MARCH 8 - MARCH 22, 2016
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Stephanie Dishno dives into feminine stereotypes
Celebrate St. Patrick’s with a simple corned beef
Reproductive rights in Alaska: Past, present and future
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Helen Nienhueser speaks about her life experiences at Before Roe V. Wade and After: Reproductive Rights and Alaska’s Future.
By Victoria Petersen
vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org
On Friday March 4, Generation Action: Students for Reproductive Justice at UAA hosted an event to raise money for Planned Parenthood. The title for the event was Before Roe v. Wade and After: Reproductive Rights and Alaska’s Future. The event was hosted on Friday, March 4, in the Student Union. Genera-
tion Action, educated the public about the past, present and future battles of reproductive rights in the state of Alaska, as well as the country. The event hosted two guest speakers, Helen Nienhueser and Jessica Cler. Helen Nienhueser, who spoke on the topic of the past, was pivotal in organizing a movement across the state to change the abortion laws of the state of Alaska. In 1970, her efforts were brought to fruition when Alaska became the third
state in the nation, behind Hawai’i and New York, to allow women abortion with consultation of their doctor. Three years before Row v. Wade. Neinhuesser spoke about the conflicts that arose during her fight for the rights of women across the state, and discussed how she did it with twentieth century technology. Meeting with journalists and getting their events covered played a pivotal role for Nienhueser and her effort. The event then transitioned into the present situation of reproductive rights for women. With Jessica Cler discussing the present and future of state and national reproductive health, to portray how far they have to go. “It’s really important to know that the fight in 1973, Roe v. Wade, was not the end, it’s just the beginning.” said Zhenia Peterson, a member of Generation Action. “We really need to keep in mind the past, but we also need to look toward the future.” Jessica Cler, Alaska Public Affairs Manager at Planned Parenthood, continued the conversation with looks at laws taking action in the current time and spoke about their effects, if put into place, on the future of reproductive health. Cler discussed how these bills would require abortion clinics to rise to a standard of a surgical center and requiring doctors to have admitting privileges, would conse-
quently shut down many abortion clinics around the country. These bills are currently being reviewed by different branches of government and may possibly be passed. “We are seeing so many attacks on reproductive health access and reproductive rights. The public needs to be way more aware that these attacks are going on, and we definitely need more people taking action.” said Jack Bohannon, a member of Generation Action. The presenters and the hosts both emphasize the importance and the relevance of the issues at hand, pointing out that the fight didn’t end at Roe v. Wade, but continues even to this day. “I think young people are getting engaged across the country, but especially here in the state. Generation action here on campus is super involved and super engaged and they’re the future leaders of this movement,” said Cler. “I hope that people recognize the opportunity and the need to get involved.” To learn more about how you can get involved reach out to club Generation Action Students for Reproductive Justice at University of Alaska Anchorage. The club keeps up to date on the issue of reproductive health and justice and creates opportunities for students to get involved.
Nanooks send UAA packing in 3-2 win
By Nolin Ainsworth
sports@thenorthernlight.org
Sitting at the end of a string of seniors in the Arthur Buswell Pioneer Room, Tyler Morley’s sweat-soaked jersey hung off his wiry frame. Addressing questions from the media, he looked exhausted and emotionally drained, and who could blame him? After missing a month to injury, Morley returned to the Nanooks’ line-up for senior weekend and the final two home games of his collegiate career. The team struggled without him — going 1-5 in its last three series. It was a must-win series to keep UAF’s season alive, the Governor’s Cup riding on it, and family was in town. So Morley kept things as simple as possible. “One was winning, one was losing. One was going home, one wasn’t,” he said of the two teams vying for the playoffs. “I just tried to do everything I could to lead this team, to carry on.” That’s exactly what the 5’8’’ senior did, tallying three points — 2 goals and an assist — lifting the Nanooks (10-20-4, 8-16-4 WCHA) to a 3-2 win over the Seawolves (11-20-3, 8-18-2 WCHA) before a packed Carlson Center Saturday night. “I’m extremely proud of this group,” UAF head coach Dallas Ferguson said. “We talked about it for the last few weeks here about pushing, and pushing, and
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PHOTO BY MYLISSA MACLAIN Sophomore Connor Wright rounds the corner for another shot as Nolan Huysmans defends during the third period of Saturday’s match up in Fairbanks. UAF won games 3 and 4 of the Governor’s Cup and won the season series 3-0-1.
