FEBRUARY 19 - FEBRUARY 25, 2019
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
BUDGET
By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed a $155 million reduction to the University of Alaska budget for the next fiscal year, which amounts to a 41 percent cut. At a press conference on Wednesday, Dunleavy said his reductions to former Gov. Bill Walker’s proposed budget focused on the state’s “$1.6 billion deficit.” “This budget is going to impact all Alaskans,” Dunleavy said. “It’s too massive not to. It’s going to touch all Alaskans no matter where they live and no matter what they do. It’s going to be a different way of budgeting that all Alaska is going to have to pull together to make sure we get through this process.” At the conference, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Donna Arduin, said that the budget cuts targeted programs with “unsustainable spending that have come without corresponding positive results.” “Our investment in the University of Alaska is much higher than other states and is eroded by low retention and graduation rates,” Arduin said. The proposed cuts to the university are substantial; UAA alone runs off of $120 million unrestricted general funds. To fill the deficit caused by the cuts, UA would likely have to close campuses, raise tuition and lay off employees. At a press conference immediately following Dunleavy’s budget announcement, UA President Jim Johnsen discussed how the budget would impact the university.
“I’m confident we’ll need to close campuses if this budget makes it all the way through the legislative process,” Johnsen said. To put it into perspective, closing all of the UA’s community campuses from Ketchikan to Kotzebue would only save $38 million, doubling tuition would only raise $140 million and eliminating a statewide office would save just $18 million. In the last five years, the university has faced yearly budget reductions. These reductions have been $3 million to $61 million less every fiscal year budget since fiscal year 2014. At the same time, course enrollment at all UA campuses has declined by almost 15 percent from the fall of 2013 to fall of 2017. Decreases in funding and declines in enrollment have already prompted incremental tuition increases each year and the latest tuition increase raised the price of a lower division credit from $202 to $212 this year. “If we doubled our tuition, we would just cover this cut,” Johnsen said. Johnsen also said that continued cuts and uncertainty about the university’s future have negatively impacted enrollment. “Unlike the DMV where you have to go get your driver’s license, people don’t have to come to the university,” Johnsen said. The governor’s new proposed budget is not the final say on what the univer- sity shall receive. The state legislature will be able to revise the budget before Dunleavy signs or uses his line-item veto on the
final budget. Chancellor Cathy Sandeen has held several open forums on the topic, and she says this is just the first step in the budget process. “We are optimistic that the value of the university to the state will be recognized as we go through this process,” Sandeen said. In an email to UAA students, Sandeen explained that UAA typically receives more than a third of its funding for the state allocation to the University of Alaska and that the overall cut in funding to UAA would be $49 million. “UAA’s total budget comes from several sources, including state funding (approximately 39 percent), tuition and fees (26 percent) and other university receipts (35 percent),” Sandeen wrote in the email. The governor’s capital budget, a document that details funds specifically for maintenance and repair work, also allocates the university $5 million for repairs and renovations. The university states that it needs over $50 million for facilities deferred maintenance and renewal projects. The final budget will go into effect July 1, the start of the fiscal year 2020. Between now and then, the university will advocate for increases while also deciding how to accommodate cuts of this magnitude. The first step in that process will be in the form of discussions at the Board of Regents meeting in Anchorage from Feb. 28 to March 1.
Winterfest is coming By Malia Barto
arts@thenorthernlight.org
February and March are packed with plenty of things to do in the Anchorage area: Fur Rendezvous, the Iditarod, remembering what the sun looks like, spring break and — for UAA students — Winterfest. This year, Student Activities and Commuter Programs have a school-spirit and “Game of Thrones” themed week full of activities. Spirit Days and Art, Light, Play These events happen all week, Monday, Feb. 25 - Friday,
SPORTS
March 1. Spirit Days is just like spirit days in high school, dressing up according to a theme for the day. • Monday, Feb. 25: “Game of Thrones” or medieval theme • Tuesday, Feb. 26: Pajama day • Wednesday, Feb. 27: Sports day • Thursday, Feb. 28: Superhero day • Friday, March 1: Wear school colors for Green and Gold Day Join a student club or organization for the Spirit Days Competition for a chance to win dinner at Moose’s Tooth and tickets to “Captain Marvel.” The Daily Den will take team photos dur-
ing their hours, 10 - 11 a.m. and 2 - 3 p.m., to post on Facebook; whichever photo has the most likes will win. Art, Light, Play happens each Winterfest. Sticking with the “Game of Thrones” theme, there will be a House Crest Competition out on the Cuddy Quad full of art and activities. On Monday and Wednesday, Feb. 25 and 27, Outdoor Recreation Club at UAA is bringing hot cocoa, a therapy dog and more, alongside KRUA music DJing in the Quad.
