January 12, 2016

JANUARY 12-19, 2016

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UAA Concert Board presents Demetri Martin

UAA campus closed Jan. 18 to commemorate MLK Jr.

UAA places at World Universities Debating Championship

By Sam Davenport

content@thenorthernlight.org

Johanna Richter and Jonathon Taylor place 33rd out of nearly 400 teams The University of Alaska Anchorage was substantially represented at the World Universities Debating Championship by Johanna Richter and Jonathon Taylor.

Johanna Richter, economics major and Jonathon Taylor, USUAA president and political science major placed 33rd as a team at the tournament over winter break in Thessaloniki, Greece. There were 400 teams at the event.

Richter and Taylor were recently crowned as tournament champions at the Seattle University Worlds Debate Tournament just weeks before heading off to Greece. They were accompanied alongside Steve Johnson, coach and director of Seawolf Debate, and Jacob Shercliffe, member of the team. Johnson has been coaching UAA’s debate team for 20 years.

Johnson and Shercliffe both served as adjudicators (judges) in the competition.

Johnson was a chair for adjudication panels while Shercliffe was a wing member of the adjudication panel.

Johnson has gone to Worlds 17 times with UAA’s debate team.

“Worlds is an open competition that guarantees at least one team to any university that wants to bring a team. Some universities that have had historically high levels of competitive success are allowed to bring additional teams,” Johnson said.” This year, we were allocated just a single team and so we had to pick from over ten active debate teams. We had to pick one to represent us at Worlds.

It was pretty clear that JT and Johanna were going to be our choice.”

Richter explained that through the days of the tournament, the team’s speaking time amounted to a little less than two hours.

“We’d get on a bus at 7:30 a.m. to get

PHOTO BY HENRIK MAEDLER

Jonathon Taylor argues in a preliminary round.

at the tournament at 8, and then we would wait around. Normally, the first round wouldn’t start until 1 p.m., and then we wouldn’t get out until 9 or 10 at night. We sat for a ridiculous amount of hours every day so we could talk for a total of around an hour and a half for the whole tournament,” Richter said.

Both Taylor and Richter participated in the WUDC last year, but not as a team.

In 2014, each individually placed in the top 25 percent of speakers. This year, Taylor placed in the top 10 percent of speakers while Richter placed in the top 12 percent. Out of the 800 participants, Taylor placed 57th and Richter placed 89th.

“It’s amazing to look at an 800 person tab and see that we placed in the double digits,” Richter said.

This semester, Richter and Taylor traveled to four different tournaments before

Worlds. The team practices around six hours a week and an additional several hours of one-on-one practice with a coach or teammate. Richter and Taylor are constantly reading up on current events and putting in hours to their debate careers.

“One of the things that happens sometimes at debate tournaments is you do get intimidated by other people’s institutions and the name attached to them. Monash is a fantastic debate university out of Australia, just incredibly high quality debaters; they produce a lot of world champions and people who rank very highly,” Taylor said. “To go to a tournament and not just compete with them but to be on the same level with them, interact with them in rounds, sometimes finish ahead of them reminds us that the amount of coaching and time and effort that we put into the activity really yield some pretty

positive results.”

Only eight teams from the U.S. qualified for the elimination rounds. Not only was UAA the only American public school to qualify, UAA was the only non-Ivy League school to break from the American teams.

“This is the story that we’ve been trying to tell about the University of Alaska Anchorage, that we have as high quality students here that you could find at any university. Considering that there were over 300 universities represented at this tournament, and of those 300 universities, 46 came from the U.S. The U.S. is a very well represented nation at Worlds,” Johnson said. “Of those 46 universities, only eight of them qualified teams to the elimination rounds, Harvard qualified two teams, Yale qualified two teams,

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PHOTO BY HENRIK MAEDLER

PHOTO BY JOSH MARTIN

Johanna Richter and Jonathon Taylor return to the general assembly after a preliminary round of debate.

Richter and Taylor react to arguments from their opponents from Cape Town and Columbia in their first elimination round.

