March12011

MARCH 1, 2011

NEWS

02

Fake pot:

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

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Questionable ingredients

08

Surfing in Alaska: Catch waves year round

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08

Beard contest:

Men and women get hairy

UAA-UAF split series, UAF wins shootout and cup By taylor hall The Northern Light

Photo By Patrick MccorMick/tNL

UAA leading scorer Tommy Grant works against Fairbanks defenseman Aaron Gens at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks during the first game of the Governors Cup series. Grant scored a goal in the finale bringing his season totals to 12 goals with 15 assists in 32 games. The teams each won their home game in the two game series.

Two heated rivals, two electric atmospheres, two lopsided wins for home teams.

One heartbreaking way to see the Governor’s Cup leave town for the UAA Seawolves (12-17-3, 10-14-2 WCHA) and back into the hands of their biggest rivals.

The ‘Wolves and UAF Nanooks (14-155, 10-13-5 CCHA) both won their home games in the series but it would be the ‘Nooks retaining the cup after they won a series deciding shootout.

“It’s pretty weird how we win a big game at home in front of a big crowd but then lose the shootout and the cup just like that,” said UAA senior forward Nick Haddad. “It kind of feels like a lose in the locker room but we have to take away the positives and remember we played well.”

This year, the series started up at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks and would shift to the Sullivan Arena for the rematch.

UAF would hold serve in their own rink as they skated away with a 5-1 decision.

For UAA, they were the tough luck losers in a game that was tightly contested for the first two periods.

Things couldn’t have started off better for the ‘Wolves. Just 25 seconds into the game, junior Brad Gorham, an Anchorage native, unleashed a wrister from the top of the left circle and over UAF goalie Scott Greenham to give UAA a 1-0 advantage early on.

It wouldn’t be until 11:38 of the second period that the Nanooks would get on the board when Carlo Finucci fed Kevin Petovello from behind the net. Petovello stuffed home a shot behind UAA freshman goalie Rob Gunderson.

The deadlock would be carried over

See SPLit PAGe 13

Student veterans Rogue Wave washes over UAA attempt to unite By heather hamilton The Northern Light

By alden Lee

The Northern Light

Welcome to college. It’s a scramble to situate yourself, figure out what you’re supposed to be doing and find where you belong. Many find it to be a highly stressful time.

For military veterans, it’s even worse.

Returning to civilian life and attempting to establish oneself in the hectic and demanding college life is challenging enough, but couple that with the fact that many veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, and acute lack of focus. These mental roadblocks make an ordinary task, like getting to class on time, a troubling ordeal.

The trials that every veteran has gone through, the rigors and high levels of stress common to all who have faced combat, do not translate well to degree-seeking individuals.

Roadside bombs and M-16s

don’t mix easily with writing five page papers. College is chaotic and demanding in its own right, but it’s a completely different form of intensity than that found in active military duty. Many college-bound veterans simply become lost in the quagmire.

One example is the fact that many veterans have been known to enroll in 21 or more college credits. Considering that a 12 credits load is considered full-time and the credit cap is supposed to be set at 19, this is quite excessive.

These veterans may pile on the workload because they have no other clear focus point to follow, so they cling to the structure of their past military lives. Textbooks and lectures become the trade-in for operation briefings and surgical strikes.

Without some sort of assistance program to alleviate such burdens and transition them in the right direction, today’s

See VeterAnS PAGe 07

Nothing musically can compare to the sensation of a song pounding through your chest; feeling the music more than you hear it as you mouth the words ringing in your ears. At that point where the reverberating of the drums and the bass seem to replace your heartbeat and give you a sort of musical high; that’s when you know a band is good at more than looking pretty.

It’s even better when the style of music feels original.

UAA students were treated to a different taste of music when Rogue Wave and their opener Wolf Electric performed before a nearly full Wendy Williamson Auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 23. In a city and state overflowing with metal bands and folk musicians, it’s rare to find a group doing music that’s in-between.

The UAA Concert Board not only managed to find and ship Rogue Wave, a chill indie rock group, from California, but they also managed to locate a more local band of punk artists, Wolf Electric, from Chugiak to open for them.

The Wendy Williamson isn’t the most prime of locations for a concert; there’s hardly any room to stand, jump and dance when a band is playing, but that didn’t stop students and community members from cramming themselves between the front row of seats and the stage and doing just that when headliner Rogue Wave took the stage at around 8:30 p.m.

See roGue PAGe 10

Photo By Patrick MccorMick/tNL

Lead singer and guitarist Zach Rogue of the Rogue Wave. The Oakland California band performed at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on Feb. 24.

02 Senate Bill 17 would ban synthetic Marijuana

TNL

NEWS| March 1, 2011

By Matthew caprioli The Northern Light

Three weeks after its introduction, the bill to ban fake pot a.k.a. spice, k2, or spike, sits in the judiciary committee. State

Senator Kevin Meyer (R) is the main sponsor of Senate Bill 17.

“This bill would classify certain synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as K2 or Spice as a schedule IIA controlled substance,” the sponsor’s

statement said.

Spice is essentially a herb treated with various chemicals, then packaged and sold as incense.

Spice is available in gas stations, head shops, or over the Internet.

The chemicals present in spice are said to act on the cannabinoid receptors by mimicking the main psychoactive component of marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabionol (THC).

What makes spice a gamble is the unknown combination of chemicals in the product. Spice can have almost no effect to a very unexpected one. The products are also incredibly varied: brand names aren’t popular in head shops, and tracing the manufacture can be difficult.

UAA Professor of Psychology John Petraitis echoed the hesitancy over spice’s unknown effects.

“One concern I’ve heard on NPR was that because spice and other synthetic substances like it are not regulated by the FDA, the quality and potency is inconsistent, creating a situation where someone could get a particularly strong dose that might trigger an adverse reaction. Let the buyer beware.”

Nation-wide concern over the drug largely began in the middle of last year.

Concern over spice hit Anchorage in October; several articles about the GraPhic By corEy BEaUDriE

subject were published that month.

The Anchorage Assembly soon took action. They unanimously voted to ban spice; since Jan. 6 2011, spice is illegal in Anchorage.

SB 17 would prohibit spice throughout the state.

“This new drug is dangerous, cheap and legally available. Sold in smoke shops and gas stations as incense, it is marketed to people who are interested in herbal alternatives to cannabis. Synthetic cannabinoids are inexpensive, accessible and undetectable in drug tests. Here in Alaska, the drug enjoys some popularity amongst North Slope workers, U.S. Military members and students,” Meyer’s statement said.

So far, the bill has experienced little opposition. For many community members, the fact that spice has an undisclosed amount and kind of chemicals is enough to avoid it.

“Just don’t smoke it, I’ve heard terrible things,” UAA Alumni Guy Sines, said.

Not everyone believes that the problem is pervasive enough to warrant a ban. The number of high school students using marijuana remains drastically higher than the number of students using spice.

“You could probably count the number of cases on one hand,” school district spokeswoman Heidi Embley said.

UAA student Nika Snell believes that banning spice is an illogical power play.

“If the government makes any money off a drug, they’re no better than the drug dealers they put in prison. So instead of ruining their

First ONEshirt drive succeeds at UAA By cameron Mackey KRUAA 88.1 F.M.

Modern times give us more and more ways to reach out to others.

For some, it’s as easy as making a call on a cellphone. To a group of dedicated students and staff at UAA, when it comes to helping others, it’s as easy as giving them the shirt off your back.

Last week, in the small conference room at the University Lake building, a group of around twenty people from UAA gathered. In attendance was a mix of students, instructors and even Chancellor Ulmer. A brief video was screened, telling of the damaging effects that traditional clothing manufacturing has on the environment. The group is partially comprised of members of campus organizations, such as the Recycling and Sociology clubs, was about to participate in the first annual “One Shirt National Collegiate Clothing Drive.”

The drive was headed by SustainU, an American clothing company which produces goods through domestic labor and recycled textiles for the collegiate communities nationwide. UAA, and in effect Alaska, was one of the 35 states which signed on to participate this year, with 3000 volunteers across the country giving time and effort to make it possible.

The scope of the drive had these workers doling out informative doorhangers which told of the poverty

plight and current status of clothing production domestically and worldwide, including the grim facts involving child labor and outsourced production facilities in foreign countries. The door hangers asked people to donate bags of gently-used clothing in bags on their doorstep for collection last Wednesday morning.

Locally the UAA group was responsible for hanging the door posts and collecting the donations, which will ultimately be given to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Anchorage to process. Kent Spiers is a student at UAA and the Administrative Assistant in the Office of Sustainability. He helped head the campus-push for involvement in the drive and spoke on how UAA became involved.

“Paula Williams, the director of Sustainability forwarded an email from Chancellor Ulmer saying would we be interested in this. So Paula asked me if it would be something that we would be interested in participating in and if we could do it.

So I looked on their website and saw what their goals and mission were, I thought this is definitely something that UAA should participate in.

When I reached out to SustainU, the major sponsor of the event, they said Alaska would be the farthest reaching campus participating, so that was pretty cool,” Spiers said.

A wide array of students and groups were represented at the Monday meeting, including the entire executive panel for the

Sociology Club. The club’s President Sarah Schroeder explained why they were there to chip in.

“Kent Spiers is putting on the project and he’s a really good friend of mine. He asked us as the Sociology club to come help out with the project because it’s something that has a huge sociological impact. Like he explained during the meeting that it’s not just environment impacts, but also child labor, resource consumption and a wide array of other sociological aspects. So I felt that it was an important cause for the club,” Schroeder said.

A small contingent from the ever-present UAA recycling club was in attendance, and one of its members Alex Strobel helped tally the donations.

“Kent Spiers brought the whole sustainability group together and talked about this ONE shirt campaign and he had a little presentation which alerted us to the fact that recycling clothing is definitely helpful,” Strobel said. “What I just did was stood on a scale and weighed the clothing, it came out to around 860 something, that’s definitely achieving a lot.”

The first annual ONEshirt collegiate clothing drive was a success, at least locally. Overall, 860 pounds of donated clothing, packed in over 35 garbage bags were yielded. While there is no feedback available on the nationwide effort, UAA’s participants were met with promising results and plan to attempt the drive again next year.

image by monopolizing on these drugs they’re just going to ban it,” Snell said.

Snell had read of the possible side-effects of spice, but is skeptic over how wide spread the problem is. She noted that the same case studies were cited in various articles. In October, the Anchorage Daily News ran an article that cited two young men that had bizarre reactions to spice.

The same two cases were later cited in a February article in the Juneau Empire.

“Who gives the government power to ban only certain drugs?

They allow tobacco and alcohol, why do they get to say that these particular drugs are illegal? I don’t see how people can believe the government’s claim that it’s harmful when the government already allows certain harmful substances to reach the public,” Snell said.

UAA students have not brought concerns to UAA Health Services, according to Betty Bang, a nurse Practitioner at UAA. Nonetheless, students are advised not to use spice because of the undisclosed substances in the mix.

Bang said that the American Association of Poison Control and various emergency rooms have reported of patients having adverse reactions to spice.

Bang believes that the drug should be banned, because of the possible harmful effects and because spice often markets itself as safe incense, while simultaneously suggesting that it should be smoked.

