October 8, 2019

OCTOBER 8 - OCTOBER 14, 2019: HOMECOMING EDITION

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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

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“No Big Heads” exhibition displays artist’s self-portraiture at the Hugh McPeck Gallery.

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Seawolf volleyball conquers their Great Northwest Athletic Conference rivals.

Chancellor Cathy Sandeen confirms that UAA accreditation remains strong PHOTO BY JASON HERR

Red Zone: Title IX training involves steps toward making campuses safer for students

By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org

UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen says that UAA’s institutional accreditation is in excellent standing, and received four commendations during the reaffirmation process that concluded in January of 2019.

By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org

The Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities, or NWCCU, has expressed concern to University of Alaska officials after reviewing recent media coverage on UA’s journey toward a proposed restructuring. ‌ A letter was sent on Sept. 26 to UA officials by the NWCCU that expressed concern over the UA system not meeting key standards required by their organization. The letter was addressed to the UA Board of Regents, UA President Jim Johnsen and the chancellors of the Universities of Alaska Anchorage, Fairbanks and Southeast.‌ However, UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen wants students to know that the University of Alaska Anchorage institutional accreditation is not the focus. Sandeen says not to worry, the accreditation held by UAA continues to remain strong.‌ “Our accreditation is in excellent standing, and this [letter] does not touch in any way the quality of our academic or research programs,” Sandeen said.

“It is a bureaucratic issue, a structural issue that we need to resolve. So, I don’t want students to waste a minute of time worrying thenorthernlight.org

about it.”‌ In the letter, the NWCCU said that the UA system was failing to meet two mandatory sub-standards within one of the ten standards established by the commission. A response by UA officials was requested by Oct. 31.‌ The two sections within standard two set by the NWCCU are:‌ “In a multi-unit governance system, the division of authority and responsibility between the system and the institution is clearly delineated. System policies, regulations and procedures concerning the institution are clearly defined and equitably administered”(NWCCU Standard for Accreditation 2.A.2).‌ “The institution demonstrates an effective and widely understood system of governance with clearly defined authority, roles and responsibilities.

Its decision-making structures and processes make provision for the consideration of the views of faculty, staff, administrators and students on matters in which they have a direct and reasonable interest” (NWCCU Standard for Accreditation 2.A.1).‌ The sub-standards call for clarity in the division of authority in the UA system toward UA administrators, the UA Board of Regents, the UA President

and chancellors. Roles, responsibilities, policies, procedures and regulations all need to be clearly defined within the system.‌ The other sub-standard requires inclusivity on the consideration of views belonging to stakeholders, students, faculty and staff in making decisions that will affect their roles within their institutions.‌ The letter was written by NWCCU President Sonny Ramaswamy and is in response to a variety of feedback provided from UA stakeholders, local media and a visit to UAF

by NWCCU Senior Vice President Mac Powell that was mentioned in the letter as well.‌ “We are concerned that the University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Southeast have failed to meet the above critical Standards for Accreditation, in accordance with the United States Department of Education’s 34 CFR Part 602,” Ramaswamy said in the letter.‌ The NWCCU asks that immediate action be taken in the form of Ad Hoc reports, that is to be prepared either collectively or individually by UA officials. An Ad Hoc report is a report prepared to respond to specific questions or needs quickly, often without in depth anal-

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ysis.‌ The UA Board of Regents is currently working on a decision to possibly bring the entire UA system under a single accreditation. UAA stakeholders, students, staff and faculty have spoken in opposition of a consolidation during Anchorage Assembly town hall meetings and other forums. A topic often discussed at the meetings and forums was the lack of involvement from the Board of Regents in obtaining the voices of those outside the board.‌ Though the NWCCU letter speaks of the UA system’s accreditation, UAA’s institutional accreditation was reaffirmed in January 2019 by the NWCCU for another seven years, and UAA has met institutional accreditation standards set by the NWCCU continuously since 1974.‌ The letter was not in response to UAA specifically, but directed at decisions and practices at the statewide level, according to Sandeen.‌ “[The letter] is really directed at the president and the board at the statewide level,” Sandeen said.

“But, because the chancellors are the chief executives of the accredited universities and we are mem-

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More than half of students at the University of Alaska have experienced some form of sexual harassment by fellow UAA students, instructors or staff, according to the results of the 2019 UA Climate Survey as stated on page 1. Title IX training aims to educate students, faculty and staff to bring these numbers down. ‌ Title IX training is part of a federal law enacted in 1972. Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex or gender and sexual harassment, according to the U.S. Department of Education.‌ “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” the U.S. Department of Education website stated.‌ Title IX training has many different facets, according to the Student Training Resources page, which includes sections such as sexual assault, consent, dating and domestic violence, stalking and bystander intervention.

Training for these situations is based on preventative measures, such as recognizing signs of assault and diversion techniques. Some focused areas of the training are recognizing signs of individuals taking advantage of someone while they are intoxicated and diverting youtube.com/tnlnews

attention from the victim.

