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In This Issue
August 28, 2012
Staff
News brief
EDITOR IN CHIEF Elika Roohi editor@uafsunstar.com (907) 474-5078
Ian Larsen Sun Star Reporter
COPY EDITOR Lakeidra Chavis
The Sun Star Volume XXXII Number 1 August 28, 2012 The Sun Star’s mission as a campus voice for UAF is to report the news honestly and fairly, announce and chronicle events and provide a forum for expressions of opinion. EDITORIAL OFFICES 101G Wood Center P.O. Box 756640 Fairbanks, AK 99775 Tel: (907) 474-6039 Ads Dept: (907) 474-7540 Fax: (907) 474-5508 www.uafsunstar.com
LAYOUT EDITOR Galen Lott layout@uafsunstar.com (907) 474-6039 PHOTO EDITOR Maleaha Davenport ADVERTISING MANAGER Eli Carlson ads@uafsunstar.com (907) 474-7540 MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Ian Larsen web@uafsunstar.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER distribution@uafsunstar.com REPORTERS Ian Larsen Lakeidra Chavis Erin McGroarty Robin Wood Lex Treinen PHOTOGRAPHERS Erin McGroarty Robin Wood Maleaha Davenport ADVISOR Lynne Lott
Members of various bands perform at the finale of Mountain Stage at Davis Concert Hall in Aug. 2012. Robin Wood
The Sun Star
August 22, 2012 41 of these cases were fatal. The CDC does not know why the outbreak was so high this year. The CDC speculated that the warm weather could have been favorable for the Hoverbikes more than a sci-fi novel Aerofex, an aerospace company, is disease’s transfer. Texas has been hit the working on a fully operational hover bike. hardest by the disease this summer with 586 Aerofex has been working on the bike since confirmed cases and 21 deaths. Don’t freak 2008. The company recently released a video out too much though, in areas where mosof their hoverbike in-action racing around quitoes can carry the virus, only about 1 in the desert. The company keeps a flight log 500 actually carry it. -CNN in order for readers to watch the company’s improvements on the vehicle. The vehicle is Older dads DNA may doom children able to stay off the ground using two ducted Researches in Iceland have suggested in rotors on the bottom of the vehicle. The rorecent studies, that mutations in male DNA tors spin in opposite directions to keep the increase with age. In the study, researches hover bike afloat. The bike is controlled have searched through genomes or genetic by leaning left and right, the same way material makeup, of 78 families for mutaone does with a bike or motorcycle on the tions and looked at the number of genetic ground. The company stated that it has no mutation in children’s DNA in relation to plans to sell the bike to the public since it is the age of the parent. Most children of the for military drone testing. families with older fathers had non-hered-LA Times itary autism or schizophrenia. Researchers speculate that every year a man ages, he The mosquitoes were bad this year Not only were mosquitoes out in force will pass on more than two new mutations this year, they caused the largest outbreak to the conceived child, and that mutation of West Nile virus in the U.S. to date. This rate doubles for fathers between ages 20 to summer has had the highest amount of 58. This study is the first of its kind to make recorded cases of the virus, since the dis- a connection between the entire genome of ease was first detected in 1999. So far, 1,118 the parents in relation to their children. -U.S. News cases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Point and Counterpoint
Perks of being a summer student
August 28, 2012
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Disadvantages of being a summer student
Erin McGroarty Sun Star Reporter
2011. This program gives students the ophundred classes are offered over the Lex Treinen portunity to take 14 credits and only pay for summer semester, compared to 2200 classes Sun Star Reporter the first ten. UAF will pay for the remaining available during the regular semesters. EsSummer in Alaska is a wonderful four credits. Summer Sessions is working to After 6 months of snow and tempera- pecially lacking are the higher level classes, and much anticipated time of year. For provide more summer scholarships so more tures of negative 50, springtime in Fairbanks admits Summer Sessions Director Michelle those staying at UAF June through August, students can take summer classes. brings dreams of long weekends fishing in Bartlett. The intense schedule demanded by “We pride ourselves on being there for Summer Sessions provides students with South Central, day hikes and berry picking summer classes—often meeting four times an affordable and convenient way to earn students and being an advocate for the stu- in the hills around Fairbanks and dips in the per week—can be too much for students. dents,” Bartlett said. “But up until now, UAF Chena River on hot days. Summer classes Armando Arauz, a petroleum engineering course credits. Summer Sessions provides classes that was listed 51st