HLC BEYOND CAPACITY PAGE 4
T H E L U M BE R JACK
FEB. 1, 2018 – FEB. 7, 2018
Online at JackCentral.org
From the Editor
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s a Montanan living in the great state of Arizona, I have come to realize a few things. As Americans, we are more similar than we think. Currently, there is a massive divide between the two major political parties. It is easy to think that there is no hope for any kind of compromise, or even an iota of respect for people who disagree with us politically. Ostensibly our government shut down Jan. 20 because of disagreements over the national budget, but the real reasons run deeper than that. The Democrats want assurance that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy will be extended, and Republicans want funding for building a wall between the Mexicanand-American border. I argue that both of these issues boil down to something we can all agree on: We want the best for future citizens of our great nation. It is imperative that we find common ground if we are ever going to survive. The Winter Olympics are about to begin, which makes this a good time to take a step back and think about how we can come together as a nation. The Winter Olympic United States hockey team is filled with players from different political and MATTHEW STRISSEL religious affiliations, but that doesn’t matter to them. They have one goal, and they PRINT CHIEF are going to work together to achieve it. If North Korea and South Korea can find a way to march together and wave one single flag at the Olympics, then certainly the Democrats and Republicans can find a way to work together. I encourage all NAU students to join either a college Democrat club or a Republican club according to their political beliefs. I think they should have open and honest debates with each other. They should not belittle and degrade each other just because their political views are different. I am proud to say that I have voted in four different national elections since 2004, and I have voted for both Democratic and Republican candidates. At the end of the day, it is about what is best for the nation and not what is best for a particular political party. The next time you hear someone say something you disagree with, try to look at things from their point of view instead of just writing them off as an idiot. The best way to strengthen your own argument is to understand the other side’s position and come up with a better way to see things. Doing this will make both sides understand each other. I’m listening to “One Nation Under a Groove” by Funkadelic. Thank you for reading.
“We live in a fragile ecosystem, even here in the high desert. It’s delicate, and you want to take care of it.” - Jeff Hall, Climate Action and Adaptation Plan Steering Committee member, 2018 Jeff Hall answers questions and explains Flagstaff’s carbon footprint during presentations at a climate change open house Jan. 24 at the Flagstaff Aquaplex. Jason White | The Lumberjack
Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313 Lumberjack@nau.edu P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011
THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 106 ISSUE 3
Editor-in-Chief Megan Troutman
Managing Editor Lance Hartzler
Copy Chief Emma Helfrich
Web Chief Ariel Cianfarano
Faculty Advisor Mary Tolan
Faculty Advisor, Visuals Jennifer Swanson
Sales Manager Marsha Simon
Print Chief Matthew Strissel
Media Innovation Center Editorial Board News Editor Conor Sweetman
Op-Ed Editor Elizabeth Wendler
Sports Editor Bailey Helton
Director of Illustration Colton Starley
Asst. News Editor Mikayla Shoup
Asst. Op-Ed Editor Peggy Packer
Asst. Sports Editor Quinn Snyder
Director of Photography Shannon Cowan
Senior Reporters Adrian Skabelund Chandler Coiner
Culture Editor Katie Sawyer
Features Editor Darrion Edwards
Asst. Director of Photography Maxim Mascolo
Director of Circulation Asst. Culture Editor Luis Gardetto Ashley Besing
Asst. Features Editor MaryAnn Witt
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Senior Photographer Michael Patacsil
On the cover New Year’s resolutions and increasing student population push the capacity of the Health and Learning Center, Jan. 29. Maxim Mascolo | The Lumberjack
Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Megan Troutman at mlt273@nau.edu.
PoliceBeat Jan. 22 At 11:38 a.m., a staff member at Cline Library reported that a non-student was damaging state property. Three NAUPD officers arrived at the scene, and the individual was booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility (CCDF) for an outstanding warrant and an aggravated criminal damage charge. At 5 p.m., a non-student at Hilltop Townhomes called to report the theft of their backpack at approximately noon that same day. An NAUPD officer took a report, but the case was closed after all leads were exhausted. Jan. 23 At 1 p.m., a staff member in Allen Hall called to report smoke emanating from a nearby Dumpster. NAUPD and FFD responded, but no smoke was visible. Everything was fine. At 6:21 p.m., a student called to report that they were attempting to commit suicide on the urban trail, near the NAU practice fields. NAUPD responded to the scene, and the student was transported to FMC for treatment and evaluation. If you or a friend are having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-8255 for 24/7 help. At 8:30 p.m., an RA called to report the odor of marijuana wafting through Reilly Hall. NAUPD responded, and one student was booked into CCDF for possession of marijuana. Two other students were criminally deferred for use of marijuana. Jan. 24 At 6:51 p.m., someone called to report a person shouting at a passersby outside the Communication building.
Compiled by Adrian Skabelund
NAUPD responded but didn’t cleared for re-entry. Fire Life find anyone shouting. and Safety was notified of the issue. At 7:37 p.m., an RA at Morton Hall called to report At 4:36 p.m., an Economy an unknown alarm sounding. Towing employee called to The area was searched by report the theft of a tire boot NAUPD and FFD personnel outside Hilltop Townhomes. who found some burnt food, NAUPD responded and took which was determined to be a report. The suspect later the cause of the commotion. returned the boot without incident. Jan. 25 At 1:21 a.m., NAUPD At 6:45 p.m., FFD called assisted FPD with a fight that for assistance in dealing with a broke out off campus on San vehicle fire near the Drury Inn. Francisco Street. An NAUPD officer responded and assisted with the fire. At 5:32 p.m., a Cline Library staff member called Jan. 27 to report that a non-student At 7:07 p.m., someone was in the building who had waved down an NAUPD previously trespassed. NAUPD officer after two vehicles had responded, but the subject had collided outside Tinsley Hall. left the area before they arrived. NAUPD made contact with the involved parties. No one At 10:28 p.m., a staff was hurt, and one person was member in McConnell Hall cited for not yielding from a reported there was a damaged private drive. sign in the building. NAUPD responded but found that the At 11:02 p.m., an RA sign was in fact undamaged. called to report an intoxicated student in Sechrist Hall. One Jan. 26 NAUPD officer, a Guardian At 6:59 a.m., Hi-Line Medical Transport ambulance Vending called NAUPD to and FFD responded to the report a subject who was dorm. The student was kicking one of their vending transported to FMC for machines at Sechrist Hall. treatment. The student may be One NAUPD dispatcher cited at a later date. responded, and although no criminal activity was observed, Jan. 28 hall staff was notified of the At 1:10 a.m., a student incident. reported that someone was trying to break into vehicles At 9:43 a.m., someone in the San Francisco Parking called to report a dog was Garage. One NAUPD officer off-leash with its owner near went to check it out and made parking lot 13. NAUPD contact with the subject in responded and searched the question. A brief foot chase area but found nothing. broke out, the subject was caught and booked into CCDF At 2:13 p.m., a staff for consuming alcohol as a member in Mountain View minor. There was no evidence Hall called to report the smell of burglary. of an electrical fire. NAUPD and FFD responded to the call. Upon investigation, there was no fire, and the building was
FEBRUARY 1, 2018 – FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 3
NEWS
New Year’s resolutions and increasing student population push the legal occupancy of the Health and Learning Center, Jan. 29. Maxim Mascolo | The Lumberjack
HLC over capacity during Welcome Week Valentine Sargent
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ith the start of a new year, many people have made New Year’s resolutions to get in better shape. This past week, on-campus gym goers were surprised when they entered the Health and Learning Center (HLC) to see a line extending from the front desk to the gym’s entrance. The HLC reached overcapacity Jan. 16, Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, the first week of this semester. Derek Sansbury, a business information systems management major who was working the HLC’s front desk during these days, said he has never seen the HLC that busy since he began working there in October 2017. The Recreation Operations Coordinator Angela Elgin said the maximum capacity of the HLC’s weight room is 160 people. Some people chose to wait for 10 to 15 minutes to get into the gym, while others left after seeing the long line. Sawyer Branson, a freshman hotel and restaurant management major, said he was confused about what exactly was going on when he went to the gym Jan. 17. When he arrived about 7 p.m., there were 10 to 15 people waiting in line, and when he left the gym about 9 p.m., there was a longer line of
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about 30 people. The employees at the HLC had to figure out how to organize people once they started to get close to capacity. “When we were getting closer and closer to reaching capacity, it was starting to get more stressful, but once we started making people wait in a line outside of the rec center, it wasn’t as [bad],” said Sansbury. The overcapacity was not because they did not have enough equipment. Branson said even though he saw gym equipment that was not being used, there was an abundance of people lingering around the recreation center. The HLC employees had to limit the number of people entering the gym because going over capacity is a violation of fire codes and is a fire hazard. Overcrowding, or admitting more than the approved number of people allowed in a building or room, is a violation of section 107.6 of the International Fire Code. The maximum occupancy of a room or building is determined by the square footage of the room or building. If a fire official discovers that a room is over capacity, they are authorized to stop whatever activity is going on that is causing the overcrowding until the room is back within capacity. If a violation were to occur, there is the possibility of a fine and a reinspection.
