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THENORTHERNLIGHT MARCH 23, 2010

NEWS

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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

Governor Parnell: Speaks at UAA

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FEATURES

Health concerns:

Violations minor but substantial

Strohmeyer remembered for deep involvement with UAA

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Acai Alaska:

Serving up a healthy lifestyle

Patrick Gamble accepts offer to be new UA president Board of Regents choose Gamble for his years of leadership expertise

By Kam Walters The Northern Light

NICHOLAS MONEY/TNL

The Anchorage Daily Times display in the UAA/APU Consortium library. The display was designed by faculty member John Strohmeyer who died on March 4. He was 85.

By Jerzy Shedlock The Northern Light

Office 212D of the Consortium Library sits vacant waiting for John Strohmeyer to return, his notes still spread about his work desk consisting of thoughts and ideas that will never be finished. Scraps of newspaper clippings and maps of the state decorate the walls of the office, telling of a man whose passion for Alaska knew no bounds.

Strohmeyer, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and newspaper advocate, recently passed away at the age of 85. He was a strong supporter of UAA and impacted the university in a number of ways.

Before coming to Alaska Strohmeyer led the GlobeTimes of Bethlehem, PA from 1956 to 1984, running

the newspaper in his hands-on style. After a short service as a McFadden professor at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, from which he received an honorary doctorate degree, he moved to Anchorage to take post as Atwood Professor of journalism at UAA. Current journalism and public communications (JPC) department chair Dr. Frederick W. Pearce recalled having an interesting relationship with Strohmeyer.

Pearce’s background is in broadcast while Strohmeyer was a stone-cold newspaperman.

They used to having running disputations regarding the shrinkage of newspapers. In Pearce’s words, Strohmeyer held that people were becoming soft by switching their attention to new mediums like TV newscasts, which caused a decline in reading.

“John was part of a particular generation in that

Patrick Gamble, the current president and CEO of the Alaska Railroad, has been announced as the next University of Alaska President.

Gamble, the only one of the three presidential candidates coming from an institution outside of the educational system, accepted the position after a long deliberation by the Board of Regents.

Mark Hamilton, the current UA president, shares a similar history with Gamble. Both have held high positions in the military; Hamilton preceded his position of UA president as a Major General in the U.S. Army and Gamble was commander of the Pacific Air Forces as a four-star general, prior to overseeing the Alaska Railroad.

“We believe Pat has the leadership skills, the management expertise and familiarity with the state of Alaska that will serve UA well,” said Board Chair Cynthia Henry. “We are impressed by his support for the University of Alaska and his interest in addressing the issues we face.”

Gamble was chosen over Lisa Rossbacher, president of Southern Polytechnic State University, and John Pugh, UAS chancellor.

“I suppose the board was comfortable with choosing someone with a similar history as Mark Hamilton,” Fran Ulmer said. “The Regents made the decision by looking for someone with strong management and who had a variety of management experiences in the military and public.”

Gamble said his number one priority as president will be to ensure a quality education for students. He also wants to gain more public support for the University of Alaska, continue the university’s strong presence in research important to Alaskans and engage the University in broader state economic development opportunities.

As president of the Alaska Railroad, Gamble broadened the economic development of the corporation by overseeing an increase of around 300 percent in assets. He also doubled net earnings and increased revenue by 70 percent.

SEE PRESIDENT PAGE 03

SEE NEWSPAPERMAN PAGE 04

UA’s non-discrimination policy does not include sexual orientation despite continuing demand LGBT organizations push for Alaska and UAA to follow 20 other states in non-discrimination policies

By Jerzy Shedlock The Northern Light

The UAA campus is a diverse environment that often aims to foster open discussion. Despite the nation’s strides toward greater equality over generations discrimination of certain groups still occurs.

Matthew Caprioli, UAA sophomore, attended Clark University in Massachusetts last school year. The small school of about 2,000 students offered him social acceptance. Caprioli is openly gay and admits discussion of sexual orientation was more open at Clark partially because it was celebrated. He has only been at UAA one semester, but notices differences.

“It really irked me when I heard a group of people saying ‘that’s so gay,’” Caprioli said. “Of my two years at Clark I never heard that. Perhaps people at UAA aren’t aware of what they’re saying and who it affects.”

University of Alaska does not include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy. Members of the GayStraight Alliance (GSA) at UAF recently brought the issue to the attention of the UA Board of Regents. The issue has been raised before the board at every meeting since last April, according to UAF’s GSA president Jessica Angelette, but action has yet to be taken.

“I haven’t heard anything antidotal regarding the issue when I travel to different campuses,” Regent Kirk Wikersham said. “I don’t know if (a policy) would pass right now. The board has not really spoke privately on the

subject, but we decided at our retreat in January we would deal with it this year.”

Angelette commented that the Regents did seem concerned about the issue when it was brought up at the February meeting. Regents were spotted taking notes while various students vented their concerns about the matter.

“Seeing as this has been an ongoing issue for about 25 years I don’t see it going away,” Angelette said. “There is too much press and public interest and not just in Alaska, but the entire nation.”

Twenty states and Washington, D.C. have antidiscrimination laws prohibiting discrimination against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Alaska is not one of those states, but it does have a state law that protects individuals against discrimination in SEE

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NEWS| March 23, 2010

POLICY: Discrimination and sexual orientation CONTINUED FROM COVER

state employment. Currently, there is no federal law.

The dilemma leaves public colleges and universities to create their own policies, which often leaves administrators concerned that their schools will be open for lawsuits if they include sexual orientation in their institutional policies. All of the top 20 universities in the nation already have such policies.

A policy almost passed, when, in August 1996, the Human Resources Committee at UAF recommended the board consider the issue of whether sexual orientation should be included in the UA system’s non-discrimination policy. In approving the recommendation, a roll call vote was taken. Five regents voted in favor of the motion, four in opposition. Regent Mary Jane Fate was absent during the meeting.

Before the results of the vote were announced by President Michael P. Kelly, a result that would have passed the recommendation, Regent R. Danfourth Ogg asked to change his vote to the affirmative and was permitted. Ogg then made a motion to “reconsider and enter into minutes.”

As a result, the vote was pushed to September’s meeting.

Regent Fate voted in opposition and Regent Ogg switched his vote back to opposing. The motion failed to pass with a vote of six to five.

“Such a policy probably wouldn’t affect UAA. People are going to discriminate whether or not it says on paper such speech is prohibited,” Caprioli said. “Some people really can’t help but speak their mind.”

Studies show the negative effects of harassment on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students.

LGBT students are three times more likely to attempt suicide within a given school year compared to heterosexual students according to a Massachusetts study reported in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

The 2007 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that 86.2 percent of LGBT students experienced harassment at school in the past year. The report indicated a hostile school climate with findings like 22.1 percent reported being physically assaulted at school because of their sexual orientation.

Positive interventions and support does exist on

campuses. According to the GLSEN report students in schools with a GSA reported hearing fewer homophobic remarks, were more likely to report incidents of harassment and assault to school staff and were less likely to miss school because of safety concerns.

The absence of sexual orientation policies has left students and parents with limited legal recourse to redress for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. However, in late January the Student Non-

Discrimination Act of 2010 (SNDA) was introduced in U.S. House.

The SNDA would prohibit discrimination against any public school student on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The bi-partisan SNDA was introduced by Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and has 60 co-sponsors.

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Gov. Parnell visits UAA, addresses needs-based scholarships and domestic violence epidemic

NICHOLAS MONEY/TNL

By Jerzy Shedlock The Northern Light

Gov. Sean Parnell visited UAA for a student forum where he touched on two major issues: a comprehensive domestic violence initiative and performance based scholarships.

With a crowd before him and a UAA Against Domestic Violence banner behind him, Parnell briefly spoke on the two issues before taking questions from students and staff during the March 19 event.

In 1993, Parnell began going on rides with Anchorage Police Department (APD) officers. On these rides he discovered a high percentage of calls to the APD are domestic violence related. It was an overwhelming problem everywhere in the city. He joined former Gov. Tony Knowles and his administration to pass the Domestic Violence Prevention Act of 1996 to create a comprehensive and consistent statewide policy. Looking forward to 2010, Alaska is still dealing with a domestic violence epidemic.

“We don’t really want any (domestic violence) at all, but do (Alaskans) really want to be six time the national average? I said no,” Parnell said. “These aren’t just statistics, they’re real people with real problems.”

In order to address the issue Parnell emphasized the need to bring the issue out into the open for discussion, no matter how personal or private individual cases might be. Parnell’s proposed initiative is three pronged: prevention, increasing shelter needs and tougher penalties for perpetrators.

The governor stated prevention would be based around raising self-awareness. On March 31, Choose Respect rallies, as Parnell referred to them, will be held around the state. He is urging cities, towns and villages to gather people together and hold speeches addressing why the gathering has occurred in hopes that more Alaskans will become aware of the domestic violence epidemic troubling Alaska and demand it be stopped for the sake of future generations.

To improve shelter needs, additional money has been put in the state’s budget to help fund shelters and increase the

number of available beds.

Law enforcement will become stricter toward offenders of domestic violence in the coming years. In addition, this year’s budget includes 15 new village public safety officers and Parnell pledged to do the same each year for 15 years.

Students were concerned with what else could be done to prevent domestic violence from occurring. The governor stated that individuals need to step up and get involved in others lives, something many of us usually avoid.

“My hope is that your generation will be the last to see

“My hope is that your generation will be the last to see and live through epidemic, and the first to step forward to stop it.”

–Gov. Sean Parnell

and live through epidemic and the first to step forward to stop it,” Parnell said.

Switching the topic to education, Parnell informed the crowd huddled in the Student Union of his newly developed Governor’s Achievement Scholarship (GPS). Increasing tuition is always a problem when trying to attend college, but the governor stressed that many younger students are not taking rigorous courses during high school, often leaving them ill prepared for college.

Thus, the GPS will be offered to students willing to take four years of math, science and English and three years of social studies. Students that obtain an “A” grade point average among those rigorous courses will receive a 100 percent tuition scholarship. A “B” average will earn students a 75 percent tuition scholarship while a “C”-plus average will earn students a 50 percent tuition scholarship.

NICHOLAS MONEY/TNL

Parnell briefly touched on a needs-based component being included in the initiative, which many students raised questions about during the Q and A, but he did not go into detail about such components.

USUAA senator Peter Finn believes merit and needsbased components are both extremely important when creating financial aid.

“The real issue with the needs based side of it is that Alaska ranks last in the nation for providing needs-based financial aid to students,” Finn said. “The best way to get people out of poverty is to educate them. From a student standpoint, we decided over three years ago that providing financial need to less fortunate families is the most important thing (legislators) can do scholarship wise.”

Students raised concerns about how the scholarships are to be financed. Currently, the state has over $8 billion in savings. $400 million will be put into a separate state account to finance the scholarships according to Parnell.

Another reoccurring concern during the forum was that many villages do not have the resources to offer their students such rigorous courses.

“It’s always been a severe difficulty to find instructors to go and teach in villages. We need good instructors in the villages to raise up kids to attain these scholarships,” USUAA senator Sean McGrane said. “If the initiative passes ,our focus then needs to switch to obtaining important tools so village students can obtain the scholarships.”

The governor stated his belief that the initiative itself would help “pump kids up” in the villages to obtain the scholarships and provide incentive for school districts around the state to push for the financing of additional courses and resources.

