SEPTEMBER 3 - SEPTEMBER 9, 2019
FEATURES
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
A&E
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The story behind Oppenheim’s sculpture is one of controversy.
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
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Explore UAA’s new Esports Lounge in the Student Union.
Howls unheard: Town hall meeting showcases the many voices of UAA By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org
On Aug. 29, several members of the University of Alaska Anchorage community gathered at Anchorage’s ZJ Loussac Library for an Anchorage Assembly Town Hall meeting to discuss the future of UAA under decisions by UA President Jim Johnsen and the UA Board of Regents. The gathering was opened by Anchorage Assembly member Felix Rivera, who clarified the need for the meeting. “The potential impacts from what the Board of Regents have started, and what President Johnsen has started, they could have a lot of negative economic ramifications for our city,” Rivera said. “And, as the assembly members that represent midtown, and thus represent both of the universities on the Anchorage assembly, it was important to us to have a community dialogue.” The meeting was sponsored by both Rivera and Meg Zaletel, another Anchorage Assembly member, and tied to the Save the Seawolf advocacy group. Both Rivera and Zaletel’s districts are in midtown Anchorage, where UAA is located. Save the Seawolf is an Anchorage-based advocacy entity that is working toward finding a solution for UA and UAA outside of the UA Board of Regents’ consolidation plan. Through resources and outreach events, the
PHOTO BY JASON HERR
A recent Anchorage Assembly Town Hall meeting united the many voices of the UAA and Anchorage communities.
group works to actively involve the UAA community with efforts to speak up and to protect UAA from becoming lost in the single-university plan. “President Johnsen’s plans to consolidate UAF, UAA, and UAS into a single accredited university makes the Seawolf an endangered species,” according to the Save the Seawolf website. Rivera was contacted by a UAA organizing committee to help make the collaborative dialogue possible, combining the voices of UAA, university supporters and the Anchorage community in a public forum at the
municipal library. Students, staff, faculty, alumni and more were represented on the panel, each giving their perspective on the possibility of the consolidation of the UA system and their thoughts on its future. The gathered public was a mix of students, Anchorage community members, local officials and citizens with connections to the university. Both the panel and the crowd shared their past and present connections with UAA, as applause and exclamations accented points that were agreed upon. One common concern shared
among the speakers was the lack of involvement by the UA Board of Regents in the decision-making for the future of UAA and the UA system. Students were represented on the panel by two members of the Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage, or USUAA. Both Alex Jorgenson, speaker of the assembly, and Clare Baldwin, president, spoke to their experiences and thoughts of the decision to consolidate UA into a single university. UA decisions had been made and discussed over the summer,
Your friendly neighborhood Sony-Man: Sony and Disney at an impasse over film rights By Anna Berry arts2@thenorthernlight.org
“He’s not defined by his [physical] power, he’s defined by power and responsibility… he’s defined by balancing his life between being a high school or college student and being a superhero,” Drew Cochran, a music performance major at UAA, said. At the moment, Sony and Disney are similarly involved in an elaborate balancing act, one that could mark the fate of the successful franchise. thenorthernlight.org
Back in 2015, Sony Pictures, the owner of the film rights to Spider-Man, and the Disneybought Marvel Studios, the owner of the comic book rights to Spider-Man, made a deal that Disney producer Kevin Feige would head-up two of Sony’s Spider-Man films. In exchange for the fame this would bring to Sony, Sony would give Disney merchandising rights for a yearly royalty payment, and would also allow Disney to use Spider-Man in its own Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, according to The Hollywood Reporter. facebook.com/tnlupdates
a time when many students were away from campus and could not participate as easily in advocating for the university in a time of fundamental changes, Jorgensen said. “Everything has gone on while students haven’t been around. They’ve been out hiking, biking, working, to save up for college,” Jorgensen said. “We’re not here, not being students, so we can be students in the fall, so a majority of this entire conversation has gone on when students are not even around.” Jorgensen explained that students’ voices were absent from the decision making. “We were never consulted,” Jorgensen said. “We were never asked ‘hey, would you like to send a few students to these conversations about how we are fundamentally changing the academic structure of statewide in all of our universities?’ We weren’t [asked].” USUAA looked to the University of Alaska Fairbanks student government, or USUAF, to find out what their peer student government group was doing and discovered the USUAF had not been invited to the discussions either. The UAF student president had been told by the Board of Regents that students could observe the discussions but not participate, according to
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA CRAIG
