Water main fixed at Consortium Library, building returns to normal hours
On Sunday, Feb. 25, the Consortium Library returned to normal hours following the fix of a valve that failed from corrosion.
By Matthew Schmitz editor@thenorthernlight.org
The Consortium Library was closed Monday, Feb. 19, after a water main break outside the north side of the build-
ing. The library reopened on Wednesday with limited hours.
The library returned to normal hours Sunday, after construction crews finished work over the weekend, said Stephen Rollins, dean of the library, in an interview with The Northern Light.
Rollins said that there was no damage to any of the library’s collections even though some water seeped into the areas along the north side of the building.
He said that there was minimal damage and everything is now dried out, adding that UAA Facilities did a great job addressing the problem.
The most visible impact, he said, is the area of the parking lot currently barriered-off where crews dug to fix the water main.
The damaged water main supplied water to the newer section of the library and was shut off while repairs took place.
With the water supply cut off, the bathrooms and fire suppression systems in the newer section were without water — leading to the need for a fire watch and the library closing at 8 p.m. in the following days, instead of the usual closing time of midnight for students.
Angelica Del Angel is the evening supervisor of the library. She spoke with The Northern Light about her experience with changes to operations after the flooding.
Normally working from 4 p.m. to midnight, the library’s temporary hours meant she was coming in earlier than normal. Del Angel said that she had just gotten used to her normal schedule so the change was a disruption.
She said that library staff were helping to redirect people to the Social Science Building and ARLIS for bathrooms.
Del Angel said that some people expressed frustration at the bathroom closures and difficulty in finding the ARLIS bathrooms. To accommodate the disruption, she said that they kept the gate separating the library from the Social Science Building open until 8 p.m.
Even after the line was fixed, there were some new problems that cropped up, such as a small leak on the second floor near the bathrooms and the temporary disablement of water fountains used
By Kyle Ivacic managing.editor@thenorthernlight.org
Alaskans descended on Downtown Anchorage on Saturday Feb. 24 to partake in the first weekend of Fur Rondy festivities. The city was humming with activity, despite hazardous winter conditions earlier in the day that cleared by late afternoon.
The Alaska State Snow Sculpture Championship was a main draw, with 24 sculptures on display. The sculptures — some more detailed than others — are put up to vote for “People’s Choice Award” each year. The winning team is sent to a national snow sculpture competition. To view the sculptures, head to Ship Creek
Avenue across the street from the Comfort Inn near Ship Creek.
People also turned out to view the Fur Rondy fireworks show. The exciting display lasted 15 minutes and lit up Downtown with all varieties of color, sound and shape such as smiley faces and hearts. Crowds, bundled up in hats, gloves, jackets and snow pants, watched the show on the hill overlooking Ship Creek and the rail yard. The fireworks received applause and whistles from the audience.
Others enjoyed the carnival on Third Avenue where fun and food awaited. Carnival-goers enjoyed usual fair rides such as a ferris wheel, hang gliders, tilta-whirl, and more.
The Anchorage Fifth Avenue Mall and
other Downtown shops and restaurants were busy as well with an influx of shoppers in the area for the festival.
The Fur Rondy will culminate on Sunday March 2 at 10:00 a.m. with the Iditarod Ceremonial Start that takes place along Fourth Avenue. The avenue is shut down to car traffic for the Fur Rondy and overlain with snow for sled dog racers to make their way along the road. Onlookers gather in the hundreds to view the unofficial start to the famous race each year. Arrive early to find parking and a viewing point if you intend to watch as racers make their way through Downtown.
For more Fur Rondy information and event schedules, visit furrondy.net or anchorage.net.
For information on the Iditarod race, visit iditarod.com.
The annual Anchorage Fur Rendezvous festival is in full swing.
PHOTO BY ASSOCIATE PROJECT MANAGER ERIC LOPEZ, COURTESY OF UAA FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE. Crews installing the new valve.
PHOTO BY KYLE IVACIC.
Snow sculpture team Avalon in Nature Preschool’s “Literacy in Nature” sculpture.
NEWS
Water Main
to refill water bottles.
In an interview with The Northern Light, Chris McConnell, director of UAA Facilities Planning and Construction, said that the leak found on the second floor was quickly fixed.
He said that the opening and closing of the water supply to the building disturbed some sediment in pipes, showing up in water being flushed out of the system, such as in bathroom sinks.
