Fall 2015 Commencement Edition: Section A

Features

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A&E

PAGE 5

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

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Record revival: music’s comeback kid

PHOTOS BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

Obsession records, open for over a year now, sells and buys new and used records.

By Victoria Petersen

vpetersen@thenorthernlight.org In an age where virtually all music is in the palm of our hands, it’s hard to believe why anyone would opt for an outdated analog format of listening to music.

Despite Apple music, Spotify, Tidal, good ol’ fashioned YouTube, and other music sharing software and apps the vinyl revival is well on its way into 2015 and is spearheaded by an unlikely generation - the millennials. Those late teen to thirty-something-year old’s are putting vinyl LP’s (long playing albums) back on the shelf in a neighborhood near you.

One half of all record purchases are by people 25 and younger according to

research done by Music Watch. With over 13 million vinyl albums sold in 2014, this is the highest vinyl sales have been since 1989, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

In Anchorage, vinyl records are available in multiple locations; Title Wave, Barnes and Noble, and Anchorage’s newest record shop Obsession Records.

Obsession Records opened its doors on Nov. 28, 2014. Verna Haynes runs the shop alongside her husband and son where they buy and sell vinyl records as well as electronics, turntables and speakers.

Nostalgia was the main proponent in Steve and Verna Haynes conception of Obsession records. Their collection grew as did their desire to share with the com-

In a search done by Music Watch, over 13 million vinyl albums were sold in 2014.

n o s n o i t a l Congrathuievement!

Your Ac Fall Class of

2015

“Keep on learning, use your talents wisely and be a person who helps build a better future for us all.”

Tom Case, Chancellor

Located on the corner of Tudor and Lake Otis, Obsession Records is Anchorage’s newest record shop.

munity their love of vinyl and music.

“Years ago, my sister dragged home a few boxes of records and we had this nostalgic moment and had so much fun looking through them. All of the sudden, it became this thing and he [Steve] just sort of took off with it. All of a sudden he’s out there and he’s chasing records and collecting, and then we had this huge collection. He wanted to be able to communicate with other people that like vinyl, that like music,” said Vema.

The shop has all walks of life come through the doors, but it’s the millennials that want to take vinyl to the next level, with better sound quality and modern music.

“I’ve got that 20-30 year old range and they got jobs and they can invest in the better turntable and better components, and they are at a point where they can take it a step further. They want better sound, that kind of thing, invest a little more money. They are serious about their vinyl, they want quality vinyl, they want it to sound good. Then you have people like me in their 50’s who are coming back to it.” said Vema.

Hannah Dorough, UAA English major with a love of vinyl, can thank her parents for introducing her to the record world.

Dorough doesn’t think vinyl is coming back, but that it never left.

“I mean, I like it because vinyl is cool.

And you get this awesome feeling when you listen to them. It’s like the musical equivalent to opening that old, dusty book, you know? It’s just cooler to have on vinyl and just feels good to listen to.

Honestly, they never truly went out of style. Like the people who love vinyl still love it, still buy it. Even CD’s are rarely

bought anymore, but the people who love them go out and buy them,” said Dorough.

Local musician Ian Wahl, age 21, grew up listening and playing music.

Wahl appreciates the opportunity vinyl gives you to listen to the music as the artist intended, something Wahl believes is hard to come by.

“I think the appeal has a lot to to with the look and feel of vinyl. I also tend to only listen to older records so it kind of makes me feel closer to the artist that recorded the tracks because that is the way they heard their music and the music that inspired them. In this day you can go online and find almost any song ever recorded and released, but with vinyl you have to hunt through second hand stores and garage sales to fine a certain artist or record which makes listening to it more rewarding. I also like having a whole record because I hear songs that I might otherwise not have on B sides of albums that weren’t remembered. When you go online and look for a certain song you find it and play it and you get the other top 40s hits from that artist and genre but you don’t hear the song in the context of what that artist was feeling and creating at that time.” said Wahl.

With a nostalgia transcending generations and a sense of pride, vinyl gives millennials a fascinating and traditional format of listening to music and expressing themselves. Whether you’re a 50-year-old whose always had a love for vinyl and never believed it went out of style, or a 22-year-old with a box of old records your grandparents gave you, vinyl is here to stay.

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

PHOTO BY SAM DAVENPORT

According to APD officials, the inn’s number of Calls for Service have declined since the reconstruction of 15th Avenue.

By Sam Davenport

content@thenorthernlight.org Anchorage police say community policing has made a once notorious hotel in Fairview a less severe threat.

The Black Angus Inn sits on the corner of Gambell and 15th Avenue. The inn was established in 1960. Guests can rent it by the week, paying approximately $305.76. The location has historically been a magnet for police calls. At its peak over the last five years, officers visited more than once a day on average. Those numbers are down. Police and politicians say it’s a sign that the hotel is improving, though there continues to be challenges.

