THENORTHERNLIGHT

Index: News.....02 Features.....04 Opinion.....06 Comics.....08 A&E.....B2 Sports......B6

Note taking mania

Whichnotetakingmethodissuperior?

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Toe 2 toe

Growing Pains

Opera turns 50

FrazerandMcDonaldweighinonObama’sstudentloanplan

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AnchorageOperacelebratesits“Golden”season

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YoungUAAhockeyteamhasfallenonhardtimes

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By Matt Caprioli News Editor

Occupy Anchorage protestors were prepared for a late night run-in with the police last Wednesday night.

Amber Helman said that around 1 p.m. that day, police had “coffee with us,” and discussed their first amendment rights. The police told them they would be back when the park closed to review with any new protestors. From 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. the group roughly doubled from ten to around 20 people, but no police showed up.

“we are live & the cops aren’t evicting us!” read a Facebook status on the Occupy Anchorage page at 5:36 a.m.

As of Nov. 5, protesters have occupied around Town Square Park for 15 days.

Like most city parks, the park on F and 6 street closes at 11 p.m. Protesters have maneuvered around the city ordinance by protesting on the sidewalk.

A tent with the first amendment painted in white letters appeared Oct. 29. Police wanted to clarify that afternoon that the tent cannot be used for sleeping. Helman emphasized that it is only being used for storage, and that the tent is an important symbolic gesture.

“If they tell us to take it down, they’re literally taking down our first amendment,” Helman said.

About 40 people rotate duties to keep the 24/7 protest active. Helman, along with fellow protester Tim Huit, believes that there is growing participation in the movement, though for Occupy Anchorage, less people are showing up because of the cold.

“I believe there are people dedicated enough,” Huit said. “I’ve been a long term activist, I’ve worked with the homeless and what now. It’s convenient now that there’s a downtown protest to join.”

Analyzing OWS, OAA philosophy and anthropology

graduate from UAA, Huit sees Occupy Wall Street as a way to create change at a local level.

“When the sociologists and anthropologists are done studying this, they will see that for each community [occupy protests] gave a forum to local issues that haven’t been addressed yet,” he said.

A current social worker, Huit sees homelessness as one of Anchorage’s greatest problems.

Anthropologist Peter Wood disagrees. Though he has sympathy for the movement, in a Polaris lecture last Friday night in the library, Wood said he sees Occupy Wall Street largely as a performance.

“They thought they had a certain class position, and discovered that they didn’t,” Woods said.

Wood is the president of the National Association of Scholars, a former Professor of Anthropology at Boston University, and writes for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Relief sought for Somali refugeesBy Alden LeeAssistant Features Editor

News of the devastation in Somalia continues to grow with each passing day.

A crippling drought is the worst in six decades. A ravaging famine, is killing Somali children in droves and spreading disease through the southern region of the country. Bloody civil war, raging between rival warlords for the past 20 years and displacing hundreds of thousands of families. All across Somalia, refugee camps overflow with those fleeing the capital and other unsafe areas, but are poorly equipped and slowly dwindling in food supplies. Militant groups, especially Al-Shabaab restrict the arrival of much-needed medical support.

Students for Somalia, a student-run fundraising group through the UAA Psychology Department, would like to help combat these troubling realities. Supervised by psychology doctoral candidates Rebecca Robinson and Lisa Wade, the students are organizing two fundraising events to benefit the ravaged country.

From Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, one group of students will be running a bake sale and information booth at the Student Union, handing out flyers and raising awareness toward the plight in Somalia. On

Nov. 30, the second group will be holding a fundraiser at the Anchor Pub on 4th Avenue, selling t-shirts to the 21-and-older crowd.

Nick Anderson, a 22-year-old psychology major, is quite optimistic for the turnout of these fundraisers.

“The situation in Somalia is a crisis I think everyone responds to,” Anderson said. “We’ve got a very active community here in Anchorage.”

All proceeds collected from these events will be given to Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontiéres),

an international humanitarian organization dedicated to providing medical treatment and protection to the ravaged areas of Somalia and its fleeing refugees. The organization’s primary agenda is to assist those in need; it remains neutral in all armed conflicts and operates outside of any political, military, or religious undertakings.

“A lot of these nonprofit organizations can’t get inside Somalia to help the refugees out, and so things continue to worsen,” said Anderson. “But Doctors

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Protesters sit around a make-shift propane heater late Saturday night, outside of the Performing Arts Center near town square.

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statewide briefs Crime mapGender wage gap still a part of Alaska’s workforce

The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development studied workers covered by Alaska unemployment insurance and applied for a Permanent Fund Dividend in 2010 or 2011. State Economist Caroline Schultz recently did a comprehensive study of these results and determined that Alaska’s women overall made 67 cents for every dollar men made in 2010. The wage gap varies greatly among occupations.

That gap between gender earnings is just slightly smaller than it was in 2000 and even more so than in 1990. That overall gap has generally shrunk since the data has been collected except for some occasional slight increases.

Women made up 47.9 percent of the workforce in 2010, which is a slight increase over the last 20 years. However, women only took in 38.2 percent of the earnings last year.

53 civilian jobs cut at Anchorage military base

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Fifty-three civilian jobs at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage are being eliminated.

Air Force officials say the cuts are in addition to the elimination of 200 positions that are vacant and won’t be refilled.

Military officials say a three-month hiring freeze and a high vacancy rate means that the impact of the cuts on the base’s current workforce was reduced to 53. Base civilian personnel will work to place as many as those employees as possible in other positions.

The cuts are in response to a Pentagon directive ordering that civilian manpower costs stay within fiscal year 2010 levels. The Air Force eliminated about 9,000 positions. Of those, 256 were at JBER.

Mexican mayor slain ahead of elections

MORELIA, Mexico (AP) — The mayor of La Piedad had already seen his police chief killed when he too was fatally ambushed by gunmen as he campaigned for President Felipe Calderon’s sister and other candidates in the upcoming state elections.

Luisa Maria Calderon is vying for governor in the Nov. 13 elections in Michoacan, the Calderon family home state where her brother five years ago launched the drug war and where many say the political system has the country’s worst infiltration of drug cartels.

The killing late Wednesday of Mayor Ricardo Guzman, 45, could be the latest in a string of drug cartel threats all political parties say have occurred against candidates, and pose the specter that Mexico’s drug violence will interfere with democracy and next week’s vote.

“I don’t think he had any political enemies,” said Luisa Maria Calderon, who along with her brother represents the conservative National Action Party. But when asked by local media Thursday if she thought a drug gang may have been involved, she said “probably.”

“He stayed to defend his city from the incursion of organized groups, and his police force had suffered casualties,” she said. “He told me ‘I’m going to stay in my city, to protect it.’”

Poll shows Israelis divided over attacking Iran

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis are evenly divided over whether their country should carry out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program, according to a poll published Thursday.

The poll was released following reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to persuade Cabinet ministers to authorize such a strike and after Israel successfully tested a missile said capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to Iran.

Israel insists Iran is working on nuclear weapons, despite Iranian denials. It was unclear whether Netanyahu actually favors a military strike or is trying to prod the international community into taking a tougher line on Iran.

By teresa KennedyAssistant News Editor

The UA system sees a graduation rate of 10 percent of their student in four years. At six years, the number increases to just 28 percent. Low graduation rates is just one of the issues UA hopes to address in their new “Stay on Track” campaign.

The new initiative rolled out at the beginning of the month and urges students to graduate within four years. Intended as an informational promotion, the program aims to make students aware of their progress in their degree programs.

“The campaign is really linked to the fact that President Gamble is requiring that we spend a greater attention in making sure that our students come to UA in a timely, and get out in a timely fashion,” said Theresa Lyons, a member of the committee that kicked off the program at UAA.

UA defines a full-time student as anyone enrolled in at least 12 credits. The Director of Public Affairs for UA, Kate Ripley, sees that number as being misleading.

“There’s no way you can finish in a timely manner at that pace,” Ripley said.

Ripley believes that students tend to take only the minimum 12 credits, and they think that is enough. But for students to meet the 120-credit minimum required for graduation, they would have to take 30 credits a year, the program stresses.

“The idea is just to let students know, if you take a heavier load you can get through school sooner and have less debt,” Ripley explained. “The more part time the student is and the longer they take in getting their degree, the higher likelihood they have of dropping out and not getting that degree.”

UAA has a large part-time and older student base, and some see the initiative as unrealistic. However, UAA has started to see a trend of younger students attending college right out of high school.

The program then, according to Lyons, is “really designed for students that are new to the university, that are seeking degrees, that have the potential to finish in four years.”

The 30 credits per year does not apply to every degree. Several degree programs at UAA require more than the 120 credits required for graduation. An art major needs 121 credits for graduation, and journalism majors must meet the 126 credits to graduate. Despite these variances, Ripley believes the program’s aim is still fundamentally sound.

“If you take more each year, you will finish sooner,” Ripley said.

While Lyons admitted, “we want to improve the actual graduation rate of our students,” the campaign does aim to benefit students.

The posters advocating for the program that are hung around UAA campus advertise the idea that by graduating a year earlier, students could save $10,000. This figure stems not from tuition costs, but fees, books, and potential housing costs.

The program states that not only will students save money, but they will also enter the job field sooner.

“The longer you’re in school, the more you don’t have that degree and that marketability [in the work force],” Ripley stated.

Stay on Track is also discussing tuition incentives.

“I can tell you there is a tuition task force that President Gamble has put together,” Ripley said.

The idea would be to give senior students a break in tuition during their last semester in school, in order to help them achieve their goal to graduate. No proposal has been submitted as of now.

Some advisors have come to Lyons and the other members of the committee saying that most students cannot take the 15 credits a semester. But Lyons clarified that the program would be on a case-to-case basis, and it is up to the student to keep in contact with their advisor to manage their workload.

“It’s for the student that’s able to. We don’t think it addresses all students,” Lyons said.

The website for the program has an option for students to make a “Finish in 4 Promise.” Students make a promise to graduate in four years and get entered into a drawing for prizes. According to Ripley, 54 students have signed up since the website’s launch last Monday.

Lyons indicated this initiative was the first of many on-going launches the students can look for. The next one will focus on part-time associate degree students.

“(The goal) is to create an incentive for students to come to school with an ambition of graduating at a particular time,” Lyons said.

In the end, this program is about providing for the students.

“The worst thing for me is a student who comes to the university, they maybe didn’t know what they wanted to do, they borrowed money, and then they leave,” Ripley said. “Not only do they not have a degree, but they have debt. That’s not a good situation.”

Lyons indicated a similar mind-set. “It’s always going to be what’s really in the best interest of the students,” Lyons said.

