By Nita MauigoaStaff Reporter

It’s often referred to as the British equivalent of American

football — colossal mistake. Tear off the helmet, rip

off every sort of protective

padding and get

slammed with only a thin

jersey, shorts and cleats on. Then you’ll

get a feel of what the sport of rugby is about. And that’s just

skimming the surface. It’s the ultimate contact sport, driven by the pure force of unadulterated manpower — and in some cases, womanpower. In a state swarming with die-hard sports enthusiasts, rugged Alaska is a prime location for the sport with a fierce reputation.

The Alaska Oosik Rugby Union, part of USA Rugby, started small in 1973. Today, four men’s teams are based in Anchorage. There is a University of Alaska Fairbanks men’s team in Fairbanks and a men’s team in Kenai. There are also two women’s teams: the Anchorage Arctic Foxes and the Fairbanks

Ravens. The AORU is in the heart of the season right now, with the Manu Bears and Arctic Foxes of Anchorage on top.

The AORU’s overall growth seemed stagnant for years, but lately it has generated more interest. Players say it is because ESPN recently aired the National Sevens Rugby tournament in Las Vegas, attracting more attention to rugby all around the United States. Rugby sevens will also be a part of the 2016 Olympics for the first time. Another reason for the increase in popularity is simply that more players are moving to Alaska from countries where rugby is widely played, a majority of which come from Samoa and Tonga. Despite that, teams are always looking to recruit new players. Rugby team fliers are always plastered on bulletin boards throughout our campus.

When asked why she would play a potentially bone crushing sport, Marisa Glieco of the Arctic Foxes said, “Why not.”

“It’s a sport that requires lot of finesse,” Glieco continued. “It’s more than broken bones, black eyes and blisters. It shows that women have strength.”

Glieco has been playing for 15 years and considers her team her family. She enjoys the camaraderie that comes with it.

Jaime Spatrisano, a team captain for the Arctic Foxes, is finishing her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology here at UAA and has recently been accepted into the Ph.D. program. Having played for seven years, she loves hitting the field on her spare time to burn off energy after studying for hours behind a desk.

“You don’t have to be hardcore to play rugby; anyone can play. Either it’s for you or not,” Spatrisano said.

Training for women’s rugby typically start twice a week in February. Locations vary. Their first tournament starts mid-may and their last tournament is part of the Oosik Championship August 18 and 19. Spatrisano highly encourages women to try out the sport even if they are inexperienced. Those interested can email arcticfoxesrugby@gmail.com for more information.

The men’s rugby season typically kicks off mid-May with the Mother Tucker Tournament. Regular games and tournaments are played throughout Alaska. The season ends with the Oosik Championship tournament as well.

During off-season in the

By Nita MauigoaStaff Reporter

Mixed into the hodgepodge of resources located in the Student Union is a gem, the Sober Living Group. Like other lesser known programs, until students glean over the main UAA website calendar (which is — let’s be real — hardly a choice during our limited spare time), this program could easily get lost in the shuffle unnoticed.

The Sober Living Group, which started this past spring semester is a program that follows the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting model. AA is a free, renowned fellowship where people share their stories, strength and hope with one another that

By Evan Dodd News Editor

A proposal by University of Alaska President Pat Gamble would increase resident undergraduate tuition by 2 percent for the 2013-2014 school year. The proposed hike would be the smallest increase since the late 1990s and would apply to all students of the 16 campuses within the UA system.

The increase in tuition is meant to offset high operating costs as well as combat the nationwide problem of inflation. The limited

hike is unusual when compared to the relatively high rate of increase by the UA system over the past decade.

“I think that this is a significant message from the President Gamble about his commitment to students and the importance of keeping costs down in Alaska,” said Bruce Schultz, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. “Students should understand that a 2 percent hike still does not cover the increased costs by the university.”

According to Gamble, the proposed hike would result in an

approximate $3 increase for lower division credits and a $4 increase for upper division. For an in-state, undergraduate student taking 30 credits per year, this would raise tuition from $5475 to $5580, an increase of $105. Figures for graduate and non-resident tuition have not yet been determined.

Schultz explained that the additional income generated by the increase will bring an estimated $900,000 to UAA. Gamble says that the money will be used to cover a wide variety of

academic program expenses and operating costs for the university.

“It’s important for students to understand that at UAA, tuition accounts for about 33 percent of the cost to provide educational service,” explained Schultz. “Just like everything else, our costs increase over time with inflation. If you look at the consumer price index increase from last year, we are actually on par nationally.”

Recent data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a 1.7 percent national

increase in the consumer Price Index (CPI) between July 2011 and July 2012. Additionally, the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) reported a 2.3 percent increase between 2010 and 2011, thus placing the UA tuition increase on even footing with the national average.

GRAPHIC BY NICK FOOTE

JULY 24, 2012 UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE WWW.THENORTHERNLIGHT. ORG

THENORTHERNLIGHT

See SOBeR Page 4

TUITIONTuition hike would increase costs by 2 percent

Hike would increase costs of resident undergraduate credits by $3 to $4 and would help offset rising operating costs.

2013- 2014

Sober living group on UAA campus

Rugby teams in the Last FrontierAlaska Oosik Rugby Union invites UAA students to play

INDEX SPORTSA&E

News Features Opinion A&E Sports Comics

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Food Quest:Best omelet in Anchorage.

How was the new Batman movie?

More Alaskan rugby.

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NEWS BRIEFS SAY WHAT?

Compiled by Evan Dodd Compiled by Evan Dodd

The UA system also remains competitive when compared to other public universities within the region. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) reports that the University of Alaska is ranked as having the sixth lowest tuition out of the fifteen states that comprise the western region.

“In terms of Alaska’s peers in the Western Region, we have maintained an average resident tuition of 5,500, as compared to the overall average of 7,100,” explained Gamble. “We are comfortably below the average in the entire region. Additionally the average tuition increase has been 13.7 percent as compared to our 4.3”

Gamble emphasized his commitment to students, explaining that he understood student’s concerns about rising tuition costs.

“The idea that we can drop a 7 or 8 or double digit increase tworked when tuition was a relatively small cost, but that is no longer the

case,” said Gamble. “Tuition has finally reached a point of national attention; this is something that some students are protesting in the street about. Students demand service and value for their money.”

The University of Alaska is no stranger to protests against tuition increases; in 2010 students organized multi-campus protests against a 22 percent increase proposed by former UA President Mark Hamilton.

This time however, public perception of the proposal has been generally positive.

“This is the single lowest proposed increase in over a decade, it’s important for people to remember that,” said USUAA Vice President Andrew McConnell. “Tuition increases are going to happen; it’s inevitable. As a student, I would love it if tuition would go down, but that just isn’t going to happen.”

McConnell emphasized USUAA’s role in maintaining reasonable rate for students and expressed his approval of the

limited increase.“This is actually a better

outcome than we expected. We were prepared to have to fight against another 7 or 8 percent increase,” said McConnell. “We will be working with President Gamble to ensure that the increase does not go up.”

In regards to possible student concerns over the tuition hike, Gamble expressed his commitment to providing reasonably priced, quality education to the state of Alaska.

