June142011

THENORTHERNLIGHT June 14, 2011

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University of Alaska Anchorage

www.thenorthernlight.org

Summer layover at Alaska Zoo Rescued from North Slope, Polar cub destined for glacier exhibit in Kentucky Ashley Snyder The Northern Light

Alaska is one of the last remaining sanctuaries for wild polar bears.

Polar bears are currently ‘conservation dependent,’ which means that they do not yet have endangered species status, but are acknowledged as needing support.

If an individual polar bear is at risk out in the wild, Alaska Wildlife Conservationists will do whatever necessary to help protect them.

That was the case with a polar bear cub recently found struggling on the north slope. The cub got separated from her mother and was extremely underweight, making wildlife officials fear that she would not survive. They

See A4

Talk of Alaska Sen. Begich part of new Talk of Alaska TV experiment See A2

New Opinion Column Brett Frazer’s new column tackles cutting military spending to reduce the deficit See A8

Editorial Release of former Gov. Sarah Palin’s emails show Gov. Parnell’s true loyalties See A7

Blues artist comes to town See B1

Q&A with visiting blues artist Shemekia Copeland

Get Frolfing Frisbee Golf course opens at Hilltop

Sports Tease See B6

Index:

DANIEL JACKSON/TNL

The young polar bear cub stares at his toy in his cage at the Alaska Zoo on June 8. The zoo plans to send the polar cub to Louisville, Kentucky by the end of summer.

See BEARS page 6

Apple Debuts iCloud

Bus-tracking screens among intersection improvements

Chris Nicholson

By Matt Caprioli

2.5M construction project upgrades Providence Drive

The Northern Light

The Northern Light

At the World Wide Developer Conference June 6, Steve Jobs showed off Apple’s latest innovation, the iCloud.

This is the culmination of a decade long disruption in the way we interact with our culture and information. The iCloud is a digital locker, similar to that of Amazon’s Cloud Player and Google’s Music Beta, but promises much more for those who build their digital lives around Apple computers and iOS mobile devices.

Where Google and Amazon allow you to upload your music, Apple will, for twenty-five dollars a year, mirror your entire music collection on their servers. Apple also will use their library of 18 million songs to provide the best possible digital copy of the music you ripped from a CD or downloaded from other sources.

Apple paid handsomely for the right to do this, with estimates ranging between $100-200 million.

So whether your iTunes library contains two-hundred songs or 20,000 songs, $25 per year will let you back it all up, legally, to Apple’s servers and then remotely access it from any iOS device or iTunes computer logged into your account.

Amazon and Google’s services are free, however they require a direct copy of your library, a process that can take hours or days, and only allows for streaming, not synchronization.

The Seawolf Drive and Providence Drive intersection is currently undergoing phase two of a $2.5 million project designed to ease traffic flow for buses and ambulances in the U-Med region, and is scheduled to be blocked until the end of June.

Landscaping and other electrical improvements are scheduled to continue until the end of July.

“It probably won’t take that long for landscaping and other improvements, but we prefer to be conservative in our estimates,” City Project Manager Russ Oswald said.

The $1,144,080 phase is funded by a grant from the Federal Transit Authority. There are up to 20 workers a day from various companies at the site, working anywhere from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oswald said.

Improvements include two upgraded bus stops with shelters, benches, and electronic message boards that track incoming buses in real time. More street lamps will be installed around sidewalks and in median for crossing pedestrians. For aesthetic appeal and practical concerns, the city hired two landscape architects.

In general, there will be more space for pedestrians and buses, as well as rooms to move around them.

CRW Engineering, a group based in Anchorage that has frequently worked for the city, planned phase one and two of

See APPLE page 2

News.....A2

Features.....A5

Opinion.....A7

DANIEL JACKSON/TNL

A sign on the corner of Providence Dr. and Seawolf Dr. redirects pedestrians from crossing the intersection on June 7.

Construction will last though June and improve the area for buses and ambulances.

the project since they completed a conceptual analysis report November 2007. The report had three major phrases that intended to ease the flow of traffic and the safety of pedestrians. Only two currently have funding.

Unlike the current layout, this design will meet standards from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Justin Keene, one of the three engineers for the project, said.

“Being so close to a school you really want to provide safe access for everyone,” Keene said.

The total project includes work from Municipal Light and Power, Alaska Communication System, and several contract firms. In executing the project, Keen said that coordinating with so many groups was the biggest challenge.

“In this phase we coordinated with several utility companies and UAA. We had to make sure that they were okay with everything.

Some of the improvements had to be constructed on UAA property, so we arranged for some

A&E.....B2

easements,” Keene said.

(Easement: A right to cross or otherwise use someone else’s land for a specified purpose).

An example of easements is the bus stop in front of the BMH. Improvements included two bus shelters, pedestrian lighting, roadway lighting, bike racks, trashcans, and benches.

Phase I cost roughly 1.4 million, Bill Johnson, another engineer at CRW, said. The next major change that students will notice begins June 17, when the city will close UAA Drive for repaving.

“That road is pretty old and those potholes need to go,” Howard Morse, a project manager at UAA facilities department, said.

Sports......B6

Comics.....B8

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TNL

News| June 14, 2011

‘Softball questions’ for Begich on Talk of Alaska

By Sean Talbot The Northern Light

Senator Mark Begich fielded questions on Alaska Public Radio Network’s (APRN) “Talk of Alaska,” in an unprecedented cross-platform broadcast for the show. The weekly statewide radio program, hosted by Steve Heimel, featured both a TV crew and live studio audience.

It was a new approach for the twenty-five-year-old weekly radio show; an experiment in the eyes of both Steve Heimel, the show’s host, and Steve Lindbeck, President and General Manager of Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc. (APTI).

The 23-year veteran host

“The boundaries are breaking down between media platforms.

These kinds of experiments keep media exciting.”

-Steve Lindbeck President and General Manager, APTI.

wanted a younger crowd on the show to ask questions – people the senator doesn’t usually run across.

“The idea of having a live audience there was to force Begich off his regular talking points,” Heimel said.

Heimel was disappointed with many of the questions posed to the senator.

“They were all softball

questions,” Heimel said a few times during an interview. “It could have been a lot better.”

Heimel noticed the reverential stance people took when speaking to the senator.

“I’m sensitive to the vibe in interviews,” Heimel said, referring to his guests.

“People can have the body language or demeanor that says ‘whatever you do, don’t ask me about such and such.’ That one question you might think is dumb, that you weren’t sure if everyone else knew the answer to, usually ends up being the story.”

Heimel has a controversial style that has gotten him into trouble on a few occasions, but according to him, it resonates with residents all over Alaska.

In 1999, the radio host remarked that most local journalists’ reports on the Tongass National Park logging issue were written in technical jargon that made the audience’s eyes ‘glaze over’.

His comments offended journalists who had reported on the Tongass logging issue.

APTI, his employer and operator of public broadcasting stations across the state, kicked him off the air. The suspension lasted ten days.

Heimel doesn’t make any excuses for his style.

The host has a simple goal: say what you mean. If you’re talking to a senator, ask direct questions.

Don’t beat around the bush.

“I like speaking to people in my own region. When you do real stuff, it gets bigger and bigger.

I wanted to start a statewide conversation.”

“I want to get people to elucidate what they’re saying,” he said.

But the show wasn’t about putting Begich in the hot seat, according to audience member Josh Wilson. As Program Director for Commonwealth North, Wilson shares an interest in connecting people with those who make public policy decisions.

“It was about making the senator comfortable, and creating dialogue between policy makers and Alaskans.”

“You can walk into the legislative offices in Juneau, and most legislators will listen to anyone who comes in,” Wilson said.

However, Wilson added, for those without the means to make

the trip to the capital, personal dialogue with lawmakers can be difficult.

Expanding the radio program to television is good, Lindbeck said. People can then see the faces behind the show.

“The boundaries are breaking down between media platforms,” Lindbeck said. “These kinds of experiments keep media exciting.”

Diverse broadcasting platforms reach a wider audience and ultimately help the audience feel more engaged and responsible for what goes into the show, according to Lindbeck.

“I don’t mind the radio show on TV, but only when it makes it better as a radio show,” Heimel said. “I’m a 100 percent terrestrial radio person. I don’t even have a

TV set at home.“ To keep him on track, APTI has what Heimel calls a “minder,” sitting in the control room, listening to the live broadcast.

“He’s got his finger on the button,” Heimel said with a smile, “and sometimes I get a voice in my ear saying I have to pull back the reins.”

Facebook is another platform APTI experiments with. They sent out invites two weeks in advance, which ushered in two audience members. Four showed up for the taping. Two more came in late.

“This happens all the time with social media.” Heimel said. “You think you have an audience, when really you have nothing.”

APPLE: Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 to come later this year continued from cover

The iCloud’s relationship to your digital information is similar to that of iTunes’ relationship to your music. iCloud automatically organizes all the digital information on your iOS devices, including music, photos, video, contacts, and calendars, and stores them remotely to a massive databank. This service is free for any information stored on iOS devices, except for music purchased outside of iTunes.

Thus Apple’s offering is not so much that of a typical “Cloud locker,” but rather a mirroring service so that wherever we are, all our data belongs and is

photo courtesy of ZDNET

available to us.

For the average iOS device owner, the practical reality of iCloud is the ability to turn your PC into just another device, rather

“We are going to demote the PC to just be a device. We are going to move the digital hub, the center of your digital life, into the cloud” -Steve Jobs Apple Inc. CEO

than the way you connect and manage your mobile devices. New iPhones won’t need a PC, and all your data will be remotely backed up, in case you accidentally break or lose your device.

Apple also spent Monday’s World Wide Developer Conference keynote introducing the next generation of its

Macintosh operating system: Mac OS X 10.7, known by its feline codename “Lion.”

It adopts many of the features popular in iOS and builds them directly into Mac OS X. The update will be available next month, and in an example of Apple’s move to the cloud, will only be available through the existing Mac App Store as a $29 purchase. This contrasts to Window 7’s $120 minimum price for its upgrade from Vista or XP. The downside to a downloaded-only distribution is that it is no longer possible to share an install CD with a friend, or easily restore the operating system if something goes terribly wrong with your computer. It is not yet clear how Apple plans to handle such situations, but the worldwide presence of Apple stores and authorized retailers, like Anchorage’s Mac Haus, are the most logical bet.

Finally, Apple detailed the new features that will be available in iOS 5, to be released this fall. Of note, aside from extensive iCloud integration, is an iMessaging

feature, akin to that of BlackBerry Messenger or BBM. It is an iOS 5 specific platform that includes realtime notifications of sent and read messages, as well as the ability to tell when a reply is being written.

It is a vast improvement over SMS and is squarely aimed at attracting those BlackBerry customers who rely on real-time communications as a backbone for their electronic

photo courtesy of Apple

conversations. Encryption also allows business customers to ensure the safety of their data.

For students with iPhones and iPod Touches, it puts them on par with their BBMing friends and provides one more reason to switch to an Apple device.

03 Blaster comes to Alaska June 14, 2011 | News

statewide briefs Alaska’s Largest Military Excercise Begins June 13 Northern Edge 2011 (NE11), the largest military training exercise in Alaska, begins June 13. More than 6,000 U.S. active duty, National Guard, and Reserve component Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen will participate.

This air-centric exercise, sponsored by the Alaskan Command, will involve more than 150 Air Force, Army, Air National Guard, Navy and Marine aircraft.

It will be conducted mainly from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, near Anchorage; from Eielson Air Force Base, near Fairbanks; on and above the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC); and in the Gulf of Alaska.

