The Sun StarVolume XXX Number 16

February 1, 2011

Staff

EDITOR IN CHIEFAndrew Sheeler

editor@uafsunstar.com(907) 474-5078

LAYOUT EDITORHeather Bryant

layout@uafsunstar.com

COPY EDITORRebecca Coleman

MULTIMEDIA EDITORJeremy Smith

web@uafsunstar.com

DISTRIBUTION MANAGERJeremia Schrock

ASSISTANT DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Daniel Thoman

AD MANAGERAlex Kinn

fyads@uaf.edu(907) 474-7540

ADVISORLynne Snifka

REPORTERSJeremia SchrockAmber Sandlin

Ben DeeringDaniel Thoman

Elika RoohiKelsey GobroskiAlyssa Dunehew

COLUMNISTSJeremia Scchrock

Jeremy SmithJamie Hazlett

JR Ancheta

PHOTOGRAPHERSJR AnchetaDillon Ball

Shannon BaarlaerJeremia SchrockHeather Bryant

This Week’s Highlights2 In This IssueFebruary 1, 2011 The Sun Star

The Sun Star’s mission is to provide a voice for the UAF

campus and be a written record where news, people’s

opinions, and events (whether extraordinary or

ordinary) are expressed honestly and fairly.

Photo illustrattion by Heather Bryant. Online

Editorial

SportsNews

This Week

EDITORIAL OFFICES101G Wood Center

P.O. Box 756640Fairbanks, AK 99775Tel: (907) 474-6039

Ads Dept: (907) 474-7540Calendar: (907) 474-6043

Fax: (907) 474-5508

www.uafsunstar.com

Remembering Lauren Lecomte

3

11

8

6

Riots in Egypt, Anchorage police officer faces sexu-al assault charges, Russian president calls for arms

reduction and this weeks crop of crime in the blotter

Deconstructing the Fisher Report, connecting the dots between UAF and China and take a look at

the new Blackboard system

Nanooks basketball proves hit and miss and Greenham breaks UAF hockey career shut out

record

A preview of the upcoming BANFF film festival and the Poetry Slam;

also A& E and Science briefs

Politics 4The Nookraker looks at the new spirit of compro-mise and an update on the ASUAF senate

Perspectives

CampusLifeRunners walk on water at Mid-Winter Run and a review of the social networking

documentary “Catfish”5

10JR talks economics and Weekend Wanderlust gives you the best of the blues

3This Week www.uafsunstar.com February 1, 2011

Compiled by Daniel ThomanSun Star Reporter

Off-road action

A car was in the ditch at Peger Road and

the Johansen Expressway at 3 a.m. on Jan.

15. The car had a shredded tire, and an of-

ficer was dispatched to help the driver. Aid

was given, and the driver was able to leave.

News BriefsCompiled by Amber SandlinSun Star Reporter

Russian president call for arms reduction

In December 2009, the Strategic Arms

Reduction Treaty (START) expired be-

tween the United States and Russia to re-

duce nuclear warheads in both countries.

In April 2010 in Prague, President Obama

re-signed this agreement for Russia and

the United States to reduce nuclear arse-

nals to a maximum of 1,550 nuclear war-

heads from 2,200. Both houses of Russian

Parliament ratified this new deal and Rus-

sian President Medvedev signed the treaty

the morning of Jan. 28, 2011. This is the

first nuclear pact between the two former

Cold War rivals in 20 years.

-RIA Novosti (A Russian news site)

Former Anchorage Police officer faces sexual assault charges

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the trial of former

Anchorage police officer Anthony Rollins

took place. Rollins is accused of 14 counts

of sexual assault and six counts of official

misconduct for misusing his position as

a law enforcement officer. One woman

said she was brought in for a DUI and was

forced to perform sexual acts on him after

she was arrested. Rollins’ public defender

said that all acts were consensual and not

forced.-KTUU.com

All persons referred to in the blotter are pre-sumed innocent until proven guilty.

-CNN

Trashed

A driver was stopped for various moving

violations at the waste transfer site on Jan.

15. The driver was charged with a DUI and

taken to the Fairbanks Correctional Center.

The suspect was booked on several charges,

including driving under the influence and

possession of marijuana.

Off-road action 2: Electric Boogaloo

Another car was disabled on Chena

Pump Road near Justa Store on Jan. 15. The

vehicle was in the ditch, and the officer who

was sent to the scene stayed with the driver

until the tow truck arrived to help move the

vehicle away from the scene.

Drunk makes bad decision, more shocking news at 10

A driver at Washington Drive and

Airport Way was pulled over for multiple

moving violations, including making im-

proper turns and drifting into the oncoming

lane, on Jan.17. The driver was charged with

a DUI and charged with refusal to submit to

a breathalyzer and resisting arrest.

Egypt riotsProtestors in Egypt broke out into pro-

tests on Tuesday demanding their presi-

dent, Hosni Mubarak, to resign and leave

the country. During the week, the presi-

dent fired his entire cabinet and ordered

the internet and cell phone towers be

turned off, in an effort to stop communica-

tion between the protesters. Demonstra-

tors also demanded that their Constitution

be re-written. Although there is a govern-

ment curfew in place, dissidents have re-

fused to be indoors between 4 p.m. and 8

a.m. On Sunday, Jan. 30, several thousand

demonstrators remained in the center of

Cairo. The U.S. government has strongly

urged Americans to leave Egypt at this

time.

