November 11, 2014

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

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Babadook monster better left in the dark

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Video game to teach Alaska Native values

UAA GENERAL ELECTIONS Polls are open until 11:59 p.m. November 13

UAA Chancellor Case appoints interim provost

By Stephen Cress

news@thenorthernlight.org

Ballot Measure 2 passes Marijuana legalization hits the Anchorage bowl

By Kelly Ireland

editor@thenorthernlight.org On Nov. 4, registered Alaskans had the chance to vote on Ballot Measure 2, which would legalize the use, possession and sale of marijuana to those over the age of 21. The bill passed, favored by 52.15 percent of voters. Under the ballot, marijuana would be regulated and taxed in a way similar to that of alcohol.

Many University of Alaska Anchorage students cared about the ballot measure, making it one of the driving forces for young voters to get out and vote.

“I’m new to voting, but I feel like it’s really important. I think I would be out no matter what the issues were ... I think one I feel really definitively on is (Ballot Measure) 2,” said Clair Lubke, a freshman doublemajoring in biological sciences and culinary arts.

Lubke wasn’t the only student who was turning to the polls to vote on the legalization of marijuana in Alaska.

“I usually just get the ballots to vote, and I don’t vote for the politicians. ... The second one, I feel like that’s important. ... Everyone’s going to think I’m a stoner, but that’s okay,” said freshman Ke’Koa Wells.

Computer science sophomore Ryan Richter shared similar sentiments to Lubke and Wells, expressing why he thought Ballot Measure 2 should be passed.

“Ballot Measure 2 and 3, I think, are very important measures that need to be passed. … The sheer amount of money we could be making off of it in tax revenue is high, and the fact that it’s actually being prosecuted is ridiculous,” Richter said.

By the end of Election Day, Ballot Measure 2 was

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favored by 52.15 percent of voters. The results will be certified by Nov. 28, and 90 days later marijuana will officially become legal. The state has nine months after that to create rules and regulations.

The Ballot Measure 2 campaign “Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol” was run by a UAA professor Tim Hinterberger with assistance from Chris Rempert.

At Election Central, Hinterberger weighed in on what the legalization of marijuana means for the university.

“We don’t expect anyone to be using marijuana on campus. That wouldn’t be appropriate,” he said.

“It’s appropriate for use in the home.”

Department of Residence Life Director RyanJasen Anders Henne confirmed that students living on campus will not be able to use marijuana.

Despite its restricted use, Hinterberger is enthusiastic for what marijuana can do for not only for Alaska, but also the nation.

“I hope that the increased availability of marijuana for research in the U.S. will lead to better and better understanding of the health effects, and also the important medical uses of marijuana, so that’s going to be a real positive outcome,” Hinterberger said.

Chris Rempert, who acted as political director of the campaign, worked alongside Hinterberger to legalize Ballot Measure 2.

Before the results came out Rempert was asked if he would use marijuana. He responded, “Probably occasionally, just like I very rarely have a beer or two. Occasionally I will maybe use some marijuana as well.”

But before Rempert or anyone over 21 decides to use marijuana legally in Alaska, he or she will have to wait until Feb. 26, 2015.

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UAA Chancellor Tom Case has appointed Samuel Gingerich to serve as interim provost for UAA until a fulltime provost is hired.

Case sent a memo to UAA staff and faculty on Oct. 30, detailing Gingerich’s 30-year career in higher education. According to Case, Gingerich previously served as the System Vice President for Academic Affairs for the South Dakota Board of Regents for eight years. Gingerich has also served as the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Mississippi University for Women as well as Colorado Mesa University.

“With the incredible depth of experience that Gingerich has in higher education, I’m confident that he will be an incredible asset to UAA during this critical transition,” Case’s letter reads.

According to Case’s memo, Gingerich’s background is in chemistry, where he is an active researcher and contributor in the field. Gingerich received his masters of science in chemistry from Cornell University and received his Ph.D. from Montana State University.

Gingerich is scheduled to join the University of Alaska on Dec. 1 and will officially take his position on Jan. 1, 2015, until a new provost is hired in the spring. Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Bear Baker will retire on Dec. 31 and will work closely with Gingerich to ensure a smooth transition into his new post.

ELECTION CENTRAL

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02 NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Election Day at UAA

Students mark their ballots during early voting in UAA’s Student Union.

PHOTOS BY JAMES R. EVANS

Election official Bill Gee, right, assists international relations junior Michael Skinner as he casts his vote during early voting in UAA’s Student Union.

Students arrive to take advantage of early voting in UAA’s Student Union.

Check out our interviews online!

