February22010

THENORTHERNLIGHT FEB. 2, 2010

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

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OPINION

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More bang for less buck

Named2009

Tree Campus USAby the Arbor Day Foundation

GrAPHiC By nAomi oZuru

By Katie Forstner The Northern Light

UAA has been honored once again.

In early January, the Arbor Day Foundation named UAA as one of 2009’s Tree Campus USA Universities for its dedication to campus forestry management

and environmental stewardship.

“The Tree Campus USA program will have a long-lasting impact at the University of Alaska Anchorage as it engages college students and local citizens to plant trees and create healthier communities for people to enjoy for decades to come,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the

Arbor Day Foundation, in a press release. “[UAA] will benefit from exceptional tree-care practices on campus as it works with tree-care professionals in the community to improve the tree canopy in Anchorage.”

Tree Campus USA is a national program that recognizes collegiate institutes that promote

healthy urban forest management and engage the campus community in environmental stewardship. In order to receive a Tree Campus USA award, the university must meet five required core standards: they must establish a campus tree advisory committee, have evidence of a campus tree-care plan, have See tHe StorY of treeS PAGe 07

‘Afterlife’ bound to bore audiences to death

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

“The Afterlife of the Mind,” the most recent offering from acclaimed San Francisco playwright William Bivins, boasts an original plot. Harry, a philosophy professor, is terminally ill. Lydia, his wife of ten years, will stop at nothing to find a host for his brain so that he can live on after his body is dead.

But the play suffers from a dialog that is long-winded, overly esoteric and, at times, absurd in its excessive use of profanity.

Mike Daniels takes up the play’s direction at its Out North Theater run, but this is one piece that’s best left sailing away on the River Styx.

At the preview performance on Jan. 28, it took most of the actors about half an hour before they began acting. Lisa Starling, the actress portraying Lydia, was the most painful to watch.

Her delivery was flat and devoid of emotion. She appeared stiff as a statue. The other actors assimilated smoothly into their roles at least by the end of the first scene, but Starling never delivered even one convincing line.

Not that there was much of interest to say. The dialog was tedious. More than one of the characters resorted to medical or philosophical jargon frequently and with abandon, leaving audience members wishing they had brought a dictionary. While the use of unfamiliar terms

lEiGHAnn sEAmAn/Tnl

In “The Afterlife of the Mind,” Lydia, played by Lisa Starling pleads about the condition of her husbands brain with an eccentric back alley surgeon named Ulrich played by Paul Brynner. This show will run at Out North Theatre until Feb. 14.

See AfterLife PAGe 08

Editorial:

What has Ulmer done for us?

Blackboard: A resource for teachers

By Kam Walters The Northern Light

Blackboards are not what they used to be. Instead of the literal “blackboards” that, paired with fingernails, can produce some spine-tingling chills, “Blackboard” has an entirely new definition on campus.

The Internet resource for teachers and students called Blackboard has changed the way communication is utilized in and out of the classroom.

“We’ve come a long way from my early days of teaching when all our handouts were ‘run-off’ of those messy, hand-cranked mimeograph machines with the purple ink,” said English Professor Louise Dekreon-Watsjold. “Each class began with the bizarre ritual of passing out the slightly damp, purple-inked copies, which the students would promptly put up to their noses to smell the ink.”

“Some of them believed that they could actually get high off the ink fumes. All they really got were purple noses. It was a more innocent time.”

Those days are gone, and in it’s place, a digital environment.

“I use Blackboard for all See BLAcKBoArd PAGe 03

Skiers head to N.M. at midway point of season

By Andrew neuerburg The Northern Light

With a season-best second place and numerous fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-place finishes, the Seawolves are still on the prowl for a top-three finish outside of their home state.

In the Montana Invite, UAA posted a total of 329 points between the Nordic and alpine teams. Their total was enough to earn sixth place, but was no match for New Mexico who claimed first, registering 467 points, beating defending NCAA Champion, Denver.

The reason for UAA’s sub-par results can probably be attributed to mental blocks they have yet to break, according to sophomore Alex Parker “I think we all get a little too upset when we have a bad day,” Parker said. “Even though skiing is largely an individual sport, our performances all contribute to a team score and this tends to add See SKi PAGe 06

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NEWS| Feb. 2, 2010

Hundreds seek homeless services in Anchorage

lEiGHAnn sEAmAn/Tnl

Broken down tents and abandoned bicycles litter a small, secluded section of woods near Valley of the Moon Park, Oct. 28. The lonesome remains belong to the homeless residents abruptly evicted that month.

Participating in nationwide homeless count, Alaska helps those without provisions in Anchorage The Associated Press

Social service workers and volunteers checked snowcovered tents in wooded areas of Anchorage during the city’s annual count of the homeless.

The homeless also were counted Jan. 27 at missions and shelters. But most — about 775 people — showed up at the Egan Civic Center for the Project Homeless Connect program. It offers help with housing, health care and even a haircut.

State homeless coordinator Kris Duncan told The Anchorage Daily News the final homeless count will take several weeks to compile.

To prevent double counting, workers collect the last four numbers of an individual’s Social Security number and their initials, along with other key information such as where they slept the previous night, whether they are a domestic violence victim and whether they have problems with alcohol.

All over the country, agencies count the homeless sometime during the last week in January, as directed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The numbers translate into federal grant dollars for programs to help the homeless, Duncan said.

The problem of homeless alcoholics became more urgent in

Anchorage after a string of deaths last spring and summer. Police began cracking down on illegal camping.

Spots popular with the homeless in the summer were mostly cleared out Jan. 27. A few of the tents looked abandoned. But others looked like someone lived there. Someone’s duffel bags and a bike were at one spot. A charcoal grill was at another. Yellow snow marked one camp’s bathroom.

At the Egan, organizers counted people like Edward Karshekoff, 60. He’s been homeless off and on about a dozen years, he said.

He’s on disability now. Alcohol, he said, is a big problem in his life. The night before, he slept in a

shack in his sister’s yard.

People were getting credit reports and copies of their birth certificates. They were looking into jobs and subsidized housing. Women were getting mammograms. People could get H1N1 vaccines and HIV tests, vision checks and antibiotics.

Dentists looked for oral cancers and cavities. The Food Bank stuffed plastic bags with peanut butter, bread, cantaloupes and bottled drinks.

Hundreds picked up free tote bags from the U.S. Census Bureau stuffed with beanies, gloves and socks. The bureau encourages the homeless to be counted so Alaska gets its share of federal dollars,

said Barbara Fleek, a specialist with the bureau. One woman told her homeless people feel invisible.

Bernice Thorpe, 63, said she is staying at Brother Francis Shelter.

She’s been homeless off and on for a decade. Thorpe said she’s on disability and suffers from depression. She said she was glad so much help was at the Egan.

She began looking into housing.

She also got a haircut from a Trendsetter stylist.

Her last haircut was a butchered do-it-yourself job. She covered it with a hat. The stylish new do was good for her ego, she said. “I was being pampered for a while,” she said.

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Feb. 2, 2010 | NEWS

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BLACKBOARD: It’s useful for some and fruitless for others continued from cover

my classes,” said Professor Diane Hirshberg, UAA Professor. “I always post my syllabus, any course readings that are not either in textbooks or Web-based, all assignments and other materials needed for classes.”

Many teachers have allowed Blackboard to replace paper homework and have even taken it further.

“When appropriate, I use the wiki and blog functions – it depends on the course and assignments,” Hirshberg said.

Not all professors, however, use Blackboard.

“The real reason I don’t use Blackboard is that I prefer to keep in touch with my students one on one via e-mails and phone conversations,” said English Professor Clay Nunnally. “Also, I suppose I am getting more and more resistant to learning new things and new teaching techniques.”

Aside from Blackboard, the Internet has given birth to an array of resources for teaching.

“I do not use Blackboard – I have all my courses – syllabi, lecture, Power Points, assignments and reading materials—on my own Internet Web site,” said journalism Professor red bradley. “I use it all the time, but I wish the students would. I post all sorts of items on the site, but have found that the students fail to review it on a regular basis, nor do they read the e-mails that are sent through the system.”

Hirshberg has used an open source “learning management system” called Moodle.

“I have used Moodle only a little bit – I think that could be useful as well, but more training would be needed,” Hirshberg said. “My guess is there are other

‘I’m firmly in the camp of those who love Blackboard for the ways it has simplified my life.’

