February 18, 2014

THENORTHERNLIGHT FEATURES

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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

february 18, 2014

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Unsung heroes of the civil rights movement

eerickson@thenorthernlight.org

The idea that all people should be given the opportunity to educate themselves and not be denied access to knowledge based on an inability to pay is an American notion that goes back centuries with the advent of public libraries. With the Internet, the concept of open educational resources, or OER, has exploded into a global context. A 2001 announcement by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to offer all of its undergraduate and graduate-level courses online for free helped spur an OER movement that today comprises countless free learning resources and touches every corner of the planet. In 2007, Apple got involved by launching iTunes U, a free service that hosts course materials for thousands of private and public educational institutions,

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‘Happiest 5K’ returns to Anchorage in 2014

UAA to try out iTunes U By Evan Erickson

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from UC Berkeley to Kyoto University to the Springfield Public School District. As of 2013, Apple claims iTunes U content downloads have exceeded one billion, with Stanford and Britain’s Open University both surpassing 60 million content downloads each. The University of Alaska has maintained an iTunes U account for over six years, but it wasn’t until last December that UAA began to post its own original content. The push to get UAA involved came from Academic Innovations and eLearning team member Sarah Frick, who personally worked with an Apple representative for more than a year to create access. Frick, who is a stern believer in open educational resources, cites multiple potential benefits of iTunes U at UAA.

SEE iTunes u

‘Wolves move up in WCHA

photo by Adam Eberhardt

Freshman forward Hudson Friesen skates by a Bowling Green defender Feb.14 in the Sullivan Arena.

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What’s happening on campus this week? Tuesday, Feb. 18

7:30 a.m. “1964 Artifacts of Good Friday

Saturday Feb. 22

9:30 a.m. Rondy Frostbite Footrace and

Earthquake” Exhibition, paintings by Theodore Kincaid (Arc Gallery, UAA/APU Consortium Library, First Floor)

Costume Fun Run (Fifth Ave. Skywalk at the Egan Center)

10:00 a.m. Fur Rondy Amateur Photo Contest

9:00 a.m. Tanaina Child Development Center Supply Drive (Tanaina Child Development

(The Mall at Sears)

7:30 p.m. Symphony of Sounds (Fine Arts

Center, UAA Student Union)

11:30 a.m. University of the Arctic Conversation with the Provost (UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307)

5:00 p.m. The Student Union Gallery presents ‘Notions of Time’ Opening Reception (UAA Student Union Gallery)

Wednesday, Feb. 19

Building, Recital Hall)

Sunday Feb. 23

9:00 a.m.Fur Rondy State of Alaska Hide and Horn Auction Preview (Third Ave. & E St.)

9:00 a.m. Rondy Snowshoe Softball (Kosinski Field. E 16th Ave. & Cordova Ave.)

10:00 a.m. Ice Bolwing (The New Peanut Farm, 5227 Old Seward Hwy)

5:00 p.m. ‘Readings, Writings and Passages’ with Sean Schubert, David Brown, David Onofrychuk and Bethany Maile (UAA Campus Bookstore)

7:00 p.m. Movie and discussion: ‘Inequality For All’ (UAA Rasmuson Hall, Room 101)

Thursday, Feb. 20

4:00 p.m. Symphony of Sounds (Fine Arts Building, Recital Hall)

Monday Feb. 24

3:00 p.m. High Country Kennels Dog Sled Rides (Delaney Park Strip, 10th Ave. & E St.)

6:00 p.m. ‘Archaeology of the PleistoceneHolocene Transition in the Northern Baikalian Siberia, Russia’ with Aleksei Tetenkin (UAA/APU Consortium Library,

10:00 a.m. Alaska Native Scholarship and Internship Fair (UAA Student Union)

11:30 a.m. Think Tank: ‘How do we serve the homeless?’ with Catholic Social Services

Room 307)

7:00 p.m. Native Musicale (ChangePoint

(UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307)

7:30 p.m. Wil Haygood presents ‘The Butler’ (UAA Wendy Williamson Auditorium)

Friday Feb. 21

Auditorium, 6689 Changepoint Dr.)

Tuesday Feb. 25

10:00 a.m. Open Art Display (Anchorage Senior Activity Center, 1300 E. 19th Ave.)

10:00 a.m. Fur Rondy GCI Snow Sculpture

5:30 p.m. Oyster Shucking Contest (Sea

Competition (Ship Creek Ave.)

12:00 p.m. Fur Rondy World Championship Sled Dog Race Day 1 (Fourth Ave. & D St.) 1:00 p.m. Fur Rondy Carnival (Third Ave. & E St.) 3:00 p.m. Friday Student Recitals (Fine Arts

Galley, 4101 Credit Union drive)

6:00 p.m. Fourth annual Beard and ‘Stache

Building, Room 150)

SEE WCHa

Competition (UAA Student Union)

UAA’s Winterfest 2014 is Feb. 21 through March 1

University enrollment down, funds decrease By Suhaila Brunelle

news@thenorthernlight.org The University of Alaska system is experiencing a period of low enrollment this spring. Lower enrollment means the university has less money from student tuition to cover operational costs. Eric Pedersen, associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Services, said enrollment across the entire university system is down about 4 percent, with UAA’s decline hovering around 3.5 percent. This is not the first semester enrollment has been down at UAA. In 2010 and 2011, enrollment was up, but it quickly dropped. In order to understand why enrollment suddenly spiked then dropped off, the university hired an independent research group to look at the numbers. The results paralleled almost directly with the population growth in Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the number of high school graduates in the area. The number of projected high school graduates has flattened out recently and is not expected to increase until around 2028. In response to the research, the university created a new division within the Student Affairs Office called the Student Access, Advising and Transition program, or SAAT.

The division’s goal is to recruit local high school students and support nontraditional students in their educational goals. “The program helps facilitate and transition first-year students into their second year and is available for all students,” said Lacy Karpilo, associate vice chancellor for SAAT. Karpilo said the staff at UAA is dedicated to and passionate about student success, and there are many ways students can get help if they are having trouble transitioning into college. Since the rate of high school graduates in Alaska has dropped, the university is strategizing ways to balance out the effects of that lowered rate on enrollment. “The university can put some more effort into recruiting transfer students. We also need to build university budgets based on the fact that enrollment might be down, and we may need to adjust things slightly,” Pedersen said. Though overall headcount is down, more students are enrolled in upper-division classes than lower-division classes, and students are taking more credit hours on average than in previous semesters. The university is now focusing on how to absorb the cost of lower enrollment for Fiscal Year 2015, which begins July 1, but does not want to cut any programs directly related to student success.

Remembering the career of Philip Seymour Hoffman By Jacob Holley-Kline arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Photo courtesy of Miller Mobley

facebook.com/northernlightuaa

Philip Seymour Hoffman, the consummate character actor who has starred in movies such as “Capote,” “Synechdoche, New York” and “The Master,” was found dead by police in his New York City apartment Feb. 2 from an apparent drug overdose. He was 46. In a career spanning two decades, Hoffman displayed a profound empathy for his subjects. From the lovelorn masturbator Allen in “Happiness” to the gay boom operator Scotty J. in “Boogie Nights,” he brought humanity to isolated characters with a characteristic verisimilitude. Hoffman was born in Fairport, N.Y., in 1967 and began acting in high school. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, he achieved fame with a 1991 guest spot on “Law & Order.” Soon after, Hoffman picked up small roles in “Scent of a Woman” and “Hard

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Eight.” Mainstream success eluded him until his 1998 appearances in six movies including “Nobody’s Fool” and “Twister.” But it was his Oscar-winning turn as Truman Capote in 2007’s “Capote” that elevated him to ecstatic heights. He would earn three more nominations for supporting roles in “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “Doubt” and “The Master.” But perhaps his best performance is as the tortured playwright Caden Cotard in Charlie Kaufman’s “Synechdoche, New York.” It’s a towering display of Hoffman’s knack for depicting the damaged. His two final movies, “A Most Wanted Man” and “God’s Pocket,” screened at Sundance and will be released later this year. Since he died before filming his final scenes in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2,” a computer generated image recreation of the late actor will appear in the final scene. He is survived by his wife, Mimi O’Donnell, and three children.