Forrest Dunbar

Bill Gee

VOTE

in the UAA General Election

in 4 easy steps!

1. Visit http://uaa.alaska.edu/life 2. Login with your UA ID and password 3. Click “Vote in USUAA Elections” 4. Vote!

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

03

General Election 2014 Unoffical Results Results certified Nov. 28

GOVERNOR/LT. GOVERNOR Walker/Mallott (N/A) Parnell/Sullivan (Rep) Myers/Rensel (Con)

47.83% 46.42% 2.47%

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE Don Young (Rep) Forrest Dunbar (Dem) Jim McDermott (Lib)

51.69% 40.39% 7.49%

U.S. SENATOR

Dan Sullivan (Rep) Mark Begich (Dem) Mark S. Fish (Lib) Ted Gianoutsos (N/A)

48.74% 45.13% 3.70% 1.99%

MOA PROP 1 No 53.83% Yes 46.17%

BALLOT MEASURES #2 #3 #4

Yes 52.15% No 47.85%

Yes 68.80% No 31.20%

Yes 65.32% No 34.68% PHOTOS BY JAMES R. EVANS

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan speaks with KTUU reporter Steve MacDonald as Sullivan takes the lead against Democratic incumbent Mark Begich at Election Central in the Egan Center Nov. 4.

Press and supporters crowd Independent gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker as he arrives at Election Central in the Egan Center Nov. 4.

Independent gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker speaks with KTUU reporter Steve MacDonald while holding a slim lead over incumbent Republican Governor Sean Parnell at Election Central Nov. 4.

Forrest Dunbar, the Democratic challenger for Alaska’s congressional seat, speaks with ABC 13 reporter Mark Colavecchio as he trails Republican incumbent Don Young at Election Central in the Egan Center Nov. 4.

FEATURES A well-meaning column rife with clunky metaphors and horrible advice, Orange Rhymes With is the go-to place to break the monotony of classes and laugh at someone else’s misfortune.

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Election 2014 Things go mostly as expected

SEAWOLF

SLUG

UAA elections Don’t stop at state voting

By Evan Dodd Contributor

It’s finally over. I don’t think it’s actually possible to over-dramatize the relief I’m feeling as I write this beside a roaring fire of burning political ads. The election is finally over.

This was the most expensive election Alaska has ever seen, with tens of millions of dollars spent in a desperate attempt to sway voters one way or another. And from my point of view the only thing it convinced us of is that the end of the madness couldn’t come soon enough.

I got nonstop calls from out-of-state surveyors, 20 mailboxes’ worth of political ads that seemed to lack a single concrete fact, and I even appeared on a shame list displaying my failure to vote in 2010 — which would have been somewhat illegal, given that I was 17 at the time.

I now own enough stickers to wallpaper my room twice over, enough candidate signs abandoned near my apartment to fashion a makeshift raft, and a concerning conditioned response driving me to slap furiously at my radio the second I hear the start of a campaign ad. At the end of it all, what I could gather from the multitude of advertisements was that all of the candidates were fire-breathing dragons who hated America and wanted to ruin Alaska’s economy in one way or another.

Just typing that makes my blood pressure spike all over again.

To all of you who voted, thank you.

You withstood the nonstop irritation, mayhem and chaos and went out to support whatever cause or ideology you believe in. At minimum, you now qualify as a semi-engaged citizen voting to make this a better state. For those of you who don’t vote, well, grow up and join the rest of civilized society. I promise you it’s not that hard, and sometimes you even get free cookies and a sticker.

This brings me (finally) to my real point. The 11th and 12th of this month is the UAA fall student election, and historically no one votes. Of the approximately 17,000 students enrolled here, only 483 voted last fall, with 519 the fall before and 332 in 2011.

Let’s put that in perspective. I’d wager that quite a few of you have more friends than that on Facebook. I definitely spend more dollars on Thai food per year than the number of votes cast each fall. Hell, I’d bet the number of hours I spend on Netflix per semester exceed the number

of fall votes we get — and that’s just sad.

In a national, or even state, election it’s pretty easy to feel as if your vote is not that important. I’ll be the first to admit that ranking as one in several hundred thousand votes tallied doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that my opinion is making a difference. However, when the total votes counted rarely hit 500, suddenly your input carries quite a bit more weight.

If you’re a first-semester freshman, then the outcomes of these elections will affect you for the next four (or so) years. Or maybe you’re a senior, looking to make one final tangible lasting impact before you graduate and move onto the real world. Even if you’re just disgruntled and want permanent record of your malcontent — whatever your perspectives or motivations are, they’re worth voicing in such a small election.

