November 8, 2016

NOVEMBER 1 - NOVEMBER 8, 2016

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

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Bikes susceptible to theft on UAA campus

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Seawolves hockey results in two consecutive losses

10 buckets of paint and a lasting bond to UAA

By Richard Han

rhan@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

In the midst of budget cuts, UAA faculty, staff and students came up with an idea to show positive change in the Professional Studies Building. A “living art” mural is in progress and is set to bring light to the old building.

Built in 1973, the PSB is one of UAA’s oldest buildings. Upon walking in, students can quickly observe that the building is aged and outdated.

“All of the walls are white and not super enticing to be at,” Yoshina Okamot, a journalism and public communications student whose classes are all located in the PSB said.

Most of the walls are a plain white color and not many paintings or decorations are hung to light the place up.

Brenda Levesque, the building manager of the PSB, has been trying for years to get approval to get artwork and different colors on the wall but has frequently got shut down. Levesque was inspired by the murals done in the Gorsuch commons, and pitched an idea to the facilities director as well as the art department and got an approval to do a mural created by UAA art students.

“What we wanted really is living art. So when we were thinking of the murals, it was something that we looked at as a contribution to the university from our talented art students,” Levesque said.

Thomas Chung, an assistant professor in painting, was chosen by Levesque to lead the students in making the murals. He is thrilled his students get to be part of this project.

SEE PAINT

The Professional Studies Building of UAA will get its plain white walls decorated by a mural of paintings created by students of the Art Department.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder and the Alaskan student

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

When the leaves fall off the trees and the days get shorter, nearly 10 percent of all Alaskans experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, more commonly known as seasonal depression. Women and young people are most at risk when it comes to experiencing SAD. Symptoms include mood changes, difficulty waking up in the morning, nausea, oversleeping and over eating, weight gain, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, withdrawal from social activities and decreased libido.

“Symptoms are the same as major depression, although they do lean toward the hibernating bear direction, such as craving for carbohydrates and sweets, insomnia and disturbed sleep but a tendency to oversleep, daytime drowsiness, fatigue, decreased libido, diminished interest and pleasure, perhaps some low self-worth and perhaps some anxietyrelated problems such as irritability and social avoidance. Not much fun.”

Suzanne Strisik, a clinical psychologist and the director of the Psychological Services Center for UAA master’s students said.

These symptoms, although mild, can lead to depression, feelings of hopeless-

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ness, insomnia, anxiety and in more serious cases thoughts of suicide.

The causes of SAD are linked to the lack of light associated with winter time.

“Basically, seasonal affective disorder is a component of Major Depressive Disorder. It’s a seasonal component related to decrease in sunlight, either because of short winter days, think Alaska, or because of overcast skies, think Seattle,” Strisik said. “Circadian rhythms are disrupted, because of the lack of light on the skin, particularly the face and forehead, causing a decrease in the production of, among other things, neurotransmitters, like Serotonin.”

Seasonal Affective Disorder and the winter blues that come with cold dark days seem to be synonymous with each other, but in fact few people experience SAD. Roughly six percent of the U.S. is affeced by SAD, whereas 14 percent of the population is affected by the more common winter blues, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

“I’m a bit of a skeptic about Seasonal Affective Disorder, at least as the general public understands it. Most people think it means “winter blues” but research on

SEE SAD

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

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NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

The Edge Update

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Winter is coming, but the snow might not be

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Max Jungreis KRUA

Local news Governor Bill Walker announced Friday that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, the governor says that the cancer is treatable and won’t affect his performance. “It is anticipated I will need no further treatment post-surgery,” Walker said in a statement. “This diagnosis has not and will not impair my ability to perform my duties as governor.” The governor is scheduled to have surgery next month to remove the tumor.

National news A jury has found Rolling Stone magazine liable in a defamation lawsuit involving an article that contained allegations of gang rape at the University of Virginia.

The lawsuit was brought by Nicole Eramo, a former associate dean at the university, who said that the 2014 article depicted her as the “chief villain” of the story. Soon after its original publication, Rolling Stone commissioned a review by the Columbia School of Journalism.

Columbia found that the magazine h ad failed to adhere to “basic, even routine

journalistic practice” in verifying details in the article. A woman, identified only as “Jackie”, said she had been the victim of a gang rape in a fraternity initiation party. The incident was later determined to be entirely fabricated. Eramo isn’t the only taking Rolling Stone to court over the article- the accused fraternity is suing the magazine for $25 million.

World news Brexit, the UK’s exit from the European Union marches along- or does it?

A new ruling from Britain’s high court throws that plan into uncertainty. According to the court, Parliament must vote to approve leaving the EU before the separation can begin. Although it’s unlikely that parliament will vote against Brexit, the decision could slow how quickly it happens. This represents a significant problem for Theresa May, the Prime Minister; she’d hoped to have the process begun by the end of March. The new ruling throws the timescale into disarray.

Additionally, May had hoped to negotiate the terms of the exit behind closed doorsif the vote has to go through parliament, she will have to detail her plans and make concessions to the political interests of legislators.

NEWS BRIEFS

BY KATHRYN DUFRESNE

Early voters break election records

Over 30,000 people have voted early in the state of Alaska in preparation for Election Day, or approximately nine percent of the 301,694 voters in the 2012 general election. Nationwide, more than a third of voters are expected to vote early this year. The polls are open statewide from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Voters can use a voter ID card, driver’s licence, state ID, military ID, passport, hunting or fishing licence or other current identification to vote. A current utility bill or bank check, in addition to other government issued documents can also be used to cast a vote. A list of polling places, and the nearest precinct can be found at elections.alaska.gov.

Board of Regents to vote on tuition increase

In preparation for the Board of Regents meeting on Nov. 10 and 11, UA President Jim Johnsen has made several recommendations.

The first is the proposal to establish the administrative home of the College of Education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, building off of programs at all three colleges, while allowing courses in education to continue at all three locations. Johnsen also proposed a five percent tuition increase versus a 10 percent for the 2017 - 2018 academic year. A larger tuition increase could “threaten affordability,” Johnsen said on Nov. 1.

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Lee Piltz

lpiltz@thenorthernlight.org

Looking up the winter forecast for Alaska can bring about a plethora of different opinions, results and predictions.

Some sources say we’re in for little to no snow like the last two winters. Other sources contend that snowfall is up this year compared to the last few winters.

Most experts are saying that there’s little more than a 50/50 shot at getting either a La Niña winter, or an El Niño one.

A majority of people don’t exactly know what El Niño or La Niña means beyond the Spanish translations. Basically, El Niño and La Niña, when spoken about in climate terms, are terms used to describe different temperatures of sea surfaces in the Pacific Ocean. These temperatures effect the seasons we receive not only in Alaska, but all throughout North America. Jackie Purcell, Chief Meteorologist at KTUU, describes what exactly El Niño and La Niña are.

“El Niño is a period of prolonged, warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the vicinity of the Equator.

La Niña is just the opposite; sea surface temperatures are cooler than normal for an extended period. It doesn’t even take much to be considered an El Niño or La Niña. Just about a half of a degree Celsius, either way, is all it takes to reach that threshold,” Purcell said.

Generally, for Alaska this means that in El Niño years, Alaskans get not a lot of snow, but in La Niña years, the state gets more than usual. Right now, the verdict is still being decided on whether or not our weather is going to be La Niña or El Niño. However, more experts are leaning toward La Niña being the case this year.

David George, Morning Edition Anchor and Meteorologist at KTUU, thinks that this winter is going to provide more snow than usual.

“In the El Niño years, here in Alaska and Pacific time zones, we tend to get more active weather depending on where the jet stream is located. In La Niña years,

we tend to get more stable and dry weather,” George said. “If we weren’t really going through a strong La Niña the last two years, I don’t see us going through one this year. Looking at 10 year snow trends, you tend to kind of work your way back up when you bottomed out. That’s what we did by bottoming out two winters ago, and then last winter, getting at least a foot more of snow than that.”

Still, some sources believe that our winter is going to be just a normal year.

It is believed by some that we won’t have an El Niño event or a La Niño event. Rob Guarino, Chief Meteorologist and founder of Live Weather Blogs, is one such meteorologist who believes that the 50/50 split means neither for Alaska.

