The Lumberjack -- November 12, 2020

A HERO REBORN PAGE 10-11

THE LUMBER JACK

NOV. 12, 2020 – NOV. 18, 2020

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

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or five years, I grew up with four other children around my age in an orphanage in China.

While we were not biologically related, we were the closest thing to family. In December 2005, I was adopted, which was the best Christmas gift I ever had, not to mention the best gift my family ever received — or so I’d like to think. As time went on, the other children left and found new homes across the U.S. and in Europe.

Now, having lived in the U.S. for almost 17 years, I grew interested in understanding more about my life in China when I met Abigail in middle school. Agibail was the first person I reconnected with from my orphanage and we remain the best of friends today. When I expressed interest to my mom in finding the other children from my orphanage over summer, we eventually were able to find long-lost friends in Texas and Spain. A few emails later and we have continued to stay connected and exchange stories of our lives now.

I share my story with you for two purposes. The first being that November is National Adoption Awareness month, according to Child Welfare Information Gateway. This semester, I have done quite a bit of research about ALLIYA the impacts of COVID-19 on the foster care system for a class. For this project, DULANEY I interviewed a family who currently has three adopted children and two foster ONLINE NEWS EDITOR children. That interview and my project overall have inspired me to care more about others, regardless if it impacts me. It’s important to share and inform others about a system that can always accept help, especially now. My hope is that by spreading awareness we can all give a little more care to those who need it most.

My second reason is that despite COVID-19, time in quarantine provided many of us the opportunity to reflect on our relationships. While everyone’s story is different, human connection is something that we all share and desire. As we head into the holiday season, and with things looking a bit different than previous years, I encourage you to reach out to that person you meant to talk to.

A simple gesture of kindness can do a lot of good for someone. There’s nothing inherently wrong with losing touch. It doesn’t mean you’re a “bad” friend and it doesn’t mean you should feel guilty about it. Life gets busy and we get caught up in the motion of it. But once in a while, take time to remind yourself and others that maintaining relationships is just as important as paying the bills.

COVID-19 may have changed the way we live our lives, but that doesn’t mean it has to change the way we connect with others.

Continuous local and campus covid-19 coverage available at jackcentral.org

Online at Issuu.com Latest Edition & Archive Social media

Thank you for reading.

Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313 Lumberjack@nau.edu P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 110 ISSUE 14

Editor-in-Chief Brady Wheeler

Managing Editor Scout Ehrler

Copy Chief Nathan Manni

Faculty Adviser David Harpster

Print Chief Jacob Meyer

Director of Digital Content Sabrina Profitt

Media Innovation Center Editorial Board Director of Social Media Maddie Cohen

Op-Ed Editor Ryan Dixon

Asst. Culture Editor Katelyn Rodriguez

Director of Illustration Aleah Green

News Editor Trevor Skeen

Asst. Op-Ed Editor Kyler Edsitty

Sports Editor David Church

Asst. Dir. of Illustration Blake Fernandez

Asst. News Editor Camille Sipple

Features Editor Ash Lohmann

Asst. Sports Editor Cameron Richardson

Director of Photography Michael Patacsil

Online News Editor Alliya Dulaney

Asst. Features Editor Olivia Charlson

Sports Adviser Rory Faust

Asst. Dir. of Photography Mackenzie Brower

Senior Reporter Mark Fabery

Culture Editor Nayomi Garcia

Senior Photographer Brian Burke

Director of Multimedia Shawn Patti

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THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

On the cover

On the cover Zaadii loved superheroes, so a comic book was written in his honor by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore that imagines his unfinished story as the superhero Z-Hawk.

MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Brady Wheeler at bew85@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat Nov. 2 At 3:07 a.m., an RA reported four students climbing up the side of University Union. NAUPD responded, and told the students to stay off the roof.

jail for trespassing, as well as domestic violence.

At 5:07 p.m., a student at Campus Heights called to report a suspicious noise from inside a locked bedroom in their dorm. Officers At 7:03 p.m., a student responded, but no criminal called to report a suspicious activity was witnessed. person following them toward their dorm, near the At 5:33 p.m., a Ernest Calderón Learning staff member at Parking Community.

Officers Services called to report responded and no contact was being threatened. NAUPD made. responded, one student was cited and released for Nov. 3 threatening and intimidating.

At 10:42 a.m., an officer reported coming in Nov. 5 contact with an intoxicated At 4:47 p.m., a staff subject on Woodlands Village member called to report a Boulevard. NAUPD, Flagstaff subject blocking the roadway Fire Department (FFD) and on Pine Knoll Drive and Guardian Medical Transport Huffer Lane.

NAUPD (GMT) responded, and the responded. One nonstudent subject was transported to was cited and released for Flagstaff Medical Center possession of prescription (FMC). drugs and obstructing a public thoroughfare. The subject was At 11:50 a.m., a student then provided an escort off at Sechrist Hall called to report campus. a student attempted suicide.

NAUPD, FFD and GMT At 4:55 p.m., a subject responded. The student was reported possible firearm voluntarily transported to ammunition found near South FMC. San Francisco Street and East Franklin Avenue. An officer At 3:37 p.m., a staff responded and the items were member at lot 33 reported a discovered to be plastic and noninjury traffic collision. An were disposed of. officer responded and took a report.

At 5:58 p.m., a student called to report a large group Nov. 4 of people yelling and marching At 10:44 a.m., an near Knoles and McConnell employee at Drury Inn & drives. NAUPD responded Suites reported a nonstudent and no contact was made. fell and hit their head.

NAUPD, FFD and GMT Nov. 6 responded. The nonstudent At 5:09 p.m., NAUPD was transported to FMC. received a call from a staff member stuck inside a Cline At 11:52 a.m., a staff Library elevator. NAUPD and member at Gammage FFD responded, and the staff reported two nonstudents member was safely removed in a physical altercation. from the elevator.

NAUPD responded, and one nonstudent was booked into

Compiled by Camille Sipple Nov. 7 At 12:45 a.m., a student at the San Francisco Parking Garage called to report suicidal thoughts. NAUPD responded and located the student.

The student was voluntarily transported to the Guidance Center.

Coconino County COVID-19 Dashboard data

Moderate

At 5:44 p.m., an RA at McDonald Hall called to report that a window had been egged. NAUPD responded and information was provided.

Community transmission Positivity percentage

6.4%

At 10:11 p.m., an RA at Reilly Hall called to report the odor of marijuana. An officer responded and the student had a valid medical marijuana card.

The student took the drug paraphernalia off campus.

Cumulative cases

6,033

Case rate

Flagstaff Medical Center COVID-19 Resources

In-house COVID-19 patients Hospital capacity

Nov. 8 At 6:17 p.m., a student called to report a noninjury collision in lot 31. NAUPD responded and two students were identified.

At 7:06 p.m., a subject called to report multiple vehicles stuck in snow in lot 60. NAUPD responded and assistance was provided.

At 7:52 p.m., a student at Hilltop Townhomes called to report someone looking through their window. Officers responded and one student was contacted. The case remains open pending further investigation.

At 8:56 p.m., a student called to report people throwing snowballs at vehicles.

They reported one damaged their window on Knoles and Runke drives. NAUPD responded and no contact was made.

200.7 per 100,000 pop.

Critical care capacity

Positive: 27 | Pending: 22

199/300 37/55

NAU Student Cases

Total on- and off-campus cases

57

Agassiz Street will be renamed Mary Goldmeer

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n a June city council meeting, the city of Flagstaff agreed to begin the process of renaming Agassiz Street. Now, members of the Flagstaff community have been given the opportunity to vote for a new name until Nov 3.