McConnell said the sediment
is why water fountains were disabled, needing the filters replaced.
Also, he said, the amount of sediment was a visible example of the age of the piping system and university’s issue with deferred maintenance — a point raised by Dean Rollins and others as well.
The backlog of deferred maintenance faced by the University of Alaska is estimated to be at $1.4 billion.
The ultimate cause of the water main break, McConnell said, was a failed valve.
The valve allowed for the control of water along the main. To shut off the water after the break, crews closed a similar valve further up the line.
In the days following the flooding, facilities worked to unearth the valve — digging down through the parking lot north of the library.
McConnell said that several bolts holding the valves together had corroded away and that the mechanism inside the valve itself was damaged, warranting the need for a replacement.
McConnell said that a replacement was purchased from Anchorage Water Waste and Utility and that crews installed it by Friday.
But, he said, there was another valve a few feet away from the damaged one, and they wanted to check it to make sure it didn’t also have problems — pushing the project back through the weekend.
The second valve was okay, so they were able to restore water to the library and get it returned to normal operations over the weekend.
McConnell estimated the cost of damages — including replacement of the valve, clean up, repaving and landscaping — at about $100,000. Though, he said, that amount is probably a little bit of an overestimate.
He said there might be some long-term impact to the stability of the soils in the area because of the amount of flooding, but that will remain to be seen.
McConnell said the whole operation went well and that it could have been a lot more impactful. He said he was impressed with the availability of parts and labor, despite reports of supply chain issues and tight labor markets.
Students can now return to the library for late night studying after 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Aside from drying out some library spaces, McConnell said there wasn’t any major damage. And the repaving of the parking lot will likely take place in the summer.
Cabin Fever: Last Debate of the Season
By Cian Abad video1@thenorthernlight.org
Cabin Fever Debates held its final intramural debating tournament Tuesday, Feb. 27. On the side of the proposition arguing that billionaires should not exist, Mark Zimmerman and Quin Sweeny took the trophy. Students gathered in the lecture room of Social Sciences Building Room 118 to watch the proponents and the opposition debate . A very interesting topic that had everyone pounding on tables, both sides gave compelling arguments.
Assistant coach Shawn Briscoe, said the contestants are students who wanted to give debating a try without yet becoming part of the competitive Seawolf
team. Cabin Fever was first established in 2006, and is held each year in the spring semester.
The event is organized by the director of the Seawolf Debate Program, Steve Johnson, whose passion for debate began when he too was in college. His “I AM UAA: Steve Johnson” article
has more information on why he chose the path of debate. Former contestant Eisa Chang said that she was able to better her public speaking skills and meet new
friends with Cabin Fever. She participated in last year’s Cabin Fever, which she can no longer compete in any more, but she is now a member of the Seawolf Debate Program and can act as a judge for the Cabin Fever debates.
Video: Abandoned Alaska - McCarthy
By Jay Witworth
PHOTO BY CIAN ABAD.
Finalists Mark Zimmerman and Quin Sweeny hold their trophy high.
PHOTO BY CIAN ABAD.
Profile shot of former Cabin Fever contestant Eisa Chang, who is now part of the Seawolf Debate Program.
McCarthy is a small town located a short distance away from the abandoned Kennecott mines. The Northern Light interviewed two citizens of the town to learn more about its history and what life is like in the remote Alaskan town.
FEATURES 03
Campus sculpture tour: Spiral into nature with Heath Satow’s ‘Inflorescence’
A dazzling display of light, form and reflection make this mathematically-organic work a centerpiece of the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building entrance.
By Mark Zimmerman reporter4@thenorthernlight.org
A student’s first visit to the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building (CPISB) — hopefully starts at the front, where — figuratively and literally — an eye into the world around them awaits. This “eye” is the result of a highly-detailed Fibonacci sequence, which was Ogden, Utah-based artist Heath Satow’s inspiration for the form of a stainless steel sculpture.
“The spiraling forms you see in the piece are an expression of mathematical processes, and you’ll see them in forms from the micro, like DNA, to the macro, like galaxy formations,” Satow told UAA’s Green and Gold News in 2017.
Present in the shells of nautili, the human face and even ancient architecture, the Fibonacci sequence has been a fixture of mathematics for millennia. The pattern is a spiral, wherein each curve has the radius of the sum of two previous curves. This concept was first documented by Indian mathematician and poet Pingala around 200 B.C., with Virahanka, a student of his work, documenting its rules about 1,000 years later. It was
brought to the West in 1202 by Italian mathematician Leonardo — or “Fibonacci” — of Pisa.
