The Lumberjack — Issue 2 — Spring 2013

LUMBERJACK The

Jackcentral.com

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT

INSIDE News: Cardinals change NAU calendar p. 4 Life: Live Action Toy Story p. 13 Sports: Swin & dive senior day p. 20

VOICE SINCE 1914 • VOL 99 • ISSUE 2 • JAN. 24 , 2013 - JAN. 30 , 2013

CALEXICO PERFORMS LATEST ALBUM FOR ORPHEUM

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BY MYKEL VERNON-SEMBACH

alexico has quickly become wellknown both within and outside the borders of Arizona since their beginnings in the early 1990s. While most local bands are driven by the chaos of teenage years and emotional turmoil, Calexico breaks standards. Rather than focus their music on personal issues, most of their songs revolve around the issues of immigration.

Forged around Joey Burns and John Convertino, Calexico has become a local staple; the perfect convergence of classic cantina mariachi and alternative rock.

They are now back in the spotlight with their latest release, Algiers. Calexico is making their rounds around the U.S. While Calexico is no stranger to performing in Arizona, they hope to inspire a new interest with their latest album in two years. see CALEXICO page 21

Justin Strong, a graduate student in criminology and employee of NAU’s Inclusion and Multicultural Services, waits in the middle of University Drive as the Martin Luther King, Jr. march passes the crosswalk. The march started at the University Union and made its way to the du Bois center on south campus (Photo by Sean Ryan).

A DREAM REALIZED

Students march, celebrate in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

BY DANI TAMCSIN

A

diverse group of civil rights supporters attended the 25th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. march at NAU, and the variety of the marchers demonstrated the reach of King’s impact on almost all social movements.

The event began at the University Union and ended in the du Bois Ballroom. Support-

ers of all ages, the youngest being only two years old, walked through campus to celebrate the life of King. The group could be heard around NAU, singing songs like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Wade in the Water.”

NAU’s Black Student Union (BSU) put on the march. BSU member Shay Hopper, a senior criminal justice major, attended the march for the third time.

“I just hope that the march and the event

helps to unite the students and remind everyone how far we’ve come,” Shay said. “We want to celebrate Martin Luther King’s life but still keep working for civil rights.”

Although Martin Luther King, Jr. is best known for his work toward equality for black Americans, many activists credit King’s accomplishments with opening the door for other social movements. Naomi Renard, a freshman English major, attended the march see MLK page 4

Jacob Valenzuela of Calexico performs trumpet at the Orpheum Theater on Jan. 17.

(Photo by Jing Wang)

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

PoliceBeat Jan. 20 At 4:39 a.m., a resident of Allen Hall called the NAU Police Department (NAUPD) to report his roommate was intoxicated and had become belligerent.

NAUPD, Flagstaff Fire Department (FFD) and Guardian Medical Transport (GMT) responded. The student was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC). He was cited and released for underage consumption of alcohol and issued a denial of access to Allen.

At 2:06 p.m., NAUPD received a call from Cline Library reporting a student was masturbating.

When officers arrived they determined there was no evidence the suspect exposed himself. The suspect denied the masturbation. He was given a field interview and transported from Cline Library.

Jan. 19 At 2:32 a.m., a resident of Gillenwater Hall called to report someone outside the residence was shouting obscenities.

Officers responded and encountered two suspects who were asked to leave the area. They complied.

At 8:53 a.m., a student called to report his car had been stolen from the parking lot near the High Country Conference Center.

Officers responded and, upon questioning

CommunitySpot

BY GARY COLLINS

the student, it was discovered the student had forgotten he had parked his vehicle on the second floor of the garage.

Jan. 18 At 3:42 a.m., a student reported she was sexually assaulted to NAUPD and she believed herself to be in the area of South San Francisco Street and McConnell Drive. After 15 minutes, NAUPD determined she was in fact at Lone Tree Road and JW Powell Boulevard.

Because the case is in the jurisdiction of Flagstaff Police Department (FPD), the case was turned over to them.

Jan. 17 At 2:07 p.m., a student called NAUPD requesting to speak to an officer, fearing her roommate was in possession of marijuana.

The case remains open pending further investigation.

At 3:44 p.m., it was reported a student had slipped on ice near the W.A. Franke College of Business.

NAUPD, FFD and GMT responded. The student refused transport and was taken to the hospital by a private party.

Jan. 16 At 5:14 p.m., a vehicle and pedestrian collision accident was reported at the intersection of Knoles Drive and University Drive.

NAUPD, FFD and GMT responded. The

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pedestrian, a student, was transported to FMC with minor injuries and soon released. The driver was cited for failure to stop at a red light and no proof of insurance.

At 10:46 p.m., staff at Allen Hall called to report the odor of marijuana from one of the rooms.

Officers responded and cited one student for minor consumption of alcohol. Another was cited for providing alcohol to a minor. A third was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jan. 15 At 4:16 a.m., an NAU employee called to report a co-worker was being harassed by a former employee in parking lot 66.

Officers responded but were unable to locate the suspect. They advised the victim about the availability of injunctions and that the Coconino County Sherriff ’s Office could offer close patrols of the victim’s residence.

Jan. 14 At 8:31 p.m., a motorist called NAUPD to report large snowballs in the middle of University Drive in front of Reilly Hall.

Officers responded and with the assistance of University Student Aides removed the obstructing

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

Events Calendar Calendar Events THURSDAY, JAN. 24

SATURDAY, JAN. 26

NAU men’s basketball vs. Northern Colorado [6:35 p.m/Walkup Skydome]

Seawolf with The Donnies The Amys [9 p.m./Flagstaff Green Room]

You Knew Me When [9 p.m/Mia’s Lounge]

NAU men’s basketball vs. North Dakota [2 p.m/ Walkup Skydome]

FRIDAY, JAN. 25 The Spitfire Grill [7:30 p.m./Doris HarperWhite Community Playhouse] Five Dollar Fridays [4 p.m./Flagstaff Nordic Center]

SUNDAY, JAN. 27 Family Shows Shoe [9 p.m./Fort Tuthill Country Park] Trinity Hearts [5:45 p.m./Trinity Heights Church]

The Gallery Collection [11 a.m./Beaver Street Gallery]

MONDAY, JAN. 28

Nook Night [6 p.m/ Barnes and Noble]

TUESDAY, JAN. 29 Guest Artist Recital [7:30 p.m/ Ashurst Hall] Horizon Concert Series [7:30 p.m. / Ashurst Hall]

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30 Brian Regan [7:30 p.m./Ardrey Auditorium] El Ten Eleven with Slow Magic [10p.m. / Flagstaff Green Room]

Scottish Gaelic Class [6:30 p.m./Flagstaff Adult Center]

NAU DII hockey vs.

ASU [8:30 p.m/ Jay Lively Activity Center]

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FromTheEditors

H

ere at The Lumberjack, we spend a large amount of page space scrutinizing decisions made by the university. Lately, it’s been construction, schedule changes and a growing student population.

Despite all of these factors, we also have numerous articles highlighting amazing things being done by members of the student body. In this issue, we feature the Black Student Union organizing and honoring the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. more than 40 years following his death, a student who created a full-length live action Toy Story and a group of students who meet weekly for “deaf coffee” (read the full story online at jackcentral.com).

In a collegiate setting, students (including ourselves) often spend their time criticizing the university and focusing on the negative aspects — as opposed to remembering, paying more attention to and praising the positive.

We have to remember it is not the administration or the campus that makes the university, but the students and what they make of their time here. We don’t expect you to re-create a full-length Pixar movie, because that’s insane and takes years, but just make the best of it.

928-779-2600

923 W. University Avenue Flagstaff 86001 Affordable Rates!

We offer Student Specials, have a pool, spa, 24 hour fitness center, and serve Saturday Brunch.

Also, we are in walking distance of campus.

