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In This Issue
April 26, 2011
Staff EDITOR IN CHIEF Andrew Sheeler editor@uafsunstar.com (907) 474-5078 LAYOUT EDITOR Heather Bryant layout@uafsunstar.com (907) 474-6039
The Sun Star Volume XXX Number 27 April 26, 2011 The Sun Star’s mission is to provide a voice for the UAF campus and be a written record where news, people’s opinions, and events (whether extraordinary or ordinary) are expressed honestly and fairly. 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
COPY EDITOR Rebecca Coleman MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jeremy Smith web@uafsunstar.com AD MANAGER Alex Kinn fyads@uaf.edu (907) 474-7540 DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Daniel Thoman distribution@uafsunstar.com ASSISTANT DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Ben Deering REPORTERS Kelsey Gobroski Elika Roohi Amber Sandlin Jeremia Schrock COLUMNISTS Jamie Hazlett Jeremia Schrock PHOTOGRAPHERS JR Ancheta Dillon Ball ADVISOR Lynne Snifka
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This Week Politics Campus Life A&E Sports Perspectives Editorial Online Science and crime, not necessarily in that order.
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Nookraker tackles deferred maintenance and ASUAF election info (for those who bother to vote).
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Quidditch comes to UAF, is wand dueling next? The Pub hosts a taste of Alaska, the Wood Center is out for a smoke
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Sharks, lemon cake and a steampunk Ironman, need we say more?
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Tournament charity gives a shot to the Heart (Walk Foundation), and dodge ball is to blame. Also, we cover more UAF intramural action.
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The last Weekend Wanderlust and Random Errors 14 of the year!
Sharing the road means bikes AND cars belong.
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Elika is a beat-boxing, ukulele-playing mastah. Get your groove on with This Week in Music.
Yuzhun Evanoff reaches to stop the quaffle as it sails towards the goal during Quidditch practice on Thursday, April 21, 2011. Jamie Hazlett/Sun Star
Check out the Sun Star on Facebook for breaking news and updates!
This Week
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Science Briefs Plastic heals itself Swiss researchers invented a new rubbery plastic that self-heals under ultraviolet light. Up until now, some plastics can be melted to form a smooth surface again, but this old approach may be impossible if the material cannot be removed from the device. Ultraviolet light heats only the scratch. The plastic responds to ultraviolet light because metal ions are interspersed into polymer chains, plastic’s backbone. The metals heat up under light and the chain melts, filling in the scratch. The plastic could be used in cell phone covers or paints.
- Nature
April 26, 2011
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Compiled by Kelsey Gobroski Sun Star Reporter
Malaria-resistant mosquitoes reproduce effectively A new study describes how to quickly disseminate a gene in a mosquito population as scientists continue trying to genetically modify mosquitoes to be less likely to carry malaria. Mosquitoes have already been modified to be resistant to malaria, but until now, there has been no way to ensure the resistant genes will spread through wild populations. The new gene appears in all the male mosquito’s sperm, and thus passes on to its entire offspring. Half the experiment’s mosquitoes had the gene after 12 generations.
- BBC
Gulf restoration kicks off BP agreed to provide $1 billion to the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico a year after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, though the company may be responsible for up to $21 billion. The oil spill pumped nearly 5 million barrels of oil over 87 days in 2010. Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, the Department of the Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will receive $100 million, with the remaining money used for other federally-selected projects. Because the entire gulf was impacted, the cleanup will encompass many different aspects of the ecosystem to guarantee restoration of wildlife and habitat. - New York Times
Scientists up the ante on antimatter Scientists discovered the heaviest antimatter particles technologically possible at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider last week. The new antihelium vanished after 10 billionths of a second. Antimatter is just like regular matter, but with an equal and opposite charge. Antimatter and matter used to exist simultaneously and should have collided and cancelled one another out, but somehow matter prevailed. Next week, an instrument will be sent to the International Space Station that will look for signs of antimatter stars.
-guardian.co.uk
All persons referred to in the blotter are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Suicidal thoughts
Amber Sandlin Sun Star Reporter
In the evening of Wednesday, April 13, a resident of MBS talked to a Residence Life staff member about not being happy with his or her life. The staff member contacted UAF police to come evaluate the resident to see if the resident was in danger or just talking to vent. UAF police helped the resident to the police car to be transported to the hospital to talk to a doctor.
Unexpected communication
Hit and drag
On Monday, April 11, a female student received a strange phone call. Blowing it off as a wrong number, she went on about her day. She continued to receive strange phone calls for the rest of the day and then began receiving text messages. Upon investigation, it was found to be her friend’s ex-boyfriend. Because she doesn’t live on campus or in the UAF police jurisdiction, officers referred her to the Alaska State Troopers.
At 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, a person was riding a bike past the botanical gardens when a vehicle hit him. The victim got stuck under the car and was dragged under the vehicle for a few feet. The vehicle did not stop and the cyclist had moderate injuries and was released from the hospital the next day. UAF police are asking the community to call if anyone has information to help identify the driver.