Name options range from other historical figures such as Charles Drew Way or Annie Wauneka Way to notable findings and concepts in Flagstaff like Pluto Place or Unity Place. The survey, where individuals can participate, included a list of 18 possible street names along with a rationale for its name suggestion.

Name suggestions were vetted by Emergency Services, the Postal Service, the city of Flagstaff and Coconino County, according to city council meeting minutes. Other locations that bear the Agassiz name include Agassiz Peak and Agassiz Lodge and lift at Snowbowl. However, these locations are outside the city’s jurisdiction, allowing the city to have authority to only rename the street.

The city of Flagstaff has stated on its website that it has decided to rename the street “due to Louis Agassiz’s history of racism.”

Agassiz was born in Switzerland, moved to America to be a Zoology professor at Harvard University and participated in a fossil study that took place in northern Arizona. He is famous for his work on natural science, specifically on glacier activity and extinct fish.

On top of his scientific research, Louis Agassiz believed in polygenism or the belief that races of people are ranked. According to Harvard’s Center for the History of Medicine, Agassiz tried to prove his belief through scientific studies in which he attempted to find more than one origin of humans, which justified racism and slavery because of differences in genetics.

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS

Strengthened majority rule: The stakes for minorities Alliya Dulaney & Trevor Skeen

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ssociate Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the United States Supreme Court, which divided the Senate on a 52-48 vote. Barrett’s previous nomination

by President Donald Trump and Oct. 26 confirmation make her the fifth woman to serve on the bench.

Barrett’s confirmation changed the Supreme Court’s standing to a 6-3 conservative majority, meaning there is less need for compromise and restricted decisions, The Washington Post explained, as conservatives can afford to lose one vote and still carry the majority. This made some concerned, including those within the LGBTQ+ community and advocates for women’s rights.

LGBTQ+ rights The historic Baker v. Nelson case was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 26, 2015, marking an important moment for the LGBTQ+ community as same-sex marriage was officially legalized. The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment guaranteed the right to marry as a fundamental and protected liberty — even for same-sex marriage, according to court case analysis website Oyez.

While same-sex marriage is federally recognized as constitutional, the discussion of anti-discrimination laws, such as the refusal to provide service, is not federal law. However, these protections now apply to the workplace as of last summer.

On June 16, the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status.

While this decision was significant,

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Kaiponanea Matsumura, associate professor at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, explained that local and statewide governments already passed anti-discrimination laws beforehand.

“State and municipalities have long gone beyond what the federal government protects in terms of antidiscrimination,” Matsumura said.

“For example, states can prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and a lot of them had way before the Supreme Court just interpreted Title VII [of the Civil Rights Act of 1964] in that way.”

According to the Pew Research Center, few states recognized samesex marriage as legal in 2012, but Massachusetts was the first back in 2003. Eight years ago, a same-sex couple who was lawfully wedded in Massachusetts requested a wedding cake from a bakery owner in Colorado who refused to provide service. Masterpiece Cakeshop v.

Colorado Civil Rights Commissions went to the Supreme Court in 2017, and the defense argued that designing a wedding cake for a homosexual couple went against the owner’s religious belief.

Justices ruled in favor of the shop owner through a 7-2 majority, which reversed the commission’s ruling of prohibiting discrimination against gay individuals purchasing products or requesting services. More specifically, asking the bakery owner to do so was a violation of the Free Exercise Clause, a part of the First Amendment.

The Supreme Court heard another LGBTQ+ rights case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, Nov. 4. In this situation, Philadelphia stopped referring foster children to Catholic Social Services (CSS) — an agency

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

Illustration By dIANE oRTEGA

the city hired — after they denied a placement to same-sex foster parents on the basis of religion and traiditional marriage. Justices will decide on the case next summer.

Matsumura said Philadelphia had a municipal ordinance prohibiting discrimation on the basis of sexual orientation, which was used to justify the city’s decision in not referring children to the Catholic adoption agency. He added the court’s eventual ruling could address whether constitutional law and religious freedom — specifically via the First Amendment — overrides local legislation.

“This is not a situation in which there’s one constitutionally protected right against another; there’s a statutory right against a constitutional right,” Matsumura said. “The statutory right has to give way if the court determines the constitutional right applies.”

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, this case could allow private agencies that receive taxpayer funding, like CSS, to deny services to LGBTQ+, Jewish or Muslim

customers.

Calli Jones, senior and former president of NAU Young Democrats, said this current case deals with an archaic problem. Furthermore, she questioned why CSS would fight a legal battle regarding same-sex marriage and foster services after Pope Francis supported the LGBTQ+ community back in 2013.

Another factor to consider is Employment Division v. Smith, a Supreme Court precedent from 1990. According to Oyez, the case involved two counselors at a private drug rehabilitation center in Oregon ingesting peyote and receiving termination. The employees sued on the basis of religious freedom — and as members of the Native American Church — but Associate Justice Antonin Scalia rejected this claim.

Based on the precedent Scalia authored, neutral laws of general applicability do not violate a person’s free exercise rights. For example, Matsumura said murder laws were not

designed to prevent a specific religion from practicing human sacrifice.

Instead, they were crafted to protect people and the public.

He added that Fulton v. City of Philadelphia is a little concerning because some justices expressed interest in revisiting Employment Division v. Smith, which could be weakened or reversed entirely.

These changes would also reflect the complaints of religious individuals who felt the court’s precedent was insufficiently protective of their right to practice religion.

“Most recently, it’s come up within the context of antidiscrimination laws because there is not an insignificant number of religious people who want to discriminate against gay people,” Matsumura said. “They think their religion allows them to do that, and they’re being told that they’re not allowed to.”

In order for the Supreme Court to revisit a case, Matsumura said it takes four justices to grant certiorari — the right to seek judicial review.

He explained that if the court was

NEWS uninterested in reconsidering the issue, they would not take the case, but the justices’ hearing suggests potential changes.

Decades ago, Scalia mentored Barrett, and this relationship could protect 1990s precedent. However,

“How do you see yourself as this really powerful woman in this position of power, yet [you’re] advocating for patriarchy and misogyny where you don’t want women to be in positions of power?”

– pROFESSOR Sanjam Ahluwalia Matsumura also pointed out that Barrett is notably religious — a point of discussion that came up during her confirmation.

According to The Guardian, Barrett previously participated in a Christian network known as the People of Praise. Although Barrett has not discussed her affiliation with the group, the group’s current leader, Craig Lent, told The Guardian the organization has counted Barrett as a member. Lent also stated the Christian community “would end the membership of a person who discloses gay sex or any other ‘ongoing, deliberate, unrepentant wrongdoing.’”

However, during her Senate hearings, Barrett said the law will guide her more strongly than religion, and Matsamura added that Fulton v.

City of Philadelphia could show the truthfulness of these remarks.

“If we had a different court composition, it’s likely that this issue wouldn’t come up,” Matsuruma said.

“But we have three Trump appointees, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the retirement of Justice Kennedy, who was a little more sympathetic to gay rights. It does seem like there’s

a good chance that the court might either reverse Employment Division v.

Smith outright or potentially weaken it [by being more accommodating of religious practice].”

As the discussion about LGBTQ+ rights continues, only time will tell how the addition of Barrett will impact the legal and political discussions of people’s rights.

Gender equality Back in 2016, Trump promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn the federal right to have an abortion, and The New York Times recently addressed this pledge.

Looking back on his presidency, Trump nominated three associate justices to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Barrett in 2020. All three were eventually confirmed through the Senate.

Sanjam Ahluwalia, NAU professor and director of women’s and gender studies, said Barrett has ascended as high as possible with her Supreme Court appointment.