Branson reported seeing a few irritated students and at least 15 people decided it was not worth the wait Jan. 17. Sansbury thinks that the overcrowding is due to people keeping their New Year’s resolutions. The second week at the HLC was less busy than the first week and the HLC has not reached capacity since the first week. The Statistic Brain Research Institute reports that 21.4 percent of people’s New Year’s resolutions are to either lose weight or eat healthier. This is the most common resolution followed by other self-improvement goals. Just under 73 percent of people actually follow through on their resolutions during the first week, 68.4 percent after two weeks and 58.4 percent after one month. Branson said it is stressful to avoid the high traffic at the HLC. After experiencing the large crowd last week, he has decided to go to the gym at different times when people are more likely to be in class. Sansbury tries to avoid popular times when many others go to the HLC. “The best times would be at 6 a.m., when [the HLC] opens, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.,” Sansbury said. As people continue their semester with work and school, it is likely the number of gym-goers will continue to decline.
FEBRUARY 1, 2018 – FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 5
NEWS
Flagstaff Lawmaker wants to keep public records private Chandler Coiner
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n Arizona lawmaker from Flagstaff is making headlines again with a new bill that would give exemptions to personal devices from public records law. Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, introduced House Bill 2265 to the state legislature in early January. The bill would keep records safe from journalists or private citizens if stored on an official’s personal device, like a cell phone — even if the record is official business. The bill comes from a long line of inflammatory proposals from the northern Arizona representative. In 2014, Thorpe introduced a bill that would end the Arizona Endangered Spices Act and would deport certain endangered animals out of the state. The bill never gained much traction. In August 2016, Thorpe went after ethnic studies programs in universities that promote resentment and solidarity among classes and groups. In January 2017, Thorpe proposed to make campus addresses invalid places of residence for someone registering to vote. This bill disproportionately affected college students, a large voting base for Thorpe. None of those bills became law. Now, Thorpe’s proposed public records law change could have significant repercussions for the idea of open government. Even without Thorpe’s bill passing, some are not confident in the current state of public records law. “I would not say government is getting more open,” said David Bodney, a litigator in Phoenix specializing in media and constitutional law. “Ironically, in the digital era, we find ourselves fighting harder to obtain basic records from government.” Bodney has worked in Arizona since 1979 on cases such as First Amendment speech and intellectual property rights. His most relevant work is in securing open government legislation with media outlets like The Arizona Republic. The separation of public officials from their personal devices when it comes to official business is important to the Phoenix litigator. “Arizona law does not intrude unfairly on the lives of public officials. They really should refrain from using the private for the professional, and to the extent they sometimes confuse the two, it’s only fair for the public to see the public business conducted by a public official on his or her personal device,” Bodney said. “In other words, the public’s right to inspect a public record should not turn on the device
Illustration by Colton Starley
but rather the substance of the communication.” The wording of the bill goes well beyond just communication. The exemption comprises “any activity, communication, data or other form of content that is created, stored or received on any electronic device, server, or digital network, including a social media or email account or network or other online-enabled software, application, website or system” that is not government property. “I’d have no objection to the state providing legislators with mobile devices to conduct state business on,” said Thorpe in a previously prepared statement given to the media last month. “However, if I’m paying the monthly
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phone bill on my personal device, I think those records ought to belong to me.” The bill comes weeks after a December 2017 decision from the Arizona Court of Appeals in which the court reaffirmed that private device usage can constitute as a public record. State Attorney General Mark Brnovich also reaffirmed this in July 2017. A big problem facing the community of citizens and officials advocating for open government is that records requests are often ignored with little recourse. Elizabeth George is a retired NAU music lecturer and is now part of a Flagstaff group working to increase political awareness of NAU
students. One of the group’s goals is to replace Thorpe in the legislature because the members do not think he represents the sentiments of the Flagstaff community. “The mobile device thing, it seems like that’s exactly what the Republicans were coming down on Hillary Clinton for. State business on a private device?” said George. “It seems like he’s wording it so that lawmakers could do that. I can see not wanting your personal emails or your pictures or whatever being publicly disclosed, but if you’re conducting state business on your phone, then that should be part of the public record.” Bodney has worked in media law in Arizona for decades, so naturally he is invested in the outcome of the bill. “I would say the bill runs counter to the interest of open government and public transparency,” Bodney said. “It encourages the use of private devices, and it would only serve to hide matters of public interest from the citizens. Does that run counter [to my work]? Yes, but the bigger issue is that it deprives the public’s right to know.” George’s advocacy group, known as Expunge Bob, began around the time of President Donald Trump’s election. However, the group has focused on the political problems closer to home, such as Thorpe’s agenda. “I think what the whole national scene does is just overwhelm and exhaust people who are critical and genuinely worried about the direction this administration is taking,” George said. “And so, yes, it is a distraction, and it sort of blinds you to the fact that you actually could be working right in your own hometown for school boards, for town council, for board of supervisors, for state houses. So, I think that’s kind of what this group assumed and decided when we started to meet, is that ‘OK, nationally, things are really scary and depressing right now, but let’s take action where we might actually have a more immediate effect.’” While there is no conformation, Thorpe may be running for reelection in 2018 and for his final term as a state representative in the Arizona legislature. However, with U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, retiring at the end of this term, that leaves an open Senate seat in Arizona. Already there is a long list of candidates eying the Russell Senate building office. In the meantime, the efficacy of Thorpe’s more extreme bills remains to be seen as they continue to land on the State House floor with a thud.
