January 16, 2018

JANUARY 16 - JANUARY 22, 2018

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

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Voodoo Jams: ‘A jam with attitude’

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Memorial concert to be held for late professor

Seawolf gymnasts debut 2018 season

Implementation of UAA 2020 goals continues

Having only one unofficial meet prior, UAA competed in their first regular season meet against Cortland

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

Kendra Daniels balances during her beam routine. Daniels scored a 9.275 in the event.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

In the midst of the spring academic semester beginning and 2018 taking off, the UAA gymnastics team will see their competition season heating up as well. With a short season ahead of them, spanning three months long, the gymnasts debuted their first regular season meets on Jan. 12 and 14. ‌ The gymnasts have spent the last four weeks of winter break training. ‌ “Since we don’t currently have school to focus on, it has been much easier to just focus on practice and have a lot more time to go to the trainers if we need to or to get in extra training,” Isabelle Fox, freshman gymnast, said. ‌ The Seawolves head into the 2018 season with a brand new head coach, following Paul Stoklos’ retirement, and four new freshmen. This is a significant addition to the team, which now totals 15 athletes. ‌ As Tanya Ho took over as head coach, she has seen many beneficial outcomes in the past couple of months. ‌ “I’ve seen them definitely clean up their form and higher their standards with their gymnastics,” Ho said. “They have realized that there is always work, so even when they are done with their assignments, I always see thenorthernlight.org

them doing extra work, even stuff that I am not telling them to do.”‌ Of the 15 athletes that Ho has coached this year, Isabella Scalapino, Hope Nelson, Michaela Phillips and Fox took the title of the newcomers. ‌ Scalapino comes from Cedar Park, Texas after competing for four years at level 10. She has ample experience in vault and floor, qualifying and competing in Texas State Championships. ‌ The remaining three freshmen all come to UAA as previous all-arounders. ‌ Phillips scored a 36.500 her senior year of high school in Junior Olympic Nationals, also having competed the previous year. The Idaho local comes to UAA having won all-around and bars at the 2017 Idaho State Championships. ‌ Nelson comes from Newport News, Virginia, having also competed for four years at level 10 and qualified for Junior Olympic Nationals in 2016. Nelson brings skill in beam and bars to UAA. At the level 10 region 7 championships, she scored a 9.725 and 9.525, respectively. ‌ The final newcomer, Fox, also comes from Texas. Similar to Nelson and Phillips, Fox qualified for Junior Olympic Nationals twice in both all-around and bars. While qualifying for level 10 regionals for three years, Fox competed in all-around, beam and floor.‌

These four freshmen bring experience and skill to the team, along with seniors Kendra Daniels, Madeleine Arbuckle and Morgan Ross.‌ To prepare for their upcoming meet, all the new additions and returners competed in a Green and Gold intrasquad meet on Dec. 9 to highlight the potential that the season holds. ‌ The teams were broken down to have five girls on each squad.

On the Gold team was Mancari, Miller, Scalapino, Ross and Hyderally; on the Green team was Daniels, Green, Phillips, Nelson and Riley. Overall, the Gold team took the win with a score of 123.550 over the Green’s score of 101.675. ‌ “[Competing against Cortland] will be my first time competing as a freshmen which is much different than club, or what I am used to, so I am excited for this season,” Fox said.‌ Although they still had a month between the Green and Gold meet and the Cortland meet, several of the freshmen, as well as others, scored high in their events. ‌ Sophomore Mackenzie Miller scored a 38.025 for all-around.

As for individual results, Scalapino won vault (9.600), Nelson took the title for bars (9.675), Hyderally won beam (9.775) and

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@tnl_updates

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

At the beginning of 2017’s fall semester, a new strategic plan for the university, UAA 2020, was introduced. The goals defined in this plan are being implemented.‌ The 2020 initiative is replacing UAA 2017, the university’s previous ten-year plan. UAA 2020 is set up for a shorter time period with goals made to be “appropriately ambitious and achievable,” according to the mission statement.‌ The core values named in the university’s statement include student success, excellence, access and affordability.‌ Academic advising has been named as a vital factor to student success by the initiative, especially during the first years at college. The UAA 2020 plan is aiming to improve in this area.‌ Ariana Davis, health sciences major, is currently starting her second semester at UAA. She was dissatisfied with the advising she received for the fall semester. Davis felt that the students’ academic concerns were not taken into account sufficiently.‌ Now, she is hoping for issues in this area to be resolved by the university. ‌ “It is definitely important for UAA to pay attention to academic advising,” Davis said.‌ A major change currently @tnl_updates

taking place is the shift of Tier 1 general education requirements from the College of Arts and Sciences to the Community and Technical College. ‌ Tier 1 GERs include the basic college-level skill courses in oral communication, quantitative, and written communication skills. The UAA 2020 initiative has identified the mastering of these courses as a fundamental premise for succeeding in undergraduate study.‌ Within the CTC, different units such as the Writing Center or the Math Emporium are offered to support students in their academic development. Tier 1 GERs are now being shifted to the CTC. ‌ It is expected that this process will be completed by the beginning of the 2018 fall semester.‌ A new advising program will be developed, led by Claudia Lampman, the vice provost for Student Success. This program will serve every first-time student, outlining a path they can follow into a major and advising at the college level.‌ Several departments have already responded to the elements academic advising and other elements of UAA 2020. Eric Murphy, director of the psychology department, is working on integrating the core values introduced by the plan.‌ “We’ve been able to move the

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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UAA considers implementing refresher training

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

The University of Alaska is currently considering implementing refresher courses for the mandatory Title IX: Sex and Gender-Based Discrimination Prevention training. While no official action has been taken yet, Interim Title IX Coordinator, Ron Kamahele, said the Title IX administrators across the state are working with the training vendor, EVERFI, to look into refresher training for students.‌ “We don’t want to, just every year, have people do exactly the same thing, exactly the same training,” Kamahele said. “The idea is that there would be a refresher for someone who’s already done [the training], which would be shorter, but still refresh.”‌ Kamahele said the refresher trainings, which EVERFI calls Sexual Assault Prevention Ongoing, will be available to staff starting next semester, but no refresher training is available for students yet. ‌ “Having a refresher training would hopefully present the information that needs to be conveyed but in a way that might be more engaging for the people doing it,” Kamahele said.‌ If implemented, Sexual Assault Prevention Ongoing would be available to students who have previously completed the Title IX: Sex and Gender-Based Dis-

crimination Prevention training.