“A lot really depends on where the Northern Jet places itself up there. We’re not gonna have a La Nina, we’re barely there now, we’re gonna slide between the 50/50 and have a neutral winter. So, you’re not gonna have a dominant La Nina, or a dominant El Nino, you’re kind of left with a climate average,” Guarino said.

As far as what that means for snowfall in Alaska, Guarino sees us getting more snow than usual, but not too much more than normal.

“I would lean to seeing that you get slightly above average snowfall there.

Because, there’s a lot of low pressure now forming up near the Arctic Circle.

So, the pressures are lower than normal up there, we do know that. That’s right now. We also know that Siberian snow cover is above average. Sea ice is a little below average; the Arctic Sea Ice Formation is lower. But, snow coverage in Siberia tends to bring colder air across [into Alaska] and down to America,” Guarino said.

Ultimately, weather is a very hard thing to predict and as of now, no one is completely sure on what is going to happen this winter. For Alaskans that enjoy the snow, hopefully they do get to enjoy a nice, cold blanket. However it seems to be that no one will really know until winter finally gets here.

Be the big saver on campus As a student or employee of University of Alaska, you could be saving 17% on qualifying AT&T plans.

Contact your AT&T sales representative, Shaneill Marquez by emailing shaneill.marquez@att.com or calling 907-264-7249.

To purchase online, visit http://www.att.com/getIRU. Sponsorship Program discounts: Monthly service discounts are available to qualified employees, students and other authorized individuals associated with eligible sponsoring organizations, such as companies and colleges/universities with a qualified business agreement (“Business Agreement”). Individuals must provide proof of eligibility (valid employee badge/student ID card, paystub or other approved validation method) and subscribe to service as Individual Responsibility Users (IRUs), taking personal liability for their accounts.

Discounts are subject to the Business Agreement and may be interrupted, changed and/or discontinued without notice to you. A minimum number of employees, minimum monthly service charge for qualified plans, additional AT&T services or other requirements may apply for eligibility. Under some Business Agreements, the discount can vary monthly depending on your organization’s aggregate volume of qualified charges. Discounts apply only to the monthly service charge of qualified plans (unless otherwise provided in your organization’s Business Agreement). Discounts are not available with any unlimited voice plans. For Family Talk plans, discount will only apply to the primary line. For Mobile Share plans, discount applies only to the monthly service charge for the data allotment of eligible plans, not to the additional monthly device charge(s). Additional plan and other restrictions apply. Discounts may not be combined. Offer subject to change. If you have a question about available discounts and/or your eligibility, contact your organization’s telecom manager or contact us at att.com/getIRU. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Service provided by AT&T Mobility. © 2016 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.

04 | NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Bike theft on campus becoming a prevalent problem

By Cheyenne Mathews

cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

On Oct. 25, Jessica Fry’s bike was stolen. She had left her bike at the bike rack outside of the Consortium Library overnight because of a late night with friends.

The next morning, she walked back to retrieve her bike and found it missing.

Fry was shocked. She hadn’t left it unattended that long, she had a bike lock and she figured there were security cameras around that would monitor criminal activity.

“I figured it has a lock, it’s been on campus with a lock and it’s been fine, so I thought my bike would be there in the morning,” Fry said. “That was wrong.

After figuring out OK, it’s not here, it must of been stolen; I went after my classes and talked to the police officer and filed a report and he told me that this was not uncommon.”

After talking to the officer, Fry went back to the place her bike went missing and she decided to go back and survey the area where her bike was last seen. “[The officer] told me all the things necessary to get my bike back, and after that, I was feeling so sad that I did some own investigating myself,” Fry said. “I went to where it happened, which was outside of the library at the bike racks there, and I noticed a trash can there and, for some strange reason, I looked in the trash can… but I noticed something red in there and I pulled it out and it was my bike lock.”

Fry was able to find her broken lock, but it is highly unlikely she will ever find her bike.

“The officer told me that if they did find it... I would have to find solid proof that, hey that is my bike,” Fry said. “I don’t have the serial number and I don’t have any pictures that I am aware of that would show that it’s mine. But I talked to the officer, and since I have the receipt of the bike lock and I have the bike lock as proof, he told me that if it was found that would be enough. But generally, he said you do need some kind of hard proof because the thief is never going to admit they stole it.”

Fry is not the only one who has had her bike stolen while on campus this year.

UPD Lieutenant Michael Beckner said since this January, there have been 32 reported stolen bikes and probably even more unreported. The year before that, 20 bikes were reported stolen.

When asked why bike theft is such a prevalent problem on campus, Beckner said it had to do with the ease in which bikes can be stolen.

“The reason bikes get stolen is because they’re easy to steal when you have a $2 cable lock on it,” Beckner said. “It’s easy motor transportation. We’ve actually caught people who’ve stolen a bike on one side of campus and come over here because the bike they stole wasn’t really a nice bike and come over and steal another one because it’s nicer. They’re easy to steal for one. Most people don’t write their serial numbers down so you can never prove it’s somebody else’s. You look at a $500 Cannondale or something like that, they’ll go sell it for $50, you know, that’s $50. Easy $50. In turn, that’s why they’re stealing it.”

In Beckner’s experience at UPD, he’s seen not only entire bikes stolen but parts of bikes go missing as well.

“A lot of people have a bike that needs some parts and they’ll go steal parts off a bike,” Beckner said. “We don’t have just bike thefts, they’ll go steal a wheel or they’ll steal a seat or something of that nature. It’s easy to grab and go.”

Bike theft on campus is not a new problem, yet Fry wonders why there isn’t better security to address the issue.

“I questioned [the officer] like since it was right outside of the library if security cameras got [the theft]? And he said ‘no’ typically security cameras are inside the building, but it just baffled me how there were none outside,” Fry said. “Because I thought for sure, there was a camera out there, they’re going to track down the guy, and I’m going to get my bike.”

Fry says her bafflement about a lack of security cameras doesn’t just apply to the library but also the residence halls. On one of her first weeks living in the dorms, Fry walked outside to find a bunch of broken bike locks.

“It really alarmed me because it was right outside the dorm,” Fry said. “Well I came out, it was a nice beautiful day, I noticed tons of bikes were out, including mine, that were tied up on trees in front of the dorm. And I noticed some piece of trash or rubber sticking out of the grass on the path and I realized after picking it up, it was a broken or cut up bike lock.”

Students who had their bike stolen like Fry have a very slim chance of seeing that bike returned to them because they need hard evidence to prove ownership.

“It’s important that you have your serial number, know what kind of bike it is, and any identifying markers on the bike.

Say you have a special seat on it, special basket or something. That way we have a chance of getting it back,” Beckner said.

“But getting the serial number is really important because we can enter into Alaska Public Safety Information Network and NCIC, so if they go pawn it, it will show up as stolen.”

Beckner said there are preventive measures students can take to secure their bikes and ensure evidence of ownership.

“There’s certain things you can do,” Beckner said. “Any student, even if you’re not a student, if you buy a bike

PHOTOS BY CHEYENNE MATHEWS

Bikes secured to the trees in front of UAA’s North Hall. Bikes have been stolen from on-campus students numerous times this semester.

write your serial number down, keep it in a secure place. Go out and buy you a lock that costs more than a dollar. Cable locks can get cut fairly easy and the U-Locks, people who have U-Locks tend to keep their bikes. More people with cable locks tend to lose their bikes.”

Students aren’t the only ones facing bike theft on campus. Yellow bikes from the University bike-share program have

Jessica Fry’s bike-lock that was found in the trash outside of the library. The lock had been cut and disposed of.

gone missing but remain irretrievable.

“They’ve had some [stolen] yeah, believe it or not, people steal them too,” Beckner said. “They bought all these bikes and they just assigned them a [property] number on their sheet when they rent them out or check them out they just hand out the number. So when one got stolen we said we need the serial number and all they gave us was this ‘Bike Number One’. Believe me, you’ll go downtown and see someone riding a yellow bike and I’m sure it’s probably the University’s but you can’t prove it. That’s what our dilemma is. We can know all day that that’s your bike, but if I can’t prove it, I can’t do anything about it.”

Even when Beckner can successfully prove that a certain bike was a stolen one, the penalty tends to be minimal if any.

“Theft now has went up under the new senate bill, under HB 91,” Beckner said.