Many left the student forum with multiple concerns still looming in their minds, but tough questions were asked nonetheless. UAA students and faculty will have to remain attentive in the coming months to see desired results.

PRESIDENT: Regents hoping for a smooth transition CONTINUED FROM COVER

“I have had the opportunity to meet Gamble many times,” Ulmer said. “He always had something positive to say. People who have worked with him a long time note that he is a good manager with good skills, and I respect people that have said that.”

Indeed, Gamble considers his own greatest strength to be leadership. In his resume he notes that he is “known for face to face, consensus building, participative governance style,” and that his “reputation and personal leadership philosophy (are) synonymous with outstanding character and performance. (I am) no stranger to unpleasant decision making such as tough recession-proofing cost saving measures.”

Gamble has served on two advisory boards at UAA: the

school of business board and aviation board, “so he knows a little about us,” Ulmer said. “I will work very hard during this transition to help him get to know us better.”

In the press release announcing Gamble’s acceptance, it was stated that the board expects a smooth transition between the two presidents to occur in June.

As president of the UA system, Gamble will earn a $295,000 annual salary.

“I’m excited, but humbled by this opportunity,” Gamble said. “I have a high degree of respect for the University of Alaska, its mission and its service to students. This is a very important appointment, but it’s not one I’ll do alone.

I look forward to working with a variety of people in the months and years ahead, including our students, faculty,

staff, community members, elected officials, alumni, donors, business partners and others with an interest in the success of this institution.”

Gamble’s experience and desire to work hard to promote his knowledge and worth for the University of Alaska is encouraged and respected by UA higher-ups.

“We believe Pat has the leadership skills, the management expertise and familiarity with the state of Alaska that will serve UA well,” Henry said. “We are impressed by his support for the University of Alaska and his interest in addressing the issues we face.” We’re very pleased he’s accepted our offer.”

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TNL

NEWS| March 23, 2010

StAteWiDe BrieFS

House passes nonbinding energy policy bill The House unanimously passed legislation detailing Alaska’s energy policy for years to come.

The bill passed lays out nonbinding energy goals, such as having half the state’s electricity generated from renewable sources by 2025. It also encourages efforts for such things as renewables, energy efficiency, and conservation and private sector involvement.

It doesn’t include funding but lawmakers see it as a roadmap to guide future spending decisions.

Reps. Charisse Millett and Bryce Edgmon, the bill’s sponsors, said it is especially meaningful because it was written by a diverse group of Alaska experts rather than lawmakers. Millett is a Republican from Anchorage and Edgmon a Democrat from Dillingham.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Gun-rights advocate arrested on weapons charge Fairbanks police said a local gun-rights advocate was arrested this week for failing to notify an officer he was carrying a concealed weapon.

The Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner reported that 26-year-old Schaeffer Cox was arrested while monitoring the scene of a police search.

Cox is part of a “Liberty Bell” network that sends out mass notifications when someone believes their rights are being violated. The owner of the home had complained that police were making an unauthorized search.

Police said Cox, when contacted, failed to tell them he was carrying a concealed pistol.

He was charged with misdemeanor weapons misconduct.

Cox told the newspaper he questions the constitutionality of the notification requirement, but he complied with it.

Authorities believe Daigle used a debit card that belonged to a former employer. Fairbanks police Detective Scott Adams says Daigle had not worked for the company for about two years, but the company never took her name off the account.

Daigle faces felony charges of theft and fraudulent use of an access device.

‘Confusion’ leads to shooting of collared wolves State wildlife biologists fatally shot a wolf pack the National Park Service had been following as part of a 16-year research project.

The wolves were shot from a helicopter as part of a ramped-up aerial predator control program in the eastern Interior.

State officials had agreed not to shoot wolves wearing park service collars and to minimize the take of uncollared wolves in packs with collared animals.

Two of the four wolves in the pack had been fitted with the GPS collars.

A regional supervisor for the state Department of Fish and Game says the killing of the collared wolves resulted from “some confusion” and “some complicated factors.”

Soldiers’ privileges pulled because of DUIs Weekend privileges for some Fort Richardson soldiers are being suspended because of the high number of driving under the influence charges they’re accumulating.

KTVA-TV reports a Fort Richardson official said the charges started stacking up after soldiers began returning from Afghanistan in January.

At first, the order affected all soldiers on base.

Now, while two brigades have had their privileges restored, four brigades still have to report for duty this weekend.

Anchorage Police Lt. Dave Parker will be giving soldiers a speech on the average $20,000 cost and consequences of receiving a DUI.

Lawmakers to DEC: Exempt AK’s small cheese Anchorage man makers shoots neighbor’s Lawmakers agree Chihuahua with Alaska’s small dairy farmers and hobbyists who say new cheese regulations written by a state agency are too stringent.

The Legislature’s regulation review committee is asking the Department of Environmental Conservation to negotiate with stakeholders to rewrite the rules with exemptions for small operations. Chairman and Rep. Wes Keller, a Republican from Wasilla, said direct sales of raw milk products between the farmer and consumer should be exempt.

Kristin Ryan, head of the department’s division covering sanitary food, has argued that the new rules are accessible to small operators and not following them compromises food safety.

Fairbanks woman accused of debit card fraud A grand jury indicted a Fairbanks woman accused of using a business account to steal more than $6,000 worth of goods from a local Sam’s Club and Walmart.

Police said 26-year-old Lena Daigle used the account to buy a big screen television as well as multiple Xbox 360s and other gaming consoles.

Police said an Anchorage man shot and killed his neighbor’s 10-year-old Chihuahua this week, escalating a long-standing dispute over roaming dogs.

Lowell Mueller, 74, has been charged with reckless endangerment, cruelty to animals and fourth-degree misconduct with a weapon. Police said he has been released on $500 bail with the condition that he not possess any firearms.

The shooting grew out of previous meetings between the 8-pound male dog and a larger female he couldn’t seem to resist.

“You hear about people shooting Rottweilers. You hear about people shooting pit bulls.

Even police officers (shooting dogs) when the dog is attacking.

I’ve never heard of anybody shooting a Chihuahua,” John Glasgow said, one of the dog’s owners. “It just hurt me very deeply when this happened. I just don’t understand the sense behind shooting the dog.”

The 10-year-old Chihuahua, Faux Pas, was apparently attracted to Mueller’s dog, which was in heat, Glasgow said. Mueller’s dog was in a fenced dog run in the yard, which itself is not fenced.

Compiled by Kam Walters

NEWSPAPERMAN: Helped design the Anchorage Times exhibit in Consortium Library CONTINUED FROM COVER

when he was in his prime, newspapers were the center of the universe,” Pearce said. “We didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but he was always a man of integrity. Truly old school reporter; Get it right, get it fast and move on.”

After his term as Atwood Professor, Strohmeyer remained at UAA as the university’s first writer-inresidence, writing columns for the Anchorage Daily News. He also completed the last two of his three published books at this time – Extreme Conditions: Big Oil and the Transformation of Alaska and Historic Alaska: An Illustrated History.

Extreme Conditions is an examination of the miseries brought to Alaska with the 1967 discovery of oil deposits at Prudhoe Bay and Historic Anchorage is an illustrated look at Anchorage focusing on changes in its character and growth over the last century.

“I thought (Extreme Conditions) was great. It had a lot of oil and native corporation discussion, which interested me,” JPC associate professor and former colleague Edgar Blatchford said. “John had interesting perspectives and did a thorough job of investigating what happened in Alaska in the ‘60s and ‘70s.”

Blatchford would invite Strohmeyer to his JPC courses to share personal experiences with students. Strohmeyer was introduced during his first presentation as a journalist, but he quickly corrected Blatchford stating he was a newspaperman.

Strohmeyer was proud of his wide range of expertise with newspapers and as an investigative journalist was satisfied with the role he played in society according to former colleagues.

As a member of the College of Fellows, a support committee at UAA consisting of the university’s most generous annual donors, Strohmeyer helped in the development of the Consortium Library’s permanent exhibit on the Anchorage Times. A subcommittee of the College of Fellows was established for the library to design the exhibit. While on the committee Strohmeyer personally helped select the front pages etched onto enormous glass panels that make up the majority of the exhibit. In addition, he helped select the editorial pieces in the additional panels featured in the exhibit as well as numerous other details.

“He was an integral part in that he was on the committee and he largely helped design the exhibit,” Dean of the Consortium Library Steve Rollins said. “John was very enthusiastic about having Bob

Atwood’s place in history recognized.”

Strohmeyer’s deep appreciation of Bob Atwood, long-time editor and publisher of the Anchorage Times and proponent of Alaska statehood, is indicated in his multiple editorials published in the ADN about the famous Alaskan.

In July of 2008, Strohmeyer wrote a commentary in the ADN titled ‘No one did more for Alaska statehood than Bob Atwood.’ The opening lines of the commentary read, “In the spirit of the celebration

“We didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but he was always a man of integrity. Truly old school reporter; Get it right, get it fast and move on.”

– Dr. Frederick W. Pearce

of Alaska’s 50th anniversary of statehood, many deserving people are hailed for their roles in making it happen. However, in those generally good recollections, I have yet to read about the one person who deserves to stand out among the rest.”

There was a warm place in Strohmeyer’s heart for UAA and especially the JPC department according to Sylvia Broady Strohmeyer, his late wife. The Northern Light received it’s name from Strohmeyer.

“He particularly enjoyed working with the Northern Light staff and ran his weekly critiques as if he was still editor of the Bethlehem Globe-Times,” Broady said. “Students might skip a class, but they never missed a staff meeting because they learned so much.”

For all of his efforts aimed at improving the university and his professionalism as a scholar John Strohmeyer will truly be missed.

Judge orders a rewrite of the Alaska abortion initiative

By Becky Bohrer The Associated Press

An Alaska judge ordered the lieutenant governor to rewrite ballot language for a proposed abortion initiative that critics challenged as misleading but stopped short of keeping the measure off the ballot this year.

The dispute stems from the language used in petition signature booklets for the proposed initiative. The measure would require parental notice or consent before a minor can have an abortion, with certain exceptions.

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and ACLU of Alaska argued the language used was misleading and that it didn’t state the initiative would restrict existing rights or potentially subject doctors to penalties. A minor currently does not need to notify a parent before obtaining an abortion.

Superior Court Judge Frank Pfiffner ordered Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell to write an “accurate” summary making clear those two points, plus noting

the proposed initiative “revalidates” a parental consent law struck down by the state Supreme Court as unconstitutional because it didn’t provide the least restrictive impact on a minor’s right to privacy.

“The critical point is that summaries can be inaccurate from omission, as well as commission,” the judge in Anchorage wrote. “The problem in this case is not what the lieutenant governor said; it is what he didn’t say.”

Campbell was traveling Tuesday and not immediately available for comment. The executive director of ACLU of Alaska, Jeffrey Mittman, said his side is reviewing the ruling and deciding whether to appeal.

Jim Minnery, the chair of Alaskans for Parental Rights, called the lawsuit “a desperate attempt by Planned Parenthood to prevent this common sense issue from being voted on by Alaskans.”

The Division of Elections last week reported verifying that the initiative’s sponsors had gathered more than enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot.