Satow aimed to invoke the natural world with this decidedly natural pattern. In October 2013, his design — a spi-
ral made of hundreds reflective shards of stainless steel — was awarded a commission by UAA. It was placed directly in front of the CPISB, gazing inward at the complex’s lobby.
The numerous constituent
These reflective polygonal surfaces of the sculpture almost appear to bend and diffuse the world around them. For Satow, this natural ebb and flow of perspective was crucial in drawing viewers into the piece, saying to Green and Gold that “[Inflorescence] has a very focused form, so that eases you into it.”
With its hundreds of eyes into the world, “Inflorescence” appears almost organic — moving and gesticulating with its audience. A cleverly-recessed motion-tracking light source compounds these characteristics in a way that compliments the prickly outlines of the metal organism.
This complexity, of course, wasn’t without its challenges. Though Satow’s studio estimated a May 2015 completion in their press release, the final installation didn’t occur until two years later, in June 2017. This was a result of the design’s intricacy, requiring over 80 pages of calculations, numerous CAD renders, and years of fabrication in Satow’s former Los Angeles warehouse.
Today, students can still see the world through “Infloresence’s” eye, and watch as the natural world lends its breath to this artificial canvas.
panels — what Satow refers to as either “seeds, atoms, or cells” on his interactive sculpture map — branch out in a mathematically-defined pattern to form the larger spiral. While the sculpture coalesces into a cohesive unit from a distance, its smaller repetitions and mechanical complexity come into view as an observer approaches.
Bird feeders and indoor botanicals: Campus beautification by Grounds Maintenance
The UAA campus features many outdoor bird feeders and indoor plants, maintained by the Landscape and Grounds team.
By Amelia McCormack reporter2@thenorthernlight.org
UAA’s campus has many features carefully kept up by the Landscape and Grounds staff’s hard work. Some of these include the outdoor bird feeders — like those outside Student Union and Beatrice McDonald Hall — and indoor botanicals. Many of the sky bridges on the UAA campus are lined with large pots and planters full of exotic plants that thrive in the sun-warmed indoor environment.
Kara Monroe is the Landscape and Grounds supervisor for the UAA campus. Monroe and her staff refill the 15 bird feeders and ensure they aren’t knocked over in our windy seasons, and water and maintain the variety of plants in our buildings. Anyone who has grown plants before knows it can be finicky business, but Monroe and her team follow schedules and instructions to ensure the plants are properly cared for.
Interior plants have been in UAA since at least the early 90s. Monroe said in an interview, “... it’s a well established program, so [the plants] have been around a long time.” When a department would like to add interior plants,
the Landscape and Grounds crew help them decide which plants are best. “... we work with them on estimates, and what will look good, and what their expectations are,” Monroe said, explaining the process before the plants are purchased and potted by the Grounds staff. Staff work with plants that do best indoors and are available in local nurseries.
The Landscape and Grounds crew is made up of seven fulltime members who, along with Monroe, follow “plant routes” which “gives [the team] continuity of care,” she said.
The indoor plants provide a colorful and lively environment to areas of the campus that are limited in wallspace for artwork. Students who study or chat in the sky bridges are able to enjoy their beauty while at the many tables and desks available. Research from multiple universities shows that indoor or house plants can make workers and students more efficient, and boost productivity and creativity. Additionally, studying with plants can minorly boost your memory, meaning students may have more successful study sessions. Plants also help clear the air of toxins, decrease stress and brighten moods. Especially in
the dark and cold winter months, the benefits of plants are much appreciated.
Outdoor bird feeders help attract local wildlife to the UAA campus — and unlike moose — birds are generally unobstructive and pleasant-tempered. Some of the frequently seen birds at the feeders can be identified with the help of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Redpolls, small brown birds with red atop their heads, are common and vibrantly colored, along with the blue and yellow Red-breasted Nuthatch. Chickadees are also frequent visitors to these feeders, and are recognizable both for their look and their call.