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02 NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

iTunes U: Online course content continued from cover

“The true inspiration was that as far as our resources for faculty go, there’s very little available for instructors to put up audio and video,” Frick said. iTunes U offers unlimited uploads and downloads of audio, video and other course content, all hosted by Apple’s servers, potentially offering an alternative to the outdated Windows Media Streaming Server currently used at UAA. Some critics have pointed out that iTunes U excludes those who don’t have access to an iOS compatible device or a computer with iTunes connected to the Internet. One upside is that all content can be streamed as well as downloaded for viewing at a later time. Currently the only content being posted to the service by UAA are Campus Bookstore speaker events. Bookstore Special Events Coordinator Rachel Epstein posts the lectures through iTunes U Course Manager. Epstein is excited that people from other parts of the world can access the events. Recently, an educator from Texas inquired about Alaska Native authors for a curriculum project. “By being affiliated with other major universities, we stand out and we contribute to the academic world, especially by highlighting Alaska,” Epstein said. University Advancement will be disbanding the UAA Podcast site and plans to post all of its podcasting through iTunes U sometime this summer. UAA’s main campus does not offer any actual courses through iTunes U but Introduction to Justice has been made available by Mat-Su adjunct professor Timothy Watts.

Justice A110 was the first course offered through iTunes U in Alaska when it became active a little more a year ago. Watts explains that iTunes U has actually helped to better engage his students. “People started showing up to my classes with substantial knowledge of the material,” Watts said. To concerns that online course materials may give students the impression that attendance isn’t as important, Watts responded that offering parts of his course online actually allows more class time to be used engaging students critically. Watts has also learned a lot about the advantages of open resources through the process of compiling his own course textbook from Creative Commons licensed materials shared by other educators embracing OER. Watts responded to teachers who may be reluctant to offer up their original content publicly with iTunes U, saying, “If they’re worried about their lectures being made public, it doesn’t take away their rights. Some other university can’t copy a lecture wholesale and call it their own.” How do potential contributors to iTunes U get material from the classroom to the cloud? It has thus far been the responsibility of individuals like Epstein and Watts to create quality content, but UAA Innovations and eLearning will continue the process. “We are really interested in working with instructors who are interested in getting their material out in an open course environment,” Frick said.

Healthy Sexuality Week

informs, educates students

photo by Suhaila Brunelle

Nursing Student Laura Nebeck gives out homemade cotton candy during a resource fair for Healthy Sexuality Week.

By Suhaila Brunelle

news@thenorthernlight.org Each February, the Student Health and Counseling Center hosts Healthy Sexuality Week. The purpose of the weeklong event is to educate students about healthy attitudes toward sex. Activities include free STI testing, games like “Sexy Jeopardy” and informational booths aimed at starting conversation about safe sex. This week, teams of students participated for prizes in several rounds of Sexy Jeopardy. The question topics ranged from music and sex to healthy attitudes toward sex. Before the game, students were given a pre-test in order to test their knowledge about sex and what resources are available to them on campus regarding healthy sexual relationships. After the game, students were given a

post-test and entered into a drawing for a grand prize. Stone Sibbett, human services major and resident adviser at UAA, assisted in hosting Sexy Jeopardy at the Gorsuch Commons. Sibbett said while abstinence until marriage is the best policy, it’s important for students to be informed of all the options they have available to them to practice safe sex. Two informational fairs were also part of the event. One was located in the lobby of Rasmuson Hall, and the other was located in the Gorsuch Commons. Free cotton candy and Valentine’s card making were available to students in the Commons. Nursing student Laura Nebeck helped with the event because she is concerned for the health of her fellow students. Nebeck said Healthy Sexuality Week is a good way to get the conversation about healthy sexual relationships started.

University study abroad resources, opportunities By Suhaila Brunelle

news@thenorthernlight.org Studying abroad is an option for UAA students who want to expand their academic experiences beyond the classroom. The Office of International and Intercultural Affairs at UAA offers a wide variety of resources for students looking to expand their horizons. The benefit of applying to programs through this office is that students will be able to use their financial aid and get credit toward their UAA degrees while overseas. Leslie Tuovinen, study abroad adviser and interim director of the Office of International and Intercultural Affairs, said about 40-50 UAA students choose this option each year. Some years this number can be higher

because faculty often create courses that will take students abroad. Tuovinen said the study abroad office offers a safety orientation for UAA students, and the partnering organizations usually require students to complete an online orientation portal and onsite orientation that is specific to their locations. Registering through the state department’s Smart Travel Enrollment Program is the first step towards safety abroad. By registering for this program, travelers are at better odds for getting help through the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at their destinations. Tuovinen said it’s always wise to know a bit about the culture before traveling abroad. Know where to go and use the buddy system. The best thing a student can do if detained overseas

is to ask to speak to their consular official and not say anything else. Though the consular official cannot get an individual out of jail or pay for their attorney fees, they can help by contacting UAA and getting the student in contact with his or her family. Other safety issues to consider while planning an overseas trip include vaccinations for diseases and consideration of natural disasters and accidents. The Student Health and Counseling Center offers a travel orientation for students going abroad. For only $25 students will get an orientation about what to expect health-wise and safety-wise once they reach their final destinations. Health Center nurse practitioner Betty Bang said, “We also offer student discounts on their vaccinations for overseas travel.”

WEEKLY BUZZ Proposed law will help ease student loan borrowers from hardship Representative Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., has proposed a bill called the Student Borrowers Bill of Rights Act, or H.R. 3892. The bill will restore bankruptcy protection for federal and private student loans, and will limit bill collectors to go after graduates for only six years. The bill will also stop garnishments of wages, Social Security benefits and tax refunds to be used to pay off loans and will not allow universities to withhold degrees or transcripts from indebted graduates.

Farmer leaves millions to local churches

Described as a loner and somewhat of a hermit, Iowa farmer Bud Skalla left around $10 million to local Catholic churches. Skalla grew up in a poor family of farmers and continued on in the tradition. Never marrying, Skalla lived humbly and learned how to invest what he had wisely, amassing the fortune. Skalla also left money to his two sisters, nieces and nephews.

Twitter testing new profile design

Twitter is currently testing a new profile design that would look more like a Facebook profile. In the new design, the main picture and biographical section are scaled to the left, with more space for the header photo. The new design will allow for a greater focus on photos and content.

Fast food chain to wean out chickens raised with antibiotics

Chick-fil-A announced this week that it would be phasing out chicken that has been given antibiotics. The fast food chain said concerns about the use of the treated chicken was the number-one issue for customers. All chicken will be antibiotic free within the next five years.

New information released regarding obesity and Type 2 diabetes

A new study suggests that the issue of diabetes and obesity is more complex than previous studies suggest. The study found that not all patients who are diabetic are obese, and not all obese people are diabetic. Genetic factors involved in a diagnosis are weight around the middle and how much fat is around the belly. There is still no clear answer as to what triggers Type 2 diabetes.

11 arrested in heroine bust

Eleven men were arrested in Lancaster County, Penn., last week and charged with the distribution of heroin. Over the past year, there have been many complaints made to police about Conde Santiago, who openly sold heroin from his home. It is estimated that Santiago and his men sold around a half a million dollars of heroin throughout the year. Briefs compiled by Suhaila Brunelle

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

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Ordinary treasures: A cornerstone of African-American history By Valerie Hudson

features2@thenorthernlight.org

Keys to the past can be seen anywhere. They can be straightforward like primary documents written by people who lived during the time, or they can be everyday objects, household items passed through generations. A lot of history can be found through writing, but slaves were not allowed to write. Their sto-

ries have long gone untold. “Contributions of AfricanAmericans in this country have so much significance that it’s important for folks to know about some of those stories, some of those narratives, that may have gotten lost in the history books,” said UAA Multicultural Center Director Andre Thorn. Thorn also said there is a misconception that black slaves were uneducated due to the oppression they suffered. He

said slaves were not uneducated — they just spoke their native languages. Many traditions and tales were lost because slaves were discouraged from learning how to read, write and speak in English. Many of the stories were instead preserved orally in kitchens or living areas amongst items such as cast iron skillets or rusted sadirons that would one day become heirlooms. These items can embody tales of strug-

gles, triumphs and courageousness that paved the way for modern-day freedoms. Seemingly ordinary items hold the spirit and secrets of African-American heritage. Throughout history, African-Americans have taken things that others would consider insignificant and have turned these items into beautiful metaphors for cultural stories. Evidence of this can be seen in the treasures held dear by those that have obtained them.

