June 13, 2017

JUNE 13 - JUNE 27, 2017

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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Storefront opens for local ice cream business

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UAA rock climber explores the world on the edge

Open your eyes to the ‘Vibrant Violence’

UAA’s 2007-08 men’s basketball team — Where are they now?

Four standout alumni from UAA’s basketball team look back at their collegiate careers and reflect on how it shaped their lives

steals per game. In addition, GNAC All-American Luke Cooper led the team in assists with an average of 8.9 per game.

McCade Olsen: 2006-2008

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Alumni Chris Bryant looks over old team photos of UAA’s 2007-08 men’s basketball season. Bryant, a Bob Zundel Memorial Award recepient, had a career high of 26 points as the third leading scorer of the team.

By Chance Townsend

ctownsend@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEVI OYSTER

“He Threw His Medals In The River But They Sunk Alone” by Levi Oyster. Oyster's gallery showing will be on display until June 14.

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

Recent UAA computer science graduate, Levi Oyster, wants people to not only take a hard look at the state of America today, but to do something about it. His show “Vibrant Violence,” currently showing at UAA’s Hugh McPeck Gallery, intends to inspire conversations about subjects we would rather avoid.

Oyster’s oil on canvas pieces pop with colors that are at times borderline psychedelic. The subject matter, though, delves into darker territory. The topics range from waterboarding to improvised explosive devices to reactions of the Edward Snowden leaks.

One piece, titled “Johnny Terrorseed: Drones,” was inspired by America’s extensive use of drone strikes and how this method of warfare has become the new normal. Oyster wants to show the idea that the country is fueling a cycle of violence by causing those affected by drone strikes to take up arms against the U.S. The painting shows a tree comprising what could be skulls or screaming faces in its bark, rising from an acid green cloud. In the tree’s branches hang explosive suicide vests and weapons like AK-47s and grenade launchers.

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Oyster served six years in the Alaska Air National Guard and said some of his views about the subjects of his art go against the mainstream opinion in the Armed Forces.

“A lot of these topics are a little hush hush or a little — it’s the dissenting view, so you get a lot of clap back when you try and bring stuff up about this,” Oyster said.

When he was serving in the Guard, Oyster was part of an air crew on a C-130, the workhorse of military aircraft. His team’s job was to get supplies, troops and weapons to where they needed to go. During his six years in the Guard, Oyster was deployed overseas twice, once to Afghanistan and once to Kuwait.

It was during these deployments that Oyster began questioning his role in the violence of America’s military action. He would wonder who would die as a result of the troops or bombs he was helping transport.

“I had joined because I wanted to make a difference and try and help out,” Oyster said.

“And as I deployed, I realized I was — I didn’t really feel like I was helping out. Every now and again you’d do something really meaningful, but a lot of the times, you felt like you were

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When you look through the halls of UAA's men's basketball program from recent years, one team in particular stands out. That team is the 2007-08 men's basketball team. Coached by current head coach Rusty Osborne and led by seniors Carl Arts, Chris Bryant, Luke Cooper and McCade Olsen, the Seawolves won a school record of 29 games, and advanced to the NCAA Division II semi-finals

for the first time since 1988.

The '07 Seawolves were defensive juggernauts, only allowing 60.1 points per game, and were the top ranked scoring defense in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Their solid defense helped make up for their low scoring offense, which averaged 73.1 points per game, ranking in the bottom-half of the GNAC, above Alaska Fairbanks and MSU Billings.

Senior and Seawolves legend Carl Arts led the team with an average of 18.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.5 blocks and 1.7

McCade Olsen was the team's second leading scorer and rebounder at the end of the '07 season. He was also the hero in the Seawolves Sweet 16 win against Seattle Pacific University.

"Hitting game-winning freethrows to beat SPU [Seattle Pacific University] in the second round of the western conference tournament...is a memorable moment," Olsen said.

Teammate and fellow starter Luke Cooper was also very fond of this particular game.

"I still refer to this game as the McCade Olsen game," Cooper said, "down one [point] on the last possession, [Olsen] got fouled with about two seconds left, calmly went to the freethrow line and knocked both in.

We won by [one] point."

Olsen still resides in Anchorage with his wife and two kids.

He is now a supervisor at the McLaughlin Youth Center.

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Celebration of the past, present and future UAA will be hosting a Juneteenth celebration June 14-15

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

To commemorate the June 19, 1865 announcement that ended slavery in Texas and emancipated African Americans in the south, UAA will be hosting a Juneteenth celebration on June 14 and 15. This event is free for students with a valid UAA ID, $5 for staff and faculty and $8 for general public. During the span of two days, there will be live music, speakers, food, movie showings, art activities and outdoor games.

UAA’s Juneteenth is presented by Student Activities and Commuter Programs, Black Student Union and Student Life and Leadership. Jennifer Spencer, social work major and Student Activities and Commuter Programs team member, has attended Juneteenth events at UAA the last three years and has been a part of the planning process. Spencer emphasizes the importance of educating those eager to learn about various cultures histories to grow as a community.

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GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

“The reason UAA should keep putting on events like Juneteenth is because we have many faces and different backgrounds on our campus and it's important to lean about others historical events,” Spencer said. “In order for people to understand cultural sensitivity we as an education and public institution, have to introduce curtain characteristics of one's culture so others know how to rightful show respect and allow individuals of that culture to show homage.”

UAA’s Juneteenth is kicking off on June 14 at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Cuddy Quad cel-

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ebrating over food by Smoke House food truck and live music

by Robert Arms Jazz Ensemble. There will also be tie-dyeing, face painting and basketball. Later that day, at 7 p.m., a showing of the documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” by James Baldwin will be playing at the Wendy Williamson auditorium, free for everyone to watch.

“The movie was chosen because it tells an amazing story about who and what the leaders did during the civil rights movement and what obstacles that

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

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Anchorage resident to become NASA astronaut The Edge Update: An Alaskan in space,

cellphone privacy, UK election disaster

By Max Jungreis KRUA

The Edge Update can be heard every weekday on KRUA 88.1 FM The Edge, UAA's college radio station.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

By Max Jungreis KRUA

Robb Kulin, 33, was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Last Wednesday, NASA announced he had been selected from among over 18,000 to become an astronaut candidate in the agency’s training program. Kulin spoke with KRUA 88.1 FM via phone the day after the announcement.

Q. Tell me about the journey that took you from Anchorage, Alaska to where you are now.

A. Coming from Anchorage, I think Alaska has always inspired an adventurous look at the world. At some point, I got interested in space as the next big place to explore… Ended up going to school in Colorado for undergrad, did a Fulbright Scholarship in Italy, which was a super fun experience. Grad school in San Diego. Then I’ve been working at company called SpaceX down in California for the last six and a half years as an engineer there, developing one of their rockets that we hope to fly someday.

Q. At what point did flying for NASA become a possibility?

A. I guess it just became a possibility a couple of weeks ago, when they gave the call. It’s something that I got inspired to think about back in undergrad. Back home in Alaska, I just never thought about the possibility growing up. I just liked getting out and being in new places and seeing what was around. Undergrad opened my eyes a little bit of the possibility of going to space. It was really just a lot of that Alaskan cultural experience that really got me amped up on it… got exposed to it in college and realized, ‘Hey, that’s going to be the next place to go.’ Try to come from the Last Frontier and go to the next frontier.

Q. So NASA reached out to you a couple of weeks ago, that’s how this hap-

pened?

A. No, so I’ve applied a couple of times actually. Made it all the way through the application process until this last step once before, and then applied a couple of years ago. They whittle it down slowly, this time from 18,300 people down to a total of twelve of us. [They] kind of do it step-by-step, so they whittle down all these resumes and ask for references, then they bring it down to 120 people to bring in for a short round of interviews, and then 50 people for a longer round…

This time, I was lucky enough to discover I had made the final selection.

Q. What kinds of qualities are they looking for?

Q. They’re looking for a big mix. They want to fill out the Astronaut Office to have a lot of different skills. They have people doing the physical sciences, geology, biology… of course, fighter pilots with their past flying skills… and then engineers like myself. With that group, what they’re really looking for when they whittle it down to that final group of people is, ‘Who is the type of team player that I want to hang out with on a space station for a long duration? Who has good humor and is a good time but also gets some work done?’

