12-7-10F

THENORTHERNLIGHT DECEMBER 7, 2010

NEWS

03

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

Human Development: Supports disabled entrepreneurs

FEATURES

10

WWW.THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

‘Shopping for Porcupine’: Author addresses depression

A&E

12

Treft.Punkt:

Creative photo studio

Ski team uses Alaska Nordic Cup as training for next season

By Megan Edge The Northern Light

Our UAA ski team will kick off their official season in Park City Utah on Jan. 8, 2011 to start off the new year.

On Nov. 19 through Nov. 21 the UAA men and women skiers competed in Fairbanks in the Alaska Nordic Cup. History however, repeated itself after the ‘Wolves lost to the Nanooks for the second season in a row.

UAF ended the tournament with a 79-47 win over UAA. “We always lose to Fairbanks pre-season, but then we come back in March and win. I think it has something to do with how we train,” Head Coach Trond Flagstad said. “We just use the Nordic cup as training.”

Freshman male Nordic skier, Erik Bjornsen of Winthrop Washington, lead the ‘Wolves throughout the tournament. On day one of the Alaska Nordic Cup, Bjornsen came in fourth with a time of 7:19.3.

Before UAA, Bjornsen was a three-time junior national champion and came in 21st place in worlds. He was ranked first for North America.

SEE SKIING PAGE 06

PHOTO COURTESY UAA SPORTS INFORMATION

UAA sophomore alpine skier Andreas Adde navigates the slalom course during his winning run at the 2010 NCAA Championships at Howelsen Hill Ski Area in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The Ski Team will open their season Jan. 8 in Park City, Utah after their loss to UAF in the Alaska Nordic Cup Nov. 19-21.

Global Initiative University aids environment and human rights

By Ashley Snyder The Northern Light

Calling all future economic leaders of America or anyone who wants to have their voice heard, here is your chance.

The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) is accepting applications for their 2011 annual meeting on April 1-3 at the University of California in San Diego.

This is a chance for over 1,000 graduate and undergraduate students, non-profit leaders and social entrepreneurs from across

the country to discuss current economical and global problems and how they can be resolved.

There are many discussion topics, but the top five are education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation and public health.

The institution was created in 2005 by former president Bill Clinton. It was set to gather great minds from around the country to formulate ways to correct, or at least improve upon, the world’s current problems.

Participants will make a

commitment to action and go back to their Universities and communities to implement the ideas that are generated. If students continue to succeed in their achievements, they can be eligible for the Outstanding Commitment Award, which will award $1,000 to $10,000 grants.

Sophomore Leslie Smith is very enthusiastic about the conference.

“Even though it happens every year, it sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Smith said.

“The more support we can get from students up here in Alaska

SEE CGIU PAGE 02

Dr. Rosay stands up to violence

By Melissa Newton The Northern Light

As violence pervades society and numbers of sexual assault cases in Alaska grow rapidly, there are a few individuals standing up to put a stop to these tragedies.

One of these individuals is Dr. Andre Rosay.

Rosay, director of the Justice Center at UAA, was recently awarded a contract by the

Governor’s office for Fall 2010.

Rosay will provide research services to support the Governor’s Initiative in an effort to end the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska, according to a recent Justice Center press release.

Knowing that he’s working on something so incredibly important to Alaska, one has to wonder: who is this man?

“My experience working with Dr. Rosay has been fabulous.

He is extremely knowledgeable, has a clear vision in his plans for research and generously gives credit to all parties involved in research projects,” Marny Rivera, assistant professor at the Justice Center, said.

Rosay is a conscientious leader; he is an experienced and knowledgeable researcher. He is well liked and respected by colleagues and agency partners statewide, across the nation and internationally, stated Rivera.

SEE ROSAY PAGE 03

TNLʼs

Top Video

5

Games

the of Year

See page 14 for more

02

TNL

NEWS| December 7, 2010

CGIU: Initiative prompted sustainable renovation at UAF Fairbanks Honors students working with local architechs to design an eco-friendly house on campus CONTINUED FROM COVER the better, because we get left out of a lot of important things that occur in the lower 48.”

In 2009, UAF chancellor Brian Rogers attended the CGIU meeting and made a pledge with his Honors College students to work with local architects and engineers to design a sustainable facility using a 1950s-era house on the campus. This projecte is estimated to cost around $1 million. Tthe students intend to keep their pledge at any cost if it means making UAF a better place for everyone.

A great plan for the Anchorage campus to propose at the conference to implement for citywide effort is a recycling program, stated UAA Student Connor Keogh, member of the Office of Sustainability.

“Anchorage only recycles 14 percent of its material. Anchorage is also one of the largest U.S. cities without a city-wide recycle plan,” Keogh said.

This is only one of many possible proposals, and the only way to really take action is to go and speak about it.

Students don’t have to be a part of any

M a ke i t c o u n t

Your student newspaper seeks opinion columnists.

S t a r t a s a vo l u n t e e r a n d m ove i n t o a p a i d p o s i t ion C o n t a c t 7 8 6 - 1 3 1 3 o r c o n t e n t @ t h e n o r t h e r n l i g h t .org

organization, but it would help if they had a group of people to help them with their plans.

The majority of students who previously attended the conference and made a commitment to action ended up gaining support all over their communities and managed to attain their goals of improving their areas.

“Commitments made in 2010 alone will improve the lives of more than 290,000 people, and I am looking forward to joining next year’s attendees at the University of

California, San Diego in April to see the progress being made,” Clinton stated on the CGIU website.

The deadline to sign up is Feb. 7, giving students ample time needed to complete an extensive application, which asks various questions and requires several short essays in order to be considered.

There are applications for individuals or those who wish to gather a group of students.

Visit www.cgiu.org for the application and additional information.

December 7, 2010 | NEWS

ROSAY: Reducing family violence CONTINUED FROM COVER “It is excellent that the Governor’s office recognizes and welcomes the valuable contribution that empirical research findings have in shaping policies and programs designed to reduce family violence and violence against women,” Rivera said. “We are fortunate at UAA and in Alaska to have Dr. Rosay’s expertise informing research and policy on the problem of violence against women in our state — a tragedy that occurs at troubling rates and far exceeds both rates in other states and national averages.”

His current work concerning the Governor’s initiative will establish baselines that will determine if and how well the project is working, according to Sharon Chamard, associate

professor of the Justice Department.

The director is achieving these baselines through detailed analysis of case outcomes. This analysis will describe the processing of both cases and charges that are referred to the Alaska Department of Law for prosecution, according to the press release.

“This is very important work.

Domestic violence and sexual assault are serious social problems in Alaska. The Governor’s Initiative is an excellent step forward,” Chamard said. “The inclusion of Dr. Rosay on the Governor’s team shows that evaluation is a big part of this effort. So often politicians promote policies but never factor in any way to determine if the policies actually work.”

Rosay has worked hard to get where he is today. His work will serve to benefit many Alaskans both presently and in the future.

“I am personally very proud of him. In the time I have known him, he has worked steadily toward the point where he is a nationally-recognized expert in the area of violence against women,” Chamard said. “He and various colleagues have developed datasets that are simply astonishing in their detail about sexual violence. Despite these tremendous accomplishments, he continues to be a modest man who genuinely cares about his colleagues and students, the Justice Center and UAA and his community of Anchorage and Alaska.”

