JULY 25 - AUGUST 8, 2017
FEATURES
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
SPORTS
PAGES 4-5
Photo story: Tree swallow colony at Otter Lake
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UAA volleyball players host camp for high schoolers
Arbuckle excels academically and athletically in both her degree and individual events
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
Race participants at the Running with the Bulls event will have a view of musk ox in their pastures as they run one of the three options available.
Running with the bulls Palmer style, much different than in Pamplona By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
The Musk Ox Farm is hosting its 15th Annual Running with the Bulls race on Aug. 6, starting at 1 p.m. The kids fun run 1k opens the event and is followed by a 10k run and a 5k run/walk. Executive Director at the farm, Mark Austin, said the race offers a beautiful trail and a unique course experience. “[When] people think pastures they think just running around, but it can be a pretty — for people who are trail runners — challenging course,” Austin said. “We make the most of our terrain to make it interesting. It’s a beautiful, challenging course. It’s more than people typically
expect on a farm.” Unlike the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, Austin stresses that runners will be in close proximity to the musk ox but that they will only ever run adjacent to their pastures saying that, “Running with the bulls in Pamplona is very different than running with the musk ox.” All proceeds from the race go towards the Musk Ox Farm, which has three main goals in its operation. “There’s basically three pillars of our mission: to domesticate… to educated and to create positive economic opportunities for Alaska Natives,” Austin said. Dani Biersteker is the education coordinator for the Musk Ox Farm, and she said the run
offers people a chance to see musk ox in a different way. “You have people who come back and all of a sudden they are wondering why an animal did what they did when they walked by,” Biersteker said. “Why did they get up and start running towards them or why did they not even get up and care one bit? It’s always fun to have people come back and be like, ‘Oh I saw this group do this and they were running around in circles. These ones didn’t even notice we ran by them,’ and to be able to use that as a platform to talk to people more about why our animals are the way they are.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY
Madeline Arbuckle performing her routine during a home meet against Centenary University. Arbuckle is on track to graduate in the fall with a bachelors degree in environmental studies.
By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
Madeline Arbuckle, a UAA student-athlete, spent her 201617 year at school and on the road for gymnastics meets, making significant achievements. “At this point, I think it would be weird to not have a full schedule and constantly have to prioritize things. I try my best not to get too stressed about school because I know that I can manage my time effectively and get everything done that needs to get done,” she said. The time in the gym payed off significantly as Arbuckle managed to accumulate career bests in all of her individual events. She often competed as an all-around, receiving a high combined score of 38.250 as well as managing 9.7 or better in the vault, beam, bars and floor events.
With such a full schedule, Arbuckle generally balances everything going on in her day between the Alaska Airlines Center and campus buildings for her classes, but that’s nothing new for her. “I have always been used to balancing school and athletics. By grade three I was training 20 hours a week and in grade six I had to start leaving school early to go to practice,” Arbuckle said. Arbuckle’s GPA from the past semester and cumulative of 3.91 put her at No. 2 out of all gymnasts in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. “Pre-season and during season are the toughest times due to our heavy schedules and the exhaustion that comes with our longer workouts, which makes getting into the homework zone
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New restaurant, Froth and Forage, debuts with rave reviews By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org
Since opening in May, farm to table restaurant and coffee shop Froth and Forage has been a hit with online reviewers. The restaurant, which is located in Indian off the Seward Highway, has almost perfect ratings on sites like Yelp, Facebook and Google. “Where do I begin,” asked Yelp reviewer Shara E. from Anchorage. “How about with WOW!” Nicole Nodlehs’ Facebook review echoed Shara’s sentiment. “WOW! Little hole in the wall that is deceivingly artistic
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both visually and culinary,” she wrote of the 900 square foot restaurant. The menu, which heavily features fresh ingredients, is an eclectic mix of breakfast, apps, sandwiches, salads and entrees. The breakfast has some classic options like biscuits and gravy, but there are also dishes like lemon ricotta pancakes and an udon breakfast bowl. A reviewer favorite was the poutine which features thin house cut fries, reindeer from Indian Valley Meats, house cured bacon red-eye gravy, melted cheddar cheese curds, roasted garlic, fresh herbs and parmesan. The entree options include a
confit turkey leg, reindeer caribou tacos and an Alaskan veggie bowl. “I make food that I want to eat,” said owner and chef Zachary Reid. Reid was born in Fairbanks, but grew up in Hawaii where he learned to cook for high-end resorts. His interest in farm-totable stems from having ready access to fresh ingredients due to Hawaii’s year-round growing season. “The whole farm-to-table thing has always been a part of something I am as far as my cooking style goes,” Reid said. “You feel better when you eat better food with better quality ingredients and you know where
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you food comes from,” said Michelle McIntyre, Reid’s wife of 17 years. Reid runs the restaurant along with McIntyre. They met in high school while Reid was working at Wendy’s. McIntyre, who spent a lot of time working front of house jobs, said Reid has always worked with food. Reid comes from a line of restaurant owners. His parents had a restaurant years ago and his grandfather owned a pizza place. “He likes to express his creativity through food and he kind of needs that outlet,” McIntyre said. “So owning his own business is a great opportunity for that.” Froth and Forage is not the
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first restaurant the two have run together. They had a similar farm-to-table place while in Vermont with a focus on seasonal offerings. “A lot of people say that it’s rough working with your spouse or whatever, but we have always worked really well together,” McIntyre said. McIntyre and Reid knew they wanted to open another restaurant, but didn’t realize it would be so soon — or in Alaska. McIntyre also has roots in the state as her family is from here and she grew up spending summers in Alaska. Moving up here
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NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
| 02
Looking for a good deal? Try UAA surplus sales
About every other month, UAA Surplus holds a public sale to offload extra equipment
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
PHOTO BY AMMON SWENSON
Chairs and desks stacked in the UAA Surplus warehouse during a public sale.
