August 8, 2017

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER ##, 2017

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Convocation ceremony discontinued this year Convos about Convocation: Cancellation of the welcoming ceremony was a “strategic” decision

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

This year fewer incoming freshmen will be Googling the definition of convocation as the annual Convocation ceremony has been “strategically paused.”

Over the past nine years Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Bruce Schultz, said he saw decreasing numbers of students attending the ceremony. This January, members of the Chancellor’s cabinet made the decision to “pause” or discontinue the ceremony for the start of the 2017-18 academic year.

“Every year we had fewer and fewer students attending, and it’s always been focused on first year students, freshman,” Schultz said. “I think these last few years we had less than 10 percent of our freshman class actually attending, despite our best efforts to make sure we were inviting the students and making them aware of the wonderful opportunity and so forth. There just seemed to be a disconnect between students interest, new student’s interest and a big name speaker which the faculty or the administration thought would be of interest to students, and students were not having that same interest.”

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

President of Union of Students, Samuel Erickson, and Vice President Johanna Richter close the convocation ceremony inside the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at the 2016 Convocation.

Megan Olson, vice chancellor of University Advancement, said last year’s Convocation with Olympian Kikkan Randall as the keynote speaker failed to draw in students.

“There’s no question [conversations about Convocation] started earlier in the fall as we debriefed about the success of the August events in 2016, and said okay for Kikkan Randall.

We had the Wendy Williamson as a venue and there were about 250 people who turned out and significantly less than half of

those were students,” Olson said.

Last year Convocation began before Campus Kickoff. After the ceremony ended students or community members would then filter through the outdoor fair. Olson said Convocation, with it’s small attendance, was just a distraction from the well attended Campus Kickoff.

“When we look at Campus Kickoff, that enjoys around 2,000 students in attendance, the distraction from that didn’t make much sense in the current

formula for Convocation, which is actually a lofty term for what it was which was really an extension of Campus Kickoff and that welcoming of students to campus,” Olson said.

Interim Director for Student Life and Leadership, Zac Clark, helps lead the subcommittees that plan Campus Kickoff. He said Convocation and Campus Kickoff have different approaches to welcoming students.

“I think they’ve always done their own welcoming in two different styles: whereas Con-

vocation is a little bit more of a formal welcome with a keynote speaker, the outdoor fair portion of Kickoff is more informal, an opportunity for students to connect with students, see all the different areas that a student can get involved with or participate with,” Clark said. “Similar but sort of distinctly different.”

Clark said Kickoff has been running successfully for so many years that he expects another good Campus Kickoff, but not having the captive audience of Convocation is unfortunate.

“The great thing about [Convocation] was once the event was over they would sort of filter back through the area of Kickoff and then they’d go to these socials with faculty,” Clark said.

“Loosing that is unfortunate but we are just working hard to try and connect with them to where we can to let them know about this event.”

Schultz said there is a larger vision for Convocation in the future but the decision was made to discontinue this year’s celebration so that planning can be more strategic in the future.

Schultz also said limited resources and reduced staffing contributed to the decision to prioritize “other things that were equally important.”

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UAA econ students, faculty react to economics degree discontinuation at UAF

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

At the Board of Regents June 2 meeting, the board approved a motion to reduce “the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics” at UAF and to discontinue the programs effective in 2020. After hearing about the discontinuation of their degree at a fellow University of Alaska campus, UAA students expressed their shock.

Economics major Lyndea Kelleher said the economy is a hot topic in Alaska, and that economic literacy is important.

“I was shocked, as an econ major I

don’t think that econ programs anywhere should be cut,” Kelleher said. “I think that the university is in a tough spot right now budget wise. But it was disappointing to hear because I know people who are in the econ program there, and I am sad for future generations that can’t go to UAF and get the degree that they want.”

The vote to discontinue the degree comes after a decision in 2016 to cease admitting undergraduate students to the UAF economics program, according to reporting by the UAF Sun Star.

Kelleher hopes the Board of Regents will lessen the emphasis on reducing or cutting programs.

“I just hope that the Board of Regents takes into account what is best for the future of the state and the University system,” Kelleher said. “I don’t think cutting programs is the best way to garner interest in the University and to keep up enrollment, so I hope they don’t cut more programs like mine from other campuses.”

Jim Murphy, professor of economics, said he was surprised by the decision to discontinue the UAF program, and that the implications of this decision are more negative than positive for UAA students.

“For the most part we have a great partnership with those guys, and so it’s not a case of where we compete with them and our competitor is gone and now we need to pick everything up,” Murphy said. “There’s not a lot of positives in fact, in some ways there’s negatives for UAA students because some of our students have gone to UAF for the masters program—because they want to stay in

state—and that option is no longer available to UAA students.”

As an economics professor, Murphy said economics is an essential, core program.

“Economics is one of those core majors you would see at any, any serious university so to... offer just a couple of courses and not have a program at a main campus for the UA system... I think it is tragic to tell you the truth,” Murphy said.

Murphy said there are few positives from this decision and he thinks it is unlikely that more students will choose UAA over UAF for economics.

“If I want to try and find anything even remotely positive, it makes it a lot less likely that our program would get eliminated, because if they eliminated our program there would be no economics in the state of Alaska,” Murphy said.

“But that’s not something we are losing sleep over, and I certainly wouldn’t want that at the expense of the Fairbanks program.”

Economics student Eva Ulukivaiola also expressed how surprising it was to see an economics program cut, saying, “I think that it is sad that new students at UAF who are interested in economics can no longer major in the degree field that they really enjoy.”

Joseph Longuevan, double major in history and economics, also expressed his shock at hearing that a program so essential to his life was being cut at a fellow UA campus.

“I was surprised and distraught to hear that the economics degree program was being terminated,” Longuevan said.

“Economics does not appear—in my opinion—to be the most logical degree program to remove during times of economic hardship. With the University of Alaska facing cuts in funding, [I] believe the economics program is even more important than before.”

Lance Howe, chair of the Economics Department said he has been having conversations with faculty at Fairbanks about how UAA can offer more online upper division courses. Howe is also having preliminary discussions about starting a master’s program at UAA. “It is a loss because I think having a master’s in economics is important for the state of Alaska...We’ve been in talks about potentially our department maybe working with them to offer a master’s at some point so we are sort of in the preliminary discussion phases of that, but it’s not out of the question,” Howe said.

Howe said it is rare to see a university, specifically a Research I University like UAF, without a serious economics program. He said it’s like “removing track and field from the Olympics.”

Howe isn’t worried about the UAA economics program being eliminated because the department brings in significant revenue. On top of that, Howe said the department had 118 declared economics B.B.A or B.A majors last fall. That being said, Howe recognizes the current budget situation requires tough cuts everywhere.

“In a year of budget cuts it’s so uncertain anyway that I don’t think any department on campus would be surprised to hear their program is being looked at,” Howe said.

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Bat researchers brace for white-nose syndrome A fungus that has wiped out millions of bats since appearing on the East Coast a decade ago is making its way to Alaska

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

Something is killing North America’s bats at an alarming rate and it’s heading this way.

It’s already wiped out millions of the flying mammals and shows no sign of stopping. The culprit? White-nose syndrome.

White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus that originated in Europe and arrived in New York about a decade ago.

It gets its name from the fuzzy collection of white fungus that appears on the bat’s face or extremities. Since showing up in the United States, the fungus has spread to bat colonies from the East Coast to Texas. Last year it was discovered in Washington. That’s 31 states and five Canadian provinces, according to whitenosesyndrome.org.

What makes the fungus, named Pseudogymnoascus destructans, so worrisome for bat researchers is its sheer destructiveness. Some colonies of bats have seen a nearly 100 percent mortality rate once exposed to the fungus. As of 2012 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that between 5.7 and 6.7 million bats had already died from the disease.

“It moves quickly,” Shannon Morgan, a biologist who has studied WNS, said. “There aren’t any current treatment options that are approved by environmental agencies, and it’s devastating to the species we have in Alaska.”

There are just a handful of bat species in Alaska, but the most abundant is Myotis lucifugus, commonly known as little brown bats or little brown myotis. Little brown bats, which are also the most widely dispersed bat in North America, are especially susceptible to WNS. In the Eastern U.S,, they prefer to hibernate in humid caves, which are perfect environment for the fungus to grow and spread between the closely packed bats.

Their small size doesn’t do them any favors either when dealing with WNS. The most widely accepted theory about what actually kills the bats isn’t the fungus itself.

As the fungus starts to grow on a bat, the bat will periodically wake to remove the fungus from its face and body. Waking too early and too often from hibernation can have deadly consequences for bats.

“The whole purpose of hibernation is to conserve energy,” Morgan said. “It’s essentially killing them by making them run out of energy and food prior when they’re supposed to wake up.”

