February 6th, 2024 by The Northern Light

FEATURES PAGE 3

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UAA’s African Diaspora culinary class Book it to this new club: Bookish Club!

UAA Learning Commons in new location

The new location in the Consortium Library provides students with a more streamlined experience in a modernized space.

By Kyle Ivacic managing.editor@thenorthernlight.org

The UAA Learning Commons has moved to the Consortium Library. The new space is bright and modern with plenty of space for students to study. Large windows allow for refreshing amounts of light in the space and along with stylish light fixtures.

The space is home to several tutoring programs, such as the Math Lab and Writing Center. Students from all majors are able to get help from the available tutors, even on non-school related topics like resume writing.

Learning Commons Executive Director Cameron Nay sat down for an interview with The Northern Light to talk about the new Learning Commons location and the services provided.

“We were tasked this fall with … taking on any tutoring that was offered at UAA,” explained Nay.

“There were a lot of pockets that weren’t part of the Learning Commons where student fees were paying for those tutoring [services].” Nay said the Learning Commons took on those programs through a new fee structure worked out with Provost Denise Runge.

UAA Pride

Planning for the new Learning Commons location has taken place over the past couple years, said Nay.

“It’s been probably at least two years since they … thought about the concept .. A little more than a year ago we were … determining the footprint and what

would work for tutoring – how many offices, how the space should be laid out.”

In part, the decision to put the Learning Commons in the library was made because it can help students better integrate their academic needs. Access to the library’s services is now easier for

students needing to use both it and the Learning Commons.

Nay also said that many universities put their Learning Commons – or similar programs – within libraries.

Nay said that another reason for the location change was a grant given to UAA’s School of Nursing to construct “simulation labs” in the old location of the Learning Commons in Sally Monserud Hall. The Learning Commons had to find a new space in a timely manner in order to allow construction to begin on the simulation labs.

The new labs will provide “better hands-on experience” to nursing students, said Nay.

“They’re going to redo the entire building, so it will all be … nursing focused.” Nay said that the remodeling of Sally Monserud Hall is expected to commence soon. “So that’s the biggest push to getting us over here was just so that we would get out of the way for [them].”

“We’re happy,” said Nay. “... we’ve been really close with the library through the years, so we’ve always felt that we belonged in the library.”

Students in need of tutoring or other services can find more information on the Learning Commons website.

Center rings in its second year with dozens of attendees

DISCLOSURE — Aud Pleas is a department alumni representative of the Journalism and Public Communications department with the UAA Student Media Board, which oversees The Northern Light. Mark Zimmerman was a member of an affiliated club during the center’s 2023 opening.

By Mark Zimmerman reporter4@thenorthernlight.org

On Jan. 17, Alaska’s first collegiate LGBTQ+ pride center celebrated a milestone year. Working in tandem with Multicultural Student Services (MSS), the repurposed open-plan space in the Student Union has facilitated LGBTQ+ centered events while providing a space for study, art and networking for both students and affiliated clubs such as The Family.

To commemorate one year since opening this new space space, the Pride Center and Multicultural Student Services collaborated with Aud Pleas, Seawolf Catering, drag artist Penny Dragful and Identity Alaska for a ‘First Anniversary Extravaganza.’

The event was attended by dozens of students, staff, faculty and community members. Engagement and Belonging Coordinator and Pride Center lead Jessi Saiki was joined by fellow MSS coordinator Quacyya Quaresma, MSS director Sara Caldwell-Kan and Executive Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion Kim Morton in planning and overseeing the event.

Seawolf Catering provided the celebration with an array of hors dóeurves for attendees to start the festivities.

Prior to the main event, a table dressed with strings of pride flags, large pieces of paper and markers invited guests to write messages of congratulations.

Beginning a slate of speeches, Kan

and Saiki first showed appreciation to the Pride Center’s various members, affiliated clubs and donors.

“It is easy to dismiss the Pride Center as just a space, or just a space and some programs, but it is more. It is a tangible reminder of hope,” said Kan during opening remarks. “Hope is something we have to intentionally cultivate and work towards, but hope is also something that outsiders and haters want to destroy.”

Identifying the center’s accomplishments and challenges in the prior year were especially important for MSS and

Pride Center staff.