March 1, 2011 | NEWS

03

Pacific Rim Conference on language brings national scholars

By Matthew caprioli The Northern Light

The 16th annual Pacific Rim Conference on literature & rhetoric met (where else) at the top of the library. This years topic was “World Englishes: Identity, Language, and Pedagogy in the Global Community”. The thoughts of author and linguistic David Crystal inspired the theme.

“What happens to a language when it is spoken by many times more people as a second or foreign language than as a mother tongue?” Crystal asked.

The conference took place on Feb. 25 and 26. This year received 48 submissions.

Many were from UAA, 14 were from the University of Fairbanks, a few from Oklahoma, and one from Iran.

The conference was organized into panels, lectures, and roundtables.

The keynote speaker was Dr. David Sigler, an Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho. Sigler’s lecture focused on one paragraph of a famous essay titled “Sensus Communis, an Essay on the Freedom of Wit and Humor.” The essay was written by the English politician, philosopher, and writer, Ashley Anthony Cooper in 1709.

In this paragraph Cooper wonders how an Ethiopian would react if he were suddenly transported into the midst of a carnival in Venice. He imagines that the Ethiopian would initially believe that the people he sees really look like that way.

Dr. Sigler expanded on this situation to demonstrate how it connected with identity across various cultures. He drew on the writing of Sigmund Freud, Ashley Anthony Cooper, and Jacques Lacan.

Since its inception in 1995, the conference has been entirely student run.

The conference co-directors this year were current graduate students Peter Kudenov and Jamet Woods. They’ve been planning the event since last September. Kudenov and Woods chose this year’s theme because

of it’s current popularity in academia.

The theme was also of increasing significance in politics. What role will English play in developing one’s identity, and how will millions of people speaking it as a second language influence what we think of as “standard written English”?

The conference panels ranged from “Animals Expressions, Human Identity” to “Writing Matters: a Campus-Wide conversation on Writing Across the Curriculum.” The latter is a documentary produced by English professors Jackie Cason, Ph.D., and Trish Jenkins, Ph.D. They surveyed more than a dozen faculty members; professors that taught computer science, public administration, nursing, and psychology.

The movie asked professors to relate their own writing experience. Many agreed that writing is painful, but well worth the rewards. Associate Professor of Computer Science Jack Pauli said it is the only academic subject that is a lifelong process and that is invaluable to every field.

Other faculty said that they prefer to see original thought in student papers rather than a trite, safe paper that only has merit because it followed guidelines.

Two themes Cason and Jenkins found that concerned faculty was how to tell a student their writing needs vast improvement without hurting them to the point that they give up. The second was the acknowledgement that there is a gap between cognition and writing ability. They do interact with each other, but sometimes students must realize that a student can be intelligent but a mediocre writer.

The final roundtable discussion was titled “Approaching Alaskan Classrooms,” where three UAF professors presented their thoughts. Each noted that the UA system is structured so that students learn global and national skills at the expense of local/ state history. This is important because it can cause a skewed sense of reality in a UA

Photo By DaNiEL JacksoN/tNL

Dr. David Sigler was the keynote speaker at the 16th annual Pacific Rim Conference on Feb. 25. The conference focuses on literature and rhetoric. Dr. Sigler is a professor at the University of Idaho, specializing in British literature, critical theory, and popular music studies.

graduate.

Dr. Duff Johnston presented on how the UA system educates international students.

He said that because the system views them as transient students, they are rarely required to learn about Alaskan history.

Sally Rafson talked about academia’s frequent negligence of attending to Alaskans agenda. She cited moose hunting season as one major incongruence that exists between the schooling calendar and some Alaskan calendars. Rafson called for administrators to tailor the curriculum to the unique needs of Alaskans.

Profesoor X’unci (Lance) Twitchell presented statistics and personal stories to highlight the importance of language and land to one’s identity. Native language speakers continue to die with no one

to continue their language. Eyak, an indigenous language in southcentral Alaska, became extinct when the last speaker Udach’ Kuqax a’a’ch (Marie Jones) died Jan. 28th, 2008.

He said that the downplay of Native languages within the UA curriculum is the result of an on-going imperialism. Speaking of UAF, Twitchell said that the university provides no incentive for students to learn a Native language. In the UA system, the average enrollment for a Native language course is three, while languages that are a part of foreign language departments have an average enrollment of 15.

The Pacific Rim Conference concluded with an awards ceremony and English Department Awards.

Preliminary rounds complete, eight teams to advance to semifinals Preliminary round 7: tuesday, Feb. 22, 7:00 Motion: the sea shepard conservation society is justified in its efforts to interfere with Japan’s whaling in the antarctic.

Team Destiny Quad Shot (No Whip) Decaf Extra Hot Caramel Macchiato

Preliminary round 8: tuesday, Feb. 22, 8:30 Motion: congress should refuse to raise the federal debt limit.

Vagabond

College Republicans

MnM

College Republicans

Fooly Cooly

The Auditors

Quiet Riot

MnM

Photos By Patrick MccorMick/tNL

Kyle Benson (pictured top right) of Team Vagabond takes a “point of information” from opponent Djamila Chettfour of Team M n M. British Parliamentary is the style of debate used in the Cabin Fever tournament, which allows opponents to offer a brief interjection to the speaker. The semifinal rounds will be held on Tuesday, March 1, in which eight teams will compete for a place in the final round. The two semifinal rounds will discuss collective bargaining and entrapment of potential terrorists.

Leland Miller, finalist in Cabin Fever 2010, preps his case alongside partner Kyle Benson. They were required to support the motion “Congress should refuse to raise the federal debt limit,” in which they primarily argued for boosting credibility amongst international lenders.

Justin Collins and Adam Garnett of team Quiet Riot were in the position of second opposition in the eighth preliminary round. The final round will be held on Thursday, March 3. The debate will focus on “anchor babies.”

04

TNL

NEWS| March 1, 2011

CLUB COUNCIL BRIEF

STATEWIDE BRIEFS

Club Council discussed the many opportunities for students and clubs when they met last Saturday, Feb. 26th.

Zac Clark, director of Concert Board announced that comedian Patton Oswald tickets have gone on sale. Oswald’s notable work includes starring in T.V show The King of Queens and the movie Ratatouille. So far, over 100 tickets have been sold.

Greek Council is hosting a carnival and is asking for clubs to host some booths. Contact Liisia Martin if interested.

Club Council and the Blood Bank are teaming up to host a blood donation competition amongst clubs. February 28th to March 21st, if you donate your blood, be sure to tell the Blood Bank so your favorite club gets points. Clubs with the most points can look forward to fiscal rewards.

USUAA elections are coming up. This year, clubs will have a chance to get up to $500 when they send representatives to help the voting process.

All clubs on campus should be updating their Collegiate Link website on a regular basis. You can upload photos, update member rosters, and promote officers. Businesses and papers often look –compiled by Melanie Leydon

PLEasE rEcycLE yoUr NorthErN LiGht

Tanana River bridge project seeks $44M from Alaska A request by an Alaska railroad for state money to bridge the Tanana River at Salcha is facing questions about its necessity and usefulness.

The bridge is part of a larger, $800 million Alaska Railroad Corp. project that will expand rail lines eastward to the Delta Junction. Eventually, proponents hope the rail line will link Alaska to Canada.

The bridge will cost $44 million from the state, and the railroad was still seeking funding for the other stages of the expansion, according to The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

This week, railroad president Christopher Aadnesen went before the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs to argue for project funding. The project has a military bent because the bridge would initially be used almost exclusively by the military in giving it yearround access to a training ground near Salcha.

The bridge project has brought in $144 million, more than two-thirds of it from the Department of Defense and the Federal Railroad Administration. But railroad project manager Brian Lindamood said the federal dollars begin to dissolve in 2013 and 2014 if they haven’t been spent.

The federal government also requires a levee to be in place at the doorstep of the bridge. Proponents of the bridge argue this will help prevent flooding in Salcha.

Rep. Carl Gatto said the railroad could build a cheaper and simpler bridge in Nenana. Gatto said flooding usually results from ice jams, something the levee couldn’t prevent.

“I am (concerned) about fixing the issue in question here and spending so much money to fix it, and worrying about whether the fix will even work,” Gatto said.

Aadnesen said a failure by the railroad to secure the bridge money would kill the idea of linking Alaska to Canada by rail.

The railroad was also seeking permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The other three stages of the Canada-Alaska rail plan have not yet secured funding. Aadnesen said those stages wouldn’t require money from the Legislature next year, but didn’t rule out returning to the state in the future for funding requests.

Alaska man charged with falsely labeling salmon An Alaska man has been indicted on federal charges alleging that chum salmon strips were falsely labeled as king salmon.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that 52-yearold Willis Maxon of Nenana was also charged with illegally selling about 100 pounds of falsely labeled salmon strips for about $2,600.

The indictment by the federal grand jury in Anchorage alleges Maxon sold the dried and smoked chum salmon strips after they were advertised as “St. Mary’s Yukon River

King Salmon” and “Copper River King Salmon” at the October 2009 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage.

Efforts to reach Maxon or determine whether he is represented by an attorney were unsuccessful.

Movie boost to Alaska estimated at $16.5 million A new report says the filming in Alaska of the Drew Barrymore movie, “Everybody Loves Whales,” brought an estimated $16.5 million to the economy in the state.

The report released Thursday by the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. says the film employed more than 1,300 Alaskans over the 58-day shoot last year. That number includes 48 cast members with speaking parts and about 1,100 extras.

The estimate also includes production company spending in Alaska.

The movie has applied for the state’s film production tax credit.

The pending movie is a fictional retelling of a 1988 attempt to rescue California gray whales trapped under the ice near Barrow.

Interior Department opens climate science center The Interior Department has opened the first of eight regional climate science centers, a facility in Anchorage hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science Anne Castle says the facility will tie into university resources and tap other existing capacities to provide scientific data, tools and techniques that can help manage resources in a changing climate.

The department says none of the regional centers is meant to replace existing agencies or jurisdictions but will identify gaps that exist in how climate change and other landscape-scale stressors are affecting a region.

Parnell: Interior, EPA driving foreign policy Alaska’s governor says the U.S. Interior Department and Environmental Protection Agency are driving foreign policy because their overreaching policies and regulation are driving greater dependence on foreign oil.

Gov. Sean Parnell says there needs to be a shift — and that his state must be allowed greater access to develop its resources so it can help ease the nation’s reliance on foreign oil.

Parnell made the comments in a speech to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. –compiled by Matthew caprioli

Free Thinker.

Think more, drive less.

With U-Pass, UAA students, faculty, and staff ride People Mover for free simply by showing their current semester ID. Use your time commuting to catch up on your studies, or with your friends.

www.peoplemover.org 343-6543

Ride to and from school, or work, or anywhere along our 14 routes and more than a thousand stops, absolutely FREE! And free means free— all routes, all times, every day.

Just flash your current school ID and get on board!

March 1, 2011 | NEWS

TNL

05

Construction management team claims regional title By alden Lee

The Northern Light

The UAA Construction Management competition team has just achieved nationwide recognition and picked up similarly large bragging rights.

