THENORTHERNLIGHT MARCH 3, 2014
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Aloha from Hawai’i: Places to see in O’ahu
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Feb. 28 gymnastics match against Lindenwood
Bret Bohn now a ward of the state
photo courtesy of the Bohn family
UAA alumnus Brett Bohn in Providence Alaska Medical Center.
photo by grace kramer
Dimond High School junior Hattie Little-Burgener takes the microphone in support of public schools.
Alaskans rally in support of public school funding
By Evan Erickson
eerickson@thenorthernlight.org
Nearly 500 people amassed on the snow-covered front lawns of the Z.J. Loussac Library last Saturday, while inside the assembly chambers the Anchorage Legislative Caucus heard testimony on the topic of the day-public schools. Signs reading “Kids! Not cuts” and “I love public schools” dotted the rally, while other signs specified the multiple issues that have brought public education to the forefront of the current legislative session. Much of the debate is over Base Student Allocation, which is the per-student funding amount that each district receives. BSA is the prime mechanism of funding for K-12 public schools. Gov. Sean Parnell’s omnibus education bill calls for a $201 per-student increase to the BSA over three years, but opponents are saying this is far from the level of funding needed to protect schools from continuing cuts to teaching staff. Democrats have proposed an immediate $404 increase to the BSA. Deena Mitchell, with Great Alaska Schools, helped organize the rally. Mitchell said that without substantially higher increases and a means of “inflation-proofing” the BSA, the Anchorage School District is set to lose hundreds more jobs. “Since 2011 BSA has been flat and we’ve lost 600 positions. Flat BSAs don’t allow schools to do planning. They’re in crisis mode for four months of the year,” Mitchell said. Inside the assembly chambers, Barbara Clark, a teacher at West High School, shared with the caucus the struggles she faces in offering her student teachers positive news about the future of their chosen profession. “This isn’t a job,” Clark said. “This is a life. This is a calling.”
Bartlett High School freshman Brendan Gerdts stated frankly what his expectations of the Alaska Legislature are. “You are our hand in slaying injustice. You are our shield against ignorance. Notice how I did not say you are leaders. You are not our leaders. You are followers of what we say,” Gerdts said. Gerdts, along with fellow Anchorage School District students Bridget Galvin and Nora Herzog, flew to Juneau last week to represent the group Students With a Voice, speak face-to-face with legislators and address the Senate Education Committee. Galvin, a junior at Stellar Secondary School, also enlisted the help of the UAA Glee Club, with which she has performed in the past, to entertain at Saturday’s rally. A smaller 10-member Glee unit opened the rally with the national anthem and followed with a mashup of “Eye of the Tiger” and “The Final Countdown.” The other serious issue debated Saturday is a proposed amendment to the state constitution allowing state funding to be channeled into private and religious schools. Supporters of increased BSA see the idea of amending the constitution to create a private school voucher program as another imminent threat to public schools in Alaska, diverting more of the funding already in short supply. “It opens the door to them passing a law to create private charter schools,” said Andy Holleman, Anchorage Education Association president. Vocal supporters of state funding for private schools, such as Anchorage Baptist Temple and conservative public policy organization Alaska Family Action, believe the amendment to the constitution will give people more choices when it comes to education. The last time Alaskans voted to amend the state constitution was in 1998, when the state banned same-sex marriage.
By Suhaila Brunelle
news@thenorthernlight.org After 12 days in court, Lorraine Phillips-Bohn and her husband say their son, Bret Bohn, is now under guardianship of the state against his will. Bohn’s family claims hospital officials and ruling Superior Court Judge Erin B. Marston have ignored their son’s original power of attorney, which gave Bret Bohn’s parents the right to make medical decisions on behalf of their son. Bohn’s general power of attorney and health care power of attorney were drafted in 2007, before Bohn’s current illness. According to court documents, during the course of Bohn’s medical treatment at Providence Alaska Medical Center, his parents informed the medical staff of these documents and began acting accordingly. After several nights of insomnia, Bohn’s parents brought him to the Providence emergency room to seek treatment on Oct. 16, 2013. During this first emergency room visit, Bohn was given two prescriptions, one for anxiety, the other for sleep, then was released to go home.
Phillips-Bohn says after taking these medications, her son experienced a seizure and was brought back to the emergency room. While in the emergency room for the second time, Bohn experienced two more seizures and was admitted into the intensive care unit, where he stayed for several days. Bohn’s parents were told their son would be released to go home with them on Oct. 22. However, officials at Providence moved him to the fifth floor medical unit instead of the promised discharge. Phillips-Bohn says her son remained on the fifth floor of the hospital for weeks, and doctors treated him with as many as 22 different medications at one time without a proper diagnosis. Erik Guzman, Bohn’s longtime friend, spent as much time at the hospital as he could supporting Bohn and would often spend nights at Bohn’s bedside. Guzman said he saw a lot of changes in Bohn by the time he entered the hospital to the last time he was permitted to visit Bohn on Dec. 24. Guzman said on some days Bohn was coherent and talkative, but began to
SEE bohn
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Lindenwood beats UAA in gymnastics meet
Beards of glory
photo by adam eberhardt
Sophomore Simone Penker performs on the bars during the meet last Sunday.
By Travis Dowling
sports@thenorthernlight.org
March 1
photo by kelly ireland
Aaron Vickery, contestant for the “Baby Beard” category, with his niece and nephew. The kids call him “Uncle Beard.”