“The rates have really risen whereas felony a long time ago was $500. Now felonies went to $2000. So most times it’s going to be a misdemeanor, either a class A or class B misdemeanor. You can get so much time in jail, but it’s probably not going to happen and that’s why so many people are stealing bikes, they know it’s not going to happen.”

If there is a punishment imposed Beckner said it will probably be unsupervised probation or a small fee, but the chances of finding the perpetrator are low.

SAD: Learn to spot symptoms and get the most of Alaska’s winter Continued from cover

winter depression and anxiety is surprisingly mixed. You can find studies that show more depression and anxiety in the winter than other times of years, but you can also find other studies that fail to find that winter affect, and some that actually show a bigger effect in the summer.

It might be a case of researchers and the public counting the hits and ignoring the misses,” John Petraitis, associate dean of social sciences and UAA psychology professor, said.

However, for those students who are

experiencing symptoms of SAD they have multiple resources on campus to go to for guidance. The Care Team as well as the Student Health and Counseling Center are both resources offered to students for free or severely discounted rates. If a student visits the Care Team, the Care Team will go over and educate the student on SAD, help them facilitate a physical and get them in contact with some form of therapy.

“Getting a physical is a very important part of treatment. A Care Team member could help them communicate with their provider or give them referrals to the Student Health and Counselling Center

or other providers. A Care Team member would let them know where they can obtain a SAD light and give them some literature about the best uses for it and the risks of it and recommend that they talk to their medical provider about the use, keep a log of mood, sleep, energy etc. to bring to a medical appointment,” Lisa Terwilliger, Care Team coordinator, said.

Whether you think you are experiencing symptoms of SAD or just the winter blues, Suzanne Strisik, clinical psychologist, offers some advice for students to alleviate those feelings.

“Try Vitamin D supplements with physician’s guidance, regular exercise,

start easy, if you’re not used to it, like 5-15 minutes, once or twice a day and increase gradually. Connecting with friends or meeting new friends for walks or coffee. Avoid sad movies and television shows and too much time alone,” Strisik said. “If you study alone for long periods of time, schedule short breaks for short meet-ups and conversations with friends.”

SAD affects women four times more often than men, and young people between the ages of 20 and 30 are most at risk. Here in Alaska, students are most at risk and need to be most weary of their mental health.

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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An alternative to Strategic Pathways

By Alexis Abbott

news2@thenorthernlight.org

A new vision for the University of Alaska has been proposed by UAF neuroscience professor, Abel Bult-Ito. He calls it an alternative to the infamous Strategic Pathways.

Bult-Ito’s plan proposes an administrative restructuring of the University of Alaska system to strengthen the academic mission of research, teaching and service while reducing and eliminating administrative functions that are not directly correlated to his end goal.

The mission of Bult-Ito’s alternative is to raise the academic and research standing of the UA system, to increase student enrollment, retention and degree completion, also to increase research grants and contracts by investing in new tenure-track and research support, academic support staff and new tuition scholarships.

This plan is estimated to generate over $900 million of additional revenue in a 10-year time period without any additional costs to the University of Alaska or the State of Alaska.

The planned restructuring includes condensing the UA Statewide office from about 150 positions to 60.

This would include administration positions in the faculty and staff at the three UA campuses; University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Alaska Southeast.

There will be an estimated 198 staff and faculty positions eliminated from the UA system by the end of year three. Some of these employees may be placed in new

academic programs or departments.

Despite the impact that these reductions will make on current employees, Bult-Ito is determined to positively influence future revenue. He trusts that our state university system will function well without an expanded system-wide office.

The savings that this plan will accumulate are predicted to be reinvested in 72 new tenure-track and 101 new STEM research faculty members, 31 new teaching and research staff and roughly 450 new tuition scholarships. The revenue to be gained within these departments will significantly impact the state-wide system as a whole.

The 10-year plan is projected to bring in additional revenues including tuition, which will exceed $104.3 million, tuition scholarship funds will exceed $35.3 million and research revenues will exceed $813.6 million.

This amounts to a total exceeding $918 million, which is envisioned to be spent on UA, the State of Alaska and local communities.

Bult-Ito has been a professor of neurobiology and anatomy at UAF for 18 years and has been notably involved in research management at UA and in STEM fields. He believes that the faculty and academic research support staff are the core of the UA administration and that teaching students the concept of research is more than crucial to advance a functioning academia.

“This is just a plan, it’s not set in stone. It’s like an open document,” Bult-Ito said. “I realize it’s highly conservative, it’s because I don’t want to be too aggressive.”

Bult-Ito is confident that pursuing his alternative plan is the answer to future success both academically and

financially for the University of Alaska.

“We are reinvesting in our university and reinvesting in our students. Just imagine what we can do with a positive student-centered approach like this. We have to be committed to the students first,” Bult-Ito said during his on-campus presentation, Wednesday, Nov. 2.

The Board of Regents have discussed Bult-Ito’s alternative, but continue to support the Strategic Pathways framework. Roberta Graham, a representative of the UA Board of Regents considers Strategic Pathways as the most effective option in increasing enrollment, reducing costs and improving quality.

“The regents have put their support behind Strategic Pathways as the initiative that will best serve the university. The regents would prefer that Dr. Bult-Ito work in concert with President Jim Johnsen with the regentapproved Strategic Pathways model, but appreciate his energy in seeking a prosperous University of Alaska,” Graham said.

Although Abel Bult-Ito’s alternative plan challenges Strategic Pathways — and UA President Jim Johnsen — Bult-Ito admits to continually reaching out to university administration and Johnsen himself to gain their support, but has been rejected. Bult-Ito expressed that although he did not receive an invite to the next Board of Regents meeting, he will be attending anyway. He feels passionately that the system has to collaborate and come together for this plan to bring success to the universities.

Bult-Ito has set up an accessible petition for UA students, staff and any other supporters to contribute in spreading his alternative 10-year proposal. He demands a new vision for the University of Alaska.

You can sign the petition and learn more information about A New Vision for the University of Alaska at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/543/762/046/demand-a-new-vision-for-the-university-of-alaska/

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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PAINT: New art coming to PSB lobby Continued from cover

“I think it is an exciting opportunity for them to be able to have their voices heard, to get an opinion out, to share an idea with a broader audience,” Chung said.

About 40 students between Chung’s Intermediate and Advanced Painting classes, as well his beginning painting class will be working on the murals.

The murals are done with the idea of general surrealism and surrealism with an Alaskan theme. Surrealism is an art movement that dealt in the subconscious with a lot of imagery from dreams most famously Salvadore Dali and Frida Kahlo.

Students have had the opportunity to have an individual voice and moment in the mural, but in the end, they will ultimately create a united cohesive piece. The mural has many Alaskan animals and scenery but all really gravitates around the central theme of the creation myth. The other mural will be more of a geometric mural that has individual paintings that sit within a larger painting. The Alaska-themed mural will be done on a 30 foot long roll of canvas and the other mural will be mounted panels on a painted wall.

Most of the art will be done in the Art Studio and despite the budget cuts, the proposal has gotten many donations from departments and has a max budget of $800.

The mural is more than just a painting for the students and UAA, it provides a bond between the two. Levesque hopes that this can be an ongoing project and that new walls can be utilized every year. Students can hope to see these murals by the beginning of next month.

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

Advanced painting students put forth their best efforts to ornament the Professional Studies Building with their work.

About 40 students in Thomas Chung’s beginning, intermediate and advanced painting classes will contribute to the Professional Studies Building’s new artwork.

Each student get to contribute their own personal and artistic touch to the mural to be hung in the Professional Studies Building.

08 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Hunter’s-style Italian chicken Putting your Wolfcard to

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

Umbria, Italy, the country’s center region, is home to this style of cacciatora.

Featuring lemon, vinegar, olives, rosemary and sage, this savory and mouthwatering chicken can be enjoyed just by itself, but is optimal served with some fresh chard and polenta or mashed potatoes.

This recipe was inspired by New York Time’s Cooking, and yields roughly four servings.

Ingredients • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil • 1 small chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds) • 1 onion, sliced • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tablespoon capers • ¼ cup brine-cured olives, black or green, with pits • 1 sprig rosemary • 1 handful sage leaves • Salt and black pepper • 1 cup dry white wine • Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions 1. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pieces of chicken and cook them over medium heat until golden. Remove the chicken and clean the pan.

