March 17, 2020 by The Northern Light

MARCH 17 - MARCH 23, 2020

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

FEATURES PAGE 3 Police Chief Jeff Earle welcomes two new officers to the University Police Department.

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A&E PAGE 4 A tribute to one of Alaska’s journalism greats resides in the Professional Studies Building.

UAA responds to COVID-19 GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

Spring elections for student government will open in April By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org

university is taking to respond to COVID-19.‌ features2@thenorthernlight.org On March 23, the majority of classes on the UAA campus will The University of Alaska resume via alternative delivery system has taken steps to pre- methods, such as online, video vent an outbreak of COVID-19, conference and audio conferor the novel coronavirus, on its ence. Classes that require labs campuses. As of March 12, there or hands-on practices may still is one confirmed case in Alaska.‌ resume and will use social disThe person infected came to tancing measures, or remaining Anchorage on a cargo plane and 6 feet from others, to help avoid has been identified as an adult the spread of the virus, accordmale and “a foreign national ing to Chancellor Sandeen.‌ individual who was transiting Students who live in resithrough” the Ted Stevens An- dence halls who have traveled chorage International Airport, to their permanent homes for according to Dr. Anne Zink, spring break are asked to remain Alaska’s chief medical officer, at their permanent homes unfrom an Alaska Dispatch News til further notice. Students who article.‌ remained in the residence halls President Jim Johnsen an- during spring break should plan nounced in an email to the UA to travel back to their permanent system on March 12 that spring homes or make alternative livbreak will be extended until ing arrangements by March 17 March 22. Chancellor Cathy and stay there until notified. ‌ Sandeen also posted a video For students with no other message regarding the steps the place to live besides residence By Christina Swayney

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halls, UAA will provide a process to request exemptions, which has not yet been announced. Students in residence halls are to stay in their room as much as possible, self observe for symptoms and practice social distancing. UAA will allow temporary access to resident halls for students who need personal items or study materials. ‌ Events and gatherings of 25 or more people will be canceled, postponed or will be held through video or audio conference. If the event or gathering is less than 25 people, it may still proceed, but will be greatly cautioned to take steps to prevent infection, such as hosting the event in a larger venue with better ventilation. These restrictions apply until at least March 31, and apply to all events

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The Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage, or USUAA, is the governing body of students at UAA. Every year, the organization holds elections for president, vice president, senators, delegates, Green Fee Board, Concert Board and Media Board representation. ‌ Students have the chance to vote for candidates for each position. This year, elections will be held April 7-10. Times and locations for voting are still to be determined. All students will receive an email with this information. ‌ Students are encouraged to vote and spread the word to their peers, Tyler Teese, an election board member, said.‌ “The candidates, current USUAA members and the election board are encouraged to spread the word about voting to the student body. The goal for the election is to get as many votes as possible from the student body. Historically, the number of students that vote in the election is low, and we would love to see those numbers increase,” Teese said.‌ Students can also be a part of USUAA and see student government in action first hand. If a student wishes to join USUAA, there are a few requirements. Students need to have a GPA of 2.5, but can apply with 2.0 and be in a probationary period. If after one semester their GPA is

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not at least 2.5, they will be dismissed from the assembly. Students also must be enrolled in at least three credit hours, fill out a candidate packet and follow the USUAA Code of Ethics, UAA Student Code of Conduct and the Election Board Policies.‌ USUAA directly affects students. It decides on matters that students see every day, Teese said. He highlighted the importance of caring about student government and its role in student life.‌ “The USUAA officers and representatives provide the Board of Regents, chancellor and colleges insights and recommendations that can have an effect on every student at UAA. Examples include tuition, safety improvements and student worker pay increases,” Teese said. ‌ USUAA is a fee-based organization geared to serve the UAA student body and community. They create events and opportunities that seek to fulfill this purpose, such as the annual Thanksgiving Feast, AdoptA-Road Cleanup, Little Black Dress Doesn’t Mean Yes, Homecoming Dance and Mabil Duir Leadership Scholarship.‌ Candidate spotlights and voting information will be announced closer to the time of voting, which is April 7-10. For more information about USUAA and its elections, visit their UAA web page. USUAA also has a Facebook page, where voting event information will become available closer to time of voting.

