September 11, 2018

SEPTEMBER 11  SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

OPINION

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UAA alumna to coach Cornell Speech and Debate team

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN CIELO

Nick Parker, Radames Bradley Mercado-Barbosa and Nial Masuda host their KRUA radio show, “The Boys are Back in Town” each Friday from 5-7 p.m.

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“The Boys Are Back in Town” is a student-run radio show on KRUA, the university’s radio station. The show is performed by three close friends every Friday night. For two hours on the air, The Boys listen to music, make jokes and conversation and even accept guest callers.

“It’s just three guys having a conversation over the radio,” Radames Bradley MercadoBarbosa, boy No. 3 and journalism and political science major, said. “It’s a show about normal people, normal things and everyday topics.”

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TNL celebrates anniversary with food, discussion and a look back in time

Tune into ‘two hours of pure randomness’ with “The Boys Are Back in Town”

By Caleigh Jensen

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The show first aired in November of 2017 and was inspired by when Mercado-Barbosa had two of his friends from high school as guests on his personal music-based radio show. When their conversation became more interesting than the music, they knew it was something they wanted to pursue.

Although it’s mainly for fun and doesn’t come with pay, the group views “The Boys Are Back in Town” as a way to build skills that will help them with their majors and possibly turn into a hobby in their futures.

“It’s something I’d like to do after I retire. I like playing music for people,” Nial Masuda, boy No. 2 and accounting major, said.

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KRUA gives its radio shows a lot of freedom. The boys have small guidelines to follow, such as no cursing and only playing clean songs, but the content is entirely up to them. The three take advantage of this freedom by hardly planning out their shows and just going with the flow.

A typical show starts with the boys asking one another about their weeks, and the conversation builds from there. Although it’s mostly improvised, segments such as Ask Siri, Mad Libs and Leaving Town appear regularly.

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CELEBR ATING

University police release new safety app

By Marie Ries

news@thenorthernlight.org

The UAA Police Department has launched an app providing access to several crisis and safety resources on campus. “UAA Safe” was released on Aug. 27 and is available for students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. Features include a virtual walk-home service and a mobile bluelight emergency button.

The bluelight feature allows app users to inform campus police of their location in case of an emergency. By tapping a button in the app’s menu, students can send their location to the police in real time.

Michael Beckner, lieutenant with the university police, thinks that the mobile function has some advantages over the bluelight emergency phones already on campus.

“The bluelight phones we have now are stationary. If you hit a button [in one location], that is where we’re coming to,” Beckner said. “If you hit the bluelight button on your phone

and you keep running because someone is after you, we can see you running and know where to go.”

The virtual walk-home function is a tool for users that feel unsafe walking alone. It establishes a direct connection between the user and a police officer, allowing the officer to follow the user’s location on a map.

Once the user reaches their destination safely, they can let the police know they made it home and disconnect.

Before the app was released, the police could only offer a walk-home service in person when they were not busy, Beckner said. Although that service is not going away, the app is supposed to make this service easier and more accessible to the students.

All services except the live chat with the police will be available 24 for hours per day.

A feature called Friend Walk works similarly, allowing users

SEE SAFETY

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PHOTO BY MARIAH DEJESUS-REMAKLUS

UAA Safe was released Aug. 27 by the University Police Department. In its first week, the app was downloaded over 500 times.

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

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Anchorage Assembly votes in favor of strict plastic bag ban

By Marie Ries

news@thenorthernlight.org

The Anchorage Assembly approved a law prohibiting the distribution of plastic shopping bags by retailers on Aug. 28. It is the stricter version of two drafts introduced in July, also banning retailers from providing thicker plastic bans for a fee. The ordinance will take effect on March 1, 2019.

The ban is a response to concerns about increasing plastic landfill in the city. Anchorage is following a national trend with the law. The city of Seattle already banned plastic bags six years ago. California imposed a statewide ban effective in 2016.

Kroger, the retail company that owns Fred Meyer, announced their decision to transition to reusable bags on Aug. 23.

“We are... transitioning to reusable bags in our stores by 2025,” Rodney McMullen, the company’s CEO, said in a press release. “It’s a bold move that will better protect our planet for

future generations.”

Other Alaskan cities, such as Palmer and Wasilla, adopted more lenient plastic bag bans earlier in 2018. Retailers are still allowed to sell thicker plastic bags for small fees under those laws.

Anchorage retail sellers, however, will only be allowed to provide paper bags for a fee between 10 cents and 50 cents. Reusable bags made of woven material may be distributed without restriction.

There are certain exceptions to the ban. Customers will still be allowed to use plastic bags provided inside stores to contain a product that does not have other packaging. This includes bulk grains, nuts, meat, produce and some other goods.

The decision of the assembly was close – five voted against the ban, and six voted in favor of the ban. A motion for reconsideration of the ordinance has been moved and will be discussed in the assembly’s next meeting on Sept. 11.

UAA student Yvonne Je-

schke is supportive of the stricter ban in Anchorage.

“I was so happy when I heard about the plastic bag ban in Anchorage. Other countries and states already took initiative toward a cleaner and more eco-friendly lifestyle of their citizens, so it was about time to catch up,” the physical education major said.

