November 7, 2017

NOVEMBER 7 - NOVEMBER 13, 2017

A&E

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

PAGE 12

“I love what I do:” Chef Vern Wolfram to retire in May

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

PAGE 17

Rage City kicks off 10th season

Claudia Lampman appointed as interim vice provost for student success

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Student success at UAA isn’t just a personal endeavor for Claudia Lampman, but a family effort as well. Lampman, who was recently appointed the interim vice provost for Student Success, has been a faculty member, administrator and UAA parent.

Lampman and her husband, John Petraitis, have both been psychology professors at UAA. Her eldest child, Oliver Petraitis, attended UAA before heading to Germany as a Fulbright Scholar, and her daughter, Abbie Lampman, is a current UAA student.

Claudia Lampman said it’s her experiences in these roles that have prepared her for a position that focuses on student success.

“When something doesn’t go right for a student here, it doesn’t

go right for one of my kids, and there are a lot of students on this campus that I feel like are my kids,” Lampman said.

Lampman is the first person to hold the title of vice provost for Student Success, but she has experience leading new administrative positions in the past as the first director of the psychology department.

“The nice thing about [being first] though is you get to have a say about how that position works,” Lampman said.

Lampman said she will focus on persistence and graduation.

She hopes to do this by eliminating bureaucratic barriers and increasing the role of student advising on campus. She said the best metric to judge her performance as vice provost is to watch persistence rates over her tenure.

“I think the more reasonable

metrics for the next few years are persistence,” Lampman said.

Lampman earned her bachelor of arts in psychology from Boston University and she earned her master’s and Ph.D. in applied social psychology from Loyola University of Chicago.

Her strong background in social sciences helps her look at student success from an analytical perspective.

“I love data,” Lampman said.

“I see the world as an experiment, so I think being able to really have a job where I get to spend my time looking at information about our students and using that information to try to come up with better ways to do things is very attractive to me, as a social scientist.”

Lampman’s first day on the PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

SEE LAMPMAN

PAGE 4

Claudia Lampman has been a faculty member, administrator and parent of two University of Alaska Anchorage students. Lampman says these roles have prepared her as good fit for a position that focuses on student success.

Know your ABC Anchorage happiness rating receives mixed reaction

The Anchorage Badminton Club hosts weekly practices and games A recently published article ranks Anchorage at local recreational centers as one of the happiest cities in North America

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANCHORAGE BADMINTON CLUB

Jung Lee plays in a doubles match with one of Anchorage Badminton Club’s members.

Lee enjoys teaching and coaching new players on technique.

By Karolin Anders

sports@thenorthernlight.org

With winter approaching, many warm weather enthusiasts realize that their favorite season is over. For some, it means that it is time to find alternative ways to get some physical activity in without having to bundle up during the cold winter months.

Badminton offers a great way of working out indoors.

The ABC offers weekly open

thenorthernlight.org

gym times at the Municipality of Anchorage’s recreational centers and other sports facilities in Anchorage. The club meets between three and four times a week at very little cost. Generally, ABC meets at Fairview Recreation Center between 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays and at Spenard Recreation Center from noon - 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

SEE BADMINTON

PAGE 14

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

According to the National Geographic Gallup Special Index, Boulder, Colorado is the happiest place in the U.S.; Anchorage placed 10th.

The highest-ranked cities are generally found in the west or in proximity to the coast and the majority of them have warmer climates. Anchorage seems to be an exception from that rule.

facebook.com/northernlightuaa

@tnl_updates

Jakob Whitt, a biological sciences major, described the results as “definitely interesting, but not entirely surprising.”

Originally from the South, Whitt expected to find Alaskan culture inherently different from the Lower 48, but was pleasantly surprised of the state when he first arrived.

“Anchorage is a cozy mix of west coast and country culture,” Whitt said. “So far, I enjoy Anchorage immensely.”

In contrast to Whitt, who has

@tnl_updates

lived in Oklahoma, Oregon, California and Washington, English major Jennifer Lincoln was born and raised in Alaska. Anchorage placing among the top-10 happiest cities was not a result she would have predicted.

“I am kind of surprised [by the results], mostly because we also have a very high rate of depression here,” Lincoln said.

In her opinion, the way the

SEE HAPPINESS

PAGE 9

youtube.com/tnlnews

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 02

ESL courses cut, English proficiency standard raised

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

English as a second language classes are no longer being offered at UAA. As a result, an international student that applies to UAA is now required to meet a higher cut score on international English proficiency tests in order to have student visas signed by Enrollment Services.

Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services, Lora Volden, said the change in ESL course offerings only affects an estimated 10 applicants.

“Our [minimum cut scores] have historically been really low, and if you look at the national comparison, peer institute comparisons and even Fairbanks and Southeast comparisons, we were about 20 points below kind of a normal range,” Volden said. “That worked fine because we did have those English as a second language courses, but now that we don’t have them, we ran up against this difficulty because international students who are

coming in to study on a visa, we are required to follow certain federal policies, guidelines regarding those visa requirements in order to authorize that visa.”

Volden said that one of those requirements is that a student must be enrolled in 12 credit-bearing courses. International students could previously enroll in four ESL courses and meet that requirement.

“Once those courses were no longer offered, those students who had very limited proficiency, there wasn’t any way for us to sign that visa so that they could study here,” Volden said.

Tara Smith was the only full-time faculty member teaching ESL courses, but this semester she is instructing civic engagement and guidance courses. Smith said students who would normally take ESL courses are now in developmental English courses.

“The traditional model of developmental education was really conceived for people who are advancing, are still in their first language,” Smith said. “Research in the field and what the students

need— it’s a different set of challenges usually for students who are acquiring a higher level of proficiency in their first language versus the types of things that students who are learning English as an additional language need to study.”

International students applying for admission to the university for an associate‘s or bachelor’s degree now have to score at least 71 out of 120 points possible on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. “Having ESL meant that we could accept students who had lower TOEFL iBT scores because they could be full-time students making progress in ESL and taking those courses away meant they would have to be put in course they might not be ready for,” Smith said. “So they temporarily raised the standards for international students this year, which meant that students who had applied under the old scores couldn’t be admitted with the new score admissions requirements.”

Interim Provost, Duane Hrncir, said offering ESL courses for credit was costing the university more in instruction than was paid back in tuition.

“We could not sustain the academicstyle offerings from a financial perspective: last year the cost of instruction for the ESL courses was over $148,000, but these courses only took in around $77,000 intuition,” Hrncir wrote in an email. “An additional option might be to offer noncredit, ‘immersion-style’ programming to support English Language Learners, which we are continuing to explore. However, overall UAA sees very few students who would seek stand-alone courses to improve their English language skills.”

Hrncir said the program also had low enrollment.

“At its most recent peak, the program had about 180 students,” Hrncir said. “Last spring, across the 10 courses offered, there were only 58 students enrolled. UAA recently realigned its TOEFL scores to ensure international applicants now arrive with higher demonstrated proficiency.”

Smith said ESL students typically enroll later than average UAA students, and she said offering ESL courses without credit attached disregards the rigor of learning a new language.

“The level of work they are doing is worthy of college credit,” Smith said. “It is very problematic to say simply because it’s English and not a different language, they shouldn’t be earning credit.”

Yvonne Jeschke is an international student from southwest Germany, and she said the TOEFL testing comes in four parts: Reading, writing, understanding and articulation of English. Jeschke passed the TOEFL with a score over 10 points above the new minimum standard.

“I feel like it is, for a lot of people, going to be intense and might be even scared to take it. It’s expensive, it’s not like you’re saying, ‘Oh, well if I fail this time I’m just going to do it again next week and I’m going to spend another I don’t know how many dollars on it,’’ Jeschke said. “And there’s only a certain amount of times you can take it. It’s only offered in certain areas and certain cities around the country. It’s not that easy to get a spot, to sign up for it, to pay for it and then to actually pass it. There’s a pressure going into it because you want to get that score at that one point.”

The Edge Update: Liquor sales tax, Manhattan attack and Chinese South Korean relations

By Grant Kniefel KRUA

The Edge Update can be heard every weekday on KRUA 88.1 FM The Edge, UAA's college radio station.

Local Anchorage Assembly Chair Dick Traini has resurrected the idea of a local liquor sales tax to pay for community problems associated with alcohol and drug abuse. Traini has proposed a 2 percent sales tax on alcohol bought from distributors, meaning that Anchorage bars and liquor stores would pay more when ordering alcohol. Revenue from the tax, if placed on the city’s 2018 ballot and approved by voters, would be used to “financ[e] alcohol and/or drug treatment, emergency transportation, public safety purposes related to detrimental primary and secondary effects of alcohol or drug abuse, and housing programs, including housing programs for chronic inebriates,” according to Traini’s proposal. The Assembly could raise the tax up to 6 percent over time.

National A driver ran a pickup truck down a bike path along the Hudson River in Manhattan on Oct. 21, killing eight people and injuring 11 before being shot by a police officer in what officials are calling the deadliest terrorist attack on New York City since 9/11.

The rampage ended when the identified motorist smashed into a school bus and jumped out of his truck, running up and down the highway, waving a pellet gun and paintball gun and shouting, before he was shot by an NYPD officer. He remained in critical condition on Tuesday evening. On Nov. 1, the FBI said that investigators had found a second man from Uzbekistan they had been seeking in connection with the truck attack, as prosecutors filed federal charges against the driver of the truck.

Global For more than a year, China has railed against South Korea, calling for boycotts of its products over Seoul’s decision to let the United States deploy an anti-missile system, which Beijing fears threatens its own security. On Oct. 31, China abruptly changed it’s mind, as the two countries agreed to end their dispute even though South Korea is keeping the system in place. The decision was made by the recently empowered Chinese president Xi Jinping and appeared to reflect a judgment that China’s continued opposition to the American missile defense system was failing in fraying the South Korean government’s alliance with Washington.

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 03

RED ZONE: Faculty, students react to mandatory training

By Sam Davenport editor@thenorthernlight.org

The University of Alaska has entered into a Voluntary Resolution Agreement with the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. In February of this year, President Jim Johnsen received a letter from the OCR advising the university of the resolution of the compliance review system.

This agreement results from OCR’s review of the university’s handling of sexual assault and sexual harassment incidents. According to UAA’s November 2016 Title IX Scorecard, 67 percent of faculty and staff had taken online or inperson Title IX training. The scorecard also indicated that 21 percent of students had been trained using in-person training at new student orientation and resident hall, club and organization meetings.

Ben Morton, Dean of Students, worked at two previous universities where Haven Training was implemented on their campuses. “[The UA System] fell short in some areas, recognized that and worked to overcome it, and the VRA, through the OCR, is our roadmap for how to do that and how to make sure we do a better job. I believe the Haven Training kind of came out of one of those points in the VRA, which was we need to do a better job communicating, behavior, as well as informing and educating people about their rights,” Morton said.

The College of Health sent a letter out to their students several weeks ago with a link to opt out of the Haven Training.

Jeff Jessee, Dean of the College of Health, said that a number of faculty within the college have expertise in sexual assault and domestic violence. When they saw the survey that went with the mandatory training for students, they were “quite concerned” for victims to be “retraumatized or triggered” by some of the material.

The letter from the College of Health states, “This training is important, but it contains deeply personal and highly sensitive questions. These questions can make you feel uncomfortable. They may generate strong emotions. They may make you recall traumatic incidents that have happened to you and your loved ones — incidents that none of us should ever be subjected to. Please remember that violence is never the victim’s fault.

Never.”

Jessee said that they took their concerns to the dean’s meeting, and people understood that there was a legitimate concern. Jessee says that the administration is “definitely committed to the issue.” They had contacted Mary Gower, Chief Title IX Officer, who had already been working on an opt out link.

