May 21, 2019

MAY 21 - JUNE 3, 2019

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

PAGE 4

Wellness Breaks break health barriers at UAA

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

PAGE 5

Seawolves race to Conference Championships

Remade: repurpose for a purpose

By Mary Ryan features@thenorthernlight.org

The sound of relaxing music fills the room as customers find unique treasures and enjoy home-cooked meals at Gathering AK Cafe. Piles of old and new treasures combined fill Anchorage Remade, where clothing, antiques, repaired furniture, art and unique, repurposed creations are donated or consigned.‌ The non-profit business, run by volunteers, repurposes donated and salvaged materials from the Anchorage Municipality Transfer Station to sell. Remade donates to charities such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Bean’s Cafe and Catholic Social Services. It has partnered with over 40 nonprofit organizations since Patti Buist opened it in 2015.‌ “She wanted it to be a place where people to collaborate creatively, a place where artists could gather, repurpose and design products together with the purpose of helping people in need and keeping things out of the landfill,” community networker Jill Kanuit, a full-time volunteer at Remade for nearly two years, said. ‌ While volunteers donate a lot of time and energy into Remade, they feel that what they get in return is worthwhile.‌ “I really couldn’t believe that they weren’t getting paid, yet they were so willing and joyful to be there. It gave me a sense that they really believed in the place,” UAA student Theresa Thomas, who has shopped at Remade, said.‌ Group volunteer coordinator Danny Hester repairs and repurposes furniture, such as head-

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ANCHORAGE REMADE

A variety of products can be found at Anchorage Remade.

boards and chairs, into benches for Remade.‌ “They are trying to help people,” Hester said. “That’s part of my heart — to meet people’s needs and care about them.”‌ While many of the items for sale are remade into store-quality creations with fair prices, others are left untouched as potential projects for customers.

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Remade teaches classes on life skills, such as cooking in their approved kitchen and cafe and creative repurposing projects.

They provide resources and training for people to develop skills and reach their goals.‌ Darcy Moxon, who has volunteered at Remade, repurposes furniture. ‌ “It’s a mutual partnership

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where I dedicate my time and energy to help Remade and that gives me access to the tools [and donated supplies],” Moxon said. ‌ Remade accomplished a lot in 2018. It saved 10,900 pounds of materials from the landfill.

It helped 19 new businesses start up through small business training. Over a hundred volunteers contributed almost 10,000

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hours. It opened a coffee bar, which has grown into the Gathering AK Cafe.‌ Each day of the week, a different chef serves a different nationality or type of food including Mexican, Cuban, barbeque and sweet and savory.‌ This year, the Remade community is trying to expand its volunteer staff and raise funds to buy the building that they are currently working out in. ‌ Volunteers are welcome to drop in or sign up to take on positions. Remade currently needs people to manage the clothing section, serve as a chef or barista and help clean.‌ Through donations, the Remade team hopes to be debt free by 2022.‌ “We were supposed to come up with 100,000 dollars, which we haven’t been able to do,” Kaniut said. ‌ While Remade has monetary needs, its main focus is on the people. By partnering with like-minded organizations and individuals to reach their goals, Remade has fostered a caring, creative and empowered community.‌ “For a long time [our goal] was surviving... Now we are trying to thrive,” Phil Wright, who contributes carpentry, sewing and makes licence plate signs, said.‌ Remade is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. In the summer, vendors sell their own products at Saturday Remade Markets from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The next Saturday Market is June 8.‌ For more information, contact info@remadestores.com or visit http://www.anchorageremade.com.

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

02

Help wanted: UAA’s search for a Chief Diversity Officer

By Jason Herr news@thenorthernlight.org

For the University of Alaska Anchorage, the first two weeks of May were about more than just finals and graduation, as UAA took a new step toward selecting a Chief Diversity Officer.‌ In the past year, the UAA community has faced various challenges, ranging from the November earthquake to the loss of accreditation in the School of Education and a professor being accused of sexual misconduct. At this juncture, finding additional effective leaders for UAA is key. ‌ “This position will need to be innovative and have that initiative to move things forward for the university,” Sara Childress, the Director of Equity and Compliance and Title IX Coordinator for UAA, said. ‌ Childress will be working with the newly-chosen Chief Diversity Officer to assist in overseeing the progress of UAA’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, or D&IAP, and says that this position will help to bring all discrimination to the forefront.‌ The D&IAP is a culmination of existing UAA data, 11 subcommittee reports, 22 focus groups, a Qualtrics campus climate survey, community campus visits and the Diversity Summit.‌ The Diversity Action Council describes the objectives of the D&IAP, which includes focusing on hiring, implementing diversity and inclusion within the curriculum and working with campus services to plan for a campus that supports diversity and inclusion.‌ The D&IAP states the primary responsibilities of Chief Diversity Officer as “leading the reorganized and repurposed Diversity Action Council” and through

