February 13, 2018

FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2018

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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Sustainable Seawolf: A new column for the mindful college student

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Women’s basketball holds No.1 rank in GNAC standings

Casey Wright sets off to Pyeongchang

Seawolf Nordic skier represents her home country, Australia, at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIFFER CREVELING

Casey Wright at the Utah Invitational in January 2018. Wright, a Melbourne, Australia native, will compete for her home country during the 2018 Winter Olympics.

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

When she first learned that she made the team among 50

other athletes, Casey Wright was overwhelmed.‌ “I was left totally speechless,” Wright said. “This has been a goal that I’ve been wanting to achieve since I was a little

kid… so to finally achieve it is just mind-blowing.” ‌ Becoming an Olympian was a big ambition of Wright’s going into this year’s races. ‌ “My whole goal with this season was to ski fast and I knew if I was skiing fast, then … I would qualify,” Wright said.‌ Wright is from southeast Australia, the only area which gets snow during the winter. She grew up playing many sports. ‌ “I guess I was doing every sport I could get my hands on,” Wright said. Not typically known for winter sports, Australia has a relatively small crosscountry skiing community. ‌ “I know all the cross-country skiers who have made the team,” Wright said. “All of us have been skiing together for pretty much our entire skiing careers, so we’re all pretty close.”‌ At UAA, she is coached by Andrew Kastning, associate coach for Nordic skiing. ‌ “We’re really excited for her.

It’s great for Seawolf nation to have an Olympian that’s currently on roster,” Kastning said.

“To be a full-time student and

make an Olympic team is really, really cool.” ‌ Managing a full course load on top of time-consuming practices and competitions is challenging, but doable for the physical education major. ‌ “I am very lucky to have extremely accommodating professors. I honestly would not survive without the support of the PEP [physical education professional] department and my coaches,” Wright said. ‌ Now a junior, Wright has been racing for UAA since 2016. She has already competed in other international championships for her home country. In 2012, she made her debut on the international stage, racing at the World Junior Championships and one year later, the World University Championships. Still, she expects the winter games to be somewhat different.‌ “The Olympics are a totally different level of competition to anything I have experienced in the past,” Wright said. ‌

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‘Bodies Under Pressure’: Female perspectives on female bodies

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

The “Bodies Under Pressure” exhibit at the Kimura Gallery in the Fine Arts Building showcases art that focuses on the female body from all-female artists. The gallery will run until March 9.

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

The newest Fine Arts Building exhibit is a collection of art thenorthernlight.org

depicting the female body from a female-only point of view.

“Bodies Under Pressure,” located in the Kimura Gallery, opened Jan. 29 and will run until March 9.‌

The exhibit focuses on experiences of the body in everyday life with the artwork presented by women, solely in the medium of printmaking.‌ “We [in general] don’t really

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pay attention to the body unless it is under some kind of stress: psychological stress, physical stress or injury or illness of some kind,” Riva Symko, assistant art history professor and curator of the Kimura Gallery, said. “The artists showcased in the show are united by this interest in injured bodies, in a way.”‌ Symko selected the artists to be showcased. The artists are from all over the United States and Canada. There are five showcased artists and a portfolio of 10 prints from 10 different artists. The art ranges from black and white x-ray-like prints to a display of delicate, small, paper prints to colorful and vibrant detailed pieces of the human body.‌ Darian Goldin Stahl, printmaking artist, has been interested the history of human anatomy and the way it is presented.

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Marijuana tax revenue reaches $4.5 million for state of Alaska

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

In nearly six months, the state of Alaska has collected over $4.5 million in marijuana tax collections, according to reports released by the Alaska Department of Revenue.‌ Taxes are incurred at $50 for every ounce of bud or flower, and $15 for every ounce of trim.

From July to December of 2017, cultivators have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in excise tax per month. The number almost reached $1 million in October, with total tax revenue at $953,591.‌ This is only for the first half of fiscal year 2018, which will end this June. After the state began collecting marijuana tax in Oct. 2016, the total revenue for fiscal year 2017 came to $1.7 million.‌ Brandon Spanos, dep. director of the Department of Revenue, says that the numbers are not surprising.‌ “We actually projected a larger number for the first year and it was based on the available data, which there wasn’t very much,” Spanos said. “But we did project, I think, about $12 million in the first year.”‌ For this current fiscal year, sales and tax collections are “pretty much on track,” Spanos said.‌ When the state first started tax collection for marijuana, there were only four taxpayers at the time. By the end of FY2017, that number had grown to 44.

Now, it has almost doubled.‌ “There’s definitely a high demand for getting [in the business]. I think it’s definitely pretty competitive,” Josh Morris, who works at Cannabaska, said.‌ Cannabaska is a recreational marijuana dispensary that opened its doors in May of 2017.

Morris has only been with the store for about three months and says that they often get customers that come in wanting to

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

| 02

Black Student Union takes on discussion about racism, prejudice and ‘It’s Okay to Be...’

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

UAA’s Black Student Union hosted a discussion panel called “It’s Okay to Be...” on Feb. 1 to tackle the ideas about race and social constructs. While it also addressed the “It’s Okay to Be White” posters that had been hung up around campus last semester, the event presented an opportunity to discuss bigger ideas about racism, according to Nile Morris, vice president of BSU.‌ “The premise of the panel discussion was to bring a rich conversation, a dynamic conversation about the tools and the narration that are used by the altright and neo-Nazis and white supremacists to control the narrative of African-Americans in this country,” Morris said.‌ Over 40 people attended and the event lasted for about three hours.‌ Posters of the event read, “The exploration of what it means to be human is older than any language. Yet, through language we have built and sustained social constructs that have no biological support: such as the idea of race.”‌ Morris had previously prepared questions to discuss, but due to circumstances that happened beforehand, he was unable to bring them to the table.

Some that were included were: What do we mean when we say race is a social construct? Who in a society is responsible for

assigning unequal value systems to humans? What are your thoughts on the free speech defense when used by neo-Nazis and the alt-right?‌ There was some miscommunication during preparation of the event, Morris says, but he also understands that the basics needed to be looked at first.‌ “I think [the questions] were withheld for a very good reason.

The level of questions I helped compile might have been too advanced for what an introduction to Black History Month and the history of oppression should look like,” Morris said. “What do we mean when we say that race is a social construct? How do we know that race is a social construct?”‌ Robert Hockema was a panelist and is also a member of the Seawolf Debate team. He says that such questions can have a direct focus on the politics around race and similar topics, making it difficult to have these kinds of discussions.‌ “I think some people would be very uncomfortable just because there’s sort of a breakdown of communication happening not just at the university level, but seemingly the national level where we can’t have discussions with each other unless they are safe,” Hockema said. “It’s more difficult to have discussions where people are challenged and forced to rethink their ideological paradigms a little bit more.”‌ It’s important to the panelists that this conversation began and will go on despite the con-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEC BURRIS

Robert Hockema, Elena Peyton Jones, Nile Morris and E.J.R. David were on the panel for the “It’s Okay to Be...” event on Feb. 1.