–Louise Dekreon-Watsjold, English professor online course packages that would work as well or better, but I haven’t used them. I have taught distance education using “Elluminate,” (another e-learning system) and that works well too but I still rely on Blackboard as the primary repository for course materials for those classes as well.”

But even with other options, it is understandable that professors have mixed feelings.

“I love Blackboard. I use it for every class. It’s the best way to communicate with students, post assignments, and provide additional readings in classes. It’s easy for professors and for students,” said journalism Professor Ron McGee. “I’d like a bit more flexibility in designing the look and feel of my Blackboard site, but otherwise, I have no complaints about it. I have been surprised, however, when I’ve had students who are reluctant to use it,” Hirshberg said.

Eroding Alaska village goes to court again in climate case Rural Alaska village blames greenhouse gasses for relocation By rachel d’oro The Associated Press

One of Alaska’s most eroded villages wants to revive a lawsuit that claims greenhouse gasses from oil, power and coal companies are to blame for the climate change endangering the tiny community.

The city of Kivalina and a federally recognized tribe, the Alaska Native village of Kivalina, filed the case in federal court in San Francisco in 2008, but it was dismissed in October. Now they’re appealing to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with their opening brief due March 11.

Oil giants Exxon Mobil Corp. and BP PLC are among two dozen defendants named in the lawsuit.

‘The village is being wiped out by global warming and needs to move urgently before it is destroyed.’

–Matt Pawa, Boston attorney Representatives for the two companies declined to comment Jan. 28.

“These are matters for the courts,” said Rob Young, an Exxon spokesman. “We supported the original decision.”

Kivalina’s attorney, Matt Pawa of suburban Boston, said the plaintiffs want monetary damages to help with the estimated $400 million cost to relocate the northwest Alaska village. Residents have chosen a relocation site, an area known as Kiniktuuraq, about two miles southeast of the current location.

Kivalina is a traditional Inupiat Eskimo community of about 390 people about 625 miles northwest of Anchorage. It’s built on an 8-mile barrier reef between the Kivalina River and Chukchi Sea. Sea ice historically protected the village, whose economy is based in part on salmon fishing plus subsistence hunting of whale, seal, walrus and caribou.

But the ice is forming later and melting sooner because of higher temperatures, and that has left it unprotected from fall and winter storm waves and surges that pummel coastal communities.

“The village is being wiped out by global warming and needs to move urgently before it is destroyed and the residents become global warming refugees,” Pawa said. “It’s battered by winter storms and if residents don’t get some money to move, the village will cease to exist.”

In dismissing the case, the court said one of the factors in the decision hinged on the question of whether anyone could ever demonstrate the “causal effect” of global warming as an injury, according to Pawa.

“We’re appealing on the grounds the district court was incorrect,” he said.

Damage to Kivalina from global warming has been documented in official reports by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the General Accounting Office, Pawa said.

The lawsuit accuses some of the defendants of a conspiracy to mislead the public regarding the causes and consequences of climate change.

The lawsuit invokes the federal common law of public nuisance. Every entity that contributes to the pollution problem harming Kivalina is liable, according to Pawa.

The lawsuit was filed in California because that’s where many of the defendants do business.

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StAteWiDe briefS Bomb donated to Kodiak museum was a dud, after all It now turns out that a World War II relic detonated earlier this month in Kodiak was a dud, after all.

The 1,263-pound ‘Deck-Busting’ aerial bomb was donated to the Kodiak Military History Museum, whose director determined it might still contain explosives.

An ordnance detail from Fort Richardson in Anchorage traveled to Kodiak and examined the device. They determined the bomb still contained Dunnite, a highly explosive material also known as “Explosive D.” However, Army officials now say it was drywall and not Dunnite inside the relic.

Spokesman Chuck Canterbury told the Kodiak Daily Mirror that the drywall had been soaked in some type of petroleum product. That had turned it yellow in color, and made it suspicious.

Alaska’s population grew 1.5 percent Alaska’s population grew just over ten percent in the last ten years.

That’s according to new statistics from the Alaska Department of Labor.

The department estimates the state’s population at just over 692,000 last year, leaving Alaska still as the nation’s 47th most populous state. But there has been a steady increase since more than 627,500 people were counted in 2000.

The state’s largest city got even a little bigger in 2009. The department said Anchorage’s population was 290,588, growing 2.3 percent — or nearly 6,700 people — last year.

Power outage halts legislative session A brief power outage in Alaska’s capital city Jan. 28 halted business in the Legislature for the first time in at least 23 years.

That’s according to building manager Don Johnston.

He said the Capitol has backup generators but shut them off because of a coolant hose failure.

He said that’s the first time that’s happened in his 23-year tenure.

A sweet, hoppy smell from the coolant wafted on the ground floor. Legislators, aides and others walked cautiously through darkened hallways, using cell phones as a light source. Business was on hold for about 30 minutes late in the afternoon before power was restored.

House speaker wants voter input on pipeline costs Should Alaska use earnings generated from a multibillion-dollar investment account, built off oil riches, to help fund construction of an in-state gas pipeline?

That’s what House Speaker Mike Chenault wants voters to decide.

He proposed a measure Jan. 25 that, if it passes the Legislature, could appear on the ballot later this year.

Chenault said this isn’t an effort to “raid” the Permanent Fund; he said he wants to ensure dividends that residents draw from the more than $30-billion investment account are secured and the fund is “inflation-proofed” prior to earnings being drawn from it.

But he said it’s time for the state to start making decisions on its energy future, and he hopes the voters’ answer will help focus state spending.

Natives may be recognized in Alaska state song The last time state lawmakers tried to add references to Alaska Natives and a message of unity to the official state song, it was

divisive and failed. That was 2002.

Eight years later, supporters of adding a second verse to “Alaska’s Flag” believe the state’s indigenous people will finally get recognition.

“There’s a different mentality now,” state Sen. Albert Kookesh, a Tlingit and leader in the Alaska Federation of Natives, said Jan. 28.

A bill to officially add the verse is working through committees. The verse references Benny Benson, the Native boy who in 1927 designed the territorial flag that eventually became the state flag.

The first attempt to include the verse was in 1987, shortly after it was written by the late poet laureate Carol Beery Davis, a friend of the original song’s author and composer. The verse is widely known, taught and sung as part of the song; the Alaska Youth Choir sang it during the Legislature’s opening session ceremonies earlier this month.

State announces parks photo contest Alaska officials are holding a state parks photo contest.

The contest by the state Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation is being held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the division and the establishment of Chilkat, Kachemak Bay, Chugach and Denali state parks.

Officials said entries should be images of any state park.

Six winning photos will be used to create anniversary posters to be distributed throughout Alaska.

The deadline for the contest is March 1.

Statistics: Cost of living rises in Anchorage New federal statistics show the cost of living is up slightly in Anchorage.

That’s in contrast to the decrease in the cost of living nationally last year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks inflation, said Anchorage enjoyed a shortlived decline in consumer prices last year. The city’s average price for consumer goods declined 0.7 percent in the first part of the year.

But the rising price of natural gas and electricity pushed the cost of living back up to 1.8 percent for the second half.

Prices were up 1.2 percent in Anchorage over the prior year.

For the year, prices went up 1.2 percent in Anchorage over the prior year. That’s a modest gain compared with the 4.6 percent leap in local consumer prices in 2008.

Alaska to intervene in offshore drilling case Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell has asked the state to intervene in a federal lawsuit by environmentalists challenging the approval of an oil exploration plan for the Chukchi Sea. Parnell said oil exploration and development would increase jobs and revenue for Alaskans and the nation.

The state previously was granted permission to intervene in a separate case filed by many of the same plaintiffs against an exploration plan for the Beaufort Sea. Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan said any oil discovered likely will increase the flow through the trans-Alaska pipeline, which in turn will increase state revenue.

Sullivan also said the investments that a company makes in infrastructure for exploration on federal land can lower the costs for exploration on adjacent state land.

— Compiled by Kam Walters

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NEWS| Feb. 2, 2010

SAY WHAt? Eat pork, spice your sex life BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentina’s president thinks eating pig meat is really sexy. Many people in this beef-loving nation reacted with surprise Jan. 28 after Cristina Fernandez promoted pork in a speech during which she not only said pork is better than Viagra, but suggested she’s personally proven it.