“We’re definitely experiencing some pushback,” Saiki said of negative discourse directed toward the Pride Center from both individuals and outlets such as the Alaska Watchman and Must Read Alaska. “I definitely just feel really grateful that we’ve been a lot more protected than I think other places are.”

After a lively and room-spanning performance by Penny Dragful and music from Identity Alaska’s ‘Sing Out’ community choir, Pride Foundation board member, UAA alum, student media

board JPC Alumni Representative and DJ Aud Pleas took the stage for a keynote address. Aud spoke of their own role in the Pride Center’s upbringing, pulling from their own experience advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and supporting friends on campus since 2008. They also focused on their family’s history — coming from a multiracial background and ancestors who had been enslaved and whose descendents were advocates of the Civil Rights Movement.

Pleas said that “Black people have been at the center [of LGBTQ+ advancement].” They see their racial background as a crucial component to understanding their struggles and successes after 20 years as an advocate in Alaska. “[I was] participating in the first batch of community conversations, addressing the barriers my LGBTQ+ peers face to being a receiver and resourceful guide while they navigated coming out,” they said after the event.

Early organizers like Pleas and MC MoHagani Magnetek encountered many other challenges, with the latter enduring “a tremendous amount of hate,” said Pleas. Despite these difficulties, they and many other advocates played instrumental roles in supporting marginalized students and laying the groundwork for the Pride Center’s upbringing.

Saiki expressed a notable degree of excitement for the Pride Center’s past and future after the music and mingling had concluded. “I just feel really lucky that we have a space that’s visible for people.”

PHOTO BY KYLE IVACIC.

The Learning Commons.

PHOTO BY MARK ZIMMERMAN

(From left) Sara Caldwell-Kan and Zoe Dickens don party-provided props for a trip to the temporary photobooth

Mana Alaska exhibit vandalized at Anchorage Museum

Mana Alaska spoke out about an instance of vandalism at their showcase of stories of Filipino Alaskan history at the Anchorage Museum.

By Amelia McCormack reporter2@thenorthernlight.org

According to the Mana Alaska website, ‘mana’ means “to inherit, receive as an inheritance or to take after.” “Mana: The History We Inherit” is “A pop-up exhibition uplifting the stories of our Filipino elders, connecting the many generations of Filipinos in Alaska.”

The exhibition had its grand opening Oct. 28, where community members gathered to watch performances of traditional music and dance, visit vendors and explore the exhibit.

The exhibit lines the walls of a hall on the first floor of the Anchorage Museum. Attendees can take in the history of loved community members who dedicated their lives to creating a home and making a difference in Alaska.

On Jan. 18, a community member entered the Anchorage Museum to view the Mana exhibit with her family. Upon entering the hall where the exhibit hangs, she found the display showcasing her grandfather had been vandalized with an inappropriate sticker. When she alerted museum staff, she was “met with no sense of urgency,” said Shayne Nuesca, UAA graduate and Mana Alaska storyteller. She “wasn’t getting that sense that the museum staff felt that it was important.”

Mana Alaska creators felt disappointed with what they said was a lack of empathy and urgency from the museum in response to the incident. “If they say this is hurtful, no one else gets to invalidate that.” said Joshua Albeza, a photographer and storyteller for Mana Alaska, in reference to the family’s feelings on the matter.

The Mana display was the only exhibit in the museum that was defaced. “They told us …

this wasn’t the only space in the museum that had a sticker on it, but this was the only exhibited wall. They told us ‘we found a sticker on a blank wall, and a piece of furniture and a map.’” said Nuesca. When sharing about the museum’s response to the incident, Nuesca said:

“The significance of this family’s grandfather’s photo is much deeper than a map, much deeper than a piece of furniture. … Statements like that, that minimize the situation and the impact of that incident to this family, have spoken volumes of what the museum prioritizes and what they value. … It feels like

they don’t value this genuine relationship with our community, with historically marginalized people.”

When asked his opinion on the defacement, UAA student and Kabayan Community member Abram Lazo wrote “… any form [of defacement] is unacceptable,” and expressed how unfortunate he felt the event was.

According to a report from PBS, 1 in 3 Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. said they faced racial abuse in 2023. With an uptick in racial abuse and discrimination in recent years, there has also been a rise in ef-

forts to advocate for legislation preventing it. Many of these efforts include projects like Mana Alaska and attempts to uplift the voices of marginalized communities. “[Events like this are] a great opportunity to facilitate community, community healing,” said Albeza.