“Concerns about cost increases are always relative,” said Gamble. “The idea that we go around talking about how well some areas are doing doesn’t make people feel better. What makes people feel better is showing them that we are committed to maintaining affordable costs with a valuable education.”

The proposed increase will go to the UA Board of Regents for review in September and, if approved, will take effect fall 2013.

TUITION: lowest proposed increase in years More than 1,000 turtles slowly escape captivity

More than 1,000 turtles made a slow-speed escape from their turtle farm in northwest Georgia. Turtle farmer David Driver tells sheriff’s officials he suspects vandals might be to blame for tearing down fences around his turtle ponds in Summerville. Authorities say that allowed the turtles — including snappers, Eastern paints and yellow-bellied sliders — to leave the farm and make a beeline to nearby ponds and creeks. Driver tells The Chattanooga Times Free Press that about 1,600 of the 2,200 turtles escaped. He says his business involves selling some turtles to pet growing operations and others to China. Sheriff’s officials are continuing to search for the turtles. Summerville, known more as the home of folk artist Howard Finster than it is for turtles, is about 90 miles northwest of Atlanta.

2 Seattle men stopped at border for illegal candy

Two Seattle men say they spent more than two hours in a detention center at the Canadian border after U.S. border agents discovered illegal chocolate eggs in their car. Brandon Loo and Christopher Sweeney told KOMO-TV they decided to bring home some treats for friends and family during a recent trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. They bought Kinder Eggs — chocolate eggs with a toy inside. The two men say border guards searched their car and said the eggs are illegal in the United States because young children could choke on the small plastic toys. Importing them can lead to a potentially hefty fine. Sweeney says the bust was a waste of his time and the agents’ time. The men eventually got off with a warning. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman declined to comment about the case Tuesday night. The agency warned on its website around Easter that the treats can’t be imported legally. The agency says it seized more than 60,000 Kinder Eggs from travelers’ baggage and international mail shipments in fiscal 2011.

90-year-old Maine man skydives for first time

A Maine man who learned how to use a parachute as a Navy pilot during World War II has finally made his first jump — at age 90. Lester Slate of Exeter jumped out of a plane for the first time on Sunday at Pittsfield Airport. He was guided to the ground by a tandem jumper and accompanied by another skydiver trailing a U.S. flag. The jump was a 90th birthday present to himself. More than 50 family and friends watched. Slate tells the Bangor Daily News he was inspired by former president George H.W. Bush, who jumped from an airplane on his 85th birthday in 2009. Slate says he had such a good time he wants to do it again on his 95th or 100th birthday.

Wash. crows blamed for ‘suspicious powder’ scare

A fire spokeswoman says blame the crows for a “suspicious powder” scare at Washington state intersection that detoured traffic for more than an hour. Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes tells The Daily Herald that a hazardous materials team responded Tuesday to a report about an unknown white powder in the roadway in the town of Edmonds. A witness finally told the crew that a couple of crows were to blame. Hynes says a woman was going jogging when she noticed the birds dragging a bag of white flour. Hynes says the woman took the bag away from the birds, put it in a garbage can and kept running. It took firefighters about an hour to clear the scene. Hynes said the event was, “Two crows and a two-alarm hazmat incident.”

Review of potentially uncounted ballots planned

Anchorage officials say the city’s Election Commission will meet next week to review 141 potentially uncounted ballots from April’s municipal election. The commission is set to meet at City Hall at 10 a.m. July 26. The commission also plans to hold a public session at City Hall at 6 p.m. Aug. 2. The ballots were found in sealed bags July 11. The April 3 local election included the race for Anchorage mayor and a controversial gay rights measure. It was rife with problems, as some precincts ran out of ballots, sending frustrated voters scrambling to other locations or perhaps not voting at all if they couldn’t wait for replacement ballots to arrive. The deputy clerk who handled Election Day duties was fired and her boss, City Clerk Barbara Gruenstein, resigned.

Ca. city’s fiscal emergency vote speeds bankruptcy

San Bernardino declared a fiscal emergency Wednesday night, allowing the city to avoid a lengthy mediation process and head straight to federal bankruptcy court. The declaration comes after the city announced last week that it would seek Chapter 9 protection. The City Council voted 5-2 to declare the emergency and file for bankruptcy protection amid a dire cash crunch that has officials worried San Bernardino can’t meet payroll in August. The vote could make the city of 210,000 people the third in California to seek bankruptcy protection since last month, following Stockton and Mammoth Lakes. The city is facing a $45.8 million budget shortfall this year. The debate over bankruptcy in San Bernardino has also raised questions about the city’s financial management. Last week, City Attorney James Penman told the public that 13 of the last 16 budgets presented to the city council had been falsified, masking the city’s deficit. The finance director, who is new to the job, said officials had borrowed cash from restricted funds to cover payments, and eventually ran out of money to pay the funds back. Officials say the housing crisis, which walloped property and sales tax revenues, and the loss of state redevelopment funds took a toll on the city’s budget.

Tunisia ex-dictator receives new life sentence

Tunisia’s former dictator on Thursday received his second life sentence in absentia from a military court that convicted him for complicity in the killings of protesters during the uprising that ousted him last year. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who is in exile in Saudi Arabia, was already given a life sentence in June in the deaths of protesters in southern Tunisia, where the movement against him began in December 2010. Tunisia has asked Saudi Arabia to extradite Ben Ali so he can face these and a slew of other charges in person but has never received an answer. Nonetheless, the U.S. government has pledged to bring Ben Ali and all of his associates to justice for crimes they allegedly committed during his 23-year rule. The latest case concerned protesters killed in the capital and the north of the country, and some 43 officials were tried, receiving sentences ranging from five years to life in prison. The former head of the presidential guard, Ali Seriati, was sentenced to 20 years prison, while former Interior Minister Rafik Belhaj Kacem was given 15 years. Both are in custody. The revolution in Tunisia sparked a wave of pro-democracy movements across the Middle East and north Africa that overthrew several governments and became known as the Arab Spring. At least 338 people died as the government cracked down on protesters and another 2,147 were wounded.

By Heather HamiltonA&E Editor

UAA’s College of Education is renewing its search for a new dean. The COE’s former dean, Mary Snyder resigned from her position at UAA when she was offered a position at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs that began in July of 2011.

Patricia Chesbro, a former teacher, principal and superintendent at the Mat-Su Borough School District, took over as interim dean for the COE in July 2011 while the COE dean search committee began looking for an official replacement. The initial search progressed as far as the COE flying the final three candidates to UAA to meet with various campus organizations and even offering one candidate the position. The candidate ultimately declined the offer, and the remaining two applicants took positions at other universities before the COE could offer them the position, according to UAA’s interim provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs Elisha “Bear” Baker IV.

“If you have three really good candidates, and you start negotiating with one and, for example, the candidate’s spouse doesn’t want to move to Alaska...when he finally declined the offer the other one had already taken another job,” said Baker. “It’s happened to me at least a dozen

times in the past four years.”Chesbro resigned from the

position of interim dean to enter her second retirement, and Ed McLain, an associate professor at UAA and former teacher, vice-principal, superintendent and deputy commissioner of education and early development for the state of Alaska, has taken up the position in her stead as of July 2012.

