The Lumberjack - Digital Edition - Issue 6; Vol.99 - SP2012

NorthernArizonaNews.com

INSIDE Opinion: Guns v. Weed p 8 Life: Wrestling, p 12 Sports: Track and field, p 20

SINCE 1914 Issue 6,

Building the future of NAU

A&E: Check yes for Chimi, p 31

VOL 99 Feb. 23 2012 - Feb. 29 2012

Provost to step down

BY BREE PURDY

N

The Hilltop Townhomes, which are expected to be built by next fall, is open to all students. The homes will offer game rooms and tanning beds for students.

(Photo by Jon Gustafson)

E

BY JON GUSTAFSON

ver since the Great Recession tightened state budgets nationwide, public universities have buffered the steady decline of taxpayer support by increasing student enrollment. InsideNAU reported that Arizona’s most recent reduction of $30 million from NAU’s budget leaves state support at less than 25 percent of the university’s revenue, compared to 41 percent a decade ago. While state support for NAU dwindles, enrollment numbers continue to grow with the 2010 NAU Campus Master Plan projecting 25,000 students on the Flagstaff campus by 2020 or soon after.

To accommodate increasing enrollment and students’ desires for oncampus housing, NAU requested proposals back in 2008 from private real estate investment trusts (REITs) which manage all aspects of design, finance,

construction and operational management of student housing properties.

American Campus Communities (ACC), the largest private owner and manager of student housing communities in the U.S., was selected in NAU’s competitive bidding process. According to an April 2011 ABOR meeting document, NAU will lease campus property to ACC for a period of 40 years with four 10-year options to renew. In return, ACC funds, builds and operates the estimated $68 million Hilltop Townhomes and Suites residences which can accommodate up to 1,100 students.

Alicia Voytek, NAU Residence Life’s Associate Director of Operations explained how the partnership between NAU and ACC came about.

“Basically, NAU was starting to seek a private partner to develop additional housing in support of enrollment growth,” Voytek said. “As en-

rollment was growing, we were trying to meet the demand of students that wanted to come back to campus. NAU chose ACC because of their reputation and to preserve our own capital for future academic projects.”

According to a Business Wire press release, ACC owns 119 student housing properties nationwide containing approximately 74,100 beds and its clients include Portland State University, Princeton University and the University of New Mexico, among others.

Brochures tout NAU’s Hilltop Townhomes which offer students luxurious amenities including Xbox 360 and PS3 game rooms, tanning beds, an iPad bar and private bedrooms and bathrooms for a price nearing $600 per month. Students at the Townhomes pay for their electricity usage in see APARTMENTS page 5

AU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Liz Grobsmith announced on Feb. 17 she will no longer serve as provost following the end of her current appointment on June 30. Grobsmith will remain with the university in another position.

Current Provost Liz “After 10 years as Grobsmith provost, I feel it’s time for (Photo courtesy me to move on to new Office of the Provost) challenges,” Grobsmith said in a university press release. “At this stage of my career, I’m excited to serve the university in a new role.”

Grobsmith intends to work with President John Haeger to determine her current and future role at NAU. According to Haeger, the search for a new provost will begin within the next few weeks.

During her time at NAU, Grobsmith has assisted in doubling the population of international students on campus and has assisted in implementing numerous programs intending to increase undergraduate student success.

Haeger gets extension

BY BREE PURDY

T

he Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) officially announced a two-year extension of NAU President John Haeger’s contract through June 2015.

A special meeting concerning the extension was held on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Phoenix office. His previous contract expired June 30, 2012.

ABOR members are enthusiastic about the contract extension.

“President Haeger has guided NAU to unprecedented gains and access in affordability for Arizona student throughout the state,” ABOR chair Bob McLendon said in a press release from the university. “An extended contract will assure leadership continuity as we work toward aggressive system goals of increasing degree attainment and expanding research activities to enhance the state’s economy.”

Haeger has served as NAU president since November 2001. During this time, the university has experienced enrollment increase, infrastructure expansion and has committed to carbon neutrality by 2020.

Go to NorthernArizonaNews.com for daily updates, multimedia packages, extra content and stories before the issue hits the stands.

CommunitySpot PoliceBeat Feb. 15 At 4:06 a.m., a supervisor for Mortenson Construction reported his staff had unintentionally left a door unlocked in the Health and Learning Center. An unknown subject had entered the building and began soliciting money.

NAU officers were dispatched, assisted by Flagstaff Police Department (FPD) and the building was cleared with negative contact.

At 9:31 p.m., Gabaldon Hall staff reported an odor of marijuana.

Officers were dispatched but the source of the odor could not be found.

Feb. 16 At 10:44 p.m., a student reported occupants of a vehicle had thrown fireworks out of their vehicle, almost hitting the reporting party. The student was not hit and the vehicle left the scene.

Officers were dispatched. The area was checked with negative contact and no evidence of fireworks could be located in the area.

At 11:37 p.m., University Safety Aids reported securing the Liberal Arts building.

While securing the building, an alarm was activated on the third floor.

The panel indicated smoke on the third floor, but the area was searched and no smoke could be located. The alarm was determined to be faulty and Fire and Life Safety was notified.

Feb. 17 At 4:41 p.m., an officer reported checking on an intoxicated subject who was located at the east concourse of the Skydome.

BY SHARI MALONE

The subject was warned of trespassing and was asked to leave the area.

At 5:11 p.m., an officer reported being out with the subject from the previous entry at the east Skydome practice fields.

The subject was arrested and booked into Coconino County Sheriff ’s Office (CCSO) for trespassing.

At 7:58 p.m., a student reported that an electrical line on her vehicle had been cut while it was parked in Lot 13. The vandalism occurred between Feb. 13 at 8:30 p.m. and Feb. 17 at 5:30 a.m.

Officers were dispatched but the investigation was closed with all leads exhausted.

At 10:36 p.m., custodial staff at the Performing and Fine Arts building reported a male subject who was found sleeping in the restroom.

Officers were dispatched and the subject was warned of trespassing campus-wide.

Feb. 18 At 2:39 a.m., a subject requested assistance locating a friend who had been seen an hour before the time of the call.

Officers were dispatched.

The friend was located in her room by roommates in Cowden Hall. Two of her companions were cited and released for minor with liquor in body.

At 12:16 p.m., a subject reported his child had gone missing during an event at the Skydome. All police units were at the Skydome event and were advised to begin looking for the missing child.

The child was found unharmed a few minutes later.

At 2:57 p.m., a subject reported an abusive situation between a male and female subject in Lot 64.

Officers were dispatched. The subjects were contacted. The assault was unfounded, but one subject was booked into CCSO for a valid warrant out of Holbrook.

Feb. 19 At 12:42 a.m., Roseberry Apartments staff reported a group of underage students who they believed to be drinking.

Officers were dispatched but no evidence of underage drinking was unfounded.

At 3:50 a.m., Wilson Hall staff reported a balcony fixture had been thrown off of the second floor balcony.

Officers were dispatched but the investigation was closed with all leads exhausted.

At 4:51 p.m., a Cowden Hall resident reported her exroommate for threatening to hit her. The threats occurred on Feb. 18 at approximately 5 p.m.

An officer was dispatched but the threats were unfounded at the time.

At 10:08 p.m., an officer reported being out with a vehicle parked on the pedway between Cowden hall and Tinsley Hall.

The driver was in the process of moving out of the building.

He was given a verbal warning for parking illegally and he then moved his vehicle.

SEE MORE POLICE BEAT ENTRIES FROM THIS PAST WEEK AT NORTHERNARIZONANEWS.COM

2 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

Events Calendar THURSDAY, FEB. 23

SATURDAY, FEB. 25

Anime Club [2:45 p.m. /East Flagstaff Community Library]

Winter Games Giant Slalom [10 a.m./ Arizona Snowbowl]

Midsummer Night’s Dream [7 p.m./Theatrikos]

Dancing with Lughnasa [8 p.m./ Studio Theater]

Black Bottom Lighters [8 p.m./Green Room]

Texas Hold’Em Poker [7 p.m./Porky’s Pub]

Weekly Wine Tasting [6 p.m. / Wine Loft] Karaoke with Ricky Bill [8 p.m./Monte Vista Lounge]

TUESDAY, FEB. 28 Wines of the World [6 p.m./Wine Styles] NAU Film Series [7 p.m./ NAU Cline Library]

Open Mic Night [8 p.m./Sundara]

Whiskey Rodeo [9 p.m./Charly’s Pub and Grill]

FRIDAY, FEB. 24

SUNDAY, FEB. 26

Jazz Jam [9 p.m./Mia’s Lounge]

Premier of “Unconscious” [8 p.m./Orpheum Theater]

Farmers’ Market [8 a.m./ City Hall]

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 29

Winter Festival of Choirs [3 p.m. / Ardrey Auditorium]

NAU International Film Series [7 p.m./Cline Library Assembly Hall]

Latino Night [9 p.m./Museum Club]

Ladies ‘80s [8 p.m./ Green Room]

NAU Jazz Festival [8 p.m./Ardrey Memorial] The Flagstaff Jazz Project [6 p.m. /Green Room] 2012 Big Sky Track and Field [3:15 p.m. /Walkup Skydome]

MONDAY, FEB. 27 School of Music Horizon Series [7:30 p.m./Ashurst Hall]

Open Mic Night [9 p.m./ Mia’s Lounge]

Weekend Picks Premier of “Unconscious” Friday@ 8 p.m. – Orpheum Theater Come check out the premier of Unconscious, a local comedy film whose protagonist suffers memory loss and wakes up months later as a best-selling author.

Winter Games Giant Slalom Saturday@ 3:15 p.m.–SnowBowl Head on up to SnowBowl to witness competitive downhill skiing and snowboarding.

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Get One Free! represent Flagstaff, while the Life section features a charitable watch com$ receive00 As a NAU for student, you special daily WKH SHSSHU VSUD\ JX\.FRP pany and a sword-wielding student. Don’t forget to check out senior sport and hourly rates that are sure to fit your budget. We have something for everyone, writer Brett Murdock’s column in Sports.

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Thank you for reading,

Kevin Bertram, Editor-in-Chief

SINCE 1914

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Call 928-699-0851 Notice of Public Tuition Hearing Arizona Board of Regents Wednesday, March 28, 2012 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

The Arizona Board of Regents will conduct a public, interactive hearing to hear testimony and comments from the public, students, and other interested parties regarding the level of tuition and mandatory student fees to be charged for resident and nonresident students at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona for academic year 2012-2013. Comments at the tuition hearing will be heard on a first come, first served basis, rotating through participant sites.

Public tuition hearing sites will be held at the main campuses of the universities and other sites throughout the state.

Please check the Arizona Board of Regents website for specific information regarding the tuition hearing site locations for Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. www.azregents.edu Links to the presidents’ proposals will be available after February 24, 2012 at: www.azregents.edu.

For more information, call (602) 229-2500.

Comments may also be submitted electronically to: tuition@azregents.edu

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 3

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Special Olympians compete in Flagstaff

Matthew Herbert, Paul Bennewitz and Michael Carnevale accept their medals after the 500-meter speed skate during the winter games held in Flagstaff this past weekend.

(Photo by Daniel Daw)

BY WILLIAM BROWN

V

isiting the mountains every year, the Special Olympic Winter Games returned last weekend giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in snowboarding, floor hockey and speed skating events, to list a few.

Laura Molinaro, a 23-year volunteer coach with Special Olympics, said physical disabilities do not define a Special Olympian.

