January 31, 2017 by The Northern Light

JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 7, 2017

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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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The Modern Savage celebrates the release of their newest album

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UAA skiers show their Alyeska course knowledge with a rare home meet

Hello, can you see me now? UAA’s Consortium Library is excited to present one of the first public videophones

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

Big moves have been made at UAA with the installation of the videophone in the Consortium Library. Along with the Deaf Navigator Office, UAA’s library contains one of the first public videophones. A videophone is a communication device used by Deaf or hard of hearing people who use sign language as a main source of communication. Videophones work by allowing individuals to sign face-to-face to communicate or go through an interpreter by signing to the interpreter, who speaks to the hearing user, then signs back to the Deaf user. Anne Lazenby, staff interpreter and coordinator of disabilities support services, played an important role in advocating for the installment of the videophone by speaking to Sorenson VRS directly, one of the top providers of video relay services (VRS) for the Deaf. “For us, it only took about two months after we actually requested a phone to get one. The problem was that we didn’t have a place to put it. We needed people to approve where to put it and we had to get approval for using the internet services at the university,” Lazenby said. “The big turning point was when the regulatory commission of Alaska invited myself and Man-

SEE PHONE

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

The Video Relay Phone (VRP) is open for public use and is located in the UAA Consortium Library’s printer room.

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Not your average Joe Joe Johns is the same age as many UAA students, but he leads a very different life

Title Wave Books could be looking to move in wake of higher rent prices

Community reacts to potential used bookstore relocation By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

Popular bookstore and Spenard hotspot, Title Wave Books could be moving locations soon. The bookstore is currently changing ownership from longtime owners Julie Drake and Steve Lloyd to current employee and general manager Angela Libal. Title Wave Book’s lease is

up in April and the popular used bookstore is currently deciding whether to stay or to go. Title Wave Books and the entire Northern Lights Village have grown in popularity along with the rest of Spenard neighborhood over the last decade. Some call this newfound interest in Spenard the Spenardian Renaissance and the used bookstore, which has been in its current location since 2002, is not exempt from

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

19-year-old Joe Johns works hard as the UAA Subway manager, averaging 50 hours a week because his biggest goal in life is to become a Christian missionary.

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

He’s 19, he’s been to four continents, and he manages one of the busiest Subways in the state. He’s not your average Joe, but he is Joe Johns, the guy you see every time you buy a sandwich at UAA’s Subway. Johns is only 19, the age of many UAA students, and yet he has already

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worked his way up through Subways in Anchorage to become the store manager at UAA’s Subway. “I was 16 and I needed a job so I went to the [Dimond] mall, and I was going to apply for every store that was in the mall, and the first one I picked was Subway,” Johns said. His first Subway job at 16 helped him

SEE JOE

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Acting as a pillar stone of community for the Spenard area, Title Wave Books has driven traffic up for other businesses in the Northern Lights Village for the last decade. Due to a change of ownership, the used bookstore is currently looking at different locations to call home. Possibilities include The Mall at Sears and the University Center.

SEE BOOKS

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

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PHONE: UAA library offers public videophone for Deaf community

Continued from cover

dee Micek from diversity and compliance to go to their meeting, and we met with the president of Sorenson and said we want a videophone on campus.” Giving access and tending to the diverse community is what the Office of Diversity and Compliance strives for at UAA. “The UAA 2017 Strategic Plan professes a commitment to serving the higher education needs of our diverse communities and creating a public square where university facilities serve as community assets. Installation of the videophone was an opportunity for UAA to meet the communication needs of members of our diverse community; the Deaf and hard of hearing community,” Micek, ADA coordinator of the Office of Equity and Compliance at UAA, said. “The videophone will serve as a resource for Deaf and hard of hearing UAA faculty, staff, students and campus visitors, as well as provide a community square asset for those visiting the neighboring medical facilities and APU.” In Alaska, there are about 600 Deaf residents, five of

which are UAA students. Although videophones are free for deaf people per household, the internet is not. Many use the same videophone program on their cell phones, which can rack up an expensive data bill. “Last summer, there was a rally of Deaf people and one of their biggest complaints was that fact to use the video service Facetime on their cell phones eats up their data. So, they’re paying like $300-$500 a month for data and how unfair that was because they did not have public phones that they could use that would not use up all their data,” Lazenby said. “We felt like being on campus were close to two hospitals and we’re pretty centrally located and it’s a public library and that’s why we decided to set it up here after getting feedback from the community.” Having a public videophone on campus is convenient to those who may run out of data or like many instances, have trouble connecting to the UAA wi-fi. “I’ve had a video phone for about 13 years, when they first came out they were free to Deaf individuals and I got one at that time and ever since then, I’ve had my own,” Katie Irwin, majoring in journalism with a minor in art, said. “If I needed to make a phone call on campus and my phone wasn’t working for some reason, I would

