October 1, 2019

OCTOBER 1 - OCTOBER 7, 2019

NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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Twenty-two speakers represented UAA before the Senate State Affairs Committee at a Sept. 20 hearing.

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

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The Seawolf cross-country team takes on the second race of the season.

PHOTO BY JOHN NOVOTNY

Red Zone: Rape Aggression Defense Training at UAA teaches women selfdefense techniques

By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org

Herminia Din, professor of art at UAA, incorporates her philosophy of art and reusability as a force for change by using repurposed materials in her pop-up book “Our Plastic Ocean, Our Clean Ocean.”

Saving the environment, one pop-up book at a time

The plastic ocean side begins with a happy arts@thenorthernlight.org city with the sun shining down. As readers move “Our Plastic Ocean, from left to right, howevOur Clean Ocean” is an er, the colors and tone beillustrated, pop-up book gin to darken. A massive for elementary-aged chil- trash island in the middle dren which aims to raise of the ocean shows how awareness of ocean pollu- the most remote places in tion. The pop-up book was the world are impacted by created by Herminia Din, plastic pollution. This secprofessor of art at UAA, tion is based on The Great and Astor Lai, a book de- Pacific Garbage Patch, signer from Taiwan, over Din said. At the end of the the course of two years. ‌ plastic ocean side are a Both Din and Lai grew smog-filled sky and a plate up in Taiwan and the issue of fish next to salt and pepof ocean pollution has be- per shakers with colorful come a shared interest of microplastics in them. ‌ theirs. Din was exposed to The clean ocean side the issue at an early age. ‌ includes ways people can “The place that I grew reduce their plastic waste, up in Taipei City had a big such as using cloth tote river running through it. bags for groceries, craftIt was totally polluted be- ing toys and art out of old cause people just [thought] milk jugs and plastic bot‘out of sight, out of the tles and recycling.‌ way.’” Din said. “It took Din researched ocean a long time [to clean up]. pollution by reading sevYou can find fish there eral scientific papers. The now, let’s put it that way.”‌ pop-up book is one prodLai was involved in the uct of that research. In the illustration, layout design book, Din paints a grim and creation of the story, picture that portrays the among other aspects of the result if people don’t reproject. ‌ duce their plastic use. ‌ “I have been concerned “The data says that by about the marine envi- 2050, the garbage in the ronment for the past few ocean will outweigh the years, so I was happy to fish we can eat,” Din said, accept the opportunity to “I think [that point] could work with [Din],” Lai said.‌ be sooner.”‌ “Our Plastic Ocean, There is a companion Our Clean Ocean” has two book included with the physical sides with related pop-up book that contains stories. The plastic ocean relevant facts and inforside shows how garbage mation as readers make from cities makes its way their way through the into the ocean ecosystem pop-up. All of the addiand eventually into the tional materials fit inside food we eat. The clean a multipurpose bookcase. ocean side shows how The companion book can we can be more sustain- also be combined with the able and environmentally bookcase to create a pupfriendly by reducing our pet stage. In addition, the plastic use and waste. ‌ book also comes with little

By John Novotny

thenorthernlight.org

stick puppets. ‌ The entire packaging of the book has been designed in a way to minimize one-use products.

This philosophy is exemplified in the exterior wrapping. The only thing preventing the book from falling out of its case is a small paper sleeve. ‌ However, printing shops had objections to using paper packaging, according to Din.‌ “A lot of publishing pop-up book printer shops want to do shrink wrapping and we said no. A big no,” Din said. ‌ Riva Symko, the Kimura and ARC Gallery curator, says that Din’s solutions to problems encountered in production set an example for others to follow. ‌ “[The paper sleeve] solved problems that other designers can look to who are also trying to reduce plastic packaging,” Symko said. ‌ The next step for “Our Plastic Ocean, Our Clean Ocean” is to secure a publisher, Din says. ‌ “[Business students] want to see if they can create a business plan and then see if I can get a publisher and have a larger production and distribution,” Din said‌ Although not addressed directly in the book, polluting corporations are also part of the problem, according to Din.‌ “We’ve given [corporations] permission to pollute our planet because we enjoy their [products],” Din said, “Now, we’re becoming more aware that we’re part of [the problem] as well.”‌

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Din still believes that there is hope of reducing the world’s waste. ‌ “It’s not like we can continue this kind of lifestyle or consumption and still expect that we’ll have a clean ocean and fish to eat,” Din said. ‌ Din hopes that when children see the book, they’ll begin to ask questions about why the environment is so polluted.

They may also see others like them, such as Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old climate and environmental activist who has spoken at the United Nations, and be inspired to take action. ‌ “If they’re more aware of the problems, then hopefully they can be a voice. Just like a lot of youth advocates right now, like Greta Thunberg,” Din said. “I think if kids know more then hopefully they… can influence [adults].‌ Some other works included in the exhibit are made by Anchorage re:MADE, a local nonprofit, which creates art out of reclaimed materials.

Stuffed whales made from old denim jeans are placed on shelves above a flowing wave of jeans. Lamps made from old car parts are also on display. ‌ “Our Clean Ocean” is on display in the Kimura Gallery in the Fine Arts Building room 222B until Oct. 4. The gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Friday.

