SPRING 2003

My, How WE'VE GROWN UAA HAS COME A LONG WAY IN THE LAST 50 YEARS

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE STUDENTS GIVE PROGRAM TWO THUMBS UP

No MORE FREE LAUNDRY Two VIEWS ON LEAVING HOME

Bristol Environmental & Engineering Services Corporation is an Anchorage-based company with an office in Marysville, Washington. We employ more than 60 full-time persons, with additional staff during the summer field season. \Ve participate in the UAA Career Fair each year, to meet new graduates who might become new employees. Our project history includes work performed for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Hawai'i, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Kulis Air National Guard Base, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The occupations listed below are just some examples of the types of work you will find in our consulting engineering firm.

> CONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

• Field Supervision. CoSt Estimating & Scheduling. Health & Safety

> CIVIL ENGINEERING AND DESIGN

• Landfills. Water & Sewer Systems. Roads. Airports

> ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

• Field Sampling and Analysis. Chemistry. Geology & Hydrogeology. Biology

> INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

• CADD. GIS. GPS • Web-based Document Management

> ADMINISTRATION

• Accounts Payable & Receivable. Payroll. Contracts

To express interest, please forward your resume to the address below. You can also learn about new opportunities by logging on to our web site.

A w~ owl'l.edt~ ofBristol 'Br"~'Ba:Y Nat"we- Ccrporat"WYlI

ENVIRONMENTAL & ENGINEER1NG SERVICES CORPORATION

Check out our job postings

2000 W. INTERNATlONAL AIRPORT ROAD, #C-I, ANCHORAGE, AK 99502 at www.beesc.com 907-563-0013 phone' 907-563-6713 fax

I I I I I I

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r---------------~ On Day One of our 15-week production period, the staff of True North began

with 40-some-odd pages of absolute nothing. No stories, no design, almost no money - nada. The 13 of us simply had one goal in mind - to produce a magazine. With a little guidance and a lot of zeal, we were able to turn out the publication that you hold in your hand today - from stories to photos to the tiny little design intricacies you'll see throughout.

We talked about a theme for True North 2003 and someone brought up the idea that UAA is like our own little city - one doesn't really ever need to leave campus to get things done. Within the invisible walls of our campus, you can find just about any amenity a regular city would offer - as True North's Mikko Sumulong shows us, at UAA you can rent skis, catch a concert, grab some espresso, hit the gym, or have someone prepare your taxes. We've even offered you a few pointers on places to nap around campus!

In the pages of True North 2003, you will catch a glimpse of the city that is UAA. Staff writer Sean Rivers takes us back to the university's beginnings as he tells about the changes UAA has undergone throughout the years. True North's Nikki Jefford shows us why American Sign Language classes are taking off, and Becky Stoppa introduces us to three talented professors.

After 15 long weeks of exhausting our creative thinking skills, this magazine is what we have to show. So sit back and let True North 2003 J~

I take you on a tour of our own little metropolis called UAA.

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2 t..

05 City within a city I:» The fourth largest city in Alaska is ...surprise, UM! by MIKKO SUMULONG =I 7

06 Learning in the 'burbs ~ UM's reach extends from Kodiak to Homer to Wasilla and beyond. by SARAH DALE

08 No more free laundry =I n r Parents and students agree: Leaving home is hard to do. by MEREDITH STEIN ~ rue 10 Russians call UAA home

!!"~~-~-~ University's Russian exchange program is among nation's largest. = ~s~~ by JENNY JONES

~_~I:~ullulllllY ......= 12 My flag is red, white and blue too! Trading marsupials for ungulates: What it's like to move from the land down ~ under to the last frontier. by KRYSTYNA GALE ......=

14 To get to the other side ~ on the Photographer Bob Martinson takes another look at the bridges we cross. by BOB MARTINSONcover

18 The way we were to the way we are Part community college, part university: UM has come a long way. by SEAN T RIVERS

24 Signs of expression Students give American Sign Language two thumbs up. by NIKKI JEFFORD

26 Volunteers at work What's pay got to do with it? Student volunteers follow their dreams. by MONICA CULVER

28 Education of military spouses Higher education is within reach of Anchorage's military families. by MEGAN A. PETERS

31 Homegrown nurses UM's nursing school is poised for growth, but its heart is in Alaska. by NANCY BALE

34 They've got the know-how JPC instructors stretch their skills, and their students' too. by BECKY STOPPA

643,786: POPULATION OF ALASKA

656,425: AREA OF ALASKA IN SQUARE MILES

20,320: HEIGHT OF MOUNT MCKINLEY IN FEET

$7.15: MINIMUM WAGE IN ALASKA

$5.15: THE STANDARD MINIMUM WAGE SET BY FEDERAL LAW

8.7: PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN ALASKA

$386.15: AMOUNT OF PFO IN 1983 (FIRST OFFICIAL YEAR)

$1,540.76: AMOUNT OF PFO IN 2002 52: NUMBER OF U.S. SENATE VOTES CAST IN MARCH AGAINST OPENING THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE FOR

OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION

48: NUMBER OF U.S. SENATE VOTES IN FAVOR

27: NUMBER OF FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IN ANCHORAGE IN 2001 59: PERCENT OF FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IN ANCHORAGE IN 2001 INVOLVING ALCOHOL OR DRUGS

1,759: OWl ARRESTS IN ANCHORAGE IN 2001 19,777: NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED AT UAA IN SPRING SEMESTER 2003 48: NUMBER OF HOURS GIVEN TO IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO LEAVE IRAQ

$425,000: AMOUNT GIVEN TO UAA BY WELLS FARGO TO SPONSOR THE SPORTS CENTER

'SOURCES: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU; ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE; PERMANENT FUND DIVISION; 50STATES.COM; ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS; ALASKA DEPARTMENT•• OF LABOR, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS SECTION; ANCHORAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 2001

ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.

TRUE NORTH 2003

Number of Rosanne's suggested headlines: 24 Number of Rosanne's suggestions actually used:;r'0 Number of hilarious contributions from Sean that you will not

read in this magazine: 47 Number of ad packets dropped off: 84 Number of ads actually sold: 22 Number of visits to the library photo archives: 15 Number of parking spots on campus: 3,300

not one of which Nikki can ever seem to snag Number of parking permits sold for spring 2003: 3,200

somehow this doesn't add up - why can't we ever find a parking spot? Number of floods overcome while producing TN2003: 1

sprinkler system wiped out K building computers for four days' Number of odd looks Monica received when counting yellow

floor tiles at the University Center: 19 Number of rejected "Out" list ideas: 14 CORRECTION Number of rejected cover ideas: 4 Number of featurettes you will read: 17 In the story, "It's his call," in True North Number of film rolls that Bob used: 17 2002, the year that George Benson Number of CDs used to save files: 46 arrived in Anchorage was incorrect.

seven of which are Mikko's ultra-cute mini discs The date is 1964. Number of stop signs on campus: 34 Number of street signs in this magazine: 21

If the University of Alaska Anchorage were a city all on its own, it would be the fourth largest in Alaska. There are 19,777 students and 1,345 faculty and staff at UAA Only three Alaska cities-Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau-are larger, figures from the 2000 census show.

Not only is the university city-like in size, but also in the variety of places and people you'll encounter. Among many other occupations and interests, UM has its share of chefs, business executives, photographers, journalists, police officers and librarians. There are astronomers, pilots, nurses, physicists, psychologists and actors.

The 428-acre campus offers just about everything you'd find if it were a real city: You can eat, drink and even sleep-if you live at the dorms-without having to step foot beyond UM's boundaries.

You can rent in-line skates, ice skates or skis. You can have your favorite barrista prepare a cup of coffee the way you want it. You can enjoy live music while you eat your lunch-a deli sandwich. If you're willing to spend a little more, indulge in fine dining at the Lucy Cuddy Center. And when you're done, you can burn calories by working out: Choose from weight lifting, ice skating or swimming, among others.

The campus bookstore holds book signings and forums that span a range of topics and interests. Stroll through on-campus galleries to enjoy photo, pottery or other art exhibits.

And when the weekend comes, consider taking in a play or dance concert. Prefer sports? Be part of the hometown crowd at a basketball or volleyball game or gymnastics meet.

Like any city, UM offers a commuter system-the familiar green, yellow and white shuttles. The WolfCard serves as the on-campus debit card. The Northern Light is the campus newspaper and KRUA 88.1 is the local radio station. The Student Health Center takes care of many medical matters. Accounting students offer help with taxes. Tanaina center can care for your children while you are in class or at work. And the university police department takes care of security.

But did you know you could get a massage on campus, visit a dental clinic or rent sheet music and movies? You can play pool, find legal advice or mail packages. Did you know the university has its own print shop and greenhouse?

The city that begins at Seawolf Drive has more to offer than just classes. Drop by sometime I

BY MIKKO SUMULONG

MIKKO SUMULONG [TRUE NORTH 2003 DESIGN DIRECTOR], 20, GRADUATES IN DECEMBER

2003 WITH A DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS. ALONG WITH STARTING A

NEW MAGAZINE IN THE PHILIPPINES, SHE PLANS TO MAKE HER TELEVISION DEBUT IN THE SPRING

OF 2004 WITH HER VERY OWN SHOW I

Wl• hi a Gi t Y----7-:

You WANT IT, WE'VE GOT IT

05

l"1IKKO SUMULONG

If the University of Alaska Anchorage were a city all on its own, it would be the fourth largest in Alaska. There are 19,777 students and 1,345 faculty and staff at UAA. Only three Alaska cities-Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau-are larger, figures from the 2000 census show.

Not only is the university city-like in size, but also in the variety of places and people you'll encounter. Among many other occupations and interests, UAA has its share of chefs, business executives, photographers, journalists, police officers and librarians. There are astronomers, pilots, nurses, physicists, psychologists and actors.

The 428-acre campus offers just about everything you'd find if it were a real city: You can eat, drink and even sleep-if you live at the dorms-without having to step foot beyond UAA's boundaries.