in the nation as far as how are usually far from the consciousness of the student, said covering one or two chapters per day was detrimental to learning. “You are available during the normal school year many needs-based scholarships we provide winter-worn students. don’t have enough time to take and some special classes only availin everything,”Arauz said. Veech able in the summer. This year 314 added that in her experience the classes were offered. This includes compact time schedule sometimes courses that are required for all pushes teachers to skip the details students in a degree program, and that can help make a class useful in that can fill up quickly during the the long run. fall and spring semesters. Summer The administration also ofsessions allow more space, smaller fers fewer organized recreational classes and a greater chance of getactivities in the summer. There are ting into a preferred class. Many no intramurals offered during the students going into medical fields summer, only the women’s rugby are required to complete Anatomy club, Bartlett said. The disc golf and Physiology. Since popular course might be popular, were it courses like these are full during the not for the fact that half of the holes fall and spring semesters, students are closed due to construction. may have an easier time enrolling The Student Recreational Center, in these classes in the summer. Rasmuson Library and the Wood The summer semester is diCenter all have reduced hours. vided up into 4 sessions: one two Hungry students might also find it week intensive session known as hard to feed themselves, since the MAYmester, two 6-week sessions Lola Tilly Commons, Taco Bell and and a full-length session that lasts Freshens are all closed and Polar all summer. The Wood Center stays open during the summer to accomodate the influx of summer sessions students populating the campus. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star Perk, Pizza Luna and Grill 155 have “MAYmester, is a great way to reduced hours. complete general education reStudents have other reasons for nequirements that you might otherwise have and that’s pretty pathetic if you ask me.” “When it gets hot I want to go to the According to Bartlett, 47 events were lake or go hiking,” said senior Anthropology glecting summer school at UAF: a labyrinth trouble motivating yourself to complete,” organized across campus this summer to student Felicia Veech, “I just can’t sit inside of construction projects that makes getting said Natalie Wilson, sophomore biology student. “Summer Session I & II was good for provide a more enjoyable and entertaining studying and look at the sun.” There are across campus seem like navigating a hedge atmosphere for summer sessions student. more concrete reasons than lack of motiva- maze, sometimes blistering summer heat, courses with a little more content.” and, as we are reminded every so often in Students are able to take up to 15 credits These included free films in the library, con- tion. certs at the Botanical Gardens, and guest during the summer. Tuition increases every Some of the same reasons that Summer the summer, throat-choking smoke clouds few years and by taking summer classes, stu- lecturers. The summer season also lends Sessions attracts students to stay in Fair- that blanket campus. When it comes down to it, every students can save time and money, according itself to more creative classes, such as exten- banks over the summer are also reasons to Michelle Bartlett, director of Summer sive field schools that would be impossible that students, particularly local students, dent has to decide for themselves how to Sessions. At UAF, it takes the average student during winter months. might choose to avoid classes. Students like take advantage of the ninety or so days of “I can’t personally think of a reason Veech can take advantage of full-time jobs summer. For some, sitting inside studying is longer than four years to finish their undergraduate degree, Bartlett said. Completing why you wouldn’t want to complete your at Facilities Services and Summer Sessions. not the way to go. “Summer’s are so short,” credits during the summer will make gradu- college career sooner, and summer sessions For example, Veech is saving up her money Veech said, “It’s so hard to study.” is a great way to do that,” Bartlett said. ating in four years a more reachable goal. so that she can finish up her anthropology Summer Sessions is working to make classes more affordable and convenient for students, according to Bartlett. The “Sweet Summer Deal” program was created in
degree and her job at Facilities Services allows her to earn overtime. For some, a more pressing concern is the quality of the education. Over three
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August 28, 2012
News
The Sun Star