Center for Human Development helps disabled entrepreneurs

By Jerzy Shedlock The Northern Light

There are numerous entities centered on helping individuals start their own businesses, such as the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Buy Alaska, but attaining success can be difficult in today’s economic climate.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Advocacy Office, seven out of ten new firms survive at least two years, and about half survive five.

Now imagine being a person affected by a disability. The chance of success can seem dismal.

UAA’s Center for Human Development (CHD) has received a competitive $1 million research grant from the SBA. The research team is designing and testing an industry-driven support model for low-income entrepreneurs and with disabilities. It is a five-year plan, and the project is constantly being refined through feedback from participants and industry experts.

The five-year project entered its second year on Oct. 1, and there are 15 participants including support staff.

Karen Heath, research and training associate for CHD, believes the center attained the grant partly because of the project’s focus on social capital.

“This was something we really wanted to look at, social capital for people with disabilities,” Heath said. “It’s how integrated you are within your community, how you network.

It’s basically networking, so for an entrepreneur it’s really important.”

Social capital may be harder for people with disabilities to attain because of isolation, and there are also mobility issues, as people with physical disabilities might have a harder time getting out and networking, stated Heath.

“They don’t have as much opportunity to be networking, and people with mental illness, because of their own social challenges, have a harder time,” Heath said.

The project helps people with physical as well as developmental disabilities.

An industry-driven support model was chosen specifically to refine the focus on networking.

The industries CDH chose to aid consist of artists and crafters and service businesses. By funneling the focus, the hope is that participants will make

connections among themselves, as they share similar business structures and similar issues.

The project consists of multiple series, each with six sessions. Three of the sessions incorporate training with an industry expert and the other three are networking sessions. The sessions alternate from meeting to meeting.

An author and fiber artist from New Mexico taught marketing skills for the artists for a training session. This guidance was especially helpful given the uniqueness of the art industry.

“Marketing artwork can be very different,” Heath said. “The training was great as far as a whole lot of different online opportunities for artists were presented, such as ArtFire.com. Things you need to be familiar with if trying to market art.”

The training sessions, which are conducted via web conferencing, and the informal networking sessions are improved through participatory action research where one-half of the project research team members represent the target population.

By incorporating the target population, development of the project model is made more easily transferable, stated project investigator Danielle Miller.

“It’s good practice, because you have (the target population’s) experiences to guide the model. They know what works and what doesn’t work for that population,” Miller said.

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE TIEDE A major difference, perhaps, bewteen the CHD project and an entrepreneur that visits the SBDC for guidance is that the Center’s project provides different and more support.

“The help provided by the SBDC was not really working for this population,” Heath said. “So, we focused are main goals on more support and more education, and education provided in a way that was accessible.”

03

STATEWIDE BRIEFS Former employer probing Miller e-mails A former employer of Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller is seeking answers to why thousands of e-mails went missing when he left the Fairbanks North Star Borough last year.

Borough attorney Rene Broker says about 15,000 e-mails have been recovered, though it’s not clear if there are more to be found. She’s seeking an answer from Miller for why those e-mails went missing from his inbox when he resigned in 2009 and whether he has any public records in his possession.

A message left for a Miller attorney wasn’t immediately returned.

Miller was an attorney for the borough for seven years. In 2008, he was disciplined for lying about using work computers for political purposes.

The investigation was first reported by the Alaska Dispatch.

Spokesman: Troopers aiding in state agency probe A spokesman for the Alaska State Troopers says the agency is assisting federal authorities in an investigation surrounding the state’s General Services division.

Tim DeSpain says the agency is helping the IRS and FBI in probing allegations of “inappropriate dealings” regarding the distribution of General Services’ division supplies and equipment.

He referred further questions on the matter to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Spokesman Chuck Farmer says he hasn’t seen anything on this, but even if he had, he couldn’t comment on any investigation.

Officials at the administration did not have immediate comment.

Felon pleads guilty in firearms case Federal prosecutors say a 31-year-old Anchorage man has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.

Prosecutors say John T. Douglass entered his plea Wednesday before U.S. District Judge H. Russel Holland.

According to prosecutors, a federal grand jury indicted Douglass in June on charges stemming from two firearms cases that emerged with his arrest by Anchorage police on charges that he violated state probation terms.

Douglass was charged with illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun and being a felon in possession of two shotguns.

Prosecutors say Douglass agreed to the guilty plea in the possessions charge. They add that there was no agreement over sentencing, which is scheduled for March 3.

Bristol Palin strikes back at Olbermann Bristol Palin is striking back against MSNBC host Keith Olbermann for dubbing her “worst person in the world.”

Olbermann gave her the title on his show earlier this week, casting her as a hypocrite for appearing in a public service announcement promoting abstinence and safe sex. Palin was an unmarried teenager when she had her son, Tripp.

He likened her being an abstinence spokeswoman to saying former President George W. Bush “kept us safe, ‘cept for that 9-11 thing, which doesn’t count.”

The 20-year-old “Dancing With the Stars” diva and daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defended herself on Facebook Thursday. She said calling her a hypocrite is an “old canard.” And she said that what Olbermann lacks in originality he makes up for with “insincere incredulity.”

She said she apologized to him for not being “absolutely faultless like he undoubtedly must be.”

Anchorage police seek tips in kidnapping case Anchorage police say they believe a woman who says she was kidnapped and held 16 hours until she was able to escape from a van with her hands tied and a hood over her head.

Police are asking to hear from anyone who saw the woman in her twenties run from a van Wednesday afternoon in the Spenard neighborhood.

The Anchorage Daily News reports the woman had a minor cut on her neck.

She says the hood prevented her from getting a good description of the men or where she was held.

She says she was abducted from a parking lot and held part of the time in a building. She was being moved when the van stopped in traffic and she was able to open the door. Her hood blew off she ran to a nearby business for help.

Ski resort would like to open The Eaglecrest ski resort would like to open if it can get more snow.

Ski Area Manager Kirk Duncan says the weather is cold enough to make snow and it looks like the weather will bring in more snow.

Duncan says the approximately 60 inches on top of the mountain is almost enough to open, but the wind needs to fill in some holes. He says more snow is needed to build the ramp for the mid-mountain chair lift.

On average, Duncan says the Eaglecrest opening is either the first or second weekend in December.

-Complied by Alec Martinez

04

TNL

NEWS| December 7, 2010

STATEWIDE BRIEFS

NM clerk foils robbery with package of pastries DEMING, N.M. (AP) -- Robbers, beware of clerks wielding pastries.

Police in Deming, N.M., say a clerk foiled a robbery last week when she hit the culprit on the back of the head with a package of empanadas, a type of Latin American pastry.

Police say the masked man didn’t say a word when he grabbed the cash register at Amigo’s Mexican Food and tried to flee.

Deming police Capt. Brandon Gigante says the man dropped the register when the clerk threw the pastries and hit him.

Barbara Orquiz, who owns Amigo’s with her husband, Arnold, says the cash register’s cord got caught when the man tried to take it. The clerk saw him grab it, screamed and got him with the empanadas.

Orquiz says the man was covering his head as he ran away.

Boy’s savings to help rebuild burned fire station CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A 5-year-old West Virginia boy has donated his life savings - nearly $46 in change - to help rebuild a volunteer fire station that burned down in an Oct. 1 electrical fire.

The Charleston Gazette reported Saturday that Joshua Shaffer donated $45.85 from his piggy bank to help rebuild the main station of the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department north of Charleston.

Tom Miller, with the fire department’s board of directors, says the donation underscores community support for rebuilding. He says West Virginia schoolchildren have raised more than $5,000 already.

