JANUARY 21 - JANUARY 27, 2020
FEATURES
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
A&E
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The UAA Psychology Club offers fun activities to students interested in the field of psychology.
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
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The Esports Lounge continues to provide games and enjoyment to UAA students in its second semester.
Australia bushfires: UAA students recommend reaching out By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org
Australia is on fire with an estimated 15.6 million acres burned since July 1, 2019, due to widespread bushfires. At least 24 people and millions of animals have died. Many are left homeless, with over 1,000 properties set ablaze, according to a BBC article from Jan. 13. Australia experiences bushfires every year during the dry season. There are some years, however, that fires are extreme and difficult to contain. The last extreme bushfire, named Black Saturday, was in 2009 in Victoria. There were 173 deaths counted after it was contained. As of Jan. 7, 32,400 square miles have burned across the continent. Fires travel fast. Grass fires travel at a speed of 14 mph and forest fires at 6.7 mph, according to BBC, compared to 6.2 mph, the average run speed of a human. Areas substantially affected by the fire, in order from severity, are New South Wales, Queensland, the majority of other parts of Australia and last, Victoria, as shown in a visual representation on Reuters’ website, an interactive news agency. Kangaroo Island has also been affected with devastating results, such as an estimated
25,000 koalas perishing so far, half of the koala population on the island, according to BBC. Fire itself is not the only cause of death and injury in Australia, there is also overwhelming smoke that has affected people and animals. Smoke has been drifting to Sydney for months, as shown in a BBC article from December 2019 titled “Air quality: How bad is Sydney’s smoke for health?” The clean air standard for Sydney is measured in particulate matter, or PM, which is invisible to the naked eye. Particle matter is inhaled through the air and can be a cause for concern, since they may be coated in chemicals, such as lead, and can penetrate deep into the lungs. The particle matter standard for Sydney is PM 2.5 and the level has been as high as 734 since the fire started, the equivalent of smoking 37 cigarettes, according to the December 2019 BBC article. Air quality changes for different areas of Australia depending on where the wind blows, but it is still at hazardous levels, much like how the wildfires of Alaska in summer 2019 affected air quality, just on a larger scale. Abdirisak Ali is a radiology major at UAA. He remembers the fires Alaskans experienced last summer.
“As humans, we have to help each other regardless of where we are from. It is also something that Alaskans are familiar with, as we have experienced fires here in the state,” Ali said. Chris Dickman, an ecologist from the University of Sydney, estimated in a Jan. 4 BBC article that over 1 billion animals have perished since July 2019, not including fish, frogs, bats and insects. James Trezise, a policy analyst at the Australian Conservation Foundation, says that the overall number of animals killed is still growing in a Guardian article titled “A billion animals: some of the species most at risk from Australia’s bushfire crisis,” posted on Jan. 13. “The number of species and ecosystems that have been severely impacted across their ranges is almost certain to be much higher, especially when factoring in less wellknown species of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates,” Trezise said in the article. Jack Macdonald, a senior accounting major at UAA and a member of the Seawolves basketball team, is from Melbourne, Australia. His cousin, also from Melbourne, is currently fighting the bushfires in Australia. Macdonald believes climate change is a leading factor to the cause of the fires
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE USDA FOREST SERVICE UNDER A CC BY 2.0 LICENSE
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit fire Capt. Dave Soldavini holds a baby kangaroo, known as a joey, that was rescued from the devastating wildfires in Australia in January 2020.
across the continent. “I believe that there are a number of factors contributing to the extreme nature of the fires, climate change being one of them. With extreme weather conditions not only in Australia but all around the world, I believe that it’s clear that climate change is playing a major
role,” Macdonald said in an email. As fires rage on without indication of slowing down soon, aid is needed, according to Cari Dighton, the regional communications officer for the American Red Cross in the Alaska Region. She says the Red Cross has helped victims of the bushfires.