Missing girls found
Bar fight
A driver was passing the botanical gardens, when he saw two young-looking girls walking down the road on Monday, April 11. Since the weather was windy and cold, the driver called UAF police to inform them of his concern. An officer caught up with the girls and, after looking in the system, found them to be reported missing from earlier that day. The girls were taken to another agency’s custody to determine what would happen next.
Early morning on Monday, April 18, the Alaska State Troopers called the UAF fire department and UAF police to come help break up a fight at the Red Fox. The fight took place inside the bar and ended up in the kitchen. The fight was between five or more people. One of the men involved in the fight kicked a woman in the face with his military boot, knocking her out. Everyone involved was arrested.
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April 26, 2011
Politics
ASUAF Weekly Update
Nookraker Where to now, St. Peter? Jeremia Schrock Sun Star Reporter This past year, UAF added some impressive cartridges to its bandoleer of successes. The Board of Regents (BOR) approved the long-awaited anti-discrimination policy. It finalized the tuition increases through the 2012-13 fiscal year. The university saw its bond package get the “a-okay” from voters before finally begin construction on the new Life Sciences Building. To top it all off, the Board also approved the creation of a film major in order to take advantage of a tax-credit currently offered by the state legislature. But, with so many issues resolved – or at least temporarily placed on the backburner in the case of tuition increases – the question now is where do we, as students, go from here? What will become the new clarion call to rouse students to action? As Elton John once sang, “Where to now, St. Peter?” There is one issue that I think a worthwhile – if less glamorous – candidate. While “fixing the roof” is a much less attractive slogan compared to “granting equal rights for all,” equal rights do not keep one warm during the long, cold and snowy winter months that one is in school. What keeps a person warm is buildings, especially the (aged) power plant. Without those, there is no UAF. At present, the UA system has more than $750 million worth in deferred maintenance. According to a PowerPoint presentation made available by Facilities Services, the majority of buildings on campus were constructed between 1958 and 1972. The average age for buildings on campus is 35 years. The oldest building still in use, the Eielson building, was build almost 80 years ago. In fact, the number of buildings in need of repair and/or renovation is absurd. What is even more ridiculous is the number of buildings whose maintenance costs go well over $10 million each: Elvey, O’Neill, Irving I, Irving II, the Ice Arena, the Patty Center, the Lola Tilly Commons, Constitution Hall, Gruening, Eielson, U-Park and last, but never least, the Power
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Plant. Yes, the deferred renewal need of all of these buildings is at least $110 million. In other words, 13 percent of the operating budget for the entire UA system for all of fiscal year 2011. That’s a minimum. The worst part is, even if UAF wanted to fix itself up all pretty, it doesn’t have the money to do so. The BOR only received $37.5 million for the whole of the UA system. It doesn’t take a mathematics professor to know that isn’t enough to cut it. The State Legislature is so concerned about declining oil revenue that it’s tightening its belt without (or so it seems) really considering the future cost to the university system – especially when one considers how outdated the infrastructure is already. The university is a state-operated system that deserves the full support of the state government and legislature. As Section 7.2 of the state constitution writes: “the University of Alaska is hereby established as the state university.” Ergo, state support. However, there is no way I intend to end my final Nookraker of the year on a sour note. Despite the lack of funding, UAF is being gutsy and moving ahead with their campus restoration projects. Within the past several years, the university has begun repairing the showers in Skarland Hall, finished rebuilding the exterior of the CTC campus (making it more energy-savvy), revamped part of Gruening for the recently revitalized Psychology PhD program and has started replacing the worn-out sewer pipes that snake their way across campus. Plus, they even replaced the carpeting in Eielson. While it’s not something to get too excited about, at least it’s aesthetically pleasing. Jeremia gives his opinion on university, state and national issues in the Nookraker: a weekly political column which tackles issues relevant to Nanooks both at home and abroad.
Jeremia Schrock Sun Star Reporter
The following briefs were compiled Website down (again) from notes taken during the April 24 The ASUAF website is down again. Acmeeting of the ASUAF senate. The meeting cording to Sen. Chair Ryan Duffy, there discussed several senate bills and the FY12 was a “hard drive problem with the server ASUAF budget. we bought.” ASUAF was told by OIT that it Present: needs to purchase a new server. Hollie Seiler, John Netardus, Ryan Student advisor a no-go Duffy, Joshua Cooper, Dillon Ball, Arthur Pres. Nicole Carvajal strongly advoMartin, Jennifer Chambers, Ean Pfeiffer, cated for an advisor for ASUAF, allotting Chelsea Holt, Robert Kinnard III, Paul Pharr, $20,000 in the FY12 budget to accommoand Jesse Cervin. date the creation of a new position. Carvajal Sun Star emergency funding stated that while ASUAF has an Executive Andrew Sheeler, Editor-in-Chief of the Officer (Sabra Phillips), she is in no way Sun Star, formally requested that the Ex- an advisor when it comes to ensuring the ecutive Committee kill SB 176-010: Sun Star senate follows its bylaws or rules of proceFiscal Responsibility Act of 2011. Sheeler dure. The advisor would also have ensured stated that the Publication Board (which that new senators be properly trained and oversees the Sun Star) will be discussing educated in the procedures of the senate. it’s funding concerns with Vice Chancellor Several senators spoke against the idea, Mike Sfraga and Executive Office Ali Kinabe. stating that the position would be a “useless Quorum stays addition” (Martin) to ASUAF. SB 176-023: Removing Quorum was By a vote of 3-0-8 the line item approsponsored by Sen. Joshua Cooper and had priating money for a student advisor was cut no fiscal impact. The bill was written due from the budget. to the reoccurring issue of senate comSun Star summer funding mittees not meeting due to a failure to The FY12 ASUAF budget has allotted make quorum. The bill would have made the Sun Star $5,607.30 to operate online “quorum” a simple majority. Pres. Nicole over the summer. The money was allotted Carvajal made the motion to dismiss and by way of an advertisement purchase. was seconded by Sen. Dillon Ball. The legisSeiler stays lation was dismissed. This means that such A motion made by Sen. Jennifer Chama bill cannot be brought to the senate again bers during the April 17 meeting to remove during this term. Sen. Hollie Seiler was withdrawn.