sticking together and finding ways [to win], and then it came down to the last weekend.” The Nanooks play Michigan Tech in the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs this week. The loss meant not only an end to UAA’s season, but also the collegiate careers of its four seniors: Blake Tatchell, Blake Leask, Chris Williams, and Austin Sevalrud. Each of the four has dressed in 124 or more games as Seawolves. “It’s difficult to swallow because
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we’ve got some really good seniors in that room,” UAA head coach Matt Thomas said. “The fact that was their last college hockey game - that’s tough - because those guys deserve better than that.” UAA’s Olivier Mantha deserved praise for his efforts in the first period. The Nanooks saw a handful clean looks at the sophomore, but Mantha’s glove and leg pads were working early, and the game remained scoreless for the first 18 minutes. Morley began his three point night on a redirection off Nick Hinz’s shot from
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the point at 18:43. UAA came out with a bang in the second period, scoring at 1:17 to tie the game 1-1. Connor Wright centered a puck intended for Blake Tatchell at the bottom of the right face off circle. Tatchell never located it, but it didn’t matter as the puck deflected off a skate and through the wickets of goalie Davis Jones. Wyatt Ege and Nils Rygaard were given the assists. The goal didn’t slow the Nanooks down for long. Dylan Hubbs went off for slashing at 13:42, and Nolan Huysmans and Morley teamed up on the power play to provide a pretty goal. Huysmans found a streaking Morley on a 2-on-1 break that Mantha didn’t have a chance of saving. The third period contained of the same plot-turns from the night before. Down one goal and the clock ticking down, the Seawolves scored their second goal and tied the game at 2-2. Tatchell forced a turnover in UAF’s end. Tatchell put a puck on net that was eventually picked up and scored by Alex Jackstadt. The Nanooks responded again though with a Justin Woods slap shot that beat Mantha glove-side at 5:58. UAA pulled its goalie in the final minute, but the UAF kept the puck away from Jones to seal the win. “I’m very proud of the effort that the guys gave both nights, and especially towards the end of the season,” UAA captain Austin Sevalrud said. “We faced a lot of adversity this year and guys never let that get in the way.”
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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
| 02
‘XCOM’ is not an accurate alien invasion simulator In the year 2013, an alien brain slug from one of the galaxy’s most feared empires crash-landed on Earth and assumed control of a lowly reporter at this newspaper. These are his stories.
By Klax Zlubzecon
Translated by George Hyde Video games are weird. My host’s rampant enthusiasm for them usually translates to me being rampantly enthusiastic, but I have no idea why. It could just be our psychic bond. I typically wouldn’t care for most video games he plays unless he cares about them, too. This month, I found an exception: “XCOM 2.” For those of you not in the know, “XCOM” is a renowned series of turnbased strategy games in which you, the commander of a filthy human defense group known as XCOM — eXtraterrestrial COMbat unit — must defend Earth from incoming alien invasions. Here is where I break off from where my host would start reviewing the game in his traditional style. Typically, he’d go into how tense the gameplay is, or how the atmosphere always bogs down on you while still giving you a glimmer
of hope. I don’t care about all that. The most important thing for me is that the “XCOM” games — especially the newest — are bona-fide alien invasion simulators. Thus, as an alien brain parasite hell-bent on conquering the Earth with the help of my benevolent Slug Empire, this game deserves my careful scrutiny. When the series was rebooted about three years ago, the plot was simple: aliens are invading, and XCOM must make them either leave or die. Spoiler alert: in that game, the humans won, and they won for the dumbest reason imaginable — video game logic. As you start the game, you’re only facing off against very weak alien troops, like little gray men or aliens thinly disguised as humans. These aliens are easily susceptible to normal human firearms. It’s only once your troops start getting experienced that they throw the meaner troops at you. My question is, why the hell aren’t they throwing the meanest troops at you now? The final fight is against a coven of
ethereal psychic wizards that could rip your entire army apart with naught but a wave of their hands. Why not throw those guys in first? The Slug Empire has tons of mind readers and psychokinetic warriors under its enslavement, among other really nasty beasts. Were we in the “XCOM” aliens’ position, we’d throw those guys at you without letting you guys catch up to us. We are not video game enemies that gradually get more difficult as you fight more of us. Life does not work that way. Do you know where the weakest beings are in the Slug hierarchy? They do our paperwork! They’re higher up, protected by legions of enthralled killers. We’re not going to dispose of them just because they’re weak. That’s just cruel. In “XCOM,” the game’s difficulty is curved in such a way that no matter how much you grow, you feel like the aliens are just one step ahead of you. That’s good game design, but it’s very unrealistic. We are several steps — nay, lightyears — ahead of you in terms of technology. We’re better than you, and we’re not going to stop and tease you about it. “XCOM 2,” released last month, is a little bit more practical with its premise than the original XCOM, however. The sequel assumes that you lost the last game’s final battle. Instead of fighting off an alien invasion, the aliens have already invaded and are ruling over humanity with an iron fist. Now we’re talking! Instead of playing as the oppressive aliens, though, you play as the humans again. Oh come on! Why can’t a brain slug get the opportunity to stamp humanity’s metaphorical face with a metaphorical boot forever? I mean, we’re going to do that for real in a few millennia once the fleet finally gets here, but the developers at Firaxis could at least give me the courtesy of simulating that.