“Special Olympics is all about intellectual disabilities,” Molinaro said.

“If a physical disability comes with it, that’s fine. But it’s intellectual disabilities that are the qualifying factor.”

Molinaro spoke to the crowd at the opening ceremonies about what she thinks is important in the Special Olympics.

“The 2012 Special Olympic Winter Games is sports in a pure sense,” Molinaro said. “The goal is not to win, but to try and experience and demonstrate good sportsmanship. No records are set at Special Olympics except those in courage, determination and sportsmanship.”

Molinaro said what she likes best about coaching is how it makes her feel.

“Very selfishly, what I get out of it,” Molinaro said. “We talked about –

in the speech – how we thanked the coaches and thanked the volunteers and my athletes do that for me all the time. They say, 'Thank you, Coach Laura.’ These athletes here, they are the ones that I should be thanking because they help bring balance to my life.”

Randy Clark, the Mountain Area Director for Special Olympics Arizona, said his favorite part of the games was seeing the athletes succeed.

“My favorite part of the Special Olympics is seeing our athletes compete and achieve at a high level,” Clark said. “Watching the medal ceremony — when you put the medal on the athlete — there’s not anything cooler to see than that athlete getting a medal.”

Clark also said he thinks the most important function of Special Olympics is letting people know what the athletes are capable of.

“It’s spreading awareness,” Clark said. “It’s letting everybody know what our athletes can do.”

Molinaro said she thinks the best thing about Special Olympics is making the athletes feel part of their community.

“The best thing about Special Olympics, I believe and I feel, it’s about inclusion and it is about assimilation into the community in which they live and they work and they use,” Molinaro said. “They use community resources

just like everyone else does, they live in the community like everyone else, they work in the community just like everyone else.”

Jesse McGirl, a six-year athlete competing in floor hockey, said being a team player is important in his event.

“It’s not like being a ballhog, just pass the puck to the people so they get a chance to score,” McGirl said.

McGirl, who has gone to the national Special Olympics Games twice, said that to have fun is the most important thing for him.

“Mostly, Special Olympics for me is just about having fun," McGirl said.

"Not worrying about what’s going on or staying focused, just having fun.”

McGirl also said his best memory in his years in Special Olympics was when he set his own record in the 100-meter dash.

“My memory is when I won my personal best down in Summer Games,” McGirl said. “I ran a 12.83 for a track athlete and that was fast.”

Molinaro said she thinks fun and camaraderie are the most important aspects for the athletes as they compete.

“That was one of the most important parts for the athletes, is the fact that they could interact and enjoy and express that joy and friendship with others,” Molinaro said. "That’s the important part for them.”

InTheNews from APARTMENTS page 1

addition to monthly dues whereas students at the Suites have all utilities included in their monthly rates. No pets are allowed at the new residences and rooms come fully furnished.

Also, while both McKay Village and Pine Ridge Village, the university’s current apartment style suites, only accept students with 60 credits, The Suites and Hilltop Townhomes are allowing all classes, including incoming freshmen, to apply for housing.

In addition, The Suites are advertising a deal on their website that will give Suites residents of fall 2012 priority to rooms at Hilltop Townhomes in fall of the following year.

According to Charysse Bartels, a sophomore majoring in exercise science, the Hilltop Townhomes’ central campus location and privacy were what convinced her to sign her lease. “We live in an apartment off-campus now because I didn’t like living in the dorms, but with awkward breaks between classes I don’t have enough time to get on the bus and go home,” Bartels said.

“And there are washers and dryers in every unit, whereas the place we live now you have to pay $1.25 to wash and $1.25 to dry, so that alone saves $10 a week.”

Other NAU students expressed desire for the prime location, newness and privacy offered

by The Suites. Nicole Malkou, a freshman finance major, is moving into The Suites in fall 2012.

“I thought it would be cool to live in a brand new place next year,” Malkou said. “I really like being on campus. The only thing I didn’t like is not having my own bathroom and I wasn’t into having the whole RA thing. I also liked how the suites were separate from the dorms and NAU. It might be a little bit more expensive, but I think it’s better.”

Instead of traditional RAs, The Hilltop Townhomes and Suites will offer their own Community Assistants who will work the front desks, manage disputes among residents and organize ac-

tivities according to an on-campus leasing representative. The private residences will also manage their own on-site maintenance staffs, separate from NAU. However, NAUPD Community Relations Officer Joe Tritschler stated for campus police the new properties will be business-asusual.

“The new residences are within the jurisdiction of NAUPD, so criminal cases will be handled just as they would on any other facility or location on campus,” Tritschler said. The only difference Tritschler noted was that NAUPD might not have access to the new residences’ room keys. “We have keys to dorm rooms on campus in the event of an emergency. If it’s a life and death situation, we can get in without breaking the door down. I don’t know if we’ll have keys to the new facility,” Tritschler said.

Chris Michels, NAU’s Director of Information Technology Services also said students in the new residence halls will have access to the same level of support from the Student Technology Center and will connect to the NAU network just like any other residence hall.

“The goal is to make it the same. The only difference is going to be that telephone service is not provided by default in these residence halls,” Michels said.“The biggest advantage of a landline is if you wanted 911 to go directly to NAUPD. If you call from your cell phone it will go to the Coconino County dispatcher.”

Responding to the lack of landline phone services in the new residences, Tritschler stated “the issue was brought up before . . . we will definitely do an educational campaign to get our number out there. But the reality is if someone does call 911, all they need to say is ‘I’m on campus.’”

Once the dispatcher is notified of the location, the call will be transferred along with all transcribed information from the prior dispatcher. “The system is in place to handle these situations in an expeditious manner,” Tritschler said.

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 5

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InTheNews

NAU uses energy audit to plan for carbon neutrality

BY APRIL RODRIGUEZ

M

aking the adjustment to energy efficiency and sustainability is a goal that NAU is making come to fruition through efforts beginning with an energy audit — administered by Noresco, a company that analyzes energy efficiency. The purpose of the audit is to calculate how much energy the campus consumes. With this, Noresco provides Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) that should be implemented to continue the university’s Climate Action Plan of a carbon neutral campus.

Lindsay Wagner, Director of Energy Services and Sustainability, said the whole project has a two year prospective construction window.

“For the last six months there has been a team of engineers going through campus,” Wagner said.

“They covered about four million square feet originally and are going to do the rest of it in phase two.”

The preliminary building audit is complete after gathering data for approximately six months and

has to be assessed in order to begin construction plans. “[Engineers at Noresco] looked at everything, from counting every single light to see what kind of light bulb, to every toilet to every fixture,” Wagner said. “And, they calculate the baseline of how much energy we are using now and then they go back through and figure out how they can make things more efficient in all those areas and a price and a payback period.”

With efforts to become a carbon neutral and sustainable university, NAU will not only be energy efficient, but also save money on overall annual utility costs. With the results from the energy audit, energy conservation measures will be implemented allowing NAU to save a total of 18.2 percent on total costs of utilities — approximately $1.5 million annually according to an executive summary done by Noresco.

The project will accelerate the university’s sustainability goals and coincides with NAU’s Climate Action Plan of carbon neutrality by 2020. With the completion

of the ECMs, carbon emissions will be lowered by approximately 16,020,000 pounds or 8,000 metric tons annually according to analysis

by Noresco.

However, there is another factor NAU is looking at to measure energy usage.

Avi Henn, a graduate student studying climate science and solutions, said that in addition to the investment grade audit that has been completed, there is also a behavioral audit that accounts for habits of energy use by individuals.

“As a part of the behavioral audit, a team of specialists came out here and held a bunch of focus groups to talk to everybody,” Henn said. “Right now they are running a survey to collect data on habits on energy use.”

This project not only requires ECMs, but also the cooperation and fulfillment of education concerning behavioral changes for the benefit of energy conservation. To do so, NAU split 185 university participants between 18 focus groups where they were to brainstorm ways to inspire energy conservation

on campus.

“That 18 percent [in savings annually] does not include the potential savings through behavioral changes. So if we can get people to be more energy conscious and green, then maybe those savings will be even higher,” Henn said.

Kevin Ordean, the student president of Campus Climate Challenge, which is an outreach program for students on campus, helps with the project by attempting to reach out to students on campus and spread awareness about the energy saving efforts on campus.

As a whole, the project, with all the energy conservation measures, make for a $16 million project. This investment audit guarantees return and reliability upon completion of the survey of campus to its entirety.

“If [Noresco] say we are going to save 18 percent and we don’t, then they are actually on the hook for the difference. These are guaranteed savings for everything we implement.” Ordean said. To learn more about what it means to be Bryn Buchanan, a junior communication green, visit green.nau.edu and take major, turns off the light before leaving the survey. for class.

(Photo illustration by Daniel Daw)

NAU students excited for careers despite bleak job market

D

BY SARA WEBER

espite current economic troubles, a majority of college students remain on the positive. According to an article on good.is, Young People Have the Bleakest Futures—But the Best Attitudes, less than 10 percent of adults ages 18-34 think they will not be making enough money to live the life they always wanted. Despite the optimism, Emilly Borthwick-Wong, a senior program coordinator for the Gateway Success Center, said realistically, students have a lot going against them after college.

“It is partially naïve. There is a lot of mystery about what happens with student loans when you’re done with school,” Borthwick-Wong said.

“From getting paid absolutely nothing in college to getting paid what appears on paper to be a good amount of money, something gets lost in there.

Lots of that money is going to go to your housing and bills; it’s a big jump.”

Due to the ultra-competitive job market and

an indecisive economy, getting a job right out of tunities increase somehow,” Guidas said. “I think college is not always a guarantee. Borthwick-Wong it’s justified to say we won’t make enough money said though many companies look to hire recent to live the life we want. No matter the degree, you graduates, it would be unwise to think a student will have to work hard to support your family. That will get his or her doesn’t mean we “It’s just a matter of getting dream job immediwon’t be able to live ately after graduating. ready, applying yourself and our dreams, we’ll “We have 65 jobs have to make realizing you’re probably not just coming to the career financial sacrifices fair . . . there are a lot going to step out of college and to get there.” of people coming get that dream job. The dream Taylor Johnon campus to hire,” son, a sophomore job will take a few years.”

Borthwick-Wong said. speech and lan“It’s just a matter of getting ready, applying yourself guage science major, said her income will certainly and realizing you’re probably not going to step out play a role in her future happiness, but has a plan to of college and get that dream job. The dream job get her to reach her financial and career goals. will take a few years.”

“I feel like I could work in many different placSarah Guidas, a sophomore English major, es. My plan is to work in a hospital, then eventually said she understands she will always have to work move into private practice,” Johnson said. hard to live the life she desires.

Just as the online study showed, students take “By the looks of it, the economy will have confidence in their studies and believe school is worsened, but I’m hoping that scholarship oppor- preparing them for the real world.

“I’m more optimistic because I have plans right after college to start my Master’s [degree]. It’s a way of taking another step to ease into the real world and eventually become an English professor and in turn, help make students optimistic for their futures,” Guidas said. “I also plan on entering into publishing companies while in grad school, so I will be in the real world and school simultaneously.”

Charles Chaves, a computer science major, said his professors tell him the future is bright for his profession.

“I’m excited for my future because my industry is growing,” Chaves said. “My instructors say that getting a job is relatively easy.”

Borthwick-Wong said her advice for students graduating is to hone their skills and develop good connections.