The Northern Light asked students to share how the exhibit made them feel. One UAA student, Charlene Pugay, wrote in a Google form, “... going to the exhibit’s grand opening really opened my eyes to how big the Filipino community is in Alaska and it kind of made me feel really welcomed. I think events/

exhibits like Mana are important because it makes the newer generations, like me, learn about our history. It genuinely made me feel proud to be Filipino which I can’t say I have felt before.”

This exhibit is not the only project that Mana Alaska hopes to create. The exhibit closes soon, but will be available for free viewing on Feb. 2 – the first Friday of the month with free museum admission – and Feb. 3. Tickets for Feb. 3 are covered by the Alaska Black Business Directory and Umoja for the Black Business Expo event, so all of Anchorage can attend for free.

Mana Alaska has released an official statement on the vandalism that can be viewed on their Instagram, mana.alaska.

Video: People Mover update

By Cian Abad

PHOTO COURTESY OF MANA ALASKA, TAKEN BY JOVELL RENNIE.

Photo of the Mana exhibit in the Anchorage Museum.

PHOTO AND GRAPHIC BY CIAN ABAD.

FEATURES 03

UAA’s Automotive and Diesel provides hands-on training to local mechanics

The Automotive and Diesel program has begun “boot camps” for local technicians which provide hands-on experience for electrical and alignment training.

By Hannah Dillon reporter1@thenorthernlight.org

UAA’s Automotive and Diesel Technology is hosting “boot camps” for the local automotive industry, helping businesses such as Kendall Lexus educate their employees.

These boot camps include electrical training for current automotive technicians who agreed to four days of in-class training.

Director of the Automotive and Diesel department Darrin Marshall was the instructor for a recent electrical boot camp for technicians from Kendall Lexus of Alaska.

UAA charges the industry where the technicians originate for $600 for a four-day lesson. Classes start at eight in the morning and end at four in the afternoon.

“It shows that the industry members are willing to invest in their tech and it shows that the tech is willing to invest in themselves,” said Marshall.

Boot camp classes have an attendance of around nine to 13

technicians and UAA’s automotive department has been asked

UAA’s African Diaspora culinary class

The African Diaspora class features cooking methods for authentic West African dishes and explains how countries were influenced by the Atlantic slave trade.

By Hannah Dillon reporter1@thenorthernlight.org

UAA’s Culinary Arts program hosted an African Diaspora class on three separate Saturdays from late January through early February in Lucy Cuddy Hall. The class is a 490 level class that teaches students from any major how to cook regional varieties of West African inspired dishes.

Fatoumata Faye is a former UAA culinary student who

now teaches African Diaspora classes through authentic experience. Faye originates from the West African country of Gambia, where many dishes that are taught at the program are her specialties.

Each day of the class involves food from a different region that follows the Atlantic slave trade and how each region’s cuisine was affected or inspired.

The first day of class introduces authentic Gambian foods.

“We call it Supakanja which is a West African okra stew that we make. Depending on what

country you are from, it’s made differently but most of it is okra with different meats and different seafood,” said Faye.

Other Gambian cuisines that students are able to make include jollof rice, chicken curry, a ginger drink and a hibiscus flower drink called Sorrel. Faye said the national dish for Gambia is Domada, a peanut butter stew which quickly becomes the favorite of anyone who tastes it.

The second week of class is dedicated to the African inspiration on southern cuisine. Students rush throughout the

to host more classes in the future for other companies interested in investing in their technicians.

The next boot camp was in the beginning of January for alignments and there will be another boot camp in March for people on base at JBER. Automotive and Diesel has also been asked to host an advanced electrical class sometime later this year.

Marshall said that all classes the department has offered have been completely filled and he expects future classes to be the same.

“This is kind of a multi-level initiative, educating technicians out there, because there are a lot of rookies that are getting into the field. They’ll stay in the field if they know more about what they’re doing and they feel more competent and able, which generates people embracing the industry,” said Marshall.

Another boot camp is in the works for correctional facility inmates where inmates may earn a certificate to have a better chance at joining the workforce after they are released.

Marshall and his fellow educators are using their off time to teach many of these boot camp classes – making education available when it otherwise wouldn’t be without their dedication.

The Northern Light was able to view the students preparing food on the day of Southern states’ influence and two students commented on their experience making food during the class.

kitchen, preparing to cook fried chicken, collard greens, rice pudding, hoppin’ Johns, jambalaya and gumbo. Gumbo is influenced by Supakanja, and jambalaya’s inspiration stems from the one-pot dish jollof rice.

The final week of class incorporates the African influence on South American foods. These foods include feijoada, Jamaican beef patty, oxtail, fish stew, chicken curry and Paella.

“It’s really amazing to see that food definitely travels. And wherever people go, yes they do take that culture, but much of that culture is through food and through that you can learn so much,” said Faye.

Culinary students were not the only members to register for the short class. Faye mentioned some students saw flyers around campus and took part in the course who had no, or very little, prior culinary experience.

Both students already attend a culinary program, but they each mentioned how fun the experience preparing authentic cuisines was.

“I’m actually part African, so I thought it would be cool to learn my home roots by making food,” said one student while preparing fried chicken.

Faye said the best part of the class is introducing people to new foods and ingredients including beef tripe, smoked catfish, snail and cow foot.

The class has been taught for two semesters but there will be more to attend. Faye also wishes to expand her horizons to teach North and East African foods, along with West African cuisine influence.

“Come try it out. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of cooking, and a lot of eating. It will definitely surprise you, the things that you are trying that you would never have tried before,” said Faye.

PHOTO BY HANNAH DILLON.

Fatoumata Faye helping students in the kitchen.

PHOTO BY HANNAH DILLON. Culinary students cooking African influenced southern cuisine.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DARRIN MARSHALL.

UAA skills competition 2023.

UAA Automotive and Diesel’s 2016 Chevy Corvette and “absolutely electric” events

UAA’s Automotive department boasts a blue 2016 Chevy Corvette donated by General Motors which may be present at the department’s many future events.

By Hannah Dillon reporter1@thenorthernlight.org

UAA’s Automotive and Diesel program has been the recipient of many generous donations from General Motors for nearly 30 years. One donation – a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette ZO6 with a ZO7 package – has been the department’s center of attention.

Director of the Automotive and Diesel department Darrin Marshall explained the fascination with the hot rod.

The Corvette is wrapped in blue General Motors signage and is often used as a recruiting tool for the department due to the vehicle’s impressive attention-grabbing capabilities.

This vehicular recruiting tool has been brought to events in the state, such as the Alaska Race Wars for the past five years, and is often connected to a dynamometer to elicit “shock and awe” from the audience.

“A dynamometer is basically a hamster wheel for a car. You put the car on and you strap it

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all down and now you can run the car however you want. This thing is an all-wheel dynamometer. It can test wind resistance, hill, horsepower, torque, power curves,” said Marshall.

The Corvette is worked on by Automotive and Diesel students. Marshall and fellow professors install ‘bugs’ on the vehicle to create different problems for students to solve.

When students begin their hands-on work, the instructor clicks one of the switches and, for example, a check engine light appears. The Corvette’s full potential

Movie review: ‘Argylle’

Be prepared for a thrilling spy adventure with twists and turns that even the most astute won’t see coming.

By Tanner Croft reporter3@thenorthernlight.org

The peak of spy culture may have come and gone with the 1980s, but – unlike big hair bands – it seems that we may be lucky enough to get a resurgence of spy thriller films. While the genre has never fully gone away, it has lulled with the times. Recently however, we have seen film series like “The Kingsman” try to break open that time capsule, and pull James Bond from his throne at the top of spy culture. Other stand-alone films have taken a much more serious approach to the genre with less luck, never warranting a sequel.

That brings us to “Argylle,” the colorful and lighthearted spy thriller that kicks off 2024. Creating a spy thriller this late in the game is a challenge, considering all of the stereotypes and cliches that you must either adhere to or directly oppose. One way or another you are bound to fall into the cliches trap. There is currently plenty of drama surrounding the identity of the author of the book that this movie is based on, however the screen-

play was written by Jason Fuchs, who manages to make every single cliche feel not-quite new, but close enough that it ends up feeling fresh. Embracing the conventional tropes of the genre when needed, and ditching them when they’re too obvious.

