June 7. 2016

Chance the Rapper’s third album released to the world

A&E PAGE 9

JUNE 07 - JUNE 21, 2016 THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORGUNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

Hiking to Portage Lake on the Kenai Peninsula

FEATURES PAGE 3

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SEE GIRDWOODPAGE 6

A view of Winner Creek from the handtram of Winner Creek Trail.

The Alyeska tram can take you up to two great restaurants.

A Girdwood getaway

By Victoria [email protected]

By Victoria [email protected]

Located in the Municipality of Anchorage, Girdwood is about 30 miles south of Alaska’s largest city.

Following the scenic Seward High-way south from Anchorage, Girdwood is home to 1,975 people, as of 2014 cen-sus. However, the population doubles in the winter season due to seasonal work and winter recreational opportunities. According to the Alaska OCS Socioeco-nomic Studies Program the population in the winter months 1,700 and in the sum-mer months is 700. The small town is home to Alaska’s largest ski area, with over a thousand miles of ski-able terrain, located at Alyeska Resort. Many locals will work for the resort in the wintertime.

A ski instructor for Alyeska Resort in the wintertime, Jean Larson-Irin, has

lived in Girdwood for 17 years and works in the roundhouse museum atop Mt. Aly-eska in the summertime.

“My favorite part of living in Gird-wood is the ski hill, I’m a ski instructor in the winter,” Larson-Irin said.

In its infancy, Girdwood was known as the Glacier City, due to the seven gla-ciers that can be seen in the area. In the nineteenth century, Glacier City was established as a supply camp, set up to distribute supplies to gold mines in the near by area. In 1896, the camp was named in honor of Colonel James Gird-wood, a linen merchant who had the four first gold claims in Crow Creek. The orig-inal town site of Girdwood was near the shores of Turnagain Arm, but was moved almost three miles back into the valley after the 1964 earthquake displaced the

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

Nine programs suspended, 209 layoffs and no tuition hike for UAA

The University of Alaska received its new budget this week from Alaska lawmakers. Although the university did receive more money than expected, the budget, $335 million from the state, is approximately $15 million less than last year’s budget.

The $909.8 million budget approved by the Board of Regents is expected to cut jobs and programs throughout the state.

The reductions to the University of Alaska include three programs being cut, 10 being suspended, and 579 positions being eliminated across the state.

The University of Alaska received about $35 million more than anticipated. This extra money is being used to avoid tuition increases.

The University of Alaska Anchorage will see a reduction in 209 positions and nine programs offered through UAA are being suspended. These nine programs include environmental regulations and permitting graduate certificate, Kodiak College AAS computer systems tech-nology, Kodiak College AAS computer information and office systems, Kodiak College construction technology and industrial safety Support Undergraduate Certificate, master of civil engineering, master of science in arctic engineering,

graduate certificate in coastal, ocean, and port engineering, graduate certificate in earthquake engineering, and bachelor in music in performance.

Student body president, Sam Erick-son, is ready to take on the challenges that comes with the foreseen cuts, seeing it as an opportunity for student voices to be heard.

“The specter of budget reductions is certainly a daunting one, but I feel that it also presents a great opportunity for student leadership, and a chance for our voices to be heard and considered regard-ing serious issues. I’m aware of the chal-lenges, but optimistic for both the future of UAA and its student body,” Erickson said.

Erickson is concerned with deficits in deferred maintenance on university buildings and loss of faculty due to pro-gram suspensions.

“Buildings to teach in and teachers to do so are absolutely necessary to a func-tioning university, and we will work tire-lessly to ensure that these areas receive the attention and funding they require,” Erickson said.

The University of Alaska will not be seeing the projected tuition hikes this year. There will still be a five per-cent tuition increase in the fall that was approved by the Board of Regents last November.

GRAPHIC BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 02NEWS

Legislative budget submission does not equal end of sessionBy Kathryn [email protected]

PHOTO BY JAMES BROOKS

On the night of May 31, the Alaska State Legislature sub-mitted a $4.3 billion fiscal year 2017 operating budget to Gov-ernor Bill Walker’s office, how-ever, according to Walker, “this is long from over.”

The operating budget is seven percent lower than the FY2016 budget, even with Republican cut funding for early-learning programs, the university system and the base-student allocation returned to the budget. These programs did take a loss, but not as deep as previously thought.