By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org
When a department at UAA cycles through and replaces old equipment, they can have UAA Surplus collect the items which are then either claimed by other departments or sold. About every other month they hold a public sale. “We sell anything from computers, furniture — even people like to buy broken computers that like to fix things — at way way lower price,” UAA Surplus lead, Jonathan Canaii, said.
UAA departments have first dibs on the surplus items, but whatever isn’t reallocated is sold, donated or recycled. “We try to avoid the landfill at all costs, if possible,” Kim Stanford, director of UAA General Support Services, said. Stanford said UAA is required to advertise the surplus sales to the public and university guidelines don’t allow any haggling on cost, but items are priced to sell. “We aren’t looking to make any money off the surplus sales,” Stanford said. That’s not the goal, that’s not what’s going
to happen. We do want to recoup some of the costs, but it’s to make it affordable... So you can get a chair for $5 or a bookshelf for $10. That’s a pretty good deal.” Surplus sales have generated around $10,000 per fiscal year, according to Stanford. Despite some state appropriations, the surplus sales help to make up for costs after university budget cuts. The money helps to fund central receiving, the mailroom and surplus. If a department has specialized equipment that needs to be sold like vehicles, kilns or items
from the auto diesel program, Stanford will try to sell them on Craigslist or online auctions rather than at the surplus sales. 10 percent of the sales for specialty equipment will go to General Support Services to cover overhead costs and the rest will go back to the department the equipment came from. Tevin Gladden, a double major in mathematics and computer science, needed a new laptop and his friend let him know about the surplus sales. He wasn’t able to go personally, but his friend picked him up a functioning laptop for $20. While it might not
Tim McDiffett named interim athletic director at UAA By Chance Townsend
ctownsend@thenorthernlight.org
UAA interim vice chancellor for administrative services Patrick Shier announced on July 5 that Tim McDiffett will serve as interim athletic director for UAA Athletics, effective July 10. In his current role, Tim McDiffett oversees the department’s external functions of corporate sponsorships, advertising, marketing, promotion, merchandising and licensing. He manages the department’s media rights contracts, oversees games management of all UAA athletic home competitions and supervises three sports – men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and skiing. “I am confident that Tim will provide leadership and stability during this time of transition,” Shier said. “He brings strong communication and marketing skills and has played a critical role in nearly every aspect of the athletic department’s functioning during his career.” A member of the athletic department since 1981, McDiffett has served as an associate athletic director since 1991 and has been the senior associate athletic director for the past four years. “What brings me the most joy is seeing our studentathletes achieve,” McDiffett said. “We’re student driven and we have great student-athletes here that not only achieve academically but athletically too.” This is not McDiffett’s first rodeo as athletic director, as he served as interim Athletic Director twice in 1991 and 2013. “Right now this is an interim situation, and right now they’re planning on doing a search for a permanent position at some point this school year,” McDiffett said. “ I have served in this role before a couple of times so my goal is to provide for our student-athletes and coaches some continuity and sort of help make that transition be-
tween Mr. Hackett and the new AD.” Shier said UAA will share its plan for the search for a new Director of Athletics soon.
be in the greatest shape, Gladden said he’d much rather have something that works for cheap rather than spend hundreds or even thousands on a new computer. As college can sometimes be a painful exercise in frugality, a good deal can make a huge difference. “There’s a lot of good stuff there and students would definitely benefit from a lot of the things,” Gladden said. More information about UAA Surplus can be found at the General Support Services page on the UAA website.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
BULLS: Annual run serves as fundraiser for Musk Ox Farm
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College Cookbook: Rhubodka for midsummer Enjoy a plentiful rhubarb harvest with this refreshing summer cocktail
By Victoria Petersen Contributor
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
Continued from cover
Wolfgang Olsson graduated from UAA last spring with a degree in English and currently works at the farm giving tours. He sees this run as a new way to approach educating people who are less interested in lecture driven tours. “It’s a physical way of interacting with the animals,” Olsson said. “Something I notice on tours is that not everybody is interested in the lecture format, hearing all about just the facts so it’s a different way of interacting with the animals.” Bradie Tucker, UAA justice major and employee of the Musk Ox Farm encourages her Anchorage friends
to run the event and enjoy live music and food vendors after the race. “It’s an original race. You get to go race with the musk ox,” Tucker said. “We also have live bands and food vendors that come out too so there’s things to do after the race, which is a lot of fun as well.” Early registration for adults in the 5K and 10k cost $30 and for kids 12 and under the cost is $15. Early registration ends July 30 and after that date registration will include an additional $5 fee. Registration includes a shirt, official race time, water and entry into a raffle for door prizes. There will also be medals for winners in the juniors, adults and seniors categories.
Rhubarb infused vodka The sweet and refreshing rhubarbra striesand cocktail is one of my favorite Spenard Roadhouse drinks. It might feel like summer is about to come to a close, but prolong the midnight sun with this thirst quencher. The signature cocktail features house made rhubarb infused vodka you can make rhubarb infused very easily and in a short amount of time.
