’s garage [that] has some cool recording equipment that is available to you,” Rittenberg said. “I think that’s pretty cool.”

The first Studio Session came about last summer when the station was going through its revamp. Sear and KONR program manager Lawrence Höschel were kicking around ideas about hosting live performances in the studio.

Sear was approached at the Spenard Jazz fest about the station doing something with country blues musician Annie Bartholomew. At that point there weren’t any established shows,

but they decided to have her perform at the studio and broadcast it live for First Friday.

The first few groups to play the sessions have been friends of friends or people interested in the station. Not a lot of people know that the station even exists, but bands are starting to reach out to the station so they can perform.

There can be a tendency for a small circle of groups to get all the gigs in town, he said, so the sessions will mostly focus on lesser-known musicians.

“As a music fan and as somebody who’s now running this radio station that’s focused primarily on playing local music, I wanna hear these bands. I want to share this with people in Anchorage,” Sear said.

Local band Aural Imago’s November performance of their brand of dark, minimalist pop at KONR was the duo’s first show.

When frontman Justin Ferguson first heard about the Studio Sessions, he knew it was something he wanted to do.

“It seems like kind of a special thing that KONR is doing,” Ferguson said.

With the station being volunteer-run, there’s only so much time Sear and Höschel can devote to booking new bands, so they’re encouraging interested musicians to get in touch with them. While all genres are welcome, band setups like full drum

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON SEAR

Aural Imago performs their first show at KONR on Nov. 3. The duo typically plays dark, minimalistic pop.

sets need to be kept to a minimum as the station is limited on what they can accommodate.

Ultimately Sear would like to see the Studio Sessions continue and possibly find someone who

can volunteer their time to produce high-quality video of the performances for the station’s website. “[We’re] just kind of letting it organically grow and we’ll see

where it goes,” Sear said.

To contact KONR email them at outnorthradio@gmail.com Recordings of past Studio Sessions can be found at www. outnorthradio.com.

Once is never enough for the murky thriller ‘Bluebeard’

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

TITLE “Bluebeard”

DIRECTOR Soo-youn Lee

RELEASE DATE March 17 , 2017

COUNTRY South Korea

GENRE Thriller

Watching “Bluebeard,” I got the strangest sense of deja vu. Scene after scene feels and looks the same. Hapless divorcee Seung-hoon (Jin-woong Jo) dreams of a severed head wrapped in a black trash bag, discovers it later in his freezer, convinces himself it’s not there, and rediscovers it just a few scenes later. Writer and director Soo-youn Lee doesn’t differentiate between these discoveries.

Each one is a revelation given equal weight.

The same goes for Seunghoon falling asleep and waking up. Sure, showing him sleep raises the classic, “is it dream or reality?” question, but after he falls on the bed and dreams of his landlord Sung-geun (DaeMyung Kim) murdering one of his wives for the third time, a line should be drawn. Watching these repeats feels like a parent reminding you to do something you already did. Annoying, and pointless.

If you happen to forget any of these details, don’t worry.

Two quick and sloppy late-movie montages will remind you.

One’s got a black-and-white filter, some slipshod editing, and reeks of big studio intervention.

The other drags out a plot point for so long that it becomes hilarious. The reveals, the twists, and the turns all feel unearned and repetitive. In defter hands, the movie’s winding narrative would feel less like a trial and more like a ride. Instead, I couldn’t wait for the ending.

The beginning doesn’t show much promise, though the story has its appeal. Seung-hoon is a recently divorced doctor who’s opened his own clinic in a rural Korean province. After hearing his landlord’s father confess to a grizzly murder while sedated, he decides to investigate the case himself. The deeper he gets into his landlord’s secret life, the harder it becomes to tell dream from reality. That line blurs to the point of unknowability and Seung-hoon soon finds himself the main suspect in the case.

The best crime thrillers with-

hold information without viewers knowing it. “Bluebeard” takes the opposite approach.

It wants you to know that it’s keeping secrets because that’s suspenseful, right? Well, when those secrets could have deepened the movie’s complexity if they weren’t concealed, no, it isn’t suspenseful. More than anything, it’s a frustrating exercise in seeing how long it takes for Soo-youn Lee to botch his story.