NEWS
ABOR gives Cheng $180,000 bonus, more bonuses possible Owen Sexton
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or most people, a Christmas bonus comes as a small token of appreciation from their employers. Most bonuses never go over $1,000 either, with the national average at $858, according to an Accounting Principles survey published November 2015. President Rita Cheng’s bonus for the 2017 fiscal year, however, was $180,000. As of November 2017, Cheng’s annual salary was $390,000. By comparison, and UA’s presidents annually make $838,438 and $988,000 respectively. This does not include bonuses. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, ASU’s Micheal Crow was the highest paid public university professor in the United States in 2017 after bonuses, totaling over $1.5 million. The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) said the bonuses they give out to university presidents are performance-based. Julie Newberg, director of communication for ABOR, laid out Cheng’s bonus. Cheng received $15,000 for writing a strategy for the future of NAU’s remote campuses. She received $10,000 for completing a strategy on NAU’s distance learning initiatives. Another $10,000 was for reaching a 75 percent retention rate of incoming freshman. Cheng received $20,000 for bringing NAU’s research expenditure to $39.2 million, plus another $20,000 for getting the research expenditure to $40.6 million. Cheng was given $10,000 for awarding 4,625 bachelor’s degrees and another $10,000 was for bringing in 3,200 transfer students from community colleges. She received $20,000 for improving NAU’s extended-campus learning program and another $20,000 for building a plan with Allied Health Programs. She also received $10,000 for completing NAU’s resource development plan and, finally, $10,000 for increasing academic quality. The remaining $25,000 was given for goals that all three state university presidents, and the president of ABOR, met, giving Cheng a total of $180,000 in bonuses. Together, these four presidents are known as the Enterprise Executive Committee. Whether or not Cheng will return the bonus is yet to be seen. However, more bonus incentives have been announced for the future. In an ABOR meeting Jan. 25, board members convened to lay out bonus incentives through the year 2020 for not only Cheng but all members of the Enterprise Executive Committee. All incentives are at-risk, meaning they will not be awarded if the goal for the incentive is not met. For Cheng personally, $10,000 will be given if freshman retention reaches 78 percent, with an extra $10,000 if it reaches 78.5 percent. ABOR defines freshman as first-time and fulltime first-year students Newberg said. Twenty thousand dollars will be given if NAU attains at least $40.8 million in research expenditures, with another $20,000 being awarded if total research expenditures exceed $42.2 million. Another $10,000 will be given if the total number of bachelor’s degrees exceeds 6,431. If the total number of students enrolled reaches 32,716, that’s another $10,000 and $10,000 will be given for producing at least 4,146 degrees in high-demand fields. High-demand field degrees include degrees in healthcare,
President Rita Cheng presents plans for the future of NAU during the campus forum at the High Country Conference Center Oct. 18, 2016. Alyssa Tavison | The Lumberjack
Illustration by Colton Starley
education and STEM programs, according to an NAU Impact and Public Service report. A hearty $20,000 will be given for a report on the university’s business practices. The report will include descriptions of the change of management process, implementation strategies, and proof of improvement in effectiveness and efficiency, creating an institutional perspective on business practices. Another $20,000 will be given for a report on NAU’s academic structure. This report will detail how changes are being made to accommodate students’ classroom needs as NAU grows.
It will also include information on high-growth schools, colleges and programs within the university, as well as focus on areas of graduate study in which NAU can excel. Details on which schools and programs were not available. If Cheng accomplishes all eight of these goals, not only will she be eligible for $130,000 in bonuses, but she will receive an additional $50,000 in bonus money for simply reaching them. This will bring her total again to $180,000 if she is able to achieve every goal in 2018. That $180,000 does not count the at-risk incentive goal set for the Enterprise Executive Committee either. If all three state universities are successful in developing business, educational and research partnerships with the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, each president will receive an additional $15,000 in bonuses. This means, by the end of next year, if all of the goals are met, Cheng could be eligible for $195,000 in bonuses in 2020. One NAU professor has spoken out in protest of the largerthan-average bonus. English professor Anne Scott, who is also a President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow, wrote a letter to The Lumberjack Jan. 18 in which she challenged Cheng to donate her bonus to non-tenure track faculty at NAU. When asked if they had an official response, The Office of the President said they had no comment on Scott’s challenge to Cheng’s bonuses.
FEBRUARY 1, 2018 – FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 7
COMIC SPOT
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FEBRUARY 1, 2018 – FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 9
OPINION-EDITORIAL
Does the flu shot actually work? LIA MARTINEZ
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hen I went to the doctor’s office for my checkup, I was asked if I wanted to get a flu shot because it was almost flu season. Due to a rise in flu-related deaths, there are a lot of different opinions about whether or not the flu shot is the thing that is killing people. Though there have been a number of sudden deaths related to influenza both this year and in 2017, the flu shot itself is not what’s killing people. Rather, the shot is not as effective in combating the flu as in previous years. But, why? According to Livestrong, antigens are a major component of the flu vaccine. “An antigen is a bacterium, virus or pollen that triggers an immune response from your body. The antigens in the flu vaccine are inactivated viruses that are effective because they allow your body to form antibodies (chemical markers) against the flu.” Because the vaccine uses the virus itself, problems can arise if the vaccine doesn’t have the right strain that is going around that year, which is exactly what happened in 2017. According to an article published by the radio station Washington’s Top News, “The flu shots used in Australia — which are similar to what’s used in
the U.S. — were only about 10 percent effective.” Dr. Anthony Fauci explained in an interview for the Washington’s Top News article how the flu problem got out of hand in Australia and how the same thing was likely to happen in the United States. “What happened is, in the development of the vaccine ... the virus itself mutated a bit, so that there was almost an accidental mismatch purely on the basis of the virus trying to adapt itself to growing in eggs,” said Fauci. “Which is the way you make the vaccine.” Still, Fauci advised everyone to get their flu shot and not to confuse the ineffectiveness of the 2017 vaccine with the effectiveness of every flu shot. His thoughts were that it is better to be safe than sorry, which is absolutely true. Illustration By Camryn Bowers Thirty six states in the U.S. reported a surge in the flu last December, and according to CBS News, there were more
than 7,000 cases confirmed last fall. The defense of why someone should still get the vaccine is, if they receive the right strain, it can help fight the flu virus. It is not, however, the cureall for the flu. I am not saying that the flu vaccine kills people. I am saying it doesn’t protect everyone from the virus and can be a toss-up for some people. It’s important to point out that these articles are based off the flu vaccine in 2017, because previous year vaccines have saved many lives and been effective in helping stop an outbreak of the flu. This is because the virus hadn’t mutated. Vaccines for polio, chickenpox and many others have also saved the lives of children and adults alike. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, “Vaccinations will prevent more than 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children born in the last 20 years.” Everyone should make sure they are informed about whether the vaccine strain will be of help or cause problems. Stay up to date with information, practice good hygiene and be sure to get your seasonal flu shot.