Anchorage Police officer Sally Jones has worked for APD for 14 years. Jones became attached to Fairview because of the Sarah Project, a UAA project conducted several years ago focusing on the homeless population in the area. According to Jones, Fairview is close to her heart.

She, along with others at APD, have suggested changes to the Black Angus that would lessen Calls for Service.

“We recommended more lighting, we recommended ID’s, we recommended

fencing. That fence that they have now was our idea,” said Jones.

Jones believes that the adjustments made to the inn have helped improve the area, but the inn is still a work in progress.

“With the Black Angus, it’s low income. Usually when people get their first checks or native checks they like to go to the Black Angus,” said Jones.

“They were really doing well, and now they’re sort of dropping again. They have security, sometimes it isn’t the best, but they’re working on it.”

Even though several disputes have been solved at the inn, Jones says that the establishment needs to focus on one of their biggest problems — bedbugs.

“When we go to these places, there are airborne pathogens, somebody has TB, Hepatitis C, and the biggest thing right now is bedbugs. We go into a location and we ask what we’re getting into.”

In 2015, 251 Calls for Service have been generated for the Black Angus Inn. Although this number is high, it has dramatically declined since 2013, when 390 Calls for Service were made, meaning that just over one call per day was made in 2013.

Paul Honeman, University of Alas-

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ka Anchorage police officer and retired APD officer of 23 years, believes that the inn has made changes over the past several years to lower the crime rate in the area. Honeman explains that the Black Angus Inn lost a series of rooms as well as an annex after the reconstruction of 15th Avenue. He believes that since the reconstruction, crime rates have gone down in the area.

“Ironically, the annex was where we used to see drug deals, prostitution. I mean, people were just running open-air market right off of 15th Avenue. It was like a Walgreens drive-thru.”

According to Honeman, APD charges businesses and residential addresses that exceed a specific amount of Calls for Service in a year. After 100 calls to a business, they are fined $500 for each response. For residences, it’s eight. Fines are imposed to the owners of the inn, but Anchorage police are also paying the cost for their time at the Black Angus Inn. Honeman explains that constant calls to the inn are not only expensive to the establishment, but to APD as well.

“The estimate is the cost of the officer, plus benefits, plus the vehicle, plus the fuel. You add it all in and its easy $100 an hour. If you double an officer to a call,

it’s $200.”

In 2011, there were 361 Calls for Service at the Black Angus Inn. In 2012, there were 307, in 2013, there were 390, in 2014, there were 271, and in 2015 there have been 251 Calls for Service thus far.

Jennifer Castro, Communications Director for APD believes that small changes to the inn are the result for fewer Calls for Service this year.

“APD recommended the management to install a gate on the 15th Avenue side and the Fairbanks St. side of the property.

They had to remove or reduce some of the landscaping also to improve visibility,” said Castro. “They had to improve the lighting as well under the covered parking area. These improvements seem to have helped in reducing the Calls for Service.”

The amount of small changes made to the Black Angus Inn over the past several years has lowered the Calls for Service.

Even though there have been 251 Calls for Service thus far for 2015, that’s almost 120 less than two years before. Further improvements need to be made at the inn to continue lowering those numbers, but for now, it’s a work in progress.

Calls for Service

Everytime police respond to call at a certain location, that location gets a Call for Service added to their record by APD.

$500 charged to business for all calls after the first 100

Fees charged to Black Angus Inn for Calls of Service

2012

307 calls

2013

390 calls

2014

2015

271 calls 251 calls

$103,500 $145,000 $85,500

$75,500

04| What is an alumnus?

By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org

Oxford defines the word “alumnus” as “a graduate or former student of a particular school, college, or university.”

Technically speaking, that’s every single person graduating this semester. While many students are looking forward to packing up, leaving town, and living their lives, the Alumni Center at UAA gives students incentive to come back and help the university, or to get help from other alumni.

While the Alumni Association spearheads events like the annual Green and Gold Gala and the 9 in the Spine mini golf event, it’s not just events that former students and graduates can lend a hand with. Alumni at UAA are instrumental in helping other alumni or students succeed in education.

That kind of help isn’t limited to Alaska, either. UAA’s Alumni Association has charters across the nation, so that students who choose to look for work abroad will still have that support.

“Alumni in Seattle have the opportunity to call other alumni,” Rachel Morse, the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations at UAA said. “Same for Houston, same for Washington. Those are big areas, and when you leave with your degree, you’re taking big bold steps and you have to have a community that exists to support you.”

That kind of support is found in Alaska, too. While UAA, UAF, and UAS each have their own Alumni Centers, they collaborate with each other to bring experienced alumni together.

Alumni can also help students who are still attending UAA. “It’s the students that value

that as well,” Jennifer Wisel, the Alumni Relations Specialist at UAA said. “when the alumni come back and show that they’re still playing a part and loving to give back to the students.”

Alumni can assist other students in a number of ways. For one, their accomplishments are always shown and published by the Alumni Association. They can return to help mentor and teach other students from their old department. It’s not just limited to education, either; they can also help out with clubs and organizations around campus, and they’re also encouraged to come and support UAA at events like sports or galas.

