“We’ve come a long way from my early days of teaching when all our handouts were run-off’ of those messy, hand-cranked mimeograph machines with the purple ink,” said English Professor Louise Dekreon-Watsjold. “Each class began with the bizarre ritual of passing out the slightly damp, purple-inked copies, which the students would promptly put up to their noses to smell the ink. Some of them believed that they could actually get high off the ink fumes. All they really got were purple noses. It was a more innocent time.”

Those days are gone, and in it’s place, a digital environment.

“I use Blackboard for all my classes,” said Professor Diane Hirshberg UAA Professor. “I always post my syllabus, any course readings that are not either in textbooks or web-based, all assignments, and other materials needed for classes.”

Many teachers have allowed Blackboard to replace paper homework and have even taken it further.

“When appropriate, I use the wiki and blog functions – it depends on the course, and assignments,” said Hirshberg.

Not all professors, however, use Blackboard.

“The real reason I don’t use Blackboard is that I prefer to keep in touch with my students one on one via e-mails and phone conversations,” said English Professor Clay Nunnally. “Also, I suppose I am getting more and more resistant to learning new things and new teaching techniques.”

Aside from Blackboard, the Internet has given birth to an array of resources for teaching.

“I do not use Blackboard – I have all my courses – syllabi, lecture, Power Points, assignments and reading materials – on my own Internet Web site,” said journalism Professor red bradley. “I use it all the time, but I wish the students would. I post all sorts of items on the site, but have found that the students fail to review it on a regular basis, nor do they read the e-mails that are sent through the system.”

Hirshberg has used an open source “learning management system” called Moodle.

“I have used Moodle only a little bit- I think that could be useful as well, but more training would be needed,” said Hirshberg. “My guess is there are other online course packages that would work as well or better, but I haven’t used them. I have taught distance education using “Elluminate,” (another e-learning system) and that works well too but I still rely on Blackboard as the primary repository for course materials for those classes as well.”

But even with other options, it is understandable that professors have mixed feelings.

“I love Blackboard.  I use it for every class.  It’s the best way to communicate with students, post assignments, and provide additional readings in classes.  It’s easy for professors and for students,” said journalism Professor Ron McGee.

“I’d like a bit more flexibility in designing the look and feel of my Blackboard site, but otherwise, I have no complaints about it. I have been surprised, however, when I’ve had students who are reluctant to use it,” said Hirshberg.

Alex Troutman

It’s getting closer and closer to crunch time in the WCHA. That can only mean that every point earned in the league standings will become more and more of a factor in deciding their playoff fate.

There is no need to tell that to the Seawolf hockey team. They already have turned on the jets to start the second half of the season.

Their play has been very strong lately and has seen them gain points in four of the past five games with opponents including Denver, Michigan Tech and Colorado College.

Against CC, the series saw the Seawolves split against a tough seventh-ranked Tiger squad. UAA dropped the first game 6-1 to CC. The loss came at the hands of four power play goals and two shorthanded goals allowed against a very talented team.

The rematch saw the ‘Wolves come back with a 2-1 win, powered by goals from freshman Alex Gellert and junior Tommy Grant. The Seawolves also limited the Tigers to just 17 shots, most of which were stopped easily by senior goaltender Jon Olthuis. Junior defenseman Kane Lafranchise also pitched in a pair of assists on the night.

Alex Troutman

The two points earned against the perennial WCHA frontrunner left Head Coach Dave Shyiak very happy with his team’s effort.

“All in all, I thought it was a real good effort from our guys with 5-on-5 play,” said a satisfied Shyiak.

“That’s a pretty good hockey team, one of the most talented in the nation, so all in all, positive weekend.”

The ‘Wolves will need to keep up their recent trend as they hit the road to face the St. Cloud State Huskies this weekend. SCS currently sits in a tie for second in the WCHA and fifth in the nation.

This series may have future playoff implications, as UAA currently is in eighth place in the conference.

