JULY 11 - JULY 25, 2017
FEATURES
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
A&E
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Meet the Student Representative to the Board of Regents
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
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After six years, “Inflorescence” arrives at CPISB
Father-son duo to kick off 2017-18 basketball season
Son of UAA head basketball coach signed national letter of intent to join the Seawolves following his 2017 graduation from Dimond High School By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
As the influx of new recruits to UAA athletic’s continues, the men’s basketball team received a rather unique addition. As head coach Rusty Osborne enters his 14th year in his position and his 27th year at UAA, his son, Kylan Osborne will enter as a first-year freshman on the team. “He is the final piece in what we believe is an outstanding freshman class. It can be tough for kids to play for their parents, so I know this was a difficult decision for Kylan. However, as a father, I look forward to being around him every day for the next four to five years and helping him reach his goals,” head coach Rusty said. As it might be difficult to be a father-son, coach-athlete duo, both Kylan and Rusty Osborne observed the benefits. Kylan realized that his father knows his abilities better than anyone and that will help bring him success.
Following in his father’s footsteps to play collegiate basketball, Kylan signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Seawolves last month, after just graduating locally from Dimond High School. As a Dimond Lynx, Kylan made standout performances for his four years on the team. As a senior, he averaged 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game; producing a record like that gave Kylan 3-varsity letters throughout his high school career, as well as two years being a starter. In Kylan’s final two seasons, he made made many notable accomplishments. He was a top contributor to the Lynx’s appearance and finish as runnerup at the 2016 ASAA 4A State Tournament as junior and winning the state title in 2017 in his senior year. During that final State Tournament game, Kylan sunk the final three-pointer with one minute left in the game and then produced a steal and two free throws to help win the game
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL ROTH
Kylan Osborne reaches for the ball in a game against East Anchorage High School in February. Osborne joins the Seawolves after graduating from Dimond High School in 2017.
in the final seconds. Kylan was always a top contributor in the Lynx’s games. He explained the importance of following through and dedica-
tion throughout his high school career, which is an important trait to have in a collegiate season. Speaking of the 2017 state
championship game, Kylan Osborne described the momen-
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Undergraduates study swallow colony on base
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
UAA undergraduate and field technician Andi Parrott carefully holds a male tree swallow near Otter Lake.
By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
This summer several UAA undergraduates have taken their education off campus to on base at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s Otter Lake to study tree
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swallows. Environmental studies professor Audrey Taylor has been a part of a collaborative research project on swallows with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services since 2013. For the past four years, 10 undergraduate students like Rachel Gingras,
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natural science major with an emphasis on environmental science, have been working in the field collecting data on swallows. Gingras is the lead field technician for the project this summer, and she said the opportunity to work outside has been
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awesome. “It’s my first job in the summer working outside… even on days like this where it’s just overcast, it’s really nice being outside and being in nature and watching these birds and their behavior. It’s been a really cool learning experience for sure,” Gingras said. Over the past few summers, Taylor has kept the project in action through Faculty Development Grant funding, and Taylor said this research opportunity is important to an undergraduate’s career development. “I cannot overstate the importance of undergraduate research in opening students’ eyes to the possibility of a career as a scientist,” Taylor said in an email. “Many students are only vaguely aware of what researchers actually do, or of the role they play in management, conservation or policy setting activities, until they actually get their hands dirty on a research project. I think being involved in research as an undergraduate also teaches valuable life skills such as striving for accuracy and precision, setting goals and
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protocols for achieving them, and problem solving on the fly.” Before applying for the research position, Gingras said she knew nothing about swallows. Now, after two months of observing and banding the birds, Gingras can tell you all about their nesting habits. “It’s our fourth year of having birds in these boxes and the numbers of birds we get back each year keeps increasing,” Gingras said. “We kind of joke around like the word spreads it’s a good place to nest so each year there’s been a larger and larger number of boxes being used.” Natural sciences major with an emphasis on environmental science, Andi Parrott, is also a field technician at the swallow colony. Parrott said she has enjoyed working with the swallows. “I really like it first of all...I don’t think there’s a lot of talk about undergraduate research, so it’s really fortunate that Dr. Taylor was able to voice this in a class and have students know
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NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
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Handling bears and other wildlife: What you need to know By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org
Alaskan summers typically allow for more outdoor activity, and that goes for both people and wildlife. In the last month, there have been a string of several bear attacks throughout Alaska, some resulting in fatalities. On June 18, Patrick Cooper, 16, was chased and killed by a black bear while running a mountain race in Bird Ridge. Erin Johnson, a biologist, and her colleague Ellen Trainor were also attacked by a black bear the next day while doing work in Interior Alaska. Trainor sustained injuries but Johnson died on scene. Later that week on June 24, two cyclists encountered a brown bear and her cub in Eagle River, and a man gathering firewood with his dog also came across a sow and her cub near the Hope highway. Despite the quick succession of these attacks, the ones ending in fatalities by black bears are particularly out of the ordinary, according to Ken Marsh, wildlife information officer for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The incident in Bird Ridge is one example of what is considered a non-defensive attack, he says. “That’s where a bear actually targeted a human being. Of course, that’s a very tragic and troubling type of attack. It’s very rare,” Marsh said. On the other hand, defensive behavior is typically shown when a sow sees the human as a potential threat to her cubs. “A defensive attack is a fairly classic situation where, as an example, a person gets between a brown bear sow and her young cubs… She’s concerned about her cubs,” Marsh said. “What she does is she crashes out of the brush, knocks you down, might rough you up a little bit and she grabs the cubs when she sees that you’re down and neutralized.” Although these recent attacks have occurred outside of majorly populated areas such as Anchorage, it is still common to interact with wildlife, even within city limits. UAA has seen a number of moose and bear encounters over the years, and UPD will send out alerts accordingly to warn students and faculty. Lieutenant Michael Beckner of UPD says that part of their procedure is to keep an eye on the animal, ensuring that passersby are aware of its presence.
