June 30, 2020

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

JUNE 30 - JULY 13, 2020

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

OPINION

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Voting is made easier for Alaskans during a difficult time

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

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Cheating in single player video games can be fun... for a while

UA Update: UA president Jim Johnsen resigns confident this decision, though difficult, is the correct one for the univereditor@thenorthernlight.org sity,” according to the board’s June 22 email. “We ask that all of you throughThe University of Alaska, or UA, out the university community recogBoard of Regents confirmed UA presi- nize that the state and university’s curdent Jim Johnsen’s resignation by email rent fiscal situation requires significant on June 22. The board accepted his resig- change, and that to thrive, UA must nation, which will go into effect on July 1.‌ come together to address our significant “You know we are in a place where we challenges. We must move forward and have to change and we have to transform work together to address these chalthe university, data shows that presidents lenges.”‌ of universities average around six years, Prior to his resignation, Johnsen was President Johnsen was coming on his fifth criticized for being under consideration year and so we are looking at the next five for a president position at the Wisconto ten years and how we transform the sin University system, according to university, so it’s timely for this transition Anchorage Daily News’ June 12 artito be happening,” Board of Regents Chair cle. He rescinded his application after Sheri Buretta said in a KTUU interview.‌ students, faculty and staff in WisconVice President Michelle Rizk will sin signed a petition to conduct a new be acting as president until an interim search for the presidency. A previous president can be appointed, according to petition in Alaska also called for Johna June 22 email. Rizk has had a 22-year sen’s resignation following academic career at UA and currently serves as the program cuts. ‌ university’s Vice President of Relations, UAA Chancellor Sandeen assured Chief Budget and Strategy Officer, and as the UA community that she is comthe system liaison for facilities and land mitted to ensuring that the universities management. An interim president is remain strong and have bright futures expected to be appointed by July 15 once in a June 23 message from the Chancelthe board consults with the chancellors, lor. For more information and updates according to the June email. ‌ on Johnsen’s resignation visit the UA “While we understand that a change Board of Regents website.‌‌ in leadership can be unsettling, we are

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Jim Johnsen was appointed by the UA board of Regends to serve as UA president in July of 2015.

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

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An emergency mask mandate has been issued in Anchorage

By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org

Anchorage residents will be required to wear masks in indoor spaces starting on June 29 at 8 a.m. The emergency order was announced on June 26, amid rising COVID-19 cases in Alaska and throughout the U.S. Wearing a mask will be required in all public indoor spaces such as grocery stores, restaurants, bars, salons and transportation. They are also required for communal public places where people meet but don’t live together, such as elevators or office areas. Masks are not required for outdoor spaces.

According to the emergency mandate, businesses should provide masks for employees who work with the public for their protection and the protection of people they work with. The Centers for Disease Controls, or CDC, says that mask wearing will help prevent the virus from spreading.

“Cloth face coverings are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the cloth face covering coughs, sneezes, talks or raises their voice. This is called source control,” according to the CDC website.

The World Health Organization also recommends wearing a cloth face mask that has three layers. Face masks are sold at many retailers online and can be made at home as well. They are sold at big retailers such as The Gap, Target

and Old Navy. They are also plentiful at smaller businesses like retailers on Etsy.

A homemade mask tutorial is available on the CDC website, Joann Fabrics and YouTube.

A hearing for the Alaska House Health and Social Services Committee on the State’s COVID-19 response at the Anchorage Legislative Office in Anchorage on June 24 gathered Alaska health officials to discuss the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska. Dr. Helen Adams is an emergency medicine physician at Providence Alaska Medical Center. She stressed the importance of wearing masks to slow the spread of the virus and also pointed out that it would help the economy.

“I see, personally, that the widespread use of masks in public spaces is the lesser of two evils,” Adams said. “It creates the opportunity for us to continue to go about our business, to participate in our economy, and the alternative is that we could potentially have more sick people, more cost to the state in Medicaid costs, or we’d find ourselves isolating again,” Adams said.