Low 4 year completion rate prompts graduation initiative

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Wood considers OWS an example of “New Anger.”

The Institute of American Values summarized New Anger as, “The replacement of an older ethic of self-control with a new sense that public and private displays of anger are empowering and a legitimate way to pursue one’s goals.”

“We went from a nation that treated self-control as an ideal and looked upon anger as a weakness to be mastered, to a nation in which venting anger is treated as healthy and in which public exhibitions of anger are often a source of pride to the performer and entertainment for the audience,” Wood said.

Wood also doesn’t believe that college helps things. “College is accelerated alienation,” Wood said.

By providing an overwhelming supply of certain job credentials when there is no need for them, colleges indirectly encourage dissatisfaction with the entire system.

Wood said another reason he doesn’t see much progress in the movement is because all decisions rely on total consensus.

“Can consensus be a serious model of governance outside of small groups?” Wood said.

The consensus model is made even worse by what Wood sees as the many contradictions among the OWS participants.

He cited some upscale restaurants in New York donating to protesters, which attracts some homeless. Class tensions are clearly visible when these protesters try to distance themselves from the homeless.

Regardless of whether Huit or Wood is correct, temperatures in Anchorage are dropping, and the tent still stands.

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By Matt Caprioli News Editor

Despite a new building, a new program, and a new dean, not much has changed for the College of Health.

Nursing students will see the same long wait list. Dental Hygiene students will see no

additional courses offered. There is no new faculty for aspiring doctors in the WWAMI program, now called the UAA WWAMI School of Medical Education.

“Essentially, nothing changed,“ said the former dean of the now defunct College of Health and Social Welfare.

Easley’s position disappeared when the Board of Regents approved a motion to form a College of Health on May 8.

“The new college will replace the current College of Health and Social Welfare, which will cease to exist,” the resolution read.

Provost Mike Driscoll told the UAA community on Aug 17 that Easley could remain at UAA if she participated in a year long, national search for dean of the new College of Health.

“Cheryl Easley, dean of the former College of Health and Social Welfare, has decided not to participate in the search for the position of dean of the new college and will be leaving the university. During her eight years here, Dean Easley has had a tremendous positive impact at UAA,” Driscoll wrote in the memo, sent a day before Easley officially resigned.

Easley said that she had told Driscoll and Chancellor Tom Case she would not participate in another search, saying that the transition was in name only.

“To ask that I re-apply for a position that I was succeeding in; I felt insulted.”

Driscoll and the Board of Regents however see the college as a completely new entity.

“Dean Easley was not not retained, her position was eliminated. She was given the opportunity to apply for the deanship for the College of Health but declined to,” Driscoll said.

The College of Health differs from the College of Health and Social Welfare in the number of schools.

“They are important, significant programs that have a certain size and impact that led us to believe that they deserved

to be named schools as standing entitles,” Driscoll said.

The College of Health incorporates the WWAMI biomedical program and the Division of Allied Health, and changes the name of each to the WWAMI School of Medical Education and the School of Allied Health.

“It was just an administrative thing. It may eventually make it easier to network with other faculty, but as far as funding and available faculty to give courses, none of that has changed. To my knowledge,” Program Director and Assistant Professor of Dental Hygiene Sandra Pence said.

One design goal of the new Health Science Building is to encourage future doctors and nurses to work together.

“The biggest advantage is the increased opportunity for

inter-professional training,” Robert Furilla, the interim director of the WWAMI School of Medical Education, said of the reorganization process. “That’s where we hope to move, we’re not yet at that point. But that’s one of the things we’re discussing: how can we get them to work together

before they get to the clinics?”Easley said she was unsure

what qualities Driscoll is looking for in a dean.

“I never got a straight an answer what he wanted.”

Easley speculated that Driscoll is looking for deans adept at public relations.

The current Interim Dean of the College of Health, Bill Hogen, does not have a Ph.D, but has worked in health administration positions in Alaska since 1998.

“His work with both the public and private sectors, as well as his experience in the nonprofit community, will help in continuing to build UAA’s strong relationships with the health care industry in Alaska,” Driscoll said of his qualification in an Oct 20 announcement.

November 8, 2011| NEws 03Say What?

Lego man to stay in police custody in Florida

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- Lego man is going to stay in police custody for three months.

Lego man, a 100-pound, 8-foot-tall sculpture, didn’t do anything wrong except wash up on a Florida beach. Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight says his office will hold the fiberglass sculpture for 90 days just like all other lost and found property.

During that time, authorities will try to determine who the owner is.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that the local tourism bureau had hoped to use the Lego man to promote the area, but the sheriff says it needs to remain in police custody a little longer.

The sculpture mysteriously appeared on a Siesta Key beach Tuesday.

A Legoland recently opened in Winter Haven, which is about 70 miles northwest of Siesta Key.

Hanging-man Halloween display draws complaints

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio homeowner has moved a Halloween decoration of a hanging man because police said some found it too realistic and spooky.

Officers in the Columbus suburb of Dublin said they received five complaints about the 6-foot figure hanging in a tree close to a road. Police told WSYX-TV that people found the display disturbing and feared it could cause a traffic accident.

The homeowner, who asked not to be identified, tells the station that Halloween should be creepy and that his decoration was “all in good fun.”

But he moved it to a tree closer to his house and away from the street. Where it used to hang, he has placed a sign that says: “less realistic decoration.

Late for work, officer accused of going 120 mph

MIAMI (AP) -- A Miami police officer is accused of driving 120 mph on a turnpike because he was late for his off-duty job working security at a school.

The Florida Highway Patrol says officer Fausto Lopez was arrested at gunpoint after leading police on a brief high-speed chase.

According to a police report, a trooper spotted a patrol car changing lanes in a dangerous manner earlier this month. The report says the patrol car ignored warnings to pull over and led a brief high-speed chase before stopping near Hollywood.

Miami police spokesman Delrish Moss told The Associated Press on Saturday that any administrative action against Lopez will be taken after the outcome of the criminal case.

Univision first reported the arrest.

Trump casino winner says ‘no’ to plastic surgery

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- A woman who won $25,000 worth of plastic surgery from an Atlantic City casino has decided she won’t go under the knife.

The Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort gave the winner of its Nip and Tuck Sweepstakes the option to take the prize in cash. And that’s exactly what Saturday night’s winner did.

Casino spokesman Brian Cahill says the woman opted not to make her name public.

The attention-grabbing contest gave the winner the opportunity to mix and match various types of surgery, including breast enhancements, tummy tucks, liposuction and face lifts until the total hits $25,000.

By nicole LuchacoStaff Reporter

Tensions ran high at the last USUAA meeting as 11 ROTC Army cadets sat poised and resolute, attentively anticipating their opportunity to address the board, to petition them for a precious commodity: time.

More specifically, the proposed resolution put forth by Senator Cody Kelsoe on behalf of the Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC), would grant Air Force and Army ROTC “contract cadets” three days of priority registration. The same amount that UAA athletes and honors college students currently receive.

“We should be the trend-setter university with this change, and then hopefully other universities will follow suit,” said Kelsoe.

Contract cadets have four years to complete their entire degree and each cadet signs an agreement to graduate within the time required. If a cadet fails to finish within the specified time constraints, they can lose their scholarship and are required to repay all funds that they have received. They could also be forced into the Army as a private in order to fulfill their contract with the government and lose the ability to commission as an officer in the armed services.

Along with the regular credit requirements for a Bachelor of Arts, the (current 22) ROTC contract cadets participate in a mandatory 15 to 20 hours a week of ROTC program functions. Three days of priority registration would aid cadets in scheduling the correct classes accordingly. “Next to money, the best thing that you can give a cadet is time,” said Cadet Little.

“Time is very precious in college. Early enrollment would give them a little bit of time.”

In order to contract into ROTC, cadets are required to fill out a 104R form. The 104R is a proposed academic plan that dictates each class that the cadet will take until the day they graduate, in the order that they will take them and every pre-requisite lined up correspondingly. Four years completely mapped out on one sheet of paper. “We don’t want to be considered special, that’s not what we’re here for,” said senior ROTC cadet Joya Meyers to USUAA. “We just need your help, that’s all.”

Freshmen and sophomores are especially at risk for scheduling conflicts. Juniors and seniors receive a 24-hour priority and that has aided some upper-class ROTC contract cadets, but does nothing for the contracted freshmen and sophomores facing the same daunting requirements.

“We sign a contract, we absolutely have to fulfill these obligations,” said cadet Rebekah Williams. “If we don’t get into these classes in time, it is four years out the window.” If USUAA votes to pass the ROTC resolution, it will then be submitted to the UAA administration for consideration. The resolution would indicate that USUAA sees this as an issue, and that it is a concern that has been raised by students as a whole. A resolution requests the administration to review said issues and determine if something can be done to help the contract cadets be successful in the future.

“We all have different majors,” said Williams. “There are only 20 contracted cadets. You will hardly see any [negative] impact on the student population as a whole if we receive this priority.”

ROTC cadets request early registration privileges

UAA ROTC students wait their turn to speak at a USUAA student government meeting in the student union.

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Dean dissapears, along with college

“To ask that I re-apply for a position that I was succeeding in...I felt insulted”

–Cheryl Easley, Dean of the former College

of Health and Social Welfare

Dean of the former College of Health and Social Welfare Cheryl Easley.

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By Kate LindsleyContributor How do they make “low fat” or “skim” milk?

When the milk comes out of the cow, 3.5% of that liquid is fat. Then it is pasteurized (a specialized heating process that zaps bacteria) and sold as whole milk. If the dairy wants to sell 2%, 1%, or skim milk, it has two options to slim the original product down.

According to Kimberlee J. Burrington of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, one of the techniques is centrifugation of the milk. And have you tasted Wisconsin cheese? I’d totally trust her opinion.

A centrifuge works by spinning the liquid at rocket-ship speeds. This process separates the differently dense components within the milk. Because fat is less dense than water, it will move towards the top of the centrifuge while the rest of the milk will move its way to the bottom.

The processing plant makes 1% different from 2% by just spinning the centrifuge at a different speed and filtering out the finished product at a different time. The dairy can then sell the fatty milk at the top of the centrifuge as cream.

The other option is to go old school on the milk: let it sit. I’m sure you’ve heard old-timers tell you stories about getting the milk delivered to their doorstep from the milkman. This milk had a

layer of cream on the top from natural separation.

Milk separates naturally for the same reason it does in the centrifuge; because fat

is hydrophobic (water fearing) and it has a lighter density than water, so it floats to the top of the milk bottle. It can be scraped

away and used to make cream, butter, mayonnaise or cheese. However, most milk is

homogenized (squeezing all the milk particles through a sieve to make the fat so tiny that it won’t settle out of solution), and therefore no cream layer will form on top of the milk. If not for homogenization, Lucky Charms would never be the same. Some spoonfuls would be super creamy, while others would be watery.