It’s a village life Students prepare to move in to Sustainable Housing Lex Treinen and Lakeidra Chavis Sun Star Reporters In a quiet section of the woods across the railroad tracks from Lola Tilly Commons, construction workers scurry about sawing boards and pounding nails. Few might notice, besides the squirrels skittering about and the geese flying above, the four new homes that exist among the trees. Tamarack, spruce, birch and willow trees surround the houses, and wood chips create pathways to the houses that will become homes for the students living there over the next year. This is the Sustainable Village. Halfway through our applications we had our doubts. The brand new housing complex looked good on the advertisements, but as we read through the housing contract created by Sustainability student workers we wondered what we might be getting ourselves into. Each student would have a role in the village, whether it was monitoring energy consumption or organizing tours for people who wanted to visit the village. We would agree to change our
living habits to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. By living in the village, we wouldn’t have cable, washers or dryers. The homes of the village are designed to test some of the ideas that the Cold Climate Housing and Research Center has been working on in rural communities. Sustainability was a key factor throughout the process. “This will be a world class facility and will get world class attention,” said Jack Hebert, President and CEO of the CCHRC. The architects and builders used local and recycled materials whenever possible. The pipe accents on the houses are recycled from the Alaska Pipeline. The labor was all local and the majority of the workers were students. “The more we can utilize local materials and people the better,” said Jack Hebert. “It keeps money in the community.” In the village each home is constructed differently, which will allow the administrators and students to understand which designs are the most efficient. All four homes have outside insulation. Some of the homes use rigid foam insulation while others use locally produced recycled cellulose. The
houses were also designed to fit into the surrounding environment, minimizing tree removal. Eighteen residents will move into the village during the coming week. Our actions will determine if the village a success. Since the homes are energy efficient, there will be no more long hot showers or mindless hours playing video games. “There’s a lot of responsibility on you guys,” Jack Hebert said. Working with other residents in the village, we will decide what should be included in the village. Decisions about gardens and recycling are up to us. “One kid said they wanted chickens, one kid wanted a fire pit, one kid wanted to
do compost,” said Michele Hebert. Whether these ideas are actualized is up to the students. “I am just a facilitator,” Michele Hebert said. Although responsibility is not generally a priority for students, sooner or later we’ll all face it whether its’ responsibility for our academics, lives or our planet. We’ll be doing our best to make the Village a success and are excited for this new adventure. No matter what, the Sustainable Village will be an awesome learning experience for us, our neighbors, the campus and Alaska.
Lakeidra Chavis, sophomore in Pyschology, gets ready to cook her first meal in the new Sustainable Village off of Geist Road at UAF. Tuesday Aug. 12th, 2012, Maleaha Davenport/ Sun Star
Construction continues at the Sustainable Village, for one of the four houses they call “Spruce” due to the trees that are around area. Aug. 12th, 2012, Maleaha Davenport/ Sun Star
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News
August 28, 2012
UAF alumnus bring home med- Technophobe Apple v. Samsung lawsuit concludes als from London Olympics Erin McGroarty Sun Star Reporter Two University of Alaska Fairbanks alumnus made their school proud during this year’s 2012 London Olympics. Matt Emmons (Class of 2003) and Jamie Gray (Class of 2006) each won a medal in the games’ rifle events, which took place at the end of July. Though their time on the Nanook Rifle team overlapped for only a year, both Emmons and Gray shot for all four years of their undergraduate programs. Emmons competed in rifle in two previous summer Olympics. This year, Emmons won a bronze medal in the men’s 50-meter three position event, earning his first medal ever in the Olympic games. He was in second place up until the last 10 shots of the final competition but was pleased with the end result. According the UAF Athletic’s website, Emmons said in response to his third place medal “Anytime you can be on the podium at the Olympics is a pretty cool thing. After the last shot I looked down and thought ‘hey, I got bronze, cool’.” Emmons shot above 10 in each of the 9 shots leading up to his last shot, but shot a 7.6 in his last shot, sinking him from silver standing to bronze. He would have kept the silver placing had he shot above an 8.9.
Olympic medalist and UAF Alum Jamie Gray. Photo courtesy of USA Shooting.
