JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2020
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NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
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President Trump signs order that may limit free speech at campuses By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org
On Dec. 9, 2019, President Trump signed an executive order that would protect Jews from hate crimes at all U.S. universities and colleges. The order would apply Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to Jews. Acts of anti-Semitism, such as the 2018 shooting at a Pittsburgh Synagogue and hate crimes at universities have spurred the president to sign this order, according to the White House’s Official Statement released on Dec. 11, 2019. “Anti-Semitic incidents have increased in America since 2013, particularly in schools and on college campuses,” the statement said. The executive order shows Title VI’s terms of discrimination based on race, color and national origin. The order will extend to anti-Semitism as well, as defined by The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA. “Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities,” the IHRA said. If a university or college were to violate this order, it would have federal funds cut from it. Suspected crimes have to be reported to the Department of Justice, where they are to be investigated and reviewed, according to Title VI. This ban on Jewish discrimination would stifle
UPD Report: Dec. 16, 2019– Jan. 6, 2020 PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
On Dec. 9, 2019, President Trump signed an executive order that would protect Jews from hate crimes at universities.
supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, or BDS. This organization opposes the occupation of Israel in the land that they believe rightfully belongs to Palestine, according to its website. The movement focuses on non-violence and does not promote antiSemitism. The BDS National Committee’s members, for example, include the Council of National and Islamic Forces in Palestine. BDS has an active campaign called Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel that has been active since April of 2004. The campaign aims to sever ties in academia with Israel, such as American universities abroad studies in Israel. BDS also hosts antiIsraeli protests on college campuses all over the U.S. with the National Students for Justice in Palestine. The executive order would make it punishable by federal law to partake in these protests. Some Jewish groups, such as J-Street, a leftleaning group, are worried this will infringe on free
speech at campuses of opposers of Israel policy towards Palestine. J-Street released a statement on their website about the order on Dec. 11, 2019. “We feel it is misguided and harmful for the White House to unilaterally declare a broad range of nonviolent campus criticism of Israel to be anti-Semitic, especially at a time when the prime driver of anti-Semitism in this country is the xenophobic, white nationalist far-right,” according to the website. The Republican Jewish Coalition is in support of the order and praised the president on its official website for signing the order. “This is a truly historic and important moment for Jewish Americans. President Trump has extended to Jewish students very strong, meaningful legal protection from anti-Semitic discrimination,” the website said. Beyond free speech, there is concern in Jewish communities about categorizing Jews as a nationality. Rabbi Jonah Pesner is the head of Re-
form Judaism’s Religious Action Center in Washington D.C. He expresses his concern on the order in a 2019 Washington Post article titled “Is Judaism an ethnicity? A race? A nationality? Trump signs an order and provokes an identity crisis.” “Throughout Jewish history, categorizing Jews into a separate group has led to othering and sometimes violence. So we’re just cautious,” Pesner said. “Any good-faith attempt to protect any minority, including the Jewish minority, from anti-Semitism or violence is a good thing… We’re just cautious about the government defining who we are and the government defining who is part of us.” UAA is home to Students United for Israel, a student club “united for the cause of Human Rights in the Middle East,” according to its website. The executive order can be viewed at the official White House website. For more information about the definitions of anti-semitism, The International Holocaust Alliance has a comprehensive list on its website.
