JUNE 7 - JULY 11, 2022
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UAA Summer Events: Concerts in the Quad and Pride 2022
UA Board of Regents holds in-person meeting, union demonstrates
‘Ugly’ negotiations yield no agreement between faculty union and University of Alaska wage increases that are By Matthew Schmitz modest enough to be apnews2@thenorthernlight.org proved by the legislature. Rickard explained that After nine months of the current CBA was nenegotiations between the gotiated back in 2016-17. University of Alaska and In recognition of budget the union representing cuts, the union agreed to full-time faculty, United forgo wage increases in Academics – or UNAC – the 3-year contract. UA President Pat Pitney Coming back to negodeclared an impasse on tiate in 2019, the union May 16 in an email to the agreed to suspend talks UA community. when UA declared finanThe UA Board of Re- cial exigency in the face gents voted unanimously of $70 million worth of to implement the univer- budget cuts by Governor sity’s “best and final offer” Dunleavy. without approval from In 2020, the pandemic UNAC and sent it to the again paused discussions. state legislature to be inCurrent talks began in cluded in this year’s bud- August 2021. Open to the get. public, they met via Zoom. In an email sent May Disputed points include 18, Pitney announced it the amount of money was not taken up by the raised by UNAC members legislature. and the allocation of funds This means full-time by UA administration. faculty, who’ve only had a In a memo from 1% raise over the past five UNAC, the union estiyears, will not receive a mates that full-time faculpay increase next year. ty raise around $100 milThe move by the uni- lion each year in the form versity to implement their of research grants from proposal, which took place private organizations and while the parties were still the government. under federal mediation, When added to the aroused some confusion. amount brought in from Chief negotiator for tuition, Rickard said the UNAC, UAF Professor university brings in milof Mathematics Dr. Tony lions more than they spend Rickard, spoke in an in- on faculty. According to terview about the details. him, the faculty are reIn addition, he answered sponsible for the majority some questions about the of the external funds to the negotiations in general. university and carry out UA’s proposal includ- most of the work outlined ed wage increases of 3%, by the grants. 2.5% and 2% over the next In a response to an three years. email inquiry, Manager The union is looking of Communications and for a 5% increase next Marketing for UA’s Office year, and to match the of Public Affairs Monique consumer price index for Musick said that claims FY24 and FY25, up to 7% about amounts raised have and 6% respectively, with been overestimated. a minimum of at least 3% In a presentation, the each year. UA negotiation team estiUNAC also wants the mated that UNAC memcollective bargaining bers bring in around $51 agreement to have stron- million and pointed out ger protections for fac- that most of the money is ulty’s academic freedom, not available for salary inthe inclusion of visiting creases. professors and post-doc Pushing back, Rickard graduates under all arti- highlighted a statement cles, funds made available made by UAF Chancelfor market increases and a lor White, who celebrated $1,000 lump sum added to UAF faculty for raising faculty base pay each year. $120 million in grants. Pitney has stated on UNAC also held up a multiple occasions that report by ISER touting the university’s goal, in the economic benefit UA the face of massive bud- brings to the state. The inget cuts by the state, is to stitution estimates that reachieve financial stability search expenditures by the for the university and of- university system resulted fer the faculty predictable in more than $159 million thenorthernlight.org
PHOTO BY MATTHEW SCHMITZ
worth of direct economic effects in 2020. Rickard noted that half of the grant money automatically goes to the university to cover administrative and facility costs, while the rest go to expenses related to the specific projects described by the grants. Regarding how the university should allocate funds, Rickard admitted that it is the prerogative of UA administration, though he added that the union believes the university system is administratively top-heavy. In a whitepaper by Dr. Abel Bult-Ito, UNAC President, Bult-Ito made the claim that the university has been increasing funds to administration over the past 10 years by 15.2%, compared to cuts made to faculty and student support of 23.7%. In a rebuttal presentation, the UA negotiation team showed the increases were under “institutional support,” of which administration is a component. Most of the spending increases in this area were related to the pandemic. When looked at in aggregate, administrative personnel have taken a similar cut to faculty. In her email, Musick wrote that there has been a 24% decrease in administration and senior staff positions from 2011-21. Also,
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senior administrators have faced furloughs over the past three years. According to Rickard, faculty at UAA have dropped from 1,500 to around 1,000 over the past 10 years. Also, he said that faculty salaries makeup 10.5% of the operating budget, as compared to 17.9% in peer institutions. Musick wrote that with declining enrollment, “All employee numbers at UA must be consistent with the number of students UA serves.” And addressing the salary gap, “Maintaining three separate universities, with multiple community campuses, in a state the size of Alaska, with declining enrollments and a low student to faculty ratio creates different cost structures and operating conditions.” From a presentation to the board of regents in February, the university showed that pay for all employees has remained largely flat compared to the national average of a 3% increase each year over the past five years. Moreover, it outlined the university’s turnover rate, which was 10.8% for 2021, compared to the state average of 5.8%. Rickard said that inflation has eaten away 15-20% of the purchasing power of the union’s members, and that lack@tnl_updates
UAA full time faculty are represented by United Academics
ing competitive wages makes it difficult to recruit and retain faculty. He also mentioned how financial strain can negatively affect teaching quality. In an interview, UAA Professor of Finance Dr. Nalinaksha Bhattachryya answered some questions about how an organization like UA should allocate funds. Bhattacharyya is a member of the UNAC representative assembly for UAA. He does not serve on the negotiating team. He stated his views are his own and do not represent the union. Bhattacharyya described the faculty as direct workers who are producing the intangible goods of knowledge and education. It doesn’t make sense, by his account, to cut pay to direct workers because you would expect their output to decrease as well. Salary and benefits for full-time faculty make up 16.5% of the university’s operating budget, so, according to him, when the university is finding places to save money it should look at the other 83.5%. In his personal experience, Bhattacharyya says he has not seen the cuts to high-level administration. Where he has seen cuts youtube.com/tnlnews
is with respect to faculty support. He pointed to janitorial services like office cleaning – something faculty now have to largely perform themselves – and the loss of faculty secretary positions. He mentioned cuts to the library as especially egregious. The consortium library has removed over 50 databases and numerous journals due to funding reductions. Not having access to the latest research can hinder academics’ ability to publish papers; which is central to their careers. In some cases, there has been an increase in administrative red tape, according to him. He brought up a frustrating system faculty are required to follow to file travel expenses when attending conferences. These events are an important way faculty stay current and active in their field. He believes the mission of the university is to produce an educated citizenry and conduct research. Further, to achieve this goal, the university must be able to attract academic talent.