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SEE BEARDS
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In the final event at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex last Sunday, the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves competed against the Lindenwood University Lions in a gymnastics meet. Freshman Julia York posted a score of 9.675 on the vault. The Seawolves lost the vault event to the Lions by a score of 48.450 to 47.850. Sophomore Stefany Bryan scored a Seawolf high in the bars event with a score of 9.725. Sophomore Simone Penker scored a 9.675 on the beam, and freshman Kallie Randolph posted a score of 9.750 on the floor. The Seawolves lost the gymnastics competition to the Lions by a score of 192.700 to 189.650. The next gymnastics competition is March 7 against Sacramento State in Sacramento, Calif.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
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BOHN: Mother contests treatment in court
deteriorate quickly after the many medical tests he was given. Some of these tests included MRIs, spinal taps and blood transfusions, which all came back negative. According to Guzman, Bohn had needle holes along his spine and complained his back hurt. Eventually Bohn became agitated, and at one point, he fought five security guards and several nurses while attempting to remove his IVs and catheter so he could leave on his own. Guzman said during one of his visits, Bohn said, “I’m tired. I’m beat up. I just want to go home. I’m tired of being poked. My back hurts. I’m tired of getting needles in my back. I’m tired and just want to go home.” Phillips-Bohn said she tried to get her son to stay at the hospital even though he wanted to leave, because she wanted him to get well. But officials are saying she tried to help him escape. Of this incident, Guzman said, “He tried to voluntarily leave the hospital. ... He had been wanting to get out since the first week he was there. He decided he was going to walk out of the hospital because they were not going to let him out. He walked halfway down the floor he was on and that’s as far as he went.” Bohn’s family members eventually asked for a transfer to Alaska Regional Hospital for a second opinion, but they say this request was denied. The last time friends and family saw Bohn was in December, and he was wearing an ankle bracelet monitor in order to prevent any further escape attempts. After months of tests and while the issue of guardianship was before the court, Bohn was finally diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis. Dr. Souhel Najjar, a nationally known expert on autoimmune encephalitis, explained there are several types of the disease. “Autoimmune encephalitis is a disorder in which a body turns against its brain,” he said in a phone interview. “The body produces antibodies that target the brain tissue and cause inflammation in multiple areas of the brain.” Najjar said one of the systems that can be affected is the limbic system, which is the area of the brain that affects emotion and behavior. “It is not unusual that the patients (with autoimmune encephalitis) will be mistaken for a mental disorder,” Najjar said. According to Najjar, there is an 80 percent survival rate for patients who have been diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis if the disease is caught early and treated aggressively with proper medication. According to court documents, shortly after Bohn’s parents began acting in accordance to their son’s power of attorney, “conflicts soon developed between medical staff and Mr. Bohn’s parents,” and that his parents believed he “was being overly medicated (and) wanted Mr. Bohn to stop using any medications and leave the hospital immediately.” The court document goes on to say that Bohn’s parents ignored medical advice from doctors at Providence, that their son was gravely ill and that he could die if removed from the hospital. Since Bohn is now a ward of the state, the court-
appointed guardian and medical team can authorize Bohn’s hospitalization and treatment plan. In an open letter to the Legislature dated Feb. 19, 2014, Providence Alaska Medical Center outlines policies regarding patient privacy laws, and rules about the role of court-appointed guardians and visitation. The following is an excerpt from the open letter. “Providence only restricts visitation to a patient when that patient requests no visitors or when restricting visitation is medically necessary and in the best interests of the patient. There are many different types of medical situations in which restricting visitation, including visitation by family members may be medically necessary. Providence attempts to work with the family and the patient to reinstitute visitation as soon as doing so is both in the best interest of the patient and requested by the patient.” The last time family and friends spoke to Bohn, he told them he does not trust anyone at Providence. Bohn allegedly said, “I tell them no, but they don’t listen.” Bohn’s parents believed their son when he said that, stating they witnessed Bohn’s objections to treatment first-hand, as well as the medical staff ignoring his requests not to be medicated. According to the court, the Bohn family sought advice from lawyer and family friend Rhonda Butterfield in late October. The court documents say Butterfield met with Bohn’s parents and Providence doctors to discuss his treatment, specifically the medications he was receiving. The court papers say, “After subsequent meetings with Ms. Phillips, Ms. Butterfield began to have ‘very serious concerns’ for Mr. Bohn’s safety at the hands of Ms. Phillips. Ms. Phillips was quoted to have told Ms. Butterfield that ‘I would rather (Bret) die in my arms than have any more drugs’ and added that she would ‘start making funeral arrangements’ for Mr. Bohn.” Testimony by Bohn’s physician, advanced nurse practitioner Heather Brock and another doctor, along with medical records provided to the court, stated that due to Bohn’s symptoms of delirium, hallucinations and incontinence, Bohn was unable to testify on his own behalf. “I think one of the takeaways is, this can really happen to anyone and people’s rights are regularly ignored when this sort of thing happens,” Jim Gottstein, a lawyer with the psychiatric rights law project Psych Rights, said. “It’s kind of like their rights are ignored legally, like when the U.S. stole the land from the Indians fair and square. Not always, but in this case, they violated his rights but they seem to have a court order so someone can say his rights weren’t violated, but when you look at what happened you can say that his rights were. Now one thing that’s clear is no one can really talk to Bret to see how he feels about this, which I think is really important — and that’s not to doubt in any way what the parents are saying.” Phillips-Bohn said she loves and misses her son, and her arms are aching to hold him and to hug him. “It’s the same feeling when I lost my first son, who
photo courtesy of the Bohn family
A younger Bret Bohn.
was stillborn. I ached to have a baby in my arms, to love. ... He’s (Bret) an adult now, but he’s my son, and I love him,” she said. “I just want him to know, and I feel that he knows that (I love him), because we are real close.” The court documents say, “Mr. Bohn’s parents have continued to act independently of medical opinion and the course of treatment prescribed by Mr. Bohn’s doctors. Therefore, the Office of Public Advocacy must be appointed to meet the best interests of Mr. Bohn as to his medical decisions.” The documents later say Bohn’s parents, family and friends do not have the ability to follow medical directives and treatment and his parents wish to stop their son’s medication and treatment. Butterfield stated to the court, “During the course of my conversations with Lorraine (Phillips-Bohn), it became crystal clear that Lorraine is adamantly, absolutely without exception, opposed to Bret having any medication, tests or medical treatment, even when his doctors deem it necessary and even when it means the difference between life and death.” A court visitor also substantiated Butterfield’s statement regarding Phillips-Bohn’s beliefs about medical treatment. Under the law, Bohn’s parents are no longer a party to their son. View the original Bohn story here: http://www.thenorthernlight. org/2014/01/14/man-allegedlyheld-against-will-at-hospital/ Court documents retrieved from www.policestateusa.com.
FIRST FRIDAY Enjoy music by Rebel Blues and Bunny Swan, as well as free admission to the galleries 6 to 9 p.m. March 7
SCI-FI FLICKS AND FACTS Watch the classic Attack of the Crab Monsters and then get the facts from a UAA professor 7 p.m. Thursday, March 13
ART CLASS Improve your illustrations with character-building techniques Starts March 11 Register online
ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT ART SHOW Now on view School art programs develop budding artists. “Atanaiyiq” by Kaylen Balcao (Detail), 2013, courtesy of artist and Anchorage School District
Museum members enjoy free general admission. Join today! anchoragemuseum.org Follow us on
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THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
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Who runs the Fur Rondy carnival?
photo by ashley snyder
The popular ride “1001 Nights” is a hit with Fur Rendezvous visitors.
By Nita Mauigoa
features@thenorthernlight.org
Compiled by Nita Mauigoa / Graphic by Jenna! Roosdett
photo by valerie hudson
Mardi Gras is a celebration right before the catholic tradition of Lent.
