October 4, 2016

OCTOBER 4 - OCTOBER 11, 2016

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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RED ZONE: Do athletes serve less time for sexual assault or rape?

Local rapper to open for Grieves this weekend

Pacific Northwest rapper Grieves to perform in Anchorage

By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org

This coming Saturday, Oct. 8 at 9 p.m., Williwaw will be hosting a show by hip-hop rhyme-sayer Grieves.

Grieves is an international solo artist who is currently based out of Seattle. He has multiple albums out, but his latest is titled “Winter & the Wolves,” which came out in 2014.

This show will be Grieves’ first time in Alaska, and he plans to be sure to get out of Anchorage to experience the state.

“I’ll be in Alaska for three of four days. We want to do some really cool stuff while were up there, get outside of the city a little bit. I’m taking any suggestions that come my way,” Grieves said.

Grieves has toured all over the country, and coming to Alaska will make for a very unique experience. When asked about what made him want to come up here, Grieves talked about his fans reaching out to him.

“The original thought that put Alaska in my head was when someone commented on an Instagram picture I had posted. They didn’t just say ‘Come to Alaska!’ It was a more effective comment that allowed me to get in contact with the people I needed to. Next thing I knew, we had a show booked up there.”

Grieves is being brought to Alaska by an independent concert showcase called Showdown Productions.

They recently have been the people behind major concerts in Anchorage such as Diplo, K. Flay and Waka Flocka Flame. Mac Holton is one of the agents at Showdown and helped in the process of bringing Grieves to Anchorage.

“K. Flay, who we had here in March, spoke very highly of Grieves as a person and as an artist when I asked for her two cents,” Holton said. “Plus, given Alas-

ka’s love for rhyme-sayers, he was a no-brainer for us to book.”

It can be difficult to reach artists from so far away, and any performance that happens takes months of booking, advertising and announcing to make a successful show.

Showdown, Williwaw and Greives’ team have put in lots of work to bring him to Anchorage, and the show will be one that no one will want to miss out on.

Grieves has been touring this album for a while, and Anchorage will be his last stop on tour for this record before beginning the process of promoting his newest music. He has just finished recording his newest album, which he will start promoting and finishing recording after his show in Anchorage.

“I didn’t want to be a touring artist at first. I just wanted to put out music,” Grieves said when asked about touring his music. “Until I played my first show, I didn’t think I wanted to be that kind of artist. But once I did, I realized the unique experience that comes from each show. People knowing the lyrics to songs, and relating that back to their own personal lives is the coolest thing to be a part of. That’s my favorite part about playing live.

This album will be different than anything I’ve ever put out before. I let down a lot of barriers, and explored other sounds with this album.”

Grieves hopes that his new album will be different than what he has previously done, exploring new sounds and letting down barriers. As for what’s next, Grieves said, “I’m gonna go dark for a little while. I’m heading out to New York to finish up recording, and then begins the process of promoting the new stuff.”

While this is Grieves’ first show in Anchorage, hopefully, it will not be his last. Make sure to come listen to his performance of songs off his other albums and support local businesses like Showdown Productions and Williwaw.

PHOTO BY DAVID FRENCH

Uber looking to return to the Anchorage Bowl

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

For students living on campus without a car, Uber would mean another option for getting from point A to point B. “Uber would be a great improvement for kids that live in the dorms,” Robbie Granatir, a health science student said.

Uber, the popular ride-sharing service, may be coming back to Anchorage.

After a short stint in the state of Alaska in Sept. of 2014 thru March of 2015, Uber wants to bring their service back to Alaska and is willing to work with local government and the department of labor.

In 2014, Uber hired Anchorage drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees, resulting in a lawsuit. Uber paid the Department of Labor $77,925 in a settlement over a dispute regarding workers’ compensation insurance for Uber’s Alaska drivers. As part of the settlement Uber agreed to notify the Department of Labor to discuss further how the ride sharing service can be incorporated in the state.

facebook.com/northernlightuaa

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Uber, a popular ride-sharing service, is currently working with local government in order to return to the state of Alaska.

Alaska is one of three sates, including Wyoming and South Dakota, where Uber does not offer their services.

Not all students are excited about the ride-sharing service.

“I do live on campus and I do not have a car. I do not feel comfortable taking a taxi. I would not use Uber if it came to Anchorage. I have used Uber once before and it was a bad experience,” Jenni Massey, a culinary arts student said.

@TNL_Updates

Currently, Massey has friends who drive her or she walks to where she needs to go.

“I know several people who drive and who constantly offer to drive me places, and I walk mainly,” Massey said.

For many, the introduction of Uber will be a well received alternative to Anchorage taxis.

“I would love to see Uber come to Alaska. It seems to be safer, generally

@thenorthernlightuaa

cheaper than cab rides, and cleaner than cabs,” Jon Mobley, Anchorage resident said.

Mobley was eager to hear of Uber’s pending arrival after a recent experience with a ride in an Anchorage taxi cab. “[The driver] was obnoxious, prejudicial. He made sexist remarks about the elderly, women, homosexuals. Attacking of homosexuals. Sexual exploitation of lesbian couples and women in general,” Mobley said. “Yeah, he said two guys were in his cab, saw them kiss in the rear view mirror, slammed on his brakes and held out his elbow so he would hit them.

Then sped up, stopped in the middle of Minnesota Drive, cleared the fare and kicked them out in the middle of the night. No way. I feel Uber would have fair easy-going, normal people.”

Whether you’re a student without a car, or want a safer, more-reliable ride, the possibility of Uber may be what some Anchoragites are looking for.

Uber is in the early stages of working with local government on getting the ride-sharing service back to Anchorage.

thenorthernlight.org

youtube.com/tnlnews

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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Flu season begins this October

By Cheyenne Mathews

cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

College students this fall could be facing an epidemic much worse than excessive homework since October in the United States signals the beginning of flu season.

According to the Center for Disease Control, “Flu season” in the United States can begin as early as October and last as late as May and can affect anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of Americans every year, according to the CDC Foundation. Adults aged 18-64 account for 60 percent of flu-related hospitalizations, according to the foundation.