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DEBATE: The road to Worlds CONTINUED FROM COVER and then Princeton, Columbia, and Penn each qualified a single team. Then, JT and Johanna were the 8th team from the U.S. that qualified. When you’re in the company of six different Ivy League institutions, none of which are public universities like ours, I think it really lets people know that we are as good of a university, with as good of students, with as high quality programs as any other.”

The University of Alaska Anchorage advanced to the elimination round while several top notch universities did not qualify. UAA surpassed schools including Stanford, Dartmouth, Cornell and Duke.

Johnson expressed that Richter and Taylor earned their accomplishments.

“They are one of the hardest working debate teams I

have ever had the privilege of coaching. They literally sequestered themselves from when finals were over, throughout the semester of course, but literally when finals were over they focused exclusively on debate.

They were reading about current events, they were doing practice rounds, they were watching videos from previous competitions, and they really earned this victory,” Johnson said.

“The experience is definitely something that I will replay in my head my whole life,” Taylor said.

Richter and Taylor agreed that their experience of placing so well at a WUDC is something that they will remember forever.

Even though Taylor is graduating this Spring, Richter hopes to attend the next WUDC tournament which will be held in the Netherlands.

PHOTO BY STEVE JOHNSON

Taylor and Richter shortly after the announcement that they qualify for the elimination rounds.

Residence Hall Renovations bring food, fun, convenience

PHOTO BY KATHRYN CASELLO

The renovations in North, West, and East Halls are set to be completed by the end of the month.

By Kathryn Casello

Kcasello@thenorthernlight.org

New kitchens, lounge areas and RA desks make on-campus living better for everyone The 2016 Spring semester is bringing in lots of changes, including new and improved Residence Hall lobbies for West, East and North Hall. The renovations consist of new lighting, floors, RA desks, extended lounge areas and communal kitchens for each of the halls.

“I think of the biggest points of the renovation is the addition of a kitchen,” said Ryan Hill, Residence Coordinator for North Hall and the First-Year Experience. “We used some survey results over time and we found that residents really wanted a kitchen to be available to them, and that spurred a lot of the renovations.”

Jody Inman, Associate Director and Operations Manager for Housing Services said that the kitchens are also available for summer guests to use.

“One of the issues we saw was that it was hard for the RA’s to see both of the entrances to the lobby, so we renovated and moved the desks to be in a better position,” said Hill.

The renovations are meant to make operations and activities within the residence halls work more smoothly and be more beneficial for everyone involved. If RA’s have an easier time doing their jobs, students will have an easier and more fun experience on campus. Along with desks, the lobbies have new and improved lounge areas.

“We knocked a wall out of the lounge,

so now we have a more open concept for the seating in the lounge areas... We’re bringing in new furniture soon,” said Hill. “There’s also a partition between the seating and the bathrooms now.”

Residence Life and Housing coordinated to create a plan for renovations that benefited students and the needs of the school.

“We opened the lobbies up that allow more space for community meetings. We wanted to create a more functional and friendly area for students to socialize and gather,” said Inman. “The approximate cost for the lobby renovation in the three resident halls was $750,000. This included new design, flooring, paint, kitchen and furniture.”

Students living the residence halls expressed hopefulness for the new options that come with the renovations.

“I think they look a lot better and more dorm-friendly,” said Cole Warren, an Economics major living in North Hall.

“The kitchen will offer a chance to differ our variety on store-bought food; it’s a great idea.”

Students like Maria Jackson, a Health Sciences major also living in North, are excited at the prospect of having more food availability after the Dining Hall closes, since many students have schedules that make it difficult to get meals after class.

“We might make cookies or something,” said Jackson, “It’ll be much easier to access than the cafeteria.”

The construction started during the Fall Semester and is set to be completed within the next month.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JODY INMAN

Layout plans for the finished residence lobbies.

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A history of MLK Day at UAA

By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org

A week after every winter semester begins, students and faculty alike take a day off. The strange timing is no coincidence — officially, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of every January.

