May 4th, 2021 by The Northern Light

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2021

MAY 4 - MAY 17 2021

A&E

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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UAA Gymnastics team optimistic about fundraising efforts

Hitbox Review: Outriders - Unlimited power

Anchorage mayoral runoff election set for May 11 By Jake Dye arts@thenorthernlight.org

The 2021 Anchorage mayoral election was held on Apr. 6, with 15 candidates on the ballot. Because no candidate won a vote share of at least 45%, a runoff election will be held between the two leading candidates on May 11. These candidates are David Bronson, who won 33.0% of the vote, with 21,807 votes, and Forrest Dunbar, who claimed 31.1% of the vote, with 20,566 votes. No other candidate managed to win more than 15% of the vote. The current acting mayor, Austin Quinn-Davidson, was eligible to run for election but did not. Voters in Anchorage should receive mail-in ballots by Apr. 28. Voters who do not receive their ballots should call the election center at 907-243-VOTE. Ballots can be filled out and taken to the post office, where they will be counted as long as they are postmarked no later than election day, or at secure drop boxes around Anchorage until 8 pm on election day. One box is located on the UAA campus, at the Alaska Airlines Center. Ballots should be carefully filled out to prevent errors, and the signature used will be checked against a reference signature taken most commonly from drivers’ licenses. Bronson was born in Wisconsin but has lived in Alaska for nearly 30 years, and Dunbar is a life-long Alaskan. Bronson has a long history with the United States Air Force and worked as a commercial pilot. Dunbar is an attorney, a member of the Army National Guard, and currently represents Anchorage’s fifth district in seat H, a position he was elected to in 2016. COVID-19 policy has played a large role in this race, with Bronson criticizing the shutdowns and mask mandates in several interviews. Bronson promises to end all mandates the day he enters office

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS

and has also stated his intention to stimulate local businesses with “all available state and federal funds,” in an interview with KTUU. Dunbar has served on the Anchorage Assembly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and voted in favor of extending municipal emergency orders. In an interview with Anchorage Daily News, Dunbar said “we need fact-based leadership to beat COVID and get our economy back on track.” Dunbar has stated that consistent masking will allow for economic recovery “before the virus is fully eradicated.” Dunbar has promised the continuation of current programs that waive or reduce municipal fees, as well as provide grants and rental relief to small businesses. Homelessness has also been a hot topic leading into the elections. Bronson’s website describes a plan to work with

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS

David Bronson (left) and Forrest Dunbar (right) both won nearly a third of the vote during the election on Apr. 6, and will now compete in a runoff election on May 11.

faith-based organizations to house the homeless and provide treatment. He also promises to never use hockey rinks to house the homeless and declares that the homeless will be “removed” from parks, businesses, and streets. Bronson has claimed that homelessness is “one of the most pressing issues,” promising to combat it “aggressively and passionately” in an interview with Anchorage Daily News. On the topic of homelessness, Dunbar has stated that his long-term solution is affordable housing. Dunbar explains that this must be coupled with supportive services. He points to revenue from the 2020 alcohol tax, revenue from which is dedicated to substance misuse treatment and prevention, and also includes funds for transitional housing. Dunbar hopes to take advantage of federal grants and private investments to improve the situation. Both men have stated their desire to support and expand the Anchorage police department. Bronson promises to intensify police presence, as well as support community outreach programs, while Dunbar looks to maintain current levels of sworn officers, choosing instead to focus on hiring support staff, such as dispatchers, evidence clerks and technicians. Dunbar also supports investing in other supplemental programs like the Mental Health First Responders, a team of mental health professionals that can respond to applicable calls, which police officers are not adequately trained for. Other topics include the economy and taxes, Dunbar has a ten-point plan available on his website that expresses a desire to spend federal aid to stimulate