Northern Edge 2011 is a tactical exercise providing a joint environment to train war fighters for their real-world missions. It will help prepare forces to respond to crises in the Asian-Pacific region by practicing operations, techniques and procedures; by improving command, control, and communication relationships; and

by developing interoperable plans and programs. Participants will practice defensive counter air, close air support, air interdiction of maritime targets, personnel recovery missions and the opportunity to integrate new weapon systems to make sure they can perform to their full potential.

Alaska residents may see and hear increased flying activity during the exercise, which runs through June 24. Operators of small civilian aircraft transiting Military Operations Areas should be aware of and are encouraged to use the Special Use Airspace Information Service by calling (800) 758-8723.

In Fairbanks, aviators can call 372-6913 or contact Eielson Range Control via VHF radio on 125.3 MHz Pilots are also urged to always file a flight plan, and to obtain the most current status of the MOAs from any FAA Automated Flight Service Station, Anchorage Center, or Eielson Range Control.

Local Educator Selected to Participate in National Educational Program Neva Reece from North Star Elementary School in Anchorage, Alaska, has been selected from a pool of hundreds of applicants to participate in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institute for the week of June 13-17, 2011.

Each year, the Library of Congress provides the opportunity for a carefully chosen group of K-12 educators to attend one of its seven Teacher Institutes in Washington, D.C. During the fiveday program, participants work with Library education specialists and subject matter experts to learn effective practices for using primary sources in the classroom,

while exploring some of the millions of digitized historical artifacts and documents available on the Library’s website.

Educators attending the Teacher Institutes develop primary-source based teaching strategies that they can take back to their school districts, apply in the classroom, and pass along to colleagues.

Applicants to the Summer Teacher Institutes reflect the diversity of the world of K-12 education.

Participants in a Teacher Institute session typically include school library media specialists and school administrators in addition to

Corrections: “Bye Bye Bullies” said that Dylan Thomas was an Irish poet. He was born in Wales.

The Northern Light promptly responds to factual errors through personal and public means. To highlight any errors you see, please call 907-786-1576.

3D glasses and Blaster Room add excitement to mini-golf

By Matt Caprioli The Northern Light

“I just went there on Friday! I came out deciding I wanted glow in the dark sea creatures painted on my walls,” UAA student Katherine Osborne on Putter’s Wild.

Shawna Rogers and her husband Chris had wanted to go into business for themselves for quite awhile.

“I have three kids—13, 11 and 9—and I’m always looking for things to do with them. We took a family vacation a while back to Florida, and one thing we had a lot of fun doing together was miniature golf. Then we come back from vacation, and there’s no great place in town to do that, so we decided to start one,” Rogers said.

Blaster Prices

$4.00/per player $20.00/room Eight player maximum

Two of the most unique features of Putter’s Wild are the ‘blaster room’ and the interior design. The blaster room is 15 by 27 with paint splotches lining the walls. Eight people at a time can fit in the room and arm themselves with one of the air cannons. A net divides the team, and the goal is

to blast a ball into the opponent’s court, but Rogers noted that many people are content simply to blast each other. Several birthday parties have taken advantage of the blaster room.

Most of the facility is covered in black lights. Along with local

18-Holes

artist Mary Sauder, Shawna designed the 3d circles in the lobby (3d glasses come with admission).

The airbrushed scenes around the 18-hole miniature golf course were painted by a Canadian duo.

The Rogers are lifelong Alaskans, and have been planning Putter’s Wild for about a year.

Chris is still working as a butcher at Sam’s Club, and Shawna continues to work at a pre-school.

At the moment, the two can handle operating Wild, but Shawna said if all goes according to plan, they will expand and hire other people.

Putter’s Wild had their grand opening June 4. Bob Lester from 106.5 KWHL hosted. Putter’s Wild just signed a sponsor contract with the Alaska Aces.

In return, the Kelly Cup will be visiting sometime in July.

Putt Putt Golf

Ages 11-Adult Ages 5–10 Military(w/ID) Seniors(65+)

$12.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00

1230 E. 68th Avenue (907) 764-PUTT(7888)

9-Holes Ages 11-Adult $ 9.00 Ages 5 – 10 $ 8.00 Military(w/ID) $ 8.00 Seniors(65+) $ 8.00 Re-Play Ages 11-Adult $ 5.00 Ages 5 – 10 $ 5.00 Military(w/ID) $ 5.00 Seniors(65+) $ 5.00

Don’t hike all over town…

Find what you need right here on campus: • Seawolf Postal Express USP, US Postal Service, & FedEx services • Copy & Print Center Copies, binding, poster-printing, & more

We even ship fish!

Lower-level of the Campus Bookstore. www.uaa.alaska.edu/gss 907.786.6860

Free customer parking outside our green-awning entrance.

04

TNL

News| June 14, 2011

Say What?

Facebook party spins out of control BERLIN (AP) -A teenage girl in Germany who forgot to mark her birthday invitation as private on Facebook fled her own party when more than 1,500 guests showed up and around 100 police officers, some on horses, were needed to keep the crowd under control.

Eleven people were temporarily detained, one police officer was injured, dozens of girls wearing flip-flops cut their feet on broken glass and firefighters had to extinguish two small fires at the 16th birthday party in Hamburg, police spokesman Mirko Streiber said Sunday.

The birthday girl, identified only as Thessa, went into hiding, Streiber said, but “nonetheless the party was a hit.”

Thessa had initially only wanted to ask some friends over to her home in Hamburg-Bramfeld when she posted her invitation on Facebook, but mistakenly she published it so that everyone on Facebook could see it.

The invitation quickly went viral, and some 15,000 people confirmed online they would come to the party - without even knowing the girl, weekly paper Bild am Sonntag reported.

When Thessa’s parents found out, they made their daughter

cancel the party, informed police and hired a private security service to protect their home on Friday night.

Despite public announcements in Hamburg that the party had been canceled, some 1,500 teenagers and young adults showed up on the street in front of Thessa’s home, Streiber told The Associated Press.

“We had cordoned off the house, some 100 police were on the ground, four of them on horses - but that did not keep the kids from celebrating,” Streiber said.

Some revelers held up signs asking “Where is Thessa?” others brought birthday presents and homemade cake, there was lots of alcohol and the crowd chanted again and again, “Thessa, celebrating a birthday is not a crime,” - in obvious relation to the massive police presence, Bild reported.

The police officer was injured when he tried to keep a party reveler from breaking off the Mercedes-Benz logo of his patrol car.

“It was sheer insanity but mostly peaceful,” Streiber summed up the night with a laugh.

As for Thessa - she was nowhere to be seen.

Ohio animal shelter Man cited after paying bill with 2,500 puts fattest cats on discount pennies

Connecticut city: People using new fountain as toilet

VERNAL, Utah (AP) -- A Utah man has been cited on a charge of disorderly conduct after paying for a disputed medical bill with 2,500 pennies.

The Deseret News of Salt Lake City reports Jason West went to Basin Clinic in Vernal on May 27 prepared to dispute an outstanding $25 bill.

Assistant Vernal Police Chief Keith Campbell says that after asking staff members whether they accepted cash, West dumped 2,500 pennies on the counter and demanded that staff count them.

Campbell says the incident upset staff because pennies were strewn about the counter and floor, and West’s action served “no legitimate purpose.”

Police later issued the 38-yearold West a citation for disorderly conduct. That carries a fine of as much as $140. Or 14,000 pennies.

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) -- Officials in New London, Conn., turned off the water at the city’s new waterfront fountain over the weekend, because people have been using it as a toilet.

The fountain was activated last month and features a sculpture of a whale’s tail with water spilling over it, which visitors are encouraged to run through.

City Councilor Michael Buscetto III tells The Day of New London that since the fountain opened, police have responded to calls of people urinating, defecating and showering in the fountain water. He said some people who have cut themselves have also used the fountain to rinse off blood.

City Manager Denise Rose says police are developing a plan to better keep an eye on the area.

HILLIARD, Ohio (AP) -- A central Ohio animal shelter with an abundance of chubby cats is having a sale on its fattest felines, hoping a discount entices potential owners to take one home.

The Capital Area Humane Society says the fat cats are on sale this summer for $15 each or two for $20, instead of the usual $70 adoption price.

Development manager Mary Hiser says the cats packed on the pounds before arriving at the shelter, and the extra weight can cause them health problems.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that nine of the shelter’s 55 cats are overweight. Volunteers keep them in an area that offers extra room to run and burn off calories.

The largest cat is a 6-year-old black-and brown shorthair named Zebe, who weighs 23 pounds.

Sustainability tip

Buy non-stop tickets. Planes burn the most fuel during take off, so if you reduce the number of stops you make, you reduce the amount of carbon burnt into the air.

GCI has a history of firsts in Alaska.

The first to bring competition to Alaska telecommunication.

The first digital and HD cable TV. The first truly statewide wireless provider.

And now GCI is in the process of bringing Alaskans 4G wireless, with data speeds that eclipse anything you’ve seen before.

www.GCI.com

FEATURES

05

Crazy 2012 Presidential Candidates Alden Lee The Northern Light

With election season not too far off, we’ve already seen our first wave of publicity stunts and mudslinging politicians, more of which are sure to come. With the all-toosoon departure of the loudmouthed, birth certificate wielding, helmet hair-domed mogul Donald Trump, the selection of presidential candidates for 2012 has just become much more dull. There’s really nothing there (yet) to replace him and make those presidential debates even worth watching. What’s America to do?

Here, for your consideration, are several potential candidates who would get the 2012 presidential race back on track and make it entertaining once again. These individuals have yet to announce their intention to run, but it could only be a matter of time.

Charlie Sheen What would American culture be like without a little dose of crazy? For one, we

wouldn’t have the tantrums of Snooki and her brain-baked Jersey crew to entertain ourselves with each week, and for another, we may have never made it to the moon. So why not send crazy to the White House for four years, complete with tiger blood and Adonis DNA? The 2008 presidential race was all about mixing it up; female candidates, mavericks and the very first black president.-But in 2012, Charlie Sheen could bring the biggest wallop of change yet- as the very first

warlock president.

The media would have a heyday with his speeches, the public would marvel over his insanely drug-free state (maybe) and Two and a Half Men’s ratings—even with Sheen long gone, and Michael Kelso, er, Ashton Kutcher, in his place— would shoot straight into space. A win-win-win!

Most promising of all, Sheen possibly wouldn’t even need voters to get into office— he could just use his tried-and-true method of “[closing] my eyes and [making] it so with the power of my mind.” He would be a totally bitchin’ rock star president from Mars, with his two First Goddesses along for the ride.

Duh. Winning.

The Old Spice Guy His real name is Isaiah Mustafa, but as cool as that sounds, he’d only need to run as ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,’ to attract the hordes of lady voters craving a candidate with a stunningly fresh scent.

His deep, confident voice and amazing musculature would outpace the other candidates and his ability to rapidly jump from place to place would be a valuable skill on the campaign trail. His campaign slogan would be absolutely unbeatable: “Look at me. Look at the other candidates. Now back to me. Now back at the other candidates. Now back to me.

Sadly, they aren’t me. I’m on a horse. And I approve this message.”

Cue the jingle.

America has been long overdue for a

a humor column by Alden Lee

president with several years’ experience in male grooming product commercials. The Old Spice Guy would be, without a doubt, the best-smelling presidential candidate ever elected, black or white.

Lady Gaga Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a man or a woman? No! It’s Gaga, pop music superstar, running for president in 2012! Armed with a microphone, a costume made entirely out of bubbles, slabs of meat, Kermit the Frog

until finally being discovered and rocketing to fortune and fame (and gender-confusing fashion choices.) She knows how to stay grounded.

