MARCH 7 - MARCH 21, 2017
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
FEATURES
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UAA English professor has a name you have probably heard before
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Lactation pod to open at UAA in honor of Women’s History Month
Seawolves fell behind in triple overtime to the Wolves In the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, UAA men’s basketball suffered a loss by only 7 points
Express Studio hopes to expand Anchorage’s break-dancing scene By Madison McEnaney arts@thenorthernlight.org
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL DUNN
Suki Wiggs prepares to make a basket during the March 4 game against No. 3 Western Oregon. The No. 2 Seawolves’ future in the NCAA tournament is up in the air, as of publication.
By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
The UAA men’s basketball team narrowed in on the end of their 2016-17 season at the GNAC Championships in Lacey, Washington. The season leading up to the tournament had proven to be successful, but it wasn’t enough to push them past No. 3 Western Oregon. The Seawolves have officially been in season since late November, in that time playing a total of 29 games, 20 being conference games, but only losing eight games overall. This put them at a solid position in the conference at No. 2 overall, with a 72.4 percent win rate. In addition, the Seawolves have won every single home game that has taken place at the Alaska Airlines Center, totaling 16 games. Although the Seawolves came into the GNAC Championships with a solid base to take on Western Oregon, the outcome was debatable from the beginning. The teams have only played each other twice before in the regular season, each winning one game a piece. Being close rivals back to back ranks in the conference and in the West Region, the March 4 game only proved their competition even more, sending the teams into triple overtime. As it’s expected, head coach Rusty Osborne and the team had to make some adjustments and specific preparations coming into the game. “We have improved over the last week and a half... we’ve had a few slip ups along the way but we were able to identify things and make small changes and
[I think we] benefited from it,” Osborne said. The first half led neither team to the lead, although the Seawolves sparked the first 5 points quickly by senior forward Connor Devine and senior guard Diante Mitchell, the Wolves initially trailed behind until both teams battled back and forth for the lead. Although both teams battled for the lead, they both also made many offensive errors, letting the game be a primarily defensive battle. By the end of the first half, only four Seawolves had managed to get points in, all being seniors, including Devine, Mitchell, senior guard Spencer Svejcar and senior guard Suki Wiggs. UAA only trailed behind by 2 points, at 25-27. Throughout the season, the team struggled with the changes that had been put into place, but senior forward Corey Hammell noticed the positive changes occurring during this game. “We’re playing better together, it took a while for us to get to know each other and learn to play together, but we’ve made the adjustment and we [were] really clicking,” Hammell said. The second half again proved to be a defensive battle. The offensive sides of both teams ended with many errors and again only had the same four Seawolves score for the remainder of the half. The Wolves started off with an increasing lead, but only at most being 8 points ahead. With only two minutes left in the game, the Seawolves led 54-53 until Mitchell extended that lead at 13 seconds left to 55-53.
Express Studio is currently Anchorage’s primary break-dancing studio, located downtown on fourth Ave. The studio opened its doors for the first time last month and has been working to bring in new students since. Ives Viray and Jermine Bulaong are the two owners of Express Studio, and they have a very clear vision of what they want the studio to become. “We want to attract people who really want to learn about breaking, people that are eager about the sport. As long as they have that drive, we will teach them,” Viray said. To help bring people into the studio, Viray and Bulaong have begun to host monthly events that they call Room 100. Anchorage’s best breakers battle each other, showcasing their talents. The best breaker wins money and a trophy. Each month’s winner must defend their title at the following battle, and attempt to stay the winner of Room 100. The second round will happen on March 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Express Studio. “Room 100 kind of looks like a big
dance party, we had a lot of fun with the first event last month. Around 30 people came and watched the whole thing go down, so we hope that this month we get even more people to come out,” Viray said. The break-dancing scene in Anchorage is small, and people like Viray and Bulaong are working to help make people interested in the sport. They started a crew, with members of all ages and skill levels who are passionate about hip hop. When open classes aren’t going on, they practice at Express Studio, improving on their breaking skills as well. “This crew is brand new and we are still trying to work out some things, but every single member cares a lot about breaking and feels passionate about it. We all love working with each other and helping each other improve too, so I think we’re gonna do some cool things in the coming months,” Viray said. Express Studio has open doors for anyone who is interested in break-dancing themselves, or even for people who just want to watch. Room 100 is one of the ways to find out about the talent at Express Studio, and the owners hope to hold even more events similar to that in the future as the studio grows.
PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN
Ives Viray takes the floor during practice with crew members at Express Studio.
SEE BASKETBALL
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NEWS
Edge Update: Alaska megaproject, cyber warfare against North Korea, the French election and the end of the EU
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
The end of the Aces means scheduling conflict for Sullivan Arena By Alexis Abbott
news2@thenorthernlight.org
By Max Jungreis KRUA
The Edge Update can be heard every weekday on KRUA 88.1 FM The Edge, UAA's college radio station. Local Alaska Gov. Bill Walker is asking the commander-in-chief to get behind a $45 billion Alaska gas pipeline megaproject as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to spend $1 trillion on the nation’s infrastructure. The request was parceled together in a letter with several other requests, including requests for federal tax exemptions, reduced federal oversight and billions in federal loan guarantees. All of which would remove roadblocks and help speed the project along. If approved, the Alaska LNG project would sell reserves of North Slope gas to Asian utilities. The letter was dated to Feb. 7. As of Friday, the administration had not responded to the letter. National A New York Times investigation has uncovered a secretive cyber-operation by the U.S. government that for years derailed North Korea’s missile program. Three years ago, amid growing concerns about the DPRK’s intercontinental missiles, President Barack Obama ordered the Pentagon to increase cyber and electronic efforts to sabotage test launches. Not long after, North Korea’s missiles began flying in the wrong direction, falling into the sea and exploding in midair. Those who support these measures describe them as the cutting edge of antimissile defenses, crediting them with delaying North Korea’s ability to launch nuclear weapons at American cities by several years. Others are skeptical, crediting the failed missile tests to shoddy
manufacturing and incompetence. After extensive research, including interviews with several officials from the current and previous administrations, the New York Times concluded that the United States still does not have adequate technology to defend itself from North Korean nuclear and missile programs. They are enough of a danger that Barack Obama, as he left office, warned Trump that they would be the greatest problem of his presidency. Global On Sunday, ten of thousands gathered in Paris for a rally to support Francois Fillon. As recently as last week, he was the frontrunner in France’s presidential election. Now, a scandal has thrown the election wide open, potentially spelling the end of the European Union. In January, judicial investigators decide to investigate the former prime minister on the potential misuse of public funds after a newspaper revealed he had employed his own family for decades at a cost of hundreds of thousands of euros. It does not appear that his family members did any work. The scandal has left Fillon’s party, the center-right Republicans, without a solid candidate. Polls now indicate the race will ultimately be decided between liberal Emmanuel Macron and populist Marine Le Pen. Of particular concern to observers is Le Pen, leader of the National Front, a party with roots in neo-Nazism. Although now cleansed of fascistic imagery, the NF still espouses shutting down mosques identified as radical, banning Muslim items of dress and almost entirely stopping immigration into France. Perhaps most impactfully, Le Pen wishes to hold a referendum on whether France should remain in the EU. If France were to leave, it would combine with the recent loss of Britain to spell the end of the union.