Jeschke is not concerned about any impact the ban might have on her. She has already been using reusable bags or backpacks to carry her groceries. The only challenge is getting used to this procedure, Jeschke said.

“I can see how some people find it challenging at first, but once you start changing your habits and just bring your own bag, it won’t cause any trouble anymore,” she said.

Violators of the bill will face a fine of $250 per violation after the second offense. Any subsequent offense will be penalized with $500 per violation.

Like other Anchorage businesses, the UAA bookstore will

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

be affected by the law as well.

The bookstore has not decided on possible alternatives for the plastic bags yet, Isabel Mead, assistant technology buyer, explained.

“Now, we need to look into the logistics of making the change we can meet the appointed deadline,” Mead said. “We realize that books can be heavy and we won’t make a decision lightly when it comes to what alternatives to offer. But we do need to abide by the new regulation.”

The most obvious solution for many students might be to carry their purchases in their school backpacks. However, the book-

store does not allow backpacks in the textbook area in the back of the store.

“The main reason for this restriction is loss prevention, unfortunately,” Mead said. “Because of this, we do offer shopping baskets, a couple of shelves inside the store to leave the backpack while in the textbook area and free lockers outside the store.”

The bookstore’s policy allows backpacks during checkout and in all other areas, and plans for plastic bag alternatives will be finalized by the end of September.

SAFETY: App provides resources, walk-home service and safety notifications Continued from cover to pick a contact to send their location to. The friend will receive a message with a link taking them to a map with the user’s location. If necessary, they can trigger a call to emergency services.

About 500 people have downloaded UAA Safe during the first week of the semester.

Mechanical engineering major Tere Alonso is one of them. She thinks that the app can be a very useful tool for students.

“It’s a nice app to have, es-

pecially when you have to walk home when it’s dark outside,” Alonso said. “It would’ve been great to have had it last year already.”

The app’s safety toolbox enables users to share a map with their location, chat with the university police or use their phone as a flashlight. There are also different options to report a tip to the university police department: using an in-app form, calling, texting or reporting anonymously via the Silent Witness option.

UAA Safe also provides con-

tact information of various support resources, such as Standing Together Against Rape, the Student Health and Counselling Center and the Dean of Students.

Other resources available in the UAA Safe App are emergency plans, important safety notifications, emergency contacts and campus safety resources. It also includes a live map of the Seawolf shuttle service and UAA news.

Beckner encourages UAA students to download UAA Safe.

“You may never use it, but it is worth it to have it. It gives you

plenty of resources all in one place,” Beckner said.

The app covers the entire campus and some surrounding areas such as Goose Lake and University Lake.

“Crime on campus may be low, but continuous safety awareness is critical to keeping crime at bay. We must work together as a community and remain vigilant in maintaining safety in our community,” Director of Residence Life Amy Snyder and Dean of Students Benjamin Morton wrote in a letter to the students.

The safety app is a product of the AppArmor Mobile software.

Other universities like the University of Florida and the University of California, Los Angeles have brought out their own version of the safety app.

UAA Safe is free and available on the App Store and Google Play.

The campus police will offer demonstrations on how to use it.

Students are welcome to stop by the department with questions and suggestions for the app.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

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An introduction to the fifth annual Red Zone Series

By Sam Davenport editor@thenorthernlight.org

In the period from the beginning of school to Thanksgiving, more sexual assaults happen on college campuses around the United States than any other time during the school year. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, more than 50 percent of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October or November. These first weeks of the semester have become known as the Red Zone.

This is the fifth year that The Northern Light has published its Red Zone Series. During that time, our series has gained praise, including the first-place award for best series at the 2016 Alaska Press Club Awards. Even though we are grateful for the recognition, that is not why we do this series each year.

The goal of the series is to decrease the stigmatization of sexual assault and rape on our campus and to provide knowledge for students on issues less spoken about. This series is for any person who has felt unsafe in a situation and for any individual

who has felt uncomfortable after an interaction with someone.

We hope that during this series, you learn something that you didn’t know before, or you find resources that can help you or a friend through a traumatic and difficult time. The stories we write are to inform students of what resources they have available to them.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, please contact the University Police Department at 907786-1120 or the Title IX office at 907-786-4680.

UAA alumna Johanna Richter joins Cornell debate staff

By Robin O’Donoghue features2@thenorthernlight.org

As college students return to the grind and the semester begins in full tilt, UAA alumna Johanna Richter is embarking on a new journey as part of Cornell’s debate team coaching staff.

“I’m really excited to go see another part of the world a do something else… I’ve always been super passionate about debate,” Richter said, who debated for four years in high school before joining the UAA debate team.

Richter, who just turned 24 years old, grew up in Anchorage before attending UAA. She initially wanted to go out of state for college, but ultimately chose to stay in Anchorage largely for debate.

“It just made the most sense, economically, to stay here,” she said.

Richter, who served as president of UAA’s Economics Club and Vice President of USUAA, debated for UAA throughout her collegiate career. Richter first heard about the coaching position through various debate-related Facebook groups, prompting her to submit an application.

About a month after applying, Richter first realized that she was up for real consideration when UAA Debate coach, Steve Johnson, informed her that Cornell had reached out to him, inquiring about her. Shortly after, Richter found herself on the phone with Cornell accepting the position.