“We’ll sit there and activate our lights so people can see us and know that there’s a moose there,” Beckner said. “You know, once it goes off into the woods and away from the public area, then we go our way, but if it’s anywhere it can hurt anybody, we’re going to be in the area.” It isn’t often that a moose or bear on campus becomes aggressive towards a human, Beckner says. It has been a couple of years since the last time UPD has had to put down an animal, but as long as people exercise caution, conflict is not an issue. Paul Babbitt, Jr., an Anchorage local, grew up in western North Carolina, so black bears and mountain lions are not new to him. He was raised to be wary of his surroundings, but the wildlife in Alaska and the wildlife back home have their differences. “Wildlife in Alaska is something much different,” Babbitt said. “We didn’t have moose, caribou, or wolves out there. We never had to worry about running into brown bears or Kodiak bears. While there are no snakes to worry about accidentally stepping on, we have to remain hyper aware to the presence of much more dangerous predators.” Babbitt has only been here for three years but in that time, he’s taken advantage of the outdoors through backpacking trips, camping, and biking. He says that he has had many close meetings with wildlife, even caribou, but always remembered to take certain precautions while venturing into the wild. Marsh describes this as being “bear aware” and preparing for potentially dangerous encounters. Make noise so animals are aware of your presence. Babbitt mentions bear bells that can be attached to your bike or gear, as well as traveling with others instead of alone. Marsh recommends at least three people in a group. Carry some kind of deterrent. “We would recommend bear spray or a firearm,” Marsh said. “But if you decide on a firearm, be sure that you’re proficient and comfortable with it.” Never approach a bear. Babbitt says to keep your distance since brown bears can be very territorial. Marsh says that you should reevaluate your route and be careful to not push boundaries. The same goes for moose: back away slowly and don’t disturb it. Babbitt has run into some while coming around bends in trails but says that it’s essential to not agitate or bother them. “The consensus is that if you see a moose up close
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
it’s going to somehow attack, but unless in rut, they are typically very passive,” he said. Don’t run. Marsh advises to hold your ground if you find yourself face-to-face with a bear, although it can go against your reflex. Babbitt also said to “never make the mistake of walking away from the bear briskly, or running, as it will activate their predatory instinct.” Whether you are heading from one class to the next on UAA’s campus or walking through thick greenery on a trail, there always exists the possibility of encountering a wild animal. “You’re in bear country, pretty much, anywhere in Anchorage,” Marsh said. “Which is hard for some people to understand.” Beckner says that it’s also essential to remember that wildlife is to be respected as well. “Understand that it’s an animal. They may look cute or may not look cute but, you know, they don’t want to be bothered just like we don’t want to be bothered,” Beckner said. Remember to stay attentive in order to keep yourself and Alaska’s animals safe and protected. More resources and information can be found online through wildlife organizations such as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, as well as the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Interim Chancellor Samuel Gingerich assists in leadership transition By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
As of July 1, Samuel Gingerich has stepped into a temporary role of interim chancellor, all while continuing service in previous roles as provost and executive vice chancellor. Gingerich has been at the University since 2015 when he accepted a then-temporary position as provost and executive vice chancellor. When he first came to Alaska, it was as a retiree, while his wife Erin Holmes joined the UAA community as associate vice provost of Institutional Research. Gingerich said his main goal while serving as the interim chancellor is to propel the University forward and help new leadership in their transition process. “One of my jobs is to sort of manage the institution forward, to lead the institution forward, so that when the individual selected shows up, I can, if I may, help with the transition as need and as desired, and then I can peacefully and gracefully go away,” Gingerich said. Before coming to Alaska, Gingerich had served in several other academic affairs positions. While he was at Mesa State Col-
lege, now Colorado Mesa University, he served in a similar position to UAA’s Interim Chancellor but as interim president and vice president of Academic Affairs. He has also served as vice president of Academic Affairs for college systems or universities in South Dakota and Mississippi. Gingerich said his experiences with other institutions similar to UAA will help him in his current position. “Having lived and worked in the Lower 48 for a long time, I do understand the challenges of leading institutions through periods of declining resources… Too often when there are few resources people start focusing solely on cutting... No organization has ever cut itself to success,” Gingerich said. “The challenge is to focus on priorities. Institutions, organizations must be willing to make strategic investments, because we need to be building towards or building forward to something.” Gingerich said he has been committed to education, informally or formally for the majority of his life. When former Chancellor Tom Case announced his retirement, Gingerich said he did not want to create a vacuum in leadership at UAA, but instead he wanted to help the
institution during this transition. “UAA as an institution does face challenges, but we have strengths we can call on and we need to continue to focus on quality in all we do. We need to focus on supporting and promoting student success, and we need to continue to focus on making sure we are in tune with the needs of the Alaskan region,” Gingerich said. Though he’s made a career out of academic affairs, Gingerich’s background is in chemistry. He has a bachelor’s degree from Goshen College, a masters from Cornell University and a doctorate from Montana State University, all in chemistry. Gingerich said his chemistry background has helped him interpret and communicate numbers in a way that can be useful to a university. “It’s the skill set that comes from chemistry or physics that is critical,” Gingerich said. “We can look at numbers or other indicators, and then we make up stories and that’s what we are trained to do and that’s what we sort of do as administrators… One of my skills that’s been important here at UAA, because given the sudden sharp change in the fiscal status of the state and the system and of UAA, it’s
PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA GREEN AND GOLD NEWS
Since 2015, Samuel Gingerich has served as provost and executive vice chancellor before stepping into his new role as interim chancellor.
that ability to talk about numbers, to use numbers.” After a new chancellor is appointed, Gingerich said he is open in helping however needed in the transition process, but
that he came to Alaska to fish. In his retirement he hopes to catch both a grayling and an Arctic char.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
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Student Spotlight: Joey Sweet to Plant, garden and grow: Yarducopia digs a connection serve as Student Representative on the Board of Regents in Anchorage community Joey Sweet was appointed as the student representative to the Board of Regents this summer By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Ryker Kotelman stands next his garden. Yarducopia provided him and others with a space to grow.
By Sam Davenport editor@thenorthernlight.org
Living in a housing complex or a highly condensed area of Anchorage can make it difficult to garden without the extra yard space. Yarducopia is a project of Alaska Community Action on Toxics that connects individuals who aspire to garden but have no place to do so with those who have the yard space. This is Yarducopia’s fifth season facilitating the program. Michelle Wilbur is the organic gardening coordinator for the program and has lived in Spenard since 2008. From matching volunteers to landowners and giving advice to gardeners about weeds, Wilbur is a teacher to those who have yet to explore the gardening world. Wilbur sets up volunteers and landowners based on location to one another. Individuals can sign up to offer their yard, volunteer or to seek garden space via yarducopia.org. Once a successful match has been made, she begins building the gardens from the ground up. Typically, gardens take two to four hours, depending on how many individuals are volunteering. Gardens are made with cardboard boxes, horse manure and dried leaf or grass mulch and are 100-squarefeet in size. Yarducopia’s website provides stepby-step video tutorials on how to manage your garden and potential problems you might face. Wilbur also makes at least two official visits to plots during the season to help gardeners be more successful and to answer any questions they might have. “‘Oh, maybe you should water more, maybe you should water less. Oh, there’s a caterpillar there, this is what you can do,’ that kind of thing,” Wilber said. The end result splits the produce between the yard owner and the gardener, and 10 percent is to be donated to a charity of their choice. “We really set people up for instant success in this program. You’re going to get something, you’re going to get leafy greens if nothing else,” Wilbur said. The program was started several years ago with five gardens created the first year and eight gardens the second. Working with private individuals and nonprofits, there are now 33 gardens this season. Growth is not necessarily Wilbur’s
mindset, though. She believes more in permaculture, sustaining and maintaining gardens throughout the city, having individuals learn from Yarducopia and eventually moving on to creating a garden by themselves. Each summer, there are interns for ACAT; typically, there are two. Maddy Poehlin is this year’s only summer intern, who is currently attending school at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. Since ACAT is a non-profit, Whitman College funds the internship. “Working with the gardening is pretty fun. It breaks up the day, and you get to go outside. It’s pretty rough to sit in the office all day,” Poehlin said. Poehlin assembled a harvesting cookbook for all the starter veggies and edible flowers that Yarducopia offers to plant, so gardeners know exactly how to harvest and what to do with their bounty, which can be found on their website. Starter veggies and edible flowers are commonly found in Yarducopia gardens, but some gardeners think outside of their 100-square-foot box. Ryker Kotelman had taken a summer farmer training program at Calypso Farm and Ecology Center in Fairbanks. He signed up for Yarducopia this spring and has a garden sprouting with greens: broccoli, Chinese cabbage, chives, butter lettuce and swiss chard, to say a few. “I hadn’t really gardened much or anything before [Calypso]. I would really love to have my own farm one day, that’s kind of the three to five year plan. I really just wanted to learn,” Kotelman said. The passion that gardeners have for getting their hands dirty is what makes Wilbur love her job. “I love facilitating community. I love teaching people new skills and how easy it can be to build a garden out of waste materials. I get people all the time who participated or heard about the program who go off and get their own load of horse manure or bags of grass and leaves and make an instant garden where there wasn’t one before,” Wilbur said. On July 22, Yarducopia will be hosting a garden bike tour for the public. The event begins at 10 a.m. at the Spenard Farmers Market and will go through the Spenard neighborhood to see five Yarducopia-made gardens, ending at 1 p.m. The tour is free, but donations are encouraged.