UAA Title IX training can be completed in two forms, both online and in person. Online Title IX training is an interactive program offered through Blackboard. It features different modules that include videos and varying scenarios that exemplify sexual misconduct. Participants make choices during these scenarios, helping them become more immersed in the training. ‌ The online Title IX training was revamped this semester in order to be more accessible, applicable and relatable for the UA community. The new training is now presented in one part rather than two, taking approximately 30 minutes to complete. The script is written on screen rather than through video format, and also includes photos and statistics from all three UA campuses.‌ There is also the option of completing Title IX training in person.

Students can register for UA Safe Training online through a Google Docs form. There is a list of available days to take the training from Oct. 7-28.

If students are not comfortable taking Title IX training, the option to optout is available by filling out a UAA Title IX Training Release Request form.

“The University of Alaska recognizes that some who may take this training have experienced violence/victimization.

This survey contains language about sexual acts and violence,” as per the UAA Title IX Training

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

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Decoding student fees: Part five

By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org

The Student Activities Fee helps to fund the Student Union and campus events, while also providing engaging activities to bolster the Seawolf spirit on campus.‌ This fee aims to advance student connections and success at UAA. Student Activities Fee — $6 per credit for students registered in six or more credits with a max‌imum charge of $72.

The Student Activities Fee funds a plethora of events throughout the academic year and helps to maintain the Student Union activities, services and programs.‌ “Without the Student Activity Fee, we simply would not be able to have Campus Kick-Off, Homecoming and Winterfest events,” Corey Miller, the student activities coordinator at UAA, said. “Not to mention the fee aids with some smaller-scale programming that we do weekly, including Open Mic Nights, Trivia Nights and dances.”‌ The list of events hosted by Student Activities is not limited to the major events each semester, however. It also includes: late-night programming, student exhibitions in the Hugh McPeck Gallery, the Daily Den program, a content management system for student clubs and organizations and helps to provide a fully-functioning Student Union.‌

Events and activities are also a way to bring students together, Miller says.‌ “I believe activities on campus help to build a positive institutional identity, help to build friendships and create a sense of belonging and creates more opportunities for involvement,” Miller said. ‌ By connecting students to their university, students can become more involved and successful as they participate in events, both socially and academically, according to Miller.‌ This week’s Homecoming activities are an example of Miller’s sentiment toward the need for student activities.‌ “This is the second year having an all-encompassing series of events that student organizations are competing for points, and ultimately cash prizes [for club funds],” Miller said.‌ Each day this week has a Homecoming event scheduled and will finish with a dance hosted by the UAA student government, USUAA, on Oct. 11.‌ “Last year, as I understand it, the money helped

to build up the branding for the eSports Club [one of our winners], and USUAA and Club Council used their winnings to funnel back into student clubs and organizations generally,” Miller said.‌ A full list of Homecoming events can be found at tinyurl. com/2019uaahcman.‌ The Hugh McPeck Gallery is hosting the annual “No Big Heads” self-portrait contest during the month of October. Student Activities fees were used to bring competition judge April Bey up from California.‌ Check the Arts & Entertainment section of this week’s issue of The Northern Light for more information on Homecoming events and the “No Big Heads” self-portrait competition.‌ Future events funded by the Student Activities Fee can be found on the Student Activities calendar.‌ The remaining student fees will be discussed in future issues of The Northern Light.‌ PHOTO BY CHRISTINA SWAYNEY

Campus Kickoff 2019, funded in part by the Student Activities Fee, allowed students to get to know the UAA campus and organizations prior to the fall semester.

Red Zone: Continued from cover Release Form.

Everyone at UAA is required to take the Title IX training in some form, unless a release form is filled out. This includes students, faculty and staff.

Failure to complete the training, or to formally decline the training, creates a hold on student accounts, preventing them from registering for classes the following semester.

Though Title IX training is required, it also is valuable, according to Bridget Coffou, the prevention education coordinator for the Office of Equity and Compliance at UAA. ‌ “The Title IX training is important because it gives students the base knowledge of their rights and resources, should they experience sex and/ or gender-based discrimination and/or harassment.

Additionally, it helps folks think about different ways they could respond, if their friend, roommate [or] classmate has experienced any of these forms of harm,” Coffou said.‌ Title IX creates awareness of issues that affect students and that may

not be talked about often enough. Reports of sexual harassment often increase after a program such as Title IX is administered, according to Leutenint Shane Bozeman of the UAA Police Department.

“The Office of Equity and Compliance noted it has seen an increase in reporting over the last year, which indicates an increasing lack of tolerance for discriminatory behaviors which have gone unreported in the past,” Bozeman said.

Coffou explained this increase in reports may happen in the future as a result of Title IX training.

“The increased number of reports doesn’t necessarily mean there are more incidents of harassment and discrimination, it means people are more aware of what they should be reporting, and there is more trust in the system that these reports will be taken seriously and something will be done,” Coffou said. “If our prevention efforts are working, within the next several years, we would like to see these reporting num-

bers start to plateau, and then decrease.”

Students are required to take Title IX training in some form by Oct. 31.