The end of the semester is a stressful time for students and new graduates alike, but Morse recommends that students come back and join the alumni community.

“Students often feel like they’re ready to be done with UAA when they graduate,” said Morse. “They’re done with finals, they’re done with taking classes, it’s often been a very challenging commitment that they have given to work and go to class and deal with all that kind of stuff that students do.

But if I could tell students anything, it would be that there is a tremendous value and opportunity that awaits them as alumni.

Being an alum is the opportunity to give all of that back. All of that hard work that you put in as a student comes back in the form of a community that’s there to support you and connect you to jobs.”

Even after a student graduates, they still have a lot of resources from UAA at their disposal. While that student can choose to ignore those resources, it may be prudent for them to dip into them when they need it.

Those resources will be there for as long as they need them.

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13

HOLIDAY Enjoy the sounds of the season with our holiday concert. Admission is free all day CONCERT R thanks to Wells Fargo.

Museum members enjoy free entry to Van Gogh Alive. Join today! anchoragemuseum.org

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

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Klax Zlubzecon’s commencement speech In the year 2013, an alien brain slug from one of the galaxy’s most feared empires crash-landed on Earth and assumed control of a lowly reporter at this newspaper.

These are his stories.

By Klax Zlubzecon

Translated by George Hyde Wow. Think of all the commencement speeches that begin with the word “wow.”

It’s as much of a cliché to make fun of it as it is to actually begin the speech with “wow.” I just wanted to point it out, though. Ten galactic credits says that the actual commencement speaker is going to say it, too.

It’s worth saying, though. It’s a cliché for a reason. After four or five years of hard work and dedication — or more — you guys finally made it. I haven’t made

it, since I’m technically a brain slug and not a student, but WOW! You made it!

You, the graduating class of fall 2015, made it through snow, ice, late classes, lack of sleep, lack of food and a lack of money to get here. We at the Slug Empire would be proud of your determination and grit. You’ve learned some skills that will last you a lifetime, along with some other skills that you’ve more or less forgotten over breaks. Who cares, though?

You made it!

At a young age, Slug larvae are sent from the Empire to explore the galaxy and find new, habitable worlds to enslave, and you will largely do the same. You will discover new frontiers and conquer them as ruthlessly as we do. Hopefully

you’ll be a little less scary than us in the process, but with enough determination, you can vanquish even the most demanding of future challenges. …

Okay. I may not be the most qualified being to say all of this. I haven’t conquered this planet yet. I haven’t even completely conquered the human who’s typing this for me, as evidenced by the fact that he keeps dragging me to graduations, sports games, singles nights and other weird stuff.

Everything I’ve said in this “speech” so far is all fluff, with the exception of that bet I made at the beginning. That still stands open. I am still an alien brain slug, though, which means that I can at least give you some genuine alien advice that I know those other commencement speakers can’t give.

Space is massive. Even our magnificent slug brains can’t comprehend just how huge the universe is. Most of it is inhospitable towards any life. However, I can guarantee you that in that barren wasteland, you can always find place to call home.

The second you wake up tomorrow, you’re going to find yourself in a similarly foreign landscape. You may be lucky and find a fruitful job, and you might not.

Your quest for success could last days, and it could also last decades. Perhaps your unquenchable thirst for conquest and unlimited power will last you your entire lifetime. Perhaps you’ll simply be satis-

fied doing what you love. I don’t know what you seek in this universe. However, I can guarantee you that if you are determined to find it, you probably will.

This galaxy is a peculiar thing. For as vast and as barren as it usually is, there’s usually some group or civilization you can call home, including my own glorious Empire, for whatever that may be worth to you. You can always wander the galaxy alone if you choose, but you never have to go it alone. There’s always some person or some group that can help you, even if it’s just a pack of bounty hunters.

From this point on, you can do whatever you want, and you can do it with as many people as you want. You will have to be aware of the challenges you face if you want to face them, because they will be there. You are college students, however.

You have determination beyond compare.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve proven to the rest of the world that you’re willing to put yourself through hell to accomplish your dreams.

Now that you’ve proven that, all that’s left to do is to actually do it. It may be hell all over again, and it may not. But know that wherever you go in the world, you will always find a place you belong, even if it’s just back here at UAA. The entire galaxy is now at your feet.

Now go! Let your intergalactic legend come to life!

them as ruthlessly as we do. Hopefully you’ll be a little less scary than us in the process, but with enough determination, you can vanquish even the most demanding of future challenges. …

Okay. I may not be the most qualified being to say all of this. I haven’t conquered this planet yet. I haven’t even completely conquered the human who’s typing this for me, as evidenced by the fact that he keeps dragging me to graduations, sports games, singles nights and other weird stuff.

Everything I’ve said in this “speech” so far is all fluff, with the exception of that bet I made at the beginning. That still stands open. I am still an alien brain slug, though, which means that I can at least give you some genuine alien advice that I know those other commencement speakers can’t give.