The group, consisting of seven upperclassmen UAA students in the Construction Management program, took first place in the 24th Annual ASC Regions 6 and 7 Student Competition, under the Commercial Construction category. This competition is one of the largest construction management student competitions in the nation, with 173 teams entered from 43 universities. Over 1,100 students from 18 different states competed.

With that in mind, the fact that seven individuals took the championship from such a large mass of construction management students is an impressive feat.

Especially considering several schools, such as Colorado State University, the titleholder for the past four years, had over 15 teams representing their college. This is more than UAA’s entire Construction Management program combined, let alone the single team sent to the competition.

Eleven other teams were entered into the same category as UAA, including CSU, Arizona State, Brigham Young University, and Boise State. All teams featured talented and dedicated competitors, intensifying the stakes of the competition.

UAA teammates Jason Richards, Jed Shandy, Will Moran, Sean Rafter, Rachael Chamberlain, Jamie Smith and Mack Pennington all convened in Reno on February 15th, after three and a half months of preparation. After a day of settling in, meeting construction business members,

and attending a dinner featuring several keynote speakers, the team turned in at a relatively early bedtime of two in the morning in preparation for the next day’s lengthy competition.

The team received their assignment at six o’clock that morning: their task was to fully design and lay out the details and specs for a sports complex in Kent, Wash., all within the time frame of 15 hours. They were required to provide management, site, safety, and quality control plans of the complex, in addition to a detailed schedule and cost estimate.

The maximum price cap was set at $58 million, and the team was additionally responsible for a persuasive 20 minute PowerPoint presentation that stated why their plan was the best.

Cue intense amounts of stress and sleeplessness on the day of the 17.

“Things were definitely a rush,” said Jason Richards, a senior in the Construction Management program.

“But what really helped our group succeed was the amount of team chemistry we all had, where everyone was able to work out their specific tasks and also build off each other’s ideas. It was definitely a great team effort.”

It also helped that the group was able to inject a little humor into the competition, keeping things in perspective.

“One of the things I think that defined our team throughout the course of the day was that we had the TV on while we were sitting there working, so that we could keep a little chatter going while we were working.

We had a couple soap operas playing, Tyra Banks, Judge Judy, just to make this relaxed atmosphere that really helped us focus in,” said Richards.

At the end of the day, after churning out sub analysis, guaranteed maximum price spreadsheets, concrete takeoff estimates, integrated work management plans, and site logistics plans for the 9 p.m. deadline, the team had nothing left to do but set up their presentation for the following morning and hope that all the hard work hadn’t been for naught.

Turns out it wasn’t.

Not only was their project over 90 percent aligned with the actual competition numbers, with some of their logistics coming within .037 percent of the ideal set, UAA’s Construction Management team beat out the third place Colorado State and the second place Northern Arizona by a large amount.

“We were spot on, with every aspect of the competition,” said Rachael Chamberlain, a senior.

With all that tension and anxiety building up through the course of the day, and the three and a half months of preparation beforehand, the team was finally able to let

loose.

“So they go to announce the first place team, and they say, ‘And nailing it on all six of the categories is the University of Alaska Anchorage,’ and at that point we just lost it,” said Richards.

The fact that UAA has finally achieved a first place standing in the Regional Championship—they took second two years ago—really helps boost the credibility of the Construction Management program, and may help allow it to become an accredited division. Richards, Chamberlain, and the rest of the team have accomplished a lot for UAA with their victory.

Things wouldn’t have been possible without the teams’ coaches, Peter Dedych and Donn Ketner, who assisted the group throughout the entire time period and traveled up with them to Reno.

“We have to give an endless amount of gratitude to Pete and Donn,” said Will Moran, a junior. “They’ve been with us since the beginning, and really were the gel that kept everything together. We owe them

SAY WHAT? UK company sells human breast milk ice cream LONDON (AP) -- Gross or tasty? A London company is offering an unusual dessert - ice cream made with human breast milk.

Trendy London ice cream parlor The Icecreamists said its “Baby Gaga” ice cream sold out as soon as it launched Friday.

The company paid women who responded to an online ad to donate their breast milk. The milk - which the company said was screened in line with blood donor requirements - is then pasteurized and churned together with vanilla pods and lemon zest. The dish comes in a martini glass and sells for 14 pounds ($22.50) each.

Some may be repulsed by the idea but Matt O’Connor, who owns the company, told the BBC that the product is “organic, free-range and totally natural.”

“It’s good enough for our kids, good enough for our ice cream,” he said.

There are no specific laws in Britain prohibiting businesses from selling human milk products, the Food Standards Agency said, although they must comply with general food safety laws to ensure the product is safe for consumption.

Victoria Hiley donated the first batches of milk, earning 15 pounds ($24) per every 10 ounces (283 grams), the BBC reported.

About a dozen other women have signed up to donate more, O’Connor said.

Bicycling Seattle mayor has bike stolen SEATTLE (AP) -- Seattle’s bicycling mayor has had some explaining to do - to his wife about why her bike got swiped after he borrowed it to ride to work.

Seattlepi.com says Mayor Mike McGinn sent a message on Twitter late Wednesday about Peggy Lynch’s wheels.

He says in a tweet: “I know I’ve been encouraging people to ride bikes more, but I didn’t mean u could `borrow’ my wife’s bike w/o asking.”

McGinn, a former Sierra Club leader, frequently commutes by bike and often rides to events and meetings. He’s a strong advocate of making Seattle more friendly to cycles and pedestrians.

McGinn’s spokesman says the mayor borrowed his wife’s bike because he recently donated his own to a charity. It was taken from a city garage.

Brazil woman finds gator behind couch after flood SAO PAULO (AP) -- After floodwaters receded from her home, a Brazilian woman was shocked to find a most unwelcome house guest: a 5-foot (1.5-meter) alligator lying tamely in the living room as her 3-year-old son petted the reptile’s head.

The animal apparently was washed inside by the high water Monday night, said Luiz Claudio Farias, a captain of firefighters in the north-central city of Parauapebas.

When the woman went to clean up the following day, she saw the boy playing with something behind the couch, Farias said. It turned out to be a gator.

“She snatched the boy away and called us,” he said.

Farias said it was lucky the reptile apparently wasn’t in the mood for a meal: “If he was hungry, he could have seriously hurt or even killed the boy.”

Firefighters trapped the alligator and took it to a nearby environmental preserve, where they set it free.

“Cities in this region were built very near rivers and the rain forests, which is why it is not uncommon to see animals like alligators and snakes entering people’s houses,” Farias said.

He declined to identify the woman or her son.

–compiled by alec Martinez

FEATURES

06

Through poverty to citizenship, Hmong refugees make Anchorage home

By Joshua tucker The Northern Light

Children in the Asian and Pacific Islanders communities of Anchorage are the most likely of all ethnic groups to live in neighborhoods that expose them to poverty, according to a study by the Harvard School of Social Work.

Walking through some of Anchorage’s poorest neighborhoods, bumper stickers and small business’s signs written in Mandarin Chinese, Korean and other languages are telltale signs of the residents in the trailer parks and aging apartment complexes there.

The history of how the Hmong people came to Anchorage sheds light on the unique paths they are treading now to support their community.

Arthur Yang, the executive director of the Hmong Center of Alaska, immigrated to the United States from Laos in 1979.

“Hmong people are very hard workers, you can put you trust in the Hmong people. When Hmong people say they are helping you, they help you from the beginning to the end” Yang said.

Hmong fighters were recruited by the CIA to fight against the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. An estimated 35,000 Hmong volunteers died and more than 100,000 were wounded.

In return, the United States granted permission for some Hmong refugees to immigrate to the United States, as more than 200,000 have.

Leading Hmong General Vang Pao was laid to rest in Fresno, Calif. in a six-day funeral earlier this month.

Yang noted that the Hmong population in Anchorage is approximately 5,000.

“Many of those are refugees who came from Thailand

and many of them have mental and physical trauma due to the (Vietnam) War,” Yang said.

Yang remembers his first job in the United States paid only two dollars and forty-seven cents per hour.

Searching for a safe place to raise his six children, Yang settled on Kodiak. Looking at it on the map, Yang

‘Right now I am teaching a citizenship class for the Hmong refugees. Last session we had 56 people enrolled. We don’t have a place to teach (the class).’

–Arthur Yang, Executive Hmong Center of Anchorage Director remembers saying, “good, it’s a remote island.”

In 2003, Yang and his family moved to Anchorage and joined Bride Builders of Anchorage.

Yang explained many struggles the Hmong community faces in Anchorage. One example came when the Hmong community performed an annual spiritual ceremony in which they sacrifice a chicken.

“At that time one of the neighbors called APD they said these people torture the animal, ‘they violated the animal’s rights.’ The APD came and Bridge Builders stood behind the Hmong community, this is their spiritual religious and cultural belief,” Yang said.

Former Bridge Builders President Malcolm Roberts remembers responding to the incident.

“I said to the police they are having a BBQ, that’s about as American as it comes,” Roberts said.

Yang credits Bridge Builders of Anchorage with fostering understanding between diverse ethnic communities.

APD officers left the scene without pressing charges.

“Right now I am teaching a citizenship class for the Hmong refugees. Last session we had 56 people enrolled.

We don’t have a place to teach (the class),” Yang said.

The Korean community in Anchorage is also finding unique ways to grow stronger.

S.K. Son, President of the Korean American Community of Anchorage. According to Son, approximately 7,000 Korean Americans live in Anchorage, operating more than 300 small businesses.

“We are from different places and we look different too, but when we put these differences together and work together too we become one big strong community and that is Bridge Builders,” Son said.

Recently they held their annual scholarship night and gave away $21,000 in scholarships. Korean Harvard Graduate Matthew Moon spoke to the crowd, which included influential public servants like Carol Comeau, superintendent of the Anchorage School District.

Investing in empowering second-generation immigrants has emerged as a key strategy for lifting up entire communities.

VIDEOS of speeches by Son and Yang are on TheNorthernLight.org as part of the Paper’s ongoing Cultures of Anchorage video series.

GURU KATE

Microwaves myths debunked: Magic or madness?

By kate Lindsley The Northern Light

What materials are never microwave safe?

First, just check the bottom of whatever you’re using. Usually it’ll have a little symbol with a microwave (it’s good to go), or a microwave with an X through it (don’t do it!).

Sometimes there’s a picture of a tray with some squiggles above it, this means that sometimes noodles will float above your tray when you put it in the microwave.

Just kidding, that’s just another microwave safe symbol.

For dishes you have no clue about, and have no symbols or markings of any sort, don’t ever put this stuff in the microwave: • Margarine tubs, yogurt containers, cottage cheese containers or anything like that.

• Re-used tv-dinner trays that you already microwaved in. It’s a one time deal.

• Aluminum foil (or any kind of metal for that matter) • Really fancy china • Styrofoam that isn’t labeled microwave safe Also, don’t let plastic wrap touch your food when you’re microwaving with it.

If you’re that scared of it touching, try a plain white paper towel instead. Printed or

recycled papers can’t always be trusted.

If you’re still not sure, just don’t do it. If you need to eat whatever it is hot, transfer it to a microwave safe container. Be safe, not scared.

can you get direct radiation from standing too close to a microwave?