Anyway, XCOM is now a resistance group trying to restore humanity’s place on Earth. Oh, I get it, so we aliens are fascists now, huh? Is that how you see us? What do you take us for, a possible Trump administration? We happen to care deeply about every race we enslave. Once a race becomes part of the hive mind, we see their struggles and histories. We don’t invade out of malevolence, we invade because we want to make life richer for you. We want to look at the human condition and embrace it. Yes, we want to rule over you, and we may be a little dramatic about it, but we treat every species we enslave with at least some respect. We just invade your brains, that’s all. We’d never do something as sinister as “XCOM 2’s” “Avatar Project,” which is a mysterious win condition for the aliens in the game. It’s never stated explicitly what it is, but it’s heavily implied that it pretty much murders all of humanity. What’s the point in that? What would we have to gain from killing all of humanity once we enslave them, even if there are a few bad apples that want to rebel against us? If my host were writing this, he’d be saying that it’s a fantastic turn-based game. He’s not writing this, though. I don’t care how well-designed “XCOM 2” is. It’s blatantly offensive towards alien culture, assuming that all we want to do is destroy humanity and oppress them. It makes assumptions and generalizations about a species that humanity doesn’t even know exists yet. We’re not bad guys! We’re on your side! We just want to brainwash you and absorb your culture, that’s all!
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.
EMBRACE THE SEAWOLF SLUG.
Tree wells and wet cement: Backcountry skiing at it’s finest A well-meaning column rife with clunky metaphors and horrible advice, Orange Rhymes With is the goto place to break the monotony of classes and laugh at someone else’s misfortune.
By Evan Dodd Contributor
I didn’t write a column last week, not due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, but rather due to my startling lack of time management. I suppose I could have claimed that I was too busy learning to save lives with my EMT training, but really I had planned to write and I instead packed my backcountry gear, made chili and promptly fell asleep. I awoke far too early the next morning only to be greeted by a two hour bus ride through the rain that somehow didn’t inspire visions of great skiing. The destination was Turnagain Pass, to complete the weekend portion of the university backcountry course I’d been babbling about since the last time I’d taken it. The focus of the weekend was to gain our Level One certification through
the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. The purpose behind the AIARE course is to establish a framework for decision making in avalanche terrain. Essentially, we were meant to learn where avalanches occur and what signs predicted them, then steer the hell clear of those indicators. The first day we chose to ride at Tin Can, a mix of exposed slopes and switch backing treeline runs, for which I have nothing positive to say whatsoever. Being the main run that people tend to have heard of, and having an identifiable pulloff and skin track has done the area no favors, as it is consistently packed with the last people I’d want on the scene were I to need extrication from an avalanche. Imagine a collection of hungover individuals collected from the local Zumiez whose plan for an avalanche would be to outrun it and you’ll have a point of reference for my distaste.
Now, that’s not to rag on those who do have proper training and decision making skills that prefer to ski the area. In fact, some of the areas of the main track are quite nice if you’re willing to exert the energy to reach them. On the whole however, if backcountry environments could be thought of as fine dining, then Tin Can would be on par with Taco Bell. And as if cement thick snow and poor visibility weren’t enough of a hindrance that day, I quickly became acquainted with the notion of tree wells. Tree wells, for those unaware, are a cruel quirk of nature formed by heavy snowfall atop fir trees. As the snow accumulates around the tree the base is sheltered by the occluding branches. The effect is threefold — a funnel shape grows as the snow is diverted to the outer radius of the tree, the snow which does reach the inside of the tree well is far less compact and dense that that around the tree, finally resulting in the entrapment of any skier dumb enough to venture near. Having narrowly avoided the first few I’d seen, I found myself so deep in an unexpected well that I was forced to unstrap from my board and climb 75 percent of the tree in order to unstick myself from it; discarding any notion that I may have had an unfairly negative opinion on Tin Can. Retiring back to the cabin for the night, we managed to fit a class of 11, alongside two guides and an avalanche forecaster, in a cabin that had seemed far more spacious when last year’s class had only contained five. We spent the evening gorging our tired bodies on spaghetti that couldn’t have possibly tasted that good in an urban setting, and were all uncon-