Some researchers have found entire colonies of thousands of bats wiped out over a single winter. In certain cases that’s meant years of research dying along with the bats.

While bat biologist in the Lower 48 have ample research to draw from, those in Alaska have barely begun to scratch the surface.

Karen Blejwas, a biologist from the Department of Fish and Game, is based out of Southeast Alaska and has helped spearhead bat research in the state.

She got started around seven years ago by placing acoustic monitoring devices and asking various people if and where they had seen bats. Back then, she didn’t know where the bats were or what species were in Alaska.

Despite bat research by various organizations in Alaska making progress, basic questions like population sizes and hibernation locations are still somewhat of a mystery. Once the arrival of WNS seemed inevitable in the Western U.S., bat biologists began to have a deadly sense of urgency in their research.

“It was kind of a wakeup call to the west that we only have a little bit of time to find out about our bats before white-nose hits,” Blejwas said.

Bats are notoriously known as hitch hikers and could easily find their way into a shipping container destined for Alaska.

Due to limited monitoring, difficulty getting off the road system and the fact that little brown bats in Alaska hibernate in smaller groups and in different types of areas than their eastern counterparts, it could be a while before it’s detected. With massive bat populations con-

sistently returning to the same place in the Eastern U.S., it’s much easier to monitor declines, especially if you know the actual population size to begin with. “[In the] west we have this real challenge, and it’s a problem we haven’t really solved.

How are we going to know when white-nose has arrived,” Blejwas said.

What makes little brown bats such a challenge to study in Alaska could also potentially help slow the spread of the fungus. As opposed to massive bat colonies living in caves where WNS has wreaked havoc on populations, little brown bats in Alaska tend to hibernate in places like scree slopes and boulder fields or man-made structures.

The fungus is transmitted through direct contact, so without huge populations of bats hibernating in one place, even if WNS did spread to Alaska, there’s a chance it could stay somewhat isolated. Without knowing more about WNS and bats in Alaska, that’s just wishful thinking.

Despite what might seem like a losing battle in a race against time, bat researchers in Alaska are actively preparing for the seemingly inevitable arrival of WNS. Jesika Reimer, a biologist at UAA, is working on monitoring bat maternity colonies. She

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAREN BLEJWAS

This little brown bat was captured and banded by researchers as part of a study to get baseline information on the species prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome.

hopes that by getting solid population data, researchers will be able to detect WNS sooner than later.

In addition to researchers stepping up, Reimer and Blejwas said that community involvement in collecting bat data has been a huge factor in helping progress the research. Having more boots on the ground has helped contribute much-needed data to the understanding of bats in Alaska.

In Reimer’s maternity colony studies, she’s enlisted the help of citizens to identify where bats are as well as counting populations in a given location.

“With white-nose syndrome knocking at the door, it’s a chance for us to do some research and for the community to be involved in research that will actually make a difference,” Re-

imer said.

In Southeast Alaska, Blejwas and Fish and Game are reaching out to the public to use acoustic monitors to track bats. Even sending dead bats to Fish and Game can be helpful. Information on handling dead bats and other ways to help out can be found on the Fish and Game website.

“I think possibly, at least in the near future, our best — or maybe the only way, really, of detecting [WNS] is going to be people finding a dead bat on the landscape and know[ing] to turn it into Fish and Game so that we can test it for disease,” Blejwas said.

Researchers are developing a response plan, but once WNS lands in Alaska, there’s not much to do other than hope for the best.

Dylan Rhea-Fournier swaps out the memory cards and battery at a bat detector in Juneau. The detector records the ultrasonic echolocation calls that bats make as they hunt for insects, providing biologists with an index of bat activity at the site.

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New surgical technology program to launch in fall The School of Allied Health opens program to help local healthcare facilities and provide opportunity for UAA students

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

UAA’s Allied Health Building is home to several academic programs including dental, medical, surgical and pharmaceutical.

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

The surgical technology program, a new program added to the School of Allied Health, will be one of 11 programs within the School of Allied Health beginning this fall. This is a 63-credit program covering three semesters with didactic and practicum components to prepare students in becoming a surgical technologist.

The surgical technology program

started in response to the need of healthcare industrial partners. According to the Alaska’s Health Workforce Vacancy Study in 2012, there was a 15 percent vacancy rate for surgical technicians and technologist in Alaska with an overall of 13 percent vacancy statewide, which showed the highest vacancy rate reported in the Allied Health occupations.

Due to the need for surgical technicians in Alaska, hospitals and surgery centers were often hiring outside of the state, which resulted in expensive recruitment costs.

“You’re looking at about 20 to 30 thousand dollars to get somebody up here, so that’s a lot of money, and if we can teach a program right here in the state of Alaska, it’s going to save the hospital and the surgery centers all kinds of money because we’re going to be producing surgical techs that live here in the state,” Kristi Brooks, Director of the surgical technology program, said.

In the past, individuals that were looking into becoming a surgical technologist had to leave the state to attend school to become certified. The surgical technology program will not only help students in proper training but also help local healthcare facilities hire within the state.

“It is my personal belief that this program will help build a stronger sense of community through the creation of local jobs. Those interested in this career field will now be able to stay in Alaska and work locally. Those interested in the career field no longer have to move out of state, and pay out of state tuition, to complete their education,” Alexis Rasley, administrative assistant to the Surgical Technology Department, said.

To be a surgical technician, there are many crucial skills that can be taught within the surgical technology program to help meet the high standards of hospitals and clinics.

“Students learn to assist with preparation of a surgical room and the surgical patient. Surgical technicians develop skills to assist the physician during elective or planned surgeries,” Robert McClung, Director of School of Allied Health, said. “Among the skills needed

include, critical thinking, life-saving techniques, donning personal protective equipment and identification of equipment and instruments.”

Students in the program will be working closely with professionals in local hospitals and surgery centers. By doing so, students will be working with potential employers which can help them in their future careers.

“Everyday they are at their clinical site is a job interview every single day because these clinical sites are getting to see them work in action and they get to see what their work ethic is and how passionate they’ve become about their job,” Brooks said.

As of now, only 12 students will be accepted into the program. This will be Alaska’s first surgical technology program at an institutional level. After completion, students will be eligible to take a surgical technician exam that will certify them through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.

Currently, there are no requirements for licensing surgical technicians.

“What I would really like to see is the state of Alaska requiring licensing for surgical techs so they are held more accountable, so there’s a lot of growth here and we have a national organization which is the Association of Surgical Technology which Alaska has the very last state to form an AST organization here so that’s been exciting. We’re hoping with that we can go to our representatives and get it mandated eventually that they do need to be licensed,” Brooks said.

UAA continues efforts to increase enrollment, student success As fall enrollment and registration numbers roll in, UAA is still hopeful for rise in enrollment

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

The headcount for student enrollment in the fall close of 2016 after the add-drop period was 14,308 and so far, the enrollment for fall 2017 is at 12,148, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Bruce Schultz.

Some specific colleges are seeing increases in registration despite the overall decline in enrollment for UAA. Schultz says that these numbers still fluctuate, especially during the period of registration, and the final number for fall enrollment should reach above 14,000.

“They’re adding classes and dropping classes, and so one week we have increases, the next week we have decreases…

For example, [College of] Education. Education is up so we have more students who are registered in our College of Education,” Schultz said.

The University is also seeing increases in various other aspects, including the number of non-degree-seeking students, graduate students and even applications for admissions.

“We’re starting to see some nice trends there and I think also when we look at the applications for admissions, the number of applications that we’re seeing, there’s areme positive signs in that as well,” Schultz said.

Yet, there are still efforts being made to bolster student enrollment and increase student retention, which has also fallen from 68.38 percent in the fiscal year of 2013 to 66.15 percent in the fiscal year of 2016.

Lora Volden, interim associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services, says that the University is recognizing the biggest factors that are affecting students’ decision in enrollment. Not only should

the admissions process be smoother, but there is also an important connection between faculty and students.

“One of the things that I heard when I first started at the university working with orientation was that faculty interaction,” Volden said. “And so I think that the student gets connected with their academic departments and sees what we have to offer… They get really excited about it and can start to see themselves there. I think that’s one of the key pieces that commits them to choosing UAA.” New Student Orientation participates in many of the initiatives taken to help students navigate through the difficulties of admissions and other responsibilities.

Whitney Penn is a New Student Transition Advisor and Orientation Coordinator who says that the University is strengthening their outreach efforts.

“There’s more of a focus on trying to bring those faculty and staff members in and have the colleges engage a little bit more where they’re actually meeting students and deciding, ‘Hey, engineering students always have questions about this. What can we do as a session to address this?’” Penn said.