Total calls for service: 683 2019: Dec. 16: • Trespass in the Fine Arts Building. Dec. 17: • Theft in the UAA/APU Consortium Library. Dec. 18: • Criminal Mischief in the Alder Parking Lot. Dec. 19: • Theft in the UAA/APU Consortium Library. Dec. 24: • Trespass in the Eugene Short Hall. Dec. 27: • Traffic accident with no injuries on Providence Drive and Alumni Drive. Dec. 31: • Suspicious person at the Social Sciences Building. 2020: Jan. 1: • Theft in the East Lot. Jan. 2: • Disorderly conduct in the UAA/APU Consortium Library. Jan. 5: • Warrant arrest and trespass in the Social Sciences Building. Jan. 6: • Obstruction of public administration — Violating conditions of release (felon) off-campus at Tudor and Wright. All information is provided by the University of Alaska Anchorage Police Department.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
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Hygge can help combat winter blues By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org
Hygge is a Danish seasonal tradition that literally translates to “coziness.” Pronounced “hoo-gah,” it has become a popular way to alleviate winter blues in Denmark and around the world. Hygge is fuzzy blankets, hot cocoa by the fireplace or a board game with friends to make the dark days of winter light again. The word “hygge” originates from the Norwegian word “hugga,” which means “well-being.” The Danish took this term in the 18th century and integrated it into their culture as a way of life, according to Visit Denmark. Research on hygge has found that in Denmark, it’s integral to people’s sense of well-being. It acts as a buffer against stress, while also creating a space to build camaraderie, according to “Money Can’t Buy Me Hygge: Danish Middle-Class Consumption, Egalitarianism, and the Sanctity of Inner Space,” a 2011 article by Jeppe Trolle Linnet. The hygge tradition has
grown in popularity in the U.S. in the past few years and can be seen in practice on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. There are many ways to achieve hygge in daily life, according to Jessica Payne, an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame who specializes in how sleep and stress influence human memory and psychological function, and Pia Edberg, a hygge expert and author of “The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of the Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge.” Payne and Edberg put their knowledge together in a 2018 article in Elle Magazine called “How to Achieve Peak Coziness, According to Two Cozy Experts.” There are a few ways to make life cozier, according to Edburg. The texture is important in furnishings or clothing. A fuzzy blanket, a soft rug when the floorboards are ice cold or a soft oversized scarf to brave the cold winter air can bring coziness throughout the day. Light is another way to cheer up dark days and
warm a room visually. In Sweden, where hygge is also practiced, “Lucia” is a festival of candle lights takes place on Dec. 13 each year. This 400-yearold tradition is a way to bring a “source of light and good cheer in Scandinavian countries,” according to a 2017 WTTW PBS article called “How Swedes Celebrate the Darkest Time of the Year.” Some ways to lighten winter darkness with hygge are candlelight or warm tinged light bulbs instead of cold fluorescent light, fairy lights and the light of a fireplace or fire pit. Edburg also suggests spending less time looking at the computer or phone screens, especially before bedtime. “The last thing you want people to do is lay there stressing out and scrolling through their phones,” Edburg said in the Elle Magazine article. Edburg also believes that personal connections are important during winter, as opposed to connections on the internet. “One of the biggest things we can do, especially with the digital age distracting us, is deliber-
PHOTO BY CHRISTINA SWAYNEY
Elements of hygge include soft, fluffy blankets, ambient lighting, pillows and a hot, comforting beverage.
ately creating connection and time with our loved ones we haven’t spent time with in a long time,” Edburg said in the article. Although it is a big part
of the tradition, hygge is not just about physical things, like candles, blankets, hot drinks and cozy socks, according to Jeppe Linnet, an anthropologist who researches hygge. “Hygge and its emphasis on slowing down, taking time to be grateful for the little things and being in the present moment is the antidote to that [stress in daily life],” Linnet said in a 2018 Telegraph UK article called “The Definitive Guide to Health, Happiness, and Hygge.”
A comprehensive list of books about Hygge is available on GoodReads, including Louisa Thomsen Brits’ “The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well,” in which she describes what hygge is to her. “Hygge is about having less, enjoying more; the pleasure of simply being. It is generous and celebratory, a way to remember the importance of the simple act of living itself,” Thomsen said in her book.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
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Folk festival brings music and dancing to Anchorage By Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org
The annual Anchorage Folk Festival will celebrate 31 years of music, dance and workshop events Jan. 15-26. The festival serves to represent community performers and perpetuate folk art culture, according to its website. This year, the festival features Jontavious Willis, Feufollet and Jack Broadbent as guest artists, who will perform at 49th State Brewing Co, UAA’s Wendy Williamson Auditorium and the Williwaw Social. Concerts at the auditorium are free and tickets for other performances can be purchased on anchoragefolkfestival.org. Jontavious Willis of Greenville, Georgia will bring blues to the stage with his soulful music. The 22-year-old multiinstrumentalist has been recognized by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization that preserves blues heritage and hosts annual music awards, and was given the 2018 best self-produced CD award. “Many fans of Willis