Assassin equipment SB 176-024: Squirt Guns will allot $400 to the Residence Hall Association (RHA) to allow said group to purchase water guns for this semesters game of Assassins. The original legislation called for $600 but a motion was made to amend said legislation by Sens. Dillon Ball and John Netardus. The bill was further amended to state that any left over funding would go to the RHA to purchase prizes for the games winners. A motion to consent passed the bill.
Zoom zoom SB 176-025: Society of Automotive Engineers would allot $2,000 to the abovementioned organization. Mike Golub and several colleagues were present in support of the bill. The bill was written during during the meeting and sponsored by Sen. Jesse Cervin. The bill was moved to Executive Committee.
Elections board issues? According to Sen. Chair Ryan Duffy the Elections Board made changes to the elections manual without the consent of the senate. According to Pres. Nicole Carvajal, the elections board is allowed to do so if the need arises. Elections Board Chair Robert Kinnard III stated that the minutes from the meeting where the manual was changed were being typed and would be emailed to Duffy on Monday.
Club Karneval parade Sens. John Netardus, Chelsea Holt and Jennifer Chambers will be judges for the Club Karneval Parade event during SpringFest.
Budget passes senate By a motion of consent, the FY12 budget for ASUAF passed the senate. Like any legislation, the president has the option of vetoing it.
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Election Preview
April 26, 2011
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Con cer Boa t rd ASUAF Election Preview e t a n e S Sena te April 27-29
Elections Board chair Robert Kinnard III (standing) looks at his notes while presidential candidate Mari Freitag makes a statement during the April 18 ASUAF candidate forum in the Wood Center’s multi-level lounge. Freitag is currently the ASUAF Vice President and is running with senator Dillon Ball. Only the presidential and vice-presidential candidates were in attendence, although senate and concert board candidates had been invited. Jeremia Schrock/Sun Star
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Name: Monika Kunat (President) Bio: I am a first generation American, and I am bi-lingual. I have
President Vice-President
visited Juneau several times to advocate on behalf of the University and played a role in bringing the bookstore back to UAF by organizing a student petition in 2009. I have served three terms on the ASUAF Senate and I am ready to tackle large issues that are important to UAF students.
Name: Jennifer Chambers (Vice President)
Bio: I will be graduating this spring with a B.S. in chemistry. In the fall, I will be a graduate student at UAF, working towards a M.A. in education. While at UAF, I have served as ASUAF Senate Chair, chair of various ASUAF committees, the student commissioner on the Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education and a student representative on various campus committees, including TAB.
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April 26, 2011
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Bludgering Along
UAF Quidditchers prepare for match, final exams Jeremia Schrock Sun Star Reporter A field covered in ice and mud. Two goals, each at opposite ends of the pitch, stand tall and inviting. A dozen students split amongst two teams are kneeling on the ground, heads down, brooms at the ready. They are waiting. “Eyes down!” booms a male voice. “Brooms down!” He shouts again. A brief pause before a final call, “Quidditch!” The teams are up, brooms nestled between their legs, as they begin to play a game that is as fantastical as it is real: Quidditch. Quidditch, a game torn from the pages of the bestselling Harry Potter book series, has found a place amongst the students of UAF. What is Quidditch? “It’s a game you play with a broom between your legs, a cape on your back and one-handed,” said Josh Hovis, a sociology student and the brains behind Quidditch on campus. In the fantasy novel “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” author JK Rowling tells of her young hero playing the game of Quidditch for the first time. The goal of the game is to throw a ball (called a “quaffle”) into one of three hoops. Like most games, whoever has the most points wins. The game is over when a ball, called the Golden Snitch, is caught.