2. Turning the heat to low, add the rest of the olive oil and return the chicken back to the pan. Add the sliced onions and stir them around until they have caramelized. Once they have caramelized add garlic, capers, olives, rosemary and sage leaves. Then season with salt and pepper.

3. Wait a few minutes for it to stew and then add the wine. Cover the pan and lets the chicken simmer until it’s tender and cooked through. If the sauce gets too dry while simmering add water. At

use: Student discounts

By Alexis Abbott

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Little do Seawolves know, carrying a Wolfcard can acquire many benefits.

Many students use their UAA ID in a variety of ways — but some are unaware that there are many student discounts available when you show your university ID. College student discounts are available both locally, here in Anchorage and are even offered through many companies nationwide.

UAA students are eligible for many cheap and even free services all over the Anchorage campus. Students get in free to all Seawolf Athletics home games, and get cheap tickets to university sponsored events including dances, movies, shows and more.

The Wolfcard gives students access to on-campus facilities in the Alaska Airlines Center and The Wells Fargo Sports Complex, which includes athletic gyms, fitness centers, a swimming pool and an ice rink. Those with a UAA student ID also have access to the Gear Room in the Student Union — which allows you to rent a variety of outdoor equipment.

These resources are provided for students enrolled in six credits or more.

If you show your Wolfcard, you have an automatic pass to the city bus system — you can ride the People Mover and the Valley Mover for free.

Loading Wolfbucks onto your card will grant you access to pay for on-campus copying, printing, book rentals, university dining and laundry facilities. The Seawolf Grill located in the Alaska Airlines Center accepts Wolfbucks, along with Peppercini’s Deli House which is located in the University Center.

Some local businesses also give small discounts to students who show their Wolfcard.

A local favorite, Uncle Joe’s Pizzeria offers a 10 percent student discount if you show your Wolfcard. Anchorage’s Jiffy Lube also offers 10 percent off any of your car-service needs. With your Wolfcard, you can snag a ticket to the Anchorage Museum for just $10, and Alyeska Resort offers a $15 discount on passes for students. Center Bowl, a local bowling alley also offers exclusive deals

for students.

Select Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King and Dairy Queen locations offer 10-20 percent discounts if you show your student ID. Although many students are uninformed of all the ways their Wolfcard can be be put to use, most of them regularly use services all over campus with their UAA ID. “I use my Wolfcard for Spotify premium, I’ve been to comedy shows on campus for cheap and I frequently use the workout facilities in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex,” Tabitha Morgan, a physical education student said. “I didn’t realize local businesses offered student discounts, so I’m going to show my Wolfcard more often and try to get some discounts.”

Whether it gets them cheap services, food or entertainment, students are always excited to hear about discounts.

“I don’t use my Wolfcard all that much outside of printing and some Seawolf games, but after hearing about the student discounts, I for sure plan on showing my Wolfcard at Uncle Joe’s, I already go there,” Fatir Dhillon, a mechanical engineering student said.

Some Seawolves are eager to show off their Wolfcard and put these student discounts to the test.

“I use my Wolfcard in the library to rent books and also to swim in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. I’ve never tried to receive student discounts off campus, but I think I’m going to start, I love discounts,” Karen Vue, a radiology student said.

Anchorage is not the only place that you can snag student discounts.

By showing your valid student ID, or entering your university email, you are eligible for discounts at a plethora of companies. Apple, Adobe, AT&T, Best Buy, Microsoft, Spotify, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon all offer exclusive student discounts.

Many apparel brands also offer up to 15 percent off to their customers in college - including Banana Republic, Charlotte Russe, H&M, Juice Couture, Steve Madden and Urban Outfitters.

Being a student comes with many advantages, so put your Wolfcard to use.

the very end, add lemon juice and zest, along with the vinegar.

Get Involved! Be Engaged!

Impact your Campus & your Community!

Take a Civic Engagement & Learning class this Spring

CEL A292 Introduction to Civic Engagement NEW online section now available! (fulfills 3 credits of Social Sciences GER)

CEL A395 Civic Engagement Internship CEL A450 Civic Engagement Leadership Capstone You can also visit our website to see a list of all community engaged courses offered in other departments.

Center for Community Engagement & Learning (CCEL) 786-4062 | uaa.ccel@alaska.edu www.uaa.alaska.edu/ccel | facebook.com/uaaccel PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

| 09

RED ZONE: Rally, march and speak out

By Richard Han

rhan@thenorthernlight.org

On Nov. 18, 2016, students at UAA and members of the community will march together to take back the night.

Take Back the Night is an international event that aims at allowing large numbers of people to publicly express their anger at the sexual violence that takes place and the victim shaming that is associated with sexual assault.

“Midterms stress, people are going partying and getting off class early because of Thanksgiving. Statistically, this weekend and the week following is when the most reported sexual assaults occur,” Moira Pyhala, president of Generation Action, the club hosting the event said Many members of the community have been reached and will be in attendance. Stand Together Against Rape (STAR), Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis (AWAIC), UAA Justice Club, Planned Parenthood, the UAA Student Health and Counseling center and sorority groups will be in attendance as well.

This past year, there have been many cases of sexual assault and numerous amounts of controversy with how sex-

ual assault is being handled across the nation and even within Alaska and University of Alaska. With cases like the Brock Turner case and cases within our own UA system, it can be seen that sexual assault is something that is present in all campuses and must be fought in all campuses. In order to have an effective march a strong number of people participating is most important.

A survey was done in the spring of 2016 by the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center fount that 10.3 percent of UAA students experience sexual misconduct, sexual assault or both in the past year and 12.9 percent of students at UAF. This does not include the number of not reported incidents.

Victim shaming is fairly common within society. Blaming the victim because they were too drunk, what the person was wearing saying they shouldn’t have been out hanging out in the first place. This event is a supportive message to survivors that it is not their fault, they are not alone and members of the community support them.

Kate Fitzgerald, a Health Promotion Specialist, believes that the timeliness of the event is very important.

“With news of a recent rape at UAF coming out and the survivor stating that she no longer feels safe on campus, this is a very important time to be having this event. Take Back the Night is an empowering event for students to participate in and show that we support survivors and are taking a stand against violence,” Fitzgerald said.

The event raises awareness about sexual assault around our community.

According to a study done in 2015 by Alaska Victimization Study for Anchorage, 1 in 2 women experienced sexual violence, intimate partner violence, or both in their lifetime and 1 in 13 experienced these within the past year.

The night will begin at 5 p.m. in the

Gorsuch commons with time to make posters and signs. The actual march starts at 6 p.m. The march will end at Rasmuson Hall. At Rasmuson Hall, there will be a resource center hosted by STAR, AWAIC, the Student Health and Counseling Center and other support groups to be

a resource to help those who have been assaulted or to those who know someone that needs help. At 7 p.m., there will be a panel that will be an overall questionbased discussion around sexual assaults and how students can assist others in need.

• Large Moleskine notebook – for getting project ideas written down on paper • Small Moleskine notebook – for on-the-go doodling • Field Notes planner – keeps his life organized • Hydroflask – always in need of water • Mamiya RZ67 w/ 180mm f/4.5 – for bigger photo projects. The 6x7 cm negatives pack a lot of resolution • Contax T2 – constantly has this camera at his side for anything that catches his eye. Usually has a roll of Kodak Portra 160 loaded inside (not pictured) • 15’ Macbook Pro – for getting work done • 11” x 14” sketch book – mandatory for his advanced drawing course • Derwent medium graphite pencil set – for making sure he can get the full spectrum of grayscale tones • Supreme beanie and Arcteryx gloves – just for the winter, every Alaskan knows • Benchmade pocket knife - never know when a knife will come in handy PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Here are the contents of the bag belonging to Bachelor’s of Arts degree seeking student Patrick Romain.

By Young Kim

ykim@thenorthernlight.org

Patrick Romain Jr. is a degree seeking arts student at UAA. You may have seen him in the Fine Arts Building or at his day job at Nordstrom. Pursuing a future as a creative, his every day carries are all tools that help him to achieve that goal. Here’s what we found in his bag:

Dealing with multiple art disciplines, his belongings help him to stay organized and produce the best work he can.