With a name like Stephen JosephGoodrich Sweet, it is no surprise that “Joey” Sweet has ascended to the influential position of student representative on the Board of Regents. Sweet is a political science major with a minor in justice, and he was appointed this summer to the board. While serving his two year term on the board, Sweet plans to pursue a master’s of public administration with a concentration in criminal justice. Sweet attended UAF for his first two years of college before transferring to UAA to be closer to family. While at UAA, Sweet has become very involved in campus life. For one year, Sweet was a Residence Life peer mentor and following that he was a residence advisor. He has served as the Residence Hall Association liaison to USUAA as well as a USUAA senator and the government relations officer. This past academic year, Sweet cofounded the Education Club after seeing a deficit in clubs offered for students in education related majors. “I had noticed two or three years ago that we just didn’t have an education club, because it dawned on me one day we had a Justice Club, a Political Science Association, Anthropology Club but despite education as a field being one of the bigger programs that UAA offers, we didn’t have an education club,” Sweet said. Director of University Housing, Dining and Conference Services, David Weaver, wrote one of Sweet’s recommendation letters for the Board of Regents. While Sweet was completing a legislative internship in Juneau, he contacted Weaver to voice his interest on working together on projects that focused on sustainability. Together, Weaver and Sweet, wrote a Green Fee proposal to install LED lighting at the Residence Halls. Their proposal was awarded $30,000, which was enough to fund an entire floor of LED lighting. “The lighting that Joey and I worked together on and were ultimately successful in winning this grant, he’ll be in his 50s when those stop working,” Weaver said. “Think about that. And it all started from just a little bit of volition, tenacity.” Weaver said Sweet’s follow through and determination to finish the LED lighting project is what makes him stand
out among his peers. “In a lot of ways he’s very typical. He’s bright. He’s representative of most students that have, what I call the raw ingredients of being exceptional, but most people don’t have the volition, the follow through, that he has. And that sets him apart,” Weaver said. Weaver said that Sweet did not receive any compensation for writing the LED lighting proposal, but that Sweet is the kind of person who, “doesn’t have a lot to prove, I think he just wants to contribute.” Ryan-Jasen Henne, director of Residence Life, has known Sweet for three years, and he also describes Sweet as tenacious. “Joey is very tenacious in a very positive way,” Henne said. “And the tenacity he has comes from wanting to first to seek to understand and then to improve upon to make sure people are getting the best experience they can get. “ Henne has watched Sweet grow into a leader at Residence Life, where Sweet’s peers look to him for advice, support and a serious attitude. “He knows that when it’s time to get down to business, and he’s very present for that, but once that business, quote unquote, is over, he’s just a great guy,” Henne said. “He’s compassionate, and he cares about people… He’s the kind of guy you want on your kickball team, because he’s there to have a good time, but he’s also in it to have a nice experience.” Sweet advises students who are interested in leadership roles at the University to learn how to network while following current events. “I just tried to pay attention a lot I guess, just to sort of the community and what’s going. I was particularly interested in statewide issues in the first place given the Strategic Pathways framework and that it is working at this University wide level,” Sweet said. “What I would say is try to pay attention to stuff not just within your very own bubble. It’s very easy to focus on only the things you have going on within your orbit but try to be a little more, I guess, altruistic than that.” As a member of the Board of Regents, Sweet plans on prioritizing communication to students, especially when it concerns Strategic Pathways. He hopes to be a clarifying voice for students when it comes to Board of Regents policy.
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
Stephen Joseph-Goodrich “Joey” Sweet is the newly appointed student representative to the Board of Regents. Sweet will serve in the position for the next two years, while continuing his education as a political science major with a minor in justice.
04 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
SWALLOW: UAA students, staff monitor bird habitat at Otter Lake
PHOTOS BY JAY GUZMAN
Andi Parrott catches a female tree swallow visiting her nest after rigging the box hole with a small piece of cardboard.
Continued from cover this is happening,” Parrot said. On an average day this summer two of the field technicians will drive to Otter Lake on base at JBER to trap and band swallows. Around Otter Lake, there are 150 boxes that the swallows use for their nests. It is the job of the field technicians to catch the parents by trapping them in the box. To do this, they prop up a piece of cardboard wrapped in duct tape against the inside of the box. When the parent enters the box through a hole on the side to check up on their eggs or hatchlings, the stick will fall and the parent will be stuck. That’s when Parrott or another field technician will walk from the spot they were observing to grab the parent and take the bird to a banding station. At the banding station the technicians will weigh the swallow, measure and examine the wings for damage, and eventually put a
small silver band on the left leg of newly caught swallows. At this point in the summer, Gingras said they’ve caught most of the female swallows and now their focus is on banding males and hatchlings. Catching the male is a more tedious process. The field technicians have to catch the female first in order to make the male more interested in checking on the eggs or hatchlings. “Sometimes when we are catching the males, if we throw a white feather into the air, the males will come in and try to grab it and take it back to their nest because they kind of bring these feathers to the females to say, ‘Hey I got this for you, here’s this big white, fluffy feather,’” Gingras said. The field technicians are waiting not just to catch males, but they’re also waiting for nests to hatch or fledge. Gingras collects data on hatch dates for swallows and when they first
Rachel Gingras bands the newly caught tree swallow. Each banded swallow is then logged into a data sheet to keep track of revisiting swallows throughout the years.
Field technician, Jonah Rothleder, observes the area around the tree swallows’ nesting boxes near Otter Lake.
begin to fly on their own. Once the swallows are 10 days old Gingras starts trying to band them, but banding chicks has to be done on clear days because the chicks are less able to regulate their body temperature. The research on the swallow
colony started as an outgrowth of the Golondrinas de las Americas, Swallows of the Americas, project run out of Cornell University. Taylor said the research has the possibility of answering many questions about migratory songbirds and their responses
to a changing environment in Alaska. This year, 30 geolocators were put on swallows at Otter Lake, and Taylor is hoping to recover those tags in 2018 to learn where the swallows migrate over the winter season.