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The Alaska Aces ownership recently announced that this season will be the final one. This results in a major scheduling issue for the Sullivan Arena, as the Aces have contributed to nearly half of the arena’s revenue since the semi-professional team originated in 1989. Sullivan Arena hosts a minimum of 38 Aces games per season, which leaves many future dates that will need to be rented. The folding of the Aces was a decision developed over recent years due to the fact that Anchorage “can no longer generate the kind of revenue necessary to sustain a professional hockey team,” Terry Parks, a managing partner of the Aces, said in a recent press release. Without a professional sports team to fill the seats of the arena, management of the Sullivan will have to find other teams, concerts or events to book dates. Sullivan Arena is an SMG-managed facility and is owned by the Municipality of Anchorage. SMG also manages venues such as the Dena’Ina Convention Center and Egan Civic and Convention Center. Joe Wooden, general manager of SMG, was not available for comment. Chris Lawrence, a student assistant in the UAA Department of Athletics, has been a lifetime Aces fan. Lawrence, like many other fans, was heartbroken when he first heard the news that the team was
ceasing operations. Lawrence started going to Aces games back in 2002 with his dad, and has been a season ticket holder since 2004. “The one advantage I can think of is having more open dates for concerts or other events that may have conflicted with weekend Aces games in the past. However, there are a lot of venues that the Sullivan Arena has to compete with in town to entice performers to use the facility. It is a shame the arena recently renovated the seats, speakers, scoreboard, boards and plexiglass and seeing the Aces leave so soon afterwards,” Lawrence said. Like Lawrence, many loyal fans will be looking for other ways to spend their winter nights. Despite the unfortunate outcome of the Alaska Aces, this could offer a great opportunity for UAA hockey. “Attendance for [UAA hockey] has dwindled over the years as well. However, potentially you could see Aces fans go to UAA games to fill their hockey fix. You’ll likely see more people attending UAA games and if they are more successful on the ice I feel additional people will possibly grow to support their local team as they did the Aces. This will likely take time, but this is one of the few silver linings from the Aces folding,” Lawrence said. The Aces ceasing operations will be a major financial obstacle for SMG, and the Sullivan Arena, but management remains hopeful that new developments will eventually take place in their facility.
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
With the imminent end of the Alaska Aces, the Sullivan Arena must look towards other resources to fill seats and create revenue.
NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
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04 | NEWS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
UA found to have mishandled sexual assault cases, agrees to improve Title IX procedures
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
By Victoria Petersen
vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org
A Title IX compliance review put forth by the U.S. Department of Education found the University of Alaska to be responsible for several Title IX violations including unclear procedures for filing complaints, investigations of several sexual assault complaints that were not completed or never even initiated, improper record-keeping and insufficient training of Title IX personnel prior to the 2016-17 school year. “As a student first, I was greatly dismayed when I read the cases identified by the compliance review. While these may not be representative of every incident, there is no margin for error for a university in ensuring student safety, and the cases therein showed clear and too-frequent failure at multiple levels of the university,” Sam Erickson, USUAA President, said. “As a student government official, I have been aware of the ongoing compliance review since 2015, and while the difference between a review and an investigation may seem minor,
in this case it is important.” Erickson also noted that the responsibility to provide safety for others rests on the shoulders of not just those in leadership roles. “As emphasized by the Voluntary Resolution Agreement that the system entered into absent any threat of sanction, I do believe that UA is committed to addressing this problem. However, that is no excuse for past failure, and it means that our job — as students, and your elected representatives — is to keep up the pressure, and to always remind the university that a safe educational environment is a right for all.” The 32-page report that summarizes the results of the three-year review was posted on UAA’s website on Feb. 23. For the 2013-14 academic year, UAA’s average case processing time was 97 days with the longest case taking 403 days. Case processing times did improve at the university level in the 2014-2015 school year. UA President Jim Johnsen signed a voluntary resolution on Feb. 17 stating the universities Title IX procedures will be improved. “While I commemorate the work that President Johnson is doing, it is important to recognize that the UA System has a lot of work to do when it comes to campus safety and sexual assault prevention. While I do believe that reopening these cases is essential, it is also incredibly disheartening that these cases have not been previously dealt with,” Moira Pyhala, a political science student at UAA and member of UAA’s Generation Action club, said. The agreement focused on 12 areas of improvement, including the reopening of 23 sexual assault cases identified in the compliance report for having been mishandled. “While it is unfortunate that the re-opening of these cases came only after pressure from the federal government, I am pleased to see the university taking another look at these cases. The mistrust as a result of widespread mishandling of sexual assault cases all across the US creates major mistrust between students and their
universities; UAA taking steps to demonstrate their dedication to protecting students is a move towards rebuilding that trust. In the future, I hope that Jim Johnson —as well as future administrations — ensure that cases are dealt with properly in the first place,” Robert Hockema, a political science student at UAA, a member of the Generation Action club at UAA and a former employee of UAA Residence Life, said. UA has already been implementing improvements in Title IX offices including an amnesty policy that seeks to protect students who report sexual assaults in cases involving drugs or alcohol, increased staffing and access to more information and training. “I do believe that there are several other actions that the University of Alaska could implement in order to ensure the safety of their students, including making sexual assault prevention courses such as the “Bystander Intervention” training that the Student Health and Counseling Center puts on mandatory for students who live on campus, along with installing cameras in all of the UA campus parking lots,” Pyhala said. Much of the work done to bring sexual assault and sex education awareness has been promoted through student-led clubs and organizations on campus. “It is my hope that the university continues to support the work of groups who are working on this issues such as Generation Action-Students for Reproductive Justice, DVSA Coalition, Student Health and Counseling Center, and USUAA,” Pyhala said. “I would like to point out that most of the efforts to bring sexual assault prevention to light has been carried out by student-led groups. It should be known that as long as these issues exist, the students at UAA will still push for justice and that our voices should be heard when it comes to creating these policies.” UA will continue to be monitored as new procedures are implemented and improvements are made. As per the agreement the university will be required to submit progress reports. If terms of the agreement are not met the agency may initiate administrative or legal enforcement.