Thank you for reading,

Kierstin Turnock, Editor-in-Chief

Bree Purdy, Managing Editor

LUMBERJACK The

Jackcentral.com

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

Faculty Adviser Rory Faust

Managing Editor Bree Purdy

Sales Director Colton Mastro

Sales Manager Marsha Simon

Student Media Center Editorial Board Photo Editor Sean Ryan Assoc. Photo Editor Holly Mandarich

News Editor Dani Tamcsin Assoc. News Editors Abbey O’Brien

Copy Chief Maddie Friend Assoc. Copy Chiefs Caitlyn Rogers Sara Weber

Sports Editor Cody Bashore Assoc. Sports Editor Alli Jenney

A&E Editor Opinion Editor Mykel Vernon-Sembach Tom Blanton Assoc. A&E Editor Assoc. Opinion Editor Laura Thompson Amanda Horner Life Editor Maddy Santos Assoc. Life Editor Alyssa Tilley

Comic Editor Brian Regan

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Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 3

InTheNews

Cardinals camp changes NAU schedule

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LEFT: Atlana Nunn, a freshman photography major, raises her hand up high signing “This Little Light Of Mine” at the Martin Luther King Jr. march through NAU campus on Jan 21. (Photo by Amanda Ray) TOP RIGHT: Dawn Rebeccah Bohanon, a graduate student with the Inclusion and Multicultural Services carries a sign reading “The Dream Lives on” with Qiera Denise Ingram, a sophomore criminology student. (Photo by Sean Ryan) BOTTOM RIGHT: NAU alumni Lydia Tesfay, quotes Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “I Have A Dream” at the du Bois Center. (Photo by Amanda Ray) from MLK page 1

after hearing about it during the meeting of a feminist group on campus.

“In a FIERCE (Feminists Including Everyone Radicalizing Communities) meeting I heard about this march,” Renard said.

“It’s really a celebration of all social movements that they were talking about MLK day and that’s how I heard about this march,” Renard said. “It’s really a celebration of all social movements that fight for equality.”

Students like Renard came to celebrate from several different activism groups. Members of the LGBTQ community, immigration activists and many others were a part of the event.

Italian exchange student Dario Mazzola served as a reminder that King influenced civil rights activists all over the world. A graduate political philosophy student, Mazzola drew inspiration from King’s non-violent methods.

“MLK is very famous in Italy and worldwide because he is an example of the non-violent approach to civil rights. I think, along with Gandhi, he is one of the most well-known personalities in social movements of the last century,” Mazzola said. “Martin Lu-

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ther King showed us the right way to improve the rights of all and the wealth and health of society.”

In the du Bois Ballroom, several speakers and performers participated in the celebration. President John Haeger opened the event and discussed the importance of the day, not only in history, but also in the present. Monday was not only Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but it was also the second term inauguration day of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

Pastor Gerald Richard, who attended marches both in Phoenix and Flagstaff on Jan. 21, also discussed the inauguration. He recalled one of his college professors telling Richard he would not see a black president “in his lifetime.” Richard spoke not only about how far America has come but how far future generations have to go.

Supporters read poems and gave musical performances in honor of King. Elevation, NAU’s a cappella group, performed two songs for the celebration, as did Flagstaff ’s First Baptist Church.

The entire event was based around the ideas of progress and equality. As important as it is to look forward, Pastor Richard reminded the audience, “Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.”

BY ABIGAIL O’BRIEN

ccording to the NAU five-year academic plan, the calendar for the 2013 fall semester has changed from the past. Classes will start on a Wednesday rather than the traditional Monday. This change aligns with NAU’s negotiations with the Arizona Cardinals for training camp dates and renewing their contract to return for summer training at NAU. NAU is bidding against Prescott and Glendale for the right to host the Cardinals training camp.

“They are exploring all their options; NAU is one of their options, and we have presented everything we can offer to them,” said Lisa Campos, vice president of intercollegiate athletics. “Over the last 20-plus years we have had a relationship with the Cardinals. We hope they select us; NAU has presented and given them everything we could offer.”

The Office of Public Affairs announced the last day of school for the 2013 fall semester is scheduled to be Dec. 11, a Wednesday, and commencement has been changed to Dec. 18, also a Wednesday.

“It is not unusual in Arizona to have a mid-week commencement, but it is unusual for NAU to have it mid-week,” Tom Bauer, director of NAU public affairs, said.

Bauer pointed out the university will give the students the same amount of time and attention as usual.

“Finals week is still up in the air,” Bauer said.

“But there will still be a reading week for students and students still have the same amount of days for finals.”

The Cardinals have not yet released official days for training, but based on current estimates, they appear to be later in the summer.

“The Cardinals generally came toward the later part of July and stay around three to four weeks; they are usually here through the third week of August,” Dave Brown, NAU’s liaison to the Cardinals, said.

“Graduation being on a Wednesday is due to the Cardinals training camp being so pushed back in the summer,” Bauer said.

Though negotiations are still in process, NAU plans the calendar accordingly.

“Our contract with NAU expired with the 2012 training camp; we do not have a deal currently in place in regards to 2013 and beyond. We will announce it as soon as we know,” Mark Dalton, vice president of media relations for the Cardinals, said.

The Cardinals return remains unconfirmed, but the fall 2013 calendar is not expected to change again.

Party with the

C

EVERYDAY I’M LUMBERIN’

Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 5

InTheNews City council halts sale of ‘The Y’

BY JAMES GINGERICH

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n a narrow 4–3 decision on Jan. 15, the Flagstaff City Council voted to abandon a proposal to sell a parcel of land along Schultz Creek Trail to developers.

The issue elicited a debate between citizens hoping to preserve the popular area, affectionately termed “The Y,” and councilmembers who are seeking funds for a new courthouse.

“The Y has potentially become one of the most popular de facto trailheads in the area,” said Anthony Quintile, board member of the Flagstaff Biking Organization.

Quintile explained how the area acts as the only method of access to the popular Schultz Pass, Mount Elden and Dry Lakes trail systems during winter when many forest roads are closed. He also expressed a desire shared by many Flagstaff outdoor enthusiasts to see the parcel turned into an addition to the park system. Quintile said the uses could range from an interpretive trail system to a bike

park for Flagstaff ’s biking community.

City Council member Celia Barotz, who raised the motion to prevent the sale, said the council was swayed by the citizens at the meeting, many of whom characterized the proposed sale as shortsighted.

“As pressure mounts on the council to identify revenue sources and the council considers selling city land we must always be very mindful of the important open space and recreation values that many Flagstaff residents and tourists alike cherish,” Barotz said.

Proponents of the sale asserted not enough attention was given to possible solutions that might have benefited both sides of the debate.

“The council could have said ‘yes’ to selling a portion of [The Y] and stipulated that an easement or right of way could easily have been designated to preserve bike and hiking access,” said councilmember Karla Brewster, who voted against the measure to stop the sale of the land. “It seems that option was not discussed at all.” read the rest at jackcentral.com

Flagstaff winter safety issues

BY GARY COLLINS

F

lagstaff, the present winter notwithstanding, is one of the nation’s snowiest incorporated cities. According to The Weather Channel, Flagstaff is the only Arizona city not to have recorded a temperature of 100 degrees.

On the opposite side of the weather spectrum from the rest of the state, Flagstaff is home to bitter cold.

On Jan. 14, the city set a record-low high temperature of 16 degrees, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The city also posted a record of minus 30 degrees on Jan. 22, 1937.

In regard to extreme cold, Dr. Philip Garrod, Medical Director/Staff Physician of NAU’s Health Services offers the following guidelines, “Dress appropriately for the weather, including hats and scarves. Also, drink warm fluids and avoid wearing shorts and sandals dur-

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ing winter. Always moderate alcohol use when planning to be outdoors in winter.”

NAU Police Department (NAUPD) Community Relations Officer Joe Tritschler said alcohol can pose perhaps the greatest danger of exposure.

“In the past, we’ve found students outside who have probably had too much to drink,” Tritschler said.

NAUPD considers safe driving in the winter to be of proper concern for all students.

“Driving is a pretty big issue, especially for students from the Valley and areas where it doesn’t snow,” Tritschler said. “As far as safety stuff, it’s just anticipating when you’re coming up to a four way [stop] that people aren’t going to be able to stop because they’re coming in a little too fast and the other people aren’t paying attention.” read the rest at jackcentral.com

NAU personalizes online learning

BY ABIGAIL O’BRIEN

W

ith the start of the new year, NAU is launching a Personalized Learning program, providing more than 90 online courses for the expanding population of Arizona. The program is designed to provide degrees for small business administration.