Is low fat milk really better for you than whole milk?

There is a two-pronged answer for this question. First, it’s important to think about the fat. Second, there are always the vitamins to think about.

The fat in milk contains cholesterol and a lot of calories. So if you’re on a diet restricting cholesterol intake, or just trying to watch your weight, I’d suggest either the skim or 1% milk.

However, Vitamins A and D are fat soluble, and a great reason to drink milk. When you take the fat out of milk, you’re losing those vital nutrients.

The upside is that most low-fat milks are fortified with vitamins A and D, meaning that those vitamins are added back in after processing. So I’d still recommend low-fat milks.

The situation is different for little kids – because they’re growing, they need a slightly more fatty diet than do their adult counterparts. They also need more vitamins in their diet. Therefore, I’d recommend 2% or whole milk. Unless of course the child is obese, and even then, milk probably isn’t the problem.

Techniques for taking notesThe most common and successful ways to take notes in class

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By Ashley SnyderFeatures Editor

More than usual, students sitting in class are surrounded by the ticking of keyboards, the scratching of pencils, the crinkle of paper as other students are bent over their desks; their peers studiously taking notes. With finals close at hand, taking notes is even more crucial than ever. Ideally, each student has their own way of taking notes and know which way works for them best.

Laptops, in correlation with our ever-growing technological society, are one of the most popular ways to take notes. Not only because fast typists can get more written than the fastest writers, but also because they are clean, legible, easy to edit and organization, and easy to search for a reference when needed. Specific points of importance can be bolded or italicized with a quick ctrl+b or ctrl+i. Items can be placed, deleted, or rearranged with a simple click.

Then taking notes I usually use my laptop, which is bad because I hate using my laptop because it’s loud and distracting but I hate writing my notes because I can’t write fast enough,” Emily Wasser, a UAA student said.

Besides the noisy ticks of typing fingers the biggest downfall of laptops is the power constraints. Some laptops consume mass amounts of power when relying on battery, and cannot last the entire class period, cutting the note taking short. They can also become a distraction for those with short attention spans get distracted by IM’ing and web surfing.

I use my laptop so I can look at slides and take notes. I can also look up answers to questions,” said student John Erikson.

However, not everyone likes laptops or can afford them and have to resort to more traditional methods of note taking.

“I don’t own a laptop so I have no choice but to use pen and paper,” said student Michael Stanton.

Those who are masters with the pen or pencil to paper are able to bring a mix of short hand

and memory notes to encompass the vast amount of information presented in a short period of time. Others handle more than one colored pen at once, using different colors to iterate items of importance. But with any other note taking tool, this method also has its biggest drawback of broken lead or the drying of ink mid-sentence. Taking the time to fumble for a sharpener or a spare can distract a student from the lecture and cause them to miss an important point or note.

Another tool that very few students use is the smart pen. About $100 for a pen and $15 for a stack of special notebooks may seem a little hefty. But the cost could be meaningless in comparison to the differences it could make between a B or an A. The pen records the teacher talking while the notes are being written. Later on, a person can take the pen, touch it to whatever place in the notes that need to be heard, and the pen will

automatically play what was being recorded while those specific notes were being taken

However, the preference is not limited to those of the student, but also those of the professor. Some professors prefer that laptops not be used for the exact reason that it is more of a distraction than a learning aid. Though the majority of professors don’t really care what a student uses as long as they are following the lesson and not distracting other students.

Whatever technique a student prefers for note taking, the art of it takes practice. Each student will find their flow with their specialized way of taking notes whether it is through laptop, pen to paper, or smart pen.

The mysteries of milk

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Though hunched over staring at his laptop, this student is still in a more attentive productive position than most find themselves during class.

November 8, 2011 | FEATUREs 05

a humor column by Alden Lee

By Alden LeeAssistant Features Editor

I’m standing in my room, slumped catatonically against a wall. A cellphone has leeched itself to the side of my face, and horrible, poppy jazz music is seeping into my eardrums, slowly turning my brain into a pile of Sexy Sax-Man mush. In my comatose state, I dimly wait for an end to the relentless musical deluge, but any real hope of ever getting off this line has faded long ago.

As I reach the pinnacle of despair—the music suddenly cuts short. My eyes widen, fingers grasp tightly at the phone, heart thuds with excitement: This could be it. Freedom. Salvation.

And then a sincere automated voice says, “Thank you for your patience; we here at Blah De Blah, Doesn’t Really Matter What Our Name Is Because We’re All the Same Incorporated, want you to know that your call is very important to us! Please stay on the line, someone will be with you shortly.”

Cue the despair. Americans spend, on average,

half their lives waiting on Customer Service phone lines. It’s the truth. No doubt about it. Highly extensive and totally-fabricated-on-the-spot studies have shown the typical citizen is exposed to more elevator music and statements of “Your call is very important to us!” than they are violent images on TV and McDonald’s value meals.

Large swathes of the nation are unable to perform their daily functions as they remain tethered to the phone, waiting like cattle for instructions on how to fix their exploded VitaMixes or get the satellite working again. The situation is so serious that the government has begun issuing emergency rations and supplies of Depends to those masses trapped in Customer Service limbo.

In the extremely off chance that anyone actually manages to get through to a “We’re here to serve you!” representative (inevitably just as the caller has resolved

to hang up and do much more productive things with their life), a new sinister game emerges: having sparked the caller’s excitement by finally picking up, said rep begins transferring the caller throughout different departments and to half-competent secretaries.

“How may I help you, sir?”“Hi. I’m trying to keep some

semblance of a social life here,” the weary caller says. “That’s becoming rather difficult, because I’ve spent the last week and a half standing around waiting with a phone suctioned to my face. So if you could just answer my

question and get me off this thing, that would be wonderful.”

“Of course sir. Let me transfer you over to someone who can do that for you.”

There’s no escaping the inevitable; once again sucked back into an unending marathon of maddeningly toe-tap-worthy jingles.

And somewhere along the line, the nth customer rep

has forgotten whom they were transferring the caller to and ends up redirecting to a cellphone service rep in India.

“Hello,” says friendly Verizon salesman Baba Jaabir Suresh, also known as Bob. “Can I interest you in our premium long-distance package deals?”

“Nope, not even close to what I need!” the caller cries. “In fact, this is so far removed from what I was originally looking for, I may go set myself on fire!”

“Oh, we’ll get you back on track,” Bob says. “Let me transfer you over to the Dalai Lama.”

In all seriousness, it’s safe to assume that not even the Dalai Lama is immune to the Customer Service Waiting Game. It could be something as simple as his TiVo going down in the Kuger Yigtsang, and the spiritual leader would have to call in for repairs, soon to be subjected to unhealthy doses of Tibetan “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.” No doubt it tests even his enormous patience.

And on the other end of the line, those Customer Service reps are cackling with malicious glee.

Calling customer service: please hold

Large swathes of the nation are unable to perform their daily routines as they remain tethered to the phone, waiting like cattle for instructions on how to fix their exploded VitaMixes or get the satellite working again

Culinary arts program featured at Lucy’s campus restaurant

UAA’s Culinary Arts program was established in 1971, and offers either a two-year culinary arts degree, or a four-year hospitality and restaurant management degree. Culinary students work must go through all the steps of a kitchen to graduate. Working in the kitchen at Lucy’s, located in Cuddy Hall, earns students credit.This training offers a wide variety of career paths, from being a chef to owning a business. The top five culinary fields and their average salaries are: pastry chef: $32,058, nutritional consultant: $39,859, private chef: $47,392, and executive chef: $54,037.

SOMALIA: UAA student support group rasing funds for Doctors Without Borders

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Without Borders is the one group able to get out on the ground and deliver much needed aid to these people. They’re definitely the organization to support.”

Doctors Without Borders has been working in Somalia since the outset of the civil war in 1991, but with the severe recent draught and famine increase, their efforts have hit a definite wall. A deadly

combination of measles and malnutrition has struck Southern and Middle Somalia, and recent violent outbursts have hindered medical support to the area.

“In several parts of Somalia, this is the worst situation we’ve seen in the past decade,” said Doctors Without Borders Project Operator Joe Belliveau. “Normal coping mechanisms are exhausted

and many people have reached their limits.” W.

Students for Somalia will be running the Student Union bake sale and information booth on Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Their fundraiser at the Anchor Pub will take place on Nov. 30 from 9 p.m. to midnight.

continUed froM cover

By Shana robersonExecutive Editor

As Veteran’s Day comes around this year, it’s easy to conjure a stereotypical image of a veteran that you might feel gratitude

toward. This year, instead, why not make it personal and look around campus?

At the (not-so) ripe age of 18, we all made decisions that would define the rest of our lives, even if we haven’t realized it yet. There are two distinct paths that make up a large part of our generation’s choices: college or military service. Both paths are good choices and both are necessary to better society.

There are similarities between the two paths. One similarity can be found very close to your television set. Yes, wherever there are folks our age around the world, whether they’re busy not studying for an exam or whether they’re between shifts stationed at Qatar, video game consoles will be found.

Another less cheerful example of the similarities between young veterans and college students is the homesickness we all feel, though some may not admit it. Whether you’re plucked from home and dropped twenty miles down the road in campus housing or you’re stationed somewhere far from home, there are elements we all miss from our homes, from mom’s hugs to the local culinary fare.

But it’s the differences young college students and young veterans have that are striking and that showcase the reason for a day dedicated to veterans. That they protect our freedom is an obvious reason to be grateful, but taking a moment to look at the daily lives of veterans, compared to ours, might bring that gratitude closer to home.

The choice to serve one’s country through military service has a long list of domino effects. For instance, sleeping in is no longer an option. Four a.m. wake up calls and twelve-hour weekend shifts become a new reality for many. Staying out late partying is much less of an option, though not absent by any means. But considering showing up to work hung over could potentially lead to jail time, especially for those who are arming up, it’s got an added element of danger.

Dating is still an option, though doing so between six month and yearlong deployments might be troublesome.

Wearing a uniform everyday certainly slims down the morning routine, but it can also be monotonous and a bit uncomfortable with dress uniforms.

Going to school while serving is not as easy as the many active duty military members walking around campus each day are making it seem. Troops must fight off shift changes, late-notice deployments and sleep deprivation to make it possible.

Winter and spring breaks come and go with families missing each other, babies are born without fathers present, 21st birthdays pass with no alcohol in sight, federal holidays are spent manning the post. The list goes on and on.

As we reflect on Veteran’s Day, make it personal. Beyond the larger narratives of Veteran’s Day, think of the detailed differences you and any random soldier, airman, marine, sailor or coastguardsman have in your day-to-day life.

