November 4, 2014 by The Northern Light

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

A&E

PAGE 8

Current Seawolves face off against alumni

PAGE 5

Japanese film “Freeze Me” is lost potential

• • NOVEMBER 4 IS VOTING DAY! • •

Coordinator presents goals for Care Team outreach services HALLOWEEN FUN NIGHT

Kids try the “Bob for Donuts” activityat UAA Clubs and Greek Life’s Halloween Fun Night.

PHOTO BY JAMES R. EVANS

Care Team coordinator Lisa Terwilliger presents information about the Care Team during the Oct. 31 Club Council meeting.

By Stephen Cress

news@thenorthernlight.org

UAA’s Care Team is raising awareness about its mental and behavioral health services to students on campus. The Care Team is primarily an outreach group for UAA students who are experiencing mental health or behavioral issues, but it also functions as a way to report possible future incidents on campus before they occur. UAA’s Care Team is comprised of faculty and staff meeting for one hour each week to make recommendations to the Dean of Students, Dewain Lee. During the Oct. 31 Club Council meeting, Care Team coordinator Lisa Terwilliger presented information about the Care Team, outlining the organization’s goals for safety, prevention and response to incident reports involving students who are heading for crisis or experiencing mental health issues. Terwilliger’s presentation opened with a story of a prevented campus shooting at Pasadena High School in California. The student was reported to school officials and then later apprehended by LAPD, who found the student indeed had plans to start a shooting at his school. According to Terwilliger, reporting an incident is the first step to prevention and ensuring the safety for all members of the UAA community. facebook.com/northernlightuaa

PHOTOS BY HELEN LINDAMOOD

“We are a threat assessment team at the far end,” Terwilliger said. “On the other end, we are a team that you can refer students to us if somebody is food insecure, has lost their housing, they’re in distress, has lost a family member, is struggling academically, or has trouble communicating those things to their professor, et cetera. So, on one end, we try to prevent campus shootings by having people tell us what’s going on with students.” As the coordinator for the Care Team, Terwilliger is responsible for reviewing care reports that come in through their database. Care reports can be submitted online and anonymously, or they can be filed by contacting any member of the Care Team. Terwilliger also said most care reports are filed in the fall semester of each year and that outreach is higher during the spring semester.

For more information, contact the Care Team office at 907-786-6065, or visit the Dean of Students Office in PSB 119. twitter.com/tnl_updates

Costumed children of all ages participate in Alpha Epsilon fraternity’s provided game, Shoot the Monsters, complete with a variety of Nerf guns used to attack scarily dressed fraternity men at UAA Clubs and Greek Life’s Halloween Fun Night.

UAA students embellish faces of children attending UAA Clubs and Greek Life’s Halloween Fun Night. Proceeds from the event went to support UAA clubs.

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youtube.com/tnlnews

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Choosing classes

A well-meaning column rife with clunky metaphors and horrible advice, Orange Rhymes With is the go-to place to break the monotony of classes and laugh at someone else’s misfortune.

Taking the good with the bad By Evan Dodd Contributor

I’ve made a lot of mistakes during my time here at UAA — rampant procrastination, routinely using my window as a secondary door, turning my North Hall room into a tropical rainforest, and a whole host of things I won’t admit in print. However, I think the thing I regret most was missing out on the concept of a “stress buster” class. I spent the first three years here systematically chipping away at my general education requirements and economics courses as if I was expecting a prize for finishing in four years with an impeccable GPA and the hardest courseload possible. In my humble opinion, that’s an insane schedule to devote yourself to. I know that the notion of “finish in four” is deeply ingrained in all of us here— and while a strong model to follow in theory, it doesn’t always hold up in the real world. Even if you are physically capable of completing the six hardest courses available to you, that doesn’t mean that it’s the ideal way to learn. If you’ve got the time and the means to do so, it’s not the end of the world to delay graduation by a semester or two in order to take a fun class every now and then. Besides serving as cheap (relatively speaking) therapy during midterms, the occasional fun courses are what you’ll actually remember from college anyway. In 20 years I won’t remember one moment from calculus or a single lecture