The search for a dean is a long one, conducted first through a search firm; the firm makes calls to individuals that match search criteria and attempt to interest them in the position. Universities do not have access to the same list.

“The reason we use a search firm for executive level jobs is that the search firm will recruit people rather than relying on the ads as the only, if we have to depend on people seeing an ad, our chances of finding a good person are smaller,” said Baker. “Most of the folks in search firms have developed a relationship with up and coming faculty and administrative leaders over the years, so they have a list of people they can call and discuss the position with.”

From there, a series of interviews is conducted from the pool of interested and qualified applicants via phone and Skype. If applicants make it past this round, COE search committee members will sometimes fly to meet with applicants in person for

interviews, and eventually the top two or three are flown to UAA to see the university and meet with the wider UAA community.

Aside from academic qualifications, the search committee has other preferences they would like to see in the next COE dean.

“Colleges of Education are having problems across the board because I don’t think there are enough folks eligible for these positions,” said Hilary Seitz, the associate dean of the COE and a COE search committee member. “Faculty in the college really want someone who has worked with kids, who’s been a teacher, who’s been an educator. But, in addition to that, the dean has other administrative responsibilities that go beyond what a typical teacher does.”

There is no clear-cut timeline for when a new COE dean will be employed, but both Seitz and Baker are hopeful that candidates will be brought to UAA at some point in the fall semester.

“We’re on a fast timeline hopefully; it takes a long time to fill these positions because of the different rounds and things.” said Seitz. “Ideally, we’ll find someone by December and have them transition in by the end of the year. I’m not sure that’s going to happen, but that’s what I’m hoping for.”

Search continues for COE dean

CONTINUed FROm COveR

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By Evan DoddNews Editor

There is something you have to understand about me. It’s not exactly a secret, if you’ve spent more than about five seconds with me; chances are I’ve mentioned this. But here it goes.

I love Batman. I love Batman the way that

pandas love bamboo. I love Batman the way that hot air balloons love being in the air. I love Batman the way that pandas love not being in hot air balloons.

It’s an intense passion that has been described as “heartwarming and sincere” by some and as “grow up and stop wearing hockey pads with that ridiculous cape” by others.

In fact, if I were to rank my passions in list form it would probably go something like: Batman, Zooey Deschanel and

Subway sandwiches. See, now you have a basic understanding of my level of love for Batman; he just barely edges out Zooey and the teriyaki-bacon-steak-bacon sandwich that I’ve perfected.

I’ve always loved Batman. It’s the idea that an ordinary man can become larger than life and fight criminals on a massive scale. It’s the idea that Batman can’t be beaten, because at his core he is an idea.

And also, explosions.That’s not to say that I don’t

occasionally have mixed feelings about this new Batman movie. For instance, sometimes I’m incredibly conflicted as to whether it will be the greatest movie in the world, or the greatest movie in the universe.

So you can understand my irrational excitement for the premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises,” which, as I write this column with frantic excitement, begins in 8 hours, 4 minutes and 15 seconds — give or take, I’m not counting or anything.

Now I know that I haven’t

seen it, but I think I’ve already decided upon my favorite part. It’s either going to be where Batman does that thing where he breaks a guy’s face, or that part where he grunts unintelligibly after breaking a guy’s face.

Christopher Nolan sure knows how to give the people what they want: explosions, face breaking and Batman. If that doesn’t scream summer blockbuster, then I don’t know what does. (Admittedly I know very little about movie-making. It may very well be that cramming countless explosions into a movie does not make it inherently entertaining. I’m looking at you, “Battleship.”)

But I’m excited to the point of insanity about this movie, because this is a story that I’ve grown up with. This Batman trilogy is like our generation’s version of “Star Wars,” “The Terminator” and “Superman” all rolled into one with a side of Morgan Freeman.

And I’ll be there for every single glorious minute of it — all

165 of them. I’ll be there, front and center with my bat-cape and my secret bat decoder ring that I snagged from my box of Super Frosted Mini Bat-Flakes cereal.

And when it’s over, there is a more than reasonable chance that I’ll just sit there, in the slightly disgusting movie theatre chair, unable to move from the joyful trauma of watching the final moments of the Batman trilogy.

Either that, or I’ll run out of the theater hell-bent on fighting crime, my makeshift cape flapping in the wind as I scream, “I’m the hero that Wasilla deserves, but not the one it

needs right no —” THUD!

I’ve yet to perfect running without tripping on my cape. It’s a work in progress.

FEATUREs 04

they together, may solve their common problem to recover from alcoholism. Sober Living has been running for months and is open to both students and the community, but it is still very much in its infancy and is still taking shape.

According to the State of Alaska Health and Social Services, the per capita rate of alcoholism in Alaska is one of the highest in the nation. The prevalence of alcohol dependence and abuse is at 14 percent of the population, twice the national average at 7 percent. With that said, there are literally dozens of AA groups all over Anchorage that meet on the hour.

Other than convenience, what makes Sober Living stand out? It is more intimate when compared to other AA groups around town, where one could get lost in a sea

of members. You feel a sense of connection with fellow students addressing the same issue. Most importantly, special care is dedicated to ensure anonymity and safety by those who genuinely root for your success in both school and life.

The program is provided by and supported through the Dean of Students Office, which serves as a core resource for student development. UAA’s Alcohol and Drug Wellness Educator typically oversees this program — however, since the position is vacant, Assistant Director of Student Conduct Michael Votava has temporarily taken over.

“We’ve been approached by a number of students who expressed their interest of forming an AA group on campus,” Votava said,

emphasizing that this program was in response to their requests.

Participants of Sober Living opened up about their experiences with the program, but we have withheld their identities due to the nature of this article.

“It’s not about finding yourself, but creating yourself,” one participant said. “There is no cure, but there is a solution.”

“People have this stigma that comes with being an alcoholic; it’s often viewed as poor social standing but the reality is that it could happen to anybody and is something that could be treated,” another participant said. “This is really a no pressure support system that works.”

The very mention of the word “stigma” makes one wonder: Will this program flourish? Will

students feel inclined to approach this with an open mind?

The Dean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development Dewain Lee is focused on securing anonymity so that students feel a sense of trust.

“We don’t know how many students show up regularly, we don’t know numbers, we don’t know names, male or female — we don’t want to know that,” Lee said. “We want to know that the program is going on and that it is successful for the sake of the students. The main thing we want to make sure of is that it is a safe environment for students.”

“Think about it,” Lee continued, “if the Dean of Students was leading the group or going into the group or even the

Conduct Officer, it would not be effective, so we really stay hands-off.”

Lee said that in positive strides, there is now a permanent office for the Alcohol and Drug Wellness Educator, room 117 in PSB. UAA hopes to fill the vacant position before the fall semester starts. Lee also wanted to reiterate that the Dean of Students Office is a point of contact for other issues and struggles students may be experiencing. They are able to make referrals as necessary.

For more information on the Sober Living Group, do not hesitate to contact the Dean of Students Office at 786-1214 to speak with Michael Votava or Dewain Lee. You can also stop by their office, located in the Student Union, room 204.