Space is massive. Even our magnificent slug brains can’t comprehend just how huge the universe is. Most of it is inhospitable towards any life. However, I can guarantee you that in that barren wasteland, you can always find place to call home.

The second you wake up tomorrow, you’re going to find yourself in a similarly foreign landscape. You may be lucky and find a fruitful job, and you might not.

Your quest for success could last days, and it could also last decades. Perhaps your unquenchable thirst for conquest and

unlimited power will last you your entire lifetime. Perhaps you’ll simply be satisfied doing what you love. I don’t know what you seek in this universe. However, I can guarantee you that if you are determined to find it, you probably will.

This galaxy is a peculiar thing. For as vast and as barren as it usually is, there’s usually some group or civilization you can call home, including my own glorious Empire, for whatever that may be worth to you. You can always wander the galaxy alone if you choose, but you never have to go it alone. There’s always some person or some group that can help you, even if it’s just a pack of bounty hunters.

From this point on, you can do whatever you want, and you can do it with as many people as you want. You will have to be aware of the challenges you face if you want to face them, because they will be there. You are college students, however.

You have determination beyond compare.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve proven to the rest of the world that you’re willing to put yourself through hell to accomplish your dreams.

Now that you’ve proven that, all that’s left to do is to actually do it. It may be hell all over again, and it may not. But know that wherever you go in the world, you will always find a place you belong, even if it’s just back here at UAA. The entire galaxy is now at your feet.

Now go! Let your intergalactic legend come to life!

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

EMBRACE THE SEAWOLF SLUG.

The victory lap A well-meaning column rife with clunky metaphors and horrible advice, Orange Rhymes With is the go-to place to break the monotony of classes and laugh at someone else’s misfortune.

By Evan Dodd Contributor

Wow. Think of all the commencement speeches that begin with the word “wow.”

It’s as much of a cliché to make fun of it as it is to actually begin the speech with “wow.” I just wanted to point it out, though. Ten galactic credits says that the actual commencement speaker is going to say it, too.

It’s worth saying, though. It’s a cliché for a reason. After four or five years of hard work and dedication — or more — you guys finally made it. I haven’t made

it, since I’m technically a brain slug and not a student, but WOW! You made it!

You, the graduating class of fall 2015, made it through snow, ice, late classes, lack of sleep, lack of food and a lack of money to get here. We at the Slug Empire would be proud of your determination and grit. You’ve learned some skills that will last you a lifetime, along with some other skills that you’ve more or less forgotten over breaks. Who cares, though?

You made it!

At a young age, Slug larvae are sent from the Empire to explore the galaxy and find new, habitable worlds to enslave, and you will largely do the same. You will discover new frontiers and conquer

06|

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

Commencement Speaker Ruddy Abam inspires Class of 2015

By Kathryn Casello

kcasello@thenorthernlight.org Ruddy Abam is representing UAA’s Class of 2015 as this Fall’s Commencement speaker. Abam’s years of hard work have finally paid off as she will graduate with a major in Justice and minors in both psychology and political science. Abam is a unique and strong individual dedicated to education, social justice and her community, making her a valuable voice for her class. Throughout her life, Abam has experienced dynamic changes and obstacles forcing her to become responsible and self-motivated early on, beginning with her move to the U.S. from Cameroon where she was born and raised.

“I was about 14 or 15... It was a win and a loss,” said Abam. “I got a better educational experience but I was far away from home and family. I experienced a lot of conflicts... I wasn’t a citizen for a majority of the time, so I had to deal with that.”

Abam initially went out of state for college, but came back looking for an institution that felt like a community and a home - something she didn’t find in the Lower 48.

“I just got really interested in a lot of things going on at UAA. When you get that sort of connection with an institution it’s easier for you to feel like you belong.

I worked on campus, I worked in clubs and various organizations and I realized that UAA was a good fit for me, and I say that knowing what other schools are like.” Abam said. “I feel like every student needs to find someone like a mentor that they see something in to inspire them. When I was in Louisiana I didn’t have that. One thing I noticed was that people didn’t take me seriously because I was black.”

Abam said that she felt like sometimes professors ignored her or discredited her efforts, but this only fueled her desire to achieve.

“There’s students always trying to be involved with their teachers, always coming to them with questions and trying to learn, I was that student,” said Abam. “I thought, ‘I’m going to try really hard to make people realize that I’m not a cookie cutter student.’”

Abam worked three jobs since the age of 15 to support herself and her education, as well as supporting her father through health problems. She accomplished this all while being extremely active in UAA’s community.

“People say that [they’ve had to work multiple jobs at a time] but people really don’t know what that means. I used to work in the morning, in the afternoon and in the night. And in between that, I used to fit my classes in there and take five classes a semester.”

