May 22, 2018

MAY 22 - JUNE 11, 2018

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

A&E

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College Cookbook: The end of an era

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

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PBS announces Alaska Native led show

Several GNAC track standouts USUAA president resigns, new vice continue to nationals president appointed

PHOTO COURTESY OF GNAC

Yemi Knight competes in an event at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference on the weekend of May 13-14 in Oregon. Knight earned All-Region honors for the 4x400 meter relay.

Caroline Kurgat secured a first place finish in two differsports@thenorthernlight.org ent events. She was the only Seawolf to do this. In both the Lauren Cuddihy is a member 10,000 meters and 5,000 me‌of the UAA’s track and field team. ters, she finished with the fastest The UAA track and field times at the meet, with a 34:49 team traveled to Oregon May and 16:53, respectively. ‌ Kurgat’s time at the cham13-14 for one final track meet.‌ Volunteer coach Adam Com- pionships would currently rank mandeur was pleased with the the second highest in the nation, results, even though the team only to be beat out by her previous time of 32:33 from the Stanstruggled overall. ‌ “The whole meet went pretty ford Invitational in March.‌ Kurgat also competed in the well,” Commandeur said. “We don’t have enough bodies to be 1,500 meter, holding the lead competitive in the standings but for the entire race but ultimately finishing in second place at individually, pretty good.”‌ Six conference titles were 4:24.68, while the first place won by Seawolves with the ma- winner finished in 4:24.59. ‌ All three of her events earned jority of the team competing. ‌ Vanessa Aniteye, who has her All-Region honors. Kurgat been the team’s standout 400 was awarded the title of GNAC meter runner since her fresh- Female Track Athlete of the man debut last year, finished the Meet.‌ Danielle McCormick, who championships with a first place finish in the 400m with a time previously won the indoor naof 55.22. This earned her All- tional champion in the 800m in March, competed in a close race Region honors.‌ Aniteye also competed in the but secured the first place finwomen’s 4x100m relay team, ish. At 2:08.25, McCormick was helping the team to a fourth challenged by the second place finisher, who ran a 2:08.29. ‌ place finish in the event. ‌ McCormick’s 800 meter race Christopher Brake, who had to redshirt the entire previous earned her All-Region honors. ‌ The final win of the chamseason due to injury, came back this year with two top-five fin- pionships, on the Seawolves’ ishes at the GNAC champion- side, was from the previously ships. His attempts at high jump qualified indoor nationals men’s led him to a first place finish, 4x400 meter team. Members included Nicholas Taylor, Darrion leaping over 6-foot, 7.5-inches.‌ He continued to solidify a Gray, Daniel Remington and third place attempt in triple jump Liam Lindsay.‌ With a time of 3:14.21, the with a 46-foot-2-inch jump. ‌ Teammate Brandon Nich- team was 0.21 seconds away olson also competed in triple from a provisional national jump, and leaped further than qualifying time and over five Brake to secure a second place seconds away from an automatic qualifying time.‌ finish at 46-feet-10.25-inches.‌

By Lauren Cuddihy

thenorthernlight.org

Aniteye, McCormick, junior Yemi Knight and senior Tamara Perez earned All-Region honors for the 4x400 meter relay. However, their honors were awarded for a previous time run at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, 3:43.01, currently putting them at eighth in Div. II.‌ The women’s 4x400m won fourth at the GNAC Championships. ‌ Overall, the women’s team finished fifth with 100 points and the men’s team finished seventh with 72 points. ‌ Sophomore Marie Ries helped score points in the 200 meter (2nd place, 24.74) and 100 meter (3rd place, 12.72), her 200 meter time is a personal-best and is now the fourth-best in program history. ‌ Junior Oshane Hilton and Gray competed in the 100 meter finals. Oshane finished third in the 100m with a time of 10.65 which secured the new school record by just 0.03 seconds. ‌ Gray finished sixth in the 100m (10.88) and also competed in the 200 meter finals (3rd place, 21.55). Lindsay also competed in the 200 meter, finishing two spots behind Gray at a time of 21.86. ‌ “The sprint and jump team did very well. We had a school record in the 100-meter for Oshane after he missed out on qualifying for the 200-meter by one spot,” Commandeur said. “Darrion finished with a personal best in the 100 meter, [and] Marie [Ries] with a second place in the 200 meter into a headwind.”‌

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SEE TRACK

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@tnl_updates

PHOTO BY MARIAH DEJESUS-REMAKLUS

Geser Bat-Erdene and Clare Baldwin have assumed or been appointed USUAA president and vice president, respectively, after former President Alec Burris resigned earlier in May.