You can rent in-line skates, ice skates or skis. You can have your favorite barrista prepare a cup of coffee the way you want it. You can enjoy live music while you eat your lunch-a deli sandwich. If you're willing to spend a little more, indulge in fine dining at the Lucy Cuddy Center. And when you're done, you can burn calories by working out: Choose from weight lifting, ice skating or swimming, among others.

The campus bookstore holds book signings and forums that span a range of topics and interests. Stroll through on-campus galleries to enjoy photo, pottery or other art exhibits.

And when the weekend comes, consider taking in a play or dance concert. Prefer sports? Be part of the hometown crowd at a basketball or volleyball game or gymnastics meet.

Like any city, UAA offers a commuter system-the familiar green, yellow and white shuttles. The WolfCard serves as the on-campus debit card. The Northern Light is the campus newspaper and KRUA 88.1 is the local radio station. The Student Health Center takes care of many medical matters. Accounting students offer help with taxes. Tanaina center can care for your children while you are in class or at work. And the university police department takes care of security,

But did you know you could get a massage on campus, visit a dental clinic or rent sheet music and movies? You can play pool, find legal advice or mail packages. Did you know the university has its own print shop and greenhouse?

The city that begins at Seawolf Drive has more to offer than just classes, Drop by sometime!

BY

MIKKO SUMULONG [TRUE NORTH 2003 DESIGN DIRECTOR], 20, GRADUATES IN DECEMBER

2003 WITH A DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS. ALONG WITH STARTING A

NEW MAGAZINE IN THE PHILIPPINES, SHE PLANS TO MAKE HER TELEVISION DEBUT IN THE SPRING

OF 2004 WITH HER VERY OWN SHOW'

within a You WANT IT,

Gi t y------,:..-: WE'VE GOT IT

05

I

UAA's NEIGHBORHOOD

STRETCHES FROM KENAI TO

WASILLA AND BEYOND.

BY SARAH DALE

06

It's a piece of real estate straight out of a dream: 950 acres nestled in woods. A quick 40 miles from Anchorage. Scenery to spare,

And if you don't mind sharing the terrain with 1,600 or so other students, this site­home to UAA's Matanuska-Susitna campus-could be your home away from home, at least during hours you spend in class.

"The beauty is really a plus," said Marjorie Payton-Hewlett, Mat-Su's student services manager since 1997. "It's like a gas station. Location is everything."

Students in Valdez, Kodiak and the Kenai Peninsula may also enroll in UAA courses through the university's outlying campuses in each of these regions. Together, some 5,000 students are enrolled in what UAA calls its extended campuses at Valdez, Kodiak, Kenai Peninsula and in the Mat-Su valley. Another 431 students pursue UAA courses through military education centers at Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson in Anchorage.

Convenient location is the main reason students may favor the extended campuses over travel to Anchorage; but students quickly find that the outlying sites offer clubs, libraries, resources and academic and social events that they'd

find on a larger scale at urban UAA, And students say the extended campuses are just about as diverse as UAA itself.

"One class I took had a high school student, a high school teacher and an 87­year-old man," said Payton-Hewlett, who also enrolls in courses at Mat-Su. "We're very eclectic."

Kathy Bowman, 23, is a human services major and vice president of student government at the Mat-Su College. She takes classes at the Anchorage campus as well as the Mat-Su and Eagle River­Chugiak campuses. For Bowman, the attraction of a local campus is that it's smaller and offers a greater chance for one-on-one attention from instructors.

"Eagle River is more personable for classes and makes it more enjoyable," said Bowman,

But smaller doesn't always mean less: Extended campuses offer a surprisingly wide range of programs. The Kenai Peninsula College, with campuses in Soldotna and Homer, offers two-year associates of arts and associates of applied science degrees, as well as courses leading to vocational certificates in mechanical, office and petroleum technology, among several others.

The college also offers a number of four-year degree programs through

ONE CLASS I TOOK HAD A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT,

A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND AN 87-YEAR-OLD MAN.

WE'RE VERY ECLECTIC.

distance education delivery through other University of Alaska campuses, and it has its own baccalaureate degrees that can be pursued entirely at KPC, Plans call for continued growth at the extended campuses after Alaska voters in November approved Proposition C, a package of school bonds that set aside $61 million for UA projects at both urban and outlying campuses,

Brian Keith, 18, a first-year student who works as a peer adviser in the student services department at the Kenai Peninsula College, says he likes his school's relaxed atmosphere, Keith, who plans to obtain an associate of arts degree from KPC before considering other schools for a bachelor's degree, says he's never been in a KPC class larger than 35 students,

"Lots of students use (KPC) as a stepping stone for their

PHOTO BY B08 MAR llNSON

degrees," said Keith. The Mat-Su and Kodiak Colleges also attract students taking

classes toward certificates or degrees through the college and distance education programs.

"If the students can take any distance education, they want to know that," said Payton-Hewlett at Mat-Su College. "They tend to look at distance education more than the Anchorage students."

SARAH DALE [TRUE NORTH 2003 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR], 21, GRADUATES IN MAY 2004 WITH A DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC

COMMUNICATIONS AND A MINOR IN COMMUNICATIONS. SHE'S UNSURE

WHETHER TO JUST GO TO SCHOOL FOREVER OR ACTUALLY PURSUE A CAREER

IN JOURNALISM.

WHAT'S IN Self Expression

Splurging on a new perfume/cologne

Diamonds

New white tennis shoes

Nalgene bottles

Going to UAA Dances (Homecoming, Winter Formal, etc.)

Using duct tape to fix your car

Decal-less cars

Thursday night party night (weekly classes are over!)

Reality TV

WHAT SHOULD BE OUT Self Mutilation

Marinating in it

Glitter (seventh grade has come and gone, kids)

Wearing them with jeans

Nalgene bottles

Making fun of UAA dances

Using duct tape to fix your clothes

Cars cluttered with stickers (especially Calvin relieving himsel0

Tuesday night party night (or Wednesday or Sunday) Reality TV 07

BY JENNY JONES

N-~ ~.r1-~'REr UAA STUDENTS COME FROM ACROSS TOWN, ACROSS

F:J~\~EIEt.. - _ r _ [ THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE WORLD.

TRUE NORTH'S MEREDITH STEIN ASKED TWO -l.::--,:A' lU"~'N-. '. -·D'·t.t?Uy (J-.11 , .• , <._ { - _ 1 .. ,,,- .~. '~ ~ STUDENTS, ONE WHO MOVED TO UAA FROM THE

EAST COAST AND THE OTHER WHO MOVED OUT OF

HIS FAMILY HOME IN ANCHORAGE, WHAT IT'S LIKE TO

br ln,9·' MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN.

quart e·rs}~

..J <! '>

o<1 Special education major Jessica Z <1 Sandaval, 19, traveled from her home(f)

<1 o in Sharon, Conn., to begin studies at ~ ...J W UM in fall 2002. She and her mother,

2:: Melinda, think out loud about the move.

)­U1 W

5 WHAT'S YOUR LASTING MEMORY ABOUTc

~ THE BIG MOVE? ~ Jessica: Arriving in Alaska. It was the first time I had been here,

0..: and I expected to be surrounded by polar bears and igloos, you know, all those kinds of stereotypes that I had assumed Alaska to be like. Melinda: She brought so much stuff. Absolutely unbelievable. I never thought it would all make it here in one piece.

WHAT DID YOU FEAR MOST? J: Just that I would be able to adjust OK to a completely new place. I was scared that I would be lonely and homesick and that I wouldn't fit in. M: Nothing. I know that Jess is a tough kid and that she would stick it out just fine. We've moved several times before in her childhood, and she's always adjusted well to all the changes that came with it. I had plenty of faith in her.

WHAT DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR DAUGHTERlMOTHER DID NOT? J: How easy it is to pack on the "Freshman 15." My mom kept sending me care packages full of candy and homemade cookies. Not that I don't appreciate that, but it doesn't exactly help when I'm living off greasy dorm food and pizza. M: I wish that I was in her shoes. College was some of the best years of my life, and they flew by.

08

WHAT WAS THE MOST HELPFUL DORM ITEM? J: My microwave. It was a pain to bring, but it is a great escape from cafeteria food to pop in something like Easy Mac when I have the craving. M: First Aid Kit. It's better to be safe than sorry.

HOW DID IT FEEL TO SAY GOODBYE? J: It was hard leaving home, but at the same time I was really excited to start a new chapter in my life. M: It is always difficult letting go, especially of someone you have been so close to. But I was happy for her. I know she has yet the best years of her life ahead of her.

WHAT DID YOU DO TO KEEP IN TOUCH? J: E-mail and phone calls. I even taught my mom how to use instant messenger on the computer, which saves a lot of money. M: Telephone, e-mail. I've been known to send a care package or two from time to time.

HOW DID YOU SURPRISE YOURSELF? J: I am more outgoing than I thought I was. I have moved so many times in my life, and starting over was so hard. I always thought of myself as the shy, new kid. But when I came here, I found it so easy to just go up to people and say, "Hey, I'm Jessica." M: I found myself worrying about her less and less and not having to call and check up on her so often.

WHAT DID YOU MISS MOST? J: I miss having more privacy. I also miss mom's cooking I M: Now that Jess is gone, it is me, her father, and two younger brothers at home. So I am outnumbered by men. I miss having female companionship at home.

WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS? J: Don't bring more than you need. M: Live it up. You will miss these years of freedom when you are older and have a lot more responsibility.

Dorm dweller Eric Rystrom, 20, is a computer science major who can stop by his family home in Anchorage to visit his mother, Janice, and his pet dog and cat anytime he wants. Eric and Janice talk about the move.

~ YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT ABOUT ;:' LEAVING HOME? £ Eric: Having to fit some of my furniture (the couch I brought)

through the door. It was a pretty big hassle. Janice: I was surprised that so many other residents were so helpful to us as we moved things to his room.

BIGGEST FEAR? E: I was hoping that I wouldn't end up with some obsessive­compulsive brainiac (roommate) that stole my stuff or something. J: That he would party too much and his grades would suffer.