slide from sociology. What I will remember will be the cold nights shivering in a tent in a mountain pass or exploring an abandoned military fort for university credit. And to circle back around to my opening point, I really do regret that I didn’t know about or consider these courses until now. We have a course that teaches dog mushing. Now how the hell did I overlook that all those semesters that I signed up for high-level math instead? Most degrees have ample room for electives, and you can’t expect me to believe that you’d rather tell your future kids about differential equations rather than dog mushing. Let me be clear, maintaining a high GPA, making professional connections and actually developing a deep and concrete understanding of your field are fundamental reasons of why we’re here — but so is finding a way to enjoy yourself rather than living in a constant state of stress and anxiety. If adding a semester makes the difference between fond memories of college or years of therapy to undo the unmanageable patterns of stress you’ve established, then that’s an easy choice for me. I know a guy who has taken volley-

ball at least five or six times during his stay at UAA. At first I thought he was a bit unhinged for doing so, but as I finish up my senior-level classes in preparation to graduate, I realize that I’d go nuts if I didn’t have classes like that to blow off steam. So when the other economics students ask me what I’m signing up for next semester, I do the responsible thing and list off my capstone and the upper-division econ electives I’ve scheduled. Then I get to see their puzzled expressions as I prattle on about the backcountry skiing and beginning ice climbing classes I’ve added as well. So if you’re a freshman, explore your options early — maybe consider a fun minor to pursue alongside your more difficult course load. If you’re an upperclassman that missed the memo like I did,

“Wouldn’t you rather have a story worth telling than a class worth skipping?”

there’s still time to add in a fun class to break the monotony. Take winter camping or whitewater rafting, or even take a non-credit course through the continuing education department just to learn a new skill alongside your upper-division courses. Alternatively, if you’re like me, with poor impulse control and the complete inability to use foresight when making life decisions, then just take whatever sounds fun at the time and figure out how it fits into the overall plan later. From experience I can safely say that the impulsively optimistic approach has yet to fail me. So as you’re building your schedule this week and looking for courses to take, don’t avoid all your requirements because some dude in the school paper told you to. I’ll be out of a job and you’ll be in a great deal of debt without a shiny degree to show for it. But look around at your options, and maybe consider giving yourself a break for a couple hours of the week. We only get one go at this; wouldn’t you rather have a story worth telling than a class worth skipping?

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

NEWS BRIEFS

SEAWOLF

UAA News: USUAA’s Resolution #15-06, the smoking ban, has been amended to include new information regarding UAA student participation for the referendum. According to the new amendments, during the Spring 2014 General Election, 52 percent of students voted against implementing a smoke-free policy at UAA. Also in the Spring 2014 election, USUAA surveyed a sample of students in which 62 percent support designated smoking zones on campus. According to the resolution, USUAA states “implementation of any new smoking policy at UAA should not begin before Jan. 1, 2016” in order to provide comprehensive education to students regarding any changes to smoking policy.

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.

SLUG

World News: Burkina Faso: In the wake of President Blaise Compaore’s ousting after trying to extend his 27-year rule, General Honore Traore of the military has seized power. Compaore’s attempts to change the constitution were met with rioting and protests that left three killed. Thousands of protestors have again taken to the streets to protest military rule. Lt. Col. Yacouba Isaac Zina has been named the new president of the country during a news conference in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou.

The glorious return of LucasArts   By Klax Zlubzecon

Translated by George Hyde

ISIS: Iraqi and Kurdish forces are mounting an offensive towards ISIS militants in Kobani, Syria. Syrian Kurds have been battling ISIS for several weeks now and continue to fight with the help of Iraqi forces.

India: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned recent attacks at Wagah border between India and Pakistan. Modi faced strong criticism for his delayed response to a bombing that left 50 people killed. The incident has caused tensions to escalate between India and Pakistan.