Earlier this season, the Huskies came into Sullivan Arena and swept the Seawolves off home ice with 3-1 and 3-2 victories over the green and gold.

The Huskies are led by junior forward Garret Roe and senior forward Ryan Lasch.

Alex Troutman

The Seawolves continue to be paced by senior Kevin Clark and Grant statistically. Lately, UAA has seen secondary scoring from the likes of junior winger Sean Wiles, sophomore defenseman Brad Gorham and freshman winger Daniel Naslund.

This balanced scoring will have to continue for the ‘Wolves to continue to climb in the WCHA standings

“For our team to have success, we need everyone contributing,” Shyiak said. “We can’t rely on just three or four individuals.”

The return of senior forward Josh Lunden from a shoulder injury will mean the Seawolves will have that much more scoring punch. Lunden’s career total of 44 career goals makes him the active leading scorer on the UAA team.

Also, an added bonus is the return of junior defenseman Luka Vidmar, whose return will help add even more depth to the UAA defensive corps.

The series is set to start Feb. 5 with the puck drop at 4:07 p.m. with the rematch coming Feb. 6 at 2:07 p.m. from the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

In the Montana Invite, UAA posted a total of 329 points between the Nordic and alpine teams. Their total was enough to earn sixth place, but was no match for New Mexico who claimed first, registering 467 points, beating defending NCAA Champion, Denver.

The reason for UAA’s sub-par results can probably be attributed to mental blocks they have yet to break, according to sophomore Alex Parker

“I think we all get a little too upset when we have a bad day,” Parker said. “Even though skiing is largely an individual sport, our performances all contribute to a team score and this tends to add pressure and sometimes we all get a little too caught up in the results.”

“This makes it hard to go out there the next race with confidence.”

While they have not performed at their highest level, they have been improving in each event.

The women’s alpine team’s performance is steadily improving as planned and should peak in March. The men are not only competing against themselves mentally, but also some of the best competition UAA has known, according to alpine coach Sparky Anderson.

“We came home from a very tough two week road trip. We lost Lacy Saugstad, our team captain and slalom anchor, which was a big blow emotionally,” said Alpine Coach Anderson. “Guys were skiing the first run and finishing first or second, then going out in the second run. Things didn’t go our way.”

“Some of it was dumb luck, some of it was mental. We have made adjustments in our training since we came home.”

If this was an inspirational movie, now would be the part where they just gone through a tough time, and now, under the pressure of necessity, begin to excel in everything they do.

“We all are really close and are always there supporting and cheering for each other,” said Parker. “I think this helps us a lot as a team because the support from each other pushes us individually allowing us to each contribute something to the team.”

“We seem to perform best when we are having fun.”

To turn the season around, the Seawolves must think positively and fight through the mental ups and downs of the sport.

The Seawolves will travel to Red River, N.M. on Feb. 5 and 6 to take part in the New Mexico Invite.

There is no doubt about it, the facilities that the University has are a joke – for both the student-athletes and the average student.

It is unacceptable for the average student at UAA to be so incredibly restricted in the times and areas that they can go lift weights, shoot around a basketball or go for a run.

But, the situation is not really fair to the student-athletes at UAA. With most of the University’s sports doing so well, it seems unfair that the athletes have to cope with such limited facilities.

Sure, the facilities apparently get the job done. But, at some point there will be a definite need for new facilities. That time is now.

Since the teams really are doing so well, it is apparent that the coaches and players have done what they can with the facilities that they have been provided and have been successful, but that is no excuse to deny them an adequate sports facility.

The fact of the matter is, though, that the Wells Fargo Sports Complex was not designed to host this many athletes.

Take the Title IX grievance that was filed against UAA in August 2008 into consideration. One of the specifics of the complaint was that access to locker-room facilities was not equal between male and female athletes. Ultimately, this was found to be true and as a result, new locker rooms were added within the both the male and female public locker rooms over the summer in 2009.

Though this is a relatively viable short-term option, it is a sign that UAA is in dire need of a new, larger sports complex.