construction and revitalize downtown. Bronson promises to cut spending at the municipal government and to not implement sales tax. Bronson’s stated desire is to “make it easier for businesses, both large and small, to operate successfully in Anchorage.” The discussed topics of COVID-19 response, crime, homelessness and economy are the only positions available on Bronson’s campaign website. Dunbar’s campaign website includes positions on several other issues, such as a response to climate change and sustainability: improving public transportation and supporting the expansion of renewable sources of energy to reduce emissions. Dunbar’s website expresses a desire to support education particularly at the PreK and higher education levels, noting that he wants to “build bridges between the Municipality and both UAA and APU.” Dunbar also has public stances on making the government more transparent, making indigenous history more accessible, and supporting Anchorage’s trail systems to make the city the “#1 outdoor recreation city in America.” Neither candidate is running as a member of a political party. However, Bronson is endorsed by Republican Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pearce, and Forrest Dunbar is endorsed by the Anchorage Democrats. For more information on the upcoming runoff mayoral election, visit muni. org.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, all voting will be held by mail. Ballots are counted with masks and gloves.

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Hitbox Review: Outriders - Unlimited power By Jake Dye arts@thenorthernlight.org

Release Date: Apr. 1, 2021‌ Developer: People Can Fly‌ Platforms: PlayStation 5 [Played], PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X & S, Stadia, PC‌ Looking at “Outriders,” it’s easily mistaken for a service game like “Destiny” or “The Division.” Players choose unique classes, team up with friends and collect loot with color-coded rarity. Developers People Can Fly insist that “Outriders” is “a complete experience out of the box,” that will not be supplemented with seasons or monthly content. Eschewing the popular games as service format allows “Outriders” a refreshing sense of freedom, where weapons and abilities don’t need to be tuned or trickled out to elongate playtime. “Outriders” very quickly turns its players into overpowered superheroes, because that’s where the fun is. Taking place almost a century after the destruction of Earth, “Outriders” opens as the only remaining colony ship arrives above a new planet, Enoch. Players become an outrider, a member of the first scouting party sent to check probes and ensure the planet is still a viable home. This scouting mission is completely derailed by a dangerous storm, the anomaly. The anomaly disintegrates most of the scouting party but grants the player fantastic abilities. Injured during the chaos, the outrider is placed into cryosleep, and wakes up decades later, to a world locked in endless war. The opening to the game is really strong. Cutscenes throughout the game are impressively produced, with a dynamic camera that gives the story a cinematic

feel. Unfortunately, after the introduction, when the outrider begins working to fix everyone’s problems and end the war, the plot meanders around for hours, leading to a fairly interesting finale, but not strong enough to recommend the game based on its story. “Outriders” plot is mostly just a reason to cycle through different environments. The game does present some interesting ideas and twists, but these aren’t given the time to breathe or develop, as the game is much more interested in getting back to shooting things. A highlight of the story is the band of misfits that assemble around the outrider over the course of the story. These characters accompany the outrider for the entire runtime of the game, populating the campsite in each location. Highlights include the team’s mechanic, grumpy old man and survivor of Earth Jakub, and the last living scientist, Dr. Zahedi. Unfortunately, some of the last additions to the team really suffer from a lack of development, making their big story moments fail to impact the way they should. Gameplay is the real standout of “Outriders.” Players choose one of the game’s four classes, and each boasts a unique playstyle supported by powerful abilities on very short cooldowns. I primarily played the trickster, who manipulates space and time. The trickster takes on a very fast-paced playstyle, teleporting behind enemies, creating a bubble that slows down time, allowing the player to simply walk around incoming bullets or projectiles. Health can only be recovered through combat, in a different method for each class, tricksters regain health by

PHOTO COURTESY OF POLYGON

In Outriders, players collect countless pieces of gear, which change the appearance of their character. Unfortunately, transmog or glamor system is in place to allow players to choose how they want to look.