Holly Rider-Milkovich, senior director for Prevention Education at EVERFI, said refresher courses purposefully target older students who are more familiar with the university.‌ “We needed to develop additional courses that campuses could develop for sophomores, juniors, seniors, to reinforce those important lessons and skills that they were first introduced to in the initial course, that most students receive as they’re arriving to campus,” RiderMilkovich said.‌ Rider-Milkovich said students would best engage with the material if it was not the same each year.‌ “At some point, the positive effects of that course will tend to wear off,” Rider-Mikovich said. “This is a principle in public health called dosage.”‌ To target this idea of diminishing returns, EVERFI released the Sexual Assault Prevention Ongoing refresher course in October to offer universities a training for students who have already finished the initial Sexual Assault Prevention training.‌ Since the training is focused on an older cohort of students, they will emphasize concepts of engaging with consent in a workplace environment more than a university setting. ‌ Students at UAA had mixed reactions to the mandatory training, which resulted

in the College of Health sending out a letter to its students with an opt-out link over concerns that students were triggered by the training content. Rider-Milkovich said she does not hear comments that the course is triggering frequently, but that the trainings utilize content warnings and internal live chats with domestic violence hotlines.‌ “We know that when we are delivering programs to 10 thousand, 20 thousand, 30 thousand students, that it is not going to be a perfect fit for everyone,” RiderMilkovich said.‌ The Sexual Assault Prevention Ongo-

ing course was created using both student and professional feedback.‌ “We created [Sexual Assault Prevention Ongoing] over a period of months involving student focus groups, involving many different campuses all across the country, and then expert panels of campus based practitioners who have a lot of deep knowledge about the different needs of ongoing students,” Rider-Milkovich said.

Despite mixed reactions to the training and to the account holds that were placed, UAA had the highest rate of completion among UA campuses.

Completion degrees meld UAA history as university and community college

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Heather Brekke worked at Alaska Airlines for 15 years before the airline outsourced her job and dislocated Brekke’s entire department. At the time, she decided to go back to college for her Associate of Applied Science in computer information and office systems at UAA. ‌ “I was scared to death,” Brekke said.‌ In two years, Brekke earned her AAS and was back in the workforce. In 2014, Brekke was offered a position as Alaska Middle College School Coordinator and Student Success Coach for the ChugiakEagle River campus, but the position pre-

ferred candidates with a bachelor’s degree. ‌ Since Brekke already has an AAS degree, she qualified for a program at the Community and Technical College called the bachelor of science applied technology leadership. The BSATL program is considered a completion degree. Any student with an AAS is able to include those credits towards their bachelor’s degree.‌ “This degree is perfect for a certain population of students,” Brekke said. “If you are an associate’s degree student and you want to get your leadership skills without losing all the credits towards your major, this is the perfect degree.”‌ Brekke has been making steady progress on the degree and is now even plan-

ning to take a geology class and lab with her son in the fall.‌ Darlene Gill, assistant professor of applied technology leadership, teaches many students like Brekke. ‌ “[The BSATL] really enables students to apply for jobs that require a bachelor’s degree and be a viable candidate for those types of positions,” Gill said.‌ Gill said her average student is 30 to 40 years old. Since the degree has a leadership focus, it can apply to students in a variety of industries.‌ Denise Runge, dean of the Community and Technical College, said many CTC students start their college experience seeking an associate’s degree but complete a bachelor’s degree.‌ Currently, the CTC offers several AAS degrees that flow directly into a bachelor of science program like construction management, aviation administration and occupational safety and health.‌ “Where we have both an associate’s and a bachelor’s, we try to make that completely lineup, so that if you start out in the associate’s and then switch to the bachelor’s, you don’t have a different set

of requirements, you haven’t lost anything,” Runge said.‌ Since the Anchorage Community College and the University of Alaska Anchorage merged in 1987, students have been able to attain both an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree at the same institution. ‌ “I’ve worked in community colleges and I’ve worked in universities in the Lower 48, and to see how Alaska just took that problem off the table by putting the two together… from the student’s end, it seems so smart,” Runge said.‌ Runge said it’s “extremely rare” to see a single institution that offers twoyear and four-year degrees. At UAA, it’s so common for students to work towards the associate’s and then bachelor’s degree that her office calls the phenomenon, “two plus two.”‌ The CTC’s completer degree options are also a good fit for military students who have earned an AAS, but want the four year degree. The BSATL degree is approved for Air University students as well.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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YouTube star faces backlash after uploading controversial video Logan Paul apologizes for footage of his trip to Japan showing dead body

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC NEWS

After his success on the video app, Vine, Logan Paul came to fame through daily vlogging on YouTube. As of Jan. 10, his vlog channel has more than 15 million subscribers.

