LUMBERJACK The
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NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT
INSIDE News: Tuition raise to impact students p. 7 A&E: A Few Good Men review p. 30 Sports: Women’s cycling p. 20
VOICE SINCE 1914 • VOL 100 • ISSUE 10 • MARCH 28, 2013 - APRIL 3, 2013
LEFT: Project GIVE member, Tori Juvera zip lines off the challenge course on March 22. After four days of volunteering for the alternative spring break, members of Project GIVE enjoyed themselves on the high ropes. MIDDLE: Kenneth Cruz, an NAU senior, glides across the obstacle course for some spring break fun. RIGHT: Rebecca Asser attempts the high ropes at NAU’s challenge course over spring break. (Photos by Holly Mandarich)
W
BY MADISON SANTOS
hile many of us were catching rays at the beach, spending time with family and friends, and avoiding any form of productivity during spring break, a caring group of students from NAU used their time off of
school to give back to the community. Project GIVE is an organization on campus that gives students opportunities to volunteer at various places nearly every week. From March 18 to March 22, several members of Project GIVE participated in the club’s “Alternative Spring Break,” and provided
service for the Grand Canyon, the Murdoch Center and other areas in Flagstaff. “The GIVE stands for Get Involved in the Volunteer Experience,” said Allison Bulkeley, junior psychology major see SPRING BREAK page 15
Go to Jackcentral.com for daily updates, multimedia packages, extra content and stories before the issue hits the stands.
PoliceBeat March 12 At 6:33 p.m., an argument was reported to be taking place between a male and female. The response to questions showed the male had left. She further stated he was suicidal and had told her he had “consumed several” unknown pills. She added he was a known drug user and he was possibly violent. Assisted by the Flagstaff Police Department (FPD), NAUPD located the subject in The Suites. The subject informed officers he had not consumed any pills but he was possibly suicidal. He was admitted to the Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) for an involuntary mental assessment. March 14 At 6:58 a.m., a call was received from an individual who reported an NAU staff member had yelled at them for parking at Beaver Street and Ellery Avenue. A responding officer investigated and the case remains open pending further investigation. At 9:47 a.m., a call was received from Aspen Crossing regarding two individuals who were stuck in an elevator at the second floor. Maintenance was called and the individuals were freed. The elevator was placed out of order and will remain so until the problem is fixed. At 1:34 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on the third floor of the San Francisco Parking Garage. Responding officers discovered the subjects, one who was dressed as a superhero and who had been allegedly standing on a ledge of
CommunitySpot BY GARY COLLINS
the top level of the structure. Upon questioning it was determined the subjects were shooting a short film for a class. The officers informed the subjects not to stand on the ledge. No report was filed. March 15 At 1:56 a.m., a call was received regarding an intoxicated individual. The subject was reported to be outside the main entrance of the Gateway Center and attempting to start fights. The subject was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and for underage intoxication. The subject was transferred to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). March 16 At 1:17 p.m., three 911 calls were received from the Eastburn Education building. Upon investigation it was determined the disturbance was kids being raucous. The mother of the children was advised to regain control.
reported the sounds came from the upstairs neighbor dropping his stereo as he was moving furniture. All was fine and no report was filed. March 21 At 7:20 p.m., staff at Reilly Hall called in to report the odor of marijuana emanating from one of the rooms. Investigating officers located two suspects who were then cited and released for possession of marijuana. March 22 At 10:29 a.m., staff at the Performing and Fine Arts Center reported an individual who had been thought to be living in the center. He was seen twice that morning, according to the report. The subject in question was first suspected of making the center his home two days prior. At that time, 11:24 a.m. on March 20, staff at the center notified NAUPD of the suspected squatter. On both dates NAUPD took a report. The case remains open.
At 2:07 p.m., a call was received about skateboarders and cyclists performing on the curbs and sidewalk in front of Reilly Hall. An officer was dispatched to the scene. The officer contacted the subjects, determined no damage had occurred and asked the subjects to desist. They complied.
At 11:22 a.m., a call was received from staff at Cline Library to report a subject who was outside the entrance and who was yelling at passersby. When officers arrived on the scene they contacted the subject who was interviewed. The subject was then warned of trespassing and asked to leave the area. The subject complied.
March 18 At 4:46 a.m., a resident of Gillenwater Hall called to report apparent gunshots coming from the room above hers. Investigating officers
SEE MORE POLICE BEAT ENTRIES FROM THIS PAST WEEK AT JACKCENTRAL.COM
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Events Calendar Calendar Events THURSDAY, MARCH 28
SATURDAY, MARCH 30
Spanish Conversation Table “La Tertulia” [5:30 p.m./University Union]
Dry River Yacht Club with Peachcake [9 p.m./The Green Room]
German Conversation Group “Stammtisch” [6 p.m./NiMarcos Pizza]
Rebelution: Winter Greens Tour [8:30 p.m./Orpheum Theater]
French Conversation Group “Table Francaise” [6:30 p.m./Weatherford Hotel]
SUNDAY, MARCH 31
Open Mic with Kyle Klaus [8 p.m./Altitudes Bar & Grill]
Blackalicious with Mic Hogg [8 p.m./Orpheum Theater]
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
MONDAY, APRIL 1
Daft Punk vs. Justice [9 p.m./The Green Room]
Global Learning Symposium [3 p.m./Gardner Auditorium]
Peelander- Z [9 p.m./The Green Room]
Better World Film Series End of the Line Documentary [7 p.m./Gardner Auditorium] NAU Weatherization & Community Building Action Team presents Christian Parenti [6:30 p.m./Cline Library Assembly Hall] TUESDAY, APRIL 2 Immigration Awarness Carshow [All day/Riles Building] Latin Dance Class [7 p.m./Health and Learning Center] WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 NAU Film Series La Petite Jerusalem [7 p.m./Liberal Arts] Badfish: A Tribute [8:30 p.m./Orpheum Theater]
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Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313 E-mail: lumberjack@nau.edu P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Editor-in-Chief Kierstin Turnock
Creative Directors Jessie Mansur Jessica Bruce
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Student Media Center Editorial Board Photo Editor Sean Ryan Assoc. Photo Editor Holly Mandarich
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March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 3
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4 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com
InTheNews
Costello lectures on creation of sustainability standard
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BY MITCH KULLOS
AU School of Forestry recently hosted John Costello from the State University of New York - Syracuse for a lecture on March 13 about the formation of a universal index that could aid in creating a standard for sustainability. The presentation was specifically about Costello’s research in establishing a universal rule by which forests and governmental land management can be used to help create sustainable forests around the globe. The importance of creating a universal index resides in how many regions, countries and states have different methods of considering if a forest is healthy and thereby sustainable. Costello commented on the tactics of some countries using dead trees to determine the health of their forests and thereby address its sustainability. “The first thing I tell the students is that it’s not so easy to define,” Costello said. “Is it the absence of dead trees? And people laugh at me when I say that, but if you’ve ever been to the Black Forest of Germany, it is the absence of dead trees. If you walk through the Black Forest you’ll never see one. The German foresters remove the cadavers as soon as they can.” However, these varying standards of sustainability have deluded the understanding of what a healthy forest should be. Costello formed a system for forest health classification able to effectively grade a forest system on a point scale that has to do with the mortality rate versus the expected mortality rate of trees. This research is especially concerning for the Flagstaff community because, to be within the threshold of sustainability, the forest would need a rating of 27.8 or lower. Instead, the ponderosa pine, one of Flagstaff ’s major species of tree, has received a much poorer rating of 75.4. “Here’s your ponderosa pine. Look at the sustainability score of that one: 75.4, unsustainable due to insufficient mortality. This coming from a guy who’s never seen these trees until today. Based on the limited things I’ve seen today, it seems true,” Costello explained. While most would consider having more trees rather than allowing some to die a positive notion, the reverse is actually true. The ponderosa has actually overgrown its sustainable boundaries over decades and needs to be reduced to meet sustainable levels. Samantha Orsulak, a secondary education major, attended the event and was surprised how interested she became in the topic, especially the application to Flagstaff forests.
Amanda Knauf, a forestry major, and Emily Fule, a high school senior and daughter of forestry professor Peter Fule, measure the circumference of a tree while surveying a forest in India to try and understand the sustainability and health of the forest. (Photo by Sean Ryan).
“I visited some forest last semester to study if forests were healthy, and it really applied. Because some of our forests look like they’re dying, and they’re cleaning up all the dead trees and it might be important to keep all the dead trees so we can really see how the forest is doing,” Orsulak said. Similarly, Jordan Rae Aguirre, a junior mathematics major, originally came to the event with the Honors Program, but found the discussion was much more informative than expected, especially regarding the statistical evidence. “It was somewhat uninteresting until he started talking about the math of it and I’m interested in that because I finally knew some of the terms that he was using,” Aguirre said. While neither students were exclusively forestry or biology majors, the significance of the study’s effect on local forests or simply the concepts that created the point system were considered thought-provoking to the audience and relevant to the Flagstaff community.
Former NAU postmaster under investigation BY GARY COLLINS
A
llegations of a misappropriation of funds have recently surfaced in regards to the former manager of the NAU Postal Service. Edwin K. Talley, who joined the university’s postal service in 1977 and became a manager the following year, is being investigated by Northern Arizona University Police Department (NAUPD) detectives in connection with irregularities discovered in a recent university audit. “A new security software program led auditors to begin questioning certain purchases for security items,” said Tom Bauer, director of NAU Office of Public Affairs. “We are trying to determine the amount of money and when the alleged theft started. I can’t get too detailed for fear of jeopardizing the university’s investigation,” Bauer said. “NAU police and the county attorney’s office are working together to determine if charges will be filed.”
