January262010

THENORTHERNLIGHT JAN. 26, 2010

NEWS

03

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

Accreditation:

Report released to UAA

A&E

06

‘Viewing Pleasure’: The art of the band poster

THE PRICE OF TEXTBOOKS AN UNPLEASANT NECESSITY

WWW.THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

OPINION

10

Editorial:

Need to work together

Haiti victims not forgotten

by Alaskans

By Joshua Tucker The Northern Light

On Jan. 12, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the tiny island of Haiti with death toll estimates ranging from 50,000 to 200,000.

NBC News has reported that people are ripping water pipes out of destroyed buildings in Haiti’s capitol of Port-auPrince in a desperate search for any sign of water, as relief services have been slow to reach the most effected areas. Partners in Health, a major relief organization, have stated that up to 20,000 people are dying each day from treatable injuries and infections resulting from the earthquake.

Hours after the earthquake, UAA geography professor Dorn Van Dommelen and AHAINA assistant director Carey Brown each sent out e-mails to begin organizing fundraising to support relief efforts.

SEE HAITI PAGE 04

LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

Amidst the rush of students making last minute textbook purchases for the first week of classes, Carlos Arias receives check out help from UAA Bookstore employee Yijie Duan on Jan. 13.

UAA men face a tough road test this week

By Taylor Hall

By Kam Walters The Northern Light

The woes of textbooks; every semester with new classes comes a new list of textbooks, or as students often see it, a list of prices in the

seedy parts of the triple-digits.

Even with alternatives to the UAA bookstore, such as Amazon.com, Half.com and craigslist, textbooks are not cheap. The average amount a student spends on textbooks is around $700, according to the

National Association of College Stores. This, however, is not the fault of universities.

The textbook buying process begins with professors and departments submitting textbook adoption information to the bookstore. The bookstore

then calculates the quantity it needs to buy, this includes determining the amount of textbooks that will be sold back to the store from students finishing a particuler class. The final number of textbooks is then ordered from wholesalers SEE TEXTBOOKS PAGE 03

Chancellor Fran Ulmer releases date of retirement

By Kam Walters The Northern Light

First the president, now the chancellor.

On Friday, Jan. 22, UAA Chancellor Fran Ulmer issued a press release announcing her retirement in 18 months for a variety of personal and professional reasons.

“There are several things I would like to do while I am still able, a few of which may be difficult while in my current position as chancellor,” Ulmer wrote in a press release.

“I hope to work on public policy issues in Alaska, either independently or affiliated with the University. Writing, lecturing and policy research are still calling to me.

Several family health issues have reminded SEE CHANCELLOR PAGE 03

‘SuperFreakonomics’ coauthor to speak at UAA

The Northern Light

The road only gets tougher for a Seawolf squad already plagued by injuries and departures.

UAA will look to keep pace with the other leaders of the GNAC conference as they travel to Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene for two tough road challenges.

UAA has proven to be resilient, despite loses of junior guard Drew Robinson (stress fracture in foot) and center Malcolm Campbell (left school).

Key players such as juniors Brandon

Economics club brings Stephen Dubner to campus to discuss his bestselling book and controversial ideas

By Joshua Tucker The Northern Light

Can global warming be stopped with an 18 mile long �ire hose? In their second book, “Super Freakonomics”, authors Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt offer a plan to do just that.

Instead of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to slow the rate at which the planet is heating up, they explore an idea first raised by Belarusian climate scientist Mikhail Budyko after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo – a volcano in the Philippines.

Scientists quickly observed that the huge amount of sulfur dioxide the eruption had blown into the earth’s upper atmosphere had cooled the planet significantly. Budyko suggested suspending several 18-miles-long fire hoses with hot air balloons near the North and South polls, where warming is occurring most rapidly.

By pumping liquid sulfur dioxide through the hoses into the earth’s upper atmosphere to replicate the volcano’s cooling effect, the plan could theoretically halt global warming for an estimated startup cost of $20 million with an annual cost of $10 million after that.

SEE SUPER FREAK PAGE 05

LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

UAA junior, Donnie Lao, grapples with Saint Martian Saints while attempting to score on Jan 21.

SEE MENS BASKETBALL PAGE 09

02

TNL

NEWS| Jan. 26, 2010 STATEWIDE BRIEFS Homeless Anchorage robber has prison wish granted A homeless man who held up an Anchorage bank to get thrown in jail had his wish granted.

Forty-one-year-old Timmy Lee Porter was sentenced to a year in prison and transferred Jan. 19 to federal custody.

The Anchorage Daily News reported Porter sat on a couch in the lobby of the First National Bank Alaska branch and waited for police after the holdup last October in which he took a single $100 bill.

Porter confessed immediately, telling police he robbed the bank because he couldn’t find a place to sleep and had no means to leave Alaska.

Prosecutors reduced the charge to misdemeanor bank larceny to save taxpayers the cost of keeping Porter in prison for three years or more for felony bank robbery.

Kenai police use shoe clue to make arrest

CONNECTING ALASKA WORKERS WITH ALASKA EMPLOYERS

Alaska’s top health care companies use ALEXsys for recruiting.

It’s not easy navigating a job search. Luckily, ALEXsys can help steer you in the right direction.ALEXsys is more than a job bank. Log on to see all the no-cost, one-stop resources that have helped thousands of Alaskan job seekers find the perfect career match. With ALEXsys you can:

An unusual footprint helped Kenai police solve a series of burglaries and attempted burglaries.

Sgt. Scott McBride said investigators looking into the break-in on Jan. 22 at the Salvation Army thrift store in Kenai noticed an odd footprint — a distinct, circular tread pattern.

Later that day and the following night, police spotted the same footprint when investigating break-ins at an eatery, a bingo hall and, finally, unlocked cars near a theater.

Police followed the footprints to the backdoor of the Merit Inn. When Wayman E. Bright stepped outside, his shoes left the same imprint as the tracks police had been following.

Dems join effort to block global warming rules Three Democratic senators are joining an effort to block the Obama administration from taking steps to reduce the pollution blamed for global warming.

Democrats Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas

have signed onto a resolution introduced Jan. 21 by Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The measure, which must pass Congress and be signed by the President, would bar the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing regulations to control greenhouse gases.

The EPA has taken steps to reduce greenhouse gases using existing law as it has waited for Congress to pass legislation. A Senate bill limiting heattrapping gases has stalled.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Jan. 21 that the President is unlikely to sign it.

Discussion begins on omnibus energy bill The state Senate’s Resources Committee began initial discussion on Jan. 20 of an omnibus energy bill.

The bill would set targets for energy efficiency and use of renewable sources for generating electricity. It would also push public agencies to lead by example.

The specific goals are to improve energy efficiency by 15 percent per capita by 2020, generate half of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2025, and to “work to ensure a reliable, in-state gas supply” for state residents.

Many of the specific measures to achieve the goal target public entities, such as the state itself, municipalities and school districts.

Delegation announces grants to Alaska A federal agency has awarded a grant of more than $2.1 million for an environmental survey of the Chukchi Sea coastal region.