SEE UGLY
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Ugly: Continued from cover UNAC wrote in a newsletter, concerning the negotiations, “The sessions have been ugly.” Rickard mentioned that “negotiations have been long and contentious,” and “the team feels frustrated.” He said that the union approached talks with an eye toward constructive, collaborative dialogue. From their perspective, the negotiators for UA didn’t seem to be interested in working on solutions. Another sticking point in the negotiations has been around the inclusion of post-doc and visiting professors in certain articles of the CBA. Rickard said the Alaska Labor Relations Agency determined these faculty are in the union, so the union believes they should be covered by every article. Musick wrote that due to their unique working conditions, pay and transitional nature, the uni-
versity proposed they be excluded from articles related to compensation and workload for certain periods. There have been disputes related to the language surrounding academic freedom as well. Regarding AAUP’s statement on academic freedom, tenure, and collegiality, UA added, it “shall be understood as informing the parties’ understanding of these important issues.” Rickard said the change makes firing faculty easier. Musick contends that UNAC is using academic freedom to shield tenured faculty whose programs have been discontinued or reduced from termination. Musick accused UNAC of making hundreds of changes to the CBA, to which Rickard said the number of changes reflects the change in membership. On the other hand, UNAC said in a newsletter that UA has delayed ad-
dressing proposals made by UNAC. In public testimony with the UA board of regents on May 23, faculty called in to voice their concern with the negotiating process, and some accused the UA team of stalling and not engaging in meaningful discussions. For the UA side, Musick wrote: “Each party is responsible for its own contribution to the tenor of negotiations. The university is negotiating professionally in good faith and in the best interest of the university.” Another turn in the drawn-out talks took place when the university declared an impasse and implementation while the parties were still under mediation. UA and UNAC agreed to federal mediation after the university put forward what it called its “best and final offer,” and UNAC rejected it at negotiations on
April 25. When Pitney sent out her email on May 16, there was still one day of federal mediation scheduled for the parties on May 18. Musick wrote that the parties did not agree to a fixed number of mediation sessions, and mediation only continues if they believe it will be helpful. Mediation was showing there was still a large gap between the proposals, and, she added: “More importantly, neither party was making meaningful concessions on significant issues. That is the legal definition of labor impasse.” At that point, she wrote, the parties could legally act independently. UA could move forward with implementation, and the union could move to strike if they choose. Despite this, UA still showed up to the scheduled mediation with UNAC. Rickard described the
surreal moment when he received Pitney’s email, during the session, announcing that the legislature had failed to take up the proposal in this year’s legislative session According to Musick, in order for the labor dispute to end, the parties must come to an agreement in the face of a strike, lockout or implementation; it’s not contradictory for negotiations to continue after one party has taken action. On the other side, Rickard put it this way, the “UA administration seems to been confused as to what they are doing.” And Rickard said, according to the opinion of their legal counsel, and the legal counsel of their associated unions, AAUP and AFT, UA’s actions are on questionable legal grounds. From the email sent out by Pitney, the decision to present their proposal to the legislature
was motivated in part by the upcoming end to the legislative session and to get some sort of raise for faculty. Neither Musick nor Rickard knew why the legislature declined to take up the proposal. On the possibility of a strike, Rickard said they don’t want to strike, and they know the university does not want one either, but the union would not rule it out. Going forward, they plan to communicate with their members and legal counsel to determine their next move. He also mentioned that they will continue to talk with the university. Rickard believes the union and university are not as far off from each other as the latter has suggested.
Gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker and running mate Heidi Drygas tour UAA By Matthew Schmitz news2@thenorthernlight.org
[Disclosure: TNL Reporter Matthew Schmitz and TNL Faculty Advisor Paola Banchero were invited participants on the tour for Bill Walker] One of this year’s gubernatorial candidates, former Alaska Governor Bill Walker, and his running mate, Heidi Drygas, came to UAA on June 1 to get a tour of UAA and meet students and deans from the various colleges within the university. According to an email from Professor Maria Williams, she was contacted by the Walker campaign requesting a tour for the candidates. She reached out to UAA Director of Government Relations Westen Eiler to help coordinate the walk. Walker showed up around 11 a.m. Drygas’ flight had been delayed so she did not join until later. Williams wrote that the Walker campaign wanted to know more about the various colleges at UAA. During the tour, Walker and Drygas talked with university leaders about their ideas about the university. Walker expressed his support for the university and spoke about the people the university has brought to the state. He said that he would like to see the university system be on more stable financial ground and not be subjected to uncertainty resulting from political change. Starting in Rasmussen
PHOTO BY MATTHEW SCHMITZ
Hall, Williams led the tour through various buildings around campus: Industry and Engineering, Health Sciences, Allied Health Sciences and the Beatrice G. McDonald Hall. At each stop, the former governor and his running mate were introduced to the deans and associate deans of the colleges associated with each building. For the College of Business and Public Policy, Dean John Nofsinger and Associate Dean Terry Nelson spoke about the college’s upcoming A.I. lab and stock-ticker marque that will be installed in the
building. In the Industry and Engineering Building, Dean Kenrick Mock showed Walker a live feed on a monitor on the first floor of the building of data from motion sensors embedded in the building, which were able to register motion from someone jumping up and down near the sensor. In the building they also met with student workers for Summer Engineering Academics. Drygas joined the group as it was heading across the Parish Bridge into the Health Sciences
Former Governor Bill Walker on left side wearing a blue polo, Paola Banchero standing to his right.
Building. Associate Dean Kendra Sticka took the candidates through some of the classrooms in the Health Sciences Building where medical students can simulate working on both dummies and live medical actors pretending to be patients. In one room, observers can control patient vitals in a mock procedure from a control room to give real time feedback on actions taken by the students. In the Beatrice Mc-
Donald Hall, Walker and Drygas were introduced to some faculty in the archeology department. Dean Jenny McNulty and Journalism and Public Communication Professor Banchero ended the tour talking about the various lines of work students from the College of Arts and Sciences going into and how UAA students impact the state. USUAA Vice President Shanone Tejada and Faculty Alliance Chair Professor Gokhan Karahan
also joined the tour. Williams wrote in her email that the Walker campaign had gone on a similar tour of UAF a month earlier and that Eiler would be reaching out to all gubernatorial candidates, representatives and senators about providing tours of UAA. The primary for the governor’s race will be held on Aug. 16 and the general election Nov. 8.
