March 6, 2018

MARCH 6 - MARCH 19, 2018

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

OPINION

PAGE 6

Student murals highlight opioid addiction and recovery

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

PAGE 9

A target for gun safety in Alaska

University of Alaska to raise student employee pay to minimum wage

Highlighting Alaska’s winter Olympians

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

The University of Alaska will be raising the minimum student wage to $9.84, Alaska’s current minimum wage.‌ During the State of the University address on Feb. 20, UA President Jim Johnsen confirmed this decision, which follows several months of student advocacy efforts.‌ “I pay attention to what student government does and so I heard about it from Alec [Burris] and I asked the [Human Resources] staff to look into it... Then I made the decision that that was what we ought to do,” Johnsen said.‌ Johnsen said that he made his decision after finding out that the cost to increase the minimum student wage would be about $60,000 a year.‌ The current student employee wages are at $8.50, $9.50 and $10.50 per hour, depending on the job type and classification. The first two levels are below the state minimum wage.‌ There are about 1,400 student employees in the UA system, according to UA Human Resources, and approximately 20 percent of them are paid below state minimum wage. Their wages range from $8.50 to $9.75 an hour.‌ “There was not a legal issue here,”

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Johnsen said. “It was more, in my view, a fairness issue.”‌ In November, USUAA passed a resolution to propose an increase for these wages, which is one of many efforts that the student government has made to push

As might be expected, Alaskans are adept at winter sports. This love for activity in the snow and ice resulted in the GRAPHIC BY MARIAH DEJESUS-REMAKLUS record amount of Alaskans who qualified and competed in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games.‌ Of the 17 athletes from the state, three for this change. Alec Burris, USUAA went with affiliations to UAA athletics. president, said he is glad the university However, neither of those three were part of the U.S. team.‌ Casey Wright, a current member of SEE WAGE the UAA ski team, qualified and competPAGE 2 ed in the sprint classic qualifications and the 10-kilometer free race. These races, which took place on Feb. 13 and 15, resulted in an 81st and 63rd place finish, respectively, for Wright.‌ Mat Robinson, who played on the UAA hockey team from 2005-2009, qualified to play on the Team Canada hockey team. Overall, the team played six games and finished with the bronze. ‌ Robinson was the senior team captain and junior assistant captain during his time at UAA. The defenseman was twice selected for Most Inspirational and also qualified for the WCHA All-Academic team several times.‌ Luka Vidmar, also a previous UAA hockey player from 2007-2011, clinched a spot on the Team Slovenia hockey team as a defenseman. The team came out at No. 9 after playing in four games. ‌ 13 other locals made it to the games, some for the first time while some are former Olympians. ‌ The majority of Alaska’s athletes comGRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA peted in skiing or snowboarding events, including Kikkan Randall, Sadie Bjornwill be held Thursday, March 8 at 7 p.m. sen, Erik Bjorsen, Jessica Yeaton, Rosie in Rasmuson Hall, Room 110.‌ Brennan, Ryan Stassel, Rosie Mancari, Spoken word is an artistic way to ex- Caitlin Patterson, Scott Patterson, Reese press inner feelings, thoughts or struggles Hanneman, Logan Hanneman, Tyler Koand can be done by anyone and everyone.‌ rnfield and Rosie Frankowsi. ‌ “There’s no special skill, it comes Most notably, Randall earned a gold from the heart,” Williams said.‌ medal at the games. In the ladies’ team The next spoken word events at UAA sprint free, Randall and teammate Jesare Wednesday, March 7 and Tuesday, sica Diggins won the relay event just 0.19 April 3, both in the Student Union Den seconds ahead of Team Sweden. This was at 7 p.m. Attendance is free and light re- the first ever medal won by the women’s freshments will be provided. ‌ U.S. cross-country ski team. ‌ For those interested in performing, The win came as a head-to-head sprint sign up is available at the Student Union Information Desk.‌

Speaking out with Spoken Word

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

Once a month, UAA Student Activities and Commuter Programs hosts a spoken word event in the Den at the Student Union.‌ Spoken word consists of students, the community and perhaps a guest artist to share their poetry. Student activities coordinator, Corey Miller, hopes that spoken word events will continue to grow in future semesters by bringing up more well-known poets.‌ On April 6, UAA will host Mwende Katiwiwa, better known by her stage name, FreeQuency. She is a speaker and poet, who speaks out against sexual abuse and racial inequality.‌ “Every time I speak out, it is because I am making a conscious choice to do so,” FreeQuency wrote in a Dec. 2017 blog post in response to when she was asked to cut out a part of her TEDWomen speech concerning Black Lives Matter.‌ FreeQuency will hold a workshop starting at 2 - 7 p.m.‌ “I think it takes some coaching and a little bit of prodding with some of our students,” Miller said. “But when they speak, it is really powerful.”‌ Last semester, UAA hosted Amal Kassir, a Syrian-American Muslim woman who shares her stories of being a Mus-

lim in America through poems of struggles, prejudice and inequality. She held a workshop which allowed students to brush up on their skills and perform their poems in front of a welcoming audience that night. ‌ Miller said that having Kassir on campus attracted over 60 students, a large number for this type of event.‌ “I had just never seen so many people be so vulnerable and willing to talk about their experiences,” Miller said.”Some people were talking about religion, people were talking about race, people were talking about coming to America from another country. It was just interesting because people wanted to talk about those things, but there’s not necessarily always a venue for that except for spoken word.”‌ Cheryl Williams, UAA student and the current Black Student Union president, took Kassir’s workshop and enjoyed the one-on-one advice she received. She called spoken word “raw, [non]abrasive, vulnerable yet still powerful.” ‌ “[Spoken word] is such a rhythmic way of speech,” Williams said.‌ Williams and the Black Student Union will be hosting “Finding Your Voice,” a public speaking workshop that discusses the difficulties women may have when it comes to formal or social public speaking settings, as well as learning new ways to overcome the fear of speaking out or in front of a larger audience. The workshop

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

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Kathryn Craft appointed senior director of UA Statewide Health Programs and Development

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHRYN CRAFT

Kathryn Craft was named the College of Health senior director of Statewide Health Programs and Development on Feb. 21.

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Kathryn Craft, College of Health associate dean at UAA, was named senior director of Statewide Health Programs and Development on Feb. 21. She is going to work on expanding UA health programs in cooperation with the College of Health Dean and Vice Provost, Jeffrey Jessee.‌

“Kathy [Craft] has a very long history in workforce development… She’s really been a statewide leader in workforce development for a long time, and she’s particularly qualified to help meet this effort,” Jessee said.‌ Craft served as director of the Alaska Health Workforce Coalition prior to working on the statewide health program expansions. The coalition was launched as a public and private partnership in an effort to address the critical needs of health professionals in Alaska.‌ Craft received the Workforce Advocacy Award by two national organizations for her work in workforce development in health and social services during her time as director of the AWHC in 2016.‌ In Craft’s new position, she is going to focus more on the programs in the UA system. ‌ “I will be less involved in the day-today… activities of the AHWC and will be more involved in the statewide development of the University of Alaska’s healthcare workforce development and programming,” Craft said. ‌ The UA Board of Regents has the goal of doubling the number of health graduates produced in the UA system by 2025.