This film has a star-studded cast including the two leads Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell. We also see Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryan Cranston – as well as a few others who shall remain anonymous as to not spoil the surprise of seeing their characters appear at just the right moments. With so many celebrities involved, it is no surprise that each of them play their respective roles with utmost precision. Their believability, comedy and accuracy to each character is responsible for this film working as well as it does.

Howard’s character, Elly Conway, is an author who is being pursued by spies for how closely her fictional books resemble “real-world” covert operations. This is where we are introduced to Rockwell’s character, Aiden, the less than ideal “real-world” equivalent of one

of Conway’s book characters. Throughout their journey we see your typical over-the-top action that you would expect to see from a blockbuster spy film, however, director Matthew Vaughn does a phenomenal job of blending the fictitious characters with their “real-world” counterparts during both dialogue and action sequences. This can make it hard to keep track of what is really happening, while still maintaining a positive effect of disorientation for the viewer.

At times, this movie can be a little bit cheesy – not necessarily in a bad way – and the film even begins to make fun of itself when it does begin to become over-the-top, regaining the comedic upper-hand and maintaining its core. How they managed to make a film both predictable and unpredictable is a mystery – but it is a mystery that works.

This film is a good old-fashioned spy thriller. If you are a fan of the genre, you are sure to enjoy this addition. You may even want to stick around after the credits for a scene that is sure to leave you craving more if you can catch the secret reference.

has been utilized by the Automotive and Diesel department, but where can community members find the vehicle?

The Automotive and Diesel program started an event in May of 2023 called the UAA Automotive Expo. Marshall said the expo was the first one they had done and it brought much attention to the department.

The UAA Automotive Expo featured a burn-out contest, rev-up contest and a few other events. The department hopes for there to be another expo at the end of the 2024 spring semester.

“We had about 30 industry members show up with their crew and their tables and say ‘hey, this is us, we’re hiring.’ It was absolutely electric all day long and we got students out of it,” said Marshall.

Automotive and Diesel will participate in a car show at UAA’s Fur Rondy collaboration on March 2.

Marshall said automotive companies such as Lithia, Anchorage Chrysler and the Army National Guard will be participating and possibly bring their own vehicles to the car show.

A ‘gearhead’ from Wasilla will also show off his powerful Cummins pickup that has 1200 foot pounds of torque that he’s built by himself at UAA’s Fur Rondy event.

PHOTO BY HANNAH DILLON.

UAA’s 2016 Chevrolet Corvette ZO6.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND

A poster for “Argylle.”

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Book it to this new club: Bookish Club!

Bookish Club’s ‘Book of the Month’ is a new event on the UAA campus for literature loving students!

By Amelia McCormack reporter2@thenorthernlight.org

Bookish Club hosted its second monthly meeting on Jan. 19, where they discussed the club’s book of the month, “Neverwhere” by Neil Gaiman. Despite being a new club, the atmosphere was well-settled and friendly – students gathered in a small circle in the Professional Studies Building Literary Lounge with tea, pastries and various copies of “Neverwhere.”

When asked who should join Bookish Club, President Kaitlin Norton said:

“Anybody! As cliche as it sounds, not one member of Bookish Club is the same, and that’s what makes the club unique. We have students from a variety of educational backgrounds, gender and passions, so conversations are more than just a topic of discussion. There is diversity [of] opinions, and it allows you to open up to new ideas and views.”

Members attending the January meeting were happy to accommodate those who hadn’t finished or even started the chosen book. Discussions ranged from personal tastes in characters and story to social commentary analysis and overall writing style. Members started the meet-

ing with a general rating of the book –which hovered around a 3 out of 5, following the website Goodreads’ rating system of 1 to 5 stars.

Books are suggested by any and all members of the group at the end of each session. A synopsis of the book is read and – after all ideas are shared – members vote on the book they are most interested in reading for the next month. Any genre or length of book is welcome,

though an effort is made to ensure everyone will reasonably be able to complete the book within the month before the next meeting.