If you payed attention in third-grade history class, the reasoning behind this is obvious: it commemorates the legacy of a man — and several other brave men and women — who helped bring rights to large demographics who sorely needed them.

Most students use this time advantageously.

“If I’m not at school, then I’ll probably be using it to study,” said Antionette Street, a student at UAA who works for New Student Orientation. “Or, if my boss lets me, I would probably work.”

Others, not so much.

“I’m having a ‘Lord of the Rings’ marathon with a friend,” said Erin Cockreham, a psychology student.

While campus will be closed on Jan. 18, it wasn’t always that way. Ronald Reagan signed legislation to designate the day a federal holiday back on Nov. 2, 1983. An event was held by the UAA Student Union the following, and first, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 16, 1984, on UAA’s campus.

“I planned the first event that was held on the Anchorage campus in 1984, months after President Reagan signed the federal observance and holiday into law,” said Linda Lazzell, UAA’s Vice Chancellor Emerita for Student Affairs. “It was a simple event with birthday cakes, videos of Dr. King speaking, and handouts of one of Dr. King’s most famous speeches, ‘I Have A Dream.’”

Future events were held on following years, with Alaskan civil rights leaders, such as Elizabeth Peratrovich, being commemorated as well.

The campus was not closed at that point for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day yet. The University’s calendar wouldn’t be adjusted to officially give students the holiday until Dec. 3, 1994.

This was, in part, thanks to student effort; the idea to observe the holiday was brought to the Board of Regents that February, and after some deliberation and postponing, the holiday was officially observed starting Jan. 16, 1995.

Officially, the day was passed as the “University of Alaska Civil Rights Day,” which later became “Alaska Civil Rights Day/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday,” or some variant thereof. Other minor variations of that name have been used

by UA campuses year by year.

This changed in 2007, when UAA’s Diversity Action Council requested that it be referred to as “Alaska Civil Rights Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day” in their calendars and publications.

As mentioned before, campus is closed on Jan. 16. That doesn’t stop the university from celebrating the holiday, however. For example, one of the holiday’s traditions on campus revolves around major speakers coming to UAA, such as legal scholar Kenji Yoshino. This year is no exception. Bree Newsome, a community organizer and activist, will speak in the Student Union on Jan. 30, 2016 for this year’s MLK Student Appreciation Luncheon.

It cannot be underestimated how large of a part students played in UAA’s recognition of the holiday. It couldn’t be more fitting that it was a student effort. After all, Martin Luther King Jr. himself once said that everybody can be great because anybody can serve. While most students will be enjoying the day off, his advice has resonated with this community for years and years.

PHOTO BY DICK DEMARSICO

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

Icy conditions: the Slug guide In the year 2013, an alien brain slug from one of the galaxy’s most feared empires crash-landed on Earth and assumed control of a lowly reporter at this newspaper.

These are his stories.

By Klax Zlubzecon

Translated by George Hyde Well, this is a slippery start to a new semester. At the time of writing, my host’s neighborhood has been absolutely frozen over. His morning runs are now impossible.

This is, of course, the first Slug piece of the semester, so I should get the obligatory introduction out of the way. I am Klax Zlubzecon, space-faring brain slug parasite who crash-landed on Earth and found itself a fine nerd of a host here at The Northern Light. The editors took the situation surprisingly well, and so I’ve been using my host to write columns here and spread the word of the greatest empire to grace the galaxy, the Slug

Empire.

I’ll concede that even the greatest of empires can be brought down by incredibly simple means, though. While Alaska isn’t representative of the entire planet when it comes to environmental biology and meteorology, it does represent several areas in which our Empire has fallen flat in the past.

Case in point: icy conditions.

Typically, icy planets have little worth to the Empire. If a planet is cold enough to be frozen for its entire solar cycle, there’s probably not enough life to justify an invasion. Before you comment that rebels could seek refuge from our reach on an icy, barren wasteland, that’s not how it works in real life. Of all the icy planets in the galaxy — and there are a lot of them — most lifeforms would per-

ish either from the cold, or from the lack of necessary elements to survive. Hoth is pretty much a balming paradise compared to 99.9% of cases throughout the galaxy.