Although the University is seeing an overall decline in registration efforts, Penn says that there has been an upsurge for orientation. This may be due to the fact that this year is the first time it has been free for students, which helps bring in more attendees, but it also poses negative effects.

“That makes it easier for us because it’s easier to get students to want to come, but it’s kind of a double-edged sword because now that they’re not paying for it, they don’t necessarily show up… If they decide they don’t want to come,” Penn said.

In spite of this setback, the NSO is still working with Student Affairs to imple-

ment strategies to target problem areas.

Pat Shier, interim vice chancellor for Administrative Services, also says that these strategies are part of “UAA 2020,” which is an initiative consisting of various goals to improve the University’s performance.

“We’re focused on: How do we move UAA closer to that goal? What are the guidelines we’re going to use to try and increase enrollment? And that gets to engagement, getting the message out, advertising more wisely and in a more targeted fashion, and removing barriers that students may experience,” Shier said.

Schultz says that the University is also looking into methods to ensure students are returning to complete their education, and that the retention rates are under the “UAA 2020” objectives.

“Our hope is by fall 2020 we’ll be at 75.5 percent of our first-year students will be retained,” Schultz said. “There is a committee that is in the process right now of hiring a vice provost for student success… so this is something new for UAA. But that position is going to help faculty and staff really focus intently on student success and making sure that we can improve the retention and, more importantly, improve the completion rate for our students.”

The enrollment of students coupled with the completion of education is extremely important to the University as well as the state, Volden says.

“Retention is absolutely huge and that is something that we definitely want to be focusing on because we want our students to be successful and we want them to graduate,” Volden said. “You know, by 2025 we want 65 percent of Alaskans to have some sort of credential because that’s a need for our state.”

The official numbers for student enrollment and registration are still coming in and changing, according to Schultz. In

GRAPHIC BY MARIAH DEJESUS-REMAKLUS

light of the overall decline throughout the past years, the University will still continue pushing the efforts for a more successful outreach and fulfillment of performance-related goals.

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Student Health and Counseling Center seeks to provide care and services to students Students taking at least six credits are eligible for Student Health and Counseling Center services

By Mariah DeJesus-Remaklus mremaklus@thenorthernlight.org

Tuition and fees can be a stressful hassle for many students, but it helps to know what they can cover. In fact, there is more to it than paying for supplies and labs. For those taking a minimum of six credits, there is a health fee that allows students to take advantage of the UAA Student Health and Counseling Center.

Located on the first floor of Rasmuson Hall, the SHCC provides a variety of services for students, including physical examinations, immunizations, counseling, and education.

“If students look very closely at their bill from the university, students who are taking six or more on-campus credits are automatically charged the health fee, and that’s $14 a credit,” Georgia DeKeyser, director and psychiatric mental health Nurse Practitioner at the SHCC, said. “It starts at six and caps at twelve.”

The center strives to maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit in students to help them throughout their journeys in both school and life.

“We do physical health, behavioral health, and also health promotion,” DeKeyser said.

“Nationwide, most universities have health centers. People realize there’s a strong connection between academic success and health and wellbeing.”

Betty Bang is a family nurse practitioner and health educator, and has been with the center for twelve years. She says that confidentiality is among their most important values, as well as quality care.

“First of all, it’s confidential care. This isn’t information that’s shared with other departments or agencies. You know, we use the same confidential care that’s required by law,” Bang said. “It’s quality care, very quality care. We have family nurse practitioners and physicians, you know, all highly qualified people. Our mental health counselors are excellent as well as our psychiatric nurse practitioners.”

Although many people discover SHCC by simply walking past the office, the center makes many efforts to stay involved on campus and ensure that students are aware of the benefits and services they offer. Not only do they participate in events such as HOWL Days, but they also hold a clinic during move-in days with UAA housing so that students have the opportunity to get immunizations.

Accessibility and affordability help make SHCC unique compared to outside care, which can be advantageous to students.

Bang says that their on-campus location is convenient and they also have the ability to help patients with the reduction of

costs. This can include labs and expensive medication.

“Sometimes if students are on medications that are very expensive, like steroid inhalers for asthma, we can help them get on patient assistance programs through the drug companies so that they can get those at reduced costs,” Bang said.

DeKeyser says that their scheduling of appointments is also very important when it comes to remaining accessible for students. The practitioners at the SHCC are able to do sameday appointments for those who have urgent needs compared to the weeks that they may have to wait to see an outside medical provider. This applies to physical and mental health issues.

“Every student who calls or walks in and requests to speak with a counselor, we have kind of a ‘any open door’ policy, meaning that at least that student gets ten to twenty minutes to talk to a counselor to find out what’s going on and what their need is,” DeKeyser said.

For Michael Votava, the director of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, health education is also a vital aspect of the center. In addition to providing supportive services, they have programs and initiatives in place to raise awareness regarding several health topics.

“I think the student health center not only sees students with mental health issues and physical health issues but also trying to do education in the community about important health topics, such as suicide, such as the importance of staying physically active, promoting domestic violence and sexual assault programs,” Votava said.

A team within the SHCC, which consists of a health promotion specialist and peer health educators, carries out these initiatives. Bang works with this team and often gets involved with classes to hold training and education sessions.

She says that she enjoys seeing students in her role as a family nurse practitioner, but she especially appreciates the work she gets to do with the health education team.

“The peer health educators are just awesome students and they’re doing this job because they really like to make a difference,” Bang said. “And they’re the ones that do the Bystander Intervention training and help with all the special events that we do throughout campus.”

DeKeyser started as a graduate student with the SHCC, doing a student internship. After being employed as a psychiatric mental health counselor, she’s found that her favorite part of her work is being inspired by the students that come in.

“I enjoy working with students. Every student that comes in here has a goal and a hope and a dream. I think that it’s inspiring to me to walk alongside

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

The Student Health and Counseling Center on the Rasmuson Hall’s first floor is one of the many facilities available to students.

Students taking over six credits are eligible for many free and reduced healthcare options.

them while they’re moving forward,” DeKeyser said.

Votava says that he encourages students to be aware of the care and services that the center can provide, especially if they are eligible and in need of help regarding a concern they may

have.

“The student is already paying for these services through their student health and counseling fee, so I would encourage them to take advantage of it,” Votava said. “I think it’s really a great deal for students.”

Although the health fee is not well-known, it offers an open door for students to receive services for any health-related concerns. DeKeyser hopes that students do reach out and take the initiative to discover how the SHCC can help.

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UAA’s Clubs & Greek Life organizations offer opportunities and community

By Karolin Anders

sports@thenorthernlight.org

The Student Clubs and Greek life office is part of UAA’s Student Life and Leadership office and offers various opportunities to enrich students’ experiences on campus. It encourages students to take part on campus to find community, gain leadership, social and personal skills or simply grow as a person.

Emily Wood, natural sciences major with a concentration in environment and minor in biology, is the club council chair at UAA and highly believes in the values of UAA’s clubs.

“I feel like there is a club for every niche at UAA. Just about every major has a club. I think that the clubs really lend to UAA having a traditional college feel because we definitely have an extremely alternative campus.

I think that having the clubs legitimize UAA as a real college.

You don’t just have to come to campus and leave,” Wood said.

UAA offers more than 179 registered student clubs and organizations and six Greek organizations. The clubs support various interests such as different academic programs, professional career tracks, religions, cultures, sports, hobbies and more.

Academic and pre-professional clubs include the business related Accounting club or Finance ad Investments club, the International Aviation co-ed fraternity Alpha Eta Rho, medi-

cal related associations such as the PreMed and Pre-Pharmacy clubs, several engineering clubs focusing on women engineers, civil or mechanic engineering and several political associations.

Ali Nanez, biological and natural science major, is a member of UAA’s pre-med club and AMSA, American Medical Student Association. Nanez plans on going to the pre-med route and describes her membership in those two organization as highly supportive.

“The PreMed club and AMSA offer a lot of support in getting into medical school and a lot of help on preparing for med school. The involvement with these clubs also helps me in many different ways. By meeting new people, becoming friends and preparing for the MCAT together or even just giving tips to each other for classes.

Also, there are a lot of volun-

teering options that will benefit my application when applying to med schools,” Nanez said.

The clubs invite professionals to give speeches regarding their particular fields of interest, organize events or projects and engage with the community. The meeting times are generally decided on by the clubs themselves to best fit their members’ time schedules. Students that are interested in joining basically just have to show up during those official meeting times and introduce themselves.

Wood highly encourages everyone to take advantage of the clubs UAA has to offer.

“It is a really great way to become part of the present audio of UAA. It starts to feel a lot more like home and worthwhile for staying here. I think as soon as you start to get into that groove here at UAA, you start to see this is actually a pretty valuable environment and has a lot to of-

fer,” Wood said.