Isn’t that after all the only important requirement toward leading a nation?

A nation of little monsters, that is. All we gotta do is put our paws up.

Oprah Winfrey Oprah would just have to promise every voter a Cadillac, and she’d be golden. And the fact that she’s black and a woman? That would blow people’s minds.

In the swarm of same-ol’, seen-it-allbefore Republicrats once again running for office, these candidates would be a staggering breath of fresh air. Just imagine, for a moment if you will, any of these

heads, and a voice powerful enough to start up all sorts of bad romances, Gaga would be a platinum-selling step above her opposing candidates.

Eager fans would hound her campaign trail just to see how many costume changes she could pull off in a single speech. The LGBT population would unite behind her.

And her campaign ads would be one of a kind, judging from some of her more recent music video offerings.

Gaga’s got the makings of a president too: she knows all about humble beginnings.

Once upon a time, she was known only as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, forced to live the unglamorous life of performing in grungy bars and nightclubs,

individuals being elected president— the press coverage for the inaugural speech alone would make William and Kate’s royal wedding look like a ten second TV spot.

Here’s with fingers crossed and hopes high.

06 FEATURES|

TNL

June 14, 2011

Alaska Zoo’s newest attraction to ride the polar express to Kentucky before the end of summer While the polar bear cub is a great attraction for the Alaska Zoo, they do not have the necessary equipment to care for her for longterm and are planning to send him out of state Continued from COVER proceeded to catch her and bring her to the Alaska Zoo to be cared for.

Even though the Alaska Zoo can help nurse her back to health, they fear that they do not have the necessary territory or supplies needed to keep the cub at the zoo. Fish and wildlife officials say she will be headed to a zoo in Louisville, Kentucky, which just opened a $25 million ‘Glacier Run’ exhibit, and is better equipped to take care of the needs of the cub.

“The Louisville Zoo in Kentucky just opened a new bear facility that currently has one adult female polar bear from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. She has had cubs and is a really good mother.” Said Beckei Bassett, a Louisville resident, “There is room there to house more bears, I believe it can house up to 7 or 8 bears in total.”

While the transportation of animals can be complicated, the small cub is a lot easier

to transport than most bears. She will be given a drug to help her relax and remove stress during transport. She will be moved to a large steel cage, which will then be sent to Louisville by plane. There will also be a handler and at least one vet traveling with her to make sure everything goes smoothly.

But before she rides the polar express to Louisville, she remains a popular attraction at the Alaska Zoo. Locals and tourists alike flock to the zoo every day to ‘aww’ at the fluffy white -Amy Mellinger bundle of fur romping around the play area.

Amy Mellinger, who was raised in Anchorage, says that she has been to the zoo dozens of times growing up, but the arrival of the polar bear cub made her want to visit it again. ”I think having the polar bear cub here at the Alaska Zoo gives locals a great

“I think having the polar bear cub here at the Alaska Zoo gives locals a great excuse to revisit the zoo and the money will help our zoo be able to upgrade and maybe in the future have the type of habitats needed to keep future animals here in Alaska.”

Zoo goers stand at the fence, watching and taking photos/video of the new polar bear cub on June 8. The cub is out for viewing between 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., 4 - 5 p.m. daily.

excuse to revisit the zoo and the money will help our zoo be able to upgrade, and in the future have the type of habitats needed to keep future animals here in Alaska.”

Another Anchorage resident, Vikki Finnegan, was unhappy with the decision to keep the bear in captivity. “They shouldn’t let this cub go to a zoo, as polar bears don’t do well at all in zoos and become very depressed to the point of mental illness. There must be an individual or organization that rehabilitates

Daniel Jackson/TNL

orphaned animals.”

Many others agree with Finnegan, but wildlife officials have already deemed that this transfer will be what is best for the cub. Zoo officials declined to comment on the exact date of the polar cub’s journey to Louisville, it has been speculated that she will be gone before the end of the summer.

If you want the chance to see her, there is a viewing at the zoo every day from 11:00Noon and 4:00-5:00pm. Tickets are $9 for seniors, $12 for adults, $6 for children 3-17,

The cub plays with a Chiquita brand banana box while enjoying the sunshine on June 8th. The Alaska Zoo doesn’t have the space to house another polar bear, and will be transporting the cub to Louisville, Kentucky by summer’s end.

4x7.375_SYK_Affordable2k.indd 2

5/17/11 12:55 PM

Editorial

OPINION

07

Parnell shows favor for Palin over public interest Smokescreen attempt unlikely to save Palin any grief, a waste of energy and goodwill for Governor More nonsense out of Juneau this week.

This time however, it had nothing to do with the Senate and House engaging in whocan-hold-their-breath-longer games. No, this time the shocking and disappointing behavior came straight from the governor’s office.

As governor, Sean Parnell has made some bold moves this term, for better or worse.

Most recently, his office announced that the long-awaited release of former Governor Sarah Palin’s emails would only be made available via one hard copy in Juneau, beginning last Friday.

In 2008, numerous news organizations requested access to then Governor and also Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s emails that were sent and received as governor. The request was made under the Freedom of Information Act, which is what allows citizens and journalists to be the government watchdogs they are supposed to be. Public access to government records is an important part of democracy, and one that government officials should take seriously.

Incidents like the Pentagon Papers and even the recent Wikileaks should remind government officials that public perception of a secretive government will end in the public getting the information, one way or another. The more open a government is with the public, the less likely it is that the public (and rogue public officials) will feel the need to secure alternate, sometimes illegal, access to information. And though Palin’s emails are not likely to reveal life-changing information, the fact is that they are, by law, open to the public.

So, when a group of news organizations including the Anchorage Daily News, The Associated Press, The New York Times, CNN, MSNBC and The Washington Post among others, made the request in 2008, they probably did not foresee the repeated delays they would encounter. The excuses for delay were varied, including the expense and the time it would take, as well as failed legal arguments.

Incidents like the Pentagon Papers and even the recent Wikileaks should remind government officials that public perception of a secretive government will end in the public getting the information, one way or another.

The bottom line, as was eventually decided, was that the law says that the governor’s emails are open records, with few exceptions. And those exceptions have been accounted for, as over 2,400 emails are being held back because they are exempt and many of the emails released have been redacted with the infamous black lines.

Not only has the government taken over two years to honor the legal request delivering the emails, they’ve giftwrapped the begrudgingly given final product in bullshit.

Apparently, email, which stands for electronic mail, cannot be handled electronically.

And for those who couldn’t make it to Juneau, a simple copying fee of $725.97 plus shipping could land you the emails in all of their glorious 250 pounds. To make matters worse, MSNBC is reporting they’ve left out all attachments that were in the emails.

The problem with this type of release is that it’s not really making the information accessible, especially considering the information was taken from electronic form and put into an expensive and wasteful paper form.

Juneau Senator Dennis Egan fought

successfully to have paper copies mailed to Anchorage and Fairbanks for review, though this is still not a great option.

MSNBC, Mother Jones and ProPublica plan to scan all the emails and make them available on their websites in PDF form. A job the governor’s office should have done.

By making them available the way the Parnell administration did, they clearly showed their favor toward Palin and disdain for the public’s right to information.

The saddest part about this process is that the emails will likely lead to less scandal than the handling of the release of the emails.

Consider our knowledge of Palin’s term.

We’ve been embarrassed by her abuse of power, arrogance and pettiness. And based on her most recent Paul Revere comments, she’ll continue to drop golden eggs for late-night comedians into the foreseeable future. But that is already true without these emails.

Couple that with redactions and thousands of pages and what are we likely to learn?

At worst, more of the same. All this troublesome government behavior for that?

By making them available the way the Parnell administration did, they clearly showed their favor toward Palin and disdain for the public’s right to information.

08

TNL

opinion| June 14, 2011

Rethink

Defense budget must be cut to save economy Investments into US intelligence, not supercarriers or F-35s, will make us safer and reduce the deficit

By Brett Frazer

The Northern Light

Cutting the national debt of the United States pervades almost every facet of today’s political discourse. Former U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Rodger C. Altman has called the post-2020 fiscal outlook “downright apocalyptic.” The aging population of our nation, coupled with exponential federal interest expense, is sending our country into a dangerous cavern of economic uncertainty. Interest expenses could entirely crowd out all discretionary spending – meaning all spending on education, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. According to Altman, if the U.S. fails to profoundly change the way it spends, by 2020 “the U.S Treasury would need to borrow a staggering $5 trillion every single year, both to finance deficits and to refinance maturing debt.”

Avoiding the cataclysmic failure of the U.S. economy will require Washington to make bold, unprecedented moves to cut spending. The recent $38 billion cut in federal expenditures is a positive gesture, but horribly insufficient.

The glaring chunk of the federal budget that even the most brazen fiscal hawks were unwilling to touch is defense. None of the $38 billion will be taken from the Pentagon. In fact, the 2011 defense budget calls for an increase of $5 billion over 2010 levels, bringing the budget total to $513 billion (not including the cost of the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan). By conservative estimates, military spending in 2011 will cost the United States $700 billion, adding $300 billion to the ballooning national debt.

Total U.S. military expenditures in 2011 will account for 43% of the total military spending on the planet. This is absurd.

Richard N. Haas, the President of the Council on Foreign Relations, writes, “The United States continues to develop and procure expensive advanced conventional combat arms beyond what is justified by its commitments, likely scenarios, and the gap in defense capabilities between it and potential adversaries. The United States spends more on defense than China, Russia, Japan, India, and the rest of NATO combined.” We are stuck in a Cold-War era spending paradigm, but we’re no longer involved in a Cold War. Only military expenditures that significantly enhance the security of the United States should be maintained. There are two commonly discussed threats facing the United States in the near future – one real, and one imagined. The real threat is terrorism, and the imagined threat is the rise of China.

Terrorism poses a real threat to U.S. security. The United States should absolutely pursue those who seek the to harm innocent civilians. However, a more modest anti-terrorism approach, involving intelligence gathering, drones, cruise missiles, and Special Forces is sufficient to maintain U.S. security. Osama Bin Laden’s assassination highlights the effectiveness of good intelligence coupled with small, specialized fighting forces.

Spending $343 billion on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will not help us fight terrorists. The $1.8 trillion the U.S has promised to spend on new Virginia Class nuclear submarines will not deter terrorists. Nor will ten new Gerald Ford class supercarriers, which cost $10 billion apiece. Terrorists are not deterred

by America’s massive nuclear arsenal.

The U.S. should significantly reduce the amount it spends on the maintenance of ICBMs and nuclear warheads.

The United States could significantly slash military spending and still pursue terrorists with vigor and determination.

The Pentagon’s budget is about 300 times the size of the FBI’s counter-terrorism unit. Cutting $100 billion from the Pentagon’s budget could generate the political capital necessary to double, triple, or even quadruple the FBI’s budget. Indeed, cutting military spending in exchange for modest increases in the FBI or State Department’s budget (which is 1/14th of the Pentagon’s budget) might even enhance our ability to fight terrorists.

The intelligence gathered by the FBI, and the partnerships with foreign governments forged by the State Department, are far more important to U.S. security than new and unnecessary war machines.

Military hawks prophesying about the dangers of a rising China exaggerate the threat of a “New Cold War.” China is not the Former Soviet Union (FSU). The FSU sought to export its communist ideology to the rest of the world. It was a highly revisionist state, willing to take massive risks to radically overturn the status quo.

China’s goals, by contrast, are regional and economic. It seeks to export goods, not a political ideology.