NAUPD Community Relations Officer Joe Tritschler elaborated on the relationship between police and the county attorney’s office during investigations. “We use them as a sounding board . . . when cases are under investigation they kind of help advise us on areas to look at; what would be very important to establish elements of a crime,” Tritschler said. Talley, who was paid $58,000 annually, but is no longer employed at NAU, was manager of the postal service for 36 years, so detectives have a considerable amount of evidence to sort through. Coconino County Attorney’s Office confirmed no charges had yet been filed in this case. In fact, the investigation may prove to be a lengthy and comprehensive one. It is not known at this time either the extent or the duration of the possible crimes. “They don’t know how far to look back,” Tritschler said. “They are verifying when different payments were made. It’s going to take a long time and I’m sure it’s going
to involve various banks and agencies.” The allegations center on payments made by the postal service to two security firms,Talley, who did not return requests for comments, owns. The firms are Internet-based and specialize in selling personal security devices such as Tasers. The case may go further than a conflict of interest, however. It centers on more than whether the accused paid his own company for services needed by the postal services. The university had never paid for security services before the postal service used them and it was the discovery of such recent payments that started the investigation. This does not mean, necessarily, that the payments were illegal. “We’re just trying to figure out in this particular case what was going on and to verify if the transactions were legitimate based on the university’s systems that they have in place,” Tritschler said.
March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 5
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Tuition increase for incoming students
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BY ABIGAIL O’BRIEN
n March 27, a public hearing was livestreamed throughout Arizona college campuses to discuss the tuition increase expected to hit Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14), in which NAU is expecting an increase of 5 percent. The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) provided a total of eight locations on the varying state campuses for community members to meet and voice their opinion. “The public interactive meeting was designed to offer the public a chance to give testimony, participate and provide their opinion about the tuition increase,” said Sarah Harper, director of the office of public affairs for ABOR. The presidents of each university, along with the administration, submitted their tuition proposals to ABOR. The percentages were made public so the community could weigh in. The committees will then discuss the criteria of the increase and on April 4-5 ABOR will vote on the proposal and set the final tuition amounts. “Everything the board of regents hear, voiced opinions, emails, letters etc. will be taken into consideration,” said Eric Dieterle, NAU public affairs coordinator. ASU and UA are proposing a 3 percent increase for undergraduate and graduate students. NAU is proposing a 5 percent increase for all incoming undergraduate students. The increase will only affect incoming freshmen and continuing seniors due to the pledge program. NAU offers the pledge program, which solidifies the amount of a student’s tuition price for eight semesters. The program helps alleviate the toll of state cuts on current students.
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“The tuition hearing is always extremely important to the university,” said NAU president John Haeger. “Our increases are modest; in fact the vast majority of Flagstaff students will not see any tuition increase since they are on the pledge. New pledge students for fall 2013 will pay 5 percent more than last year’s pledge class, but over four years that equates to 1.25 percent per year.” Based on the tuition history over the previous 10 years, the FY14 budget does appear to be a limited cut increase for the three universities. “Last year we did have a zero percent increase for some levels [for UA and ASU], but this year is still one of lowest rates we have had in years,” Harper said. NAU administrators met with ASNAU to discuss the proposal. “ASNAU has strongly supported the presidents’ recommendations,” Haeger said. The proposal also includes a $2 per credit hour increase with a cap of 12 hours in the Information Technology department that, if mandated, will be a required fee for all students. The public hearing provided ABOR with the opinions of community members and insight of the financial breakdown for future students. If the proposal is passed, incoming undergraduate residents will pay $9,738 (a $467 increase) per school year. Non-Arizona residents will pay $22, 093. “With university operations almost totally dependent on tuition and state appropriation, the tuition hearings are crucial to our university,” Haeger said.
InTheNews Rep. Kavanagh pushes for closer eye on potential threats
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rizona Representative John Kavanagh has introduced a bill that would require some school personnel at certain levels and mental health professionals to report people whom they deem a threat to safety. The bill, HB2555, would require health professionals, teachers employed by school districts and charter schools, teacher’s aides, university professors and mental health professionals to report individuals to law enforcement who they have “reason to believe” pose a danger. Joe Tritschler, NAU Police Department’s (NAUPD) Community Relations officer, said he does not think law enforcement should necessarily be dealing with all calls related to troubled people. “A law enforcement approach? I don’t know if that’s always the best thing,” Tritschler said. “I know that we respond from a professional side to the counseling center to people in severe crisis who a counselor said ‘This person should not be left alone right now, they need help right now — patient type assistance.’ So we assist them at times like that.” Tritschler believes teachers are already making an effort to help troubled students here at NAU. “I know currently that type of approach is being undertaken right now,” Tritschler said.
Blog: Carbon neutrality Fire at Newman Center results in $5,000 worth of damages
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“That’s happening. Teachers are identifying students and saying, ‘Hey, are you ok?’” According to the bill’s text, the people listed above must report individuals they have ‘“reasonable cause” to believe dangerous. HB2555 defines reasonable cause as, “. . . [believing] through personal observation, that a client or student is a danger to self or others [and/or] is aware that a client or student has communicated a threat of harm to self or others and has the intent and ability to carry out that threat.” Tritschler said while reports from campus personnel may be helpful, NAUPD receives more information from students. “We get the calls of a friend reporting that, ‘Oh, someone just posted on Facebook or I just talked to my friend on the phone or I just got a text, I think they’re going to try and hurt themselves,”’ Tritschler said. Karin Eberhard, FUSD Relations Coordinator, said the district generally does not comment on bills while they are still working their way through the legislature. “Any measure that allows for more attention to be paid to those who may need mental help is a positive step,” Tritschler said. “It’s a terrible tragedy and more intervention is needed and mental health concerns, I think, get pushed behind all the issues; but there used to be a better way to help identify people that might be in crisis and I think this is a step.”
Student diagnosed with meningitis
A NEWS:
BY WILLIAM BROWN
BY BREE PURDY
n 18-year-old NAU student was hospitalized with a confirmed case of bacterial meningitis. Meningitis is a bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can be spread from personto-person by direct contact with saliva of the infected individual through kissing or sharing personal items, including cups, utensils and smoking materials. Symptoms often resemble the flu and include stiff necks, nausea, vomiting, severe headaches, high fever and sensitivity to light. Bacterial meningitis is considered extremely serious and may result in death or brain damage even if treated. Early diagnosis and treatment may prevent serious neurological damage. Campus Health Services is attempt-
ing to stop the spread of the infection. “We are identifying students who may have had close contact with the student and they are receiving treatment and antibiotics as a precautionary measure,” said Beth Applebee, executive director of Campus Health Services, in a university press release. The university and Coconino County Health Department are continuing to monitor the students in an attempt to prevent further spread of the infection. “We do not believe the situation poses a risk to the broader campus community, “ Applebee said. Students who notice any of the symptoms or were in close contact with the individual should seek medical attention immediately. Check Jackcentral.com for further updates.
March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 7
InTheNews
On March 13, Lowell Observatory kicked off its fundraising campaign to restore the Clark Telescope. The telescope was built in 1896 and recently celebrated its 117th birthday. The campaign raised more than $12,000 out of the $256,718 goal. The goal will be enough to restore the telescope to operational status. (Photo by Keenan Turner)
Lowell campaigns for telescope restoration T BY JOSEPH MCKAY
he Lowell Observatory launched an online campaign on March 13 to raise money to restore its famous Clark telescope, which recently celebrated its 117th birthday, to bring it to operational status. Often referred to as the “people’s telescope,” for the first century of its use, the Clark had been used for research and is now being used for educational purposes only. “Edwin Hubble would have been nowhere without V.M. Slipher’s research here,” said Tom Vitron, Lowell’s media and communications coordinator. Maps of the moon were also made using the Clark in the ‘60s. These maps were studied by astronauts and used to get a sense of the terrain on the lunar surface and pinpoint their landing. The Clark has also had a significant effect on pop culture. Percival Lowell’s original reason for the Clark was to look for intelligent life on the surface of Mars. Although none was found, it inspired writers such as H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs leading to the entire genre of Martian alien fiction. Clark telescope has been a hallmark of Flagstaff for more than 100 years and residents, students and tourists all come to look through the lens at distant celestial objects. “It’s amazing to see that cluster of stars,” said Sue Fox, a California native visiting Flagstaff. “I’ve laid out and watched the stars all my life.” The Clark has since been retired for research purposes and in the past few decades it has been used for educational
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purposes. With the strain of over a century on it, it is in desperate need of restoration. “The timing right now is such that if we don’t do it soon, we’ll have to close it down,” said Kevin Schindler, outreach manager. In order to keep the telescope operational, Lowell’s crowdfunding goal is a quarter of a million dollars. “We’ll get a crane that will lift the telescope. We’ll disassemble it, look at all the parts, the bearings, the gears and everything. [We’ll] place anything that needs to be replaced and also redo the electric wiring,” Schindler said. Many of the telescope’s and surrounding dome’s original components are still there, along with makeshift innovations that have been added through the century to keep it running. “There are a lot of cool little quirks that give it a lot of personality,” Schindler said. Tires from 24 Ford trucks from 1954 rotate the dome, and the main shutters are still rope and pulley. “A lot of observatories get caught up in building a beautiful dome and the telescope is so-so. Well this is a great telescope,” Vitron said. “The building around it is make-shift but it works.” Lowell wants to keep the history while making the dome and telescope more secure and safe. “The shutters doors are so hard to open some of our staff actually hang on the ropes,” Schindler said. The crowd-funding campaign has raised $12,000 to date out of the $256,718 goal. “When I see people donating, it lets me know I’m not the
only one that finds this stuff fascinating,” Schindler said. The current monetary goal will be enough to restore the Clark to operational status. It will allow them to do the refurbishments they need in order to not close it down. Further funding will go toward educational purposes and making the experience more enjoyable for visitors. The project will take nine months to complete, and while the Clark will be closed for refurbishments during that time, the observatory will remain open along with the other telescopes. Lowell offers tours for the Discovery telescope, a new state of the art optical telescope, 40 miles south in Happy Jack. “There are monthly public tours now. You have to sign up and there’s a limited number of seats, but it’s not built for public access necessarily,” Vitron said. “It’s kind of a premium thing. We charge about a hundred dollars but it’s a really nice day out.” Tours take place on the third Friday of every month with a limited number of seats. “We were really relevant and at the cutting edge of science a hundred years ago and we’re back there now with this instrument,” Vitron said. “It’ll augment every area of science we work in.” Though the Discovery telescope is their best research telescope, the Clark will remain Flagstaff ’s main source of astronomy education. “This is where the legacy began,” Vitron said. Donations to restore the Clark can be made on the crowdfunding site on indigogo.com. The link can be found on Lowell Observatory’s website homepage.