The fire department’s insurance covered only about half of the $2 million in damage. Firefighters have been running borrowed fire trucks on emergency calls from a nearby auto shop.

Roadside Secret Santa at it again along NJ highway LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- An annual Christmas mystery is playing itself out again along a busy New Jersey highway.

A secret Santa is once again surreptitiously hanging ornaments from a large pine tree by the side of the Garden State Parkway in the dead of night.

A gold star was hanging from the boughs of the tree Tuesday morning.

It’s the fourth year in a row that the ornaments have shown up on the same tree in the southbound lanes in a sparsely populated area of Little Egg Harbor Township.

No one has come forward and acknowledged decorating the tree. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which maintains the road, has said it isn’t responsible.

The ornaments appear gradually, starting with one or two, and eventually growing to about a dozen by Christmas.

NYC bees turn red from cherry juice NEW YORK (AP) -- A bunch of Brooklyn bees have been coming home looking flushed.

New York City beekeeper Cerise (seh-REEZ’) Mayo was puzzled when her bees started showing up with mysterious red coloring. Their honey also turned as red as cough syrup. She tells The New York Times a friend joked that the bees were imbibing the runoff at Dell’s Maraschino Cherries Company, in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. Mayo - whose first name means “cherry” in French - raises bees in that neighborhood and across the water on Governor’s Island.

Tests confirmed the bees were riddled with Red Dye No. 40 - the same food coloring found in the cherry juice. Bee expert Andrew Cote tells the newspaper that bees had been creating a big nuisance at the factory.

The solution? Put up screens or provide a closer source of sweet nectar.

The Northern Light seeks an

Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

A&E Call 907.786.1313 or e-mail content@thenorthernlight.org for more information

Clinical Informatics & Patient‐Centered Technologies (CIPCT) Master of Science Degree – Available Online

Health care organizations need health professionals who understand the technologies being used in the clinical setting today, including:

Compiled by Alec Martinex

• Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) • Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) Systems • Telehealth

Earn your Master’s Degree in the growing field of informatics!

Online Courses Full or Part Time Study Certification Available

The University of Washington offers a Master of Science in Clinical Informatics & Patient‐Centered Technologies (CIPCT). A graduate degree in Clinical Informatics would position you to be at the forefront of these important transitions.

We teach health professionals to understand, design, develop, and evaluate Information Technology (IT), and to manage the use of informatics applications in advanced patient care.

www.UWClinicalinformatics.com (Toll-Free) 866.931.1687 | uwcipct@uw.edu

December 7, 2010 | NEWS

05

SPORTS

06

SKIING: Erik Bjornsen a strong addition to nordic CONTINUED FROM COVER “Erik Bjornsen looks like one of our strongest. He did very well in Fairbanks,” Flagstad said.

On day one of the Nordic Cup, Bjornsen was followed by freshman Martin Kapso, of Kremnica Slovakia, who ended the 3k race at 7:32.2. In sixth was UAA athlete from Frutwangen, Germany, Lukas Ebner who posted a time of 7:33.3.

By day two of the series, UAA trailed the Nanooks 55-29 despite Bjornsen’s first place victory in the 8k race.

Bjornsen finished day three, a 10k race, in first place but it wasn’t quite enough to take the tournament for the ‘Wolves.

Kapso came in fifth (30:48.5) and Ebner finished in ninth (31:06.3).

“We have a lot of newcomers on our team. It’s hard to say who the leader will be,” Flagstad said. “They will definitely

have a huge impact on our team.”

On the women’s side, day one junior Steffi Hiermer of Kruen, Germany came

‘We always lose to Fairbanks pre-season, but then we come back in March and win. I think it has something to do with how we train,” -Skiing Head Coach, Trond Flagstad

in fourth with a time of 7:56.6. Teammates junior Laura Rombach and freshman Marit Ulsund took respective fifth and sixth place finishes.

All-American junior and East High graduate Jaime Bronga, sat out on day one due to acute stomach pain, but was back by day two and had a respectable third place finish in the 6k race.

Hiemer finished fourth in day two, and in sixth was teammate junior Laura Rombach.

On the women’s final day of racing in the 5k race, Hiemer finished in second with a time of 16:52.4. In fourth was Seawolf Marit Ulsund with a time of 16:59.6. Rombach finished in sixth at 17:10.6.

“Marit looks like she will be on top for our women,” Flagstad said.

The team trained hard over the summer.

“The summer training really does impact the season, they need to train hard

on their own,” Flagstad said.

The most important part of training is the environment, according to Flagstad.

“Happy skiers are fast skiers,” Flagstad said.

The UAA ski team has had a rough beginning this fall, due to four people breaking bones in their wrists and hands.

Flagstad was quick to reassure, “It won’t affect our season. We are still training.”

The ski team will be competing in local races this December as a part of training according to Flagstad. The Nordic team will be competing on the 18th and 19th and the Alpine team will be competing at Alyeska on the 11th and 12th.

“The pre-Christmas races are just tune ups,” Flagstad said.

OVERTIME

Tom Brady’s 2010 performance deserving of MVP Statistics say it all; from touchdown to interception ratio to passing percentage, Brady’s are unmatched

By Thomas McIntyre The Northern Light

I had a tough time choosing what to write about this week.

Normally, this problem leads to me falling back upon one of my most reliable topics: Terrible quarterbacks. And coming off last Sunday, it took some serious will power not to wax poetic about Rusty Smith’s 178-yard, three interception performance.

Instead, I’m going out of my comfort zone. Rather than writing about the league’s worst quarterback, I’ll be making the MVP case for the league’s best quarterback, Tom Brady.

But before laying out my argument, I’d like to shake my head at the current thought process the voters go through when making their MVP selection.

By their way of thinking, Chris Johnson’s 2009 is not deserving of any votes. Johnson went off for over 2,000 yards (the sixth player in NFL history to do so), and got

into the end zone sixteen times last year. Unfortunately, the Titans only won eight games, and Chris Johnson isn’t a quarterback, so he

While I back all defensive players, wide receivers and running backs worthiness of being considered, there are none that have done enough to get the nod in 2010. wasn’t one of the four players who were awarded a vote.

Who were those four players?

Peyton Manning (the winner), Drew Brees (could’ve easily been

the winner), Phillip Rivers and Brett Favre.

The apparent logic is that, unless you break the touchdown record (Alexander in ’05, Tomlinson in ’06), the MVP trophy is property of whichever quarterback is under center for the team with the most wins.

Basically, you have to put down something historical to win the MVP at a position outside of quarterback. It’s not a new trend, just a disrespectful one.

While I back all defensive players, wide receivers, and running backs worthiness of being considered, there are none that have done enough to get the nod in 2010. A decent argument can be made for Roddy White, but decent doesn’t win MVPs. Oh, wait, Peyton Manning won in 2008. Decent usually doesn’t win MVPs. Tom Brady has been far from decent. He has a touchdown to interception ratio of 23:4, has over 2,700 yards threw the air,

is throwing the football at a 66 percent clip, and is the sole reason the Patriots share the best record in football. He is to the Patriots what Phil Hartman was to NewsRadio.

As of Dec. 2, Brady’s field of competition is made up of Phillip Rivers and Michael Vick. Both are legitimate candidates, but both also need to play a little out of their minds to catch up with Brady.

Assuming Brady remains steady handed, playing out the last quarter of the year at the level he did for the first three, here’s what Rivers and Vick must do to go from contending for the award, to becoming real threats to win it.