China’s military capabilities are growing, but Washington should not conflate China’s security interests with global dominance. While regional territorial disputes between China and its neighbors may portray China as belligerent, this assertive behavior does not threaten U.S. security interests. It is not in China’s interest to engage its largest trading partner in a military confrontation. Moreover, it is

not in the U.S.’ interest to escalate tensions with a regionally assertive China.

The economic predicament of the United States is not only unsustainable; it could ultimately be the most harmful threat to the foreign interests of the United States. Today, GDP is more important than firepower. The ability to dominate markets is more important than the ability to dominate disputed territories. Confidence in U.S. consumer markets generates more friends than F-35s or giant aircraft carriers do. Economic integration has made conventional war between superpowers riskier. New norms governing international relations make territorial acquisition and imperialistic endeavors morally untenable. If runaway military spending hurts the prospects of economic expansion and does not enhance national security, it must be curbed. Budget battles should not be waged over trivial cuts to the EPA, education, or clean energy subsidies. The fight shouldn’t consist of fiscal conservatives pitted against environmentalists and teacher unions. A true fiscal conservative would recognize that such petty arguments are a waste of time. Cutting 20% of our military budget (about $100 billion) would still leave the U.S with a bigger military budget than the next seven biggest spenders combined.

Cutting our military budget in half means we would still spend almost twice as much as China. We can no longer afford to insulate the most expensive federal project in the United States from discussions over the deficit. If we want to get serious about fixing the national debt, we must make massive cuts to the military budget.

Terrorism poses a real threat to U.S. security. The United States should absolutely pursue those who seek the to harm innocent civilians.

“Lying is unforgivable. Lying publicly about something like this is unforgivable, and he should resign.”

Former DNC Chair Tim Kaine ““As a woman, as a member of Congress, as his colleague, I think the right thing to do for Congress, for his constituents and for the American people, is to resign his position”

Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (DNY) twit pic leaves him naked of friends

Rep. Allison Schwartz, D-Pa “Like other politicians, he needs something to take the edge off,...

For some people, regardless of occupation, that could mean booze, drugs, gambling, food or shopping. For high functioning men like Weiner and other officials who have lived through such scandals, who are constantly on the go, that leaves one tried and true source of a reliable high.

The affirmation that comes when someone lets you know they want to sleep with you. Or even cyber-sleep with you.”

Alec Baldwin

“I mean, come on, it is news, my friends. It is news and I know of countless other news organizations that would put this out there...I’m doing this to save his family.”

Andrew Breitbart, conservative journalist who broke the story ”The fact is, Anthony Weiner is a bad guy. He’s a psycho, and when this came out I was not surprised at all... He’s a liar, he should never, ever be allowed to run for office again.”

Donald Trump

Where do YOU stand?

Visit thenorthernlight.org and click on Opinion Roundup to vote

“I hope Anthony Weiner never resigns. I hope Weiner is never forced to resign. I hope Pelosi does not make a full pitched effort here at the Ethics Committee.

I’m hoping that that’s just for public consumption. I don’t want this guy to go away. This guy, Anthony Weiner, Tony Weiner -- look at what they’re asking us to believe. Here you have the classic dictionary definition of a nerd, the classic dictionary definition of a pencilnecked geek, and they are telling us that this guy would walk into a bar and women would fall all over.”

Rush Limbaugh

June 14, 2011 | opinion

seawolf snapshots

09

What is your favorite outdoor spot and why?

“Knik River, because you can bring dirt bikes and ride around.”

rust, 20 h., b m r A t Rober etworking Tec er N Comput ore Sophom

“Crow Creek because there is all sorts of terrain to explore.”

Trevor Mason, 30

Physical Educ

“I lived in Denali. It is wild, secluded and there are a lot of things to do.”

Sarena Hackenmiller, 23- International Studies, Senior

ation, Junior

“I really enjoy the Coastal Trail, since you can be active with family and friends and there are a variety of things to do along the path.”

23 Ashley Ebben, r

Nursing, Senio

“I like Seldovia because my family has a cabin there.”

“Big Lake for camping, Homer and the Russian River for fishing.”

Chris Carter, 30 Justice, Senio

r

Ariel Poston , 20 Justice, Jun

ior

10 Lefty on the left

TNL

opinion| June 14, 2011

Sarah Palin rewrites history, blames ‘got ya’ media Potential presidential candidate re-imagines a piece of American folklore, the ride of Paul Revere Eli Johnson

The Northern Light

It’s always something in this country. If it isn’t Michele Bachmann playing Mad Libs with “American values,” then it’s Sarah Palin playing Cranium with American historyand doing it poorly.

Last week, Palin was visiting the Old North Church in Boston while she was on her tour around America. She says the purpose of her tour is to raise awareness about the rich history that this country has.

That’s fine, until it came to light recently that her knowledge of American history is severely lacking.

A reporter came up to her at her visit of the Old North Church and asked her what she says was a “got ya” question.

The question basically was, “What have you been up to?” Indeed, everybody should be scared of that question. But her response was priceless.

“He (Paul Revere) who warned the, British that they weren’t going to be taking away our arms by ringing those bells! And making sure as he was riding his horse through town to send those warning shots, and bells, that we’re gonna be secure and that we’re gonna be free,” she said.

There was a collective moment where intelligent Americans who were watching looked up in a mixture of awe and horror.

The sentiment of “she actually said that?” went all over the liberal political world. Sam Seder, a witty political commentator on the left, had some pretty interesting comments.

“The only fallout from this should be that John McCain is not allowed to show his face in America, anywhere, in any context, without having the person sitting across from him saying, ‘John McCain, thank you for Sarah Palin, let’s get to the questions’,” he said on his radio show on June 3, 2011.

And to add even more fuel to the fire, when Palin came on Fox News the next week, she was corrected on air by the conservative anchor Chris Wallace. This is remarkable since Fox News almost never calls out somebody on their side of the fence for a mistake.

On June 5, when Wallace pointed out that she had made a mistake, though in itself shocking, it was Palin’s response that was even better.

“You know what, I didn’t mess up about Paul Revere… Part of his ride was to warn the British who were already there that ‘hey, you’re not gonna succeed, you’re not gonna take American arms, you’re not beat our own well-armed persons, individual private militia that we have’,” she said.

What is perhaps more shocking still, is the dedication of her followers. Wikipedia reported that after her statement about Paul Revere coming to warn the British, her loyal minions came onto the site and tried to change the Paul Revere page to match her statement. Ignorance knows no limit with the followers of Sarah Palin.

Of course, the conservative blogosphere was in support of her. There were claims

that historians were actually backing up Palin’s account of what happened with the famous Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. One blogger was demanding everybody should apologize to her for getting the “correct” account of history.

The fact is that the American folk story itself doesn’t get the story right. Paul Revere was not riding down the road screaming, “the British are coming, the British are coming!” Rather, he was going to warn the revolutionaries that they were in danger.

The other big mistake about it all was that he didn’t get very far.

The British got him very quickly, so the whole story that is told to Americans is hopelessly mistaken. That happens a lot, but what makes this interesting is that Palin didn’t just admit that she had gotten things wrong.

As Martin Bashir, a political commentator on MSNBC said it best.

“I mean, surely, this is a very forgiving nation. If she had just admitted to the error, people would have been very accepting of it,” he said on his show on June 6, 2011. And in all likelihood, that would have been the case.

A lot of people try and vilify Palin, sure. A common contention among her supporters is that people are just looking for ways to go at her. This is not true. The fact is that more often than not, she puts the egg on her own face.

One could forgive her statement back at the church as just her thinking out loud and making an honest mistake, but the fact that she kept with it says that she doesn’t want to let the world see her making 2011/2012 Season Passes On Sale Now a mistake, College Unlimited Pass $990 which is not College Midweek Pass $700 a good way for anybody, Ten X Powder Pass $500 especially a politician, to be.

Another big contention among those who are sick of hearing her talk is, why don’t we stop listening?

Why don’t we stop reporting on what she says? That sounds good on paper, but the reality of the situation is much less pretty.

Sarah Palin wants to be in the media. She wants the controversy that surrounds her when she makes a horribly foolish and completely ignorant statement. Fox News pays her, after all, to come on to their network and talk. She is paid tens of thousands of dollars to talk at events or rallies.

But what makes it all worse is that the rest of the world is watching FIDDLEHEAD MUSIC FESTIVAL: JUNE 10 & 11 this. They are seeing feat. Peter Rowan & Whiskey Richards Americans and seeing Daylodge Lawn | 7 pm to midnight the ignorance we have of $10 advance | $15 day of show our own history. It does not reflect well upon this NEW! LIFT-ASSISTED MOUNTAIN BIKING country or its people.

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The fact is that more often than not, she puts the egg on her own face.

She wants the controversy that surrounds her when she makes a horribly foolish and completely ignorant statement.

what goes up

907-754-1111

alyeskaresort.com

© Simon Evans

must come down

June 14, 2011 | opinion The Northern Light 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508 Phone: 907-786-1513 Fax: 907-786-1331 info@thenorthernlight.org

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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 5,000. 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.

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on the right side

11

Islam’s history supports modern violence Daniel McDonald The Northern Light

I would like to thank Brett Frazer for his response to my article “Islamic Violence Justifies Islamophobia,” in the May 31 issue of The Northern Light, because his views are a good representation of apologists for Islam in the West. And so it is with great enthusiasm with which I aim to dismantle his arguments in this week’s column.

The first issue raised is that articles criticizing Islam “exacerbate existing tensions between Muslims and the Western world.” Exacerbating tensions with Muslims is actually a very easy task; just ask the staff of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. They had a slight cultural misunderstanding in 2005, after publishing a dozen or so cartoons depicting the neverto-be-depicted Prophet Muhammad.

In response, the practitioners of the “religion of peace” set Danish embassies aflame in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, and nearly 100 people were killed.

The only way Westerners will cease to “exacerbate tensions” with the Muslim world is to stop being who they are. Get rid of all those silly human rights, censor speech, make non-Muslims pay the Jizya (tax) for the audacity of not being Muslim, and for goodness sake ladies- cover up.

Then again, why would any Westerner worry about worsening relations with the Muslim world if Islam is a religion of peace?

Does anyone worry about offending Buddhists or Hindus?

It’s no coincidence that an equal opportunity anti-religionist like Christopher Hitchens receives death threats from Muslims and not Christians. Hitchens, who has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, has been inundated by the number Christian groups participating in prayer for his recovery and/or redemption.

The piece goes on to criticize my take on Obama’s handling of the Arid Uka shooting in Germany, saying that the President should “avoid language that stereotypes entire groups of people.”

Calling Arid Uka an Islamic terrorist isn’t stereotyping anyone; it is simply telling the truth. I am not asking Obama to make a generalization of all Muslims based on Uka’s actions, only that he be honest about who Uka is and what his motivations were. Even the European authorities weren’t afraid of stating the obvious.

While I disagree with most of Obama’s policies, that doesn’t mean I would have spared John McCain or Mike Huckabee the same ire as is suggested. This

particular assumption is strange considering that in the very article being critiqued, I mention the naïve claim of George W. Bush that Islam is a religion of peace. It makes little difference which party submits to the “multi-culti” nonsense. Both can be equally pathetic in that regard.

The next major point brought against my article is that violence committed in the name of Islam does not undermine claims that Islam is a religion of peace. This is supported by the listing of various Christians who have committed violence in the name of Christianity, arguing that like their actions, violence by Muslims should not define Islam. During the Lebanese Civil War, Christian militants slaughtered thousands of civilians, for example. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is also noted, which is a rather odd militant group in Uganda. What isn’t mentioned is how incoherent the LRA’s views are.

They derive their beliefs from a mix of Christianity, mysticism, witchcraft, and Islam, and even identified as an Islamic group during their alliance with Sudan.