Check out Seawolf Pack next week for another bag breakdown.

10 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Meditation: A method of controlling stress during exams

By Lee Piltz

lpiltz@thenorthernlight.org

Final exams are approaching all of us here at UAA. This means plenty of cramming, distractions and stress.

However, there are many different studying and relaxation techniques out there to help everyone during these times. Meditation is one such resource that we can all benefit from, whether it is Tai Chi, Qigong or whatever style you prefer, meditation can help to eliminate stress and focus your mind during exam season.

Qigong is one such form of meditation that is a bit different from the norm. Rather than sitting or lying down to meditate, this style requires standing and a bit of movement. Qigong is a form of meditation that comes from China. It is pronounced “Chi”-gong, with the word ‘Qi’ meaning life force and the word, ‘gong’ meaning working on something. So Qigong means to work on your life force. You may also hear about “Ki”-gong, and this is the Japanese style of Qigong.

DaoShima Susan, owner of Jade Lady Meditation explains the beginnings of Qigong, “Qigong originated many centuries ago with temple monks that sat in cross-legged meditation, and one of the monks realized how weak it made them,” Susan said.

“So they found that their legs started to atrophy and started to weaken. So it was actually difficult for them to move around and function. This one monk decided that they should start standing. The way the story goes, he had a vision. Once they started to stand and found their legs got stronger. As time went on, they started to add movement. This is the way that we know Qigong today.”

There are many benefits to the practice of meditation, and Qigong is no exception.

“In the process of doing Qigong, you not only relax, but you also get energy. It’s a focused energy. It clears the mind; it gives you a lot of oxygen. It helps you to better negotiate problems or “test anxiety” and things like that. It kind of helps to cut through the noise or what they sometimes call the “monkey mind,” where your mind is kind of all over the place,” Susan said.

Many instructors of meditation will focus on an idea

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

known as ‘breaths.’ The idea is to focus on your breathing, specifically the pauses between inhaling and exhaling. As you focus on these small moments, it helps to center your mind into the immediate moment and helps you become calm and focused.

“The breath actually contains four parts: there’s the inhale, the pause, exhale, and another pause...That’s one breath. You look for the pauses in a breath and that’s gonna calm you down. Another thing you can do is watch the clock and find out how many breaths you do in a minute. Then try to add one breath. If you focus on that, you will add oxygen to yourself and relax,” Susan said.

Qigong is not the only style of meditation that uses this ‘breaths’ technique. Even here at UAA, the Meditation and Wellness Club teaches the practice. Kyle Pace, co-founder and leader of the club, explains that using the ‘breaths’ technique can help you to focus and calm down.

“One really helpful thing people can do is to just sit and take a few deep breaths at the beginning of whatever you are doing. If you’re starting an assignment or

a long study session, just sit and take even 60 seconds of deep breaths. That will really help to relax the mind and the body and just help them find a little bit of peace and centered-ness before they move on to the exercise,” Pace said.

This is not to say that there is one true way to meditate. In fact, there are millions of ways, each just as unique as any individual. Pace further explains the basics of meditation as a general art.

“Meditation is basically just settling in and paying a little bit more attention to the moment than one might normally do. There’s no formal posture, there’s no formal practices, there’s no formal anything that anybody has to do. All it’s about is finding something that helps to settle more deeply into the moment and not get wrapped up so much into the emotions of the mind. There’s a lot of different ways you can do it,” Pace said.

With all of these different methods of meditating, it can be difficult to find what is right for you. It is encouraged by most instructors to experiment with different meditation types to find what works for you. Gennyo Jana Zeedyk, instructor at Anchorage Zen Community, describes something that you can try with no formal training and within the comfort of your own home.

“Students with no experience with formal meditation may find it most suitable to sit in a chair with their ears in line with their shoulders and their shoulders in line with their hips, with your hands in your lap. Collect the body with your feet stabled on the floor. Collect the breath and become aware of it and collect the mind.

Which means pulling it back from the future, which is to say you keep yourself from thinking about things that might happen,” Zeedyk said. “Pull it away from the past as well, which means to stop thinking about things that have happened. Sometimes it helps to think of a phrase or a word or even start counting and come back to this phrase and focus on the moment to produce a calm. You want to anchor your mind to these words or phrases in order to come back to them.”

Hopefully, during this busy season of exams, students can find some time to relax for a little bit and find some more focus for study. Perhaps, even a few students will find that meditation is a great resource for this task.

CELLULOID WEDNESDAYS R View 16 mm film classics the way they were meant to be seen on the big screen.

Includes documentaries and experimental films that reflect the evolution of film as a medium.

Presented in partnership with Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association.

7 p.m. Wednesdays, Museum Auditorium Free

Come to know the true North anchoragemuseum.org

Museum members save on special events. Join today!

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

| 11

Appearance versus professionalism: Tattoos in the workplace

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

The frequency of tattoos in society has gone up exponentially within the last decade. With tattoos slowly becoming more accepted over time, one question raises on what employer’s impressions are concerning body modifications in the workplace. Because tattoos are on the rise, especially with millennials, it is difficult to anticipate future employers restrictions, if any, on the matter of pro-

fessionalism.

The Harris Poll conducted research on tattoos in 2015 discovering that 3 in 10 people have tattoos in the United States.

47 percent of these tattooed individuals are made up of the millennial generation from ages 18 through 35 years old. Many who make up this generation have yet to settle into a career. There has been fear about having tattoos that will prevent them from obtaining the career in the field they want. However, tattoos seem to be more lenient in higher up job fields

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOVELL RENNIE

Whitney Branshaw, graduate of the UAA Nursing Program, showing off her tattoos.

nowadays within the community because social norms are slightly shifting.

Evan Creasap, tattoo artist at Body Piercing Unlimited downtown, has been tattooing for almost six years. Throughout this time he has tattooed countless amounts of people, all with different jobs and careers. From doctors and CEO’s to the average person looking to decorate their body with Creasap’s unique artwork. During his time in this business, Creasap has noticed changes in society relating to tattoos and piercings.

“I think over time it has been a little bit more acceptable in society and in different workplaces, as time goes on I think that people are in certain industries where it has become more accepted in general,” Creasap said.

One program that is popular among students at UAA is the Nursing Program.

Over the years, there has been a debate for nurses all over the U.S. determining if tattoos should be accepted in that job field. Some negatives are patients declining services from a nurse because they have tattoos and question the nurse’s professionalism and work ethic. Positives for nurses having tattoos are that patients are able to open up to a conversation, sometimes about the tattoos, and have a trustful relationship.

Whitney Branshaw, a graduate of the Nursing Program at UAA, has been a nurse at the Alaska Native Hospital for 13 years. Branshaw has been in the medical field as long as she has been tattooed and has found a way to connect to patients with her tattoos, and she shows her professionalism through education and skill level.

Branshaw has shown that appearance does not reflect work ethic, but also believes individuals should think wisely when getting tattoos when obtaining the education shooting for a specific career.

“Getting a neck or hand tattoo is not a good idea if you haven’t gotten up to where you need to be in the industry where you feel secure, maybe you shouldn’t do something like that before reaching that goal, should you get ‘tittys and ass’ on your arm? Probably not,” Branshaw said.

Although body modifications have been working its way up throughout upper-middle-class jobs, there are some jobs that have a zero tattoo tolerance policy such as Texas Roadhouse.

Cjay Farve, server’s assistant at Texas Roadhouse, is required to wear a long sleeve under his work shirt in order to cover his tattoos before clocking on.

“Our tattoo policy is simple, we just can’t have any visible tattoos, which kind of sucks because I have three tats on my forearms,” Farve said. “From what I’ve been told, we have a policy for tats because it’s a family restaurant, but I don’t see how having visible tattoos in a family restaurant would be any harm to anyone.”

Some job titles may not be as strict on tattoo policies. However, there are still individuals in the community that do not appreciate tattoos on others in general.

Even Creasap, professional tattoo artist, is questioned on his decisions for his own tattoos.

“It’s really interesting how many people have the audacity to come up to me and ask me what my reasoning is for a tattoo,” Creasap said. “I tell them to use their imagination because it’s none of their business and I was not thinking about their thoughts or opinions on my work when I got my tattoos done.”