Ingredients • 3-5 stalks of rhubarb, cut into chunks • 1 quart of Vodka • 1-quart mason jar
Directions
FORAGE: Husband and wife duo share passion for local ingredients
1. Fill mason jar with the chopped rhubarb. 2. Full mason jar to the top with vodka. 3. Let the rhubarb set in the vodka for one week. Strain the vodka and place
Continued from cover was also a chance for Reid and McIntyre’s two daughters to be closer to their Alaskan relatives. The idea for Froth and Forage started out as a coffee shop but eventually expanded. They were looking for space and saw that the former location of the Turnagain Arm BBQ Pit was available. After painting and a remodel, the location was ready to go. “I love it out there,” Reid said. “I think it has a great view and great potential, and it’s more me as a person out there versus in the city.” At the moment, they’re looking to keep things small while they get dialed in, but have plans to get a beer license, expand and add staff. Reid said the biggest challenge so far is sourcing all of the local ingredients. “You don’t really need to do much to good food to make it taste good,” McIntyre said. There’s a lot of running around from suppliers to farmers markets and being based in Alaska can be somewhat limited on options. Eventually, Reid and McIntyre want to have a garden setup to grow and supply their own produce.
in a sealable bottle.
Copy-cat Rhubarbra Streisand This is a very simple version of Spenard Roadhouse’s rhubarb infused lemonade cocktail. Enjoy on a hot summer evening on the lawn.
Ingredients • 3 cups of lemonade • 3-5 strawberries • 1.5 ounces of rhubarb infused vodka
Directions 1. In a tall glass, pour the lemonade and vodka in the cup and stir. PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Amongst other things, Froth and Forage serves an Alaskan Cod Fish and Chips with cabbage slaw, homemade tartar sauce and house cut fries.
2. Add strawberries for garnish and enjoy.
04 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
Undergraduates study swallow colony on base By Jay Guzman Several miles north of JBER’s military gates you can find a small body of water tucked away, called Otter Lake. This lake almost felt like a military secret kept away from your average Anchorage resident. For a few undergraduate students, however, being out at Otter Lake was just another day at the office.
After driving past JBER’s stretch of monotonous military buildings, you will eventually start to see warehouses and compounds surrounded by military vehicles and men in uniform. Being a civilian, it felt like I was trespassing. By the time we hit the treeline where concrete turned to dirt, it definitely felt like I was somewhere I shouldn’t have been. A narrow road with only enough room for one car, a convenient parking spot, and a short stroll through mosquito territory later, we had arrived.
The field technicians had set up 150 nesting boxes since the start of their collaborative research project with U.S. Fish and Wildlife services four years ago. Since then, it has encouraged the movement and nesting of tree swallows in the area and allowed the field technicians to properly gather data.
The scenery may have just been typical Alaska to some, but it was tranquil. At this point, I had almost forgotten we were within the boundaries of a military base, if not for the roaring jet planes flying over head. Despite the sound barrier breaking above us, the birds didn’t seem to mind.
Being in uncharted territory, literately and figuratively, I tried my best to stay low, quiet and out of the way. To capture a swallow the field technicians would first verify the presence of a nest and either eggs or hatchlings in a box. After confirming swallows would have a reason to visit a box, the field techs would rig the entrance with a small piece of cardboard and a stick then we would sit afar until the trap sprung.
Sometimes the wait hovers around an hour, but luckily, within 15 minutes, a female tree swallow had entered Box 109 to check up on her eggs. Setting off the cardboard trap gave field technician Andi Parrott the heads up to go collect the trapped tree swallow.
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TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
| 05
With careful hands, Parrott took the bird from her nesting box and walked the swallow over to the banding station where they band birds and log their physical data like weight and length measurements.
While most of the female swallows had been caught and banded earlier in the nesting season, Rachel Gingras, an undergraduate student and lead field technician of the project, was able to show us the process with a freshly captured male swallow.
Typically when a female swallow is caught, the male mate usually acknowledges his partner’s absence and is inclined to check on the nest. Knowing this, the field techs can reset the trap and wait for the male to enter the nesting box. Though it doesn’t always guarantee the next swallow to fly in is going to be the male partner, males can usually be recognized by their bluer hues.
Taking it a step further to confirm the gender, Parrott flipped the swallow on its back and blew on it’s belly. Doing this would show how much exposed abdomen was present on the swallow. A female swallow would have a large area of exposed abdomen that allows her to better transfer heat to her eggs when incubating. While some males occasionally partake in the incubating process they do not have that much of an exposed abdomen compared to females. Sure enough, this one was a male.
Being a first time catch for this male swallow, Rachel carefully placed a numbered band on the bird so that they could collect and catalog data. Taking measurements like beak length, wing span and weight help the field technicians get a better grasp on the tree swallow colony’s general health.
Despite the occasional cardboard traps and roaring fighter jets, the tree swallow population at Otter Lake has been growing since the start of the project four years ago. It seems like the tree swallows figured it wasn’t such a bad place to live and for the field technicians, it seems like its a pretty cool place to work.