The Northern Light is a proud member of the AssociATed coLLegiATe Press.The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. circulation is

5,000. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or The Northern Light.

OPINION 06 EDITORIAL

Whether you’re plucked from home and dropped twenty miles down the road in campus housing or you’re stationed somewhere far from home, we all miss home.

PhotoS By jiM foSter/tnL

The Northern Light 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113Anchorage, AK 99508Phone: 907-786-1513 Fax: 907-786-1331info@thenorthernlight.org

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The UA system has recently proposed a new program called ‘Stay on Track’ which encourages students to take 15 credits a semester or 30 credits a year to graduate in four years. The system, which was the norm 40 years ago, is not seen by many as being realistic today.

Degree programs have become increasingly more complex in order to keep up with the continually evolving social and technological world. Students’ lives are not as easy as they were in previous generations. The norm of traditional four-year students has changed to become the norm of traditional five-year students, which is what spurred the decision to start this program.

Each student’s situation differs, and some can handle the credit load, but others with more responsibilities outside of school cannot. Most advisors will suggest spending at least six hours a week studying per class, and having five classes adds up to 30 hours a week studying, on top of going to each of these classes for a minimum of an hour and 15 minutes. Add that with at least 20 hours for part-time work, (some students are full time or have multiple jobs) and other day-to-day responsibilities and the thought of taking 15 credits becomes overwhelming.

The program tries to tell students “working fewer than 15-20 hours per week has been shown to help a student through college, and even improve grades.” Realistically the average student cannot afford to work less than 20 hours a week, especially if they receive no financial aid and live on their own off-campus. With minimum wage in Alaska being $7.75, working part-time is hardly enough to make ends meet. Even without taxes, gas and grocery prices in Alaska are on the higher end in the US. The average apartment costs between $500-$800 per month for a one bedroom without utilities. Add in cost of books, supplies, and other essential items to the daily life of a college student and the thought of working less than 20 a week seems unthinkable.

Putting outside obligations aside, some degrees don’t follow the four-year college regime to begin with, requring more than 120 credits. Examples are: art, biological sciences, journalism and public communications, and elementary education. For students in these degrees to accomplish the ‘Stay on Track’ program they will need to have several semesters consisting of 18 credits, which brings an even heftier burden. By stretching out their credit load, they are able to focus more on the classes they are taking and gain better grades in those classes.

Many students would recommend divvying up those 30 credits into the summer semester

as well, lightening the load for the fall and spring semester. The ‘Stay on Track’ program does not mention summer classes at all, and for a good reason. Summer is generally the time when students go on vacation, go home to visit family, or take on full-time work to pay their way through the vacation. In Alaska especially the summer is peak season for jobs in the fishing and construction industry, which are typically filled by students. Even if a student did manage to snag a few courses, the only classes offered in the summer are usually GERs. This means that students generally cannot take enough credits to be considered a full-time student and see a loss in financial aid, forcing students to pay out of pocket for these courses.

Another issue in finding classes is that not every class is taught every semester. A student will have to plan their classes in advance in order to snag the limited offered ones. But without knowing what the exact scheduling will be, the limited offered class may conflict with another required course, causing a reworking of the entire schedule once again. There is also the chance that the required class becomes full before a student can register for it. The extra year allows a little flexibility and ease to dealing with these dilemmas.

Some say that having an online course four the fifth class adds a little ease to the burden, but the chances of finding an online course that applies to a students’ degree each semester is not always guaranteed.

However, even with all of the negativities in regards to the ‘Stay on Track’ program, there are obvious benefits. The program claims that there will be a savings of $10,000 which seems unrealistic even for a student who pays out of state tuition and lives off campus. However, students will save at least a little bit of money because they will not have to pay an extra years’ worth of school fees. It also encourages students to pick and stick with a degree as soon as possible instead of meandering around taking classes that inevitably could be worthless when a student finally chooses a degree.

Some people believe that students who do not want to take 15 credits a semester are lazy, which may be true in some cases, but in reality, in today’s society college students have different expectations than what our parents or even our grandparents experienced in their respective generations. Those who are making these programs are those who came from those generations and they need to realize that the age we are living in now is much different from where they came from.

‘Stay on Track’ is off trackour perspective

Look at troops’ daily lives as a reason to honor Veteran’s Day

Editorial Cartoon

By daniel McdonaldContributor

President Obama’s student loan plan is essentially a campaign stunt that will provide little relief, foot

taxpayers with the bill, and do nothing to address rising tuition costs.

To start, in order to qualify you must have at least $28,000 in student loans when you graduate, which in turn means you could save anywhere from $4 to $8 per month. But if you really don’t feel like paying off those debts, you could just wait 25 years.

Long after the President has left office, the government will just forgive your debt and taxpayers will cover the difference. Isn’t it nice to be able to hand out goodies today, knowing you won’t be responsible for the costs down the road?

The trouble is, most of today’s college students will be taxpayers two decades from now. We’ll have to pay one way or another. The government can’t just wave a magic wand and make all our financial woes go away.

Furthermore, this plan attempts to address the symptom (debt) of the problem rather than the disease (cost).

In fact, this plan incentivizes students to ignore costs and encourages colleges and universities to increase tuition rates, which are already going up at astronomical rates.

The inhibitions of a perspective borrower are set aside when

government steps in and reduces the risk attached to a federal loan. We have less reason to make fiscally responsible choices due to the fact that future losses are socialized. If you decided to take the more cost effective route of attending a state college like UAA or serve in the military, too bad. You’re going to have to help pay off the loans of Ivy League grads.

And it’s not just us UAA students, but many blue-collar and low-income workers with no college degrees will have the bear the burden. When the President spoke of “spreading the wealth around,” who knew he meant from top to bottom?

The second problem is that federal loans in general are actually the biggest driver of the inflation in education costs. The government has made it easier for Americans to attend college through these loans, which means colleges and universities have the incentive to increase prices.

In a normal market, the ability and willingness of people to attend college would be hampered by costs; however, because the government hands out loans that would often be ordinarily too risky for private entities, there is no shortage of students. It’s a simple illustration of supply and demand. When the demand increases, so does the price.

In the end, this vote-buying handout only kicks the can down the road and puts the costs on the backs of those who made responsible choices as well as our fellow low-income Americans who are most vulnerable in this down economy.

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By Brett frazer Contributor

The United States is drowning in debt. While our government drowns in public debt, incurred from inefficient spending and imprudent tax

cuts, citizens are drowning in student loan debt.

No wonder the Occupy Wall Street protestors are upset. Debt from student loans is expected to surpass $1 trillion dollars within the next few years, surpassing credit card debt to become the second-highest form of private debt, just behind mortgages. Really, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The cost of education is skyrocketing out of control. The college tuition inflation rate (in 1986 dollars) is 500 percent, compared with an overall consumer price inflation rate of 119 percent.

Moreover, like mortgages, college tuition must be paid on a fixed schedule. This means that someone with debt is required to make payments, regardless of their income. Other countries, such as Britain and Australia, make student debt payments contingent on reaching a certain income threshold. Thus, if a student cannot find a job immediately after graduation, his loan payments are deferred until he can.

This greatly reduces the risk of defaulting on a student loan. The current default rate on student loans is at an all time high of 8.8%. Additionally, this incentivizes people to attend college. If students don’t have a powerful fear of defaulting, or

severely damaging their credit, then they’re more likely to acquire a college degree.

President Obama’s recent student debt relief plan is a step in the right direction. His plan, which would allow students who cannot earn enough to make their loan payments to make a lower monthly payment 10 percent of their discretionary income, could save some students hundreds of dollars a month.

Obama’s plan does three things. First, it results in real economic benefits students graduating in a poor job market. Second, it restores confidence amongst graduates. And third, it demonstrates a continued investment in college education.

The unemployment rate for people with college degrees under the age of 25 is currently around 10 percent. The average amount of student debt in the Untied States is around $25,000. This means that roughly 300,000 recent graduates are left scratching their heads, wondering how they will pay off their debt. Under Obama’s new plan, as many as six million American students who qualify for the debt reduction program could consolidate their loan payments and reduce their monthly payments by as much as $1,000 a month. This seriously eases the debt burden on recent college graduates.

It also ultimately restores confidence in an economy infected with economic malaise. Last week, I wrote about Occupy Wall Street and how much of the protest movement is driven by a profound dissatisfaction with our political leaders. Obama’s gesture to

students across the nation is a sign that our president is responding to the needs of the American people. Some people, including Daniel McDonald, the other opinion writer for The Northern Light, believe that Obama’s use of an executive order is inappropriate. However, congress is broken.

When our congressional leaders are concerned more with politicking than passing greatly needed policy, then Obama must find a way to lead. If leading requires him to issue a completely legal executive order in order to provide relief to millions of Americans, then so be it.

My hope is that Obama’s program is just the first step in a recommitment effort to education. The global market is fiercely competitive. Now more than ever, a college education is necessary to capture the attention of employers. Just look at the statistics. Overall unemployment in the United Sates for people without a college degree is 17%. For people with a college degree, it’s 4.5%. These figures speak volumes to the value of a college education.

Without a degree, you have a one in five chance of being jobless. Though recent graduates struggle, the advantage of a college degree cannot be understated. Obama is heading in the right direction, but we need to do more.

Debt relief is a short-term fix. Ultimately, policies that combat that ballooning cost of education will be needed. If we as Americans fail in our pursuit if higher education, then it won’t just be our economy that suffers. It be our children, and the generations that follow.

November 8, 2011 | OPINION 07toe 2 toe

Obama’s plan for student loan debt relief

CArtoon By niCK foote/tnL

If passed, the plan would be an ineffective and costly campaign stunt that hurts the US

A short term fix, the plan gives relief to students at an urgent time

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08 TNL OPINION| November 8, 2011

YOUR STARS THIS WEEKHOROSCOPE

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Solutions from 11/01 “A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?”- Albert Einstein

By Stella wilder The coming week is likely

to see beginnings and endings commingle in ways that have not yet been imagined by many. The outcome this week -- for each individual and for groups -- is likely to be rather bittersweet, made up of both anticipation and regret. Those who think that things are either one thing or another will surely be surprised this week -- and those who know that shades of gray prevail will surely have the advantage. Some will have the feeling that progress can only be made if accompanied by personal pain -- and they may be right.