Currently, there are about 870 health graduates; therefore, the goal is to have about 1,700 by 2025.‌

Efforts to meet this objective have already been launched.‌ “There is a very significant expansion in the nursing program underway…

We’re also working with Mat-Su College to set up and expand a certified nursing assistant program and we’re bringing on a surgical technologist program,” Jessee said.‌ Besides more conventional health-related occupations, Craft would like students to consider the variety of healthrelated professions open to them in the state. ‌ “We need to ensure that first generation and first year college students as well as middle and high school students know that healthcare occupations are not limited to being a doctor or a nurse,” Craft said. ‌ Craft is doing research on healthcare workforce data projecting growth and replacement needs in the field.‌ “There are many allied health [occupations like] physical therapy… and behavioral health occupations like… Human Services and Rural Human Service Workers, which are needed across our state,” Craft said.‌ Darrion Gray, physical education major, is thinking about working in athletic training or physical therapy after getting his degree from UAA. ‌

“The UAA department of health, physical education and recreation is really devoted to opening opportunities for UAA students in the physical therapy and beyond,” Gray said. “The need for athletic trainers is bigger than ever before.”‌ One problem in Alaska is that the current numbers of health professionals in the state are not enough to satisfy the state’s healthcare needs Jessee said.‌ “Many customers in the healthcare industry have to resort to bringing up people from outside which costs them a lot of money and these people don’t know Alaska and they tend to leave after a while,” Jessee said. “[The health sector] is one of the fastest and almost one of the only employment sectors in the state that’s growing and projected to continue to grow.

Our population ages, so these are going to be very high-demand jobs.”‌ This makes the work of Craft beneficial for students pursuing careers in these professional fields, but also for students in general, Jessee said.‌ “It [the expansion of health programs] puts UAA in a leadership role in helping address an important state issue,” Jessee said. “As we expand programs here at UAA and across the state, students… will have multiple pathways to getting personally fulfilling and economically beneficial careers and healthcare.”‌

WAGE: Input from students aids in employee raises reach higher-ups, such as President Johnsen,” Wrobel said. “We’re really excited about that.”‌ listened.‌ Lauren Criss-Carboy is an interna“I was absolutely overjoyed to see that tional studies major who works at the the university had made that decision,” Burris said. “That is something that stu- UAA Bookstore. She says that the unident government has been advocating for versity’s decision is a good step.‌ “Because the cost of living in Alaska since this summer.”‌ Teresa Wrobel is a USUAA senator is quite a bit higher than other states, I who wrote the resolution and she is ex- feel like that’s an important thing to kind cited that the students’ voices were heard.‌ of show that they value student workers,” “It’s about time. We’ve heard from Criss-Carboy said.‌ The different classifications seem to some of our deans and vice chancellors make some student jobs less accessible, that this is something that needs to hapCriss-Carboy also said, especially for pen,” Wrobel said.‌ Students have also spoken at public those who want the networking opportunities.‌ meetings to the Board of Regents.‌ “If you’re an arts major and you want “It’s always great to have input that we have from students going into a resolu- to work in the gallery or something and tion by USUAA and that it’s going out to it pays $8.50, whereas if you want to go work off-campus at a restaurant, you

Continued from cover

might be making, like, $10 an hour,” Criss-Carboy said. “It makes those important student jobs less accessible to people that can’t afford to live on $8.50 an hour.”‌ Johnsen says that student employee positions will get the wage increase around the beginning of the hiring season for the summer.‌ “When the spring semester is over and we convert to the summer hiring season, that’s when it’ll go into effect,” Johnsen said. “It’ll vary by campus when this summer employment begins but estimated it’ll be late May or early June.”‌ This increase will eventually lead the university to look at the pay scale as a whole, Johnsen said. The three classifications will possibly be modified to accommodate for the shift in wages, but for now, Johnsen wants to address the imme-

diate issue.‌ “This is step one and then next year, we’re going to look at the overall structure and maybe there are some changes that need to be made at higher levels,” Johnsen said. “At this point we figured it was the right thing to do to make this change soon.”‌ Burris said it is important to make sure the university follows through. He has encountered concerns about the budget, but believes that the student employee wages should not be affected.‌ “People looked at how much the university [budget] had been cut and said, ‘That’s not possible. We don’t have the money for that right now’,” Burris said.

“This is an issue that’s on the basis of the principle that students should be paid at minimum wage and that’s not something that you need to factor budget cuts into.”‌

Spring students required to complete Title IX Haven Training

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

The University of Alaska is continuing to require students to complete the mandatory Title IX: Sex and Gender Based Discrimination Prevention training. This includes students who are new during this spring semester as well as those who

did not complete it last fall.‌ Ben Morton, UAA’s dean of students, says that there were approximately 1,632 students at the beginning of the semester that had not done the training. This number was comprised of both groups of students. Over the last several weeks, he has sent out emails and reminders to those students.‌ “Two emails and a paper letter have

gone out. I have a plan to do at least two more emails before the [account] hold gets put on and then one email after the hold is put on,” Morton said.‌ The letters also include instructions for those who would like to opt out of the training if they feel like they are emotionally traumatized or unable to take the training, Morton said.‌ Nathan Kipchumba is a student employee with UAA’s New Student Orientation who completed his training last semester. He says that he thinks it’s important for students to complete theirs too.‌ “It brings awareness,” Kipchumba said. “For those people have not been... exposed to such training, I think it’s important that they are exposed so that they are aware of how to help others, like by-

stander training.”‌ The deadline for completion is Friday, March 30. On the following Monday, holds will be placed on student accounts through fall priority registration.‌ “Summer registration is kind of going on in the middle of that too, so it might impact people’s ability to register for the summer,” Morton said.‌ In the fall, UAA had offered incentives to reward students who completed the training, such as scholarship money and an Alaska Airlines ticket. Currently, there are none for this semester.‌ “The more you have many people aware of the issue, that should be the easiest way to eliminate the problem,” Kipchumba said.‌

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 03

Final candidate for vice chancellor presents; chancellor to hire this month

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Candidates for Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services have presented at open forums to the UAA community throughout February. Candidate Pat Shier answered questions at open forums on Feb. 21-22.‌ The administrative services position is one of the highest ranking and paying positions at UAA. The vice chancellor oversees Facilities and Campus Services, Athletics, Human Resource Services, University Police Department, Information Technology Services and Administrative Services at UAA.‌ Shier has been serving as interim vice chancellor for Administrative Services at UAA since the previous Vice Chancellor, Bill Spindle, left for a position at Texas A&M University at San Antonio in 2016. Before assuming the role of Vice Chancellor, Shier was chief information officer at UAA. ‌ “The reason that I applied for this position was because there’s a lot to do about fourth months into the interim position. I made a decision to engage, not to be a placeholder,” Shier said.‌

In his interim capacity as Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, Shier has managed a budget around $300 million. He was also a participant of the UAA 2020 and Diversity and Inclusion Plan, according to his resume. Shier said he believes he could be more effective in his role if he had the full title and duties.‌ “It is possible to have more directed conversations than are possible as an interim,” Shier said. “I think as an interim, it’s respectful to understand that somebody else may come in and you don’t want to get too many things started and halfway baked. So I think it may be possible to establish a new set of expectations and then begin to provide the training and resources necessary to carry those out.”‌ Shier got his start in the public sector working as the chief of tax and program integrity at the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. ‌ “Boy, was I shocked to learn that working in the public sector, contributing to the success of employers in the State of Alaska who were struggling, because it was a tax office after all, was unexpectedly very, very, very rewarding,” Shier said.‌

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Candidate Pat Shier holds his open forum for the position of Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services. Shier has been serving as the interim Vice Chancellor since 2016.