Local schools disregard transgender bathroom policy changes
Anchorage School District does not plan to change current transgender bathroom guidelines By Alexis Abbott
news2@thenorthernlight.org
The Trump administration recently announced a plan to change the current transgender bathroom policies, which would reverse federal guidelines that require public schools in America to allow students to use the restroom that matched their gender identity. If the change is implemented, it will be up to individual states and school districts to enforce bathroom policies for transgender students. Newly-elected Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, issued a statement acknowledging the responsibility for the U.S. Department of Education to protect all students’ rights. “This is an issue best solved at the state and local level. Schools, communities and families can find – and in many cases have found – solutions that protect all students,” DeVos said in a Title IX statement. The Anchorage School District released revised administrative guidelines concerning transgender and nonconforming students and employees. The purpose of the guidelines is to foster a welcoming learning and working environment that is free from discrimination, harassment and bullying, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Heather Marron, ASD spokesperson, said in an email that schools in the Anchorage area will remain accepting of all student’s identities. “The Anchorage School District
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
remains a safe and welcoming place for all students. ASD has transgender accommodation administrative guidelines in place and has for some time. These guidelines will not change. ASD embraces all students and remains committed to providing a safe, productive learning environment,” Marron said. LGBT students will remain protected by ASD and under Title IX — the law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities. Sarah Hyland, a former UAA student and transgender woman, shared the importance of protecting the transgender community, especially those that are school-aged.
“The entire argument to deny transpeople access to the bathroom demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of what is involved in transitioning, and that it isn’t about transpeople using the bathroom, it’s about transpeople existing in public spaces,” Hyland said. “There are transpeople that avoid drinking fluids so they don’t have to use the public restroom or some that hold it so long they develop health issues like urinary tract infections. Imagine trying to plan your day around bathroom usage.” Hyland stressed that the current political climate makes life more dangerous for transpeople, as she has frequently witnessed people being degraded for being different.
“How do we expect people to react when we tell them they aren’t worth protecting? That is the message we send when protections are denied or rolled back. We are all human beings and deserve the same rights,” Hyland said. MoHagani Magnetek, a former TNL employee and transgender woman, advocates for the protection and equality of members of the transgender community who desire the right to be able to use the restroom without incident. “I feel contrite for the young people across the nation who must go to school under hostile conditions. Shaming and ridicule are the least of concerns when children also have to face the very real possibility of physical violence. Transgender students are often easy targets for the misogynistic, sexist and violently prone members of our society,” Magnetek said. “Forcing our young people to utilize a gender specified restroom that they do not identify with is putting them at risk for harassment, sexual assault and murder. As an adult, I have accepted the risk of being in an unfriendly place, but for the young transgender children it is a more difficult challenge to confront.” Hyland and Magnetek agree that the discrimination against transpeople is inhumane and that the presidential administration and public need to be better aware of who these people actually are. Anchorage residents should not be fearful of inequality, as ASD is in full support of welcoming the transgender community and offering equal lavatory rights.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
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Amazing stories being written everyday A behind the scenes look at the staff of Green and Gold News
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRACY KALYTIAK
Yunzhe “Karen” Liu, Weiyang “Cynthia” Diao, Jiyu “Tracy” Wang and Tracy Kalytiak pose for a group photo. Kalytiak interviewed the Chinese professors, who visited UAA from Jilin University of Finance, for the Green and Gold News.
By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
If you’ve ever read the Green and Gold News, you know that UAA has some very talented professors, students and departments. What you wouldn’t know, is that the faces behind the Green and Gold also have their own incredible stories. Kristin DeSmith, assistant vice chancellor for University Relations, is the team leader. DeSmith describes Green and Gold as the library for all of University Relation’s stories. “The website is basically where we house all of the stories, regardless of
which platform we use to send them,” DeSmith said. “One week we may produce three stories. One might go in the Alumni electronic newsletter, one might be our syndicated story that we send out to media, one may our social media story, and one may be a front page story. Those are specific places they’d be placed but they are all housed on Green and Gold.” Some recent Green and Gold articles include stories about UAA Greek Life, profiles on international students and features about UAA construction management winning a national competition. “[Green and Gold] is driven by amazing stories, whereas newspapers are driven, not necessarily by showcasing the
amazing things that are happening, but [by] what stories they think the public wants to read,” DeSmith said. “We try to balance both of those.” Joey Besl and Tracy Kalytiak are two of the writers behind Green and Gold, but outside of writing, both run. Besl is an intermittent marathoner, and Kalytiak likes to hike and run long distance. According to her colleagues, you can find her running up the Bodenburg Butte near Palmer multiple times a day. Besl is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio but he moved to Alaska three years ago for his current position. Before coming to Alaska, Besl was employed with the study abroad program, Semester at Sea, where he was able to write stories about the program while traveling from Florida to California the long way. Kalytiak currently lives in Palmer. She moved to Alaska in 1997 and has worked at UAA for over three years. She’s written for publications like Alaska Magazine, Detroit News and Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Out of all the stories she’s written for University Relations, her piece called, “UAA DNP alumna: ‘Vivitrol’s the path to an opioid-free life…it gets you clean’” was her favorite. Kalytiak had first heard about Vivitrol, the drug, on a hike with a friend whose daughter is a heroin addict. The Vivitrol article showcased a UAA student who was doing research on the effect Vivitrol had on heroin addicts who were taking it while in jail versus being treated after they were released. “That was really exciting to write about because it’s so relevant, especially now with opioid addiction being such a huge problem for Alaska,” Kalytiak said. “It’s great to see UAA doing things like this, so relevant, not up on a hill some-
where, really out in the community.” Another important member of the University Relations team is Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Kirstin Olmstead. Originally from a fruit and vegetable farm in Michigan, Olmstead moved to Alaska five years ago and has been part of DeSmith’s team for about six months. Olmstead said she likes the impact UAA students and faculty have on the greater community, and that one of her favorite projects was getting Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar Linda Chamberlain on Alaska News Nightly to talk about her work on childhood trauma and healing. Both DeSmith and Olmstead said the mission of the stories they produce, is to convince prospective to enroll at UAA. “We have quite a few students who will inquire about coming here through the private messaging set up on Facebook,” Olmstead said. “That is part of the goal behind the stories, to help students envision themselves here.” DeSmith added that stories her team writes are read by numerous different audiences and that those stories have prompted people to volunteer or donate money based on what they’ve read. “One of the things that makes me really proud, is that I get to do what I love every day. I have an M.F.A. in creative writing, I lead a creative team here, and I get to use my experience every day. I love to be able to see how it impacts our community,” DeSmith said. “You make a difference in this place, and you make a difference with an M.F.A. in creative writing, where most places would not think that.” Amazing stories are being written every day at UAA, and some amazing people are writing those stories.