“Our Plastic Ocean, Our Clean Ocean” is also available to pre-order on Anchorage re:MADE’s website. ‌

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UAA offers Rape Aggression Defense Training, or RAD Training, free of charge to students and anyone who identifies as a woman. ‌ Fifty-two incidents of violence against women have been reported to the university and Anchorage Police since 2016, according to The 2019 Climate Survey Report.‌ RAD provides selfdefense training based on real-life situations. Students are taught to defend themselves with physical force and other techniques to thwart or prevent an assault. ‌ “The RAD system will provide students with the knowledge to make an educated decision about personal defense. We provide information on physical and non-physical options, as well as insight into the attacker’s mindset,” according to the RAD page on the UAA website.‌ Lieutenant Shane Bozeman of the University Police Department believes the training can have an effect on the safety of the UAA community.‌ “[RAD Training] offers participants information, techniques and practices to help keep them safe through Risk Awareness, Risk Recognition, Risk Reduction and Risk

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Avoidance,” Bozeman said. “While no technique is 100%, we have had students who participated in RAD Training share stories of what they believed to be potentially serious situations. They were able to avoid or remove themselves from [these situations] based on the concepts and techniques they learned through the program.”‌ The 12-hour program is broken up into two or three classes. Students of any ability level are welcome to attend. Once a student has completed RAD Training, they will be given a signed manual, which doubles as a ticket for free lifetime return and practice of RAD in the U.S. and Canada. ‌ It is not unusual for crime reports to go up after programs like RAD and Title IX are introduced, Lt. Bozeman said.‌ “One thing to keep in mind is that the effects of training are often counterintuitive. Training can actually result in an increase in crimes reported simply because people are more aware of unacceptable behavior,” Bozeman said.‌

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

02

UAA celebrated Hispanic Heritage Week with food, poetry and a little dance

By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org

Hispanic Heritage Week was celebrated at the University of Alaska Anchorage with traditional cuisine, a Colombian dance performance and slam poetry. ‌ The events were hosted

by UAA’s Student Activities and Commuter Programs. The week took place from Sept. 23-26 in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15-Oct. 15.‌ Students enjoyed complimentary, traditional Hispanic dishes in the Student Union Den, which varied throughout the week. Foods such as arepas, a Venezuelan and Colombian fried cornmeal torta with meat or beans served on top and baleadas, a traditional Honduran thick tortilla filled

with beans and cheese, were served, among other dishes. ‌ On the final day of the week, there was a student Open Mic event in the Den. Performances included karaoke, a live band and ended with a traditional Colombian dance performance by Los Somos, a youth dance group.‌ After Open Mic, Carlos Andrés Gómez took the stage. Gómez is a slam poet, and part of his performance touched on the difficulties associated with being a person of color.‌ Gómez’s performance also included a lot of interaction with the crowd.

At one moment, he mentioned how others can be so focused on ethnicity when first meeting someone, and asked if students could share stories about their own difficulties.‌ “Do you ever get asked

where you’re from? Then they ask you where you’re really from? After that, they ask you where your family is really from?”

Gómez asked the crowd.‌ Some topics discussed and poems shared at Gómez’s performance were about racism and identity.

The subject matter got emotional at times, Gómez said, but the room still remained full of positivity.‌ “You all have saved my life tonight. You all have great energy. I’ve had a rough week, but this is great,” Gómez said.‌ Gómez is also a published author of “Hijito,” which he read from as part of his performance. The book is about his personal experiences and hardships in life, told through poetry.‌ During his performance, Gómez talked

about how people can come together, not just the Latin community, but anyone, especially in an often-isolating place like Alaska.‌ “Coalition building across communities among different people of different cultures, but with the same experiences, can be powerful. You don’t have to come from the same background, but having the same experiences can bring people together,” Gómez said.‌ The Hispanic community at UAA is present and active through The Latino Student Union. A UAA alumnus, Raquel Polanco, observed that the community has grown since she graduated in 2019.‌ “I haven’t been to UAA since I graduated, but coming here tonight and seeing that this event has taken place with a per-

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA SWAYNEY

Carlos Andrés Gómez, slam poet and author, shared poetry and stories from his book “Hijito” at Open Mic Night in the Student Union Den on Sept. 26.

former like Carlos [Gómez], and seeing Hispanic Heritage Week celebrated, I can see that strides are being made. It’s really nice,” Polanco said.‌ UAA events like Hispanic Heritage Week are

regularly posted on the UAA Activities and Commuter Programs Facebook page. The Latino Student Union can be reached by email at uaa.latinostudentunion@gmail.com, Facebook and Instagram.‌

Decoding student fees: Part four RAD training:

Continued from cover

By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org

Not all fees are directed toward specific organizations. In fact, the effects of the Facilities Fee can be found in many different places throughout campus, including the chairs used by students, the paint on classroom walls and the walkways that students take to class.‌ Facilities Fee — $6 per credit for students registered in one or more credits, regardless of delivery mode (online or at a physical campus).‌ The Facilities Fee was established in August 2014. Originally, the fee was meant to counter the debt incurred by projects taken on by the UA system.‌ “One reason the fee was created is when the legislature pulled together different funding pieces for the UAF power plant, they required the University of Alaska to come up with some other funding mechanism to take part in the debt service,” Ryan Buchholdt, deputy director of UAA facilities & campus services, said.‌ Students were concerned about their funds being shared with another UA campus. Funds from the Facilities Fee were then separated for use at each respective campus, Buchholdt said.‌ The Facilities Fee is intended to fund projects or initiatives that will benefit students, including implementing or improving areas like the walkway paths located around campus and classroom refreshes.‌ Classroom refreshes help to maintain a modern

PHOTOS BY JASON HERR

One function of the Facilities Fee is to implement and improve walkways around campus.