Please, don’t let Joe Arpaio become senator CAITLIN BURKE
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ormer Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio recently announced his campaign for the United States Senate seat that Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake will leave this November. Arpaio’s announcement is a troubling one, as he is an abominable person and should not be elected as a senator. Arpaio has created a reputation for himself throughout the years for refusing to investigate child sex crimes, creating Tent City and racially profiling Latinos. Anyone who is proud of having this kind of a past should not have any power in the U.S. government. An article on Snopes described Arpaio’s confirmed reprehensible acts during his time as sheriff, citing that, “As the East Valley Tribune‘s Ryan Gabrielson reported in a Pulitzer Prizewinning article in 2008, Sheriff Arpaio’s personal obsession with immigration enforcement sapped county resources and led to a sharp decline in criminal investigations and arrests. Many of the cases that fell by the wayside involved sex crimes.” If that alone isn’t enough to paint Arpaio as an immoral human, Snopes also confirmed that, “Although Arpaio has since denied saying it, he was captured on video in 2008 responding to a question about using concentration camps to hold undocumented immigrants by boasting, ‘I already have a concentration camp … It’s called Tent City.’” Worst of all, Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt in July 2017 for disregarding court orders that he stop illegally
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profiling and detaining Latinos based on their immigration status. In August 2017, before a judge could sentence Arpaio, President Donald Trump pardoned him for these crimes. The public had a lot to say about this controversial pardon, including former acting Attorney General Sally Yates. “With his pardon pen, POTUS reveals his own contempt for our Constitution, our courts, and our founding principles of equality and justice,” said Yates in a Tweet. Using such serious words to describe Arpaio further details how terribly received he is, not only by Arizonans who have seen his toxicity personally, but also by accomplished government officials such as Yates. Even Arizona Sen. John McCain released a statement after Trump pardoned Arpaio saying, “The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.” Personally, having a senator with a racist criminal background like Arpaio’s is inconceivable to me. I do not want to see the possibility of Arpaio being senator become reality. One can only hope that this popular perception of Arpaio would be enough to stop him from getting a seat in the Senate, but stranger things have happened. For one, Arpaio served six terms as Sheriff of Maricopa County. In order to ensure someone as soulless and corrupt as Arpaio doesn’t gain any powerful influence in the U.S. government,
Arizona-registered voters have a duty to vote in the midterm election Nov. 6, for one of Arpaio’s opponents. I know I will be at the polls bright and early to cast my vote. I hope to see you there, too.
Joe Arpaio, former Maricopa County Sheriff and U.S. Senate candidate, speaks at his office Jan. 10 in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Matt York | Associated Press
OPINION-EDITORIAL
Dance ’til you’re addicted these areas are welcome to all ages. Allowing teenagers and children into these events s music festivals and one-night rave shows become exposes them to partial nudity and unpredictable people increasingly popular, many college-aged students on drugs. It could also lead them to believe this kind of find themselves scraping up their change to behavior is safe and fun, given all of the bright colors, lights purchase a ticket to the next big musical event. Not only and friendly faces. do people buy tickets to these shows but they also buy This is not to say that festivals shouldn’t be allowed or different party drugs to enjoy while at them. Of course, meant to belittle anyone who goes. This is just to remind not everyone who attends does drugs, however, those who people to be mindful of what they are partaking in and partake do so at their own risk. possibly consider why these drugs are illegal in the first The Los Angeles Times compiled a list in 2017 of place, before they decide to take them. Even if one is being 29 people who died of drug-related causes at festivals in careful and responsible, that does not mean their body is California alone over the past 10 years. equipped to handle such Now, I don’t know the people who substances. have died personally, but I The Electric do know that they were just Daisy Carnival in Las regular people trying to Vegas, Nevada, also enjoy themselves in known as EDC, is their free time. One an EDM festival can assume they did not that attracted intentionally push their a p p rox i m a t e l y bodies to eventually 135,000 people fail them. Raves are in 2017 over the typically glorified course of three as places full of fun, days, according to bright lights and billboard. At the 2017 glitter — places festival, more than with no rules or 1,000 people were judgment. treated for medical This is what reasons unspecified makes them a by police, and one breeding ground for 34-year-old man died, the spread and use though the cause remains of illicit drugs. This unknown. According to happy-go-lucky culture billboard, “Police say they is supported with phrases made 95 felony arrests over the like “PLUR,” which stands for weekend, most for offenses involving peace, love, unity and respect. drugs.” This term is used commonly in Imagine someone was going to a rave culture and gives the illusion festival to have fun with their friends and that nothing bad will ever happen then suddenly their entire life was changed and that everyone is on your side. This with the clink of a handcuff because of a drug premise is not only wrong but dangerous. charge. Or worse, they accidentally overdosed According to drugabuse, “Most people on ecstasy and never made it home. use drugs for the first time when they are Of course, one’s 20s are their “selfish” years Illustration By Katie Gould and, some say, are meant for experimenting. teenagers.” In 2013, there were just over 2.8 million new drugs users in the United That said, dancing for 12 hours a day for three States, and more than half were not even 18. days straight while throwing back loads of alcohol and This is a major concern because many of the drugs could create a dependency on them. companies that put on these shows, such as Relentless Addiction is real. Death is real. Beats, are trying to expand from the larger Phoenix area to People tend to think about now and not later until it put on more shows in places such as Flagstaff and Tucson. is too late. And here’s just a bit more advice. If you do still The problem is that they are afraid these areas do not have plan on attending a rave, just like a mom would say before enough 18 and older people to attend the shows. They need you walk out the door: Have fun, but be safe. to make a profit, hence the reason some of the shows in
KELSEY SPIGELMIRE
Saying good-bi to stereotypes
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t is no secret that the feelings of bisexuals are constantly invalidated by both straight people and members of the LGBTQ community. For some odd reason, for some people it is incredibly hard to believe that one single person could be attracted to both males and females. People’s suspicion of the term bisexual increases even more when someone who identifies as bisexual gets in a monogamous relationship. To many, bisexuality is a phase, a period of exploration, a ploy to figure out which sex someone is actually attracted to. For others, it is a very real feeling — one that is too often criticized. And when a bisexual person chooses to commit to a monogamous relationship, PEGGY PACKER their sexuality is doubted and questioned even further. “How can you be bisexual? Aren’t you dating a guy?” ASSISTANT Why people seem to care so much about the OP/ED EDITOR relationships and sexual attractions of others remains a mystery. But I’m here to tell you bisexuality is real and that it doesn’t just go away once you commit to a relationship with a person of either sex. It is true that some people have an “experimental” phase or become “bi-curious” and realize afterward that they are really only attracted to either men or women and not both. This isn’t the reality for everyone. For some people, it is not just an experiment. Some are undeniably attracted to both sexes. While the attraction is present toward men and women, unless the person is polyamorous, they probably won’t date both at the same time. Eventually, they will get into a relationship with either sex, and guess what? As long as they want to be, they’re still considered bisexual. Being with a woman does not erase a bisexual person’s attraction to men, just like being with a man does not erase their attraction to women. Yes, the seriousness of the relationship could perhaps dull these feelings, but I’d assume that being with someone you’re really into would dull your feelings for everyone but them, regardless of their gender. Being in a relationship does not change your sexual orientation, even if your eyes really are only for your significant other. Sexuality is fluid. Just because someone commits to a relationship does not mean that their sexuality is changed. They still feel the same way toward both sexes, and that does not deserve to be questioned just because of who they choose to date. Bisexuality isn’t even fully accepted within the LGBTQ community, which comes off as a bit hypocritical, if I do say so myself. So often people who identify as strictly gay or lesbian refer to bisexuals as confused or greedy. “Bisexuals just don’t know what they want,” some say. This is not true. Bisexuals know what they want. They want to be attracted to both sexes — in peace. And they want everyone else to mind their business. We need to start accepting the fact that attraction is different for everyone. People can’t help who they’re attracted to, even if that happens to be both men and women. Stop judging others simply because your version of attraction is limited to one sex.
