May 2nd, 2023

The results are in: What UAA is saying about food availability on campus

As a part of The Northern Light’s investigation into food on campus, we conducted a two week survey in UAA’s main campus.

By Taylor Heckart new3@thenorthernlight.org

The Northern Light conducted a campus-wide food survey to see how UAA students, faculty and staff felt about food options on campus, along with any improvements they wanted to see. A majority of those polled were not satisfied with the number of options available or the hours of operation at existing locations. Many students were also in favor of a bar on campus similar to what UAF offers.

Over a two week period, the survey received 47 respondents: 40 students, two faculty, two staff and three people who identified as a combination of the three options.

Over 76 percent of respondents lived off campus and over 86 percent live in the Anchorage area. 85 percent of respondents did not have a meal plan, so food feedback on residence life dining options was limited.

The most common places respondents went to find food was restaurants, coffee shops, and vending machines. Most respondents purchased food in the afternoons or mornings– unsurprising considering campus coffee shops and Subway close

in the late afternoon. Lunch and snacks were the most common meals that people purchased on campus.

When respondents were asked what the biggest problem with food on campus was, a few patterns emerged. Food on campus was often described as “repetitive” and “unhealthy,” and many respondents felt that there was not enough variety.

66% of respondents reported being unsatisfied with the options for food on campus.

Individuals who spent time on west campus expressed their desire to see Cuddy Hall have food again. With no readily available food options anywhere in West campus, accessing food can be a drain on personal resources.

One respondent wrote, “There are lots of students and staff on this side of campus who would love closer options. Most of our lunches and breaks are spent walking to the food/drink areas and not actually taking a break.”

The times that food locations were open were also cited as a problem. One student said that one of their classes runs later than Subway and Kaladi’s, and

with no meal plan they’re left “very hungry” with no options after a three hour long class.

74 percent of respondents were unsatisfied with hours of availability for existing food options on main campus.

Subway existed as a contentious figure within the survey. It was one of the most popular locations where students bought food on campus, and was also the most popular result when students were asked their favorite place to eat on campus. However, many students also cited that only eating at Subway was monotonous, and Subway exists as one of the few dining options on campus.

UAA does not currently have any locations that serve alcohol to students over 21. The Northern Light asked students if they would like to see an over-21 location on campus, similar to UAF’s bar The Pub. 65 percent of respondents said that they wanted to see that on campus, while 25 percent said they were unsure.

The Northern Light brought these student concerns to UAA administrators, and their responses can be found in the next articles.

Vice Chancellor Buchholdt recognizes importance of more food options, ‘Brings people together’

The Northern Light is doing a series of articles looking at food availability on campus. In this article, TNL speaks with Vice Chancellor Ryan Buchholdt about the future of food at UAA.

By Taylor Heckart and Matthew Schmitz

It’s no secret that UAA is lacking in on-campus food options. In an informal online poll conducted by The Northern Light, 66% of respondents reported that they were not satisfied with the options for food on campus, and several people described west campus as a “food desert.”

To help answer some of these questions and discuss the broader plan regarding food at UAA, The Northern Light spoke with Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Ryan Buchholdt. In addition to overseeing campus and dining services, Buchholdt oversees other campus services, including the University Police Department, General Support Services and information and technology.

In the conversation with Buchholdt, one point was made clear: UAA is aware that students want more food options on campus.

Buchholdt said that decisions regarding the future of food options are being driven by what he is hearing from people about what they want to see on campus.

He said that there has been a lot of discussion from various organizations regarding food availability on campus, such as Senate Faculty and USUAA, and that administrators in the

Chancellor’s cabinet have been supportive of efforts and ideas to improve the situation.

Wider food options should be a way to draw students and faculty alike onto campus, said Buchholdt. He said that an impediment to faculty returning to campus is the lack of food options, and that faculty want a place where they can meet with students and staff in a more informal setting.

Though UAA offers nearly half of all classes online, even students taking exclusively online classes are still looking for reasons to be on campus and connect with the UAA community, he said.

Buchholdt recognized the importance of food to a vibrant campus.

“[For] human society, food is the thing that brings people together for social events.”

Buchholdt also agreed with student complaints that west campus is a “food desert.”

He said that there are plans to reopen food service in Cuddy Hall, though not in the capacity that it was operating at before. He said that they intend to reopen the coffee shop in Cuddy and provide smaller-scale food preparation options. Buchholdt said that with new technologies available, there could be ways to provide food for students without requiring a “more formal commercial kitchen.”

One of the vice chancellor’s

goals is to bring food to UAA that reflects the diversity of the campus and the Anchorage community.

“I think about the diversity of not only the campus, but the Anchorage area, and the opportunities we have to … in many ways not necessarily focus the menu, but offer menu options that are ethnically driven,” said Buchholdt.

He said that leaning into and celebrating diverse foods is an important part of “trying to build an institution that’s reflective of the communities that we serve.”

Religious dietary restrictions will also be taken into account as they work to find new food options on campus, said Buchholdt.

Though becoming a place with more diverse food options requires some willingness to experiment and run food services that might not break even when starting out.

One problem they face, Buchholdt said, is the fear people have of the unknown.

“We can roll all these things out and what if no one shows up?”

He said that over the past few months, his team has been rethinking their mentality around creating new food options, reflecting on the reality of reopening in the wake of the pandemic.

“We [took a step back to] have this acknowledgement, that in

many ways, any new business, unless you are one of the very lucky few, you lose money in the first few years … So, if you start by putting ourselves in the startup mentality … we know we’re going to lose money in the first year or two.”

“That’s okay. As long as … we set some benchmarks, we promote it and we really start to see … that line of sight to a minimum [of] breaking even for some operations,” said Buchholdt.

Buchholdt said that they have been working with UAA’s food services partner NMS to figure out their comfort level with running in the red or at break even, for a time at least. NMS is contracted to be in charge of nearly all food services on campus.

“There is no institutional funding that goes into the dining operation. That’s all meant to generate its own revenue, as well as provide a little bit of net profit for our private sector partners at NMS.”

There’s also an added value to the campus of more dining locations because they give people an opportunity to meet, run into each other, and socialize, he said.

“When it comes to the coffee shops on campus … there’s a case to be made … even if it’s just barely breaking even, or just hitting that break even point, that’s probably actually a good measure because of the added

benefits the institution gets.”

NMS has been actively leaning into solving some of these problems, such as increasing diversity and variety, he said. And that they are enthusiastic about helping to provide quality services to students.

“It’s pretty fun having partners like that.”

Buchholdt said that coming back from the pandemic has given them the opportunity to rethink food in ways that were not possible prior to the pandemic.

An idea that Buchholdt said seems popular is having departments “sponsor” a day at restaurants like the Varsity Grill in the Alaska Airlines Center. But, he said, that requires participation from people in those organizations.

“We need you all to show up, we need you all to patronize the services.”

Buchholdt said that right now UAA and NMS are taking things slow as they try to figure out what is achievable for UAA.

“I think we realized it’s hard to take away once you put something out,” said Buchholdt, “Whereas… if we start to see some demand, start to try some of these menu options and some of these locations, and see, okay, is this working? Is this what students and faculty are wanting? And make adjustments as needed.”

An important part of the future of food will be to keep organizations in the loop to make decisions, he said.

“Let’s make sure we’re talking to USUAA, let’s make sure we’re talking with Faculty Senate and Staff Council. Really understanding … what does the community of … the Anchorage campus here feel is needed?”

GRAPHIC BY TAYLOR HECKART.

Three pie charts from the survey conducted by The Northern Light.

USUAA members discuss lackluster campus dining options

The discussion clarified USUAA’s role in decisions regarding campus dining options and echoed the negative sentiments that many students have on the campus food situation.

By Kyle Ivacic news2@thenorthernlight.org

As the Kaladi Brother’s café near the Consortium Library closed up for the day on Wednesday March 5, many students remained on campus – doing homework, chatting with friends, and making use of university facilities. The café closes on weekdays at three in the afternoon and is not open Friday through Sunday.

This is the backdrop against which TNL conducted a discussion about campus food with outgoing USUAA President Katie Scoggin, President-elect Shanone Tejada, and Vice Presidentelect Helena Ballard. Speaking with these student government members revealed that food on campus is a topic that comes up often in USUAA meetings.

“I think that in the meetings that Katie and I have been in … there hasn’t been a time where we didn’t bring up the food, so it’s been a persistent conversation throughout the year,” said Tejada. While food-related decisions are left up to campus administrators, Tejada said that “we can certainly advocate for more food options – which is what we’ve been doing consistently.”

“It is a conversation that we’re actively having with administrators … We don’t have incentives to stay on campus because nothing’s open and there’s not a lot of dining options,” said Scoggin.

Scoggin said that there are no official plans “that we’ve [USUAA] heard of” to bring more food options to the campus.

“They might be in the works, but there’s nothing announced or … described to us,” said Tejada.

One move in the right direction, discussed by Scoggin, was the introduction of night hours at the residential dining hall earlier this semester. “Everything that I’ve been hearing about late night has been wonderful,” she said, “Students really love having that later option – especially with evening classes … It’s actually very fitting for the college lifestyle.”

Regarding food quality at the dining hall, Scoggin said “I think the quality of the food, I’ve heard, and honestly from what I’ve experienced, [is] getting better … I can tell that there’s more effort and care being put in.” She explained that action stations, where students can get food cooked to order, have also improved the dining hall experience.

“They’ve had pho or Mongolian barbecue … those are fun, they keep it exciting and something to look forward to,”said Scoggin.

Tejada mentioned that students can fill out forms rating their experiences in the dining hall to provide feedback to administrators. However, he said that USUAA does not know where the forms are going. “That’s … something that we’ve kind of struggled to get an answer to. Where [are] the student feedback [forms]? Are they falling on deaf ears?”

“Not to say that they’re trying to ignore the issue. But I

think because it’s just a matter of … contractual agreements with NANA Management, and they have a lot of control over what kind of foods they put out. I think that’s where things get kind of complicated,” said Scoggin.

Tejada explained that there might be a need to look at what other universities are doing to see if UAA can learn from them in an effort to bring better and cheaper options to students. “Why are their [other universities] food options more? Why is it cheaper, even if they have three terms? … Why can’t we do that here?” said Tejada.

Scoggin said that USUAA relies on “students and their feedback because a lot of the …

anecdotes that we use are from students.”

“Go to your USUAA leaders … let them know what you’re experiencing and that’s just like a catalyst for us to advocate for you, dining related or not,” said Scoggin closing out the interview.

As the group of USUAA members walked away from the closed Kaladi’s café, student Hunter Fleischhacker approached them. He admitted to having listened in on the conversation and was curious about dining hall food waste. He suggested that the university should investigate options for donating leftover food – an idea that Scoggin said has been previously discussed by USUAA and will likely be discussed again in the future.

The exchange with Fleischhacker illustrates the importance of student voices. Students can find USUAA members’ contact information on the university website’s USUAA page.

New food options coming to campus in the fall

An interview with Campus Services and Seawolf Dining reveals that new food and dining options are coming to campus in the fall semester.

By Kyle Ivacic news2@thenorthernlight.org

A recent TNL investigation found that many students feel unsatisfied with the food options on campus and would like to see more variety. To learn more about what is in store for food on campus, TNL spoke with Executive Director for Campus Services David Weaver and Seawolf Dining Program Director Trenten Hall. Sitting in the Creekside Eatery, Weaver and Hall discussed the state of on campus dining and the troubles that they have encountered in trying to improve the situation.

“I think one of our struggles compared to when I was a student here,” said Hall, who has served as the Seawolf Dining Director since the fall of 2022, “is the attendance is down … which has kind of made it hard to open up to more [dining] concepts.”

Weaver said that there is less demand because many students shifted to taking online courses during the pandemic and have stayed online since.

Weaver said that a few years ago, the campus was “full” and “bustling.” He says that now “because there’s less demand for coffee [and] there’s less demand for hot soups and other things, it’s given us a challenge.”

Both Weaver and Hall said that breaking even has been one of the main causes of concern.

“… we either have to open up [dining options] and then not [generate] enough money to break even – so it’s costing the

university, and ultimately students money – or just not have them open. And so, we’ve tried to find a middle ground where … we’re just trying to be really cost-effective, but keep our venues open,” said Weaver.

With this main concern out of the way, Weaver went on to address the sizable list of food and dining plans that Campus Services has in the works.

One of these plans is to install two “pizza ATM machines” on campus. These machines will be filled with fresh pizzas that are reheated on demand with induction oven technology.

“Don’t think Hot Pocket, don’t think microwave – this is new technology. They [the pizzas] are fresh made by us. We’ll be able to do vegan, we’ll be able to do gluten-free, we’ll be able to do some sort of standard meat lovers … we’re very conscientious that many of our students are on a budget,” said Weaver. “We want to be able to offer hot food late night near the library, near the Student Union – in a way that students can afford.”

The pair also explained that three machines that are similar to the pizza atms will be installed on campus.

“I think they’re going to be really popular,” said Weaver, who mentioned a variety of other items that might be in the machines, such as breakfast burritos and several types of sandwiches.

“I think it’s going to be a way where we can offer cost-effective, healthy and comfort-type

foods, depending on what a student wants, at a price that’s rea

sonable,” said Weaver.

Another point that Weaver and Hall touched on was the reopening of two cafes planned for the fall: Daily Grind in Cuddy Hall – which reopened and closed again this school year –and Aurora’s Brew in the Integrated Science building. “We’re also going through the process of changing [their concepts], like renaming them and having … a focus on Alaska Native culture,” said Hall.

“We’re working with … Native Student Services and the academic department, Alaska Native Studies, to help us make sure [that] if we rebrand and if we pay tribute or honor Alaska Native culture … we do that in a thoughtful and culturally appropriate way,” said Weaver. “We’re at the early stages of that conversation, but we hope to rebrand and change the names of those two.”

While the hours are not yet determined, Weaver said he would like to see “good, solid” hours for both cafes Monday through Thursday.

In response to complaints about café hours, Weaver said that they extended the operations of the Kaladi Brothers near the library by one hour at the beginning of this semester. “At the end of the day, we have to be thoughtful stewards of university resources … We try to come to the customer when there is demand – even just to break even,” said Weaver. “We have to

be good stewards of the hours in a way that we’re not open when not enough people want a cup of coffee.”

Weaver said that “it’s challenging” to balance the needs of those living on campus with those of commuters. The challenge, Weaver explained, is that commuters’ time on campus is small and “sporadic.”

Even with these challenges, Weaver said that he and his team are “committed” to opening the two cafes.

They also want to open a new dining option next to Subway. “There’s a space that’s ready to go,” said Weaver. “Our plan is to create a menu of six or eight things we think we could do … and we’re going to shop that around to student leaders and others – primarily students – in the next four weeks before commencement, and kind of decide on something to open … that will give us time to build that out.”

They explained that filling that space is not a certainty due to the need for most campus cafes and dining options to be selfsufficient as they do not receive state or federal funding to operate.

However, Weaver expressed confidence that, with the right planning, it will be filled.