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UA Board of Regents holds first in person meeting in two years at UAA, members of faculty union show up to demonstrate By Matthew Schmitz news2@thenorthernlight.org
Coming out of the pandemic, the University of Alaska Board of Regents returns to normalcy by holding their first in-meeting in two years on June 2-3 in UAA’s Gorsuch Commons. UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell said that the UAA Women’s Gymnastics team had reached their pledge goal to be reinstated though they would still seek additional donations. In a presentation, Director of State Relations Chad Hutchison said legislation passed the house and senate this year to protect the Higher Education Investment Fund from being swept into the state’s coffers. Also, he said legislation was passed that would recapitalize the fund, which had been drained last year when the legislature had failed to approve a reverse sweep. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Bruce Schultz, who is retiring this year, was recognized by the board with the passage of an appreciation resolution recognizing his three decades of service to the university. “Your career has been exemplary,” Regent Mary Hughes told Schultz at the meeting. Parnell said that the Alaska State Legislature had also passed a citation recognizing Schultz for his service. Regent Karen Purdue said Schultz is a straight shooter, who “tells it like it is, but in a kind and diplomatic way.” Reaching out to UA President Pat Pitney for a comment on the importance of the meeting, she said the big item coming out of the meeting was the acceptance and distribution of the budget for the university coming from this year’s state legislature. She went on to say that the budget is the university moving forward and important for getting external stability for the university. Though the budget still needs to be signed by the governor, she said that she expects it to pass as they had worked with the administration and included specific funding agendas that were aligned with the state. Perdue asked if the specific spending on programs for drones, mariculture, and heavy oil recovery – among other things – were in response to an ask by Governor Dunleavy for the university to focus on economic
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developments for Alaska. Pitney said they were. UAA specifically will be getting a drone pilot training program, funds for building repair and money to study the economic impact of various new industries for the state. Also coming out of the meeting was approval for new degree programs and the process of expanding WWAMI to 30 participants. Showing up were members of the union representing full-time faculty, United Academics, wearing red t-shirts and carrying signs, to demonstrate before the board of regents. The union has been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with UA over the past 9 months. The talks stalled and the university moved forward with implementation of their own offer without the approval from United Academics. The offer was sent to the state legislature, but they did not take it up, so the union will continue to work under the CBA that was negotiated in 2017. Talks for a new agreement remain ongoing. In response to a submitted question, Lead Negotiator for United Academics Tony Rickard, who was present at the meeting with demonstrating members, said “We’re here to remind them they need to negotiate with United Academics for a fair and competitive contract.” Union members quietly stood and sat in the same room with the board of regents while they held their meeting. The union also showed up to the Consor-
UA Board of Regents held their meeting in Room 107 in the Gorsuch Commons.
tium Library to wave signs at the university leadership when they arrived for a planned event at the library in the afternoon of the second.
Pitney speaks with members of United Academics outside library.
UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell speaks with a member of United Academics outside library.
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Anchorage Assembly approves funding to build homeless shelter and navigation center near UAA By Matthew Schmitz news2@thenorthernlight.org
In a 6-4 vote, the Anchorage Assembly approved $6.2 million on May 10 to build a navigation center and low-barrier homeless shelter. The 150-person shelter, with an additional 50-person surge capacity, is slated to be erected on the South-East corner of Tudor and Elmore. This will put it in close proximity to UAA. As with the shelter stood up in the Sullivan Arena, the building’s presence will probably bring an increased number of homeless people to the surrounding area. Director of Residence Life Ryan Hill said in an interview that there are higher instances of crime among homeless populations, so an increase in the number of homeless people near campus is concerning. He also said that this can present an opportunity to educate students on homelessness and remove perceived stigmas around it. The current plan by the city calls for a riggedtent structure to be built and ready for service by the end of summer. These details were shared in a presentation by assembly member Felix Rivera. Walking over the green footbridge that spans Tudor, heading away from campus, the building will be located to the left of the old APD headquarters, on a parking lot used by APD to store vehicles for evidence. It will be especially close to the dorms with Templewood being the nearest residential structure to the shelter – roughly 1,500 feet away as the crow flies – according to Google Maps. The new shelter will
PHOTO COURTESY FELIX RIVERA
Building to the right is APD’s old headquarters and to the left is a 3D rendering of the location for the proposed shelter. Tudor runs along the bottom bottom of the image.
have half the capacity of the Sullivan, which is set to end operations as a shelter on June 30 in order to return to hosting community events. Spending a few hours around the Sullivan, a noticeable feature was in the number of homeless people transiting to and from the stadium at a steady rate through the connecting roads, neighborhoods and trails. There were typically some people coming up from, or heading down to, the Chester Creek Trail every 3-5 minutes. Outside the Sullivan were around a couple dozen people hanging around, and there were a few instances when people would yell or start to get rowdy. Walking along the Chester Creek Trail, in the section between New Seward Highway and C Street alone there were 13
personal shelters spotted from the trail. According to an article by Alaska’s News Source, some residents close to the Sullivan – who had themselves transitioned through the facility to their current home – spoke about problems with vandalism coming, presumably, from people drawn to the area because of the shelter. Hill spoke about his current experiences with homeless people near and around the dorms. He said that despite the high number of homeless people in the areas surrounding campus, they have had remarkably low numbers of issues related to them. He said some of their success comes from the existence of security cameras, lighting, patrols by RAs and excellent response time by UPD. They still have had
challenges, Hill said, regarding non-residences in the spaces and facilities by the dorms. Even though the residence halls are secured, there have been instances when nonguests have tried to piggyback their way into the building. Also, many of the buildings on campus, including the Gorsuch Commons, are public spaces and therefore open to the general population. Unless someone is causing a disturbance, according to the law they cannot kick people out. The fact that dorm residences have a set of rules that must be abided by, and nonresidence don’t, can make it difficult to check behavior, said Hill, though most problems have come from guests invited by people living on campus. Also, if students are ever confronted with a
threatening situation, Hill said “if a student feels unsafe, call university police or a resident life person.” On the flip side, Hill said the shelter may raise opportunities to educate students on homelessness and help them understand that someone may be homeless because of a number of different causes. There may even be chances for work experience for students in the social work field at the shelter. Hill said he has a real concern about issues related to student conduct toward homeless people, worrying about “harmful misconceptions leading to rash decisions being made.” This would feed into the need to educate students on homelessness and try to humanize the homeless population, he said. Another thing Hill
spoke of was the public reporting on crime mandated by the Clery Act. He said even if there is not an increase in incidents related to homeless people on campus, an increase in the surrounding area may, by virtue of the reporting requirements, make it appear there is a problem on campus, and lead to a negative public perception. On the other hand, if there is an increase in problems related to the shelter on campus Hill said he will be able to come up with solutions and work with UPD to address the issues. Similar actions were taken several years ago when Anchorage was experiencing an increase in auto theft, which incidentally is where a few of the current security measures in the dorms came from.