06 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
Student Spotlight: UAA alum heads to Germany as CBYX Congress-Bundestag Scholar By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
In fifth grade, Matthew Newkirk participated in a class exchange program with a school in Germany. Spending a few days in Germany ignited a lifelong interest in the German language. Now Newkirk, a recent UAA graduate majoring in global logistics and supply chain management with a minor in German, is heading back to Germany again. But this time he is going as a CBYX CongressBundestag scholar. Chair of the Department of Languages, Professor Natasa Masanovic-Courtney approached Newkirk about applying for the scholarship. Masanovic-Courtney said the program has several different components. “This scholarship has three phases: first, students attend a language school, then take courses at the university and finally do an internship in their discipline,” Masanovic-Courtney said. “All is covered by this German-American Partnership. It is a tremendous opportunity for the recipients.” Newkirk said the last five months of his year in Germany will be spent interning in a logistics field. As a two year member and former president of the Global Logistics Association, Newkirk has been able to meet experts in his field as well as or-
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
UAA alum Matthew Newkirk who graduated with a degree in global logistics and supply chain management and a minor in German has been selected as a Congress-Bundestag Scholar. Initiated in 1983, the CBYX exchange program allows students to experience a year abroad studying language while also interning in their discipline.
ganize club field trips. “For the first two years I wasn’t a logistics student, and I didn’t know there was a logistics club and then I go and be a member for a year and the president afterwards,” Newkirk said. “I guess [my biggest accomplishment was] taking responsibility for one of the UAA clubs and coordinating various activities and
being able to successfully pull them off.” Darren Prokop is a professor of logistics and he advises the Global Logistics Association. In the time he’s known Newkirk, Prokop said he’s come to realize that Newkirk doesn’t speak often but that he always has something important to say. “[He’s] attentive and inquisi-
tive, and showed evidence that he thought before he spoke… He was a person that struck me as a person who pondered something before he said it, but he was still talkative in class so that’s a good combination,” Prokop said. Terry Nelson, associate professor of leadership, had Newkirk in class in the fall and she noticed that he was the kind
of student who others would listen to when he spoke. “He sits back and he listens and he starts processing, and when he makes a statement, it’s profound and we all listen because we know he’s not a person who talks a lot,” Nelson said. Newkirk is an Eagle Scout and has been a member of the German culture club, Kaffeeklatsch, for the past three years. In his academic tenure at UAA, Newkirk has been on the Dean’s list for four semesters and the Chancellor’s list for four as well. Newkirk says he’s been fortunate to have the motivation and time to focus on school, and he advises students to think ahead when applying for prestigious scholarships. “Be willing to step out of your comfort zone because this is definitely out of my comfort zone, going to a different country, different culture, not what I’m used to for a whole year,” Newkirk said. “Be willing to do something a little different, but also look at your opportunities a good deal ahead of time. Maybe not as a freshman but even starting to look maybe around your junior year to see what opportunities there are available.” After his year abroad, Newkirk hopes to come back to Alaska and possibly get a job with the Alaska Railroad, where he has worked for the last four and a half summers including a summer as an onboard supervisor.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
| 07
In ‘Raw,’ the family that eats together, keeps together
By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor
Save the cannibalistic urges, relating to “Raw’s” protagonist Justine (Garance Marillier) as she navigates the bloody sex maze of Veterinarian school is easy. She’s an awkward freshman at the top of her class, a lonely place, as it turns out, especially for a lifelong vegetarian forced to eat raw rabbit kidney and doused with horse blood. All freshman endure this ritual, but it awakens a deep hunger in Justine. Her sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf), knows exactly what’s happened. I won’t spoil the specifics here, but suffice it to say, never have sisterhood and cannibalism gone so well together. For everything “Raw” is, and it is a lot, it’s anchored in the sisters’ relationship. It’s one fraught with jealousy and compassion in equal measure, though Justine and Alexia both aren’t saints by
any measure. But when it counts, their scenes are the clearest of any in the movie. Outside of those scenes, director Julia Ducournau packs the frame with bodies. The party scenes are a good example of this: Justine navigates rooms bursting with people, all sweaty and dancing, trying to contain herself and rarely succeeding. “Raw” is long on the idea that alone, surrounded by temptation, there are some things you can’t control. When she lets loose, the movie exudes the fierce eroticism of “Last Tango in Paris” with a tinge of body horror. As I watched it, I wondered why more horror didn’t strive to be this singular. Justine is a multifaceted antiheroine with as little knowledge as viewers have, perhaps even less, and horror needs characters like that. She’s just finding her way, after all. Her overbearing mother and father, absent for most of the movie, don’t help with that. In
trying to shelter their daughter, they’ve underestimated how the world outside would treat her. At school, Justine is just as trapped as the animals she’s training to treat. Ducournau goes for broke with this idea, layering complex symbolism over an already dense narrative and toying with how animalistic Justine really is. But when the movie really gets going, slow-mo shots of a horse running on a treadmill bog it down more than anything. In these moments, for how lean a flick it is, “Raw” can feel overcooked. All the same, “Raw” carves out a unique place for itself in horror. It’s about surviving puberty as much as it is about family, and as much about sex as it is cannibalism. To Justine, maybe those two things are one in the same. I know that sounds gross, but “Raw’s” achievement is that, even when she’s munching on human flesh, you just want her to make it through okay.
TITLE “Raw”
DIRECTOR Julia Ducournau
RELEASE DATE March 15, 2017
COUNTRY France
GENRE Horror
UAA’s Rachael Hannah to present Planetarium’s ‘Neurotours’ “Neurotours” provides an immersive, live experience through the human brain
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
Rachael Hannah, assistant professor of UAA’s Department of Biological Sciences, studied marine biology, molecular biology and cerebral vasculature before finally becoming a teacher.