be able to use the campus videophone because the internet here can be spotty, and without using [the] internet, I have to use data on my phone in order to make the call.” The videophone is open to the public during all library hours. By installing a videophone on campus, UAA has given those who need to use it the opportunity, which is key for success. “I am excited about having a videophone on campus, the VP is an important step toward bridging the accessibility gap between our campus and members of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community,” Micek said. The videophone has been put to use and has given UAA respect for noticing the need for the phone for campus and to the public. “I really appreciate that UAA has allowed this to be provided and it would be great if they would place a second one on campus,” Irwin said. “I really appreciate it. I know it may not be used all that often, but it gives Deaf people access and that is so important, that access is a key piece.” The videophone is available to students, faculty and the general public during all library hours, free of charge.

The Edge Update: Alaska income tax, conflicts of interest and domestic violence decriminalization

By Max Jungreis KRUA

The Edge Update can be heard every weekday on KRUA 88.1 FM The Edge, UAA’s college radio station. Local A wealthy Alaskan businessman is campaigning against a statewide income tax, a policy that may take its heaviest cuts from the state’s top earners. Bob Gillam has personally paid for print and radio ads supporting the adoption of budget cuts and lower oil taxes instead of income taxes. “Every state,” claims one radio spot, “that introduced an income tax since 1960, has experienced econom-

ic decline.” Gillam founded the investment firm Mckinley Capital in 1990, which now oversees more than $7 billion in assets, according to Forbes Magazine. The same publication lists Gillam as the wealthiest person in Alaska, with a net worth of $320 million. Gillam’s opposition appears to be motivated more by ideology than self-interest. At an Anchorage inaugural gala for President Donald Trump, he reportedly said in a speech that if Alaska implemented an income tax, he would simply “move his income to another state” — in other words, a tax shelter. National A newly elected state legislator wants

to make it easier for the public to know when lawmakers have a conflict of interest. Anchorage independent Rep. Jason Grenn co-sponsored House Bill 44 and House Concurrent Resolution 1, which had their first hearings Friday in the House Judiciary Committee. The measures would lower the threshold to declare a potential conflict, and require a public majority vote by the House or Senate before the conflicted lawmakers could vote. Under the current system, abstention requires a unanimous decision. If one lawmaker objects, the representative in question is allowed to vote. The identity of the lawmaker that objects is usually not recorded. Grenn says he intended the legislation to boost the public’s trust in the Legislature. Global The Russian parliament or Duma voted to decriminalize domestic violence against family members unless it is a repeat offense or causes serious medical damage, the latest development in Russia’s swift turn towards traditionalism. Activists believe that decriminalization legitimizes abuse, but a powerful segment of Russian society is pleased. Since the beginning of President Vladimir Putin’s

third term, the state has enforced and loosened laws to support the values of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the church, Russian tradition and scripture see “the reasonable and loving use of physical punishment as an essential part of the rights given to parents by God himself.” Public discussion of the issue dates back to last year when the government decriminalized battery, the least violent form of assault in Russian law. The Duma decided to exempt domestic abuse, angering the church. Since Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000, the church has become increasingly aligned with the government, to the point where critics have accused it of becoming a branch of the government itself, or an “official state religion.” Still, the public’s opposition is not entirely religious. Many distrust the ability of Russia’s corrupt police force to enforce laws justly, remembering a time when the Soviet government intruded into the home and families had virtually no privacy. Many women have protested the resolution, and awareness of violence against women has grown, but domestic abuse remains an issue deeply rooted in the culture. An oft-repeated Russian proverb from the 16th century says: “If he beats you, it means he loves you.”

BOOKS: Title Wave move may impact surrounding Spenard businesses Continued from cover this neighborhood rebirth. Title Wave Books helped make Spenard a destination, appealing to people from around the city. “I think the Northern Light/Spenard area would lose one of it’s most iconic stores,” Jacob Reausaw, a frequent customer at Title Wave Books, said. Part owner of Dos Manos and general manager of Bear Tooth Theatrepub, Stephanie Johnson has been working in the Spenard area for over 16 years. She’s noticed traffic in the neighborhood grow over the years. “Every year that Dos Manos has been open [10 and a half years] we’ve seen a steady increase in customers and continue to have people come in for the first time,” Johnson said. “I’m sure that part of this has been the changes to the neighborhood in addition to regular increases in business growth/exposure.” Johnson, a frequent customer of the Northern Lights Village mall believes Title Wave to be a crucial element of the