scious before ten. The next day, we explored Fresno Ridge, albeit via an alternate up-track due to worsening avalanche conditions, which was an improvement only in that it was unknown terrain. Our pit tests at the top were something just short of alarming, as we found a monstrous slab teetering on a deeply flawed weak layer of snow. During the various tests used to determine avalanche probability and propagation potential, we dropped a test column large enough to warrant gratuitous swearing, a few nervous looks and a definite plan to avoid that side of the mountain. Opting instead to ski the relatively safe route back down the skin track, we found ourselves in a nonstop race to gain enough speed to avoid stopping, as for snowboarders this meant a grueling postholing session through waist deep snow with the consistency of drying cement. We managed to get a nice mellow run in before the snow became so wet that anyone not wearing skis surrendered all hope and fled back to the bus, but it was certainly more work than play. Thus far, this column may seem to suggest that backcountry skiing is more trouble than it’s worth. By the end of day two, I’d have been inclined to back that statement. But the third day wasn’t just a pleasant surprise. It was the best damn snow I’ve seen since the record-breaking season in 2012. It was so good in fact, that I’m going to take another week to write about it, as I’ve somehow again lost track of time in the face of planning a backcountry trip. So until next time, I’ll entertain myself with dreams of what we encountered at Tenderfoot.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
| 03
Who runs the Rondy carnival? By Nita Mauigoa Contributor
PHOTO BY NITA MAUIGOA
This story originally ran on March 4, 2014: Jacqueline Leavitt, owner of Golden Wheel Amusements, remembers being a little girl in early Alaska in 1967, playing by a tiny cotton candy wagon. The hot, sugary scent permeated the air as her mother operated only a handful of rides. “It was my playground,” Leavitt recalls as someone who has spent her entire life in the family carnival business. Golden Wheel Amusements is a family owned and operated carnival business that has been the sole provider for Alaska fairs and carnivals, including the Fur Rendezvous, since 1967. Leavitt walked through the carnival grounds — what she refers to as her living room and home — and greeted guests, making sure they were having fun. The sound of children’s laughter echoed as shrills bounced off the rides. The sweet aroma of kettle corn lingered and the bright, fire engine red candied apples filled food booth windows. Leavitt joked around with one of her long-time ride operators, Jim Page, who has been with the company for 11 years. Page was running the popular ride “1001 Nights.” What exactly are people paying for when they fork over their four tickets? “I make the ride swing one way four times and then the other four times. It’s roughly four minutes,” Page said. He and Leavitt joked about the parents who fight to have their child board the ride, though they are too short. There’s the kids who kick and scream and refuse to sit in the front for that special
photo opportunity their parents want to catch of them screaming their heads off. Then there’s this: “Someone throws up on this ride every day!” Page said as he laughed. Maintenance manager Lawrence Denton was seen walking around the carnival grounds, studying all the rides. He said that he maintains the rides daily. He said the plus is that the company only runs during the State Fair and Rondy, so the rides do not get nearly as much wear and tear as those in the Lower 48. Denton said the worst that has happened on a ride is an issue with a wire here and there, but he said there are many safety switches for operators to pull at any given time to stop the rides if needs be. Leavitt’s 13 year-old daughter, Alexis, ran the food counter as her son, Jason, managed the game booths. As Leavitt looked at her daughter she recalled how when she was a little girl, she would sneak out and watch the Iditarod dog sled races and remembered how her sister was in the marching band. “I’ve also been here since I was very small. I’ve worked some of the game booths and food stands. It was fun learning how to make funnel cakes while growing up,” Alexis said. She said perhaps she will take over and run the carnivals like her grandmother and mother have. However, Leavitt didn’t seem like she was ready to let go of the carnival life anytime soon. “I don’t want to one day retire. My mom is 80 years old and you’ll see her a lot of times spinning cotton candy,” Leavitt said. “Why would you want to go somewhere else? This is what we do.” As each Rondy passes year by year, this family remains constant in providing wild and wacky fun for Rondy fans of all ages. They plan to do so for generations to come.
04 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
College Cookbook: Corned beef
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year with this traditional dish
By Victoria Petersen
vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org
Corned beef — beef salt cured with large grains of salt — is popular in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The origins of corned beef are unknown, but more than likely occurred when people began to preserve their meat through the process of “corning” meats. In this case, corning refers to the Old English word “corn,” meaning any small grains (specifically the salt) to use for beef curing. Saltpetre, or potassium nitrate, has been used in curing beef in the past. Popularity of this dish grew in Britain during the 19th century. However, the Irish were trading their corned beef with the British since at least the 17th century. The meat was popular during wartime because it was non-perishable. French colonists took advantage of the meat during times of long passages to North America. Ireland, with a large stake in the corned beef Atlantic trade, grew in industry with the city of Cork, producing half the islands beef exports in the 17th century. The demand for corned
beef production in the British Isles grew as Ireland’s production of corned beef led to depleting resources and eventually contributed to the Irish famine and the Great potato famine. During this time, people residing in Ireland ate very little of the corned beef products they produced. Instead, staple diets for majority of Ireland consisted of cured pork and various dairy products. Today, corned beef is produced primarily in South America. Create this easy corned beef to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year. Inspired by Rae Gun Ramblings blog, this recipe is a family favorite.