“We provide a gateway between folks and recovery. Besides financial aid, we provide the basics like relief supplies, food, water and other necessary items. We also provide psychological aid for people be-
SEE BUSHFIRES
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NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2019
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There are many ways to donate to Australia online. Some of them include: The Australian Red Cross The Australian Red Cross accepts dontations through its website at Redcross.org.au, a toll free number at 1800 RED CROSS (733-276) and checks or money orders at its address: Australian Red Cross GPO Box 2957 Melbourne VIC 3001 Please indicate which appeal or activity you would like your donation to go towards. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service The New South Wales Rural Fire Service accepts donations on their website at quickweb.westpac. com.au. The Country Fire Authority or CFA Donations are accepted on their website at cfa.vic. gov.au. Resources for animals can be found at: Wires Wires is Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organization and has been serving the communities for over 30 years, according to their website. They accept donations at wires.org.au. They also provide links through Facebook, Paypal and mailing in checks. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY UNDER A CC-BY SA 2.0 LICENSE
A view of Australia from space captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 on Nov. 12, 2019 shows smoke from wildfires between Sydney and Brisbane.
Bushfires: Continued from cover cause events like this can be traumatic,” Dighton said. The Australian Red Cross allocated $15 million dollars in funds for immediate relief, as stated on their website. This includes cash grants for people who lost homes in the fire. “The reality is, the situation will continue for months, compounded by drought and extreme heat. The money
PHOTO COURTESY OF BENJAMIN HEALLY OF MUSEUMS VICTORIA UNDER A CC-BY 4.0 LICENSE
The Koala Hospital of Port Macquarie The Koala Hospital of Port Macquarie is located in New South Wales and has a Facebook page, as well as a website, shop.koalahospital.org.au, for donations. RSPCA The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Australia, or RSPCA, is the nation’s leading animal welfare charity. They accept donations through their website rspca.org.au.
that has been raised for the fund will continue to ensure our emergency teams are resourced and ready for wherever they’re needed,”according to the Australian Red Cross website. Dighton encourages Alaskans to help in any way they can. “The most direct way that people can help with the most impact from Alaska is to donate funds online,” Dighton said.
Sam the koala, rescued in 2009 during the Black Saturday Bushfires in Australia, became a international symbol of hope and resilience in world media.
UPD Report: Jan. 6–13 Total calls for service: 264 Jan. 6: • Obstruction of public administration — Violating conditions of release (felon) off-campus at Tudor and Wright. • Traffic accident hit and run in the Short Parking Lot. Jan. 7: • Found property in the UAA/APU Consortium Library. Jan. 10: • Warrant service in the University Center. All information is provided by the University of Alaska Anchorage Police Department.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2019
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Start spring semester off the right way by implementing healthy habits By Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org
A new semester can be a perfect time for students to reflect, reset and re-evaluate in preparation for upcoming classes. Implementing good habits early on in the year can help students be more successful and productive for the weeks to come. Start the semester right with these easy, healthy habits in order to feel refreshed for the beginning of classes. Get better sleep It’s no secret that college students are often very sleep deprived. From staying up all night watching Netflix to cramming for an exam, sleep is often forgotten as an important part of human function. Sleep works to repair the body as well as the mind. Getting the proper amount of sleep is an important factor for student success. For young adults between the ages of 18-25, the recommended amount of sleep is seven-nine hours, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Starting homework or studying early in the day and putting sleep higher on the list of priorities can help students ensure they receive the right amount of sleep. Exercise and healthy eating
College students are notorious for eating mass amounts of junk food and lacking exercise. Binging on salt-covered chips or sugar-coated candies may taste great in the moment, but in the long run, eating more fruits and vegetables can help students perform better in class. “Research has shown that students are able to learn better when they’re well nourished, and eating healthy meals has been linked to higher grades, better memory and alertness and faster information processing,” an article on the importance of eating healthy for students stated. Along with healthy eating, exercise is an important activity for students to adopt into their daily lives. Living an active lifestyle can improve mental health, concentration and physical health. Simply stretching and performing light exercises, such as yoga or walking in the morning after waking up, starts the day off right and can be invigorating. “As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity everyday,” according to Mayo Clinic. Walking to class, enrolling in one of UAA’s recreation courses or taking advantage of UAA’s Seawolf Sports Complex gym can help students reach the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise. Some recreation courses available to students in-
clude zumba, pilates, cycling, yoga and weight training. The Seawolf Sports Complex houses a basketball court, swimming pool, ice rink and fitness rooms. The complex is open MondayFriday from 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Be positive Positivity and optimism are key parts of stress management. Surrounding yourself with positive people, being open to humor, following a healthy lifestyle and practicing positive self-talk are ways negative thinking can turn into positive thinking, according to Mayo Clinic. “Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed,” according to Mayo Clinic. People who implement a positive attitude into their lives develop coping skills for stress, have lower rates of depression and overall have a better psychological well being, according to the Mayo Clinic. Manage your time For many students, procrastination acts as their biggest obstacle for performing well in classes. It’s easy to push off doing homework or studying in lieu of more fun and engaging activities. This mindset, how-
PHOTO BY GABBY VANCE
The Academic Coaching Center located in Sally Monserud Hall can help students perform better in class.