However, this agreement came to an end this year. When the time for renewal rolled around, Disney requested additional proceeds from the next Spider-Man movies. When turned down, Disney proposed less involvement from Feige. Sony turned this offer down, according to The Guardian. “Spider-Man has always been a key member in a lot of universes… if they were to cut
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UAA student Alexandra Craig maintains a collection of Spider-Man comic books with her husband Hugh Hutchinson.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 2019
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UA reverses financial exigency and plans one accreditation By Mary Ryan content@thenorthernlight.org
Gov. Mike Dunleavy officially signed for $110 million to be restored to the UA budget on Aug. 19. “I’m happy to report that, as of Monday [Aug. 19], the University of Alaska system budget is finalized,” Chancellor Cathy Sandeen said in her “Just the Facts” video on Aug. 21. Earlier that month, on Aug. 8, Gov. Dunleavy signed the fiscal year 2020 capital budget. “[This] captures nearly $1 billion in federal transportation and infrastructure funding, provides necessary resources to enact public safety legislation and reinstates funding for various programs such as the Alaska Performance Scholarship, WWAMI and Power Cost Equalization,” Dunleavy said in a press release. The Board of Regents voted unanimously to retract their declaration of financial exigency on Aug. 20. This extends the required notice for layoffs and
canceling programs. Other initial reactions to the $136 million cut in June were reversed. UA President Jim Johnsen is no longer imposing furloughs and hiring, purchasing and traveling freezes, Chancellor Sandeen said in her video. While many cost-cutting decisions have been retracted, UA tuition has been raised by 5% for the 2019-2020 academic year to increase income. “That’s already showing up in the tuition that you are paying,” Sandeen said. “There will be no additional tuition increase this year.” UA officials are still planning for a potential one university structure, or “One UA/New UA.” “That is still the plan. [The Board of Regents] haven’t approved it, but we are going forward with that plan,” Sandeen said. That would mean that UAF, UAA and UAS would all be under one accreditation through Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, possibly UAF’s. In this case, all UA stu-
dents would have to apply and meet UAF’s admission requirements, according to the leaflet handed out at the town hall meeting on Aug. 29, FN: Town Hall Handouts v.3 082619. An alternative to the One UA plan is the “Consortium model” proposed by UA chancellors, where UAA, UAF and UAS would have separate accreditations and fund reductions. “This model accounts for the unique emphasis of academic programs and services tailored for the students, communities and employers served,” according to the town hall handout. The One UA plan will be shared in the Board of Regents’ meeting on Sept. 12-13. The Board of Regents will go over system-wide review plans to approve a direction in November, Johnsen said in a video. Chancellor Sandeen released the fiscal year 2020 budget draft in an email on Aug. 30. She announced upcoming and previously implemented changes. “The UA system continues restructuring plans and implementation, including a number
GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS
of administrative consolidations in areas like HR, procurement, IT, development and advancement,” Sandeen said in the email. “Processes and procedures for accessing services may change under the new structure.” More planning updates will be posted on the New UA website. Save the Seawolf.com also provides documents, reports, news, advocacy materials and contacts. The UA community can participate in the process of restructuring UA by filling out a sur-
Town Hall:
PHOTO BY JASON HERR
Shane Castle, a term writing instructor with UAA’s department of writing, shares his thoughts and experiences with the crowd at the town hall meeting.
Jorgensen. Though several members of the UAA community were present, an individual questioned the lack of presence from a majority of the UA Board of Regents. Flyers and notifications for the town hall meeting had stated that Chancellor Cathy Sandeen and UA President Johnsen would be at the meeting, but they were not present. A member of the panel explained. “The president told the chancellor not to come, just like in the last four regent meetings. It was only at the insistence of the student regent that the chancellors [UAA, UAF and UAS] were even allowed to speak,” Stacey Lucason, a former student regent of the UA Board of Regents and UAA alumni, said. The crowd questioned the absence of Johnsen as well, noting that the original town hall meet-
ing date of Aug. 26 had been moved to Aug. 29 after a cancellation from Johnsen. “This is [Johnsen’s] second failure,” one member of the public said. Johnsen’s sole presence was a brief video presented at the beginning of the meeting, in which he further explained the plan for the consolidation of the UA system. Conversations continued after the meeting closed when community members shared their stories and thoughts. Though the meeting provided an outlet for many voices, the turnout for the event caused concern for future outcomes. “I feel energized, but there are not enough people here to win,” Brian Ibsen, director of philanthropy with UAA’s Office of Development, said. “This was about winning.”
vey, emailing uaa_feedback@ alaska.edu and attending public meetings. An audio-conference call-in for public testimony will occur on Sept. 9 from 4-6 p.m. at (866) 726-0757. Written testimonies may be sent to ua-bor@alaska.edu. Inperson public testimonies are welcome starting at 8:15 a.m. before each regular Board of Regent meeting. More information can be found on the Board of Regents’ agenda page.