There is a way to start your own club if none of the existing ones meet your needs. You only need a minimum of four members to fulfill the required positions of president, secretary, treasurer, and club council representative with all holding GPA’s of at least 2.25. The Student Clubs and Greek Life’s professional staff offers guidance and support for registering a new club as well as Greek life organizations.

At UAA, students can become members of four different fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Phi Kappa Theta and Alpha Sigma Phi, and two sororities, Sigma Sigma Sigma and Alpha Sigma Alpha. Those Greek life organizations are dedicated to developing equal and diverse communities valuing collaboration, leadership skills, and personal, social, and intellectual experi-

ences. All students who want to become involved are welcome to apply for official recruitment.

Diëgo Perez, recent aviation technology graduate with a minor in business administration, was actively involved in establishing the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at UAA in 2013. He later was a member from Jan. 2014 until he graduated in the spring of 2017. In Tau Kappa Epsilon, he found a community that represented his core values of professionalism, respect, loyalty and an attribute of ambition.

“Tau Kappa Epsilon boosted my college experience by exposing me to other university clubs, organizations, athletic events, and activities around campus.

I would always have a group of fraters/friends down to go to events/activities. Best part was getting the word about where and when UAA has free food.

Outside the social college life, it helped me with my academics; such as getting into the CBPP Leadership Fellows program, winning scholarships, and the resources to get better grades,” Perez said.

The numerous Greek life organizations represent different values and offer a community throughout one’s college experience. Additionally, UAA’s various clubs accommodate almost every major at UAA and therefore, provide academic and professional support. Why not enrich your college experience by getting involved on campus?

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Freshman FAQ’s

First time freshmen are often full of questions on how to navigate collegiate life, in and out of classes. Here are some answers to the most common queries

ing out competing services such as Amazon, Chegg and Craigslist, dedicated to renting and trading used textbooks at a much lower cost than you will find at the bookstore. If you are unsure if you truly need the required text for a certain class, wait until the first day of lecture and ask the professor directly if they do not address the issue. Again, always ask your professor for assistance in finding the right one and check outside sources for competing prices.

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Jake Pospisil

features2@thenorthernlight.org

Food First and foremost, food and where to find it. While it may seem that the only options available on campus to get your grub on are at Subway and the newly installed Caliente, located adjacent to each other on the ground level of the Student Union, that is not the case. In addition to these tried-and-true staples of UAA, the campus also boasts numerous coffee shops and more recently, a panini/coffee shop combo situated on the third floor of the Engineering building across from the Student Union Bookstore. If you’re low on funds or just a need a snack, the UAA Den provides free food multiple times throughout the week served by students for students. If none of these options piqued your interest, another cost saving tip for those burnt out on sandwiches and burritos is to bring your own lunch.

Library & study spots While the UAA Consortium and ARLIS libraries both provide ample study spots, decent wifi, group study rooms, printing and a wide range of other services, sometimes you need a change of scenery to finish that 20-page research paper you should have started months ago.

A few non-library study spots to check out throughout the school year include the second floor of the Fine Arts building, the Wells Fargo Pool area bleachers and more recently the new sky bridge connecting the Engineering and Health Sciences building across Providence Dr. The libraries’ fall semester hours as of now are 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. during the school week.

Financial aid and class registration A great starting point in planning out not only freshman year but giving yourself a solid

blueprint for your next years of college is to always strategize and discuss your options with a counselor familiar with your major. The name of your counselor can be found under the “DegreeWorks” link, an excellent credit and class tracking program available to all students on the Uaonline website accessed via your blackboard login information. The University Center is located about two miles from campus and hosts a variety of student services including enrollment services, financial aid and a testing center amongst other useful services.

Parking The Parking Services office is located in the Eugene Short Hall room 2601 and can assist you in all of your parking questions and concerns. Now is the time to purchase your parking permit at a discount as the Annual Pass is available much cheaper until August 14. Check the campus map to determine where your classes are located and which lot will work best for you. Permits and other services are available at uaa.thepermitstore.com.

Events UAA hosts multiple campus wide events throughout the academic year including Campus Kick-Off, homecoming and a variety of comedy and musical shows in the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. The Student Life & Leadership office and the Student Union Information desk staff can assist you in getting connected to different events across campus and the calendar of upcoming events. The Gear Room, situated next to the Information desk rents outdoor equipment such as skis, hammocks and kayaks at a discounted rate to students throughout the school year and summer.

Textbooks ane clickers Avoid the financial hurdle of purchasing textbooks by check-

Housing Whether you are planning on living on or commuting to campus, finding the right housing for yourself is the key to success. As upperclassmen, living off campus offers more freedom and cheaper accommodations but comes at the price of commuting daily and distancing yourself from the University’s environment. The UAA Housing Office can help you navigate your living situation if you choose to reside on campus, while posters plastered around UAA message boards can lead you in the direction of finding suitable off campus housing as well.

BlackBoard This free service is the crux of your academic endeavors while at UAA and to be successful, you need to become a master at it. Blackboard is an application and website that lists your current and previous classes, professors, and most importantly your grades. Staying on top of Blackboard updates is vital to turning in assignments on time and keeping up-to-date with class announcements and changes.

Clubs & Greek Life The university boasts an impressive amount of clubs, sororities, and fraternities for incoming and current students to become a member of. The Student Clubs & Greek Life office is located on the second floor of the Student Union near the coffee shop. This office is a hub of information related to clubs and Greek life that will help you to choose which academic or social extracurricular here on campus best fits you and your schedule.

Commuter tips Incoming commuter students should always remember to plan your class schedule accordingly. Becoming familiar with the campus layout can help you determine where the best lot to park is and to estimate your travel time between buildings.

Finding a parking lot centrally located to your classes will minimize your time spent moving and parking between classes which can take up your valuable time throughout the day. Make a habit of bringing all of your necessary items such as books and chargers in your backpack or purse with you throughout the day if you plan on being on campus for extended periods of time.

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Thr Gear Room is located on the second floor of the Student Union next to the Info Desk.

Gear Room offers rental equipment to UAA students and staff

By Sam Davenport editor@thenorthernlight.org

Students, faculty and staff at UAA can take advantage of any gear available in The Gear Room, located upstairs in the Student Union.

Reservations for equipment must be made in person, and all reservations require a valid UAA ID. Renting equipment provides an opportunity to try a new sport or outdoor activity, and low rental prices make affordability an option for many college students.

Equipment rentals vary depending on the season. Currently, The Gear Room is renting

out mountain bikes, backpacks, coolers, compasses, stoves, tents, canoes, sea kayaks, dry gear and bear spray. Prices for equipment rentals vary on the item.

In the winter months, The Gear Room offers ice skates, skating skis, cross country skis, boots and poles, snowboards, snowboard boots and snowshoes.

Students are able to rent items for a day, weekends or a week at a time. Sizes range in gear so all students can rent equipment. Two pieces of equipment are available per student per reservation.

For more information about rentals, call 786-1204.

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Late nights: The best places to study around the university area

By Chance Townsend

ctownsend@thenorthernlight.org

Studying is an essential part of student life and distractions can severely impair your ability to focus and get your work done.

Finding a good place to study can greatly improve your ability to focus, learn, retain information and improve the speed at which you can perform your research. Everyone is different and the location that’s best for you may not be best for someone else, so don’t try to fit your study sessions into an environment that doesn’t suit you. Ultimately, the best place for you to study is the place where you find yourself able to concentrate the best and get your work done.

When looking for a place to study on campus, many students prefer the library for a plethora of reasons, varying from its location to the dorms, the computers or just the calming atmosphere.

“Usually I go to the sky bridge closest to the library, that’s the one I like the most cause there’s a lot of privacy there, or just the library in general,” Hayley Hannah, undeclared major, said.

The library is open late for UAA students and during finals, they extend their hours to 2 a.m.

“When I study, it’s usually at the library, cause it’s quiet and they’re open until 11 p.m., so it’s perfect,” Patrick Newman, physical education major, said.

For those who don’t fancy the library, there are a multitude of alternatives on or near campus.

“One of my favorite spots

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Located on the corner of Lake Otis and Tudor, Golden Donuts is one of the few 24-hour sites in Anchorage.

is upstairs in the art building,” Jamie Logan, sociology major, said. “There are like three little cubbies where you can plug your computer like in the library, and it’s really nice and quiet there too.”

Many people who attend UAA don’t live on campus, but there are plenty of spots near or around UAA to go.

“During finals week, I really like the library because it’s open till 2 a.m. I’ll study in the library until 2 a.m. and after I’d go to Village Inn which is off campus.

They’re open 24 hours a day, they have outlets, you can order

food or coffee, which is nice,” Serina Wesson, civil engineering major, said.