George Martinez, special assistant to Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, served as the moderator.

troversial climate. For E.J.R. David, associate professor in UAA’s psychology department, the event was a “great first step for difficult, necessary conversations.”‌ He was skeptical about attendance but by the end of the night, he says his expectations had been exceeded.‌ “[Even] though the event was kind of framed as a discussion about those posters that were posted around campus... I think it was important that all of us understand it wasn’t just that,” David said. “It’s about racism at a much larger scale. It’s just that those posters served as a starting point for us to have a con-

versation.”‌ Morris is unsure when there will be another similar event but hopes to have monthly talks to keep the conversation going. He encourages other organizations that are interested to reach out and work with the BSU.‌ At the end of the day, the exploration of these issues should continue with people engaging with one another, Hockema says.‌ The dynamics of conversation seem to be different between areas, such as a university setting versus Twitter and this can affect how people converse.‌ “It seems like those average conversations in other spheres,

you know, you can’t talk to someone who disagrees with you. If someone disagrees with you, it’s because they hate your country and they hate people who are like you,” Hockema said. “That comes from a lack of engagement and talking to each other... So hopefully with more of these discussions, we can get more people who think that way to change their perspective a little bit.” ‌ David also says that he hopes there’s never an ending to the conversation.‌ “Once we end talking about racism, then racism has won,” David said.

CANNABIS: Tax revenue approaches $1 million after December decrease Continued from cover know about the industry and potential investment.‌ “There’s someone that comes in asking about work, asking about how to get a job, asking about how to get into the business, stocks... ‘How do I go about opening a retail establishment?’” Morris said. “There’s all different types of questions people come in asking.”‌ Although he didn’t expect the tax collections to have already reached over $4 million, Morris sees “a lot of changes happening” in the industry.‌ Instead of Alaska only having a handful of cultivators for retailers to work with, there are now 82 of them. The supply and demand has shifted and Morris says that retailers are negotiating with cultivators, some even deciding to grow their own product.‌ “All in all, that brings the price down, which is good for consumers, but in the long run, it’s going to be like any other business,” Morris said.‌ According to a document

GRAPHIC BY MARIAH DEJESUS-REMAKLUS

shared online by the state’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, there are currently over 50 license applications that are pending review by the board.

The license types range from retail stores to cultivation or manufacturing facilities. Applicants are located from all over Alaska, such as Anchorage, Fairbanks, Houston and Ketchikan.‌ But an increase in cultivators would not directly translate into a similar increase in volume and sales.‌ “They could be any size. So, just because there’s a hundred new licenses, doesn’t mean we would see, potentially, even a doubling of the volume if they were all really small cultivators,” Spanos said.‌ Marijuana tax revenue accounted for only 0.17 percent of the state’s total tax collections in fiscal year 2017.‌ Spanos says that cultivators have until the end of February to make their payments, but initial data for January tax revenue is already approaching one million dollars, bringing the monthly trend back up.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

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Legislative look over: University advocates seek to preserve Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Since the 30th Alaska State Legislature began its second session Jan. 16, Government Relations employees from the University of Alaska have been advocating the protection of the Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund and the renewal of the Alaska Education Tax Credit. ‌ The Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund is managed like the Permanent Fund Dividend, with a principal, or original sum of money, that is invested. Earnings from investments fund the Alaska Per-

formance Scholarship and the Alaska Education Grant. ‌ Government relations officials from the University of Alaska are advocating that the Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund is used only for the APS and AEG. In the past, the fund has been used for K-12 funding, the WWAMI program and even retirement programs in the state. Associate Vice President of Government Relations, Miles Baker, is in Juneau this semester working with legislators to keep the principal of the fund untouched.‌ “The legislature has been tapping into that fund to pay for other [programs],” Baker said.

“If they spend it at the rate that

they’ve been spending, they may potentially not earn enough money to continue to support those scholarships and the education grant.”‌ During the first session of the 30th State Legislature, the Senate introduced and passed a bill that would change the Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund into the Alaska Education Innovation Grant Fund that could be requested by school districts around the state.‌ “An Act establishing the Alaska education innovation grant program; eliminating the Alaska education grant program and the Alaska performance scholarship program; redesignating the Alaska higher education investment fund as the Alaska education innovation grant fund; and providing for an effective date,” Senate Bill 103 read.

Members of the University of Alaska community have also advocated for the APS to remain in its current form with three levels of scholarships for students with varying degrees of merit.‌ While the APS can be used at other higher education institutions in the state, 98 percent of APS recipients attend the University of Alaska, according the APS Outcomes Report from the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education. UAA has the largest percentage of APS recipients with 60 percent of all recipients attending UAA in fis-

cal year 2018.‌ Executive Director of the ACPE, Stephanie Butler, said the scholarship’s requirements have had a significant impact on high school curriculum.‌ “Prior to the APS we didn’t have a rigorous curriculum available in all of the high schools in Alaska,” Butler said.

“There is now a rigorous curriculum available to all Alaska high school students. Just in terms of that, the impact has been enormous.”‌ Butler said ACPE is also demonstrating their support for a maintained Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund through resolutions.‌ “The Commission has issued a resolution in support of APS and [has] also work[ed] with other organizations to put together resolutions that present that to the legislature,” Butler said.‌ Butler said she hears praise for the APS and AEG and that the culture of higher education would be very different without the scholarship and grant.‌ “It would be much more challenging for students to go to school in Alaska, especially students who don’t have immediate access to the resources they need to be able to afford higher education,” Butler said.‌ Another big priority for UA’s government relations professionals is to extend the Alaska Education Tax Credit. The tax

credit is an incentive for corporations and businesses around the state to donate to education related institutions for a credit against taxes they owe in corporate income taxes.‌ “The reason we are talking about it with the legislature now, is because several years ago the legislature went in and put sunset clauses into a lot of the credit programs that we have in the state so that they would expire.

So the sunset, the expiration date of the current tax program is December 2018,” Jim Johnsen, UA president, said.‌ Baker said UA has, “benefited in the range $5 - 7 million a year in industry partners that contribute to various programs at the university” because of the tax credit.‌ The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development says that industries that pay for the fisheries business tax, mining tax, oil and gas property tax and more qualify for this credit. ‌ This piece is the second installment in a series previewing the University of Alaska’s legislative advocacy goals this semester. Pick up a paper next week to learn about the University of Alaska’s efforts regarding the federal land grant.

Second vice chancellor candidate answers questions at forum

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Mark Denney, the current vice president at Southern Oregon University, holds one of his forums as a potential candidate for the Vice Chancellor position at UAA.

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Candidates for Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services are presenting at open forums to the UAA community throughout February. The second candidate, Mark Denney, answered questions at open forums Feb. 6-7.‌ The administrative services position is one of the highest ranking and paying positions at UAA. The vice chancellor oversees Facilities and Campus Services, Athletics, Human Resource Services, University Police Department, Information

Technology Services and Administrative Services at UAA.‌ Denney has been an associate vice president at Southern Oregon University since January 2014, according to his resume.

Before SOU, he worked as a senior budget analyst at Mt. Hood Community College. He started his career in education in 2002 at Modesto City Schools.‌ “I had found that this is a role and a mission that I can get behind, and I enjoy putting my very best effort forwards and helping work across the lines and helping the institution… to be successful,” Denney said.‌ At the forum on Feb. 6, Senior Human Resource Services

Consultant, Michelle Yerkes, asked Denney how he would manage the smaller departments housed in Administrative Services.‌ “How would you support us little people, or our smaller groups in the midst of all of these administrative services?”