Alaska has 383 active cases and 14 deaths as of June 28. New cases for one day totaled 29 on June 27 as well, which is the highest number of cases in one day in Alaska so far. State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin was also present at the hearing on June 24 and urged Alaskans to use measures to protect each other, such as masks.

“Until we have an effective vaccine or treatment for COVID-19, we need to

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

continue to rely on non-pharmaceutical, public-health interventions to slow the spread of this virus,” McLaughlin said.

For more information that is updated daily for COVID-19 in Alaska, visit the Alaska COVID-19 Response Hub. More detailed information about the emer-

gency mask mandate is available at The Municipality of Anchorage Cornavirus Response Page. A U.S. COVID-19 map and information can also be found at NPR.‌

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

03

Voting is made easier for Alaskans during a difficult time

By Christina Swayney features1@thenorthernlight.org

The 2020 elections are coming up in November, with the general election on Nov. 3, 2020. Many are prepared to vote, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is a quick rundown of how to vote and how voting has been made easier in Alaska due to the current pandemic.

There are specific requirements for voting in each state. In Alaska, a voter must be a U.S. citizen, Alaska resident, at least 18 years of age or within 90 days of an 18th birthday, not be a convicted felon and not be registered to vote in other states. More details are available on theAlaska Division of Elections website.

Those who wish to cast a ballot must first register to vote. Registration can be completed online on the Alaska Online Voter Registration website. To register online for the first time, a valid Alaska driver’s license or state ID is required.

To check if you are already registered to vote, visit the State of Alaska Voter Registration Information website. You can check voter registration status, absentee ballot status and polling places to vote in person as well.

Once voter registration is complete, people can vote at polling places but are also able to vote by mail more easily, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some States have made it easier for voters to mail-in absentee ballots for those who do not want to come in person at polling places. In Alaska, anyone can vote by mail and there is no specific reason needed to do so. Thorough information about voting by mail can be found on the Alaska Division of Elections By-Mail Ballot Delivery website.

Voters can apply online for an absentee ballot with the State of Alaska Division of Elections Online Absentee Ballot Application. A valid Alaska driver’s license or state ID is required for this

option. Mail-in applications are also available on the same website by using the paper application. Voters can print it out and mail it in when the application is complete.

Voters who are active military, spouses and dependents and U.S. citizens temporarily or permanently living overseas, or those living, working or traveling in remote Alaska or who may be traveling overseas and are also considered residents of the State of Alaska can use an absentee ballot as well. These voters will be mailed a ballot 45 days before each primary and Election Day. Ballots are also available to be sent by online delivery and printed at home as Online Ballot Delivery. Voters can apply for an online delivery ballot for the August 18, 2020, Primary Election and the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election beginning 15 days before each election. A computer, valid email address and a printer are required for this option. After voters have printed out completed ballots, they can be sent in the mail or fax it to the state. Voters who choose this option will be emailed instructions on how to complete their ballots.

Early in-person voting is also available 15 days before each election day at designated polling locations. Information about voting locations will be made available one month before each Election Day and can be found on the Alaska Division of Elections Early and In-Person Absentee Voting Locations website. This can be an option for those who wish to vote in person but would like to avoid the crowds on Election Days.

Voting is also available to those with special needs who cannot vote in person because of age, disability or illness. They can have a representative pick up a ballot for them at any absentee ballot location 15 days before each Election Day and have that representative drop off the ballot at any voting location. More information is available on the Alaska Division of

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

Elections Special Needs Voting website.

The candidates for the Presidential Election in November are Donald Trump (Republican), running for reelection and Joe Biden (Democrat). Biden has not announced a running mate yet and Trump’s vice president will remain Mike Pence.

This election will be held during a time when the United States is experiencing a great health crisis, the Black Lives Matter Movement has overtaken the country and the current U.S. president is submerged in deep controversy. Comprehensive information can be found for each candidate at Ballotpedia.org. Where

each candidate stands on specific policies such as abortion, immigration, healthcare and more can be found on Ballotpedia for Trump’s policy views and Biden’s policy views on Politico.