Students can register and complete the training online by accessing the Equity and Compliance page on the UAA site. Once on the site, the training can be found as a link under “Announcements.” Click on the deadline date and it will lead directly to the online training. For in-person training, students can register online through a Google Docs form.

For additional questions or if a student would like to speak with someone about Title IX, the Office of Equity and Compliance can be contacted by email at uaa_titlix@alaska.edu or by calling (907) 786-0818. Additionally, the Student Health and Counseling Center can also be contacted by email at uaa_studenthealth@ uaa.alaska.edu or by calling (907) 786-4040.

More information on Title IX training can be found on the Student Training Resources page on the UAA website.‌

GRAPHICS COURTESY OF UAA UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

The institutional accreditation for UAA was reaffirmed in January of 2019 for another seven years, marking 45 years of being an accredited university through the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities.

Sandeen: Continued from cover

bers of the NWCCU, the letter comes to us.”‌ The NWCCU is recognized by the U.S. Board of Education as the authority on university educational quality in the Northwest.‌ Beyond the accreditation reaffirmation, UAA received four commendations from the commission. The four commendations received by UAA were for an inclusive planning process for UAA 2020, maintaining a culture of diversity and inclusivity, commitment to community engagement and extensive assessment of student learning.‌ Commendations are awarded by the NWCCU as recognition to standards that a university is performing exceptionally at. These commendations are a reflection of the quality of UAA, according to Sandeen.‌ “One of our deans is an examiner, so she’s on the team that goes and reviews other campuses for

the NWCCU, and she said ‘yes, it is very unusual for a university to get four commendations,’” Sandeen said.‌ The entire accreditation reaffirmation process is not idle, and Oct. 4 kicked off meetings to begin preparing for the next accreditation process in 2025, according to Sandeen. ‌ Chancellor Sandeen ensures a response from UAA will be sent before the NWCCU deadline and that she will be actively involved in communications with the NWCCU. ‌ Involvement from the UA Board of Regents and UA President Johnsen will be key as well, Sandeen said, as the standards in question fall in the realm of the UA statewide branch.‌ “We need to work in partnership with the [UA] President and the [UA] Board because it’s their policies that are being questioned,” Sandeen said. “We need to work to-

gether.”‌ Sandeen promised transparency in her response to the NWCCU and will be placing her name personally on the document, though she will be taking part in a collective collaboration with UA officials during the Ad Hoc report preparation.‌ “Of course we’re a team, so we want to be comfortable with what each other is saying, but ultimately it is my signature, and I have to have my professional integrity that what I am saying is true,” Sandeen said. ‌ UAA accreditation has been continuous for 45 years, and Sandeen reminds students to remain focused on being successful.

Feedback, questions and concerns can be sent to Chancellor Sandeen at uaa_feedback@alaska. edu.‌

Of the four commendations received during UAA’s most recent accreditation process, one was given for UAA’s community engagement within Anchorage.

There are many faces of the University of Alaska Anchorage, and students, faculty, staff and administration all played roles in making the accreditation process successful.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

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UAA Faculty Senate reaffirms lack of confidence in UA President Jim Johnsen, recommends suspension

By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org

The UAA Faculty Senate recommended to the University of Alaska Board of Regents that UA President Jim Johnsen be suspended from his position within the University of Alaska system. ‌ UAA Faculty Senate Resolution 100419-2, titled “resolution recommending suspension of President James Johnsen,” was approved on Oct. 4 during the Faculty Senate meeting. The resolution passed with 33 votes of approval, three opposed and one abstention.‌ The UAA Faculty Senate provides a forum for addressing university-life issues (curriculum, student success, institutional organization, and professional development) and represents faculty as part of UAA shared governance, according to the UAA Faculty Senate’s website. Their meetings the first Friday of every month at 2:30 p.m., meetings are held in the UAA/ APU Consortium Library room 307.‌ Though this is a new resolution to go before the Faculty Senate, it is not the first time that the senate has questioned confidence in Johnsen. In January of 2017, a similar UAA Faculty Senate resolution was passed in which a vote of no confidence was communicated to the UA Board of Regents on the leadership of Johnsen. ‌ “Therefore, be it resolved that the University of Alaska Anchorage Faculty Senate has no confidence in the leadership of University of Alaska President James Johnsen,” the 2017 resolution stated in summation.‌ After listing reasons for turnover and lack of faculty input in a UA program titled “strategic pathways,” the 2017 resolution was approved.‌ “Now, therefore be it Re-

solved:... That the University of Alaska Anchorage Faculty Senate reaffirms its January 2017 vote of no confidence in President James Johnsen,” Resolution 100419-2 said. “Be it further resolved that the University of Alaska Anchorage Faculty Senate recommends that the Board of Regents suspend President James Johnsen.” ‌ After an extended legislative session of budget issues for the University of Alaska, Johnsen and the UA Board of Regents determined a course for the restructuring of the entire university system, with a goal of bringing the entire system under a single accreditation, creating a “New UA.”‌ UAA stakeholders, students, staff and faculty have spoken in a variety of forums, such as town hall meetings and legislative hearings, to show their opposition to this course of direction for the UA system.‌ Results from a recent UAA faculty survey were shared with faculty on Oct. 2. The results show a significant lack of support in confidence in the leadership of Johnsen. ‌ The first question on the survey asked: “On a scale of one to five, with one being no confidence and five being complete confidence, how much confidence do you have in the leadership of President Johnsen?”