It’s one thing for a job to decline you for appearance, but having others critique you for personal decisions can be questioning. There are countless amounts of reasons why individuals decide to get something permanently tattooed on their bodies such as memorials, personal stories, identity or even just for the artwork.

Despite the reasoning for getting a tattoo, there will still be people out there who not approve.

“I learned to smile and nod, to be honest, I do not give two fucks what anybody thinks of me and my tattoos,” Branshaw said. “I am a very successful independent woman, who is a good mom, has a good career, and still manages to get respect from people as alternative as I look, so I really don’t give a shit what anybody thinks.”

When thinking about getting a tattoo, be aware that there are potential jobs out there that do not approve and will not hire because of it. Yet, there are alternatives if you desire a tattoo and feel strongly about getting one. One rule many people with tattoos follow is nothing below the elbow and nothing above the neck. This will allow any of those tattoos to be covered up when needed, or shown when desired.

There are many different areas of the body that can be tattooed and easily covered up. Many jobs are becoming lenient on tattoos as long as they have clean tattoo work, unlike home tattoos, and nothing vulgar or offensive. From the looks of it, social norms relating to tattoos are changing; maybe there will be no need to cover up tattoos in the future.

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

| 12

Beneath the artistry, ‘When Animals Dream’ is nothing new

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

It’s tiring sitting through the same horror movie time and again. There are a few diamonds in the rhinestones, but “When Animals Dream” is just another rhinestone. It’s got a diamond’s sheen, but with none of its strength. Sometimes, that sheen raises the atmosphere and tone well; however, the rest of the movie never follows. In fact, “When Animals Dream” is so underwhelming that it’s hard to form an opinion about it. At its deepest, it’s an average horror flick veiled by artistry.

Marie (Sonia Suhl) lives in a lonely fishing village with her father, Thor (Lars Mikkelsen, “The Day Will Come”) and her seemingly catatonic mother, Mor (Sonja Richter, “Gentlemen”). After a strange rash appears on Marie’s chest, she begins to change. Something is amiss in the village, however. It seems that everyone knows what’s happening to her better than she does.

Transformation narratives, broken down, are more about the “before” than the “after.” “Before,” the character is built up, given dimension while the affliction spreads. “After,” the man becomes the monster, and the attributes of both get too mixed up to tell who’s who. The problem with “When Animals Dream” is that the

before establishes nothing about Marie, opting instead to build her relationships with other, equally vague people.

So when the after hits, it’s not scary or effective in any way. Things just kind of happen, and they’re left there. Viewers have to take it on faith that, without knowing who she was before, Marie is very different now, so she will do very different things. Horrible things. Look at how monstrous she’s become! But when you only see the monster, is it really monstrous?

Even worse, the movie falls back on the usual thematic territory: the dangers of female sexuality. This doesn’t hurt the movie, it just lumps it in further with most horror out there. It just feels so safe. And in a world with horror like “The Witch,” “The Babadook,” and “It Follows,” “When Animals Dream” just doesn’t cut it.

In the end, this movie is your typical werewolf flick, but it’s got enough of an artistic sheen to feel different. And that’s its biggest trick. Truly, the movie wants to be subversive and interesting. Its fascinating texture is evidence of that. But it just isn’t. It’s too familiar and indistinct to take on a life of its own. For a movie so focused on transformation, it’s ironic that “When Animals Dream” never evolves itself.

“When Animals Dream”

TITLE

DIRECTOR Jonas Alexander Arby

RELEASE DATE August 28, 2015

COUNTRY Denmark

GENRE Horror

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

| 13

The Modern Savage celebrates their 5 year anniversary

By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org

It is impressive for a band in Anchorage to become well known, produce music and play shows, but the real challenge lies with keeping people interested. Putting out new and better music, playing shows that keep fans coming out and maintaining an image that people can remember and recognize is difficult, especially when music communities are always waiting for something newer and different. The Modern Savage is a band that have made themselves known in Anchorage, and stuck around to make sure people keep knowing them.

Five years ago, the band was an up and coming indie rock group, just getting their feet on the ground and establishing themselves as a band in Anchorage.

Today, The Modern Savage is a five piece group featuring Jenni May on vocals, John Cripps on guitar, synth, and background vocals, Matt Eley on guitar, synth, and background vocals, Ivan Molesky on bass, and David

Devlin on drums. They now consider themselves a postpunk, more alternative band, and have since put out two albums. With five members in the band, there is room for everyone to bring all kinds of influences and outside music to help form their unique sound.

“I feel really influenced by a lot of new wave. Post1985 pop really resonates with us too. Patti Smith, Blondie, any strong female vocalist influences and has driven a lot of what I’ve done,” vocalist May said.

Clearly the music that The Modern Savage puts out is received well by the people of Anchorage. On Friday, Nov. 11, they will be celebrating five years together as a group, playing a show at Williwaw featuring Alex the Lion as their opener. In this anniversary show, The Modern Savage will be playing original songs from both of their albums, and will even include songs off their upcoming third album, which is set to be released early next year.

“We want to play a lot of stuff off the new album, which we’ve never performed live before. That’s pretty exciting for us, especially since these songs won’t be

available for a while,” May said.

“Also we will be playing some unreleased songs, doing a few covers, and playing a lot of stuff that we don’t usually do live. It’ll be fun to change up the set list a bit,” guitar player Eley said.

Over the course of these past five years, The Modern Savage has grown and progressed in ways they never expected. From maturing as musicians, to becoming a more cohesive group, there is no doubt that The Modern Savage will continue to make more music, and maybe even expand their horizons beyond Alaska.

“In the next five years, it would be cool to see us do some touring in the states, maybe establish ourselves a little bit better down there. I would like to see our content being distributed to a wider audience,” Eley said.

The Modern Savage isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and will only continue to branch out as a band.

The group’s show at Williwaw will likely be one of the last before their third album release, so it will be a very unique and inviting experience for anyone that attends.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

| 14

Same tricks, different season

Snowskating allows skateboarders to get through the winter

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

Transitioning from 70 degrees to another long cold winter is something many Alaskans are not looking forward to. One group in particular that is not fond of the slushy snow covering our state is skateboarders. Since it is impossible to control the weather, skateboarders have found a temporary solution to get them through the winter. With a lack of indoor skate parks and high snowboard expenses, snowskating is their answer.

A snowskate can be described as a cross between a skateboard and snowboard. It has a skateboard-like shape without trucks and wheels and a crevassed underside that allows for a smooth ride on the snow. Snowskating is possible to do anywhere there is snow from street skateboard spots, hills or personally built equipment. This hybrid allows the same skateboard-style tricks, but for snow.

There is only one indoor skate park in Anchorage called Arctic Oasis Community Center, which is located at Elmendorf Air Force Base, therefore only allowing military access. Because the public does not have entry to this indoor skate park, there are no other places for skateboarders to skate in the wintertime.

Besides skateboarding in home garages, options are limited. Many individuals that snowskate originally started off with skateboarding.

“I wanted a snowskate because I had just started skateboarding and it was all that I wanted to do, so I felt it was a solid answer to the people’s question, ‘what are you going to do when it snows?’” Jake Holmes, skateboarder and snowskater since 2005, said.

Snowskating appeals to skateboarders because of the similarities between the two. Almost any trick on a skateboard can be done on a snowskate because of the resembling characteristics as apposed to snowboarding.

“Skateboarding and snowskating are similar in the sense that, unlike snowboarding, you’re not stuck to your board, which I liked,” Holmes said.

The feeling of being able to do flip tricks on a snowskate is a main similarity skateboarder’s focus on the most.

Snowboards require bindings that keep

PHOTO COURTESY OF CJAY FARVE

Caveman off the top of the fence into the hill.

your feet attached to the board, which do not allow the openness of any flip tricks.

The feeling of being able to replicate a flip trick on a snowskate is Sam Ingram’s main reasoning for participating in this winter board sport.

“Say you learn kickflips on a snowskate, it’s the same feeling you get when you learn kickflips on a skateboard,” Ingram said. “It’s a rush and you just want to keep going and learning along with board feel, even though they aren’t shaped exactly the same way, you still get that board feel you get from a skateboard.”

Snowboarding is also a possibility for those who love skateboarding. Though, sometimes the expenses that go along with snowboarding are not with worth the time and effort. Taylor Goldade, skateboarder, enjoys snowboarding but like many others don’t agree with prices.