When two great things come together
The fifth annual Beer and Bacon Festival is taking place July 29 at The Lakefront Anchorage
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org
The magical dynamic duo, beer and bacon are back, bigger and better than ever for this year’s fifth annual Beer and Bacon Festival. The event is taking place July 29 from 1 - 6 p.m. at The Lakefront Anchorage, located at 4800 Spenard Road. Tickets are $50 per person. Celebrating the fifth year of this successful event,
there will be more local breweries and bacon based foods, along with live music by local band H3, prizes given away each hour and the famous bacon eating contest. The Beer and Bacon Festival is a community event that allows local restaurants and breweries showcase their cuisine for Anchorage residents. The idea behind this event is for locals to support locals in order to keep the community growing. Not only does this event help local businesses, but each year a non-profit is selected for donations from ticket sales. “This year we have chosen the MS Society, Greater Northwest Chapter as our benefactor. $1 from each ticket sales will be given to the MS Society to help fund the annual MS walk, which happens one week after our festival,” Avery Kristiansen, catering sales manager at The Lakefront Anchorage, said. The idea for a Beer and Bacon Festival came from one of the bartenders from The Lakefront Anchorage who had an obsession with the combination. He thought it would be a great combination for locals to bond over at a block party-type event. Five years later and this event has grown quite rapidly, selling out of tickets each year and spreading past Anchorage. “Five years ago, our goal was to have this festival grow to be one of the largest community gatherings for our area as we could get it, and I think that we’ve achieved that,” Kristiansen said. “Seeing how popular this event has gotten not just in the Anchorage area, but
down in Kenai or up through Palmer really excites us and makes us want to work harder each year for this event to grow.” This year there will be local breweries at the event including Alaskan Brewing, Arkose, Bearpaw, Broken Tooth, Denali Brewing, Glacier Brewhouse, King St., Midnight Sun and more. “It’s awesome to see all these local breweries want to participate in this festival. This is a community event that brings local consumers to local businesses, allowing those businesses to really show what they offer,” Kristiansen said. “Everyone has different tastes when it comes to beer and food, as Alaskan’s I think we value the idea of locals supporting locals, which is what this event provides for everyone.” What many people attending are looking forward to the most happens at the end of the event, the bacon-eating contest. Whoever can eat five pounds of bacon the fastest will be crowned bacon king or queen. “I think beer and bacon go really well together because they’re such bold distinct flavors. They’re both those types of things that can go so well if done right,” Lexi Ospina, Anchorage resident, said. There are still limited tickets available for the Beer and Bacon Festival. “I have not been before, but last year I wanted to go so bad, but tickets were not longer available,” Kachina Jayjohn, Anchorage resident, said. “Anything with the name beer and bacon should absolutely be attended without question.”
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THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
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Local movie makers screen their first feature film BIZZAY, a local production company with ties to the University of Alaska, recently screened their first feature length film, “Chance” By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org
Local production company BIZZAY had a recent press screening for their first feature length film. “Chance” tells the story of a homeless man struggling to put his life back together after reuniting with an old friend. The film centers on Chance, played by Tristan Heil, an aspiring actor who’s found himself homeless on the streets of Anchorage. While struggling to survive, he meets his old high school friend Manny, played by Sebastian Baquero. With Manny’s help, Chance starts to pursue his acting career, albeit with struggles along the way. “Chance” touches on issues relating to homelessness, alcoholism and relationships. While the subject matter can be heavy at times, the film sprinkles in doses of unexpected comedy between the drama. Shooting took place over the course of seven days while the BIZZAY team, who are University of Alaska students, were on their winter break. It was the biggest project they have worked on to date. Most of the BIZZAY crew had multiple jobs dur-
Goosefest returns for its third annual celebration UAA’s first and only summer music festival is back for another round By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org
UAA’s campus is constantly bustling with classes and busyness throughout the year and the summertime is no exception. But many activities and events take place to keep the community entertaining and alive, and among them is Goosefest, a music festival presented by Student Activities and Commuter Student Programs. Goosefest is now in its third year and Savana Hartley, manager of the programming team for Student Activities, says she loves the festival and is excited to see how it turns out. “The purpose is just to bring fun to campus and just to have something that the school doesn’t put on already. We don’t have a single music event like this,” Hartley said. While there are a few local bands lined up to play throughout the day, music is not the only attraction during the festival. Many food trucks, vendors and UAA clubs get to participate, hosting games and other activi-
ties for the public to get involved in. Guests will be able to get henna tattoos or have their faces painted. “We have lots of fun games and booths... We try to reach out to all the clubs and the Greek life and we basically give them a booth to run so they get to interact with, like, people and students, and we have food trucks,” Hartley said. “And USUAA, last year they brought a cotton candy machine and we’re pretty sure they’re going to do that again.” For Ronell Corral, the experience will be a new one, but not because he has never attended. Corral worked for Student Activities the last two years and was part of the brains behind the event’s initial development in 2015. With some funds left over in the budget and a shared desire to put together some kind of festival, the team created Goosefest. He says that the process of putting everything together along with seeing the festival grow from its first year to the second have been among his favorite parts about it. “It’s kind of weird because usually I’m in the loop when
it comes to Goosefest but this is my first time coming in as a guest, so I’m hoping that these guys kill it,” Corral said. Daisy Balavage, an environment and society student, still has the poster advertising last year’s Goosefest up on her wall. “I really liked the live music,” Balavage said. “The food was good, obviously… I liked that there was some free stuff that you could get, you know, like some Goosefest things and UAA stickers or whatever.” Balavage plans on attending again this July and recommends it to anyone looking for something to do this summer. “I’m super excited. The lineup’s pretty good,” Balavage said. “I don’t know all the bands but I know a couple of them… So yeah, it’s fun. I would definitely go.” Goosefest will be on Saturday, July 22 from 1 - 6 p.m. in the UAA Cuddy Quad. It will be free and open to UAA students and staff, as well as the general public. For more information, including the lineup of musical guests, visit the UAA Goosefest Facebook page.
ing the film’s production, while juggling school and other life responsibilities. Founding member of BIZZAY and co-director of “Chance” Zayn Roohi helped with or was in charge of almost every aspect of the film from shooting to editing to post production. He’s a mechanical engineering major at UAF and shooting had to work around his tight schedule. “I was like, ‘Alright, there’s 80 pages in the script, eight days — we’ll do 10 pages a day.’ And it was completely awful. I don’t recommend it,” Roohi said. Shooting got done earlier than expected, but the days were long and the crew often had to shoot from the hip, figuratively speaking. There was even a last minute change to the ending of the film. “Chance” was written by Bizzay’s creative director Norberto De Jesús Jr. who also codirected and composed the film score. “The entire filming process was intense, stressful, enjoyable — just all sorts of emotions going on,” said De Jesús, a business management major at UAA. He said the hardest part of filming was dealing with the
weather. Shooting from 10 a.m. to midnight and having actors work in subzero temperatures was grueling, but the shared vision helped them get through. Like De Jesús, Baquero is a business management major at UAA and did more than just play a leading role. He’s also the director of business operations for Bizzay and basically pitched in wherever he could during production. While Alaska doesn’t have a full-blown film industry, it does have a tight-knit acting community. Baquero said he hopes that by doing projects like “Chance,” they can help build the film industry and community. “People here in Alaska — we’re all pioneers here, we’re all trail blazers, especially in that film industry,” Baquero said. “And, if we all come together and collaborate and put something on paper and put something on the screen, that industry is going to get established before we know it. We’re going to be making big changes here in Anchorage. We’re going to be building that industry here together as a community.” “Chance” will have a full premier towards the end of this year with plans to take it on the road.