Rivers has little room for error; he has gained steam by getting the Chargers over .500, but that hype will cease if they drop a game or two and fail to make the playoffs.

At times, he’s been handcuffed by what might be the worst special teams in the history of football, although he’s also been backed by a defense that ranks second in passing, and third in rushing.

Brady’s Patriots rank thirtysecond, and sixteenth in those categories.

Rivers’ best-case scenario for catching Brady: He breaks Marino’s passing yardage record, and the Chargers win out.

After missing fifteen quarters of football, Vick’s trying to do in twelve games, what he could have done in sixteen. Kevin Kolb didn’t help Vick’s status as the most valuable player on the team by winning two of the three games he started while Vick was sidelined.

The whole electrocuting and drowning dogs thing doesn’t help his case either.

Regardless, Vick’s once again the dirtiest (no Cortland Finnegan) player in the NFL, so there’s no doubt he could mess around and shred a couple more teams like he did the Redskins. But if he doesn’t, the MVP won’t be a possibility.

Rivers and Vick are lurking, but right now, the MVP Award is Tom Brady’s to lose.

December 7, 2010 | SPORTS

07

Kyle selected WSU as his number one choice for graduate school because the archeology program is one of the best in the country.

“We bring together computer science and ancient history in order to better understand why certain societies disappeared.�

WSU Graduate School Put your passion to work.

08

SPORTS| December 7, 2010

TNL

December 7, 2010 | SPORTS

Get any GCI service, and you could win a new Ford Fiesta!

Arriba!

Just get any GCI service – wireless, Internet, long distance, local phone, cable TV. Besides the great service and savings you always get from GCI, you’ll be automatically entered to win a brand new 2011 Ford Fiesta – the new car everybody’s talking about.

Get into GCI.

��I� ��� F��� FI����

Get any GCI service, and you could win a new Ford Fiesta!

WWW.GCI.COM • 265-5400 To stay up-to-date with events and giveaways follow GCI on Twitter and Facebook. *No purchase necessary. Visit a GCI Store or www.gci.com for complete rules. Drawing to be held January 29, 2011. Some restrictions apply.

No purchase necessary to win Fiesta. See store for details and rules.

09

FEATURES

10

Kantner discusses effects of depression in book

By Megan Edge The Northern Light

Depression is a hot topic for Alaskans, however it can also be a difficult issue to address.

In his book, “Shopping for Porcupine,” Seth Kantner discusses the effects of a constantly changing world on the rural culture he was raised in. Although it is never directly addressed, the emotional effects are expressed throughout the book.

“It was a problem yesterday, it is a problem today and will be a problem tomorrow,” Kantner said.

It’s not cutting-edge news, but depression and suicide in Alaska is a becoming a devastating issue. What’s wrong with our world? What causes these people, who in the big picture are nothing more than babies, to think that they are not good enough, that they can’t leave and just can not go on living?

“Before I left, we had three suicides and four attempts,” Olivia Kaganak, a student at UAA, from Scammon Bay, a village on the Bering Coast, said.

Of the four people in her graduating class, Kaganak is the only student still alive today.

A young female Kantner hired said there is only one person, out of six from her graduating class, who is still alive, according to Kantner.

A friend of the author’s daughter asked her, a young teen herself, if she wanted to

go to the graveyard and see her cousins, according to Kantner.

“The graveyards are filled with young people,” Kantner said, with the face of a worried father.

Through his book and self-explanation,

‘I would rather be shoveling the neighbors dog shit than writing.’

-Seth Kantner, Author of “Shopping for Porcupine” Kantner explains his life growing up until current day. He talks about fishing, hunting, trapping, photography, traveling around the United States to do readings and the general change in his life style.

Even Kantner has had to adjust to a different world.

“I really love to trap, but there isn’t really a place for it anymore,” Kantner said.

That is what it comes to, that feeling of being an outsider, that constant search for the feeling of belonging in a world that continues to force its people to adapt and to change.

“When fishing, hunting and trapping are no longer needed, entertainment is hard to come by; so what do we do? Party in the summer and drink in the winter,” Kantner

said. “When they watch TV, they see tall skinny blondes and muscular men, then begin to compare themselves until they no longer find anything beautiful about themselves, which is such a distorted picture.”

Kantner, who grew up on the tundra, is familiar with the feeling of being an outsider - being a Caucasian male.

“My parents were strange white people who wanted to live like Eskimos,” Kantner said.

Now he is forced to learn how to fit in all over again.

Driving in cities and flying make the author uneasy, as well as constant travel needed to promote the books he writes.

“You know when you fly to Detroit and two people show up, one of which was only looking for a bathroom, then the next day your in a room with 300 people all waiting for you, its difficult and very nerve racking,” Kantner said.

So what lifestyle does he prefer? The one of a thriving author? Or the simple tundra life, where work is working to survive?

“I would rather be shoveling the neighbors dog , than writing,” Kantner said, as he chuckled, then adding that he would rather be sleeping next to muskoxen.

Kantner left his home to attend school at UAA, but not because he wanted to live in the city or become a doctor, but to find himself a girlfriend.

“My family was totally against finding a real job,” Kantner said.

Needless to say, the feeling of being an alien in a world where you are constantly pressured to fit in is more than just an issue of youth, it is an issue with adults as well.

“There is definitely a higher percentage of males who commit suicide, I think it has something to do with men being more impulsive,” Kantner said.

Kaganak backed up his statement by saying that men in their 20s and 30s are the ones who commit suicide, maybe more frequently than teens.

Seasonal depression is a common illness in Alaska, and unfortunately most people get a taste of it. For those who live in the city, people and activities constantly surround them. Then there is the polar opposite. Imagine the feeling of seclusion in rural Alaska.

“If you saw people around there, you would be confused, like ‘what are you doing here,’” Kanter said. “As a white person I was confused to see other white people.”

In a passage from “Shopping for Porcupine,” Kantner expresses his admiration of muskoxen.

“Muskoxen live on that line, that thin good-bye edge of extinction. Theirs is a simple, efficient, very different from human approach to a parallel journey through time.

If they can’t hang out and take it easy, they can’t survive. And who says, uminmaich may outlive us all.”

Options available for treatment of depression on campus Exercising and eating the right foods can work wonders to avoid depression during Alaska’s long, dark months

By Kate Lindsley

Special to the Northern Light

Everyone has down days. The alarm doesn’t go off, someone steals the last parking spot, there’s no more milk in the fridge or homesickness strikes yet again. Imagine having these “down days” everyday, for no specific reason. It feels impossible to shake, with no end in sight. No friends seem to understand. These are symptoms of depression.

Sufferers of depression are fighting an ongoing battle. Most people have known someone with some type of depression or have experienced it firsthand.

It is vital for students with depression to know that there is help available. The first step is identifying the kind of depression.

According to the “Psychological Science” textbook used in Psychology 101, there are two types.

First is major depression. This is particularly severe, resulting in “appetite and weight changes, sleep disturbances, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, feelings of self-reproach or guilt and frequent thoughts of death and suicide.”

Second is dysthymia, a form of mild to moderate depression. The symptoms are similar to major depression, although less severe.

In addition, Student Health and Counseling Center (SHCC) counselor Georgia Dekeyser noted the role of lack of sunlight in behavioral disorders. Atypical depression, a subtype of depression, is linked to decreased sunlight.

Furthermore, bipolar depression

has been associated with the change in seasons – fall to winter and winter to spring.

“Depression is the most common diagnosis of (students) seeking services at the SHCC,” Dekeyser said.