SEE WINTERFEST
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GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
OPINION
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Both UAA men’s and women’s basketball teams take on NNU rivals thenorthernlight.org
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
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Creativity celebrated in Youth Art Month By Malia Barto
arts@thenorthernlight.org
Approximately 800 Anchorage School District students will have their art displayed around Anchorage for Youth Art Month. Youth Art Month is a national program under The Council for Art Education, an organization that “promotes visual art education for all K-12 students,” they state on their website. Youth Art Month celebrates visual art, allowing students’ artwork to be publicly displayed for typically the whole month of March. It also aims to have art education recognized as an important factor in a student’s education. “Last year, we had over 4,000 attendees, which was the highest attendance ever [for the display] at the museum, so it’s a big deal,” Leah Maltbie, ASD’s fine arts coordinator, said. The main location of the art is at the Anchorage Museum. However, there are four additional “satellite” locations: the Chugiak-Eagle River Municipal Library, Anchorage City Hall, the ZJ Loussac Municipal Library and the Midtown Mall, formerly the Mall at Sears. This year marks the 47th anniversary for ASD; the theme for this year is diversity. “I proposed the idea of diversity thinking of the diverse nature of the city of Anchorage. As our discussion continued, we thought of diversity as a very broad subject including food, culture, ideas [and] the environment,” Maltbie said. The majority of K-12 schools, minus a few charter schools in the Anchorage School District, are represented in Youth Art Month. Teachers get to select students’ best work from the year to be displayed. “As a musician,” ASD fine arts director, Bruce Wood, wrote, “it is sometimes overwhelming to me what students can achieve in their art; the detail, the color, the accumulation of skill reflected in creativity is really stunning. The opening at the museum is one of my favorite functions of the year.” Wood called the event an “incredible production.” With 400 pieces of art shown throughout the district from students of all ages, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Last year’s display had a variety of small and large pieces of work from two and three-dimensional pieces to jewelry. A new project this year had students paint downtown Anchorage’s trash cans, which will be on display at the museum before being permanently placed in the city. Youth Art Month in Anchorage will be on display from March 1 through April 5, excluding the Midtown Mall, which will open March 4 and is up until April 6. An opening ceremony will be held at the Anchorage Museum on March 1 at 6 p.m. Since that night is part of First Friday at the Anchorage Museum, attendance is free. For more information on Youth Art Month, visit counciforarteducation.org/youth-art-month.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF COUNCIL FOR ART EDUCATION
Artwork by Rylee Dolan.
Artwork by Charlotte Severin.
Artwork by Lila Goddard-Vaughan.
Artwork by Shasa Applegate.
WINTERFEST: Competitions, painting, films and more Continued from cover Paint Night What: Paint away at paint night, back on campus for Winterfest. This year’s painting is a dire wolf, hosted and taught by Arctic Crown Canvas. When and Where: Student Union Cafeteria at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25 Sign Up and Costs: $5 for students and children 12 and younger; $20 for the general public. Sign up at UAATix.com Nine in the Spine What: Alumni have the
opportunity to participate in Winterfest, too. Nine in the Spine is one of Winterfest’s traditions, encouraging UAA alumni to play mini-golf throughout the spine on campus. When and Where: Begins at Student Union Cafeteria at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 Sign Up and Costs: $50 per ticket, or $200 for a team of four. Alumni teams can sign up at uaa. alaska.edu/alumni. Broomball Game What: Get a team together for a students versus facul-
ty competition of broomball. When and Where: Wells Fargo Ice Rink at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28 Sign Up and Costs: Free; sign up at tinyurl. com/2019uaabroomball BANFF Film Festival What: Two nights of films shown at the annual BANFF Mountain Film Festival. When and Where: Wendy Williamson Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 1 - 2.