ever, usually leads to missed deadlines, pulling all nighters and elevated stress. Learning to manage time well and resisting the urge to procrastinate, in the long run, is the most beneficial option and leaves more time for students to relax when all their work is completed. Making a schedule for homework and studying can help students make sure work is completed on time. Including breaks and rewards after completing a task sets a positive goal driving
students to complete their work. Joining a study group or doing homework with friends can further encourage getting work done. UAA students who are struggling with time management, study skills or note taking can take advantage of the Academic Coaching Center located in the Sally Monserud Hall, room 114, during its hours of MondayThursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Club Profile: UAA Psychology Club prepares for spring semester By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org
The Year of the Rat is approaching, according to the Chinese Zodiac, and the UAA Psychology Club’s mascot is ready to celebrate. The UAA Psychology Club provides students interested in psychology with information about different academic and professional opportunities available, as well as various career paths in psychology. Zoe Sherer is the secretary of the club and a psychology major at UAA. She says that a typical semester for the club includes various activities for members
to enjoy a break from academic studies. “We have gaming socials, typically with Smash Bros, we watch psychology-related movies while making waffles and we occasionally get a little crafty. If we aren’t having a social, we are hanging out with the Psychology Department faculty, hosting a study hall or simply eating food and enjoying each other’s company,” Sherer said. It is not necessary to be a psychology major to join the club. For students taking psychology classes, however, the Psychology Club is a great way to receive peer support, according to Sherer. Last semester, the Psychol-
PHOTO BY CHRISTINA SWAYNEY
The UAA Psychology Club mascot has a little fun at Campus Kickoff 2019.
ogy Club hosted a Gaming and Social Meet that they held with Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, in October. The event featured two Nintendo Switch consoles for gaming, and guests were invited to bring their own consoles, controllers and games. The club also hosts annual events, including fundraisers. “Once per semester, we have a potluck in the Den for Psi Chi inductees. We have an induction ceremony and play party games. It is open to the whole club and their guests,” Sherer said. “Spring semester you can find us hosting fundraisers for the Behavioral Science Conference of the North.”