Let’s look at the anatomy of a microwave to answer this question. A microwave is basically a metal box with a microwave generator inside of it, and sometimes a rotating plate. The whole thing works by microwave radiation’s ability to vibrate water at a fast speed.

As taught in an elementary chemistry course, the faster a molecule

vibrates, the warmer it is. This property is due to thermodynamics and kinetics (although I don’t know the all the little details, I hear it’s pretty complex).

So if these microwaves are contained in a closed box, they shouldn’t get out. There are little pockets of rumors here and there: stay two inches away, get a new microwave often, you get one-hundred-bazillion times more radiation from your cell phone, TV, dog, etc.

But lots of these rumors have absolutely no basis other than paranoia. Paranoia will destroy ya. It’s probably a good idea to update your microwave every once in awhile, if just to avoid cleaning it.

Regardless, don’t let the word radiation scare you all the time. For instance, you cook toast (in an open toaster, gasp!) using infrared radiation.

All light in the visible spectrum is called radiation. You listen to the radio in your car that’s transmitted through radio wave radiation.

In fact, microwave radiation has a longer wavelength (and is therefore is less cellinvasive) than visible light.

It’s only in the context of ultra violet, x-rays, gamma rays, nuclear stuff, really powerful radiation that it gets hairy.

But hey, that’s also how you make a superhero.

GraPhic By corEy BEaUDriE

March 1, 2011 | FEATURES

By kate Lindsley The Northern Light

Senior Cadet Colonel Matthew Sargent serendipitously landed in the Air Force ROTC after a series of fortunate events. Scoring well on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test in high school, the Army ROTC recruited Sargent, but an Air Force recruiter in the same building caught him first. Finding his niche in military leadership, Sargent described Air Force ROTC to be rich in education and valuable life experiences.

the Northern Light: how did you end up in alaska?

Matthew Sargent: I used to be active duty Air Force and I was stationed in Germany and I applied for a scholarship with ROTC. I had to pick essentially two schools: one, a high cost school so I picked Duke and one, a lower cost school so I picked UAA because of the political science program, and so here I am.

tNL: Why did you pick the air Force as opposed to other branches of the armed forces?

MS: When I was in high school, I had just thought that I would go the standard college route. Find a degree and major in it. In my high school they made everybody take the ASVAB. It’s like a SAT or

when we’re in uniform. That can really raise some eyebrows. One of the things our commander always says is you have to remember the context. The context behind us is that we’re training for an active duty spot; we’re training to go into the armed services. So just remember the context around what we’re doing.

ACT test that measures your skills and abilities. It helps if you were to join the military place you in a job.

And I took it, didn’t think anything of it, then I got a call two months later from the Air Force saying ‘you scored really high, in fact you qualify for everything so we want to talk to you about it.’ I didn’t really give it too much thought, but I talked to my parents, talked to some of their friends and they encouraged me to look into it. I did that and found that’s the route I wanted to take.

Initially I was looking at the Army because the Army called me but then an Air Force recruiter in the same building caught me and pulled me in. I sat down with him and I decided it was the way to go.

Almost blind luck I guess would be the short answer.

tNL: Do you have any advice to students interested in joining rotc?

MS: Our leadership laboratories are completely open, so if you arrange it with the teacher you can come in and sit in on a leadership laboratory. If you catch us on the right day, we may be doing all kinds of fun stuff. We built bridges last week at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex so if they just want to come see what’s going on, see what the program is about, one of the best ways is to come to one of our leadership laboratories. Just come in and keep an open mind and have fun with us.

tNL: What are your plans after graduation?

tNL: What’s your favorite part of being in rotc?

MS: In terms of the Air Force, I’m going to be a public affairs officer so at the very least for the next four years that’s what I’ll be doing. And I’m slated to go down to Whiteman Air Force base in Missouri and essentially do public affairs and public relations with the 509th bomb wing.

MS: As someone that’s coming from active duty, my points of view might be a little skewed from most people. But my favorite part is meeting with other people in terms of other officers, other professionals that they bring in to talk with us.

We get to do a question and answer session to learn about their experiences, where they’re coming from and some of the high points.

We talk a lot about leadership, because that’s essentially eventually what we’ll be doing. So I like learning a lot about that.

tNL: What do you think students should know about air Force rotc?

MS: It’s the military, (and although) we’re not in the military, we still live and breathe the military culture. I see that sometimes when our cadets are walking around campus, I don’t want to say that people sneer at them, but people definitely look at us differently. I think that’s maybe from just not understanding what it is that we’re doing.

We salute each other on campus

tNL: anything else you’d like to add?

MS: One of the things we tout as the military is the benefit to travel, and while we tout it a lot I still think it’s severely underestimated.

While I was in tech school I was

07

down in Mississippi and it just so happened that Hurricane Katrina happened to roll through. So as an airman I was in the service for less than a year, right around the eight or nine-month period, I was able to help with some of the humanitarian efforts down in the south, such as handing out water, handing out food, moving debris, all kinds of stuff. That experience was really awesome.

My next duty station was in Germany. It was so amazing to be in Germany because if you’re in the lower 48 here, say you’re in Kansas, you can drive north, go to Michigan. Or south, go to Texas. You’re essentially going to a different state, in the U.S. In Germany, it’s amazing because they’re the size of a state. But you drive north and you’re in a completely different country. You could be in Amsterdam, drive to the northeast and you can be in Sweden or Norway, you could drive south and be in Austria or Italy. So some of the awesome ability to easily travel around especially if you’re overseas is just amazing.

After the interview, Major Richard Maze noted that Sargent’s responsibilities are much higher due to his unique position in the Air Force ROTC. “There’s a chain of command we have in ROTC, we have 64 cadets and he’s the top cadet. So his workload is far more than the average cadet,” Maze said.

Matthew sargent Major: Political science age: 24 year: senior rank: cadet colonel hometown: Butte, Montana air Force rotc Facts: 64: number air Force rotc cadets enrolled at Uaa 100: percentage of expenses covered for only 5% of air Force rotc scholarship recipients 3.77: average high school GPa of air Force rotc scholarship recipients

Seawolves’ weekly enrichment calendar 3.1-3.7.2011 Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

March 1

March 2

March 3

March 4

the reality of Being a Parent 9:00-10:00 p.m.

Gorsuch commons

yupic Dance 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Gorsuch commons

our World Discussion series: Do you see What i see?

4:00-5:00 p.m. sMh, Lrc

Millenials in the Workplace: Neil howe 1:30-3:00 p.m. rh 101

Saturday

Sunday

March 5

March 6

Monday March 7

Jazz Week: Dave Frank & Dan Balmer 7:30-9:00 p.m.

Fine arts 150

Poker 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Gorsuch commons

Lecture: From Eve’s herbs to the Pill 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Uaa campus Bookstore

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TNL

FEATURES| March 1, 2011

‘Beard and stache’ competition: A hairy success

By Melanie Leydon

Special to The Northern Light

Beards continued for miles. Covering students, faculty and public community members, with bearded men, women and children, thehair took center stage. UAA’s first annual Beard and Mustache competition was finally at an end on February 24.

The lower South Cafeteria in the Student Union was filled with competitors and beard enthusiasts. This event would not have been possible without the number one beard enthusiast herself, Sarena Hackenmiller. She was humbled by the success of the year’s first annual event.

“This event was a complete success, we had a lot more people compete than I had thought, and everyone seemed to have a great time,” Hackenmiller said.

There were eight categories, ranging from a grizzly (wild mane) to chops (side burns) to even a ladies category.

During each round, the audience was asked to come up to the stage and inspect the beards or mustaches, and many women were pleased with the density of the beards.

Sydney West, Senior, Sociology was one of the appreciative spectators.

“I am a beard enthusiast. I was most impressed with all of the beards, and loved the grizzly beard category; the

beards were very dense and I could lose my hands in them,” West said.

Many UAA students who participated had no expectations and didn’t expect win their category. One student, Clayton Dale, Junior, Sociology major won the chops category, and was surprised.

“I usually grow my beard during winter break, and saw

‘I am a beard enthusiast. I was most impressed with all of the beards, and loved the grizzly beard category; the beards were very dense and I could lose my hands in them.’

–Sydney West Senior Sociology Major

the event poster and decided not to shave my beard. I didn’t think I would win, and was very excited for the event. I

would like to do it again next year if I can,” Dale said.

The ladies category had everyone in awe. There was a bicycle tube beard, an actual beard made of hair donated from a friend, a cloth beard, a knitted beard and a painted beard. Amidst such competition, undeclared sophomore Alyx Shoryer came away victorious.

“My beard was foraged from a friend; my face doesn’t naturally grow a beard, and she donated her hair for me to create this majestic beard. It was exciting to participate in the event, and I will definitely be back for the competition next year,” Shroyer said.

Winners from each category went on to the overall championship round. The final decision came down to a tie.

The audience roared for all competitors, but one contestant was the obvious winner. First place went to Charlie Earnshaw, winner of the Freestyle category. Second place winner was Alyx Shroy, winner of the Ladies category.

Douglas Renfro, winner of the Grizzly category, won third place.

David Travers, the reigning Worlds champion, was particularly impressed with the competition at UAA. “UAA has really impressed me with their beards and mustaches, and we really have to commend them on a job well done. We hope to be back to judge next year’s event,” Travers said.

Frigid waters cannot keep sourdoughs away By corey Grundman Special to The Northern Light

“Killer waves bro,” are words that nobody would think of saying in Alaska.

Scott Dickerson, 27, may be the only exception: he surfs all-year round.

Dickerson operates Surf Alaska, a small surfing company based in Homer.

He started in the summer of 2010 with the intent to share his excitement of surfing with all Alaskans. Surf Alaska offers a variety of new experiences for clients. They rent short and long boards, but since Homer receives their swells from the wind instead of the open ocean it’s harder to predict when adequate surfing waves will occur, so they primarily offer SUP (stand up paddle) boards.

“In the summer a strong northwest wind never happens and there isn’t as much waves to surf, so SUP boarding is our main concentration,” said Dickerson. “Paddle boarding has exploded worldwide because it’s a more accessible experience, there are no limitations; if you can stand on a table with out falling then you can SUP.” SUP boards are generally 9 to 12 feet long. The larger length and paddle help with stability and momentum, and the boards have padded decks and concave hulls for increased balance.

SUP boarding has generated immense popularity since it’s introduction in 2000.

Alaska is the perfect location for SUP boarding with over 34,000 miles of coastline and more than 3 million lakes; there is an abundance of water to experience. Surf Alaska gained notoriety in the surfing world from a September 2010 SUP session in Turnagain Arm, where Dickerson and

friends surfed for 5 miles in the tides in Cook Inlet.

“It’s a magical experience,” said Dickerson. “There’s this belief that you will die if you go out on the mud flats of Turnagain arm. You can go out there and live, you may even enjoy it.”

The mud flats are the least of the worries for a surfer in Alaska. The water is cold and it takes a special kind of person to be willing to endure the temps for the adrenaline rush.

Dickerson grew up in Homer, and has tried almost every sport that Alaska has to offer, from snowmachines to kyaking. There has always been a certain allure and fascination for him with the water. And against most people’s common sense he took up surfing in Alaska.