Monroe said that this year has been a big year for Redpolls, “We haven’t seen them swarm like this for years it feels like.” Monroe said the Grounds team fills feeders once or twice a week. “It’s important once you start feeding birds, you continue to keep their feeders full because, especially in a winter like this where snow is covering so many of their food sources, they start to become reliant,” she said. While they would be fine without feeding from staff, it brings the birds onto campus and gives staff and students bet-
ter opportunities to watch them, and enjoy their charming and fun behaviors. While Grounds does not monitor bird species specifically, they do keep an eye out for injured birds that are native to Alaska, which can be brought to Alaska’s Bird Treatment and Learning Center for care.
Monroe says her staff members Kagen Silver and Keith Turner recently worked on a proj-
ect labeling the indoor plants, which has been well received on the campus and makes training staff easier. She said that staff member Andrew Hermanson is always happy to answer and help out any staff in need when it comes to the variety of indoor plants. The Grounds crew maintains large swathes of campus — including the tree tour — and helps with incidents like the recent leaks and floods on campus.
P HOTO BY MARK ZIMMERMAN.
Inflorescence as viewed at night, reflecting the hue of its motion-sensing lights.
PHOTO BY AMELIA MCCORMACK
A redpoll sits near a birdfeeder hung outside of Rasmuson Hall.
Facilities and Campus Services Director Kim Mahoney sees a new digital future for UAA’s public art
UAA Facilities and Campus Services is planning to update a nearly 14-year-old directory of campus artwork. For director Kim Mahoney, this is a passion project with a long road ahead.
By
In October of 2010, Facilities and Campus Services compiled information on hundreds of indoor and outdoor artworks across UAA. This database — containing details about these installations’ varied histories and processes of creation — is currently housed in Google Drive files and Microsoft Access tables, not immediately readable by the public.
Facilities Director and Associate Vice Chancellor Kim Mahoney sees a window of opportunity after almost a decade and a half of the database remaining unchanged.
“This initiative that I’m just launching,” said Mahoney, “is to bring [the art database] up-todate to make it more current, but then also make it more accessible to the broader community.”
This project is still quite new, only the subject of two meetings by the time TNL talked to Mahoney. The idea, however, has been a persistent concern for her in her seven years at Facilities. Despite this, her encumbered schedule and many administrative responsibilities have held the project at conception. This is corroborated by her administrative reach — overseeing
UAA’s maintenance, general operations, planning, construction and incident management.
Mahoney — in her office in Gordon Hartlieb Hall — presented TNL with the long-preserved binder, dated to 2010, which housed photos and articles of varying length on coated paper. She paged through the documents with an air of fascination, noting that some works — such as the Fine Arts Building’s “Image Intervention” sculpture — had detailed multipage stories dedicated to the artists’ process and biographies.
Some, however, were notably vague. The white, curved sculpture that occupies the front of Lucy Cuddy Hall had no title associated with it, and the identity of the sculpture’s original artist seemed uncertain. Also missing was any work installed after 2010, which Mahoney says includes her favorite sculpture — Heath Satow’s “Inflorescence” in front of the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building.
Mahoney said it “Would be a win” to ameliorate this old list of works, but her ambitions aim higher.
“Ideally it would be an art tour … with QR codes so folks could [access information on the art] as they’re walking campus and seeing something interesting.”
The virtual tour component would also have a fully-online aspect in future iterations of the effort. Mahoney herself envisions a “virtual tour of the art that we have available on campus” with a website that could be used to search art by location, year, medium and artist among other details.
Mahoney’s ideal scope for the project — as evidenced by her enthusiasm for it — would extend beyond the confines of the main campus.
“I think it’d be great to tie in the community campuses,” she said of the virtual tour, with reference to other projects such as the Alaska Native Success Initiative.
“We want to amplify in indigenous art and provide more access to those types of art pieces as well.”
Though these ideas are still at the drawing board, she is hopeful that the project can answer its own preliminary questions of scope, time, and — perhaps most importantly — funding. Being an engineer, these challenges are familiar to her and expected for something so early in its lifespan.
“We are still developing the project and then once we develop the scope, it’ll take resources to do it, like time and money,” said Mahoney, with a pang of solemn
Pinch Pot Palooza
UAA’s Student Activities presented the Pinch Pot Palooza on Feb. 26 in the Student Union Cafeteria. What is a pinch pot? The pinch pot — an ancient pottery technique persisting to today — employs a hands-on approach to mold clay. Crafters use sponges to regulate water distribution during the pot making process.
Alex Luangasa, the coordinator, commenced the event by showcasing historical images and educational resources, offering both verbal and hands-on guidance on creating personalized versions. He also shared insights from a campus art class. Students gathered around asking questions and learning together while creating personal art. Luangasa mentioned that such events occur frequently on campus. Keep an eye out for event announcements and flyers distributed across campus.
acknowledgement. “What we don’t want to do is start something we can’t finish.”
However, the prospects of the initiative continue to drive engagement from Mahoney and her fledgling team.
“I’m excited that we can potentially launch this project, get some money to do the update and make it more accessible to the students in the campus community.”
Mahoney is focused on making this portfolio an educational resource. One that could encourage travel across campuses, promote Alaskan artists and forge new community bonds at UAA and beyond. Looking ahead, she’s confident in the substance of her plans.
“I’m thrilled that it’s got some excitement, because that means there’s some power behind the idea.”
By Sarah Bennett photographer1@thenorthernlight.org
Mark Zimmerman reporter4@thenorthernlight.org
GRAPHIC BY MARK ZIMMERMAN
PHOTO BY SARAH BENNETT.
A lively scene unfolded as students worked around a table, engrossed in crafting intricate clay art pieces together.
PHOTO BY SARAH BENNETT. Jordan Barnhill and Lilly Delacruz showing their handmade pinch pots.
PHOTO BY SARAH BENNETT. Luangasa offers both verbal and hands-on guidance on creating personalized pinch pots.
PHOTO BY SARAH BENNETT.
The basic tools for this event involve using hands, water and a sponge to get things started.
UAA’s Winterfest in the Quad featured live
music, warm food and ice-cold art
UAA hosted the 2024 Winterfest Art and Music in the Quad on Feb. 29. The Leap Day also represented UAA’s 70th anniversary and a perfect opportunity for an unforgettable get-together of students and community members.
By Hannah Dillon reporter1@thenorthernlight.org
This story is a part of The Northern Light’s investigative series into art culture on campus, which follows different groups at UAA and their experience with campus art.
The Quad was packed with students, faculty and community members spray painting large snow berms with waterbased paint. The sunny, yet freezing, weather deterred no one from a delicious meal and the opportunity to spray paint with
friends.
The Quad had two food trucks, Yeti Dogs and Tacos El Primo, which provided students a free meal and UAA staff a $5 discount when given a meal ticket.
Lucy Cuddy Hall had a live performance featuring Jared Woods who sang and played guitar to the applause of a warm and satisfied crowd.
Institutional Engagement and Events Manager Molly Gray and Executive Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion Kim Morton spoke with The Northern Light about
the event.
Morton noted that a staple for Winterfest has been the involvement of different types of art projects in the snow.
Morton also said that art students created stencils for that day of Winterfest to help incorporate art into the event. There were a few small, creative ice sculptures made in the Quad in addition to the spray paint.
Morton and Gray commented on the core reasons why Winterfest is an event UAA members look forward to every year.
“This is right around that winter break time and this is a time for students, employees and the community to celebrate together. Every event we do is really focused on just trying to bring joy to each of those groups,” said Gray.
UAA’s Clay Body Club hosts handmade mug sale
Students in the Clay Body Club hosted a mug sale in the Social Sciences Building on Feb. 22 that featured over 150 handmade mugs.
By Hannah Dillon reporter1@thenorthernlight.org
Students in the Clay Body Club hosted their annual pop-up mug sale that will be followed by another at the end of the semester.
One organizer of the event — Sarah — shared details about the mug sale, donations and the students’ hard work.
Sarah said the pop-up mug sale on Feb. 22 had around 150 mugs made by students over the course of two months.
Sarah also said that each end-of-semester mug sale can have up to five times as many mugs as the pop-up event. One year, a student made over 400 mugs for the sale, she said.
She also said the last pop-up mug sale grossed around $5,000.
The sale on Feb. 22 made approximately the same amount and Sarah mentioned that some funds are donated to organizations while others are given to the Clay Body Club members.
“This sale, we are donating 10 percent of
Alaska Native Arts Showcase
By Tanner Croft reporter3@thenorthernlight.org
On Feb. 23, two galleries showed off Alaskan Native art exhibits. These showings happened simultaneously in two different locations on campus.
At the Arc Gallery in the Consortium Library, students from June Pardue’s Alaska Native Art class had the chance to put some of their creations on display.
Among the studentcrafted pieces were a pair of beaded headdresses,
several snow goggle variations, a selection of masks, beadwork jewelry and weavings, as well as a few other items.
This exhibit, and the Alaska Native Art class as a whole, allow students with Alaska Native heritage to express their cultural history in an artistic way that also shows the adaptability and functionality that art can have. The Alaska Native Art class teaches Alaska Native culture and artistic styles. The class is open to anyone who shows interest and a desire to learn — re -
gardless of whether or not they are of Alaska Native descent.
In addition to the student-crafted artwork on display, Pardue had her own work on display at the Kimura Gallery in the Fine Arts Building.
Pardue’s exhibit included works from other local artists. Some of the pieces shown included salmon skin and leather mukluks, a selection of hats crafted from furs — including otter, ermine and beaver furs — model kayaks from various artists, knives, beaded headdresses, slip -
pers and a coat made from salmon skin and otter fur.
Both galleries showcased the versatility of Alaska Native artwork. Each item was beautifully crafted and entirely functional for aspects of survival or ceremony.
Each of these exhibits will be on display for a limited time only. The student exhibit will be available for viewing until April 19 at the Arc Gallery. Pardue’s exhibit “Sugpiaq Art Renaissance” will be on display until April 5 at the Kimura Gallery.
our proceeds to AWAIC (Abused Women Aid In Crisis), then a portion goes to our club and a portion goes to our artists. It’s going pretty well today,” said Sarah.
She said that Abused Women Aid In Crisis is “a charity that helps women that are going through abusive situations get out of those situations. We have a personal connection to that organization and that’s why we donate.”
There were many people admiring the fine, handmade mugs with the artist’s name labeled inside. Each mug was unique with its own style and personality that stemmed
from the artist. Looking through the many mugs that varied in size, color and detail, customers could begin to see a signature design from each artist.
Mugs from a student named Georgia featured cozy, red flowers and another artist made small mugs with an intricate design in the bottom. Another mug was made to look like a potted plant.
The Clay Body Club will be back at the end of the semester for students to once again show off their pottery skills through extravagant coffee mugs and elegant tea cups.
PHOTO BY HANNAH DILLON
Handmade mugs by Clay Body Club students.
PHOTO BY TANNER CROFT.
Salmon skin and otter fur coat by June Pardue.
PHOTO BY HANNAH DILLON
UAA Winterfest Art and Music in the Quad.
Upcoming events
UAA
event list for Wednesday, March 6, to Tuesday, March 12.
By Kyle Ivacic managing.editor@thenorthernlight.org
Events happening throughout the week:
UAA Hockey vs. Arizona
State University Hockey
Watch UAA’s hockey team face off against ASU in two hockey matches this weekend.
Avis Alaska Sports Complex
Friday, March 8, 7:07 p.m.
Saturday, March 9, 5:07 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6
Spring Business, Health, and Liberal Arts Career Fair
According to UAA Career
Services, this fair will host dozens of employers that students will have the chance to network with and learn about. It is recommended that students bring resume copies.
Student Union 1 - 5 p.m.
Friday, March 8
FAFSA Fridays
According to the UAA Office of Financial Aid, this weekly course will instruct students on the ins and outs of the FAFSA. Students will be able to ask questions about the form and receive guidance for their individual situation.
Zoom
2 - 3 p.m.
Monday, March 11
Deadline to Submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal for Spring 2024 Students who have been barred from financial aid for not meeting academic requirements must submit an appeal by this deadline to potentially receive aid.
Online
The 2024 State of the University Address Watch University of Alaska Pat Pitney deliver her State of the University address. $15 admission for students. Coffee and
A full house at Symphony of Sounds
By Justin Cox sports.photographer@thenorthernlight.org
On Feb. 24 UAA performed its annual fund-raising concert Symphony of Sounds. This tradition started 29 years ago and continues to be a source of funding for the music program and music scholarships. The concert involved members of the Anchorage Youth Orchestra as well as UAA music majors and faculty.
Dr. Grant Cochran, Chair of the UAA Music Department, addresses the audience at the start of the Symphony of Sounds concert.
“Dune: Part Two” movie review
Is the newest film in this series a blockbuster, or is it just worm food? Spoiler free.
By Tanner Croft reporter3@thenorthernlight.org
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Part Two” released in theaters everywhere on March 1 to a very warm welcome from fans who have waited since the 2021 launch of the first “Dune” for this continuation of the story.