Of 277 participating UAA faculty members, 176 members rated their level of confidence in Johnsen as a one, amounting to 63.54% of the total participants.

The average score for the question was a 1.58 rating. ‌ Resolution 100419-2 was submitted to the Faculty Senate for approval following a communication from the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities, or NWCCU, to the UA Board of Regents, Johnsen and the chancellors of UAA, UAF and UAS.‌ The communication from the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UA WEBSITE

Jim Johnsen was appointed by the UA Board of Regents to serve as UA president in July of 2015.

NWCCU, written by NWCCU President Sonny Ramaswamy, outlined concerns over activities by the UA Board of Regents and Johnsen as not meeting the requirements of their resources and capacity standard, specifically two sub-standards outlining shared governance within an institution and the need to involve voices from stakeholders, students, faculty and staff within the institution. ‌ Included in the communication was also a request for an Ad Hoc report to be prepared either individually by each of the UA institutions or collectively by Oct. 31.‌ The UAA Faculty Senate has sent a response to the NWCCU, outlining their position and stance on the state of UA.‌ The resolution approved by the Faculty Senate asserts that Johnsen was indeed failing to meet the standards outlined in the NWCCU communication.

“WHEREAS: President Johnsen has repeatedly and willfully ignored the need for inclusive dialogue and decision-making input from the chancellors, shared governance and community stakeholders in violation of NWCCU Standard for Accreditation 2.A.2, and Standard 2.A.1,” the resolution said.‌

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE UAA FACULTY SENATE WEBSITE

A UAA faculty survey on UA leadership reveals that many members of the UAA faculty have little to no confidence in UA President Jim Johnsen’s leadership.

Reasons within the resolution included the need to involve all the necessary voices, such as students, faculty and staff, in decisions for the UA system and failing to adequately meet the NWCCU standards addressed in Ramaswamy’s letter.‌ Another reason outlined in the resolution for Johnsen’s failure to meet the standards was attempting to control the communication of the chancellors in speaking for their universities, such as the explanation of Chancellor Sandeen being told not to attend an Anchorage Assembly Town Hall on UA restructuring.‌ Media coverage from KTUU Anchorage revealed a document sent from Johnsen to the UA chancellors on Aug. 1. Within the document, Johnsen directs chancellors in their support and expectations of the single accreditation restructuring process. ‌ “I know you will unequivocally support the Board’s decision and all efforts toward implementation,” Johnsen said in the document.

The memorandum finished by providing instruction to the chancellors not willing to conform with his expectations.

“If you are unable to support the Board’s decision or implementation efforts, or cannot commit to our approach or these expectations, please advise me in writing immediately so that we may arrange for a smooth transition. Thank you, Jim [Johnsen],” the memorandum said.‌ During the Oct. 4 meeting, the UAA Faculty Senate worked together to amend Resolution 100419-2 to adjust for changes in language, to remove portions and to ensure the resolution outlined a clear and defined purpose.‌ This week will contain two meetings of the UA Board of Regents in Fairbanks. ‌ The UA Board of Regents held an emergency meeting in Fairbanks on Oct. 7, more details can be found on their website. ‌ On Oct. 11, the Board of Regents’ subcommittee will have a special meeting on restructuring the University of Alaska.‌ For more information on the UAA Senate Faculty and past motions and resolutions visit its website.‌

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

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UAA senior Emily Wood takes the lead on Club Council

By Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org

University of Alaska Anchorage senior Emily Wood may be new to this year’s Club Council board, but she is a veteran of the position. ‌ Elections for a new chair and vice-chair of the Club Council board were held at the Club Council meeting on Sept. 27.

Two students ran for each position, and after a bit of discussion by the council, Emily Wood and Matthew Isada were selected for the positions of chair and vicechair, respectively.‌ Wood’s involvement with UAA goes beyond Club Council. She has taken part in several activities at UAA throughout her time at the university, including joining sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha in the fall semester of her freshman year and being a resident adviser in the dorms for a semester. Wood has also been a part of UAA’s Glee Club, Model UN and has helped with UAA’s Student Government, USUAA, on the election committee for over four semesters.

Another role was serving as a former Club Council chair in fall of 2017.‌ Currently, Wood works at the Student Clubs and Greek Life Office in the Student Union, helping students navigate the university’s extensive student club and greek programs.‌ For Wood, being involved at UAA is part of who she is.‌ “I just kind of started getting involved, which was my goal

when I started college, because I was really involved in high school and I thought I’ll just do more of the same because that’s what makes me happy,” Wood said.‌ Being willing to step in and help in any organization or environment can lead to wearing multiple hats for a variety of responsibilities, according to Wood.‌ “I’m just naturally a helper, and I figured, I’m here on Friday all day, I know how to do what needs to be done, I know how to run Club Council,” Wood said.