A taste of Mardi Gras right here in Alaska
Jacqueline Leavitt, owner of Golden Wheel Amusements, remembers being a little girl in early Alaska in 1967, playing by a tiny cotton candy wagon. The hot, sugary scent permeated the air as her mother operated only a handful of rides. “It was my playground,” Leavitt recalls as someone who has spent her entire life in the family carnival business. Golden Wheel Amusements is a family owned and operated carnival business that has been the sole provider for Alaska fairs and carnivals, including Fur Rendezvous, since 1967. Leavitt walked through the carnival grounds — what she refers to as her living room and home — and greeted guests, making sure they were having fun. The sound of children’s laughter echoed as shrill cries bounced off the rides. The sweet aroma of kettle corn lingered and the bright, fire engine red candied apples filled food booth windows. Leavitt joked around with one of her long-time ride operators, Jim Page, who has been
with the company for 11 years. Page was running the popular ride “1001 Nights.” What exactly are people paying for when they fork over their four tickets ($4)? “I make the ride swing one way four times and then the other four times. It’s roughly four minutes,” Page said. He and Leavitt joked about the parents who fight to have their child board the ride, though they are too short. There are also kids who kick and scream and refuse to sit in the front for that special photo opportunity their parents want to catch of them screaming their heads off. Then there’s this: “Someone throws up on this ride every day!” Page said as he laughed. Maintenance manager Lawrence Denton was seen walking around the carnival grounds, studying all the rides. He said that he maintains the rides daily. He said the plus is that the company only runs during the State Fair and Rondy, so the rides do not get nearly as much wear and tear as those in the Lower 48. Denton said the worst that has happened on a ride is an issue with a wire here and there, but he said there are many safety switches for operators to pull at any given time to stop the rides
if need be. Leavitt’s 13-year-old daughter, Alexis, ran the food counter as her son, Jason, managed the game booths. As Leavitt looked at her daughter she recalled how when she herself was a little girl, she would sneak out and watch the Iditarod dog sled races and remembered how her sister was in the marching band. “I’ve also been here since I was very small. I’ve worked some of the game booths and food stands. It was fun learning how to make funnel cakes while growing up,” Alexis said. She said perhaps she will take over and run the carnivals like her grandmother and mother have. However, Leavitt didn’t seem like she was ready to let go of the carnival life anytime soon. “I don’t want to one day retire. My mom is 80 years old and you’ll see her a lot of times spinning cotton candy,” Leavitt said. “Why would you want to go somewhere else? This is what we do.” As each Rondy passes year by year, this family remains constant in providing wild and wacky fun for Rondy fans of all ages. They plan to do so for generations to come.
Make reindeer pizza at home
By Valerie Hudson
features2@thenorthernlight.org
Mardi Gras may conjure images of women baring their chests, beads and booze, but many don’t know its connection to the Catholic 40-day preparation for Easter called Lent. “Lent is the time period in which Jesus was sent to the desert by the Holy Spirit to prepare for his mission, while in the desert Jesus was faced with many evils,” said Patricia Goult, director of the Hispanic community at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. “During this time we give up something we enjoy in order to tell Jesus that we walk with you through this journey.” Although Mardi Gras is not part of the Lent tradition, it was because of Lent that Mardi Gras was started. Legend has it that French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville came to a place called “Pointe du Mardi Gras,” and while he was there he realized it was the eve of Lent. So he began the tradition of indulging in one’s guilty pleasures before giving them up for the 40 days of Lent, according to http://mardigrasneworleans.com. Although many of the famous Mardi Gras festivities are conducted in New Orleans, in Anchorage there is a similar celebration called Spenardi Gras. This year Spenardi Gras will be held from 8 p.m.-3 a.m. March 8, said general manager Doran Powell at Chilkoot Charlie’s. Powell said Spenardi Gras “started 15 years ago, when the lead singer of the band ‘Last Call’ and I were talking about how we could have a Mardi Gras style party in Alaska. But with it still being cold here during Mardi Gras, it would have to be done inside.” Participants at this year’s Spenardi Gras can expect to see wild decorations, $1,000 in cash prizes, free masks and beads for everyone at the front door, and face painting by the Rae’s Girls. When asked if he thought Mardi Gras celebrations were taking away from the religious celebration of Lent, Powell said, “Adults sometimes need to go out, let their hair down and have fun. Mardi Gras is an excuse to do just that — not take anything away from other celebrations.” He also added if participants find themselves too intoxicated to drive during during Spenardi Gras, Chilkoot Charlie’s will have cabs lined up right outside the club and will pay for people to go home in a cab. The military also offers a shuttle onto base throughout the night, including closing time. Although Spenardi Gras is nowhere near the magnitude of Mardi Gras in New Orleans Powell hopes in coming years Spenardi Gras can become bigger and better by other Spenard establishments participating in Spenardi Gras as well.
photo by valerie hudson
By Valerie Hudson
features2@thenorthernlight.org Pizza is a wildly addictive confection. But ordering pizza every time you get a craving can cost exorbitant amounts, only for the pizza to arrive cold and flavorless. A great solution to this dilemma is to make pizza at home the semi-homemade way. Contrary to popular belief, it is unnecessary to spend an arm and a leg on fancy pizza equipment to create a delicious pizza. All that’s needed is a pan that fits the crust, an oven and a knife. This Alaska spin on a classic comfort food is sure to have mouths watering, without having to fork over a paycheck to the pizza delivery person.
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Lay pizza crust on a baking pan. Slice sausage and veggies in the desired shape and sizes. Add pizza sauce on top of the pizza crust. Remember to leave a small border all along the edge to create the crust. Add reindeer sausage and veggies. For this pizza I used red bell peppers, mushrooms and green onions. Top with thin slices of cheese. My preference is mozzarella. Lightly spray the top of the pizza with butter or butter substitute (this step adds flavor and helps to cook the pizza all the way through.) Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until the cheese has turned a light golden brown around the edges.
Ingredients • Boboli Original pizza crust, or any kind of store-bought pizza crust • Pizza sauce • Reindeer sausage • Veggies of your choice • Shredded cheese • Sprayable butter
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THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
Aloha from Hawai’i: 12 places to see in O’ahu
Waikiki is one of the most crowded, popular beaches on O’ahu and is just as stunning in the sunset as it is on a clear sunny day.
By Nita Mauigoa
features@thenorthernlight.org
Spring fever is rampant and many students are ready to jump on that plane and escape to bask in the sultry island heat of Hawai’i. Here are some tips offered by kama’aina (locals from the islands) from around campus about some treasures to check out on O’ahu — the main island destination where 10 million tourists swarm every spring break. But as all kama’aina know, in order to explore real Hawai’i, get out of Waikiki and bust out that GPS:
Shark’s Cove / Pupukea Beach, Sunset:
There are hundreds of species of marine life to check out the minute one sets foot into the water, so bring snorkeling gear. It is easy to navigate without the crowds of Waikiki and the waves are calm most the time. There is also a huge rock to dive off of into the deep blue ocean. There are coral reefs and rocks near the shore, so water shoes are needed. Hukilau Beach, Laie: This is the place for those wanting to relax in a calm, quiet atmosphere, free from swarms of tourists. Halona Beach Cove, Honolulu: This romantic beach was featured in the movies “From Here to Eternity” and “50 First Dates.” Sea turtles and seals can easily be spotted in the crystal waters. There are also the “Stairs to Heaven” people have to walk down to access the beach, making it more remote than others.