The answer: not long. Once you get to the end, things get a bit more interesting, but it raises the question: why all the misdirection? Why keep so much of the story under wraps? “Bluebeard” fails to justify its methods and structure. It misdirects viewers because the whole thing hinges on just a few key moments. Everything in between is lackadaisical fluff. Like the great crime thrillers “Bluebeard” tries to be, it leaves you with more questions than answers. Unlike those same movies, however, it’s not smart enough to let viewers come up with the answers. Trying to would be a waste of time.

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Anchorage International Film Festival to return with hundreds of new films

By Malia Barto

arts2@thenorthernlight.org

This year, Anchorage International Film Festival will showcase 129 new films independently made by filmmakers all over the globe.

AIFF will kick off at Bear Tooth Theatrepub, where they have been hosting the event for the last sixteen years. Bear Tooth will not be the only theatre to host all the films, though.

Other locations include Alaska Experience Theatre, the Anchorage Museum, 49th State Brewing Company and more.

Volunteers review every single submission from May to September.

“We receive about 1,000 submissions per year, and we have a group of programmers that are all volunteers,” Jessica Kaiser, AIFF program director, said. “[The submitted films] are divided up into categories, depending what [the programmers] are interested in. Then [the programmers] pick the best of the best to be shown for the festival.

When that process is done, they pick the best films of their selections, and then those films go to a jury. At the end of the festival, there are awards based on jury selection.”

All films being featured this year must have been made after Jan. 1, 2016. There are seven categories of the films: animation,

documentary, short documentary, shorts, feature, made in Alaska and made by youth.

This year, AIFF is flying about 50 of the filmmakers up to Alaska to attend the festival.

There is also a filmmaker meetand-greet, workshops and even a virtual reality experience for festival-goers to attend as well.

UAA English professor, Ronald Spatz, has his made-in-Alaska short film, “Shaawatke’é’s Birth,” being featured Sunday, Dec. 10, after the feature-length film “Keep Talking” directed by Karen Weinberg, at Alaska Experience Theatre.

Spatz’s film is a simple reading of a poem of the same name.

It was written by two University of Alaska Southeast professors, Emily Wall and X’unei Lance Twitchell, who are the individuals speaking in the film. The poem was originally published in the spring 2017 edition of Alaska Quarterly Review.

Spatz, editor-in-chief of AQR, wanted to do something special for AQR’s 35th anniversary and decided that making a film would be a good way to celebrate the milestone. Spatz was the executive producer and worked alongside director Ryan Cortes Perez to create the fourminute short film.

“Because it’s short, it’ll make an impression,” Spatz said. “It’s unique by being minimalist.”

“Shaawatke’é’s Birth” is spoken in English and Tlingit and is

a message recognizing the importance of language and identity.

AIFF has a little bit of everything. For Andrea Trent, UAA environment and society major, she is looking forward to attending the Dec. 5 showing of “The Last Animals.”

“The AIFF is a great way to introduce worldly topics that people may otherwise be oblivious to,” Trent said. “I appreciate media that introduces environmental injustices, and simultaneously serve as a call to action, which I think [“The Last Animals”] will do.”

“The Last Animals” is a feature-length documentary directed by Kate Brooks. It follows scientists, activists and conservationists on their journey of advocating protection over endangered animals such as rhinos and elephants.

AIFF sells about 100 All Films Passes a year. Passes allow the pass-holder to get into every event the Festival holds.

Individual tickets are $10. Purchasing tickets in advance is encouraged.

“We’re trying to get a broader audience involved, opening up things up to people that wouldn’t necessarily know we exist,” Kaiser said. “We’re getting involved and partnering with local companies just to do sponsorship, it’s really been helpful as well, with them supporting us, us supporting them.

We’re a nonprofit so we’re running on a bare-bones budget. We want to be a real resource to our community. “ AIFF starts Dec. 1 and will

run until Dec. 10. The full schedule of films, times and locations, as well as tickets and passes is available on their website: anchoragefilmfestival.org

12 | A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

Get off the couch!

Events to soothe the finalsblues, concerts, plays and more Around town History class: History of film in Alaska What: Learn about the evolution of film in Alaska and discover both obscure and popular projects from the turn of the last century to now. Preregistration is recommended.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Anchorage Museum (625 C St.) Cost: $5 December First Tap: The Expendables

At UAA

What: California based reggae-punks The Expendables will be bringing the heat in the dead of winter. Opening act TBA. When: Thursday, Dec. 7 from 8 - 11 p.m.