The Behavioral Science Conference of the North, or BSCN, is an annual research conference hosted collaboratively by the UAA Psychology department and student clubs, according to its page on the UAA website. The conference is student-led, promoting research and development in the fields of Psychology, Behavioral Science and Human Services. Other events hosted by thy Psychology Club include a Psychology Department meet and greet, a fall planning potluck and a suicide prevention training course. The club also offers opportunities for students to participate in research through their Facebook page. There are surveys for students to take, as well as more formal psychological research through the UAA Psychology Research Portal. Students who are taking psychology classes can earn extra credit for participating in the research if it is pre-approved by a
professor. The portal currently does not have any active studies, but the site is updated once they become available. Sherer encourages any student, psychology major or not, to check out the field of psychology. “There are so many reasons [to be interested in psychology], but I’ll boil it down to a few: You begin to understand why people do what they do. You learn about yourself while questioning your sanity. You become open to other cultures and upbringings after learning their influence on someone’s life — an asset in the UAA community,” Sherer said. The UAA Psychology Club meets every Friday from 2-4 p.m. in the Natural Science Building, room 202. Snacks are provided at each meeting. For more information about the UAA Psychology Club, visit the club’s UAA Life Page, the Psychology Club Facebook Page and @UAAPsychClub on Twitter.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2019
UAA’s Clay Body Club aims to inspire students with annual art exhibit By Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org
The UAA Clay Body Club’s annual Ceramic Invitational offers a free experience for anyone from art connoisseurs to the average Joe. The Hugh McPeck Gallery will house ceramic pieces created by club members from Jan. 21-Feb. 5. The student-run club aims to further the educational growth of students to help them gain organizational and leadership skills through managing events, according to the club’s description on UAA’s website. Steve Godfrey, a professor of ceramics, co-curator for the Kimura and Arc Galleries and
adviser for the club, has taught at UAA since 1999. He emphasises that the work displayed in the Ceramic Invitational is entirely created by students. “All the work in the exhibition is made by UAA students and it’s work that’s a result of the class they are taking,” Godfrey said. A variety of artwork is displayed at the exhibition, ranging from hand-built sculptural pieces to wheel-thrown. Work from students from all different levels, abilities and majors, will be on display. “Hopefully [the show] will encourage more students to take a ceramics course because we are really lucky to have Steve [Godfrey] and Alanna [DeRoc-
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IMAGE COURTESY OF THE HUGH MCPECK GALLERY FACEBOOK PAGE
The opening reception for the Clay Body Club’s annual Ceramic Invitational takes place on Jan. 21 from 5-7 p.m. in the Hugh McPeck Gallery, located on the second floor of the Student Union.
chi],” Maxine Fekete, vice president of the Clay Body Club and art major, said. Alanna DeRocchi is a term assistant professor of ceramics and a studio technician at UAA. Aileen Page, an art major and president of the Clay Body Club, hopes the exhibition will draw in and inspire non-ceramics students to try out the craft. “Hopefully, someone will
come, see the work and be inspired or gain interest in learning how to do it themselves,” Page said. “It’s looking like a really good show and well worth it to see.” Any student enrolled in a ceramics class can join the Clay Body Club and meet with them once a month. Interested students can reach out to their ceramics professors.
The Hugh McPeck Gallery, located on the second floor of the Student Union, will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Jan. 21 from 5-7 p.m. Viewing hours for the gallery are Monday-Thursday from 1-5 p.m. For more information on the Clay Body Club and the upcoming art exhibit, visit UAA Clay Body on Facebook.
UAA Esports Lounge thrives in its second semester By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org
Packed with 18 powerful gaming PCs, current generation consoles and a virtual reality headset, the Student Union Esports Lounge began last semester with a soft launch meant to test the equipment and collect feedback from patrons. The lounge quickly became a bustling location for students to relax between classes. August and September went relatively smoothly for the lounge, according Adrianna McCoy, the Esports Lounge manager. There were only minor issues with the hardware, but McCoy is happy with how busy the lounge was during the official launch in October. “During that period, we had so many people filtering in. People want to see something new on campus,” McCoy said. Bryce Lybarger’s first time in the Esports Lounge was about a month after the soft launch, and compliments the space for including everything he wants. “It’s a really good setup,” Lybarger said. Since October, Anchorage Christian Schools, East High School and Dimond High School have brought their esports teams to practice in the lounge nearly every week, McCoy said. “They just bring their students in to play their matches or practice, and they seem to really enjoy being able to have a serious practice environment that isn’t just the computer lab at their school. They actually get to go play their game somewhere like a real sport would,”
PHOTO BY JAMES EVANS AND COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA WEBSITE
There were 422 total users and 5,894 hours played in the Esports Lounge during the fall semester, according to Adrianna McCoy, the Esports Lounge manager and president of the eSports Club.