The last few examples are anything but compelling: Pastor Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church and his followers attend the funerals of soldiers with signs that read “God Hates Fags,” Terry Jones burned a Quran, and an abortion doctor was murdered.

Are there really so few recent heinous acts in the name of Christianity that Phelps and his idiotic gang are used as examples?

They may be misguided, but last I checked they haven’t resorted to bashing anyone over the head with their signs.

But it gets even better. The article decries Terry Jones for burning a Quran. Sure it was stupid, but was anyone harmed?

Well, they were actually, not by Jones but at the hands of Muslims in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan where a U.N. compound was attacked and 14 innocent people were brutally murdered, two were even beheaded. Scores of politicians, military leaders, and others pleaded with Jones not to go through with it because they knew the response would be violent.

Strangely enough, no one has been decapitated yet over Andres Serrano’s 1987 photograph of a crucifix in a glass of urine.

While the murder of abortion doctors unfortunately does occur, it is extremely rare, and pale in comparison to the frequency of violence committed by Islamists.

In fact, a total of eight abortion doctors have been murdered in the U.S. in the last 20 years. More people were killed by Islamic terrorists from the time I began

The only way Westerners will cease to “exacerbate tensions” with the Muslim world is to stop being who they are.

writing this article, up until this point, than all the abortion doctors in the entire history of the United States. On June 3, 2011, 17 people were killed by a bomb outside a Mosque in a sectarian feud.

The article also takes issue with my condemnation of Palestinians for celebrating the murder of an Israeli family. No, Hamas does not speak for all Palestinians, but they do speak for a large portion of the population considering they won the election in 2006. And before the argument is made that Obama is our President yet I disagree with him, that may be, but like most Americans of all political stripes, there are a large number of basic values on which we agree. It is incredible to think that an alleged “extremist” organization like Hamas, whose goals include the annihilation of Jews, actually won an election. It can be said that a few racist individuals here and there don’t represent the larger group, but when they are given an electoral mandate by their people, that claim has much less validity.

But should the actions of a religion’s followers be its sole definer? I agree that they should not.

Human nature is flawed and people often use religion to gain power or justify immorality. The conduct of Muslims and Christians are a good indicator, but to reach a fair conclusion, it’s important to examine the content of each religion. Is my claim that violent Jihadism is part of mainstream Islam false and demonstrate “flagrant ignorance”? If the Quran itself or the life of Muhammad is any measure, it does not.

A repeated theme throughout the Quran is to follow the example of Muhammad: “He demonstrated good examples in all aspects of life, Allah says: You have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah…” (Quran, 33:21).

Much like in Christianity: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us...”

(Ephesians 5:1-2). And although Jesus is considered to be a prophet in Islam, it is Muhammad, not Jesus, who is said to be the model Muslim.

The life of Christ is widely known: he promoted love, charity, and obedience to God’s commandments, cured the sick, was ultimately crucified, and I believe, rose again. He even went as far as to say, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44).

Muhammad’s life is more obscure to those educated in the United States. In seventh century Mecca, Muhammad received a revelation and began spreading his newfound beliefs. He gained a good number of followers but ran into trouble with the prevailing Pagans at the time, who met his

new religion with hostility. Rather than stick around in Mecca and face persecution, he fled to Medina where the people were more willing to accept his message and adopted him as their prophet.

The first noted act of violence commanded by Muhammad is recorded after his arrival in Medina. He told his followers to “kill any Jew that falls into your power,” according to ‘The Life of Muhammad’, a translation

by A. Guillaume of Ibn Ishaq’s eighth century Sirat Rasulallah (biography), it says, “Thereupon Muhayyisa b. Masud leapt upon Ibn Sunayna, a Jewish merchant with whom they had social and business relations, and killed him.”

In order to satisfy the wishes of Muhammad, one of his followers murdered his former friend in cold blood for the crime of being a Jew. Another call to violence was directed toward Asma d. Marwan, a mother of five who was distraught over Muhammad’s killings and urged her fellow tribesmen to resist him. Upon hearing this, Muhammad asked “Who will rid me of Marwan’s daughter?” Umayr b. Adiy al-Khatmi volunteered for the task. “[He] came to her in the night and… thrust his sword in her chest till it pierced up to her back.” After returning to Muhammad, it is recorded that the “Prophet” said of her death, “No two goats will butt together about her,” meaning of course that her death was

I am not asking Obama to make a generalization of all Muslims based on Uka’s actions, only that he be honest about who Uka is and what his motivations were.

inconsequential.

Contrast this story with that of Mary Magdalene, a woman who was sentenced to death for adultery.

Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Despite his sinless nature, he showed her mercy.

Muhammad, on the other hand, would continue to loot and pillage his neighbors until he gained enough strength to conquer Mecca in 630 AD. Following his conquest, he quickly expanded his territory to include the whole of the Arabian Peninsula, commanding that his followers “Fight those who do not believe in Allah… until they pay the Jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued,” (Quran 9:29). A peaceful religion indeed.

The lives of Muhammad and Christ are like night and day.

Muhammad murdered people for merely disagreeing with him, while Christ forgave his enemies, even on the cross. Therefore, Muslims who choose to live peacefully with those who believe differently, do so in spite their religion, not because of it.

June 14, 2011

MOVIE Reviews A&E

B4 A&E

B4

Summer of Heroes movie review ‘X-Men: First Class’ Retro movie review ‘Top Hat’

Music Review A&E

B3

Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’

food review A&E

B3

Anchorage’s Best Pepperoni Pizza

Summer sports sports

B6

Course Guide: new frolf location

Overtime sports

B7

NBA Draft: What to look forward to

B Section

otio M

the northern light’s sports & entertainment section

thenorthernlight.org

Anderson receives top coaching job UAA skiers are ‘relieved’ and ‘motivated’ with an old coach as the new head

By Megan Edge The Northern Light

A coach is the ultimate leader of the pack.

They are role models and teachers to their athletes. They are responsible for teaching more than just the rules of a game, but the rules of life as well. This position is one that cannot be filled by just anybody; it takes a special kind of person.

After five years as the head alpine coach at UAA, Sparky Anderson will lead the UAA ski team as the ‘Wolves new head coach of the program. “I think it is great that Sparky did get promoted,” outgoing Head Coach Trond Flagstad said. “I would have been disappointed if he didn’t.”

“He has done a very good job with the alpine squad since he started at UAA and I am confident he will do a great job as the head coach of the program.”

Anderson will be replacing Flagstad, who resigned after seven seasons with the Seawolves.

Before his term as head alpine coach, Anderson spent one year interning with the alpine program at UAA and seven years as the director of the Alyeska Ski Club, something that, according to Flagstad, is very beneficial.

“Sparky also knows the alpine

ski community and has valuable connections and friends at the Alyeska Ski Resort, which is very good for the program,” Flagstad said.

A rewarding factor in promoting one of their own is the UAA athletes will not have to suffer the effects of a transition period by bringing in a new coach, according to both Anderson and Flagstad.

“Not a whole lot of changes for this season, maybe just some fine tuning with the athletic program and dry land leading up to being on the snow,” a confident Anderson said. “Our main focus is still going to be winning a national championship.”

This has come as a relief to the men and women of the UAA ski team, according to Flagstad. But junior Andreas Adde sees it as a little bit more.“I think it is good that Sparky is our new head coach, I feel it gives the team a motivation burst,” Adde said with hope and excitement. “I’m excited to see what next year will bring.”

The new head coach has also received lots of positive e-mails and phone calls from both Nordic and alpine skiers, according to Anderson.

Adde is a prime example of an athlete who under the coaching of Anderson has become a UAA skiing

See COACH Page B6

Photo Courtesy of UAA Athletics Department

Sparky Anderson takes the reigns from Trond Flagstad as the new UAA head ski coach.

‘High heels give me super powers:’ Shemekia Copeland tells all

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Blues is an often ignored and under appreciated genre of music. The paparazzi doesn’t follow blues artists around, ticket lines never wrap around any city block for a blues concert and most of the young adults of today probably can’t name more than one or two big modern artists in the blues world. For a genre with such a rich culture and history (possessing origins that date back to the Emancipation Act of 1863), it has somehow managed to fall to the wayside of popular culture.

But it is not, by any means, dead.

Award-winning and Grammy-nominated blues singer Shemekia Copeland spoke with The Northern Light about her upcoming concert at UAA as part of Juneteenth, and graced us with a little bit of the spunk she uses to help keep her art alive.

TNL: First of all, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. How’s the weather in Chicago right now?

Copeland: Oh my god; it is so hot.

Finally. The sun finally came in.

TNL: How do you feel about long?

Copeland: It’s my second time getting coming up to Alaska for Juneteenth, an offer to come [here]. The first time, I where it’ll be a little bit cooler?

Copeland: I am so excited; I can’t wait!

Alaska is my last state; I have been to every state and performed in every state except Alaska. So, it’s my last one, and I am so

couldn’t go for whatever reason, so this time, since we can go, I’m thrilled.

TNL: Is there anything you

really looking forward to it.

TNL: Well, since you’ve toured in the other 49 states, where would you say your favorite place to perform is? So far?

Copeland: Honey, I wanna go anywhere where people love the blues.

My favorite place is wherever people love the blues and they love me. That’s where I want to go.

TNL: Well, that’s a good attitude. You’re going to do a few shows in Europe in a couple weeks, aren’t you? Have you performed over there before?

Copeland: Yes, actually.

I’ve had the opportunity to tour in Europe quite a bit, all over.

TNL: What were the audiences like in Europe, versus here in the U.S.? Are there any differences?

thrilled. I have been trying to get to Alaska for forever. I can’t wait, and I’m so excited; I can’t wait!

TNL: So you’ve actually been trying to get up here? What took so

Copeland: Audiences are different from city to city, country to country; you know, I guess it al depends. When you go to countries that are more conservative, the audiences are more conservative. If you go to Amsterdam or Holland, photo courtesy of shemekiacopeland.com people smoke weed on the want to do while street and prostitution is legal, you’re up here? so it’s definitely not as conservative. So the Copeland: Absolutely; I think we’re crowds are different from place to place in gonna be able to go and see some glaciers. that respect. I guess it’s kind of the same I’m not sure what we’re going to have time here in America too, you know? for, but we’re in an extra day early and I’m See COPELAND Page B2

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

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COPELAND: Blues artist to perform for Juneteenth

Continued from B-1

TNL: That’s true. So, you’ve toured Europe, you’re about to hit your 50th state; what do you still want to do in your career? Are there any goals that you have for yourself and your music?

Copeland: Yeah, oh yeah, I’ve got plenty of goals; I just want to keep on working and making money, and being able to do what I love and support myself. [chuckles] My goals are very limited apparently, but that’s what I want. I want to be able to keep doing what I love, and keep on being able to support myself.

TNL: That’s something we all kind of want in these times, isn’t it?

Copeland: Mmmhmm. I’m done with the unrealistic goals.

TNL: What kind of unrealistic goals?

Copeland: Well, I think that when I first started in this business I had all kinds of things that I wanted to do. I wanted to...I wanted and hoped that blues music would become as big as country music is in this country, because I love blues music so much. But unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to do that. We don’t have the radio play, and the television play; we don’t have all that stuff for this particular genre.

We don’t have any paparazzi chasing us, you know? So, we don’t have the resources that other types of music have. So, now my goals have changed; I just want to keep doing it, and as long as I’m here doing it, I know that blues music will always be a part of American culture.

TNL: Why do you think that blues music doesn’t have the same resources and the radio play as say, country?