The Varsity Sports Grill in the Alaska Airlines Center should be opening for at least one night a week starting in the fall semester. Weaver said that the restaurant will offer “beer and wine for our students and community members who are 21 and over – consistently next semester, one day a week. So,

we’re going to start small … specific, set hours, just come in, have an appetizer … get a beverage of your choice.”

Even with a drop in the overall student population, Hall said that the number of students on a meal plan is “basically back to where we were before Covid.” Because of this, students can expect the Creekside Eatery in the residential campus to be a better experience come the fall semester.

“For our students living on campus … we hired a new executive chef … we’ve made a commitment to the greatest extent possible to use fresh and locally grown vegetables. So, dinner here is actually quite good and we actually have plans, for fall ‘23, to take the next step,” said Weaver. “We’ve been doing action stations where we set out –here among the students eating – several chefs and they hand prepare [dishes].”

Hall said that increased staff capacity has allowed for food that tastes better and is more creative at the Creekside Eatery.

Weaver also said that they would like to add at least one more day to the Creekside Eatery’s late-night dining program, which currently provides meals on Sundays and Mondays from nine to ten in the evening, in order to allow more students to enjoy it.

“I can’t wait to see what happens for fall,” said Weaver. “I think it’s going to be the biggest positive change in campus dining from point A to point B – point A being this spring [and] point B next fall – this campus has seen in a long time.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA.

Kaladi Brothers Cafe pictured in the Social Sciences building.

Under arrest: UAA students participate in mock IRS tax fraud investigation

By Kyle Ivacic news2@thenorthernlight.org

The second floor of UAA’s Rasmuson Hall became the center of operations for a mock Internal Revenue Service sting operation on April 14. Students had the opportunity to learn how IRS Criminal Investigation officers identify, track and bust tax fraud.

This program is offered across the country as part of the IRS Citizen Academy, otherwise known as the Adrian Project – named after its trial run at Adrian College in Michigan. The program intends to help students expand their knowledge of what they can do with an accounting degree while educating them on the lesser-known roles of the IRS.

Students were first given a presentation on what IRS Criminal Investigation is, as well as a quick overview of its origin–which is largely a product of the fight against twentieth-century

Students practiced their forensic accounting skills in a day-long simulation of an IRS sting operation.

organized crime. Currently, IRS Criminal Investigation performs tasks such as finding and fighting tax fraud and tracking money laundering schemes.

After the presentation, students were split into groups that were tasked with piecing together evidence in a detailed mock-up of an investigation. They sifted through tax forms, bills, social security and identification documents, checks and other tax and accounting-related paperwork. All of this was in the search for those involved in a tax fraud scheme.

The IRS officers and accounting professor Soren Orley – who helped to coordinate the event –acted out skits that helped push the tax fraud narrative along. For example, Orley played the role of a tax preparer – working for the company ‘Loopholes R US’ – who falsified tax forms to maximize his clients’ tax refunds – a clearly illegal move.

Roles were given to students as well – allowing them to interview witnesses or take part in the sting as undercover law enforcement.

Students were also introduced to the gear that IRS officers use such as battering rams, hidden cameras and handcuffs. Officers even allowed students to take turns handcuffing one another after receiving instruction on how to properly do so.

At the end of the day students were able to direct officers to make the long-awaited arrest of the mock investigation’s prime suspect, the dirty tax preparer played by Orley.

To learn more about UAA’s accounting program, students can visit the College of Business and Public Policy’s page on the UAA website.

Goodbye, 727

By Scott Petersen sports@thenorthernlight.org

Cut up into pieces and loaded onto trailers and trucks, the University of Alaska Anchorage said goodbye to its Boeing 727 aircraft on April 6.

For 10 years, UAA’s Aviation Maintenance program has used the aircraft as a training tool. A defining feature of Merrill Field airport and the UAA Aviation Technology Center, it now will be used as student housing and a trainer at Fly8MA flight school in Big Lake.

The aircraft was donated to UAA in 2013 as part of Fed-Ex’s decommissioning of their Boeing 727 fleet. The Boeing 727 was first flown in 1963.

Boeing produced 1,832 of the three engine aircraft, with the last one being built in 1984.

The landing at the small runway was joined by many onlookers, and the jet airliner was then placed in a spot visible for those driving into the airfield to see.

Jon Kotwicki, owner and Chief Flight Instructor at Fly8MA, plans to use the aircraft for student housing and as a training tool for those enrolled at the school. Other additions include a bar and lounge replacing the horizontal stabilizer, 40 feet in the air.

In an interview with The Northern Light, Kotwicki wants to create housing he describes as, “an experience and a social atmosphere” he then went on to say, “A lot of the learning in aviation is going to occur besides just one-on-one with the instructors. It’s going to occur during interactions with other pilots, sitting around a campfire at night telling stories, that’s when a large portion of learning does take place.”

Kotwicki also said he wants to create housing that will give student pilots a “sense of belonging.”

Taking apart the aircraft was a challenge faced by Kotwicki in the relocation process. He said, “The process of dismantling the aircraft is very dangerous.”

During one point of disas-

sembly, the aircraft needed to be held up by a crane, and wooden blocks had to be used to prevent the Boeing 727 from shifting and creating an even more dangerous environment. By cutting up the aircraft, he is able to use these parts as instructional aides for the flight school.

Another challenge that will be faced is turning the aircraft into a livable space. Kotwicki said, “so, just out of an abundance of caution, we go through and thoroughly clean all these airplanes, bring them down to bare metal, so that there is no engine oil, hydraulic oil, jet fuel, anything that could remotely, you know, be hazardous for long periods of time,” and that, “It’s one thing to ride on these as a passenger for a few hours at a time, it’s another thing to say somebody’s going to live in this or be spending an extended period in there.”

He also will have to secure the aircraft to the ground once in place to make it safe to live in.

“It’s not as simple as just, you know, putting a car on blocks of concrete blocks and calling it good.”

The aircraft was moved down the highway on a trailer that is made from the aircraft’s fuselage. “It’s actually been welded to a dolly and the dolly is it’s you know, that’s like an understatement. It’s used to move bridge girders, I believe it has 18 or 20 tires on it,” Kotwicki said about the loading process.

“The aircraft itself is the trailer.”

Kotwicki has budgeted around $600,000 to $800,000 to move, secure, decontaminate and build housing in the aircraft. He plans to start work on the aircraft after he finishes turning his flight school’s DC-6 aircraft into student housing.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW SCHMITZ.

Professor Soren Orley under mock arrest while playing the role of a tax preparer working for Loopholes R US.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM BROWN.

The university’s Boeing 727, being first received by the Aviation Technology Center on Feb. 26, 2013.

UAA Dance takes a final bow

More than just a program, UAA dance fostered an entire community that is now feeling the program’s loss after its final performance in early April.

By Taylor Heckart new3@thenorthernlight.org

Disclaimer: Kaycee Davis is a reporter for The Northern Light and was interviewed for this article.

It was a crowded Friday night at the Anchorage Museum on April 7. The museum’s large atrium was so filled that guests had to find space on the stairs and the second story balcony to watch the dancers below.

Music filled the space as onlookers watched the evening of dance performances begin. An estimated 2,500 people turned out to watch the UAA Dance In Concert Retrospective 2023, the final performance of UAA’s Dance program.

The retrospective performance was an immersive experience, with dancers performing in the Atrium, the Art of the North gallery, the Alaska Exhibition and the Pass the Mic exhibit simultaneously. There were different performances happening every 15 minutes.

Onlookers were given the opportunity to walk between performances, enjoying live music, tap dance, group and solo performances and even a dance with a bronze toilet in the middle of the floor. It was electric and emotional as a community came together to say goodbye to a beloved program.

In 2020 the University of Alaska Board of Regents announced that dozens of programs in the UA system were being cut in an effort to save money – UAA’s theater and dance program was among them. Since then, the minor has been slowly phased out as remaining students completed their degree requirements.

Jill Flanders Crosby is a dance professor, and has been teaching dance at UAA since 1976, long before dance became a minor in 2001.

Dance classes were originally offered through Anchorage Community College starting in 1971, and switched to UAA in 1987 when Anchorage Community College merged with UAA.

Flanders Crosby said that the impacts of UAA’s dance program are easily seen in the Anchorage community – not

only are dance groups in Anchorage filled with UAA dance students, but UAA dance alums have started dance companies in town. Stephanie Wonchala, The founder of Pulse Dance company, is a UAA Dance alumna, as is Katie O’Loughlin, the cofounder of Sunlight Collaboration.

UAA dancers from decades ago still feel the impacts of the program today. Katya Kuznetsova came to UAA as an exchange student in 1996, pursuing a degree in business. She originally took dance classes because she was bored and looking for “something a bit more.” She’d been a dancer since she was young but didn’t think it was something she could pursue professionally.

“We didn’t have a minor yet, but there was a small group of us … undergrad students who were interested in dancing more and perhaps creating something together,” said Kuznetsova. Students created a club which quickly sparked an entire dance community.

“What Jill [Flanders Crosby] created was like this really fertile ground for so much creativity and so many people coming together,” said Kuznetsova about that time.

Through the program, Kuznetsova learned more than just how to dance. She also learned how to care for her body, how to relate to other people, how to be present, and how to listen. Kuznetsova credits that experience with teaching her how to show up in the world and be a better parent and friend.

“I left… fifteen years ago and I live in a completely different country now. And I’ve applied so many lessons from being a part of the program to my life.”

Kuznetsova now works professionally as an independent dancer in Toronto, organizing community dance events and teaching people who do not consider themselves dancers how to dance.

Currently, only two dance minors remain at UAA– Kaycee Davis, and Buggy Ezell.

This is Davis’ second time with the program. She originally took dance classes in 1991, and returned after receiving her English degree in 2019.

One of her favorite things about the program was how it respected people. “Our department was inclusive before inclusivity was a thing. We didn’t have stick figure ballerinas there. We had all sizes. We were body positive. That wasn’t even a word 30 years ago,” said Davis.

The lessons that Davis learned through dance at UAA were so pervasive that she brought breath counting techniques from the classroom all the way to the birth of one of her children. For her, dance provided a level of “body awareness” that she was able to take into the other moments in her life.

The other remaining dance minor, Ezell, graduated from high school in 2020, and said that it was frustrating coming to UAA only for the program to be suspended. She originally came to UAA excited to be a part of a dance community and to find friends within it.

“What really sucked about that is the fact that almost all of my classes were like, one to two people,” said Ezell, “Everyone was trying to graduate out of the program.”

The impacts of cutting this program go beyond UAA’s dance community. Ezell said that Anchorage’s dance companies Momentum Dance Collective and Sunlight Collaboration rely on UAA dancers. Sunlight often recruits through UAA,

and Momentum recruits through Sunlight, so decreased UAA dancers means less members for both groups.

In addition, Ezell said that UAA’s once-vibrant dance club no longer has enough members to continue being an active club.

Flanders Crosby said dance companies are important and valuable to Anchorage dancers, but Anchorage also needs what the university provided as an equally important part of a dancer’s education.

“Dance in higher education is where your dancer learns how to teach without injury … they learn principles of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology. They learn how to open their eyes to understand why dance forms reflect particular cultural values and how. And thus they learn how to make sure that those are visible rather than hidden.”

She also said that cutting this program will give high school students who want to continue to pursue dance no other option than to leave the state. She said that cutting this program only takes more people away from Anchorage’s resident dance companies.

Ezell said that she doesn’t understand why a program like this would be cut.

“And when arts are cut, they’re cutting out community outlets,” said Ezell, “And without those kinds of outlets, grades are gonna drop and community

relationships are going to suffer and there’s gonna be so much more depression, because at least for me, I get such a … relief from dancing and finding people who share .. that same passion.”

“I think they’re taking away a huge chunk of goodness from our students, and it’s just, I can’t… fathom why they’re doing it.”

Kuznetsova said it was a shock to learn that the program was ending, and that she’s still in denial about it. She said that in a place as cold and isolating like Anchorage, UAA’s dance program was her main way of staying connected to people.

“I can’t imagine Anchorage without the dance program.”

In the final retrospective concert, Flanders Crosby said that every single performer passed through UAA’s dance program in one way or another.

“To bring everyone together and celebrate what the dance program did for this community, and to allow all the performers to come together and share and express what the dance program did for them, in particular, was huge,” said Flanders Crosby

“And to see that many people down there was a testament to… no matter what happens with the dance program, the community respected it and supported it and came out in force in a way that I hope it makes some people stop and think about what they are eliminating.”

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX

Jill Flanders Crosby, Becky Kendall, Katherine Kramer, and Katya Kuznetsova perform Sing a Song of Song dance at UAA’s Dance programs final performance.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX

Kristal Peréz performs Safe Space at the UAA Dance in Concert Retrospective 2023.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX

Jamie Cartwright, Buggy Ezell, Dawn Jensen, Tey Mone, Mikayla Ellison Phillips of the Sunlight Dance Collaboration performing Core Memory in Concert Retrospective 2023.

UAA treats alums to music, great food at Alumni of Distinction Celebration Banquet and fundraiser

By Kaycee Davis features2@thenorthernlight.org

Champagne and sunshine greeted attendees as the university social scene woke up after COVID-19.

The Alumni of Distinction Celebration Banquet on March 31 was well attended. I have not been to other Alumni of Distinction events, but it was noted that this year was special because organizers also worked with the Culinary Arts program and noted that this year is their 50th anniversary.

The Cuddy Center had the blinds open enough to let the sunlight filter in. Mischa Shimek, a UAA graduate and local music teacher played guitar while alumni and staff seemed to also be getting back into socializing – I watched people greeting each other and there were a lot of hugs, handshakes, and happy greetings, “It’s been years! How are you? We go too long not seeing each other!” There was considerable talk of covid being over, and many were realizing that they had not seen each other since before covid.

Attendees were treated to a video of UAA. There was a land acknowledgement and on video Chancellor Parnell welcomed everyone to the party and mentioned that there were over 67,000 UAA alumni in Alaska all over the world.

Each of the recipients were introduced by a friend or colleague, and then the recipients came up to receive their award and give a speech.

Marie-Sophie Boggasch was selected as the “UAA Emerging Leader” award recipient. She completed her UAA degrees, a B.S. in Aviation Technology in 2016 and an M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2020. She worked in aviation, then returned to UAA to coach gymnastics. During her coaching tenure, the program was about to get cut and she raised more than $900,000 to keep it. She said in her speech, “From here to eternity is now.”

Maggie K. Winston received the UAA Humanitarian Award. She received

an A.A. in the general program in 2015 and a B.A. in Psychology in 2015, both from UAA. Having been diagnosed with idiopathic transverse myelitis at the age of 21, which left her without the use of her arms and legs, she has been described as a “fierce advocate for expanding services for people with disabilities on various boards, councils, nonprofits, and her current position as director for independent living programs at the Independent Living Center in Kenai.” Part of her platform is to let people know that “people with disabilities are part of the entire public.”