“Networking would be the most important skill to me,” Borthwick-Wong said. “There are a lot of jobs available, but I think that students have to look at their skill set as more of a complete set that can be used in a wide set of jobs instead of just one.”

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 7

Editorial&Opinion

This just in: Loading pistols safer than loading bowls

T

STAFF EDITORIAL

his past Thursday, the Arizona State House voted to ban medical marijuana on college and university campuses across the state. This decision comes no more than a week after the senate revised SB 1474, which would allow concealed weapons to be carried on the same campuses. Pause for just a moment and consider the rationality there. Ban marijuana and allow firearms? Where do we even begin?

Let us ignore the content of the marijuana legislation, HB 2349, first. Regardless of the fact the bill approves the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana, it is a voter-approved initiative.

Simply put, as a democratic population, we voted to approve the bill and the State House has no right tinkering and undermining its effectiveness. Legally, the House is permitted to make changes to voter-approved initiatives that “further the purpose” of the measure, but that requires a three-fourths vote from both the House and the Senate. In what universe does banning marijuana from campuses qualify as “furthering its purpose”?

To be completely honest, it is not surprising the state government is compromising the measure. It has been almost two years since the bill was voted on and dispensaries have not exactly popped up on every street corner.

As of early February, Arizona is one of the few states to punish physicians for benevolent medicinal card approval and despite dozens of applications, have yet to grant a single dispensary

license.

Meanwhile, the Senate re-introduces SB 1474, allowing anyone over the age of 21 to carry concealed firearms on campus. Current policy requires an eight hour training course on Arizona gun laws and safety, as well as requiring the applicant to hit 14 out of 20 targets. If SB 1474 passes, no form of training will be necessary to own a gun and carry it on university campuses.

It is confounding that firearms are more politically appetizing than marijuana in Arizona — or for that matter, anywhere in the

world. Whether at the hands of a decades-long smear campaign by government or because it really is the gateway drug to a life of crime, poverty, drug-use and Cheetos addiction.

It is impossible to ignore stereotypes and negative connotations with marijuana, but where is the logic for a prescribed burner to wind up in the back of a campus cop car for the possession of Mary Jane, when good ol’ Jimmy can come to class locked and loaded. Everyone is supposed to breathe easier, but that dude is strapped. Who is that comforting to?

It does not make sense. As an elected

Phone: (928) 523-4921 // Fax: (928) 523-9313 E-mail: lumberjack@nau.edu

SINCE 1914 P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011

Editor-in-Chief Kevin Bertram Managing Editor Derek Schroeder

Creative Directors Jessica Lehr Jessie Mansur

Faculty Adviser Rory Faust

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8 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

government official, the job is not so easy. One side of the general public will agree with the course of action, and the other will not; that is politics, but what Arizonans should expect is for their elected officials to have their best interests in mind.

This argument is not about whether pot or even firearms belong on university campuses. Obviously,we are not calling for every medical marijuana patient to spark up and hot box the residence halls on campus, nor do we encourage users to toke a bowl on the bus. There is a time and place for everything. Arizona senators take note.

The chronological juxtaposition of these two bills is just too ridiculous to ignore. What are we saying about ourselves when we consider an armed population of students less threatening than a medicated one? Assuming, as politicians seem to do, that if medicinal marijuana were readily available in the Grand Canyon State a plague of laziness and ineptitude would sweep across the desert in a dusty haze.

It is official: Arizona is set on slowly killing itself. Children will grow up dumb because the state’s failing education system and ill patients will be refused the medicine they need. But hey, if you’re struck with terminal cancer tomorrow and can not function because of your chemo, at least you will feel safe with that loaded pistol next to your bed.

If the great state of Arizona has taught us anything, it is guns do not kill people, plants that grow from the ground do.

This staff editorial was written by Sports Editor Chuck Constantino and Managing Editor Derek Schroeder.

Student Media Center Editorial Board Copy Chief Maddie Friend Assoc. Copy Chiefs Katie Durham Sara Weber

A&E Editor Trevor Gould Assoc. A&E Editor Emma Changose

Life Editor Jon Novak Assoc. Life Editor Dani Tamcsin

News Editor Maria DiCosola Assoc. News Editors Bree Purdy

Sports Editor Chuck Constantino Assoc. Sports Editor Travis Guy

Opinion Editor Kierstin Turnock Assoc. Opinion Editor Rolando Garcia

Comic Editor Brian Regan News Photo Editor Daniel Daw Life Photo Editor Mary Willson Sports Photo Editor Sarah Hamilton A&E Photo Editor Rose Clements

Arizona strikes back with plan for state militia

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ess than two years after the passage of Arizona's controversial SB 1070, which allows Arizona police to question citizens about their immigration status if they have suspicion, the Arizona Senate Appropriations Committee passed SB 1083. This controversial new law would instate the "Arizona Special Missions Unit", a state militia with a yearly price tag of TOM $1.4 million, taken BLANTON from taxpayers' dollars.

However, the bill is still in its early stages. If it’s going to pass and become a law (the first of its kind in the U.S.) it still has to get a big "thumbs up" from the Arizona State House and Senate and be signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

The new bill doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. In her book, "Scorpions for Breakfast," Brewer stated the people of Arizona were being "terrorized, robbed and murdered by ruthless and desperate people who enter our country illegally."

The moving force behind the proposal, Republican State Sen. Sylvia Allen, agrees illegal immigration is a

"public safety matter." She believes it is the legislature’s duty to respond to what she called a "crisis" created by Mexican drug cartels.

Well, why not just fight to get medical marijuana more available and start putting stricter laws on gun purchases? Marijuana is the number one source of income for many cartels and smuggling guns back from America is where most of their firearms come from. It seems like the militia idea doesn't fully address the problem of “public safety” and cartels.

There are also those opposed to the new potential law. Isabel Garcia, the head of the Arizona Human Rights Coalition, called the measure "racist" and out of place. She also went on to state, "The state of Arizona is facing a heavy economic crisis, lacks money in the schools and these people are thinking about giving more than a million dollars for a civilian militia.” Public safety is important, yes, but Garcia has a point. Arizona is in no place to fork out that kind of money. Instead, the potential of medical marijuana as a source of income for the state and a means of weakening cartels should be considered.

Those brave souls who would be

fighting the powerful cartels as the state militia would only receive just 40 hours of weapons training for the volunteers, compared with the 500 hours required for law enforcement officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents. However, if this bill passed, it would not be the first time that a civilian militia would operate along the Arizona border. In 2005, the Minutemen, who had no official support or authorization, captured attention on the national level for their Wild West activities. Many activists fear the consequences of creating such a unit would be "disastrous" when considering the possible violations of the civil rights to border community residents.

The law would cost the state more than should be spent considering the current economic state. Additionally, the law creates a band of unskilled peacekeepers that would have gone through minimal training. Many consider it to also be inhumane and racist. The law's overall effectiveness should be taken into further consideration before the state throws a bunch of gun-slinging cowboys down south to protect us from the other gun-slinging cowboys across the border.

Editorial&Opinion GOP candidates on immigration

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llegal immigration is a touchy subject and there never seems to be one good solution to solve the problem. In a country made up of immigrants it is almost our curse to always have these issues. However, immigration laws are meant to protect our country’s resources. Some may think deporting people and having brutal paNATASHA trols around our borders may be REEVES inhuman; but illegal immigration laws are not supposed to be something taken personally. They are not meant to be humane or inhumane. The three candidates who have the most controversial opinions on illegal immigration are Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.

Ron Paul is determined to crack down on illegal immigration and has said, “A nation without borders is no nation at all.” If elected, he wants to have a physical force to secure our borders and coastlines, enforce visa rules more, have no amnesty and end birthright citizenship. Ron Paul’s stance against illegal immigration is a bit harsh. While he is strict, he has a few good points. Stopping amnesty will reduce the incentive for illegal immigrants to come here. Why should non-citizens have a right to our welfare, healthcare and schools? It may seem cruel to deny people healthcare, but Americans are paying for services that others are not. Sadly, this is like giving money to freeloaders.

Newt Gingrich is more lenient toward illegal immigration.

Gingrich has stated, “America also is a land of immigrants, and our lives, economy, and history have been enriched by immigration.” Gingrich has also stated it is not humane to deport every single illegal immigrant. Gingrich believes criminals and gang members should be deported quickly and efficiently but that

hard working illegal immigrants should have a way to earn legality.

Legality is just allowing them to stay and use our resources without becoming a citizen. Gingrich has also been criticized as being an advocate of amnesty. There is nothing wrong with that, but we need to avoid amnesty and the temptation of illegal immigrating.

Gingrich wants to update our visa system, which should be promising. Having a better visa system could help our economy. Take a look at New Zealand: They have a great work visa program and a lot of their money comes from having a foreigner work force.

Mitt Romney appears to be in the middle of Ron Paul and Gingrich. His opinion has been expressed in his announcement, “I love immigration. I love legal immigrants coming into our country. My guess is everybody in this room is a descendant of an immigrant or an immigrant himself. So we love immigration as Americans. Immigration brings us education, new cultures, ideas, innovative talent. It’s wonderful to have legal immigration. I don’’t like illegal immigration.” Romney believes in having work visas for illegal immigrants and having an employment verification system. He also believes illegal immigrants should not pay in-state college tuition. Mitt Romney has also come up with a good way to help the “they took our jobs” syndrome. Having an employment verification system can be almost healthy for the country because it will be able to give those who have an actual work visa the right to work but will still be able to hinder those who do not have the right to work here.

This country should be strict when it comes to illegal immigration but our country should also make it easier to obtain a work visa and to obtain citizenship. Being stricter on illegal immigration does not have to be a bad thing, especially if we make it a smoother transition into citizenship.

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 9

Editorial&Opinion

The occupy movement, Facebook and the 1 percent

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NAU aids in reducing plastic waste

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ollege students demonstrate an unsurpassable ability to explore and criticize global and local issues, and move rapidly toward resolving problems; investing almost wholly their efforts in the bettering of our tomorrow. Unfortunately, this furiously burning passion dies out soon and is directed elsewhere often too prematurely for an issue to be reROLANDO solved. We move GARCIA from genocide in Darfur to power imbalances in Wall Street to global warming issues and then, inevitably, to water bottle usage.

T h e International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has caught on to this trend, mainly because it has become the new target of the college student spotlight, and has invested its own more durable and lasting efforts to distract us from achieving any actual change.

College students and universities have recently and increasingly been targeting bottled water, under the accusations that it is not safer than tap water, pro-

duces unnecessary waste, costs too much money and harms our environment. The IBWA defends itself by claiming bottled water shouldn’t be compared to tap water, but to sodas which are the alternative at gas stations and supermarkets. They conclude bottled water is better for you, more recyclable than other plastic containers and most importantly, its availability is of extreme importance in preserving our freedom of choice.

That’s a dirty trick: Corporations know college students will almost immediately jump on any wagon in the name of “freedom” and “choice.” The fallacy is not all freedoms are good and not all choices are wise. We must invest our deliberation in distinguishing between which choices are to be readily available, and for what reasons.

The bottled water industry, by its contamination, produces costs for non-consumers and as a result is an unfair industry in the free market system. According to Ban the Bottle, Americans consumed over 50 billion single serve bottles of water in 2007, and between 30 and 40 million single serve bottles went into

10 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

landfills each year. Additionally, it takes 17 million barrels of oil per year to make all the plastic water bottles used in the U.S. alone: That’s enough oil to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year.