Fact checking is also available for each candidate on FactCheck.org, which is a public policy website that is nonpartisan, meaning not biased or affiliated towards any political group, non-profit and was developed by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

For more information about voting in Alaska, visit the State of Alaska Division of Voting website. ‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

04

Cheating in single-player video games can be fun... for a while

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

Cheats in video games have been around for a while. One of the most notable examples being in the Grand Theft Auto, or GTA series. In GTA IV, players can enter phone numbers into their in-game phone to change the weather, spawn vehicles and restore their health.

Some other single-player games unlock cheats as a reward for obtaining all the collectibles such as in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered. ‌ Unofficial user-created modifications, or mods, can also serve the same purpose as cheats. They can allow players to become invincible, have unlimited money or kill enemies with one hit.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been using a program called WeMod to enable these kinds of cheats with the press of a button.

Sometimes I just wanted to play through a game to experience the story and not be bothered with collecting a bunch of money to buy new weapons and armor like in Assassin’s Creed II. Other times, I wanted to experience the world more and see the different enemies and equipment designs such as in Dark Souls III. Here are some of my experiences and thoughts after using cheats to squeeze the last few ounces of fun out of games that I wouldn’t have returned to otherwise.‌ Assassin’s Creed II‌ Assassin’s Creed II is primarily about a young, wealthy, Italian noble named Ezio Auditore. During the Renaissance, he becomes involved in a conspiracy after his father and brother are hanged.

Ezio eventually joins the Assassins, an ancient order dedicated to fighting against the Templars who want to take over the world, and seeks revenge for his family.‌ I started playing Assassin’s Creed II after losing interest in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and read that Ezio was one of the best protagonists of the series. I wanted to experience the story without any of the repetitive side missions or worrying about affording new weapons and armor,

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF IGDB.COM

so the only cheat I used was to have infinite money. ‌ Because combat wasn’t the main draw of the game, although it’s certainly a core pillar, I didn’t feel like I lost much of the normal experience if I had played without the cheat. I still enjoyed the parkour and characters’ story beats.‌ Dark Souls III‌ The Dark Souls series is known for one thing, tough-as-nails boss fights.

However, one of the things I find annoying about Dark Souls is that when you die, you have to play through the entire area again and fight the same enemies.

The idea is that if you died, you could just keep defeating the same enemies to level up more and become more powerful or you would simply become more adept at recognizing enemy attacks and be able to dodge out of the way or parry better. ‌ I’m a pretty impatient gamer, so this style of gameplay doesn’t entirely agree with me. However, I still wanted to admire Dark Souls III’s awe-inspiring

The main draw of Dark Souls 3 is the extremely difficult boss fights.

gothic architecture and cool, creepy enemy designs. So, I used infinite health and money cheats to breeze through the fights. ‌ What made this experience different from Assassin’s Creed II is that I was skipping the core conceit of the game instead of embracing it. The story of Dark Souls is not told explicitly, rather the player has to seek it out themselves through item descriptions. So the primary focus becomes the combat, which I’ve opted to essentially ignore. There’s also a semi-involuntary competitive multiplayer system where another player could invade your game and try to kill you. So when another player did just that, it made me feel a little bad that I was ruining his experience, but on the other hand, I just wanted to play the game how I wanted to play it. It’s not like I was choosing to invade his game after all. ‌ After a few hours of no challenge, though, I began to wonder why I was playing at all. The core conceit of the

game was completely ruined and I eventually grew bored of the world and its fascination with gothic cathedrals. ‌ Using cheats is like walking a tightrope‌ Using cheats in these games really highlighted how great having more difficulty options in games could be to people who just want to be able to choose how they play the game. An easy mode could also appeal to more people who wouldn’t normally play video games and allow them to just watch the cutscenes like a movie, or admire the scenery. ‌ The allure of having everything handed to you without any work or having to potentially play dozens of hours of a game is appealing, but I constantly had to ask myself if I would actually play more of the game without cheats. Once you have everything, you don’t want anything, and there’s not much incentive to keep playing unless you’re really invested in the story. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle.‌

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF IGDB.COM

Ezio Auditore (left) and Leonardo Da Vinci (right) talk about an invention.