“There’s a hat that needs to be worn, I can do it, why shouldn’t I?”‌ If Wood sees a need for leadership or assistance, she is willing to step in and help out, which is how she ended up being chair of the Club Council board in 2017.‌ “I had never been to a Club Council meeting or heard of it, but someone emailed me that they had nominated me to be chair, so I went to my first meeting and I said ‘hi, I’m Emily, I’ve run some things before, may I run this?’ and they said ‘yeah,’” Wood said.‌ Wood’s goal as Club Council chair for this academic year is to use her experience as a resource for the council.‌ “I think mainly [my goal is] to keep things just calm and consistent, and be the best resource that I can for students who are trying to be involved and trying to help other students be involved,” Wood said.‌ Having served in numerous

PHOTO BY JASON HERR

Senior Emily Wood will be taking over the UAA Club Council as chair during the fall 2019 semester.

leadership roles, Wood understands the need for having student leaders in key positions, as well as the benefits.‌ “I know that [leadership] can be a pretty time-consuming responsibility to take on, to be in any role of leadership, but I think that it is necessary for some-

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one to be doing it,” Wood said. “[It’s necessary] for someone to be holding positions in clubs, someone to be making clubs, because that’s what really enriches student life on campus.”‌ Her ultimate reason for taking on a leadership role in Club Council is summed up easily, she said.‌ “I just appreciate people who want to be involved, and I just want to make it easier for students to do that,” Wood said.‌ While working in the Student Club and Greek Life office, Wood helps with events that the Club Council is involved in, such as the upcoming Haunted Halloween Fun Night. She hopes to take her previous experience as chair to help manage some of the instability that Club Council has experienced after a summer of challenges at UAA.‌ Outside of Club Council, Wood enjoys the outdoors and recently spent three months this summer at Lake Clark National Park doing a fisheries internship. Wood describes weeks of camping, counting fish and taking genetic samples as the time of her life.‌ “That’s really what I like to do and what I really hope to do after I graduate, just be outside,” Wood said. “I’m majoring in outside.”‌

Wood plans to graduate in the spring of 2020 with a bachelors of natural science with a concentration in environment and a minor in geographic information systems.‌ The essence of Wood lies in her stepmother and her father, she says.‌ “My stepmom was an Iditarod musher, and my dad is a pilot,” Wood said. “They both met because they’re pilots, and so my whole childhood was ‘go outside, and stay there’, and that’s how I became me.”‌ Wood wants to find work after graduation in a field like conservation biology, but being outdoors is a definite must on her employment checklist. She would like to take on employment with the State of Alaska by working in the parks to help with studies or conservation efforts.‌ Wood has also been certified as a scuba-diver since she was 10 years old. She is a self-described ‘closeted horse-girl’ and grew up riding horses competitively in trail-riding.‌ Be it outdoors or on-campus, Emily Wood looks forward to this academic year, and a chance to use her involvement to foster the future involvement of UAA students yet to come.‌

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

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“No Big Heads”: Self-portraits can be more than faces

By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org

Students will showcase their artistic creativity at the annual “No Big Heads” self-portrait contest held at the Hugh McPeck Gallery.

This is the 34th year of the contest, which was open to all artists 18 years old or older.‌ “No Big Heads” is the only art competition at UAA that allows applicants from outside of Alaska. It was brought to life by Bill Sabo, a former painting professor that wanted to allow UAA students to compete in a show with artists from outside the university.

Since outside artists had to send in their submissions, Sabo proposed the pieces should remain relatively small, thus inspiring the name “No Big Heads.”‌ This year’s “No Big Heads” competition was judged by April Bey, who has a bachelor of fine arts degree in drawing from Ball State University in Muncie Indiana and a master of fine arts in painting from California State University. ‌ Bey grew up in Nassau in the Bahamas and currently works as a contemporary visual artist and

educator in Los Angeles, California. She expects a lot of creativity from the competition’s participating artists.‌ “This year, I’m looking for innovation and selfportraits representing diverse ways of making and being. I’m particularly interested in non-traditional processes and materials, but also traditionally applied materials depicting non-traditional portraiture, such as using different materials and 3D,” Bey said.‌ This year’s entries featured a variety of material and interpretations.

One entry, “Stream of Consciousness,” by Sean Tyle, was created using ink, cotton and embroidery floss. Another entry, “Mrs. Spikky Sparrow,” made by Heather Rothnie, used paper mache, acrylic paint and cardboard.‌ Contestants were given creative freedom with their submissions, with the few restrictions being in size and material criteria, such as no living things, dead animals that have not been processed, bodily fluids or physical drugs or alcohol, according to the contest guidelines.‌ Bey herself has done self-portraiture. She says the subject matter is not

restricted to literal portraits of oneself.‌ “I do self-portraits regularly, but I use surrogates in the form of celebrities, poets, writers and intellectuals, so the ideas get to as many audiences as possible even if they don’t know my face directly,” Bey said. “I see myself as ideologies and value systems — that translates to my art in the form of Afrofuturism, Afrosurrealism and anti-colonial activism.”‌ Bey was impressed with the variety of materials used in the artists’ submissions. ‌ “I especially like the color of these pieces.