The IBWA claims bottled water waste is not significant enough to cause a meaningful environmental impact, but it is an unnecessary impact nonetheless, and should be avoided however small. Today’s freedom to choose between tap and bottled water will impact tomorrow’s right to a clean environment, and thus is not a freedom worth preserving.

We also need to consider this movement as a reformer of our wasteful culture. By getting into the habit of carrying our own containers, we will begin to end our dependency on bottled water and perhaps other bottled drinks as well.

Now, companies can still profit without contaminating the environment. Companies can continue offering their products at the same price, without providing containers. This will only work, however, if we develop the habit of reusing and carrying containers, and to stop consuming bottled water is a good start.

hile the Occupy Movement is a subject that has been widely overpublicized and scrutinized by the media, its influence is still very relevant to 99 percent of us, making this extremely important. The social networking site, Facebook, is one of the methods to attract attention to their goal. It is very efficient beAMANDA cause it promotes HORNER organization, networking and awareness to the cause.

Occupy has received plenty of positive and negative publicity; the only thing more important than the publicity is the means by which they accomplished it. However, something ironic in their use of this medium remains. While many different organizations use Facebook for the exact same purposes, Facebook’s top executives, after their base salary and bonuses, are a part of the same infamous “1 percent” of which the Occupy Movement fights against the economic inequality.

The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is eligible for twice a year bonuses of 45 percent of his already affluent income. The same applies to many other of Facebook’s top executives. The New York Times reported Zuckerberg’s base salary is already half of a million dollars annually and combined with the stock invested in the company to begin with, the money he makes is completely astronomical.

People have cried that this use of Facebook is a demonstration of hypocrisy from the Occupy Movement participants and supporters. However, most of the money earned from Facebook comes from the money invested in stocks — Facebook executives have reported if all

goes as planned from raising five billion dollars in its IPO that the company could be worth up to 100 million dollars.

While it may seem hypocritical that the Occupy Movement uses Facebook to organize, plan and raise awareness, it is actually perfectly justified and logical.

The Occupy Movement’s primary focus is not taxing people like Zuckerberg, but it is a form of class consciousness; to get banks and money lenders to be honest, to lower the incredibly high interests rates that have destroyed people’s lives and to get citizens of America to see the disgusting greed and corruption in our capitalist economy.

Today, it is extremely difficult to raise awareness about any issue without going through a third party. Using one like Facebook, which the majority of people in the United States do, is one of the most effective ways to get popularized. According to Facebook, they have 483 million daily users, as of December 2011.

Using Facebook to raise awareness does not weaken their message and it is certainly not hypocritical. The focus of the movement is not on people who have started companies and profited from them. The Occupy Movement's focus is a protest against banks and investors who take advantage of interest rates on middle class American citizens, and something must be done about it.

So, what may seem like hypocrisy at first glance is actually just a practical tactic and a successful way to utilize the tools provided by Zuckerberg and friends. It is more effective than media attention, which is always biasedw toward or against the actual cause, and there is little other option than going through a third party source to access the public efficiently.

ComicSpot

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 11

Life

Bodyslammed

How the NAU pro wrestling club hopes to shine assistant teacher, takes the title of the club’s vice president. At the rofessional wrestling is usual Monday night meeting, he’s NAU’s newest addition to the one in khakis, a checkered their eclectic list of stu- shirt and thick-rimmed glasses.

“I’m a colossal nerd,” Gibson dent-run clubs. While it’s easy to immediately picture well-known says. “To learn more about the WWE characters like The Rock wrestling practice, I’ve read a pile or Hulk Hogan, the students in- of books on it, mostly memoirs volved actually reflect a much of former professional wrestlers.” more colorful group. From a shy When directing the club meetgirl who has a surprising interest ing and explaining the details of in body slams and head locks to his role, Gibson makes one thing the mixed martial artist who sim- clear — professional wrestling ply wanted to try something new, is much more than anticipation. students are finding pro wrestling The characters created by Gibson, the team to be a whole writers and new type of “It’s scripted in of the wrestlers physical and are based on the way that we creative outlet. nexpected “There are know how it’s going uvariables, like refs, production and ev- to come out. But the t rou ble s ome erything that wrestlers in the match family backulis in the actual are the ones coming grounds, terior motives performance up with all the high for winning along with the wrestlers,” points, all the low matches and the relasays Elizabeth points and everything even tionship beTautimez, a in between.” tween a wressenior German tler and his major. Tautiethnic idenmez is also the club treasurer and wife of club tity. The character development president Matias Tautimez. She process includes nods to philosexplains the production includes ophy — the “typical ideology of videotaping, music selection, pro wrestling” and references to costume design and everything decades of wrestling legends.

Gibson describes himself as a needed by any professional wreswriter, experienced in everything tling group.

“The first actual show we’re from non-fiction to comedy.

“I see this as a golden opporgoing to be doing isn’t going to be until May, the end of the se- tunity to write something for telemester,” Tautimez says. “Right vision, even on the campus level. now is basically a documentary It’s something different than what of our club getting to the point of I usually write. It’s interesting. having our live show, hopefully You get a feel for the industry, a on campus.” This documentary good idea of the inner workings is currently being produced by of it and how the philosophy of UTV, where it is expected to be wrestling works in terms of creating a show,” Gibson said. featured once completed.

Corwin Gibson, an NAU graduate student and ENG 105 see WRESTLING page 13

BY ALEXANDRA SOTO

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Students train for the spectacle. Although the action is planned, the pain is real. A lot of practice is needed to properly put on a show safely. Nicole Reiz is learning to take a “back bump,” which is employed when simulating a fall. (Photo by Mary Willson)

12 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

Flex Watches

Making charity trendy

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BY MADISON SANTOS

atches. Big or small, leather or diamond, analog or digital. They can complete an outfit or wake someone up in the morning. What used to be worn simply for the benefit of telling time is now used and flaunted for various reasons. Some are even designed to help the less fortunate by spreading awareness for charities. Flex Watches is a San Diego-based company that works according to their 10-10-10 standard. The watches come in ten different colors and they donate ten percent of their net profit to ten different charities across the world.

Flex Watches campus representatives are roaming universities across the country. Here at NAU, the proud campus rep is sophomore accounting major Andrew Lane. His main goal is to spread the word about the watches and the cause.

“I first heard of them when I was down in San Diego.

I thought it was pretty cool, so I asked if I could be a rep,” Lane says. He applied online and eventually gained his official representative position. “They sent me watches so I can show them off. The goal is making [them] known [and] getting them into the campus bookstore and local stores around Flagstaff.”

Donations go towards charities such as The St. Bernard Project, American Parkinson Disease Association, Be Perfect Foundation, Life Rolls On, Mariners Outreach and more.

Cancer patients, spinal cord injury victims, Hurricane Katrina survivors and those affected by blindness are just a few of who benefit from these contributions.

Not only do Flex Watches assist those in need, but they make for a trendy accessory for many college students. According to the Flex Watch webpage, these unique watches are made of unisex silicone bands with interchangeable faces and are water resistant. A complete watch costs 30 dollars, and the individual bands cost 15 dollars. The CEO for Flex Watches, Trevor Jones, explained the two most popular watches are the white and black ones. “The white one especially makes the most sales,” he says.

Sophomore environmental communications major Olivia Peralta has wanted to purchase the dark blue Flex Watch for a while now. Peralta is interested in the blue one specifically because of the charity it supports. The proceeds from this watch go towards Nika Water, which provides clean water and sanitation to the world’s poor who suffer without. Flex Watches donates directly to Free the Children, who is partnered with Nika Water, and brings clean water straight to the children in Kenya.

“This watch caught my attention because I am really big on water quality,” Peralta explains. “I really like the gray and orange watches too, but I would prefer to support the cause for Nika Water.”

According to websiterankingtool.net, a site that rates various consumer websites, flexwatches.com maintains a site value of $8,716. This figure represents the number of people that are interested in looking fashionable and giving back.

Customers of Flex Watches are also helping to support small businesses. Flex Watches was just starting out when Lane was first introduced to the company, but they have since grown. “Now they’re getting big. There are hundreds of reps throughout the U.S.,” Lane says.

Freshman electronic media and film major Alex Kubiak shows her support for small businesses as often as possible, because she has been working for her dad’s business for six years.

Kubiak has recently been saving up to purchase a Flex Watch for herself.

“I already have a watch that looks kind of like a Flex Watch, and I get a lot of complements on it,” she says.

On the Flex Watch webpage, there are several inspiring mottos that encourage people to support this thriving organization.

“Flex your style, flex your cause” is one of the few. This company is giving students across the country the opportunity to spread the word about charities. Campus reps receive stickers and little handout cards that read, “We’re not just telling time, we’re sharing stories.”

Life from WRESTLING page 12

He compares the writing process to painting, and the idea of “starting big and then getting into the final details.”

“You’re telling a story, and that’s key.” He says that the finished product is not as fabricated as most would think, “It’s scripted in the way that we know how it’s going to come out. But the wrestlers in the match are the ones coming up with all the high points, all the low points and everything in between.”

Upon meeting Dan Hodge, a senior geology major, it’s clear he is a dedicated pro wrestling enthusiast. “I’ve been watching wrestling as long as I can remember. I did wrestling all through high school and when I heard about it here I said, ‘I have to check this out’,” Hodge said. He was eager to explain the weekly schedule of the club.

“Thursday practices start at eight, and go for at least two or three hours, with additional practices on Sundays,” Hodge said. The Thursday morning practices are likely to run until eleven p.m. or midnight; Sunday practices run until the late afternoon.

“Call it eight hours of actual club time. But when I’m at home, I still watch wrestling and take mental notes — ‘How do I use this?’ ‘How does it help me?’” Hodge doesn’t seem to mind the time commitment, however, saying that, “I always wanted to do this. I always wanted to at least try it. It’s something that I really love, I always have, and now I have the chance to try.”

Shawn McGee, a local flagstaff resident, is the outside trainer brought into the pro wrestling club when it was started this past semester. Also a fan of wrestling, McGee tells about his experience watching professional wrestling programs like WWE and TNA, “We would watch it every Monday and Friday, and Pay-Per-Views were like a big holiday.”

His interest turned into a committed hobby after joining the club and he eventually invested enough to be one of several members that offered his own money to repair the mixed martial arts gym that the team trains in.

“The money came out of pocket, but I consider it an investment,” McGee said. In the gym, McGee has had encounters with other athletes who aren’t as passionate about his sport. “Guys at the gym would walk by and say ‘Oh, I wrestle for real,’ but there actually is a lot of reality to this.

Yes, it’s scripted to a certain extent, and pro wrestling has a really bad rap, but it’s good to have this club to get this knowledge out there that it’s not all one big joke, it’s legitimate,” McGee said. He has come to know everyone in the club fairly well, and that familiarity is necessary considering trust is required to practice moves safely. He sums up his experience by saying, “It’s really building some good relationships with people.”

The club seems to be the epitome of student creativity and diversity. With the documentary based on their struggles and successes as a newly formed team to be released soon, they hope to gain more recognition and appreciation from the NAU and Flagstaff community. As Dan Hodge says, “[NAU] is nervous about us because we’re different, [because] they’ve never had anything like this before.” He adds all great things start off as something first questioned and put under that same category of “different.”

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 13

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Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 17

Life

Wushu like to swo

...Dusty Schmidt w

rd fight?