appearance in older campus areas. A refresh could mean replacing older, outof-shape furniture or repainting a classroom.‌ “There were no specific parameters put around how, from the system level, [the Facilities Fee] would be used. The guiding philosophy we established at UAA was to prioritize it for improvements to campus that are studentfacing. For the first couple of years, that was certainly how it was used,” Buchholdt said.‌ In past years, the funds raised by the Facilities Fee have been redirected to more pressing university needs.‌ “During the budget decline years... unfortunately, [the Facilities Fee] had to be moved to supplement our operating budget on the daily maintenance and operations of the campus,” Buchholdt said.‌ Daily maintenance and operations include janitorial services, electrical

maintenance and plumbing, all the necessary components to operate and maintain the campus on a daily basis.‌ This year, however, the funds have been returned to their original mission of planning for visible, student-facing improvements to the UAA campus, according to Buchholdt.‌ “We’ve recently been able to shift funding around so that we can return the Facilities Fee to that goal of funding initiatives and projects that are felt and noticed by students,” Buchholdt said.‌ Since the shift in funding, future Facilities Fee initiatives are yet to be determined. ‌ “We don’t have anything programmed in it right now, it is something we’re looking at for the coming [summer] construction season,” Buchholdt said. “I mean, one of the big priorities now is that the university has is shifting departments and

student services around to make it easier on the student side. I think it’s still [to be determined] whether that touches this fund or not.”‌ Potential initiatives are decided primarily by facilities personnel throughout the UAA campus.‌ “We do project planning and try to figure out what are the known issues around campus that we need to address, and what are the different funding sources available,” Buchholdt said. “I think that the key distinction is the focus on things that are very noticeable and beneficial to students helps guide which programs are rolled into that.”‌ Facilities staff hear student voices by meeting with the USUAA president and vice president in the spring, Buchholdt said.‌ Overall, the Facilities Fee aims to create a better, more reliable campus for students.‌ “Funding like this,

Lt. Bozeman encourages students to look at the annual crime reports.‌ “Unfortunately, sexual assault is still under-reported, according to the Campus Climate Survey, which provides data collectively on all University of Alaska campuses,” Bozeman said. “Overall, UAA is a safe campus, but I would encourage students to become more familiar with crime statistics reported through our Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which the university is required to report under the Clery Act.” ‌ In addition to Title IX and RAD, there is another program available that Bozeman recommends called Bringing in the Bystander training, taught by student Peer Health Educators with the Student Health and Counseling Center. The program focuses on how bystanders of a possible sexual assault can prevent it by intervening in specific ways that are not aggressive, such as distracting the threat.‌ The next RAD training sessions are on Oct. 19 and 20 and Nov. 16 and 17 from 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Both classes will be for two days each, both six hours long. Students are encouraged to bring water, snacks and a towel. To register, email uaa_upd@alaska.edu with names and contact information. ‌ something that is regular, something we don’t have to rely on the whims of Juneau and the governor to reach agreement on, allows us to have an actual stream that we can plan for,” Buchholdt said.

“The importance here is that though it’s not a lot of money, it is at least a predictable amount of money that we have and again

with the guiding philosophy of something studentfacing, it really allows us to have those resources ‌to deploy more effectively.”

The remaining student fees will be discussed in future issues of The Northern Light.‌

Facilities personnel help determine what the fee revenue is used for.

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

03

UAA testimony finds a forum

By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org

A hearing hosted by The Senate State Affairs Committee included presentations from 22 speakers that represented the broad spectrum of UAA and the Anchorage communities. The committee considered testimonies regarding the restructuring of the University of Alaska system.‌ The five-hour hearing was held on Sept. 20, a week after the University of Alaska Board of Regents opened its floor to testimonies on restructuring and the ‘New UA’.‌ Members of the state committee present at the hearing included Sen. Mike Shower, chair of the committee, Sen. John Coghill, vice chair of the committee and Sen. Lora Reinbold, committee member. Absent senators were able to join by teleconference. The hearing was also broadcasted and recorded for the public.‌ “I think everybody agrees that we need a robust university system,” Sen. Shower said.

“The question, perhaps, before us, in a tight budget time, with the budget issues that we’ve had over the last year, is: how is the [university] structure best set up moving forward, so that we can have that robust university system that is so important to our state?”‌ The purpose of the hearing was to listen to testimonies on the future of the university system, according to Sen. Shower.‌ Each of the speakers recounted some of their experiences with UAA and their thoughts of the restructuring of the university system. In their testimonies, all agreed that there are options outside of consolidations. After each testimony, the legislators asked the speaker specific questions about their piece for further clarification.‌ Forrest Nabors, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at UAA, was the first speaker of the hearing. Nabors spoke about topics including the antiquated Board of Regents and the need to move towards a decentralized UA system.‌ “I am here today to request the intervention of the legislature in restructuring the University of Alaska system,” Nabors said. “The structure of our system has been obsolete for a long time, is not performing well and cannot fix itself.”‌ Governance powers over the UA system given to the Board of Regents are established in the Alaska Constitution, Article VII Section 3. Through this constitution, the Board of Regents is designated as the governing body of the University of Alaska, and gives executive responsibilities to the UA President,

PHOTOS BY JASON HERR

USUAA’s speaker of the assembly, Alex Jorgensen (center), represented UAA students at the Senate State Affairs Committee hearing, and Forrest Nabors (left), an associate professor and chair of the political science department, spoke about the need to decentralize the UA system.