Continued from cover The UAA community, student body, staff, faculty and administration are all working to create a successful university with students in mind, but their efforts may be fruitless without the right people being willing to listen. The greater the pack, the louder the howl. Future information, events and advocacy resources can be found at www.savetheseawolf. com.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 2019
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The Climate Action Plan can change Alaska’s environmental future By Christina Swayney news2@thenorthernlight.org
Climate change is discussed in the media in all forms. Some Alaskans argue that we can see it right in front of us in the form of glaciers melting faster than normal rates, the warming of Utqiagvik and even the McKinley fires. Alameda, California is one of 29 cities in the United States that works within the local government trying to create solutions for the effects of climate change. One such solution is called the Climate Action Plan, or CAP, proposed by The Climate Action Plan Steering Committee. “It is a strategic framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Cities utilize climate action plans as roadmaps for achieving emissions reductions and improving community resilience,” according to The Municipality of Anchorage, or MOA. Strategies for reducing the effects of climate change in the CAP include solar energy, optimizing refuse, improving transit options, supporting wildfire mitigation, educating residents and many other strategic options to reduce carbon footprints. The goal of the program is to significantly improve climate change by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gases by 80%. The
PHOTO BY CHRISTINA SWAYNEY
A few hikers were still present in Hatcher Pass on a smoky day.
program looks to accelerate the economy by reducing costs and providing more jobs, stewarding natural resources for future residents, engaging the communities of Anchorage to take part in reducing personal carbon footprints and also preparing for natural disasters. Reducing emissions not only reduces greenhouse gases but can save considerable amounts of money. Businesses can save approximately $40 billion by using energy-saving resources such as LED light bulbs and in-
stalling solar panels, according to the MOA website. The plan aims to work with city and borough planners throughout Alaska, as well as stakeholders to optimize the electric fleet of city vehicles such as public buses. This is part of the 2040 Land Use Plan, which is also a part of the CAP. It attempts to utilize the reduction of emissions and the optimization of non-motorized vehicles in any way it can be used in the city. The CAP also aims to de-
crease solid waste and consumption. Methods of achieving this include increasing composting, creating policies that align with a zero waste policy for Anchorage and educating the community about recycling. The CAP first originated in 2008 when the former first lady of Anchorage and political science professor Mara Kimmel and UAA political science professor Kimberly Pace both traveled to Tromso, Norway to observe how their city was merging environmental policy with
daily life to combat climate change. When Kimmel and Pace returned to Anchorage, they gave their class the assignment of drafting the CAP plan, then presented it to Ethan Berkowitz. The plan was suspended until renewed interest from Mark Begich. The CAP’s current draft was presented to the Anchorage Assembly for review in 2017. Micah Hahn, an assistant professor of environmental health within UAA’s Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies, has been directing the renewed plan for the past year. She has suggestions that students can do to take part in slowing climate change. Hahn proposed simply searching for an online quiz that identifies a person’s carbon footprint. “Taking a carbon footprint quiz will give you an idea of what you may be doing to contribute to climate change and how you can make your carbon footprint smaller. Are you using your car a lot? Are you composting?” Hahn said. She also has advice on how to make a change over time. “Pick one concrete thing, like ride your bike to work, and stick to it. It will overtime be a part of your routine and your carbon footprint will shrink,” Hahn said.
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FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 2019
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UAA | University Art Analysis – Sculptures by Oppenheim cause violent pushback By Robert Gant features@thenorthernlight.org
“I did a piece in Alaska called ‘Image Intervention,’ which is like a house that is hit by an earthquake,” Dennis Oppenheim said in an interview with the Archives of American Art. “Image Intervention” is a $250,000 abstract sculpture by renowned artist Oppenheim. The sculpture is composed of reclaimed painted steel and metal grates. “Image Intervention” is a part of a series of five. A sculpture from the same series sold for $1 million to Berlin, Germany. Art students are likely to encounter this sculpture while on the UAA campus, as “Image Intervention” is directly across from the Fine Arts Building. Construction is currently occurring nearby, diverting a portion of foot traffic to the path along the sculpture. The sculpture was formally dedicated in 1986. Two years after its dedication, “Image Intervention” was subject to violent vandalism, according to a retrospective from the Anchorage Daily News.
An unidentified individual shot the sculpture with a .22 caliber gun. UPD evaluated the damages to be approximately $500. The current price appraisal of $250,000 includes those damages. This is not the first time one of Oppenheim’s works have caused controversy. In 2018, the city of Busan in South Korea destroyed Oppenheim’s “Chamber” after complaints from residents calling it an “eyesore.” “It clearly had no artistic value, which is why we decided to take it down.” Busan district official Ham Shim-Yeoung said to a local paper. “Device to Root Out Evil,” an Oppenheim sculpture of an inverted church, met a less cruel fate. The sculpture was removed from Vancouver, Canada due to the community complaining it obstructed their view of the harbor. Oppenheim admitted that he considers public sculpture a less favorable medium for art in an interview with the Archives of American Art. “There is much more bad public art than there is bad studio art,” Oppenheim said in the interview.
“[Public artists] have to deal with a bureaucratic system, and it takes a long period of time, and by that time you’re totally bored with the project.” Oppenheim was best known for his temporary art installations and photography. The most wellknown art by Oppenheim, however, remains the more permanent public sculptures. Oppenheim died in 2011. His estate is run by his third wife, Amy, and his four children. His life was a series of radical changes with varying results. “You can have a radical idea, which is truly radical, but the work that exemplifies it is lousy,” Oppenheim said to the Archives of American Art. “Exhibitions that I have really felt were good are not always, and everyone hates them. Then I’ve done pieces that I really have to admit I’d probably like to destroy and everybody likes them.” In times of radical change, success is fleeting and uncertain. For Oppenheim, his successes were million dollar ideas, and his failures were met with outcry and vandalism. “Image Intervention”
GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS
PHOTO BY ROBERT GANT
“Image Intervention” by Dennis Oppenheim overlooks a sunrise.
stands by the Fine Arts Building as a monument to potential. The sculpture is “like a house hit by an earthquake,” but still
stands strong. This article was written in response to an emailed request. Have you seen art at UAA you want to know
more about? Contact Robert Gant at features@thenorthernlight.org.