“I didn’t know that eating pork improved sexual activity,” Fernandez said in a meeting with representatives of the swine industry Jan. 27. “It is much more gratifying to eat some grilled pork than to take Viagra.”

She even joked that “it was all good” after she enjoyed some pork with her husband, former President Nestor Kirchner.

“I think they might be right,” Fernandez said to a laughing audience.

Colo. dad ordered kids to bite officers COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Police in Colorado arrested a 28-year-old man accused of passing out in a McDonald’s play area and telling his two children to bite the officers who were trying to arrest him.

Colorado Springs police said officers had to use a Taser on Joshua Alger to subdue him Jan. 27 after he allegedly passed out drunk at the fast-food restaurant.

Police said Alger refused officers’ orders and at one point told his children to “bite the officers’ faces off.”

Police said Alger has a previous arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on a charge of obstructing a police officer. He now also faces charges of seconddegree assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and marijuana possession.

man playing with chicken on nyC subway NEW YORK - New York City’s transit agency is investigating a video posted online that shows a man kissing and snuggling a live chicken aboard a subway.

The subway rider who took the video said Jan. 28 that it was one of those New York moments she felt compelled to record.

Kylie Kaiser, a 27-yearold architect from Brooklyn, and two friends boarded the uptown No. 6 train at the 33rd Street station at around 7 p.m. Jan. 28.

“He was on his back, rolling from side to side, kissing, hugging and lifting

the chicken up in the air,” she said.

She said the man was oblivious to everything around him and didn’t respond to onlookers.

“It was definitely an onlyin-New-York situation,” said Kaiser, who moved to the city about three years ago from Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Fla. man charged with posing as twin after dui AVON PARK, Fla. - A man faces fraud charges after reportedly pretending to be his twin brother after he was pulled over for driving under the influence.

The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 43-year-old man was pulled over Jan. 20 and charged with DUI. But deputies said the man initially identified himself as his brother and signed that name on his citation and jail forms.

Deputies discovered the suspect’s real identity the next day. He reportedly told deputies that he used his brother’s name because his driver’s license was suspended.

Besides the DUI, the man was charged with fraudulent impersonation, altering a public record certificate, passing a forged-altered instrument and several misdemeanors. He was being held on $31,250 bail.

man vs. marauding crocodile over shark SYDNEY - A group of Australian mates on an annual fishing holiday was not going to let anything come between them and their prize catch - not even a marauding crocodile.

The friends landed a small shark on a beach recently in the tropical north of Australia - also home to wild saltwater crocodiles known to attack humans.

As they dragged the shark ashore with the help of a hooked pole, a croc about 6-feet (2-meters) long emerged from the water, ran up the beach to the flailing shark, and opened its jaws menacingly.

Unperturbed, the fisherman holding the hook banged it down on the head of the crocodile, which turned tail and scrambled quickly back into the water.

The incident was captured on video and posted on YouTube, where it gained a popular following and attention from Australian media.

— Compiled by Kam Walters

UA president: We do not favor Fairbanks in allocating funds The Associated Press

The University of Alaska doesn’t favor Fairbanks over its other campuses, and suggestions that the Board of Regents is biased toward the Fairbanks branch are an insult to the board, the university system’s president said.

However, President Mark Hamilton told a House Finance Committee meeting in Juneau on Jan. 28 that he and other university leaders want to improve collaboration among the system’s branch campuses.

The Finance Committee is beginning an in-depth review of the university’s budget request.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner said Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, told Regent Mary Hughes he thinks the system might have shown favoritism toward Fairbanks because that’s where the university was founded. He suggested the university has failed to recognize “where the movement is” as population growth in south-central Alaska has outpaced that of the Interior in recent decades.

“This hasn’t been any conspiracy.

It hasn’t been a plan. It’s something that’s been (happening) despite the best of wishes,” said Stoltze, noting that lawmakers tend to protect university funding requests from their own regions.

Hamilton denied any favoritism, saying more than four-fifths of new university construction projects

‘This hasn’t been any conspiracy.’

–Bill Stoltz, representative, R-Chugiak in recent years have gone to the Anchorage area, leaving the 15 other campuses to share the rest.

Regional funding differences result largely from decisions by lawmakers who are lobbied by leaders and advocates from their respective regions’ campuses to stray from the Board of Regents’ annual priorities, he said.

“You can help us enormously, and

I think you’ve taken a beautiful first step,” Hamilton said of the budget review being led by committee member Rep. Anna Fairclough, R-Eagle River.

Lawmakers are considering Gov. Sean Parnell’s request to build a sciences center in Fairbanks, the only new proposal recommended this fall.

Hamilton and Hughes said campuses and programs could collaborate better. Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage, asked Hughes whether the 16 branches compete for resources and, if so, whether that hurts efficiency.

He referred to a 2009 legislative audit that indicated some programs, such as distance education, “lack a coordinated cohesive approach” to serving students.

Hughes, from Anchorage, said regents are trying to improve communication among the branches.

Campuses and programs might deliver locally developed projects without first working closely with other branches to be sure all are working toward the same goals, she said.

500-mile road to Nome could cost as much as $2.7 billion The Associated Press

An engineering study found that a 500-mile road to Nome championed by Gov. Sean Parnell could cost as much as $2.7 billion.

The Anchorage Daily News reported the estimated price staggered some legislators Jan. 26 in Juneau.

Maintenance would run another $40 million a year.

“Oh my gosh. That’s a shocking price tag,” said Senate Majority Leader Johnny Ellis of Anchorage.

The study that came up with the estimate cost $1 million itself. Parnell is asking the Legislature to spend $2 million in the coming year for more study of the route and engineering.

Parnell highlighted the project last

week in his State of the State speech.

The highway would improve access for villages and open the area for gold and silver mining.

“The governor is very interested in this project. The road would create jobs for Alaskans and open access to resource development,” said Parnell spokeswoman Sharon Leighow.

The study by Anchorage engineering firm Dowl HKM recommended the road begin near Manley Hot Springs and follow the Yukon River through Interior villages west to Norton Sound.

Legislators from Nome and Fairbanks are pushing hard for the project.

Nome Sen. Donny Olson has said the road would bring in much cheaper

gasoline and heating oil to Western Alaska. Fairbanks Rep. Mike Kelly said the state should start now on construction, and eventually expand the road to Kotzebue and Dillingham.

It would create jobs and bring hope to the region, he argued, helping with problems like domestic abuse and suicide.

The road would pass through an estimated 65 miles of mountains, 185 miles of wetlands and require the construction of a new Yukon River crossing.

The Dowl engineering study said the general area has great potential for gold, silver and other minerals, although the data on that is limited because it’s so remote there’s been little exploration.

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SPORTS

05

Seawolves skate into St. Cloud State to begin their four-game road trip

Sports briefs #11 Falcons fend off Seawolves, 80-71 UAA’s Brandon Walker and Casey Robinson combined for 41 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the hot shooting of 11th-ranked Seattle Pacific on Jan. 28 as the Falcons earned an 80-71 men’s basketball victory over the Seawolves at Royal Brougham Pavilion.

UAA (12-5, 3-3 GNAC) got 22 points and four assists from Walker as the junior guard tried valiantly to lead the visitors back from a 20-point deficit, while Robinson finished with a season-high 19 points and four rebounds.

SPU (15-2, 6-0) was powered all night by junior guard Chris Banchero, who netted a career-high 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 3 of 5 from long range.

The game was a matchup of the 1st- and 3rd-ranked teams in the NCAA Division II West Region, with the favored Falcons prevailing thanks to 58 percent overall shooting, including 9-of-19 (.474) three-point marksmanship.

Robinson shot 7 of 10 overall and 3 of 4 from long range, while Walker played all 40 minutes and shot 9 of 13 from the floor.

Sophomore point guard Steve White came off the bench to give UAA a spark in the second half, tying his career-high with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.

Falcons top Seawolves in defensive battle

Alex troutman /TNL

Senior UAA goalie, Jon Olthuis, covers up a loose puck to smother a Minnesota scoring opportunity. Although he had 29 saves on the night, it wasn’t enough.

Minnesota went on to win 7-4 on Jan. 29. The Jan. 30 performance ended with a 2-1 victory by the Seawolves to split the weekend series.