PHOTO BY A.C. CUNNINGHAM
Ingredients • 1 package corned beef • 1 1/2 cups of water
Directions 1. In a crock pot, place your corned beef topped with the seasonings included in the package. 2. Pour the water into the packaging the spice and corned beef was in. Pour the water from the package into the crock pot. 3. Place the crockpot temperature on high for four to five hours. 4. Serve hot and with boiled cabbage GRAPHIC BY INNA MIKHAILOVA
A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
| 05
ALBUM REVIEW
By showing little, ‘When I Saw You’ speaks volumes
By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor
The Palestinian people have endured numerous exoduses from 1947 to 1990. “When I Saw You” takes place after the 1967 exodus, one that, alone, displaced up to 325,000 Palestinians. Fittingly, loss weighs heavy on the narrative. Wherever the central characters may be, it never quite feels like home. Director Annemarie Jacir makes sure of that. Having fled to the neighboring country of Jordan, Tarek (Mahmoud Asfa) lives with his mother, Ghaydaa (Ruba Blal, “Sand Storm”) in a refugee camp. With the prospect of his father’s return seeming hopeless, Tarek becomes restless and tries to walk back to Palestine. On the way, he meets the resistance fighter, or fedayeen, Layth (Saleh Bakri, “Rattle the Cage”). Their leader, Abu Akram (Ali Elayan, “Rosewater”), lets Tarek stay and one day become a fighter himself. Among the many things “When I Saw You” does well, its strongest when it holds back. Director Annemarie Jacir resists sensationalism. The Six Day War has ended, and in its aftermath, the exodus. What’s important to Jacir is how it lingers. Daily shellings and firefights are terrifying, but the true horror of war lies in what comes after: the displacement, the loss of home and culture, and families torn from each other. Ghaydaa, like Tarek, waits in vain for her husband. But Palestine is a long way from Jordan. Ruby Blal’s intense, wearied performance makes it clear that she knows that
better than anyone. The sun-bleached sands of Jordan make for beautiful vistas, but Jacir focuses on the cracks. The land, like its people, is wounded. Tarek traverses the landscape hurriedly, as if he would die to be rid of home a second longer. Mahmoud Asfa imbues the character with a crackly energy. His boisterous smile and love for numbers make him immediately sympathetic. He lives in a dangerous world, but he’s determined to escape it. The violence around him, however, is implied. Gun battles and bombings take place off-screen. What’s impressive is how tense the movie is despite this. The threat of death is omnipresent despite never appearing. It may sound dark, and it is. But many sequences are hopeful, often heart-rending. In one such sequence, from the center of the circle, films the resistance fighters as they sing a campfire song. It’s a tearjerker of a bildungsroman with a steely heart. Jacir does not back away from the pain. Rather, hones in on it to show its roots. Maybe, that way, the movie suggests, the pain can be lifted. Expertly rendered from top to bottom, “When I Saw You” is a beautiful meditation on the cost of war and the necessity of perseverance. The movie has restraint and patience. It’s delicately structured with an ironclad core. Moments of hope break the core open, and reveal the light beneath. For how economic it is, “When I Saw You” packs a punch. And it’s a blow well worth taking.
TITLE “When I Saw You”
DIRECTOR Annemarie Jacir
RELEASE DATE Jan. 15, 2014
COUNTRY Palestine
GENRE Drama
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Untitled Unmastered’ is exceptionally striking
By Felipe Godoy Diaz Contributor
Back in Dec. 2014, Kendrick Lamar was the last musical guest on the Colbert Report. He performed an untitled song that saw Kendrick take on different racial characters that advised him on how to best fulfill his life. However, months later that specific song was no where to be found on The Northern Light’s 2015 album of the year, “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Kendrick continued the trend of appearing on national TV and performing unreleased music. The “untitled series” as it became know spawned several tracks including one at this year’s Grammys. About two weeks ago, of all the people in the world NBA superstar LeBron James pressured Kendrick’s label to release the “untitled series.” Well last Friday, LeBron and everyone else got their wish as Kendrick debuted his fourth album “Untitled Unmastered.” The eight tracks are a collection of demos that did not make last year’s album, but are just as progressive. Similar to “Pimp a Butterfly,” the record features a lot of jazz, funk and spoken word. Themes of violence, self-love and self-
hatred are all prevalent. Each track is a perspective of Kendrick’s disdain for the world. “Untitled 1” uses biblical metaphors to critique culture while ‘Untitled 7” is a three part track about the stages of an emotional rush. “Untitled 8” which was originally performed on the “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” balances the hypocrisy of his continued to success with the economic hardship of African Americans. While most of the songs share a critical view of the world, the album itself is intended to give a sense of hope rather than despair. Where there is darkness, there will always be light. In the same vein as Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo,” Kendrick isn’t making music for the masses, but rather for himself. This genre of conscious progressive hip-hop isn’t anything new but it is also not commonplace with mainstream radio audiences. Sure, Kendrick had a guest verse on a Taylor Swift song last year, but his creativity shines on music like this. While most rappers are playing checkers by starting controversy and accumulating followers on Twitter, Kendrick is playing chess and making music that resonates with him.