In years past we’ve had students vote on a smoke-free initiative, a sustainability committee, an outdoor program and a variety of student positions. We’ve had students establish bike sharing programs and make real-world contributions to the experience students get here at UAA. If nothing else, voting at least gives you the moral high ground when you decide to spam your Facebook friends with complaints about student fees and programs at the start of every semester.

I get it, I’m sure you’re burnt out on elections because I’m definitely still hearing echoes of state election talking points in my sleep, but this is one that directly affects you and gives you the opportunity to better the school around you. (And I swear, next week we’ll get back to the humorous anecdotes and ditch this uncomfortable call to action nonsense.)

So let’s be real here; you don’t even have to physically show up to vote in the UAA election, because most students cast their votes online anyway. It takes all of five minutes, a minimal display of interest and a passable level of reading comprehension. So before you start grumbling about how this is supposed to be a humor column and not an “expect me to have to actually do things” column, keep in mind that you don’t even have to put on pants to vote this week.

And if you ask me, that’s the most convincing argument for civic engagement I’ve ever heard.

05

By Klax Zlubzecon

Translated by George Hyde So does this mean all of the attack ads can stop? For now?

Last Tuesday, Alaskans decided to settle a number of hot topics within the state, along with a couple outside the state.

Let’s talk about them.

First, arguably the most talked-about race: the senatorial race. As of the time of this writing, the race is still too close to call, which I suppose at least speaks for some Alaskans’ ability to just ignore the poo-slinging going on wherever there’s advertising space.

On a larger scale, though, a lot of people are bemoaning the GOP gaining control of the Senate, to which I say, “So what?”

Ultimately, it won’t matter so much whether Begich or Sullivan wins, because the result is still gridlock no matter what.

For the next two years, the White House and the Legislature will be stuck in the same old standstill that they’ve become infamous for in the past few years. Yes, both Obama and McConnell claim that they’ll try and make peace, but we all know that won’t be true.

Really, I could spend a whole article detailing how our political system incentivizes campaigning and fundraising more than it does actual politics, and I just might do that sometime down the line. But, there’s other issues that Alaskans voted on that I’d like to touch on.

So, second: Ballot Measure 2. It looks like a pretty solid victory for marijuana in Alaska. George saw a lot of people on Facebook claiming that they would celebrate the occasion with a nice toke, but that’s still a really bad idea. In fact, it’s just the mistake that a stoner would make.

You guys still realize that they still have to draft the bill that would legalize it, right? Give it a few months. You’ve waited this long, and I think you can stand to wait a few more months.

I think Alaska’s adults are responsible enough to consume marijuana in a responsible way, but it still goes without saying that they need to be careful. Yeah, it’s not as dangerous as alcohol, but it can still be pretty dangerous.

Okay, moving on. Third: Ballot Measure 3, the Minimum Wage measure.

Alaskans have soundly voted themselves a raise. The minimum wage will leap up to $8.75 next year, and $9.75 the year after. This will eventually make it the highest minimum wage in the country.

I wouldn’t get too excited, because our cost of living up here is as astronomical

In the year 2013, an alien brain slug from one of the galaxy’s most feared empires crash-landed on Earth and assumed control of a lowly reporter at this newspaper.

These are his stories.

as ever, and the rising minimum wage certainly won’t be helping that. However, that cost has been steadily rising even without the minimum wage rising with it, so it’s nice that it’s starting to catch up with our ever-inflating economy.

Fourth: Ballot Measure 4, which will protect Bristol Bay from harmful mining projects. It’s another resounding pass, meaning that mining companies have even more hoops that they’ll have to jump through if they want to set up shop near Bristol Bay. That’s not a bad thing, though, as some of the proposed projects near Bristol Bay have been pretty nightmarish. The measure will protect a vital resource for fishermen, and it will preserve thousands of jobs and keep that sweet fishing revenue flowing in our economy.

Next up. Fifth: the Gubernatorial (what a silly word) race. It’s ... too close to call? Again? BLAST. Fine. We’ll move on.

Sixth: The Representative race. Alaskans overwhelmingly wanted Don Young back in the House of Representatives over newcomer Forrest Dunbar. And while I’m tempted to make a “STOP FORREST STOP” joke here, I am kind of disappointed by this.

Don Young made headlines when he trivialized a recent high school suicide and traumatized a ton of teenagers who were still mourning. And this guy ran home with most of the votes! Is this really the kind of guy we want in the House?