currently Jim Johnsen. ‌ In short, the Board of Regents could make any decision it deems necessary concerning the universities. However, Nabors believes the legislation should be changed by state officials, and allow the universities within UA to become more independent from the UA Board of Regents.‌ Establishing the UA Board of Regents in the constitution was vital during a time when the University of Alaska was primarily centered around Fairbanks, Nabors said. The university had fewer than 1,000 students on its sole campus at the time.‌ Now, the three main campuses of UA, the Universities of Alaska Anchorage, Fairbanks and Southeast, have evolved beyond the original scope of the Board of Regents at its establishment. Each university has become unique to the needs of their region, according to Nabors.‌ “Our system needs to be decentralized, or in other words, our three universities ought to have more autonomy for the improvement of the financial per-

formance of our higher education establishments,” Nabors said.‌ Decentralization means that certain powers would transfer from the Board of Regents to administrators at each university. The Chancellors would then have the power to make decisions for their own institutions.‌ The sentiment for an option other than consolidation was echoed by following speakers at the hearing.‌ Alex Jorgensen, speaker of the assembly for the Union of Students at the University of Alaska Anchorage, or USUAA, gave testimony at the hearing on behalf of the students of UAA.‌ “For the first time, I find myself now fully feeling concerned about the future of the institution that I’ve grown to deeply love over the past going-on five years,” Jorgensen said. “And, I think that it’s been really hard to be a student for the past seven months, that we’ve gotten a consistent message that for some reason, that we as students are not important.” ‌ Many of the decisions and

processes concerning restructuring occurred during the summer, when students and student leaders were away from the campuses. ‌ “So we’re seeing here, that we as students are not being valued in this process, that as the primary stakeholders of this institution, of UAA, UAF and UAS, that we’re not being properly involved, and it’s I think leading to some potentially very negative consequences to the future of higher education in the state,” Jorgensen said.‌ Jorgensen touched on the topic of open-enrollment standards, as UAA differs from UAF and UAS in their acceptance requirements.‌ “As many of you may know, UAA is the only fully openaccess university in the state,” Jorgensen said in his written testimony. “The majority of our bachelor programs do not require selective admissions. Why is open-access necessary? Because everyone deserves an opportunity at higher education.

That student who barely made it through high school with a 1.5

The UAA hearing will not be the sole hearing on UA restructuring, as more hearings around the state will be held to involve the many other views of the University of Alaska system.

GPA because they had a rough home life, yes, he or she deserves a chance at higher education.”‌ Jorgensen was disappointed with Johnsen’s response to the possible future of UAA’s openenrollment.‌ “A few weeks ago when I was in a meeting with President Johnsen, I explained to him the importance of open enrollment to our students and the Anchorage community to which he replied: ‘we will have to balance the enrollment policies if we choose to consolidate,’” Jorgensen said in his written testimony. ‌ By adjusting or balancing the requirements for enrollment, not all students would be admitted to UAA. Such a change would not be beneficial to the university, Jorgensen said.‌ “I’m sorry, this just doesn’t cut it. You are either open enrollment, or you are not,” Jorgensen’s written testimony said.‌ Other representatives with affiliations to UAA addressed a multitude of difficulties that could arise from a consolidation of the system.‌ Topics included the perspective of the Municipality of Anchorage, delivered by Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, First Lady of Anchorage Mara Kimmel and both of the Anchorage Assembly members that represent Anchorage’s midtown district, Felix Rivera and Meg Zaletel.‌ Members of the UAA faculty and the Faculty Senate spoke to topics of management risks, spending priorities, equity, accreditation and student success.‌ The UAA Faculty Senate is made up of non-administrative UAA faculty members that represent their peers in matters that affect the general welfare of UAA and its research. The Faculty Senate also functions as a legislative body with the authority to initiate, develop, review and recommend UAA policy, including degree requirements, academic programs and admission policies. The Faculty Senate provides consultation and advisory roles for members of the university administration, according to the UAA Faculty Senate constitution.‌ UAA alumni were also represented by Lea Bouton, Stacey Lucason, Michael Lowe and Jonathan Taylor.‌ Just as UAA was given a chance to speak for their community and thoughts of the UA restructuring process, the other UA universities [UAF and UAS] and the UA Board of Regents will be offered hearings as well, to voice their own stances, Sen. Shower said.‌ Full testimonies and an audio and video recording of the hearing can be found at the Alaska State Legislature website.‌

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

04

The final UAA Bookstore special event discusses the legacy of Gandhi Fare thee well UAA Campus Bookstore, 2901 Spirit Drive.

By Robert Gant features@thenorthernlight.org

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on Oct. 2, 1869. Hugh Gunner Deery III, a term philosophy instructor at UAA, will discuss Gandhi’s relevance to modern civil disobedience on the 150th anniversary of the activist’s birth.‌ “Basically, I want to get at the bottom line question about Civil Disobedience, which I think is the most pertinent thing a young person can gain from Gandhi’s life story,” Deery said. “His life can be used to help you assess your readiness to participate in alternative politics.”‌ This will be the last special event hosted at the current UAA Bookstore location. The UAA Bookstore is temporarily moving to the Alaska Airlines Center, which cannot accommodate events. Pre-

viously scheduled events will be hosted in the library.‌ Unedited recordings of all previous bookstore events are available on iTunes. Rachel Epstein, the special events coordinator of the bookstore, has also provided the recordings at the Archives and Special Collections at the UAA/APU Consortium Library to be uploaded in the future.‌ The bookstore special events have left a lasting impact on the UAA and Anchorage communities, Epstein says. ‌ “I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Epstein said. I think there are a lot of really good events that aren’t time-sensitive.