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

On Dec. 31, YouTube star Logan Paul uploaded a video titled, “We Found a Dead Body in Japan’s Suicide Forest,” which caught the attention of viewers from around the world. It featured what appeared to be a dead body during his trip into Aokigahara, a forest widely known as Japan’s “suicide forest.”‌ The camera had zoomed in briefly, the face blurred, and Paul was heard shouting, “Yo, are you alive?” Paul and his friends were shown reacting with nervous laughter and jokes, and later in the video, he said that, “Suicide is not a joke,” and that comedy was his coping mechanism.‌ The video gained millions of views within its first day. Two days later, it was taken down from YouTube and Paul had released both a written and video apology.‌ “I didn’t do it for views,” Paul wrote. “I get views. I did it because I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not because a monsoon of negativity.”‌ Since then, Paul has been condemned and criticized for a multitude of reasons, from filming the dead body to deciding to upload the video.‌

Lillie Younkins, a biological sciences major, said that Paul’s mockery of the body was disrespectful.‌ “It’s kind of appalling. I’ve never seen a dead person, but still, that’s not right,” Younkins said.‌ The video began with Paul warning viewers of its graphic content and saying, “This definitely marks a moment in YouTube history.” Still, people took to social media to express disapproval about his disregard for a sensitive issue.‌ YouTube creators and even celebrities have commented on the controversy. Actor Aaron Paul said that he could not believe young people looked up to the vlogger. Sophie Turner claimed that the apology was “self-praising,” and Philip DeFranco, one of YouTube’s top creators, wanted Paul’s video to be a “teachable moment.”‌ Though the original video has been taken down, other clips remain on the internet, including footage from Paul’s trip to Japan. He’s shown to be in Tokyo, wearing Japanese attire and dressing up as Pokemon characters with friends, pulling various pranks and tricks on strangers.

There are a few moments when Japanese police are present.‌ Hiroko Harada is the director of the Montgomery Dickson Center for Japanese Language and Culture. She says that, while

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

she did not see the video and only read about Paul, she didn’t want to watch it.‌ “I don’t understand his popularity. He appears to be a careless thinker,” Harada said.‌ She also mentioned that many Japanese people do not appreciate foreigners that visit and behave as they want.‌ “I think he is not only annoying to Japanese, but also to many other decent foreigners who come to Japan to appreciate the culture,” Harada said.‌ Over the next several days, the backlash continued. Online petitions circulated, pushing for Paul’s ban from YouTube and gathering hundreds of thousands of signatures. On Jan. 10, more than a week after the video’s initial upload, YouTube released an official statement, acknowledging that people had been angry about the company’s silence and that suicide “is not a joke.”‌ “We expect more of the creators who build their community on @YouTube, as we’re sure you do too,” YouTube tweeted.‌ The company further explained that it was looking at more consequences for Paul, who has already had projects

put on hold and removed from the Google Preferred program, an advertising network, and his YouTube Red series.‌ “It’s shocking to think that he’s misconstrued the idea of social media... and that people would watch that and support that,” Sophie Jones, languages major, said.‌ Despite the public criticism towards Paul’s video, Eric Boyer, a training coordinator with the Alaska Training Cooperative through UAA’s Center for Human Development, says that talking about suicide publicly is tough.‌ “If people just are aware of the impact that videos, pictures, articles have, they can be really, really helpful or they can be really, really damaging,” Boyer said.‌ Part of Boyer’s job is to provide education in public health, which comprises of suicide and mental health. Suicide should be discussed, he says, but it’s also important to “point people to where help is.”‌ Though Paul has already faced repercussions, there are some people who think more needs to be done.‌

Ihro Raguindin, who is frequently on YouTube and has his own channel, hopes this will be an example for others.‌ “I’m just hoping that eventually, this serves as a lesson for him and other big, influential people on the internet to be a better example and not go over certain boundaries of the internet and society,” Raguindin said.‌ “He should stop posting anything,” Harada said. “Even his apology.”‌ The following are a number of resources for concerns about mental health and suicide prevention.‌ • The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: available 24/7 and help can be offered in English and Spanish (1-800273-TALK and www. suicidepreventionlifeline.org) • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (afsp. org).

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (1-800-9855990).

• The Compassionate Friends (www. compassionatefriends.org)

04 | NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

Digital money with real effects and risks

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Cryptocurrency, also known as “digital currency,” has quickly become an economic and technological phenomenon in recent years. This online form of money is intended to allow for safe and secure, and sometimes private, transactions.‌ “Roughly speaking, it’s much like digital cash,” Sebastian Neumayer, assistant professor in UAA’s computer science and engineering department, said. “If two people are across the country and want to send $20, you could write a check, but you need to write a check and it needs to clear through a bank... With these cryptocurrencies, they allow these cash-like digital payments where these trusted third parties are sort of removed.”‌

This means cryptocurrencies are decentralized, since there is no bank or intermediate party involved. These transactions are then typically faster and irreversible. Once a transaction has been made, there’s no easy way to go back. While mistaken money transfers or purchases can be handled by a phone call to the bank, it’s not the same case for using cryptocurrency.‌ “The purpose is just to make the payments sort of more censorship-resistant and trust-less,” Neumayer said.‌ Visa had suspended donations to WikiLeaks when the latter was accepting them online.‌ “One of the first uses of bitcoin came from WikiLeaks,” Neumayer said. “They wanted to accept donations to the site; however, Visa decided to stop processing payments for WikiLeaks donations.”‌ Visa, along with other major financial companies like Mas-

terCard and PayPal, had blocked these transactions in 2012 due to uncertainty about how the website obtained U.S. State Department documents. WikiLeaks ultimately turned to gathering donations via a public bitcoin address, thus bypassing the banking blockade.‌ Bitcoin is one of the most widely-known types of cryptocurrencies and was created in 2009. On the first day of January 2017, it was valued at about $980, according to coinmarketcap.com. This value steadily increased over the coming months until it reached a significant high of $19,758.20 in mid-December 2017.‌ In spite of this large difference in value within 12 months, cryptocurrency values are not exempt from fluctuating prices in the growing market. Bitcoin’s price dropped on Dec. 22, 2017 to $12,239.70. Since then, its value has fluctuated by thousands of dollars.‌ John Nofsinger, a UAA finance professor and William H. Seward Endowed Chair in International Finance, says that the popularity surrounding cryptocurrency is “worrisome.”‌ “I personally don’t think that cryptocurrency is based on anything of value. The only thing of value that it is, is that we trust that it has value,” Nofsinger said. “The big question is: is it useful or is it fad?”‌ For Neumayer, people may have a “fear of missing out.”‌ “Why [has bitcoin] been blowing up in the last year or two? I don’t know because it’s been around for nine years now,” Neumayer said. “I almost

think it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way that people see the price rise.”‌ Results for people investing in cryptocurrency have varied.