Kenneth D. McCoy, Jr. received the Alumni of Achievement Award. As a former chief of police in Anchorage, he followed up his career with becoming chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer at Providence Hospital. In his speech, he spoke of his role of “diplomacy, dignity and service” and a desire to “improve the lives of all Alaskans”. He publicly thanked his family for their willingness to share him “with our great community.”

Before the advent of smartphones, fundraising events had a moment in the program, after the speakers had done their presentations, where people would reach for their checkbooks to donate. I saw audience members picking up the donation cards and looking at their phones instead– I suspected it was to donate. It occurred to me that the money that those people were donating was a personal investment in Alaska’s future. The Alumni of Distinction are some of UAA’s brightest stars, but the majority of students who enter UAA leave with having learned something and have come out better for it. Many of our students suffer for their education, and without the help that these donors gave, might not be able to afford to attend UAA.

We had dessert and people were talking again and catching up. It was a lovely evening and I am sure that those having gone look forward to more.

UAA professor John Schultz provides context for recent U.S. intelligence leak

The leak has many questioning the safety of classified information and has led to strain in international relationships.

By Kyle Ivacic news2@thenorthernlight.org

Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman from Massachusetts, was arrested on April 13 for his role in leaking classified information over social media. For months, Teixeira shared U.S. intelligence on a Discord server – revealing stunning secrets about such topics as the war in Ukraine, Chinese weapons programs and American spy operations on allies. Much of the leaked information is recent – some of the documents are dated March of this year – and are heavily classified, with labels including ‘Top Secret’ and ‘Confidential’.

Overall, hundreds of documents have reportedly made their way around the internet –causing concern, anger and even denial within the international community. The South Korean government, for example, claims that documents detailing

American eavesdropping on Korean politicians are false.

A major concern regarding the leak is that Russian leaders will use the information to develop a new strategy for the war in Ukraine. Some of the documents discuss the state of Ukrainian air defense systems, as well as troop casualties within both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries.

While the leaks have hampered American interests abroad, the Pentagon has sternly suggested that the international commitment to helping Ukraine remains strong.

TNL spoke with UAA professor John Schultz to contextualize the situation and provide insight for students wanting to investigate this topic and other pressing foreign policy issues.

Schultz said that it is important to understand that within a democracy the values of liberty and freedom are often caught in a struggle with the value of security which causes “tension.”

This leak is strange in that Teixeira – unlike leakers of the past, such as Edward Snowden – did not seem to have the intention of disseminating information for the public’s benefit. Rather, it appears to have been for personal gain.

“Seemingly, the intentionality was different,” Schultz said. The information was meant for “a cohort of selected friends and individuals.”

When asked if the leak will affect American foreign policy moving forward, Schultz said that there will “certainly” be an effect but that it is unlikely to be significant – especially in terms of maintaining relations with our strongest allies.

Schultz said that when it comes to gathering intelligence on allies there is a “fundamental tension between secrecy and transparency.” The American government, like any other, has an interest in preserving national security and must therefore “evaluate” when a situation calls

Finland becomes 31st NATO member

By Kyle Ivacic news2@thenorthernlight.org

Finland became the thirtyfirst member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on April 4 – nearly a year after applying for admission. The accession of Finland to NATO membership comes as a major setback to the Russian regime, which has feared and protested the organization’s eastward expansion for decades.

Finland’s May 2022 request to join NATO came after Rus-

Finland’s important 30-year relationship with the alliance enters a new chapter – causing concern within the Russian regime.

sia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent fears that the war might spill over into neighboring countries. The Russo-Finnish border stretches 832 miles and is now subject to the protection of all NATO member countries.

Finland’s admission into the organization further protects Europe from Russian incursions and is a continued show of force by NATO nations against Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Finland has been an important partner to the organization for about 30 years and has supported NATO-led operations and missions. According to the Global Firepower Index, Finland is capable of activating 900,000 military reservist personnel – a formidable number against Russia’s estimated 830,000 active personnel and 250,000 reservists.

NATO Secretary General

for actions such as espionage.

For students wanting to become more involved and educated on foreign policy – possibly to help them better understand these kinds of events – Schultz said that UAA is a great place to be. Academic programs such as Political Science are “a great way to take classes that wrestle with these questions that are teasing out these tensions of … what do we value? [And] what ought we do in the pursuit of those values?”

“There’s lots of opportunities for students to get involved, to learn more about what’s going on in the world outside of the classroom,” Schultz said. He pointed to the Alaska World Affairs Council as “a wonderful

resource” for students to get involved and learn. He mentioned the Council’s hosting of an event on U.S. – China relations which TNL reported on earlier this year. Schultz also said that the Consortium Library provides students with access to the journals Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy through the library’s website. He described Foreign Affairs as “one of the best resources that has a great balance between scholarship and expertise, coupled with readability and accessibility.”

Schultz encourages students to take advantage of their opportunities “to engage with these questions” during their time at UAA.

Jens Stoltenberg said on April 4 that, “Finland brings substantial and highly capable forces, expertise in national resilience and years of experience working side by side with NATO allies.”

Finland’s neighbor, Sweden, also requested to join the alliance last year, however, Turkey – a NATO member – has objected due to concerns that Sweden harbors militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party which fought against the Turkish government in the 1980s. The accession bid was further harmed when images arose from a Swedish protest in January of a figure of Turkey’s President, Tayyip Erdogan, being hanged by antiErdogan protestors. Even with these hurdles, talks on allowing Sweden into NATO are ongoing. At this time, the main goal of NATO member countries and those seeking to join is to deter threats from Russia. While the organization boasts strong military capabilities, those capabilities have, thus far, been rarely tested.

One thing has been made clear, NATO countries’ combined efforts to help Ukraine have renewed belief in the alliance’s relevance and abilities.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX.

Katie Bender presents the Alumni Emerging Leader award to Marie-Sophie Boggasch, UAA Gymnastics Head Coach.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX.

Maggie K. Winston received her Alumni of Distinction Award on March 31, 2023. Award presented by Jennifer Wisel.

PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. The Pentagon pictured from above.

OPINION 07

Flexible deadlines and its effect on the student

How the absence of a deadline can affect a student’s turn-in rate and quality of assignments. A professor’s take unveils the individualism of this method.

By Hannah Dillon opinion@thenorthernlight.org

With the semester coming to an end, many students are facing different kinds of deadlines from their professors. Some have specific dates when material needs to be turned in, and others, such as UAA writing professor Shane Castle, leave the deadline up to students.

This brings up the questions of deadline methods and their efficacy. Some research sug-

gests benefits to hard deadlines, though I myself like the flexibility of open ended assignments.

In an interview with Shane Castle, I asked a few questions regarding his deadline method. During our conversation, Castle helped me understand exactly what this type of deadline method entails.

This particular methodology is not just about deadlines, it is the “classroom ecology”, said Castle. This “labor-based grading contract”, a form of “antiracist pedagogy” as he called it,

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provides the student an opportunity for successful assignment completion amidst differing background practices or experience, especially among writers.

Castle says, in addition to a no-deadlines approach, the labor based grading system he uses also has to be joined to have the full effect of both approaches.

Castle prioritizes the improvement of student ability, through these conjoined methods, Castle helps students by “showing students where certain things need additional intention, telling them how they might do it, making yourself available to help them do it.”

He also said: “A lot of this is around trying to coax what’s natural out of people when given a situation and acknowledging everyone has their own writing rhythms, and then to pretend otherwise, is just an absurdity. We come to our final products very differently and who’s to say which one of those paths is the right way”.

Castle recognizes the individuality of the student and understands the effects multiple deadlines have in the busy lives of UAA students.

While Castle’s grading and

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deadline method may be tied to successful submissions, other research on the subject offers a different result.

According to a 2022 study in “Understanding the use and Potential Effects of a No-Deadlines Approach” by Fox et al, the study finds that the most common result of the removal of deadlines, leads to a decrease in assignment submissions.

While according to the study there was a 28% decrease in submissions in the event of a flexible deadline policy, the quality of submissions improved.

Even though the submission rate may decrease in a flexible deadline policy, it’s understandable that the remaining completed assignments were done by individuals more committed to their work.

This flexibility could be used as a “recruiting” process, as each individual is expected to complete their work in an acceptable amount of time, rather than by a hard deadline. A priority of quantity over quality allows anyone to turn in a relevant submission, but a no-deadline policy could make for one that values work ethic over basic completion.

Students often find themselves swamped with assignments that are all due on the same day, pushing the stressed student to work harder as many

deadlines approach during finals. With an open ended deadline, students may feel relief and a sense of time to actually complete their work in certain classes.

In my opinion, I prefer the flexibility of an open ended deadline. Flexible deadlines offer the responsibility and freedom to the student to decide when an assignment is good enough to be submitted.

This flexibility can partially omit some of the anxiety many students feel during midterms and finals, providing a choice to the student to complete their assignments in reasonable time. And students may turn in assignments when they are amended, rather than rushed due to a forced deadline.

Implementation of a flexible deadline allows the student to focus on urgent assignments, as well as allot time for students who are parents, working or simply overwhelmed in life. While some students may fall behind an acceptable personal deadline as procrastination or life events ensue, many students may feel an ease of tension. Flexible deadlines are an advantage to the student, anyone who is lucky enough to be presented with a choice of timely submission should not take this policy for granted.

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Four hockey seniors wrap up their time on Seawolf ice

Four UAA hockey players – Derek Hamelin, Caleb Hite, Nolan Kent and Jamie Collins – finished their collegiate career this year. In an interview with TNL, the players shared their hockey stories.

By Avery Williamson sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Because the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nearly all sporting activities, the NCAA granted an extra year of athletic eligibility to collegiate athletes. This gave seniors Derek Hamelin, Caleb Hite, Nolan Kent and Jamie Collins an opportunity to compete for five years of collegiate hockey. The seniors spent this fifth year helping rebuild UAA’s hockey legacy.

Seawolf hockey was cut as a sport in 2020 due to state funding reductions, but two years and over $3 million later, UAA hockey is back. TNL sat down with the seniors to hear their hockey stories.

Derek Hamelin

Hamelin’s hockey career began when he was only three years old. “My older brother played,” said Hamelin. “When I was three I would watch him skate and I guess I wanted to be him.”

From that point forward, Hamelin continued to play. At 14, he already knew that collegiate hockey was in his future. Hamelin left home in Quebec and headed to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to begin his schooling in the United States.

After graduating from high school, he went to Canisius College in Buffalo, New York and played four years of collegiate hockey there before transferring to UAA this year.

“I chose UAA because it would give me a good opportunity to play,” said Hamelin. “It’s obviously a program that came back after being gone for two years. I also know Aaron McPheters, [director of hockey operations]. I played with him when I was younger at South Kent Prep School and he spoke well about the place.”

Hamelin was happy he got to finish his collegiate hockey career at UAA. He was also happy

about how the season went. “I thought [the season] went well,” said Hamelin.

“I don’t think many people thought we would win any games and we were able to beat some pretty good teams. The first weekend we beat Western Michigan, a top 10 ranked team in the nation. I was pretty happy about what we accomplished this year.”

Hamelin hopes to play professional hockey in Europe next year. If this doesn’t work out, he wants to go back to Quebec and start working.

Though he’s leaving the team, he wants them to remember he’ll be cheering them on from the stands. “To all the freshmen, good luck the next three years, and to all the juniors and seniors, good luck with the new freshmen,” said Hamelin. “Just keep on doing better, and I’ll be watching, that’s for sure.”

Caleb Hite

Hite’s hockey career also began at a young age – when he was four years old. “Both of my older brothers played hockey and my dad wanted to play hockey his whole life but never played,” said Hite. “He put my older brothers into the sport and I just followed in their footsteps.”

Hite grew up in Grand Blanc, Michigan, where he was constantly exposed to hockey. He watched lots of NCAA Division I hockey teams compete and decided he wanted to be a part of that culture.

Hite went on to play three seasons for the University of Alaska Fairbanks before entering the junior hockey league in the North American Hockey League.

He played one season for the Minnesota Magicians and then one season for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. In Fairbanks, Hite played for current UAA assistant coach Trevor Stewart. He then headed back to school to play as a Seawolf.

Track and field wins five events in California

By Scott Petersen sports@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolves’ track and field team won both the men’s and women’s 4x400-meter, the men’s 400-meter, the men’s long jump and the men’s triple jump at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, hosted by San Francisco State University, from March 30 to April 1.

For the men’s 4x400 the team of Kevin Angarita, Joshua Wagner, Timothy Hunter and Maximilian Kremser achieved a time of 3 minutes 17.12 seconds. The men held the lead until the third leg, where they fell behind. But on the final leg Kremser powered past the second place team

to secure the win.

The women’s team for the 4x400 of Blanca De Arvizu Sarrias, Sophia Cvancara, Joei Vidad and Olivia Manley hit a time of 3:54.66. The team held the lead the whole relay.

Collin Sample came first in the men’s long jump with a distance of 22-8 ½ as well as winning the men’s triple jump with a leap of 44-2. Sample also won the long jump the previous week at the Mangrum Invite in San Diego.

Kremser, a world class sprinter from Germany, won the men’s 400 with a time of 47.87 seconds, setting a Mike Fanelli Track Classic record. Kevin Angarita placed fifth in the same

“I came from UAF, so I’m familiar with Alaska,” said Hite when asked why he chose UAA. “Trevor Stewart was also my head coach when I was playing junior hockey up in Fairbanks, so familiarity led me here.”

Like Hamelin, Hite was pleased with how the season played out.

“I thought it was pretty successful,” said Hite. “I didn’t have many expectations coming in with a new team, but I thought we grew as the season went along and we finished the year pretty strong.”

Now that he’s graduating, Hite plans to stay in Anchorage and work. He wishes the team luck in future seasons and said he knows they’ll continue to grow from this season.

Jamie Collins

Collin’s brother and dad inspired him to play hockey.

“My brother played when he was young and I pretty much did whatever he did, so I started with hockey too. I started skating when I was three and began playing hockey when I was five or six.”

Collins’ goal wasn’t always to play collegiately, though. Instead, he just wanted to continue to progress as an athlete. But when he hit his teenage years he realized he had the potential to

play in college and worked toward that goal.

Prior to coming to UAA, Collins played four years at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. He then headed to UAA to play another year.

“The coaches here and the school gave me an opportunity to play,” said Collins. “It also gave me an opportunity to get my Master’s degree which is kind of the best of both worlds.”

Collins said he was impressed with how the season went. “It was a good season after the program shut down for two years,” said Collins.

“It might not look like it from an outside perspective that we did well, but I think we did a lot of good things. I think the program grew a little bit more and hopefully it keeps growing in the future.”

As of right now, Collins’ post-graduation plans include working. He wants the UAA hockey team to know he appreciates them and that it was an honor to play with them. “I’m really happy I came and I’m happy I was a part of the program,” said Collins. “I wish my teammates good luck going forward forever.”

Nolan Kent

For Kent, hockey has always been a huge component of his life. “I was a big Calgary Flames fan when I was younger,” said Kent. “When I was about four years old they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals and that really sparked my interest in the game.”