Copeland: There are so many reasons that they say, and I don’t know. I don’t know what happened before me; there’s lots of speculations and a lot that people say happened, but I don’t know. People gave up on blues music, because everybody said that it was the music of slaves, and people aren’t slaves anymore, and they moved on and they moved passed it. But just like we have grown as people and we aren’t slaves, the music has evolved and grown. I have never grown cotton or strung tobacco in my life, so that’s not what my blues are about.

My blues are about my life. Blues music has grown and evolved, but people have not accepted that it has grown and evolved.

They still see it as ‘my baby left me,’ ‘my dog died,’ ‘a cab ran over my toe’ kind of thing. They don’t think of it as my blues, which is ‘I’m a wild woman and you’re a lucky man’ and ‘I would rather not see you walk away from me’ and all that stuff.

Stronger. I’m stronger, and the music has grown.

TNL: How do you see it growing in the future?

Copeland: I don’t look into the future, in that respect.

TNL: No?

Copeland: No, I don’t know where it’s going to go, I don’t know what’s going to happen; I have no idea. But I do know that I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and keep making music, and keep trying to make good music. And I also know that I’m going to keep my clothes on.

TNL: Good for you.

Copeland: [chuckles] Yeah, I know that I’m not going to get naked; I know that. There’s too much nakedness; I was watching Letterman, probably a couple of weeks ago, and Lady Gaga came out in

M0RNING ICE CREAM MUNCHIES S0CIALS 8:45-10:45am Mondays in the

Social Sciences Building Tuesdays in the Professional Studies Building

For more information, contact Student Activities at 786-1219

or at events@uaa.alaska.edu

3-4pm

{

her panties. And she said that ‘it’s amazing what can happen if you’re willing to take your clothes off.’ And I said to myself, ‘Well, I guess that nothing’s ever going to happen for me, because, I love taking my clothes off. In fact, I love running around naked, but I’m going to do it in my house, behind closed doors. Not in front of people.

When I’m in front of people, I’m going to have my clothes on.

TNL: Well, that definitely makes it more about the music, doesn’t it?

Copeland: Mmm hmm. I’m so excited though! Alaska’s going to be fun, fun, fun, fun, fun; I can’t wait.

ask people that question, their first response is that they want to see a moose.

Copeland: They want to see a moose? [laughs] I wouldn’t mind seeing a moose either, but I’ve seen some moose before. We almost ran into a moose in Norway once; it came right out on the road along with a bunch of goats that peed on my drummer at the time. They didn’t really like him. We all walked over and we were all petting the goats, but when my old drummer went over there, the goat peed right on him. I guess he didn’t like him so much.

TNL: [laughs] All right, I’ve just got one more question for you. If TNL: I hope so; I hope it lives up you wouldn’t mind, could you tell to all your expectations for it. me one funny thing about yourself?

Copeland: Oh, I know it will. I’ve been Not necessarily about your music, online and everything looking at pictures but one funny, interesting thing and reading up on stuff, and I just can’t about you as a person that you wait, I’m really looking forward to it; it’s wouldn’t mind sharing. going to be so much fun.

Copeland: I love shoes, like, I’m pretty obsessed with them.

TNL: I know I kind of asked you this already, but since you’ve been TNL: How many pairs do you looking things up, is there anything own? that you know you want to do or see Copeland: I believe that high heeled other than glaciers? shoes give me super powers, and at one Copeland: I want to hang out in Anchorage; I don’t want to set too many goals for doing things for myself because I don’t want to get disappointed when I’m stuck in my room, you know? But I’m definitely gonna try to get out and walk around. I’m originally a New Yorker, and we like to walk around and go out and see people. So, I’m going to get out and meet some people. And if I do get to see a glacier, I’ll be really excited to have actually done something in Alaska, because that’ll be more than I usually get to do.

TNL: It’s funny, usually when I

BBQ's

point I probably owned a little over 300.

Not so much now that I’ve given some away to Goodwill and stuff like that, but yeah, I have a lot of shoes. I love shoes, and they give me super powers.

Shemekia Copeland will be in concert at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, presented

by Student Activities in celebration of Juneteenth. Tickets, which are available on www.uaatix.com, are $5 for students, $25 for general admission in advance and $30 at the door.

KEEP Y0UR EYE 0UT F0R

In’ K c A Starts at 11:45am SN On g a W

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Events at Cuddy Hall feature recreational activities!

From hackie-sack to football and badminton, come join the fun!

Follow Student Activities on Facebook!

UAA STUDENT ACTIVITIES

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for as long as supplies last

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Free snacks are coming your way

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June 14, 2011 | a&e

TNL food review

B3

Food Quest: Part 2 - best pepperoni pizza Who serves up the best pie in Anchorage?

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Food. It is necessary for survival, a representation of culture and often a focal point at gatherings of friends and family. It is a central part of life.

And The Northern Light wants to know where the best college-friendly food in town is. In this six part series, TNL will explore some of the best food from locallyowned restaurants that we can find, and rate it based on factors unique to that particular dish.

Part 2: The Best Pepperoni Pizza Pizza is one of the foods most associated with college students and

Anchorage has plenty of pizza places to choose from, both locally owned and chain restaurants.

TNL ordered five pepperoni pizzas from five local establishments, and while two employees made certain that the pizza was void of labels and identifying insignia, the rest of TNL participated in a blind taste test, so that preferences and survey results were based strictly on taste rather than restaurant favoritism.

1. Uncle Joe’s Uncle Joe’s Pizza provided the undisputedly best pie. The crust was neither too thick or too thin and had flavor, there was just the right amount of pepperoni on top, the cheese wasn’t too greasy and didn’t smother the flavors of the pizza and the

sauce tasted as though it had been crafted by heaven-trained sauce artisans.

Coincidentally, Uncle Joe’s Pizza also provided a free two-liter of Coke for being late on their delivery. They were one of the first pizza deliveries to arrive.

The Uncle Joe’s that TNL ordered from is located on Tudor Road between Dale Street and Florina Street

2. Moose’s Tooth It may come as a surprise that the most renowned pizza joint in town came in second place; but while Moose’s Tooth excels in creativityblending of flavors, presentation and overall originality- they fall short when going back to basics. The cheese was too thin, the crust was burned and thin and the sauce was relatively bland (though not nearly as bland as other pizzas tested).

The pepperoni itself, however, was some of TNL’s favorite. If pizza fans want to order from Moose’s Tooth (which doesn’t deliver), order one of their specialty pies.

Moose’s Tooth is located on Old Seward Hwy. near 36th.

3. Napoli’s Pizza TNL had mixed feelings about this pizza. Some liked it, others disliked it, and those that liked it had different reasons why. The one thing that was

consistent was that all testers believed Napoli’s pizza had an abundance of cheese.

Some testers liked this while others preferred a thinner layer, contributing to the divided opinions on the pizza. TNL was also split where the crust thickness and flavor were concerned, some liking Napoli’s thicker crust while others did not.

Give it a shot, especially if you like tons of cheese. Napoli’s Pizza is located on Bragaw Street and 16th Ave.

4. Pizza Olympia Like Napoli’s, Pizza Olympia produced a pie that TNL had trouble agreeing on.

Those who liked the sauce loved it, and those who did not were highly critical.

Most TNLers felt the same for the crust, but all testers lost the taste of the pepperoni in the other flavors, and wouldn’t have recognized it for a pepperoni pizza unless they peeled the cheese off. Pizza Olympia, located on Spenard Road near the corner of Northern Lights Blvd., is a Greek and Italian restaurant- so if their pizza doesn’t do it for you, don’t be afraid to try the rest of

their menu, which is typically quite good.

5. Guido’s Pizza Unfortunately for Guido’s, their pizza is sub-par in almost every way.

Their sauce tastes like tomato paste from the can, their crust is devoid of all flavor, and their pepperoni is completely tasteless. The cheese, also flavorless, is piled so high that it nearly cancels out the slight flavor of the other parts of the pizza. Steer clear from this pie, but don’t be discouraged from the restaurant itself: most testers had tried other Guido’s dishes in the past, and loved them all. Some places just aren’t meant to produce pizza.

Guido’s is located on East International Airport Road, near Fairbanks Street.

Join us next issue as we judge Anchorage’s best vegetarian options.

Music review

Lady Gaga returns to center stage with new album ‘Born This Way’

Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

With the advent of the 21st century and lack of creativity, along comes Lady Gaga, a woman who really doesn’t care what goes on as long and she can make her music and show off her crazy sense of fashion.

Her first album, “The Fame” introduced the world to her sense of style and music. While it was mostly generic, she released her “The Fame Monster” album, and nearly all of it’s songs were released as singles.

Now the sophomore album release is upon us. Gaga mixes power ballads with 80’s pop sensibilities and her own take on religion; it really is more thought out and longer than anything else she has produced.

The opening track, “Marry The Night,” sets the tone and the tempo of the record, and sort reintroduces us to why we love her.

The lackluster “Born This Way” shows up, but it’s really more of an inspirational song than one that mines what is really going on in the album.

Then there’s her newer single, “Judas,” about a girl falling in love with the bad boy, which uses the biblical figures of Jesus and Judas to build her metaphor. It’s a daring move to make, even for

Gaga, but she pulls it off.

The middle and meat of this album is obscure.

Tracks, no less brilliant in their own way, like “Government Hooker” and “Sheise” have humor that a lot of people don’t know Lady Gaga possesses.

Really though, it’s hard to explain what’s really going with the music until you listen to it for yourself. If you want to see where pop is evolving, this is an album that takes it to where it may need to be.

The Mother Monster has a lot going with this release, but it’s really about her. She talks about her love of Jesus, how she grew up and people making her who she is. And in an vague way, it sort of tells a narrative, but listeners ned to dig deep to find it.

So, “Born This Way” really isn’t an album so much as it is an audio experience. Just get it and hope it doesn’t go over your head.

ALBUM: “Born This Way” ARTIST:Lady Gaga RECORD LABEL: Interscope Records RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2011

★ ★★★

The Northern Light seeks an

Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

A&E Call 907.786.1313 or e-mail content@thenorthernlight.org for more information

B4

TNL

a&e| June 14, 2011

Summer heroes MOVIe review

‘X-Men: First Class’ in first place

You’ll be in for first class treatment as you experience this background story to the Marvel sensation X-Men

By Shana Roberson The Northern Light

Marvel is back with another X-Men movie, this one dipping deep into X-Men history, similar to the “Wolverine” movie.

Set in the years between World War II and the Cuban Missile crisis, “X-Men: First Class” gives a nod to “Forrest Gump,” by inserting its characters into some of history’s most pivotal moments. We get a much more in-depth look at Magneto’s (Michael Fassbender, “Inglorious Bastards”) history; he is taken from his parents at a Nazi camp in Poland, mirroring a similar scene from the first film. He is recruited by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon “Elephant White”), who is a mutant himself, capable of absorbing energy. But Shaw kills Magento’s mother, setting Magento on the path for revenge throughout the movie.

We also take a look at how Professor X (James McAvoy, “The Last King of Scotland”) got his

start. His character is refreshingly imperfect in this movie. Yes, he’s a brilliant, well-todo scholar who believes in humanity; but he is also a college boy who drinks from beer bongs and uses terrible lines to pick up co-eds.

Eventually, the two meet up and recruit other mutants in an effort to stop Shaw from starting World War III by setting off nuclear weapons during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In his biggest movie yet as a director, Matthew Vaughn hits most of the right notes. He stops just short of corny in many scenes, an important skill for a director to have. He also makes his characters’ emotions penetrate the audience and he puts the special in special effects. By far, the pace Vaughn sets is probably his best achievement. The movie never slows down, but never really feels rushed. In some areas however, Vaughn stops short. He doesn’t develop the romances to a point where they are believable. In several instances, very important dialogue is hastily delivered so that the

audience might miss important points if they’re not paying close attention.