regard him as an old soul. His style of playing the instruments and his voice touches the very roots of country blues,” according to Willis’ website. A five-member band from southeast Louisiana will also grace the stage to play a mix of Cajun, honky-tonk and string-band music. Feufollet plays an array of instruments, including the fiddle and the accordion. “At the outset, the group demonstrated that it played authentic Cajun music like a group of grizzled veterans as time went on, Feufollet demonstrates that the band wasn’t afraid to tackle new things and venture into new directions,” OffBeat Magazine writer Dan Willing commented in a 2019 article about Feufollet’s 20th anniversary. Jack Broadbent, originally from Lincolnshire, England, will perform in Alaska for the first time during the festival. He was coined “the new master of the slide guitar” by the Montreux Jazz Festival. The festival takes place on Lake Geneva, Switzerland and is the second-largest annual jazz festival in the
world. “I would describe my musical style as roots music. It’s a melting pot of styles including folk, blues, rock, jazz and Americana,” Broadbent said. He developed his style through years of traveling and performing in different places, but his father, a fellow musician, is his biggest inspiration. Broadbent taught himself how to play music by writing his own songs. “I mainly play guitar and sing, but I also love to play all kinds of instruments and percussion,” Broadbent said. Along with the three headlining artists, UAA’s Wendy Williamson main stage will host over 120 community performers throughout the weeks of the Folk Festival. Local artists’ acts will rotate every 15 minutes. The main stage festival community performances are free and open to the public. In addition to the live performances, there will be dance sessions and festival workshops at the auditorium. Some of the special events include a kickoff party, Irish ceili danc-
ing, swing dance lessons, folk dance for kids, Cajun dance lessons and instrument-related workshops. Lessons are free and open to all, with no experience needed. Students will receive free admission to a Contra Dance held in UAA’s Student Union on Jan. 23. The dance is open to the public and will feature guest band the Pig Runners. The event provides students and community members a chance to enjoy a night of dancing accompanied by live music. “We love that UAA is our home base for this festival,” Anchorage Folk Festival Board of Directors member Joe Selmont said. “We want to encourage UAA students to go to the festival and make a place that’s fun, welcoming and folky.” For more information on the Anchorage Folk Festival and a schedule of the upcoming events, visit the 31st Annual Anchorage Folk Festival on Facebook. Times and dates of performances are also listed on anchoragefolkfestival.org.
GRAPHIC COURTESY OF ANCHORAGEFOLKFESTIVAL.ORG
The 31st annual Anchorage Folk Festival takes place from Jan. 15–26, and performances are hosted at 49th State Brewing Co., Williwaw Social and UAA’s Wendy Williamson Auditorium.
UAA | University Art Analysis — A steel sculpture helps students visualize engineering methods
GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS
By Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org
For over 30 years, “Steel Sculptures” from the American Institute of Steel Construction, or AISC, have been erected on over 180 colleges and universi-
ties worldwide. The sculptures serve as teaching aids for students by modeling methods of steel framing and their connections, according to its website. The AISC is a technical institute and trade association based in Chicago, Illinois that provides information to the steel design
PHOTO COURTESY OF T. BART QUIMBY
UAA’s “Steel Sculpture” can be viewed outside of the Engineering and Industry Building near the Student Union.
and construction community. The institute supports the ability of structural steel to be used in the worldwide construction market to create better, safer and more economical structures, according to its website. In 2016, UAA’s College of Engineering celebrated the unveiling of the steel teaching sculpture. The installation of the AISC sculpture was made possible by UAA’s professor emeritus of civil engineering T. Bart Quimby. SteelFab, an AISC member and certified fabricator, donated the materials used for the sculpture, while UAA paid for the footing. Quimby and his wife paid SteelFab for the labor. “I sure wish I had this available when I was teaching structural engineering classes [at UAA],” Quimby said in a 2017 interview with The Alaska Professional Design Council. UAA’s “Steel Sculpture” resides at the Engineering and Industry Building, giving engineering students easy access to the piece. The sculpture consists of numerous steel pieces covered in a vibrant Seawolf green. These sculptures are intended to show the many different techniques used in engineering and construction to connect steel parts together. Quimby’s gift continues to provide a hands-on learning experience for engineering students. The “Steel Sculpture” can be seen as a unique piece of art for non-engineering majors. “[It’s] interesting that it looks like a big birdhouse,” Teeana Nicholai, a freshman political science major, said. “I’m not
an engineering student, but I’m sure that the placements of the steel took a lot of work and well thought planning based on the irregular structure.” The original “Steel Sculpture” was constructed in 1986 at the University of Florida’s campus in Gainesville. The university’s professor emeritus of civil engineering, Duane Ellifritt, created the sculpture. The sculpture is made from 25 steel beams, 43 connection elements, over 26 weld groups and over 144 bolts, according to AISC. org. “The structure was envisioned to be a full-size 3D model that would provide engineering students with up-close, handson exposure to structural steel
members and connections,” according to the AISC website. AISC requested and received permission to promote a smaller version of the original sculpture as teaching aids. The AISC provides an electronic set of detailed drawings that can be used to fabricate the sculpture. To begin the process of having an AISC “Steel Sculpture” placed on campus, the set of drawings can be downloaded from the AISC website. Local steel fabrication companies erect and fabricate the sculpture based on the drawings. Have you seen art at UAA you want to know more about? Contact Gabby Vance at arts1@ thenorthernlight.org.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
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SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF IGDB
GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS
Ring Fit Adventure’s art style isn’t particularly noteworthy, but it does provide some good scenery occasionally.