Sign Up and Costs: $5 for UAA students and children 12 and younger; $15 for the general public. Visit UAATix.com to get tickets, or visit the Student Information Desk in the Student Union. Sign up early, it’s usually sold out. UAA vs. UAF Hockey Governor’s Cup What: Cheer on the Seawolves as they play the Nanooks for the 26th Alaska Airline’s Governor’s Cup. When and Where: Sullivan Arena, puck drops at 7:07 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 1 - 2
Sign Up and Costs: Free for UAA Students with proof of valid Wolfcard. Free parking passes can
be received at the Student Union, Gorsuch Commons desk or Alaska Airlines Center box office.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
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Seawolves stay busy on the basketball court By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org
Both the UAA men’s and women’s basketball teams have stayed busy over the past week playing against out-of-state rivals. Nearing the conference championships for both teams, the players are focused on improving their records as much as possible. Currently, the men’s team is ranked No. 5 in the conference with a 7-8 conference record and a 12-11 overall record. The women’s team is tied for No. 1 with Northwest Nazarene. Both teams have a 14-1 conference record and a 22-1 overall record. However, while UAA currently has a 15-game win streak, while NNU only has a 5-game win streak. The women were able to extend their win streak over the weekend. They won both home games against No. 6 Concordia and No. 9 Western Oregon. Their first game was a significant 24-point win. Although the total points were highly distributed throughout the players, guard Sydni Stallworth made the highest contribution between both teams. She was able to score 21
points during her 23 minutes of playing time. Forward Hannah Wandersee also accumulated her fair share, managing 14 points. Behind her, Safiyyah Yasin scored nine, and Yazmeen Goo scored seven. Four more players were able to score a handful of points; only two players were unable to score during the game. The team experienced similar success two days later in their game against Western Oregon. This time, however, they won by a much larger 45-point difference. Every single player was able to score during this game and five players scored over 10 points. Guard Kian McNair scored the team-high during the game, accumulating 19 points. Stallworth scored 16 points, Wandersee scored 15, Goo scored 13 and Tara Thompson scored 12. In contrast, the men’s two games were far from the blowout wins of the women. Their first game against No. 2 Northwest Nazarene was lost in a 10-point deficit. Several days later, they beat No. 9 Central Washington by seven points. The Seawolves were able to have all but two players contribute to the total points on their
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACOB THOMPSON
Brennan Ryme takes a shot against Northwest Nazarene University on Feb. 16.
Feb. 14 game. Lead by Tyler Brimhall with 19 points, three other players scored in the teens, and an additional four scored in the single digits. Their strength was in their free throws, with a 78.9 percent average for the game. They also averaged 50 percent in 3-pointers and 46.3 percent in field goals. In contrast, their competition averaged 60.7 percent in free throws, 37.5 percent in 3-point-
ers and 53.3 percent in field goals. However, the Seawolves’ impressive stats were not enough to win the game. They scored 35 points in the first half and 42 in the second, but NNU scored 47 and 40, respectively. UAA attempted to redeem themselves on Feb. 16 and did so by just 7 points. Not only did the majority of the team score points, but Brennan Rymer led the team with the game-high 30
points. Brimhall trailed behind with a total of 21 points, followed by Brian Pearson with 15, and both Jack Macdonald and Niko Bevens with 11 each. The men’s basketball team will be back in action on Feb. 21 against Western Washington at the Alaska Airlines Center. The women will next travel to Seattle to compete against Seattle Pacific on Feb. 21.