06 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
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College Cookbook: Baby steps into brewing mead
Try your hand at brewing with this simple and easy recipe for mead The oldest libation in the world, mead is a sweet and delicious form of alcohol that’s fairly easy to make yourself. Also known as honey wine, mead is simply fermented honey, water and yeast. Add flavors to your mead like oranges, vanilla, cinnamon or anything your heart desires. Once fruit has been added to the mead it is known as a melomel. All of the equipment needed for this can be found in town at Arctic Brewing Supply, or online. Once you get the idea of how it’s made, you can get better equipment to make more mead. This recipe fills about two growlers. If you don’t have a growler, you can get one at the brewing supply, from any brewery in town or simply from Fred Meyer. You will need two rubber stoppers and two plastic airlocks to go on your growler. These are cheap and can be bought at Arctic Brewing Supply. You’ll also need a thermometer, funnel, brewing sanitizer and a stock pot.
Ingredients • 1/2 a gallon non-chlorinated water • 2-3 pounds of honey — Arctic Brewing Supply has a few different kinds of honey on tap • Berries or fruit of any kind, fresh or frozen, about a cup • One orange
By Victoria Petersen
vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org
• A handful of raisins • One package of champagne yeast (found at Arctic Brewing Supply)
Directions 1. Follow the instructions on the brewing sanitizer (I used one step) and use it to disinfect everything that you will be using, including your funnel, pot, jugs, airlocks, rubber stoppers and stir spoon. This makes sure that bacteria won’t contaminate your mead while it’s fermenting. 2. In your pot, heat the water until it gets warm but is not boiling. Once the water is warm, add the honey and stir it in until it dissolves. Take off heat. 3. Take your flavorings and put them into your growlers. 4. Carefully pour the honey water mixture into the growlers using a funnel. You’ll want to leave at least five inches of head space. 5. Once the mixture is in the growler, cap it and shake it up for several minutes. 6. Now you have what is called “must.” This is the mead mixture before the yeast is added. Once your must is shaken and ready, you’ll want to make sure the temperature of your must is under 90 degrees. Anything over this will kill the yeast. 7. Once the must is at an appropriate temperature, you can add the yeast. Distribute the packet evenly between the two growlers and shake them for several minutes to combine the yeast. 8. Put a little bit of water into the airlock and stick into the rubber stopper. Then stick the rubber stopper into the mouth of the growler until sealed. The airlock allows gasses from fermentation to escape. 9. You’ll want to keep your growlers in a dark place with a consistent temperature. A closet would work well. Within the first 12-24 hours, you will start to see the yeast do its job and the mead will be bubbly. 10. After about six weeks of fermenting, the mead is ready to be bottled or aged. Mead, like wine, can be aged. If you’re ready to drink your mead, it’s wise to bottle a little bit of it and store for a longer period of time to see how aging affects it.
08 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
Prof-iles: Meet David Bowie, the UAA professor, not the singer-songwriter
Sharing his name with a glam-rock star and flunking out of college led Bowie to find success in linguistics
By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org
“I flunked out of college and have an Ivy League Ph.D.,” David Bowie said. No, not the English singer-songwriter, but David Bowie, pronounced Booee, one of the associate professors in the English department. Bowie, wearing his signature bow tie, has lived the majority of his life sharing his name with the more famous David Bowie. “My parents swear that they had no idea who he was,” Bowie said. “I went to a semi-rural southern high school, and sharing the name of a bisexual glam rock star was not really comfortable. I promised myself, the moment I turned 18, I was changing my name, but for all that starting college was academically an issue. I discovered that socially, my name was an asset. I stopped signing my name with my middle initial. I was like, ‘I’m going to own this.’” For Bowie, college was academically an issue because the expectations were different than what he had learned in high school. In high school, Bowie was a self-described smart
slacker type. It took getting kicked out of Carnegie Mellon for having below a 1.75 GPA for two consecutive semesters as a freshman for Bowie to realize he needed to change. “Sometimes, you just have to get woken up,” Bowie said. “Flunking out of college, this was something that I had never experienced anything like that before. All of a sudden, I realized I actually had to work at it.” After flunking out of college, Bowie attended Prince George’s Community College and earned his associate’s degree before applying to college at University of Maryland College Park. There, he found his future academic calling, but by accident. Without realizing the future impact it would have, Bowie became a part of the linguistics department, solely because he wanted to be in one of the smaller departments. At University of Maryland College Park, he enrolled in several linguistics classes. At this point in his college career, Bowie had learned that reading the beginning of his textbooks was an effective
strategy for succeeding in new classes. One of the textbooks introduced linguistics with the idea that language is fluid, and that idea resonated with Bowie. “[The textbook said] the only place that the English language exists, is in the brains of its speakers,” Bowie said. “We’ve all basically come to an unspoken agreement that this is how we speak English... English is bigger than we tend to think. I grew up border Southern, I grew up being told all my life that I was talking wrong, and it kind of annoyed me. No, this is the way I talk, and so I was fascinated. There are actually people out there who think about language the same way I do.” Bowie became very invested in the subject, eventually applying and attending University of Pennsylvania for his Ph.D. He was hired straight out of graduate school to be an assistant professor at Brigham Young University for four years before moving to University of Central Florida for six years. In 2009, Bowie was hired as an assistant professor at UAA, and he’s been in Alaska ever since. Sharing the name David Bowie with a famous singersongwriter has presented some interesting situations for Bowie, but the oddest moment of all occurred at the Anchorage International Airport, right after the singer had died. “You’ve not lived until you’ve come in on a really rough landing, come up, really late, the flight was delayed, the airport was deserted, you walk into a deserted airport terminal and you see on the CNN airport news thing, ‘BREAKING NEWS: Your name, dies,’” Bowie said. “That’ll make you pause for a second until you realize, whether you believe in an after-
PHOTO BY CHEYENNE MATHEWS
David Bowie, UAA professor in the English Department, points to the first edition of Contemporary Linguistics, the textbook that inspired him to become a linguist.