Additionally, Ahluwalia discussed the irony regarding Barrett’s succession of the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was a passionate feminist and equal rights advocate.

“Here you have someone like Amy Coney Barrett, as a Supreme Court justice and someone who has these extremely regressive, retrograde, matriarchal, misogynistic ideas about women and it’s like how do you put these two together?” Ahluwalia said.

“How do you see yourself as this really powerful woman in this position of power, yet [you’re] advocating for patriarchy and misogyny where you don’t want women to be in positions of power?”

Barrett’s position as a more conservative judge could potentially impact Roe v. Wade, a 1973 landmark case that legalized abortion.

The Supreme Court is set to view two abortion-related cases for possible hearings, which include Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban and a Title IX rule change, as reported by CBS. The article also reported that even if justices decline to hear both cases, 17 cases are close to reaching the high court.

For Ahluwalia, when legal

Amy Coney Barrett was recently confirmed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press

challenges relating to reproductive rights are considered by the Supreme Court, the focus continues to be on abortion specifically.

“What is it going to take for us to move beyond and address a whole range of issues that affect People of Color, that affect transgender people, that affect the queer community?”

Ahluwalia asked. “Those are the kinds of issues that we can never get to because they’re always stuck on something like abortion effects.”

In regard to expanding the discussion of reproductive rights, Ahluwalia said the inability to move forward is tied to the suspicion about science. As a feminist who works on biopolitics and reproductive health, Ahluwalia said she does not expect everyone to understand biomedicine, but she encouraged people to think about what the situation would be if reproductive rights were targeted toward men and male bodies.

Junior Payson Hudson, who is studying political science and law, rights and justice, said Barrett’s confirmation was likely a political strategy aiming to further divide the country and maintain a more conservative branch of government.

If 48-year-old Barrett were to serve until the same age as Ginsburg, 87, she would be on the

court until 2059, leaving a lasting impression of her originalist beliefs and interpretations of the U.S. Constitution.

Hudson said she expects the associate justice to vote similarly to Kavanaugh — conservatively — which may affect the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community. She

“I don’t think that her viewpoints match that of the majority of Americans, so it’s problematic that she has so much power.”

– jUNIOR paYSON hUDSON also expects matters of same-sex marriage and women’s reproductive rights to visit the Supreme Court in many cases during Barrett’s upcoming tenure.

“I think that Barrett’s confirmation has caused even greater division in our already hurting country,” Hudson said. “I don’t think that her viewpoints match that of

the majority of Americans, so it’s problematic that she has so much power.”

Hudson encouraged students to join a community of like-minded allies to have a rewarding and educational experience. For her specifically, participating in the NAU Young Democrats is a safe place to discuss political developments and concerns.

Similarly, Ahluwalia explained that the relationship between the Supreme Court and the U.S. is complicated because it is unclear whether the court reflects the mood of the country or vice versa. Regardless of president-elect Joe Biden and Trump, Ahluwalia said the elections will not stop the discussion of race, gender and sexual issues, in addition to the Supreme Court’s role within them.

“The work and the conversation will have to continue,” Ahluwalia said.

“Things won’t finish at the end of the election. I think work has to continue and work will have to continue …

I think work starts afresh and the work that will have to happen after the election to make sure that these issues are addressed in ways that are empowering and not regressive, and they reflect the mood of where the majority of the people are.”

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

5

NEWS

Left: Voters, many of whom are NAU students, remain socially distanced as they stand in line to vote Nov. 3 at Walkup Skydome. Michael Patacsil| The Lumberjack Right: President-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris address the nation. Photo courtesy of The Associated Press

Students respond to president-elect Joe Biden Alliya Dulaney

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our days after Election Day, Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States, as reported by The Associated Press (AP). Biden received 20 electoral votes from Pennsylvania, resulting in a 273-214 difference against President Donald Trump.

Other news sources reported the winner of the race to 270 electoral votes in favor of Biden.

A Fox News article reported Trump has not conceded, but Biden delivered a victory speech at an event in Wilmington, Delaware Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. An update from The New York Times titled, “Biden Wins Presidency. Democrats Rejoice. Republicans Disbelieve,” also reported Biden’s victory as the president-elect Nov.7 with 77,403,311 votes, an estimated five million vote lead.

More than 100 million early votes were cast by mail or in person, surpassing the total number of votes in 2016 by two-thirds, a report from Pew Research Center stated. In separate research by Forbes, more than 15 million U.S. citizens have become eligible to vote since the 2016 election. Justin Tseng, chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project told Forbes Sept. 21, “Don’t be surprised when [young voters] turn out at the polls in historic numbers.”

The 2020 election was the first time many students were able to vote in a presidential election. The turnout among young voters has convinced many students like junior Bri Chitwood to be attentive to politics, regardless

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of decisions that impact herself or others.

“Growing up, I never cared much for politics,” Chitwood said. “Though, within the last year I’ve come to realize that simply ignoring politics is a privilege. Especially after the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s vital for change to speak up and care about topics, even if it doesn’t affect me directly.”

Chitwood said when she heard the news about Biden becoming the president-elect through social media, she was ecstatic and relieved. Senior Alondra Lomeli said she was also mostly overcome with momentary relief after checking her phone the morning of Nov. 7 for any election updates.

Lomeli said she also checked Trump’s Twitter account, where he tweeted, “I won this election, by a lot” in all capital letters Nov. 7.

Attached to the tweet was a disclaimer, stating the source may not have called the race when the tweet was posted.

“I really just hope this outcome does not lead to complacency,” Lomeli said. “ I think it’s amazing that people mobilized and made their voices heard for this election, but there is so much work to be done for our communities.

There are still problems within our systems that we need to address and we need to hold leaders accountable. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but we can’t stop here.”

Junior Timothy Clapham said he had confidence Trump would be reelected and said he was surprised throughout this election when traditionally conservative states swung blue.

A concern Clapham has under the Biden administration is the Second Amendment, as he said it is a crucial right that may be threatened.

However, Clapham encouraged Republicans and Democrats alike to be informed and open to both sides. He said when there is resentment within both parties, hate will not cause it to disappear.

“Joe Biden is now my president and the commander-in-chief,” Clapham said. “Now that we all know the results, let’s see where God takes the country. Republican or Democrat, your reaction to the presidential election should not be childish and whiny. Everyone belonging to either party should be civil with each other and respectful of both candidates and their supporters.”

While a new president-elect is considered a

“Republican or Democrat, your reaction to the presidential election should not be childish and whiny.”

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

– jUNIOR Timothy Clapham

positive result for students like Lomeli, she also said there are always concerns with a new administration and individuals have to keep leaders accountable. While one battle was won, Lomeli explained, the fight is not over. The fights against racism, homophobia, xenophobia and sexism — to name a few — still need to be discussed, she said.

This year’s election was memorable in many ways. Possibly the two most notable are an election amid a pandemic and Sen. Kamala Harris making history as the first woman of color to be elected vice president.

The ongoing pandemic is a priority both Chitwood and Lomeli said they expect the Biden administration to address. For Clapham, he said he hoped the nation would prioritize and reenter the Paris Agreement, which was signed in 2016 by former President Barack Obama to deal with mitigation, adaptation and finance on greenhouse gas emissions with the United Nations.

With new hopes and concerns for the Biden administration, time will tell how it will lead the country. While this year’s election added suspense to an already stressful year, students are encouraging civility and continuous political involvement.

“Trust the people of America that they made the right decision, our country uses democracy for a reason,” Chitwood said. “Nothing will get done if not all voices are heard. So, whatever you are passionate about, be the change you want to see.”