Alaska’s congressional delegation on Jan. 19 announced the grant from the Minerals Management Service to the Alaska Monitoring and Assessment Program.

Other awards announced include a grant of more than $5.5 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to the state’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The program helps eligible residents pay the costs of heating and insulation during winter.

— Compiled by Kam Walters

• Assess your job skills and explore training opportunities

SAY WHAT?

• Create a killer resume

Police: Man poses as cop, interferes in sex sting

Man tells cops he paid for sex, but didn’t get it

DETROIT - A 51-year-old Detroit man was arrested for impersonating an officer after police said he interfered with a prostitution sting.

Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon said in a release Jan. 20 that the man pulled alongside an undercover female officer on Detroit’s east side, flashed a badge and yelled “get off the street.”

Another man who believed he was speaking with a prostitute drove away.

Napoleon said the suspect continued to follow his deputy, but sped off when she told him she was an officer. He was stopped and arrested by other deputies who found a loaded .40-caliber handgun, a Detroit police badge, hats and other clothing with police logos in his pickup.

MARLBOROUGH, N.H. - Police said a man and woman from New Hampshire are each facing prostitution charges after the man called police to say he’d paid for sex, but the woman then refused. WMURTV reported a 22-year-old woman and 32-year-old man were cited into court at a later date.

Police said the man called Marlborough Police on Jan. 18 to say he’d paid the woman and a third party $150 to have sex with him on Jan. 17, but she wouldn’t follow through.

Police said they’re still investigating the third party.

• Receive real-time e-mail job alerts What’s more, ALEXsys is the only online job center that gives preference to Alaskans.

Looking for a new job? Visit ALEXsys.alaska.gov.

Photographers wanted submit your photos to The Northern Light... you could end up with a paid position! stop by Student Union room 113 call 786.1313 or e-mail content@thenorthernlight.org with questions

Meteorite strikes doctor’s office in Virginia LORTON, Va. - Doctors at a small practice in Virginia got a big surprise when a tennis ball-sized meteorite punched a hole through their roof. No one was injured.

Dr. Frank Ciampi said the rock struck the two-story building around 5:30 p.m. Jan. 18 in Lorton, about 20 miles southwest of Washington.

He said they heard a loud bang and found the projectile punched through the roof and ceiling, raining down pieces of wood, plaster and insulation.

The half-pound rock split into three chunks. Television station WUSA took it to the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History and experts confirmed it was a meteorite.

They estimated it was traveling about 220 miles per hour when it struck.

Utah man asks to ‘plead up’ for more prison time OGDEN, Utah - A Utah man has chosen to fight heroin addiction by spending more time in jail. Damon Conrow was sentenced Jan. 19 on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after asking to “plead up” to a firstdegree felony. The charge had been a second-degree felony, but Conrow wanted a longer sentence.

Conrow said he’ll soon be happier than he is now because he’ll get off heroin. He said within about eight weeks of going to jail, he expects withdrawal symptoms to ease so he can start having normal sleeping patterns.

The 25-year-old pleaded guilty in December.

On Jan. 19, 2nd District Judge Pamela Heffernan gave Conrow one last chance to change his mind and withdraw his guilty plea. Conrow declined.

— Compiled by Kam Walters

Jan. 26, 2010 | NEWS

TNL

03

Accreditation report on track, UAA remains on accelerated schedule

TEXTBOOKS: Majority of bookstore’s profit returned to publishers

The accreditation process that began in fall 2009 yields report on operations and resources at UAA

CONTINUED FROM COVER

By Robert Wise The Northern Light

UAA has a plan. As may have been overseen by many students attending UAA in fall of 2009, an evaluative team from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) was assessing the University. The University is currently in the process of renewing accreditation with the NWCCU, one of four institutions in the region, to help test out a new accreditation process.

Accreditation determines a school’s eligibility for participation in federal and state financial aid programs. Proper accreditation is also important for the acceptance and transfer of college credit.

“We were scheduled for accreditation every 10 years, but this year the [NWCCU] is changing the process and we volunteered to pilot that,” said Megan Carlson of the Accreditation Leadership Team.

According to Carlson, the new accreditation cycle takes seven years, but since UAA is testing it, the time is cut short.

So on Sept. 1 of last year, UAA submitted a response to a “Year Three” report, it was really done in about 18 months.

The process assesses how UAA applies resources and capacities toward a mission fulfillment. The evaluative team met with campus leadership, held open forums for the community, and visited the Kenai Peninsula College campus.

“We found the report to be a thoughtful and accurate review of the resources, capacities and operations of the University of Alaska Anchorage,” said Tom Miller, vice provost of academic affairs, in reply to the Year Three report. “The perspectives and judgments of the evaluators are very useful.”

The report included recommendations for UAA, giving tips to move closer to the goal, which is to complete the mission. These recommendations include refining its indicators and mechanisms for assessing how well it is achieving those objectives, developing and implementing a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of staff members, reviewing its financial

policies to ensure adequacy, and connecting its enrollment forecasting and management activities more directly to its planning efforts in the areas of course offerings, budgeting, space, and personnel in order to ensure desired student access and success.

The core themes of UAA’s mission are aligned with the five major themes of the University’s Strategic Plan. Those themes include “Teaching and Learning,” “Research,

‘We found the report to be a thoughtful and accurate review of the resources, capacities and operations of the University of Alaska Anchorage.’

–Tom Miller Scholarship, and Creative Activity,” “Student Success,” “UAA Community” and “The Public Square.”

The strategic plan includes a scheme for UAA’s mission statement. For example, step one under “Priority A,” which is to strengthen UAA’s instructional program, is “ build depth, reinforce success and ensure sustainability in programs that support student success, general education, workforce development, preparation for high-demand careers, or respond to high student demand.”

What does this mean for the student?

There may not be too much noticeable change.

“I think [the University] may not change for most students, but part of the new process is trying to focus on achieving the mission, not just checking boxes on our resources,” Carlson said.

She said that after the completion of the mission, there will be more opportunities for students to be involved with the University.

GRAPHIC BY NAOMI OZURU

or directly from publishers. The books are then shelved by staff at the store and then taken down by students running off to class. The remaining books not purchased are sent back to the wholesaler or publisher, usually at the cost of the bookstore.

“Textbook prices reflect real costs and a reasonable return on investment for authors, publishers, distributors and college stores. The fact is the bookstore makes very little money or no profit on textbooks,” said Joyce Colajezzi, director of UAA Business Services.

The amount that is returned to the publisher is about 65 percent of the selling price. The author gets 11 percent in royalties and the company that shipped the books gets about 1 percent. What is left is used to run the bookstore.

“The Campus bookstore is a selfsupporting unit of the University of Alaska Anchorage,” Colajezzi said.

“There are no general funds or student fee dollars needed or appropriated to the bookstore.”

This means that the bookstore covers all of its operating costs from that small percentage it receives after other parties take their cut.

There is a glimmer of hope for students lamenting over the expense of textbooks. Buyback, which the bookstore hosts, provides students an opportunity to sell their books back to the store.

These books are then resold at a cheaper price if a professor or department adopts the book again.