There are several preventative measures that can be taken to reduce chances of getting the flu, primarily the flu shot. For the 2014-15 season, 47.1 percent of the American population over six months old received a flu shot, according to the CDC. Even though less than half of the country gets a flu shot, Assistant Director for Physical Health at the Stu-

dent Health and Counseling Center Maggie Fitzgerald, says there are some definite benefits of a flu vaccination.

“The first big benefit is you don’t get sick, and it’s just a ripple down effect from that,” Fitzgerald said. “If you don’t get sick, you are not going to spread [it] to other people. If you don’t get sick, you don’t have to miss work. All those kind of trickle down effects are the whole big picture of why it’s good to get vaccinated.”

The CDC website shows that vaccine effectiveness varies from year to year, but states that the vaccine reduces the risk of flu illness by 50 to 60 percent. One of the reasons vaccine effectiveness varies so much has to do with the fact that the flu vaccine is just a prediction of what the current year’s flu strain will be.

“During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating viruses, it’s possible that no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed,” the CDC website states. “During years when there is a good match between the flu vaccine and circulating viruses, it’s possible to measure substantial benefits from vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness.”

The flu season tends to visit Alaska later than the lower 48 according to Fitzgerald. The success she sees varies from year to year, person to person, based on several factors, but overall she has confidence in the vaccination.

“Some years are better than others, we have like a whole department down at the CDC, the Center for Disease Control, in Atlanta that this is their job — to predict what’s going to be the prevalent strains of the virus in any given year,” Fitzgerald said. “For the most part, I don’t know the exact statistics on that, I would say they are pretty good at estimating. They have a lot of historical data to go on.”

The Student Health and Counseling Center provides flu shots to UAA students. The vaccination costs $20, and the center does welcome walk-ins. Faculty and students have already started to utilize this service according to Fitzgerald, but she believes those numbers will rise towards the height of flu season in Alaska.

“We have some every day that come in, staff, faculty come in, students come in on a walk-in basis,” Fitzgerald

said. “This time of year it’s going to get even busier as the flu season approaches the peak in the winter months.

Although people are starting to show up for sure, every day we get some walk-ins.”

Melissa Tuttle, a UAA student majoring in environment and society, received her flu shot last week.

“Well, I actually had to get a tetanus shot, because I wanted to work with birds... and my doctor had told me a week before that, that because I attended UAA and all of the germs around there, I should get a flu shot,” Tuttle said. “So while I was on campus getting my tetanus shot I said, ‘Hey, can you guys give me my flu shot too?’ and they did. So I just got a shot in each arm at the same time and it was done, that easy.”

Tuttle doesn’t typically get the flu shot every season.

In fact, this was only her second time receiving the vaccination.

“I basically did it because my doctor told me it was a good idea on a campus atmosphere to get a flu shot,” Tuttle said. “I feel much better having gotten the flu shot.”

Some UAA students don’t understand the point of paying $20 for a vaccination. Elementary education major Barbara Sikvayugak thinks it is a lot of money for a shot that isn’t required by the university.

“I really don’t get the point of [the] shot. I get what they need for the records, I do it for the records, but I really don’t know the meaning of any of the shots I take,” Sikvayugak said. “I mean, $20 is pretty pricey for a shot.

It shouldn’t cost $20 for a shot that should be free.”

Fitzgerald cautions that the flu is not just a bad cold.

Flu symptoms can range from a runny nose, migraines, to body aches and vomiting.

“The flu is specific types of viruses, and I think people do get confused between colds and flu’s,” Fitzgerald said. “Colds typically affect the upper respiratory tract, basically from your neck up, and they can certainly make you feel miserable. But they are not as serious and prone to complications as the bonafide flu, which is more of a systemic and you feel bad all over when you get the flu.”

Since very few programs at UAA require the flu shot, outside of the health science programs, Fitzgerald recommends that people who do contract the virus stay home, stay hydrated, rest and take some sort of pain medication for the body aches.

NEWS

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

2016

Disability AwAreness Week



“yes, i Can... Don’t ‘Dis’ My Ability.”

Disability awareness resourCe Fair

tuesDAy, october 11 | stuDent union | 10:00 AM - 4:00 pM uAA departments, community agencies and vendors will have booths. stop by for information and resources.



Movie: DeaF JaM Discussion to Follow witH ligHt reFresHMents proviDeD

weDnesDAy, october 12 | rAsMuson HAll 106 | 7:00 - 9:30 pM  this event is sponsored by uAA Disability support services and the uAA Multicultural center.  parking is Free (in west and north lots) during this event. view a map: uaa.alaska.edu/_documents/uaa-campus-map.pdf For more information about the film visit: www.deafjam.org.

 Myth busters Panel DisCussion intersectionAlity oF DisAbility tHursDAy, october 13 | stuDent union Den | 5:30 - 7:30 pM  light refreshments will be provided.

uAA students, staff and faculty who experience disabilities will discuss their experiences and perspectives. ↸ uaa.alaska.edu/dss  (voice) 907-786-4530 (text) 907-227-9609 uAA is an eeo/AA employer and educational institution.

 rasmuson Hall 105

if you need a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for any of the Disability Awareness week events, please contact uAA Disability services.

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we’re on Facebook: facebook.com/uaaDss

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FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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Ben Swann the MastaDon to open for Grieves

By Lee Piltz

lpiltz@thenorthernlight.org

Grieves is coming to the Williwaw on Oct. 8, and his show is being opened by local rapper, Ben Swann the MastaDon. Swann is 27 years old, and was born and raised in Anchorage. Swann has been rapping since his middle school days, and while he is not a student of UAA, he is a carpenter who helped remodel UAA last year and also worked on the ice rink in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. His business card is a condom with all of his plugs printed on one side.

Wanting to know more about Swann, TNL contacted him for an interview and asked him about his career and life as an up-and-coming rapper here in Anchorage.

TNL: I got your contact information off of your condom business card. I think that’s a really interesting idea. Did you get that idea from somebody? Or did you come up with it?

Swann: “Actually, my friend Nathan Starbard came up with that idea. He came up with the condom idea, I branded it and he helped me with the Photoshop and we kinda teamed up on that one.”

Is your stage name MastaDon? Or is that just the condom brand?