Seawolves of all skill levels run in a pack at the Spirit Run
The runners were united in their smiles, sweat and spirit socks. By Robert Gant features@thenorthernlight.org
A runner crosses the finish line at the Spirit Run held on Saturday. PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA SWAYNEY
Racers sprint from the starting line of UAA’s Spirit Run at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The Spirit Run is a UAA Weeks of Welcome tradition. Faculty, students, staff, alumni and the general public attend to participate in a community-based 5K. The run begins and ends under a bright arch at the Alaska Airlines Center plaza. This year, 18 runners completed the race across the Chester Creek trail. The men’s basketball team was stationed along the path to ensure the safety of runners. The 5K opened with warm-up stretches, exercises and line dancing. Many runners took this as an opportunity to sport their exclusive spirit socks. The neon, athletic logo socks are not available for purchase at the UAA Bookstore, as they are only ordered for special events like the Spirit Run. Student Life and Leadership coordinates the Spirit Run annually. “We’re trying to get more people to participate
[in the Spirit Run],” Kim Morton, director of Student Life and Leadership, said. “I was concerned that [the air quality could be an issue this year]. I think we had a pretty good turnout for what we were expecting.” Morton estimated that the fastest runner would take 25 minutes to complete the 5K and that the slowest would take an hour. The competitors exceeded expectations. Jason Burkhead, associate professor of biological sciences, took first place with a runtime of 17 minutes. Burkhead chugged a bottle of water immediately after crossing the finish line, citing the smoky air as the cause for his breathlessness. Burkhead did not know what his runtime was initially and was surprised at his own speed. “I had to run,” Burkhead said. “A student was chasing me down and I had to beat him.” Burkhead and the student exchanged friendly glances and laughed together at this statement. “I’m happy everyone
came out,” Burkhead said. “The course was great, it was fun. It’s all part of supporting UAA.” The last person to cross the finish line took half the time Morton had estimated. Victoria Hillwig, the executive assistant to the Provost, finished at 10:37 p.m. with a runtime of 36 minutes. “[I feel] accomplished,” Hillwig said. “We were close to the end of the pack, so I was mainly just hanging out with friends and having a good time on a nice autumn day. It was just refreshing to be out.” Every person who crossed the finish line, from first to last, was welcomed with a round of applause and cheers from all in attendance. The runners were united in their smiles, sweat and spirit socks. Morton expressed her desire for feedback from the runners and anyone interested in assisting with the Spirit Run. Contact Student Life and Leadership at (907)-786-1215 or uaa_sll@alaska.edu.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 2019
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Hitbox Review: Singularity By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org
GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS
Singularity is an alternate history, first-person shooter game with a time travel twist. It was developed by Raven Software before they became known as one of the three studios developing games in the Call of Duty series. Singularity was released on June 29, 2010 for PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3. Sales regularly occur on PC for $7.50. It is sold for $30 when not on sale, so it is highly recommended to wait for a sale. The player controls Capt. Nathaniel Renko, a U.S. Recon Marine sent to investigate Katorga-12, an island which was once occupied by the Soviet Union. The island was used in 1955 to research a recently-discovered element called E-99, which has the fantastical potential to advance technology, from agriculture to medicine and weapons. Unfortunately, E-99 is also extremely unstable, which led to a Chernoyblesque catastrophe. After an electromagnetic pulse from Katorga-12 crashes Renko’s helicopter, he wakes up on the island, discovers the old Soviet research station and experiences time anomalies where he is transported between the present and 1955. After saving a scientist named Nikolai Demichev in the past during one of the anomalies, Renko returns to the present to discover Demichev has conquered the world by making E-99 bombs. Renko then joins the resistance group, made up of British agent Kathryn Norvikova and Russian scientist Viktor Barisov, to go back in time and prevent Demichev from taking over the world.