“The bookstore will pay 50 percent of the new retail price for a used copy of a textbook adopted for the next term,” Colajezzi said.

Reasons for the bookstore not buying a book include: the book not being adopted again, a newer edition of the book being released or if the book is part of a package.

The bookstore may still buy a book according to the National Wholesale Market Value, which is set by wholesalers. This price fluctuates; one student may get more for the same book than another student if the books are sold back at different times.

‘The fact is the bookstore makes very little money or no profit on textbooks.’

–Joyce Colajezzi, Director of UAA Business Services

The price of a textbook is so high because of the specialty of the books.

Since they are subject-specific, a general audience is not interested in the book since they are geared towards a more academic audience.

“While we understand that students are concerned about the price of textbooks, the real issue is not price, but value,” Colajezzi said. “When textbooks are integral to a course and faculty teach and test from the book, it is seen more as an investment and less as an unnecessary or forced purchase.”

CHANCELLOR: Ulmer retiring in 18 months CONTINUED FROM COVER

us that we are not invincible.”

Ulmer did not apply for the position of UA President, instead choosing to stay in her current position at UAA. Before retiring Ulmer wishes to wrap up the pending process of accreditation, fill the position for director of Mat-Su College and aid the new UA president in his or her first year.

Some of her more recent contributions to UAA include aiding in the completion of the Conoco Phillips Integrated Science Building and an adjacent parking garage.

Chancellor Ulmer has served as the chancellor of UAA since May of 2007. The

position is the most recent in a long line of her public service career. For 35 years Ulmer has been in public service at the local, state and national level. Among her most distinguished positions are mayor of Juneau and lieutenant governor of Alaska.

As chancellor, Ulmer was responsible for governing UAA and its eight campuses, with the UA president governing as the systemwide chief executive.

“I love UAA and its many campuses, programs and remarkable people,” Ulmer wrote. “I am enthusiastic about the progress we can make together over the next 18 months and beyond.”

LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

UAA students pay high prices for required textbooks each semester. The UAA Bookstore was bustles with new and returning students making purchases during the first weeks of classes.

FEATURES

04

HAITI: UAA students pull together to aid Haitians CONTINUED FROM COVER

“We promote international affairs, so when this happened it was unanimous we all wanted to do something, and this is the least we could do,” said Kayli Helvie, president of the Model United Nations Club.

Students rapidly organized a coalition between the UAA Model United Nations Club, the UAA Heifer International Club, the College Republicans and Students for Social Equality.

The coalition has united students with a broad range of ideological views to respond to the tragedy in Haiti.

“We wanted as many clubs as possible to get students who wouldn’t normally donate. I hope we can bring more clubs into this coalition, you can get more done when you have a big group. . . we want to cover both immediate and long-term needs by raising money for the Red Cross and Heifer.” said Meneka Thiru, a member of the Heifer International Club.

In a mere four days of fundraising, the Haiti coalition raised approximately $2,460. Of that, $1,672 was donated to the American Red Cross and $788 was donated to Heifer International for long-term redevelopment efforts.

As of Friday, the state of Alaska has raised $260,000 for the American Red Cross via text messages.

In total, 23 students volunteered their time to ask for donations at tables in the Student Union and SSB, three of which were not previously part of any of the groups in the coalition.

“All of us here have donated to our own cause,” said Lang Van Dommelen, a member of Students for Social Equality.

AHAINA has been the major contributor for Haiti relief on campus.

“Because we are the multi-cultural center, I felt it would be good for us to take that first step and lead the university,” said Brown. “I felt it was our duty to do something since we represent students of color on campus.”

Brown organized donation tables at last week’s basketball games, during Nikki Giovanni’s speech at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium and at the Martin Luther King Student Leadership Luncheon on Friday. He also

posted a bulletin on the Green and Gold Daily’s Web site urging people to drop by the AHAINA office to donate to the Red Cross.

“If you live in the United States you really shouldn’t complain about anything right now because there are people in Haiti who are starving and have lost family members. If I could go there and help I would. Some of the students are going to talk to the hospitals and see if they can donate defibrillators and EKG machines,” said Ashleigh Gaines, a member of Alpha Phi Omega.

‘If you live in the United States you really shouldn’t complain about anything right now because there are people in Haiti who are starving and have lost family members. If I could go there and help I would.’

JOSHUA TUCKER/TNL

AHAINA Assistant director Carey Brown talks with a student while manning the Haiti relief table at the Martin Luther King Student Leadership Luncheon Friday, Jan. 22.

–Ashley Gaines Gaines has also worked with her friends to forward a text message that reads, “after the tragic earthquake in Haiti, phone companies have agreed to donate 25 cents every time this message is sent.”

“Every penny counts,” said Gaines, “and everybody needs to give something.”

“UAA is supposed to be a community engaged university and we are lucky enough to have students who don’t want to just check boxes to get their degree, but who really want to make a difference in their local community and also in the global community . . . a lot of young people aren’t engaged in the normal political systems and when they are given an opportunity to get involved in something outside of the system to make some change, they jump at the chance,” Dorn Van Dommelen said.

Donations for relief effort in Haiti can be made at the AHAINA office in Rasmuson Hall or to one of the donations cans around campus.

UAA’s debate team snags ninth place in Turkey With the World Championships under their belt, debate team turns focus to Cabin Fever Debates

By Katie Forstner The Northern Light

Through movies and stereotypes, American adolescents have been programmed to be proud of their football team and make fun of their debate team.

But, when you’ve got a team as good as UAA’s, no one is making jokes.

The squad has been repeatedly making headlines since their competition earlier this year at the World Universities Debating Championships in Koc, Turkey.

“There were 200 university debate teams that were entered . . . and although us being 12th has garnered a lot of attention, that is our calculated performance over a span of five years. This year we were ninth in the world,” said Professor Steve Johnson, longtime coach and advocate of the debate team.

Like any team, athletic or academic, hard work is the single most important attribute to the

debate team’s indelible success.

“It’s an expectation from our program that might not be shared by teams around the world. I think the faculty leadership for the program gives us the results that we achieve,” Johnson said. “That, and we’re starting with some pretty good raw material because Alaskans are ornery and ornery people make good debaters.”

The team’s accomplishments at the debates in Turkey were beyond brilliant.

“What was really exceptional about UAA’s performance was the fact that there weren’t one of two star debaters. This shows longevity of the program and the quality of the training that we have . . . it’s a consistency toward excellence that’s pretty unique to UAA,” said competitor Michael Imeson.

It’s not surprising for a college student to encounter a debate assignment in an English or communications class. However, a classroom argument is opposite

a professional argument on the rhetorical spectrum. According to Johnson, members on the debate team spend upwards of eight hours per week researching current global issues to stay up to date and informed. Each student is required to write a four page brief on one of these subjects every two or three weeks during the busy season, primarily the fall semester.

“The amount of time these kids spend on their own research adds to their success. The inherent fear of facing a topic and a team that is better informed than you on a topic of which you know little is a big motivator for them to know as much as possible. It takes a lot of time to be a good debater,” Johnson said.