“The demand for technology in education is increasing and becoming more competitive for universities,” said NAU President John Haeger.

NAU’s investment in Personalized Learning has intended outcomes expected to help the university substantially.

The Personalized Learning program is designed for students who prefer online courses and working in their own environment.

The program offers different modules and learning outcomes for students based on their preference. Students may choose a lecture style course or interactive learning.

“We think personalized learning can bring back the joy of learning that’s been lost for years because [students] were in a system that simply wasn’t meeting their needs,” said Fred Hurst, Extended Cam-

puses Vice President and Dean of Online Learning. “Most people enjoy learning when they can go at their own pace.”

This change in education brings forth questions for teachers and students in the future.

“Some online courses have large enrollments, just as some face-to-face courses do,” said Alison Brown, Associate Vice President of Extended Campuses. “There are also many small online courses. Because faculty have access to teaching assistants for the bigger courses, students have close personal attention in the large courses.”

The student to teacher ratio should remain the same and students will get the same amount of attention.

“The online courses are accredited and assessed the same as our other courses; they meet the same learning outcomes as any other course and they will appear on the transcript like a face-to-face class would,” Brown said.

The Personalized Learning program has many hallmark qualities that provide students with cost-efficient ways of getting an education.

OP-ED: Obama’s gun control proposition Phoenix graffiti artists Movie-rating system

SPORTS: DII IceJacks hockey Jack Chat with Trey Gilleo Track and field commentary

LIFE: Deaf coffee Roots of change

Brian Regan Interview Spitfire Grill Musical review

A&E:

Check jackcentral.com

NAU PASSPORT DAY! Thursday, February 7th 9am to 3pm

No processing fee for CURRENTLY ENROLLED NAU Students with Student ID Applications available on location or online.

Bring Your NAU ID &  Certified Birth Certificate or Previous Passport  Drivers License or State ID with Photo  Legal Documentation if Name Changed  Check or Money Order to the Dept. of State - $110 (takes 4-6 weeks) or - $182.72 (takes 2-3 weeks)  $7 cash, Louie charge or check for photos DETAILS: http://travel.state.gov

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19 W. Aspen Ave. (928) 213-3404 Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 7

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Editorial&Opinion NAU chooses National Football League over students

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STAFF EDITORIAL

ue to NAU’s presumed contract renewal with the Arizona Cardinals, the school has decided to push back the start of the fall 2013 semester to Aug. 28, a Wednesday. While the change appears to be simple, not affecting much other than Monday and Tuesday classes, the trickle-down effect through the rest of the semester appears more confusing than it should.

First, the final day of classes will be Dec. 11, also a Wednesday.

School normally starts on a Monday and finishes on a Friday, so it is safe to say this change, a result of the university’s pending contract with the Cardinals, is out of the ordinary. Commencement will now take place on the following Wednesday, Dec. 18.

It may seem like a petty argument to question changes to a school academic calendar, but there is something to be said for stability and keeping what we have grown used to. Yes, the Cardinals have been coming to Flagstaff for training camp since 1988. Yes, NAU has been rated among the best facilities for NFL training camps by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports. Yes, the Cardinals have drawn in revenue to the community during their tenure here.

In fact, a report released in Nov. 2010 by the Arizona Rural Policy Institute and the Arizona Hospitality Research and Resource Center said the direct economic impact of the 2010 camp totaled near seven million dollars. With this substantial amount of money in mind, one can see reason in a potential contract renewal. However, students will suffer.

It appears the school made the sacrifice without the students’ best interests in mind. If the Cardinals are the true reason behind the removal of a logical academic calendar, the university chose money over its students.

The inconvenience not only affects the graduating class, but friends and family members will undergo trouble to watch their son, daughter or peer graduate, just a week before Christmas. Scheduling vacation days and holiday travel on its own is worrisome enough, and traveling during the week requires requesting more time off from work.

Of course, take into consideration Flagstaff weather. The only predictable note to consider is its unpredictability. As we experienced this past fall 2012 commencement, the unanticipated snowstorm forced two ceremonies together. With weather in mind, having the two-day grace period of the weekend rather than a Thursday and Friday would benefit attendees who have difficulty taking time off from work during the week.

Aside from graduates and their families, the remainder of the student body, as well as faculty and staff, will also see a stray from the norm.

The university’s five-year academic calendar does not show when finals will take place. Normally, students have a weekend between reading week and finals week. Unfortunately, this fall could entail finals starting without those convenient study days, unless the university decides to use the weekend to schedule some.

Do we take our two-day break and have finals start Saturday and go through Tuesday? To keep the weekend, do we split finals week as Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday? Envisioning finals week taking place from Friday to Monday is far from what students have come to expect at this school.

Editor’s note: Assistant Sports Editor Alli Jenney and Sports Editor Cody Bashore wrote this editorial on behalf of the staff.

Political Cartoon by Brian Regan

Brewer attempts bi-partisanship, supports public schools

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ver the course of the past week, Gov. Jan Brewer has developed a liking for political 180s, leaving anyone short of a presidential candidate in late October either gasping with outrage or filled with quiet, professional admiration. This out-of-character behavior from the notoriously anti big-government Governor began early this past week in a surprising policy turn when she announced her support for increased Medicaid funding for Arizona under the auspices of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The governor’s new proposition took the form of a $9 billion spending plan for the Arizona educational system, which is a different approach to Medicaid spending.

Brewer’s new education plan includes inNICK creased funding for Arizona universities and KINTOP nearly $50 million to programs geared toward successfully integrating struggling youth into the public school system. This emphasis on child welfare is by itself a complete reversal from her 2011 educational policy, which saw her completely eliminate Arizona’s child welfare program, KidsCare.

The most sweeping changes found in this new proposal are its plans for the revamping of the functioning of the Arizona public school system. In addition to allocating $400 million toward secondary education, the new plan calls for a complete change in how the state assesses the success of public schools and, in turn, the funding they receive. While Brewer’s new plan has been hailed as revolutionary, some of its methods and policies disconcertingly echo the disastrous and damaging reforms of President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind program.

The problems in this new education proposal become apparent upon a cursory examination of how its policies would

translate into practice. The plan calls for schools to be graded on a 200-point ABC system. The more points a school is awarded, the more funding it receives. One hundred points are awarded based on graduation rate improvement and students’ proficiency in Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards tests. This half of the plan is prone to the same recurring abuse of fudging dropout rates and lowering academic standards to facilitate a higher graduation rate seen during the No Child Left Behind era. The true problems arise when incorporating this half of Brewer’s new plan to the allocation of the other half.

The second 100 points are awarded based on the academic improvement of students in any given school, with special emphasis placed on the bottom 25 percent of a class. This plan sounds appealing in its attitude, yet it becomes problematic when one considers how schools already struggling with funding and academics will gain little from the program. The new system possesses contingences almost completely negating its emphasis on academic improvement.

If a school is already lacking proper funding, and is given a D rating, it receives no additional funding. Even if the school improves in points while falling short of a C rating, it still receives no significant additional funds. This system creates a cycle where the currently more successful public schools continue to receive increased funding, while the struggling schools face the danger of an uphill battle to improve academically without being forced to fudge numbers or lower standards. This is extremely harmful to actual academic improvement in many schools and hopelessly dooms this $9 billion expenditure’s optimistic aim of academic growth. Unless major changes are made before its implementation, this proposal is bound to face the same grim fate of No Child Left Behind.

Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 9

Political Cartoon by Brian Regan

Editorial&Opinion Obama vacation criticism is ridiculous, unfounded

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Political Cartoon by Brian Regan

Americans shamefully celebrate legacy of MLK Jr.

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n Jan. 21, students honored the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the same way most Americans do each January: by enjoying a three-day weekend while every media outlet in the country talks about the end of racism and plays clips from the “I Have A Dream” speech. This holiday has become an excuse for the nation to collectively pat itself on the back, enjoying the redemptive myth of King while failing to understand his legacy.