With the submission of the budget to the Governor’s office, over 18,000 layoff notices were not sent out on June 1.

“We have been trying to push cuts to the roughly billion dol-lars in oil company subsidies. That has to get fixed that is bleeding the budget dry,” House Finance Committee member Les Gara said of the indepen-dent Democratic coalition. “We had a devastating cut to the uni-versity that our caucus opposed. We fixed that. We want a uni-

versity people want to attend, not a university people want to say, ‘That’s not good for me. I’m leaving and taking my job to another state.’ We need peo-ple to want to live in the state, and a budget is something that helps people decide whether or not they’re going to have schools and a university and jobs in the state or they have to leave. We want them here.”

In a press conference on June 1, Walker expressed his concerns over the legislature’s reliance on savings rather than making cuts, stating that despite many meetings with the politi-cians, they still could not make the necessary moves to keep Alaska in a strong fiscal light.

“I hear a lot of discussion about how these are difficult decisions. Well, they may be politically difficult or challeng-ing, but they’re fiscally respon-sible, and that’s why we were elected to come and make these decisions,” said Walker. “I’ve heard lots of discussion about, ‘let’s get through this next elec-tion, we’ll do it after the elec-tion.’ You know what, [it’s] time we stop talking about the upcoming election or the re-election, and start making deci-

sions about what’s best for Alas-ka right now.”

The operating budget is a reduction of $500 million over FY 2016, but pulls $3.2 billion from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, which only contains $8 billion in emergency funds.

“There’s not enough money in the CBR to do it a second time,” Randall Hoffbeck, Department of Revenue Commissioner said at the June 1 press conference. “So, at best, we’re getting a one year reprieve from the decisions that have to be made.”

Walker has eight days to make a decision on the operat-ing budget, but the legislature is not done with their jobs yet. Walker is hoping that the com-mittees can determine how to make the FY2018 budget more fiscally sound with less reliance on the CBR.

“We can’t continue with busi-ness as usual — last year we did the exact same thing,” said Walker. “That’s not the answer.”

Daily costs of the special ses-sion from now on, according to the Legislative Affairs Agency will be roughly $26,475, total-ing over $1,310,942 in overtime costs if the session continues to its June 22 deadline. Governor Bill Walker has just over a week to determine what stays and goes for

the FY2017 operating budget, submitted by the Alaska Legislature late on May 31.

THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 03FEATURES

By Young [email protected]

Young Over Yonder: Portage Pass

The hike to Portage Lake and adjacent glacier may very well be one of my favor-ites in the Kenai Peninsula. Or rather, it would be if I ever finished it.

My good friend, Chris, was visiting with his girlfriend, Aspen for a week and wanted to get out and experience some of what Alaska had to offer. Chris, who has a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and specializes in drone work, wanted to get somewhere that offered several unique views. It was already late in the day, so we opted to head south of Anchorage and chase the clear blue skies near Portage Lake. Chris had never hiked Portage Pass before. Once through the 2.5 mile long tunnel in Whittier, AK, we eagerly started at the Portage Pass trailhead.

The hike itself (or what I’ve done of it) is fairly easy, and if you are a moder-ately active individual, should not pose a problem for you at all. There is a some-what steep elevation in the beginning, about 800 feet in the first mile, but after that, it is relatively flat. Once at the top, there are many different paths one could take. Stick towards the right and you’ll find yourself at the lookout that offers a view of the glacier. Stick to the far left, and you’ll find yourself along a very impressive ridge that looks out towards a few waterfalls and a deep gorge. There is also a middle path, which if you fol-low for about a mile, will take you to the edge of Portage Lake. From the shoreline, it is about another mile to the face of the glacier.

We made a decision to stick to the far left and check out the waterfalls and gorge, as we felt that would have provid-ed the most dynamic vantage point for the drone, and we were not wrong. Sim-ply put and for lack of better words, it was awesome.

Although we wanted to follow the trail and check out the lake and glacier, we had to head back down towards the trailhead so that we could make it back on time for the last tunnel back to Anchorage. One day, I’ll go back to finish the whole thing.

Aspen Luna stands and looks over Prince William Sound and Whittier at the top of the first mile of the hike.