These briefs are filed into a binder, which has morphed into a highly revered “paper computer,” said team member Drew Cason.

Before each round of debate, competitors are allowed 15 minutes to deliberate with their team and

research their topic. No electronic sources are allowed, hence the overstuffed plastic binder.

“It’s cool because when I get a random topic like trade relations between the U.S and Cuba before the Embargo, I can find a brief written by somebody who isn’t even on the team anymore,” Cason said.

UAA’s format of debate is a variant of British Parliamentary Debate. The style is one of the most common used by collegiate speakers and utilizes four twoperson teams: two arguing for a subject and two opposing the claim.

“There’s a huge, wide breath of knowledge that’s required and a real necessity to think well on your feet. We take complex issues and try to parse them out and make them relevant,” said team member Akis Gialopsos.

The debate team is a walkon program, and they actively recruit people from the campus community and from high school

programs. Some of the team’s most successful debaters have joined the program this way.

“I was offered extra credit in one of my classes to do the Cabin Fever Debates, so I competed and won. I’ve been stuck here ever since, but it’s a blast,” said competitor Amie Stanley.

Aside from intense preparation for national and global tournaments, the debate team focuses on the Cabin Fever Debates, an intramural rhetorical competition at the University.

“These debates were created to bring debating back to UAA for students who don’t benefit from the travel and competitions. We have more interest this year than ever – we had 32 slots open, but 35 teams have registered and there are 18 individuals signed up eager to participate,” Johnson said.

The Debates are held each Tuesday between Jan. 26 and March 2 at 7 p.m. in SSB 218.

Jan. 26, 2010 | FEATURES

TNL

05

SUPER FREAK: Author will visit campus Jan. 27 CONTINUED FROM COVER

Dubner and Levitt write that their books, “marry the economic approach to a rogue freakish curiosity.”

Their ability to analyze incredibly complex data in a few pages of scintillating insights and highly readable banter must rank them as some of the most ingenious educators to emmerge in the last decade.

“They (Dubner and Levitt) make use of basic economic principles in very interesting ways to answer interesting questions. I go to their blog most days and a lot of good examples just come up. I just posted something to Blackboard for money and banking class on how coffee growers in Hawaii respond to incentives,” said Jonathan Alevy, an economics professor and faculty advisor the UAA’s Economics Club.

“Freakonomics,” Dubner and Levitt’s �irst collaboration, has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 35 languages. So, naturally, Dubner’s visit to UAA is a unique opportunity to learn from a high caliber thinker with ideas to attack the world’s biggest problems.

One case study in “SuperFreakonomics” examines women’s lives in rural India where there is a strong social preference for male children. In spite of campaigns by the government and nonpro�its, studies show female fetuses are much more likely to be aborted and girls are much less likely to complete school than boys. Dubner and Levitt determined a surprising factor that could help to improve conditions for these women: the spread of cable TV. “Rural Indian families who got cable TV began to have a lower birthrate than families without TV. In a country like India generally means more autonomy for women and fewer health risks . . . families with TV were also more likely to keep their daughters in school,” they write in “SuperFreakonomics.”

Understanding the social impact of economic circumstances can illuminate opportunities to leverage changes for the good of the public. As Dubner and Levitt point out, “laws of supply and demand are often more powerful than laws made by legislators.”

By analyzing data gathered by a variety of leading researchers, “Super Freakonomics” explains how �inancial records can be mined to pro�ile terrorists, how prostitutes who work with pimps make more money and how drunk walking is eight times more dangerous than drunk driving.

In response to inevitable critiques, Dubner and Levitt wrote in the introduction to “Super -Freakonomics,” “Many of our �indings may not be all that useful or even conclusive. But that’s alright because we are trying to start a conversation, not have the last word.”

Though all four copies of “SuperFreakonomics” at Anchorage area libraries are checked out until after Dubner’s visit, the “Freakonomics” blog , freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com, offers insights into the authors’ dynamic approach.

Books are available for purchase at Anchorage bookstores and Dubner will be signing autographs in the Rasmussen Hall lobby between 5:15 and 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 27.

ILLUSTRATION BY LINDSAY JOHNSON

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT 06

Concert posters featured in Snow City art show

LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

”Fallout,” a screen printed poster by Craig Updegrove.

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Bird frying Cyclops robots.

Sun-riding cowboys. Macabre playing cards. These are just a few of the many peculiar subjects selected by print artist Craig Updegrove for the series of concert posters he’s made over the years. A retrospective of his work, which spans five years and

raft

“Skullflake,” a screen printed poster by Craig Updegrove.

has been featured in a handful of international poster shows, is showing at Snow City Café through Feb. 4.

The show, called “For Your Viewing Pleasure,” displays 22 of the artist’s favorite posters.

Updegrove, a senior art major at UAA who’s also provided graphic design for KRUA and The Northern Light, said he started designing and printing posters

after moving to Seattle in 2005.

There, he was inspired by the band posters he saw while walking along the streets of the city, and by the power their designs seemed to have for drawing in passersby.

When he first started printing posters, Updegrove worked out of his kitchen. By the time he’d finished hand-drawing the designs, making the patterns and printing the posters, his kitchen

“Dandies,” a screen printed poster by Craig Updegrove.

was littered with them.

“They were drying on my cupboards,” Updegrove said.

He still prefers hand-drawing the designs as opposed to constructing them on computer, he said. Apart from that, his process is usually to listen to the band’s music to get a feel for it, and then design a poster that puts off the same vibe.

Updegrove said he made the

MUSIC REVIEW

OCTOPUS INK CLOTHING OCTOPUS INK IS LOCATED AT 410 G STREET IN DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE. WINTER HOURS OF OPERATION: SUNDAY, 12 – 5 P.M., AND TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FROM 11 A.M. – 5 P.M. FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.OCTOPUSINKCLOTHING.COM, OR CALL (907) 333-4657.

Print artist makes eco-friendly clothes

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Shara Dorris is the owner of a little shop in downtown Anchorage called Octopus Ink Clothing.

But Dorris doesn’t just sell clothes; she makes them.

She designs the artwork on the clothing she sells, and hand prints each one. Since opening the store in Oct. 2009, she’s debuted one new design each month, and sells about 10 designs at a time.

Dorris said everything about the tops and bottoms at Octopus Ink is eco-friendly, from the organic cotton and bamboo fabrics down to the inks she prints with.

Most of the designs relate to sea life, something Dorris is very passionate about due to her history as a hobbyist aquarium keeper.

“My designs are things I feel a connection with,” she said.

In addition to her handmade designs, her store also sports various crafts hand-made by other Alaskan artists.

Dorris’ Octopus Ink clothing comes in sizes ranging from extra-small to extra large, and includes women’s shirts and hoodies, men’s shirts, women’s yoga pants, and underwear. Most of the clothing ranges in price from $34 to $60, except for underwear, which runs for under $10.

frames for the posters in “For Your Viewing Pleasure” out of scrap wood salvaged from dumpsters, warehouses and junk piles around town.

“I wanted to take an element from the street and combine them with the posters, because the posters’ natural environment is on the street,” he said.

LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

Shara Dorris creates a new screen print design each month to produce and sell to the community through her business, Octopus Ink Gallery. December’s featured print is “The Jelly.”

Pearl’s debut pays homage to ‘80s rockers

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

Pearl Aday’s music is a peculiar beast. Her band Pearl combines the energy of Sammy Hagar with the style of AC/DC to create a hard-hitting southern-style rock with female vocals.

“White Fox” isn’t bad. It’s just different.

The whole album seems to exude nostalgia for the two aforementioned groups, while throwing in modern touches.

The album starts hard with “Rock Child,” which is more or less an ode to female rockers and a shot of adrenaline to the ears. Another song that emphasizes the hard rocker attitude is “Broken White,” which is also a political commentary.

Predictably, the album gets lighter—and flirts with country steel guitar playing—in the middle with “My Heart Isn’t In

It.” This change-up also adds a new layer to the somewhat classic rock feel.

“White Fox” also explores anger toward bad relationships with “Whore” and the shockingly good “Love Pyre.”

Pearl’s debut effort is a fun listen, but it lacks originality. Anyone who has listened to the hard rockers of the ‘80s has heard this tune before.

ALBUM: Little Immaculate White Fox ARTIST: Pearl RECORD LABEL: R.E.D. Distribution RELEASE DATE: Jan. 19, 2010

★★★

Jan. 26, 2010 | A&E

TNL

iFOCUS

07

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE THIS WEEK Compiled by Heather Hamilton

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

1.26 – 2.2.2010

MUSIC

Jazz Concert The UAA Music Dept. will host a jazz concert Wednesday, Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m., in the Fine Arts Building. Room 150. Tickets $2 with UAA student I.D. For more information, call the music department at 786-1595.

MOVIE

Theory of Hate

The Messenger

The Beartooth Theatre Pub will show “The Messenger,” a movie about a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who returns from a tour in Iraq, only to be placed in the Army’s Casualty Notification service. This movie will run Tuesday, Jan. 26 to Thursday, Jan. 28. Showings are at 5:30p.m.

Tickets are $3.

THEATRE

SILENT FILM

Local metal band Theory of Hate will perform at The Rock Music and Sports Grill in Wasilla on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. Cover is $7.

Gold Rush The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra presents Charlie Chaplin’s silent film “Gold Rush” on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. at the Atwood Concert Hall. Tickets range from $17 to $39 and can be purchased at www. anchoragesymphony.org.

The Afterlife of the Mind

“The Afterlife of the Mind,” a comic play about a woman seeking a body for her lover’s brain, premiers at Out North on Friday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m., and runs through Sunday, Feb. 14.

Tickets are $16.75 and can be purchased at www. outnorth.org.

MOVIE REVIEW

A&E BRIEFS

‘Book of Eli’ a tedious copycat flick

Actors wanted for the play ‘A Doll’s House’

By Jena Benton The Northern Light

“The Book of Eli” is a story audiences have seen in theaters before: in a post-apocalyptic future, one man holds the key to civilization’s salvation. There are some interesting political and religious implications here, but overall “The Book of Eli” is reminiscent of “I Am Legend” and several other similar films.

In fact, it’s hard not to make comparisons to other more memorable movies. The set and costume design in “The Book of Eli” are reminiscent of “Mad Max,” they’re tamer and more boring by comparison.

There are some cool graphics—like a bombed-out valley—and some neat shots. But the over-saturated filming style quickly grows old and makes the movie feel flat. Not to mention, it’s been done by every amateur filmmaker thousands of times. And no, this doesn’t make it look more like a John Ford western.

There is a twist at the end that harkens back to almost any movie done by M. Night Shyamalan within recent memory, but this is no “Sixth Sense.” In fact, the twist is as implausible as the movie’s soundtrack, which is provided by an iPod in a world that lacks the electricity to recharge it.

Of course the Hughes brothers don’t have a lot of reputable credits to their name in the first place. Their curriculum vitae includes such forgettable movies as “American Pimp,” “Dead Presidents,” and “Menace II Society.” Frankly, with a resume like that, it’s a miracle they got the financial backing to pull in an actor like Denzel Washington (“The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3”).

Washington is the only thing that saves the movie from the obscurity the other flicks produced by this duo of directors have sunk into.

His masterful performance is the only interesting thing about “The Book of Eli,” despite Gary Oldman’s (“The Unborn”) presence.

But the movie tries too hard to make Washington’s character a hero. This is what makes the movie fall apart: the ending. Most of the movie is tepid and passable, but the ending pushes it into the laughable. Even the parting cheesy walk-into-the-sunset shot of Mila Kunis (“Extract”) is overdone.

The premise of the movie (which can’t be divulged without spoiling it) is an interesting one, but in the end “The Book of Eli” is a highly derivative movie that soullessly plunders successful movies without gaining anything for its efforts.

Auditions for the UAA department. of theatre and dance’s production of “A Doll’s House” will be held on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Mainstage Theatre in the Fine Arts Building.

“A Doll’s House” is about a young wife and mother who defied social norms of the Victorian Era by abandoning her husband and children to follow a path of selfdiscovery. The play, written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, was considered highly controversial when it debuted in 1879.

The production has parts for four men, four women and two children between the ages of four and 10. For more information about the auditions, or to inquire about obtaining a script, contact the UAA Department of Theatre and Dance at 786-1792.

Creative arts journal seeks submissions “The Book of Eli” Directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes STARRING: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis RUN TIME: 118 minutes GENRE: Action

★★

“Understory,” UAA’s annual creative arts journal, is accepting submissions until Sunday, Jan. 31. Students may submit up to six separate entries in three different art forms: poetry, prose and visual arts.

Understory, the club responsible for producing the journal, is also looking for interested students to assist in fundraising, editing and layout. Students interested in helping should contact the club at: abunderstory@uaa.alaska.edu. For more information about submission guidelines, go to http://understory.uaa.alaska.edu.

- Compiled by Heather Hamilton

SPORTS SPORTS BRIEFS Seawolves sink 14 treys to stop Saints

08

Gymnasts on the road to Colorado

Nikki Aden, Kiki Taylor and Hanna Johansson posted impressive all-around stats on Jan. 21 as the nationally 13th-ranked UAA women’s basketball team rolled to a 78-62 victory over Saint Martin’s at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

The Seawolves (13-2, 3-1 GNAC) also got 17 points from senior guard Tamar Gruwell, who netted five of UAA’s school-record-tying 14 threepointers. UAA nailed a season-best 52 percent of its treys as it rallied to a 44-25 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Saints (6-10, 0-5) were led by a game-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from senior forward Krissy Bassett, while forward Dara Zack had 12 rebounds and nine assists in her team’s seventh strtaight defeat.

UAA took control of a tight game midway through the first half when junior guard Sarah Herrin came off the bench to spark a 12-2 Seawolf run that made the score 23-12. Herrin nailed all six of her shots in the first 20 minutes – including three three-pointers – and finished with 15 points.