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BY JACKSON RICHARDSON

W

e all have a rational principle within us that drives our very souls. This principle guides us along our chosen paths by instilling a purpose within the mind’s endless potential. So, with such a propelling force inside us we find a way of life, or philosophy, to live by — a word, expression or belief that motivates our desires and ambitions every day. One particular individual high in the neverending nature of Flagstaff expresses a unique way of life through martial arts.

Her name is Dusty Schmidt, and she is a junior musical education major. Schmidt has been practicing the art of Wushu for three years now and uses it as a form of artistic expression.

“A lot of people use it as a form of expression, so my Wushu looks different from others’ Wushu because we add our own expression, which we call ‘flavor,’ to our forms,” Schmidt says. “I use it as an artistic outlet. I can change what I’m doing depending on how I’m feeling and just really use it as a way to express myself with my body,” Schmidt says.

Schmidt, not particularly interested in the art of fighting, was introduced by her former boyfriend to Wushu three years ago.

“I wasn’t originally into martial arts,” Schmidt says. “I took up Wushu three years ago to spend more time with my boyfriend [at the time], who also practices the art. After a month of trying it out I felt confident in myself that I could do this and now I love it.”

Through Wushu she has dis-

covered a philosophy in the ancient art that provides her strength and motivation every day.

“Wushu is composed of the characters ‘Wu’ and ‘Shu’,” Schmidt says. “‘Wu’ means ‘war’ and ‘Shu’ means art, so art of war — and what is interesting is the strokes used for the Chinese character ‘Wu,’ in this instance means to stop or prevent war. So, it’s a defense art and not a means to go out and fight — yet it’s a way to defend myself and keep my body healthy.”

She also finds that Wushu challenges her to excel in the art and in life, feeling there is more potential in her than what is expected.

“My goal is to continually improve. I hate the plateau or the flat line,” Schmidt says. “I want to be moving or at least trying to improve. Staying the same is not only boring but frustrating because you constantly question your goal and what you’re working for. So, with Wushu you can never be perfect and even if I land each kick and punch perfectly I still feel like I could have been more powerful or kicked higher.”

With such passion and motivation behind her, she aims at changing the way she as a woman is supposed to perform in Wushu by disregarding expectations.

“Females in Wushu are expected to be more graceful and flexible and display less power,” Schmidt says. “I tend to ignore these expectations and excel to a perfect form and move less dance like — to stay more true to the martial art.”

However, Schmidt feels comfortable in Wushu bearing its mixed gender environment.

18 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

“It is less gender-biased in Wushu,” Schmidt said. “Wushu is equal between both male and female competitors yet at competitions we are divided up by gender, so sometimes I’m up against only one other female.”

Competing in Wushu tournaments has been a successful method used by Schmidt to show her dedication and love for the art.

“I competed in the Chinese Martial Arts Tournament in Berkeley, California,” Schmidt says.

“There was a holiday tournament during December down in the valley where I took four gold medals. I traveled to Las Vegas and competed in the International Chinese Martial Arts Tournament also and took four gold medals as well.”

At these competitions Schmidt finds herself immersed in a diverse environment that allows her to express many forms and styles that she has come to love about the art.

“Wushu segregates male and female by age, style, gender, form and empty hand,” Schmidt says. “Right now I do empty hand, straight sword, spear and double hook-swords. I love straight sword right now but it changes, so for a month I’ll be obsessed with straight sword then I’ll move on to spear kick. It’s always changing and I keep falling in love with it all over again.”

She aspires to further in the art of Wushu by becoming a member of the United States Wushu Team.

“Last summer I tried out for the U.S. Wushu Team [but was not successful],” Schmidt says. “But the 2013 summer trials are coming up next year and I’m planning on trying out again.”

Dusty Schmidt, a junior musical education major, spices up Wushu by adding her flavor to the Long Spear. (Photo by Nathan Clements)

With her driving commitment, excellence in form and self-discipline, becoming a member should not be a problem this time around for Schmidt. So, with most of her time committed to Wushu and being so passionate about the art she finds herself never wanting to stop.

“I have to take one day off a week to allow my body to recover,” Schmidt says. “Then on that day I notice myself being so anxious and full of energy and I feel like I need

to go train and use it, but I can’t because I need good rest, so I’m usually irritable on my day off.”

With the many ways we as people express ourselves daily, a philosophy can be found in any area — a word, expression or belief we all have something that motivates us.

In this graceful sense of war, however, one unique individual is slicing and dicing her way through life by building a strong body and mind from the ancient art of Wushu.

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 19

SportsReport

Elliot, Tang impress, Chipangama runs sub-four mile

LEFT: Senior Pascal Tang places first in the men’s weight throw with a distance of 20.29 meters. MIDDLE: Senior Jenne Childs, jumped to a sixth place finish with a distance of 5.48 meters. RIGHT: Senior Jordan Chipangama placed first in the men’s 1-mile run with a time of 3:59. (Photos by Garry Hart)

T

BY ALLI JENNEY

he NAU track and field team hosted the NAU Tune-Up on Feb. 16, its last meet before the Big Sky Conference (BCS) Championships this weekend. For both the men’s and women’s squads, excitement came from the throwing pitch to the mid-distance races on the track.

Field events took center stage as red shirt senior Nicole Elliot found her way to yet another career best for the fourth consecutive week, claiming a meet title in the women’s weight throw with a distance of 19.92 meters. Elliot was two inches shy of the school record set by Anna Soderberg in 1997. Junior Kasandra Vegas threw a personal best mark of 16.70 meters and red shirt sophomore Lauren Stuart earned a career-high in the shot put, tossing the shot 13.17 meters.

“The highlights were definitely down at the north end of the track facility here with

the throws,” said director of track and field and cross country Eric Heins. “The women’s throwers look a lot stronger going into conference than they did just a week ago.”

Red shirt senior thrower Pascal Tang landed another meet title and personal best in the men’s weight throw with a shot of 20.29 meters, claiming the No. 2 spot on NAU’s all-time weight thrower records, and falling about 4 feet shy of the Big Sky record. “[Tang was amazing] throwing over 66 feet for the first time ever. He just skipped over 65 feet I believe. It looks like he can say ‘Now I’ve got a shot at the national meet now,’” Heins said.

Fellow red shirt senior thrower Karl Gehrke launched a career-high throw of 17.82 meters and claimed third place at the tune-up.

On the track, red-shirt senior Jordan Chipangama returned from an injury this past season and executed quite a show in the men’s mile race. With the NAU football team showing full support from the stands and fellow team-

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Women’s Basketball

• Big Sky Championships

• Northern Colorado

Friday and Saturday 9:15 a.m. @ the Walkup Skydome

Feb. 27, 6:35 p.m. @ the Rolle Activity Center

20 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

mate Diego Estrada setting a pace for the first 800-meters, Chipangama joined Estrada as the second Lumberjack this season to run a subfour-minute mile.

“That was actually the key of the race.

Without [Estrada] I don’t think I was going to PR. It helped a lot,” Chipangama said. “My credit goes to him.”

A kick at the end allowed Chipangama to pass ASU junior Nick Happe, securing the victory and 3:59.47 altitude-converted mile time.

“The weight I look? Didn’t seem like I was light at all,” Chipangama said. “I was feeling like I was probably 200 pounds. The race was getting [tougher] and [tougher]. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but above all I was happy with my time. I haven’t run that fast since 2009.”

For the men’s sprinting squad, red shirt junior Arnaud Froidmont received his second Big Sky qualifying mark in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.05.

Representing the women’s mid-distance

Go online to read blogs by the sports reporters at NorthernArizonaNews.com. Tune into “Sports Roast” on KJACK 1680 AM at 1 p.m. on Fridays.

team, red shirt senior Haley Lawrence ran her way to a meet title and the BSC Championships with a winning time of 2:17:20 in the women’s 800-meter race.

“I just kind of zoned out with the bell lap,” Lawrence said. “I just kind of kicked it in the best I could at the end.”

At the NAU Invitational, as well as the Husky Classic in Seattle, the men’s team secured all 22 available slots to send into BSC Championships. After Thursday’s results, 18 Lumberjacks will represent the women.

This Friday and Saturday the Lumberjacks will host the BSC Indoor Championships in the Walkup Skydome.

On hosting the championships, Heins stated, “It means a lot of work. It’s great because I don’t have to leave home. It’s something special, a little extra motivation by hosting it. Hopefully we’ll get a lot of alumni back, a lot of family in to watch and we got a great facility, [and] the stands are going to be gone.”

Follow the Lumberjack Sports reporters on Twitter Chuck Constantino: @CConstan3 Travis Guy: @TGuySports Brett Murdock: @B_Murdock1320 Raymond Reid: @YAC_TheeReid16 Cody Bashore: @CodyBashore

SportsReport

Men’s hoops skid reaches 14, among worst in the West

T

Red-shirt freshman Gaellan Bewernick puts it over a UC Davis defender on Feb. 18.

(Photo by Hailey Golich)

BY RAYMOND REID

he NAU men’s basketball team squared off against the UC Davis Aggies in itsfinal home contest of the season at the Rolle Activity Center in a BracketBuster game.

UC Davis proved there are two halves in a game for a reason to overcome a 19-point halftime deficit to beat the Lumberjacks 70–65.

The Jacks entered the game in the midst of a devastating 13-game losing streak. They came onto the court looking to end the streak and send lone senior forward Durrell Norman off with a victory in his final home game as a Lumberjack.

What ensued was nothing short of a total eclipse of the heart.

The Jacks stormed out the gate, jumping to an 18–8 lead in the early minutes of the game.

The charge was led by the man of the night, Norman, who finished with a career-high 26 points, along with seven rebounds.

“It felt really weird to have all the attention centered around you,” Norman said.

Redshirt freshman forward Gaellan Bewernick played the role of Wolverine to Norman’s Cyclops. Bewernick recorded a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 boards,

nine of which were on the offensive glass.

Outside of Norman and Bewernick, there was little support from any other player through the game. The only other player to score in double figures was freshman guard James Douglas with 10 points. The Jacks played without junior guard Gabe Rogers, who lead the team with 25 points in the previous game against Idaho State.

Going into the locker room, the Jacks lead the Aggies 45–26, looking like they would finally break the streak and return to the win column.

But the Aggies had something to say about that.

At the onset of the second half, the Aggies went on a 34–7 run, capturing the lead at 60–52 through the first 10 minutes of play. In the first half, the Aggies shot 41.4 percent, but recorded a 51 percent clip in the second half.

“They started hitting shots and started believing, we couldn’t hit a shot and we started not believing, and as a result, we lost,” Bewernick said. “They were hitting everything in the second half.”

The second stanza was the worst shooting half for the Jacks all season, shooting 26.7 percent from the field after lighting it up with 55.6 percent in the first act of the game.

On the sidelines, the Jacks players looked dejected and disconnected from the effort on the court by their teammates. Player hung their heads and seemed unwilling to be in the moment.

“It’s part of the whole team believing, not just one, two, three or four guys, it’s got to be the whole team, in practice you’ve got to be serious,” Bewernick said. “It’s tough on us, we feel like it’s just us, the five guys out there. I’m not trying to knock my bench down, they’re there sometimes, but then the egos come into play …

They’re in it for a little bit when we’re winning, but not when we’re down.”

Interim head coach Dave Brown did not notice such reaction from his squad, but did see his players hustle.

“I didn’t see those things, but I’m real proud of how these young men are continuing to battle,” Brown said.

Players forced up shots that were outside of the game plan, which was the main factor to the woeful second half shooting percentage.

The final weekend of action for the Lumberjacks will be a trip to Montana, where they will play Montana Thursday and Montana State Saturday.