Eddy Zillan of Ohio was only 15 years old when he’d decided to invest about $12,000 in bitcoin and another digital currency called ether. He had taken this money from previous jobs and turned it into over $500,000 as of November 2017.‌ Others have not been as lucky.‌ Confido, a cryptocurrency start-up, vanished from the internet after acquiring $375,000 through an initial coin offering.

An ICO posits that “a percentage of the cryptocurrency is sold to early backers of the project in exchange for legal tender or other cryptocurrencies,” as defined

by Investopedia. This means the start-up can avoid the hassle of regulations brought on by intermediate parties and investors depend on the ICO to meet funding requirements, thus giving their cryptocurrency a higher value.‌ All websites and social media accounts associated with Confido have been deleted and the currency given to investors plummeted in price shortly afterward.‌ In China and South Korea, ICOs are banned.‌ Cryptocurrencies may have opened doors for other types of scams, fraud and criminal activities. Neumayer is concerned that people could use digital currency as a tool in ransomware.‌ “These privacy coins are very interesting, although it’s not clear to me how much good

they’re going to do because I think they’ll be very popular among criminals,” Neumayer said.

In some cases, law enforcement would be able to trace the ransomware back to the person who initiated the exchange. Now that there are more “privacy-focused” types of cryptocurrencies, Neumayer says, that would not be the case.‌ Though the craze in the cryptocurrency market is still new, Nofsinger says he wants to see it become legitimized and easier to use.‌ “I want to see that cryptocurrency becomes a more legitimate currency in the sense that it becomes far easier to use it,” Nofsinger said. “You know, can I pay my taxes with it?”‌ Nofsinger also mentions how the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen still remains consistent, unlike the volatile prices of cryptocurrencies.‌ “It’s really almost impossible to use [bitcoin] if it can cost $15,000 one day and $18,000 the next day. That utility makes it unusable for business,” Nofsinger said.‌ Neumayer is unsure about the future of cryptocurrency since they may be at their limit sooner than later, and the idea of replacing official currency is unlikely.‌ “Bitcoin is limited to three transactions per second globally, so we’re already up against that wall. That’s why transaction fees are so high; people are bidding to get their transaction on the network,” Neumayer said.

“It’s not clear to me that these cryptocurrencies could scale to widespread use.”

2020: Initiative aims to meet student, state needs students to have access to and succeed in UAA’s program.‌ advising closer to the departAs the coordinator of the ment,” Murphy said. “We inter- master of sciences program in act with [the social sciences ad- clinical psychology, Gloria Elvisers] on a regular basis.”‌ dridge is overseeing the impleFor Murphy, accessibility is mentation of the 2020 goals for another crucial component of graduate psychology students. student success. ‌ The psychology professor is also “The main thing with student part of the plan’s data collection success is removing unneces- planning team. ‌ sary barriers so that students She emphasizes student succan persist, eventually get their cess both during the time at degree and move on to whatever UAA and after graduation as their next goal is,” Murphy said.‌ central elements of the strategic To increase accessibility of plan.‌ specific courses, the psychol“We want to get students to ogy department has expanded get through the program, but the its online path. Traditional de- program wouldn’t do them much livery classes will still be taught good if… we weren’t training in the future, but more and more them for what is the coming oconline courses are being offered. cupational workforce demand,” This enables a greater number of Eldridge said.‌

Continued from cover

Different approaches will be employed to improve on both aspects.‌ “The first thing we are trying to do is help students to get through the program efficiently by streamlining our course offerings,” Eldridge said. “The second thing we did in terms of student success was looking at what students are facing when they come out of the program.”‌ In the clinical psychology program Eldridge is coordinating, most students look for one of two special licenses which have different requirements.

The objective is to make the process of getting licensed easier for graduating students. ‌ Another major part of the 2020 plan is to produce more, highly qualified graduates to

fill Alaska’s high demand job area positions. UAA’s declared goal is to supply 40 percent of all workforce in Alaska by 2020 through preparing a workforce to meet the needs of Alaska.‌ To implement these goals for the psychology graduate program, Eldridge and her colleagues have focused on mental health workforce development in Alaska. One of the most notable changes is an increasing demand for board certified behavior analysts. ‌ The BCBA is a highly regarded national certification which requires a very specific set of courses and practicum experiences. ‌ “People who are BCBAs are being hired all over the state… but there is nowhere for anybody

to get that training in Alaska,” Eldridge said. ‌ Corresponding to the 2020 objectives, Eldridge and her colleagues have begun to change that.‌ “What we’re doing right now is that we’re changing our master’s degree program, adding in an extra track so that students will also be able to do the BCBA track,” Eldridge said.‌ The necessary courses have been created by Eldridge and her colleagues to make these changes, and the approval process is underway.‌ More information about the UAA 2020 plan and the current status of implementation can be found at uaa.alaska.edu/ uaa2020.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

| 05

Voodoo Jams create spirited spreads

By Victoria Petersen copy@thenorthernlight.org

Kim Kovel and Noelle Hardt were drinking and making jam one night when they decided to add their alcohol to their preserves. It tasted so good that the two continued this practice for a few more weekends until Voodoo Jams was officially created in October 2016.‌ “We had a couple of great weekends of making boozy jams in her kitchen. Along the way, I called her up at one point and said, ‘Hey, I think we might be on to something here,’” Hardt said.‌ “We started making jams together and drinking, and when you drink you get all kinds of great ideas, and now, here we are,” Kovel said. ‌ This jam is different from any other kind on the market.‌ “It’s not grandma’s jam, no offense to grandmas, we love them, but it definitely is a jam with attitude,” Kovel said.‌ Kovel and Hardt, who are best friends, wanted a name for their jams that underlined the spirited qualities of their product.‌ “Our jams were wicked...