During the semester Village Inn can get very busy, as many students have this as their prime late night study spot destination. Denny’s is another 24 hour breakfast establishment that many college students venture to.

“Regularly during the semester, I study at the ANSEP building a lot because I’m an ANSEP student. Both of the engineering buildings are very nice, so I study there sometimes and ConocoPhillips, the Kaladis in

the Social Sciences Building and Black Cup Coffee off campus, or any coffee shop really,” Wesson said. “I used to go to Leroy’s until the wifi went out.

It’s really nice there, sometimes they’d even give me free coffee cause I show up so often. They saw me there studying for like four hours and they were like, ‘Oh no girl, you’re not allowed to pay for this coffee, it’s on us.’”

Coffee shops like Black Cup and Cafe Loco Espresso are open until 10 p.m. and Boom!

Coffee on Arctic is open 24 hours.

For the non-coffee lovers,

try Golden Donuts on Tudor Rd which is open 24 hours except for Mondays and Sundays. Oriental Garden is open until 2 a.m. for those who like Asian cuisine with their homework.

No matter the destination, it’s up to the individual to chose where to study. For those who stay on campus or want to study on campus, there are various places to chose, from the library, the sky bridge or the fine arts building. Regardless of which type of study environment one desires, chances are there’s a perfect space waiting out there on campus.

Need some extra cash? Check out Experimental Economics Lab UAA’s Experimental Economics Laboratory is an easy way for students to make money taking part in game-like experiments

PHOTO BY AMMON SWENSON

Students take part in an experiment at the UAA Experimental Economics Laboratory.

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

After paying for tuition, books and living expenses, it’s not hard for students to be short on cash, but the Experimental Economics Laboratory at UAA might be a solution for a quick buck.

By signing up to participate

in experiments, UAA students can get paid while helping researchers learn more about average individuals’ economic decisions.

Rather than hooking participants up to gadgets and wires, the subjects have their own computer stations where they take part in the experiments, which professor and former Rasmuson Chair of Economics Jim Murphy likens to games.

“We actually put [students] in a situation where they’re making economic decisions, and the amount of money that [they] earn is based on how things go in the game,” Murphy said.

The times and time commitments for experiments vary, but a participant will make $5 just for showing up on time, which is essential.

“After that, it’s up to you to earn your money,” Murphy said.

The experiments can include competitive or cooperative market simulations and individual decision-making exercises, but you don’t need to be an expert on the subjects. The researchers try to make the games as simple and understandable as possible.

“It’s definitely not the case that business majors and economics majors have a strategic advantage in these types of games,” Murphy said.

Garrison Thoreoux is a mechanical engineering student at UAA and has participated in three experiments so far.

“My friend told me he got like 40 bucks for half an hour worth of work, so I was hooked instantly,” Thoreoux said.

The most recent experiment Thoreoux attended was a buyer and seller situation. Using the computer software in the lab, the room was divided into buyers and sellers with the goal of making as much profit as possible.

While students might not make stacks of cash after an experiment, there’s usually enough for a bite to eat.

“Most times you make enough to go buy a Subway sandwich,” Thoreoux said.

Unlike some experiments where the participant might not get all of the information regarding the goal of the exercise, Murphy said the researchers

aren’t trying to deceive anyone.

Doing so would only negatively affect the results of the experiment.

“We never have any tricks up our sleeve and we try to be as open and transparent about what we’re doing,” Murphy said.

The researchers are often assisted by a handful of economics undergraduates who work from a control room off of the lab.

Economics students can sometimes take the lead on experiments and the experience they get can be valuable on a resume or when applying to graduate school. Some of the exercises are even incorporated in class work, as using games to apply certain principles is more engaging than graphs on a whiteboard.

The Experimental Economics Laboratory was started in 2003 with the help of 2002 Nobel laureate in economics and first UAA Rasmusen Chair of Economics Vernon Smith.

UAA’s Experimental Economics program is ranked in the top 10 percent of it’s type internationally by RePEc, an independent resource for economic research.

For more information on taking part in experiments or the Experimental Economics Laboratory go to econlab.uaa.alaska. edu.

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College Cookbook: Stocking your new kitchen Is sriracha the only thing calling your kitchen home? Gather these essentials and make your kitchen a place to cook and create

By Victoria Petersen

Your cabinets are empty and so is your stomach. Back at home your parents stocked the kitchen with what probably seemed like an endless supply of spices, vinegars and oils for any and every occasion. Now you’re sitting in your dorm room or new college apartment with a bag of frozen chicken, a box of minute rice, an old pan your parents gave you and absolutely no idea how to feed yourself.

Have no fear. College Cookbook is here to help you pick a handful of essentials that will take your food in many different directions and will last you at least a semester or two without breaking the bank.

Contributor

• Salt and pepper is a must. Add cinnamon, ginger and chili powder and an Italian seasoning mix. These ingredients can take your food from sweet, to spicy to savory. To add more sweetness to your life invest in some vanilla extract and some honey of agave, whatever you prefer.

• Soy sauce and olive oil will become essentials, so maybe buy these in bulk.

• Look for a cheap electric blender. You can find a small one for about $20.

This will help you make things like smoothies, salsa, pesto... the list goes on.

• A crock pot or slow cooker can do the cooking for you while you’re in class. Have a warm soup simmering away while you’re in class so you can come home and dinner is done. With recipes from bread to stews to cake, the slow cooker can almost do it all.

• A cookie sheet pan will of course allow you to make cookies, but will also allow you to bake an entire meal on one pan. Bake some chicken and vegetables on one pan or maybe bake some homemade bread.

• A Stock pot can help you make pasta and soups, but can also be used to make casseroles in the oven.

• Make pancakes, quesadillas, eggs and so much more with a frying pan.

• You’ll need a can opener to get any canned vegetables, juice or meat open.

• Use a colander to strain pasta or wash fresh veggies in.

• A spatula and large stirring spoon are essential for cooking, stirring and flipping anything while you’re using your pans, pots or baking sheets.

• Chop, mince, julienne and cut your food with a chefs knife. Do all this on your cutting board, as not to ruin your rental’s countertops.

• Measuring cups and spoons will help you follow recipes with accuracy.

• This is a bare bones list of what you’ll need to be a successful college cook. Feel free to add spices and sauces per your taste.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017

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Pigs and memories at the Hugh McPeck gallery “Neon Guardians’ Invisible Traits” examines memory and cultural perceptions of the pig

PHOTOS BY AMMON SWENSON

A piggy bank at So Jung Park’s “Neon Guardians’ Invisible Traits” exhibition at UAA’s Hugh McPeck gallery.

By Ammon Swenson arts@thenorthernlight.org

The current show at the Hugh McPeck Art Gallery in UAA’s Student Union is an interactive exhibit examining memory and cultural perceptions of certain objects.

“Neon Guardians’ Invisible Traits” was conceived by California-based artist So Jung Park. The exhibit’s sparse focus is several pink or green transparent piggy banks, a few small drawings and a banner of a half pig head, half piggy bank impaled on a stake.

Visitors are instructed to write memories they want to either remember or forget on pro-

vided slips of paper and place them in the corresponding piggy bank.

“I was just interested in piggy banks and how the image of the pig referenced different cultural meanings versus Asia and Western [societies],” Park said.

In her home country of South Korea, pigs can represent prosperity, while in America they can be seen as a symbol of greed. Playing on this theme of pigs and wealth, Park wanted show the value of memories over money.

“You don’t have to think about it too deeply, I think,” Jessika Brocker, a nursing student at UAA, said.

Brocker stopped by the opening reception for “Neon Guard-

ians’” on July 25 and was reluctant to say what memories she put into the piggy banks.

“Oh, that’s kind of personal.”

When asked if there was anything she might get out of adding a memory to the collection, Brocker wasn’t thinking about some sort of cathartic release.

“I imagine that someone will read it eventually and maybe be able to relate to it,” Brocker said.

Park doesn’t have any immediate plans for the memories, but she hopes to recreate this exhibit in South Korea and eventually compare the responses from the two shows.

The drawings Park sent along with her piggy banks were representations of her perceptions of pigs. Some drawings are at-

Piggy banks displayed at So Jung Park’s “Neon Guardian’s Invisible Traits” exhibition at UAA’s Hugh McPeck gallery.

tached to mirrors so the viewer can look at the illustration and see themselves reflected in the piece.

Park’s most recent show was also interactive. She used video and lights reflecting through clear Mylar in a space that allowed viewers to walk around and fully experience the entire exhibit.

For this show, she wanted to do something similarly engaging for the viewer.

“I want them to feel like [they’re] part of the show,” Park said.