Although Kevin Bacon’s acting as the villain was spot on; Michael Fassbender was the standout in this film.

Michael Fassbander was the most riveting to watch on screen as he never misused a second of his time, driving home his agony and arrogance so much that the audience might accidentally end up on his side. The chemistry he creates with James McAvoy makes the frenemyship we see in later movies ring true, and the audience is sad to see them part ways. Rose Byrne (“Bridesmaids”), who plays an adaptation of Professor X’s love interest Moira MacTaggert, was convincing as a kick-butt member of the CIA- except during those long stretches of time in which she left her mouth hanging awkwardly open like a fish. Jennifer Lawrence (“The Beaver”), who plays Mystique, laid out her backstory well also, second only to Magento’s.

Once again, for die-hard fans, the story veers liberally from that of the original comics. The characters chosen were certainly not the first class of X-men, Moira was an expert in genetics and for goodness sake, Professor X was bald from the age of 16! But those fans will be delighted to see Mystique and Azazel go off together to join Magneto’s team since they know what comes next, and yes, it’s a baby in baby carriage. Mystique and Azazel were the parents of Nightcrawler in the comics.

And for the average fan, these are minor details that will not affect enjoyment of the

Michael Fassbander was the most riveting to watch on screen...driving home his agony and arrogance so much that the audience might end up on his side.

Retro Movie review

‘Top Hat’ a refreshing rom-com, despite being several decades old

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen in the movie industry, and while their plots are mostly the same, occasionally a gem shines through.

Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened for at least a decade. Unless you’re an avid rom-com-aholic, most movies in this genre are forgettable and interchangeable.

Back when movies were still relatively new (let’s say 1935), what are now painfully familiar plots were still unique and fresh. Even a now-old tale of “funny-independent man meets willful woman, falls in love, screws up, makes up and then lives happily ever after,” was innovative and classy.

One such story plays out in the 1935 film “Top Hat,” starring the lovely Ginger Rogers (“Harlow”) and humorous Fred Astaire (“Ghost Story”). Tap dancing star Jerry Travers (Astaire) wakes Dale Tremont (Rogers) with a tap dancing demonstration to his theatrical backer. When she arrives up at their hotel suite to complain, he immediately falls head over heels in love with her. He woos her for days, and finally manages to sweep her off her feet, but a case of mistaken identity creates a rift between the two.

Sounds like fairly standard fare (minus the tap dancing, at least), but what “Top Hat” has that rom-coms of today lack is singing. Actual performances. Astaire’s voice is both pleasant and charming to listen to, as his character serenades Dale with “Cheek to Cheek,” and Roberts is nothing short of adorable while she sings

“Piccolino.”

The chemistry between Astaire and Rogers is completely tangible, both during musical numbers and during regular conversation. There isn’t a moment when the viewer is pulled from the magic of this black and white film by false feelings and empty gestures. Their acting carries the audience along their characters’ journey to be together. Not just some of the time, but all of it.

Back in the days when musical numbers were a staple of many films, much more was expected from actors than to just be a pretty face. Keanu Reeves (whose good looks are up for debate), Megan Fox and Jennifer Aniston don’t seem actually required to act to be casted. They don’t sing, dance or even deliver convincing lines, and yet somehow manage to land roles better suited to dedicated and talented theater students, who likely will never see their name credited on the silver screen or Broadway stage. When movie-making technology was still in its infancy, so much more was expected of our big screen idols than there is today. Any actor who “made it” back then was a real and true star.

“Top Hat” is old, make no mistake. But in a genre with more recycled ideas than new, it stands out. It is, however, every bit as romantically cheesy as the roms-coms of the now that it helped pave the way for.

Director: Mark Sandrich Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers Run Time: 101 min Genre: classic, romantic comedy

★ ★★★ ★

movie. In fact, they allow for perhaps even better storytelling. For instance, when Hank McCoy (Beast) tells Professor X it would be best to just shave his head in order to use cerebro, the audience is charmed and laughs off Professor X’s response: “Don’t touch the hair!” We know his fate, even if he doesn’t. And even though it may not have made much sense, a cameo by Wolverine was also crowd-pleasing.

The bottom line: Go see this movie.

It’s funny, touching, action packed and assembled in a two hour package!

DIRECTED BY: Michael Vaughn STARRING: Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon RUN TIME: 132 min GENRE: Action, Fantasy

★ ★★★

June 14, 2011 | A&E

TNL 5.31-6.13.2011

i

Drag Queen Block Party and Bingo

CONCERT

FESTIVALS AND PARTIES

FOCUS

Anchorage’s annual Drag Queen Bingo event has grown large enough to cover a block, so this year, on Thursday, June 23, it will. 4th Ave will be closed off between K and L St for this benefit for AMP (Anchorage MPowerment Project), which will be housed primarily in Snow City Cafe. Dress up as a drag queen, or king and partake in the live entertainment, raffles, door prizes, auction and bingo. Check-in is at 6:30 with the show and game starting at 7 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages event are $15, with the first 100 ticket holders receiving a free commemorative T-shirt. Either pay at the door, or online at www.eventbrite.com.

All That Remains Massachusetts-based heavy metal quintet, All That Remains, will be playing a show at the Egan Center on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m. All That Remains has played Warped Tour, Ozzfest and the Rockstar Mayhem Festival; their music has also made the Billboard Top 20. Tickets for this show are $36.65, and are available on www. ticketmaster.com.

B5

Summer Solstice Festival

SHOW

The longest day of the year is Saturday, June 18, and that means it’s time for the annual Summer Solstice Festival in Town Square. This free event features live music, children’s activities, an information fair and cultural performances. The festivities will take place from 12 p.m. and midnight.

Whale Fat Follies Tap Root is hosting “Whale Fat Follies,” a musical political satire comedy, from Tuesday, June 14 through Wednesday, August 10. Shows run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and all begin at 7 p.m. Tickets to this 16 and up show are $10 to $20, and are available on www.centertix.net.

Pridefest The annual Pride Parade and Pridefest celebrations that round out Alaska Pride will be held on Saturday, June 25. The parade begins at 11 a.m. at the corner of 6th and D, while Pridefest begins immediately following the parade at its stopping point at Delaney Park. For more information, and a map of the parade route, go to www.alaskapride.org.

Compiled by Heather Hamilton e-mail arts@thenorthernlight.org to submit an event!

Game review

‘Assassins of Kings’ a twisted and thrilling follow-up Geralt is back, this time framed for killing the king, in the second installment of ‘The Witcher’ franchise

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

Games occasionally come around that make the player wonder if they really just played the game they thought they did. “The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings” is one of those games. The title is rife with dark undertones and a mature story.

The main event starts with the series’ protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, a witcher; a mutant monster bounty-hunter. After the events of the first game (saving the king of Temeria), The king decides that Geralt is a lucky charm and keeps him around.

Geralt declines his offer, and the king (Foltest) is murdered by the “Kingslayer” shortly after.

Geralt is accused of the crime and is sent to prison.

Thus “The Witcher” begins.

The player ends up in the town of Flotsam looking for the man that framed Geralt. We

learn that the leader of this town is a pretty bad man (child molester), and he asks Geralt to deal with a situation regarding Iorveth, an elf that has been causing trouble for the townsfolk.

Along the way, the game is filled with nudity, love and a lot of violence.

Monsters too. The main plot is finding out who killed Foltest (and bringing him to justice), and the lesser story is about Geralt finding his way in recovering his memory.

Despite a mostly interesting plot the player is sometimes left to wonder why they should really care about the fates of the characters in the first place. The graphics however, are another bonus, as the developers really went above and beyond anything that has been done

before. The characters look life-like and the textures are phenomenal. The game itself is truly a beauty to behold.

Another area to note is the combat system. It’s tricky to get used at first, but once you grasp it, it’s pretty intuitive.

Basically, you have light and quick attacks, as well as slower heavy attacks. The trick is using them in tandem and thinking about where you are going to strike next. Sure, you can dodge out of harms’ way (and it is a very good idea to get used to doing that) but the real treat is crushing your foes with an endless stream of attacks that take a small chunk of enemies’ health at a time.

With this said, the game is hard. It’s nearly soul crushingly so. However, if you stick with it, it’ll be extremely rewarding. In retrospect, there really is nothing wrong with this RPG, save for the game not really telling you what’s going on and having a tough learning curve. Once this is moved past however, the game is very satisfying.

Game: “The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings” Maker:CD Projekt RED Release Date: May 17, 2011

★ ★★★

SPORTS

B6

Local ski resort opens their gates to Anchorage frolfers Hilltop Ski area opens up for frolfers with the city’s most challenging course full of long-distance pars

By Megan Edge The Northern Light

Just days ago, Anchorage’s local ski resort, Hilltop, opened the mountain for a popular summer activity, Frisbee Golf (frolf).

Here at TNL we were quick to trade in our snowboards and skis for our brightly colored frolf disks.

The 18-hole course is the hardest in town, and was also the most work to finish. Frolfers hiked from hole to hole through the long grass to hear the simple clinking of disks hitting the metal basket.

This is not the course to play if you are looking for a quick game and leisurely stroll; this is the

course to play if you would like to spend the afternoon or couple hours under the Alaskan sun hiking.

Be careful with your disks though, the grass is long and the plants can eat them up.

A bright colored disk is best, stay away from yellow and green disks (they tend to blend in).

Also, be careful with what you choose to wear on your feet. If you are like me, as soon as the sun hits Alaska and the snow melts, I slip into my flip-flops and spend my summer with dirty feet.

When taking part in usual frolf games, I stay true to myself and walk leisurely in my trusty flip-flops. For this course I should have made an exception.

A nice pair of tennis shoes are

the shoe for this game, aside from full-on hiking boots. Something with good traction, something that can keep your feet protected while you search for your disk in the long weedy grass.

The new Hilltop course is one of two in the city in which the frolfers are required to pay,so don’t forget five dollars.

It also offers the option of disk rentals, something that no other course in town offers.

For new frolfers, spend some time at an easier courses before tackling this one.

For those of you with more experienced get ready for a challenge.

Don’t forget a bottle of water; you’ll need it, and maybe an extra disk.

sports briefs

By Megan Edge The Northern Light

Bick shares GNAC Freshman of the Year honor UAA’s Susan Bick was chosen Wednesday as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference co-Freshman of the Year for the sport of women’s outdoor track & field as the league office announced its postseason honors.

Bick, from Anchorage’s Bartlett High School, became the first freshman woman to earn All-America honors for the Seawolves when she placed eighth in the finals of the 800 meters at the NCAA Championships on May 29. In the 800-meter prelims at NCAAs, Bick placed third by breaking her own school record in 2 minutes, 10.69 seconds.

She was also the 800-meter winner at the prestigious Stanford Invitational on Mar. 26 when she clocked her initial school record in 2:10.87, outracing a field of mostly Division I runners.

Bick also raced the 400-meter dash and the 1500 meters this season, clocking PRs of 58.88 and 4:36.02, respectively.

She shared the Freshman of the Year honor with Seattle Pacific sprinter Kishia Mitchell.

UAA hockey has new assistant coach UAA’s head coach Dave Shyiak announced Friday that T.J Jindra will join his staff as the Seawolves’ new assistant hockey coach.

Jindra comes to UAA from the University of Notre Dame, where he played for four seasons from 2003-07 and served as a volunteer assistant coach during the 2010-11 campaign.