There is a lot of saturation and there are a lot of quirky pieces as well,” Bey said.‌ There was a $25 entry fee for the competition and contestants could enter up to two pieces. The best of show winner received $1,000. There was also an additional $1,000 in cash prizes for second and third prizes. ‌ The winning self-portrait in this year’s “No Big Heads” competition was “They Were My Favorite Pair” by Jade Ariah. Ariah graduated from UAA in 2018 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in ce-

ramics. Her self-portrait features a pair of bloodstained underwear.‌ Ariah said her work is intended to reflect upon womanhood and how this piece, in particular, discussed it in a relatable way with the women who experience it.‌ “I think it’s really important that people who menstruate are the ones that lead the conversation about it. When I conceptualized ‘They Were My Favorite Pair,’ I wanted to give the viewer a mundane snapshot of what life is like having a period,” Ariah said.‌ Ariah said her work is meant to be related to in a specific way.‌ “The piece is meant to be playful and relatable.

The title refers to a common experience of staining yet another pair of skivs,” Ariah said.‌ Other winners of the contest were “Self Portrait or Danny Learns to See” by Dan Kirchhefer, “SPDH” by Dan Harris, “Blue Dreaming Be” by Laurel Izard and “Late Bloomer” by Matilda Jacobson.‌ “No Big Heads” will remain open in the Hugh McPeck Gallery, located in the UAA Student Union, until Oct. 24. Viewing

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA SWAYNEY

“They Were My Favorite Pair,” by Jade Ariah, a UAA graduate, was the winning piece in this year’s “No Big Heads” self-portrait competition, where she competed against both students and artists from outside of Alaska.

Jade Ariah stands before her winning piece of the self-portrait competition, where a variety of artists creatively interpreted their sense of self.

hours of the gallery are Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The gallery is closed on Friday, Satur-

day and Sunday.‌

Homecoming calendar: Engage in activities to earn spirit points and win cash prizes

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

The 2019 Homecoming Committee is hosting a variety of events for students to participate in leading up to the Homecoming Dance on Oct. 11. The Homecoming theme for 2019 is “Into the Future.”

Students can sign up on the Student Activities website to compete in the spirit competition as a group or by themselves and earn spirit points by participating in this week’s activities.

Some activities require two or more people as part of a team.

A comprehensive spirit competition guidebook is available online. All the events are free to participate in except the Homecoming Dance.

Sign-up and participation deadlines for Homecoming royalty, office decoration and Minute to Win it has already passed.

Homecoming Royalty Nominations When: Oct. 2 Where: Sign-ups have closed.

Winners will be announced at the Homecoming Dance.

What: Two students of any gender will be recognized for their contributions to campus life.

Students needed to be nominated by a UAA student organization, committee, residence hall, team or club. As part of the application, they were also required to write a two-page essay about their involvement with UAA and why they would be the best person to represent UAA.

Each winner will receive a $100 cash prize. Winners will be chosen based on a point system that takes into account the Homecoming Dance attendance, an interview with the Homecoming Royalty Advisory Committee and student voting.

Office Decoration When: Sept. 30-Oct. 4. The UAA Traditions Council began judging offices on Oct. 7.

Where: Participating offices.

What: Staff and faculty competed in the UAA Office Decoration Competition. Contestants were judged based on five categories: creativity, theme, originality, construction and spirit. The Royalty Choice Award will be given to the winner by members of the UAA Traditions Council. The winner of The Peoples’ Choice Award will be the office photo with the most likes on the UAA Office Decoration Competition Facebook page by Oct. 11.

Photo Scavenger Hunt When: Oct. 4-10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Where: Post your pictures with the #2019uaahomecoming hashtag on social media.

What: Participants will take pictures to fulfill fun and quirky requirements, such as the entire team eating from the same dog bowl or the entire team wearing kilts. All teams can win up to 50 spirit points during this event.

Shopping Cart Parade When: Oct. 4-10. The parade begins at 1 p.m. on Oct. 10.

Where: The cart decoration station is located in the student

lounge in the Student Union.

The parade starts at the Student Union coffee shop lounge.

What: Participants creatively decorate a shopping cart provided by Carrs. The theme can be anything from a plane to spring.

The organization with the winning cart will receive $50 and 40 spirit points. All participants will receive 10 spirit points.

Minute to Win it Gameshow When: Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.

Where: Student Union Den What: Groups played several minute-long games to compete for prizes. The participants played Bouncer, where they must bounce ping-pong balls into cups and Face the Cookie, where they must place a cookie on their forehead and get it to their mouth without using their hands. A full list of the games can be found in the spirit competition guidebook.