06 | A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
‘The Look of Silence’ goes where ‘The Act of Killing’ couldn’t
By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor
The critically acclaimed precursor to “The Look of Silence,” “The Act of Killing,” was criticized for its ethical problems. In making its subjects, those who led the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-66, reenact their crimes, was it glorifying them as well? By the end, Anwar and Adi are in a very different moral place from where they started, and there’s no glory in what they realize about themselves. “The Look of Silence,” then, makes itself essential. The perpetrators have spoken and told their stories, and now one victim’s brother, an anonymous middle-aged man, faces them and looks for answers. The result is every bit as uncomfortable as “The Act of Killing” with no reenactments and little dramatic flair. If there’s any doubt that Oppenheimer could not do justice to the victims as he did the murderers, let “The Look of Silence” ease that. Despite a few mentions, Oppenheimer removes himself
from the equation and lets the interviewer, Anonymous, do the talking. It’s a good thing, too; Anonymous asks questions only someone from the culture could think to ask, enriching most encounters he has, especially with the death squad leaders and members. He’s reckoning with a volatile history, and the people who created it are just as volatile. But, unlike some of his interviewees, he keeps a cool head and hones in on questiondodging. Those moments are the documentary’s highlights, when Anonymous tries to get a straight answer. It doesn’t happen often, it might not happen at all, but it doesn’t need to. “The Look of Silence” finds answers in the quiet moments. How faces change when they’re faced with their crimes. Of course, interviewees replace clear answers with flimsy justifications. Part of Oppenheimer’s goal, it seems, is to show how violence and cruelty linger with anyone in their radius. The most heartbreaking part of the movie is Anonymous’ mother. Two years before he
was born, his brother, Ramli, was murdered in the communist purge. At the time of filming, she was 82 years old taking care of her infirm husband who has since forgotten both her, Ramli, and Anonymous. While the structure overall is more lax than “The Act of Killing,” sometimes to its detriment, Ramli’s murder is a tight throughline to latch onto. That’s a bittersweet comfort, though, as Anonymous never knew his brother and, despite finding out how he died, neither he nor his mother get respite from the grief. The parts for a powerful movie are here, but they don’t quite gel. “The Act of Killing” was more surreal than its companion, but it still had a sense of progression. There was something it moved towards. “The Look of Silence” doesn’t have that momentum. It waxes and wanes, feeling more expressionistic than narrative, which works when it counts. Even when it doesn’t, “The Look of Silence” personalizes the violence of the killings in a way its predecessor couldn’t. The only question is: are you willing to look?
TITLE “The Look of Scilence”
DIRECTOR Joshua Oppenheimer
RELEASE DATE Aug. 28, 2014
COUNTRY Denmark
GENRE Documentary
New sculpture at the CPISB reflects on the sciences “Inflorescence,” a new sculpture on campus by Los Angeles-based artist Heath Satow, is more than meets the eye By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org
If you’ve been by the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building recently, you’ll have noticed a new addition to the front entrance — a sculpture by Los Angeles-based artist Heath Satow. The piece, called “Inflorescence,” is a semi-spiral shape made of mirror polished stainless steel and consists of unique individual facets that Satow refers to as its “seeds.” He said his initial inspiration came from the intricate spiral pattern that makes up of the face of a sunflower. “That appealed to me because it was a pattern in nature that can be described mathematically,” Satow said. Spiral patterns appear in everything from galaxies to DNA and for a self-described science buff like Satow, this project seemed like the perfect fit. He wanted to do a piece that could relate to a broad range of scientific disciplines. “You see [spiral patterns] from micro to macro across all the sciences,” Satow said. While the shape of the sculpture is important, Satow compares it to what makes a diamond attractive. It’s not just the form that draws the eye in, but the way it affects the light. He wants his work to not only exist in its surroundings, but to interact as well.
“It becomes almost like a million little paintings of the environment around it,” Satow said. According to Chris McConnell, project manager for UAA’s Facilities, Planning and Construction, there will eventually be another interactive aspect to the piece. Once Anchorage starts losing daylight, Satow will come back to Alaska to help install a light component that will radiate onto the sculpture and react to an audio capture device. “The intensity of the light that shines on the piece and kind of reflects off the piece will respond to the intensity of the crowd inside the ConococPhillips Integrated Science Build-
ing,” McConnell said. Working with polished stainless steel isn’t exclusively an aesthetic choice. Satow likes the fact that it maintains its look despite the elements. He said it’s difficult to maintain public art and stainless steel requires barely any care other than a quick wash. The piece was commissioned as part of the Percent for Art in Public Places program, also known as One Percent for Art, and was funded through residual capital funds from that program, according to Ryan Buchholdt, sustainability and business manager at UAA’s Facilities and Campus Services. Growing up, Satow loved to create. His dad owned a motor-
cycle dealership for a few years while Satow was a kid and let him use any of the power tools in the shop — as long as he didn’t turn them on. “Which meant I could run the table saw by pulling on the pulley and it would take me two hours to cut a piece of wood, but I could do it,” Satow said. As an energetic kid, he said this type of distraction was good for him. His dad worked hard, but Satow grew up poor, so if he wanted anything he had to make it himself. Using paper towel tubes, aluminum foil, plastic bottles and some imagination he’d make a Star Wars play set, but the fun mostly ended there. “I found I enjoyed that whole process of figuring out stuff and
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Sculpted by Los Angeles-based artist Heath Satow, “Inflorescence” stands as an interactive installation meant to react to the surrounding light and environment.
making stuff really more than actually playing with the things themselves after I made them,” Satow said. “It was more about just building the things.” At college in North Carolina, Satow took a sculpture studio where his interests converged. “I fell in love. I was like, ‘Oh, I get to design and make art and make things at the same time?’ So all my loves came together at once,” Satow said. “And I was like ‘Oh, this is what I’m supposed to be doing.’” Eventually Satow moved from North Carolina to Los Angeles for “a bigger pond to swim around in.” He has a shop in downtown L.A. where he constructed the four main sections of Inflorescence before it was hauled up to Seattle and put on a barge to Anchorage. The project was a long time coming. It took about six years to get everything completed from the application process to design approval to final manufacturing. Once everything was approved, Satow said it took about a year working full-time to complete the project. While he has his works displayed all over California, in Colorado, Texas and North Carolina, as well as Dubai and South Korea, Satow said this particular piece was especially meaningful to him. “This was a dream job for me,” Satow said. More of Satow’s work can be seen at www.publicsculpture. com.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
| 07
Heads up: 2017-18 UAA basketball schedule preview
Official rosters have been released for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams By Chance Townsend
ctownsend@thenorthernlight.org
The UAA Athletics Department has just released the new schedules for the 2017-18 season. With another college basketball season approaching, the time is right to preview the schedule and briefly talk about team expectations. Men: Coach Rusty Osborne enters his twelfth season as head coach, as the men look to improve upon another twenty-win season. The men’s season begins in Lancaster, California as the Seawolves take on the Antelope Valley Marauders on Nov. 4. Junior forward for the men, Sjur Berg, said Antelope Valley will be a exciting way to see the new squad work together. “Season will start of with Antelope Valley from California, a team I don’t think we have ever played, but it will be exciting to see how the brand new team this year [is] gonna look together as a unit,” Berg said. After Antelope Valley, UAA plays host to this year’s Alaska/ Hawaii challenge against Hawaii Pacific on Nov. 10, Charminade University of Honolulu on Nov. 11 and Holy Names University on Nov. 17-18. The Alaska/Hawaii challenge serves as replacement for last year’s Seawolf Jamboree. “The Alaska/Hawaii challenge will be our first real test against team we are somewhat familiar with such as Hawaii Pacific and Charminade University,” Berg said. “Last year we opened up the season in Hawaii, playing Hawaii Pacific as well that weekend, and we surely hope for a better result this year at home.” After the Alaska/Hawaii challenge comes the annual GCI Great Alaska Shootout. The men will play host to D-I schools California Polytechnic State University, College of Charleston, Central Michigan, California State University, Bakersfield, Sam Houston State and Santa Clara. As of now, the match-ups and times are to be determined. The Seawolves continue the home stretch with in conference play against rival UAF, Montana State Billings and then a backto-back against Cal Miramar. In-conference play starts back again with a trip down to Oregon for a grudge match against Western Oregon, who last year upset the Seawolves in a triple-overtime blood match. Western Oregon beat UAA twice last season in close games, so this year should be a redemption of sorts for the men. After Western Oregon is Concordia, and then a break for the winter holidays. To close out the regular season is a four-game away stretch where the Seawolves can shine to pad out their conference record. Western Washington is going to be a tough challenge on