life or not, you have to agree that whatever one’s conception of an afterlife would be, it is not the Delta terminal at Anchorage International Airport.” As a student of both a community college and an Ivy League University, Bowie said he can be empathetic of his student’s struggles while also realizing that an F isn’t the end of the world. “[My own experiences] makes it easier to not draw generalizations about the students themselves from what I see in class. Perhaps on the less comforting to students’ side, it also taught me, if you flunk a class,
it’s not the end of the world. It’s painful. And can be expensive, but it’s not the end of the world as long as you pick yourself up and deal with it,” Bowie said. For the future, Bowie wants to continue studying the role of an individual in a society at large, he looks forward to raising his four daughters and he hopes to one day have contributed research for an atlas of regional varieties of English in Alaska. He is specifically interested in seeing how regional varieties of indigenous languages and varieties of English in Alaska interact.
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
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Pump it up: Alaska’s first lactation pod is located at UAA for staff, students and general public By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org UAA has announced the first lactation pod in Alaska open to any mother that is nursing. The lactation pod is located downstairs in the Student Union, easily accessible due to its centralized location. This pod was provided by the Alaska Workplace Breastfeeding Support Project, which is a grant through the State of Alaska under the section of Women’s Children’s Family Health. Corrie Whitmore, assistant professor of health sciences, lead the team that wrote the application for the grant. “The goal of the Alaska Workplace Breastfeeding Support program was to just help Alaska employers in the workplace improve their accommodations for lactation, so for moms who are breastfeeding or pumping especially for their children,” Whitmore said. According to the Affordable Care Act amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards, employers are required to provide breaks to employees to express breast milk for her child for one year after the birth of the child. This also requires employers to provide a place other than a bathroom that is private from coworkers and the public for mothers to nurse during the workday. Not only does UAA have a large number of employees, but also students and the general public that spend their majority of time on campus. “One of the things that I think made our application strong was that UAA is an employer that has many employees, but we also have students who are parents that need a place to breastfeed and pump and this is a space that is open to the community so it also provides that option for our community members who find themselves here to participate in an event, take a class, or here for sports, so it’s a good option that will get a lot of use here,” Whitmore said. In the past, the Professional Studies Building had two lactation rooms available for use. However, they are now being turned into a new pharmacy. There are other places on campus besides the lactation pod where individuals can go for breastfeeding needs. “The other place people can pump on campus is in the study rooms in the library, so they are private rooms and they’ll give you tape and a piece of paper to put on the window in the door, so that’s one option...,” Whitmore said. The lactation pod has been stirring
PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM
Provided by the Alaska Workplace Breastfeeding Support Project, the first lactation pod in the state is an alternative to bathrooms for mothers who would like to nurse in private.
up excitement in the UAA community. Some students believe this is another step in creating an accepting presence on campus. “I think it’ll be very beneficial just for the general population because, it just sets a presence that we’re a welcoming and diverse in general, not just for different ethnicities and orientations, but also for gender equality and I think it’s great,” Sarah Johnson, bachelor’s degree in human services and pursing an occupational endorsement certificate in children’s behavioral and health, said. Without a lactation pod, many mothers resort to using a restroom to pump or feed their child, which not only limits their space but is also unsanitary. “Personally, I don’t want to eat in the bathroom, so I don’t want to pump or feed my son there, but I also don’t want to use the bathroom in a way that limits other people’s ability to use the bathroom and inconveniences other people. When there’s something like this [lactation pod]
it’s not inconveniencing other people,” Whitmore said. Breastfeeding has become more acceptable in public, but nonetheless, pumping takes more effort, space and resources. “I’ve fed my kid everywhere, there’s actually less stigma around that than there used to be and one of the ways we normalize breastfeeding is by treating breastfeeding like it’s normal,” Whitmore said. “It’s just hard to do that with pumping because pumping is something that you need an electrical outlet, a table and a place to sit. So you need more specific things.” Not only is the lactation pod the first at UAA, but in the state of Alaska. Hopefully, in the near future this will open opportunities to provide more lactation pods around the state. “The Student Union is a central location for campus, open 99 hours each week, easy for students, faculty, staff and guests to access,” Annie Route, Student
Life and Leadership director, said. “[I am] so happy women will have a clean, private space to pump or breastfeed and not have to use a bathroom stall. It was no fun doing that when I was a young UAA mom. Thanks to Dr. Corrie Whitmore and the staff of UAA Facilities for their dedication to bringing the pod to our campus community.” On March 24, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate Alaska’s first lactation pod at 2:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Student Union which is open to employees, students and campus visitors. The Provost and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Bruce Shultz, and other campus leaders will be showing their support by attending the ribbon cutting. Also, the state will be giving away 50 onesies with an “Eat Local” design for mothers and babies who attend. Stop by the Student Union and check out the new exciting edition to UAA.
10 | FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
BYOM: Bring your own mat Williwaw hosts free yoga lessons and discounted drinks for Yoga and Beer event
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEANDRA MURRAY
Anchorage residents sprawl out on the floors at Williwaw for their Yoga and Beer event. The yoga class, hosted by AIR Anchorage Aerial Fitness, is free with discounted beer, bloody Mary’s and mimosas.