North Korea: Kim Jong-Un has returned to public view in Pyongyang after a long absence due to health issues related to his obesity. Un’s absence from public prompted many rumors of his whereabouts, including rumors that a military coup had occurred, stripping him of power. Un reappeared with a cane in Pyongyang on Oct 14 of this year to continue with his “on the spot guidance” tour. Briefs compiled by Stephen Cress

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GUYS. GUYS. There’s this great new game that just came out, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever played! You can fly around in one of those Imperial fighters from “Star Wars,” and it has fairly realistic physics and energy management and this great story and — Wait a minute. George is telling me that the game, called “Star Wars: TIE Fighter,” was actually released around 20 years ago. Apparently he played it a lot with his father when he was very young. But that can’t be right, can it? I mean, it just came out last week! Yeah, it looks a bit dated, and the included manual looks like a poor scan of an old pamphlet from the ‘90s, but if this is an old game, how come I didn’t know about it until last Tuesday? ... Oh. A re-release. I see what we’re talking about. See, “TIE Fighter” and its sister game, “X-Wing,” were critically acclaimed flight simulators from the early ‘90s. They were remade in 1998 for modern (for the time) operating systems, and then they disappeared. That “for the time” remark wasn’t made lightly — before last week, getting these games to run on today’s operating systems was a nightmare. Players needed to pick up a used copy, presumably on eBay for a ridiculously high price, and run all sorts of exploits and emulators to get the thing running. The question then is why wasn’t this re-optimized and released earlier? Services like Nintendo’s Virtual Console and CDProjekt’s Good Old Games have worked hard for years to get older classics running on modern hardware. It’s the reason gamers can still enjoy titles like “Baldur’s Gate” or “Earthbound” without having to spend an arm and a leg trying to get a copy on eBay. So why did “X-Wing” and “TIE Fighter” take so long to hit Good Old Games? After all, they’re two of the most acclaimed video games of all time, and they’re both part of a very lucrative license. Going to GOG’s best sellers page reveals that, even after a week, they’re still the highest selling games on the service by far. At one point last week, “TIE Fighter” was even one of the top trending topics on Facebook. Clearly, people wanted to see the games return. Well, the problem was their developer: LucasArts. The subdivision of Lucasfilm developed and published critically acclaimed hits like

“Grim Fandango,” “Sam and Max Hit the Road” and, of course, several “Star Wars” games like “X-Wing” or “TIE Fighter.” Unfortunately, while its older games were instant classics, none of them aside from the “Star Wars” titles sold all that much, so there’s been little incentive to re-optimize them for modern audiences. The developer shifted its focus almost entirely to “Star Wars,” and when Disney scooped up Lucasfilm in 2012, LucasArts was one of the first of many ventures that closed down, ending most — if not all — hope that these classics would be revitalized. It was a sad day in gaming history — these classic games would be lost to the ages, forever rotting in exorbitant eBay auctions, becoming harder and harder to run as technology and operating systems march onward. But then, this year, something magical happened. During Sony’s E3 press conference this year, Disney and famed indie developer Double Fine announced that they would collaborate to bring back the classic “Grim Fandango,” a critical darling that didn’t sell all that well and seemed to be doomed to incompatibility forever. There was much rejoicing, and it didn’t stop there. Last Tuesday, Disney announced a partnership with GOG to release older LucasArts classics like “X-Wing” and “TIE Fighter” to the masses, now compatible with newer machines. They also announced that more remasters are on the way, giving hope for other titles that have been lost. This, readers, is why preservation is so important. Games like these are incredibly important to the industry as a whole. They allow players to examine their pasts and guide a path to the future. Modern classics like “BioShock” and “Psychonauts” could not exist if there was no “System Shock 2” or “Grim Fandango” to help inspire them. Disney is doing something incredibly wonderful with these partnerships. Disney is a company that relies so much on its heritage, and this gesture is showing that it is willing to celebrate the heritage of lost developers and creators as well as its own. I hope that Disney sets an example, and that other companies follow in their footsteps to preserve their pasts.  Plus, this renewed focus on the past means that we may finally get those original “Star Wars” theatrical cuts on Blu-ray. That’s really important, too.

RESISTANCE EMBRACE

THE

FUTILE.

SEAWOLF

SLUG.