Runners, jumpers, throwers take on GNAC competition By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org
The UAA track and field team traveled to Nampa, Idaho over the weekend of Feb. 15 to compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. The team took a small group of competitors in both the pentathlon and heptathlon as well as sprints, distance and jumping. Associate head coach Ryan McWilliams went into this meet with slightly different expectations than in previous years. “I think really we want to see good races across the board. We have a smaller crew going in so it will be interesting just to see how people compete in their individual events,” McWilliams said. “Compared to normal years, we aren’t really loaded up.” The heptathlon and pentathlon began on Friday morning. For the heptathlon, sophomore David Sramek was the only competitor from UAA. After his day-one events, he sat in fifth place. Sramek competed in the 60-meter sprint (7.26 seconds), long jump (6.67m), shot put (8.96m) and high jump (1.80m). On Saturday, he continued on to the 60-meter hurdles (9.18 seconds), pole vault (4.65m) and 1000-meter run (2:44). With the completion of his final events, Sramek moved up one position to finish fourth
overall out of ten athletes. As for the pentathlon, the Seawolves had two competitors. They completed all five of their events on Friday. Senior Yvonne Jeschke finished at seventh place (3217 points) and junior Elena Cano was just ahead at sixth (3229 points). Jeschke and Cano competed in five events, 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800-meter run. The majority of the Friday events were preliminaries. However, many Seawolves qualified for the final events on Saturday. Cano placed seventh in the 60-meter hurdles (9.23s), qualifying for finals. She moved up one position to finish sixth overall in finals (9.05s). Freshman Enrique Campbell, who just joined the team this semester, qualified in the 60-meter sprint by placing second (7.05s) overall in prelims. He continued on to place third overall in finals with a time of 7.07 seconds. Campbell also ran the 200-meter preliminaries, placing seventh (22.48s) to just barely qualify for finals. Just slower than his previous time, Campbell ran a 22.57 in finals to place seventh. Standout returning junior Vanessa Aniteye beat out all competition to finish first in the 400-meter preliminaries with a time of 56.62 seconds. However, in finals on Saturday, she fell back to third place overall with a time of 57.07. The only 800-meter runner
for the Seawolves at the meet, junior Eduardo Orozco, placed second (1:54) in preliminaries and continued on to finish seventh (2:03) in finals. As for field events, junior Chrisalyn Johnson finished third (5.68m) in the long jump. In addition to all the preliminary events run on Friday, many of the distance events had finals. Both the men’s and women’s 5K ran one heat of runners. Freshman Nancy Jeptoo took the title for the 5K, finishing in first with a time of 17:48. She was nearly 30 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. The Seawolves completely blew out all competition in the men’s 5K. UAA took five runners for the event, they finished back-to-back in No. 1 through No. 5. Sophomore Wesley Kirui took the overall win in 14:55. Sophomore Felix Kemboi was two seconds behind him to finish second. Trailing behind, to finish in 15:07, senior Edwin Kangogo took No. 3, with junior Jorge Sanchez three seconds behind at No. 4 and sophomore Nickson Koech finishing one second later at No. 5. The women’s final 4000-meter distance medley relay was also completely blown out by the Seawolves. The relay team of Ruth Cvancara, Vanessa Aniteye, Danielle McCormick and Caroline Kurgat finished first in the event with a time of 11:23. “Well it was definitely fun, but I also realized what these
PHOTO COURTESY OF GNAC MEDIA
UAA women’s distance medley relay team won first at GNAC championships on Feb. 15.