A. What are the next couple of years going to look like for you?

Q. The next couple of years are pretty jam-packed. It’s going to be kind of like going back to school. We’re going to start out doing some flight training and some T-38 stuff [a jet used by NASA to train astronauts]. As an engineer, I’ll be flying backseat on that and doing the support role for the pilot. We’re learning Russia to work with our counterparts. We have training to learn about the International Space Station and its systems… and just a multitude of trainings on the different things we’ll get to work on in the future as actual astronauts and operators.

Local An Alaskan-raised man has been selected from thousands as a candidate in NASA’s astronaut training program.

Robb Kulin, 33, was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. After graduating from Service High School, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Denver before completing a Master’s degree in Materials Science and a Doctorate in Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. At the time of his selection, Kulin was employed as an engineer at SpaceX, where he has worked since 2011. In an interview with KRUA 88.1, Kulin said that although he had never considered becoming an astronaut while growing up, it was the adventurous experience of being raised in Alaska that propelled him towards space once he began considering it. “Undergrad opened my eyes to the possibility of going to space.

It was just a lot of that Alaskan cultural experience that really got me amped up on it. I realized, ‘Hey, that’s going to be the next place to go.’ Try to come from the last frontier and go to the next frontier.” After going through two years of training, Robb will be assigned technical duties in NASA’s Astronaut Office while awaiting a flight assignment that will take him off Earth.

National The Supreme Court has decided to hear a case that will determine whether or not police need warrants to track suspect’s locations through their cellphones.

Under current rules, they do not. The court agreed to hear the appeal of a man convicted of armed robberies across Ohio and Michigan. The man, Timothy Simon, contends that the cellular location data

A. Have you had to put your life on hold?

used to convict him constituted a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable search and seizures. As in most cases, the police tracked Simon’s location by requesting data from his cell carrier that tracked which cellphone broadcast his calls. The four big wireless carriers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint — receive thousands of requests per year for this type of data. The requests are almost always granted. The case has raised questions of how much businesses protect their customer’s information, and whether or not giving information over to a third party means giving up your expectation of personal privacy. The case will be heard during the next session of the Supreme Court, which begins in October.

Global When British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a snap election eight weeks ago, she intended to increase her Conservative Party’s majority in parliament. Instead, her attempt to consolidate power has backfired spectacularly, leaving the country with no clear majority party and an uncertain future. At the beginning of the campaign, May’s rightleaning Conservative Party enjoyed double-digit leads over the main opposition, the liberal Labour Party. But a poor campaign performance, combined with an apparent U-turn on an unpopular piece of legislation dubbed ‘The Dementia Tax,’ shrunk that lead until the parties were within spitting distance of each other.

The Conservatives remain the largest party in Parliament, but lack the majority May had hoped for as she prepares to negotiate with the European Union over the terms of Brexit. Instead of a mandate to bargain as she chooses, she will make the terms of her negotiations palatable to an ideologically diverse group of legislators. Resisting calls for her resignation, May announced she would form a coalition with the tiny Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland in order to maintain a majority.

Q. Yeah, there is a bit of roller coaster on that front. All of a sudden, your life goes from a really small possibility of making it, and you have this vision of the future ahead of you that you’re really looking forward to, then all of a sudden another opportunity comes up and it’s incredible and it totally changes that direction. I’m going to still continue my current job at SpaceX for the next couple of months, but yeah, it’s a pretty huge trajectory change and it happens pretty quick.

Q. One of the things I love most about Alaskans is how passionate they are, and that’s what I would tell them to be. Find something you’re passionate about and go for it. In my case, it was really focusing on the science, technology, engineering, mathematics aspect if you want to go this kind of route. But if you want to be successful, if you want to be liked in life, just find something you can be passionate about and dive into it. Don’t be afraid to be flexible, either. If you run out of steam there, find the next thing that interests you and jump over to it. Take those opportunities as they come. They’re going to lead somewhere else great.

A. Looking over your biography, you’ve managed to accomplish a lot in what for most people is a pretty short amount of time. If you had any advice for kids here in Alaska, what would it be?

Robb Kulin will begin two years of training this August. After completing his training, he will be given technical duties in the Astronaut Office while awaiting a flight assignment.

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

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Everything you need to know about cancelled classes

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

This spring semester art major Hannah Paulston’s typography class was cancelled. When she received an email about her class cancellation, Paulston’s first thought was “crap.”

"It was shorter notice than I’m comfortable with,” Paulston said. "I usually like to get my classes set up right then, immediately, like right when it opens and I get it set up.... That gives me time to figure out other things in between the semesters, so when it came late it was really frustrating. What do I do now… this is in my plan? It was just like, well I’ve got to figure out what classes I can supplement this with because as a graphic design major classes are only given on certain semesters. It’s not like you can take them every semester.”

Paulston is not the only UAA student to receive a notification about a class cancellation, but each college has certain procedures in place for when to cancel a class.

The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, John Stalvey, said that before cancelling classes, the college calculates how many classes, sections and seats to offer based on historic demand, estimates of how many students have the prerequisites to take a course and the availability of similar elective or required courses.

"Despite our best efforts to predict accurately the demand for a course, sometimes we overestimate the need for seats or sections for a given course and need to cancel a course or section,” Stalvey wrote in an email.

"Generally this is about one percent of all the sections and courses offered in a semester.”

As soon as registration opens, the individual colleges begin to monitor the rates at which courses fill. The biggest disparity between the colleges, when it comes to class cancellation, is how high the enrollment needs to be for the class to be economical and fit scheduling concerns.

The College of Business and Public Policy closely monitors courses where the number of students enrolled is lower than 15 in undergraduate courses and less than 8-10 in graduate courses. The Community and Technical College would like an enrollment no less than 12.

The College of Education’s 100-200 level course should have no fewer than 12 students, 300-400 level should have no less than 10 and 600 level course should have no less than six.

“We start looking at a graduate level 600 courses for possible cancellation if it appears the enrollment won’t reach five, an upper division course 300 and 400 level class if it won’t reach 10, and a lower division course 100 and 200 level if it won’t reach 20,” Stalvey said. "We try to make the decision to cancel a class soon enough so students have a chance to find a suitable alternative--often it is another section of the same course that has seats open--without cancelling too early and causing students to have to look for an alternative.”

GRAPHIC BY CHEYENNE MATHEWS

The College of Business and Public Policy will notify students of a cancellation a minimum of two weeks to a month before the start of classes. The Community and Technical College has a policy of cancelling at least one week before class begins. The College of Education will cancel up to two weeks before classes start, but accord-

ing to Dean Paul Deputy, cancellation for the College of Education is a rare practice.

"We did not have to cancel classes during the fall 2016, spring 2017 semesters,” Deputy wrote in an email.

"We did cancel two summer courses this summer due to low enrollment. The students registered for these courses were contacted and we helped them find another course to register for.”

Dean of the University Honors College, John Mouracade, said there are three factors that he considers when cancelling a class.

"The first is whether or not students need this particular section to be offered in order to make progress in the curriculum,” Mouracade wrote in an email. "Second is the need for a critical number of students in order to generate a meaningful learning experience. Some classes just can't be successful with three to four people, regardless of other factors. Finally, there are budget issues.

Classes cost different amounts based on who is teaching them: adjunct, assistant professor or full professor, and so they require a different number of students before they can be self supporting.”

Another factor that contributes to class availability is room assignments, according to Interim Associate Dean of Business and Public Policy, Lynn Koshiyama.

"It is easier in our opinion to cancel a course then try to add it, mainly because once you’ve put in the courses, you’ve locked in pretty much your faculty workload, what they’re teaching, the room assignments, [it] makes it a little more difficult to rearrange that,” Koshiyama said.

If a required course for graduation does get cancelled, Koshiyama said the College of Business and Public Policy can still offer students some alternatives.

"We can’t run a class with one or two students. Therefore the other option would be to cancel the class and request that the faculty member do a directed study with the students,” Koshiyama said. "Or are there other classes that we can allow the student to replace in their degree program?”

Koshiyama estimates that no more than a dozen classes are cancelled in a semester.

Denise Runge, dean of the Community and Technical College, said only a small number of classes are cancelled each semester but that enrolled students are offered assistances in those circumstances.

"To be honest, we only have to cancel a small handful of classes each semester,” Runge wrote in an email.

"Also, we practice strategic enrollment management — one of the tenets of this approach is to watch enrollment continuously and make adjustments as we go. So we fairly regularly will have a class fill up early — which then signals us to open a new section of that course to allow more students the chance to take it.”

In a circumstance where a student close to graduating has a required course cancelled, depending on the college there may be alternative courses offered like directed study or substitute courses.