North Shore Beaches/Makaha Beaches:
The waves here are killer and at times 30 feet high. Recommended only for surfers so these are not beaches to visit for leisurely swims. Matsumoto’s Shave Ice, Hale’iwa: Known on the island as the best place to score scrumptious shave ice to cool off on a sweltering day. The Azuki red beans or ice cream at the bottom are among favorite specialties.
Rainbow Drive-in, Honolulu: A popular local favorite with “local grinds” — a blend of cuisine from Asian, Polynesian and Portuguese cultures. Leonard’s Bakery, Honolulu: Leonard’s is popular for its malasadas, a fluffy, lightweight Portuguese donut without a hole. This local favorite is rolled in sugar and filled with delights such as passion fruit, guava or haupia (coconut flavor) cream. Boots and Kimo’s, Kailua: This local favorite is popular for its banana pancakes smothered in its house made macadamia nut sauce. Hukilau Café, Laie: This is a typical “hole in the wall” with top-notch taste in their plate lunchstyle food that is hard to find anywhere else on the island. Tida’s Grill, Kahuku: A local favorite featuring “local grinds” with the authentic island taste that is hard to find in Waikiki. Includes chicken katsu and other barbecue favorites. Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie: The world’s largest Polynesian attraction. Tours around the villages — replicas of various South Pacific islands such as New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa. The center offers canoe rides and dozens of demonstrations and interactions with cultural experts from the islands. Authentic Polynesian luaus are available with traditional Polynesian cuisine.
photos courtesy of UAA alumnus J.R. Degala
Halona Beach Cove is a romantic beach on O’ahu, featured in the movies "From here to Eternity" and "50 First Dates."
Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, Honolulu:
Features over 400 vendors with nearly every type of souvenir for half the price it would cost in Waikiki. Students Kaneyo Hirata, board member of the Pacific Island Community Center, and J.R. Degala, UAA alumnus , contributed to the list, as well as Alaska’s Na Keiki o Hawai’i Civic club president Kawehi Mahe.
Kawela Bay in Kahuku, O’ahu is a less crowded beach which makes it a gem where visitors can soak some rays and cool off in the crystal blue waters.
The turducken incident, humor with a purpose
By Evan Dodd Contributor
Not all of these columns are created equal. Some are written because I’ve had a questionable experience that needs to be published, some because of a holiday or shared event that needs scathing commentary. And some are just written because I have a deadline looming and need the extra spending money. (Let’s not dance around the issue here, beer and pizza don’t tend to buy themselves.) I give this disclaimer because as I was perusing the fantastic frozen foods section at Fred Meyer, I couldn’t help but notice a massive mound of meat known as the “turducken.” (Two food-related alliterations in one sentence? Man, I am killing it this week.) For those of you with blissfully healthy eating habits, let me explain. A turducken is a Frankenstein food consisting of a chicken, shoved unceremoniously into a duck, which is then rammed straight into a turkey. Think of Russian nesting dolls, only with more squawking and less artistic value. Yes, I’m aware that the logistics of this may raise some worrying questions, and yes, the chicken goes in the duck and not the other way around. Believe me, it baffles me too. Future generations are free to debate whether this monstrosity is the pinnacle of human culinary ingenuity or a vaguely barbaric practice that in retrospect may have been a tad overkill. Finally, to get to the point, the reason that any of this is relevant is because I couldn’t help but notice that the average revenue generated by one of these columns is generally just enough to cover the cost of a turducken. Yes, it really is that simple. As I said, different columns have different motivations behind them — it just so happens that this one was written so I could have the opportunity to eat three birds at one. And for those of you who suspect I’m just phoning it in this week, I had instantly decided how to finance this culinary adventure the moment I laid eyes on the grotesque majesty of the beast. To be very clear, I don’t know what to do with a turducken. I don’t know how to cook it, how to store it or even why I should want to own such a thing. Honestly I don’t even know if my eighth
grade girlish upper body strength can lift the damn thing out of the freezer aisle without help from a forklift. None of that matters though. Blame it on testosterone, my genetic predisposition to bad decisions or a complete lack of anything even resembling impulse control, but when I see an unimaginably large mass of food, my first thought it to consume the entire thing as fast as I can. I’d imagine I’ll look a bit like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, with the minor difference of me being too sober to hallucinate a talking dog. God help future-me’s digestive system. The worst part is that this decision was not made in a vacuum. I had actually run into my best friend shortly before the Franken-bird encounter who, rather than try to talk sense into me for the billionth time, wholeheartedly agreed with my quest to clog every artery by the age of 23. Granted, her enthusiasm for my demise raises several concerning question about the nature of our friendship, but those are questions to ponder on a full stomach. Other questions about the plan are a bit more relevant. Does a turducken require any sort of cranberry sauce given that a third of its lineage is derived from Thanksgiving tradition? Is it white meat, dark meat or some horrifying blend of beaks and talons hiding inside a turkey disguise? These are questions for another column, perhaps a somber reflection on the dark side of tri-bird delicacies or more likely an excited review of a horrifying (yet delicious) experience. So when I claimed that my spring break plans involved creating an expansive blanket fort empire and elevating laziness to an art form, I may have been a bit dishonest. I’m still going to do those things, only now I’m going to involve a tribal feast and a haphazard attempt to cook a mighty beast. Basically I’m taking adulthood one day at a time. Your concern is appreciated but unneeded. Someone has to investigate this foul beast for the good of mankind, and I’m man enough to volunteer. Just know that none of this would be possible without loyal readers — when one of us undergoes excruciating stomach pain due to bad decisions we all do it together. Don’t worry, this is only part one of the turducken incident. Soon the world will have an answer regarding the triple good feast. Until then I can only wonder about the horrors in store for me.
AE &
THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
All the participants of the Beard and ‘Stache Competition at the end of the event. Overall winners Bryan Box, Melody Kalkowski and Bob Nelson sit in the front.
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photos by kelly ireland
BEARDS: The grizzly tale By Kelly Ireland
arts@thenorthernlight.org Student Union and Commuter Student Services’ fourth annual Beard and ‘Stache Competition, part of Winterfest, ran last Tuesday, Feb. 25, for a hairy and grizzly competition of facial hair. Men and women alike from around town and UAA competed for Moose’s Tooth gift cards and tickets to the Alaska’s Miners and Trappers Ball in various beard categories including: mustache, partial beard, baby beard, ladies and fake beard, freestyle beard and grizzly beard. Award-winning bearded men and one of their hairstylists judged the various categories. Galen Pazar, a computer technician in Anchorage, won the mustache category. David Dehoog, finance and investing business major, won for partial beards. In the baby beard category John Lewis, UAA alumnus of the aviation and air traffic control program, took first. Canadian studies major Melody Kalkowski won the ladies and fake beard category. Bryan Box, biological sciences major, won in the freestyle section of the competition. Bob Nelson won the notorious grizzly category. The winners of each category then competed against one another for the audience’s vote for third, second and first place in the overall beard competition. In third place Bryan Box, the freestyle beard winner, won over the audience with his bird beard that he named, “eagle bones falcon hawk.” His beard was tied up and inserted with feathers to have the appearance of a turkey. “My beard and I were sitting around the fire and decided the only way to get closer to the bird was to look like one,” said Box regarding why he styled his beard to look like a turkey. Ladies beard winner Melody Kalkowski, or “Yukon Yawn” as she dubbed herself, won second place. Kalkowski won with her expertly crafted fake beard named “Destruction Bay” and her convincing Yukon costume and personality. On stage she was asked what was the craziest thing she has ever found in her beard. She replied that she found a sled dog in it.