“My stage name is Ben Swann the MastaDon. I actually just got some of my first hoodies mocked up, the prototypes are made from there. I’m gonna try to produce them. So, hopefully those are gonna be coming out soon.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATE STARBARD

What made you want to branch out and go on the big stage?

“I want to do what I like to do as my living. Once you find what you love to do, you never work a day in your life. I wanna do something I love... I really wanna go for it.”

How long have you been rapping?

“I’ve always been into poetry and writing lyrics and stuff like that. And I listen to rap. Will Smith actually, way back in the day got me into rap music. I didn’t start rapping until me and my friends would freestyle in middle school. Then in high school, I started writing rap songs and recorded my first one. I think I was a junior. I’ve been doing this for quite a long time. But, I was always kind of quiet about it, it was more for me and my friends... So it took years of just working at it to get confident enough to put it out to the public... Ever since I started doing that I’ve been trying to hit the ground running. It’s just nonstop. The more I do it, the more I want it.”

How many years have you been doing it?

“I’m 27 now so… I would say… 14 years, 15 years. My first song came out in 2006, so 10 years ago. But, I had published works in elementary school, for poems and stuff.”

You said Will Smith was a big influence on you wanting to rap. Are there any other influences?

“Well, he wasn’t so much a big influence on me wanting to rap, but he kind of opened up the door to me listening to rap music. I was really into Michael Jackson as a kid and my family don’t like that kind of music, they liked other stuff. I never seen that until Fresh Prince of Bel Air and I started listening to Will Smith. I remember what it was that actually got me into writing music, and taking it seriously, was a Bone, Thugs ‘n’ Harmony beat. Somebody left the instrumental CD at my house, and they left the Notorious Thugs beat with Biggie Smalls. I would just play that over and over and that’s pretty much what got the fire lit.”

You can see Ben Swann the MastaDon open up for Grieves at Williwaw on Oct. 8 at 9 p.m. You can also check him out online at: Facebook: Ben Swann The MastaDon Twitter: @swanndamastadon

What do you do when you’re not doing shows?

“I’m a journeyman carpenter now, and I’ve been doing it about nine years. I’m all wore out. I’m working two jobs and I’m just trying to stay floating. I just wanna do something I like. I keep the music on the side and when I work so much I can’t do that much. I can’t imagine how much I could get done if [rapping] was my day job. I’m starting to finally get some money coming in from iTunes and internet plays and stuff like that, and a little bit here and there from gigs. It’s headed in the right direction.”

Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for anyone?

“I got all kinds of like short and sweet things I tell myself, but I know being an artist in Alaska is especially hard. Just like anything in Alaska everything is just harder up here for us. And if you’re not as good, or you feel you’re not as good, as the next person, that means you just gotta work harder! If you work hard, hopefully good things come. Everybody is rapping so it’s really hard to keep that fire burning and keep going and you’re going to want to quit. Most importantly, just remember why you do it and that’s cause you love it. If you have a passion for anything, money will come. I just try to remember where I was a year ago, where I was six months ago, and that’ll keep me going sometimes when I’m in a rut or feeling a little down about things. And I’ll look back and I’m like well I have been making progress. You gotta put the work in to make that progress. You might work every night at it, but not come up with anything for seven days or maybe 20 days. You haven’t come up with anything, but you’re still working.”

Do you ever think about leaving Alaska to pursue your career elsewhere?

“Especially around this time of year, when it starts getting cold. This is all I know, man, so I have gone out of town quite a bit this summer. I’ve done shows in Fairbanks, I did a show in Denali, I’ve done a show in Girdwood, and I did a coast-to-coast show in Hollywood one time. When you go out of state, it seems like you get a lot more love instantly. Then, it’s weird when you’re in your hometown here, a lot of people don’t really care. You just gotta keep remembering why you do it and get rid of all the doubt, you know?”

Soundcloud: Ben Swann AK

Homemade butter makes everything better

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

A popular science experiment in elementary schools, making butter in a mason jar is a fun and easy way to make fresh butter.

When shaking the heavy whipping cream, you'll notice the liquid will begin to solidify. At this point, the cream has been whipped. Keep shaking and you'll begin to hear liquid sloshing around the jar again. Don't panic, this is what's supposed to happen. At this point, the buttermilk is separating from the butter, then you have the final product.

Giving a taste you can't buy from the store, herbs or spices can be added to the butter to create unique artisanal butters.

Instructions: 1. Fill your mason jar halfway with cream.

2. Put the lid on the mason jar and seal tightly, Shake until the liquid begins to solidify.

3. Once the butter and buttermilk separate, filter the buttermilk out and serve your butter on a slice of warm toast, or hot biscuit.

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

| 05

A dollar will make you holler: Scary movies for $1 at the Wendy Williamson in October

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

Lineup for the upcoming Tuesday Halloween classics: October 4 at 8 p.m. Ghostbusters October 11 at 8 p.m. Scream October 18 at 8 p.m. Beetlejuice

Having fun on a budget can be difficult, especially for a college student.

After paying for school supplies, books and parking permits, paying one dollar for anything sounds unreal. With Halloween around the corner, this is the perfect time for the Wendy Williamson Auditorium to host one-dollar movie nights every Tuesday starting this October through November.

The Wendy Williamson Auditorium is responsible for creating these events with partnership with Dining and Conference services. Megan Bladow is the events manager for conference services and also schedules events for the Wendy Williamson.

“We came up with the idea to do one dollar movies and show classic movies because they’ve become very popular and people like seeing them on the big screen,” Bladow said.

Many students are excited to have a place close to where they’re studying to take a break and watch a classic film.

Darin Muse, business major heard about the weekly movies through Facebook.

“It’s really awesome that they are showing classic films many of us grew up with,” Muse said.

This is also a great way to get the family out with out having to pay outrageous movie prices. Alison Willis is excited to bring her family out for these movies.

“I’m always looking for inexpensive family fun. This allows me to give my kids the big theater experience for a small price. Plus it’s a chance to see classics again on the big screen. The Wendy Williamson is a great venue, I was happy to

see they are trying this out,” Willis said.

Dining services will be working with the Wendy Williamson to provide a concessions stand that will be located in the lobby and serve movie theater snacks such as popcorn and soda. They have also contracted with Boom Ba Laddy’s food truck that will allow for a hot dinner style option for guests.