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

USUAA president Alec Burris resigned from his position and a new administration was appointed May 16.‌ On May 9, Burris announced his resignation to the student government’s assembly. According to the USUAA constitution and bylaws, the vice president assumes the vacant presidential position and seeks a student to fill the vice president seat.‌ Geser Bat-Erdene, now president, conducted an informal process in which assembly members who were interested in the position submitted applications and essays. A week after Burris’s resignation, USUAA held their first meeting for the summer semester and confirmed Clare Baldwin as the new vice president.‌ “I’m very excited. It was a surprise but I had already been thinking about my future in the organization and threw my name in the hat,” Baldwin said.‌ Baldwin joined USUAA in November as a senator. She is an economics major, minoring in mathematics and political science. There is no requirement for how long a student must serve in the assembly before assuming an executive position.‌ Kim Morton, USUAA advisor, said that it made more sense to have assembly members apply and be selected for vice president.‌ “The selection should really come from the assembly members because the vice president @tnl_updates

position is normally selected by the student body,” Morton said.

“The assembly members have also all been selected by the student body to represent them, either in a senator or delegate role.”‌ Becoming student body president is an honor for BatErdene and he seeks to continue USUAA’s mission and representation of the university.‌ “I think a lot of work will be focused on being a spokesperson and letting people know what the assembly is doing,” Bat-Erdene said.‌ Bat-Erdene was a senator before becoming vice president, and he looks forward to serving in his new role.‌ “I was always fascinated by the concept of self-governance and what the educational system in the United States offers.

I started with the passion of just learning and serving as senator, and coming into the position as president is an extreme honor and huge responsibility that I have,” Bat-Erdene said.‌ Baldwin hopes to start transitioning into her role as vice president this summer with new assembly member projects, meeting the university’s administration and preparing for the fall semester.‌ “I do have a bit of learning to do, but for the summer, I’m actually going to set up a committee.

We’re going to go through our constitution and bylaws, just go through the whole thing, clean it

SEE RESIGN

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018

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RESIGN: VP to work on bylaw Alaska Legislature approves statewide committee over summer workplace smoking ban

PHOTO COURTESY OF BURRIS AND BAT-ERDENE FOR USUAA

Geser Bat-Erdene and Alec Burris ran for re-election for USUAA president and vice president in April. On May 9, Burris announced his resignation to the USUAA assembly.

Continued from cover up,” Baldwin said.‌ “Summer offers us a lot of time to focus on things we

wouldn’t be able to during the school year,” she added.‌ Bat-Erdene also said that USUAA plans on continuing advocacy for important subjects

like the University of Alaska’s operating budget, as well as maintaining transparency.‌ “The main goal of all this is to have that transparency with the student body and I think we were able to learn and improve a lot of things in the past year,” he said. “That will be continued throughout next year.”‌ Bat-Erdene and Baldwin’s roles are effective immediately and run until next May, when elections are held in April.‌ “I think that they are both highly qualified to serve the president and vice president role and I’m excited to see where they continue to take USUAA in the upcoming year,” Morton said.‌‌

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus

UA meets several advocacy goals

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

In a memo to the UA community on May 10, the university announced that, “The House and Senate Operating Budget Conference Committee agreed to fund the University of Alaska’s operating budget at $327 million for the next fiscal year.”‌ The $327 million operating budget is below the initial $341 million requested by the UA Board of Regents but above Gov. Bill Walker’s budget proposal of $317 million. Miles Baker, UA associate vice president of Government Relations, sees this final allocation as a success for university.‌ “We’ve had four years, four consecutive years of budget cuts, and I think just stopping that trend would be a success. In this case, we stopped it, and in this case in what is a very tough budget environment, got an additional $10 million,” Baker said.‌ At the beginning of the spring semester, Baker and UA President Jim Johnsen had stated their goals for legislative advo-

cacy included receiving an operating budget of $341 million, protection of the Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund and the renewal of the Alaska Education Tax Credit.‌ In an interview from January, Johnsen said, “$341 [million] that’s still 10 percent below our [fiscal year 2014] budget for the state. It’s still a long-term cut from where we were, so it’s not an increase over our high. It’s actually just sort of a step up but it’s definitely still a step way down from where we were.”‌ Baker said joint advocacy with industry partners helped accomplish the goal of extending the Alaska Education Tax Credit.‌ “We were able to get it extended for six years,” Baker said.

“There were a couple changes made to the way the credit works as a part of that extension.”‌ Another goal of legislative advocacy this year was to protect the Alaska Performance Scholarship and Alaska Education Grant from being used for other projects.‌ “Another thing I think that was important for us this year was that we were able to maintain in the current way they

function, the Alaska Performance Scholars program and the Alaska Education Grant, which are the two primary secondary assistance programs the state provides,” Baker said.‌ In the memo, the university thanked all of the UA community members who advocated to the legislature on the behalf of the university. Liz Rangel, psychology and languages major, was one of several students to be selected to attend the USUAA advocacy trip in March. The student advocates focused on preserving the Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund, which includes the Alaska Performance Scholarship and Alaska Education Grant.‌ “A lot of students wouldn’t be able to go to college at all if wasn’t for the Alaska Performance Scholarship, including myself,” Rangel said.‌ Rangel hopes that personalizing these budget issues with real stories helped the legislature come to their decision to allocate more to the operating budget than previous years.‌ “I think that adding faces and personal stories to the numbers and the negotiations and everything that goes on in these conference meetings… Getting to humanize the issue and realize that this is affecting real Alaskans, real kids, real young adults that are just trying to better themselves and wanting to be supported by the system itself.

I would like to think that had something to do with it,” Rangel said.‌ Legislative advocacy planning for next session has not begun yet, but Baker says government relations officials will begin to work on their goals for advocacy soon.‌ “This budget that we just worked on is the budget that will start July 1,” Baker said. “The cycle for planning for next year starts pretty soon because we have to have that stuff wrapped up by the end of the summer, end of the fall for the Board of Regents review and for submission to the governor’s office.”‌‌‌

mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Senate Bill 63, otherwise known as the “Take It Outside” bill, was approved by the Alaska House of Representatives with a 32-7 vote on May 12.‌ The bill, written by Sen. Peter Micciche, prohibits smoking in workplaces across Alaska, such as restaurants, bars and other businesses, and even includes public transportation like taxis. Regulations also include the use of both tobacco and vapor products. This means that ecigarettes and vapes also cannot be used in a workplace.‌ SB 63 had gone to the floor for a vote after months of sitting in the House Rules Committee, where Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, the chairwoman, opposed its progression.‌ Emily Nenon, Alaska government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said that the statewide ban is a “huge step forward” for Alaska. The organization has been working with Sen. Micciche since his initial efforts to pass a smoke-free workplace bill, which started six years ago.‌ Approximately half of Alaska’s population has this type of smoke-free protection, including Anchorage and Juneau. ‌ Alaska’s current state law prohibits smoking in a number of places, such as public government meeting rooms, hospitals, childcare facilities and both public and private elementary and secondary schools. ‌ “It’s a huge step forward for protecting people in the half of the state that doesn’t have that local level protection,” Nenon said.‌ The ban enacted by SB 63 will help create a uniform standard across the state.‌ “People do understand that everybody has the right to breathe smoke-free air,” Nenon said.‌ Terrence Robbins has been advocating for smoking regulations for several years and is glad to see that the bill is on its way to Gov. Bill Walker’s desk.‌ “I’m just thrilled. It’s been a

lot of work. I’ve been working on this for at least five years, if not six,” Robbins said.‌ “It’s just been frustrating the whole time, you know. When you take a civics class in high school, you’re taught how a bill works and how it gets passed,” he added. “Then when you go to Juneau, you find out that that’s not how it works at all.”‌ There is an amendment in the revised version of the bill, approved by Rep. LeDoux, that allows municipalities to opt out of the ban via voting process.

Robbins hopes Alaskans won’t go that route.‌ “People shouldn’t be able to opt out of public health. It’s a statewide smoke-free ‘Take It Outside’ bill,” Robbins said.‌ Pete Hanson, president and CEO of the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association, does not expect the opt-out to be implemented, despite the organization’s position against the bill.‌ CHARR has opposed SB 63, Hanson said, because businesses have been able to go smoke-free on their own without a statewide ban. He also said that the bill’s approval is unsurprising, but there will be “winners and losers” when it is signed into effect.‌ “You’re going to have some businesses that lose business over this, have some businesses that gain business,” Hanson said.‌ Nenon said the bill does not tell people that they can or cannot smoke.‌ “This is all about protecting people’s right to breathe. We always say ‘it’s not about the smoker, it’s about the smoke,’” Nenon said. “You often hear this called the ‘Take It Outside’ bill.

This isn’t telling anybody they can’t do any particular thing. It’s just about doing things in a way that doesn’t hurt others.”‌ The Alaska legislature has adjourned their session and SB 63 has been passed on to the governor’s office. Gov. Walker, who wrote a congratulations to Sen. Micciche and a thank you to the legislature on Twitter, is expected to sign the bill.‌ If signed, the bill will go into effect on Oct. 1.‌

FEATURES College Cookbook: The story I meant to write a long time ago

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018

To increase student enrollment, ‘Explore UAA’ offers Seawolf experience

By Victoria Petersen

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

copy@thenorthernlight.org

This is my final College Cookbook. I’ll be moving to the Peninsula and am leaving The Northern Light behind.

My three-plus years here have been full of growth, with the paper acting as a journalistic diving board for me to propel into greater opportunities. ‌ College Cookbook, which is now an award-winning column, played no small part in this. I would have never discovered my love of food writing were it not for UAA Atwood Chair Julia O’Malley, nor would I have had a platform to practice that craft if it weren’t for College Cookbook. A simple, even campy, column that I looked forward to every week. There are so many recipes and stories I wanted to share but didn’t have the time to. Now, I’ll share a recipe and story I’ve been meaning to write for over a year now.‌ Last year, I lost many family members, as readers can probably tell from former College Cookbooks. It started with my grandpa Dave (my dad’s stepdad), my grandpa Gerald (my dad’s dad), my great-granny and towards the end of the year, my grandpa David (my mom’s dad).

While all loss is difficult, my grandpa Gerald’s death was especially hard for me.‌ He lived in Colorado, was 6-foot 6-inches and 300 pounds.

A professional football player in the 1950s, he played for what was then the Baltimore Colts.

He grew up in Texas on a farm.

He spent the rest of his career as a high school teacher. He spent his retired years traveling the world, filling my head with stories about Venetian glass blowing, African safaris and floating in the Dead Sea.‌ He was my first pen pal, we talked on the phone often and visits were getting more and more frequent. It was last spring semester, and I was busy, as most of us are in our spring semesters, when I thought to call my grandpa. It had been over a week or two when we last talked, but I blew it off, thinking that I could talk to him the following day. Later that night, as I was watching a movie with friends, my dad calls me and says he’s flying to Colorado, and

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By Mizelle Mayo

features2@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA PETERSEN

My grandpa, Gerald Petersen of Colorado Springs, came up with biscuit-style donuts, that were easy to make and eat.

that my grandpa is in the hospital. I don’t really remember why.

But only a few days later he was gone. I never got to say goodbye.‌ In special circumstances, when we were staying at a hotel with a kitchen, or when my sister, Dad and I had the house to ourselves, we would make my grandpa’s special donuts. ‌ They were messy, fattening and delicious morsels that were probably more fun to make than they were to eat. The donuts left cinnamon and sugar covered countertops, and floors in their wake. My dad would tell us how his dad, my grandpa, made the donuts for him when he was a kid. The donuts were made using basically just three ingredients: Pillsbury Biscuit Grands (the kind that come in a tube),

cinnamon and sugar. To my grandpa, this recipe must have seemed like the greatest shortcut in the mid-1900s. I’m sure that any tubular biscuit brand will work, but my dad said that Grands is the best. For me, this recipe feels like childhood, and with all of the hardships and adult situations we are forced to face in college, and in our early 20s, it can be nice to rewind and make something fun, easy and nostalgic.‌ This is a quintessential college recipe in my opinion. You can impress your friends with something homemade that takes little of your time, and little expertise. The only equipment you need is a deep pan, a gallon-sized plastic bag and a shot glass.‌

Ingredients • 1 can of biscuits • Enough oil to fill you pan about a quarter of the way to the top

• 1/4 cup of cinnamon and sugar, mixed together in the plastic bag

Directions 1. Open up the can of biscuits and lay the dough out flat.

Using the rim of the shot glass, cut out small circles from the dough.

2. In a pan, heat oil on high. When the oil is hot carefully place the small dough circles into the pan using a spatula or other utensil.

3. They take only a moment to cook, about 15-30 seconds.

They will puff up and turn a golden color. Remove from the oil and place on a plate covered by a paper towel.

4. Continue this process until all the dough is gone.

5. While the donuts are still hot, toss a handful of them at a time into the cinnamon and sugar filled plastic bag.

6. Shake the bag until you can see that all of the donuts are coated in cinnamon and sugar. Plate for a group of loved ones and enjoy.

As graduation season comes to an end with celebration and relief, high school seniors will go on to take gap years or continue their career paths through college. For those students who are considering college in the fall, “Explore UAA” is an event that gives students an opportunity to apply to UAA and experience campus life.‌ “Explore UAA” will help incoming students navigate the ins and outs of the campus with the help of current and former students. The event consists of a campus tour, a question and answer panel with the alumni about life at UAA, assistance with the application process and a complimentary lunch with Kaladi Brothers coffee and ice cream to end the day.‌ The event is a new idea in recruiting students to enroll and be a part of the UAA community.‌ According to the University of Alaska Anchorage Performance ’17, 17,962 students enrolled in the fall of 2016. In the fall of 2015, 18,116 enrolled.‌ The decrease of enrollment has led UAA to cut back in budget and strategize ways for high school students to become interested in attending college.‌ Amy Anderson, a UAA faculty member and part of the recruitment team, has been working on this event to help increase enrollment.‌ “Explore UAA day is important because we recognize that high school juniors are starting the process of looking at colleges, and we want them to see UAA as a great option within their own state,” Anderson said.

“We also know that there are still some high school seniors making their decision and Ex-

plore UAA will give them the opportunity to apply for free.”‌ Along with an effort to make the enrollment process easy at no cost, alumni will answer questions regarding UAA’s campus life.‌ Jonathon Taylor, an alumnus who graduated with the major in political science and minor in journalism and economics, will be part of the question and answer panel at the event.‌ “I am a proud alumnus at UAA. I’m always looking for opportunities to help prepare students and develop future students. This seemed like a really cool way to do that,” Taylor said.‌ Taylor was deeply involved in student clubs and organizations, such as USUAA and the Seawolf Debate program. The recruitment team reached out to him to talk about his experience as a Seawolf.‌ “College is an opportunity for you to get to know who you are as a person and explore your likes and dislikes. You’ll probably not have an opportunity like this in the future, so take full advantage of the really cool opportunities that are there,” Taylor said. “The second thing is don’t be afraid to make mistakes…

Later on when I was able to put myself out there and try new things, that’s when I got more involved in campus and the best experiences at UAA.”‌ With the opportunities to tour the campus, interact with the UAA alumni, and apply, the “Explore UAA” event team hopes to help high school junior and seniors look into being a part of the UAA experience.‌ “Explore UAA” will take place June 1 at the Student Union around 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

To RSVP or for more information, you can go to the official “Explore UAA” page.‌

04 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018

Sustainable Seawolf: Two homemade cleaners ty of time-tested knowledge on what works best. ‌ Here are two recipes for household cleaning sprays that will cover most of your needs. ‌ All purpose surface cleaner‌ What you’ll need: ‌ • 1 cup white vinegar‌ • 1 cup warm water‌ • 1 lemon rind‌ Put all of the ingredients together in a spray bottle and stir/ lightly shake. Let the lemon rind infuse for a week before spraying. This can be used on any hard surface, but also for carpet stains and to freshen laundry. ‌ Glass cleaner‌

By Abby Slater

features@thenorthernlight.org

Living on your own for the first time is a big adventure, and it can feel like an endless amount of paperwork, payments and background checks. When the key is finally in your hands and you have your own space, there’s another endless thing awaiting you: cleaning.‌ There’s a different spray for every surface, windows, bathrooms, countertops or floors.

There’s no reason to feel like

you have to buy each different spray. In fact, if you look at the ingredients on the backs of the bottles, counter cleaning product is very similar to sink cleaners. ‌ To take this a step further, making your own cleaning products at home is easy and insanely cheap. Plus, you don’t have to worry about running out at the last minute, since most of them are made with everyday household items. Before supermarkets became commonplace, homemade cleaners were the norm, which means that there is plen-

What you’ll need:‌ • 2 cups water‌ • ½ cup white vinegar‌ • ¼ cup rubbing alcohol‌ • Essential oils, for smell (optional)‌ Mix all ingredients together in a spray bottle. Spray on a towel first, then wipe windows. ‌ With these two cleaning products, you’ll be able to keep most surfaces in your home fresh and spotless. Making them is easy, plus, you always know exactly what’s gone into them.

No guesswork involved on ingredients you can’t pronounce. ‌

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018

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A ‘wheelie’ fun alternative

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

Summer is the perfect time to grab a bike and ride around campus with UAA’s Green and Gold Bike Share.‌ Bike Share is a project that was carried out by the UAA Green Fee Board back in 2012 which allows students to rent a cruiser bike as an alternative to driving or walking to their next class along with getting some exercise and freeing up a parking spot.‌ The bright yellow bikes are available for rent as of Monday, May 21. They cost $30 a month, or a $1-a-day fee. Students can go to the Student Union Front Desk to pay the deposit and get

the bike for thirty days.‌ Not taking summer classes or just need to take a break from studying and hit the trails with a friend? There are plenty of trails all around Anchorage, especially some near campus.‌ Goose Lake Park is a popular spot near campus. The trail can be found across the Social Sciences Building on campus, which leads cyclists down the woodsy trail, looping around the lake and back up to campus for about a 1.5-mile ride.‌ The Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail is a little longer, just under four miles long, one way, starting at Goose Lake Park. The paved trail takes cyclists west from the park through various other scenic parks until reaching Westchester Lagoon.‌

The University Park is another option by campus that is a fun, quick ride. Just about a mile, the ride is a loop, similar to Goose Lake. The lake is located east of Elmore road, between Alaska Pacific University and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.‌ Lastly, another long trail is the Campbell Creek Greenbelt.

This trail takes cyclists near neighborhoods and more parks along Campbell Creek on a 7.5mile ride. The trail can begin near campus, north of Tudor Road, on the University Lake trail, and end near the intersection of Diamond Boulevard and Victor Road. Whether biking a short or long distance, stay aware of wild animals and don’t forget a helmet.‌

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

The Student Union Gear Room has plenty of other sporting supply options for students to rent. To see all the summer

gear they offer as well as the day and weekend rent fee, look under Student Life and Leadership at uaa.alaska.edu/students.‌

PBS Kids show portrays Alaska Native culture

By Robin O’Donoghue arts2@thenorthernlight.org

On May 9, PBS announced a new animated show, “Molly of Denali,” set to debut on PBS Kids in the summer of 2019.‌ In a press release, PBS wrote “MOLLY OF DENALI is an action-adventure comedy that follows the adventures of feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl.

MOLLY OF DENALI is the first nationally distributed children’s series in the U.S. to feature an Alaska Native lead character.”‌ Princess Daazhraii Johnson, a Gwich’in Athabascan producer who lives in Fairbanks, is the creative producer for the series.

She is also an alumna of UAA.‌ The series is being produced with support from the U.S. Department of Education. The main roles will be voiced by Alaska Natives.‌ So far the announcement of the series has largely been met with support and enthusiasm.‌ “I’m really excited to see

it… It’s been advertised that elders and community members helped to put the show together, so I just hope that they do a good job of being authentic and true to Alaska Native culture” UAA student Kalani Tucker, said.‌ Tucker, who serves as a cochair of UAA’s Native Student Council is currently pursuing a BA in business management, with a minor in Alaska Native business management. ‌ “I think just as one of the producers of the show said the world needs Alaska Native views right now. Caring about each other, the environment and doing more listening. So hopefully that’s reflected through the show,” Tucker said. ‌ The series, which is set to feature multiple Alaska Native languages, is being developed with guidance from experts. Lance (X’unei) A Twitchell, assistant of Alaska Native Languages at University of Alaska Southeast, will serve as the show’s Native language advisor. ‌ In the show, Molly helps her family run the “Denali Trading

PHOTO COURTESY OF PBS

A still from the PBS press release, “Molly of Denali,” which features Alaska Native voices and characters.