“I once wondered where my lead dog was, and there he was,” said Kalkowski. She said she was inspired to compete in the Beard and ‘Stache competition because of “beard envy and theater class.” “I got curious about men playing women, so I did research on women playing men and learned how to do fake beards and thought I would try it out,” said Kalkowski. In first place, the grizzly beard winner, Bob Nelson, or as the emcees mistakenly called him, Eric, got the ultimate audience approval of his beard. “The worst part is comparisons to Duck Dynasty,” said Nelson. Nearly all the competitors were just as spunky and funny as the overall winners, and all but a few were clad with some pretty impressive facial hair. Electrical engineering major Lance Leber, a competitor in the grizzly beard portion of the night, said on stage, “A man who would shave his beard for a woman deserves neither.” John Lewis, winner of the baby beard category and UAA alumnus, while doing his catwalk to show off his beard paused on the end of the stage to take a selfie with the crowd behind him. He repeated taking a selfie with the crowd after winning, and he took another with all the competitors of the Beard and ‘Stache Competition. During the competition his daughter, Cedar Lewis, ran on stage to see him. Each competitor throughout the event was asked if he or she had a name for their beard. Baby beard competitor Aaron Vickery, who placed second in the category, said he is called “Uncle Beard” by his two daughters, niece and nephew, who were all in attendance at the event. Vickery said he was inspired to grow his beard because of “having to shave everyday in the military.” Others were just inspired to grow beards by those in the military in the days of old, especially the chops famous in the Civil War. “It’s just something I always thought looked really cool. The civil war generals had it and I thought, ‘Let’s try it out and see what it looks like,’” said David Dehoog, who won in the partial beard category for his mean chops.
Four of the Beard and ‘Stache judges examining the competitors facial hair.
Jarrett Tucker and Meagan Vance during the interview portion that each contestant did.
Overall winner and grizzly beard winner Bob Nelson with fellow grizzly beard competitor Walter Jensen.
Alaska Native Oratory Society preserves culture By Jacob Holley-Kline arts2@thenorthernlight.org
photo courtesy of Aknos
Ishmael Hope presents at the AkNOS regionals 2012.
Living in a Western world with an indigenous background can be a difficult balancing act for Alaska Natives. But the two can coexist. “It’s not two worlds. It’s one world. I can’t deny one or the other or accept one or the other,” said Marie Meade, Central Yup’ik term instructor in the Alaska Native Studies program. “That’s me. That’s my life.” Meade has been with the Alaska Native Oratory Society, or AkNOS, since its inception in 2002. Founded by educator and broadcaster Daniel Lee Henry, AkNOS started out as an oratory competition featuring Alaska Native and non-Native speakers, poets and rappers. To foster a more relaxed environment, the competition aspect was eliminated in 2012. “I felt that if we changed it to a celebration, it would take the edge off,” said Maria Williams, Tlingit director of Alaska Native Studies. “The idea is to make them as comfortable as possible.” Meade, along with Tlingit term instructor Shirley Kendall, has been a judge in past competitions. “I was amazed at how careful and accurate they (the event participants) were,” said Kendall. AkNOS acts as a bridge between generations. The theme for this year’s event is “the healing power of story.” “Storytelling is a traditional form of healing,” said Maria Crouch, and student worker with AkNOS, “not only for the person speaking, but also for the person who is listening.” Speech categories include Alaska Native language, humor, real life stories, rap/spoken word, music/poetry and declamatory speech. The AkNOS regional event will take place on April 4 in the Student Union Den. Yup’ik storyteller Jack Dalton will be working with students to build their confidence on stage and will emcee the event. Guest speaker Samuel Johns will perform his entry and discuss his upcoming “Finding Your Voice” competition.
Performers participating in regionals will also perform April 12 at the AkNOS Statewide Event. Keynote speakers are KNBA news director Joaqlin Estus and Mark Trahant, independent print and broadcast journalist. The goal of AkNOS is to preserve Alaska Native cultures and pass on traditions to the next generation. The need to save the culture is dire. “Physically and mentally we can survive, but culturally we can’t,” said Kendall. “It’s dying and it’s dying fast.” But ultimately Marie Meade has confidence in the next generation of Alaska Natives and those in AkNOS. “I can speak English and I can speak my language, and I accept both equally,” said Meade. “I’m not worried. They’ll survive. We are survivors.”
The Alaska Native Oratory Society Regionals will take place from 3-5:30 p.m. April 4 in the Student Union Den. Prospective performers can send registration requests to event coordinator Meda DeWitt Schleifman at aknos.uaa@gmail.com. Admission is free. The AkNOS Statewide Event will take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 12 in the Lucy Cuddy Hall.