In fact, that’s a bit of a running theme I’ve been seeing this election. Many of the winning candidates around the country have acted like absolute jerks to their people. I won’t argue with their policies, but their unscrupulous behavior while out campaigning really worries me, especially since you humans voted them right into your system without even blinking.

Alright, with all that being said, a lot of races this year went pretty much as I expected they would. Another two years of gridlock in Washington, but aside from that, Alaskans are gaining some cool new privileges with legalized marijuana and a higher wage in tow, along with the possible end to this ages-long Pebble Mine debate. I’m sad that Don Young is back in office, but you know what? He’s done a lot for you over the past decades, so I guess I can kind of see why people still see some good in him. Let’s hope we still see some of that while he’s in office.

None of it will matter once the slug fleet arrives, though, so keep that in mind too.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. EMBRACE THE SEAWOLF SLUG.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

GAME PREVIEW

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MOVIE REVIEW

‘Interstellar’ is an imperfect opus

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

‘Never Alone’

Video game explores Alaska Native culture

By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org It’s safe to say that the Cook Inlet Tribal Council never expected to share its stories through the medium of video gaming, but a new collaborative title between them and developer Upper One Games could change the way that many look at Alaska Native storytelling. The title is called “Kisima Inŋitchuŋa,” or in English, “Never Alone.”

The game is an amalgamation of several pieces of Alaska Native folklore, including Blizzard Man, the Little People and the Rolling Heads. Players assume control of Nuna, an Inupiaq girl, and her arctic fox. They must use their unique abilities together to solve puzzles and achieve goals.

In an interview with gaming website Joystiq, CITC President Gloria O’Neill stated that video games seemed like a natural fit for storytelling, giving players a hands-on approach with Alaska Native culture.

“We really focus on the advancement of people and their lives,” O’Neill said. “About six years ago we really started thinking deeply about what self-determination looks like. What does it mean to truly be in charge of our own destinies?”

The CITC worked closely with the developers at E-Line Media to form Upper One Games, which is currently the only indigenousowned game developer in the country. Some developers on the team previously held positions at larger gaming giants like Activision or Crystal Dynamics.

E-Line’s creative director, Sean Vesce, stated in an another interview with Joystiq that he relishes the opportunity to work on such a unique project.

“I’ve worked on big budget titles, and the idea to get back to the roots with a small team to work on something personal was really appealing,” Vesce said. “Being able to get out of our cubes, which are typically a bunch of white guys talking about a fictional fantasy world, to be able to go into a community, learn more about a culture and then try to infuse their values and mythologies into a game that’s fun and entertaining as well as thoughtful was something that seemed like an amazing challenge to us.”

While many of the mechanics were composed by Upper One, several Alaska Natives from the CITC pitched in to write the game’s story.

“We have storytellers, artists and language specialists that have a seat at the creative table, who have been along with us during the entire creative process helping to shape the game’s design,” Vasce said.

The game has gained a lot of positive buzz in the indie gaming community, even gaining national attention from gaming sites like IGN, Kotaku and The Escapist. It looks poised to be one of the most interesting and head-turning titles of the year.

“Never Alone” will release on Nov. 18 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam.

Christopher Nolan has always watched his characters with a clinical eye: cold, detached and lacking that essential emotional touch. They’re not so much people as the director’s ideas on two legs. In the much lauded “Batman” trilogy, Bruce Wayne was a capitalist fighting off all the anarchic forces who would threaten his destitute Gotham.

But with the excellent “Interstellar,” it looks like Nolan’s found some characters he can latch onto.

Pilot-turned-farmer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey, “The Wolf of Wall Street”) lives in the near future with his daughter, Murph (Jessica Chastain, “Miss Julie”), his son, Tom (Casey Affleck, “Out of the Furnace”), and his father-inlaw, Donald (John Lithgow, “The Homesman”). A food crisis has driven the world into a new dust bowl, and Coop is recruited to pilot a mission to find new worlds to colonize.

As with so many of Nolan’s movies, exposition is handled as clumsily as possible. While every wooden line in the first act is delivered with conviction, it’s hard not to be bored by Michael Caine recounting the earth’s recent history as if Cooper didn’t experience it himself. In the end, it does its job, however clunky it is. The first hour and 40 minutes play out like this with some rousing set pieces for good measure.

But through this slog, one thing is clear: The performances are incredible. McConaughey continues his renaissance with an emotionally rich portrayal, Brand (Anne Hathaway, “Don Peyote”) delivers otherwise cliche lines with a quiet confidence, and Bill Erwin (“Higher Ground”) as TARS, one of the most interesting robots to grace the screen in a decade, deserves far more screen

time than he gets.