“We normally don’t allow food into the Wendy Williamson, but we decided to go ahead and experiment with that as well,” Bladow said. “People are able to order from Boom Ba Laddy’s or form the concessions stand and bring their food into the theater and enjoy the one dollar movie.”

Guests can help decide what movies will be chosen next by filling out a comment card. Comment cards will be handed out at the first movie and if they are turned back in, they will get a “buy one get one free” coupon for the next movie, “Scream.”

Depending on how well this two month pilot goes, the Wendy Williamson is hoping to continue one-dollar movie nights for the rest of the year. The Wendy currently does not have a liquor license, but have been looking into it as an option.

“It would be a very cool thing to be able to offer our clients and serve beer and wine at these events,” Bladow said.

One dollar, cash only is what it cost to attend these movie showings. Take a break from the books and enjoy a cheap movie with friends. First showing will be Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. If you miss the first one, don’t fear, there will be another Halloween classic the following Tuesday.

Seawolf Pack: Elizabeth Arnold

By Young Kim

ykim@thenorthernlight.org

Seawolf Pack is a feature which spotlights members of the student body, faculty, and staff of UAA and examines what is they consider essential for their day to day activities.

Elizabeth Arnold’s list of accolades are enough to peak anyone’s interest. Having been an NPR correspondent since 1991, she’s covered a wide array of subject matter ranging from U.S. presidential elections to the

wildlife of our very own state of Alaska. She’s won a numerous amount of awards including the Joan Shorenstein Barone Award in 1994 and the Dirksen Award in 1997 and continues to contribute radio stories today while also managing to teach classes at UAA as a professor for the Journalism and Public Communications program. I asked her to empty the contents of her everyday bag and this is what we found.

Apple Macbook with a charger - workhorse for mobile editing Apple iPhone - phone of choice that also acts as an audio recorder in a pinch Keys - the attached lanyard was gifted to her by her son Reading glasses (x3) - she’s always misplacing these and that’s why she needs three pairs AA batteries - for her audio recorder (not pictured) Book on journalism ethics - she loves ethics Microphone - for the interviews Shotgun microphone - sometimes you just got to have the shotgun mic for those certain sounds Chance the Rapper tour shirt - she loves Chance the Rapper, this shirt was given to her by a student Planner - she prefers the handwritten method of event planning over a digital one The Northern Light issue - student run newspaper

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

These are just a few must have items for NPR correspondent and UAA Professor Elizabeth Arnold.

It’s interesting to see what the contents of a bag can tell about a person and what they are passionate about. Check out Seawolf Pack next week for another bag breakdown.

06 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Homecoming 2016 kicks off at the Dena’ina Center

By Jay Guzman

jguzman@thenorthernlight.org

UAA Homecoming 2016 Galaxy Gala event was hosted in the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center by USUAA Student Government. One Friday night and four flights of stairs led students to the Tikahtnu Ballroom with galaxy themed decor. As homecoming attire goes, it called on students to dress from formal to dapper. Starting at 8 p.m. and ending at 1 a.m. seawolves danced on into the night with UAA’s KRUA on the DJ booth. With one month into school and the first dance over, the school year kicks off with a bang. As the tradition of Homecoming warrants, “Welcome Home Seawolves.”

PHOTOS BY JAY GUZMAN

Bringing to life the words “fashionably late,” the dance picked up from 10 p.m. all the way to 1 a.m.

UAA Homecoming Queen Royalties are introduced to the crowd.

From choreography to freestyle, dabs and backflips, UAA students brought everything out to the dance floor for Homecoming.

A slow start to the night didn’t stop people from dancing under the LED lights.

Donned in formal wear, UAA students take a quick pause from dancing for a photo.

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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ALBUM REVIEW

ARTIST Mick Jenkins

GENRE Rap

ALBUM “The Healing Component”

LABEL Cinematic Music Group

RELEASE September 23, 2016

By Jay Guzman

jguzman@thenorthernlight.org

You may have heard of Mick Jenkins this year with features on Noname’s album Telefone and Chance the Rapper’s discarded Coloring Book song ‘Grown Ass Kid,’ but if you’re not familiar with Mick Jenkins here is a rundown.

Mick Jenkins is a 25 year-old Chicago based rapper.

Despite popping up in 2012, he’s had a prolific career with a project at least once a year, his most popular being 2014’s The Water[s] and his 2015 follow up Wave[s]. He is known for his heavy wordplay and verses interwoven with metaphors, and he manages to deliver raps with his unique style without it being too much of an earful. Usually rapping over a Jazz Era or Chicago Blues style beat, Jenkins produces more vibe songs than bangers.

Mick Jenkin’s debut album "The Healing Component" released on September 23, 2016. The album features an army of collaborators including THEMpeople, Sango, BADBADNOTGOOD, Kaytranada, and others alongside performers including theMIND, Noname, and several others. The album art depicts a human heart, muscles, veins and ventricles all present meant to depict a more accurate version of love. The acronym of The Healing Component spells out THC. Before you jump to conclusions, know that this album is more about love and Jesus than it is about cannabis. Jenkins makes the analogy of marijuana’s healing components to that the healing components of love.

The project starts off with a dialogue between Jenkins and a woman discussing the vagueness of our understanding of love. The conversation carries on throughout the project to guide the listener on the concepts and different types of love. While these dialogues are reminiscent to that of the 1998 album "The Miseducation of Lauryn HIll," overall it fails to leave a big impact.

The first track starts off strong with Jenkins wasting no time. As soon as the first verse ends, the hook starts with loud horns and a chant from Jenkins, akin to a church choir. The next song on the track list is the crux of the project titled ‘Spread Love,’ dominated by a lengthy chorus spaced with two short but great verses

by Jenkins over a moody beat. Quite simply, this song is butter, so give it a listen.

'Drowning,' featuring BBNG (BADBADNOTGOOD), is one of the strongest tracks on the project.

It starts with an eerie, hypnotizing metronome eventu-

ally followed up by echoey vocals that linger in your ear. Throughout the track, the instruments from BBNG begin to break loose until finally forming together to make a bittersweet short free jazz track near the four minute mark. The words “I can’t breathe” pops up through most of the song as a reference to Eric Garner and to his 2014 mixtape The Water[s]. What seems like an epilogue track, Jenkins is drowning in the water or the truth that he always references.