Rowling’s Quidditch, however, is also played on broomsticks, in the air, and is a cross between dodge ball and rugby. While the brooms UAF students use are (sadly) not capable of flight, the dodge ball connection has been maintained. If anything, the real-life version of the game is less brutal than its literary counterpart. The game exchanges the rugby aspect for a more basketball-like level of physicality, said Dawson Arthur. It is a fastpaced and athletically demanding game, with players running, sliding, panting and laughing their way across the field. Arthur, an English major, is one of the students heading up the newly founded UAF Quidditch Club. While the game is physically demanding, it is far from exclusive. People of various physical builds, skill levels and interests are taking part. “It’s a fun time for so many types of people,” Arthur said, who stressed the games role as being Keeper Vince Hnilicka and other players watch the quaffle thrown by Dezen Howell both accessible, and a way to bring a approach the goal during Quidditch practice on Thursday, April 21, 2011. Jamie diverse group of people together. “There’s Hazlett/Sun Star something in it for everyone and everyone encouraging a healthy lifestyle, adding that about Quidditch on Facebook and received can play it.” “I think it adds a different dimension to the people playing it are happy, healthy and positive responses from students. Soon after, the club was established with Rogers campus life and intramural activity,” Hovis have a sense of community. Laurel Gangloff, a B.S. student and as the club’s advisor. said. He believes that Quidditch is Quidditch player, agrees. “It’s really, really “I think it’s going to be a good sport for fun and positive,” she said. “There hasn’t our freshmen,” Rogers said. “I think we can been anything negative about it, and I’ve get a lot out of this Quidditch deal.” met a bunch of cool people!” UAF is currently the only campus in “I like running around with the broom,” the UA system that has a Quidditch club. Gangloff said. “It’s really good exercise.” According to Arthur, the UAF Women’s “The game is probably more fun than Hockey team has expressed interest in it has a right to be,” Hovis said. While Hovis starting a Quidditch team. Heather Barile, is responsible for much of the planning manager of the Pub, stated that she intends and organization, the idea for Quidditch to have a Pub Quidditch team next year. came from (oddly enough) the campus “We’re shoe-ins,” she added. administration. Gangloff had a few words for those who The drive for a campus Quidditch club were hesitant about playing in a game whose began last October when Cody Rogers, the origins are in Harry Potter. “Just freaking go,’ Assistant Director of Student Activities, is all I can say. Just try it.” received an email from Mike Sfraga. Sfraga Hovis echoed that sentiment, stating is the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and that many people who wouldn’t call was a strong advocate behind the soon-to- themselves nerds tend to have the following be-constructed Outdoor Education Center. thought: “It’s gonna be really nerdy, but I’m In the email, Sfraga included a video and gonna do this. It’s gonna happen.” news article that discussed Quidditch at a Quidditch players practice outdoors on Thursday, April 21, 2011. Jamie Hazlett/Sun Star campus in the Lower 48. Rogers then posted
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April 26, 2011
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UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers answered questions from students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members about various issues on campus on Tuesday, April 19, during a student forum held at the Wood Center Multilevel Lounge. JR Ancheta/Sun Star
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April 26, 2011
Campus Life
The Sun Star
Green Bikes helps students save money, environment Heather Bryant Sun Star Reporter The snow is finally melting, and skies are clearing. It’s the perfect weather for bicycle riding. For those students who don’t have one, the Green Bikes program has you covered. On Saturday, April 23, the Green Bikes program began checking out brand new bikes to students at the Earth Fair at the Lola Tilly Commons. “When we got here at 8:30 a.m., there was a guy who had been camped out since 7,” said Ben Abbott. “He got the first bike.” Abbott, along with graduate students Michaela Swanson and Lorien Nettleton, wrote the grant proposal for the program last October. The Review of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Energy Board (RISE) approved funding for the program in January. RISE is responsible for allocating funding from the Student Initiative for Renewable Energy Now (SIREN) fee. The SIREN fee is $20 per semester that was approved by students in the spring of 2009. “It was amazing to see the willingness
to commit to sustainability at UAF,” Abbott said. The grant requested $14,850 and received $10,000. The money went towards 20 new bikes, tools, helmets, locks, spare parts, a generator, and the salary of the mechanic. During the event, Abbott was riding a bike hooked up to a generator powering a sound system playing music. The system is made out of automotive components and can power any type of appliance with an AC plug-in. The system is part of the initiative to raise awareness about alternative sources of power and serves as publicity for the Green Bikes program. Approximately half of the 20 new bikes were gone in the first hour of the event. “Once word gets out, we won’t have any bikes left hanging there,” said Frank Olive. Olive has been with Outdoor Adventures for about a year and a half. Olive spent much of the morning helping students find bikes that fit them right and demonstrating the proper ways to use bike locks. In order to check out a bike, students must have their own helmet or
Bike mechanic, Michael Stanfill shows Courtney Nichols the proper way to attach the U-lock to secure the bike. Nichols, a biology senior saw flyers for the event. “I needed transportation,” said Nichols. “It’s great that it’s free.” April 23, 2011. Heather Bryant/Sun Star
purchase one from Outdoor Adventures. They must also use the bike lock provided with the bike. There is no cost to check out a bike, but students must be prepared to have $250 in collateral by leaving a credit card number or check. According to Mark Oldmixon, coordinator of Outdoor Adventures, the goal of the program is to give students the option of using a bike instead of buying a car or paying for gas for their car. Oldmixon became involved in the project when the grant writers came to him about finding a way to run the program.