EC A R ST UDY OF ST U DE N T S E DU C AU SE C e n t e r f or anal y sis a nd r e s e a r c h

T ECH N OLOGY 2014

U niv e r sit y o f A la sk a A nc hora ge B enc hmar king Repor t

S ur v e y par ticipan t s : 329 (%â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ba s e d on t ot al # o f par ticipan t s) 16%

22%

Fr e shman

20 %

S ophom or e

30 %

J unior

S e nior

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - F ull-time

5 8%

FEMALE

MALE

O t he r

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Par t-time

42%

71%

29%

1 2%

N umbe r o f in t e r ne t de vic e s t ha t y ou o w n :

30 %

31%

1 5%

1 1%

W ha t de vic e s and ope ra ting s y s t e m s do y ou o w n and u s e : L ap t op

Table t

Smar t phone

eRe a der

87%

53%

87%

35%

66%

W in d o w s

22%

A n d r oid

71%

A n d r oid

66%

K in d l e

32%

Mac

63%

Mac

24%

iP h o n e

29%

Nook

Other

1 5%

Other

H o w impor t an t ar e de vic e s t o y our a c a de mic s uc c e s s : 35%

21%

2 8%

12%

Very

Extre mely

Not Ve r y

Mode rately

2 3%

22%

14%

12%

1 5%

H o w many o f y ou ha v e n ot t ake n an Online C our s e

81%

31%

19%

6% Fai r

26%

N/A

P oor

Overall S a t i s f a c t io n

S a t i s fi e d

83%

D i s s a t i s fi e d

32%

A c a de mic Inno va tion s & e L e a r ning

1 5%

G ood

UA A Call Center S a t i s f a c t io n

69%

D i s s a t i s fi e d

33%

N eut ral

N/A

W ir e l e s s S a t i s f a c t io n

1 7%

E x c el l en t

Not Ve r y

Not a t a l l

S a t i s fi e d

H o w y ou ra t e t he a c a demic s uppor t s y s t e m :

Ve r y

M o de r a t e l y

A c c e s s in g C o u r s e C o n t e n t S a t i s f a c t io n

2 9%

Extr e me l y

N/A

N ot at a ll

85%

H o w ma n y o f y ou u s e de vic e s f or a c a de mic pur p o s e s :

6 8%

H o w many o f y ou ha v e t ake n an Online C our s e

U niv e r sit y o f A la sk a

1 7%

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

FOREIGN FILM FANATIC

‘Freeze Me’ is a mess, or is it? By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

The best revenge fantasies unfold as quickly as a switchblade. In the case of “Freeze Me,” the protagonist Chihiro (Harumi Inoue, “Konshin”) has gotten away from, and possibly over, the rape that left her broken nearly five years ago. While it doesn’t plum the exploitative depths of “I Spit on Your Grave,” it also doesn’t follow through with its message. Where a nauseating rape revenge epic like Gasper Noe’s “Irreversible” succeeds is in its message and how it conveys that message. By the end, it’s as clear as day. What the crime bore was just as scarring as the crime itself and no one leaves without blood on his or her hands. “Freeze Me” simply doesn’t have that clarity. Five years ago in her hometown, Chihiro was raped by three childhood friends who filmed the crime. To escape her past, she moves to Tokyo and begins a new life. When the movie starts, she’s successful with a white collar-job and a well-intentioned, if mostly stupid, fiance, Nogami (Shunsuke Matsuoka, “Instant Numa”). On a morning like any other, she spies one of her rapists in her building and he forces himself into her life, cooping up in her apartment and saying the other two are on their way. Staying true to the premise, director Takashi Ishii narratively and visually isolates Chihiro as much as possible. Whether she’s framed against an empty hallway or consuming the picture with her anxious expression, she’s almost never with someone she trusts, and it drives her to madness. But the viewer is right along there with her. Herein lies the problem. From the very beginning, the viewer’s sympathies are with Chihiro.

UAA DANCE ENSEMBLE

She’s a victim of a horrid and life-shattering crime, and the audience wants to see her succeed. So when the third rapist, Baba (Naoto Takenaka, “Sweet Whip”), shows up, the movie begins to falter. Chihiro is raped for a third time, and while the buildup to the act is shot over an impressive six-minute take, it simply doesn’t need to be in the movie. While the scene reflects Baba’s almost childlike psychopathy, it’s just excessive and whatever message “Freeze Me” was trying to send gets lost because of it. And it just gets worse from there. The ending is cheap and pandering. Even though the conclusion is set up for the previous 90 minutes, it comes off as lazy, shedding the skin of great movie for the flesh of something lesser. Simply put, it’s disappointing. This movie is definitely not for everyone. Like the similar Korean flick “Bad Guy,” “Freeze Me” revels in depravity, but the viewer sees it from the victim’s perspective and not the perpetrator’s. As promising as it starts out, it falls prey to cheap shocks and excess. If it weren’t for this utter laziness, “Freeze Me” could have been something truly special. Title: “Freeze Me” Director: Takashi Ishii Release date: May 27, 2000 Genre: Thriller Country: Japan