“Johanna is a rare individual — driven, intelligent, compassionate and humble beyond what her talents would permit... I’m not surprised that she was hired

by Cornell. Their program is consistently ranked among the top in the world and they understand the contributions that Johanna will make to that success. I both look forward to — and, to be honest, am a bit worried about — how much better they’ll become with her influence,” Johnson said in an email.

At Cornell, Richter will be responsible for coaching students in World Schools Debate, also known a British Paramilitary debate. It is an extemporaneous style of debate where competitors get their debate topic only 15 minutes before the round begins. The topics range from international relations to human rights to policy issues.

Richter enjoys the pressure of

World Schools Debate.

“I always kind of got what debaters will describe as a flow experience [from World Schools Debate] even if other things in my life were not super great…

When I was in a debate round, all of that would be blocked out because I had to focus so intensely,” Richter said.

During her time on the Seawolf Debate team, Richter made it to elimination rounds at World Universities Debating Championships, the largest and most competitive debate tournament in the world, finishing within the top 8 percent as the only American team from a public university to do so.

Jonathon Taylor, Richter’s longtime debate partner, says he will “never forget” his accomplishments with her.

“I’m forever grateful for the time spent studying with her, learning from her, and growing as individuals together throughout our time at UAA. Debating with her and breaking to elimination rounds at the World Universities’ Debating Championships are moments etched in my mind that I’ll never forget,” Taylor said.

Richter and Taylor finished as “octa finalists” at the Unit-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHANNA RICHTER

Debate partners Jonathon Taylor and Johanna Richter at the World Universities Debating Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2016.

ed States Universities Debating Championship tournament in 2016. Taylor is currently the Communications Director for the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

Richter applied for many jobs before landing another internship for Northern Air Cargo for eight months before finding a position with the State of Alaska. Along with her new excitement and success, Richter has

words of encouragement for other recent graduates struggling to find work in the tough job market.

“Getting rejected can feel really discouraging… but you can set yourself a goal of getting rejected twenty or thirty times to get yourself out there... Just keep putting yourself out there because even the experience of interviewing is valuable,” Richter said.

04 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Be ‘undeniably, uniquely you’ by creating your own club on campus

By Caleigh Jensen

arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Although academics are the main focus of college, being a part of a club adds a little fun to the experience. UAA is home to nearly 100 clubs, ranging from The Chronicles of Yarnia to Seawolf Rugby to Wolfy Filmmakers. With such a unique array of activities, there are many ways for students to get involved.

Jane Mastre, administrative assistant for Student Clubs and Greek Life, says that while maintaining good grades and studying are important parts of being a student, joining a club can create a more enriching experience.

“You have to have fun every once in a while,” Mastre said. “I’ve seen [club] officers be a part of a lot of different clubs and involved in the community and still maintain their grades. It really just shows good organization skills and dedication to wanting to be a better leader in the future.”

If the current clubs aren’t catching your eye, UAA also has the option for any student to create a club of their own.

Club creation is done entirely online on the UAA Life page of the university website. Each club requires three students to fill the positions of president, secretary and treasurer, as well as one full-time faculty or staff member to be the club’s advisor. The members of the

club must also create and submit bylaws, according to the sample outlined in the registration instructions.

For Shawn Fugere, computer science major and creator of the Super Smash Brothers Club, the most difficult but also one of the most important parts of creating a new club was finding an advisor.

“We are a unique club, so finding someone to get behind us was not easy,” Fugere said. “Finding an advisor who cares about the club is super important and sets you up for success.”

In addition to appointing the required positions, a few more formal steps need

to be taken for a club to be officially registered. The president and advisor of the club must each fill out an agreement form. The president, along with the treasurer, must also complete an online student officer orientation. Lastly, the club must present a short overview of their intentions at a Club Council meeting.

Although creating a club from scratch may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be taken on alone. Aleija Stover, economics and environmental studies major, recently created Plates for Compassion, a club focusing on the nonviolence of veganism.

Even as the main creator of the club, Sto-

ver gives a lot of credit to the other people that helped her make it a reality.

“I think a mistake that a lot of people make when starting a club is not asking for help. I made [Plates for Compassion] on my own, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone,” Stover said. “I found support bringing up the idea to my friends, teachers and staff around UAA.” Stover finds Plates for Compassion, along with other clubs she’s a part of, to be a great way to get to know other students outside of the classroom and express her interests with like-minded peers.

“You deserve a space to be undeniably, uniquely you,” Stover said.

Emily Wood, an environmental science student in her fourth year, has been involved with a variety of clubs and organizations throughout her college career, including sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha, Glee Club, Chi Alpha and Model United Nations. She encourages students to get involved to make their college experience more valuable.

“If there’s something you’re interested in, just go and do it,” Wood said. “It’s really enriching to a college experience to make personal connections. It deepens your experience and develops yourself in ways you wouldn’t be able to alone.”

For more information on how to create a club, visit the “Start a New Club” tab located on the right side of the UAA Life page on the university website.