defeating enemies at close range. The other classes include the devastator, pyromancer and technomancer. Devastators manipulate earth and gravity to dive into the fray of battle, the closest approximation to the tank archetype. Pyromancers use fire to burn their enemies and make things explode. Technomancers operate at the longest range, constructing turrets, healing allies and poisoning their enemies. Because health can only be restored by fighting, and all of the abilities recharge quickly, “Outriders’” gameplay is tense and exciting, moving quickly around the battlefield constantly on the offensive. When everything works, which is more often than not, the gameplay really shines. A big component of the game’s progression is the world tier system. Each world tier is represented by a difficulty level. The first few world tiers represent the classic story, easy, normal and hard progression, and then things get wildly out of hand until the 15th, Immortal difficulty. The game automatically puts players at the highest tier available to them, which can make the game staggeringly difficult pretty quickly, especially if playing solo. It’s easy to change world tiers with a couple of button clicks, without even a loading screen, so players should

feel free to experiment until they find a sweet spot. I unlocked the seventh world tier but spent most of my time at the fourth. I played through “Outriders” solo, and while the majority of the experience was great, there were some instances, particularly involving bosses and other stronger enemies where the game felt like it wasn’t designed to accommodate players not playing in a group. Mobile classes like the trickster and the devastator are definitely better equipped to handle things alone, and I worry players attempting to solo content as the technomancer or pyromancer may struggle unnecessarily. The matchmaking system for random teammates is also subpar. Players cannot matchmake for specific content, and the only option is to join a random player’s game, with no real assurance they’re at the same point of the story. I left my party open for random teammates to join, and I only saw two other players in my nearly 20 hours with the game. Players with a group of friends looking to scratch the looter-shooter itch will definitely be well served here. “Outriders” offers wild powers, tight gameplay and staggering quantities of bad guys to fight. Players on Xbox platforms can even play the game at no extra cost through Xbox Game Pass.

PHOTO COURTESY OF XBOX WIRE

Much of Outriders is war-torn trenches and deserts, but the world can be beautiful at times.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2021

Hitbox Review: Narita Boy - TRON 3 when? By Jake Dye arts@thenorthernlight.org

Release Date: Mar. 30, 2021 Developer: Studio Koba Platform: PlayStation 4 [Played], Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC I picked up “Narita Boy” at full price knowing only that it was inspired in large part by Disney’s 1982 classic “TRON,” my favorite movie. I didn’t know how the game played or even what it was about. The game blew me away, featuring style in spades, fun combat and a surprisingly touching story. I don’t think this game is for everyone though, as its best content is buried several hours into a six-hour game, and its world is drowning in technobabble jargon. “Narita Boy” wears its inspirations on its sleeve, with a story very clearly inspired by ’80s films, particularly “TRON,” “Star Wars” and “Back to the Future.” The game takes place in the digital kingdom, starring a young boy pulled into his Narita One computer by the Motherboard, ruler of the kingdom, and tasked with vanquishing the evil sorcerer Him. The boy must become the hero, the Narita Boy, and take on the Stallions, Him’s army, to restore the stolen memories of the computer’s creator, so Him can be deleted before he escapes into the real world. The plot is weighed down by its ambition, as the lore of the digital kingdom is so built out that the front half of the game is overloaded by exposition. The Narita Boy must wield the Techno-Sword, learn the power of the Trichroma, defeat the Stallions and liberate the memories of the creator, who can destroy Him, wield-

er of the red side of the Trichroma. This produced some issues early in the game before I learned the world’s language, as a character would describe my current objective in a few sentences laden with the world’s terminology and jargon, and I couldn’t immediately discern what exactly the game wanted me to do. After a couple hours, however, these issues fell away. The best storytelling in “Narita Boy” is found in the creator’s memories, usually given as rewards after bosses or other challenges throughout the story. There are 13 of them, and each provides a glimpse into the life of the creator, from his childhood to the present day. Here themes of ambition and loss are explored in these small experiences completely devoid of combat. The visuals of “Narita Boy” are striking, though they are generally fairly simple, represented in a pixel art style. Set pieces and characters are beautifully detailed and animated, and the game manages to impress and vary the visuals throughout the game, keeping areas visually distinct. Enemies are a little less visually interesting, with most of the lesser foes Narita Boy faces being simple black and red figures. Even some bosses can look a little too simple, likely to account for the number of animations they have compared to other background characters. Enhancing the visuals is a neat filter that warps the edges of the screen and warps the colors, emulating the appearance of an old CRT monitor. This can be disabled to view the game in a more modern HD style. Some visuals, especially earlier in

PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDIO KOBA

Environments are varied, as the Narita Boy travels the entirety of the digital kingdom on his quest to vanquish Him.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDIO KOBA

The Stallions, evil followers of him and wielders of the red side of the Trichroma, aren’t looking for friendly high fives.

the game, feature lots of strobing lights, which could be an issue for photosensitive players, the game features an extra warning about this on the title screen. Like the story, the gameplay is also slow to develop. The game is not very quick to dole out combat abilities, making early fights not terribly interesting, and also needlessly punishing, as even the ability to restore health in combat is gated. Some of the combat abilities that are unlocked during the game are mostly pointless as well, for example, a shoulder charge that is only effective at stunning a single enemy type who carries a shield. Armored enemies later in the game require another unique ability specific to them. Despite all these shortcomings, when the Narita Boy has his whole arsenal available to him, and the game throws more varied enemies at the player, combat is tense and exciting. The game’s later bosses are spectacular, difficult but fair. Each area in the game is fairly large, and the game doesn’t signpost where the player needs to explore to advance. Players need to roam around and talk to programs that give clues and find doors that require floppy disk keys to open. A glaring omission to the exploration is the complete lack of a map. Areas are not so large that the player can get lost, but it would have been nice to be able to consult a map, a basic tool in most video games.

Gameplay is also mixed up in certain segments by introducing vehicles. Most of these are little more than short diversions, like a segment that lasts a few minutes where the Narita Boy rides a horse through the desert, but they at least break up the action in a way similar to the creator’s memories. Suiting up in a giant mech and fighting kaiju-sized versions of the Stallions in the city was of course the big highlight of these. “Narita Boy” seems almost perfectly targeted towards me. “TRON” and “Star Wars” hold a special place in my heart, and I loved the story for its clear inspirations, though it does diverge enough to tell its own original story. I also loved the style of the visuals and the music, and the combat managed to grow on me by the last couple hours of the roughly six-hour experience. It’s tough to know who exactly to recommend this game to, but it’s certainly an imaginative 2D action platformer, oozing with style and featuring a shockingly realized world, with a story rooted surprisingly in themes of loss. “Narita Boy” is also included in Xbox Game Pass, so players in that ecosystem can jump into the game at no additional cost. The game ends with a sequel tease, and I’ll be stoked to return to Studio Koba’s world if it comes to fruition, hopefully I won’t be waiting 28 years.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDIO KOBA

“Narita Boy’s” visuals are incredibly stylish, with a filter applied to emulate CRT monitors.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2021

Hitbox Review: Before Your Eyes - Blinking By Jake Dye arts@thenorthernlight.org

Release Date: April 8, 2021 Developer: GoodbyeWorld Games Platform: PC‌ The games industry today is generally centered more on iteration than true innovation. It’s not often a game comes along with an idea that radically challenges the conception of what a video game can be. “Before Your Eyes” challenged my conception of what a video game can be. A large part of that is because it’s a game played unlike any I’ve played before. This game is played almost exclusively by just blinking. Like, real-life eye blinking. ‌ At the risk of drifting into hyperbole, “Before Your Eyes” was an experience unlike any I’ve experienced not just in games, but in media as a whole. The game tells a deep, profound story, and the use of blinking to progress the game creates a sense of immersion in a way that playing a game with a controller or a keyboard just can’t.‌ To explain what I mean by blinking, “Before Your Eyes” uses a computer webcam to monitor the player’s eyes. This likely would have been a pretty tall order before the world was thrown into a year and a half of Zoom meetings. The game is very clear that the video is not saved or collected in any way, and is only used to identify blinking. The only other input the game recognizes is the use of the mouse to look around. Players who don’t have a camera can opt for an alternate playstyle where they simply push the spacebar of a keyboard to indicate blinks, but this would definitely be a lesser experience in some ways, and I definitely rec-