In the private sector, Shier has worked in positions ranging from fish camp laborer or truck driver to State Farm insurance salesman. ‌ At the end of his Feb. 21 forum, Shier said he sees, “the capacity to continue some of the good work that’s underway.”‌ Shier was the last candidate to present at open forums for the vice chancellor position. Steve Rollins, chair of the search committee, presented the commit-

tee’s recommendations for the position to the Chancellor on Feb. 28. ‌ In a statement from Interim Chancellor, Sam Gingerich, his office wrote, “We hope to have a preferred candidate next week and begin working through the hiring process – negotiating, formalizing and then announcing the new vice chancellor for administrative services that would likely be mid-to-late March.”‌

There are a total of five finalists for the position, including Sandra Culver, Mark Denney, Steve Malott and Beverly Cotton Shuford. A sixth candidate, Andrew Harris, has withdrawn his application for the position. You can read more about past candidate forums for vice chancellor at thenorthernlight.org.

Anchorage students take a stand against gun violence

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Anchorage students organized walk-outs on Feb. 21 to protest gun violence and honor the 17 victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Several hundred students of three Anchorage schools participated. Similar walk-outs were held in other parts of the country.‌ Nikolas Cruz, 19, shot 17 people, both students and staff, at his former high school in Florida on Feb. 14. It was the deadliest high school shooting in the history of the U.S. ‌ Political debates about gun restriction laws sparked all-over the nation after the shooting.‌ At Service High School, the walk-out lasted about half an hour of which 17 minutes were spent in silence — one minute for each victim of the shooting.‌ Senior Ann Gebauer described the atmosphere at Service High’s walk-out as “somber.” She emphasized that the walk-out was held to show solidarity for the victims of the shooting and to take a stand against gun violence, not to propagate personal political views.‌ “Political agendas were not being pushed at all. It wasn’t a walk-out to ban guns or call out individuals in our government,” Gebauer said. ‌ The protest was initiated by the Student Body President of

Service High, Dieuleveut Biringanine. The focus was on the need of taking action and finding solutions for the prevailing gun violence in the U.S.‌ “I feel strongly about gun violence in America and how crucial it is to take immediate action with the issues at hand.

I fully believe that the majority of the students that walked out were in the same boat as me,” Gebauer said. “We as students do not feel that there is anywhere near enough being done about such a large issue. The time to act is now.”‌ Teachers did not stop the students from the peaceful demonstrations. Allison Reed, teacher at Service High School and advisor of the student government, said she was proud of the students for showing support and solidarity for the victims in a constructive way.‌ “I love that the students took the initiative to express their passions peacefully... As teachers, we all attempt to encourage and foster positive and active change in our community,” Reed said. “I believe many teachers encourage thoughtful, constructive demonstrations.

I think many of the staff really wanted to be out there to show support, but were torn between duties as teachers within the classroom and responsibilities as a citizen and parent.”‌ Similar events were held at West High School and Begich Middle School. Some students also gave speeches against gun

violence. West High School student Haley McKinley was one of the speakers; she had organized the protest at West only the day before. ‌ “I was actually waiting for someone else to coordinate it, but hadn’t heard anything. So, at like, 10:30 p.m. the night before, I kind of threw the whole thing together,” McKinley said. “Because it was so thrown together, it was mostly just an expression of our emotions on the issue and a promotion of later events… and the upcoming elections.”‌ McKinley was proud of the protest at West High School.‌ “It was super exhilarating to see the number of people there, especially given the short notice.

You could really tell how impassioned students are about the issue, given how many of them turned up to stand in the cold for 30 minutes to listen to their peers,” McKinley said.‌ UAA student Alex Jorgensen thinks the peaceful demonstration around Anchorage schools were “a beautiful demonstration of the power of student voice.”‌ “I believe it is of the utmost importance for students to feel empowered to voice their opinions in numerous ways, including peaceful protests. I view the protests that have already occurred as powerful and moving,” Jorgensen said.‌ Jorgensen sees the peaceful demonstrations occurring in Anchorage as start points for further conversation about the issue.‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTONIA DURAN

Students at Service High School in south Anchorage participate in a walk-out on Feb. 21. Students spent a total of 17 minutes in silence to honor the 17 victims of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

“I don’t know what the answers are to solving gun violence in this country, but I know there is a problem and I don’t feel comfortable accepting the status quo,” Jorgensen said.‌ Students from Parkland are planning a march in Washington, D.C, demanding reforms in school safety and gun control on

March 24. ‌ National organizations like Everytown, Americans for Responsible Solutions, Move On, Planned Parenthood and the Women’s March LA are supporting the event. Satellite marches are planned in various other cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Boise.‌

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 04

A tee-rific night for alumni

By Caleigh Jensen

cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

On Feb. 28, the fifth annual 9 in the Spine event teed off in Rasmuson Hall.

Hosted by Alumni Relations, the Alumni ParTee is an indoor mini golf event, stretching across the Spine of the university from Rasmuson Hall to Kaladi Brothers in the Social Science Building.‌ Jayson Smart, a UAA alumnus, came up with the idea for this event during his time working in the Student Union in the 1990s. He said he was inspired by the connectedness of UAA’s campus.‌ “Every day I walked through the halls of the university, and I got to thinking about how a lot of the buildings are connected and you can go so far without stepping foot outside,” Smart said. “I thought it would be interesting if you could do some kind of putt-putt golf through the campus buildings. It seemed like a goofy idea, but it was in the back of my mind for some period of time.”‌ In 2014, 9 in the Spine turned into more than just an idea, and has been a Winterfest tradition ever since.‌ The course that stretched across the spine was occupied by two nine-hole sections, 18 holes in total. Each hole was uniquely designed by a student club. This year, clubs and activities including the Accounting Club, Seawolf Cadet Club, KRUA 88.1 FM, the Physics and Astronomy Club and Greek life demonstrated their creativity by creating a piece of the course.‌ Many clubs participate from year to year, either improving upon their previous hole or designing a new one altogether. Once the courses are completed, participating teams vote on the best design of the night. The Management and

Marketing Club, winner of best hole in 2015, created a new hole design for this year’s event.‌ According to Ryan Horn, club president, designing their hole created an opportunity to bring the club even closer together.‌ “I made it a point to have as many club members as possible participate in the construction of our hole, so it was a bonding experience. That’s one of the social and camaraderie pieces [of the event],” Horn said.‌ The golf teams of the Alumni ParTee are formed by four employees of companies with strong ties to UAA, whether they are owned by an alumni or have a number of alumni employees.‌ 9 in the Spine creates a unique opportunity for alumni to return to campus.