Editorial&Opinion
The blasphemous betrayal of on-campus housing
T
STAFF EDITORIAL
here are many benefits to living on campus at NAU. Students who reside in on-campus housing often feel a greater sense of community and connection not just with fellow students, but with the campus itself. Timing the commute to class is easier because many halls, suites and apartments are near a shuttle stop or are within walking distance to class. Most facilities host events or offer treats monthly to further unify residents. When looking into housing options after freshman year, the benefits of remaining on-campus are promoted. Students who remain receive earlier opportunities to apply for other on-campus housing options. For upper division housing — McKay Village, Campus Heights and Pine Ridge — there used to be a 60-credit requirement in order to apply. However, the requirement was lowered to 30-credit hours for the 2013–2014 school year. With the lowered requirement, more students are seeking a spot to stay on-campus. Those with a lesser number of credit hours were awarded dates and times to reapply with the students who met the 60-credit hour limit. The initial reason for the 60-credit hour requirement was to allow oncampus living opportunities for upperclassmen and lowerclassmen. On March 11, the reapplication process opened and on the morning of March 12, students received an email stating McKay Village, Campus Heights and Pine Ridge had already filled. Many of these students were current upperclassmen, who followed the appeal of remaining on campus and the presumption they would be guaranteed housing next year. This email showed slim hope for students who wished to upgrade from their current dorm life situation, and showed even slimmer chances for the students who lived off campus and were hoping to return to campus, whose application date is April 15. Though from an NAU perspective, there is a feeling of pride to be recognized in knowing NAU is appealing to more students, with the growing incoming classes, the increase in student population should not negatively impact current students in regard to housing. Off-campus housing options do share their own appeals; however, with the waiting game of reapplying on campus, the availabilities in these outside apartments begin to decrease. The longer students must wait to decide if they have the option to remain on campus or not is an added stress for the last month of the school year. Financially, application fees and down payments add up as well. Some of the only apartments available require leases to begin as early as May; students who return home during the summer must pay for a place of residence only to be used during the following school year. There is something to be said about the idea of seniority. Whether the administration wishes to admit it, upperclassmen should have received priority over the incoming sophomores in regard to living in upperclassman housing. With how quickly availability filled up, it is hardly a perk for students to elect to remain living on campus if they are unable to do so again the following year. Whether accommodations come from the administration looking into beginning the reapplication process earlier in the spring semester so students may have more time looking into off-campus locations or for administrative officials to start planning developments of more student housing, it is evident with the number of undergraduates rising, changes need to be made in order to provide appropriate housing for all students. Editor’s note: Assistant Sports Editor Alli Jenney wrote this editorial on behalf of the staff.
Political Cartoon by Brian Regan
Manning’s courage at war with Obama’s fear
P
resident Barack Obama does not want you to know what he is doing in the White House. He does not want you asking questions, particularly about his lies, and he really dislikes it when someone goes behind his back and tells you the truth. Those who dare to reveal the administration’s secrets, most notably U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, have been subject to relentless persecution. Manning has languished in prison and been branded a traitor by the nation he served, but all he did was tell us the truth when we desperately needed to hear it. Bradley Manning was arrested in 2010 for leaking classified documents and materials to WikiLeaks, including the infamous “ColMILES SCHNEIDERMAN lateral Murder” video. This video depicts U.S. soldiers in a helicopter, laughing and joking while they gun down a pair of Reuters journalists and several Iraqi civilians. “The most alarming aspect of the video . . . was the seemingly delightful bloodlust the aerial weapons team . . . appeared to have,” Manning testified at a military hearing. “They dehumanized the individuals they were engaging and seemed to not value human life . . . congratulating each other on the ability to kill . . . in large numbers.” Manning’s actions resulted in the largest unveiling of state and military secrets in American history, exposing atrocities committed by U.S. soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. Since his arrest, he has been imprisoned by the military for more than 1,000 days without trial, spending several months in solitary confinement. As court proceedings finally begin to move forward, Manning faces 22 charges, including one which could potentially lead to life in prison. All this is the result of the crime of revealing accurate information to the public. While aiding the enemy is the most serious charge against Manning, he’s also being prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Conceived by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915 and passed by Congress in 1917, this law criminalizes the transfer of infor-
mation that might hinder a U.S. military operation or in some way help a U.S. enemy. In his 1915 State of the Union address, Wilson revealed his justification for the act. “There are citizens of the United States . . . who have poured the poison of disloyalty into the very arteries of our national life, who have sought to bring the authority and good name of our government into contempt . . . to destroy our industries . . . and to debase our politics to the uses of foreign intrigue,” Wilson said. “Such creatures of passion, disloyalty and anarchy must be crushed out.” It’s no coincidence the Espionage Act was followed a year later by the Sedition Act, which made it a crime to criticize the government in any way. The Sedition Act was later repealed as unconstitutional, but the Espionage Act remains, though its own constitutionality has been hotly contested over the years. Wilson used it to imprison Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs, among others. Despite its controversial legality, the Espionage Act has only rarely been invoked to prosecute whistle-blowers who take their information to the media. Before Obama won the presidency, there had only been three such prosecutions, the most notable one being of Daniel Ellsberg for leaking the Pentagon Papers in 1971. Since Obama has been in office, no fewer than seven whistle-blowers have faced charges under the Espionage Act, including Manning. Another example is John Kiriakou, who confirmed the U.S. practice of water-boarding prisoners to the press. Only one person went to jail as a result of the new public information: Kiriakou. The free press is often invoked as a cornerstone of any functional democracy. The importance of whistle-blowers, people who stand for truth and justice in the murky, secretive realm of government and the military should likewise be held up as fundamentally necessary. Obama’s actions expose him for what he is: a coward who wakes every night in a cold sweat from dreadful nightmares of a knowledgeable, educated American citizenry.
March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 9
Editorial&Opinion Assault weapons ban is not an answer to America’s gun violence
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n Feb. 18, Dianne Feinstein, the leading proponent of gun control in the Senate, emerged from Harry Reid’s office defeated. Reid, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, had chosen to strip the proposed assault weapons ban from the Gun Safety Bill in an effort to better the odds of it passing a vote. Drawing fire from his own party, Reid announced several days later the proposed ban on semi-automatic military style rifles would nonetheless receive a vote as an amendment to the bill, a small victory in the Democrats’ uphill battle to pass what they call meaningful and common sense reform to the gun laws in America. However, terms like common sense cannot be used as a substitute for an argument grounded in reason and facts. Indeed, the efforts to pass such a ban are founded in neither. The idea that passing more laws JAMES and restrictions against ownership of assault weapons GINGERICH will prevent the kind of tragedies we have seen as of late is a perpetuation of a single-minded belief that pervades politics. Like the prohibitions that have come before, empirical evidence has shown restrictions on law-abiding Americans have no effect on those willing to break the law. In this debate, Democrats have used heartbreaking testimony to justify their stances while Republicans warn of the coming invasion of jack-booted Feds coming to kick open doors in suburban Texas. Separate from this tear-laden testimony there is a reality to be found. After the first ban on assault weapons was set to expire in 2004 the government sought to find proof of its effectiveness, and they had a decade of data from which to pull it. The Center for Disease Control, the National Research Council and the Jerry Lee Center for Criminology had all observed the results the ban had shown since its 1994 inception. All came back with the same result. There was absolutely no data to show the ban had any effect on violent crime. The studies showed the low instances of the use of assault rifles in crime was the primary factor in the gun death rate remaining unchanged, but even the instances of mass shootings have not subsided. Nevertheless, many liberal commentators have been quick to note other case studies where an assault weapons ban had drastically decreased shooting sprees, namely laws in Australia and the United Kingdom. The oversight in such arguments is those countries had implemented a confiscation program, an action seen as so controversial in America it has never been a part of any proposed assault weapons ban. Considering the fierce opposition to the currently debated ban, it will likely never be. Not to mention the number of such weapons that exist in America, many of which are unregistered, would make confiscation nearly impossible. Proponents of an assault weapons ban, including President Barack Obama, rely on the assertion if such a ban could stop even one shooting it would be righteous, but this contention is flawed. It relies on the belief those sick enough to perpetrate such acts would be stopped by the inability to acquire them at the local gun shop. The shooters at Newtown, Columbine, Aurora and countless other tragedies acquired their weapons from friends or family. Those weapons will still be in the hands of millions should such a ban take place. Where there is a will to cause harm, unfortunately, there will almost always be a way. If we can prevent tragedies through legislation, it is our duty to at least discuss such options. The current assault weapons ban will not do so. Instead, like the War on Drugs, innocent Americans will become collateral damage to faulty legislation that does nothing to cure society of its ills.