Morton has been logging all of his

GRAPHIC BY LEVI BROWN

calls, emails and walk-ins from students anonymously in regards to the training.

He wants to work with Haven to improve specific parts of the training that were problematic to students. He hopes to have this as a yearly mandatory training.

“Whether or not that’s Haven every year, or Haven plus other things, or how we do that, I think that’s still up in the air.

I think that’s something that can be discussed when we get through all this and really see where we land,” Morton said.

Since the College of Health sent out their letter, the College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences and other colleges have taken the letter and sent it out to their students as well.

Jessee understands that it’s important to address the potential harm that the survey could cause, but also recognizes why the university made the training mandatory.

“It’s critical that this training can be universally available to students, and one of the concerns is, if it was totally voluntary, the students who most need it might be the ones least likely to take it,” Jessee said.

Jade Ariah, art student, sent an email to Morton last week after hearing feedback from her friends as to why they did not want to take the mandatory Title IX training. They felt that the training was highly insensitive and triggering to victims of sexual assault.

“Once I had actually started engaging in the community and talking to people who were in tears, upset about this training and had started it, I just felt really uncomfortable and felt violated by having to answer these questions and forced to go through this process,” Ariah said.

In her sociology course, Ariah and the class had discussed the training ethically. There was discussion whether or not the survey at the beginning would have passed an ethical test.

Nelta Edwards is a professor in the sociology department; she didn’t know that the training was mandatory for students until one of hers came to her telling her that she was triggered by the training.

“I said, ‘What are you talking about?’

And the student said, ‘Well, we have to take it or they won’t let us register.’ I knew nothing about it,” Edwards said.

“I had a different student say to me, ‘You know, I’m about to graduate. Being forced to take a training that is hard for me to read about, and if I don’t do it i will be punished, it makes me feel like a victim again. I don’t have control over my circumstances.’”

Edwards doesn’t believe that the training was implemented with bad intentions towards students, but believes there should have been more to make it educational and appropriate.

“The Haven Training is inadequate, especially for the scope and the scale of the problem that we have. My main concern with the Haven Training is it is potentially harmful to victims. We know that a large number of women have already been assaulted, many of them before they get to campus,” Edwards said.

“We have a lot of students who are taking this training who may have never spoken to anybody about their abuse. There they are, sitting in front of a computer, being presented with really explicit material, in an isolated setting.”

The training was implemented by statewide and was mandatory at all UA college campuses.

“It’s training, it’s not education,” Edwards said.

The training was an “off the shelf product,” according to Jessee, which has been used by 1,800 other institutions.

“I think the timing made it difficult to customize the product. I mean, you’re buying a commercial product, you don’t have the luxury of modifying it however you would like. I’m sure the board was weighing the consequences of delay against having to use a canned product that couldn’t be modified,” Jessee said.

Title IX training was one of the sections that the OCR highlighted as problematic. By Dec. 30 and by the same date in 2018 and 2019, the UA System is required to provide documentation to OCR demonstrating that they have provided a form of Title IX training to their employees.

“This is our first shot at this. Usually when you do something for the first time, there’s room for improvement,” Morton said. “There will be room for improvement here. I think the real test of this is how we implement this moving forward and what we learned and how we do a better job.”

Standing Together Against Rape states that about 59 percent of adult women in Alaska have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in their lifetime. Over 50 percent of adult women in the Municipality of Anchorage have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in their lifetime.

“We’re all hoping that this is just the beginning of a conversation,” Jessee said.

“We’ll just have to continue the work.”

04 | NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

Closures of the Central Garage explained

By Caleigh Jensen

cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Students and staff alike have been pondering the same question for the past two months: “What’s going on with the Central Garage?” The closures of the garage on campus, with no set schedule, have created some confusion, leading many students to seek out alternative parking spaces and an explanation.

Although it is the smallest of the three garages that UAA offers, it is in a heavy traffic area on campus, as the library is nearby. Located between the Social Sciences and Natural Science buildings, it contains 297 spaces, seven reserved for ADA-accessible parking.

Finding a place to park at the university often proves challenging. Between classes, work and other activities, UAA students keep themselves busy, and even a five or ten-minute delay in locating a parking space can be impactful on schedules. With unexpected closures of an essential garage happening throughout September and October, it has taken a toll on those attending classes.

Jaycob Goff, a freshman business economics major, has felt the effects of the closures and parking at UAA. “I didn’t really expect parking to be so crazy here when I first enrolled, but since the first day of class, I’ve had trouble with full parking lots. I’ve learned to leave my dorm extra early to find a spot,” Goff said.

Due to the majority of his classes being located near central campus, Goff is a regular when it comes to parking in the Central Garage.

“Since it’s been closed, I’ve found

PHOTO BY KATHRYN DUFRESNE

Signage outside of the Central Garage is the only indicator of current closures. Located between the Social Science and Natural Sciences Buildings, the Central Garage contains 297 parking spots for students, staff and faculty.

myself circling parking lots two or even three times trying to find a place to park.

I feel like I’m back in my first week of college again,” Goff said.

According to the UAA Facilities news, the Sept. 15-26 closure of the Central Ga-

rage was due to repairs to drain lines inside the garage. The previous winter weather caused frequent back-ups of the drains, creating icy and dangerous conditions for both vehicles using the garage and pedestrians walking inside of it.

“The ice formed created a safety issue,” Falon Harkins, associate director of Parking Services, said. “If the drainage was not fixed, the garage could be unusable for the entire upcoming winter.”

Harkins does his best to keep the campus updated on parking related issues and closures. The Central Garage issue has proved a bit more challenging to keep others informed on, however.

“The day I find out, I let others know,” Harkins said. “It can be damaging to give a set closure date, because there can always be unexpected delays.”

Parking Services doesn’t like closing garages during the school year. Since this issue regarded the safety of students, closures were necessary.

The garage was also closed for two weeks in the month of October, and on Oct. 31, it was the only closure of that month that was posted on the website.

It was referred to as “ongoing maintenance,” and encouraged students to check for upcoming closures, a sign that the work was not yet complete.

Although the closures of the Central Garage were posted on UAA’s parking website, they were not publicized in the garage itself. The entrance was blocked by signs, allowing no access.

The exact cause of the unannounced closures, according to Facilities Planning and Construction, was due to “the drain lines having heat trace.” Essentially, the problem created an ice condition, and they are trying to remedy it before winter is in full swing.

The project has faced some delay issues due to wet weather, but the garage is tentatively scheduled to reopen soon, although an exact date is unknown.

LAMPMAN: A passion for student success

Continued from cover job was Nov. 1, and in the past few days she said she has been forming her priorities this year through conversations with the Interim Chancellor, Sam Gingerich, and the Interim Provost, Duane Hrncir.

Hrncir was the ultimate hiring authority for the Student Success position.

“Dr. Lampman is passionate about student success and has demonstrated a willingness and ability to break down barriers, to build bridges across disci-

plines and departments, and to lead UAA to meet the goals of UAA 2020 and beyond,” Hrncir said in a memo to the UAA community.

Outside of her role in the psychology department, Lampman has also served on the Institutional Review Board, the UAA 2020 Executive Team, the University Honors Council and the Title IX Climate Committee.

In her free time, Lampman likes to knit, bake bread, read and spend time with her family.

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 05

Dogs, drugs and the Iditarod

By Logan Harrison

lharrison@thenorthernlight.org

ILLUSTRATION BY INNA MIKHAILOVA

The Iditarod is more than 100 days away, but the typically drama-free winter classic has found a spotlight before there’s even snow on the ground.

Every year after the race, the first 20 teams to make it to Nome are subject to a canine drug test. Since this drug testing was implemented in 1994, there had not been a positive test. That was, until this last spring.

According to a statement released by the Iditarod Trail Committee, “Prior to the 2017 Race, ‘Musher X’ requested a delay in the collection of the urine samples by the ITC drug testing team after the finish of the race, explaining that there were other tests that were already ordered by ‘Musher X’ and that ‘Musher X’ wanted to make sure the dogs were sufficiently rested for both the urine draw and the additional tests.”

The Iditarod Trail Committee later outed Dallas Seavey as “Musher X,” and four of his dogs had tested positive for a banned substance.

Dallas Seavey was racing in 2017 as the reigning champion, having won the previous three years and four years out of the last five. In 2017, he finished second, a couple hours behind his father, Mitch Seavey.

The substance that was reported in the testing was Tramadol, an opioid pain medication that is not uncommonly prescribed to pets, but is banned from use during the race.

There is no proof that Dallas Seavey administered the drug to his dogs, and he undoubtedly denies any wrongdoing, suggesting sabotage.

“I have never knowingly broken any race rule. I have never given any banned substance to my dogs. But yet, out of the blue, I can be thrown under the bus this quick by the Iditarod and they will do nothing to protect you,”

Dallas Seavey said in a statement on his YouTube channel.

“But I don’t care if I never race another dog race, I don’t care if I never make another cent, which is my life, around this sport. I will not spend the rest of my life looking in the mirror knowing that I backed down when I did nothing wrong.”

Although the ITC did not formally punish Dallas Seavey for the positive drug test of his dogs, they did change the rules for future races that now force mushers to prove innocence, following a situation like this.

Despite not being banned from the 2018 race, Dallas Seavey has since dropped out on his own accord, stemming from his frustrations with how ITC has handled this situation. Other mushers have followed suit, citing the dysfunction surrounding the situation. Mitch Seavey, the 2017 champion, has yet to commit his entry in defending his title.

UA regents discuss proposed budget for 2019 The proposed budget plan for 2019 includes an increase of nearly $25 million up from 2018

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

The University of Alaska Board of Regents discussed the budget plan for upcoming fiscal years, including 2019, during their Oct. 24 meeting.

Five goals were outlined and broken down into line items in order to highlight the University’s plan. Among these were: 1. Contribute to Alaska’s economic development 2. Provide Alaska’s workforce

skilled

3. Grow our world class research 4. Increase degree attainment 5. Operate more cost effectively Compared to the base budget of $317 million in FY2018, the proposed FY2019 budget plan aims for $341 million, assuming the 5 percent increase in tuition.

Joey Sweet, student regent, said that the difference between the new plans and previous years includes a shift in focus.

“Before, we had been determining where we could implement cuts in such a way as to minimize damage to the institution. Now, we are able to look at areas for reinvestment,” Sweet said.

The five goals are also presented in a timeline that spans from 2017 to 2025, showing projected statistics and measures such as percentage of hired educators, research expenditures, enrollment and total cost of education. The university’s vision is to make reinvestments in order to generate better numbers and lower the cost of education.

The first line item under

‘Increase degree attainment’ says, “Increasing enrollment by 55 percent.” According to the UA 2025 Goals and Measures, projected enrollment for 2018 would be 27,683, followed by 31,000 for 2019, 33,000 for 2020 and so on.

The funds needed to implement these strategic investments sum up to about $14.7 million, while fixed costs for facilities maintenance, utilities and the like, are about $9.8 million. Together, this requires an additional $24.5 million for FY2019 from the FY2018 budget.

UA President Jim Johnsen says that the University’s campuses were given an opportunity to gather strategies that will meet the proposed goals for upcoming years.

“Based on BOR input, our own analysis, and feedback we received from national higher education policy experts, we modified the goals and developed measures we could track toward those goals,” Johnsen said. “These were then provided to the campuses, which developed strategies for meeting the goals along with the resources needed to support those strategies.”

Garrison Theroux is a USUAA delegate for the College of Engineering and has concerns regarding the communication between the University and its students.

