NOVERMBER 3, 2015 - NOVEMBER 10, 2015
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GOP debate turns against moderators
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RED ZONE: Gendered speech – roles, identities and chopsticks
By Kathryn Casello
features@thenorthernlight.org
Gendered speech, often referred to as gendered communication or ‘genderlect’, is the concept of speech and language patterns influenced by gender. The study of gender and language is often said to have begun with Robin Lakoff’s 1975 book, “Language and Woman’s Place,” and over the past 30 years sociolinguistics has significantly developed. Before diving into examples of gendered speech, it’s important to recognize that gender itself is a cultural concept; contemporary views of gender understand gendered speech and identity to be a continuum with a wide variety of degrees of masculinity and femininity. Guys can have feminine speech styles, and girls can have masculine speech styles. Western culture tends to put emphasis on gender roles based on heteronormative values — the belief that people fall into distinct genders (male and female). Heteronormativity also asserts that heterosexuality is the only
norm, and that relationships are mostly acceptable between people of opposite sexes. While western societies like the U.S. tend to be heteronormative, it’s not the universal rule. Many societies like India, Polynesia, Bangladesh, the Balkan states and Pakistan legally recognize more than two genders. “Third gender” can be equated to intersex, or personally identifying to neither the male nor female genders. “It is so important to recognize that gender is a continuum, and identifying or having traits that fall anywhere on the continuum shouldn’t seem threatening or offensive,” Professor Marsha Olson, a term professor in the Department of Communications, said. “I’ve told men before that they’re speech styles are more feminine as a compliment, but they think that I’m insulting them.” When asked if a third gender seemed progressive, Olson had mixed feelings. “I don’t love the idea of a ‘third gender’ just because it seems like another box, but I like what’s it trying for and I think that’s commendable. I’ve heard stories from students who say, ‘I don’t feel like I fit inside a box.’ I don’t think we can have a good society if people feel like outsiders, or feel like they’re not being seen or recognized,” said Olson. “I think the more we talk about it [the concept of gender as a spectrum] and normalize it, the better it’s going to be for us as a society.” Gender is also a separate concept from sexual orientation. While both socially operate on
a continuum, neither inherently dictates the other. For example, someone who identifies as female is not automatically attracted to men, and someone who identifies as intersex is not consequently asexual — a sexual orientation characterized by the lack of sexual attraction to anyone, or low or absent interest in sexual activity. Ultimately, gender is very abstract, and while identity is constructed by individual experience, the way in which we view gender is often dictated by larger social structures. “Feminine communication styles tend to be more concerned with relationship level meaning, like the underlying context, whereas men tend to focus more on content,” Olson said. “More generally, I think I end up doing
a lot more things, even in family or friend interactions because I feel like it’s a more feminine trait to be asking, ‘oh, is there anything I can do? What can I do for you or whatever it is that you need?’” According to Julia Wood, Ph.D. and author of “Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture,” feminine speech styles operate as “a way to establish and maintain relationships with others. Women’s speech tends to display identifiable features that foster connections, support, closeness, and understanding.” People with more feminine communication styles are more likely to respond during conversations by nodding or saying “uh huh, yeah” to indicate involvement and support.
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
“I feel myself asking and prompting other to speak because it does keep the conversation going,” Sydney Burns, a nursing major who works as a server at Yak and Yeti, said. “Women [customers] are more friendly and ask for things more often. If I need to refill waters, women will totally help me out and move all the waters to one part of the table, acknowledge that I’m there, stuff like that.” Feminine speech patterns also tend to be more passive or tentative. Women will often engage in verbal hedges; prefacing statements with “I kind of feel like… it might be possible that… maybe, you could be wrong.” “I feel like I try to avoid con-
SEE REDZONE
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The Campaign for Free College Tuition – the campaign of our dreams? By Kathryn Casello
features@thenorthernlight.org
With midterms finished and registration for the spring semester creeping up, the 2015-16 school year is alive and kicking. Whether it’s the first semester of college or the final months of a graduate degree program, the reality of paying off student loans is ever looming for most students. Forbes Magazine published an article in January describing the projected net cost of college within the next 15 years. The 2015-16 school year’s national average cost of tuition and fees was $28,357 for out-of-state residents attending public universities, $9,139 for state residents at public colleges, and $59,341 at private colleges.
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U.S. News reported last year that, “the standard repayment plan for federal student loans puts borrowers on a 10-year track to pay off their debt, but research has shown the average bachelor’s degree holder takes 21 years to pay off his or her loans.” The collective sigh of 20 million college students can be heard in response to the disheartening prospect of 21 years of debt. “The personal dilemma that I’m having is with costs,” Malia Russell, major undeclared, said. “The scholarship I currently have is paying for one year of college tuition, but it’s requiring me to spend money to get the scholarship, to go fulltime (15 credits), and have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. And I don’t get all the $3,000 in one semester; I have to go for a full year. So, I still am subject to take out
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loans because I don’t have $2,500 just laying around. I don’t understand why I get a bill for $3,700 for one semester of schooling and I’m taking all electives, and there’s all these hidden fees.” So what solutions does America have? When looking at post-secondary education on an international level, countries like Finland, Austria, Norway, Germany, and Sweden do not charge any tuition fees, or charge fees as low as 363 euros (U.S.D. $411) per semester. These countries pay for their citizen’s tuitions largely through higher income taxes. Is this a possibility for the US? In 2014, the Campaign for Free College Tuition was started in Washington, DC to “educate parents, students, the higher education community, policy makers and taxpayers about efforts needed to fundamentally reform our nation’s
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system for financing higher education.” The campaign website outlines a four step plan to involve federal and state governments in the creation of an inclusive national scholarship program, broader and more effective loan forgiveness programs, reasonable pricing systems and better student support services on behalf of the school and the government. With the ball rolling, the power to change is in the hands of policymakers and government leadership. For politicians looking to secure their legacy or create a legitimate election platform, education is a hot issue that gets a lot of attention. 1) President Obama – America’s College Promise In January of 2015, President Barack
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NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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Republican primary debate three: Issue drift By Nathan Burns
nburns@thenorthernlight.org
As the Republican primary field narrows further and further, the campaign turns into a story about a three-way struggle between the populist outsiders, the experienced Washington regulars and the press. Candidates must face the challenge of proving themselves more qualified than their peers, less in the pocket of corporate interests than their peers, and all without making a fatal faux pas about ‘binders full of women’ or ‘47 percent of Americans.’ Last Wednesday’s debate saw this delicate balancing act thrown askew as candidates faced off against one another, their pasts, and the moderators, CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla, John Harwood, and Becky Quick. The debate started with a discussion about each of the various candidates’ greatest personal weakness with each candidate using it as a chance to list their strengths. Following the opening statements, Harwood asked Donald Trump about the specific of his extensive campaign promises. “Mr. Trump, you’ve done very well in this campaign so far by promising to build a wall and make another country pay for it. Send 11 million people out of the country. Cut taxes $10 trillion without increasing the deficit. And make Americans better off because your greatness would replace the stupidity and incompetence of others.” Trump concurred with Harwood’s summary. “Let’s be honest. Is this a comic book version of a presidential campaign?” said Harwood “No, not a comic book, and it’s not a very nicely asked question the way you say that,” said Trump. The hostile tone did not improve over the course of the night. Following Quick’s series of questions at Dr. Ben Carson’s proposed 10 percent flat tax over the $1.1 trillion dollar annual budget deficit, senator John Kasich expressed his distaste at the candidates he was sharing the stage with. “You can’t do it with empty promises. You know, these plans would put us trillions and trillions of dollars in debt,” Kasich said. “We’re just gonna have a 10 percent tithe and that’s how we’re gonna fund the government? And we’re going to just fix everything with waste, fraud, and abuse? Or that we’re just going to be great? Or we’re going to ship 10 million Americans — or 10 million people out of this country, leaving their children here in this country and dividing families? Folks, we’ve got to wake up. We cannot elect somebody that doesn’t know how to do the job.” Trump did not take this attack on his experience sitting down, and attacked