While dealing with these challenges, Abam continued to strive to succeed above and beyond her peers. Abam held many leadership positions throughout her career at UAA. She served on the Board for Cultural Awareness, on UAA’s student-interactive judicial board, helped coordinate Campus Kick-Off, did recruitment work, orientation work, helped students get acclimated and was on the Honors Panel with the Honors College advocating for the college. Abam said that she was chosen as commencement speaker because of her passion and her commitment to success.

“One of the things that inspired me to apply for Commencement speaker were the people that I have met who are struggling. I took a class my sophomore year and there was a student who brought her kid to school and the kid would sit outside, and she would check on him and everything, and sometimes ask if the professor if he could sit in class with her. That’s remarkable. That’s amazing that she would bring her child to school because she’s that dedicated to higher education. It’s people like that, that drive me intellectually, culturally and socially.

They are phenomenal people.”

Abam strives to recognize and appreciate the people who, like herself, were forced to overcome institutional and situational challenges in order to succeed.

“I’m humble enough to realize that it’s not about me, it’s about everyone,” Abam said.

“My message would be to thank yourself for your ability to stick through it.

Life doesn’t give you everything, you have to continue to work for it. You know what’s it like to struggle, and you are excellent. Continue to use that excellence and make your success happen. You are resilient, and your resiliency will continue to aid you in your pursuits in life.

Appreciate your support system and yourself, because that’s how you achieve you dreams.”

UAA has helped promising individuals grow into passionate and driven citizens of the world, Abam being a prime example. Abam said that the message she hopes to promote at commencement is one of gratefulness, reflection and inspiration.

PHOTO BY KATHRYN CASELLO

Abam will speak at UAA’s Class of 2015 at Fall Commencement at 1:00 p.m. Abam has been heavily involved at UAA, serving on several boards including the Board for Cultural Awareness and UAA’s student-interactive judicial board. Abam also advocated through UAA’s Honor’s College on their Honors Panel.

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

| 07

Graduation cords honor student achievement

By Victoria Petersen

vpetersen@thenorthernlight.org Many of a graduating student’s accomplishments can be seen adorning their necks and hanging gracefully on their shoulders. With so many different cords and colors, it’s hard to pin down what each cord represents and what it says about the graduate wearing it. Representing achievements in a multitude of ways, the cords stem from a tradition beginning in the Roman Catholic Church to distinguish status among clergy. This became part of the graduation ceremony to distinguish different honors and achievements among graduates. Today, it can be hard to know the differences between the cords and the variety of colors and styles they come in, especially among different schools.

In the University of Alaska system, the graduation cords are not universal. Graduation cords go through an approval process before they are added to the existing list.

Bridgett Dyson, special events manager for University Advancement, said the process a cord request must go through before it sees the gradu-

Alpha Delta Nu (Nursing) – Gold Cords Beta Gamma Sigma (Business school, Honor society) – Blue and Gold Cords Engineering honors – Braided Green and Gold Cords Humanities honors – White Cords Kappa Delta Pi (Education) – Blue and Purple Cords Leadership Honors – Red Cords Legal Studies pro bono services honors – Purple Cords Medical Lab Science – Green and Gold Cords Music – Pink Cords National Criminal Justice Honor Society – Gold Cords Phi Alpha Theta (History) – Red Cords Sigma Theta Tau (Nursing) – Purple and White Cords University honors – Gold Cord Veterans – Red, White, and Blue Cords CBPP Leadership Fellows – Green, Gold, and Purple Cord Updated as of Fall 2015: Student Athletes – gold with Seawolf logo AHAINA – purple ribbon with medal CBPP Leadership Fellows – green, gold and purple

ate.

“The requests now must be reviewed by the Commencement Committee and forwarded to the Chancellor’s Cabinet for final approval,” Dyson said.

The process for approving cords and compiling an official list of their meanings is a rather new endeavor.

“Until recently, there was not a formal process for the approval of cords/sashes,” Dyson said.

UAA assistant registrar Lindsey Chadwell helped assemble a list of current approved cords and sashes.

“To my knowledge, the university doesn’t have a complete list of all cords students might wear during commencement,” Chadwell said.

Chadwell pointed toward University Advancement for the start of this developing list of approved Commencement cords.

Bridgett Dyson and University Advancement were able to provide an in-progress list of official cords and their corresponding colors.

University Advancement is in the process of expanding this list to make it comprehensively include all cords that have been approved through the Chancellor. For more information regarding cords, contact UAA Advancement at 907-786-4847.

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PERTERSEN

University Advancement is compilling an official list of Commencement cords that have been approved through the Chancellor.

College Cookbook: How to throw the best graduation party

electric mixture as you add the egg whites into the mixture. Mix until they make medium peaks.

3. Place on to a greased cookie sheet and spoon the dough on to the sheet in small circles. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

3. Party Chex mix (slow cooker)

A party classic — make your Chex mix in the slow cooker for ample flavor.

Ingredients:

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Victoria Petersen

vpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

With the holidays and visiting family and friends easy and stress free recipes will save you time and energy.