Diversity and Compliance Director Marva Watson said one of her treasures is a poster she bought at the Northway Mall in the 1970s. The poster shows influential African-Americans in Alaska, their contributions to the state and the year of each contribution. She laminated it and proudly displays it in her office. These ordinary treasures carry these silenced stories and bring them back to life.

Black history in Alaska By Nita Mauigoa

features@thenorthernlight.org

This spread highlights only some of the rich history that black people have built right here in the Last Frontier. Multicultural Center Director Andre Thorn; Marva Watson, Office of Diversi-

ty and Compliance director; and Kim Patterson, Student Support Services director, have contributed to the list. Other names and biographies were taken from the George T. Harper Collection of the Special Archives collection at the UAA/APU Consortium Library. Highlighted individuals were chosen from a span of decades.

Photo by Valerie Hudson

Vintage stovetop clothing irons, called sadirons, are just one example of a cornerstone of African-American history.

photo courtesy of UAA/APU Consortium Library

Willard L. Bowman

photo courtesy of UAA/APU Consortium Library

photo courtesy of Ruth McConnell

Reverend Alonzo B. Patterson Jr.

Louis Overstreet

1958: Joshua Wright: First black dentist licensed in the state of Alaska. 1959: Blanche McSmith: First black person to serve in the Alaska legislature. He was appointed by Gov. William Egan. 1959: Mahala Ashley Dickerson: Became the first black attorney with her formal admission to the Alaska Bar. 1966: Ed Rhodes: First black Alaska State Trooper. 1968: Thel Davis: First black person to serve as principal of a state elementary school when appointed principal of Fairview Elementary School in Anchorage. 1969: Joshua Wright: First black person to serve on the Anchorage School Board. 1970: Willard L. Bowman: First black person to be elected to the Alaska state legislature. He was the elected representative from south Anchorage. 1976: William Campfield: First black Air Base Group Commander at Elmendorf Air Force Base. 1982: Bettye Davis: First black woman elected to a public office in Alaska upon her election to the Anchorage School Board. 1982: Winston Henderson: First black architect licensed in Alaska. 1985: Eleanor Andrews: First black woman appointed to a cabinet level position in the Alaska state government. 1988: Louis Overstreet: Published “Black on a Background of White,” the first book by a black person on black people in Alaska. 1990: Ella Wright: First black elected president of the Alaska Press Women, an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women. 1994: Diane Heard: Appointed general manager of KSKA-FM radio. 1998: Reverend Alonzo B. Patterson Jr.: First black leader in Alaska to successfully establish a significant memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. on 9th Street. 2010: Judge Pamela Scott-Washington: First black woman appointed to the bench in the State of Alaska.

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04 FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Black journalists of America

photo courtesy of The Associated Press

Unsung heroes of the civil rights movement By Nita Mauigoa

features@thenorthernlight.org

It was a tense day in September 1957. Southern heat boiled over as nine black children attempted to enter Central High, an all-white school in Little Rock, Ark. Black journalists, including L. Alex Wilson, arrived to cover the event when a mob of angry white men surrounded them and blocked entry to the school. The other journalists fled as Wilson sternly pressed forward with his 6-foot 3-inch frame, holding his head up high. “They (the mob) beat and kicked him. He would get back up, fix the crease in his hat and get knocked down again. With total dignity he kept getting up, fixing his hat and going forward,” said Hank Klibanoff, director of the journalism program at Emory University in Atlanta as he told the story. Klibanoff, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation,” shared accounts of black journalists who risked their lives covering events during the civil rights movement. Moses Newson, a journalist from the Civil Rights era, also shared firsthand accounts of events.

Moses Newson and the Burning Bus

Moses Newson, former journalist of Baltimore’s the AfroAmerican, remembers his time covering the freedom rides of 1961 as if it were yesterday. As

a young black journalist in the South he had also covered the “Little Rock Nine” event along with Wilson. The day he covered the freedom ride, however, was the day he almost lost his life. He had dinner with Martin Luther King Jr., who warned that no one on the freedom rides would reach Alabama alive. He remembers being on one of the buses with the demonstrators just outside of Aniston, Ala., when he heard the tires of the bus pop. A band of white Klansmen with torches barricaded the bus and lit it on fire. “People were gagging, coughing and crawling around, trying to get the smoke out of their lungs,” Newson said. “It was a sorry sight to see Americans doing that sort of thing to fellow Americans.” Newson lived on to cover many notable events during the civil rights movement. Among many awards received, Newson was recently inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

Emory Jackson and Rosa Parks

Emory Jackson was the editor of the Birmingham World, a weekly newspaper from 19411975. As an activist in the black press during the civil rights movement, Jackson was the first editor to capture a close-up view of King in action. Though he took heat from the owners of the newspaper, he stood by King and his “civil disobedience,” as many from that era called it. Jackson covered the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955,

“They beat and kicked him. He would get back up, fix the crease in his hat and get knocked down again. With total dignity he kept getting up, fixing his hat and going forward.”

Hank Klibanoff

inspired by Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a bus ride. He also sat on the board for the organization called the Montgomery Improvement Association, which ran the boycott. Klibanoff said Jackson was more responsible than anyone for the desegregation of the University of Alabama in 1956.

Simeon Booker and Jet magazine

Award-winning writer Simeon Booker was one of the first black journalists in Mississippi who covered murders of black people in the 1950s well before the King assassination. His coverage of the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi was one of the most recognized pieces of its time. In 1952, he was the first black reporter hired by the Washington Post. However, as a journalist who started off fighting for the rights of the black press during the civil rights movement, he returned to the South to write for Ebony magazine and Jet magazine. “For the millions of blacks who lived in the South that didn’t have TV, Jet magazine was their bible and main source of communication,” Klibanoff said. “It told the story to America about black achievement that other press did not cover and gave a side of life and humanity to black people.” Among several accolades garnered, last year, Booker was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

Sam Lacy and Jackie Robinson

The film “42” — which is about the first black major league baseball player, Jackie Robinson — credits black sports writer Wendell Smith as the journalist who covered Robinson’s career at length. However, Klibanoff said there were many black sports writers who had long identified Robinson as the best baseball player in the Negro Baseball Leagues, well before Smith came along. Klibanoff said black sports

Black journalist Moses Newson stands in front of the Freedom Rider bus set ablaze during a demonstration outside of Anniston, Ala., in 1961. photo by Will Counts

Memphis Tri-State Defender editor L. Alex Wilson refuses to run from white mobs in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957 as he tries to cover the “Little Rock Nine” case.

writer Sam Lacy, who in 1948 became the first black member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, was influential in having Robinson cross paths with Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey, which lead to Robinson’s signing with the Dodgers’ minor league team, the Montreal Royals, in 1945. In 1998, Lacy was inducted into the writers’ and broadcasters’ wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Looking back and moving forward

Newson was a young reporter when he was with Wilson covering the Little Rock Nine event in Arkansas. He remembers vividly pleading with Wilson that day to flee with him and the other journalists. “He ran away from some Klansmen in Florida when he

was younger, and he was determined never to run again,” Newson said. And Wilson did not. Wilson, who was the editor of the Tri-State Defender in Memphis, reached the pinnacle of his career in 1960 when he was named editor of the Chicago Defender, the biggest black newspaper in America at the time. Newson remembers the special achievement. He also remembered how just a couple years later, Wilson died because of the long-term injuries he had sustained when they were young journalists during the Little Rock Nine coverage. Still, Newson said it was important for Wilson to walk with dignity and most of all with bravery — the common trait all black journalists of the civil rights movement possessed.