This is something edgier,” Hardt said. ‌

By January 2017, the friends

were making jam in a commercial kitchen as a side gig to their full-time jobs. ‌ A majority of the alcohol used is from local breweries and distilleries, including Odd Man Rush Brewing, 49th State Brewing and Anchorage Distillery.‌ “[Odd Man Rush Brewing is] a great group of guys who are really committed to a quality product. Their vanilla porter felt very comforting for us,” Hardt said.‌ Kovel and Hardt infuse any berries or stone fruits with the alcohol of choice and cook the jam down to 0.5 percent alcohol content. This is to fall in line with FDA regulations and to ensure that the jam is kid-safe.‌ Their mascot, which they call Pierre, was designed with help from Design Alaska after a voodoo doll Kovel and Hardt used as a travel companion as they traveled through France.‌ “She stayed with us on our travels and our adventures along the way. The voodoo doll as our mascot was an easy fit,” Hardt said.‌ The name Pierre came from a vintner the two met in France.

He spoke of how common it is to cook with alcohol in Europe.

From there, Kovel and Hardt were inspired.‌ “That got us thinking: There’s so much work put in by

PHOTO COURTESY OF VOODOO JAMS

Kim Kovel and Noelle Hardt partner with local breweries and distilleries to make Voodoo Jams, spreads that are infused with alcohol.

distillers, brewers and vintners into these flavor profiles. How come we’re not doing more in our foodie quests to highlight their flavor profiles?” Hardt said.‌ Seasonal jams that are currently available at Anchorage Distillery or 49th State Brewery include Merry Krampus, a jam made with cranberries, clove and bourbon; The Golden Fleece, a jam made with peaches and 49th State Brewing’s Golden Dahl Belgian tripel. More flavors can be found on their website.‌

Their spring menu will be available in the next couple months.‌ The jams have the potential to be both sweet and savory, which make them versatile in the kitchen.‌ “Yes, you can always use it on a bagel, you can always use it on bread, but think about mixing it into your yogurt, think about warming it up and putting it on top of ice cream. One of our favorites is always on top of brie,” Hardt said.‌ Next month, Double Shovel

Cider Company is going into the test kitchen, as well as some other local products. ‌ Jams are available for purchase at Anchorage Distillery, 49th State Brewing Company and at seasonal pop-up shops.

The jams are even featured on menu items sold at 49th State Brewing Company. For more information and to be updated on future pop-up sales, check out their website and Facebook page.

06 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

A taste of Mars on Earth

The Robotics club is working hard to finish their latest rover

PHOTOS BY JOSEPH DIAZ

Members of the UAA Robotics club gather in their workshop in the Engineering and Computation Building. The club is working to design a Mars rover for the University Rover Challenge in May.

By Joseph Diaz

jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

The UAA Robotics club has been making steady progress on the construction of their latest machine, the Iceberg 2. They plan to take this rover, designed to explore the surface of another planet, to the annual University Rover Challenge, held by the Mars Society at the Mars Desert Research Station near Hanksville, Utah.

The Robotics club meets every Friday at 4 p.m. in Room 201 of the Engineering Computation Building to discuss their agenda, and work towards completing the challenge, to “design and build the next generation of Mars rovers that will one day work alongside human explorers in the field,” according to the Mars Society website.

“After our meeting we will break into our subgroups, each working on something different,” Heather Lindsey, mathematics major, science testing lead and president of the Robotics club, said.

The work done by the club is allocated based on who is willing and able to complete it.

“I just do whatever they need me to do. Right now, I am working on integration of the science projects to the chassis,” Natalia Wanser, mechanical engineering major and club member, said.

A majority of the fall semester was spent on designing the Iceberg 2 and determining which materials they would need to develop the rover. The

club decided to start the Iceberg 2’s design from scratch rather than reiterating the design of last years’ rover, the Iceberg 1.

Designing the rover is done primarily through a software program called SolidWorks, used to create 3-D models. A lot of the clubs’ members draw out designs by hand before transferring those designs into a digital format.

“Designing in SolidWorks first takes a level of experience and familiarity with the program,” Lindsey said. “We are trying to incorporate freshmen and sophomores into our team to help give them this chance to gain experience in the use of SolidWorks, since this is something engineering students don’t generally use until their second or third year into their degree.”

Groups that want to participate in the University Rover Challenge must make sure their rover meets requirements set out by the Mars Society. Last year, the Iceberg 1 missed getting into the competition by one point.

Hundreds of hours of work go into designing and construction of the rover to meet the requirements of the challenge, all for the hopes of a cash prize, a trip to present at the annual Mars Society Convention and bragging rights.

“There were certain parts on last years’ design that took over 200 hours of design time to get them finalized,” Lindsey said.

The Robotics club receives some funding from the university, but they cover the bulk of their costs through personal donors and sponsorships. The club

works within the community to make their name known.

“We do a lot of community outreach,” Lindsey said. “We volunteer at elementary schools and we are volunteering with [FIRST LEGO League] and [FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competitions] upcoming later this month for their state championships.”

Anyone can join the club, even if they are not majoring in engineering.

“Last semester we had a project management major that joined, which was really helpful,” Lindsey said. “We learned so much about how to actually plan things. We never really had much of a schedule before he joined.”‌ Grey Chalder, treasurer and chassis design lead of the robotics club, enjoys the application the club has to his mechanical engineering degree.‌ “This club is a way for people to get hands-on practice and to apply what they are learning in the classroom,” Chalder said.

