July 28, 2020

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

JULY 28 - AUGUST 10, 2020

OPINION

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

A&E PAGE 5

PAGE 6

BLM responds to a long history of racism

Hitbox Review — Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

NASCAR bans confederate flag after years of tiptoeing

By Gabby Vance editor@thenorthernlight.org

In 2015, NASCAR asked that fans refrain from bringing confederate flags to races. But in June, Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only full-time African American driver in the Cup series, asked NASCAR to ban the flag entirely in response to the growth of the Black Lives Matter Movement after George Floyd’s death.

While many fans who carry the flag as a representation of southern heritage were outraged by Wallace’s request, NASCAR agreed with Wallace and decided to ban the flag from all racing events two days after the request.‌ “The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry. Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special,” according to a June 10 statement on NASCAR’s website.‌ Wallace and many others applauded NASCAR’s decision following the statement. Lebron James, Bernice King and tennis

PHOTO COURTESY OF NBC NEWS

American driver in the top series, Wallace has become the face of the Black Lives Matter movement within the NASCAR organization. The night after NASCAR’s decision to ban the flag, Wallace had one of the biggest races in his career and felt the world watching him, according to a June 13 article by the New York Times. Wallace’s car sported a new color scheme at the race. His

and the words “Compassion, Love, Understanding” on the hood. He also wore a Black Lives Matter t-shirt during the national anthem. ‌ Wallace has begun to feel the repercussions of his activism and received backlash from fans who don’t support the decision to eliminate the Confederate flag from NASCAR events. There are certain things Wallace no longer feels comfortable doing

PHOTO COURTESY OF NBC NEWS

NASCAR bans the confederate flag after their only African American Cup Series driver requests it.

legend Billie Jean King have all shared tweets and replies.‌ As the only African

thenorthernlight.org

No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro was painted black with the hashtag #blacklivesmatter written on the side

according to a June 10 interview in the New York Times. He used to drive a golf cart to the infield to

facebook.com/tnlupdates

@tnl_updates

Bubba Wallace sported a new #blacklivesmatter themed car in a race following NASCAR’s confederate flag ban.

mingle with fans in a carefree and happy-go-lucky manner but now doesn’t feel comfortable doing so. He even stated that his father warned him to be careful.‌ Many people often look to the first amendment for protection against businesses that limit what their customers can and can not do. However, Jonathan Kotler, a media law professor at the University of Southern California explained, in a Charlotte Observer interview, why NASCAR can enforce the decision to ban the confederate flag. He stated that when fans buy a ticket they are really purchasing a license the back of the ticket describes what the license entails.‌ “Charlotte Motor Speedway reserves the right to add or change these rules,” the ticket reads. “By use of this ticket, (the) holder consents to a reasonable search for alcohol, drugs or other prohibited items.”‌ Whether or not NASCAR made the decision to ban the use of the confederate flag because they

@tnl_updates

truly want to support the Black Lives Matter movement or if it is a corporate strategy is hard to determine. The true motives behind why companies do what they do are known only to them. However, some have been weary since NASCAR has avoided this issue in the past. ‌ In 2015, after nine black church members were murdered by white supremacist Dylann Roof, NASCAR stated that fans should consider not bringing flags to events but they were never banned. There have been many instances when the confederate flag was celebrated in NASCAR such as when Johnny Reb, a mascot dressed in a confederate soldier’s uniform, would wave a confederate flag while riding on the winning car.‌ “I have a tough time giving [NASCAR] any credit for making these decisions because in reality, these are decisions that wouldn’t be made if they didn’t feel like they were being forced to make them,” Thomas McIntyre, a digital content strategist said. “This a decision that

youtube.com/tnlnews

should have been made a long time ago, but is being made now because their backs are against the wall to a degree that it would be a bad move from an optics standpoint to let the flag fly.”‌ McIntyre says he will give them credit for siding with Wallace and sticking their necks out for him when a noose was left in his garage even though it was revealed to not be racist act and had actually been there for a year. ‌ “I was happy to see that they were willing to call it out even if it wasn’t what it appeared to be. What sucks about them being wrong, even though it is a good thing that no one left it there for Wallace, is that it shifted the narrative,” McIntyre said.‌ While the banning of the Confederate flag has raised some negative feelings with some fans upset by the notion, Wallace experiencing backlash, and some unsure if it was a heartfelt decision, it is still a decision in favor of the Black Lives Matter movement. ‌