By Taylor Hall The Northern Light

It’s getting closer and closer to crunch time in the WCHA. That means that every point earned in the league standings will become more and more of a factor in deciding their playoff fate.

There is no need to tell that to the Seawolf hockey team. They already have turned on the jets to start the second half of the season.

Their play has been very strong lately and has seen them gain points in five of the past eight games with opponents including Denver, Michigan Tech and Colorado College.

Against CC, the series saw the Seawolves split against a tough seventh-ranked Tiger squad. UAA dropped the first game 6-1 to CC. The loss came as the ‘Wolves allowed four power play goals and two shorthanded goals against a very talented team.

The rematch saw the ‘Wolves come back with a 2-1 win, powered by goals from freshman Alex Gellert and junior Tommy Grant.

The Seawolves also limited the Tigers to just 17 shots, most of which were stopped easily by senior goaltender Jon Olthuis. Junior defenseman Kane Lafranchise also pitched in a pair of assists on the night.

The two points earned against the perennial WCHA frontrunner left Head Coach Dave Shyiak very happy with his team’s effort.

“All in all, I thought it was a real good effort from our guys with 5-on-5 play,” said a satisfied Shyiak.

“That’s a pretty good hockey team, one of the most talented in the nation, so all in all, positive weekend.”

The ‘Wolves will need to keep up their recent trend as they hit the road to face the St. Cloud State Huskies this weekend. SCS currently sits in a tie for second in the WCHA and fifth in the nation.

This series may have future playoff implications, as UAA currently is in eighth place in the conference.

Earlier this season, the Huskies came into Sullivan Arena and

swept the Seawolves off home ice with 3-1 and 3-2 victories.

The Huskies are led by junior forward Garret Roe and senior forward Ryan Lasch.

The Seawolves continue to be paced by Grant and senior Kevin Clark statistically. Lately, UAA has seen secondary scoring from the likes of junior winger Sean Wiles, sophomore defenseman Brad Gorham and freshman winger Daniel Naslund.

This balanced scoring will have to continue for the ‘Wolves to continue to climb in the WCHA standings “For our team to have success, we need everyone contributing,” Shyiak said. “We can’t rely on just three or four individuals.”

The return of senior forward Josh Lunden from a shoulder injury will mean the Seawolves will have that much more scoring punch.

‘For our team to have success, we need everyone contributing. We can’t rely on just three or four individuals.’

–Dave Shyiak, head coach Lunden’s career total of 44 career goals makes him the active leading scorer on the UAA team.

Also, an added bonus is the return of junior defenseman Luka Vidmar, whose return will help add even more depth to the UAA defensive corps.

The series is set to start Feb. 5 with the puck drop at 4:07 p.m. with the rematch coming Feb. 6 at 2:07 p.m. from the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

Seattle Pacific guard Sydney Benson came off the bench to score 13 points Jan. 28, spearheading a three-point attack that led her team to a 57-42 victory over UAA in a battle of nationally and regionally ranked women’s basketball teams at Royal Brougham Pavilion.

The Seawolves (14-3, 4-2 GNAC) were led by 13 points and three steals from reserve forward Kelsie Gourdin, but UAA could not find the bucket as a team, shooting 25 percent overall and 18 percent from threepoint range.

The Falcons (14-3, 5-1) also got 11 points and five rebounds from point guard Jordan Harazin as they gained a small measure of revenge against the team that has defeated them in the last two NCAA Div. II West Regional title games here.

SPU entered the contest ranked No. 21 nationally and No. 3 in the initial West Region poll, released Jan. 27. UAA came in No. 13 nationally and No. 6 in the region.

Despite its playoff success here, the Seawolves lost their 10th straight regularseason game to the Falcons at Brougham Pavilion.

Wilson claims all-around in narrow loss Junior Leah Wilson’s winning 37.900 allaround performance wasn’t quite enough Jan. 27 as the UAA gymnastics team remained winless in dual meets this season after a narrow 185.350-184.800 to rival Air Force at Cadet Gymnasium.

The Seawolves also got individual victories from Wilson on uneven bars (9.45) and balance beam (9.575) as their record fell to 0-6.

The Falcons (3-6) were led by Brittany Dutton’s runner-up 37.700 all-around, helping AFA outscore UAA 47.000-45.400 on floor exercise to claim the victory.

Wilson, last year’s Seawolf MVP and a West Regional all-around qualifier, had her best night of the season, also finishing tied with teammate Kelsey Fullerton for runner-up on vault with a 9.625.

UAA’s Kristy Boswell also had a good evening, tying for meet-high honors on bars (9.45) and finishing runner-up to Wilson on beam with a 9.5. Meanwhile, fellow junior Maria Puricelli made her season debut, posting a solid 9.5 on vault and a 9.325 on bars.

Men 3rd, women 6th in first region poll The NCAA released its initial Division II regional rankings for men’s and women’s basketball Jan. 27, with both UAA squads premiering among the top six teams in the West Region.

The Seawolf men (12-4 overall, 7-2 vs.

D-II) are ranked No. 3 in the first poll, while the Seawolf women (14-2, 10-2) debut at No. 6 regionally, despite being ranked 13th nationally.

Only the regional rankings matter in terms of making the NCAA Tournament. The top eight teams in D-II’s eight regions qualify for their respective regional tournaments, which are generally hosted by the top seed. There will be five more regional polls until the NCAA fields are announced on Sunday, Mar. 7.

—Compiled by Josh Edge

06

TNL

SPORTS| Feb. 2, 2010

SKI: Steadily improving performance has shown all season, despite losing team-captain Saugstad continued from cover

pressure and sometimes we all get a little too caught up in the results.”

“This makes it hard to go out there the next race with confidence.”

While they have not performed at their highest level, they have been improving at each meet.

The alpine team’s performance is steadily improving as planned and should peak in March. The teams are not only competing against themselves mentally, but also some of the best competition UAA has known, according to Alpine Coach Sparky Anderson.

“We came home from a very tough two week road trip.

We lost Lacy Saugstad, our team captain and slalom anchor, which was a big blow emotionally,” said Anderson. “Guys were skiing the first run and finishing first or second, then going out in the second run. Things didn’t go our way.”

“Some of it was dumb luck, some of it was mental.

We have made adjustments in our training since we came

home.”

If this was an inspirational movie, now would be the part where they just gone through a tough time, and now, under the pressure of necessity, begin to excel in everything they do.

“We all are really close and are always there supporting and cheering for each other,” said Parker. “I think this helps us a lot as a team because the support from each other pushes us individually allowing us to each contribute something to the team.”

“We seem to perform best when we are having fun.”

To turn the season around, the Seawolves must think positively and fight through the mental ups and downs of the sport.

The Seawolves will travel to Red River, N.M. on Feb. 5 and 6 to take part in the New Mexico Invite.

‘Even though skiing is largely an individual sport, our performances all contribute to a team score and this tends to add pressure and sometimes we all get a little too caught up in the results,’ –Alex Parker, sophomore alpine skier

oVertiMe

With all the success, give UAA a new sports complex After all of these years of our athletes enduring the Wells Fargo Sports Complex, it is time for a change

By Josh Edge

The Northern Light

UAA needs a new sports complex.

There is no doubt about it, the facilities that the University has are a joke – for both the student-athletes and the average student.

It is unacceptable for the average student at UAA to be so incredibly restricted in the times and areas that they can go lift weights, shoot around a basketball or go for a run.

But, the situation is not really fair to the student-athletes at UAA. With most of the University’s sports doing so well, it seems unfair that the athletes have to cope with such limited facilities.

Sure, the facilities apparently get the job done. But, at some point there will be a definite need for new facilities.

That time is now.

Since the teams really are doing so well, it is apparent that the coaches and players have done what they can with the facilities that they have been provided and have been successful, but that is no excuse to deny them an adequate sports facility.

The fact of the matter is, that the Wells Fargo Sports

Complex was not designed to host this many athletes.

Take the Title IX grievance that was filed against UAA in August 2008 into consideration. One of the specifics of the complaint was that access to locker-room facilities was not equal between male and female athletes. Ultimately, this was found to be true and as a result, new locker rooms were added within the both the male and female public locker rooms over the summer in 2009.