As Kent began to play more, he realized the best way to advance his game was to play collegiately. He then headed to Northern Michigan University

and played four seasons there.

From there, Kent entered the Alberta Junior Hockey League and played two seasons for the Spruce Grove Saints. In the 2017-18 season, he led the AJHL in save percentage.

Kent then came up to UAA to use his last year of athletic eligibility.

“I just wanted an opportunity to play some more,” said Kent. “With the program restarting, guys were able to play more so it worked out really well for myself.”

Kent said, while the team’s record might not reflect it, the team had an amazing season this year. “I felt like we exceeded the expectations of the people outside of our team,” said Kent.

“If you look at other teams that have been reinstated you see that they’ve won one or two games and we won eight. Near the end of the year we were competitive in every game which was really good to see.”

Now that he’s graduating, Kent’s biggest goal is to leave a legacy at UAA. “I hope I can leave a lasting impact when I leave Anchorage,” he told TNL. From there, Kent plans to play professional hockey.

Lastly, he wants to share his gratitude to his team. “I want to say thank you to my team for all their hard work this year and I wish them nothing but the best moving forward,” said Kent.

“I hope they appreciate the time they spend at UAA and don’t take it for granted.”

With only one season under their belt, the Seawolf hockey team has a promising future ahead of them. Check GoSeawolves.com later this year to view the 2023-24 hockey season schedule.

event with a time of 48.73.

Joei Vidad placed fifth in the women’s 400 at 59.48.

For the women’s 100-meter, Olivia Manley came in third at 12.21.

Essence Slate had her collegiate debut and placed fourth in the women’s long jump at 17-2 ¾. Also in the event was Carlotta Duenninger at 15th with a 16-4 ¼ leap and Jayden Glaze at 22nd achieved 15-4.

For the men’s 100, Enrique Cambell was fifth with a time at 10.82 and Jacob Belanger placed 34th with 11.39.

Joshua Wagner, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference defending champion in the 110-meter hurdles, placed seventh with a time of 14.87 in men’s 110-meter hurdles.

Other results of the race can be viewed on the Mike Fanelli Track Classic website mikefan-

ellitrackclassic.com.

The Seawolves’s track and field team will participate in the

Bryan Clay Invitational April 13 through 15. You can watch the meet live online.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX. Seawolf pre-game huddle.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORGE SANCHEZ. INSTAGRAM @JORGE.CREATES

Winners of the men’s 4x400-meter relay.

Matt Shasby reflects on first hockey season back after budget cuts

After hockey was cut as a UAA sport in 2020 due to reductions in state funding, the pack is finally back. In an interview with TNL, head coach Matt Shasby and assistant coach Kevin Murdock comment about how the season went and make goals for next season.

By Avery Williamson sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Matt Shasby reflects on first hockey season back after budget cuts

After hockey was cut as a UAA sport in 2020 due to reductions in state funding, the pack is finally back. In an interview with TNL, head coach Matt Shasby and assistant coach Kevin Murdock comment about how the season went and make goals for next season.

By Avery Williamson

You don’t make it to the collegiate level as an athlete – or coach – if you don’t have a drive to win. Pure competitiveness plays a huge role in athletic success.

So, of course the UAA hockey team wanted to dominate this year. But the Seawolves weren’t just focused on a high win percentage as a measurement of success. For them, their largest victory was finally being on the ice again.

In 2020, UAA cut hockey because state funding for the university faced large reductions. But instead of accepting defeat,

the Seawolves raised over $3 million in order to be reinstated.

Though UAA hockey was reinstated, there was still a lot of work to do. The Seawolves needed coaches that could help rebuild the team. Luckily, head coach Matt Shasby, associate head coach Trevor Stewart, assistant coach Kevin Murdock and director of hockey operations Aaron McPheters stepped up.

While coming to a new team and starting fresh may seem scary to some people, the staff was grateful for the opportunity and excited for the challenge.

“I grew up here and I played for the university for four years,” said Shasby. “There’s no other place I would want to coach in college hockey, just because I have such a close connection to the program.”

The other coaches also have connections with Alaska. Before coming to UAA, Stewart was coaching the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League team.

Murdock coached Kenai in 2019 and was coaching the North Iowa Bulls of the NAHL

team prior to this season.

McPheters joined the staff in 2022 after serving as the assistant coach with the Ice Dogs. He also played three years as a Seawolf, recording one goal and six assists for UAA.

“It was easy for us to jump on board to support the program because we all have familiarity with it,” said Shasby. “There wasn’t really any convincing that needed to be done about wanting to come to a new program that had been reinstated. We all knew we wanted to coach at this level.”

With a new coaching staff and 27 new players, the Seawolves finally returned to the ice after two years of waiting.

The coaching staff wasn’t sure how the team would perform this year, but it’s safe to say they exceeded expectations. “Everything was unexpected, just with everybody being new to the program,” said Shasby.

“We’re very happy with the overall outcome of the season. We’re really happy with the interaction between our student athletes and the campus and the community. So I would summa-

rize it all and say the first year back was a huge success.”

With 27 new players on the team and hockey being a teamorientated sport, the team struggled to play together. But, as the season progressed, the team chemistry grew. Shasby said this development as a team is illustrated in their record.

“If you look at the record and how the scores of the season laid out; you can see that the team struggled early on. The scores are directly related to the group becoming more cohesive and more comfortable on the ice and the players finding their own roles within the team.”

Murdock also spoke with TNL about the team’s season. He said, while it’s hard to pin-

Seawolves men’s basketball signs star player from Grace Christian

Head coach Rusty Osborne announced on April 4 that the Seawolves have added local celebrity Sloan Lentfer to UAA’s roster.

By Avery Williamson sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Sloan Lentfer – a 6’7” forward who was named the Alaska 3A Boys Player of the Year by the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches – has signed a National Letter of Intent with the Seawolves.

Lentfer was awarded this honor after leading the Grace Christian High School Grizzlies to a state championship, Alaska Prep Shootout title and Alaska Airlines Classic title this year.

At the Alaska Airlines Classic, Lentfer was named the Most Valuable Player after recording a double-double — two

statistics in the double digits — in all three of the games he played. In Grace Christian’s championship game win at this tournament, Lentfer recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Lentfer was also named MVP at the Alaska Prep Shootout a week earlier. He helped the Grizzlies advance to the state tournament his sophomore and junior years of high school, including a runnerup finish last year.

In an interview with associate media relations director Nate Sagan, Osborne expressed his excitement to have Lentfer on the team.

“We are very excited to add Sloan as the second piece of our recruiting class,”

Osborne said. “He had a special year both individually and as a team, winning multiple titles in both the regular season and postseason.”

“He is a tremendous rebounder and a smart, tough defender,” Osborne also noted.

“Offensively he has great hands, can score inside, and is a very good passer. Once he gets experience playing consistently against other opponents his size, we expect him to have a great college career.”

The 2023-24 UAA men’s basketball season is still to be determined, but it will likely start in late October. Check GoSeawolves.com periodically to find out when Lentfer will make his debut in a Seawolf uniform.

UConn defeats San Diego State in March Madness, win their fifth national title

Every time the Huskies have made it to the March Madness finals they’ve left with a national championship title. This year was no exception to that trend.

By Avery Williamson sports2@thenorthernlight.org

The University of Connecticut men’s basketball team brought home another NCAA national championship trophy this year, defeating the San Diego State University Aztecs 7659 on April 3.

On paper, the Huskies already had an advantage over the Aztecs. They were a higher seed number – UConn was seed number four, San Diego State was

seed number five – and, unlike the Aztecs, were never considered underdogs at the tournament.

Doug Kezirian, a ESPN Sports Betting Insider, wrote for ESPN on April 1, “Throughout this NCAA tournament full of historic upsets and unpredictability, UConn has been the lone contender and blue blood to survive the carnage and reach the Final Four.” And this was a shared mindset throughout the United States. Analysts, coaches, players and

fans seemed to come to a consensus that UConn would be taking home the trophy.But San Diego State didn’t make it that easy for the favorites.

The teams were very even in the first half of the game. Each time the Huskies scored, the Aztecs responded. UConn led by only five points – 40-35 – when the halftime buzzer sounded.

And though the odds were stacked against them, San Diego State refused to give up. UConn led by 15 points with just under 10 minutes left in the game, but

point just one success, he’s most proud of the games the team won this year.

“We found a way to make ourselves competitive the second half of the year,” said Murdock, “and we built some momentum that hopefully carry into next year.”

Murdock was also impressed with the team’s success off the ice. “We have a really good group of guys who had success in the classroom too,” said Murdock. The team finished the first semester with a 3.61 cumulative GPA.

And while this season was a success, the work isn’t done. The team is already setting new goals – on and off the ice – for next year.

“We want to increase the community service hours that our players are spending with our community, whether it’s youth hockey in the community or its Special Olympics hockey,” said Shasby. “There’s a variety of different areas that we can connect with our community.”

“In terms of wins and losses, we hope to be in double-digit wins next year,” added Shasby. “We feel like, with this freshmen class and the couple of transfers we’re bringing in, our goal is very attainable. The next step for our program is to hit that double-digit win mark and kind of go from there.”

The 2023-24 hockey schedule is still in progress. Visit GoSeawolves.com later this year to view the schedule, and make sure to head to the Seawolf Sports Complex next year to cheer on the Seawolves.

two minutes later, that lead was cut down to six points.

Tristen Newton and Jordan Hawkins then took over the game for the Huskies, each player making clutch shots to fend off the Aztecs. Newton finished the game with 19 points and Hawkins scored 16 points.

The momentum created by these star players helped UConn extend their lead and secure a 76-59 win over San Diego State. More importantly, though, the win signified another national championship title.

In addition to the 2023 title, the Huskies are also the winners of the 1999, 2004, 2011 and 2014 national championships. More impressively, though, UConn is 5-0 in the March Madness Championships. Every time they’ve made it, they’ve won it.

The Aztecs were close to breaking this streak, though.

Despite facing a heartbreaking loss to UConn, saying their season was successful is an understatement.

The underdogs were arguably responsible for the biggest upset of the tournament when they defeated Alabama, the number one seed, to advance to the elite eight. Shock emerged again when they defeated Creighton, one of the favorites in the tournament. And finally, no one expected the Aztecs to put up such a fight against the Huskies.

This year’s March Madness tournament was filled with countless surprises and upsets, but ultimately the UConn Huskies came out victorious.

Will UConn’s perfect record in the national championship finals endure, or will a mystery team bring their streak to an end? There lies the beauty of sports. Only time will tell.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX.

Sloan Lentfer rebounds for the Grace Christian Grizzlies.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA. UAA Hockey head coach Matt Shasby.

FEATURES

UAA’s Department of English showcased students and annual anthology, Understory

English majors turn out to be good communicators, creative thinkers and tech savvy problem solvers.

By Kaycee Davis features2@thenorthernlight.org

The UAA Department of English presented their Celebrating English Studies event on April 20 at the Consortium Library. In Zoom attendance were various students and faculty from UAA, MatSu College, and Prince William Sound. There were four professors in attendance, David Bowie, who MC’d the event, Patricia Jenkins, Jennifer Stone and Toby Widdicombe, and attending via zoom were Ron Spatz of UAA, Dennis Humphrey from Prince William Sound and Iver Arnegard, Sheri Denison and Annette Hornung from Mat-Su College.

As local attendees mingled, they were treated to a charcuterie buffet and were presented with an icebreaker where they were encouraged to write their words to live by, career goals, and favorite book on the white board. The present UAA professors determined winners, and the prizes were books.

Leslie Olberding was introduced, and she encouraged the English majors — as she encourages all students — to come to her just to talk at least twice a year.

She is one of three advisors to English majors. I followed up with her in an email and she wrote that advising “is kind of like a car tune up - do you need to go? Eh... your car will run fine for a while regardless of if you get it serviced, just like you can probably pick out classes and register just fine on your own. But the repairman (and advisors) often see problems before you do. It’s good to get those

problems fixed before they become major.”

In an email, Bowie wrote that when he came on, advisors were not seen as “being key to student success” but that they are now, and he has seen a difference.

Iver Arnegard of Mat-Su College read a nonfiction piece called “Place of the Red Willows.” He teaches Introduction to Creative Writing, Writing and the Sciences, and Writing Across Contexts.

Speaking to the audience and transitioning to the panel discussion, Bowie reminded everyone what English majors know so well, that it isn’t only the literature that English majors read that matters, it is how they apply it. He put forth the department points, that English majors are creative thinkers, they are problem solvers and effective communicators. He also said that they tend to do well in “graduate, law and medical school applications.”

Questions were asked of the panel that all the professors were invited to join in answering. The questions ranged from what attracted them to English studies to what they think is the future of English studies.

At first the discussion was fun but a bit standard, with professors talking about family influences and being determined to not become an English teacher and not having degrees that had “English” in their titles, but the discussion picked up speed when a professor brought up Chat GPT and students using AI to write papers. One of the professors said that AI doesn’t do citations, and another added that AI

can only do what it is programmed to do.

During his part of the conversation, Toby Widdicombe brought up his interest in English and one of the questions that liberal arts majors try to answer: What does it mean to be human?

I followed up with him on this and in an email he wrote that he thinks “there is no more important question than our own self-definition as a species. Only with that definition can we move on to other questions: the nature of god; our role as part of a broader nature; the value of learning. Science helpfully tells us a tale of objective reality. The humanities tells us a subjective tale of what the experience of the human condition is like in all its glory and frustration. At least the humanities knows it is a tale. Sometimes scientists pretend or believe that objective reality exists. Kant, among others, would say no. Fichte helpfully says we can never get to the “ding an sich” (“the thing in itself”).”

The case of the missing microwaves

Some of the microwaves around campus disappeared last November but soon reappeared. Where did they go and how did they come back?

By Matthew Schmitz editor@thenorthernlight.org

For students who pack lunch or purchase food that needs to be heated, the microwaves around campus are an essential tool. So, when some of them disappeared for a short time last November, the impact was felt immediately.

Belle Moulton is an undergrad from Northern Vermont University, studying at UAA on the national student exchange program. She is pursuing a degree in international relations.

Last semester she was living in Eagle River and commuting to campus. She said money was tight, so she brought her own food to campus.

Moulton said she typically brought microwavable rice and beans and used the microwave by the vending machines in the Consortium Library.

But, she said, something went wrong.

“I showed up one day and went to warm up my rice and beans, and there was no microwave. It was gone.”

The experience was a frustrating one, she said. And not knowing if there were other microwaves on campus, she resorted to driving back home to Eagle River to eat, which she said became an added expense.

And Moulton wasn’t the only student affected. In an interview, Lorelei Sterling, head of access services in the Consortium Library, said that when the microwaves disappeared, she started getting requests from students to use their microwave in the break room for library staff.

She said they had to turn them down.

“We felt terrible, but there was no way we could accommodate students in our

staff areas … it just isn’t practical or feasible.”

Sterling said she heard from roughly 10 to 15 students while the microwaves were missing.