Yerkes said.‌ “There are really no small departments, except in size,” Denney said.

Part of Denney’s vision for the vice chancellor position is to have all departments report goals to him and explanations of how they would meet those goals in a five to 10 year frame. ‌ The University of Alaska is

currently asking for $50 million for deferred maintenance projects around the state, and Parking Services Director, Glenna Muncy, asked Denney what experience he has with a limited budget for annual building repairs and upkeep.‌ “Can you speak a little bit about your previous experience with deferred maintenance, facilities, projects planning, long term vision, things of that nature?” Muncy said.‌ Denney said he likes to focus on projects in a 10 year frame, where an annual percentage of funds would be saved for deferred maintenance.‌ “You have to be looking at both your deferred maintenance and your capital improvement plans. Those are things, because of their dollar amount, you can’t accomplish them at any one time,” Denney said.‌ Before his career in education, Denney served as a finan-

cial management officer for the U.S. Marine Corps. His experiences in the Marine Corps taught him to, “praise in public.”‌ Denney is interested in the vice chancellor for Administrative Services position because he wants a larger voice in the decision making process of this campus.‌ “I want a bigger role than I currently have at my university, [and that’s] because some of these things I want to be able to do more than just advocate for,” Denney said. “I want to have a more substantial role in making sure they happen.” ‌ The third candidate forum will be held Feb. 12-13. Stephen Malott from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will be presenting. There are a total of six candidates for Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, including Interim Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Pat Shier.

FEATURES ‘Caretakers of their history’: Naknek cannery

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE RINGSMUTH

The Naknek cannery is located in the Bristol Bay area. The cannery was the longest-running in the state, operating nearly 120 years.

By Abby Slater

features@thenorthernlight.org

For some Alaskan communities, the local cannery is the most important building in town. They pack and ship wild Alaskan fish down to the continental U.S., giving others a taste of what locals take for granted.

Most often, it performed its typical functions for the town, creating jobs for local and foreign workers alike. Nowadays, empty cannery buildings are sometimes converted into recreational spaces. They operate as wedding venues, dance halls and lodges.‌ Katie Ringsmuth, a UAA history professor and Alaska historian who grew up in the Bristol Bay village of Naknek, spent her teen years working in the Naknek cannery. ‌ More than a hundred years after its opening, the Naknek had run its course. Trident Seafoods, its owner as of 2015, ceased operations at the location. After visiting the abandoned cannery

that same year, Ringsmuth and colleagues decided that it was time to breathe new life into it.‌ Between 1891 and 1982, the Alaska Packers’ Association operated many canneries across Alaska, running a group of fishing and transport boats across the state. Their buildings each bore the proud diamond shape around its initials, a signature of the immensely successful company’s ownership.‌ In 1919, the Spanish flu epidemic wiped out small town populations across the state. A 1920 U.S. Coast Guard report on Alaskan towns impacted by the disease stated that at one of the settlements visited, the entire population, numbering seven persons, had died, and the native dogs had stripped their bones.‌ During this time, the Naknek cannery served as a lodging place for children from surrounding villages who had been orphaned by the flu. The children stayed in the cannery before being transported to Dillingham. There, they received care that would ultimately save

many of their lives.‌ Ringsmuth approached the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation, where President Anne Pollnow took a personal interest. According to her, the AAHP acted as an “umbrella corporation” for the project, seeking funding for what some considered a “one in a million shot.”‌ That one in a million shot came in the form of several prestigious grants, including ones from the National Park Service and the National Endowment for Humanities. Working alongside Trident Seafood, Ringsmuth and the AAHP secured the funding needed to move forward. ‌ “What we’re trying to do in this project is to create a project where people can be caretakers of their history,” Ringsmuth said.‌ The Knik Lecture Series will host a lecture on the project. The lecture is open to the pubic and will take place at Chugiak High School on April 18. To read more about the project, go to www.aahp-online.net.

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

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College Cookbook: New Orleans’ most famous cocktails to celebrate Mardi Gras

Although Carnival Season is in full swing, Mardi Gras hasn’t even begun yet. Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday or the day before Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday marks the last day of debauchery and rich, fatty foods before practicing Catholics recognize

ritual fasting for the Lenten Season. This year, Mardi Gras falls on Feb. 13. Occurring annually since 1837, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is traditionally celebrated by people of French descent and Catholics, but has since been embraced by people of all cultures and creeds in the city. Celebrations consist of music, dancing, parades and lots of food and alcohol.‌ Want to get in on the fun?

There’s few celebrations here in Anchorage, but if you want an excuse to party try making these New Orleans’ born-and-bred cocktails. I included three of my favorite cocktails from my recent trip to New Orleans. You’ll be hard-pressed finding these drinks at a bar here in town, but they’re easy enough to make at home. Want more than just cocktails at your Mardi Gras party? Include some gumbo or jambalaya for an entree, and of course, king cake for dessert.

Sazerac

Hurricane

Ingredients

Ingredients

By Victoria Petersen copy@thenorthernlight.org

• 1 teaspoon of sugar‌

• 2 ounces of light rum ‌

• 2 dashes of bitters‌

• 2 ounces of dark rum‌

• 2 ounces of rye whiskey‌

• 2 ounces of passion fruit juice‌

• Lemon peel Directions Muddle or crush, the bitters and

• 1 ounce of orange juice‌ • 1/2 ounces of lime juice‌

sugar together in the bottom of

• 1 tablespoon of simple syrup‌

a mixing glass. Add the rye and

• 1 tablespoon of grenadine‌

ice and stir together. Strain the

• Orange slices

drink into a new glass. Garnish

• A cherry‌

by twisting the lemon peel over the drink.

Ramos gin fizz Ingredients • 1/2 ounce of lemon juice‌

Directions Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake well for a matter of seconds, and then strain into a tall glass and garnish.

• 1/2 ounce of lime juice‌ • 1 and 1/4 ounces of dry gin‌ • 1 egg white‌ • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar‌ • 1/2 ounce of heavy cream Directions Add all contents to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake very well, for a minute or two, or until frothy. Strain liquid into a tall glass, then remove strainer and add foam to the top of the drink.

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

| 05

Meditate on that Sustainable Seawolf: In Alaska, mindfulness gains momentum

Starting an indoor garden

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN CIELO

Wat Lao is a Buddhist temple located in the Mountain View neighborhood.

By Abby Slater

features@thenorthernlight.org

Once a misunderstood Buddhist and Hindu practice, meditation has been rebranded in recent years to appeal to a western audience. Filtered photos of celebrities in meditation poses are abound on social media. A 2016 survey conducted by the Yoga Alliance said that the number of Americans practicing yoga and meditation has grown by 50 percent since 2012. ‌ According to the National Institute of Health, there are major benefits to meditation, including pain maintenance and easing symptoms for ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. ‌ For all of its recorded benefits, there have also been a small amount of recorded drawbacks to meditation. The same article from the National Institutes of Health that discussed the physical benefits of the practice also warned, “There have been rare reports that meditation could cause or worsen symptoms in people with certain psychiatric problems like anxiety and depression.” ‌ Though they say that this side effect is not common, they do advise speaking with a therapist before starting a meditation practice if you have a history of mental health disorders.