Though this is a relatively viable short-term option, it is a sign that UAA is in dire need of a new, larger sports complex.

Each team should be allotted its own locker room and possibly training room. Plus, it would give each sport its own practice facility that did not always have to be shared with the public.

Not that it is bad for the athletic programs to have to share some of their facilities with the public, but when they do it really does not end well for the public either.

A new sports complex should adequately reduce the competition for time and space in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. Intramural sports could expand with more gym time available. Students would be allowed more access to the workout equipment in the current sports complex, thus

improving student life around campus.

The addition of a new sports complex would further the success of the athletic programs and then the academic programs that UAA has to offer.

Look at any school with a successful athletic program.

The students, staff, faculty and community take great pride in their school’s athletic programs. More students want to go to schools that have perennially strong athletic programs that are rich with tradition.

A strong, successful and nationally respected college typically couples strong athletic programs. Look at Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC and many others like them. Their strong and respected academic programs are likely the result of a strong athletic department attracting more students, not just athletes. Schools like these are the ones that most people dream about going to.

A new sports complex would advance the University as much, if not more, than any other academic infrastructure that could possibly be incorporated.

Give us a new sports complex!

Your student newspaper seeks a Copy Editor!

The Copy Editor demonstrates a strong attention to detail, edits material for grammar, ap style, spelling and content issues, has a flexible weekend schedule, meets deadlines and works well with others.

You must be enrolled in at least six credits and have a G.P.A. of 2.5.

Pay is $9.50 per hour / 20 hours per week.

For more information call 907.786.1313 or e-mail content@thenorthernlight.org

Apply online at www.uakjobs.com >student jobs >Anchorage >posting number 0058622

FEATURES

07

FIRST COLLEGE IN THE STATE TO BE NAMED TREE CAMPUS USA

‘The University works hard to maintain a safe and attractive campus for students and faculty,’ –Chris Maisch, state forester

continued from Cover

verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus treecare plan, be involved in an Arbor Day observance and institute a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.

“In order to get this honor, we formed a committee of one staff member, Suzanne Forester of the English department; the head of sustainability, Dr. Paula Williams; the community forestry program

coordinator, Patricia Joyner’ one student, Sam Ricketts; the head of the Landscaping department, Pat Leary and myself,” said committee member Mel Monson.

The tree advisory committee drafted a tree-care plan that explained things such as when tree pruning can and cannot take place and, although UAA has a no-pesticide policy, when and which pesticides can be used in

cases of large infestations.

“To meet other requirements set by the Arbor Day Foundation, we had to spend $3 per student in the annual budget towards trees. There are between 15 and 16,000 students on campus, so the budget was easily exceeded,” said Monson. “All the trees at the new Integrated Science Building were in the budget and all the time spent after wind storms and

moose damage is counted also.”

In terms of the required servicelearning project, the tree advisory committee planted Siberian fir trees in the MAC housing areas during fall orientation.

“The University works hard to maintain a safe and attractive campus for students and faculty,” said State Forester Chris Maisch in a press release.

“It also serves as a classroom for the

entire community through its demonstration of northern species and professional management of its natural resources. The Division of Forestry often uses the campus for public classes and tree walks.”

Guided and self-guided tree tours are offered year-round on the west campus. Packets are available outside the Gordon Hartlieb Hall.

Arctic Valley is cheaper, pow-tastic alternative to the expense of Girdwood and Alyeska Resort

By Katie Forstner The Northern Light

At Alyeska Resort, skiing is expensive, and unless you are willing to take a drive to the Turnagain backcountry for just a few runs via exhaustive treks up the peaks, $40 day passes add up fast.

However, there is an alternative to the necessary evils of a fancy resort and the endless powder of the backcountry: Arctic Valley, the hidden jewel of the Anchorage ski community.

Arctic Valley is a small ski area outside of Anchorage that is run by volunteers of the Anchorage Ski Club – boasting just two rickety lifts and a single t-bar.

Nevertheless, Arctic Valley is home to some of the best skiing available on a lift.

Students who are not members of the Ski Club are charged a mere $26 for a full day.

Members pay $15 for runs that are never touched by a groomer.

Let precious powder days remain so.

“I learned to ski here when I was two years old,” said UAA student Ellen Van Gorder. “I started going to Alyeska when I got older just because my friends go there more, but on a powder day, Arctic Valley is the best place to be.”

Since Arctic Valley is operated by a non-profit organization and is funded by donations made through the Anchorage Ski Club, it does not open very often. In fact, in recent years it has become notorious for not being open.

The recession brought a decline

in donations made by the citizens of Anchorage and, therefore, a scarcity of open days at the mountain.

“When Arctic Valley is good, it’s really good,” said UAA student Johanna Doner. “It’s been a bummer that it’s been closed so much because it’s affordable.”

Arctic Valley offers some top-notch backcountry skiing in the Chugach. On their Web site, the best off-trail runs are clearly laid out, but so is the coined phrase “Ski/Board at your own risk.” The Chugach Mountains are extremely avalanche-prone mountains and Arctic Valley bears no exception.

“You really need to have a beacon at Arctic Valley,” said avid skier and UAA student Scott Rich. “Just because there are lifts, people think they can get away without one. If you’re going to go skiing at all, they’re necessary. Avalanches are real.”

With the retro craze that’s going on around pop-culture society, members-only jackets, high-top Nikes, neon colors, it only makes sense that Arctic Valley is garnering more attention in the youth circles around the city. Their lifts date back to the early 1970s and the ski area is a ghost of an old military resort.

Skiing is fun and it’s an integral part of the Anchorage community. UAA, don’t let it break your bank. Spend your Saturday at Arctic Valley and shred for half the price of Girdwood and half the tank of gas for Turnagain.

Lindsay Johnson/TNL

UAA students take advantage of Arctic Valley’s sweet terrain and short lift lines on a bluebird day in 2009.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT 08 AFTERLIFE: Play suffers tedious dialog, bad acting

lEiGHAnn sEAmAn/Tnl

In “The Afterlife of the Mind,” Lydia, played by Lisa Starling pleads about the condition of her husbands brain with an eccentric back alley surgeon named Ulrich played by Paul Brynner. This play can be watched at Out North Theatre until Feb. 14. continued from cover

in a production is permissible, the overbearing use of it in “Afterlife” halted the flow of dialog and broke what feeble illusion of reality the cast managed to grant the audience.

The audience also suffered a distracting number of f-bombs.

The plot allows for several legitimate uses of the word, but only one actor (Paul Brynner, who played the doctor) managed to make it sound natural. Possibly the most enjoyable part of the play was the good use of lighting. Harry, played by David Flavin, is portrayed as only his consciousness for most of the

‘Harry is portrayed as only his consciousness for most of the play.’ play, and so while the rest of the set is completely dark, a bright light is focused on his upper half, giving him a clear and firm yet disembodied appearance. As he remembers different things, the lighting changes shades for variety, and it adds greatly to the performance.

“Afterlife” has two smaller side plots in addition to the main one. All three convey the theme of releasing past baggage and moving on. But the smaller plots distracted somewhat from the story as a whole. Harry’s journey especially, while insightful to his character, was meaningless. His inward journey and the journey of his wife in the physical realm hit a moment where they ran parallel, but never fully connected. Had the two intersected, his journey would have been a valid addition to the play, but alas, it was mere filler to keep a frustrated audience in their seats.

As for the main story, it terminates in an unsatisfying ending. With no clear climax, and a sudden and rapid descent to a finish that left the audience with several questions, one wonders if William Bivins was tired of writing his own play.

“The Afterlife of the Mind” plays at Out North through Feb. 14.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, and 4 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets $18 online at www.outnorth.org, or $20 at the door.

Feb. 2, 2010 | A&E

TNL

iFOCUS 2.2– 2.9.2010

09

WHere YoU NeeD to be tHiS WeeK Compiled by Heather Hamilton

e-mail arts2@thenorthernlight.org to submit an event!

UAA

MUSiC fiLM Bear Tooth Theatre Pub’s monthly First Tap features California rock band Cold War Kids with LaVoy opening on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35 for this 21-and-over show.

Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Bear Tooth box office or online at www.readyticket.net.

A&e brief

The Student Union Art Gallery is hosting a 2-D Student Art Invitational. The opening reception for this show is Thursday, Feb. 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. All featured art work was chosen by the UAA art faculty; it consists of computer art, drawing, graphic design pieces, illustration, painting, photography and printmaking. For more information, contact Student Activities at (907) 786-1219.