Kasich’s campaign, experience and integrity. “First of all, John got lucky with a thing called fracking, OK? Believe me, that is why Ohio is doing well. Number two, this was the man that was a managing general partner at Lehman Brothers when it went down the tubes and almost took every one of us with it. And Lehman Brothers started it all. He was on the board. And he was a managing general partner.” said Trump. “And just thirdly, he was so nice. He was such a nice guy. And he said, ‘oh, I’m never going to attack.’ But then his poll numbers tanked. And he got nasty. So you know what? You can have him.” Following the string of ‘gotcha’ questions, senator Ted Cruz chose to, in lieu of answering a question from Quintanilla about raising the debt ceiling, address what he felt was a hostile atmosphere created by the moderators of the debate. “You know, let me say something at the outset. The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media,” Cruz said. “This is not a cage match. And, you look at the questions — ‘Donald Trump, are you a comic-book villain?’ ‘Ben Carson, can you do math?’ ‘John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?’ ‘Marco Rubio, why don’t you resign?’ ‘Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?’ How about talking about the substantive issues the people care about?” Quintanilla attempted to get Cruz to answer the original question, but Cruz continued. “The men and women on this stage have more ideas, more experience, more common sense than every participant in the Democratic debate. That debate reflected a debate between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. Nobody watching at home believed that any of the moderators had any intention of voting in a Republican primary. The questions that are being asked shouldn’t be trying to get people to tear into each other. It should be what are your substantive positions,” said Cruz, with a roaring applause from the crowd. Cruz’s comment managed to shift the entire tone of the night, as all candidates on stage took a more reserved tones, were far more likely to compliment one another, and were less likely to take baiting statements from the moderators, choosing instead to redirect their focus to the actions of the current administration, as well as the Democratic Primary frontrunner, Hillary Clinton. CNBC was extensively criticized for their handling of the debate from all fronts, with the Republican National Convention suspending plans for a February debate. Republican candidates and staff from 10 separate campaigns met Sunday to discuss radical changes to the debate structure. Most of the Candidates campaigns have expressed dissatisfaction with the nature of the debates, the
Ted Cruz, republican presidential nominee.
personal, not policy questions, and what many consider an unequal distribution of time. UAA students were generally dissatisfied with the debate, for a wide variety of reasons. Erica Means, medical laboratory sciences major, expressed dismay at the general quality of the questions. “My favorite exchanges of the night were between candidates and the moderators. When the candidates were asked a ridiculous question about regulating fantasy football Chris Christie made it clear that the media has lost touch with the important issues.” Joseph Sweet, political science major, felt that the debate was very telling about the current state of the Republican Party. “My favorite exchange was when Dr. Carson was called out for shilling a quack medical supplement,” Sweet said. “He›s been giving speeches and receiving money from a company called Mannatech for 11 years. Mannatech sells products that claim to cure autism. When asked about it, he complained about the liberal media. I think that’s very revealing about where the Republican Party is at the moment.” “The clear story of the debate was the overwhelming leftist media agenda by the moderators. It was a train wreck in the sense that they asked hardly any substantive questions and almost all gotcha questions. CNBC should be ashamed and John Harwood lied flat out at least twice and should be held accountable,” Scott Haberman, biological studies major, said.
PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE
Ben Edwards, mechanical engineering major, weighed in as well. “Overall, the debate was a circus with no real conversation on issues. But it’s something I expect in American presidential politics. But still fun to watch.” “It’s tough to pick a winner because everyone was on the defensive against the moderator. Rubio, Cruz, and Christie all did very well. Trump and Carson did well for themselves. The biggest loser was Bush — he tried to join in the attack and it fell flat,” said Haberman. “I believe Marco Rubio performed the best, despite being comparatively behind in polling to his peers on the stage. His handling of a rebuttal against his former mentor Bush was done exceptionally well, which leads me to the next pair of answers - how Bush performed the worst and the Bush-Rubio exchange was the best,” said Edwards. “I view Bush has the most reasonable and center-right persona up there, so it was unfortunate to see him back down from confrontations. Centerright Bush fears confrontation, and I suspect it might cost him the primary to farright Trump or Carson. That’s an unfortunate outcome.”
The next Republican Primary Debate will take place on Nov. 10, at the Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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TUITION: Politicians discuss free education CONTINUED FROM COVER
Obama stated in the State of the Union that community college, “should be as free and universal in America as high school.” President Obama announced his initiative to provide two years of community college for free for any student who is at least part-time, has a minimum GPA of 2.5, and has an adjusted growth income less than $200,000. President Obama explained, “This plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt.” According to a White House Fact Sheet, A full-time community college student could save an average of $3,800 in tuition per year. America’s College Promise is estimated to cost around $60 billion over 10 years, and would entail federal funding covering three-quarters of the average cost of community college while states choosing to participate would contribute the remaining funds necessary to provide free tuition for eligible students. An Al Jazeera America article claimed that the initiative is good for students because it, “gives low-income students a path to college.” All in all, Obama’s plan aims to fairly redistribute wealth and benefit those most in need of education and assistance. “I think everybody should have the option of getting an education. It makes sense that people that have trouble with school or other things that need to be taken care of should also get that chance to go to school,” Beau Feckley, major undeclared, said. “I knew UAA costs wouldn’t be that bad, but I realized my parents have been saving for college my entire life and that’s still only enough to cover my in-state tuition here at UAA.” When asked if he thinks that ultimately, college tuition should be free, Feckley said, “Yep.” However, some believe that this isn’t the right way to spend government money. Reporter Valerie Strauss of the Huff-
ington Post stated, “A better way to spend that $60 billion would be to expand existing federal grants to empower students.” Strauss isn’t the only one with objections to a free-tuition initiative. 2) Donald Trump – No Department of Education and No Solutions A staunch opponent of higher taxes, the EPA, immigrants, and providing more assistance to the underprivileged, Trump is not only against the free tuition plan, but also federally funded education in general. When asked on “Fox News Sunday” where he would cut back on federal spending, Trump stated that, “I may cut the Department of Education. You could cut that way, way, way down.” Trump has yet to address what will happen to the Student Loan Forgiveness and federal student aid programs that are offered by the Department of Education. “Are you serious? What’s going to happen to kids? I have no words,” Russell said. “I think subsidized loans are freaking awesome. They’re helpful to struggling college students.” Donald Trump stated his current solution involves “creating jobs in the private sector”, ending Common Core and making education “local and all of that”. Trump also believes that schools are not safe because they don’t teach. “How long do we think the U.S. can survive schools that pretend to teach while our kids pretend to learn? How can a kid hope to build an American Dream when he hasn’t been taught how to spell the word ‘dream’?” Trump asked in his book “The America We Deserve.” Trump is asking a lot of questions, but doesn’t seem to be offering very many real solutions. 3) Bernie Sanders – College For All In May of 2015, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the College for All Act to the Senate to make four-year public colleges and universities tuition-free. During the Democratic Presidential Debates, Sanders asserted that he “wants Wall Street now to help kids in this coun-
try go to college free with a Wall Street speculation tax.” A speculation tax is a tax on trading of financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, derivatives, and credit default swaps. The rates of the tax are typically at a fraction of a percent. “I agree with that,” Russell said. “I think they should make tuition be free, especially if the government wants people to go to school, because people will be more likely to get educated if they hear it’s free.” According to the summary of the Senator’s act, $47 billion per year would be provided to states to remove tuition and fees. The federal government would cover 67 percent of this cost, while the states would be responsible for the remaining 33 percent. This is predicted to cut student loan interest rates to about two percent for undergraduates, as well as making debt refinancing easier and more accessible. 4) House Speaker Candidate Rep. Jason Chaffetz – Prioritizing Spending Cuts With Sen. James McCarthy pulling out of the race for Speaker of the House, Rep. Jason Chaffetz has stepped forward to run. Along with opposing Planned Parenthood and an expanded child-care tax credit, Chaffetz specifically opposes Obama’s America’s College Promise plan. Chaffetz mainly opposes taxes on the wealthy as the funding source for the program, stating on CCN’s talk show “State of the Union” that Obama’s plan “is a nonstarter. We’ve got to make sure that we get a regulatory environment that’s predictable, that we bring those tax rates down and that we quit spending this money that we don’t have.” The price of tuition-free initiatives seems to be causing the most worries for politicians and taxpayers. “The government should pay for necessities, not luxuries,” Sam Woolsey, a political science major, said. “The government doesn’t even provide all neces-