FEATURES

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‘The Bounded Text’ exhibit to occupy Kimura Gallery, ARC Gallery

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

The Kimura Gallery and the ARC Gallery’s newest exhibit features unique art with a unique theme.

Five national and international female artists have worked on fiber art to be displayed in the Kimura Gallery for the newest exhibit, “The Bounded Text.”

Fiber art is a broad category of art and can be better described as art that is textile based. It can refer to natural or artificial fibers that are used in ways such as weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, felting, spreading, bonding and braiding. Textiles make up a significant part of every day usage, whether it be clothing or blankets.

“Contemporary visual artists, like the ones showcased in this exhibit, are taking those [everyday] materials and using them as art-based materials to think conceptually about a specific idea,” Riva Symko, curator of the Kimura Gallery, said.

Symko believes this is a gallery that can get visitors thinking more about how certain things are constructed, too.

“I hope [visitors] get to think about how text is incorporated...

I mean, we take all these com-

ponent parts and weave them together to create a sentence like the same way you take all these threads to weave them together to create an object,” Symko said.

“Certain words have their own histories, have different cultural meanings, even if it’s the same English language. So it kind of makes you think of the construction of language and text itself.”

One of the featured artists, Sara Impey, said that text is a must in her art, fitting for this exhibit. Her work is a long way from home in England.

“This technique is labor-intensive but gives me the flexibility and precision to compose the text as I go along,” Impey said.

“Sometimes I write an entire essay over the surface of the fabric with the words traveling straight from my brain to my needle. The creative and exciting part all happens in that moment.”

The meanings behind Impey’s art vary. For instance, two of her pieces, “No Exit” and “Losing the Plot,” are based on a study of memory loss, while her metallic-like silk piece, “Chain Stitch” is more simple and is based on the theme of connection.

Dianna Frid is a Chicagobased artist who has pieces exhibited in “The Bounded Text,” too.

“The lineage of fiber arts is very important. It gave a form to women artists at a time when they had to carve a niche,” Frid said.

Frid has a series of textile art that will be featured called “Words From Obituaries” which started in 2011. She read obituaries published by The New York Times, then started embroidering words that most closely relates to the person’s profession, trying to send the message that life is “irreducible to one, single compelling account.”

The Kimura Gallery is dedicated to featuring international and national artists. The exhibit will feature Impey, Frid, Kathryn Clark, Danielle Andress and Melissa Cody. The ARC will feature Anchorage-based artist Enzina Marrari. The galleries will be open Monday, Sep. 10 until Sunday, Oct. 28. Symko will hold a free, open to the public, lunchtime curatorial tour on Oct. 9 from 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

The Kimura Gallery is located on the second floor of the Fine Arts Building. The ARC Gallery is located between the UAA/APU Consortium Library and Kaladi Brothers Cafe in the Social Science Building.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA IMPEY

One of Sara Impey’s pieces, “Iris Recognition.”

Annual exhibit shows off Camera Club’s talents

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

The Camera Club will exhibit their photographs at The Hugh

McPeck Gallery for their annual exhibit, “Through Our Eyes.”

The Camera Club, one of many clubs on UAA’s campus, welcomes students and the public to brush up on their skills, discuss future or current projects and get feedback from fellow photographers.

“There is a good chance that one of the club members has done something similar or at least has done some research on the subject and can help with some of the technical issues or just be an extra pair of eyes to catch something that has been missed or [give] advice on how to improve,” Ray Dummar

wrote in an email.

Dummar is a Camera Club member, photography lab technician and a UAA alumnus.

“Through Our Eyes” is the Camera Club’s annual exhibit that takes place in the Hugh McPeck Gallery in the Student Union. It’s open-themed, allowing photographers to submit their own photographs of anything.

The exhibit has been a tradition at UAA for over a decade, allowing an opportunity for students to exhibit their photography in a friendlier setting. Part of The Hugh McPeck Gallery’s goals is to help art students gain

exhibition experience.

“The show is an important part of the club. It gives members a place to show their work and gives a deadline for some of us that need that kind of motivation,” Dummar said.

The Camera Club holds around 10 to 30 members, depending on the year. The Club also holds workshops with special guests and gives members access to the studio and lab on Saturdays.

Evelyn Sharratt-Ash, sophomore UAA student and a new member to Camera Club, entered five of her prints into the exhibit this year.

“My favorite part of photography is making people feel good. I primarily focus on portraiture, and that’s because I love working with people, making them laugh and smile, and making them feel good about themselves,” Sharratt-Ash said.

The club’s photos were hung over the weekend and opened Sep. 10. They will stay on display until Oct. 3. The Hugh McPeck Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m.

- 5 p.m. on the second floor of the Student Union. For more information about Camera Club, visit their Facebook page, Camera Club at UAA.

RADIO: KRUA show ‘adds a sense of community’ Continued from cover “We try to keep it very free flowing and normal. People don’t talk with scripts,” Mercado-Barbosa said. “It’s two hours of pure randomness.”

Another main aspect of “The Boys Are Back in Town” is accepting guest callers while on the air and inviting guests to physically be a part of the action. Guests can request songs or topics, give advice or simply

hang out and interject when they please. According to The Boys, they are always looking for people to join the show.