Singularity is a game that takes concepts and gameplay mechanics from other games and mashes them all together in a single game. It has the gravity gun from Half-Life, the breach and clear sequences from Call of Duty and has story and horror elements from Bioshock. Players can also upgrade their guns and abilities using upgrade stations. Unfortunately, Singularity doesn’t do anything to evolve the mechanics it borrows from other games. This could be because most of the game was made in just 10 months, according to Keith Fuller, a developer of the project. The main hook of Singularity is the Time Manipulation Device, often referenced as the TMD, which can be used to switch objects between the past and the present. In practice, this usually means the player will use the gravity gun feature of the TMD to place the crumpled version of a cube container in the present under a garage door. Then, they’ll activate the TMD and return the container to when it was brand new to open the door. The other two powers of the TMD are “Impulse,” which is a short-range shockwave that can knock back and kill enemies, and “Deadlock,” a time-slowing sphere the player can shoot at any surface. The player can also use the TMD on human enemies, which will disintegrate them in horrifying detail. Several of the guns in the game feature novel mechanics, some of which still aren’t common in newer games despite having fantastic concepts. The Seeker Rifle fires explosive bullets that the player can control while it flies through the air. In one instance, I was able to kill an enemy hiding behind a column by wrapping the bullet around the column a full 360 degrees and hitting the enemy’s head from behind. The player can also manually detonate the bullet mid-air to kill multiple enemies at once, if timed carefully. The Seeker Rifle also has math equations scribbled across the scope, which make it difficult to
aim with, further incentivizing the player to control the bullet instead of using the gun like a typical point-and-shoot rifle. There are a couple small details which help to make the gunplay feel impactful. One of those is that if an enemy is killed with a headshot, their head will explode with a shower of blood. The shotgun blasts enemies back as if they had been hit by a truck. After the player has “killed” an enemy, both humans and monsters will attempt to crawl away. This is particularly haunting when the player can still hear the monsters’ otherworldly screams as they slowly stop moving. Unfortunately, that’s about where my praise for Singularity ends. The PC version lacks options that one would expect of a modern game, such as the ability to change the field of view and modify individual graphics settings. Also, Barisov’s accent sounds inauthentic, like something out of a b-movie. There’s an argument to be made that Singularity is attempting to embrace the campy, low-budget, bmovie aesthetic. However, that isn’t the impression I got in the seven and a half hours it took me to beat the game. The game also incorporates many horror genre tropes, such as a ghost child kicking a ball down some stairs while the player hears them laughing but never actually sees them. There are several jump-scares as well, which feel cheap. After the first jump scare, I was never surprised by their sudden appearance. The human enemies seem to have graduated at the top of their class at the sniper academy, because they are incredibly accurate and will shoot you as soon as they have a line of sight. This became an even more noticeable issue when I encountered a room with three mini-gun wielding soldiers who also take more damage than usual to kill. It seemed impossible to avoid damage and I was forced to outheal the damage I was taking with health packs. The phase-tick monsters were of particular annoyance because
Aside from a few set piece moments, the TMD is only used to reconstruct chalk boards and uncrumple box containers. SCREENSHOTS BY JOHN NOVOTNY
Projectors show Soviet propaganda that can be found throughout Katorga-12.
of their small hitboxes and how fast they move. After getting up close, they explode and do a significant amount of damage to the player. The only strategy I found to combat them was to activate the Deadlock ability at my feet and shoot the ticks when they entered the time-slowing sphere. Singularity looks and plays like a nine year-old first-person shooter. The player can only hold two weapons at a time. The rationale behind this design choice is that by forcing the player to choose two weapons, they will specialize in those weapons by upgrading them. However, the other side of this double-edged sword is that because the player is forced to pick two weapons to upgrade throughout the game, they feel locked-in to their choice and are restricted from experimenting with other weapons that aren’t as upgraded as the ones they had been using before. The result is that the player likely picks the “safe” option to upgrade, since they know it will always be effective. The AR9 Valkyrie Assault Rifle and Volk S4 Shotgun became my bread and butter death-dealers, and only when the game introduced
a new weapon would I try it for a few minutes and inevitably return to what I had been using previously. Then, there’s the power curve to consider. At the start of the game, the player is stranded without a gun. The player finds a few scattered E-99 tech pickups to buy upgrades for their abilities in the first few hours. However, at around the six hour mark, I began finding a plethora of E-99 tech. An hour prior, I only had a handful of upgrades. In the next hour, I bought almost every single upgrade available. I felt reasonably powerful until this point, but afterwards, I felt unkillable. In fact, I didn’t die a single time throughout my normal difficulty playthrough to any enemy besides the phaseticks, nor did I feel particularly challenged. With all that being said, there are worse games from this era. If you’ve exhausted all other worthwhile shooters from the last nine years, then Singularity isn’t a bad choice, provided that it’s on sale. Want to suggest a video game for review? Contact John Novotny at arts@thenorthernlight. org.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 2019
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The Esports Lounge isn’t just for professional gamers PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UAA ESPORTS LOUNGE WEBSITE
PHOTO BY JOHN NOVOTNY
The Esports Lounge PCs feature rgb lighting.
By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org
“Esports” refers to playing video games professionally. The finals for tournaments that attract talent from all over the world are played on the stages of stadiums boasting 50,000 person capacities. Such was the case with the League of Legends World Championship finals in 2018, which took place at the Incheon Munhak Stadium in South Korea. Tournaments as massive as this often have $1 million championship prizes. Smaller esports tournaments can take place anywhere, even in a garage. Esports can be as simple as playing in a $100 winner-takes-all tournament at the local gaming center. In general, when the term esports is mentioned, it’s usually in reference to professionally organized tournaments.