“It is a way for students to leave their legacy.”‌ The appeal of robotics to many members of the club is being able to create something with what they learn in their classes.‌ “It makes your education feel like it is worth something,” Wanser said.

The club plans on taking six people to the competition this year if their rover is approved by the Mars Society.‌ The University Rover challenge will be held May 31 - June 2, 2018 in Hanksville, Utah.

PHOTO COURTESY OF

Last year’s design, Iceburg 1, missed out on the University Rover Challenge competition by one point. Through a redesign, the Robotics club hopes to bring Iceburg 2 to the competition in 2018.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

| 07

Christopher Sweeney: A legacy to be celebrated

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA MUSIC DEPARTMENT

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

On Jan. 28, the UAA music department will be holding a celebration of life for Christopher Sweeney, former associ-

ate professor of music and chair of the department. Sweeney died on Nov. 15, 2017 after an eight-month battle with cancer. ‌ After receiving his bachelor’s degrees in music education and music therapy from Duquesne University in Pennsylvania, Sweeney obtained a master’s degree and Ph.D. in music education from the University of Miami. ‌ Prior to working at the university, Sweeney served as an assistant professor of music at a college in South Carolina and worked with bands all over the United States. In 2004, he moved to Alaska, beginning his career at UAA.‌ Mari Hahn, professor, and Linn Weeda, adjunct professor, in UAA’s music department, are organizing the memorial for Sweeney in cooperation with other faculty members.‌ “We have decided to make it more of an informal kind of event, because this is probably what Dr. Sweeney would have appreciated and wanted,” Hahn said. ‌ Sweeney was not only involved with university affairs during his 13 years in Anchorage, he also had strong ties to the city’s music community and the Anchorage School District.‌ “Chris [Sweeney] had a very vibrant and outgoing personality. He was very good at outreaching to the community,” Hahn said. “He was very well-regarded and very popular with everybody because of his incredible charisma and sense of humor and generosity.”‌ For many years, he served as the principal trombonist for the Anchorage Sym-

phony as well as the orchestras of Anchorage Opera and Anchorage Concert Chorus.‌ “Beyond his activities in Music Education, he was a fine performer on trombone. With myself and adjunct professor Cheryl Pierce, we formed a brass trio [the Chugach Brass] that toured extensively and commissioned new works,” Weeda said. ‌ In addition to his work as a performing artist, he coached members of the Alaska Youth Orchestras in Anchorage.

As UAA’s music education professor, he trained and mentored many teachers in the Anchorage School District. ‌ The music faculty is very appreciative of Sweeney’s personality and the vision he brought to the department. ‌ “As a colleague and friend, he was witty and quick, and always considerate.

He beautifully maintained the balance between high standards and empathy,” Weeda said‌ Hahn described him as an excellent leader during his time as chair of the music department. ‌ “He was really dedicated to leading our department and helped get us through... tough times. We all miss him tremendously and we’re trying to carry on his legacy,” Hahn said.‌ As a professor, he was popular among his students. Louisa-Marie Knapp, physical education major and gymnast, enjoyed taking one of his music appreciation classes.‌ “He chose interesting ways to teach

his class and to make us appreciate music more,” Knapp said. “He was always involved in our discussions.”‌ At the memorial, a program of speakers will share the impact that Sweeney had on the community. Surrounding those speakers will be music, featuring members of UAA’s Music Department faculty, outstanding students as well as members of Anchorage’s music community. ‌ Hahn will be singing accompanied by Mary Weeda, a violinist from the Anchorage Symphony. Other performances will include those by John Lutterman, associate professor of music and faculty cellist, as well as Associate Dean for the Fine Arts, Timothy Smith. ‌ Approximately 35 trombonists from the Anchorage area will perform a work for large trombone ensemble in honor of Sweeney. After the program, the attendees are welcome to meet in the lobby for refreshments.‌ Hahn encourages people from UAA, both students and faculty members, as well as people from the community to attend the celebration for the accomplished trombonist. ‌ “We’re hoping that people will feel very welcome to come to the memorial, even if they did not know him personally very well. His legacy is certainly one to be celebrated,” Hahn said.‌ The celebration of life begins at 4 p.m. in the UAA Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building Room 150.

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

Get off the couch!

Local book club, ice skating and a celebration of life Polar Bear Birthday and Ahpun’s Celebration of Life

TNL Staff

At UAA German Lider: Song of Love & Devotion What: UAA voice faculty team up with guest artists to perform a night of German art songs, accompanied by guest pianists.

When: Saturday, Jan. 20, 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Where: UAA Fine Arts Building, Recital Hall (3700 Alumni Drive) Cost: Adult: $19.99; seniors and military: $14.99; UAA student: $9.99. Available at www.artsuaa.com Care Team Book Club Meeting What: During the school year, the UAA Care Team meets weekly with students and the public to develop a caring community and discuss selected books. The book, “I Am Malala,” is provided at the meetings.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Meetings are weekly and will continue to be at the stated time and location.

Where: UAA Student Union, The Den Cost: Free

Around town Art House Film Night: “Life Hack: Cover Your Webcam” What: Anchorage International Film Festival will host a free screening of the movie “Life Hack: Cover Your Webcam,” which takes a look into digital privacy and cyber threats in today’s age.

When: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 6 - 8 p.m.

Where: 49th State Brewing Co. (717 W Third Ave)

What: Festivities for male polar bear, Lyutyik, will be held, followed by a silent auction, animal adoption information, s’mores, zoo calendar giveaways and a celebration of life for the female polar bear, Ahpun.

When: Saturday, Jan. 20, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Where: The Alaska Zoo (4731 O’Malley Road) Cost: Regular zoo admission. NonAlaskan adult: $15. Alaskan adult: $13.

Seniors and military: $10. Youth ages 3-17: $7. Children 2 and under are free.

ConocoPhillips Westchester Lagoon Family Skate Series What: Spend the afternoon skating on the groomed Westchester Lagoon with friends and family. Music, warming barrels and free hot chocolate will at the event. Skaters should bring their own ice skates.