VISUAL SPOTLIGHT

Election Day 2020 Center: NAU junior Emma Burns poses for a portrait Nov. 3 outside the Walkup Skydome polling location. Burns spent her election day working for Election Protection AZ at various polling locations in Flagstaff. Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack Top Left: A voter walks out of the Walkup Skydome polling station, Nov. 3. Center Left: Roberto Tures stands in front of city hall, for the 58th day with a sign encouraging people to get out and vote, Nov. 3.

Brian Burke | The Lumberjack Bottom Left: Councilmember Charlie Odegaard, who conceded the Flagstaff mayoral race, at Odegaard’s Sewing Center, Nov. 3. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

Center Right: Mayor Coral Evans with her daughter Destiny in their suite at Little America as they wait for election results Nov. 3. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack Top Right: Voters wait in line to vote at the Walkup Skydome polling station, Nov. 3. Bottom Right: A voter fills out his early-voting ballot on the hood of a car at the Walkup Skydome polling station, Nov. 3.

Brian Burke | The Lumberjack

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

Generation Z values proactive parenting In addition to mental health awareness, studies predict Gen Z parents will also value acceptance and open communication eneration Z is often regarded as the most misunderstood more than previous generations, according to Parents.com. generation. Young people abide by a set of values Many Gen Zers had to cope with rejection upon opening up influenced by social media. Unlike previous generations, to parents about subjects like gender identity and sexuality. We these internet-influenced values impact every part of their lives. want to create safe and accepting environments for our children As many of the older Gen Zers enter parenthood, it is evident and abandon this harmful mindset. they will take a unique approach.

According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, Gen Z is learning from their parents’ mistakes. This Gen Z is generally more accepting than older generations. These generation has the power to abandon the harmful parenting young people generally see societal change as positive. Previous techniques that raised them. generations, including baby boomers and Gen X, are less likely to Although there is discussion regarding what age range have this opinion. qualifies as Gen Z, nonpartisan think tank Pew Research Center About 48% of Gen Zers surveyed say legalized gay marriage categorizes Gen Z as those born after 1996. is good for our society. Comparatively, only 33% of Gen Xers and One factor that differentiates Gen Z parents from previous about 27% of boomers say this is a good thing. generations is their understanding of mental health.

This open-mindedness is likely to influence our generation’s According to a report published by the American approach on parenting. We are more willing to have open Psychological Association, Gen Z is more likely to seek mental conversations about these topics health help than previous generations. Specifically, because many of us did not 37% of Gen Zers surveyed have the option growing up. reported receiving help I never felt comfortable from a mental health opening up to my parents, professional, while and most of my friends share only 26% of their Gen the same experience. As a X parents reported result, we understand the receiving help. harmful effects emotionally There has been a unavailable parents have on stigma associated with their children. mental health for years.

Child and adolescent While it still exists, it is therapist Bonnie Compton less prevalent among Gen spoke with Parents Z. magazine about what we Therapist Jason can expect from Gen Z’s Woodrum spoke in an fresh parenting methods. interview with Parents “Discussion of magazine about the stigma emotions will be normalized shift and how it could lead within the family,” Compton to a generation of more told Parents. “Children and understanding parents. teens will understand that “Gen X and all feelings are accepted and Millennials also grew up that it is perfectly normal in a time where larger to reach out for support. social stigmas around They will also be able to seeking assistance with create and nurture deep mental health symptoms authentic relationships with were still largely shared,” their children through honest Illustration By Rainee Favela Woodrum said. “[Gen Z] conversations.” have inherited a world in which not only These authentic do we know more on how to treat anxiety, but we are also less relationships are nonexistent for many Gen Zers and their inclined to feel judged by others for seeking help in the first parents now. Research shows there is a disconnect between our place.” generations’ values and priorities. While this disconnect has Many grew up in households with parents suffering from thus far been negative for many of us, it will help our generation untreated mental health issues. It seems as though Gen X did progress as parents. not consider how neglecting their own mental health would I believe Gen Z parents aim to fill in the gaps Gen X left affect their children. These unstable environments influenced them with. We are working to eliminate the mental health stigma many to establish a healthy relationship with mental health that prevented many of our parents from seeking much needed before pursuing parenthood. help. We refuse to continue this cycle of trauma-dumping.

Trinity Archie

Don’t waste time on jealousy

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hen starting college, many of us are either already in a relationship or casually dating someone new.

Both of these situations seem to have one thing in common: The relationship is about to withstand the test of your partner meeting an abundance of people.

Most of us are used to a simple high school relationship, where everyone knows you and your partner are dating, and one-on-one time is abundant. All of this can change quickly considering how the larger amount of students enrolled in the average college.

Suddenly, it is the norm for you both to have completely separate friend groups and often hang out with these groups without your partner.

While some people are lucky enough HAYLEY to be unaffected by these scenarios, for BOSTIAN others, new people around their partner is seen as a threat and can cause intense WRITER jealousy and anger.

Jealousy is a valid feeling we all experience at some point in a relationship. I would be lying if I said that I have never spent an hour yelling about a random girl who got a little too friendly with my boyfriend. Despite it being a natural emotion, there comes a time when being jealous does more harm than good.

From personal experience, I can say jealousy is an emotion that tends to upset you more than it should. I’ve wasted so many nights being more concerned with outside people than I am with my boyfriend.

What I’ve learned from my experiences with jealousy is that I really can’t control what other people do. People may do more than you would like them to, whether it’s through Snapchat, an extra friendly conversation or simply someone not respecting the exclusivity of your relationship. But if your partner is still respecting you, then nothing anyone else does matters.

Continually scrutinizing every little interaction between your partner and another person only takes time away from your relationship. Of course, it’s valid to be upset if a line is crossed, but we tend to overanalyze these situations most of the time. That irrational jealousy only incites negative emotions for both people in the relationship without solving anything.

It may take time, but it’s important to recognize feelings of jealousy and whether they’re worth being upset over. In the end, your partner chose you. One conversation that you aren’t a part of, or another person attempting to talk to your partner on social media won’t change that.

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

America, xenophobic presidents are unacceptable Kylie soto

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he Trump administration proclaimed Nov. 1, a day that honors Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, will now also be known as the National Day of Remembrance for Americans Killed by Illegal Aliens. The date overlap is something I find extremely disrespectful.

This is not to say United States citizens who have been killed by undocumented immigrants are not deserving of a day of remembrance. Their deaths are all too tragic.

Yet, I feel the date was calculated and a direct statement to Mexicans in the U.S. It seems as though President Donald Trump specifically picked the one day, out of all 365 days, where Mexican culture is more visible inside and outside of the country to highlight instances where Mexicans may have committed crimes.

Día de los Muertos is a holiday full of celebration and remembrance of friends and family members who have died that has been celebrated for centuries. National Geographic gave insight in an article into what the holiday represents and describes different elements of it.

Considering the volume of deaths the world, let alone North America, has experienced this year, Trump’s actions are insensitive and disregard the positive elements of an entire culture and its people.

Pew Research Center cited, “Mexicans are the largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for 62% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2017.

Since 2000, the Mexican-origin population has increased 76%, growing from 20.9 million to 36.6 million over the period.”

Additionally, Reuters Illustration By Tonesha Yazzie reported, in 2019 there were

“1,923 total offenses for homicide” in reference to undocumented immigrants who have killed citizens. Considering the nearly 235,000 people in the U.S. who died from COVID-19, a much higher number than deaths caused by undocumented immigrants, perhaps the president’s priorities are misplaced.

However, this national day of remembrance is not the first instance where Trump has insulted Mexicans. In 2016, Time magazine listed all the times Trump insulted Mexico and its citizens.