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THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
FILM REVIEW
‘Non-Stop,’ an entertaining, cliche thrill
The stupid, mesmerizing beauty of ‘Twitch Plays Pokemon’
By George Hyde
gchyde@thenorthernlight.org “Non-Stop” takes on a genre that audiences haven’t seen in a long time: the whodunit thriller. It’s a refreshing premise that wouldn’t feel out of place in an Alfred Hitchcock film. It does a fantastic job of constantly keeping viewers guessing, but sadly, it falls into a clichéd mess, especially by the end. Liam Neeson — borrowing heavily from his performance in “Taken,” which isn’t a bad thing — is a U.S. Federal Air Marshal by the name of Bill Marks. Marks is on an international flight from New York to London. Soon after the plane takes off, he receives a mysterious text stating that someone on the flight will die every 20 minutes unless a ransom is paid. After people do indeed start dying (how they end up that way I’ll not spoil), it’s up to Marks to find the culprit while trying to dodge ill will from the passengers themselves. Thematically, “Non-Stop” asks a lot of questions regarding when Air Marshals and airline security go too far, and when they’re allowed to do so. As the film goes on, these questions are increasingly thrust into the spotlight and even our protagonist isn’t quite sure how to answer them. While the messages of security ethics end up becoming more and more ham-handed later in the film, they still lend the movie a presence in today’s important security discussions. The film also does a fine job of preserving that sense of confusion that the best mysteries are capable of doing. That confusion, after being mixed with the tension of the situation, makes a satisfying blend that will keep audiences glued to the edge of their seats. Sadly, that doesn’t stop the film from becoming cliché,
By George Hyde
gchyde@thenorthernlight.org
especially by the end — though the reason why is a spoiler. While the film is a satisfying whodunit, it still doesn’t bring anything new to the table. While Liam Neeson is entertaining as always, his performance is still very similar to his other past performances. The themes are important, but they’re themes viewers have seen before. “Non-Stop” does what it does very well, but at the cost of feeling cliché and done before. It’s a fantastic, edge-of-your-seat thriller, but at the same time, it doesn’t do anything new. Those
who enjoy the genre will almost certainly get a kick out of this, but anyone who is tired of the action tropes of today should be turning to Netflix to check out an old Hitchcock thriller instead. Title: “Non-Stop” Release Date: Feb. 28, 2014 Director: Jaume Collet-Serra Starring: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore
FORIEGN FILM FANATIC
‘Bio Zombie’ is delirious fun By Jacob Holley-Kline arts2@thenorthernlight.org
“Bio Zombie” is “Resident Evil” through the eyes of “Shaun of the Dead,” with enough goofy gimmicks to keep viewers entertained, at least for a while. After the misanthropic mall DVD store employees Woody Invincible (Jordan Chan, “Ip Man: The Final Fight”) and Crazy Bee (Sam Lee, “Man of Tai Chi”) hit a jaywalking government agent with their car, they feed him a biological weapon disguised as a soft drink. They take him back to the mall and he breaks out of their trunk, biting and slashing everybody in sight. As if the cause of the zombie outbreak wasn’t ridiculous enough, “Bio Zombie” ups the stakes even more. The movie bursts at the seams with infectious enthusiasm and energy, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in it — so easy that it can distract from the downsides. The biggest one is that the movie runs out of gags quickly. Though it’s consistently funny for the first hour, the final 30 minutes lag. “Bio Zombie” is extremely low budget and it shows sometimes. It was obvious that director Yip had to make some compromises when it came to makeup. In almost every scene with a zombie, the viewer can see where the makeup hadn’t been applied. And while Chan’s performance is decent as the selfish Woody, Lee’s performance as Bee isn’t as well rounded. Especially during the more emotional parts, Lee’s limited range as an actor shows through and he can be hard to take seriously. But for its downsides, “Bio Zombie” revels in ridiculous ultra-violence and enthusiasm for the zombie horror genre. References to everything from “Dawn of the Dead” to “White Zombie” abound, and the film can be a “Shaun of the Dead” type treat for fans of the genre, though it doesn’t achieve “Shaun”’s dizzying fanaticism. When it comes down to it, there’s not much
that’s special about “Bio Zombie.” It’s mostly funny and self-aware, but can’t decide what movie it wants to be by the end. Even for 1998, there’s nothing new about “Bio Zombie.” When it does what it does best, frenetic comedy, it’s a pleasure to watch. Title: “Bio Zombie” Director: Wilson Yip Genre: Horror comedy Release date: June 11, 1998 Country: China (Hong Kong)
An infinite number of monkeys hitting keys at random on an infinite number of typewriters will, given infinite time, produce the works of Shakespeare. Now, replace the infinite number of typewriters with a single typewriter, replace “Shakespeare” with an old portable role-playing game from the late 90s and have half the monkeys yell and throw their own feces at each other instead of typing. That about sums up the experience of “Twitch Plays Pokemon,” which has become something of a phenomenon on the Internet. The concept is simple: button commands for “Pokemon: Red Version” are tied directly to an instant messaging chat as a stream of the game shows what’s going on. If someone types “up” into the chat, for example, then the trainer on screen will take a step upward. It’s a game of “Pokemon” where millions of players are fighting for the controller, and the result is actually kind of miraculous. Yes, they’ve taken a long time, but this mob of wannabe trainers has actually captured a legendary Pokemon and completed the game. Along the way, though, the mob forced the poor protagonist of the game to twitch endlessly in the corner of a room or spend hours (or even days) trying to open a door. Even something as mundane as storing a Pokemon into a PC became dangerous, because an important part of the team could have wound up being irreversibly released into the wild, never to be seen again. Watching as this crowd of thousands tried to get through the game was both boring and fascinating at the same time. Their teamwork was inspiring at times, and yet, when they got stuck trying to climb down a ledge, it was impossible not to shake one’s head in shame. The experience really says a lot about human nature. Given the opportunity, there will always be that one person (or people) who decides to press that one button to screw everything up. There will always be people who get pleasure out of watching the play-through get ruined. Half the efforts of the mob revolved around dealing with the trolls who got a kick out of other people’s displeasure. At one point, the developer of the stream added a system in which players can vote to alternate between an “anarchy” mode, where every input is entered into the game, and a “democracy” mode, where inputs are gathered and voted upon before being entered. It’s spurred a lot of discussion about the eternal debate between order and chaos. Of course, being the Internet, tons of memes were spawned out of the play-through. An entire religion has seemingly formed around an in-game item known as the Helix Fossil, which was accidentally selected in battle countless times. Miraculously, the mob finished the first generation game in a little more than 16 days. This writer wishes them the best of luck as their quest continues in the next generation game, Crystal Version, as they attempt to again become the best trainer there ever was.