Some Earth-like planets do have cold winter months, like Earth, and that usually makes invasions a bit of a hassle for the same reason that winter has plagued many other invasions in Earth’s history.

While the temperature issue is solved with heated mech-suits, that doesn’t solve the whole “traction” issue.

In all of our history, we’ve had only one lost battle due to weather: the Battle for Gelidus VI. This planet’s soil was inherently flat and cold, and constant rain-storms made for slippery conditions that were a real problem for all but the indigenous Hover People.

Hilariously, there are no Hover People here in Anchorage. The dominant species of Earth never evolved to tread on flat and slippery surfaces, which are especially abundant as I type this. These may be an unfortunate consequence of climate change trends. With temperatures fluctuating from 10 to 50 seemingly on a whim, the weather and surfaces combine to create conditions similar to the aforementioned Gelidus VI, and as we know, the people here do not hover.

My host, George, lives at the bottom of a hill, making trips to the University a frustrating — and hilarious, for me — endeavor. A typical human solution for walking on these surfaces is to wear treaded footwear, but occasionally, even that may be futile.

This can present a serious problem

if the weather gets really bad. George sneers at his independently-driving brethren when the weather goes haywire – he rides the bus – but if campus gets closed mid-day and the bus services halts along with it, he gets stranded. It’s an odd position for him compared to most other students, who either live here on campus or commune here with their own vehicle.

He should really learn not to throw the metaphorical stone.

I doubt these conditions will plague the campus for the first few weeks, since they’ve already plagued them over the break and it’s unlikely that the conditions will continue for long. It’s still useful to keep an open mind, though. Wear proper footwear, be it treads, hover boots, or something else. If you drive, drive safe; braking won’t be nearly as useful as it is during the other seasons, so use it with care. Shifting gears down is safer on the ice than braking. Seek paths around campus or town that aren’t so slick. Basically, utilize common sense, and slipping should be at a minimum. Think before you step or drive.

Above all, study well! You’re at a university. Focus on being safe, but focus on doing well academically as well. What’s the point of venturing into danger if you’re just going to get bad grades anyway? Get lots of sleep, get to classes early, blah blah blah. For a good student, all this should be standard procedure anyway.

The Empire could use good people, so keep them safe!

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

EMBRACE THE SEAWOLF SLUG.

College Cookbook: Avgolemono soup

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

Avgolemono soup is a Greek classic. With chicken, rice and lemon juice, the soup is served warm to keep you cozy during the dark and cold. With the added element of citrus, the soup offers a refreshing taste that can be enjoyed all year long.

Ingredients: 6 cups of chicken stock 3 tbsp of corn starch 1/2 cup cold water 2 lemons 2 chicken breasts 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup instant white or brown rice

PHOTO BY ALPHA

Directions: 1. Pour chicken stock in a pot and place on stove.

Turn heat to high and let stock come to a boil.

2. Dissolve the corn starch in the water in a small bowl. Juice both lemons into corn starch mixture. Set aside.

3. Add salt to broth.

4. Take your microwaveable rice and follow the instructions on the packaging. Once the rice is cooked

through, add to the broth.

5. Reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally while you prepare chicken.

6. Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, and cook it through in a separate pan.

7. Once chicken is cooked, place in stock mixture. Take the lemon juice and corn starch mixture and pour in stock pot. Let simmer for about ten more minutes.

8. Serve hot and enjoy.

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Youth gun violence spikes in Anchorage

By Kathryn Casello

Kcasello@thenorthernlight.org

According to U.S. News, A teenager is more likely to die of a gunshot wound than of all other diseases combined, with youth accounting for 65 percent of weapons arrests in the U.S. A Huffington Post article in 2015 listed Alaska as number one for gun violence in the nation, followed by Louisiana and Mississippi. From 2002 to 2011, 1,227 people were killed with guns in Alaska. Anchorage headlines during the past two years were often dominated by shootings — notably the shooting of Caia Delavergne and Conor Lally in Bootlegger’s Cove, the death of Breanna Moore, as well as the recent Williwaw and South Anchorage shootings this month. These acts of violence came close to home for many community members.

