October 16, 2018

OCTOBER 23 - OCTOBER 29, 2018

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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Relax and de-stress with wellness breaks

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

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Zombie Half Marathon: ‘The weather was rough’

ISER report says Alaska health care spending is highest in nation

By Marie Ries

news@thenorthernlight.org

Alaskans spend more on health care than residents of any other U.S. state, a recent report by the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research found. Health care spending increased nationwide over the past 25 years; in Alaska, however, the spending increased more rapidly.‌ In 1991, the state spent $1.5 billion on health care.

Twenty-three years later, the costs have increased more than five times over: in 2014, the total health care spending amounted to $8.2 billion.‌ Mouhcine Guettabi, UAA professor for eco-

nomics, compiled the data with ISER research professionals Jessica Passini and Rosyland Frazier.

The report is the first publicly available summary of health care trends in Alaska.‌ Guettabi thinks that the report serves as “an important first step” in opening a conversation about the trends.‌ “Health care costs and health care spending are growing at an incredibly fast pace in the state, and we have to grapple with them in one way or another going forward,” Guettabi said.‌ The average American spent about $8,000 on health care in 2014. The average Alaskan, however, had to spend $11,000.

This marks a significant increase from older data; in 1991, both Alaskans and average Americans were spending between $2,600 and $2,700 on average.‌ The health care costs in the U.S. are already high compared to other countries. With Alaska being above national average, the state might have one of the highest health care costs in the world, Guettabi explained.‌ The increases in health care spending have consequences for the state’s economy. The impact on business in Alaska is negative, according to

SEE ISER

PAGE 2 GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

Find the key to a capella with free event

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

thenorthernlight.org

A capella greets the town with a special event held on campus.‌ It’s not a UAA event, but held at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 26 is a workshop hosted by Alaska Sound Celebration that can get anyone’s a capella in tune.‌ Alaska Sound Celebration, an allfemale a capella chorus and chapter of

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Sweet Adelines International, is putting on this free event, called “So You Want to Sing A Capella?”‌ “We want to bring that to the forefront of our community and provide an opportunity for others to know how they can participate, whether that is forming their own group or joining ours,” Christy Hendricks, marketing coordinator of Alaska Sound Celebration, said.‌ The event will feature Deke Sharon, the “father of modern a capella.” Sharon is the musical producer behind all three

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“Pitch Perfect” movies, as well as producer of NBC’s “The Sing Off.” Sharon started an a capella Disney tour called “DCapella” and was the founder of the male a capella group, The House Jacks, who performed at UAA’s A Capella Festivella in 2017.‌ The biography on his website says that he’s “responsible for the current sound

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

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ISER: Cause of spending A week in politics: Candidates for remains speculative governor debate PFD plans, Gov. Continued from cover Guettabi. This traces back to the role of benefits in employee compensation.‌ “Benefits represent a big portion of overall compensation. As a result of growing health care costs... the burden that is imposed on employers is higher,” Guettabi said. “This makes a business more reluctant to hire employees [and] it makes people more reluctant to start businesses.”‌ For individuals, the increased health care costs might mean stagnant wages.‌ “A lot of what would have been wage increases are going towards premiums and towards benefits, so governments, individuals and businesses are all affected by this health care crisis,” Guettabi said.‌ A consequence of this is medical tourism: Alaskans and Alaskan businesses have started looking for cheaper medical treatments in the Lower 48.‌ The report itself does not pinpoint the causes for the rapid growth in spending, which remain speculative.‌ Arielle Himmelbloom, UAA health sciences major, thinks that the number of health care professionals in Alaska might be a decisive factor in the cost development.‌ “In this context, I believe it would be beneficial to have more health care professionals,” Himmelbloom said. ‌ Providing easier care access

to rural areas could lower the average spending, Himmelbloom explained.‌ Guettabi, Passini and Frazier worked on the compilation of the data for two years. The comprehensive report includes information on Alaska health care spending, the state’s health and social services budget, as well as the growth of health spending in the nation. ‌ The ISER report relies on data of the national Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which collected health care spending across states in the U.S. ‌ David Lassman, lead author of this national report, pointed out that the health care spending gap increased less rapidly in the more recent past.‌ “Recent economic and health sector factors have had clear impacts by state... However, during the 2009 to 2014 period, the variation in spending between the lowest and highest states was virtually unchanged,” Lassman said in a press release.‌ The next step is to determine the specific reasons for the growth in health care spending.‌ “We are starting to do some empirical work trying to un-peel the onion, if you will,” Guettabi said. “I think the next step is to ask specific questions about which policies potentially have led to a higher healthcare cost and what changes can be implemented in order to address it. “‌ The full ISER report can be found under iseralaska.org.‌‌‌‌

Bill Walker suspends campaign

By Robin O’Donoghue features@thenorthernlight.org

Last week, if you blinked, you could have missed what happened in Alaska’s race for governor.

UAA gubernatorial debate The week began with the UAA 2018 Gubernatorial Debate between Gov. Bill Walker (I), former U.S. senator Mark Begich (D) and Billy Toien (L) on Oct. 15.

The debate, which was moderated by UAA Seawolf Debate coach, Steve Johnson, featured questions from a panel of journalists from Anchorage Daily News. The debate focused around the question: “What role should the PFD play in Alaska’s fiscal crisis?”

Noticeably absent was the Republican candidate and former state senator, Mike Dunleavy. Jokes and jabs were had by all of the candidates at Dunleavy’s expense for his tendency to skip out on debates.

Tegan Hanlon of the Anchorage Daily News asked the candidates to grade their opponents’ plans for the Alaska Permanent Fund and the Permanent Fund Dividend.

“There is no grade for this one,” Begich said, gesturing towards Dunleavy’s vacant chair. “‘Needs improvement’ would be a positive… It’s a fail.”

Using the elementary school grading system of “O” for outstanding, “S” for “satisfactory” and “N” for “needs improvement,” both Begich and Walker graded each other’s plan as satisfactory. They also said Toien’s plan needed more work.

“I think [Billy Toien’s] got a lot of data,” Walker said, drawing laughs from the audience as he gestured towards Toien’s cart of physical copies of old state budgets and other books.

When it came time to grade Dunleavy, Walker assigned the Republican candidate a grade of “incomplete,” drawing laughs and claps from the audience. “[Dunleavy’s] math would put us back in a huge deficit,” he said.