Without a doubt, King deserves the mountain of praise heaped upon him each year. He was a relentless enemy of war as well as prejudice, a champion for a just and egalitarian society. He remains one of the most important and inspirational figures in the MILES SCHNEIDERMAN history of the United States. Still, those who believe they live in a country that King would be proud of are fooling themselves. America has yet to realize the dream.

The most recent U.S. Census data shows in 2009, 25.8 percent of blacks lived below the poverty level, as opposed to 12.3 percent of white Americans. 35.3 percent of black children lived in poverty, opposed to 17 percent of white children.

In 2010, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, blacks were incarcerated at a rate of 2,207 people for every 100,000, whereas 380 for every 100,000 whites were imprisoned in the same year. 2010 and 2011 data from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics support these numbers.

The National Center for Education Statistics offers educational and employment data based on race. Their findings from 2007 and 2008 indicate black public school students repeat grades, drop out and are expelled more often than white students. Fewer blacks than whites graduate high school and enroll in college and, if they do, they find a disproportionately high unemployment rate waiting for them on exit.

In short, blacks remain poorer, less educated, less likely to

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get a job and more likely to go to prison than their white counterparts. Even following the second inauguration of America’s first black president, there is only so much pretending we can do. Barack Obama’s 2008 election may have been historic, but it doesn’t change that during the Republican National Convention that year, a booth vendor was selling buttons asking, “If Obama Is President . . . will we still call it The White House?”

It does not change a recent Associated Press poll found antiblack attitudes, both implicit and explicit, have risen among Americans since 2008. Racism today is alive and well.

So is war. King was a staunch opponent of militarism, devoting his final years to speaking out against Vietnam. Everyone knows about King’s four children and the content of their character, but few know that he also said, “A nation that continues, year after year, to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” Many people remember his final sermon, “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop,” but few remember he died before delivering his next speech, titled “Why America May Go To Hell.” Even after his successes in the civil rights movement, King refused to be satisfied with his country and Americans should be appalled at how they celebrate his legacy.

King’s true dream was humans exercising unconditional love toward other humans, love that would prevent injustice and incineration alike. Rabbi Abraham Heschel, a fellow activist and friend of King’s, said shortly before King’s death, “The whole future of America will depend upon the impact and influence of Dr. King.” The extent of our failure in that regard cannot be exaggerated.

People shouldn’t honor King by taking the day off. They should honor him by working even harder by looking the ugly realities of America in the face and refusing to accept that we can’t do better. Honor him by standing up and fighting for one of the most profound visions in our nation’s history.

ancy Reagan once said, “Presidents don’t get vacations — they just get a change of scenery. The job goes with you.”

A wise and supportive First Lady, Reagan accurately explained the dynamic relationship presidents of the United States have with their time of leisure. To the presidential elite, vacations aren’t simple or very welcomed by the public. President Barack Obama recently went under fire for his family’s Christmas vacation in Hawaii and continues to be scrutinized by critics for it being unnecessary and wasteful (especially because he returned to Hawaii after returning to Washington for a fiscal cliff negotiation).

Obama is no stranger to criticism on his numerous self-appointed vacation days. In 2010, Michelle Obama, along with her youngest daughter NAPUA Sasha, flew to vacation in Spain with two friends KALANI and their daughters, spending a total of five days in the Mediterranean country. Many called the First Lady “politically tone deaf ” for going on a lavish vacation while America was still struggling through an economic recession. The Obamas have also been amply criticized about their annual summer vacations to Martha’s Vineyard in 2009, 2010 and 2011, where, according to The Washington Post, it costs $50,000 per week to rent the 28-acre compound called Blue Heron Farm.

The President was most recently criticized for returning to Hawaii after jetting back to Washington. He flew back briefly to oversee legislation approved by Congress that would avoid the fiscal cliff. The criticism comes from the fact it was taxpayers’ money being used for Air Force One to get to and from Hawaii twice in one vacation. What critics seem to ignore is, though Obama is the leader of the free world, he also has a family he wants to spend time with. Not to mention, he’s really never off-duty from being THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD. As President, he can never turn his phone off or avoid his employers. Photographers, economic issues, wars, foreign affairs and much more follow him wherever he goes, whether it’s Washington or Timbuktu.

There’s no doubt the “He’s still human!” approach doesn’t provide a stable defense for Obama’s vacation spending, but the comparison between the president and his predecessors does.

During his presidency, Ronald Reagan spent 436 days away from the White House on vacation during his two terms in office and George W. Bush spent a whopping 977 vacation days during his stay in office and was rightfully criticized for staying on vacation at his Crawford, Texas ranch while Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. According to CBS News, at the three-year mark into their first terms, Presidents Bush and Reagan spent 180 and 112 vacation days away from the White House, respectively. President Obama only spent 78 days on vacation during his first term. In comparison to previous presidents, Obama is spending a lot less time and taking it much less often.

American citizens should want the President to be present.

They should want his focus to be on the economy and the issues at hand. That’s what he should be held accountable for as this country’s leader. However, as a father and a husband, Obama is human.

Harmless time away from the current economic state of America is just that, harmless.

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Want to draw for the comic spot this semester? Contact comics editor Brian Regan at br366@nau.edu Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 11

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12 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com

Life

Live Action Toy Story

NAU student re-creates Disney classic

T

BY MADISON SANTOS

o infinity and beyond! Many of us can appreciate this famous slogan coined by the one and only Buzz Lightyear in the childhood movie where toys come to life.

Andy, Woody, Mr. Potato Head, Rex and Sid are all legendary characters in the 1995 animated movie, Toy Story. A longtime fan and student at NAU, Jonason Pauley has made it possible for everyone to relive their youth with these characters. With help from friends, the sophomore electronic media and film major spent about two and a half years recreating the beloved Disney-Pixar movie and posting it on YouTube, titled Live Action Toy Story.

All of the voices, sound effects and music were kept the same, but Pauley and his friend, Jesse Perrotta — a music teacher at several elementary schools in the east Phoenix valley — used real toys, real suburban neighborhoods, real people and a real dog for their film.

“The very first thing we did was Jesse made a list of every single thing in the movie,” Pauley said. “We also decided to keep all the voices the same — Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, all of them — because it made it a lot more watchable.”

With support from Pauley’s family and friends, the duo incorporated everything from the original Toy Story into their video, including Andy’s bedroom wallpaper, the alien claw machine and Sid’s demented toys.

“Once we started building the set and gathering props and actors and things, we realized we couldn’t quit, and my parents realized that too,” Pauley said.

Pauley and Perrotta discovered they shared an obsession for the Toy Story series going into their senior year in high school and decided to begin their filmmaking journey with no expectations of booming success.

“We wanted to make movies together, something that people would really like to watch, so it just kind of happened that way,” Pauley said. “We wanted to get better at filmmaking and we wanted to have fun and just bond as friends.”

The friends completed the final project during the summer of 2012 and hosted a

Over the years, Jonason Pauley bought, borrowed and built every single toy used in Toy Story. (Photo by Sean Ryan)

premiere for the hundred people who helped make the film. Before posting the video on the web, Pauley and Perrotta contacted Disney and Pixar, letting them know what they were doing in case there were any copyright issues.

“Even though we didn’t get an official ‘go ahead and do it,’ they knew what we were doing, and if Disney or Pixar say it’s not okay, we will take it down,” Pauley said.

Their video went viral on Jan. 13; it averaged about a million views a day during the first week of being up, making it to the home page of YouTube. As of Jan. 22, the video was at 8 million views.

“I knew a lot of people wanted to see it, but I didn’t think that many people in that short of time,” Pauley said. “A lot of people

are saying, ‘Why isn’t it monetized? Why are there no ads?’ . . . We’d start getting in trouble for copyright stuff [if] we’re making money off it. We never planned on making money on it, anyways.”

Thousands of people have commented and shared feedback on Pauley’s YouTube account, and it has been noticed by NBC, Entertainment Weekly, Wired.com and Yahoo news. Even so, Pauley cherishes commentary from average people and families the most.

“People who say, ‘I watched it with my kids tonight and it was awesome’ . . . Those are the best comments to read, because that’s who we’re aiming for,” he said.

Although the filmmakers were in no rush to finish the film, Pauley and Perrotta were not expecting it to take as long as it did.