FOODQUEST: Anchorage area sushi bars

An unscientific survey of 4 local restaurants yields mostly positive results By Tim Brown

photo@thenorthernlight.org

Kayla McGraw

photo2@thenorthernlight.org

sushi photos by kayla mcgraw

Sushi Garden

Ichiban Sushi

Samurai Sushi

OEC Revolving Sushi Bar

Sushi Garden is a well-decorated and comfortable oasis on Huffman Drive. The space was recently renovated after a fire gutted the property. Chef Andy was bright and personable from across the bar. He peeled an orange in the shape of a man with an erection, which might be a nice way of saying that we are cool enough for penis oranges. The place has a harmonious quality to it. Individual dining sitting areas somewhat like alcoves seem inviting for a group of four or more. The caterpillar roll we ordered had an artistic presentation. It was made to look like its namesake, complete with sprouts for antennae and roe for eyes. The freshwater eel was sufficiently flavorful and went really well with hot green tea. The roll was up to our expectations, but the interaction and atmosphere are what won us over.

This restaurant is somewhat ironically named “number one” in Japanese; “Niban” (number two) may be more appropriate. This friendly near-campus sushi house had just about everything right. The wallpaper, ukiyo-e art and friendly staff seemed congruent with how we imagine a Japanese pub. Across from our table, interactions across the bar sound joyful and familiar. We really like this place. Our Spider Roll, which consisted of fried soft-shell crab, avocado, sprouts and roe was a little bland. The crab’s flavor maybe didn’t make it out of the fryer and perhaps that is to be expected. They didn’t attempt to smother the roll in toppings which is, in and of itself, a badge of merit. We will come back for a different roll next time and maybe a drink!

This restaurant came highly recommended. Situated on Muldoon, Samurai Sushi is a well put-together, modernlooking eatery concerned with a little thing called ambiance. The interior has pendant lighting, a red and black design pallete and intimate seating. It’s the kind of place you one order something called a “Viagra Roll” and listen to sexy elevator music. We have mostly good things to say, although for not being very busy the service was somewhere between passable and inattentive. Our roll totally popped though. The Samurai Roll was both amazing to look at and completely delicious. It consisted of spicy tuna, green onions, cucumber, eel, sweet tofu, crunchy panko and a house sauce. All that stuff really smothered the tuna, but we were happy with how it all came together. Samurai Sushi has a lot going for it.

OEC Revolving Sushi Bar has a glass conveyer system that circulates small plates past tables in the restaurant. Why more places don’t have conveyer belts delivering tapas is a serious question we should be asking our civic leaders. The place is cool and minimal and the staff was very attentive, even with the automation. OEC has a very large menu of items to be ordered directly. We chose a roll called a Forrest Gump for reasons that are twofold. Kayla McGraw is an advocate for baked rolls, and also because this reporter wanted to see “Forrest Gump” printed in a food feature. The roll was expensive and we had differing opinions. Was it good? Kayla says yes. Tim says no. In any case, this place has variety and “cool factor.”

Caterpillar Roll

Spider Roll

The Sushi Garden rolls were served with a complimentary orange.

Samurai Roll

Forrest Gump

photo by tim brown

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

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The disaster Learning to go with the flow that is Sochi

Orange rhymes with graphic by Roz Kirkelie

By Evan Dodd Contributor

By Klax Zlubzecon

Translated by George Hyde For the first time in a while, George has decided not to watch the Winter Olympics. He claims the main reason is that he wants to protest the recent gay rights hubbub that’s been surrounding Russia, and, well, he’s not wrong there. But, as we discussed in my Net Neutrality article, there are a few issues, LGBT rights included, that send George into a blind, Hulk-like rage, and there are a few other issues I’ve noticed George hasn’t been too keen on as a result. First of all, I’d just like to acknowledge that I’m just as angry as George that Russia can’t accept homosexuality the same way a lot of other countries and states have. If they want to marry and do taxes the same way as heterosexual couples, so be it. As an asexual, genderless alien monster, I can say that I don’t care how you humans deal with romance. The idea of sex itself is weird and unnatural to me, but since you guys need it to sustain your species, hey, live and let live. But it’s the other, more subtle issues that really push me — like that fashion in the opening ceremonies. Holy alien purgatory, a lot of that looks flat-out ugly. I mean, I know the countries of the world want to promote their cultures, but really? Ugly rainbow sweaters? That’s your idea of Winter Olympic fashion? Then there’s the fact that many of the facilities needed to house the athletes and media aren’t even finished yet. Now that’s just basic common sense, isn’t it. Who needs hotels to house the people of the world when someone could just throw a tarp over their heads? Sochi was elected to host the 2014 Winter Olympics almost seven years ago. And forget that seven years is plenty of time to build and prepare for the Olympics. If you’re going to nominate your city, you should, at the very least, have it somewhat prepared when you propose the idea, let alone get it done in seven years. A lot of people speculate on what would happen if Anchorage were to host the Winter Olympics some year. A lot are even excited at the prospect.

George and I think it would be a disaster of outstanding proportions. Nobody in Anchorage seems to grasp the sheer amount of security the city would need for such an event. Imagine a security camera on every block, a turret on every rooftop and guards everywhere the eye can see. Don’t believe me? That was pretty much the 2012 Olympics in London in a nutshell. And then there’s traffic. Compare a city like, say, Salt Lake City, to Anchorage. Anchorage has significantly fewer roads. We’d need a lot of them to stave off the traffic that — oh, I don’t know — the whole wide world is going to contribute to. Don’t forget about the facilities. The Ben Boeke ain’t gonna cut it for an Olympic audience. We’d need to build something extravagant for a lot of events. While Alyeska might work for the skiing and snowboarding events, there’s a lot more we would need for an event of this size. And what would we do with those facilities once the Olympics are done? Well, all I have to say is, look at Beijing. Oh, and there’s also hotel space, which Sochi royally screwed up. Keep in mind that this is a resort town we’re talking about, a place practically built for tourism (we think). While Anchorage is certainly quite popular with the tourists, we’ll need more hotel space than we currently have. And that’s going to add on top of the roads, the facilities, the security and everything else to create an outof-this-world bill. My point is that I don’t think the people of Anchorage don’t quite grasp how much pressure the Winter Olympics would put on Alaska, let alone Anchorage itself. Look at Sochi. They can barely house the athletes and media of the world. The place is a mess, and neither I nor my host would want that to befall our beloved town. So while the reputation would be nice, I don’t think we can handle it. At least wait until the alien armada gets here. Then we can assimilate the world en masse in a city we’re already familiar with. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. EMBRACE THE SEAWOLF SLUG.

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Spring semester is that odd time of year where everything begins changing when one isn’t looking. It’s become a bit of an annual tradition to compare my plans pre-spring with what actually results post-spring and laugh at the complete lack of similarities. In the span of a week my plan for prospective housing and employment for the summer have evaporated faster than our weak attempt at winter. My master plan to take every upper-division math course required for my degree failed because math is hard and there are only 24 hours in a day. There’s something about spring that makes me feel as if someone clumsy has accidentally bumped into the fast-forward button on my life and sent it into hyperdrive. It’s gotten to the point where I need a refresher on what everyone is doing whenever I hang out with friends because the plans are so inconsistent. In the span of a week I’ve been pitched five business ideas from three different people and discovered about half of the people I expected to return in the fall aren’t coming back. Normally all of this would bother me to the point of exhaustion — as I generally consider excessive plan-changing to be on par with heinous war crimes in my book of hyperbolic comparisons — but for once I’m fairly okay with everything. Considering this is my sixth semester at the circus called college, I’m just finding it hard to get worked up over little surprises. For example, it would be really easy to be shocked about the UAA alert about some creepy guy kept trying to play a game of “try to kiss random strangers” with random strangers who were decidedly not playing. Shocking, until you remember that we just had a guy punch-dancing his way through campus a couple weeks ago and the long list of equally bizarre alerts we receive every other week. At some point you just have to shake your head get ready to face whatever weird thing hap-