Dekeyser also noted that depression is treated one of three ways: medication, counseling or a combination of medication and counseling.

If an individual feels they need help, Dekeyser recommends reaching out to others. She encourages students to seek professional help – to call the SHCC and ask for a mental health counselor.

If a student sees a friend they think may be struggling with depression, they should “encourage (them) to seek professional help and encourage them to continue using positive coping methods, such as exercise and outdoor activities.”

While this may be difficult to do during the wintertime, the Student Union rents outdoor equipment for relatively low prices. With trails as close as Goose Lake, it can be easy to take a friend out snowshoeing to brighten their mood.

The CDC reports that college-aged students exhibit symptoms of minor depression more than any other age group.

For this reason, it is vital to know where to get help if a student begins to slip into dangerous territory. The SHCC is available to any student taking six or more credits and has paid the SHCC fee.

Located on the first floor of Rasmuson Hall, students can show up for a variety of services such as counseling, medication or recommendations for other community resources.

When asked what students really need to hear about depression, Dekeyser expressed the need for them to care for themselves.

“Exercising, eating good foods, avoiding drugs and alcohol, laughing, nurturing relationships, hobbies and spiritual parts are all important,” she said.

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE TIEDE

December 7, 2010 | FEATURES

TNL

11

Your 2010 Holiday Playlist

By Katie Forstner The Northern Light

A few days prior to Halloween, two of my roommates came home from a trek to Value Village with a green plastic box filled with dusty Christmas décor.

“This whole thing cost me twelve dollars!” one said excitedly as the other proceeded to thumb tack the contents to the walls.

I, the quintessential Grinch, made very diplomatic, G-20-esque deals with them about procrastinating the decorating until the beginning of December.

“There’s a time and a place for everything,” I reasoned.

It’s now the beginning of December and, without missing a beat, my roommates invited Santa over for dinner, who apparently threw up. Everywhere. There is an illuminated mini tree in the corner, lights strung along each and every wall, Santa figurines stuck in every crevice and even a golden tinsel curtain over the entrance to the hall.

I feel like I live in Santa’s workshop, complete with doting elves and Mrs. Claus continually baking sugar cookies and sweet bread.

Please, don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas, but I have a feeling the only way my three-sizes-too-small heart and I are going to survive this particular season is with a proper Christmas playlist.

1 2

Christmas Lights, Coldplay Despite a huge variety of mixes, styles and release dates, the majority of Christmas songs are the same. Coldplay’s brand new release, “Christmas Lights”, is a welcome distraction from soft renditions of “Silent Night” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”

Last Christmas, Glee The catchy tunes of Glee have taken the Top 40 charts by storm, so it is no surprise that America’s favorite glee club takes a spot on this much-awaited playlist. If you thought the original Wham! version couldn’t be topped, you’re in for a holiday treat.

3

Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24, TransSiberian Orchestra

4

The Night Before Christmas, Eek-aMouse

5

Sound the Trumpet, The Wailers featuring Bob Marley

The booming baselines and inspiring melodies of The TransSiberian Orchestra have an uncanny ability to make listeners feel invincible, and this symphonic number could make decorating the tree or even making hot chocolate the most essential of holiday tasks.

Part of the charm of this Christmas single is Eek-a-Mouse’s inarticulate manner of performance. If you prefer your holiday on a green and red striped beach towel on the white sand beaches of some tropical destination, but found yourself instead on the white snow Hillside of Anchorage, this calypso jam was meant for you.

For the inner Rasta-man inside us all, The Wailers and Bob Marley’s Christmas jam is a gift in and of itself. The emphatic Jamaican duo never fails to disappoint, and this beat is a holiday anecdote from “Jammin’” and “Buffalo Solider”. Merry Christmas, jah.

Like what we’re doing?

Don’t like it?

Want more condoms on your paper?

No?

LET US KNOW!

e-mail letters to

content@thenorthernlight.org Letters should be no longer than 300 words.

They may be edited for content and grammar.

6

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Frank Sinatra

7

You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, Thurl Ravenscroft

8 9 10

No holiday playlist is complete without the golden touch of Ol’ Blue Eyes. His crooning, calming voice is the perhaps the most crucial addition to any noteworthy Christmas collection.

After all, what do you care? You’ve got Frank’s love to keep you warm.

As 2010’s designated Grinch, I feel compelled to steer you towards this holiday classic. Straight from the beloved Dr. Seuss cartoon itself, this soulful piece is a festival staple and without it, no celebration is complete.

Boots, The Killers The Killers never fail to disappoint, and their newest release brings that cozy Christmas feeling to the surface of the season. “No more trouble?” Sounds good to me.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Michael Buble’ Michael Buble’ has seranaded us throughout the year, taking the modern jazz world by storm. His cover of “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” is an upbeat, holiday-friendly tune that perhaps carries one of the most critical elements of December. Seriously, man. Let it snow!

The Chanukah Song, Adam Sandler Put on your yarmulke/It’s time for Chanukah/The owner of the Seattle Supersonicahs/Celebrates Chanukah. Granted, the Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City, but this seasonal staple will never move from our hearts.

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE TIEDE

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

12

New photo studio takes a fresh look at portraits

By Brianna Dym

Special to The Northern Light

Ever since Treft.Punkt opened its doors in May of 2010, it has experienced nothing short of entrepreneurial success. Owners Mitch Kitter and Shalem Mathew started the business as an outlet for their careers as photographers, both owning their own brand name in the photo industry. Both are only 23 years old and fresh out of UAA. “Treft.Punkt is actually German slang that loosely translates to ‘the meeting place,’” Kitter said. “That is sort of what we wanted this place to become, a meeting of minds where artists can express themselves or just chill.”

The two photographers started up their business from scratch with nothing more than a handful of UAA classes and previous retail employment to guide them.

Now they are operating one of the most successful photo venues in Anchorage, offering senior photos, destination wedding shoots and stylized family portraits that put a twist on the classic family photo.

They also understand how difficult starting a business from BRIANNA DYM/ SPECIAL TO TNL the ground up can be. That is why left: Brenda Lester, Mitch Kitter and Shalem Mathew discuss advertising options for winter projects. The photo studio has to look for more creative options of work, since Kitter and Mathew have been From senior portrait season is over and Alaska winter weddings are not common. inviting other young, independent business owners to share their “The way Treft.Punkt is run is kind shop work out of here too.”

Punkt) and elsewhere, I can study whatever space. of like a salon where we’re all individual Kitter and Mathew also hired on UAA I want and I’ll have a career path no matter The two have since hired on Brenda artists,” Lester said. “I run the make-up student Kylie Perry as their assistant. Perry what happens... So I can have something to Lester, an independent creative consultant artistry and design, but I’m also my own just held a First Friday art opening at Treft. do while still taking the classes I want to,” who specializes in creative and art business. The name sort of implies that Punkt, featuring her photos. The studio Perry said. direction, graphic design and make-up we’re all our own artistic business under owners are making an effort for the creative Kitter has been training Perry in editing artistry. Not only does she assist in setting one roof, like Mitch has PropagandaAK space to be available to others, not just photos for senior portraits and weddings, up for photo shoots, but she also sits down and Shalem has Shalem Photography. In themselves. The photography space is now providing her with a more comprehensive with clients and helps them determine the January, we’ll be bringing on Tess Weaver available for anyone to rent for personal learning experience outside of UAA’s creative trajectory of their project. All of who is an independent image consultant. photo shoots. classrooms. this is part of her own small business called She’ll be doing styling and her own personal “I feel like since I have a job here (at Treft.