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4 The Sun StarFebruary 1, 2011 Politics

Nookraker

Jeremia SchrockSun Star Reporter

President Obama wants us to win the

future (whatever that means). In his Jan. 25

State of the Union address, the President

said, “We will move forward together, or

not at all.”

Such “all or nothing” phraseology has

roots deep in American history, beyond the

New Neolithic period of the 2000s. Think of

the “with us or against us” mentality that so

guided our last president during the “War

on Terror.”

It was Benjamin Franklin who, during

the signing of the Declaration of Indepen-

dence, allegedly proclaimed that “we must

all hang together, or assuredly we shall all

hang separately.” Helen Keller wrote that

“alone we can do so little; together we can

do so much.” In 1964, Martin Luther King,

Jr. echoed that sentiment, “We must learn

to live together as brothers or perish to-

gether as fools.”

Obama, recovering from the sting of

2010’s midterm elections, is now more the

friend of compromise than ever. Those who

paid attention know that it was only com-

promise (and Obama’s signature) that saw

the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. It

was through compromise between Demo-

crats and independents that President

Obama was elected in 2008 at all.

What is striking about the “all or

nothing” mentality is that we so rarely

apply it on the large scale and when we

do, it’s usually during a period of conflict.

For example, in the first weeks of the war

in Afghanistan, President Bush enjoyed 89

percent approval ratings. There were only

two other moments afterward when Bush

experienced a spike in popularity: when he

authorized the invasion of Iraq and after

Saddam Hussein was captured.

The spirit of compromise is in the air

both in Alaska and nationally. On a Jan.

29 Facebook entry, Governor Parnell said

that he “had positive meetings in DC with

Senator Murkowski and Senator Begich re-

lated to a myriad of resource development,

education, and health topics.” Even Sen.

Begich is feeling the spirit, saying “with

so many important issues on the table for

Alaska, our pledge today was to work to-

gether as often as possible to improve and

help our state and its residents.”

Such compromise can even be seen at

UAF. Governor Parnell recently appointed

two new members to the UA Board of Re-

gents, Jo Heckman and Mike Powers. Their

appointments are significant in that they

will maintain the representational status

quo of the Board: both are from Fairbanks

and are replacing out-going board mem-

bers Cynthia Henry and Erik Drygas.

ASUAF, our student government,

may see some compromise this semester.

Joshua Luther, a former student senator

and now the Coalition Coordinator for the

Coalition of Student Leaders, said during

the Jan. 23 senate meeting that he hopes to

see more involvement from ASUAF when

it comes to making a “big push” for the

Governor’s Performance Scholarship. It

was former senator Lauren Wiley who, in

a Jan. 24 email, said (albeit sarcastically)

that she hopes “that ASUAF has a suc-

cessful year and will actually make prog-

ress and not waste their time on issues that

will not aid the students and our campus.”

So, how exactly does one “win the fu-

ture?” By compromise. Because, let’s face

it, the alternative just isn’t working. It’s

time for the country to start seeing other

ideologies.

The compromise monsterASUAF Weekly Update

Jeremia SchrockSun Star Reporter

Present/AbsentPresent: Senators Don Derosier, Jesse

Cervin, James Brady, Paul Pharr, Sophia

Grzeskowiak-Amezquita, Tachit Chairat,

Chambers, Ball, Strehl and Kinnard.

Absent: Senators Josh Banks, Stefan

Weingarth, Lauren Wiley, Ben White and

Ean Pfeiffer.Committee appointmentsSenator Jennifer Chambers was named

the Executive Committee chair and Senator

Robert Kinnard III was confirmed as the

University Relations chair. The Govern-

ment Relations Council saw the self-nomi-

nations of Senators Josh Cooper and Mary

Strehl. Senator Dillon Ball was nominated

to the council by Senator Chambers, but

ultimately declined. Ball later said that he

declined the appointment because of time

constraints.ResignationOn Jan. 24, Wiley resigned her position

as senator and as chair of the Student Affairs

Committee.

OverbudgetAndrew Sheeler, Editor-in-Chief of the

Sun Star, attended the meeting to inform the

senate of its current financial predicament.

Sheeler said that the student newspaper had

spent approximately $20,000 (of its $32,000

budget) during the fall semester and that

it was now taking measures to address the

expenditure. He said that Chancellor Rogers

had committed to purchasing $7,000 in ad-

vertising and that staff hours had been cut. Coalition wants “big push”Also in attendance was Joshua Luther,

a former ASUAF senator, who is now the

Coalition Coordinator for the Coalition of

Student Leaders. The Coalition is a state-

wide student organization that is composed

of student government representatives from

the various UA campuses. He said that the

Coalition would be making a “big push” for

the Governor’s Performance Scholarship

this year and that he hoped to see more in-

volvement from this semester’s senate.DeathNet legislationSB176-001: DeathNet the Super Awe-

some LAN Party. The legislation was ad-

opted by a vote of 10-0-1 with only Senator

Cooper abstaining. Pending presidential

approval, ASUAF will allocate $600 for fivet

DeathNet events to be held during this

Spring semester.

Jeremia gives his opinion on university, state and national issues in the Nookraker: a weekly political column which tackles is-sues relevant to Nanooks both at home and abroad.