Park is the most recent winner if UAA’s annual “No Big Heads” self portrait competition which won her this current exhibition. She’s a recent gradu-

ate of CalArts and has lived in Northern Virginia and Sydney, Australia. She considers herself a painter, but was exposed to different mediums through her art school instructors.

The “No Big Heads” exhibition is unique in that its UAA’s only national exhibition, according to “I think it’s cool, because this is an artist you may not see normally,” Haley said. “Usually we host students or Anchorage community clubs, organizations. So, I think it’s pretty cool to see what someone from another state can send up and display.”

“Neon Guardians’ Invisible Traits” will be on display until Aug. 15.

A tired story doesn’t drag down ‘Headshot’s’ ferocious spectacle

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

You don’t need to read this review to know what to expect from “Headshot,” a go-for-broke martial arts romp from Indonesia. It’s right there in the title and, like the title, subtlety isn’t in the movie’s vocabulary. This is a movie that won’t settle for one shot to the head, though. No. How about 15 shots? 20? The most I counted was 40 for one henchman. In fact, “Headshot” pushes itself in every aspect, for better or worse.

It’s mostly for the better.

The worse is the story. A brutal convict named Mr. Lee (Sunny Pang) escapes from prison, leaving enough bodies behind him to fill a “John Wick” movie.

Soon after, a nameless man (Iko Uwais) washes up on a kindly fisherman’s beach. The man

takes him to the hospital where lies in a coma for two months with the smitten Dr. Ailin (Chelsea Islan) looking after him. After he wakes up, Mr. Lee, for reasons unknown, kidnaps Ailin and wants the man, who he calls Abdi, dead.

It’s your typical damsel-indistress story, unaided by Uwais and Islan’s lackluster chemistry.

Narratively, “Headshot” shines in exploring the darker side of humanity. With a gritty-as-hell visual style and raw fight scenes, the movie can be borderline unpleasant. It revels in the world’s underbelly, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Sunny Pang’s performance as Mr. Lee. No one expects good dramatic acting in a martial arts movie.

If it’s there, it raises the whole.

If it isn’t, the fight scenes can pick up the slack. “Headshot” has a little bit of both. Iko Uwais is one of the best martial artists

working right now, but his gravitas is purely physical. He doesn’t inspire much feeling beyond “Oh my god, did you see that?”

Sunny Pang, on the other hand, has physical and dramatic prowess. His Mr. Lee is like a soccer dad gone rogue, all smiles and quiet amusement when he’s not stabbing necks with chopsticks.

The movie builds to his final confrontation with Abdi, and it’s a doozy. What the Mo Brothers do with it, however, is unexpected. Over the movie’s nearly two hour running time, they simplify the setting, removing all miseen-scene so, by the end, it’s as simple as you can get. Here, the movie realizes its potential by returning to the basics: no guns, no knives, just two consummate martial artists battling it out in one room. It’s excessive all the same, but “Headshot” wouldn’t have it any other way.

TITLE “Headshot”

DIRECTORS The Mo Brothers

RELEASE DATE Dec. 8, 2016

COUNTRY Indonesia

GENRE Martial arts

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SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017

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Continued budget uncertainties for the 2017-18 year After an uncertain and emotional year for several of UAA’s athletic teams, the previous monetary difficulties have yet to be resolved

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

The 2016-17 school year proved to be a very difficult year for the University of Alaska system, with large budget constraints and uncertain direction, the athletic teams faced the most impact. In fall of 2016, UA President Jim Johnsen made a proposal to direct attention towards athletics in order to solve budgetary constraints. In a last ditch effort, that was later overturned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Johnsen proposed the cut of UAA skiing and indoor track and field.

Due to strict regulations regarding gender equality and a minimum quota of sports teams to qualify a school to be in the Division II rankings, the NCAA overturned Johnsen’s proposal.

However, with hockey and gymnastics qualifying as the only Division I sports at UAA, their safety is still not guaranteed for the 2017-18 year.

With continued budget cuts, athletics is still a target. In June 2017, an additional $8 million was decided to be cut by the state Legislature’s six-member conference committee. The budget proposition was debated and discussed for a significant amount of time, but the final decision was a much softer blow, according to Johnsen, than the original proposition of a $22 million cut.

“While this isn’t the number

we hoped for, given the state’s fiscal challenges and the real possibility of a much deeper cut I am relieved the Legislature has taken another step forward,” Johnsen said.

In an email to students and staff in June, UA President Jim Johnsen said an $8 million cut would “severely impact” UA services and would result in the total reduction of $61 million, or 16 percent, over the past four years.

“We’re going to continue ad-

vocating for what we need while planning for what we might get,” Johnsen said.

For the 2017 fiscal year, the athletic department was on a $10.36 million budget, while the sports teams alone had a total budget of $4.33 million.

Hockey was by far the most expensive sport – with a budget of $1,347,311.

In an uncertain time, it came as a surprise that UAA’s most expensive sport - and generally the least certain for the future -

brought in twelve new freshmen for the 2017-18 season.

Of those twelve, nine are coming in as international students, one other as an out-ofstate student and two locals.

With the staggering and increasing costs of attendance at UAA for non-in-state students, the vast majority of out-of-state athletes are swayed to come to Alaska on either partial or full scholarships.

It was earlier announced by former UAA athletic director

Keith Hackett that the majority of student-athletes come in with some financial help from the UA system.

“Out of UAA’s roughly 180 athletes, 152 receive some sort of scholarship aid, partial or full scholarships, with even the option of summer aid for others who aren’t offered other financial aid,” Hackett said.

With the vast amount of student-athletes receiving aa large amount amount of incoming athletes to join UAA, it is being speculated by many about the allocation of money in a time of even more monetary restrictions compared to the 2017 fiscal year.

Noted by the State of Alaska FY-2018 Governor’s Operating Budget, it was announced that the drastic budget decrease will have increased consequences on academic and student affairs in the upcoming year.

In addition to allocate money efficiently to avoid unfavorable consequences, Johnsen and interim chancellor Sam Gingerich, as well as the board of reagents will take charge into Phase 3 of the Strategic Pathways review starting this fall.

For more information on the UA System budget or the strategic pathways, visit www.alaska. edu. graphic courtesy of ADN was published in an article in November 2016

Tanya Ho named head coach of Seawolf gymnastics

Ho is the second head gymnastics coach UAA has had in 34 years

By Karolin Anders

sports@thenorthernlight.org

After 33 years, UAA’s first and only head gymnastics coach Paul Stoklos announced his retirement at the end of the past school year. On July 20, 2017, interim athletic director Tim McDiffett introduced Tanya Ho as the new and just second head coach in 34 years of Seawolf gymnastics history.

“We think Coach Ho is a great fit for UAA Athletics and as a leader of our current and future women’s gymnastics student-athletes. Most importantly, I think she comes to UAA with a vision of where she wants to take the program,” McDiffett said.

Ho is the first addition to UAA’s gymnastic coaching staff for the 2017-18 campaign. She will be welcomed by Alina Cartwright, who just finished her first season as assistant coach for UAA. Ho encountered UAA’s gymnastics team as a former competitor and coach in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for 13 years. A native of Elk Grove in California, Ho stayed

close to home while competing collegiately at UC Davis. There she became the most successful gymnast in program history.

The 2010 MPSF Gymnast of the Year captured 13 All-MPSF honors including the MPSF allaround title (2008) and tying for the MPSF vault title (2007). She also became the first Aggie to qualify for three NCAA Regional meets before graduating with a degree in exercise biology in 2010.

Ho served as volunteer assistant coach for two years at UC Davis before joining Sacramento State’s coaching staff in 2012. Her coaching experiences made her well aware of the competitive level of the NCAA, their regulations and the recruiting landscape as well as the athletic and academic values of being a student athlete. As an assistant coach at Sacramento State, her main events of responsibility were balance beam, 2013-15, and uneven parallel bars, 201617. She produced various MPSF champions as well as NCAA Regional qualifiers in those two events. For her excellent work with the Hornets, Ho was named MPSF Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016.

During Ho’s athletic and coaching career, former UAA head coach Paul Stoklos already caught sight of her and considered her a valuable member of the gymnastics community.

“Observing Tanya [Ho] as a coach at meets and having seen her as a competitor, I always thought she had the potential to be a terrific head coach someday. Bottom line, she will do a great job,” Stoklos said.

Ho is excited about her new task and expressed her desire to maintain the tradition of high academic excellence that the Seawolf’s gymnastics team is well known for. In 2016 eight of the 16 Seawolves landed on the MPSF All-Academic team and two of those individuals, Simone Penker and Marie-Sophie Boggasch, graduated with perfect GPAs of 4.0.

“This is a tremendous opportunity, and I hope to continue the culture of academic and athletic success,” Ho said.

Ho will bring athletic innovation while aiming to maintain the past tradition of academic success as the head coach during the 2017-18 campaign at UAA.