“I have had friends pass away because of suicide, drunk driving incidents, and now, gun violence,” said Helen Goodyear, a senior at South Anchorage High School who knew Chloe Duke, one of the victims of a domestic violence shooting incident in Southside last week. “Chloe Duke was one of the sweetest and most kind people I have ever met. I had a few classes with her, and I remember that she never ever had a frown on her face; she was always smiling and laughing.”

Goodyear believes that one of the causes of this violence is the accessibility of weapons to youth.

“I feel the main cause of youth gun violence is the fact that firearms are too readily available...

You can walk into a Walmart and easily walk out with a gun and a box full of ammunition.”

According to the same Huffington Post article, Alaska and other states with the most gun violence do not require permits to purchase or possess rifles, shotguns, or handguns - gun owners also don’t have to to register their weapons. Gun retailers can request an ID to verify age, but this does not solve the secondary problem of youth

PHOTO BY DAVID MARK

A Huffington Post article from 2015 listed Alaska as the number one state for gun violence. From 2002 to 2011, 1,227 people were killed with guns in Alaska.

acquiring weapons from family members or friends. Out of the 10 percent of high-schoolers in the U.S. who have reported carrying guns, 80 percent of them report getting the weapons from home, a relative or friend.

Paul Honeman, a University Police Department patrol officer with over 20 years of experience with Anchorage Police Department, commented on the cause of the spike of youth gun violence instances.

“If you look at per capita crimes regarding firearms, we’ve seen in 2015 a spike in weapons violations, which includes gun violence,” said Honeman. He believes millennials are desensitized to violence while the general population trends towards collecting guns out of fear. “It seems like more and more people are moving away from using firearms for competition and

sport, and instead people are arming themselves for a coming apocalypse or terrorism. Every time there’s an incident involving domestic or international terrorism, there’s an increase in the purchase of semi-automatic weapons.”

Amidst talk about federal plans for changes in gun laws, the time for Anchorage to start having meaningful conversations about local solutions is now. Miriam Aarons, a member of the community action group We Are Anchorage, emphasized the importance of community dialogue to find solutions.

“We are all about finding community-driven solutions to the challenges our city faces through civic engagement and dialogue,” said Aarons. “Civic engagement, safe gun ownership, speaking to young people about effective and healthy con-

flict resolution, as well as voting and remembering what it means to be a responsible human is important as the dialogue on gun violence continues to evolve.”

Offficer Honeman echoed Aarons’s urges to be use firearms safely.

“The bottom line is responsible gun ownership means being learned in possession and use,” said Honeman.

Honeman recommended attending a “Carry and Conceal Weapon” training to learn about the law and about safe gun handling. “If you want to be a responsible owner, safeguarding and safekeeping your article is the smartest thing to do. I’d definitely recommend not keeping it in a vehicle. The biggest thing is, when you’re in your own home, watch out for the young kids...

We’ve been on too many calls when a young person is shot and

killed, and when we ask them [the youth who discharged the weapon] where they got their gun from, they knew exactly where it was in the house and how to get it, but not how to use it safely.”

Along with Honeman, Goodyear believes that spreading awareness and education can help minimize gun violence, as well as establishing training requirements for gun owners.

“As a community, I feel like we need to respond to issues with youth gun violence by using education...Gun safety classes should be a requirement if you own a gun. This may help curb incidents, as then guns are being handled safely.”

The position of the community is anti-violence and prioritizes safety, which will most likely be the focus of any discussions about gun violence in the future.

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just An houR AwAy fRom eveRydAy Despite predicability, ‘Goodnight Mommy’ terrifies

mountAin leARning centeR sPeciAl

Contributor

Let’s get this out of the way: “Goodnight Mommy,” an Austrian horror movie, is predictable. It’s not narratively clever. Despite this, it’s scary as hell. That feat alone deserves recognition. Directors Franz and Fiala do away with jump scares in favor of tension-building. At any point, “Goodnight Mommy” could have devolved into standard extreme horror fare. Thankfully, it rarely does so.