Flyers dot a charred ASUAF signboard outside of the Wood Center on Saturday night (Jan, 29). According to Wood Center employees, the board was burned sometime during Friday night. While there were no witnessess, UAF Police are considering an investigation. Jeremia Schrock/Sun Star

NOTICEThe ASUAF Senate will have a special senate meeting at 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 6. The senate decided to cancel the regularly scheduled senate meeting so that senators can watch the Super Bowl.

5Campus Life www.uafsunstar.com February 1, 2011

Mid-winter runners enjoy an ice day for a runJR AnchetaSun Star Reporter

At 10 a.m., the sky displayed a beau-

tiful, fiery spectacle and a group of runners

geared up for a mid-winter race in Fairbanks

called the Chilly Buns Run. Running Club

North organized the race. A little under

six and a half miles (10K), the race snakes

through Chena Creek Road, near the rein-

deer farm, around the botanical gardens,

past Sheep Creek Road and up Miller Hill.

For the past 20 years, the race continued re-

gardless of the temperature or the weather.

Luckily for the runners, the temperature on

Saturday was a balmy zero degrees.

“It was great!” said UAF student Ian

MacDougall. “It was really slippery [where]

the snow’s been compacted. I didn’t have

the spiked shoes, so I was kind of sliding.”

It has been four months since MacDou-

gall last ran. “You can’t ask for a better place

to run...I went out conservative and it all

worked out.”

Left: Organizer Jane LeBlond poses after running the race on Saturday. Jan. 29, 2011. JR Ancheta/Sun Star.

Devin McDowell placed first with a

time of 40 minutes and 48 seconds. Mac-

Dougall arrived one second later, with 40

minutes and 49 seconds. Both runners are

novices running in the winter, and it was

their first winter race.

All the runners were dressed for the

weather, wearing headgear, running pants

and layers. Participants used various run-

ning shoes, most used spikes or cleats.

“[You] dress so you feel 10 to 15 degrees

cooler,” said runner Andy Hollend. “Once

you start moving, then you warm up.”

“Very nice day,” said Patrick Kalen,

“Last year it was colder, so it was a lovely day

for running. And of course it was nice and

smooth.” Kalen has been running since 1987

and almost always does the Chilly Buns Run.

“At summer time, that same place that’s

wonderful in the winter could be an ugly

wet swamp,” Kalen said.

‘Catfish’ nips at trust in the age of FacebookKelsey GobroskiSun Star Reporter

The movie poster for Catfish. Courtesy SAO website.

New York photographer Nev Schulman,

22, stretches a wide grin for the camera as

he gushes about his new online friendships.

“I mean, she must be pretty awesome.

At least, from Facebook,” Schulman said.

This is “Catfish,” the documentary be-

hind the red fish silhouette posters around

campus.

“I’m definitely going to be thinking

about it, and talking about it with friends,”

art student Katie Tasky said.

You can’t get to the real meat of “Cat-

fish” without digging past the layers built

with each plot twist. If you don’t want to

know anything beyond those red silhou-

ettes, there’s your warning.

About 60 people came to the Jan. 28

showing in the Wood Center Ballroom. So-

cial networking’s prominence in film this

year shows its impact on students’ lives. The

Student Activities Office (SAO) invited Tasky

to the event via Facebook, she said.

Society began to plug private lives

into loudspeakers when chat room aliases

morphed into Facebook profiles. “Catfish”

revolves around a protagonist unraveling

an online relationship built on trusting his

Facebook friends. False personas have been

around for a long time, but the film’s use of

social networking can be uncomfortably rel-

evant to university students.

“Catfish” premiered at the 2010 Sun-

dance Film Festival. The film had a limited

release in September 2010 in up to 143

theaters nationwide, according to the In-

ternet Movie Database. The film starts with

eight-year-old prodigy Abby Pierce sending

Nev Schulman a painting of his published

photograph. Directors Ariel Schulman and

Henry Joost start filming. The protagonist

enters into a budding romantic correspon-

dence with Megan Faccio, Abby’s half-sister.

When Nev Schulman discovers parts of

his friends’ lives are false, the crew travels to

Michigan to confront the family. They find a

household that looks nothing like its profile

pictures. Faccio is nowhere to be found.

Matriarch Angela Wesselman built more

than a dozen Facebook profiles to construct

a life outside of being a wife, Abby’s mother,

and caregiver of two mentally disabled

brothers.

“We’ve had a lot of stories lately about

identity being something that seems uncer-

tain,” said Karen Taylor, UAF assistant pro-

fessor of communication in an e-mail.

Facebook didn’t invent lying, and “Cat-

fish” didn’t introduce identity deception

to mass media. Lindsy van Gelder wrote

articles about counterfeit online relation-

ships in 1983 and 1985. “But if Facebook/In-

ternet/social media is not causing the trend,

at a minimum, it is certainly inviting more

attention to the trend,” Taylor said. If it’s

an old issue, Facebook is helping people

people notice.

SAO found “Catfish” after hearing

about its Sundance acclaim, assistant Ryan

Bateman said.

Bateman said SAO heard positive re-

sponses before the showing, but “Catfish”

also conjured curiosity -- was the film about

the actual fish? Afterward, Cody Rogers, as-

sistant director of SAO, said the questions

changed -- was “Catfish” really a documen-

tary?

The documentary has spurred some

controversy. Multiple movie critics sug-

gest the pieces fit together too snugly and

Schulman and his partners must have sus-

pected tomfoolery. Wesselman and director

Joost insist the film is authentic, according

to ABC and the Independent.