pens next. There’s that old saying about the tree that is willing to bend to survive the storm, whereas the stubborn, unyielding tree is broken by the wind. Granted, I never really understood what any of that nonsense was about because Alaskan storms destroy everything regardless of metaphorical intent — but there’s still probably a bit of wisdom in there. It would be very easy to get worked up about all of the uncertainty if I weren’t pretty certain that it would work itself out. I spent a lot of money preparing for snowboarding season and then the snow flaked on us (get it?), so now apparently I rock climb. Taking too many math classes proved to be incompatible with the goal of actually passing them, so now I have a nice little gap in my schedule where a math migraine used to be. Even Sasquatch, the only plan I’m remotely certain of for the summer, is changing as we’ve added two more people to our hipster invasion party. For all I know we’ll have added five more by the summer and need to roll up to the venue in an old school bus to fit them all. Worst case scenario, we have a great story and I get an easy column out of it. Life is too unpredictable, uncertain and downright bizarre to get freaked every time something causes you to shift your expectations of the future. So for once my plans for the future consist of gong with the flow and trying to cram as much life in as possible before the next surprise hits. So yes, my bank account could use a couple extra digits, my summer plans could stand to be a bit more concrete and it wouldn’t hurt for me to brush up on basic math skills, but all the stress in the world won’t make those things happen. The best I can do is enjoy it as it happens and give myself some new opportunities to look back and laugh about. Besides, if life went according to plan I’d have run out of things to write about years ago. Feel free to remind me of all of this idealistic optimism once finals hit; I’m sure I’ll find it a bit less endearing by then.

There’s that old saying about the tree that is willing to bend to survive the storm, whereas the stubborn, unyielding tree is broken by the wind. Granted, I never really understood what any of that nonsense was about because Alaskan storms destroy everything regardless of metaphorical intent — but there’s still probably a bit of wisdom in there.

AE &

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

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Anchorage Color Run scheduled June 28, registration open By Kelly Ireland

arts@thenorthernlight.org After its sell-out first appearance on June 15, 2013, the Color Run is returning to Alaska for the 2014 Kaleidoscope Tour, which will include Fairbanks on June 7 and Anchorage on June 28. The event has made claim “as the happiest 5k on the planet.” And if the numbers of participants is any indication, then the Color Run truly is the happiest 5k on the planet, being the largest event series in the United States, spanning over 30 countries and 170 events in 2013. The Color Run is an untimed 5k run where the only rule is to wear white at the starting line. The race starts in waves of about 1,000 people, where hosts of the Color Run get participants pumped up. During the race, runners get the chance to run through dyed cornstarch at various color stations on the running course. At the end of the race, runners are greeted at the Sullivan Arena parking lot with the Finish Festival, where runners dance, throw the colorful cornstarch up in the air and pass beach balls around while prizes are thrown from the stage. At last year’s Anchorage event, it was announced that the Color Run was now the secondlargest event in the history of Alaska, following the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1981, who drew a crowd estimated to be around 65,000 people. The 2013 Anchorage Color Run drew 15,000 participants.

“It was really fun. I liked it. It was really crowded, but it was really fun. It was energetic,” said UAA pre-nursing major Hope Meyn. Russian major John Hansen didn’t do the Color Run but participated in a similar event in San Francisco. He describes the event he did in San Francisco as “wicked fun” and wants to do the Color Run in Anchorage with the thousands of others who plan to take part. Many like Hansen who have done the Color Run before or events similar are ready to go out and do it all over again. “I thought it was a great experience, a very happy and colorful time. All the powdered paints filled up the streets and having paint fights at the end was the best part. I’m definitely doing it again this summer,” said Haley Arnold, dental hygiene major. “I really liked the dance party at the end. That was probably the best part. Because for the run part, there wasn’t really as much color as I expected, and when you were running around you kind of got stuck in globs of people that were just walking. ... At the end you just had tons of powders of color and people everywhere and people on people’s shoulders, and it was just great,” Meyn said. Participants of the Color Run are also decked out with race souvenirs including a Color Run designer t-shirt, color packet, headband, fake tattoo, bracelet and bag at pre-race check-in. There are also various items that

MUSIC REVIEW

‘After the Disco’ by Broken Bells

By Oliver Petraitis KRUA Music Manager

There are certain bad words in the music world, cliché adjectives that describe guitar tone, words like “garage.” And then there are the genre words. The obvious ones are “dubstep,” “trap” and of course “disco.” If even the mention of that last one makes you sick and compels you to reconsider if your sideburns are too long, your bottoms too bell or your music taste too similar to your parents’, stop reading now. This is a disco review. Broken Bells’ 2010 eponymous LP carved out a curious, hard-to-define notch in the belt of indie music. Some of it was wheezy, light headed psychedelia, some a strange art of morose dance step. Whatever it was, it was pretty good for its novelty, weirdness and its constituents: Broken Bells is made up of James Mercer, best known as being the lead vocalist from the Shins, and producer Brian Burton, better known by his alias Danger Mouse. Their quirky mixture originally contained some definitive elements from both parties, but with the release of their new record, “After the Disco,” it seems they have simmered into a state of homogeneity. “After the Disco” is, as one might guess, a disco record. This is not to say John Travolta had any influence on it, but it is most certainly a dance record. Broken Bells definitely boiled their sound down to a pretty straightforward but nonetheless immaculately produced dance record with great layering. There’s a lot going on in each song on “After The Disco”: Mercer’s vocals on various planes, affected and inflected differently from moment to moment, gospel choirs, underlying acous-

tic string progressions, slinky bass playing and the essential electronic drum kit, a staple of dance music across the decades. However, to the producer’s credit (Danger Mouse himself), nothing gets in the way. Preference isn’t given to any particular aspect of the record, even the lyrics, which tend to feel middle of the road. What the record lacks in inspiring lyricism is compensated for, or at least rubbed into obscurity, by the instrumentation, whose intricacy stays consistent across the whole record. Despite its intricacy, the general development of the record is retroactive. As it unfolds, it grows increasingly sleepy, which seems to reflect the title. After the disco, everyone has partied themselves out, and now they want to go to bed while listening to some funky bass playing. But despite the streamlining of their sound on the new record, Broken Bells still knows how to craft excellent grooves. The title track, “The Changing Lights” and “Holding On For Life” — the latter perhaps being the strongest track on the record — all testify to the band’s ability to shape a funky tune without making it overbearing or monotonous in the slightest. On the whole, “After the Disco” is a slick, manicured record that can trade steps on the dance floor with any other disco-tinged records of the year. For once, disco isn’t a bad word. Album: “After the Disco” Artist: Broken Bells Genre: Alternative rock, space rock, disco Label: Columbia

can be purchased at the checkin and at the event, anywhere from tutus to socks and funky sunglasses. There will also be a variety of vendors at the start/ finish area at the Sullivan Arena with stuff for sale or for free. The Color Run is focused on giving participants the chance to have fun and not feel pressured to perform. As the Color Run site says the run “celebrates healthiness, happiness and individuality,” where the run is “less about your 10-minute mile and more about having the time of your life.” The Color Run isn’t only about having fun, though. It’s also dedicated to making charitable donations to local charities of their events and have given $3 million since 2012 according to their site. Color Run makes donations to charities in a few ways. Color Run gives funds with post race donations (which vary in amount depending on how much the charities volunteers help at the Color Run event in their town) or Color Run allows runners to make a donation in addition to purchasing their ticket for the event or charities may sell a certain amount of spots in the race and keep the proceeds. Boys and Girls Club of Alaska got donations in 2013 from the Color Run both for providing volunteers and having runners donate additional money during their registration. Boys and Girls Club of Alaska will be getting donations from the Color Run in much the same way this year.

Photo courtesy of autumn sperry

Autumn Sperry and Kaity Bullock at the 2013 Anchorage Color Run.