Even those who take journeys for the most mundane reasons will actually be driven by something of great import.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- A contest of personal skill may actually tell you, and others, more about the personalities involved. Look beneath the surface. (Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- A chance encounter is likely to change things dramatically for you -- but perhaps only temporarily.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- How you let yourself be affected by another’s manner and behavior is likely to make a big difference. One decision shines above all else. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- The simplest approach is the best approach this week; don’t let things become complicated.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- Perhaps there is something more than being the best, but your motives will run along competitive lines. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- The value of a thing may not be clear at first; take the time to look at it from all sides.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- An early start will enable you to do more this week than you have in the past -- but you may have to put in a little extra effort. (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- Don’t let yourself be fooled by someone who is all show; you’re after something more substantial.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- You may be in something of a slump this week, but if you keep your eyes on the prize you’ll be able to climb out of it before it’s too late. (March 6-March 20) -- The

urgings of a parent or guardian are best heeded this week; you won’t get better advice!

ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- A deal has been forged without your knowledge or consent, but you are best to go with it for a time; resist the temptation to object. (April 5-April 19) -- Those who know best are likely to give you a vote of confidence.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) -- You won’t have many people on your side as the week opens, but once you get to work you’re likely to win a great many converts. (May 6-May 20) -- You are eager to find a way to make things work your way -- this week, and in the weeks to come.

GEMINI (May 21-June 6) -- Your way of looking at things can help shape the course of the week. You have adopted a new, no-nonsense outlook that suits you and the times. (June 7-June 20) -- How you fit in is likely to be your most important single consideration.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- You’ll want to follow your instincts this week -- and trust that you will know what’s most important to you. What’s your mind on right now? (July 8-July 22) -- You won’t let yourself or others be trampled on. Be cautious; use foresight.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- You may discover an unusual outlet for your particular talents -- and the right audience that will appreciate what you offer. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- Though someone else makes the rules, you should be able to work within his or her system and make headway.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- Your motives and methods may be questioned by those who cannot understand what it is you’re really up to. There’s no secret; you can tell all. (Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -- Some things may not seem to fit as expected, but you can make sense of them by week’s end.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -- When your turn comes this week, there’s no reason to give anything but your best -- and your best can have a major impact at this time. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- How you see yourself is likely to be affected by the circumstances quickly developing around you.

Crossword by Erik woElbErCivil disobedience

Across1 Top 50 billboards, familiarly7 Michelle, Barack, Sasha,

and Malia13 Redford or Kennedy14 Go back on15 Perfect world16 Skipped over, in speech17 Take off and take off18 Chinese diver with a gold

medal in the 2004 Olympics19 Breast implant lifetime, to

the crass20 Meeting with a medium21 It comes before day, for the

day before22 English class assignments23 Stupid mistakes30 Express disapproval36 They total nearly $15 trill.37 Don Giovanni or Aida38 *The 1 percent39 *Ave. for the 1 percent40 *The 99 percent47 *Ave. for the 99 percent 53 Common post-flight

malady accompanied by loss of hearing

54 Trendy thing to do on 39-Across

55 Feeling56 Babylonian goddess

Down1 Like the top layer of old

snow2 Babe3 Cuts off4 Say again5 Emergency room process6 Person making a claim7 Words at the end of a threat

8 Contradicts9 Female singer Baker with 8

Grammies, and others10 Islamic city in Saudi Arabia11 CIA or EPA, for example12 Swamp grasses23 “___ I digress…”24 ___Kosh B’Gosh25 Poem of praise26 German city airport code27 ___-Wan Kenobi28 Not needing a Rx29 Library sound (var.) 30 Pull the oars31 Green org. 32 ___ canto (term for a

37-across)33 Website letters34 Chemistry constants35 NY clock setting

40 Plain white top41 It can be cured or honey-

baked42 Suffix on ranch43 “I smell a ___!”44 ___Hyer, architecture

firm that helped design the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building at UAA

45 Popular movie channel46 Big ___ Conference47 Suffix on ranch48 Window units for the heat

(abbrev.)49 German I50 Loon51 Place to be pampered52 Norse god of war

Motio BSection

noveMBer 8, 2011 the northern LiGht’S SPortS & entertAinMent SeCtion thenorthernLiGht.orG

out north showcases traditional “day of the dead” alters and celebrations

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MoviE rEviEwthe Godfather: A hard-hitting but smooth cocktail

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By taylor hallSports Editor

To an individual, growing pains can be sharp pains in the arms or legs that come during times of rapid development. Growing pains can also be an emotional reaction during times of struggle or hardship, often during the adolescent years in life.

For the UAA Seawolves hockey team, growing pains are a four game losing streak that currently plagues their young squad.

The losing skid comes on the heels of a sensational start in which UAA streaked out to a 3-0-1 record, and took down both the Kendall Hockey Classic and Brice Goal Rush titles. Wins over St. Cloud State, Mercyhurst, and Nebraska-Omaha had the Seawolves on the verge of being ranked nationally and being hailed

as the sleeper team in the Western Collegiate Hockey Conference (WCHA).

Then late-October rolled around and WCHA league games began.

Two league series in, and the Seawolves are now 3-4-1. Four straight losses; a pair in Nebraska-Omaha on Oct. 21-22, and two more at home to Minnesota on Oct. 28-29. With 15 goals allowed and only three goals scored during that time, the Seawolves are finding themselves in the cellar of the WCHA standings.

Those pains are getting sharper and sharper now, as this youthful Seawolves team looks for a remedy in the form of putting points in the standings.

“We now know what it’s like to lose and it’s leaving a bitter taste in our mouths,” said UAA

sophomore defenseman Wes McLeod.

The slide eerily resembles a similar one that happened last season.

UAA faced an early-season stretch where they lost five straight games, three of which were conference games.

With that stat from last season in mind, the parallel here may be a young team who is trying to find their way.

“We felt the same thing last year but it wasn’t maybe quite this bad,” said Rob Gunderson, a sophomore goalie. “It’s definitely growing pains though.”

Gunderson’s play as of late may be one of the few bright spots. Despite a 0-2-0 start, the Lethbridge, Alberta native has posted a .912 save percentage

After a hot start, UAA in search of answers amidst four game skid

Anchorage Opera: community fixture for 50 ‘golden’ years

By heather hamiltonA&E Editor

Very few fixtures in Alaska are as old as the state itself. 52 years, almost an entire lifetime, is long enough to see both buildings and organizations rise and fall. But, some things are so deeply rooted in the community that they can survive longer than most others. One is the Anchorage Opera.

“Die Fledermaus,” the organization’s first production, graced the stage in 1960, just one year after Alaska was accepted into the Union. Now, at the

beginning of its 2011-2012 season, the Anchorage Opera (AO) is celebrating its 50th birthday. Kickstarting the organization’s “Golden Age” season on Saturday, Nov. 5 was the young opera, “The Grapes of Wrath,” written in 2007.

According to Kate Schwarzer, AO’s marketing coordinator and patron services manager, this is one of the reasons AO has been so successful; because the organizations hosts performances of more than just the classics, such as “Die Fledermaus.”

Schwarzer, who also performs in AO’s chorus for some productions (including two this season), attributes AO’s success to its audience demographic, which is significantly younger than other opera companies.

“I watched a documentary about some auditions at the Metropolitan Opera, and one thing they said that really stuck out to me was that in 2005 their average age demographic was 60 years old, and in 2010 their average age demographic was 65 years old. Their average age audience was gradually getting old and dying,” said Schwarzer.

AO estimates that the average age of its audience members is between 30 and 40 years old, ranging from children and college students at free dress rehearsals to older patrons buying season

packages.Schwarzer believes the low

average age of their audience members is due not only to AO’s habit of performing young operas, but also the more recent branching AO has done into performing musical theater productions as well.

“Opera is telling a story with music, and that’s exactly what musical theater does,” said Schwarzer. “Generally, this season and this past season are the only ones where we’ve really started doing musical theater seriously.”

AO is also a very Alaska-oriented company, and Torrie Allen, the general manager and artistic director of AO, believes this is another reason for the company’s success.

“We’re the largest producer of the performing arts in the state,” said Allen. “We produce between two and three live productions a year, and in order to do that we use about 250 people in the greater Anchorage area. We’re the greatest producer of jobs in the performing arts sector.”

In addition to behind-the-scenes jobs, AO also partners with UAA in order to train better quality singers in the voice program.

“Three years ago we established an apprenticeship program with them,” said Mari

Left: Guests move about the Performing Arts Center during the opening night party after “The Grapes of Wrath.”Right: Attendees of The Grapes of Wrath discuss the performance at the after party in the Performing Arts Center on Saturday night

PhotoS By SPenCer MitCheLL/tnL

UAA sophomore defenseman Wes McLeod looks to move the puck in a game on Jan. 15 against Colorado College. UAA is currently on a four game losing streak and winless in WCHA play as they head to play Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 11-12.

Photo froM tnL ArChiveS

See regroUp page B6

B2 TNL A&E| November 8, 2011

By Leroy PolkAssistant A&E Editor

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead (en Inglés), is the annual Mexican tradition of celebrating the lives of those who have passed on.

“It has pre-Columbian roots,” explains Indra Arriaga, co-chair for the exhibit. “When the Spanish came over, one of the things that they did was to try to eradicate all of the native holidays. This was one that they couldn’t, and so it was rolled into All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day.”

Thus it can be celebrated either on Nov. 1 or 2. The event is designed not only to mourn and memorialize the deaths suffered throughout the year, but to celebrate the lives lived by those people. The basic idea is that we have a relationship with the dead, and that death is a universal reality that humanity as a whole inevitably shares.

The main goal of the celebration is to avoid what is known as the third death. The first death is obviously the physical point at which your body dies, the second death is the ritualistic part wherein the body is laid to rest, and the third death, the ultimate death, is to be forgotten. The event is aimed at escaping this final death, by remembering the dead forever.

The celebration as it exists in Alaska today has been held for the past seven years at the Sunshine Mall, where it began with only a single altar. After a positive turnout, the event went on to include four altars the following year, and has grown ever since, with fifteen altars on display this year at Out North.

“We put out a call, but it’s not a traditional art show, curated with a theme or requirements. It’s open to all, and it’s free to see,” Arriaga said.

The most important part of the exhibit is undoubtedly the altars themselves. Made by and for the community, Day of the Dead altars are designed to remember either a single person, a group of people, or just a general altar for the dead, and their passing into the next life. Thus, the exhibits this year are completely different from those of last year, changing to fit the lives of those they are celebrating.

A common theme of each piece is that they incorporate the important elements of those lives into the altar. One of the beliefs engrained within the holiday is that, for the day itself, the dead come back to us and celebrate alongside us, partaking in the festivities. Thus it is customary to include favorite food or drink of the dead, flowers (usually marigolds, the scent of which guides them back), and candles so that they may find their way.

Altars at this year’s celebration include that of Gaspar Henaine, better known as Capulina, a famed Mexican comedian. This altar is adorned with traditional sugar skulls and marigolds, and a remembrance black-and-white portrait of Capulina himself. The altar was sponsored by the Mexican consulate, which usually chooses one person who has died this year (Capulina passed away in September).