“I grew up here and the water has always been that way,” Dickerson said with a laugh. “It’s definitely extreme on your face, especially in winter, and it will make you gasp” That gasp and rush of uncontrollable shivering is exactly what most people are trying to avoid, and why they are so hesitant to the idea of getting into Alaska waters.

“I’ve surfed in Hawaii, and it would be awesome up here, but it just seems too cold,” said UAA sophomore Timothy Sanner.

“Isn’t it kind of dangerous, and it just seems crazy to try in Alaska,” said UAA student Amanda Edades.

Still, she is willing to give it a try.

“I wanted to go paddle boarding in Hawaii, but if it’s safe then I’d love to try it.”

Dickerson doesn’t go into the water

Like what we’re doing?

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LET US KNOW!

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content@thenorthernlight.org Letters should be no longer than 300 words.

They may be edited for content and grammar.

without protection from the elements though. He wears a 6.5 mm thick wetsuit with gloves and boots to match, which is rated for 45-60 degrees Fahrenheit.

“I just want people to realize that with technology of wetsuits now-a-days you can be quite comfortable even in the middle winter,” explained Dickerson. “Often times when I am out there I am hot and

sweating.”—good point.

Surfing in Alaska may not be the same as the warm waters in Hawaii, but Alaska is in the middle of the wilderness—where else can you experience the breathtaking landscapes that Alaska has to offer?

For more information on Surf Alaska visit www.surfalaska.net

09 From grizzlies to babies, hair took center stage March 1, 2011 | FEATURES

Photos By DaNiEL JacksoN/tNL

top Left: Tatiana Agnew, sociology, looks at two of her competitors Sofia Fouquet, marketing and Alyx Shroy, undeclared as they await the results from the judges. Alyx Shroy won the ladies category with her beard crafted out of her own dreadlocks. Left center: Contestants for the grizzly beard category line up and wait to be judged. The competition was the first of its kind that was held at UAA. Students and the public were open to enter the contest. above: Social work major Chaz Hart, 19, laughs as his beard his inspected by people from the audience. The competition was held at the Student Union, with a large turn out of students and community members.

top right: Anchorage resident David Traver, who is the reining overall World Beard & Moustache champion, was one of the judges of the competition. right center: Sarena Hackenmiller, student activities manager, was the primary organizer of the event. Hackenmiller is a self-declared “pogonophile,” which is someone who loves beards. above: English major Joeseph Selmont, 20 shows off his chops for the competition. He was a last minute entry.

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TNL

FEATURES| March 1, 2011

VETERANS: Campus advising services lacking for veterans Continued from CoVer competitive college environment can leave veterans destined to fail.

These veterans aren’t necessarily looking for someone to show them where to go every step of the way; more than anything, they just want someone who can understand what they are dealing with.

Their situation is complicated enough to begin with, and any assistance would be helpful.

Having someone who knows of the complications and troubling emotions being dealt with on a daily basis is an understandable benefit for veterans on campus. Veterans find it a relief to have a person available to engage in conversation with who understands where they’re coming from and exactly what confusions they face. This is what collegeattending veterans are almost always seeking, and rarely ever find.

But that’s not to say colleges aren’t trying to help. The Department of Veterans Affairs was established with the idea of providing such assistance, specifically helping veterans through the complicated enrollment process and subsequent class navigation, as well as handling the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other benefits. But according to the groups of college-attending veterans left floundering in a pool of mass confusion and even more questions, it’s not working quite as effectively as it needs to be.

Even more problematic are UAA’s Financial Aid, Dispersing, and Accounting departments, which function essentially as the be-all-end-all for veterans hoping to get through the college system.

Veterans report a constant scurry back and forth between different enrollment and credit approval offices, forever producing different military forms and verification documents.

With all this weighing down on their shoulders, it’s clear to see why veterans are feeling lost and misrepresented on campus.

Tammy Cartwright would like this to change.

Cartwright has firsthand experience with this lost-in-translation feeling. A combat veteran who

Photo By DaNiEL JacksoN/tNL

Tammy Cartwright is on the forefront of making sure that veterans get the help they need while at UAA. Cartwright has first hand experience as a veteran dealing with countless phone calls, piles of paper work and the overall frustration of getting veteran's benefits at the university.

let others know of troubles they are facing—but there is no way to disguise that thousand yard stare.

“Throw that into the college mix, and you’re dealing with academic suicide,” Cartwright said.

And indeed, many college veterans do find themselves bombing out and facing extremely high debts, even with their military benefits. According

‘You’re dealing with an extremely emotional situation. You come home and you don’t know your families anymore, and your families don’t know you. You’re left feeling like an outcast in the place you once called home.’

–Tammy Cartwright, Combat veteran UAA student served under Operation Iraqi Freedom for 14 months starting in 2005, Tammy waded through a seemingly unending stream of paperwork, phone calls, and referrals upon enrolling at UAA, just to receive her veteran benefits.

“It’s frustrating,” she said. “You want to get mad at the advisors, at the VA, at the school. You have limited resources to begin with, and the resources here just aren’t adequate at all.”

Not to mention the fact that many veterans are trying to attend to personal issues as well, battling inner demons and warding off deep-seated anxieties and UAA offers no staffed military advisors on campus. There are certified officials who can assist with credits and course hours, but as far as veteran counseling goes, the school is lacking compared to other colleges around the nation.

This leaves a gaping hole in the most important factors of college success for military veterans: their mental and psychological well being.

“You’re dealing with an extremely emotional situation,” said Cartwright. “You come home and you don’t know your families anymore, and your families don’t know you. You’re left feeling like an outcast in the place you once called home.”

According to Cartwright, veterans work extremely hard to act normal around the rest of society—they have too much pride and dignity to

to Greg Kaplan, a D.C. representative and a member of Congress, within the first year of college nearly 50 percent of veterans will be financially disqualified, due to excessive class enrollment and misguidance, among other factors.

“These overpayments just keep on snowballing,” Kaplan said. “They’re set up to fail.”

In an effort to combat the hardships facing these student veterans, Cartwright, along with several other dedicated veterans, have established Veterans of UAA. This group is dedicated to reaching out to veterans and providing a helping hand. This ranges from just offering a place for veterans to come when they want to talk, to actually assisting them in figuring out their GI Bill and class navigation discrepancies. And the group isn’t restricted to veterans—anyone can join.

While this is a relatively new group and membership, especially among veterans, is low, Cartwright is confident in the eventual success of Veterans of UAA. “Obviously it’s going to be difficult to reach out to veterans to start out—we are a solitary bunch by nature—but eventually I believe we can establish a solid foundation where veterans can find connection and feel represented on campus,” Cartwright said.

“More than anything, that’s what is needed.”

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

11

ROGUE: California-based band rocks out Wendy Williamson Continued from COVER

Humorously, only the crowd on the left side of the stage seemed to actively enjoy the music, while the crowd on the right side of the stage barely did more than sway in comparison. It was as though an imaginary line had been drawn directly down from the center of the stage to the first row of seating, perfectly separating the two groups.

Even the seated crowd got into the music though Rogue Wave managed to evoke a great deal of crowd participation during a few of their numbers. “Kicking the Heart Out” was one such song; during musical interludes the crowd would either snap or clap in time with the beat, nearly drowning out the drums when they did so.

The band also managed to hold the crowd’s attention during lead singer Zach Rogue’s small bad luck streak - He nearly tripped over his laces when his shoes came untied, (at which point he joked with the crowd that they’d rocked his laces off,) his guitar strap snapped in the middle of a song, (which was also allegedly caused by the crowd’s “rocking”) and then he nearly tripped a second time over untied laces. But through every interruption, the band laughed and joked with the crowd in an effort to maintain a positive and fun atmosphere.

Rogue Wave’s music has appeared on countless television shows, movie soundtracks and four albums of their own. To hear their music, or learn more about them, go to www.roguewavemusic.com.

Photos By Patrick McCormick/TNL

Top Left: Zach Rogue, guitarist, and namesake of Rogue Wave.

Middle Left: UAA student Megan Rodgers (right) was among the students who made the most of the venue and converted the front row to a makeshift dance floor. Middle Right: Dominic East has been with the band since 2007 as their lead guitarist. Bottom Left: Bassist Cameron Jasper performing at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. Bottom Right: Pat Spurgeon playing percussion for the band on Feb. 24.

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TNL

A&E| March 1, 2011 3.01-3.21.2011

i

FOCUS FUNDRAISER

MUSIC

Empty Bowl Project The Anchorage Clay Arts Guild is hosting the 17th Annual Empty Bowl Project at the Egan Center in Saturday, March 12. The Empty Bowl Project is a fundraiser to benefit Bean’s Café, a non-profit agency that feeds and shelters the homeless of Anchorage.

Tickets to this event are $20 and include one handcrafted bowl (of the ticketholder’s choosing) and all the soup and cornbread you can eat. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.beanscafe.org.

ROLLER DERBY

First tap Fitz and the Tantrums play First Tap at the Bear Tooth Theatre on Thursday, March 3. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $28 for this 21 and over show. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.beartooththeatre.net.

rage city rollergirls The Rage City Rollergirls take on the Fairbanks Allstars in the “Brawl of the Wild: Battle for the Rondy Cup” on March 5 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Dena’ina Center.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children in advanced. To learn more, or to purchase tickets, go to www. ragecityrollergirls.org.

THEATRE

cabaret Broadway musical “Cabaret” returns to Anchorage from Thursday March 3 through Saturday, april 9 at the Wild Berry Theater under the direction of Christian Heppinstall. Tickets for this show are $15, and can be purchased online at www.centertix.net.

chicago city Limits New York City based improv group, Chicago City Limits, will be performing at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Chicago City Limits combines sketch comedy, musical theater and audience inspired improvisations in their act. Tickets range from $29 to $34 and are available online at www.centertix. net. compiled by heather hamilton e-mail arts@thenorthernlight.org to submit an event!

BREW REVIEW

Rogue Ale goes organic By sean talbot The Northern Light

Welcome to the revolution. Rogue Brewery is on a grow-your-own kick, so they brewed up a blondie. The Chatoe First Growth Single Malt Ale is made with four ingredients grown on site, a nice, earth-conscious touch.

The brew pours a cloudy dark gold color with a sparse and slow-dying head. It has a pungent smell, similar to that of a good hefeweisen, but more piney than fruity. Rich is the word that comes to mind, but the taste is also balanced.

It isn’t hoppy just to be hoppy, and that good judgment makes for a very smooth finish.

The aftertaste has a very healthy amount of carbonation. Let the beer warm up a little between glasses, and the second time around, it isn’t as harsh on the back end. A tip: to kill some carbonation, swirl the glass a bit to get some air into it.

This is an especially good beer, though it is necessary to let the glass warm up a little and drink it English-style (not every beer, contrary to what Anheuser-Busch commercials might say, is best served ice-cold).

The single 22 oz. bottle leaves something to be desired for the session, but that doesn't detract from the quality. Rogue got it right this time.

Keep up the organic revolution.

★★★★★ BrEWEry: rogue Brewery BrEW: chatoe rogue iBU: 35

March 1, 2011 | A&E

TNL MUSIC REVIEW

13

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Old Intentions’ doesn’t Nicholas Cage strikes out do justice to local band By heather hamilton The Northern Light

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

Local punk band, Wolf Electric, has an interesting style that can be called all their own. It’s like Minus The Bear with shades of Rogue Wave, but a different vocal style.

