The Northern Light

27/11/2025

The meeting showed cooperation between the two ideologically opposed politicians

U.S. President Donald Trump met New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Nov. 21 in Washington, D.C.

The meeting between the ideologically divergent politicians was highly anticipated. The two held a press conference in the Oval Office following the meeting.

“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” said Trump. “I think he’s — I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job,” he said in reference to Mamdani managing New York City.

Mamdani said, “I appreciated the meeting with the president and, as he said, it was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City.”

UAA political science major Aaron Rayhbuck commented on the Trump-Mamdani meeting.

“Once you set aside the rhetoric and look at the political incentives, the meeting makes more sense,” said Rayhbuck.

“Trump, at heart, is a New Yorker who admires success,” he said. “Mamdani has become a political star almost overnight, and Trump tends to gravitate toward people he sees as 'winners,' regardless of ideology.”

“For Mamdani, the calculus seems just as pragmatic,” said Rayhbuck. “New York City needs federal support for major priorities, and some of his signature ideas would require resources and executive cooperation that he cannot marshal alone.”

Rayhbuck said Mamdani understands the strategic value of maintaining a working relationship with Trump, and that Mamdani views it more as refusal to make an unnecessary enemy than an ideological compromise.

“I do not see this moment as two politicians testing the limits of their principles so much as a demonstration of transactional politics at work.” said Rayhbuck “For me, that is actually a hopeful sign.”

Rayhbuck said the situation shows how political leaders can denounce each other’s agendas in public, yet still recognize the practical necessity of working together to govern a city or a country.

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U.S. President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani pose for a photo in the Oval Office. Photo courtesy of Truth Social.

27/11/2025

Josh Pacillo from UAA’s radio station KRUA reviews Geese’s 2025 album 'Getting Killed'

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, rock band Geese has carved out its own niche over the years. Geese released “Getting Killed” in late September to critical acclaim.

The opening track “Trinidad” grabs the listeners attention, violently shaking them back and forth with harsh tones and a heavy bassline.

Vocalist Cameron Winter belting out the lyrics “There’s a bomb in my car!” certainly prepares the listener for the next 40 minutes.

The first of many high points in the album shows in the title track “Getting Killed.”

The opening begins with chant-like singing and a heavy bassline follows. Beautifully layered drums provide relief as they fill the chaos when the beat nearly becomes repetitive.

This is reminiscent of older styles of rock that haven’t been in fashion for some time but are reinvigorated through their use in modern playstyles.

Again, Winters' vocals provide texture and create a sense of intrigue through his unorthodox singing.

My personal favorite off the LP, “Islands of Men,” is a slow burn of emotion.

Winters' vocals are the main focus, building into the other instruments. The drums create a sense of anxiety as they ramp up in noise and complexity.

Winters' singing style creates tension until the vocals and instrumental tracks explode around the last third of the song.

The most personal and emotional track, “Au Pays du Cocaine,” starts with a dreamy and simple guitar tone symbolizing the playful and simplicity of childhood.

Winters' lyrics on this track are haunting. They reek of desperation, but not in a pitiful way; a way that makes your heart ache with him too.

This is especially true in the lyrics “you can stay with me ... You can stay with me and just pretend I’m not there,” along with “baby, you can change and still choose me.”

The song closes out with a massive emotional swell, emphatically making the listener feel the song’s intended, yet difficult emotions.

All in all, Geese are paving a path for rock to come back into the spotlight in a very big way.

I’m excited to see how they continue to evolve as a band both sonically and lyrically.

This is easily one of my top albums for the year and pairs excellently with Winters' 2024 solo LP “Heavy Metal.”

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Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, rock band Geese has carved out its own niche over the years. Geese released “Getting Killed” in late September to critical acclaim.