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020

UA Update: Provosts complete recommendations for expedited program review By Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org

UAA is currently undergoing an expedited program review process to revise, continue, enhance, suspend, continue review and delete majors and programs as a result of budget cuts. During the week of Feb. 24, the deans of each college made recommendations for each program and informed students, faculty and staff of their decisions. On March 9, the UAA provosts posted their recommendations. Based on the provosts’ recommendations, Chancellor Sandeen will make her decisions the week of March 23. The provosts gave each program one of six recommendations:‌ •

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Enhancement – The program will be given additional staff or faculty and additional resources. Continuation – The program will continue without any changes. Revision – Changes may be made to the program, but it will continue. Continued Review – Specific issues identified during review will be resolved, and then the program will be reviewed again. Suspension – New students will no longer be accepted into the program. Deletion – Students who are currently enrolled in the program will be assisted in completing their major or certificate within a designated time period, and then the program will be discontinued.‌

“Though some program discontinuations are anticipated, most of our academic majors will not be impacted,” Chancellor Sandeen said in an article on the UAA website. “UAA remains committed to helping you achieve your educational goals and will provide affected students with comprehensive advising and degree-completion options.” The provosts’ recommendations are as follows:‌ •

Accounting (AAS) - Con-

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tinued Review Accounting (BBA) - Enhancement Air Traffic Control (AAS) Continued Review Alutiiq Language (OEC) Continuation Anthropology (BA-BS) Continuation Anthropology (MA) - Deletion Applied Geological Sciences (MS) - Continued Review Applied Technologies Leadership (BS) - Continued Review Architectural and Engineering Tech (AAS) - Continued Review Art (BA) - Continuation Art (BFA) - Revision Automotive Tech (UCAAS) - Continuation Aviation Administration (AAS) -Deletion Aviation Maint Tech (UCAAS) - Continuation Aviation Tech (BS) - Continuation Biological Sciences (BABS) - Continuation Biological Sciences (MS) Revision Business Comp Info Systems (AAS) -Revision Chemistry (BS) - Continuation Children’s Mental Health (GC) - Revision Civic Engagement (UC) Deletion Civil Engineering (BS) Continuation Civil Engineering (MS) Continuation Clinical Psychology (MS) -Revision Clinical-Community Psychology (PhD) - Continuation Comp Net Tech, Comp Syst Tech (AAS), Cisco Net Assoc (OEC) - Continued Review Comp Science (BA-BS) Continuation Comp Systems Engineering (BS) - Continued Review Construction Mgmt (AASBS) - Continuation Corrections (OEC-UC) Revision Creative Writing and Literary Arts (MFA) - Deletion Culinary Arts (AAS) - Continued Review Dental Assisting (UC-AAS) - Continued Review

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Dental Hygiene (BS) -Continuation Diesel Power Technology (UC-AAS) - Continued Review Dietetics (BS) - Continuation Dietetics and Nutrition (GC-MS) - Continuation Early Childhood Development (AAS) - Continuation Early Childhood Special Education (MED) - Deletion Economics (BA) - Continuation Economics (BBA) - Continuation Ed Leadership (GC-MED) Continuation Electrical Engineering (BS) - Continuation English (BA) - Continued Review English (MA) - Deletion Environment and Society (BS) - Deletion Finance (BBA) - Continuation Fire and Emergency Svcs Tech (AAS) - Continuation General Business (AAS) Continued Review General Management (MBA) - Revision General Program (AA) Continuation Geological Sciences (BS) Continuation Geomatics (AAS-BS) Temporary Suspension Global Logistics and Supply Chain Mgmt (BBA) Continued Review Global Supply Chain Mgmt (MS) - Continued Review Health Sciences (BS) - Continuation History (BA) - Continuation Hospitality Administration (BA) - Deletion Human Services (AASBHS) - Continuation Human Services (Children’s Behavioral Health OEC, Conflict Resolution OEC) - Continued Review Indust Process Instr, Process Tech (AAS), Petro Tech (UC) - Continuation International Studies (BA) Continuation Journalism and Public Comm (BA) - Revision Justice (BA) - Continued Review Language Education (GC) Continuation