ommend putting in the effort to run the game with a webcam.‌ “Before Your Eyes” follows the soul of Benjamin Brynn. Fished up by a wolf who acts as the ferryman of the dead, Brynn has to relive the moments of his life so that the ferryman can create a story to deliver to the gatekeeper to ensure Brynn is allowed to pass on. The game has a very simple art style, and characters don’t have much detail to them, but the gatekeeper is brought to life by incredible voice work and an interesting quirk where he constantly consults a thesaurus to practice word choice so he’s always telling the gatekeeper the best story about each soul. ‌ The vast majority of the game’s only 90-minute run-time takes place in the relived memories of Brynn, as he lives his whole life from infancy to death. The ferryman explains that every time he(the player) blinks, he moves forward. “It could be five minutes, it could be five years.” In practice, in each scene a metronome symbol will appear, if the player blinks while the symbol is on the screen, the game moves forward. This meant sometimes I was taking in a moment, then closing my eyes to advance when I felt satisfied, and sometimes I was desperately fighting the need to blink, hanging on to every word of an unfolding conversation. When inevitably I failed and blinked, the game would move on, regardless of whether or not there was more to see. ‌ There are some more traditional gameplay elements at times in the story,

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOODBYEWORLD GAMES

The artstyle of “Before Your Eyes” is simple, but the stellar voice performances and immersive blinking mechanics ensure the game makes a strong impression.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOODBYEWORLD GAMES

Framing the game’s story is a ride with the ferryman, who needs to learn Brynn’s story so he can present it to the gatekeeper of the afterlife.

though these are really minimal parts of the experience. Most common is a sort of minigame where Brynn plays the piano, and the player has to follow a moving highlighted section to play the song. The player can also often interact with things in around each moment to delay moving away with the metronome. Blinking to link stars in the night sky together is blinking without moving on. ‌ Late in the game, there are moments when the game asks the player not just to blink, but to close their eyes and really listen to what it has to say. These moments are among the game’s best, and also among its most emotionally devastating. As I sat at my desk, eyes closed, just listening and feeling, I was shocked to remember I was playing a video game.‌ “Before Your Eyes” is an almost completely perfect masterpiece of game design. The singular source of friction in the game came from exactly three subsequent moments towards the end of the game where it asks the player to not blink while an hourglass symbol empties. When I blinked I was taken from the sequence I was viewing, while the ferryman chastised me, “I know it’s hard, but we need to see this!” And then I would be placed back into the moment. After each of these fail states, however, the timer would either be shorter, or I would be at the same spot where I failed. The game

didn’t really expect me to go the full time, and after several blinks finally pushed me through. That singular moment of frustration could have been completely avoided by not stopping the sequence every time. Just let it play, maybe keep the Ferryman’s lines, to keep the tension of the sequences, but remove the friction. ‌ The theme of the game is that life will pass before our eyes, whether we live it or not. Everything is fleeting, and everything ends, oftentimes before we are ready for it. This is very painfully illustrated by the way the game pulls the player out of moments. The game’s story really goes places and hammers its message home in a profound and impactful conclusion. Brynn spends his life working towards goals and never takes the time to enjoy life and the people he has around him. ‌ “Before Your Eyes” is a singularly unique experience unlike anything else out there. The level of intimacy I felt using my eyes to play the game invested me so deeply in the characters and the story that was unfolding, and I never looked away from the screen from the moment I pushed start to credits. I almost never cry at games or movies, and this game’s finale had me straight up sobbing. Really glad the video doesn’t get saved anywhere.‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOODBYEWORLD GAMES

One of the most impactful characters in the game is Chloe, Brynn’s silly neighbor.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2021

What’s worth a watch or a play in May 2021? By Jake Dye arts@thenorthernlight.org