Chris and Aspen hike on the trail. Awesome views are present almost 360 degrees around when at the top.

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 201604 | FEATURES

Quiet spots to study around campus

By Casey [email protected]

UAA has lots of great places to study between classes. The Spine, Learning Resource Center and the Consortium Library offer plenty of places to study alone or with a group. What if you wish to study in a little quieter environment than any of these? These photos offer a few suggestions where you can go.

The second floor of the Beatrice McDonald Hall has some aesthetically pleasing places to study and enjoy.

The southwest and southeast corners of the Professional Studies Building both have little nooks where one can study with no interruption.

The second floor of the Administration Building has light traffic, making it a great place to work in silence.

The sounds of lap swimmers can create a nice white noise effect inside the Wells-Fargo Sports Complex.

The Fine Arts Building has comfortable places to sit and some of the best views on campus to help you study in peace.

The entrance of the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building has a open study area. You might hear a little nice piano music to accompany your homework.

Inside the library, if you go to the back corners, you can usually find open tables that are out of sight and earshot of everything else in the library.

Study Spots

PHOTOS BY CASEY PETERSON

Alaskan made wild rose water

By Victoria [email protected]

1. Clean the petals by tossing in warm water.

2. After you’ve cleaned your pet-als, dump them into a small pot and put heat on low. Fill the pot with water until the rose petals are submerged and completely saturated in the water.

3. Place a glass lid over the pot and heat on low until the petals have turned white. Occasionally stir the petals around, making sure they are consistently under the water. It took about 45 minutes for my rose petals to turn white.

4. Once the petals are white, take

the pot off the heat and pour the water in a bowl using a sieve to filter out the petals and any oth-er foreign objects. The tint of the water will be gold. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Directions

• 2 cups of rose petals

• 3 cups of water

Ingredients

You may have noticed delicate pink flowers blooming all over Anchorage. From the side of the Seward Highway to your backyard, wild roses are in full force this season. The roses, which grow in thickets, are very useful and the petals, which bloom in early summer, are edible and can be added to salads, made into syrup, jelly or used to make rose water. In late summer rose hips ripen. Rose hips can be eaten raw, cooked, used in tea, jams, sauce, or baked into breads and other baked goods.

When harvesting the petals make sure the flower is bloomed and that you only remove the petals. Removing the whole flower also removes the reproductive parts of the plant. Be aware that the prick-ly rose lives up to its name, as the stems are lined with small thorns.

Rose water can be used in a variety of different products. Rose water is added to both food and drink all over the world, especially in the Middle East. A popular ingredient in cosmetics, rose water is a popular additive of perfumes and other beauty products. With anti-inflammatory properties and anti-aging benefits, rose water makes a great all-natural toner and moisturizer that has been used for centu-ries, dating all the way back to Ancient Egypt. Rose water is even combined with the water from the Zamzam Well to clean the Kaaba in Mecca.

FEATURES THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 05

PHOTOS BY VICTORIA PETERSEN

THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 201606 | FEATURES

GIRDWOOD: Explore the ski town year round for recreational, historical, and cultural opportunities outside of Anchorage

land where the original town site was residing. Girdwood became an official city in 1961, and joined the Municipality of Anchorage in 1975.

The small town boasts a multitude of recreational opportunities throughout the year. From heli-skiing to gold pan-ning, Girdwood has an activity for every-one. Girdwood sits within the Chugach National Forest, with trails and outdoor opportunities galore.

Davin Doran, who has been living in Girdwood her whole life takes advantage of Girdwood’s access to nature.

“My favorite part about Girdwood is having it be super outdoorsy. Hanging out with everyone, you know everyone. I would take someone to Alyeska or just some of the trails around,” Doran said.

To really get a feel for the town, hop on the tram. The tram runs daily from 9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. May 19 to Oct. 12, and then again daily from Nov. 24 to April 10.

The glacier city is home to a hand-ful of restaurants. Some local favorites include the Bake Shop and Chair 5. The Ice Cream Shop at the local Tesoro sta-tion is a popular favorite among tourists and locals alike. With a wide selection of flavors, the shop hosts Alaska Supreme ice cream. Alaska Supreme ice cream is ice cream made in Alaska and influenced by local flavors and tastes.