Having a mechanic on staff was one of Oldmixon’s requirements for the program. “Bikes are great, but they have lots of moving parts,” Oldmixon said. “A canoe either floats or it doesn’t, but a bike, [if ] it has a loose screw, then it gets looser and then going down a hill, the front wheel comes off. It’s dangerous.” The bikes are checked out for the rest of the semester. They are due back on May 20. During that week, each bike will be checked and maintained, and then lent out again for the remainder of the summer at no cost.
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April 26, 2011
A & E Briefs
Meads, ales, and lagers, oh my!
Compiled by Elika Roohi Sun Star Reporter
Pub beer-tasting draws a large crowd Rebecca Coleman Sun Star Reporter The Pub hosted the Taste of Alaska Beer Festival on Saturday, April 23. Eleven Alaska breweries participated, bringing with them a total of 39 beer selections for attendees. Each participant was given a tasting tumbler and 16 tickets, so they could test out 16 different beers. There was a great variety to suit every pallet. “It gives you an opportunity to try new beer and Alaskan breweries,” said senior Liz Wallace, a pub employee who was enjoying her night off. “We have a lot of great beer that regular Alaskans don’t know about because [people] don’t get around. It’s nice when the breweries come to us.” The breweries represented were: Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company, Alaska Brewing Company, Celestial Meads, Kenai River Brewing Company, Glacier Brew House, Midnight Sun Brewing Company, Kodiak Island Brewing Company, Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop, Sleeping Lady Brewing Company, Moose’s Tooth Brewing Company
and Denali Brewing Company. “Celestial Meads is my personal favorite,” said senior Bronwyn Harrod. “I’ve never had them disappoint.” This is the second beer tasting Harrod has attended at the Pub. Her first beer tasting was also her first Pub experience, so the event has sentimental value for her. Celestial Meads brought one beer, “Cyser Does Matter,” which was a blend of mead and cider. It tasted like apple pie in beer form. It was wildly popular, so they ran out fast. “Cleopatra’s Kiss” from the Denali Brewing Co. was also a crowd favorite. This was a Belgian pale ale. It had a unique flavor due to its combination of spices: gingerbread, nuts, chocolate, toast and a hint of lavender. Due to the popularity of “Raspberry Wheat” from Moose’s Tooth that the Pub usually carries, it was no surprise that the Glacier Brew House’s “Raspberry Wheat” was also a crowd-pleaser. Glacier Brew House’s version of this classic was different
from Moose’s Tooth’s because it was less sweet and you could taste the tart raspberry flavor. Kevin Burton, the head brewer at Glacier Brew House, comes up every year. “It’s enjoyable because it’s civilized,” he said. “Everyone is interested in beer.” Everyone seemed to have a good time at the four-hour beer tasting, but Collin Todd, who came with his girlfriend, had a suggestion. “There could be more desserts, like desserts with beer in them. Like chocolate-stout cake.” “I really liked the demographics of all of the breweries,” said Heather Hege, Wallace’s guest. “It really shows off the breweries of the state.” “We’re beer connoisseurs,” said junior Joey Balog, who enjoyed tasting so many new varieties. “It’s good to bring the community together, and it’s great for Alaska because it gets local brewers out and spreads the wealth. And it’s a good way to kick off summer.”
Wood Center evacuated when fire alarm trips JR Ancheta Sun Star Reporter University of Alaska Fairbanks Fire Department (UAFFD) evacuated the Wood Center Friday, April 22. UAFFD received a call at 9:10 p.m. from Wood Center staff reporting problems with the elevator. By 9:14 p.m., there was smoke reported to be coming from the elevator. The alarm was pulled and the building was evacuated, said Battalion Chief Greg Coon. After the evacuation, firefighters dealt with the smoke problem inside the Wood Center. Electricians and a technician from Otis Elevators were called to aid the firefighters with the situation. Members of the public were not allowed inside the building until 9:55 p.m. after being given the all clear. Vendors and participants of the Student Activities Office’s Record Expo were allowed to pack up their items after this time. A concert at The Pub was also interrupted by the alarm but was allowed to finish after the building was deemed safe to return to. There were no reported injuries and no apparent history of any problems with the Wood Center’s elevator.