March 23, 2010 | NEWS

TNL

Minor violations have been cause for concern for UAA food services At UAA, where students dine is where health inspectors find many faults

By Matt Caprioli

Special to The Northern Light

Violation implies blaring lights and a mechanical voice – 007 style – intoning “red alert;” so when a salad delves below 40 degrees, a similar reaction does not seem necessary, but that’s how city inspectors write their reports. “Employees may not wipe their mouths on their clothing,” “there were no paper towels at one of the hand sinks,” and “raw chicken was being stored immediately next to tomatoes.”

These single violations belong to general categories, such as “food protected from cross contamination” and “proper sanitation, temperature, chemicals.”

While reviewing the city’s health reports on UAA facilities, which can be found on the city’s website, it’s soon apparent that many of the violations cited by routine health inspections fall into one of the two categories.

Most of UAA’s health violations are minor, incurring a fivepoint deduction maximum. All of these violations were the result of routine checks. Complaints rarely occur. The last complaint against the Lucy Cuddy Hall was in 2004 and, like all other complaints, was unsubstantiated.

Though minor, why are the same health violations cited at UAA over and over again?

These violations are easily earned by a simple slip of thought: forgetting to wash a bagel cutter, towels without bleach or employees using those towels to wash their hands.

These minor violations occur so frequently due to, as any restaurant employee can attest, human nature – people tire and the mind wanders.

One interesting violation report reads, “Whipped cream measured at 60 degrees. Whipped cream is a potentially hazardous food and must be maintained at 41 degrees or below.”

While eating tepid whipped cream is not ideal, it is not ordinarily perceived as being hazardous when compared to eating things normally associated with hazardous materials, like uranium.

Nonetheless, the looming health inspector can maintain health standards. The coffee house in the Cuddy Center had a violation on Oct. 3, 2008 due to an employee returning to work without washing her hands. The health inspector docked the manager five points, but noted that, “this was corrected immediately.” This is an example of a minor violation that immediately brought the facility back to health standards.

Luke Young, a sous chief at the Cuddy Center, agrees that nearly all of the violations have been minor. They are often fixed during inspection: such as reprimanding the unwashed employee on the spot, then reviewing company policy. To prevent public humiliation, Luke Young recommends “Happy Birthday.”

“Wash up to your elbows and sing Happy Birthday,” Young

said. “It’s a little trick I picked up these 17 years.”

Apropos, if the number of employees that “forget” to wash their hands is ever released, great protests may occur.

Young notes that UAA follows the required opening procedure of all restaurants in Anchorage known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). This procedure is a preventative measure to reduce and eliminate food safety hazards. It is mandated by the Food and Drug Association as well as the Department of Agriculture. Hopefully this procedure prevents the possibility of a health violation, like salad reaching the “danger zone” of 40 degrees or below.

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SAY WHAt? Nudity concerns in Colo. town prompting new rules BOULDER, Colo. -- In response to neighborhood reports of a topless gardener, the housing authority in a Colorado town plans to amend its rules so that tenants cover up when they’re outside.

Robert Pierce, of Boulder, says he’ll fight changes that would keep his wife from gardening outside topless, which is legal under state and city law.

“They’re making a big mistake,” he said.

Boulder Housing Partners Executive Director Betsey Martens didn’t return a phone call Friday seeking details on how covered residents would have to be.

She told the Daily Camera newspaper that people have complained for years about the couple often going outside wearing only thong underwear.

Several passersby called Boulder police Wednesday when Catharine Pierce, 52, tended to her yard wearing only a yellow thong and pink gloves. Police decided she wasn’t breaking any laws.

Robert Pierce said the new rules wouldn’t discourage the couple. “We’ll stay the way we have to stay,” he said.

UK library receives book overdue by 45 years LONDON -- It’s common to return a library book late - but not by half a century.

Staff at a British library say they were surprised and puzzled when they received a book that was 45 years overdue through their mailbox.

Alison Lawrie, the principal assistant at Dinnington Library, near northern England’s Sheffield, says the Penguin first edition copy of “Quartermass and the Pit” by Nigel Kneale was due back on Oct. 15, 1965.

She says the borrower remains a mystery because the library records don’t go back that far, and the sender didn’t attach a letter or note with the book.

Lawrie said Friday the sender need not worry about a hefty fine.

“If the person who returned the book wants to come forward we’d love to know the story behind it,” Lawrie said.

Cops: Burglar logs into MySpace on store computer

NICHOLAS MONEY/TNL

A dirty waffle iron at the Creekside Commons. UAA’s Dining Services has been cited for repeat health violations by the City’s Department of Health and Human Services.

KENNEWICK, Wash. -- A burglar who spent about five hours on a store’s computer after breaking into the business gave police all the clues they needed to track him down.

Investigators said the 17-year-old logged into his MySpace account while at Bella Office Furniture and that made it easy for them to find him. He also spent time looking at pornography and trying to sell stolen items, all while using the business’ computer.

He was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree burglary. Kennewick Police said he helped officers recover a cell phone stolen in the break-in.

Errant spike strip leaves Calif. drivers flat NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Some drivers in Newport Beach said they were left flat after a spike strip fell out of a police car and punctured their tires. A police report said the strip, which is designed to slow down fleeing drivers, fell out of a police officer’s Chevy Tahoe on Feb. 27.

The report said the officer had checked out the vehicle but forgot to close the back door before leaving the police station.

At least three motorists had several tires flattened and two have filed claims with the city.

One is asking the city for $221 to cover repairs and towing fees while another wants $870 because of two flat tires on his Jaguar.

City spokeswoman Tara Finnigan said the city is looking into those claims and can’t comment.

Police: La. man denied beer run gets very testy

NICHOLAS MONEY/TNL

A grill shows sign of grime in the kitchen at the Creekside Comons. UAA’s Dining Services has been cited for repeat health violations by the City’s Department of Health and Human Services.

THIBODAUX, La. -- A 25-year-old man did not take his inability to get more beer well. Lafourche sheriff’s spokeswoman Lesley Hill Peters said the man was accused of breaking furniture and throwing a beer bottle at a woman after she refused to give him car keys so he could buy more beer on Monday night.

The Courier reported Wednesday that the man admitted to deputies he’d been drinking before the argument with the alleged 29-year-old victim.

The suspect was booked with aggravated assault and disturbing the peace. He was freed from the Lafourche Parish jail on a $350 bond.

Peters said the man did not hit the alleged victim with the beer bottle.

SPORTS

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Womens basketball 2009/2010 season in review

By Taylor Hall The Northern LIght

The UAA Women’s Basketball team has finished up their season and once again, proved they were one of the West Region and GNAC powerhouses all year long.

The Seawolves started off the year by winning their fourth straight Great Alaska Shootout championship in 2010 by defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats 49-48.

Senior forward Nicci Miller was named tournament MVP while senior guards Kiki Taylor and Tamar Gruwell made the alltournament team.

Head Coach Tim Moser won his 100th game as the UAA bench

boss. The win came back on Feb. 3 against the UAF Nanooks when the Seawolves won 81-48 up in Fairbanks.

Despite battling key injuries and tough competiton in GNAC play, the ‘Wolves made it back to the West Region postseason for the fourth straight year under coach Moser. They fell just short of making a three-peat as the West Champs and earning a bid to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Championships.

Their 24-5 record finished tied for the third best season in UAA women’s history. They also were nationally ranked within the Top 20 teams nationally throughout the season.

TNL Archives

Daniel Jackson/ TNL

Sarah Naffziger/ TNL

overtime

Woods will make his comeback at the Masters

By Taylor Hall The Northern Light

Tiger Woods has finally set the date that he will step back into the golfing world and out of the tabloids.

The most recognized golfer, and perhaps athlete, this world has ever seen, released a public statement this past week announcing his return to the game.

“The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta,” Woods said in his public statement on Mar. 16.

And what a perfect place for him to make a return as this tournament has seen some of the greatest Tiger moments in his decorated history.

Flashback to 1997 when Woods won his first major championship with a record 18 under par score and blew away the field and world with his record performance.

His Masters victory in 2001 completed the “Tiger Slam” which saw the only time in history that one golfer was the current holder of all four major championships at one time.

In 2005, Woods yet again left us in awe when he made perhaps one of the most amazing shots on the 16th hole.

Woods was off the green but his sensational chip-in would be all but the fat lady singing, as he held off Chris DiMarco for his fourth green jacket.

Now we come back to the present day.

We find a Tiger who has been in the media for all the wrong reasons ever since the mysterious car crash outside his home in Florida on Nov. 27 2009. Confusion and questions swirled with little or no answers to explain what had actually transpired that night.

Soon after, stories of infidelity to his wife Elin surfaced and were then admitted to by Woods. Pretty soon, nearly a dozen women stepped forward to claim they were former mistresses of Woods.

Then came the brutal press conference in which a “more human than machine” Woods stood and addressed the world of his transgressions.

For the first time, it looked like the champion who had always seemed more confident and invincible than all others he faced, was now showing signs of sheer shame and insecurity.

So heavy the head that wears the crown indeed.

Now Augusta offers a day of atonement for Woods.

He can get back to what doing what truly made him the amazing athlete and figure he is. He can begin to put to rest

all of the transgressions he has made and begin to make retributions.

Augusta is a private club where the crowds will be smaller and likely to be more accepting than any other location. Also, the media will be less in numbers allowing Woods to make a softer landing back into the golf spotlight.

Yes, there will be those out there who will continue to ridicule Woods. There will be those who choose to turn their backs to him. There will be those who will look at him for his mistakes rather than his accomplishments.

But there are still many more who want to cheer Woods on his comeback. There are many more who want to see him succeed on and off the golf course. There are many more who still see the Tiger who never ceased to amaze and push the limits of what can be done in the game.

It’s time for Tiger to begin his comeback on the golf course. He has been sincere and true to his word that he would begin to make all well again in his personal life.

It’s time he stops punishing himself for what has happened and move forward into making more amazing moments and achieving greatness like the Tiger Woods of old.

After all, who was ever better at this than Tiger?

March 23, 2010 | SPORTS

TNL

Alaska musher, Coast Guard team up as part of kids program

By Melissa DeVaughn Alaska Star

Timothy Ohlinger is pretty sure he wants to be a musher one day.

The 5-year-old in Bill Douthit’s Fire Lake Elementary School kindergarten class already knows a lot about dogs.

“I know that they like to run,” he said. “And I know how to stop the team. You say ‘woah,’ or go on the brake.’”

In fact, pointed out Timothy, they are highly skilled creatures, too.

“They have a really good sense of smell, and I know that because I have been reading about dogs.”

Ken Anderson, a longtime Iditarod musher from Fairbanks, believes it. While visiting the students at Fire Lake Elementary School on March 2 as part of an outreach program with one of his sponsors, the U.S. Coast Guard, Anderson said he was impressed by how knowledgeable these Alaska kids are about the Iditarod.

“I know they do a lot of reading about the race,” Anderson said.

“Some classes study it as part of their (curriculum). We did a school visit for the (Coast Guard) commander in Valdez and it went well, so we did it again up here.”

It was just a few days before the race and Anderson had some down time before loading his team up for the ceremonial start in Anchorage.

Petty Officer First Class David Mosley, of the U.S. Coast Guard’s public affairs detachment, said he wanted to get Anderson out and about to meet some of his fans and perhaps teach the kids some Iditarod facts.

This is the first year the Coast Guard has sponsored an Iditarod musher, he said.