27/11/2025

The Threads of Resilience fashion show was hosted in the UAA Student Union on Nov.21. The show was in collaboration with the Student Social Work Coalition, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Anchorage, PFLAG Anchorage, the Pride Center and Streets of Rage, with local drag performer Athena Nuff, as the master of ceremonies. The show featured 14 models in various outfits based on their own styles and was followed by two performances by Athena Nuff and a small dance party.

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The Threads of Resilience fashion show was hosted in the UAA Student Union on Nov. 21. The show was in collaboration with the Student Social Work Coalition, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Anchorage, PFLAG Anchorage, the Pride Center and Streets of Rage, with local drag performer Athe...

27/11/2025

UAA hosted the 2nd Annual Native Heritage Month Celebration in the Student Union on Nov. 20. Food was provided for the guests and at the event and many Alaska Native artists displayed and sold their creations. There were demonstrations from the Alaskan Native Heritage Center and performances from local Alaska Native dance groups.

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UAA hosted the 2nd Annual Native Heritage Month Celebration in the Student Union on Nov. 20. Food was provided for the guests and at the event and many Alaska Native artists displayed and sold their creations. There were demonstrations from the Alaskan Native Heritage Center and performances from lo...

19/11/2025

Arel Gutierrez is a political science major and the president of USUAA

I joined UAA as a freshman in fall 2024. Later that semester, I became involved with USUAA, UAA’s student government. I was thrilled by the opportunity because I had, and still have, big ambitions for how to support my peers at the university.

Throughout my time here, I’ve repeatedly heard a familiar argument: Universities should focus solely on education, not community engagement.

While I understand this perspective, I believe engagement is vital for both student well-being and university retention.

I used to be that student who focused only on academics. I’ll admit, it placed me in a bubble. It was a repetitive cycle that was draining.

Although, when I began participating in extracurriculars, I started to learn beyond the computer screen and textbook. I gained real, hands-on leadership experience.

More importantly, I found a group of people I could connect with — a community where I felt I belonged.

Getting involved on campus also opened my eyes to career paths related to my major. I learned how to gain practical experience while having fun doing it.

It’s no secret that the Anchorage campus often feels like a ghost town.

We’re a commuter campus, and that presents challenges; but it’s not because students don’t want to be engaged, or that UAA lacks opportunities.

The real issue is transparency and communication. The challenge is finding the best way to connect with students.

I encourage my peers to let the university know their preferred methods of outreach.

That feedback can help UAA build a better system, one that reflects student interests and fosters a stronger, more connected campus community.

At the same time, it’s our responsibility as students to explore and try new things, even if they’re outside our comfort zones.

Remember Seawolves, engagement is the student's voice.

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Orientation leader Martina Weddel leads students through the Spine from the Student Union on their tour of campus. Photo by Raye M. White.

19/11/2025

The Seawolves defeated the Hawaii Pacific University Sharks on Nov. 15, 70-65, as part of the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge. Fans crowded into the Alaska Airlines Center auxiliary gym to watch the matchup as the ASAA state high school volleyball championships took place in the primary arena.

The Seawolves scored the first 2 points of the night off of Bishop Tosi’s 2 free throws after a foul just 17 seconds into play. From there, the Seawolves and Sharks traded the lead throughout the first half, ending with the Sharks up 30-28. The Seawolves started to pull ahead in the second half and maintained the lead until the Sharks managed to tie the score 48-48 with a pair of free throws with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Seawolves pulled ahead with another pair of free throws from Tosi and maintained their lead the rest of the night.

During a timeout in the first half, the Alaska State Legislature honored the Seawolves Gymnastics team for their 40th anniversary with a legislative citation presented by Sen. Loki Tobin and Rep. Andrew Gray.