Toien also assigned Dunleavy’s PFD plan a “failing grade,” stating that “apparently,

PHOTO BY ROBIN O’DONOGHUE

Mike Dunleavy (absent), Mark Begich, Billy Toien and Gov. Bill Walker at UAA’s 2018 Gubernatorial Debate.

he seems to be clueless on anything outside the budget.”

For both Walker’s and Begich’s plans, Toien said they needed improvement. Unlike his opponents, he gave himself the same grade.

“I’m going to have to agree with somebody again... I’m going to have to agree with Governor Walker [because] this is a work in progress, so I would actually give myself a ‘needs improvement’ because it’s not done,” he said.

Mallott’s resignation The next day, Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott unexpectedly resigned.

In a letter, he wrote that his resignation was “a resignation compelled by inappropriate comments I made that placed a person whom I respect and revere in a position of vulnerability.”

Few details have been released on what may have happened. Valerie Davidson was then sworn in as the new lieutenant governor.

Davidson made history as the first Alaska Native woman to hold statewide office in Alaska and the first indigenous woman to hold a statewide office in the United States.

Over the following days, Alaskans wondered how Walker’s campaign for reelection would be affected by the change.

Some thought Walker would have no option other than to suspend his campaign. Publicly, however, Walker maintained that he was focused on being the governor and staying in the race.

AFN convention On Thursday night, Walker addressed the Alaska Federation of Natives convention and apologized for historical wrongs.

“As the 11th governor of the State of Alaska, I apologize to you, Alaska’s first people, for the wrongs that you have endured for generations,” he said.

“For being forced into boarding schools... Forced to abandon your native language and adopt a foreign one, I apologize.”

“This apology is long overdue.”

On Friday, at the same convention and an hour before a scheduled forum for the three candidates, an announcement was made that the governor was going to address the conference.

“When I said I ran for governor to do the job, not make the decisions to keep the job, I meant exactly what I said,” Walker said. “Every decision I have made as your governor, I have made on the basis of what I believe is best for Alaska.”

Walker then announced that he would be suspending his campaign, effective immediately.

“Alaskans deserve a competitive race. Alaskans deserve a choice other than Mike Dunleavy,” he said.

The announcement was met with surprise but also a standing ovation.

Both Walker’s and Mallott’s names will still be on the ballot on Election Day, and it remains unclear how his withdrawal will affect the election process.‌

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

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Wool socks: A catalyst for social change

By Chase Burnett features2@thenorthernlight.org

A willingness to care.

A passion for connection.

A platform for change.

When these factors converge, they enable progress and understanding in our community.‌ Mikey Huff saw a need to connect with people in the homeless community and to share their stories.

With the “Wool Sock Project,” he’s created a platform to provide not only physical necessities, but also emotional support to the people he meets.‌ His journey began with a simple pair of socks. He read that socks were the most requested item at homeless shelters.‌ “I can afford socks and this gives me an outlet, an opportunity and a reason to take some photographs and try to use the skill set that I’ve identified to benefit someone more than just myself,” he said.‌ What he found questioned his own preconceived notions and the preconceived notions that society had put forth.‌ “The easy one to identify is that they [homeless people] are all drunks,

they’re all drug addicts and none of them want a job,” he said.‌ He discovered that the reality couldn’t have been further from that notion.‌ Through the project he’s found that the events leading to homelessness are profoundly different for each person. The easy answer is to group all of the people on the street into one category; however, that sentiment further alienates them based on a single factor, he explained.‌ Tackling the issue of homelessness has often been met with a blanket solution, shuffling individuals around. This doesn’t solve the problem; it only relocates it. As Huff has found, a blanket solution is not effective when each person’s struggle is vastly different.‌ “Really, the only core factor that’s the same between them is they just don’t have somewhere to sleep at night. Because they’re lumped into this category of being homeless, with that term comes all of these negative connotations,” he said.‌ Huff doesn’t want to influence how people think.

His goal is to give someone who is often over-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKEY HUFF

looked an opportunity to share their viewpoint and their experiences.‌ He’s witnessed firsthand the impact that providing a pillar of stability can have. After building a relationship with a member of the community, that person was arrested.

Through that process, however, he was able to get treatment and was celebrating eight months of sobriety. Part of his treatment program was to build a circle of people he could lean on and turn to.‌ Huff became one of those people. ‌ “That [pillar of stability and understanding] is often more than I could ever offer someone on

a monetary or physical goods basis,” he said.‌ Huff wants to go beyond the one-sided “I’m only here to help you” dynamic and has built mutual relationships with the people he’s met through the project.‌ “Now I want a genuine relationship with this person where I can celebrate with them and be there to listen when they’re down,” he said.‌ The “Wool Sock Project” is dynamic in nature.

It can grow or shrink depending on the level of community involvement.‌ “If tomorrow people decided they don’t care about the project anymore, I would still be able to go

out and do it based on my own resources,” he said.‌ The project’s mission is to inspire others to make a difference in the world around them in some way.

Huff wants people to find a way to utilize their personal strengths to better the world, not just in terms

of the homeless issue, but in all facets of life.‌ “I don’t want people to think that the way that I do it is the right way to do it,” he said.‌ To learn more about the “Wool Sock Project” visit www.woolsock.org.‌

From Oma’s kitchen to The Last Frontier

West Berlin offers a variety of German beverages, including pints of Stiegl Grapefruit Radler.

PHOTOS BY JOEY CARREON

West Berlin, nestled on the intersection of Mountain View Drive and N Park Street.

By Joey Carreon

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Located in Mountain View, West Berlin is serving delicious German and Bavarian fare that could rival what your Oma “(grandmother” in German) used to make. On a street with an abundance of restaurants from around the world, West Berlin completes your global food conquest on Mountain View Drive. ‌ An obvious nod to the side of Berlin allied with America, the British and the French during the Cold War, West Berlin is where Hawaiian owner Bill Hoopai would serve in the Air Force before coming to Alaska, according to an article by Zack Fields in the Anchorage Press. This

is where Hoopai would fall in love with German cuisine and ultimately behoove him to open up West Berlin on Mountain View near beloved Hawaiian restaurant, Hula Hands, which Hoopai also owns. ‌ The authenticity of the cuisine at West Berlin speaks for itself — so well, in fact, that those nostalgic for the rich food and culture of Deutschland will feel right at home. Upon entering, you are greeted with an open, rustic interior with an aroma of sausages and hand-crafted pretzels. Wooden tables, reminiscent of those found in German biergartens, are arranged neatly with chairs to match. Imported German beer steins, flags bearing family crests, and German beer posters adorn the walls and shelves of West Berlin. In a cooler, over a dozen bottled and

Jagerschnitzel, stewed, fermented red cabbage and egg noodles.

canned German beers are displayed; on another wall, several German and Austrian beers on tap with their respective tap handles. ‌ The menu is short and sweet, printed on one sheet of laminated paper. On the menu, some of the German names can be hard to pronounce, so detailed descriptions of each dish are present below each item. Featured on the menu are several popular German dishes: schnitzel (breaded cutlets), homemade pretzels, sandwiches served on pretzel bread, several homemade German side dishes and various entrees. ‌ Being a frequent patron of West Berlin, I knew that their schnitzels are the most popular dinner item. I chose their pork jagerschnitzel ($13) and a half-li-

ter of their Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen ($7), which was a part of their rotating tap collection. Being a marzen, the Oktoberfest was medium-bodied, lightly malty, yet crisp with a subtle orange hue.