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FEATURES
Enrollment growth increases demands University departments affected by increasing student population Brittany Viar
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ach year, more and more students desire to be NAU Lumberjacks. New faces, experiences and adventures are just around the corner for the thousands of eager, soon-tobe Lumberjacks. The once-small Flagstaff campus is beginning to blossom into something much larger. The amount of students enrolled with the university is the highest it has ever been since 23 students graduated from what was originally known as Arizona Normal College in 1899. “[The campus] does get a little busy at times,” said freshman biomedical major Kelly McElroy. “Seeing lines that back up pretty far and a large group of students waiting for the bus — it seems the campus is pretty busy. When there are a lot of people, it takes time away if I have to wait in a long line for food. Especially if it’s before class, and I end up not having enough time. Waiting in line for food, though, has made me late to class before.” Chad Sampson, Arizona Board of Regents vice president for strategic planning and initiatives, in 2015 highlighted that NAU’s enrollment of students, both graduate and undergraduate, would increase 27.4 percent by 2025. This would result in the total enrollment of students to reach an estimated 34,909, according to a 2015 article in the Arizona Daily Sun. On-campus housing continues to be in high demand, according to Housing and Residence Life. The rising student population has resulted in the construction of new housing for incoming freshmen and sophomore students. A new Honors College is scheduled to be completed by fall 2018 in order to aide the increased housing demands of students. “The next few years will see additional off-campus housing within walking or biking distance to campus,” said an anonymous source from Housing and Residence Life who was concerned about speaking on behalf of the department. “So, while NAU Housing and Residence Life may not be able to provide oncampus housing for all students for their entire college career, we continuously work hard with the city of Flagstaff and other developers to ensure there are many affordable housing options with close proximity to campus.” The department provides housing for incoming freshmen, sophomores, international students and transfer students. With only 25 housing options for students on campus, and the additional Honors College, students are often scrambling to find places to live. “The continued increase in the number of incoming freshmen continues to have an affect on our department by increasing the demand for housing and resources associated with increased housing,” the Housing and Residence Life source said. “As the
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number of freshmen increase, the number of available beds for upperclassmen drop, but we are always working to balance that and create new housing.” The new housing being built throughout campus is believed to help the record-breaking incoming freshmen classes as well as provide suitable living situations for upperclassmen. NAU claims that off-campus housing is continuously working to help students. According to statements from Housing and Residence Life, NAU is working with third-party builders to ensure that new housing is always available for the students. One controversial housing complex that is believed to help the increased demands is the Hub, which will be built by Mikes Pike, Milton Road and Phoenix Avenue. Members of Housing and Residence Life do what they can to accommodate students’ requests and needs for housing. There is limited housing available to upperclassmen, and NAU is partnered with American Campus Communities to provide for those students. According to the U.S. News & World Report, NAU houses 43 percent of its students on-campus this year. NAU also ranks in the 99th percentile of United States colleges and universities in the number of on-campus beds, according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. In addition to housing, parking situations for the students have caused some problems. “It is our goal that students follow the parking policies so nearly one-third of all citations are issued as or reduced to warnings in an effort to educate,” said Erin Stam, director of Parking and Shuttle Services. “We enforce daily to protect the parking for the student for whom it is intended.” Stam also noted that there are up to 100 empty parking spaces available daily, usually located on NAU’s South Campus. “Despite our best attempt to educate, students make a choice on a daily basis to park [in] violation of the policies,” Stam said. “Hundreds of these citations are reduced to warnings through the Appeal and Diversion program.” In addition to the need for housing and parking on campus, other NAU student services have also encountered issues with the increased demands from the record-breaking student populations. Because of the high demands, many of these student services have had to make adjustments to accommodate for students’ needs. One popular service offered to students is free printing and beverages at the Native American Cultural Center. Sharon Doctor, director of Native American Student Services, has noted that her department continues to work with the increased population. “We have been aware that the enrollment is increasing and we’re doing the best we can. We are planning to hire a few more peer mentors this next year. We have a few new team members on our staff to accommodate for meeting more students and
Illustration By Katie Dobrydney
[providing] more support,” said Doctor. Doctor explained that because Cline Library experiences high student traffic during peak hours, many students resort to the Native American Cultural Center in order to study. The center experiences even higher demands when special events are held within the building because of the high attendance of students, NAU faculty and Flagstaff community members. Doctor said she was uncertain about future adjustments for student growth. “At this time, I’m not sure about [future plans] … I know that requires time and funding, so we’re just grateful for what we have here. This is for any NAU student really, this building,” Doctor said. Another student service that has made adjustments to help the needs of students is the media-equipment checkout room within the School of Communication building. “We’ve got a better online service where people can make reservations on their own at home which regulates a lot of the traffic where people are waiting here just to do reservations, on top of the people who are just returning things,” said senior creative media and film major G. Gabriel Perez. As NAU’s population continues to grow, the challenges to house and provide services for students rises as well. However, some changes have been made in certain departments to adjust to the record number of students. Additional reporting by Darrion Edwards
FEATURES took 70 years to complete, has been recognized as the main historic book on the English language. James Murray, who was the main editor of the dictionary until his death in 1915, helped publish the dictionary through the Oxford University Press. Murray was a lexicographer, a person who compiles dictionaries. The Oxford Dictionary’s first name was A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles but was later changed to Oxford Dictionary once the book became widely used by the public. It became one of the most used and printed books of the century second only to the Bible. The dictionary is revised each day as new words are created. The Oxford Dictionary is now in its third edition, which is an online-based book. 1951 — First telecast of an atomic explosion On this day in history, the first atomic-bomb explosion was captured on film and broadcast across the country. This led to an increased fear of a nuclear war among the public and foreign nations alike. The telecast showed how dangerous the combination of war and science could be. The threat of nuclear war led some citizens to stock up on food supplies and personal items. Some people even went as far as to create their own private bunkers underneath their homes. This telecast held a historic importance and introduced a new era of warfare and threat from governments around the world. 1960 — Four African-American college students protested after they were refused service Four young African-American men walked into a diner to order coffee on this day in 1960. The four men, Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, David Richmond and Ezell Blair, tried to order coffee in a diner, but were refused service because of the color of their skin. The Jim Crow Laws was disastrous for African-American citizens across the country. The students decided to start a sit-in to fight for their civil rights. This sit-in became known as the Greensboro Sit-In because it took place in Greensboro, North Carolina. Over the next few weeks, more students joined them in their sit-in, and the protest moved into other southern states. During the sit-ins, many African-Americans were attacked and beaten by mostly white people. This movement, created by four students who were wronged, sparked a nationwide fight for human rights and the end to Jim Crow Laws and unethical segregation. This moment in history proved that anyone can start something great and make a positive impact and change in the world.