“One of my favorite parts is the callers,” Nick Parker, boy No. 1 and journalism major, said. “It’s fun to hear an outside voice when you’re stuck in a booth for two hours.”

Despite being UAA-based, the radio show gets listeners from outside of the university, as well as outside of Alaska.

They’ve had callers from the Lower 48 and even met up with a local Anchorage fan after one of their shows.

Mitchell Hershey, a fan of the show, tries to tune in every chance he gets and occasionally appears as a guest. “[The show] adds a sense of community and brings people together,” Hershey said. “It’s nice to know friends from high school are still talking and laughing with each other.”

For all three members, “The Boys Are Back in Town” is a way to be themselves and escape from the stresses that come with being a student.

“Part of it is relaxing from a long week, which is every week, and being able to talk about stuff that doesn’t matter,” Masuda said. “People enjoy it even though it means absolutely nothing.”

No matter what takes place during the week before, the boys

enjoy their time making each other and the audience laugh.

“I look forward to Fridays,” Parker said. “I just get to forget about schoolwork, hang out with my friends in a radio booth and relax.”

The boys were back in town for their first show last Friday night. If you want to be a part of the action, tune in to 88.1 FM or kruaradio.org on Fridays from 5-7 p.m., or call (907) 786-6807 to appear as a guest.

A&E

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SPORTS

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Meet UAA’s new freshmen athletes

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIK HILL

Service High School graduate Ann Gebauer has joined UAA’s track and field team for the 2018-19 year. Gebauer boasts an impressive resume and was the 2017 state champion in the 100-meter hurdles.

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

As the 2018-19 school year starts to pick up, many new faces will be seen on campus and this includes new freshmen. A small number of these newcomers will also be new faces in the UAA athletic department. Included are 40 new first-time freshmen, 16 of them from Alaska.

With a total of 13 new fresh-

men, track picks up most of them, including five who also run cross-country. Seven of the 13 didn’t have far to come, originally from Alaska — six are from Anchorage and one is from Galena.

The rest of the students come from other states, ranging from Montana to Colorado to Texas.

Only one international student is joining the team, who is from Australia.

Montana local Jared Welch

and Anchorage’s Service High graduate Ann Gebauer are both excited to start their collegiate track careers.

Welch comes to UAA after ending up at Lathrop for high school in Fairbanks. His time at Lathrop contributed to his decision to stay in Alaska.

“I wanted to come to UAA because my high school coach told me it would be the best program for me and where I would progress the most, despite the D1 schools that were interested in me at the time,” Welch said.

“I’m a sophomore [academically] and I didn’t have the grades or money to run [right after high school] so I spent last year at UAF to get my grades up so I could be eligible and also get instate tuition.”

Similarly, Gebauer decided to come to UAA because the loved the program here and wanted to stay in the state.

“I love Alaska. Choosing to run here meant I got to stay in a place that I love. I also really liked all of the athletic staff I met when I toured and the general upbeat vibe that everyone had about athletics at UAA,” Gebauer said.

Both Welch and Gebauer come to UAA bringing impressive high school seasons. Welch currently holds Lathrop’s high jump record after becoming the 2014 state champion, whereas Gebauer was the 2017 state champion in the 100 meter hurdles.

Following track and cross country, hockey brought on the

second-most newcomers with a heavy recruitment from Canada — four of the eight come from our neighboring country. Two are Alaskans, one is Georgian and another is from Michigan.

Skiing and volleyball each have seven newcomers with the most diverse freshmen rosters.

Skiing recruits are from three countries and two other states.

Three Canadians, two Norwegians, one Californian and one Alaskan were added to the roster.

Didrik Nilsen is from Oslo, Norway, and he has some big goals that he is striving for by coming to Alaska.

“I want to be an all-American, hopefully win some races and do a couple podiums at the NCAA finals and represent UAA and the ski team the best way I can. And, of course, have a lot of fun,” Nilsen said.

Nilsen explained that, despite having high goals for his collegiate ski season, he chose to come to Alaska because of the

experiences he could have here.

“One of the reasons why I chose UAA and Alaska was that no one else was going there. I thought that going alone would be a cooler experience than to go to a school and starting with someone else that I knew,” Nilsen said. “Also, when will I ever get the chance to go to Alaska anyways?”

In contrast, volleyball kept their recruits within the U.S., with students coming from Alaska, Hawaii, California, Florida, California and Wisconsin.

As for basketball, both the men’s and women’s teams added the least amount of new recruits, three and two students, respectively. Men’s basketball kept their recruits local with all three coming from Alaska, women’s kept one local and brought one athlete over from Hawaii.

To stay up-to-date with UAA Athletics, visit www.goseawolves.com for rosters, schedules, and more.

OPINION

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

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More budget cuts will USUAA should advocate for university cripple university system Cuts have already hit hard and more will budget reductions send the university into the danger zone

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

Fiscal prudence is a tough pill to swallow for universities. It is not as delightful as securing more state funding than the previous fiscal year. It is not as glamorous as cutting the ribbon on a new department building or skybridge. And it is certainly not as painful as telling faculty and students to operate within a strict, proportional budgeting plan for longer than a semester. But fiscal prudence is responsible, sustainable and absolutely imperative when it comes to educational institutions. USUAA should understand that as a dominant principle in every budget advocacy function that it executes.