She brought the issue up in a Senate Faculty meeting on Dec. 2 to Ryan Buchholdt, vice chancellor for administrative services, who happened to be attending.

At the meeting she said, “Students have been complaining quite a bit that all the microwaves on campus were removed, the public access microwaves … I do understand I think there are efforts to get them back. But to have them removed two weeks before the end of the semester isn’t great.”

She went on to say, “I just want people to know that the microwaves got taken away with no warning and no explanation to building managers.”

Buchholdt said that he had noticed some of the microwaves were gone and had intended to look into it. And that just prior to the meeting he found out about the issue

He said he had been talking to Vice Chancellor of Facilities Kim Mahoney about getting the problem resolved.

“[The problem] is fairly fresh for me, and I got several messages out to people to figure out what happened.”

By the end of that same day, the microwaves in the Social Science Building, Rasmussen Hall, the Professional Studies Building and library vending machine room were all replaced.

So, what happened to them? Where did they go? And who brought them back?

In an interview with The Northern Light, Heath Franklin, contract manager for housing and facilities, said that they had removed several of the microwaves

Someone from the audience asked what advice professors had for students. Dennis Humphrys said, “Don’t let people tell you what you can or cannot do with an English degree.”

Stone told the audience to “apply for a job even if you don’t have 100% of the qualifications.”

Widdicombe said that English majors “tend to be nerdy and somewhat shy” but that they need to learn to market themselves.

As the panel wrapped up, the floor was given to the presentation of Understory, UAA’s annual anthology that showcases student talent in “writing, language and linguistics, literary studies and rhetoric and composition.”

Three pieces were read. June Huntington read their piece, “Whale in the Woods”, a piece written about a whale that had gone too far up an inlet and was trapped and where the narrator sympathized, having their feelings of entrapments in life, and selected by Taylor Heckart and Taylor Morrison, the editors of Understory.

Ruth Hall read her piece, which was selected by Toby Widdicombe, “Conditions in a Post Modern World: Alienation in Thomas Pychon’s The Crying Lot 49,” and Nicole Pendleton read her piece, which was selected by Jennifer Stone, “Rhetorical Analysis of Vladmir Putin’s National Address.”

The occasion was a feel-good time for the professors and majors, and Bowie estimated that the total number of people at the event including Zoom attendees was around 50 people.

The quality of work of the students and the discussion ensured that the program is producing good students. In ending comments, Bowie said that the department hopes this will become an annual event.

that were next to vending machines in November because they had not been kept clean over the years and that they were in “bad shape” and “gross” inside. Also, he said that some were safety hazards because they had frayed power cords.

He said it was not clear who was responsible to clean them, or who even owned them, as several of the microwaves had just turned up over the years.

Not all the microwaves on campus were removed, though. Some belonging to specific departments and organizations were left alone, such as the microwaves in the Student Union and the one in the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building.

Franklin said the vending machine company responsible for all the vending machines on campus, Aurora Vending, agreed to take care of cleaning the ones next to the vending machines for a few months prior to a new contract, but the new contract did not include terms for them to continue maintaining them.

David Waver, executive director of housing, dining and campus services said that without someone to maintain them, “[The microwaves] became just difficult to manage [and] it wasn’t a good solution for students.”

“Heath came to me and said, ‘[Aurora,] they don’t want to manage these, it’s outside their scope and our contract, can we just pull the ones we operate? They’re not getting clean [and] we’re not capable of managing them well.’ And I said, ‘Heath, go for it … if it’s substandard and we can’t deliver something clean and hygienic, let’s just pull it.’”

Weaver said the microwaves on campus “evolved without a broader plan.”

“Somebody would say ‘Student Union: we sell hot pockets. we should have a microwave here.’ And so they bought one.” Or that someone would get a new microwave for their home and bring their old one to campus for people to use.

Weaver said that he “underestimated the importance of microwaves on campus,” and that shortly after removing them, he started hearing, “where did the microwaves go?”

He said, “Kim Mahoney in facilities kind of stepped in and said, ‘you know what, we can provide them … and we can make sure they’re clean.’”

In an interview, Mahoney said her team purchased some extra microwaves around the same time the ones around campus were pulled. She said she wanted to replace the one in the Professional Studies Building by the vending machines with a larger model, and her team had just happened to buy four, thinking they may have other places to use them.

She said the microwaves were not expensive, costing around $100 each.

“Because [my team] bought four I was able to deploy four of them the same day that Lorelei testified at Faculty Senate. So literally a day did not go by … literally an hour went by and there were microwaves [back] after she testified. That was just an odd circumstance.”

Mahoney said she too had noticed that some of the microwaves were gone and had first heard of the issue at a Facility Space Planning Committee meeting — which she chairs — the day before the Senate Faculty meeting.

Mahoney, who is in charge of the custodial contract at UAA, said that they added cleaning the four microwaves to their contract terms with the janitorial services.

She said it runs around $1,300 a year to keep the four clean, and that the other microwaves that belong to specific departments and organizations will need to be kept clean by their respective owners.

She added that there are paper towels located next to the microwaves that people can use to cover food and clean up spills as well.

Of the disruption and uncoordinated response, Mahoney said that “one arm of the administrative services did not know what the other arm was doing.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR MORRISON

Editors Taylor Heckhart and Taylor Morrison pose with a copy of their work, Understory.

Alaska Native Studies program teaches insight into cultures, history, politics, and art

University of Alaska Anchorage program offers a surprising number of options for Seawolves to learn about Indigenous Alaskans and cultures

By Kaycee Davis features2@thenorthernlight.org

The Alaska Native Studies website describes their mission as providing “an in-depth perspective on contemporary Alaska Native societies, languages, cultures, history, politics, art, tribal governments, and our for-profit as well as our non-profit corporations.”

They offer many classes in seven languages, as well as classes that are Alaska Native themed classes across the curriculum, including anthropology and art, business, dietetics and nutrition, justice, music, nursing, psychology and social work.

As a department at UAA, it offers a minor, an associate of arts degree, and two occupational endorsement certificates in the Ahtna and Dena’ina languages. In addition, Kenai Peninsula College offers a minor in Alaska Native Studies, and students can take classes for an associate’s degree or get an occupational endorsement certificate in both the Dena’Ina and Ahtna languages, in conjunction with classes from UAA.

Ahtna is only offered through Kenai, but the classes are offered online and in person, so it is possible to get an occupational endorsement certificate online. Kodiak College offers an occupational endorsement certificate in the Alutiiq language. UAA also offers undergradu-

ate certificates in Ahtna and Dena’Ina languages.

TNL spoke to Maria Williams of the Alaska Native Studies program and she shared that Alaska is “in the middle of a language renaissance.” She explained how Sondra Shaginoff Stuart, the Alaska Native Studies Program Chair, created the occupational endorsement certificate because there was a need in South Central Alaska, especially in Anchorage. Williams said that there are K-12 schools that need language teachers and there are a lot of teachers and students of education taking the Alaska Native Languages classes.

According to an article in Alaska Business Magazine, “half of the first-language speakers of Kodiak Alutiiq [have] passed away.”

There is an attempt all over Alaska to bring back the Alaska Native languages, with Roy Mitchell of Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council quoted in Alaska Business Monthly as saying that “many non-Native people, including policy makers and teachers, may operate in ignorance of Alaska Native language loss or that in the past Alaska Native students were forbidden to speak their languages. The history of language suppression and loss is still felt with ongoing intergenerational trauma.”

After decades of forced assimilation, it is crucial for the healing of the population to retain and normalize Alaska Na-

tive languages. According to the Kodiak College website, the region has a need for paraprofessionals with Alutiiq language proficiency, and the occupational endorsement certificate at Kodiak College is helping to fill this need. Language proficiency does not mean that holders of the occupational endorsement certificates will achieve full fluency by the end of the program, but that they will have built a foundation for future study, allowing students to continue to learn and communicate in their chosen language. There are a minimum of 15 credits needed for the certificates. For the Dena’ina and Ahtna languages, students will come out “with a low intermediate language proficiency,” with the Alutiic learners getting an intermediate proficiency.

UAA also has undergraduate certificates in both Ahtna and Dena’ina language instruction. These require close to 30 credits and prepare students with “knowledge, resources, and skills appropriate for a variety of entry-level jobs” where they can start teaching at a beginner level. These classes are often offered after 5 p.m., and Williams says that this is because so many students are working during the day.

With seven languages offered by the university, how does one choose? Williams said, “Students choose the language based on personal interest and preference.” She said that for those who take languages, “some students are from the regions with different levels of expo -

sure and understanding, and some are not Alaska Native but maybe grew up in the area and just want to have a better understanding of the local language and culture.”

Williams shared a need for people to be informed in business and politics. She said there were people from “all over the world” and locally, applying the minor to different degrees.

There are two ways of doing Alaska Native studies through UAA’s College of Business and Public Policy, and students may opt for either an occupational endorsement certificate or the minor in Alaska Native Business Management. According to the college’s website: “Alaska Native Corporations are an essential part of the Alaska economy. Learning the history, culture and management of these dynamic organizations is essential to anyone doing business in Alaska. This program is for both Alaska Native and non-Native students alike who plan to live and work in Alaska.”

Williams said that the program is still young, but — with minors, an associate’s degree, certificates and students working in the field — it is already fulfilling a mission in teaching students about Alaska Native societies, languages, cultures, history, politics, art, and the corporations that shape Alaska.

For students, staff and faculty that are interested, the Alaska Native Studies program will be hosting two student showcases at the end of the semester. The first one will be on Thursday April 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in SSB 119, and on Friday April 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in SSB 119. Support your fellow Seawolves in the Alaska Native Studies program and see what they are doing!

From military lifestyle to the college experience

An interview with three veterans of different branches, backgrounds and college education paths on what their transition from the military to school was like, and the isolation you never hear about.

By Kate Alexandria Monahan news4@thenorthernlight.org

According to Statista: ”In 2021 about 5.09 million veterans had obtained a bachelor degree or higher in the U.S. In that same year, about six million veterans had some college or an associates degree, and about 773, 422 had less than a high school diploma.”

To put a face to these statistics and find out about what pursuing school after service in the military is like, I spoke with three veterans of different backgrounds in life, careers in individual branches of services, and later on different college choices. Did they get the same opportunities despite completely different jobs and branches in the military? Are the colleges they attend offering services for them? What’s it like leaving the military to pursue careers after serving?

My first source was someone I previously worked alongside in the U.S. Army, Matthew Ferrer. He said that his transition from his career as a military police officer to his goals of becoming a justice graduate and pursuing a job as a police officer has been everything but smooth.

Ferrer began his career in the Army, and enlisted at the age of 18. He served for six years as a military police officer, where he was deployed in Turkey, along the border of Syria, and in Africa too.

Upon leaving the military he immediately registered for college and had to learn how to obtain resources from the Veterans Affairs on college Benefits.

Ferrer said that the Army did not offer any sort of assistance for the transition. Ferrer applied and earned the Veterans Affairs 9/11 GI Bill, and the Disabled Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Bill, Chapter 33. He now attends St. Mary’s College in Texas where he is pursuing a criminal justice degree.

Ferrer at times feels successful and at other times struggles to even get to class because of his disabilities from the Army. He said he has personally experienced professors treating him negatively because of his service and sacrifice to our country.

He said one professor went so far as to verbally devalue his need to have a service dog with him in classes and belittled his career with comments about him being in war and combat.

My secondary source was Zoe Garbarino, who has been deployed to the Middle East. She described the process of moving from being a journalist and communications soldier to working toward her dream of attaining a bachelors of science in nursing so she can one day become an esthetician.

Garbarino enlisted at the age of 17 into the Army as a public affairs specialist, serving for a total of five years with deployments to places such as the Middle East, where she saw and experienced combat and was on the response team for casualties.

Garbarino said her favorite time in the military was seeing soldiers she’s helped mentor succeed in life, the Army and as a civilian.

After serving her term, Garbarino decided it was finally

time to put herself first and pursue a dream of hers to become an esthetician.

Just like Ferrer, the Army did not offer any services or resources for her time transitioning out, and she had to research everything on her own. After her time in the Army, Garbarino registered immediately for college and began the nursing program at the Arizona College of Nursing.

She applied for the 9/11 GI bill offered by Veterans Affairs and believes because of her military experience she is much more advanced in lifesaving courses, first aid and CPR. At the beginning of her transition from the military, she struggled to find a balance but is now making friends and is succeeding in her classes.

She said her biggest achievements have been her hard work in the military and how she took that hard work and applied it as a civilian college student.

According to an article in the Diverse Educational Report: “Veterans possess immense potential for academic success. Our experiences, skills, and self-discipline often give us a leg up in the classroom. This isn’t merely anecdotal. Several studies have found student veterans, on average, perform better in college and tend to have a higher GPA than traditional students.”

My last source was a man by the name of Barry White, who enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1979.

White’s story is a bit different from the first two Army veterans but important for military personnel thinking of chang-

ing career paths while in college, finding opportunities better offered outside of the college scope.

He went into the Marine Corp as an aviation - egress environmental cryogenics technician. White served for a total of 21 years, 11 active duty and 11 in the Reserves.

During his time of service he was deployed out of the country where he supplied long distance aircraft support from the United States to Israel and Egypt. After his time in service, he decided to leave because he was not being promoted. White was required to do the work of others, all the while those marines got paid the same as him to do nothing.

That situation opened up his eyes to what he wanted to do with his future. While enlisted in the Marine Corps, he took classes at the local community college, attended an aeronautical college on base.

He achieved certifications in various areas, such as integrated computer electronics. He excelled in project management classes and decided upon honorably discharging out of the Marine Corps, so that he could invest his time in working rather than going back to college. He

already had certifications and was personally recommended for a job that was willing to train him with no degree required.

The first job that he landed was at Honeywell, where he was hired for the internship program as an electronics technician. The Marine Corps did not offer any services or resources to him, and everything he did, or learned, he did on his own and within his own research.

Even though he did not complete college, like many veterans, he took some classes and from there succeeded through the non-traditional route of going straight to work when the Veterans Affairs and the Marine Corps offered no help, or resources for him.

Each of these veterans had their own stories and individual military career, and they all offered advice to anyone who is possibly looking to transition from the military to college.

Ferrer said to apply to multiple colleges with veteran services and veteran communities. Garbarino said it’s okay to take your time to find the motivation like in the military and find your groove. And White said that the best option is to go to school immediately, and optimize education offered to you.

&

Movie review: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ rolls a mixed success

Though lauded by critics and packed with remarkable live action effects, the highly anticipated movie struggles to standout from other fantasy adventure films.

By Taylor Heckart new3@thenorthernlight.org

If you’ve been consuming popular culture in the past few years, it’s likely that the 1970s dice-rolling role-playing-game Dungeons & Dragons might be a familiar name. Dungeons & Dragons is no longer the domain of just the most dedicated fans. Instead, it’s moved from the fringes to something pretty mainstream. Dungeons & Dragons’ parent company, Wizards of the Coast, estimates that over 50 million people have played Dungeons & Dragons since its creation.