By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org
Rachael Hannah, an assistant professor in UAA’s Department of Biological Sciences, has a favorite organ: the brain. This summer, Hannah will be able to share her fascination with it by hosting a presentation called “Neurotours” at the UAA Planetarium and Visualization Theater. In this immersive show, she will guide viewers through a variety of real images and visuals, including MRI and CT scans, providing a glimpse into the human brain. The tour involves examining many compo-
nents of the organ from the skull down to individual neurons. For Hannah, being able to do this presentation is an exciting new feat in the three years she has been with UAA. Caroline Wilson conducted the “Neurotours” in the past, but now that she is no longer with the University, Hannah will be the one to step up to the plate. “I’m excited to be able to talk about my favorite organ, the brain. And I love having the conversation with people with the questions that they have,” Hannah said. “They get to pick my brain for certain things that I found interesting and we also get to share what is currently
happening in the world of neuroscience. And that’s a lot of fun.” Omega Smith manages the Planetarium and is looking forward to attending “Neurotours” and learning from Hannah. She says that the combination of a live presenter with an engaging visual tour is unique to the theater. “It’s a great opportunity to learn about the subject that the movie is on and then you can bring in a local scientist who’s actually doing research or they have done research in the past. So you have that live element where the show is visually stunning and really captures you and you want to learn more,” Smith said. “It’s a huge door opening for someone who wants to get more involved in that field or has more questions.” Despite her current work with teaching and participating in various research projects, Hannah didn’t always know she wanted to study the brain and cerebral vasculature. She studied marine biology and molecular biology in Florida for her undergraduate degree but felt that it wasn’t quite right. “I didn’t believe that was my thing because biology is so huge. And so I actually spent the next ten years, before I went back to grad school, working in a bunch of different types of labs,” Hannah said. Hannah did her graduate and post baccalaureate work at the University of Vermont studying cerebral vasculature and then decided to go into teaching. “But what happened in early
2010… I realized I could help more people by learning how to teach and focusing on teaching… And it’s at the University of Maine that I learned how to teach undergraduates,” Hannah said. “So what drew me here, actually, to UAA is the scholarship of teaching and learning and the diversity of people here.” One of the projects Hannah is currently working on involves students who are also invested in science. Savannah Green, a health sciences major, is studying turtles’ brains and blood vessels as part of research that she decided to take up after taking a class with Hannah last semester. She appreciates the hands-on work and says that it helps with the process of learning and understanding. “I think it’s really interesting, especially when you’re looking at the blood vessels and the neurological system because those are the two systems that usually control the other parts of the body,” Green said. “Also, I just think neuroscience is really interesting because there’s so little that we know about it and it has such a huge impact on our health.” Green hopes that their work will pay off and, as she makes her way to graduate school, contribute to the science community. Hannah says that for her if there were a specific milestone she would want to see, it would be the discovery of a treatment for strokes and other traumatic brain injuries. She says that there aren’t many tools or re-
sources and it has been this way since she began stroke research in 2000. “Right now, the treatment for a stroke is only available for thirty percent of people that present with a stroke, and in that, it’s only available if they present within the first three hours of the stroke… I mean, we just don’t know. We don’t have the tools by which to help these people recover from this kind of event,” Hannah said. With “Neurotours” and her research, Hannah hopes to educate others and share her knowledge to further scientific progress. One of her favorite parts about what she does is being one of the first and few to look at certain data, and now she has another opportunity to give others a glimpse into the mindblowing world of neuroscience. “This organ that we have in all our heads is very, very complex,” Hannah said. “It’s really neat and I really think that that’s a really interesting idea that we have something that’s so similar in each and every one of us but we use it in slightly different ways to be our own person.” “Neurotours” will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 28 in the UAA Planetarium, which is located in the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building. Tickets can be purchased at the Student Union Box Office or online through the Planetarium’s website, which contains more information regarding membership and other showings.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
| 08
An extreme triathlon with a twist
The Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon debuted for the first time on July 15 as nearly 200 athletes competed in the 142-mile event
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIC WYNN
Peter Denekamp runs up Alyeska during the Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon. Denekamp and other participants ran a total of 27.5 miles.
By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
All the way from Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska to Mount Alyeska in Girdwood, Alaska, 198 triathletes competed in the extreme event that was founded and designed by Aaron Palain. Palain has ample experience in designing and constructing events such as this. “I’ve been producing endurance events in Houston for nearly a decade and surpassed the 100 mark earlier this year. In 2015 I was lucky enough to be accepted as an athlete in the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. The organizers mentioned that their race took place at about the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska. That comment got me to thinking that the US deserved an extreme triathlon of grand proportions and what bet-
ter place than the Last Frontier? Less than a year later we opened registration for Alaskaman,” Palain said. The Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon, that boasts the title of being the “hardest long course triathlon in North America,” initially intrigued over 300 to people to register, but it didn’t take long before the number dwindled down to only 198 athletes at the start line. Only 153 made it to the finish line. Palain described that it was a dream of his for nearly a decade, which was an immediate hit that sold out in days due to the appeal of the event. “Our AlaskaMan distances are all longer than most normal long distance triathlons, we have 54 degree water with no visibility, our bike course is one of the most beautiful on earth but the valleys and mountains can create some extreme weather and our run course takes athletes
Andrew Fast bikes along the Seward Highway between Seward and Girdwood. Fast was one of 153 participants to finish the triathlon.