the road, but don’t be surprised if the men steal a win in Bellingham. Montana State Billings, Fairbanks and Simon Fraser shouldn’t be as tough since as all three teams finished below .500 last season with Fairbanks and Simon Fraser finishing at the bottom of the conference. “Last year we did not lose a single game at home except for the shootout, and we hope to maintain this advantage over the away teams, as we look at the AAC as a place where the opponents should have a hard time playing us no matter who they are,” Berg said. One goal each season is to make the National Collegiate Athletics Association tournament. The Seawolves haven’t made an appearance in five years. Cutting that mark off this year should be a legitimate goal for this young and thin squad. With that said the Seawolves have been to eight straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournaments, so wins in conference look to be an achievable goal, even with the loss of significant talent from last season. “The ultimate goal this year is of course the national championship, but we will try to start with the GNAC championship,” Berg said. “We think this is
obtainable this year, with a solid new recruiting class.” Women: While the men look to take the top spot in the GNAC, the women look to cement their place on the top of the mountain. Under head coach Ryan McCarthy, the women won 30 games for the second year in a row, and this squad looks to make it three straight years. To start the season, the women will take a trip to North Carolina for non-conference action. There they will face Johnson and Wales University, and an exhibition match-up with the Duke Blue Devils. After the tour in North Carolina, the Seawolves play Hawaii Pacific and Cal State L.A on neutral courts in Washington state, then back home for in back-to-back action Holy Names University (Nov. 17) and Western State. For the women’s Great Alaskan Shootout, the lady Seawolves play host to the Binghampton Bearcats, Tulsa Golden Hurricanes and the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks. The Bearcats return their top seven scorers from a year ago, including seniors Imani Watkins and Alyssa James, who ranked
among the national leaders in scoring and blocks, respectively. Tulsa will have its top six scorers back from its 2016-17 club, and will become the first team to represent the state of Oklahoma in the women’s shootout. The Hawks return two of their top three scorers from a year ago, including leading scorer Ciani Byrom, whose 2016-17 season was cut short after 12 games due to injury. Maryland Eastern Shore will be the first MidEastern Athletic Conference program to play in the women’s Shootout and just the second participant from the state of Maryland. The Seawolves begin conference play at home with Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene then they head to UAF. On Dec. 9 and 16, the Seawolves head down to California to play Notre Dame de Namur and Sonoma State, before heading to Washington to play Western Washington. Those three games are just one half of a grueling 6-game road stretch that includes Simon Fraser. Last year Simon Fraser played Cinderella in the NCAA tournament upsetting the No. 1 seeded Seawolves. The Seawolves will be looking for blood to avenge
last year’s startling lost. After the road games the Seawolves come back home to play Western Oregon and Concordia, and then down to Washington again to Saint Martin’s and Seattle Pacific. The Seawolves then have a four-game stretch, where they can really look to add more wins to close out the season. They take on Western Washington, Fairbanks, Simon Fraser, and Montana State Billings. To finish the regular season, the Seawolves will play away games in Oregon, against Concordia and Western Oregon, two home games against Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s, and to close out two against Northwest Nazarene in Idaho and Central Washington in Ellensburg. March 1-3 is the GNAC tournament, where the Seawolves look to defend their title and win their fourth straight conference championship. Even with the loss of talented players like Suki Wiggs and Autummn Williams, the Seawolves hope to improve upon last years successes and hold dominion in the Great Northwest.
08 | SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
The Mount Marathon race in Seward hits its 90th year
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA BERECZ
Allie Ostrander on the uphill climb during the Fourth of July Mount Marathon event. Ostrander placed first with the second fastest race time in history.
By Karolin Anders
sports@thenorthernlight.org
Mount Marathon in Seward introduces spectators to the town’s culture and community. On July 4 of every year, about 900 people take on the task of racing the 3,022 foot mountain. On race day, the junior race started at 9:30 a.m. with 300 boys and girls between the ages of seven and 17 run halfway up the mountain. Starting strong was Luke Jager, 17, who also won the race in 2015 and 2016. He kept his lead all the way to secure his third junior title in 29 minutes, 9 seconds. Molly Gellert, 17, also secured her second consecutive junior title in 32:53.
Both are Anchorage locals, attending West Anchorage High School and are are national-class skiers for different clubs. Another racer who caught great attention was Ali Papillon, 12, of Talkeetna. Papillon finished third in the junior race in exactly 30 minutes and was refereed to as the next Allie Ostrander due to his strong race and small build. Papillon belongs to a mountain running family of five. His parents, Dorrian Gross and Linda Rao, and brother, Bodhi Gross, all ran the race, too. Dorrian Gross described the great meaning of mountain racing in his family and the special energy at Mount Marathon as uniting. “Certainly it is something we
love to do together. It became a kind of family meditation,” Gross said. Next up was the women’s first section at 11 a.m. followed by the second section at 11:05 a.m. Allie Ostrander of Soldotna, 20, walked away with the title in a time of 49:19. Ostrander added the win to her 2015 runner-up finish after having set out in 2016 due to her participation in the U.S. Olympic trials where she ran the 5000-meter, placing eighth. She beat second place finisher and former Olympic cross-country skier Morgan Arritola, 51:09, and third place finisher and two-time Mount Marathon champion Christy Marvin, 52:22. Ostrander now owns the sec-
ond-fastest time in race history and the fastest time an Alaskan has ever run. Only Swedish native Emilie Forsberg was faster in 2015 when she broke the record in a time of 47:48. It is that record that Ostrander now aims for. Ostrander, who is also a significant track runner, captured her first national title at the NCAA Division I championships in the 3K steeplechase this year. Sadie Fox, Soldotna native and Nordic skier for UAA, produced a 17th place finish in the strong field to represent UAA athletics. After coming back from a double compartment syndrome surgery in her lower legs last year, Fox is happy to be able to race competitively again and uses mountain running to prepare for the next skiing season. “I trained with APU this summer and that was the hardest training I have ever done,” Fox said. Outside their official practice and competition seasons, NCAA institutions are not allowed to work with their athletes, which includes all summer. Still, Andrew Kastning, associate coach for Nordic skiing at UAA, supported his athletes from the sideline. “Seeing Andrew leaning over the barrier yelling gave me a little boost of energy to finish the race,” Fox said. The men’s race started at 2 p.m. followed by the second section at 2:05 p.m. Scott Patterson, 25 and member of APU’s Nordic ski program, won with a time of 44:30. Patterson, a Nordic skier with ambitions for the 2018 Olympics, represented pure joy and excitement when he raised his arms imitating an airplane,
while running down the home stretch of the race. Erik Johnson of Seward secured a second place finish in 45:22 and Kenneth Brewer of Chugiak placed third in 46:56. Connor Deal, Anchorage native and forward for UAA’s hockey team, finished 26th in the competitive race. For him, it is a family tradition as for so many other locals. “It is not summer without running Mount Marathon. It is very addicting,” Deal said. “My mother put me in when I was 14 and I hated it while running, but I loved it after I finished. She runs it every year and my father stands halfway with water for us.” Playing hockey for UAA this past season and training for an Ironman Triathlon this summer put him in good shape to tackle the mountain for the eleventh time, three times as a junior and eight times as an adult. He also trains with none other than his girlfriend’s younger sister, Allie Ostrander, the 2017 women’s champion. They spent some time on the mountain together this year. “I came down a couple times with Allie. She gave me great advise on the uphill section and I could help her with the downhill,” Deal said. For Chris Volk, former Mount Marathon participant and now spectator, has attended the race every year since 1986. “It is a special event. Rain or shine, you have to be here,” Volk said. For him as for many others, it is out of question if they will be back next year. For the 90th time now, Mount Marathon united friends and family for July 4.