Each team should be allotted its own locker room and possibly training room. Plus, it would give each sport its own practice facility that did not always have to be shared with the public.

Not that it is bad for the athletic programs to have to share some of their facilities with the public, but when they do it really does not end well for the public either.

A new sports complex should adequately reduce the competition for time and space in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. Intramural sports could expand with more gym time available. Students would be allowed more access to the workout equipment in the current sports complex, thus improving student life around campus.

The addition of a new sports complex would further the success of the athletic programs and then the academic programs that UAA has to offer.

Look at any school with a successful athletic program. The students, staff, faculty and community take great pride in their school’s athletic programs. More students want to go to schools that have perennially strong athletic programs that are rich with tradition.

A strong, successful and nationally respected college typically couples strong athletic programs. Look at Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC and many others like them. Their strong and respected academic programs are likely the result of a strong athletic department attracting more students, not just athletes. Schools like these are the ones that most people dream about going to.

A new sports complex would advance the University as much, if not more, than any other academic infrastructure that could possibly be incorporated.

Give us a new sports complex!

In early January, the Arbor Day Foundation named UAA as one of 2009’s Tree Campus USA Universities for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship.

“The Tree Campus USA program will have a long-lasting impact at the University of Alaska Anchorage as it engages college students and local citizens to plant trees and create healthier communities for people to enjoy for decades to come,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, in a press release.  “Alaska Anchorage will benefit from exceptional tree-care practices on campus as it works with tree-care professionals in the community to improve the tree canopy in Anchorage.”

Tree Campus USA is a national program that recognizes collegiate institutes that promote healthy urban forest management and engage the campus community in environmental stewardship.  In order to receive a Tree Campus USA award, the university must meet five required core standards: the establishment of a campus tree advisory committee, have evidence of a campus tree-care plan, the verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan, be involved in an Arbor Day observance and institute a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.

“In order to get this honor, we formed a committee of one staff member, Suzanne Forester of the English department; the head of sustainability, Dr. Paola Williams; the community forestry program coordinator, Patricia Joyner’ one student, Sam Ricketts; the head of the Landscaping department, Pat Leary and myself,” said committee member Mel Monson.

The tree advisory committee drafted a tree-care plan that explained things such as when tree pruning can and cannot take place and, although UAA has a no-pesticide policy, when pesticides can be used in cases of large infestations.

“To meet other requirements set by the Arbor Day Foundation, we had to spend $3 per student in the annual budget towards trees.  There are between 15 and 16,000 students on campus, so the budget was easily exceeded,” said Monson.  “All the trees at the new Integrated Science Building were in the budget and all the time spent after wind storms and moose damage is counted also.”

In terms of the required service-learning project, the tree advisory committee planted Siberian fir trees in the MAC housing areas during fall orientation.

“The University works hard to maintain a safe and attractive campus for students and faculty,” said state forester Chris Maisch in a press release.  “It also serves as a classroom for the entire community through its demonstration of northern species and professional management of its natural resources.  The Division of Forestry often uses the campus for public classes and tree walks.”

Alaska is a beautiful place.  Anchorage, beyond the bus sludge and dirty snow, is a beautiful city.  It is only right that UAA is a beautiful campus.  The landscaping crew and the tree advisory committee are responsible for the aesthetics that campus holds, and it is through their hard work and dedication that such a recognition is achieved.

Guided and self-guided tree tours are offered year-round on the west campus.  Packets are available outside the Gordon Hartlieb Hall.

There is an alternative to the necessary evils of a fancy resort and the endless powder of the backcountry: Arctic Valley.

Arctic Valley is the hidden jewel of the Anchorage ski community.

Arctic Valley is a small ski area outside of Anchorage that is run by volunteers of the Anchorage Ski Club – boasting just two rickety lifts and a single t-bar. Nevertheless, Arctic Valley is home to some of the best skiing available on a lift.