The live-action movie version of the game, titled “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” was released on March 31. Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez, and Regé-

Jean Page are only a handful of the famous faces that battle their way through the fantasy-scape of Dungeons & Dragons.

The movie is set in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms and begins with the charismatic bard Edgin Darvis and his barbarian friend Holga Kilgore, as they work to escape a prison.

They were originally captured two years earlier after being double crossed in an attempt to steal some treasure, including an object that Edgin believed would bring his deceased wife back to life. He inadvertently caused her death years ago after botching a job as a thief. It was something he never fully recovered from, and he held the guilt for the rest of his life.

After their escape, Edgin and Holga go to retrieve Edgin’s daughter, Kira, from one of their

friends, Forge, who cared for her in their two-year absence. However, Forge had become the powerful Lord of Neverwinter and has spent this time turning Kira against Edgin.

Edgin is now forced to put together a band of adventurers to not only help him get his daughter back, but also once more find the one thing that will bring his wife back to life.

“Dungeons & Dragons” had a successful debut with its opening weekend ticket sales totaling to $37 million. The film has made back the cost of production. The estimated budget for “Dungeons & Dragons” was $150 million, and the movie has made over $180 million in worldwide sales at time of writing.

With a current score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.6/10 on IMDB, the movie seems to

Fever pitch: TikTok v. America

The State of Alaska and UAA join a growing list of institutions with bans or restrictions on the use of TikTok.

By Kyle Ivacic news2@thenorthernlight.org

Governor Dunleavy wrote in a Jan. 6 memo that “effective immediately, all state executive branch agencies … may not use TikTok on any state-owned electronic device, download or use the TikTok application or visit any TikTok website on the state network.”

The Governor’s memo cited the risk of a foreign government, namely China, accessing “confidential or private data from state agencies or employees” as the main reason for the ban.

The state is not alone in creating rules around the use of TikTok. UAA students received an email detailing changes to the university’s social media policy on Feb. 17 – with a focus on TikTok-specific changes that limit the use of the app on universityowned devices.

The email, which was sent by the UA Office of Information Technology, states that “federal

and state bans on the usage of TikTok on government devices prompted us to review how TikTok is used at UA, and update our social media policy to strike that balance.” Ultimately, the decision was made to prohibit university students, staff and faculty “from using universityowned devices to access personal TikTok accounts and software for non-university-related activities.”

The TikTok policy can be viewed on the university’s website under “Guidelines for the Use of Social Media” where it has its own general guidelines drop-down. Notably, TikTok is the only social media outlet to be directly singled out in the guidelines.

In an interview with TNL, Interim CIO of UAA Information Technology Services Rodney Brown said that the changes are “tempered” compared to Governor Dunleavy’s recent banning of the app on state-owned devices and networks.

Instead, Brown said that the

be a hit among audiences. IGN called the movie “a fun-filled and wholly accessible fantasy adventure that leans into the spectacle and silliness of D&D campaigns.”

For me, however, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this movie was missing something.

To be fair, first and foremost there was a lot about it that was done incredibly well. The movie’s commitment to practical effects over CGI in various scenes was impressive.

In one scene a character uses a “transmute rock” spell, turning a stone floor into quicksand. Instead of using CGI, tiles were placed on sand and air was pumped through, causing it to liquify.

Die-hard Dungeons & Dragons fans will be excited to know that the famous city of Neverwinter makes an appearance, and large portions of the set were built instead of using CGI.

Many of the fantasy species in the movie like dragonborn or aarakocra were done with puppets and motion-capture technology.

In the age of overused — and often poorly done — CGI, it’s refreshing to look behind the scenes of a set and see that not everything is a green screen or a person in with styrofoam balls attached to a morph-suit. Even when CGI is utilized, it helps add to the broader story, making it interesting and visually rich in the same vein as the gorgeous illustrations that grace Dungeons & Dragons books.

However, when I left the movie I found myself asking, “What sets this apart from other fantasy movies?”

Dungeons & Dragons occupies a really interesting space in the gaming world. It was among some of the earliest commercially-available tabletop role-playing games, and it’s a franchise

to share user data with the Chinese government in accordance with data laws in that country.

university’s policy respects “the academic freedoms and … the culture of openness at the university.” The university is “not doing any technical controls” nor is it “blocking anything.”

“It’s really a policy change that kind of advises ... people to use that [TikTok] at your own discretion.”

When asked if there have been policy discussions regarding other social media outlets, Brown said that he has “never heard anything about us implementing any more technical controls … but right now [there are] no active plans that I’m aware of for any other type of social media. Right now, a lot of the focus is on TikTok.”

The university’s new policy comes amidst tense national discourse on US-China relations which has given rise to anti-TikTok sentiment. TikTok, with 150 million American users, is one of the most popular social media platforms in the United States –a worrying fact for many in national political circles due to the app’s Chinese origins.

Allegedly, TikTok parent company ByteDance is required

defined by group dynamics and community-building skills. There’s a lot of creativity that goes into making a game up on the fly, and everything can come crumbling down with a good or bad dice roll.

The community tabletop dynamic is an important aspect of the storytelling in the game. The movie, however, focused mostly on the fantasy aspect and ignored certain structures of gameplay.

It did make some stylistic choices that honor the gameplay, like seemingly random and weird events that would result from a poorly thought out campaign in a game session.

But, players of the game understand that when something goes wrong at a key moment, the catalyst is a poor roll of the dice. With much of the gameplay aspect removed from the movie, it makes some “low roll” moments feel weird and poorly written.

Though the movie sometimes does a good job of incorporating common in-jokes that can develop from the game – like characters named “Jarnathan” in an otherwise high fantasy setting – some choices did not mesh as well with the tone of the movie.

The random, unpredictable events that were a part of the movie did not contribute to some of the tropes and endings. Since “Dungeons & Dragons” is a family movie, those familiar with the fantasy genre may very well find the ending and some of the twists to be very predictable. The final twist became obvious about halfway through the film.

On one hand, I don’t think “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” lived up to its full potential. It didn’t take advantage of the unique narrative and collaborative opportunity that playing Dungeons & Dragons provides. On the other hand, it’s still a fun fantasy movie set in some of the more iconic locations in the Forgotten Realms and upholds many of the tropes and absolute nerdiness that comes with the game.

What draws the most concern is Article 7 of the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic – a portion of which reads as follows:

“Any organization or citizen shall support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law, and keep the secrets of the national intelligence work known to the public.”

According to the Associated Press, “more than half of the 50 U.S. states” have banned TikTok from government devices, “as have Congress and the U.S. armed forces.”

While political fervor around the app continues to escalate, ABC News reports that “there is no evidence that TikTok has shared US user data with the Chinese government.”

TikTok CEO Shou Chew echoed this sentiment when he testified before Congress about the app on March 23, saying, “I have seen no evidence that the Chinese government has access to the data [of TikTok users]. They have never asked us [and] we have not provided.”

Chew also said during the hearing that “in order to assure everybody here and all our users [of their data’s safety] – our commitment is to move the data into the United States to be stored on American soil by an American company overseen by American personnel.”

Chew’s comment was in reference to TikTok’s ‘Project Texas’ which the company claims is a “multi-pronged initiative” that will “strengthen the company’s data security program.” In short, TikTok’s aim with Project Texas is to consolidate U.S. user data into servers owned and operated by Austin-based computer software company Oracle. Whether or not more controls are sanctioned on TikTok remains to be seen. At this time, however, TikTok can still be used on university-owned or administered accounts so long as it is for “official use” such as “marketing” or “outreach” according to the university’s previously mentioned social media guidelines.

The hearing was convened by Congress to help determine whether or not TikTok should be used by Americans given the potential national security concerns.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIDAN MONAGHAN/PARAMOUNT PICTURES.

The main cast of “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”

Book review: ‘Growing Down’ is a tale of the human spirit rising up through hardship

Reminiscence and resilience as local author reflects on the life as a half-Aleut child in territorial days in Mat-Su.

By Kellie Davis features2@thenorthernlight.org

Book review: ‘Growing Down’ is a tale of the human spirit rising up through hardship

Reminiscence and resilience as local author reflects on the life as a half-Aleut child in territorial days in Mat-Su.

By Kaycee Davis

“Growing Down: A Novel of Reminiscence and Remembrance” by Sarah Kavasharov, 188 pages, 2013.

The Matanuska Valley is a place that embraces some of its roots and downplays others.

There are many business and street names that refer to the Colonists, a group that came to Alaska as part of a farming experiment in the 1930s. Before that there were Alaska Native tribes that lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Russians arrived in 1741 and then the Alaska purchase and the whites came in.

“Growing Down,” written by Sarah Kavasharov, tells of the story of a family with ten children and focuses on the experiences of their daughter Annie. The inside page of the book says it is fiction, but bookseller Ruth Hulbert, of Fireside Books in Palmer, told me that it is “fiction based on true stories.”

The first chapters are told simply through the protagonist Annie’s eyes as a little girl, and the story gains complexity as she is forced to leave her family’s homestead after losing her mother to alcoholism, and then her father to a heart attack. But fear not, readers: while “Growing Down” is sad, it is about resilience.

Spoiler alert: she makes it!

Along the way, Kavasharov depicts the landscape of the South Central region of the then Territory of Alaska and the people Annie encounters. She illustrates how Annie had to take on a leadership role for her younger siblings Elizabeth and Jeannie, when they were all put into foster care.

Kavasharov presents the family dynamics of the foster families that Annie and her sisters lived with, giving a glimpse into how child welfare was handled during territorial days. Life just happened to her and her sisters in foster care, they had no autonomy.

Always in the midst of the sadness, there is nature. The earth was Annie’s rock as a child. The name of the book, “Growing Down,” is explained in the preface and refers to Buddha leaving his protected home and stepping onto the earth.

At her worst moments, Annie, who grows and becomes Anne, is saved by nature: when she falls, nature is always there to catch her physically and metaphorically.

There is a scene of Anne in church on Easter. She was thinking that “there was something disturbing in tales about a dead man coming out of a cave – out of his tomb,” when her eye was caught by some white flowers, Easter lilies, which she had never seen.

“It was magical, not believable, that there could be things so gloriously in bloom reaching marvelous full life out of the frozen cold.”

Depictions of abuse, prejudices and hardship inflicted upon Annie and her family by colonists, religious people, and teachers are felt by readers. From these same groups, so too do readers see those who reached out to Anne with help as she got older.

There is a cycle of abuse of which modern society is aware of, but in Anne’s time, was seldom acknowledged and resources were sparse for those caught up in it.

Anne’s Aleut mother was named Theresa. Readers get glimpses of Theresa throughout the book and see her quick de -

cline due to alcoholism. Anne saw her father go from loving her mother to his opinion of her changing after the colonists came, and he “let the general prejudice sway him.” Theresa is given her own chapter at the end of the book to talk about her life.

“Growing Down” reminds readers that the past is made of strong people but also flawed people. We can reflect and ask ourselves: have we become better?

I enjoyed “Growing Down” for its themes of “child vs. world and overcoming,” but as a student and lover of literature that pertains to flora, I also appreciated it for references to flowers and interactions with nature and what these did for the child becoming an adult.

“Growing Down” is self published but can be found with a quick Google search at many locations.

The book has a niche audience: tourists and Alaska history buffs who want to read about Alaska’s history will appreciate it because it shows a facet of Alaska that often gets overlooked. Social work, human services, and psychology students will appreciate it for the insight it offers to people coping under duress.

The meal gets its own review: Seawolf culinary knocks it out of the ballpark with great menu at Alumni of Distinction Banquet

UAA culinary classes cater a celebration, inspire and elevate.

By Kellie Davis features2@thenorthernlight.org

There were two great successes that happened on March 31 at the Alumni of Distinction

Banquet held at the Cuddy Center. One, which I have written about, was the banquet itself. The other was an accomplishment belonging to the culinary arts class.

Most of the time, a really good meal would be considered par for the course at a university event and not written about, but since 2023 is the 50th anniversary of the UAA Culinary Arts program, it gets its own article.

Chef Kellie Puff shared with me in an email that this was their second year hosting the event and she added, “We love the partnership as well as the real world experience this offers our catering management students!”

There was an assortment of choices that included an impressive array of gluten free, nut free, and vegan options. A vegan lasagna, salmon, pork, a textured herb rice, spicy Moroccan cauliflower, a couscous salad, and the crowns of the meal – chocolate mousse with fresh fruit, and a strawberry-basil shortcake. I cannot share every single dish that was available, but I did try a few.

With what would have been my first choice of vegan lasagna

already having been claimed by event-goers, the person in front of me at the buffet got the last slice of salmon.

All that was left for me was the pork. I typically avoid pork, but part of the adventure of going out is trying new things. I was glad for my limited choice: the pork tenderloin roulade was tender and juicy, rolled around a stuffing of greens. I am not familiar with culinary terms and looked up roulade. Roulade is a food that is served as a roll.

Something that I want to encourage TNL readers to do when you go out is to pay attention to what you eat and to take at least one gastronomic memory home to try. I may one day make the pork tenderloin roulade, but that is out of my ordinary culinary skills and will be a project.

The side dishes were good as well. Something easy to eyeball and try at home that I tasted at the Alumni of Distinction event was their Moroccan cauliflower. It appeared to have been cooked and seasoned with a Mediterranean blend, with high notes of turmeric, black pepper and garlic.

To me, the crowning glory of the meal was the dessert menu. There were two selections and I chose one, the strawberry-basil shortcake, and then when most people had left, I snagged the chocolate mousse with fresh fruit.

The culinary department created tasty juxtapositions. The chocolate mousse was creamy and thick, but also fluffy. The blackberries and raspberries that graced the top had a heady aroma that was enhanced by the chocolate. You could taste it before you ate it.

My favorite was the strawberry-basil shortcake. The “cake” was almost a cookie–there was a crispness to it, which was almost flaky, but it was still a cake. It was sweet without being overpowering. The strawberries were fresh and had an inviting aroma, but they were not too sweet.

The complexity in arranging a large event — 150 people — like this cannot be overlooked. Students have to learn somewhere and events like the Alumni Distinction Banquet offer valuable real world experience. I asked what the hardest part of this was and assistant professor Riza Brown asked her students. “Breakdown was the most difficult as we didn’t understand the flow of where dishes went at first so we had a struggle setting up a cohesive bussing station.” Another student said, “Keeping up stamina.”

I asked about what made it successful and Brown again pointed to her students, “For an

event to be successful, planning and setup are essential, which is difficult since it was most of our students’ first time running an event.”

While I thought that everything went smooth, the image of the duck swimming, looking calm on top but paddling like crazy under the surface seems apt.

My take on this is that Seawolves should go to anything that our culinary arts program is hosting or helping to put on. Obviously we all love to eat and the food is good, but the program is something to be proud of, and deserves our support.

Culinary arts is like high fashion with the palette of dishes and flavors constantly changing from year to year. The students become designers of food and have to keep up with the changing dynamics of what is available, minding costs and demands from an ever changing public.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN COX

The Strawberry-Basil Shortcake created by UAA Culinary Arts for the Alumni of Distinction Celebration.