“They are not our friend, believe me,” Trump said, referring to Mexico in the Time article. “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

This is a grossly vague overstatement and supplementarily disgraces millions of Americans who have family across the border and those who crossed the border themselves.

Trump’s intense feelings toward People of Color have existed before taking office. In 2013, he tweeted, “Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by blacks and hispanics-a tough subject-must be discussed.”

Since he took office, he has pushed hard for building a wall along the southern border which gained him significant support and criticism throughout the country. With recent discussions about racial injustice in the U.S., tensions have increased.

NPR published an analysis and comparison between Trump and president-elect Joe Biden’s plans for racial equality into the next presidential term. The NPR article stated, “Trump has not outlined a broad policy plan to address racial inequity. Trump has repeatedly questioned whether systemic racism is a problem in the United States.”

Trump’s refusal to ignore minorities’ reality is inhumane, and even unpresidential. He acts like both the bully and the victim in regard to his treatment from the media and other world leaders.

An article by The Atlantic quoted Trump saying, “I think I was very unfairly treated from before I even won, I was under investigation by a bunch of thieves, crooks. It was an illegal investigation.”

This is not the only time where he “wallows in self-pity,” as The Atlantic put it in their article.

Time reported on a situation in 2016 where Trump was constantly pushing the idea that Mexico would pay for the border wall to be built.

According to the Time article, former Mexican President Vicente Fox “compared the Republican presidential candidate to Hitler and said, ‘I’m not going to pay for that f-king wall.’”

Trump demanded Fox apologize, which he did, and Trump commented, “Honestly, I thought it was very, very nice because I was giving him a little hard time about something, and he apologized.”

Trump is a leader of the majority and not minorities. He has slandered Mexican people and this sham of a holiday placed on a historically important day for Mexican culture, was the final straw that broke the back of what little respect I may have had for him.

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

The Legend of Z-Hawk: A sto Joey Wright

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n the new comic “Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk,” Zaadii is a Navajo environmental lawyer who fights for nature by day and becomes the superhero Z-Hawk by night. Although Z-Hawk is a fictional character, Zaadii is not. The comic is based on the unfinished life of Zaaditozhon Tso, a boy from Flagstaff who viewed himself as a superhero. He was killed when he was just 3 years old by a distracted driver.

“Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk” tells a story of how the little boy’s life could have been if it wasn’t ended early. The comic was published by Travelers Insurance as a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, according to its

website. Zaadi became the first indigenous superhero published nationwide when the comic was unveiled at New York Comic Con, Oct. 8.

Zaadii’s mother Rachel Cox, a lecturer in NAU’s School of Communication, said she played a large role in bringing the story to life over the past two years.

“It was more than just imagining it as it could have been realistically,” Cox said. “It was imagining it as it could have been in the mind of a 3-year-old who thought he was a superhero. It’s magical.”

Cox said Zaadii died in February 2015 when he was struck by a vehicle while he was crossing the street with her.

Later on, Travelers Insurance contacted Cox to hear more about Zaadii’s story. Cox said she thought they would run a latenight advertisement on TV that showed pictures of victims of distracted driving. However, it turned into something much

more than that.

Cox said she didn’t hear back from the company for a while and forgot about the whole thing. A while after, she was contacted again and they told her Zaadii’s story was so moving they wanted to do something on him alone.

“He loved his life,” Cox said. “He loved his community, he loved his family, he loved his friends and he was very well-loved.

He was this beautiful spark of love and light. He wasn’t afraid to be himself and he always did what he felt needed to be done.”

One of Cox’s favorite stories about Zaadii’s life occurred at school when an African drummer came to perform at a cultural assembly.

“As soon as he started to play, Zaadii jumped up and started dancing,” Cox said. “His teachers tried to grab him saying, ‘Come back, come back!’ But the African drummer said, ‘No, no no, dancing is exactly what you’re supposed to do when you hear this music.’”

Zaadii told the drummer his name was Batman, and the drummer told the school they should all be like Batman and dance together. Cox said after that, Zaadii led the teachers and students in a dance. That was one of the last things he did at his school.

The reason she thinks his story is so compelling was because he did everything right, Cox said, and his death should never have happened.

“Here’s a little boy who’s dressed like Batman who’s doing absolutely everything right — holding his mom’s hand in a crosswalk — and yet a distracted driver killed him,” Cox said. “We were a foot away from safety ­— a foot away from the other side of the road. So often when we hear about things, we think ‘Oh, this person was doing something wrong,’ and this was so very clearly unfair. It should not have happened.”

Cox worked with comic book author Gail Simone to bring Zaadii’s animated story to life.

According to an interview done by AZFamily, Simone has written over 600 comics, but this was the first she’s based on a real person.

In the interview, Simone said the comic brought opportunities to make sure the story stayed true to Zaadii’s character, family and heritage and allowed his spirit and energy to

“Even though he is not able to grow up and be the superhero that he thought he was, I know he is now truly a superhero.”

NAU professor Rachel Cox lost her 3-year-old son Zaadii to distracted driving about five years ago. Cox holds “Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk” in her backyard, Oct. 25. She said she thinks Zaadii would have loved it. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

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THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

– Zaadii’s godmother Jeneda Benally

FEATURES

ory of what could have been continue on.

Zaadii’s godmother Jeneda Benally acted as the cultural consultant during the creation of the comic to ensure Zaadii’s heritage and family were portrayed accurately and respectfully.

She said the story is full of Navajo symbolism that is important to Zaadii’s story.

In the comic, Z-Hawk’s emblem is made of triangles, which represent arrowheads. Benally said in Navajo culture, arrowheads are a symbol of protection. Another symbolic aspect of the story is turquoise — both the stone and color. In the story, Z-Hawk’s costume is turquoise and he is also given a turquoise necklace by an elder. Benally said turquoise is a form of protection in the Navajo culture and identifies the people as connected to the holy one, and even Z-Hawk’s mask was well-thought out and based on traditional Navajo warrior caps.

“Being his godmother, I always felt like a protector of him,” Benally said. “For me, it was incredibly personal to take on this role of cultural consultant. [I wanted] his story — this imaginary story — to be written in a way that would bring honor and show the beauty of who he was and who his family and his people are.”

Benally described Zaadii as sunshine, imagination and laughter. She said although people were only able to enjoy his physical presence for three years, his family and friends will enjoy every memory they have of him for a lifetime.

On top of making the story culturally accurate and representative of his life, Simone said she wanted Zaadii’s character in the comic to be one that he would have thought was cool, according to the AZFamily interview. To do this, she equipped Z-Hawk with his own electric flying car and voiceactivated retractable arrows. “[Simone] is a mom herself,” Cox said. “But she was also a little girl who thought she was a superhero. We related in these ways that I think she felt connected to Zaadii personally, but also connected to Zaadii as a mom and connected to me — mom to mom.”

Zaadii completely took on the character of a superhero when he was alive. Cox said he never took his Batman costume off.

He wore it to school everyday, he wore it to bed, he wore it in the bath and he even wore it to meet Santa Claus and tell him he wanted his own Batmobile for Christmas. He truly believed he was a superhero and Cox said she thinks Zaadii would have absolutely loved the comic book.

She said she strongly believed Zaadii would have grown up to be an environmental lawyer, just like his character in the book who fights for environmental issues on native land. His grandfather was a lawyer and his father came from a line of Indigeneous rights and environmental activists. Zaadii’s full name, Zaaditozhon, means “speaks with the power of gentle water” in Navajo, and his grandmother said gentle water is what carves canyons and moves mountains.

Cox explained she liked that the comic focused on Zaadii’s imagined life rather than his death. Although she said she would much rather have her son with her in person than as a character in a comic book, the imagination of his future was a gift.