Amanda Gilbert, who calls Girdwood home, is all about the charm and seclu-sion the Glacier City has to offer.

“It’s the atmosphere I guess. It’s peace-ful, I don’t have to lock my doors, it’s not Anchorage,” Gilbert said.

Girdwood hosts many festivals throughout the year. From Slush Cup in the spring to Forest Fair in July, Gird-wood festivals celebrate the culture of the town, a culture uniquely their own. The Girdwood forest fair, taking place the first weekend of July, is a gathering of Alaskan artists of all kinds, local food and local Alaskan vendors from around the state.

Venture to Girdwood, Alaska to get a taste of an Alaskan small town; chock full of history, excellent food and plenty to do.

Continued from cover

The handtram of Winner Creek Trail is a fun and easy activity for the whole family.

At the top of the Alyeska tram stands the Roundhouse that once served as the top of the resort’s charlift.

There are many hikes to do in the Girdwood area including Winner Creek Trail and Crow Pass.

PHOTOS BY YOUNG KIM

SEE PHOTOSPAGE 7

Make sure to stop by The Bake Shop, a local favorite, for a quick bite to eat.

This small waterfall is accessible within the first quarter mile of the Virgin Creek Falls trailhead. The Alyeska Resort as seen from the aerial tram.

Chair 5 Restaurant serves as a watering hole for the people in the Girdwood area who are either looking for some grub or something to drink.

FEATURES THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 07

AE THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 08&

BOOK REVIEW

TNL summer reads to enjoy in the sun

by Orson Scott Card by Jon Krakauer by John Steinbeck by Mary Roach

‘Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus’ Into the Wild East of Eden Gulp: Adventures on the

Alimentary Canal

By Young [email protected]

By Kathryn [email protected]

By Casey [email protected]

By Victoria [email protected]

Orson Scott Card plays with the idea of time travel and the effects it can have in altering history and the timeline. In the first book of a proposed series, the novel follows the lives of Christopher Colum-bus as he embarks to a new world and a future scientist who is able to study time and deduces the world’s end as result of Columbus’s explorations. Anyone who is a fan of science and historical fiction and the moral and ethical implications that time travel pose owes it to themselves to read this over the summer.

Krakauer takes you into the mind of Christopher McCandless, a seeming-ly troubled individual who gave up the pleasantries of modern day society to live a vagabond lifestyle that lead him through the deserts of the American Southwest, Mexico, and then eventually to the Last Frontier where he died in the infamous bus 142, off the Stampede trail near Healy, Alaska. Whether you agree or don’t agree with burning your money and running away to the wilderness to pursue a lifestyle built entirely on the kindness and hospitality of others, McCandless’s story is one of an idealistic lifestyle we all can’t help but admire. A perfect sum-mer read to inspire you to get outside and simply be closer to nature.

The best thing I have read this year hands down. This semi biographical book is set in Salinas California, where Steinbeck grew up. Though Steinbeck himself is a character in the book, he is a very minor one, instead the story most-ly revolves around Adam Trask and his family. The book was inspired by the bib-lical account of Cain and Abel and most of the story is constructed to follow simi-lar patterns to this biblical tale. Cain and Abel’s story is exemplified through three different pairs of people in the book, with one of the primary motivations being to show possible ways to interpret Cain and Abel’s tale; even venturing into the possi-ble veneration of Cain from his supposed fate the bible’s account. This beautifully written book will give your brain plenty to ponder during the summer break.

This non-fiction book takes you on an adventure on the path of the food we eat: from top to bottom. Although the sub-ject matter is taboo, the wit and wisdom from the brave scientists who study it makes this an honest to goodness page-turner. Gulp covers the uncomfortable – can constipation kill you? – the weird – why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? – and the interesting – why are humans attracted to crunchy foods? Roach’s exploration of the gut is the first of it’s kind, and although disgusting at points, the book is an endlessly fascinating read about an everyday activity. I have never found myself wondering how many vari-eties of spit there are (two – stimulated and unstimulated) or if the stomach could burst with too much food, but Gulp ends up being not as gross as one would think. It’s a book about us, human beings, not just the processes inside of us.