USUAA aims to increase complete security coverage to UAA

By Chance Townsend

ctownsend@thenorthernlight.org

UAA's student government is currently working with University Police to add more security cameras around campus to enhance safety and security for students around campus after student-expressed safety concerns last fall.

USUAA president Alec Burris has made security cameras one of his top priorities since being elected into office.

"I think right now what we're trying to focus on is getting complete coverage on campus, because you can say you have security cameras and that's fine, but if you don't have complete coverage there's a point where things can slip through the cracks," Burris said. "That's something we want to avoid."

Burris and UPD have pinpointed the residential campus and West Campus parking lot next to the Professional Studies Building lot as spots to place the new cameras.

"Residential campus is one place UPD and I have looked at for security cameras, because students pay to live there," Burris said. "We want them to feel safe and not worry about their car getting broken

into or stolen."

Connor Larson, a freshman at North Hall, has had his vehicle broken into twice during the last academic year.

"I don't understand why there was never cameras in the first place," Larson said. "I feel like you should be able to feel safe parking your vehicle when you pay as much as you do to live there."

UPD Lieutenant Michael Beckner believes the new security cameras will combat potential crime on residential campus.

"It's a good deterrent, and it's going to help anytime you have a camera," Beckner said. "If you don't know who the person is, it's not going to help, but we can always pick up the description of the car or tag numbers and it helps in a major way."

One of the biggest challenges regarding cameras is cost.

"I've had talks with UPD Chief Brad Munn and Pat Shier, the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Affairs, and that's the one thing we were most stuck on: where do we get the money to pay for these cameras, because they're not cheap," Burris said. "Munn told me that an outside contractor gave an estimate of $10,000 per camera but would be cheaper if we

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

bought in house, and Shier said that each camera would cost an estimate of $300 per month to maintain."

To pay for this, USUAA is looking to most likely dip into their budget, and are collaborating with the UAA administra-

tion and UPD to find other alternative solutions.

There is no clear date on when these cameras will be installed in the parking lots, as USUAA and UPD are still try to find the estimate cost of the cameras.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

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Student Spotlight: The life of a Truman Scholar

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Cheyenne Mathews is a member of the UAA Seawolf Debate team.

Jacob Shercliffe’s first job was in high school bagging groceries at Carrs; the summer after that, he was a pizza boy at Papa Johns. Now Shercliffe, a double major in economics and political science, is heading into his final year of college as a newly minted, nationally recognized Truman Scholar. On his journey from pizza boy to Truman Scholar was debate.

"The one thing I’ve formed my foundation around as a person is knowing how to talk,” Shercliffe said.

Ask any of his mentors and they will you tell you Shercliffe has a talent for articulating his ideas. Steve Johnson, director of the Seawolf Debate program, recruited Shercliffe straight out of high school for UAA’s team, which Shercliffe has been a member of for the past three years.

"I thought that Jacob had a presence well beyond his years,” Johnson said. "He understood how to grab an audience and direct them where he wanted them to go.

I was impressed to see this in a high school senior and knew that he had potential to develop this talent even further. He's proved me right.”

Another one of his mentors, Political Science Professor James Muller, worked closely with Shercliffe in his Truman Scholar application. In the process of applying for the award, Muller said he familiarized himself

with Shercliffe’s character, and he describes Shercliffe as humorous, well-read and talented at public speaking.

"He’s very self critical and modest,” Muller said. "He doesn’t have a kind of false modesty of somebody who is just pretending that he has a lower opinion of himself than he really does, nor does he have a very low opinion of himself that keeps him from trying hard or trying to improve himself. He seems to compare himself to a very high standard of what a human being could be and therefore naturally, at his age or at any age, he falls short of that. He knows that he he has a ways to go.”

While Shercliffe might compare himself to a high standard, he himself has set the bar high for many UAA students. Shercliffe is very involved on campus; he is currently serving on a Title IX committee, he has worked as an assistant for the Green Fee Board, and he was the Public Relations Director at USUAA. Outside all of these jobs, Shercliffe lists the two activities he is most passionate about as competitive debate and Model United Nations. By all accounts Shercliffe is excelling in both activities; he was an octofinalist at the U.S. Universities Debating Championship in Denver this year and he is currently serving as the Alaska Model United Nations Secretary-General. Shercliffe said his desire to be involved on campus boiled down to three big motivators.

"I think somebody needs to do it, and if I can do a good job and I have the time to do it, part of my responsibility as a person is to give back,” Shercliffe said. "The second reason is they open up a lot of opportunities.”

Some of these opportunities include traveling around

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Jacob Shercliffe, a senior and double major in political science and economics, was accepted as a Truman Scholar. Shercliffe is one of 62 recipients of the 2017 Truman Scholarship, created in 1975 in honor of President Harry S. Truman.

the world with the debate team and getting to coach middle school students, high school students, and even local candidates on public speaking.

"The last reason is sometimes you just get roped into them, and I never really figured out how to say no until I was a sophomore,” Shercliffe said.

While he thinks he’s better at saying no, Shercliffe is still always willing to help fellow students. In his interview he added that anyone interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship should not be afraid to reach out to him and seek his advice on the application. Muller said this attitude is typical from Shercliffe.

"He’s very smart, he’s already accomplished, he’s shown his ability to be a leader in a variety of ways, both on the debate team and in the initiative and enterprise he’s used in the public service activities that he’s already undertaken,” Muller said. "In his case, though he has a variety of things he’s been busy in...his public service is especially passing on the excitement and the skills he’s developed in debating to younger students through helping with students in high school and even junior high or middle school. And that’s been a pretty serious and longstanding activity on his part.”

Shercliffe has been on the Chancellor’s List or Dean’s List since he enrolled at UAA, but it’s not just his high grade point average that makes him stand out among his peers. Johnson said Shercliffe’s enthusiasm and willingness to work hard make him a role model to other members of the Debate team.

"I'm most proud of Jacob's willingness to go above and beyond for the benefit of the Seawolf Debate Program and debating in general,” Johnson said. "Whether volunteering his time to coach at an area middle school or arranging additional, optional practice debates, Jacob is a natural leader who backs up his professed passion for debating with the hard work that provides others access to its benefits.”

Shercliffe plans to attend graduate school, that is the purpose of the Truman Scholarship, but he will take some time away from school before he pursues his masters of public affairs, which he hopes to receive from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

“It’s really important, at least for me, to spend some time getting real world experience, and learning about myself, and learning about the world and trying to give back,” Shercliffe said. "One of the things about being 20 is that my whole life has been made up of being a student, and I’m pretty good at being a student now, but I don’t know what it is like to be a person.”

Shercliffe said he is still figuring out exactly what career he wants, but his main goal is to become the bridge between academia and politics so that the nation’s leaders know what the nation’s academics know by using Shercliffe — the middleman who can synthesize that information.

Long before Shercliffe was born, Harry Truman was recorded talking about the kind of person Shercliffe has a reputation for being. Truman said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

If you would like to recognize Shercliffe for his accomplishments, or if you want advice about the Truman Scholarship, Shercliffe will be on campus for his senior year, and he has a hard time saying no.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

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Big Lake’s Mud Volleyball Tournament turns 30 CELEBRATION: Mark Join the fun at the Big Lake Lion’s Recreation Lamont Hill to speak at Center for the annual Mud Volleyball Tournament UAA for Juneteenth event

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAD COPELIN

An aerial view of Big Lake's Mud Volleyball Tournament. This year's event occurs on June 17.

By Sarah Tangog

stangog@thenorthernlight.org

This June, the Big Lake Lion’s Club in Wasilla is celebrating 30 years of the annual Mud Volleyball Tournament.

“It’s a fundraiser,” Bill Haller, project coordinator at Big Lake Lion’s Recreation Center, said.

“It has grown immensely since.

It started out with one pit and five or six teams. Over the years it just got bigger and bigger… last year, we [had] 57 teams and two pits.”

With the growth, this year they’ve decided to add a third pit to accommodate the estimated

60 or more teams attending.

“We have sponsors that sponsor the pits and the event,” Haller said.

“This is the first year we’ve done sponsorships,” Jaine Estes, event director, said. “Everything we earn from mud volleyball goes right back to the Big Lake community, so this is the first year we’ve gone after sponsorships.”

Her first year as event director, Estes had played mud volleyball before.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie that come along with it, even if you are playing against another team. It’s fun banter, it’s not like, hard-core competitive,”

Estes said.