Three or four circles of people dotted

the ballroom after the movie. Journalism

student Sean Pederson said his group talked

about the sadness of the end, considering

how Wesselman’s present life contrasted

against her dreams of being a dancer.

“Each of us has always had to invent

ourselves as we go along. Why does Face-

book make that suddenly something we

want to tell so many horror stories about?”

Karen Taylor said.

Devin McDowell (left)attempts to pass Ian Mac-dougall (right) near the finish line. JR Ancheta/Sun Star.

News6 The Sun StarFebruary 1, 2011

Fisher Report holds clues to UAF’s futureJeremia SchrockSun Star Reporter

The University really does need to determine why so many of its students

drop out.- The Fisher Report

“”

Between August and November of

2010, a team of five higher-education pro-

fessionals from the contiguous 48 states

was hired to analyze and review the general

condition of the University of Alaska (UA)

system. The review focused on academic

programs, budget, faculty, students, in-

tercollegiate athletics and administration

within the UA. James Fisher, former presi-

dent of Towson State University in Mary-

land, headed the team. Fisher presented 85

recommendations on how the UA system

could be improved. Many of these recom-

mendations, if approved by the Board of

Regents, would dramatically alter the aca-

demic landscapes of all three major cam-

puses.

On Jan. 20, UA President Patrick Gamble

(who hired Fisher and his team) released the

findings of the review to the university. “This

is not a report card,” remarked the president

in a memo. “The report does not contain a

checklist.” What it does contain, however, is

a detailed breakdown of where Fisher sees

the university as having begun to sink and

where it can still be salvaged.

The Fisher Report points out five major

challenges to the University of Alaska’s sur-

vival: the expansion of UAA (at a potential

cost to UAF), improvement of education

quality, diminished oil revenues and cli-

mate change, cutting costs but not perfor-

mance or quality and the implementation

of an administrative model that ensures all

the above can occur.

One major change UAF would undergo

is in the number of degrees it offers. Some

programs would expand (Arctic biology,

cold climate engineering, Alaska Native

languages and the marine sciences) while

others would be eliminated or relocated to

UAA.

Other potential changes include a

writing competency exit exam and a foreign

language requirement. UAF students would

be asked to “demonstrate their ability to

write clearly and cogently upon graduation”

and would be required to show competency

in a foreign language or culture. Another

recommendation of the report is that the

University of Alaska institute a computer

literacy requirement beyond the computer

science classes currently taught.

The report also encourages the State of

Alaska to make “targeted investments” in

biomedical research, energy-related studies

and climate change. According to Fisher,

investing in such areas would not only help

address the specific needs of Alaska but

also “attract considerable outside funding.”

One way to do this would be in expand-

ing the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming,

Alaska, Montana and Idaho) medical

school. Established in 1971, the Alaska

WWAMI program has allowed hundreds

of Alaskans to complete their first year of

medical school at UAA before continu-

ing their education at the University of

Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.

The third and fourth years of their medi-

cal school curriculum can then be met by

taking rotating apprenticeships in any of

the five participating states. The Fisher

Report recommendation for the Board of

Regents is to open WWAMI-like programs

for veterinary medicine, dentistry, architec-

ture and law.

Other recommendations for UA in-

clude a more “harmonious” cross-campus

student records system, an increase in the

student technology fee, “smart” classrooms

and more strictly designated student fees.

When it comes to upgrading “smart”

classrooms, the question is ultimately one of

money. “Right now the student technology

fee doesn’t cover it,” said Julie Larweth,

Executive Officer of the Office of Informa-

tion Technology (OIT). “With more funding

allocation they could definitely upgrade

more classrooms,” Larweth added. While

she doesn’t believe that the fee needs to

be raised to achieve this, Larweth said the

amount allocated to OIT should be in-

creased.

The report also stressed, “The Univer-

sity really does need to determine why so

“very pleased with the appointment of new

President Patrick Gamble.”

“I don’t know who [Fisher] asked,” Gold

said. “Nobody I know was asked.”

In the Jan. 20 memo, Gamble wrote that

the Fisher Report, coupled with the 2008

MacTaggart/Rogers Report, would provide

a starting point for a gradual overhaul of the

UA system. “It is not a quick read, nor is it

a blueprint to be followed dogmatically,”

Gamble added.

In an interview on Jan. 21, Governor

Sean Parnell said that he had not yet read

the Fisher Report.

President Gamble encourages readers

to submit their notes on the Fisher Report

to him at ua.president@alaska.edu. A copy

of the report can be found online at www.

uafsunstar.com.

many of its students drop out.” A 2010 study

released by the Chronicle of Higher Educa-

tion found that only 27 percent of UAF stu-

dents graduate. The Fisher report believes

that part of this can be attributed to the

absence of campus-based, needs-based fi-

nancial aid.

When it comes to money, Fisher be-

lieves that UA needs to learn how to do

without, citing a decline in state oil pro-

duction since 1988. In order to prepare for

more “famine” budgets, UAF needs to begin

eliminating whole programs “in order to

sustain its support for its most vital and

highest quality programs.” Other funding

sources for UA include the floating of bonds,

a more efficient UA System Central Office,

keeping a “close eye” on athletic expenses

and beefing up its private and alumni fund-

raising efforts.

However, not everyone agrees with

the reports findings. One such individual is

long-time UAF history professor Carol Gold.

Gold’s concerns lay in the report’s method-

ology, particularly how the report cites that

“most” people at the university are

UAF’s decision to partner with several

Chinese universities is not a surprising one.