Promptly, my jagerschnitzel arrived: a tenderized, juicy pork cutlet breaded and fried to golden-brown perfection. Drizzled on top of the jagerschnitzel was a rich, deep brown gravy with mushrooms.

On the side, spaetzle (German egg noodles) and a mound of stewed, red cabbage. The schnitzel was crisp, and it was complimented nicely by the salty, brown gravy and the tartness of the red cabbage.

The sides at West Berlin are homemade, too—their red cabbage was sweet, tart, and warming due to their use of allspice.

It was truly the perfect complement to a breaded piece of meat doused in gravy.‌ For lighter fare, West Berlin also offers lunch specials such as: different sausage dishes and sandwiches served on pretzels. However, it’s apparent that West Berlin’s ace is their schnitzel.‌ The only thing more warming than the food was the presence of the staff. From the moment I entered to the moment I finished my meal, they were accommodating, helpful and willing to answer any questions I had. While finishing my meal, I could not help but notice patrons, presumably first-timers, complimenting the staff on food well-done and telling them that they’d see them next time.‌ West Berlin, modestly tucked away on Mountain View Drive, is a gem that remains one of Anchorage’s best kept secrets. Whether one is familiar with German cuisine or not, West Berlin boasts simple, quality food that brings the best of German cooking to our neck of the woods.‌

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FEATURES

Student-led wellness breaks boost employee morale

PHOTO COURTESY OF KYRA MCKAY

By Caleigh Jensen arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Nearly every day of the week, students in the Health Physical Education and Recreation program lead wellness breaks.

The breaks are designed to give HPER students hands-on experience in their major and UAA employees a break during their work day in order to relax, destress and improve their work performance.‌ Wellness breaks encompass a holistic approach of wellness, which includes six dimensions; physical, occupational, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. This approach intends to give participants a more complete definition of wellness. ‌ “When we go through wellness, I think most people completely skip to physical health, but wellness is just so multidi-

mensional,” Benjamin Griffith, a senior physical education major and wellness break leader, said.

“We’re just trying to change that narrative around and actually educate people for a healthy life.”‌ The breaks are very flexible and tailored to the participant’s needs and the specialties of the student leaders. Popular activities in the past have been full body stretching, lightweight exercise, mediation, massages and art therapy. ‌ “I personally love exercising, and I love sharing that passion with others... I feel like whoever comes appreciates that, too,” Yvonne Jeschke, a senior studying physical education with an emphasis in sport management, said. “All they want is a stress relief from work, and they can just distract themselves with some movement.”‌ The activities are located in

multiple locations on and off campus and at various times in order to include as many participants as possible.‌ “By having these wellness breaks at work being brought to employees, it’s eliminating most or all of the barriers that people have, including time, money, location and motivation,” Kyra McKay, a graduate with a bachelor’s of science in physical education with an emphasis in leadership and fitness, said. ‌ McKay is the first ever Employee Wellness Practicum Coordinator. McKay has worked closely with the Employee Wellness Program in various positions since it began in 2015.

After a staff morale survey conducted by Staff Council showed low results, Staff Council reached out to HPER and asked them to provide in-person wellness programs to boost employee morale.‌

“My favorite part is the social aspect that these wellness breaks bring and seeing employees and how they’ve never met each other before when they work in the same building, getting to interact with each other, and seeing those relationships build,” McKay said.‌ Aside from benefiting the employee participants and creating long-lasting relationships, wellness breaks are also beneficial to the student leaders.‌ “[Leading] definitely keeps me organized,” Kian McNairSpeech, a physical education major with an athletic training minor, said. “I get to learn new things, too. When I’m teaching, I’m gaining knowledge and learning just as much as [the participants] are. It’s such a friendly and non-pressured environment.” ‌ Coming up next in the wellness break schedule is a staff

and faculty wellness break on Oct. 23 at Mat-Su College, led

by Cooper Hanson in the Fred & Sara Machetanz Building, Room 202, from 2:30 - 3 p.m.‌ On Oct. 24, a core work wellness break in the Social Science Building, Room 213, will be led

by Casey Wright from 11:30 - 12 p.m. Carlin Scott will lead “Rid That Afternoon Dip” in the Allied Health Science Building, Room 147, from 12:20 - 12:40 p.m, and Benjamin Griffith and Coby Smith will lead “Essential Steps to Increase Workday Wellness” from 2:30 - 3 p.m. in the Administration and Humanities Building, Room 148.‌ For a full schedule including the times and locations of upcoming wellness breaks, visit the UAA Employee Wellness page on the UAA website.‌

& AE 05 ‘Playhouse Creatures’ creates reflection of women in theatre THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

The first production of the semester from UAA’s Department of Theatre and Dance kicks off next weekend.‌ The cast of “Playhouse Creatures” can be found perfecting their sword-fighting as they rehearse for the opening night of the department’s first theatre show of the 2018-19 season.‌ April De Angelis’ “Playhouse Creatures” is set during the Restoration era, focusing on five women who are based on some of the first female theatre actors in England. The play looks at what it was like to be a female actress in those times, where it wasn’t necessarily a normal sight to see.‌ “We don’t get a lot of opportunities to tell stories about women, by women, for women, so this opportunity is fantastic,” Becca Padrick, senior theatre performance student who plays Elizabeth Farley, said.‌ The story includes issues that female actors dealt with during the time the play is set, around 1660, and still may be dealing with in today’s day and age. Some of these issues include becoming “too old” to continue acting, becoming a mother or being “too outspoken.”‌ “There are actresses all the time that get in those situations where they become ‘uncastable’ for some reason ... so [“Playhouse Creatures]” has this lovely reflection that all this stuff is happening in the Restoration and is still happening now,” Brian Cook, director, said.‌ The play has some comedy, sword-