“It was the brainchild of our commander in Valdez, and the Coast Guard actually has a long history of using dog teams, so we thought it was fitting,” Mosley said.

“We wanted (Anderson) to get to know us a little better and do some community outreach at the same time.”

As the children filed outside to see Anderson, his sled and a few of his dogs (the others stayed home to rest up for the pending race), their excitement was infectious.

Coast Guard officers were on hand to give kids a tour of one of their rescue boats and handed out little toys and coloring books to each child. Anderson, nearby, had his sled set up and a few dogs hooked to his dog truck for the kids to pet.

The children in awe of the sights before them did not know in which direction to go first. Their squeals of delight amped with each moment and they wiggled and wrestled for position to pet the dogs, climb into the boat and grab a prize.

“OK, make sure to say ‘Thank you’ and use your Firebird manners,” principal Lindsay Henry said as the children lined up in front of Anderson.

For his part, Anderson did a great job describing his team and his job on the Iditarod, even quizzing the children on their math.

“Can you multiply yet?” he asked of one group of kids, then went on to explain that if you have 16 dogs on the team and they need one bootie per foot, that’s four booties per dog. Multiply that, and you get 64 booties to deal with each and every day, he said.

While the kids at Fire Lake are enjoying their spring break this week, Anderson is out on the Iditarod Trail, trying to make his way to Nome and be among the fastest to do so.

Ohlinger said he’d be rooting for Anderson.

“He taught me a lot and I like his cute dogs.”

Heating up the Mat-Su alleys Valley woman dreams of making her way into pro bowling ranks

By Greg Johnson

Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

For whatever reason — natural talent, upbringing, genetics or any combination of traits — Tiffany Lebahn is on a roll.

The daughter of a former Professional Bowlers Association member and granddaughter of a bowling alley proprietor, Lebahn spent as much time toddling around the local lanes as her playmates did at tea parties.

“She used to go around here in her walking stroller,” recalled her father, Dale Lebahn, during a Saturday afternoon conversation at North Bowl along the PalmerWasilla Highway. “She’s been in the bowling alley all her life, really.

She started bowling when she was about 4, and when she was in junior high school I could see she had very good, basic bowling mechanics.”

To find competition locally, Lebahn competes in men’s leagues.

“It’s so frustrating when you know you want to get better and you know you can do really good, but there aren’t many women to go against,” she said. “You just want to keep bowling and bowling and bowling. My only competition really is my dad and a couple of the guys in the Friday night league.”

And although very young by bowling standards, Lebahn is earning the credentials to support her dreams, said Dana Bachner, the house professional at North Bowl.

Lebahn’s a 210 scratch bowler and

has already thrown a pair of 300 games, which may be the first for the Valley’s only bowling alley.

“I’m not aware of any other woman shooting 300 here,” Bachner said. “She almost had another one here a couple weeks ago too. She got the first 11 strikes then threw a seven on the 12th for a 297. Yeah, she’s very good.”

“She’s the best woman bowler in the Valley, by far,” he said. “In the state, she’s probably in the top five.”

And how do men react to getting beat by a former high school cheerleader?

“You mean after they get drubbed?”

Bachner said.

“Hopefully, the humility will benefit them in the long run. In all honesty, she’s beaten all the best here. ... She could be professional — not at this point in time is she at that level, but at her age, yeah, most of the good pros are in their 30s and early 40s, so I’d say she’s way ahead of the field in that regard.”

Lebahn rolled her first 300 game as a senior in high school and her second this past December. She’s won Alaska’s largest women’s tournament the past two years, the Golden Heart Classic in Fairbanks, and is preparing to compete in next month’s United States Bowling Congress Queens tournament in El Paso, Texas. It’s there where she hopes to measure her game against some of the nation’s best amateur and professional female bowlers.

“My goal is to at least make the

first cut or even the second cut,” she said, adding that in her first Queens tournament last year she finished about 120th and missed the first cut.

“I can be the best when I beat the best,” Lebahn said. “I think it’s just as hard for a woman to bowl on a hard oil pattern than it is for a man. It still takes talent, it still takes the same mindset.”

Breaking into and beating the professional fraternity is no longer a pipe dream for women. Lebahn draws “a ton” of inspiration from Kelly Kulick, the premiere professional female bowler in the nation. Kulick recently beat out 62 of the sport’s best men to win a men’s Professional Bowlers Association title.

Lebahn has met Kulick, who at 32 represents what the Valley woman hopes to accomplish over the next decade.

“I would love that to be me in 10 years, five years or even next year,” she said. “I’m completely confident that one year that could be me.”

Joining the professional ranks “is always there in my mind,” but that dream may have to wait for a little while, Lebahn said.

“For now, I just want to keep bowling, whether I’m a league bowler for the rest of my life or I do more and go out and do big tournaments,” she said. “There are a lot of really good men, but at the end of the day I know I’m just as good and I can beat them.”

07

SPortS BrieFS

UAA races away with GNAC weekly honors Following a successful weekend in California, UAA swept the Great Northwest Athletic Conference outdoor track & field weekly honors as sophomore Miriam Kipngeno and junior Demietrius Preston were named the Athletes of the Week, the league announced Mar. 15.

Kipngeno earned her first track & field Athlete of the Week accolade after posting a NCAA provisional time this past weekend. The Kenyan raced to victory at the Occidental Distance Carnival on March 12 in the 5000 meters with a time of 16 minutes, 59.24 seconds, just shy of the automatic time of 16:57.00. She became just the fifth runner in GNAC history to run under 17 minutes.

On Mar. 13, Kipngeno finished fourth in the 1500 meters at the Northridge Invitational with a time of 4:42.00.

Preston just missed the auto mark in the long jump at the Northridge Invite with a career-best leap of 24-6 ¼. The Anchorage native needs to hit 24-7 ¼ for a trip to the 2010 NCAA Div. II Championships (May 27-29 in Charlotte, N.C.). Only two athletes have a better long jump in conference history.

He also finished seventh in the 200 meters at Northridge with a GNAC season-best time of 22.17. The weekly honor is Preston’s second of his career – his first was acquired after qualifying for the NCAAs in 2009.

The Seawolves next will compete in the Stanford Invitational and San Francisco State Distance Carnival on March 26-27 in San Francisco, Calif.

Johansson takes home West Region tournament honors Alaska Anchorage sophomore Hanna Johansson was named on Mar. 15 to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball West Regional Championships all-tournament team as the event concluded at Royal Brougham Pavilion.

Johansson, a 6-2 forward, averaged 12.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in UAA’s two playoff contests, including her first career double-double – 18 points and 10 rebounds – in UAA’s 69-50 first-round win over Cal Poly Pomona on Mar. 12.

The Gothenburg, Sweden, native is one of four starters returning next season for the Seawolves, who finished their season with a 24-5 record.

Seawolves Take down Air Force on Senior Night The Alaska Anchorage gymnastics team eclipsed the 190-point mark for the second time this season and needed every one of them in a nailbiting 190.050-189.975 victory over Air Force on Senior Day at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on Mar. 14.

The win, UAA’s second straight over the Falcons and fourth in their last six meets, lifted the Seawolves’ season mark to 4-13. Air Force dropped to 5-13. The two teams will see each other again at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s conference championship meet in Seattle on Mar. 27, where UAA will enter as the defending champion.

Similar to the Mar. 13 meet between the two squads, Air Force held a sizeable 143.200 to 141.875-advantage heading into the final rotation, with UAA finishing on floor and Air Force on beam. Once again, a strong performance by the Seawolves on floor (48.175), coupled with Air Force’s beam tally (46.775), proved critical.

UAA’s Shakea Sanders posted a pair of 9.8’s winning both the vault and floor exercise while teammate Maria Puricelli’s 9.7 was best on the bars.

Meanwhile, all three Seawolf seniors had strong performances, led

by Courtney Williams’ 38.400 all-around score – the second-best mark of her career. Air Force’s Jenna Dudley edged Williams for the all-around title with 38.475 points. Senior Lauren Agostino hit 9.75 on the vault and beam, while fellow senior and team captain Meagan Byrne tallied a 9.5 on floor.

The Seawolves began the meet strong with a season-high-tying 48.475 score on vault. But a 45.675 count on the bars resulted in Air Force forging a 95.525 to 94.150 lead after the second rotation. The Falcons maintained the lead, heading into the pivotal fourth and final rotation.

Seawolves ousted in Wisconsin, bow out of WCHA Playoffs Alaska Anchorage’s hopes of earning a berth in next week’s WCHA Final Five came to an end at the Kohl Center Mar. 13 as No. 3-ranked Wisconsin downed the Seawolves, 7-2, and swept the best-of-threegame series, 2-0.

The win by the Badgers (24-9-4) propels them into next weekend’s WCHA Final Five tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., while UAA’s (11-23-2) 2009-10 season comes to an end.

The Seawolves erased an early 2-0 Wisconsin lead on goals by senior defenseman Trevor Hunt late in the first period and sophomore forward Curtis Leinweber early in the second. But the Badgers answered with back-to-back power-play goals in the second, and three more scores in the third.

The Seawolves tied the game when Wisconsin’s goalie Scott Gudmandson went behind his net to retrieve the puck and was greeted by freshman forward Tyler Currier, who in turn fed the puck to Leinweber for the empty net goal. Freshman forward Mitch Bruijsten assisted on the play at 15:27.

The Badgers responded with two power-play goals by Derek Stepan (18:11) and Justin Schultz (19:22), sending UAA into the locker room with a two-goal deficit.

Wisconsin increased its lead in the third period with a pair of goals

by Aaron Bendickson - just 12 seconds apart – and Geoffrion’s second goal of the evening for the 7-2 final.

Receiving the nod in net for UAA was junior goaltender Bryce Christianson (3-8-0). The Anchorage native registered 31 saves, while Gudmandson (16-3-4) blocked 35 shots.

The Seawolves surrendered a season-high 20 shots on net in the third period, giving the Badgers the final lead in shots, 41-37.

UAA was held scoreless on the man advantage for the second straight night, going 0-for-7. UW was able to strike on 2-of-10 opportunities.

Compiled by Taylor Hall

08

TNL

SPORTS| March 23, 2010

Olympian makes way back to slopes in native Juneau

By Klas Stolpe The Juneau Empire

She felt like a little girl again, racing down the Eaglecrest Ski Area slopes. She still remembered oversized snow pants, tiny hands gripped tightly on ski poles, ski goggles as large as her helmet, and a smile as wide and white as the powdery runs she embraced.

So what if she had won an Olympic medal, an American championship and a World Title? She was still just a little girl in the snow.

“It was great,” Hilary Lindh said of the skiing on March 6. “It was perfect timing on the snow.

I feel like this most days when I ski. It is just fun.”

The resort has changed since the 7-year-old Lindh skied off the Mighty Mite run, now called Sourdough, and worked as a guinea pig for lift-evacuation practice the summer before the chairs opened.

Her father, Craig Lindh, while working for the U.S. Forest Service, wrote the first perspective for the mountain and is largely responsible for the mapping out of what would become Eaglecrest. He helped build the Ptarmigan chairlift, became the first pro ski patroller and served on the Eaglecrest board.

“Now he just skis as much powder as he can,” Hilary Lindh said. “My parents’ love of the sport is for the sake of the sport, not anything to do with racing.