Tickets for the Anchorage Color Run event are $40 for individuals on teams of four or more and $45 for an individual before May 15. After that, ticket prices increase to $50 per person in a team and $55 for an individual. Volunteer information and ticket purchase can be found at http://www.thecolorrun.com/ anchorage/2014-06-28/.

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

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An answer to winter blues:

Winterfest By Jacob Holley-Kline arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Winter can be brutal, especially for those who don’t ski or snowboard. Staying cooped up at home is easier than facing the bitter cold. So how can one cure the winter blues this February? With Winterfest 2014. From Feb. 21 to March 1, everything from free public workshops to outdoor art installations and a treasure hunt will be open to students. “It’s to encourage students to come and explore our outdoor spaces,” said Herminia Din, associate professor of art education, in a phone interview. “There’s something to see and something to do.” A diverse array of 11 projects will be put on by professors from the music, arts, engineering and mathematics departments. These projects will have students doing everything from creating ice instruments to finding patterns in Cantor dust, a kind of fractal. A fractal is a geometric figure that has the same repeated patterns whether viewed closely or from afar. Working with her art appreciation students, Din created three outdoor installations of her own — “Flow of Color,” “Inspired Little Snowmen” and “Creative Ice Lantern Display” — and asked other art professors to do the same. “Flow of Color” uses thousands of recycled bottle caps from UAA to create a vibrant display of color. “Inspired Little Snowmen” will let students build their own 2-3 foot snowman with only natural and organic materials. In the “Creative Ice Lantern Display,” students, using plastic buckets and balloons, will create a 6x6 foot display of ice lanterns and marbles of different sizes, shapes and colors. “Most outdoor displays are very stationary … you just go there and take a look,” said Din, “but, I hope through the treasure hunting there’s some interaction.” Beginning at Cuddy Quad,

students participating in the treasure hunt will download the LAYAR application, which allows users to find items based on augmented reality technology, and follow the instructions from there. The first 50 people to complete the search will get a free Seawolf paw-shaped cinnamon roll and a hot drink. The quest will begin on Feb. 21 and end on March 1. Megan Marquis, elementary education sophomore and Winterfest board member, will help Din turn Cuddy Quad into a winter-themed landscape. “It’s not just one person creating all this winter landscape,” said Marquis in a phone interview. “It’s a community … it builds a sense of belonging.” In addition to helping Din, Marquis also planned the opening ceremonies on Feb. 21. “It’s going to be a very innovative and inspiring day to just play outside and be one with nature,” said Marquis. KRUA will be emceeing the event, and free snacks will be available. For Winterfest, UAA will also be welcoming eight guest educators from Nesna University College in Norway. The workshop, “To Scream with the Scream!”, will have students creating snow sculptures inspired by the famous Munch painting. Three of those educators, Karin Stoll and Wenche Sormo from the Department of Natural Sciences and Metter Gardvik from the Department of Arts and Handicrafts, will be giving a free public lecture entitled “From Abominable Snowmen and Munch’s ‘The Scream’ to Shore Crabs in the Tidal Zone: Interdisciplinary Projects for Teacher Education in Norway” on Feb. 26.

Winterfest opening ceremonies will be taking place on Feb. 21 from 1-6 p.m. Attendance is free for students and the public.

GAME REVIEW

‘Jazzpunk’ makes for strange, short comedy

By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org

Have a conversation.

Alaska’s STD rates are some of the highest in the country. Use a condom and get tested regularly. Condoms are available at the UAA Student Health and Counseling Center. Those eligible for Student Health benefits can also get STI testing at the center (www.uaa.alaska.edu/studenthealth). To find a testing location near you go to www.iknowmine.org

Titles in the “Journey” genre (a genre stylized by walking forward and experiencing a narrative, aptly named after the indie hit “Journey”) are often difficult to talk about, as many gaming enthusiasts don’t exactly see them as games so much as they see them as visual novels. They often carry complex, thoughtprovoking themes, such as love, loss and betrayal. “Jazzpunk,” however, is a rather strange and comedic take on the genre that doesn’t really leave much to think about aside from some sight gags. The game’s “plot,” if it can be called that, is difficult to explain. After waking up out of a suitcase in a subway station, you are tasked by a secret agent operative, whose office is in one of the trains, to infiltrate the Soviet consulate. Your mission begins after taking a pill that automatically teleports you to the city where the consulate is (is it Moscow? They never explain, and it’s hard to care anyways). During missions, the game will attempt to distract you with tons of gags and jokes. Some are as simple as a pigeon pooping on your face as you walk beneath it and some require effort or exploration in order to find. The laughs are often funny and clever enough, but they feel dis-

jointed. It’s as if they were never meant to be together in such an odd fashion. On their own they might have been hilarious, but mixed together they often seem out of place. That’s not to say the gags aren’t funny, of course. They often are, and the effort needed to find a few of them will make the jokes seem more gratifying. They’re quite clever in an almost “Monty Python” or Adult Swim kind of fashion, which is fitting when players consider that it was Adult Swim’s recent indie gaming division that published this title. However, “Jazzpunk,” like many other games in the “Journey” genre, is quite short. A single play-through will take an hour or two, though people who want to search for hidden jokes may want to play the game a second time. For 15 bucks, it may not be the best value, especially considering the emotional impact that other games in the genre like “Gone Home” or “The Stanley Parable” have made. Still, for those that want some strange, quirky humor, “Jazzpunk” might be worth a dive. Just try not to take more than one of those secret mission pills at a time. Title: “Jazzpunk” Developer: Necrophone Games Platform: PC, Mac, Linux Genre: Journey

08 A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

FOREIGN FILM FANATIC

‘The Act of Killing’ is the darkest journey this year

By Jacob Holley-Kline arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot and Joseph Stalin were monsters, but the scariest thing about them is how human they are. Society writes them off as abnormal among the normal when, in reality, they were normal people who believed in their causes. Isn’t it scarier to think that we’re not much different from them? “The Act of Killing” is an Oscar-nominated documentary that faces this question head-on. Over a jarring two-hour length, “Killing” follows the Indonesian war criminals Anwar Congo and Adi Zulkadry as they reenact the mass killings of their youth. The crimes in question targeted “communists,” who were really landless farmers, Chinese natives and union leaders, from 1965-66. After the dust settled, over half a million lay dead. Congo and Zulkadry led the most notorious death squad of that era. But the movie isn’t interested in history. It’s interested in its still-evolving effects on people and institutions alike. Chief among the film’s damaged cast is Congo, who

is shown as a human being first and a war criminal second. “I know my bad dreams come from what I did, killing people who didn’t want to die,” he says in one of many revealing interviews. Paradoxically, the cinematography is beautiful. It’s rich and vibrant and paints the darkness of the narrative on lighter canvases, but this provides no levity. The horror of the protagonist’s crimes undercuts each smiling face and shuffling foot. The reenactments themselves reach dizzying, nightmarish heights. At times, they’re simply surreal but, thanks to Oppenheimer’s adept direction, are easy to parse out from reality. There’s as much beauty in these sequences as horror and as much grief as hubris. It’s a balancing act between light and dark and, ultimately, ignorance and redemption. This raises the questions: Is Oppenheimer glorifying the warlord’s crimes? Is the documentary ethical at all? The ethics of a project like this are questionable, but in no way does it glorify the murders. This is a documentary about the barbarity of genocide. Even Zulkadry admits, “Killing is the worst crime you can do, so the key is to find a way to not feel guilty.” But sometimes, even on the most cold and calculating face, the cracks of guilt can show. Therein lies the movie’s power, its ability to humanize whom society made monstrous. It stares into the darkest reaches of human nature with an unwavering gaze, and, if the viewer stays with it, one can’t help but stare too. Title: “The Act of Killing” Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous and Christine Cynn Release date: Aug. 31, 2012 Genre: Documentary Country: Indonesia

March movie preview

movie preview compiled bY kelly ireland

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ March 7, 2014

Zero (Tony Revolori, “Fitz and Slade”), the narrator and lobby boy, has been put under the guidance of Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes,”Skyfall”), who soon falls under the investigation for the murder of one of his prized customers, Madame D (Tilda Swinton, “The Zero Theorem”). Much to her son Dmitri’s (Adrien Brody, “Third Person”) chagrin, Madame D has left her most valuable belonging, the painting of “Boy with Apple,” to Gustave in her will. Running from both Dmitri and the authorities, Gustave and Zero do everything they can to keep the painting and avoid getting arrested.