The premise preys upon a truly primal fear: the fear that one’s caretaker isn’t really their caretaker. After an unspecified accident, Mother (Susanne Wuest, “The Secret Society of Fine Arts”) returns to her isolated country home, her head wrapped in bandages. As her behavior grows stranger, twins Lukas (Lukas Schwarz) and Elias (Elias Schwarz) begin to suspect their mother hasn’t come home at all.

“Goodnight Mommy” earns its stripes as extreme horror. Like the French horror “Martyrs,” the movie succeeds not because of its cruelty, but because of the emotion underneath it. Lukas and Elias are isolated from their mother. Both want comfort, but Mother offers none. As their shared history is revealed, the alienation and mystery only deepen.

TITLE “Goodnight Mommy”

DIRECTORS Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala RELEASE DATE Jan. 8, 2015

COUNTRY Austria GENRE Horror

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Sadly, the movie reveals itself easily.

For experienced horror fans, the twist is obvious in the first scenes. But the tension is so perfectly crafted, the dread so overwhelming, that knowing it won’t matter. Just as Mother acts like a monster, so too do Lukas and Elias. Their familial dynamic is the heart of the horror.

In their first roles, Lukas and Elias Schwarz dazzle. They are children, above all, confused and scared, though they play all the same. Beyond the violence and cruelty, the hardest thing to stomach is their growing apart. Viewers know that their bond is strong, and to see it threatened is harrowing. Beside them, Susanne Wuest is a force to be reckoned with. Like Essie Davis in “The Babadook,” Wuest’s Mother is equal parts cruel and vulnerable. Her performance is all the more impressive for the empathy it evokes.

Horror movies are a director’s genre.

Where comedies rely on chemistry and dialogue, horror movies rely on editing and atmosphere. Directors Franz and Fiala show that horror is their genre. While it is predictable, “Goodnight Mommy” coasts by on its tense editing, dreadful atmosphere, and powerful performances by its three leads. Like the twins at its center, viewers may hope for comfort during their viewing, but “Goodnight Mommy,” thankfully, offers none.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

Demetri Martin Coming to UAA March 3rd

By Nathan Burns

nburns@thenorthernlight.org

Some people might argue that he’s the funniest comedian in America, but no one would argue that he isn’t one of the most strange, unpredictable and unique comedians performing today. He is a regular on “The Daily Show,” host and creator of “Important Things with Demetri Martin,” author, poet, musician and comedian. Demetri Martin will be bringing his talents to UAA on March 3rd at 7:30 p.m. with his special “Demetri Martin: What’s Your Major?”

As a student of Mitch Hedberg, Eddie Izzard and Stephen Wright, Martin’s comedy veers back and forth between the absurd and the profound as he discusses things we take for granted in our society. His shows feature songs, poems, one-liners, and extensive use of notepads and illustrations. Martin’s comedy can occasionally feel absurd and disjointed, but he makes up for it in his masterful use of the English language and overflowing creativity. In his 2005 New York Times Best Seller “This is a Book,” he wrote a 224-word palindrome poem “Dammit I’m Mad” which covered hope, the nature of sin and rat urination.

“He’s so unbelievably original, I’m really into stand-up comedy and I haven’t seen anyone as weird and obscure and hilarious as Demetri Martin,” said Robert Hockema, political

science major. ”I am super excited that Concert Board brought him to Anchorage.”

“We expect it to sell out fast.” said Kayleigh Brandt, Vice Chair of Concert Board.

Brandt spoke with The Northern Light about the decision to book Martin.

“We actually were contacted

by Demetri Martin, who was looking to book colleges for his all-college tour,” said Brandt.

“Concert Board contemplated, looked into his work and we mutually agreed on Demetri.

He’s very talented and has quite a fan base.”

Getting national acts up to UAA requires a little bit more work than just saying yes to an artist, though.