guidance and collaboration with several campus organizations to help ensure that UAA becomes a leader in diversity and inclusion within the state of Alaska.‌ As outlined in the D&IAP, this position will help to coordinate diversity efforts at UAA. The plan seeks a candidate “who will appreciate and have experience with the types of unique challenges present” at UAA.‌ Chief Diversity Officer requires seven years of “experience advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education or a similarly complex organization, including in an affirmative action and EEO compliance function,” according to the job description. Candidates are also required to have a master’s degree from a regionally accredited university in a variety of subjects, such as educational leadership, sociology or public administration.‌ Duties for this position will include actively engaging the campus community to further behaviors, attitudes and policies that support diversity at UAA. The Chief Diversity Officer will also be responsible for chairing the Diversity and Inclusion Action Council, as well as being responsible for the D&IAP and other internal compliance with state and federal affirmative action and EEO requirements. ‌ According to UAA’s Diversity website, the D&IAP is meant to bring about positive impacts for both the university and the community. ‌ The site states that the plan “will strive to emphasize social inclusion and equity through purposeful involvement and engagement of the full range of campus and community stakeholders.”‌ The D&IAP will also help to improve and enhance upon the already diverse community of UAA, making sure that all

PHOTO BY JASON HERR

A sign in the Social Sciences Building shows various Alaska Native greetings.

are welcome and encouraged to thrive.‌ Comparator institutions have also invested in the position of Chief Diversity Officer, or a position similar to this one. Within these institutions, the officer works with the Chancellor and the Provost to achieve their goals and helps to ensure that plan progress is monitored and meeting the plan objectives. The UAA Chief Diversity Officer will be reporting directly to the Chancellor.‌ “This position will have a vast impact on the entire campus,” Childress said. ‌ She further explained that Anchorage possesses one of the most diverse school

systems in the country and that this position will be key in promoting diversity amongst UAA’s students, staff and faculty.‌ On May 2 and 7, two candidates for the position of Chief Diversity Office held public forums to meet the UAA community and to present their experience, thoughts and goals for this position. Public feedback was gathered through the use of online surveys after the presentations were delivered, but the final decision will be made by UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen.‌‌

A different option for education majors

By Jason Herr news@thenorthernlight.org

The past semester was one of both trials and tribulation for UAA education majors, as the University of Alaska Board of Regents decided in April to discontinue UAA’s initial licensure programs through the School of Education.‌ A handful of options were given to students pursuing education degrees, such as a change of major or transferring to the University of Alaska Fairbanks or University of Alaska Southeast campuses. But, these options were not appealing to all students.‌ The transfer to UAF or UAS is not a physical one, but will offer students the opportunity to stay in Anchorage while completing their coursework online or through distance education with the two universities.‌ A lesser known option, one of pursuing a degree in interdisciplinary studies, is exactly what former early childhood education major Marissa Ridgely did in order to stay on track for her graduation in the fall of 2019.‌ An interdisciplinary degree combines coursework from different major pro-

grams, and allows a student to customize a program to their needs. This degree is an option for students that are looking to pursue a degree or area of study not carried by UAA.‌ Ridgley, like many other education majors, was caught by surprise at the loss of accreditation at the UAA School of Education. Since then, many have called for the UAA administration to be more transparent.‌ “I was frustrated because we all found out through the social media,” Ridgley said in an email.‌ Like many others, she was given the opportunity to transfer her education degree program to either UAF or UAS, which she did not want to do.‌ Instead, she began to seek out a different option. A previous professor suggested to Ridgley that she switch to the pursuit of a degree in interdisciplinary studies.‌ Ridgley says that she is the first student from the School of Education to choose interdisciplinary studies as a route to follow for her degree transition. ‌ During this change of majors, Ridgley was thankful for the help she received from the university. ‌

“UAA staff was helpful in making the transition smooth,” she said.‌ In order to pursue a baccalaureate degree in interdisciplinary studies, the student must develop a proposal that specifies the degree, title and program content. Once the proposal is ready, the student obtains an advisory committee of at least three faculty members from the appropriate academic disciplines, and if the committee supports the proposal, the proposal will be forwarded to the appropriate dean and finally the Office of the Registrar for approval.‌ In a meeting held by the UA Board of Regents on May 9, an update on the UAA School of Education was given. Current numbers show that 68 UAA education students transferred to UAF and more than 20 transferred to UAS.‌ Some students have found the transition to be helpful in reestablishing direction for their degree programs. UAA education student, Stacey Menken, made the transition to UAS. ‌ “I decided to investigate UAS. They were knowledgeable, polite and just on top of things,” Menken said. “The next day, I had an email for my would be advisor. She was able to hear my concerns

and immediately come up with a course of action. I felt valued and taken care of.