Local artist Linda Lyons displayed a prominent altar centralized around her Native Alaskan heritage, including cultural food, photos, and a traditional mask as the centerpiece. An altar with a striking skeleton with arms crossed, bearing weaponry in each hand, takes the center of Tom Polowy’s piece, commemorating both of his grandfathers.

A piece by artist Angela Ramirez centers around a painting with a traditionally colorful assortment of skulls, and a hanging three-dimensional piece that utilizes a real goat skull and bike gears.

“Skulls are perfect,

symbolically speaking. When a lay-person looks at a skull, they don’t know the gender or race or anything. All they know is that it’s a human being,” Ramirez said. This emphasis on death as a great equalizer is one of the unifying tenants of the holiday.

Other altars are more simplistic, offering simply photos and things that the dead loved. A young boy’s altar shows off a model car and other commemorative items.

In addition to the physical art in Out North’s gallery showcases, performance art was also open to the public on Nov. 2. From traditional dancing by a local group called Xochiquetzal Tiqun, to singing, a play put on by the students of West High’s immersion program, and even Taiko drumming by East High and UAA, the seats of Out North’s performance stage were filled.

The invitation to participate is open every year, and all are welcome to get involved, either in constructing altars in the spirit of the event, performing in the showcase, or merely enjoying the festivities as a member of the audience.

Ramirez put it succinctly, “Death takes us all. You don’t have to look forward to it, but it doesn’t have to be all bad.”

Out North showcases Dia de los Muertos

Left: Traditional Mexican dancers perform during the Day of the Dead celebration on Wednesday at Out North. Right: Tom Polowy’s piece “Dimitry and Miguel” is an alter made for his grandparents that was displayed at the Out North gallery during the Day of the Dead celebration.

Movie review

By heather hamiltonA&E Editor

Stoner pals Harold and Kumar are back with a vengeance. At least, that’s how it seems in the latest movie, “A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas.”

It shouldn’t be physically possible to get more ridiculous than the first flick (“Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle”), or its disappointing sequel (“Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay”), but veteran writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg still manage to shock and surprise. Perhaps a little too much.

A few years after the Guantanamo incident, Harold (Jon Cho, “Star Trek”) and Kumar (Kal Penn, “How I Met Your Mother”) have grown estranged. Harold has married his sweetheart Maria (Paula Garcés, “The Shield”) and moved to the suburbs, while Kumar is living in his old apartment in Hoboken, NJ amid a cluster of White Castle wrappers, and pot, which he scored from a mall Santa. When the two reunite, Kumar manages to burn down Harold’s Christmas tree, given to him by his fearsome father-in-law, and the duo embark on a quest to New York City to find a suitable replacement before he returns from midnight mass.

Stoner movies are a very specific breed of entertainment. They’re over the top, offensive and full of weed. If none of those things strike you as funny, then a stoner movie won’t appeal to you. That being said, the latest “Harold and Kumar” adventure does all of the above, multiplies it by three, and then throws in a child for added shock value.

Yes, one of the “highlights” of the movie is a little girl getting high and ingesting cocaine. Ruminate on that one.

The 3D in this movie is surprisingly decent. Part of this success stems from the fact that it doesn’t strive for believability; it

doesn’t try to be phenomenal, so it appears better suited than in other movies that attempt feature it. And so, despite cringing whenever a weed cloud seemingly floats off the big screen, the 3D effect is to be appreciated.

On the plus side, no “Harold and Kumar” movie is complete without a guest appearance by Neil Patrick Harris, and this one does not dissapoint. Harris is, in a word, sublime. From his hilarious and eye-catching Broadway Christmas number to his witty dialogue, NPH is possibly the best part of the movie. His parting words to Harold and Kumar however, are chilling and disturbing. “See you in the fourth one.”

Despite playing up the stoner movie stereotype to a “T” and making decent use of 3D, the base plot equation of “Harold + Kumar + pot + adventure = funny” has gotten old. The first movie was full of surprises and the second movie was passible, but “Harold and Kumar” installment number three is (despite its humor), stale. The novelty is lost. Possibly the only things making this movie new are the short while the two heroes are animated in classic “Rudolph” style - claymation, and shooting Santa Claus out of the sky with a sawed-off shot gun. Despite being ruined by the previews, both parts still manage to be hilarious in theaters.

See “A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas” if you don’t mind repeated plots, 3D and a Christmas theme. The movie isn’t terrible by any stretch, but it is not to be compared with the original.

Harold and Kumar are back, again

Movie: “A very harold and Kumar 3d Christmas”

direCted By: todd Strauss-Schulson

StArrinG: Kal Penn, john Cho, neil Patrick harris

run tiMe: 90 minutesGenre: Comedy

PhotoS By SPenCer MitCheLL/tnL

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FOCUS EVENTS CALENDAR Compiled by Leroy Polk

i November 8 - 15, 2011

New Standards Jazz Trio - November 12

Andrew Bird - November 15

Thursday Night at the Fights - November 10

This unique jazz trio is wowing audiences around the world with their personality-laden brand of heartfelt engaging performance. The group takes on music from bands from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Postal Service all the way to punky classics like The Velvet Underground and The Clash, making every song sound familiar, yet new. More informa-tion: http://www.anchorageconcerts.org/_events/sta.php

“Does anyone want to see a fi ght?” Bring your friends for a fun-fi lled evening of box-ing entertainment with around 7 matches, and gorgeous ring-girls! The Egan Cen-ter’s doors open at 6:30 and the fi ghts start at 7:30. More information available at http://www.thursdaynightfi ghts.com/

Andrew Bird released his last album “Noble Beast” in Janu-ary 2009. The self-produced album consists of 14 original songs recorded primarily at the Beech House in Nashville, with additional recording from Chicago and Minneapolis. As usual, Bird handles violin, vocals, whistling and guitar. Bird’s musical mastery on his fi rst trip to Alaska will feature the artist in solo performance showcasing his musical chops as he will play all instrumentation. More information avail-able at: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/sll/concertboard/

By Bryan dunaganContributor

Gnarrs? Remember those? They’re from “Serious Sam,” the frantic first person shooter from Croteam that came out around ten years ago.

With the third game on the horizon, Croteam is concocting the greatest marketing strategy ever: “The Indie Game Series.” Why is this so awesome? Because it allows for indie game developers to bend the licensed property to their own play style, allowing for bizarre and innovative titles. The first one, released in September, was ridiculous. The second was just released on the iOS, called “The Random Encounter,” while the release of the third game is pending.

For those of you that don’t know, “Serious Sam” has been all about filling the screen with tons of enemies for you to kill and blow up however you see fit, while running backwards, hoping they don’t get to you before you kill them. How does this fit into the mold of a 16-bit JRPG? Very, very, very strangely.

The game basically starts out with Sam going through a teleporter to fight Mental, the series’ main antagonist, only to have it not work, and be sent to the middle of nowhere. Thus, he must find his way back.

The game basically plays like the classic Japanese RPG’s

from yesteryear, the only exception being that instead of waiting to execute attacks from a paused battle, you control the movement while giving commands every five seconds. It’s a great take on classic combat mechanics.

You don’t gain levels, which is a shame, because character progression is awesome, and having more than 100 hit points is always a plus. However, the items scattered around the world (as well as what you get off of enemies after you defeat them) gives you a meaningful boost and can be used during the many random encounters against countless foes, making fighting easier as a whole.

All of the weapons from the previous Sam universe are present as well, with their different characteristics. For example, the shotgun has a radius that auto targets anything coming your way. The laser cannon shoots in a straight line, but has some spray. The trademark mini-gun also shoots in a straight line and is always useful in a fight. The rocket launcher is probably the best crowd control weapon with its high damage and its spread.

The game is pretty funny as well, with quick dialogue being spoken and never really getting in the way of things too much, except to say how much butt they

are going to kick, or how much machismo they spit. However, it is pretty short lived, as beating the game could be achieved while waiting in-between classes. The endless mode is pretty fun, and it really tests your dodging skills.

For five bucks, it’s cheap entertainment that lasts. You’ll talk about it with friends, but it might not have the staying power until “Serious Sam 3” releases. Still, this game is worth picking up if you are fan of RPGs in general, and even more so if you are a fan of “Serious Sam.”

GAMe: “Serious Sam: the random encounter”

MAKer: vlambeerreLeASe dAte: october 24th,

2011

‘Serious Sam’ more random than before

By Leroy PolkAssistant A&E Editor

Your potential new client has sent an anonymous letter down to your office. You unfold it from your breast coat pocket, and trace your eyes over the message again.

“I need your help, but I can’t be seen near a private detective’s office. Too dangerous if I was spotted. Meet me downtown at Harry’s. 9 o’clock. I’ll be wearing a red cocktail dress.”

So you wait, hunched over the bar, and wave Harry (the bartender) over for a little bit of liquid courage. If this turns into something serious, you won’t want to go in half-cocked with hesitation.

“What’ll it be, Rick?” Harry asks you, drying out a highball class indifferently.

“The usual, Harry,” you reply without thinking.

“Can’t beat the usual, Rick. Can’t beat The Godfather.”

“No Harry, you can’t.”Alright, so even if you

aren’t a hardboiled private eye, there’s still a lot of good to be said about The Godfather. Comprised of equal parts Amaretto and Scotch whiskey, and poured

evenly over ice (traditionally in a lowball or old-fashioned glass), the drink is a pleasant blend from start to finish.It’s hard, harder than most

cocktails, and yet doesn’t kick you in the mouth like a shot, or mixed drinks with low ratios of mixing agent to alcohol. This is due to the Amaretto, the only device utilized to mask the natural bite of the Scotch.

Amaretto, an Italian liqueur, is usually flavored by utilizing almond or apricot pits. It effectively offsets the powerful nature of the drink, while not diluting the actual alcohol content as much as a cocktail with a non-alcoholic mixing agent such as a screwdriver or vodka tonic. Thus The Godfather is a hard-edged, cost-effective path to drunkenness, while not leaving the same staggering feeling that comes from ordering straight shots.

The Godfather; a hard-boiled mixed cocktail

1. Real Estate

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2. Youth Lagoon The Year of Hibernation

4. Slow Club Paradise

5. Icarus Himself Career Culture

6. Active Child You Are All I See

7. The Rapture In the Grace of Your Love

8. Zola Jesus Conatus

9. The Beets Let the Poison Out

10. La Dispute Wildlife

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B4 TNL A&E| November 8, 2011

album review

By Bryan dunaganContributor

“Florence + The Machine” are an interesting band that mixes opera, blues, orchestra, and pop from the ‘60s. And harps. Lots and lots of harps. Its sound is somewhat similar to a scene of epic revelation in a film, maybe a Bollywood film, or some kind of European film. Regardless, the production quality is great, but it is easy to tune out into the background.