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Political Cartoon by Brian Regan
Small town Bisbee puts Flagstaff to shame
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ongratulations, Bisbee, you’re on top of your game. After an initial vote on March 19, the Bisbee City Council unanimously (that’s right, unanimously) endorsed a city ordinance that would extend rights to same-sex civil unions in the city. Under the new ordinance, Bisbee residents would be able to enter civil unions regardless of their sexual orientation. Flagstaff, on the other hand, seems fairly content with a population that thinks it is super progressive without much substance behind that thought. Actions speak much louder than thoughts, Flagstaff. You may be surprised that, in addiCLARK tion to national opinion trends, conserMINDOCK vative Arizona has shown an increased support for gay and lesbian rights. More specifically, the average American is warming up to the idea of homosexuals getting married. Bisbee’s entrance into this debate in the Grand Canyon State comes just as the Supreme Court hears arguments on the issue of whether gay marriage is constitutionally straight in the U.S., as it were. Sentiment in the chambers seems split upon party lines, with justices seemingly uninterested in making a broad ruling on the issue that would totally legalize gay marriage in the U.S. The issue has ubiquitous reach that is seeing attention everywhere from the local level to national. Arizona makes it clear gay marriage in the state is prohibited. Five years ago, the good voters of Arizona went to the polls and approved an addition of language to the Arizona constitution that recognizes marriage as a uniquely man and woman sort of affair. Civil unions appear to fall into some gray area for Arizona. Bisbee is valiantly pushing the envelope by consider-
ing legislation that — gasp — will give family discounts to same-sex couples that have entered into a civil union. All joking aside, the benefits are real and go further. Civil union couples will gain medical rights (meaning partners can visit when sick and sign papers upon death) and financial rights that allow for increased cooperation and coordination between couples. In just a few weeks, 5,633 people could enjoy these rights in southern, rural Arizona. Now that eight tenthousandths of the Arizona population is getting close to passing this legislation, what can the rest of the state do? Well, Flagstaff can take an actually progressive stance on the general issue. February was a great month for LGBT rights in Flagstaff, but let’s be honest: the passage of anti-discrimination legislation in northern Arizona (and, ahem, most of the country) is fairly safe politically. There’s not an extremely strong stance on anything in 2013, and Flagstaff citizens shouldn’t get it in their head that they can pat their backs more than a couple times (back-patting should have been finished weeks ago, folks, let’s keep getting things done). The Flagstaff City Council should pass similar legislation to the civil union bill in Bisbee. We live in a town that is too easy to proclaim itself an open and progressive haven in this great red state of Arizona. We should really expect some action to back up our claims or we should embrace our mediocrity and comfort with cheap talk at the expense of tangible progress. Sure, Coconino County frequently votes Democrat and sure we seem to be okay with letting hippies stand around downtown all day, but can we not be more exceptional? We’re a college town, after all. Let’s stand next to Bisbee and send a message to the state that same-sex unions are nothing to be afraid of, and all people should be extended the same basic rights.
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March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 11
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summer@nau.edu March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 13
Life
Adventure with NAU Outdoors
Brett Velez, a junior psychology major from Phoenix, does his stretches before starting his kayaking class at the Wall Aquatic Center. The kayak class is taught through Outdoor Recreation on campus. (Photos by Sean Ryan) BY CHRISTIE MONTURO
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magine hurling down a river filled with raging rapids surrounded by extraordinary rock formations, or dangling off a mountain while rock climbing in some of the most remote areas in America. Some people might prefer a calmer route, such as a hiking or camping trip, but if any of the above sounds appealing, NAU Outdoors is the place to go. NAU Outdoors encompasses several aspects of activity at university activity. They are responsible for the indoor rock wall in the Health and Learning Center (HLC), the challenge course on south campus, the Wilderness Welcome program for freshmen and various adventure programs and workshops. They also rent equipment for up to a week for those who wish to take their own outdoor trips. NAU Outdoors Program Coordinator Matt Hartman said the organization’s mission is for students to “develop connections.” They hope students gain connections to the natural environment, their fellow adventure-seeking peers and themselves on these trips. Students gain knowledge about safety while receiving credit hours to further their overall progress toward graduating. “Some courses have a written test, some have a practical exam and some have a reflection paper, but all of the trips re-
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quire some sort of participation while in the field,” Hartman said. Different trips have different difficulty levels, so a grading scale is assigned to each adventure to judge one’s physical shape for certain trips. Sarah Pawlowski, a junior biology and chemistry major, said her first trip with NAU Outdoors was to the Grand Gulch in Utah. Pawlowski loved the trip and thus began her career working for NAU Outdoors as a trip leader. “After my roommate became a trip leader she kind of recommended me to Matt Hartman,” Pawlowski said. She then decided to take the required nine-day Wilderness First Responder Course to gain the necessary medical certification in order to become a trip leader. “I just kept coming back, and didn’t really take no for an answer, and I got an interview,” Pawlowski said. Out of the ten trips she has been on, Havasupai is her favorite to lead, to show students the beautiful waterfalls cascading down the canyon. “The stuff that I do here that I get paid for I would do for free usually,” Pawlowski said. NAU Outdoors program has opened up several opportunities for her and taught her skills she might not have learned in a typical classroom. “For the skills trips there is usually a day in the class or a portion that’s in a classroom and then you go out and practice
skills,” Pawlowski said. Elliot Spaulding, a graduate student studying clinical and mental health counseling, leads various river and land trips for NAU Outdoors. His first experience was about 10 years ago when he signed up for the Wilderness Welcome program, a four to five-day trip for freshmen where they go hiking, climbing or rafting the week before their first day of college. No experience is necessary on Wilderness Welcome, and after the trips, the staff helps the freshmen move into their dorms. “They’re really excited to start their year knowing some people already,” Spaulding said. NAU Outdoors attracts students who enjoy going on adventures, being outdoors and having a good time with peers. “We work hard to make the trips as affordable as possible,” Hartman said. “Trip fees cover transportation, all food, group gear, permits and trained staff.” The prices usually reflect what the actual cost would be of a recreational trip, but students can earn credit. The main goal is to create an outlet for students to connect with nature while practicing proper safety and environmentally friendly techniques. Over the past few decades, this program has grown to reach a larger percentage of students, which makes room for a larger variety of trips to take. For more information visit nau.edu/recreation-services/ outdoors or stop by the office in the HLC.
Life
A spring break of giving back Students volunteer with Project GIVE during break
Elisabeth Sims, the Project Give Program Coordinator, zip lines off the challenge course on March 22. On the last day of volunteering for alternative spring break, the Project GIVE members were rewarded with the adventure of the high ropes course. (Photo by Holly Mandarich) from SPRING BREAK page 1
and program assistant for Project GIVE. “We pretty much just get involved in the community through volunteering, and we do that with small events and big projects like Alternative Spring Break.” Project GIVE has been at NAU for three years, and this was the second-annual Alternative Spring Break organized by Bulkeley and the program coordinator, Elisabeth Sims. “[Sims] is incredibly connected to the community, so she just called up people she knew and asked when they could have us and what they needed us to do,” Bulkeley said. Part of Bulkeley’s job as program assistant is to inform students how they can partake in community service hours with Project GIVE. She sends out emails, posts on their Facebook page, hangs flyers around campus and tells professors to inform their students of the volunteer opportunities. There are no weekly meetings and there is no commitment. Students can choose to volunteer whenever they want and as often as they want. The Alternative Spring Break was geared toward students who stayed in Flagstaff during the break and wanted something to do. Vernica Dees, a senior chemistry major, used the Alternative Spring Break to stay busy and complete community service hours required for Gamma Alpha Omega, a service sorority. Due to her work schedule, Dees could only dedicate her time to Project GIVE on March 19, when she and 18 other volunteers went to the Grand Canyon to clean up litter and learn about the
effects it has on the national park and the animals there. “I just took a Grand Canyon class online, and I didn’t really like it or care about it — but going to the Grand Canyon and seeing it and listening to the stories about the California condors and how they die because of pennies was interesting; I never would have thought that would be the reason for them dying off because of us dropping pennies,” Dees said. “I think that was my favorite part, because I am not native of Arizona and I don’t like the outdoors that much, but now I feel like I can appreciate the outdoors, and I definitely want to go back and help more.” This was Dees’s first time working with Project GIVE, but her experience was positive and she plans to volunteer with them more often. “We saw one of the workers who normally picks up trash near the Grand Canyon and she was very appreciative, because it was a busy day and they were short-staffed . . . So, it was really nice to help her out with her job for the day.” In addition to helping out at the Grand Canyon, volunteers painted the Murdoch Center, spread mulch at the NAU Outdoors ropes course, organized and sorted through clothes at several thrift shops and gardened with the Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening (SSLUG). Tyler Thorp, a freshman political science major, took part in every event on the Alternative Spring Break itinerary, because he enjoys giving back and had service hours to fulfill for scholarship requirements.
“I honestly did not realize how much work people need to get done, and how much quicker it gets done working with a group. It’s just rewarding seeing how much we helped them, especially when people just don’t have the time to complete some of these projects,” Thorp said. One of Thorp’s favorite activities was helping Full Circle Thrift Shop reorganize their building. “It functions so much better now and I feel like I had a huge part in it, and they were so grateful for our help,” Thorp said. “I learned a lot about the community and found new places to eat and shop; that enough was worth it. I feel less like a tourist in my own city.” After four days of hard work, the volunteers were rewarded with adventure and tackled the high ropes of the NAU Outdoors Challenge Course. “We did two days worth of service projects with NAU outdoors, so we decided to end it by doing the high ropes course,” said Sims, project coordinator. “It was just a fun way to wrap up the week of volunteering.” Being the last Friday of spring break, Sims did not expect many of the volunteers to show up for the obstacle course, but they still had a great time as a group. “The challenge course is great team building for groups of all sizes and clubs and offices on campus who want to do something together, so it was great,” Sims said. If interested in volunteering with Project GIVE, check out the Facebook page, visit the office NAU Civic Service Institute of the SBS West building or email ProjectGIVE@nau.edu.