sities yet, like healthcare, so why would they start providing luxuries first?” The issue of efficiently allocating government funds is the topic of constant debate, but what the education debate comes down to is the way in which we view education. “Is education a necessity or a luxury? The problem is that it’s both, which is a huge problem, because it shouldn’t be a necessity,” Woolsey said. “College, principally, is luxurious and it should cost money. But getting training necessary to get a job to participate in the economy, that shouldn’t be a luxury.” According to a White House fact sheet, by 2020, an estimated 35 percent of job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree and 30 percent will require some college or an associate’s degree. “It seems really wasteful to go with Bernie Sanders’s plan to have everyone provide for a luxury, when we could get rid of stigmas against community college and restructure the system so that community college is the extent of what you need,” said Woolsey. Despite the lack of consensus on the best course of action, it’s important to know that people recognize that a problem exists. With Congress’s track record of and willingness to passing things, is it possible to expect bipartisan support and legitimate legislation regarding free tuition for college students? The answer is maybe. An article published by Indian Country Today Media early this month suggests that Congress could be considering free community college. Legislation requiring the federal government to “pay 75 percent of tuition and fees for most students and 95% for most American Indian/Alaska Native students at tribal colleges” was introduced for the 2015-2016 Congressional cycle. While this legislation is pretty narrow, it could be a possible first step towards a debt-free collegiate system.
Parking services contracts consulting firm for in-depth assessment By Nolin Ainsworth
sports@thenorthernlight.org
The average parking space on campus is 8 1/2 feet wide and 19 feet long. That’s roughly 160 square feet. Every morning and afternoon, droves of cars and trucks search for these small parcels of asphalt surrounding the university. Depending on the time of day, this can be a relatively simple task, or difficult one. Add in factors like weather, pedestrian traffic and the off chance a special event (i.e. job fair) is taking place on campus, and you can quickly see why parking management is important for the successful operation of any college or university. UAA’s Parking Services recently started working with a parking consultant firm to evaluate various aspects of its program. Come March, the SP+ Corporation will provide the university with a comprehensive assessment of everything from its customer service to parking assignment, organizational structure and resources to use of technology. In addition, SP+ will submit a summary of student and faculty mindsets towards campus parking and transportation using data collected in-person and on an online survey. “With the focus on the reduced budgets and the tightening up of the purse strings, I felt now was an important time to show that the program that we are using is still valuable for students,” Director of UAA Parking Services Glenna Muncy said. This is the first time in Muncy’s nearly six years as the director that a thorough assessment of the program is being held.
Casey Jones, the Vice President of the University Services division of SP+, has made three trips to Anchorage this year to meet with university officials and hear students thoughts on parking. Jones’ has spent over twenty years as a parking professional in the Pacific Northwest. In the two years Jones has been with SP+, the parking pro has reviewed the parking systems of major universities like Washington State, UNLV, and University of Oregon. Jones’ understanding of the unique transportation needs of institutions of higher-education allows him to identify trends across numerous universities — making use of data UAA would not be able to obtain on its own. Armed with over 20,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada, SP+ offers a widerange of parking operations and services. It includes nine operating groups that deal exclusively with a specific market, including universities. “We’ve spent a lot of time at other campuses and universities and that factors in some because we’ve seen and implemented best practices in other places,” Jones said. “But this is a special and unique university so we really have to honor what’s special about UAA.” Jones says innovation, not added investment, is what he strives to arrive at for every university that calls on his services. “It’s not necessarily selling more permits or parking more cars on campus,” Jones said, adding that building parking is “expressly expensive” wherever you go. Instead, the parking guru states his mission as making “the most efficient use
PHOTO BY NOLIN AINSWORTH
The South Parking Lot outside the Wells Fargo Sports Complex is one of several university parking areas that reaches peak capacity during busy hours.
of the system that is available right now to UAA.” Students like Ronnie Adams, a Technology major and platinum permit holder, thinks there is room for improvement in the system. “They could save some students some money if they encouraged them to think about where their classes are,” Adams said. Adams assumed that if he bought the most expensive permit ($180/semester), it would guarantee optimal parking all over campus, not just in the central parking garage. Muncy encourages students to think critically about what improvements to
parking services they want to see and share those with them. “Some students I think would offer to pay just a little more if they could get “x”, so I’m looking for what is that “x” factor?” Muncy said. “It doesn’t help to tell me what’s broken if you can’t tell me how to fix it.” Students can visit uaa.alaska.edu/ parking to take a short survey about their parking and transportation experience at UAA that will be included in the campus engagement report. The survey will remain open for two more weeks.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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Beware the hype side In the year 2013, an alien brain slug from one of the galaxy’s most feared empires crash-landed on Earth and assumed control of a lowly reporter at this newspaper. These are his stories.
By Klax Zlubzecon
Translated by George Hyde “Star Wars” fans are crazy. I know this because I live with one. When my host George went to Fandango to preorder tickets for the upcoming “The Force Awakens,” the site was down, and so his mood was down. I was impressed that any movie could be so anticipated as to completely break a major ticket-selling website, but George, being the huge “Star Wars” fan, was too disappointed to be impressed. He was too depressed to even follow my orders, which I didn’t even know was possible. Apparently, depres-
sion rips humans away from brain slug control. I’ll have to write this down. Unfortunately, I’ve dictated about the dangers of hype and looking forward to things, and this is something George falls for time and time again. He went crazy when he saw the new trailer, as did most people, I would imagine. I suppose that what I dictated then, in that case, needs dictating now: Stop, and think. No one thought that “The Phantom Menace” was going to stink, but lo and behold, it ended up being one of the stinkiest sci-fi movies of them all. You can throw the blame for the “Star Wars” prequels wherever you like, be it at George Lucas, or at the executives not challenging Lucas enough, or Hayden Chris-
tiansen’s awful performance as Anakin, whatever. That’s why people like George are so excited, I think. The old, fun actors are back, and the director of the “Star Trek” reboot, someone who really knows how to direct a good space opera, directs the film. You can bring in the old actors, and a new director, but I don’t think that that’s going to solve this problem that people think exists, but really doesn’t. The problem isn’t that there hasn’t been a good “Star Wars” movie in years. The problem is that people are still trying to make a good “Star Wars” movie. “Star Wars” is fine. The original movies are fantastic. I watched them with my host, and I liked them enough, even if I think that the idea of a big “force” holding things together is a load of alien poodoo. That force is gravity. The masters of gravity are black holes. Black holes are not your friends. Deal with it. Those three movies were as tight as a film trilogy could be. It kept lingering plot threads to a minimum, and the arcs of Luke Skywalker and his father had a definite start and finish. It was a finished story, and as a finished story, people loved it. “Star Wars” fans think they revile the prequels because of George Lucas’s terrible directing, and they’re partly right. I suspect, though, that they may not be seeing the entire picture. The prequels had to elaborate on so much, and detail the pasts of just about every single char-
acter — including Boba Fett, who only appeared a few times in the original movies and spoke even less often than that. There was so much fat to chew through before a truly meaty story could start to take shape. We didn’t need to know how exactly Anakin went to the dark side, or even what the Clone Wars were. That’s what made those events cool. If Lucas were smart, he would have left “Star Wars” alone for fans to speculate on. I’m sure that, if there were no needless prequels or spin-offs, “Star Wars” fans would talk about the series in a much more positive light. Ultimately, I feel like that’s what “The Force Awakens” is going to do. It wants to tell us what happens to Luke, Leia, and the others, but we don’t need to know. George thinks he wants to know, but deep down, I know that he finds the mystery of what happens more interesting than whatever the film will reveal. I know this because I read his mind on a regular basis, but you get the gist. If “The Force Awakens” turns out to be good, then great. It’ll be worth a gander. However, hype is dangerous, especially for something as tight as the original “Star Wars” films. If you want to be excited, I won’t stop you, but do keep in mind that there’s no way that this new film is going to outdo the old ones. Maybe popping the old ones in will ease George out of his depressive slump and back into my thrall. Time to do some science.