China is the second largest economy in the

world, behind only the United States, and is

home to one-sixth of the world’s population.

As China rockets into superpower status, the

Chinese people grow hungrier for the things

a growing nation demands, such as energy.

That’s where UAF enters the equation. UAF

boasts world-class engineering programs,

teaching the kind of expertise the Chinese

people need. So each year, between 10 and

12 students come from China to study at

UAF. UAF’s relationship with China is so im-

portant that Chancellor Rogers spent part

of his winter break visiting there, and he

discussed that trip when he addressed the

Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce

in January.

With China becoming increasingly im-

portant, in both the global community and

at UAF, the real surprise is that UAF doesn’t

do more in that area. UAF offers two years

of Chinese language instruction, taught by

adjunct instructor Rosalind Kan. That’s not

enough to qualify for a minor, much less a

major. Kan said that many of her students

would re-take the classes in order to get more

time and practice with the language. Kan

was born in China, but moved to Alaska in

1972. A retired engineer for the Department

of Transportation, Kan started teaching Chi-

nese at UAF 10 years ago. She said that her

students run the “whole gamut” of majors,

from engineering, linguistics, the arts, busi-

ness and others. Kan feels that her students

are currently limited in how much Chinese

they can learn at UAF.

“I’d really like to see UAF develop in

this area,” Kan said. In addition to teaching

at UAF, Kan started teaching Chinese at West

Valley High School a few years ago, where

students can earn college credit taking her

class. “It’s very important to prepare our

young people,” Kan said. She added that she

would like to see more of her American stu-

dents go to China to further their language

education.

That is a very real opportunity for UAF

students, according to John Lehman, Di-

rector of International Programs at UAF.

Lehman, himself a fluent Chinese speaker,

came to UAF in the 80s. In 1987, he worked

with the School of Management on ex-

panding business students’ understanding

www.uafsunstar.com February 1, 2011News 7

Red meets blue as China and UAF team up for educationAndrew SheelerSun Star Reporter

It will cost them almost nothing- John Lehman said, referring to UAF students

traveling to China to learn Chinese.

”“

Students visiting from China face a

variety of difficulties. Lehman said that the

cost of living for Chinese students is five

times more expensive than in China. As

non-residents, they pay the larger out-of-

state tuition fees. Those fees add up, espe-

cially since they must take at least 18 credits

a semester if they hope to graduate in four

years.

The second major hurdle is the lan-

guage barrier. Fluency in English is impor-

tant, so the students arrive in July so that

they can get six weeks of practical experi-

ence with the language before the semester

starts.

There are currently no plans to expand

the Chinese language program at UAF. Ac-

cording to Lehman, it’s a “chicken and the

egg” scenario. UAF would offer a more

robust Chinese curriculum if there was in-

terest, but it’s difficult to determine interest

without offering that curriculum.

of the burgeoning country of China.

With both a business and Chinese language

background, Lehman has become UAF’s

pointman for expanding the university’s re-

lationship with China. Lehman said that last

year, there were a dozen full-paid scholar-

ships open for a student to spend a year in

China studying. The scholarships covered

room and board, tuition, and everything

but the airfare. Not one scholarship was

awarded, because nobody applied for them.

Lehman said students should seriously con-

sider taking UAF up on that opportunity, no

matter their discipline.

“It will cost them almost nothing,”

Lehman said, yet they will become “hugely

competitive” in the job market. Lehman

himself was the recipient of such an op-

portunity. In the 1960s, the Department

of Defense was looking for people to learn

languages they deemed important. Chinese

was one of them. Lehman said that because

he took Chinese, he graduated from grad

school with no student loans.

While UAF students have thus far been

reluctant to journey abroad to China, the

Chinese have not been. Lehman visits China

two to three times a year, and he goes there

each spring to deliver an intensive, month-

long crash course on the English language

and American culture to the dozen or so

students who will come to UAF the following

July as part of the “Two-Plus-Two” exchange

program. Under that program, Chinese

students spend their first two years at their

home university, such as the China Univer-

sity of Petroleum Beijing (CUPB). They then

They then spend the next two years

studying at UAF. Lehman said that Chinese

students and instructors alike value the dif-

ference in education styles that UAF pro-

vides. Whereas Chinese education depends

on lectures and rote memorization, Lehman

said that UAF offered a more hands-on,

8 SportsFebruary 1, 2011 The Sun Star

Nanook hockey whitewashes Ohio State

Rebecca ColemanSun Star Reporter

Jan. 28 and 29 gave the Nanooks hockey

team a series sweep over the Ohio State

Buckeyes. Friday’s game was a record-set-

ting night for goalie Scott Greenham.

Friday was a tough night for both the

Nanooks and the Buckeyes. Neither team

was very sharp, and for 60 long minutes, no

one could figure out the other team’s goalie.

With the score tied at 0-0, the game went

into overtime. After 11 seconds, the Buck-

eyes got a 2-minute penalty for hooking.

The Nanooks took advantage of their 5-on-4

power play and within seconds, sophomore

Jarret Granberg had a clear shot at the Buck-

eyes’ net. He fired the puck and it sailed

past Ohio State goalie, Cal Heeter, skimming

sophomore Andy Taranto’s jersey on its way

the Nanooks, and Alaska skated away with

a 6-2 victory.

Kunyk is Alaska’s leading scorer with

nine goals and 11 assists. “It’s a good feeling,

but I don’t really worry about it,” Kuynk said.