In addition to regular volleyball rules, mud volleyball is personalized similarly to beach volleyball. The rules include only underhand serves, 10-person teams with eight players on court, two alternates and two members of opposite sex on the court at all times.

“It’s a coed event,” Haller said. “I mean, yes, people want to win it, but it’s not what I would say ‘highly competitive.’ It’s more of a mixed social event.”

Though there is no other celebration to honor mud volleyball’s 30 years, this year will be the first to feature a DJ and a food truck during the duration of the event. Because of the large expected attendance, Haller is hoping the event will be able to run smoothly and quicker than previous years.

“We’re hoping it gets done a little earlier… there’s been times it didn’t get done until 10:30 at night. So we’re hoping we’ll get done at a reasonable hour,” Haller said.

Check-in for the event starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 17.

The games begin at 10 a.m.

Admission is $250 for each team, due by Wednesday, June 14. Players must be 18 years old or older to play.

Continued from cover

stood in our way and how we over came that, to be where we are today as a country,” Spencer said.

The most anticipated portion of Juneteenth is taking place on June 15 in the Wendy Williamson auditorium at 7 p.m. with guest speaker Marc Lamont Hill, an African American journalist, scholar, author and activist.

"I saw that Dr. Hill was going to be speaking at UAA and I didn't want to miss this opportunity. He has offered some sound discussion on race relations in America on several channels, and I always come away impressed,” Nick Tabaczka, double major in mathmatics and political science, said. “If for no other reason than he really listens to his interviewer and fellow panelists, and then intersects with the topic at hand, not some preset agenda. I look forward to hearing him speak beyond the 1 to 5 minute answers he is allowed on television.”

For those, celebrating Juneteenth is an important reminder of the past and what the future will hold.

"Juneteenth to me means cel-

ebrating a part of our history that often gets overlooked. As an African American woman, it is extremely important to me that our history be celebrated as a reminder of how far we've come as a country and yet another reminder of how far we have to achieve moving forward in the world and especially around the U.S.," Lauren Lampkin, Anchorage resident, said.

Celebrating Juneteenth in a university setting can help expose this history to those who may not know of this important date in the past.

"Furthermore it is absolutely critical that we have these discussions in a university setting because I strongly believe that young people are some of the most passionate minds we have our nation and with that, it's up to us to learn, apply and teach others so that this lack of knowledge of an event to be proud of is no more," Lampkin said. "I am thrilled and I hope that the university continues to celebrate other historical events such as this in the future."

Enjoy a fun, tasty and educational event at UAA to commemorate this important part of history in the U.S.

Alaska flavors fuel Wild Scoops ice cream

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

No one was screaming for ice cream downtown on the overcast evening of May 26, but people were eagerly lined up down the block from Wild Scoops’ new ice cream shop. It was the grand opening and despite the less-than-ideal weather, the waiting customers seemed ready to indulge their collective sweet tooth.

The company, which has a penchant for locally sourced ingredients and unique flavors, had a sign out front listing the day’s flavors. Names like: Blueberry Balsamic, Yukon Gold, Turnagain Mudflats, Redoubts Revenge, Alaska Honeycomb and Snowy Birch.

Owner of Wild Scoops, Ellissa Brown walked up and down the line offering samples. For her, opening a shop had been just a “vague, lofty dream.” She’s been experimenting with ice cream flavors for years, but her background isn’t in the culinary arts.

Originally from California, Brown went to went to school on the East Coast for education and environmental studies. She’s traveled all over for experiential teaching opportunities and eventually moved to Alaska with her fiance.

She loved the state's enthusiasm for local products and there seemed to be a void ready to be filled with homegrown ice cream.

“It’s just fun to make a product that brings a smile to people’s faces and also helps instill this sense of state pride and excitement over what we have here,” Brown said.

The company was founded in 2015 and after navigating the “labyrinth” of legal requirements to get the business up and

running, Wild Scoops started off small.

They rented kitchen space from Mad Myrna’s and sold their ice cream at farmers markets and pop-up events. Eventually they outgrew their setup and opened a test kitchen at the end of last year where they make all their products that aren’t sourced from other local businesses.

“Sourcing things locally was one of our priorities from the start,” Brown said. “And I think we started the business knowing that it was important for us to find as many local ingredients as possible and it’s been nice because it’s guided our growth.”

Brown figures Wild Scoops has partnered with over 50 different small companies to make their ever-evolving flavor offerings. They’ve used local ingredients ranging from birch syrup and rhubarb to cookies and beer.

“It’s really exciting to produce a product that really cultivates a sense of place through its ingredients,” Brown said.

In addition to cultivating a sense of place through flavor, Brown wants to cultivate a sense of community through Wild Scoops — whether that’s interacting with customers at farmers markets or having people stop by the shop. At the test kitchen they have tastings every Thursday so people can stop by and see what new flavors are being developed.

Word of mouth and several thousand social media followers seem to have gone a long way in helping to build and maintain their customer base.

Anessa Feero, a recent high school graduate and friend of some Wild Scoops employees, walked out of the shop on a recent Friday afternoon carrying a Baked Alaska cone. She never made it to any of the farmers markets or pop ups Wild

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Elissa Brown, owner of Wild Scoops, holds pints of ice cream as she stands in her new storefront in downtown Anchorage. Brown has been experimenting with different local ingredients to produce some of the company’s more interesting flavors like Alaska Honeycomb and Snowy Birch.

Scoops was a part of before the shop opened, but after seeing a video on Instagram of them making ice cream, she knew she had to come to check it out.

"They have a very, shall I say, fiery social media platform," Feero said.

Feero appreciates the locally sourced ingredients, and after being introduced to them in ice cream form, said she'd be more likely to check out the products of Wild Scoops' partners.

"The fact that they went out of their way to find locally made products to use in their own locally made products – it's nice," Feero said.

Leah Knight just started her third

week working for Wild Scoops. It's her first job working at an ice cream shop, but she likes it so far. Her first day was the grand opening and said employees were scooping for five straight hours. Despite the potential drudgery of serving ice cream to the endless masses, Knight said she wants to give every customer a good experience.

"We try to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. I mean, we want to make people happy. We're giving them ice cream," Knight said.

Wild Scoops' new shop is located at 429 E Street and is open from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

06 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

College Cookbook: Get tipsy Get Down and Derby at Alaska’s First Party on Wheels with springtime spruce tips The Alaska Aviation Heritage museum will be holding a roller-skating party provided by Down and Derby on June 17 Take advantage of the abunBrenda Craig dance of spruce tips this season By features@thenorthernlight.org

By Victoria Petersen Contributor

Ingredients • 2 cups of water • 2 cups of sugar • 2 cups of spruce tips

Foraging season in Alaska begins in full force come springtime.

With fiddleheads and elusive morels on everyone's to-pick list, the abundant spruce tips are an easy and quick springtime snack that can go overlooked.

Look for the bright green shoots that are growing out of the branches. They will pick right off when you grab them.

Go for the small ones and avoid picking from the top of young trees, as to avoid stunting the tree's growth.

Enjoy these spring shoots as a syrup. It can be used on pancakes or even in cocktails. It's a fresh, light flavor that tastes well in gin.

Directions 1. Bring the sugar and the water to a boil in a lidded pot. Stir continually.

2. When water begins to boil, turn off the heat and stir in the spruce tips and lemon juice. Cover the pot and leave to cool.

3. Let the spruce tips steep in the syrup. The longer they steep, the stronger the spruce tip flavor will be.

Steeping overnight is preferred.

4. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and pour in to a sealable bottle. It will keep in the refrigerator for about three months.

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

Down and Derby, a roller disco party company, is making an appearance in Anchorage on Saturday, June 17 to start off the summer solstice with a bang. This event will be located in the Alaska Aviation Heritage museum, in the Odom Hangar from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There will be everything from tube socks, glitter, cocktails served in sippycups to pizza, prizes and most importantly, roller-skating.

“Down and Derby is the coolest roller-skating party since roller-skating was cool,” Jake Miles, co-owner of Alaska’s First Party on Wheels event, said. “Our goal is to put wheels on a whole new generation of skaters across the country.”

Down and Derby started in 2006 and quickly grew popular in Las Vegas, where they held events twice a month at the Gold Spike Hotel and Casino.

Miles and his partner decided to expand the party throughout the U.S. and now are making the first appearance in Anchorage on June 17.

