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NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT
INSIDE Life: Dew Downtown p. 12 A&E: Vagina Monologues p. 25 Sports: Ardavanis profile p. 21
VOICE SINCE 1914 • VOL 99 • ISSUE 5 • FEB. 14 , 2013 - FEB. 20 , 2013
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor visits NAU
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Klee Benally leads the drum circle during an Arizona Snowbowl protest, that took place at Heritage Square in downtown Flagstaff on Feb. 9. Arizona Snowbowl has been using reclaimed water to blow snow onto the mountain since December. (Photo by Jeff Bucher)
Demonstrations disrupt Snowbowl anniversary
BY MITCH KULLOS
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rowds gathered in Heritage Square at 5 p.m. on Feb. 9, not to celebrate the Dew Downtown event, but rather to protest and bring awareness to the various forms of environmental negligence levied against the Arizona Snowbowl. The ski resort has been celebrating their 75th anniversary for the past week at various bars and restaurants in downtown Flagstaff; these events were
disrupted at nearly every venue by passionate protesters demonstrating their views on Snowbowl’s celebration. With so many protests going on, Peaks/Snowbowl protesters have been working with the organization Idle No More. Often, the protestors carried signs and banners voicing their cause to remove Snowbowl from the San Francisco Peaks, which is considered to be sacred by local indigenous tribes. This debate was recently reignited by the use of 100 percent waste-
water recycled snow on the mountain. The coordinated protest events began with a downtown street march on Feb. 4 and culminated with a flash mob protest in Heritage Square on Feb. 9. Members of the protest gave statements of why they were participating, their purpose and evidence supporting their cause. Klee Benally of Protect the Peaks, working in unison with Idle No More, gave his opinion on the environmental and cultural ramifications of the ski resort. see SNOWBOWL page 5
BY ABIGAIL O’BRIEN AND KIERSTIN TURNOCK
he Martin-Springer Institute at NAU welcomed Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on Feb. 11. The former Justice arrived at NAU and was welcomed with a day of informative conversation — an afternoon tea and an evening of conversation open to the Flagstaff community. In honor of international Holocaust Remembrance Day, Bjorn Krondorfer, professor of religious studies and director of the Martin-Springer Institute, chose O’Connor to speak of civic engagement and civil discourse in America today. Krondorfer spoke highly of O’Connor and her relation to civic engagement. “She is such an important voice in America on public discourse, on issues that include diversity and inclusivity and the very much against any disregard of law, constitutional law is very important, it is a safeguard for democratic traditions,” Krondorfer said. “She was not afraid to speak her mind; independent of her party affiliations she took unpopular stances — not depending on what her political opinion was, but what the constitutional law required her to do and what she knew she needed to do.” A political activist, author and artist, Mary Fisher, a Sedona resident, introduced the former Justice at the event. Fisher first caught the attention of the public in 1992 when she gave a speech at the Republican National Convention and shared her story of being diagnosed with HIV. Since her diagnosis, Fisher has see O’CONNOR page 7
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor discusses HIV in the U.S. and encouraging youth to vote with Sedona activist and artist Mary Fisher on Feb. 12 in the Native American Cultural Center. (Photo by Sean Ryan)
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