The Student Union soft-launched its own Esports Lounge on Aug. 26. Anyone, from someone who has never played a video game before, to the seasoned veteran, is welcome to play games in the lounge. The softlaunch period is a trial period where the hardware can be tested and Student Union management can identify any places for improvement, as well as obtain feedback from the community, according to Adrianna McCoy, the Esports Lounge manager. To get started, gamers will be required to create a ggLeap account at the Student Union Information Desk. The ggLeap user interface “locks down the PC” so that gamers can only play games on it, according to McCoy. If they are a student enrolled in at least three credit hours, they will be allotted a certain number of game time hours per semester. UAA staff and facul-
Sony-Man: that off… it could hurt a lot,” aviation management major Matthew Lastimoso said. If the two studios do not reach some sort of agreement to continue sharing Spider-Man, this means that Sony will have the sole movie rights to this character, but they will not have the movie rights to other characters that Spider-Man has interacted with in recent films. In addition, Marvel will not be able to include Spider-Man in their own films, preventing him from appearing in more ensemble films like “Avengers: Endgame.” This would, in essence, destroy Spider-Man’s ties to the MCU. Lastimoso explained the issue from the perspective of a long-time fan. Spider-Man is a major character in multiple timelines in the comics, and so
Student Union room 211A was previously a computer lounge, allowing for a quick construction period for the lounge.
ty will be given a certain amount of game time per semester. The public is also welcome to play at the Esports Lounge. The lounge will feature all current-generation consoles in addition to high-end PCs. “We have 18 top-ofthe-line gaming PCs, a PlayStation 4 that also includes a VR [Virtual Reality headset], an Xbox One and two Nintendo Switches,” McCoy said. The PCs boast impressive specifications, including Intel Core i7-9700k Processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics cards, 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB PCIe NVme M.2 SSDs in addition to 1 terabyte hard drives. The peripherals are also impressive. Esports Lounge patrons will be able to play PC games on a 25-inch 144Hz FreeSync monitor and use an HP OMEN Sequencer opticalmechanical gaming keyboard.
The games available vary by platform. There are competitive, multiplayer games such as League of Legends, Overwatch and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There are also more casual, singleplayer games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Minecraft, Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!. Players are also welcome to suggest new games to be installed on the PCs and consoles. For a full list of games and platforms, visit the official Student Union page on the UAA website. Students and the public will be able to play various games on a PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S this fall. The Esports Lounge was created in less than a year. The UAA eSports Club was a driving force behind the creation of the lounge, as was the UAA administration. The eS-
Continued from cover
this split between studios cuts off a lot of opportunities for ideas that appear in the comics. In fact, in one potential timeline in the Marvel universe, a version of Spider-Man is one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, Lastimoso said. Other UAA students had their own ideas on the conflict. “I totally understand the idea of Sony backing off and saying ‘no, he’s ours.’ But at the same time, it also kind of seems like it’s in both [Disney and Sony’s] best interests to keep Spider-Man going in the MCU because it still has the promise to make boatloads of money,” Cochran said. Cochran pointed to the recent box office success of “Spider-Man: Far From Home” — Sony’s highestgrossing movie of all time, earning $1 billion within
24 days of its release. Alexandra Craig, who is working towards a bachelor of arts in music at UAA, believes that Sony’s severed connection to Disney opens up opportunities for both studios. “For now, it’s probably a good thing so [Marvel] can… focus more on ‘the new things that are happening like ‘The Eternals,’ which is so exciting, and the ‘X-Men,’” Craig said. In addition, this gives Sony a chance to include and develop characters that they still own — classic Spider-Man villains such as the Sinister Six, as well as side characters from the studio’s Oscarwinning hit, “Into the Spiderverse,” Craig said. Thus far, neither studio has commented on this issue, except for Sony’s statement citing Feige’s busy schedule as a reason for turning down Disney’s
ports Club was first approached about starting an esports lounge after the spring semester ended, according to Christian Mercale, the club’s president. “Cody [Buechner, the Student Union building manager] started talking to us in April or May,” Mercale said. “He got sponsors lined up who were interested and then a couple officers from the club and administrators met up and pitched [to businesses to sponsor the lounge].” Mercale is excited to see UAA finally get an esports lounge after having been a founding member of the eSports Club for over two years. “This was one of my goals. To get an esports lounge built here and see it come to reality in two years is honestly amazing,” Mercale said. Mercale hopes that having an esports center at UAA will help grow Anchorage’s esports scene.