However, “when Kunyk gets hot, we’re a

tough team to stop,” Greenham said.

This weekend’s sweep brought Alaska

to the fifth-spot rank in the CCHA. “We’ve

shown we’re a team to contend with,” said

junior Aaron Gens.

The Nanooks will go up against Ferris

State Feb. 4 and 5 at the Carlson Center.

Since both Alaska and Ferris State have

some of the top goalies in the country, “it’s

going to be a great goaltender battle,” said

Assistant Coach Lance West.

#35 Scott Greenham deflects a shot straight up into the air before snagging it with his mitt in the third period of saturday night’s game. With the previous night’s 1-0 shutout of OSU, Greenham is now the school recordholder for career shutouts. Jan. 29, 2011. Dillon Ball/Sun Star.

Above: UAF’s #36 Colton Beck takes a shot on goal in the first period. Jan 29, 2011. Dillon Ball/ Sun Star.Below: Nanook #5 Aaron Gens races towards the goal with Ohio State’s #15 John Albert and #33 Chris Crane in hot pursuit. Jan. 29, 2011. Dillon Ball/Sun Star.

through the posts.

This 1-0 win gave Greenham his eighth

career shutout, breaking the previous school

record of seven, which he shared with Chad

Johnson and Wylie Rogers.

“To have a record like the shutout re-

cord, or any school record for that matter, is

always a great accomplishment, but not one

that I specifically strive to get,” Greenham

said. “I am very proud of what I have accom-

plished, but feel as though it is something

that future Nanook goalies can try to beat.”

On Saturday, the Nanooks came out on

the ice fired up and ready for action. Alaska

wasted no time besting Heeter, and Gran-

berg scored the first goal of the night 82 sec-

onds after the initial puck drop. Ohio State

answered back with a goal of their own 12

minutes later, but freshman Cody Kunyk

utilized a power play and gave the Nanooks

a 2-1 lead before the end of the first period.

Alaska dominated the second period.

Captain senior Kevin Petovello received a

pass from junior Joe Sova and scored early

in the period. After a chaotic series of penal-

ties for both teams, Kunyk passed the puck

to sophomore Nik Yaremchuk, who tipped

it into the goal. Less than two minutes later,

junior Cody Butcher fired a long shot past

Heeter, giving him his first goal of the season.

After Butcher’s goal, the Buckeye’s replaced

Heeter with Jeff Michael, giving Michael his

first minutes of action this season.

In the third period, Kunyk scored his

second goal of the night with an assist from

Yaremchuk. Ohio State came up with an-

other goal, but the Buckeyes couldn’t rival

9Sports www.uafsunstar.com February 1, 2011

Nanooks basketball is hit and missRebecca ColemanSun Star Reporter

Last week was a hard-fought week for

Nanook basketball. On Jan. 27, the women

lost to Montana State Billings 81-60, and the

men lost to Central Washington 82-70. On

Jan. 29, the women lost to Seattle Pacific 93-

39, and the men triumphed over Northwest

Nazarene 84-79. Saturday’s men’s game was

another record-setting night for senior Par-

rish West.

The men started Thursday night’s

games against Central Washington. The

Wildcats played tight defense, forcing the

Nanooks to fight hard for every basket. They

controlled the game with their quick passes,

accurate shots, and aggression at both ends

of the court. The Nanooks figured out how

to counter the Wildcat’s defense in the sec-

ond half, but they couldn’t regain the lead

and lost 91-60.

counter the Wildcat’s defense in the second

half, but they couldn’t regain the lead and

lost 91-60.

“We kept fighting and got [the lead]

down to 10, but we ran out of steam,” said

Coach Clemon Johnson. “It’s like driving a

car on empty; we got over the hill but ran out

of momentum.”

The women played next, facing Mon-

tana State Billings. Senior Nicole Bozek

stated the game off with a layup, giving the

Nanooks the only lead they would see for

the rest of the night. The Yellow Jackets stung

the Nanooks by taking an 81-60 win.

against Seattle Pacific. They kept the game

within three points for the first 10 minutes of

the game, but eventually, the Falcons domi-

nated the game and flew away with a 93-39

victory.

“If we fight like we did in the second

half [of Thursday’s game], we’ll come out

victorious,” Johnson said of the men’s team.

Victorious they were. The Nanooks

took on Northwest Nazarene, following the

women’s game. The Nanooks played hard,

keeping tight with the Crusaders. The lead

went back and forth throughout the first

half, but the Nanooks lead by one at half

The women opened Saturday’s games time.

There wasn’t a moment of the second half

that the Nanooks didn’t own the lead. The

Crusaders didn’t give up and were within

three points of the Nanooks with seconds

left in the game, but the Nanooks prevailed,

winning 84-79.

West had 31 points in both Thursday’s

and Saturday’s games. Saturday marked

West’s 10th 30-plus point game of the

season, setting a new GNAC record.

Next up for the Nanooks, both men and

women are on the road. The women will

take on Northwest Nazarene and Central

Washington, and the men will battle against

Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific.

4.6x7_SYK_CondomWeek_K.indd 2 1/19/11 9:21 AM

Perspectives10 The Sun StarFebruary 1, 2011

Where’s the clubhouse?JR AnchetaSun Star Reporter

Found in more than 2,000 universities

in 40 countries, Students in Free Enterprise

(SIFE) is an organization that “helps in

developing projects aimed at creating eco-

nomic opportunity for others.” SIFE has a

very active presence at UAF.