mall and neighborhood of Spenard. “The Northern Lights Village has so many great businesses that attract a lot of people, myself included. It’s not uncommon for me to ‘run across the street’ for a coffee and end up popping into to Title Wave for a book I’ve been meaning to pick up,” Johnson said. “I think that Title Wave is one of the coolest stores in our community... It will be a big loss to the Northern Lights Village and the businesses there to lose them, and depending on where they end up, it would be a big loss in convenience to myself, and I imagine others.” Businesses understand the appeal the used bookstore has in the community and Title Wave’s relocation could have an effect on those businesses. “I would imagine that a huge appeal to renting a storefront there if you were a smaller store, would be the pull and synergy from the other businesses. Losing Title Wave feels like a pretty huge energetic shift. I can only imagine that if I were a smaller business in that same

mall, part of the reason to rent there is moving out,” Johnson said. Other residents believe the store’s relocation won’t affect the culture and charm of Spenard. “I certainly have a lot of nostalgia associated with Title Wave Books. It’s been a staple for a long time now, but I think some older residents, in particular, would agree with me in that it’s not something that will make or break Spenard,” Jacob Thompson, a resident of Spenard, said. “I don’t think seeing it gone will impact the atmosphere in Spenard, but it will most likely impact business and traffic through the area.” George Hyde, former multimedia editor at The Northern Light and resident of Spenard, enjoyed walking over to the used bookstore after the school day at West High School. “It was always a quiet place to hang out and grab and read a book on the cheap,” Hyde said. “I will miss being able to just go there after school or after a Carrs run or something like that.”

Hyde, however, does not think the neighborhood will be affected by a relocation of the bookstore. “I’m not sure how much it would change the neighborhood... I feel like a lot of loyal customers would make the effort to go just because they love the business,” Hyde said. Created by former Gov. Wally Hickle in 1960, the Northern Lights Village was owned by Hickle’s investment company until 2006. Today the strip mall has two owners, Mush Inn Corp. and Yoo Jin Management Co. Ltd. Prices for rent have been rising since new ownership of the mall. Title Wave first opened in 1991 on Northern Lights Blvd. Then the bookstore moved to Fireweed Lane in 1996, and then to its current location in 2002. Possible locations for Title Wave’s move include the Mall at Sears and the University Center. Store credit will remain under Title Wave’s new ownership, but only until March 15.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

Let the parking games begin

Students and faculty face challenges due to excessive amounts of snow in UAA parking lots By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

As if finding a parking spot at UAA wasn’t hard enough, throw in a great amount of snow to make parking even more difficult. January’s rapid snowfall plus the spring semester starting means chaos in the UAA parking lots. The giant snow piles throughout UAA’s parking lots are hard to miss, especially when they are taking up rows of parking. Not only are parking spaces being filled with snow, making it hard to see around corners, but that leaves many unable to see what cars are coming. These snow piles have left students and faculty frustrated and extremely cautious of their surroundings. Students are aware that they need to leave early to find a decent parking spot and to make it to school on time. With the snow and parking conditions, students have been leaving earlier while still being late for class. Allison Ackles, nursing major and dancing minor, explains her daily struggles finding a parking spot with the snow. “Most mornings, I leave my apartment 25 to 30 minutes early so that I can have plenty of time to get to class, I live a quarter mile from campus, I barely ever make it on time to class because I typically spend 10 to 20 minutes trying to find parking,” Ackles said. “And half the damn snow they’ve plowed ‘out of the way’ makes the parking narrow, hard to navigate and hazardous to my driving.” Money from permits sales and citations are used to pay for the snowplow maintenance to clear parking lots, side-

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Increased snowfall gets pushed into piles taking up UAA’s already limited parking spaces.

walks and bike paths on campus. Due to the excessive amount of snow, there is only so much space dedicated for snow to be plowed in those areas. “Unfortunately, Facilities has limited locations for where they can push the snow when plowing the parking lots,” Brian Blevins, enforcement supervisor for Parking Services, said. “The limitation causes the loss of parking spaces, as well as visibility issues entering and exiting the parking lots.” Not only is it difficult to see around the snowbanks, but students are unable to park in snow covered spots, and also unable to tell handicap parking spaces apart. “I have parked in spots that were not parking spots or were handicap on acci-

dent due to snow covering it,” Jonathan Weston, business management major said. When parking, it always seems like there are never enough spaces. With the snow taking up spots and several rows, it seems like the number of spots has shrunk. “The snow piles do take away a few parking spaces on campus, mostly in South lot,” Blevins said. “When the snow piles up, we may lose approximately one percent of available parking spaces on campus, the loss is minimal.” When it feels like there is no hope in finding a parking space, there are options available. “There are over 5,000 parking spaces on campus. While the snow may impact a

few spaces across campus, there is always available parking in the new Engineering garage, Central garage, East garage, East lot and the Alaska Airlines Center main parking lot. There is never a time when every parking space on campus is full.” Blevins said. Although it is inconvenient to park halfway across campus for a parking spot and having to trek through the slushy snow, making it to class is important. If following people to their car for a spot isn’t working out for you, maybe try parking further out and enjoying Alaska’s chaotic weather. Remember to be cautious when driving on campus for pedestrians and other cars that could be around you, especially when entering and exiting parking lots.