According to Pauley, what they thought was going to take weeks ended up taking months, but in the end, their perfectionism paid off.

Soon after the video was posted, Good Morning America and Channel 12 in Phoenix contacted Pauley and Perrotta, and on Jan. 21, they were both guests on Good Morning Arizona.

The success of Live Action Toy Story has far exceeded everyone’s expectations, but Pauley said he has no plans to make another video like this anytime soon.

“If you’ve seen Toy Story 2, it’s impossible,” he said. “It’s not a semi-truck anymore, it’s an airplane.”

The video is currently available on Pauley’s YouTube account: jonasonsMovies.

Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 13

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Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 15

Goldbloom’s piece, ‘My Eyes are Down Here,’ symbolizes the societal expectations of female appearances. (Photo by Sean Ryan)

Redefining lingerie

I

BY MIRANDA SCOTT

t is rare to find femininity portrayed as anything but soft and erotic in art. In Ingrid Goldbloom’s artwork and pieces displayed at the “Underneath It All” exhibit, this is not so. Instead of allowing her art to languish as simply pretty to look at, her clever use of textures, colors and materials separate her work from what might typically hang in a gallery or home.

Goldbloom’s art is currently displayed in the “Underneath It All” exhibit at the Coconino Center for the Arts through Feb. 16.

The exhibit focuses heavily on women artists who use lingerie as an art medium and subject. Some pieces are meant to come off as humorous while others are dark reminders of the conformity in gendered clothing.

The work is light-hearted due to the materials she uses, such as eyeglasses and old soda cans; however, she also adds an element of seriousness to the subject matter.

“My final piece in the show really is a social commentary on how men will often look at a woman’s chest when she is talking,” Goldbloom said. “‘My Eyes are Down Here’ is made out of eyeglass lenses that have been soldered using stained glass techniques into the shape of a bra. It pokes fun in a lighthearted way of a deeper issue.”

The focus of Goldbloom’s work is how women are told to dress and appear in society.

It is divided into multiple series and each piece of art in a series relates to one another. “Steamy Lingerie” is a series in which she created bras out of radiator covers and “Trashy Lingerie” is another in which the undergarments are created entirely from recycled trash found on the beach. Goldbloom views her art as a social critique on women’s clothing echoing the absurdity of the industry that supposedly distributes support and comfort, yet instead creates tools to attract drooling men.

16 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com

With the bold subject matter, it is reassuring to see Goldbloom has injected humor into her pieces, such as her “Steamy” series, which puts a comical emphasis on ladies’ undergarments and is meant to show the viewer what something commonly associated as feminine would look like if made from masculine materials.

Goldbloom’s nexus as an artist is heavily based on her use of peculiar materials, which she often buys from hardware stores. Traditionally considered a place of masculine labor and working class monotony, Goldbloom makes the tough interior of a hardware store into a creative space where every nut and bolt is suddenly the subject of millions of artistic inspirations.

“I love hardware stores; they are treasure troves for art. I love walking the aisles and seeing all the components and imagining what I could make from them,” Goldbloom said, before saying she especially likes working with stainless steel nuts.

“I love the tactile nature of them and physically, they are shiny and beautiful. They are combinable into a variety of shapes and objects and I love that they can be transformed into something entirely different from their intended purpose,” Goldbloom said.

Her use of masculine materials shows how — despite women’s underwear being made for women’s bodies — there is still a large element of male dominance involved.

“By choosing to use uncomfortable materials to make soft and feminine lingerie, I hope to entice viewers to look closer at the material used to see it in a new light and be faced with the contrast of hard and soft, masculine materials with feminine forms and comfort and discomfort,” Goldbloom said.

Goldbloom’s series can be viewed at the Coconino Center for the Arts along with many other artists’ work also uses lingerie as the subject.

SportsReport

Cold shooting dooms Lumberjacks in loss to Idaho State

T

BY JASMYN WIMBISH

he NAU women’s basketball team finished a four-game home stand against the Idaho State University (ISU) Bengals with a tough loss of 52–48, putting the team’s record at 4–12 overall, 3–4 in the Big Sky Conference (BSC).

“This team was a half-game ahead of us, so to beat this team on our home floor would’ve propelled us into fourth place (in the BSC) or something like that,” said head coach Sue Darling.

After coming off a win against Weber State University, NAU was on a roll and wanted to add another win to their record. Unfortunately, the Bengals had other plans in mind and held off the Lumberjacks after being down by five at the half. The Jacks got off to a hot start, leading for the majority of the first half. They shot 48 percent from the field and garnered five steals, while forcing Idaho State to eight turnovers to help them gain an edge going into halftime.

After the break, both teams experienced a drought in shots, and they both went 0–7 from the field to start off the second half. Idaho State finally broke the dry spell and took control of the game. NAU battled through the whole game but couldn’t find a way to beat ISU. “I think we need to execute more. Don’t play like it’s the last five minutes; play like it’s the first half,” said senior forward Tyler StephensJenkins. “We have to get up on a team and build a lead.”

After shooting well in the first half, the Jacks shot just 19 percent from the field, scored only 15 points and added another eight turnovers to their five from the first half.

“Where we had great effort, great energy and great execution in the first half, we had none of that from the very beginning of the second half,” Darling said. “That is not a physical thing; this is a mental thing, and so that is going to be the next obstacle we have to overcome.”

On Jan. 17, the Jacks dominated the Weber State Wildcats (0–17, 0–8 BSC) 76–55. Senior

NAU guard Paige Haynes jumps off a screen from her teammate, center Raven Anderson, while Idaho State’s Kaela Oakes attempts to steal the ball during the women’s basketball game in the Walkup Skydome. Idaho State won on Jan. 19, 52–48, despite NAU leading for nearly the entire first half. (Photo by Natalia Guzman)

guard Amy Patton led the Jacks with 22 points on 11-of-22 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Stephens-Jenkins added 13 points on 4-of-12 from the field, with all four made shots coming from behind the 3-point line.

The Jacks led essentially every statistical category and led for the final 31 minutes of the game against the Wildcats.

SportShorts Men’s Basketball

Divison II Hockey

• vs. Northern Colorado

• vs. Arizona State

6:35 p.m. on Jan. 24

8:30 p.m. on Jan. 25

at Walkup Skydome

at Jay Lively Activity Center

With the win, the Jacks have a five-game win streak against the Wildcats, with the most recent loss on Feb. 11, 2010 in Flagstaff.

Next on the schedule, the Jacks hit the road to take on the University of Northern Colorado on Jan. 24 and the University of North Dakota on Jan. 26, part of a three-game road trip.

Northern Colorado is third in the BSC and

Go online to JackCentral.com to read a recap of the Division II IceJacks road trip, a Jack Chat with football’s Trey Gilleo and commentary of track and field’s NAU Invitational.

this will be the first time these two teams will meet.

“We know we can win. We know we can play with any team, so going on the road, we have to have that mentality,” said senior guard Paige Haynes. “It’s harder to win on the road than at home, so going into someone’s home court, we have to be aggressive for 40 minutes.”

Follow the Lumberjack Sports reporters on Twitter Lumberjack Sports: @LJ_Sports Cody Bashore: @CodyBashore Alli Jenney: @allijenney Raymond Reid: @YAC_TheeReid16

Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 17

SportsReport

DIII IceJacks split ASU series

BY TYLER CHILDERS

T

he NAU Division III IceJacks came out strong on Jan. 19 at Jay Lively Activity Center against the ASU Division III Sun Devils. The Jacks played with something to prove after dropping the Jan. 18 game between the two in an exciting shootout. The Jacks rolled over ASU on Jan. 19, scoring eight unanswered goals on the way to a 9–3 victory.

Sophomore forward Michael Isbell started the scoring early on Jan. 19 for NAU. Isbell received a long cross-ice pass from sophomore forward Chas Scott, skated down the leftwing boards and beat ASU goaltender Frank Grimes 25 seconds into the game.

Head coach Kris Walsh felt the team had areas in which they could improve after the initial loss.

“Taking care of our end of the zone first was huge,” Walsh said. “Overall, that was definitely a huge improvement for us tonight compared to last night.”