In 2006, after realizing that she has

several students who enjoyed thinking

about economics, SIFE advisor Sherri Wall

started a club for those who didn’t want to

be Economics majors. Students Who Like

Economic Thinking was started, which then

led to search for a national and international

organization. “I did a Google Search and

I’ve never done SIFE before,” Wall said. “I’m

thinking ‘This kind of sounds like a good fit,

maybe we could partner with them.’” Since

then, the club’s membership has grown

from five to 25, and the scope of their proj-

ects has increased.

“The projects themselves have

changed,” member Camilla Kennedy said.

“Now the focus is more kind of having more

sustainable projects.” SIFE has numerous

projects, including Students Who Enjoy

Economic Thinking (SWEET). SWEET hosts

a lecture series that has brought up several

notables, including the late Ted Stevens,

members of the State Legislature, business

delegates, and others. SIFE also works on

business incubators and outreach in rural

Alaska communities.

In addition, SIFE has Project Ummid,

a micro-finance program that gives loans

to rural women in Jamsuth, India. SIFE or-

ganized Dwali night in December as one of

their annual fundraisers for Project Ummid.

“I’ve kind of seen [this club] grow into

a relatively well-established club,” said

Sitara Chauhan, SIFE President. “It’s re-

ally amazing to have, in the last five years,

become this avenue for people in our com-

munity to come to us and be like, ‘I want to

work with you and do this.’”

Members of SIFE are also planning to

travel to San Francisco for an annual re-

gional competition on March 14 where they

will present a report on the impact they’ve

made in the previous year. “We’ve been re-

gional champs twice,” said Wall. SIFE also

won rookie team of the year.

SIFE meets every Friday at Room 216 at

Bunnell Building from 5-6 p.m.. Anyone in-

terested in becoming a member is welcome.

Members of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) meet at Bunnel Conference Room 216 Fri-day, Jan 28 2011, as they prepare for a Regional Competition in March. Michelle Hebert is the guest speaker. JR Ancheta/Sun Star.

Clubbing with JR

Fast-forward to Chicago, where blues

migrated during the early 1940s. In their

new urban setting, the blues took on a

more electric sound that was perfected

by the likes of Tampa Red and Elmore

James. Go in June if you want to catch the

annual Chicago Blues Festival, where per-

formances run the gamut of blues styles

and feature both well known and up-and-

coming acts. If you’re an aspiring blues

musician, a visit to the Chicago Music Ex-

change absolutely must be on your to-do

list. This emporium features a wide range

of new and vintage equipment, with a di-

verse stock that changes constantly. Your

mouth will water and your fingers will itch

at the sight of the guitars that cover the

showroom walls. Swing by Vintage Vinyl

Records or Coop’s Underground Music to

search for rare recordings in any and all

genres of music – there’s no better piece of

memorabilia to take home from a music-

centered

trip than a hard-to-find LP of your favorite

artist. Finally, make sure to reserve some

time for the Chicago Blues Museum before

taking in a drink and a live performance at

one of the city’s numerous blues clubs.

Although the above itinerary high-

lights only the two broadest and most well-

known types of blues, both new and old

fans are sure to find something to delight

and inspire them. Singles, couples, and

families can easily tailor a music-themed

trip to suit their own needs, and the beauty

of traveling with everything blues as your

destination is that you are guaranteed to

encounter others along the way who share

your passion. Whether you prefer to follow

in the footsteps of iconic Blues Brothers

Jake and Elwood or to have a deep conver-

sation about the pros and cons of various

scales with a local musician, there’s no

better way to escape the winter doldrums

then to go chasing after the blues.

Jamie HazlettSun Star Columnist

Weekend WanderlustToe-tapping travel, a to-do list

Regardless of whether or not you went

to see the Blackwater Blues Band perform

at the Pub last Friday night, there can be no

question that the blues and blues culture

are a heady recipe for travel. Not only does

a good playlist of Leadbelly, Willy Dixon,

B.B. King and John Lee Hooker help long

layovers and tedious flights pass with ease,

it can be the inspiration for a whirlwind

tour of the places and faces essential to

the genre. With that in mind, prepare to

shake off your February funk and get your

toes tapping in places near and dear to the

heart of the music.

By focusing on the two main centers of

blues culture, Chicago and Memphis, one

can easily visit a number of music-based

attractions in the span of a week. The first

stop is Memphis, Tennessee, where the

infamous Beale Street witnessed the birth

of the blues. The epicenter of Memphis

nightlife in the first decades of the 20th

century, Beale Street was a magnet for

Delta blues musicians drawn to the sound

pioneered by W.C. Handy, writer of the

hallmark song “Memphis Blues.” Today’s

Beale Street-bound blues aficionados can

visit Handy Park to hear live performances,

visit the W.C. Handy House and Museum

to get a sense of the man himself, or head

down to B.B. King’s Blues Club for good

food and great music. Shop the myriad

street vendors, drop into a club or two,

and don’t forget to keep your eyes and ears

peeled for the modern bluesmen who can

frequently be found playing up and down

the length of Beale Street.

If you really want to steep yourself in

blues history, swing south to Clarksdale to

visit the Delta Blues Museum. Only an hour

and a half from Memphis, Clarksdale and

its surroundings were the early stomping

grounds of greats from Muddy Waters to

Sam Cooke to John Lee Hooker. Visit Red’s

Lounge to experience the feel of a real juke

joint, and catch some phenomenal music

while you’re there. Overall, Clarksdale can

be done in a day or so, and it makes an ex-

cellent side trip from Memphis.