through just about every terrain imaginable,” Palain said. With the extremes of the race, 12 athletes were not able to finish the swim portion, six didn’t finish the bike portion, 15 dropped out during the run and an additional 12 forfeited the event for alternative reasons. The athletes that did finish managed to cover the entire distance of 142 miles. Before the sun even rose in Seward on July 15, the athletes were able to jump into the bay at 4 a.m. The water temperature and air temperature stayed consistent with one another, both averaging low 50’s. The water temperature even proved to be colder in the middle of the bay, at around 46 degrees. After swimming for 2.6 miles, the athletes continued to take on the next challenge by biking to Alyeska Ski Resort. The 113.5-mile bike ride took place on the Seward Highway,
The Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon began bright and early at 4 a.m. in Seward. 87 percent of participants finished with a final race time between 14 and 18 hours.
right along side traffic. To finish off the event, the remaining athletes ran 27.5 miles, longer than a traditional 26.1mile long marathon. In addition, the unconventional run portion of the event took the competitors to an elevation of over 6,000 feet as they had to scale Mount Alyeska twice on two separate sides of the mountain. Although challenging, most of the competitors thoroughly enjoyed the race, such as Patrick Hiller who finished 15th overall with a time of 13 hours and 37 minutes. “Everything you’d expect from a race called Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon. It takes all you’ve got to finish. Super well organized with an abundance of useful information for athletes and support leading up to the event. Volunteers and local communities were outstanding and made us athletes feel welcome,” Hiller said. Hiller’s time within the 13hour bracket put him in with only 8 percent of all other athletes, with 5 percent finishing in 11 or 12 hours and the other 87 percent finishing between 14 and 18 hours. The fastest time for men’s overall went to Andy Fast of Salt Lake City, Utah. Fast finished the event in an impressive 11 hours and 18 minutes. On the women’s side, Morgan Chaffin took the title. The Elkhorn, Nebraska local finished the race in 12 hours and 47 minutes, proving to be in the top 5 percent placing 6th overall. Additionally, on the women’s side, Jessica Anderson, a Texas local, competed and managed to place 6th in women and 41 overall. Being a woman in the race put Anderson in the minority, but being 28 years old gave her another minority title with the
average female age being 39. Coming from Texas, the appeal of an Alaskan race is what drove Anderson and many competitors to this inaugural race. “After this event, I can certainly say the race was challenging but well worth it. The views help to ease the suffering and once I was out of the water, which was the most brutal part in my opinion due to the cold and the tides, the bike was spectacular and the run course was stunning. The mountain part was just one step in front of the other, and sharing it with my brother as my crew made it was by far my favorite part,” Anderson said. Racer and former UAA hockey player Conor Deal competed in the race as the youngest participant at 24 years old. Deal finished the race being 11th place overall and 9th in males with a time of 13 hours and 12 minutes. Over the past year, Deal spent his days running, swimming and biking to train for the race; in addition to his training, Deal practiced with the UAA hockey team every day. After not being satisfied with the turnout in his collegiate hockey career, Deal turned to triathlons and mountain running, after already competing in and enjoying Mount Marathon 11 times. With such a successful 2017 Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon, Palain hopes to make this a summer tradition in Alaska, with 2018 registration opening in October and the race already planned for July 21, 2018. To learn more about the event itself, visit www.akxtri.com or their Facebook page of Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon (@akxtri) and to access the 2017 race results visit www.akxtri.com/
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
| 09
Going pro: UAA athletes pursue athletic careers after college By Karolin Anders
sports@thenorthernlight.org
High school students often dream of continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level, and many of those collegiate athletes later strive to take their careers a step further. They want to pursue the ultimate goal and become professional athletes. But being able to afford a living, while playing the game you love is not a given. Still, many recent UAA athletes are about to live, or are living, this luxury. More and more UAA athletes receive encouragement by coaches and former athletes that already made the move overseas to pursue their athletic careers professionally. Alysa Horn, former UAA player and now an assistant coach for women’s basketball, joined the coaching staff after playing two seasons overseas. In 2013-14, Horn played for the GiroLive Panthers Osnabrück in Germany and later for the Logan Thunder of Queensland, Australia in 2015. Travis Thompson, men’s basketball player who graduated in 2015, also just signed his second pro contract in Germany with the Dresden Titans after having played for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors during the 2015-16 season. Spencer Svejcar, who just finished his collegiate basketball career at UAA, will also continue playing in Europe. Svejcar joins the Sluneta Usti nad Laben of Czech Republic. Megan Mullings, English major, played two seasons for UAA’s basketball team after transferring from South Mountain Community College in Arizona. The 2016 Bill MacKay Athlete of the Year award winner lead her team to its greatest success. During the 2015-16 season, Mullings helped UAA sweep the GNAC’s regular-season and tournament titles as well as the West Regional champion title. The season was highlighted by their runner-up finish at the NCAA Div. II National Championship. Mullings was as leading scorer (15.9 ppg), rebounder (6.3 rpg) and shot blocker (1.6 bpg) for UAA that season. At the national championship game, the senior was discovered by an agent, who connected her with various teams in Europe. Mullings having never left the country before, except to