That is the atmosphere I grew up in. My parents and all their friends, forever, are still out there skiing. It is neat to see.”

Her mother, Barb Lindh, graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School in 1963, an era of long stretch pants and wooden skis.

Barb Lindh skied the “third cabin days,” an alpine area marked by three successive cabins up Dan Moller Trail, the popular ski spot at the time.

Now it is mainly used as a snowmobile trail.

Hilary Kirsten Lindh, Juneau’s first Olympic champion, was born on May 10, 1969, in the capital city. She first put cross-country skis on at age 2. At 5, she skied alpine with her parents at Alyeska Resort in Anchorage when Eaglecrest had yet to open.

“I remember at Alyeska I

had learned to stop and turn,” Lindh said. “My parents didn’t know so I went straight at them and turned at the last second. I remember it worked.”

Lindh has skied slopes from Utah to Norway as a teen and an adult from youth to Olympic competitions.

“Wherever had a lot of snow had the most appeal,” Lindh said with a laugh. “That’s what makes it, right? Good conditions and not too crowded.”

As a 13-year-old at Floyd Dryden Middle School, Lindh’s local ski competitions against boys grew to include competing with college racers and adults in Anchorage.

To continue her dream, she enrolled as a freshman in the Rowmark Ski Academy, part of Salt Lake City’s 110-yearold college preparatory school Rowland Hall-St. Marks.

“The year I left Juneau, Eaglecrest wasn’t even open because they had no snow,” Lindh said.

In 1985, 15-year-old Lindh began traveling with the U.S. Alpine Ski Team’s Development Team.

At 16, she was racing on the U.S. national team in Europe.

In 1986, she won the first of five U.S. championships at Copper Mountain, Colo., in the downhill race. A week later, she stunned the ski world by becoming the first American to win the downhill title at the World Junior Championships.

“It was awesome of course,” Lindh said. “I was traveling a lot and would try to catch up on school work and with friends when I returned and do teenager stuff, then go away again.”

She would win another four U.S. Championships: 1989 downhill, 1992 combined and 1997 downhill and Super G. In her first Olympics the 1988 games in Calgary, Canada, Lindh didn’t place in downhill, was 23rd in combined and 26th in Super G. “I was 18 and just back from a knee Injury,” Lindh said. “I had all these unrealistic expectations caused by listening to this ‘go for the gold’ mentality. It was a big learning experience to focus on what you need to do when everyone else is hyped up.”

In 1992, Lindh won a silver medal at the Olympics in Albertville, France.

“I had a better idea of what

to expect and how to cope with it,” Lindh said. “I could enjoy myself and still stay focused on what I had to do.”

The medal ceremony was in the evening, outside in the rain.

“There were not very many spectators,” Lindh said. “It wasn’t the big Olympic medal ceremony but it was still pretty cool. The flower ceremony at the finish of the race was the better ceremony, because it just happened and the crowd was there.”

Lindh brought the medal to a sold-out Centennial Hall event so she could share it with Juneau.

In the 1994 Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, Lindh again battled injury and finished seventh in downhill and 13th in Super G. That year she also won her first World Cup victory, the 100th win by an American racer.

At the 1996 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, Lindh won a bronze medal in downhill and 5th in Super G, and at the 1997 World Championships in Sestriere, Italy, Lindh was the only American to medal, winning gold in the downhill.

She retired on March 13, 1997. Her 11-year total on the World Cup circuit is three wins, five podium placements, and 27 top ten finishes.

“I had been traveling internationally for 12 years,” Lindh said. “I was done. I hadn’t skied enough, just raced enough.

It was pretty intense and I was ready to move on.”

She was a TV commentator at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and a celebrity Olympian participant explaining competitions during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

“Commentating was good for me that year,” Lindh said. “I got to be a part of the Olympics and not feel like I was missing something. It made me feel like I had made the right decision to not continue. I was relieved that I was on the other side at that point.”

Lindh is married to Canadian telemark skier Jodie McCutcheon, the mountain operations manager at Mt. Sima in Whitehorse. They met through friends at grad school.

The Northern Light is your independent student newspaper,

established in 1988 as an objective voice for the UAA community.

FEATURES

10

Freshman Booher runs for Anchorage Assembly Energetic candidate from UAA shakes voter apathy, knocks on doors in drive toward April 6 election.

By Joshua Tucker The Northern Light

Keli Booher (D), 19, is a freshman and 49th State Fellow at UAA with a double major in political science and philosophy.

She recently declared her candidacy for the South Anchorage district six seat in the Anchorage Assembly after resigning as president of UAA’s University Democrats.

“Running for office had never really been on my agenda,” Booher said. “I am more about doing the community service and putting in the hours. The decision to run came out of seeing that we need better representation that is truly working for us.”

Booher often comes across as older than her 19 years.“People always assume I am older than I am,” Booher said, “I am not going to correct them.”

The current Assemblywoman from district six, Jennifer Johnston (R), is running for reelection in the April 6 election after serving one term. According to Johnston, her greatest accomplishment has been completing the budget process. She is chair of the assembly’s budget committee.

“It’s hard to make these cuts. It’s no fun,” Johnston said. ”It’s a question of wants and needs.”

One of Booher’s key arguments has been that Johnston voted against funding this years Anchorage Police Academy class, though the number of police officers on patrol is currently declining.

“When you have an incumbent who voted against funding for the Police Academy, who has voted against funding for the rural fire services programs, that worries people. That worries me. I think that’s a big issue this April,” Booher said, whose father is a correctional Sergeant at the Anchorage Jail.

“It seemed to be the right thing to do. That’s why we postponed it,” Johnston said of voting not to fund the Police Academy class. She said she prefers to allow the new police chief to set the pace for officer training.

Johnston’s campaign has been actively raising money. Its first quarter financial disclosure reports

filed March 8 show that she raised $20,884 in the first three months of 2010, though she says she has spent little of it so far.

Booher has raised several thousand dollars but says she “is not playing the big money game.”

“For us, our focus is really on voter contact and its about being on the phones and knocking on doors,” Booher said.

Booher has lots of stories from meeting people in the district.

“A lot of people in this district feel like they are not being adequately represented. They feel like they have called and they have written and they have done their part to get the attention of the representative, and they still have roads that have been so stripped that driving down them feels like being on a wagon ride,” Booher said. “The hardest thing about this campaign has been shaking up this sense of apathy.”

Johnston admits she can always do better when it comes to constituent services.

“I have constituents who want things I can’t deliver,” Johnston explained.

The campaign has become increasingly competitive as Johnston and Booher debate at community forums.

“I would like us to have everyone as publicly involved as Keli,” Johnston said of her opponent.

Booher has received the endorsement of the Anchorage Firefighters Union and the Alaska Women’s Political Caucus.

“The hardest thing about this campaign has been shaking up this sense of apathy.”

–Keli Booher

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELI BOOHER FOR ANCHORAGE ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 6.

Anchorage Downtown Partnership awards local outstanding employees in downtown Anchorage

By Kim Copadis The Northern Light

The Anchorage Downtown Partnership Ltd, (ADP), is a local non-profit organization that provides specific services to the downtown community to help keep downtown clean, safe and vital.

The organization is hosting the Heart of Anchorage Awards on Saturday, March 27.

The Heart of Anchorage Awards are a way for the citizens of Anchorage to recognize and give thanks to local businesses and the hardworking members of the downtown community, who make sure that downtown is clean and safe for all to enjoy.

“The intent of the Heart of Anchorage Awards is to pay tribute, honor and celebrate outstanding service and achievements of individuals, businesses and organizations in the downtown work community,” ADP’s Membership Director, Kris Natwick, said.

“This award program recognizes employees of businesses and organizations, from the front-line employee to the CEO, that help create an exciting and vibrant downtown as well as an inviting destination for visitors, residents and the downtown community of workers.”

However, to receive a nomination for an

award, a person or business doesn’t have to wait for someone else to nominate them.

to be nominated for the awards program.

“The only criterion is that the nominee must be employed with a member business or be a member in good standing with ADP.” said Natwick.

In order to receive an award, the nominees go through a judging process.

Nomination packets are reviewed and analyzed by a selection committee who then select the winners. The selection committee is directed to base their selections solely on the information provided in –Kris Natwick each nomination.

At the awards, the winner receives a plaque and public acknowledgement.

The winners’ names are published in the Anchorage Daily News and the Anchorage Press as “People can nominate themselves well. or others for the awards. They fill out a ADP promotes three goals for downtown nomination form and get others to write community development: cleanliness, letters of support. Nominees must be ADP safety and vitality, according to Ruth members or join as members,” Emily Quinlan, ADP’s office manager.

Bolling said, ADP’s Marketing Director.

“ADP is all about clean. We have Employees, volunteers, teams, maintenance ambassadors that clean the managers, owers and leaders are all eligible

“This awards program is open to anyone who wishes to recognize an employee, volunteer, team of people, manager, owner or leader for his or her outstanding performance.”

sidewalks of debris and snow,” Quinlan said.

“Safe – we have security ambassadors that patrol to help people in need, move along people that are causing trouble and educate businesses about their rights. And vital – we advocate for business and property owners with the city and other entities to help keep downtown a vibrant destination and we provide events and activities to draw people downtown.”.

The outstanding performances of those nominated should encompass the ideals of ADP. “This extraordinary event highlights the hard work and dedication to excellence by honoring employees, leaders, and business owners in the downtown community,” Natwick said. “The achievements in our downtown community are tied to all of us.

It takes a group effort to be successful in business.”

The awards will be at the ConocoPhillips Atrium from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will be a no host bar, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, live music and a live auction.

Tickets are $30. For reservations please call 279-5650.

For more information about the “Heart of Anchorage Awards” and ADP, visit www. anchoragedowntown.org

March 23, 2010 | FEATURES

TNL

11

Healthy lifestyle shop serves Acai Bowls Local founders import Acai products from Brazil, boasting antioxidants and healthful benefits

By Katie Forstner The Northern Light

Nestled deep in the heart of Dimond, Acai Alaska is the state’s first Acai Bowl provider. The healthy lifestyle shop opened in July 2009 and offers Alaskans an option to dine purely, easily and healthfully.

Acai is one of the most sought-after antioxidant superfoods in the world. The South American berry boasts significant amounts of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and essential amino and fatty acids.

Acai products litter natural food aisles and shelves in whole food stores; however, due to the popularity of the substance, consumers are apt to purchase an acai product that is more marketing show than anything.

“I’ve tried so many different variations of acai products,” UAA student MaRae’ Peltier said. “I’ve found that whole berries give me the most energy and it’s really great that there’s finally a place in Anchorage that can offer that.”

In 2009, two couples enamored with the health benefits of the potent berry founded Acai Alaska. One pair, CJ and Julia von Imhof, discovered Acai Bowls, literally bowls of nutrient rich, unadulterated fruit, while living in the Hawaiian Islands, where it was popular for surfers to chow on the tasty fruit after riding the waves.

The second pair, Mike and Sharlene Wheeler, quickly fell for the superfood and with that, the group set up shop for the sole reason of sharing their adoration for the uniquely nutritional acai berry with the community.

“Anchorage has been really receptive to Acai Alaska,” co-founder CJ von Imhof said.