soundcloud.com/tnlnews

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

2

Summer 2020 video game announcement highlights part two

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

KEY ART COURTESY OF HALOWAYPOINT.COM

The last few weeks have seen even more game companies host livestreams announcing upcoming games instead of at their regular Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, conferences. Here are a few highlights from Xbox, Ubisoft and more.‌ Halo Infinite‌ Developer: 343 Industries Release Date: Holiday 2020 Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox Series X and Xbox One‌ The next installment in the science-fiction first-person shooter Halo series is Halo Infinite. A new cinematic trailer and campaign gameplay demo shows the green power-armorclad Master Chief crash-land on a halo ring. Halo Infinite will have an open world to explore on the ring and take on objectives. ‌ Little of the story was revealed but it appears Humanity’s United Nations Space Command is losing a war against The Banished, a faction of alien Brutes introduced in the real-

time strategy halo spinoff series, Halo Wars 2. Other Covenant alien enemies are present including Grunts, Jackals and Elites.‌ The gameplay looks very similar to the last game, Halo 5: Guardians with the ability to aim down sights and the inclusion of hit markers. There are some cool new guns such as the three-burst Ravager launcher as well as reimagined designs of series mainstays such as the Assault Rifle. Everything a Halo fan expects of a new game in the series is here, even the good old Warthog vehicle. ‌ A big new feature that seems like it will complement the addition of an open world is a grappling hook which allows for more traversal options. Players can also hook objects like fusion coils that will explode on impact and throw them at enemies or hook an enemy and reel themselves in for a quick melee punch.‌ The first look at the competitive multiplayer is coming in the next few months.‌

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‌ Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Release Date: Nov. 17, 2020 Platforms: Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One‌ Before I go into details on any Ubisoft games, I feel compelled to mention the series of widespread sexual misconduct allegations at the company. Several high-level employees have been put on leaves of absences, fired or resigned as a result. Recently reported by Kotaku on July 22, during a call with investors the CEO, Yves Guillemont refused to take any accountability. ‌ Before Ubisoft Forward livestream, Ubisoft tweeted that nothing in their video would address the scandal. It’s worth noting that the livestream was a pre-recorded video and it would’ve been entirely possible for Ubisoft to edit in a short segment addressing the misconduct.‌ The time-hopping role-

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF SHADOWWARRIOR.COM

playing game Assassin’s Creed series is traveling to 9th Century Norway and England where players will control a male or female Viking raider named Eivor. Together with a clan of other Vikings, they’ll raid and establish settlements and raid fortresses. ‌ Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will have less of a focus on traditional side quests than previous games according to a Gamespot interview with narrative director Darby McDevitt. Instead, players will stumble upon “world events” to complete during their adventure. ‌ If you’ve played Assassin’s Creed Origins or Odyssey, you’ll feel right at home with the gameplay. Players have light and heavy attacks and must dodge out of the way of enemy attacks while activating some abilities from an upgradeable skill tree. There will also be a main storyline to complete when not checking off icons on a large open-world map, loot to obtain and dialogue choices to make.‌ What is new is less of a focus on traditional side quests according to a Gamespot interview with narrative director Darby McDevitt. Instead, players will stumble upon “world events” to complete during their adventure. Another new feature shown during a 30-minute gameplay walkthrough was the ability to dual-wield any two weapons like axes, flails and shields.‌

surveillance, private military and organized crime have run rampant. Players must recruit people to their resistance group, DedSec to fight back and retake the city. Intriguingly, Watch Dogs: Legion won’t feature a main protagonist. Instead, players can recruit and control anyone they find in London. ‌ Everyone the player finds will have unique abilities to them. Such as a construction worker having access to building sites and a big wrench or a drone expert being able to control a flying drone. Players can even recruit an old woman who’s a retired assassin. ‌ In their weekly podcast, the Giant Bombcast, Alex Navarro, a senior editor at Giant bomb, cited a potential lack of character archetype variety based on a gameplay demonstration given to members of the press.‌ “Using essentially a procedurally generated series of protagonists feels novel. I don’t know how long that’s going to last,” Navarro said.‌ Despite misappropriating a famous Holocaust quote in one of its cinematic trailers, Watch Dogs: Legion looks like it could have a pretty neat feature with the ability to recruit and play as anyone. ‌