“My partner, Richard and I were doing roller-skating parties across the entire city of Las Vegas, skating in night clubs to downtown Las Vegas at the Beauty Bar and Gold Spike Casino,” Miles said. “We saw an opportunity to show people a good time in a unique way, so we capitalized on something that had never been done before, essentially skating where you never thought you'd be able to skate at.”

After spending years hosting Down and Derby events, Miles moved back to Alaska and wanted to bring the good times with.

“It's been a great ride... all the way up to Alaska! There's been a good amount of retro-themed parties in Anchorage and Girdwood. I've always wanted to bring DD up to Alaska since the day I moved back up here, determined to give back to Alaska and make my mark, for all that

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

she's done for me,” Miles said.

It took time to convince venues to hold this event, but after many rejections, the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum agreed and will be having four Down and Derby events throughout the summer, ending in August.

“I’ve been to the location in Las Vegas at the Gold Spike and I grew up roller-skating in Alaska. This is a dream come true for me personally to incorporate a live DJing with roller-skating for adults,” Chris Covington, known as DJ Covy, said.

During the event, there will be a classic limbo contest, with prizes given away throughout the span of the night. Music will be provided by DJ Covy and Joe Bradly to spice up the night and keep the party going. There will be pizza provided by Great Alaska Pizza Company and Redbull will be having an official Alaskan summer edition launch with two new drink additions, Acai Berry and Grapefruit Twist.

“My favorite things about DD is that I get to see all my friends and family's beautiful faces have a good time, while being active during the summer: all congregating for a drink, skating and a piece of pizza.

I'm ecstatic that I get to call this event a grown-up roller-skating

party and Alaska's first party on wheels,” Miles said. “This goes out to all my fellow Alaskans — don't miss out on the coolest grown-up roller skating party, you won't be disappointed.”

When many think of rollerskating, they thing of their childhood days at birthday parties at the local Skateland. Down and Derby is giving adults a chance to relieve those party days and let loose.

"I am looking most forward to reliving the glory days of Skateland but with alcohol, I feel like even if you don't want to skate this is going to be a unique event where many people can experiment with roller skates without judgement," Paige Daugherty, Anchorage resident, said. "I sure hope this event is successful being a local bartender I'm so tired of the same crappy downtown bar scene. Same bars with the same bad drinks and the same DJs every weekend."

Tickets can be purchased online before the event for $15 or for $20 at the door. This is a 21 and over event, taking place on June 17 at the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Although this is Alaska’s first party on wheels, it will not be the last.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

| 07

Into the wild: A staycation Alaska has many options for those who want the vacation without the hassle

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Now that it is summer break, many people are looking forward to a welldeserved vacation of some kind to celebrate the end of a school year or simply just to have fun.

Regardless of the reason, there are plenty of vacation alternatives in the state of Alaska.

The outdoor adventures that Alaska has to offer make great plans for a “staycation,” or a stay at home vacation.

1. Get the bike out. There are over 120 miles of paved trails in Anchorage alone. Many will take you from one end of the city to the other, such as the Tony Knowles Coastal trail. At 11 miles long, this popular path can take you from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park while providing views of the water at the edge of the city. For more urban sights through neighborhoods, the Campbell Creek trail connects the lake on UAA’s campus and Dimond Boulevard.

2. Taking a walk is always an option f or those who may prefer a more leisurely type of pace. A majority of the trails in Anchorage are multi-use and are open to bikers, walkers, joggers, skateboarders, etc. The choice is up to you — but don’t forget to follow trail rules, which can be found on the Anchorage Municipality’s website.

3. Take a hike. Considering the mountainous terrain of Alaska, it’s hardly a surprise that there are numerous destinations for hiking adventures. Whether you prefer the wild, scenic views from a high mountain or the stretches of woods within the city, there are plenty of places to visit. Flattop Mountain bears an American flag at its peak, coaxing climbers to make the steep 1.5 miles, and Lekisch Loop in Kincaid Park is very hilly.

4. Try zip lining. Alaska Zipline Adventures is located on Douglas Island in Juneau and they offer a variety of

tours. Guests can visit the Eaglecrest Ski Area or visit Mendenhall Glacier. In Talkeetna, the Denali Zipline Tours show off many views of the Alaska Range and other features, including valleys and forests.

5. Visit the museum. The Anchorage Museum holds multiple exhibits that showcase the beauty and history of Alaska, and they even have programs that range from workshops to guest lectures.

People of all ages can visit the Thomas Planetarium and learn about the solar system that we live in.

Another great option for both state locals and tourists is a visit to the Denali National Park and Preserve. Alaska is home to North America’s highest mountain peak and it serves as a spectacle for residents and out-of-state visitors alike.

Vanessa Jusczak, the director of the Denali Chamber of Commerce, shared many recommendations that would suit all kinds of people. From tour buses to ATV tours, there is something available that caters to the various age groups and interests of all visitors. There are also multiple ways to view Denali, including the drive on the highway and even a plane or helicopter ride.

“Of course, the flyover just brings it to a whole new level… a new appreciation that you can’t get anywhere else,” Jusczak said.

Jusczak encourages people to stop and visit, especially if they have lived in Alaska their entire lives and haven’t experienced the park. While some are often passing through Healy on their way to Fairbanks or Anchorage, they aren’t seeing the real beauty of what the state offers, Jusczak says.

“You know, you’ll have dall sheep that walk right next to a tour bus or you’ll have bears that’ll lay right in the road…”

Jusczak said. “So even if you see a bear once or twice a year or you see sheep way up on the side of a mountain… the closeness of the experience that you have in the park itself can’t really be matched anywhere else.”

For Alex Nanez, there is adventure

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

The tram at Alyeska Resort runs nearly all year round, and offers an easier way to get to the top of the mountain. From there, people can hike, mountain bike or enjoy the scenery from one of the resort's many eateries during the summer.

waiting at every corner. The 22-year-old local loves taking spontaneous road trips to places outside of Anchorage, finding new areas of Alaska to explore or simply stopping to get pizza and ice cream.

“I mean, we only have one highway, pretty much, that connects all of Alaska.

So just pick a direction and drive and either go south towards Seward, or you can go north towards Palmer and all those areas.”

Though Nanez appreciates random destinations, he does have his favorites to visit.

His top recommendation for someone looking for a weekend trip is camping on the Homer spit. Not only is the view amazing, but also the community, food and other activities add to the experience, he says.

“You get to park your car right behind, like, the fire pit and you put your tent so you’re facing out towards the water,” Nanez said. “In the morning, you just get to see that crazy, cool view of the water and just the sand between you and there.”

Despite his travels to other places in the world outside of Alaska, Nanez has found that the last frontier rarely compares to what he has seen elsewhere. He has no plans of leaving anytime soon and wants to continue discovering the land that has always been his home.

“It’s unlike any place you’ve been to and I’ve been to a lot of places in the U.S. So I’ve seen the crowdedness of L.A… the pollution of Mexico,” Nanez said.

“And up here it’s just literally a breath of

fresh air.”

A unique thing about Alaska is that its adventures are enjoyable all year round.

The Alyeska Resort sits at the bottom of Mount Alyeska, which is a popular destination during the ski season. In the summer, its features can still be experienced such as the tram that travels from the hotel to the top of the mountain, and sea kayaking in Prince William Sound.

Within the city, the summer season also opens doors for more events in the downtown area. Among them is the opportunity to listen to live music every Wednesday afternoon in Peratrovich Park. Admission is free and the event goes until September 1. It’s one of the number of activities occurring this year and the internet is a great place to find more.

Although it is still “home,” a vacation within the city only brings a better opportunity for people to enjoy and appreciate where they live. According to Nanez, the long stretches of wilderness and nature show that it is just the beginning.

“I mean, you can literally explore one side to the other side,” Nanez said, “and it would take multiple lifetimes to get done.”

Whether you relish the outdoors and are up for backpacking across a mountain or prefer to visit the urban festivities in the city, there is something for everyone in Alaska this summer. Being closer to home for a “staycation” means no airfare, rental car fees, or other financial hassles that put stress in a typical vacation.

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

| 08

"A Dark Song" shows what horror can achieve

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

It may be tempting to call “A Dark Song,” the first feature from director Liam Gavin, a supernatural drama instead of horror. It has all the gravitas and character development of the best drama and some of the most subtle scares to come out of any horror movie in years.

But to call it a drama is a disservice. “A Dark Song” is horror and has drama, not the other way around. And it’s one of the leanest and most profound horror movies out this year.

