The Northern Light

Instructor leads change, leaves behind legacy

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Ed Peace, an instructor in UAA's automotive diesel program, died May 25 after an extended battle with lung cancer. Peace was 68.

But for students and faculty, Peace's passing leaves behind a legacy far reaching and long lasting. Other faculty have said that Peace's passion for teaching and compassion for his students went far beyond the call of duty.

New parking fee will supplement parking garage costs

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Student fees, here we go again.

Starting in the fall 2008 semester, a new $10 transportation fee will be added for all students enrolled in three or more credits. The fee, which was proposed by Bob McDonnell, director of UAA Parking Services, has been instated to cover most of the operation cost of the Seawolf Shuttle as well as the total cost of the contract with People Mover, which allows students to ride the city bus system for free by showing their Wolfcards.

News Briefs

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

David Registe named GNAC Athlete of the Year David Registe, a star member of UAA's track and field team, was named the male "Athlete of the Year" for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. This is the first time a UAA athlete has won this special honor. Originally from Palmer, Registe has racked up other honors during his time at UAA.

UAA student to run for mayor, hopes to address student issues

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Melanie Leydon, a UAA student majoring in engineering, turned in her application for mayor of Anchorage on June 4. She will be running with former UAA student and mayoral candidate Nick Moe as her campaign manager.

Though Leydon's campaign hopes to win the election, being elected is not the only goal.

Cambodian Encounters

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Former features editor Kaitlin Johnson ventures to the small southeast Asian country of Cambodia, which was devastated by genocide in the '70s. Three decades later, the nation is still struggling to recover. Johnson is working in the Children's Surgical Center, in the nation's capital Phnom Phen, while exploring Cambodian culture and blogging her experiences for you.

Hippotherapy works to help Alaskans

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Rainbow Connection Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program is a nonprofit organization in Anchorage working to help people with emotional and physical disabilities improve their emotional, physical and mental health. The group claims to "emphasize abilities rather than disabilities.

All business and little play leads to unsatisfying set

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The first time I saw Son Volt in Anchorage was about two years ago. I was in the balcony of the Egan Center, squinting at the band and rocking out in my stadium chair. The band returned on June 5, playing at the Bear Tooth's June First Tap where I got a much more up-close and involved experience of the band's live shows.

Book Review: 'Easter Rising' 5/5 stars

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The aches and pains that come along with growing up have always played an important part in people's development. Michael Patrick MacDonald's new memoir, "Easter Rising: A Memoir of Roots and Rebellion," explores those pains and shows how to accept them.

"Easter Rising" is MacDonald's second book, and although it is set in the same city and boasts the same characters as his first, the two stories are hardly the same.

Summer season means endless outdoor concerts

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Alaska Artists

You cannot miss Hobo Jim in concert this summer, because he'll be playing every night Sunday through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wild Berry Theater until Sept. 11. Jim is a true Alaska artist, singing about his adventures and experiences in the state from commercial fishing to logging.

Indomitable spirit, not fighting, defines tournament

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

For Asia Brooks, the benefit of participating in tae kwon do is simple.

"It makes me happy," said Asia, a participant in Champ Tae Kwon Do's summer training camp.

At the camp, Asia doesn't just practice his tae kwon do skills. He gets to hang out with his friends, play in the park and even go swimming.

Olympic torch prelay through Tibet shortened, rerouted

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Hundreds of police and paramilitary troops stood watch and hand-picked onlookers cheered as the Olympic torch passed through the Tibetan capital on June 21, the scene of bloody anti-government riots three months earlier.

No disruptions were reported, although the mood overall was far more subdued than at the torch's earlier stops in cities in China proper.

A&E Briefs

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Authors speak on life and literature at Bookstore The UAA bookstore has been hosting authors to come in and speak about their books and the subjects included within them. Kaylene Johnson, the author of Sarah Palin's latest biography, came in to talk about what went into writing the book and her experiences with the Alaska governor.

Stop complaining and start campaigning

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Free beer! Naked! Sex! Does that get your attention?

With presidential nominees more or less finalized and congressional campaigns taking off, politicians are going to work toward getting students' attention for elections late in the year.

Luckily for us, Obama doesn't have a saxophone, and so far McCain hasn't sported a "Vote or die" T-shirt yet.

Screening of documentary is a tourist trap in disguise

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

When local photographer Dave Parkhurst first moved to Alaska in the late '70s, it was nearly impossible to find any photos of the northern lights. In fact, he had been told that the aurora borealis was impossible to capture on film, as it was a "special" kind of light.

'Seeing Sounds'

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Synesthesia: n. A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color.

This is what N*E*R*D means by "Seeing Sounds." Of course, synesthesia is the only logical step after a month and a half Glowing in the Dark on tour with Kanye West.

UA Statewide Briefs

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

UAF plans new institute FAIRBANKS - UAF announced the creation of the Susan Butcher Institute, dedicated to cultivating public service and leadership skills for Alaska's residents. The institute will provide Alaskans with opportunities to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, through a wide variety of workshops and seminars.

Drama: It's not just for high school anymore

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Let's face it: Drama is everywhere, and it isn't going away. It's when the so-called real world starts looking like high school that things get really ridiculous.

The thing is, probably 90 percent of the people we'll meet in our lifetimes have never shed the high-school mentality and learned to grow up.

Gay couples rush to get married in California

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO - County clerk offices across California opened for their first full day of same-sex marriages on June 17, with hundreds of gay and lesbian couples ready to take the plunge in what in some cities was a party atmosphere.

A gay men's chorus was singing on the front steps of San Francisco City Hall, brightened up by rainbow flags and supporters handing out cupcakes to happy couples.

Plantation attic holds 400 years of documents

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

For four centuries, they were the ultimate pack rats.

Now a Maryland family's massive collection of letters, maps and printed bills has surfaced in the attic of a former plantation, providing a firsthand account of life from the 1660s through World War II.

Police Scanner

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Monday, May 19 Dust cloud triggers alarm 1:06 p.m. - A smoke alarm activated at the Auto/Diesel Building. At the same time, a construction contractor called to say that the alarm was probably due to a large amount of dust they had created. The Anchorage Fire Department was notified, and the alarm was canceled.

Seawolf Pride and Chide

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Seawolf Pride... Sally Strong � � For returning to UAA over the summer, setting up shop in the Rasmuson Hall lobby to feed hungry students on the west side of campus. Seawolf Chide... Obnoxious odors in the Student Union � � Harsh cleaners and roofing fumes are no fun for students studying hard for summer finals.

Say What?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Chase turns sour for lemonade-stand robber TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Call it a lemonade standoff. A young girl whose lemonade stand was robbed of $17.50 chased the suspect into a nearby home and called police, who spent nearly an hour trying to coax the man into surrendering.

Sports Briefs

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Wunderle earns Academic All-America honors UAA junior Nordic skier Raphael Wunderle was among 15 honorees named June 13 to the 2007-08 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Men's At-Large Team. The team, voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America, recognizes the top male student-athletes in terms of both academic and athletic accomplishment from among NCAA Division II and III and NAIA schools.

'Metal Gear Solid 4'

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Each year a number of triple-A titles are released to much fanfare, developers trumpeting them as watershed games that signal radical progress for the video game medium. "Halo 3," Grand Theft Auto IV," "Call of Duty 4" - basically, a lot of fours masquerading as the Second Coming.