While the issue of tuition increases has been in the air for several weeks, it also highlights a lack of transparency.

“The issue for me wasn’t so much any line item on the budget in particular… I would hope that the University would try to be more transparent with the student body because they have really good descriptions of the

budget on the UA Budget Office website,” Theroux said. “There’s just a little bit of a disconnect between that and the student body... I think that would ease a lot of people with the tuition increases.”

He suggested that budget approvals could be emailed out to students or given out in some other way that could help them better understand where money was being spent.

Another one of his concerns lies particularly within the proposed capital budget, which requests $50 million for FY2019 Deferred Maintenance and Renewal & Repurposing. This facility maintenance investment specifically affects the College of Engineering for Theroux.

“I understand the issue that they need to expand degree programs, they need to update facilities so they can keep getting accredited,” Theroux said. “We’ve been losing enrollment here at UAA. I was talking to some faculty and there’s an issue that we have the space to fit more students at this university, but we just can’t seem to get people to stay here, to come here in the first place.”

He describes this dilemma as putting the cart before the horse if the university is building facilities before recruiting and retaining students.

Sweet says that the university’s plans that go as far as 2025 indicate their ability to think long-term.

“This is the first time in years that we’ve been able to plan out our finances this far ahead of time. Since we haven’t known what our budget would be until the legislature finalized our funding level, it has made longterm planning all but impossible,” Sweet said.

The next full board meeting for the Board of Regents will be on Nov. 9 in the Gorsuch Commons on UAA campus. They will discuss the budget and tu-

ition in addition to holding a public gathering in Room 106 of the Gorsuch Commons from 5 - 6 p.m.

GRAPHIC BY MARIAH DEJESUS-REMAKLUS

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 06

Student-led Swahili lessons help represent global student organization

By Caleigh Jensen

cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

“Hakuna Matata.”

Remember the phrase from the popular song in the Disney movie The Lion King? Hakuna Matata means “no worries,” Rafiki, the babboon, means friend, and Simba translates to “lion.” All three words are from Swahili, a language spoken mainly in East Africa, including Kenya, where the movie takes place. Victor Samoei, also from Kenya, featured these words, and more, in his Swahili language classes.

Samoei, a mechanical engineering major at UAA, hosted four classes teaching the language of his country throughout the month of October. He educated his class on basic salamu, or greetings; numbers; days of the week; animals and other useful phrases, including ndio, meaning “yes,” and jina langu, meaning “my name is.”

Dalton Shafer, journalism major and student of Samoei’s, thoroughly enjoyed his classes and would “absolutely take another.”

“I really enjoy languages because once you get a firm basis of one, then it becomes easier to interpret and pronounce others as a whole,” Shafer said.

Shafer felt Samoei did well teaching the class, considering both teaching and learning a new language proves difficult.

Although it wasn’t his first teaching experience in Swahili, Samoei faced a few of these challenges.

“Swahili has complex grammar,” Samoei said. “There are so many things to teach, and it can be confusing finding the core things that people want to hear… and I tried to balance all of those without being vague.”

Despite the obstacles faced by anyone trying to instruct a language class, Samoei felt he was successful in sharing the culture.

Daniel Carson, a mechanical engineering major, attended all of Samoei’s classes, and felt it helped prepare him for his 2018 trip to Kenya. He remembered words such as jambo, or hello; asante, or thank you; and karibu, or welcome.

Samoei learned useful teaching tips based on feedback from a previous student, who found that when actually in a situation of using the language, the basics prove far more important than grammar rules.

“When you’re speaking, you’re not going to be thinking about the tense of the word, you’re just going to say it,” Samoei said.

Samoei felt the best way of learning was a little at a time, and his students found success in the basics of the language through the songs and videos he presented.

This class was just one of many that are hosted by members of the United Global Student Organization, a studentrun group that celebrates unity and di-

versity on campus. The UGSO also hosts events and activities such as student presentations, potlucks, documentaries and other language classes, including Mongolian, Pakistani and Nigerian.

The UGSO also provides an excellent resource in beginning of the semester services for new international students.

This includes accompanying students to orientation and the international students exchange, directing them to departments and housing and giving tours of Anchorage’s bus routes and schedules. They also help educate students on the norms and customs of the United States, as they can vary greatly from country to country.

An event coming up in the UGSO’s schedule is their Thanksgiving dinner.

The gathering, partnered with the Multicultural Center, will take place on Nov. 19, and give an opportunity for students and faculty alike to celebrate the holiday together.

Saijd Raza, vice president of the UGSO and civil engineering major says the dinner benefits the organization because “local students celebrate Thanksgiving with their families, but international students don’t have families here.”

This is an example of the UGSO achieving one of their goals, fostering a sense of unity.

“Our vision is to create a safe environment for international and American students to come together and share ideas… and by doing so we like to promote diversity,” Munkh-Urguu Enkhbold, a business management major and the president of the UGSO, said.

The UGSO at UAA was officially formed and named in 2015, after years of being an on and off international student club. Ran by students such as Enkhbold, Raza and Samoei, the organization meets every Thursday from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union. Anyone is welcome to attend.

These meetings are “a good opportunity for networking,” Raza said. “If a student wants to study abroad, they can study with us and make friends.”

He says that having someone to help you navigate a new country makes the experience less stressful and worrisome.

The UGSO has a wide variety of diverse members, who can educate other students on cultural aspects such as language and food.

“I think our student organization is a wonderful resource for students thinking about studying overseas,” Enkbold said.

“Getting to know people through school is credible and reliable… and creates a better understanding” The UGSO provides what Enkhbold refers to as “a smooth transition” for international and American students alike through their educational and interactive services. It promotes diversity and unity in a safe place, while creating lifelong friendships in the process.

Be sure to look out for upcoming USGO language classes, featuring the Bengali and Japanese languages.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 07

UAA Atwood Chair to discuss Alaska’s oil money

Tim Bradner is an accomplished journalist who has covered Alaskan public policy issues since the 1960s

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Tim Bradner, UAA’s 20172018 Atwood Chair of Journalism, will be presenting a talk on Nov. 9 titled, “Where is All Our Oil Money Going?”

During this talk, he will be discussing Alaska’s oil industry and the essential role it has played in the state’s economics.

“The biggest problem we face is finding a way to pay for our state government in a way that enacts revenue measures which, one way or another, are going to be necessary,” Bradner said.

“We have the resources now to solve the problem, to develop a structure for paying for state government… but if we don’t do that, if we wait and we drain all of our financial resources, then we are creating instability and problems for the economic growth of the state.”

The Atwood Chair of Journalism is considered an esteemed position for temporary faculty to exemplify the journalism community, as well as teach courses.

Tim Bradner’s career in journalism was fostered while going to high school in Texas. He says that he had grown up with a desire to write fiction but found himself writing on social justice issues.

“I was a big fan of John Steinbeck and the books that he wrote… when I came to Alaska, I sort of brought that with me,” Tim Bradner said.

After attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks and working for the school’s newspaper, Polar Star, he began writing for the Fairbanks News-Miner.

At the time, Alaska was beginning the development of oil and

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Tim Bradner, a seasoned journalist and owner of the Alaska Legislative Digest, is UAA’s 2017-2018 Atwood Chair of Journalism.

Brander will be teaching two classes in the 2018 spring semester.

natural resources, allowing Tim Bradner to write on oil exploration in the north slope.

He also covered the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act upon meeting the movement’s leaders, and wrote for the Alaska Journal of Commerce.

“For somebody from out of state interested in social justice issues, this is really heavy stuff… and I guess that is something I found really unique about Alaska and being in journalism here,” Tim Bradner said.

“You were covering things and writing about things that were history-making.”

Over the years, Tim Bradner has worked with BP Alaska, as well as the state government and legislature. He currently runs the Alaska Legislative Digest with his brother, Mike Bradner, who was previously a member of

the State House of Representatives from 1966 to 1976 and participated in a number of projects concerning the Alaska Highway natural gas pipeline and state oil.

Despite their varying backgrounds, they found that their work could be combined.

“Tim [Bradner] just naturally fell towards the Alaska economic report and I towards the legislative side, and we mixed the two. There’s a lot in both that’s much the same,” Mike Bradner said.

He also says that journalists must work to investigate issues when it comes to state economics and legislative issues. With Tim Bradner’s knowledge in petroleum oil and public policy, it is especially important to learn how to seek out both sides.

“Journalism, especially political journalism, has to probe

out the ‘we’ and the legislators are standing up all the time saying, ‘I,’ or, ‘I’m going to do this.

This is my bill,’” Mike Bradner said. “There’s all kinds of public interests. Good journalists have to probe out both sides.”

Matt Hickman is the editor for Wick Communications Alaska Regional, which is comprised of various publications, including the Anchorage Press and Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. He says that Tim Bradner’s contributions regarding natural gas and Alaska’s politics have offered variety in their content.

“At the Press, we have everybody that wants to write about music and theater and everything else and all the fun stuff, but when you can find somebody who really just knows how the ins and outs work of politics and economics, oil and gas, that’s

something that really stands out,” Hickman said.

He also says that Tim Bradner’s ability to bring his knowledge of public policy issues will show a need for reporters that can address these topics. This demand has already shown in the nation’s presidential administration.

“I think what you’re going to see, in terms of being a young journalism student, the thing that really is going to be sought after in the future is people who can really report on issues,” Hickman said. “It’s going to be so important in the future, especially with what we’ve seen in this administration… a lot of lack of detail, lack of knowledge about how things work.”

Tim Bradner will be teaching two classes in the spring, one of which will be a lower-level journalism course while the other is Public Service Journalism, a course where he plans to discuss Alaska’s local and state governments.

He hopes to teach about the socioeconomic issues that the state deals with, whether it be about health, fish and game, natural resources or criminal justice. His ultimate goal for students is to cultivate a better understanding of how the government works.

“Students will be challenged to understand these complex issues and write about them in ways that ordinary people can understand, and then also reflect both sides of the issue,” Tim Bradner said.

The talk concerning Alaska’s oil money will take place in Room 307 of the UAA/APU Consortium Library. It will be on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. and admission is free.

08 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

Arguing Alaska debate investigates proposed immigration reforms

By Marie Ries

news2@thenorthernlight.org

On Nov. 13, the next installment of the Arguing Alaska Debate Series will be hosted by the Seawolf Debate program and Alaska Dispatch News.

According to Steve Johnson, associate professor of communications at UAA and leader of the Seawolf Debate program, immigration is the topic currently dominating political debates, sparking the topic: Who should be allowed to become an American?

The recently introduced Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act, or RAISE Act, takes a new approach on this question. It was proposed by the Republican senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue with the goal of reforming the criteria for immigration and reducing the number of newly issued green cards by 50 percent.

“At present, our immigration policy prioritizes family reunification as a criteria for awarding green cards. The RAISE act would, among other things, introduce a points-based system that prioritizes things like age, English language proficiency, education and available investment capital,” Johnson said. “It

is this facet of the proposed immigration reform that we wanted to investigate in our debate.”

Members of UAA’s awardwinning debate team will take part in the discussion; Anchorage’s First Lady Mara Kimmel and Margaret Stock will function as guest judges.

“We’re pleased to announce two extraordinarily qualified individuals as guest judges for this debate,” Johnson said.

Kimmel has a long career in Alaskan public policy with particular emphasis on legal issues, and is on faculty of both UAA and Alaska Pacific University.

Kimmel has practiced law in Alaska since 1996 and recently completed her Ph.D. where her research focused on local governance and community wellbeing. She is a co-founder of the Alaska Institute for Justice, Alaska’s only non-profit agency providing low cost immigration legal services, and language access services.