Its driving force, at first, is grief. Sophia (Catherine Walker) lost her son three years ago and turns to the occult to speak to him again. She hires the reclusive cultist Joseph Solomon (Steve Oram) to conduct a ritual to allow this, and he reluctantly accepts. The ritual, he says, will last months and drain her in the process. By the end, they will meet their guardian angels and wish for anything. His only rules are that she does what he

says and is always honest. Ominously, he says that every lie has a consequence, big or small.

Regardless, Sophia follows neither rule completely and the consequences come quick.

Gavin navigates how this changes her relationship with Solomon deftly, making both her and Joseph’s flaws apparent while never overstating them. These are both damaged people looking for God or something like it for some assurance. As they are broken down, their relationship takes on a deeper significance, one of sacrifice and transformation.

Now, I don’t mean to exaggerate. Sophia and Joseph are not religious icons or martyrs. If anything, their passage emphasizes their own spirituality and capacity for forgiveness more than any higher power. Gavin draws a distinct line between religion and spirituality, here. Joseph doesn’t believe in the supernatural so much as he knows it’s real, something Sophia struggles with. In an apt moment, she asks him why

he does he what he does: “To know,” he replies.

What’s notable is that Gavin, despite his heady content, prefers to keep it simple. Joseph wants to know, and Sophia wants to see her son again. Neither drifts from their purpose, though the road to them is a twisted one. Walker and Oram’s performances emphasize this steadfastness (or stubbornness).

Singling either out, however, is disingenuous because their chemistry makes the characters.

Front to back, “A Dark Song” is an airtight shocker with strong performances and even stronger direction. It’s not just a singular horror movie, but a singular movie. There’s precedent for one-house flicks like this, but none achieve what “A Dark Song” does. This may seem like an overstatement, but no one part of the movie falls short.

All of it simply works, from the understated beginning to the audacious ending. It won’t have you singing along, but “A Dark Song” deserves any ears that find it.

TITLE “A Dark Song”

DIRECTOR Liam Gavin

RELEASE DATE April 28, 2017

COUNTRY Ireland

GENRE Horror

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

| 09

VIBRANT: Recent graduate hosts Hugh McPeck gallery showing

these horrible things to be more consumContinued from cover able“I sowanted that people can actually start thinking about

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEVI OYSTER

"Johnny Terrorseed: Drones" by Levi Oyster.

adding to the violence.”

Oyster has been drawing since he was a child, but during his time in the military, he started to take his art more seriously. He’s never taken an art class, but taught himself to paint by studying art magazines, books and going to museums. “[I’d] just stare and stare and pick up their techniques; see where they’re creating shadows, where they’re adding value,” Oyster said.

He started off painting for fun, but as he started to research how the U.S. was treating detainees and the civilian deaths caused by military action, Oyster wanted to examine the “jingoistic revenge culture” that seemed to be present in America.

“To deal with how I was feeling about it, I just decided to use art as my outlet,” Oyster said.

By using exaggerated colors that explode off the canvas, Oyster gives the viewer a sugarcoating which helps the bitter content go down smoothly. He’s influenced by socially conscious musicians and artists like Shepard Fairey, who manage to make questioning the status quo part of the mainstream.

them instead of just blocking them out and turning off the news,” Oyster said.

On June 2, Oyster hosted a First Friday reception for “Vibrant Violence.” Recent UAA graduate Michael Notti has known Oyster for years and was there to show his support.

“I think it’s always important to have a broad spectrum of ideas and views of the world,” Notti said. “And especially if some of the main ideas are fueled by extreme passion — that's when it’s most important to have a dissenting opinion and that’s what I believe this artwork is in a sense. It goes against the mainstream.”

Oyster doesn’t think the situation is hopeless. He’s seen how people around the country have been taking a more active approach in their local politics and how that can make all the difference.

“Taking ownership at the individual level is, I think, what’s most important and I think that will overcome a lot of these awful things,” Oyster said.

“Vibrant Violence” closes on Wednesday, but Oyster’s work can be found at facebook.com/levioysterart.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

| 10

Radical Recreation: Too close to the edge Biology major is climbing his way back to Alaska from Arizona on an intense rock climbing expedition

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

As a kid, seeing a tree with perfect branches made climbing irresistible. This urge to climb stuck with biology major, Gus Barber, who picked up rock climbing three years ago.

After spontaneously going by the rock gym with his father, Barber describes the moment he realized he should start rock climbing as an “epiphanous moment.” At the rock gym, there was a climbing competition called the Frigid Flash, which put Barber in awe and convinced him to start climbing.

“I just watched as people scaled the walls of the gym with an intricate and tenuous grace, the like of which I had never seen, I stayed in the gym for the next three hours,” Barber said.

“When I watched the finalists on the wave wall — a 60 foot artificial cave that extended horizontally over the ceiling for 25 feet — I saw one of the employees execute move after move with a perfection that made my jaw drop and my eyes go wide, I said then that this is what I want to do, and I did.”

Rock climbing provides Barber with multiple beneficial factors that motivates him to continue with the hobby such as accomplishing personal goals, exploration and friendships.

“For different aspects, I like different things. Sometimes it’s just the pure feeling of moving over rock, sometimes it’s the feeling of success after I have tried a route over and over again, sometimes it’s the beautiful places climbing takes me,” Barber said. “Most of the time though, it’s the people I meet and get to share the great moments with.”

During the winter, along with school, work and skiing, Barber trains for rock climbing three to four days a week for three hours a session. Training with different exercises is an important part of becoming an all around efficient climber.

“I aspire to be a well-rounded climber, so my training varies greatly. In the gym, I train bouldering and roped climbing, as well as a lot of climbing specific exercises and general fitness exercises,” Barber said.

“When I am at home or working away from Anchorage, I train on a home built crack training machine — which I use to simulate crack climbing outside — as well as a variety of other climbing specific and general fitness exercises.”

Rock climbing has allowed Barber to travel and climb a variety of places. Some of these places include an unclimbed 1500-foot wall in the Talkeetnas, the Red Rocks in Nevada called the Crimson Chrysalis and the most recent climbing El Captain on a route called the Free Rider.

Before the spring 2017 semester at UAA ended, Barber has been planning a trip for this summer to travel from Arizona to Alaska in his van. During this five-week trip, Barber plans on climbing most of the major destinations in between.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM DEAN PHILLIPS

Gus Barber, biology major, became interested in rock climbing three years ago after spontaneously going with his father.

“The trip I am on currently is driving the van from Arizona all the way home to Alaska. I am taking five weeks to climb at most of the major climbing destinations between Arizona and Alaska,” Barber said.

Since rock climbing has done so much for Barber, it is important for him to give back through his job and volunteer work in the rock climbing community.

“Beyond myself, I feel a deep need to give back to the climbing community that helped me into this lifestyle, so one of my jobs at the Alaska rock gym is teaching the lead clinic, I volunteer periodically at climbing festivals around Alaska and I try to climb outside with beginning climbers, with the idea of teaching them safe climbing practices and taking them to the better spots in Alaska,” Barber said. “For me, the ideas of being an ambassador to the sport and

teaching those who want to climb are just as important as climbing hard on my own.”

Barber is working on his biology degree with a focus on micro and bio chemistry at UAA and plans to further his education through the WAMMI medical educational program at UAA. However, he hopes to take a year off to climb and travel before pursuing his career.

"Eventually I want to become an [emergency room] doctor, I volunteered at the [Alaska Native Medical Center] ER the past winter and found a place I could work with exceptional people," Barber said. "Beyond that I have a capacity for calm, consequential decision making that fits well with the job."

Despite the dangers of rock climbing, Barber's mother, Fran Wilson, is supportive of her son's passion and is looking forward for his return from his cur-

rent climbing trip.

"I am quite pleased, mostly about his ability to remain alive and safe, and secondarily that he has found his passion and chosen to pursue it so thoroughly while he is young and supple," Wilson said. "It's wonderful to see his photos and his ever deepening grin, with many old and new friends. I must say however that I am looking forward to his return to indentured servitude at Halibut Cove, building our cabin on the cliff, don't want to waste that strength and talent on just fun."

Barber is currently trekking his way through the states and rock climbing on his way back home, to Alaska. Climbing has allowed Barber to travel through many different places and he is excited about where it might take him in the future.

BASKETBALL: Alumni reflect on past winning seasons Continued from cover Luke Cooper: 2005-2008

Cooper finished his college career at UAA, ranking fourth on the all-time NCAA Division II assists list with 880 total, and was a two time GNAC first team selection.