The vocals, by Johnny Smithson, are high-pitched and even. The mixing, however, is strange. You can tell that he’s got a great set of pipes, but they sound underpowered and weak.

Hearing them live, however, is another matter, Smithson has a great range, and you can almost feel the subtlety in his voice.

The opener “The Berlin Wall” is, well, sort of hard to hear the vocals on. It seems that they are over-modulating, and it is somewhat grating.

The lead single, “Freudian Slips,” talks about fate and how it shapes life,

which is really what the album is about.

The real reason to write home about this EP though is the title track, “Old Intentions,” which has a beautiful

Hearing them live, however, is another matter, Smithson has a great range, and you can almost feel the subtlety in his voice. intro, crescendos at the right time and showcases the real talent behind the foursome.

Johnny Smithson’s voice takes a soulful tone, and it is striking how he can articulate multi-syllable words.

Despite the good parts on the EP, the band is much better live.

It’s a shame that bad mixing stands in the way of a promising group which could have in turn produced a powerful EP. If you get a chance, hear them live before you take them with you.

★★★★★ aLBUM: “old intentions EP” artist: Wolf Electric rEcorD LaBEL: unsigned rELEasE DatE: Dec. 4, 2010

3-D art invitational to showcase UAA’s finest By sean talbot The Northern Light

The handpicked artists in the upcoming 3D Invitational are the cat’s pajamas of the current UAA art community. The Student Union Gallery is kicking off this annual show on March 3 with a 5 o’ clock meet ‘n’ greet ‘n’ check-it-out reception.

As of today, the votes will be counted and invitations mailed out to talented artists of metalwork and sculpture, fibers, ceramics and 3D Design.

“The professors choose the artists; one from each class,” said Phil Obermarck, the gallery’s assistant manager.

Although he doesn’t know yet who will be in the show, Obermarck said that the chosen artists are the best –Brandon Moore, of those taking classes right Student Union Gallery Manager. now.

The standard of work being showcased is expected to be higher this time around. The pool of eligible artists for this year’s Invitational is a collection of upper level classes, whereas in the past all classes were considered.

Obermarck expects to have two pieces from each student featured, and thinks the invite will produce fifteen to twenty pieces.

For selected students who want to put their art up for sale, the gallery will a price list for prospective buyers.

The 3D show will be in the gallery longer than most shows because of spring break. To kick the party up again after vacation, the gallery will host a fortnight reception on March 16, mid-day, for the uninspired to stop in to look for something to be dazzled by.

“It’s going to be a great show. I’m looking forward to what the students are going to pull out this year,” said Brandon Moore, the Student Union Gallery Manager.

The 3D Invitational show will run in the Student Union Gallery from Thursday, March 3 to Monday, March 28. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and until 5 p.m. on Fridays.

‘It’s going to be a great show. I’m looking forward to what the students are going to pull out this year.’

Hell hath no fury like Nicholas Cage in “Drive Angry 3D.” Unfortunately, even the special effects and big names couldn’t save this horrendous movie.

Milton (Cage “Season of the Witch”) escapes from Hell to find the devilworshippers who killed his daughter, and who have kidnapped his granddaughter for use in a ritual. He finds blond hottie Piper (Amber Heard “The Ward”) and joins forces with her to track them down.

The movie really didn’t have much of a chance from the get-go; one of the writers and the director of the “My Bloody Valentine” remake in 2009 wrote the script.

That’s warning number one of a questionable movie.

Warning number two is the fact that Cage is the star, and while he may do well acting in some movies, his bad roles are frustrating enough for moviegoers to question each acting decision he makes. Cage is bland in “Drive Angry;” he relies chiefly on oneliners (as usual,) and he once again portrays a “type” character – a character as dry and irritating as he is.

The third warning that “Drive Angry” is terrible is the blatantly advertised use of 3D effects in the movie’s title. Movies that do this typically overuse the effect, and “Drive Angry 3D” is no exception. Either the effects are so minuscule that the audience doesn’t notice, or so in-your-face that it looks cheesy. “My Bloody Valentine,” that terrible remake written in part by the same people, is exactly the same.

There are several other things about the movie that should tip-off potential moviegoers, (including the title itself;

seriously? “Drive Angry?”), but for those who absolutely have to see it anyway, only the decent special effects make it worthwhile. There are exciting and fun explosions, tons of random bloodshed and a predictable amount of car chases; all of these are epic, fun and worth watching. But not in 3D - nowhere near worth watching in 3D. In short, “Drive Angry 3D” is a terrible movie made by untalented writers with terrible acting and obnoxious 3D effects. It isn’t worth paying to see in 3D, 2D, DVD purchase or regular DVD rental. If you absolutely have to see this movie, rent it from Red Box.

★★★★★ DirEctED By: Patrick Lussier starriNG: Nicholas cage, amber heard rUN tiME: 104 GENrE: action, comedy

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A&E| March 1, 2011

GAME REVIEW

‘Hyperdimmension’ pokes fun at game console ‘war’

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

At first glance, “Hyperdimension Neptunia” is a game that looks like it’s made for perverts.

The fact of the matter is, even though it is marketed to them, the game plays like a great classic turn-based dungeon crawler steeped in gamer culture references.

And since this is a Japanese RPG, it’s convoluted and is host to horrifying dialogue.

The game features inside gamer jabs at the current console wars, the XBOX 360, PS3 and the Wii, and current gaming tropes.

The land of “Gameindustri” is in peril. The four Goddesses, or CPUs, or Console Patron Units, are at war. Each of these goddess, Purple Heart (Neptune), Black Heart (Noire), Green Heart (Vert), and White Heart (Blanc), represent the consoles.

Neptune is the successor, but never released system, to the SEGA Dreamcast; Noire represents the PS3; Vert represents the XBOX 360; and Blanc represents the Wii. This is interesting as the lands

are named somewhat similar to their systems. There’s Planeptune, Lowee, Lastation, and Leanbox, which are the four landmasses.

Oddly enough, it’s just convoluted enough to work.

The main character, Neptune, crashes down to Gameindustri and is quickly in the care of a rather well endowed nurse, Compa, (which is a jab at one of the developers, Compile Heart).

Quickly, it becomes apparent that a Holy Tome, Histoire, is trying to unite the four landmasses.

Histoire created the CPUs, but they all started infighting. This infighting led to the exile of Neptune. Anyway, the story just leads to the resolution, and is not really well developed.

It has to be said that the main character’s nickname, Nep-Nep, or even Neppermint, would make most people want to scratch out their ears with their PS3 controller.

It hurts, so much.

The big draws here are the art - finally in three dimensions - and the battle system.

The art is amazing, per usual, and the developers added enough depth so that the player can see the characters breathing; it’s

spectacular to look at.

What isn’t, and is extremely unnerving, is the way that the

around the frame. It’s a creepy, if not an interesting design choice, and is scary enough to make some

In any case, the company, Idea Factory, finally made a jump to 3D. It’s got a great art style, but aren’t very detailed, and the dungeon designs are reused.

The combat system is pretty neat in that it uses Action Points (AP), but the attacks are mapped to the face buttons.

They can only be chained to four attacks, but you can use the character’s alternate mode in tandem, and even use other characters to create even more combos and raise AP. This allows for some customization, and insanely fun and flashy combos.

Aside from who the game is marketed to, the horrible dialogue and low detail, the game is pretty awesome. It has a surprising amount of content, and is well supported.

It’s a game that could be a guilty pleasure, if the dialogue doesn’t kill you first.

★★★★★ anime-inspired characters’ breasts jiggle as the player moves

in the target audience regret their purchase.

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March 1, 2011

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SPORTS

17

PHOtos by Patrick McCormick/TNL

SPLIT: Seawolves and Nanooks both win at home Continued from COVER into the third with both teams looking for the momentum-shifting goal.

UAA had a golden opportunity when two ‘Nooks were whistled for penalties three minutes into the final period. However, the Seawolves couldn’t register a shot on their 5-on-3 opportunity and Unfortunately, that goal would come to the home team as Colton Beck found a loose puck between the circles and fired home a shot high glove side over Gunderson.

Then, the Seawolves, had a costly defensive breakdown that would they would have to pay for dearly.

UAF won the ensuing faceoff at center and rushed into the UAA zone. Cody Kunyk danced around one Seawolf defenseman and put a low shot that Gunderson kicked away. The rebound came right onto the stick tape of UAF’s Andy Taranto and he made no mistake with the loose change and gave UAF a 3-1 lead just seven seconds after going up 2-1.

UAA would wind up giving up two more goals in the remaining time, one coming after pulling Gunderson and the other while on the penalty kill.

UAA went 0 for 4 on the power play while they killed 5 of 6 UAF power plays.

Final shot totals were 35-25 in favor of the home team.

The following night saw the series shift to Anchorage where the Seawolves would continue their home dominance with a

convincing 4-1 victory over their northern rivals.

Again, it was UAA getting the games first tally. Freshman Brett Cameron riffled a slap shot from the right circle that was initially saved by Greenham. Cameron, however, followed up on his own shot and cashed in on his fourth goal of the season at 6:05 of the first period. Haddad and freshman Jordan Kwas were credited with the helpers.

UAA wouldn’t take long to add on to their lead as they cashed in on the power play just 1:11 later. UAF defenseman and Anchorage native Bryant Molle attempted to clear the puck after a scrum in front of the Nanook goal but ended up depositing the puck in his own cage.

UAA sophomore Scott Warner, who also hails from Anchorage, got credit for the goal, his third on the year, while senior Craig Parkinson and sophomore Mitch Bruijsten received assists.

The Seawolves weren’t done there as junior Jade Portwood joined in on the action with his first goal of the season. The defensive forward redirected a drive by senior Sean Wiles 13:42 into the first frame of play. Parkinson picked up the second assist on the goal.

The score would be 3-0 Seawolves at the first intermission and saw the home team enjoy a 10-5 advantage in shots.

The green and gold continued to poor it on as senior Tommy Grant found the back of the net with his team-high 12th goal of the

season by way of the power play. Grant one timed a shot from the low right wing after good puck movement from the ‘Wolves.

Parkinson and Kwas both registered their third and second assists, respectively, on the night.

It was the second goal the Seawolves got on the power play and would be more than enough for freshman goalie Chris Kamal to work with.

Kamal was stellar throughout the night stopping 19 of 20 shots he faced. He was called upon to make a few dynamic saves but said his defense was the reason for his success on the night.

“All the credit for the win goes to them tonight,” Kamal said, who flirted with his second shutout of the season. “They stopped probably twice as many shots as I did.”

Kamal’s shutout bid was ruined when Kunyk scored his 11th goal of the year on the power play at 11:36 of the third period.

UAA won the special teams battles as they killed 7 of 8 UAF power plays while connecting on 2 of 6 of their own man advantage opportunities in front of the 4,622 fans in attendance.

The Seawolves were physical from start to finish, blocked shots left and right, and were excellent on the forecheck. This coupled with good special teams and taking advantage of their chances made this one of the best games the Seawolves have played all season long.