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA THEATRE AND DANCE

Angela Colavecchio and Becca Padrick rehearsing their parts in “Playhouse Creatures.”

fighting and unique, handmade costumes to offer.‌ Colleen Metzger, costume designer for the theatre and dance department, started working on costumes for this play during the summer. She “rust-dyed” the costumes, laying pieces of rusty metal over the fabric and allowing it to leave imprints. ‌ “The decay on their costumes is the decoration; so, rather than traditional distressing of making it look worn down or worn in, the dirt is creating the patterns on the garments,” Metzger said.‌ The cast and crew have been rehearsing since mid-September with rehearsals Monday through Thursday for three hours each night. They are looking for-

ward to opening night.‌ “It’s a lot of hours, but in the end, it’s definitely worth it,” Angela Colavecchio, senior theatre student, said.‌ Colavecchio is fulfilling the role of Nell Gwyn in what will be her eighth UAA theatre production.‌ “There’s stage magic that doesn’t get captured in film or another medium where everything is happening right in front of you,” she said.‌ “It’s been really fantastic to work with an amazing group of women because we’re all portraying an amazing group of women,” Devan Hawkins, senior social work student playing the role of Mary Betterton, said. “I think that bond comes through on stage.”‌

The students cast as the five main female characters include Hawkins, Colavecchio, Padrick, Paitton Reid and Mo Garrigues.‌ “Playhouse Creatures” opens Friday, Oct. 26 and closes Nov. 4. Plays are held in the Fine Arts Building’s mainstage theatre on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. Tickets are $9.99 for students, $14.99 for seniors and military and $19.99 for the general public.

They can be purchased at artsuaa.com.

There is a free, student preview night on Thursday, Oct. 25. This play contains partial nudity and may not be suitable for everyone.‌

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A&E

SING: ‘This is the first time we have been able to offer a workshop of this magnitude’ Continued from cover of modern a cappella, having created the dense vocal-instrumental sound in college, subsequently spreading it around the world.”‌ Sharon has published five books, and one is titled the same name as the event. He will give live demonstrations at the event and talk about today’s a capella world.‌ “A cappella is perhaps the most immediate, powerful way we can knit back our communities and society, as people come together and realize they have far more in common than they think,” Sharon wrote in an email. “We need each other, and singing a beautiful chord together makes it very clear that what we can create together is far greater than what we can do alone.”‌ “So You Want to Sing A Capella?” will also feature performances from Alaska Sound Celebration, the Glee Club at UAA and both of Service High

School’s and South Anchorage High School’s swing choirs.‌ “We’re really excited to perform and really excited to stay and see the rest of the show ourselves,” Ryan Brockman, member of the Glee Club at UAA, said.‌ This one-night event is unlike what Alaska Sound Celebration has put on before.‌ “As a chorus, we have many internal educational opportunities for our members, but this is the first time we have been able to offer a workshop of this magnitude and caliber to the general public,” Hendrick said. “We want to reach those individuals who lack either the knowledge or confidence, or both, and get them to believe and know that with the right information, tools and instruction, anyone can sing.”‌ The event runs from 7 - 9 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m.

It is free and open to all ages, but reservations can be made at brownpapertickets.com.‌

A&E

07

Four of a kind: BIZZAY’s new series explores connected themes through four unique short films

By Robin O’Donoghue features@thenorthernlight.org

“It’s a reminder that we’re all mortal, and we’re all going to die… So live as if you’re going to die,” Devan Hawkins said about “The Human Condition.”‌ Hawkins, a senior studying social work at UAA, recently took part in the student film as an actress portraying the “mystic” character Amara.‌ “The Human Condition,” created by Anchorage-based film marketing agency, BIZZAY, is a collection of four short films that each encompass similar themes and motifs.‌ “They all have similar elements in them... This mystic element of people learning lessons, and that’s kind of why it’s called the human condition,” said Hawkins.‌ “The Human Condition,” which was filmed this summer, will have a free-toattend premiere on Oct. 25 at the Alaska Experience theater starting at 7 p.m.‌ Hawkin’s character “Amara,” who appears in a portion of the film called “Memento Mori,” is a guide type figure and the mystical component of the “Memento Mori” section.‌ “Memento Mori is a reminder of death,” Hawkins said. “It’s a reminder that you are mortal.”‌ According to Hawkins, the storyline of “Memento Mori” follows a man who has fallen on difficult times and, in turn, makes the people around him miserable.

Hawkins first heard about the project through Facebook groups that source local talent for film projects. After seeing the listing online, Hawkins contacted the production team and arranged an audition.‌ “The [local] film community is really

tight, but it’s also really secluded,” said Hawkins. “Unless you work in film here often, you really don’t know who’s in the business.”‌ Zayn Roohi, CEO of BIZZAY, first began writing the script for “The Human Condition two years ago.” The film was originally intended to be a collection of eight short films all shot within eight months, but it changed over the course of concept to realization and resulted in the four short films that now make up the film.‌ At only 22 years old, Roohi is already an Emmy-nominated director for work on BIZZAY’s 2017 documentary Akeela, which focuses on the work of Akeela, INC., an Alaskan health care provider specializing in substance use treatment.‌ According to Roohi, the team worked on writing “The Human Condition” all of May and June and first began production on June 27. All of the filming took place in Anchorage.‌ “We really wanted to do something different this time,” Roohi said. “Our past projects, like the film we did, ‘Chance,’ was about homelessness in Alaska, but it wasn’t personally about us. With this film the whole project is about free will, choice and fate... How we treat each other.”‌ “It became really personal to us,” Roohi also said. “We wrote about a lot of our own experiences metaphorically.”‌ Norberto De Jesus Jr., who’s currently a UAA student studying philosophy, not only served as a writer and director for “The Human Condition,” but also composed the accompanying music and put together the score.‌ “I composed four songs,” De Jesus Jr. said. “It was quite the task.”‌ The process of scoring scenes entailed watching rough edits of the film repeat-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZAYN ROOHI

“The Human Condition” was originally intended to be eight short films, and all of the filming took place in Alaska.

edly.‌ “The idea with film scoring is not to score the scenario… but to score the emotions that the main actor is feelling,” De Jesus Jr. said. “To do that you really have to get in character and transcribe that into music.”‌ For Hawkins, working on the project with the BIZZAY team was enjoyable.‌ “The thing I love about [the team] is that they’re so young and so professional… They built this entire thing from the ground up, and Zayn and Noberoto are now Emmy-nominated directors,” said Hawkins.‌ You can find BIZZAY on Instagram @ bizzymedia and on Facebook @bizzay2.