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NEWS
COVID Update: Anchorage returns to medium risk of transmission By Gabriel Blanco news3@thenorthernlight.org
Last Wednesday, May 11th, UAA’s Director of Safety, Tim Edwards, shared with UAA students and faculty an update on the rise of COVID-19 cases so far this spring. Although masks
are to remain optional on all University of Alaska campuses, the city of Anchorage has once again surpassed 200 cases per 100,000 people. As per CDC guidelines, this has moved Anchorage from “low” to “medium” risk in terms of transmission. Moreover, Anchorage
has seen a total of 1,954 new cases, an increase of 16.6%, since the start of the month. 44 have been hospitalized and 18 people have died. Of those that died, a majority were women over the age of 60. Transmissions remain spread out throughout the state, with Anchorage
leading at 575, Fairbanks at 213, and Wasilla at 89. It is also worth noting that 279 of the 1,954 new cases are nonresidents, a sharp increase of 32.7% since the last update on May 4th. As we continue to move forward through these difficult times, here
are a reminders and things things to keep in mind; if you are experiencing any symptoms including fevers, nausea, fatigue, or difficulty breathing, get tested right away. Layering protective measures such as vaccination, proper ventilation, masking, timely testing, and so-
cial distancing have been proven to mitigate the risk of transmission. Medications to defend against COVID-19 are widely available. If you contract COVID-19, do not wait for it to get worse, call your healthcare provider to explore treatment options.
University of Alaska hosts public listening session various organization acBy Matthew Schmitz tives and the preservation news2@thenorthernlight.org of green space located on In anticipation of the the Matanuska Experiupcoming meeting by ment Farm and Extension the University of Alaska Center. Both former and curBoard of Regents, UA rent members of the UAA held a public listening sesGymnastics sion to hear from the UA Women’s team called in to give an community. Held on May 23, the update on their activities public was able to call in and voice support for the and give testimony over program. Gymnast Jessica Johnthe phone to the board of regents, who met via son shared the team’s Zoom. The session was academic success with live streamed on UA’s the board, saying that 10 of the 14 members of the website. UA President Pat Pit- team scored a perfect 4.0 ney was present at the GPA, and, overall, the meeting in addition to 6 of team reached a collective all-time best of 3.8. the 10 board members. Another caller speakPublic testimony ing on behalf of the gymtouched on UAA Women’s Gymnastics, the nastics team said that the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous team has put in 450 hours Studies Center, United of community service. Academics negotiations, Gymnast Silje Hildebrand also called in to encourage
people to donate for the last few donations According to the UAA Women’s Gymnastics Twitter account, the team is off from their fundraising goal by $100,000. A number of students, faculty and alumni called into the meeting to voice their support for the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center. According to UAF’s website, the university is seeking private funding for the center. The center is to be built on the UAF campus. The name, Troth Yeddha’, is the traditional name used by the Lower Tanana Dene for the ridge where the UAF campus is located. Many of these callers were of Alaska Native descent. They shared their own struggles with com-
ing to the university and not finding cultural support. The center, in their view, would give students moving from the villages a place to meet with fellow Alaska Natives and help ease the transition into academic life. Members of UA faculty gave testimony on the ongoing negotiations between UA and the union representing full-time faculty, United Academics. There were many points of concern raised over the negotiation process so far. Several of the callers brought up issues around the slow pace of negotiations and the apparent lack of effort being made by the UA negotiations team to work toward meaningful solutions. UAA Philosophy Chair Joel Potter said that he did not see any give and take,
or back and forth from the UA negotiations team. He also pointed out the university’s high turnover rate. Despite much frustration expressed by the faculty who called in, a few said that there is a viable path forward even in the face of current disagreements. Jodie Anderson, Interim Associate Director of the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, called in to give an update on the group’s activities. In addition to her, representatives of the UAF Alumni Association, Alaska 529, and UAF Student Success called in to give updates on their respective organizations. There were some callers from the Mat-Su Valley speaking on the gravel
pit that might be built on land that is a part of the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm. Wes Hoskins, with Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, urged the UA to set aside the land and help preserve the Mat-Su Greenbelt Trail System. According to the MatSu Trails and Parks Foundation’s webpage, the site contains an important linking trail in the greenbelt. For anyone who wants to send in written testimony, the board told people to send emails to ua-bor@ alaska.edu. Emails sent to that address will be received by all members of the board.