ARTIST Kendrick Lamar
LABEL Top Drawing Entertainment
ALBUM
RELEASE March 4, 2016
“Untitled Unmastered” GENRE Hip-Hop
06 | A&E SPRING BREAK CAMPS R
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, March 15-18 Build, paint, explore and more during these daily camps. Ages 8 to 10. Register online. Discount for museum members. Image: Oscar Avellaneda-Cruz
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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
| 07
‘Unprotected:’ a look at social gender barriers
Stephanie Dishno’s “Unprotected” explores sensuality and womanhood “This is about being a woman and figuring out what it means for myself, being raised in a Catholic household and pushing those boundaries,” said Dishno.
PHOTOS BY GEORGE HYDE
“This exhibit is relating back to being raised in a really conservative household and just becoming a woman that wasn’t going along the same path as that,” said Dishno.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
Women repeat as GNAC champions By Jordan Rodenberger
jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org
They came, they saw and they conquered. The seawolves flattened Simon Fraser 82-47 before handling Montana State Billings 77-57 on their way to defending their Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown. The Seawolves had lost their home finale against Simon Fraser on Feb. 27 and sought revenge in the semi-finals of the GNAC tournament. “I think the next time we play them they will see a different team,” head coach Ryan McCarthy said at Tuesday’s press conference. A different team they were. Although the previous two meetings this season versus the Clan were tight contests, this time, UAA never even let it become a game. Jumping out to an 8-0 lead, the Seawolves made a statement early and never let Simon Fraser within reach. With a halftime score of 42-18, the game was all but over. Leading the beat down for the Green
and Gold were Mullings and Alysha Devine, who contributed 17 points a piece. The smothering Seawolf defense forced 27 turnovers and held Simon Fraser to making just a third of their shots. “We came into this game really focusing on making sure we were attached to their shooters and limited their good looks from the three-point line,” McCarthy said. UAA looked like themselves again, and big reason why was the return of Keiahnna Engel, who had missed the last five games due to a knee injury. “Its nice having someone that has the skills of a guard that can play defense like a post player,” Megan Mullings said. Regardless of the convincing win, the Seawolves still had Montana State standing in their way of the GNAC title. The Seawolves began the championship game rather sloppy, coughing up the ball eight times in the first quarter but still found themselves leading 35-30 at halftime. UAA settled down after the break, and outscored the Yellowjackets 26-17 in the third quarter. The Seawolves gradually
extended their lead and came out on top with a 20-point win. In just 15 minutes, Keiahnna Engel totaled an efficient 13 points (5-6 FG) and dished off 4 assists in the title game. Kiki Robertson had a tournament-high 9 assists, while Jessica Madison chipped in 12 points and 4 steals. Forward Dominique Brooks finished with a team-high 6 boards and helped elevate UAA off the bench, but gives credit to her fellow Seawolves. “It all goes to my teammates, they just kept me into the game and kept giving me confidence and motivation that no matter what happens we got it together,” Brooks said. As for Montana State, guard Marissa Van Atta tallied 17 points to go with her 10 rebounds and 4 steals. Alisha Breen had 17 points of her own, while no other Yellowjacket had more than 6 points. By adding a GNAC championship to their resume, the Lady Seawolves look to host the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center.