Around this point in the album, Jenkins starts experimenting with newer sounds on instrumentals with songs like ‘As Seen in Bethsaida’ and ‘Communicate,’ a song that vibes like a neo-soul and house mash up with rap in between.

Although I enjoyed ‘Communicate’ and ‘Plugged,’ at this point in the album I began to disconnect a little.

The instrumentals and content weren’t leaving much of an impression. The next couple of songs seem to lose the vibrancy and dynamics of the first half of the album.

Most of these songs play on the lower end of the frequency and blend a little too much with Jenkins' deep vocals.

It was difficult for me to distinguish a difference and I eventually began to zone out.

The album wraps up with 'A ngles,’ featuring Noname and Xavier Omar discussing the multiple perspectives of oneself. The last track on the album, titled 'Fucked Up Outro' speaks on his journey up to this point in his career. This leaves us in the same position from when we started the album; love is still a vague concept.

Maybe I had hoped to have been hit with some profound revelation or perspective on love, but Jenkins didn’t really introduce anything new to the conversation. I appreciate the positivity and the message of the album, but overall it just fell short on the expectations the first half of the project set up for me. While there was a handful of tracks that I loved, there was about an equal amount that I didn’t care for. Despite the passes, the couple of hits still make the album worth some rotation.

08 | A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

The good in ‘JeruZalem’ emphasizes the bad

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

Reviewing two zombie movies in a row seems excessive, but hear me out.

“JeruZalem” is another in a long line of Israeli genre flicks to come out in the past few years. This one, especially, has gotten a moderate amount of buzz, so why not watch it? Well, because it’s terrible.

Even the good parts end up being terrible, because the terrible parts overcrowd them.

Starting in 1972, two priests film an exorcism in Jerusalem. The woman who’s possessed is killed, and we fast forward to the present where Americans Sarah (Danielle Jadelyn, “The Conductor”) and Rachel (Yael Grobglas, “An Interview with God”) take a trip to Tel Aviv, stopping first in Jerusalem. They meet archeology student Kevin (Yon Tumarkin, “Rock Ba-Casba”) who warns them of a coming judgment day. And it’s not long before they’re caught right in the middle of it.

Let’s start with the worst part of the movie: the characters. They aren’t characters so much as ideologues. There’s a strange thematic trend in “JeruZalem” to paint Palestinians and Muslims as devilish. In fact, it’s so evident that it feels, at points, like propaganda. The movie doesn’t treat its central Jewish characters any better though. Arguably, that’s more

due to them being women than Jews, but the fact remains.

What is worth exploring is the setting.

Jerusalem is well-utilized in the movie.

So well utilized that it reveals how truly awful everything else is. The hostelkeeper Omar (Tom Graziani, “A Place in Heaven”) often holds court about the city’s history and its layout. These early moments in the movie prove to be the most interesting, and once they’re gone, there’s little fun to latch onto.

The city has far more character than the characters themselves. One should give directors Doron and Yoav Paz for exploring their setting. But every aspect of a movie should raise another up in some way. “JeruZalem” does not do that.

The best parts emphasize the worst, and the worst emphasize how bad it all truly is. Even the setting falls prey to this in the end. It takes only minutes for Jerusalem to turn into just another apocalyptic landscape.

“JeruZalem” is simply not worth watching. What is redeeming about it ends up showing what’s not redeeming about it. Thus, as a viewer, one gets the sense that the movie went off-the-rails somewhere in production. There are multiple places where it feels like it could have worked, but it never does. Rampant with cliches, and infused with strange cultural propaganda, taking a trip to “JeruZalem” is a waste of your time.

TITLE “JeruZalem”

DIRECTOR Doron Paz, Yoav Paz

RELEASE DATE July 10, 2015

COUNTRY Israel

GENRE Horror

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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Unipkaagusiksuguvik (The Place of the Future Ancient) R Multi-media installation and extended performance by Anchorage-based Iñupiaq artist Allison Warden, who transforms a museum gallery into a ceremonial space for two months On view Oct 7-Nov 27 Opening reception 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct 7 Free

Come to know the true North anchoragemuseum.org

All events included with admission.

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Image: Allison Warden

| 09

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

| 10

RED ZONE: What athletes think about their peers in sexual assault cases

By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org

To the general public's eye, both professional and student athletes have always seemed to sneak away from an accusation with a dismissal of the case, a light sentence or by coughing up a few bucks to the victim. Fans and common citizens have seen situations like Kobe Bryant's, Ben Roethlisberger's and Brock Turner's and are left in disgust and anger, but who are they supposed to direct this frustration toward? The athlete, the judge, the lawyers, the justice system as a whole; none can really carry all the blame for the never constant and unjust sentences.

Many universities around the country have a stash of elite lawyers specifically for athletes when they are accused of sexual assault and other crimes, but do not provide lawyers for victims or the average student who has run into some legal troubles. Over the summer, the University of Tennessee settled a $2.48 million lawsuit that was produced by eight women against the university's football program. As part of the deal, Tennessee can no longer provide a list of lawyers for the athletes to contact, something they denied they were doing previously.

For every athlete that has used the rigged system to receive an inferior consequence, there are countless other members of the athletic community, from Division III schools to Hall of Fame professionals, that recognize athletes have a major advantage when it comes to these situations.

"In some instances, athletes do get more cover-up than non-athletes do for

sexual assault, but If someone did the crime, they deserve the time," GNAC men's basketball 2015-16 Newcomer of the Year Suki Wiggs said. "I don't know whether he did it or not, but in Kobe Bryant's case he has so much power to where if he was convicted, he would hurt the Lakers franchise and the city of Los Angeles in the eyes of people with money involved, more than people know. People might look the other way and think that a victim isn't really a victim because of who the person is.

That is not fair, it is really not fair at all but it is the society we live in. A lot of things are going unjust, it is a sick world, but we are trying to fix it."

Money, reputation and status are the motive and influence of many of these cases. Professional athletes can afford top-tier lawyers, and student athletes can essentially draw out of a hat and receive excellent representation in court.