Michael Mix
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n this day in history, Feb. 1, protests and amendments toward civil rights were made. It also marks a day in which modernized weapons were introduced to the world, records of languages made and tragedy struck while the United States attempted to advance space travel. Here is a look at some of the historic events on this date. 1550 — John Napier was born John Napier is known as the man who discovered logarithms and became a famous mathematician. Logarithms are a quantity representing to which a fixed number must be raised. The discovery allowed mathematics to improve and other future discoveries and calculations were made. Napier was born in the Scottish town of Edinburgh and passed away in 1617 because of gout, a common disease of the time period. Napier also created the Napier bones, which made decimal points useful in mathematics. He helped pioneer modern math to create the world we enjoy and live in every day. 1865 — Abraham Lincoln summited the proposed 13th Amendment to the United States The 13th Amendment was proposed by President Lincoln on this day. Lincoln is best known for abolishing slavery and changing the course of American history by standing up to injustice and fighting the status quo. Lincoln signed the document along with the House of Representatives and the Senate to resolve the racial injustice in the country. After long debates and trials, the resolution with the House and Senate would later become the 13th Amendment, which was not ratified by the states until later, leading to years of slow transition. During this transition, millions of American citizens gained basic human rights that were deprived of them for centuries. 1884 — First edition of the Oxford Dictionary was published The first edition of the Oxford Dictionary was published on this day. The dictionary, which
1965 — Martin Luther King Jr. and hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Alabama While attempting to lead a march of 300 African-Americans to protest voter-registration procedures, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Selma, Alabama. One month after winning his Nobel Peace Prize, King led the hundreds of protesters with the help of Ralph Abernathy. The protest started from a small church in the city where King and company collided with government officials who were sent to stop the demonstration. Safety Director Wilson Baker arrested King and 300 other African-Americans on charges of parading without a permit. King was only held in jail for about an hour and was released without any charges. However, he was arrested again shortly after when he refused a Selma police officer’s command to leave the scene. 1968 — Vince Lombardi resigns as coach of the Green Bay Packers The illustrious career of NFL legend Vince Lombardi came to an end when he decided to leave the Green Bay Packers. Lombardi began his NFL career in 1959 after coaching football and basketball at a couple of high schools in New Jersey. Although he would go on to coach the Washington Redskins for one year after leaving the Green Bay Packers, his legacy was cemented when he retired. Lombardi was named NFL coach of the year after his first year in 1959 and would go on to win five NFL championships including the 1967 Super Bowl and the 1968 Super Bowl. After his death in 1970, Lombardi was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Because of his amazing coaching career, the NFL would eventually name the Super Bowl trophy after Lombardi. 2003 — NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia explodes On this day in history, tragedy struck the seven crew members of Space Shuttle Columbia. As it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, a piece of insulation foam broke free and damaged the wing of the shuttle. This caused the shuttle to start to break apart as it re-entered the atmosphere. All seven crew members died. This was only the second time this happened to NASA, the first being the Challenger disaster in 1989. After the 2003 catastrophe, shuttle flights and further space trips were postponed for two years. This resulted in a major changes within NASA’s technical and organizational operations including on-orbit inspections to prevent thermal-protection system malfunctions.
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FEBRUARY 1, 2018 – FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 15
CULTURE
Meditation with good vibrations Gabriella Johnson
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lagstaff community members trickled in to the Northern Arizona Yoga Center Jan. 28 and set up yoga mats and rugs around bowls, gongs and various other instruments placed in the middle of the room. The lights dimmed, and some attendees lay down while others sat with legs crossed. They were there to experience sound meditation, some for the first time. Sunday nights are what regulars of sound meditation look forward to all week. “This is the best way to end the week and start the week. I definitely look forward to [sound meditation],” said senior fitness and wellness major Madison Dreifuss who has attended sound meditations for nearly three years. Sound meditation also helps attendees to reset and get ready for a new week. “Being able to practice this on a Sunday and look forward to Monday is really cool. [There’s] a whole other week ahead of me, then I have next Sunday,” Dreifuss said. Jan Michael Meade, the regular facilitator for sound meditation and massage and energy worker in Flagstaff, explained what sound mediation is. “Sound meditation is the utilization of different instruments that are specifically made to help people come into a meditative state,” said Meade. They use Tibetan singing bowls, medicine drums, gongs, flutes and other instruments to help people get in to a deeper state of consciousness in sound meditation. “Meditation in general is awareness of being. Awareness of what is. The point is not to create [any particular feeling]. Simply be present and allow it to come,” Meade said. “It’s religious and nonreligious.” Sound meditation is very different from solo meditation because all one has to do is listen and feel the sounds and vibrations. Meade believes, through these two senses, attendees old and new can find an elevated sense of consciousness. “Through those two acts, one finds themselves simultaneously in a meditative state, experiencing deeper states of consciousness. With other meditation techniques it is purely through your will and effort. So it makes it a lot easier for meditators to get in [a meditative state],” Meade said.
Left: Bonn Baudelaire settles into a meditative state during a sound meditation session at the Northern Arizona Yoga Center Jan. 28. Right: Bells, bowls and other hand-held instruments are displayed on a blanket at the Northern Arizona Yoga Center Jan. 28. Hunter Weiler | The Lumberjack
Another benefit is the group setting, where many people can experience similar feelings at one time. The sound meditation started with only a few instruments being utilized, and as more instruments were added, the sound gradually amplified. At this time, facilitators of the sound meditation moved around the room with mobile instruments to help participants take strides in their meditative journey. “The more people together creates more weight and most of the time helps everyone go that much deeper,” Meade said. Meade, who has been facilitating sound meditations for nearly eight years, said that the center has anywhere between 20 to 40 people attend a sound meditation at one time. The January event had around 15 in attendance. “We definitely have regulars, and we’re always seeing new people come in too,” Meade said. While sound meditation can help with stress relief, Meade has also heard feedback that attendees have had deep soul experiences, gained clarity of the self and the world and spiritual experiences. “Altered states of consciousness often do arise, where people feel incredibly light or incredibly heavy. Sometimes people have
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heightened perceptions, so they have what people call ‘inner visions,’” Meade said. He admits, however, that it is difficult to capture the experience of sound meditation because it is so different for everyone. Flagstaff yoga teacher and trainer Malisa Bobbitt spoke about the history and nature of the yoga center 13 years ago when it was called Ravenstar Studio. “[The owners] were more yogis than business people. Financially, it wasn’t going so well from what I understand,” said Bobbitt. John Doskicz then bought it and changed the name to Northern Arizona Yoga Center in 2007. Bobbitt became co-owner of the business following this purchase. “It’s more of a spiritual studio, spiritually grounded, really based on hatha yoga and yoga that has a lineage back to India. Not really trendy yoga. We really try to stay true to what we feel yoga is,” Bobbitt said. Hatha yoga focuses more on the posture and breathing technique aspects of yoga. On the topic of cultural appropriation, Bobbitt recognizes the origins of yoga and tries to teach the aspects of yoga that are spiritual and keep the integrity of the way it originated. “As a teacher, I like to share that this is
a bigger view of what yoga is. But I also feel that, because it’s so huge, it’s not necessarily for everybody,” Bobbit said. “For some people, it’s the physical part that works for them. I’m not a person to judge what they should or shouldn’t do. I think different teachers have different ways of teaching that spiritual aspect.” Because of sound meditation’s spiritual nature, the owners of the studio thought it would be a good addition for the community of Flagstaff, and they believe it has had a positive impact on the city. The sound meditations, however, were put on hold for a few months after Meade was involved in a car accident. The event had taken place every week for four years up until that point, and upon returning, they tried advertising but found that publicity was not needed. “People are talking about it and recommending it on their own. That means something good is happening,” Meade said. The Northern Arizona Yoga Center maintains they are welcoming to all people and their individual spiritual journeys. “It’s rewarding as a studio owner to know that what we’re doing is positively changing people’s lives. It’s saving people’s lives on some level,” Bobbitt said.