COVID-19: Continued from cover

and gatherings held on UAA grounds or buildings, regardless of university affiliation, according to President Johnsen’s email.‌ There are also travel restrictions for UAA, located in a PDF attachment in Johnsen’s email. Outbound travel for UAA to any community with any level of COVID-19 is prohibited. Travelers returning to UAA from the U.S. or countries experiencing any level of infection of COVID-19 in the past 14 days or have been a cruise passenger

for the past 14 days should practice self-quarantining. Those restricted are asked to stay home, self observe for symptoms, stay away from gatherings or crowds and are asked not to return to campus.‌ Restrictions also apply to anyone who has had close contact with someone who is infected with COVID-19, is symptomatic of the virus or is under investigation of the CDC. This applies to all students, employees and campus visitors.‌

UAA employees can return to work until notified. Students and employees can fill out a form online notifying the university that they have traveled somewhere that has COVID-19 exposure, for the safety of the campus.‌ The CDC asks people to wash their hands and use sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not accessible, and avoid touching hands, nose or mouth with unwashed hands in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. ‌

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

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Languages (BA) - Revision Legal Studies (AAS-BAPBCT) - Continuation Legal Studies (Legal Nurse Consultant Paralegal UC) Deletion Logistics and Supply Chain Ops (AAS) -Deletion Logistics and Supply Chain Ops (OEC) -Deletion Logistics and Supply Chain Ops (UC) -Deletion Management (BBA) - Continuation Management Information Systems (BBA) -Deletion Marketing (BBA) - Continued Review Mathematics (BA-BS) Continuation Mechanical Engineering (BS-MS) - Continued Review Medical Lab Science (AASBS) & Phlebotomist (OEC) - Continued Review Medical Office Coding (OEC) & Medical Assisting (AAS) - Continuation Millwright (OEC) - Continued Review Music (BA) - Continued Review Music (BM) - Continued Review Natural Sciences (BS) Continued Review Nursing (AAS-BS) - Enhancement Nursing (DNP) - Continued Review Nursing (GC-MS) - Continued Review Occupational Safety and Health (AAS-BS) - Continuation Office Foundations and Support (OEC) -Deletion Outdoor Leadership (AAS) - Continuation Paramedical Technology (AAS) - Continuation Pharmacy Technology (OEC) Continuation Philosophy (BA) - Continued Review Physical Education (BS) Continuation Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS) - Continuation Political Science (BA) Continued Review Professional Piloting (AAS) - Continued Review Project Management (MS) -

COVID-19 has shut down universities, suspended the NBA season and travel from Europe has been suspended. The virus has killed 36 people in the U.S., and there are 1,215 active cases, according to the Center for Disease Control, or CDC.‌ UA has a website for COVID-19 information for students and university employees. The CDC is regularly updating its site about statistics of the spread of the virus, as well as a wealth of information about how to prevent it and resources concerning it. The State of Alaska site also has regular updates and more information about COVID-19.‌

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Continued Review Psychology (BA-BS) - Continuation Public Administration (MPA) - Revision Public Health Practice (MPH) - Continued Review Radiologic Tech (Diagnostic Med Sonography AAS) - Revision Radiologic Tech (Limited Radiography OEC) -Deletion Radiologic Tech (Radiologic Tech AAS) - Continuation Refrigeration and Heating (OEC-UC-AAS) - Continued Review Social Work (BSW) - Continuation Social Work (MSW) - Enhancement Sociology (BA-BS) - Deletion Special Education (GCMED) - Continuation Speech-Language Pathology (PBCT) - Continuation Surgical Technology (AAS) - Continuation Teaching and Learning (MED) - Continuation Technology (AAS) - Revision Theatre (BA) - Deletion Veterinary Assisting (OEC) - Continuation Welding and Nondestructive Testing (AAS) -Deletion Welding and Nondestructive Testing (OEC-UC) Continued Review‌

“You should feel free to ask any questions of your academic adviser or get in touch with your academic dean’s office if you have questions about how this process might impact you,” Chancellor Sandeen said in an article on the UAA website. “While there is much still unknown, please be assured that our commitment to your success is unwavering.” For more information and updates on the expedited program review process, visit UAA website’s Expedited Program Review Status article or the AY20 Expedited Academic Program Review article.‌

