THENORTHERNLIGHT UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
JULY 9, 2013
OPINION
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
NEWS
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Is media coverage always a good thing?
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Student loan interest rates continue to rise
Quidditch, a hit downtown By George Hyde Staff Reporter
Quidditch started out as a fictional sport in the Harry Potter universe, looking like a fusion of football, soccer and broomstick riding. Though muggles — non-magical folk — can’t fly on broomsticks, this isn’t keeping real-life people from experiencing the joy of this unique sport. For the uninitiated, each team has seven players — three chasers, who carry the quaffle (a soccer ball) to a hoop at the end of each side of the field to score points; two beaters, who use bludgers (dodgeballs) to knock other players “off their brooms” and force them to recover; one keeper, who acts as a sort of goalie for the hoops; and a seeker, who attempts to catch the golden snitch (a person in yellow with a tennis ball in a sock, reminiscent of flag football). The game ends once the snitch is caught. The team who caught the snitch earns thirty points, and the team with the highest amounts of points wins. Even though they can’t fly, players must still “ride” their brooms, or at least refrain from using their non-dominant hand. Although there are official brooms made for the sport, muggle players normally use simple household brooms, or even a large stick, to dismount from when a bludger hits them. Anchorage has its own Quidditch team called Alaska Quidditch, headed by co-captains Nithya Thiru and Melissa Williams. “It all started with some friends at the university,” Thiru said. “Then friends brought more friends, then we got involved with the community, and it just evolved and evolved into the official IQA team it is today.” IQA refers to the International Quidditch Association, which is composed of over 1,000 teams around the world, though mainly in the United States and Canada. Teams are divided into three levels: high school, collegiate and community. Alaska Quidditch is officially registered into this association. Alaska Quidditch gathers every Wednesday in the summer at the Park Strip, and they occasionally hold special events, such as the “Aurors vs. Death Eaters” game they held at last year’s Campus Kick-Off. They do have an event planned for UAA’s Homecoming week, but it’s still in the works. And like any good sports team, there’s a sense of great camaraderie among the players. “The most important part is that it brings people together to have a good time,” Thiru said. “Even people new to it can join the fun, and we’re very open. There’s a real sense of community.” PHOTO BY TIM BROWN
Radiologic technology student Annalise Delos Santos strides across Delaney Park Strip Wednesday evening during a Quidditch match. Quidditch is a field sport adapted from the “Harry Potter” universe.
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Dandelions are among Get tested, nature’s healthy gifts be a hero
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UAA fights HIV through National HIV Testing Day
PHOTO BY TIM BROWN
By Megan Marquis
staff@thenorthernlight.org
Dandelions can make a healthy addition to salads
By Nita Mauigoa
Features@thenorthernlight.org Who said all weeds were bad? Health professionals who specialize in natural medicines say dandelions and other common plant life sprouting around Alaska are packed with health benefits and healing properties. facebook.com/northernlightuaa
PHOTO BY KAYLA MCGRAW
“Dandelion leaf is something I use. It is a good diuretic. The root is real good for the liver,” Dr. Torrey Smith, naturopathic doctor at Avante Medical Center, said. Smith, who also teaches a course on alternative medicines at UAA, divulged other fruits and herbs found locally, that he uses with his patients.
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While students explore their sexuality with multiple partners and unsafe sex, a health journal from PubMed Central says college has become the perfect place for HIV to fester. College students are a medically high-risk group. Whether it’s sexually transmitted diseases or the lack of health insurance, college students can’t afford to care for their health. Fortunately, policies are changing. Universities are
offering health insurances of their own, as well as free state testing for diseases like HIV and AIDS in order to change these students’ minds about the value of HIV testing. During a health conference in January, Marianne Johnston-Petty, Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) for the University of Alaska Anchorage, suggested that the student health center should take part in the National HIV Testing day to promote awareness and prevention of HIV & AIDS. Nearly six months later,
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