WHAT DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR SON/MOTHER DID NOT? E: That everyone acts just the same as they did in high school! I thought that college kids would be much more open-minded and accepting than high schoolers, but it is just as cliquey and gossipy. Especially in the dorms. Everybody knows everyone's business. Gossip spreads like wildfire here in the halls. J: That college is so much more different now than it was when I went. Surprisingly, the dorms here seemed much more mellow and quiet than when I was in college.

WHAT WAS THE MOST HELPFUL DORM ITEM? E: Toilet paper No explanation needed. J: His computer, which was a high school graduation present from us,

= _________ ~_~_s:JJJ[ __~_~_~_~

BEAN DIP INGREDIENTS 1 can Campbell's black bean soup, 1 cup shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, Y, cup sour cream, % tsp hot pepper sauce DIRECTIONS Combine all ingredients, heat, and serve with tortilla chips.

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS Pre-packaged chicken strips, bagged salad, dressing DIRECTIONS Place desired amount of chicken into small bowl, and microwave for 45 seconds. Pour desired amount of salad into separate bowl, pour

HOW DID IT FEEL TO SAY GOODBYE? E: It was weird. Because my folks are only 15 minutes away, yet I was moving out. Pretty trippy. J: I was excited for him. He has a lot to look forward to these next four years.

HOW DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH? E: They call and check up on me all the time. J: Phone, e-mail, and he comes home to do laundry often.

HOW DID YOU SURPRISE YOURSELF? E: By being more focused in college than I was in high school. I find myself more interested in my classes here, especially the ones that pertain to my major. J: I've been handling the whole empty-nest syndrome pretty well. It has actually been pretty peaceful. But I still miss him.

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST? E My dog and cat. And just being able to go downstairs to do laundry for free! J: I miss Eric's sense of humor and liveliness at home. He always lit up our household,

ANY ADVICE? E Be cool. Stay in school. J: Study hard and do your best no matter what.

MEREDITH STEIN, 22, IS A JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

MAJOR WITH AN EMPHASIS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING. SHE

GRADUATED IN MAY AND WILL PURSUE A CAREER IN GRAPHIC DESIGN AND

LAYOUT.

_

EZ DORM RECIPES: the chicken strips on top of lettuce, and add the dressing.

TUNA AND NOODLE CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS 1 Ib package of noodles, 1can drained tuna, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, Y, cup milk, salt and pepper DIRECTIONS Cook noodles according to package directions. Combine all ingredients in a casserole, and heat through.

KINDERGARTEN PiZZA INGREDIENTS English muffins, spaghetti sauce, shredded cheese, pepperoni

DIRECTIONS Spread 2 tsp of sauce on each split muffin, spread 2 tsp of cheese on top of the sauce, and put pepperoni on top of the cheese. Microwave for 3 minutes. RECIPES FROM GETOUTTODAY.COM

MEREDITH'S No-BAKE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, %cup peanut butter, 6 cups Kellogg's Crispix cereal, 1cup powdered sugar DIRECTIONS Microwave: Melt chocolate at HIGH for 1 minute in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat an additional 30 seconds or until melted. Form into cookies and let cool. 09

I

Russians call UAA home

CAMPUS LEADS THE NATION IN RUSSIAN

EXCHANGE STUDENTS.

BY JENNY JONES

ANNA BOGATROVA AND A FRIEND STOP ALONG THE SEWARD

HIGHWAY TO TAKE IN THE CLEAN AIR.

10

When Russian exchange student Anna Bogatrova first arrived in the United States, she was impressed by everything around her. Stepping off the plane in Anchorage, she even found the air satisfying.

Among the many pleasures the United States has to offer­Bogatrova's list also includes cheap cars, credit cards and fashionable clothes-the one thing Bogatrova enjoys most is easy Internet access through her UM student account.

"In Russia, if you even have the Internet at your house, you have to pay a lot of money for it. And then you have to wait and wait because the connection is so slowl Here it is so fast and free; I love it," says Bogatrova, who has been in Alaska since August 2002.

While few UM students travel to Russia to study abroad­experts say UM sent only one student this year-the Anchorage campus now leads the country in numbers of Russian students taking courses here, university figures show.

The American Russian Center at UM offers exchange and study abroad programs for Russian students who want to earn a degree in the United States. The Far Eastern State Transportation University program, known by its acronym FESTU, allows Russian students to study for two years in the Siberian hub city of Khabarovsk and two years in Alaska to earn a degree from UM's College of Business and Public Policy.

Earned credit hours from Khabarovsk carry over to UM, and the FESTU program allows Russian students to pay resident tuition in Alaska. This year, 15 new students came to the Anchorage campus through FESTU; there are about 40 more students at UM who are finishing their degrees through this program.

Preston Ireland, a UM Russian language major who traveled to Khabarovsk in the fall 2002 semester, says his time in Russia allowed him to achieve twin goals: to earn academic credit for studying abroad and improve his language skills.

"I learned a lot about the language there and stayed with a host family. I even had a specialized study program to help me with my courses," says Ireland.

Sarah Hurst, international programs coordinator for the American Russian Center at UM, says that many Russian

BY KRYS1YNA GALE

"outback. I don't have to fear Australia's poisonous snakes like the Taipan or tiger, or its spiders, such as funnel-web, redback or wolf. Shark attacks happen only if you ignore helpful signs, and crocodiles have to be sought out before you can wrestle them. (Steve Irwin has a reptile park in Queensland, if you're interested.)

Like most of my UAA peers, I went to a local public school. We don't have proms, but I did attend two formals in my final years of high school. Melbourne has plenty of nightclubs, and some host underage events. But of course you only have to be 18 to consume alcohol legally in Australia.

Unlike here, you must be 18 in Australia to have a full driver's license. But if you're too young, too environmentally friendly, or too slack (like me) to drive, Melbourne's public transport is your reliable savior. We have buses, trains and-my favorite-trams. Trams run electrically along mostly urban rails. A tram from my home to Uni or the city takes about 30 minutes.

There are about 1 million people in Melbourne, so I probably don't know the Aussie (pronounced "ozzie") you're chatting with

proposed legislation must be reviewed by the queen (or at least, her representative). The queen still gets her noggin (head) printed on the back of our coins and $5 notes, and the royal family often features in our trashy magazines.

Despite what you may think, Sydney is not our capital-that's Canberra, home of our Parliament and not a whole lot else.

I'm from the suburbs of Melbourne, which is the biggest city in Victoria-one of Australia's seven states. I don't live in the

I'VE DISCOVERED WHEN IT'S WINTER IN ALASKA, IT'S

SUMMER AT HOME. I'VE LEARNED THAT I ENJOY DOING LAUNDRY

AND THROWING FISH ONTO THE ICE WHEN OUR HOCKEY TEAM

SCORES.

' -------------------------------­...

I come from the land down under, but I don't have a pet koala, and I don't ride to school on a kangaroo. I don't know Nicole Kidman or Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, and Russell Crowe is from New Zealand. If I told you I expected Alaskans to ride moose and live in igloos, we could call it even.

I Briefly: I'm a 21-year-old Melbournite who came to Anchorage

to study, explore and learn more about Alaska and U.S. culture. And like every student who's ever gone abroad, I hoped to learn something about me too.

I've discovered when it's winter in Alaska, it's summer at home. I've learned that I enjoy " doing laundry and throwing fish onto the ice when our hockey team scores.

This is my first time in the United States and before I left-airtime took 20 hours-lots of people back home warned me about culture shock. I was worried about the cold and how expensive things would be. The exchange rate is roughly $1 U.S for every $2 Australian.

Then there were the stereotypes gleaned from teen flicks. I was constantly on my guard for the scary cheerleader/sorority girl, and

..."..... the stupid yet devilishly handsome jock boy.h ,..:.,............ I was concerned about U.S. patriotism, about whether

If; /""" people here would want me to convert. For the ..........,,:< V( ../ "....... record, Australia is not part of America, - -..:..... -=: V' . v;·/'_.. although it would be a lot more

_ ., It' 1 ....~.....

, \ , ~ ."-, ,... interesting than being ruled \ . ..............q- f'........ by England!

/., -,lL "...... ... • "" While it's true

A'········,..... / { -4:) that Australians· VL I '. I I' . ..q- '. "'" .. ""'" / Ive In a ..........,.. i ..,.....,...........h.. "'';;/ democratic society

.'..... "',C,. -« /.......... .I and we vote for a""'.." ! / new pnme minister ...... "'" . '. ,12~ . . ,/ v,,! every four years,

·~·······~·· ..........i ....

on the Internet. We like instant messaging over the Internet, and we like mobile phone messaging so much that msg-speak is showing up in classroom essays.

Australia has McDonald's ("Maccas" for short), KFC, Kmart, Coke, Pepsi, and a whole lot of American imported delights­Oreos, Twinkies and Hershey's to name a few. Australians have come from all over the world, bringing with them foods and culture from virtually every other continent.

Of course, we also have snags (sausages that go on the barbie-the grill, not the doll!) and meat pies (staple food at the football, Australian rules of course).

When I arrived here, I was finally able to see things I'd only ever read about: Corn dogs. Beef jerky. Tootsie rolls. Carrs. Wal­Mart. Sears. I'd never heard of people eating reindeer meat, salmon eggs with seaweed, or pilot bread and fry bread, but in my semester in Alaska, I've tried them all.

What's odd is how many people who live here manage to avoid the things we tourists indulge in. For instance, have you ever wondered why that guy on the roadside is selling baleen? I know, because I've asked. Have you ever ridden on the Zamboni? When was the last time you supported UAA by going to a hockey match or basketball game?

So I don't need to question why I came to Anchorage on exchange. I still call Australia home, but Alaska, of all the states, offered what I went looking for: Achange.

And if this laid-back Aussie can do it, so can you.

KRYSlYNA GALE IS AN ENGLISH MAJOR WHO HOPES TO EARN HER DEGREE

IN 2003. SHE [S A SELF-CONFESSED CHOCOHOLIC AND WON THE

FREAKIEST DRESSER AWARD AT NORTHCOTE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHERE HER DEGREE TAKES HER, NOBODY KNOWS.

rPASSP T p Al GALE

KRYSTYNA

P<AUSGALE«KRYSTYNA<lE

19

20

I

TRUE NORTH PHOTOGRAPHER

BOB MARTINSON WENT LOOKING

FOR BRIDGES AS A SYMBOL OF

WHAT UNIFIES UAA's SPRAWLING

CAMPUS. MARTINSON'S PHOTOS HAVE

BEEN PUBLISHED IN NATIONAL

WILDLIFE FEDERATION

PUBLICATIONS AND THE

ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS,

AMONG OTHERS.