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020

Two new UPD officers answer the call of public service By Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org

The University Police Department, or UPD, keeps students, faculty, staff and visitors safe on the UAA campus. UPD is proud to have two new officers to serve the community. Both officers were sworn in by Chief of Police Jeff Earle during a department meeting in Eugene Short Hall on Jan. 22.‌ Officer Chris Chiavetta has been an officer for six years and moved to Alaska from Florida. Moving from such a warm place to a cold one like Alaska can be difficult at first, he said.‌ “It’s cold. I refuse to wear a jacket because it limits access to my tool belt. I have seven years of muscle memory in reaching for things, such as my firearm or a flashlight. I see a jacket getting in the way and, being this many years in, it would be tough to retrain my muscle memory,” Chiavetta said.‌ Chiavetta and his family were excited to move to Anchorage and felt that UAA would be the best fit for them. He became an officer for a reason he believes most officers join.‌ “It’s a call for service to the community. Also, being able to interact with all walks of life has always interested me — hearing their perspectives and ideals. I have gone from being a protection detail for a Marine General to relocating a homeless family to a shelter all in the same day,” Chiavetta said.‌ Working on campus as an officer provides a unique role for

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES EVANS

New UPD officers Chris Chiavetta (left) and Michael Lynch (right) share a moment during their swearing-in ceremony.

Chiavetta. He sees challenges that his previous job did not have, but is excited about how great the team of officers at UPD is.‌ “It’s different where I come from, where everything and everyone is a constant threat. I have already seen UPD officers training and speaking about the unlikely event of an active shooter situation. The mindset with the officers is in the right place and the administrative staff offers the opportunity for advanced training. Response to active shooters, crime prevention and RAD classes are unique from my perspective as these are things my previous employer

did not offer the public,” Chiavetta said.‌ Officer Michael Lynch is the other new recruit to UAA’s UPD and he has been an officer for 11 years. Lynch is originally from Seattle, Washington. He sees UPD as a special place to work as an officer.‌ “UAA provides one of the most unique opportunities in law enforcement. We have a unique opportunity to help guide the future leadership of this state. As is well documented, a large number of leaders in this state are UAA alumni. Building positive relationships with students and staff will foster trust and partnerships with the communi-

ty as the student body turns into the next wave of leaders,” Lynch said.‌ He also understands that serving the campus community is important, as he grew up with this sense of duty.‌ “I grew up in a household that placed service above self. Both of my parents were teachers in the Sumner school district in Washington. I saw a great opportunity to carry out what my parents instilled in us every day; to serve the community that helped raise us and molds us as people,” Lynch said.‌ Though Seattle is just a plane ride away, it is a contrast to Alaska in terms of community. The

people and landscape are things not common in other parts of the country, Lynch said.‌ “Alaska continues to have the ‘help thy neighbor’ mentality that has long disappeared in the Lower 48. You still see people opening doors for each other, stopping for disabled vehicles in the roadway, smiling at one another and genuinely enjoying the beautiful landscape,” Lynch said.‌ Lynch sees the blockages that the UAA community faces. He is confident that these can be overcome.‌ “The current challenge at UAA is the ability to make face-to-face contact with every member of the UAA community. There is still a stigma out there that law enforcement is only here to catch you when you are in trouble. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Face-toface contact helps us relay what exactly we do at UAA,” Lynch said. Lynch notes the importance of his job in terms of the people at UAA and in Anchorage.‌ “Having the ability to proactively build a bridge between law enforcement and the community. Individuals at UAA are a motivated and dedicated group. I am proud that I have the opportunity to serve them and keep them in a safe environment that is conducive to a worry-free focus on curriculum and social growth,” Lynch said.‌ The University Police Department is located in Eugene Short Hall, Room 114. The nonemergency number for UPD is (907) 786-1120. ‌

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020

UAA | University Art Analysis – The man who brought the moon landing to Alaska is commemorated in photos at UAA