They are reaching out to me and helping me to navigate.”‌ For others, the transition of schools could result in changes to their degree program and the possibility of changes in required coursework. Though united under the University of Alaska, each of the three universities can have different requirements for the programs offered at their respective institutions.‌ In the case of Ridgley, she didn’t have to worry about a transition in schools, and decided to stay with UAA to complete her degree.‌ “I feel confident,” Ridgley said. “I would suggest other early childhood juniors to look in to this approach if they are close to graduating. The only stipulation is that they will not be licensed to teach.”‌ Ridgley will be pursuing her teaching license after graduation through the licensure programs offered by the state.‌ For those interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, the Office of the Registrar suggests contacting advisors in the UAA College of Arts and Sciences.‌

FEATURES 04 Wellness Breaks: tools for change THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

By Mary Ryan features@thenorthernlight.org

“I wanted to break down all the barriers that keep people from wanting to improve or maintain their health and wellness,” employee wellness practicum coordinator Kyra McKay said.‌ On May 7 at 1 p.m., UAA bookstore employees gathered in a circle to improve their health and overall work performance.

After sitting at computers for hours, employees followed McKay in a light, 30-minute upper body workout to improve posture. ‌ “Physical activity is really important during the work day,” McKay said.

“A physically active person will not necessarily benefit from being physically active outside of work hours if they sit during the entire work day.” ‌ The UAA Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, or HPER, meets at various places on and off campus to give health students teaching experience and UAA employees a refreshing and energizing break from work for free. ‌ Students are welcome and encouraged to come to the employee wellness breaks in the UAA Bookstore loft every Tuesday and Thursday from 1-1:30 p.m., as all bookstore events are public.‌ A typical wellness break includes instruction on activities such as

PHOTO COURTESY OF KYRA MCKAY

UAA Employee Appreciation Day, 2018

workouts on a specific set of muscles, stretching, meditation and art therapy. While they are practicing, McKay and HPER students inform employees on why the particular activity they are doing is beneficial.‌ The instruction is designed to give participants motivation and tools to take control of their wellness. ‌ “[HPER students learn about] the three most important modifiable risk factor of chronic disease, which are tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor diet and nutrition,” McKay said. “Those are three things that you can

change.”‌ By staff counsel request, HPER professor Jean Marcey, started the wellness breaks in 2011.

McKay, a former UAA student, has been leading the breaks for about four years.‌ “My goal is to provide information and education about health, wellness and what people can do to improve it and maintain it on their own,” McKay said. ‌ She recognizes the summer as a great time to begin a lifestyle change.‌ “The sun brings positive energy, positive moods, change… It’s a really prime time to get people to start something

and try sometime new,” McKay said.‌ McKay started leading a six-week intensified wellness summer camp for employees on May 13. Each week focuses on a different health dimension.‌ High-intensity interval workouts will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 a.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. will be strength training. Wellness breaks will continue as goal-based and activitybased sessions Mondays through Fridays.‌ McKay hopes to improve participation in wellness breaks and lead

people into a healthier lifestyle with this program.‌ “We are that kind of stepping stone to give you that information and that education so that you can [continue to stay active] on your own outside of work,” McKay said.‌ Furthermore, she wants to build a cohesive community and improve the workplace environment and productivity at UAA.‌ “We want to show our employees that we care about them. And when you take care of your employees, they can better take care of students,” McKay said.‌ Special events coordinator Rachel Epstein hosts

and participates in wellness breaks at the UAA bookstore.‌ “Because wellness breaks and philosophy coincide, in principle, with the mission of Bookstore events— which is to create an open, attentive environment— [choosing to host] was not a difficult decision to make,” Epstein said.‌ Epstein herself enjoys the sessions.‌ “The wellness breaks offer an opportunity to let go of stressful thoughts spinning around during the day and to become re-energized. ” Epstein said. “I feel better doing the simple breathing and stretching routines. Each session is different so it is never boring and I learn how to take better care of myself.”‌ She hopes that others will take advantage of this opportunity.‌ “Kyra McKay is an excellent teacher and is in tune with each person’s strengths and weaknesses.