Beyond the physical benefits, some turn to meditation for guidance. ‌ “Most people that step into meditation for the first time, their lives are usually missing something,” David Westlake, a local meditation teacher at Anchorage Yoga and Cycle and Turiya, a nonprofit organization that brings meditation practices to inmates, said. ‌ The reason for the rise in Alaskans practicing meditation could lie in the way that locals view faith. According to the Pew Research Center, Alaskans are

less religious than the continental U.S., and many who do practice religion don’t rank it as being a focal point in their lives.

Alaska, in effect, is more secular than other states. ‌ Meditation and yoga’s sharp rises in popularity have also made them secular activities in the U.S. Courses are offered in many recreational spaces, with some teachers choosing to leave the more dogmatic messages out. ‌ “I’m definitely a person who wants to make meditation practices… as contemporary and as relevant as possible,” Westlake said. ‌ Other spaces in town dedicate themselves to the spiritual side of the practice.

Genmyo Zeedyk, a Zen Buddhist monk, leads some of the guided meditation practices at Anchorage Zen Community. ‌ “I was drawn to a teacher who I thought embodied the qualities of wisdom and compassion and deep understanding,” Zeedyk said. ‌ This teacher would remain with Zeedyk on her path to becoming an ordained monk, which included studying in a temple in Japan. ‌ “In the west most of our religion is faith-based… and the Buddhist path is more of a practice,” Zeedyk said. ‌ That practice includes meditation, which can help people become more mindful throughout their day. Mindfulness is considered a state of being in the present moment and fully accepting your surroundings, your feelings, and your discomforts as well as your enjoyment. ‌ She added that the rise in mindfulness is overall a good thing, but that she hoped people would look deeper into Buddhism and its other lifestyle benefits.

“I think that some practices [like mindfulness] have been listed out of Buddhism and made available to people for the very positive benefits they give,” ‌Zeedyk said.

PHOTO BY ABBY SLATER

Spinach sprouts from Abby Slater’s container garden.

By Abby Slater

features@thenorthernlight.org

Gardening may seem like an out-oftouch activity to a lot of college students, especially in the middle of February in Anchorage. Everyone has seen those fancy grow lights that bigger operations use, the ones that look like UFO’s, but the idea of getting one of them and actually turning a seed into a plant seems overwhelming. ‌ The truth is that you can set up an indoor garden in less than an hour and for less than $50. They can be set up in dorm rooms and closets, or even as a decorative piece on a desk. As long as plants are attended to properly, they can give fresh food year-round. ‌ What you’ll need: ‌ • A light fixture‌ • A light bulb‌ • A plant container‌ • Seed starter or potting soil‌ • Seeds or a started plant‌ • Water‌ You can also purchase gardening gloves and pruning shears if you so choose, but they aren’t required for getting started.

What kind of light? ‌ This is a question that paralyzes a lot of people. They worry so much about the light that they can hardly get themselves started. The good news is that the type of light is not too big of a deal, so long as the placement is right. Any fluorescent or LED bulb will do so long as it has a medium-high wattage and is placed about six inches from the plant. Turn the light on for the amount of sunlight that the plant requires and then simply turn it off when the time is up. ‌ With that being said, if you find a good deal on a red and blue spectrum grow light, buy it. It is the best option for healthy plants as it gives them the full spectrum of light that they would experience outdoors. The downside is that they’re more expensive. The upside; they don’t need to be within six inches and they can typically grow more plants at once. ‌

When it comes to light, you have to decide if you want a small desktop light with one plant and cheap, but effective, bulbs, or a full-grow operation with several containers. ‌ What kind of soil? ‌ Another question that causes panic.

Organic? Miracle Gro? Generic brand?

Luckily, I’ve tried all of them, and I can give an honest testimony: there is little difference in the end product based solely on the soil you buy. If you buy generic brand soil and give your plant the proper water and sunlight, it will grow faster and better than a plant with the best soil, but poor maintenance. The same goes for seed starter versus potting soil; maintenance matters. ‌ However, if you do care about the quality of your soil, you can never go wrong with organic soil and seed starter. ‌ What plants grow best? ‌ The good part about growing indoors is that you open yourself up to possibilities. Tropical fruits and vegetables can be grown in an area of your house that remains relatively warm and draft-free; closets are great for this. It’s possible to tackle plants like watermelon and dwarf lemon trees in spite of the short outdoor Alaskan growing season. ‌ The most important part is to research the plant that you’re attempting to grow.

Every plant has varying levels of water needs, sunlight needs and transplant times. Google and greenhouse keepers are your best friend here; ask about requirements when purchasing seeds or previously germinated plants. ‌ If you’re really wanting to play it safe, I always recommend starting with spinach plants. They’re hearty, grow quickly, and are fine with occasional temperature drops and drafts in the home. They’re a great plant for you to work with and gain confidence. ‌ In the end, starting an indoor garden is simple and, depending on the plant, easy to maintain. Something to keep in mind is that plants are designed to grow outdoors, where conditions can be volatile and temperatures can spike randomly. If you find yourself getting worried about killing a plant or failing at gardening, just remember that if Mother Nature can do it, so can you. ‌ If you do kill a plant, seeds are cheap.

You can always try again.

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

| 06

High school filmmakers aim for international recognition

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIIN F. CHANG

Bright Chang, Jiin F. Chang, Nathan Shuttleworth, Garrett Yeagley, Slade Hallett, Kennedy Shields and Ryan Tester make up the production team for “In the Frontier the Flower is Quiet.”

By Mizelle Mayo

features2@thenorthernlight.org

Two high school students from Dimond High School and Stellar Secondary School met at King Career Center to make short films. Working well together, they decided to produce a film that can possibly take them internationally.‌ With the help of local businesses and UAA’s Confucius Institute, their story has the potential to make it big.‌ Jiin F. Chang, visionary writer of the short film, “In the Frontier the Flower is Quiet,” started writing the script in October of 2017. He showed his script to his friend, Nathan Shuttleworth, who was

immediately on board.