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF PIXABAY.

“’The fox dreams of mice in bountiful fields where her little ones play,’ quoted Miss Dickson from the last half of The Fox poem; ’she dreams that the dainty Wildflower Spirit has fooled the Winter gods so that they sleep...’” p. 150, “Growing Down”

GRADUATES 14

Disclaimer: This graduation list was compiled on April 27. Students who applied to graduate after that date will not appear on this list.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Dr. Jenny McNulty, Dean

MASTER’S DEGREES

MASTER OF ARTS

Anthropology

Allyson M. Pease

English

Emily S. Hall

MASTER OF FINE ARTS

Creative Writing and Literary Arts

Vicki M. Crosby

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Applied Geological Scienc-

es

Veronica L. Jones

Cameron R. Kuhle

Robin B. Van Auken

Logan R. Wieland

Biological Sciences

Natasha M. G. Chenot

Sabre M. Hill

Christina R. Minions

Clinical Psychology

David T. Adams

Ryan J. Druffel

Caitlin M. Fitzpatrick

Angel G. Garcia

Leonard L. Hall

Calista E. Kern-Lyons

Ohna B. Korshin

Darlene F. Teela

Sharnel D. Vale

Dmajia T. Voliva

Sarah A. White

Jennifer S. Yazzie

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

Children’s Mental Health

Tracey P. Eason

Reina H. Hasting

Katelyn G. Saft

Tania V. Silva-Johnson

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Anthropology

Katherine P. Apatiki

Christine Anne S. Castro**

Micaiah C. Dyer*

Nicholas J. Maness

Abner Montanez Jr.*

William D. Picard

Connor D. M. Priest

Art

Gloria L. Alsworth

Allyson D. Brokaw**

Theresa A. Harnish*

Sharon F. Hunter

Cassidy L. Johnson***

Hattie S. Little-Burgener

Elijah M. R. Mayfield

Collin A. Sample

Biological Sciences

Amy E. Baxter

Erica L. Quiett***

Sophia M. Vercelline

English

Boyde J. Allen*

Nicole J. Aufderheide*

Ashley Cook**

Stephanie Y. Crago

Connor C. Kostival

Corey M. Lentz

Taylor N. Morrison

Timothy M. O’Rourke

Moriah G. Parker**

Margaret A. Patkotak

Nicole M. Regan

History

Zachery A. Ahrens

Lindsey E. Alarid*

Tunca I. Askin**

Sean F. Bever

Deborah L. Bryner

Madison L. Dooley

Logan M. Farrar*

Benjamin S. Fujimoto

Daniel Geiger

Peter H. Geiger

Aaron Gordon

Conner T. Gray

Sharon F. Hunter

Nicholas Lacombe

Brian A. Malone

Ava K. Martin**

Aeron C. Mills*

Ariana E. Moyer**

William D. Picard

Connor D. M. Priest

Jacob L. Roberts*

International Studies

Zachery A. Ahrens

Benjamin S. Fujimoto

Gabriela A. Gonzalez Martinez

Sara E. Rollins*

Jordan S. Thibault

Nikolay Timofeev

Isabella T. Zamora

Journalism and Public Communications

Amy M. Bioff

James Boatman

Feng-Ching Chang

Suzanne P. Fonova

Tyson S. Gilbert

Hans F. Personius*

William D. Picard

Donald X. Randle

Jeremy D. Rolston

Languages

Alexander F. Bromirski

Gavin M. Davis

Ashton R. Lund

Katelynn R. Marshall

Sarah I. Nunes

Moriah G. Parker**

Music

Donald Endres*

Noah T. Hamre

Kea M. Hufford***

Philosophy

Tunca I. Askin**

Aaron Gordon

Political Science

Angelo K. Amorin

Joseph M. Donald Jr.

Kimmie N. Elrod

Gabriela A. Gonzalez Martinez

Matthew J. Green**

Savannah N. Melendez

Aeron C. Mills*

Mckayla M. Montgomery

Patrick M. Pilatti

Hannah K. Utic*

Psychology

Harvey J. J. Ancheta

Ra’Anaa Bey

Khyla A. Chasse

Mallory C. DenBoer

Dianilee Duckworth Hodge

Madeline R. Garcia

Amanda M. Grella

Haylie R. Hellman*

Cynthia M. Lopez

Malia K. Main**

Susan V. Paul*

Mackenzie B. Robinson***

Adren K. Setian**

Railey J. Speck*

Sociology

Janelle A. Tingook

Theatre

Emily D. Pratt

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS

Art

Sarah L. Baktuit*

Deborah L. Hansen*

Austin R. Pyle

BACHELOR OF MUSIC

Music

Natnapol Amornkiat**

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Anthropology

Lilly K. Conducy

Biological Sciences

Brittany R. Gardner**

Erica M. Johnson

Jerica C. Manaois*

Kendyl L. Murakami

Alycia E. Roehl

Kevin S. Shedlock

Nadia B. A. Sherman-Barcelona

Leif J. Thurmond

Charles K. C. Tyrrell

David S. Warren

Diana C. Won

Chemistry

Isabel G. Broek

Lauren S. Kohntopp**

Jordyn E. McNeil*

Eljsa Papraniku

Jacob M. Torres

Jack C. Walters*

Environment and Society

Devin R. Anderson

Anna M. X. Wen

Geological Sciences

Kristen E. Erdman

Naomi L. Pavone*

Ambrosia L. Rhoads

Mathematics

Edward S. Hazelton*

Eric J. Rangel

Natural Sciences

Victoria L. Anderson

Alexander R. Brandenburger**

Cy C. Dull

Ashley R. Gibson

David S. Harding*

Harrison F. Helton

Eric W. Holland

Gregory M. Long

Elizabeth F. McCullough

Elizabeth Y. Miller**

Bridget M. Moe**

Nicole K. Pinckney

Jonathan P. Pomrenke

Zobeida M. Rudkin

Keira M. Stroh*

Emmanuel P. Tobey

Caleb J. Wagle**

Psychology

Isis I. Allen

Halle L. Beaver

Alexander R. Brandenburger**

Sasha K. Collum

Jessica N. Conrad

Katelyn B. Cusack

Kimani E. Fernandez Roy*

Kassandra A. Haan

Nancy Jeptoo

Jonathan T. Le

Natalie S. Mack

Joseph Q. Ngo***

Emily N. Saeteurn

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS

Alaska Native Studies

Meda M. Dewitt*

Nikki C. Peidlow

General Program

Zachary C. Abdallah*

Andrew N. Adams*

Boyde J. Allen*

Leonard W. Anderson*

Miles A. Apatiki

Lola Baqui

Steven D. Bell

Rebecca M. Bisson-Reyna

Selma A. Bojorquez Casa-

granda***

Seth V. Burch*

Emma Ching

Adelaine J. Christmas

Sofia A. Clark

Sara A. F. Coleman

Janessa M. Flowers

Courtney N. Fossum

Linnaea M. Gossard**

Hosanna Hale*

Sara M. Haring-Matos**

Devin P. Higgins**

Nathaniel L. Jones

Jesse R. King*

Corey M. Lentz

Ruby A. Malmquist

Christian J. H. Moore*

Melinda R. Moto-Weinstein

Emma M. Muhlbauer**

Brooke C. Nash*

Shane W. O’Quinn

Charity M. Price

Grace Marie S. Reyes**

Ian Sands

Alexander J. Seckers

Diana A. Seeman

James I. Sewell

Graylin R. Simes

Christopher G. Sorrow

Ahlana D. Swisher

Matthew D. Thompson

Sophia M. Vercelline

Cassandra G. Workman

Maria A. Worrell

Dorothy D. Yang

OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENT CERTIFICATES

Graphic Design

Amy M. Bioff

Professional Writing

Jaylyn H. Antonio

Stephanie Y. Crago

Connor C. Kostival

Corey M. Lentz

Moriah G. Parker

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Dr. Tonia Dousay, Dean

MASTER’S DEGREES

MASTER OF EDUCATION

Educational Leadership

Billeen Carlson

Danielle C. Dooley

Charisse D. Holman

Nicholas W. Mills

Thaddeus J. Ochs Jr.

Leah M. Shreckengast

Kristin A. White

Teaching and Learning

Hannah C. Barr

Virginia M. Bobbitt

Stephanie Canning

Chelsee H. Cook

Gabrielle L. Cruz

Michelle Fedran

Benjamin J. Griese

Joshua P. Jenks

Sophia Ostroski-Krueger

Tara L. Palin

Kylie J. Shuneson

Laura L. Warnock

Dana M. Wolff

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

Principal

Edna L. Ahmaogak

Emily K. Baker

Kristina N. Bellamy

Lisa R. Cavan

Kimberly A. Daniels

Barbra Donachy

James Hutson

Sarah M. Nugent

Madelene A. Reichard-Finger

Veronica M. Winkelman

Special Education

Richard W. Harris Jr.

Gina L. Wetzel

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Early Childhood Education

Bianca M. Clark**

Kristina Durst

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Early Childhood Development

Brittany N. Fredrickson*

Marrygrace C. Garchitorena

Casandra J. Gulsvig

Eliza P. Meier

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY

Dr. John Nofsinger, Dean

MASTER’S DEGREES

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

General Management

Atlin G. Bell

Mark A. Cox

Raven K. Darmody

Eric P. Dickerman

Kevin Edwards

Neil P. Falconer

Vladislav V. Finko

Hannah V. Frost

Aidan M. Green

Toomas Kollo

Elliott Lin

Brock A. Mason

Andrew C. Mumford

Vishe’ Rabb

David Sramek

Joseph S. Tapangco

Rachel I. Towslee

Mitchell J. Tremblay

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Clara C. Baldwin

Sandra M. Blum

Susan M. Fallon

Yuqing Wang

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Global Supply Chain Management