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Katie Bono’s record breaking climb of Denali Katie Bono set the women’s speed record and third fastest time overall up the mountain in 21 hours, 6 minutes

PHOTOS BY AMMON SWENSON

Katie Bono while training at 13,500 ft. elevation for her speed ascent.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAVANNAH CUMMINS, @SAV.CUMMINS

Katie Bono at Kahilna Glacier base camp, which stands at 7,200 ft. elevation.

By Karolin Anders

sports@thenorthernlight.org

Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, attracts numerous individuals during the summer season between May and July. Tourists enjoy flight tours over the mountain range with the possibility of a short landing on it; backcountry climbing and mountaineering are what attracts most outdoor enthusiasts to Denali.

Every year, the Walter Harper Talkeetna ranger station provides summaries of the mountaineering activities and conditions in Denali National Park and Preserve. Mike Connolly, one of the rangers at the Walter Harper station, describes this climbing season as quite challenging due to the weather conditions.

“In this 2017 climbing season, it seems that summit weather windows were fewer and farther between than average years. The daily Denali recreational forecast repeatedly stated low pressure, cold temperatures and snow showers. The summit percentage rate is also quite telling of the weather. It is lower than the annual average rate of 50 percent,” Connolly said.

In mid-July, the mountain climbing season was announced completed and registrations closed for the 2017

season due to the weather conditions. The summit rate stayed low at 42 percent, as only 495 of the 1189 climbers reached the top.

One of them was Katie Bono, 29, who did so with record breaking speed. On June 13 and 14, Bono became the first woman to make an official speed ascent of Denali via the classic West Buttress Route. Bono, originally from Minnesota and now living in Colorado, has a background in backcountry and cross country ski racing and is also a well-experienced mountaineer. She has guided trips up Denali and Rainier before attempting her climb this summer.

Bono managed the round-trip ascent from base camp at 7,200 feet to Denali’s 20,310 foot summit in an astonishing 21 hours, 6 minutes. Only two men have been reported to have accomplished that round-trip faster than her: Kilian Jornet, 11:48, in 2014, and Ed Warren, 16:46, in 2013.

Bono’s preparation for her climb was quite different than one might imagine. She spent the last year and a half fulfilling pre-requisites for med school, studying for the MCAT and volunteering at a hospital. The time remaining, she mainly used to train her cardio.

“With my schedule, it wasn’t easy to fit everything in.

I didn’t have much time to train for technical objectives, but I had time to train cardio,” Bono said.

On May 20, Bono arrived at Kahiltna Glacier base camp at 7,200 feet above sea level with climber and photographer Savannah Cummins. There, Bono pursued some acclimatization trips before her first unsuccessful attempt of climbing Denali on June 7, when she climbed about 18,000 feet. but had to turn around.

“The weather was okay and could have gone either way, but a cap descended on the mountain when I was at 18,100 feet and I had to descend along with all the other people who were trying to summit that day,” Bone said.

Her decision to wait it out at base camp until another weather window would open up for her second attempt of summiting Denali shows her determination and dedication. The next window opened about a week later on July 13.

When Bono left on July 13 at 6:01 a.m., she skied from base camp until she reached the 14,000 foot mark where she traded her skis for crampons, which are traction devices that can be attached to footwear improving one’s mobility on snow and ice. She then continued on hiking instead of skiing before reaching the summit in only 14 hours and 45 minutes. After reaching the summit, her thoughts regarded a safe return home when she decided to postpone skiing until the 14,000 ft. margin.

“For me, it wasn’t comfortable skiing from the summit. I wanted to keep a high safety margin,” Bono said.

She returned to base camp on July 14 at 3:07 a.m.

Even though Bono’s record is impressive, she thinks she could have even been faster with improved weather conditions and a more thorough training regimen. Losing her water bottle half way up the mountain introduced an additional challenge.

Still, the prospective medical school student put a mark out there for all climbers and mountaineers to aim for as the fasted recorded female and third fastest time overall. She set a challenge for future generations and led as example of determination and drive.

Intramural sports encourages athleticism, camaraderie

By Chance Townsend

ctownsend@thenorthernlight.org

At UAA, intramural sports are open to all students on campus. A group of friends, student organizations or roommates can come together and form teams that will play each other in a variety of organized sports or activities.

There are currently three sports offered: 5-on-5 basketball, indoor soccer and volleyball.

Intramurals not only promote teamwork and competition, but also offer a way to connect with other students and relieve stress from school.

Alexus Tisega, a pre-med student, works for the intramural office and plays both basketball and volleyball in the program.

“Working with the intramural team is quite amazing.

It is super easy, and fun to watch teams compete,” Tisega said. “Being able to ref the games isn’t as hard to learn as it looks. Although some students get frustrated with the refs, they still come back after the game to thank us.

We all just have a fun time around each other, and we’re super easy going people.”

The participation fee is only $10 per sport for students who are interested in joining.

“I didn’t know about intramurals until my second semester of freshman year when I had a few friends ask me if I played basketball and wanted to join their team. I was super stoked because I hadn’t played in awhile, and

I was finally going to be able to be apart of a team,” Tisega said. “Intramurals were designed to bring the student campus closer, and I think throughout the many years, it has done exactly just that. I have met some of the most amazing people playing in intramurals, and I consider them some of my closest friends.”

A friend of Tisega’s and teammate, Tre’von Hinkle, psychology major, also took part in the intramural program. Hinkle participated in basketball, and also played in the spring team challenge, a team challenge across multiple sports including stick ball, dodgeball and water polo.

“It was a great bonding experience, I got to see different personalities of my friends you don’t usually get to see on a daily basis,” Hinkle said. “Of course, it’s a great way to get in shape and stay healthy while having fun and competing with your friends.”

Intramurals allow students to ignite or continue their drive for competition and sport whether they win or lose.

Chase Alexander, a physical education major, played indoor soccer and says that intramurals are great for meeting new people of varying levels of experience.

“You can join random teams or a team of a roommate if you don’t mind going up against people with more or less experience than you,” Alexander said. “It’s fun and great for bonding with friends and getting involved on campus.”

That’s not to say intramural sports are the only way to get involved, but it is one of the many routes people take. Being involved with other organizations and meet-

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

ing new students is one way students can dive into the college experience.

While there aren’t that many sports offered, every sport reaches an individual at some level. The main drive behind the sports that are offered is for people to have fun, make friends and be a part of a competitive atmosphere.

SPORTS

16

Meet UAA’s freshmen athletes

To kick off the 2017-18 school year and athletic seasons, some of UAA’s incoming student-athletes shared their goals now that they’ve reached the collegiate level

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIRK ESTES

Glover playing in his first game on the Lone Star Brahmas in 2016.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

With the loss of many talented student-athletes after the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year and sports seasons, UAA coaches are in recruitment mode to rebuild their teams. A majority of teams have made official announcements and have signed on new athletes, while some are keeping the information private.

As of now, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, skiing and gymnastics have announced official additions. The only teams lacking public information through UAA Athletics is cross-country and track and field.

Through UAA Athletic’s official sign-

ings, volleyball has two new freshmen, men’s basketball with four, women’s basketball with three, hockey with twelve, skiing with one and gymnastics with one.

These additions only include first-time freshmen and not transfers.

For volleyball, the additions include Jalisa Ingram from Flagstaff, Arizona, Vera Pluharova from Nechanice, Czech Republic and Casey Davenport from Auburn, Washington.

Pluharova is one of many freshmen that comes from out of the country. From the Czech Republic, Pluharova ultimately decided to come to UAA because of the ample opportunities it offers.

“Well, I was offered a scholarship at UAA first, then I decided to go there because Czech universities don’t offer the

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHUGIAK ATHLETICS

Pinckney runs the ball past an East High competitor in one of the final games of her senior year.

opportunity to play a sport and study,” Pluharova said. “I would like to become as good as possible, and with the UAA team, I think I will have to opportunity to excel.”

Recruitment at UAA often spans not just across of the nation but worldwide with athletes coming from thirteen foreign countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Kenya, Latvia, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.

Pluharova is just one of many who was given an exceptional opportunity at UAA. Staying mostly local, men’s basketball acquired Kylan Osborne from Anchorage, Brennan Rymer from Sydney, Australia, Eric Jenkins from Anchorage and Austin White from Ninilchik.

As noted in a previous article from The Northern Light, the upcoming basketball season and team for the 2017-18 year holds an interesting twist as Kylan Osborne steps onto the team with his father, Rusty Osborne, still holds the position as the head coach.

As for women’s basketball, Nicole Pinckney from Chugiak, Sala Langi from Pacifica, California and Tennae Voliva from Anchorage.