WHEN HE'S NOT BEHIND THE

LENS, MARTINSON FISHES

COMMERCIALLY ON THE COPPER

RIVER.

A JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC

COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR, HE

PLANS TO GRADUATE IN 2004 AND PURSUE A CAREER IN

PHOTOJOURNALISM.

WeJre usuallY rushing to class) but sometimes we{f rather sit. Orplqy. Other times) weJ"ust walk the bridges that willget us to where we want to be.

{[the way we were to the way we are I

I

Interested in a degree in home economics? How about mining?UAA TRACES ITS ROOTS TO Or perhaps agriculture?

THREE MAJORS, SIX STUDENTS AND If these choices don't fit your notion of a model job, you would SOME HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS. have been plum out of luck in Alaska in 1922. One college was

operating in the territory-the campus was in Fairbanks-and those were the only degrees available to the whopping six

BY SEAN T. RiVERS students initially registered that fall.

Fast forward to 1954 when Anchorage's first community college got under way. Conducting all of its courses in high school classrooms and on nearby military bases, Anchorage's r community college in 1954 boasted 414 students and 21 teachers. What followed has been an ongoing journey of identity.

For the next 30 years, higher education in Anchorage underwent several transformations. Institutions such as the Anchorage Regional Center, Southcentral Regional Center and Anchorage Senior College once were familiar to Anchorage students from 1966 to 1986; today, these schools are virtually unknown to Anchorage college students. But the rise and fall of those institutions helped form today's UAA.

A key turning point came in 1986 when the UA Board of Regents, faced with shrinking state funds stemming from a steep

" UAA's HYBRID ROOTS HAVE MEANT THAT THE UNIVERSITY LEARNED

TO ACCOMMODATE AT LEAST TWO KINDS OF STUDENTS:

THE TRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENT PURSUING

A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE AND THE NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT

SEEKING VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

" 18

-

HOW MANY CHANGES CAN YOU SPOT IN THIS 1976 PHOTO OF THE EAST END OF UAA'S

CAMPUS? WE SPOTTED NINE, INCLUDING A NEAR-EMPTY CAS PARKING LOT.

drop in oil prices, approved a plan to blend the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Anchorage Community College into one school that became known as UAA. The goal was to form a campus that would uphold the best of both worlds-a community college that offered courses for personal enrichment and vocational training and a four-year university where teaching faculty also pursued research.

Critics said it could never work. Then there were those like electronics technology student Scott Parker, who in 1988 told the Anchorage Daily News he didn't care what the school called itself as long as it offered useful degrees.

As UAA eyes a 50th anniversary of sorts in 2004, some observers are still mindful of the tension between the goals of a community college and a research university. Retired UAA history professor Ron Crawford, a former ACC faculty member who became part of UAA's faculty following the merger, insists that blending the two schools was "a dumb idea."

"Community colleges and four-year universities are two different creatures with entirely different cultures," Crawford says.

While their school's history may be foggy, UAA students today say they're clear about what they want from higher

UAA TRACES ITS ROOTS TO AN ANCHORAGE-AREA COLLEGE THAT

SPRANG UP IN 1954 AND IS NO MORE. HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT ELSE

HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST 49 YEARS.

FORD CAR:

GALLON OF GAS:

LOAF OF BREAD:

FIRST-CLASS POSTAGE:

INFLUENTIAL WOMEN:

INFLUENTIAL MEN:

POPULAR TV SHOWS:

POPULAR MOVIES:

FADS:

POPULAR CAR:

$1,537 22 cents 16 cents 3 cents Marilyn Monroe Elizabeth Taylor Lucille Ball Elvis Presley Frank Sinatra I Love Lucy Mickey Mouse Club The Blob West Side Story Hula-hoop Poodle skirts Disney '57 Chevy

$13,280 $1.74 $2.50 37 cents Jennifer Lopez Catherine Zeta Jones Norah Jones Eminem Rudy Giuliani CSI Friends My Big Fat Greek Wedding Gangs of New York Palm Pilots Hip-hugger jeans Harry Potter PT Cruiser

SoURCE: WWW.FIFTIESWEB.COM

I

Top 10 WAYS T0l§J0FIND A PARKING SPOT

AT UAA

10. STALK OTHER STUDENTS WALKING TO THEIR CARS.

9. START ANOTHER ROW DOWN THE CENTER OF THE LOT,

CHILKOOT'S STYLE.

8. ARRIVE AT 8 A.M. AND TAKE YOUR PICK OF SPOTS!

7. ARRIVE AT 9 A.M. AND (MAYBE) GET A PLACE IN A

BACK CORNER.

6. Buy A DELIVERY TRUCK. PARK IT IN THE LOADING

AREA.

5. PUT YOUR LEG IN A CAST. PARK IN A HANDICAPPED

SPOT.

4. CIRCLE THE LOT 30 MINUTES BEFORE CLASS STARTS

UNTIL AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF. NOT

RECOMMENDED FOR THOSE PRONE TO CUSSING.

3. PARK AT A METER. LEARN TO IGNORE ANNOYING

JINGLING SOUNDS OF SPARE CHANGE IN ALL OF YOUR

POCKETS.

2. STEAL YOUR CHILD'S STUDENT-OF-THE-MONTH PARKING

SPOT AT KING CAREER CENTER.

1. COME BY ON A SUNDAY AND PARK YOUR CAR IN THE

FRONT ROW. PERMANENTLY.

BY NIKKI JEFFORD

education. For students like Adam Paunic, a journalism and public communications major, community college offerings just didn't fit.

"I'm glad there's a four-year university here," Paunic said. "I get the feeling that sometimes when you say community college to people, they look down on you a lillie bit."

Chancellor Lee Gorsuch, who joined UAA in 1976, says the university has realized a number of benefits from the merger while offering ACC students the chance to transfer course credits to a four-year degree program. The blended campus strengthened higher education in Anchorage, Gorsuch said, because it meant that proponents could speak with one voice.

Dennis Walle has helped chronicle the merger ripples from his post as head of UAA's archives department. Walle, who traces his connection to the campus to 1979 when he began his position as archivist and manuscripts curator, says he favored a merger from the start.

"I fell that when you're in an academic institution and you see everybody suffering across the state and in the institution, something has to give," Walle said, adding that he thinks the community college mission has been largely preserved.

UAA's hybrid roots have meant that the university learned to accommodate at least two kinds of students: The traditional college student pursuing a four-year degree and the non-traditional student seeking vocational training or taking occasional courses for personal growth. To ease the way to higher education, strict entrance requirements typical at four-year schools were dropped.

"I think we've had good progress," says Walle, acknowledging that dissent still lingers 17 years after the merger. "Time will heal these wounds."

SEAN T. RIVERS [TRUE NORTH 2003 BUSINESS DIRECTOR] GRADUATED IN MAY

WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS. HIS

GOAL IS TO RENDER THE WORD "CAREER" OBSOLETE BY TRYING AS MANY WIDELY

VARYING ACTIVITIES AS POSSIBLE.

20

EXT~A'! IEXT~A'!

School Newspaper can't Decide on Name

Campus-wide changes brought about by the merger of 1986 trickled down to student newspapers at both ACC and UAA. Take a look at the names gracing the cover of Anchorage's student papers over the past few decades.

Campus Courier 1958 The Spectrum 1969-1976 The University Reporter 1977-1979 Arctic Reporter 1980-1981 The Voice '" 1980-1988 The CAMPUS ACCent *'" 1982-1983 The ACCent ** 1983-1985 The ACCENT ** 1985-1988 The Northern Light 1988-2000

, The Voice was a pUblication of UAA During the merger, both the UAA newspapers and the ACC student newspapers were produced " The CAMPUS ACCent, The ACCent, and THE ACCENT were all ACC publications. They were also produced in conjunction with UAA's newspaper, The Voice.

University Center

UNNECESSARY FACTS

ABOUT UAA's UNIVERSITY CENTER DIGS

BY MONICA CULVER

NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS: 23

NUMBER OF COMPUTERS AVAILABLE

FOR STUDENT USE: 151

NUMBER OF MAINTENANCE,

JANITORIAL AND UTILITY CLOSETS: 6

NUMBER OF LOUNGE CHAIRS: 17

NUMBER OF 70S-STYLE RED PHONES

HANGING ON THE WALL: 1

NUMBER OF YELLOW FLOOR TILES,

WHOLE AND PARTIAL: 618

SQUARE FEET OF WALL PAINTED

YELLOW: TOO MUCH TO MEASURE!