Stock is a former U.S. Senate candidate and attorney specialized on immigration and citizenship law. She is a nationally recognized expert on immigration and national security laws and has testified regularly before Congressional committees on these matters.

Stock has also worked as a professor at the United States

Military Academy at West Point and worked as an adjunct instructor at UAA. The series seeks to bring together members of the community such as policymakers, academics and specialists to explore the issue. Johnson is convinced that the Arguing Alaska Series, with its qualified guests, is important as a forum for public discussion.

“It’s increasingly important to remind people that differences of opinion are not toxic and evidence of some greater problem and, more importantly, that those with whom we differ are not bad people,” Johnson said.

“Given what sometimes passes for political discourse — from both our citizens and leaders — we feel a responsibility to provide examples of informed, reasoned argument.”

Between 300 to 400 people are expected to attend the debate.

Morgan Hartley, a political science junior at UAA, is looking forward to attending the event.

“Ideally, it will be a well prepared debate on the subject of immigration. That’s what our debate team is known for around the world and hopefully, that’s what they will produce for us on Monday. I look forward to hearing both sides,” Hartley said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE JOHNSON

In the Arguing Alaska Debate Series, UAA’s Debate Team presents arguments on topical subjects at Bear Tooth Theatrepub.

Travis Neff is attending the debate series for the first time.

“I’m interested in immigration, but more important is the concept of the debate. I think, as a society, we have lost track of the importance of debate and public forums. It is critical to the well-being of democracy to have our beliefs tested, defended, and debunked,” Neff said.

To him, the issue on the agenda for the debate is highly relevant in our society.

“Immigration is always going to be a campaign issue, but lives hang in the balance of policy decision,” Neff said. “We need to be clear with ourselves on what the issue means and I hope the debate participants brush up on their homework.”

Tickets are $15 and can be bought online on beartooththeatre.net or at the Bear Tooth box office. All proceeds from the tickets go to support the Seawolf Debate Program.

Radical Recreation: Mixing up happiness

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESSICA STRUEMPLER

Jessica Struempler helped work on wedding cakes for a large order.

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

The holidays are around the corner, meaning that delicious family feasts are soon to follow.

Dinner is great, but the desserts are better. When Jessica Struempler, restaurant hospitality management major, was younger, she would help her mother and grandmother around the kitchen. Her job was making the pie filling while her mother would make the piecrust.

To this day, she continues making pie filling for the holidays and has pursued an associate’s degree in baking and pas-

try arts.

“To me, baking isn’t just making good food, which it totally still is. But food also brings people together and the history of making food starts from the beginning of time,” Jessica Struempler said. “People have always made food for others and if one industry never dies, it’s the food industry. People make food for celebrating, mourning, regular occasions, excuses to see others and really any occasion. At the end of the day food is a good excuse to put a smile on people’s faces, no matter the time. And desserts? Those always make people happy.”

When Jessica Struempler first started to bake, her father,

Rose cupcakes Struempler made for Molly McCabe’s birthday last year.

Sam Struempler recalls her taking over the kitchen and using it as an outlet for her creative baking possibilities.

“As a young girl, Jessica [Struempler] would quite literally take over our home kitchen for days on end, turning it into a home recipe cake-pop and cupcake factory. I don’t think our family minded at all as we tastetested her creations and offered opinions,” Sam Struempler said.

Jessica Struempler’s specialties are breads, cakes and pastries. She often bakes cakes for special occasions for family and friends, and bakes cupcakes every year for her close friend, Molly McCabe. Together, the duo comes up with a new crazy

and fun creation each year.

“Every year, since my 12th birthday, Jessie [Struempler] has made me cupcakes. One year, she made lemon ones with cute little sea turtles on top. Last year, she made me rose flavored ones, all super cute, all super yummy,” McCabe said.

Finishing culinary school was a huge accomplishment for Jessica Struempler and has allowed her to become well rounded in multiple parts of the food industry from small bakery, large-scale production and highclass fine dining.

“Even though I’m starting to steer more towards food science, I’m still loving my baking background. Getting into baking ac-

tually pushed me more towards the science, since baking relies so heavily on the science. They definitely go hand in hand,” Jessica Struempler said.

Jessica Struempler has many plans for the future involving her career. Although it is undecided, she knows it will involve food.

“I’d love to open my own small bakery one day. On top of that, I’d love to work on a cookbook, too. At the same time, I love the stability of a dietitian’s career. So I’m really seeing myself being a registered dietitian and eventually coming back to the baking professionally.”

Her father believes that her interests and opportunities will continue to increase.

“The science and craft of baking is the foundation for what is driving her at the moment. Nutrition is Jessie [Struempler]’s current emphasis and who knows where that will take her, but fundamentally, baking creatively gives her the most joy so I can’t help but think it will always be one of her priorities,” Sam Struempler said.

Even though Jessica Struempler’s hectic schedule being a full-time student and working full time at Providence Hospital, she is excited to start studying the science of food and continue baking for fun.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

HAPPINESS: Outdoor activities and friendly people keep Anchorage happy Continued from cover data was collected might have affected the results of the research.

“When you put people on the spot like that they might be like ‘Oh yeah, I’m really happy,’ but maybe they don’t really mean it,” Lincoln said.

The Gallup Special Index is based on the perceptions of adult citizens. Participating individuals were asked to rate their wellbeing on a scale from one to 100 for 15 different metrics indicating happiness — from eating healthy to civic engagement, financial security, vacation time and even dental checkups.

The data the National Geographic article draws on was collected from 2014 to 2015 in 190 metropolitan areas across the United States.

Automotive technology major Hans Windahl moved to Anchorage this summer. He lived in Minnesota for 19 years and spent four years moving back and forth between Asia and California. He was surprised by the results of the article at first, but following his initial astonishment, he reconsidered his position.

“After giving it some thought, I’d say that Anchorage being the 10th happiest city isn’t too sur-

prising, considering a number of things available to you in the city and outside of it,” Windahl said. “Anchorage has good food and some fun activities in the city itself... Activities to do outdoors are only a short drive away.”

The experiences he made with the people in Anchorage and in the other states confirmed his view.

“People living in Anchorage are generally pretty happy and approachable. When I was living in California, people were a little more [separated in] cliques and not as friendly,” Whindahl said.

The National Geographic article named Alaska’s natural amenities as possible reasons for the city’s high ranking in the poll. Anchorage is located in proximity to five different national parks and experiences long hours of daylight during the summer.

What the article does not mention, however, are the long Alaskan winters. Throughout December, the sun only rises for about six hours or less in Anchorage. On the day of winter solstice, the day length amounts to five hours and 28 minutes.

Windahl believes that there are seasonal variations in the

general happiness of the Anchorage community.

“The seasons affect people’s mood here for sure,” Windahl said. “Nobody really enjoys only seeing the sun for a few hours a day in winter.”

Grace Gannon, a freshman psychology major, holds an opinion similar to Windahl’s about the influence of the sunlight on the people.

“In the winter it gets so dark up here and I feel like it’s easy to get depressed if you’re not doing anything,” Gannon said.

She was somewhat surprised about her hometown’s high ranking in the poll considering the low amount of sunlight the city is getting in the harsher winter months.

Gannon thought some people might be less affected than others, “especially if you’re outside a lot during the winter and if you’re staying active. I guess it really depends on who you interview,” Gannon said.

Gannon has lived in Anchorage her entire life and is not planning on leaving the 49th state after her graduation.

“I might go out of state to get my master’s degree, but I’m definitely planning on coming back,” Gannon said. “I love Alaska.”

| 09

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 10

Localize It: Throw, Get off the couch! trim, glaze, repeat A steampunk celebration, Maxine Feteke’s love for ceramics has thrown her into in what UAA’s art program has to offer

movies and beer tasting Around town

“Windtalkers” screening and Q&A What: The movie “Windtalkers” is about World War II Navajo code talkers fighting in the Pacific. One of the characters is based on Anthony Anaya-Gorman’s grandfather. Anaya-Gorman will be taking questions after the movie. His mother is Zonnie Gorman, a noted historian on the subject. This event is part of the History and Alaska Natives Studies Fall 2017 Lecture Series.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Bear Tooth Theatrepub (1230 W. 27th Ave.) Cost: Free

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAXINE FEKETE

By Madison McEnaney Contributor

UAA’s fine arts department is home to many students, all with different focuses and passions centering around art.

Maxine Feteke, a current pre-bachelor’s of fine arts program student, can often be found in the ceramics room on campus.

While Feteke had shown an interest in pottery since she was in middle school, she didn’t decide it was a career she wanted to pursue until a few semesters ago.

After finding her passion, she is set to apply for the BFA program next year, and will continue to build her ceramics portfolio until then.

“I always kind of knew I was going to get an art degree, but it’s hard to not struggle with that idea, and wonder what I’m supposed to do with that degree and how I’m going to make money with it.

I’m excited for the challenge at the same time,” Feteke said.

While being a student, Feteke is also currently the secretary of the UAA Clay Body Club. In the club, ceramic students are able to create whatever they want on

the wheel, and then sell those items for a profit. Each student gets 60 percent of each sale, and the other 40 percent goes to the club funding. Clay Body has multiple sales a semester, in order to both raise money to bring up artists from out of state for workshops and to send ceramic students to events outside of Alaska.

“We are hoping to go out of state soon, to either a conference like [National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts] or just a city that has all sorts of art galleries for us to draw inspiration from,” Feteke said. “I think it’s really important to get the chance to see what artists are putting out into the world for us, it’s amazing that Clay Body gives us that chance.”

After finishing her degree, Feteke says the dream is to own her own studio and be able to make a living off of the sales her ceramics make. Before that, she hopes to possibly go to graduate school for ceramics and focus on other aspects of art she enjoys, such as drawing.

“I love wheel throwing and ceramics because I get to make something that someone can use. I’ll make a cup with this idea of what someone can use it for, and to see them do that is really cool. It assures me that this is what I wanna do with my life, during and after school is finished,” Feteke said.

The UAA Clay Body Club’s next sale occurs on Dec. 8.

TNL Staff

At UAA Tailgate food truck dinner What: Grab some grub and stay for the volleyball game. Main Event Catering will be offering items such as the reuben burger, the bacon jam burger, mushroom Swiss sandwich and loaded tots.

When: Thursday, Nov. 9 from 5 - 7 p.m.

Where: Gorsuch Commons Cost: One meal plan swipe gets access to both Creekside and the food truck. The food truck will also accept cash and card. $15.95 gets you all-you-can-eat at Creekside.

Atwood Chair Tim Bradner: Where did Alaska’s oil money go?

What: The current Atwood Chair of Journalism, Tim Bradner, will discuss how Alaska has used its oil money over the last 40 years.

When: Thursday, Nov. 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Consortium Library, Room 307 Cost: Free Navajo code talkers of World War II What: Zonnie Gorman, a recognized historian on the Navajo code talkers of World War II, will discuss her journey researching and archiving the subject.

Her father was one of the first 29 Navajo code talkers in the war. She will also talk about Navajo reservations in the 1940s, U.S. government assimilation programs and how the code was made.

When: Monday, Nov. 13 from 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Where: Fine Arts Building, Room 150 Cost: Free

Bodega-Fest 2016 What: Live music and over 30 tasting tables full of local and import craft beer.

There’s also cider, sake and wine from Bear Creek Wines from Homer. Food trucks will be on site for the hungry. The event is a fundraiser for the Alaska Aviation Museum. Ticket includes entrance, 15 tasting tickets and a tasting glass.

Ages 21 and up.

When: Saturday, Nov. 11 from 5 - 9 p.m.

Where: Alaska Aviation Museum (4721 Aircraft Dr.) Cost: $35 in advance, $45 at the door.