Jasmine Zelechowski, an NAU freshman, attempts the challenge course. The volunteers participated in the course as a team and used it as a bonding experience. (Photo by Holly Mandarich)
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Class
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Applied Indigenous Studies
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Class
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Criminology & Criminal Justice
Geographic Science & Community Planning
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Class
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College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Class
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Life
Student on the rise BY GEOFFREY KIE
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eing a full-time student is a daunting task for some, but junior environmental studies major Tyesha Ignacio has undertaken the goal of working part-time as well as being an ambassador for NAU and for the Native American populace. The Miss Indian NAU (MINAU) pageant took place in November 2012 and since then Ignacio has been enjoying her time as the current title holder. “It’s a lot of responsibility,” Ignacio said. “I’m glad it’s a challenge though because I never would have thought I’d have an influence not just on the NAU campus, but the Flagstaff community as well.” Ignacio, a full-time student and part-time worker at Goodwill, promotes recruitment and retention as she has completed many years mentoring youth and peers. One of the goals Ignacio has set for herself is to create a dialogue about collaboration with the various student groups on campus. “Within campus I want to connect and work with Native American clubs,” Ignacio said. “The MINAU organization is not too well known, but I wish to make it more established within the university by working with various programs. Sustainability initiatives are something that I would like to work on as well, but also by spreading cultural awareness at the same time.” Most recently, Ignacio has attended the National Collegiate Leadership Conference (NCLC) at the UA. The NCLC provides a twoday conference where more than 600 students from different schools join together to brainstorm in workshops that build leadership, ideas of service, social justice and social responsibility. This addition to Ignacio’s resume can be a tremendous asset to build relationships with other schools and future leaders. Sharon Doctor, assistant director of Native American Student Services at NAU and also part of the committee for the MINAU organization, notes that Ignacio is friendly, outgoing and has an ease in how she conducts herself. “The title of MINAU provides a Native college student a unique opportunity to be a role model,” Doctor said. “We do monthly
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meetings with the whole committee, which is Kathleen Frank, Laverne Kescoli and I. We give guidance to the title holder when she needs to talk because it can be stressful completing all of the responsibilities. We also encourage maintaining good grades and remind them they are students first. We want them to be successful, but we’re not hovering over them.” Doctor indicated the committee does not control the MINAU organization and it is up to the title holder and the first attendant, Charnelle Williams, to choose the events they attend. The MINAU organization is responsible for many tasks like fundraising for the next pageant, upholding the title with respect and being aware of their conduct and events they support. Ignacio also notes the committee is grounding in terms of decision making and being supportive at the same time. “Time management; I think that is the one area that cause problems,” said Julia King, a senior elementary education major and 2011-12 MINAU first attendant. “It sounds cliché that we are learning to be better leaders, to be better students and representing ourselves, but through this title there are areas that we really connect to and see how we’ve changed. In this role, it was time management I learned to do and to do successfully.” King speaks from experience that it can be challenging to juggle responsibilities. A former first attendant, a peer mentor at Native American Student Services and former American Indian Science and Engineering Society President during her time with a title, King has shown even though there are overwhelming tasks to be done, it all comes back to home. King feels a tremendous amount of pride speaking with the youth of her community and is humbled by the thought that she was a student in their place not too long ago. Ignacio has time to plan the next pageant with her first attendant, Williams, for November, and she intends to combine both of their efforts on the subjects that matter most to them, such as promoting healthy choices in their communities and higher education. “Learning Navajo language has helped me gain a whole new aspect with family, which is important to me; it helps me understand my culture and the culture of others,” Ignacio said.
Doppelgangers BY CARIN BENNGSTON
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o, it happened again: I was walking to class — nothing else existing except myself and the music vibrating within my eardrums — when, suddenly, a familiar face appeared. For a second, I wondered how it was possible this person was standing in front of me. That one second wasn’t long enough for my brain to process, but, as you have all probably experienced, staring at someone for even just a second can feel like an eternity. Not surprisingly, I finally realized the person was just another lookalike. I did it again. I stared at a complete stranger, because he or she reminded me of someone not even on the same continent as me. As someone who travels often, encountering doppelgangers is now a recurring element of my life; everywhere I go I see familiar faces. I guess with about 7 billion people in the world, there are a limited amount of physical traits to share. By now, I have been to many places in the world and have seen many people, but I guess it’s not too strange to encounter people who look alike. My attitude toward a lookalike, however, is influenced — for better or for worse — by my relationship to the original person. How unfair to the poor doppelganger. To my paltry defense, people look at me as well — maybe because my jeans fit incredibly well and my hair looks awesome as always, but most of the time I actually wonder if there is a social code I have missed out on. Is my beanie the wrong kind? Or am I in fact a lookalike myself? When I am examined in secret, I usually worry I have toilet-paper stuck under my shoe, have forgotten to brush my eyebrows in the right direction, or something else unattractive. However, the thought of me being a lookalike is after all not entirely unreasonable.
For instance, thanks to, and according to, one of my high-school teachers I was told I looked very similar to Reneé Zellweger. Wonderful, given that everyone related her to Bridget Jones: an ungainly chick running around in washed-out granny-pants. Eventually, I had enough of the nonsense and cut my blonde hair off and dyed it red. In another instance, a ticket man at a commuter train fiddled with my ticket and hummed for a bit while figuring out who I looked like then suddenly burst out, “Cyndi Lauper!” Once again, not so thankful this time, either. I have also encountered the “Is this your first time here? I am sure I have seen you before; you are so familiar.” A woman said this to me in a little sweet-shop located in the smallest town I have been to in America, and I cannot even remember the name of it. I assured her it was my first time being there – and probably the last as well. “Well, alright then. Maybe I have seen you in a movie or something,” she said. Now, I am not an irrational believer, but, according to superstitions, seeing your own lookalike is a bad sign—meaning death is walking by your side and is going to bring you down shortly. Another theory is your lookalike is actually you, but in a parallel universe and both of you will cease to exist once you meet. If friends or relatives of yours spot your lookalike, it is just a matter of time before you will be met by unpleasant misfortune. Do you now realize how many people I can potentially croak or terrify simply by my appearance? To be honest, I am not very afraid, nor am I a believer of doppelgangers. I simply do not care if I look like your aunt’s neighbor. Just continue to examine me in secret and I will do the same with you — this way, we can save ourselves from paranoia.
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that passport! March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 19
SportsReport LADY JACKS PERSEVERE IN CYCLING COMMUNITY BY TATUM ROCHIN
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n a sport primarily made up of male riders, women are taking the handles at NAU. Jacque Povilaitis and Lindsay Dye are two female racers who compete consistently in the mountain biking events. Povilaitis, a senior exercise science major from Tucson, has been cycling for about three years and took up mountain biking a year and a half ago. She has known she wanted to come to NAU since the sixth grade. “I really enjoy Flagstaff and I like that it’s so outdoor-oriented,” Povilaitis said. “If you’re active, this is the perfect place for you.” Povilaitis definitely qualifies as active. Not only is she a fulltime student, on the cycling club and working three jobs, she is also a triathlete and was vice president of the Trijacks, the NAU triathlete club, in 2012. Her teammate from Colorado, Dye, is a sophomore and also an exercise science major. Dye has been cycling for five years and it runs in the family. “My parents were big racers so that got me interested in it,” Dye said. “They were both semi-pros at one time and now they ride for fun.” Both women are also familiar with the dangers mountain biking poses. Dye broke her collarbone twice and even knocked herself out once. “I went off a jump going downhill and I think I landed right on my head, and I broke my collarbone in a race in Colorado,” Dye said. Although both racers have suffered serious injuries, they have not been deterred from the sport. “I’ve had more crashes than I can count and a lot of scars and bruises,” Povilaitis said. “But luckily, I’ve never had anything bad enough to scare me away from it.” Povilaitis and Dye represented NAU at the Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships in Angel Fire, N.M. this past semester. Dye had a great finish in the short track event, finishing 10th, and really appreciated the intensity of the crowd during the race. “My favorite event was short track because the crowd cheering for us was outstanding,” Dye said. Povilaitis competed in short track as well, finishing 16th. She also enjoyed the atmosphere of the tournament and being able to hang out with her teammates. “Short track was a lot of fun,” Povilaitis said. “Pre-riding the course was really fun too, because there was no pressure and you just go out there with your friends and get a feel for it.”
Sophomore Lindsay Dye (left) and senior Jacque Povilaitis, both exercise science majors, are the only two female members of the NAU cycling club. (Photo by Andi Sanchez)
Both ladies are aiming to compete at the 2013 Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships, but before they get there, Povilaitis has an obstacle to face: getting into graduate school. “I’m applying for grad school here at NAU in February, so hopefully I’ll get in,” Povilaitis said. “If possible, I would like to race in nationals again as a grad student.” Dye is also preparing for some upcoming races this semester. She is participating in the White Tank race in Waddell, Ariz. This race is sanctioned by USA Cycling and is part of the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona (MBAA). “I’ve never done an MBAA race and I need something to get me in shape so I figured it would be fun,” Dye said. Along with her personal goals to do well in races this year, Dye is also focusing on bettering the cycling community in Flagstaff. “I’m coaching a junior team, and my goal is to be more involved with that,” Dye said. “I really want to be a promoter for youth cycling. I’m currently involved with the Arizona High School Cycling League and we’re trying to get a team started in
SportShorts Men’s Tennis
Women’s Tennis
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March 28 at 2 p.m.
March 29 at 2 p.m.
at Continental Country Club
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Go online to JackCentral.com to read a recap of the track team’s meet at ASU, the men’s tennis team pair of weekend matches and club baseball’s trip to San Diego.
Flagstaff.” Povilaitis and Dye agree mountain biking is not an easy sport, but they do encourage people to try it out. “Cycling is hard at first but once you get over that hump . . . it’s a lot of fun, once you’re not crashing every single ride,” Povilaitis said. “It’s really hard,” Dye said. “There’s not a lot of opportunities out there for youth cyclists, but more and more are coming with this development of the Arizona High School Cycling League and USA Cycling is doing some awesome developmental rider camps.” Trying to build a sense of community is nothing new for the NAU cycling club, and they are grateful for any help that is given to them. “The club is getting more involved in the community and we’re getting more people involved in doing trail building and trail maintenance,” Povilaitis said. “We’re trying to make a difference in the Flagstaff mountain biking scene. It’s important for us to give back.”