Which is almost criminal, because Florence’s voice is absolutely breathtaking, and she very much has the type of powerhouse voice that makes you feel like you could wrestle with the deity of your choice, maybe two, and still come out on top. Her range is insanely impressive, and it’s just a shame that sometimes she gets drowned out by the piano or the bombastic drums.

“Seven Devils” is one of

those tracks that mixes all of these elements and just, works. The introspective piano, and the slow plodding bass are positively orgasmic in the way they are arranged. If the chorus of “Seven Devils all around yooooo~” doesn’t catch you, you may not be allowed to call yourself a human.

“Lover to Lover” mixes that old piano style and the tambourine with just the right amount of soul. Scratch that, too much soul. Florence has got soul in spades, and it shows. Even with the light synth work, it’s fantastic.

If only the album wasn’t so easy to tune out, it would have been great. It’s a blessing and a curse, in a way. On the one hand, it’s good that it can sooth you, and on the other, it’s not because trying to listen to the album for it’s lyrical content is tricky at times because the production gets in the way of her voice. Alas, hopefully this album will be heard by those who can appreciate it in the age of singles and easily digested pop hooks.

ALBuM: “Ceremonials”ArtiSt: florence + the

MachinereCord LABeL: universalreLeASe dAte: november

1st, 2011

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B5November 8, 2011 | A&ETNL

Hann, the advisor for UAA’s Opera Ensemble and a professor at UAA. “What that means is that my voice majors have had opportunities for advanced training with the artistic director, Torrie Allen, and also his guest artists he brings in.”

Hann is currently on sabbatical, but both the Opera Ensemble and the Apprentice Program will resume upon her return in the fall of 2012.

Students from UAA who have performed in the Opera Ensemble have also performed in the chorus of AO shows. One of those students, music and voice major Eden Barrington, performed in “The Grapes of Wrath,” and will also be performing in the chorus for “Macbeth” later this season.

“Opera is a unique art form,” said Barrington, “and it isn’t as important to younger generations, so I think that’s [the program] a way to incorporate the art form of

opera into the schools and to the younger generation.”

Barrington went on to explain that an organization such as AO is an important fixture in the community for students such as herself. And, even if she leaves the state to pursue the art upon graduation, there is always room to come back.

“There aren’t a lot of opportunities, especially with the arts, and for someone going into music, it’s very difficult,” said Barrington. “So, as a student, it’s really nice to have the Anchorage Opera.”

50 “golden” years have come and gone for AO and, according to Schwarzer, they don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

“We’re here for the community, and as long as the community wants us bad enough, we’ll be here,” said Schwarzer. “It’ll stay alive for [another] 50 years, easily.”

OPERA: celebration

continUed froM Motion cover

Torrie Allen, general manager and artistic director for the Anchorage Opera, talks about the opera’s place in the greater Anchorage community.

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and 2.54 goals against average in league play thus far.

His play has kept the Seawolves in many games, despite still coming out on the losing end.

“That’s pretty much my job right there,” Gunderson said. “I try and keep the team in games and, if I can, steal a win.”

His team may have caught a bit of a break this past week as they got an early season bye week that gave them some time off from game action.

The break allowed some players to heal from ailing injuries. Others got a chance to work out the kinks in their game on the ice.

But for the whole, it’s a chance to step back and dust themselves

off and find their bearings.“I think this off week allows

the guys to regroup a bit and reflect on the last four games,” said UAA Assistant Coach TJ Jindra. “Hopefully, this next week when we get going again and prepare for UMD, our focus will be better and we’ll take a step in the right direction.”

During the bye week, no coaches are allowed on the ice with the team. With Head Coach Dave Shyiak and Associate Head Coach Campbell Blair also out on a scouting trip, the team held captain’s practice all week. There was no shortage of intensity though despite the absence of coaches from the ice.

There was also no panic

amongst the players but rather a strong sense of unity and responsibility to one another.

“We just need to stick together,” said senior defenseman Brad Gorham, who also is a team captain. “These are the times that if the team starts to fall apart then it can cost you the whole season.”

The road doesn’t get easier as the Seawolves now will have to hit the road once again and pay Minnesota Duluth, the defending national champions, a visit.

“In the WCHA, it doesn’t matter who you play, it’s going to be a tough test every week,” Gorham said.

The Bulldogs (5-3-2 Overall, 3-2-1 WCHA) are have raised their play as of late and will bring a potent offense, led by senior center Jack Connolly.

For the Seawolves to have a chance to pick up their first WCHA-league points this week, they are going to have to find a way to put the puck in the net.

After touching up their first four opponents with 17 goals (4.25 goals per game), the ‘Wolves have only managed three goals during their four-game skid.

As the players and coaches all know, going to the hard areas and causing havoc around the paint are going to be key in breaking their scoring woes.

“It’s just about getting pucks to

the net,” Jindra said. “(We have to) get bodies to the net and look for those garbage goals.

“They don’t have to look good to count,” he said.

Perhaps an ugly goal or two may even start to numb those pains that the Seawolves are currently feeling.

continUed froM Motion cover

Photo By SPenCer MitCheLL/tnL

Photo froM tnL ArChiveS

Left: UAA junior center Daniel Naslund digs in for a faceoff against Clarkson on Oct. 7 in the Kendall Hockey Classic at the Sullivan Arena. Naslund is tied for the team lead with seven points but has been held without a point the past four games. Above: UAA sophomore goalie Rob Gunderson watches the play in a game against Colorado College on Jan. 15 at the Sullivan Arena. Gunderson’s 2.22 goals against average is fourth best amongst WCHA goalies.

By taylor hallSports Editor

As the NFL season hits the midway point, let us take a second to look at whos stock is white-hot in the league as well as whos stock is decreasing by the second.

Take it or leave it, love ‘em or hate ‘em, here are the picks:

Trending up!1. Outhouse to the Penthouse

The rise of the proverbial doormats continues to impress and surprise us. Ok, hands up if you had the 49ers, Bills, and Lions as being in the discussion of best teams in the league, much less that they would even be above .500? Anyone? Yeah, thought so. But they continue to prove us wrong and have us here believing they may be for real.

2. The “Suck for Luck” race heats up

Hey! Miami and Indianapolis! You guys are that much closer to winning the Andrew Luck sweepstakes! Have you seen him play lately? Man, he’s sure got franchise written all over him! The future sure looks bright for

one of you! And hey, who cares about this season, right? Winning isn’t everything! And you have each other! Go on with your pitiful seasons with a big smile on your face and just be sure to tune into Stanford games every Saturday!

3. Hey, field goals can still decide games!

27 of the 116 games played so far this season (as of Nov. 4) have been decided by three or less points in the NFL. At a first glance, this may not seem like a big deal, however, this puts kickers under a microscope that much mire. Also, I crunched some numbers and I found out that collectively this year, NFL kickers have hit 45 of 63 field goals from 50 or more yards (as of Nov. 4). That’s good for a 71.4 percent conversion rate. I may just be pumping the kickers tires but that isn’t exactly an easy business. Remember, kickers are often remembered for their misses rather than their conversions. Show them some love every once in a while!

Honorable mentions go out to:

“Dream Team” Eagles, who

may be taking flight finally; Rookie quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Cam Newton look like they may not just be momentary flashes of brilliance, likelihood that Pittsburgh and Green Bay may be headed towards giving us a Super Bowl rematch.

Trending Down!1. Love affair with Tebow growing cold

“Tebowing” sure was fun for a week or so. How’s the honeymoon going now, Denver? Yes, he has two wins in three games but his 75.1 passer rating isn’t going to continue to go unnoticed when they actually play some tough opponents. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t have any beef with the man. He seems like a pretty good guy who could be a good

quarterback…if he dressed up like Aaron Rodgers next Halloween. but he is also By the way, anyone who hasn’t already seen it, please go search Detroit Linebacker Stephen Tulloch “Tebowing” over Tebow himself, it doesn’t get much better.

2. Two heads isn’t always better than one

There are some downright frightening quarterback duos out there. Chad Henne and Matt Moore in Miami, Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst in Seattle, Rex Grossman and John Beck in Washington, and starting Donovan McNabb and benched Donovan McNabb in Minnesota. These terrible twos may have some teams even considering putting in a call to a certain 14-time retired quarterback who’s home cutting grass in Mississippi right about now.

3. Will the real Chris Johnson please stand up?

Titans Running Back Chris Johnson is sure making his case to as biggest flop this season. The leagues leading rusher since 2008 has only one touchdown and one 100-plus rushing yards game

to date since he finally ended his tantrum…(cough and clears throat), er sorry, his preseason holdout. His four-year, $53.5 million dollar contract must be slowing him down, right? Fantasy owners relying on his services have to be losing sleep on whether or not to trade, or even waive this guy as he continues to un-impress.

Dishonorable mentions go out to:

Job security in the NFL: someone has to get fired soon!, The AFC West teams are a combined negative 160 points against their opponents this season through week nine…ouch, Kevin Kolb’s game remains ice cold even in the Arizona heat.

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By Kenzie MassonAssistant Sports Editor

The Seawolf volleyball team finished up their final home series of the season in style this past weekend with pair of crucial league wins that keep them in the thick of the postseason picture.

UAA got started in a blowout match against Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) on Nov. 3. The ‘Wolves bounced back from a defeat in their last game (a 1-3 loss at Seattle Pacific on Oct. 29) by showing no signs of shaken confidence. The end result would be a 3-0 thrashing of the visiting Crusaders.

“Seriously, we wanted to beat them more than anything this game,” said junior outside hitter Nikkie Viotto.

The win avenged an earlier 1-3 loss to the Crusaders down in Nampa, Idaho. The payback may have also came in one of the best-played game to date for the ‘Wolves.

“It was a huge win for us and we played very well,” said UAA Head Coach Chris Green. “It was just a good all-around game. We served pretty well, we passed pretty well and offensively/defensively we played great.

“That’s what I like to see, win or lose, if we play well, we’re happy as coaches,”

UAA started strong, quickly sweeping the first match 25-9, and claiming the first match point.

Despite the solid first set score, however, UAA and NNU were much more equally matched throughout the second set. But it would be the Seawolves pulling

away in the later stages of the frame, securing the second set 25-17.

Pumped from the first two sets and the fan support, it didn’t take long for the team to close out the third set 25-11 and take down a

vital win in the standings.“We knew it was an important

game and we knew we had to take care of things on our own side of the court,” said sophomore middle blocker Robyn Burton.