Available at www.bodegafest.com Warren Miller’s “Line of Descent” What: The 68th full-length film from Warren Miller Entertainment travels around the globe via land, air and sea, finding the connections that make ski culture. All proceeds go to the Alyeska Ski Club. Enter for a chance to win raffle prizes.

When: Thursday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Bear Tooth Theatrepub (1230 W. 27th Ave.) Cost: $17 Singer-Songwriter Showcase What: A showcase featuring musicians of the likes of Chris Hennig, Josh Olsen, Jay Straw and Rick Brooks. Ages 21 and up.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 7 - 10 p.m.

Where: Koot’s (2435 Spenard Road) Cost: Free Midnight Imaginarium: A Steampunk Party of Polar Delights What: Get your steampunk on at this 21-and-up event at the Anchorage Museum. You can make steampunk accessories in the Art Lab, check out living statues and magicians and even have an oldfashioned tea duel. There will also be live music and DJs, photo booths, light appetizers and cash bars. Steampunk cosplay encouraged.

When: Saturday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m.

Where: Anchorage Museum (625 C St.) Cost: $30 general admission, $24 for museum members

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 11

Student choreography, dancers take center stage Dance in Performance returns to the Harper Theatre

By Malia Barto

arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Dance in Performance is an annual event put on by the UAA Department of Theatre and Dance every fall and has been running under the name “Dance in Performance” for the last 15 years. It will feature seven choreographers, including three new student-choreographers and a cast of 35 dancers. Some of the dancers featured are working toward a dance minor or are a part of UAA Dance Club.

Auditions for the show start around the first week of each fall semester and have been described as “laid back” and “very inclusive.”

“As a choreographer, auditions are super important for us. It’s our first time we get to see the whole cast and see which people are going to fit well with us,” Marlee Hughes, a dance minor, Dance Club treasurer and one of the new student-choreographers, said. “It’s a unique process of understanding your dancers and you don’t get that long to see it.”

After auditions, the dancers and choreographers head into several months of rehearsals of creating, learning and practicing the dances envisioned for the final show. Rehearsals are once a week for about two hours. The cast then moves into their first showing.

The first showing allows other dancers to see each others’ performances and give feedback. During tech week, a week before opening night, the dancers move into the Harper to start getting used to the theater and to sort out the technical side of the production, including lights, costumes and practicing by cue.

“You see your piece on the stage and

you get to practice it... and I think that’s a really magical moment,” Rhiannon Roseman said.

In addition to being another new student-choreographer, Roseman has danced as one of her minors and is a Dance Club representative.

“You just see this vision coming to life, for both the choreographers and the performers,” Roseman said. “It’s just so cool to see all the things really mesh together.”

The dances performed are mostly modern and contemporary in genre but have a wide variety of dancers from all different technical and experience backgrounds. Some of the dancers have never performed before, and some are getting back into it. The department wants all dancers regardless of experience or training background to join.

The three new student-choreographers include Roseman, Hughes and Olivia Brown. Recent UAA theatre and dance graduate, Katie O’Loughlin, will also be choreographing in this year’s production.

Choreographing takes a lot of time, commitment and trial and error, but Roseman was excited about the opportunity.

“I’ve been sitting on my concept for a while. For me, before the school year even started, like all summer, I’ve been brainstorming [my dance] and putting the music together... I was more excited as a choreographer when people said ‘yes’ to my piece than when I was a performer and people would ask me. It’s so rewarding to have people that actually want to come and work with you,” Roseman said.

After all the months of preparation, the cast and crew hope it is something that the audience will understand or connect with.

“For choreographers, or people who make art, it’s a very intimate thing when you make this piece of art and you’re like, ‘This is mine and I love it,’ but you also hope someone else likes it and has a connection,” Hughes said.

The show runs around an hour and fifteen minutes with no intermission.

“We never have enough arts in Anchorage,” Stephanie Lahn, sophomore dance minor and a performer in this year’s show, said. “It’s a great show, there’s a lot of different pieces... There’s a mix of different choreographers, all the dancers are really passionate about it and we just really want people to see us do what we love to do.”

Lahn has performed each semester during her attendance at UAA. She is also Dance Club secretary and is part of the wardrobe crew for the show.

Roseman, Hughes and Lahn, along with three others, are all a part of UAA’s Dance Ensemble, a group of dancers who commit to one full scholastic year of being on a team similar to a professional performing dance company. The Ensemble members meet three times a week for about two to three hours per practice.

They are currently planning to attend the American College Dance Association conference in Boston, in early 2018. The team will be performing two numbers in this year’s show.

Tickets for Dance in Performance are $11.99 for UAA students, $14.99 for the general public and are available at artsuaa.com. Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 15-18, showtimes are 8 p.m. The last show, Sunday, Nov. 19, is at 6 p.m. Previously, shows have sold out before opening night, so purchasing tickets in advance is strongly recommended.

‘Alaska’ singer Maggie Rogers to perform first Anchorage show

By Malia Barto

arts2@thenorthernlight.org

After being praised by artist Pharrell Williams, singer Maggie Rogers rose to fame. Best known for her single, “Alaska,” Rogers will perform at the Egan Civic and Convention Center, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

The concert is put on by UAA’s Concert Board, with help from KRUA 88.1 and Student Activities and Commuter Programs.

“Maggie Rogers is definitely on the upward artist projection in her career.

She’s a big artist and we’re really excited to have her up here this year,” Kelly Ireland, UAA Concert Board chair, said.

“She’s a really cool artist who I think is kind of like a mix of Glass Animals and Ellie Goulding and Sylvan Esso... I think everyone that’s going to go is going to enjoy Maggie [Rogers].”

Though Rogers will be performing for the first time in Alaska, this is not her first trip here. In a 2016 interview with Genius, Rogers said she was training to be an outdoor guide to lead hiking trips as an alternative option to pursuing music. She wrote her song “Alaska” about her experience and then presented it for her senior year masterclass at New York University with Pharrell Williams in 2016. He gave the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music students critiques but when it came to Rogers, he raved about her sound and song, and the video went viral.

UAA sophomore environment and society major, Klaire Rhodes, heard about

the event through Facebook and is looking forward to Nov. 17.

“I’ve enjoyed Maggie Rogers’ music for a while and was excited to hear she is coming to Anchorage. She has a really unique sound,” Rhodes said.

Formerly a folk artist who released two independent folk albums, Rogers ditched her banjo and started adoring and creating dance music after studying abroad in France. She signed with Capitol Records shortly after the video with Williams went viral, then released her EP, “Now That the Light is Fading” in February. Her music has pop and dance influences, but has a different and mesmerizing kind of sound for audiences.

Opening the show is local 14-year-old artist Ava Earl. Earl is a singer-songwriter based out of Girdwood. Rogers announced on her Instagram she was looking for local artists to send their songs to her, would listen to them all and then choose who would open her show. Earl, a South Anchorage High School freshman, was chosen.

“I think I screamed a few times,” Earl said. “I was doing math homework or something and my mom kept texting me. I didn’t see it because my phone was flipped over and so when I picked up my phone all [the messages] said ‘Ava! Ava! Ava! Look at your email! Ava! Ava!’ so I looked at my email and freaked out.”

Earl has opened for other concerts locally before and is grateful for her upcoming performance.

“I’m super excited and honored to have this opportunity. A lot of the people in the community have helped me get to where I am now, so I’m super thankful for

PHOTOS BY BRYAN9026

Maggie Rogers performing at Syndicate Lounge in Birmingham, Alabama. Rogers will be coming to Alaska for the first time on Nov. 17 at the Egan Center.

all of that,” Earl said.

Tickets for Maggie Rogers are still available at ticketmaster.com for $35. For UAA students, $25 tickets can be pur-

chased at the Student Union Information Desk. Tickets will be an additional $5 at the door.

12 | A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

Chocolate and a bittersweet goodbye After over two decades of giving chocolate demonstrations at the UAA Bookstore and retirement on the horizon, Chef Vern Wolfram’s upcoming presentation will likely be his last

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

Few things have connotations that span the divine and the sinful. Chocolate is one of those things. Its wide array of uses range from the culinary to the medicinal, but for Chef Vern Wolfram, chocolate is just plain fun.

After hosting dozens of chocolate presentations at the UAA Bookstore over the years, Wolfram’s next, and likely his last, will be bittersweet. He’ll be retiring this May after two decades of teaching in the university’s culinary arts program.

Even after all these years, Wolfram still hasn’t lost his affection for the job.

“I love what I do,” Wolfram said.

In 21 years, Wolfram thinks he’s only taken off about a week of sick leave. He teaches the beginner baking class and has had plenty of early mornings. As his wife tells him, anyone who can get up at 4:30 every morning and be to work on time must love their job.

Wolfram’s upcoming presentation on Nov. 9 will touch on everything from types of chocolate to their properties and chemistry. Along with his student assistants, Wolfram will perform demonstrations while letting the audience sample their way through the discussion.

“We have a lot of things to taste,” Wolfram said.

He likes to keep the presentation informal, so Wolfram spends a lot of time interacting with the audience. They only have an hour to present, so he tries to

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

Chef Vern Wolfram holds two slabs of chocolate, one in each hand. After 21 years of teaching in the University of Alaska Anchorage’s culinary arts program, Wolfram will be retiring in May.

pack in as much as possible.

Past events have included demonstrations on cookies, truffles and chocolate masks. The presentation is usually catered towards a theme depending on the time of year, which might relate to Easter or Valentine’s Day.

“You’re experiencing this visually, you’re listening, you’re eating. You know, it’s quite entertaining. Chef Vern is wonderful,” Rachel Epstein, special events coordinator for the Bookstore, said.

Epstein was there for Wolfram’s first chocolate demonstration on Nov. 14,

1996. For this particular presentation, Wolfram was pouring melted chocolate onto inflated balloons so it would set and the balloon could eventually be popped, leaving a thin chocolate layer.

Unfortunately, one of the balloons exploded, showering the area with chocolate. This was before the Bookstore had a second story available for events, so the floor and any nearby merchandise suddenly became chocolate-covered.

“He didn’t think we’d ever let him come back, you know, it was so funny,” Epstein said.

Despite the rough start, the demonstration became a popular fixture of Bookstore events and Wolfram said they typically present to a full house.

While it might be the last time Wolfram makes the trek from Cuddy Hall to the Bookstore with his students, their carts and trays loaded with chocolates and supplies, he has fond memories of past events and former students.

“I can’t remember all the times I’ve been over there, but I do remember most of them,” Wolfram said.

Epstein always looks forward to Wolfram’s demonstrations and will be sad to see him go.

“I’ve never been disappointed, let’s put it that way, and I’ve seen it so many times,” Epstein said.

Wolfram plans on spending the first part of his retirement traveling with his wife and visiting his grandkids.

The event is free and open to the public. It will go from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. in the Loft at the Bookstore.

When ‘Magical Girl’ relaxes, it captivates

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

TITLE “Magical Girl”

DIRECTOR Carlos Vermut

RELEASE DATE Oct. 17, 2014

COUNTRY Spain

GENRE Drama

You don’t get more enigmatic than the opening of the Spanish neo-noir “Magical Girl.” An unnamed teacher brings a student, Barbara, to the front of the class, interrogating her about passing a note. The conversation is fairly normal, but it alternates between two shots that, visually, don’t relate. Director Carlos Vermut makes sure you notice this, too.

He lingers on its weirdness to the point of overstating it.