SOBER: Campus recovery group emphasizes privacy for members

Batman and the Orange

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July 24, 2012 | FEATUREs04 TNL

By Masha ProskuryakovaAd Manager

Don’t you feel that you need to major in chemistry to shop at the grocery store nowadays? Most of the products there have a long ingredient list, and half of the words are almost impossible to pronounce. Then you also hear stories about food preservatives and artificial additions that are extremely hazardous to your health.

Seeing the phrase “natural flavors” on the ingredient list seems like a good sign. We all know that in this world full of chemicals, anything natural is good for you.

The interesting part is that food companies have also noticed that people like the word “natural” and started to use its good connotation

against us consumers. The government has no regulation for the use of the word “natural.” Anything that was derived from originally natural things can be called natural. The products that have the word “natural” on their label or on the ingredient list are not always as “natural” as they seem.

Natural and artificial flavors have very different names, but I found out they are not that much different. Both types of flavors are derived from chemicals in laboratories. The difference is that the natural flavors are a mix of natural chemicals and artificial flavors obtained from synthetic chemicals. Natural chemicals are still chemicals. In fact, artificial flavoring might be even better for you, because chemicals used

in these flavorings have passed safety tests.

Natural chemicals are also much harder to obtain. Manufactures have to spend more time and money to design natural flavors, which makes them more expensive. The products

that include natural flavoring cost more than products that has artificial flavoring, but it does not necessarily mean that they are healthier or better.

So the next time you walk between isles at a grocery store, don’t be tricked by its “natural”

label. Take your time to read the ingredients, and use the rule of thumb recommended by dieticians: Avoid buying products if you cannot pronounce words in their ingredient list.

Natural vs. artificial flavors

July 24, 2012 | FEATUREs 05TNL

OMELET3. JUDY’S

CAFE

4. PEANUT FARM

2. MIDDLE WAY CAFE

5. HARLEY’S OLD THYME

CAFE

1. KRINER’SDINER

By Heather Hamilton and Chelsea DennisA&E Editor and Circulation Assistant

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and what better way to treat yourself than to get a nice, filling omelet? TNL scoured five local restaurants in search of the best Denver-like omelet in town for our latest edition of Anchorage Food Quest; all omelets included peppers, onions and cheese, and most included ham as well. Each omelet also included a side of toast or English muffin and some variation of potatoes.

Harley’s Old Thyme Cafe: Denver Omelet - This combo is definitely worth the $9.95 bill, but most of the value was in the large amount of hash browns and the huge biscuits and gravy; the omelet itself is relatively small compared to the others sampled, though. It is also the greasiest omelet; the well-blended flavors of the onions, peppers and ham are lost at first taste, since the grease is all you can really taste. Once you get past it, it’s quite good, but the greasiness still remains. The hash browns were also on the greasy side, but the biscuits and gravy were to die for. Fluffy biscuits and flavorful (but not too peppery) hollandaise sauce make them the best part of the meal.

Peanut Farm: Denver Omelet - Tasty and plentiful, this omelet combo can easily feed

two for the $11.50 tab. The omelet was quite large, and the eggs were fluffy and relatively grease free. The veggies, too, are about up to par, cooked just a hair under al dente. The only real problems with this omelet were that the cheese kind of overpowered the other flavors a bit, and the egg to topping ratio is about 2:1 — too much egg. The English muffin was delicious and well toasted, and the potato cubes were crispy on the outside but moderately mushy on the inside, creating a great texture combination. Even though it came in fourth, TNL would gladly eat here again.

Judy’s Cafe: Denver Omelet - The presentation of Judy’s omelet was plain but practical. There was no nonsense and extra flourish, but the food didn’t need it. The eggs were a bit overdone, but that’s really the only problem with this meal. The platter wasn’t as greasy as the others, too. The veggie and ham chunks were larger and possessed a more prominent flavor overall. The English muffin and hash browns are also good; the hash browns are just crunchy enough on the top to add a pleasant texture to the side dish, since the rest of it is soft. The meal is only enough to feed one hungry person, but at $9.95, it’s a good deal.

Kriner’s Diner: Build Your Own Omelet - For our Create Your Own Omelet (which includes up to four toppings for the base price of $11.99) we ordered an omelet with peppers, onions and ham (Denver style). The service was relatively fast, and the food was great. The omelet itself was a decent size, and while none of the flavors stood out as the most bold, the peppers worked with the cheese, onions and ham to create a more cohesive combined flavor. The veggies were al dente, and so added a nice crunch to the omelet’s texture. In addition the large, delicious omelet, there was also a side of toast that was grilled instead of toasted, and despite this, it wasn’t greasy like it could have been. Instead, it was mostly dry (the good sort) with just a hint of buttery flavor to it. The hash browns were well cooked as well, completing the meal. If you’re in the mood for a Denver-style omelet, this is the place to get it.

TNL’s last round of Anchorage Food Quest is going to be investigating a local dessert, and we want your input. Send dessert suggestions and locations where we can find them to our Facebook page.

Middle Way Cafe: California Omelet - This all organic omelet for $10.45 is different from the others in that it doesn’t contain ham, instead opting for lightly

cooked avocado slices. The typical white onions are replaced with scallions (green onion) which add a different sort of onion flavor that was refreshing. The omelet was topped with sour cream as well, which adds another original quality to the dish. The omelet itself was relatively large and, combined with the rest of the meal, it’s just large enough to get some leftovers out of. The potato cubes are large and nice overall, but some were overcooked and burned while others were undercooked and more difficult to chew. The multigrain toast was good, but burned in some spots and dry overall (there was no butter or condiments for patrons to add). So, while the omelet itself is good, the overall meal is inconsistent and consequently sits at a comfortable second place.

FOOD QUESTANCHORAGE’S BEST:

PHOTOS BY CHELSEA DENNIS

By Heather HamiltonA&E Editor

Da na na na na na na na na, Batman! Gotham City’s Dark Knight returns in the conclusion of director Christopher Nolan’s gritty Batman trilogy. Does “The Dark Knight Rises” live up to the hype? Does it do the rest of the franchise justice?

We’ll let you know after we’ve

seen it about five more times in theaters — you know, just in case we missed something the first time.

In all seriousness, “DKR” is a phenomenal end to the Batman trilogy, which is good, since the movie is almost two hours and 45 minutes long.

It’s been eight years since the events of “The Dark Knight,” and Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale, “The Fighter”) has long since hung up his cape. When Catwoman/Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway, “Alice in Wonderland”) steals something from the rebuilt Wayne Manor and masked mercenary Bane (Tom Hardy, “Lawless”) begins to terrorize Gotham, will he be ready and able to once more don the cape and cowl to save it from total anarchy?

Hathaway is a brilliant Catwoman — a bold statement, especially with all of the skepticism revolving around including

the character, but a true one. Hathaway manages to be sensual, fun and far more than just eye candy (though she does make for some gorgeous eye candy). Selina Kyle goes through a decent level of character development as far as leading ladies in leather and heels are concerned, and Hathaway’s subtle and genuine body language and facial expressions play a big part in showcasing this. Come for the catsuit, stay for the quality performance.

Bale, just wow — he takes Bruce Wayne through a forest of character development. Bruce is still, eight years after the death of his love Rachel Dawes, haunted by it and can’t seem to move on. Even as he slowly begins to move past this and come back to himself, events take place (some involving Bane) that send him back to square one, and he has to fight past his inner demons if he wants to save both himself and his city.

A most excellent villain was chosen in Bane, and the portrayal of the character as a highly intelligent and twistedly dapper individual (who could break you in half by looking at you, if those muscles are anything to go by) was both entertaining and unsettling. This isn’t a horror flick by far, but Bane (like Heath Ledger’s brilliant Joker before him) is more than capable of sending chills down viewers’ spines. Hardy never quite makes you root for Bane, but you never find yourself hating him either. In fact, there are points where you almost sympathize with him and his ideals, but not his extremist tactics of realizing them.

Quality acting aside, the movie also scores bonus points for keeping audiences entertained for nearly three hours. The plot is deep, both appropriately slow at times and devastatingly explosive and tense at others. Nolan does a grand job of smoothly changing

up the vibe of the movie to suit individual scenes while keeping the underlying essence of tension and suspense intact. There are a few plot twists involved (one will likely either upset fans or send them cheering; TNL was definitely pleased), but none that really surprise the viewer if they think hard enough and pay enough attention. All the clues are there for each one, so there’s no residual “cheap gimmick” feel to them.

Basically, see the movie and, if you get the chance, see it in IMAX. Yes, it’s as expensive as your unborn child, but more than worth it for this movie. In fact, throw your money at it and see it more than once; it’s worth it.

By Heather HamiltonA&E Editor

It’s a geeky week, so here’s a geeky cocktail to whet your appetite: the Batman Cocktail. It’s not a perfect tribute to the Caped Crusader, but it’ll do in a pinch.

Pour a shot of spiced rum, half a shot of coffee liquor and half a shot of vanilla vodka in a shaker with ice and have at it. Strain the solution into a short glass, and carefully pour a layer of root beer over the top. Boom — Batman Cocktail.

The only thing that really hits your nose is the coffee liquor, and that remains the same when you take your first sip. Nothing but coffee-flavor is at the tip, but as it slides back on your tongue, the strong alcoholic flavor of the rum breaks out and leaves a bite at the back of the throat when you swallow. There are small hints of root beer flavors woven in, but the

coffee and spiced rum definitely take the lead in this drink; the vanilla vodka is all but invisible to taste, adding only more alcohol to the mix.

There’s enough alcohol in those two shots to get you a bit buzzed, but nothing more (unless you haven’t eaten all day). The drink is extremely rich and heavy though, so it’s sometimes difficult to finish, despite the small serving.

It’s good enough, but an ideal Batman-inspired drink might be better served with a dark chocolate liquor rather than a coffee-flavored one; it would add a more refined, but still rich, quality to the beverage.

By Heather HamiltonA&E Editor

Former System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian is back with another solo album commentating on how society currently sucks and is on its way to ending itself — and we can’t get enough of it.

Tankian’s iconic voice is fantastic enough when paired with the rest of System of a Down, but both his voice and musical style all but explode when he’s on his own. Each album, including his latest, “Harakiri,” is a public statement of a personal opinion. Tankian has never shied away from controversy in his music, and he certainly doesn’t now.

Each track focuses on a different topic, and Tankian does

a good job of making each one sound different (either drastically or subtly) both musically and vocally. “Figure It Out” is an angry track with rapping, screaming, synthesized voices and repetition with a drum-heavy backing track. This song chides listeners for either not recognizing or ignoring that big companies and their CEOs (specifically in the United States) are controlling/attempting to control politics by donating to/bribing party leaders.

A much different track to look out for is “Reality TV,” which uses vivid imagery and mocking vocals to illustrate the falseness and utter stupidity of reality television and our obsession with it, as well as to openly denounce it with lyrics such as, “I abhor the whore who calls herself reality, reality TV.” His stance couldn’t get more obvious than that.

The best track on the album is, by far, the title track, “Harakiri.” Tankian doesn’t make fun of anything, doesn’t scream, or rap; he laments. And as preachy as his lyrics are, there’s a certain poetry to them, especially in this track. He talks about mass animal

deaths (specifically the over-8,000 drum fish that washed up dead in Arizona in 2011, and the 5,000 red wing blackbirds in another part of Arizona who all “fell” from the sky on New Year’s Eve a few days later). He alludes to our cities and skyscrapers, increasing levels of pollution, how we’ve gone astray as a race in general. Then, while he’s making all these claims, he speaks on how we are both creating these problems and ignoring them, leaving them for the future generations to deal with. And, while his words are very pointed and accusing, it feels more like he’s just trying to express what’s weighing him down than actually call us all out. It’s a very powerful track.

Basically, if you don’t mind being preached to for 11 tracks, get the album. It is incredible to listen to, diverse in sound and, depending on your personal ethos, might even ring true to your own ideals.

ARTs&ENTERTAINMENT 06

MOVIE REVIEW

MUSIC REVIEW DRINK REVIEW

Album: “Harakiri”Artist: Serj Tankian

Release Date: July 10, 2012Label: Reprise, Serjical Strike

‘Harakiri,’ a pointed rock albumFormer System of a Down singer continues successful solo career

Movie: “The Dark Knight Rises”Director: Christopher NolanRelease Date: July 20, 2012

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary

Oldman

‘Batman Rises’: The epic conclusion more than complements the trilogy

Drink: Batman CocktailIngredients: Vanilla vodka, coffee

liquor, spiced rum, root beer

Good drink, poor tribute

July 24, 2012 | A&E 07TNL

First Friday showcase: UAA’s Jason Quisenberry

PHOTO BY MASHA PROSKURYAKOVABy Masha ProskuryakovaAd Manger

Jason Quisenberry, a BFA junior from the Bay area in California did not think that he would get into art. He finished high school, travelled, and even went to college for management before he realized he wants to become an artist. He applied to UAA, packed his bags and came to Alaska to pursue his new dream — and it looks like his dream is turning into reality. Jason participated in a number of shows and sold a piece at the

First Friday show that he and two of his classmates had together in May. Now he is preparing for his first solo show. TNL caught Jason at the UAA printmaking studio as he was working on his pieces.

TNL: How did you end up at UAA arts department all the way from California?

Jason: A good chunk of my family is from Alaska, and I spent many summers up here growing up. When I decided to become an artist, it was in the middle of Bush’s presidency, when Iraq

was a hot pot. All the artwork in the Bay area, where I lived at that time, was very political. I got burned out from seeing political artwork. Alaska has a unique freedom when it comes to art. Alaska allows freedom for expression — and it is a beautiful spot.

TNL: What do you think about UAA art community?

Jason: I think UAA has a very good community. It is hard to think outside of your own box. Being around people who have had other life experiences is important. They can suggest something that you have never thought of or even argue with something that you have.

TNL: What inspires you?Jason: I find humanity to be

interesting, and it has been always a center of my work. I think people have a very negative image of our past and ourselves. We are capable of a lot of evil, but we are capable in a lot of good. In my work I explore how good side and bad side intermingle. I try to show in a way that is very dream like,

very surreal.

TNL: Artist is a tough profession. How do you plan to survive?

Jason: It is a worry. There is a lot of competition. But when you think about the world we live in, everything is designed and made by human being. Art is a tough profession, but there is also a lot of need for it. You have to have a faith that you are going to make it. I have faith in myself.

TNL: What are your biggest challenges?

Jason: There are still a lot of things to learn. I am not anywhere close to any kind of peak, which is a good thing, because I want to keep learning. I want to be able to keep my work fresh. As we have talked earlier, there are a lot of competitions out there. I have to work a lot to get good shows and grants.

TNL: What has been your big success so far?

Jason: My inner success is that I’m finally starting to understand what I want to talk about. My

work are not pictures anymore; I am starting to talk through my work. I have been part of few shows, and I am about to have my first solo show. I think it is a good start.

TNL: What should our readers expect from your solo show?

Jason: The show’s name is “Broken Shell.” I will be talking about human experience as a series of shells. For example, we have a soul or some sort of internal essence, which is in a shell of flesh. And flesh is in a shell of closing. And we live in these corrugated buildings, which are again shells. Shells protect us from the elements, but they are also personal spaces. If somebody gets into your personal space, you get violated. Shell is about protection and our personal space. I am doing a series talking about this closed space and also about breaking these boundaries — breaking what we consider reality. Again, it will be a very surreal show.

“Broken Shell” will open at Crash on First Friday in August.

08 TNL A&E July 24, 2012 08 TNLTNL

Sophomore photographer shows in style at the SUBy Heather HamiltonA&E Editor

Photography is an art; it takes time, energy and countless bouts of trial and error to master. It can also take years to develop a distinctive style, something that, when others see it, immediately know it’s your work they’re viewing. Some photographers never get to that point.

Others get there virtually overnight.

Joel Adams, a photography sophomore at UAA, is featuring his blend of photography and graphic design in UAA’s Student Union Gallery, and he’s only been at it for about a year and a half.

“[It’s] my first solo show at a real gallery; I’ve had a couple of First Fridays ... one was in a bar and another was in a tattoo shop. So, it was nice,;they were great venues and a good way to get started, but when it has ‘gallery’ in the title I feel a lot better,” said. Adams.

Adams has gained notoriety in Anchorage by photographing local musicians, but it’s what he does after the shutter snaps that makes his work unique. Instead of making the standard edits to his photos, such as cleaning up noise and altering the exposure to more clearly show the images, he transforms them into a graphics, giving them a comic book like feel and appearance. He does this to varying degrees, depending on the photo series he is doing; his band portraits, for instance, typically feature portions of genuine photography fading into the graphic style.

“The style kind of started for an assignment in Garry Mealor’s drawing class,” said Adams. “At one point we had to do linoleum prints, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. All I knew was

that it had to be totally white and totally black, so I just went on Photoshop and took a picture of my little brother’s arm and ended up doing something that looks similar to this [his gallery work].”

His gallery show, called “Twist/Volume/Edge,” consists of three different series. “Twist” is a detective tale gone wrong, shown through photos that serve as a storyboard, “Volume” is a series of band photos he has taken and altered and “Edge” consists of edited photos of local models in various poses. Combined, there are 60 images in the show, though there were supposed to be 80.

“I actually ran out of ink; I couldn’t print any more ... and nobody else in town prints the size I need,” said Adams. “I actually bought out every one of those 13x19 frames in Anchorage, and I had to special order 50 more.”

One of those missing images is of Younger Oliver, a junior English major at UAA. Oliver’s portrait, and the other 19 that weren’t printed in time for the SU Gallery show, will be on display in Adams’s next show at the Avenue Bar downtown in September.

While Oliver is disappointed that she won’t be able to see the next show because she is underage and unable to get into the venue, she says her modeling experience with Adams was an enjoyable one that she wouldn’t mind repeating.

“He’s fun to shoot with and he makes you feel comfortable,” said Oliver. “I don’t model, so when I made a mistake he would laugh, but not in a mean way. He’d tell me what to do to get the shot he wanted; he was good at directing me.”

Adams explains that his models all seem to get excited when they see and hear about what he does with the photos, despite the fact that there is a lot of editing involved. And when asked when a photo ceases to be a photo and instead becomes a graphic due to the amount of editing that goes into it, Adams is firm.

“When you can’t see the original photo anymore,” he said, “that’s when it turns into a graphic — when you can’t see the original.”

“Twist/Volume/Edge” will be showing at the Student Union Gallery until Wednesday, August 5 during regular gallery hours. For more information about Joel Adams, visit him online at: www.facebook.com/joeladamsphotography.

PHOTOS BY HEATHER HAMILTON

TOP: A group of admiriers get their first look at “Twist,” which tells the story of a detective tale gone wrong.

MIDDLE “Volume” depicts various local band members in a combination of actual photo and graphic editing.

BOTTOM: Younger Oliver admires “Edge,” a series pf altered photographs of local models.

sPORTs 09

winter, both men and women players play touch rugby in the Dome to stay fit.

There isn’t little league rugby or high school rugby here in Alaska, where one could gain vast experience. Tim Snider, president of the AORU said he is actively working on changing that by possibly starting up rugby teams in schools throughout Alaska. He is driven toward securing rugby’s growth and presence.

“Next, I plan on sending the women’s teams to their first Rugby Sevens Tournament in Vegas, 2013,” Snider said.

Like other teams, Nilet Tuimalealiifano coach for the Spenard Green Dragons, currently has players who either just graduated from or who are still in high school.

“My focus is on the youth right now. Us players who come from countries like Samoa grew up with the sport. We have the experience and skill, but these kids come with heart,” Tuimalealiifano said.“It doesn’t matter the background, I’ll teach them if they want to learn.”

Some of these up and coming players plan on attending UAA. Could UAA have a place in Alaska rugby, just like UAF does in the future?

Cameron “Cam” Vivian, former president of and long time board member of the AORU , said joining is a painless process.

“The issue we’ve had with UAA is that students leave school (and town) during rugby season, but if you stick around in the summers, take the opportunity to come and get involved! Log on to our website (www.rugbyunion.org) and click on the team logo of any team you would like to join and give them a call. It’s for anyone!”

But if you’re skittish, stay home.

RUGBY: Summer competitionUAA to honor Bruns, Spooner with spots in the Seawolf Hall of Fame

One of the most prolific goal-scorers in Seawolf hockey history and the winningest men’s basketball coach in program history, Doug Spooner and Charlie Bruns will be inducted as the 12th class of the Seawolf Hall of Fame, athletic director Steve Cobb announced Friday.

The class of 2012 will be inducted in a public ceremony at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on Sunday, Oct. 14.

“The Seawolf Hall of Fame ceremony is one of our favorite events,” Cobb said. “It’s an exciting time to have former student-athletes and supporters back on campus to recognize for their contributions to Seawolf Nation. I encourage everyone to make plans to attend this year’s festivities as we honor this special group.”

Nominations for the 2012 class were accepted through April 15. Former UAA student-athletes and teams are eligible for nomination 10 years following their last competition at UAA. Former UAA coaches and staff members are eligible five years following their university service. Volunteer contributors may be nominated at any time.

Seawolf Hall of Fame inductees are chosen by an athletic director-appointed committee consisting of UAA Athletics staff, coaches, boosters, volunteers and faculty members.

Here is a look at the accomplishments of the Seawolf Hall of Fame Class of ‘12:

With a knack for the net like few others, Doug Spooner (1987-91) thrilled UAA fans for four seasons, tallying a near-record number of goals and helping UAA to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. Utilizing his solid frame and soft scoring touch, the Cache Creek, British Columbia, native was a staple of Seawolf teams that compiled four straight winning seasons, including 21- and 22-victory campaigns in 1989-90 and 1990-91. UAA’s 1987-88 Rookie of the Year, 1988-89 Leon Thompson Fan Favorite and 1990-91 team captain tallied 23 goals in both his sophomore and junior seasons, still tied for No. 6 on the all-time list. Spooner’s 75 career goals left him just one shy of equaling the program record — a mark he likely would have topped had he not missed 13 games to injury as a senior. His 148 points and 73 assists both also rank in UAA’s career top 10 more than 20 years after his playing days, while his 50 points as a sophomore are still tied for 9th on the single-season list. Playing on the same team — although often on different lines — with fellow Seawolf Hall of Famers Rob Conn, Dean Larson and Derek Donald, he was a vital part of the program’s first to NCAA Tournament teams in 1990 and 1991. Spooner graduated in 1997 with a bachelor of arts in justice. He currently lives in League City, Texas.

With a calm demeanor off the court and a fiery disposition on the sidelines, men’s basketball coach Charlie Bruns (1980-2004) was a fixture on the UAA bench for nearly a quarter century and 700 games. Showing a unique commitment to the Seawolf program, Bruns worked for 13 years as an assistant — including his first 10 as a volunteer — under three different head coaches. Three seasons after being promoted to the top assistant’s role, Bruns took over as head coach early in the 1993-94 season and promptly led the Seawolves to 21 wins, the Pacific West Conference title and an NCAA berth. Bruns would win his first of three Pac West Coach of the Year awards that season, beginning a journey that would end with a program-record 186 victories. All told, in his 24 years with the program the New York native was a part of 692 games, 442 wins and 11 NCAA

Tournaments. During his head coaching tenure, UAA produced five Pac West Players of the Year and memorable Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout victories over such programs as Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Rhode Island. Bruns came to UAA after coaching Kotzebue High School to two small-schools state titles in 1977 and 1978, in addition to eight years at Turlock (Calif.) High School, where he coached five sports. The former New York state 100-yard dash champion earned his bachelor’s in health and physical education in 1968 from Eastern Washington University, where he also played football. He and his wife Colleen currently live in the Seattle area.

UAA Women’s Basketball schedule announced

University of Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball head coach Nathan Altenhofen announced his team’s 2012-13 schedule on Thursday.

The defending NCAA Div. II West Region-champion Seawolves — coming off a 30-5 campaign — will play 17 homes games this season, starting with non-conference contests against Colorado School of Mines on Nov. 9 and Regis (Colo.) on Nov. 16-17. Also highlighting the early slate is a rematch with 2012 NCAA Tournament opponent Cal State-Los Angeles in the 4th annual AT&T Hoops Classic (Dec. 17-19) at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

Prior to that, UAA opens play with an exhibition contest against Division I opponent Arizona State on Nov. 4 in Tempe, Ariz.

The Seawolves host the annual Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, Nov. 20-21 at Sullivan Arena. This year’s Shootout field includes six-time champion UAA, Prairie View A&M, Utah State and North Dakota State.

The defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions start the 18-game league slate with an early home clash against rival Alaska Fairbanks on Dec. 1, before returning to conference play Jan. 3 and Jan. 5 with home games against fellow contenders Western Washington and Simon Fraser. The regular season concludes Mar. 2 at UAF.

The 3rd annual GNAC Women’s Basketball Tournament returns to Lacey, Wash., Mar. 6-9. The top six teams qualify, with seeds 3-6 meeting in the quarterfinals and the top two seeds receiving byes into the semifinals.

NCAA Division II West Regionals are set for Mar. 15-18.

Prior UAA goaltender signs contract with Ottawa Senators

Former Alaska Anchorage goaltender Nathan Lawson signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators, announced by the club Monday.

Lawson spent the 2011-12 season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. He had a 19-17-4 record, a 2.57 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and five shutouts.

The six-foot-two, 190-pound Calgary native has played in four professional seasons, including 10 NHL games with the New York Islanders. Undrafted, he played three seasons with the Seawolves before being signed by the Islanders. Lawson, who was with UAA from 2005 to 2007, registered career stats of .906 save percentage, 3.24 goals-against average and a 21-41-8 record.

Lawson will provide goaltending depth to an Ottawa team already boasting Craig Anderson, Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner.

Compiled by Ashley Smith

SPORTS REVIEW

Thunderbirds and Manu Bears form a scrum

Amani Naea of the Manu Bears backline moves towards the “try line” as apponant of thunderbirds (Henry Lavulo) defends it.

The Anchorage Manu Bears form a “rock” while the Anchorage Thunderbirds (white) aim to retrieve the ball..

Saia Finau of the Thunderbirds blocks apponant Joe Filoi from advancing the try line.

Juli Regan (green) of the Fairbanks Ravens tackles a team member of the Arctic Foxes (red)

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARISSA STUBBLEFIED

OPINION 10 By Shana RobersonContributor

Sometimes the only way to get news from perfectly polished politicians is to take what they say out of context.

Take for instance the famous statement then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi made, “But we have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it.” What she actually meant is found within the context of the speech, where she says the “fog of controversy” has made it impossible for anyone to find out what is actually in the bill.

Another infamous line taken out of context came in January from Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. “I like being able to fire people,” was taken out of context from a larger point about being able to choose your insurance company.

And then there is the quote made recently by President Obama. “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen,” Obama said a couple of weekends ago. Obama has been making headlines at recent speeches, thanks in large part to ditching the teleprompters. A senior campaign official told The Hill going sans teleprompters is part of a strategy to “up the tempo,” at campaign events. It has certainly upped the tempo of the national political punditry.

The difference with Obama’s most recent quote and the other two examples is that it was not

really taken out of context. If you read the quote in it’s entirety, you will reach the same conclusion.

“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business. you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet. The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.”

The isolated quote tells you that Obama believes that you owe something for your success. The quote in its entirety also tells you that Obama believes you owe something for your success.

It’s not a revelation that this is Obama’s ideology. He believes that the government is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the answer to our problems and, incidentally, in need of a “fundamental transformation.”

There are certainly plenty of counterarguments. One would be that the government also “helped” all the unsuccessful people too. Others have said that we pay taxes

for all the “help” Obama listed. Another argument can be seen in a new Romney campaign ad that features a business owner asking if the government helped when his dad took out a loan against his house to start his own business.

But perhaps the most important argument to be made against this statement from Obama comes from President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address,

where he described our nation as a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

The point is, there is no magical being out there that is “the government.” There is no celestial being, a silhouette shining down from the heavens, that is making the decision to invest in the Internet or build a road. We are the government. As the government, we have put in

place certain circumstances that give all people a fighting chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We don’t owe ourselves anything except that fighting chance. We might owe some folks in our lives gratitude, but gratitude does not necessarily translate into owing something to someone, as the president suggests.

ABT ‘goofs’ its taxes, doesn’t get in troubleTaxes are like American

baseball — even if you don’t it, you can’t exactly get away from it. That doesn’t stop people from trying, and when they do try we can’t help but snicker when they’re caught and punished. Because, let’s be honest, if we have to pay, then everyone else better bet themselves that they do too. It’s the law.

Recently, there’s been a huge to-do regarding the Anchorage Baptist Temple and the various properties they’ve claimed as tax exempt for several years. For those who don’t know, Allen Prevo and his now ex-wife lived in one such property, and because Allen Prevo is an ordained minister with the church, the property is tax exempt (but only if the church is the sole owner of it). Allen, however, had a side agreement with the church, a “paper mortgage,” by which he was slowly purchasing the house from the church over time (since 2004, actually); this means that he has interest in the property, and therefore it does not qualify for tax exemption.

But ABT was claiming it anyway. No one would have known but for the divorce proceedings, in which Holly Jo Prevo (Allen Prevo’s then-wife) mentioned the agreement, and produced paperwork between Allen and ABT to prove its validity. What followed was an investigation of the other 14 tax exempt properties being used as residences for ABT ministers and educators, during which one other mortgage-like agreement was discovered and published by blogger Melissa S. Green on her LGBTQ website, Bent Alaska. ADN later picked up the story and expanded on it, drawing more attention.

ABT is claiming that they misinterpreted the law, that they didn’t realize what they were doing was wrong and that they would gladly pay the $53,298 in back taxes for the two properties (after being assured by Anchorage Assessor Marty McGee that they had, in fact, claimed ineligible property). McGee claims his investigation indicates that this is true, that ABT didn’t knowingly

commit tax fraud, and that there would be no criminal charges pressed.

However, certain events and past taxation issues indicate that ABT knew precisely what it was doing, thereby willingly committing tax fraud over the course of several years.

During the Prevo divorce proceedings, Holly Jo indicated that Allen scoured their home for the “mortgage” documents, and testified that it was because he didn’t want her to have access to them and possibly get the church in trouble for “how they do their housing,”as reported by the Anchorage Daily News. If this is true — and no one claimed it wasn’t — then it should be taken as the first indicator that ABT at least had an idea that what they were doing wasn’t completely acceptable.

The second indicator that ABT knew that they were (possibly) committing tax fraud is that this isn’t their first rodeo regarding property taxes. In 2004, McGee investigated them for improperly

claiming property tax exemptions on residences that didn’t qualify for it under Alaska’s tax exemption clause. The properties involved were returned to the tax roll until 2006, when legislation was passed in the state House and Senate to include properties owned by a church that are inhabited by religious educators and ordained ministers who fit an individual church’s criteria for a minister. This legislation was lobbied for by ABT.

Having gone through the process of defending their decisions and being found in the wrong, and then pushing a change in state law not two years later, it is unlikely that ABT was uneducated on the ins and outs of the tax exemption law when they chose to claim Allen Prevo’s residence and the residence of another minister as tax exempt. It is nearly impossible. Tack that on with Allen Prevo’s alleged desire to keep the church’s integrity out of question when he searched for their agreed upon paper mortgage, and the “coincidences” are just too

much.All that being said, why is a

more in-depth investigation not being conducted? Why, when it seems so glaringly obvious that this organization knowingly is ripping off the general public by not paying its fair share of property taxes, are criminal charges not being filed? When a person is caught speeding and is pulled over, saying, “I’m sorry, I thought it was legal to go 100 mph down Old Seward at night with my headlights off,” is not going to get the person out of a ticket and a couple of fines. Why shouldn’t ABT be charged criminally, when any average property owner would be?

Ignorance is not a viable defense to breaking the law, and ignoring shady coincidences is not a good enough reason not to pursue a case. Make an example of ABT so that other organizations and individuals can see first hand that cheating (both the government and your fellow citizens) isn’t tolerated.

Political junk(ie): If ‘You didn’t build that,’ then who did?Obama’s sound bite may just convey the same ideology both in and out of context

Anchorage Baptist Temple’s blemished tax history calls its latest blunder into question

A meme circulating the Internet makes light of the quote.

The coming week is likely to warrant an unexpected, yet wholly possible change of plans, as circumstances and coincidences converge and create situations for which no one has been able to prepare sufficiently. Indeed, those who insist on staying the course at this time may find themselves feeling singularly foolish, as past experience and preparation are proven to be all but worthless as things shape up throughout the week in ways that seem to defy logic. An ability to smile, shrug and forge ahead without hesitation or doubt can prove quite valuable -- and effective; there will no doubt be situations that make hesitation of any kind rather dangerous.

It’s a good week for most to reach back into the past and try to re-establish some sort of meaningful contact with someone who is no longer in the picture. Honest, sincere talk can yield important discoveries that help heal any rifts that have developed over time.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- You may be trying to force another into a role that he or she is not suited to play; you may have to take on more responsibility. (July 8-July 22) -- A reunion planned for this week may have to be postponed, but both parties are eager to proceed.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- You’re not in the mood to do the things that are required of you, but still they must be done. Don’t let your emotions tie you in knots. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- You’re ready for an adventure of sorts today, and a friend or loved one is willing to join you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- You are experiencing something that is hard to explain, but emotions you can usually control are not always cooperating! (Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -- Your interest in what another is doing this week may have you traveling far from home for a few days.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -- You and a friend are ready to pursue something that others have been

unable to capture for themselves; you stand a better chance. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- You can manage to do something surprising even while tending to routine duties. Timing is everything.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- After a long wait, the time has finally come for you to step forward and claim what is rightfully yours. You’ll know when; don’t hesitate! (Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- Influences range from the interpersonal to the environmental, and each will bring some unexpected results.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- There are many who look forward to your direct involvement in their affairs this week, but some may resist -- for no good reason, really. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- You may have to explain yourself more than once as the week progresses. Focus on the simple and logical. C

APRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- The best answer for the question “when,” this week, is of course “now” -- and don’t let anyone stand in your way or slow you down! (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- The moment you say “never” you are likely to be proven wrong, as circumstances seem to conspire against you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- You must be ready to compete -- or resign yourself to a new era that you may not wholly enjoy.

Bring your “A” game! (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- A negative trend can surely be stopped this week, but you must go at things from the inside out.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- You don’t have a great deal of time to devote to your own personal needs, so you had better make every second count. (March 6-March 20) -- Success this week may require you to make a few last-minute adjustments. Flexibility is the key. ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- You should be able to break down even the most complex idea and communicate it successfully, piece by piece, to others. (April 5-April 19) -- Your opinions may be widely sought after this week -- but take care you don’t reveal too much too soon.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) -- Surround yourself with those who can take part creatively in your affairs, and you’ll enjoy yourself while increasing personal gains. (May 6-May 20) -- It may be up to you this week to take a strong stand and make up the minds of those around you!

GEMINI (May 21-June 6) -- You’ll receive praise for something you do on the spur of the moment early in the week -- and your momentum will build from there. (June 7-June 20) -- What happens in the public sector is likely to affect you in ways that you had not anticipated.

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July 24, 2012 | COMICsTNL

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