With the vision and ambition of Chang and Shuttleworth’s expertise in cinematography, they decided to make it a budget short film.‌ “We’re usually a group of friends who get together to make a short film. Now, we’re outsourcing from people all over the world who’s working on this project,” Shuttleworth, director of photography, said.‌ Excited to bring this story to life, they formed a production team.‌ “In the Frontier the Flower is Quiet” is about a Chinese girl and her brother who have been separated from their father due to the war between the Chinese and Russians. Set in the 1900s, the main character, Dor, tries to find hope in an in-

escapable war zone through the hope of the flower, Chrysanthemum.‌ Chrysanthemum symbolizes different meanings in various cultures.‌ “[In China,] if you give chrysanthemum to someone who’s older than you, you want this person to live longer. If you bring chrysanthemum to someone to a funeral, this person’s soul will be with us forever,” Chang said.‌ In Europe, it is seen as a memorial flower. In Australia, it’s their Mother’s Day flower representing family love.‌ ‘Mum’ for short, the ‘silent flower’ is what Chang envisioned the flower to exemplify.‌ The story is sparse in dialogue, holding the emotions of each character to move the film. Chang’s vision was motivated by his personal experience in various cultures.‌ “Under different cultures, sometimes I felt isolated and had to have a fresh mind whenever I was in a different culture. At the same time, I kept in my mind that I should not forget where I came from,” Chang said.‌ In the film, Chang wanted to use Russian twins, Sasha and Sonia, played by Cailey and Sydney Winn, to represent his difficulties integrating himself into new cultures. Although the characters are of Russian descent, they were raised in the Chinese culture.‌ “It’s very interesting because I’ve always been in a position where I am able to speak for myself because I’ve been raised in a country where my first language is the main language. So, I find it

very interesting that I’m able to express someone else’s version of what it’s like to live in a different country,” Cailey Winn, actor playing Sasha, said.‌ Along with an intricate and poised story line is a budget new to the student filmmakers.‌ “We’ve never had to deal with money before. Never had to manage where we put our money, and how much we should put towards camera gear. We’ve never had to think about insurance before, the risks, because we’re going to have so many people on set. A lot of them we haven’t met before,” Shuttleworth said.‌ Chang and Shuttleworth have reached out to local businesses for support of the film. They also reached out to a writer in Seattle, Washington and six investors in China.‌ With a budget short film, they also needed a producer.‌ Jessie Wei was introduced by a mutual filmmaker who showed her a short film previously created by Chang and Shuttleworth called, “Sean with a Young Smile.”

Chang talked to Wei about his vision for “In the Frontier the Flower is Quiet.”‌ “I think the thing that attracted me the most about this project is that the two filmmakers are so talented, and they’re so passionate about their work…They have many ideas, and we are on very tight shooting schedule. So, we have to be very quick with everything we’re trying to get organized,” Wei said.‌ Their premiere date has yet to be announced. For more information, check out their Kickstarter page.

A week of festivities with Winterfest

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

Winterfest is UAA’s week-long celebration of community, strategically placed during Anchorage’s Fur Rendezvous.‌ This year, Winterfest will kick off on Friday, Feb. 23 with a family movie night, showing Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” at 6 p.m in the Student Union Cafeteria.‌ Canvases, paintbrushes and paint are provided for Monday’s Feb. 26 paint night, taught by Arctic Crown Canvas.

This year’s paint night is even winterthemed. Students can paint their polar bear at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Cafeteria. $5 for students with valid student ID, $20 for the general public. Tickets are available on UAATix.com.‌ On Tuesday, Feb. 27, there will be a

chili cook-off in the Student Union Den at 2 p.m., with live “Tunes @ 2” music by violinist Annaleisa Kress. The chili will be made by departments on campus, and students will get to vote on their favorite one. Free for students taking six or more credits.‌ It’s the fifth year for 9 in the Spine, a mini-golfing event that occurs throughout the spines on campus, from Rasmuson Hall to the Social Sciences Building, hosted by UAA Alumni Relations.

9 in the Spine consists of two mini-golf courses, with 18 campus clubs hosting their own mini-golf setup where alumni can do their best at getting a hole-in-one before a mixer with current UAA students at the end of the course.‌ “It’s a networking event for the students and a chance for the clubs to show what they’re up to. It’s a fun night on campus and all the funds raised goes to Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund,”

Joe Besl, alumni communications specialist, said.‌ Thursday, March 1, the annual Beard and ‘Stache competition will be held at 7 p.m. Competitors are still wanted; registration is free for students and can be done at UAATix.com. Attendance of the competition held in the Student Union Cafeteria is also free for students.‌ March 2 is the first Friday of the month and the Hugh McPeck Gallery will host a First Friday reception with the exhibit “We’re All in this Together” from 5 - 7 p.m.‌ Friday is also the first night of Banff Mountain Film Festival, held in the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at 7 p.m. ‌ Kojin Tranberg, commuter students program coordinator, said that Banff has sold out every year and says it really anchors Winterfest. ‌ “It’s a curated selection of adventure films... it’s kind of like the Academy

Awards of adventure films, so it’s the best of the best,” Tranberg said. “[Both] nights are different so they usually sell out since people go to both.”‌ Banff is Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets for Banff are available at UAATix.com. In advance, tickets are $5 for UAA students and youth and $15 for the general public. Tickets are $5 more at the door.‌ Winterfest is more than just a week long of activities. With Fur Rondy happening and the beginning of the Iditarod, Winterfest a contributor to the downtown festivities.‌ “This event’s just really meant to be a small part of everything else that’s happening in town,” Tranberg said. “If you’re new to campus, or new to Alaska, or if this is your first Fur Rondy, I always like to see people get involved in our stuff but just realizing there’s a lot of stuff happening in town, too.”

A&E

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

‘Back to the Moon for Good’: The tale of man’s journey to space

By Joseph Diaz

jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

“Back To the Moon for Good” is a film from XPRIZE documenting the developments made in space travel and exploration since the late 1960s and early 1970s. ‌ “It is an amazingly well produced planetarium show that basically goes over the Google Lunar XPRIZE, which was a prize put forth by Google and the XPRIZE foundation,” Omega Smith, planetarium manager, said. “To win the prize, you had to get some kind of robot to the moon, send back high definition video footage to earth, and be able to travel across at least 500 meters on the lunar surface.”‌ According to Smith, the one stipulation of winning the prize was that teams could not accept any government funding during the competition. ‌ “It has kind of inspired a new generation, but the biggest thing

that has come out of it is more economic. These teams actually started private companies and the reason they were not able to win the XPRIZE is not because they didn’t have the funds, but they didn’t have the time,” Smith said.

The show is being hosted at the UAA Planetarium for its final showing after the recent announcement that the Google Lunar XPRIZE will go unclaimed due to technical, regulatory and fundraising difficulties from competing teams. ‌ “It’s disappointing but not unexpected. The first attempts to reach the north and south poles also failed,” Travis Rector, astronomy and physics professor at UAA, said.‌ Teams from all over the world competed in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition before it was determined that it was going to go unclaimed. Through this, the teams have raised over $300 million. Hundreds of jobs were created all over the world,

and some of the first commercial space companies were established in several countries, among those being Israel, and Hungary. ‌ “While the Lunar XPRIZE will go unclaimed it’s still interesting to learn about the groups that tried. As the XPRIZE organizers said, ‘If every XPRIZE competition we launch has a winner, we are not being audacious enough,’” Rector said.‌ The $30 million prize was started with the intention of giving an incentive for groups to start their own company to fly to the moon and collect data.

“Everyone loves the majesty of space. I’ve never met anyone who isn’t into astronomy. People often come to the planetarium for the ability to see the universe on our dome in visually stunning detail, but they are usually most appreciative of what they learn at the shows,” Rector said.‌ What makes the UAA planetarium unique is not so much the shows that are presented there, which can be seen at any other planetarium, but the experts that come in to talk about the field that was presented, who are there to help expand further on the topic and answer any questions the audience may have.‌ “Our planetarium is also a visualization theater, so we don’t just use it for entertainment, we use it for research as well [to] visualize data,” Smith said. ‌ Even though no team will be able to claim the grand prize, over $6 million have already been awarded to some of the competing teams for their contributions towards the newest space race. ‌ “We are still a ways off, but the progress made by the different groups is impressive. Someday we will soon be driving again on the moon. Maybe it’ll be in a Tesla Roadster,” Rector said. ‌ The final showing of “Back to the Moon for Good” will be held on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the UAA Planetarium. Tickets are available through UAATix. com, and are $10 for the general public, $5 for students and for youth (12 and under).