Emmons has participated in the Olympics three times now. After winning his bronze medal in London, Emmons explained that he was happy to even be at the Olympics this year after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and undergoing heavy treatment in 2010. “Just to be alive is good”, Emmons said. Four years and four Olympic finals later, Gray took fifth place in the first shooting event of the Olympics, the women’s 10meter Air Rifle event. Gray was introduced to the international shooting arena in 2002 while shooting for the Nanooks and has won many gold medals since then, but this will be the first Olympic medal of her career. Gray not only won a Gold medal in the women’s 50-meter three position event final, but also broke two Olympic records. Gray finished her last round with a whopping score of 691.9. This score beat out China’s Du Li who previously held the Olympic record of 690.3 from the 2008 Beijing games. Gray’s final shot of the event was a 10.9. 1 point off of an entirely perfect shot. “I needed patience,” Gray said, according the UAF Athletics web page, “I was on top of it today, it was just awesome.”
Olympic medalist and UAF Alum Matt Emmons. Photo courtesy of USA Shooting.
Megan Youngreen Sun Star Columnist
Samsung and Apple have been fighting a lawsuit over the usage of Apple patents. The lawsuit also deals with Samsung allegedly copying the iPhone’s icons and visual style when creating their Android smartphones. Android provides the base functionality of many phones, but Google does not produce hardware itself, just the software. The case could affect Android users unless expansive licensing agreements are signed between Google and Apple or between Apple and individual manufacturers. Apple brought consumer-friendly smart phones into reality with the iPhone in 2007. In response, Google began updating their Android prototype, what was then a Blackberry lookalike, to incorporate a touch screen. When the first Android phone went on sale in 2008, the Android software was not up to par with the iPhone’s. Android was quickly adopted because Google allowed companies to use and modify the operating system for free. Apple wouldn’t let anyone else use their OS. The result: more new Androids are set up per day than iPhones. Apple had initially been partners with Google, bundling Google Maps and YouTube with their first iPhone. Apple felt they could be the delivery method for Google services. Eric Schmidt, then-CEO of Google, was on Apple’s board of directors. That relationship ended quickly. The late Steve Jobs said he wanted an “all out thermonuclear war on Android.” Without directly attacking Google, Apple charged a legal crusade against any company producing phones using Android, which includes Motorola, HTC, and Samsung. In 2010 Samsung launched a series of Android devices, known as “Galaxy S” phones. Lightweight, with beautiful screens and adequate battery life, these phones could’ve been competitive by just running plain Android. However, Samsung made two significant design changes: they modified Android to make it look like the iPhone and the phone hardware looked similar to the iPhone 3GS. Samsung had led Google into a bad situation. Samsung stood as Apple’s shining example of wrongdoing. Their lawsuit took two paths: asking for damages for copying their style and asking for damages for using techniques they had patented. Android’s
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interface, ‘home’ and ‘unlock’ screens, menus and such, don’t look much like the iPhone’s, but Samsung’s phones did. Many of the patents brought up were general to all of Android. With this lawsuit, Apple could force removal of major features from new and existing Androids. Apple has a patent on ‘multitouch’ which includes pinch-tozoom, and having a keyboard able to sense when two keys are pressed simultaneously. They also have a patent on manipulating lists as if spinning a physical wheel - known as kinetic scrolling. Other Apple patents cover in-device search, and slide to unlock. One could argue that Apple is trying to kill off competition and that some of these features are generic. Regardless, certain Samsung phones were given trade injunctions this July, preventing import into the US until in-device search was removed from the code. The change was sent to existing phones via software update as well. While Android devices are often not updated, it is now possible for features to be ‘removed’ by the manufacturer post-sale. If Apple allows companies to settle and pay to license the features could stay. It is within Apple’s rights to not allow licensing at all. On Aug. 24, the jury returned with a result of Apple winning over a billion dollars in damages. It gives legitimacy to their legal claims against other Android manufacturers, and against Google itself. How this outcome will affect users is yet to be seen.