Canned Food Drive When: Oct. 7-10, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Where: Student Union Den What: The Daily Den is accepting canned food donations to the Daily Den and UAA’s emergency food cache. Only approved items, such as canned soups, rice and instant coffee, will be accepted. Expired items or items in glass containers will also not be accepted. The student organization that donates the most items will receive $150. Five donated items are equivalent to one spirit point. There is no cap on how many spirit points can be earned. For a full list of approved items, visit the spirit

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE UAA GREEN & GOLD

This year’s homecoming theme, “Into the Future,” is reminiscent of the 1982 movie “Tron.”

competition guidebook.

Canoe Battleship When: Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m.

Where: Seawolf Sports Complex pool.

What: Teams of at least three will attempt to sink opponents’ canoes using buckets of water and defend with shields. The competition will be played in a tournament format. Equipment will be provided. The winning team will be awarded $50 and 10 spirit points. All participants will receive five spirit points.

Nerdology Trivia Night When: Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

Where: Student Union Den What: Teams of two or more will answer questions based on pop-culture, video games and comic books. The competition will involve audience interaction, such as attempting to say famous quotes as a character from another movie. A Nerdology promo video on YouTube

provides an example of a previous Nerdology event. The winning team will receive 20 spirit points. All participants will receive 10 spirit points.

Homecoming Dance When: Oct. 11, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Where: Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, tickets are available for $15 for students and $20 for guests on the UAATix website. Tickets will cost an additional $5 at the door.

A UAA shuttle is available at the commons to transport attendees to and from the event.

What: A night of dancing hosted by USUAA. Homecoming royalty will be crowned and spirit competition winners will be presented with a $500 check.

Student IDs are required and guests need a valid state ID. Find out more about the homecoming activities on the Green & Gold News website.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

06

Seawolves conquer GNAC rivals

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolves spent Oct. 3 and 5 competing against Great Northwest Athletic Conference rivals, Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.‌ UAA first met Central Washington on the court for a Thursday evening game. Prior to the game, UAA and CWU were both tied for second in the conference with a 3-1 conference record. Both teams also had an 8-4 overall record.‌ However, in a competitive three matches, the Seawolves bumped the Wildcats down a position with a 3-0 (25-22, 2521, 25-18) win.‌ Sophomore Ellen Floyd helped carry the team as the primary setter, dishing out 41 assists. Her consistency helped junior middle blocker Kayla McGlathery become the teamleader in kills for the night, accumulating 12 kills.‌ Sophomore right-side hitter Eve Stephens, who usually leads the team in kills, accumulated just one less than McGlathery to earn 11 for the night. Senior outside hitter Vanessa Hayes also contributed to the team’s success, managing to make nine

kills during the three sets.‌ Head coach Chris Green was satisfied with the offensive team for the night.‌ “Central [Washington] came out with excellent passing and was very sharp at the beginning of the match, but we did a nice job of hanging close until we could make our run,” Green said. “Vanessa [Hayes]’s hitting really gave us a spark, and Ellen [Floyd] did well at spreading the offense among our other hitters from there. I was proud of our back-row defense, too.”‌ Overall, the Seawolves came out with an average .302 hitting average, while the Wildcats managed just a .163 average. In addition, while UAA continued to increase their kills from 12 to 17 to 19 over the three sets, Central Washington went downhill with 18, 13 and 8 respectively.

Sophomore libero Talia Leauanae spent the most time diving on the court to prevent the ball from hitting the ground, managing to accumulate the teamhigh 15 digs for the night. Floyd and Stephens both secured eight digs.‌ The Seawolves continue their win streak on Saturday night against Northwest Nazarene for another 3-0 (25-7, 25-20, 25-18) win.‌ UAA started off with a

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

UAA Junior Kayla McGlathery was the team leader in kills on Oct. 3 against Central Washington Unviersity, with a total of 12.

quick first set, accumulating the 25 points necessary to win, while NNU managed just seven points. The Seawolves were incredibly efficient in the first set, solidifying a .500 hit average with 12 kills and just one error, while NNU had a .048 average, three kills and two errors.‌ Green explained that the first set of the night went as well as he could have hoped for, noting that being able to hit over .300 is their goal.‌ Northwest Nazarene had a bit more luck in the following two sets, managing 20 and 18 points, respectively.‌ While NNU improved their hit average to .111 in the second set, it fell drastically to a .029 in the third set. This gave North-

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west Nazarene just a .065 average for the entire game.‌ The Seawolves didn’t have as much luck in the following two sets either, with a 0.278 and 0.216 hitting average, respectively. Despite the decrease, UAA still managed a .305 average for the night, an average that Green was satisfied with.‌ McGlathery and Stephens continued to lead the offensive team, accumulating 11 kills each for the night, followed by freshman outside hitter Hannah Pembroke with eight kills.‌ The Seawolves also did well with serving. Maggie Schlueter, defensive specialist, managing to make three aces, with two each from Stephens and Leauanae.‌

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Leauanae also led the defense for the Seawolves, collecting 12 digs for the night.‌ The Saturday night win helped solidify UAA’s secondplace position in the conference, tied with UAF. Both teams have a 5-1 conference record.