Over-focusing on the oddness of his world is his biggest flaw. The first half of the movie is effortlessly strange: a jewelry salesman stares down ruthless father Luis (Luis Bermejo) for 30 seconds too long, the unstable Bárbara (Marina Andruix) breaks a mirror with her forehead and walks around with the bleeding wound for the rest of the movie, and Luis and Bárbara’s conversation is interrupted by an off-screen whirring. On their own, each moment lands.

Vermut just can’t help but focus

on them. He needs to know that his viewer understands how bizarre the tone of his story is.

But focusing on the peculiar too much makes it normal, and that almost happens here.

Though, thanks to some deft storytelling and a wicked early-movie turn, “Magical Girl” falls into a rhythm all its own.

All Vermut needed to do was relax and let his story play. Maybe play is the wrong word. It’s not a playful story, after all.

Luis’ leukemia-stricken daughter Alicia (Lucía Pollán) loves anime, especially one called Magical Girl. She nicknames herself after her favorite character, Yukiko, and wants Yukiko’s special dress.

It’s 7,000 euro, a price her unemployed father can’t afford. He decides to rob a jewelry story, but before he breaks the display window, Barbara vomits on him from the building’s second floor.

In a moment of weakness, she runs down and invites him in, and the two have sex. The night passes and Luis calls her, saying he recorded the whole thing and wants 7,000 euro to keep quiet.

She agrees and takes up an illicit job to pay him off.

What that job is, though, is unclear. A safe word is involved, so it’s likely some kind of prostitution, but that’s beside the point. Barbara is forced by Luis to sacrifice her body, and Luis justifies it as necessary to make his daughter happy. What he doesn’t know, despite being told by a sympathetic friend, is that Alicia needed just him, not the dress. In his pursuit of the dress, he wrongs two women, beginning a cycle of injustice that, as cycles do, wraps back around to him.

By the climax, Vermut threatens to overstate this point, too, but he gets engrossed in his story instead and lets it breathe.

“Magical Girl,” in this last half, sheds its insecurity. It’s a steelyeyed exercise in resolve with enough surprising intimacy to hurt like a Yorgos Lanthimos/ Wes Anderson love child. When it’s not forcing that, it becomes what it wants to be: a great movie.

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 13

Despair has an expiration date Leaving the past behind, local band Saturday Cinders looks to the future with new identities and optimism

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

When local folk trio Saturday Cinders gets together to practice, sometimes they don’t even bother picking up their instruments. For them, the band is more than just a shared passion for music. It’s a support group with the added catharsis of creative expression. It’s a form of therapy.

This has been a defining year for the band. Guitarist Rodolfo Chavez and keyboardist Rayne Keys both went through divorces and have been on a path of redefining their personal religious beliefs, while trumpet player Katy Bergstrom recently came out as transgender.

“We had no idea that all three [of us] were going through those things,” Chavez said.

Despite the personal battles each band member had to face on their own, they are closer than ever. The shared weight of finding their own identities together has only fueled their drive and optimism for the future.

“It’s weird, but it’s cool we found each other at the right time,” Chavez said.

Prior to forming the band back in 2014, Chavez had been thinking about starting a new project, but he wanted to do something different than the heavy rock or Christian worship music he usually played.

The spark ignited after he and Keys played a church gig in Seward. On the way back to Anchorage, the two didn’t talk much, but they did sing along to folkpop duo The Civil Wars. Chavez took the lead while Keys sang harmonies. Everything seemed to fall into place.

One of the first conversations Chavez and Keys had when they formed the band was asking themselves why they wanted to do this. Were they looking to become a big Alaska band or push it even further?

In the end, with work and family responsibilities, they decided to just have a good time.

“Our main focus is to have fun and for people to have fun with us,” Keys said.

“When I see the audience really getting into what we’re playing — singing or dancing — I’m like, ‘Yes!’ That’s what feeds my soul.”

Like countless folk bands before them, Saturday Cinders started off playing open mics and coffee shops. After a set at TapRoot, staff approached the band and told them to contact local musician Evan Phillips to get something recorded.

Most of the songs were already complete before they went to Phillips’ home studio, but having his support and occasional input helped the process go smoothly.

“It was very comfortable,” Chavez said. “[Phillips] was open, but at the same time very kind and nice, so we felt, like, home.”

The resulting EP, “We Marry in the End,” which features drummer Josh Maddox, is a snapshot of the band’s harmony-heavy style of poppy folk music. In five songs, the record goes from the optimistic ballad of the title track to the brooding tango of “Angustia” to the sentimental “Where Time Stood Still,” ending with the boot-stomping country swagger of “Four Walls.”

The band released the album in May of last year with a performance at TapRoot, and although the venue is gone now, it lives on as barroom ambiance in the track “Angustia.”

Chavez wrote most of the lyrics and sang lead vocals for most of the record, but he wanted Saturday Cinders to be more of a collaborative effort.

Keys, on the other hand, was reluctant and found writing difficult. The two worked out lyrics for “Where Time Stood Still” via text message one evening and, although she lacked confidence in her songwriting, having Chavez to break ground and provide support helped Keys find her voice.

“I know [it’s] in her, because if I didn’t see anything, I wouldn’t be pushing, but I know that she had it,” Chavez said.

Keys tried to write songs in the past, but felt like they were never good enough.

With her insecurities held at bay, she wrote the intensely personal song “I Will Not Fail” about her younger brother Jonathon who passed away from an accident in 2005.

“Writing that first song with [Chavez], it gave me the confidence — and I didn’t even know I was writing a song about my little brother until I got past like the first and second verse, and then I was like, ‘Oh shoot, this is a song about Jonathon,’ and I just continued from there,” Keys said.

About a year ago, Bergstrom joined the band as trumpet player and multi-instrumentalist. Adding new members to a group can change the whole dynamic of the band, but all three had played together in the past and Bergstrom fit right in.

“We’re very picky about the [band’s] chemistry and we didn’t want to mess that up,” Keys said.

Bergstrom rounded out the group’s sound in a way Keys describes as being “the fantastic seasoning” of Saturday Cinder’s metaphorical steak.

The more people in a band leaves more chances for conflicts or misunderstandings, but the tight-knit group has managed to avoid any blowouts. Even if they didn’t play music, the trio would still hang out.

“Our friendships come first,” Keys said.

Back home in Peru, Chavez used to serve as a youth pastor. Keys, originally from California, grew up singing in church. Both were raised in musical families and their Christian faith was a fundamental part of their identities, but things would eventually start to change.

At the church, Keys and Chavez attended, they would regularly serve as rotating worship leaders, but they saw cracks form in their belief systems. Each started to question their own faith and began separately figuring out what they really believe.

“I find my church in the mountains,” Keys said. “I find that I’m more connected to whatever is out there when I’m away.”

“I’m trying to learn from different people, experiences, cultures and everything — and I think it’s making me appreciate life even more,” Chavez said.

While their paths to self-discovery are ongoing, they weren’t the only ones in the band finding their true identity.

While Chavez was going through marital issues, he told Bergstrom that he needed to tell her something. He was reluctant to let on that he was getting divorced, but felt like he could confide in her. At the same time, she had big news for Chavez. When Bergstrom told him that she’s transgender, Chavez felt “honored” to have that kind of trust.

“Immediately I was like, ‘Heck yes.’

Let’s keep playing together, let’s show people that we love each other, that’s it.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILL KOEPPEN

Rodolfo Chavez, Rayne Keys and Katy Bergstrom of Saturday Cinders perform at the Performing Arts Center on Feb. 14, 2017. They will be performing at the Avenue on Thursday Nov. 9 at 9 p.m.

We trust each other, we love,” Chavez said. “That’s all that matters. And I know we’re going to have some times where, you know, things are going to be difficult, but we try to tell our friend, ‘Hey, we’re with you.’”

“Bringing Katy [Bergstrom] on, I wanted it to be the same place it is for me,” Keys said. “It’s a place to come and be myself and relax and have a therapeutic outlet where I can express myself through song or we just joke around,” Keys said.

With the band fired up to keep on going, the members hope they can start writing a new album next year.

“I think it’s the right time,” Chavez said. “All three of us this year, it’s been a

year of major transitions and a lot of pain, you know, a lot of suffering, but I think this is going to be inspiring and [you’re] going to be able to see it in our writing.”

Next summer the band plans on playing anywhere they can. They want to set up a living room tour of Alaska and not only play their set, but have a meaningful dialogue with the audience.

“Let’s talk about it, let’s find out what we agree on and make this world a better place,” Chavez said.

“And also play music,” Keys added.

Saturday Cinders will be playing at The Avenue on Thursday, Nov. 9 and the Yukon Bar in Seward Nov. 17 and 18.

Stream the EP “We Marry in the End” at www.saturdaycinders.com.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 14

BADMINTON: For more than the birdies

Continued from cover The participation fee is $5 per person. Additional sessions are held at The Center on Arctic Boulevard for $10 each.

The club was introduced

by Bonnie Carroll and Bhaskar Neogi, who already started a badminton club in Fairbanks back in 1993. The club up north is still going, but the relocation of Carroll and Neogi to Anchorage resulted in the introduction of ABC in 2012.

Todd Meixner, who joined the club with his wife, attends the practices on a regular basis and finds great joy in the exercise and competitiveness of the game.

“I played badminton back

in high school gym. I had good hand-eye-coordination and it was fun. But pretty much, I didn’t play badminton again until moved up here,” Meixner said. “So, my wife and I just started hitting it at the park and then found the club. I started on the beginners’ court and evolved into more advanced play.”

The welcoming environment of ABC encourages everybody to join, try the game and possibly move on to become more a competitive player or participate in tournaments that take place in and out-of-state.

“We[‘ve] got room for more players,” Meixner said. “If they just come with shoes, somebody got a racket and somebody got a bird, so we will get them going. We have done it before. The most important part is to have some fun. Then you can worry about improving your skills or playing competitively in tournaments.”

The club reflects the diversity of the Anchorage community and unites young and old.

The youngest regular member of ABC is 13, while the oldest is 82 years old.

“We have seven nations rep-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANCHORAGE BADMINTON CLUB

Members of the Anchorage Badminton Club pose after a tournament in Anchorage.

ABC meets at Fairview Recreation Center on Mondays and Thursdays between 6 p.m.

- 8:30 p.m., and at Spenard Recreation Center on Saturdays from 12 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Members of the Anchorage Badminton Club practicing at the Fairview Recreation Center. The club meets every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

resented in our club including people from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, America, Korea and Vietnam,” Meixner said.

The level of play varies from beginner to advanced, but attendees will always find somebody to play a game with.

“We have had 30 people on a Saturday and sometimes we have 13, so it comes and goes,” Meixner said.

Paul Jacks, a regular attendee at ABC, has played badminton in Anchorage since 1997. The closure of a former badminton club in Anchorage ended the fun until ABC formed and reintroduced badminton to the Anchorage community.

“I started showing up and realized that the players were really good,” Jacks said. “I asked one of the players for some help and he took me under his wing and trained me.”

Jung Lee is that player, and one of great expertise who enjoys coaching others to become better players.

“I have taught a lot of peo-

ple,” Lee said. “They just ask for help and I take my time to teach them to become better and then they move on and some even win tournaments.”

Lee is planning on offering practice sessions on a regular basis for people who want to improve their technique.

“I just want people to be able to play the correct way and actually play up to their abilities,” Lee said.

Once a year, the Municipality of Anchorage organizes a badminton tournament at the Spenard Recreational Center. Members of the club also attend additional tournaments throughout the year.

During the 68th Tacoma Daffodil Badminton Invitational in Washington state, ABC had 12 participants and medaled in every division they participated in.

At that meet, Meixner and Ajit Dayanandan, his double partner in the 50+ category, took the title in their division.