A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
ALBUM REVIEW
‘Issues’ album blurs genre distinctions
By Kierra Hammons
copy1@thenorthernlight.org What happens when a pop R&B singer gets together with an unclean vocalist? Add a turntable, synthesizers and a choir, and the result is “Issues” — something the Rise record label hasn’t seen in a long time, if ever. This self-titled debut LP defies traditional genre categorization, and its sound embodies what the alternative corners of the hardcore and metalcore genres have spent years trying to articulate. Clean vocalist Tyler Carter and unclean vocalist Michael Bohn, both formerly of metalcore band Woe, Is Me, take the metal sound and push it to its limits by adding elements of other genres. Catchy hooks and bridges replace the expected hard breakdowns. These melodies work together with vulnerable lyrics to curb the oftendeterring harshness of metal. Issues certainly isn’t the first band to attempt an unconventional fusion. Vocalist Johnny Craig is famous for injecting elements of soul into post-hardcore. Hip-hop and metal came together in the nu-metal genre, giving rise to industry hits like Korn and Limp Bizkit. And far less successfully, the crunkcore genre attempted a similar marriage of pop and screamo, with the band BrokeNCYDE being its most laughable headliner. While all of these sounds are nothing new to the mid-2000s generation of Hot Topic shoppers, most attempts to mix metalcore and R&B-leaning pop across the years have been nothing more than caricatures of pop forcibly tacked onto metal song structure. Instead of cooperating, the sounds pinball against each other in an aggressive back-and-forth fight for the ear’s attention. “Issues,” on the other hand, is meticulously put together in terms of lyrical theme and instrumental motif. Each element is balanced and works together to make meaningful contribution to the band’s pioneering signature sound. Three people of color contribute to the band, including Tyler “Scout” Acord on turntables, and the hip-hop elements in each song sound authenticated rather than appropriated. The first track, “Sad Ghost,” embodies everything the first track of a band’s first LP should sound like. Each musical element of the album is sampled first here, so listeners know what to expect in the coming tracks. “Sad Ghost” is theatrical, beginning with the eerie orchestral combination of rolling snare, timpani, low strings, tubular bells and a warbling vibraphone. Then Bohn rips through the setup to establish the metalc-
ore influence of the band. Bohn and Carter trade vocal bars with each other, balancing pop melody with harsh noise. The turntable and plucky, pronounced bass line introduce the listener to styles that will reappear later in the album. The supernatural spook of the song’s minor tonality is woven through the album and reappears most prominently in “Cult of Personality” and “Langdon House,” the latter featuring Bohn’s vocals grating against the dark atmosphere of the track. Carter’s voice is stellar, and he masterfully utilizes its fullest range. His Michael Jackson-inspired motifs in “Mad at Myself” may not be the strongest, but the risk is well-appreciated. His gentle falsetto in “Tears on the Runway” pairs nicely with featured artist Nylo’s soaring soprano. Though vulnerability is often something to be shied away from in metal, Carter freely expresses fear, weakness and loneliness in addition to the more feminine sound of his vocal parts. “Never Lose Your Flames” is an encouraging, heavily pop-oriented track that reaches out to the misfits and rejects. “We are all misunderstood,” Carter sings. “Everybody own your name, I wish you would.” Despite this, the lyrics are the primary problem of the album. Some of them are unclever, but this is to be expected when Top 40 music is a strong influence. But beyond this, there is a glaring hypocrisy concerning outsiders and women. Even though “we are all misunderstood,” tracks often compare women to objects and pit them against each other in superficial comparisons. “Life of a Nine” describes a woman who, on a scale of one to 10, is a “five,” but lives her life as if she were a “nine.” An average woman perceiving herself in a positive light isn’t celebrated here — it’s criticized. The result is casual misogyny littered throughout the album. These lines only add to the alienation of women in the metalcore scene. Issues took a risk in this album with complex song structure, unconventional sounds and an unusual vulnerability. Despite its lyrical shortcomings, it remains a risky, breakthrough release as one of the most successful fusion albums to date.
Album: “Issues” Artist: Issues Genre: Metalcore, nu-metal, post-hardcore Label: Rise Records Release Date: Feb. 18, 2014
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08 A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
A&E OPINION
Art history is whitewashed By Jacob Holley-Kline arts2@thenorthernlight.org
The history taught in schools is propagandistic and white-centric. American kids are raised in a racist and postcolonialist education system. Students come out the classroom believing that, prior to the Enlightenment, people of color, or PoC, did not exist in Europe. This is blatantly untrue and a shortsighted view of history. Often, history is a study in “whiteness,” white people, white view, white history, white influence. According to art historian Jeanne S. M. Willette, art made by PoC was classified as “folk art” or “ethnic art.” Any artist who wasn’t white was qualified by their race. PoC have a long and complex history. The Moors, medieval Muslims and Arabs coexisted with white Spaniards until their expulsion along with the Jews in 1609. According to BBC, records show that black men and women have lived in Britain since the 12th century. Their numbers exploded in the 16th century because of the slave trade. Artists of the era would often position PoC at the edges and corners of canvasses, treating them as ornaments rather than people. Their roles in the paintings was to reinforce the white supremacist hierarchy, often gazing in wonderment at their masters. This is reflective of that time period because PoC were, generally speaking, objects. According to the BBC, PoC were offered as gifts to the commanders of slaving vessels and sold into service at auc-
tions. From there, their names and identities were changed, effectively erasing their heritages from public record. Before the advent of digital editing software, PoC were regularly painted over. This implies that PoC don’t even serve an ornamental function. In this sense, they are made less than objects. It’s been argued, according to The Walters Art Museum, that Giulia de’ Medici featured in Jacopo da Pontormo’s 1539 “Portrait of Maria Salviati de’ Medici and Giulia de’ Medici” was of African ancestry. Reinforcing this, the child was painted over numerous times until she was detected during a cleaning in 1937. But why whitewash history? Because the system is whitewashed to begin with. After being taught that white people built civilization and mastered the arts, learning that PoC did the same thing invalidates our white supremacist system. It’s hard for anyone to find out he or she has been lied to. Numerous teachers and professors were educated in the same white supremacist system that a majority of America is. They teach what they were taught and what they have learned. They have curricula to stick to and administrators to please. There are plenty of good professors and teachers out there, but being taught that there’s nothing south of North Africa is inexcusable. Seek out this history for yourself; white men aren’t the only influential figures in world history.
photo courtesy of filmhuset produksjoner as
A still from the film “North of the Sun,” grand prize winner of the 2013 Banff Mountain Film Competition.
Banff Mountain Film Festival shows in Wendy Williamson By Kelly Ireland
arts@thenorthernlight.org What began in 1976 by the Banff Centre as the Banff Festival of Mountain Films, a one-day film festival of mountaineering films in Banff, Alberta, has since grown into a nine-day festival. It also now tours around the world in every continent all year long. The festival is now known as Banff Mountain Film Festival. UAA Student Activities played a selection of these films in the Wendy Williamson as part of Winterfest 2014. The festival features an international film competition of sports, outdoor and environmental films. The films compete for the award for creative excellence, best short mountain film, best featurelength mountain film, people’s choice award, Dolby audio award, special jury mention, and best film in the following categories: exploration and adventure, mountain culture, climbing, mountain sports, mountain environment and natural history, and mountain wildlife. There is also a grand prize winner as well. Following the festival, the best of these films are toured around the world for audiences everywhere to see, including UAA. Devon Johnson, majoring in environment and society, attended Radical Reels earlier this year. Radical Reels is a touring sub-competition that has its own night within the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
Johnson, after seeing Radical Reels, planned on going to showings of the Banff Mountain Film Festival. “It’s going to be awesome. I recommend it to all my friends,” said Johnson before the event. Marketing major Kyle Miller attends showings of both Radical Reels and Banff Mountain Film Festival every year. “I think Radical Reels is awesome all the time. It’s always good,” Miller said before the showings. “It’s just a good selection of films. I like the one that’s coming up this weekend (at Banff Mountain Film Festival) a little bit more because they are a little bit more story driven and not big, mainstream Red Bull videos that I’ve usually already seen. With the stuff this weekend it’s a lot more story-driven. It’s always worth watching.” On the first night, Feb. 28, the following films were featured: the best short mountain film “35,” “Flow: The Elements of Freeride,” “Into the Mind,” special jury mention “Keeper of the Mountains,” grand prize, Dolby audio award and people’s choice award winner “North of the Sun (Nordfor Sola),” “Push It” and “Stand.” On the second night, March 1, the movies included “The Burn,” best film for climbing “The Last Great Climb,” winner of the best film in the mountain environment and natural history category “The Last Ice Merchant (El Ultimo Hieleiro),” “The Questions We Ask,” “Ready to Fly,” “Return to the Tepuis,” “Split of a Second,” “Sufferfest” and “Valhalla.”