G the

(J)

::J OJ

iiO (J)

::r o rt (J)

o -fl

o C l

n ...... rt

K

9 3/L1 DEGREES of THE SPINE

~~~~=========,. 2,408 Number of Sean's size-12 feet it takes to span the spine, the walkway from the Business Education Building to the library (all indoors)

38,528 Number of dimes laid end to end to span the length of the spine

$3,852 Monetary value of those dimes

$3,138 Cost of out-of-state tuition for an undergraduate at UM, or roughly one-third of ...

$9,000 Approximate cost of printing this issue of True North, or just .035 percent of ...

$25.2 million Total salary of NBA basketball player Kevin Garnett for the 2002/2003 season, which is 910 times more than ...

$27,662 The average Mississippi teacher salary, lowest of all 50 states. And speaking of Mississippi. ..

2,300 Length of the Mississippi River in miles

...which is 5,043 times longer than the length of the spine, according to the approximate measurement of Sean's size-12 feet!

BY SEAN 1. RIVERS

22

C."'iRk!:l

~"'Q~~=S - --KR STYNA GALE--COMPILED BY Y

Stickysis IV or stic~ "If it's w~tre'SJ,°O~eClb~olute .t amtvou don t touc I

sure Ir~t~UJ'jt latex.' t 6afe 6ex wor~hop- Mark. JacJblna a a Feb 18-24)

( orthern L g

Tempted

1. e in Ullown"Come 0 n III' edperso~~ rne~~n~~1.t n~ upsweet, °mVy plrlrs. ~ Le

' d while ma- 52-year-old marne Feb 1:>-19)(Anchorage Press. .

ofor a swim . Gym shoes ~ 'II be soon IQ

"Nlkes ~~ of the sea. your ne N' b ketballshoes spilled

when Ike as t'Dr Curtis b...bbesm~er, 'off Northern Calitornla -. from a container sh.lr News. Feb. 2:')

(Anchorage Dal Y

When bears grOwh~inngS my bird feederes "I'm 'l/~tc I 8 '1el1'bOd'i els Ca[efU IYbintog be-C.llus w~s

d SIlOU CIt to be ~eedlng .ea . II

on t wan eff,-",",eofels - I?luff resident J ~ b 15) (Anchorage Dal'lY News. Ie.

lucky guy! d there "I juSA,!'of8 ~fo~~e arto,\lnd

we~el~~ecl(ing me ou . . 6kier Qeinhard Neuhauser,

- AlPIn:fter he fell in a race

N...J..L Ught, FeD. 11-18)( OrUlern

Athletes need not apply b er d(i'l~ers"It's a.game fR~alT habit.

wlDl aso of the Chil100ts team - Q.od WilL manage~ _ d "ous Original

"-I t: Fur K..On ez in the --' s ~ofI:ball game

t\1en's ~nowDsh.~e News. Feb. 15)(Anchorage al Y

Thanks for clearin~ that up , h 1(1 VOU( fiSh"Itvou cag t aarft11.1&'11 Qet

outlof~~ ~F~e t[affIG,tnendUS, b n ace.~ s an ur a pl2es'deol of Deeri,•. AI(

(Nort~ern Ught Feb. 11-18)

Pass,~h~ pep~tthM soicy food... Irs a\ at'kilrs vo",.W~rfn~ es you up.

Qal h Cargo Wat ches what he eats - I?odybuilder p P t\1ar.20-26)(Anchorage ress,

We can't wal't,l

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h Lfle 0 ld consortium library Q.ollins. on 4)- Dean ~tep en U htLLFeb. 18-2

(Northern 9 .

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BY NIKKI JEFFORD

As the language with the second highest enrollment after Spanish at UAA, American Sign Language appears to have gotten two thumbs up.

"I haven't found anything else I enjoy as much," student Ben Drebert, 23, said. "It's like the more I sign, the more I wanna sign."

Colleen Kelley, 41, who is attending the class for fun, said she likes ASL because it's more than just a language, it's a culture and the people are wonderful. "I was one of those kids who read Helen Keller and always wanted to dabble in it," Kelley said.

And social work major Angela Watts, 25, says ASL comes in handy when she and her husband are at a bar. "We sign in bars because we can't hear," says Watts, who has volunteered with Anchorage's deaf children at Big Brothers­Big Sisters and at McLaughlin Youth Center.

Suellen Bahleda, coordinator of the university's ASL program, said that most students taking the course don't want to be professional interpreters.

"They just want to have some basic communication skills and be able to communicate with deaf people in everyday settings in Anchorage," Bahleda says. She says that unlike spoken languages, ASL has a "notice factor:" People who see it are intrigued and engaged.

Another motivation for learning ASL, Bahleda said, is its relative newness in UAA's language course offerings. "People want to try it rather than the traditional choices," she says

But if students think ASL's going to be easier without all those awkward words to pronounce and grammar to memorize, think again. Sign language has rules of its own. "It's as demanding to learn as any other foreign language," Bahleda said.

For instance, ASL has a completely different grammar

•

•

resszon structure and syntax, And while there are some mime gestures­the sign for "baby" is rocking the arms back and forth-ASL is not a picture language,

Bahleda said that signs are relatively arbitrary; students occasionally ask why a sign represents a particular thing, "It's like asking why a shoe's called a shoe-it just is," Bahleda said,

Although ASL does not have distinct foods, dances or costumes associated with it, there are cultural expectations and standards,

Eye contact is one, It's essential because while a spoken conversation can be carried on if a hearing person turns away or even puts her head down, ASL is received through the eyes,

"You don't watch a person's hands while signing; you actually focus on the face," Bahleda said, "Much of the semantic and " grammatical information of ASL is contained in facial and body expression," For example, the series of signs "you buy car" can change from a statement, "you bought a car," to a question, "did you buy a car?" based only on a change in facial expression, The original sign series also can be modified with facial expressions to mean, "you didn't buy a car" as well as "you didn't buy a car?"

Students first encountering ASL's emphasis on eye contact sometimes feel as if they're sending the wrong message because the mannerism seems aggressive or flirtatious, ASL teaches that what may seem normal in one culture-scanning a room to see who else is attending a party, for instance-may seem rude among deaf people,

ASL students also learn that the language comes with its own style of humor that plays on signs instead of words. For instance, have you heard the joke about the princess and the giant? It seems a giant declares his love for a beautiful maid, whom he holds in his hand, She's getting nervous, Punch line: The giant

asks her to marry him, Get it? Adeaf person would. The sign for "marry" is to clasp one hand

on top of the other, thus squashing our poor princess. Bahleda, who came to UAA in 1993, interprets at Anchorage

theater and concert events including at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts where she signed at "Phantom of the Opera" and "Cabaret," among others, She is the author or co-author of several texts on ASL.

Bahleda says she's convinced that she has the best instructors in Anchorage: They are dedicated and excited about teaching,

I WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS WHO READ HELEN KELLER AND

ALWAYS WANTED TO DABBLE IN IT.

" she says. Faculty includes those who are deaf and instructors like Bahleda, who are not.

Students have to learn not to whisper the English equivalents of signs because then they focus on English grammatical constructions rather than those of ASL. Bahleda's Intermediate II students said that they can't get away with whispering in her class. But they do a lot of laughing. "We laugh a lot because learning is fun!" Bahleda said.

Although deaf people don't speak, they do have functional vocal chords and when something is funny, they laugh. "It's good to model that for classes," Bahleda said.

ASL moved from the English department to UAA's languages

SEE SIGNS, PAGE 44

ILLeS"RA-ON 3Y MAf.'V KLEIN FROM "FINGERSP:CLLlNG IN AMERICAN SiGN LANGLAG:c," 3Y BRENDA E. CMHNRIGHT AND SUE_LeN BAHcEDA.

STUDENTS SAY VOLUNTEERING IS MORE

THAN A JOB, IT'S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.

BY MONICA CULVER

I Lisa Houck holds babies two hours a week. After working 11

years in an accounting job, Houck, who's enrolled in UAA's pre­nursing program, decided it was time for a change. So when a friend suggested volunteering at Providence Hospital's newborn intensive care unit, Houck, 39, knew it was the right move.

Now, as a member of the Kuddle Korps, as volunteers in the unit are called, Houck's excitement about her future as a nurse grows every time she volunteers at the hospital.

She says she's glad for a glimpse into her profession; she hopes she can begin to focus on pediatrics as early as next semester. "They're very sweet," says Houck of the babies she helps care for

Kuddle Korps is considered one of the hospital's high-stress volunteer jobs because the outlook for premature babies can be uncertain. But Houck invariably leaves the hospital in high spirits. "I do two hours," she says, "and as soon as I get out of there I just think 'This is so cool!'"

According to several studies, Lisa Houck's cheerful response to a day of volunteering is not unusual.

In the article "The Unintended Consequences of Volunteerism: Positive Outcomes for those who Serve," researchers concluded that college students who volunteered made gains in such

diverse areas as self-knowledge, academics, social awareness, personal growth, self-esteem and personal

26 efficacy. A study done by A.w. Astin and L.J. Sax for

the Journal of College Student Development showed that participating in community service during undergraduate years substantially enhanced a student's academic development, life­skill development and sense of civic responsibility.

Exactly how volunteering causes these psychological benefits is a question better answered by the student volunteers themselves.

"At the end of the day you walk out with a feeling of accomplishment," says Bill Edwards, a pre-med student at UAA. The 34-year-old has been volunteering in the emergency room at Providence for the past 18 months.

Edwards is assigned one four-hour shift a week at the E.R. where he helps with cleaning, stocking, running samples and offering general help to hospital employees.

Edwards has also begun a four-hour shift at the hospital's family clinic on LaTouche Street, where he admits patients and calls in prescriptions.

UAA sophomore Michael Blanton traces his volunteerism to his father, who Blanton says was always highly involved in civic events.

Blanton, who was raised in Talkeetna, says he began volunteering at the age of 8 with his father. Today Michael Blanton remains active by volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club, the Talkeetna Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Boy Scouts of America.

WHEN PRE-MED STUDENT BILL EDWARDS (RIGHT) ISN'T HELPING IN PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY

ROOM, HE VOLUNTEERS AT THE HOSPITAL'S FAMILY CLINIC. HE HELPS GUlL PRICKETTE ADMIT PATIENTS

"I've been a Boy Scout for most of my life," says Blanton, "I wanted to be able to give back a little of all that they gave me." The Boys and Girls club, which runs athletic programs in Anchorage and supports disadvantaged youth, was attractive to Blanton because he thought he had skills and knowledge worth putting to good use. "(Volunteering) lets me lend what I've been fortunate enough to have," says Blanton.

Finding time is the biggest problem for anyone who decides to regularly volunteer. For college students with several classes, loads of homework and often full- or part-time jobs, finding time to volunteer is nearly impossible. But students say every minute is worth it.

"Community service is something that has always been important to me," Blanton said. "I've had to find a way to make time for it."

Edwards, the Providence Hospital volunteer, says he too is pressed for time. He's completing his last semester at UAA while working part-time and preparing for the Medical College

AND CALL IN PRESCRIPTIONS.

Admission Test. Leftover time is spent on his two four-hour volunteer shifts.

"It's better than spending time vegging out in front of the TV or playing video games," he says. Although the hospital only asks that volunteers work one four-hour shift a week, Edwards works

" PARTICIPATING IN COMMUNITY SERVICE DURING

UNDERGRADUATE YEARS SUBSTANTIALLY ENHANCES A

STUDENT'S ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT, LIFE-SKILL

DEVELOPMENT AND SENSE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY.

" an extra shift for the experience and for the reward. "You have to make a few sacrifices, but I think in the end they are well worth it," he says.

Leslie Lancaster, volunteer coordinator for Providence Hospital, says the hospital strives to be flexible to accommodate

SEE VOLUNTEERS, PAGE 45

BY MEGAN A. PETERS

PHOTO By BOB MAR:INSON

Although UAA's neighborhood includes two of the largest armed forces installations in the state, military spouses face unique hurdles in finding their way to higher education.Some studies show that as many as 85 percent of military spouses lack a four­year degree. Experts trace the trend to demands placed on military families with young children, frequent and unpredictable military transfers, and financial restraints.

Joseph Antecki, himself both ex-military and a military spouse, is an educational director at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Antecki says most spouses lack time for school because they're working outside the home or staying home with young children. Money is another obstacle.

"The Air Force has a program that will pay for half of a spouse's tuition," said Antecki. But he says even with financial aid, military families at the staff sergeant rank or below with two or more children may find themselves pressed to make ends meet. Coming up with even half of university tuition may be beyond reach, Antecki said.

Finding suitable childcare is another obstacle, especially as the nation confronted war in Iraq.

"When there is a deployment, usually the spouses have to stay home and watch the kids. They don't have the extra money for childcare while they are busy studying," said Antecki,

Still, military spouses are finding their way. Many of them are enrolling part-time in UAA courses offered at Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base. The education offices at both sites help military personnel, spouses and dependents as they pursue college credit.

Antecki says military transfers are another potential hurdle: Studies show that while civilian families move once every six years or so, military families may move twice as often. And depending on a soldier's rank or military branch, a military family may move as frequently as once a year.

Military spouse Stephanie Oliver, 21, is a UAA nursing student. She says she and her husband, Ben, a specialist in the Army, are

MILITARY WIFE STEPHANIE OLIVER SPENDS HER EXTRA TIME IN THE

CAMPUS CENTER STUDYING TOWARD HER NURSING DEGREE.

LIKE MANY MILITARY SPOUSES, ARIEL TALBOT IS PUTTING OFF HER EDUCATION TO SPEND TIME WITH HER FAMILY. PHOTO BY BOB MARTINSON

SHE AND HER HUSBAND, CRAIG, PLAY WITH THEIR SON, PEYTON, AT A PARK ON FORT RICHARDSON.

scheduled to transfer out of Alaska in June. She's already worrying about lost college credits.

"I have no idea when I will graduate," Oliver says. "Switching colleges runs a risk of me losing a lot of credit (hours). I'm not even sure if the area we are going to will have a college with the program I need."

Distance education courses offered over the Internet present another solution for military spouses. Antecki says it's a good option for spouses because they can log on any time. Many online programs offer degrees through the master's level.

"Spouses can put the kids to bed at 8 (at night) and be on the computer taking their class by 8:30," Antecki said. "It is a great way for soldiers to earn a degree as well, because they can take classes anywhere, even when they are deployed."

Distance delivery is an option that interests Ariel Talbot, 20. Talbot plans to relocate with her Army husband, Craig, in July. But unlike Oliver, losing credit hours is the least of Talbot's worries: She is more concerned with starting her college degree.

"I have wanted to start (college) for a while," Talbot said. "My son is 11 months old and I refuse to put him in daycare at such a young age. I would like to sign up for night classes, but my

husband's schedule is erratic. Right now I am considering starting Internet courses."

Some good news for military spouses attending UAA: The university is one of many taking part in the Servicemember Opportunity College (SOC), which allows military personnel and dependents to transfer schools without losing credit or duplicating classes. Soldiers and spouses may work toward an associate's degree at UAA through SOC.

More than 1,500 colleges and universities throughout the United States participate in the SOC program. Other sources of help are scholarships such as the Spouse Schoolmate Scholarship, Air Force Aid Scholarship, and Non-commissioned Officers Association Scholarships for Spouses. These scholarships and many more are specifically targeted to military spouses.

MEGAN A. PETERS [TRUE NORTH 2003 COPY EDITOR], 20, A JUNIOR AT

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE, IS A MILITARY WIFE WORKING

TOWARD A CAREER IN BROADCASTING OR PUBLIC RELATIONS.

29

••

I

Are you a military spouse interested in starting or completing your college education? The education center, located on most military installations, is a good place to get started. Here's where to go in Anchorage:

FORT RICHARDSON ARMY POST

KISKA HALL, BUILDING 658, ROOM 131

FORT RICHARDSON, AK 99505

PHONE: 428-1228

FAX: 428-1002

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE

4109 BULLARD AVE.

ELMENDORF AFB, AK 99506

PHONE: 552-9739

Check out these Web sites for information on college degrees and scholarships:

WWW.MSHQ.NET

WWW.MSCN.ORG

WWW.APUS.EDU

WWW.MILITARYPARTNERS.COM

WWW.4MILlTARYFAMILlES.COM

WWW.MILSPOUSE.ORG

WWW.MILITARYEDU.COM

WWW.MILITARY-NET.COM

Use the key words <Military Spouse Education> or <Military Spouse Scholarships> to search the Web for more.

BY MEGAN A. PmRS

THIS

AWARD-WINNING

RECRUITMENT

POSTER WAS

DEVELOPED BY

UAA's STUDENT

NURSE ASSOCIATION

IN 1996. 30

Poised for growth, UAA's nursing school

has its heart in rural Alaska

BY NANCY BALE

It was 1996 and UAA's School of Nursing was celebrating some comprehensive effort known today by the acronym RRANN, for milestones: Nearly 100 graduates earned degrees. The school Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing. designed a first-class multi-media learning center. Classroom "I feel passionately about getting Alaska Natives into nursing as capacity was enlarged. And the school earned top accreditation a career," says RRANN coordinator Mary Sue Anderson. "There from national reviewers. is such a great need, and our students have so much to offer."

But Nursing School director Tina Delapp recognized a Anderson understands the struggles involved in leaving rural persistent challenge: Why were there so few Alaska Native Alaska to become a nurse. She lived them. Anderson, an Inupiat nurses in both rural and urban areas of the state? Native Eskimo, grew up in Kotzebue, a hub village in remote northwest Alaskans accounted for more than 16 percent of Alaska's Alaska. In the 1960s she left home to attend high school in population but only 1.5 percent of its nurses. Fairbanks, Sitka and Anchorage because secondary education

Increasing the number of Alaska Native nurses became a was unavailable in the Bush. priority for Delapp, not only to provide equal opportunity but also to foster what some I FEEL PASSIONATELY ABOUT GETTING ALASKA NATIVES INTO professionals call culturally " NURSING AS A CAREER. THERE IS SUCH A GREAT NEED,relevant care-an effort to improve health care with AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER. patients by not misinterpreting cultural differences such as a slower rate of speaking or " averting the eyes when talking. Anderson went on to graduate with a bachelor's of science

Then in 1996 the National Student Nurse Association promoted degree in nursing from Pacific lutheran University in Washington. a poster contest on the theme of cultural diversity. UAA's chapter Her first Job, in Kotzebue, was at the same hospital where her entered a poster "Breakthrough to Nursing," promoting Alaska mother was the head of housekeeping. Anderson eventually Native nurse recruitment, and won the contest. The poster led to moved to Anchorage where she raised her family and worked at an award-winning video, "Become a Nurse," also promoting Providence Hospital's mother-baby unit. She recalls being one of Alaska Native recruitment. The flurry of attention surrounding only two Alaska Native nurses at Providence at the time. these achievements was only the beginning. Anderson discovered the RRANN program in 1999

In 1998, Delapp was awarded a grant and UAA undertook a and has been its coordinator ever since. It takes four to 31

.~~~~ five years to graduate with a nursing degree from UAA, Even in ~ the best circumstances, the program is challenging, Rural ~ students routinely say the first year is especially hard: New -< z students may be confronting homesickness, challenging