January’s book, “Neverwhere,” didn’t leave more than a mild impression on most members – proof that not every book has to be perfect and loved by all to be worth reading. With scores ranging from 2.5 to 4 out of 5 stars, members weren’t thrilled with the book. Most, however, had personal favorites among the cast of side characters who provided a saving aspect of charm in an otherwise underwhelming and convoluted book. That is,

Movie review: ‘Mean Girls’

From cult classic to pop plastic – these mean girls are now musical, modern and more malicious than ever.

By Tanner Croft reporter3@thenorthernlight.org

It has been 20 years since the release of the original “Mean Girls,” and in that time we have seen a few reimaginings from writer Tina Fey, but do we really need them?

“Mean Girls” (2024) follows the exact same plot – and mostly the same script –that the original 2004 film followed. The only difference being that this new adaptation allows added time to compensate for the dancing and singing. While the choreography and vocals are just as stellar as is to be expected from a musical of this caliber, the film seems to be missing some of the magic that both the original, and the broadway versions have.

While this film still very much deserves its PG-13 rating, it is excessively toned down from its ‘04 counterpart. Almost all of the vulgarity and a majority of the derogatory language has been replaced with a more ‘appropriate’ and ‘politically correct’ vocabulary.

However, this film is, at times, raun-

chy for the sake of being raunchy. The original film embraces its sexuality in a much more toned-down way, this film does not beat around the bush on sexuality. Between overly flashy costumes and the recurring joke of a character’s “body count,” it appears that the directors overdid the sexuality to create controversy where it was not needed. We must remember that these characters are supposed to be high schoolers, not collegeaged kids.

The question becomes, ‘is this movie funny?’ And ‘is this movie worth watching?’ While the original film is full of comedy and is funny from all angles, actor Jaquel Spivey – who plays the character of Damien in this new film – carries most of the comedy on his back for almost the entire film. Without Spivey, this musical remake would have been a flop from the get go.

Outgoing and charismatic, Spivey offers the much needed relief from the film’s overly dramatic teen drama. Although Spivey does a good job at keeping the movie light and funny, it is not enough. We have to remember that this is a comedy movie at its core – musical or not. Without the same comedic pacing as the original, this film can feel a little too heavy for its own weight at times.

In the gymnasium scene for this film, instead of bringing all of the characters together over shared experiences, Janis leaves the auditorium flipping everyone off, saying she would “rather be me than be with you.” Ultimately this detracts from the film’s overall theme of coexistence, or at least temporarily distracts the viewer from that theme. With this being the culminating event in both films, the original does a better job of capturing the feeling of togetherness and overwhelming sense that something needs to change. The scene ultimately leads to the inevitable change we see within the main character Cady, and subsequently, every other character. As we learn by the end of the film, everyone just wants to coexist – but this scene takes away from that message.

convoluted in comprehension rather than complexity.“It was a detriment, how easy it was to read,” reader and club officer Geneva Luteria said.

“I feel like [the main characters] were completely overshadowed by the side characters, who were way more entertaining,” said fellow reader Ivazie Lippie. Members had differing opinions on the pacing of scenes, with some feeling the pacing provided intriguing and necessary imagery, while others felt it left the story either too fast or too slowly paced.

“Neverwhere” was adapted from a screenplay Gaiman was writing for BBC, which may have affected pacing and scene styles. While books often don’t successfully translate to the screen in the opinion of readers and critics, the opposite can be said as well.

Despite general agreement that the book wasn’t anyone’s favorite, members were thoughtful when responding to others’ opinions and were happily laughing and agreeing with each other’s ideas and comments during the meeting.

Reading for specific amounts of time or pages, or focusing on reading instead of scrolling through social media, are common goals club members set to improve their habits. Bookish Club is a fun and casual take on reading goals, encouraging students to read books they may not usually make time for, and to foster healthy reading habits.

Bookish Club can be found on the UAA website on the ‘Student Organizations’ tab for those interested in joining or learning more.

As always, the final verdict is up to the viewers. Fans of “Mean Girls” will surely enjoy this new adaptation. However –unless this is just something on tv while flipping through free hotel cable – it may not be worth spending the money to go see in theaters – especially considering ticket prices.

We may long for the nostalgia of teen

camp movies like 2004’s “Mean Girls,” but we must realize that times have changed and, as such, our cinema must change as well. Was this movie change enough? It feels like they just found young, aspiring actors, musicians and dancers and threw them in a watered down version of the original, and added a pop beat to it before calling it a day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES. A poster for “Mean Girls.”