ladies [Cvancara, McCormick and Aniteye] have done so I just knew it was my time to do something great,” Kurgat said. This was the sixth fastest time in Division II history. Their nearest competition was 37 seconds behind. “I, of course, have the shortest distance out of all of us but Ruth [Cvancara] gave me a really good start which made my 400 meters seem super easy,” Aniteye said. “But we also have these two national champions as well [Kurgat and McCormick] which made it really fun to run on this team.” UAA also placed a men’s team in the DMR. With a time of 10:21, they finished in third overall. The team was composed of Drew Johnson, Nathanial Brunett, Orozco and Faisal Ibrahim, all of which are freshmen. Saturday continued with the various follow-up final events and with several stand-alone final eventsl. The UAA men’s team saw success in the 3000-meter on Saturday. Kangogo placed third with Kemboi two seconds behind in fourth. Following them, Sanchez and Koech trailed in
with a sixth-seventh finish, respectively. Several women did well in the mile. Kurgat (4:47) finished first overall, with McCormick (5:11) behind her in fifth. Johnson and Kemboi also placed high in the mile, at second and fifth, respectively. To finish off the meet, the men’s and women’s 4x400 meter relays competed. UAA’s men’s team ended on a positive note with a first place win in the relay, by just 0.12 seconds. The relay was run by Brunett, Daniel Remington, Johnson and Orozco. Aniteye, Cano, Cvancara and Marie Ries, who ran the women’s 4x400, didn’t place as high as the men’s team but still finished off in a solid fourth place. The women’s team finished third overall. Ahead of them was Central Washington at No. 2 and Seattle Pacific at No. 1 The UAA men took second place, with only Western Washington ahead of them. The Seawolves will next take qualifying individuals to the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in March.
OPINION
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
05
UA budget falls victim to superficial democracy By Ben Edwards
opinion2@thenorthernlight.org
Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed his FY20 budget to the public on Feb. 13. Amidst the roughly $1.6 billion in cuts is a proposed reduction in the state’s subsidy to the University of Alaska. This reduction isn’t trivial. In an email to students and staff that day, UA President Jim Johnsen warned that the cut would remove 41 percent of the operating budget and force a restructuring process, unlike any-
thing the university has experienced in its history. The budget proposal will still work its way through the legislative process. Amendments may soften the blow, but the end result is still subject to the governor’s veto pen. The university should not expect to make it out unscathed. Dunleavy highlighted a guiding principle in his budget that expenditures cannot exceed existing revenues in a budget. A noble pursuit, but responsible fiscal austerity is a highly technical process that requires patience and attention to de-
tail. Broad strokes that attempt to erase a deficit immediately, regardless of outcomes, show something else. It shows a democracy that values superficial answers to complex problems. We have seen this problem manifest in Alaska politics for quite some time. Most voters do not have the time or interest to examine the details of the state budget, even though it is posted on the state website. So they are content with making very simple suggestions that correspond to their political biases. Suggestions like those that compare the state budget to family finance or pin all of the blame on some faceless bureaucrats somewhere. Dunleavy’s problem isn’t in the principle. Alaska absolutely should strive for a limited and solvent government. The problem here is the politics behind the intentions. Dunleavy probably doesn’t expect that this budget will actually go through in the manner that he wrote it. It is also unlikely that he expects to achieve any long-term fiscal plan for Alaska. The point is just to propose a simple solution to a complex problem, something that voters can latch on to in the next election cycle. Even if the budget is amended and the deficit remains, Dunleavy will be able to communicate to his supporters that he did his part and that any blame lies with the legislature. This is a compelling argument in a superficial democ-
racy. The governor isn’t just using this problem, he is a product of it. Dunleavy skipped many of the debates and speaking events during the 2018 gubernatorial race. These were forums for candidates to be directly accountable to the constituency. In the few times that candidate Dunleavy was pressed for answers on budgeting, he responded with amorphous theories about increased oil production on the North Slope in the future. It didn’t matter that the quantity of barrels flowing out of the pipeline is of far less concern to the budget than the price each barrel can be sold at. Dunleavy didn’t need to flesh out detailed ideas and he didn’t need to attend any of the forums. All he needed was to bring up the PFD and SB91. Those two issues play into a narrow self-interest calculus exhibited by voters. They end up experiencing tunnel vision on the issues that are the simplest and most relevant to them while failing to take in the real complexities of the “bigger picture.” Alaskan democracy isn’t in the worst shape imaginable. But these superficial elements, particularly the call for simple answers to complex problems, are actually harming our institutions. Education, healthcare, law and natural resource management are four state obligations where highly technical policies
need to be crafted by the career professionals in those subjects. When people try to weigh in with oversimplified suggestions, it carries the risk of actually turning into real changes via superficial politicians. That is what we may see a lot of during this current administration, as evidenced by the string of poorly-vetted appointees. Some of those appointees had bad ideas as unelected citizens and could turn those into reality as civil servants. I used to think that prudent politicians could stem this wave by just being honest and straightforward with the constituency. But voters eject those politicians from office, and charlatans seize the throne. It can be tough to admit that the biggest problem with Alaska’s governance is with Alaskan voters themselves. It means that we accept responsibility and we have to work to correct it. Education plays a role in that. The Anchorage School District can make more room for classes on civics and government. The University of Alaska can ensure that its classrooms remain protected by the freedom of speech so that students can be exposed to a variety of ideas and practice scrutiny. After all, education holds the key to promote the best of democracy, even if it has to suffer the worst of democracy to get there.