Currently, a direct method in which USUAA influences university budgeting is through the Juneau Advocacy Trip.

This is a delegation comprised of various student representatives, both inside and outside of USUAA. The delegation travels to Juneau, usually during the spring semester, and arranges a series of faceto-face encounters with state legislators.

Since the Legislature reduced its university funding allocation for three years in a row, the dominant message in USUAA’s latest delegations has been to emphasize how budget cuts harm this institution.

The implication is that a budget increase is always positive, a decrease is always negative and a duplicated budget from last year is begrudgingly acceptable.

It is understandable why UAA advocates against every budget reduction. In fact, every other state-funded institution goes to Juneau to plead the same. The result is a ruinous game of Prisoner’s Dilemma, where all institutions act in their self-interest (thwarting their own budget cut) while ignoring the most positive outcome (modest, across-the-board budget cuts).

USUAA has both the opportunity and the obligation to break this cycle. Section Two, Clause Two of the USUAA Constitution charges the organization to “promote the educational needs, general welfare, and rights of the students.” Students’ needs and welfare are best served when the university is flexible to changing fiscal situations. We might wish for Alaska state funding to be steady over the long term. We might wish that a fluctuation in oil price could be mitigated by legislative foresight and frugality. But that is not the Alaska we live in.

According to Pew Charitable Trust, the State of Alaska has the highest revenue volatility in the country as of August 2018. UAA must learn how to operate consistently in this inconvenient reality. As the authoritative voice of students, USUAA must step up and help the

university behave like rubber rather than glass. When the next oil crash comes, the university must be malleable but not breakable.

UAA has already demonstrated its ability to scale itself in creative ways.

Over a hundred retired or vacant positions were deleted since FY15. The Strategic Pathways reform project assisted in that process by removing duplicate programs. USUAA ought to encourage appropriate scaling and reforms, especially when it interacts with the Board of Regents during their public hearings.

For example, if a university department experienced a cut during a state budget shortfall, then USUAA should resist efforts to reinstate prior funding until proven that it is required to meet that department’s expectations. In other words, the burden of proof is on the department that is asking for more money. USUAA is directly relevant to this process when a department asks for a student fee increase and indirectly relevant when the Board of Regents is considering the next fiscal year budget.

There may be instances where USUAA commits to shielding a particular university expense.

Perhaps they have determined that it is uniquely invaluable, or student pressure to protect it is intense. In these instances, USUAA should adopt a philosophy of “productive opposition.” This is where USUAA declares its opposition to cutting the expense in question, but acknowledges the reasons why that expense arrived at the chopping block in the first place. USUAA can then advocate for creative ways to accommodate those budgetary needs. Can the cost savings be shifted elsewhere? Can the subject improve its efficiency or make do with a smaller allocation? At the university level, productive opposition helps the Board of Regents meet their financial obligations in ways that minimize hardship upon students and faculty. At the state level, productive opposition helps USUAA elicit cooperation from conservative legislators.

Rethinking how USUAA conducts budget advocacy will help the university weather storms in the future. The State of Alaska’s revenues fluctuate wildly over just a few years, and UAA must be able to ride those waves as smoothly as possible.

This means having an adaptable institution with a flexible budget. It also means having a student government that advocates fiscal prudence in every function.

By Robert Hockema

opinion@thenorthernlight.org

Don’t get me wrong: fiscal responsibility should be an utmost priority of legislatures and universities alike. It’s hard to disagree with the idea that we ought to live within our means and prioritize meaningfully improving the quality of our education over frivolous spending.

However, the way that we discuss budget cuts to the university is sort of strange to me. We assume there are only two sides to the discussion: cut the university to the bare bones or give them unlimited money with no questions asked. The discussion we should be having is not whether USUAA should advocate for more funding than we deserve but whether we can afford to ask for less than we currently have.

To have that debate, we should first consider the effect that budget cuts have had on the university system since the state fiscal crisis began in 2014. For starters, the university’s operating budget has been cut four years in a row. The Legislature allotted the university system $317 million for the 2018 fiscal year, an $8 million cut from the 2017 fiscal year. That leaves the university with an $11 million funding gap after fixed costs are taken into account. To take a broader view of budget cuts, the UA general fund allocation in 2013 was $376 million.

The question Ben Edwards poses in his piece is a fair one: so what? Giving the university more money isn’t necessarily good in and of itself. Shouldn’t the UA system learn to operate within the means they currently have?

It’s worth emphasizing that these cuts are more than numbers. University cuts have drastically affected students in three direct ways: First, the deficiencies in funding have forced the university to raise tuition.

Rates have been climbing for over a decade now, but the recent and consistent hikes can be attributed to the nearly $60 million cut to the UA general fund allocation over the past four years. Additional cuts would push tuition rates even higher than they already are.

Second, the quality of education has been directly affected. Less money causes cuts to specific departments, reducing the quality of education programs provide and reducing the resources they have to engage more students. It also encourages professors to jump ship before

TOE TO TOE

State Legislature must enact budget cuts to account for deficit

Other state institution accepts

Other state institution resists

University accepts

Both receive $5 million cut

University receives $15 million cut; Other state institution receives no cut

University resists

Other state institution receives $15 million cut; University receives no cut

Both receive $10 million cut

Summary: Numbers are hypothetical. The most ideal outcome is for all institution to accept.