“Not being able to imagine what your child would have been like growing up is one of the hardest parts,” Cox said. “Not having the graduations, not having all of the typical things parents have with their children, and to have that imagined is a gift. It was

beautiful to see images of my son that showed how he could have been. It was bittersweet.”

The goal of this comic is to inspire people to drive mindfully.

Cox said everyone needs to drive as if they are operating a deadly weapon because they are. She said everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings, keep their eyes on the road, pay attention and most importantly, be aware.

“Even though he is not able to grow up and be the superhero that he thought he was, I know he is now truly a superhero,” Benally said. “And through this comic book, hopefully he will change minds and save lives, and he’ll bring awareness to the importance of being a mindful driver.”

Zaadii’s family started The Zaadii Foundation, which advocates for driver and pedestrian safety and gives people the opportunity to take a pledge to drive mindfully on their website.

Zaadii did not get to finish his story because of a distracted driver, but he continues to be a protector through this comic book.

“He wanted to be a superhero, and he is,” Cox said. “Through this comic book and his life and stories that I tell or others tell about him, he’s helping to save lives.

And that’s a super heroic thing to do.”

“It was beautiful to see images of my son that showed how he could have been. It was bittersweet.”

– Rachel Cox, Zaadii’s mother and Lecturer in Nau’s school of communication

Zaadii loved superheroes, so a comic book was written in his honor by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore. The comic imagines his unfinished story as the superhero Z-Hawk. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

Lower Lake Mary, a recreation site close to campus, is a popular place for hiking during the warm months and fishing when the lake is full. Ben Akers | The Lumberjack

Recreation sites balance health and fun throughout Arizona Oakley Seiter

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amping, hiking, visiting parks and even taking a walk around a pond are activities people of all ages can enjoy.

Going outdoors can be a great way to stay active and escape the monotony of everyday life, especially during a pandemic. COVID-19 caused a lot of changes in people’s lives — workplaces shut down, hours were cut, events were postponed and many have needed to quarantine. Regardless, people are able to turn to nature for entertainment.

COVID-19 has also affected recreation in various ways — changes in business, safety protocols, employee health and the cleanliness of sites have all impacted both visitors and recreation managers.

Flagstaff local Willow Snider visited Flagstaff’s Lockett Meadow campground recently and said she was surprised at how many people were not wearing masks.

“I think [not wearing a mask] is somewhat silly when some of these trails, and even the parking lots, are very, very crowded,” Snider said. “The air outside allows for a lot of air flow, but even when I drove through Sedona, it was so packed with people on the roads and at the creek that people should have been wearing masks, but I didn’t see any.”

Snider explained it scares her when people do not realize or do not care that COVID-19 affects so many other people’s lives. She said she wonders if Arizonans just stopped caring about the pandemic completely.

“If anything, it seems like COVID has pushed people to the trails to be able to social distance, but there were still crowds,” Snider said. “I think people are just really tired of this, but have forgotten the high seriousness of it all.”

Dove Luidhardt, park supervisor of White Tank Mountain Regional Park said the park also

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experienced an increase in use since COVID-19 hit. She said the park is the largest recreation site in Maricopa County and consists of many hiking, horseback and biking trails, a park visitor center and over 60 campground sites.

Luidhardt explained the rise in park use shows how much the pandemic encouraged people to go outside, even though 2020 saw one of the hottest summers in the history of Arizona.

Luidhardt explained some of the changes White Tank Mountain Regional Park enforced to stay consistent with health and safety precautions for the visitors. The park ended up closing its popular waterfall trail because people were not remaining socially distanced. She said this was the only trail closure the park enforced and the trail reopened in late June. Other changes the regional park faced included how visitors needed to make reservations to visit the park and restrictions in parking.

An increase in attendance adds more pressure on employees, Luidhardt explained.

She said the majority of the volunteer staff is in the at-risk category as most of the park hosts are over 50-60 years old.

“We have been very fortunate that nobody on our staff has gotten COVID-19,” Luidhardt said. “We have a very limited staff here. We only have seven full-time employees and the rest are park volunteers and hosts, so there is not much we can do to increase staffing. We just have to get through it.”

Another difficulty for parks this year was the unknown circumstances surrounding COVID-19, Luidhardt said. White Tank Mountain Regional Park changed their hours to close earlier than usual, which upset a lot

of visitors. She explained many visitors were stressed with COVID-19 changes and took it out on the staff.

“It was really hard to keep everyone on the same page because policies and procedures were literally changing every single day, so that was really challenging,” Luidhardt said. “Especially from a management perspective, I would send out an email to my staff and let them know how it would be for that day, and within me sending the email out [the procedures] would already change.”

Due to campgrounds and recreation sites being outdoors, Luidhardt said not much has changed in sanitization procedures. However, site bathrooms were required to be cleaned more frequently.

With increased usage, Luidhardt explained that a challenge for those maintaining recreation sites is an increase in trash. She said a lot of people are new to outdoor recreation and are not educated on park etiquette and how to keep the areas clean.

Although many have not respected the environment, she said COVID-19 has brought a lot of new users to the park.

“It’s a positive and a negative,” Luidhardt said. “A lot more people are coming out to visit the park and getting to enjoy the health benefits both mentally and physically that it has to offer, which has been the largest benefit the park has gained.”

Robert Wisener, conservation and project manager for the city of Buckeye, said his experience with recreation sites has been different from Luidhardt’s. Unlike White Tank Mountain Regional Park, most of the recreation areas in

“If anything, it seems like COVID has pushed people to the trails to be able to social distance, but there were still crowds.”

– Flagstaff local Willow Snider

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Buckeye have been closed since the pandemic began. Wisener said Buckeye’s recreation center, senior center, parks and pools were closed for months.

“We haven’t received too much backlash from the community because I think they understand that we are going through a pandemic and we need to put those safety precautions in place,” Wisener said. “We certainly are getting that pressure to reopen stuff back up.”

Wisener said officials are considering opening some facilities and limiting the number of people who can visit and how long they can stay. He said the parks recently reopened and as of Oct. 19, other amenities like basketball courts and skate parks opened again.

Officials in Buckeye have been careful not to open sites up just to close them back down, Wisner said. He explained if destinations did close after reopening, there could be backlash from the community. Wisener said Buckeye has taken a pragmatic approach with many staff members having reached out to other cities to see their different approaches and what procedures have worked for them to make sure they are following the best practices.

“It has certainly been an effort for us to learn from others’ mistakes [and those who] opened a bit earlier, and we are going through that process now,” Wisener said. “A lot of our best practices, we are borrowing from the other agencies and learning what they did and putting those policies and procedures in place.”

Since March, Wisener said Buckeye has seen a 40% increase in visitation at their parks compared to the previous year. Many have taken to the outdoors to have fun during the pandemic and it is an important part of their lives, so Wisener explained the efforts of those working in parks and recreation have been vital for community health and enjoyment.

CULTURE

Miley Cyrus and Stevie Nicks: An unexpected duo

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iley Cyrus recently made her much-anticipated return to music since the release of her 2019 single “Slide Away.” On Aug. 14, Cyrus introduced fans to her new era with the release of “Midnight Sky,” a single sampling rock icon Stevie Nicks’ 1981 hit “Edge of Seventeen.”

It’s a catchy pop-synth masterpiece that shows off Cyrus’ vocal ability and is reminiscent of 1980s disco.

The song tells the story of Cyrus finding her confidence again, moving on from a relationship — most likely her divorce from actor Liam Hemsworth — and recognizing she doesn’t belong to anyone.