“They enjoy our story and the nutritional aspect of it. People in general are trying to change their lifestyles – we have customers come straight from the doctor who have

been instructed to eat better. Since we use no additives, preservatives, dairy products or fructose corn syrups, this is a fantastic start.”

Since so many acai products are stripped of the skin and seed, which make up for 90% of the nutritional value, Acai Alaska orders their produce from a company in Brazil that uses the skin, seed and pulp.

The berries are shipped to Anchorage in a small package. Acai Alaska then puts the berries into a blender and uses the blend in their flagship acai bowls.

“The majority of the world we live in today is unhealthy. We have a nutrition poster in the shop that says in 1960, 1 in 300 Americans got cancer. In 2010, it’s 1 in 2,” von Imhof said. There’s something that we’re putting in our bodies that is doing this, and it’s Acai Alaska’s mission to help spread the word that healthy isn’t all that hard.”

Anchorage is rapidly morphing into a health oasis. The accessibility of both the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet provide a hale and hearty atmosphere, which corresponds wonderfully with the healthful attitude of Acai Alaska.

Acai Alaska is open to the community for programs and information seminars after 6 p.m. They make deliveries for orders $25 and over. For more information, call Acai Alaska at (907)-333-2224.

RIGHT AND BELOW: “The CJ Special,” concocted by business owner CJ von Imhof, is a tasty treat created with a base of Acai Alaska’s original acai berry blend and topped with healthy add-ons such as flax seed, coconut shavings, goji berries, chocolate covered pomegranate seeds, mango and kiwi. Acai Alaska is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. as well as Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

Welcomes

UA A STUDENT AFFAIRS

In a Sticky Situation?

Pay for your parking ticket* with maple syrup or other non-perishable breakfast foods in the

Spring Breakfast Food Drive!

March 22 - April 2

+ D r. D e w a i n L e e

Dean of Students & Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development Please join your friends in Student Affairs in welcoming Dr. Dewain Lee to the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Dr. Lee hails from historic Dillard University in New Orleans where she served as Dean of Student Success for Student Affairs. She brings to UAA over 17 years of extensive experience in higher education administration and developing innovative student success programs and leadership opportunities.

We are excited to have Dr. Lee join the UAA family on April 5.

=

Sponsored by UAA Parking Services and UAA Circle K International Donations to benefit the Food Bank of Alaska

*Restrictions apply.

Contact Parking Services for details.

(907) 786-1119

Give us your two cents... ...and you could win big!

Give us your feedback by filling out the Administrative Services Survey and you could win great prizes including a 24” iMac, an Apple iTouch, Hockey and Theatre tickets and more!

Watch your UAA Email for an invite to participate.

Peppercini’s Deli House in the University Center

Pizza By The Slice $3.00 Use Your Wolf Bucks!

In and Out in 90 seconds • Salad, Pizza, Soda $6.50

(907) 279-Deli www.AlaskaDeli.com

This ad brought to you by UAA General Support Services • www.uaa.alaska.edu/gss/

Are you passionate about the arts?

Like being in the know?

The Northern Light seeks an

Arts and Entertainment Editor

A&E Call 907.786.1313 or e-mail content@thenorthernlight.org for more information

don’t worry, Cindy.

You’re UnLimited.

Jerry calls Cindy. Jerry likes Cindy. They ‘re both on the track team.

But Jerry fumbles, he can’t find the right words.

Cindy gets annoyed at Jerry for wasting her minutes.

But don’t worry, Cindy, you’re unlimited.

DigiTel Pay-as-you-go wireless with Unlimited Talk & Text.

So Jerry, go on, take your time, find the right words.

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Pay-as-you-go wireless.

Great price. No contracts. No limits. Zero rejection.

Get into DigiTel.

222-9200 www.akdigitel.com Phone not included.

14

TNL

| March 23, 2010

have an opinion?

l e t ’s s e e i t !

big mountain comp & freeheel fun March 23 - 27 Alyeska World Comp Over $10.000 in cash prizes!

Open to Alpine, Telemark & Snowboard Register Online

Telepalooza Festival

Your student newspaper seeks opinion columnists.

Start as a volunteer and move into a paid position Contact 786-1313 or content@thenorthernlight.org

WAT E R: The Triumph of Gravity

What lessons does the past have for a world confronted by drought and inexorable warming?

photo by Lesley Newhart

Dr. Brian Fagan asks:

Water is the foundation of human existence. Prolific author Fagan tells the story of the complex relationship between humans and water over the past 5,000 years.

Thursday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. Wendy Williamson Auditorium

FREE ADMISSION

This talk is sponsored by the UAA College of Arts & Sciences and the Alaska Anthropological Association.

Fagan is also the keynote speaker for the Alaska Anthropological Association's 37th annual meeting March 25 - 27 at the Millennium Hotel. For more information, please contact Diane Hanson at: (afdkh@uaa.alaska.edu)

or call (907) 786-6842.

UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution

Fun Races, On-Hill Clinics, Free Demos, Live Music & more!

Win Heli & Snowcat trips, Powder Passes & tons of great prizes Full schedule online

907-754-1111

alyeskaresort.com

TNL

March 23, 2010 |

Alaska Higher Education Crafts and Trades local 6070 apea/aft electricians • plumbers • maintenance workers • carpenters • custodians • grounds keepers

We’re with APEA/AFT.

You should be too!

No matter our job classification or description, all University of Alaska employees need a real, united voice.

Being a part of APEA gives us the strength and security we need, as well as the independence we deserve. As part of the Alaska Higher Education Crafts and Trades, Local 6070, we are proud members of APEA. J. Sowell, President Alaska Higher Education Crafts and Trades, local 6070

University of Alaska Staff United 211 Fourth Street, Suite 306 Juneau, AK 99801

907/586-2334 • http://ak.aft.org/UASU

15

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT 16

Old ordinance complicates local dance party

Speculation rises over origin of “Teen Nightclub” permit enforcement that was dormant since 1997

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Paperwork is required for almost everything in this day and age, including party planning. “Touch,” an electronic music dance party hosted last February, was nearly shut down due to a lack of a single permit, a permit that no one hosting similar all-ages events had ever encountered before.

The all-ages dance party put on by Mike Mason, a political science major at UAA, on Saturday, Feb. 13 ran in to trouble with its venue, the Kincaid Bunker, after Mason was informed that he required a special permit in order to legally put on the show. The municipality ordinance which requires this “Teen Nightclub” permit, which has been in effect since 1996, has never been applied to Mason’s past all-ages events.

The process for obtaining the “Teen Nightclub” permit is roughly 90 days, and the permit must be submitted along with the letter of intent to Parks and Recreation in order to rent the Bunker, according to Recreation Supervisor Teri Desy-Peters.

Mason faxed his letter of intent and application to rent the Bunker on Monday, Jan. 4, and called to confirm that his paperwork had been received. He contacted Parks and Rec on Thursday, Jan. 7 to check on the status of his application, which could not be found. Mason re-faxed his paperwork as well as the full event plan and layout that day.

It wasn’t until Monday, Jan. 25, after Mason had been in contact with Parks and Rec several times regarding his event, including submitting all of his known required permits, that Mason received an e-mail indicating that he needed the “Teen Nightclub” permit as well.

Mason has rented municipality property, including Kincaid Bunker, for events six times in the past for allages dance parties, and had never heard of or was required to possess this permit before.

Despite the many all-ages and teen oriented concerts and dances that have been held since this permit was first required, the permit has not been requested since 1997,

according to the license clerk at the Municipal Clerk’s office, Michelle DeLong.

If this particular permit hasn’t been requested or seemingly required of all-ages, one time dances and concerts in the past 13 years, why was it suddenly needed for Mason to throw his Valentine’s Day themed dance party?

Mason thinks it’s rooted in discrimination.

“I ran the protest for Ordinance 64; my name was on the permits to assemble for Ordinance 64, and when Dan Sullivan vetoed the ordinance, I organized a 200 plus person rally that same day to protest Dan Sullivan’s decision at City Hall,” Mason said Mason went on to say that he firmly believes that the attack on his all-ages dance party was in direct response to his involvement with Ordinance 64, which was the

“I haven’t been directed any way, shape or form other than to do the normal process of how we do a permit.”

–Chris Conlon equal rights ordinance presented before the Anchorage Assembly last summer.

“I was told by someone who is going to remain unnamed that the call to shut down my event came from above,” he said. He would not give up his source’s name, for fear of this person losing his or her job, but Mason did clarify whom he meant by ‘above’.

“I was told it came from the mayor’s office. I was not given a specific name; it did not necessarily come from Dan [Sullivan], but I was told the call came from the mayor’s office.”

Deborah Zentmire, the Parks and Recreation Junior Administrative Office who was overseeing Kincaid at the time, was contacted and she forwarded The Northern Light to her superior, Chris Conlon. Conlon, the Senior Recreation Superintendent of Parks and Rec, denies Mason’s claim.

“I don’t have any knowledge of that,” he said. “I have not been in contact with anyone other than Mr. Mason in processing this. I haven’t been directed in any way, shape or form other than to do the normal process of how we do a permit.”

Mason discovered that the only way to save his event and save himself from losing over $2000 that it cost to plan and host the event, was to make his party a private party, possess a membership and place restrictions on who could attend the event.

‘Touch,’ the dance party, was saved when Mason took this information and used it to his advantage. He looked up his fans and friends from MySpace and invited them all to the event, as well as to join AKDMC, Alaska’s Dance Music Community, which held its first meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27.

While Mason concedes that there is always a possibility that what happened to his event was a misunderstanding, he is convinced of otherwise.

AKDMC is still functioning despite that ‘Touch’ was saved and is over and done with. The organization is in the process of becoming non-profit, with the hopes of “educating the public about dance music culture and build community statewide,” according to Mason.

AKDMC hopes to host events that are open and free to the public with the goal of alleviating the stigma related to electronic dance music.

Mason’s goal for the group is to eventually host a major international summer festival show in Alaska that rivals the winter festival in Miami, featuring international dance music that draws 10,000-plus out of state and international attendees and puts Alaska on the global map of electronic dance music.

SNAPSHotS

“What was the best thing about your Spring Break?”

Olin Raidmae

Associates in Nursing

“Not having to go to school, wake up, do anything. ”

ns Kate Stepsyhe chology

Zach Menzel Undeclared

“Sleeping in!”

Dezarae Bascomer Aviation Technology

Philosophy/p

“Sun.”

“No expectations.”

Ky

Aeronauti le Irving cal Sci sional Pilo ence & Profesting Prog ram

“I got a couple good days of flying in.”

COMPILED BY LINDSAY JOHNSON/TNL PHOTOS BY LEIGHANN SEAMAN/TNL

March 23, 2010 | A&E

TNL movie revieW

BreW revieW

“Ponyo” animates old school

By Jena Benton The Northern Light

The recent release of “Ponyo” on DVD gives viewers the opportunity to bravely explore films that aren’t the usual rental but still hold some of the big-name familiarity on which most movies tend to thrive on.

“Ponyo” tells the story of a goldfish who innocently falls in love with a human boy as only a five-year-old girl can. Ponyo (Noah Cyrus, “Hannah Montana”) doesn’t think about consequences or balances of power when she steals magic from her father to transform into a human herself.

She only knows that she loves Sosuke (Frankie Jonas, “Jonas”).