With another unique set of circumstances, Sala Langi joins the teams as a first-time freshman but as a junior-transfer, Sala’s older sister Victoria Langi is also joining the Seawolves from Skyline College in California.

Staying mostly local, in contrast to Pluharova traveling all the way across the world to come to UAA, Pinckney chose the opposite course by staying close to home only coming from Chugiak.

“I wanted to stay close to family and friends, that way they could come to watch games,” Pinckney said. “I had watched many of the UAA women’s basketball games when I was younger, and I always thought it would be cool to be like them and be able to play at UAA. It just felt like the right place to go, and not to mention they are three time [Great Northwest Athletic Conference] champs.”

(Pinckney runs the ball past an East High competitor in one of the final games of her senior year. Photo credit: Chugiak Athletics) UAA also benefits from Pinckney’s valuable skills. In her senior year in high school, she hit over 1,000 career points and was nominated as the McDonald’s All-American for her 2016-17 season.

This success she gained in high school only solidified her motivation to play collegiate basketball.

“These next couple years I just want to become the best basketball player I can be, gain new friends and family along the way, and make the UAA trophy collection grow,” Pinckney said.

With the largest amount of additions, hockey added twelve freshmen: Brody Claeys from Manitoba, Canada; Drake Glover from Anchorage; Joe Sofo from Sylvania, Ohio; Brandon Switzer from Manitoba, Canada; Jason Lavallee from Quebec, Canada; Cameron Trott from British Columbia, Canada; Eric Sinclair from Ontario, Canada; Jondan Xavier from Alberta, Canada; Trey deGraff from Alberta, Canada; Kristian Stead from British Columbia, Canada; Aaron McPheters from Anchorage; Zac Masson from Ontario, Canada; and Mason Anderson from Anchorage. Anderson redshirted his 2016-17 season but is now playing with freshmen eligibility.

Glover, another local, shares similar opinions as Pinckney for choosing to stay at UAA and looking forward to the next four years.

“I’ve always watched UAA hockey growing up, being from Anchorage, and I’ve always imagined myself playing here. So to actually be able to is unbelievable,” Glover said. “I think one of my goals would be to win a conference championship and go to the NCAA tournament. That would be an unreal experience and it would great for the program.”

Although Glover is coming in as a first-time, local freshman, he competed in a junior hockey league since 2014. The 6’0” forward played on the Weyburn Red Wings from 2014-2016 until transitioning into the North American Hockey League for his last year of juniors.

Glover led the Lone Star Brahmas to their first Robertson Cup and earned playoff MVP honors with 12 points in 11 games during regular season games.

“I think my biggest accomplishment would be winning the league championship last year and it being my last year of junior hockey it was a pretty special way to end my junior career,” Glover said.

Glover is the only first-time freshmen joining the team this year as a local. The vast majority of the newcomers on the hockey team are from Canada, with nine of the twelve freshmen originating from varying provinces.

Skiing and gymnastics currently have the least amount of official new recruits, with skiing gaining Annika Hansen from Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and gymnastics gaining Newport News, Virginia local Hope Nelson.

Both under Associate Athletic Director and Head Coach Michael Friess’ lead, the cross country and track and field teams have no publicly acknowledged recruits.

To stay tuned with the upcoming UAA sport’s seasons, check out the volleyball team’s first home game on Sept. 7 at the Alaska Airlines Center or visit www.goseawolves.com for the full athletic schedule.

SPORTS

17

Radical Recreation: Rather be in the mountains

Aviation tech major and mountain runner places in Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

Some people like to hike mountains, others like to run on them. Conor Deal, aviation technology major with an emphasis on professional piloting, has been mountain running since the age of 13.

Deal loved hiking growing up, so with his competitive personality combined, mountain racing was his calling.

“I started just as a cross training for hockey, it was something that benefited me on the ice. As I grew to love the sport and community of mountain running, I began training a lot harder,” Deal said.

“Once you set a [personal record], there is always that drive to beat it, and I think that is why I’ve become so invested in it, because accomplishing a PR, as well as looking back at the mountain you just crushed is the best feeling.”

The way Deal keeps pushing his PR is a quality that is respected by runners in his training groups.

“Conor’s energy for mountain running is contagious. He’s one of the highest energy people I know and isn’t afraid of setting goals high and getting after the training needed in order to attain them,” Ryan Beckett, training partner, said.

The feeling of completing a mountain marathon is an experience unlike any other. After finishing a race, Deal is ready to start training again for the next marathon.

“I think that the stories and what people view of mount marathon turn some people off, but the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a race is something you only can experience,” Deal said.

“You get instantly hooked and can’t wait to train again, and that’s where the love of mountain running comes into play.”

Deal trains in the mountains four times a week, sometimes more. But, when the suns out, it’s more difficult for him to stay out of the mountains. Training is important for mountain running and through his training is where his natural talent shines.

“Conor’s dedication to training, not just mountain running, is some of the best I’ve seen. Conor isn’t the most naturally

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEEANNE OSGOOD

Conor Deal, aviation technology major, is an avid mountain runner. He most recently participated and placed in the top 10 of the Alaskanman Extreme Triathlon.

talented runner out there, he won’t get mad at me for saying that, he would agree 100 percent,” Ryan Cox, training partner, said. “Lots of runners who are naturally talented tend to rely on that talent and in turn, train less. Conor can’t afford to do that, he has to put in the time and effort to achieve his goals. His work ethic is better than almost all runners with that natural

talent...and that has gained my respect.”

In times where other runners needed motivation through training or a race, they were inspired by Deal, which kept them pushing until the finish.

“I know personally I’ve thought to myself a few times when I was struggling to find motivation or that desire to put in the extra bit of work, ‘Well, if Conor can

do it I know I can do it,’” Cox said.

On July 15, Deal participated in the Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon that consist of a 2.6-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 27-mile run from Seward to Girdwood, according to the Alaskaman website.

“What made me want to do the Alaskaman is the fact that it was the first race of its nature to ever happen in the US, and being from Alaska, I know the course here super well, so I knew exactly what to expect,” Deal said.

Because Deal likes finding ways to push himself even harder, the Alaskaman Triathlon was the perfect goal to pursue.

He was able to train all winter to stay motivated, which helped him in accomplishing the race.

“I did do it this year and surprised myself to a ninth place finish,” Deal said.

“It was so surreal crossing the finish line with all of the emotions, and the amount of people that came and cheered all day was amazing, at one point my ear drums hurt at a checkpoint because I was running through a huge tunnel of people cheering on the event.”

With Deal’s hockey background, using his lower body leg muscles and going fast downhill is his favorite thing about mountain running, besides crossing the finish line of course. Finishing a marathon with the other racers create a bond unlike any other.

“It’s such an adrenaline rush, I also love finishing the races, there’s the feeling of an amazing accomplishment, but all of the other racers are feeling that same exact feeling, and it’s such a fun time to bond and hang out with everybody,” Deal said. “The mountain running community in Anchorage and Alaska is top notch.”

Deal chose his aviation technology major because of his love for flying.

Deal’s father is a captain for Alaska Airlines, which influenced him to eventually join an airline and fly commercially for the rest of his life.

Deal’s goals in the future are to stay in mountain running competitively and to participate in triathlons a lot more, for as long as he can.

OPINION Welcome from UAA Student Body President Alec Burris

Hello Seawolves, Welcome to UAA! I’m sure that you’ve found college to be a much different experience than those of your past. With the decision to attend our university you’ve not only chosen to seek additional education, but you’ve opened up possibilities through which you can pursue your passions. The time that you spend at UAA will define the individual that you become and the level to which you dedicate yourself to your education and your community. We’re very excited to have you here and see how you will distinguish yourself and contribute to our community.

When I came to UAA as a freshman it was my goal to involve myself as much as I could in clubs and organizations. I joined Student Government, the Seawolf Debate Team and even became a tutor for Residence Life. For the majority of us, it’s the experience outside the classroom that that makes our work and dedication pay off. You’ll find that at UAA, no matter your interest you will find a club or organization for you. Wheth-

er you want to write for The Northern Light, broadcast live on KRUA, or advocate through USUAA, there truly are unlimited possibilities if you set your mind to it. If there’s one piece of advice I can give to you, it’s to involve yourself in your hobbies and passions.

At UAA, we’re a community.

From our Chancellor, Sam Gingerich, to our Dean of Students, Ben Morton, we all came to this university because we have a passion for bettering ourselves and those around us. You’ll see that at UAA whether its students, staff, or faculty that you can always find someone who cares about you and your success. Your job now is to contribute to that culture and to show your Seawolf pride. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and that you exit our university with a meaningful degree with the least amount of debt possible.

Alec Burris, Student Body President Email: usuaa.president@alaska.edu Phone: (907) 715-2177

THENORTHERNLIGHT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017

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

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