The premiere for “The Human Condition” is on Oct. 25th at 7 p.m. at the Alaska Experience Theater. While the event is free to attend, there is limited seating, which will be operating on a first-come, first-served basis.‌

Celebrating over 25 years of haunted Halloween fun

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Caleigh Jensen arts2@thenorthernlight.org

For 25 years, Haunted Halloween Fun Night has been one of the biggest community Halloween events in Anchorage.

Taking over the UAA Student Union with Halloween decorations and activities, the event features various booths put on by student clubs in order to raise money for their organization and a charity.‌ The proceeds from the event are split 75/25, with 75 percent going towards the student clubs. The charity of choice for this year’s event is Big Brothers Big Sisters of Anchorage. Last year, $3,165.50 was donated to the charity and $3,656 was donated in 2016. An additional $8,250 was raised for the 40 participating student clubs in 2017.‌ “It’s a great way to earn money for your club and have fun,” Rose Kruger, chair of Club Council, said. “It’s a main-

stay of Halloween events in town.” ‌ Johnnie Templeton, vice chair of Club Council, sees Haunted Halloween Fun Night as a chance for the university to connect with the community in an indoor environment. ‌ “It’s one of the ways UAA can get involved with the community. Universities should always better their community,” he said. “It’s a great way that UAA can partner up and have a fun, safe place for young kids to come and have some fun. I enjoy bringing my son here.”‌ Templeton will be sporting the Spirit mascot costume at this year’s event.‌ At Haunted Halloween Fun Night, each participating club chooses their own Halloween-themed booth, decorates it and sets the number of tickets needed for their activity. Participants can win candy by completing the activities. Each booth requires one to three tickets to participate. Tickets are universal to all the booths, set at $0.50 each and bought in bundles at the entrance of the event. ‌ Many clubs feature the same activity from year to year. One of the most popular events in the past has been Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s monster hunt. Members of the fraternity dress up as monsters and participants have the chance to shoot them with Nerf guns. ‌ “Fraternities are really great at getting involved with the kids and having a good time, and I think that’s the most important thing: getting students involved and giving younger kids a safe environment,” Templeton said. “They might not be necessarily as scared to come to college when they get older. It gives them a positive experience.” ‌

Another traditional event is the bridge crossing, put on by The American Society of Civil Engineers. Each year, the club builds a bridge for a national engineering competition and repurposes it for the event. Participants then walk across the bridge with an egg in a spoon, aiming to make it all the way across without dropping the egg.‌ “Kids like to build with Legos, and the bridge is a visual representation of building. Seeing the bridge gets them interested,” David Tatarenko, president of The American Society of Civil Engineers, said.‌ Dental Hygienists of the Future has put on a life-sized Angry Birds toss for the past three years. Amber Ewing, a senior majoring in dental hygiene and president of the club, sees their booth as a chance to inform others about their organization in

a family-friendly environment.‌ “I’m a tad biased, but our booth is really cool,” Ewing said. “We love getting the word out about our club but, more importantly, our program. We have a patient-centered program, and without the help from members of the community, both adults and kids, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish our goals.”‌ Other typical carnival events are hosted as well, including face painting with Plates for Compassion, a bean bag toss with The Society of Physics and Astronomy Students at UAA and mini golf with Sigma Sigma Sigma.‌ Haunted Halloween Fun Night will take place on both floors of the Student Union from 1 - 6 p.m. on Oct. 27. Children of all ages are encouraged to dress up in costumes and participate in the festivities. ‌

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF ROSE KRUGER

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

08

The athletes to follow this season

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

With the 2018-19 fall athletic seasons in full swing, many athletes have had the chance to get themselves noticed. Volleyball, cross country and hockey have all had several athletes accumulate awards based on their season play, but men’s basketball has an athlete earning awards even before the team has kicked off the season. ‌ Eve Stephens, in just her freshman season at UAA, has already had more individual attention and recognition than many others on the team. ‌ Originally from Palmer High School, Stephens joined the Seawolves as one of many middle blockers on the team. Within one month of the starting season, Stephens already had two awards, one on a conference level and one on a national level.‌ On Sept. 17, Stephens was name Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week after delivering a .474 and .656 attack average during two separate games against UAF. ‌ “I think transitioning off the net, doing the little things that I needed to do, talking loud, being available to my setter and then just having the confidence to go up every time and swing no matter what [contributed to my success against UAF],” Stephens said.‌ Her average was the highest seen at UAA in 17 years and resulted in being the sixth best

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAWOLF ATHLETICS

Emmah Chelimo

Tyler Brimhall

Tomi Hiekkavirta

Eve Stephens

ever in GNAC.‌ Due to her accomplishments, it was announced a day later that Stephens was named Sports Imports/AVCA Division II National Player of the Week, as voted by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. ‌ Stephens is just one of three players in UAA history to have received that national honor. ‌ As for cross country, junior Emmah Chelimo is the only runner at UAA who has earned a conference award during the current season after racing in just two meets. ‌ Head coach Michael Friess has been impressed with her performances and is confident in her abilities. ‌ “Emmah Chelimo is at the top of the talent on [our team right now],” Friess said. ‌ Chelimo ran in both the Skinny Raven Classic and the UNLV Invitational on Sep. 8 and Sep.

22, respectively, producing first place wins both times. ‌ Then she led the women’s team to an overall first place finish at both meets. ‌ On Oct. 8, after just two regular season hockey games, it was announced that junior Tomi Hiekkavirta was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association Defenseman of the Week. ‌ Hiekkavirta played in both games against Colorado College on Oct. 6 and 7, making several significant accomplishments during his playing time. ‌ In addition to solidifying the game-winning goal during the second game, he also made several successful assists. ‌ Hiekkavirta, prior to scoring the final goal with 9:18 remaining, also helped put the puck in the net for the previous goal.