The Seawolves’ 14 three-pointers tied the single-game record of the third time – all under fourth-year head coach Tim Moser. UAA canned the same number last year against Kuyper College and in 2006-07 against the same Saints squad.

Clark receives WCHA weekly honor UAA senior Kevin Clark was awarded his thirdcareer Red Baron Western Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Week honor for his performance in the Michigan Tech series, the conference announced Jan. 20.

Clark, a 5-9, 171-pound forward, registered a six-point weekend on Jan. 15-16, landing UAA its first WCHA sweep of the season against the Huskies.

On Jan. 15, Clark posted an assist and the final goal of the evening (empty-net), helping UAA to a 6-2 victory over MTU – the largest UAA win over a road opponent since Feb. 25, 2000 against Minnesota Duluth.

On Jan. 16, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native recorded his first career hat trick as the Seawolves tallied a 5-4 win. Three goals and an assist, gave Clark a career-best-tying four points, as well as the current UAA leader with 20 points – tied for No. 15 in the WCHA overall standings.

The University of Minnesota’s goaltender Alex Kangas received the league’s defensive honor, while the Gophers’ Zach Budish came away with the rookie award.

Clark joins teammate junior forward Sean Wiles, who received the same honor on Nov. 10, 2009.

UAA finishes invite in fifth The Seawolf ski team concluded the Montana State Invitational with the slalom races on Jan. 17.

The Seawolves finished fifth against other Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association members.

At the conclusion of the final day of the invite, the Seawolves registered a combined 706 points. The Colorado Buffalos won the meet with commanding 903 points, while New Mexico finished second with 835 points and Denver was third with 822. The Seawolves were seven points shy of fourth-place Utah (713).

The Nordic team paced the Seawolves with 367 points for fourth place, while the Alpine squad finished fifth with 339 points.

In today’s slalom races, the UAA women’s team was led by sophomore All-American Alex Parker.

Parker completed the two runs in a time of one minutes, 40.88 for fifth place. Freshman Petra Gantnerova (1:41.75) was 14th, while senior AllAmerican Kristina Repcinova (1:43.61) rounded out the Seawolf scorers in 20th.

Freshman Andreas Adde was UAA’s top male finisher for the second day, finishing seventh. Adde was clocked at 1:33.70.

Just missing the top-10 was junior All-American Egil Ismar. Ismar completed the courses in 1:34.31 for 11th place. Freshman Cameron Brewington was the final Seawolf to score, clocking in at 1:34.94 for 17th place.

Seawolves upset ranked Tigers, 2-1 The Seawolves split the series with No. 7/8 Colorado College after posting a 2-1 upset over the Tigers in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game on Jan. 23 at the Sullivan Arena.

UAA (9-14-1, 7-12-1 WCHA) struck with an even-strength goal in the first period, before both teams netted a power-play goal in the second.

UAA and Colorado College (14-9-3, 10-7-3 WCHA) then went scoreless in the third for the 2-1 final.

Both teams took advantage on one-of-four power-play opportunities and posted identical 18-36 penalty numbers – with the majority of the minutes coming in the second period due to multiple roughing calls.

The Seawolves remain in eighth place in the conference standings with 15 points, one shy of Minnesota (16). CC drops to a two-way tie for fourth with Wisconsin (23 points).

—Compiled by Josh Edge

RICKY TEEL/TNL

Senior Courtney Williams performs her routine on the beam during the Seawolves’ meet against Towson on Jan. 17. After a slow start to the season, the Seawolves have enjoyed the return of sophomore Kelsey Fullerton as well as the high-powered junior tandem of Kristy Boswell and Leah Wilson. The ‘Wolves will take on Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Jan. 27 after posting a season-high 185.350 against Towson at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on Jan. 17. The gymnasts will then take part in the Metroplex Challenge in Dallas on Jan. 30.

OVERTIME

Iverson’s selection is taking up a spot reserved for current All-Stars

By Josh Edge

The Northern Light

I will be the first to admit that I do not follow professional basketball nearly as closely as I follow the other major professional sports – like hockey, football, baseball and even golf. But, as the All-Star game draws closer and the starters have been announced, I find myself taking a closer look at these starters and at what has happened so far this season.

Without much surprise, the Cavaliers’ LeBron James led the league in votes this season, he also became the first player ever to accumulate at least 2.5 million votes three times, according to a recent article by the Associated Press.

There are some familiar faces among the starters.

Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan and Amar’e Stoudemire are starting for the Western Conference – no big surprises in that lineup.

Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson will be on the court to start the 2010 All-Star Game for the East. Only one surprise there . . . Allen Iverson.

Iverson is without a doubt one of the

top players to come through the NBA in the last 15 or so years, but his 14.8 points per game this season really just does not seem like All-Star material. Granted, everyone has off seasons where nothing really bounces their way, but Iverson has barely played this season.

Iverson can be a flashy player and, let’s face it, that is what the All-Star Game is all about. But, at some point his current numbers should be taken into consideration when people are voting.

Taking up a slot during a sub-par season is taking an opportunity away from some of the up-and-coming talent in the NBA. But, regardless of what he has done this season and how off-kilter the voting seems to be this year – I mean, according to the same Associated Press article mentioned earlier, Tracy McGrady was among the vote leaders at one point, and he has only played in six games or so this season – Iverson is a great player whose past exploits puts to shame anything that most people will ever accomplish.

I hope that he does play in the All-Star Game and makes me eat my words with a crazy performance that proves he is still a force to be reckoned with among the best the sport has to offer.

Plus, he’s still obviously a fan favorite,

and he is apparently what the fans really want to see.

But, enough about Iverson. I never realized that the alternates for the NBA All-Star Game were picked not just by votes, but by the head coaches in each conference as well.

For some reason, this puts my mind at ease.

‘But, at some point his current numbers should be taken into consideration when people are voting.’

The All-Star Game is mostly for the fans, but there are probably going to be some people that make it into the game as an alternate that the fans may not have voted for initially, but still deserve their spot in the limelight.

Coaches generally have a better eye for talent and spotting the underrated player.

It is a chance for the solid, but less flashy, players to begin their journey to stardom.

Jan. 26, 2010 | SPORTS

TNL

09

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Crucial road trip is at hand for the ‘Wolves

UAA looks to take down Falcons and Crusaders

CONTINUED FROM COVER

The 13th ranked UAA Seawolf women will hit the road in what is sure to be a crucial road series when they square off with the Seattle Pacific Falcons and Northwest Nazarene Crusaders this week in GNAC play.

Both games will be good road tests for a Seawolf team that looks primed to make yet another postseason push under head coach Tim Moser, who has led the ‘Wolves to back-to-back West Region championships.

UAA (13-2 overall, 3-1 GNAC) continued their dominance on their home court with wins against Western Oregon 68-54 on Jan. 23, St. Martins 78-62 on Jan. 21 and Montana State-Billings 85-63 on Jan. 14.

Against the Saints, the ‘Wolves used balanced scoring and a ridiculous performance from three-point land to secure the win at home in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

The team finished with a school-recordtying 14 three pointers made when all was said and done, leaving the Saints wondering what had just hit them.