The event is also designed to be low-cost in order to encourage as much participation as possible.‌ “Having an event where you actually walk a long distance on campus is a way [for alumni] to see the different things that are going on, and the new and updated buildings,” Smart said. “This event is a way of coming back and getting involved.”‌ A couple years into the event, 9 in the Spine was taken to the next level when Alumni Relations began pairing up clubs with the participating businesses, trying to match interests. Each club chooses one student representative to golf with the alumni, creating teams of five. This allows for current students to connect with alumni and other professionals in their field.‌ “When I joined Leadership Fellows, my mentor was actually someone I golfed with. I now work side by side with that mentor that I initially met while golfing together,” Horn said. “Networking is

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOEY BESL

Student clubs are charged with creating the course for the annual Alumni ParTee, which serves as a fundraiser for Alumni Relations and the UAA Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOEY BESL

Phi Kappa Theta is one of several Greek organizations that participate in the annual 9 in the Spine event.

huge, and the ability to create those connections with alumni is invaluable.”‌ Along with networking and clubbonding, 9 in the Spine is a fundraiser for Alumni Relations, with net proceeds supporting the UAA Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund. The fund has grown substantially since its initial amount of $25 in 1985. It now offers $2,000 scholarships to four students from each of the university’s six colleges, a total of $48,000.‌ The Alumni ParTee offers many op-

portunities for current students and alumni alike.‌ “9 in the Spine is a networking opportunity for students, a fundraiser for scholarships and an opportunity for graduates to come back and see what’s new, and it’s all disguised as a fun night of crosscampus mini-golf,” Joey Besl, alumni communications specialist, said. “It’s an excellent event, and completely unique to UAA.”‌

Sustainable Seawolf: What is composting?

By Abby Slater

features@thenorthernlight.org

Composting is the process in which organic materials are broken down to become usable, highly-fertile soil for gardeners. The soil created by this process is valuable to anyone wanting to grow plants, especially if they have an indoor garden that just needs an extra boost of nutrients. While some stores, such as Susitna Organics, sell compost to consumers, making your own compost is easy.‌

For people starting out, the biggest concerns are the smell, the mess and fear that conditions will become unsanitary.

However, placing a compost bin in a garage or outdoors in the summer will keep a clamp on smell. The mess and sanitary conditions depend on keeping the compost going in order for everything to properly decompose.‌ It’s important to note that there are a few different kinds of composting. One is called cold compost, which is when a layer of soil is placed on top a layer of compostable items and left to sit. While this is the least involved way to compost, it also takes up to a year to yield results. ‌ The second type is called hot compost, in which temperature is regulated within the compost bin by adding high-nitrogen items in, such as greens and grass trimmings. To strike the right balance of nitrogen-heavy items to compostable and brown items, the general rule is three parts brown items like dried leaves and straw to one part green, with a layer of compostable items in as well. If it’s warm or hot to the touch, then there is enough nitrogen. If it is room temperature, you need to add in more greens. ‌ Vericomposting is the third option.

This is similar to the second option, except that it uses red worms to produce

the nitrogen instead of greens and grass trimmings. Worms can be purchased in packages online. Add in compostable items, some soil and the worms in layers.

Both this, and the second type of composting take about two to three months. ‌ The general rule of any composting is to keep the bin moist but not overly wet.

For the second two options, temperature plays a factor. You can go by touch or purchase a digital thermometer from any hardware store. Remember to turn your pile every week, mixing the layers in a bit to keep the flow of air and nitrogen going.‌ Many gardening centers also offer starter compost; the previously composted material acts as an enabler for the rest of your compostable materials, keeping the decomposition process going. ‌ What is compostable? ‌ • Fresh fruit peels • Vegetable scraps • Egg shells • Coffee grounds • Tea bags • Old oatmeal • Herbs • Peanut shells • Cooked pasta and rice • Cereal boxes • Shredded newspaper‌

What should be avoided?‌ • Meat • Fish • Fish bones • Plastic • Manure • Animal waste‌ If composting just isn’t for you‌ If the idea of having a bin of rotting stuff in your house just doesn’t seem appealing, Anchorage residents have an alternative option provided by the Municipality of Anchorage.‌ Residents pick up a compost bin from American Landscaping’s nursery, spend a week or so filling it with compostable materials and drop it off at either the Anchorage Regional Landfill in Eagle River or the Central Transfer Station in Midtown Anchorage. Then, you are free to take the Municipality’s compost in a weight equal to what you dropped off. Essentially, you can compost without having to worry about the maintenance. ‌ Composting can help residents keep up to 40 percent of their waste out of landfills and turn it into something usable for the community. ‌

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 05

A warming discussion about the Arctic

By Joseph Diaz

jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

The Arctic Discussion Series is focused on the work and research being done by experts in the field to learn more about the Arctic. The series is open to the public.‌ The first event was on Feb. 15 and focused on the creation of Audubon Alaska’s “Ecological Atlas of the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas,” presented

by Max Goldman, Arctic marine ecologist.‌ One of Goldman’s latest projects. “The Ecological Atlas of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas,” was finished last summer and informs the public and policy makers when decisions regarding these areas are being made.‌ “We make the best available science readily accessible regardless of background, and let that unadulterated and reviewed science advocate for the marine environment,” Goldman said.‌ Goldman became involved in Arctic research through his fascination with the ice dynamics in the Arctic. What he finds interesting is the way Arctic areas function as two different systems depending on many different factors, such as the presence and absence of sea ice.‌ “As an ecologist, I am very

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Max Goldman, an Arctic marine ecologist, holds his presentation on his work in Alaska for the Arctic Discussion Series. The Arctic Discussion Series focuses on work and research based in the Arctic.

aware of and concerned about climate change, which draws even more attention to the Arctic, where those effects are the most obvious,” Goldman said.‌ Goldman works at Audubon Alaska, a company that focuses on wildlife conservation. As an Arctic marine ecologist, Goldman focuses on sorting through and making sense of data collected by agency personnel, university researchers and non-government organizations. ‌ “We synthesize and com-

bine [the] data to create atlases that describe an entire region through annual cycle maps of species and processes that persist in the area,” Goldman said. ‌ One of the greatest challenges Goldman has faced throughout his career has been the nature of his work. Not everyone agrees on the importance of conservation, and there is a constant battle between industries, governments and conservation organizations.

“There is no time to dwell

on past successes or challenges with the sheer volume of threats to Alaska’s land and water, and the speed at which developers and the current administrations are willing to move to develop those threats,” Goldman said.‌ There is still much to discover and understand in the field of Arctic research.‌ “Researchers still know very little about the Arctic relative to other areas that are more easily accessed, not to mention all the stuff we don’t know to ask about

yet,” Goldman said. “More funding would mean more people choosing to use their careers to learn about this enigmatic environment.”‌ Two more presentations are scheduled in the series. The next speaker, Sarah Bobbe of the Ocean Conservancy, will present March 22 on the challenges of heavy fuel oil use by ships in the Arctic. The final presentation on April 12 will be Caroline Behe on the Inuit Circumpolar Council of Alaska.‌

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 06

Murals of opioid addictions, recoveries and hope

PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN CIELO

Cynthia Brown, a recovering heroin addict, is depicted in a three-piece mural by students in ART 213, beginning painting. The murals share stories of the transition from addiction to recovery.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOEY BESL

A mural located on the second floor of the Arts Building displays Mark Weaver, and symbolizes his recovery from heroin addiction. Each mural displays statistics on the back of the paintings to explain the opioid crisis in Alaska.