Overall, during the two games, Hiekkavirta posted one goal and two assists, which ranked him at

a tie for second place nationally at the time.‌ In contrast to the prior award winners, Tyler Brimhall has never played for the Seawolves and has yet to start the 2018-19 season, but he has already accumulated a conference award. ‌ Brimhall is an incoming junior transfer from North Idaho College club who was awarded recognition on the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team. ‌ Prior to his time at NIC, Brimhall spent his first two collegiate years playing at the Idaho University Division I program.‌ Head coach Rusty Osborne is satisfied with the previous experience Brimhall had. ‌ “Like our fall signees, we feel Tyler not only brings physical skills, but intangibles as well.

Tyler knows how to embrace the little details that contribute to winning,” Osborne said.

“He was well-coached at Idaho

and continued to make strides this year under coach [Corey] Symons at North Idaho. We are confident he will represent Seawolf Nation well on the court, in the classroom and in the community.” ‌ On both teams, Brimhall made significant accomplishments that made him initially standout after joining a GNAC team. At NIC, during his previous season, Brimhall averaged 12.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, a significant improvement from his average of 2.5 points per game at Idaho. ‌ These four athletes are the only ones to produce conference or national recognition during the current season; however, there are many weeks left for athletes to make a move. For current schedules and rosters, visit www.goseawolves.com.‌

A familiar face joins gymnastics coaching staff

By Emily Medina

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAWOLF ATHLETICS

A familiar face has joined the coaching staff for the UAA gymnastics team. Marie-Sophie Boggasch is a former standout gymnast and now the graduate assistant coach.‌ Boggasch first came to UAA from Schwarzenbach am Wald, Germany in 2012. Throughout her time on the gymnastics team, she helped break school records and won four letters by competing in vault, floor and bar exercises.‌ On top of coaching, Boggasch is also a flight instructor and pursuing a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies. She

is combining courses in aviation, management and education. ‌ “I was a flight instructor for four years,” said Boggasch. “I’m actually still a flight instructor, but I figured that combining education and aviation can really help me continue to better myself as a teacher for other people... Leading and managing has always been my second passion.”‌ Coaching goes hand-in-hand with Boggasch studying education. As a former gymnast, it is fulfilling to Boggasch to be the one coaching compared to being the one learning the different skills.‌ “I’m surprised how much satisfaction I personally get when I

see the girls performing well,” said Boggasch. “I always knew that I really enjoyed teaching, and I really enjoy seeing how I can make an impact in peoples’ lives.”‌ When asked if she will be going to be coaching UAA gymnastics again, Boggasch’s answer was “yes and no.”‌ “I knew that I wanted to stay in Alaska, and I had talked about the possibility of coaching with the old head coach,” she said, “but back then I was still very close to the team and had just graduated, so we both felt like it wasn’t the right time.”‌ The right time came sooner than later. The idea sparked up again last year when Boggasch decided to go to UAA to study

for a master’s degree.‌ Connecting with head coach Tanya Ho led to an agreement that resulted in having Boggasch on the team once again to share her own knowledge of the sport.‌ “She just has some different drills, skills and techniques that she learned over in Germany that we may have not seen before,” Ho said.‌ It’s never too early to mark your calendars for the first gymnastics competition. It will be against Illinois State on Friday, Jan. 4 in the Alaska Airlines Center at 7 p.m. ‌ For all things athletics, be sure to check out goseawolves. com.‌

SPORTS

09

Runners show Halloween spirit at the 2018 Zombie Half Marathon

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Zombie Half Marathon, 2016.

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

With the days getting colder and snow capping the mountains, Anchorage residents know the holiday season was coming up, starting with Halloween. Preparing for the spooky holiday, events all over the city are popping up to embrace the

season. ‌ Specifically, one event is a fall favorite for runners around the Anchorage area: the annual Zombie Half Marathon and Kids Zombie 2.5K. Runners took to the course on Saturday, Oct. 13. ‌ As the name implies, this race was unlike others. To celebrate the Halloween spirit, racers had the opportunity to run as a zombie. Most dress in zombie cos-

tumes and prepare with zombie makeup; however, this year, most had a less enthusiastic approach due to heavy rainfall on race day. ‌ Zombie participants were at Goose Lake Park Saturday morning. Runners had a start time of 10 a.m. and walkers, a start of 9 a.m. In addition to the heavy rain that continued into the morning from overnight, the runners had to dress appropriate for a chilly morning in the low 40s. ‌ Anchorage resident and head cross country coach in the Mat-Su School District, Christopher Osiensky, ran the Zombie Half Marathon for the first time this year, in part for preparation for other races. ‌ “I’ve ran a few half marathons and two full marathons. I’m training for the Houston Marathon, which takes place on January 20th. And this was my first time running the Zombie Half Marathon,” Osiensky said. ‌ Despite never having run this race or course before, Osiensky won the whole race. ‌ He completed the half marathon in 1 hour, 11 minutes, 45 seconds. That put him at a blistering 5:29 pace for each mile. The next finisher trailed Osiensky by a significant four minutes. ‌ Despite his impressive finish time,

Déjà vu and MSU

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Tara Melton had the highest attack percentage of .647 during the UAA game against Montana State University Billings.

By Emily Medina

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

The recent volleyball match may seem like a case of déjà vu, and it should. When the UAA volleyball team traveled to Billings, Montana in September, they won the match with a final score of 3-0. ‌ Exactly a month after that game, the team from Billings, Montana arrived in Anchorage for another match, resulting in a 3-0 win for UAA.‌ To continue the theme of déjà vu, Chrisalyn Johnson had the same amount of total attacks, 28, which was still more than any other player in both matches.‌ The Seawolves started their

match with a kill by Eve Stephens, which quickly put them in the lead. Stephens had another kill after UMB trailed ahead by two points, and both kills were set by Ellen Floyd.‌ This ongoing pattern between UAA and MSUB set the tone for the rest of the first set.

However, UAA pulled through towards the end and came out with their first victory of the match. ‌ The final point was made in the same way the first point was made: a kill by Stephens that was set by Floyd.‌ UAA came out on top with a final score of 25-22.‌ The second set started differently as a set by Floyd led to a kill from Vera Pluharova. Pluharova had a .50 attack percentage

throughout the game.‌ With a final score of 25-13, it is clear that the Seawolves did not leave any room for competition in the second set.‌ MSUB put up another fight in the beginning of the third set.

Starting with a kill from opposing team member Bayli Monck, the Seawolves quickly made up for their loss. ‌ A kill from Johnson ended the final set with a close score of 25-20. Winning the final set made for a final score of 3-0. ‌ The volleyball team will travel to Oregon for another conference game against Western Oregon on Thursday, Oct. 25. For all things athletic, be sure to check out goseawolves.com ‌‌‌

Osiensky was trying to pace himself as though it was a full marathon. ‌ “I ran the race in control in preparation for running a full rather than going all out. I didn’t dress up,” Osiensky said.