Students who are not members of the Ski Club are charged a mere $26 for a full day. Members pay $15 for runs that are never touched by a groomer.

Let precious powder days remain so.

“I learned to ski here when I was two years old,” said UAA student Ellen Van Gorder. “I started going to Alyeska when I got older just because my friends go there more, but on a powder day, Arctic Valley is the best place to be.”

Since Arctic Valley is a non-profit organization and is funded by donations made through the Anchorage Ski Club, it does not open very often. In fact, in recent years it has become notorious for not being open. The recession brought a decline in donations made by the citizens of Anchorage and, therefore, a scarcity of open days at the mountain.

“When Arctic Valley is good, it’s really good,” said UAA student Johanna Doner. “It’s been a bummer that it’s been closed so much because it’s affordable.”

Arctic Valley offers some top-notch backcountry skiing in the Chugach. On their Web site, the best off-trail runs are clearly laid out, but so is the coined phrase “Ski/Board at your own risk.” The Chugach Mountains are extremely avalanche-prone mountains and Arctic Valley bears no exception.

“It’s always a good idea to have a beacon at Arctic Valley,” said avid skier and UAA student Scott Rich. “You can get away without one at Alyeska, but if you’re going anywhere outside of ski boundaries, they’re necessary.”

With the retro craze that’s going on around pop-culture society, Members-Only jackets, high-top Nikes, neon colors, it only makes sense that Arctic Valley is garnering more attention in the youth circles around the city. Their lifts date back to the early 1970’s and the ski area is a ghost of an old military resort.

Skiing is fun and it’s an integral part of the Anchorage community. UAA, don’t let it break your bank. Spend your Saturday at Arctic Valley and shred for half the price of Girdwood and half the tank of gas for Turnagain.

Leighann Seaman

“The Afterlife of the Mind,” the most recent offering from acclaimed San Francisco playwright William Bivins, boasts an original plot. Harry, a philosophy professor, is terminally ill. Lydia, his wife of ten years, will stop at nothing to find a host for his brain so that he can live on after his body is dead.

But the play suffers from a dialog that is long-winded, overly esoteric and, at times, absurd in its excessive use of profanity. Mike Daniels takes up the play’s direction at its Out North Theater run, but this is one piece that’s best left sailing away on the River Styx.

At the preview performance on Jan. 28, it took most of the actors about half an hour before they began acting. Lisa Starling, the actress portraying Lydia was the most painful to watch. Her delivery was flat and devoid of emotion. She appeared stiff as a statue. The other actors assimilated smoothly into their roles at least by the end of the first scene, but Starling never delivered even one convincing line.

Not that there was much of interest to say. The dialog was painfully tedious. More than one of the characters resorted to medical

Leighann Seaman

or philosophical jargon frequently and with abandon, leaving audience members wishing they’d brought a dictionary. While the use of unfamiliar terms in a production is permissible, the overbearing use of it in “Afterlife” halted the flow of dialog and broke what feeble illusion of reality the cast managed to grant the audience.

The audience also suffered a distracting number of f-bombs. The plot allows for several legitimate uses of the word, but only one actor (Paul Brynner, who played the doctor) managed to make it sound natural. Possibly the most enjoyable part of the play was the good use of lighting. Harry, played by David Flavin, is portrayed as only his consciousness for most of the play, and so while the rest of the set is completely dark, a bright light is focused on his upper half, giving him a clear and firm yet disembodied. As he remembers different things, the lighting changes shades for variety, and it added greatly to the performance.

“Afterlife” has two smaller side plots in addition to the main one. All three conveyed the theme of releasing past baggage and moving on. But the smaller plots distracted somewhat from the story as a whole. Harry’s journey especially, while insightful to his character, was meaningless. His inward journey and the journey of his wife in the physical realm hit a moment where they ran parallel, but never fully connected. Had the two intersected, his journey would have been a valid addition to the play, but alas, it was mere filler to keep a frustrated audience in their seats.