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Samberg to host Shark Week Shark Week is Discovery Channel’s weeklong program about these underwater animals, and this year Discovery is bringing a new face to host it. Andy Samberg from SNL will be this year’s Chief Shark Officer or CSO. Last year for the first time ever, Discovery brought in a non-Discovery actor to host Shark Week to massive success. At least 31 million people checked out the show for six minutes, and many for much longer. Discovery thinks that Samberg will bring in an even wider audience., but Samberg thinks it’ll be all the sharks’ doing. “Everyone loves Shark Week,” Samberg said. “It’s the Bill Cosby of week-long television blocks dedicated to sea animals.” - The Washington Post
Steampunk Iron Man What if Iron Man was a steampunk superhero? Iron Man fanboy and sculptor Jonathan Kuriscak glued together an 11inch steampunk replica of the superhero. The upper torso of the sculpture is made of an NFL Cletus action figure, pistons on the arms were taken from a Transformers toy, and the arms themselves are from a Hulk action figure. Kuriscak built a set of Nazi Star Wars action figures last year, and he’s already started to work on his next project: a replica of Thor. Those interested in Kuriscak’s work can find it on eBay. - Wired
The particular sadness of lemon cake
UAF Fire Dept. Battalion Chief, Greg Coon, provides information and orders to Cody Rogers, Student Activities Office director after recieving clearance to enter the building on Friday, Apr. 22. Rogers was supervising a Record Expo put on by SAO. JR Ancheta/Sun Star
New in paperback this week is Aimee Bender’s novel “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.” 9-year-old Rose Edelstein discovers a capacity for feeling other’s emotions through food. When her mother bakes a lemon cake with fudge icing, Rose can taste her mother’s moroseness amidst the lemon. Bender’s novel reveals the complicated relations between Rose, her mother, and her genius brother. The book echoes elements of Salinger’s Glass family, and Salinger fans will find familiarity in Rose’s alertness to hypocrisy and her yearning to love her brother. The real beauty in this book is the language that Bender uses to describe love, and how the characters discover it in each other. - NPR
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April 26, 2011
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Dodgeball tournament raises money for heart research Rebecca Coleman Sun Star Reporter The UAF Athletics department hosted a dodge ball tournament in the Patty Center on Saturday, April 23 as a fundraiser for the Fairbanks Heart Walk, which will take place May 14. Each team paid a $100 entrance fee for the double-elimination tournament, which all went to supporting UAF’s Heart Walk teams. “There are a lot of big-name companies that really get into it,” said Erik Ofelt, the event’s coordinator. “Everyone has a lot of fun and it’s all for charity.”
In addition to numerous university groups, teams came from all around Fairbanks, including the Fairbanks Fire Department, Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA), Odom Corporation, First National Bank, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital as well as random groups not affiliated with a company. GVEA was last year’s winner, so Ofelt anticipated that they would be the targets this year. However, the GVEA “Shockers” went out fairly early.
The winning team, “Balls on Ya,” was one of the teams not associated with a company. They showed up on the court looking like a competitive team, both in skill and in uniform. “We went to Sports Authority and picked out matching gear,” said Colin Foote, a UAF student. “We were trying to look professional and let everyone know that we mean business.” They took their dodge ball seriously, usually winning winning their games with all of their players still on the court. They won one of their games in 30 seconds, which was Foote’s favorite moment of the tournament. Even though there wasn’t a UAFassociated team in the finals, UAF was well represented. “Team Awesome,” a team made up of a few SRC employees and some of their gym buddies, placed third. They dominated the loser’s bracket, but their last three games were all played consecutively with no breaks in between, so they were exhausted, said senior Raleigh Bartholomew. They almost beat “Jim Bean” to move on to the championships, but came up short. “We are kind of a Cinderella story,” Bartholomew said. “Three of our players dropped out at the last minute and we had to reestablish our team. We didn’t think we’d come as far as we did.” Bartholomew also sang the national anthem at the beginning of the tournament, a first for the event. UAF had five teams in the dodge ball tournament, and will have 15 teams
April 26, 2011
Sports Briefs Written by Rebecca Coleman Sun Star Reporter
Mamahoohoo picks up shutout in Intramural Soccer It was a battle between Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and Mamahoohoo on Thursday, April 21, but in the end, Mamahoohoo prevailed. In the beginning, there were a lot of turnovers by both teams, so there weren’t many shots on goal. Eventually, some fancy footwork and well-placed shots gave Mamahoohoo goals number one and two. After halftime, Mamahoohoo picked up goals three and four, so ATP changed their faculty-member goalie. “CP’s still the man,” said ATP’s captain, freshman Quinn Verfaillie. “Look how old he is!” Regardless, Mamahoohoo was able to rack up one more goal before the end of the game and kept ATP scoreless with a final score of 5-0. “We were playing pretty well, but we were too clustered,” Verfaillie said. “They were passing all around us.” participating in this year’s Heart Walk. So far, there are 154 UAF-associated walkers, and UAF is the leading organization in terms of money raised with $28,593. Each year, the Fairbanks Heart Walk raises about $200,000. Another fundraiser for UAF’s Athletics and Campus Recreation Hearth Walk team will be a $10 Zumba event in the SRC at 6 p.m. on May 6. If you would like to help fund or join one of UAF’s teams, check out the group page on the Heart Walk’s website, www.fairbanksheartwalk.com.