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A mind-blowing experience, UAA’s planetarium is back with “Exploding Universe” By Matthew Schmitz news2@thenorthernlight.org
Giving viewers a frontrow seat to some of the most dramatic and violent events in natural history, “Exploding Universe,” produced by Clark Planetarium Productions, uses 3D animation to simulate explosions across the universe, both large and small. Presented on May 13 by UAA’s Planetarium and Visualization Theater, the film took advantage of the planetarium’s 10-meter-wide dome to immerse the audience in a three-dimensional world without the need for VR goggles. The film started with the mother-of-all explosions – and progenitor of the universe – the big bang. Following a proton that was formed in this initial blast, the subatomic particle journeyed through space and time and helped demonstrate exactly what was happening on the smallest scale when objects of cosmic proportions, like galaxies and black holes, crashed into each other. Blowups of local concern were on display as well, and the film showcased how destructive events played a part in the formation of the earth and moon, and how asteroids and supervolcanoes helped shape the world today. The manager of the Planetarium and Visualization Theater, Omega Smith, gave a live presentation after the film demonstrating how the big bang continues to influence the present-day universe. Her presentation also highlighted a few examples of nebulas, which are the result of stellar explosions. After her presentation she answered questions from the audience. For Smith, this was her first live show back in two years. The planetarium had to shut down in March 2020 when the pandemic began. Only recently have they started presenting films again. One of the most remarkable aspects of viewing the film in the planetarium was the feeling of being in virtual reality. Before it started, Smith warned about motion sickness and recommended looking at the floor if it became an issue. With a dome-shaped screen that wraps around behind you and extends into the ceiling, there were moments when the walls seemed to vanish. In one scene, two black holes circled around each other and the jet of material ejecting upwards from
PHOTO BY MATTHEW SCHMITZ
in between them looked like a real tower extending vertically into space. One interesting idea explored by “Exploding Universe” is what will happen when our galaxy, the Milky Way, crashes into our closest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy. Moving towards each other at 68 miles/second, the gasses in the leading edge of the spiral arms will undergo extreme compression when contact is made. This will result in a tremendous amount of new star formation. In the Q&A, someone asked about what this event will look like to us on earth and how our solar system might be affected. Smith said that our night sky would change; the Andromeda Galaxy will cross the milky way and form an “X” in the sky. The formation of new stars would also brighten up the night sky. Due to the vast amount of space in between stars, it’s unlikely our solar system would be affected, although the supermassive black holes in the center of each galaxy will eventually collide. The crash is several billion years off in the future, so it’s not something that will impact us anytime soon. While the film was full of impressive visuals, it often glossed over the scientific understanding of the phenomenon portrayed. For someone not familiar with the science, the lack of information could leave one wanting for more explanation. The tagline for “Exploding Universe” reads,
“out of destruction comes the next creation.” As it suggests, a major theme of the film is the way explosive events shape the universe. For example, the earth and moon were formed from a massive collision between two large planetary bodies in the early solar system. Many of the heavier elements in the universe were formed in the core of stars and during their violent explosions when they collapsed in on themselves. These spectacular blasts also seeded the new elements throughout the galaxies. Smith’s presentation covered how the big bang helped form the universe’s structure. Using the planetarium, she reviewed the scientific history behind the cosmic microwave background, or CMB. Discovered by two scientists using a horn antenna, the CMB is light that is
still shining from the big bang. Due to being so far away and old – concepts which are nearly synonymous when dealing with the cosmological scale – this “light” has been shifted in the microwave end of the electromagnetic spectrum, so it’s not visible to the naked eye. Despite its age, it still affects the world around us. Smith pointed to the static on old TV sets as a real-world example of where we can see this ancient light from the big bang influencing us today. According to Smith, the TVs are sensitive to microwave radiation, and around 1% of the static on the screen is from the CMB. When mapped out, the CMB reveals minute variations in the temperature of the early universe. It is from these miniscule differences that the various
UAA’s Planetarium and Visualization Theater can seat 62 people
objects of the universe – planets, stars, black holes, nebulas – formed. In addition to this, the overarching structure of the existing universe can be seen. Using the planetarium’s simulator, Smith brought us out of our local galaxy and took us to the edge of the universe, allowing us to see branchlike patterns formed by galaxies and intergalactic gasses. She also ran a timelapse simulation created by a supercomputer called Illustris to show how the current structure can be traced from the CMB. For future shows, Smith said that they are still working on the schedule for June and July. For those interested in catching upcoming events, she said the best place to look is on the planetarium’s Facebook page. Tickets cost $5 for stu-
dents and $10 for the general public. Also, students can become a member of the planetarium for $15 and receive one free ticket for every show.
PHOTO COURTESY EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
The cosmic microwave background, color differences indicate minute variations in temperature of the early universe
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UAA kicks off summer with first Concert in the Quad of the season By Matthew Schmitz news2@thenorthernlight.org
Over 100 people turned out for this summer’s first Concert in the Quad. The event took place Tuesday, May 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Cuddy Quad located on west campus. Live music was performed by solo guitarist Jared Woods, who set up stage in front of Cuddy Hall. Picnic tables filled the lawn of the quad, and two food trucks were onsite to serve food. Employees and students lined up to grab lunch. Yeti Dogs was one of the vendors. They served up locally made sausages in hotdog buns with a wide variety of toppings to choose from. The other mobile restaurant was Papaya Tree. As described on the side of their truck, their cuisine is “unmessed with southeast Asian street food.” By showing a Wolf Card, attendees could get $5 off their lunch. Despite light sprinkles earlier in the morning, the weather cleared up by lunch. With no wind and blue sky breaking through the clouds, the conditions were great for outdoor dining.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW SCHMITZ
Several parents brought their kids, and the UAA mascot Spirit was out taking photos with people. Unfortunately, Yeti Dogs had to pack up and leave at 1 p.m., even while some were in line wait-
ing. Despite running out of several items on their menu, Papaya Tree stuck around and served everyone, up to the last person in line. Getting a chance to try some chicken-fried rice
and pork skewers from Papaya Tree, the food exceeded expectations. The pork skewers came with a side of rice as well. Both items were flavorful and had a hint of spiciness. The fried rice was hearty
Jared Wood entertained students and employees in the Cuddy Quad
and filling. Future concerts are planned for later in the summer. Scheduled for the last Tuesday of each
month, the next planned events are June 28 and July 26. More information can be found on UAA’s online calendar.
Anchorage Celebrates Pride Month 2022 By Jake Dye editor@thenorthernlight.org
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, annually commemorating the Stonewall riots in June 1969. Pride is about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, culture and its history. Several events will be held this month at UAA and around the wider community to celebrate the occasion.
The first two of these events were the D Street PRIDE Block Party and the PRIDE Memorial Service, held June 3 and 5 respectively. The Block Party was the kickoff for the celebration, while the memorial was about educating and telling stories about advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in Anchorage. Still to come is the
Rainbow Run, a charity 5K held on June 14th. Proceeds will benefit the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association and Choosing Our Roots, two organizations identified by organizers as “making a difference for LGBTQ+ Alaskans. The Rainbow Run will take place on the Ship Creek Trail in Anchorage, but there will also be a vir-
tual option for interested participants who can’t attend in person. The virtual period begins on June 7 and runs until the completion of the in-person race on the 14th. UAA’s largest Pride event is the Sunshine and Sandwiches Walk, which returns this year. The event invites UAA students to join for a walk around campus and “cel-
ebrate queerness.” After completing the roughly mile-long walk, participants can partake in sandwiches outside the Student Union. Wild Scoops will be providing ice cream sandwiches as well. For members of the queer community, the Lavender Leaders Panel will be held via zoom on June 22 to connect to leaders within Anchorage and
Alaska. Finally, capping off the celebration, the 4th Annual Pride Block Party will be held at the Writer’s Block Bookstore on June 25. The event will feature music, art, food and drinks in a family-friendly atmosphere.