Kevin Bonar

Sarah E. Carlson

Shaun R. Harbison

Gretchen A. Keil

Pierre D. Thompson

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Economics

Curtis M. Commack

Megan A. Johnson

Katherine M. Longuevan

Sandra Longuevan

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Accounting

Kiernan S. Baird-Cothron*

Anujin Bayarjargal*

Kali I. Conrad

Kaori O. Kageyama**

Barbara R. Kahula**

Alexander Miller

Danielle L. Provence

Catherine A. Smith

Raisa Turcanu**

Bao Vang

Tony Vang

Anastasia A. Vdovichenko*

David Vue

Trista D. A. Wilson

Thai Xiong

Economics

Carlotta E. Duenninger*

Robert R. Gant

Tuan H. Graziano

Bennett M. Hoback

Finance

Clinton W. Boyer*

Ryan A. Green

John B. Heafer

Magnus Noroey*

Riley E. Ostrinski

Michael J. Ross

Mckenna J. Smith*

Seekia Vang

Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Dongqiang Liu

Alfin W. Nyamasyo

Management

Georgia G. Barnwell*

Clinton W. Boyer*

Jenna K. Brown*

Leah Canale

Allyson Chavez*

Rachel Decious*

Carlotta E. Duenninger*

Antoinette M. Endsley**

Jessica Fuller

Lauren A. N. Gaither

Rachel M. Jaime**

Casey R. Leonard

Daniel P. Libassi

Shelbi E. Matthews

Delanie M. Maxon

Rustico C. Moises*

Magnus Noroey*

Brittany R. Porter*

Robert H. Pype

Kayla E. Rearden*

Kaylyn N. Reed

Vojtech Ruzek*

Amanda A. Schmeling

Lorie Shaw

Cameron J. Spano

Chelsea C. Spaulding**

Pricilla R. Stalker

Natasha F. Talvi**

Miranda R. Villarreal**

Landen M. Wohrle**

Barbara B. Yang

Management Information

Anujin Bayarjargal*

Ronald R. Ferguson

Nathan L. Staker

Marketing

Kelsie R. Bates

Rachel Decious*

Claire N. Faulkner

Jessica Fuller

Lauren A. N. Gaither

Lisa R. L. Jaunet*

Marvin R. McCall

Alfin W. Nyamasyo

Vojtech Ruzek*

Mckenna J. Smith*

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Accounting

Madeline Carey

Beverley E. Egbejimba

Daisy Rae A. Esnardo

Kali M. Graves

MacKenzee J. Nicely

Vincent A. Sereyko

Melissa L. Sprague Long

Emily Weldon

Business Computer Information Systems

Ana M. Blitz

General Business

Mia D. Cooley

Beverley E. Egbejimba

Kali M. Graves

April E. Nichols

Small Business Administration

Roxana V. Kashatok

OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENT CERTIFICATES

Bookkeeping

Alec R. Acevedo

Kyla Kate Bazar

Michaella L. Francisco

Zachary T. Harder

Kyra A. Meesook

Angela M. Simmons

Zachary G. Smith

Melissa L. Sprague Long

Business Leadership

Taylor M. Johnson

Eileen E. Moring

Entrepreneurship

Jazzmin C. Johnson

Maria R. Sanchez

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Dr. Kenrick Mock, Dean

MASTER’S DEGREES

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Civil Engineering

Xiaofeng Chang

Connor T. Dunham

Dave A. Eibert

Robert P. Halcomb

Jasmine N. Langmann

Shannon M. Lemay

Alexander G. Litvinchuk

Yamin Man

Mechanical Engineering

Joyell R. Acuna

Tyler J. Cushman

Project Management

Dylan Fowler

Maicel Fuhriman

Emma A. Graves

Peyton Johnson

Delaney Lennartz

Kadidiatou Ouedraogo

Jason M. Theis

Fitzgerald C. Umah

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

Project Management

Henry B. Carle

Matthew N. Deldonno

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Computer Science

Kiva G. Ketcham

David E. Michel

Jared A. Vaughn

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Civil Engineering

Jesse L. Batac

Ankhbayar Batbayar

David L. Benter

Ryan N. Bryn

Cassie D. Chaney

James M. Cosby

Tommi R. Q. Crist

Logan J. Curtiss

Jacob Glick*

Hunter G. Hoyer

Lisa K. Krol

Sigurd Roenning

Computer Science

Talha Ali*

Logan N. Chamberlain**

Cale L. Cornichuck

Austin P. Edwards*

Tuva E. Granoien**

Edward S. Hazelton*

Michelle N. L. J. Mah**

Paul James V. Natcher*

Amiel Pineda

Marshall Pratt*

James E. Royals Jr

John G. Schwenke

Conner J. Trouy*

Jared Andrew C. Vitug

Computer Systems Engineering

Tremayne E. Booker

Sean L. Crumley

Austin P. Edwards*

Nicholas A. Greene

David A. Schull

Electrical Engineering

Austin P. Edwards*

Brett I. Keene***

Jackson R. Lindemann

Austin N. Mahan

Autumn W. Richardson*

Wandal T. Winn*

Geomatics

Keith Blanchette*

Brian W. Schroyer

Dennis M. Welburn*

Mechanical Engineering

Shahbaz Ahmed

Noah J. Alexander

Benjamin D. Almeida

Caleb J. Aregood

Caleb S. Engst

Lawrence S. Giron**

McKale C. Hill

Daniel J. Kemper

Christopher L. Knox***

Wyatt Lee

Wesley D. Olson

Austin C. Pahel**

Ryan L. Parks

Kessler W. Vansickle

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Geomatics

Randy R. Guintu*

COLLEGE OF HEALTH

Dr. Debbie Craig, Dean

MASTER’S DEGREES

MASTER OF PUBLIC

HEALTH

Public Health

Practice

Masa Abaza

Reina H. Hasting

Cassidy M. Hobbs

Laura J. Miller

Bryan G. Reed

Michael B. Stevenson

Liliane S. Ulukivaiola

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Dietetics and Nutrition

Gabrielle M. Arnes

Ellen E. McEwen

Keriann M. Shine

POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATES

Paralegal Studies

Sarah Barcus

Pre-Medical Studies

Nicholas Masters

Speech Language Pathology

Brooke V. Stavenjord

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Justice

Jeremy P. Allen**

Seth V. Burch*

Tyler M. Carbone

Haley N. Chester

Nicole R. Curtis

Caitlin E. Cushing

Collin R. Hurd

Rachel K. Ingram

Luke T. Kowalske*

Melissa M. Langley-Jones*

Parker J. Sampson

Cambrie E. Schultz*

Jurnee S. S. Scott

Dylan L. West

Legal Studies

Quincie S. Hale

Grace A. Mulipola

Denali R. Partridge

Brandon S. Teel

BACHELOR OF HUMAN

SERVICES

Reginald G. Brewer

Chelsea E. Carroll

Madeline K. Ladd**

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Dental Hygiene

Olga Berezyuk

Meachah Caamano-Moreno**

Nicole K. Farr

Sage Fitchett

Hannah S. George-Martinez

Brittany Gosnell

Hayley E. Hagen*

Angel M. Martin

Marina K. Pack**

Sophia A. Sannito*

Ariel R. Soplu

Nadezhda A. Tolmacheva

Anika L. Viray**

Dietetics

Samantha Bivens

Nanci J. Dillow

Jonah M. C. Gonzales

Soquel F. Keelean*

Stephanie L. Leffel

Angelique E. Lim

Kiana M. Norris*

Elise M. Porterfield*

Joshua D. Wagner*

Health Sciences

Bernadette Albrecht

Colby B. Carpenter*

James M. Cosby

Katherine E. Crow*

Jessie M. Davis*

Hunter C. Dely

Kristina J. Dick*

Nicheala M. Dillingham

Austin J. Garrity*

Jahnna M. Hajdukovich

Ashley L. Hearn

Samantha I. Hull

Rebecca P. Khang

Yong H. Kim

Chloe A. Langton

Katelyn C. Lovs

Alexia J. McMillian

Kiki Moua

Fatou Ndoye

Crystal A. Nguyen

Sheila G. Pagtakhan

Dakota J. Ramirez

Brenda M. Robinson

Monica M. Ruelas

Charity R. Sisco**

Nathaniel Paul O. Tamarra*

Heidi K. Unger

Lucy Vang

Kinesiology

Jesus M. Avalos

Emma J. Butera*

Katherine L. Clark

Tristan X. Duran

Natalie J. Finch

Abigail M. Flynn*

Erin S. Galles*

Elisa Leuenberger**

Andrew L. Mattingly*

Tanya R. Pipkin

Mark A. Schulten

Allison F. Suis*

Physical Education

Matthew T. Seymour

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Dental Assisting

Raycina G. Torres

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Jennifer J. Fields**

Nayoung Kim**

Fire and Emergency Services Technology

Camai S. M. Beltz-Dobbins

Human Services

Barbara J. Baughn-Bookey

Zachary J. Boyle**

Angelina R. Northern

Mayerlyn Rojas-Quintero

Trinity L. Walker

Medical Assisting

Yully C. Castano-Gomez***

Riley D. Fugere**

Angel L. Goodno

Amiah G. M. Johnson

Mary B. Latta**

Shannon R. Minder*

Jisun Park

Shawn M. Sanders**

Rachel L. Straw**

Kristin L. Thomas-Vasquez

Mai Ger Xiong*

Medical Laboratory Technology

Grace M. Silva

Annie Vang

Paralegal Studies

Judy L. Francis-Woods*

Andrea A. Guevara***

Brittany R. Murray

Physical Therapist Assistant

Ismael D. Lacanlale*

Joshua M. Morner*

Radiologic Technology

Jacqueline A. Anderson*

Natalie M. Andre

Nicole L. Bedwell**

Volodymyr Grygurko

Katie R. Hovda

Jamie L. Master

Augustus May

Kevin Murphy

Gabrielle-Kaleen B. Nash

Tomas H. Oh*

Systems

Jaelyn A. Drenon*

Ashlynne J. Olson

Mikah C. Osolnik**

Brent Pfeiffer

Haita Sallah*

Marshall K. Uri**

Jonathan M. Vencill**

Chandler A. Wassmann

Angella C. Whitfield*

Kiersten R. Wilterding

OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENT CERTIFICATES

Children’s Behavioral Health

Eva Houser

Buffie J. Reamer

Angelique M. Vickers

Angelicamarie D. Yambao

Conflict Resolution

Jaime Olson

Interprofessional Child Welfare

Jadyn E. Otton

Medical Office Coding

Bridget E. Apaza Cojoma

Helen M. Bismark

Danae S. Medema

Pharmacy Technology

Anessa J. Feero

Loretta C. Italiano

Robert F. Parsons

Erin K. Studer

Phlebotomist

Kayla M. Ash

Xiomara Chavarria

SCHOOL OF NURSING

MASTER’S DEGREES

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Nursing Science

Kristen Alcorn

Hannah M. Deraedt

Catherine A. Haese

Leslie H. LaJeunesse

Rachel A. Minick

Brenda S. Murphy

Kelly L. Sawyer

Jennifer L. Talley

Rose A. Westbury

Che J. Yang

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Anne M. Lilley

Dolores I. Van Bourgondien

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Nursing

Sean C. Albert

Alexandra N. Apling

Katherine Bal

Miranda E. Balowski

Jourdin R. Bedwell*

Emma G. Berry*

Sarah M. Bodolosky**

Diana F. Briney**

Mylene Joy P. Cabatay*

Rachel N. Carpenter**

Allison C. Cline

Adrienne E. Coatney*

Jordan T. Cummings

Chelsea R. Destefano**

Michael L. Dow

Patrick R. Godin

Christy L. Gresham

Jenni A. Grunblatt

Lumin Guo

Candace Han**

Shirley A. Harness

Lois J. Hein**

Calla A. W. Heineken

Gabrielle A. Henning

Brooke A. Hernandez*

Sarah Herndon**

Samantha Hicks

Rachel L. Hobbs

Caitlyn M. Hoyer**

Natalie D. Huffman

Taylor T. Huston

Julia N. R. R. Kahumoku

Eunice J. Kang

Sarra Khlifi

Karyeong Kim*

Sarah K. Koontz

Rebecca F. Kopp**

Merlin T. P. Lang

Zare Ljena*

DeAnna F. Lowden*

Richelle B. Madayag*

Weston L. Mayberry

Laura N. Medina

Rebecca E. Mercer

Lazarus M. Merritt

Joshua C. Miller

Maria E. Mills-Price

Rianna-Mae B. Molina*

Caitlin N. Moncrief**

Neyra Monreal**

Alexander S. Morgan

Clara E. Moyer**

Cassidi R. O’Brien*

Kelsi N. Owens

Geraldine B. Papillion**

Bryan L. Pascoe

Sophie M. Paterson*

Susan V. Paul*

Jordan R. Peace**

Emily A. Perez*

Michelle A. Peschke

Anna L. Peters*

Emma Platford

Rebecca Powell

Kyndall H. Powers

Matthew W. Robison*

Amber Rozen

Kimberly L. Sanderson**

Anna Sargarodschi

Hannah I. Schaefer*

Anna E. Schemper

Andrea D. Schuster

Armi G. Serrano*

Shirley N. Simonds**

Katarzyna J. Slodowy

Emily Smith

Miranda D. Stohl

Amber M. Sundberg*

Rebekah A. Theriot

Kaitlin Timana

Sarah D. Tucker*

Lydia I. Vance*

Mary Grace Q. Villegas**

Katie R. Warner

Taylor A. Weis

Amy J. Williams

Cy Xiong

Mai Y. Yang*

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Nursing

Laura E. Bailey

Sierra N. Baker

Marie K. Balamou

Shayna M. Balog

Jacqueline D. Bennett

Amanda K. Berends

Ella D. Berryhill*

Raina A. Bjerke

Brian W. Brigman

Samantha Brogdon*

Kaitlyn R. Burns

Christina J. Gough

Jennifer L. Helberg-Nilsen

Haylie R. Hellman*

Tatyana Kaliberda

Carmie S. Lautenschlager

Amanda R. LeClair

Adrienne N. Leffler

Heather N. Leipfert

Carlen L. Lundberg

Joshua L. Lutz

Noah A. Miller

Victoria R. Mora*

Ann Olack

Irene K. Osbon

Shelly N. Paasonen

Amanda C. Parks*

Sierra L. Pavadore*

Lance A. Rowe-Wood

Leena Saechao

Regine C. Saturnino

Kaitlyn L. Shotts

Irene R. M. Snuggerud

Amber L. Steiner

Gaea F. Thomson

Kathryn Van Rensselaer

Jessica A. Vandegriff

Kayla M. Vaught

Michael L. Vicente

Shiloh N. Wilson

Sable Zellhuber

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

MASTER’S DEGREES

MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK

Rebecca J. Ames

Brittany G. Armada

Jenifer L. Breiner

Cheyenne C. Breshears

Annika Brown

Kaylan M. Chacon

Elizabeth C. Dickeson

Kathryn M. Edens

Camden R. Ensign

Samantha F. Fili

Zachary Fitzpatrick

Patricia C. Franco

Amanda S. Hansen

Guy R. Harris

Julie A. Harris

Sara M. Hoedel

Trini Marie C. Iguel

Carlie L. Jaramillo

Emily A. Keithahn

Hannah C. Laird

Immaculada Litulumar

Jean Paulin E. Lockulu

Amanda J. Lyon

Jastice Erlyne S. Medel

Amy M. Montgomery

Riley L. Nalazek

Alison E. Nielsen-Bryant

Nels R. Olson

Kailey S. Otten

Samuel K. Ouellette

Salesia L. Rush

Nereyda G. Shelton

Juliette Marie M. Teregeyo

Heidi M. Tilicki

Ashley N. Townsend

Jessica A. Varn

Andrew M. Viray

Elise D. Weber

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK

Senedy Arroyo-Mejia

Mackenzie M. Barnhart*

Eldridge Bradley

Abigail E. Brewer

Audrey C. Castaneda

Keyshon E. China

Kiela R. Cott*

Ja’leie D. Edwards

Leilani C. Fugere*

Abraham N. Gilila**

Catherine E. Lester

Angel A. Libby**

Gracie R. Minnick-Whaley

Michaela J. Moubray

Aaron D. Munter*

Daniela N. Newman**

Kyla J. Nicoll*

Jaquisa M. Oliver

Sierra F. Palmer

Sierra F. Palmer

Abra A. Patkotak

Reece A. Perez

Gabriela A. Ross*

Lindime Shazimani*

Makayla M. Wilson*

Krista K. Wood

Laney J. Zimmerman*

COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Dr. Ray Weber, Dean

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Hospitality Administration

Rosabella A. Cebrian

Mia Breanna R. Medina

Tatiana R. Stark**

Hospitality and Restaurant

Management

Kathryn C. Roberts

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Applied Technologies Leadership

Karli Anders*

Nichole A. Cuaresma

Noah G. Denny*

Brian Gieselman

Jesse A. Hefely*

Jacob L. Hoover

Jason A. Powell***

Matthew Rowell

Justin R. Sandoval

Aviation Technology

Victoria M. Audette

Kierann B. Bailey

Joshua T. Bryant

Jasmine V. Chavez**

Cara M. Cramer**

Makana M. Eleneki*

Alec C. Greer

Gareth C. Hansen*

Quinn T. Johnson

Allison R. Klebs

Scott A. Macke*

Hristos G. Maroudas

Willem F. Meehan*

Coral Papoi*

Robert C. Peck III*

Amber R. Roland

John R. Sievert

Timothy W. Smith**

Ashley N. Souza

Construction Management

Joshua J. Baumgartner

Caleb B. Drumm

Addison G. Mesick

Phillip I. Pletnikoff

Marshall T. Walsh

Occupational Safety and Health

Donald E. Farwell III

Amanda M. Frenzel

Brandi R. Neuterman**

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Air Traffic Control

Nathan R. Lang

Andrea A. Sanchis-Jenkins

Eva D. Song

Apprenticeship Technologies

Stephanie S. Tranby

Architectural and Engineering Technology

Christopher Madonna

Inha Ra*

Clinton R. Stone

Automotive Technology

Derrick G. Bell

Scott A. Hatfield*

Dalton V. Horn*

Galen C. G. Jobe

Cleveland Taylor Jr.

Aviation Maintenance Technology

Ty R. Dudley**

Kyle C. Sandeen

Computer Systems and Networking Technology

Dong L. N. Nguyen

Cheemoua A. Thao

Culinary Arts

Derek A. DeBuse

Lisa R. Frank**

Amy M. Green

Anthony S. Romero-Jones**

Occupational Safety and Health

Simon J. Hays

Allyson G. Jones

Gavin Ockerman**

Professional Piloting

Cody R. Davidson**

Brian Gieselman

Technology

Ian T. Millard*

CERTIFICATES

Automotive Technology

Doc L. Curtis

David L. Harbison

Reed R. Mcdaniel

Aviation Maintenance Technology, Airframe

Karli Anders

Ty R. Dudley

Brendon M. Johnson

Shelby S. Samuel

Aviation Maintenance Technology, Powerplant

Karli Anders

Jerad J. Anderson

Nicholas W. Bartlett

Ryan Beach

Benjamin H. Dudley

Ty R. Dudley

Curtis A. Evans

Caleb K. Evatt

Marcus F. Heaver

Brendon M. Johnson

Andrew Knee

River Macasu

Cara L. Osolnik

Diesel Power Technology

Connor G. Cargill

Connor C. Paulson

Bradley J. Renfrew

Eduardo Salazar

OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENT CERTIFICATES

Advanced Welding

Richard Chen

Ian T. Millard

Edward G. Payne

Baking and Pastry Arts

Staci J. Gillilan

Paislee G. Harbour

Krisha Nicole S. Manuel

Culinary Arts

Courtney S. Powell

IT Support Desk Technician

Kristina L. M. Estilette

Nondestructive Testing Technology

Atakan K. Cokgor

Andrew J. Cookson

Welding

Aidan A. Boeckmann

Richard Chen

Atakan K. Cokgor

Daniel C. Flores

Laurel E. Nix