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http://www.thenorthernlight.org/stories/photos-seawolves-sink-the-sharks

13/11/2025

The Seawolves women’s basketball team defeated the Northwest University Eagles on Nov. 8, 100-57. Elaina Mack’s 10 3-pointers set a new record for the program. The previous record was nine set back in 2013. Mack also tied the record of seven 3-pointers in a half that was set in 2007 and her 41 points tied the record for most individual points set in 1995. This victory leaves the Seawolves 2-0 as they head to Hawaii next week. They return to the Alaska Airlines Center on Nov. 18 to face off against Hawaii Hilo, then compete in the ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 21-22.

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http://www.thenorthernlight.org/stories/photos-eagles-fall-to-seawolves

13/11/2025

The Seawolves women’s basketball team won its season debut at home against the Northwest University Eagles on Nov. 7, 107-82. The team is almost completely new this season, including a new head coach, Matt Thune. Only Elaina Mack returned after last season's GNAC title win. Mylee Anderson, a freshman from Wasilla, Alaska, and Mahaila Harrison, a sophomore from Vancouver, Washington, both crashed onto the scene. Each scored 23 points in their first appearance as Seawolves. Mack came back with 17 points and a career high of 9 rebounds.

The UAA Dance and Cheer team came out to perform during halftime with young dancers from the Fairview Recreational Center.

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http://www.thenorthernlight.org/stories/photos-seawolves-womens-basketball-win-home-opener

13/11/2025

Seawolves volleyball defeated the Western Washington Vikings on Nov. 8, 3-1. In doing so, they tied the record for the longest set played since 25-point rally scoring became the standard in 2008. They traded points in the fourth set until Lee Ivakina of the Seawolves managed to get the set point to end the final set 34-32. Ivakina led the way for the Seawolves victory with 25 kills.

With four regular season matches remaining, the Seawolves have a record of 19-5 overall and 10-4 in the GNAC. The Seawolves hit the road for their next two matches before their final two matches of the season at the Alaska Airlines Center on Nov. 20 against Montana State Billings and Nov. 22 against Seattle Pacific.

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http://www.thenorthernlight.org/stories/photos-seawolves-defeat-vikings-3-1

13/11/2025

The Seawolves women's volleyball team defeated the Simon Fraser University Red Leafs 3-2 on Nov. 6. Despite several inches of snowfall, a small group of loyal Seawolf fans were in the stands. The Seawolves had a rough start at Thursday night's game. They quickly fell behind the Red Leafs after 6 unanswered points in the first set. Unable to catch up, they ended the set 25-19.

The Red Leafs opened the second set in a similar manner, ending it 25-20 — leaving things looking bleak for the Seawolves. Sets three and four they rallied back tying the game 2-2. In the fifth set, the Seawolves quickly took the lead. While the Red Leafs started to close the gap, the Seawolves managed to pull off the win 3-2. This left them with an 18-5 overall record and 9-4 in the GNAC.

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http://www.thenorthernlight.org/stories/photos-seawolves-volleyball-rallies-back-to-defeat-red-leafs

13/11/2025

The Seawolves defeated the Evergreen State Geoducks on Nov. 7, 85-58, at their home opener against the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school. The Seawolves took a quick lead and dominated the first half, and continued to control the game through the second half. Few fans braved the weather and slick roads to attend the exhibition match. The game was originally planned to be attended by many schools from the Anchorage School District, but students were unable to attend due to the snow delaying buses in Anchorage.

The Seawolf Pep Band was on hand to play during time-outs.The UAA Performance Squad performed during halftime.

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http://www.thenorthernlight.org/stories/photos-seawolves-mens-basketball-defeats-geoducks

13/11/2025

The Seawolves men’s basketball team defeated the Evergreen State University Geoducks in their second matchup on Nov. 8, 80-48. Aklok Machar accounted for 19 points with Lyman Simmons secured 12 points. Bishop Tosi and Jeremiah Coleman racked up 9 points each during the night. This second win leaves the Seawolves 2-2 for the season.

The Seawolves next compete in the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge on Nov. 14-15 in the Alaska Airlines Center.

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http://www.thenorthernlight.org/stories/photos-seawolves-win-against-geoducks