Launch your career in medicine at the
“Preparing for Medical School: What Medical School Applicants Should Know” 22, 2014 h c r a M , y a d r Satu 9 a.m.–5 p.m. n Hall UAA Rasmuso Do you want to become a doctor? Attend the Alaska PreMed Summit and learn how to apply to medical school and how to become a more competitive applicant. Meet current medical students and doctors in residency training as well as hear practicing physicians describe their experiences on the medical education pathway. Take part in a mock medical school interview, tour the Alaska WWAMI medical school and participate in hands-on learning. High school and college students, counselors and parents are encouraged to attend this free event. This event is free, but preregistration is requested by March 18.
Registration information: www.uaa.alaska.edu/wwami/premedsummit.cfm or (907) 786-4737
UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution.
SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
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UAA gymnasts vs. Lindenwood
Sophomore Nicole Wetzel flips on the balance beam last Friday.
photos by adam eberhardt
Freshman Nicole Larkin prepares to jump on uneven bars against Lindenwood.
Sophomore Simone Penker manuvers on the uneven bars last Friday in a match against Lindenwood University.
Freshman Brice Mizell concentrates as she performs on the uneven bars against Lindenwood University last Friday.
Freshman Kallie Randolph performs on the mat last Friday night against Lindenwood University.
Junior Morgan Cook reaches for the bar last Friday.
Sophomore Simone Penker flips on the balance beam.
Junior Morgan Cook performs on the balance beam against Lindenwood.
10 SPORTS ‘Wolves win one and lose one on the road
THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
By Travis Dowling
sports@thenorthernlight.org
Feb. 27
Last Thursday, the University of Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball team traveled to Seattle, Wash., to play Seattle Pacific University. The Seawolves were led in scoring by senior forward Kylie Burns, who had a total of 19 points. UAA would defeat Seattle Pacific by a score of 76 to 65. This win extended the Seawolves winning streak to five games.
March 1
The Seawolf women’s basketball five-game winning streak came to an end against Montana State University Billings. Seawolf sophomore guard Jessica Madison scored a career-high 19 points. MSU Billings defeated UAA by a score of 75-72. The Seawolves closed out the regular season ranked third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and tied with Simon Fraser with a record of 12-6. At press time it was not announced as to what team the Seawolves would play in the opening round of the GNAC tournament. An announcement will be made on the TNL Facebook and Twitter once the tournament field is announced.
Bewitched
Betrayed
Buzzer beater by UAF ends UAA winning streak By Travis Dowling
sports@thenorthernlight.org
Feb. 27
In what was a tightly contested basketball game, the Nanooks of Fairbanks ended a 16-game losing streak against the Seawolves of Anchorage, with a final score of 68 to 70. Junior guard Travis Thompson and senior guard Kyle Fossman both led the Seawolves in scoring with 15 points each. Nanook senior forward Andrew Kelly scored a layup with one second left on the clock, giving UAF the victory over UAA. This was the final basketball game of the regular season for UAA. The Seawolves ended the season ranked fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings and two games behind UAF. UAF finished the regular season ranked third in the GNAC. The next time the UAA men’s basketball team will take the court will be against Western Oregon at Langley, Wash., in the opening round of the GNAC conference tournament. The Seawolves beat Western Oregon in both games of the regular season. UAA beat Western Oregon 92-58 in their first meeting of the season and 96-77 in their second meeting.
42nd Iditarod commences
The Tony Award Winning Play
By David Henry Hwang
M. Butterfly March 21 - April 6, 2014 Directed by Jessica L. Jacob
UAAtix.com
UAA is an EEO/AA Employer and Educational Institution
M. Butterfly is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
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Rookie Iditarod musher Lisbet Norris, from Willow, Alaska, touches hands with a crowd member at the start of the race last Sunday.
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COMICS
THENORTHERNLIGHT Tuesday, mARCH 3, 2014
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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 4,500. 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.足足足
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THE NORTHERN LIGHT CONTACTS 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 Ashley Snyder Managing Editor 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Tulsi Patil Copy editor copy1@thenorthernlight.org Kierra Hammons news editor 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Suhaila Brunelle FEATURES EDITOR 786-1576 features@thenorthernlight.org Nita Mauigoa A&E editor 786-1512 arts@thenorthernlight.org Kelly Ireland
sports editor 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Travis Dowling Photo editor photo@thenorthernlight.org Tim Brown Staff Photographer photo2@thenorthernlight.org Kayla McGraw Corey Hester Layout Editor layout@thenorthernlight.org Jenna! Roosdett Web Editor web@thenorthernlight.org Vacant
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR news2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR features2@thenorthernlight.org Valerie Hudson ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR arts2@thenorthernlight.org Jacob Holley-Kline
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR sports2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant Graphic designer graphics@thenorthernlight.org Vacant advertising Manager 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Chelsea Dennis Marketing Representative Vacant Multimedia Editor Vacant Staff reporters gchyde@thenorthernlight.org George Hyde eerickson@thenorthernlight.org Evan Erickson CONTRIBUTORS Evan Dodd Oliver Petraitis media adviser Paola Banchero administrative adviser Annie Route
We have a list of 10 movies (new and old) and we want your opinion of what movie you would most like to see and what day of the week you would most like to see it. Here are your options:
NIGHT SKIING:
But we need your help!
Thurs. – Sat. 4 pm – 9 pm
The Northern Light is planning to put on an epic movie night in the Planetarium.
upcoming events
#alyeska ALYESKA RESORT | GIRDWOOD, ALASKA
MARCH 6, 7 & 8 “Gravity”
Mother Hips Original California soul since 1991
$15
GET A ROOM!
“ghostbusters”
2-for-1 concert tickets when you book a room! Check out our Rockstar & Roadie Stay & Play Packages online
MARCH 14 & 15 “wreck it ralph”
Michal Menert EDM Weekend with Michal Menert of Pretty Lights
$15
“E.T.”
BEERS ON TAP / 21 & OVER / FOOD ‘TIL LATE full schedule & advance tix online @ thesitzmark.com : 907-754-2275 “man of steel”
I HI T ALL THE H O T SPO TS WI TH OUT BREAKING A SWEAT...
“Back to the Future”
OR TIPPING MY TIARA.
“the hunger games”
“lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring”
“wall-e”
With a current WolfCard students, staff and faculty ride People Mover buses FREE with u-pass.
“the fifth element”
Let us know your opinion before March 21 by taking this online survey!
Can’t scan the QR? Here’s the link! http://bit.ly/1mZdjv5
343-6543
P E O PL E M O V E R. O R G