1. Festive party punch

In spirit of the holidays, this punch has the flavor of seasonal cranberries without being overly holiday themed.

Ingredients:

4 cups of cranberry juice 2 cups of pineapple juice 3 cups of sprite

A handful of cranberries Add all ingredients to punch bowl, add cranberries as garnish.

2. Coconut macaroons

With few ingredients and a sweet flavor, they are sure to be a favorite treat at any grad party.

Ingredients:

10 ounces of shredded coconut 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 3 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees And combine coconut, vanilla, salt.

2. Take the coconut combination and beat with an

4 cups of rice Chex 4 cups of corn Chex 1 1/2 cup of pretzels (small) 1 1/2 cup of peanuts 1/2 cup of butter 1 tablespoon of salt 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon of garlic powder

Directions:

1. Add the Chex, pretzels and peanuts to slow cooker.

2. Add butter, salt, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder to a small bowl and whisk until mixed. Take the combined mixture and drizzle over the Chex mix in the slow cooker. Stir among the Chex mix until evenly distributed.

3. Place on low heat and cover the slow cooker.

Cook for three hours, occasionally stirring.

08|

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

The Faith of Fairview

PHOTOS BY MARIA LILLY

Pastor Brad of Anchorage First Assembly of God sitting in his office.

Reverend Marcus Sanders stands in the Greater Friendship Baptist’s chapel Sunday morning after service.

The sanctuary of Bethel Hispanic Church of God.

The sun rising atop of Anchorage First Assembly of God.

By Maria Lilly Contributor

After Sunday morning service, as congregants leave the building, Reverend Marcus Sanders sits with his cousin Lonnie Jones in Greater Friendship Baptist Church reminiscing. Both men grew up here in Fairview.

“My heart is in this neighborhood,” Sanders said.

In Fairview, one of Anchorage’s oldest neighborhoods, a neighborhood struggling with poverty, crime and chronic public inebriation, churches are meeting places for the community where faith and family collide. People of faith in Fairview find in their churches a gathering space, but also a shared burden to work for the good of the community and pour into the lives of their neighbors. Fairview’s churches are about, “Faith, family, community,” Reverend Sanders said.

Sanders and Jones speak in terms of their churches as their homes, their neighborhood where they are from. Sanders was born and raised in Antioch Pentecostal down the road. He was ordained at Shiloh Baptist on the corner and now is assistant pastor at Greater Friendship Baptist.

The two men speak proudly of Greater Friendship Baptist, sitting on East 13th Avenue the church was founded in 1951. It was the first African American church in Alaska and according to its website “the first Black church in America to affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention.”

Despite the stereotypes of Fairview as a broken neighborhood Sanders and Jones speak about growing up and how they felt safe walking down the street, how their community was closeknit and everyone knew their neighbors.

“This was a strong neighborhood, they stood together,” Sanders said.

They spoke about how the community has been plagued by drunkenness and crime. They expressed that the examples set for youth in the neighborhood now aren’t good for their futures.

“We need to give our youth something to look forward to,” Sanders said.

“We have to change the atmosphere for our young ones,” Jones responded.

“Faith, family, community that’s what it is about at the end of the day. We’re supposed to take care of each other,” Sanders said, “in a sense over the years we kinda lost that, we’re, we’re getting’ that back. You know

we’re getting’ that back. The church should be help, a place of need, a place of refuge, a sanctuary, that’s what the church is for, and that’s what we are getting back to here. That’s what we’re getting back to.”

Sanders told a story about a congregant who gave the shoes off his feet to a homeless man as an example of Fairview getting back to a focus on faith, family and community.

A few blocks from Greater Friendship Baptist Pastor Moyce Polanco of Bethel Hispanic Church of God expressed similar sentiments about how times have changed.

“We would like to actually get the people [from Fairview] in here but I don’t feel comfortable sending my young people, my teenagers, doing evangelism work, like house to house, because of the ill-fame of Fairview,” said Polanco, who comes from the Dominican Republic, sitting in his office on a Sunday evening while his daughter leads worship in the sanctuary, festively lit by Christmas lights Polanco told a story of how the church has had a guitar and a water hose stolen. He doesn’t feel harshly towards his neighborhood though.

“I bless them and I say Lord bless them because they have that much need.” Polanco went on and said, “the reputation of

Fairview being a bad neighborhood, I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s a bad neighborhood.”

He wants the church to be a place for the community, a safe place where everyone feels welcome. The church moved to Fairview 23 years ago to serve the community of Fairview.

Polanco said that the amount of Hispanics in the area and the opportunity to buy the lot the church sits on now all culminated to the founding of the church.

“Fairview is an area of town where many low income people live and they don’t have income to go places. So, if they want to go to church they could just walk here, and that was the initial idea,” said Polanco.

Pastor Polanco has tried to make his church a bright place in the community ever since.