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Entertainment Headlines for June 2022: Summer is for tentpole releases By Jake Dye editor@thenorthernlight.org
Summer is really here. This June brings blockbuster movies, multiplayer video games, and the most exciting new hero to grace our screens in years. Theatergoers are certainly the best fed of us all this month, with a reason to get out to the movies almost every single weekend. There’s the conclusion to the Jurassic Park story in “Jurassic World Dominion,” Pixar’s latest: “Lightyear,” a return from “The Great Gatsby” director Baz Luhrmann in the form of “Elvis” and even an exciting horror film from director Scott Derrickson: “The Black Phone.” Of course, horror fans should also be excited by “The Quarry,” the longawaited successor to video game sensation “Until Dawn.” Even despite all of that, my most anticipated release this month is “Ms. Marvel,” which finally introduces the iconic Pakistani-American superhero/teenager Kamala Khan to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Film Headlines “Jurassic World Dominion” is the sixth installment in the “Jurassic” franchise and is being marketed as the big finale of a story that began in 1993. Following the events of 2018’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” the promise of the “Jurassic World” title has been fulfilled, and the entire earth hosts creatures that ought to have gone extinct millions of years ago. The iconic leads of the original “Jurassic Park” trilogy join with the new characters introduced when the franchise was rebooted as “Jurassic World” in 2015 for what is hopefully a thrilling and emotionally resonant finale. Of course, Universal isn’t playing coy about the fact that while this film ends the current story, it will also set the stage for the next chapter when it releases exclusively in theaters on June 10. “Lightyear” is a spinoff of “Toy Story” showing the science-fiction hero that Buzz Lightyear the toy was based on. After Buzz Lightyear, played by Chris Evans, is marooned in space and time, the young astronaut must find his way home and also save the universe from a familiar evil mastermind. All of Pixar’s animated wizardry is on full display, and like their other films, this should be a great watch. The film releases exclusively in theaters on June 17. “Elvis” is the latest film from director Baz Luhrmann, known for di-
recting films with strong music elements like “The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!” and “Romeo + Juliet.” “Elvis” is primarily a biopic about the life and career of the legendary singer, with a focus on his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Reviews have been positive, especially concerning the portrayal of Elvis Presley by actor Austin Butler. The film releases in theaters on June 24. “The Black Phone” is a horror film by Scott Derrickson, the director of “Sinister” and “Doctor Strange.” It stars veteran actor Ethan Hawke as a kidnapper who poses as a magician and takes children. His sixth victim finds a disconnected phone through which he can speak to his deceased predecessors and form a plan to escape. This film looks deeply unsettling, but also completely fascinating. It feels like it’s been a while since horror fans have had a hit at the cinema, but “The Black Phone” should satisfy when it releases on June 24. Gaming Headlines “The Quarry” is the latest from Supermassive Games, which exploded into mainstream recognition in 2015 with “Until Dawn,” a video game described as a playable slasher film starring Hollywood actors like Hayden Panettiere and Rami Malek. Though they’ve chased that success ever since they haven’t hit those marks. “The Quarry” is being positioned as the true successor to “Until Dawn,” with a splashy cast that features David Arquette, Brenda Song, and other recognizable faces as camp counselors trying to survive their last night at camp. The game is again a playable slasher film, with cinematic presentation and decisions that determine which characters see the sunrise. Supermassive’s horror games are great at parties, and I’ll certainly be having folks over to play through “The Quarry” when it releases on June 10. “Mario Strikers: Battle League” is a Mario soccer title with attitude. Nintendo is usually pretty particular about its characters and their familyfriendly demeanor, which is why it’s so shocking that we’re getting another “Mario Strikers,” 15 years after the last. Mario and his friends spend as much time throwing punches at one another as kicking soccer balls in this series, and it has its fans. This should serve as a solid addition to any multiplayer library when it releases on June 10. “Fall Guys” is a different kind of battle royale.
PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSAL
“Jurassic World Dominion” finally gives us a Jurassic World, where dinosaurs are rapidly expanding across the earth. Turns out the Tyrannosaurus Rex has no respect for cinema.
PHOTO COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS
Kamala Khan is Ms. Marvel, an up and coming superhero from New Jersey.
Whereas the titans of the battle royale space are shooters like “Fortnite” or “Apex Legends,” “Fall Guys” emulates a game show, where players compete in silly events as cute and funny little bean dudes. The last player standing takes the crown. The game actually came out originally in August 2020, but only for PlayStation 4 and PC. On June 21, it finally comes to all consoles, and it will also be entirely free to play, with cross-play and crossprogression. Fall Guys is spectacular fun, and it’s a great family pick. Especially now that it’s free. Sonic the Hedgehog is bigger than ever thanks to two great films in recent years. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to dive into the blue blur’s history and origin in video games. “Sonic Origins” is one step towards fixing that, remastering and packaging the excellent first four games in the series into one title, bridging their narratives with new animated cutscenes, and lowering their difficulty by removing the life system. This will also be the first time in many years that the best version of “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Sonic
3 and Knuckles,” will be released and playable. If for “Sonic 3 and Knuckles” alone, I’ll be picking this up when it releases on June 23. Streaming Headlines Since Disney+ announced its slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe series, one has been my most anticipated. “Ms. Marvel” finally brings Kamala Khan into the universe. Kamala Khan is an exciting character from the comics, a personal favorite. She was introduced in 2013, relatively recently compared to many of her peers who date back to the early 60s. She is an exuberant fan, a Pakistani-American teenager who has to navigate high school and superpowers, effectively a fresh take on the Peter Parker dynamic. She has quickly become a major character in the comics and in video games. The Disney+ series will be an origin story, showing her first getting her powers, though at this time we have no idea what villain or other adversaries she will be up against. Early reviews of the show are praising the performance of Khan by newcomer Iman Vellani, a 19-year-old Pakistani-
Canadian actress and a Marvel fan herself. This is also the first MCU series we know will be required viewing for an upcoming film ahead of time, with Vellani already announced to reprise the role in the 2023 theatrical release: “The Marvels.” The series premieres June 8, and will mark the first time that Disney+ has two of its franchise series running concurrently, with the series overlapping with the already in-progress “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” In addition to “Ms. Marvel,” Disney brings “Baymax!” a spin-off of “Big Hero Six” and the first of many series by Disney Animation Studios on June 29. It features the return of the huggable Baymax, as he gets up to shenanigans around San Fransokyo, what’s not to love? Netflix hosted a live national comedy festival in April and May of this year, and several of its performances will be added to the platform this month. These include several comedy specials hosted by comedians like Pete Davidson, Snoop Dogg, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, and others, as well as larger pieces, like “Stand
Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration,” which features “the largest-ever gathering of LGBTQ+ comics.” These performances will be released throughout the month, beginning June 6, and then daily until June 23. Amazon Prime is premiering the third season of one of its largest series, “The Boys” on June 3. “The Boys” is a bloody parody of superhero films and entertainment corporations, that has so far been very good, if sometimes disgusting.