PHOTO BY AMELIA MCCORMACK.

The members of Bookish Club in the Literacy Lounge after their second ever meeting!

Portage Lake and Glacier: Skating, biking and more

By Amelia McCormack reporter2@thenorthernlight.org

The weekend of Jan. 20 and 21 saw the perfect combination of cold and clear weather, leading to a thickly iced Portage Lake with a smooth surface. Locals from the surrounding area, including some UAA students, flocked to the lake for various activities.

With ice smoother than even indoor rinks – giving the illusion of being hot mopped – the lake was in perfect condition for skating. This was a rare occurrence of ‘wild ice’ – lakes that have frozen deep enough to skate but aren’t covered in snow.

The distance from shore to glacier is about 2.5 miles in the winter, allowing easy access to Portage Glacier. Alaskans ice skated, biked, walked and even skied across the lake with young children, dogs and hockey sticks. Some even pushed strollers with ski-like attachments on the wheels that let them glide over the ice.

With temperatures on Jan. 21 being an average of 10 degrees Fahrenheit, Portage Lake experienced warmer weather than much of Anchorage has in recent days. However, clear skies and wind chill made the skate back from the glacier a frigid task – with the wind direction

pushing skaters toward the glacier, and blowing freezing air against their faces.

Freezing temperatures are important to consider when skating on wild ice, and it’s necessary to ensure areas haven’t thawed recently so the ice is safe to skate on. Local weather advisories can help determine this – along with calls to the

U.S. Forest Service, which may have evaluated the ice and can give advice on the safeness of outdoor activities. Being well prepared and only walking on thickly frozen lakes with proper safety equipment is important when being active outside in Alaska.

Along with the unique temperatures and weather patterns

of recent days came hoarfrost. Hoarfrost is a beautiful, feathery frost that forms when water vapor in the air makes contact with the frozen surface of a body of water – in this case, Portage Lake. The vapor freezes instantly and catches more vapor from the air, creating what are essentially large branches of snowflakes. These delicate

structures were crushed easily while skating, leaving only scatters of ice crystals across the smooth surface of the lake. Those that weren’t crushed created a whimsical and rare scene.

Once across the lake, Portage Glacier comes into view. The glacier is hidden behind a bend in the surrounding landscape and isn’t visible from the shore. The surrounding area features frozen waterfalls with a light blue coloring, but the glacier itself ranges from frosty white to a deep blue that seems almost manmade with how rarely it can be seen in nature.

The glacier has steadily receded in the past century due to climatic changes, and – like many other glaciers – is at risk of melting and disappearing completely. While the glacier used to be visible from the Visitor Center at the shore of Portage Lake, it now hides miles back, only to be reached by crossing the frozen lake or boating in the summer.

Portage Glacier is a special part of Alaska that is definitely worth seeing, and our cold winter provides a unique and fun way to do it. When proper safety is followed, this adventure is one anyone could enjoy by walking or skating all the way to the glacier or simply sitting at the shoreline to enjoy the beautiful view.

PHOTO BY AMELIA MCCORMACK.

Skaters gather on Portage Lake near the shoreline.

Ranking restrooms on the UAA campus

Each restroom on campus has its own ambience, with some exuding the feeling of a welcome break between classes while others are to be used in dire emergencies only.

By Hannah Dillon reporter1@thenorthernlight.org

This article will exhibit opinions on the female restrooms on campus. Restrooms have been ranked from best to worst and graded on a scale of 1 through 10.

Some of the criteria for what makes a great restroom include the space of the stall, privacy of the stall layout (including size of stall door gaps), placement of stall amenities, condom dispensers, cleanliness and good atmosphere involving the lighting and mirrors.

The best restroom on campus may be on the first floor Natural Sciences restroom. The restroom is very nice and hits many of the indicators of what makes a restroom genuinely enjoyable. There are plenty of stalls and each is large enough to comfortably sit. The privacy of both the restroom entrance and the individual stalls is refreshing. The lighting above the sinks is detailed and the natural-looking tile provides an aesthetic feel perfect for a natural sciences building. I rate this restroom 9/10.