play GNAC opponent Simon Fraser University in Canada, was excited about the arising opportunities and settled with a team in Romania for a year long contract. “My agent signed me to the team in Alexandria, Romania. And before that, I had never left the country.I signed with BCT Alexandria in Romania for one year, and now that my contract is up, I’m free to find a better team for me. But I don’t want to talk about the options just yet until it’s something more solid,” Mullings said. Being far away from home in a strange country was tough at times, but Mullings knew how rare it was to be able to pursue an athletic career professionally. “I’m truly blessed. And I am so thankful every day, no matter how difficult things get.I did make a decent living [playing for BCT Alexandria.] They cover pretty much all living expenses, and I got paid on top of that as well, so a pretty good gig.” Mullings said. While going to two practices a day and adjusting to her life in Romania, Mullings also focused on finishing her degree by taking three classes online. She is on track to graduate soon. Morgan Hooe, Anchorage local and physical education major, just finished an exceptional collegiate career as the best setter in UAA’s volleyball history. The 2017Bill MacKay Athlete of the Year award winner was also named GNAC and D-II West Regional player of the year while helping her team to make program history. In 2017, the Seawolves won the GNAC championship title before capturing the West Regional championship title, for the first time in program history, and placing runner-up at the NCAA Div. II National Championship. Hooe, who holds the UAA career individual record with 3,920 assists, seeks to continue playing the game overseas. For that reason, she set sails to foreign places. “I went to Brazil with a D-II USA college team for about 10 days [on a scouting trip], practiced only a couple times with the team and played four matches against pro and U-22 teams. Now, I will be heading to Slovenia in August for a five team pro tryout,” Hooe said. The scouting trip was a memorable and valuable experience for Hooe, which
ARBUCKLE: Senior gymnast, 3.91 GPA Continued from cover a challenge sometimes,” Arbuckle said. “[But] our competitive season ends during March, meaning that we are in post-season training when finals comes around. After seven months of heavy training, it’s nice to have some extra time to focus on school and make the final push to the end of the semester.” Of course, with a major in environmental studies and a minor in business administration on her plate, Arbuckle is on the correct path for her goal of law school. Arbuckle just finished an internship at Trustees for Alaska. At the environmental law firm, she was able to gain valuable experience as well as witness current issues and events happening in Alaska. Arbuckle now only has an additional 15 credits remaining to finish her degree
going into her senior year, which leaves ample time for the adjustments needed on her team. In June, head coach Paul Stoklos, the program’s first and only head coach, announced his retirement only to be replaced by Tanya Ho in July. Aiding the new head coach and adjusting to the loss of several top seniors will keep Arbuckle busy in the 2017-18 season. With her senior year in sight, Arbuckle has no regrets about coming to UAA when it was never her initial goal. “I never really had my sights set on college gymnastics until my junior year of high school. Being from Canada, going away to join a college athletics team wasn’t very popular, so before that I hadn’t given it too much thought. I also couldn’t imagine doing gymnastics for another eight years when I first entered high school,” Arbuckle said.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MEGAN MULLINGS
Megan Mullings and the BCT Alexandria in Romania.
she hopes will result in great opportunities and eventually in a professional volleyball career. “The experience was amazing and got me even more excited to head to Europe to keep playing. If I get selected by a team, I’ll be leaving almost immediately from the tryouts to start with the team, wherever it may be,” Hooe said. Signing a contract with a European team in August would result in a minimum stay of eight months, which Hooe would happily do. “My dream scenario is to sign in August and continue my volleyball career. I’ve always dreamed of being a professional volleyball player,” Hooe said. On her journey to Slovenia in August, Hooe will be accompanied by former UAA hitter Julia Mackey, who just graduated with her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering this spring and is also looking to continue her athletic career on the next level. Mason Mitchell, management major, is another UAA athlete who continues his collegiate career on the professional level. Mitchell would still have had collegiate athletic eligibility for two more years, since he just finished his sophomore year, but chose to turn to pro hockey instead. The forward delivered 10 of his teamhigh 12 goals in the final 14 games for the Seawolves. Even though the Seawolves failed to qualify for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs, Mitchell excelled and caught attention on the field by scouts. He concluded his collegiate career by signing a 2-year, entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals’ primary development club —the Hershey Bears. The Hershey Bears are members of the American Hockey League, which consists of 29 professional teams and serves as the main development ground for the NHL. The Hershey Bears are closely af-
Megan Mullings playing for her club BCT Alexandria in Romania.
filiated with the Washington Capitals and had 21 former or current Bears play for Washington last season. “I did not go on a scouting trip. Team scouts actually come to our games and scout players. So that is how I got talking to them,” Mitchell said. Like many hockey players, Mitchell has one long term goal, which he is now one step closer to. “My dream scenario is to play in the NHL,” Mitchel said. With the rising success of UAA’s athletic teams, it becomes more likely for individuals to get discovered by scouts and professional teams. Athletes can also build on the international connections former teammates have already established before. Overall, it is a rising trend for UAA athletes of various sports to continue on with their athletic careers. But they all keep in mind the value of earning a college degree by making arrangements to finish their education, if they have not already graduated.