~~~l~~w.lUJ~ coursework and the unfamiliarity of a big city and a big university ~ all at once, RRANN focuses much of its efforts on first-year ~ Alaska Native students,

In fact, RRAi'JN starts guiding rural students as soon as they've been admitted, even before they arrive at Anchorage, Anderson and her staff spend hours on the phone helping students with housing, paperwork and deadlines, RRANN's two Success Facilitators, Laureen Young and Kendra Schulz, are central to the success of the students, They schedule RRANN activities, design written materials and meet with students monthly, helping them to navigate the academic and social realities of college life,

RRANN traces part of its success to a system that teams pre­nursing students with mentors-students who have made it into the nursing program and understand the challenges, Mentors

NURSING SCHOOL DIRECTOR TINA DELAPP PURSUED AGRANT TO often serve as academic tutors as well, Students say peerINCREASE THE NUMBER OF ALASKA NATIVES IN NURSING. IN 2003, THERE tutoring can make the difference between staying in school and

ARE 20 NATIVE STUDENTS IN THE NURSING MAJOR. dropping out. "I feel totally comfortable trusting and looking up to RRANN for help, encouragement and support," says one student. "It is an uplifting program that has helped me since I first attended school," Tutoring through RRANN is available to all pre-nursing students, not just Native students. In fall 2002, RRANN handled 51 tutor requests, many of them for help in the biology and chemistry courses that students often find most challenging in the pre-nursing curriculum,

Anderson says RRANN students tend to fall into two groups Younger students may be right out of high school and many of them are from rural Alaska, experiencing their first time away from family, To ease the transition, half of the top floor in UAA's West Hall housing-known as the Nightingale Wing, for famed 19th century military nurse Florence i'Jightingale-is reserved for nursing students. Students say the Nightingale Wing helps foster a sense of family by sponsoring social activities such as weekly lunches in the lounge.