McCoy said. The UAA eSports Club League of Legends and Overwatch teams also practice and play their tournament games in the Esports Lounge due to the dependable internet connection, McCoy, who is also the eSports Club president, said. “Everything in there is really reliable [in the lounge] in comparison to someone’s home computer,” McCoy said. McCoy stressed that the eSports Club and Esports Lounge are two separate entities, although the club does occasionally host events in the lounge. The lounge has also helped with recruitment for the eSports Club, McCoy said. “I think a lot of people see the Esports Lounge and they think, ‘hey, there’s actually gamers around campus.’ I notice a lot of people come to the info desk asking questions about the different gaming clubs on campus,”
McCoy said. “I remember our first event last semester… and we had about 40 people show up to that and a lot of [them were] people I’ve never seen before.” League of Legends has been the most popular game in the Esports Lounge by far, McCoy said. “I was looking at the statistics over a couple months and there was something like over 400 plays of League of Legends. The next most played games only had 60 or 80 plays,” McCoy said. McCoy attributes League of Legends’ popularity with its accessibility and being free to play. The Esports Lounge saw peak times at odd intervals throughout the semester, such as a Tuesday at 2 p.m., McCoy said. “You’d think you’d see more people in there on Fridays and the weekend when people have more time on their hands, but it’s the other way around,” Mc-
Coy said. “You see more people on weekday afternoons, which is really interesting.” A lot of people like to come into the Esports Lounge to take a break between classes, McCoy said. “One of my friends has a four-hour gap between her classes and she commutes in from
Eagle River, so having a space to sit and not have to drive back home is really nice for her,” McCoy said. C.J. Trinidad is an Esports Lounge regular and has been playing games in the space since it was a computer lounge. “I’m kind of content with what we have here right now. It seems like they have [the games] most people want,” Trinidad said. To create a free account and start playing games in the lounge, students must be enrolled in at least three credit hours and visit the Information Desk. The Esports Lounge and Information Desk are both located on the second floor of the Student Union. The lounge is open MondayThursday from 7:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m.8:30 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30-8:30 p.m. Visit the official Esports Lounge webpage for more information on what games are available to play and upcoming events.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2019
Seawolves goaltender Kris Carlson finds his stride and home in UAA hockey By Ronan Klancher sports2@thenorthernlight.org
UAA hockey has a strong history of goaltenders, from Paul “The Wall” Krake, who had the most games played and wins in program history in the early 1990s, Nathan Lawson in the mid-2000 with a career with the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League, or NHL, to Olivier Mantha in the 2010s, who now has the all-time lead in the program in save percentage (.910) and career games played (122). Current Seawolves goaltender, No. 30 Kris Carlson, has blossomed in his junior year, notched his first win at the collegiate level against Lake Superior State on Jan. 4., and currently ranks fourth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in save percentage as of Jan. 17 (.917). “[The win was] hard to describe… it’s a weight off
my shoulders, monkey off the back, whatever phrase you want to say, but it felt good to get that out of the way,” Carlson said. Carlson was born in Virginia and started playing hockey at a young age when his family lived in Denver and had season tickets to the Denver University hockey games. “I was gravitated to the pads as a kid. I was always gravitated to watching the goalies play,” he said. “I’ve looked up to Martin Brodeur when I was younger and tried to model my game after Pekka Rinne, but I try to be my own goalie and have my own style.” Martin Brodeur has the NHL all-time record in wins during his successful career with the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues. Pekka Rinne plays for the Nashville Predators. Carlson played hockey for Westfield High School in New Jersey, graduating in 2015. He went on
to play for the Providence College Friars in 2016-17, leaving after one season. “[I left Providence] on mutual terms… they had some goalies coming in. I wasn’t getting any time in the net. It was a good decision for both sides,” he said. After Providence, Carlson spent a season split in the United States Hockey League for the Central Illinois Flying Aces, finishing the year in the United States Premier Hockey League with the Jersey Hitmen in New Jersey. Carlson joined the Seawolf hockey team in 2018. Coming off the 2018-19 season where he did not have a win in 15 games played, with a save percentage of .896, according to statistics from College Hockey News, Carlson said the biggest part of the improvement to his game this season is “experience, playing games, gaining confidence in the net.” Now, having played in a total of 28 games in two
STAFF CONTACTS Sports Reporter Ronan Klancher sports2@thenorthernlight.org
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PHOTO COURTESY OF GOSEAWOLVES.COM
Kris Carlson, goaltender for the UAA hockey team, is getting used to life in Alaska along with playing at the collegiate level.
season. I got the call from coach Curley and it just ended up being a good fit,” he said. Catch Carlson, along with the rest of the UAA Seawolves hockey team,
on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. in the Seawolf Sports Complex in their next home game against Minnesota State.