Cooper still has fond memories of his time in Alaska.

"We ended up meeting the team that started our streak, BYU Hawaii, in the Elite Eight and ended up winning by six or so [points] to send us to Springfield.

Having my parents fly over from Australia to witness it was the most special part of it all," Cooper said.

Now that he is gone, Cooper has fond memories of the state.

“I still regularly think about my college days,” Cooper said. “[I] am so thankful I chose such a beautiful place like Alaska to go to college. I met some of the most amazing people there who I still keep in touch with to this day.”

Cooper now plays professional basketball in his home country of Australia for the Sydney Kings. In his free time, he takes the opportunity to coach youth bas-

ketball.

"I'm really driven by trying to create a pathway for kids with college aspirations, to get the chance that I got, hopefully they get to experience it somewhere as beautiful as I did," Cooper said.

Kevin White: 2007-2010 White was the team's top backcourt reserve player in 2007, and led the freshman in three point field goal percentage. Although White didn't have a major impact on the team his freshman season, he was pivotal in the success of the Seawolves later in his career.

Before the team went on their 16-game hot streak there was tension early on in the season.

"It was the start of a very jam packed season and we were training. Karl Arts who is no doubt known around UAA as one of the greats, missed a box out, and gave up an offensive rebound and [the starters] lost to the bench squad," White said. "Coop's gave his team a spray that I'll remember for my life, it ended with Karl and Coop arguing about it for a solid 30 seconds to the outcome of if we ever give up an offensive rebound and we

lose Coops 'I'll punch you straight in the mouth and knock your head off.' These two were our leaders, our captains!"

"We went on to win about 16 games straight from that moment and really established a mentality that was tougher than any team I've ever played on," White said.

White now plays basketball in his home country of Australia for the Illawarra Hawks. White has been playing professionally for the NBL since he left UAA in 2010.

Chris Bryant: 2007-2008 Bryant was the team's third leading scorer in 2007 and was the Bob Zundel Memorial Trophy winner for exemplary qualities towards teammates, coaches, media, fans and referees.

Bryant scored a career high 26 points against BYU-Hawaii on their home court, which he describes as a standout moment to him and a testament to all the hard work his team put in.

"Playing and winning an exciting overtime against BYU-Hawaii was amazing," Bryant said. "It was a career high for me, and really validated that I can really

contribute to our team."

Bryant is now a health coach/fitness entrepreneur for Southcentral Foundation, a health service company in Anchorage.

Many of the players from the '07 season team still try to keep in touch with each other, but not as much as some of them would like.

Cooper frequently stays in contact with his former teammates and even helps out the coaches with their recruiting efforts.

"I'm still best mates with Kevin White, and also his brother Steven who went to UAA after I left," Cooper said.

"We all live in Sydney right now, I still keep in contact with Chris Bryant, Cam Burney, and talk regularly with Coach Rinner and Weakley and help them when they're recruiting kids from Australia. [I] also talk regularly with Jane Brown who still works in the athletic department, she was my favorite."

Bryant and Olsen have busy lives, but still try to keep in touch with their former teammates as much as they can. Both men still live in Anchorage and try their best to make it to basketball games.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

| 11

Mount Marathon training: More than meets the eye

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Starting out over 100 years ago, the Mouth Marathon Race became an official organized event that challenged racers to climb a mile and a half up the mountain to get to the 3,022 foot summit and then get back down as fast as possible.

It wasn't until 1985 that women were officially included as a category in the race, the first year that 54 women were able to compete and finish. The juniors category emerged in 1994.

Finally, in 2005, as the crowds and participation began to expand for the race, the staggered start was initiated for the adult races.

To get a glimpse into the what the actual race is like, seventime race finisher Fintan Nakada shared his experience about the rigorous preparation it took to compete and prepare, as well as the extreme parts of the race.

"I've competed in the race for a long time. I began it starting out way back in sixth grade. and now, every year since then.

I basically get an automatic spot in it when I compete every year," Nakada said.

Despite Nakada getting an automatic spot every year, the majority of racers are put through a lottery process that is done months in advance to be able to compete.

Nakada is an active member of the Anchorage running and hiking community. He competed in cross country and track for the entire duration of his high school career. In addition, he competes in many road and trail races outside of his high school.

Being a former distance member of The Alaska Running Academy, Nakada was well prepared for the rigorous mountain race every summer. "[The race] takes a lot of preparation, although I ran cross country, did skiing and competed for track, I still spent my early summer training. Mental visualization is an important aspect of the race, but obviously also a lot of weight training and mountain running," Nakada said.

Nakada grew up being an active hiker during the summer, but he always stepped it up a notch when Mount Marathon was approaching.

In order to train effectively and efficiently, Nakada spent most of his time training on mountains and trails in the Anchorage area such Little O'Malley up to Black Lake, Government Peak, Peak two and three behind Flattop and then, of course, Flattop itself.

When there is time to spare, Nakada would head to Seward and train on the mountain of the race.

"It's important to know the course really well, you need to

run on it several times to actually get a feel for what the race will be like. Also, it's especially important to train on it when there's bad conditions — you don't know what it will be like on actual race day," he said.

Even after months of training and preparing, Nakada said that as grueling and painful as the whole race is, it's definitely worth it in the end. The satisfaction of completing, arguably, Alaska's most difficult mountain race and racing for a personal record from the previous year made it a worthwhile experience.

"My favorite part of the race is near the end, when you start running down the face of the cliff and everyone can see you, it gets loud with cheering and clapping and gives you motivation to run the final stretch," Nakada said.

Despite having an exhilarating end to the race, the vast majority of it isn't as easy. Nakada explained that the most difficult part is right after he reaches the top of the mountain, and when he turns around to come back down his legs are often so fatigued from the uphill that it's a challenge to make it down.

This year, Nakada will not be competing, instead spending his time preparing for the Air Force Academy. Mount Marathon will still be held on Fourth of July in Seward.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TODD LIST

Fintan Nakada races down the mountain in the 2015 Mount Marathon.

12 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

Seawolves track and field team cement themselves as one of the best teams in the GNAC

By Chance Townsend

ctownsend@thenorthernlight.org

The UAA track and field teams have completed another successful indoor and outdoor season, bringing home two men's Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles and an outdoor GNAC title for the women.

Starting with the indoor season, the men won their third-straight GNAC title, while the women finished third collecting their fifth consecutive top three GNAC finish. The UAA men’s team garnered an overwhelming win over Western Oregon, 154-82, while Northwest Nazarene finished third with 78 points.

Before the GNAC championships started, the Seawolves combined for 19 NCAA times/marks in three weekends of competition throughout the season – including 16 with top-20 rankings. Both Seawolf teams were ranked 24th nationally going into the conference championships. In the top 20 of the women’s side were the women’s distance medley relay who ranked fifth (Tamara Perez, Mary-Kathleen Cross, Danielle McCormick, and Caroline Kurgat), while the women's 4x400 meter team ranked eigth (Jamie Ashcroft, Vanessa Aniteye, Hayley Benzanson, and Cross).

For the men’s team, the Seawolves’ highest ranking came from senior Dominik Notz in the 5K at fifth. Notz posted a season-best time of 14:03.95 and ranked 11th in the 3K at 8:11.10. The men’s 4x400-meter relay ranked sixth at 3:13.75 (Nicholas Taylor, Liam Lindsay, Darrion Gray and Adam Commandeur), and senior Travis Turner ranked at 19 in the heptathlon at 4,951 points.

Before the season started, senior Tevin Gladden outlined his season goals.

"For me I set forth the goal of getting four All-Americans and jumping seven feet," Gladden said. "In the indoor season I only got one All-American, but as long as you're setting a bunch of goals and

achieve one of those goals I'd feel satisfied with that."

Gladden competed in jumping events throughout the season. At the GNAC Indoor Championships, he took fourth in high jump (6-7), sixth in triple jump (45-4.5) and ninth in long jump (22-0.75), earning him two All-Conference honors.

Gladden described the event as one his best of the season.

"Our conference meet at indoor was pretty good. I started to get back into my form in the high jump, and in long jump I beat my personal record by a foot," Gladden said.

The Seawolves concluded the indoor season when they sent 14 athletes to the NCAA Division II Championships in Birmingham, Ala, and finished with seven more NCAA qualifying times/marks.