While that description might seem a bit too simplistic or reminiscent of other stories (like “The Little Mermaid”), it doesn’t begin to describe the magic that takes place on screen. Granted this is the first film Hayao Miyazaki has made that is truly aimed at children, so it does have a more childlike storyline, but it holds adults just as riveted by its unpredictability. This is not a story that does what is expected of it.

That does not include the breathtaking imagery that the audience is inundated with.

Perhaps even more flabbergasting than the fact that all of this work is hand-drawn is that the majority of the plot takes place at sea where audiences could quickly lose interest. Yet it is obvious that Miyazaki is intimately familiar with his subject matter. The ocean

setting is so real one can almost smell the scent of salt and seaweed in the air.

Yet this realism doesn’t stop Miyazaki’s imagination from soaring. He creates prehistoric fish and fantastic scenes where fish swim on roads or through the tops of trees. The opening sequence alone is mind-boggling. There is no dialogue for quite some time, just the beautiful imagery of dancing, floating jellyfish that has to be seen to be believed.

In a time when computer animation and a push for box office success has swallowed up animated films in America and most of the world, Miyazaki’s work remains a bastion of artistic freedom. This is why he is considered a god among animators. He uses CGI sparingly, if at all. In fact, he disbanded his studio’s CGI unit to return to the total freedom of hand-drawn work for “Ponyo.”

The American voice casting is nothing to sneeze at either.

Cate Blanchett (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) as Gran Mamare, the sea goddess, is the perfect fit and Liam Neeson (“Taken”) plays her wizard lover and Ponyo’s father with sinister madness. That’s not counting Matt Damon (“The Bourne Ultimatum”), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), or a long list of other recognizable names.

Miyazaki made a big splash in American cinemas with “Princess Mononoke” in 1999. His follow up film, “Spirited Away,” in 2001 was the first anime film to win the Oscar for Best Animated

Feature. His work has done so well internationally that his newest films are now being widely marketed by Disney, mainly thanks to Pixar’s John Lasseter.

Lasseter has become Miyazaki’s greatest spokesperson, gushing about the amazing work behind Miyazaki’s films and what an influence the man’s work had been at Pixar. He is one of the main reasons that Disney bought the foreign distribution rights to his work.

He still remains a relative unknown to the average American moviegoer. However, Miyazaki’s work is unlike anything else in theaters, even in Japan.

Movie: Ponyo Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki’ STARRING: Voice actors Noah Cyrus, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tiny Fey and Liam Neeson

RUN TIME: 101 minutes Release Date: Aug 19, 2009

Bad Company 2 to shoot down competition in 2010

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

Hot off the success of “Battlefield 1943” and “Battlefield: Bad Company” comes the sequel to both games.

Opening with a successor to “1943,” the story opens with a failed mission during World War II, which also doubles as a tutorial to the game’s mechanics. After the completion of the mission, the game opens up after the events of the first Bad Company.

Sweetwater, Sarge, Haggard, and Marlowe return to cause havoc.

The player assumes the role of Marlowe and this time the plot’s humor doesn’t charm.

Along with the witty banter and more somber story comes a device that can cause World War III. While it mostly just forces the player around the South American mountains, it does have some amazing moments. The most notable is trying not to freeze while climbing off a mountain, which can lead to some tense

17

firefights.

Using the “FrostBite Engine” again, the game pushes a lot of polygons, even with all of the chaotic situations that play out on screen. As with the first game in the series, everything can be destroyed..

The story only plays second fiddle to the stellar Multiplayer.

Using an advanced ranking system like in the previous title, the player can choose different kits that suit their play-style; the catch is that it only upgrades that one kit. There are overall kit unlocks, but to get the scope for the rifle to a favorite gun the player has to dedicate time to that one kit.

With the multiplayer rivaling most modern shooters, “Bad Company 2” is the best shooter to come out so far this year. With addictive multiplayer, a strong graphics engine, destructible cover and persistent stat tracking, the game is a polished package.

The single player experience is mostly forgettable, but the most memorable events come with the

stand alone play.

“Battlefield: Bad Company 2” definitely should not be missed.

It seems that DICE has finally hit their stride with the console shooter market.

GAME: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 MAKER: DICE RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2010

★★★★

Annual ‘Rondy Brew’ lacks festivity

By Trevor O’Hara The Northern Light

Fur Rendezvous is one of Anchorage’s longest running traditions. It was started in February 1935 as a three day sports festival scheduled over the time when Alaska miners and trappers would return to town after a winter in the woods and backcountry.

Anchorage’s own Midnight Sun Brewing has admirably taken on the task of brewing a special beer, “RondyBrew,” each year for the ten-day festivities of Fur Rendezvous.

However, this year’s brew, an Irish red ale created for a festival, was particularly un-festive.

“RondyBrew 2010” was not a bad Irish red; it was just nothing mirroring a celebration. It had a good amber color with some floral notes in the aroma. It was dry with good carbonation. It was hoppy, but with none of the floral aroma backed up in flavor. There was not much flavor at all, in fact.

Really, in the end, all “RondyBrew 2010” had to offer was its hops, which, having nothing to cut the bitterness, registered as overpowering, even with the ale’s

light 23 IBU rating.

I’m sure the miners and trappers of our state’s past would certainly have taken just about any libation after a hard Alaska winter, but “RondyBrew 2010” weighed in as being nothing to bring them down out of the hills.

RondyBrew 2010 Red Ale Midnight Sun Brewing Co. Anchorage, AK 5.5% ABV, 23 IBU

★★

‘Oatis’ christened ‘bad medicine’

By Trevor O’Hara The Northern Light

I was excited about Ninkasi’s “Oatis” oatmeal stout, a beer style I love (stout) from a new brewery for both the national scene and myself.

Nanksi dates its conception only as far back as June 2006.

The brewery is named after the Sumerian goddess of beer.

“Worship the Goddess” is printed discreetly but proudly on the label. Yes, I was excited.

Unfortunately, however, “Oatis” fell flat.

Everything about this beer seemed right, everything: black color, chocolaty tan head, some sweet notes in the aroma, very intriguing.

Then the swallow: good initial flavor, full and chocolaty with a medium to heavy body, the flavor drops off in the middle, and then, the aftertaste.

First I noticed the hops building in the middle of the tongue rather than the back, not ideal. Then after a few swallows it started to manifest

an aftertaste reminiscent of barium and bad lettuce.

I tried to give “Oatis” the benefit of the doubt, poured from a 22oz. bottle it had time to recover. But the aftertaste never left, it only worsened.

A more appropriate christening of this beer: “Bad Medicine.”

Oatis Stout Ninkasi Brewing, Eugenem, OR 7.5% ABV, 45 IBU

★

18 A&E|

TNL

March 23, 2010

UAA Anime Club hosts annual Senshi-Con event

By Heather Hamilton Photos by Leighann Seaman The Northern Light

The Anime Club hosted the sixth annual Senshi-Con, an anime convention, in the Student Union on Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21.

Senshi-Con 2010 packed UAA's Student Union to the rafters March 21.

Anime fanatics of all ages came out to have fun and support the event.

Senshi-Con 2010 featured events such as costume contests, several videogame tournaments, anime showings, art and paraphernalia vendors and panels hosted by noteworthy voice actors in the industry such as Travis Willingham, who plays the voice of “Colonel Roy Mustang” in the Fullmetal Alchemist series, as well as several other anime and video game voices. Other voice actors included Chris Cason, who played “Gluttony” in

Fullmetal Alchemist; Laura Bailey, who has voiced as “Anko” in Naruto; Leah Clark, who has voiced “Fuyuki” in Sergeant Frog and Jakie Cabe, who played the voice of “Sabertooth” in Dragonball Z. First organized in March of 2005 by a collaboration of high school video game and anime clubs and held in West high School’s cafeteria, Senshi-Con has grown from a 300-attendee event to an attendance of over 1000.

Ethan and Errol Keanaaina's homemade animal hat booth was one amongst many crafty kisoks found at Senshi-Con.

Riku Steck shows some sass as Chun Li from Street Fighter.

Anime enthusiasts show off their detailed costumes at Senshi-Con 2010. Top row: Rebekah Williams as Leon from "Kingdom Hearts", Alexa Cherry as Sho Minmimoto from "The World Never Ends With You" and Adam Williams as a Doctor. Bottom Row: Heidi Hickman as Ruroni Kenshin from the self titled Japanese manga series, Megan Muryama as Tifa from Final Fantasy VII and Nicole Ringland as Misa from Death Note.

Click here to add photo or Drag photo here

Banky Kitchpanich strikes an intimidating pose as Ryu from Street Fighter.

March 23, 2010 | A&E

TNL

19

i

FOCUS 3.23 – 3.29.2010 (where you need to be this week) The UAA Chinese Language Club hosts a free workshop on Chinese music performance Friday, March 26 from 2 – 4 p.m. in the Sally Monserud Hall.

ART

WORKSHOP

CONCERT

Chinese music

BFA Senior Thesis show UAA students Bailey Glover, Aurora Hablett and Liz Shine will host a group show of their Senior Thesis works at the Student Union Gallery. The opening reception is on Thursday, March 25 from 5 – 7 p.m.

LECTURE

Korn Anchorage gets treated to two nights of Korn on Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m. at the Dena’ina Center. Tickets are sold out.

‘Hamlet’ Shakespeare expert Stephen J. Dickey, a lecturer Hey Ocean! Vancouver-based pop band Hey Ocean! plays in the Student Union Friday, March 26 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 or free with UAA student I.D., and sold only at the door.

at UCLA, will speak on Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building, Room 120, on Hamlet. Lecture is free and open to the public.

Compiled by Mary Noden Lochner e-mail arts2@thenorthernlight.org to submit an event!

mUSiC revieW

Gorillaz new album is lacking old flavor

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

It has been nearly five years since the stellar “Demon Days,” and a third album is long overdue.

“Plastic Beach” eclipses the sophomore effort in ambition.

Unfortunately, there are some issues that hold it back.

Gorillaz have been known for featuring guest acts on their songs, but this album should be called “Gorillaz and Friends.” Out of 16 tracks, only four of them are exclusively the Gorillaz. The rest feature Mos Def, Snoop Dogg or another like-minded rapper.

That’s not to say that this album is bad at all. The beats and production are top notch and the songs are catchy. Most notable are “Stylo,” and “Superfast Jellyfish.”

Still, it seems as though the Gorillaz stepped back and let the

other artists have their say, which not many expected, and seems to be a bit lazy. The album keeps cohesion, and seems to be lame, but a second listen will make the audience appreciate it more.

ARTIST:: The Gorillaz ALBUM:: Plastic Beach LABEL: Virgin Release Date: March 9, 2010

★★★

20 A&E|

TNL

March 23, 2010

Like what we’re doing?

Don’t like it?

Want more condoms on your paper?

No?

Let us know! e-mail letters to

content@thenorthernlight.org

Letters should be no longer than 300 words.

They may be edited for content and grammar.

OPINION The Northern Light 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508 Phone: 907-786-1513 Fax: 907-786-1331 info@thenorthernlight.org

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Suzanna Caldwell MANAGING EDITOR 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Josh Edge COPY EDITOR copy@thenorthernlight.org Brittany Bennett NEWS EDITOR 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Kam Walters FEATURES EDITOR 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Katie Forstner A&E EDITOR 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Mary Noden Lochner SPORTS EDITOR 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall PHOTO EDITOR 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Leighann Seaman WEB EDITOR 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org John Norris LAYOUT EDITOR layout@thenorthernlight.org Lisa Wagner

21

eDitoriAL

New president needs to think like an academic for the good of the students Getting the University system through the recession is important, but the wellbeing of the students should be top priority during Gamble’s time as UA President The search for a new president for the University of Alaska has come to an end.