Burton tallied 14 kills in the victory and was backed by junior right side hitter Ariel Austin with 11 kills. Viotto finished up with 6 kills and 10 digs on the night.

The win should move UAA, who holds ninth place in the West Region rankings, over NNU, who was holding onto seventh place. These rankings are critical to watch this late in the season as the top eight teams in the region qualify for the NCAA playoffs, a feat the Seawolves have reached the past two seasons.

UAA earned a .419 attack percentage over the course of the evening, their best percentage since 2000 as well as their highest ever in a GNAC match.

Senior outside hitter Jackie Matthisen also aided the team earning a double-double (12 kills, 11 digs) as well as sophomore

defensive specialist Quincy Haught with a tem-high of 12 digs.

Confidence was key in the ‘Wolves game against NNU and it was something that the tam fully intended to bring into their game against CWU.

“We beat Central Washington last time we played them so we’re planning to give them another,” Viotto said. “We’re planning to win.”

And the Seawolves did just that.

UAA (13-3 GNAC, 17-7 Overall) proved victorious against CWU using all five sets to get the 3-2 win over the Wildcats on Nov. 5.

The green and gold took the first set 25-21 and may have started to anticipate

another sweep.That notion was quickly

extinguished as CWU took the second set 22-25 proving that a win would not come easily.

The back and forth contest titled back into the Seawolves favor momentarily after they won the third set 25-22. CWU would rebound for a 21-25 win in the fourth.

Everything came down to the wire in the fifth set. The Seawolves managed to pull out the 15-11 win in the deciding frame and keep their playoff aspirations alive.

The win also came as the program celebrated senior night and honored seniors Matthisen and McKenzie Moss.

“It was up and down because it’s senior night, so it’s my last game here and it’s just been a great four years here,” Matthisen said.

Matthisen contributed to the victory recording her sixth consecutive double-double and now sits at No. 3 on UAA’s all time kill list tallying a total of 1,095 kills throughout her career as a Seawolf.

“Thank God that we won that game,” Matthisen said. “I know that I personally struggled a little bit but my team really helped me out and made me focus in and do what we needed to do for the win.”

Jafroudi also delivered a great performance, setting a career-high of 60 assists, the most by any Seawolf since 2009. Austin also set a career-high recording eight block assists.

The pair of wins moves the Seawolves to within just a half game of first in the GNAC. Seattle Pacific (14-3 GNAC, 20-6 Overall) remains atop the league, but, has played one more game than UAA and fellow second place team Western Washington (13-3 GNAC, 15-5 Overall).

The conference title figures to go the final day of the season in the three-team race. UAA will travel to take on Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon. Meanwhile, Western Washington hits the road

to play Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene while Seattle Pacific will play their lone game of the weekend on the road at Montana State Billings.

Wins at home keep UAA Volleyball team in playoff contention

Sport Date Opponent/Event (Home games in bold) Location Time (AKST)VB Thur, Nov. 10 at Saint Martins Saints Lacey, WA 6:00 PM

HKY Fri, Nov. 11 at Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Duluth, MN 4:07 PMWBB Fri, Nov. 11 vs Minot State Beavers Wells Fargo Sports Complex 7:00 PMHKY Sat, Nov. 12 at Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Duluth, MN 4:07 PMVB Sat, Nov. 12 at Western Oregon Wolves Monmouth, OR 6:00 PM

WBB Sat, Nov. 12 vs Dixie State Red Storm Wells Fargo Sports Complex 7:00 PM

top Left: UAA sophomore setter Siobhan Johansen celebrates a Seawolf point against Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 3. Bottom Left: Junior right side hitter Ariel Austin skies for a spike against Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 3. top right: Sophomore middle blocker Robyn Burton watches the action as junior setter Kimya Jafroudi serves against Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 3. Bottom right: Senior outside hitter Jackie Matthisen collects one of her 17 digs against Central Washington on Nov. 5.

PhotoS By Kenzie MASSon/tnL

November 8, 2011 | sPORTs B9Cross Country teams defend West Region crowns

Paced by individual wins by senior Ruth Keino and junior Micah Chelimo, the Alaska Anchorage men’s and women’s cross country teams successfully defended their titles at the NCAA Div. II West Region Championships on Nov. 5 to earn automatic bids to the 2011 NCAA Div. II National Championships later this month.

The UAA women’s team furnished its third consecutive West Region title, while the men’s team collected its second straight; while keeping both teams undefeated on the season. Both the men’s and women’s teams posted six of their seven runners in the top 25 for all-region honors.

The No. 7-ranked women’s team upset the Chico State Wildcats (66), who entered the meet with the highest ranking at No. 5, with 27 points – the best score since UC Davis posted 29 in 1998. Also qualifying as a team were Great Northwest Athletic Conference members Western Washington (148) in third and Alaska Fairbanks (164) in fourth.

The No. 11 UAA men’s squad narrowly defeated the No. 5 Wildcats with a 37-39 score, by placing its five scorers in the top 15. The GNAC’s Western Oregon (126 points) was third, followed by WWU (128) in fourth.

A local of Kapcheno, Kenya, Keino earned her first West Region title with a winning-time of 20 minutes, 51 seconds in the 6K race at the Plantes Ferry Athletic Complex. Keino took a commanding lead early on in the race and maintain the gap throughout the final miles for her six-straight individual win this season and third all-region honor of her career.

Junior Miriam Kipng’eno collected

all-region honors with her second, third-place showing at the region meet. The Eldoret, Kenya, native crossed the finish line at 21:25. Sophomore Ivy O’Guinn finished fourth at 21:28, while senior Shoshana Keegan made the top 10 with a 7th-place result at 21:45.

Also scoring for UAA was sophomore Susan Bick (22:01) in 13th, while rookies Susan Tanui (22:09) was 15th and freshman Bryn Haebe (22:26) was 28th.

On the men’s side, Chelimo registered his fourth win of the season and his third all-region accolade – Chelimo finished third in his rookie campaign in 2009 and sixth in 2010. A local of Kapkoi, Kenya, Chelimo posted a winning-time of 30:19 in the 10K race. Throughout the race, Chelimo battled with Chico State’s Isaac Chavez (2nd, 30:20) and Northwest Nazarene’s Barak Watson (3rd, 30:23) for the top position and came out on top in the final home stretch.

Junior Alfred Kangogo was fourth with a time of 30:52, while senior Yonatan Yilma was 8th at 31:12. Rookies Isaac Kangogo (31:22) and Dylan Anthony (31:26) rounded out the scoring for UAA in 11th and 13th, respectively. Also running for UAA was Jake Pariseien (20th, 31:46) and Michael Adams (36th, 32:33).

The Seawolves will return to Spokane on Nov. 19 for the NCAA Div. II National Championships. The men’s team will be making its eighth appearance, while the women’s team will participate with a full team for the sixth time. Both teams will be making their fourth straight appearance at the NCAAs.

Above: The UAA Men’s Cross Country team runs out after the start of the West Region Championships in Spokane, WA on Nov. 5. The team won their second straight West Region Championship by placing five runners in the top 15 finishers.right: Led by senior runner Ruth Keino (bib number 4), the UAA Women’s Cross Country team three-peated as West Region Champions in Spokane, WA on Nov. 5. The team remains undefeated on the year and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Championships on Nov. 19.

PhotoS CourteSy of dALLAS BALdwin

Cross Country briefs

Brief courtesy of uAA Sports information

B10 TNL sPORTs| November 8, 2011

UAA lose pair of road exhibitions

Senior center Taylor Rohde scored a game-high 16 points for Alaska Anchorage but host Westmont used a balanced scoring effort to earn a 65-50 victory over the Seawolves in a men’s basketball game at Murchison Gymnasium on Nov. 3.

The contest was an exhibition for the Seawolves, while it counted as a season-opening victory on the Warriors’ record. Westmont is an NAIA program and UAA an NCAA Div. II program.

Guard Anthony Lipold scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting for Westmont, and teammate Christopher Miller scored 13 on 5-of-9 marksmanship as the hosts overcame a 29-27 halftime deficit.

UAA earned its lead on a jumper from Rohde (5-7 FG, 6-6 FT) with 43 seconds left in the first half, and newcomer Marcus Jackson made it a 35-30 edge with a layup at the 17-minute mark, but the Seawolves would go scoreless for nearly six minutes as the Warriors used a 10-0 run to take command.

The Seawolves also got 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from senior guard Lonnie Ridgeway and seven points from Jackson. Sophomore guard Kyle Fossman led UAA with three assists and no turnovers. No Seawolf played more than 24 minutes as all 12 traveling players saw action.

Again it was Rohde leading the way with a game-high 20 points the next night, but Seawolves fell short once again in a tightly fought, 71-64 loss to host Azusa Pacific on Nov. 4 at the Felix Event Center.

The Seawolves, ranked No. 17 in the preseason NABC Top 25 poll, also got 12 points and eight rebounds from senior guard Mario Gill as they lost despite outshooting (43 percent to 40 percent) and outrebounding (39-30) their hosts.

The Cougars, of the NAIA Golden State Athletic Conference, were led by four double-digit scorers, including guard Marshall Johnson’s 15 points on 5-of-10 (3-7 3FGs) shooting.

Fossman was the third Seawolf in double figures with 10 points on 3-of-6 (2-3 3FGs) shooting.

Rally falls just short for Seawolves

Senior Tijera Mathews scored 13 points Saturday to lead a huge second-half charge but the Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball team could not pull off the upset Nov. 5 in a 69-57 exhibition loss to Division I host Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Seawolves, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA Div. II preseason top-25 poll, also got 11 points and nine rebounds from preseason All-American senior center Hanna Johansson.

The Cavaliers, coming off a 19-16 season and a WNIT quarterfinal appearance in 2010-11, were powered by senior forward Chelsea Shine’s 24 points (9-15 FG, 6-6 FT) and five assists.

After UAA took an early 11-9 lead, the Cavaliers stormed back with the next 14 points and took a 42-29 edge at halftime. Johansson, a senior from Gothenburg, Sweden, scored all of her points in the first 20 minutes to keep UAA within striking distance.

The Seawolves then started hot in the second half, getting eight points from Mathews in a 21-5 run. The 5-10 forward hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 45 with 12:35 on the clock, then nailed another trey to give UAA a 50-47 advantage at the 9:48 mark.

Virginia would answer with another run, however, scoring the next 12 points to take control. The Seawolves sliced it to 63-57 on a three-pointer by freshman point guard Gritt Ryder with 2 minutes to play, but could get no closer.

Ryder and fellow newcomer Haley Holmstead scored nine points each.

UAA played without second-team all-conference forward Alysa Horn, who stayed in Anchorage due to illness.

Compiled by taylor hall

sports briefs

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