She never makes anyone feel outside wellness,” Epstein said. “It won’t hurt and the benefits are numerous.”‌ Visit the master calendar on the UAA website for the wellness break schedule. All wellness breaks are free. Bookstore wellness breaks are open to the public, while the other sessions are designed for UAA employees.‌

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

05

Seawolf track and field team competed in conference championships

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

Just after the end of the 2019 spring semester, the Seawolf track and field team traveled to Oregon to compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships. The events took place on May 10 and 11. ‌ The UAA women’s team took third place overall, with a total of 119.5 points. They were behind Central Washington (second, 162 points) and Seattle Pacific (first, 166 points). ‌ The UAA men’s team placed fourth overall.

They accumulated 97 points to finish behind Concordia (third, 116 points), Central Washington (second, 122 points) and Western Washington (first, 173 points). ‌ The conference has 10 teams total for each gender that competed in the championship. ‌ Despite the less-thanfirst place finishes overall, several individuals took home conference titles. ‌ On the men’s team, Wesley Kirui finished the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:03.95 to take first place in the event. He also earned a provisional qualifying time, which was 12 seconds faster than his qualifying time. ‌ Edwin Kangogo took the title for the men’s 10,000-meter. He won with an overall time of 31:56.62.‌ “I really felt good with my 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter results. I

went in knowing it was my last GNAC competing for Seawolves and wanted to give my best to help my team,” Kangogo said. ‌ The only other athlete from the men’s team to win an event was David Sramek; he was the top-scorer in the men’s decathlon pole vault (4.73-meters). Despite his impressive finish in the pole vault, Sramek finished fifth in the decathlon overall. ‌ The women’s team had significantly more firstplace finishes. ‌ Vanessa Aniteye won the 400-meter dash in 54.19 seconds, setting the new GNAC meet record. ‌ Chrisalyn Johnson won the women’s triple jump with a leap of 12.58-meters, also setting the GNAC meet record, which was previously 12.42-meters. ‌ Danielle McCormick took first place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.67, a provisional qualifying time. ‌ Caroline Kurgart won the 1,500-meter (4:24.01), the 5,000-meter (16:35.10) and the 10,000-meter (38:03.64).‌ In addition to the several first-place finishes on both teams, many other athletes accomplished impressive results. ‌ In the 100-meter dash, Enrique Campbell was the only Seawolf to compete in the finals for the event, placing fourth with a time of 11.24 seconds. ‌ “I felt great about my overall result, being a freshman, just coming in this semester and making

PHOTO COURTESY OF GNAC MEDIA

Wesley Kirui competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships.

finals in all my events,” Campbell said. “It felt really amazing and my teammates made it feel even more special with the love I received after each event. The team’s performance was incredible on both men’s and women’s side.”‌ Campbell and Aniteye were also the only Seawolves to make it to the 200-meter dash finals, placing eighth and sixth, respectively. ‌ Behind Aniteye in the 400-meter, Marie Ries placed second in the finals, with a time of 56.09 seconds. ‌ In the 1,500-meter, behind Kurgat was McCormick in second and Nancy Jeptoo in third. All three women secured provisional qualifying times. ‌

Behind Kurgat in the 10,000-meter, Kimberly Coscia finished eighth, with a time of 40:42.46. ‌ “Overall, I’m happy with how my race went and grateful to score for the team one last time,” Coscia said. “Placing third and fourth considering the size of our team is pretty impressive.”‌ In the men’s 1,500-meter, Drew Johnson finished third overall (3:55.85) with Felix Kemboi right behind him (3:57.70) in sixth. ‌ “Personally, I felt great and I was proud of my results as I gave all I could to help the team get points. I had to run the 800-meter, 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter within one hour of each other, but it was awesome. I think we all gave our best but

there’s always room to improve and get at the top,” Kemboi said. ‌ In the men’s 5,000-meter, Kangogo finished second, (14:51.47) and Kemboi behind him at fifth (15:06.72).‌ Chris Brake also posted a provisional qualifying mark in the men’s high jump. He jumped 2.05m to finish third overall. ‌ Overall, the athletes are happy with their results, given the small team size. ‌ “Talent-wise, we had a great chance of winning it, we just got outnumbered by the other teams since they have a lot more people in each event. But I’m really proud of everyone that came out and gave their best with the best team spirit I’ve ever seen,” Campbell said. ‌

The outdoor season finished after GNAC for the majority of the athletes.