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SportsReport
Toughness, technique basics to rugby NAU’s rugby club, the Landsharks, say their sport is safer than football despite the lack of equipment to protect them
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BY VINCENT PEÑA
njuries are common in all sports, but injuries are not treated and viewed the same way in all sports. In many sports, seemingly insignificant injuries can sideline an athlete indefinitely and many precautions are taken in the road to recovery. In baseball, for instance, if a pitcher is having discomfort in his right shoulder, the player may be placed on the disabled list. In other sports, suffering injuries — and, more importantly, playing through them — is an integral part of the game, like in rugby. Rugby is a sport founded on toughness and physicality. It is fast-paced, intense and extremely grueling; unlike American football, rugby is played without the protection of a helmet and pads. Common sense would suggest injuries in a sport like rugby are typical and severe, but that is not necessarily the case. According to head coach Aaron Proctor of the NAU men’s rugby club, the Landsharks, football is actually more dangerous than rugby in a couple ways, specifically regarding the amount of concussions. “[Concussions] don’t happen as much as in football, because we don’t have helmets and we’re safer, and the laws about tackling are safer. There are actually more injuries in football than rugby, statistically,” Proctor said. Despite statistics, concussions are always a possibility in rugby, and Proctor takes caution when dealing with head injuries. “Concussions are a concern; they’re the ones I take more seriously than anything as a coach, because I have experience with it. So, any player that’s expected of even a minor one, we pull them for at least a week from contact,” Proctor said. Aside from concussions, there aren’t many serious or career-threatening injuries in rugby, and when they do occur, it’s because of improper technique or breaking the rules of the game. Junior Kevin Wu has experience with being hurt, but notes the rarity of major injuries when people play the right way. “I have had some injuries; they’re most-
ly the result of people breaking the rules though. Rugby is a pretty safe sport if the rules are followed. I have had a torn ACL, but that was a result of just illegal, inexperienced play,” Wu said. Wu acknowledged the inexperience of many of the players contributes to people getting hurt and the better the competition, the less likely one is to get hurt. “I mean, at a higher level when everyone plays by the rules and plays safe, there’s very, very little permanent or long-lasting injuries,” Wu said. Fellow teammate Ryan Patterson agreed sticking to the rules makes rugby safer for everyone. “I had a sprained ankle and broke two fingers in the fall, and that was just because of a bad tackle. So, like we said, if you just stick to the rules, you’ll be fine,” Patterson said. Although there aren’t as many serious injuries in rugby as in other sports, people do still get banged up pretty bad, because rugby was not designed for those who can’t handle a little pain. Minor injuries like breaking or jamming a finger, leg cramps or twisting an ankle are usually not reasons for leaving the game, like they would be in most other sports. As Proctor explains, playing while hurt is just part of the game. “The laws of rugby are designed to keep play going, so if you’re injured, play does continue; and if you come out of a match for any minor injury, you’re not allowed to come back in, for the most part,” Proctor said. “It’s incentivizing players to toughen up and play through things — that’s kind of the culture of rugby.” Patterson agrees with Proctor’s sentiment. “Play doesn’t stop just because you got hurt, so you either just get up or you sit down and take a minute. You need to make sure you let the ref know, but other than that, you got to keep going,” Patterson said. There is a certain degree of toughness a rugby player must possess, and those who do not will surely not last long. “We talk to the guys and tell them you’re
During a line-out, Matt Fahy (left) and Justin Avriett (right) lift Brendan Pipkin against Red Mountain Rugby Club from Mesa, Ariz. during a game on March 2. (Photo by Andi Sanchez)
going to be hurt all year — if you’re not hurt, you’re not playing rugby,” Proctor said. “Very rarely does it evolve into serious injuries, and guys just play through stuff; these are really tough guys.” That toughness is not limited to just getting injured and playing through it, but other components factor in as well, especially for a team like the Landsharks, who regularly play through rain, snow and heavy winds. “Every Tuesday [and] Thursday, we’re out here; regardless of weather, we’re practicing. You know come game time, we are more prepared than the other team. The teams from Phoenix and Tucson don’t have that; they don’t get to play in the snow, and so they’re not experienced in it,” Wu said. The Landsharks are in the last month of their season, and have two remaining matches. The first one is March 31 against the Tucson Magpies, a team that finished fourth in the country the previous season. The following weekend, the Landsharks close out their season against Old Pueblo at the South Recreation Fields on April 6. Proctor expressed his concerns with a college-aged team playing in a men’s league and shared the advantages of coaching such a young, sprightly bunch. “Our concerns are always that we are a
college-aged team playing in a men’s league, so we play a lot of older, more experienced teams; that’s always our challenge,” Proctor said. “But our benefits are that our guys are young, we don’t have a lot of bad habits to break, our guys are really eager and fit and we run teams all over the field basically. Oh, and we also have the best home field advantage.” Wu also said he thought there are several advantages to having new inexperienced players join the team, particularly in being able to see improvement. “One of the cool things about having a team this inexperienced is, every week you can actually see quantifiable improvement,” Wu said. “Looking forward, it’s pretty exciting because I know every week we’re going to be a better team.” The Landsharks season will unfortunately end soon because the team’s record is not good enough to make the league playoffs. Despite this, Proctor and his players are optimistic heading into the offseason. “These guys have been playing strong since the first week in August, and we really, we train for eight months straight, and we’re wrapping up April 6. This has been a rebuilding year, so we’re working toward next season,” Proctor said.
March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 21
NAU coaching salaries on par with Big Sky elite
W
ith football’s resurgence in the fall and the excitement of Jack Murphy’s debut season coaching men’s basketball this spring, NAU’s athletic downfalls may be difficult to remember. Despite the Lumberjacks’ lack of chamCOMMENTARY pionships in non-Olympic sports, the NAU football and basketball teams’ coaching staffs have salaries comparable to those of the Big Sky Conference’s most dominant schools, based on the upcoming fiscal budget. According to the 2013 DANI budget book, NAU’s basketTAMCSIN ball and football coaches, including both head and assistant coaches, make a combined $673,000. The University of Montana, a Big Sky powerhouse in many of the marketable team sports, has comparable costs for its head coaches in both football and men’s basketball. Montana’s football program held the title of Big Sky Conference champions for more than a decade, running from 1998 to 2009. During the run, they also appeared in three national championship games including a win in 2001. The Grizzlies earned season records of 14–1 and 14–2 during the streak. In 2010, Montana finished third in the conference and in 2011 the Grizzlies returned to first in the Big Sky with a record of 11–3. After finishing first in the conference, former Montana head coach Robin Pflugrad signed a contract worth $155,000 annually. In 2011, that same year, NAU head coach Jerome Souers received $130,000. In Souers’ 15 years as head coach, the Lumberjacks have never been outright conference champions. They have been to the playoffs three times, exiting in the first round twice. In 2003, they made it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1978, but were quickly eliminated. Souers’ overall record at NAU is an underwhelming 84–88. His conference record is just as medicore at 55–60. Though the program has been struggling, the difference between Souers’ salary and the salary of a Montana head coach is roughly $25,000, or the average salary of an NAU custodial worker. However, Chad Eickoff, NAU admissions officer and former assistant women’s basketball coach, believes Souers is paid for much more than just coaching a football team. “When this team was first coming to-
22 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com
gether, there were a lot of problems off the field,” Eickoff said. “He had to get his players to straighten up before he could even begin focusing on conference titles. I think he’s done that and now he can focus on strengthening the team in different ways.” Basketball is not quite as simple of a comparison. While the hiring of Murphy was well regarded given his background, NAU’s program presents a different challenge than his job as an assistant at the University of Memphis. In fact, Murphy took a pay cut from his former position at Memphis in order to become the head coach at NAU. NAU is paying Murphy $180,000 for his first season as a head coach, about a $60,000 dollar raise from the salary of previous head coach, Mike Adras. It’s also $55,000 more in base pay than Montana head coach Wayne Tinkle’s $135,000 per year. Tinkle has brought Montana to the playoffs for the past four seasons and consistently puts them in the top of the conference. Tinkle has a 141–78 overall record and 85–31 in conference. The Grizzlies have represented the Big Sky in the NCAA tournament three of the past four seasons, losing only two conference games in the past two seasons. There’s certainly some merit to spending big to win big, and by many other universities’ standards, $180,000 doesn’t seem very big at all. At NAU, however, success in the classroom seems to be the focus for athletes. Clearly, having well-rounded student-athletes is important. However, if academics have become the main priority for NAU athletics, it may be fair to question instructors and professors taking furloughs and undergoing pay cuts while expanding the budget of the athletics programs. The investment into the athletics programs could help the university’s exposure on a broader scale. NAU’s basketball program moved in a positive direction this past season, finishing 11–21 after being picked last in both media and coaches’ polls released by the Big Sky Conference in October. Regardless of if Murphy lives up to the investment the university has made, it will take time for him to have an impact on the program. As for Souers and his $130,000 per year, it may be near the least you could pay a NCAA football coach. Both the football and men’s basketball programs showed improvement in their most recent seasons, but their new found success does not cancel out the costs through the past decade. At the very least, the teams could continue their improvement and make the school’s investment worthwhile.
