THENORTHERNLIGHT JUNE 29, 2010
NEWS
04
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Gonorrhea in Alaska: Antibiotic resistant strain
SPORTS
05
The World Cup:
America’ s interest growing
WWW.THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
OPINION
09
Editorial:
Voice your issues to Gamble
LOGAN TUTTLE TNL
The flowers are in bloom and the weather is somewhat nice, but that is not stopping over 16 percent of the UA student body from enrolling in summer courses. Throughout the week, students can be spotted studying outside around campus, either laying relaxed on the university’s green lawns or sitting at a picnic table glancing at their multiple text books.
Summer course enrollment increased by 3.3 percent since summer 2009; sections offered increased by 5.8 percent By Jerzy Shedlock The Northern Light
A constant buzz engulfs Anchorage during its fleeting summer months. The UAA campus, however, seems somewhat quiet. The vacant classrooms and dark hallways make the university appear deserted to the untrained eye, but students enrolled in summer sessions come and leave their courses faster than the summer itself. A total of 7,899 students have been filling the seats of classrooms statewide during the first summer session according to UAA’s Office of Institutional Research (IR). That total was taken on Friday, June
11, and is 3.3 percent above last year’s total. The total does not include students enrolled in classes for the second session, so the total amount that will have participated in summer courses will be higher by the end of both summer sessions. The nearly 8,000 students taking summer courses occupy 14,431 seats. What that information doesn’t show is that, on average, a single student takes 1.8 classes per session. Thus, if a student is taking two courses, they actually count twice when IR conducts a seat count. There are 1,048 course sections being offered this summer. It is uncertain how many courses are being taught. The total
number of course sections being offered this year is up 5.8 percent from summer 2009. UAA Provost Dr. Michael Driscoll conveyed growth is permeating nearly every aspect of the UA system. “Obviously, we have more students enrolled year round compared to a couple years ago, so we’re seeing more courses and sections being offered as a result,” Driscoll said. The amount of material covered and the objectives of courses do not change whether it is taught over 15, 10 or five weeks. Students, however, are expected to spend more time in class and working on
homework per day than they are for a regular 15-week course during the academic year. “The workload is not larger for regular semester courses. They are simply spread out over a longer period,” Driscoll said. “Student’s are going to be working harder on a day-to-day basis in a compressed summer course.” Students at UAA are taking summer courses to graduate in a timely manner, and they want to obtain their degrees as quickly as possible due to the rapidly increasing costs of higher education. Biology major Janell Graham stated that SEE SUMMER PAGE 04
Advocacy raises student Sports Dome declares wages 50 cents per hour bankrupcy to stay alive By Joshua Tucker The Northern Light
Younger Oliver, a UAA sophomore majoring in English, works at the information desk in the UAA student union. She was thrilled to hear that the July 30 paychecks for all 500 student workers in the UA system will include a 50 cent per hour raise, their first in seven years. For a student working 20 hours a week, that’s an extra $20 in every check. In April, Oliver wrote an English paper highlighting reasons why the student wage should be increased by at least a dollar per hour. Pointing out that according to the Anchorage Police Department the cost of living in Anchorage is 26 percent above the national average and the cost of housing is 38 percent above the national average. Yet, Oliver did not know that USUAA
Senator and Speaker of the Coalition of Student Leaders Peter Finn along with other student leaders had been lobbying for months toward a student wage increase. The financial pressures the students face, often working two jobs just make ends meet, are clear considering only 38 percent of UAA students attend full time. Finn recalls when the UA business council, which advises the Board of Regents on financial matters, recommended a 25 cent increase of student wages across the board – just enough to keep the University in compliance with the state minimum wage by bringing the bottom tier of student wages to 7.75 per hour. “Usually the Board of Regents just goes with whatever the business council recommends, but we decided not to give up,” Finn said. “I saw President Hamilton’s bald SEE RAISE PAGE 10
By declaring for Chapter 11 bankrupcy, The Dome can continue to operate while decreasing their payments By Taylor Hall The Northern Light
Bankruptcy is usually the last way out for most groups and is often seen as a worst possible outcome. Upon declaring for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 5, The Dome in Anchorage views its move as a necessary and positive step in the right direction. “It was the only way to make sure The Dome was going to remain here… so we see it as a positive,” Alice Federenko said, CEO of The Dome since December 2008. Now of course, the idea of having to take this measure is one the leaders of
The Dome would rather not have to take. However, by declaring for Chapter 11, The Dome can take a step back and look to bring their annual payments down to a more reasonable and attainable level with their creditors and bondholders. The restructuring of the long-term debt and bankruptcy protection will not close down The Dome. In fact, the venue will have no disruptions and continues to be open to the public and organizations that use it. Since opening its doors in 2007, The Dome has seen troubles due to a large unforeseen property tax as well as low SEE DOME PAGE 05