Anderson says older RRANN students often are better at finding their own support network, but they face other hurdles. "Many of these students had to move with entire families to Anchorage to attend nursing school," Anderson said. "They have to address the daunting issues not only of culture shock and isolation but the very real needs for finances, housing,"OUR STUDENTS HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER," SAYS RRANN transportation and daycare."COORDINATOR MARY SUE ANDERSON,

Pre-nursing students who are part of the RRANN program areWHO JOINED THE PROGRAM IN 1999. eligible for a $250 monthly stipend. Students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average, be enrolled in at least nine credit hours, and participate in a monthly RRANN meeting throughout the stipend semester. RRANN students also must take part in a community service project during their first year in the program. The stipend helps encourage students to stay involved with these activities, a motivation that Anderson says is key to academic success. Nearly 70 nursing students were enrolled in the RRANN program in the spring 2003 semester.

Funding the RRANN staff and program is a continuing 32

challenge. For the past five years, RRANN has operated with federal money. Other potential donors include Alaska Native corporations and area hospitals, but Anderson says both groups are already contributing to the nursing school through scholarships or funding toward the school's planned expansion.

There is no doubt that RRANN is achieving its goals. More Native students are involved and Native nursing graduates are increasing yearly.

Tina Delapp says RRANN will have achieved its goals when the numbers of Alaska Native registered nurses and nursing students mirror the numbers of Alaska Natives living in the state.

"But it is more than total numbers," Delapp says. "Each new Alaska Native nurse creates the potential for high quality health care that is culturally relevant to Alaska's population."

PERPETUAL STUDENT NANCY BALE GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF

CALIFORNIA IN 1967 AND RECEIVED HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN NURSING

FROM UAA IN 1996. SHE ENJOYS WRITING AND DESKTOP PUBLISHING FOR

A NON-PROFIT GROUP IN DENALI NATIONAL PARK.

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BY MIKKO SUMULONG

Seawall Athletics

Our students are winners in the classroom, too

At the University of Alaska Anchorage we take great pride in our student-athletes' academic achievements. As a group, UM student-athletes have maintained a

cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in eight of the past 10 years. While producing more than 135 AII­Americans on the field of play, Seawolf Athletics is also proud of its more than 65 Academic All-Americans as

well. Please join with us in honoring our 2002-03 Team Scholar Award Winners.

2002·03 Seawon Athletics Team SCholars Name Sport GPA Major Year Thomas Jantunen MSKI 4.00 Finance Jr. Stacy Edwards WXC 3.98 Natural Sci. So. Tobias Schwoerer MXC 3.89 Economics Jr. Michelle Bartleman GYM 3.85 JPC/Aviation Sr. Sarah Hansen WSKI 3.78 Lang.lHistory So. Martin Stuchlik HKY 3.73 Finance So. Kasey Kuelper VB 3.50 Elem. Ed. Jr. Bryson Vaughan MBB 3.26 Social Work Sr. Amber Nasby WBS 2.93 Gen. Studies So.

Anchorage

MEET THREE INSTRUCTORS WHO BRING MORE THAN LECTURE NOTES TO THE CLASSROOM.

I

said Klouda, who was on staff when the Times folded in 1992. In 1993, Klouda moved to Kodiak, where she met her husband.

Klouda gained a wealth of experience while living in Old Harbor: She wrote for the Kodiak Daily Mirror and she began freelancing for magazines such as Alaska, Sports and Fitness, Outside and Kayak; she also wrote a novel, "Under Everything Hanging," which she hopes to have published within the next couple of years.

34 When her family returned to Anchorage a year ago, Klouda began working as a reporter for The

BY BECKY 5TOPPA

Students in UM's Department of Journalism and Public Communications learn from experience--and not just from the kind gained through internships or classroom projects. Students learn from the experience of experts.

The JPC faculty looks for adjuncts and affiliate professors who have extensive experience doing the sort of work JPC students aspire to. "It's been a big effort on the whole department's part," said JPC administrative assistant Audrey Foster.

One recent find is longtime Anchorage writer and reporter Naomi Klouda, who joined JPC as an adjunct professor in fall 2002. Klouda graduated from Anchorage's Dimond High in 1978. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., in 1983 and a master of fine arts in creative writing from UM in 1991.

Klouda's career in journalism began in 1983, when she went to work writing obituaries and working on the community events calendar for The Anchorage Times. She later worked as a reporter on the courts beat and as a features writer.

"Through the years, I worked on every section of that paper,"

Frontiersman newspaper in Wasilla, where she covered the crimes and court beat. And then, last fall, assistant professor of journalism Rosanne Pagano recruited Klouda to teach.

Pagano and Klouda had worked together before, on the court beat at the Anchorage Times in 1986, when Pagano first moved to Alaska. "She was the best colleague I could have hoped for," said Pagano. "Naomi is smart, has a good sense of humor and is easy to talk to."

And Klouda admired Pagano as well. "My friendship with Rosanne has not been like best friends or

IT'S VERY REWARDING TO BE GIVING " PEOPLE INFORMATION THEY CAN USE.

" anything terribly close," said Klouda. "Yet, I feel a great deal of respect for her." So much, in fact, that Klouda named her daughter after Pagano. "Little" Rosanne is now 16.

Pagano said Klouda was her first choice when the department asked her to help find an adjunct for a spring semester section of JPC 201, Writing for the Media.

"In addition to a career in Alaska journalism that goes back 20 years, Naomi's been a UM adjunct in the English department," said Pagano. "She not only knew the subject material, but she knew our students and the university."

Klouda taught English 111 and English 213 at the Anchorage campus from 1989 until she moved to Kodiak. And she taught adult education at UM's extended campus in Old Harbor. But Klouda says she's enjoying her journalism students the most.

"English classes attract most people because they have to be

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teaches: JPC 212 Editing

teaches: JPC 320 Principles of Public Relations JPC 330 Advanced Public Relations

teaches: JPC 201 Writing for the Media

Vivian HAMILTON

Naomi KLOUDA

I

there," said Klouda. "But this Uournalism) is something students choose." " IN ADDITION TO A CAREER IN ALASKA JOURNALISM THAT

Whether her students go into GOES BACK 20 YEARS, NAOMI'S BEEN A UAA ADJUNCT IN THE journalism, radio or television broadcasting, public relations or ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. SHE NOT ONLY KNEW THE SUBJECT

advertising, Klouda says she MATERIAL, BUT SHE KNEW OUR STUDENTS AND THE UNIVERSITY. knows she's giving her students useful skills: "It's very rewarding to be giving people information that they can use directly in their chosen field."

Another recent recruit to JPC is affiliate professor Vivian Hamilton, who has had her own public relations consulting business in the Anchorage area for nearly 10 years. Hamilton, who was a elPC adjunct in the mid-1990s, returned to the department to teach public relations in fall 2002.

Hamilton earned her bachelor's degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from the University of Central Florida in 1973. She is working toward a master's degree in public relations from the University of Stirling in Scotland.

Hamilton worked as a reporter for the Orlando (Florida) Sentinel for four years after graduating from college. She has lived in Alaska for nearly 22 years and has worked as a public relations specialist for high-profile companies including Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., the Alaska Railroad and Chugach Electric Association.

Like Klouda, Hamilton is no stranger to UM. She served on JPC's professional advisory council from 1997 to 2000. And, while serving as president of the Alaska chapter of the Public Relations Society of America in 1992, she helped form UM's chapter of that organization, the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Hamilton has served as PRSSA's professional adviser in the past and serves as the faculty adviser this year. She says PRSSA is open to anyone, not just JPC majors.

"It is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in a career in business, marketing or other similar field," said Hamilton. "There are many benefits (to PRSSA membership), but chief among them would be the exposure to professionals in the community and the opportunity to take on projects in the community that help build a solid portfolio for job hunting after graduation."

As a public relations specialist, Hamilton says she knows what students need to succeed. She says she tries to apply her practical experience to theoretical material in the textbooks. She gives students real examples of work that she or her colleagues have done. And she invites public relations professionals into her classroom to speak with her students.

"I think they learn best from someone who has both the academic and professional experience," says Hamilton.

Mark Dudick is another adjunct professor sharing his expertise with students in JPC. Dudick earned a bachelor's degree in

English and philosophy from Cal State Fullerton, in southern California, and a master of fine arts in creative

36 writing from the University of Montana.

His career in journalism began at the Idaho State Journal, where he started as a general assignment reporter and part-time copy editor. Ayear later, he became the agriculture editor and eventually the entertainment editor.

In 1995, Dudick joined the Orange County Register in southern California, where he worked as city editor. He also freelanced entertainment articles and reviews.

"I learned bunches at the Register," said DUdick. "I rubbed elbows with stodgy, seasoned reporters and editors, worked in a huge newsroom, began working with young reporters and their writing and reviewed three to four concerts a week."

While Dudick loved his job, he dreamed of moving to Alaska. He first came here on vacation with his daughter in June 1989. "I fell in love with the wide expanse of wilderness, and the spaceship clouds and the moose nosing through my tent flap. And, considering the distance from civilization, the ample supply of movie theaters," said Dudick. "I made up my mind that if I could ever get a job up here, I'd be here in an instant."

It took nearly nine years, but in 1997 the Anchorage Daily News offered him a job as editor of 8, the newspaper's weekly arts and entertainment magazine. "It was like two dreams coming true at once," said Dudick.

In addition to editing 8, Dudick chose entertainment articles that made their way into the rest of the newspaper as well. Because 8 relies partly on freelancers for some of the magazine's content, Dudick started working with young writers with limited experience.

"I learned that I really enjoy the teaching aspect," said Dudick. He began teaching English 111, Methods of Written

Communication, at UM three years ago. He taught one or two classes a semester, until last fall when he was offered a chance to teach several classes. "I decided it was time to devote more time to teaching writing and to my own writing," said Dudick.

So he left the Anchorage Daily News in September 2002. "Now I'm doing two things I love to do: I'm working on my

novel and I'm having a blast teaching," said Dudick. He began teaching JPC 212, Editing, this spring.

"I came to JPC because I have a lot to offer aspiring journalists," said Dudick. "I teach them how to write, how to edit and how to layout and design pages."

And he says he enjoys every moment he spends teaching. "It's not a job for me yet," he says. "It's fun."