“I think [the Esports Lounge] doesn’t only help the UAA community, I think it helps the whole Anchorage esports community. As we’ve seen esports grow in other states, I think it will grow in Anchorage too,” Mercale said. McCoy is excited to try out the Esports Lounge PCs. She feels they are a great selling point of the lounge. “I’m really excited for [the lounge] and just seeing other people buzz about it makes me excited too,” McCoy said. “I’m not sure if I’ll have much time to use it since I’ll be working it and going to class, but I’m definitely looking forward to using the PCs, especially since they’re better than the one I have at home.” The Esports Lounge is located in the Student Union in room 211A. The lounge is open MondaySunday from 12-8 p.m. during the soft launch.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA CRAIG
Craig was introduced to the Marvel Universe by her husband, his passion for the characters igniting her own.
proposal, leaving Marvel fans wondering what is going to happen next — is this the end of SpiderMan’s involvement in the MCU? “He’s already an established character with so many ties to Tony Stark
that you’ve already built that bridge. If you burn that bridge, you can smell the smoke,” Cochran said. However, Craig saw the “burnt bridge” as a positive. “I don’t mind if they decide to keep him out [of
the MCU]…there is still hope for Spider-Man,” Craig said. Perhaps Spider-Man, like every dedicated student, will make a comeback despite the challenges set in his way.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 2019
09
The Seawolves overtook the UAA alumni in volleyball opener By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org
The Seawolf volleyball team kicked off their 2019-2020 season with the annual Seawolf Alumni game at the Alaska Airlines Center. The UAA volleyball team was joined by recent standout alumni, including Morgan Hooe (2013-16), Julia Mackey (2012-15) and Erin Braun (2013-16). “Most of our team has already been here for the volleyball camps and practice, but it is exciting to get back onto the court,” head coach Chris Green said. The alumni were challenged by a team of experienced returners for the Seawolves, including lone senior Vanessa Hayes, sophomore Eve Stephens and junior Vera Pluharova. Green explained that being the only senior, they are expecting big things from Hayes, especially having a highly successful year during the previous season. He emphasized that Hayes has already done a phenomenal job leading the team.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY
Vera Pluharova goes for the ball at the Seawolf Alumni game on Saturday.
“It’s definitely different. Coming in as a freshman I had five other freshmen with me and I always thought they’d be the ones I’d see here on the court during my senior year, but things changed and I ended up being the only one,” Hayes said. “So, it’s a new dynamic to feel like I have to take the team and be a leader.”
Stephens is returning after a standout freshman season, where she was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. In an intense game of four sets, the Seawolves ended up overtaking the alumni 3-1. UAA started off strong, winning the first two sets 25-21 and 2513. The alumni came back
temporarily to win the third set 25-23 before being overtaken 25-21 in the fourth set. “This was a fight; these alumni are very good. But we had a good battle,” Hayes said. Stephens and Pluharova led the Seawolves with a total of 27 kills between then, 16 and 11, respectively. In addition, Hayes
contributed nine kills and junior transfer Kayla McGlathery added five more to the total. McGlathery is returning to the Seawolves after stepping away from volleyball in 2014. However, she was named GNAC Newcomer of the Year that year. In comparison, the alumni were led by Jackie
Matthisen (2008-11) and Anais Vargas (2016-17), who contributed eight kills each. Brooke Pottle (2013-14) added six more and Mackey contributed five. The Seawolves were also led in assists by sophomore setter Ellen Floyd, contributing a total of 25. In addition, junior transfer setter Emma Kleven added 14 more assists in her first game as a Seawolf. For the alumni, Calli Scott (2008-09) led the team with 21 assists, while Hooe trailed behind with a total of 15. The annual alumni game was used as a practice to get the Seawolves back into the swing of competition prior to starting their regular season. “I am excited for my senior year to finish strong; I’ve been to the national tournament and I want to go back so we will see how it goes,” Hayes said. UAA will debut their regular season with four matches in the Seawolf Invitational next week at the Alaska Airlines Center. The tournament will begin on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Regis.
Cross-country teams debut seasons with in-state rivalry meet Yvonne Jeschke finished in third place (19:36.00) in sports@thenorthernlight.org her first-ever cross-country race. Jeschke comThe UAA men’s and peted for the Seawolves women’s cross-country track and field team for teams traveled to Fair- the previous four years but banks on Aug. 31 to com- has never participated in pete against UAF’s cross- cross-country for UAA. country for a season openFreshman Joan Kiper. The Seawolves came sanai wasn’t far behind, out ahead of the Nanooks coming in at 20:12.13 to in both individual and solidify a fifth-place finteam results. ish. In addition, sophoRyan McWilliams, the more Ruth Cvancara newly appointed head placed sixth (20:19.35), coach after the departure Maria Aceves Espinoza of long-time coach Mi- placed 10th (21:06.35) and chael Friess, was pleased Arielle Himelbloom finwith how the first meet ished 17th (22:49.76). went. “It was a nice rolling “We are really excited course except for a singleto get the season started. track section at 2K, which This was a good early sea- was kind of awkward to son race,” McWilliams run on. A great day out, said. “We still have a lot of little cool in the morning work to do, but the teams but then perfect temperaare ready and excited to ture by the time we startput the work in to get ed,” Cvancara said. “Our where we want to be as a hopes for this season are team. I am really proud of first and foremost to stay how our teams competed.” healthy, and making it to For the women’s race, nationals with the team senior Emmah Chelimo again this year would be finished in first place with incredible.” a time of 18:33.12, nearly Overall, the UAA side-by-side with her ju- women’s team finished nior teammate Nancy Je- ahead of UAF, with a final ptoo, who finished second score 17-39. in 18:33.89. As for the men’s race, Behind them, senior junior Wesley Kirui By Lauren Cuddihy
PHOTO COURTESY OF IAN MARKS
Seawolf Emmah Chelimo runs in the first cross-country event of the season.