When: Saturday, Jan. 20, 1 - 3 p.m.

Where: Westchester Lagoon (1824 W 15th Ave) Cost: Free Salsa Fundamentals What: Learn the fundamentals of salsa dancing with this beginner-level course, hosted by Alaska Dance Promotions.

When: Monday, Jan. 21, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Where: Alaska Dance Promotions (300 E Dimond Blvd, Suite 11A) Cost: $15 Urban Homesteading 101: Winter Remedies What: Health experts will teach and guide attendees on how to discover and make winter wellness remedies through utilizing local Alaskan resources.

When: Tuesday, Jan. 23, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Where: Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center (625 C St) Cost: $20, members receive 10 percent discount. Registration required at anchoragemuseum.org.

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A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

| 09

Swing by the Anchorage Folk Festival

By Caleigh Jensen

cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

The Anchorage Folk Festival kicks off its 29th year on Jan. 17. The annual 10-day event includes a huge variety of performances, workshops, contests and more. Most events are free to all ages, with a few exceptions. ‌ The main purpose of the festival is to introduce Anchorage’s public to the world of folk music. It also helps educate audiences to keep the folk community thriving.‌ “It’s 100 percent about the Anchorage community as a whole, not just the folk music scene,” Eric Rodgers, vice president of the Anchorage Folk Festival, said. “It’s my favorite 10 days of the year. Everything is unique. You won’t see any other festival in Alaska like it.”‌ Rodgers got involved in the festival when he was around nine years old, and has continued to be a part of the event for 20 years. He works with a group of nine volunteers that organize the performances, negotiate with bands and agents, regulate merchandise and everything in between. ‌ “Few places do what we do,” Rodgers said. “I’m thankful for the community [the festival] was built around, and that it continues to thrive.”‌ This year’s schedule packs in

over 140 local acts and 40 workshops, with topics ranging from juggling, to Zen of music theory, to swing dancing. Each week of the festival also features a special guest artist.‌ Week one focuses on Seamus Egan, a traditional Irish music soloist. With his vast musical, composition and performance knowledge, Egan is considered one of the most influential artists in his genre. He will be performing three times on the main stage, along with an event for audiences 21 years and older and hosting an Irish music workshop.‌ Week two mixes things up with the Gonzalo Bergara Quintet. Originally a Quartet, the group was formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by guitarist Gonzalo Bergara. Their sound is categorized as gypsy jazz, incorporating sounds from Bergara’s roots in Buenos Aires, Argentina.‌ “This is our first time in Alaska ever as a group,” Bergara said. “We are very honored to come to this part of the country and be a part of such a music event.”‌ Accompanying Bergara in the quintet are Daisy Castro on the violin, Max O’Rourke on the rhythm guitar, PJ Wyderka on the upright bass, and Leah Zener on vocals. The group performs three times on the main stage, hosts a workshop on jazz improvisation and a social dance event costing $15 per person.‌

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GEORGE HYDE

Amanda Kerr, Danny Broth, Garren Volper and Peter Hamre play at the Anchorage Folk Festival Kickoff party at Taproot on Jan. 20, 2016.

Being a special guest artist at the Folk Festival takes a special group of musicians, according to Rodgers.‌ “They don’t stop moving from the moment their plane lands until they are ready to return home,” Rodgers said.‌ Aside from the main guest stars, a large number of performances by local, non-professional artists make up much of the festival. This year, over 200 bands applied to be apart of the event, with only 140 spots available. Unique groups such as Of Cabbages and Kings, Alaska Jumping Fleas and Three Fish in

a Tree play approximately every 15 minutes to recognize as many bands as possible. These performances begin at 7 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. on weekends. ‌ Another popular event of the Anchorage Folk Festival is the ninth annual banjo contest.

Serving as recognition for the commonly overlooked instrument and its players, the contest is free to participants of any age.

Players will be judged on categories of execution, arrangement, spirit, overall impression and jokes. Participants have a chance to win prizes including cash and concert tickets. The

banjo contest takes place at 12 p.m. at the Professional Studies Building, Room 166 on Jan. 27.‌ The Anchorage Folk Festival begins on Jan. 17 and lasts until Jan. 28. All of the main stage events take place at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium, along with workshops in the Sally Monserud Hall, Rooms 101 and 103, and the Professional Studies Building, Rooms 148 and 166.

There are also other events at various locations around town.

A full schedule of events is posted on the festival’s website, anchoragefolkfestival.org

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

| 10

Seawolf athletes keep busy over winter break

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Alex Jackstadt, with an assist from Mason Anderson, celebrates a goal against Alabama-Hunstville along with teammate David Trinkberger on Jan. 13 at the Sullivan Arena. The Seawolves found their first win of the year against the Chargers.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Lauren Cuddihy is a member of the UAA track and field team.‌ Between fall and spring semester, most students were able to go home, relax and enjoy four weeks off. However, UAA athletes were still hard at work in the midst of the training and competition.‌ Of the eight different teams known to UAA athletics, seven of these teams were actively in-season or right on the cusp of their season starting. ‌ Men’s Basketball‌ Over the course of the break, the men’s basketball team was able to participate in six different games, two in December and four in January. ‌ Of these games, the Seawolves didn’t see as much success as they would have hoped. Their first weekend away took them to Oregon to duel Western Oregon and Concordia-Portland. While UAA did see a win against Concordia (59-55), they also experienced a substantial loss against WOU with a final score of 50-82.‌ With hope that home games would bring more success, the Seawolves played at the Alaska Airlines Center on Jan. 4 and Jan. 6. Both loses, to Saint Martin’s and Seattle Pacific, were not as drastic as the first loss of the break, at 66-71 and 5457, respectively. ‌ The final weekend of games took the Seawolves back to Washington on Jan. 11 and Idaho on Jan. 13. UAA saw a close overtime loss against Central Washington, with a close finish at 71-72. That loss was followed by another OT game that lead the Seawolves to finish with a score of 78-79 against Seattle Pacific. ‌ Currently, the Seawolves are sitting at ninth in the Great Northwest Athletic