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

A beginning painting class at UAA created three murals depicting individuals who are recovering from, or are still addicted to, heroin.‌

In February, 12 students in Steven Gordon’s beginning painting, ART 213, started working on murals after they spent time talking to three recovering heroin addicts. Gordon wanted to bring to light the opioid epidemic. ‌ The class split into three

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN CIELO

Students from Steven Gordon’s beginning painting class used quotes to express feelings between Kim Whitaker and her daughter, as the younger struggles with addiction.

teams of four to complete the murals. The murals have statistics in the back that explain more about the opioid crisis in Alaska from the last year.‌ Cynthia Brown and Mark Weaver are both recovering from heroin addictions and shared their story to Gordon’s class about their journey from addiction to recovery. ‌ Kim Whitaker, president of the organization Anchorage Opioid Task Force - R.E.A.L About Addiction, and her daughter, who is currently still addicted, also spoke in the class.‌ “Whatever is effective in helping people find recovery and stay in recovery is what I’m interested in communicating with these murals,” Gordon said.‌ The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that over 42,000 individuals in the U.S. overdosed on some sort of opioid in 2016 and that 40 percent of those opioid overdoses

involve a prescription. ‌ In April 2017, the State of Alaska Epidemiology stated on their update on drug overdose deaths that there were 95 opioid overdose deaths in 2016. The same document stated that, “In 2015, Alaska’s opioid overdose death rate was higher than the national rate (11.0 vs. 10.4 per 100,000 population, respectively).” ‌ “You just get a sense of how big the issue is,” Gordon said.‌ Gordon wanted his students to focus on the recovering or still addicted individuals, rather than the staggering statistics. ‌ The powerful murals depict Weaver, arms open with a guitar pick on his sweatshirt and “Jesus” written in the middle; a captivating portrait of Brown; and an embrace shared between Whitaker and her daughter with a gold, realistic heart. ‌ “I think the students in the class were really impacted by

just hearing people’s stories...

Just the thought that as it raises exposure about the issue locally that maybe people would talk about it and try to collectively come up with solutions that could work,” Gordon said. ‌ The murals are on the second floor of the Fine Arts Building until March 8, where they will be featured at Anchor Park Methodist Church for a showing hosted by the Opioid Task Force at 4 p.m. That weekend, the paintings will be at Bean’s Café’s fundraiser, the Empty Bowl Project, at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. After, they will be featured at Alaska Humanities Forum for a few weeks before they are at First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage on April 15. Lastly, it will appear at Southcentral Foundation Nuka System of Care Conference.‌

Science museum showcases findings of dinosaurs and sea monsters

By Mizelle Mayo

features2@thenorthernlight.org

Dinosaurs and sea creatures alike lived in the Talkeetna Mountains before the first Alaskans set foot on land. The Talkeetna Mountain range is a hot spot for archaeologists and paleontologists because of its abundance of dinosaur fossils. The Alaska Museum of Science and Nature explores the era of dinosaurs, ice age mammals and the new addition of sea monsters.‌ The Alaska Museum of Science and Nature made its grand opening on Feb. 24, featuring six exhibits that let children and adults discover the bones of dinosaurs, the fossils of Alaska’s marine life, ancient birds, ice age mammals, rocks and minerals.‌ Before the museum established itself in Anchorage, the building was originally located in Eagle River. The first variation of the museum was called “The Southcentral Museum of Alaska History” in 1994. ‌ In 2003, the former Midnight Sun Boat company warehouse on Bragaw Street was purchased for the museum space.‌

“It took us a while with a lot of grants from [the] Rasmuson [Foundation] and the state to turn the building into the Alaska Museum of Science and Nature,” Jinny Moore, board treasurer and volunteer for the Alaska Museum of Science and Nature, said.‌ Founded in 1989, UAA and UAF scientists wanted a place for the public to learn about the animals that roamed the land before us. From the Aleutian Islands to the North Slope and panhandle of Alaska, there have been many discoveries of artifacts and fossils that are still being found.‌ In 1994, a 12-year-old girl named, Lizzie May-Williams, went blueberry picking in the Talkeetna Mountains and found two bones that would ultimately discover the first Hadrosaur — a plant-eating, duck-billed dinosaur — in Alaska.‌ “She brought them into UAA to the paleontologists and zoologists, and they go, ‘Well, it kind of looks like toe bones.’ The paleontologist said to go find more, and she discovered that dinosaur in the Talkeetnas. We named the dinosaur after her,” Kristine Crossen, a UAA geology pro-

fessor and president of Alaska Museum of Science and Nature, said.‌ There have been many dinosaur bones found in places that scientists didn’t find them before.‌ “There’s a huge place in Denali National Park that has so many dinosaur tracks. They call it the ‘Dinosaur Dance Floor,’” Crossen said. “Dinosaurs were all the way up from the North Slope down to Denali National Park. We have a lot of dinosaurs in Alaska during the Cretaceous and Jurassic Period.”‌ According to the National Park Service, Denali National Park had towering forests that hosted various dinosaurs at a time when the park had a milder climate. There were wet winters and dry summers during the Cretaceous Period.‌ The museum has a replica of ‘Lizzie,’ the Hadrosaur and other replicas of dinosaurs and sea monsters created by James Havens, a local Anchorage artist. The replicas were made by Havens for children to have a hands-on experience. The real bones of each animal can be found safely displayed behind glass cases.‌

PHOTO BY MIZELLE MAYO

A replica of the Troodon, a small, bird-like dinosaur found in the North Slope area over 70 million years ago, was created by local artist James Havens for an exhibit at the Alaska Museum of Science and Nature.

“These are brand new finds from the last couple of years in the Talkeetnas. Even though those are mountains now, those rocks have seashells in them. So, people knew that was an ocean in the past,” Crossen said. “They started finding all these fossils like Plesiosaurus and Mosasaurus. I didn’t know how many people in town knew what those were. We wanted something a little fancy, so we called them sea monsters.”‌ The new ‘Sea Monsters’ ex-

hibit showcases archaic sea creatures like the plesiosaurus reptiles that resemble the mythical Loch Ness Monster, with its elongated neck and jagged teeth.

There are also Mosasaurus reptiles that are similar in structure, with a crocodile-like head.‌ The Alaska Museum of Science and Nature is located on 201 N. Bragaw St. The museum is open Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.‌

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 07

Space League experiments with limitless sounds

By Mizelle Mayo

features2@thenorthernlight.org

When you think of rappers and hiphop artists, prominent names like Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, the Creator, come to mind. These well-known artists had to start somewhere in their hometowns. In Anchorage, Space League is a group of artists that are making their names known through the help of the local hip-hop scene and Twitter.‌ Robert Desmond Gross, Saalik Goode and Maliq Green formed Space League.‌ Goode, also known as Leak Leisure, was fortunate to have parents that were artists themselves. His father was a wellknown hip-hop artist in Anchorage back in the day, and his mother was a poet.

When he was younger, Goode would rummage through his aunt’s CD collection, curious to explore various artists.‌ “She had CD’s like BTK, Omarion and Outkast. Just sitting down and listening to them I thought to myself that it would be dope to pursue music,” Goode said. “I told Maliq [Green] about it when we were young, and we both decided that we should try to make this song together.”‌ In elementary school, Goode and Green had a knack for creating songs.‌ “We had a little piano and we made beats to perform in front of our family.

We weren’t really writing serious songs.

It was just little kid songs with little melodies,” Green said.‌ In their teenage years, they had a few friends that rapped and helped feed their passion for creating music. During their early years in middle school, Green met Gross coincidently during lunch time.‌ “I met Desmond [Gross] at Romig Middle School when I was 13 years old.