When it comes down to it, “Interstellar” is a love story in cosmic clothing. Big ideas about space, time and life beyond earth abound, but they all serve to elevate relationship of Cooper and Murph, the two most interesting characters. This time, Nolan didn’t let his themes overshadow his cast.

The good aspects of the director’s style are in full force here, also. Visually the movie is unambiguously a masterpiece. The sheer power of his images, Saturn juxtaposed against the sound of rain or the fire-laced horizon of a black hole, is enough to get the viewer’s heart pounding. “2001: A Space Odyssey” is the dark matter in the “Interstellar” universe, and Nolan wants the viewer to know it.

Even so, “Interstellar” is its own movie — a singular experience that, by the end, is as beautiful as it is emotionally wrenching. It slogs in the beginning, but the awe-inspiring final act more than makes up for it. It’s in these final sequences that the movie fulfills its ambitions to be an unmatched, wholly original cosmic odyssey. The wordless pull toward home is a powerful force made all the more powerful by love. No movie out right now says that more beautifully than “Interstellar.”

Title: “Interstellar” Director: Christopher Nolan Release date: Nov. 6, 2014 Genre: Science fiction

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

07

‘The Babadook’ is a horror movie about horror

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

In “The Babadook,” an Australian horror flick from newcomer Jennifer Kent, horror films are as much of a character as the damaged mother and son at its center. Invoking the Universal monster classics, the movie is short on thrills and long on chills. But ultimately, it’s easier to admire for its craftsmanship than its scares.

Still reeling from the death of her husband seven years ago, the widowed Amelia (Essie Davis, “Burning Man”) tries and fails to convince her son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), that those storybook monsters he searches under the bed for aren’t real. But when a mysterious and terrifying book called “Mister Babadook” appears on their shelf, Amelia begins a spiral into madness, wondering if there really is something lurking in the shadows.

The best thing about “The Babadook” is Essie Davis’ incredible performance as a single mother coming undone.

Often, she says more with her face than her words, and even when she hits rock bottom it’s hard not to empathize with her.

Aided by the promising Kent, Essie elevates the movie to something impossible to miss.

And Kent simply doesn’t miss a thing. The choices she makes are jarring in all the right ways.

Seemingly inexplicable time lapses and minor details come to dominate the narrative. But as the film creeps under the viewer’s skin, it’s not the titular monster that stays there. It’s those small details.

Amelia’s aching jaw, Sam’s

sickly pale skin and the monster movies playing on their TV so often reinforce one thing: the real Babadook exists internally, not externally, and like any good monster movie, it’s the internal forces that tear characters apart. It’s this drawing from a range of influences, from Sam Raimi to Georges Melies, Kent makes “The Babadook” a compendium of horror history.

With such a weight behind it, one would think that the movie would deliver. In some respects, it does. The atmosphere, for example, is incredible. Every scene is soaked with dread and is never wrung dry.

But when the eponymous creature is revealed, the tension all but dissolves. And this is a big problem with monster movies.

Rarely, if ever, is a monster scary enough to terrify in the light as much as it does in the dark. Darkness is key, and it’s powerful. For the first hour, Kent harnesses night and day equally to make Mister Babadook something more than a fairy tale monster. And while he’s never fully revealed, enough is to make him just another skittering shadow in just another horror movie.

The ending offers some hope for redemption. It’s deliciously ambiguous and, maybe for some viewers, hard to swallow. But the best movies are divisive. If it weren’t for the derivative final half, “The Babadook” could have etched its name into the annals of classic monster horror. For now, Mister Babadook will have to stay in his flipbook.

Title: “The Babadook” Director: Jennifer Kent Release date: May 22, 2014 Genre: Horror Country: Australia

08 A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

GAME REVIEW

‘Bayonetta 2’ is pure, unadulterated joy

By George Hyde

gchyde@thenorthernlight.org It’s not every day that you get to play as a witch that summons demons from her magical hairdo to murder angelic figures.

One of those days came in 2010 with the release of the original “Bayonetta,” an obscenely crazy action spectacle fighter in the style of games like “Devil May Cry.” In fact, it was designed in part by the man who originally worked on “Devil May Cry,” which certainly explains the game’s, er, eccentricities. Still, its masterful pacing, creative artistic direction and joyous combat put it in the running for one of the best action games ever made.

Perhaps the most surreal part of “Bayonetta,” though, is that its sequel, “Bayonetta 2,” outdoes it on almost every level.

The story sounds pretty dramatic at face value: The main character, Umbran witch Bayonetta, is on a journey to hell to rescue a beloved friend of hers. However, she’s faced with all sorts of obstacles, including a new, mysterious masked rival.