Another semester, another melted computer A well-meaning column rife with clunky metaphors and horrible advice, Orange Rhymes With is the goto place to break the monotony of classes and laugh at someone else’s misfortune.
By Evan Dodd Contributor
Character flaws run in abundance. Every group of friends has a story-topper, a friend that feels the need to take twenty minutes to set up a pun, or that grown man who feels the need to exuberantly punch the roof of the car each and every time he passes under a yellow light. Most of these quirks and minor failings are, if not endearing, then at least tolerable. Sure, no one exactly loves the guy who can’t ever seem to be on time, but these are things you can work around. On the other hand, my fatal flaw seems bound and determined to bankrupt me, leave me cut-off from all social ties and create a regularly occurring biohazard for me to deal with. So here’s mine — no matter what I do my all my electronic devices die.
Anything that carries an electric current and serves even a half important function dies swiftly and without warning, and those that do make it longer tend to die just over two months after the warranty expires. And it’s not just indicative of a larger sense of carelessness either. My car may look like a tornado hit REI and Taco Bell, but it’s maintained well past the aesthetics. Likewise all my camping gear is well maintained and doesn’t tend to fail with any regularity, but give me a cell phone and I’ll have found the unique combination of factors that both renders it useless and completely voids the warranty within minutes. For most of these mishaps, I’m clearly at fault. Barring some longstanding feud with Poseidon, it’s reasonable to suggest that the fact that I decided to take my phone dip-netting was generally a bad idea. But the lack of consistency is what
makes me suspect some deeper cause to my plight. For example, a couple drops of salt water and fish guts fried my phone. Okay, I can deal with that. But compare that with when I dropped myself through a frozen lake, thrashed about in the mud and slush, and the let the non-waterproof jacket containing my phone freeze solid. Inexplicably that phone survived until it fell from a height of two inches and the screen shattered. I once had a brand new phone, with no apparent damage, simply stop working when I left the state, leaving me forced to buy a prepaid phone to co-ordinate the music festival I was headed to. For those of you blissfully unfamiliar with the concept, prepaid phone numbers are recycled after each phone expires, which explains why in the span of three days I got calls looking for a crack dealer, a sad little boy asking for his father to come home, and an incoming call from an Atlanta sex line. To this day, I don’t know which call was more traumatic. Laptops are no better. The first one literally melted to a desk in the dorms, producing a noxious cloud of foul smelling black smoke as the melted plastic entombed the hard drive. Seven hours at Best Buy produced a low quality replacement meant to get me through finals week. That poor replacement lasted all of five months before it shorted itself out due to a genuine manufacture defect, which of course was not covered by any agreement or organization in the world. So for laptop three I decided to put forth the effort to avoid this endless struggle. I ordered a nice laptop, with all the protections and insurances I felt I
should be paying for as a semi-responsible adult. It lived a full life of fourteen months before suddenly ceasing to function. Filled with naive hope that I could solve a hopefully minor issue, I opened up the casing to find corrosion so severe that the motherboard looked like a coral reef. Time and time again, it happens. My graphing calculator dove under a tidal wave of margarita and now each button takes the force of two hands to press. My iPod emits a low level popping sound when it’s charging and occasionally screeches horribly when it’s powered up. I can only speculate as to why this won’t stop happening to me. Maybe my electronic devices are manufactured in a factory built on an Indian burial ground, or possibly I’ve started producing an ambient magnetic field. So whatever reason for the constant technological failures, I’d just like to publically beg for it to stop. Really, I’m out of money and time and patience. I’m carrying around an external hard drive housing the damned souls of countless dead computers, and my phone will only charge during a waning moon and even then only if there is no humidity in the room. So whatever spirits I’ve angered or conspiracy I’ve stumbled into, I give up. I’ll go back to a Nokia brick and get a PC that resides in a locked sterile room at all times to ward off any moisture that might be headed my way. Just let me escape from college without any more senseless loss and hours spent on hold trying to worm my way into a another replacement.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
| 06
Should I stay or should I go?
The withdrawals of withdrawing from classes By Nathan Burns
nburns@thenorthernlight.org
Two thirds of the way into a semester is always a rough time for students at UAA. Maybe a student just got their midterm back and they didn’t do as well as they hoped? Maybe they completely bombed a project or paper? Maybe after checking blackboard and they see they have an F or a D in a class? Nov. 13, the last day of withdrawal looms heavy on the horizon. Take a few deep breaths. It’s going to be all right. Withdrawing from a class isn’t the same thing as dropping out of college. The withdrawal deadline exists as a way for students who feel they are unable to get the grade they want out of a class to not have it affect their GPA. Students who fail a class can always retake it. “Getting a W doesn’t mean you failed a class, it just means you made a decision to focus on it at a later time. It doesn’t indicate a failure, it indicates a change in your priorities,” Ambrose ‘Eli’ Morris, UAA Business Management major, said. All UAA instructors provide a syllabus that gives the point distribution for their class. This should let students roughly know how much they can improve their grade if they buckle down. Just because one has a low grade at this point in time doesn’t mean that they are past the point of no return. Is anyone able to come back from having a 50% in a class? Let’s say they have 150/300 points at this point in the semester. If the class is graded out of 500 points, they might want to consider withdrawing. If they
THE
still have a massive final and project coming up, and their grade is taken out of 1000 points, they still have the ability to get a B in the class. Tommy Nguyen, Pre-Nursing Major and Resident Academic Coach, suggests that students check to see if they can recover in a class. “I would say, if you have a D in a class or just bombed an exam 10 weeks into the semester, remember you still have 6 weeks left. Focus on that making that class more of a priority and just tough it out and get a C. It’s completely possible.” Many may think that professors at UAA don’t care, but they do. They are people just like anyone else, as hard as it sometimes is to remember, and they feel happiness, hunger, warmth, sympathy, irritation, and yes, even sometimes even care for the students they teach. No instructor at UAA wants to fail a student who regularly attends class, studies, and does all of the work assigned. The difference between college professors and high school teachers is students have to make the first move. “You can go up to the professor and ask them, or send them an email. Tell them that you are having trouble in the class and you really want to improve your grade,” Nguyen said. “They have a lot of students, and they can’t help you until you ask them. Come into their office hours, and from my personal experience, they only care if they see you putting in the work. They’re not going to reach out to you, but if you do ask for help they will do their absolute best to help.” Students should take advantage of their professor’s office hours, and talk to them frankly
NORTHERN LIGHT
about their grade. Don’t beg for a better grade, don’t tell a sob story, just honestly let the professor know that they want to improve their grade in the class and are willing to put in the work to do it. Instructors are the single best resource for answering the questions “Can I get the grade I want out of this class?” and “How do I do it?” Whether it’s helping students understand a topic they are hopelessly lost on, explaining how to do better on essays or letting you know about extra credit, the best person to talk to about raising a grade is the person that’s going to be giving it. There are bunch of mitigating factors determining how much a high grade in a class, and these circumstances will be different for each and every UAA student. For certain people, scraping by with a D in a 3 credit GER class is still 3 credits they won’t have to ever take again. For others, they might feel a C hurts their chances to get into a competitive postgraduate program, internship, or school, and as such may want to retake the class later to get an A in it. The single best person to speak to about this is an academic advisor as they can give the complete rundown on how a particular grade or withdrawal from the class at hand is going to affect a student’s GPA and the ability to complete a degree if a class is withdrawn from. Are any of my scholarships going to be affected by this decision? College is expensive. In the 2011 “UAA Misses You” survey, students not returning to UAA cited ‘not able to afford it’ as the second most common reason for why they were leaving UAA. UAA students often mitigate the cost of attendance with schol-