Watch Dogs: Legion‌ Developer: Ubisoft Release Date: Oct. 29, 2020 Platforms: Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One‌

Shadow Warrior is a firstperson shooter series starring the wise-cracking assassin Lo Wang as he slashes and blasts his way through copious amounts of demons with a variety of weaponry. Think Doom and Wolfenstein for gameplay references.

Watch Dogs: Legion is set in a dystopic London where state

Shadow Warrior 3‌ Developer: Flying Wild Hog Release Date: 2021 Platforms: Windows PC and unannounced consoles‌

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

3

IMAGE COURTESY OF IGDB.COM

It’s a lot of fast-paced highoctane action and Shadow Warrior 3 looks to be no different. ‌ In the gameplay trailer, Wang wallruns across floating walls, uses a grappling hook to get across a crevasse and makes a bloody mess of a few demons for good measure. New weapons include a quick-firing revolver, multi-barrel automatic shotgun and an exploding fireworks launcher. ‌ On a side note, the Devolver Direct livestream where Shadow Warrior 3 was announced is its own piece of incredible entertainment that pokes fun at the games industry culture.

Fair warning: there’s a decent amount of fake blood and swearing involved.‌ Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout‌ Developer: Mediatonic Release Date: Aug. 4, 2020 Platforms: Windows PC and PlayStation 4‌

Fall Guys is a colorful 60-player battle royale where competitors must make it through a series of challenges and obstacle courses to be the victor. What makes this game stand out from other battle royales is it’s light-hearted and colorful art style. The characters look suitably blobby and can wear tons of different wacky outfits such as a hot dog or dinosaur costume. ‌ It looks like it’ll be a decent bit of family-friendly fun.‌ Other video game announcements‌ There will no doubt be a few other online events and announcements before the end of the year including the prices and release dates of next-generation consoles. For trailers and information about the latest video game announcements, 2020. e3recap.com is a handy site to have bookmarked.‌

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF DEVOLVERDIGITAL.COM

PHOTO COURTESY FROM THE WATCH DOGS: LEGION: RESISTANCE TRAILER

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

4

International students may have a more difficult time studying in the U.S. this fall

By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE U.S. AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SITE

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency provides new guidelines for the conditions under which international students can remain in the U.S. this fall.

International students bring diversity and revenue to colleges and universities to American schools. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these learning institutions plan to give instruction fully online in the fall of 2020. The Trump administration argues that these international students should be deported instead of receiving instruction online in the U.S. The policy to enact this was announced on July 6 and seeks to deport students who are not able to attend classes in person because they are not offered. It would also not allow international students to return to the U.S. after visiting their home countries during the summer.

On July 8, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were the first universities among

many to file suit seeking to block the policy. The attorney general of 18 states, also sued. They stated in their suits that the intended goal of the policy was to force schools to reopen early, which could be harmful to all U.S. populations since the COVID-19 pandemic is still occurring and the U.S. is a primary hotspot in COVID-19 cases worldwide. The Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana expressed his antipathy to the proposed policy in an email to students sent on July 21.

“We abhor any policies that seek to force us to choose between our community’s health and the education of our international students,” Khurana said.

The policy was swiftly modified, just a week after its presentation. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce-

ment or ICE, who oversees the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, has set new guidelines for incoming international students on July 24. International students who were not enrolled before March 9, 2020 and are not in the U.S., will not be allowed to reside and study in the U.S. if their school will hold classes entirely online. They can remain in the country if some of their courses are in person and can remain if that same school goes all online at some point in the middle of the semester. Visa flexibility will only be granted to those already within the U.S. ICE also suggested that deferment might also be an option for students that are already enrolled in courses.