placed first overall in the seven-kilometer race with a time of 21:59.68. Behind Kirui, in a back-toback finish, junior Felix Kemboi finished second (22:11.15), while junior Nickson Koech placed third (22:57.16). “The meet went pretty well, and I think as an in-
dividual I did great. In addition, as a team, we had a fabulous opening victory for the season, and we hope to even achieve more than what we did today. We work as a team and we win as a team but also as an individual,” Kirui said. In addition, sophomore Jacob Moos placed
fifth (23:39.59), freshman Skylar McIntyre placed sixth (23:53.03), freshman Niko Latva-Kiskola finished at eighth (24:17.31), senior Eduardo Orozco ran in at 12th (24:47.98), sophomore Faisal Ibrahim at 13th (24:52.71) and freshman Titus Kangogo placed 14th (24:55.47).
Overall, the UAA men’s team overtook UAF, with a final score 17-41. The Seawolves will continue their season at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Sacramento, California on Sept. 28.
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 2019
FIRST FRIDAY AFTER HOURS Come to know the true North
OPEN GALLERIES. OPEN MINDS. OPEN LATE.
Launch your weekend at the museum with live music and performances, art discussions, a film preview, planetarium programs and great food 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, free general admission anchoragemuseum.org/calendar Museum members save on special events. Join today!
OPINION
11
Ask Aurora By Aurora Boreowlis askaurora@thenorthernlight.org
Hi Aurora, I’m new to UAA and Anchorage. Kind of bummed that I don’t really know anyone here, and I’m not really sure what I can do to meet new friends. A lot of my friends went to school out of state or stayed back home, so I’m kind of on my own here. I’d like to find friends here on campus, but I’m not sure where to start. What can I do? Warmest regards, New to the Neighborhood Dear New to the Neighborhood, It is understandable that you feel anxious about socialization. A new semester and a new location is the perfect opportunity to create new bonds
with your peers. Realize that you are not alone in this situation. A fresh start leaves many freshmen initially searching for new friends. In this day and age, it is unlikely that friends will just come to you. In order to show others that you are interested in creating friendships, you will have to put yourself out there. If the gesture is not received well, simply keep searching. Do not be discouraged if one relationship doesn’t work out. There are plenty of students at UAA who are looking for friendships and share your values and interests. It is helpful to introduce yourself to the person you end up sitting next to within the first week of class. An easy ice breaker is to ask questions about classwork or to compare notes on lectures. If you feel comfortable enough, ask a classmate to
exchange phone numbers with you. An added perk to knowing your classmates is that if either of you misses a day of class, you will be kept in the loop. This also is a great way to keep track of assignments or set up study sessions. Be sure not to abuse the privilege of having a classmate’s number, however. Take advantage of the common areas on campus, like the quad or the library. People will often gather near upcoming classes. Before class would be a good time to strike up a conversation. UAA is home to various student clubs and organizations where you can meet people who have similar interests and goals. Unlike classes, clubs are structured to be social. There are countless clubs, from the Accounting club to the UAA Glee Club. Visit life.uaa.alaska.edu
STAFF CONTACTS Sports Editor Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org
Executive Editor Caleigh Jensen (907) 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org
Graphic Designer Michaeline Collins media@thenorthernlight.org
Layout Editor Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org Features Editor Robert Gant features@thenorthernlight.org
Feeling anxious about meeting new people can be challenging, but overcoming loneliness can lead to new adventures.
to learn more about clubs and their meeting times. Events are another enjoyable social venue hosted through the university. Look for flyers posted around campus, the UAA master calendar on the UAA website or university social media pages, such as @uaa_photos on
Instagram. Remember that college is the beginning of an exciting journey where you can make friends that might even last a lifetime. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and spark a new connection with a fellow student. Sincerely,
Aurora Boreowlis If you have a question you would like to be answered by Aurora, email askaurora@thenorthernlight.org in under 250 words.
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S E P T E M B E R 6 -1 5 50% off tickets on Wed 9/11 with code ANCHORAGEARTS $15 RUSH Tickets starting 1/2 hour before curtain. Student and group discounts
In Steve Martin’s uproarious tale, a beautiful young woman attending a royal parade finds that her bloomers have fallen down around her ankles. Ooops! She is sure no one noticed, but her modest husband is mortified and rushes off to assess the level of gossip. Boarders, nosy neighbors, and sudden new suitors fill the stage in this bawdy comedy of manners. visit us online at ptalaska.org
WRITTEN BY
STEVE MARTIN ADAPTED FROM
CARL STERNHEIM DIRECTED BY
TERESA K. POND