“I like snowboarding too, but it’s really expensive, it’s not just expensive for gear, but expensive to get to resorts, and if you don’t want to pay for a resort then you have to man up and hike something,” Goldade said. “Snowskating is about as easy as going to a street spot on a skateboard, so it’s a lot easier and cheaper.”

Being able to get fresh air and attempt to replicate an interest in skateboarding can be a refreshing distraction.

“It’s just a continuation of skateboarding, I just ride whatever’s more convenient, but I’m sure if I lived somewhere with indoor skate parks that I could go to all winter, I would have never really bothered starting snowskating most likely,” Holmes said.

Though snowskating is a great alternative, it does not entirely take the place of skateboarding or compare to anything like it to those who skate.

“I wouldn’t say snowskating fulfills the need to skate because nothing fulfills that except for skating,” Ingram said.

Like every hobby, anyone can pick it up and practice. Snowskating can be fun for not only skateboarders but for anyone willing to try.

“What’s cool about snowskating is that you can do sick stuff your first time ever doing it,” Goldade said.

Snowskating is yet another inexpensive winter board sport opposed to snowboarding. Wintertime in Alaska can be long, cold, and worst of all, boring. Finding a hobby that can potentially make winters not so horrible and make a huge difference. Skateboarders have found a way to put a Band-Aid on their heartbreak with skateboarding throughout the winter. Don’t let the winter blues get you down. Who knows, you could be the next pro snowskater.

Backcountry on a budget: Three ski resort substitutes

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

Ski resorts are limited in the anchorage area resulting in boredom for many experienced ski and snowboarders. Going to the same resorts repeatedly loses excitement and even motivation to go out and hit the slopes.

An option that can help keep that passion would be to find new places to ride. If you don’t mind driving 45 minutes out to Girdwood for Alyeska, an hour-long drive and a little hiking can take you to new exciting places and give you more possibilities.

Flattop is known for its hiking trails in the summer time and Alaska’s most visited peak. This is located in town and is familiar to most who have hiked it, especially during the summer. During the winter, you can hike it the same way, with skis or snowboard and ride down the face, which contains the best snow. There are also the peaks behind flattop that is available to be trekked up and ride. This would be a good place for beginners to

advanced ski or snowboarders to go if not a resort.

Hatcher’s Pass is located in Palmer in the Talkeetna mountains about an hour and a half outside of Anchorage. There are many different activities that can take place at Hatcher’s throughout the whole year, but what most look forward to is the backcountry skiing and snowboarding. Hatcher’s Pass hosts one of the best snow conditions in the state, usually starting in November.

According to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation web page, “The High Glacier Peaks area north of Reed Lakes provides hearty backcountry traverses amongst the mountains and glaciers.” If you explore far enough, there are mountain huts that are open to the public. They warn only experienced skiers and climbers attempt to reach huts because it’s a several day trip with no designated trails. For more information on how to plan a trip to stay in these huts, the Alaska Mountaineering Club is willing to help.

Turnagain and Summit Pass is located in the Kenai mountains about half an hour past Girdwood. This is a great place to go after riding Alyeska and are look-

ing for more of an adventure. Again, these backcountry areas are for advanced ski and snowboarders. Turnagain Pass has steep mountains similar to backcountry areas in Valdez, Alaska, because of the oceanic climate with deep and stable snowpack. After an hour of hiking, you will reach untracked snow and ready to shred. This is considered one of the best roadside backcountry areas in Alaska.

These are three places that have difference levels of expertise that don’t involve spending money on a lift ticket while also being able to venture out to a new spot.

They do require a bit of hiking to be done, but is ultimately worth it. If you are looking for a new area to ski or snowboard, these can be an option for you. Before heading out to more of the advanced places such as Hatcher’s Pass and Turnagain Pass, check online about daily weather conditions and avalanche warnings. There are also free classes provided about avalanche safety and gear by many organizations such as Alaska Avalanche Information Center, Alaska Avalanche School and Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

| 15

UAA men’s basketball jumps into their season

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

With only the annual Alumni game and the Green and Gold game under their feet, the UAA men’s basketball lined up to start their conference season off. To prove what the 2016-17 Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll already suspected of them, by ranking them at No. 1, the Seawolves started the season off right with two back to back wins.

Coming into the new season, it’s all about starting fresh and getting team dynamics back into the competition, senior guard Suki Wiggs has years of experience with this. “[Whey] have to focus on the little things, playing hard and playing smart to get back into things,” Wiggs said.

Friday, Nov. 4 - Portland Bible College For the first half, the Seawolves prospered and proved their strong teamwork with debuts from senior Wiggs and senior forward Corey Hammell scoring early on, bumping UAA up 7 points for an initial lead.

With quick action between both teams, it wasn’t long before the Wildcats started racking in the points, but UAA nearly doubled the score every time the Wildcats even got close to the net.

Slowly but surely, the Seawolves continued to pull their lead higher, until reaching a halftime with a 39 point lead.

With a brief timeout, the teams were allowed to recoup momentarily; Wiggs, being a senior and standout played, helped keep the team in the right frame of mind. He realizes that “with all the seniors we have, [they] have to focus on leadership,” to keep the rest of the team going.

The final half of the game proved to be a complete success. The lead the Seawolves initially attained sky rocketed with help from standouts junior forward Augustus Simmers and senior guard Diante Mitchell.

With a quick second half, the Seawolves not only closed out their first official season game with a win, but they did it with a 63 point lead. Of that, 26 of the total points are credited to Wiggs with an additional 15 credited to Simmers.

After a game full of plentiful points, 13 of the 15 Seawolves were able to get in

playing time, with 11 of them being able to score.

Saturday, Nov. 5 - Portland Bible College Returning for a rematch on Saturday, UAA and Portland Bible took to the Alaska Airlines Center at 2 p.m.

After the previous night, UAA had a good outlook. Winning with a 63 point lead gave them a lot of optimism, but that didn’t mean everything went smoothly.

Being only the first official game of the season the Seawolves knew that there would be things that they needed to work on, especially communication according to senior Suki Wiggs.

“We played good but we have to focus on communicating on the court, we lapsed a little bit in the first half but the second half was great,” Wiggs said about the previous night.

With their optimism high and their needed corrections on their minds, the Seawolves came through and dominated yet again. With slightly less of a point lead, but a higher final score at 108-51, the Seawolves are already beginning with an undefeated status.

The start of the game was led off with a series of points accumulated from senior guard Spencer Svejcar, specifically 7 points all back to back. This sparked the rest of the team’s offensive to get aggressive and rack in the points.

The stream of points coming in on UAA’s side barely allowed Portland Bible to get the ball, by halftime the Seawolves were already up 29 points at 49-20. This initiated an even stronger second half.

Svejcar, Wiggs and Hammell all making standout performances for the remaining time, they accumulated over 10 points in the first part of the second half alone.

With the lead stretching to 76-36 and still over 10 minutes left in the game, the Seawolves had plenty of time getting players off the bench and got a good rotation going; at this point, a 40 point lead would be a reach to cut.

Rounding up towards the end the game, the Seawolves continued to increase their score until the very end of the buzzer. All in all, the Seawolves accumulated their 2 win for the season at 108-51, with 18 points from Svejcar, 14 points from Wiggs and 11 points and 11 rebounds from Hammell.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ADAM PHILLIPS

Guard Ashton Pomrehn dribbles around a player from Portland Bible College this past weekend.

Junior Augustus Simmers plays defense during Saturday’s game against Portland Bible College. The Seawolves defeated the opposing team in both games.

16 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

UAA volleyball conquers in Oregon

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

To start the weekend off, the UAA women’s volleyball traveled down to the state of Oregon to compete against two different schools. With a new streak of 4 wins, the Seawolves hold steady in their No. 1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference seeding, as well as their No. 11 Division II rank. With the season soon coming to an end in approximately a month, they Seawolves are showing off their strength and teamwork with two backto-back wins.

UAA last competed against Concordia and Western Oregon a month ago at the Alaska Airlines Center where UAA won both games 3-0, but to change things up for these games, the Seawolves were hosted as the ‘away’ team on Oregon court.

Although beaten by UAA, Concordia boasts a 8-6 conference record, holding the No. 6 seed, but only No. 25 in Division II. On the other hand, Western Oregon stands at No. 8 with only a 5-9 conference rank.