So far, 12% of U.S. colleges and universities plan to go entirely online in the

fall, 34% propose a hybrid model, 50% will open in person and 4% are undecided, according to The Chronicle. Over one million students are international in the U.S. and they contributed $44.7 billion to the American economy to the economy in 2018, according to 2019 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange. Students come from all over the world but a huge majority are from China, making up 369,548 students from the 2018-2018 school year.

For a regularly updated list of what school plans are for fall concerning educational delivery, visit The Chronicle. For policy facts and updates about international student visas, visit U.S. Immigration and Customs.

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

5

Hitbox Review — Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

The premiere Nazi-killing simulator returned in 2017 with the continuation of an outlandish resistance story featuring compelling characters.‌ Developer: MachineGames‌ Initial release date: Oct. 27, 2017‌ Platforms: Windows PC [played], PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch‌ Price: $39.99‌ Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is an alternate-history first-person shooter.

Players control William Blazkowicz, a member of a resistance group fighting to retake America and the world after the Nazis won World War II with the help of advanced technology. The game takes place a couple of decades after the Nazis have risen to power and most of the world has moved on and adjusted to life under their rule. ‌ The game begins with the resistance group being attacked on their U-boat by an airship commanded by General Irene Engel. At the same time, Blazkowicz wakes up from a coma paralyzed from the waist down. However, nothing can keep Blazkowicz down and he fights the Nazis off. After fending off the attack, the resistance continues toward their goal of liberating the world, but to do that, the group must first retake America and connect with other resistance groups. ‌ Retaking America requires a lot of firepower and Nazi-killing however.

Thankfully, there are a decent handful of weapons to acquire and upgrade. Each upgrade feels meaningful and has a real impact on gameplay. Even just unlocking a suppressor for the pistol to silently take out soldiers makes a difference. Upgrad-

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF BETHESDA.NET

ing the shotgun to have ricochet rounds or fire all three barrels at once are just a couple other tantalizing examples. Perks can also be upgraded by completing challenges such as killing commanders before they raise an alarm or getting kills while dual-wielding. Completing the latter will reward the player with increased ammo reserves.‌ I mentioned stealth briefly, and while it is encouraged, it’s by no means required.

Killing a Nazi commander before he can raise an alarm and call reinforcements is advisable, but if the player is caught, they have more than enough options to deal with anything that’s thrown at them. In case stealthily sneaking up on Nazis and slashing them with an ax sounds more appealing, there is always that option.

Players can also throw axes to kill Nazi soldiers silently or unlock a suppressor upgrade for the pistol or the submachine gun. ‌ Combat usually began with me trying to be sneaky and quickly devolved into chaos after being caught. However, I was more than happy to deal with any reinforcements because of Blazkowicz’s ability to dual-wield any two weapons. Dual triple-barreled shotguns? Sign me up. Of course there are also a few heavy weapons scattered throughout levels such as a laser cannon and flamethrower. ‌ There are plenty of collectibles to find scattered around too. There are newspapers which provide background story details about the game’s version of World

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF BETHESDA.NET

One of the many new requirements under Nazi rule includes mandatory German lessons and restaurant menus including at least 40% German food according to a few collectible newspapers.

Wolfenstein II’s gunfights can get pretty intense, especially when a giant fire-breathing robotic dog shows up.

War II, gold sculptures that unlock concept art and even music records from bands in the game’s version of the world.