UAA skiers set for national stage By Nolin Ainsworth
sports@thenorthernlight.org
A pair of seniors with podium aspirations and jump-start freshmen highlight this weekend’s National Collegiate men’s and women’s skiing championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The championships kick off Thursday, March 10 with the running of the men’s and women’s giant slalom at Mr. Werner. The women’s 5 kilometer and men’s 10 kilometer freestyle races blaze the trails Friday, March 11, on nearby Howelsen Hill. The second half of the championships follow the same pattern. On the night of Saturday, March 12, the men’s and women’s slalom events take center stage under the lights. The final day of competition features the long distance Nordic races including a women’s 15-kilometer classic race and men’s 20 kilometer classic race. The Seawolves are one of eight teams that qualified the maximum 12 studentathletes. The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, to which UAA belongs, has the largest share of participants of any one conference in the championships with 84. In total, 144 skiers representing 21 different institutions will be competing in the four-day event. Sean Alexander, Hughston Norton,
Curtis McKillop, Isabella Andreini, Charley Field and Maria Gudmundsdottir are the alpine skiers competing from UAA. “I think we’ve done a good job of preparing our team for a championship event,” head coach Sparky Anderson said. “Looking back on this season the kids are all improving constantly at a good pace, and to me, that’s a sign of a successful program... It’s taken us a while to get to this part of the season where they are peaking. We haven’t had great opportunities to train at home because of the warm winter.” The alpine team is led by senior Sean Alexander, who is fresh off a first-place finish in the grand slalom event at the RMISA/NCAA West region championships. Alexander had a two-time score of 2:19.30, beating out Colorado University’s Henrik Gunnarsson and Max Luukko by less than 0.4 seconds. “That experience was one-of-a-kind for me,” Alexander said. “Through my college career I’ve had a lot of battles with injuries and so it’s always been a battle to get to a place ... I was skiing to a level that I knew I could.” Gudmundsdottir and Field will also be contenders for a podium spot in their rac-
es. The two are consistent top-10 finishers in the slalom and giant slalom events. Toomas Kollo, Etienne Richard, Luca Winkler, Mackenzie Kanady, Patricia Sprecher and Casey Wright will be representing UAA on the Nordic side. Head Nordic ski coach Andrew Kastning dealt with unexpected turnover in his team this season. Incoming sophomores Marion Hundry and Kathrin Schratt left the program to pursue career opportunities in their fields in Europe. “When you lose skiers like that in our region it’s tough to have a strong team score through the regular season,” Kastning said. “I think the mood is good on the team and were not going in there expecting to be middle to the back-of-the-pack. We’re going in there with expectations to get some All-Americans and be a top-7 school.” Kastning is proud of how the team has come together under adversity. Senior Mackenzie Kanady continues to improve on her second team allRMISA status from last season. Kanady finished 25th and 14th in the 15-kilometers classic race and 5-kilometer freestyle race at the NCAA championships last season.
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Athletics standings for UAA Hockey
Updated March. 6 Conference
Michagan Tech
18-7-3
Minnesota State
16-5-7
Bowling Green
16-7-5
Ferris State
13-11-4
Northern Michigan
12-11-5
Bemidji State
11-12-5
Lake Superior State
10-13-5
Alaska Fairbanks
8-16-4
Alaska Anchorage
8-18-2
Alabama Huntsville
5-17-6
Men’s Basketball Updated March. 6 Conference Western Oregon
18-2
Alaska Fairbanks
15-5
Alaska Anchorage
14-6
Seattle Pacific
14-6
Central Washington
13-7
Western Washington
9-11
Saint Martin’s
9-11
Montana State Billings
8-12
Concordia
5-15
Northwest Nazerene
4-16
Simon Fraser
1-19
The races can be streamed live through NCAA.com starting on Wednesday, March 9.
Men’s Basketball Updated March. 6 Conference Alaska Anchorage
18-2
Western Washington
16-4
Montana State Billings
15-5
Simon Fraser
13-7
Central Washington
10-10
Northwest Nazarene
10-10
Seattle Pacific
9-11
Alaska Fairbanks
7-13
Saint Martin’s
5-15
Concordia
4-16
Western Oregon
3-17
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
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Nanooks clinch Governor’s Cup, 3-2 loss in Friday’s game
PHOTO BY MYLISSA MACLAIN
Sophomore Olivier Mantha blocks UAF’s Tayler Munson during the first period of Saturday’s contest as Wyatt Ege and Anthony Conti look on. The Nanooks took a 1-0 lead in the first period on won 3-2 on senior night.