When it needs to, the story of “Bayonetta 2” can have a lot of gravity. However, all of that gravity is vastly overshadowed by silliness and selfawareness. To be fair, it is pretty difficult to take the concept seriously, and the fact that the game can get away with a fairly dramatic story is pretty impressive.

It’s all just window dressing, though, compared to the sheer spectacle of the experience. The fantastically creative artistic direction from the first game is brought over with several new impressive designs. The combat is just as fun to play and watch as it was before, and it’s all amplified with a soundtrack that would instantly get people dancing if it were separated from the game itself.

All of this augments the combat, which is pretty much the same as it was in the first “Bayonetta.”

This is fine, as “Bayonetta’s” combat was highly enjoyable and didn’t have any flaws. It’s still the same fast-paced, punchy, kicky, shooty, jumpy, climax-y combat that made the original “Bayonetta” such a classic.

The developers adapted this combat, though, to several new impressively designed enemies, including some larger-than-life bosses. They’re a joy to fight, and they make replaying the game to discover new combat possibilities a very nicesounding proposition.

All of this adds up to make “Bayonetta 2” ooze spectacle and style like no other game out there.

It’s a “Super Mario Galaxy 2” kind of sequel — a follow-up to an already perfect experience that just adds more and more of it, while still flexing some creative muscles. It’s hard to ignore the sense that Platinum had a ton of fun developing “Bayonetta 2,” and that fun will easily rub off on anyone who plays it. For Wii U owners, it’s a must-play. For non-Wii U owners, it’s a system seller.

Game: “Bayonetta 2” Developer: Platinum Games Platform: Wii U Genre: Action Release Date: Oct. 24, 2014 Rating: 5 + Ridiculously fun and engaging + Hilariously tongue-in-cheek + Kickin’ soundtrack

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DANCE UAA Theatre & Dance Presents

ENSEMBLE IN CONCERT

NOVEMBER 7-16, 2014 FRI/SAT: 8PM SUN: 6PM

HARPER STUDIO THEATRE · UAA FINE ARTS BLDG TICKETS: UAATIX.COM OR 786-4TIX UAA is an EEO/AA Employer and Educational Institution

A UAA MAINSTAGE THEATRE PRODUCTION

William Shakespeare’s

Twelfth Night, or

What You Will

Directed by Steven Hunt

Nov 21 - Dec 7, 2014 Fri & Sat at 8PM, Sun at 3PM

UAAtix.com 786-4TIX CenterTix.net UAA is an EEO/AA employer and educational institution.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

11

Review of UAA’s Dance Ensemble performance

PHOTOS BY JESSICA PERVIER-BROWN / UAA

UAA Dance Ensemble rehearsal.

By Helen Lindamood

hlindamood@thenorthernlight.org On Nov. 7, Dance Ensemble opened at the Harper Studio Theatre in the UAA Fine Arts Building. The performance, directed by Brian Jeffrey, included five pieces cast with UAA students involved in the ensemble program for the 20142015 season. Members of the ensemble include dance majors, dance minors and students pursuing other degrees while still taking advantage of UAA’s dance classes for their own personal growth.

The Harper Studio Theatre provided a unique venue, pushing the boundaries of typical dance performance. Instead

of audience members seated in front of the stage, rows of seats were arranged on either side of the stage, providing a multidimensional view of the dancers as they performed. The unconventional venue added to the overall experimental feel of the performance, not uncommon in modern dance. The close, limited seating also instilled a sense of intimacy in the performance, a feat much harder in UAA’s other performance venues such as the Wendy Williamson Auditorium.

The opening piece, “Chrysalides,” was choreographed by the director, Brian Jeffrey. Jeffrey includes a note in the program: “The title ‘Chrysalides’ references a transformation, the process of developing when many internal changes occur.”

The five dancers in the piece moved with little choreographed synchronicity, instead moving through canons of steps to a sensual beat. The odd number of dancers combined with repeated partnering highlighted a sense of inclusion and exclusion between the dancers, as one dancer was consistently isolated during the extensive piece.

The piece “K”, choreographed and danced by Taylor Hicks, Rique Hill and Carmel Young, was a poignant commentary on the use of technology in modern-day life. The tense music, littered with common alert noises and ringtones, combined with chaotic, panicked movements left audience members overstimulated as technology often does in daily life. Toward the middle of the piece, the choreography of the three dancers

moved into synchronicity, highlighting their technical mastery and artistic abilities. But the end of the piece then slipped back into movements expressing a sense of helplessness with the finishing words, “We aren’t living.”