PHOTOS BY JESSICA PERVIER-BROWN / UAA

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE Bryan Smith The Lens of Adventure 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18 Atwood Concert Hall His footage will make your heart race. His stories will take your breath away. Get tickets today.

The National Geographic Live series is presented in Anchorage in partnership with Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Buy tickets at CenterTix.net or 263-ARTS. Image: Mikey Schaefer

Museum members enjoy free general admission. Join today!

ALL ALASKA JURIED Showcasing some of the finest art being produced in Alaska Opens Friday, Nov. 7

MAKERSFEST An explosion of inventions and building projects 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8

anchoragemuseum.org

WELLS FARGO FREE DAY Celebrate Alaska Native Heritage Month 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

GAME REVIEW

‘Beyond Earth’: Failure to launch By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org Boy, relapse can be painful sometimes. The games in Sid Meier’s “Civilization” series are dangerous for college students to play. Once a game is started, the hours just disappear without any trace. Its formula manages to be thought-provoking and infamously addictive, and the latest sci-fi themed entry, “Beyond Earth,” is no exception. However, it lacks the depth of its more grounded predecessor, and while it presents a few cool new ideas, it’s still hard to see it as a good value. A game of “Civilization,” be it alone or with friends, plays out exactly how it sounds like. The player’s goal is to form the most prosperous civilization

of them all, and the ways this can be accomplished varies from game to game. This time, however, the game takes place in the fairly distant future, where humanity is just starting to settle on a new planet, so this offers up a few new opportunities for one’s civilization to best them all. In “Beyond Earth,” there are five ways to win a game. The first option is simply to conquer all of the other civilizations. The second option is to make contact with an older, sentient race that left the planet in the past. The third, fourth and fifth options entail a new branching system that allows players to follow one of three ideals: purity, which seeks to convert the planet into a state similar to Earth; supremacy, which seeks to become more mechanized to survive the planet’s harsh climate; and harmony, which seeks to preserve and merge with the planet’s wildlife to create a new consciousness. All five of these options allow for great new strategies of play, enhanced further by the new futuristic toys at players’ disposal this time. It still feels grounded in the ideas of the “Civilization” franchise, but it’s still allowing itself to expand to new horizons.

However, it’s probably not worth purchasing in this state. Compared to the last entry, “Civilization V,” and its expansions, there simply isn’t much depth. The last entry toyed with topics like religion, culture, diplomacy and the arts, and those concepts offered the series a lot more depth than anything “Beyond Earth” is able to offer at the moment. Perhaps when it gains a few expansions of its own, it may be worth checking out — after all, “Civilization V” was hardly worth checking out until it gained some expansions — but compared to the last entry in its current state, “Beyond Earth” feels barebones. Players who can put up with the lack of depth — at least, at the moment — will find a lot of rewarding new things in “Beyond Earth.” The new victory conditions are solid, it’s still as addictive as ever and the thought of what a few expansions may bring is greatly exciting. But for now, it’s probably not worth the space jump.

Game: “Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth” Developer: Firaxis Games Platform: PC, Mac and Linux versions coming soon Release Date: Oct. 23, 2014 + Expands on franchise’s ideas + Still as addictive as ever - Not nearly as deep as previous entries

Spring 2015

We’re listening.

Student diverSity

award The UAA Diversity Action Council seeks to recognize and empower students to lead change in the community by offering tuition awards of up to

$1,000

Are you a student who... ◗ Promotes a welcoming environment inclusive of diverse people and cultures/perspectives ◗ Takes a leadership role and provides a student voice in diversity related issues ◗ Advances social justice and diversity within the larger community

To be considered... students must submit the following to StudentDiversityAward@uaa.alaska.edu by 11:59 pm on

Thursday, December 4, 2014

◗ An award application found at: www.uaa.alaska.edu/dac ◗ A letter of endorsement from a professional/university reference

For more information see: www.uaa.alaska.edu/dac Scan the QR code to the right on your smart phone/device to visit the link above.