Tuesday, Feb. 2 and Wednesday, Feb. 3 begins the 2010 Spring Dance Series.

Lessons will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the Student Union, and are free to students taking at least six credits with a valid UAA ID. The form of dance being taught this week is salsa. For more information, contact the Student Union Info Desk at (907) 786-1204.

Indigenous World Film Festival

Alaska Quarterly Review

firSt friDAYS

fASHioN

The International Gallery of Contemporary Art will host a fashion show at The Anchor Pub on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. to kick off the gallery’s Fashion Month exhibit.

The fashion show’s guest judge will be Christopher Straub from Season 6 of ‘Project Runway.’

Tickets can be purchased ahead of time for $15 at www. igcaalaska.org, and for $20 the day of the event. The fashions featured in the runway show will be on display from Feb. 7 to Feb. 28.

UAA Spring Dance Series

Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6, the Alaska Native Heritage Center will be hosting the 2010 Indigenous World Film Festival, featuring movies from New Zealand, Canada, Australia and more.

The opening reception begins on Friday at 6 p.m. and runs until 11 p.m. Friday’s events are free.

Movies begin showing at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, and run until 11 p.m. Tickets on Saturday are $5, which covers the entire day. For more information, and to get a listing of the movies that will be shown, go to www. alaskanative.net.

Cold War Kids

Object Runway

2-D Student Art Invitational

Jitters is hosting the Alaska Quarterly Review’s First Fridays reception on Friday, Feb. 5 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Selections from the latest AQR will be read. Music will be provided by the UAA Jazz Combo.

This event is free.

Optic Active

Artist Susan Zajac will be showing her creations of marble papers and Alaska botanicals at the Mixx Grill for the month of February, starting with a free First Fridays opening reception from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Mixx Grill in the Inlet Tower Hotel and Suites.

breW reVieW

Amber lager made by George Killian is influenced by his ruby red Irish roots

By Trevor o’Hara The Northern Light

Modern Dwellers opens second store Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge, a hot spot for chocolate and art lovers that’s gained fans since opening in 2007 on the corner of 36th and Old Seward Highway, is opening a new, additional store downtown. To celebrate, the second Modern Dwellers will host its grand opening simultaneously with the store’s first First Friday, held Feb. 5, which will feature silver and gem jewelry made by local artist Meg Allen. The new store is located at 423 G St., across from Darwin’s bar in the space formerly occupied by Alaska Glass Gallery. The store will open at 10 a.m.

Feb. 5, and the First Friday reception begins at 6 p.m. For more information about the new store, call 677-9985, or e-mail zoe@ moderndwellers.com.

—Compiled by Heather Hamilton

Categorized as an amber lager, “George Killian’s Irish Red” possesses many qualities that stretch the limits of the lager genre toward ale territory. Among these is a striking red color accompanied by a dry aroma, with floral undertones. These are certainly not characteristics one usually associates with the term “lager.” On another note, “Killian’s” is also a bit more hoppy than a typical lager.

For all this, however, the “Killian’s” amber lager also boasts a light body, and a crispness that is complemented by the beer’s dryness. These qualities keep the beer at least one-foot in the lager realm, making this beer reminiscent of a sort of ruby pilsner – a category, I’m sure, which is mostly in my head.

“Killian’s” ale qualities, though, are in fact appropriate, as the beer is the descendent of a true ruby ale brewed by George Killian Lett’s great-grandfather in the original family brewery, G.H. Lett and Co. Mill Park Brewery, in Enniscorthy, Ireland. (That brewery closed in 1956.) So, in honor of a long-standing family tradition, though no longer brewed in Enniscorthy, “George Killian’s Irish Red” brings to the American lager family a member that proudly stays in touch with its roots.

BEEr inFo: George Killian’s irish red Coors Brewing Co., Golden, Co 4.9% ABV

★★★★

think of your most embarrassing romantic encounter

T N E D STU T N E M E V L O V N I FAIR ay d s e n Wed 3 y r a u r Feb M P 1 11 AM nion U t n e d Stu

Com stud e learn ent abo c life, lubs, g ut cam and ot reek pus h reso er urce s

now e-mail it to content@thenorthernlight.org Select entries will be published (anonymously) in TNL’s Feb. 9 love, sex and relationships issue.

907.786.1385 www.uaa.alaska.edu/clubs

Â

Feb. 2, 2010 | A&E

TNL

11

MoVie reVieW

‘Bright Star’ is Romantic poetry set in motion

By Jena Benton The Northern Light

It’s hard to say what makes a poem great. It might capture the music of the soul, a profound thought and a simple observation all at once. Poetry is an art that few still relish and celebrate. But poets have shaped our culture in many ways, from generation to generation.

And, no poet has been more acclaimed posthumously than the Romantic poet John Keats.

The movie “Bright Star” strives to capture a segment of Keats’ life while also reveling in the beauty of his poetry. But the movie is no biopic. It doesn’t even focus on Keats (Ben Whishaw, “Brideshead Revisited”) or his culture-changing philosophies. Instead, “Bright Star” is a love story told from the point of view of his romantic interest, the young Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish, “Stop-Loss”).

Writer and director Jane Campion (“The Piano”) captures the romance between the two main characters without making it too saccharine or maudlin. She is also able to imbue their relationship with a rich sensuality even though nothing more than a few kisses passes between them. But her talents at weaving this story together on screen don’t stop there.

Campion illuminates what could be a rather boring and solitary process—that of writing poetry—in a way that enchants the viewer. The reading of “Ode to a Nightengale” over the credits alone will keep audiences in their seats long after the movie is over.

She also captures beautiful cinematic images by paying attention to the most minute of details. There is a scene in a room full of butterflies that is boggling in its simplicity and the delicate difficulties in staging it. She shows close-up shots of stitches being sewn and hands interlocked together that lend a quiet poetry of their own to the overall picture.

This attention to detail is also evident in the costumes worn by Fanny. She takes pride in her vanity and fashion sense and is thus the most colorful creature on the screen on many occasions.

Yet part of this brilliance must also be attributed to Cornish’s acting skills. She is believable in all the joys and despairs of first love, as well as in the grief she must suffer at the end. It is no surprise she’s been nominated for several awards for this role.

This movie is simply breathtaking. It’s a period drama so it won’t be for everyone. But it’s been greatly underrated due to limited advertising and an even more limited theatrical release.

It is already on DVD, but will no doubt return to theaters once Oscar nominations are announced.

“Bright star” directed by Jane Campion sTArrinG: Fanny Brawne and Ben Whishaw run TimE: 119 minutes GEnrE: Period drama

★★★★

GAMe reVieW

GAMe reVieW

‘Darksiders’ descends into hell

‘Serious Sam’ shines on

By Bryan dunagan The Northern Light

“Darksiders” is an action adventure game from THQ that heavily borrows from the framework and formula of the Zelda series. The game boasts art direction by Joe Madureira, who worked on the “Uncanny X-Men” comics in the late 90s.

While the art direction is solid, the rendering is not up to task. Random load times and graphical glitches are frequent.

The game’s main character, War, is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Unfortunately for him, the rules for calling him to the Earth were broken during a false alarm, thus triggering the End of Days. Deceived by the politicians known as the Charred Council, War is blamed with kick-starting the end of the world. But as luck would have it, the Council has allowed him to go back to Earth to remove the tarnish from his name and uncover a conspiracy spanning both Heaven and Hell.

The game is long, and the first play through will take about 15 hours on average, including the five dungeons and the ludicrously annoying fetch quest at the end. But the game is fun and enjoyable. It shows its Zelda-inspired roots with pride, and it works very well.

The game’s main journey tasks War with retrieving the four hearts of the Chosen, who are Lucifer’s favorite demons. Each demon resides in its own dungeon full of puzzles, enemies and new gear. Some of those puzzles are perplexing, and require a bit of divergent thinking to solve. But there is nothing too hard, and the plot opens up during the procuring of these hearts.

The game’s combat borrows from the likes of action games like “Devil May Cry” and “God of War,” but is overly simplified. There is only one combat button and gamers will mash it in conjunction with the triggers and the

directional stick to pull off satisfying bloody maneuvers. War can also upgrade his weapons during the game, but doing so bears little fruit and feels a bit tacked on. Also, if an enemy gets damaged enough, a contextual clue will appear that offers War some health or souls to upgrade his gear.