Despite efforts from Conerly and Patton, Jacks drop 2 in a row

BY CODY BASHORE

A

career-high 24 points by sophomore Khyra Conerly and a pair of 20-point games by junior Amy Patton were not enough to push the NAU women’s basketball team to victory in either of its games this past week.

This past Sunday, the Lumberjacks (8–18, 3–11 Big Sky Conference) fell to the Cal State Bakersfield (CSB) Roadrunners (6–21) 86–77 in the team’s road finale, despite the career-high for Conerly and Patton’s 23 points.

“I have to give Bakersfield credit; they did a really good job at finding open people and they hit some shots that they hadn’t been hitting,” said head coach Laurie Kelly. “They really pressured us; you could tell that was the game plan going in.”

The Lumberjacks’ loss continued their struggles on the road in the past five seasons, especially in non-conference play. NAU’s previous non-conference win away from Flagstaff came in December 2008 when it defeated the University of Hawaii on a neutral court in Tempe.

The final non-conference road win against a team playing at home came in December 2006 when the Lumberjacks emerged victorious at Loyola Marymount 74–58.

“A game like a San Jose State or a Bakersfield, I guess I don’t have an answer,” Kelly said. “Those are two teams that I feel like if we play 10 times, we’re going to win eight or nine of them. Some of it is a confidence thing; things aren’t always going to go your way on

the road.”

Three days earlier, the Lumberjacks fell at home to the Montana State University (MSU) Bobcats (17-9, 9-5 BSC) 83-78, despite a late 8–0 run that included five consecutive points for Patton. She finished with a team-high 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, with four boards and assists, and three steals.

Down 76–73 with 49 seconds remaining, Conerly rebounded the ball and immediately drove through traffic to set the offense on the other side of the court. Conerly saw an opening and drove to the basket, but missed the layup with 38 seconds left on the clock.

“My strength is getting to the basket, so I was just feeling it and it was just easy getting in there; I wasn’t forcing it,” Conerly said. “I was open, but I was too far under the basket.”

Bobcats’ freshman guard Kalli Durham hit ensuing free throws, following a Lumberjack foul, to push the lead to five and end the Lumberjacks’ chance for a comeback.

Conerly started the game a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor, but missed her final three shots. The sophomore finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds and a pair of steals.

“And the truth is, when you look at it, from the angle I had it, she had a good look at it,” Kelly said. “There are times when she forces shots [but] this was not a forced shot. I feel like she got a look at the rim.”

Even at 63 with 7:54 left, the Bobcats went on a 11–0 run a minute later to force the Lumberjacks to play from behind.

Junior shooting guard Amy Patton dribbles around a MonPatton scored 10 of the Lumberjacks’ final 12 points.

tana State defender. (Photo courtesy of NAU Athletics/Matt Beaty)

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 21

PHILADELPHIA NATIVE FINDS NEW HOME ON THE ICE

BY JESSE VINEYARD

C

aptain. A word synonymous with leader, earned through hard work and dedication. The letter “C” adorns the jersey of someone who guides the team on and off the ice.

According to his coaches and teammates, senior forward Joaquin Rivera displayed these qualities to be named team captain of the NAU Ice Jacks Division III team.

“He is the definition of honor, commitment, perseverance and coachability,” said assistant coach Craig Maxwell.

“Never say die, leave it all out there and give it all you got, 110 percent all the time.”

Rivera, a Philadelphia native, began his hockey career early in life. He moved to Arizona at the age of 5, and picked up roller blading with his mom. After Rivera saw people play hockey in a park, he decided he wanted to give it a try.

Hockey and the desert do not always mix, as many have emphatically stated. Rivera, along with help from his mom, made his hockey career in Arizona work.

At his high school, Notre Dame Preparatory in Scottsdale, Rivera and several friends started the hockey program.

With the leadership of Rivera, Notre Dame eventually became one of the top hockey programs in the state, winning the state championship Rivera’s senior year.

“I was a big part of that team, and it felt really good to help a team win that way,” Rivera said. “To play with guys that I’ve played with for four years and to win in the last year was the

g r e at e s t memory, and it was such an amazing experience that I always look back on.”

After high school, Rivera looked to continue his hockey career, and began looking at colleges. From the beginning, NAU was near the top of his list.

“I came up here and took a tour of NAU and was hooked pretty quickly,” Rivera said. “As soon as I decided I was committed to come here, Coach Todd Schall called me, and he had definitely seen me before, and it all just tied in well together and it just seemed like a perfect fit.”

To go from the high school game to college athletics was like learning a brand new game. The first year at NAU for Rivera became a rude awakening on what to expect on the ice.

“I actually got cut my freshman year; I was the very last cut,” Riverasaid. “I was really upset for a long while, and it was tough.”

Rivera kept his head up despite not making the squad.

He went to all the practices and looked forward to making

22 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.

the team while helping out any way possible. With the hopes of practicing with the team becoming a long shot, Rivera knew all he needed was a chance.

“About a week or two later, I get a call saying ‘Bring your gear’,” Rivera said.

With a player sidelined due to injury, Rivera got what he was waiting for. His chance arrived. Though on the roster, there were no guarantees he would play. With four full lines in front of him on the depth chart, effort every day was the only way Rivera would move up the list.

As the season progressed, his hard work was noticed by coaching staff, and by the end of the season, Rivera was on the third line. NAU played their way to the national tournament Rivera’s freshman year. Even then, the learning experiences for Rivera never stopped coming.

“At the national tournament, I tore my MCL,” Rivera said laughing. “It was tough, but it was definitely a learning experience that I’ll look back on.”

For the entire tournament, Rivera watched from the bench as his team finished sixth; the highest finish for the Ice

(Photo by Bryanna Karakey)

Jacks at a national tournament.

The finish led to the creation of a second team placed at the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II level in 2009.

This season, the D-III Ice Jacks made the ACHA Pacific Regionals for the first time since 2009. Coming in as the No. 10 seed, NAU looked for an upset, but missed a chance to move on after a 4 –2 loss vs. No. 3 seed Iowa State, ending their season.

Regardless, Rivera’s teammates saw how important it was for him to get NAU back to the top.

“He’s a big leader,” said junior forward and alternate captain Zach Duda. “He helps us a lot and calms us down.

He’s there for fun, but mostly he’s there for business too.

That’s the most important thing.”

Senior forward Jack Stride, who has played with Rivera for a few years, can attest to Rivera’s hard-worker mentality.

“You want to know that your captain is going to have your back,” Stride said. “You want to know that your captain is going to go out and work as hard he possibly can every shift. He’s always out there giving everything he’s got.”

While a part of the NAU hockey program for five years, Rivera knows what it is like to be one of the young players on the team. From the very beginning of the season, Rivera told the young players what to expect.

“In the locker room between periods, he really does explain to the players what we expect,” Stride

said. “You have to expect to be hit and you have to expect to hit. He’s definitely a mentor to the younger players.”

Head coach Kris Walsh, in his third season as coach of Rivera and the D-III team, has seen the highs and lows of this team.

“He’s had to be above a captain, and that’s been tough,” Walsh said. “He has had to show these kids what it’s like to play college hockey and he’s done an exceptional job.”

From a local park to Jay Lively Arena, where his time is winding down, Rivera has experienced a roller coaster career. He has won a state championship at the high school level, and when was a member of the Ice Jacks this past season when NAU won two games.

“He follows our motto very closely,” Walsh said. “Three things we strive [for] are dedication, respect and hard work.

He’s been dedicated and loyal to this program for five years.

He’s very respectful, on and off the ice. He communicates with the referees and coaches in a respectful manner, and he’s always working hard on and off the ice to make sure his grades are in good standings so he can play hockey every time we need him to go.”

Jack Chat

SportsReport

with Jasmine Sneed

Interview by Cody Bashore Photo by Sarah Hamilton

N

AU women’s basketball player Jasmine Sneed has seen her playing time increase in the past few weeks following a season-ending injury to senior Caty Huntington. The 5-foot-3 freshman point guard from Tarzana, Calif. took the time to talk with The Lumberjack about her poetry writing, her close-knit family and her expectations coming into this season.

The Lumberjack: How are you adjusting to the road travel of college basketball?

Jasmine Sneed: It was difficult at first because it’s a lot of traveling so you have to be on top of your stuff of course and be really responsible. I’m kind of getting used to it.

LJ: Anything specific you do to pass the time on the plane or bus?

JS: Just listen to music or sleep. And study of course.

LJ: Any certain artist that is your favorite?

JS: I listen to a lot of Erykah Badu and like neo soul kind of stuff.

LJ: Is there anything you spend too much time or waste time doing?

JS: Well I like to write poetry a lot, so I get into writing.

LJ: How long have you been writing poetry?

JS: Since I was in third grade I think. I just started doing it to get my emotions out.

LJ: Do you have any pre-game superstitions or traditions?

JS: No, not superstitions, but I do listen to the same song every day, “Practice” by Drake.

LJ: Did you have any heroes or role models growing up?

JS: My mother. She raised me and my sister by herself. She is a very strong person.

LJ: What is your best basketball memory?

JS: Winning [California Interscholastic Federation] in my [sophomore] year of high school. That was pretty good. I think [we beat] Hesperia Christian or something, I don’t even remember it was so long ago.

LJ: Do talk trash at all during games?

JS: I like to talk trash out loud, but in my mind I’ll be thinking things and then do it. I’m not a big trash talker. I like to do actions that speak louder than words.

LJ: Do you ever use your height as an ad-

vantage on the court?

JS: I feel it is, because I feel like people don’t really take into consideration that there are people that are down there getting at the ball. And my speed I guess too.

LJ: What was it like to play against Eastern Washington’s Chene Cooper (5-feet-0)?

JS: It’s weird because in D-I college you wouldn’t think there would be someone shorter than me. But actually, I really admire her game.

She’s a very good player and she really uses her height to her advantage.

LJ: What was it like to play with your sister on varsity for two years, especially for your mom?

JS: It took a lot of pressure off me actually because I have been playing longer than her. So, my mom always used to be on me. But now, she is more on my sister. When she started playing she would be like, “You’re messing up your sister’s assists!” So I feel like she is now more on my sister. But it really brought us closer together because I got to teach her a lot.

LJ: Do you have any kind of sibling rivalry at all?

JS: We don’t really have a rivalry within sports, but we have a ‘Who’s better at this’ kind of thing.

LJ: Is there a class you have right now that you really dislike?

JS: My math class right now. It is just because it is kind of like a self-taught class. The teacher doesn’t really teach it; she kind of monitors it. [There is] a lot of group work, and I hate group work. I hate group projects when you have to really rely on one person to do their job.

LJ: How do you like Flagstaff so far?

JS: It’s different than Los Angeles, but it’s beautiful. I visited here [during recruiting] and I loved it.

LJ: Anyone you feel like you are closest to on the team?

JS: Chanel [Smith] and Erikka [Banks], my fellow freshmen. I love them.

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 23

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24 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

NAU men’s hoops needs big hire

SportsReport Women’s tennis undefeated in Big Sky Conference

T

Interim head coach Dave Brown watches a Montana State player shoot over junior guard Stallon Saldivar.

(Photo by Sarah Hamilton)

T

here’s only one word to describe this year’s men’s basketball season — dismal.

As the final two games of the season approach, the Lumberjacks have performed well below season expectations, finishing last in the Big Sky Conference OPINION (BSC) and compiling five wins on the year thus far. They were projected to at least qualify for the conference tournament, even during a time labeled as a transition phase.