"Regardless to whether or not they're student athletes, the better the attorney you can afford is going to have more to do

with your sentence than whether or not you're a student athlete. You see wealthy individuals being charged with crimes like these and they seem to be receiving lesser punishments," Sparky Anderson, head coach of the UAA skiing program said.

The only man who has ever coached the UAA gymnastics team, Paul Stoklos, also attested to money causing much of the corruption.

"I think for a lot of those big schools, they protect athletes because there is a lot of money involved, and it is sad that money is driving it but that is the reality," Stoklos said.

So what can the average person do about this and bring awareness?

"Students and the people in the community need to speak up and protest, like they were doing on Stanford's campus, and say 'this is not right,'" Stoklos said.

Although questions and discussions always seemed to be raised while these instances are in the news, it still has not quite reached the entire public audience.

When freshman volleyball player Diana Fa'amausili was asked if she thinks

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

things may get brushed under the table for athletes more than a regular citizen in sexual assault cases, she responded, "No, I definitely think it is fair for both, that is a serious topic."

After explaining to her the Turner story and the Jameis Winston case, in which the former Heisman-winning quarterback at Florida State had no charges because "the athlete said it was consensual." Her jaw dropped and she appeared stunned.

"I did not know about all that, but they should be punished equally, athlete or not," Fa'amausili said.

Athletic departments here and afar are now raising awareness and educating their student athletes on facts, what to do if you see a potential sexual assault, and how to receive or provide help to yourself or others. There is a program called the "Bystanders education program" which informs those who may witness a sexual assault.

"UAA and the administration does a great job of talking about Title IX, sexual abuse, and what exactly it is," head volleyball Coach Chris Green said. "I have been here eight years and we have done more awareness in recent years than six or seven years ago."

Every athlete, coach or faculty member of the athletic department spoken to did not think it was fair that money, image or athletic ability should have any influence on sexual assault cases. Some extended that, and said it was not fair to both sides.

"In general, it gets put into the media more, if you're an athlete or someone with some sort of reputation, people hear about it more and then everyone has an opinion about it, so the publicity is somewhat unfair," Madeleine Arbuckle, a junior on the gymnastics team said.

Green also discerns that athletes accused receive way more attention, whether they did or did not do the crime.

"Athletes like [Brock] Turner or a Div. I football player becomes more famous because they are under the microscope," Green said. "If [Turner] would have been an ordinary student at Stanford that had done the exact same thing, no one would have known of the case or the person's name. He is getting more negative exposure than he would as a regular student."

No one can agree on who to blame, but everyone can agree that something needs to change. The skill of a human being should not determine the outcome of a court case.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

| 11

Seawolves take on home state rival

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolves didn't have to travel long or far for this game. Only an hour flight out of Anchorage, the UAA women flew the UAF on Tuesday, Sept. 25 to compete head on with their only other rival in the state.

As the weeks go by and the season progresses, the Seawolves have maintained their — newly single — first place position in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Additionally, the women progressed to be ranked 10th in Division II and continue their 14-1 streak overall, and left undefeated in the conference at 4-0. UAF, on the other hand, is sitting at 1-3 in the conference.

This game was one of many that the Seawolves knew they had to keep their determination on, any slip-up and their record could be lost. Freshman middle blocker Vanessa Hayes knows that every game can make a difference.

"I feel that we are well prepared. We are the defending GNAC champions so every team is going to play their best against us. We must always be prepared to battle against our opponents best game," Hayes said.

The Seawolves started off strong against UAF. With a quick jump to

almost double the scores, senior middle blocker Erin Braun and sophomore outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson pulled out several kills each. Supplying them with the opportunities, senior setter Morgan Hooe never failed to call the second hit and set up the ball for a hit, getting in 5 assists for just the first half of the set.

With a lead that is hard to lose, the Seawolves continue the put their best effort forward in set one. Freshman middle blocker Diana Fa'amausili came through with a kill of her own, along with another kill from Hayes.

With a total of 9 kills, 8 assists, and 5 digs on the Seawolves side of the court, they finished off the set with the first win of the night at 25-14.

Knowing that they were playing the number one seed and only undefeated conference team, UAF stepped up their game and gave the Seawolves 8 kills in the first set. Even with an 11 point deficit in set one, they maintained a long set with continuous rallies.

Hayes and her team knew that UAF would be playing hard to win.

"As far as difficulties go, coach always tells us that every team is out to get us," Hayes said.

Records and previous games don't matter when they step onto the court, games are determined in the seconds of instinct when the players judge their next

move. With that theory in mind, the Seawolves began set two with 3 strong kills from Hooe, assisted by sophomore libero Kyla Miliante-Amper and Braun.

UAF resiliently started set two, pulling in close to UAA and not letting a game between the scores get too larger.

The Seawolves knew not to let anyone get too close, they couldn't risk anything, a change can happen in a minute. With a quick pace change, UAA began to pull ahead. Braun served up another 2 kills, Johnson also with 2 and Swiss with 1 more. One after another, the Seawolves began racking up points.

Only half way through the set, UAA already accumulated more kills than they did in all of set one. UAF, completely opposite, had half of what they did in set one. The change of pace and change in determination was obvious at this point, the Seawolves stepped it up.

Johnson and Swiss pulled out 1 more kill each, both assisted from Hooe who has gathered an additional 8 assists since set one.

Not only so far undefeated in the conference but undefeated in this game, the Seawolves close off another set with a win at 25-19. This set a bit closer, with UAF closing in, the Seawolves know the next set is the game determining one.

After set two finished off, UAA ended with an additional 18 kills, 17 assists,

and 18 digs. Even with a larger amount of errors, this set proved to be the best of the two so far, with the women almost doubling the amounts of everything.

Both teams had a new motivation at this point. UAA wanted to finish the game off 3-1, while UAF wanted to finish the game without going through with undefeated sets. Both things fueled in new enthusiasm that caused set three off to a slow start.

Bouncing back and forth between points, the Seawolves and Nanooks stayed in the same point range. Swiss and Johnson again both teamed up in back to back kills, assisted by Hooe.

Libero Miliante-Amper and sophomore outside hitter Taylor Noga both pulled in dig after dig to keep the Seawolves on their feet. 4 kills all from UAF in this set were recovered from the two.