The newspapers provide the grimmest and disturbing story details in Wolfenstein II. Reading about America’s hopeful outlook at the start of the war, then the public growing weary and questioning why they were even fighting and eventually the dismantlement of the essence of democracy, free speech under Nazi rule is disturbing to say the least. ‌ While killing a copious amount of Nazis is fun, what kept me playing Wolfenstein II were the wacky story beats and to see the next cutscene. Without spoiling anything, when I say the story goes some places, it really goes some places. The really wild stuff is back-loaded in the latter half of the game, but once it gets going it really doesn’t stop until the credits roll. Of course, then the player is faced with an absolutely appalling metal cover of “We’re not gonna take it” by Twisted Sister that’s twice as long as the original song.‌ Unlike the end credits music, the characters are all great and lots of fun to watch during cutscenes. Norman “Super Spesh” Caldwell, a conspiracy theorist who rants about reptilian aliens infiltrating society and mind control rays, is my absolute favorite. I also love how Set Roth, a German Jewish scientist, sometimes rambles quietly to himself after trailing off during conversations. Every character is amaz-

ing, including Max Hass’ pet pig.‌ If you’re worried about missing out on what happened in the previous game, Wolfenstein: The New Order, it’s not required since the games have two somewhat separate narratives. Although, I would recommend playing it first since it explains who the characters are without throwing you into the thick of it. It’s a decent first-person shooter in its own right too. However, if you beat Wolfenstein II and want more, don’t bother with the sequel, Wolfenstein: Youngblood.‌ The only issue I ran into with Wolfenstein II is that the game would crash after I followed the prompt to look at a collectible I had found. It didn’t matter what type of collectible it was either, it would crash all the same. The easy workaround is to just wait for the prompt to disappear and then open the menu and look at the collectible there, but it’s still annoying to have to scroll through several menus and then try to figure out which collectible is new.‌ Bottom line: Wolfenstein II is worth your time and money for the story alone.

It can be comfortably beaten in less than 20 hours, so if you’re wary about the time to cost ratio, wait until it’s on sale, which happens fairly frequently.‌ Want to suggest a video game for review? Contact John Novotny at arts@ thenorthernlight.org.

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF BETHESDA.NET.

At the beginning of the game, players are forced to choose which resistance member to save.

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

6

BLM responds to a long history of racism

By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org

Black Lives Matter, or BLM, is a campaign the entire nation and the world are now familiar with. People see it on a global scale right now because of the death of George Floyd. Many people understand why the spotlight on BLM is so intense right now but some refuse to acknowledge the purpose of this movement. The struggle of people of color in the United States has existed long before BLM rose to prominence.

In 2013, Black Lives Matter was started by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, three Black organizers responding to the death of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his killer, George Zimmerman.

“Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression,” according to the official website.

Black Lives Matter has chapters of organizers all over the U.S. that support communities that are affected by hate and violence. They also have platforms to open conversations on what it means to be Black in America, call for social and government change with campaigns such as Defund the Police and Invest in Communities. Garza explains in an interview what Defund the Police actually means.

“So much policing right now is generated and directed towards quality-of-life issues, homelessness, drug addiction, domestic violence,” Garza said.

“What we do need is increased funding for housing, we need increased funding for education, we need increased funding for quality of life of communities who are over-policed and oversurveilled,” Garza said.

Trayvon Martin was killed on Feb. 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida. He was a Black 17-year-old junior in high school visiting his father and stepmom. He had just come from a convenience store to buy Skittles when a neighborhood watch leader, George Zimmerman, who is white and Latino, spotted him and labeled him as a “suspicious guy in a dark hoodie, a gray hoodie,” according to the police call recording of him. Zimmerman called the police in Sanford and was instructed to leave the teenager alone. Zimmerman followed the unarmed teen in his SUV, who was on his way to his father’s house.

When police arrived at the scene, Martin was hit with a fatal shot to the chest and Zimmerman claimed he shot the teenager in self-defense, even though Martin had no weapon on him. There was no one to witness what had happened and police took Zimmerman into custody, but did not arrest him.

The death of Martin also

brings into light Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows people to defend themselves in dangerous situations outside of their homes. Zimmerman chose to follow the unarmed teenager even when instructed not to by the police.

Zimmerman was later charged with second-degree murder on April 11, 2012 and acquitted of all charges on July 13, 2013. The national response to Martin’s death and Zimmerman’s acquittal helped spur the creation of BLM. People acknowledged the continued injustices of Black people in America. Then- President Barack Obama spoke of Martin’s death.

“You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son.

Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African American community at least, there’s a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it’s important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn’t go away,” Obama said in a White House press release on July 19, 2013.