He asked to cut me in line because it was pizza day. From there, we became friends,” Green said.‌ Gross, also known as LoveSongDesmond, was introduced to Goode afterwards. Realizing they all rapped and wanted to create content, they formed a group.‌‌ “We call it Space League because a league is already a group like justice league superheroes. We’re Space League because it’s limitless,” Gross said.‌

Their group started off as strictly rap, sampling beats that gave them each their verses. Space League’s first song was called “Black Sky.”‌ “We have way better music than that because that was so long ago. I’m not saying it’s not good, but it’s not as good as it can be,” Green said.‌ As time progressed and a new style of hip-hop and rap hit the charts, they tried their hands on various sounds with new and old influential artists like Childish Gambino, Method Man and J. Cole. Experimenting with multiple styles, they created their own individual music within Space League while continuing to support each other’s sound.‌ “Nowadays, I’m very versatile. I try to move from different genres. I wouldn’t really say my sound is pretty much set.

I don’t sing, but in my songs, I have this Travis Scott type of thing going on,” Goode said. “With Maliq [Green], he’s strictly rapping. When he casts the punchline, he goes hard from that. Desmond [Gross] is the most creative because he reminds me of Tyler, the Creator. He tries to sing sometimes. He’s not a singer, but his sound is very unique.”‌ For Space League, an obstacle that continues to persist is getting their music out into the world.‌ “I think that’s a major setback for us.

I wouldn’t really say it’s an excuse, but we would get overlooked since we’re in Alaska,” Goode said.‌ Local businesses and artists like Frozen Founders and Kvsper have supported groups like Space League by taking it to social media to spread the word.‌ Goode had recently released a single produced by BlackMayo called “YahYah” that earned 44,600 listens on Soundcloud that gave way for performances around Anchorage.‌ Each artist in Space League has worked to create and produce their own sounds while continuing to reach for the same goal.‌ Their plan for the future is to create a brand-new Space League logo, producing new content and releasing their music as far as they can reach.‌ Space League music can be streamed on their official Soundcloud.‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPACE LEAGUE

LoveSongDesmond, Leak Leisure and Maliq make up the group Space League. The group experiments with hip-hop sounds to create their own style of music.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 08

Hockey transitions goalie from Mantha to Claeys

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Second string goaltender Brody Claeys reaches for the puck during the Feb. 15 match-up against Bowling Green State University.

The 6’4” freshman played in seven of the Seawolves’ 34 games during the 2017-18 season, contributing 132 saves at net.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Olivier Mantha, the reliable and dedicated Seawolves goaltender, will not be returning next year. ‌ Mantha served as the goalie for the past four years, contributing to the majority of successes that the Seawolves had seen.

Even in his freshman year, Mantha served as goalie for almost the entire season, in a total of 29 games.‌ Over the course of his four years, Mantha accumulated countless records, awards and praises. Most recently, a Western Collegiate Hockey Association goalie of the week award, in addition to his already claimed Dresser Cup Award, WCHA All-Academic Team, Craig Homan Most Valuable Player, Leon Thompson Fan Favorite

and countless others. ‌ “Obviously for us, the most challenging thing was not having as much success as we would have wanted and sometimes it was hard to keep a good attitude and stay motivated, but at the same time, it was a good learning experience that will help me in the future,” Mantha said.‌ Mantha enjoyed many components of his collegiate career despite the loses his team accumulated. ‌ “I would say the best aspects [of collegiate hockey] are the friendships you make and the people you meet, but also the game in general,” Mantha said.

“Playing college hockey is a lot of fun.”‌ Mantha signed a one-year contract with the Syracuse Crunch, an American Hockey League team, and has been loaned to the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL.‌

As Mantha continues his career, it will be up to freshman Brody Claeys to take over the responsibilities at the net.‌ “Brody [Claeys] definitely improved a lot this year and showed that he’s good enough to play in this league,” Mantha said, “I would tell him to work hard, but he already works so hard.”‌ Claeys joined the UAA hockey team in the fall of 2017. He spent the last season primarily observing the remainder of Mantha’s season, but found ice time in a few games, most recently against Bowling Green on Feb. 15. ‌ The game provided Claeys a glimpse into what his future seasons may look like at UAA.‌ “I want to continue providing our young team with [the qualities Mantha has shown] in the net, I want to give us a chance to win every night,” Claeys said.‌

Although the starting roster is not set for the 2018-19 season, senior goaltender Olivier Mantha believes Claeys has “improved a lot this year and showed that he’s good enough to play in this league.”

Claeys played the entire game as goaltender, ending the night with 25 saves. Although he didn’t see much time on the ice this season, he came in with an impressive 0.908 save percentage from playing in the Manitoba Junior Hockey league the year prior. ‌ Claeys’ 25 saves weren’t anything that Mantha wouldn’t have done himself. Of the 31 games that Mantha played in during the 2017-18 season, he made a total of 946 saves, averaging 30.5 per game with an overall .903 save percentage for the season. ‌ Despite that, the Seawolves ended their season with a 4-26 win-loss ratio, a component of the season that Claeys hopes to help alter next year. ‌ “We were a young team this year so the experience will definitely help [in the future], but I don’t think that we were far off,” Claeys said. “We need a killer

instinct and an attitude that refuses to lose. We had lots of close games, and that attitude change could definitely [have made a difference].”‌ His season of observing Mantha has taught him a lot of valuable lessons. ‌ “I learned a lot this year from working with him... I learned the level of competitiveness and consistency [that is needed] every night to be successful,” Claeys said.‌ Since the hockey season is over for the year, the team will continue their off-season training until they pick back up in fall 2018. In addition to the departure of Mantha and six other senior players, Head Coach Matt Thomas’ contract was not renewed, and he was released from his position. A nationwide search has begun for a replacement hockey coach for next season.‌

OLYMPIANS: Seventeen local athletes competed in Pyeongchang Continued from cover at the end, one that Diggins was dedicated to. ‌ “I [was] giving it everything I had and I had someone who I really love and care about waiting for me at the finishing line and I just want to make her proud,” Diggins said in a press conference.‌ Randall competed in three other events to complete her fifth appearance at the Olympic Games. She raced in the 10km free, 7.5K + 7.5K Skiathlon and the 4x5K relay over the course of 11 days, finishing at 16th, 40th and fifth, respectively. ‌ Similar to Randall, crosscountry skier Sadie Bjornsen also competed in four events, adding to the three olympic events she competed in previously in 2014. ‌ Bjornsen was a member of the same 4x5K team as Randall; she placed 15th in the 10K free, 14th in the sprint classic and 17th in the mass start classic. ‌ Bjornsen finished one spot and five seconds ahead of Randall in the 10km classic. ‌ Sadie Bjornsen’s younger

brother, Erik Bjornsen, also competed in the games, racing in four events. He placed highest in the team sprint free relay, along with Simeon Hamilton, placing 6th.‌ In addition, Erik Bjornsen finished 41st in the 15K free, 42nd in the 15K + 15K Skiathlon and 25th in the sprint free. ‌ A fourth Alaskan to compete in the olympics was South High School graduate Yeaton. She competed in an impressive five events over the course of two weeks. ‌ The most successful event she competed in was the team sprint relay, finishing at 12th.