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

05

Using video game guides is generally a horrible idea

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

Guides and walkthroughs for video games are ubiquitous across YouTube and websites like VG247. While guides can be a big help when trying to find the solution to a tricky puzzle, they also sometimes offer advice on how to get the best outcome to a quest or the best ending to the game. It’s certainly tempting to just look up the “right” choices, but it also completely ruins the entire purpose of role-playing games, or RPGs. Making your own choices and living with the consequences is half the fun. ‌ I’m certainly guilty of using guides to get the best outcomes to quests. This is a plea to not make the same mistake that I did which almost ruined one of my favorite games of all time.‌ During my first playthrough of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt I constantly looked up guides to quests because I was afraid of making the wrong choice. The Witcher 3 is an RPG all about the blurry line between man and monster, good and bad.

However, whenever I came upon a decision that wasn’t as clear as sparing or killing a sentient monster that wasn’t doing any harm, I would race to the wiki and read all the outcomes before making a choice in the game. ‌

PHOTO BY DANIIL SILANTEV ON UNSPLASH

Not only did this completely drain all the weight of the situation and my choices, but it also completely took me out of the game. I couldn’t become immersed in the world and my experience felt very artificial. That’s a real shame, because it’s very easy to get lost in the world of The Witcher 3. The lesson to be gleaned from my mistake is to not be afraid to make the wrong choice. At least for a first playthrough, a walkthrough, is just about the best way to ruin your experience. Then

on a second playthrough, you can do whatever is necessary to get the best outcomes. ‌ One of the major factors when deciding to use a guide is the fear of making the “wrong” choice. It’s a monumental mental obstacle to overcome for sure, but leads to a more engaging experience overall. For example, if one of the side characters dies because of a decision you made, their death is going to stick with you and now you have a great story to tell

about the game. ‌ Another poignant example is in the turn-based strategy game, XCOM. The player commands a squad of soldiers and takes on missions fighting against alien invaders. If a soldier dies in a mission, they’re gone for good and a new one will have to be recruited. That loss can really hurt especially if that soldier had been with you from the beginning of the game and you had invested a lot of time into them. However, the same principle from the first example still applies. You now have a compelling story that is unique to your time with the game. The loss of that soldier isn’t really going to hurt you that much in the long run either, assuming you train up another.‌ Aside from additional playthroughs, the only time using a guide would be advisable is after giving up when attempting to figure out a puzzle. If you’ve been stuck at the same point for 10 or more minutes and you’re not any closer to a solution, then ya guide is fair game. Why waste time on a side attraction, when all you want to do is progress the story and see what’s next. ‌ Before you look up a guide for a game consider this: If you like the game enough, and even if you don’t, you owe it to yourself to not ruin the story by looking up the outcomes ahead of time.‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

06

An Afternoon at the Gun Range

By Michaeline Collins media@thenorthernlight.org

A lazy Sunday afternoon, my friend was itching to bring her new guns, a brand new .308-caliber Browning bolt action hunting rifle and .22-caliber Winchester Wildcat rifle, out to the range and invited me along to come shooting with her. We meet out in Eagle River to load up the Browning and Winchester rifles and her fiancé’s pistol, which is a Colt 1911 .45. ‌ We went to the Kenny and Patti Barber Shooting Range out by Palmer, which is free. The road that leads out to the range is unmaintained and gravel.‌ At the range, you are greeted with the sound of gun fire and the scent of gunpowder in the air. Make sure you have some good ear protection and safety glasses, the bullet casings go flying when you shoot. ‌ Once we arrived, we unloaded the guns and targets and carefully transported everything to one of the booths. The range was not very crowded. Only two other groups were there, so social distancing was easy.‌ Gun safety is of the utmost importance for yourself and everyone else at the range. Always make sure the safety is on and even if you know it’s unloaded, still treat it as if it were loaded. Never step beyond the firing booth until everyone at the range is in agreement to cease fire.‌ We placed our targets and got to the fun part. The first gun we fired was my friend’s .308-caliber rifle, she warned that there is intense recoil.‌ I always get a nervous feeling before firing. I know to anticipate sound and recoil, but I can’t guess how much. We loaded the .308 rounds into the rifle.