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Mongolia and Alaska collide dishes. ‌ The event is not limited to those of Mongolian background, but is open to anyone. According to Geser Bat-Erdene, finance major and senior president of the MSS, this openness allows opportunities for cultures to come together.‌ “It’s an opportunity to promote culture overall, not just Mongolian, and it brings that culture to Anchorage,” BatErdene said‌ Gokhan Karahan of the acBy Caleigh Jensen counting department is the faccjensen@thenorthernlight.org ulty advisor for the MSS. AlThe Mongolian Students So- though he is of Turkish origin, ciety of the University of Alaska Karahan helps the club support Anchorage, partnered with the and promote diversity on camInternational Student Organi- pus.‌ “I think that any initiative zation, will be hosting Tsagaan that familiarizes us with the Sar. Otherwise known as white world’s cultures has to be supmoon, or Lunar New Year, the event is one of the most impor- ported, especially in this day tant for Mongolia and its people.‌ and age. In their short time at Tsagaan Sar is based on the UAA, [the Mongolian Students lunar calendar. According to Society] has done a respectMunkh-Urguu Enkhbold, senior able job trying to achieve these business administration major objectives,” Karahan said. “As and MSS’s vice president, the some say back home, ‘we would celebration is the Mongolian always have a plate at our dinner and Eastern Asian equivalent of table if our cousins ever decide Christmas. It provides an oppor- to show up.’”‌ The Mongolian Students Sotunity to celebrate family and ciety’s main goal is one of culMongolian traditions, such as tural education, and encouragecuisine and clothing. “[Tsagaan Sar] is about fam- ment for others to do the same.‌ “We like to serve as a role ily and love,” Enkhbold said. model not only for UAA, but “You visit your family’s homes, meet with distance relatives, ex- for other universities around the change gifts and carry on tradi- world, including our sister cities,” Enkhbold said. “The options.”‌ The three-day event typically portunities are endless to inspire takes place in mid-February to others.”‌ The society serves as a rethe beginning of March. This source to other cultural organiyear, it lands on Feb. 15 and conzations on campus, and helps entinues through Feb. 17. ‌ courage them to continue to be Since Mongolian students at active and share their cultures as UAA don’t always have the opwell.‌ portunity to celebrate the Lunar “The mission does not end New Year with their families, with Mongolian culture, but the MSS and ISO are bringing the event to them. Hosted with promoting diversity in the at the Multicultural Center, the university itself,” Bat-Erdene Tsagaan Sar celebration will fea- said. “The little things inspire.”‌ The event is located in the ture a taste of Mongolia through UAA Multicultural Center from traditional games, videos and 5-7 p.m. on Feb. 16.

PRESSURE: ‘Exhibition about women, by women Continued from cover She is showcasing her art with impressions of her own body accompanied with the MRI scans from her sister, who has multiple sclerosis. ‌ “I am honored to be a part of an exhibition about women, by

women,” Stahl said. “In my personal topic, I have found women’s bodies have been largely absent from medical texts and research. I hope to be a part of a future where women’s health and full representation is taken seriously, and I believe ‘Bodies Under Pressure’ is a part of this

cultural transformation.”‌ Stahl is currently working toward her Ph.D. in humanities at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.‌ “Right now, the topic is somewhat timely, considering that women’s bodies are in the media in a new way right now

with the #MeToo movement and the allegations against Harvey Weinstein; which actually happened after I conceived the idea of this show, which goes to show that these issues with women representing themselves in the world have been percolating for a long time,” Symko said.‌

Symko will host a short walkthrough the exhibit to point out some of her favorites and interesting facts on March 1 from 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.‌ The Kimura Gallery is located on the second floor of the Fine Arts Building.

SPORTS

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Seawolves face Washington and Idaho rivals Men’s basketball finds their groove in Thursday and Saturday wins “February is always a tough month. You’ve gone through sports2@thenorthernlight.org conference play one time so there aren’t a whole lot of seWith only three weekends crets. We are right behind these left until the Great Northwest two teams in the standings, we Athletic Championships, the had overtime play with both of UAA men’s basketball team them about three weeks ago,” hosted two teams at the Alaska Osborne said. ‌ Airlines Center for a two-game The Seawolves began their weekend. Northwest Nazarene weekend on Feb. 8 against and Central Washington trav- Northwest Nazarene, and gatheled up to Alaska to play against ered an 11-point win over NNU.‌ the Seawolves. ‌ Senior guard Drew Peterson, Both teams fall in the middle junior forward Brian Pearson, of the GNAC standings, North- junior guard Josiah Wood and west Nazarene sits at No. 6 with junior guard Malik Clements seven wins and seven loses made the largest contributions in conference play before this to the game.‌ weekend; Central Washington Peterson was the highest holds the No. 4 spot with eight scorer for the Seawolves, accuconference wins and six loses, mulating a total of 13 points, folpreviously.‌ lowed by 10 from Pearson and 9 “They’re both a little bit dif- each from Wood and Clements. ‌ ferent from the last time we Pearson also finished the played them, they’ve had some game off with a tie as the topinjuries, they’ve made some rebounder, managing to get 7 in, changes,” Head Coach Rusty the same amount as D.J. Ursery.‌ Osborne said. “But I think we As for 3-pointers, Peterson are a little bit different, we’ve finished off the game with three, mixed up our line up.”‌ followed by Wood with two. ‌ Both teams rank higher than UAA spent nearly the entire UAA, who currently sits at No. game leading NNU. However, 8, with a total of 10 wins and NNU did give the Seawolves 11 loses, six and eight of which quite a challenge in the second were conference play.‌ half, even out scoring them.

UAA has prevailed over both With a 34.5 percent shot average teams before. A year ago, dur- and an accumulation of 33 total ing the 2016-17 season, the Sea- points, NNU came close to givwolves managed an eight point ing UAA a real scare.‌ victory over NNU (81-73), and a “Each week and even each 12 point win over CWU (84-72).‌ game I feel that, as a team, we

By Lauren Cuddihy

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN CIELO

D.J. Ursery guarding the basket against Khalil Shabazz of Central Washington University. The Seawolves beat the Wildcats 70-54 on Feb. 10.

are making strides in different areas, so we just have to take the best things from our [past] games and continue to have our energy everyday,” Peterson said.‌ The Seawolves battled their rivals from Central Washington in a much more laid-back game on Feb. 10. With a comfortable 16-point lead at the end, UAA took home the win at 70-54. ‌ Wood was the top scorer on the Seawolves, accumulating a

total of 19 points, including four 3-pointers.‌ Clements came through as the second-highest scorer with a total of 13 points, 8 being free throws. He was also the highest rebounder of the night, with 12. ‌ Both wins moved UAA up in the GNAC standings, giving them a better position than they’ve had for the majority of the season. ‌ “Certainly we [wished] our

record was better, but we have a chance to make conference and if we make that, then we have a chance to make NCAA regionals so we [have been] preparing for that,” Osborne said. ‌ The Seawolves will next travel to Washington and British Columbia to compete in their second to last weekend, Feb. 1517, before conference championships.