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Letters to the EditorHave something to say? Say it here. The Sun Star welcomes reader commentary.

Letters to the editor should be no more than 250 words in length. Please include the author’s full name and contact information (phone number, e-mail or ad-dress). E-mail your letters (preferred) to fystar@uaf.edu, fax them to 474-5508, or mail them to to PO Box 756640, Fairbanks, AK, 99775. All letters are subject to editing for brevity and grammar.

Lauren and Tayden11Editorial www.uafsunstar.com February 1, 2011

Did you know Lauren Lecomte? Plenty of you did,

I’m sure. After all, she was a RA at McIntosh. She died on

Feb. 3, 2009, of bulimia. Two years ago. Her father, Serge,

wrote a book of poetry, called “Lauren at Two.” On the

cover is Lauren, smiling at the camera. She was two years

old. I see that picture on the cover and it makes me think

of my own daughters. One of them, Tayden, just cel-

ebrated her birthday. She is two years old. I think about

that, about Lauren, about the grief of a father losing a

daughter, and I have to fight for every word of this edito-

rial. This is personal.I open the book. I’m staring at a picture of Lauren; she’s 20 in this one. She smiling,

albeit reluctantly, as if it is more for our benefit than for hers. She strikes me as the kind

of person who would reach out and comfort you even as she concealed a deep, personal

pain. As it turned out, she was.

Flipping through the pages, I go on a journey through Lauren’s life. In “Resurrection,”

Serge’s words paint a picture of Lauren’s birth and I’m there with him, watching my own

daughters being born. In “A first visit to the dentist,” Lauren bites the finger of the appro-

priately named Dr. Payne. I remember my oldest daughter’s first visit, pacing the lobby

with ears straining to hear what was going on in the dentist’s office.

The more I read about Lauren, the more she becomes like my own daughters and the

more I identify with her father. Most of the poems in “Lauren at Two” were written while

Lauren was alive, 13 were written after her death. The final poem in the book is perhaps

the most comprehensive. It lays out Lauren’s life, and death, for all to see.

The Flowering of Lauren (1989-2009)By Serge Lecomte

The gardener’s seed grew in a solitary spothe watered and weeded.

A trunk emerged with branches out of season,but no matter how much he prayed, the sun

never seemed to warm his tree.He breathed on the plant to give it life,

and because he loved his tree with all his heart,it gave him flowers of various shapes and colors.

People were amazed and told the gardener how beautiful his creation was,

but the kind praises didn’t deter blightfrom taking root.

The tree lived for several reasons,losing its blooms and leaves.

Then its branches and trunk rotted from within.The gardener’s heart was frantic to find a cure,

but none of the potions he triedcould revive his beloved tree.

When the people heard his creation had died,they gathered at the gardener’s orchard

to know if the news was real.When they saw nothing grew where once beauty

bloomed, they wept so much from lovethat their tears awoke the spirit of the tree

as it grew back before their eyes.The gardener rejoiced as he gave them

cuttings to make sure his tree would never die.

He asked them to call it the Lauren Tree.

You can get your own piece of the “Lauren Tree” at Gulliver’s Books, the Fairbanks

Arts Association, Amazon Books and Kindle.

Sudoku

xkcd

Coffee Break

Andrew SheelerEditor-in-ChiefUAF Sun Star

$UAF STUDENTS

UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution. 01/2011 America’s Arctic University

Apply for scholarships now!Scholarships are available for 2011 – 2012.

UAF students are awarded more than $700,000 through more than 350 privately funded scholarships each year.

One of them might be just for you.• Toseewhatscholarshipsareavailablevisit www.uaf.edu/finaid/types/scholarships.html

• Toapply,logontohttp://uaonline.alaska.edu andchoose“FinancialAid,”thenchoose “Scholarships.”

Apply by Feb. 15, 2011

Helping others can be meaningful work. Flexible hours are available—full-time or part-time—while you’re in school.

Job opportunities are available all over Alaska. Jobs where you will make a positive difference for people of all ages who have developmental disabilities, mental illness, chronic alcoholism, or Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Earn money, help others and learn about a growing industry—all from a part-time position.

Find Meaningful Work.

Tina Woods, Anchorage and Saint Paul Island. UAA graduate, Ph.D. student in UAF-UAA Joint Ph.D. Program in Clinical-Community Psychology.

www.mhtrust.org

The Alaska Mental HealthTrust Authority

Curious? Find out more at aadsc.orgJoin us on Facebook

“What should we DO with ALL THIS MONEY?”

The $5 per credit hour Technology Fee adds up to

Big Bucks for UAF every semester.

$$$$$$$$$$$$

You can help determine how the money is spent. Submit a proposal to the

UAF Technology Advisory Board (TAB) by visiting

www.alaska.edu/uaf/tab/

Deadlines for proposals:

Faculty, staff and students:

February 16

UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution.

Step aside Ann Landers, move over Dan Savage, be quiet Dr. Laura. It’s time for “Coffee With Cupid!” We’ll be run-ning this very special romance advice col-umn in our Valentine’s Day-themed Feb. 8 is-sue. Got a question for the Sun Star’s very own

Dr. Love? Email it to: editor@uafsunstar.com Don’t

be shy!