UAA returned home with a program best with 12 All-American honors. Seniors Ashcroft (200m, 4x4mR) and Kurgat (3K) were two recipients of those honors.

"The indoor season went great. I felt good about my improvements throughout the season. I wasn't that fit at the beginning of the season but worked hard and got much better," Kurgat said. "I was excited for more competitions, but unfortunately had to red-shirt for the outdoor season."

The Seawolves landed 18 members on the All-West Region team, collected eight conference titles and 30 All-Conference honors. Ashcroft was named NCAA West Region Track Athlete of the Year and the GNAC’s Most Outstanding Track Performer, while head coach Michael Friess was named NCAA West Region Coach of the Year for the men’s team.

With the indoor season over, the Seawolves transitioned to the outdoor season.

For the outdoor season the Seawolves had a combined 24 NCAA times/marks, including two automatic NCAA qualifying times/marks (ANQ). Leading the way with an ANQ in the heptathlon was senior Karolin Anders who ranked fifth

in Division II. The other ANQ went to Notz in the 10K with a time of 29:12.23 at the Mt. SAC Relays and was ranked sixth in the nation.

Leading into the conference championships the Seawolves looked to defend their outdoor championships.

The women combined for four individual titles and 16 all-conference performances throughout the event, while the men's team added five titles and 15 allconference accolades.

The Seawolves swept the GNAC Outdoor Championships as the men's team defended its title and the women's team won its third in five years.

Gladden also broke a decades long school record in the high jump with a leap of 6-11.

"This conference meet was pretty good for me. I didn't get the long jump as well as I wanted to but I got decent marks," Gladden said. "Triple jump was pretty good, I got a personal best in the high jump which I haven't done in while and I got us some crucial points to win us another outdoor title."

To conclude the outdoor season, the Seawolves sent 13 qualifiers to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Florida.

Anders qualified in the high jump and heptathlon, and Aniteye qualified in the 400 meters and relay in her NCAA debut.

Notz qualified for both the 5K and 10K for the men. McCormick qualified for the 800 meter and making up the men's relay was Commandeur, Turner, Lindsay and Taylor, while Aniteye, McCormick, Bezanson and Cross will be the representatives for the women's relay. Gladden qualified in the high jump and would make his NCAA outdoor debut.

Competing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase was junior Edwin Kangogo, while junior Mariah Burroughs represented the women in the race.

Burroughs described her thought process going into the 3K steeplechase

"At the beginning of the season, you have barriers and [a] water pit to jump over, so at the starting line you're kinda like am I going to remember to jump and go over these especially without the dome, cause I don't really anywhere to practice," Burroughs said. "Farther on in the season though its a lot more focused. So at nationals I didn't have exact thoughts it's more of a blank mind."

"I was seated 21st in nationals, which is last, but I ended up finishing 16th which was four places away from finals," Burroughs said.

Kangogo, on the other hand, did make finals. Kangogo, who was new to the 3K steeplechase, finished sixth with a time of 8:56.21, earning him another All-American honor.

"I am happy with this season as a whole and with the challenges presented to us," Kangogo said. "This season I've been trying to stay focused and just forget about anything going on outside. This was my best meet and earning an All-American in the steeplechase was amazing."

Combined, the Seawolves garnered eight First-Team, All-American honors and two Second-Team All-American awards throughout the NCAA championships.

The Seawolf men, ranked 21st nationally ,headed into the weekend and finished the championships with 15 points to tie for 13th. Meanwhile, the 25th ranked women's team, finished tied for 62nd with two points. St. Augustine's won the men's competition with 58 points for their fifth straight, while West Texas A&M earned the women's crown with 64 points. The 64 points are the most points scored by the winning team since Lincoln University scored 64 back in 2014.

The team has lost a significant number of strong contributors after this season to graduation. With many gone, the track and field team will look to add many strong new faces to the program to continue UAA's dominance in the GNAC.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

| 13

UAA athletic community surprised by retirement of Stoklos With double digit numbers of national qualifiers, record setting all-academic certifications and several Coach of the Year awards, Stoklos steps into retirement after three decades of coaching

PHOTO COURTESY BY SKIP HICKEY

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

After 33 seasons of coaching, it was announced in May that Paul Stoklos has retired as the Seawolves’ head gymnastics coach. UAA's Head Athletic Director Keith Hackett made the announcement, which came as a surprise to everyone in the community.

Stoklos started the program in the 80's and has led it through many changes and success — including the transition into

NCAA Division I status in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Stoklos has always referred to UAA as his "home."

"When I came to UAA for the job interview in 1984 I knew that this was where I wanted to stay. I saw an amazing opportunity to start a program from scratch and to build it," Stoklos said.

The athletic community and the large role he has played in many of these gymnasts lives will stay with him forever.

Stoklos oversaw over 100 gymnasts dur-

ing his career, including 13 USAG AllAmericans from 1985-2005, including national champions Elena Tkacheva, Jessica Simmons and Dominique Ingram. "[The] most rewarding part of coaching is the see young athletes mature into adults as they purse a great education while training and competing in a sport that we all love," Stoklos said. "[We guide] them to attain a fantastic education, train them to compete to their greatest potential and providing them with life skills, we send them into the real world where they become contributing members of this community and countless others. It’s this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these young adults that I will miss most.”

Stoklos and his gymnasts have acquired many qualifications and awards throughout the past 15 years in MPSF. In his program, 17 gymnasts have qualified for the national NCAA finals, in addition, 82 all-academic awards have been produced on this team, an amount that towers over all the other schools in the MPSF. In addition, Stoklos was also voted the MPSF Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2016.

It hasn't always been easy, Stoklos mentioned. Dealing with a group of young, college girls sometimes comes

with challenges.

"The most challenging part [was always trying to] keep the student athletes from being distracted from all that is going on around them," Stoklos said.

Regardless of his departure from the team and from the UAA athletic community, Stoklos still hopes for the best and prepared the team for the first season without him.

"Next season, [they] will see an increased squad size, to make up for the loses of team members, [which could let] them have a more successful season. In addition, a season without any injuries," Stoklos said.

UAA Athletics will have to fill a large gap that will be clearly seen from the athletic community. Hackett commented on the immense contribution that Stoklos has put into his teams.

“He was strongly committed to ensuring that his student athletes excelled in their studies first and foremost, and we are grateful for all he did for our institution and community. We wish him all the best," Hackett said.

It was announced by Hackett that the UAA Athletic Department has already begun a search to replace Stoklos before the commencement of fall 2017.

14 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

| 15

A message from USUAA President Alec Burris Summer has arrived. For most, this signals a release from grueling classes and a momentary pause in the endeavor to complete a degree.

For others, it is simply a change in scenery as they take on their five and ten week courses during the summer semester. For me, it is a chance to meet with administration as I transition in to my new role as your student body president. The past month has been a blur of meetings and events as I have established contacts, prepared USUAA for the upcoming academic year and begun to deliver on the goals which I promised you during my campaign. While the work is not complete, I am glad to report that meaningful progress has been made in four strategic areas: security cameras, student fees, advocacy and Title IX. 1. Security cameras – following a meeting with Vice Chancellor Pat Shier and UPD Chief Brad Munn, costs to add security cameras in certain areas such as the West Parking Lot and the MAC Parking Lot are being assessed. This project should be completed in the near future and I am confident that we can cut down on the amount of car thefts that occur on our campus.

2. Student fees – on Friday, June 16 I will be meeting with the all the directors of the mandatory student fee areas. It is my hope that we not only reduce the number of unnecessary fees, but increase transparency in how those fees are spent.

3. Advocacy – on May 6, I sent out a press release on behalf of USUAA and the UAA student body to the Alaska State Legislature advocating for a University of Alaska budget of $325 million.

Actions such as these ensure that we are an active stakeholder in our future.

4. Title IX – working closely with Bridget Dooley, the UAA Title IX Coordinator, USUAA is dedicated to guaranteeing that students on our campus feel safe always. UAA has implemented new resources such as Standing Together Against Rape in Rasmuson Hall.

USUAA will help to ensure that our students know where they can get help and information.

Though the academic year has not yet begun, USUAA is working to represent students on our campus, at the Board of Regents and at the Alaska State Legislature.

While the University of Alaska’s budget situation may be unresolved, our ability to advocate and promote student leadership has not been affected. I believe that students play a key role in shaping their environment and there is no better time than now to prove that.

Alec Burris, Student Body President Phone: (907) 715-2177 Email: usuaa.president@alaska.edu

ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood.

The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.­­­

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