SPORTS

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Cloninger and Wandersee stand out in back-to-back meets

Seawolves continue to hold No. 1 spot in conference after defeating Concordia and Western Oregon

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Similar to the schedule of the UAA men’s basketball team, the women have just about three weeks left until the Great Northwest Athletic Championships, including four more regular season games. Over the weekend of Feb. 8-10, the Seawolves traveled to Oregon to compete against Concordia University and Western Oregon University.‌ Despite the No. 1 rank that the Seawolves hold in the GNAC standings, Head coach Ryan McCarthy knows that any team can still challenge them.‌ “We have a lot of respect for both of these opponents, especially Concordia, they’re a tough match up for us. I think a lot of the time, in league play the second time around, comes down to match ups,” McCarthy said.‌ While the Seawolves hold an almost undefeated conference status, with a 14-1 conference record and a 21-2 overall record, Concordia and Western Oregon fall closer to the end of the standings. ‌ Before this weekend, Concordia had six conference wins and nine conference loses which gave them a safe spot at No. 7 in the standings. ‌ Western Oregon University falls a little bit behind at No. 9 out of 11 teams, with a previous total of five loses and 10 wins. ‌ Taking a look back to last year, the Seawolves were able to prevail over both teams significantly. Against Concordia, UAA previously won by over 30 points with a final score of 91-60, and similarly, UAA beat Western Oregon by 41 points, a

final score being 91-50. ‌ The first match that the Seawolves participated in this year was against Concordia, an overtime game that gave UAA a challenge. This game was a much different outcome than the 30 point win last year. This time, the Seawolves only outscored Concordia by 4 points (73-69). ‌ A lot of the success can be given to senior forward Shelby Cloninger and junior forward Hannah Wandersee. ‌ Cloninger, just coming back off of injury, managed to score 15 points for the team in her 27 minutes of playtime. In addition, she accumulated a total of three rebounds and a 3-pointer. ‌ Wandersee was right behind Cloninger, accumulating 14 points in her 34 minutes of playtime, the most time any of the Seawolves got to be on the court. Wandersee was also UAA’s highest rebounder for the night, with a total of seven. ‌ Other standout players that helped the Seawolves sink the overtime win were senior guard Rodericka Ware and sophomore guard Yazmeen Goo.‌ Goo spent her 35 minutes of playtime accumulating 9 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists. Rodericka used her 19 minutes tallying up 10 points and six rebounds to help the Seawolves win. ‌ Despite individual success during the game, the entire Seawolf side went downhill after the first quarter. Staring out with a 46.2 percent shot average in the first quarter, they trailed out with a 25.0 percent average in the fourth quarter, finishing with a 38.5 percent average on the game.‌ In contrast, Concordia stayed consistent throughout the first

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Hannah Wandersee goes in for a basket against Western Oregon University.

three quarters, with an average of about 33 percent. It wasn’t until they managed a 46.2 percent average in the fourth quarter that put the Seawolves in trouble. ‌ UAA went into the fourth quarter with 47 points, Concordia with 40. However, UAA only scored 13 while CU scored 20, putting them in a tie that lasted for 4 minutes and 10 seconds. ‌ The Seawolves were able to redeem themselves in overtime, scoring 13 points while Concordia scored 9, but they were still put to the test while the score switched leads eleven different times that put the Seawolves behind for 17 minutes of the game.‌ In a much less stressful game, the Seawolves returned on Feb. 10 to take on Western Oregon. ‌ Hannah Wandersee contributed the bulk of the points, with 32 on the night, she posted her career-high points. ‌

Wandersee out-scored everyone on the Seawolves and everyone else from Western Oregon by at least 10 points. The second highest point scorer from UAA was Goo, who contributed 13 points. ‌ In addition to being the topscorer of the night, Wandersee also contributed as the top-rebounder with a total of 9. She was followed by Cloninger with 7 and Kian McNair with 6. ‌ Despite Wandersee’s success in the game, the Seawolves were only able to outscore Western Oregon by 8 points. While UAA posted a 43.5 percent point average, that was met by WOU’s 42.2 percent. In addition, the Seawolves only made five more field goal attempts and one more 3-pointer attempts. ‌ Ware proved to be the most successful in 3-pointers, posting a total of three successful of her

seven attempts.

Overall, the Seawolves saw a successful night, out scoring their rivals in three of the four periods, leaving coach McCarthy satisfied with their progress.‌ “[It’s nice to finally] have a full and healthy squad, I think we are on our way up to peaking right now,” McCarthy said, “we have made some adjustments offensively that have really gave us some open shots and I think our team is collectively starting to understand what we’re trying to do defensively, in a controlled-chaos kind of way.” ‌ The team will get to utilize their home-court advantage in their next games, on Feb. 15, they will compete against Seattle Pacific and on Feb. 17 they will go up against Saint Martin’s.

OLYMPICS: Wright to compete in classic sprint on Feb. 13 Continued from cover Athletes competing at the games get much attention; this kind of publicity is new to the UAA skier. ‌ “Usually, Australians don’t know much about winter sports.

The Olympics is the only time where our sport gets a little bit

of spotlight,” Wright said. ‌ The traditional opening ceremony is a highlight for many competing athletes, including Wright. ‌ For her races, she does not want to put herself under too much pressure. ‌ “I don’t really know what to expect, so I am just going to

take it as it comes,” Wright said.

“I know I will be racing the best skiers in the world, so my goal is to ski as well as I can and leave everything on the racecourse.”‌ Kastning is confident that his athlete will represent UAA well, regardless of the pressure that big international competitions involve. He expects Wright

to perform best in the classic sprint, which takes place on Feb. 13.‌ “I’m sure it will be lots of butterflies for her on that type of stage, but no matter what she does, she made it there, she worked hard to get there and her result will make us proud,” Kastning said.‌

Wright joins former UAA hockey players Mat Robinson and Luka Vidmar who will compete for Canada and Slovenia in the Olympics.‌ The Olympic Winter Games began on Feb. 9; the women’s classic sprint is scheduled for Feb. 13.

OPINION Live and let live: A defense of the Christian baker

By Caleb Berry

cberry@thenorthernlight.org

I am a Christian. I am proud to be a Christian. I make no apology for my faith. Nobody should ever apologize or be ashamed for their religion. The freedom to worship how we want, when we want and where we want is one of humanity’s greatest rights. This does not mean we should be free to do whatever we want that falls within our religion. Some religions practice human sacrifice, yet common sense tells us that our first amendment right to freedom of religion does not permit murder.

The difficulty of freedoms is deciding as a society where our rights end. Every day we awake in a nation where religious freedom is a guarantee to every person; rights rarely come free. One citizen by the name of Jack Philips is currently fighting for his rights and deserves our support.‌ Masterpiece Cakeshop v.