ALBUM REVIEW

By Wright FranklinContributor

The two weeks of exclusive rights that Chance the Rapper signed over to Apple Music for his third album/mixtape are up and it is finally available to the public for free. If you are one of his millions of fans who couldn’t wait those two weeks, you either purchased Apple Music or pirated it. I’m pleading the fifth on which group I’m in. Regardless, Coloring Book has been on repeat since then in my car, at home, at work, and in the shower. Chance has stepped his game up in every possible way on this project, and it is clear that he has grown as an artist and as a rapper. It has been a long time since I’ve heard a strong feel-good rap album and this is 100% that.

Having featured on Kanye’s “Ultralight Beam” on The Life of Pablo, and trumpeted (because there are plenty of horns on Coloring Book) for helping with pro-duction on the song “Waves,” buzz was building for young Chace’s upcoming third project. With the release of the single, “Angels,” excitement only grew. Upon release of the album, it was met with all around posi-tive response, except for the slight backlash to it being exclusively released on Apple Music – a move that may put Chance in the running for a Grammy.

Coloring Book is not an album, but a Sunday service, in the absolute best way. The choir and alter are there, and we are all at the Church of Chance. He testifies about his addiction to Xanax on “Angels,” the enormous number of deaths of young men in Chicago on “Sum-mer Friends” with Francis the Lights, who sounds eerily like Justin Vernon, and even dedicates two and a half minutes on “How Great” to the Lord himself. The choir has a hint of vocoder making it sound like a sermon on a space shuttle. The guest preachers include Two Chainz, Young Thug and Jay Electronica, who all spit absolute fire.

Kanye West tweeted about The Life of Pablo, stat-ing that it is “actually a Gospel album.” This statement was laughable, considering the some of the vulgarity and trap-influence of the album. However, on Coloring Book, the statement is a lot more relevant.

Chance preaches and the world rejoices for Coloring Book

ARTISTChance the Rapper

ALBUM

“Coloring Book”

GENREHip-hop

RELEASE May 12, 2016

A&E THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 09

By Victoria PetersenJune 7 - June 21

Horoscopes

A new relationship is on its way. Whether a love or a friendship, this new relation-ship is worth putting time into, as it will last for years to come. It might seem that it won’t work out, but have faith, Aquarius.

You have an opportunity to make a name for yourself this summer! You’re reach-ing new heights in your career and your determination to your work is showing. Don’t get lazy now, because a new opportunity will present itself at the end of the month.

A long road trip is in your future. Make sure to have your map and a friend to accompany you along the way. Take this time to explore new places, while ultimately finding yourself.

Take the extra time off you have this summer as an opportunity to make some cash. Have a garage sale to sell some old stuff, and use the money you gain to treat yourself. They say experiences make you happier, and what better way to declutter your life than to declutter your closet and take yourself out on the town.

Don’t be too down on yourself. You might be feeling less social on June 3, but opportunities for fun social activities will find your way and you’ll definitely want to take advantage of them. You’ll need your friends most on June 4 when an unexpected expense arises. Don’t worry, this will only be temporary.

Take this next weekend off to recharge. Maybe go on a solo road trip, or spend some time at home to have some one on one time with yourself. Use this time to reflect on your future and rethink important decisions you are in the process of making.

Being the fiery feline that you, you’ve taken extra measures to get ahead in your career. This has resulted in all work and no play for little leo. Take some time to have some fun with your friends and get out on the town. You’ve shown your initiative at work and now it’s time to get a much needed break.

You’ve been rising to the top in your career, good for you! A promotion of sorts will be in your future, but you’ll be distracted by some family and home concerns. These concerns are only temporary, but think very hard about accepting this promo-tion.

It’s time to see the world! You might have been feeling lost lately. Take this oppor-tunity to throw a pin on the map and throw caution to the wind. Find a fun summer job and save your money for a big trip to a new country. Get out of your comfort zone, Libra. You’ll learn more about the world and about yourself.

Don’t give up Scorpio! You’ve been feeling blue and behind for some time now, but never forget that hard work pays off. With Mars in retrograde this month, your cou-rageous and and determined spirit will shine, helping you get to a better place soon.

Take some time to do some self reflection. Examining your closest relationships and goals will be monumental in helping you get to where you need to be. You might have to let a friend go, but in the end you’ll find yourself happier hanging around less negative people. Look for more positive influences.