“I think being here and learning all Gracie Beaucoup. it takes to get a (photography) business

organized helps me with my own projects,” Perry said.

Kitter and Mathew hope to expand their idea to include more young, talented minds into their fold and allow Treft.Punkt to become a creative outlet for those in need.

The two are looking to expand their own work to include more commercial shoots for various companies around town and wish to eventually be able to fund their own creative projects.

“We’re starting something called ‘Fifth Avenue Photo Booth,’” Kitter said. “The way it works is we’ll have a button set up right outside our shop so that anyone can come press it and have their picture taken.”

The photo booth is already a work in progress. Over the next few weeks it will start recording the pictures of anyone willing to pose for the camera. Then the artists at Treft.Punkt will develop all the pictures (even the inappropriate ones) and hang them up in their space for the February First Friday.

Kitter hopes to increase community involvement and awareness of the Studio this way.

As Treft.Punkt continues to grow, Kitter and Mathew hope to continue to attract those with a creative yearning. “The meeting place” will become exactly what its namesake entails by opening its doors for young artists seeking guidance.

BRIANNA DYM/ SPECIAL TO TNL

Shalem Mathew takes a break from editing photos to discuss clients and upcoming photo shoots. Each employee at Treft.Punkt owns an independent business of photography or other creative outlet.

Those interested in keeping updated with Treft.Punkt can find them at www.facebook.com/Treft.Punkt.

TNL

December 7, 2010 | A&E

13

14

TNL

A&E| December 7, 2010

TNL picks the Top Five Video Games of the year

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

2010 was a good year for games, and this short list shows the best that it has to offer. While many of these games are just good fun, some are actually exploratory titles that push the limits the hardware and the narratives of video games.

5

GAME: “ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker” MAKER: Konami RELEASE DATE: June, 8, 2010

2

GAME: “ Battlefield: Bad Company 2” MAKER: Electronic Arts RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2010

4

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow The first 3D “Castlevania” game in quite sometime is actually one of the best. Turning the game into a linear action title with some light puzzle elements, and drawing set pieces from other popular titles, the game is both retro and modern. Adding to the concoction impressive graphics, long play time and a smooth 60 frames per second makes it one of the most generous games this year.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker PSP owners got a treat this summer with the newest iteration in the long running series.

Solid controls and an epic story mix with excellent gameplay and graphics, it pushes the PSP to its limits. Including over 100 extra missions after the main story is completed, and some stellar multiplayer, “Peace Walker” is a worthy entry into the series.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 The newest iteration in the “Battlefield” entry is more of the same from the last game, but is still worth the money. With a better multiplayer component and grittier story, the game will appeal to the “Call of Duty” fans. What it has over “CoD” is destructible cover and huge multiplayer battles with tanks, choppers and off-road vehicles.

3

Heavy Rain “Heavy Rain” has one of the most disturbing narratives in recent history. With flawed characters and its noir-influenced story, it wins.

Couple that with PlayStation Move support, the most immersive game gets much more so.

Having some of the best visuals around, and sporting plot twist after plot twist, “Heavy Rain” just sings on all cylinders.

1

GAME: “ Heavy Rain” MAKER: Quantic Dream RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 2010

Bayonetta GAME: “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow” MAKER: Konami RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 2010

Bayonetta is simply the best action game to be released this decade. It’s difficult, it’s fun, cheeky and sexually suggestive with it’s over the top style. Following the story of a centuries old witch, it chronicles her discovery of the world that she left behind. Couple that with awesome boss battles and epic set pieces, (she has a fist fight on a crashing plane), this is a title that gamers should not miss.

GAME: “ Bayonetta” MAKER: Platinum Games RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2010

MUSIC REVIEW

Ke$ha’s new EP a gift from the underworld ‘Cannibal’ terrible enough for some to complain to the devil

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

Dear Satan, Why did you bless us with not one, but two Ke$ha albums in one year? Was it that you love us so much? Did you care that much for us?

Did you decide that songs such as the title track, “Cannibal,” would be justification? With the lines “I want your liver on a platter,” and “now that I am famous/you’re up my anus?” We do applaud that she learned an actual word that is referring to a scientific body part, though.

The next track, “We R who We R” is probably the worst song ever recorded. Why? Because the phrase, “DJ turn it UP!” is repeated ad nauseum as the bridge. That’s not a bridge; it’s an annoying way to lengthen a song.

“Sleazy” states that Ke$ha does not need a guy with money and a brand new car. However, it is very obvious that she presents herself as trading STDs like Pokemon cards.

Sadly, the best part of the album is when it ends. Even though her self-exploratory track, “Crazy Beautiful Life,” is supposed to show her refined side, it doesn’t; it falls flat with no substance.

If it wasn’t abundantly clear that Ke$ha is a pop-“lady of the evening” before, it should be now.

While she does have a song where she actually exhibits some talent (the best song on the album), it’s a remix of one of her older tracks.

If there are any fans of mediocre pop, they should rejoice.

With all our love, Earth

ALBUM: “ Cannibal “ ARTIST: Ke$ha RECORD LABEL: RCA RELEASE DATE: Nov. 19, 2010

★

December 7, 2010 | A&E

TNL

15

MOVIE REVIEW

Natalie Portman delivers a performance to remember From innocence to darkness, ‘Black Swan’ presents a breathtaking story of obsession and rivalry

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

“Black Swan” is a visually breathtaking movie, no doubt about it. Director Aronofsky delivers a dark and gritty tale of obsession, mental deterioration, and rivalry. There’s even ballet on the side.

Ballet isn’t the most groundbreaking of subject matters, nor is it typically the most compelling, but the pristine and polished realm of the ballerina serves as an interesting playing field for the dark undertones of both the movie and the deep recesses of the human heart.

Ballerina Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman, “The Other Boleyn Girl”) has been dancing for a New York company for a few years.

The company is beginning to run under, so artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel, “Adrift”) decides to put on Swan Lake for their season opening.

In lieu of the retirement of the company’s prima ballerina (Winona Rider, “Star Trek”), Nina is his first choice for the lead. New dancer Lily (Mila Kunis “Date Night”) impresses him, however, and both she and Nina compete

for the role. The leading lady must both be able to exude innocence and grace as the White Swan and guile and sensuality as the Black Swan; Nina personifies innocence while Lily is the epitome of guile.

As their rivalry heightens and the premier draws near, Nina begins to lose touch and becomes

‘Black Swan’ flirts with the fine line between horror and thriller constantly and manages to keep its balance throughout the movie. increasingly in tune with her dark side.

“Black Swan” flirts with the fine line between horror and thriller constantly, and manages to keep its balance throughout the movie. Whenever it appears to stray closer to one extreme,

Aronofsky expertly reins it in.

This constant skirting adds to the tension of the movie, and pulls the viewer deeper into the story by not giving in and following either genre route too tightly.

The setting and costuming are worth mentioning. The movie is riddled with high contrasting images; white and blacks dominate the colors in a very obvious play on innocence versus darkness. This extends from the scenery and background to the characters themselves.

Nina is often seen in light or white clothing while Lily is in dark or black outfits. Neither character is completely one or the other, so depending on their role in a scene, their typical costuming will be reversed to aid in making a point.

While the lack of colors could be boring, the jarringly contrasting images instead further add to the visual intensity of the story by keeping viewers on their toes.

Portman is, in a word, phenomenal. From role to role she melds with her characters so completely that it is easy to forget her contributions to other movies.