By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org
For the next eight weeks, Williwaw will be hosting Yoga and Beer every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. This event is a joint effort between MIX 103.1, AIR Anchorage Aerial Fitness and Williwaw along with many other local sponsors. There is a free yoga lesson instructed by AIR Anchorage Aerial Fitness along with discounted beer, and for those non-beer drinkers, there is a bloody Mary and mimosa bar. Monica Gomez, Yoga and Beer event lead, works for radio stations KWHL 106.5, MIX 103.1 and KFOD. She is responsible for putting together the Yoga and Beer event, which has had a positive turnout. Gomez was inspired for the idea when she was in San Francisco and
has been pushing for this event for nine months. “I kept telling Williwaw that we should do Yoga and Beer, then they bought it and the turnout has been amazing,” Gomez said. “It goes on for eight weeks, we had over 62 people the first week, male and female. It’s just getting bigger each week.” The yoga lesson starts at 3 p.m. but many people are showing up earlier to enjoy a drink and mingle before the lesson. “Basically you get there from 2 through 3 [p.m.], setting up your mat and mingling, putting your name in for a drawing that we have, you can get some healthy snacks, but it’s been filling up so much that people are coming in early to save their spot, and then yoga starts at 3,” Gomez said. Not only is there free yoga every Saturday, but a
chance to win a raffle at the end of the eight weeks. “The more weeks you come the more chances you’ll win and at the end of the eight weeks we’re giving out a whole year of beauty from Escape Salon and Spa and we’re also giving out a whole year of yoga from AIR Anchorage Aerial fitness,” Gomez said. Leandra Murray, Anchorage resident, has attended all the Yoga and Beer events and plans on keeping that streak. “My experience at Williwaw’s Yoga and Beer has been such a fun experience, it’s a great way to kick off my Saturday and it’s something I look forward to each week,” Murray said. “It’s a nice way to get your sweat on and let loose.” For those who have always wanted to attend a yoga class, this is a great way to check out the friendly environment. “The best thing about it is that it’s a free class, so if you’ve never done yoga before either it’s a good way see it and no one is better than anyone and that’s what makes it fun,” Gomez said. “It’s a healthy loving atmosphere, I just encourage anyone to come and try it and I’m just so happy I put this whole thing together for anchorage and I just love seeing our anchorage community come together.” The Yoga and Beer event has been picking up each week and even if things get a bit cramped, more people are encouraged to attend. “I recommend these classes to everyone, they are so fun and what is a better way to start your weekend than burning some calories, meeting new people and did I say bloody Mary bar? Can’t top that for a Saturday afternoon,” Murray said. Yoga and beer is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and subtly meet new people. Especially for those new to town or just looking for something to get out of the house, this can be a great people meeting opportunity. “People like me that’s new in town and hate the idea of going to a bar because of anxiety, I like beer and fitness and I like to meet new people,” Kyle Dickerson, Anchorage resident, said. “In my opinion, it was the best event I’ve gone to here. For a guy, it can be tough going into a yoga room and seeing you’re the only guy there, this event guarantees that more than one guy will show up.” Look out for updates on the Williwaw Facebook page for further details on upcoming Yoga and Beer events. Make sure to go early to secure a spot, grab a drink and mingle with the community. Remember to bring your own mat.
A spring break stay-cation: What to do in Anchorage over the week-long break By Sarah Tangog
stangog@thenorthernlight.org
Spring break marks the lull moment in the hectic semester, and for many, it means vacation time. However, those staying in Anchorage can have a vacation of their own. There are quite a few new events kick-starting this month and will still be available even long after the break has ended. Thursdays mark Anchorage’s weekly boxing fights at the Egan Center. Each night features seven fights in an arena setting. All ages are more than welcome to attend, though children must be supervised by parents or guardians. Admission starts at $17 for general seating and $36.25 for ringside seats. “You can purchase tickets at the Sullivan Arena, or here at the Egan Center when doors open at 6:30,” Leesha Smith, from the Egan Center, said. The actual fights start at 7:30 p.m. The fighting season opens March 9 and ends March 30. Also on Thursdays are the Anchorage Distillery tours. Tours start at 6 p.m. at the Anchorage Distillery. Admission is
free, though restricted to persons age 21 and above. “We grind everything on site,” Jacindra Franks from the Anchorage Distillery, said. An official tasting takes place before and after the tour. The tours run from March 9 to Dec 28. Friday evenings welcome Friday Night at the Boulder. From 7-9 p.m., participants can come inside the Alaska Rock Gym and hang out on the second floor. Anyone and everyone is welcome. “It’s a fairly casual event,” Elliot Stutzer from the Alaska Rock Gym said. Participants can ask Rock Gym employees for climbing advice, mingle with other climbers, or ignore everyone altogether and just climb. Though there is no fee for instruction, an $18 day-pass is required for entry. Children under the age of 14 must have adult supervision. Friday Night at the Boulder runs from March 10 to Oct. 20. Though a trip away from home can bring an exciting break, trying something new can bring the same fun. This spring break, Anchorage definitely has a few new adventures to bring to the table.
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
FEATURES
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
Confederate flag controversy at local high school prompts questions of free speech at UAA
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UAAnonymous: Preventing STDs in all relationships
UAA stands as a free and safe environment
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
By Sarah Tangog
stangog@thenorthernlight.org
There’s been much debate about whether or not the Confederate flag should be banned within the public setting. The argument stands that though it is perceived as an offensive symbol, Americans are granted the First Amendment rights and should be able to express their opinions however they want. Earlier this semester, a picture was posted of several high school students from Chugiak High School holding a Confederate flag in the hallway of the school. This event has escalated a controversy about whether or not students have the right to express debatable beliefs and display controversial opinions in public — specifically in a school. “It’s not a mystery what the Confederacy was about, or what it stood for,” Ian Hartman, a UAA history professor, said. “The Confederacy committed treason against the United States, fought a war against the United States government.” The Confederate flag represents a strong symbol, it should be noted that students have the right to believe whatever they want to believe. The problem only occurs when other students are affected or intimidated by it. Michael Votava, director of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, explains what would happen should a similar situation happen at UAA. The University’s mission statement and core values would be assessed. “One core value is academic freedom and diversity. When you think of academic freedom, you think of the ability to present different ideas, and when you think of diversity you think of creating
an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and included in the conversation,” Votava said. Though students are encouraged to create their own opinions and stand up for their own beliefs, a safe learning environment is the University’s priority. “If there were an incident on campus involving some symbol, was it done in a way that was disruptive?” Votava said. “We would have to really weigh the freedom of the individual to express themselves to how it would impact the members of our community.” Overall, UAA’s stance on the matter is firm. Personal declarations of any symbol are okay so long as it poses no threat to fellow students. As soon as others feel threatened or unsafe in the environment, appropriate actions would have to be taken. Fortunately, UAA doesn’t seem to have this problem. “We don’t seem to have many incidents occur on campus that involve symbols that could be perceived by others as offensive. That doesn’t occur often on this campus,” Votava said. “It has always been one of my theories that UAA is one of the most diverse communities that I’ve ever lived in.” Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. Everyone deserves to make up their own mind, but it should be noted that everyone deserves respect as well. Controversial symbols are controversial. Beliefs will differ about them and bias will certainly be apparent. The bottom line is that UAA is a community that realizes their students are different and unique. It’s up to the students to build that bridge of respect between each other and, despite differing opinions, keep that bridge strong.