However, at least one institution will resist because that is its most advantageous strategy if all others are accepting. All institutions perceive this equally, so they will all opt to resist. The worst outcome is defined with a higher number because at least one institution will succeed in resistance, and their budget cut must be shifted onto those who failed in resistance.

their departments become obsolete.

Additionally, services that directly help students succeed in their classes are being affected. For instance, layoffs slow down response times to student services we all rely on. Cuts to hours and the collection database at the Consortium Library make studying and learning more inaccessible. Campus services, like Residence Life, have fewer funds for campus engagement, which make students less likely to stay at their university in the long-term.

Finally, more cuts deter future students from enrolling in the first place.

To the family of a high school senior, the perception that the school you’ve got your sights set on is losing its most attractive features will cause them to think twice about enrolling. At the very least, students will finish up their GERs in Alaska before transferring to an institution where their program is not in jeopardy.

The feedback loop this causes could destroy the university system: less enrollment creates more deficits in the budget, which hikes tuition and reduces the quality of education, which deters enrollment. The university cannot survive that for long.

Even setting the academic considerations aside, cuts still harm UA’s enrollment. Higher tuition, fewer and more expensive services and less availability for activities is a hard sell for a university system that wants to be on par with larger state universities in the Lower 48.

Decreased enrollment is hardly a hypothetical; UAF and UAS are already seeing their numbers decline as a result of cuts. It won’t be long before UAA begins to notice a similar drop.

All of that said, the fiscal realities of the Alaskan economy aren’t going to go away. Oil is steadily but slowly creeping up, no new revenue streams have been created by the Alaska State Legislature and the leading candidate for the 2018 governor’s race advocates even deeper cuts to the university as a part of their fiscal plan. Everyone wants a cut of the pie, but not everyone can get their way.

This doesn’t mean USUAA should stop fighting for a budget that allows the university to maintain quality services and education. We’re approaching the point past where we can keep cutting excess in the operating budget. Now, we’re digging into the bone.

Higher education should be a top priority for the Legislature. More than anything else, it spurs innovation, creates critical thinkers and give students the skills to solve complex problems. Advocates lobbying in Juneau next spring should communicate that to legislators loud and clear.

10 | OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

It’s time for Governor Walker to bow out

A 3-way race for governor spells victory for Senator Mike Dunleavy

By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

Politics in Alaska has always been rather odd. We’re a state full of independent-minded, inconsistently progressive, leave-me-alone-and-get-off-my-porch voters. Our small and isolated population makes for strange political anomalies, ranging from being home to the longestserving U.S. House Representative in the country to Lisa Murkowski’s historic Senate write-in campaign in 2010. As you can guess, this year’s election season is no exception to Alaska’s unique politics.

Alaska is looking at a historic 3-way race for governor: former Senator Mark Begich (D), current Governor Bill Walker

(I) and state Senator Mike Dunleavy (R) are all competing for the seat. The problem is this: the race will almost certainly hand the office of governor to Dunleavy.

While the order of candidates has varied poll-to-poll, Dunleavy is consistently in the lead with both Begich and Walker taking up more than 20 percent of the vote. Unless they can push the other candidates’ support down to nearly single digits, Begich and Walker will split the vote. Should that happen, UAA students should be deeply concerned.

No matter what your political stripes are, Dunleavy represents a threat not only to the state of Alaska, but to public education as a whole. As university students, we should be reasonably apprehensive about his plan to fill the remaining fiscal gap: cut the budget — again. Those cuts include further gutting the operating budget for the University of Alaska, which has already suffered devastating cuts since the fiscal crisis began in 2014.

Additionally, Dunleavy proposes more cuts to K-12 education, public health infrastructure and other essential services we rely on as Alaskans.

Even worse, Dunleavy neglects to demonstrate how he’ll bring in new forms of revenue beyond cutting the budget, which has already been slashed by over 40 percent since the start of the crisis. More cuts to the university plus no new revenue spells danger for the UA system: more tuition hikes, brain drain

and reduced quality of education. The prospect of a Governor Dunleavy give us more than plenty to worry about.

It’s clear that a 3-way race is unsustainable. Someone has to blink.

That someone ought to be Walker.

To be clear, I’m fairly sympathetic to Walker. He was the only one willing to roll up his sleeves and make tough decisions in order to address the fiscal crisis.

He proposed tough cuts and helped start an important conversation about implementing a broad-based tax in the state.

While unpopular, those decisions went beyond the stonewalling and cowardice of the Alaska State Legislature, who erred on the side of inaction for fear of angering voters.

That said, Walker lost the trust of Alaskans. He made the irredeemable decision to cap the Permanent Fund Dividend, which many Alaskans rely on to make ends meet. His administration has wasted precious time and money lobbying for an unnecessary LNG pipeline. His proposed tax increases are incredibly unpopular. Alaska still remains one of the worst places to do business in around the country. His cooperation with a largely left-leaning House Majority has created the perception that he’s a liberal in conservative’s clothing. As a result, he can no longer rely on the coalition of Independents, Democrats and moderate Republicans who lifted him to office in 2014.

