Northern Arizona University’s student voice since 1914 Vol. 114 Issue 10 | November 10, 2022 — November 16, 2022
SPORTS NAU loses Homecoming game against Montana State, 41-38 NOAH BUTLER
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he Lumberjacks fell to the Montana State Bobcats on Homecoming, 4138, after a game-winning field goal by sophomore kicker Blake Gessner. After a week of festivities for the Lumberjacks, high hopes were set for the football team’s impending homecoming game against the No. 2-ranked Montana State Bobcats. In the teams’ last matchup, the Bobcats came out on top, 49-31, in Bozeman. The Lumberjacks’ last game was a much-needed win against Idaho State, 2410; the NAU squad gave up a season-high 56 points the week before. Montana State became the No. 2-ranked team in the FCS after beating Top 10 opponent Weber State last week, 43-38. The Bobcats won the coin toss and elected to defer the kick to the second half, meaning the Lumberjacks would receive the kickoff. This proved to be the right call, because the first play for NAU ended in an immediate turnover.
On the first play from scrimage,The Bobcats’ sophomore defensive end Brody Grebe lit up sophomore quarterback RJ Martinez and caused him to fumble the ball. Junior defensive end Ben Seymour recovered the fumble and set Montana State for an immediate redzone possession. The Bobcats only took four plays to get into the endzone; senior fullback R.J. Fitzgerald pushed his way through NAU’s defensive line for the touchdown. Glessner drilled the extra point to make it 7-0 Montana State only two minutes into the game. Defense turning into offense was a big factor early in the game for the Bobcats. In the first quarter alone, the Lumberjacks coughed up two fumbles, both of which were recovered by Montana State. NAU was unable to find a rhythm in the first quarter, and as a result, their defense was out on the field a considerable amount. See HOMECOMING GAME on PAGE 22
Sophomore running back Draycen Hall (26) jumps to catch the ball during the NAU goes up against Montana State University on Findlay Toyota Field for NAU’s third quarter against Montana State University on Findlay Toyota Field, Nov. 5. homecoming game Saturday, Nov. 5. Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack Mallory Derrick | The Lumberjack
CULTURE
Ringing in Homecoming with carnival in the cold
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MONTY GANTT
AU kicked off the annual homecoming weekend on Nov. 4 with the 2022 Homecoming Carnival at the University Union Fieldhouse parking lot, a brand new location for the festivities after last year’s carnival was hosted on the union’s pedway. This was also the university’s second carnival to be hosted since the event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The night was filled with activities to help NAU students ring in another year of celebrating the past, appreciating the present and welcoming the future. As with any carnival, highlights of the evening included the rides. Many classic contraptions could be seen throughout the east side of the union, as well as the extremely long lines to get a chance to indulge in the thrill. There was the pendulum-like structure with an Egyptian theme known as Pharaoh’s Fury, Zero Gravity — a whirlwind mechanism guaranteed to induce dizziness — and the Ring of Fire, which treats its occupants like hands on a clock, rapidly rotating them in circles both clockwise and counterclockwise. There was also the confusing Mirror Maze, for which the description of the attraction lies within its title. Also present was a ride that could arguably take the title of most famous, the oh-so-classic Ferris wheel. A multitude of people also were in line for the Zipper, a ride that is similar to the Ring of Fire except those on
the ride are confined in cages as opposed to traditional roller coaster buckling. Freshmen Body Neff and Samuel Van Nuys were among the many in line for Zero Gravity with their friends Jillian Simpson and Jenna Hamm, both freshmen as well. Zero Gravity was one of the few rides that laid claim to having the longest line. When the on switch is flipped to signal that the ride is ready to begin, it’s easy to see why so many people were willing to wait in the cruel cold to get a chance to experience the thrill it provided. While Van Nuys and Neff were looking to put a little bit of that thrill in their evening fun, Simpson and Hamm were simply looking to have their fun while avoiding the structure. “The few of us that do want to go on it are outvoting those who don’t want to go on it,” Neff said. Van Nuys also echoed Neff’s encouragement towards Hamm and Simpson. Van Nuys said that he, Hamm and Simpson didn’t want to initially go on the ride, they changed their minds because of the potential it had to be fun. “I’d honestly rather die, but I’m here now,” Hamm said with a laugh. Another commonality of any carnival is the food. On-campus dining staple Where’s the Food Truck provided attendees with free barbecue dishes such as Students ride Pharaoh’s Fury at NAU’s annual pulled pork sandwiches and barbecue chicken. homecoming carnival Friday evening in the University Union Fieldhouse parking lot, Nov. 4. See CARNIVAL on PAGE 16 Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack