October 11, 2016

OCTOBER 11 - OCTOBER 18, 2016

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

SPORTS

PAGE 7

UAA professor and team creates new concrete to answer road problems

PAGE 15

Seawolves pummeled

by Gophers in season opener

Anchorage's annual Zombie HalfMarathon rallies over 500 participants

RED ZONE: A beginner's guide to self-defense

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

Runners went the extra mile in their outfit designs with the spirit of October in mind.

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Once it hit Oct. 1, everyone knew that it was time to get ready for Halloween. Instead of dedicating just one day, Oct. 31, people and events all over Anchorage started gearing up for a whole month of spooky and festive Halloween-themed activities.

One in particular, favored by the Anchorage running community, is the annual Zombie Half Marathon and Kids Zombie 2.5K. This race is a fun event to kick off the month that takes place every year in early to midOctober, this year landing on Saturday, Oct. 8.

This was no ordinary race. At this race, there wasn't the average running attire a person would see at a typical road race, but instead a lot of the participants were dressed in their best zombie costumes or zombie makeup. As if running 13.1 miles wasn't hard enough, these participants trekked through all of it looking like a zombie.

Zombie participants had to show up at Goose Lake Park Saturday morning, runners had a start time of 10 a.m. and walkers a start of 9 a.m. Regardless of the hour difference, Alaskans know that any October morning is going to be a brisk one, so most participants had to

SEE ZOMBIE

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Urban indoor farm to provide fresh produce to Anchorage consumers year-round

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

In the land of the midnight sun, the endless sunshine can raise monster 130 pound cabbages, 1,200 pound pumpkins and 35 pound broccoli from the fertile soils of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. We flock to farmers markets to reap the rewards of valley farmers and savor the flavors of our Alaskan-grown produce. As the frost begins to settle and the season ends, Alaskans grow nostalgic for freshness in anything. Jason Smith, a UAA alumni who graduated with an undergraduate degree in geomatics and a master's degree in business administration, is bridging the fresh food gap in Anchorage.

Residing inside the old Matanuska Maid building in Spenard, Alaska Natural Organics is Smith's hydroponic vertical farm, where he harvests produce for restaurants and the Anchorage community.

Alaska Natural Organics was approved for funding in 2014 and provides fresh, locally grown produce to many local Alaskan restaurants including 49th State Brewing Company, Midnight Sun Brewing Company, Hearth, Bear Tooth Theatrepup, Romano's, Ginger, Rush Espresso, Sacks Cafe, Snow City Cafe, Spenard Roadhouse, South Restaurant + Coffee House and Pangea. Beyond local restaurants, Alaska Natural Organics also sells their basil through Carrs and Fred Meyer.

Marketing their Alaska grown produce has come with its own unique set of challenges.

"One of the challenges we have is that everyone says they want to buy local, but there's people down in the southern California working for a whole lot cheaper, and it brings the price way down. That's been a hurdle," Smith said.

Locally grown produce may be worth the extra facebook.com/northernlightuaa

PHOTO BY YOUNG KIM

Bear Tooth Grill’s bloody mary is made almost entirely from Alaska grown ingredients.

money. With higher nutritional value and the potential to improve the local economy, buying local could help Alaskans invest in their community.

"On the one hand, local means higher nutrition value.

The nutritional value of produce degrades very quick-

@TNL_Updates

By Lee Piltz

lpiltz@thenorthernlight.org

When it comes to sexual assault and rape, knowing how to defend yourself can be extremely helpful. There are many different tactics and techniques to defending yourself in a close-quarter assault situation. That isn't to say that not knowing how to defend yourself places the blame onto a victim in the event of a sexual assault or rape. The blame should always lie with the instigator of the act, not with the victim.

Unfortunately, there is a certain stigma associated when you bring up self-defense while going through an event of a sexual assault. Keeley Olson, Executive Director of Standing Together Against Rape (STAR), explains that despite the fact that what happened to them is not their fault, a victim can be triggered when self-defense is brought up, and they assign the blame onto themselves.

“Often times, when victims think that if they can’t get out of a bad situation, that it is their fault, ” Olson said.

Self-defense is not the fault of the victim, nor is it a way to prevent sexual assault. Prevention is a wholly different matter entirely. Prevention has more to do with educating people about rape awareness and body autonomy than it does with physically preventing an assault.

Olson explains what prevention is when it applies to cases of sexual assault.

“When we talk about prevention, a lot of people think that that means being able to defend yourself against a sexual assault. When I think about prevention, it’s about educating children in Kindergarten and 1st grade about body autonomy. That’s primary prevention, where when you’re working with the younger, the better.”

Jacob Dempsey, head instructor for UAA's Judo and Jiu Jitsu Club and alumni of the University, explains that just like with any emergency, defending yourself from an attack is something everyone should have a plan for, or at least think about, "A lot of things you have to make a split-second decision on, which means you have to have thought about this stuff ahead of time. To make those rational decisions during a time where, quite frankly, you’re not going to be thinking rational. Like in any emergency situation, you [have to] prepare beforehand," Dempsey said.

Many self-defense instructors also suggest that you listen to your instincts when it comes to identifying a potential predator. Predators usually give victims an uneasy feeling or a sense that something is not quite

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DEFENSE: Protecting yourself in the worst-case scenario Continued from cover right.

"People have a pretty good sense when something’s wrong. If you’re gut’s saying, ‘This situation is bad,’ you should probably listen to it and get out of the situation. Generally, as a species, we have a pretty good instinct of something’s not right. We just have to acknowledge it and be willing to act on it,” Dempsey said.

Officer Joe Heynen of the University Police Department and one of the officers involved in UAA's Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training program also insists that people trust their instincts.

"Trust your instincts. We've got them for a reason. When something is making you uncomfortable or doesn't feel right.

It's probably making you feel uncomfortable for a reason." Heynen said.

After you have identified a potential threat, the next thing you can do is to talk down the perpetrator. As odd as it sounds, you may be able to talk your way out of an altercation. Be advised, that you should not start yelling for help unless someone is physically harming you. Prior to the actual assault, it is recommended that you try to talk down the threat.

"If you can talk them out of doing whatever they are gonna do, that is preferred. Once you start screaming, one of two things is gonna happen. It’s gonna get exasperated and they’re gonna move faster. Or, they’re gonna back away, and obviously, the back away is preferred, but, you have to realize that once you start screaming, you may have accelerated the process," Dempsey said.

If you cannot talk down your attacker, and they continue with the assault, it is advised you try to use a psychological manipulation strategy known as the compliance method. Malachi Bond, a Senshido instructor at the YWCA Alaska, instructs people on how to use compliance method and mental manipulation when defending yourself against an assault.

"If somebody has been targeted, if they're being stalked, or if they've been cornered, their best bet is either to use an overwhelming amount of violence against this individual, legally speaking we call that force, or is to feign compliance, feign submissiveness," Bond said.

"If you are feigning compliance, [the aggressor is] going to mentally think that they have you in a position where they can do whatever they want to you. So, they're not thinking that you're going to rip up their face or smash them in the throat or something like that. And when you are able to, you're gonna go after them."

The main concern here, especially for females, is that usually, a predator will single out someone they think they can take advantage of. Usually, the victim is smaller than the perpetrator in size and

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

perceived strength. Regardless, there are things a smaller person can do to deter a larger person from assaulting them. It is recommended that you strike the eyes, nose, ears and throat of your assailant as those are the most sensitive parts of the body.

Something else you can do if you are being grabbed or hit by an assailant is to try and break their fingers. If they grab your clothes, that is the perfect opportunity to grab their hands and break their fingers.

"Small joint manipulation, so fingers are great things to grab a hold of and twist, and the nice thing about fingers is, you can break them and they’re going to heal. Twisting them in directions they are not designed to go. Once they can no longer grab, obviously that gives you a certain level of safety," Dempsey said.

"If they grab your clothes, now you’ve got this stationary object that you can grab and start peeling the fingers off the wrong directions. Even a small woman can grab a single finger of a man and break it. When you strike back against an assailant, it needs to be decisive, it needs to be something that could potentially end the threat now."

Once you have injured or stunned the attacker, it is recommended that you try to leave the situation as quickly as possible.

This is not to say that the victim is the only one able to fend off an attacker.

Bystanders are also able to help in this situation. There are many things you can

do as an individual on the outside of an assault.

"Once there are bystanders, then a lot of times the perpetrator will flee the scene because they don’t want to get caught.

They want to try to avoid as much additional notice as they can," Dempsey said.

It should be noted, that as a bystander, getting physically involved is putting your own safety at risk. You may find that when you try to break up an altercation physically, you open yourself up to attack as well. However, you should try to do everything within your power to assist someone who is being sexually or physically assaulted.

Bystanders are more likely to see the

potential for assault than they are likely to see the actual assault itself. If this happens, you can disrupt the situation and attempt to sabotage the perpetrator.

Olson describes this with an example: "Being at a house party... and you see somebody who seems to be really drunk being escorted away by a guy at the party.

You can walk up and knock on the door and say, 'Man, your car is being towed,' and they guy runs out and you separate the girl from the guy. Or if you see someone put something in somebody's drink, you alert the bartender," Olson said.

There are also local programs within Anchorage that women and men can take in order to not only stay physically fit, but to help individuals defend themselves. Bond and Dempsey offer training in specific martial arts such as Judo, Jiu Jitsu and Senshido. Some programs only extended to women, including UAA's RAD training. As of now, the class only has instructors for the women-specific classes, but RAD as an organization does offer classes to men, children and the elderly.

"Some of the main points that we emphasize is to continually be aware of your surroundings, ensure that people know where you are or at least that you aren't going to an unfamiliar place," Heynen said. "Maybe meet in a central location, a neutral location in the public... definitely don't post a lot of your own personal information."

In addition to formal training programs, there are many help organizations within Anchorage that focus on assisting women. Either to educate individuals about sexual assault and rape, empower women with the tools necessary to help them defend themselves, or to assist the victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual violence. Four major organizations are STAR, Abused Women Aid In Crisis (AWAIC), The YWCA and Rape Aggression Defense (RAD).

For more information on the specific programs hosted by these organizations, you can contact each of them at the following: STAR: (907) 276-7279 / star@staralaska.org AWAIC: (907) 279-9581 RAD: (907) 786-1120 / RAD@uaa.alaska.edu YWCA: (907) 644 9601 / hmorgan@ywcaak.org Jacob Dempsey: (907) 529-5078 / judo@uaa.alaska.edu

NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

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Inconvenience of Pay 'N' Park meters lead to complaints at UAA

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

Whether it’s downtown or on campus, parking meters are dreaded, however, they can be convenient if one does not have a parking permit. Many people use the Pay ’N' Park meters at UAA for a variety of different reasons. Some students only take one or two classes a semester, so it may seem logical to buy daily passes. There are often visitors that do not attend UAA who rely on the Pay ’N’ Park meters. There have been several complaints about the meters around campus not working or being out of service, which is causing students to be late to classes, study sessions or meetings.

There are 13 Pay'n'Park meters across the UAA campus. They are located at every parking lot across campus from the Arts Building to the Professional Studies Building, including the Alaska Airlines Arena, and all parking garages.

Pay’n’Park meters are $2 an hour, $5 for three hours and $10 for a full day.

Recently, Frances Seater, an alumni at UAA had an unfortunate experience at the Pay ’N’ Park. Seater was at the parking meter near the library when the machine had shredded her ticket along with another student’s. She waited for parking services to come and reprogram the machine, causing her to miss a scheduled exam study. Because Seater was in a hurry, she asked if herself and the other student could park and head into the building. She was told she would not get a ticket and gave her license plate number to parking services. When she came back, there was a ticket on her dash.

However, this was the second time Seater has had a problem with the Pay ’N' Park in the month of September

alone. The first instance involved Seater and 12 other students at the PSB Pay ’N’ Park. The meter was malfunctioning and caused all of them to be late.

“It’s not okay when more than 12 students are more than 15 minutes late for their classes because of the meters,” Seater said. “I am concerned that so many students are being ticketed in inappropriate ways and they are being made late to class and study sessions.”

Many question why these Pay ’N’ Park meters have so many malfunctions.

Students that have had problems with the meter agree that they should be replaced.

According to Parking Services Associate Director, Falon Harkins, these meters were replaced in 2013. These meters are fairly new but still have many issues.

“Sure there are issues on occasion.

I mean they are a machine housed outside in Alaska, so they are consistently exposed to harsh weather conditions and the natural wear and tear of use,” Harkins said.

Another issue that can cause the Pay ’N’ Park to malfunction is Internet connect. Most know the Internet at UAA is not entirely reliable. Since there are so many people on the network connection, it may cause the Wi-Fi to lag, which can lead interrupted internet connection.

“All of them are dependent on an online connection as well. So, if this is interrupted it can cause the machine to be slow or even be unable to provide certain functions,” Harkins said.

Seater is determined to spread awareness about the Pay ’N’ Park. Seater is one of many that have had problems with these machines and had to pay for unnecessary tickets and lose valuable time.

“If something is happening to me, it’s happening to other people,” Seater said.

PHOTO BY JAY GUZMAN

One of the 13 Pay 'N Park machines on UAA's campus located in West Parking Lot.

"I will continue to complain about it until they fix it."

There have been many instances with Seater alone concerning the Pay ’N’ Park.

However, Harkins believes that there are fewer issues than it seems.

“The vast majority of the time the machine will have no issues. We process hundreds of transactions each week and only a small percentage of those have difficulty,” Harkins said.

If there are problems with the Pay ’N’ Park, it is advised to immediately

call Parking Services. If there is no time to wait, going to the nearest meter is an option.

“Call it in and depending on how close or far the dispatcher sounds like they are from being able to come to the machine, go to the next closest machine,” Harkins said.

Those options can be inconvenient because of lack of parking spots and time wasted. However, it may be a solution to avoid the wait to reprogram the meter, auditing a ticket and losing valuable time.

ALASKA BEAD SOCIETY BEAD ARTS GALA R 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16 More than 40 Alaska bead artists showcase and sell their work.

Activities include bead-making demonstrations. Free

Come to know the true North anchoragemuseum.org

Museum members save on special events.

Join today!

Planetarium tickets are $4-$6 on free admission days.

Rebecca Starry, “High Caliber Collar,” 2009

04 | NEWS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 05

BASIL: Hydroponic vertical farm in Spenard is growing fresh produce year round for wholesale local grocers

Continued from cover

ly days after harvest, so you'll increase the nutrition if you buy it as fresh as possible," Smith said. "It helps our economy, it stabilizes jobs in the state and it gives us a bit more independence from outside sources. We got one road and a port to bring our food here. It's a perpetual task so our food can come into the state."

Bear Tooth, one of Anchorage's local restaurants make use of what Alaska Natural Organics has to offer, and is even looking into buying basil from the vertical farm all year round. The popular Spenard restaurant uses an average of 15 pounds of basil a week, mostly being used in pesto sauces.

"We are working to get [basil] from Alaska Natural Organics, we are getting some from them currently.

He's someone who can produce for us in a way where we can use year round. Our goal is to be able to go all out with them," Stephanie Johnson, general manager at Bear Tooth said.

Bear Tooth who uses a myriad of Alaska grown and made products from around the state, seeks out local products to showcase in their restaurant.

"It's always ideal for us whenever possible because you lose a lot of flavor the farther away something is.

Everything being fresher is ideal. When you work with locally grown food, people are far more willing to work with you. The Bears Tooth had a pretty strong commitment [to local products], prior to me being here. It's something I've been doing at other places as well, so I brought my enthusiasm for it," Natalie Janicka, Executive chef at Bear Tooth said.

With more awareness for locally grown produce and items in Alaska, awareness is growing and farmers and consumers alike are taking advantage.

"I think years and years ago when we first wanted to start carrying Alaskan grown products there were far less distributors. It was a lot of going to the same three produce distributors. At one point, the only thing that you could get was lettuce, that made sense for us at least.

It was super challenging," Johnson said. "It's getting easier all the time. There's such a culture of local food now."

Options for local food when the winter chill begins to settle over the state are more abundant than previously thought. With Alaska Natural Organics providing fresh greens year round, one can taste the fresh and nutritional bounty of a local grower in the comfort of their favorite restaurant or bought from Carrs or Fred Meyer.

Fresh basil from Alaska Natural organics can be bought at Carrs and Fred Meyer. Other options for locally grown and made products is the Center Market, Alaska's only year round farmers market located in the Sears mall. The market operates in the mornings and afternoons on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the year.

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

Many items on the restaurant’s menu utilize fresh Alaskan grown ingredients.

Alaska Natural Organics is one of the many Alaskan growers that offer local businesses a fresh alternative to produce shipped to the state from the continental U.S.

Copycat pumpkin spice latte A Starbucks staple this time of the year, the pumpkin spice latte has created a name for itself. To die-hard’s, fall does not exist, but instead PSL season.

Although there’s usually a Starbucks nearby, it’s easier and cheaper to make your own at home. Try this recipe and to achieve everyone’s favorite fall drink.

Ingredients • 1/4 cup of hot black coffee • 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree • 2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, or half and half • 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract • 1 tablespoon sugar • whipped cream (optional)

Directions 1. Pour black coffee into a blender.

Add in half and half or cream, then the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, vanilla and sugar.

2. Blend on high speed until the liquids become somewhat frothy and mixed.

Pour into your favorite mug and top with whipped cream and additional pumpkin spice for garnish.

PHOTO BY DAVID ADAM KESS

06 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

Local clothing company continues to proudly represent fellow explorers

By Brenda Craig

features@thenorthernlight.org

The 49th Supply Company has been keeping Alaskan’s fashionable for over two years now. Whether it’s hiking, camping, skateboarding or exploring, they have a unique design to fit the outdoor lifestyle.

They have a wide range of products such as hats, beanies, t-shirts, hoodies, jackets and other exclusive accessories.

The 49th Supply Co. have done many collaborations with other local companies like Blue & Gold Boardshop, Humpy’s and recently the Alaskan Brewing Company. They were also a sponsor and executive producer the local skate film “Exposure” which sold out at Bear Tooth. The 49th Supply Co. will hit their three-year anniversary in November.

John Idano, owner and creative director of The 49th Supply Co, moved to Alaska in 2008. After opening the restaurant Shaka Shack in the 5th Avenue mall, The 49th Supply Co. was soon born.

“I got tired of flipping chickens all day, so I just started doing the brand behind the counter and it eventually took off,” Idano said.

Idano went to Junior College in San Diego and graduated with an associate of arts then went to the Art Institute of San Diego shortly after. Although Idano has education experience in design, his skills are mainly self-taught. As creative director, he is responsible for the designs of the brand, from hand drawn designs to computer graphics. Idano also has many obligations that come with owning a clothing brand. Each individual article of clothing is tagged, labeled and folded to prepare for online orders, which is then personally packaged and shipped to customers.

Since this brand grew popular in a short amount of time, Idano began working full time at 49th Supply Co. starting in May 2016.

There are many different types of Alaskan clothing in the market. Some of the designs were unbearable for Idano, which encouraged him to create The 49th Supply Co. “I actually got tired of personally seeing neon green big dippers and ‘907 this’ and ‘907 that,’” Idano said. “So I wanted to make something Alaskans could be proud of.”

One of the main problems for The 49th Supply Co. starting off was getting their

name out in a saturated market. However, it didn’t take long for their unique designs to stand out from the other competitors.

“We wanted to go with something a little bit different, more bold, but keep simple and clean designs,” Idano said.

Alaska is described as the biggest inspiration for The 49th Supply Co. Anything from nature to pop culture in Alaska plays a large role in their designs. Still, the inspiration for The 49th Supply Co. is to create something for Alaskans to proudly represent their state.

Nikoshane Santa Ana, team rider for The 49th Supply Co, is a proud supporter and representative of the brand.

“To me, its an Alaskan lifestyle brand.

It represents Alaskans: clean, simple, hardworking and adventurous,” Santa Ana said.

The most important thing about The 49th Supply Co. is the meaning behind each piece of clothing. The people behind this brand show their love and pride clearly through their work.

“It’s a family, it’s not even a brand to me,” Idano said. “To this day, I feel like anybody that’s really into the brand feels like they’re apart of something.”

Don Chon, production director of The 49th Supply Co. has been working with the brand for over a year now.

"Working with The 49th Supply Co. showed me what authenticity really looks like. Starting from the ground up in creating a brand, with hard work and consistency people will recognize the movement and will follow that passion. This brand has shown me a new outlook on life and how to live by taking your time and each moment," Chon said.

The group of people behind The 49th Supply Co consists of a creative group of photographers, filmers, screen printers and skateboarders. The most important people behind the brand are the customers representing and supporting The 49th Supply Co. Although The 49th Supply Co. does not have their own store, they eventually would like to open their own shop.

The 49th Supply Co. clothing is sold online at The49thsupplyco.com, Blue&Gold Boardshop, The Mercantile (4th Ave), Body Piercing Unlimited (5th Ave), Infusions (Wasilla), Sequence Boardshop (Juneau), Boarderline Legacy (Juneau), Zumiez located in the Dimond and 5th avenue mall and nationwide through Zumiez online.

PHOTO BY JOVELL RENNIE

PHOTO COURTESY OF 49TH SUPPLY CO.

From the executive office: A letter from student government Hello all, It’s that time of year. Where the leaves change, the air gets crisp, the decorations get spooky and we all realize that this school thing is really happening. After those first few weeks of excitement over new classes and seeing old friends, the deadlines start to pile up and it can be easy to hunker down and go into full-time study mode.

And of course, you should prioritize your classes. That’s why you’re here after all. But in this column, we as your study body president and vice-president would like to encourage you to take a break every now and then, and to look for opportunities to be involved on campus. There are literally hundreds of events, clubs and other opportunities for campus engagement all around you, but getting out and having fun with your fellow students is a great way to manage the stress and pressure of courses. Finding a healthy balance is key to your success as a student, and to your fulfillment as a person.

In addition, try to keep up with what’s happening in the university system. The state of Alaska and the University of Alaska are going through tremendous changes right now, changes that will affect almost every part of the educational experience. President Johnsen’s Strategic Pathways initiative is beginning Phase 2, which will examine areas such as community campuses, e-Learning and health education for efficiencies.

These are important issues that will re-shape the university as we know it, and in order for us to do our job, we need your input. University officials do listen to students, and they want to hear how their decisions will impact you. If you have stories, concerns, or questions our door and our meetings are always open.

This will be a recurring column where once a month we update you on what is happening in university governance, and what you can do to help. It is our hope that together we can make this a year to remember, for UAA and for the state of Alaska.

Warm regards, President Erickson Vice-President Richter

PHOTO BY JOVELL RENNIE

FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 07

UAA professor offers solution to Alaska's roadway problems

PHOTO COURTESY OF OSAMA ABAZA

Osama Abaza’s current research team: Abaza, Mahear Aboueid, Mellisa Frey and George Randy Lenig.

By Victoria Petersen

vgpetersen@thenorthernlight.org

Learning to dodge potholes and control your car in ruts is just part of learning to drive in Alaska. Professor Osama Abaza is hoping to change this.

In the civil engineering department, Abaza and his team are researching and working alongside the department of transportation to tackle the issues of Alaska's highways.

For over 10 years, Abaza has worked with a myriad of student researchers to come up with, test and experiment with a new form of concrete. This rubberized concrete uses crushed up waste tires and is strengthened with steel fiber. The combination allows for durability as well as flexibility, both of which are important for climate-related road expansion and contraction.

"This research could revolutionize how materials engineer combat rutting.

By using steel fibers and rubber, they are fighting against rutting from studded tires while also protecting our roads from permafrost heaving and cracking. If this concrete is the answer to our rutting problems, this will mean less road maintenance, and ultimately less money spent on costly repairs and road rehabilitation," Melissa Frey, an undergraduate engineering student at UAA and a member of professor Abaza's current research team, said. "Our state hasn't really seen a material like this before, but implementing

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

The rubberized concrete's dark specks are the bits of waste tires used to give the concrete flexibility.

this material could really change Alaska's transportation engineering."

What's special about this concrete is that it will prevent ruts and potholes from occurring on the states highways.

"It's going to prevent ruts from happening. Concrete doesn't develop potholes. You're not going to see any ruts or potholes on our roadways, that is of course if we decide to use this material," Abaza said.

More than ruts and potholes, this material will allow Alaska's highways to last longer.

"Our roads have a lot of ruts on it.

Usually what [Department of Transportation does] is rebuild the road every 4 to 6 years. That same road lives in the

lower 48 for 20 years. We have all these issues because of our weather and the use of studded tires. With this concrete, our roads could live for 20 years and we can avoid turning our town into a construction zone," Abaza said.

When testing this new material out, students and faculty were able to take advantage of the engineering buildings state of the art pavement lab.

"We have one of best labs, even in the lower 48, for testing this," Abaza said.

Last September, UAA put a slab of this new concrete in front of the parking garage near the Consortium Library. It's being tested, while students during the summer created slabs to place on Abbot Road. Those test slabs, which will have sensors in them to detect expansion rates, will be placed onto Abbot Road in the spring and then observed for three years.

"We know for sure it's going to work, but now we have to convince the public," Abaza said.

The price of this new concrete is much higher than the asphalt the DOT uses now, but the state will be saving money in the long run if the roads can last longer.

"The concern is that the material is going to cost a lot more, but if you look over life cycle cost of the material it's going to be way cheaper than what we are doing now," Abaza said.

With UAA and the DOT working together. students can get hands-on training working in their community and have the opportunity to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to the field.

"I've been working with him when I came on board to do further testing on the feasibility of construction. My background is with DOT construction. I've been working with him since the start of my thesis," Mahear Aboueid, a UAA grad student who is also a project manager at the DOT said. "I think the chemistry behind this material is definitely positive towards resisting stud ware and freeze/thaw. As part of DOT and UAA, it's nice seeing both sides are wanting to work with each other. I think it's a great thing to be mutually beneficial in helping the community."

Abaza also sees the benefit UAA can have the community. Whether it be putting students in the hands-on learning environment by working with DOT or working on research that can save the state money while also keeping Alaska drivers safer; Abaza looks to build a bridge with UAA and community entities.

"In order for us at UAA to be really effective in the community, we are supposed to help the community and figure out new solutions. I want to show that UAA is really a resource to provide solutions. We have way more responsibility than to just graduate new engineers," Abaza said.

Abaza and his team are currently waiting til the spring to place their concrete slabs in Abbot Road. Once placed, the slabs sensors will monitor expansion and contraction for three years.

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

Abaza has worked with a myriad of student researchers for over 10 years to experiment with a new form of concrete.

08 | FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

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.

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A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 09

Under 21 crowd suffers from lack of ability to attend local concerts

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org

There is no doubt that Anchorage's local music scene has started to thrive once again. Local bands have emerged over the last few years, all in different genres, and all with a unique, genuine sound to them. With everything from indie, hardcore and hip-hop, there is at least one artist or group in this community that one will find they enjoy. The support that these artists receive is just as important as the music they put out. If no one listens to their CD or comes to their show, then they have no drive to continue on as an act.

Live shows are typically the primary way that bands receive support from fans.

The live performances are the way that groups get in direct contact with their supporters, and physically see the impact their music is having on the community.

With local venues in Anchorage such as Williwaw, TapRoot and Koot's, this becomes easy for a band with a following to get in touch with their fan base — if they're over 21.

When it comes to an underage support system, there are very few places that exist in the community to help bridge between the fans and the performers themselves. The only venue that consistently provides a place for people of all ages to come and support local artists is Anchorage Community Works.

ACW opened a few years ago to serve as a hub for local artists and musicians to promote their work. Since their opening, they have been extremely successful in bringing out a group of underage kids and young adults into the local music and art community that exists in Anchorage.

Anchorage Community Works has a board of directors and staff that help in making the operation function properly, one of the them being musician Tyler Platt. He helps with planning the events that occur at ACW, and in turn has attended and gotten to know the crowd that shows up at these performances.

"I would love to see an expansion in the all ages music scene again. Venues like The Downstairs, Club Millennium and The Fiesta Room all used to exist for underage kids to attend shows at, but now its kind of just us, and no one really knows why," Platt said.

There is without a doubt a large following of underage kids who feel very passionate about the local music that exists in Anchorage, and want nothing more than to be able to show up and support these bands. Blaize Carter is currently 18 years old, but has been attending shows for around two years.

"When I started going to shows, there was at least one all ages show a month, and within the last year it has sort of died out. Shows were really the only consistent thing I had going for me so the lack of them now really throws a wrench in what I considered my safety net. I feel a lot more closed off now that I am not able to go to shows so often because they're all 21-plus now," Carter said.

The lack of all ages shows has created a push amongst underage fans to travel out of the state to find concerts featuring musicians they enjoy that offer a show to all ages. People in this age range are beginning to rule out all shows in Anchorage as even a possibility when it comes to attending concerts. The most upsetting part is that they want to be able to support these bands, but their age is what restricts them.

What is even more frustrating is that the bands that exist in Anchorage want to be able to play to all of their fans, however old they may be. Josh Springer is the guitar player from Anchorage's local hardcore band Old Hounds. Springer agrees that it is frustrating to not have much of a choice to play anywhere except bars for venues, restricting the audience who can attend.

"With Old Hounds all being over 21 now, we've got several different bars we

can play at. It's most commonly Koot's, but we've played at TapRoot and the Avenue quite a bit, too," Springer said. "The biggest impact I think this has had, overall, is a shrinking population of younger bands."

It seems that the problem does not lie with the bands, or the audiences, but rather the lack of venues willing to host shows for the all ages crowds. While Anchorage Community Works is doing a fantastic job at putting bands on their stage for the younger audience, it is still not enough for the demand that the all ages crowd has.

Many people argue that it is because, without alcohol involved, it is much harder to make any sort of profit, which prevents people from creating venues without a bar. While it is unfortunate that the profits are not as strong immediately, many do believe that consistency in quality shows will keep a constant crowd showing up and supporting the music, regardless of age.