Should he face off against Dunleavy in

a one-on-one race, he would almost certainly lose.

Mark Begich, on the other hand, is in an excellent position to win. As a former assemblyman, mayor and senator, he has the resume to outmatch Dunleavy’s experience. He’s also making a return to politics, which gives him an edge against the perception of being a recent insider.

Dunleavy, a recent remember of the Senate Majority in the Legislature, is more likely to suffer from this.

Additionally, Begich’s plan to address the remaining budget gap and crime meet both conservative and liberal demands, including protecting the PFD, treatment for opioid addiction, supporting public education and diversifying our streams of revenue. Politically speaking, Begich is comparatively well-placed to defeat Dunleavy.

When Walker vowed to protect and serve Alaskans his inauguration, he may have not anticipated this 3-way race.

However, protecting your constituents sometimes comes not just in the form of a piece of legislation but in the form of humility. As it stands, Walker has three choices: continue on in a race doomed for a split, wait for Begich to cave and face certain defeat in November or drop out to give a more viable candidate a shot at winning. In the name of a stronger Alaska, Walker should choose humility.

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

| 11

Letter from the editor: 30 years of Seawolf stories

By Sam Davenport editor@thenorthernlight.org

In 1988, UAA and the Anchorage Community College merged, and two student newspapers combined to form one: The Northern Light. The first issue came out September 19, 1988. Fast forward 30 years later, through staff turnover and many masthead changes and we’re still here.

For three decades, this newspaper has been a stepping stone for many young journalists to discover their passion. The Northern Light has had former editors go on to work for the top newspapers and stations in Alaska and even for The New York Times.

We still have talented individuals working hard to produce a quality product each week for the students, staff and faculty of this university. Despite decreased enrollment and student fees, we have found ways to deliver the news and

events to the university body. Despite the challenges we face, we are entirely dedicated to covering relevant and university news as long as you’ll let us.

In April, The Northern Light won 11 awards at the 2018 Alaska Press Club Award Ceremony, including best weekly newspaper and best media website, a record-breaking number which put UAA’s student-run newspaper above other Anchorage newspapers. So, whether this is the first issue of The Northern Light that you’ve ever read or the 500th, thank you.

Thank you for supporting student journalism, and thank you for supporting us.

Now, what’s a 30th birthday without any celebration? We hope that you will join us. For additional information, look on the back cover of this issue.

Lunch with the Legends: A Chat with TNL Alum (Monday, Sept.

17 from 2 - 3 p.m.)

Wake up and Smell the Copy (Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 10 a.m.

- noon) Pizza and the Press: A Conversation with Local Journalists (Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 3 - 4 p.m.)

TNL Tabling (Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. - noon) The Red Zone Launch Party and Sexy Jeopardy (Thursday, Sept.

20 from 5 - 7 p.m.)

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

The Northern Light is a proud member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood.

The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.

N OT I C E O F N O N D I S C R I M I N AT I O N

The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution. The University of Alaska does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, physical or mental disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, parenthood, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, or other legally protected status.

The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, including against sex discrimination, applies to students, employees, and applicants for admission and employment.

Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UA’s statement of nondiscrimination available at www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

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

The Northern Light encourages readers to express their views in the newspaper. The Northern Light reserves the right to reject or publish any submission, online or in print.

Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a letter to the editor is 250 words, and 150 words for letters specifically endorsing candidates for federal, local, or university office. A letter to the editor is written by someone who does not have authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing. Contributors are restricted to one published letter to the editor per month.

Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a contributor’s opinion piece is 450 words. Contributors are restricted to one published opinion piece per month. Opinion pieces written by staff of The Northern Light are limited to 800 words. An opinion piece that is published in The Northern Light should be written by someone who has authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing.

Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. All letters and opinion pieces must include names, major and/or group affiliation and contact information for verification purposes. The Northern Light will not publish anonymous letters or pseudonyms.

Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org. The deadline for submissions is the Friday before publication at noon, no exceptions.

The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union Room 118.

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

Executive Editor

Sam Davenport 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org

Managing Editor

Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Copy Editor

Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

News Editor

Marie Ries news@thenorthernlight.org

Features Reporter

Robin O’Donoghue features@thenorthernlight.org

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Staff Photographer

Arts & Entertainment Reporter

Staff Photographer

Sports Editor

Multimedia Editor

Malia Barto arts@thenorthernlight.org

Caleigh Jensen arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

Opinion Writer

Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

Opinion Writer

Ben Edwards opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

Jay Guzman jguzman@thenorthernlight.org

Christian Cielo ccielo@thenorthernlight.org

Mizelle Mayo multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

Graphic Designer

Advertising Manager

Meida Cen admanager@thenorthernlight.org (907) 786-6195

Public Relations & Events Coordinator John Sallee events@thenorthernlight.org

Media Adviser Paola Banchero

Jian Bautista jbautista@thenorthernlight.org

Administrative Adviser

Layout Editor

Administrative Assistant

Levi Brown layout@thenorthernlight.org

Zac Clark

Allie Hartman

3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508