“We all go to tournaments,” Meixner said. “Back in April, we had a pretty good represen-

tation down in Washington state for the Daffodil tournament.

We medaled in all divisions.

That was pretty impressive and a good turnout. It is competitive down there, with lots of big clubs and very good players.”

Playing badminton indoors year around, without having to deal with weather conditions or setting up nets and field markers, is a great way to stay in shape. Meixner noted that he runs about five miles in the 20 by 22 foot court during practice sessions.

“Badminton doesn’t really get the kind of exposure that it gets around the rest of the world,” Jacks said. “It’s a huge sport. Everybody here is super into it. It is great cardio exercise.

We want the club to grow and we welcome beginners.”

Anchorage Badminton Club’s facebook page supplies the schedule of each month featuring the practice times and places. Further information can be found on ABC’s homepage anchorage-badminton.wixsite. com/anchoragebadminton.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 15

Ski season lifts off at Hatcher Pass A non-profit organization is fundraising to bring a chairlift to the area

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

The Hatcher Alpine Xperience, a non-profit created to provide a safe outdoor recreation, has been grooming and clearing trails, free for public use. However, riders have to hike up in order to use them.

Liam Floyd, mechanical engineering major and skier, was able to hit the slopes the beginning of November.

“I really enjoy Hatcher Pass because it’s not too terribly far from Anchorage and there’s no fees or membership costs associated with going there to ski,” Floyd said. “The drive up was a little sketchy due to the fog, but definitely worth it. The snow was phenomenal.”

Not only is the Hatcher Alpine Xperience clearing trails for public use, but to prepare for a potential chair lift.

“We found refurnished chair lifts in new Hampshire that we’ve got our eyes on, it’ll be a triple chair lift and it’ll give us about 30 skiable acres, compared to Hilltop, and 300 feet of vert,” Louisa Branchflower, board president of the Hatcher Alpine Xperience, said. “We’re fundraising for the lift now, we’re optimistic they can get the money by the spring, build next summer and then have a chairlift the following winter.”

Branchflower explained that the Matanuska-Susitna Borough has been trying to build a ski area at Hatcher Pass for about 40 years.

“They’ve failed throughout the years multiple times for various reasons, but it set the table for us to come along and swoop in and do it as a community in a grass roots way type of building,” Branchflower said.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly has invested money over the years for infrastructure, development planning, environment impact assessments and electricity for the site in hopes of a big contractor to do something with the area.

When no contractors wanted to fix that area, the south-central community decided to form the Hatcher Alpine Xperience and do it on their own.

“They [Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly] had a lot invested and they put out money to go towards marketing to try and get a big developer to come out again, but they changed that to, ‘Okay let’s just have it open for somebody to do something with it’,” Branchflower said.

In November 2015, the Hatcher Alpine Xperience applied to become a non-profit and were approved the summer of 2016.

“It’s been really awesome to see how far we’ve come in two short years and we’ve come a lot further than anyone else who has come before. I think that the community is pretty stoked that we are a non-profit and that we are keeping it small, want to keep ticket prices low and affordable and just give more opportunities,” Branchflower said.

Jenny Johnson, Wasilla resident, has been participating in fundraisers for Hatcher Alpine Xperience after learning about the organization in 2016. She believes the lift will allow her youngest daughter to further her snowboarding skills.

“While my teen has enjoyed snowboarding at Hatchers for years, experiencing all aspects of the area, his younger sister has not been able to do the same because of her age, lower skill level and experience. A chair lift will change all that by giving her a safe environment to improve her abilities with more practice.

While we enjoy Hilltop and Alyeska, a local ski lift is much less time consuming to get to and saves us on gas as well,” Johnson said.

Along with the excitement of the chairlift comes the fear of high ticket prices.

“I’m excited at the prospect of getting a lift and some newer equipment up in Hatcher Pass.

Though, the only thing that would worry me are the potential costs that would be needed in order to maintain the facility,”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOUISA BRANCHFLOWER

Board member Dave Hendrickson poses with the snowcat that the Hatcher Alpine Xperience uses to groom trails.

Floyd said.

Although riders will need to purchase a ticket in order to ski or snowboard, there are many opportunities to volunteer at the Hatcher Alpine Xperience for ski passes.

“All of us want to keep this something that is affordable, so we’re not looking at turning it in to an Alyeska. We are going to have a lot of volunteer based opportunities, similar to arctic valley, for people to volunteer in exchange for tickets,” Branchflower said. “There will be opportunities of having the local kids and children a way to be able to afford and partake in one of the coolest sports there is.”

Branchflower wants to share her love for Hatcher Pass with the community by giving back the same opportunities she had.

“Hatcher Pass is arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world I think, in the summer and the winter. It’s just absolutely breathtaking. I grew up skiing in Washington and it’s been one of the most impactful things in my life, it changed the course of my life significantly,” Branchflower said. “It gave me an appreciation for the outdoors, mountains, for the sport, for the environment, I totally attribute the love of skiing with all that it’s shaped me to be and I want

A map of future chair lift at Hatcher Pass.

to be able to give that to the people of south-central Alaska.”

For more information on how to donate and volunteer, the Hatcher Alpine Xperience has a

number of ways community can help. From tasks simple as liking their Facebook page and telling a friend, to becoming member and volunteering.

16 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

UAA hockey splits first conference games

With a one-to-one win-loss ratio, the Seawolves currently sit at a tie for eighth in their first two WCHA games of the season

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

After previously competing in four games for the regular season, the Seawolves’ hockey team utilized the weekend of Nov. 3-4 to debut their first conference games of the season. With two back-to-back games, UAA traveled to Michigan to duel against Lake Superior State.

Prior to the weekend duel, both teams had a total of five loses for the season, with Lake Superior State only leading the Seawolves by one win. However, Lake Superior got a head start with their Western Collegiate Hockey Association games, with one more than UAA. Post-games, both the Seawolves and Lake superior sit near the bottom of the standings of WCHA standings at eighth and seventh, respectively. At the top of the standings is Bowling Green State University, with three conference wins and one conference loss. Right behind them is Minnesota State and Northern Michigan.

The weekend started on Friday, Nov. 3 with an exceptionally slow start. The first period resulted in no points made by either team. It wasn’t until 00:30

of the second period that UAA took over. Junior forward Nicolas Erb-Ekholm utilized a power play to score the first UAA goal of the night and scored his second goal of the season.

Erb-Ekholm’s goal wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Nathan and Jonah Renouf assisting the play.

The Seawolves maintained their lead for the majority of the second period until Lake Superior’s Anthony Nellis scored at nearly 17:00 in the second period, bringing the game to a tie.

Not long after, a power-play goal took Lake Superior into the lead, early in the third period.

UAA’s freshman defenseman Cameron Trott scored late in the third period, with the powerplay score tying it up for the rest of the third.

Lake Superior’s Max Humitz scored at 3:38 in the first overtime to overtake the Seawolves, and win the game 3-2.

UAA came back Saturday, Nov. 4 to seek redemption. After the game one loss, the Seawolves made a comeback with a win of 4-1.

The start of the game resulted in senior forward Tad Kozun being the first to score for the night, barely a minute into the game. His goal served as a re-

PHOTO BY SAM WASSON / UAA ATHLETICS

Austin Azurdia shoots the puck at UAF goaltender Sean Cahill during the 2014-15 season.

bound from the attempted shot by junior forward Cam Amantea. Tanner Johnson also assisted on the goal.

Similar to the first period of the Friday night game, the second period of Saturday’s game stood at a stand still, without either team making a point.

It wasn’t until just two minutes into the third period that the Seawolves came back strong.

Senior forward Austin Azurdia managed to get his first goal of the night that put UAA up 2-0, assisted by defensemen Eric Sinclair and Olivier Mantha.

For another four minutes, the Seawolves kept their defense up and maintained the 2-0 lead. Six minutes later, Lake Superior’s Jake Hand managed a power play that put the game a 2-1.

Quickly after, junior forward Jeremiah Luedtke and Kozun initiated a set-up for Azurdia to successfully make his second goal of the night. The Seawolves regained their two point lead, and had less than 10 minutes in the game.

Luedtke still managed to put in one more goal before the end of the night to close out the

game win with just two minutes remaining.

The win couldn’t have happened without the 34 saves accumulated by senior goaltender Mantha.

With one win and one loss for the weekend, the Seawolves currently sit at a tie for eighth in the conference. UAA hockey will be back in action on Nov. 10 and 11 with away-games against Alabama-Huntsville. The following weekend the Seawolves will return home to the Sullivan Arena to host back-to-back home games versus Michigan Tech.

Davenport proves herself fundamental as UAA setter

Chris Green and the Seawolf community are impressed with Davenport’s ability and quick adaptation to being a setter as a freshman

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Freshman setter Casey Davenport sets up the play for her teammates during a home match at the Alaska Airlines Center.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

After the departure of former All-American setter Morgan Hooe in May 2017 and previous setter Madison Fisher in October 2017, the spot for a UAA setter was left wide open. 5-foot-6inch freshmen Casey Davenport was fortunate enough to be next in line to take over that role for the team.

“Casey [Davenport] is a talented setter with very good hands, she’s [helping] to fill the big void left by the graduation of

Morgan Hooe. She is a relatively smaller setter but with a solid vertical jump,” Head Coach Chris Green said.

With seven years of experience, Davenport is adequately prepared for the position.

“I started playing volleyball in seventh grade. My older sister had started playing the year before me and I always followed in her footsteps when I was younger,” Davenport said.

Originally from Washington, the former Auburn Mountainview High School student made many significant accomplishments during her four

years playing for the school.

These skills are all ones that she brought with her up to Alaska.

“The first time I visited Alaska was in the summer and it was so beautiful. I loved it but it wasn’t till I came the second time and stayed with some of the girls that I really decided I wanted to play here,” Davenport said.

“I loved the atmosphere that the team had, everyone seemed so close like a family. Also UAA’s gym is the best I’ve seen by far, so that was a bonus.”

During her 2016 senior year, Davenport played a role in helping her team obtain a 20-6 re-

cord. With the work she put into the team, they were able to make it to the Washington 4A State Tournament, placing fifth overall, where Davenport maintained 9.6 assists per set. This was only slightly more than her season average of 8.8 assists per set her junior year.

Due to her achievements, Davenport managed to make second-team All-South Puget Sound League selection as sophomore.

As for her collegiate season, Davenport has made many more significant achievements playing as the main setter. Through the 87 sets total that she has played in, Davenport has made a total of 40 kills, which ranks her seventh on the Seawolves. She has also accumulated 168 digs and 66 points over the past two months.

“Playing as a freshman has not been easy at times, but it is well worth it. The opportunity that I have been given this year is not common, and it definitely has a lot of pressure, but I enjoy the challenge,” Davenport said.

Her accumulation of 519 assists is her most significant achievement, ranking her as number one on the Seawolves.

Not only did this put her at No. 1 in UAA, but also puts her at seventh overall, of 11th for assists per set in the Great Northwest

Athletic Conference.

Averages of assists per sets puts Davenport at the top of two of the three categories. For a 3-set match, she sits at second tied with Fisher for 19 assists, for a 4-set match, Davenport takes the lead with 44 assists and for a 5-set match, she also takes the lead with 53 assists.

Green and the rest of the team is impressed with Davenport’s ability and quick adaptation to the high-stress role of being a setter. During their Oct. 26 game versus Central Washington, the relatively quick 4-set match exemplified Davenport’s skills to gain 42 assists.

“We looked slow at the outset [that night], but we started playing our kind of volleyball about midway thought the second set and continued for the rest of the match,” Green said. “Casey [Davenport] did a nice job of distributing the ball among our hitters and keeping SMU off balance, and she used great judgment when choosing to attack.”