Colorado Civil Rights Commission is currently being considered by the Supreme Court. The case concerns whether businesses owners can exercise their first amendment rights of free speech and freedom of religion to refuse services to certain individuals and organizations despite public accommodation laws. The

Supreme Court took oral arguments from both sides in December 2017 and a judgment is still in waiting. This legal conflict has lasted five years. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal expenses have been paid.‌ In 2012, the same-sex couple David Mullins and Charlie Craig planned to be wed in Massachusetts and return to Colorado to celebrate the marriage.

The couple contacted Philips wishing for him to produce a wedding cake specifically made for the marriage celebration.

Philips informed the couple that while they were free to purchase products from his shop, it was against his religious beliefs as a Christian to make a cake honoring a same-sex marriage. Needless to say the couple did not take that very well. Mullins and Craig filed a complaint to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The complaint resulted in a lawsuit where the ruling went to the couple. Philips was court ordered not only to disregard his religious beliefs, but to also make wedding cakes for any same-sex couples that wanted one.‌ Philips appealed the decision and removed himself from the wedding cake business. The state’s decision was upheld by the Colorado Court of Appeals on the grounds that despite the artistic nature of making a custom cake, it is an expected part of Philips business and is not protected by the constitutional rights of freedom of speech or religion. Philips, not one to be beat, has taken the argument to the highest court in the land and honestly, it is anyone’s guess what the Supreme Court will decide. ‌ The Supreme Court should rule in favor of the plaintiff.

This article is not about wheth-

er or not it is moral for samesex couples to be allowed to marry. In fact, whether or not you approve of same-sex marriage is completely irrelevant to this case because the case it not about same-sex marriage. The case about whether or not public accommodation laws take precedence over the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and religion.‌ Dave Rubin, host of the political talk show The Rubin Report, has offered his opinion on this subject and it is worth considering. In collaboration with Prager University, Rubin, who is happily married to a partner of the same sex, graciously argued in favor of the plaintiff said, “If a baker won’t bake you a cake, find another baker. Don’t demand that the state tell him what to do.” Whatever happened to live and let live? Whatever happened to peacefully co-existing with people we disagree with?‌ Jack Philips does not deserve to be forced by the government to violate his religious principles. Philips deserves to be able to act according to his faith. It is probably a poor business decision to reject same-sex couples as paying customers, but if that is what he wants to do then he should be left to do that in peace.

It is not the object but the principle that is at stake. If we compromise now, there might not be any religious freedom 20 years from now. If the ruling is not in favor of the plaintiff, I fear the worse for religious freedom in our country. If the Christian baker loses his case, a dangerous precedent is set. What do you think is going to happen to the preacher who refuses to preach at a gay wedding five years from now if this harmful precedent is set? This case can decide the course society will take.

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

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An open letter to the NCAA

By Caleb Berry

cberry@thenorthernlight.org

To members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Thank you for everything that you do for college athletes across the country. Without this body, college athletics would not exist as a positive unified force, spanning college campuses. Your principle of required amateurism has recently been a source of controversy. Personally, I am against the policy. ‌ As publicized on your website, the principle of amateurism erects multiple hindrances to the ability of a college athlete to move up the athletic ladder while participating in college sports. A few of your restrictions dictate that college athletes who wish to compete in the NCAA are forbidden from:‌ • accepting salary for participating in athletic competitions • playing with professionals • the privilege of being represented by an agent • delaying full-time college enrollment for the cause of competing in sports competitions.

• accepting prize money above actual expenses‌ I understand the reasoning behind these restrictions. As has been stated on numerous occasions by representative of the NCAA, the purpose of enforced amateurism is to foster an academic environment where college athlete’s first priority is receiving a quality education. I agree with your intentions, however, I fear the outcomes of some of your policies have inadvertently harmed the athletes you passionately serve. ‌ College athletes should not be restricted by amateurism regulations. The very definition of the world amateur lends itself to the argument that these regulations obstruct success. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an amateur as “engaging or engaged without payment; unprofessional.” I am an amateur chess player. It is something I do for entertainment and personal enjoyment. I play without

pay and do not receive benefits for my participation in events. A college athlete on the other hand is the exact opposite of an amateur. ‌ Under the NCAA Division I 20/8 college athletes are forbidden from spending more than eight hours a day engaging in required physical activity; however, I implore you to keep in mind the possibility of a high-handed coach requiring additional labor underneath the table. For instance, the NCAA requires that mandatory strength and conditioning training be documented and reported underneath the Division I 20/8 regulation. However, it is extremely easy for a bold coach to “suggest” to a young student that they have authority over that they begin every morning at the tracks on their own personal time. This young student would be compelled to engage in “voluntary” extra conditioning at the expense of his own health and education as the coach has the authority to ruin his athletic pursuits. Take into consideration the fact that this athlete is basically an unpaid laborer and it becomes apparent that the opportunities for corruption and abuses are vast.‌ It is also worth taking into consideration that the NCAA has a built-in market as well as a near monopoly on the pathway young athletes can take to become professional athletes.

Think about how the NFL only drafts from college football teams. While this ensures that every NFL player has at least a partial college education it also gives the NCAA indirect control over who is eligible to be drafted by the NFL. This is not a criticism, I admire the NCAA for taking on this burden. ‌ I will admit that the NCAA has come a long way since its inception in 1906 to providing college athletes with the benefits and opportunities they deserve.

Before 1948, NCAA refused to allow college athletes to accept scholarships. This was a colossal injustice which I am proud to give credit to the NCAA for rectifying. The NCAA has also made other steps to curtail the power that self-interested boosters have over athletes. ‌ I compliment NCAA president Mark Emmert that allows universities that compete in Division I to provide their athletes a $2,000 stipend in addition to the usual available benefits.

There is still more that needs to be done for our athletes, however, and I hope you will continue the excellent work of facilitating college athletics‌.

CONTACT

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018

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A S S O C I AT E D CO L L E G I AT E P R ES S The Northern Light is a proud member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood.

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

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

The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, including against sex discrimination, applies to students, employees, and applicants for admission and employment. Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UA’s statement of nondiscrimination available at www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y

Have any opinions that you want to point out?

Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length is 250 words.

Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum word length is 450 words.

Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity.

Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org.

The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union, directly next to Subway.

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

3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508

Features Editor

Graphic Designer

Executive Editor

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Layout Editor

Assistant Sports Editors

Web Editor

Staff Reporters

Advertising Manager

Joseph Diaz jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

Contributors

Sam Davenport 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org

Managing Editor

Kathryn DuFresne content@thenorthernlight.org

Copy Editor

Victoria Petersen copy@thenorthernlight.org

News Editor

Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant News Editors

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

Abigail Slater features@thenorthernlight.org Malia Barto arts@thenorthernlight.org

Lauren Cuddihy sports2@thenorthernlight.org Caleigh Jensen cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Staff Photographers

Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org Levi Brown layout@thenorthernlight.org Caitlin Buxbaum web@thenorthernlight.org Alexis Abbott 786-6195 admanager@thenorthernlight.org Jacob Holley-Kline

Jay Guzman jguzman@thenorthernlight.org

Media Adviser

Christian Cielo ccielo@thenorthernlight.org

Administrative Adviser

Multimedia Editor

Administrative Assistant

Yoshina Okamoto multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

Paola Banchero Zac Clark

Allie Hartman

Give us your opinion at: editor@thenorthernlight.org