arships, but scholarships come with strings attached. Scholarships generally have both a GPA requirement and a credit requirement for them to pay out. Students should make sure that finishing the class won’t put their GPA in peril, and that dropping the class won’t make them ineligible to receive it. The Alaska Performance Scholarship, for example, requires first year students to “complete 24 semester credits or equivalent for full-time students” and “achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale” and “complete 30 semester credits or equivalent for fulltime students” and “achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale” in the following years. Will dropping/not dropping this class threaten my Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)? In order to be eligible to receive student aid a student must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards. The University of Alaska’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards include: maintaining a GPA of 2.00 or higher for undergraduates and completing 67 percent of all attempted credits. Every class a student is enrolled in after the Add Drop deadline counts towards their attempted credits. A credit is considered complete if the student earns an A, B, C, or D in a class. If they fail, or withdraw from a class they do not complete the attempted credits. This means that a student who has taken five 3-credit classes their first semester, completes three and withdraws from two, will, despite having a GPA of 4.0, not meet SAP and will be placed on probation next semester. This is the only thing
withdrawals count towards, but students should be very mindful when trying to raise their GPA that they do not make themselves ineligible for Student Aid. Do I need a higher grade in this class? Leah Hambre UAA Psychology Major explains that sometimes one needs to drop a class. “I had a class I was doing really poorly in and I knew there was no way to make it up. So in order to keep my GPA I withdrew from the class and took it next semester and got an A in it. I retook it online during the summer so I had a lot more time to focus specifically on it as opposed to balancing that and five others.” said Hambre. Classes typically require a C or higher in prerequisite classes in order to move on, which is particularly important for classes within your major. Likewise if a student needs a higher GPA to be competitive in whatever pursuit they are attempting postdegree, they may want to retake the class, as it will not only help out towards their GPA in the short term, but also give a better foundation on the material for any follow-up classes. However, if a follow up class is not needed, or the class is not part of a major, sometimes a D and three credits is a whole lot better than retaking it. Whatever students choose, speak to an instructor and an advisor, and read the syllabus. Then move forward from there, confident in whatever choice is made. If students are going to stay enrolled in a course and get a good grade, they owe it to themselves, and their instructor, to study hard and do the best they can.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
| 07
RED ZONE: Communication - Deeper than content CONTINUED FROM COVER
to be more effective — if I use a couple qualifiers in an “I think hyper masculinity is a really big thing in the email, I’m more likely to get a positive response back U.S. specifically, and we really push for it and we’re not flict,” said Burns. “I feel like I actively try not to inter- whether I’m writing to a man or a woman…as opposed really sure why, but I think that because – as far as a rupt people, to not turn the conversation back towards to being more direct… I think I also get more people country we’re pretty diverse and there’s a lot of differme; rarely do I take hardline stances with people I’ve who self-disclose because I’m like ‘uh huh, yeah!’… I ent cultures coming in that could clash, so we’ve decidjust met. If I was talking to someone about vaccines, think that it fosters better connections, better communi- ed we’re gonna go traditional so everyone knows what we’re doing,” Jessen which I think everyone should get, I would be in more of cation, better culture, but it does Cao, major undeclared, a position to say “this is my opinion, you have the right get discounted as said. “On average, I’m to say that…but what I really think is we need to have “Men ask for chopsticks a lot. That’s annoying.” lesser.” more towards feminine a majority of people vaccinated, I understand that some Olson touches style. I think I like to Sydney Burns kids can’t get them, I don’t necessarily agree with relion an interesting talk more and express gious exemptions but I’m not particularly religious so I point: feminine things. I guess one of can’t speak to that.” styles could be more effective in conflict resolution. the reasons why I’m not more stereotypically masculine The use of qualifiers is another example of tentative “People are far less likely to get into a fight with me,” in communication is that I don’t play sports or exercise speech by indicating doubt in one’s opinion or apologizBurns said. “I’ll tell them something that they don’t want at all, or play video games, and that’s all I know about ing for initiating conversations or asking questions. to hear (‘sorry, we don’t have that,’) and they’ll question male friendship.” “I just had a student come up to me the other day and Cao mentioned that his more feminine speech style she said ‘I’m so sorry for bothering you, but could you, I me for a while, it happens all the time… I feel like I’m not very assertive in that position. There’s another waiter made it easier for him to communicate. just have a question,’ and I was like ‘That’s literally my and people are far more willing to just go with what he “I don’t have lot of male friends so when it come to job, is to answer your questions about the assignment,’” has to say, or they’ll try to really pick a fight with him.” resolving conflicts with my female friends, I guess, I Olson said. Burns talked about a situation where her male wouldn’t say that I know more about resolving conflicts, When asked about tentative speech habits that influcoworker requested that a customer move his vehicle but it’s easier because I can kind of understand how to enced situations, Burns and Olson described situations out of a no parking zone, and the costumer became very fix problems with communication,” Cao said. within the workplace and relationship interactions. confrontational and angry. “I think there’s a sub-culture of that [hyper-masculin “People call me sweetheart. I hate that,” said “Sometimes we have to be forceful with people… ity], but maybe I think that because I’m usually around Burns. “I always just smile, I’m not gonna pick a fight he [Burns’s coworker] was being really polite and this people who are intellectuals and more progressive. We with anyone – I’m in awkward position in the service guy got really aggressive with him and stormed out. If it see in the media, kind of the frat-boy, womanizing, ‘I’m industry…but it does not matter, you smile, you laugh at had been me talking to him, he probably wouldn’t have a man, I like beer and sports,’ and nothing is wrong with their stupid jokes and continue to be nice.” left like that… if I’m talking with someone and I attack that, but that’s not the only way to be a man... or, a comOlson shared a similar story. “I was playing a board game with my husband and his them, it won’t be a productive conversation,” Burns said. pliment to a woman is that she asserted herself ‘like a The idea that feminine communication patterns are man.’ No, she’s stepping up like a woman,” Olson said. friends this weekend and they were all male. I kept getmore constructive is legitimate. Conversely, masculine The conflict between women who are assertive and ting talked over and interrupted, and when it was time to speaking patterns are more assertive and goal-oriented. society’s tendencies to characterize that as unwomanly calculate the scores, it was just between two of the guys, Wood described masculine speaking patterns as is a very relevant social tension. and I did the total female thing – ‘I’m sorry guys, I don’t defined by using communication to exert control, pre“I think that having a more feminine speaking style mean to interrupt, but I think maybe,’ it took me way too serve independence, enhance status, and accomplish and being male gives me more of an advantage…more long to spit it out. My score was like one point less than specific objectives. Speaking to exhibit knowledge or privilege comes with people who are more willing the winner…I knew that I was doing well… and I kind of avoiding vulnerable self-disclosure are characteristic of to speak,” Cao said. “What I’ve seen with my female know these guys but they all have very masculine comestablishing status. friends in conflict resolution is they say the same things munication styles.” “Women are less likely to try to pronounce a dish and that I do, but because they’re female, people are like ‘oh, Some early theories about feminine speech noted that fail, whereas guys that’s a militant woman and she’s hysterical,’ but when use of more hedges, will totally just try I’m resolving conflicts I say the exact same thing and qualifiers, and tag to say it and butcher people take me more seriously because I’m male.” questions than men “It is so important to recognize that gender is a it and brush it off,” Experiences like Cao’s suggest that despite some use represents weaksaid Burns. “…men legitimate social progress, Western societies still subcontinuum” ness, lack of conare more likely to scribe to traditional gender roles. fidence and uncerProfessor Marsha Olson order for the whole “I think we still reinforce those roles because that’s tainty. table; I’ll give menus the way that our culture has developed, and we contin“Maybe girls have to everyone, but then ue to learn it because those are the messages that we been socialized to dance around their firm claims,” said the kids will never touch the menus and the women will receive,” Olson said. “When we watch TV, nine times Burns. often not look at them. I really don’t like it. When the out of ten it’s a woman who’s cooking dinner and raisHowever, more modern theories about communicaguy orders he will phrase it like ‘she will have this, and I ing kids. When you look at any commercial for cleantion negate those hypotheses, because they are largely ascertained by using masculine speech as a standard for will have this.’ If it’s a woman, they’ll phrase it like ‘we ing products, how often is it a man who’s doing that? So they get reinforced a lot in pop culture media, but also I communication. Instead, Wood’s theory, which is per- will have this.’” Burns also noted that men seem to really want chopthink some of those messages surface just in everyday vasive within the intellectual community, is that rather sticks for some reason. interactions. Women are asked when they’re going to get than reflecting powerlessness, the use of hedges, quali“Men ask for chopsticks a lot. That’s annoying. I’ve married and have kids a lot more than men are, and those fiers, and ‘tentative’ speech express women’s desires to never heard a woman asking for chopsticks. Do you are small things that contribute to heteronormative roles keep conversation open and to include others. know what restaurant you’re at? You can’t eat Indian being the norm. It makes those norms acceptable.” “I think feminine speaking styles started out as food with chopsticks.” Socialization, media, everyday interactions, and self‘weak’ because women chronically felt less powerful, Chopsticks or no chopsticks, the assertive trait in identity all contribute to cultural establishment of comstill we see some of that happening – not making equal masculine speech patterns is pervasive, and it falls in municative rules and traditions. Ultimately, accepting wages and stuff like that,” Olson said. “I also think that line with the goal-oriented communication that is typiall peoples and identities with an open mind is a way the feminine style gets discounted as being more weak cal between males. In Western societies, hyper-mascuto foster an environment of understanding, support and because people inherently think of anything feminine as linity and heteronormativity seem to go hand in hand. empowerment. weak. But I personally think that feminine style tends
UAA prepares for spring registration, technically and emotionally By Claire Lubke
clubke@thenorthernlight.org
Behind a computer screen in the “One Stop” booth, Meredith McIntire, UAA’s Senior Professional Academic Advisor, has sat in the Student Union for over a week, raising awareness about the upcoming spring registration. Tempting students with candy and convenience, McIntire said that most of her work during this time is to “let the students know when their registration date is and… who their academic advisor is.” While this is essential information, registration is often more personally complicated than what can be provided in a printout or fiveminute conversation. Some of these more time consuming complications are just technical. While plentiful, they are also addressable. “When you come across a problem,
you say, ‘okay, I’ve got to figure this out,’ you email people and find answers,” Nicole Willson, a senior double majoring in English and Economics, said. There are some registration complications, however, that are reoccurring and burdensome even for the most informed and most experienced. Beyond late nights with CRNs and frantic emailing, registration is emotionally and mentally difficult. Registration is the first step, every semester, in reaffirming one’s long term goals and determining how to make those a part of an at least manageable, but hopefully happy life along the way. For students, registration is the most important decision in determining their lifestyle and provides the largest amount of uncertainty, for both the next semester and their long-term future. This decision-making process, goal determination, and lifestyle formation are so personal that it may seem like
each student has to take it on alone, but in actuality, this is a community that knows registration angst just as well as any individual within it. “Most people don’t know about guidance 150,” Johnnie Templeton, a double major in History and Political Science, said. This class, titled, “Creating Success in College,” invites students who resonate with the statements “I would like to learn and understand more about myself and use this knowledge to improve my study habits and select a career” and “I would like to enlarge my circle of friends who attend UAA.” It’s a class designed to help students explore graduation from UAA, technically and emotionally. Although a great option for some, a semester long course is not always feasible, let alone desirable. “Talk to people, figure out what your options are, essentially, do research,”
Willson said. “The biggest advice is to think it out and talk it out,” McIntire said. As with any research driven decision, it’s important to get the best and most information possible, but ultimately, research can’t answer every question. “You have to just see the actual class, you have to just go to it, to determine if it’s going to be a schedule that you like,” Lynda Kelleher, a recent transfer student to UAA, said. “Make obvious choices for your benefit. Don’t do something that you’re going to hate — that’s as easy as it can be.” Essentially, registration is a decision about the future and therefore, inherently uncertain. It’s important to make informed decisions and to have the skills to follow through with those decisions, but ultimately, it may not be so important that those decisions are right, as it is that they are livable.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
| 08
College Cookbook: Parmesan zucchini chips By Victoria Petersen
vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org
PHOTO BY TONY WEBSTER
Zucchini chips give you the crunch and flavor of your favorite potato chips with a healthy spin.
Ingredients:
Parmesan cheese (shredded or powdered) 2 zucchinis 3 eggs 1/2 cup of flour 3/4 cup of panko 1/2 cup of oil Optional: marinara sauce for dipping
Directions: 1. Take large saucepan and turn a burner on to medium/high heat. Place oil into pan. 2. Crack the eggs in a bowl, whisking thoroughly. 3. In a separate bowl, take the panko and flour and mix until combined. 4. Cut zucchini into thin slices, about 1/2 inch. 5. Take each slice and coat with the egg, then cover in flour and panko mixture. 6. Place the zucchini in the pan and let each side cook for about two minutes before placing it on a plate to cool. 7. Let zucchini chips cool before eating.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
| 10
Planetarium ready for Carl Sagan Day By George Hyde
gchyde@thenorthernlight.org
Carl Sagan is indisputably one of the biggest names in astronomy. His contributions include helping to discover the high surface temperatures of Venus, helping to send the Voyager Record into space, and researching the possibility of life outside of Earth. To celebrate what would have been his 80th birthday last year, the folks at the UAA Planetarium threw an event for “Carl Sagan Day,” and it was such a hit that they’re throwing the party again this year. “Carl Sagan Day is an event we started last year to celebrate Carl Sagan and the exploration of the solar system,” Omega Smith, the manager of UAA’s Planetarium and Visualization Theater, said. “Last year, we held an event on Sagan’s 80th birthday. We even had a cake in the shape of planets! It was such a great event last year that we are deciding to make it an annual event.” According to Smith, festivities at the show will include giveaways, hands-on activities, a full-dome musical tribute with auto-tuned quotes from Sagan, and maybe, just maybe, some more planetshaped cake. In addition, there will be free planetarium shows, including “Pursuing the
Dwarfs,” “IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System,” “Dawn of the Space Age” and “Back to the Moon for Good.” These shows will be shown twice each for the event. Peter Erickson, a volunteer at the Planetarium, is ready for the astronomical big bash. “Carl Sagan Day is a celebration of the life and work of Dr. Carl Sagan and a look back at all of his accomplishments and contributions to planetary astronomy and astrophysics throughout the decades,” Erickson said. “The Short films that we will be showing will reflect these subjects and give a base understanding of the underlying science for the layperson, in true Sagan fashion.” Sagan’s legacy of interpreting science for the everyman is felt throughout the planetarium and its mission, according to Erickson. “The shows are informative but not over everyone’s head,” Erickson said. “The planetarium employees are all incredibly invested in their field and passionate about their work which makes for an enjoyable and energetic working environment, and the ‘customers,’ for lack of a better term, are all just as eager and excited to learn as college freshmen.” Carl Sagan’s work has influenced how astronomy and physics are taught, and it’s been in the planetarium’s interests to extend that influence to UAA.