They’re not just something that happened in the past, they are relevant today.”‌ Records of previous special events are not confined to recordings. In addition to the posters and books left behind on the

walls of the bookstore loft, memories hang in the minds of previous attendees. Deery recalled many fond memories from the bookstore loft.‌ “Between inviting authors and speakers and opening their presentations up to the public for free, the bookstore and bookstore loft has functioned as the sort of classroom where actual, literal, life-long learning occurs,” Deery said.‌ Epstein passionately shared a similar sentiment to Deery about the format of the loft. ‌ “We’ve had a lot of different types of events,” Epstein said. “[Event speakers] are local, they’re remarkable, but when they’re here, they’re approachable. You can get to know them in a certain way that you wouldn’t have at a book signing event.”‌ Epstein has fond memories of Deery’s event

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL EPSTEIN

PHOTO BY ROBERT GANT

A wall in the UAA Bookstore loft displays posters from past events.

on Buddhist Epistemology from last year. She recounted how he engaged the audience and related the qualities of teachers like Socrates and Jesus to qualities modern professors should possess.‌ “What came out of [Deery’s previous event] was a great conversation,” Epstein said. “It is the perfect day, the perfect time and the perfect place for [an event about Gandhi].”‌ Epstein said she is saddened that she had to turn away future opportunities for events.‌ “There are so many changes, I don’t know if

[bookstore events] can fit in anywhere,” Epstein said. “I hope someone out there would want it to continue.”‌ Deery said he is honored to be the last speaker in the bookstore loft. He wants students to attend the last event at the bookstore and foster the sense of community and communication that he believes is important for the final time.‌ “Come celebrate the end of an icon of the exchange of free ideas and the expression of high culture in the arctic,” Deery said. “Share in a discus-

sion about the life and motivations of Gandhi, centered around contemporary application and led by the dazzlingly brilliant H. Gunner Deery III while you still can. If you don’t make this one, you never will again.”‌ This event will take place from 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 2 in the bookstore loft. All UAA Bookstore events are free and open to the public. Free event parking is available at the South Lot, West Campus Central Lot and the Sports Complex NW Lot. ‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA GREEN & GOLD

Poet Joan Kane reads from the Alaska Quarterly Review and discusses Alaska Native opportunities in the bookstore loft during a previous event.

Hugh Gunner Deery III has discussed other topics, such as Buddhist epistemology, using the UAA Bookstore as a forum.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

06

As awareness about dangers of e-cigarette and vape usage rise, UAA smoking ban prohibits their use on campus

By Robert Gant features@thenorthernlight.org

Thus far, Alaska is one of four states that have no reported cases of injury or death due to electronic cigarettes or vape usage, according to the Center for Disease Control. The leaders of the smoke and tobacco-free initiative at UAA are working to keep it that way.‌ Electronic cigarettes are “battery-operated devices that deliver nicotine, flavor additives and other chemicals through a vapor that is inhaled by the user,” according to Alaska’s Tobacco Quitline website. Vaping devices fall into this category.‌ The co-chairs of the UAA smoke and tobaccofree team are Dr. Gabriel Garcia, associate professor of public health and Joy Mapaye, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism and public communications. They have managed to maintain an 86.8% approval rate for the policy throughout the University of Alaska. ‌ “Our strategy in implementing the smoke and tobacco-free policy is simple: make sure the UAA campus community is knowledgeable about the policy,” Dr. Garcia said. ‌ UAA was one of the first universities in the U.S. to include e-cigarettes and vapes in its smoke and tobacco-free policy, according to Mapaye and Dr. Garcia. The university became officially smoke and tobacco-free on Nov. 19, 2015. ‌

PHOTO BY JASON HERR

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

Nearly four years after its implementation, stories about youth being injured, hospitalized and dying from the usage of nicotine products are making headlines.‌ These headlines are not without merit. There have been 805 reported cases of lung injury and 12 confirmed deaths in the U.S. due to e-cigarettes or vaping products as of Sept. 27, according to the CDC. ‌ Two-thirds of the reported cases involve 18 to 34-year-olds, according to the CDC. The average age of a UAA student is 28.5, according to UAA Institutional Research, which falls well within that range. ‌ “The good news is that the UA smoke and tobacco-free policy is working,” Mapaye said. “However, e-cigarette and vape use are on the rise, mirroring trends we see across the country. The bottom line is this: unlike cigarettes,

we simply don’t know the long-term effects of prolonged e-cigarette use.”‌ This summer, the Municipality of Anchorage voted unanimously agreed to illegalize selling nicotine products and e-cigarette devices to individuals under the age of 21, as opposed to the previous age of 19.‌ Mapaye believes that increased advertisement of e-cigarettes and vaping contributes to misconceptions about the safety of the devices. The CDC reported that e-cigarette companies increased advertising spending from $6.4 million in 2011 to $115 million in 2014, with further increases projected.‌ “Your lungs were meant for clean air, nothing else,” Mapaye said.

“Unlike cigarettes, we simply don’t know the long-term effects of prolonged e-cigarette use, and that’s a scary thing.”‌

E-cigarettes come in many forms, and can fit in the palm of someone’s hand.

Betty Bang is a nurse practitioner involved with the Student Health and Counseling Center’s health promotion team.

She hopes to help spread awareness at UAA about the harmful effects of using e-cigarettes and vaping devices.‌ Bang and Dr. Garcia both expressed concern about second-hand smoke’s effect on students who did not consent to the usage of nicotine products. Bang asserted that the aerosols negatively impact indoor air. Dr. Garcia noted that some members of the UA community have respiratory conditions such as asthma.‌ “We need to respect others’ rights who want to breathe clean air,” Dr. Garcia said. “Everyone has a responsibility to let those not complying with

the policy know about it and to point them to quitting resources if needed.”‌ The CDC recommends refraining from using vaping and e-cigarette products, with an emphasis on youth and young adults avoiding usage. ‌ Dr. Garcia said studies are just beginning to surface about the harmful health effects of vaping products.‌ “[Vaping is] a very timely subject,” Bang said.