Hitbox First Impressions: Ring Fit Adventure — It’s not just exercise, it’s gamercise cuse to start exercising again after a year-long lapse. When I arts@thenorthernlight.org heard about Ring Fit Adventure, a game that blends some of the Ring Fit Adventure is a lit- most compelling mechanics of tle difficult to categorize. Is it a role-playing games, charming game or exercise software? Well, enemy designs and motion conit’s a mix of both, but definitely trols, I had to check it out. more of the latter. Ring Fit AdThe most immediate comventure provides the framework parison to make with Ring Fit for an exercise session with role- Adventure is Wii Fit. However, playing game turn-based com- where Wii Fit was primarily fobat, stats and consumable items. cused on exercising with an occasional mini-game here and Developer: Nintendo there, Ring Fit Adventure uses a Initial release date: Oct. 8, story about an average person on 2019 a journey to defeat an evil bodyPlatform: Nintendo Switch building dragon named Dragaux Price: $79.99 with the help of a sentient magic ring. The story and structure of I’ve been looking for an ex- Ring Fit Adventure merely proBy John Novotny
vide an excuse to exercise. I’m not just doing 15 squats, I’m doing 15 squats to deal 150 damage to a blue kettlebell that has the face and ears of a dog. Ring Fit Adventure comes with a seemingly quality plastic pilates ring and a leg strap to track leg movement. One detachable Joy-Con controller of the Switch is placed in each to track movement for the exercises and control the player character. It all works like it’s supposed to, though I found myself having to recalibrate the Ring-Con multiple times per level. This could be due to the space I was playing the game in. I was standing at an adjacent angle from the screen and console and not straight-on SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF IGDB
The variety of skills the player must perform in Ring Fit Adventure is impressive, including leg and arm exercises and an assortment of yoga poses.
as I suspect most people will be. The fabric handles and leg strap can also be hand-washed when needed with instructions provided in a Q&A section on the Japanese Nintendo website. The webpage can be translated when opened in a Chrome browser window. The gameplay is relatively simple, with the player jogging in place to move along a set path and pushing in the Ring-Con to send out a blast to destroy obstacles. Pulling the Ring-Con outwards will suck in coins, which can be used to purchase in-game stat-boosting clothes and smoothies. When the player encounters enemies, they will enter combat, taking turns with the enemies performing exercises to deal damage. When the enemy attacks, the player performs an ab guard to defend themselves by pressing the Ring-Con against their abs. The player begins with a set of four exercise skills: squat, overhead press, chair pose, knee-to-chest and front press. Six exercises can be equipped at once to perform during combat. The player will earn new exercises as they level up. Thankfully, the difficulty can be adjusted easily in the menu between levels and will determine if the player needs to do 30 reps for an attack or only 10. Especially during the first few hours, performing the same four exercises can get old really fast. I wish that the player could use any exercise they had
unlocked at any time. This system just seems to be a remnant of traditional role-playing game design. The player will even unlock a passive power, which increases damage against enemies by matching the exercise and enemy colors. It’s similar to super-effective moves in Pokemon games. The player will jog and fight through levels and worlds similar to a Super Mario game, with a boss fight at the end. However, instead of Bowser, it’s Dragaux, who is apparently so into fitness that he plans his next workout while working out. The other main character, Ring, serves to provide exposition about the story and encourage the player. It’s mildly charming, but can cross over to downright odd sometimes. After one particularly tough battle, Ring said “your sweat is so shiny and beautiful!” I don’t know what to make of that, but I guess thanks for the compliment, ring buddy. I’ve only played Ring Fit Adventure for a handful of hours across an equal amount of days, but I’m thankful it’s provided me with an excuse to exercise. The line between the role-playing game and exercise is starting to wear pretty thin, but the drive to collect enough coins to buy a new set of clothes and increase my attack and defense might just be enough to keep me interested for more than 100 levels and over 20 worlds in the adventure mode.