Invest 10 minutes of your time for an even better library.

Take the LibQUAL+® Survey November 3 to 21, 2014 http://www.consortiumlibrary.org

The UAA Diversity Action Council will review nomintions and grant tuition to the top applicants. Students from the UAA Anchorage campus and UAA’s community campuses are eligible. Award recipients must meet eligibility criteria including a 2.5 cumulative GPA, Satisfactory Academic Progress and be admitted to a UAA certificate or degree program. For more information call: UAA Student Affairs at 786-6108 or UAA Multicultural Center at 786-4080.

Provide your e-mail address to become eligible to win a prize— you could be a lucky winner of an iPad Air or 1 of 2 $100 gift certificates to the Varsity Grill!

Individuals needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the nomination process should contact the Multicultural Center 48 to 72 hours in advance. UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

PHOTOS BY ADAM EBERHARDT

Forward Matt Anholt tapes his stick before the game against Lake Superior State University on Friday, Oct. 31 at the Sullivan Arena.

Sophomore forward Dylan Hubbs reaches for the puck against Lake Superior State University on Oct. 31 at the Sullivan Arena.

Freshman defenseman Jarrett Brown and senior forward Brett Cameron watch the puck go into the net in a game against Lake Superior State University on Oct. 31 at the Sullivan Arena.

Junior guard Brian McGill takes a shot Nov. 1 during the UAA Men’s Basketball Alumni Game at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Alumnus guard Jesse Brown and junior forward Christian Leckband reach for the ball near the hoop during the UAA Men’s Basketball Alumni Game on Nov. 1 at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Freshman forward Brian Pearson defends his team against alumnus center Clint Lentfer during the UAA Men’s Basketball Alumni Game on Nov. 1 at the Alaska Airlines Center

Senior guard Derrick Fain goes for a layup Nov. 1 during the UAA Men’s Basketball Alumni Game at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Higher education meets lower wireless bill As a student of: University of Alaska

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• Unlimited usage on the AT&T national Wi-Fi® network, at no additional charge.1

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• The hottest smartphones, messaging devices, and tablets for the whole family.

To purchase online, visit http://www.att.com/getIRU Or, contact your AT&T sales representative, Shaneill Marquez by emailing sw4073@att.com or calling 907-264-7249 Sponsorship Program discounts:

^ Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G LTE not available everywhere.

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

HOT TOPIC: KIDS VERSUS COLLEGE What is one thing you would do differently than your parents?

Jessica Carver

Junior / Civil Engineering “NO BEDTIME!”

What is one thing the best parent in the world would do?

Benjo Holganza

Matthew

Junior / Process Tech

Torri

Age 7

“Feed me less rice because now I’m fat.”

“Cook me food.”

Age 5

“Would take me to the park.”

HOT TOPIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS COMPILED BY DIEGO BARROS-BARNES

PHOTOS BY HELEN LINDAMOOD

OPINION

USUAA Senator Ostrander responds to smoke-free concerns By Matthieu Ostrander Contributor

Students Yesenia Camarena and Valeria Delgacio made several bold, but factually inaccurate statements in their opinion piece last week (“USUAA resolution against smoke-free policy disrespects students,” Oct. 28). As representatives of the UAA Smoke-Free Task Force, they deliberately mischaracterized elements of the referendum they originally submitted for consideration by student voters in April 2014. Moreover, they sought to deceive readers with their claim that the conclusions of the Student Satisfaction Survey, conducted by the office of Vice Chancellor Bruce Schultz, were not based on a representative sample. While Camarena and Delgacio may have shirked their obligation to honesty in promoting a smokefree campus, I feel obligated to present readers with the truth. First, the April 2014 referendum asked for students’ opinions as to whether they would support a new policy that would make the UAA campus smoke-free. The Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage, or USUAA, has no power to implement such a policy on campus, nor do students directly, even by popular referendum. The ballot question referred to by Camarena and Delgacio was merely an advisory vote, and as noted within the official Spring 2014 election results, non-constitutional. This means that there was no change in USUAA’s official documents or UAA’s official policy as a result of the April General Election. The implementation of a smoke-free policy was a notable omission from the referendum. Students still have no detailed picture of what a smoke-free policy would look like, how it would be enforced, or whom it would impact. The Smoke-Free Task Force, despite inquiries from USUAA, has thus far failed to provide even a bare bones framework for implementation. Second, Camarena and Delgacio imply that USUAA is required to support a comprehensive smoke-free policy based on what is, effectively, a non-representative opinion poll. UAA’s policy