The game, which was the last home contest for all five Seawolf seniors, was a

fitting but somber final game for seniors like Haddad.

“Last time we do everything here in this arena and last time on this ice,” Haddad said. “It’s a pretty weird feeling but I had a lot of fun here my four years here.”

For others, the game against the Nanooks was the only way to send off their departing upperclassmen.

“It was the seniors last home game and everyone was playing for them,” Kamal said. “It was a great way for them to end it with a win like that.”

With both teams having won a home game apiece, the Governor’s Cup would have to go to the skills competition in order to proclaim a winner.

UAF would jump out to the 1-0 lead in the shootout when Beck beat Kamal low blocker side. On the other end, Greenham denied Kwas who tried to go high with the backhand.

Both UAF (Petovello) and UAA (Grant) would be shut down in the second round which set the stage for Taranto who would stuff home a series clinching shot.

A tough one to swallow for the Seawolves who went from the high of beating the hated UAF Nanooks to the low of having to watch that very same Nanook team hoist the cup after winning the tiebreaker.

“I think the important thing here is how we rebounded from a tough loss last night,” Shyiak said. “The guys came out with a purpose and we hit the reset button and got the win.”

Top Left: Junior blueliner Curtis Leinwebber skates past Andy Taranto at the Sullivan Arenan Feb. 26. Although he was kept from the score sheet Leinwebber’s defense in the series stood out. Top Right: Senior winger Sean Wiles brings the puck in the zone at the Carlson Center on Feb 25. Wiles drew iron on a shorthanded breakaway that would have given UAA the lead in the first game of the Governor’s Cup series. Bottom Left: UAA students came out to the Sullivan Arena in force for the Governors Cup finale for the Seawolves largest crowd of the season at 4622. Bottom Right: Defensman Curtis Leinwebber finds space to move at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.

18

SPORTS|March 1, 2011

By taylor hall The Northern Light

UAA freshman gymnast Emily Peterson has caught the bug.

No, not the sickness or injury bug, but the mysterious one that seems to captivate newcomers to Alaska.

Like so many others, Peterson made her way up to Anchorage and was immediately drawn to the Alaskan aura that so many are drawn into to.

“I’ve never been to a place that is as beautiful as here,” Peterson said. “The scenery here was the first thing I noticed and I loved it right away.”

The Indianapolis, Indiana native said that she wanted to get away when she went off to college.

“Indiana is so flat and boring compared to here,” Peterson said. “I loved the team, loved the atmosphere, and knew I’d like it here.”

This all was great news for UAA Gymnastics Head Coach Paul Stoklos who landed quite the recruit in Peterson.

Before becoming a Seawolf, Peterson was a two-time qualifier for the Level 10 National Championships from Region 5 (made up of gymnasts from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana). In 2009, she won bars,

TNL

beam, and all-around titles at Nationals, as well as the regional beam title. In 2010, she followed up with a state vault title and regional title on bars.

Stoklos said it wasn’t just the accomplishments that caught his eye when it came to the 5’4” gymnast, who competed with Deveau’s School of Gymnastics for five years prior to UAA. “Three things first caught my eye about (Emily)” Stoklos said, who’s in his 26th season at the helm of UAA’s gymnastic program.

“One, she was in great shape, two, she was a really good competitor, and three, she was a really good motivator.”

Stoklos said that this third trait was the most intriguing and potentially beneficial to the Seawolves.

“College gymnastics is very much a team sport,” Stoklos said.

“I watched her interact with her team and she really showed she’s a team player.”

Peterson, one of five freshmen and six newcomers to the UAA team this season, has already taken steps toward that leadership role this season. According to Stoklos, the only thing that is holding her back from really shining is something that freshmen in any sport deal with.

“I think the biggest thing for her development is gaining confidence in herself,” Stoklos said. “She’s a very talented athlete and I think she’s starting to get that.”

So far in the 2010-11 season, Peterson has competed in three events for the ‘Wolves: vault, beam, and bars. Her season-high score of 9.675 (Feb. 12 at New Hampshire) on the beam is the 2nd highest score posted for UAA and only

behind junior Kaelei Spoor (9.775).

She has also posted season-high scores of 9.525 in vault (Feb. 12 at New Hampshire) and 9.650 on bars (Jan.9 at UC-Davis).

As well as seeing her scores continue to improve as the season wears on, Peterson also has become one of the vocal leaders on the squad.

“I like to lead and pump others up and make sure everyone else is having fun,” Peterson said. “I hope one day to become a team captain and help this program even more.”

Sounds like a statement from a seasoned leader and not from a flourishing freshman. Then again, this leadership trait was something Stoklos pegged from his first meeting with Peterson.

“She has it,” Stoklos said. “It’s natural for some kids and for others it just doesn’t exist.”

The Northern Light: Most memorable moment in your gymnastics career?

Emily Peterson: There’s two.

First, winning the beam my junior year at Regional’s. Just knowing my hard work paid off was an amazing feeling. The second, my senior year, I dedicated my routine to my beam coach. We had worked so hard together and doing that routine for her was great as well.

TNL: Favorite TV show?

EP: The Office and House, they’re tied TNL: What top 5 songs are you listening to on the iPod? EP: Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, Christmas Lights by Coldplay, Coming Home by Diddy, 3 AM by Matchbox Twenty, Why Georgia by John Mayer TNL: Guilty pleasure in life?

EP: Ice cream TNL: Superstitions?

EP: Where to begin? I wear a red clip on the top of my head and if I don’t wear it, I feel like I’m having an unlucky day. Also, I have to draw chalk circles before I do my beam routine.

TNL: Favorite Athlete?

EP: Aaron Rodgers TNL: Celebrity crush?

EP: Leonardo DiCapprio TNL: Favorite sport to play other than gymnastics?

EP: Beach volleyball TNL: And to watch?

EP: NFL or college basketball

TNL: Most embarrassing?

EP: At level 5, I was competing and did the same part of one of my routine’s twice in a row and didn’t realize it. I ended up getting a really low score because you can’t repeat elements and I remember being so embarrassed about it afterwards.

TNL: I’m a gymnast, but I’m even better at…?

EP: Eating pizza TNL: Favorite meal?

EP: My dad’s steak and potatoes

Year: Freshman Hometown: Indianapolis, IN Birthday: July 25, 1991 Major: Management

toP LEFt Photo coUrtEsy oF kELLy L. coX, BottoM riGht Photo oF Uaa sPorts iNForMatioN oFFicE

OVERTIME

Sports movies can inspire, others are just a cliché

By Megan Edge The Northern Light

Over the years we have seen a huge array of inspirational sports movies. Some better than others but, more times than not, they are just another generic sports film.

Thankfully, over the years we have been able to come up with at least a few worth watching.

The best and most recent sports film worth watching is the 2009 production, The Blind Side.

Sandra Bullock, Quentin Aaron, and Tim McGraw tell the story of American football star Michael Oher. When the commercials started previewing for this movie, I shook my head and swore to never watch it, as I suspected it would be the same story plot. Underprivileged boy beats all odds and makes it, fulfilling his dreams.

Well, that is kind of what happens, but the angle the producers took will really keep you watching. Despite a generic story line, the film in my opinion is a film that will not be easily topped by more recent, future to come movies.

In the 1990’s Walt Disney productions produced a series of films, that men and women of all ages can’t resist.

The Mighty Ducks: yes I went there.

The Mighty Ducks is a great series of films, about a youth hockey team in Minnesota. This series of three, sadly, came to an end with, D3: The Mighty Ducks, as the kids got to high school. These boys started as the underdogs, District Five, who didn’t really know how to play the game

of hockey, but the day that Coach Bombay stepped on to the ice with them, everything changed, and the Ducks were created. They later became Team USA and then, of course, the JV Warriors, but they never stopped quacking.

The series has kept popular throughout the years as they still air on TV stations. The Warner Brothers film, Space Jam, pokes a little fun at it in a reference, and even South Park does a spoof on it.

In 2005, Paramount Pictures produced a keeper with Coach Carter.

This is the true story of Ken Carter, the basketball coach of Richmond High School. Carter made headlines when his winning basketball team was benched due to poor grades.

We are back to the same old plot line though,.

Underprivileged athletes overcome obstacles to make it.

The difference between this film and others, of course, is that the student really becomes more important than the athlete part. For most athletes, if your talent is good enough you will play, despite rules. The athlete, in student-athlete, becomes more important, when it should be the other way around.

Ken Carter teaches his boys that there has to be a balance. You can’t have one without the other.

The next film is a true American classic.

Remember the Titans.

Denzel Washington becomes the head coach the football team who is forced in integrate. He teaches the team to become brothers despite social and racial differences.

These boys overcome obstiacals but they don’t start as underdogs and the ending isn’t happy for every athlete. In fact, the film is more of a tragedy at times than drama. This inspirational film, goes back to one of the most memorable times in American history and brings it to life.

Not all sports movies are inspirational though.

In 1996, Universal Pictures gave us Happy Gilmore.

This comedy, about an angry hockey player, who becomes a golfer, makes fun of the sport, its seriousness, and the type of people who play it. Happy, is forced to in an attempt to save his grandmothers house, and to keep her out of a nursing home.

Although, it keeps a bit of a cliché for sports film, as happy starts out as the underdog, and beats all odds. The film, will keep you rolling with laughter however, from crazy sports fans to Bob Barker. Happy Gilmore sets the stage nicely for crazy, wanna be athletes.

These are just a few, there have been other classics; like Radio, A League of Their Own (a great inspirational sports film for women), Friday Night Lights and Slapshot, but for the most part sports films have predictable story lines with predictable outcomes.

Here is my advice for film producers looking to produce another sports film. If its been done, don’t do it. We won’t watch it. Take another angle, do it different, and don’t waste my time.

SPORTS| March 1, 2011

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19

Mens and Womens Basketball gets a rowdy

By Megan Edge The Northern Light

Men’s basketball gave the home crowd a good show Feb. 23 beating the Nanooks of Alaska Fairbanks 118-82. Senior forward Casey Robinson put 21 points in the basket, leading the ‘Wolves in points. Following Robinson was senior guard Brandon Walker with 20 points.

Just the night before, the Seawolves defeated the University of Alaska 74-65 in Fairbanks.

The women’s team were able to take down the ‘Nooks Feb. 24, as well. The Seawolves triumphed over Fairbanks 70-40, giving the Anchorage crowd at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex more to scream about. Senior guard Nikki Aden, and senior guard Kaitlin McBride each contributed to another Seawolf victory putting 14 points a piece on the score board during their final home game in the green and gold.

Photos By Patrick MccorMick /tNL

Top Left: Seawolves guard Phillip Hearn, takes a tackle from junior center Brett Barkman, who was one of two ‘Nooks to foul out of the game. Top Right: The student section got rowdy at the Alaskan rivalry game on Feb. 23, taking the Alaska Nanooks psychologically out of the game. Senior guard Brandon Walker hits a three pointer during a stretch of four strait threes for the Seawolves. Bottom: Walker had 20 points in the win over UAF.