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OPINION
Dunleavy’s budget proposal is a crisis in education By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org
Those who have been paying attention to Gov. Dunleavy’s record on education knew his budget proposal would be rough. I’ve written quite critically about his misplaced priorities on education and made his hostility towards UAA a key component of my vehement opposition to his governorship. But when Dunleavy officially announced his proposed budget on Wednesday, there was no one who could have prepared me for this. As proposed, Dunleavy’s budget advocates for a 40 percent reduction in the UA System’s current $327 million budget, which equates to a reduction of $134
million. This would be the single largest reduction in the university budget in its 100-year history, well-surpassing cuts under the Walker administration — even when the budget deficit was over $4 billion, compared to the current deficit of $1.6 billion. The effect of these cuts would be absolutely devastating. We’ve all experienced the consequences of the first round of cuts a few years ago: tuition hikes, disappearing departments and reductions in essential services. Dunleavy’s cuts, however, would change everything. President of the UA system Jim Johnsen says the cuts would “devastate” the university, leading to campus closures, tuition hikes and layoffs of around 1,300 faculty and staff.
Without a doubt, campus closures would come at the cost of rural areas with little access to higher education. Services we all use won’t just be cut; they’ll be completely eliminated. Programs that don’t produce much tangible financial value will be the first on the chopping block. Scholarships, vital research opportunities and more will be stripped. Think that’s bad enough? Dunleavy had no problem taking an ax to public K-12 education, either. K-12 is looking at a $320 million reduction, a huge reduction in state education spending. In a field with already high turnover due to burnout, the quality of education in Alaska will undoubtedly suffer and schools will be forced to stuff more kids in classes. Some may say this is an exaggeration because it’s only the proposed budget. It’s true: the legislature must vote on a budget, and would likely make substantial changes. With news that the Democrats have formed a majority coalition, the House is unlikely to let cuts this large through. In most circumstances, that’d be enough to calm my nerves. However, the governor’s budget proposal is more than a reflection of financial priorities. It’s also a statement about what the administration values, and signals the kind of steps it’s willing to take to make room for other initiatives. To teachers all over the state, it says to them: you are not a vital profession in the state. It sends a clear message that public education is a privilege, and is non-essential to the success of Alaska. Assuming the budget never passes, teachers on the verge of retirement or
moving out of state for a better paying position now have an incredibly simple cost-benefit analysis to make: the cost of staying and fighting this administration’s attempt to gut education at every turn now exceeds the benefits of teaching. Will educators endure a few years of getting kicked around by the Dunleavy administration just to watch public education wither away? Will they stand by helplessly as their years of work are blown away reckless budget after budget? Don’t count on it. What’s the consequence of teacher flight? The loss of institutional memory. Treasured teaching practices and university know-how all goes down the drain. Relationships between educators and institutions will be lost. The same goes for teachers or professors even thinking about coming to Alaska to teach. If the UAA accreditation issue wasn’t reasoning enough to distrust UA’s reputation, educators now may fear they’re walking into a building whose pillars may collapse at any given moment. The best way to lead a state into prosperity is to keep places that produce its leaders intact. Those who get an education here are more likely to stick around and apply their knowledge to the communities closest to them. Driving up education costs and killing its quality is a great way to push them out of state. The temptation to solve a budget crisis by cutting an already-gutted budget neglects the real Alaskans that will suffer. For now, they will be teachers and students. Following them will be the generations that suffer from an education system that got left behind.