“The weather was rough... My clothes weighed about 5 pounds after I was done because of all the rain. I was shivering as soon as I crossed the finish line.”‌ Similarly to Osiensky’s trouble with the weather, Emily Sears began to feel weighed down when it started pouring. ‌ “It was great up to mile 8. I felt really good and I was running my goal pace, but then it started pouring, and I really slowed down after that,” Swears said.

“So, the last two or three miles were difficult and slow, but overall I think I competed well.” ‌ Despite her struggles due to the weather, Swears still finished fifth in her age group (F20-24) with an overall time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Her success most likely can be credited to her ample running experience. ‌ “I’ve been running for a quite awhile, about 13 years now. The Zombie was my fifth half marathon and my first in 2 ½ years. So, it felt like my first one ever,” Swears said. ‌ This event is held yearly to get people up and active. For more information visit to www.anchoragerunningclub.org.‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

10

The problem with How Trump should take on China horror movies

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

Modern horror movies are consistently bad. A few make it through the critics, sure, but the majority of new horror films demonstrate extremely lackluster writing. At best, audiences can expect a sequence of meaningless jump scares and an ugly villain. At worst, audiences will watch a whole horror movie without being horrified.

This problem is no fault of the genre.

Horror has long been an integral part of the cinema experience with plenty of successful films. But Hollywood’s financial nucleus has condensed into just a handful of media giants like 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. Pictures. To these entertainment behemoths, horror films have become more of a humdrum cash dividend than a form of art.

To resurrect quality horror, directors have to understand the genre’s name literally. A sequence of jump scares does not produce real horror. This is especially problematic when jump scares are copiously shoehorned into non-suspenseful scenes. Even before the villain reveals itself, audiences may be subjected to the pinnacle of poorly-written scares: household occurrences.

Imagine the protagonist’s husband needlessly slamming groceries on the table or suddenly appearing in the reflection when she closes the mirror. These jump scares fail to produce horror because they are not contextualized with suspense. They are not used as a payoff to a tense buildup nor a surprise when you expected to discover something else.

They exist solely to make you briefly squeal and choke on your popcorn.

Suspense is the most important ingredient for a quality horror movie. A plot has tension when the characters feel real and the stakes are high. Lazy directors forgo this principle. With most slasher films, the director has an incentive to create an ensemble of characters in order to have the villain pick them off one by one.

However, this comes at the expense of character development.

The audience can easily predict who will die first and who may survive. They feel no remorse when the nameless character is butchered and, worse, no concern for them leading up to that demise. For example, Jennifer Kent’s 2014 film “The

Babadook” limited its primary characters to just two individuals, a mother and her son. This limited cast made the plot events exponentially meaningful because neither character was expendable. By actually developing good characters, horror directors can then place them into horrifying situations that distress audiences.

Another area in which horror movies struggle is producing an agreement between the protagonist and the plot. In cinema, the protagonist is typically understood as the main driver for the plot. He or she performs actions or makes decisions that move everything forward. Horror movies break this dynamic because the protagonist is often just bumbling through life until the plot comes to them.

The burden for driving the plot falls on the villain, who attacks several times before a final showdown at the end. The problem here is that it effectively removes the agency of the protagonist. All of their decisions become reactions to the plot driving villain. This inevitably orients the audience’s attention on the villain instead of the protagonist. We wonder what the villain will do next more often than what the protagonist will do next.

Horror movies are also plagued with overused tropes. The manipulative demon or the crazed murderer. The phone without cell reception. The noise from the dark corner in the room that needs not to be investigated but the character will anyway. These tropes make the plot extremely predictable, which is the antithesis of genuine horror. It is not the case that all novel ideas have been exhausted.

People have made such claims about art in the past, but innovative creators always produce something new. The more a director can shock an audience with a unique subject or unexpected plot devices, the more horror will improve as a genre.

There is no reason to think that horror is irredeemable. It is still an excellent topic and one of the most affordable genres to film for small studios. Unfortunately, Hollywood’s powerful media conglomerates appear to be risk-averse. They opt for the rudimentary horror movie while choosing the best pieces for its trailer. In some ways, Hollywood has gotten better at filming movie trailers than filming movies. But with headstrong directors or an influx of small studios, the quality of horror movies can improve to a truly horrifying standard.‌

Trade wars and angry tweets are not the way to get China to behave

By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

In 2017, the U.S. Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property released a report detailing the cost of China’s theft of American intellectual property. The findings were staggering: theft by all parties accumulates an annual cost of $255 to $600 billion a year. The report specifically named China as the principal offender.‌ It’s no secret China engages in unethical practices to grow their economy. The international community has been trying to leverage global bodies like the World Trade Organization to prevent China from cheating the game of global trade for years. Yet, China continues stealing intellectual property, unfairly subsidizing domestic firms and ignoring other countries’ demands that they stop distorting market practices.‌ It isn’t just China’s economic practices we have to worry about. Chinese President Xi Jinping continues to bully and intimate their neighbors over disputes in the South China Sea, a contested set of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Instead of abiding by the Law of the Seas, a United Nations treaty governing international waters, China has militarized the Spratly Islands and ignored rulings ordering them to back off.‌ Justifiably so, the United States has expressed outrage over China’s behavior.

President Trump is not the first president to shake his fist at their carelessness towards fair trade and the rule of law. Unfortunately, he’s taken a brazen and dangerous stance to address his grievances.‌ Specifically, Trump has responded by starting a trade war with China. This occurs when two countries place restrictions on what they can trade with each other, which increases the costs of exports. By raising tariffs, the argument goes, China will feel pressure to back down from their illegal behavior and come to the table for negotiations. ‌ The problem with this strategy is that China has the power to weather the financial damages of U.S. tariffs, and thus has no reason to capitulate. Though the U.S. buys plenty more from China, Jinping can wield the state’s control over the economy by subsidizing companies being hit by tariffs and shield them from job losses. As a result, China can withstand years of massive tariffs without breaking much of a sweat.‌ The U.S., on the other hand, is more likely to suffer the immediate harms of a trade war. Tariffs disrupt supply chains and force companies to pass on costs to consumers, resulting in higher prices

that low-income Americans can’t afford.