However, 10 will be continuing on to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. ‌ The athletes moving forward include Kurgat (5,000m, 10,000m), McCormick (800m, 4x400m relay), Johnson (long and triple jump), Aniteye (400m, 4x400m relay), Kirui (3,000m steeplechase), Kangogo (3,000m steeplechase), Jeptoo (1,500m), Ries (4x400m relay), Ruth Cvancara (800m) and Tylantiss Atlas (4x400m relay). ‌ The Seawolves will compete at the National Championships on May 23-25 in Kingsville, Texas. ‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

06

To beat automation, education must emphasize oracy

“Soft skills” are in high demand. It’s time for education to catch up.

By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

If you were to take a survey of the American public and ask them what the most important job skill is, they’d probably prioritize work ethic-related skills. Timeliness, obedience, efficiency and other productivity-oriented skills are typically seen as essential to landing a job. ‌ Yet, employers are increasingly indicating the need for a different set of skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. A business survey published last year by the Association of American Colleges and Universities shows that strong oral communication skills top employers’ list of desired traits in a new hire. The same survey shows that 40% of respondents said that recent college graduates were “well-prepared” to handle duties requiring those skills. ‌ For good measure, the AACU’s previous employer survey in 2015 ranked oral communication as fifth, showing that the demand is on the rise. ‌ What explains the simultaneous rise in demand for public speaking and communication and unpreparedness to capitalize on those skills? The demand can be explained by the rapid changes in the labor market happening as we speak. Automation is erasing the need for humans to do remedial, low-skilled jobs that require high school degrees.

A recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute shows that nearly half of jobs could be automated by 2030. As technology grows, the jobs that will remain available will center around tasks that cannot be replicated by a robot — ones that require creativity, critical thinking, collaborative design and persuasion. In other words, “soft skills” like oral communication will make you more competitive as jobs that require “hard skills” go away.‌ Unfortunately, the world we live in isn’t

ready to grapple with that reality. For one thing, our culture emphasizes work as a task-based, procedural activity. Work means doing things. Intangible skills that are evaluated on subjective metrics like how persuasive you are can be difficult for traditional workers to respect. ‌ Our definition of work is reflecting itself in the skills we’re pursuing in school. In K-12 education, there is very little emphasis on soft-skills like communication at all.

The word “homework” itself reflects the perspective that learning should be about the completion of tasks and the demonstration of knowledge, rather than becoming wellrounded and broadly applying a skillset. ‌ At the collegiate level, which traditionally emphasizes the humanities, degrees that practice hard-skills are on the rise.

Since the Great Recession, the number of STEM majors at American universities has grown by 43% between 2009-2010 and 2015-2016. ‌ Once you begin putting the pieces together, it’s clear that we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Computation, task completion and traditional processing is better-done by robots (and cheaper).

In other words, certified skills are becoming inflexible — when the demand goes away, so does your job. This means that if we want to make it out there, we need to train the next generation to think, not to work. ‌ The solution, then, is clear: our education system must reflect the outside world. To do so, it needs to do two things. ‌ First, it must reformat K-12 education to focus on public speaking and debate in the class. That can take the form of classes that explicitly teach public speaking and debate — Alaska’s Middle School Debate and Drama, Debate and Forensics programs suggest there is strong support and capacity for that to happen in

our state. ‌ But second, oracy education should also introduce oracy skills in traditional classes like biology and history. Instead of lecturing students and asking them to cough up the information for a test, they should learn to critically think about the issues being presented in their academic subjects. Picking apart the decisions America made in World War II and dissecting arguments for and against controversial subjects like climate change would teach kids how to think instead of what to think. ‌ Likewise, collegiate education should shift towards building in constructive engagement and public speaking into their required courses to prepare students for the world outside. ‌ The good news is that even if public speaking and oracy isn’t a desired trait in the occupation you choose (which is extremely unlikely down the road), learning to be a better thinker and speaker has benefits that go beyond the workplace. Oracy is a skill for life; you use it to build better relationships, make better decisions about information and solve problems of your own. ‌ Oracy skills can also make school easier. As any debate student will tell you, students who do public speaking or debate as an extracurricular do better in school than those who don’t. They also demonstrate better behavior and are more likely to attend and graduate college. Why? Oracy teaches structured thinking, helping you learn to synthesize complex information into digestible ideas. ‌ The evidence is clear: employers want problem solvers, advocates for their products and creative thinkers on their teams.