As for the main story, it terminates in an unsatisfying ending. With no clear climax, and a sudden and rapid decent to a finish that left the audience with several questions, one wonders if writer William Bivins was tired of writing his own play.

“The Afterlife of the Mind” plays at Out North through Feb. 14. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, and 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets $18 online at www.outnorth.org, or $20 at the door.

Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge, a hot spot for chocolate and art lovers that’s gained fans since opening in 2007 on the corner of 36^th and Old Seward Highway, is opening a new, additional store downtown. To celebrate, the second Modern Dwellers will host its grand opening simultaneously with the store’s first First Friday, held Feb. 5, which will feature silver and gem jewelry made by local artist Meg Allen. The new store is located at 423 G St., across from Darwin’s bar in the space formerly occupied by Alaska Glass Gallery. The store will open at 10 a.m. Feb. 5, and the First Friday reception begins at 6 p.m. For more information about the new store, call 677-9985, or e-mail zoe@moderndwellers.com.

Compiled by Heather Hamilton

George Killian’s Irish Red

Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO

4.9% ABV

4 out of 5 stars

Categorized as an amber lager, “George Killian’s Irish Red” possesses many qualities that stretch the limits of the lager genre toward ale territory. Among these is a striking red color accompanied by a dry aroma, with floral undertones. These are certainly not characteristics one usually associates with the term “lager.” On another note,  “Killian’s” is also a bit more hoppy than a typical lager.

For all this, however, the “Killian’s” amber lager also boasts a light body, and a crispness that is complemented by the beer’s dryness. These qualities keep the beer at least one-foot in the lager realm, making this beer reminiscent of a sort of ruby pilsner – a category, I’m sure, which is mostly in my head.

“Killian’s” ale qualities, though, are in fact appropriate, as the beer is the descendent of a true ruby ale brewed by George Killian Lett’s great-grandfather in the original family brewery, G.H. Lett and Co. Mill Park Brewery, in Enniscorthy, Ireland. (That brewery closed in 1956.) So, in honor of a long-standing family tradition, though no longer brewed in Enniscorthy, “George Killian’s Irish Red” brings to the American lager family a member that proudly stays in touch with its roots.

And, no poet has been more acclaimed posthumously than the Romantic poet John Keats.

The movie “Bright Star” strives to capture a segment of Keats’ life while also reveling in the beauty of his poetry. But the movie is no biopic. It doesn’t even focus on Keats (Ben Whishaw, “Brideshead Revisited”) or his culture-changing philosophies. Instead, “Bright Star” is a love story told from the point of view of his romantic interest, the young Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish, “Stop-Loss”).

Writer and director Jane Campion (“The Piano”) captures the romance between the two main characters without making it too saccharine or maudlin. She is also able to imbue their relationship with a rich sensuality even though nothing more than a few kisses passes between them. But her talents at weaving this story together on screen don’t stop there.

Campion illuminates what could be a rather boring and solitary process—that of writing poetry—in a way that enchants the viewer. The reading of “Ode to a Nightengale” over the credits alone will keep audiences in their seats long after the film is over.

She also captures beautiful cinematic images by paying attention to the most minute of details. There is a scene in a room full of butterflies that is boggling in its simplicity and the delicate difficulties in staging it. She shows close-up shots of stitches being sewn and hands interlocked together that lend a quiet poetry of their own to the overall picture.

This attention to detail is also evident in the costumes worn by Fanny. She takes pride in her vanity and fashion sense and is thus the most colorful creature on the screen on many occasions.

Yet part of this brilliance must also be attributed to Cornish’s acting skills. She is believable in all the joys and despairs of first love, as well as in the grief she must suffer at the end. It is no surprise to see why she’s been nominated for several awards for this role.

This movie is simply breathtaking. It’s a period drama so it won’t be for everyone, but it’s been greatly underrated due to limited advertising and an even more limited theatrical release. It is already on DVD, but will no doubt return to theaters once Oscar nominations are announced.