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Hitbox Review: Kirby and the Forgotten Land An unforgettable adventure By Jake Dye editor@thenorthernlight.org
Release Date: March 25, 2022 Developer: HAL Laboratory Platform: Nintendo Switch “Kirby” games have been coming out since 1992. They’ve always felt fairly niche, especially compared to some of Nintendo’s other franchises like “Mario,” “The Legend of Zelda,” and “Metroid.” While all of its peers made the shift into three dimensions, “Kirby” remained firmly rooted in two. “Kirby” games also have a reputation for being very easy. In those two respects, “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is a radical reinvention for the character, maintaining the charm of its adorable hero, but presenting players with a brand-new three-dimensional playground, with the challenge turned up at least a little bit. Kirby is little, round and pink, and he can absorb enemies to take on their power. This ability is kinda gross, but the franchise just glosses over that. When a dimensional rift pulls him from Planet Popstar to a mysterious new land, he must adventure to save the population of little guys who are not pink and don’t have cool powers, the Waddle Dees. To this end, the player controls Kirby through dozens of levels across several distinct worlds; platforming over obstacles and fighting cute monsters. Curiously, each of the environments takes Kirby through the dilapidated ruins of what seems to be a human civilization. Levels include an overgrown mall, an abandoned theme park and a power plant in complete disarray. The story of the game is mostly shallow, monsters took Kirby’s friends, and he travels to each location to get more and more back. The finale of the game comes almost out of nowhere and is completely over the top. Questions about the world are answered, crazy anime-style fights are had and I was left stunned and smiling. “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is fun for its entire run time, but the best is definitely saved for last. A new ability in Kirby’s arsenal on this outing is “mouthful mode.” Kirby’s traditional ability to swallow enemies and get their powers is a transformation; swallow a baddie with a sword and get a cute hat and a little sword of your own as Sword Kirby. Mouthful mode allows Kirby to swallow large items and just wrap him-
PHOTOS COURTESY NINTENDO
“Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is set in the abandoned ruins of civilization, but proves that even the apocalypse can be cute. It just never stops to ask if the apocalypse should be cute.
There’s some subtle body horror as Kirby stretches to cover and control different items, but you’ll quickly forget about it as you speed through levels as Car Mouth Kirby.
self around them. It’s disgusting, but we gloss over that too. Eat a car and drive around in Car Mouth, eat a vending machine and shoot out soda cans as Vending Mouth, eat a traffic cone and spike yourself into the ground, destroying everything in your path as the almighty Cone Mouth! These mouthful abilities are a clear focus of the game, and are the basis of many puzzles. Though there ultimately aren’t that many of them, the game does introduce new ways to use them, and greater challenges and puzzles to boot throughout its runtime. Between all of the different forms and mouth-
fuls, there’s a lot of variety. For the most part, which forms to use is the player’s choice, allowing for wholly different playstyles, especially in the boss encounters. I preferred to use the traditional Sword Kirby, but there wasn’t a single ability I disliked. “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” feels exuberant to play. The soundtrack is spectacular. The environments are bright and colorful, and even the monsters are charming. This game is fun and imaginative, and I was never bored. A major component of “Forgotten Land” is Waddle Dee Town, where all of the Waddle Dees rescued by Kirby build up a settlement that serves as
a home base. Each level rewards Kirby with three Waddle Dees by default, with optional challenges allowing for the rescuing of more than ten at a time. As the town grows bells and whistles are added, like minigames and a coliseum for greater combat challenges. One of the most valuable facilities in town is the blacksmith, who can upgrade Kirby’s powers. Each form has three stages, requiring blueprints found in levels to unlock. This allows even the forms in use to remain fresh over time. In the early stages, I could be Fire Kirby, by the time I was exploring the amusement park I could be Volcano Fire Kirby and as I faced off with the fi-
nal boss I was Dragon Fire Kirby. Unfortunately, the bosses in the game are the only thing that doesn’t stay fresh. The game’s bosses are huge, cinematic, and fun to battle. At least, they are the first time. Each major and minor boss is reused, sometimes constantly throughout the game, in a really baffling way. After fighting the big man with the sword five times I’m not really blown away by the prospect of fighting two big men with swords. The later bosses in the game do manage to introduce some challenge into what is otherwise a very easy game. This is especially true of the true final boss of the game, part
of the hidden true ending of the game after the first rolling credits. That boss was an exceptionally tuned challenge that served as a great capstone to the game. “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is a massively charming platformer with inventive mechanics and interesting environments. Fans of modern 3D platformers like “Mario” should definitely give this a try. This is also a great pick for families or beginners, especially taking advantage of its cooperative mode that allows two players to progress through the story together.
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Hitbox Review: The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe What is a sequel, if not Stanley persevering? By Jake Dye editor@thenorthernlight.org
Release Date: April 27, 2022 Developer: Crows Crows Crows Platform: PlayStation 5 [Played], PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC In 2013, “The Stanley Parable” was a breakout hit, driven by YouTube lets-plays. People loved it for how silly it was, its varied endings, and its very-meta narrative. I really wanted to play it. I never did. The original game was exclusively released for PCs, and by the time I had access to a capable computer, the game’s popularity had largely faded, and I really just completely forgot about “The Stanley Parable” until the 2018 Game Awards, where “The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” was revealed for release in 2019. This new release of the game was described first and foremost as a console port of the game, finally allowing the degenerates like myself on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch to see what all the fuss was about. The addition of new content was also mentioned but really never defined. That new content is massive in scope, with a script longer than the entire original game. In practice, “The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” is both a 100% faithful port of the original game and an entire brand-new follow-up. That explains why it quietly took three extra years to release. “The Stanley Parable” was an indie title released on Oct. 17, 2013, that explored the idea of choice in a video game. It starred the titular Stanley as a man who worked in an office. In that office, he sat and pushed the buttons that his computer told him to push all day long. The game begins when Stanley realizes one morning that none of his coworkers have come to work, and no commands are coming to his computer. Accompanied by a narrator who instructs the player what to do to complete the game, the player guides Stanley from a first-person perspective and investigates the disappearance of his coworkers. The entirety of “The Stanley Parable” is present and playable in its original form in this release, so players don’t need to feel any pressure to experience the original game before diving into “Ultra Deluxe.” This is the definitive package and effectively replaces the original release. I completed “The Stanley Parable” in 10 minutes. If you follow the narrator’s
SCREENSHOTS BY JAKE DYE
Stanley is employee number 427 in the office building, and he dutifully presses his buttons all day every day. What happens when no one tells him which buttons to push?