Headshot of Carl Sagan.
PHOTO BY NASA/JPL
THEATRE & DANCE
UAA DANCE
IN PERFORMANCE
ONE W EEKEN D O N LY !
UAA is an EEO/AA Employer and Educational Institution
A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
| 11
Student choreographers prepare for performance
PHOTOS BY RYAN JOHNSON
Katie O’Loughlin, Taylor Hicks and Carmel Young, three choreographers that are a part UAA Theatre and Dance pose as they rehearse for next week’s performance, Nov. 5-8.
By Claire Lubke
clubke@thenorthernlight.org
After most of UAA has gone home for the day, three young women lie in a triangular formation on the Harper Studio floor in the Fine Arts building. As the music cued, they moved both independently and together — at times with their bodies in total contact with one another. Their movement was fluid and intentional. Each dancer conducted herself with individual beauty, while their interactions expressed ultimate support for one another. The song ended — the dancers were breathless and smiling. These dancers have had three-hour weekly rehearsals since the beginning of the semester and midterms week is no different. This piece, along with six others, will be performed in the upcoming UAA Dance in Performance production on Nov. 5-8. “What am I going to need this semester?” Katie O’Loughlin, a theatre major
Katie O’Loughlin talks to TNL staff reporter Claire Lubke about her experience with UAA Dance and being a choreographer.
and the choreographer of the piece, asked. “…Because dance is where I can let go.” O’Loughlin noted peace as the primary inspiration for her dance, but included her perspective on water, wind, and breath as influences to her movement. O’Loughlin explained that in order to maintain her theme of peace, she chose to work with just two others, who are experienced dancers like herself as well as close friends. Her dancers, Taylor O’Loughlin, a theatre major, and Carmel Young, a psychology major, are also choreographers in the upcoming production. “I wanted to explore a different realm of movement and characterization than what I’ve done before. I wanted to make this more fun,” said Hicks. Her piece, titled “Seven Secrets,” has seven dancers and is themed after the stylish James Bond, agent 007. While Taylor feels that choreography has always been apart of her creative realm, she notes, “I’ve grown a lot since being here at UAA.” UAA doesn’t have a dance major, but does have a passionate department. Stu-
dents from any major and previous experience can take a minor in dance through the UAA Dance Department and any student taking a dance class can perform in its’ productions, which occur each semester and include this weeks’ Dance in Performance. A clear example of the variety of experience in the department as well as the upcoming production is Carmel Young, whose first work of choreography will be performed at the event. “How much of them [dancers] are you going to bring out while still being true to your ideas? It’s always going to look different than how you imagined and that’s the beauty of it — you don’t know what the final product is going to be,” Young said. She describes her piece as emotional and intimately connected to her recent experiences. “You can see all the choreographers personalities coming out,” said Young. O’Loughlin, Young, and Hicks are just three of the student choreographers
Taylor Hicks, Carmel Young and Katie O’Loughlin practice a particular move from their piece that will appear in next week’s dance performance, Nov. 5-8.
for the UAA Dance in Performance show. There are three other student choreographed pieces, as well as a piece choreographed by Brain Jeffery, an assistant professor and mentor to many in the UAA Dance Department. This show will include about 20 performers and an overall production staff upwards of 40 students. UAA Dance in Performance is a product of hard work, collaboration, and creativity among UAA students of various dance skill levels, performance specialties, and educational goals. “There’s fun dances, there’s intense dances, there’s emotional dances, there’s technical dances — there’s just a huge variety. I don’t think that anybody will get bored by any means watching this show,” O’Loughlin said. UAA students have an opportunity to attend a preview night Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a suggested donation of $5. The regular show runs Thursday, Nov. 5 through Sunday, Nov. 8. Tickets are available at UAATix.com.
A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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Korean classic ‘Memories of Murder’ is still mesmerizing
By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor
As far as crime dramas go, “Memories of Murder” is peculiar. All but one detective is incompetent and even the competent one is thwarted at every turn. Revelations about the case are few. But thanks to rampant corruption, the suspects are many. Ultimately, the crime is the least important part of the story. As any good detective drama does, the crime reveals the investigators. With a healthy dose of sympathy, director Bong Joon-ho breaks his protagonists down to their most elemental. It’s a brutal dressing-down to watch. But damn if it isn’t satisfying. A woman is found murdered in the rural province of Gyunggi in South
Korea. Brutal and stupid local detectives Doo-man Park (Kang-ho Song, “The Throne”) and Yong-koo Cho (Roe-ha Kim, “Hindsight”) nearly ruin the case until Seoul detective Tae-yoon Seo (Sangkyung Kim, “The Deal”) is brought in to sort it out. He claims a serial killer is on the loose, and finds a third victim that proves his point. Few words describe “Memories of Murder” better than “ferocious.” The performances are so riveting, the characters so fully realized, that it’s hard to imagine the actors outside of them. The movie brought Song to fame, and for good reason. His performance as Park is simply natural. It doesn’t feel like acting so much as living. Aiding his actors, Bong Joon-ho works in stunning long takes. Between each unbroken shot are quick sequenc-
es. The result is rhythmic. With seemingly little effort, Joon-ho sucks viewers in with an intoxicating musicality. Here, viewers can see the DNA of his masterpiece “Mother” and the more recent “Snowpiercer.” The murder case, however, is mostly straightforward. Its developments serve to reveal who these detectives are. Viewer’s loyalties for the characters will shift, and it’s sometimes unbearably tense. To call the movie a rollercoaster would be a disservice. It’s more like a rocket ship,
threatening to disintegrate in the atmosphere at any moment. For how atypical a crime drama it is, “Memories of Murder” still manages to be one of the best around. While the murder case is not the centerpiece, it’s serviceable enough to strengthen the characters. Unbroken long shots and a fierce sense of space keep this movie in the upper echelon of Korean cinema. Often creepy and always invigorating, “Memories of Murder” is an experience as musical as it is brutal.
TITLE “Memories of Murder”
RELEASE DATE July 15, 2015
DIRECTORS Bong Joon-ho
COUNTRY South Korea
GENRE Crime drama
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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Bowling Green doesn’t scare Seawolves on Halloween
PHOTOS BY RYAN JOHNSON
UAA left wing and center, Tad Kozun and Blake Tatchell celebrate as the Seawolves score during their 6-5 power play during the second period on Saturday, Oct. 31.