It’s time for the education system to catch up by restructuring itself around skills that were once considered “soft” and should now be considered “fundamental.”‌

Thanos did nothing wrong Spoiler alert: the world is dying and nobody can save it.

By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

Villains in the Marvel Universe — particularly the movies — tend to have one thing in common: they all want to destroy the world. Loki (more or less a villain at this point), Hela, the Red Skull and the Ultron all make short-lived attempts to rule Earth or wipe out parts of an entire species. ‌ Among these villains, Thanos stands out the most. Whereas the majority of Marvel villains pursue domination for the purposes of power or revenge, Thanos has a much more developed purpose.

In the blockbuster movie Infinity War, Thanos completes his quest for the Infinity Stones — gems that give him the power to alter the constructs of time and reality itself — to end the life of half of all living beings in the galaxy. ‌ His intent is not to rule over anyone, or even to spite someone who has wronged them. Instead, Thanos makes a philosophical case for galactic extermination. After seeing the destruction of his home planet, Titan, Thanos sees the universe as plagued by overpopulation and a lack of resources. “Too many mouths, not enough to go around,” as Thanos says to Dr. Strange. ‌ Presumably, this is a deplorable position to take. It’s obviously morally unacceptable to kill half the universe, even if it’s to save the other half.

As Captain America says when Vision proposes destroying the Infinity Stone lodged in his head to stop Thanos, “we don’t trade lives.” He’s absolutely right… isn’t he?‌ We can’t yet speak for other planets, but Earth is

facing a crisis. We aren’t necessarily overpopulated nor are we running out of resources — yet. But eventually, humanity will reach a point where we can no longer provide for everyone. In the nearest of futures, climate change already threatens to shrink the pie we all take from.

Disastrous wildfires and floods combined with rising sea levels and accelerated warming threaten to make this planet inhabitable, be it within the century, as climate experts warn, or another 100 years after that in the best case scenario.

To make matters worse, nobody seems intent on alleviating the conditions for climate change in any meaningful way. Assuming we aren’t too far gone already, politicians and corporate conglomerates decided long ago that profiteering off of resource exploitation is more precious than the lives of everyone who will be affected by climate change. Green technology can mitigate the problem, but it would require an infeasible and rapid overhaul of energy infrastructure all around the world. ‌ Not to mention, we’re hopelessly addicted to producing waste and emissions. Our texting, eating, buying and transportation habits are so economically and socially ingrained that it’s impossible to imagine a change in heart that could save us from our own destruction. ‌ Not to be dramatic, but the world is doomed. The question is: what are we willing to risk to save it? ‌ For Thanos, it’s everything. And who could blame him? Life isn’t a superhero movie where we get to save the world and be perfect moral gods at the same time. Perhaps we are so accustomed to the

philosophical dribble of Superman-esque movies that we couldn’t possibly contemplate a utilitarian solution to suffering. ‌ Just imagine, for a second, the world we’d live in after Thanos’s snap. Half the population means double the share of resources to go around. Less starvation, less suffering, less inhumanity. It also means fewer people contributing to the waste and destruction that is literally destroying our planet. There would be more spaces available for those to live — spaces for the homeless, the abused and the poor. ‌ All of this begs a question that staunch Kantian ethicists and superhero movie fans alike grapple with: what’s the real harm of trading lives if it means the rest of us get to live?‌ In this short life on this little planet, happiness is all that really matters anyways. Everything we put our efforts into go towards maximizing happiness, even at the expense of others. Our clothes, resources and habits have consequences for others, which we’ve always been happy to accept — so long as the burden doesn’t fall on us. ‌ Finally, the consequences have arrived on our shoulders. But in our world, there are no Avengers to find some last-minute, mind-blowing way to save the world without sacrificing lives. Instead, we have a choice: go down in flames together, or sacrifice a part of our existence for the rest of us and future generations. If there really were a Thanos, snapping his fingers would be no less a sin than watching our entire world collapse for the sake of principle. ‌

CONTACT

07

STAFF CONTACTS

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Features Editor Mary Ryan features@thenorthernlight.org‌

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Features Reporter Robert Gant features2@thenorthernlight.org‌ News Editor Jason Herr news@thenorthernlight.org Sports Editor Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org‌ Arts & Entertainment Editor John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org Opinion Writer Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org‌

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LE T T ER S AN D CO R R EC T I O NS PO LI 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.