orientation towards tobacco use must consider the variety of stakeholders that would be affected by any change. A comprehensive smoke-free policy represents fewer students than supported the establishment of designated smoking areas. The opinion of the “majority” of students referred to by Camarena and Delgacio is actually equivalent to less than 5 percent of UAA students. USUAA has sought compromise in resolving the smoke-free debate. Should it pass the assembly, Resolution #15-06, of which I am an author, would formalize USUAA’s recognition that UAA needs to change its tobacco policy. Rather than adopt a zero-tolerance ban, the resolution expresses support of designated smoking areas. The resolution seeks a compromise between two extremes that both have vocal proponents: the Smoke-Free Task Force and their concern for public health, and any students who believe in personal freedom. Camarena and Delgacio indict our compromise as “ethically wrong,” accuse us of seeking to “bypass the election,” while showing a “lack of respect to the democratic process.” This analysis is predicated on a misunderstanding of representative government. Democratic decisions, as articulated by Camarena and Delgacio, imply a “winner” and a “loser.” The real world demonstrates a need for far greater nuance. USUAA’s mandate is to represent all students, not just the 619 that voted to support the concept of a smoke-free campus. Even within the scope of the referendum, the 49 percent of students who did not support the initiative need to be represented within the university’s policy decisions. USUAA is the body for these students’ voices to be heard within the administration. Camarena and Delgacio gave you a standard: They claimed the survey we utilized in crafting the resolution should be rejected because policy decisions should not be made by a margin of 2 percent. This is rather detrimental to their own argument. The margin of difference between the 51 percent of students who supported the smoke-free initiative and the remaining 49 percent who did not or abstained from voting is, ironically, also

PHOTO BY JAMES R. EVANS

USUAA Senator Matthieu Ostrander participates in a weekly student government general assembly meeting.

2 percent. By their own logic, Camarena and Delgacio do not have the student support necessary to warrant the implementation of a smoke-free policy. In any case, numerically-inclined readers will no doubt have noticed that the mere “2 percent” of students they claim the survey represents is itself an error — 3,000 students is 20 percent of 15,000, not 2 percent. In the last four paragraphs of their article, Camarena and Delgacio boldly assert that my past involvement with the UAA Anti-Regulation Coalition is akin to conducting business on behalf of my own personal agenda. They further accuse me of abusing my power as an elected student representative. These allegations are no more substantive than their arguments. In April, I was elected by popular vote to represent UAA students. I have not been a part of any organization since my election that has, either passively or actively, advocated against the agenda promoted by the Smoke-Free Task Force. Moreover, in supporting a resolution that would create designated smoking areas, I am taking a position that implements more regulation than I would personally advocate for. Readers would be wise to scrutinize

the UAA Smoke-Free Task Force. The group claims to represent the voice of students, yet Gabriel Garcia, a UAA professor, identifies himself as the leader of the group in his curriculum vitae. Garcia is a contractor for the American Lung Association, and, since 2013, has received just under a quarter-million dollars in outside funding to promote the UAA smoke-free campus initiative. With their funding, the task force has been able to lobby administrators, create a powerful narrativeand drown out the voice of students who oppose the measure. In refusing to even consider supporting designated smoking areas, Garcia and his task force have demonstrated that they care more about maintaining their outside funding than they do about students. Utilizing students as a means to an end is morally wrong, particularly when many of those affected are dealing with the spectre of addiction. Readers are invited to attend USUAA assembly meetings every Friday at 3 p.m. to observe or publicly voice their concerns. Matthieu Ostrander is a student and USUAA senator. The views expressed above are his own and do not represent the official position of USUAA.

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