“We do our research into how many tickets he’s sold in other venues, and where he’s toured before and we look into his act,” said Brandt. “We’ll look into things like how popular they are at the current moment, put out student surveys to see who’s interested in what kind of comedians, and it’s usually pretty easy to find out what students are into. For TJ Miller, a large part of it was because of his role on Silicon Valley (Erlich Bachman) and the popularity of that show.”

The announcement about Demetri Martin coming to UAA was announced last December on Facebook. Immediately fans started showing interest. For some, this is sure to be an enjoyable evening out.

“He’s very funny, very smart and very, very weird,” said Travis Klover, computer sciences major. “Tickets are just fifteen bucks? Let’s go.”

For others, this is a chance to explore a whole new genre of comedy.

“It’s always cool if you haven’t heard of someone, to go check them out, maybe bring a group of friends and make it a night out, “ said Brandt.

For still others, this is a once in a lifetime chance to see one of their favorite comedians.

“I got into Demetri Martin when I was in middle school, and I thought he was super weird and super funny, but after watching some of his stand up shows he really grew on me. He’s kind of a genius,” said Hockema.

Martin’s unique performance are sure to leave UAA a happier, more thoughtful, and far stranger.

Martin will appear at 7:30 p.m. in the Wendy Williamson Auditorium.

Pre-sale tickets will be sold in the Student Union from 12 to 2 p.m. on Jan. 14. Students are required to take 3 or more credits and present a student ID to participate in the sale. Limit two tickets per person.

General admission tickets will be on going on sale Friday, Jan. 15.

Concert Board meets every Friday of the school semester from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Student Life and Leadership Office. Meetings are open to the public and Concert Board welcomes feedback and suggestions at these meetings.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘The Hateful Eight’ takes it slow

By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org

TITLE “The Hateful Eight” DIRECTORS Quentin Tarantino RELEASE DATE Dec. 25, 2015

STARRING Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh GENRE Western mystery

First things first: if you can’t stand gore and nudity, stay away from this film. For most people, this should be obvious considering who’s directing, but you never know. Despite the different pace and direction Quentin Tarantino takes on “The Hateful Eight” compared to his other films, is still a Tarantino film through and through. The violence is pulpy, humorous personalities are in abundance and the race card is played liberally throughout.

With that said, however, “The Hateful Eight” is a different kind of Tarantino film. It’s a smaller tale with far less scope than his typical fare, and the first act takes it slower than usual. While this may put some Tarantino-philes off, the pace does rocket up in the second half, which is when “The Hateful Eight” truly becomes a memorable experience.

The story revolves around eight Western characters as they seek refuge from a blizzard: two bounty hunters (Samuel L. Jackson, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and Kurt Russell “Bone Tomahawk”), a bounty (Jennifer Jason Leigh, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”), a would-be sheriff (Walton Goggins, “Predators”), a British dandy (Tim Roth, “Pulp Fiction”), a mysterious cowboy (Michael Madsen, “Kill Bill”), a humble Mexican (Demian Bichir, “The Bridge”), and an old Confederate general (Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”). When all eight of them converge on a small stagecoach lodge, tensions rise and it becomes clear that all of them have their own ulterior motives on how to get out of the blizzard alive.

It may seem like, with eight leads, the story is hard to follow. It isn’t. Tarantino was inspired by the mysterious outlaws of shows like “Bonanza” or “The Virginian,” and imagined a film filled with nothing but those kinds of characters. To compensate for such a large cast, the scope of the film is shrunk down to just the lodge. Almost the entire movie takes place in one room, as our eight leads interact with one another. It’s a setup that could easily have been a stage play.

The small setting allows for much more character development, which we know Tarantino is fantastic at considering his previous work with films like “Pulp Fiction.” The audience’s focus is always on the characters, and they shift eyes and display subtle clues that not all is as it seems.

The film’s pacing is very slow; much slower than Tarantino’s other films. “The Hateful Eight” opens with a cart ride with our two bounty hunters that lasts what seems like a half hour. The film’s action doesn’t ramp up until halfway through, which is about an hour and a half in. For many, that pace is too slow, especially for a writer like Tarantino. This allows for his character development to shine, but while the characters have a lot of cool things to say, the molasses pace can leave a lot to be desired.