Where: Bear Tooth Theatrepub (1230 W. 27th Ave.) Cost: $28

Men’s basketball: UAA vs. Cal Miramar

36 Crazyfists with Lost Marauders and City in Ashes

TNL Staff

What: The Seawolves will square off against Cal Miramar in two games. Can’t make the game? Live stream it at portal. stretchinternet.com/uaa.

When: Game 1: Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.

Game 2: Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

Where: Alaska Airlines Center Cost: Free for students taking six or more credits; each student can bring up to two guests for $5.

What: Long-running Alaska metal band 36 Crazyfists will headline a night of heavy music with support from rockers Lost Marauders and metalcore shredders City in Ashes.

When: Friday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m.

Where: Koot’s (2435 Spenard Road) Cost: $20

Balance and coordination challenge

What: A new listening room series hosted by Emma Hill. Events will feature two special guest songwriters not only playing, but discussing their work as well.

When: Saturday, Dec. 9 from 7 - 9 p.m.

Where: Church of Love (3502 Spenard Road) Cost: $10

What: Take a break from the grind and have some fun challenging yourself with a coordination and balance course. All ages and fitness levels are welcome to attend.

When: Thursday, Dec. 7 from 11:30 a.m.

- 12:45 p.m.

Where: Wells Fargo Sports Complex, studio Cost: Free Soup lunch What: Warm up and refuel with some soup while you make the final push of the semester.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 6 from 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: Rasmuson Hall, first floor lobby Cost: Free UAA guitar ensemble What: The University Guitar Ensemble, directed by UAA faculty member Armin Abdihodzic, will perform works covering the last four centuries of music — from Renaissance and Baroque to blues and jazz to contemporary pieces. The ensemble is the only university-level guitar group of its kind in Alaska and features musicians of all levels including non-music majors.

When: Sunday, Dec. 10 from 4 - 7 p.m.

Where: Fine Arts Building Cost: Free

Spenard Song Circle: Emma Hill, Nick Carpenter and Jaybird Parkhurst

Anchorage Community Theater presents: “Let Nothing You Dismay” What: A new Christmas comedy about a young couple expecting their first child, but when the whole family shows up unannounced, things get interesting.

When: Runs until Dec. 17. Thursdays Saturdays at 7 p.m. Sundays at 3 p.m.

Where: Anchorage Community Theater (1133 E 70th Ave.) Cost: $15 for students, seniors and military. $17 for adults. $13 for children. Dec. 7 tickets will be buy one get one free.

“Our Friends, the Enemy” What: A play based on the 1914 Christmas Truce during World War I when British and German soldiers stopped fighting to celebrate the holiday together.

When: Runs until Dec. 24. Thursdays Sundays at 7 p.m. Dec. 24 show will be at 3 p.m.

Where: Cyrano’s Theater Company (3800 Debarr Road) Cost: $23 for students, military and seniors. $25 for general admission.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

| 13

Women’s basketball improves to 8-0 UAA wins first back-to-back conference games of the season

By Karolin Anders

sports@thenorthernlight.org

Coming off their win at the GCI Great Alaska Shootout, Seawolf basketball tied their shoes to face Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents Central Washington University and Northwest Nazarene University last week.

On Nov. 30, the Seawolves registered a win during their first game of the season against another GNAC competitor.

In front of a home crowd of 870 fans, the women cruised to a 70-58 victory to improve to 7-0 overall.

“For tonight, I thought our ladies competed very hard,” head coach Ryan McCarthy said during a press conference.

“It’s always better to learn from a win than a loss.”

The Seawolves took an early lead in the first quarter, 20-12. But the Wildcats caught up during the second quarter, before UAA’s women responded with a run during the third period, 60-39. During their fourth quarter, the Wildcats battled for control, scoring 19 points, but UAA’s Hannah Wandersee led the Seawolves to secured the win.

Junior center Wandersee recorded a game-high 17 points, 16 field goals and one free throw, during her 25 minutes on the court. Junior guard Tara Thompson dished in another 12 points, of which 9 were earned through 3-point shots, while Shelby Cloninger earned 9 points to contribute to the Seawovles’ success.

Central Washington and UAA finished with 39 rebounds each, but the Green and Gold led the offense while the Wildcats took control over the defense. Overall, UAA’s field goal percentage beat CWU’s 38 percent versus 35.1 percent.