“To get the word out, have your friends [who vape] look at reliable information.”‌ Bang said that the Student Health and Counseling Center, as well as Brittney Kupec, the alcohol, drug and wellness educator at UAA, are helpful on-campus resources for combating nicotine addiction. She also recommend-

ed consulting Alaska’s Tobacco Quitline as an offcampus resource. ‌ Kupec may be reached by phone at (907) 7861511, by email at bkupec@ alaska.edu or by visiting her at the Dean of Students Office Suite in Rasmuson Hall room 122. ‌ The Student Health and Counseling Center is located in Rasmuson Hall rooms 116 and 120, open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. MondayWednesday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-6 p.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.

Its phone number is (907) 786-4040.‌ Alaska’s Tobacco Quitline is a free resource for quitting tobacco and nicotine products. It may be reached by calling +1 (800) 784-8669 or visiting their website at alaskaquitline.com.‌

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF ALASKA’S TOBACCO QUITLINE WEBSITE GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE 2018 UAA SMOKE AND TOBACCO-FREE POLICY ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS REPORT

Support for the smoke and tobacco-free policy on all UA campuses has steadily increased since its implementation.

Alaska’s Tobacco Quitline discourages the usage of e-cigarettes and vapes due to the lack of regulation and information about health implications of the products.

& AE

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

07

Hitbox First Impressions - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare continues the return to boots-on-theground gameplay from Call of Duty: WWII. Modern Warfare’s gameplay is slower-paced compared to its jetpack-boosting predecessors. Call of Duty veterans familiar with the Modern Warfare series will feel at home. ‌ Developer: Infinity Ward Publisher: Activision Platforms: PC [played], Xbox One, PlayStation 4 Release Date: Oct. 25, 2019 Price: $59.99‌ The Hitbox First Impressions series is not a review. It’s a summary of my brief experience with the game and whether I think it’s worth putting more time into. ‌ Infinity Ward’s next entry into the Call of Duty series is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, not to be confused with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which was released in 2007. ‌ Modern Warfare (2019) is a rebooted version of the three Modern Warfare games. The same characters that appeared in the previous single-player campaigns will make an appearance in this year’s game. Some of the same weapons will also be in the multiplayer. ‌ An open beta test on PC for the multiplayer

portion of Modern Warfare took place two weeks ago, which I took part in.

This test allowed gamers to play the game before it was released and provide feedback to the developers. I haven’t played multiplayer in a Call of Duty game since 2015, so it took some time to get back into the swing of things. Some of the new features surprised me, while returning ones felt familiar. ‌ The most notable change from the previous Modern Warfare games are enemies no longer appear on the minimap when they fire their gun. Instead, red diamonds pop up on the compass at the top of the screen. Sprinting has been upgraded to be infinite. Previously, players could only sprint for a few seconds at a time. An additional type of sprinting called “tactical sprint” has also been added, which performs as sprint did in the previous Call of Duty games. Tactical sprinting increases the time it takes to return the player’s gun to a firing position. Players can also slide after sprinting.‌ Other new features in the game include being able to mount the player’s weapon on a surface to reduce recoil, switching fire modes on weapons and interacting with doors, the latter of which I found a little out of place in Modern Warfare’s twitch-reaction based gameplay. ‌ Crossplay between the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC was also implemented. This means that

players on all platforms can now play with each other. This is a massive change. In the previous Call of Duty games, players were restricted to only playing with other people on the same platform.

Only a handful of games have allowed gamers to play with others on different platforms. ‌ The audio in the beta was very loud and oddly mixed. I could hear my teammates’ footsteps halfway across the map. Enemies, on the other hand, were like silent ninjas. The slamming sound effect when opening doors was extremely abrupt. Several times I startled myself by shoving open doors as I ran into them because of how loud it was. ‌ Firing weapons was also deafening. It reminded me of the time I forgot to put on earmuffs at the gun range and my ears rang for minutes after I fired. Turning down the master volume setting wouldn’t help in this situation because the issue is how loud the effects are relative to each other.

This is something Infinity Ward would have to fix on their end. ‌ I went through something of a quarter-life crisis playing during the beta. When I died, I would look at the KillCam, which shows the perspective of the enemy player who killed me and marvel at how fast their reaction times were. I knew that I couldn’t match their speed. ‌ In almost every match,

I felt I had to play to the best of my ability to have any semblance of success.

While intense matches are nice once and awhile, I always appreciated the casual and relaxed matches of the previous Call of Duty games. It was a relief when I found numerous forum posts describing my exact experience. Note that the pejorative term “sweaty” in the forum posts is used to describe players who are playing to the best of their abilities. ‌ Several game modes are returning in the newest game, such as Team Deathmatch, where the first team to get a set amount of kills wins. Previously, Ground War simply increased the player count. Search and Destroy has also been renamed to Cyber Attack. It is a mode where each team takes turns trying to plant a bomb at one of two points on the map, while the opposing team defends the points. ‌ Ground War has undergone a slight revamp.

The total player count has been increased to 64, as opposed to the previous 18. Ground War is played on large maps, especially for a Call of Duty game. Tanks, helicopters and ATVs have also been thrown into the mix for added chaos, which is the word that best describes how it feels to play. With so many players running around at the same time, it was easy to feel lost and not know where the action is. ‌ Gunfight and Realism

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

are the new modes in Modern Warfare. Gunfight is the exact opposite of Ground War. It’s a small, intense battle between two teams of two fighting with the same sets of randomized weapons. Realism drops the user interface for increased immersion.