‘300: Rise of an Empire’ March 7, 2014

Writer and producer Zack Snyder describes “300: Rise of an Empire” as “more of a companion film than a sequel” to “300.” “Rise of an Empire” takes place at the same time as “300,” but it takes a different perspective of the Greek and Persian war between Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton, “Gangster Squad”) and Xerxes’ (Rodrigo Santoro, “The Last Stand”) general of the Persian navy, Artemisia (Eva Green, “White Bird in a Blizzard”).

‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’ March 7, 2014

This cartoon claymation film is about the story of the dog Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”) and his adopted human son, Sherman (Max Charles, “The Neighbors”), as they travel back in time with what Mr. Peabody calls his WABAC machine. Their adventure begins when Mr. Peabody invites the Patterson family to dinner after Sherman bites their daughter, Penny (Ariel Winter, “Modern Family”), who didn’t like Sherman because he knew more about history. When Penny is over she asks Sherman about how he knows a lot about history and he reveals to her his father’s WABAC machine. They travel to ancient Egypt, where Penny gets lost. Sherman and Peabody then go back in time to save Penny.

‘Need for Speed’ March 14, 2014

Right out of prison, street racer Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”) seeks revenge by racing against Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper, “Fleming”), the man who framed Tobey for the death of his own friend.

‘Walk of Shame’ March 14, 2014

When Meghan Miles (Elizabeth Banks, “The Lego Movie”) goes out with friends to drink, she leaves and meets a guy (James Marsden, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”) outside the bar who says he will take her home. Meghan decides to go home with him. After a crazy night together she wakes up and checks her voicemail on his phone to find she has been offered her dream position as news anchor and that the interview is to take place that very day. When she goes to leave the guy’s house she sees her car get towed away with her purse and phone. Trying to get her stuff back and to get to the interview, she gets lost in Los Angeles with no way to get help.

‘Bad Words’ March 21, 2014

Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman, “Arrested Development”) lost a spelling bee while in grade school. Now an adult, he has found a loophole in the spelling bee system that allows those who have not completed 8th grade before Feb. 1 to compete. Because he never finished 8th grade, Guy is able to compete and has taken over the spelling bee competitions, while outraging parents and students alike for what they think is cheating. Advancing to nationals, Guy meets fellow competitor Chaitainya Chopra (Rohan Chand, “Lone Survivor”), who is set on becoming friends and sees Guy as an inspiration.

‘Noah’ March 28, 2014

‘Muppets Most Wanted’

Based on the story from the Bible, “Noah” is the story of a man, Noah (Russell Crowe, “Winter’s Tale”), destined by God to build an ark to preserve the human race and a variety of animals from the coming of a great flood that God has warned Noah of. Noah must test his faith in God while being persecuted and questioned by those who don’t believe what Noah has said is to come.

In “Muppets Most Wanted,” Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire, “Lady Gaga & the Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular”) gets mistaken for an international thief known as Constantine (Matt Vogel, “Little Children, Big Challenges”). Kermit thrown in jail then is impersonated by Constantine.

After making one of the biggest busts, a group of elite DEA agents is made a target of the drug cartel whose leader they had arrested. Shortly following the bust, a few of the agents get killed and money from the bust gets stolen. John “Breacher” Wharton (Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Escape Plan”) is framed for stealing the money and goes on a search to find how his agents are being targeted and even suspects one of his own.

March 21, 2014

Be patient By Jacob Holley-Kline arts2@thenorthernlight.org

In a world of three-second takes, Michael Bay movies and explosions, patience in cinema with long takes and wordless scenes are difficult. After all, why watch an old farmer herd goats and eat dust in “Le Quattro Volte” (“The Four Times”) or a washed-up country star try to find redemption in “Tender Mercies”? As French philosopher Jean Jacques-Rousseau said, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

‘Sabotage’ March 28, 2014

A&E OPINION In a movie like “Transformers” the viewer “sees,” but in a movie like “Volte” the viewer “watches.” It’s a natural consequence of watching a single shot drawn out over 10-15 minutes. At that point, what’s not seen is as equally, or more, important than what’s seen. That’s not to say popcorn flicks are a bad thing. They’re often harder to read than something overtly metaphorical or allegorical. Movies are a special thing. With a book, the reader can choose how fast or slow to read, but with a movie, the viewer’s experience is up to the director. But what’s the point? There’s a point in Bela Tarr’s swan song “The Turin Horse” where there’s nothing interesting happening on screen because, if the movie’s done its job, the viewer will be somewhere else entirely. These types of movies are meditations on ideas instead of outright explorations. They take a theme and

put it through the ringer in the first 5-10 minutes and deal with the philosophical consequences for the remaining time. The viewer should meditate with it. If one really sticks with a slow, meditative flick, they’ll reap the rewards by the end. Slow-burning cinema is meant to leave a mark. Now, there are widely released movies that have just as much as emotional or existential punch — “Schindler’s List,” “12 Years a Slave” and “The Lego Movie” come to mind. And when it comes down to it, Hollywood is a business and executives see some movies as investmentworthy and others as not. Chances are “Schindler’s List” wouldn’t have made $320 million if it were as drawn out as “The Turin Horse.” Give the slower movies a look. They’re a cerebral experience. When attention is at a deficit, it’s more than worth it to give patience a chance.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Seawolf women’s basketball team beats instate rival UAF By Travis Dowling

sports@thenorthernlight.org

Unlike the men’s basketball team the women’s team was at home on Saturday to battle instate rival the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Seawolf sophomore guard Jenna Buchanan lead UAA with 19 points and five assists, as the Seawolves extend their winning streak against the Nanooks to 14 games. Down on the scoreboard early by a score of 18-13, the Sea-

wolves scored the next 11 of 13 points to grab the lead, which they held on to for the rest of the game. Buchanan led UAA, scoring at the half with eight points, and she went 3-5 from the field and 2-2 from beyond the 3-point line. The Seawolves headed to the locker room at half time with a 41-31 lead over the Nanooks. Buchanan continued to lead the Seawolves as she scored 11 points in the second half. She went on to 4-6 from the field and drop a 3-pointer in the second half. Junior guard Alli Madison

scored a total of six points in the second half. Madison put up a total of 12 points and six assists to help guide the Seawolves to victory over the Nanooks with a final score of 88-68. The Seawolves are in fourth place in the GNAC, with a record of 9-5. They will stay at home this week playing Simon Fraser on Feb. 20 and Western Washington on Feb. 21. It will be the final two home games at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex for the Seawolves. Tipoff for both games is at 5:15 p.m.

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Seawolf junior guard Alli Madison charges past UAF toward the basket on Feb. 15.

photos by Adam Eberhardt

Coach Alex Carlson gives advice to junior center Emily Craft during the match on Feb 15.

UAA men’s basketball wins in Nampa, Idaho By Travis Dowling

sports@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolf men’s basketball team traveled to Nampa, Idaho, Feb. 15 to take on Northwest Nazarene. The first half the game remained close, with Seawolf senior guard Colton Lauwers went 4-7 from the field and lead UAA with 12 points. All of Lauwers shots in the first half were from beyond the 3-point arc. The Seawolves lead Northwestern Nazarene 39-33 in the first half.

The second half saw the Seawolves starting to pull away and create some space on the scoreboard for Northwest Nazarene. UAA’s junior guard Teancum Stafford went 6-9 from the field and 5-7 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Seawolves out-scored Northwest Nazarene 37-31 in the second half. The second half points combined with the first half gave the Seawolves the victory with a final score of 76-64. The UAA men’s basketball team is currently ranked fourth in the GNAC, with a record of 8-7 and riding a two-game winning streak.

Freshman forward Alysha Devine prepares to sink a free throw during Saturday’s match at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

10 SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 photos by Adam Eberhardt

Senior forward Matt Bailey pulls away from a Bowling Green player Saturday night.