Now, two-and-a-half months after its release, Cyrus dropped a surprise remix of the song, aptly KATELYN titled “Edge of Midnight,” featuring Nicks. No RODRIGUEZ announcement was made by either singer prior to its ASSISTANT release, just a series of tweets from Cyrus and Nicks CULTURE EDITOR after it dropped on streaming platforms. “@StevieNicks has always been my idol & an inspiration,” Cyrus tweeted. “It’s an honor to now call her my friend and collaborator. Edge Of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix) out everywhere!”

The remix came after the announcement of Cyrus’ seventh album “Plastic Hearts,” which is set to release Nov. 27, and Nicks’ Oct. 9 release of her first single in six years, “Show Them The Way.” Upon first listening to “Edge of Midnight,” I was blown away by how perfect Cyrus and Nicks’ vocals sounded together. While the track is seemingly a mashup of “Midnight Sky” and “Edge of Seventeen,” both women can be heard singing the other’s song, thus making the track all the more memorable.

It begins with the telltale guitar riff from “Edge of Seventeen,” which continues throughout the track, as the synth-pop beats from “Midnight Sky” kick in behind it. Cyrus’ powerful vocals soon cut through as she sings her own lyrics. At around the 56-second mark, Nicks’ raspy vocals sing the chorus and part of the first bridge of “Edge of Seventeen.” Nicks then sings the lyrics to “Midnight Sky” halfway through the track.

“I was born to run, I don’t belong to anyone, oh no / I don’t need to be loved by you (by you) / Fire in my lungs, can’t bite the devil on my tongue, oh no / I don’t need to be loved by you / See my lips on her mouth, everybody’s talking now, baby,” Nicks sings while Cyrus provides backing vocals.

As the track comes to a close, Cyrus joins Nicks to sing the chorus from “Edge of Seventeen.” Both of their vocals shine through and mix seamlessly to create an epic finale.

Overall, this unexpected cross-generational collaboration was a much needed distraction from being glued to the news, while anxiously awaiting the results of the presidential election. “Edge of Midnight” surpassed all my expectations and reignited my love for Cyrus’ music while affirming that Nicks’ vocals are still just as powerful and encapsulating.

Poker chips and disposable cards determine the players’ options in The Geekery’s live-action escape room Oct. 23.

Jorja Heinkel | The Lumberjack

The Geekery hosts Dungeons & Dragons escape room Jorja Heinkel

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lagstaff’s home for everything geeky is expanding to include live-action roleplay events. The Geekery shop hosted its first live-action Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) escape room on Oct. 23, a ticketed event that will recur in late January.

The Geekery is a Magic: The Gathering game shop located just off campus in the Green Tree Mini Mall.

Owner Steven Brently opened the shop in 2010 to give fans of the card game Magic: The Gathering a place to meet, play together and purchase all their gaming necessities.

Since The Geekery’s opening, Brently said the shop has hosted many gaming events for Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer and D&D. However, the live-action escape room event hosted by Peppercorn Games is the first of its kind at The Geekery.

Flickering Neon event coordinator John Compton said the event is not a typical live-action roleplaying (LARP) experience.

“It’s a combination of live-action roleplay, escape room and interactive theater,” Compton said.

The players act as a private investigative (PI) team in a cyberpunk fantasy world, where the entire city is enclosed in a sprawling building the size of Las Vegas. The team investigates the disappearance of a young girl in the central tower, a hot spot of tourism, technology and vice.

As a PI unit, the players are tasked with finding clues

to piece together the story of the mysterious disappearance.

“We wanted to do something that was a bit of an escape room, but then there’s that adversary component that you would get from a LARP or tabletop,” Compton said.

The adversaries are actors in costumes who engage in turn-based combat techniques with the players, using foam ball blasters and foam swords. Each player is also allowed to pick 10 skills out of the list of 75 to enhance play. These options include typical D&D skills and spells, such as charm, sneak, strength and intimidate. Other investigative options include autopsy, code decryption, linguistics and weapon specializations.

An actor in the session named Colleen Walls said the roleplaying event was like nothing she has done before and challenged her improvisation skills.

“I love how literally anything can happen in the game,” Walls said. “Everything that happens to my character depends entirely on what the players say and do.”

Walls said what makes this escape room unique is actor involvement. Players try to defeat an unknown enemy portrayed by live actors. If you play your cards right, Walls said, you get to shoot at enemies with Nerf guns. However, if Nerf guns aren’t the player’s preference, the cyberpunk element comes into play with hacker specializations.

Continue reading on JackCentral.org

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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CULTURE

Indie pop band AJR, consisting of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Metzger, perform their song “Bang!” on Zoom for ASNAU, Nov. 5. Madison Easton | The Lumberjack

Celebrating Homecoming with a performance from AJR Sophia Salazar

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omecoming is a big part of NAU tradition and has been celebrated every year by students, faculty, friends and family since 1924. Due to current events, the university moved Homecoming celebrations to a virtual setting. ASNAU hosted a concert featuring indie pop trio AJR which helped kick off Homecoming week Nov. 5 through Zoom.

ASNAU chief of staff Shelby Varner said ASNAU wanted to plan a virtual concert to keep the Homecoming celebration alive.

“As the undergraduate student government, not only are we advocates for the students, but we also plan campus-wide events,” Varner said via email. “Every year, we hold a Lumberjack Concert Series, and we wanted to keep that tradition alive by hosting a virtual one.”

AJR consists of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Metzger who gained popularity from their hit songs “Sober Up” and “Bang!”

The official music video for “Sober Up” has 34 million views on YouTube as of Nov. 5 and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard

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Alternative Streaming chart in 2018, while “Bang!” was released earlier this year and peaked at No. 2. Other AJR songs that have gained spots on this chart include “Burn the House Down” and “100 Bad Days.”

The event started with a Q&A where Varner asked the band questions that students typed in the Zoom chat.

As the Q&A portion of the concert was wrapping up, AJR lead vocalist Jack Metzger gave students some advice before a short intermission.

“Being in college is obviously very strange right now,” Jack Metzger said. “Obviously, try to enjoy it as much as you can. I tell everyone it’s hard to find a silver lining this time, but this is going to be over at some point. You guys will have one of the best stories to tell people about how you persevered in college.”

The concert portion of the event began with a performance of “Next Up Forever,” which was featured on their third album “Neotheater” in 2019. The band has since posted a YouTube video on their channel where they go in-depth about the creation and inspiration for their self-produced album.

THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

According to music company BMG, AJR earned a No.1 spot on both the Independent Albums and Top Rock Albums Billboard charts in 2019. The pop trio also landed a No. 2 spot on Alternative Albums, No. 4 on Top Album Sales and No. 8 on Digital Albums, Tastemaker Albums and Billboard 200 charts.

Neotheater is AJR’s highest charting album to date.

Throughout the concert, AJR played “Don’t Throw Out My Legos,” “Weak” and “Dear Winter.”

Jack Metzger said during the Q&A that his favorite song to perform is “Weak” because audience members always have a great reaction to it. The song currently has 64 million views on YouTube and is their most watched music video.

Sophomore Cheyenne Swearingen said that this was her first time attending a virtual concert.

“It was pretty great, it was kind of unreal,” Swearingen said. “It felt kind of like when you’re on Instagram and someone livestreams and you’re just like, ‘Oh! It’s not anything special,’ but then you realize that it was just for NAU students. It made it feel a little bit more special.”

CULTURE Indie pop band AJR consisting of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Metzger perform their song “Weak!” on Zoom for ASNAU Nov. 5. Madison Easton | The Lumberjack

Lead singer Jack Metzger performs AJR’s song “Weak” on Zoom.