Players in this mode have no crosshair, no hitmarkers and no radar.‌ Now comes the obligatory microtransactions disclaimer. Microtransactions are small purchases for video games you already own. This term has become synonymous with loot boxes that offer randomized in-game rewards for real-world money. Recent Call of Duty games have experimented with including gameplay-affecting weapons in randomized loot boxes, which are only purchasable for real money. I fully expect Modern Warfare to continue this trend.‌ In addition, Call of Duty games wait until after release to add loot boxes to possibly avoid negative press coverage.

That’s the only reason I can think of, anyway. Like clockwork, a few months after release, loot boxes magically appear in the in-game store. ‌

Infinity Ward recently revealed that an entire mode called Special Ops will be exclusive to the PlayStation 4 for an entire year. Call of Duty is no stranger to platform exclusives. However, they have never been this egregious. Previously, only a few maps would be exclusive to a platform for a few months. The maps would be released on other platforms after the exclusivity period ended. ‌ Even with all the negative aspects of Call of Duty’s business model, I still want to play more. The short matches of a Call of Duty game fit in well with my busy schedule. I could complete a few matches of Team Deathmatch in half an hour, level up and feel like I made meaningful progress. Maybe I unlocked a cool assault rifle or an attachment for my favorite gun and I have something to look forward to the next time I play. It’s also a lot less intimidating than diving into a 100hour, role-playing game that I would usually be interested in. ‌ Want to suggest a video game for review? Contact John Novotny at arts@ thenorthernlight.org.‌

SCREENSHOTS BY JOHN NOVOTNY

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer, which is set to release on Oct. 25, players now enter the map at the beginning of a match contextually instead of immediately loading in.

Modern Warfare streaks (lower right) return to requiring kills to call in attacks like a remote-controlled cruise missile, a UAV, which identifies enemies on the minimap, and an airstrike.

SPORTS

08

Seawolf volleyball loses against in-state rivals, wins against Montana State

By Lauren Cuddihy

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

sports@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolf volleyball team kicked off their week with a Tuesday night game against their in-state rivals, the Nanooks. UAA traveled to Fairbanks to compete in a four-set match that ultimately earned them another loss. The 3-1 game (21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-22) ruined the Seawolves’ previous four-game win streak.‌ The Seawolves started off strong with their first and only win of the match being the first set. They left the Nanooks in a four-point deficit, with a 25-21 win.‌ Despite the win, it was UAA’s weakest set overall, with only six total kills and a .143 average hit percentage. The Seawolves prospered off the Nanook’s mistakes, who managed 10 total kills, 11 errors and a -.029 average hit percentage.‌ UAA stayed consistent for the following three sets. However, UAF cut their average errors per set almost in half and increased their number of kills.‌ The Nanooks started off the game with 11 errors in set one but continued with six, five and three errors in each of the following sets, respectively. In

The Seawolf volleyball team traveled to Fairbanks to take on the UAF Nanook volleyball team on Sept. 24.

addition, they progressively increased their number of kills.

While UAF ended all four sets with a total of 50 kills, UAA accumulated 41.‌ UAA head coach Chris Green acknowledged that UAF improved substantially throughout the game.‌ “We needed to be better in every phase of the game to win this match tonight. Fairbanks responded well after the first set and became the aggressors, and we never answered, which is disappointing,” Green said.‌

Despite the loss, sophomore Eve Stephens still managed to accumulate an impressive 17 kills over the course of the game.

This was a match-high between both teams.‌ Following Stephens, junior Kayla McGlathery accumulated 10 kills and senior Vanessa Hayes notched six.‌ The team had a few days off before returning to play against Montana State Billings Yellowjackets on Sept. 28 for the Seawolves’ first home GNAC game.‌ In a competitive four-set

game, the Seawolves were able to redeem themselves after their previous loss against UAF. With 25-23, 19-25, 25-22, 25-10 sets, UAA was able to outscore Montana State at the Alaska Airlines Center.‌ The Seawolves took the lead early, with a win in the first set just two points ahead of the Yellowjackets. The Yellowjackets continued with their only win of the night in the second set before the Seawolves overtook them in the third and fourth sets.‌ “I was pleased with our

toughness in that third set, which really made the difference, and we just got on an incredible roll in the fourth. It’s really encouraging to see us hit for such a high percentage and to get a lot of different people involved in the offense,” Green said.‌ The Seawolves were able to prosper due to several careerbest offensive efforts. Four players managed to make doubledigit kills, Stephens (.405) collected a total of 22 with freshman Hannah Pembroke (.391) behind her with a career-high 11, as well as junior Vera Pluharova (.533) and Hayes (.286), both with 10.‌ In addition, collectively, the Seawolves ended with a .320 average, passing up Montana’s .231 average.‌ UAA also managed to collect 12 aces and 57 assists to out-do MSU’s eight and 40, respectively. Floyd managed to accumulate 52 of the 57 assists on the Seawolves’ side.‌ The Seawolves now sit at second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 3-1 conference record. UAF and Western Washington are in a tie for first with a current 4-0 undefeated conference record.‌ For full results and a UAA volleyball schedule, visit www. goseawolves.com. ‌

Seawolves compete in the second race of the cross-country season

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

For just the second race of the season, the UAA cross-country team took 16 runners, eight men, and eight women, to the highly competitive NCAA PreNationals Invite on Sept. 28.‌ The Seawolves competed in the college men’s 8-kilometer invitational and the college women’s 6-kilometer invitational. The women finished 12th overall out of a total of 40 teams, while the men were 18th out of 35.‌ Former head coach and current assistant coach Michael Friess was satisfied with the Seawolves’ results.‌ “Wesley [Kirui] and Felix [Kemboi] ran well today. Our women ran solid as a team. Our top-three faded over the final one to two kilometers, but Ruth [Cvancara] and Yvonne [Jeschke] had decent races,” Friess said.‌ The men’s team competed in a field of 280 men from all over the country.‌ UAA freshman Wesley Kirui was the top-finisher for the Sea-