20 SPORTS|

March 1, 2011

Photos By Patrick MccorMick/tNL

Top Left: UAA’s senior guard Nikki Aden, drives past a Fairbanks defender Aden scored 14 points on Feb. 24. Aden, who is a JPC major, not only became a part of the All-Academic team (3.60), but also put 14 points on the board to defeat the Alaska Nanooks. Top Right: Senior guard Sarah Herrin, reacts to a basket down the stretch. Herrin got the lady ‘Wolves started by putting four points in the basket. This 5’8 guard from Fairbanks also contributed by getting six rebounds. Bottom Right: Senior point-guard Kaitlin McBride, scored 14 points against the Nooks Feb. 24. The 5’7, McBride became a part of the All-Academic team with a GPA of 3.73, having the highest GPA out of all UAA athletes. Bottom Left: Sophomore Forward Hannah Johansson, scored 11 points, with six rebounds and two blocked shots. Johansson was also put on the All-

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OPINION Legislation pushed in South Dakota to legalize murder

By Eli Johnson The Northern Light

There seems to be a new go-to rhetoric in this country-that we should be able to kill those we don’t agree with. This is seriously frightening and simply not right. What’s worse is that this may actually have an impact on real policy, and get real people killed.

Bill Maher was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno a few weeks back. This was after the incident with Gabrielle Giffords. He was talking about his ideas about gunlegislation, and the fact that nobody seems to talk about it anymore.

“The go-to rhetoric for them is- ‘wouldn’t it be fun to kill the people who don’t agree with us,’” he said, talking about the point the Right-wing of this nation has now.

He does indeed have a point.

Of course, this is not exactly a new trend of thoughts with the Tea Party candidates that violence is the answer if their demands are not met. Former Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle most famously got the ball rolling last year. She spoke often about “Second Amendment remedies” as a legitimate way to settle political differences.

Then there was Rep. Allan West’s (R-Fl.) aide, Joyce Kaufman. She had an often quoted line that actually did make a lot of liberals speak out. They rightly did so, but it is the meaning of the thing she said, and whether or not she was serious that matters.

“If ballots don’t work, bullets will,” she said during a rally with fire in her belly.

It struck a lot of people as a very unpleasant thing to say, and more than one blogger and political commentator talked about it. Yet this dialogue is all over the conservative landscape.

FOX News has been littered with death as an acceptable concept for dealing with those you disagree with for a long time. Glenn Beck had a skit in August 2009 on his show where he sadistically had a person, with a mask of Nancy Pelosi on, drink poisoned wine.

He sounded very delighted during the skit.

FOX News has been littered with death as an acceptable concept for dealing with those you disagree with for a long time. Glenn Beck had a skit in August 2009 on his show where he sadistically had a person, with a mask of Nancy Pelosi on, drink poisoned wine. He sounded very delighted during the skit.

“Drink it now, drink it!” he said, looking so amused with himself.

Bill O’Reilly has repeatedly suggested killing be a measured response for the United States. He referenced using a UAV Drone to kill the WikiLeaks Founder, Julian Assange.

“You know, that’s what I’d like to see- a little drone hit Julian Assange,” he said.

“Whoever leaked all those State Department documents to the WikiLeaks website is a traitor, and should be executed or put in prison for life,” he said, talking about the release of diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks.

At least he said there was a choice, right?

These are respected figures among the community that they represent. They are supposed to be people who are the adults, saying that killing other people should be a reasonable response for a personal disagreement.

To a more recent example- there was a suggestion by Jeffery Cox a Deputy General for the state of Indiana to the government of Wisconsin on how to deal with the protests there.

In a Tweet he said, “Use live ammunition RT @MotherJones Sources in Madison say riot police have been ordered to clear protestors from capitol and 2 am #wiunion.”

Interesting. So, we have an American government official suggesting that live ammunition be used on American citizens who are exercising their first Amendment right to peacefully assemble.

Now, the use of violent rhetoric is one thing. It’s childish, immature, pathetic and in poor taste, but there is a more serious side to this. There are signs that this may not just be rhetoric. There are signs that people are actually trying to legalize killing in this country to settle issues.

There has been a recent piece of legislation in South Dakota. It is House Bill 1171. In the piece, it expands the concept of “justifiable homicide” to include abortion providers.

In this country, justifiable homicide means killing another human being without malice or criminal intent. Some applications of this are in wartime deaths, capital punishment, self-defense, in the separation of conjoined twins where a weaker one must die to save the stronger, and in other countries, euthanasia for terminal patients.

But this isn’t that. This concept is not only wrong, it is outright terrifying. There is legitimate reason for people to be afraid of this kind of discussion.

In this country, the United States of America, we are actually proposing a bill that says that we can just kill somebody. Whatever a person’s beliefs on abortion, how can anybody rationally justify this in their mind- killing another person just because they provide abortions?

And what if it doesn’t end there? You get the ball rolling, based on personal bias, and where does it stop? The point about violent rhetoric and violent legislation is the lack of respect for human life.

Where is the line? That is the question. Talking about violence against a person is one thing. Actually proposing it is something completely different. The point here is that we have people in this country who care so little about human life that joking about ending it seems appropriate. Then we have those who are actively working to do so.

That is completely unacceptable.

21 EDITORIAL

Spring break: Neither spring nor break When you consider the definition of the word myth it is a history that explains some social phenomenon, it is a natural conclusion to consider spring break a myth. Perhaps it may be a legend, defined as a traditional story that is unauthenticated. Regardless of how we label it, the basic fact of the matter is that spring break is, for most students, nothing resembling a relaxing vacation on a sunny beach.

To understand that spring break is neither spring nor break, let’s break it down.

The very first, and very obvious, observation to be made is that there is nothing spring about the first week of March in Anchorage, Alaska. At this point, winter is still in full effect and there certainly are no signs of summer.

The word break requires more consideration, however.

Break. If by break we mean break your back or break your will to live, we may have something closer to reality. But if break is referring to a pause in work there is no such thing going on for most UAA students.

First and foremost, this “break” creates false deadlines for midterm tests, projects and other assignments. Those deadlines are often made worse by the inevitable procrastination many students engage in.

Although some of the burden is selfinflicted, having up to half of your grade being decided at this deadline in the middle of the semester makes the concept of a week-long break seem a distant dream for many students, and probably some faculty and staff as well.

That distant dream, for many students, is

a thrilling week of catching up on all of the homework (and other committments) that they put off throughout the semester.

A step above that MTV spring break special are students who have assignments due the day they return from spring break.

Unfortunately, some professors think that spring break requires them to help students fill the extra time they have off. Some assign projects, some schedule tests or presentations for the first day back.

Many students work in some capacity, which makes a true, fly-somewhere-tropical spring break unattainable. At best, students who aren’t catching up on other obligations, will probably be catching up on sleep.

Spring break at UAA provides no spring and very little break, unless you consider the alternate definition of break, but “The sixth month of winter week that creates more work but requires no class attendance” was probably taken.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Re: ‘Abortion legislation gains momentum nation-wide’ I read with interest the Northern Light’s Editorial Opinion piece entitled “Abortion legislation gains momentum nation-wide,” dated February 15. It refers to Proposition 2, the parental notification bill, which passed on the August ballot, and erroneously states that the Attorney General of Alaska declared it unconstitutional.

In fact, John Burns, our Attorney General, is currently, vigorously, defending the constitutionality of that initiative against a lawsuit intended to set the law aside. While a court has deferred some of the penalties in the initiative, it left standing the law’s new requirement of parental notification by a doctor when a minor is seeking an abortion. I am glad for that, as I actively supported that initiative, and know it was crafted to respond to other Supreme Court opinions that outlawed a “parental consent” requirement.

PRIDE Spring Break... for offering us all a moment to breathe.

CHIDE Professors... who give homework over Spring Break.

There was an Attorney General’s opinion, however, which caused me –as Lieutenant Governor – to not allow a new voter initiative to move forward. That new initiative would have outlawed abortion by placing the “natural right to life” clause in the Constitution above others. The Attorney General found that unconstitutional.

I followed by not allowing that measure to go forward to collect signatures to get on the ballot, and I am being sued for that decision as well.

I agree with your admonition that citizens should stay engaged on this issue.

Government exists to protect life, to protect our liberties, and I pray that those two goals not forever be in conflict.

–Mead treadwell, Lieutenant Governor

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OPINON| March 1, 2011

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

EXEcUtiVE EDitor 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Jerzy Shedlock MaNaGiNG EDitor 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Shana Roberson coPy EDitor copy@thenorthernlight.org Wiley Cason NEWs EDitor 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Matthew Caprioli FEatUrEs EDitor 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Kate Lindsley a&E EDitor 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Heather Hamilton sPorts EDitor 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall Photo EDitor 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Dan Jackson WEB EDitor 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org Ashley Snyder LayoUt EDitor layout@thenorthernlight.org Brittany Bennett assistaNt NEWs EDitor news2@thenorthernlight.org Alec Martinez assistaNt FEatUrEs EDitor features2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant assistaNt a&E EDitor arts2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant GraPhic DEsiGNEr graphics@thenorthernlight.org CJ Beaudrie aDVErtisiNG MaNaGEr 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova aDVErtisiNG rEPrEsENtatiVE Celina Hodge circULatioN assistaNt Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir PhotoGraPhErs Pattrick McCormick coNtriBUtors Eli Johnson Melanie Leydon Cameron Mackey MEDia aDVisEr Paola Banchero aDMiNistratiVE aDVisEr Annie Route

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 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.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Re: ‘Board approves sexual orientation as a protected class’ While I appreciated the coverage of the recent Board of Regents meeting in your last issue, I just didn’t feel that the article went far enough. It’s great that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students will be protected from undue harassment when they are at UAA. But what happens when they step off of campus?

In 2009, the Anchorage Assembly held a spirited discussion regarding discrimination and possible protections for LGBT people.

They ultimately voted to add sexual orientation and gender identity to Anchorage’s non-discrimination statutes.

However, citing a “lack of evidence” of discrimination, Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed the ordinance. People can still be fired from their job or evicted from their apartment without legal recourse if their employer or landlord takes issue with the fact that they are LGBT. I’ve spoken to many students about this issue, and they have asked how they can help. As it turns out, there is a very direct and helpful way that students can contribute feedback.

The Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey is now available to our community and is described below. This survey will collect information on experiences of bias and discrimination in the LGBT community in Anchorage,

Alaska.

It is the product of a coalition effort by organizations that serve the community, including Identity, Inc., Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association, Alaskans Together for Equality, Equality Works and the ACLU of Alaska.

All answers are completely confidential, and survey administration has been designed to ensure the privacy of all respondents.

University of Alaska Anchorage is not sponsoring the survey and the University is not collecting the data. Off campus groups are responsible for the organization and oversight of this effort although members of our student body are deeply involved.

This is a way that students can not only make a difference for themselves, but for the larger community, too.

An individual PIN number is required to access the survey. To request a PIN or for questions, contact UAA student Heather Aronno at 907-440-8390 or at hjaronno@alaska.edu. Paper surveys are also available upon request. Go to alaskacommunity. org to take the survey today.

We’ve made a difference on campus, so let’s keep the momentum going!

–heather arrono, Uaa student

BROKECOMICS | Alec Fritz

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March 1, 2011 | COMICS

TNL

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cryptoquote: “Borrow money from a pessimist – they do not expect it back”