“We are pleased with the result of tonight. End result anyways, but I’m not really happy with our discipline on both ends of the floor and particularly the offense end,” McCarthy said. “We caused some set plays and I think we ran two

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOSEAWOLVES

Junior Hannah Wandersee of Kodiak scored a career-high 27 points in her 33 minutes on the court on Saturday, Dec. 2 against NNU.

Sophomore guard Yazmeen Goo dished in a career-high 13 points and 6 assists to help the Seawolves to victory against NNU on Saturday Dec. 2.

correctly. The positive thing is that whoever watches this game, probably won’t know what we are running or trying to run.”

On Dec. 2, the Seawolves continued their winning streak by beating North-

west Nazarene University, 78-68, resulting in an overall 8-0 record and 2-0 in GNAC. “NNU is a very good team. They got a lot of experience on that squat and we came into this game with a great deal of

respect for them,” McCarthy said. “They came in ready to compete tonight. We didn’t play our best basketball game. We have a lot of things to work on, but that is to be expected when you play a great opponent like that. They take you out of the stuff that you want to do.”

UAA used some great career-high efforts to secure the win over the Crusaders in front of crowd of 981 Seawolf fans.

Junior Wandersee of Kodiak recorded another big night, scoring a career-high 27 points in her 33 minutes on the court.

Forward Shelby Cloninger scored another 18 points and recorded 8 rebounds, while sophomore guard Yazmeen Goo dished in another career-high 13 points and 6 assists to help the Seawolves to victory.

“Hannah [Wandersee] had a big game.

She will be an All-American this year.

She is playing at a very high level,” McCarthy said. “Yazmeen [Goo], offensively, she was very aggressive. She made some uncharacteristic turnovers there, but she is just such a good player. She and Sydni [Stallwort] just wear other point guards down and we are very fortunate in that position.”

The Seawolves out-shot the Crusaders 43.3 percent versus 38.6 percent from the field, but the Crusaders led from the 3-throw line 28.0 percent versus 22.2 percent. After a close first quarter, UAA pulled away in the second quarter to remain the lead until the end of the game.

“It has been really important all year long to defend our home court and to be able to do that during the Shootout and coming right off the Shootout, which has a ton of emotions, against two very good GNAC teams makes it a very big win,” McCarthy said.

The women’s basketball team heads out of state for a long travel streak to face four more conference opponents. They will return to the Alaska Airlines Center on Thursday, Jan. 11 to play GNAC opponent Western Oregon University, followed by a game against Concordia University on Saturday, Jan. 13.

The battle for the throne continues

By Joseph Diaz

jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

With finals coming up, there are several choices to make to burn off some steam. One can either binge watch season 7 of the Game of Thrones series, or participate in the Game of Thrones dodgeball event at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on Dec 7.

This event is a part of Knockout November and De-stress December. The Employee Wellness initiative has put on a variety of events for students to attend, from Quidditch and Zumba, to aqua basketball.

The Game of Thrones dodgeball event was put together by Paul Manabat and Jim Marchlinski as a part of their leadership in fitness activities class.

Manabat, physical education

science major, said their professor told them back in August that they were going to be leading an event for Knockout November and De-stress December.

“We were told we were going to have to lead a health-related activity as part of the class. Season seven of Game of Thrones had just ended, and Jim [Marchlinski] and I were fans of the series, so we decided we wanted to turn our interest into a game,” Mandabat said.

After several trial runs, the duo were able to finalize their event.

“The main point of this is to get people interested in exercise and to help get the away from the textbooks and stress of upcoming finals,” Mandabat said.

Despite the variety of events being hosted, not many people have showed up so far.

“It is mainly the [Physical

Education] students and faculty that have shown up so far. Aside from them, maybe three or four people outside of the department have attended,” Mandabat said.

With the program being relatively new, there is still room for improvement.

“I think we can improve more if people give us feedback.

We will definitely also continue to come up with creative ideas for our events. We try to make these events fun, engaging and exciting for people,” Mandabat said.

Mandabat encourages everyone to come and participate.

“There really isn’t anything to lose other than a few electrolytes. It is free to students and it’s a good way to relieve stress and have a good time,” Mandabat said.

GRAPHIC BY LEVI BROWN

14 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

RECAP: The final GCI Great Alaska Shootout

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHAYNE NUESCA

Kevin McKay of Central Michigan attacks the Cal Poly defense during the Nov. 24 semifinal games at the GCI Great Alaska Shootout.