BRETT Perhaps the bigMURDOCK gest story out of the year was the resignation of head coach Mike Adras, who abandoned his post amid allegations of conduct detrimental to the team and violating NCAA regulations. He was replaced by Dave Brown on an interim basis, who won three of his first four games at the helm, but has not won in a 14-game span.

If the previous sentence does not make it obvious, then this should — Dave Brown should not be the head coach next year.

With that belief comes the feeling the university needs to make an impact hire to bring credibility back to the program.

So far, there have been three names to pop up in recent weeks — ASU assistant Scott Pera, Oregon State University (OSU) assistant David Grace and current Grand Canyon University (GCU) head coach Russ Pennell.

All three have their merits: Pera has been at ASU for five years now and recruited current NBA player James Harden to the Sun Devils, Grace is in his fourth year at OSU and has been a successful head coach at every stop he’s made and Pennell took over for Lute Olson at UA during the 2008-09 season, leading the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 appearance before being hired at GCU. Pennell would be the ideal candidate.

He has already coached a Pac-12 team to the Big Dance, plus he has made tremendous strides at GCU, a school looking to move up to the Division I level next year.

With that in mind, he has only spent one year as the Antelopes’ head coach and with the attempted move to D-I, it looks like he may be out of the question.

Pera, serving under Herb Sendek, has produced a coaching tree including

current UA head coach Sean Miller and Ohio State head man Thad Matta. Pera has also been in charge of recruiting for ASU since joining the Sun Devils’ staff, and could bring quality players from the Phoenix area, a market NAU consistently misses out on. However, Pera has only been a head coach at the high school level and with ASU currently in a downswing, he may not be the best option.

Up at OSU, Grace has assisted in rebuilding a program that had been a bottom-feeder in the Pac-12. The Beavers have compiled quality seasons the last few years, including post-season tournament wins. He was a successful high school coach and has experience coaching in the BSC, having spent time at Sacramento State. He is a decorated military veteran and carries a strong presence with him, both on and off the court, and his leadership experience could provide a strong boost to an unstable program.

NAU needs to pursue these three heavily and focus on them alone. All have their pros and cons associated with them, but all three would bring stability to a program that needs to regain its luster. If the administration chooses to go after someone else, hopefully they do not chicken out and go for a “safe” hire.

BY SHAKINA WASHINGTON

he NAU women’s tennis team faced a three-match road test this past weekend against top-20 squad ASU, along with Big Sky Conference (BSC) opponents Weber State University (WSU) and Idaho State University (ISU). The road trip included a blow-out by the hand of the Sun Devils and two shut outs of their own.

The Lumberjacks halted the Bengals from winning a match in both doubles and singles play and dominated the contest 7–0.

“It’s helped me a lot playing, and I think that playing matches has helped me more and more,” said junior Ghizelene Doballah. “I feel very confident for the next one too.”

Doballah returned as one of the Jacks’ leading scorers for the season and teamed up with fellow junior Malia Wahinepio for NAU’s first doubles win, 8–5, against ISU. After taking the first set of her singles match 6–4, Doballah was forced into a tie-breaker set against the Bengals’ Katharina Marsela. She won a 7–1 tie-breaker and claimed the goahead match for the Lumberjacks.

“We knew what we had to do and played really well,” Doballah said.

After dropping her first singles set 6–4 against the Bengals, junior Alice Pacaut rallied to defeat sophomore Zamira Vasquez. Pacuat captured the middle set 6–3 and followed with a final set score of 10–2. Pacaut and junior Alice Walker won NAU’s final doubles match of the contest with a 8–5 match score.

“We played well this weekend from number one to number six,” Pacaut said.

Before the Jacks found their way to the Gem State they traveled to Ogden, Utah to face the Wildcats.

NAU ran through WSU in doubles play with two 8–6 match scores and an 8–2 victory from freshmen Hannah Stone and Johanna Vang.

In singles play, Doballah lost her first set to WSU senior Brittiny Moore, 6–2. She came back to beat Moore in the final two sets of the match 6–2 and 6–3. “[The] scores were tough, but we took care of business,” said head coach Kim Bruno.

The Jacks started the weekend against the No. 19 Sun Devils at the Whiteman Tennis Center. The women lost to ASU 7–0 and did not record a single set victory in the match-up.

“The first match against ASU was hard, but I think we did pretty well,” said junior Alice Pacaut.

ASU kept a strong lead the entire match, both in singles and doubles, with the closest set score 6–3.

The loss to the Sun Devils did not faze the Jacks, who claimed No. 2 in the BSC behind the University of Montana Grizzlies.

“We took advantage of our opportunities this weekend,” Bruno said. “We played those tough points well. We were the ones who had courage at the right moments and because of that we won.”

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 25

Arts&Entertainment Dancing at Lughnasa The lives of five sisters at the turn of the Industrial Revolution

Members of the NAU Theatre Department perform in Dancing at Lughnasa, a memory play set in 1936. (Photos by Kelsey Jordan)

26 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

A

BY CARA BUCHANAN

stone wall curves upstage framing a small kitchen.

The fireplace, sink and various pieces of wooden furniture are vacant as four silhouettes melt into their shape, mimicking their still life forms.

A deep voice comes from the airwaves behind and a figure slowly appears from the shadows. Narrating his fond memories of living with his mother and aunts in a small Ireland village during the summer of 1936, Michael, played by Zanden Hogrelius, captivates the audience within the first few seconds. Hogrelius’ Irish accent is thick as he offers a welcome on this journey with him, back when the lines were crossed between “what seemed to be and what was”.

Dancing at Lughnasa centers around the lives of five middle-aged sisters anticipating the changes of the Industrial Revolution and mending to their ill brother, Jack, played by Travis Marsala. Lughnasa offers a trivial approach at life’s realities when girls just want to have fun.

The story of the Mundy sisters weaving through each other’s lives as quickly as they dance through the kitchen is told with grace and maturity. One moment sister Agnes, played by Veronica Ancona, is knitting solo at the center table, and the next light-hearted Margaret, played by Allison Ritter, has all of them dancing and shrieking in laughter.

“It’s a story about humanity; what it is to have joy in your life. It’s kind of sad but it’s about life and family,” Director and NAU Theatre Department Chair Kathleen McGeever said.

The sisters’ drama, jealousy and love fill the home and bring life’s turmoils full circle.

Robert Barnes plays the charming and adorable Gerry Evans, who serves as the love interest to Christina and estranged father of Michael. He’s the man you’ll love to hate as he playfully twirls his cane and makes yet another promise he won’t keep.

It was important for McGeever to bring the Irish play by Brian Friel to NAU Theatre because it “gives five incredible roles for women,” and gave the cast a chance to experience “a journey of dialog, plot and action,” in which the show features three different accents.

The actors took on the challenge and favored the European dialect and spontaneity of the piece.

“It’s more trying to control the amount of energy we have,” Barnes said. “We’re ready to do this, and we’ve been working really hard but we’ve got to refine it and get into character.”

Part of that character is the cast’s love-hate relationship with accents and dancing.

“It’s fun to try something completely different,” Hogrelius said.

The cast also realizes the opportunity they were given to put on a special performance of a play not often noted.

“It’s a memory play, and those aren’t usually done in abundance,” added Ritter.

Dancing at Lughnasa premieres Feb. 24 in the Studio Theater and runs through March 4. Tickets are available for purchase through the NAU Central Ticket Office, $2 for NAU students and $16 for adults. For more information visit www.nau/edu/theatre.

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Arts&Entertainment

Vagina Monologues offers laughs along with awareness

V

BY MACKENZIE CHASE

agina. It is not a word typically used in everyday conversation. Many people may even feel uncomfortable talking about this part of the female body.

The Vagina Monologues is a collection of stories which aim to highlight everything possible regarding female genitalia.

From rape to pleasure to appearance and even to the tools used during visits to the gynecologist, these monologues covers it all.

What started off as a positive outlet for expressing femininity and an appreciation of vaginas has grown into a campaign to stop violence toward women and children. The Victim Witness Services (VWS) of Coconino County has been the main sponsor of this event for the past several years with great success and is proud to present it to the community on Feb. 25 at the Orpheum Theater.

“The Vagina Monologues, as a play, highlights issues that women and girls face that are exclusive to their gender; and even though violence sees no gender, I think the female experience with rape and domestic violence and incest and empowerment is unique,” said Meg Patton, business manager at VWS. This year’s show is made up of new and returning cast members, all excited to be a part of something that can make

a difference in the world.

Amanda Cleveland, who will be performing the monologue “They Beat the Girl out of My Boy, or so They Tried,” explained the reason she contributes to the event is because “the ideas of empowerment and reclamation of women’s bodies are important. The experience is healing and cathartic.”

This and other benefit events take place each year across the world in an attempt to raise public awareness concerning violence toward women and girls such as rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sex slavery. Eve Ensler, playwright of The Vagina Monologues, founded V-Day in 1998 after realizing the importance of informing people of these issues. V-Day is a global movement grounded in the belief that art can make enough of an impact to inspire people into action and to change the way they think. According to the official V-Day website, the movement has raised over $85 million in just 11 years with all the proceeds going to benefit local violence prevention organizations.

“It is one of our major fundraisers, so when you go, you’re really supporting the work that we do. And if for no other reason, go because it’s fun. You cry, you laugh; it’s been a sell-out for us the last couple years,” said Kris Stark, VWS executive director.

V-Day Flagstaff is the second-largest annual fundrais-

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28 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

er for VWS. The organization uses money generated from ticket sales to provide women in Flagstaff with services they might need. Aside from a domestic violence support group, they offer criminal justice support, crisis response and a victim compensation program, which is one of their larger services.

“The fact is, that about anywhere between 60 and 75 percent of the clients we work with are women,” Stark said.

“So we see in our work that women are victimized at a higher rate than men typically are.”

Audience members will get the chance to find out what makes a vagina angry and learn about the joy of moaning among many other topics covered in the monologues. Most people were probably aware of the on-campus performance Feb. 10 and Feb.11, but this weekend the performace at the Orpheum will be featuring three new monologues. Raffle tickets will be offered for purchase for a chance to win a vacation in Las Vegas.

In regards to the male population, “It offers a unique perspective that they probably haven’t been exposed to. I know lots of men who are going and enjoy going,” Patton said. So even if you may not personally have a vagina, The Vagina Monologues promises to be an illuminating experience for everyone who attends.

“I

daho has the potato. Georgia has the peach. New York has the big apple. Now it’s time for Arizona to be recognized for the chimichanga,” Grant Gardner, owner of El Capitan Fresh Mexican Grill, said.

The Check Yes for Chimi campaign is reaching out to Arizonans to try and make the chimichanga the official state food. Gardner, who teamed up with his friends at Macayos Mexican Restaurant to raise awareness of the campaign, said the chimichanga is important to the state’s history and culture.

“We aren’t sure exactly where the chimi originated, whether it was in Tucson or Phoenix, but we do know for certain that it came from somewhere in Arizona,” Gardner said.

In celebration of the movement, members of the A&E staff visited local Mexican food hubs and reviewed whose chimi is hot and whose chimi is not.