Madison Easton | The Lumberjack

Swearingen said she not only enjoyed the music, but also admired the Q&A because it was more personal to the audience.

During the Q&A, AJR was asked which song was each band member’s favorite and they all had different answers.

Ryan Metzger started off the conversation by saying his favorite song was “Dear Winter” because the song resonated with him.

In an iHeartRadio article, Ryan Metzger opened up about the meaning behind “Dear Winter.” He wrote the slow ballad after having tough luck in the dating world. Jack Metzger said he enjoyed producing “Sober Up” because there was no trouble with writer’s block when

“Being in college is obviously very strange right now. Obviously, try to enjoy it as much as you can. I tell everyone it’s hard to find a silver lining this time, but this is going to be over at some point. You guys will have one of the best stories to tell people about how you persevered in college.”

– AJR LEAD SINGER JACK METZGER creating the song.

Adam Metzger said their song “Come Hang Out” was his overall favorite and one of the best songs they’ve written.

Junior Ciera Spain said she’s been a fan of AJR for a few years now and was happy with the

performance.

“My initial thoughts were great. I thought it went well, and it was a great time with some friends,” Spain said in an email interview. “It was well-put together, and I enjoyed the Q&A in the beginning.”

Keyboardist Ryan Metzger performs on Zoom for NAU’s Homecoming Nov. 5.

Madison Easton | The Lumberjack

Spain said that her favorite songs from AJR include “Bang!,” “Burn the House Down” and “100 Bad Days.”

“100 Bad Days” peaked at No. 7 in 2019 on Billboard 100 under Alternative Streaming Songs and appears on the album “Neotheater.”

It was nominated for Choice Rock Song at the Teen Choice Awards.

NAU students still kept the Lumberjack spirit and tradition alive by celebrating virtually.

AJR opened up to students about where the band gets their inspiration from, the meaning behind some of their songs and advice for all NAU students during this time.

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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SPORTS

The NFL’s AFC playoff picture is heating up

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he NFL has had an interesting season so far. With COVID-19 still playing a factor in scheduling and active rosters, the 2020 season has been like no other. However, the play by some teams in the American Football Conference (AFC) has definitely shaken up the playoff picture.

To start, the current front-running team in the AFC East is the Buffalo Bills with a 6-2 record. The Bills have an emerging star in quarterback Josh Allen, who is taking control of the team. The Bills have a 4-0 divisional record, but the other team to keep a watchful eye on in this division is the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins took a risk last week starting rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It paid off, as they got the win DREW and have a spark from a young new leader.

BOSLEY The New England Patriots have WRITER a losing record and no apparent team chemistry. The Patriots are a well-coached team, but can’t execute on game day.

Lastly, the New York Jets have not won a game this season and have a slim-to-none chance of making the playoffs. They are the worst team in football. My prediction to win this division will be the Bills.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC North leaders. They are the only team in the NFL that is still undefeated. The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns also have winning records, but do not have the firepower to compete with Pittsburgh. There have been some down weeks for these two teams, while the Steelers look to be consistent all the way through.

The last-place team in this division is the Cincinnati Bengals. The odds that the Bengals make the playoffs this year are slim. They do show a lot of promise for seasons to come, with rookie star Joe Burrow at quarterback. My prediction to win this division will be the Steelers.

The AFC South is split in talent, with two really good teams and two bad teams. On the winning side, we have the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. Tennessee sits at 6-2, while the Colts are at 5-3. These two teams match up twice over the next three weeks, which can be a deciding factor in who wins the division.

Arguably, the AFC West is one of the easiest to predict.

This division has a lot of good teams, including the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs lead this division with a 7-1 record. They arguably have one of the best quarterbacks in the league with Patrick Mahomes. The closest team, record-wise, to the Chiefs are the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders are coached very well and have capable personnel.

The Raiders sit on a respectable 5-3 record and will have many opportunities to win games.

With eight weeks left in the season, time will tell if the teams on top can stay there, or if a surprise team can shock the world.

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Running back Joe Logan runs out onto the field at the Walkup Skydome Oct. 5, 2019. Brian Burke| The Lumberjack

NAU football looks ahead to upcoming season jacob terrill

T

he wait for NAU football fans is coming to an end. With a postponed season, the Lumberjacks have been busy spending their time preparing for an unusual season in spring by getting their new recruits, transfers and injured players ready. The lackluster 4-8 record the team held last year left the team motivated.

The most notable struggle from last year’s season was the defense and finding the players to fill roles. With many injured players, the Lumberjacks had to improvise and use some players out of position. This struggle showed as the team gave up 41 points per game last year.

“Last year was kind of a letdown defensively,” senior linebacker Harrison Beemiller said.

For head coach Chris Ball, the main focus of the offseason is recruiting. The goal was to get players with bigger size and fill the depth chart.

“Usually every team we played, we were the smallest team out there,” Ball said. “We spend a lot of time [recruiting] in order for us to be successful as a program. We have to get the right people in here.”

Going into his second year, Ball said he feels like the coaches have a good handle on their players. They know what players can do and what they can’t. The goal is to lead a more winningcaliber team and put the players in the correct position in order for them to be successful.

SPORTS Since his hiring, Ball has settled in and the team’s chemistry is even stronger than last year. Graduate student linebacker Tristen Vance sees the change in team dynamic and what Ball has built.

“The hardest thing to do when you come into a new team, whether you are a player or a coach, is to build a level of trust,” Vance said. “It’s hard for individuals to trust someone they truly don’t know, especially when you put your heart and soul into the coaching and you put your heart and soul into playing.”

Vance said this can be attributed to the honesty Ball has with his players. The ability to keep everyone accountable is crucial in building trust.

“In order for you to move forward, you have to admit the mistakes you make,” Ball said. “You need to learn from the past, fix it and move forward. We’re a much closer football team than we were a year ago, and I think the players trust the staff and the staff really trusts the players.”

With last year’s quarterback Case Cookus having graduated, the Lumberjacks’ keys to success is to run the ball efficiently and look to force turnovers, according to Ball.

NAU’s offense was pass-oriented last season with Cookus and the team didn’t run the ball as much as the team was second-to-last in rushing attempts in the Big Sky Conference.

During this extended offseason, the Lumberjacks had more time to prepare for the upcoming season. The team has been able to focus on getting some injured players back and been able to let the transfers and incoming freshmen get their feet in the door. This has allowed them more practice and Vance believes that the team has become better from it.

“With more time, you are able to formulate a better team culture and a better team chemistry,” Vance said.

As a football player, Vance has mixed emotions about the postponed season. He never had Saturdays off, but this season has watched other colleges go out and play.

As someone who competes in this sport, watching others compete makes him want to do the same.

When it comes to the safety of the players and the program, Vance said he thought the Big Sky Conference made the right decision to hold off.

“I truly believe that the conference made the right decision by allowing this season to be postponed to the spring,” Vance said. “A lot of the time, the NCAA gets flagged by prioritizing themselves and I think this is a good example of [the Big Sky Conference] doing the opposite by allowing the athletes to get their bodies more prepared.”

For the players, they are ready to play. They can’t wait to get to hit the field and show fans an inspired team.

“We got a chip on our shoulder,” Beemiller said. “We were nowhere near where we wanted to be last year, but we got a different team, different culture, different mindset and we are ready to come out and work.”

NAU Football will jump into their season Feb. 27, 2021 at home against Montana, which will be the first of their six games that are planned this season. The schedule this year is half the amount of games last year, but the goal is still the same: a Big Sky championship.

Defensive back Daego Albert, holds the Turnover Axe after he intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter at the Walkup Skydome Oct. 5, 2019. Brian Burke | The Lumberjack

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 – NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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