Alaska Victimization Survey results prove high rates of violence against women

The university’s responsibility to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Alexis Abbott

news2@thenorthernlight.org

The state of Alaska experiences noticeably high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault, and new results from the 2015 Alaska Victimization Survey report the unfortunate reputation of stalking statewide. The survey reported among all women in the state, that one in three, more than 80,800, have been stalked in their lifetime, while one in seventeen, more than 15,300, have been stalked in the past year. The Alaska Victimization Survey also recorded that 50 percent of women who experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence in their lifetime were also stalked, while 27 percent were reportedly stalked in the

past year. Stalking is a form of domestic violence that most commonly includes unwanted phone calls and texts, being approached at work, home or school — or any kind of non-consensual contact. The Alaska Victimization Survey is conducted annually by the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the UAA Justice Center. Andre Rosay, the director of the Justice Center at UAA and also the principal investigator for the AVS, analyzes and disseminates all results of the survey. Rosay thinks that social norms play an important role in condoning the use of violence and that the university is in a position to make an effective change. “The university can do a significant amount of public education to change social norms so that violence against women is never condoned. The university also has a responsibility to do this to protect students, faculty and staff from gender-based violence,” Rosay said. Learned through survey and research, Rosay indicated that the prevention of sexual assault and domestic violence is actually very simple. “All of us can and should do something. We don’t have to do everything, but if each one of us did one thing to prevent violence in our homes and relationships, we would have a much safer and healthier society,” Rosay said. Lindsey Blumenstein, a professor in the UAA Justice Center who assisted with the AVS, understands that there are many factors that contribute to the state’s high rates of victimization. “Our state is very diverse and very large, with many rural communities that do not have easy access to health care, education, law enforcement or victim services,” Blumenstein said. “All of these things in conjunction with one another, and a combination of other things,

contribute to our issues.” Blumenstein believes that the university can do many things to help prevent this violence. The University of Alaska is currently working on implementing both prevention programming, including bystander intervention, as well as policy changes for students, faculty and staff. “I think the biggest thing individuals can do to prevent violence is simple, if you see something — say something,” Blumenstein said. “Do not let people get away with treating others with disrespect. It’s time to bring this violence to the forefront and talk about these issues.” Results from the survey are used in planning and policy development, evaluating the impact of prevention and intervention services, and provide greater support for preventing violence against women. The Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault partners with programs at the university and figures in communities throughout the state to educate with a variety of prevention programs. Patricia Owen, the current chair of the CDVSA thinks that the university needs strong policies, protocols and procedures related to domestic and sexual violence. “Women and men need to value and teach respect, and know how to model healthy relationships and learn how to build healthy relationship skills from the earliest age,” Owen said. “People who experience or are exposed to violence are at a higher risk, especially those that experience violence during childhood or other forms of adverse childhood experiences.” The university will soon be requiring all students, faculty and staff to complete training on domestic violence and sexual assault to ensure preparation for future incidents. For more information on the Alaska Victimization Survey, go to http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/justice/avs.

FEATURES JOE: The face of UAA’s Subway

Continued from cover

work his way up the Subway chain. After being a “sandwich artist” for a year at the Dimond Mall, he was promoted to shift manager for a year. After taking a break from Subway to do missionary work, Johns came back and was promoted to assistant manager, before eventually becoming the store manager at UAA. For most people, being the manager of people who are older would be a difficult task, but Johns has no trouble working with any of his four employees. “It’s not hard for me. I’ve never been a typical teenager,” Johns said. “I’ve always been able to relate with adults easily, but when you have experience in what you do, it makes it easy to teach other people no matter how [much] older they are. I don’t pay attention to age difference. I treat them all the same.” Johns is constantly working, and he estimates that he averages 50 hours a week at Subway. His day as a manager starts with a 4 a.m. wake-up call so that he can be at work by 5:45 a.m. to prepare the bread, cookies and other food items for the day. Johns says the reason he works so hard at his job is because his biggest passion in life is going on mission trips. “I believe it’s life and death, and it’s so important to me that I would go to another country, I would pay thousands of dollars, work months and months to raise money to go to another country and tell people about this,” Johns said. “I make an effort to tell people here as well, but giving that gift is my biggest passion and that’s why I want to be a missionary.” Johns has been on several mission trips already. His first mission trip was to Chicago, and his first out-of-country mission trip was in 2014 to Burkina Faso. He had originally selected Sierra Leone as his first choice destination, but that trip had to be canceled because of the Ebola outbreak. Instead, Johns spread Christianity while also doing service work for the community in the form of cleaning houses and the church. After Burkina Faso, Johns went to Belgium for debriefing and toured Brussels for vacation while he was there. His next stop was Bolivia, for missionary training.