A new project will come your way. This new project will give you something to work on and will further your career, so take it seriously! Put lots of thought into what you add to this project, and the results will be fantastic.

ALBUM REVIEW

By Wright FranklinContributor

The two weeks of exclusive rights that Chance the Rapper signed over to Apple Music for his third album/mixtape are up and it is finally available to the public for free. If you are one of his millions of fans who couldn’t wait those two weeks, you either purchased Apple Music or pirated it. I’m pleading the fifth on which group I’m in. Regardless, Coloring Book has been on repeat since then in my car, at home, at work, and in the shower. Chance has stepped his game up in every possible way on this project, and it is clear that he has grown as an artist and as a rapper. It has been a long time since I’ve heard a strong feel-good rap album and this is 100% that.

Having featured on Kanye’s “Ultralight Beam” on The Life of Pablo, and trumpeted (because there are plenty of horns on Coloring Book) for helping with pro-duction on the song “Waves,” buzz was building for young Chace’s upcoming third project. With the release of the single, “Angels,” excitement only grew. Upon release of the album, it was met with all around posi-tive response, except for the slight backlash to it being exclusively released on Apple Music – a move that may put Chance in the running for a Grammy.

Coloring Book is not an album, but a Sunday service, in the absolute best way. The choir and alter are there, and we are all at the Church of Chance. He testifies about his addiction to Xanax on “Angels,” the enormous number of deaths of young men in Chicago on “Sum-mer Friends” with Francis the Lights, who sounds eerily like Justin Vernon, and even dedicates two and a half minutes on “How Great” to the Lord himself. The choir has a hint of vocoder making it sound like a sermon on a space shuttle. The guest preachers include Two Chainz, Young Thug and Jay Electronica, who all spit absolute fire.

Kanye West tweeted about The Life of Pablo, stat-ing that it is “actually a Gospel album.” This statement was laughable, considering the some of the vulgarity and trap-influence of the album. However, on Coloring Book, the statement is a lot more relevant.

Chance preaches and the world rejoices for Coloring Book

ARTISTChance the Rapper

ALBUM

“Coloring Book”

GENREHip-hop

RELEASE May 12, 2016

A&E THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 09

GRAPHICS BY JIAN BAUTISTA AND DEMI STRAUGHN

SPORTS THENORTHERNLIGHTTUESDAY, JUNE 07, 2016 | 10

Recruiting season: Seawolves restock athletes across numerous sportsBy Jordan [email protected]

A common phrase collegiate and professional athletes use is “there is no offseason.” This is not only applicable to those playing the game, but to those coaching and organizing the teams as well. This is a busy time of year for the coaching staff and front offices of colle-giate sports, as they scramble to get ath-letes from all across the world to sing a National Letters of Intent. Several UAA sports are already knee-deep in the recruiting season, and more are to come. There is a lot of young talent taking their skills to the Last Frontier to play for the Green and Gold.

Women’s BasketballComing off a runner-up finish in the

National Championship game, the Lady Seawolves did not take much time in try-ing to replace the seven seniors lost. The first signee for them was 5’9” guard Zha-ra Laster from St. Mary’s County, Mary-land. Laster was a standout at Peninsula College, leading the program to their best years in school history. She averaged 9.7 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game and swiped 3.2 steals per game last sea-son. This earned her the Northwest Ath-letic Conference Northern Region Defen-sive Player of the Year honors.

“Zhara is an extremely athletic guard who can impact the game on many lev-els,” head coach Ryan McCarthy said, who was named West Region Coach of the Year during the 2015-16 season. “Her relentless effort on defense really stands out, but she can also be an effec-tive offensive threat and brings very high ceiling for improvement. Just as impor-tantly, she has proven to be a winner on the court, with her team going 48-11 in her two seasons.”

The next domino to fall for the wom-en’s basketball team was forward Shelby Cloninger, who attended North Idaho Junior College. Cloninger averaged a team high 13.5 points and also added 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. She played 18 games as a true freshman for NCAA Division I Utah State prior to singing at North Idaho.

“We are very excited to have Shelby as part of our Seawolf family here at UAA,” McCarthy said. “Shelby was recruited at a high level and enjoyed some success in Division I. She also comes from a very successful JUCO program and has been well coached. Her balance of skill and athleticism allows her to score from mul-tiple areas on the floor. I think Seawolf fans will really enjoy watching her play.”