OPINION
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Bring back Caliente By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org
These days, it seems like UAA is in no shortage of controversy. The School of Education crisis continues to unfold. Gov. Dunleavy’s budget is causing a panic among students and faculty. The university has still refused to take down their disgraceful sky bridges. And yet, the true injustice that haunts UAA resides in the Student Union building on the west side of campus. It is the theft of one of our campus’ most esteemed institutions: Caliente. In the fall of 2018, UAA announced that the Mexican-inspired restaurant would be replaced with Union Burger, an artisan burger-building stop next to the SU’s Subway. Since then, student life simply hasn’t been the same. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not against restaurants on campus coming and going. Let us not forget that Caliente replaced Mein Bowl just a year or so prior. However, Mein Bowl was unpopular and unsatisfying, and thus in need of replacement. No such thing can be said for Caliente. By any marker, it was far superior to any of the last three campus dining options to be introduced to UAA. First and foremost, Union Burger’s variety pales in comparison to Caliente. While everyone loves a good burger, that’s kind of the only thing Union Burg-
er knows how to do. Sure, I can pick between a fresh ground angus or a chipotle black bean patty, but is that all Union Burger can offer us? Contrast that to Caliente’s former selection. The temptation for a tiny Mexican restaurant to do just tacos and keep its customers happy was probably intense. And yet, Caliente rose above the challenge. Not only did they offer us $2 Taco Tuesdays, but they gave us their wide variety of burritos, quesadillas and tostadas. Beyond variety, Caliente was known for its quality. If the only thing they served was tacos, I would have happily eaten there every day thanks to their fresh-cut vegetables and delicious sauces. Union Burger, on the other hand, really isn’t anything special. The best part of the whole establishment is their wellseasoned fries. Don’t just take my word for it: TNL’s own Malia Barto gave the Union Burger a meager three out of five. Now, let’s pretend as if all of this was untrue. Say Union Burger tasted a bit better than Caliente. Say it offered some jalepeño poppers on the side. The question is, did we really need another place on campus to get burgers? For residential students, you can eat all the tasty burgers you want with your meal plan for lunch, dinner and late night. If you’re on the west side of campus, you can go to Cuddy Hall and grab burgers from the cafeteria.
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Now that Union Burger has taken over Caliente, there are very few places to get any type of non-American ethnic food around campus. Your options are some mediocre sushi boxes at Cuddy and Kaladis, and your occasional noodles served for dinner at the Gorsuch Commons. Granted, Caliente certainly wasn’t authentic Mexican food, as is the case for most “Mexican” restaurants around town. But it’s the closest we had to some degree
of culinary diversity, and we loved it. In the words of President Trump, closing Caliente for Union Burger was the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever. UAA should act immediately to restore Caliente to the Union Station by renewing its contract. A restaurant with such superior variety, quality and significance should never have to suffer at the hands of yet another sandwich shop on campus.
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The Northern Light is a proud member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.
N OT I C E O F N O N D I S C R I M I N AT I O N The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution. The University of Alaska does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, physical or mental disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, parenthood, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, or other legally protected status. The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, including against sex discrimination, applies to students, employees, and applicants for admission and employment. Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UA’s statement of nondiscrimination available at www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.
L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y The Northern Light encourages readers to express their views in the newspaper. The Northern Light reserves the right to reject or publish any submission, online or in print. Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a letter to the editor is 250 words, and 150 words for letters specifically endorsing candidates for federal, local, or university office. A letter to the editor is written by someone who does not have authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing. Contributors are restricted to one published letter to the editor per month. Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a contributor’s opinion piece is 450 words. Contributors are restricted to one published opinion piece per month. Opinion pieces written by staff of The Northern Light are limited to 800 words. An opinion piece that is published in The Northern Light should be written by someone who has authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing. Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. All letters and opinion pieces must include names, major and/or group affiliation and contact information for verification purposes. The Northern Light will not publish anonymous letters or pseudonyms. Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www. thenorthernlight.org. The deadline for submissions is the Friday before publication at noon, no exceptions. The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union Room 118.