“I went to Bolivia with an organization called YWAM, or Youth With a Mission,” Johns said. “It’s a college-age organization that sends college age kids overseas and trains them to be missionaries. They have an entire university that is spread all across the world that is called University of Nations.” Johns was in Bolivia for Discipleship Training School for six months, and part of his training was doing outreach in a different country. Johns and several friends chose to go to Brazil for missionary outreach. “We went to Brazil, we took a bus the whole way,” Johns said. “There’s a lot of bus systems instead of planes because it’s a lot cheaper and so we would drive for 16 or 20 hours every time we went somewhere. I went to Rio, Sao Paulo. We mostly just helped churches. Most of the same stuff as I did in Burkina Faso, lots of Evangelism with skits and dramas.” While he was in South America, Johns and some friends went to Peru for vacation, where he toured Cuzco, Lima, and ate guinea pig — something you don’t see offered in the meat selection at Subway. Recently, Johns went to Israel for a missions convention. While he was there, he was able to see Jerusalem. Johns is young, and students at UAA often ask him if he is also a student. Johns always replies with, “No way… I work way too much. I don’t need that much stress in my life.” While Johns has no plans to ever attend UAA, he does hope to get a missionary related degree through the missionary school, University of Nations. “Each base offers several different classes you can take through the University of Nations. It has bases in Kona, Hawaii or Perth, Australia, [which] are the two largest bases,” Johns said. “They offer the most classes, so it is probable that I will go to either Kona or Perth next. But right now, I’m looking just to save money and do that. I’m not looking to stay in Subway forever.” He doesn’t plan to stay at Subway forever because his goal is to become a lifelong missionary, but while he’s here he still has his favorite Subway sandwiches to comfort him, which include the BLT, rotisserie chicken with bacon and meatball.

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Jon’s Filipino lumpia

How to make an easy and delicious appetizer of the Philippines

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

A popular dish in the Philippines, this egg roll-type dish makes a great appetizer and is best served with spicy sweet chili sauce. My friend Jon learned this recipe from his step-dad who grew up in the Philippines.

Ingredients • Egg roll wrappers • 1 pound of ground pork • 4 green onions, chopped

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

• 2 tablespoons of garlic powder • Pepper to taste

Directions 1. In a bowl, mix together the pork, onions, garlic and pepper. 2. Lay your egg roll wrappers flat. Take a small handful of the meat filling and spread it out in an even line across the bottom portion of the egg roll wrapper. 3. Roll the wrapper over the meat, keeping the roll tight. Once you reach the top of the wrapper, dab some water onto the edge to create an adhesive. 4. Once you have rolled out all of your lumpia, place them in the freezer to chill. Let them chill for roughly thirty minutes. 5. Once they have been chilled, cut them in half to make cooking easier. 6. In a pan of heated sesame or olive oil, fry the lumpia until golden-dark brown. 7. Serve hot with sweet chili sauce.

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God save us from ‘Rise of the Legend’ By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

The martial arts genre is built on Wong Fei-hung’s life. Born in 1847, the Chinese folk hero ran a martial arts school and medical clinic in Guangzhou City in the day and moonlit as a bodyguard for local businesses at night. Over 100 Hong Kong action flicks are based on his exploits, from Jackie Chan’s “Drunken Master” to Jet Li’s “Once Upon a Time in China.” Knowing this, “Rise of the Legend” feels extraneous from the jump. With a huge legacy behind it, the movie should have a reason to exist, but, like Seth MacFarlane’s “The Cleveland Show,” it never attempts to provide that reason. It looks real cool, with some snazzy sequences, and it seems content with just being that. “Rise of the Legend” is a slick, empty mess that avoids what it should embrace: action. Through the plodding middle portion, you’ll be praying for someone to hit somebody. Instead, you get a clumsy melodrama in a martial arts movie’s clothes. The movie opens on a fight scene, flashes back a number of times, and then returns to that same fight scene frame-for-frame. Later on, two battle sequences cut away well before the action. In place of any excitement at all, Christine To’s incoherent script opts for cringeworthy schmaltz. This is supposed to be an action movie, so where God is the action? Even with two gangs, the Black Tiger and the Orphan Gang, fighting for control over Guangzhou’s pier, it’s