The offense was coming from everywhere for the Jacks.

Eight players scored nine goals, while Kirby Carlson recorded a pair of assists.

“Everyone was really hyped,” said junior forward Greg Hughes. “We just came out strong and buried our chances and put the puck in the net like we should.”

The score was 8-1 after two periods and the Sun Devils showed their frustration in the third.

ASU senior forward Austin Wells had seen enough with 10:44 left in the third period when he ripped IceJack freshman forward Trent Boice’s helmet off and started to punch Boice. Wells earned 12 penalty minutes and was disqualified, leaving his Sun Devils to play a man down for the last 10 minutes of the game. If any miracle were to happen, Wells cut it short.

“After we got the first couple of goals, we realized we could not let up and let them back into the game like we did last night,” said sophomore NAU defenseman Jake Smets.

The game on Jan. 18 was much closer, but ASU held on to take it. ASU jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Jacks rallied four unanswered goals.

The Sun Devils didn’t quit and battled back, tying the game with 8:03 left in regulation. Overtime did not produce a winner, so they went to a shootout.

Only Hughes found the back of the net for NAU in the shootout loss, dangling Grimes with a beautiful deke.

“I’ve been practicing that all year, since like probably August or September,” Hughes said. “So I’m glad I finally got to use it.”

The DIII IceJacks are on the road next weekend for three games in Colorado. They will return to the Jay Lively Activity Center to host University of New Mexico on Feb. 1 and 2.

RIGHT: Division III junior forward Nate Morgart scores a goal in the first period against ASU goalie Frank Grimes. NAU beat its opponent with a score of 9-3 in the second game of the weekend on Jan. 19. (Photo by Jeff Bucher)

18 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com

ABOVE: Division III senior defenseman Ian Shaeffer guides the puck away from the goal during the Jan. 18 game at Jay Lively Activity Center. The IceJacks lost to ASU after a shootout 4–4 (2–1). (Photo by Amanda Ray)

Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 19

SportsReport

SWIM AND DIVE DOMINATES SENIOR DAY

MEN’S BASKETBALL RETURNS TO DOME AFTER ROAD TRIP

A

Andrea Derflinger swims the butterfly in the meet against Colorado State on Jan. 19. (Photo by Holly Mandarich)

I

BY VINCENT PEÑA

t was senior day in the Wall Aquatic Center on Jan. 19 as the NAU swimming and diving took on Colorado State. The Lumberjacks dominated the Rams from start to finish, winning all but four events, and finishing with a final score of 177-120.

The win completes an undefeated season at home and sends their four seniors out with a bang.

The day was highlighted by a record setting performance from senior diver Kristy Ardavanis, who set new school records for both the one-meter and three-meter dives.

“It feels really good,” Ardavanis said. “It feels like I’m accomplishing my goals and it’s a good feeling to end on a good note.”

Ardavanis, who is only a few months removed from a broken back, has been dealing with injury issues of late, but said being mentally tough is key.

“I’ve been dealing with some injuries,” Ardavanis said. “So every day it’s just working through my injuries and trying to stay

strong and positive.”

Fellow senior Kelsey Loy was also a contributor to the win, placing second in both of her freestyle events, the 50- and 100-meters, and anchoring the winning team in the 200-meter medley relay. She was glad to be able to go out strong in her last home meet.

“It feels great,” Loy said. “I’m glad it was my last time to put it all out there at my home pool.”

Head coach Andy Johns was also impressed by the team’s performance.

“After they won the 100-breast and 100back, our girls really responded well and went one-two-three in the 200 fly, kind of stopping whatever momentum [Colorado State] had,” Johns said.

Johns added, “I know they’re tired coming out of training camp and all that but I’m really, really pleased with how our girls raced today and it was a good day for us.”

The victory over Colorado State comes more than a month after their previous home meet against New Mexico State and they have spent that time training and competing

20 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com

against Arizona, Northwestern and Oregon State.

The Lumberjacks have only one remaining meet against ASU before the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships in late February.

The WAC Championships are held in San Antonio and begin on Feb. 27 and continue until March 2, followed by the NCAA championships.

Johns said he is optimistic heading into the latter part of the season.

“I think the hard work we’ve been doing over the last month is paying off and we have one more meet at ASU in two weeks and that’ll be our final tune-up before the conference meet,” Johns said. “The girls just need to get some rest and I think we’re in good shape.”

Loy also has high hopes for the remainder of their season.

“I think we’re going to do awesome, honestly,” Loys said. “We just have to stick together and believe in ourselves and put it all out there.”

fter four road games in a row, six of their past eight being on the road, the Lumberjacks finally get to return to the Walkup Skydome. More importantly, NAU should be returning to an actual home court advantage.

“We haven’t had students COMMENTARY here since the Loyola Marymount game, which seems like two seasons ago,” said head coach Jack Murphy. “It’ll be great to be able to fill up the student sections, hopefully on CODY the end zones, and get some BASHORE life back in the Dome.”

The pair of home games against the University of Northern Colorado and University of North Dakota this weekend have even greater importance with the current Big Sky Standings.

NAU (6–12, 3–5 BSC) currently sits tied for fifth with six schools. An even better indicator of the conference’s parity is the Lumberjacks are a game behind third place and only a game ahead of last place.

“It’s a tough league to win on the road, so you have to protect your home court,” Murphy said. “The pack of three through 11 is very, very tight. So every night, every game matters.”

With their Big Sky Conference road losing streak finally snapped following the win at Idaho State on Jan. 19, the Lumberjacks moved from last place to where they currently sit heading into this weekend.

Highlighting the victory against the Bengals were Lumberjack guards senior Gabe Rogers and freshman DeWayne Russell. The combo scored 26 of the team’s 30 second-half points.

The performance for Rogers, who scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting, was his third consecutive effective game. Rogers’ early season struggles — he is still shooting just 32 percent from the field and 28 percent from outside — appear to be behind him.

“He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, feeling like he had to make up for last year and really solidify his college career in every shot he takes,” Murphy said. “The weight has kind of been lifted off his shoulders; he is playing more free and he just looks more comfortable out there.”

If the Lumberjacks want to keep pace in the crowded Big Sky, Rogers’ recent performances need to become the standard.

Arts&Entertainment Orpheum starts off new year with Calexico performance

BY MYKEL VERNON-SEMBACH

The Lumberjack reporter Mykel Vernon-Sembach met with Joey Burns, frontman for Tucson band Calexico, to discuss their performance at the Orpheum and their newest album.

The Lumberjack: Could you tell us a little about the inspiration for Algiers and how the album came to be?

Joey Burns: A lot of things; it’s kind of a new chapter for a lot of us in the band. We started working with a new label. Our old label, Touch and Go Records, stopped putting out new releases; they’re just putting out their back catalog for now. So, we needed to find a new home, at that took a little while to find the right place at Anti-Records out in California. We have a lot of friends who are on that same label: Neko Case, Devotchka, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. So, we were really happy to get there.

In the process of making this record, I wound up — a couple years ago — having twin daughters, so my life has changed as far as my work schedule. I really took a break, took a year just to kind of find my footing as far as being a musician and being a father.

It was great, but it took me a little while to get back into the mode of writing and the inspiration was all these things: all the personal stories of having a family. And then saying, ‘Hey, we need to challenge ourselves and maybe get outside of our comfort zone,’ here in Tucson, where we normally record. And we asked our friend in Tucson, Craig Schumacher, who runs WaveLab Studios if he had any suggestions. His response was, ‘I’ve been telling you guys for years! Let’s go to New Orleans!’ . . . So we said, ‘You know what? That’s a great idea. Now’s the perfect time.’

New Orleans to me is one of those cities that holds so much intrigue and excitement and so many good memories of playing there, we’ve even recorded there in the past with other projects . . . So, John and I went there in December of 2011 to see what kind of songs we could write there and wound up finding a really great, old studio called The Living Room Studio.

I say old because it’s a renovated old Baptist Church in a really cool neighborhood called Algier, which is across the Mississippi River by ferry. It’s got a lot of charm, a lot of character and old buildings, and a lot of families that have been living there a long time and it survived Hurricane Katrina pretty well. There’s still a lot of historical landmarks still there; there was a lot there to be inspired by; the setting, the studio, the place, by the vibe

of what New Orleans is.