Supportive gatherings for the Black community and Martin’s family took place after Martin’s death such as the Million Hoodie March in New York City on March 22, 2012. The event attracted thousands of people who wore dark hoodies in solidarity for the racial profiling and death of Trayvon Martin.

Protests all around the country also took place. Foundations like The Trayvon Martin Foundation, Circle of Mothers and The Youth Empowerment Summit were created in response to Martin’s death.

Violence against Black people in America has been prevalent since colonial times. The history of slavery in America has stained the foundation of this country in blood and oppression, it’s roots so deep and clenched in American soil that it planted seeds that would grow new struggles for black people in modern history, such as systematic racism. Slavery was abolished in 1862 under the Emancipation Proclamation but did not fully end until 1865 under the 13th Amendment.

Racism was pervasive in early America, especially in the south where Black people were lynched, burned, raped, mutilated and murdered. Four thousand seven hundred forty three lynchings occurred in the United States from 1882 to1968. Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was murdered by two white men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam in 1955 for allegedly aggressively flirting with Bryant’s wife, Carolyn. The two men abducted Till from his uncle’s house where

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONICA TERRONES

he was visiting and took him to another location. There, they tortured Till and mutilated him until he died.

Till’s corpse was unrecognizable to his mother when he was found. Bryant and Milam were never charged with any crime and Carolyn Bryant, who made the allegations of flirtation, later said that Till had never “touched, threatened or harassed her,” as quoted in an interview with historian Tim Tyson, for his book “The Blood of Emmett Till.”

Till’s mother insisted that her son have an open casket funeral to show the world what was done to her son.

This horrific incident echoes wrongful perceptions of Black Americans made by white Americans that happen today.

A 2017 study by The University of California shows that Black Americans are over 50% more likely to be convicted of crimes such as murder and sexual assault than white Americans.

According to the study, “Black Americans constitute 47% of the 1,900 exonerations listed in the National Registry of Exonerations (as of October 2016), and the great majority of more than 1,800 additional innocent defendants who were framed and convicted of crimes in 15 large-scale police scandals later cleared in “group exonerations.”

Echoes of injustice ceaselessly reverberate throughout history to modern times. Breonna Taylor, who was a 26-year-old emergency technician, was shot and killed in her own home by police on March 13, 2020. Taylor is one of many lives lost because of police misconduct and brutality. The officers who killed Taylor entered her home with a no-knock warrant because her home was under suspicion of

having ties to two drug dealers. No drugs were found in her home. The police officers who killed Breonna Taylor have not yet been held legally accountable for her death.

Another incident is the confrontation between Amy Cooper and Christian Cooper (no relation) that went viral on Twitter.

Christian Cooper is an avid bird watcher and was on an outing in Central Park in New York City when he asked Amy Cooper to leash her dog, in compliance with New York City law. Amy Cooper exploded and called police on him, falsely saying that a Black man was threatening her. The incident was recorded on video. Amy Cooper apologized publicly for her behavior and has been subsequently fired from her job.

Cheryl Williams is a U.S. Army veteran and the former president of The UAA Black Student Union, or BSU. During her time at BSU, she focused on building more understanding of all Alaskans towards all people.

She speaks of how BLM is not a new trend but presents a new way to communicate with the world about the struggles that Black Americans face.

“Imagine a musician that just released a hit song and became famous. You never heard of them until now when they exploded in popularity. What you do not know is that the musician has been working and struggling for years and has just been unknown. That is what Black Lives Matter is. It is simply drawing your attention to something important that has always been there,” Williams said.

The death of George Floyd in May spurred a global reaction, with people of all backgrounds supporting BLM. Floyd struggled to breathe for 8 minutes and

15 seconds on May 25, 2020 as Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, pinned him down by the neck while Floyd, cuffed with his hands behind his back, pleaded for his life, repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.”

On May 29, 2020, Chavin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, who were present during Floyd’s death, were also charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

Celeste Hodge Growden is the President and CEO of the Alaska Black Caucus. She discusses racism in Alaska and what can be done.