nowhere to be found. Caught in the middle of this war is Wong Fei Hung (Eddie Peng, “Duckweed”). He returns to Guangzhou, his hometown, seeking his father’s murderer, Master Lui of the Black Tiger gang (Sammo Hung, “Call of Heroes”). It doesn’t take long for this simple premise to fall apart. Sloppy editing, flashbacks, flashbacks within flashbacks, and a baffling structure make it hard to pinpoint where “Rise of the Legend” goes wrong. Everything goes wrong, so was it really just one thing? Eddie Peng has a startling physicality, but the hokey special effects undermine his presence. Watching him plow through crowds is entertaining, for sure. But one man trapped in a narrow alley fighting endless crowds of gangsters on both sides is boring after the third time. To give credit where credit’s due, though, the movie has some excellent sequences. The ending showdowns especially are a blast to watch. They’re just not enough of a blast to merit the hour and a half garbage preceding them. “Rise of the Legend” is a sad entry in Wong Fei-hung’s cinematic legacy. It’s a shoddily constructed drag with some excellent action sequences, none of which redeem the minutes leading up to them. At points, it seems like the movie purposefully avoids action altogether. Lazy character-building takes the place of battle sequences, and the movie loses sight of its purpose: fights. Please, “Rise of the Legend,” don’t try to be more than you are. Ditch those clodhopping theatrics and linger on the fight scenes. They’re all you have to offer.

“Rise of the Legend”

TITLE

DIRECTOR Roy Chow

RELEASE DATE Nov. 21, 2014

COUNTRY China

GENRE Action

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

Localize It: Becoming one with the needle

Lawren Young speaks on her journey to becoming a professional piercing artist

By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Lawren Young, a 26-year-old who recently moved back to her roots in Alaska, is currently working on her apprenticeship to become a professional piercer in Anchorage. Young came back to Alaska one year ago after living in South Carolina with her husband for a few years, which was where she began her first piercing apprenticeship. “I’ve always been interested with the idea of being a piercer but wasn’t something I ever considered as a career until a piercer in South Carolina contacted me and told me I seemed like a good fit for this apprenticeship they were offering. From there, I’ve just kept learning more and getting better,” Young said. Young spent time at several different piercing shops in South Carolina, but none of the apprenticeships lasted longer than a few months. With moving back to Anchorage, she has discovered a place that she can learn and grow at, which

is Body Piercing Unlimited. Young has been an apprentice there since October of 2016 and is set to finish her apprenticeship towards the end of this April. “With my current apprenticeship at BPU, I get a lot more one-on-one training with the piercers that I didn’t really get when I was in South Carolina. It’s helped me learn a lot more in a shorter time span and now I am actually piercing customers that come in,” Young said. To be a professional piercer in Alaska, one must log one thousand hours in an apprenticeship at a certified piercing studio, and also pass a test at the end. Young started out her apprenticeship by shadowing the other piercers at the studio, watching their piercing techniques and learning safety and sterilization rules. From there, she went on to learn proper placement for piercings and the anatomy behind those placements and prepping trays for piercings. Now that she is in the tail end of her apprenticeship, Young is working with clients and piercing them. “So far I’ve done a lot of nostrils, the

nose is a very popular spot for a piercing so I’ve done lots of those. Cartilages, ears, belly buttons, I did my first lip a couple weeks ago too. I’m still learning a lot, but it’s really great to be working with customers officially now,” Young said. Young’s apprenticeship has required nothing short of hard work and dedication, but she shows that if you are passionate enough about the field of work, it is absolutely worth the time put in. “I love it when a client comes in excited for a piercing, and I get to help be a part of the process. If I can do something to make someone smile and have a little more self-confidence, then it feels like a success. That’s my favorite thing I discovered about this job so far,” Young said. Once she becomes a certified piercer, Young plans to continue working with Body Piercing Unlimited, and work at one of their locations in Anchorage as a full-time piercing artist.

The Modern Savage host album release party to celebrate ‘Unwilling Participants’

By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org

One of Anchorage’s most well known indie rock groups, The Modern Savage,

is celebrating the recent release of their newest album, titled ‘Unwilling Participants’. This is the band’s second full length album, and totals to 13 tracks. To create this album, members of The Mod-

ern Savage went a different route in the writing and recording process. “We recorded a series of revised demos before entering the studio. By listening and reworking demos prior to recording, we were able to enter with a clearer vision for the album. It includes interludes to transition between the contrasting tonality of some of the songs,” guitarist Matt Eley said. “There’s a focus on duality in the album. We wanted to emphasize life’s expression of these elements. We play with this graphically on the physical copy of the album,” lead singer Jenni May said. While the band has found new methods of creating their music, they still draw inspiration from some similar sources. Artists such as PJ Harvey, Mazzy Star and Patti Smith have served as major influences on The Modern Savage’s sound, and continue to do so. “The song “Dead Presidents” was particularly hard fought for us in the studio. It’s a track I’m proud of because it didn’t

come easily, and it challenged us as musicians. “Steal” is a track I’m also proud of, because I selfishly got to play alone,” May said. Since the release of ‘Unwilling Paricipants’, The Modern Savage has been featured in multiple national publications, such as ELLE Magazine, She Shreds, NPR, IMPOSE and others. Now that they are being recognized on a bigger scale, the band hopes to tour both in Alaska, and venture down to the lower 48 to play shows to a different crowd. To celebrate the release of ‘Unwilling Paricipants’, The Modern Savage is hosting an album release show on Thursday February 2, at Bear Tooth’s First Tap event. The Super Saturated Sugar Strings will join The Modern Savage in this show and open for them. Tickets are $22 in advance or $27 at the door, and the show goes from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.. This concert will be a great way to experience what The Modern Savage’s newest music sounds like.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