“In this area we try to keep it clean, we try to keep it well lit and also we try to make it welcoming for people. Like in the summer, kids come to play in our parking lot and they come with their skateboard and I see them with basketball there. They come and they just hang around and they feel safe here for some reason. So, I think just having a church we’re providing the community with a place where people can come,” said Polanco.

Not far from Pastor Polanco’s church on the corner of C Street and 15th stands Anchorage

First Assembly of God. After his weekday pastors’ meeting in First Assembly’s conference room Pastor Brad Lowery sat down at his office desk, the sun shining through his two office windows.

“We are a very multicultural church,” he explained.

First Assembly is comprised largely of Filipinos, Samoans, Ukrainians, Hispanics and Caucasians a church that sits amidst “a good cross-section of everybody,” according to Lowery.

Lowery told stories of meeting the needs of homeless in the community, of people bathing in water from the building. He described Fairview as a place where there is a lot of need. First Assembly’s primary goal is to meet the physical and spiritual needs of its community.

“You know, we feel like in our community, when we have an opportunity, we need to share our resources in a responsible way that’s going to help people, we want to do that,” said Lowery.

From Sunday to Sunday, Fairview’s churches find their purpose in meeting the needs of the community. In the words of Sanders, “Faith, family, community that’s what it is about at the end of the day.”

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

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Semester in review

GRAPHICS BY JIAN BAUTISTA

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

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Top Five Albums of 2015

By Felipe Godoy Diaz Contributor

1

2

“To Pimp A Butterfly”

by Kendrick Lamar

3

“I Love You, Honeybear”

by Father John Misty

ALBUM “To Pimp A Butterfly”

LABEL Top Dawg

ALBUM “I Love You, Honeybear”

LABEL Sub Pop

ARTIST Kendrick Lamar

GENRE Hip-Hop

ARTIST Father John Misty

GENRE Indie Alt.

RELEASE DATE March 15, 2015

Kendrick Lamar’s last release “good kid, m.A.A.d city” was hailed as one of the best in 2011.

How do you top that? Lamar sonically took a 180-degree turn with his release and incorporated influences of jazz, funk, and even spoken word. Like his last release, “To Pimp A Butterfly” also listens as a concept album.

In this record, Kendrick writes a poem to a supposed revenant Tupac Shakur about the struggle of success and fame for an African American in today’s culture.

The album ends with an edited interview of Tupac where Lamar adds himself as if they are having a conversation.

Listen To: “The Blacker the Berry”

RELEASE DATE Feb. 10, 2015

Josh Tillman has been involved in everything from the Fleet Foxes to now his surging solo career as Father John Misty.

After an impressive 2012 debut “Fear Fun,” Misty released “I Love You, Honeybear” a concept album about his perspective on life, death, relationships, his wife, himself, and ultimately love. Dripping in irony and sarcasm Misty’s contemporary outlook on his life is hilarious yet haunting. With tracks about white privilege, turning down overly aggressive women, impressing women in all the wrong ways, and alcoholism Misty’s honesty bleeds on every track. “I Love You, Honeybear” somehow serves as cynically repulsive, yet irrationally beautiful.

Listen To: “Holy Shit”

4

“Carrie & Lowell”

by Sufjan Stevens ALBUM LABEL “Carrie & Asthmatic Kitty Lowell” ARTIST Sufjan Stevens

GENRE Indie Folk

RELEASE DATE March 21, 2015

For the last 15 years, Sufjan Steven has become a staple in independent music. “Carrie and Lowell” added another keepsake to an already impressive catalog.

Unlike some of Sufjan’s recent releases, “Carrie and Lowell” see the return to a folk oriented album with minimalist instrumentation and Sufjan’s agonizing lyrics. The album deals with the death of Sufjan’s mother and childhood memories that surround him in a headspace that is filled with despaired grief and unbearable sorrow. While the album deals with the major theme of death, it represents a glimpse of hope. As Sufjan attempts to piece his understanding for life itself he inevitably also begins to climb out of a bottomless pit of his mourning.

Listen To: “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross”

5

“Multi-Love”

by Unknown Mortal Orchestra ALBUM “Multi-Love” ARTIST UMO RELEASE DATE May 26, 2015

LABEL Jagjaguwar

“Currents”

by Tame Impala ALBUM “Currents” ARTIST Tame Impala

GENRE Indie Alt.

RELEASE DATE July 17, 2015

On Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Twitter, Ruban Nielson the man behind UMO describes the band’s sound as #PsychRNB #DadWave #DepressionFunk.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s newest release leaves the bedroom lo-fi, it became defined for and becomes exactly what his Twitter describes. In an interview with Pitchfork back in May, Nielson disclosed that every album he’s released thus far is centered around an emotional theme he’s experienced.

For this album, Nielson’s love life took an interesting turn when he and his wife decided to become polyamorous and invited a new woman into their relationship. The album is filled with weird feelings, funky synths, and overall good vibes.