After graduating from Notre Dame in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Jindra spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minn., where he worked with some of the nation’s most talented prep players.

As a player at Notre Dame, he was part of two NCAA Tournament teams and played in 150 career games, scoring 12 goals and 24 assists. He was a two-year team captain for the Fighting Irish, including his senior season when UND won a schoolrecord 32 games and captured the program’s first-ever Central Collegiate

Hockey Association regular-season and tournament titles.

Jindra replaces Ryan McKelvie, who r coaching position at Lake Forest (Ill.) College, on the Seawolves staff.

Walker gets GNAC sportsmanship honor twice Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball standout Brandon Walker and Montana State Billings women’s soccer player Samantha Boehm have been selected the winners of the eighth annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference NCAA Sportsmanship awards.

Walker and Boehm are now finalists for the 2011 NCAA Division II National Sportsmanship award, which honors one male and one female athlete (or team) from each of the three NCAA divisions who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior.

Those awards will be announced later this summer.

A senior from Hayward, Calif., Walker was a three-year starter for UAA, earning First Team All-GNAC in 2009-10 and second-team honors in 2010-11. Last season he averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists as the Seawolves went 24-10 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For his career he finished No. 8 on UAA’s all-time scoring list with 1,242 points.

Walker becomes the first two-time recipient of the GNAC Sportsmanship Award.

Walker also received the Bob Zundel Memorial Trophy – which goes annually to the UAA men’s basketball player who displays the best sportsmanship and integrity – each of the past two seasons.

Walker’s honor makes it four of the past six years that a Seawolf has won the GNAC’s male sportsmanship honor, joining fellow basketball players Eric Draper (2006-07) and Adam Fitt-Chappell (2005-06). Former Seawolves Rebecca Kielpinski (200607), Mindy Lindquist (2004-05) and Kamie Jo Massey (2003-04) are former honorees on the women’s side.

Boehm, who never received a yellow or red card in her career, played in 68 games, starting 64 as a defender. She led the Yellowjackets to three NSCAA Team Ethics awards, including two silver awards (2008 and 2010) and one bronze (2009).

COACH: Promoted Continued from B-1

Megan Edge/TNL

Top: A frisbee golfer on the left takes her shot as friends watch on June 7. The new frisbee golf course has 18 holes, and spans across the Hilltop Ski Area. Above: Hole 13 rattles as a frisbee golf disk impacts its chains. The course costs $5 for a day of play, and opened up this week.

success.

In 2010, as a freshman at UAA, Adde became the NCAA’s men slalom champion.

That same season, Anderson produced nine athletes who were granted with All-American certificates.

In 2009, Anderson led the alpine program to their best squad finish at fourth place.

With his help, the team has never finished lower than 10th place and has accumulated 54 all-academic student athletes.

Promoting from within the program shows more than loyalty to the staff but also stability in the community, even when change

is presented, according to the Flagstad.

“I believe he will continue the path that we worked on and that is healthy for the program.”

Flagstad said.

The hunt for another ski coach at UAA is not over though, as Anderson will need an assistant to help with the alpine program, as well as a new head Nordic coach, but it seems as though the athletic program is off to a good start.

“I am not a part of the selection process,” Flagstad said. “But if I was, I would pick Sparky to lead the ski program.”

June 14, 2011 | sports

TNL

What are some other hobbies you have?

I enjoy being active with my friends and family, like hiking, biking and camping.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

I don’t get embarrassed too easily. I tend to just laugh it off and find situations humorous after ward. Cause most of the time it is more amusing than embarrassing.

What is your major?

My major is in elementary education.

By Megan Edge

The Northern Light

Laur en Sl ayma ker years.

After two years at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington, Lauren Slaymaker has returned to her hometown to compete on the UAA women’s volleyball team.

As a sophomore in 2009, Slaymaker was named the NWAACC North Division First Team performer. She ranked No. 2 in her league, which is the home of 35-teams, with 4.06 kills per set (kps). This was an improvement from her freshman year, where she averaged at 2.62 kps.

So far, her college career has been an outstanding follow up from her high school career at Grace Christian where here team won third place her senior year.

Now, she prepares to walk the halls of UAA, and help bring the lady ‘Wolves to victory.

An interview with TNL Why did you decide to sign with the ‘Wolves?

I decided to sign with the Seawolves because I really want to keep playing volleyball and be close to my family. I know quite a few girls on the team and Coach Green is such a great coach it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

How long have you been playing college volleyball?

I have been playing for two

What is your favorite memory playing volleyball?

My favorite memory playing would be my senior year of high school, when we won regions and almost won state.

Can you tell us a little bit about your college experience at your previous school?

I went to Skagit Valley College, which is a community college in Washington. I went mainly to keep playing volleyball.

I only went there for a year and a half and left right after volleyball season and finished the year out at UAA.

Who is your favorite music artist?

I am a huge fan of the band perry and miranda lambert.

What should the students of UAA know about you?

The students should know I am a pathetic excuse for an Alaskan cause I have lived here my whole life and never been skiing or snowboarding. But I am a true Alaskan cause I love the summer time.

B7

What is your favorite type of food?

I really like Mexican food.

What are you most scared about going into this season?

I am dreading pre-season. I know I am going to be sore for days and get my butt kicked.

What are you looking forward to the most about this season?

I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone on the team and traveling and dominating everywhere we go!

What is going to be the hardest part about this season?

It is going to be difficult with all the traveling and scheduling.

There is so much more to think about than just school.

What is something you have always wanted to try?

I have always wanted to go hunting.

How long have you been playing?

I have been playing since 7th grade, so nine years. In Jr high I didn’t even make the team but ended up being the manager.

By the end of the season I had progressed and played more than most of the other girls on the team.

What is your biggest volleyball accomplishment?

My last season at Skagit I was the No. 2 hitter for the whole North West Academic Association of Community Colleges.

Top photo courtesy of lauren slaymaker

Overtime

Ten things to watch for in the 2011 NBA Draft and the return of Fred Durst

By Thomas McIntyre The Northern Light

The NBA Draft is being held on June 23.

Here are ten things to watch for on that day.

1. At one, we have Kyrie Irving. Fitting.

Irving has opted out of pre-draft workouts with teams other than the Cavaliers – that’s how much of a lock he thinks he is to be selected first overall. Go ahead and root for his name not to be called at the top of the draft.

2. Weak talent pool equals more trades.

Teams will be looking to move around since they have little fear of missing out on a game-changer. For instance, the Cavs are currently trying to find a way into the second spot, which would give them both the first and the second pick in the draft.

Bold stuff, but there’s a reason the two is

even up for grabs.

3. The team sitting at two? David Kahn’s Timberwolves. DK has no conscience when it comes to the draft. In ’09 he famously went Rubio-Flynn with the fifth and sixth picks. To be fair, the Wolves did need a point guard… So he got them two. Sit back and watch David work.

4. The NBA Draft has delivered some great fashion moments. Tim Thomas rocked the over-sized white suit. Peja Stojakovic looked stunning in corduroy. This year, I have Donatas Motiejunas pegged as the standout dresser. He’s a Euro baller whose passion for the game is suspect. I like my chances.

5. Don’t be alarmed when the circus freak pops up on ESPN – that’s just Bismack

Biyombo. He stands 6’8” and has a 7’7” wingspan. Shaq also has a 7’7” wingspan, but he’s 7’1”. Yikes. The fun doesn’t stop there: Bismack’s draft range is anywhere between two and fourteen.

6. Keeping up the “physical freak” theme, I’d like to make everyone aware of Kawhi Leonard’s hands. Hopefully ESPN has a hand-cam in play on draft day. If not, simply Google “Kawhi Leonard hands.”

7. New ads! The 2006 NBA Draft gave us Adam Morrison’s NBA Live commercial in which he declared that A) he is not ashamed of his tears and B) when he gets to the league, people will cry. Poor Adam.

People are indeed crying (by people I mean me), but they’re (me) crying for all the wrong reasons.

8. Overrated GM, Donnie Walsh, has been let go by the New York Knicks. Yet, rumor has it, Walsh and his team will work New York’s draft. This means Walsh can have another horrific draft, and sell it as a screwjob.

9. Last summer, the Golden State Warriors drafted Ekpe Udoh sixth overall.

This was not smart. About a week ago, the Warriors picked up where they left off last summer by hiring Mark Jackson as their head coach. I don’t think they’re finished.

Josh Selby to the Dubs.

10. This is completely unrelated to basketball, but Limp Bizkit’s new album is set to drop on the Tuesday following the draft – watch for that. Durst’s mic skills are as sick as ever, and the rest of the boys are shredding. Bizkit’s back, folks.

B8 comics|

TNL

June 14, 2011

BROKECOMICS | Alec Fritz

TUNDRA l Chad Carpenter

YOUR STARS THIS WEEK The coming week is likely to demand last-minute adjustments from many, as circumstances change and the requirements of a given situation are not what were expected. Those who are ready to head off in any conceivable direction have the advantage; the ability to pack up and go at a moment's notice will certainly prove valuable at this time, especially when the destination is not known in advance. Indeed, those who insist on having things planned and plotted to the last possible detail are going to be disappointed; improvisation will be required in virtually all things.

Communication will be essential, as many individuals working toward common goals will quickly discover that cooperation and collaboration can improve everyone's chances.

The swift and accurate exchange of information will prove essential to the week's progress.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- You may have to come up with a few clever tricks in order to make your money go as far as possible.

Use all resources carefully. (July 8-July 22) -- What happens early in the week will surely inform the remaining days, but not in the way you expect.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- Your knowledge of a certain aspect of your work is likely to be put to the test; if you've been keeping up, all should be well. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -Your answers should be short and sweet, but take care that you don't

let your tone betray you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- You'll side with someone who shares your aspirations, but you may have to teach him or her a little about your own methods. (Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -Something in the air will inspire you to do something you've wanted to do for ages.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -Technical difficulties aren't about to hold you back; you can rely on some old-fashioned methods -- and your own ingenuity. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- You're likely to find that others

8-Nov. 21) -- A little humor goes a long way, and it'll be up to you to defuse one or two tense situations.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- Another's claims may have you preparing to do something that others say cannot be done, but you know this isn't so, and can prove it.

(Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- Negotiations may not go as planned, but you can still pull out a personal victory.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- You may find yourself far from the action, but you can still play a central role as long as you are

are relying on you for more than you had expected.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -Others are depending on you to do precisely what you have promised, and no more. You have a few surprises in store, however. (Nov.

available for consultation. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- You're not about to miss out on a rare chance to do something you've looked forward to for quite some time.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -You may feel as though you've let

By Stella Wilder someone down recently, but your actions can certainly make up for it -- and more. (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- You don't have to work quite so hard or fast in order to get things done, but routine is key.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- You're likely to be picked out from among many to demonstrate your skills -- and many new doors may open as a result. (March 6-March 20) -You may find yourself gravitating toward someone you've tried to stay away from for the past weeks or months.

ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- The week progresses very much as expected -- until the weekend, when someone throws a wrench into the works.

Seek a creative solution.

(April 5-April 19) -You're not feeling your best at this time, but you mustn't avoid doing the bare minimum, at least.

TAURUS (April 20May 5) -- You will have to work hard to conceal your vulnerabilities from those who would exploit them. Bring your strengths to bear, too.

(May 6-May 20) -- Things are shaping up in a way that surprises many but that meets all of your expectations.

GEMINI (May 21June 6) -- You may feel compelled to do what is necessary to make some big changes, not only in your own life but in the lives of others as well. (June 7-June 20) -- Dangers are few, but those that do arise may demand more from you than you had expected.

Copyright 2011, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS