GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
| 02
RED ZONE: How Hollywood influences rape culture
By Alexis Abbott
news2@thenorthernlight.org
Even back when movies were in black and white, Hollywood films normalized sexual assault. The media has played a serious role in de-stigmatizing rape, which has created a colossal problem for victims of sex crime everywhere. The idea of rape culture is often overlooked or distorted by the media and the produced content that we pay so much of our attention to. The objectification of women’s bodies and the insensitivity that exists due to the influence created by famous movies is immeasurable. Promoted by the film industry, glamorizing rape has seemed to have become a normal concept in today’s culture. Rape culture is represented by the justification of sexual violence based on society’s standards which normally results in the victim being blamed for the crime. Sexual violence occurs in countless movies and television shows for the purpose of entertainment and that is what causes this misogyny. The abusive behavior that we see produced in Hollywood is what makes humanity less aware of how
serious sexual assault really is. Any form of sexual harassment, whether it’s rape, assault or even something as “minor” as cat-calling, should not be taken lightly. That is why we should see less of these things on-screen and more prevention activity. Hollywood won’t change without challenge, so that leaves this heavy situation in the people’s hands. Joy Chavez Mapaye, professor in the department of Journalism and Public Communications who specializes in media studies, thinks that media literacy is part of the answer. “I don’t think that changes in Hollywood and media will happen without protest. So as long as people continue to consume the products without objection, it tells media producers the existing portrayals and narratives are fine. I believe that by being better media consumers and creators, ordinary people can have a profound influence in shaping new narratives that are helpful and not harmful,” Mapaye said. Mapaye is a firm believer that both Hollywood and media influence society’s view on rape culture. “Many studies have shown media portrayals of women are ones that tend to focus only on their appearance. Meanwhile, media portrayals of men show that violence and aggression are solutions to problems. Women are often portrayed as victims, men as perpetrators. More focus needs to be on healthy relationships. These stories set up expectations and provide a guidebook for behavior,” Mapaye said. Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus, a journalism student at UAA, also believes Hollywood has a strong role in the normalization of rape culture.
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
“As much as I love storytelling through film and writing, there’s a lot of subconscious activity going on when we read and see things,” DeJesus-Remaklus said. “If a movie or show is portraying sexually graphic scenes that represent women as objects in any way, there are subliminal messages telling us that this kind of behavior and treatment is okay. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be sexual; showing a female character as the unnecessarily weak and inadequate image society approves of, is just as bad as showing her half-naked and being violently manhandled.” DeJesus-Remaklus also notices the insensitivity that the motion-picture industry produces. “We unknowingly accept certain ideas that are shown through movies, music videos, etc. and those can eventually be internalized to the point where we express and advocate them in our everyday life. You can see it in the way we talk, dress, think, act and treat others. We consume so much content at nearly ever point in the day and it can be difficult to step back and take a moment to really look at things from a less passive angle,” DeJesus-Remaklus said. President of UAA’s Film Club, Yoshina Okamoto feels passionate that Hollywood films have deeply embroiled rape culture in our communities.
“I think that Hollywood influences rape culture a lot. Everybody watches TV and movies, and because of that, entertainment media has a large responsibility in influencing the culture of our lives, and unfortunately, a lot of times this responsibility is mishandled,” Okamoto said. Okamoto has her own solution to reduce the sexually violent culture we are witnessing. “I believe that allowing more marginalized people like sexual assault victims, women and people of color to play roles in film creation and production, the entertainment industry will take a more hands-on charge toward de-stigmatizing rape,” Okamoto said. There is some sort of constant violence and sexual assault in seemingly everything we watch on-screen, which includes rape or threat of rape in films all over the spectrum. Almost every case of these produced stories involves a weak victim that, is nearly always a woman. This is what creates the perception that women are merciless, which motivates the culture we are experiencing. Hollywood might just have too much influence on American culture. Whether it’s through film or through media, more attention needs to be paid to reality and real-life situations rather than the characters on the theater screen.
First-time voters: Utilizing your voice
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
By Alexis Abbott
news2@thenorthernlight.org
This is a controversial time of year and an even more disputed time for first-time voters. For many young Americans, voting for the first time is a stimulating concept, but for this election, it involves choosing what some could call the “lesser of two evils.” This is an intimidating process for those first-time
voters out there. Electing what candidate is a better fit to be the next president of the United States can be a horrifying decision to make. With the long-awaited presidential election just right around the corner, thousands of young people are eager to exercise their right to vote. Whether they are casting their vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, or even a third party candidate, many feel compelled to contribute in such a fickle election. Despite many first-time voter’s disappointment in the candidate choices, many students at UAA are putting their new voting card to use on Nov. 8. Like most Americans, university students have many different political perspectives. Some posses democratic beliefs, others are conservative and some are not supporters of either of the presidential candidates. Although some students will not be casting a vote this coming election, many are thrilled to finally be able to utilize their voice. “I believe that elections are a fundamental part of our government system. Elections are the best way to have a say in how our government runs, and if you don’t vote, you’re not utilizing your voice,” Ellen Carlson, a UAA journalism major said. Along with many students, Carlson believes that it is our job as American citizens to cast a vote when elections come around, even if none of the candidates appeal to you. “I don’t think either of them should be president of the United States. Neither has the character, in my opinion. I’m distinctly disappointed with the candidates, per-
sonally,” Carlson said. Not all voters are fond of the current presidential candidates — and some aren’t shy when it comes to voicing their political opinion. “This time around, I’m not in favor of either candidate. I’m a conservative and typically vote republican, but this time I’m not inclined to vote for either one,” Carlson said. Despite the chaos that is the 2016 Presidential Election, some voters actively endorse their party’s candidate. “Although I am not the hugest fan of either candidate, I think that the United States would benefit more with a Trump presidency,” Bria Anderson, a biology student who is voting for the first time said. Those expressing their bold outlook on the presidential candidates empowers both parties. Campaigning at UAA is divergent and many students have a vigorous opinion. “I personally view one of the presidential candidates as a huge threat to our nation’s social and cultural values and therefore feel obligated to cast my vote for a nominee that respects those values, and that I can see progressing our nation in more positive ways than the other,” Isaiah Dawkins, applied science major said. Political opinions vary, but most first-time voters collectively agree that utilizing their voice when they turn 18 is a fundamental duty of citizenship. If eligible, contributing to the freedom of speech is a powerful privilege that should be taken advantage of.
NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
| 03
Haven training now mandatory for all students, staff and faculty By Cheyenne Mathews
cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
On Oct. 20, the Chancellor’s office emailed the UAA community about a new mandatory sexual discrimination training called Haven. The email stated that Haven training, and training’s in general, could make a difference on campus by raising awareness of sex discrimination. This goal of further awareness led to a new schoolwide goal for all faculty, students and staff to complete the Haven training by Nov. 23. Thanksgiving break begins Nov. 24 and Haven training is coming at the end of the Red Zone. The Red Zone is a period of time when college students are most
vulnerable to sexual assault starting the first month of school to Thanksgiving break. USUAA Vice President Johanna Richter had her signature on this email, and Richter said she supports this training as a supplementary method of awareness. “I think that it is not sufficient to only implement the Haven training,” Richter said. “I think it is a positive step in so far as it does give a better understanding generally of what constitutes sexual assault and how to kind of respond to an individual who has been sexually assaulted and how to be supportive of them. I think that continuing to offer things like the Bystander Intervention training is really important and I think there’s probably other measures that can be taken.” The Chancellor’s email did not specify how this man-
date would be enforced, vaguely saying that the appropriate university departments would facilitate completion by students who had not completed the Haven training by Nov. 23. Richter said her conversations with the Chancellor Tom Case, led her to believe there would be no punishments for not completing training by the deadline. “There are not currently plans to make it mandatory in the sense that there would be any kind of penalty for students who didn’t take it at this time,” Richter said. “How they explained the [Nov.] 23 deadline to us is that that’s primarily for staff and then they want to see students to get to, but I think the [Nov.] 23 deadline is a staff deadline and they have a little bit more power over staff to mandate that they take it.” Richter said there was no particular incident that prompted mandatory Haven training at UAA, but that it is a general way of meeting Title IX standards. “I don’t think there was a specific incident per se that prompted the training other than that UAA is trying to be more compliant with Title IX, and so one of the elements of being compliant with Title IX is having training about sexual assault and sexual assault resources, and so this is part of moving into that compliance,’ Richter said. Stephen Kranich, economics and psychology major, has already started working on the Haven training because it is a requirement for him to compete on the debate team. “Haven training is training to teach people about alcohol abuse and also how to be a successful advocate for victims of sexual assault, and how to be an active bystander and help make situations that you see better,” Kranich said. Kranich said he knew most of the Haven material because of his extensive training to be an RA, but he believes the overall effect of mandating Haven training will be a positive one. “I think it will [be positive] because knowledge is the most effective thing to changing a culture so if there is an issue of sexual assault or drug and alcohol abuse than just knowledge is something that can at least mitigate if not completely remove it,” Kranich said. Haven training is split into two parts. The first part takes about an hour to complete and the second part is not accessible until 30 days after part one has been finished.
Electors for Alaska to be decided on Nov. 8 By Cheyenne Mathews
cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
For most students, election season is a confusing time. Not only do students have to chose a candidate to vote for, but they also have to question whether their vote matters and how it gets carried out by the Electoral College. The Electoral College apportions votes to state based on that state’s representation in Congress. Alaska, as one of the smallest states, has three electoral votes — one for the representative seat and two for the Senate seats. Alaska is a winner-take-all state, meaning that all three electoral votes go to the Presidential candidate who wins the state popular vote. The Alaska Republican Party has won the electoral votes of the state every Presidential election with the exception of the 1964 Presidential election. Alaska Republican Party Chairman, Tuckerman Babcock said electoral votes within the Republican party were decided by state delegates in April. “Every two years, there is a grassroots gathering of Republican delegates at a state convention and the state convention in the presidential years nominate, chooses the three electors and the three replacement electors,” Babcock said. “And that was done end of April this year, and three Alaskans were approved at our state convention of Alaska if our Republican candidate gets the most votes in Alaska.” Babcock has never been an elector for Alaska, but his wife was last year, and he said there are no requirements to become an elector. “There are no qualifications legally,
but in my experience what conventions do is hire people that they trust will support the Republican nominee if the Republicans carry Alaska and people who have been involved in the support of Republican politics,” Babcock said. “Now, in this case, the electors are former governor Sean Parnell, longtime active republicans, pretty young but Jacqueline Tupou of Juneau and Carolyn Leman of Anchorage.” After Election day on Nov. 8, the popular vote will decide which party wins the three electoral votes for Alaska. In almost all past years, the Republican Party has taken those three votes to Juneau for the official ceremony. “Then after the election if the Republican candidate wins in Alaska they will be flown to Juneau,” Babcock said. “In Centennial Hall, there will be a big ceremony where they actually cast the votes for President.” In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson carried the Alaskan popular vote and was also the only time the Democratic Party took all three of the Alaskan electoral votes. Jake Hamburg is the Alaska Democratic Party communications director and he said the party votes to have three potential electors, but that those potential electors haven’t been utilized since 1964. “We haven’t gone through this process since 1964 because it is a winner take all state, Alaska hasn’t gone for a Democratic president since 1964,” Hamburg said. “In the state convention in May, we elected our three electors. The three electors we selected at the state convention would serve in that capacity.” The three Democratic electors were selected at the state convention but according to Hamburg, anyone can run
for a Democratic electoral position if they follow the right steps. “The electors are selected at the state convention, so the first thing you need to do is to run as a delegate at the districtlevel caucuses so then that allows you to be a state delegate at the state convention, and then you simply have to volunteer to run as an elector, and then the whole body of delegates at the state convention votes and selects the three electors,” Hamburg said. The three electors the Democratic Party nominated are June Degnan from Juneau, D’Arcy Hutchings from Anchorage and Victor Fischer from Anchorage. The alternate electoral for the Democratic Party is Don Gray from Fairbanks. Genevieve Mina, biology and political science major, is also the Alaska Young Democrats secretary and she acknowledges that the Democratic Party has only once received those electoral votes, but she believes this is a symbolic election. “If [Clinton] were to receive the Alaskan vote that would probably be after the rest of the nation has figured out whether she has won the election or not, since our polls are four hours after the east coast polls and there is also the fact that Alaska only has three electoral votes so if you compare that to California…we’re pretty negligible,” Mina said. “But I believe symbolically, it would be a great testament to our changing nature of Alaska’s demographics and how we are slowly turning more purple, and we are not just a traditional Republican red state like everybody else believes.” California has 55 electors compared to Alaska’s three due to population differences but Alaska has the benefit of single voters holding more weight because the
state is ensured two more electoral votes than the state population demands. Ryan McKee is the President of the Anchorage Young Republicans and he believes that the Electoral College is not as great as a national popular vote. “I think a lot of us would like to see the popular vote take precedent over the Electoral College,” McKee said. “I think both parties could, for the Bush/Gore we would have lost that one but you notice in the Lower 48, there are basically seven battleground states, and those states decide the election. So if it was a popular vote, I think the candidates would be forced to spread out a little more over the country.” Despite the problems he sees within the Electoral College, McKee still encourages everyone to vote. McKee said Alaska is unique in the fact that there are elections decided by a handful of votes. “I would always encourage people to go vote,” McKee said. “Yeah, there are particular races they don’t think either one would be in their best interest they can always write somebody in, but I wouldn’t throw everybody out. We saw in rural Alaska, Dean Westlake beat Benjamin Nageak by one or two votes. Every vote, really in Alaska, every vote does count. My uncle won his second re-election by one vote, so in Alaska, I would say every vote really does count. So if they don’t like one person I would still encourage them to show up and vote for the other tickets.” Alaska may only contribute three votes to the electoral college, but Republicans and Democrats have a way of selecting those electors in a way that enables anyone who wants to participate starting at the local level to apply for the position.
04 | NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Ballot measure one: Automatic Voter Registration and the PFD By Victoria Petersen
vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org
November’s election offers Alaskans the opportunity to combine voter registration with PFD registration. The ballot measure makes it so when residents register for their Permanent Fund Dividend, they also register themselves to vote. The ballot measure will affect all those of voting age. It is estimated by state officials that the total costs of measure one is $942,885. When an Alaska resident goes to register for their PFD, voter info would be provided to the Division of Elections where the resident would be registered to vote. The voter information provided in the PFD registration remains confidential. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich are both in support of the ballot measure, which will ensure Alaskans who wish to receive dividends the ability to register to vote as well. Combining two registrations into one may be more convenient for many Alaskans. “It’s a classic ‘two birds one stone’ policy measure that increase’s the efficiency and convenience of voter registration and saves the Division of Elections money at a time when we need to ring every possible extra dollar out of the budget,” Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a member of the Alaska House of Representatives said. Others disagree with the ballot, thinking it will cost the already financially crippled state more money than the measure merits.
“I think it’s a bad idea. It’s so easy to register to vote, why waste money the state doesn’t have to combine the registration with the PFD?” Charne Rudd, a nursing student at UAA said. Qualified voters who wish to apply to vote, but not register for the PFD can still do so. While those who are applying for the PFD, but wish to withhold their voter registration will still be allowed to do so. This ballot measure, if passed, will not impact eligibility for the PFD, nor will it reduce the PFD in any way. Anchorage Assemblyman Forrest Dunbar has played a critical role in promoting ballot measure one, claiming it will be the beginning of one of the most sophisticated registration systems in the nation. “Automatic Voter Registration, also called ballot measure one, will give Alaska the most universal, accurate and secure registration system in the history of the country. It will improve [the] efficiency of the government, save money and improve convenience by halving the number of government forms most qualified Alaskans will have to fill out,” Dunbar said. “I very much hope UAA students will support ballot measure one, as they’ll be some of the biggest beneficiaries. It would be a point of civic pride to me if Alaska had the best voter registration system in the country — the most efficient, the most secure.” The state of Alaska, known for its transient and seasonal population, has less-than-average accuracy in voter rolls. “Aside from the fact that many Alaskans aren’t registered, it’s also important to realize Alaska has some of the worst
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
accuracy in our voter rolls in the country,” Dunbar said. “This leads to a bunch of problems, including a lot of questioned ballots on election day, which have to be hand-processed. Because most qualified Alaskans already provide their information annually through the PFD, we have a great database with which to update their registration, not just the first time, but
annually. This will dramatically reduce the number of questioned ballots.” Voting yes for ballot measure one indicates support for voting-age Alaska residents to register to vote through their PFD application. Voting no opposes the proposal, keeping the PFD registration separate from the voter registration.
Ballot measure two values the importance of future university students By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org
Elections come with great responsibility for residents in the community. While national voting is going on, it is also important to remember to vote locally. Elections in the community are a large part of what happens in our daily lives, especially in Alaska. It is essential to understand the ballot measures before voting and how it can impact the community. With the recent budget cuts to the University, ballot measure two is focusing on the future students of Alaska. According to the Official Election Pamphlet 2016, this measure will fundamentally change section eight of the Alaska Constitution to, “expand the state’s authority to incur debt by letting the state issue general obligation bonds backed by the state for secondary student loans.” Currently, the revenue source the state uses is for infrastructure, housing loans and military. The goal is to add statesponsored student loans, which will give students reduced interest rates on loans while costing nothing for state and taxpayers. Though this is a complicated pro-
cess, Rep. Les Gara explains the procedure of this measure. “It’s complex, but it depends very much on the bond market, and if the bond market isn’t favorable enough for the state to use a bond to reduce loan rates, the state won’t issue the bond,” Gara said. “If it is favorable and will reduce loan rates, the bond would be issued.” As of now, these bonds are not allowed by statute because they require a Constitutional amendment. “Under the Alaska Constitution General Obligation Bonds are allowed for construction projects, certain veterans services, but not for loan rate reduction,” Gara said. “The measure would change that to allow these bonds to be used for student loan rate reductions too.” Ballot measure two is especially important for future students attending universities in Alaska. It will encourage potential college students to stay in state and attend a university in the community. Patrick FitzGerald, campaign manager at Harriet Drummond for State House, depicts the impact this measure could have on students. “This has the ability to impact students and universities in the state. If
Measure two passes, high school graduates will be eligible to take a student loan from the state for in-state education,” FitzGerald said. Alaskans would be able to invest in themselves for training in skilled and high wage jobs if there were affordable financing for college and career trainings. This measure would increase access to education and training and minimize student debt. “People deserve [an] opportunity, if you want to go to college, money should not be a barrier. In a small way, this helps students incur less debt, which is good, student loan debt is the second highest debt Americans carry behind a mortgage,” Gara said. By decreasing student loans with minimum interest rates in the state, it is predicted that students will choose to stay in state for further education. This proposition would be beneficial for upcoming students. If student loans and debt are not reduced, it could result in negative results for the state’s economy. “We need a university where students want to go, not one students won’t choose,” Gara said. “Losing good students to outside schools means we will
damage our future workforce and economy because students who leave [the] state for school may never come back.” It is important for residents of Alaska to participate in local elections. The future depends on decisions the community makes, and students are encouraged to vote to create better opportunities. “Students should vote to create avenues for themselves in the future,” FitzGerald said, “As a recent graduate, job and career availability is very important and having a voice in deciding where time and effort to create job and career opportunities is a paramount concern of mine as it should be for everyone wanting a job or career in Alaska.” Knowing what the propositions are in detail before voting is crucial in making a decision that will affect the community. Ballot measure two has positive objectives to provide a better solution and opportunity for Alaskans. Increasing access to education and training, while minimizing student debt would create efficient citizens in the community. Ballot measure two could be a beneficial solution to student debt, without costing the State or taxpayers, or increasing state budget.
NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
| 05
Race to the White House Hillary Clinton
Party Affiliation:
Democrat Experience: First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State Running Mate: Tim Kaine
Gary Johnson
Party Affiliation:
Jill Stein
Donald Trump
Party Affiliation:
Libertarian
Party Affiliation:
Green Party
Experience:
Republican
Experience:
Governor
Experience:
None
Running Mate:
None
Running Mate:
William Weld
Running Mate:
Ajamu Baraka
Mike Pence
Views Immigration:
Immigration:
Immigration:
Immigration:
“We need comprehensive immigration reform with a path to full and equal citizenship. If Congress won’t act, I’ll defend President Obama’s executive actions— and I’ll go even further to keep families together. I’ll end family detention, close private immigrant detention centers, and help more eligible people become naturalized.”
“Governors Johnson and Weld believe that, instead of appealing to emotions and demonizing immigrants, we should focus on creating a more efficient system of providing work visas, conducting background checks, and incentivizing noncitizens to pay their taxes, obtain proof of employment, and otherwise assimilate with our diverse society.”
“Our nation of immigrants needs a just immigration system that won’t allow the ruling elite to divide working people. That means halting deportations, passing the DREAM Act, and creating legal status and a path to citizenship for hardworking, law-abiding undocumented immigrants.”
“Restore integrity to our immigration system by prioritizing the interests of Americans first. Enforce our immigration laws – at the border and at the workplace. Build a border wall and end sanctuary cities. Send criminal aliens home. Welcome those who embrace our way of life, but keep out immigrants and refugees who don’t through rigorous vetting.”
Abortion:
Abortion:
“Politicians have no business interfering with women’s personal health decisions. I will oppose efforts to roll back women’s access to reproductive health care, including Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. As president, I’ll stand up for Planned Parenthood and women’s access to critical health services, including safe, legal abortion.”
“Gary Johnson believes in the sanctity of the life of the unborn. As Governor, he supported efforts to ban late-term abortions. However, Gov. Johnson recognizes that the right of a woman to choose is the law of the land, and has been for several decades. That right must be respected and despite his personal aversion to abortion, he believes that such a very personal and individual decision is best left to women and families, not the government. He feels that each woman must be allowed to make decisions about her own health and well-being and that the government should not be in the business of second guessing these difficult decisions.”
Abortion:
Gun Laws: “More than 33,000 Americans are killed by guns each year. It’s time to act. As President, I’ll take on the gun lobby and fight for commonsense reforms to keep guns away from terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent criminals— including comprehensive background checks and closing loopholes that allow guns to fall into the wrong hands.”
“Real choice must include more than the choice of whether or not to have an abortion, and must begin with an informed choice about preventing unintended pregnancy. By providing all women with reproductive health care and family planning, as part of a program of health care as a human right, we can greatly reduce the need for abortion. Giving women real choices for education opportunities and good paying jobs will also reduce unintended pregnancies. Abortion is a necessary health care option, but will decline as women’s choices expand upstream of unwanted pregnancy.”
Gun Laws: Gun Laws: On banning guns: “No, only for criminals and the mentally ill.”
“It is outrageous that politicians have refused to implement even small common sense steps such as comprehensive background checks for gun purchases due to fear of the NRA. How many more innocent people must be massacred before our elected officials take action to protect us?”
Abortion: “The primary responsibility of the federal government is to protect the rights of its citizens. Life is the most fundamental right. The federal government should not diminish this right by denying its’ protection. I am opposed to abortion except for rape, incest and life of the mother. I oppose the use of government funds to pay for abortions.”
Gun Laws: “Unwavering support of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Get serious about prosecuting violent criminals. Get gang members and drug dealers off the street to make our cities and communities safer. Empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Expand mental health programs keep the violent mentally ill off of our streets.”
INFORMATION GATHERED FROM OFFICIAL CANDIDATE WEBSITES
06 | NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
According to Alaska Survey Research, Murkowski expected to reclaim Senate seat
Candidates running for U.S. Senate seat [6 year term] Lisa Murkowski
Margaret Stock
Ray Metcalfe
Breck Craig
Joe Miller
Ted Gianoutsos
Republican
Independent
Democrat
Independent
Libertarian
Independent
Young seeks Congressional seat for 23rd term Candidates running for U.S. Congressional seat [2 year term] Don Young
Steve Lindbeck
Jim McDermott
Bernie Souphanavong
Stephen Wright
Republican
Democrat
Libertarian
Independent
Republican (Write-in)
NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
| 07
Anchorage and Mat-Su Senate seats could face full overturn Wielechowski and Gissel are lone incumbents in State Senate race Seat D
Seat F
Seat H
Seat J
Seat L
Seat N
Big Lake
Chugiak / Gateway
Muldoon / JBER
Mountain View / Downtown
Taku / Ocean View
South Anchorage
David Wilson Republican
Samantha Laudert-Rodgers
Kevin Kastner Republican
Tom Begich Democrat
Natasha Von Imhof
Democrat
Republican
Cathy Gissel Republican
Shelley Hughes Republican
Bill Wielechowski Democrat
Forest McDonald Republican
Vince Beltrami Independent
Tim Hale Independent
Tom Johnson Independent
All 40 Alaska legislature seats up for grabs Seat Candidates 7
Sherie A. Olson (D) v. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard (R)
8
Gregory I. Jones (D) v. Mark A. Neuman (R)
9
George Rauscher (R) v. Pamela Goode (Constitution)
10
Patricia Faye-Brazel (D) v. David Eastman (R)
11
Delena Johnson (R) v. Bert Verrall (I)
12
Gretchen L. Wehmhoff (D) v. Cathy L. Tilton (R) v. Karen Perry (Constitution)
13
Dan Saddler (R)
14
Lora Reinbold (R) v. Joe Hackenmueller (I)
15
Patrick M. McCormack (D) v. Gabrielle LeDoux (R)
16
Ivy Spohnholz (D) v. Don Hadley(R) v. Ian Sharrock (I)
17
Andrew L. Josephson (D)
18
Harriet A. Drummond (D) v. Michael W. Gordon (R)
19
Geran Tarr (D)
20
Les S. Gara (D)
21
Matt Claman (D) v. Marilyn Stewart (R)
22
Liz Vazquez (R) v. Jason Grenn (Unaffiliated) v. Dustin Darden (Alaskan Independence)
23
Chris S. Tuck (D) v. Timothy R. Huit (R)
24
Sue Levi (D) v. Charles M. Kopp (R)
25
Pat Higgins (D) v. Charisse E. Millett (R)
26
David Gillespie (D) v. Chris Birch (R)
27
Harry Crawford Jr. (D) v. Lance Pruitt (R)
28
Shirley A. Cote (D) v. Jennifer B. Johnston (R)
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
| 08
Winter equipment provided for Localize It: Daniel Wongi Kim students at discounted prices
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
The Student Union Gear Room is located on the second floor next to the Info Desk.
By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org
On top of buying expensive ski passes at resorts, the last thing students need is a huge fee for renting gear. Renting snow gear at an affordable price is hard to come by. Although there are places such as Play It Again Sports that sell used gear for reasonable prices, some may not be fully committed to buying winter equipment. In some cases, renting is the only option. Every winter, the Student Union Gear Room provides winter gear rentals for students at discounted prices. The Gear Room offers ice skates, skating skis, cross country skis, along with boots and poles, snowboards, snowboard boots and snowshoes. Students are able to rent these items for a day, weekends or a week at a time. There are a variety of sizes in gear for all students to rent and enjoy. The Gear Room was created to allow students the opportunity to experience Alaska. Lyle Moore-Kroll, Student Union Building Manager, operates the Gear Room and shows its importance to the UAA community. “It’s a way for students to get outside and do something other than being overwhelmed by their academic lives,” Moore-Kroll said. “Just something to get themselves outside of the UA community and experience Alaska for what it is.” Before the Gear Room, students were unable to explore the outdoors without the right equipment. With expensive rental prices, many students would be discouraged to participate in Alaska’s winter. “There wasn’t really a way for students to get outside especially if you don’t have your own equipment. Not every student can go to any other place off campus and afford to rent out their gear because it is so expensive,” Moore-Kroll said. Students from out of state don’t often have any winter equipment, or they have
not been exposed to items such as snowshoes and ice skates. Exploration of the outdoors can be intriguing, especially for students not originally from Alaska. Still, there are students who have lived in Alaska all their lives and never had to opportunity to snowboard or cross country ski. “I mean that is great for students that are not from Alaska to get outside and experience nature and what Alaska has to offer and that’s why this Gear Room is important for them, but also for people that are here who know how to snowboard that may not have their own gear just to be able to afford to do so whenever they can and not necessarily have to keep and maintain their own set,” Moore-Kroll said. Winter equipment that is easily accessible with a fair price allows students to take a break from campus and experience new things with friends. Clynce Carrillo, Student Union Building Manager, describes the importance of students’ expansion of experiencing new sports. “People need to be more active and I always feel that the sense of exploration and even trying new sports will enhance one’s life,” Carrillo said. Allowing students the chance of potentially obtaining a new hobby and potentially gaining new friends and experiences is what the Gear Room is hoping to fulfill. “It’s an affordable and efficient way to get out there and do fun stuff and also meet new people,” Moore-Kroll said, “Some people are new to snowboarding or skiing, and they get offered by an acquaintance or someone in their class and they’re able to come to the Student Union and rent gear.” The Gear room will be fully transitioned to winter equipment within the next couple of weeks. This will allow more time for prime snow conditions for these winter sports. Take advantage of these low prices and experience this winter wonderland of a state.
By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org
Alaska is one of the most beautiful and untouched places our world gets to wonder about, and we are lucky enough to get to call the mountain ranges and aurora night skies our playground. In the world of photography, Alaska is a gold mine, practically bursting at the seams with beautiful scenery begging to get its picture taken, no matter where one looks. Local photographers take all the advantage that Alaska’s beauty has to offer, and Daniel Wongi Kim is one of those few. Known by many but seen by few, Daniel Wongi Kim has become of Anchorage’s most well known and talented young photographers, and you can always find him behind the lens. Kim, currently a business major at UAA, balances being a full-time student with being a full-time professional photographer. It is hard to believe that Kim has only been in the photography business for less than five years, and even harder to believe that there was a time when he didn’t have much interest in the idea of taking pictures. “Over the summer I was working for my cousin, helping him out taking senior pictures. He said he would pay me, but ended up not being able to, so instead, he handed me an old camera. I didn’t want it at first, I actually tried putting it up on Craigslist to sell, but later that week I went on an adventure with some friends and took the camera with me. I ended up liking it, taking pictures of my friends laughing and stuff. It stuck with me,” Kim said. Since that moment, Wongi has yet to put down the camera. In fact, he current-
ly owns one digital camera with five different lenses, two film cameras, two polaroid cameras, and a shelf at home that holds six more film cameras as his disposal. Most of the film and polaroid cameras are used for his own enjoyment, and he uses his digital camera, a Canon 6d, for his professional work. Wongi takes photos for weddings, families, senior portraits, and has even been asked by multiple companies to photograph their product in his pictures. Like any Alaskan, Wongi’s favorite pictures to take are of the scenery that surrounds him. “I love to photograph landscapes, but I’ve realized that in almost every single photo I have [there’s] one single tiny person in the landscape. That must be my signature style in my photos because I have very few landscape images without that one tiny person in the corner. It’s gotta be some sort of subconscious thing,” Kim said. With DSLR camera’s now so easily in reach of so many people, it can be quite difficult for a photographer to find their own unique style, something that makes their images stand out in different ways than the others. For Wongi, it is all about paying attention to smaller details that maybe others don’t see and spreading his talent across the entire spectrum of photography. “I pay a lot of attention to contrast, which I think maybe not so many other people or photographers notice. I take a lot of black and white photos too, I really like comparing those lights and darks,” Kim said. Kim’s attention to detail is very apparent in his pictures, and anyone can see his talent by looking at just one of his images. For being as young as he is, without any real training or teaching, Kim has taken the local photography community in Anchorage and shown them exactly who he is, and what he is capable of. “I’m proud of being able to do a lot of different types of photography. I don’t just stick with one thing, I can do all of it when I need to. For my age, I think I’m pretty experienced which is really cool to be able to say,” Kim said. Kim’s photography career is far from over, and in the coming years, he will surely only become more and more talented. It is photographers like him that help show both the beauty that exists around us in this state, and the beauty that exists in the people in this state as well. Daniel Wongi Kim will be a name we will likely hear of again, and the quality of his work will only continue to grow.
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Daniel Kim, known to many as Wongi, has made a name for himself photographing a wide variety of subject material in Anchorage, Alaska. One can often find human component in many of the landscape photographs he creates.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Seawolf Pack: Daniel Wongi Kim
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Puppy birthday cake
By Victoria Petersen
vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
These are the contents in the bag of Daniel Wongi Kim, professional portrait photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska.
By Young Kim
ykim@thenorthernlight.org
On top of juggling a full course load at UAA, Daniel Wongi Kim is also a full time professional photographer based here in Anchorage, Alaska. Within the past five years, he’s produced an impressive portfolio consisting of images of senior portraits, engagements, weddings, and even commercial client work. While gear isn’t everything and it’s the photographer to ultimately produce a photograph, it’s interesting to note one’s tools of choice. I sat down with Kim and here’s what we found in his bag. • The Hundreds Paparazzi Camera Bag – used by and passed down from other photographers in the Anchorage area, this bag serves to hold all his gear as well as act as a rite of passage of sorts for entering the professional photography industry. • Canon EOS 6D – a full frame 35mm DSLR that is versatile enough to handle a wide variety of subject material. Although it’s been in production for a few years now, it still has one of the best low light sensors on the market. • Sigma ART 24mm f/1.4 - a wide angle lens perfect for cityscapes, street photography and landscapes. • Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4 – one of the sharpest 35mm full frame lenses available, this lens is great for environmental portraiture. • Sigma ART 50mm f/1.4 – a slightly tighter “normal” lens for full frame cameras. This is perhaps the sharpest 50mm lens south of $4000.
Celebrate man’s best friend with this tasty cake, just for your dog. Covered in peanut butter and baked with carrots and apples, your dog will beg for more. Prepare this cake for your pooch on special occasions so your doggo can be apart of the celebration.
Ingredients • 2 cups wheat flour • 1 small can of beef broth • 1/2 cup shredded carrots • 1/2 cup shredded apple • 1/2 cup cinnamon apple sauce • 1/2 cup peanut butter • 1 egg
Directions 1. Turn your oven on and to 350 degrees. If they are not already shredded, shred the carrots and apples.
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 - one of the best bang-for-buck portrait lenses available for Canon photographers, this is his favorite portrait lens.
2. Measure the ingredients and place in a
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 – standard telephoto zoom lens that is used for both portraiture and landscapes.
and fill a small cake pan with the batter.
• SD memory card – digital media for use with the DSLR. • Minolta film camera – sometimes it’s necessary to switch things up and go analog to keep things interesting. • Roll of Tri-X 35mm black and white film - this is his favorite emulsion of black and white negative film. • Apple iPhone 5S, USB cable, and mechanical pencil - daily necessities. • Apple Macbook Pro - primary image editing and processing machine for his personal and business work. • Portable hard drive - digital images can start to take up large amounts of space so it’s necessary to have one of these. • Apple iPad Mini – for displaying work to potential clients and other shenanigans. • Herschel Supply Co. iPad Mini case - he loves all things Herschel. • Book - he usually carries at least one book in his bag, in case he gets bored. Pictured here is a poetry book by Lang Leav. Although Kim uses thousands of dollars worth of equipment to produce the amazing imagery he does, he wanted to re-iterate the most valuable tool he has is his eye. He encourages anyone wanting to dabble in photography to pick up any camera, whether it be a DSLR, point-and-shoot or phone camera to start shooting and develop their photographic vision first and worry about the technicalities of gear later. Check out Seawolf Pack next week for another bag breakdown.
bowl. Mix all the ingredients together. 3. Once the cake pan is filled, place in the oven for about an hour, or until cooked all the way through. 4. Once the cake is cool, frost the outside with peanut butter and garnish with crumbled dog treat, your pup’s favorite.
A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
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Thrilling and complex, “7 Años” spares no one By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor
TITLE “7 Años”
DIRECTOR Roger Gual
RELEASE DATE October 28, 2016
COUNTRY Spain
GENRE Crime Drama
Stick five desperate people in a room and bullets are bound to fly. But the tense and compact crime drama “7 Años” nixes the gunplay and focuses solely on character. After the nihilistic glee of Tarantino’s similar, though far less interesting, “The Hateful Eight,” “7 Años” plays like a return to the basics of cinema in the best way possible. There are five characters in one room with one problem. In the end, however, it feels too short. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it never really settles in. Under pressure from the IRS, four friends are facing jail time for mishandling funds in their software firm. Here’s the catch: with a simple money transaction, only one of them needs to take the fall. So Marcel (Alex Brendemuhl, “Longing for a Kiss”), the CEO, Veronica (Juana Acosta, “Vientos de la Habana”), the CFO, Luis (Paco León, “Kiki, Love to Love”), and Carlos (Juan Pablo Raba, “Shot Caller”) hire a mediator, Jose (Manuel Moron, “Cerca de tu casa”), to figure out who that one person will be. The movie’s short running time forces the characters to be direct. The dialogue is blunt but never boring. Viewers can be sure that what narrative layers it peels back only leave room for more. As the characters are stripped to their core,
the dialogue only gets more terse. Honestly, while no grand battles take place, “7 Años” is violent in its language. Marcel and Veronica share the most brutal exchanges, and Carlos and Luis the most heartbreaking. The characters start out vague, however. Carlos and Luis’ introduction is fairly bland. It tells us a little bit about them both. Marcel and Veronica’s opening scenes aren’t any better. As it goes on, however, the characters’ dynamic deepens and, frankly, gets pretty sad. When they come to blows, it’s not fun to watch. They just cut so deep with everything they say. Director Roger Gual is careful in setting up these climaxes. He’s not one for visual flourishes. More than anything, his style serves the characters. It lacks the freneticism of Fabian Bielinsky’s similarly character-driven Argentinian crime opus “Nine Queens,” but has David Mamet’s command of dialogue ala “American Buffalo.” It’s a damn good movie. It never tries to be anything other than what it is: an exploration of four characters during the tensest moment of their lives. Even with a light plot, “7 Años” feels too short. The conclusion certainly would have hit harder if viewers knew these characters more intimately. Director Gual’s barebones style helps move it along at a steady click. When the credits roll, no one is spared. Not even the viewer.
New Macklemore music video taps into the raw, heartbreaking reality of substance abuse MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW
By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org
It is not out of the ordinary for the well-known Seattle-based rapper Macklemore to shed a light on some heavier topics in his music. In the past, we have seen Macklemore rap about topics such as white privilege and LGBT rights in his past songs. Through his music, these topics have been brought more awareness to these issues, and people are able to feel more comfortable discussing them than ever before. In his newest single, Macklemore has decided to tackle yet another difficult topic to talk about, which is substance abuse. Both Macklemore and Ryan Lewis paired together to write the song and released the single, titled “Drug Dealer” on Oct. 11. The track was also featured in MTV’s newest documentary, titled “Prescription For Change: Ending America’s Opioid Crisis.” In the documentary, Macklemore discusses his past experience with substance abuse, telling of his struggles to quit prescription drugs such as Oxycontin and Percocet. This past Tuesday, Macklemore released the music video for “Drug Dealer,” which gives an extremely realistic and unfiltered view into what exactly it is like to go through prescription drug withdrawals. The video opens with Macklemore sitting on the shower floor crying, and it is apparent right away that he is playing a character who uses prescription drugs, attempting to quit. The tone is set within the first few seconds of the video, and immediately the viewer becomes aware of the seriousness of the message the video is sending. We are then taken into Macklemore’s bedroom and are shown exactly how difficult the process of going through withdrawals is. From sweating and shaking, to throwing up, to not being able to see straight, Macklemore’s acting throughout the video clearly comes from knowledge and experience, and anyone who watches the video can feel the pain and raw emotion Macklemore embodies. The video then continues, featuring Ariana Deboo on the chorus vocals, and we continue to watch the story that Macklemore unravels. Bringing up doctors
ARTIST Macklemore
GENRE Alternative Hip-hop
SINGLE “Drug Dealer”
Alternative Distribution Alliance
RELEASE October 25, 2016
LABEL
prescribing medications to people for their money, and the huge likelihood of overdosing on these medications. This is a huge problem that exists in our society and often goes so overlooked when in reality most people have a close relative or friend who takes and abuses prescription drugs. As the video comes to an end, we see Macklemore’s character in rehab, which draws the emotional video to a more positive close. By doing this, Macklemore gives
hope to those who may need a light to help them out of their addiction. “Drug Dealer” might be Macklemore’s most realistic and effective song and video he has put out yet, and anyone who listens or watches is just as likely to agree. Substance abuse is an often overlooked issue in today’s society, and when mainstream artists like Macklemore come forward about their own personal experiences, it brings awareness to the issue and helps prevent it from continuing.
A&E
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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
CELLULOID WEDNESDAYS R View 16 mm film classics the way they were meant to be seen on the big screen. Includes documentaries and experimental films that reflect the evolution of film as a medium. 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Museum Auditorium Free
Come to know the true North anchoragemuseum.org
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SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
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UAA defeats Alaskan rival 3-0 By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
After the unfortunate first loss in 20 games, the Seawolves stepped back up to take on their in-state rival — University of Alaska Fairbanks. UAF and UAA both being a part of the University of Alaska system puts an interesting twist on the game. “It’s not a rivalry where we go at each others neck, it’s just an in-state rivalry we can look forward to and have fun with,” senior setter Morgan Hooe said. The previous loss ended up costing them three spots in the division II rankings, placing them now at No. 11 down from No. 8, but they stood their ground as the top Great Northwest Athletic Conference team. Restarting their streak, UAA booted back up by winning their first rebound game at 3-0. This puts their overall record at 22-2 and their conference record at 12-1. After this game, University of Alaska Fairbanks was at 1-12 conference record and their overall record 2-17. In an even start, the Seawolves and the Nanooks kept it slow and played defensively. The scores stayed steady and both teams managed a small percentage of errors. UAA knew they had to approach this game differently after their previous loss. “I would like to play more relaxed and somewhat eager at the same time because I tend to play nervous. But I still want the hunger to win,” Leah Swiss, sophomore outside hitter said. Playing relaxed already starting out in set one helped them get the lead that they eventually needed. The set didn’t start to pick up until freshman middle blocker Diana Fa’amausili stepped up to the net. With assistance from Hooe, Fa’amausili was able to get in the first several kills of the night, causing the game to pick up. Halfway through the set, both teams ended up playing more offensively and the scores still stayed steady and even.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ADAM PHILLIPS
Senior Erin Brann spikes the ball over the net against the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Oct. 25.
Sophomore libero Kyla Militante-Amper was up to serve close to the end of the set and was able to accumulate six serves in row, gaining four of those points from errors on the Nanook’s side. This began to put the pressure on UAF, who called a timeout halfway through. Back in the set and the seniors took over to finish off strong with the first win of the night. Senior middle blocker Erin Braun had the ball set her way letting her get a kill in, bringing the score to set point. Hooe then got a kill off Taylor Noga’s dig, winning the set at 25-19. Keeping their momentum going, the Seawolves rallied strongly into the second set. Sophomore outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson brought in the early points off her three successful serves, leading the way into the Seawolves quick lead. With a pattern of strong serves being the trend in this game, Swiss continued this by stepping up to the line five
Sophomore outside hitter Leah Swiss passes the ball to teammate Morgan Hooe.
serves in row, two resulted in aces. And again, halfway through the set, Militante-Amper accumulated five serves in a row, racking up more points on aces and UAF’s errors. Again, with patterns being prevalent, the two seniors Hooe and Braun ended the set with kills after five successful serves from Noga. Halftime gave a much-needed break for both teams when Swiss was able to reflect and examine how this years’ team has a prevalence of strong sophomores. “We can teach the freshman the ways from what we went through last year, too,” Swiss said. Having such a strong team with such young players provides a beneficial baseline for coming years. Rolling into set three, the Seawolves initiated a strong lead which soon was caught up to by UAF. This is been the Seawolves pulled out their strong offen-
sive skills. By far, set three for UAA was the strongest of all the sets yielding a total of 22 kills, compared to 10 and 15 in the previous sets. With the Seawolves close to game point, UAF was only a point behind. Swiss was the last up to serve, and with three successful serves she was able to close the set off for the night. Hooe set the ball up, and Johnson was the last to make contact with it for the night by getting a kill over to win the set. After a rough loss ending the Seawolves twenty game win streak, they knew they had to come back out and play hard. Reflecting on the previous game, Hooe knew they needed to change things up. “We talked about we have to come out and play like champions, we have to play like we want to win GNAC,” Hooe said. With that, UAA started off a new streak with their first win against UAF at
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
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Seawolves swept by No. 20 Bemidji State By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM WASSON / UAA ATHLETICSS
UAA goaltender Olivier Mantha blocked 31 shots in Saturday night’s 4-0 loss to Bemidji State.
Volleyball steamrolls Montana State-Billings By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org
On a day that will be remembered for the waiver request of both men’s and women’s skiing and indoor track, UAA volleyball had to block out any empathy or distractions and focus on hosting Montana State-Billings (4-19, 2-11). Assorted athletes gathered at the game with supportive signs for their classmates and fellow student-athletes. The Seawolves (23-2, 13-1) gave everyone something to cheer about. This may have been UAA’s most complete game front-to-back, as they sailed to 25-16, 25-11, 25-12 sweep over the Yellowjackets. Thanks to clean executing throughout all three sets, the 11th-ranked Seawolves finished with a season-high .376 hitting percentage compared to MSUB’s .053. Sophomore Chrisalyn Johnson set the tone with her sixth straight double-double, piling up 13 kills with 11 digs while also chipping in two aces and three block assists. Diana Fa’amausili added eight kills, Leah Swiss punched in seven, and Morgan Hooe and Erin Braun had six each. Braun won her 92nd game in green and gold, tied for the most in school history with Jen Szcerbinski. UAA has had the upper-hand on Billings in their last 14 meetings, dating back to 2009. The Seawolves look to take advantage of some much-needed rest. They have just concluded four home games in seven days and will recoup for eight days before heading to Oregon to take on Concordia (12-8, 8-4) and Western Oregon (8-12, 5-8).
UAA opened Western Collegiate Hockey Association play with an away series against the 20th-ranked Bemidji State Beavers, who is undefeated in the conference. The Beavers fended off the Seawolves’ late rally in the first game as UAA fell 2-1 in overtime. BSU opened the game with a power-play goal off of a rebound and retained the Seawolves from being able to push the puck for most the game. As the clock was dwindling in the third period, forward Matt Anholt kept the game alive for the Seawolves with a backdoor goal with the help of Jonah Renouf to tie the game up at 1. During extra time, the more aggressive Beavers pounced on a 3-1 rush powered by Phillip Marianccio. Marianccio found a clean look at the net and put away the game two minutes and five seconds into the OT. Seawolves goaltender Olivier Mantha did all he could to keep UAA within reach, knocking away a total of 32 shots throughout the night. Although, UAA did not do a great job keeping the pressure off of him. They spent a whopping 34 minutes in the penalty box and were short-handed for 14 minutes. Wins are not easy to come by, especially within the conference. Toss-up games like this are crucial to win, as they will play a role in playoff seeding later into the season. Fortunately, the Seawolves had another crack at Bemidji State the following night. However, the unenthused Seawolves found themselves in the L column again on Saturday. Three goals in the third period for BSU in the third period locked up a 4-0 win and brought out the brooms for a sweep. Beavers ’tender Michael Bitzer picked up the shutout, and the Seawolves did not make it a difficult one. UAA had just 17 shots on goal, their second fewest of the young season. The Seawolves return home for the first time in nearly a month when they host Alabama Huntsville on Nov. 4 and 5.
14 | SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Reaching a heaven on earth
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT YODER
Matt Yoder on top of the mountain after splitboarding his way up.
By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org
Every year there is new technology forming within the snowboard community. The latest trend in the board sport world is splitboarding. Splitboarding has slowly made its way to Alaska and has rapidly spiked interest in the last couple years. With low snow seasons, snowboarders have been looking for another solution to be able to once again hit the powdery slopes. A splitboard is essentially a snowboard that can be separated into two skis with rearranging bindings, that has attachable climbing skins to create traction on mountains the same way touring skis can, then being able to reach back country areas and reattaching the two ski-like parts back into a snowboard and ride terrain that has rarely been traveled. This has become a big deal for Alaskans, considering the fact we are surrounded by perfectly snowy mountains. Splitboarding is drawing in many boarders in the community who are looking for more than just a resort to ride. Ryan Bish, Blue and Gold Boardshop employee and third-year splitboarder, is one of many who found a love for backcountry. “With lower snowfall totals and high ticket prices, I think that more people are being pushed into going into the splitboard route because they want to go out with their group of friends to be able to practice their awesome skills, because when you’re out in the back country, it’s a lot better than just a resort,” Bish said. Snowboarders have always been attracted to back country, but it wasn’t as available for people who don’t have access helicopters, or just wasn’t worth the trek carrying heavy equipment up the mountain. Matt Yoder, splitboarder, reasons why he decided splitboarding was the logical route. “I grew up at the base of Hatcher Pass
PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN BISH
Hiking up back country after separating splitboard into skis.
in Palmer post holding hiking, which is a theme to work and earn your turns, I later got snowshoes, and even on a fast day you’ll get lapped by anyone on skins and splits,” Yoder said, “To me, splitboarding just made the most sense for back country access because your board is on your feet going up instead of on your back.” Another reason why people are straying from resorts is the prices. “Yeah, you may have bought a $1,200 splitboard, but you don’t have to pay $70 each weekend to go snowboarding, you’ll maybe pay $5 for parking and that’s it,” Bish said. Resorts are not only expensive but also limited. When going to a resort, there is a general idea about how your experience will be. Splitboarding will not only push you out of your comfort zone, but it gives you a new experience every time. “It’s the cheaper way to go and you
get to learn some really awesome things about yourself because you’re going out of your comfort zone, trying something new, going to new places, sometimes with new people, so it’s a really good way to try these new experiences,” Bish said. Although splitboarding rapidly picking up in the community, it is anticipated that this sport will continue to increase in popularity by lovers of the outdoors. Splitboarding is unlike any boarding experience because of its freedom. Like many extreme sports, there are consequences when safety precautions are not practiced. “I can’t stress enough that everyone take very seriously the potentially fatal consequences in the back country,” Yoder said. “Have appropriate back country gear such as an airbag, beacon, inclinometer, know how to use it and take avalanche courses, you can never know
enough when it comes to avalanche country, nature’s casino is no joke.” Blue and Gold Boardshop provides various avalanche safety courses throughout the winter to spread awareness. Safety equipment is demonstrated and available for purchase at this local shop. Splitboarding has its dangers like any other sport; safety knowledge is always preferred. With this knowledge, it is encouraged to get out and splitboard the back country. “More people should splitboard, it’s sick, and most importantly fun,” Bish said. With the possibly of low snowfalls, especially at resorts, back country is a reliable source of fresh powder. Splitboarding provides an efficient way to access unexplored, untouched, snow to experience a heaven on earth.
UA cuts six sports across the state By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org
By Kathryn DuFresne content@thenorthernlight.org
This academic year will likely encompass the final collegiate seasons of skiing and indoor track and field in the state of Alaska, as a result of Strategic Pathways. University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen released that the university system submitted a waiver request to the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Oct. 19 for the discontinuation of men’s and women’s Nordic and alpine skiing at UAA and UAF, and men’s and women’s indoor track and field at UAA. Per NCAA rules, schools in Division II must be competing in a minimum of 10 sports. The request Johnsen and UA has submitted is to cut the number of sports at UAA from 13 to nine and from 10 to eight at UAF. According to UAA Athletic Director Keith Hackett, this decision will slice off 42 percent of the athletic budget cuts required, contributing around $1.95 million toward
the budget reduction. In an email message to the university system on Oct. 27, Johnsen stressed that this decision has not been an easy one. “I love everything about the competitive nature of sports, I respect the men and women who compete as a Nanook or a Seawolf,” Johnsen said. “I can promise that we will do everything we can to ease the transition we all will face.” Approximately 95 athletes overall, not including the coaching and support stats, will be impacted by the waver request, if it is accepted by the NCAA, who will meet in November to determine the outcome of the request. If accepted, the proposal will then move to the Board of Regents for final approval.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
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OPINION
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
| 16
Toe-to-toe: To vote or not to vote Embrace your rights
Rights are not requirements
By Michael Thomas
By Lee Piltz
copy@thenorthernlight.org
Election time is coming in the United States and with this year’s election being frustrating for many Americans, the best way to change things is to go down to the ballot box and vote. The right to vote has sparked revolutions throughout history. The United States fought for independence from the British Empire for this right. The Revolutionary War created the United States and over time, we became the country we are today, a democratic society that values freedom, liberty and justice. Women marched through the streets protesting their right to vote after the first world war, and it wasn’t until 1920 that women were granted the right to vote in the United States at a national level. Moreover, African Americans were able to vote in national elections since 1870, but in some states, they weren’t given the full right to vote in local elections until the 1960’s. A lot of our grandparents were alive during this time, and they can still remember the protests led by Martin Luther King, Jr. Thousands have died around the world for the right to vote, and in some places, the fight continues to this day for universal suffrage. Throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia people have risen up to demand their voice be heard. Saudi Arabia is listed as one of the least free countries in the world. It was only in 2015 that women in Saudi Arabia were given the right to vote or hold office which is a massive step-up for our ally in the Middle East. However, women can only vote and hold office in local elections and are still prohibited from doing so in national elections. In Brunei, a country in Southeast Asia, all elections have been suspended since 1965 on a national level. Men and women both have the right to vote in local elections, but anything on a federal level is all controlled by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the absolute monarch of the island nation. In the United Arab Emirates, known by their largest city Dubai, men and women alike have limited suffrage. The
country is a monarchy and has been rated as being one of the least free countries in the world. In fact, the United Arab Emirates even has a dress code for its citizens “requesting” them to wear certain clothes when they go places. For example, women have to cover their shoulders and knees when going out in public. Voting allows your voice to be heard. Your one vote can make a difference and create changes in your community. The entire point of a democratic society is for people to vote on the issues they want to change, and if you don’t vote, in my opinion, you have no right to complain about politics. You gave up the right to be angry about our countries policies and laws when you didn’t go to the ballet to let your opinion be heard. However, if you do vote and it doesn’t go your way, you are given the freedom to complain, but if you don’t vote and you complain because what you wanted to happen didn’t, please be aware that you gave up that right when you failed to exercise your right to vote.
lpiltz@thenorthernlight.org
Every four years, the United States of America must make a very important choice. This choice is one that will shape our nation for the following four years. It is election time in the good old USA, and plenty of people will be heading to the polls to cast their votes. However, there are a lot of people that will not be voting this year. Often, when politically charged people find out that you won’t be voting for either candidate, they say things like, “You’re wasting your vote,” or, “A vote for nobody is a vote for X Candidate or Y Candidate.” Whatever the case, if you do not vote, you are not wasting it and you are completely within your rights to do so. While voting is a right for any U.S. Citizen over the age of 18, it is not a requirement. Your right to vote also covers your right not to vote. Just as the 2nd
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
Amendment covers your right to bear arms, it covers your right not to bear arms as well. If you are a U.S. Citizen and of age to do so, you can go out right now and purchase a gun. You can also never own a weapon for your entire life. You are within your rights to own weapons and to not own weapons. So why should the same idea not extend to voting? I myself do not align with either political party. However, this year, I more closely align with Hillary Clinton than with Donald Trump. As far as I am concerned, Trump is a sick joke and a disgrace to our nation. While Clinton seems to be more of a compromise than anything else. However, I will still not be voting this year for either candidate. I understand that people will judge me for my actions; however I would rather vote for no-one than for one of these two. Some say that not voting means that you don’t have a right to complain if someone you don’t support gains office. However, if I didn’t support either candidate, then I’m not going to be happy with either one of them gaining office. That’s why I’m not voting for either one! Additionally, my rights to complain are protected under the First Amendment. I do in fact have a right to complain should an official be elected that I do not support. The fact of the matter is, voting is a difficult decision, and not to be taken lightly. For people like me, deciding between two things you don’t want is extremely hard and often ridiculous. That would be like having to choose between two different slices of pie, even though you cannot stand pie. “Apple or cherry?” they ask. “I don’t want any pie!” I exclaim. Some seem to think that I would be wasting my choice by not selecting a flavor of pie that I don’t want. However, declining the pie altogether is the best choice in my mind. Keeping with the pie example, suppose a different person came along and was offering chocolate ice cream instead of apple pie or cherry pie. Well then, I would choose the ice cream as I prefer it to pie. It is the same with politics. The day a candidate is offering me metaphorical ice cream, is the day I shall vote for them. However, until the day comes when I don’t have to pick between Clinton pie or Trump pie, I will reserve my right to choose my ‘four-year-dessert’ until that sweet, metaphorical chocolate ice cream is presented to me.
OPINION
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
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Voting yes on ballot measure two is a no-cost option to the State By Anna MacKinnon Contributor
Currently, the Alaska Student Loan Corporation (ASLC) issues Revenue Bonds that are solely backed by the loan repayment revenue from those who are borrowing. ballot measure two will change the Alaska Constitution to allow for General Obligation (GO) bonding for the purpose of postsecondary education. If passed, it will be the most viable option available to Alaskans to obtain lower interest rates by allowing the State to access bonds using its good credit. These lower rates will then be passed on to Alaskan borrowers who are preparing
to enter the workforce and contribute to a healthy Alaska economy. In addition to achieving lower interest rates, the state’s backing can make the loans available to a broader population of student borrowers. Each year many Alaskans contact me regarding their student loan debt - the high interest rates and their struggle or even inability to repay the debt. In late 2013, I contacted and began working with the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, the state agency responsible for funding and servicing state education loans, to address these concerns. My goal was to identify fiscally responsible ways to make postsecondary education more affordable for Alaskans, and provide relief to those who are currently in
repayment. Over the course of the next 10 days many of you will enter the voting booth, cast your ballot and make your voice heard. I’d like to provide an outline of the benefits of ballot measure two. The language of the ballot measure states the amendment would “expand the State’s authority to incur debt…” which I believe may lead to misconceptions about what this measure does. As the cochair of the Senate Finance Committee, I firmly believe the state must look closely at any additional debt we take on as we face a multi-billion dollar budget deficit. However, while the State would be guaranteeing this debt, it would be repaid by students from the revenue of the ASLC.
The ASLC has been issuing bonds and repaying them for almost three decades and in that time, has never had to come to the State for financial assistance to repay its debt. I was able to support this proposal without reservation based on the fact it is anticipated to have zero impact on the state budget. Passage of ballot measure two is simply accessing a financing option available to the ASLC that will reduce the cost of student loan interest rates. By law, there are safeguards that place limitations on the bonding process and ballot measure two does not approve any new debt for the State of Alaska. I urge my fellow Alaskans to join me in voting yes on ballot measure two.
Sen. Anna MacKinnon represents District G in the Alaska State Senate and serves as co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
OPINION
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