CULTURE
Bright lights and Dark Skies Joey Felton
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or many college students, free time is spent away from the hustle of school and work. For Kassandra Ramirez and her fellow artists at Contagion Media Production House, every free moment is another opportunity to shine in the community. Dark Sky Electric, an electronic music dance party hosted by The Orpheum Theater Jan. 26, showcased the diverse talent and philanthropic spirit of Contagion Media, a local Flagstaff media production company. The 18-and-older event provided a platform for several local musicians and artists while raising money for Don’t be a Chump! Check for a Lump! whose mission is to aid in the fight against breast cancer. Ramirez is a senior with a double major in creative media and film and photography. She began Contagion Media as an outlet for her photography before an NAU course inspired her to branch out as a professional. “Originally, Contagion Media was just me. I decided probably around June [2017] to really start Contagion. I’m a filmmaker, a photographer and a musician, so I wanted something that could let me express myself in various forms,” said Ramirez. According to contagionmedia.me, the services offered by the media company are as diverse as the young talents involved including photography, fashion, film, design and editing. “Success depends on if you want it or not. You need anything? Contagion Media can do it. We’re thinking for the future and where Contagion can go,” Ramirez said. Contagion Media is comprised mostly of NAU students, all of whom wish to create their own opportunities within a competitive job field. Sophomore creative media and film major Nouhoum Samaké is also hoping to jump-start his career. “We’re multitalented. We don’t want to be limited to one thing,” said Samaké. The Dark Sky Electric event was a stepping stone for Contagion but also provided an opportunity for the Flagstaff community to become immersed in music and other forms of art. “[Dark Sky Electric] is not just a concert. It’s an experience. Contagion is an artistic movement. In America, we don’t have a long history of art. I want to spread the art movement like a disease,” Ramirez said. With music performances, raffle prizes valued at thousands of dollars and live art shows, the Orpheum Theater looked like an indoor festival. Lights and bodies packed the dance floor until 1 a.m. One of the main goals of Ramirez and the Contagion company is to facilitate the creativity of artists in Flagstaff. One local music act got the opportunity to reveal their talent in front of over 160 people. Doubledee is the two-man DJ experience of DJ Dallas and The Dart. Formed in August 2017, the duo revelled in the idea of spreading their artistic message to a crowd as large as Dark Sky Electric. “Our whole philosophy of DJing is to reach a broad audience. You hear the same styles at festivals, [and] you get a little tired of
The crowd is lit up by lasers at The Orpheum Theater for the Dark Sky Electric show Jan. 26. Alexandria Vallejo | The Lumberjack
it. To reach the nuances of the genre, you can show people that aren’t really into electronic music, [and] you might be able to get more people who aren’t intimidated by it,” said DJ Dallas. For one local artist, the event provided a platform to showcase an impressive array of paintings and drawings. Lenford Barton is a Flagstaff local who studies at Coconino Community College while pursuing his dream as an artist. He is also a proud member of the Navajo community and is a United States Army veteran. “Kassandra saw some of my artwork on my Instagram. She told me about this event and offered to have me here. I like the exposure of my artwork. I focus on the darker, edgier images that you don’t see much around [Flagstaff],” said Barton. Community members attending Dark Sky Electric as fans were provided a well-deserved, end-of-the-week release. “I’m here to see Doubledee. My friend DJ Dallas is performing. I saw fliers, and everyone was posting on social media, so I decided I have to go,” said Joe Anderson, a junior public relations and merchandising major. The crowd appeared to be mostly comprised of college-aged partygoers looking to dress up and dance. Ramirez and her troupe of artists already have several plans on the horizon for their next event. One idea the group has been working on is to start an affordable photography workshop that would allow members of the community to spend time with Contagion and learn some of the skills used by its team members. If Dark Sky Electric is any indication of what we can expect from Contagion Media, they have already gleaned success.
DJ Freakwhensee performs at the Dark Sky Electric Show, an electronic dance music event at The Orpheum Theater Jan. 26. Alexandria Vallejo | The Lumberjack
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CULTURE
February Feb
o2 Friday
Feb
o3 Saturday
Feb
o4 Sunday
4 Cornered Room & Egg Princess
Tow’rs with Corey Kilgannon
StorySlam 4.6 “Stranger than Fiction”
Flagstaff Brewing Company 10 p.m.
Firecreek Coffee Company 8-10 p.m.
Firecreek Coffee Company 4-6 p.m.
Feb
o7 Wednesday
Screening of Loving Vincent The Orpheum Theater 7 p.m.
Feb
10 Saturday
Flagstaff Femme Fest Firecreek Roasting Works, Firecreek Coffee Co., The Green Room Times vary
Feb
17 Saturday
MarchForth with Tiny Bird The Green Room 7 p.m. - Midnight
Feb
o8 Thursday
Feb
o9 Friday
Iration
Viola Awards Showcase
The Orpheum Theater 8 p.m.
Coconino Center for the Arts 7:30 p.m.
Feb
13 Tuesday
Feb
14 Wednesday
Feb
15 -19
Paint and Pints - Date Night Edition
Valentine’s Day Dining and Dancing
Flagstaff Mountain Film Fest
Dark Sky Brewing Company 6-9 p.m.
Little America Hotel 5-10 p.m.
The Orpheum Theater Times vary
Feb
23 Friday
Feb
26 Monday
Feb
27 Tuesday
KJACK Live Arts Fest
Senses Fail
Datsik
The Orpheum Theater 9 p.m.
The Green Room 8 p.m.
The Orpheum Theater 9 p.m.
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FEBRUARY 1, 2018 – FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 19
SPORTS
Who will take a stand?
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his NFL season, there has been major backlash from fans, owners, politicians and some sports journalists against players using their platform to speak out against social injustice. Players knelt, players locked arms in unity and owners such as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones threatened to not play players who “disrespected the flag.” All of these came in the wake of the original 2016 protest by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in response to the ongoing police brutality against people of color in the United States. With the 2018 Super Bowl held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Feb. 4 featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots on the horizon, I’m interested to see LANCE if any player — or players — decide to take a HARTZLER MANAGING EDITOR stance at one of the most viewed sporting events of the year. My thoughts? Eagles defensive end Chris Long will say, or do, something. Long is one of the Eagles top defensive players, he is third on the team in sacks and hasn’t missed a game this season. What makes Long notable is he has donated his entire $1 million base salary this season to charities for education equality. He decided after giving his first six game checks of the season to continue for the final 10 games and forgo an entire season’s salary. Long has been outspoken most of the season about the anthem protests and was the first white NFL player to join the protests following the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The rally was the reason Long decided to donate his salary, he told The Washington Post in an article published December 2017. Long told USA Today in October 2017 that the root of the protest has been lost since President Donald Trump inserted himself into the debate. Long, rather than kneel this season, has unified with his teammates by placing his hand on AfricanAmerican teammate Malcolm Jenkins’s shoulder during the anthem while Jenkins held his right fist in the air. With his outspoken nature this season, I believe Long will make his stance known and stand for what he believes in and protest against social injustice. Just like he has all season. President Trump, on the other hand, was at the College Football Playoff national championship game Jan. 8 in Atlanta, Georgia. President Trump stood on the field while the anthem played and didn’t even stay for the entire game. Currently, President Trump has no plans to attend the Super Bowl, Trump aide Hope Hicks told The Boston Globe Jan. 22. But if he does make an appearance, it is safe to assume more than just Long will make a statement with the President in attendance. The Super Bowl is the chance for athletes to make their stand one last time this season. With everything that has happened this season, why not one more time?
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Coach Loree Payne talks to players from the NAU women’s basketball team during a timeout against Montana State Jan. 25. Maria Saldivar | The Lumberjack
Women’s basketball season update: Young Lumberjack roster gains valuable experience Thomas Rodgers
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ith only 10 games left in the women’s basketball regular season, Lumberjacks are 4-16 overall and are 1-8 in conference play and are currently in last place in the Big Sky Conference. This is familiar territory for the Lumberjacks who have finished in the bottom-three of the rankings since 2015. This season, NAU women’s basketball brought in head coach Loree Payne from the University of Puget Sound. She finished the 2016-2017 season with a 26-3 record and led them to a regular season championship. Along with Payne, the Lumberjacks enter the season with a team consisting of mostly underclassmen.