Food Network’s Guy Feiri has visited Salsa Brava, and now, most importantly, so have I. I’m not a culinary expert, but I do love food and I do love me some Mexican flavor. Based on the suggestion of the waitress, I ordered the Chimichanga Blanco. I had no idea what a chimichanga was before this adventure; I even tapped it into Google as I was heading out the door to see what it was all about. I was envisioning a giant taquito, but the plate that came out steaming with goodness was more around the likes of a fried burrito. To my delight the tortilla was thin and crispy and the enclosed meat was tender. Topped off with a creamy

white cilantro and cheese sauce (hence the “blanco”), my chimichanga experience was delightful. The plate was complemented with sides of guacamole, sour cream, rice and beans and the serve yourself salsa bar was fun to indulge in. — Cara Buchanan

La Fonda’s chimichanga, in all its deep-fried goodness, transports one to a colorful, musicfilled cantina deep in the heart of Mexico, even when it’s a dark, snowy night and you’re in Flagstaff. The flaky and crispy outer shell, filled with enough flavorful chicken to feed an army of ravenous college students, is enough to make a girl want to move in and pay rent in exchange for a daily chimi. It truly is a work of culinary genius. A word of warning, however: Do not under any circumstances allow yourself to fill up on the complimentary chips and salsa.

Nothing is more disappointing than when you have to stop eating your meal just because you hit that all too familiar wall of fullness. If I were to offer criticism it would be this: Alone, the chimichanga can get a little plain. It is a simple creation, filled only with chicken and what I assume to be love and magic; so be sure to spread some of that wonderful salsa on your entrée to add some much-needed spice. One of Flagstaff’s most famous mom-and-pop shops, La Fonda’s has never been one to let their customers leave hungry or dissatisfied. The college student’s haven for quality Mexican food allows customers to feast for a mere $7, thus making it delicious and economical. — Sara Weber

Café Olé doesn’t serve chimichangas exactly, but what they do offer takes a slightly healthier spin on this traditional Mexican dish. Their menu gives the option to customize any burrito “Chimi-Olé-O” style, which is what they call their version of a chimichanga, lightly fried. I ordered a basic bean, cheese and

shredded beef burrito Chimi-Olé-O style. My first impression of just the appearance and presentation was that it looked really plain. The tortilla was somewhat charred from the grill, where I’m assuming it was put after being fried.

It simply had some cheddar cheese melted over the top instead of being smothered in sauce or sour cream, which was a nice change from the typical chimi. The ingredients all tasted fresh and the shredded beef had a good level of tenderness that wasn’t too soft or dry. Overall, it was prepared in a healthier manner than some of the other chimichangas I’ve tried before, if Mexican food can even be considered healthy, but it was nothing special. — Mackenzie Chase

This happened to my be my first experience with a chimichanga, and it may also be my last. I went to El Charro Cafe, just north of campus on San Francisco Street. The outside looks rather unassuming, but in the best hole-in-thewall restaurant kind of way. Because of this, I expected to experience a rather authentic version of the chimichanga. The only thing I could liken El Charro’s chimichanga to is a Mexican chicken pot pie. Filled with vegetables and chicken, there was a strange combination of green peppers and celery that I just did not like.

The outer fried shell of the tortilla was really flaky and hard to eat. Overall, the chimichanga was just very different than I had expected, and I was assured by a friend that El Charro’s version is not the typical chimichanga. Everything else that came with the meal was delicious, the beans in particular. —J ulie Anderson

I’ve never had a chimichanga before going to Plaza Bonita, but after eating theirs, I might rectify that mistake. For about $9, their chimichanga comes with chicken or beef covered in sauce and shoved inside a big, fried cocoon of tortilla. They then cover it in lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole.

I’m not too big of a fan of the last two ingredi-

ents in general, but overall the chimichangas at Plaza Bonita are well worth the price. — Jayson Burns As a first-time chimichanga consumer, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Upon arrival, Ralberto’s emitted a great atmosphere of warmth. The customer service was great and the small town feel of the shop was awesome.

Once I got my #4 beef chimichanga, rice, and bean combo, along with horchata, I dove right in. The first bite of this delectable dish was juicy and succulent, sided with a note of spiciness that hit the back of my throat tenderly. The sides of beans and rice helped with the spice and just made me want more. My only wish was that the guacamole served on top hada little more flavor and texture. Overall, I was extremely happy with my first chimichanga.

— Gina Mathews

A long-time crusader for the Check Yes for Chimi campaign, locally owned El Capitan Fresh Mexican Grill serves a great chimichanga. With multiple options for what meat to put inside and sauces to go on top, I would recommend ordering the chicken chimichanga with green chili cream sauce – you won’t be disappointed. This deep-fried burrito is crispy in all the right places and the creamy sauce will make your heart melt. Don’t believe me?

Order one for yourself and see what happens.

—Emma Changose

Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 29

Arts&Entertainment This Means War Directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. Running time: 98 minutes. Rated PG-13.

I

BY JAYSON BURNS

have a bit of a soft spot for both spy movies and romantic comedies (no, I don’t consider them chick flicks). In fact, I think many of us do. So what would happen if you put the two together? Well, if This Means War is anything to go on, then what would come of this combination is a so-so film that has its moments, but ultimately fails to leave much of an impression.

After CIA agents FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) get kicked off a big case, the latter turns to his love life. He soon meets the cautious Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) and the two hit it off fantastically. FDR, however, unwittingly starts dating Lauren as well. Once the two friends discover their predicament, they begin a “gentlemen’s challenge” to see who becomes her stable boyfriend while Lauren tries to decide between the two. Things get intense as both FDR and Tuck begin using their special training against each other, using everything from spy drones to tranquilizer-firing sniper rifles.

One may notice that I talked very little about the “big case” the FDR and Tuck were

QuickFlick

N

BY GINA MATHEWS

ew action-thriller Safe House enthralls audiences from beginning to end. The story follows Junior CIA agent and safe house keeper Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), who has been in charge of manning Cape Town, South Africa’s safe house for the past year. In that time he has received a whopping zero houseguests. Of course, in a turn of events, Weston gets his first houseguest months after sitting and waiting in a small apartment. His houseguest is none other than the traitorous turncoat Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington).

Frost is brought into the safe house by a team who is ordered to reveal Frost’s traitorous secrets no matter the means, even if it involves torture. However, the safe house

on. This is because the film put very little focus on it, despite pulling away from the main characters to build it up. By the end, I had no idea who Heinrich (Til Schweiger) was or what he was after. Instead, the spy element is used primarily to give an extra edge to the love triangle story. Sure, this still worked in various cases, like when both men covertly plant cameras in Lauren’s house without seeing one another, but I wanted more about this agency’s organization and motivations.

It might even have made the governmentfunded CIA being unknowing pawns in this little “gentlemen’s challenge” easier to swallow.

The romantic comedy aspect of This Means War does a little better. Each date they go on had at least one moment that made me genuinely laugh. As far as love triangles go, this one is fairly effective in giving the viewers a good reason to root for one guy or the other. I did, however, get very irritated with Lauren’s unintentional hypocrisy as she complains about her ex-boyfriend cheating on her while secretly dating two different guys.

The acting from the main cast was solid, but the supporting cast was not. Pine

and Hardy do a fine job all around and have some pretty good deliveries, and Witherspoon gave a good performance despite her character getting on my nerves at times. The rest of the actors were either forgettable or, in the case of Chelsea Handler as Lauren’s friend, outright irritating. I get it, she’s supposed to be a mom with a dirty mind, but I don’t need it drilled into my head every time she’s on screen.

While it got progressively better as the film went on, the production value of This Means War seemed to be lacking. Sometimes the way scenes transitioned into one another seemed sloppy and the organization seemed a little confused. First the two agents get kicked off the case, then they’re sitting and moping at their desks and then suddenly the film goes to Lauren. There were some pretty intense and well-choreographed action scenes as well, but the shots were far too close and shaky to make much out. As for the script, it was pretty basic and had some questionable moments, but wasn’t terrible.

Really, This Means War isn’t that bad of a movie. Still, I wouldn’t feel right saying it would be worth a full-price ticket.

Safe House is infiltrated and the entire team of guards is slaughtered. Weston flees with Frost and is informed he still needs to keep Frost in captivity until his boss can find another safe house for them to go to. The rest of the movie ensues with Frost’s wily attempts to escape, Weston’s pronounced progression in maturity and the truth behind Frost’s espionage.

This action-thriller is filled with intense fight scenes involving Frost’s amazing gunman skills. Safe House transports the viewer from car chases, to hand-to-hand combat scenes, to insane gunfights.

The way Safe House is filmed was particularly interesting to me. It demonstrated new camera angles from interesting points of view that I hadn’t yet witnessed from other action films. Also, there was a certain

30 The Lumberjack | NorthernArizonaNews.com

graininess to the film that fit with the gritty intensity of the plot. Normally, I wouldn’t have enjoyed such grain, because I prefer to see a crisp, clean shot, but for this movie it worked.

The acting of Washington is, as always, superb. His role as an extremely intelligent and tough rogue fit perfectly with his acting capabilities. On the other hand, Reynolds fits the bill perfectly for the burning passion required for the character of Weston.

This movie seemed really long, but kept me interested the entire time. The audience and I laughed, gasped and applauded at all the scenes with enthusiasm. Safe House has now made my list of top 10 action movies. I would definitely recommend this movie to those who love a great action-thriller.

I

BY DEREK SCHROEDER

don’t know about you, but I can get lost inside my mind.

I have yet to lay an effective crumb trail for finding my way out once I get too far in, but I’ll get around to it eventually. Until then I try to avoid it at inopportune times like when I’m organizing my decorative sock collection or studying within 12 hours of an exam. It’s times like these I need to focus my attention — I need caffeinated jams to keep my motor humming at a steady rate. I need some great music to study to.

The best study music accomplishes two things: It keeps you focused, and provides periodic release from the mental heavy-lifting of cramming two months of material into a three-hour time span. Certain albums/songs lend themselves to this more than others. My go-to study band is Pelican, a post-hardcore staple that dances between the threshold of marching guitar drone and conceptually engaging beauty. Ridiculous, I know, but Pelican is a musical force — just stand back and take it in.

I find myself listening to M83, Russian Circles, Wilco (but only A Ghost is Born), and never Animal Collective. The bands I study to, though, are really more insignificant than the intended mood or musical element I’m looking for.

I’ll use my favorite study album of the past 4-5 days as an exemplary . . . example. The first song — At least that’s what you said— is easy to zone out. You get situated, readjust in your seat a couple times and pretend like you’re actually going to get all the way through the chapter about soil density, and then out of nowhere, you get hit with this monster slow-jam solo that makes you happy to just be living. Studying mollisols ain’t so bad after all.

After that gem, Tweedy and Co. dish out a solid 20 minutes of acoustic, trance-vibe voyeurism through the next three songs (Hell is chrome/Spiders/Muzzle of Bees). That is a productive 20 minutes of information binging for your brain, then “Handshake Drugs” hits you and you pay attention for the release and the animated grin that song gives you every time. Well, you would if you were me.

Studying is a chore — no doubt about it — but music is so awesome it doesn’t have to be. I can listen to two or three CDs cleaning my bathroom if the music is hitting me just right. I want everyone to study more for no other reason than to spend some quality time with music.

Let me get you started: Caribou Andorra, Yo la Tengo I’m not afraid of you and I will beat your ass, If These Trees Could Talk Above the Earth, Below the Sky, M. Ward Transfiguration of Vincent. For best results apply generously, rinse and repeat.

For the complete column as well as links to mentioned music, visit NorthernArizonaNews.com

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Feb. 23, 2012 - Feb. 29, 2012 | The Lumberjack 31

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