Another notable recruit is Div. I trans-fer Autummn Williams, who will have one year of eligibility for the Seawolves after coming over from Little Rock.

“Autummn is an elite athlete who, at 5’10”, can cover a lot of ground and will be probably the best leaper I have coached at the guard position.” McCarthy said. “She is a tenacious defender and can make plays at the rim that are unique to our level. I think Seawolf fans will really enjoy watching Autummn compete this next season.”

On June 1, the Lady Seawolves added yet another piece to their roster. Domi-nique Thomas of Kilgore Junior College inked her national letter of intent after earning First Team All-Region XIV her sophomore season while putting up 12.6 points and hauling in 7.6 rebounds per game.

Other players who have signed their letter of intent for the UAA women’s bas-ketball team are guards Kaitlyn Hurley from Snow College, and Kimijah King who is signing out of high school.

SkiingTo kick off recruitment for the skiing

program, head ski coach Sparky Ander-son announced the signing of four skiers. The new racers coming in include Zack-arias Toresson, Natalie Hynes, Michaela Keller-Miller and Hannah Rudd.

“We are very excited about the incom-ing recruits for next season,” Anderson said. “We believe this group will produce results for us straight out of the box and will continue to get better and better.”

Toresson is from Varberg, Sweden, and skied for Saevast Ski Team, who competed in National Championships

several times. Hynes reigns from White-horse, Yukon, and finished with a top-10 result at the National Championships this March. Another skier was added to the roster a few weeks after the four-some had signed. Dominic Unterberger, from Revelstoke, British Columbia, is an Alpine skier who just put his signature on the dotted line to become a Seawolf.

HockeyAfter coming off of a disappoint-

ing 2015-16 campaign, if the hockey team looks to bounce back next season, they will need production from the new-est members skating in green and gold. In late April, head coach Matt Thomas locked up six players, all international athletes.

Attacking forwards being added to the squad are Aleksi Ainali of Vihti, Finland and Corey Renwick from Nanoose Bay, B.C.

“Aleksi is someone who we feel can be a difference maker in the offensive zone,” Thomas said. “Corey is a guy that will do whatever he needs to do in order to help his team win.”

The Seawolves also had four defense-men join the team this offseason. Julius Marva and Tomi Hiekkavirta are both from Finland and hope to bring versatil-ity and relentlessness to the table.

“Julius is a player who is just begin-ning to tap into his potential,” Thomas said. “Tomi is a top-end skater with elite vision, he has the ability to make our power play better from the get go.

Traveling from Landshut, Germany is David Trinkberger, who stands at 6’5” and has played for Germany’s U20 team the last two seasons.

“He is an imposing defensive defen-seman that keeps things simple. He has high-end character and is a workhorse both on and off the ice,” Thomas said.

The fourth defenseman singed by the Seawolves was Nolan Nicholas.

“Throughout the recruiting process, everyone who knew Nolan could not say enough positive things in regards to his character and leadership qualities. All winning teams need guys like Nolan and we are excited that he chose UAA,” Thomas said.

VolleyballVolleyball has revamped their roster

for the 2016-17 season by added six talent-ed women. Junior-college transfer Keala Kaio-Perez, from Hawaii, played for the NJCAA national runner-up last season, helping lead Western Nebraska Com-munity College to a 42-5 record. Another JC star making a transition to Div. II is two-time All-Region IX performer Anais Vargas, who will help replace some of the kills that were lost from the seniors who have moved on.

The Volleyball team also signed four players out of high school, including one local from Alaska. Diana Fa’amausili, Madison Fisher, Vanessa Hayes and Kara Viotta from Eagle River High School have all decided to begin their colle-giate career with the Seawolves. Coming of their best record in program history, UAA hopes these newcomers can help build upon an amazing season.

While other athletes continue to sign, and rosters progress, the Seawolf athletic programs are in good shape heading into the 2016-17 season.

Head coach Matt Thomas discusses key points of the game during a timeout of a game in the 2015-16 season

PHOTOS BY SAM WASSON

Kara Viotto poses after signing her National Letter of Intent to play volleyball for the UAA Seawolves. Zhara Laster of Peninsula College rises up for a layup against Everett College.

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