By Kathryn DuFresne content@thenorthernlight.org

The 40th and final GCI Great Alaska Shootout occurred at the Alaska Airlines Center over the Thanksgiving weekend, bringing an end to one of the nation’s oldest regular-season basketball tournaments. Hosting teams Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Central Michigan, College of Charleston, Idaho, Sam Houston State and Santa Clara, the UAA men’s basketball team had their work cut out for them.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 22 UAA vs. CSU BAKERSFIELD Despite positive contributions from transfers Josiah Wood, D.J. Ursery and Jacob Lampkin, the Seawolves started the tournament off on the wrong foot. The Roadrunners from CSU Bakersfield managed to make several more significant rallies, including a 6-point and 5-point rally, all while keeping up their defensive and avoiding

Luke Meyer of Central Michigan and Moataz Aly of CSU Bakersfield battle for the first possession of the championship game of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 25 at the Alaska Airlines Center.

letting the Seawolves score.

“We were not trusting our offensive system and we were disjointed and struggling,” Osborne said.

By the end of the second half, CSU increased their 9-point lead from halftime, to an official 20-point lead at the end of the game. The final score was 59-39.

Clara narrowly, 78-73. The game moved to overtime, allowing for Jacob Lampkin to score 6 of his game-total 22 points. Josiah Wood also scored a game-total 11 points for the Seawolves, who faced College of Charleston in the fourth-place game.

THURSDAY, NOV. 23

CAL POLY vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN

UAA vs. SANTA CLARA In the consolation game, UAA managed to upset Santa

FRIDAY, NOV. 24

The game saw both the Cal Poly Mustangs and Central Michigan Chippewas show more life on the offensive end in the back-and-forth second half, as neither team could gain control.

Ties were as abundant as lead changes. Cal Poly point guard Donovan Fields led the way for the Mustangs, ending his night with 20 points, 9 boards and 4 assists in 36 minutes on the floor. Central Michigan’s Kevin McKay lead the Chippiwas with 19 points and 7 rebounds as he took home Player of the Game honors.

Fields missed a tough heave at the buzzer, sending Central Michigan to Saturday’s championship game with a 56-53 victory.

CSU BAKERSFIELD vs.

IDAHO Both teams came to the game after large point spreads earlier in the weekend; CSU Bakersfield defeating the Seawolves by 20 points, Idaho Vandals defeating Santa Clara by 10. Idaho was able to snuff out Bakersfield’s momentum, however, taking a 32-28 lead heading into halftime.

Perrion Callandret of Idaho hit his first 3 of the game shortly after, pushing their lead to 10. Callandret ended the night with 18 points, 6 boards, and 3 assists, including a nasty slam over the top of Bakersfield’s Justin Davis.

Despite the strong showing, Idaho fell to Bakersfield narrowly, 64-62, after Callandret missed a half-court shot at the buzzer.

SATURDAY, NOV. 25 UAA vs. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON Coach Rusty Osborne marched out his current starting lineup in his final Shootout game, but the size of the Charleston Cougars gave the Seawolves a glaring disadvantage. Nick Harris, Charleston center, gave the Seawolves fits in the first half. Listed at 6’ 10” and 260 pounds, Harris ended the first half with 11 points and 4 rebounds on 5 of 6 shooting as the Seawolves’ Jacob Lampkin, listed at 6’ 9” and 235 pounds, had his hands full trying to contain Harris.

UAA held Harris to a late free throw and no field goal attempts in the second half, but the lack of shooting was their undoing.

Haynes was held scoreless on 0 of 4 shooting. Lampkin ended his night with 13 points on 6 of 15 shooting. UAA ultimately took sixth in the tournament, ending the game 55-46.

CSU BAKERSFIELD vs.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN Central Michigan beat Sam Houston State 71-60 in the first round and came out on top in their semifinal game against Cal Poly, 56-53, on their way to Saturday’s finale. The two teams both shot over 50 percent and an identical 5 of 13 from long range.

Brent Wrapp, the Bakersfield point guard who had 9 assists and no turnovers at the end of the game, secured a rebound and ran the floor. He found Damiyne Durham, Bakersfield’s sixth man gunner, just off the 3-point mark. Durham heaved a 3-point shot that just grazed the net and air-balled out of bounds as time expired, and Central Michigan won, 75-72.

“It means a lot,” Keno Davis, head coach for Central Michigan, said. “It’s such a historic tournament. To just be a part of it, it’s something our players, our fans; they’re going to remember.”

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

| 15

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.

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