In addition, Yeaton raced in the 10K free (41st), the 7.5K + 7.5K Skiathlon (50th), the sprint classic (48th), and the 30K mass start classic (42nd). ‌ Skiers Brennan, Frankowski and the Hanneman brothers each only competed in one events each. ‌ Brennan, an aspiring teacher, competed in the 7.5K + 7.5K Skiathlon to debut her Olympic career; she finished at No. 58. ‌ Frankowski, an adjunct professor at Alaska Pacific Univer-

sity, raced in the 30K mass start classic, finishing in 21st.‌ The Hanneman brothers competed in separate events. ‌ The older of the two, Reese Hanneman, raced as part of the 4x10K relay, placing 14th.

His younger brother, Logan Hanneman raced in the sprint classic, finishing 42nd. ‌ “We have been competing against each other, in one sport or another, for our entire lives, and the brotherly competition and cooperation has undoubtedly propelled us to this point,” Reese Hanneman said. ‌ A final pair of siblings that traveled together to South Korea were the Patterson siblings. This was the Olympic career debut for both athletes.‌ 28-year-old Caitlin Patterson placed 34th in the 7.5K + 7.5K skiathlon and 26th place finish in the 30K mass-start classic.‌ Younger brother, 26-yearold Scott Patterson, competed in four events. His highest rank was in the 50K mass-start classic, finishing at No. 11, less than 5 minutes after the first place finish. He also competed in the 15K free (21st), 15K + 15K Ski-

athlon (18th) and the 4x10K relay (14th). ‌ “From an early age in Idaho, I developed a passion for skiing through involvement in games and outdoor adventures with friends. This naturally progressed to racing,” Scott Patterson said. ‌ The final Alaskan skier was UAF mechanical engineering graduate Kornfield. He made his Olympic debut by racing in two events, the 15K free (74th) and the 50K mass-start classic (48th). ‌ The U.S. Team took two snowboarders from Alaska.

However, only one competed.‌ For the second time, Stassel competed in several events at the games. He competed in two events over eleven days. First, he competed in the men’s slopestyle to finish at No. 35. Almost two weeks later, Stassel competed again to get 26th in the men’s big air. ‌ The second snowboarder, Mancari, was unable to complete her scheduled events due to injury. She spent the days prior to her race training for snowboard-cross when she suffered

an unfortunate fall that ruptured both of her Achilles. ‌ “Everyone’s Olympic dream has a different outcome, and unfortunately mine was cut a little short when I ruptured both of my achilles in training. However, I am staying super positive and optimistic and excited to get even better and stronger this summer,” Mancari said in a public post on social media.‌ Keegan Messing was the lone figure skater from Alaska. The Girdwood local has been skating since age three, using that experience to make his debut in two Olympic events under team Canada.‌ Messing skated in the men’s short and free skate programs to finish in 12th, but as a member of the team event, Messing and his Canadian teammates took a first place finish.‌ Since the games, the majority of the athletes have returned home, many of them already planning out training to make it into the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 09

A target for gun An open letter to the safety in Alaska Alaska State Legislature

By Caleb Berry

cberry@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF GENEVIEVE MINA

By Genevieve Mina Contributor

Compared to other Alaskans, I’ll be the first to admit my lack of knowledge on guns.‌ But my father was a gun owner. He was also diagnosed with depression. And ten years ago, he committed suicide by his own gun on Thanksgiving Day while I was upstairs in my room, waiting for dinner.‌ Any suicide is horrific and terrifying. A suicide by gun is by far, the worse. No other method is as instantaneous, as jarring, and as effective.‌ Even though mass shootings occasionally spark society’s concern for gun violence, suicides are by far the leading cause of gun deaths. According to a 2016 Anchorage Daily News report, using data from the Centers for Disease Control, the Alaska Office of Management and Budget, and the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics, in 2014, about 80 percent of gun deaths in Alaska were by suicide: “Alaskans are more than twice as likely to commit suicide with a gun as the average American… 68.9 percent of all suicides involved a gun.” ‌ Suicide by gun is the biggest elephant in the room of gun debates — and now is the time to take action. That is why I am fervently in support of House Bill 75, introduced by my representative, Geran Tarr. HB 75 would establish Extreme Risk Protection Order as a tool to allow family members and law enforcement to remove guns from citizens that demonstrate a high risk to themselves or to others.

It is incredibly targeted to highrisk individuals, and it is a temporary common-sense measure that still respects gun rights. It also allows citizens to have their

own hand in the gun restriction process, rather than relying on bureaucratic means like the FBI to take away arms.‌ If passed, HB 75 would do more than mitigate suicides and homicides. It could have prevented my mom, a life-long nurse, from being forced to use her profession to try to save her husband. Perhaps my brother wouldn’t have had to deliver the most tragic news to his relatives on a holiday for families, and I could have grown up without being absolutely terrified by any loud, abrupt noise.‌ In the wake of the Florida school massacre, our country once again indulges in its worst self-destructive habit: we rage over the loss of innocents, politicians gaslight our furor and our society reaches a new level of tolerance for widespread gun deaths. The proponents of the Second Amendment will predictably criticize any proposed gun regulations like HB 75, scrutinizing over legislative defects as if our nation’s biggest flaws are laws of limitations, not loss of life. ‌ We struggle to find the “silver bullet” to end gun violence, but even Justice Antonin Scalia admitted that “the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.” We can’t force an imagined reality where guns never existed, or wait for the Second Amendment rights to solve our current reality. What we can do is look at local policies, and consider legislation that could work.‌ I know responsible, law-abiding citizens make up the majority of gun owners. I’m not trying to forcefully take away guns from responsible gun owners or shame people for hunting.

Please, just take a look at HB 75, and consider who it would impact, and what it could prevent. ‌

To the Alaska State Legislature,‌ I encourage you to pass the UA Board of Regents Fiscal Year 2019 proposed budget of $341 million. The UA Board of Regents have labored long crafting this budget which has a special emphasis on investments in Alaska’s economic future. The University of Alaska has endured over $61 million in state budget cuts over the past four years. The results have been catastrophic to post-secondary education in Alaska. No one in the legislature is at fault; however, now is the opportunity to set things right.‌ The three UA universities are high-quality schools that benefit the state. Every step in the ladder of science, mathematics and art are taught at our university with the utmost efficiency. At UA, there are 30,000 students studying in over 400 degree programs and certificates. To narrow my argument, I believe it is prudent to examine UA’s strategic investments. The strategic investments were crafted by the UA Board of Regents alongside President Jim Johnsen. These investments include providing Alaska with a skilled workforce and contributing to Alaska’s economic development. ‌ According to Johnsen in his 2018 State of the University address, over 4,600 students graduated from UA in 2017 in one form or another. That is 4,600 people who have gone on to be

nurses, doctors, lawyers, engineers, entrepreneurs and politicians, among many other careers. Alaska has great difficulty providing its own skilled workforce. According to the Peninsula Clarion, the State of Alaska hired a full 70 percent of our K-12 teachers from outside of the state in 2016. That is a weakness for the state because it makes us to dependent upon an outside supply. The College of Education at UAA is working to address this problem, but this requires time and a proper budget from the state.‌ If a person could receive a 400 percent return on an investment, it would be unwise not to invest. According to Johnsen in his State of the University address, the State of Alaska receives $4 for every $1 invested within it. To put that in context, when a person opens up a savings account at a bank, standard interest paid to the account holder is a dividend of 0.5 percent.