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Win or lose, teams have fun at Intramural Broomball The Jolly Rogers kept the Last Picks winless on Thursday, April 21, beating them 3-1. Although the Last Picks had some great defensive moments, The Jolly Rogers lit the lamp by sneaking the ball by past the Last Picks’ goalie, senior Eric Huston, as he tried to smother a rebound. The Jolly Rogers’ goalie saw some action too, but stopped everything that came his way. They doubled their score as they snuck the ball past Huston a second time. After some strategic passing, the Jolly Rogers fired the ball at Huston, and it sailed into the net for their third and final goal of the night. The Last Picks weren’t going to go quietly. With seconds left on the clock, senior Zack Wieliczkiewiz smashed the ball past the Jolly Rogers’ goalie, notching the Last Picks their only tally. The Last Picks don’t let their losing record get them down, claiming they are all just in it for the fun. “We have to be here for fun – we don’t win enough,” Wieliczkiewiz said. The Heart Walk is put on by the American Heart Association, which is the second largest funding source for anything research-related in the area of cardiovascular diseases, according to Janet Bartels, the regional director. UAF has a long-standing relationship with the American Heart Association and has received close to $1 million for stroke and cardiovascular research, Bartels said.
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April 26, 2011
Perspectives
The Sun Star
Weekend Wanderlust Riches to the south Jamie Hazlett Sun Star Columnist It is a frequent pleasure of mine to hop in the car and drive south along the Richardson Highway toward Delta Junction. This might sound odd, but the river-edged panoramas the route offers make the trip well worth the time and gas money. This summer, with fuel prices expected to peak at more than $5 a gallon, many of us will be searching for cheap getaways. With thrift in mind, we hit the Richardson, your short route to the sea and places in between. At the far end of the highway is Valdez, a city that seems to be clinging to the surrounding cliffs for dear life. The final section of switchbacks leading into town offer stunning views and, when there’s a semi behind you, compulsive nail biting. The eye candy doesn’t end once you reach your destination, especially if you invest in a wildlife- or glacier-viewing tour of Prince William Sound. I still have fond memories of a trip my family took with Lu Lu Belle Cruises when I was five. Despite having taken several similar tours since from a variety of companies and in several places along the Alaska coastline, the Lu Lu Belle experience remains my favorite for its small size and knowledgeable staff. Fishing for pink salmon is a great activity for anglers or anyone who enjoys freshly caught seafood. On your way in or out of town, don’t miss Worthington Glacier or the Horsetail and Bridal Veil falls, all of which are great photo opportunities. Midway between Valdez and Glennallen is the turn onto the Edgerton Highway, which heads towards the historic McCarthy mining area. This area, including the surrounding Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest in the country, is well worth a visit if you have the time. Services are relatively sparse in the McCarthy area, so do your research and plan. Chitina, known by most Fairbanksans as a place to dip-net for salmon, is also located along the Edgerton. Glennallen is more than just the junction of the Richardson and Glenn highways. The Aspen Interpretive Trail offers a short, one-mile jaunt through the forest
near town along an easy, clearly marked path that is suitable for virtually all ages and abilities. As with any occasion when you’re out in Alaska, keep your bug dope handy and your eyes peeled for wildlife. Give a nod to the 40-year anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act that established the first Alaska native corporations, with a visit to the Ahtna Cultural Center.
The Paxson Lake area is great for fishing, wildlife viewing, camping and hiking. Bear sightings have been common in this area in the past, so stay alert. The drive between Paxson and Delta Junction is a scenic overload, with sweeping valleys rushing to meet ice-covered peaks. The 60 miles or so just south of Fort Greely are especially amazing in late summer and early fall, when the alpine tundra turns the brilliant red that our trees can’t quite manage. As you approach Delta, watch for caribou and wild bison. On the north side of town, you’ll find the historic Rika’s Roadhouse and Quartz Lake. The lake is gorgeous yearround, and summer visitors can rent small watercraft right on the lakeshore. Hiking, volleyball, camping, fishing and numerous other activities make Quartz Lake a destination that everyone will enjoy. Closer to Fairbanks is Harding Lake, which offers some of the same activities as Quartz without as long of a drive. The road south might look empty on a map, but that is one of its many charms. A sense of isolation has given the communities that do exist along the way a unique air, something that is becoming rare in our ever more connected world. Don’t let gas prices – or anything else, for that matter - keep you from experiencing one of the most breathtaking highways in existence.
Tools of my trade I have to say my year with The Sun Star has been pretty good. I wrote a column about tech issues, helped in the creation of an award-winning website, and discovered some pretty slick technologies in the process. In this final Random Errors column, I wanted to leave you with a list of things that I have discovered that have made my electronic like infinitely more bearable.
Jeremy Smith Sun Star Columnist
nonexistent price tag, this program was a bit of a godsend.