SportsReport
Football opens spring practice Women’s tennis
sweeps weekend
T
TOP: Junior quarterback Chase Cartwright passes the ball during the practice on March 26 at the upper practice fields. LOWER LEFT: Junior wide receiver Dejon Walker catches a pass during the first practice of spring. LOWER RIGHT: Senior wide receiver Jeremy Dang catches the ball during practice. Dang missed nine games this past season after suffering a knee injury Sept. 8 at UNLV. (Photos by Sean Ryan)
BY ELIZABETH SEARS
he NAU women’s tennis team shut out St. Cloud State University (SCSU) 7–0 on March 22 and defeated University of North Dakota (UND) 6–1 on March 23. The Lumberjacks earned their fourth consecutive win and improved to 10–8 overall and 3–1 in the Big Sky Conference (BSC). By reaching their tenth win of the season, the Lumberjacks clinched their eighth consecutive season of double-digit wins, dating back to 2006. The Lumberjacks opened the weekend road trip with the win against SCSU. “I thought we competed well; I mean, all of us coming off a couple days off played up to our potential,” said director of tennis Kim Bruno. The Lumberjacks clinched the doubles point with two 8–0 shutouts at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. Sophomore Johanna Vang, senior Alice Pacaut, senior Nicole Perez and junior Tatum Rochin all swept their singles opponents 6–0, 6–0. No. 1 senior Ghizelene Doballah defeated junior Cassandra Brown 4–6, 6–1, 1–0 (10–4) to get the Lumberjacks the sweep over the Huskies. The Lumberjacks continued their dominance with a 6–1 defeat of UND in their second match of the weekend. “I thought it was impressive. Our girls came out, fought hard and got a solid win,” Bruno said. “We had some close matches. There was a couple of things could have gone either way. North Dakota was definitely the stronger match.” No. 3 doubles Pacaut and Rochin played together for the first time this season and defeated seniors Mindy Lawrence and Magen Sween, 8–0. No.1 doubles pairing Vang and sophomore Hannah Stone defeated Stephanie Biehn and Stephanie Petsis 8–4 and clinched the doubles point for the Lumberjacks. “I thought [the matches] were really good for our team, just building confidence and setting our record higher than it has been,” Perez said. In their past four team matches, the Lumberjacks have won 34 out of their past 35 matches. “I think we are in a good place right now. We are at a high level now; we are sitting pretty well in conference, pretty well in our season,” Bruno said. “We just need to keep cleaning little things up and competing hard.” Six players have win streaks of at least three matches. Perez holds a team best record of 12–6 and has won her past five matches. “I have been playing really solid and pretty consistent, and just building my confidence as well,” Perez said. NAU will host BSC foes Eastern Washington and Idaho State on March 29 and March 30 and close out their weekend with a match against Texas Pan-American on April 1 at Continental Country Club.
March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 23
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March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 27
After Hours
brings witty delight
to Friday
N
Arts&Entertainment
night
BY BRIAN REGAN
ormally, a Friday night in college constitutes one of two things: a fun recreational activity of sorts to look forward to or something you won’t entirely remember the next morning. Some of the students who attended NAU’s After Hours event on March 8 just so happened to get best of both worlds. After Hours tickled students’ funny bones and slapped their knees with a lineup of devilishly smart and humorous acts including a comedian, a magician and a hypnotist who put on a performance worth raving over. Geoff Keith is a comedian who has been on MTV’s Disaster Date, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Coming at NAU with an arsenal of jokes from personal experiences and improvisations with the audience, the students were left roaring. His raunchy approach was deliciously distasteful in all of the right ways. With hilariously dry sarcasm, Keith recalled events during his time on the MTV hidden-camera show Disaster Date, as well as tales of his misadventures with women and his sexual prowess. He conversed with and playfully teased several students in the audience who he would refer back to through his performance, including the band fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi. “The comedian interacted with the audience a lot, which I feel brought about the most memorable moments of the night. It was a really great way to start off the occasion,” said Emmett Burnton, a sophomore secondary education major. Keith’s performance seemed like it would be hard to follow up, but the acts of magician and escape artist Daniel Martin easily swept the audience right back into the entertainment. His witty combination of humor and magical tricks left the audience smiling as much as they were mystified. With a few tricks up his hat and a rabbit in his sleeve, Martin constantly kept the theme of “how did he do that?” alive. Amazing the audience with performance elements ranging from mental tricks to catching a projectile paintball in his mouth, the entirety of Martin’s performance faded in comparison to his finale, wrapping all of his previous magic tricks up into a single mind-blowing stunt where he predicted the results of the night’s performance in an episode of MTV’s Cribs that he had made six months prior to the After Hours event. Needless to say, Martin left the stage with a standing ovation. The students’ response to the show was all-around positive, but it was brought to new heights when the mind-bending powers of hypnotist Michael C. Anthony swept the audience by storm. Anyone who went into the night with speculations of the validity behind hypnotism walked away a little bit more convinced by the time Anthony finished his performance. He hypnotized a number of volunteer students such as a girl who was convinced she was a seatbelt, a young man whose entire family, including himself was named Cha-Cha and a beautiful ensemble of world class dancers. “I absolutely loved Michael Anthony. He was the best part of the show,” said junior psychology major Brandi Saunders. “All around, I liked the amount of time each performer had on stage, but the hypnotist was by far the most enjoyable. I would go again.” The night was a major success, with students walking home with more than a handful of stories to tell, as well as some lucky students who won one of the many prizes that SUN Entertainment raffled off, having a pocketful. “I think it went really well. I loved all three acts and I think the audience also really enjoyed it more so than I expected. It was well worth my time,” said sophomore microbiology major Jessica Seibel. The success of SUN Entertainment’s most recent After Hours event was one for the books, with an all-star performance that was truly a memorable experience, assuming the students who were hypnotized could recall their evening come morning.
28 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com
Yonder Mountain ((plays it up)) at The Orpheum Guest fiddler Jason Carter performs alongside the Yonder Mountain String Band at the Orpheum Theater on March 14. Carter is a part of The Del McCoury Band, who combines a wide range of musical disciplines, playing traditional bluegrass instruments and amplifying some. Yonder Mountain String Band are as much of a jam band as they are a bluegrass band, with songs that include long improvisational tangents, bringing listeners places they would not expect at a bluegrass concert. (Photo by Jeff Bucher)
Arts&Entertainment
ed their set. I found Shiflett leaning up against the bar. He had previously stated he had given up drinking, so I perched next to him and jokingly inquired as what kind of booze he’d be mixing in with his drink. He laughed and answered, “Just Coke.” I wanted an interview with one of the Dead Peasants, and found Tierney wanted a smoke, so we both helped each other out and made our way to the back patio. We drank our ales and shared a smoke over conversation. I soon found out Tierney is also a member of The Pen Fifteen Club, the band that had written the song used as the theme in Paris Hilton’s show The Simple Life. Tierney seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself on the tour, and Flagstaff specifically. He also shared Shiflett’s view of the Museum Club, confessing when on tour, “every time you pull up to a venue, you’re hoping that it’s going to be a cool place, and [the Museum Club] is way beyond cool.” Shiflett and his band retreated to their hotel shortly after our conversation ended. I stayed out on the smoker’s patio to wrangle up a conversation with some other attendees. We were all on top of the world. Leslie Mester, a realtor in Flagstaff, summed it all up perfectly when explaining how she “felt lucky to have even seen it. That’s always cool seeing [Shiflett] do something different.” The peak of our excitement was waning, and my group agreed it was time to get home. We didn’t have any aspirations to zone in on the headliner, but rather, to reminisce about the night when we got to meet Shiflett. We had come for the Dead Peasants, and we decided to end our night with the Dead Peasants. The air was dry, with a chilly breeze blowing down through the mountain trees. Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants performed March 23. The country-influenced band is fronted To the band, Flagstaff was just another stop on the tour, another day in their lives. I by lead guitarist of the Foo Fighters, Chris Shiflett. (Photo by Holly Mandarich) was just some weird kid with a media pass and a beer who had edged his way into a few hours of their existence, but to us, we music fans who see guys like Shiflett standing 10 feet tall, the night had been an edgy dream. We had been unequivocally content for those few hours, intimate in the old wooden building, sharing breaths t was a cool night on March 23 and country music Fogerty, yet was still nervous to perform in front of such with the best of ‘em, sipping beers, dancing drunk to good music and experiencing fans and alcohol enthusiasts could be found whooping an acute gathering of cowboys and drunkards. He was one of those rare moments when the brisk wind seemed to be blowing us towards through the heart of the Museum Club. The outskirts humble. that bright and beautiful horizon. of the main area were filled with the quiet types sipping He went off to get ready, and we got some more drinks their beer, while the more festive could be seen voraciously to keep our mouths wet and our excitement containable. attending the bar in between glides across the dance floor. What looked to be a modestly attended event when we The night was going to be a treat for arrived had grown into a shoulder-to-shoulder horde of COMMENTARY rock fans in the area, flocking to see Chris cowboy boots and sloshing liquid by the time Shiflett’s Shiflett, the lead guitarist of Foo Fighters, side project took the stage and pounded into an up-tempo perform with his side project. ditty. The show continued in the same rockin’ fashion, with My lot had been sipping our beers in all but one song being on the more energetic side. There the far corner, anxiously awaiting a chance was little room to dance among the crowd, but scattered to talk to Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peas- couples could still be seen holding each other tightly and ants. We didn’t know where to begin our swaying to the music. TOM search for the group, until my colleague The Dead Peasants’ recordings had been lackluster, to BLANTON noticed a musician-looking type standing say the least. They hadn’t been able to capture the raw tonk behind us. After verifying his suspicion of the band playing live. No one in the room could’ve been with an online picture, we strolled over to meet Luke Tier- more pleasantly surprised than me when I came to realize ney, the guitarist of the band. their recordings do as much justice to their live shows as He was a friendly bloke, and we all conversed with the Kim Jong-un does to his people. ease of old friends. He told us Shiflett was out getting dinShiflett, in between songs, ranted about how awesome ner. The show started at 9 p.m., and it was 8:30 p.m. I went a venue the Museum Club is. At one point, he even went out for a smoke with a friend. As we breezed by the bounc- so far as to claim it was the “coolest [expletive] venue” he ers on our way back in, both our eyes fell on a smoothly had ever played in, advising Flagstaffians to appreciate the clad Shiflett standing casually by the bar. We went over and awesome joint that is just a short ride away. introduced ourselves. After the show I followed the band out back and chatWhat initially struck me most about the seasoned ted with them as they loaded their gear into their massive performer was the jitteriness that seemed to be envelop- black van. There were five members sharing the van on the ing him. He was dancing from side to side while religiously tour, which looked relatively spacious for a quintet. After gulping large swigs of water. I asked him why he seemed so seeing all of the instrument cases, I learned from Shiflett anxious, and he told me that he “always hates this [exple- that he solely plays Telecaster guitars, and even has his own tive] part,” referring to the wait before a show. His restless- custom model, the Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe. ness was comical. Here he was in a small, intimate venue When they finished loading, we all piled back inside, in our isolated mountain town, nervous. He played Wem- and went off with our own little groups. I went to get anothChris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants serenade Flagstaff with their bley Stadium and shared stages with Jimmy Page and John er beer before the headliners, Casey Donahew Band, start-