Money invested in the UA system has a return rate 800 times that of the standard Alaska USA savings account. ‌ Recent times have been hard on the University of Alaska and recent budget cuts have made it much harder. According to Johnsen, the UA system has 1,183 fewer faculty and staff on the payroll than we had just three years ago. Professors are the lifeblood of this and every other university. They sacrifice much and share their knowledge for the sake of society. Staff at UA are unsung heroes that deserve our full consideration. Ev-

ery time a guidance counselor, IT official, custodian or maintenance worker is laid off because of budget cuts, the university suffers for it. ‌ The parade of budget cuts imposed on the university year after year has resulted in academic programs either being reduced or completely eliminated altogether. I myself am a student of politics at UAA and will be beginning law school in August thanks to the education I have received. Many of the necessary classes I need to graduate have not been provided recently because of budget cuts and the resulting faculty layoffs. Thankfully, I have been able to get by through substitutions and class exemptions but many students have not been as lucky as I am.

In addition to these problems, the university is also facing a crisis of deferred maintenance.

Our buildings are aging and in need of repairs. ‌ As I understand it, the statewide UA system is currently in a $1 billion deferred maintenance slump. Obviously, this amount is far beyond what could reasonably be expected from the legislature to provide but the problem is worth addressing and acknowledging. Deferred maintenance is a factor in the declining enrollment the university is facing. After all, who wants to go to an aging school? The UA Board of Regents proposed budget contains adequate funding to at least stop the problem from getting worse.‌

10 | OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

Critique of power is not a critique of identity

By Robin O’Donoghue arts2@thenorthernlight.org

If you have had the misfortune to hear a talk by Milo Yiannopoulos or Richard Spencer, or heard conservative mouthpieces such as Tomi Lahren or Ben Shapiro speak to their millions of fans through social media platforms, then you have probably heard something along the lines of, “straight male identity is under attack in America” or, “it is no longer acceptable to be a straight white male.”‌ Inflammatory statements that claim straight white male identity is somehow under attack are intentionally designed to both appeal to, and garner support from, the segment of the straight male population that feels underrepresented and targeted by recent social and political movements.‌ The recent #MeToo movement, which climbed to viral prevalence and national attention in October of 2017, was part of an effort to encouraged women and victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault to come forward, in order to demonstrate the high frequency women experienced these crimes.‌ Almost immediately after, the backlash on social media appeared with cries of, “Not all men.”‌ This is a defense to an accusation that was not even posed.

Rhetoric like this is unhelpful, and it ignores and evades the actual problem being discussed.‌ The same type of situation occurred as the Black Lives Matter movement gained prominence in 2015 and 2016.

As Black Lives Matter started receiving national attention and mainstream coverage, the hashtag #AllLivesMatter was spawned.‌ Rather than reckon with the actual problem, All Lives Mat-

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN CIELO

Thousands of protesters marched in downtown Anchorage during the second annual Women’s March on Jan. 20.

ter pivots the conversation and paints the Black Lives Matter movement in a negative light that prioritizes the lives of one ethnicity and group of people over the rest.‌ The hashtag #BlueLivesMatter is equally redundant. Any good natured person would likely agree that the lives of police officers matter, and that the lives of the general public and human race at large matter as well. ‌ So, what spurs these responses? When a group of people feel passionately about societal disparity, and care enough to demonstrate and make their voices heard, why is the immediate response to attempt to silence and shame them by misconstruing the intent of their movement?‌ The reason why progressive social movements are fought tooth and nail, typically by heteronormative, Christian, white people, is because they are

scared of a landscape they no longer see themselves reflected in.‌ America is changing, possibly faster than some might like.

As diversity and the visibility of minorities rise, some white Americans are scrambling as they realize that, slowly, the default perspective of the country is beginning to shift away from them.‌ White people are so enraged by movements such as Black Lives Matter because they feel excluded by them. The effect these types of movements can make the population feel uncomfortable, and the gut reaction becomes defensive behavior. It’s a paradox of faux, selfinduced oppression where the white populous can’t control the dialogue and default to responses such as, “This is not the place,” in order to silence voice causing their discomfort.‌

Take, for example, the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, which featured pop singer Beyoncé. Her and her backup dancers wore costumes inspired by the Black Panther Party, sparking outrage regarding the creative decision.‌ Political commentator Tomi Lahren ripped into the performance on The Blaze calling it “police hating”. She accused the performance of perpetuating the notion that, “Black lives matter more.” Lahren additionally criticized the performance by asserting that both the performance and the Black Lives Matter movement inspire rioting and violence.‌ Ironically, Lahren and other right-wing commentators were silent on the events that directly transpired after the 2016 Super Bowl. It was Philadelphia Eagles fans, not Black Lives Matter protesters, who engaged in

celebratory activities in the city of Philadelphia that quickly devolved into riots, violence, vandalism and looting.‌ It is acceptable for white people to cause a public nuisance and property damage over a sports game, but heaven forbid people peacefully demonstrate over a cause they believe in.‌ We saw similar criticism at the second annual Women’s March on Washington, sparking comments such as, “What are they even protesting?” and “What rights don’t they have?”‌ Questions like these riddled the comments sections of all media coverage on the event. My personal favorite would be the men who vocalized, “Why can’t we have a men’s march?”‌ To those men, I would say do it! One of the greatest freedoms we possess as American’s is the right to peacefully assemble, if you believe that is a cause worthy of undertaking, by all means, organize and march.

Rather than critique those brave enough to demonstrate their beliefs, make use of the freedoms you are granted.‌ The criticism of the Women’s March on Washington is similar to the vocal distaste that LGBTQ pride parades met with each year. Parades and demonstrations for those who believe in straight and Christian pride already exist,. Rather than the colors of the rainbow, they are usually celebrated with white hooded robes.‌ Straight white male identity is not under attack in America, but it is under examination. We are arriving at a point in time wherein the status quo is being questioned for a good reason, and what we’re seeing in the backlash to various social and progressive movements is the last breath of those who still live in a world of white supremacy and misogyny.‌

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

| 11

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

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

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

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L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y

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T H E N O RT H E R N L I G H T CO N TAC TS Executive Editor

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Graphic Designer

Managing Editor

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

Layout Editor

Copy Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

News Editor

Opinion Editor

Caleb Berry cberry@thenorthernlight.org

Alexis Abbott 786-6195 admanager@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant News Editors

Staff Reporters

Contributors

Marie Ries news2@thenorthernlight.org

Joseph Diaz jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

Features Editor

Staff Photographers

Sam Davenport 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org Kathryn DuFresne content@thenorthernlight.org Victoria Petersen copy@thenorthernlight.org Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Abigail Slater features@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant Features Editor

Mizelle Mayo features2@thenorthernlight.org

Malia Barto arts@thenorthernlight.org

Robin O’Donoghue arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Lauren Cuddihy sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Caleigh Jensen cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Jay Guzman jguzman@thenorthernlight.org Christian Cielo ccielo@thenorthernlight.org

Multimedia Editor

Yoshina Okamoto multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org Levi Brown layout@thenorthernlight.org

Web Editor

Caitlin Buxbaum web@thenorthernlight.org

Advertising Manager

Jacob Holley-Kline

Media Adviser Paola Banchero

Administrative Adviser Zac Clark

Administrative Assistant Allie Hartman

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