instructions, he takes you on a short adventure, the titular “Stanley Parable.” but that’s really not what the game is about. One of the very first things the player sees is a fork in the road, two doors, each leading in different directions. These doors are the basis of the game, its thesis statement. The narrator always tells you to take the door to the left, which leads to the meeting room, maybe Stanley missed a memo. This is the player’s first choice; follow along with the narrator or defy them. Each of the different choices the player can make leads to one of 19 endings of the game. These endings are varied, interesting and often hilarious. Though any of the endings could probably be achieved in 10-15 minutes each, it’s absolutely worth the effort to see them all, and it’s not difficult to see how to achieve them. I went left the first time and saw the “true” ending, so I went right the next time. I went up the stairs the first time, so I tried going downstairs the next. The narrator has dialogue for almost anything the player can do, really calling into question how much free will the player has if the developers intended and planned for everything. Since Stanley doesn’t speak, the narrator is the only voice the player hears, setting the scene, endlessly talking about his vision for the story and pleading with the player to get out of the broom closet. The original “Stanley Parable” is a masterpiece on its own that had me enraptured as I completed each of the endings, eventually consulting a guide for a little clean-up at the end to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I would recommend this game to anyone with an interest in video games as a wholly original commentary on video games and game design. Next, I’m going to dis-
cuss the “Ultra Deluxe” new content, and though I won’t go into spoilers, I really think it is best experienced wholly organically. Players with any interest at this point should really just go play the game. Those who played or experienced the original game especially shouldn’t pass this up as just a port. After completing “The Stanley Parable,” I was finally able to dive into “Ultra Deluxe.” After some time spent playing the game, one of the doors in the office was replaced with a new door that liter-
ally said “New Content.” I held off on proceeding through the door until I was satisfied that I had entirely finished what I wanted to do with the original game, but even after going through the door, the old and new content is still discretely separated and the player can choose which to engage with. The “New Content” is massive. Truly a second game stapled onto the back of the original. There are new adventures for Stanley and new themes to tackle, especially con-
cerning video game reviews and the pressure on the creators to make more “Stanley Parable.” The majority of the new content is a more linear experience than the base game, more directly taking the player on a ride and telling the story it wants to tell. After a certain point, the player is returned to the original office, with a significant twist: now, the player can choose by effectively flipping a switch whether that run is of the original “Stanley Parable,” or if it is using the new “Ultra
Deluxe” content. Every one of the endings of the original game is revamped for this system, adding 24 new endings to the game for a total of 43. That’s a lot of “Stanley Parable,” but somehow it all managed to stay fresh, and after completing everything, there is a slightly hidden epilogue that ties everything together and puts a final bow on “The Stanley Parable.” Forever this time. “The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” as a complete package is one of the most interesting and engaging video games I’ve played. I was wholly engrossed for all my time playing through it and experimenting with endings, and I really couldn’t put it down. There’s no action in the game, though I thought the endless empty halls of the office did get unintentionally (or maybe entirely intentionally) creepy. For players who, like me, have an interest in video games as a medium, an industry and an art form, “The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” is a must-play. It may do less for other players, but I still think there’s a ton of fun to be had in experimenting with choices, seeing silly endings, and exasperating the narrator.
These two doors are the game. “The Stanley Parable” centers on the concept and the illusion of player choice. Players will select their path countless times while playing through the game.
You’ll know where “The Stanley Parable” ends and “The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe” begins.
OPINION
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Opinion: In the streaming wars, we are the only winners By Jake Dye editor@thenorthernlight.org
Streaming has become an increasingly dominant option for entertainment in the modern landscape. The medium pioneered by Netflix now hosts platforms run by dozens of companies. The tough truth for all of these competing platforms is that audiences’ time, attention and money are finite. Netflix reported a loss of subscribers in its first-quarter earnings report this year, for the first time in more than a decade. One of the biggest challenges these services have to overcome is “churn.” This is the idea that subscribers can, and more importantly will, cancel the service if there’s not anything they want to watch. It’s been a while since I used HBO Max, I may as well cancel it for a while and save the money until the next big thing comes out. There’s absolutely no downside to it, and I can easily re-up when there’s something new to see. This means that each platform needs to ensure they have compelling content released each and ev-
ery month to make sure their subscribers don’t go seeking out greener pastures. Producing high-quality content constantly is expensive, it may well be unsustainable for these corporations to keep up, but for the time being, we as the consumers are going to be able to reap the benefits. There are amazing movies and shows coming out constantly these days, and as much as the streamers hate to see it, it’s easy to be the churn problem and just bounce around taking things in. On June 26th, both Netflix and Disney+ simultaneously debuted flagship titles in “Stranger Things” Season 4 and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” respectively. The only obstacle for fans of both series was time. As these massive corporations fight to keep as many people as possible paying, the real result is just an abundance of great shows and movies. Only weeks after that head-to-head bout, Disney+ will be premiering “Ms. Marvel.” It seems at this point that Disney+ will never take another
week off as its “Star Wars” and “Marvel” series overlap through the rest of this year and beyond. None of the streaming platforms can afford to be outdone, Netflix is expanding it’s popular “Witcher” series, producing exciting films with big stars, and doubling down on reality series like “Bling Empire” and “The Circle.” Netflix is also funding lots of neat horror projects, especially through a long-term partnership with Mike Flanagan. Each of the other services is following suit; HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and countless others are investing staggering amounts of money into making sure they have eye-catching material to fill their shelves. There has to be attention paid to quality because subscribers are fickle, all too happy to check out the next service. We are rapidly approaching a critical mass. There will be exciting new stuff coming out every single week in the near future from more than one platform. I think that’s tre-
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about. The battle for supremacy between countless streaming platforms is going to continue for a long time, and there will be some major shakeups down the road. The streaming wars will have
many losers, but for now, we are the winners. We are in control of everything the streamers want; our time, our attention, and our money.
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mendously exciting. Keep the streaming services guessing. Churn through subscriptions and take what you want. Share passwords between family and friends to ensure access to what you care
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News Reporter Gabriel Blanco news3@thenorthernlight.org
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