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seasons for the Seawolves, he has found his game and a home, after bouncing around from team to team before ending up in Anchorage. With not much stability from year to year, this is the first in both his junior hockey and collegiate careers that Carlson is on the same squad for two consecutive years. “It’s been a wild ride… it helps having the experience going through traveling with many teams,” Carlson said. Although Carlson enjoyed his time in Alaska so far, it “hasn’t been what I expected,” he said. “[It’s not] the stereotypical Alaska experience of snow and igloos… it’s just a normal town. The only real difference from everywhere else is the travel,” he said. The reason Carlson chose the Seawolves hockey team was a simple one, he said. “It was the offer I had… I didn’t have much [going] late into the recruiting
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OPINION
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2019
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Stagnant and anachronistic, Pokemon video games desperately need to innovate
By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org
The first Pokemon games released outside of Japan were Pokemon Blue and Pokemon Red in 1998. It’s incredibly shocking that after over 20 years, the newest games still play exactly the same. I’m not talking about any of the spin-off games, such as Pokemon GO or the Mystery Dungeon series, just the main entries. After watching YouTube video game critic Skill Up’s review of Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, I’ve become disillusioned with the Pokemon video games. Like Skill Up, I think that it’s completely inexcusable that one of the highest grossing media and video game franchises of all time has not meaningfully innovated in its gameplay after over two decades. Pokemon battles between trainers and wild Pokemon rely on a “rock, paper, scissors” rule system. For example, a watertype move will be more effective against a fire-type Pokemon and a fire-type move will be more effective against a grass-type
Pokemon. There are many more different elemental types of moves and Pokemon, but the core logic remains the same; some moves will be super effective against specific types of Pokemon. Pokemon can learn up to four moves and the trainer can have up to six Pokemon on their team at any time. Let’s go through a typical example of a battle in a Pokemon game: the battle begins and my opponent is using a Pokemon that mine is weak against. Naturally, I want to switch to a different Pokemon so that I can get a type advantage to deal more damage. So, I switch to a Pokemon that is more effective and my turn ends. My opponent then attacks with a move that is weak against my Pokemon’s type, a firemove against a water-type Pokemon, for example, dealing minor damage. On my next turn, I use a super-effective move and one-shot my opponent’s Pokemon. Repeat ad-nauseam until all my opponent’s Pokemon are defeated, then again with dozens of other trainers. That’s exactly what I also did in 2004 when I was 8 years old playing Pokemon FireRed. Simply switching different Pokemon out to gain a type advantage is not engaging gameplay by any modern reasonable standard. Game Freak, who develops the Pokemon video games, have attempted to refresh the battles with new features. However,
those features have been meager and ineffective, the most notable being a temporary evolution during battles called mega evolutions, which made the Pokemon more powerful. I’ll admit that this addition was welcome, but it relied heavily on amazing Pokemon designs, which Pokemon as a franchise has always been unrivaled at. Mega evolutions were good for one reason: they looked cool, not because they added any significant depth to the battles. Unfortunately, mega evolutions and other added features were removed in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield only to be replaced with… mega evolutions? The new feature for Sword and Shield is called Dynamaxing, which causes a Pokemon to grow to the size of a skyscraper, becoming more powerful and sometimes changing form. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s other franchises have enjoyed many creative innovations in their gameplay. Super Mario Odyssey has given players more freedom in how they progress to the next world and introduced several new movement options. Mario now has a sentient hat to possess and control enemies to navigate the environment. He can also throw his hat and jump off it or tuck into a ball and somersault around. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild introduced a very open world
IMAGES AND ARTWORK COURTESY OF IGDB
All of the new Pokemon designs in Sword and Shield have great personality, but it’s just rarely expressed in the game.