Set three remained the slowest of all; both teams proving to have a drive to win the set. A once strong lead from UAA was being slowly depleted. In a final attempt to win the game, Hooe sent an assist outside and a kill from Fa'amausili ended the set at 25-20.

To continue their undefeated status in the conference and now 15-1 overall streak, UAA women finished their game vs. UAF 3-1 (25-14, 25-19, 25-20).

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MYLISSA MACLIN/SUN STAR

On Tuesday Sept. 27 in set three, UAA Sophomore Chrisalyn Johnson (9) spikes the ball to help UAA win set 25- 20 and win the match 3-0.

UAA Sophomore Leah Swiss (7) and Senior Erin Braun (15) go for the block in set one as UAF’s outside hitter, Sophomore Amberly Jeane (17) spikes the ball.

UAA’s Diana Fa’amausili (17) and Vanessa Hayes (18) get the block as UAF’s outside hitter, Sophomore Amberly Jeane (17) spiked the ball.

UAF first year Kim Wong (12) goes for the spike in set two at the Alaska Airlines court Tuesday Sept. 27.

12 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

UAA volleyball defeats Montana State Billings

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHI ROBISON

UAA Seawolves head volleyball coach, Chris Green, discusses strategy with his team during a timeout.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolves didn’t have to travel long or far for this game. Only an hour flight out of Anchorage, the UAA women flew the UAF on Tuesday, Sept. 25 to compete head on with their only other rival in the state.

As the weeks go by and the season progresses, the Seawolves have maintained their — newly single — first place position in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Additionally, the women progressed to be ranked 10th in Division II and continue their 14-1 streak overall, and left undefeated in the conference at 4-0. UAF, on the other hand, is sitting at 1-3 in the conference.

This game was one of many that the Seawolves knew they had to keep their determination on, any slip-up and their record could be lost. Freshman middle blocker Vanessa Hayes knows that every game can make a difference.

“I feel that we are well prepared.

We are the defending GNAC champions so every team is going to play their best against us. We must always be prepared to battle against our opponents best game,” Hayes said.

The Seawolves started off strong against UAF. With a quick jump to almost double the scores, senior middle blocker Erin Braun and sophomore outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson pulled out several kills each. Supplying them with the opportunities, senior setter Morgan Hooe never failed to call the second hit and set up the ball for a hit, getting in 5 assists for just the first half of the set.

With a lead that is hard to lose, the Seawolves continue the put their best effort forward in set one. Freshman middle blocker Diana Fa’amausili came through with a kill of her own, along with another kill from Hayes.

With a total of 9 kills, 8 assists, and 5 digs on the Seawolves side of the court, they finished off the set with the first win of the night at 25-14.

Knowing that they were playing the number one seed and only undefeated conference team, UAF stepped up their game and gave the Seawolves 8 kills in the first set. Even with an 11 point deficit in set one, they maintained a long set with continuous rallies.

Hayes and her team knew that UAF would be playing hard to win.

“As far as difficulties go, coach always tells us that every team is out to get us,” Hayes said.

Records and previous games don’t matter when they step onto the court, games are determined in the seconds of instinct when the players judge their next move. With that theory in mind, the Seawolves began set two with 3 strong kills from Hooe, assisted by sophomore libero Kyla Miliante-Amper and Braun.

UAF resiliently started set two, pulling in close to UAA and not letting a game between the scores get too larger.

The Seawolves knew not to let anyone get too close, they couldn’t risk anything, a change can happen in a minute. With a quick pace change, UAA began to pull ahead. Braun served up another 2 kills, Johnson also with 2 and Swiss with 1 more. One after another, the Seawolves began racking up points.

Only half way through the set, UAA already accumulated more kills than they did in all of set one. UAF, completely

opposite, had half of what they did in set one. The change of pace and change in determination was obvious at this point, the Seawolves stepped it up.

Johnson and Swiss pulled out 1 more kill each, both assisted from Hooe who has gathered an additional 8 assists since set one.

Not only so far undefeated in the conference but undefeated in this game, the Seawolves close off another set with a win at 25-19. This set a bit closer, with UAF closing in, the Seawolves know the next set is the game determining one.

After set two finished off, UAA ended with an additional 18 kills, 17 assists, and 18 digs. Even with a larger amount of errors, this set proved to be the best of the two so far, with the women almost doubling the amounts of everything.

Both teams had a new motivation at this point. UAA wanted to finish the game off 3-1, while UAF wanted to finish the game without going through with undefeated sets. Both things fueled in

UAA senior Morgan Hooe prepares to serve the ball against Montana State Billings.

new enthusiasm that caused set three off to a slow start.

Bouncing back and forth between points, the Seawolves and Nanooks stayed in the same point range. Swiss and Johnson again both teamed up in back to back kills, assisted by Hooe.

Libero Miliante-Amper and sophomore outside hitter Taylor Noga both pulled in dig after dig to keep the Seawolves on their feet. 4 kills all from UAF in this set were recovered from the two.

Set three remained the slowest of all; both teams proving to have a drive to win the set. A once strong lead from UAA was being slowly depleted. In a final attempt to win the game, Hooe sent an assist outside and a kill from Fa’amausili ended the set at 25-20.

To continue their undefeated status in the conference and now 15-1 overall streak, UAA women finished their game vs. UAF 3-1 (25-14, 25-19, 25-20).

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

| 13

One last dance: Seawolf hockey is focused soley on upcoming season

By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org

Only one thing is guaranteed for the UAA hockey program: this season. Any games after that are still in jeopardy, but the Seawolves are doing what they can to put up the blinders and lock in on the 2016-17 campaign.

“We have to focus on what we can control, and that is winning hockey games,” junior captain Matt Anholt said.

The Green and Gold look to have a resurgence after a disappointing performance last year, one that started with a lot of promise. They came out of the gates with a 5-1-1 record and turned many heads among Division I audiences. However, concluding the season 3-13-0 during the final 16 games did not help with conversations about the future of the program. While many within the community, and the state as a whole, discuss the possible outcome of what lies beyond this season, the player’s mindsets do not extend further than the end of this year.