Portman has played roles such as

Padme in the three newer “Star Wars” installments, Evey in “V for Vendetta” and Anne Boleyn in “The Other Boleyn Girl.” Each role is greatly different from the next, and yet she fits herself into each of them masterfully.

Her portrayal of Nina is no different, and certainly no less dynamic.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in this movie is Kunis, who is known for her roles as Jackie from “That 70’s Show” and Meg from “Family Guy.” She’s short, she’s comical and she’s got a talent for acting like a stuck-up snob.

As Lily, she shatters that image an in its place proves herself to be sensual, dark, twisted and deliciously conniving.

Not only does she break her previous mold in this role, but she manages to steal the show from Portman in multiple scenes.

“Black Swan” is a spectacular and visually stunning movie, but it isn’t for everyone. Action junkies won’t get their fix, horror buffs won’t get their highly exaggerated blood-loss scenes and the sappy romance lovers won’t leave the theater with a light heart. But, if you want to see a well-made, emotionally and

mentally provocative thriller that delves into the dark depths of the human mind and restrains itself at the precipice of horror, then “Black Swan” is most certainly a must-see.

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky STARRING: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis RUN TIME: 107 minutes GENRE: Drama, Thriller

★★★★★

OPINION The Northern Light 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508 Phone: 907-786-1513 Fax: 907-786-1331 info@thenorthernlight.org

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Josh Edge MANAGING EDITOR 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Jerzy Shedlock COPY EDITOR copy@thenorthernlight.org Brittany Bennett NEWS EDITOR 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Alec Martinez FEATURES EDITOR 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Katie Forstner A&E EDITOR 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Heather Hamilton SPORTS EDITOR 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall PHOTO EDITOR 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Logan Tuttle WEB EDITOR 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org Ashley Snyder LAYOUT EDITOR layout@thenorthernlight.org Lisa Wagner ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR news2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR features2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR arts2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant GRAPHIC DESIGNER graphics@thenorthernlight.org Paige Tiede ADVERTISING MANAGER 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Yulia Kim CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel Jackson CONTRIBUTORS Brianna Dym Bryan Dunagan Daniel McDonald Kate Lindsley Megan Edge Melissa Newton Thomas McIntyre MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Annie Route 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 5,000.

The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or The Northern Light.

17

EDITORIAL

Student apathy hinders campus progress For campus complaints to be addressed, students need to become more involved For what may very well have been the first time ever, student leaders are making serious efforts to work together for the benefit of the University and its students.

Projects and discussions undertaken have been, for the most part, around how to get students interested – how to get students involved.

For those of you that consistently read TNL’s editorial, many of them are calls to action for students to get involved in whatever way they can. Whether it is by way of voting or taking part in one of the many organizations around campus, we cannot stress enough how important it is for students to invest themselves in their campus and help it make a turn for the better.

Staff and faculty do their best to get students to care about what happens on campus and to hopefully become a part of it.

But there is only so much that a staff or faculty member can do. At some point, the responsibility is on you – the student.

USUAA is a very important

part of UAA. The decisions they make should generate a lot more interest from the student body than is actually generated, but

handle these complaints and do their best to undertake projects that address these problems. The fact remains, however, that the

Students do not appear hesitant to complain, but they seem to be averse to taking it upon themselves to see that something is done to remedy their complaint. this is really no fault of student government.

With a student body that appears to care so little about the fate of the University and, for that matter themselves, the amount that can be accomplished by those who are heavily involved remains quite limited.

Students do not appear hesitant to complain, but they seem to be averse to taking it upon themselves to see that something is done to remedy their complaint.

Those who do are forced to

students working to better the campus are just that – students.

Everyone gets busy with school and other life responsibilities, but those who find time to make their University better for everyone are the ones who really set themselves apart.

Do you think you have some valuable input in regards to The Northern Light or KRUA? Find out what you have to do to be a part of media board!

Do you have a problem with or have some ideas about which

performers should be brought to UAA? Join concert board!

Do you have any interest in politics or just how things are done around campus and believe you can make some valuable contributions to the campus? Join USUAA! This only names a very limited amount of the organizations around campus, but there are many more that you may have some interest in.

Meeting times are typically once-a-week at most and the actual time commitment is pretty limited. But those few hours that you can contribute will help the campus atmosphere more than you can possibly imagine as an outsider looking in.

Summarily, if you have problems with what goes on around campus or question the importance of any organization around UAA – you should find a way to get involved and put your effort into changing, or at least understanding it rather than sitting on the sidelines, unable to really do anything.

OPINION

Death tax harmful to a dying economy

By Daniel McDonald The Northern Light

The estate tax (also known as the death tax) is possibly the most devastating form of taxation ever created.

It is for this reason that Congress passed a tax relief package in 2001, which gradually phased the estate tax out.

The relief reached its peak this year resulting in a zero percent estate tax rate, something which hasn’t been achieved since 1916.

Unfortunately, the tax relief was not made permanent and is headed for expiration in 2011 with a return to a 55 percent rate.

The revival of the death tax is both disastrous for an already weakened economy and just plain wrong for several reasons.

The most direct negative impact of the death tax is that it discourages savings. Rather than putting money in the bank or investing it, people are encouraged to squander their earnings.

Milton Freidman put it this way: “Because of the death tax, there’s little need to save, you might as well spend your money

on wine, women and song as to save it.”

What the death tax does essentially is create perverse incentives. It punishes those who act responsibly, saving what

The most direct negative impact of the death tax is that it discourages savings. they earn and investing in future generations while rewarding those who spend quickly for short-term gains.

The estate tax is a form of double taxation. Assets are already subjected to federal payroll, income and capital gains taxes throughout a lifetime, and upon death, they are taxed once more.

This reduces the total capital stock, which translates to lower living standards from the loss of

investment and innovation.

Some believe that in this current debt crisis, the federal government needs the estate tax in order to take in more revenue to balance the budget.

Strangely enough, an economist formerly with the Clinton administration, Alicia Munnell, found that the cost of implementing the death tax is almost the same as the actual revenue it brings in! Therefore, the advocates behind the estate tax may be more ideologically driven than anything.

Many view taxes not as a necessary evil to fund government services, but as a means to shape society into what they prefer.

It’s not enough that the government bills are paid for, but that the rich must be punished for their success.

The envious nature of those on the left is revealed in that they cannot stand that some may be better off than themselves.

If the death tax results in so little revenue, what motivation could there be behind it other than sheer greed?

Not only is the tax economically

PRIDE

CHIDE

Late Nights at the Student Union...

Finals...

...for helping students through finals.

...for sneaking up on us.

stupid, but it is also immoral.

Americans who work hard their entire lives should be allowed to pass on their earnings to their children without the government getting in the way.

The idea of some bureaucrat being in charge of distributing the lifelong accumulated wealth of an individual is terrible to contemplate.

Consequently, many economically competitive countries have seen the light on this issue and repealed their respective estate taxes in recent years, countries such as China, Canada, and Israel.

Even Sweden, a welfare state so often lauded by advocates on the left, did away with their death tax in order to stimulate economic growth.

The death tax produces little revenue, creates incentives to spend rather than save, hurts investment and is a form of wealth redistribution.

If President Obama and Congress want to encourage economic recovery, killing off the death tax is a great place to start.