FileZilla
This is another open-source offering that I use to upload major changes to the website’s content and layout. Filezilla is an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program that supports multiple connections, has simple instructions and offers complete control Dropbox over every file hidden on a remote server. First off, if you don’t have a free account Regular updates and an active community to this online storage service, you should are keeping this my Swiss Army Knife when really go sign up right now at Dropbox. accessing problem web issues. com. It makes file collaboration, storage WordPress.org and the sharing of any type of file incredibly Wordpress.org is less a technology and simple and easy. Offering up to 2 gigabytes more a resource, but it has been invaluof cloud-based storage, Dropbox is how the able in making the Sun Star website what Sun Star was able to transfer story updates, it is. For those who don’t know, our entire photos, videos and more from the office to website is built within the WordPress blogany computer that needed them. With an ging platform. I’ve been using WordPress for entire community exploring the ways you the past four years and I still find new techcan utilize the technology (automatic com- niques through comments in the forums. puter backups, torrent downloading and Wordpress.org exists as a clearing house more), Dropbox, like the venerable floppy, of information for people not only hosting CD and USB drive before it, is one of the new their blogs on WordPress’ servers, but speways to transfer your files. cifically for those who self-host and develop Paint.net their own themes and modifications. RePhotographers and design profes- views of plug-ins, widgets and must-have sionals may scoff at this, but Paint.net (not features are all neatly cataloged and easily a website but the name of the program) is searchable through a minimalistic interface the exact kind of image editor that everyone devoid of ads. It’s a fairly painless learning needs in a tech toolkit. An open-source pro- experience. gram, Paint.net is somewhere between a After a year of writing about the latest basic photo editor and an advanced image- and greatest in technology, I would love to editing program. It supports effects, brushes read someone else’s views. They are always and layers, but without the long load-times looking for more writers and reporters at the associated with Adobe’s powerhouse op- Sun Star, and being that technology changes tions. I constantly used this program to so fast, perhaps next year you could be quickly resize images for posting or doing writing about the fad that was Facebook. some last minute tweaks to website-bound Jeremy talks and takes on photos. With an easy learning curve and the technology at gpfault.org.
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Editorial
Letters to the Editor Have something to say? Say it here. The Sun Star welcomes reader commentary.
April 26, 2011
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‘Share the road’ applies to everyone First a disclaimer: I am writing this from the perspective of a driver. I don’t even own a bike. I would, however, like to change that soon. On the evening of Thursday, April 14, a male UAF stu-
Letters to the editor should be no more than 250 words in length. Please include the author’s full name and contact information (phone number, e-mail or address). E-mail your letters (preferred) to editor@uafsunstar.com, fax them to 474-5508, or mail them to to PO Box 756640, Fairbanks, AK, 99775. Letters must be received by Friday at 5 p.m. in order to run in the next issue. All letters are subject to editing for brevity and grammar.
dent riding a bicycle was struck by a car and dragged on the ground near the Georgeson Botanical Garden. It is a moment that every motorist fears: hitting another living, breathing being with your car. Instead of stopping and rendering aid to the stricken bicyclist, the driver sped off
Coffee Break
in to the night. The biker was alive but hurt. “He was chewed up pretty bad,” said Sean McGee, UAF Chief of Police. He was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and treated overnight before being released. He was lucky. Wil Curry, a 36-year-old Anchorage man, wasn’t. According to the Anchorage Daily News, Curry was a “self-proclaimed technology nerd” who loved sushi, Shakespeare and digitally mapping his bike rides each day. On April 5, just past midnight, Curry was hit and killed by car. A “ghost bike” memorial that popped up at the spot of Curry’s death caused a bit of controversy when it was taken down. Ironically, authorities believed it constituted a safety hazard for drivers. Still, the monument had the desired effect. People
Sudoku xkcd
were talking, once again, about the relationship between bikes and cars on the road. With summer almost here, bicyclists are once more taking to the streets. With that in mind, I offer these words: sharing the road means SHARING the road. That applies to bicyclists as well as motorists. Every car-bicycle collision is a tragedy, but the real tragedy is that most of them can be prevented. This is usually the part where somebody gives the “wear a helmet” speech but I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about bicyclists who ride on the road as if there weren’t large, metal two-ton cylinders of death right next to them. It is incumbent on drivers to watch out for bicyclists, but it is equally important that bikers be more aware of their environment. Curry’s death in Anchorage was ruled to be his fault, according to an Associated Press article. Curry rode his bike in to an intersection against the red light and he paid for that mistake with his life. A tragedy made worse by the fact that it was eminently preventable. As for drivers, it is equally important they remain vigilant when on the roads. Again, a car is a two-ton engine of destruction and if it meets a human body there is no question as to who will come out of that deal the worse for wear. As the snow and ice melts away, the temptation is naturally there to want go faster. Just as we expect bicyclists to mind their surroundings, there is an even greater responsibility on drivers to be safe. After all, drivers have a bit of an advantage in the event of a collision. It is great that we have programs like Green Bikes to help students at UAF exercise and get around. The truth is, there is so much more that could be done to make Fairbanks more bike-friendly. For example, the city could put in more bike lanes. We could add more sidewalks to make the place more walkable. I’m looking at you, Yukon Drive. In the meantime, drivers, bikers and walkers are all just going to have to learn to share the road.
Andrew Sheeler Editor-in-Chief UAF Sun Star
n o i s s e s r e t s o p e h t r o E f E r e R t F s i a g t ! e e R T g R d I an H S TCASH PRIZES for ▶Undergraduate posters ▶Graduate posters ▶Symposium winners
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