“We must have advocates fighting to eliminate disparities in healthcare, economics, justice and education. Community conversations about race need to take place on social media or via face-to-face with the community, family members, employees, students and kids. The fact it is an option for many to have conversations about racism is in itself a privilege,” Growden said in an email.

For more information about Black Lives Matter, visit the official website, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. To join the Alaska Black Caucus or find more information, visit their website or Facebook. An interactive memorial for Black people killed by police in America called “Know Their Names,” is available on Aljazeera.com. To learn more about systematic racism in the U.S., visit Time, The National Center for Biotechnology, Vox, or watch this Ted Talk .

REPORTS UPD Report: July 6 - 20

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

KRUA 88.1 FM top 10 adds •

6. Artist: Sad Night Dynamite Record: “Icey Violence” (Single) Label: Elektra/Parlophone

•

7. Artist: Dehd Record: Flower of Devotion Label: Fire Talk

•

•

• Total calls for service: 537 • • • • • •

•

July 6: Motor vehicle theft (unfounded) at the Alaska Airlines Center parking lot.

July 9: Traffic accidemt - non injury at Providence Dr. and Seawolf Dr. July 11: Title 47 commitment at Providence Dr. and Piper St. July 12: Theft, resisting arrest, and probation violations at East Hall.

July 15: Sexual assult off campus.

July 19: Fire at Cottonwood parking lot.

All information is provided by the University of Alaska Anchorage Police Department.

STAFF CONTACTS Features Reporter Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org‌

Executive Editor Gabby Vance (806) 437-8805 editor@thenorthernlight.org‌

Arts & Entertainment Editor John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org‌

Managing Editor Mary Ryan content@thenorthernlight.org‌

Media Adviser Paola Banchero‌

Layout Editor / Graphic Designer Michaeline Collins media@thenorthernlight.org‌

Top 10 adds: 1. Artist:Lionel boy Record: Who is Dovey (EP) Label: Innovative Leisure 2. Artist: Shaina Shepherd Record: “The Virus” (Single) Label: Freakout

8. Artist: The Radio Dept Record: “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy” b/w “Could You Be The One” (Single) Label: Just So 9. Artist: Gamblers Record: “Small World” (Single) Label: Self-Released

•

10. Artist: Illuminati Hotties Record: FREE I.H.: This Is Not The One You’ve Been Waiting For. Label: Self-Released

•

3. Artist: Alice Ivy Record: Don’t Sleep Label: Last Gang • 4. Artist: Bryce Bangs • Record: What Are Looking For? (EP) Label: Self-Released •

5. Artist: Katie Dey Record: Mydata Label Run for Cover

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

3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508‌

Administrative Adviser Zac Clark‌

The Northern Light is hiring!

See our job listings at careers.alaska.edu.

7

The Northern Light is a proud member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 1,750. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.­­­

N OT I C E O F N O N D I S C R I M I N AT I O N The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution.

The University of Alaska does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, physical or mental disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, parenthood, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, or other legally protected status. The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, including against sex discrimination, applies to students, employees, and applicants for admission and employment. Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UA’s statement of nondiscrimination available at www.alaska.edu/ nondiscrimination.

L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y The Northern Light encourages readers to express their views in the newspaper. The Northern Light reserves the right to reject or publish any submission, online or in print.

Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a letter to the editor is 250 words, and 150 words for letters specifically endorsing candidates for federal, local, or university office. A letter to the editor is written by someone who does not have authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing. Contributors are restricted to one published letter to the editor per month.

Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a contributor’s opinion piece is 450 words. Contributors are restricted to one published opinion piece per month. Opinion pieces written by staff of The Northern Light are limited to 800 words. An opinion piece that is published in The Northern Light should be written by someone who has authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing.

Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. All letters and opinion pieces must include names, major and/or group affiliation and contact information for verification purposes. The Northern Light will not publish anonymous letters or pseudonyms.

Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org.

The deadline for submissions is the Friday before publication at noon, no exceptions.

The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union Room 118.

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020

thenorthernlight.org

facebook.com/tnlupdates

@tnl_updates

@tnl_updates

youtube.com/tnlnews

soundcloud.com/tnlnews