FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2016
NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
SPORTS
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“Stick and Puck” opens at Anchorage Museum
Declining oil prices affect many Alaskans
Justice Scalia’s legal legacy
Pack Rat Antiques is a blast from the past
PHOTO BY ERIC BRIDIERS
The Pack Rat doesn’t accept donations like a thrift store does. Instead, the antique store hand-selects and purchases each of their items for resale.
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Late Justice Scalia died at age 79 as one of the foremost conservative minds in judiciary politics.
By Kathryn Casello
kcasello@thenorthernlight.org
United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was officially confirmed dead in Shafter, Texas on Feb. 13 of natural causes. Love him or hate him, there can be no doubt the Scalia was influential as a Justice and in setting conservative precedence within the justice system. As the United States’s highest judicial body, the Supreme Court provides decisions for controversial and complex cases. But with the death of Scalia comes controversy and complexity from within
the Supreme Court — a vacancy on the bench has occurred and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated that the Republican majority will refuse to entertain a nominee selected by President Obama. “I think it’s interesting that a Republican Congress would outright say that they wouldn’t even consider a nomination by Obama because that would be something that Scalia would have hated,” said Hunter Dunn, political science major. “He’s a textualist! The President has the right to
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By Kathryn Casello
kcasello@thenorthernlight.org
In midtown Anchorage off Fireweed Lane stands Pack Rat Antiques, a twostory antique store owned by motherdaughter team JoAnn Brandlen and BreAnn Kim. 1938 editions of the Boston Cooking School sold for 15 cents each, floor length fur coats from the 80s, and a whole section dedicated to 50s-style kitchen appliances and decorum are only the beginning. Pack Rat functions as a co-op where Brandlen and Kim sell their antiques along with different ven-
dors who have sections of the store to sell their merchandise. Pack Rat sells antiques ranging from the 1800s to the early 2000s, catering to the niches of all types of Alaskans. “Collecting is kind of an addiction, and a lot of people have been doing it their whole lives since they were young children,” said Kim. “I’ve been collecting vintage clothing my whole life, during the grunge era, and that got me hooked into collecting. At one point I had a whole separate room full of vintage clothes, and
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Seawolves come up short on senior day By Jordan Rodenberger
jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org
UAA honored two seniors on Saturday in what was an entertaining matchup against No. 1 Western Oregon Wolves (23-3, 16-2 GNAC). Brian McGill and Christian Leckband had their career’s celebrated as family members joined them on the court for a brief moment of recognition. The Wolves crashed the party though, stealing a 64-58 win on the road. Leckband, an Alaskan grown player, has been with the program for five years since becoming a redshirt freshman in 2011. “I love him as a person and he is a credit to Nome and to his family. He is going to be a great man in this community,” said head coach Rusty Osborne. Leckband has stepped on the court in 112 career games for the Seawolves, which places him inside the top-10 on UAA’s all-time games played list. His experience and dedication shaped him into a vital role player each year. With his sharp shooting, he is ranked in the top
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20 on the program’s all-time three-pointers made list. This season, he is third on the team in rebounds and has suited up for every game. As for his future, Leckband is graduating from UAA with two degrees in management and marketing. McGill has also had a storied career in his time with the Seawolves. “He has been a great player for this program and is really leaving his mark,” said Osborne. McGill’s leadership, poise, and determination has landed him on many alltime stat lists for UAA. He is second in assists, in the top 15 in points, fifth in free throws made, while his three-point shooting percentage is in the top 12 (as of Feb. 16). “He is very talented,” said Osborne. “If he wants to, he has a chance to play professionally when he gets through here.” This season, McGill leads the team in assists, steals, and free throw percentage. He is also second on the team in points per game, posting a career-high 34 points against Simon Fraser. Both players will be remembered for years to come. They soaked in the moment while they could, but knew there
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PHOTO BY SAM WASSON
Senior guard Brian McGill is defended by Western Oregon’s Julian Nichols in Saturday’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference showdown. Seniors McGill and teammate Christian Leckband were recognized before the game.
was work to be done on the court. Western Oregon began the game with quick back-to-back three-pointers and took an early 8-0 lead. UAA fired back, spraying three treys of their own, but were getting pummeled on the glass. Overall, the first half was an ugly
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shooting performance on both sides. The two teams combined to shoot just 4 of 23 in a stretch that held WOU scoreless for over five minutes of play.
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