"At ACW, we provide a space for people to book shows, and help younger people be able to get the chance to both attend and promote those shows," Platt said.

Hopefully there will soon be actions taken among people to fill the gap that exists when it comes to venues open to all ages. Not only would the underage crowd benefit, but the local music scene that exists in Anchorage overall. The music that exists in this town means a lot to many of the younger people around the community, and it is unfortunate to see them unable to support the artists that they enjoy most.

10 | A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

Opportunity for local young musicians to perform emerges

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Madison McEnaney arts2@thenorthernlight.org

Think about a traditional open mic setting. The lighting is low, people gather around tables with cocktails in their hands, discussing the newest vinyl purchase they made. Some guy in skinny jeans and a small smile walks on stage, with a guitar in his hand. He begins singing and strumming his guitar, telling a story of a girl who's done him wrong through his music. The air is buzzing with the raw talent, the kind of talent that makes everyone there see the potential. That potential is what keeps people coming back each week.

While these open mic events provide a perfect space for people to get on stage and improve their skills in front of a live audience, there is a huge lack of places like this for anyone under 21 in Anchorage. Without a space for young adults to play in front of a live audience for, they gain very little experience and often do not play their instrument outside the walls of their bedroom at home.

This is the idea that drove Anchorage Music Co-Op and Middle Way Cafe to pair together and host an open mic event in Anchorage for anyone 21 and under.

These open mic events started in 2011 and occur on the last Friday of every month. Acts range from singers playing both covers and original songs, instrument players, dancers and slam poets. As long as you're under 21, your talent is welcome, and there will always be an audi-

ence there to watch.

Laura Oden is one person who helped start Anchorage Music Co-Op, a company that is focused on creating a safe space for musicians in Alaska to play, despite the level they are at. She wanted to start the company for the youth in Anchorage and it since its origin has been very successful.

"I saw a gap in the community, and wanted to create a place for kids to play music in front of people, whether it's their first time on stage or they are a recurring act.

An audience always comes out, and they are always supportive," Oden said.

Each open mic event has several hosts, one of them being Jamie Whiteman. She has been attending these open mic events since she was 19, starting out as a performer. She puts hard work and time into making these events happen to see progress and happiness in the kids that show up.

"There's lots of regular performers. Kids that keep coming back, month after month. It's really great to see growth from within the group," Whiteman said.

Oden sided with Whiteman on this topic, also agreeing that the kids who attend this open mic event improve drastically as they keep coming back.

"I think we have an important impact on the community. In a few short years, I've seen dramatic changes in the confidence of these kids on stage. It has been remarkable to watch," Oden said.

One performer who has become a well-known regu-

lar at the open mic events is Ava Earl. Ava is currently 13 years old and has been attending the open mics for nearly four years. She is from Girdwood, but makes the drive to Anchorage to be able to play for a live audience.

Ava performs originals and covers of songs at the open mic events and has been taking guitar lessons since she was in second grade. Her mother, Shannon Earl, loves how dedicated and involved Ava has become through her music.

"It has been so amazing for Ava to get the opportunity that the underage open mic offers. The environment is completely friendly, everyone wants you there," Earl said.

Since playing at the underage open mics, Ava has grown enough and gained enough skill that she was able to perform at one of Alaska's biggest music festivals, Salmonfest this past year.

"There is no doubt that she wouldn't have been able to have that opportunity without her continuous performances at the open mics," Earl said.

Anchorage Music Co-Op and Middle Way Cafe have combined to create quite the opportunity for young aspiring performers. Because of the underage open mic events, people like Ava are able to go on even further, still at such a young age. This has created a very tight knit, but very welcoming community within Anchorage.

One can only hope that the open mic events will continue to grow and aid in the birth of amazing and talented local musicians.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNDER 21 OPEN MIC

A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 11

PHOTO STORY: 'Gilmore Girls' Netflix revival sparks pop-up coffee shops across the country

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

To promote the reboot of "Gilmore Girls" on Netflix, 250 different coffee shops around the United States were decorated to resemble Luke's Diner from the show.

Staff at the Kobuk Coffee Co. wore hats and aprons that were imprinted with the famous Luke's Diner logo.

Katie Nolan showed up to the event in her Luke's Diner sweatshirt to show her support for the television series.

Coffee was provided free of charge for anyone attending event.

The Kobuk Coffee Co. was selected to participate in the promotion of the new "Gilmore Girls" reboot being produced for Netflix.

12 | A&E

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

Lizard People: A podcast review The earnest “Dukhtar” reaches, but never grasps

By Lee Piltz

lpiltz@thenorthernlight.org

TITLE “Dukhtar”

DIRECTOR Afia Nathaniel

RELEASE DATE September 18, 2014

COUNTRY Pakistan

By Jacob Holley-Kline Contributor

A movie like “Dukhtar” has an inherent power to it. That power can be unlocked by a good director, but director Afia Nathaniel isn’t quite there. The setting makes for some haunting vistas, and truly powerful character moments are few and far between, but the movie is decent in its attempts. Like “JeruZalem,” “Dukhtar” aims high, but never reaches its ambitions.

The chiefs of two warring tribes, Daulat Khan (Asif Khan, “Zwee Da Badamala”) and Tor Gul (Abdullah Jan), parley to quell their tensions. Tor Gul proposes a marriage between himself and Daulat’s daughter, Zainab (Saleha Aref).

Zainab’s mother, Allah Rakhi (Samiya Mumtaz, “Jeewan Hathi”), having been forced into a marriage herself, flees the village with her daughter, Tor Gul’s men at their heels.

“Dukhtar” starts out with promise.

One of the earliest shots, Allah Rakhi and her husband separated by a support beam, stands out as the best in the movie. But the creative direction ends there.

Director Afia Nathaniel phones the rest of the movie in, using the same tired shotcountershot structure for conversations.

What she builds narratively she doesn’t reflect visually. As such, it can get boring. A lot of the time, the movies plays like something on Lifetime.

She spends time building a legacy of mothers and daughters, all wives or

GENRE Drama

soon-to-be-wives in arranged marriages.

There’s a thematic tension lurking here between Pakistan’s patriarchal culture and the women it victimizes, but Nathaniel chooses to ride on the movie’s implied power that rather than exploring it further.

Pakistan as a country and its culture run deep in the narrative, but the characters that inhabit it are fairly one-dimensional. They have singular motivations and little beyond their struggle defining them. It feels like, without the movie, they wouldn’t exist. That being said, there are moments where “Dukhtar” reaches that quiet power it consistently aims for.

Specifically, a scene late in the movie between Allah Rakhi and her mother tugs at the heartstrings. It’s here that Nathaniel’s vision comes into focus: mothers and daughters, leaning on each other for strength, fight a long-held power structure. If only that vision had come through a little sooner.

That’s not to say “Dukhtar” is worth passing. It’s not. The performances are mostly strong, and the story has enough momentum to carry its tight running time. Director Nathaniel phones in most of the direction, but reaches greatness at least once. What she wanted for the movie, and what the movie actually is, are two separate things. The strongest part of it all is the setting, and even that takes a backseat by the third act. It’s not well-built, but “Dukhtar” is an important glimpse into the struggle of breaking away from tradition.

Created by Whatsacreative Podcast Network, and produced by company founder Ryan Middledorf. This podcast is sure to tickle your funny bone while expanding your mind. Just kidding, it's mostly about comedians arguing over different conspiracy theories they believe in or not. Mostly, they don't believe in them at all. If you like conspiracy theories, comedy or weird humor in general, this is the show you should plug your headphones in to.

Trying not to give to much away, stand-up comedian Katelyn Hempstead hosts the show every week, while a new guest comes on and argues for a certain conspiracy theory. The guests range from other stand-ups to some of Hempstead's friends and/or work associates. Hempstead listens to their arguments, rebuts what they have to say with relevant evidence, and decides by the end of the show how much she believes in the given theory. Comedy almost invariably ensues as the guests fumble with their hastily made arguments and with the outrageous, sometimes hyperbolic, theories.

The podcast has an almost at-home feel to it. It runs like Hempstead and her guest are having this humorously insane, rambling conversation at your dining room table. All the while, you are fortu-

nate enough to be a fly on the wall and listen to their discussion.

Each episode is about an hour long and covers theories ranging from the Kennedy assassination being an inside job, to the moon landing being faked, to Katy Perry's true identity, and all the way down to Bigfoot himself.. or herself. Now some of the arguments made could only be believed by a madman, but some of them are actually quite plausible.

One of my favorite episodes is when Hempstead and Joe Quint discuss Simulation Theory: the idea that everything you've ever known may be a simulation running in your head, Quint and Hempstead try to wrap their brains around this all while cracking jokes and blowing their listener's minds.

Now, this podcast does have a few drawbacks. If you like debates, serious discussions and are extremely opinionated about conspiracy theories, this is probably not the podcast for you. This podcast is mostly comedic with the underlying goal of poking fun at and exposing most conspiracy theories to the public. The podcast will make you laugh out loud, it will make you think people are strange for believing in some strange conspiracy theories, and it might even convince you to believe in one or two yourself. In any case, it's a great show with a relatively small following.

I give this podcast a solid 8 out of 10 sheeple.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 13

ZOMBIE: Over 500 participants joined together Saturday morning to run or walk 13.1 miles

Continued from cover

PHOTOS BY JAY GUZMAN

Runners check-in before the Zombie Half-Marathon hosted by the Anchorage Running Club.

Hordes of runners wait for the signal to begin the Zombie Half-Marathon.

incorporate more layers.

UAA pre-major nursing student and Zombie HalfMarathon participant Jessie Pierce knew it was cold, but being outdoors in Alaska is never a letdown.

"Running through the paths with all the golden leaves falling and the sun shining through was beautiful, l couldn't have ask for a better day," Pierce said.

Standout participants included the male overall winner Andrew Quallio with a time of 1 hour and 13 minutes, and female overall winner Denali Strabel with a time of 1 hour and 24 minutes. In addition to the top finishers, an impressive 539 participants showed up.

However, it wasn't all about personal records and winning the race, most were like Pierce, there just to have a good time.

"A lot of people had on zombie face paint and I felt really lame for not dressing up and definitely will next year. But it was just groups of friends out there to have a good time," Pierce said.

The Zombie Half Marathon also included a Kids Zombie 2.5K at the Kincaid Park Chalet. Even if someone wasn't there to run, it wasn't as extensive as a hike would be according to Anchorage Polaris K-12 School student and participant Julia Ditto.

"The course was relatively easy going, just like the Tour of Anchorage, most of the race is downhill and flat until arriving at Kincaid for a final climb," Ditto said.

This event is held yearly, it is a fun and uplifting event to get people out and moving. For more information refer to www.anchoragerunningclub.org. Additional results can also be found on the previous website, on the event specific tab.

14 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

Seawolf XC notches fifth top two finish of the year

By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org

Both the men's and women's cross-country squads have flourished throughout the season thus far. With yet another extraordinary finish over the weekend, the Seawolves will enter the upcoming GNAC championships with heightened confidence.

UAA XC came out of the gates this year with two first place finishes at the Notre Dame de Namur Argo Invitational, as Edwin Kangogo and Caroline Kurgat took individual titles. Ranked No. 4 in the nation at the time, the men's team scored a perfect 15 points by establishing all seven of their runners in the top 10. The title did not come as easily for the women, however, as they were able to squeak by Stanislaus State, in large part due to Kurgat who led the second place runner by an entire 40 seconds.

Fast forwarding to the middle of September, the Seawolves were ready to take on a larger field of teams at the University of Washington Sundodger Invite. Kugart led the charge for the women's team once again, but this time it was Michel Ramirez who was the first man to cross the finish line wearing green and gold. Kangogo, who was the next Seawolf to place, and Ramirez have been trading first and second place finishes for the Seawolves for some time now. The friendly competition has brought out the best of them not only during the actual races but in practice as well.

"Having teammates like Edwin [Kangogo] make the race, and especially training, a lot easier," Ramirez said.

"Champions are made when no one is watching, and having strong teammates push you makes the journey a whole lot more memorable."

The women's team wound up placing sixth at the UW Sundodger, while the men sat contentedly in second by the end of the invitational. Taking the crown was for both genders was Trinity Western, a school out of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). With two races down, UAA had just one more invite before the GNAC championships. There was a three-week gap in-between invites though, something the Seawolves want to use to their advantage.

"The extra time between races is beneficial in the way that it allows us to get some really solid training in, as well as letting us absorb the hard workouts and get

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM WASSON

Caroline Kurgat and Joyce Chelimo paced themselves to top 10 finishes at the Western Washington Classic invite.

the most out of them," senior Michael Mendenhall said via phone.

Heading into the Western Washington Classic Invitational, the men's group was ranked fifth nationally among Division II schools, while the women were sitting in sixth. This time around, there were about twice as many teams at this invite then they have challenged in any race this season. But, the sloppy conditions and the amount of teams did not seem to play a factor for either side. The women edged out Trinity Western for first place, and the men finished runner-up out of 76 teams.

All five of UAA's female racers found themselves in the top 30 out of 154 total athletes. Kurgat once again finished first for UAA, while the men were led by non other than Ramirez and Kangogo, who both cracked the top five overall. Ramirez and Kangogo understand that the season is far from over, and are not satisfied with where they are individually at this point in the season.

"Personally the race was a good reflector of the things I need to improve on come championship season," Ramirez said.

"I think I should have done better. The race started

well but the rainy conditions made it relatively slow, but it was good race to prepare for GNACs," Kangogo said.

After three races, the men have first, second, and second place results respectively, while the women have taken victory twice, and have a sixth place finish. On Oct. 22, both squads will be taking on conference rivals at the GNAC championships in Bellingham, Washington.

"Right now, our team has total confidence that we will be ready for GNAC, but we also know that winning it is not the main goal," Mendenhall said. "It is important that we are assertive and run the way we know we can."

The men's team has six seniors, including Ramirez, who knows this is his last shot at the conference championship.

"Come GNACs, it is an 'in it to win it' mentality. I will give it the biggest effort I possibly can, and expect the same of all my teammates." Ramirez said.

These conference championships will feature the women's group running the 6-kilometer, while the men will run the 8-kilometer.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 15

Seawolves hockey flattened 6-0 in home opener

PHOTOS BY JAY GUZMAN

Defenseman Chase Van Allen takes back possession of the puck in the first period.

By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org

The Seawolves hit a brick wall when they welcomed No. 13 Minnesota on Friday night for their first official game of the season. Struggling to sustain any offensive attack, UAA got trampled by the Golden Gophers 6-0 in what may be their final home opener.

For the last 15 years, the Seawolves had not lost in their opening game, posting a 12-0-3 record over that span. It became a different narrative when Minnesota's netminder and Anchorage native Eric Schierhorn returned to his hometown. The reigning Big Ten Conference goaltender of the year deflected all of UAA's attempts, making history by being the only tender ever to shut out the Sea-

wolves in their season opener.

Execution and consistency were common issues throughout the matchup for the Green and Gold. However, the season was just given life, which is why head coach Matt Thomas is hardly flustered at their performance.

"Believe it or not, there was a lot of things I liked out there," Thomas said. "I think we got a long way to go, but I am excited for what I did see in a lot of these guys."

The Gophers' defensive line is suffused with talent, to say the least. All six of their defenseman have been drafted by an NHL team, and it was clearly displayed on Friday night. The trio of Jake Bischoff (Columbus Blue Jackets), Ryan Zuhlsdorf (Tamba Bay Lightning) and Jack Sadek (Minnesota Wild) combined for three goals, two assists and held the

Seawolves to just 14 shots on goal the entire night.

A headache that haunted UAA all of last season was exposed yet again on Friday night: the inability to score a power play goal. Trailing two goals midway through the second period, the game was still very much within reach.

The Seawolves caught a break just when they needed to, a five on four player advantage and a chance to cut into the Gophers' lead. Minnesota defended it with ease, dumping pucks down the ice left and right, never giving the Seawolves a chance to implement an aggressive attack. UAA goaltender Olivier Mantha did all he could when the Gophers sent a flurry of 19 shots his way in the second period alone, but the Seawolves found themselves trailing 3-0 after 40 minutes of play.

The third period was not any kinder to UAA. Open looks continued to be hard to come by, while the Gophers had clear lanes to snipe shots whenever they wanted to. Minnesota piled on three goals in the third, officially putting the game to rest.

"We have to sustain back pressure on defense, but we also need to possess the puck and more pucks to the net," sophomore Mason Mitchell said after the game.

"14 shots is not good enough, get the puck to the net and good things will happen."

The 15-year streak may have snapped, but the Seawolves have a lot more important issues that need to be brought up.

Luckily, it is a long season and UAA will not have much time to dwell on this massacre. The Seawolves will take University of Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, Oct. 8 in a non-conference interstate battle.

Forward Corey Renwick attempts to get past Minnesota Gopher's Defense Jack Sadek.

Defenseman Jarrett Brown tries to slow down Minnesota Gopher's Forward Tyler Sheehy.

Forward Nils Rygaard faces off with one of the Minnesota Gophers for possession.

16 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

UAA hockey outmanned by foe Nanooks

Seawolves fall to Universtiy of Alaska Fairbanks 4-1 on Saturday night's game

By Jordan Rodenberger jrodenberger@thenorthernlight.org

It was the ugliest opening weekend for the Seawolf hockey program in nearly 30 years. After being dismantled 6-0 by Minnesota on Friday, UAA took another punch to the chin, this time by Alaska Fairbanks in a 4-1 loss. The Seawolves were outscored by nine goals over the weekend, the largest differential after the first two games of the season since 1988.

“We are not playing hockey the way we need to play hockey.” the disgruntled head coach said after the game. “We do not understand hard work, so I am going to show them what hard work is.”

Many UAA students gathered in the parking lot prior to the game to tailgate, make signs to support their classmates, and paint their bodies green and gold.

These fanatics were part of the 3,223 people in the crowd that attended the in-state rivalry, but all the cheering in the world could not uplift the crumbling Seawolves.

“We definitely need to look ourselves in the mirror individually.” winger Jeremiah Luedtke said after the loss.

The Nanooks set the tone of the game early when defenseman Justin Woods rifled a shot near the blue line during a power play to get on the board first. Shortly after, UAA was blessed with a 5 on 3 situation for 1:14, but the Nanooks did not break a sweat killing the penalty minutes.

In fact, just 17 seconds after returning to full strength, UAF forward Tayler Munson buried a rebound to push their advantage to 2-0 early in the contest. Searching for their rhythm, UAA continued to be backed into their defensive zone. The constant pressure on the goaltender ultimately led to the Nanooks' third goal of the first period when sophomore Ryker Leer punched the puck in with 16 seconds left from close range.

The Seawolves' plan was to be patient early and let the game come to them.

Head coach Matt Thomas said nerves were apparent in Friday night's game, so UAA wanted to come into Saturday under control and poised. However, this may have suppressed some aggression and sense of urgency from the Seawolves, as they were outshot, outhustled, and outmanned from the drop of the puck until the final horn.

"We lost, I'd say, 80 percent of the 1 on 1 battles," Thomas said. "You cannot score goals or win hockey games when you do that" UAA had five penalties, 10 minutes in the penalty box, were outshot 13 to 3, and losing 3-0 after 20 minutes. This was not the way UAA wanted to come out of the gates against their biggest rival. It was not a matter of not being able to catch a break either. After pace slowed down in the second period, the Seawolves found themselves in another 5 on 3 situation but came away empty yet again. For over two minutes throughout the game, UAA had five players on the ice while the Nooks were battling with just three, and the Seawolves still could not find the back of the net. After two periods of play, UAA had played cumulatively played 100 minutes of the season without scoring a single goal.

Thomas acknowledged that the team is out of shape, and Luedtke mentioned the size of the rink may play a factor. The Seawolves practice at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on the University's campus, but play their games on the bigger, Olympic-sized rink at the Sullivan Are-

na. There is much more space for teams to operate, which has led to an abundance of open looks at the net for the opponents, ten of which looks resulting in them celebrating.

The Nanooks continued their domination into the third period, notching another goal within just two minutes. Despite a sloppy, distasteful first 55 minutes of the game, the Seawolves did not want to send the fans home without having them see at least one goal the entire weekend. Junior Jarrett Brown stuffed in a garbage time goal with just under five minutes left to play to sound the horn for the first time this season.

Other than Brown breaking their scoreless streak, it takes some reaching to find some positives for the Seawolves after the first weekend of the season. Luckily, neither of these match-ups were conference games, and there is still plenty of time to address key issues. Next weekend the UAA hockey team heads up north to Fairbanks to contend in the Brice Alaska Gold Rush tournament where they will square off against Nebraska Omaha and Canisius.

UAA junior Tad Kozun attempts to recover the puck from Nanooks' Justin Woods in 4-1 loss Saturday night.

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

Seawolf forward Aleksi Ainali is leveled by UAF's Austin Vieth. UAA travels to Fairbanks to compete in the Brice Alaska Gold Rush tournament this weekend.

Jonah Renouf dives to intercept a pass in Saturday night's 4-1 loss to in-state rival UAF.

UAA sophomore Jeremiah Luedtke attempts to recover the puck from Nanooks' Justin Woods in 4-1 loss Saturday night.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 17

UAA volleyball hosts Western Oregon

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

For the first game back in Alaska after several weeks, the UAA women's Seawolves volleyball hosted Western Oregon in the Alaska Airlines Center on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.

After already kicking off the month of October with a win in Montana last weekend, the Seawolves now posses an impressive undefeated 6-0 rank in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. In addition, with a now improved rank, the Seawolves sit at 12th in the entire Division II. Their counterparts from Western Washington on the other hand, sit 7th in GNAC, with a 2-4 conference record and a 5-8 season record.

Back on familiar ground, the Seawolves knew that they had an advantage.

Freshman Vanessa Hayes realized this.

"We tried to keep it simple. Doing things that we could control on our side of the net. We practice how we play so that we're not stressing come game time," Hayes said.

With an unfortunate start to set one for UAA, Western Oregon racked up the first 3 points off their own serves. Only to realize their errors and redeem themselves, the Seawolves pulled together with blocks from senior middle blocker Erin Braun and sophomore outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson. Pulling ahead quickly, senior outside hitter Leah Swiss and Braun pull out 2 kills a piece.

After a time out on UAA, Western Oregon began to recover with a couple errors from the Seawolves, closing the score gap. But quickly enough senior setter Morgan Hooe assisted Braun, Swiss and Johnson to several kills each to increase their score.

Close to finishing off the set, the Seawolves held a 10 point lead over Western Oregon. With it being the set point, Hooe served the ball over to start the rally, back and forth a few times led the ball to Hooe again, who then assisted freshman middle blocker Diana Fa'amausili with the set winning kill at 25-14.

After winning set one, the Seawolves furnished off 14 kills, 13 assists, and 11 digs.

Set two, not unlike the first set, started off with Western Oregon in the lead.

Helping to keep the Seawolves on their feet during a rocky start, Johnson dove to the ground to accumulate several more digs.

Half way through set two and UAA still only had a slight lead over Western Oregon. Again to step up and pair up, Johnson and Braun leaped to get a block and pull in another point. Soon after, Braun was up to serve, but only got two over until the second serve was a point for Western Oregon.

With Hooe up to serve now, the Seawolves earned a point almost immediately with a kill from Fa'amausili. After pulling ahead significantly, the Seawolves encountered 4 separate attack errors to set them back, but only temporarily.

The home stretch of the set coming in sight, Western Oregon continued scoring on the Seawolves, enough that UAA called for a timeout. After the quick break, Western Oregon again came back to score on the Seawolves.

In a turn of events, a kill by Fa'amausili lead to a change of serves to get sophomore libero Kyla Miliante-Amper the ball, resulting in a serve ace. An additional two kills by Braun lead the team to the set point. An a final assist by Hooe gave the ball to Braun for the set winning kill.

In this second close set, UAA prospered over Western Oregon to win 25-21.

Although there were ups and downs during the first two sets, the team came through and redeemed themselves by fixing their mistakes. Hooe acknowledged this need to exceed.

"We come out, we try to have fun, we obviously love this game, but we have to focus on improving ourselves," Hooe said at halftime.

With one more set needed the win their game, the UAA volleyball team took a much needed break for the UAA Track and Field ceremony while they were awarded their GNAC Champion rings for a unique halftime appearance.

Getting back into gear to set three, the Seawolves furnished an immediate point from freshman middle blocker Hayes' kill. With a quick jump to the lead, Miliante-Amper served for the Seawolves, helping Braun get 2 more kills.

Toggling back and fourth, Western

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

Sophomore Chrisalyn Johnson spikes the ball during the third set between Alaska Anchorage and Western Oregon.

Oregon proved that just like the previous two sets, the had the ability for strong starts. Braun lined up to serve, getting a quick point out of the first serve, but an unfortunate loss of point on the second serve. Staying at only one point ahead, UAA makes several errors to cut it close.

The second half of the set going by relatively slow, the Seawolves still only had a slight lead. A kill error by Western Oregon gave the Seawolves a point closer to their win, but 2 more errors on UAA's side off set their increasing lead.

Finally at the set winning point for the Seawolves, Western Oregon got up to serve. A final error from Western Oregon led UAA to the win at 25-19.

After a 3-0 game for UAA, it was quite obvious that the beginning of each

set was a bit of a struggle. Western Oregon continued to gain off the of the Seawolves' errors, but in the end UAA prospered to continue their now school record of a 16 game win streak.

Finishing off the first game back at home, the Seawolves managed to accumulate an impressive 44 kills, 39 assists, 41 digs and 10 blocks by the end of the game.

Even more impressively, 34 of those assists belonged to Hooe, while her teammates Braun managed 12 kills and Johnson with 9 digs.

To add another tally to their wins, the Seawolves now have a 7-0 conference record and a 17-1 season record. The team played again on Saturday, Oct. 8 taking on rivals Concordia at 2 p.m.

Senior Erin Braun helps the UAA seawolves win three consecutive sets again Western Oregon.

Freshman Diana Fa'amausili spikes the ball as two of Western Oregon's players attempt to block the hit.

Freshman Vanessa Hayes leaps to spike the ball set to her by senior Morgan Hooe.

18 | SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

UAA Volleyball continues 17 game win streak

By Lauren Cuddihy

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Following a first win back on Alaska ground on Thursday, UAA lined up again in the Alaska Airlines Center two days later to play against Concordia University.

While the Seawolves continued to stay in the spotlight with their undefeated conference status and school record 16 game win steak, Concordia was making it by with a 4-3 record in the conference.

Freshman Vanessa Hayes realized that a record doesn't always mean everything but it also shouldn't determine how your team should play.

"I've never seen them play but I hear that they're a pretty good team this year.

We just have to handle business on our side of the net," Hayes said.

The Seawolves started off strong against their rivals. They debuted in set one by obtaining an immediate lead.

Senior setter Morgan Hooe relinquished her power with a kill right away, assisted by senior Leah Swiss. Afterwards, with a lead almost double Concordia's score, Diana Fa'amausili and Swiss took over the kills while Hooe stepped back as setter to assist them.

With a lot of positive energy on the Seawolves side of the court, they continued to increase their lead in set one.

Swiss and Fa'amausili continued to rack up the kills, while sophomore libero Kyla Militante-Amper held everything together in the back diving down dig after dig.

For the Seawolves set winning point, Concordia lined up to serve. For an easy win, the serve went out of bounds, putting UAA at 25-15.

Jumping into set two, the Seawolves were put into an immediate lead due to a service error from Concordia, but their lead did drop from there.

Militante-Amper got up to serve and successfully pulled 4 points out of them until an attack error on the Seawolves' side. Next, showing off their superb defense skills, UAA only let Concordia get one serve over the net until the ball was back in their possession.

Half way through the set, Fa'amausili and Hooe debuted several kills of their own, letting the Seawolves sit at a comfortable 7 point lead.

Nearing the end of set two, Swiss was up to serve. Impressively, not one or two, but all three of Swiss' final serves resulted in a service ace, giving the Seawolves the final set winning points. Final score

of set two being 25-14.

At halftime, both teams took a break to recover and strategize the third, and final, set of the game. During this time, the Seawolves recounted the fact that that they lost several strong seniors from the previous season and how important it is that they can't dwell on that.

Instead of reminiscing about the team from last year the players needed to work together with each other and the new players to win the games they needed.

Hooe being a senior and star player of the team knew this to be true and realized a common attitude that her teammates have taken.

"I'm not harping on you for your position, I'm just harping on you in order for you to be better and for this team to be better," Hooe said at halftime.

After taking a well-needed rest, set three was jump started with serves from Hooe. Rallying back and forth, the Seawolves were able to get a couple points off Concordia's errors.

With the scores staying close together, most of the points earned on either side of the court was due to errors by their rivals. Outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson stood out several times taking an offensive stance and getting some kills over

the net. Eventually joined by Fa'amausili, the two made several more kills over the net to get a relatively safe lead.

Not for long though, before the errors on UAA's side started to add up. Close to finishing off the set but Concordia continued to gain on them.

Sophomore outside hitter Taylor Noga finally stepped up the serve, making 3 serves over all while getting points on errors from Concordia. Again, Johnson stepped into the picture and got a kill over the net to put the Seawolves at game point. To end the game off, Hooe set the ball back over to Fa'amausili to get in a kill and leave the Seawolves at 25-18.

After playing and witnessing how well the season has gone Johnson knew this was important.

"The chemistry is just there. It's nice when we can convert how we work together at practice and make that happen here on the court," Johnson said.

Finishing off the weekend, the Seawolves managed to pull through another 3-0 win. This win added up to be the astonishing 17th in their streak. How the players work together on and off the court is very important and this is an aspect that the Seawolves have come to strength with.

CONTACT

THENORTHERNLIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

| 19

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