Student Health and Counseling Center 786-4040
The UAA Peer Health Educators host a weekly peer-to-peer discussion about healthy sexuality. Questions are taken from UAA students. “Can lesbians get STDs?” Absolutely. Whenever bodily fluids are involved in a sexual activity there is a risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Discussions about sexual health are not usually inclusive of other forms of sex than the traditional penis in vagina view. However, all sorts of sex happens everyday and everyone should be taught how to be safe and how to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. Ideally, before entering into a sexual situation, you should get yourself tested for STDs and make sure your partner has been tested. No method for STD prevention is foolproof and there will always be a risk of contraction if you or your partner has an STD (and you won’t usually know if you do since the most common symptom is having no symptoms at all). However, trying to avoid exchanging bodily fluids is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself. While performing oral sex or engaging in any oralanal contact, use a dental dam. This is a
simple rectangular piece of latex used to prevent direct oral to genital contact. If you don’t have one handy, you can always make one out of a condom. First unroll the condom and cut the rolled rim off, then cut lengthwise down the condom until you have a long rectangular piece of latex, making sure not to puncture any of the rest of it. Don’t have a condom? Use some plastic wrap. Seriously. Although it is not FDA approved for the prevention of STD it is better than no barrier at all and it’s a cheap option (although students can get condoms for free at the Student Health and Counseling Center as well). Otherwise, if you are using any sex toys, be sure to clean them thoroughly between partners or put a new condom on the toy with each use. Remember never to reuse barriers and always be sure to urinate right after sex to prevent urinary tract infections. The CDC also recommends rinsing the mouth with a mild mouthwash (or even water) right after oral sex, but don’t brush your teeth before giving oral sex, as it might cause your gums to bleed and become more vulnerable to infection. So yes, it’s completely possible for women who have sex with women to contract STDs. However, with proper education and preparation, you can greatly reduce your risk.
If you or someone you know have experienced any form of sexual misconduct, there are many resources available on and off campus. Student Health and Counseling Center: 786-4040 Standing Together Against Rape: 276-7273 Title IX: 786-1424
A&E
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
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Yes, ‘Gantz: O’ is as crazy as it looks By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor
There’s no way around it, the 3-D CG action flick “Gantz: O” is nuts, just like the manga it’s based on. “Gantz,” the movie is a fearless work of imagination, chock full of beautifully rendered creatures and brutal violence. Unlike the manga it’s based on, “Gantz: O” is limited by the medium. A movie can only fit in so many set pieces and monsters, so the movie opts instead for a few memorable sequences over a hodgepodge of smaller ones. There are enough terrifying monsters in here to change that, but director Yasushi Kawamura wisely uses them as a backdrop for the real big bad. Even then, a problem arises: how do you explain all these monsters? Thankfully, everyone in the movie wonders the same thing. The most asked question is, ‘What’s going on?’ and it has a beautifully simple answer: There are monsters from outer space running around wreaking havoc. Even then, the sheer number of them can get overwhelming. Ending this chaos, though, has a notso-simple answer. Our heroes, called gamers, are recently deceased people forced by an autonomous 8-Ball to kill those monsters in a set amount of time for points. Once someone reaches 100 points, they can either return to their life or resurrect a dead teammate. The movie follows Masura (Daisuke Ono) after he’s
murdered on his little brother’s birthday. He wakes up in a small room (“Gantz: O’s” version of a loading screen) with the model Reika (Saori Hayami), the old man Suzuki (Shuichi Ikeda) and the young hothead Nishi (Tomohiro Kaku). As their name implies, they’re usually sent to Tokyo to fight, but this time, they’re sent to Osaka. There, they face a threat unlike any before, Nurarihyon, a monster in the skin of a small old man. If that premise sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is. Most of the violence is over-the-top enough to not feel alienating, but there are some genuinely unsettling moments. The line between those kinds of violence is thin, and the movie walks it well, exploiting death as much as it explores it. Blood here is measured in gallons, and bodies are counted by the thousands. When something happens in “Gantz: O,” it’s big by design. Even smaller character moments, however weak they might be, operate on a massive scale. “Gantz: O” is more like a video game than a movie, except the people and monsters are very real. It’s not explained clearly how the gamers operate in the real world. They’re essentially zombies with “Crysis” suits and energy-powered weaponry who can take a serious beating. Its main problem is that it builds a fascinating world and doesn’t explore it nearly enough, certainly not as much as the eponymous Manga series. For an adapted franchise like this, that’s not a bad problem to have.
TITLE “Gantz: O”
DIRECTOR Yasushi Kawamura
RELEASE DATE Oct. 14, 2016
COUNTRY Japan
GENRE Anime Action
SPORTS
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BASKETBALL: UAA men’s basketball lose against Western Oregon in GNAC tournament Continued from cover
With almost no time remaining, it looked as if the Seawolves were going to pull through with the win. However, with two seconds left Western Oregon’s Evan Garrison got in a last second layup only to leave the teams at 55-55. This put them teams in the first two overtime periods that resulted in nothing significant, the first overtime period ended at 62-62 and the second overtime period ended at 72-72. To finish off the games, the Seawolves and Wolves battled it out for the third and final overtime period of the game. Wiggs came in strong with the first four free throws of the period. Quickly things began to look positive for
the Seawolves, however, not even a minute later WOU took off. With only two minutes left in the game, the Wolves held a 7 point lead. The Seawolves tried to catch up but unsuccessfully. Western Oregon finished off the third overtime period with a 7 point lead, leaving the Seawolves with a loss at 84-91. Although the team was disappointed with the outcome, Osborne reflected that the future isn’t set and stone yet. “It’s one of those things that if you win you keep playing, if you don’t then we don’t really know, we’re right on the cusp of eighth [place],” he said. The Seawolf men’s NCAA playoff future was announced along with tournament brackets on Sunday night after publication of this edition.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL DUNN
Connor Devine seeks an opening to get past Western Oregon’s defense on March 4. Devine played 45 total minutes in the game, which lasted into triple overtime.