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August 28, 2012
Arts & Entertainment
The Sun Star
Mountain Stage unites Alaska with national music scene. Robin Wood Sun Star Reporter Outside UAF’s Fine Art Complex rain mixed with rainbows. Inside yellow gaff tape with the words “AK YES!” were stuck on boxes of equipment being loaded into Davis Concert Hall Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. Those two words sum up the experience of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s show Mountain Stage. The company that produced a special two-night, two-show recording for their audiences on National Public Radio. Performances ranged from solo singer songwriters to full six-piece, boot-rocking bands. Bands with Alaskan roots, like The Whipsaws, Melissa Mitchell, Bearfoot, Steve Brown and the Bailers and Pat Fitzgerald and Robin Dale Ford shared the stage with nationally known acts such as Hot Club of Cowtown and Horse Feathers, in front of the nearly sold-out crowd Davis Concert Hall. Mountain Stage, with its signature opening “Live performance radio from the mountain state of West Virginia,” was recorded Aug. 17 and 18. The show is airing nationally the weeks after Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, depending on station location. Artistic director Larry Groce, and host of every show in Mountain Stage’s 29-year history, said the production felt right at home, despite being thousands of miles
away. Groce attributed the familiarity to the “hillbilly hospitality” in rural communities. He characterized the phenomenon as a desire to spend time with family and friends, rather then chasing material possessions, a place people stop to help someone broken down on the side of the road, rather then keep driving and neighbors who depend on one another while enjoying each other’s company. Pat Fitzgerald and Robin Dale Ford, who record under their independent record label 10th Plant Records and operate 10th Planet Recording outside of Fairbanks, are no strangers to hillbilly hospitality. “This is a small town, so, it’s kind of a group effort,” Ford said of the recording process in the white-tiled halls backstage at Davis Concert Hall. Fitzgerald elaborated. As opposed to a major record label that would bring in a production manager, “They produce, but we wind up helping them.” Originally from the small town of Kasilof, in Southern Alaska, singer-songwriter Melissa Mitchell opened the weekend extravaganza with her blending of folk, soul and blues music. Her voice was calm but laced with evident excitement as Mitchell told the audience she could now cross performing on Mountain Stage off her bucket list. Her varying tempos, smooth, powerful voice and lyrics about love, life and the diffi-
Local band Steve Brown and the Bailers open during the second night of NPR’s Mountain Stage at the Davis Concert Hall in Aug. 2012. Robin Wood
Pat Fitzgerald and Robin Dale Ford, accompanied by the Mountain Stage band, play at the Davis Concert Hall in Aug. 2012. Robin Wood
Tim Easton plays in the Davis Concert Hall for NPR’s Mountain Stage in Aug. 2012. Robin Wood
culty of finding one’s roots made the perfect herald for acts to follow. After the show, as dusk diminished outside the Fine Arts Complex Friday night, Elana James from Hot Club of Cowtown felt right at home. The five-time veteran of Mountain Stage said the fun and exotic location gave the show an “extra crackling energy.” Getting a chance to show off her fiddle skills and playful stage presence, James had been excited to share her song “Forgetme-nots” with the crowd, a name that pays homage to Alaska’s state flower. The threepiece band’s up-tempo, western swing closed out the first night, including a special encore the crowd received with a standing ovation. James said it was the “most fun.”
she’s had playing Mountain Stage. Mountain Stage was the finale to UAF Summer Sessions and coincides with KUAC’s 50th anniversary, and proved unforgettable for many. But for those who missed it, or want a reminder, the show will air on KUAC 89.9 the last Saturday of September and the first Saturday of October at its normal time of 2 p.m. Audiences will also be able to find the broadcast online at www. mountainstage.org.
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Check on DegreeWorks using the “What if” option, then call 455-2869.
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August 28, 2012
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August 28, 2012
The Sun Star
www.uafsunstar.com
Sports
August 28, 2012
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Alaska senior games brings competition and camaraderie Ian Larsen Sun Star reporter
Above: Fairbanks senior, John Lysen, throws a disc at the first hole of the UAF disc golf course during the Alaska International Senior Games on Saturday, Aug 18, 2012. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star. Below: Long time Fairbanksan and supporter of Nanook athletics, Peggy Birkenbuel (left foreground), throws a disc at the third hole of UAF’s disc golf course as her teammate, Rachel Thomas (left background), looks on, during the 2012 Alaska International Senior Games on Saturday, Aug 18. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star.