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The Dome collapse sets back Anchorage athletic communities

In the midst of one of the largest snowfalls seen in years, Anchorage sports enthusiasts woke up in anguish to discover The Dome was no longer standing

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

On the evening of Jan 20, The Dome collapsed due to heavy snowfall. The closed facility poses problems for the community as it was a training place for the Anchorage School District, University of Alaska Anchorage and other various club sports programs.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Lauren Cuddihy is a member of the UAA track and field team. Over the weekend of Jan. 20, Anchorage residents were bombarded by over a foot of fresh snow, a sight many haven’t seen in years. While this created a cascade of problems including severe lack of driving visibility, dangerous road conditions and power outages, one unanticipated outcome was that of the destruction of the local sports dome. Beginning the night of Friday, Jan. 20, users and employees of The Dome began to notice a depression in the ceiling. In a generally routine and uncomplicated response — considering that Anchorage had received snowfall like this in previous years — employees bumped up the heat in the building to melt the snow in the hope that it would slide off. With snow continuing to fall overnight and well into the weekend, it was then decided that snow must be manually removed from the roof to prevent any additional complications. Despite the problems the structure was experiencing, a couple hundred people continued their activities in The Dome on the track, soccer field and fitness center. Efforts to clear the roof fell short as the ceiling continued to depress under the weight of the snow and the newly formed water from the melted snow, which added much more weight than anticipated. Over the course of Saturday morning into late evening, employees monitored and watched the ceiling continually sink.

The general manager of The Dome, Dino Sutherland, was present and aware of the situation from the very beginning. “The weight accumulation outpaced the pressure; there was only so much pressure that I could put into the building,” Sutherland said. To take precautionary measures, The Dome was evacuated of all users by midafternoon. At that time management sent eight employees onto the roof to attempt to clear it off. To no avail, the snow continued to melt and put pressure on the roof. Just before midnight, The Dome had only about ten feet of standing room between the turf and ceiling, and approximately 40 feet of standing room on the track and side areas. Several members of the management team commented that at what they thought was a final turning point - a loud shifting sound. they expected the remaining snow to slid off and the matter to resolve itself, but safe in the concrete observing deck, they realized that The Dome was actually collapsing. In the midst of the situation, they were able to evacuate safely before the entire structure came down. In a dire situation for all, the temporary loss of The Dome significantly impacts the UAA track and field team, Anchorage School District spring track and field, soccer, baseball, and softball seasons, numerous running and athletic clubs and, of course, the general public of Anchorage that utilized the structure. With the harsh, cold winters of Anchorage, The Dome board chairman Mike Martin realizes the value of the facility to the community.

“There may be at any given time, several hundred people in The Dome,” Martin said. The UAA track and field team utilized The Dome on a daily basis from August until September. Head coach Michael Friess realizes the impact it has on the training of his team. “It is extraordinarily valuable to us,” Friess said, but he is optimistic of the team training “old-school” on the treadmills at the Alaska Airlines Center. In addition, ASD utilized The Dome

in the spring months, with a schedule already in progress for 2017, hosting upwards of 5 high school track meets, 33 women’s soccer games, 29 men’s soccer games and additional practices for the baseball and softball teams. ASD middle school sports utilized The Dome as well, with six track and field meets scheduled there. Although it may be temporary, estimated several months, the loss of The Dome will have a tremendous effect on the athletic communities of Anchorage.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

Seawolves host first meet of the season

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Charley Field focuses on the next gate in the giant slalom at day one of the UAA Invitational.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