The Seawolves saw strong performances from the usual suspects. Senior guard Tamar Gruwell had a team-high 17 points and drained five of the before-mentioned treys. Reserve junior guard Sarah Herrin had a strong game off the bench finishing with 15 points in the victory.

Senior Kiki Taylor contributed 13 points, nine boards, and six helpers to continue her normal routine of being towards the top in

Walker and Casey Robinson continue to shine on the court as leaders.

However, it is the emergence of other players taking on bigger roles that have allowed the team to continue its winning ways this season and continue to be a power in conference play.

Junior forward Nick Pacitti has done exceptionally well coming off the bench and has established himself as a force on both ends of the court, averaging 8.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Junior guard Donnie Lao has filled in nicely in the absence of Robinson by pitching in an average of eight points and leads the team in three point shooting (48.4 percent from behind the arc).

The Seawolves are coming off a strong defensive win at home last week against St. Martins. UAA won 62-45 as they held the Saints to 24-percent shooting on the night. Walker led the way with 19 points and six boards while Casey Robinson chipped in 16 points The Seawolves split on the road with a 62-68 loss to 19th ranked Western Washington on Jan. 14 and then a nailbiting 67-66 win at Central Washington on Jan. 16.

Seattle Pacific will offer an even greater challenge as the Falcons sit atop the GNAC standings (13-2 overall, 4-0

By Taylor Hall The Northern Light

GNAC). The Brougham Pavilion has given opponents nightmares in recent years and has seen the Falcons go 7-1 at home so far this season. The Seawolves, themselves, haven’t had a victory there since 2004 and have dropped five straight in Seattle.

Leading SPU will be junior guard Chris Banchero, who is averaging 17.3 points per game. Also, big man Rafael Moreira contributes 13.1 points and 5.9 rebounds on average.

NNU may not have the same skill level as SPU, but they cannot be overlooked as they swept the ‘Wolves last year including a 76-71 win over UAA down in Nampa, Idaho. This came after the Seawolves had won five straight against the Crusaders before last season.

Northwest (10-6 overall, 2-3 GNAC) is led by Drew Eisinger. He averages 15.6 points per game and has drained 49.3 percent of his three point attempts on the year. Also, Brian Barkdoll will be a force inside, averaging 11.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.

It is still early to be thinking playoffs, but this road trip will be one of the best opportunities for the Seawolves to prove to everyone that they are and will be one of the favorites to win the GNAC title.

all categories for UAA. The Falcons are just as hot coming into this matchup as the Seawolves. SPU (13-2 overall, 4-0 GNAC) have yet to lose a game at home this year. The Seawolves know all too well the difficulties in playing there, as their last win in GNAC conference play was back in 2000.

However, many fans will remember the thrilling 54-43 win last year in the West Region championship game that came on the Falcon’s home court. A loss that is surely still unsettling for SPU supporters.

Look for Daesha Henderson to pace Seattle Pacific as she leads the team in points (12.9) and minutes (27.7) per game.

Also, the play of Megan Hoisington can’t go unrecognized as she contributes 10.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game on the season.

UAA will be looking for revenge when they invade Nampa, Idaho to play the Crusaders. Last year, the then top-ranked Seawolves fell 48-71 to NNU on the road after beating them early in the year back in Anchorage. The ‘Wolves did get the last laugh though when they eliminated Northwest in the first round of the West Regions by winning 64-54.

Leading the Crusaders (12-3 overall, 2-2 GNAC) is Kristin Hein who on the season has put up 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.

It is sure to be a tough road trip, but ultimately, one the Seawolves are more than capable of getting the victories to continue their push to the top of the GNAC standings.

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

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

Who is Eligible to Participate?

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

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

Application Deadline: Monday, March 15, 2010

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

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

10

EDITORIAL

Partisan politics should be laid to rest

PHOTO EDITOR 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Ricky Teel

Partisan politics are tearing apart our country.

The recent election of Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts is a prime example of this, as is the constant battle over President Obama’s proposed health care bill.

Not to say that Brown does not deserve his seat in the Senate, but immediately following the upset of the Democratic favorite to take over for the late Edward Kennedy, news stations essentially went crazy.

There was constant talk of, more or less, the Republican Party ambushing the Democratic Party to take the election and eliminate a key advantage that the Democrats had previously held in the Senate.

This may very well have meant that the Democrats sat on their hands, anticipating an easy victory, while the Republicans took the initiative, albeit veiled in secrecy, and took another seat while various news organizations went off to spout off the surprising results.

Again, there are no problems with the election of Brown, the problem is with terms such as “ambush.”

People would probably like to think that the elected officials are working together to pass legislation that would benefit the nation as a whole. “Ambush” is just an ugly term. It

WEB EDITOR 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org John Norris

SOAP BOX

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Suzanna Caldwell MANAGING EDITOR 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Josh Edge LAYOUT EDITOR layout@thenorthernlight.org Naomi Ozuru COPY EDITOR copy@thenorthernlight.org Vacant NEWS EDITOR 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Kam Walters FEATURES EDITOR 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Katie Forstner A&E EDITOR 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Mary Noden Lochner SPORTS EDITOR 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Vacant

ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Joshua Tucker ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Heather Hamilton PHOTOGRAPHER Leighann Seaman GRAPHIC DESIGNER graphics@thenorthernlight.org Lindsay Johnson CONTRIBUTORS Jena Benton Derek Chivers Kimberly Copadis Bryan Dunagan Taylor Hall Andrew Neuerburg Trevor OʼHara Robert Wise ADVERTISING MANAGER 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Vacant CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Annie Route

The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents.

Circulation is 5,000.

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

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

insinuates that each party is working directly against each other to achieve their own means, not a means that would likely benefit the nation.

Legislation should include compromises, because both of the major parties do have major points that are in the best interest of the people. But it seems as though some of the things that come up in Congress, and everyday conversation for that matter, are played so sharply along party lines that the issues in question never find resolution and remain in limbo.

Things such as the proposed health care plan that is in varying stages of being approved or shot down are a prime example.

Being such a huge issue, possibly the biggest domestic issue that will be dealt with during this administration, it should not be hurried through the approval process. The bill should be well thought out and gain input from every corner since it will likely affect every American in some way.

Because of this, maybe the election of another Republican is a good thing. It will probably delay and break up the passing of the comprehensive health care plan that was originally proposed.

According to information from a recent New York Times article, lawmakers from

both sides of the political spectrum anticipate that the smaller pieces of the health care legislation that have already passed through both the House and the Senate will likely be pulled out and be repackaged together into a

‘Again, there are no problems with the election of Brown, the problem is with terms such as “ambush.”’ less comprehensive but more widely agreed on version of the bill, which should command more support from both parties.

Overall, the country does not seem ready for as huge of a change that the health care bill represents. But, if it is a gradual process that makes small, but significant changes, perhaps partisan politics will begin to fall by the wayside and a more ideal form of legislation will take precedence.

Scarcity, it definitely exists — sort of

By Zach Liszka

Special to the Northern Light

Look America, if we’re going to continue to affirm the illusion of scarcity, despite all the resources the planet offers, I think we ought to follow some basic guidelines in order to maintain the status quo.