One of the few things Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield does well is pumping electronic dance music when battling a gym leader.
to the series. It gave players a set of abilities to create clever solutions to its shrine puzzles. The brave adventurer player-character Link can now scale rock cliffs and use a glider to glide off those cliffs. Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield introduced Wild Areas, which the player can roam around and see Pokemon in the open. However, any hopes Game Freak had for the Wild Areas was completely ruined by how
Get off the couch! By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org
Not sure what to do this weekend? Here’s a list of events both on campus and around town that are sure to get you off the couch. On-Campus: Anchorage Folk Festival What: Anchorage Folk Festival is a community celebration full of live music, dancing, jamming and workshops. A full list of performance and workshop schedules can be found at anchoragefolkfestival.org. When: Jan. 23-26. Where: UAA Wendy Williamson Auditorium and the Professional Studies Building. Cost: All main stage performances at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium are free. Weekend workshops located in the Professional Studies Build-
Around Town:
ing are free to the public. Check with a Parking Services kiosk for information on parking enforcement during event times.
Anchorage Folk Festival Contra Dance What: Enjoy contra dancing with special guest band the Pig Runners. Calling will be provided by Brian DeMarcus. No experience is required and all are welcome to participate. When: Jan. 23 from 7-10 p.m. Where: UAA Student Union Cafeteria. Cost: Free for UAA students with a current WolfCard, courtesy of the UAA Concert Board. Nonstudent prices are $5 for youth and $10 for adults. Check with a Parking Services kiosk for information on parking enforcement during event times. Rev. Sekou What: Enjoy a free performance by noted activist,
shoddy the game looks. The trees, in particular, look like they could be from a 10-year-old video game. Pokemon video games have been coasting on their Pokemon designs and nostalgia for a long time. Pokemon Sword’s user rating on Metacritic, an online music, movie, TV and game reviewing site, is 4.6 out of 10. I’m sure that Pokemon video games will continue to sell well because that’s
GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS
theologian, author, documentary filmmaker and musician, Rev. Osagyefo Sekou. Rev. Sekou’s music addresses issues related to equity and race, and is a unique combination of Arkansas Delta Blues, Memphis Soul 1970s funk and gospel. When: Jan. 24 from 7-8:30 p.m. Where: UAA Recital Hall (Fine Arts Building, room 150) Cost: Free for students that have signed-up through UAAtix.com.
Seawolf Athletics: Men’s Basketball What: UAA Seawolves vs. University of Alaska Fairbanks When: Jan. 21 from 7-9 p.m. Where: UAA Alaska Airlines Center. Cost: Free for UAA students with a current WolfCard. $10 plus parking for non-students. A $5 parking pass can be purchased at payment kiosks in the parking lot.
Stargazing What: Enjoy an evening with NASA Solar System Ambassadors in the museum planetarium to view a live program highlighting the latest in space news. Hear and see updates on current space missions and learn what’s currently visible in the night sky. There will be activities after the event. When: Jan. 23 from 5:307 p.m. Where: The Anchorage Museum. Cost: $6 for members and $8 for non-members. Tickets include museum admission. 20th Annual Guns N’ Hoses Charity Hockey Game What: Guns N’ Hoses is an annual charity hockey game between the Anchorage Fire Department and Anchorage Police Department. Proceeds will support the Providence Children’s Hospital. When: Jan. 25. Doors will
just how these things go. I know that I certainly won’t be buying any more Pokemon video games until Game Freak does nothing short of completely revolutionizing the gameplay. I don’t know whether Game Freak is scared to innovate and like to play it safe or lack creativity, but I can’t think of any other series that has regularly released video games for over 20 years and still remained so stuck in the past. open at 2:30 p.m. to skate with players before the game, and the puck drop will be at 4:30 p.m. Where: Sullivan Arena (1600 Gambell St). Cost: Free to the public. Moonrise What: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Moonlanding, astronomer Dr. José Francisco Salgado returns to the Atwood stage with “Moonrise,” a film comprised of lunar images, time-lapse photography, historical illustrations, as well as NASA scientific visualizations. All of this celestial wonder is set to Ravel’s orchestral suites from “Daphnis et Chloé.” When: Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. The show lasts approximately two hours. Where: The Atwood Concert Hall located at the Alaska Center for Performing Arts (621 W. Sixth Ave. Ste. ACH). Cost: Varies by seat selection, check venue for prices at https://www.alaskapac.org/.