The cinematography and score are a dead giveaway that this is a Villeneuve film. You can feel the similarities in cinematography to “Blade Runner 2049,” another one of Villeneuve’s better known projects. As always, Villeneuve directs in such a way that every camera angle, each introduction of a new song and the lighting that is captured are all expressions of emotion. All of these things culminate into a cinematic experience that is both immersive and compelling.
Another quality of Villeneuve’s works are the grand open rooms, made to feel overwhelmingly large with lighting trickery. Each scene can also represent darker and deeper conversations through low lighting, and open or hopeful conversations with brighter lighting. This tactic is on full display when Villeneuve chooses to film certain sections in monochrome
so that he can fully showcase brutality and hostility. Another good example of this method is shown by the fact that every scene that takes place outside in both films are actually shot outside, making the set both realistic and believable.
Once again, Villeneuve proves that mixing practical effects with computer generated images can be the key to creating a cinematic masterpiece. With some films, you may be able to easily tell which scenes are created from computer generated images or practical effects, however, with both of the “Dune” films you can hardly ever tell which is which. This is integral in immersion because it allows the viewer to believe that what they are seeing is actually happening. There are a few scenes in “Dune: Part Two” where it is easier to see that something is created with CGI — although, unless you are specifically looking for these flaws, you will not find them.
The “Dune” series is the story of a man, Paul Atreides, who is right at the epicenter of political rivalries, emotional trauma, a war on the horizon and becoming a religious messiah. With the story centering around such heavy topics, each interaction we see Paul have is impactful
lunch available for purchase. Event registration is due by 5 p.m. on March 7. Visit anchoragechamber.org for more information.
Dena’ina Center 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Tuesday, March 12
and meaningful.
While we see returning cast members Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and the rest of the characters who survived the incidents at the end of the first film, we also see the introduction of new actors and actresses like Christopher Walken as the Emperor, and his daughter played by Florence Pugh. Austin Butler also makes an appearance as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the nephew of Baron Harkonnen, and one of the many opposing forces against Chalamet’s character Paul Atreides.
The world of “Dune: Part Two,” like its predecessor, is split into factions — the Fremen, each of the “Great Houses” that make up the empire and House Harkonnen specifically, with many people playing several different sides or no sides at all.
Picking up right where the previous film left off, this long anticipated sequel resumes Paul’s journey into the desert to meet the Fremen leaders. The Fremen are being hunted by Harkonnen forces who are making efforts to mine the planet Arrakis of all of its Melange — colloquially referred to as “spice” — a fictional drug that is the cause of all efforts to colonize Arrakis.
Once Paul makes it to the
HEMA Club Meeting
According to the event description, this club teaches students about swordsmanship and the history of sword masters. The club plans to eventually eventually use learned “techniques in actual bouts in class.” Fine Arts Building, room 116 1:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Fremen village, they are unsure what to do with him and his mother, considering the fact they are outsiders. Even though most believe Paul to be “the one” or “Mahdi.” Throughout the film we see Paul participate in rites of passage to become a Fremen in hopes of freeing Arrakis from all of its colonizers.
Stilgar, leader of the Fremen clan that Paul is inducted into, is a funny character, portrayed by Javier Bardem. While there is mild humor throughout the film, this is not a comedy, nor does it attempt to carry itself as one. This film has more humor than the first, yet it never feels forced. It is simply naturally funny with some of the interactions between characters, committing itself fully to being believable and relatable.
These films do not do anything groundbreaking that makes it stand out as an incredible story: “the chosen one goes out to fight a war against the rest of the empire.” You have seen this story before, you will see the same story again — however, what makes both “Dune” movies as great as they are, is the mind of Villeneuve. Without him, these films never would have gained the traction and high regard that they have earned. This film shows us that Villeneuve and his team are pursuing their opportunity to turn the entire “Dune” franchise into a full film series, and they are doing so with quite some suc-
cess. If ever there was a film deserving of being seen in theaters, this would surely be among them. Between the atmosphere that a movie theater brings, the incredible sound design and the phenomenal cinematography, this is a film worth seeing on the big screen.
When all is said and done, “Dune: Part Two,” is exactly what a sequel needs to be. It continues the story from the original flawlessly, while seamlessly introducing new conflicts, characters and factions.
Villeneuve and his entire crew have created yet another cinematic masterpiece, one that is deserving of every bit of the praise that it has garnered for itself. The next film in the series will most likely be highly anticipated.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE. 2023 Career Fair banner outside of the Student Union.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX. Anchorage Youth Orchestra performing “Overture”.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX.