Future of trail races questioned after recent bear attacks
Due to an unexpected amount of bear attacks in the Anchroage area, the traditional Crow Pass Crossing race was suspended, leaving other trail races to debate the issue By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
Every summer, runners and outdoor sport activists have several main events to look forward to, including the Crow Pass Crossing that takes place in mid to late July. The 22.5 mile trail races spans from Girdwood all the way to the Eagle River Nature Center. Both locations, as well as in between, have been extremely prevalent locations for bear attacks in the last month. In mid-June, 16-year-old Patrick Cooper was the first victim of the string of bear attacks. On his way to finishing a mountain race, Bird Ridge, Cooper was stalked and involved in the fatal mauling by a black bear. Barely 24 hours later, Erin Johnson was working in interior Alaska when she and her colleague were stalked and attacked by another black bear. Johnson was the only one to lose her life. After the initial two maulings, there haven’t been anymore fatal attacks, but a string of nearly half a dozen other incidents led UAA and Associate Athletic Director and race director Michael Friess to postpone the seasonal race. “The safety of runners and preserving the awesome beauty of the Crow Pass trail will continue to be our priorities in organizing this event... This one-year pause will help ensure we can add the resources necessary to respond swiftly to incidents on the trail,” Friess said. Due to the popularity and recognition the event normally gets, the suspension of the race is leaving others to question the safety and responsiveness of other trail races this summer.
A first event, the SUP n RUN hosted by Alaska Wilderness SUP is set to take place for the second annual event in Kincaid Park, taking place on July 23. With nearly 500 people interested in the event, there are four options to chose from, three of them allowing participants to run in the woods. As the race incorporates paddle boarding, the first option takes place exclusively in the water with a two-mile paddle board race. The other three options include a one-mile paddle followed by a four-mile trail run, as well as two other shorter events, a half-mile costume race or a half-mile PUP race allowing participants to bring their dogs. While running with a dog and crowds might make the areas more safe, there are always risks involved with living in bear country. However, there are many things people can do to stay safe. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is heavily involved in this years recent bear uproar, in order to keep events like the SUP n RUN available, spokesman Ken Marsh explained bear activity. “If bears come into town and they’re not rewarded, they’re not likely to be sticking around, there’s no reason for them to go through [the city] if there’s no reward,” he said. A second prominent event taking place this summer is the Alaska Distance Classic hosted by Skinny Raven Sports on August 5. The event features a 5K and a 10K race, both taking place on trails near UAA and APU campuses, both prevalent locations for bear sightings. For events such as that and the SUP n RUN, these events take place in heavily trafficked areas, but that doesn’t mean they are safe. As Marsh explained, bears will be more likely to come to these areas if there is trash or food they can get into, without that they will not be
interested. Anchorage police have been doing all that is possible in order to keep popular areas, as well as areas with upcoming events, clear of litter and debris. The Moose Nugget Triathlon is set to take place on August 13. The Olympic distance event is hosted by the Alaska Triathlon Club placing the events along the coastal trail and in Kincaid, both locations that have frequent bear sightings. For all outdoor events, or individual outdoor events or exercise, locals stress the importance of staying prepared. Sara Oumchiche, a UAA student and outdoors enthusiast, explained that although the recent attacks have made her more hesitant to participate in events such as the Moose Nugget Triathlon. Knowing how to prepare makes her feel better. “Everyone knows it’s always important to prepare adequately when going outdoors, for me that means wearing bear bells and carrying bear spray, for others that means even bringing a gun,” Oumchiche said. In addition to preparing individually, Oumchiche feels comfortable with the way officials have been handling preparation for the races. “I think with all the recent events, it would be crazy if race and event officials didn’t go the extra mile to make the participants feel safe. Even the local police have been stepping up their game in town to dissuade bears from wandering around,” Oumchiche said. Despite Crow Pass Crossing being cancelled, other local — and smaller events — have had more time and insight to prepare to make the races as safe as the can. For more information on bear safety visit Alaska Department of Fish and Game at www.adfg.alaska.gov.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
| 09
Radical Recreation: Emily of the woods
Emily Wood’s love for nature inspired her career in wildlife conservation By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org
Something about being surrounded by mountains makes one want to get out and explore. Emily Wood, natural science major with a concentration on environmental science and minor in biology, was raised by outdoorsy parents, which influenced her love for adventure. Wood spent a lot of time doing outdoor activities such as camping, cross country skiing, running and horse back riding, all things that involve self-exploration and building a relationship with nature. Once Wood was old enough to venture out by herself, the mountains were calling her name. “When my parents got me a car for my 17th birthday, I put on my hiking boots, threw a tent in the back, and didn’t really come home until school started again in August,” Wood said. “Since then I’ve done about 30 different hikes around south central Alaska; most of them a few different times.” After doing so many hikes and spending most of her time exploring, her friends often joke about how much time she spends outdoors. “She spends so much time in nature and that’s why we call her Emily of the woods,” Bre Bhangu, childhood friend, said.
One of Wood’s favorite hiking memories is when she hiked Crow Pass for the first time. Crow Pass is a 23-mile trail that connects Girdwood and Eagle River. “It’s long, and arduous and kind of dangerous, and we managed to do it in one day. It was terrible and we were crawling by the end, but it was a challenge that no one else our age had undertaken,” Wood said. “When I look back at the pictures I always think we looked like such babies, it was like our ‘coming of age’ hike.” What makes hiking different from other outdoor activities is that anyone can do it without draining their bank account. “Any kind of outdoor activity is great, hiking is especially awesome because it’s accessible to anyone,” Wood said. “Not everyone can afford to be a skier, or a rock climber, or go on kayak expeditions, but to be a hiker all you need are good shoes and a water bottle.” Sometimes taking a hike alone is the perfect cure throughout stressful times. “Hiking alone lets you take in everything around you, and you feel more in tune with yourself and appreciative of your surroundings,” Wood said. “It sounds very boring, but just going into the mountains by yourself when your stressed is
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY WOOD
Courtney Schuman and Emily Wood pose at Los Cuernos in Torres Del Paine National Park.