May is hopefully the final slow month for movies, as the last week of the month kicks off a streak of weekly noteworthy films that runs into 2022. Games are also fairly quiet, with really not a lot on the horizon to heat things up while the industry continues to struggle to recover from the pandemic. As for TV, almost nothing is really new, though a handful of fan favorites are returning for new seasons this month. Star Wars: The Bad Batch Coming in understandably with less fanfare than the last Star Wars Disney+ offering, “The Mandalorian,” fans of the franchise shouldn’t write this animated series off when it premieres on May 4. “The Bad Batch’’ is a sequel to the fanfavorite “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which ran from 2008-2013, then returned for a final seventh season in 2020. Set in the immediate aftermath of “Star Wars: Revenge of Sith,” and featuring a team of clone soldiers from the prequel era of “Star Wars’’ struggling to find their place in the Empire, “The Bad Batch” promises a darker tone and plenty of returning characters. Resident Evil Village The “Resident Evil” franchise fell out of the public’s favor for quite a while after the disastrous launch of “Resident Evil 6” in 2012. Fortunately, recent years have seen the franchise return to its horror roots, and the last three entries have been very strong. “Village,” releasing May 7, is a direct sequel to 2017’s “Resident Evil: Biohazard,” taking new protagonist Ethan Winters and putting him in a new awful situation. This time it’s a werewolfinfested village and a castle ruled by the nine and a half foot tall Lady Dimetrescu. Gameplay is first person, as players scrounge for supplies to fend off the monsters long enough to save their daughter. “Village” looks like another great horror experience from a franchise that has been churning out hits.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPCOM

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition “Mass Effect: Legendary Edition” is a remaster of all three games in the “Mass Effect” trilogy, originally released between 2007-2012, some of the greatest games of all time. Create your own Commander Shepard, and go on a unique adventure across all three games. Shepard’s appearance, choices and relationships are carried over from game to game in a way that has never been attempted before or since. The story and characters of “Mass Effect” are truly top-tier, and there’s never been a better time to get into the franchise, as developer BioWare just announced they’re finally returning to it. The package will be available May 14. A Quiet Place Part II The first “A Quiet Place” was a huge surprise when it was released in 2018. Directed by John Krasinski from “The Office,” and starring his wife, the first film was unique for its use of silence and imaginative monsters. Information on the sequel is fairly light ahead of its May 28 release, though the first film certainly left interesting places to go. It’s worth noting

“Resident Evil Village” features monsters like werewolves and vampires, but the nearly ten-foot-tall Lady Dimetrescu has dominated the conversation around the game.

that while these films certainly have horror vibes, they ultimately aren’t horror films, and hew closer to thrillers.

ney+ May 14, and I’m stoked.

Film and TV Highlights

Netflix doesn’t bring much heat this month, with the only noteworthy additions being “Zombieland” and the series finale of “Lucifer” on May 28, which I hear people have been waiting for.

Jason Statham’s vehicle “Wrath of Man” releases May 7 and seems like a pretty solid action film. Director Guy Ritchie has a long past of making good movies that fail to find audiences. “Mythic Quest’’ originally released in 2020 on Apple TV+ to great reviews and a small audience (probably because it was on Apple TV+). A second season premieres May 7. The show seeks to capture the office comedy vibe but in a game development studio. “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’’ or “HSM:TM:TS, premiered alongside the launch of Disney+ in 2019. Lots of folks watched it simply because there wasn’t a lot of other original content released. The twist is that “HSM:TM:TS’’ was way better than it should have been, bringing quick writing, a diverse cast and genuine heart to the most ridiculous title in streaming. Season 2 premieres on Dis-

Streaming Highlights

HBO Max gives the people what they want with “Happy Feet” and “Happy Feet Two,” as well as “Mortal Kombat (1995),” for the large amount of their subscriber base that just watched “Mortal Kombat (2021).” Hulu just kicked off a new season of their flagship series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and also brings several interesting genre films; “I Am Legend,” “The Iron Giant,” “Predator,” “Train to Busan” and “Skyfall.” Peacock adds the “Hobbit” trilogy and the first three “Jason Bourne” films. For whoever is in the middle of that Venn diagram.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT

PHOTO COURTESY OF STARWARS.COM

“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” takes place immediately following “Star Wars Episode III,” in the first days of the Empire.