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CROSSWORD BY KYLE IVACIC
SPORTS
Seawolf Hockey flexes hard on Stonehill in first home sweep in ten years
A double hat trick from Ben Almquist and a team high in goals since 1992 led to an easy series sweep friday and saturday as they gear up to try and make their first .500 season in a decade.
By Patrick Doty sports1@thenorthernlight.org
There’s much to unpack from Friday and Saturday’s resounding 9-3 and 12-2 victories over the Stonehill Skyhawks, but it’s best to start with the fact that it was the Seawolves’ first home sweep since Jan. 10-11, 2014, when they defeated Minnesota State 2-1 and 3-1.
Additionally, the series provided the highest number of goals for Alaska Anchorage in over 30 years — tallying 12 on Saturday, the highest since their 15-4 win over Alabama Huntsville on Dec. 13, 1992, according to team records on go.seawolves.com.
UAA’s Ben Almquist scored a hat trick on both nights. Likewise, his teammate Maximilion Helgeson had his own hat trick in the second game and led the team in scoring with an additional three assists.
Prior to this game, the Seawolves had no hat tricks all season long.
Heading into the game, the Seawolves didn’t expect much competition from the previously 2-29 Skyhawks — now 2-31 — however, their previous experience being the underdog aided them in understanding how to beat them out.
In an interview with The Northern Light, head coach Matt Shasby said “Most games that we’re in, we’re in that underdog role, and so we understand that if a team takes you lightly you can keep the door open for them to get a win.”
Despite understanding the behavior of an underdog on the ice, the Seawolves defense let up three easy goals on the first night.
Stonehill’s first goal, coming in at 14:39 in the first period to make the score 2-1, shocked the crowd a little bit, as Stonehill forward Jake Cady got a lucky chip shot off of the ankle of a Seawolf defender.
However, any worries caused by this goal would be put to rest as the Seawolves would stretch their legs and put up three more points before Stonehill got the chance to score again late in the second period, making the score 5-2.
“We knew we were sloppy,” said Shasby.
“We were putting ourselves in awkward situations that we can’t be when playing Arizona State [next week].”
Stonehill would get their third and final goal of the first night at 11:37 p.m. in the third period, making the score 8-3, before the Seawolves would get one final score from Almquist
— awarding him his first hat trick — to end the night 9-3.
The next night, Stonehill would be held to only two goals.
“We were defensively better Saturday than we were Friday,” said Shasby. “We knew that we were sloppy and for the most part cleaned it up.”
While the Seawolves need to clean up some small defensive errors in the lead up to Friday and Saturday’s series against #20 Arizona State, Shasby is happy with how the team performed against Stonehill and is hoping to carry the confidence won from that game to the final game of the season.
“Hockey is a game of confidence, and the more confident your guys are the better,” said Shasby.
Looking ahead, the Seawolves now stand at a 14-16-2 record. If they were to win both of their upcoming games against Arizona State, they would achieve their first .500 season record since the 2013-2014 season, when they went 18-16-4.
At the beginning of the year, Shasby and his associates gathered and discussed what success looks like for the team. Shasby shared this with The Northern Light in an interview and said that “a .500 hockey team would be an incredible accomplishment for the whole program.”
That .500 season will be on the line Friday and Saturday night as the Seawolves race to make history. “Friday night is a big one for
us, so at least give us a shot to hit that .500 mark. That’s the goal.” said Shasby.
Women’s Seawolves sting Yellowjackets in overtime
By Justin Cox sports.photographer@thenorthernlight.org
The Seawolves managed to defeat the Yellowjackets in overtime on March 2, 84-72. With the Seawolves up 67-64 and 6 seconds left, the Falcons called a timeout and rallied back with a 3 point shot, tying the game 67-67 with 2 seconds left.
During the 5 minute overtime play, the Seawolves made17 points to the Falcon’s 5, sealing the Seawolves victory and their #3 seed position in the GNAC Tournament kicking off next week, where the Seawolves will face Seattle Pacific in the quarterfinals.
PHOTO BY PATRICK DOTY
#29 Adam Tisdale faces off against Stonehill opponent.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX
#29 Adam Tisdale faces off against Stonehill opponent.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX
Vishe’ Rabb snags the rebound.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX
UAA Players cheer a successful shot, while Yellowjackets pass the ball back into play.