Friday Nov. 4 - Concordia in Portland, OR To kick off the back-to-back games, the Seawolves debuted their weekend in Portland taking on Concordia.

Cutting it close in the beginning of the game, the Seawolves allowed not only set one, but also set two to go into overtime before capping off the two point win rule. The Seawolves, including sophomore outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson, knew they would be in trouble in they didn’t do anything, “our game against Concordia, started out a little rough. We knew we had to eliminate our serving, hitting, and passing errors in order to win,” she said.

In set one, the Seawolves managed to get by with almost as many attack errors as they had kills, resulting in 10 and 13, respectively. Concordia was a decent amount behind until half way through the set, when they quickly caught up and even passed UAA’s lead tempo-

rarily.

Rounding up towards the end of the set, the power duo of setter Morgan Hooe and middle blocker Diana Fa’amausili stepped up to lead the Seawolves in for the win. With an assist from Hooe, Fa’amausili brought in a kill that allowed the Seawolves to get a win at 26-24.

The second set ran a bit more smoothly than the first.

More kills, blocks, digs and less errors. Unfortunately, Concordia was on the same page and kicked their offense into high gear. With an immediate lead from CU, the Seawolves were already five points behind halfway through the set.

Slowly but surely, the Seawolves pulled ahead, with credit to middle blocker Erin Braun blocking the net left to right. CU barely reaching set point by the time UAA was right there. In an impressive comeback, the Seawolves pushed into overtime to let Hooe set Johnson the ball for the set winning point at 29-27.

Heading into the third — and what could be the final set of the night — the Seawolves discovered early on that they were in for a challenge. Although UAA held the lead for the majority of the set, Concordia prospered to hand the Seawolves their first loss of the night. While UAA managed 14 kills with only 7 attack errors, CU beat them with a total of 16 kills and only 3 attack errors, prompting a score of 23-25.

In order to redeem themselves, the Seawolves pulled in an immediate lead, by nearly 8 points in a short amount of time. With help from Kyla Militante-Amper’s initial four serve streak, the Seawolves got back in the game.

Hooe and Johnson teamed up in the remaining of the set to pull the offense together. Several assists and kills later from the duo, UAA found themselves at set point.

Militante-Amper stepped up the line to serve again, with a final service ace, the Seawolves won the set 25-17, and the game at 3-1.

Saturday Nov. 5 - Western Oregon in Monmouth, OR To finish up the weekend after their previous win,

the Seawolves headed to Monmouth to compete against Western Oregon.

In a rather quick game, the Seawolves prospered in their second win for the weekend at 3-0. To continue their recently cut streak, UAA continued their new streak with this now fourth win in a row.

Although set one ended with WOU earning a higher average of attacks and kills that UAA, the Seawolves actually gained more points off of them due to their attack errors, letting set one end quickly at 25-21. The Seawolves realized they had to correct the weaknesses they suffered from the previous night.

“Our coach believes passing and serving wins games because offense will follow,” Johnson said.

It wasn’t until set two that the Seawolves experienced a turn around in their offensive line, although they started out slow with WOU topping their scores off every couple points, the Seawolves went out with a bang. Incorporated in this strong offensive turn around included a majority of them, 7 Seawolves being able to step up for a kill.

Stepping up to set three, UAA knew they could make it the last one for the night. Just like Johnson said, the team needed to be more consistent with their passing and serving, with that they were already on the right path for set three.

The Seawolves started strong and got a significant lead, but halfway through they slowed down, WOU caught up. In the closest set of the night, UAA found themselves at 25 points, with Western Oregon only one point behind.

With nerves on edge, it wasn’t known if WOU would overtake them and kill everything they earned in the first two sets, but that was quickly dismissed when UAA got their set and game winning point on Western Oregon’s attack error, ending the set at 26-24.

After two back to back games, the Seawolves added two more wins to their streak. Winning against Concordia 3-1 (26-24, 29-27, 23-25, 25-17) and Western Oregon 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 26-24).

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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18 | SPORTS UAA hockey loses back-to-back vs. Alabama-Hunstville THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

PHOTOS BY JAY GUZMAN

Forward Mason Mitchell manages to take the puck after a face-off.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

After kicking off their season just under a month ago, UAA hockey currently holds no conference wins and two losses, but with a total of one season win with five losses. With that record, the Seawolves are currently put at No. 9 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

The weekend of Nov. 4 and 5 allowed the Seawolves a new opportunity. The University of Alabama-Huntsville traveled up to Alaska to play UAA in two back-to-back weekend games. UAH currently ranks slightly above UAA holding No. 5 in the WCHA standing, with a season record of 2 wins and 7 losses.

Friday, Nov. 4 - Alabama Huntsville at Sullivan Arena Returning to the rink, the Seawolves first game of the weekend suffered drastically with a final score of 2-5, leaving them with an additional loss to add to their previous 0-2 conference record.

Things took a turn for the worst in the first several minutes of the game, when Alabama-Huntsville accumulated the first two goals of the game, blowing passed the Seawolves with their aggressive offense.

Discouraged, Seawolves tried to stay with it, although sophomore defenseman Eric Roberts wasn’t extremely concerned.

“We are playing well and we are doing good things, so there’s definitely no need to worry. We just need to find a way to overcome the diversity that we are facing right now,” Roberts said.

As the Seawolves struggled to keep up, Alabama-Huntsville prospered once again to get another goal under their feet.

It wasn’t until 13 minutes into the first period that senior forward Brad Duwe cut their lead and scored the first of the two goals of the night for the Seawolves.

With a 4-1 game now, the Seawolves weren’t dangerously behind starting the second period. To their disadvantage, the Seawolves saw less luck in this period compared to the first. With only one goal

scored in a rather uneventful 20 minutes, UAH extended their lead to 5-1 finishing off the second period of the game.

With a rather discouraged team of Seawolves, the guys returned to the ice for a final head to head in the third period. In a temporary turn of events, the Seawolves were able to out shoot the UAH 12-5, but only securing 1 point from Duwe.

With the game dying down and the clock running out, the Seawolves were dished another loss, 2-5. With unfortunate circumstances, the team is keeping their heads held high including sophomore forward Mason Mitchell. “[The game] didn’t go as we wanted, but we are getting better everyday,” Mitchell said, which is an important aspect to look at.

Despite the score, UAA still had several standout players. Duwe, of course, scoring both goals of the night but only with assistance from freshman forward Alexi Ainali. In addition, junior goalie Olivier Mantha helped keep UAH’s points at bay by stopping 19 of the 21 shots made at him while he was on the

ice.

Saturday, Nov. 5 - Alabama Huntsville at Sullivan Arena With a rematch between UAA and UAH following Friday’s loss, the game gave the Seawolves back some of their confidence. After the majority of the game left them with a deficit, the third period proved to be successful on the Seawolves side, it was the overtime that left them with a loss at 2-3.

Coming into the first period, the Seawolves earned a penalty for sophomore forward Alex Jackstadt holding, but other than several more penalties on both sides, the first 20 minute period was otherwise uneventful and left the score at 0-0.

With the second period starting, UAA was again being hit with more and more penalties, in addition, UAH began to turn over and take more shots and put the pressure on. With two failed saves from goalie Olivier Mantha, Alabama Huntsville was up 2-0 coming into the third period. A new motivation pressured the

Forward Mason Mitchell swaps with the line mid-game.

Seawolves, within the first minutes of the period, junior defenseman Jarrett Brown made UAA’s first goal, only to get it waived off after a lengthy video review.

Addressing the weaknesses that they had encountered over the weekend, the Seawolves knew they had to change something, sophomore forward Mitchell had the right idea.

“I’d have to say we need to improve our power play and play a full 60 minutes, [in addition] we have to shoot the puck more,” Mitchell said.

Left only temporarily again at 2-0, junior forward Matt Anholt and sophomore forward Nils Rygaard each pull through to tie the game up. Requiring overtime, both teams push through in an attempt to win.

With five minutes to make or break it, the time ran quick. There were no goals for the first several minutes, nonetheless, with only one minute left UAH broke through and scored to win the game.

Finishing off the weekend, the Seawolves suffered two back to back loses to Alabama Huntsville, 2-5 and 2-3.

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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