18

BROKECOMICS | Alec Fritz

TUNDRA l Chad Carpenter

SODOKU

CROSSWORD

WORDSEARCH: CHRISTMAS S G N I K C O T S A G E V C

S E D P S B X V B P S Q A O

L A I W R S C A U N N R E E

TNL

COMICS| December 7, 2010

L S D T E E B Y E L O N L D

E B S G R Y S C E L Q D V T

B T H X J A N E S Z N K E X

S F A E E I P O N A C T S W

W A S R K T T R C T G S M M

L U N N B T V N H Y S H E V

S E A T Y E I A E N N T R L

G R O L A S L M J U Y A O A

F Y L N X N R E I N D E E R

W O T S P I P N C M Y R R H

P S U H N U O D M N P J C C A

H D L O G O U T X V Q W G U

H A B W Z P B S L E G N A X

ANGELS BABY JESUS BELLS CANDLES CAROLS CELEBRATE ELVES FRANKINCENSE GOLD HOLLY MYRRH NOEL ORNAMENTS PARTIES POINSETTIA PRESENTS REINDEER SANTA STOCKINGS WREATHS

ACROSS 1 4 9 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 23 25 26 29 31 32 33 37 38 41 42 44 45 47 49 50 53 55 coups 57 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 DOWN 1 2 3 4 5

Academic stat Take place Legend King in a play Orchestra member River near Stonehenge Put one’s foot — — Links warnings Drizzle Fringe — Paper fastener — Picchu Honey source Play with DNA Carpenter or Blixen Robbery Grease job Mongolian desert Phonograph part Wood finish Watch the kids Liability Baseball’s Tommie Spring blossom Flynn of “Captain Blood” Mud protection Tried for trout Send via modem (hyph.)

Mountain climber’s

17

C

H

19

15

16

25

23

20

16

20

13

T 10

7

19

C

2 11

D

E

F

10

3

ʻ

26

E

26

11

16

11

11

20

2

25

I

T

“ .

I

26

17

7

E

8

C 19

.

16

23

10

2

J

K

L

M N O

P

7

2

, E

P

E

5

11

2

11

E

T 16

23

16

25

7

5

26

I

T 10

T

26

C 19

T 7

16

3

15

E

G H

1

H

16

15

7

3

I

I

,

B

T

26

2

Every mile is two in winter. -George Herbert 20

17

A

I

Don’t give me a — —!

40 Miner’s stake 43 Mideast capital 46 Not permitted 48 Toon chihuahua 49 Most plucky 50 Rock fracture 51 Hot topic 52 Stage set 54 After-dinner candy 56 Rip 58 Costa — 59 Musher’s vehicle 60 Loop trains 63 Pub pint

Siskel or Kelly Discomfort Goddess of the hunt Microsoft suite Silk or linen

26

8

Mongrel Sporty trucks Turnpike pull-off (2 wds.)

Filling a pipe Town near Madrid Also-ran Log notation Rights-movement word Things known Imitate Mini-guitar Caviar source Paris papa Robin’s perch Well-qualified Engineering toy Fjord port Favoritism Prickly sensation

Submerge Consumer Banal Respiratory organ Pale-green moth Soda fountain treats Holes in one New driver, maybe Discharge Stripling

“I

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS:

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 20 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 34 35 36 39

11

7

2

7

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

December 7, 2010 | COMICS

TNL

19

HOROSCOPE l Stella Wilder The coming week is likely to offer up more than a few surprises to those who think -- or have thought -- that everything is -- or has been -- going along smoothly. The truth is that nothing is as smooth or perfect as it might be, and perhaps the difficult thing is that those who are having to face certain harsh realities have been fooling themselves into thinking that all is well when, in fact, it is not. Self-deception, then, is likely to surface as a key issue, and those who are guilty of selfdeception at this time will surely know it by week’s end.

winter is here!

Those so affected will likely fall into one of two categories: those who want to experience the process of learning, growth and improvement; and those who want to fix the problem as quickly and as permanently as possible. One of these, of course, is merely self-deception under another guise. ©Simon Evans | Skier: Elyse Saugstad

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- You’re not about to waste words; your past experience will serve you well as you try to persuade others to get onboard with you. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- You may be faced with a certain sadness that is hard to shake once it sets in.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- A pattern of hiding from yourself is likely to catch up to you; there’s more to know -- if you want to know more. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- You may be timid about an upcoming responsibility, but you are better equipped to face it than you think.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- You must be ready to make adjustments all week long; getting things just the way you want them is going to take both effort and patience. (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- You’re going to want to be in touch with those who can come to the rescue at the last minute if need be.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- You and a co-worker may find yourselves embroiled in a rivalry that can either be friendly or not.

Which is actually up to you. (March 6-March 20) -- Your reactions to the unexpected will make all the difference; try to tone it down a bit.

ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- You can do much to avoid any kind of discomfort when faced with situations that are not to your liking. Take the high road. (April 5-April 19) -- The difference between the truth and a lie may be hard to distinguish, but you can figure it out.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) -- Although you may not be able to accept a certain invitation, you do appreciate the offer and will reciprocate when given the chance. (May 6-May 20) -- You may find it impossible to avoid a scene when you bring up certain key emotional issues.

GEMINI (May 21-June 6) -- If you’re waiting for someone to come up with the answers, you’re likely to be disappointed; you must seek out the information you need. (June 7-June 20) -- Playing the waiting game needn’t be a frustration; you can use the time to your advantage.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- You may not enjoy your usual routine as much as possible, but there are changes coming that will improve your point of view. (July 8-July 22) -- You’re looking too far into the future right now -- and giving too little attention to the “right now.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- You can have a great deal of fun making plans with a long-distance friend, even if those plans never come to fruition. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- You may be misinterpreting your emotional signs; trust a loved one to guide you as needed.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- You may betray a certain level of naivety when it comes to an affair of the heart; the real and the unreal may become commingled. (Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -- You must be ready to give the powers-that-be some indication of what you’ll be doing before you do it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -- Relationship issues are likely to come to the fore, but not for the reason or reasons you anticipate. Get more in touch. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- You can expect to make progress slowly, in a stop-and-start sort of fashion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- You may sense that someone is watching you, but in fact this is more a sign that you’re uncomfortable with something you’re doing. (Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- Just when you sense a pattern, things are likely to change dramatically. Be ready.

Now Open for Skiing & Riding!

Sitzmark Bar & Grill Open Daily 11 am Live Music Every Friday & Saturday December 10 & 11....GRRD December 17 & 18.....Last Train

Snow Film Series Sitzmark | 7 pm | $5 December 15....Poor Boyz Production’s Revolver featuring Tim Durtschi & Garchois Production’s Invincibles Advance Tickets Online or 754-2275 Full Schedule Online

907-754-1111

alyeskaresort.com Dec 17-19

Ullr Bonfire • Rail Jam Church of the Flaming Funk

Present this coupon for

Present this coupon for

50% Off One Oversize Print

Sizes 16 X 20 to 36 X 48

Limit to one quality image printed oversize.

Foam core, lamination and edging available for an additional cost.

UAA Copy & Print Center

Call 786-6860 Or visit us in the UAA Bookstore Lower Level One coupon per customer. Restrctions apply.

Call or stop by for more information.

50% Off a Custom Calendar!

Great Holiday Gift Idea!

Bring 13 of your favorite photos to GSS to create your own personalized calendar!

UAA Copy & Print Center

Call 786-6860 Or visit us in the UAA Bookstore Lower Level One coupon per customer. Restrctions apply.

Call or stop by for more information.

This ad brought to you by UAA General Support Services • www.uaa.alaska.edu/gss/