The College of Engineering and Sciences restroom is interesting. The layout of stalls is very private and the walls and

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floor give the restroom a very clean appearance. The biggest takeaway from this restroom is the body mirror. Body mirrors are amazing to have in any bathroom, but this one is placed directly in front of the first stall when you enter. If a student looks through the crack of the stall, they can see themself in the mirror – which could make things awkward. However, the stalls are spacious and the sinks have an interface where it counts down from one minute to wash your hands and also provides the temperature of the water. This bathroom gets an 8/10.

The Allied Health Sciences building is often very clean and has an interesting red and white design. The restroom itself is fairly small but does offer enough space within each stall. This restroom may not be the most appealing, but it is decent enough to get a 7/10 ranking from me.

The restroom in Beatrice McDonald Hall is often clean. Stall door gaps are small and are not easy to see through – offering more privacy. The sink mimics the shiny floor of the main building and the walls have a minimalist, striped design of blue and yellow on a brown background. Amenities such as the toilet paper holder and the sani-

tary napkin disposal are fairly close to the toilet, giving less room to sit. Overall, this bathroom is relatively average. I give it a 7/10.

The Fine Arts restroom next to photography on the 3rd floor was recommended to me by a friend. The restroom has a nice layout with an accent of blue outlining tiles. The mirrors are large and the restroom is spacious. The stalls are large and there is plenty of space to sit. With the layout, the stall door gaps could be smaller. The paper towels for drying hands are attached to the stalls, which could initiate very awkward accidental eye contact. I rate this restroom 6/10.

The Professional Studies Building has a dull but spacious restroom. It is largely gray in color, but the layout and amenities are a nice touch, which include a seat opposite to the entrance. Stall gaps are almost non-existent and there is enough space in front of the sinks to avoid awkward walking interactions. This bathroom is nice, but nothing to write home about – 6/10.

Eugene F. Short Hall has one of the most colorful restrooms on campus. The red stalls are a nice touch, but the stall gaps are a little large. The gaps them-

selves are not the biggest problem with this restroom though – the height of the separating stall walls are. The stall walls are barely higher than the toilet, with the toilet sitting fairly low itself. Concerns of people possibly seeing you are very valid, as the stall and toilet are nearly the same height. The red doors could not distract someone from the atrocity of the layout. This bathroom gets a 6/10.

The restroom in the Social Sciences Building provides a spacious area to use while providing only two stalls – making this restroom much more private. There are often free tampons in a box on the sink counter where most restrooms on campus charge 25 cents for a single sanitary item. While not the prettiest restroom on campus, it is often clean and is one of the less disappointing restrooms. 6/10.

Sally Munserued Hall’s restroom would have been in competition for the top of the list if it were not for the overwhelming terrible smell when you first walk in. The restroom has many stalls and large mirrors. There are power outlets on the mirrors above the sink and you can sit in the stall comfortably with all of the amenities present. However, the smell was so bad that the rat-

ing had to be taken down to 5/10.

The Consortium Library bathroom does not have a large mirror. This bathroom normally looks and is a little gross with, once again, the only appealing factor being the green, inlaid wall tiles. The sinks have an odd, round design to keep you from getting too close to the sink with guiding lines below. The restroom is also tucked behind the elevators and has no accessibility button to assist in opening the door. I give it a 4/10. The restroom near Khaladi Brothers near the Consortium Library can be off-putting as you walk into a yellow tinted restroom that always has a smell you cannot place your finger on. The green and blue tiled walls with the large body-mirror are a nice distraction from the awkwardness of the stall layout, but the odd placement of black stains on the floor cannot distract you from the small confines of the stalls. This bathroom gets 3/10. Almost inarguably, the worst restroom on campus is in the Student Union. Walking into the restroom feels dark and gloomy as you arrive at a stall barely big enough to sit in. While sitting in the stall, your elbow nearly goes inside the sanitary product disposal can. The sinks in the restroom poorly predict where a student’s hand is – initiating an annoying game of tag – and no matter how much it is cleaned, it always has a dirty feel. In my opinion, this bathroom is the worst on campus and I give it 0/10.

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SPORTS

Photos: UAA hockey defeats UAF in Anchorage

The Seawolves grabbed a 4-2 victory over Fairbanks on Feb. 3 in The Avis Alaska Sports Complex at UAA. The game was the final match between UAA and UAF in the The Alaska AIrlines Governor’s Cup.