“A Quiet Place Part II” takes place immediately after the first movie, and is almost certainly going to explore the difficulties of raising a baby in a world where silence is paramount.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2021

UAA Gymnastics team optimistic about fundraising efforts By Jake Dye arts@thenorthernlight.org

In Sep. 2020, UAA’s Board of Regents voted to eliminate gymnastics, hockey and alpine skiing unless they could raise funds to cover two years of operations. For UAA’s gymnastics team, this meant $880,000. The deadline for the first year’s expenses, $440,000, was originally set for Feb. 15, 2021, but was extended to Jun. 30. Just over two months away from the looming deadline, the gymnastics team is very optimistic about hitting the goal for this year and next, earning a chance at full reinstatement in the process.‌ UAA gymnastics head coach MarieSophie Boggasch spoke to The Northern Light about the fundraising effort, which has currently amassed $540,000. This is not actually enough to meet the $440,000 cash required in June, as some of that total is comprised of pledges and gifts in kind. ‌ Boggasch stated that while they haven’t yet covered the first year’s goal, the team is very close, and are feeling “very, very positive.” ‌ Boggasch also pointed to other ongoing sources of income; the Save Our Seawolves Spring silent auction, which runs until Apr. 27 and the Flippin’ 5K, a virtual event running until Apr. 30. The team hopes that proceeds from these events will push them officially over their first goal. The team is also accepting donations via GoFundMe. ‌ Between the April fundraising events and converting pledges into cash ahead of the June deadline, Boggasch says the team feels very secure the team can meet the $440,000 goal, and the team is already preparing fundraising events for the fall semester, beginning in August. These could include gymnastics camps

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA GYMNASTICS

UAA’s Gymnastics team was unable to compete during the 2020-2021 season, but masked-up and practiced throughout the year.

and clinics, as well as gymnastics invitationals partnered with local gyms.‌ The gymnastics team was unable to compete during the 2020-2021 season, all competitions having been canceled by then-Chancellor Sandeen. The team still managed to practice, wearing masks, despite that and other setbacks related to the pandemic.‌ Boggasch says her team is capable of “producing great results in the gym, but

also amazing results in the classroom.” She goes on to say her athletes are “leaders for UAA.” ‌ Boggasch says the team is heavily involved in community service, saying that her team usually has the highest quantity of community service hours across the UAA sports teams. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the gymnastics team clocked 554 hours of community service in the past year. Divided by only 18 gymnasts, that’s an average of 31 hours each.‌

Boggasch says the gymnastics team can be a face for UAA. She says her athletes can be role models and said that some of the support they’ve received during the fundraising effort came from people in the lower 48 who were impressed by the team’s atmosphere and culture, going on to describe “little girls… looking up to our women and trying to step in their footsteps, potentially considering the University of Alaska as their higher education.”‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA GYMNASTICS

Marie-Sophie Boggasch was named interim head coach of the gymnastics team in Jul. 2020, and has led the team during this year’s season as well as through the fundraising effort.

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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 1,750. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.

N OT I C E O F N O N D I S C R I M I N AT I O N The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution. The University of Alaska does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, physical or mental disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, parenthood, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, or other legally protected status. The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, including against sex discrimination, applies to students, employees, and applicants for admission and employment. Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UA’s statement of nondiscrimination available at www.alaska.edu/ nondiscrimination.

L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y The Northern Light encourages readers to express their views in the newspaper. The Northern Light reserves the right to reject or publish any submission, online or in print. Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a letter to the editor is 250 words, and 150 words for letters specifically endorsing candidates for federal, local, or university office. A letter to the editor is written by someone who does not have authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing. Contributors are restricted to one published letter to the editor per month. Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a contributor’s opinion piece is 450 words. Contributors are restricted to one published opinion piece per month. Opinion pieces written by staff of The Northern Light are limited to 800 words. An opinion piece that is published in The Northern Light should be written by someone who has authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing. Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. All letters and opinion pieces must include names, major and/or group affiliation and contact information for verification purposes. The Northern Light will not publish anonymous letters or pseudonyms. Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org. The deadline for submissions is the Friday before publication at noon, no exceptions. The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union Room 118.

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2021