First of all, we must stop producing seven times the amount of food required to feed all 6.8 billion people on this Earth per day. No one wants to hear about starving people in Africa when we are throwing half our dinner plates in the garbage.

Next, let’s stop all these eco-friendly car shenanigans. It’s getting ridiculous. In the 70s, engineers were building eco-friendly cars that put these new-fangled hybrids to shame.

Thank God Big Oil and Big Auto bought out the patents and put the kibosh on that.

Crisis averted!

Did you know that Los Angeles had wild dreams of an efficient public transportation system, but Firestone Tire and GM bought the rights and said rightly, “Screw you, LA! Get to work using our tires on your gas-guzzling automobiles!”

LA has been rolling along the eight-lane highway of scarcity ever since. Now that’s American ingenuity at work.

Some countries like to think they are smarter than us. Take Japan, they use the newest Mag-Lev technology to power their train systems at a fraction of the energy it takes to power ours.

Look, Japan, I don’t know what you are thinking, but we have to promote scarcity, otherwise why bother with our existence? I know this is a slippery slope, but without any

PRIDE

scarcity, why even have money? And if there is no money, what’s the incentive to work? To fight for something? To live? Some countries just don’t get it.

I know what you’re thinking about. Defense contracting, of course. We have to support our troops, not just the ones in the field, but the contractors making gobs of money for the home team. I mean, these guys really have this scarcity thing figured out, half our national budget goes to defense for things like $500 hammers. In fact, our defense budget is larger than the next fifteen countries combined. Did you hear that some nut-jobs figured out that with all the money flowing to our defense budget each year, we could send every high school grad to a four-year college?

Sigh . . . When will these people get it?

If we leave higher education expenses to the individual, less people will get degrees and higher intelligence will become more scarce.

After all, we don’t want them too smart.

Worse, if we send all the high school grads to college more people will be so arrogant as to think we ought to stop our pastime of invading other countries for their resources.

And speaking of invaded countries, did you know that Haiti used to be one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources? In fact, Haiti was the first country to free itself from slavery in 1804.

Talk about tremendous lack of scarcity and what it breeds! Yuck.

Thankfully France, who ran the slave trade in Haiti, made the former slaves pay damages to their owners for freeing themselves. Most of the loans were taken out from U.S. banks to repay France. When the Haiti parliament wouldn’t sign over their land to U.S. companies

CHIDE

The UAA community…

The booger bandit…

… for coming together to help the relief effort in Haiti.

… for striking in the women’s bathrooms again.

who planned to quickly “scarce-ify” their natural resources, President Woodrow Wilson brought in the Marines who kicked out the Haiti parliament at gun-point in 1915. Thanks to Wilson’s bold attempts at robbing the rich to feed the poor, Haiti doesn’t even have the money to take care of its people, 80 percent of which live in poverty, despite its abundance of resources. Now that is an amazing story of scarcity in action!

But, it doesn’t stop there. Wilson was a master of scarcity. He signed a deal with his banking friends that created a perpetual scarcity machine in America called the Federal Reserve, which is a conglomerate of private bankers. See, when the U.S. Treasury wants more money, it calls up the Federal Reserve to make a trade. The U.S. Treasury makes up U.S. Bonds out of thin air, which will be paid back by public taxes, and trades them for Federal Reserve Notes (dollars), of equal value, made up out of thin air by the Federal Reserve, who loans us the notes at face value plus interest.

This way, we will never have enough money to repay what is owed to the Federal Reserve because in order to do so would require us to loan more money from them.

This scam even had the prudence to do away with the gold standard. Pure genius, Nobel prizes all around!

It’s a good thing Congress and the mass media were smart enough to downplay attempts to audit the Fed by that crazy nutter Ron Paul. Whew.

Scarcity my friends, follow the guidelines and it’s easy to swallow, like Kool-Aid. Make mine purple.

CORRECTIONS

In the Jan. 19 issue, the date for Nikki Giovanni’s lecture at UAA, which was Thursday, Jan. 21, was incorrectly identified in the infocus calendar.

The “Cat’s Paw” image was incorrectly identified in our Jan. 19 issue.

We apologize for these mistakes.

Jan. 26, 2010 | COMICS

TNL TUNDRA l Chad Carpenter

11

BROKECOMICS | Alec Fritz

GEOLOGY WORDSEARCH l Lindsay Johnson and Jodie Banks

P L A Y A A R M X U B C G A A

R O T S D W O N H V O O B R L

C M R I U L L A N I N N K N E

O H R P L O B I K E T O S D Q

X A E I H B N C T X S D C R P

D N S R S Y E I A E W O H W J

P O G M T U R V M L I N I B V

L N B A Z E B O T U U T S E H

D E Z B L R C D B Q T Y T D M

N V Z A U D D R U L N I C I M

L R H H P Q M O E C A Q B F P

Q P E T I R O I D D T S Y L U

S S Z G U T E R R A N E T U X

E N I L C I T N A F Y D J S W

Find the words below in the box to the left.

S T R A T O V O L C A N O O L

ANTICLINE ARID ARKOSE BITUMINOUS CHERT CONODONT DIORITE ERG IVU MOLLISOL ORDOVICIAN PLAYA PORPHYROBLAST SCHIST SPHALERITE STRATOVOLCANO SUBDUCT SULFIDE TERRANE TOR

CRYPTOQUOTE PUZZLE l Lindsay Johnson Each number stands for a letter. In this case, 15 = W. Find the rest to see the quote!

“

W 15

10

22

12

25

W

15

16

23

25

1

21

5

24

18 16

14

16

26

14

W

16

.

7

12

8

15

16

6

24

W

15

12

B

C

D

E

F

G H

I

12

6

14

22

16

22

16

22

“ – 18

A

16

J

K

L

M N O

P

22

Q

23

R

S

24

7

T

U

6

V

W

X

Y

Z

Coming soon to this page: CROSSWORD

HOROSCOPE OTHERS? Let us know what you want to see!

Contact us if you want to contribute!

e-mail graphics@thenorthernlight.org

your student newspaper

seeks a

copy editor If you know grammar, are enrolled in at least six credits and have a G.P.A. of 2.5, you are eligible for this job! Pay is $9.50 per hour / 20 hours per week.

You can apply online at www.uakjobs.com

Use your WolfCard - Save 20%!

>student jobs >Anchorage >posting # 0058622

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

And you can call 907.786.1313 or e-mail content@t henor t hernlight.org for more information

This ad brought to you by UAA General Support Services • www.uaa.alaska.edu/gss/

Big DeaLs Afoot Motorola QA30

$19.99

Motorola VE20

$19.99

Samsung R600

$19.99

Only at DigiTel Get your paws on a new Samsung R600, Motorola QA30 or a Motorola VE20 for the phenomenal price tag of only $19.99. Plus, get up to 2 new partner line phones for FREE. That’s the call of the wild — DigiTel style.

222-9200 www.akdigitel.com Phone prices are with a 2 year contract. Some restrictions apply.