On the downside, astute gamers will notice the use of the “Hookshot” from Zelda, and the portal gun.

Finally, pulling off the special moves require the use of a shoulder button and D-Pad or face button input, which is annoying because it might cause some cheap deaths and is ultimately forgotten.

In addition, the game’s controls are a bit sluggish and the game might mistake an input for doing something strange like dodging when War meant to block and so on.

Overall, “Darksiders” is a game that shows off what can be done with a little bit of idea grabbing and a dash of original flair. Gamers can expect a bloody and somewhat satisfying adventure with shooting elements and open-world roaming. Some minor problems keep this title from reaching its full potential, but it is fun and worth the ride to the End of Days.

GAmE: “darksiders” (Ps3, xbox 360) mAKEr: Vigil Games rElEAsE dATE: Jan. 5, 2010

★★★

By Bryan dunagan The Northern Light

“Serious Sam: The First Encounter” was released in 2001 on the PC to critical acclaim due to its amazing graphics and high number of enemies on screen. Nine years and two console generations later, developer CroTeam has resurrected the classic series in a remake released under the original title.

To quell the fires of fandom the game is reworked with the Serious Engine 3, which gives everything a gritty layer of polish.

Everything in the game world wrinkles, shimmers, reflects or reacts to the player.

The game is gorgeous considering there is little more than a spit shine on the original game.

This is a port, and it is an exceptional example.

The only downside is that the game still feels like it came out of the early 2000’s. There is a little more prefacing in the beginning of the eight-to-13-hour adventure, and that’s about it besides the little bit of in-game briefing.

Sam “Serious” Stone is Earth’s future hero as he fights off invading enemies from the mysterious alien Mental. There’s little more to the story; the game quickly turns into a shooting gallery full of blood, bullets magic homing orbs and copious amounts of gore.

While the over-the-top violence of the original game is intact in the remake, the set pieces are a little out of order, probably due to flow issues. The game seems to end before it starts, but never lets up. Wave upon wave of enemies bum rush the player, leaving varied attacks and power-ups littering the ground. Sometimes, at the game’s most sadistic moments, finding that all-important health box will spawn way too many enemies ending in cheap deaths.

The game is meant to be the hardest of the hardcore first-person shooter. It only lets up

to light the way to the next area.

A major addition to the game is the dismemberment system. Some enemies will just simply blow apart into chunks, but others will have severed limbs along with chunks of body parts. One thing that does return is the “hippie” gore that turns everything to flowers and mushrooms. What’s gone is the combo meter from “The Next Encounter”(a later game in the original series), which allowed for insanely high scores.

The game does show its age with some of the bland texturing and the dated formula of “kill everything to move on.”

What would have been welcome is a hint system that wasn’t buried in text.

One last, and surprisingly fun, addition is the Co-Operative mode.

From the menu, players can select to play levels with infinite ammo, or be on the hardest difficulty level. It really is such a blast to play with three other people online and listen to them get swarmed by enemies.

Finally, “Serious Sam HD” keeps the PC spirit alive with the all-important “quick save,” which is mapped to the “Y” button.

Yes, it does disrupt the game’s flow until it is properly learned, but it is essential to game progression.

In summation, fans of the series will not be disappointed, but newcomers will probably be scared away due the masochistic nature of the game. Still, it is enjoyable despite its age and worthy of any classic minded XBOX gamer.

GAmE: “ serious sam Hd: The First Encounter” mAKEr: Croteam rElEAsE dATE: Jan. 13, 2010

★★★

t n e m l l o r En

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an r’ data system e n n a ‘B ’s A A U will be open upgrade to On this date an uled. Enrollment Management ed ansactions UAOnline is sch e but unable to perform any tr information plete during this tim counts. For com stop ac r o s rd co re t n regarding stude visit www.uaa.alaska.edu/one please www.uaa.alaska.edu/onestop

WORKING TOGE THER FOR A BE T TER ALASK A The Denali Commission

2010 Summer Internship Program The Denali Commission is an innovative federalstate partnership designed to provide critical utilities, infrastructure and support for economic development in Alaska by delivering federal services in the most cost effective manner possible.

Who is Eligible to Participate?

These paid internships are based in Anchorage and open to all currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students.

How to Apply: Please visit the Denali Commission’s website at www.denali.gov to learn more and download an application.

Application Deadline: Monday, March 15, 2010

510 L Street, Suite 410 Anchorage, AK 99501 www.denali.gov

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

ExECuTiVE EdiTor 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Suzanna Caldwell mAnAGinG EdiTor 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Josh Edge lAyouT EdiTor layout@thenorthernlight.org Naomi Ozuru CoPy EdiTor copy@thenorthernlight.org Vacant nEWs EdiTor 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Kam Walters FEATurEs EdiTor 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Katie Forstner A&E EdiTor 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Mary Noden Lochner sPorTs EdiTor 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall PHoTo EdiTors 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Leighann Seaman Ricky Teel WEB EdiTor 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org John Norris AssisTAnT nEWs EdiTor Jerzy Shedlock AssisTAnT FEATurEs EdiTor Joshua Tucker AssisTAnT A&E EdiTor Heather Hamilton PHoToGrAPHEr Vacant GrAPHiC dEsiGnEr graphics@thenorthernlight.org Lindsay Johnson ConTriBuTors Jena Benton Derek Chivers Kimberly Copadis Bryan Dunagan Taylor Hall Andrew Neuerburg Trevor OʼHara Robert Wise AdVErTisinG mAnAGEr 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova AdVErTisinG rEPrEsEnTATiVE Vacant CirCulATion AssisTAnT Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir mEdiA AdVisEr Paola Banchero AdminisTrATiVE AdVisEr Annie Route The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents.

Circulation is 5,000.

The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

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

13

eDitoriAL

Next chancellor needs to push for more infrastructure at the University With the opening of the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building opening at the beginning of the current academic year playing the role of her crowning achievement in her stint at UAA, what more can Chancellor Fran Ulmer possibly do for this University?

That’s not an easy question to answer.

Sure, there are more things that she can probably do to advance the Anchorage campus.

But, with the Regents’ focus still apparently on UAF, she may have ended up fighting an uphill battle.

On March 1, 2007, UA President Mark Hamilton – who too is the verge of calling his UA time good – appointed Ulmer as the interim chancellor of UAA after the resignation of former Chancellor Elaine Maimon.

She took over officially in April 2008.

By March 2009, two years after her initial foray into chancellorship, the first round of documents were submitted to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, making UAA a pilot institution in a new and accelerated accreditation program.

Then, a few months later, the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building was finished after an anonymous $7 million donation.

In the previous year of Ulmer’s

chancellorship, there have been some great steps taken to better the University. But it kind of leaves us wondering what happened during her first two years at the helm.

Has she pushed for more infrastructure at UAA? For the addition of more graduate programs?

The answer…probably. But, overall there has not been any noticeable difference. What she has done has helped, but UAA needs much more.

In the next 18-months, hopefully the University will be able to find someone who will push even harder for the advancement of UAA. Someone who will push back at the UA system when they attempt to look past UAA’s obvious needs.

UAA desperately needs more infrastructure.

Despite what the higher ups say (here’s to you President Hamilton) when they assert that UAA has gained more buildings than any other campus in the last few years, UAA needs these buildings and more. According to the UA in Review 2008 there are 269 buildings that are part of the Fairbanks main and extension campuses. UAA has a total of 81.

UAA is playing catch-up. It needs these

‘In the next 18-months, hopefully the University will be able to find someone who will push even harder for the advancement of UAA.’ buildings to support the ever-growing student body.

Also, if these buildings are built, other changes for the better will inevitably follow.

With the addition of infrastructure will come better facilities for the various undergrad programs at UAA and will attract more students to enroll. With more students in these programs, the more demand there will likely be for more graduate programs. And then it comes around full circle. The coupling of higher quality programs and better, newer facilities will heighten the standing of UAA in the academic community.

SoAp boX

In defense of corporations, our big brothers are just looking out for us

By Zach liszka

Special to the Northern Light

As you may be aware, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the free speech rights enjoyed by natural persons shall be extended to corporations, who are considered artificial persons.