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After bouncing back and fourth between Utah and Montana to kick off the 2016-17 season, the Alpine Seawolves were joined for competition in Girdwood, Alaska. The Alpine team being the official host for the UAA and Seawolf Invitationals from Wednesday, Jan. 25 to Saturday, Jan. 28 while the Nordic team continued the competition with the Invitationals the following Tuesday, Feb. 7. Being a rather special occasion, the Seawolves were lucky to get the excessive snowfall that southcentral Alaska received. “We only get to be home once every other year; it’s great and it’s stressful in that we want to put on a quality event but we have our challenges with either too much or not enough snow. But Alyeska [did] a fantastic job putting that venue together for us,” head coach Sparky Anderson said. Joined by other Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association members, the Seawolves fell in the middle sitting at No. 6 in the regular season team standings, only after competing in two meets. Although certain things may not have been ideal, alpine junior Conor McDonald and the team were grateful to be on familiar ground. “We had three days on the race hill before anybody was here, so that was a big advantage,” McDonald said. After day one, the Seawolves trailed in at fifth place with 117 points following Montana State in first at 170, Utah at 150, Denver at 148 and New Mexico at 123. Alpine junior Charley Field produced a season-high result with a two-run time of 1 minute, 47.8 seconds, securing her in third place. In addition, alpine sophomore Alix Wells (1:50.44) placed 16th and Katherine Lamoureux (1:55.26) trailing in at 30th. With already several impressive individual finishes, the team realized the value that Alyeska is to them. “[It was] definitely a home field advantage, we are comfortable down at our venue, that’s where we train... they know the hill,” Anderson said. On the men’s side,

alpine sophomore Tony Naciuk proved to be the first one down the mountain on for the Seawolves, coming through in 1 minute 47.96 seconds, securing 10th place. Less than a second away, senior Curtis McKillp (1:48.72) and freshman Dominic Unterberger (1:48.95) came through at 17th and 20th. In the unprecedented event of freezing rain in the south central region of Alaska, day two of the Seawolf Invitational and day one of the UAA Invitational were both postponed until Friday, Jan. 27. In the overall day two, for both the slalom and giant slalom, Wells and Naciuk proved again to be the top UAA finishers in both events. Wells took a respected 11th place (1:49.67) in the first race of the day and then continued on to place 12th (1:42.32) later in the day. Naciuk additionally took 10th (1:42.39) and 11th (1:40.84) in the two races he competed in. Both skiers have a history of leading the UAA team with top finishes, being the fifth time now for Wells and third for Naciuk. Day two led to the conclusion of the Seawolf Invitational, which led UAA off to a finish with 190 points, good for sixth place overall. Montana State came to be the overall winner of the invite with a final score of 333 points. Despite the team score not being as high as they had liked, the meet was still productive and enjoyable. “The skiing community is basically like a family, so it’s really cool to get the other teams up here,” McDonald said. In addition, day two was just the beginning of the UAA Invitational. The Seawolves were able to secure 106 points, placing them at forth, after New Mexico, Denver and Utah. To finish of the first parts of the double weekend meets before nordic takes their turn, the Seawolves competed in a final alpine with day two of the UAA Invitational. The men and women concluded with a final 53 and 47 points, respectively. The men’s side finished with three top20 finishes, with Naciuk again leading the pack for the fourth race of the weekend. Naciuk came in at 8th with a time of 1 minute, 34.81 seconds. Following not far behind was McKillop (1:35.38) who came in at 16th and Unterberger (1:35.49) at 18th. On the other side, the women had two top-20 finishes, secured by two of the top UAA finishers for the previous races of the meet. Field, who produced a seasonhigh on Wednesday, came through at 14th place with 1:39.04, followed by another meet standout, Wells, at 17th with a time of 1 minute, 40.47 seconds. At the conclusion of the UAA Invitational, the Seawolves have a combined 206 points that puts them good for sixth place. In addition, with the finish of the alpine races in the Seawolf Invitational, the team also secured sixth place in that meet. Both meets will be continued starting Tuesday, Feb. 7 with the beginning of the Nordic races in Kincaid Park.

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

| 11

ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.

LETTERS AND CORRECTIONS POLICY Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length is 250 words. Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum word length is 450 words. Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org. The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union, directly next to Subway.

THE NORTHERN LIGHT CONTACTS 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508

ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sam Davenport 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org

A&E EDITOR Madison McEnaney arts@thenorthernlight.org

CONTRIBUTORS Jacob Holley-Kline

MANAGING EDITOR Kathryn DuFresne content@thenorthernlight.org COPY EDITOR Michael Thomas copy@thenorthernlight.org NEWS EDITOR Victoria Petersen vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org ASSITANT NEWS EDITOR Alexis Abbott news2@thenorthernlight.org FEATURES EDITOR Brenda Craig features@thenorthernlight.org

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Lauren Cuddihy sports2@thenorthernlight.org MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Young Kim ykim@thenorthernlight.org MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE Billy Stapleton ads@thenorthernlight.org

MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Zac Clark ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Stacey Parker HIRING FOR Ad Manager Sports Editor Staff Reporters

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jay Guzman jguzman@thenorthernlight.org LAYOUT EDITOR Levi Brown layout@thenorthernlight.org

CORRECTIONS In the Jan. 24 issue of The Northern Light, there was an error in The Edge Update. The story states, “if one lawmaker objects, the representative in question is allowed to vote.” The story should state, “if one lawmaker objects, the representative in question is forced to vote.”

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