Post” a general store in a fictional village, “Qyah, Alaska.”‌ “Each episode follows Molly, her dog Suki and her friends Tooey and Trini on their daily adventures in Alaska, from fishing to building snow forts to delivering a camera to friends on a volcano via dog sled,” states the press release. ‌ “I think the show is good,”

Aaron Tolen, another co-chair of UAA’s Native Student Council, said. “But, I wonder how much native culture there will actually be incorporated into it.

When I was younger, I do wish there was show like this… It would definitely have been a good thing to see someone on TV with the same cultural background,” Tolen said.‌

Tolen is currently a junior at UAA studying anthropology.‌ “For some people who don’t live in their hometown or have close connections with their family… they don’t have close connections with their culture… so I think that it would be good for people to be able to connect with their ancestry,” Tolen said.‌

PrideFest 2018 is ‘more than a rainbow’

By Robin O’Donoghue arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Anchorage PrideFest, is taking place from June 9-16. Here is a rundown of events happening in June. This year, the theme of PrideFest 2018 is “Next Generation - More than a Rainbow.” ‌ The staff of Identity, Anchorage’s LGBT center, have been preparing for the months’ festivities and creating youth centered events for LGBT youth, such as “Drag Queen Story Time” at the Anchorage Public Library on June 6.‌ “The library has a story time about once a month… [and] in the spirit of Pride [they] reached

out to us to see if we would be interested in putting on a themed storytime,” Brooks Banker, Identity’s youth program manager, said.‌ “It’s gonna be a fun time… what we’re doing is creating a space of opportunity for kids to be comfortable, confident and be themselves,” Banker said. ‌ Free confidential STD testing will be taking place on June 9 from noon - 6 p.m. at Identity’s center, located at 336 E. Fifth Ave.‌ “Drag Brunch: Pride Edition,” which will take place on June 10 at noon at Mad Myrna’s, is restricted to those who are 21 or older.‌ Additional events include the

Pride Film Fest at Bear Tooth Theatrepub on June 11, the third annual 5k Rainbow Run on June 12, the Equality Parade and Pride Festival featuring over on hundred vendors at the Delaney Park Strip on June 16, and much more.‌ This year, Identity has chosen to bring up Ginger Minj, a nationally-known performer and former contestant who appeared on the seventh season of the reality competition RuPaul’s Drag Race.‌ Ginger Minj is scheduled to perform alongside local drag performers from Mad Myrna’s at the festival at Delaney Park strip on June 16 and later in the evening at Williwaw, located at

609 F St.‌ “We’re very excited to be welcoming Ginger Minj to the last frontier,” Banker said.‌

For a full schedule of pride events and additional information visit alaskapride.org‌‌

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018

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TRACK: Women place fifth, men seventh at GNAC Continued from cover Perez finished sixth in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:37.21.‌ Sophomore Emma Chelimo finished seventh in the 5,000-meters with a time of 17:33.78.‌ After the conclusion of all the conference championships in Div. II, the selections for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were made and will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 24-26.‌ Aniteye, Knight, Kurgat, McCormick and Perez are the selections from the Seawolves.‌ Aniteye, who is currently ranked 19th in the country with a time of 55.03, will compete in the 400 meter. ‌ Although she is the only sprinter traveling from UAA, she is excited for her race and to see her teammates compete in person. ‌ “I think Dani [McCormick] and Caroline [Kurgat] have good chances of both doing great they’re in really good shape. I

PHOTO COURTESY OF GNAC

Darrion Gray, Oshane Hilton and Dillon Pratt compete at the Great Northwest Athletic conference May 13-14 in Oregon. Hilton and Gray competed in the 100-meter finals. Hilton finished third in the 100m with a time of 10.65 and Gray finished sixth in the 100m with a time of 10.88.

think Yemi [Knight] might surprise some people, especially after she has run some fast 400’s which are great speed work for

her,” Aniteye said. “Also, our 4x4 could make it to finals if we all run our best, we definitely would have a chance.” ‌

In her first year at UAA, Knight will continue to her second national championship with the Seawolves since transferring

by competing in the 800 meters.

With a time of 2:08.38 she is currently ranked ninth. ‌ Kurgat is the only athlete from UAA to qualify for two individual events. She is ranked first nationally in both her events, the 10,000 meter and 5,000 meter. This is her third time competing in the NCAA Outdoor Championships.‌ McCormick will make her second debut at a national championship this year. After winning the 800 meter in the indoor championships, she will go into the outdoor championships ranked fourth with a time of 2:06.17. ‌ Perez is the final qualifier, currently sitting at twelfth, she will compete in the 1,500 meter.‌ In addition, four of the five qualifiers make up the 4x400 meter relay from UAA that will compete in the national meet.

McCormick, Knight, Aniteye and Perez are ranked ninth with a time of 3:43.01.‌ The team will head to North Carolina for the national meet at the end of May. ‌

Transfers and freshmen to populate 2018-19 athletic teams

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

With the 2018-19 athletic seasons in sight and pre-season training starting for several teams over the summer break, coaches are preparing their teams with new additions. ‌ Cross-country is the first season in fall and has several new additions to the men’s team. ‌ Locals include Jacob Moss from Galena and Declan Dammeyer from Anchorage. In addition, Brock Helvey and Drew Johnson join the team as firsttime freshmen from Colorado.‌ No additions have been confirmed for the women’s crosscountry team. ‌ Volleyball commences roughly around the same time as cross-country with a current

signee number of seven. ‌ Head coach Chris Green previously said that he decided to go with a youth movement in this year’s recruiting.‌ “We have great experience coming back with our seniors, [so] we think some of newcomers can step in immediately and play effective complementary roles,” Green said. ‌ Recruits come from all over the country with only one local: Eve Stephens from Palmer, Ellen Floyd from Pensacola, Florida, Hannah Pembroke from Chico, California, Katherine Hoeffner from Appleton, Wisconsin, Julia Izquierdo from Los Angeles, California, Talia Leauanae from Wailuku, Hawaii and Margaret Schlueter from Georgetown, Texas.‌ The women’s basketball head coach Ryan McCarthy took a

different route than Green, adding more transfers than newcomers so far. ‌ Kimani Fernandez-Roy is transferring to UAA from Washington State. Although she was there for two years, she still has three years of eligibility.‌ “We have not had someone as athletic as Kimani [FernandezRoy] since (former All-American) Megan Mullings,” McCarthy said. ‌ From Hawaii comes freshman Cameron Fernandez who McCarthy said fits the program perfectly and has lots of potential to excel during her career at UAA. ‌ Jeneva Toilolo and Safiyyah Yasin will also join the Seawolves in the fall. ‌ Yasin has already been training with the team as a transfer since January while Toilolo

joins as a Div. I transfer in the fall from New Mexico State.‌ Currently, men’s basketball has three total signees, two locals and one from Idaho. Tobin Karlberg and Travis Adams are the only official GNAC signees, from Anchorage and Barrow, respectively. ‌ Tyler Brimhall is the third signee that head coach Rusty Osborne previously announced will also be joining.‌ Brimhall is transferring from a Div. I program in Idaho. He said his previous coaching gave him skills that have the potential to improve the Seawolves’ lineup significantly. ‌ Gymnastics’ head coach Tanya Ho recently announced the official addition of one standout athlete to add to the previously signed two. ‌ Rachel Decious, Alexandria

Britz and Katelyn Fandrich will join the Seawolves in the fall. ‌ Decious comes from Mesa, Arizona and has ample experience as a level 10 competitor. ‌ “She has beautiful lines and a natural artistry that will make her an immediate impact freshman on beam and floor. She trained at a high level with gold medal, and we hope that she eventually can become an allarounder for us,” Ho said. ‌ In addition, Britz will be joining from Orting, Washington and Fandrich from Easley, South Carolina. ‌ As for the final GNAC team, track and field, there is only one signee so far. Ann Gebauer from Anchorage will join the runners for training starting in the fall.‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018

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