By allowing unlimited corporate financial contributions to political campaigns, the ruling will certainly even out the political playing field and allow more underrepresented corporate voices to be heard in Congress.

Also, this ruling will broaden the avenues available to corporations to pay back their bailout funds directly to the senators who voted to give them the money in the first place.

Now that’s what I call government efficiency.

I’m really excited about this precedent.

Long ago, the Supreme Court waived their legal magic wand, and presto, corporations had civil rights. So, it’s about time corporations were treated like the law-abiding, tax-paying artificial persons that they are.

Enough of this taxation without representation. Sure, the U.S. General Accountability Office just produced a report that says almost half of all U.S. corporations pay zero U.S. federal income taxes, while reaping $2.5 trillion in profit over the past two years.

Hey, part of being a citizen is more than just paying taxes, it’s about doing your part to help the country grow. It’s about being a good neighbor. That is why corporations are doing their best to provide us with cheap goods and services, even if that requires exporting all of

the jobs that keeps America churning through all these hard times.

And you know. America has survived some really tough times thanks to corporations.

Take World War II and IBM for example. Back then IBM was gaining notoriety for their newfangled “tabulation computers,” These computers took up entire offices and required custom punch cards to operate – since IBM designed specifically for each of its customers.

According to a recent lawsuit, one of these IBM computers was made specifically for Nazi concentration camps to tally how prisoners were executed. For example, IBM created a punch card for “gas chamber” and another for “firing range.” You get the idea.

And some people say corporations are not accountable. See, the great thing about corporations being treated more like natural citizens is that they don’t have to worry about the meddlesome emotions or moral dilemmas that natural citizens deal with. But, what’s even better is you can’t hang a corporation in effigy!

Corporations really help out communities by keeping prices competitive for services that everyone uses – like gas, electric and water.

What really gets me is the arrogance that some communities have. A small town in Minnesota decided to pool together their public revenues and build themselves a cooperative Internet service provider when there was already an existing corporate Internet service provider in town.

The corporate provider promptly sued the citizen’s cooperative because they offered cheaper rates and faster service that rendered

the corporate provider’s service impotent.

In court, the corporate provider argued that this unfair practice hurt their bottom line and would set a precedent, discouraging other corporations from developing in Minnesota.

I think one of the best things about being a natural citizen is the right to sue others, but some people get carried away with it.

Look at poor Wal-Mart for example. Over the past few years, nearly 100 unfair labor practice lawsuits have been brought against them for petty things like terminating employees who attempt to organize unions.

Unions consisting of private citizens?

Just thinking about it makes me sick. That’s why I fully support the National Chamber of Commerce and the World Trade Organization.

After all, they are just groups of corporations trying to better things for one another. What’s the harm in that?

Most people would defend their rights and freedoms in this country. Look at our brave armed forces for example. I think corporations defend our rights as well. Just take a look at AT&T. Starting in 2002, AT&T allowed the Bush administration to intercept all incoming and outgoing domestic telephone and internet connections coming from their customers.

AT&T was sued on the grounds that they helped the government violate right to privacy laws. In court they argued that they were just following orders from the government. I can’t believe the court didn’t let them off!

I guess what I am saying here is that we should all welcome corporations like family and respect their god-given rights, just like they respect ours.

priDe

CHiDe

Folk Festival…

Flicking cigarettes…

…for providing all kinds of great music.

…there are places to put them out besides the sidewalk.

14 COMICS|

TNL

Feb. 2, 2010

tUNDrA l Chad Carpenter

broKeCoMiCS | Alec Fritz

pSYCHoLoGY WorDSeArCH l Lindsay Johnson and Rena McDonell

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Solution to last weekʼs puzzle:

“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” —Ghandi

HoroSCope l Stella Wilder The coming week is likely to see rhythms changing and trends shifting, allowing most individuals to be more flexible, more organic and more intuitive in the ways they approach almost all endeavors at this time. A combination of work and play can be exploited in order to maximize personal gains, but certain dangers do exist that will require a modicum of attention. Indeed, the more heads-up one’s approach is throughout the week, the more likely he or she will be to avoid any dangers, distractions, pitfalls or drawbacks entirely. It’s a good week for some to try new things, but not everyone.

It’s also a good week for a little self-reflection. An honest look inward can answer a great many questions at this time — and even those who didn’t know they had questions that needed to be answered may be surprised to learn a thing or two about themselves they didn’t know before.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) — It’s a good week for cleaning up a few minor messes that have been slowing you down over recent days or weeks. (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) — Your reaction to an unexpected development is likely to be studied closely by someone who considers you a role model.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) — You don’t want to disappear before tending to certain pieces of business that affects both personal and business affairs. (March 6-March 20) — The time has come for you to address certain topics head-on. There’s no room for indecision.

ARIES (March 21-April 4) — Stick to a strategy that works for you at this time; there’s no need for experimentation, and in fact it could be hazardous. (April 5-April 19) — It may be difficult for you to maintain a steady mood. Someone close to you has the key.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) — You can tell a familiar story in a way that makes it fresh for everyone — and in the process a few key lessons are learned as well. (May 6-May 20) — You may have to travel further than expected in order to reap the benefits you seek.

GEMINI (May 21-June 6) — Don’t turn a blind eye to another’s bad behavior; you can step in and make changes that will benefit everyone around you. (June 7-June 20) — You may not fully understand the situation you’ve gotten yourself into, but you can make progress.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) — There will be a time for celebrating, but not this week, most likely. There is much to do before you can consider a job finished. (July 8-July 22) — It’s time for you to get onboard with a crew that knows what has to be done. You’ll play a key role.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) — You can make a few connections that will pay off before the week is out, but that is only the beginning.

Something big is just over the horizon. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) — What the experts call a situation is something you will soon be excited about. Get involved.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) — You’re likely to receive orders that, if obeyed, will change the direction you’re headed in a dramatic fashion. (Sept. 8-Sept. 22) — You can make excuses, or you can work to improve your skills and knowledge. The more you know, the better.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) — Information you have to impart needn’t be elaborated in any way. Stick to what you know, and be sure to tell it to the right people. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) — You’re not likely to encounter much agreement where a dicey family situation is concerned.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) — Certain formalities have their uses, but at times you’ll also benefit from being unusually casual in your approach or methods. (Nov. 8-Nov. 21) — Others are likely to come to you when they realize that you know more than the experts.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) — A plan is in the making, and you will have to make a decision quickly if you want to be on the winning team. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) — How you interpret the signals you receive will make the difference between success and failure — for everyone.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- You’ll see things in a way that makes them seem simple and straightforward, but the truth is likely to surprise you. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- You have a great deal in common with someone who seems to have little in common with anyone. A new alliance is born.

563-3041

at anchorage gymnastics association

E Northern Lights Blvd.

Lake Otis Parkway

ParKour

Free Running and Parkour Training Wednesday 7-8:30 p.m.

Free Trial class 525 West Potter Road

Old Seward Way

E 36th Ave.

1

Goose Lake Park Univ of AK Providence Alaska Medical Center

E Tudor Rd.

4x7.375 LC ANC.indd 2

2/6/09 2:33:38 PM

The Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles is a highly regarded national speaker, addressing groups and organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. Kyles was an eyewitness to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is the only person still living who shared the last hours of King's life with him.

Come hear Kyles speak in the informal setting at AHAINA. Light refreshments will be available.

6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 3 Rasmuson Hall 106 All UAA Alaska Civil Rights Month events are FREE!

Use your WolfCard - Save 20%!

Take 20% off clothing, general books, gifts, and insignia when making a purchase with WolfBucks from your UAA WolfCard. Offer excludes textbooks, electronics, sundries and other sale or store promotions.

For a full listing of all the month’s events and for more information visit UAA’s Office of Campus Diversity and Compliance Web site at www.uaa.alaska.edu/diversity or call (907) 786-4680.

Interpreting services for UAA events are available by contacting (907) 786-4680 with at least 48 hours notice.

Our sincere thanks and appreciation to the UAA Diversity Action Council, UAA units, departments and members of the Alaska Civil Rights Month Planning Committee.

This ad brought to you by UAA General Support Services • www.uaa.alaska.edu/gss/ UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution.

ride

©Simon Evans

under the stars

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