Alaskan winters can be long and harsh, making it vital to enjoy the summer sun as much as possible. The Alaska International Senior Games gives Alaskan senior citizens the opportunity to be active and have fun in the sun before winter. This year was the games 10th annual competition where senior citizens ages 50 and older can sign up to compete in athletic event around Fairbanks. AISG president Diann Darnall operates this non-profit organization. “[Diann] does a wonderful job organizing us and supporting us, and she keeps it fun,” said Senior Games participant John Berhdal. Participants compete in three different age groups. Athletes who place in an event will receive a gold, silver or bronze medal. If an athlete places in a qualifying event, they will be invited to compete in the National Senior Games which will be held in Cleveland, Ohio in 2013. Out of all the events, archery, basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, horseshoes, racquetball, road running races, softball, table tennis, tennis, track and field and the triathlon are all qualifying sports for next year’s National Senior Games event. Some of the non-qualifying events consisted of bocce, disc golf, ice hockey, indoor shooting, mini golf, swimming, track and field and trap shooting. “One nice things about the senior games is there are a lot of different things you can do,” said Charlotte Berhdal, a disc golf participant. “It’s a huge benefit to our community to have athletes from throughout Alaska, the lower 48 and Canada because it fosters healthy, active seniors,” Said Diann Darnall in an email. “It also, promotes friendship, sportsmanship, and healthy competition.”
Archery and disc golf were hosted on campus. Competing athletes ranged from recreational players to determined qualifiers. In the disc golf competition teams of two played through the course to win the gold. Disc golf has attracted many new participants since AISG included the disc golf in the games in 2011. “We played frisbee golf for the first time at the Senior Games last year,” John Berdahl said. “We liked it so much, we even bought our own discs.” At the archery event, participants can choose one type of bow out of a compound, bare bow or recurve bows. Each participant shot 900 rounds at 60, 50 and 40 yards to determine their scores for the competition. This year’s AISG brought in a record 341 participants as opposed to the 261 participants from last year. The AISG also brings the senior community together through social events. The senior games had an opening ceremony that includes the lighting of the senior games torch and a wellness walk. The passing of the torch was performed by Jane Lanford who ran the flame, it was then passed to Bettie Upright, the eldest participant of the games at age 97. Upright passed the torch to Laird Grantham who lit the torch and allowed Bettie Upright to proclaim the Alaska Senior Games open. The AISG committee also hosted a “Fantastic Fifties, Sensational Sixties” themed dance, a closing ceremony, and a dinner. The closing ceremony and dinner took place on the Riverboat Discovery. “It’s important to the seniors participating,” said John Berhdal, “It changes the outlook on what you can do.”
HONORS PROGRAM Ut Prosim
Welcomes Students, Faculty and Staff to the
“Best kept secret on campus!” 520 Copper Lame (Behind Chapman Bldg.) • • • •
Come by and learn about our: Curriculum Scholarship Opportunities Networking Activities Leadership
The coffee is always on! Email: uaf.honors@alaska.edu www.uaf.edu/honors/ (907)474-6612
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Opinion
August 28, 2012
Putting our office space where our mouth is Students are trickling back on campus, ready to pick up where they left off in the spring. I’m back on campus ready to pick up where I left off a year ago. I spent the last year studying abroad in Florence, Italy and Amman, Jordan. I returned during the summer to take over as editor-in-chief of the The Sun Star. I’m a journalism student starting my third year at UAF, and I’ve worked for the paper since the beginning of my college career. I am excited to work more closely with The Sun Star and the student body at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Sun Star isn’t the only organization I’m a part of on campus. I’m a member of the Baha’i Club, a group that gets together once a week and discusses spiritual topics. We used to meet in the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity. An office that closed on July 20. A decision was made this summer at the administrative level to restructure the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity and the Women’s Center. They will cease to be separate entities. Ana Richards, former manager of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity, now works at the Nordic House. Richards still works with diversity-related issues on campus. However she now focuses on “institutionalizing diversity,” a phrase Mae Marsh, director of Diversity and Equal Opportunity and a key player in this project, mentioned several times during a meeting regarding the changes, held on Aug. 22. The Women’s Center, currently located at 112 Eielson, is going to become a general resource center staffed by graduate students on Aug. 30. Due to staff, faculty and student concern the decision has been paused for now. According to the Regent’s Policy, “The board intends that faculty, staff and student participation in university governance be an integral part of the university’s community culture.” This didn’t happen. Making the decision to shut down
the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity and the Women’s Center is in direct violation of this policy, because no students or staff were included in the process. On a campus where the incoming freshman class is 52.2% minority groups, according to the UAF website facts page, getting rid of this office is appalling. So is this a lack of funding issue? No one’s told me. I suspect it runs a little bit deeper. The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity never had enough funding to do what they wanted to. The lack of funding meant they weren’t able to host many events so they didn’t attract as many students. The lack of student invovlment led to a lack of funding. It’s a vicious cycle and the solution of combining the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity and the Women’s Center into a general resource center that is currently being carried out is not the answer. Having a Women’s Center staffed with professionals is incredibly important. The proposed changes will fill the general resource center with graduate students, who may not be equipped to handle the problems that arise in their job. Issues directly relating to women, such as abortion or contraception, have been dominating the news and will be important in this years election. Shutting down the Women’s Center sends us the message that UAF is not interested in helping female students and staff in a time where they need more help than ever. So what can you do? Speak out, write letters to Chancellor Rogers and create the right kind of resistance that is motivated by caring and not frustration. We won’t get anywhere by attacking anyone, but we might get there if we work together and consult on ways to resolve this issue.