LJ: Tell us a little bit about the process; what would your day look like while writing songs in New Orleans?

JB: Before going, we knew we were going to be living, staying, eating at the studio, but we didn’t quite have a visual of what that would be like, but it wound up being extremely comfortable and inviting and fun. One of the roommates who was the owner of the studio would cook lunch and dinner for us and the whole place was just smelling of homestyle cajun cooking. The owner had a fantastic vinyl record collection and we would spend the first couple hours waking up with great coffee and great music.

We would just go in with our instruments and come up with ideas. It was very natural and laid back and it was just a lot of fun . . . Once we were all there we were super inspired, me being a fresh father, I wound up getting like 12 hours of sleep and after two nights of that my energy levels were back and I could for a ten hour day of music and writing. Then we would go running along the levee along the Mississippi.

So, it was a really positive experience for us; we were only there for 12 days and I wish we could have stayed longer; then we would have come up with even more material. We did some writing and we brought back those field recordings and then we finished lyrics and went home to Tucson. I wanted to help out and see what I could do. It’s important to raise money and raise awareness.

LJ: Your work with Artists for Action and Viva Arizona has gotten quiet; do you have any plans to start that up again?

JB: In regards to what they do best, Artists for Action was centered around SB 1070 and unfortunately similar thoughts have popped up around the country and people were stopping thew boycott of playing Arizona. They realized it’s more important for other voices to be heard in Arizona and connect with the audience and rally people.

It’s still important to rally people together to get out and vote. We tried to do what we could locally in southern Arizona; we helped out with Congressman Ross Barber and helping out with Gabby Giffords and then of course after the shooting in 2011 we helped out with the Fund for Stability and Respect in the Community, so we did a lot of activism locally and I felt like it was time to do that. There so many things to get involved with, like the Borderland compilation CD that helps raise funds and awareness for the group, No More Deaths [No Mas Muertes]. We’ve been selling those CDs at our shows, especially in Arizona. It’s all part of who we are and what we do.

TOP: Calexico vocalist Joey Burns, guitarist Ryan Green and Sweet Ghosts’ vocalist Katherine Byrnes perform at Calexico concert in Orpheum Theater on Jan. 17.

BOTTOM: Ryan Green plays guitar at the Calexico concert. (Photos by Jing Wang)

Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 21

Arts&Entertainment

GREEN ROOM prepares for SEAWOLF PERFORMANCE

BY MYKEL VERNON-SEMBACH

The Lumberjack reporter Mykel Vernon-Sembach met with Alex Brown Church from California band Seawolf to discuss the upcoming performance at the Green Room and the newest album.

The Lumberjack: Tell me a little about the inspiration behind Old World Romance.

Alex Brown Church: The inspiration behind it comes from my fulltime return to California after living in Montreal for three years. I’m from California and been there for a while; I wrote my second record there and recorded the second in Omaha, Neb. This record I started writing when I moved back here full-time.

There is a lot of stuff, on a personal level, that I was experiencing . . . There are things that come up when you come back home after you’ve been away for a long time. So, a lot of that was written into the songs, those feelings and thoughts. As far as the production, I decided to self-produce this record. I had done it in the first record, for the most part . . . You could say I co-produced [the second album and]. That was with a full band as well.

The first record was written and recorded over the course of about a year, at my own pace in my own home studio with my bandmates coming in and playing in the studio, but mostly by myself. I wanted to do that way because I think I realized it takes me a long time to develop songs; the way that they sound and feel . . . because Seawolf isn’t a band, which can be four guys together in a room . . . because it’s just me, it takes me a long time to record parts individually and on top of each other. I wanted to return to that process with this record. With having done two records already and toured a bunch, I’ve learned a lot of tricks to recording and producing.

LJ: Which do you prefer: solo recording or working with a band?

ABC: Doing things yourself, there’s no one there to argue with so you can just do whatever you want. So, that’s the advantage of doing it yourself, but the disadvantage is you don’t have other people to get excited with. When you’re with a group of people or with other

people or even with one other person, it can be fun because you are sharing that excitement over a new part or a new sound or when a song comes together. It’s a magical moment; it’s nice to share it with someone.

For this record, I had both. I spent a lot of time by myself, which was great because I had a lot more control over everything, but then I did have my live players come in and play with me here and there, which is great. It was so nice and refreshing to have somebody else to come in and do stuff and share that experience with.

LJ: This is the first album art that hasn’t been illustrated; what encouraged the change for the album art of Old World Romance?

ABC: The first record was done by James Sterling Pitt; he’s one of my best friends and an artist based in San Francisco. The second album was by Charlie Roberts, contacted him through his Los Angeles art gallery, from the Midwest and lives in Europe. [There were] lots of phone calls and correspondence over the phone. James was actually in Los Angeles when he was doing a lot of art work, so we collaborated. He did all of the art, but I had a lot of input for the ideas about what was going to be done. I gave [Charlie] a little bit of instruction, and he took the ball and ran with it.

Both of the albums have artwork that corresponds with the lyrics of the album. This album, I wanted to change direction and I didn’t want it to be something that wasn’t some kind of landscape, but I was having a hard time finding something that didn’t just look like a picture from National Geographic or a postcard or something; I was looking for something a little more interesting, more mysterious. That’s when I discovered a “Slack Water” by Corey Arnold . . . I love it, and it seems like I get a lot of comments on it.

LJ: What was the inspiration for wanting to combine your signature acoustics with non-organic sound?

ABC: Just sort of boredom. I didn’t actually intend to have the electronic drum machine . . . I wanted to have more electronic sound in this album, but I wasn’t sure how. When I was writing the record, I wrote a lot with the drum machine. I would come up with drum

beats and write to those drum beats. It was a device to get me out of my rhythmic habits . . . when I’m playing acoustic guitar, there are rhythms that I tend to gravitate towards so I wanted to break that. So when I demo’d the songs, I used the drum machine parts. I ended up really liking the drum machines and kept them. On most of the songs, it’s a blend of live drums and drum machines to give them a more unique character.

LJ: “Song of the Magpie” was a song you wrote for Augusten Burroughs’ memoir, A Wolf at the Table. Tell me about the process for writing a song for a book and what was it like?

ABC: A memoir is a very personal thing and I didn’t want to comment on it, really. Essentially, his words were that do whatever I want to do, make it about whatever I wanted to make it about. The assignment was that this song would be inspired by this memoir., whatever the book brought up for me. I didn’t really know what to do, but I kind’ve had an idea, ‘Well what if I just sit down and take a day to read the book and as soon as I am done reading the book I’ll pick up a guitar and see what comes out.’ And that’s exactly what I did.

I read the book within half a day and as soon as I was done I picked up a guitar and just started playing, trying to keep the feeling of the book and put that into the song. So that’s how the song came about. I’m not going to have it be about the book but a more personal song for me inspired by the book, it took the pressure off of me. Whereas, in a movie or a film, it has to fit a specific scene, I am a lot more conscious about making the song really fit.

LJ: Where does the title Old World Romance come from?

ABC: There’s a song that I wrote called, “Old World Romance” that didn’t make it on the album, and I really just liked the title. It didn’t really have too much to do with the album, but the title felt really right. I think it means a lot of things for me, referencing the romances with the old world like Montreal or the East Coast as well as the romantic, dramatic idea that people have of the American West.

There’s an association with the idea of a frontier, grandiosity, mountains and desert and giant landscapes.

Hastings set to close by March

BY DANIEL DAW

M

ultimedia retailer Hastings Entertainment will be closing its doors on March 16.

According to a private press release from company officials, the Flagstaff location is closing due to the lease expiring and a favorable negotiation was not reached.

The store is currently conducting a going-out-of-business sale through March 15.

Some students are sad to see Hastings close its doors.

Johnny Martinez, a senior anthropology student, was a fairly regular customer, renting movies and purchasing other items. He also found Hastings to be a nice place to just look around.

“I usually went there anywhere from like one time a week to maybe four or five times a month,” Martinez said.