In addition to athletics, Davenport is expected to excel off the court too, while pursuing her degree in health science.

“My dream from a very young age has been to become a veterinarian and that is what I hope to pursue in the future,” Davenport said.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

Flat track fever

Rage City Rollergirls keeps Anchorage filled with hard-hitting entertainment

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

The Rage City Rollergirls practing jams at the AT&T Sports Complex. Established in 2007. The Rage City Rollergirls are one of 12 roller derby leagues in Alaska.

By Logan Harrison

lharrison@thenorthernlight.org

The Alaska Aces may be gone, but Anchorage is still home to skating excitement. The Rage City Rollergirls kicked off their 10th season earlier this month with their Monster Mashup at the AT&T Sports Complex.

While a void has been left in the hearts of local sports fans after the demise of their semi-pro hockey team, Rage City is here to show them that what they’ve been missing has been here all along.

Roller derby is something more adverse to the mainstream, but just as hard hitting and entertaining as hockey.

Instead of Brandon Dubinsky or Scotty Gomez, there is Hot Donna and Shocker Khan, the stage names of the two captains of Anchorage’s roller derby league.

“It’s real. It’s an actual sport,” Shocker Khan said. “A lot of people think it’s staged and whatnot, but it’s real.”

Khan, who has been skating with Rage City for almost nine years, is the captain of Orange Crush, RCRG’s B-team.

Like most skaters, Khan picked up the sport almost by accident. An army veteran, she was on multiple soccer and curling teams when a co-worker turned her onto roller derby.

“She got me a ticket to the first bout here, and before they even started, I was like, “I have to do this!” It was just the names and how they skated out and the whole production, so I joined and everything just slowly went away. Now it’s derby all the time,” Khan said.

Hot Donna, the captain for Rage City’s all-star team, was, at first, a little more tepid toward playing.

“One of my coworkers was like, “Hey, go to this boot camp with me.” And I said, verbatim, “There’s no way in hell you’ll ever see me on a pair of skates.” I went to boot camp, she did not, and [here I am] today,” Donna said.

Rage City is a member of the WFTDA, or Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, and are currently ranked 62 out of 335 recognized leagues.

Staying ranked can be challenging for a small market team as traveling to play other ranked teams is expensive. The allstars try to travel out of state for tournaments at least once a year. Their ultimate goal is to be invited to a Div. II tournament.

“We strive to be competitive,” Donna said. “We would love to make this a much bigger league, double or even triple in size.”

Alaska has about 12 leagues scattered through the state, but playing some of these leagues could hurt Rage City’s ranking as opposed to padding it, regardless of the outcome of the bout, due to the intricate ranking system that also considers the strength of the opponent.

“We’re the best in the state, so typically, to play at our caliber, we have to either bring people up, which is hard to do, or go down [to the Lower 48],” Donna said.

Rage City has four tiers within their league: Juniors, which is for new players between the ages of seven and eighteen, Fresh Meat, which is the steppingstone into competitive derby play, and then Orange Crush and All-Stars.

“The majority of [women who join] don’t know how to skate, have never played full contact sports before, so they’re learning from the very beginning,” Khan said.

Rage City strives to be a place for everyone.

“If you look out there, you will see people of all different sizes,” Donna said.

“You can’t use your physique as a reason or your skill level as a reason as to why you can’t do it… There are skaters in this league who are in their fifties, there’s no discrimination.”

Hell Hath Fury picked up derby when she was living in Germany with her husband, who was stationed there, and her three kids.

“I saw somebody had placed an ad online that they were recruiting, so I drove an hour and a half to join,” Fury said.

“I like hitting people, that’s my favorite part. I thought it would be a good outlet.”

It wasn’t easy going for Fury, as she worked her way through the derby ranks.

“When I was in Fresh Meat the first time, I came down with a very serious lung disease and I almost died,” Fury said. “My goal was to pass Fresh Meat so I could play roller derby; if I didn’t die.

And so, it took me literally four months to pass my laps because I had bad lungs.”

Because of her tenacity, her fellow skaters gave her the “Hell Hath Fury” name.

“My new goal is to not suck as bad,” Fury said. “[But also] getting better and have fun.”

Part of the fun is coming up with their skater names, which are supposed to be different from any other registered skater. There is also a lore behind the process.

“Back in the day, when roller derby first started, it was not ladylike for women to go out and hit each other and wear short shorts on the track and whatnot, so they didn’t use their real names and came up with stage names… It’s kind of been a tradition since then,” Khan said.

The stage names and lingo are a mark of pride for the skaters.

“I love going out and getting into a really in-depth conversation about derby and no one else in the vicinity knows what’s going on except for you and that person,” Donna said. “It’s [a sport] that has so many different components to it.”

The Rage City Rollergirls play their next home bout at the AT&T Sports Complex on Nov. 18.

| 17

18 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

NCAA Championship calls for the Seawolves Women’s cross-country team takes second-place finish at West Regional Championships

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICK DANIELSON / WWU ATHLETICS

The whole women’s team will be in action at the NCAA Div. II Championship meet due to the ‘S(h)eawolves’ second-place team finish at the West Regional Championships.

By Karolin Anders

sports@thenorthernlight.org

Karolin Anders is a former member of the UAA track and field team.

The Seawolves cross-country traveled to Monmouth, Oregon to face competitors from all over the west coast on Saturday Nov. 4. Both teams’ ultimate goal was to qualify for the NCAA Division II Cross-Country Championships.

“At the end of the day, the regional meet is about getting to the national meet.

That’s the purpose,” cross-country Head Coach Michael Friess, said. “They only give All-American awards out at the National Championship.”

The women’s team was able to accomplish their goal by finishing second in the field of 30 teams, earning an automatic bit for the national meet on Nov. 18.

Cal Baptist University, who is also ranked first in the nation, took the win with a score of 68. The Seawolves scored 84 points to stay well ahead of the rest of the field.

Caroline Kurgat beat the remaining 208 competitors to win her first West Re-

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

Caroline Kurgat won her first West Regional championship title on Nov. 4 and is ready to take on the national elite on Nov. 19.

gional title and put herself in position to win a national title. She demolished the course record as she covered the 6-kilometer course in 20 minutes, 26.1 seconds — about 40 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Anett Somogyi of Cal Baptist University.

“It was awesome winning my first regional meet. This was one of my goals at the beginning of the season and I am so glad I attained it,” Kurgat said. “It was our goal to proceed to nationals as a team and I think our team is in a position to place in the top five. We are all motivated to make it happen.”

Also scoring for the ‘S(h)eawolves’ were Zennah Jepchumba (15th, 21:34.2), Danielle McCormick Soldotna (21st, 21:47.0), Mariah Burroughs Wasilla (22nd, 21:47.7) and Emmah Chelimo (25th, 21:52. 1).

Junior Kimberly Coscia (26th, 21:54.1) finished just behind Chelimo. The pack of five, Jepchumba, McCormick, Burroughs, Chelimo and Coscia, finished within 20 seconds of each other.

“The last two races we have done a good job of staying packed up and using each other to push through tough parts of the race,” Coscia said. “It wasn’t really planned that way; that is just how things panned out.”

The women’s strong team performance over the flat four-loop course with a few rolling hills, shows their determination to perform well as a team and push each other to a top team finish at the national meet.

“Cal Baptist is the number one ranked team in the country and we ran pretty close to them,” Friess said. “I honestly think if we can pull closer to their second and third runners, we can potentially beat them at the national meet. The women are a top five team nationally.”

Coscia agrees with Friess’ prediction and credits her team’s success to their motivation and great dedication.

“This team continues to make me proud,” Coscia said. “This is the deepest, strongest, most motivated group of ladies I’ve raced with and it goes to show that we’re capable of more than we know. Nationals is another chance for another solid race.”

After having won the West Regional team title on the same course back in 2015, the men’s cross-country team placed fifth in the competitive race scoring 172 points.

Senior Edwin Kangogo lead the Green and Gold with his sixth-place finish. Kangogo covered the 10-kilometer course in 30 minutes, 11.5 seconds. The first five

individual finishers automatically advance to the NCAA Div. II Championship, but Kangogo is still more than likely to receive a spot for the meet due to his performance and the complex qualification procedures.

“I’m more than excited to have qualified for nationals today. Going into the race, I knew that I needed to give my best to help my team advance to nationals,” Kangogo said. “I’m sure every one of our guys thought the same and gave their best today.”

Kangogo was followed by Nathan Kipchumba (29th, 31:03.4), Nickson Koech (37th, 31:13.2), Jorge Sanchez (40th, 31:18.2) and Felix Kemboi (60th, 31:44.6).

The men’s team was reminded of their sport’s physical demand when their teammate Kemboi wasn’t able to perform to his abilities due to back pain.

“Felix [Kemboi]’s lower back really started to bother him during the race. He was struggling,” Friess said. “Things like this happen. Obviously, it was a big hit for us, having him run as far back as he did. If he is running the way he is capable of running normally, that would take 50 points of our total.”

Taking 50 points of their total would have put the Seawolves in the top three and secured them an automatic seat at the national meet. Still, the ‘Hewolves’ are likely to qualify for the national meet as a team due to their strong performances throughout the season and especially, their placing at the Div. II Conference Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois in October.

Kipchumba also believes in the potential of his team and the hard work they have put in this season so far.

“We actually have a solid team and we have been training very well,” Kipchumba said. “We could have performed way better than 5th, if Felix [Kemboi] was feeling good. But it is not over yet and we’re looking forward to run hard at the national meet and show off our hard work.”

The individuals and teams eligible to compete at the Div. II NCAA CrossCountry Championships on Nov. 18 will be announced later this week. A total of 32 teams and a minimum of 24 additional individuals per gender will be selected according to the men’s and women’s Cross-Country Committee selection criteria. Due to the West Regionals strong national presence, it is likely five or six teams of the region will compete at nationals.

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

| 19

A S S O C I AT E D CO L L E G I AT E P R ES S

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.­­­

L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y 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.

Have any opinions that you want to point out?

The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union, directly next to Subway.

T H E N O RT H E R N L I G H T CO N TAC TS

Give us your opinion at: editor@thenorthernlight.org 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508

Executive Editor

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Malia Barto arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Sam Davenport 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant Sports Editors

Managing Editor

Lauren Cuddihy sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Kathryn DuFresne content@thenorthernlight.org

Copy Editor

Victoria Petersen copy@thenorthernlight.org

News Editor

Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant News Editors

Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org Marie Ries news2@thenorthernlight.org

Assistant Features Editor

Brenda Craig features@thenorthernlight.org

Arts & Entertainment Editor Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

Karolin Anders sports@thenorthernlight.org

Logan Harrison lharrison@thenorthernlight.org

Staff Reporters

Caleigh Jensen cjensen@thenorthernlight.org

Layout Editor

Levi Brown layout@thenorthernlight.org

Web Editor

Caitlin Buxbaum web@thenorthernlight.org

Advertisement Manager

Randi Pelch 786-6195 admanager@thenorthernlight.org

Marketing Representative

Alexis Abbott marketing@thenorthernlight.org

Contributors

Joseph Diaz jdiaz@thenorthernlight.org

Grant Kniefel Jacob Holley-Kline Madison McEnaney

Staff Photographers

Media Adviser

Jay Guzman jguzman@thenorthernlight.org Young Kim ykim@thenorthernlight.org

Multimedia Editor

Yoshina Okamoto multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

Graphic Designer

Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org

Paola Banchero

Administrative Adviser Zac Clark

Administrative Assistant Allie Hartman

Hiring For

Features Editor Assistant A&E Editor Opinion Editor