10 | SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
Seawolves keep the tradition of hosting summer camps for the community’s youth By Karolin Anders
sports@thenorthernlight.org
The UAA volleyball team concluded another year of hosting summer camp sessions. Between July 6 - 20, head coach Chris Green and his staff, consisting of associate head coach Sheldon Carvalho and various current or former UAA players, held six different sessions focusing on various skill levels. Session I-III and IV were designed as individual skill camps for numerous age groups including grades 8th-9th, 5th-7th and 1012th. Additionally, Green designed particular skill sessions such as the defensive/passing camp and the setter hitter elite camp. The camps were held every day between 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. with an hour lunch in between at the Alaska Airlines Center. The rest of the time was used to improve the players’ skills by teaching them mechanics and technique. Carvalho describes the camps as great opportunities to help younger players become better, but also to get a look at potential recruits for the UAA team. “We see some skills, so that helps us to keep an eye on them when we go and watch them play club or high school. We had some campers come for example Makenna [sophomore libero Makenna Hurd]. We actually invited two girls from out of state last year and they want-
PHOTO BY KAROLIN ANDERS
UAA’s associate head coach, Sheldon Carvalho, discusses skills with Session III campers.
ed to come on their own to see how we run our system and see the the campus. The two girls [Casey Davenport and Jalisa Ingram] actually committed, so they are playing for us in 2017,” Carvalho said. The coaching staff helps the camp participants improve their athletic abilities and become overall better players. “When they leave, they hopefully leave a better volleyball player, because we taught them important skills,” Carvalho said. The coaches included about eight former and current UAA players who worked with their
groups to introduce and fine tune fundamental elements of the game. The many sets of coaches’ eyes payed close attention to technique and mechanics as various skills got repeated over and over again. For Makenna Hurd, sophmore libero for UAA, it was the first experience of coaching at camp after having participated last year as a high school senior and soon to be Seawolf. As a camp participant she was taught by many athletes that later became her teammates, including UAA’s record setter Morgan Hooe. She knows of the excite-
ment camp participants experience while working with the athletes. “When I was going to camps I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I talked to Leah Swiss or CJ [Chrisalyn Johnson].’ It was just the coolest thing. I felt so connected and it was awesome,” Hurd said. Hurd enjoyed the other side of camp this year by being able to help players improve and work on their game. “Being a coach is super rewarding. It is awesome. The kids seem to be having a really good time and we as coaches love being involved. It is just a really
awesome experience to see them grow and learn new things.” Hurd said. The camps are generally quite popular and with the team having been so successful the last couple of seasons, spots filled up quickly this year. Not just Anchorage locals come and enjoy camp, but people from all over the state and beyond. Fairbanks local Ellen Silver, 16, attended UAA’s volleyball camp for the first time this year. The incoming high school junior found out about the camps on the Seawolves athletics homepage and enjoyed her experience of working with the Seawolf players that she usually just observes on the court. “[I loved] just getting to work with coaches and players. I like learning how to become a better player. They are so talented,” Silver said. Silver actually hopes to play basketball at the collegiate level, preferably at UAA, but also enjoys improving her volleyball skills going into her last two years of high school. During a trip down to Anchorage last year, Silver got to watch a volleyball game followed by a basketball game the next day, so Silver is still deciding what collegiate route to take. The camp represents an effort to build up each camp participant as well as possibly the Seawolf program with potential new Seawolves.
OPINION
THENORTHERNLIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
| 11
July 2017 message from USUAA President Alec Burris While I can’t say that I have escaped getting sunburnt this summer, I can say that meaningful progress has been made to improve the student experience at UAA. With just over a month till the start of the fall semester, I have been working very closely with the administration to begin fulfilling the promises I made during my campaign. Security cameras – On June 22, Channel 2 KTUU became interested in our efforts to add more security camera at UAA and wrote a story on it. Since then, I have been reassured by both Vice Chancellor Pat Shier and UPD Chief Brad Munn that in the very near future we will be able to install cameras in the areas of our campus that need them the most. Student fees – Following a meeting with all of the directors in the areas receiving student fees, I requested a report from each department by July 14 with the following information: 1. What mechanisms exist to evaluate student satisfaction with your fee? 2. What mechanisms exist for student input for your student fee? 3. What mechanisms are utilized to raise student awareness of your fee? After receiving these reports, I have begun compiling this information and
will soon determine how we will proceed to make student fees as transparent as we can. Additionally, I am working with the Student Affairs office to create a brochure for new students that details what student fees they are charged and what they are used for. Advocacy – With the passing of an operating budget by the Alaska State Legislature that funds the University of Alaska System for $317 million, I am
sufficiently satisfied that UAA students will be negatively impacted to the least degree possible. With our efforts relating to the Legislature ending for time being, I am looking forward to meeting with USUAA’s Legislative Affairs Committee to determine how we will advocate for UAA students to the Board of Regents at their meetings during the Fall Semester. Title IX – It cannot be overstated
that students deserve the opportunity to gain an education in an environment where they feel safe. To this end, it is my opinion that USUAA can best aid UAA’s Equity and Compliance Office by ensuring that students are well informed regarding issues such as bystander intervention and that they understand the resources that are available to them on our campus. On July 17, I met with Bridget Coffou, UAA’s new Title IX Prevention Education Coordinator, and discussed their new Seawolves Speak Up campaign and other methods by which we can reach students. With the academic year approaching fast, I remain confident that USUAA is prepared to represent the students on our campus. USUAA has three strategic values: service, advocacy and self-governance. These values guide the work that I do as I lead USUAA, and will remain the guiding principles as we represent students at UAA, the Board of Regents, and the Alaska State Legislature. It is my firm belief that students have a duty to be involved in their education, and there is no better time than now to prove that. Alec Burris, Student Body President Email: usuaa.president@alaska.edu Phone: (907) 715-2177
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CO R R E C T I O N In the July 11 issue of The Northern Light, we published an article which stated that stated that UAA men’s basketball coach, Rusty Osborne, was entering his 12th season as head coach. He is entering his 14th season.