Elika Roohi Editor-in-Chief
STEESE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Recruitment
The Steese Volunteer Fire Department is recruiting for individuals interested in becoming volunteer firefighters or volunteer medics. The department will provide all firefighting and medical certification needs and operates a live-in program for those interested. Just 10 minutes from campus, the dept is largely comprised of college students and residents of the service area. The recruit class starts on Satur day, September 22nd. If you are interested, call us at 4571508 to request an application.
The Sun Star
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Say “Ah” Welcome to UAF! If you’re new to our school I’d like to introduce you to “Say Ah.” This column is about health topics which we hope you find interesting and useful during your time here at UAF. The writer of the column is usually Donna Patrick who is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner here at the Student Health and Counseling Center (SHCC). Today, however, I’m guest-writing the column to present a few FAQ’s about our Center. Here goes: 1) What is the $105 “Health Center Fee” which appears on my fee statement? This fee is charged to all students taking 9 or more credits during the fall or spring semesters. It basically allows you to use the health center for unlimited appointments at no additional charge (with a few exceptions). What a deal! This fee is different and separate from the student health insurance plan, which you may or may not need (see below). 2) What kind of services do you provide? We provide medical and counseling services to eligible UAF students. Medical services include, for example, acute care appointments (sore throats, injured ankles, etc), screening and preventive care visits (sexually transmitted infection testing, pap smears, etc), and ongoing care appointments (high blood pressure, depression, etc.) Our counselors see students for many issues including, but not limited to, managing stress, relationship issues, anxiety and depression. 3) Who is eligible to use the SHCC? Anyone taking 6 or more credits per semester can use the SHCC. If you’re taking 9 or more credits it will be automatically added to your fee statement. It is optional for students taking 6-8 credits/se-
mester. 4) Are there additional charges to use the SHCC? Our clinic provides some basic medications and laboratory testing onsite. We offer these at very low cost and can bill the student insurance plan if you’re on it. For counseling visits, the first 6 visits are free; each subsequent visit is $15/visit. 5) What about insurance? UAF requires students taking 9 or more credits to have health insurance. Many students are on their parents’ plans and if not, there is a student plan available through UAF. There are new rules about insurance which include the option of students staying on their parents’ insurance until they turn 26, so make sure you check with your folks to see if you’re eligible. If you don’t have insurance, you can learn more about the student plan by visiting our website at www.uaf.edu/chc. Please note that the fee for insurance (unlike the health center fee) is not automatically placed on your fee statement – you must elect to have it added. If you have any health questions you’d like Donna to cover, please email her at uaf-sh-cc@ alaska.edu. You can visit our website at www. uaf.edu/chc to learn more about us and health topics. We wish you a happy and healthy year at UAF! B.J. Aldrich MD
Sponsored by UAF Student Health and Counseling Center For additional information, contact the Center for Health and Counseling at 474-7043 or visit our Web site at www.uaf.edu/chc Division of Student Services
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Leisure
August 28, 2012
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