Listen To: “Can’t Keep Check ing My Phone”

LABEL Interscope GENRE Psychedellic Pop

Kevin Parker is Tame Impala. The 29-year-old Australian wrote, recorded, produced, mixed, and performed every instrument for every track on Tame Impala’s third record “Currents.” The album replaced its psychedelic guitars for a more dance-oriented record that is filled with lush synthesizers and vibrant instrumentation. The result is a kaleidoscope of colors and landscapes that demand the listener’s attention. Parker also shows a wide range of tracks on the album with songs lasting a mere 55 seconds to the mammoth seven-minute lead single, “Let it Happen”. “Currents” will undoubtedly act as a steppingstone for Kevin Parker’s career from an Australian talent to worldwide phenom.

Listen To: “Let It Happen”

‘Only God Forgives’ is incoherent and tantalizing

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

Director Nicolas Winding Refn creates worlds of color. The characters in them are hyper real, especially Driver in “Drive,” sometimes bordering on alien.

“Only God Forgives” is an extension of that language. The protagonist Julian (Ryan Gosling, “Gangster Squad”) is even more stoic than Driver. But where Driver’s stoicism suggested an inner life, Julian’s suggests nothing at all.

This problem extends to every character. Even Kristin Scott Thomas (“In the House”) fails to liven Crystal, Julian and his brother Billy’s (Tom Burke, “An Enemy to Die For”) mother.

Billy rapes and murders an underage prostitute, and is killed by the girl’s father.

Police Lieutenant Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm, “The Mark: Redemption”) gets wind of the case and arrests the father,

killing him for allowing his daughter to be a sex worker. Crystal learns of Billy’s death and tasks Julian with finding the men who killed him.

Like its spiritual predecessor “Drive,” “Only God Forgives” makes more emotional than literal sense. Gosling plays a walking “Kuleshov Effect.” He seems little affected by the horrors on screen, but blank face allows for plenty of projection.

The problem is that his stoicism lacks depth. It implies so little about his inner life that it loses its meaning. Gosling, as a result, looks like he’s sleepwalking through the role.

Burke, Thomas, and Pansringarm don’t fare any better. Burke dies too early on to have an impact, and Thomas is all vitriol and creepy sexuality with little else. Pansringarm’s quietude has an eerie power, quite unlike his costars, but there’s little beyond that. No one in the movie has any real depth. This extends to the story as well. Metaphorically, it could be about man’s battle against God. Liter-

ally, a man is killed and then more men are killed as a result. The narrative is too thin to be interesting.

That being said, it is a gorgeous movie. As per usual, Refn’s color palette is rich. Working with only primary colors, the world becomes a fever dream of reds and blues. By the end, the visuals become the movie’s only redeeming quality.

With little in the way of character or story, “Only God Forgives” rides on its visual luster alone. Gosling, Thomas, Burke, and Pansringarm are boring, with only Pansringarm holding any viewer interest. His quietude, however, fails to save the movie. The feverish surrealism of “Only God Forgives,” amplified by its concise visual palette, is reason enough to see it. Beyond that, expect little else.

TITLE “Only God Forgives” DIRECTORS Nicolas Winding Refn

RELEASE DATE MAY 30, 2013 COUNTRY DENMARK GENRE Thriller

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015

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congratulations, graduating seniors!

Welcome to the UAA Alumni Association.

Here’s how to keep in touch with your alma mater wherever you end up in #SeawolfNation.

Go!

y o u’r e

in!

Alumni events occur all year long. Whether you hike our trails in summer, attend a hockey game in winter or come back for our signature events at Winterfest and Homecoming, we’re happy to have you back.

Putt your way through campus at the Alumni ParTee: 9 in the Spine on Feb. 24, 2016.

Mark your calendars! Green & Gold Gala is Oct. 1, 2016. Check out uaa.alaska.edu/ alumni to see what’s coming up.

help!

We want you! Volunteer at an event, nominate Alumni of Distinction or mentor current students. The UAA Alumni Association is always on the move; help us share the university’s amazing stories.

Join other alumni in your field and share your UAA experience at local schools, or volunteer to represent your college at a future Commencement. There are plenty of ways to help out as an alum.

connect!

Pick up an Alumni WOLFcard for great deals on Seawolf swag and campus events. Or join an alumni chapter (or two) and take part in Alumni Assembly each summer, when chapter leaders help shape the future of the Alumni Association.

You’re joining an alumni network nearly 50,000 strong. Join one of our many alumni chapters, follow us on Facebook and pick up an Alumni WOLFcard for discounts on Seawolf gear and arts and athletics events. Make sure to update your contact info!

Give!

Help UAA students reach their academic goals.

You can make a difference through supporting the work of your alma mater.

Sophomore education major Amy Nalesnik, senior mechanical engineering major Jonathan Brady, and senior economics and English major Nicole Willson are three of the 24 recipients of the UAA Alumni Association scholarship this year.

[

Phone: 907-786-1942 Email: alumnirelations@uaa.alaska.edu Online: uaa.alaska.edu/Alumni Facebook.com/AlumniUAA