When the pacing ramps up in the second half, the film gets really good. We see those developed characters in some dire action, and their extended development makes us more invested in their actions in the long term. It becomes a total thrill ride right up until the end.

If you can withstand a long and slow opening, “The Hateful Eight” is another great pulpy Western from a man with fantastic writing and directing chops. Tarantino fans have probably already seen it, but if you’re just looking for a great mystery with great characters, it’s hard to go wrong with this.

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

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SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

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Bemidji State sweeps UAA with 5-1 win

Backup goalie Jared D’Amico produces two scoreless periods before letting three past in third

By Nolin Ainsworth

sports@thenorthernlight.org

Head coach Matt Thomas said he rewards a player’s hard work. On Saturday night, Jared D’Amico was living-proof of his coach’s words. The sophomore earned himself the right to be named starting goalie for only the second time this season.

It would take the visiting Bemidji State Beavers over two periods and 20 shots on the Cochrane, Alberta native to finally crack him. However, once they did, the Beavers (8-94, 7-8-3 WCHA) beat him twice more in the third period en route to a 5-1 victory over the Seawolves (8-9-3, 5-7-2 WCHA) before a largely student-less Sullivan Arena.

“We need to support him better, we needed to score goals” head coach Matt Thomas. “Just like we need to do for [goalie Olivier Mantha] — it’s an issue of us letting our goaltenders down right now.”

The Seawolves only goal of the game came off the stick of forward Tad Kozun at 16:37 of the third period. The forward was left open off Michael Bitzer’s left post where teammate Blake Tatchell found him while

on a 5-on-3 power play.

Trailing the Beavers two goals with less than four minutes to play, Coach Thomas pulled D’Amico, giving the Seawolves a 6-on-5 man advantage in hopes of adding another goal.

Thomas’ plan was unsuccessful and Cory Ward scored an empty-net goal at 16:27 of the third following a UAA turnover. Two minutes later, Beaver’s forward Jordan Heller rounded out the visitor’s scoring with another empty-netter.

“We had to go for it, we had to take chances, and that’s what happens,” Kozun said.

Coincidently, it was Heller who started his teams’ scoring run earlier in the period.

With the game deadlocked at 0-0, Heller unleashed a wrist shot near the right faceoff dot.

D’Amico’s shoulder was unable to catch up to the puck.

The goal came after a controversial no-goal call earlier in the period. Bemidji State’s Dillon Eichstadt shot a puck from the right point that was initially stopped but fell from D’Amico’s chest pad moments later. The Beavers cleaned up the rebound, scoring what looked to be a goal, but the play had already been called dead by the referees.

Two minutes following the

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM WASSON/UAA ATHLETICS

UAA’s Jared D’Amico makes a save on Bemidji State’s Cory Ward as Matt Anholt looks on during the WCHA game Saturday, January 10, 2016.

Beaver’s first official goal, the Seawolves went on the power play. With under a minute left on the man-advantage, junior Nate Arentz raced toward a loose puck along the boards, eluded two UAA defensemen, and scored a short-handed break-

away goal, pumping his fist in celebration to the applause of his teammates from the other end of the rink.

D’Amico let in a final goal on a nearly identical shot that resulted in the first goal. Gerry Fitzgerald flung the puck into the left corner of the net at 10:25

in the period.

“We just have to put our hard hats on, our work boots on, and get back to work,” said Kozun.

The Seawolves go on the road for two weeks with contests at Lake Superior State and Bowling Green.

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

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The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 2,500.

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THE NORTHERN LIGHT CONTACTS 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kelly Ireland 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org MANAGING EDITOR Samantha Davenport content@thenorthernlight.org COPY EDITOR Kathryn DuFresne copy@thenorthernlight.org NEWS EDITOR Vacant ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Vacant FEATURES EDITOR Kathryn Casello kcasello@thenorthernlight.org ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Victoria Petersen vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

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