NNU trailed behind the Seawolves at fifth in the conference, with a 2-4 record.‌ UAA will be back in action with their conference play against Concordia on Oct. 10 and Western Oregon on Oct 12.

Concordia is currently ranked third in the conference, while Western Oregon is second to last, with just a 1-5 record.‌ For a full UAA schedule and match results, visit www.goseawolves.com. ‌

OPINION

07

Loot boxes are not valid replacements for earned in-game rewards

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

Loot boxes are containers of randomized, digital items that can be purchased in-game with real money. The items in the loot boxes could be a costume for a character or a camouflage for a gun. With few exceptions, the items from loot boxes have no real-world value.

At their worst, these containers include items that give players an in-game advantage. At their best, the containers have cosmetics that only change an item’s appearance but still hamper the player’s experience with the game. ‌ Loot boxes constrain video game design. They only serve to increase greedy companies’ profit by targeting vulnerable people who may be predisposed to expressing addictive behavior or may not be old enough to understand the consequences of their actions. ‌ An important distinction to make between loot boxes and randomized rewards is the addition of being able to purchase

the former with real-world money.

Role-playing games often feature randomized rewards from enemies. For example, a particular boss in a fantasy role-playing game may have the chance to reward the player with a flaming sword or a wand that shoots an icicle. This type of randomization has been implemented in many games and can be very engaging because it allows players to have different experiences and form unique stories about their gameplay experience. It doesn’t require additional purchases. ‌ Loot boxes in Overwatch, a popular first-person shooter developed by Blizzard, are one of the only forms of progression.

By progression, I mean things like increasing a player character’s level and gaining new abilities and gear. The loot boxes in Overwatch only contain cosmetic items that change the appearance of player characters and add more voice lines. Even with loot boxes, Overwatch was received very well by critics and the public.‌ I’m purposefully not including becoming better at the game as a form of progression because the gaming community as a whole has moved on from that being a compelling reason to keep playing a game. As games have become bigger and more complicated, so have gamers’ expectations of player

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

The Belgium Gaming Commission said loot boxes are “in violation of gambling legislation” in 2018 and were subsequently banned in Belgium altogether.

customization. This shift was only accelerated by the addition of role-playing game elements, such as player levels and randomized rewards to other video game genres. ‌ Star Wars Battlefront II, published by Electronic Arts, wasn’t as well-received as Overwatch. The loot boxes in Battlefront II contained gameplay altering items. For example, players could unlock an ability which caused them to take less damage. This gave players who gained this ability a competitive advantage. Battlefront II was particularly egregious because, to my knowledge, a big blockbuster video game had never implemented pay-to-win

STAFF CONTACTS Multimedia Editor Jennifer Lincoln multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

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play the game. ‌ TotalBiscuit, a YouTuber, published a video titled “I will now talk about Lootboxes and Gambling for just over 40 minutes” in 2017. He explains in more detail the connection between loot boxes and gambling using two notorious video games.

His video is a good starting point for learning how detrimental loot boxes are to the video game industry. ‌ One of the points TotalBiscuit makes is that loot boxes display elaborate and flashy animations when the player opens them. This attracts children who are drawn to shiny things and don’t realize they’re spending real money. Another point he makes is that the brain releases more dopamine when there is an uncertain reward than when a reward can be earned on a regular basis. He references B.F. Skinner’s experiments involving operant conditioning. ‌ For parents worried about children buying loot boxes without permission, parental controls are available on all consoles.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has a webpage that lists all the platforms and methods to block games by age rating, control spending, limit playtime and restrict communication with other online players. ‌

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mechanics before 2017, at least not with as much public outrage as Battlefront II received. ‌ One Reddit user asked in a post why they paid $80 only to have Darth Vader be locked and unavailable to play. An Electronic Arts community representative replied saying “the intent is to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different heroes.” That comment has become the most downvoted comment on Reddit, with over 668,000 downvotes. ‌ Star Wars Battlefront II became a flashpoint for public discourse about loot boxes as a form of gambling which targets children using characters

that are familiar to them.

Kerry Hopkins, vice president of legal and government affairs at Electronic Arts, told a UK parliament committee that loot boxes were “surprise mechanics,” not gambling, and therefore didn’t need to be regulated. ‌ I have personally never spent hundreds of dollars on loot boxes in a single game, but there are countless stories about people who have. Zoe Kleinman, a BBC technology reporter, wrote a story about children who have emptied their parents’ bank accounts. The Entertainment Software Rating Board has refused to recognize loot boxes as gambling and indicate their presence in a game’s rating.‌ Loot boxes are gambling because there is a transaction of currency, whether it’s earned ingame or real money, for an assortment of randomized items of varying rarities. One or more items are clearly the “best” because it’s either the highest rarity or because the player thinks the item looks the coolest. When a player buys a loot box, they are betting that they will get the item they want and will “win.” If I want a rare character costume in Overwatch and buy two loot boxes for $1.99, I’m betting that I will get the costume. Gambling in real life is the exact same. I am betting that I will win more money than I use to

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