the best way to sort out your thoughts and get perspective.” Although Wood enjoys hiking alone, hiking with friends is an entirely different experience. “I think that outdoorsy people all kind of operate on a similar frequency, and there’s nothing better than vibing in nature with like-minded people,” Wood said. “There’s something about reveling in the majesty of nature while riding an exerciseendorphin high that really binds people. It’s the best way to get
to know people, go hiking with me once and we’ll probably be friends for life.” Aurora Taylor, childhood friend, can sense Wood’s love for the outdoors through her personality, which often influences her to go out and explore. “Emily emulates nature within her personality and makes the outdoors something anyone can be a part of and enjoy,” Taylor said. “Having Emily as a friend means always having an inspiration to get outside and make healthy choices.” After a few trial and errors, Wood was able to decide on what major and career she eventually wanted to achieve. She has always wanted to help people, first by exploring what things were going on around the world, then she thought of maybe being a nurse and physically helping people, but then she realized that being out in nature and making earth a better place to live would be the most fulfilling. “One day, last November I was out hiking by myself and I realized I was really dumb to think I could be happy working anywhere else but out in nature, and nature had everything I’d been looking for all along,” Wood said. “There’s no people around, there’s lots of rocks, plants and animals to study, what better way to help literally everyone than by saving our planet?” Wood hopes to finish her undergrad at UAA then going
to UAF for her masters in wildlife biology and conservation. Microorganisms are her passion and she wants to study oceanic species. Wood’s dream job is to work on a research vessel in Antarctica. There are many short-term goals Wood would like to achieve such as the seven peak challenge, Pioneer Peak and Kesugi Ridge. Some long-term goals would be the Denali Summit, Everest Base Camp and K2. A more recent activity Wood is taking place in is her first Questival, which is a 24 hour adventure scavenger hunt that involves climbing mountains, taking on specific challenges and taking cool photos with friends. Wood is interested in taking classes that UAA offer that teach about the outdoors and safety then eventually using what she learns in the future. “I want to start taking UAA’s outdoor rec classes, I want to learn how to ice climb, outdoor rock climb, sea kayak, etc., because I hope to have a career where these are relevant skills,” Wood said. Wood has adventured through Chilean Patagonia, doing a 40-mile trek through Torres Del Paine National Park. This trip was inspired after attending UAA’s Banff Mountain Film Festival, her favorite UAA event. Wood is already planning her next trip, still deciding between Bali and Iceland.
10 | SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
The flying gymnast: Marie-Sophie Boggasch takes on the Alaskan sky
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIE-SOPHIE BOGGASCH
After being a gymnast on UAA’s gymnastics team for four years, Boggasch now works for Regal Air, a flightseeing tour company.
By Karolin Anders
sports@thenorthernlight.org
In the spring of 2016, Marie-Sophie Boggasch, UAA gymnast, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aviation technology emphasizing on professional piloting. Boggasch joined UAA’s gymnastics team back in 2012. At the age of only 16, she decided to come to the United States from Schwarzenbach am Wald, Germany to pursue her athletic career at a D-II institution while also receiving a degree that would have been off her radar back home.
She was sold on UAA after a recruitment visit in April of 2012 and having met head coach Paul Stoklos, who just retired this year after 33 years of working with the team. Boggasch first declared a major in international studies before quickly switching to aviation technology after having seen the facilities at Merrill Field. Boggasch and her parents discovered UAA’s Aviation Technology Complex during a sightseeing trip shortly after her arrival freshman year. She describes her decision as impulsive, but also rewarding and fulfilling. “I used to want to be an astronaut ever since I was little. But later decided that
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOSEAWOLVES
Boggasch and teammates cheer on a fellow Seawolf gymnast during a home meet.
BASKETBALL: Kylan Osborne to join Seawolf roster in upcoming season Continued from cover tous perseverance it took to win his only title. “[My team and I] had been waiting for [that state title] since seventh grade... it was a really emotional. What a great season,” Kylan said. Kylan hopes that the same perseverance and dedication will bring him success in his collegiate career. During his senior year, Kylan earned all-tournament honors at the Soldotna Invitational and the Capitol City Classic, got a spot in the postseason AABC All-Star Game and earned first-team AllCook Inlet Conference recognition. Kylan is coming from a very evenly successful team, something that his father and other coaches could see.
“As with the entire Dimond roster, Kylan did not have overly impressive individual stats, as they had nine players average between 6 to 13 points per game. However, he was the only player to start every game the last two years on a team that won 52 games, a state title and a state runner-up,” Rusty said. Kylan isn’t the only Dimond graduate to join the team. The guard is joined by fellow Lynx Eric Jenkins and Austin White from Ninilchik, who was the state Gatorade Player of the Year. “Kylan is a late bloomer physically and we feel that he will continue to fill out and grow with the help of Coach [Ryan] Walsh and our other outstanding strength coaches,” Rusty said. With a successful team of coaches all-around, Kylan is expected to excel throughout his college career.
being a pilot would be even greater. After arriving at UAA and seeing the aviation buildings, I took it as a sign that it was now meant to be,” Boggasch said. In gymnastics, the European scoring system is different than the NCAA’s, but Boggasch adjusted her routines to the requirements and was able to see success quickly as a constant contributor to the team in regular line-up. While competing in three events, she accumulated personal bests in vault with a score of 9.875 in 2013, bars 9.8 (2016) and on floor 9.675 (2016). Her bar routine tied for runner-up at their conference championships during her senior year. She also contributed to the Seawolves’ school-record 194.125 team score. Besides her successful athletic career, Boggasch also excelled academically. She graduated with a 4.0, summa cum laude and is co-recipient of the 2015-16 Dresser Cup, which is the highest academic award among UAA student-athletes. She was also an active member and later president of Alpha Eta Rho, a coed international professional college aviation fraternity. Her former teammate and friend, Louisa Marie Knapp, describes Boggasch as excellent leader and driven individual that is easy to get along with. “Marie-Sophie is not just a role model for me due to her athletic abilities, but also due to her various valuable characteristics that inspire me. I partially chose UAA because of her and am very glad that I did,” Knapp said. Boggasch’s dedication does not simply reflect in her athletic and academic
achievements, but also in her professional accomplishments. Additionally, to juggling classes and practice times, she worked as a flight instructor for UAA during her junior and senior year. She accumulated up to 20 hours a week in the air and would not stop there. After graduating in the spring of 2016, she continued working for UAA’s aviation department on an Optional Practical Training visa. Boggasch describes her experience as flight instructor as enriching, as she got the chance to teach others and introduce them to the Alaskan sky. She was actively involved in working with UA President Jim Johnsen to get her major approved for a visa extension of two years. Actions like this describe her incredible work ethic and drive to achieve her dream of working as a pilot in Alaska. Boggasch further climbed the professional ladder by securing a job with Regal Air. The local company offers flightseeing tours, shore excursions and charter flights around Alaska. Their float planes enable passengers to experience many different and unique parts of Alaska. Boggasch enjoys showing tourists and locals around the place that she learned to love and call her home. “This job is wonderful, because I get to fly to different places that present new challenges from a pilot perspective every day. I also get to engage with my costumers, which is very rewarding. Additionally, I get to work with the most wonderful crew there is. I am very thankful for how they took me in,” Boggasch said. As a female pilot of young age, Boggasch is quite unique in the profession and encounters many surprised faces when she introduces herself to her clients. “I am very happy when my passengers leave satisfied and I therefore, want to encourage all girls out there to follow their dreams despite all stereotypes,” Boggasch said. Mike Laughlin, the owner of Regal Air and Boggasch’s boss, describes her as valuable addition to his team. “She started working her first season with us this year and is doing a fantastic job. She is a natural pilot and we would absolutely like her to stick around,” Laughlin said. Boggasch is only one example of what things UAA alumni accomplish in the community and beyond. Boggasch has considered returning to UAA to work towards a Masters of business administration, possibly while working in the familiar environment of the Alaska Airlines Center as a graduate assistant coach.
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TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
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