“It has almost been a rallying cry amongst the boys; keep it in the house, play for the guy next to you, and use this as motivation,” Anholt said, who finished second on the team in scoring during the 2015-16 season. “We do not care what other people think or what we are going to do in the future, we are playing for this year.”

The Seawolves know they cannot be the same team they were a year ago when they finished dead last on the power play and averaged more penalty minutes per game than any other team in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. With seven freshmen on the roster, the returners are looking forward to meshing with the new guys and see them contribute throughout the season.

“We have a lot of freshmen and they are looking energetic, they are looking good out here. We are pretty optimistic about the start of the season at least,” senior forward Dylan Hubbs said.

One bright spot last season is returning in front of the net for his junior year, goaltender Olivier Mantha. Mantha was named the team’s MVP for the second straight season last year, and currently

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

UAA’s Dylan Hubbs lines up for a face off during the Western Collegiate Hockey Association game against the University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers, January 29, 2016.

holds the best save percentage in UAA’s history. He is also eager to see what the fresh faces can do to bring the Seawolves back to the playoffs for the first time in three years.

“It is going to be good see what the new guys are capable of, get some new combinations for lines, and just get back to game-speed, “ Mantha said.

Another notable player stepping back on the ice for UAA is forward Tad Kozun, who punched in a team-high 13 goals last year. The Seawolves will also be returning their two highest-scoring defensemen Chase Van Allen, who was appointed the assistant captain, and junior Jarrett Brown.

After being banged up for much of the season last year, several key roles will be coming back healthy this season. Bouncing back from injuries are winger Mason

Mitchell, who tallied 12 points in 19 games, and Cam Amantea after playing only five games last season due to shoulder surgery. Newcomers who are expected to make a splash on the offensive side are twins Nathan and Jonah Renouf.

For UAA’s first regular season game, they will be taking on the Minnesota Gophers, a team that is ranked 13th in the nation in the preseason USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll. Setting the tone early in the season could influence some of the decisions made in the near future.

“If we can come out and play the way we are capable of performing, we are going to able to kind of do our part in this whole fight to keep hockey,” head coach Matt Thomas said. “The greatest thing about collegiate sports is that playoffs start day one of the season. Really what that first game is about is trying to find

UAA’s Olivier Mantha tracks the puck in his twenty-second start in goal this season for the Seawolves on Friday, January 29, 2016.

your chemistry.” Thomas said.

The people within the hockey program are not just all talk when they say things are going to change, they went the extra mile, literally, to make the most of the off-season. The majority of the players cut their summers short and flew back to Anchorage much earlier than required so they could work out individually and get a head start on bonding with the team.

“We have boys becoming men, physically. One of our issues the last couple years has been our overall strength.”

Thomas, who is entering his fourth season as head coach, said. “The people in our strength and condition department really deserve a tip of the hat.”

There are many unanswered questions in regards to the program, and only time will tell the results. Whatever the outcome may be, the Seawolves will have to

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

| 14

Why the PFD cut isn’t the worst

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Lee Piltz

lpiltz@thenorthernlight.org

Governor Bill Walker announced Sept. 23 that the amount of the Permanent Fund Dividend would be cut from $2,052 to $1,022. This has upset many Alaskans despite the fact that the money being cut out of the PFD will go toward reducing Alaska’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit. There are heated arguments on both sides

of Walker’s move, however there seems to be more outrage for this move than support.

I think that Walker’s decision to cut the PFD is actually a pretty good idea. Now, before you come after me with torches and pitchforks, let me explain myself.

While I think that cutting the PFD is ultimately beneficial toward reducing Alaska’s deficit, I do not want to lose out on my PFD either. Like many Alaskans, I am a little miffed that Walker announced the veto, but I do understand why it’s happening, and I support his decision.

I’d like to add that I sympathize with Governor Walker. He really didn’t have a lot of choices, and even then the ones he did have all lead to political suicide. He was going to lose no matter what, and he has even stated that he doesn’t think he is getting re-elected. Given the outrage that many Alaskan’s feel at the announcement of the PFD cut, I certainly believe that he most likely will not be re-elected.

I have not lived in this state for very long, but I do consider myself to be Alaskan. Out of the other five U.S. states that I have lived in and the 46 I have visited, Alaska is by far my favorite. Since I have lived in other states, the PFD to me is nothing short of free money. It’s just a bonus to living in our already beautiful area. As far as I am concerned, the PFD could be cut to $100 dollars and I wouldn’t be any more upset.

Don’t get me wrong, I love money as much as the next guy, but the state is literally handing me money just for living here. No other state in the Union does this, not one. We don’t even pay state taxes up here, and in some areas of Alaska, there’s no sales tax on top of that.

It’s time that Alaska realizes that we have been getting spoiled for quite a long time. While it is written into our state constitution that we receive the PFD, that can always change, and maybe it’s time for that.

Now is a time of economic downturn and tough times are ahead, so we need to take action to try and reduce the damage being dealt to our economy. I think Alaska should also enact a state tax for the time being. It doesn’t have to be permanent of course, but it would certainly help to pay off our debts. Additionally, this could have been enacted along with the PFD cuts, so I think we got off pretty lucky with just the cut.

I realize that there are great amounts of people in the Interior of Alaska who do rely on the PFD for their annual income, and perhaps some of them are forced into that predicament. For those that are not forced to rely on something as wavering as the PFD, it is a rather unwise economic decision to do so. The PFD is more of a bonus to our incomes than anything else. Most Alaskans use their PFD to go on vacation, buy new video games, outdoor equipment, or furniture.

As for the future of the PFD, I can’t say what will happen. I remain hopeful that this won’t happen again in the future. Like many Alaskans, I do hope that the PFD isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, if it does go the way of the Dodo, it was certainly some great icing on the cake for living in this beautiful state. The PFD doesn’t make Alaska great. What makes us a wonderful place to call home is all of us working together and striving to make our state better. Even if that means we have to tighten our belts a little and do without some bonuses, I think Alaska will be just fine.

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

| 15

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.

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jay Guzman jguzman@thenorthernlight.org LAYOUT EDITOR Levi Brown layout@thenorthernlight.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org CONTRIBUTORS Jacob Holley-Kline MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Zac Clark ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Stacey Parker OPEN POSITIONS Assistant News Editor Photo Editor