Conference, holding a record of three wins and five losses. They only have 12 regular season games left until GNAC Championships, but as of now, their next challenge will be against Simon Fraser and Western Washington throughout the week of Jan. 18.‌ Women’s Basketball‌ Similar to the men’s team, women’s basketball played in seven games over the course of the four-week break. Five of them were away games in California, British Colombia, Washington and Montana while the two most recent games were played at the Alaska Airlines Center.‌ In contrast to the men, the women’s team was able to see more success over the break, with six wins and one loss. ‌ The only loss that the Seawolves saw was on Dec. 19 against Sonoma State.

The loss damaged their 10-game win streak with a final score of 58-68. ‌ The rest of the break gave the Seawolves a plethora of wins against Notre Dame de Namur (87-76), Simon Fraser (84-79), Western Washington (64-54), Montana State Billings (81-60), Western Oregon (85-53) and Concordia University (76-68). ‌ After the end of the winter break, the success that UAA saw kept them at No. 1 in GNAC with a conference record of 8-0 and an overall record of 15-1. ‌ Hockey ‌ The third sport to continue with inseason competition for UAA was the hockey team, having competed against three different teams in six games. ‌ Of the three teams, Bemidji State, Minnesota State and Alabama-Huntsville, UAA was fortunate enough to play two of them with a home advantage at the Sullivan Arena.‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL MCCARTHY

Tennae Voliva sneaks past a Nanook guard during their meet in Fairbanks on Dec. 9. The Seawolves only saw one loss, to Sonoma State, over the winter break.

The beginning of the break took the Seawolves to Minnesota where they suffered back-to-back loses against Bemidji State, with a substantial score difference the first day of 1-5.‌ This continued with the Seawolves taking on Minnesota State over the Jan. 5 and 6 weekend. Both games resulted in a loss to the No. 8 nationally-ranked Mavericks, ending 2-5 and 1-4. ‌ The final winter break games concluded at the Sullivan Arena against Alabama-Huntsville on Jan. 12-13. UAA finished with one loss (2-4) and one win (2-1), the first win they have had since Nov. 18.‌ The Seawolves sit at the bottom of the men’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association rankings, 3 points behind Lake Superior State, and will compete again at Bowling Green, Ohio on Jan. 19 and 20.‌ Skiing‌ Although skiing officially began in November with the Alaska Nordic Cup, the competition didn’t pick up until Jan. 2 with the start of the U.S. Cross-Country Nationals that took place over four days at Kincaid Park. ‌ Hailey Swirbul impressed the crowds by winning the junior women’s 10K freestyle race, which slated her for eighth overall and third among her conference competition. ‌ For the men, Toomas Kollo placed sixth against all conference competitors in the 15K freestyle race. ‌ The competition continued as the Seawolves traveled down to Montana for the slalom and picked up the distance classic and classic sprint at Kincaid Park for the Montana State Invitational (Jan. 6-8 and Jan. 13) ‌ The Seawolves were able to finish with a total score of 309 which put them in sixth place out of a total of 10 teams. ‌

To finish off the break, UAA competed in the Utah Invitational in Huntsville, Utah on Jan. 11-13.‌ After the alpine portion of the meet was completed, UAA sat at No. 7 out of eight teams, with a score of 176, trailing behind Denver at No. 1 with a score of 329. ‌ Gymnastics ‌ The UAA gymnastics team spent the break training after the results of their intrasquad Green and Gold meet. They competed against Cortland on Friday, Jan. 12 and Sunday, Jan. 14. The team defeated Cortland on Jan. 12, 188.825 to 182.675.‌ Track and Field‌ As the team with the latest start in UAA athletics. The track and field team only get a brief glimpse of their indoor season over the weekend of Jan. 12-13. ‌ In addition to their debut at University of Washington, the Seawolves were also able to get back into their normal training facility, The Dome, a year after the initial collapse. ‌ The men’s and women’s team traveled to Seattle, Washington to compete in the University of Washington Indoor Preview meet. ‌ The Seawolves track and field team had several accomplishments. Sophomore Christopher Brake cleared a thirdbest in UAA history for high jump of 6 feet 8.75 inches and a triple jump of 45 feet 5.25 inches, both of which rank are top marks in D-II.‌ In addition, sophomore transfer Oshane Hylton and senior Darrion Gray both performed well enough in the 60 meters to advance to finals, initially scoring a tie in the preliminaries at 7.04 seconds.

GYMNASTICS: Seawolves topple Cortland in first meet Continued from cover

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Kaylin Mancari shares a high five with a teammate at their match against Cortland on Jan. 12 at the Alaska Airlines Center. Mancari scored a 9.5 in vault, and a 9.675 in both floor and beam routines.

Mancari made No. 1 for floor (9.650). ‌ “We are battling some minor injuries and illnesses right now, so we [didn’t] have our strongest team that we hoped to have on the floor, but we do have a lot of depth, so we [were] able to put out about six [gymnasts] on each event and be pretty competitive,” Ho said. ‌ Even with the lack of athletes, the team still had several factors on their side, in-

cluding location that led them to their win on Jan. 12. The Seawolves ended with a final score of 188.825, reigning over their opponents who finished at 182.675.‌ “Competing at home was [definitely an advantage] because it is the equipment we practice on. Even though it is a different atmosphere, I am glad our first meet was a home meet,” Fox said.‌ The Seawolves will travel to Missouri on Jan. 19 to compete against Lindenwood, and then follow-up in Illinois against Illinois State on Jan. 21.

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

| 11

A S S O C I AT E D CO L L E G I AT E P R ES S

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

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