It also squeezes key U.S. industries like agriculture, which don’t enjoy the same massive subsidies that Chinese firms do.‌ More importantly, on a broader economic scale, a trade war is likely to slow economic growth and, just as it did when we last engaged in one, push the economy into recession.‌ Trump may be right about China’s bad practices, but he’s wrong about what to do about it. If the U.S. wants to leverage its power against bad actors, it should use its enormous presence in the international community and embrace the rule of law to fight back.‌ For starters, Trump should utilize the World Trade Organization to check back against China. Though it has had trouble getting them to behave, it has been historically successful in compelling China to liberalize their economy and open up trade to the rest of the world. With persistence and multilateral pressure, the U.S. can bend China to its will.‌ Trump should also embrace global trade as a way to prevent China from breaking the rules. Ironically, the Trans Pacific Partnership, which Trump withdrew from immediately upon entering office, would have prevented China from seizing open markets in Asia that give them an advantage over the U.S. Now, China is becoming economically dominant in the fastest growing economies in the world.‌ More importantly, it would have given Western countries more bargaining power in the region, making it harder for China to game the system. ‌ The last thing Trump can do to take on China is embrace international organizations. Trump has an affinity for ditching our obligations abroad. In the last two years, we’ve withdrawn from the Paris Accords, the UN Human Rights Commission and the Iran Deal. He’s threatened to leave NATO, abandoned security commitments with Japan and nearly sabotaged NAFTA re-negotiations. ‌ The U.S. will not become stronger by isolating itself. Trump cannot simultaneously demand that everyone play by our rules while also undermining the institutions that give us the authority to police them. ‌ If Trump wants to stop China, he needs two things: influence and credibility. Both of those require a steadfast commitment to the international order and a willingness to cooperate with others within the confines of the law. An absence of that cooperation will rob America of their influence and allow China to parade their nonchalant indifference towards law and order for as long as they want. ‌‌‌

CONTACT

11

Capitalism needs more defenders

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

Capitalism is a convenient punching bag. From academia to politics, it is subjected to a constant barrage of denunciation but possesses no means to defend itself. It is, at its core, silent and voluntary. Its guiding principles, particularly free enterprise and the guarantee of private property, are so ingrained in American prosperity that we all just take it for granted. Capitalism has become a victim of its own success. The debates surrounding sensitive topics like cronyism and wealth inequality tend to be overpopulated with the critics of capitalism.

Defenders need to step into these debates and advocate for history’s most successful economic system.‌ The silence of defenders has created the illusion that capitalism has no defense on certain topics. Not only does this leave problem-solving to the authoritarians who benefit from anti-capitalist sentiment, but it also allows for a warped belief on what this economic system truly is. The vices of greed and selfishness are used to define capitalists, while the virtues of innovation and entrepreneurship are seldom attributed as they should be.

In the inequality debates, the concept of wealth is incorrectly perceived as a fixed pie graph, where the elites consume an enormous portion and leave but crumbs for everyone else. Seldom acknowledged is the reality that money is a renewable resource: its investment yields more wealth for more people. The economy ought to be thought of as a garden rather

than a pie.‌ Cronyism is a subject that defenders ought to be just as vocal about as anti-capitalists. This is a condition where private businesses obtain special privileges, tax breaks, subsidies or protection from the government. They achieve these arrangements through clever lobbying strategies, such as donating to a politician’s election campaign or employing citizens in a target politician’s district. Some businesses have entrenched themselves so deeply into this corporate welfare system that dislodging them becomes impossible for politicians. The corporate contractors that supply the U.S. Department of Defense, such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing, are outrageous examples of welfare permanence.‌ Some claim that cronyism is a symptom of capitalism. It is actually a symptom of government. None of those special benefits could be allocated if government consistently refrained from market intervention. Every time government bails out unsuccessful companies or prohibits Airbnb competition to protect hotels, taxpayers and consumers are left with empty pockets and fewer choices. Capitalism is entirely premised on the voluntary and free exchange between independent parties. Anything that distorts that is a corruption of free exchange. When defenders make this case, they need to juxtapose it with the arguments coming from anticapitalists. If the problem is that government is in bed with corporations, then the solution should not include an expansion of government. That just makes the bed bigger. Instead, a combination of self-imposed restraint and public transparency is

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GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

forms, the concentration of employment shifts around different economic sectors.

The burden for anti-poverty advocates is to make sure people don’t get left behind.

Authoritarian interests demand that government either prevent those transitions via regulation or subsidize the left-behind areas into perpetuity. Both are detrimental to progress. ‌ The barriers to labor mobility are pervasive, but free markets hold the key. Occupational licensing, which encompasses the massive stockpile of government permission slips to do a job, has expanded from 5 percent of the workforce in the 1950s to 25 percent in the 2010s. In many states, these licenses are required for work as ordinary as hairdressing or auctioneering. Defenders should always be looking for ways to break down unjustified restrictions and free the individual.‌ Maximizing opportunity is what defenders of capitalism ought to make a case for. The existence of cronyism is the result of irresponsible governance, and the existence of wealthy people does not come at the expense of poor people.

The economy is not a crude pile of treasure with a finite quantity of wealth to be shared. The economy is us, an aggregate of millions of individual transactions every day. It is supposed to be organic and free. Capitalist defenders must step up to the plate and make this case. If not, there won’t be much left to defend.‌

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3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508‌

Managing Editor Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org‌

what fortifies government against cronyism. ‌ The wealth inequality debate is where defenders of capitalism have relinquished the most ground, unfortunately. Pro-capitalism scholars go unheard, passive supporters remain quiet and wealthy narcissists dominate the public’s perception of the richest among us. All that remains to carry the banner of capitalism are extremists who fail to express a genuine concern for those less fortunate. ‌ This means that the banner of socialism wields greater influence in this debate. The wealth redistribution argument relies on an incomplete measure of prosperity: crude income. It fails to address the myriad of factors that cause cyclical poverty, such as lack of opportunity and labor immobility. Since it is difficult for tax collectors to distinguish between the investor class and the money-hoarders, the penalty will fall on both groups equally. Over-taxing the investors, whose money fuels the business economy, will only decrease the opportunities available to the working class. ‌ When defenders step back into this debate, they need to focus on addressing the causes of poverty with genuine concern. History is on their side: capitalism has an excellent track record when it comes to alleviating poverty. Nearly 1 billion people in the world have been freed from extreme poverty since 1990.

Much of that progress occurred in China, which has embraced capitalism in practice even though its government remains communist. ‌ A strong card for defenders to play is labor mobility. As an economy trans-

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