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA MEDIA

The Seawolf cross-country team competed in their second race of the season, with the men’s team taking 18th of 35 teams and the women’s team taking 12th of 40 teams.

wolves, finishing in second place with a time of 24 minutes and 7 seconds. He was just three seconds behind the Division I first-place finisher.‌ Junior Felix Kemboi was the

UAA men’s second-highest finisher, just five seconds behind Kirui. Kemboi placed fourth overall with a time of 24:12.‌ The remaining six Seawolf men were over a minute and a

half behind Kirui and Kemboi.‌ Junior Nikson Koech placed 149th (25:48), freshman Skylar McIntyre finished 170th (26:00), with sophomore Faisal Ibrahim (206th, 26:24), senior Eduardo

Orozco (234th, 26:42), freshman Niko Latva-Kiskola (248th, 27:05) and freshman Titus Kangogo (276th, 28:02) finishing in the 200s.‌ The UAA women competed in the 6K invite with a field of 322 women.‌ Senior Emmah Chelimo was the top finisher, placing 15th overall. She finished in 21:05, 45 seconds behind the first-place finisher, a Seattle Pacific runner.

Junior Nancy Jeptoo was the only other Seawolf to place in the double-digits, finishing 21st with a time of 21:15, ten seconds behind Chelimo.‌ Freshman Joan Kipsanai (123rd, 22:16), sophomore Ruth Cvancara (133rd, 22:23) and senior Yvonne Jeschke (139th, 22:25) were the only Seawolf women to place in the 100s.‌ Alfin Nyamasyo (274th, 24:05), Maria Espinoza (295th, 24:37) and Arielle Himelbloom (310th, 25:35) were also finishers on the women’s team.‌ The Seawolves will be back in action on Oct. 12 for the Western Washington Invitational.‌ For a full UAA cross-country schedule and full results, visit www.goseawolves.com.‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

Ask Aurora

By Aurora Boreowlis askaurora@thenorthernlight.org

Hello,‌ I’ve been very stressed recently.

Between school, homework and work, I have almost no time to de-stress, which I usually do by playing video games. There are some games that are coming out next month that I’m very excited about and would love to play with my friends. However, with how much work I have to do every week, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that. I already don’t talk to them much anymore because of the constant workload.

I’m beginning to think that my current situation might not be sustainable for the entire semester.‌ So, how do I maintain a healthy work-life balance? ‌ All the best, ‌ A resident of Stress City‌‌ Dear resident of Stress City,‌ I’m sorry that you live in such an unfortunately-named city.

You are not alone in the struggle to live a balanced life. I have a few tips for you to help manage

10

PHOTO BY ROBERT GANT

stress and make time for your health and relationships.‌ • Plan and prioritize. Once I have written out everything I need to do, I feel instantly less stressed. That way, I know I won’t forget about assignments. Then, set up a plan for completion based on the order of due dates and the length of the assignments. You may need to chunk study time or set up several periods of time to work on a particularly lengthy task. I recommend labeling what you need to get done during the day and what you can start if you have more time.

• Take breaks. Depending on how long you feel you can keep focus, take breaks every 20-60 minutes. The breaks don’t have to be very long to be rejuvenating. Just taking a few minutes to stretch, walk around, drink water or have a snack can be enough to help you regain focus. When you need a longer break, I recommend exercising or visiting the eSports Lounge with your friends.

Even Aurora faces challenges in balancing her work, activities and academic deadlines, but when she feels overwhelmed, she turns to campus resources for assistance.

• Make time for your health.

Taking a break would be the most efficient use of time.

When you have the nutrients and energy you need to work and study, you will be better equipped to handle daily tasks. If you don’t have time to take an hour a few times a week to visit the gym or however you prefer to exercise, you may have to get up earlier. While you will be tired at first, starting the day with physical activity on a regular basis

will give you more energy throughout the day.

• Make time for your friends.

If you can, get together with your friends over the weekend to play a video game, or perhaps just call them.

Talking through your difficulties or any topic with them will help reduce your stress as well.‌ For further help with scheduling and motivation, the UAA Learning Commons in the Sally

Monserud Hall offers the Academic Coaching Center. The Care Team office in Rasmuson Hall is also a great resource to visit to deal with stress.‌ Sincerely,‌ Aurora Boreowlis‌ If you have a question you would like to be answered by Aurora, email askaurora@thenorthernlight.org in under 250 words.‌

CONTACT

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STAFF CONTACTS

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

3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508‌

Multimedia Editor Jennifer Lincoln multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

Executive Editor Caleigh Jensen (907) 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org‌

Graphic Designer Michaeline Collins jbautista@thenorthernlight.org‌

Managing Editor Mary Ryan content@thenorthernlight.org‌ Layout Editor Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org

Ad Manager Morgan Wilhelm admanager@thenorthernlight.org Marketing Representative Krizelle Solidum marketing@thenorthernlight.org

Features Editor Robert Gant features@thenorthernlight.org‌

PR & Events Coordinator Joey Carreon events@thenorthernlight.org

Features Reporter Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org‌

Media Adviser Paola Banchero‌

Arts & Entertainment Editor John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org‌

Administrative Adviser Zac Clark‌

Sports Editor Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org‌

The Northern Light is hiring!

See our job listings at careers.alaska.edu.

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 2,000. 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.­­­

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