BECKY 5TOPPA [TRUE NORTH 2003 COpy EDITOR], GRADUATED IN MAY

2003 WITH A DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.

ALWAYS EQUIPPED WITH HER TRUSTY DICTIONARY, SHE HOPES TO LAUNCH A

CAREER AS A REPORTER AND FREELANCE WRITER FOR MAGAZINES.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MONICA CULVER

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BELLY WAS COVERED IN ABOUT 5 OR 6 ROLLS

OF DUCT TAPE. "

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GET SNOW IN MY BOOTS WHEN I GO HUNTING."

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--JULIANNE MOODY

Framing the perfect graduation

BY NIKKI JEFFORD

My decision to get a college degree started with an invitation. Two years ago my friend Angela sent me her graduation announcement from UAA. The green and gold emblem on the card radiated before my eyes: I wanted to send out those invitations.

I taped the card to the side of my bookcase and within a week changed my long-abandoned English major to journalism. Since then I've been taking courses at UAA nonstop, summers included. I don't regret a thing.

Not long ago I picked up my own graduation announcements. I sat at the counter at home, carefully folding each one, reading the invitations over and over even though they all say exactly the same thing. I ran my finger over each embossed emblem, tilting the card so the light caught that shiny gold and green lettering I had found so entrancing two long years ago: University of Alaska Anchorage. My alma mater

It was late February when I made my mother come with me to Grad Fair at the campus bookstore to pick out my invitations. "Aren't they all the same?" she asked.

Yes, but they were beautiful-the loveliest invitations I'd ever seen-a document announcing to all that my hard work and sacrifice had paid

"

off, Summers with my nose in a book while friends and family went swimming in the lake or played badminton in the yard. Weekends and evenings shut in my office, hunched over the computer while my husband watched TV in the living room alone.

I wanted all the grad garb. Cap, gown and tassel. Aframe to put my diploma in.

"I want the gold 'Class of 2003' stickers," I told the bookstore cashier.

When I hauled all that green-and-gold paraphernalia home, my husband looked at me as if I'd finally lost my mind, as if I'd lugged one 50-pound textbook too many.

"Do I have to go to your graduation?" he asked. Wrong question,

"I'm walking across that damn stage," I said, "And you're going to be in the audience watching." Later I asked him, "Aren't you proud? Aren't you proud?"

I'm proud and, I admit, a bit obsessed, I went from being the girl who insisted she'd never graduate from college, to the woman who walked-no, fioated-across that green-and-gold Sullivan Arena stage at commencement.

Not only do I have my diploma, but I've got the perfect frame to put it in,

I'M WALKING ACROSS THAT DAMN STAGE. AND YOU'RE

GOING TO BE IN THE AUDIENCE WATCHING.

AREN'T YOU PROUD? AREN'T YOU PROUD?

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Seward· Whittier· Anchorage· Talkeetna· Denali· Fairbanks

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I

s 25true north EDITOR IN CHIEF

JENNY JONES

DESIGN DIRECTOR MIKKO SUMULONG

PHOTO EDITORS BOB MARTINSON

MONICA CULVER

COpy EDITORS BECKY STOPPA

MEGAN A. PETERS

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR SARAH DALE

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR NIKKI JEFFORD

BUSINESS DIRECTOR SEAN 1. RIVERS

STAFF WRITERS NANCY BALE

KRYSTYNA GALE

MEREDITH STEIN

KENT WELTIN

FACULTY ADVISER ROSANNE PAGANO

Started in 1995, True North is the annual magazine of the Department of Journalism and Public Communications, within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alaska

Anchorage. True North is self-supporting through ad sales and is published each year by JPC's magazine production class. All

rights reserved. ©2003

True North 2003 thanks: Glen Coulson, JPC instructor, who got the K building computers

up and running after the flood; Bob Ritter, JPC adjunct professor, who gave us pointers on our ad packets; JPC alum,

Kimberly Perrenot Rowe, for last-minute proofreading; Jack King, sales manager, CAMAI Printing, who provided emergency

computers for us to use while ours were down; UAA Library Archives, for supplying the archive photos; Lyra Gordon, design editor, Alaska Newspapers, Inc., who offered helpful tips for our cover design; and Michelle Bartleman and Leslie Boyd, TN 2002

staff members, for their thoughts and warnings about the ins and outs of magazine production. Special, special thanks to Rosanne Pagano, faculty adviser, who never lost her head amidst missing staff members, late photos and copy, cliche

headlines, lost disks and broken computers, and gave us many great ideas of what not to title a story.

department in 1998. That was also the year that Bahleda submitted ASL as a general education requirement through the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1999 it was approved.

Today ASL is the only program in UAA language's department with an adjunct coordinator and no full-time professors. The highest level a student may pursue in ASL is Intermediate II. Other languages offer advanced courses, as well as literature courses and special topics in conversation, business and culture.

Ben Drebert, an ASL Intermediate II student, is applying to colleges out of state so that he can continue in deaf studies. "I would have stayed at UAA if it had been possible to get even an ASL minor," he said. Student Angela Watts also plans to leave Alaska to pursue higher education in ASL. She wants a master's degree in counseling for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The College of Arts and Sciences, which includes the Languages department, said it has noted the increased popularity of ASL. Dean Ted Kassier said the college will continue to monitor ASL enrollments as students press for added courses toward a minor or major in the language. University statistics show that, based on credit hours, the equivalent of 183 students were enrolled in ASL courses in fall 2002, up from 124 students in 1998.

"People are not against adding a minor in ASL, but they think that the pull for the other languages needs to come first," said Languages department chair Margrilt Engel, adding that the department needs more full-time faculty in languages with established majors before a new minor or major in ASL can be added.

Students like Becki Ivey are lending a hand by starting an ASL club whose goal is to keep UAA administrators aware of growing interest in sign language studies.

"It (the club) will be a place where supporters of the deaf community and people desiring to learn more about the culture and language can meet and grow together," Ivey said.

NIKKI JEFFORD [TRUE NORTH 2003 CIRCULATION DIRECTOR],

25, GRADUATED IN MAY WITH A DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND

PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS. SHE PLANS TO CONTINUE FREELANCE

WRITING, WRITE NOVELS AND SCREENPLAYS, OBTAIN A MASTER OF

FINE ARTS DEGREE IN CREATIVE WRITING AND, OH YEAH, SPEND

MORE TIME WITH HER AMAZING FRENCH HUSBAND.

VOLUNTEERS: FROM 27

volunteers. "We work with schedules and days," she says, "and we try to work with areas (of the hospital) too."

Often volunteers will have their hopes set on a certain unit, such as newborn intensive care, but can't volunteer during the hours needed.

Lancaster says she tries to assign those volunteers to a similar unit, such as the Children's Hospital at Providence. Among departments that frequently rely on volunteers are the main information desk, the gift shop and the Center for Child Development, a daycare site.

Getting started as a volunteer is easier than you may think. For example, Providence volunteers attend a three-hour orientation and undergo individual health screening. Volunteers also receive specialized training in their assigned units.

The whole process takes about five hours and need not be completed all at once.

"It was all very quick," says Houck, the pre-nursing student. Houck says she filled out an application, handed it in and was immediately sent in for her health screening. And although she trains and places between 300 and 450 volunteers a year, Lancaster says the need is never fulfilled: "There is always room for more."

MONICA CULVER [TRUE NORTH 2003 PHOTO EDITOR], 23, GRADUATES

IN DECEMBER 2003 WITH A DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC

COMMUNICATIONS. SHE WANTS TO GAIN EXPERIENCE IN AS MANY AREAS OF

JOURNALISM AS POSSIBLE AND THEN SOMEDAY WRITE FOR A MAGAZINE.

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in Wasilla is empty now. Dry leaves blow across the path, sometimes landing in a puddle. The trees are bare of leaves and birds. The smell of smoke from nearby chimneys fills the air. Except for the distant caw of a raven, the trail is silent.

There was a time when the silence along this trail seemed to echo from the emptiness within me. The crisp air stung my cheeks and my ears. The smell of distant fires seemed the aroma of contentment that was not mine. Even the ravens mocked my loneliness.

I was a stay-at-home mom who had stayed home too long. lVIy life had become a series of rituals and routines. All activities involving my children were rituals; these were the highpoints of my days and the only things that seemed to have any meaning. Everything else was routine.

I saw my children off to school in the mornings and greeted them with wholesome snacks and plenty of love in the afternoons. I volunteered in their schools, I coached soccer and I taught Sunday school. I helped my children with their homework. I read to them in the evenings.

I went from being a mother who is involved in her children's lives because it's important to a mother who is involved because she has nothing else to do. Even the rituals became routine.

Walking this trail became part of my routine. It was something to do after the house was clean and before my children came home. It was another part of nothingness.

Somewhere along the line, I had lost myself in my children. And the nothingness in me left nothing for them. When even walking this trail became unbearable, I realized that lowed it not only to myself but to my children as well to find a purpose that was my own.

My search led me back to college. It's a constant challenge to balance the demands of coursework with the demands of parenting. I traded the days of nothing to days often packed with too much.

My daughters' dance lessons and cheerleading practices in Wasilla often coincide with my classes in Anchorage, 45 miles away. And the science fair in my youngest child's school falls during my midterms. I'm usually growing mold in jars and building displays when I should be studying. Cramming for an exam at midnight is a lot harder at 40 than it was at 17.

But I've enjoyed the challenge. It's felt good to think again. I've been a successful student and I'm nearing graduation. I feel a sense of accomplishment.

I still help my children with their homework and I still read to them. I don't volunteer in their schools as much as I once did, but when I do, it's because I want to.

And there is no time for nothingness. The silence along the bike trail offers solace now as I walk the path alone. I leave the books,

the housework and the worries aside and escape to this place that seems mine completely. The crisp air and the silence rejuvenate me and give me the strength to endure one more week of classes.

Sometimes the silence along the path reminds me of the emptiness of my past. On those days, I return to my home, to my homework and to my children, grateful for too much to do.

BY BECKY 5TOPPA

fvly Life has no

PHOTO BY MONICA CULVER

purpose, no I

, no aim, no

meaning, and yet I'm

happy.

I can't

figure it

out.

\Vhat am I

doing

right?

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