By Nolin Ainsworth
sports@thenorthernlight.org
Win and live to play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. Lose, and start summer training. Those were the stakes between the Seawolves and Alaska Nanooks in game three of the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup on March 4. Davis Jones’ 28 saves helped UAF (9-20-4, 7-16-4 WCHA) to a 3-2 victory over the Seawolves (11-19-3, 8-17-2 WCHA) before a raucous Carlson Center. The win clinches the Nanooks’ seventh consecutive Governor’s Cup, having now beaten or tied the Seawolves over three meetings this season. “That’s only half the job this weekend,” UAF assistant coach Lance West said. “That’s a really, really big hockey game tomorrow it will be even more emotional and the team that can come out and control those emotions the right way will be successful.” Emotions were high throughout Friday’s game and came to a head after a minor scuttle formed after the final whistle, leading to a handful of penalties including three 10 minute game misconducts. After a scoreless first period, the Nanook’s began the
second period in dramatic fashion, scoring 52 seconds in. The Nanooks cycled the puck on a power play carried over from the first period. Sophomore Justin Woods’ barely got his stick on a rebound off a Marcus Basara shot before backhanding the puck in. The goal started a back-and-forth, free-wheeling period in which both teams put pressure on their opponent’s goaltenders. Despite Olivier Mantha and Davis combining for 23 saves in the period, it was 2-1 at the end of the second period. UAF once again beat Mantha as the period started to wind down. Freshman Jasen Fernsler sent a puck on goal that ricocheted off forward Peter Kreiger that bounced into the net. “Most goals were just pucks on net from anywhere, and that’s the game plan we’re going to come out with tomorrow again,” Nanooks’ Colton Sparrow said, who scored the game-winning goal in the third at Friday’s game. Seawolves forward Jeremiah Leudtke’s shot at 16:16 was robbed by Davis from point-blank range. Just when it looked like Jones was on his way to a shutout, UAA responded with 1:24 left in the period. Matt Anholt won a faceoff draw in the UAF zone. Senior Austin Sevalrud maneuvered from left-to-right with the puck and before unleashing a slap shot that
made it all the way through to Davis, scoring his first of the season. Down 2-1, UAF continued to follow the game plan: shoot, shoot, shoot. This strategy was rewarded 14 minutes into the third period much to the elation of 3,000plus fans in attendance. Defenseman Josh Atkinson shot a puck from the left point. The biscuit was halfway to the goal when it was redirected to Sparrow on the opposite faceoff dot. The sophomore had plenty of open twine to shoot at and didn’t miss. The Seawolves did not give up after going down 3-1, and when Nanooks Nolan Huysmans was called for an interference penalty at 1:31, UAA found a second-wind. The penalty set up a minute of 5-on-4 desperation hockey after UAA pulled its goalie. Blake Tatchell’s shot was stopped but the rebound went to Tad Kozun, who buried his 13th of the season and brought UAA within one. The Nanooks could not take advantage of the open net, even after a puck hit off the post. It didn’t matter though, as Davis stood tall with several saves in the last minute to preserve the home team’s lead and win the Governor’s Cup in the third game of the tournament. The Seawolves fell 3-2 to the Nanooks, giving the Nanooks the edge in the Governor’s Cup with 3 wins.
wolves shot just 37.9 percent from the field, including 20 misses from three-point land. Suki Wiggs, the winner of the GNAC Newcomer of the Year award, finished with 20 points and collected 12 rebounds while Brian McGill produced 16 points in his last game as a Seawolf. The loss officially puts UAA’s season to rest, one that was filled with plenty of “if only” and “so close.” “It is not like we were blasted out of a bunch of games. Every game except the Billings game has been a one possession game at the end.” The same would hold true to this game as well. Despite trailing by as many as 9 points in the second half, the Seawolves did not lay down. The Green and Gold rallied back to take a 53-49 lead with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game. After exchanging several baskets and forcing many ties, the Vikings grasped on to a 3 point lead with 11 seconds to go. UAA senior guard Brian McGill sliced through the defense to create an open shot for the GNAC’s leading scorer Wiggs in the corner for three, but Wiggs didn’t get the bounce, and the ball fell into the hands of WWU, concluding the Seawolves’ season.
Jeffrey Parker led the charge for the Vikings, hitting 5 trifectas on his way to pouring in 31 points. Senior Ricardo Maxwell’s all around performance of 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists propelled Western Washington to victory, but they knew it wasn’t going to come easy. “Anchorage is a great team with tremendous players,” said Western Washington’s head coach Tony Dominguez after the game. “Rusty is obviously a great coach so its always going to be a battle.” This was the fourth straight season that the Men’s basketball team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Western Washington would go on to lose to Alaska Fairbanks the next night, advancing the Nanooks to the finals, where they would ultimately be defeated by Western Oregon 78-71. The Seawolves have to watch the NCAA tournament from home, but having lost only two seniors this season, UAA looks to redeem themselves during the 2016-17 campaign.
Vikings knock out Seawolves
By Jordan Rodenberger
jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org
March Madness is upon us, and the Seawolves (2111) were on the outside of the NCAA Division II tournament looking in entering the weekend. Sitting at the 10th spot in the NCAA West Region rankings, where the top eight teams get in, UAA likely had to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament to solidify it’s position in the “big dance.” Heading into the tournament as the third seed in the conference, UAA matched up against sixth seeded Western Washington University (16-14). The Seawolves had already taken down the Vikings twice this season by just three points on both occasions. “I expect it to be close again...they are a good team and very talented,” said Seawolves’ head coach Rusty Osborne prior to the contest. Osborne was correct in his prediction, however it was his team that fell short this time, 78-73 in the first round of the one-and-done GNAC tourney. The Sea-
10 | SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament UAA 82 UAA 77 SFU 78
Winner
SFU 47 CWU 67
MSBU 70 MSBU 78 NNU 65 MSBU 57 WWU 60
2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament WOU 58 WOU 78 SPU 69
Winner
SPU 57 CWU 65
UAA 73 WWU 90 WWU 78 UAF 71 UAF 91
CONTACT
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016
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