I
A night at the Museum with Chris Shiflett
honky-tonk tunes. (Photo by Holly Mandarich)
March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 29
Arts&Entertainment
A TRUTH YOU CAN
HANDLE
A Few Good Men plays at Theatrikos
A
BY KATHLEEN KOMOS
Few Good Men might be well known by the 1992 film adaptation, but Theatrikos Theatre Company has surely taken this original 1989 Broadway play to new heights. When Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey are convicted of the murder of Private First Class William T. Santiago, the case ends up on the desk of the self-assured, charming and slightly lazy lawyer Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel A. Kaffee. Along with his simple but loyal friend Lieutenant Junior Grade Sam Weinberg and the fiery Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, Kaffee discovers a story of intrigue and conspiracy underneath the deceivingly simple case. Perhaps the single most problematic part of A Few Good Men is the names; there are quite a few lieutenants and captains to keep up with. After a while, it just becomes easier to surreptitiously take a glance at the program from time to time than to try and remember who is who. However, the engaging nature of the story makes up for any difficulty in recognizing character names. The simple set complements the storyline. Photos placed on the walls alerted the audience to a change in scene. Outside of a few tables and chairs, imagination was required to put each location together. Spotlights that highlighted certain areas of the stage, which allowed for two locations to be present at once, made the fluid scene changes even more masterful. A projector added an interesting element allowing for longer transitions and giving information to the audience about the United States’ relationship with Cuba at the time, along with some poignant quotes about the legal system. The cast and story took a bit of time to get into the groove, but once it picked up, it was smooth sailing onward. By the end of the play, the entire audience was on the edge of their seats. It was not a theater anymore; it was a courtroom, and everyone wanted to know how it would all end. It felt like everyone, even the characters, were holding their breaths when the verdict was announced. Each actor was perfectly matched to the character they were portraying. Eric Schultz was a masterful Kaffee because his ease on the stage and confidence endeared the audience to his character. Kaffee’s opposite, the powerhouse Galloway, blew on stage like a redheaded hurricane. Kirsten Nelson, who performed the role of Galloway, was a tiny woman, unafraid to stand toe-to-toe with Colonel Nathan Jessup, the main antagonist. Christopher Crockett was Jessup, who will be best known to the audience for the line, “You can’t handle the truth!” Crockett, who essentially towered over the rest of the cast, instilled shivers in the audience every time he swaggered on stage. Anyone looking for a humorous and intense show should go see A Few Good Men. Not only do handsome men yell at each other, there is a great deal of intrigue that adds a lovely complexity to the plot. A Few Good Men runs until April 7 and ticket information can be found online at theatrikos.com.
30 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com
Arts&Entertainment
SoundCheck The Call
Artist: David Bowie Album: The Next Day Genre: Rock
A
BY DANIEL DAW
fter a decade since his previous album and a unofficial retirement, David Bowie has graced humanity with The Next Day. It is a strong addition to an already massive discography with a booming 17 tracks, including three bonus tracks. The Next Day holds its own in terms of having a unique sound that has reverence to Bowie’s older material, without trying to sound like the old songs of the past. The title track, “The Next Day,” starts off the album at a brisk pace with rhythmic guitars and drums keeping the song going while being unremarkable, so as not to overshadow the vocals that Bowie is laying down. This and other songs on the record take a darker turn in the lyrics with death being a common motif in many of the songs. The chorus exemplifies the dark and macabre tone, with lyrics like, “Here I am/ not quite dying/ my body left to rot in a hollow tree/ its branches throwing shadows on the gallows for me . . . ” It gets rather bluesy in “Dirty Boys,” featuring a lower saxophone, maybe a tenor or baritone, providing a raunchy bass line. With this track Bowie shows off the varying styles he is able to put forth with an air of authenticity. In this variation, he solidifies his status as a musician of great renown. The Next Day slows down with the ballad “Where Are We Now?” While other songs on the album have a rather dark lyrical style they are still pretty upbeat and some are pretty catchy. This
track has a certain sadness to it, between the wavering vocals and the almost ethereal musical elements. The person represented in the lyrics seems to be reflecting on the past, all of these elements put together makes for an emotional track that may bring a listener’s mood down. A track that can only be considered strange in a good way is “If You Can See Me.” It brings some hectic music from vocals to guitars, fretless basses and drums almost as varied through the track as it is over the album. The lyrics contain a hint of creepiness and are as hectic as the backing music, which allows the two mesh together well. With more simplistic music elements through the record there is an emphasis on Bowie’s vocals and lyrics darker than what may be expected. While the low-key music elements fit with the feel of the album it also would have been nice to hear guitars, basses and drums that are as complex as his vocals. With this album, David Bowie proves he still has it in him. While Bowie’s music changes with age, it remains timeless. The songs here are not as iconic as some of his earlier works like “Space Oddity” or “Ziggy Stardust,” we do get a more subdued Bowie in the direction that the music seems to be taking. In recent announcements Bowie has indicated he does not plan to tour and all he wishes to do is write records, which may be an indication of David Bowie stepping out of the limelight for the rest of his days.
Best Track: “Where Are We Now?”
Directed by: Brad Anderson Starring: Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Michael Eklund Running time: 94 minutes Rated: R BY PAUL BEIMERS
“W
hat is your emergency?” It’s a line you hear repeated time and time again in the thriller genre, typically for only the briefest of moments as our hero or heroine desperately tries to escape the sinister figure lurking in the shadows. More often than not, these anonymous voices are unable to do anything more than provide a precious few lines of dialogue before danger catches up to our protagonist and he or she is forced to get themselves out of trouble. Thanks for nothing, 911. In most films, regardless of genre, this valuable service, one never seen but only three keystrokes away, is nothing more than a quick nod to a character’s common sense before being promptly abandoned in favor of fanciful dose of heroism and courage. This tendency is precisely what makes The Call work. Yes, it is predictable. No, it is not even remotely frightening. Yet its inversion of the leading role, along with a decent dose of tension and a pair of fine leading ladies, turns an otherwise forgettable and generic ride into
QuickFlick
film lags or wanders, and the brisk pacing is sprinkled with enough tension that the end result is entertaining enough to be worthwhile. Jordan’s position as an operator provides an interesting, albeit dramatized, look into a typically ignored workforce that is nonetheless vital to the safety of many. Berry gives a subtle but realistic performance, and is surprisingly easy to connect with despite her lack of characterization. Her chemistry with Breslin — almost heartbreakingly realistic in her role as the victim — provides the story with its best moments. The relationship is at once touching and exciting, raising the film above its mediocre plot and Eklund’s relatively spooky, but ultimately cliché, villain to make the product as a whole much more emotional than it has any real right to be. It’s certainly forgettable, but The Call is saved from inherent blandness by its actors, who lend the affair an unexpected humanity. It’s not a call you’ll likely be making more than once, but the initial dial is one that you can punch in confidently. As long as you aren’t expecting too much, you’ll hang up satisfied.
Olympus Has Fallen
BY LAURA THOMPSON
W
an entertaining little thriller. Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) is a 911 operator who receives a panicked call from a girl whose house is being broken into. Alone and terrified, the teenager initially manages to hide from the intruder thanks to Jordan’s careful instruction, but a careless mistake allows the man (Michael Eklund) to discover and capture the young woman, who is found dead several days later. The incident shakes Jordan so much so she quits her job soon after. Six months pass, and she is now a trainer for new operators, but is abruptly thrust back into the fray when another teenage girl named Casey (Abigail Breslin) is captured by the same man. With the caller locked in the killer’s trunk and running out of time, Jordan works with the girl via cellphone to plot an escape plan, all the while desperate to prevent the past from repeating itself. Shaky camera work, straightforward plotting and a generic villain ensure that Brad Anderson’s low-budget efforts feel more like an episode of CSI than a big-screen thriller, but it’s all so inoffensive that such a fact is easily overlooked. A scant 90-minute running time ensures that no part of the
ith the real situation in North Korea heating up, Olympus Has Fallen seems to have premiered at just the right time to rally Americans against our longtime aggressors. Some may say it’s propaganda, some say it’s just a patriotic action flick. The former might be true, but the latter is on point. With stars like Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman, and with the direction of Antoine Fuqua, the perfect recipe for a tense action movie comes together. Olympus Has Fallen takes the audience on an edge of the
seat ride that keeps the adrenaline flowing. Mike Banning (Butler) is a Secret Service agent shamed after an incident with the president and his family. After a year and a half, Banning is now working for the treasury department, but still remains in contact with his old work buddies. The whole movie takes place in one day, the day President Asher (Eckhart) is to meet with the Prime Minister of South Korea. What seems like an ordinary, yet very important foreign affairs meeting turns into a violent take over of the White House. Although Olympus Has Fallen
has a far-fetched storyline, the actors believe in the story and that makes for flawless performances. With the tight and tense direction of Antoine Fuqua, the audience is constantly biting their nails to see the good guys win. The storyline is unbelievable but because this is an action movie, it doesn’t really matter. Olympus does exactly what it was made to do: it keeps the audience guessing and takes them on an exhilarating ride. Beware, this movie is very violent and as an American, the first half hour was particularly hard to watch. However, the end makes up for it, and it was hard to resist chanting, “USA! USA! USA!”
March 28, 2013 - April 3, 2013 | The Lumberjack 31
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