Freshman forward Zack Rassell faces off against a Bowling Green defender on Feb. 14.

WCHA: ‘Wolves move into 3rd place

Seawolves take Falcons in weekend series, 2-2 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday By Travis Dowling

sports@thenorthernlight.org

Friday, Feb. 14

The University of Anchorage Alaska faced off against Bowling Green State University on the ice rink on Friday night as part of a series. The winner of the series will increase their chances of hosting the first Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference playoff games. Both teams entered on Friday tied at fourth place with 23 points each. The Seawolves and Falcons were both looking to win and to create some space in the standings for the final spot to host the home ice playoff series. The Falcons put the first two goals on the scoreboard in the first period and held the 2-0 lead until 5:56 of the third period. Seawolf Jordan Kwas was assisted on the play from teammates Brad Duwe and Chase Van Allen and pulled UAA with one goal.

Halfway through the third period, Seawolf Soctt Allen tied the game, with two goals each, with what became his 13th goal of the season. After a five-minute overtime both teams ended the game with a 2-2- tie, gaining a point each in the standings.

Saturday, Feb. 15

The game between the Seawolves and the Falcons on Saturday was for third place rather than fourth, due to the early east coast games in the WCHA that determined which place UAA would be playing for. BGSU struck the first with a goal at 15:06 minutes in the first period. The Falcons would take the 1-0 lead over the Seawolves into the second period. Scott Allen scored his 14th goal of the season for the Seawolves and tied the game at one goal each, at the 5:17 minute of the second period. But the Falcons proved to have more fight left in them as BGSU scored another goal at 13:11 in the sec-

Junior defenseman Austin Coldwell passes a defender in the game Friday night.

ond period. This gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead that they carried into the third period. At 4:49 of the third period, UAA freshman forward Zack Rassell scored his second goal of the season and tied the game at two goals apiece. Seawolf Matt Bailey then added what became the game-winning goal, giving UAA a 3-2 lead. Scott Allen also added his second goal of the game and 15th of the season, giving the Seawolves a 4-2 lead over the Falcons. UAA’s Jordan Kwas scored the final goal of the game that gave UAA a 5-2 victory over BGSU. With UAA at third place in the WCHA standings they will travel to Big Rapids, Michigan to battle Ferris State. Ferris State is currently tied with Minnesota State at the top of the WCHA standings. This series is to be played on Feb. 21-22 and will have a huge impact on the outcome in the first round of WCHA conference playoffs and will effect which teams will host the first round of the playoffs.

UAA Seawolves celebrate scoring against Bowling Green on Feb. 15.

Junior forward Scott Allen scores Saturday night against Bowling Green at the Sullivan Arena.

Seawolf gymnasts lose to rival UC Davis Aggies photos by Adam Eberhardt

Sophomore Nicole Wetzel flips on the bar Sunday afternoon in the meet against UC Davis.

Junior Morgan Cook lands on the bar in the meet against UC Davis on Feb 16.

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

11

HOT TOPIC

What do you think of Valentine’s Day?

Nicole Deran

Journalism and Philosophy

“I like it a lot. It’s one of my favorite holidays because I think it’s a happy holiday. I kind of ignore the fact that a lot of people think it’s about romance. I think it’s just about love in general. Love for your friends, love for your family, love for what you do, love for life.”

Ryan Hill

Dakota Plush

Stephen Wescott

“I think Valentine’s day is wonderful because any excuse to tell someone you love them is welcome by me. If that gives you an excuse to say I love you, that’s nice.”

“I guess if you’re in a relationship it could be fun for people involved if they want to make a big deal about it. I don’t really care much about it.”

“It’s a great day, just spend all your money, have a good time.”

North Hall Resident Coordinator

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Staying safe on campus By Ashley Snyder

editor@thenorthernlight.org

Tulsi Patil

content@thenorthernlight.org

In the wake of the assaults in the past few weeks at UAA, there is a growing concern for students’ safety on campus. While one man allegedly punched four victims in the face — though he claimed to be dancing — another allegedly attempted to forcefully kiss seemingly random women on campus. While UAA has fairly good safety ratings, such assaults sometimes raise a hint of fear in students about being safe on campus. “I worry about safety sometimes especially after all of the shootings and rapes and other stuff you keep hearing about in other colleges,” said junior Caleb Markuson. All of the victims appear to have been randomly selected — just students going about their daily business and being attacked without cause. Both assaulters in the past two attacks were male and nearly all of the victims were female. “It’s disgusting. That guy should be listed as a sexual predator so that he actually suffers for his stupid decisions,” sophomore Ashleigh Davis said. “If someone did that to me I would not hesitate to totally do some serious damage to his manhood.” According to the 2013 Campus Security and Fire Safety Report, between 2010 and 2012, there have been eight cases of sexual assault and six cases of aggravated assault in housing and on the main campus. These statistics seem to be on the incline this year with two cases coming to light in just the first two months of the year. As students ourselves, we begin to worry for our own security as well as our friends on campus. For women who would like to

learn some basic skills in order to fend off an assault, UAA offers a women-only Rape Aggression Defense course, where attendees learn the basics of self-defense. More information on this program can be found here: http:// www.uaa.alaska.edu/upd/radtraining.cfm. For men and women, learning skills like those taught in martial arts can also be a good way to defend one’s self or stop an attacker. Whether on campus, in the residence halls, walking trails or even waiting at the bus stop, it is important to be prepared and able to handle a situation if it rises. If anything suspicious arises, don’t hesitate to call the police immediately. Call boxes are located around campus and in case of an emergency, UPD advises you to call 911 directly. You can also call UPD at 907786-1120 or visit their office in the Eugene Short Hall. “I’ve been seeing the (university) police around campus a lot lately. I wonder if there is more going on than what we know about and we just don’t know about it because they are so quick to handle the situation,” said sophomore Lana Peterson. Witnessing an assault, whether sexual or otherwise, can sometimes be equally traumatic as being victimized. However, UPD urges students to come forward if they witness any kind of criminal offense. They offer the Silent Witness program where confidential reports of crimes can be made on their website, so as to ensure your protection and safety as well. However, in order to report crimes in progress, they recommend calling 911 in case of emergencies. We want to feel safe when we are on campus. We are already worrying enough about studying, grades and graduating without having to worry about whether or not we will be kissed or punched randomly in the hallways. Be safe everyone!

Undeclared

Political Science

Hot Topic Question, photos and Comments compiled bY kelly ireland

COMICS

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 4,500. 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.­­­

LETTERS AND CORRECTIONS POLICY Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@ thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length is 250 words. Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight. org. The maximum word length is 450 words. Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight. org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www. thenorthernlight.org. The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union, directly next to Subway.

THE NORTHERN LIGHT CONTACTS 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 Ashley Snyder

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FEATURES EDITOR 786-1576 features@thenorthernlight.org Nita Mauigoa A&E editor 786-1512 arts@thenorthernlight.org Kelly Ireland sports editor 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Travis Dowling Photo editor photo@thenorthernlight.org Tim Brown Staff Photographer photo2@thenorthernlight.org Kayla McGraw Corey Hester Layout Editor layout@thenorthernlight.org Jenna! Roosdett

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THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

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MEET THE WORLD Festival celebrates Anchorage’s cultural diversity 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22

TODDLER TIME Learn about sea stars with our marine tank 10:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22

STUDENT ART SHOW OPENING Enjoy live music and artwork by Anchorage School District students 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28

PROXIMITY

Margo Klass Solo Exhibition Now on view

Fairbanks artist Margo Klass mixes the art of bookmaking with a love of the medieval. Proximity is part of the Patricia B. Wolf Solo Exhibition Series. The Anchorage Museum is grateful to the Alaska State Council on the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the Municipality of Anchorage; and the Anchorage Museum Foundation’s Alaska Airlines Silver Anniversary Fund for ongoing support of this important solo exhibition series. Image: Margo Klass, “Reading Room”

Museum members enjoy free general admission. Join today! anchoragemuseum.org Follow us on