“For the Love if the Game,” choreographed by Becky Kendall, as she commented “paid homage to the new All American pastime, dance!” The piece choreographed with baseball-esque movements ran the risk of evolving into yet another modern dance impersonating some other form of pastime in a failed attempt to create original choreography.

However, the dance came together effortlessly, as the eight dancers moved back and forth between masculine aggressiveness and clean choreographed dance sequences. The dancers captured the baseball attitude and merged it smoothly into their technical display. The one disappointment of the piece was that it was lost in the middle of the overall performance, leaving weaker pieces to open and close the show.

The one solo of the show, “Pause (it was nothing),” was choreographed and performed by Dayoung Yoo. It opened with promise, complete with Yoo’s strong performance ability, simple arm movements, and dramatic lighting. The dance quickly went downhill as Yoo’s music choice, a Korean boy band, proved a challenge to choreograph in a lyrical manner, a challenge that Yoo did not overcome.

Her lack of technical training was obvious as well, with repetitive over-dramatic

upper body movements and poorly executed jumps, turns, and transitions.

The final piece, “Bow”, choreographed by Katherine Kramer, featured five dancers and slow music littered with sounds of sailing and the sea. The dance consisted primarily of swaying in time to the music as well as dance interpretation of verbal instructions in what is presumed to be sailing. The slow-moving piece seemed to be more of a commentary on the music and sounds, with small movements to accept the music changes and sound effects. One was left with a feeling of lethargy as the piece progressed at a glacial pace, not giving dancers an opportunity to display much artistic or technical ability until the very end of the piece. While the dance was interesting, it was a poor choice as a show closer, as audience members felt lulled to sleep rather than pulled into the performance.

Dance Ensemble in concert runs through Nov. 16, with shows Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m.

SEAWOLVES

face-off against

Northern Michigan 7:07pm

at the Sullivan Arena

21 & 22 NOV

NOV

For tickets, visit GoSeawolves.com

On sale at Sullivan Arena box office and all Ticketmaster locations.

FREE TICKETS

for UAA students at the Student Union desk.

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PEOPLE

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

13

HOT TOPIC

How do you think the passing of Ballot Measure 2, marijuana legalization, will affect Alaska?

Matthieu Ostrander

Calvin Broadus, Jr.

Taylor WmsCornelius

“The passage of (Ballot Measure) 2 will bring an industry we know exists into the legal marketplace.

Ultimately, it means more taxable revenue for the state and less instances of wrongful incarceration.”

“I don’t think it will change anything until dispensaries are opened.”

“(It) has the potential to be economically prosperous and provide the community a better access to its medicinal uses. However, it can also introduce a greater potential for some to abuse its uses that can lead to a misrepresentation of its capabilities as a significantly viable resource.”

Senior / Economics & Political Science

Senior / Marketing

Alumni / History

HOT TOPIC QUESTIONS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTS COMPILED BY DIEGO BARROS-BARNES

LIGHTS OUT POLAR LAB 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 Celebrate winter in the North with our late-night creative blowout 21 years and older. Get tickets today

Part of the Anchorage Museum’s Polar Lab. Sponsored by Alyeska Resort, GCI, ConocoPhillips, Greatland Infusion Pharmacy, Arctic Valley Ski Area / Anchorage Ski Club, Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage and NMS Security

Museum members enjoy free general admission. Join today!

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE

Pablo Durana/NGC

Bryan Smith: The Lens of Adventure 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 18 Atwood Concert Hall

IT’S ALL MATERIAL Celebrating craftsmanship with materials found in the North Now on view

anchoragemuseum.org

HAPPY HOUR Enjoy a delicious appetizer or entrée with a glass of your favorite wine or microbrew in Muse 4 to 6 p.m.

Tuesday-Sunday

14 PEOPLE

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Bad astrologer Leo:

By Diego Barros-Barnes arts@thenorthernlight.org

Carl Sagan day was on Saturday Nov 8. We here at The Northern Light would like to celebrate Carl Sagan day by celebrating the fact that we are all truly made of stardust. Millions of stars have exploded to create the elements in your bodies. This of course means that the relative positions of the stars have a very well documented effect on our behavior.

Aries:

The binary star system, where two stars orbit each other, Mesarthim has been speeding up recently. If at any point you feel like your week is spinning out of control, just take a deep breath, keep your chin up and carry on. Pluto, which is not a planet, will cross soon. Don’t try to become something that you are not. You will only hurt yourself and others around you.