GRAPHIC BY MICHAELINE COLLINS

By Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org

While walking the halls of UAA’s Professional Studies Building, or PSB, students and faculty can observe the array of pictures and artwork hanging on the walls. Since PSB is home to the journalism department, many of the pieces are a reflection of Alaska’s journalism and public communications history.‌ On the bottom floor of the PSB, there are two photos of August “Augie” Hiebert, the creator of Alaska’s first television station. Hiebert started the Anchorage station, KTVA, in 1953. In addition to television, he advanced many different aspects of mass communication in Alaska. Born on Dec. 4, 1916, in Trinidad, Washington, Hiebert built and licensed his first ham

radio at age 15. ‌ “It’s the perfect photo of Augie Hiebert with his shirt sleeves rolled up, his face inches away from the microphone, pencil in hand to edit copy, and you can catch a glimpse of a turntable in the radio — the quintessential radio studio. The only thing missing is a cigarette dangling out of his mouth and he could be typecast in a movie from the ‘50s,” UAA Atwood Chair of Journalism, Larry Persily, said. “It’s a shame the photo is hidden away in a corridor of the building rather than celebrated with a narrative plaque in a prominent location.”‌ One photograph depicts Hiebert with his cocker spaniel, Sparky, in a radio studio. The second photo shows Hiebert with television equipment. ‌ “My Dad always had the foresight to see Alas-

PHOTOS BY GABBY VANCE

August “Augie” Hiebert pioneered the first television station in Alaska and broadcasted the moon landing live to Alaskan viewers.

ka’s potential,” Terry Puhr, Hiebert’s youngest daughter, said in a University of Alaska News Center article. “For him, the bottom line was never about money. He cared about what the community wanted and needed. He understood that geography isolated Alaskans from the Lower 48 and its impact on peoples’ well-being, so he made it his life’s work to connect our communities to the rest of the world with TV and radio.”‌ Before Hiebert’s intervention, taped events were sent to Alaska and later broadcasted. After negotiating with the U.S. military and Alaska’s congressional delegation, satellite feed of Neil Armstrong’s July 20, 1969 walk on the moon was broadcasted

live in Alaska. In 1939, Hiebert helped to build the first radio station in Fairbanks and devoted hours every day copying Morse code at 40-50 words per minute in order to share national news stories, according to another University of Alaska News Center article. ‌ Hiebert went on to be honored by the Alaska State Committee on Research when they inducted him into the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame for the class of 2020. He was also inducted by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences into the Gold Circle, which honors individuals who have made a meaningful contribution of 50 years or more to the broadcast industry, according to the National

One of the photos of “Augie” hangs next to an old KFAR poster and radio equipment in the Professional Studies Building.

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Heartland Chapter. Hiebert died of cancer on Sept. 13, 2007, at the age of 90. ‌ “The great state of Alaska has lost one of its most distinguished citizens. Augie Hiebert was the pioneer of communications who brought radio and later television to his beloved home state,” Walter Cronkite, a friend of Hiebert’s, said after his death in a University of Alaska News Center ar-

ticle. ‌ For more information on Hiebert and his contribution to Alaska’s broadcast communications, visit the University of Alaska News Center. To view the photographs of Hiebert, go to the bottom floor of the Professional Studies Building. ‌ Have you seen art at UAA you want to know more about? Contact Gabby Vance at arts1@ thenorthernlight.org.‌

Hitbox Review: The retro, the old and the remastered By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

I found myself playing a few games this week that roughly fit into the formula of the classic 1966 Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western film, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Instead of the three categories being based on ethics and morals, these three games all live in the past in one way or another, for better and worse. Here are my thoughts after playing an hour or two of each of these three games.‌ The retro: Dusk‌ Developer: David Szymanski‌ Initial release date: Dec. 10, 2018‌ Platforms: PC [played]‌ Price: $19.99‌ Dusk most assuredly takes inspiration from the past and uses it to create an experience that can still be enjoyed today. Dusk is a retro-inspired, first-person shooter. That means there are lots of weapons, strafing and secret areas. ‌ The player fights against evil cultists that constantly remind you that they would absolutely

love to sacrifice you. They seem to think you’re a heretic and won’t stop until you’re dead. Even then, who knows what evil horrors they plan on conjuring and unleashing upon this rural farmland? ‌ The gameplay is fastpaced, even by modern Doom standards. The player zooms around the levels slashing with scythes, lever-action shotguns and an assault rifle nearly right from the start.‌ There is also an impressively high level of visual customization. The player can choose how pixelated the graphics are in addition to selecting different color palettes, such as sepia, noir and clown vomit. Just about anything you could possibly want to customize, you can. ‌ The old: Gun Metal‌ Developer: Rage Software‌ Initial release date: July 30, 2002‌ Platforms: PC [played], Xbox‌ Price: $2.99‌ Gun Metal released in 2002. While it is just as I was beginning to play video games, there were plenty of other games of

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF THE DUSK STEAM STORE PAGE

All the weapons in Dusk have unique spinning animations that can be activated with the “R” key.

IMAGE COURTESY OF IGDB

The total mission area in Gun Metal is fairly large, but there’s very little detail in the environment.

SCREENSHOT BY JOHN NOVOTNY

The most dramatic differences in visuals between the original version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and the remastered version are the amount of vegetation and sky.

that time loved by critics and the public, such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. From a quick glance at Rage Software’s Wikipedia page, it would seem that they didn’t produce any well-known games. The only game I recognized from their library of work is a Doom port to the Sega Saturn in 1997. I confess that I don’t know a great deal about video games released before 2000. It is important to consider when Gun Metal was released. ‌ That being said, you should absolutely not play Gun Metal in 2020. When I say Gun Metal mostly lines up with the “ugly,” I mean it. The visuals, gameplay and music are all subpar. For starters, there are no modern settings for resolutions. The highest resolution that fit the standard 16:9 aspect ratio was 1600x900. In addition to the resolution options, the music is outdated.‌ The music, which plays in the menus and during missions, is extremely generic and repetitive. I’m not even sure what genre to classify it as, but it is more noise than having

any sort of rhythm, and that is coming from someone who doesn’t mind listening to dubstep occasionally. ‌ Then there is the gameplay. The supposed hook is that the player character can transform from a robot to a fighter jet at any time, a la Transformers. The main problem is that the controls aren’t responsive. So I would attempt to jump into the air and transform into the jet, but by the time the transformation animation completed, I would be back on the ground. The controls are not explained well at all either, so I spent most of the time rebinding them and looking at a menu. ‌ There is not any overarching story presented in the game. The only context for the missions is a briefing presented by the most generic, gruff military guy voice you can possibly imagine. He tells the player what the objective is, and that’s about it. ‌ The actual missions are not any better. The only objective that I came

SEE HITBOX

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OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020

Call of Duty: Warzone is a forgiving experience to newcomers SCREENSHOT BY JOHN NOVOTNY

By John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org

Call of Duty: Warzone is a new battle royale mode out now in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It’s free to download and play. Although, if Call of Duty: Modern Warfare isn’t already installed, it’s over 100 GB to download. Players new to battle royale games will find that Warzone is a very forgiving experience compared to other titles, such as Fortnite and Apex Legends.‌ Warzone is split into two modes, Battle Royale and Plunder. The former

sees 50 three-man squads parachute into the vast area of Verdansk, which incorporates multiplayer maps from Modern Warfare and the previous Modern Warfare series into its landscape. Scavenge loot, stay inside the shrinking circular play area and be the last squad standing to win. ‌ Plunder also starts with squads of three dropping into Verdansk, but are able to choose their loadout. The main objective is to accrue and deposit a total of $1 million. A few ways to acquire money are to find it in small amounts around the map, kill enemies and complete a

KRUA Top 30: Week of March 3 By Tyler Pinnell Contributor

Spectators of the gulag gunfights in Call of Duty: Warzone can also see the health of the combatants.

contract’s objective. This game mode seems to have a tendency of lasting longer than a regular Battle Royale match.‌ What sets Warzone apart from other battle royales and makes it more appealing to newcomers is that players have the chance to come back after they die. If you’re killed early in the match, you can win a one versus one gunfight to parachute back in. However, you’ll still lose all the loot you had and have to start again with the X16 pistol. ‌ The entire mechanic

is explained in the game world as the player is captured and forced to fight to the death in the locker room of a Russian gulag. While awaiting their turn in the showers of combat, players can watch the current match play out in real-time from a balcony above. Observers receive five rocks to throw at the combatants. ‌‌ There’s also a second option to getting back in the action. Teammates can buy a redeployment from buy stations littered around the Verdansk if a player fails to win their

gunfight match, or if the gulag has closed when it’s late into the match.‌ Being able to get back into the action is a unique offer in a battle royale game. It minimizes the amount of time the player spends watching their teammates’ perspectives and maximizes the amount of looting and shooting.‌ Call of Duty: Warzone is pretty generous for a free-to-play game. Here’s a list of what freeto-play players can do in Warzone: level up weapons, unlock free tiers of

items in the Battle Pass and complete challenges to earn experience points and unlock items. It’s a great battle royale for first-timers and if you decide to buy the rest of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, all your progress will carry over into the multiplayer. You can learn more about Warzone on the Call of Duty: Warzone website. It’s available to download for free on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store and Battle.net on PC.

CONTACTS

Hitbox:

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across was to defend outposts from attacking mechanized vehicles and aircraft. There are multiple outposts, so your attention will be split between them, with attacks sometimes happening concurrently in multiple places. I couldn’t complete the second mission after a few attempts, and I have no desire to try again. ‌ Thankfully, there is an option on the main menu to delete save files, so I can forget I ever played Gun Metal. Do yourself a favor, and don’t play Gun Metal. ‌

person shooter series to my current gaming platform of choice. Naturally, I bought the entire collection right away. In Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, the player controls Master Chief, a genetically engineered super-soldier designed to fight back against an alien threat known as the Covenant. ‌ 343 Industries announced that each game would be released in chronological story order. So it will be some time before I get to experience Halo 3 on PC, but I’ve been playing each game as they’re released. Halo: The remastered: Halo: Combat Evolved AnniverThe Master Chief Col- sary was the first game in lection (Halo: Combat the Halo series, which reEvolved Anniversary)‌ cently released on Halo: Developer: 343 Industries‌ The Master Chief CollecInitial release date: Nov. tion on PC. ‌ 11, 2014‌ The anniversary ediPlatforms: PC [played], tion is a remaster of the Xbox One‌ original game and allows Price: $39.99 or $9.99 per the player to seamlessly game‌ switch between the original and the remastered I have a special con- graphics with the press nection with the Halo se- of a key. It’s very cool to ries. Most of my teen years see how sparse the enviwere spent playing Halo 3 ronment is in the original after school, when I was compared to the remaster. sick and on snow days. I It’s a feature I hope more couldn’t get enough of it. remasters include in the Halo: The Master Chief future. ‌ Collection released last Unfortunately, the misyear on PC and promised sion structure doesn’t hold to bring the classic first- up quite as well as the vi-

STAFF CONTACTS Sports Reporter Ronan Klancher sports2@thenorthernlight.org‌

Executive Editor Caleigh Jensen (907) 786-1313 editor@thenorthernlight.org‌

Multimedia Editor Jennifer Lincoln multimedia@thenorthernlight.org

Layout Editor Jason Herr layout@thenorthernlight.org Arts & Entertainment Editor John Novotny arts@thenorthernlight.org‌ Arts & Entertainment Reporter Gabby Vance arts1@thenorthernlight.org‌ Features Reporter Christina Swayney features2@thenorthernlight.org‌

Last thoughts‌ Playing these games has made me realize that I can’t stomach playing any game that was released before 2010. The advances in game design, graphics and animation have just completely ruined many classic games for me. The only thing that seems to last is good music. ‌

A S S O C I AT E D CO L L E G I AT E P R ES S

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Managing Editor Mary Ryan content@thenorthernlight.org‌

suals. In the first mission, the player goes through grey corridor after grey corridor fighting invading covenant forces. In the second mission, the player drives a Jeep, called a Warthog, to three areas to rescue some Marines and kill more covenant. In the third, the player fights their way through a covenant ship and up several levels that all vaguely look the same with very little weapon variety. ‌ In complete contrast, the music absolutely still holds up. The choir chants in the opening theme are killer. The bombastic beats, the guitar riffs and the orchestral scores are all why I love Halo’s music. ‌ Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is definitely playable in 2020, but it’s difficult to find a reason to, unless there’s some serious nostalgia for it. ‌

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