The Board of Regents have chosen Patrick Gamble to take over for the retiring President Mark Hamilton. The transition is expected to take place in June.

Gamble is definitely a solid choice and proved himself to be a strong candidate. But, some have some reservations about hiring someone without a primarily business-based background instead of extensive experience education.

Though these doubts are not without reason, there are some things that he has done in the business world that should transfer over to the University, but there are still some things that have yet to be seen.

During his visit to UAA, Gamble expressed that one of his main goals would be to keep UA as stable as possible and help it come through the recession while keeping loses to a minimum.

This could either be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on people’s points of view.

It means that the amount of programs at the University will, hopefully, not decrease; and also that the chances of adding new programs has probably diminished.

People who are looking for growth, and – let’s face it – the hope for most of the students, staff and faculty is that the University will grow. Growth means more jobs, more students and hopefully more recognition for the University.

Gamble is suggesting that now is not necessarily a time for growth, but instead a time for sustaining what we already have until the country finds its way out of the current economic funk that it is in.

In some ways it is difficult to argue with this goal because it makes fiscal sense, but on the other hand it is hard to accept because expansion is typically viewed as a sign of success and prosperity.

His leadership experience is probably his biggest asset. As Commander of the Pacific Air Forces, Gamble was in charge of 45,000 people. This experience will prove to be very

valuable while he is at the top of the entire UA system.

He is good at managing both people and budgets, which will be a huge part of his responsibilities as UA president. More importantly, Gamble has said that he will be looking towards the chancellors and other officials to come up with plans and policies that are in the best interest of the Universities.

This makes it appear that even though he is planning on keeping UA stable, he may still be open to expansion if the different University officials come up with a solid plan.

Gamble certainly has promise, and the University system has definitely seen prosperity under its current president and it will be hard to come to terms with a sudden drop in expansion. Even though his business experience will help UA keep making its way through the recession, Gamble needs to be sure to think like an academic.

UA is an academic system and its first priority should be the well being of the students and the academic programs.

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR news2@thenorthernlight.org Jerzy Shedlock ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR features2@thenorthernlight.org Joshua Tucker ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR arts2@thenorthernlight.org Heather Hamilton PHOTOGRAPHER Logan Tuttle Nicholas Money GRAPHIC DESIGNER graphics@thenorthernlight.org Lindsay Johnson CONTRIBUTORS Jena Benton Kimberly Copadis Bryan Dunagan Casie Habetler Daniel Jackson Andrew Neuerburg Hunter Rhoades Trevor OʼHara ADVERTISING MANAGER 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Vacant CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Annie Route

The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 5,000. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or The Northern Light.

meDiCAL iNCreDiBLe

Studies have found that sex really is good for our bodies, minds and souls Good to know that health benefits of doing the deed can surpass those of the gym

By Hunter Rhoades The Northern Light

The renowned 1960’s recording artist Marvin Gaye once used an entire song to proudly proclaim “sex is healing,” and “it’s good for us.” All levity and artistic license aside, he may not have known just how right he was.

Alfred Kinsey, famed human sexuality researcher, first scientifically pursued sex in the mid-1900s and eventually established an entire institute dedicated to the study of human sexuality.

Most people assume that sex has some health benefits just because it feels great, but then so does eating a pound of chocolate cake. There is really not an overwhelming understanding of the link between health and sexual activity among the general populace, apart from copious public advertising campaigns on STD’s and prophylactics.

So, having trouble finding a reason to get busy? Read on and discover some very “exciting” reasons to spend some time with your significant other.

A recent study conducted by Scottish researchers at the University of Sterling published findings that show sex causes lower blood pressure and stress reduction. The party doesn’t stop there; low stress has numerous benefits of its own.

Another study published results linking frequent sexual activity with higher levels of

‘To think of all those poor fools wasting their time in the gym!’ the antibody “immunoglobulin,” which, as some of you may recall from Biology, boosts immunity and protects us from a number of viral infections.

Here is another fun fact; remember all those times your doctor, mother, and P.E. teacher told you to exercise and lose weight?

Well, sex counts as exercise too. According to WebMD.com, an online community of health

PriDe The library… …for being open 24 hours during this semester’s finals week.

professionals, thirty-two minutes of sexual activity can burn over 85 calories.

To think of all those poor fools wasting their time in the gym! I am only partially kidding here, one hour of running on a treadmill can burn over 300 calories.

We all know that we can never believe what we see in the movies, right?

Well, think of any character in movie history that has had sex on screen. Now, think of his or her face afterward; I like to call it the “I just got laid” face.

Research now proves there is a great reason for that: sexual activity boosts self-esteem.

You may say something like, “wait, didn’t I already know that?”

Well, now we have hard evidence. The full benefits of sex are only just being revealed, but here is one last fact for all the men out there that fall asleep after sex and suffer the consequences. The neurotransmitter Oxytocin, commonly known as the “love and cuddle” chemical, promotes sound and, in most cases, immediate, sleep.

And as some of you may remember, getting good sleep also has a host of its own benefits.

CHiDe The Cuddy… …for having bad food and bad service.

22 COMICS|

TNL

March 23, 2010

BroKeComiCS | Alec Fritz

tUNDrA l Chad Carpenter

CrYPtoQUote PUZZLe l Lindsay Johnson

“

A

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1

8

8

8

6

5

20

19

2

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HoroSCoPe l Stella Wilder

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18

ARIES

(March 21-April 4) -- Others are expecting you to be on-board, but you are still reluctant. It may be that your interests are changing somewhat.

(April 5-April 19) -- After what may have been a lengthy slowdown -- or complete stall -- you’ll be back in business.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G H

I

J

K

L

M N O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

Solution to last weekʼs puzzle: “Here comes the sun, little darling.”

V

W

X

Y

Z

S B R X W X S U S A G E P P Y

O A U R I G A G Q L E O L L J

-The Beatles

TAURUS

(April 20-May 5) -- It’ll be up to you to come to the rescue. You’ll know just when and where to strike to maximize rewards.

(May 6-May 20) -- Your experiences may border on the impossible, but it’s all a matter of perspective. You know what you can do.

Consetellation WorDSeArCH l Lindsay Johnson ANDROMEDA ARIES AURIGA BOOTES CASSIOPEIA CEPHUS CORONA BOREALIS CORVUS DRACO EQUULEUS

GEMINI

(May 21-June 6) -- There’s no reason to shortchange yourself; you can have everything you want -- and more -- if you work on your timing.

(June 7-June 20) -- Share your experiences with loved ones today, and your enjoyment will surely increase. Don’t go it alone.

CANCER

(June 21-July 7) -- You’ll have the chance to treat yourself better than you have in the recent past. Your body will benefit from a little pampering.

(July 8-July 22) -- A warning of sorts alerts you to a coming surprise, but it may still exceed your expectations.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 7) -- You can uncover bargains all around you, but one thing in particular you’ll be willing to buy at a high price.

(Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- The more you are willing to assert yourself, the more likely others will be to give you the right of way.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- You’re likely to find just what you’re looking for, but you may not be in a position to take full advantage of it just yet.

(Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -- This is a good week to put your heart on the line; you’re not likely to be mistreated in any way.

LIBRA (

Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -- Something others see in a negative light you are likely to find quite beautiful -- and the inspiration that comes serves you all week long.

(Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- It’s important to know your limits, even as you strive to do more than you have in the past.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- Everyone is likely to feel things in his or her own way, but you’ll be in a position to orchestrate something special.

(Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- That which remains unsaid is likely to be heard more clearly than anything else. Many are listening.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- Someone is sure to return the favor when you introduce him or her to a new experience or opportunity.

(Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- You may be working on your own, but the truth is that you have quite a team of supporters ready to work on your behalf.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- It’s a good week to introduce yourself to something that you’ve only observed from afar. This new experience brings much potential.

(Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- Now is not the time to say no to those who come to you with new ideas. Explore each and every option.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- The questions you’ll be asking yourself may actually surprise you -- once you begin to listen in an honest, receptive manner.

(Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- You may not be prepared for certain developments, but you can avoid serious setbacks.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 5) -- Your routine is likely to be shaken by someone who demands more than you have been willing to give in the past.

(March 6-March 20) -- The usual comforts may not provide you with what you need. There is safety in numbers, of course.

last week’s CroSSWorD solution

this week’s CroSSWorD solution

GEMINI HOROLOGIUM LACERTA LEO ORION PEGASUS PYXIS TRIANGLULUM URSA MINOR VIRGO

C T F M Y W P I U L K X Z C Y

Z R X S P B N Y L H R U O V Y

C I N R U I O A X O V R C R J

D A D O M E C O N I O A E S A

R N S E I E L I T N S D P L N

A G G S R R M U A E A E H O H

C L Y T I A O B U R S M U N C

O U A R S O O T I Q N O S B O

V L R R T R P E R Z E R U Z D

P U U X E K S E K N T D V M H

H M N A I O G R I V M N R K C

K Y L U Z X V O C A R A O Q C

X I H O R O L O G I U M C V G

CroSSWorD ACROSS 1 6 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Hunter’s post Turn white PC photo format “Balcony scene” swain Heavy hydrogen discoverer Eurasian range Dancer’s rattler Minute amount Commotion Feel anxiety Pinnacles Bird enclosure Synthetic fabrics Obstruct

28 30 31 35 36 37 39 41 42 43 44 48 49 50 52

Roman foe Sifts through Relaxes (2 wds.)

Cypress feature Hardens Giant-screen technology Sabatini of the courts Alpine moppet In addition Rum drink (2 wds.)

Purchased Fountain toss-in Oil jobs Bravery Chem. or bio.

55 56 58 59 60 61 62 63 DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 38 40 41 43 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 56 57

Like - - of bricks Early astronomer Unruly kid Leaning Tower site Please greatly Perm follow-ups Skunk’s defense Rigid Baja Ms. Warty critter GI supply Beak of a bird Baubles Blender button Diva’s solo Grant a mortgage Iris locale Ripe, as a pear Ad Gobbled up Mirror material Press Sighs of relief Media star 66 and I-80 Gross!

Bean for sprouting Earnest request California winery Tex. neighbor Casual wear Connection (hyph.)

Give off light Zilch Forsake a lover Noon, to Caesar Gridiron shouts Cafeteria wear (2 wds.)

Heath Blurts out Unconventional “Das Boot” craft (hyph.)

Well-bred ones Unambiguous No longer in force Lhasa Read a bar code Prunes back Uh-huh (2 wds.)

Navy noncom Dot in the Seine

FACT:

Women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence.

(Bureau of Justice Statistics. “Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends and Girlfriends. ” Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Justice; 1998. Publication No. NCJ 167237)

If you or someone you know needs help, call: AWAIC (Abused Women's Aid in Crisis) National Domestic Violence Hotline 1 (800) 799-SAFE (7233) (907) 272-0100 1 (800) 787-3224 (TTY) Anonymous & Confidential Help 24/7

Visit: www.ncadv.org www.feministcampus.org www.thesafespace.org www.awaic.org www.breakthecycle.org