“Hastings always had them right away, so that’s usually

22 The Lumberjack | Jackcentral.com

where I went to rent my movies. Sometimes I’d go out there, get some clothes. It was just nice — I mean, [even] if you didn’t have any money — it was nice just to look around; they didn’t just have movies.

A former Hastings employee, Alyssa Burkett, feels the closing can be attributed to market trends and competing businesses.

“I feel like the movie rental business in general is going downhill,” Burkett said. “There are other bookstores in town that people prefer, like Bookmans and Barnes & Noble.

Hastings wasn’t one that you go to immediately, even though they did have really cheap prices and decent options.”

According to Burkett, the store’s closing was not a surprise.

“It’s been a rumor for a long time because of Sprouts moving in,” Burkett said. “And not to mention they’ve been

losing business as long as I can remember; they were on a pay freeze when I was working there.”

Despite these facts, many are disappointed to see Hastings will be on its way out of Flagstaff.

“I can understand why they’re closing and everything like that — it’s not like they were getting a lot of business — but I think they were doing pretty okay,” Martinez said.

“I’m extremely sad to see it go; I kind of feel bad. I had a friend [who] works there. He’s out of a job now and has to find one by March. It was always nice. In a way, it was somewhere close that had a lot of stuff. I’m pretty disappointed — I was hoping they were just going to move its location, still would have sucked because it would be farther, but at least it wouldn’t have been gone.”

After the Flagstaff location is closed, the nearest locations will be in Kingman and Bullhead City.

Arts&Entertainment

SoundCheck Mama

Artist: Sin Fang Album: Flowers Genre: Dream pop

J

BY MYKEL VERNON-SEMBACH

ust in time for the bitter cold spring semester, Iceland introduces yet another lush artist: Sin Fang. While his work in music entertainment is not groundbreaking — beginning with the band Seabear in the early 2000s and his solo project-turned-group, Sin Fang Bous — his latest project might just be the embodiment of the phrase the third time’s the charm.While quite similar to the ambient dream pop sans Icelandic gibberish of Sigur Rós, Sin Fang takes this post-rock concept, whips it up with some catchy Top 40 beats and English lyrics to create his latest album, Flowers.

This album opens with “Young Boys,” using lyrics as both a vessel of communication and a musical instrument, looping and repeating verses to illicit melodic chaos. The initial lyrics set the scene for listeners with the line: “We were young boys / Smoking in the woods / I showed you how / I showed you how.”

Fortunately, this is what Sin Fang had in mind. In a press release from German independent music label Morr Music, Sin Fang explains his inspiration came from the thoughts and feelings often experienced in tenfold as a teenager — mainly love and rejection.

The grandiose instrumentation bound with synthetic rhythms are continuous through Flowers, into “What’s Wrong With Your Eyes” — a guaranteed single for the album — and “Look At The Light,” where the instruments are layered like the petals of spring blossoms, growing steadily into full bloom with one minute left. Though the production value within this album is grand, Sin Fang makes it sound natural, like watching the industrial sounds of humanity

somehow come together into a hybrid organ, living and breathing.

“Sunbeam,” Flowers’ fourth track, is truly the audible translation of late winter sunshine warming the wind-burned cheeks of fresh youthful lovers; the child-like woahohs are like the melodic hum of daydreaming and contentment. The organic foundations of “Feel See” incorporate echoing vocals, handclaps and dominant strings recall the beginnings of Jónsi another Sigur Rós spinoff while See Ribs is eerily similar to Bombay Bicycle Club with unrefined guitar, definitive bass and heavy use of percussion instruments.

Flowers closes with “Weird Heart.” This track is a perfect closer, the kind of track heard in the last call scene of some pitiful rom-com starring Ryan Gosling or Zooey Deschanel.

This album does a good job of evenly splitting the album between gentle, sweet melodies and pulsating, rhythmic road trip anthems. While their drumming patterns remain closely related or exact copies of previous tracks, Sin Fang finds a way to make each song different from one another. Sin Fang does what Sigur Rós has done for a decade, yet becomes an innovative musician simply by singing in English.

Really, the producer for Flowers was indeed Jónsi’s significant other, Alex Somers, so it is hard to not make it sound like Sigur Rós, or maybe that’s how nature truly sounds in Iceland. Maybe that’s why they’re so happy in all those Nordic countries, because going outdoors sounds like nature vomiting a symphony. Until then, Flowers is the closest the U.S. population can get to achieving complete arctic nirvana.

Best Tracks: “Sunbeam” and “Young Boys”

Directed by: Andrés Muschietti Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Isabelle Nélisse Running time: 100 minutes Rated: PG-13

BY JAYSON BURNS

R

egardless of the genre or subject matter, any film Guillermo del Toro is involved in is practically guaranteed to have some creepy elements. Even Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, despite being a below-average movie, had some moments that were genuinely frightening. It’s no different with Mama, a horror film that has its flaws, but still manages to deliver a very eerie atmosphere.

After five years of searching, Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) finally locates his two young nieces who disappeared into the wilderness with their father after he killed their mother. The oldest, Victoria (Megan Charpentier), quickly begins to readapt to a normal life while the youngest, Lily (Isabelle Nélisse), remains almost feral. When Lucas and his girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain) bring them home, however, a supernatural force the girls refer to as “Mama” follows them and begins to violently haunt their new guardians.

The first few scenes of Mama are both very emotional and creepy. Without giving anything away, the motives of “Mama” are not anything different in the horror genre. Fortunately, some of the aspects to his story are handled well enough to make up for it, such as the relationship between “Mama” and the girls. One thing that cannot be reasoned away is some of the character’s lack of reason. How many horror movies must exist before people realize going to the lair of a vengeful spirit in the middle of the forest, late at night, is not a good idea? This particular example happens twice and there are several other lapses in judgment that will make the audience facepalm in frustration.

If this film only focused on the four main characters, there would be very little to complain about in the acting department. CosterWaldau, despite having a surprisingly small amount of screen time, comes off as “the cool uncle” (as Annabel describes him) and it really seems like he cares about the two girls. Chastain does the same,

though she shows the added depth of being a woman who is very adverse to motherhood. Both of the child actresses are also exceptional, with Nélisse doing a particularly good job of portraying a feral-yetinnocent je ne sais quoi. Almost everyone else involved, however, makes the film more overdramatic than it needs to be, especially Daniel Kash as the girls’ psychiatrist.

There isn’t anything special about the set design in Mama.

What does stick out, though, is the constant use of the girls’ drawings on the wall. The images were a great way to flesh out the children’s background as well as that of “Mama.” It also helps that some of the drawings are very creepy in a simple way. “Mama” herself has a very unnerving (and at some times, sympathetic) presence about her, especially when she is silhouetted.

Her “disturbing” act gets a bit old near the end, but it still works.

Mama may not be on par with other movies of its kind, but it does enough well to make it an entertaining horror film.

QuickFlick Gangster Squad

BY LAURA THOMPSON

G

angster Squad drops the audience in the middle of the violent gangster rule of Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) over Los Angeles among the good, the bad and the guys who just don’t care.

Set in 1949, Sergeant John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) of the Los Angeles Police Department is the hero who cares about honor and duty. He is given the assignment to put together a team of the smartest and toughest L.A. gunslingers and eliminate the superficial East Coast

antagonist, Mickey Cohen. The team becomes the Gangster Squad.

Tommy guns, fiery explosions and Emma Stone delight the eyes with the superhero theme in full effect. Character personalities are rather typical: O’Mara stands as a bland symbol of honor and duty, Cohen is the corrupt Yankee with a Jewish last name — nice profiling, Fleischer — and Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) is riddled with angst, whiskey and insatiable desire for women who only joins the squad after a close friend is killed

in the violence.

Unfortunately, the plot is too predictable and the characters seem somewhat cartoony. The formation of the squad is abrupt and many of the key characters lack any backstory — talk about two-dimensional.

The short exposition leaves the audience needing more, but not in a good way. The acting, fast-action gun slinging and authentic ‘40s style is consistently on-point, yet the movie loses ratings because the storyline falls short.

Jan. 24, 2013 - Jan. 30, 2013 | The Lumberjack 23

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