I make sure that I’m seated properly and that the butt of the rifle rests in the “shoulder pocket” , the muscular part by your shoulder and under your collar bone.‌ With slight butterflies in my stom-

ach, I looked through the scope and took deep breaths. After I prepared myself, I switched off the safety, pulled back the bolt loading the round in the chamber. .The rifle bucked back hard, but thanks to a good stance and anticipating large recoil, the rifle stayed seated in my shoulder pocket. ‌ After that first shot, butterflies went away and I was left with the adrenalin of firing that beast of a gun. We fired 5 rounds out of the Browning rifle. With each shot you could hear it echoing off of the mountains. The target was well used and the gun kicked so much I couldn’t tell you if I actually hit anything, but it was just fun to shoot. ‌ We moved on to the .22-caliber Winchester rifle, which was lightweight and easy to handle, so I was able to stand up to fire this rifle. The recoil was almost nonexistent, and quieter, which allowed me to actually aim the rifle and hit the target.‌‌ We fired the .45 pistol last, which ended up being my favorite gun. After taking extra time to ensure I had a good grip and posture, I fired the first shot. The pistol felt more intense to shoot, because you could see the spark and smoke from the bullet being shot, feel the heat on your hands and you could watch the brass casing expel itself from the gun.‌ After about an hour we ended the evening firing some hefty rounds with the Browning rifle. We carefully packed up the guns, targets and ammunition and loaded them into the vehicle. The smell of gunpowder faintly lingered on our clothing as we drove back to Eagle River.

There is a satisfying feeling that you get after some safe shooting, which left us both in higher spirits.‌ Recreational shooting can be very fun. It is always very important to be extra careful and practice gun safety at

STAFF CONTACTS 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508

Arts & Entertainment Editor John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org‌

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PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL JETTON

all times. There are several rifle ranges and various safety courses you can sign up for to practice and learn gun safety. One place is Alaska Tactical in muldoon. They offer various lessons

The Browning .308 is a big rifle that packs a punch.

with different types of firearms, concealed carry, and more. You can check out the courses and schedule here http:// www.alaskatactical.com/index.html.‌

A S S O C I AT E D CO L L E G I AT E P R ES S

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

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 1,750. 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.­­­

N OT I C E O F N O N D I S C R I M I N AT I O N

The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution. The University of Alaska does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, physical or mental disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, parenthood, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, or other legally protected status. The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, including against sex discrimination, applies to students, employees, and applicants for admission and employment. Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UA’s statement of nondiscrimination available at www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

L E T T E RS A N D CO R R E C T I O N S P O L I C Y

The Northern Light encourages readers to express their views in the newspaper. The Northern Light reserves the right to reject or publish any submission, online or in print.

Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a letter to the editor is 250 words, and 150 words for letters specifically endorsing candidates for federal, local, or university office. A letter to the editor is written by someone who does not have authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing.

Contributors are restricted to one published letter to the editor per month.

Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length for a contributor’s opinion piece is 450 words. Contributors are restricted to one published opinion piece per month. Opinion pieces written by staff of The Northern Light are limited to 800 words. An opinion piece that is published in The Northern Light should be written by someone who has authoritative knowledge on the subject they are discussing.

Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. All letters and opinion pieces must include names, major and/or group affiliation and contact information for verification purposes. The Northern Light will not publish anonymous letters or pseudonyms.

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 deadline for submissions is the Friday before publication at noon, no exceptions.

The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union Room 118.

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