By Nolin Ainsworth
sports@thenorthernlight.org
There has been no shortage of questions surrounding this years’ Seawolves since they first took the ice last month. Will they rebound from last season? How quickly will the freshmen mesh with the rest of the team? Can the Seawolves score consistently? Will Oliver Mantha be everything he was last season, i.e., a brick wall? Following the Seawolves (5-2-1, 2-1-1 WCHA) 4-2 upset over No. 12 Bowling Green (4-2-1, 1-1-0 WCHA) Saturday, it seems a number of those questions could be put to rest. Freshmen Cam Amantea, Mason Mitchell, Jeremiah Luedtke, and Nicolas Erb-Ekholm all had points in the
home win. As for Mantha, the sophomore goaltender had 22 saves, 15 of which came in the first two periods with the Falcons trying to claw away at the Seawolves lead. The scorekeeper was put to work with only 1:34 gone in the first period. That’s when Seawolf forward Blake Tatchell, skating to his right at the top of the Falcon’s zone, shot a difficult puck across his body. The biscuit whisked by several defenders before tucking just inside the right goal post. It was the only shot on goal the Seawolves could generate until the later stages of the period. The Falcons would even the score at 17:25 in the first. The visitors cycled the puck up to defenseman Chris Pohlkamp whose shot deflected off a player and into the net.
Bowling Green’s left wing Mitch McLain protects the puck as UAA center Nicolas Erb-Echolm closes in on him during the first period in which the Seawolves gained the lead 2-1 at Saturday’s game
UAA would answer right back. After a Falcon turnover caused by the nifty stick work of Tatchell, Amantea skated in on a breakaway. Falcon goalie Tommy Burke stopped Amantea’s first shot, but the rebound hung in the air just long enough for Amantea to hit his rebound into the net. It was the Calgary-native’s first goal in a Seawolf uniform. The Seawolves picked up where they left off to start the second period. Two Falcon interference penalties, just 1:22 apart from each other, gave the Seawolves nearly four minutes on the power play. Seconds after the Falcon’s got their first player out the penalty box at 6:23, Chase Van Allen beat Burke stick-side from the top of the slot to make it a 3-1 hockey game. UAA’s Tad Kozun added
another goal at 18:16 of the period off a 2-on-1 rush with a nice assist by his line mate Austin Azurdia. The third period saw the Falcons slowly lose steam and its hopes of a comeback. It was also the first time Bowling Green’s back-up goalie Chris Nell would see time in net. The final goal of the game came in the closing minutes of the game as Falcon defenseman Sean Walker scored his first goal of the season. Following the final horn there was a new question on the minds of Seawolves fans - who can stop this team? UAA fell 2-0 to Bowling Green Sunday. The Seawolves outshot the Falcons 25-22, Falcon goaltender Chris Nell recording his second shutout of the season.
Hockey Standings
Volleyball Standings
Updated Nov. 1
Updated Nov. 1 Conference
Overall
Alaska Anchorage
12-2
20-2
Minnesota State
4-0-0
4-4-0
Western Washington
12-2
18-4
Michigan Tech
3-3-0
3-3-0
Central Washington
12-2
16-5
Alabama Huntsville
2-1-1
3-2-1
Northwest Nazerene
12-2
15-7
Alaska Anchorage
2-1-1
5-2-1
Concordia
7-7
15-7
Nothern Michigan
2-1-1
3-2-3
Simon Fraser
6-8
10-12
Ferris State
2-2-0
3-3-2
Western Oregon
4-10
7-16
Bowling Green
1-1-0
4-2-1
Seattle Pacific
4-10
6-16
Bemidji State
0-3-1
1-4-2
Alaska Fairbanks
4-10
4-17
Alaska Fairbanks
0-2-0
2-4-0
Montana State Billings
3-11
4-19
Lake Superior State
0-2-0
2-6-0
Saint Martin’s
1-13
2-19
Upcoming home games: Thursday, November 5, 2015 UAA vs Central Washington Saturday, November 7, 2015 UAA vs Northwest Nazerene
WCHA
Upcoming home games: Friday, November 13, 2015 UAA vs Ferris State Saturday, November 14, 2015 UAA vs Ferris State
Overall
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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The wide (and not so wide) world of the WCHA
GRAPHICS BY JIAN BAUTISTA
By Nolin Ainsworth
sports@thenorthernlight.org
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is one of six Div. I college hockey conferences in the country. It spans five different states, three time zones and any number of dialects. Although the WCHA has been around for six decades, only recently did it say goodbye to two cornerstone organizations: Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Gophers and Badgers joined the newly formed Big 10 hockey conference following the 2012-13 season. The Big 10 hockey conference currently consists of Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. However, the Big 10 hockey conference wouldn’t be the largest swindler of WCHA schools two seasons ago. Instead, that title would belong to the brand-new National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, and St. Cloud State all left the WCHA to form the backbone of the NCHC of today. So who, what and where is the “WCHA of today?” With teams like Bowling Green and Bemidji State, it isn’t obvious where these teams are located. This map is designed to clear up any of that confusion as you seek to become a more knowledgeable college hockey fan.
CONTACTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
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The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.足足足
LETTERS AND CORRECTIONS POLICY Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length is 250 words. Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum word length is 450 words. Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org. The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union, directly next to Subway.
THE NORTHERN LIGHT CONTACTS 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kelly Ireland 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org MANAGING EDITOR Sam Davenport content@thenorthernlight.org COPY EDITOR Kathryn DuFresne copy@thenorthernlight.org NEWS EDITOR Vacant ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Vacant FEATURES EDITOR Kathryn Casello features@thenorthernlight.org
ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Vacant SPORTS EDITOR Nolin Ainsworth sports@thenorthernlight.org ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Vacant PHOTO EDITOR Vacant STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Ryan Johnson rjohnson@thenorthernlight.org LAYOUT EDITOR Demi Straughn layout@thenorthernlight.org GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org Inna Mikhailova imikhailova@thenorthernlight.org
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Vacant
WEB EDITOR web@thenorthernlight.org Vacant
A&E EDITOR Vacant
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Vacant
ADVERTISING MANAGER Anthony Craig 786-6195 admanager@thenorthernlight.org MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE ads@thenorthernlight.org Vacant STAFF REPORTERS George Hyde gchyde@thenorthernlight.org Nathan Burns nburns@thenorthernlight.org Victoria Petersen vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org Claire Lubke clubke@thenorthernlight.org CONTRIBUTORS Evan Dodd Jacob Holley-Kline MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Zac Clark ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Stacey Parker
Spring 2016
RegiStRation iS heRe! Check your
class standing for spring in UAOnline and take advantage of early priority registration.
October 26 November 6 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 16 November 23
Spring 2016 class schedule goes live Admitted UAA graduate students Admitted UAA seniors (90+ credits) Admitted UAA juniors (60-89 credits) Admitted UAA sophomores (30-59 credits) Admitted UAA freshmen (0-29 credits) Students with pending spring UAA admissions applications Open registration for all University of Alaska students
Find additional information on Priority Registration, Schedule Planner and more in the Registration Guide uaa.alaska.edu/records/registration. Questions? Email registration@uaa.alaska.edu or call 907-786-1480.
REGISTRATION GUIDE Everything you need to know about how to register and more is in UAA’s Registration Guide at uaa.alaska.edu/records/registration. If you can’t find the answer to your questions there, contact Enrollment Services. Call: 786-1480 Email: enroll@uaa.alaska.edu ↸ Visit: The One-Stop in the University Center
Schedule Planner The easiest way to schedule classes!
Five easy steps to creating the perfect schedule:
1. Students input desired courses to be scheduled 2. Desired breaks are added in - work, sports, downtime 3. Pre-made, conflict-free schedule options are pulled up instantly 4. Save your favorite schedule to cart 5. When your registration opens, go to cart and “Complete Registration Changes” Find Schedule Planner in UAOnline under Registration. Available on October 26 for spring 2016!