The 2017-2018 NAU women’s basketball season has been one of new beginnings with highs and lows throughout. Where their record stands the four wins for the Lumberjacks were substantial and somewhat historic. The Lumberjacks defeated the Pac-12 UA Wildcats 84-66 earlier this season, marking the first win against UA, Dec. 9, 1998, nearly two decades ago. Unlike like the 2016-2017 season’s senior-heavy roster, the Lumberjacks return three seniors. This has caused the Lumberjacks to struggle with finding chemistry and filling the leadership roles left open by last year’s team. Leading the team are two of those three seniors, guard Olivia Lucero and forward Kenna McDavis. Lucero is averaging 15 points per game and currently leads
SPORTS the Big Sky in total assists with 86. Since transferring from Loyola Marymount in 2015, Lucero has been proven to be an important asset to the Lumberjacks. McDavis, also averaging 15 points per game, is ranked second in the Big Sky conference averaging nine rebounds per game. As a transfer from Boise State in 2015, McDavis has also become a vital component to the Lumberjacks. With 11 underclassmen on the roster, both Lucero and McDavis were forced to step into leadership roles where they led by example and, at times, vocally. “[This season] has been unlike any other season I’ve had,” said McDavis. “I haven’t really been put in a leader role, but I think I’ve tried to attack the job well.” While the talent is there, the problem at this point in the season is the Lumberjacks reserves. “Right now we’re struggling with the depth of our rotation,” McDavis said. “We’re trying to balance our playing time with recovery and rest. It’s about finishing out games and not turning the ball over as much.” With such a dramatic change in the roster, the Lumberjacks have had to work to find a new rhythm heading into their last month of regular season play. “This year is really about changing our culture,” said Payne. “I think our seniors and our returners have been a really important piece of that [as far as] having to change some of their habits.” Some of the younger players include freshmen forwards Khiarica Rasheed and Brianna Lehew, and guards Lauren Orndoff and Kaprice Boston. The four freshmen are getting significant minutes on the court, proving themselves reliable as they work alongside their senior teammates. “It’s great that they’re getting heavy minutes right now,” Payne said. “They’re getting tons of experience for the future, becoming more consistent and are continuing to get better every day.” Rasheed, averaging 5.9 points per game, is proving herself to be a helpful hand on the glass averaging 4.5 rebounds per game so far this season, along with Orndoff averaging 6.3 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game. With the freshmen taking the initiative and growing more and more consistent, they’ve been tasked with playing almost as many minutes as their topscoring upperclassmen teammates. This roster has growth that is two dimensional as the seniors are learning to adapt to using younger teammates to their full potential and giving younger players the opportunity to do so. McDavis strives to be a motivational leader by inspiring her fellow teammates to play more confidently. “We have a lot of young teammates,” McDavis said. “I really try to push them every day, and they push me to be better as well. Really, that’s all I can do ... be the best teammate I can possibly be.” With the chemistry and confidence continuing to grow in practice and games, the Lumberjacks can form better trust and potentially finish the season strong as they continue through conference play. “We’re still in that process,” Payne said. “There’s been great times of leadership and some challenges, but we’re making the best out of our situation. For us, it’s about finishing strong and, if we can catch fire at the right time, we can really surprise some NAU junior forward Kaleigh Paplow goes in for a layup during the 69-52 loss against the University of Montana Jan. 27. people.” Matthew Strissel | The Lumberjack
FEBRUARY 1, 2018 – FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | THE LUMBERJACK 21
SPORTS
Be competitive but not overly confident
Track and Field mid-season update Chandler Staley
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he NAU track-and-field program furthered its prestigious reputation by sweeping the men’s and women’s Big Sky Championships in the cross-country season. The men’s cross-country team also seized its secondconsecutive NCAA National Championship Nov. 18, 2017. Although repeating championship victories can be difficult, NAU’s athletes are confident in their abilities and feel no additional pressure to perform. “No pressure at all,” said senior sprinter Kossi Tchenawou. “It’s all about being better every single time you compete.” This competitive nature is the soul of the program. Redshirt senior runner Nicole Fotinos and junior runner Jasmine Malone are among the elite female athletes that NAU has to offer. Fotinos looks at her competition with Malone as a healthy one. “We push each other when we do practice together and at meets,” said Fotinos. Michael Smith, director of cross country and track and field, plans to keep the momentum this spring after leading NAU to multiple victories during his first year as director. Prior to joining NAU in 2016, Smith coached at Georgetown, his alma mater, leading the women’s cross-country team to nationals every year. NAU’s competitive culture was compatible with Smith’s formula for victory. As a result, NAU track and field has flourished. Smith was given the Bill Dellinger Award for being the National men’s Cross-Country Coach of the Year while earning both the Big Sky’s men’s and women’s Coach of the Year awards for track and field. “Sometimes programs that are in transition may take a couple years to really find their groove,” said Smith. “Sometimes when a new coach comes in there’s new training … other teams may look at that as an opportunity to strike. But we’re really fortunate here that we haven’t skipped a beat and that we’ve had great success in my short time here.” Other conference schools such as Southern Utah, Montana State and Sacramento State will seek to defeat NAU. As rivals train vigorously,
NAU sprinters redshirt junior Tylnn Carter and freshmen Jada Jackson, Alexis Caston and Miracle Onyemaobi, warm up at the Skydome Jan. 25. Rylee Flowers| The Lumberjack
Lumberjack athletes need to not let their confidence blind them to their opponents. A driving force of that improvement comes in part from reflecting on how the season began. “It’s probably the fastest I’ve ever opened up,” said senior sprinter Isaiah Kennedy. “Usually I come out really slow. So it’s been a surprising year, performance-wise.” Tchenawou feels similar to his teammate and roommate Kennedy. “So far I feel pretty confident about my performance,” Tchenawou said. Confidence is something that isn’t just affecting Tchenawou, but rather the entire program. “[I’m] shocked. I didn’t think I would be running this fast this soon,” Fotinos said. Smith anticipates the early team performance being the distinguishing factor separating this team from the others in the Big Sky. “By looking at performances in the early season meets, I would say we are right on schedule to defend titles, and we’re looking
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forward to opportunity,” Smith said. All are eager to excel in their respective fields. Both Tchenawou and Kennedy are sprinters, looking forward to competing in the 60-meter and 100-meter sprints. Meanwhile, Fotinos is ready for the 400-meter sprint. “That’s what I go to regionals with every year,” Fotinos said. “And where I’ve won [in] Big Sky.” Smith keeps his athletes motivated by having them focus on the big picture. Picking things apart piece by piece in practice pushes the athletes to beat personal times, break school records and compete against each other to improve themselves. Everything seems to be set for NAU to defend its throne and remain top contenders in the Big Sky Conference. Smith said he believes program achievements can be attributed to good leadership among the athletes and coaching staff. However, he also uses tradition as motivation. “The tradition of NAU is one that people want to uphold here,” Smith said. “We come
from a great history of track and field at this school, and our athletes here want to uphold that tradition and do their part.” In addition to leadership and tradition, roster depth and talent play are determining roles. All-American athletes such as Tyler Day, Cameron Rayford and Brooke Andersen consistently dominate and set examples for others. This year, NAU is scheduled to host the Big Sky Conference Championships in February and Fotinos is anxiously awaiting the school and Flagstaff’s support. “People should definitely come and see the meet,” Fotinos said. “Especially this next one coming up. We have some of the top collegiate runners coming to our meets. It’s always exciting, non-stop action.” After the past weekend’s success of setting new personal records among the team, NAU is back. NAU hosts the Mountain T’s invitational in the Walkup Skydome on Friday Feb. 2 and Saturday Feb. 3. Additional Reporting by Bailey Helton
Dec. 31, 2018
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