OPINION
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
Use S.M.A.R.T. to keep New Year’s resolutions
By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org
New Year’s resolutions can be difficult to keep, especially when they’re not fully thought out. Most resolutions likely fail because they aren’t specific, measurable, achievable, relevant or time-limited, according to websites like the New York Times and Mayo Clinic. Both websites are quick to reference a 1981 paper titled “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives” written by George T. Dorian. The paper was originally written to help company executives set goals and objectives. S.M.A.R.T. stands for specific, measurable,
achievable, relevant and time-limited. The method is straight-forward. A goal should be specific so that there is a clear way to approach it. Just saying “I want to exercise more” is a great first thought, but figuring out where, when and how to achieve the goal is the next step. Measurable means that there should be a way to determine how much progress has been made regarding the goal. It ties into being specific about the goal, such as wanting to run two miles in 20 minutes. Progress towards that goal can be measured by how far off the person’s mile time is, or how far they were able to run. A resolution should also be achievable. In other words, if the goal is to go to the gym and exercise an hour a day, but you can’t commit to that every day, then it isn’t realistic. Consider going to the gym just a few days a week, or figure out some exercises to do at home, whenever there’s a commercial on TV. Unfortunately, there
are only 24 hours in a day. The next step of S.M.A.R.T. is to make the resolution relevant so that it matters to you. As clichć and cheesy as it sounds, wanting to improve should come from a genuine and good-hearted mentality. “If you do it out of a sense of self-hate or remorse or a strong passion in that moment, it doesn’t usually last that long,” Dr. Michael Bennett, a psychiatrist, said in a New York Times interview. Lastly, the resolution should be time-limited. There should be a date that the resolution should be achieved by. This will help motivate you by establishing an end date. It could also help set up mini-goals along the way that will show that some progress has been made and how much further there is to go. Preparing for setbacks is also key, according to the mental health website PsychCentral. Just knowing that there will be times where you may not feel like going to the
STAFF CONTACTS Sports Reporter Ronan Klancher sports2@thenorthernlight.org
Executive Editor Caleigh Jensen (907) 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org
Multimedia Editor Jennifer Lincoln multimedia@thenorthernlight.org
Managing Editor Mary Ryan content@thenorthernlight.org Layout Editor Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org Arts & Entertainment Editor John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org Arts & Entertainment Reporter Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org Features Reporter Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAAC SMITH ON UNSPLASH
Having a visual reminder of New Year’s resolution progress can provide a helpful boost in motivation.
gym or are having a bad day and can’t resist a donut will help prepare for that eventuality. Just because there’s one setback or mistake doesn’t mean that it’s time to abandon the whole resolution. Just think about what has been accomplished so far. Something is better than nothing. Combining the S.M.A.R.T. method with the analysis approach Patty Gardner proposes in a FranklinPlanner blog is another way to stay motivated. Instead of doing all of what the S.M.A.R.T. method suggests, Gardner proposes having a few
general goals, such as lose weight, eat healthier and exercise more, and then keep track of what you do to achieve those goals. Throwing out all the solid advice of the S.M.A.R.T. method is a waste, but keeping some sort of journal and writing what you did and how much progress has been made toward the goal could come in handy during a particularly discouraging day. Making a goal with someone else could also help get you through the tough times when a boost of motivation is needed. Exercising with a friend might be the reason you
decide to go to the gym even though you’ve had a hectic day. In order to avoid the vicious cycle of broken New Year’s resolutions and self-hate, it’s important to realize that taking the first step is significant, but creating a S.M.A.R.T. resolution and not being too hard on yourself when setbacks occur is really the key to achieving the goal and not giving up by February. Keep a positive attitude and remember that some progress is always better than none.
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