Radical Recreation: Boards and bats Arielle Neithercoat strays from groomed runs on the mountain
By Brenda Craig
features@thenorthernlight.org
Once winter hits, many can’t wait to hit the slopes on their skis or snowboard. Freeriding down the mountain can give a feeling unlike any other, but for Arielle Neithercoat, biology major, locking into a rail on her snowboard gives her the ultimate bliss. Neithercoat has been snowboarding for 18 years and around the age of 12 she gained the courage to hit her first box at Hilltop Ski Area and has been hooked ever since. “I just love how it makes me feel, I love that I don’t have to think about anything else when I’m snowboarding and when I get on a feature and lock in and it feels amazing,” Neithercoat said. After carving down the mountain repetitively, Neithercoat grew bored with the idea of snowboarding the same lines, which influenced her to experiment. “At some point, I guess I just got bored of groomers and wanted to try something more,” Neithercoat said. “I’m not sure really, maybe I was just trying to scare the crap out of my parents. My mom still hates the idea of me throwing myself at metal objects.” Although Neithercoat has jibbed many terrain parks and street spots, she appreciates originality when it comes to
snowboard features and tricks. “Favorite obstacle? I’m a simple girl really, there’s nothing like a nice long mellow down bar to get me all giddy,” Neithercoat said. “Favorite trick hands down will always be a solid between the feet front board. I will do those all day, every day on every hit in the park, and be happy as a clam.” Neithercoat’s love for snowboarding is not the only thing that has grown over the years, but her love for the people it has exposed her to. “I love the people it’s [snowboarding] introduced me to over the years, I’ve met a lot of really interesting people, and made some top notch friends,” Neithercoat said. “I met my boyfriend of seven and a half years from snowboarding at hilltop when we were tweens. I love the direction it took me in life, I think it helped me gain confidence, and it’s a good outlet for stress because when I’m snowboarding, that’s all I’m thinking about.” Hitting the terrain park can be nerve-racking, Neithercoat encourages girls wanting to experiment with snowboard obstacles to go for it and embrace and learn from falling. “For girls wanting to learn to jib, you have to just be prepared to fall and fall a lot, it’s inevitable. You’re not going to get good unless you just keep on getting back up. Learning to jib is scary
as hell, I know, it still scares me, but it’s totally worth it,” Neithercoat said.” Besides work, school and snowboarding, Neithercoat is working on exciting research that will allow her to present her findings and travel in the near future. “I do bat research here at UAA, so I go out in the summer and catch bats and we take data on them. I left some data loggers over in the Copper River area and I just picked those up and right now I’m doing the data analysis on them,” Neithercoat said. “I head to Madagascar in a couple months to work on lemur research in the jungle over there.” Neithercoat is looking forward to her trip to Madagascar doing lemur research, which is similar to her plans after college. “I plan on being a primatologist and living in the jungle with lemurs once I’m finally done with school. In the meantime, I’m probably just going to keep on snowboarding, and see where it goes,” Neithercoat said. Like many snowboarders, Neithercoat plans on snowboarding until her body gives out. Look out for any snowboard video parts and research conducted on bats by Neithercoat in the near future.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARIELLE NEITHERCOAT
Arielle Neithercoat, biology major, has been snowboarding for 18 years, and balances time between the slopes and studying bats at UAA.
Arielle Neithercoat performs an FS boardslide at a terrain park in Alaska.
14 | SPORTS
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
Alaska Aces call it quits after 28 years
Due to economic reasons, 2017 will be the last year that the Aces will play By Lauren Cuddihy
sports2@thenorthernlight.org
The state of Alaska is not only considered an outsider due to it’s proximity to the United States, but also with its blatant lack of professional sports — a privilege that much of the Lower 48 takes pride in. Up until now, Alaskan sports fans have had the Alaska Aces to follow and create local support around, but as of mid-February the decision to terminate the future of the team has been announced as a shock to much of the state, sports fans or not. The Alaska Aces, previously known as the Anchorage Aces prior to 2003, have been competing in the East Coast Hockey League for the past 14 years and were a part of two other leagues before that. Established in 1989, the Aces have been proudly representing Alaska for a total of 28 years, including winning five regular season titles, eight division, four conference championships and three Kelly Cups. The announcement to terminate the team was an unavoidable choice made by Aces officials due to economic reasons and a declining audience, but it still came as a shock to the public that leaves many unanswered questions.
Anchorage locals, such as former UAA student and avid Aces fan Jon Mobley, are very baffled by the decision, especially since the Aces are the one professional team the Alaskans have. “I go [to] the games pretty regularly, probably at least twice a weekend when they play at home.. it was a surprise to me. There have been a lot of states that have lost their ECHL teams, but it doesn’t affect them as much because most states in the Lower 48 have basketball, football, baseball and NHL teams,” Mobley said. The big question that remains is the future of the Sullivan Arena, considering the amount of lost revenue. In addition, the UAA hockey team could take a potential hit for this - positive and negative. Officials such as the Aces Managing Partner Terry Parks explained that they looked into all possible scenarios to keep the team, but every possibility leads to even more problems. According to Parks, the Aces lost over $1 million in 2016, a substantial amount that would be extremely difficult to come back from especially with the prediction of similar losses in 2017. For just this season, the Aces are down upwards of 2,000 spectators per game, as well as over $250,000 in ticket sales and $600,000 in sponsorships. Aces owner Jerry Mackie explained that he is
extremely saddened by the final decision and feels as if he’s losing a family member, but there was no other option. Without the team, the Sullivan Arena may experience dire effects. The arena will obviously have a lot more openings for scheduling that can be filled in order to replace the lost revenue, but it is doubtful that all spots will be close to being filled. UAA hockey will still rent out the venue, and so will special events such as concerts. However, the loss of the Aces is already creating a downward trend after the Great Alaska Shootout was moved from the Sullivan Arena to the Alaska Airlines Center in 2014. However, even though Sullivan might see a negative outcome, the UAA hockey team might gain the Aces lost audience. “It could potentially be a really great outcome for the UAA team; Aces fans could become bored of restless in the winter and possibly go to [UAA hockey] games to get their fix,” Mobley said. Currently, the Aces are on a road trip competing out of state, but they will have their first home game back in Anchorage at the Sullivan Arena on March 15. Afterward, the team plays several more home and away games until their final home game on April 8.
CONTACT
THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
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Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum length is 250 words. Opinion pieces can be submitted to editor@thenorthernlight.org. The maximum word length is 450 words. Letters and opinion pieces are subject to editing for grammar, accuracy, length and clarity. Requests for corrections can be sent to editor@thenorthernlight.org. Print publication is subject to accuracy and available space. All corrections are posted online with the original story at www.thenorthernlight.org. The Northern Light newsroom is located on the first floor of the Student Union, directly next to Subway.
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