Taurus:

The ground is frozen because of a tilt in the Earth’s axis and so are you. Get up and move.

If you don’t start moving your muscles dark clouds might form. The Taurus-Auriga complex is a group of dark clouds of helium and hydrogen which collapse and create stars. Keep your eyes up but don’t forget to finish everything before the deadlines!

Lambda Tauri, a binary star system that can eclipse itself, is currently eclipsed so be sure to focus on the things you need to.

Gemini:

There are a couple of planetary nebulae in the constellation of Gemini.

When red giants start to die they begin to spew ionized gas. These gas clouds have magnificent and beautiful colors. Just like your eyes. Appreciate yourself a bit more. You are beautiful in every way.

Cancer:

The days are getting shorter because of the tilt in the Earth’s axis.

You may take this as an invitation to stay up as late as you want to. Get some good sleep. There is a supermassive black hole three and a half billion light years away. It is 18 billion times as big as the sun. Black holes form when massive stars run out of fuel to keep them from collapsing. These stars undergo supernova and create black holes. Supermassive black holes form when galaxies do. They influence the shape spiral galaxies and are foundational to their formation. You might feel like you have run out of energy this week. Keep yourself fed or you might collapse.

The Leonids, a meteor shower that radiates from Leo, will peak November 16-18. Go watch your meteor shower! When you are wishing on a star its really a space rock that is burning up in the atmosphere. The Leonid meteors are bits of rock that get left behind as the comet Tempel-Tuttle speeds around the solar system. Make a wish but also make sure that your wishes come true by working hard. You might encounter some resistance this week. Don’t let it burn you up.

Virgo:

There have been many exoplanets that have been found in the constellation of Virgo. Exoplanets are found by observing minute wobbles in the movements of the stars that they orbit. Think spinning a bucket of water while standing in one place. The bucket pulls you just as much as you pull it.

So you wobble as you spin. These small tugs have not bothered you before but this week they start to tug at you. Try not to let the little things get to you. They will shake out on their own. Your perfectionism might need to be set aside this week as it is better to finish something of poor quality than not finish anything at all.

Libra:

There are a couple of earth sized exoplanets in the Libra constellation that are candidates for life. They are just close enough to their stars to have liquid water but not too close to burn everything on the surface.

Liquid water is vital all known forms of life, including yours! Drink water before making any decision this week. You will feel so much better for it.

Scorpio:

Scorpio is home to U Scorpii. It is a white dwarf that every ten years has an enormous fusion reaction on its surface. This is caused by it accumulating hydrogen gas on its surface. If you are having problems, vent them. If you just ignore your problems you might just explode catastrophically six years from now.

Sagittarius:

The galactic center is in the constellation of Sagittarius. There is probably a supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy. Recently a large object that was supposedly a gas cloud made a close pass at the supermassive black hole. It was supposed to tear apart but it didn’t. This means you will have increased endurance this week as things that would normally tear you apart just float on by.

Capricorn:

Venus enters your twelfth house this Sunday. Venus is the second planet from the sun and has an average surface temperature of 860 degrees fahrenheit. That makes it the hottest planet in the solar system. You are going to be feeling pretty hot too on Sunday.

You might just meet your soulmate. Be careful though, if you meet with the wrong person, someone might make your temper flare and make you start spewing acid.

Aquarius:

Saturn is entering your tenth house on Wednesday. Saturn has wind speeds of up to 1100 miles per hour. This is faster than the speed of sound here on Earth. Be sure to take a deep breath every once in a while and evaluate what you are missing.

Some things might just pass you by without you even hearing about it.

Pisces:

There is a galaxy in the Pisces that is directly in front of another galaxy.

Because gravity bends spacetime the light that passes by the galaxy gets bent in the direction of the galaxy behind it. This makes it so that here on Earth we can see the galaxy that would otherwise be hidden. This is called gravitational lensing. In the next week you will have some opportunities that would otherwise be hidden from sight. Use special care when your relatively strong sense of enterprise may lead you astray.

GRAPHICS BY KELLY IRELAND

Diego Barros-Barnes is the Arts and Entertainment Editor at The Northern Light. He is not an astronomer or an astrologer.

Do not take anything said here seriously.

COMICS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

15

The Northern Light is a proud member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of the Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 4,500. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or the Northern Light.­­­

LETTERS AND CORRECTIONS POLICY

begich • dunbar • elections • parnell • polls mallott • marijuana • sullivan • walker • young

THE NORTHERN LIGHT CONTACTS

Dance Buffet Taste the Flavors of UAA Dance Some spicy, some sweet - all good for you and fun!!!

Saturday, November 15

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