A Time to Remember: The Centennial Memorials of WWI

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff Writer, UAS Whalesong

As the Centennial Years of World War I near their end, people all over the world continue to grieve the events that etched themselves into global memory.

Participating nations are putting their best foot forward throughout the 2014-2018 centenary. All involved are participating in a worldwide collection of commemorative events, memorial establishment, and refurbishment. However, some countries have taken even more special consideration in their choice of remembrance. Continue reading “A Time to Remember: The Centennial Memorials of WWI”

College of Ed.: What’s Next for Students?

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff Writer, UAS Whalesong

In the months following the decision to headquarter the College of Education at the UAS campus, students and staff have expressed concerns regarding how the changes will affect students and their degree programs. Continue reading “College of Ed.: What’s Next for Students?”

UAS Students and Staff Give Back in Third Annual Day of Service

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff Writer, UAS Whalesong

On Apr. 1, 65 UAS students came together to give back to the Juneau community.

The UAS Day of Service began three years ago as a component of the Alaska Leadership Initiative (AL-I). During the Spring semester of 2015, AL-I students developed and implemented the first Day of Service, managing its creation with minimal oversight. The goal was to formulate an event by students, for students.

After the success of the initial year, the participating AL-I members reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the project, and made plans to put on another Day of Service the following year.

The third annual Day of Service Apr. 1 saw four new organizations participating, and student volunteers up by fifteen people. Continue reading “UAS Students and Staff Give Back in Third Annual Day of Service”

A Time to Remember: Bloody April

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff  Writer, UAS Whalesong

The British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) experienced a clash of old ideals against new realities in the catastrophic fourth month of 1917. Known as “Bloody April”, poor orders and superior enemy technology combined to cause one of the most destructive campaigns the Corps endured during the war. Continue reading “A Time to Remember: Bloody April”

UAS College of Education on the Horizon

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff Writer, UAS Whalesong

As of March 2017, The College of Education Implementation Plan Steering Committee has begun to hold meetings to decide how to best facilitate the transition from individual Schools of Education into the consolidated College of Education at UAS. Continue reading “UAS College of Education on the Horizon”

First Time Performance in Juneau for Git Hayetsk

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff  Writer, UAS Whalesong

The internationally renowned Git Hayetsk dance group performed in the Egan library on Mar. 25, bringing the mask dances of numerous First Nations cultures to Juneau for the first time. Continue reading “First Time Performance in Juneau for Git Hayetsk”

A Time to Remember: Animal Soldiers

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff  Writer, UAS Whalesong

Throughout history, animals have played key roles in many human narratives. While the work of horses in World War I is well remembered, they were only one of numerous animals to fill out the ranks. Dogs, pigeons, goats, and others served as messengers, mascots, gas-detectors, and more. Herein are a small number of the most famous animals to serve in the Great War. Continue reading “A Time to Remember: Animal Soldiers”

Event Spotlight: Food Sovereignty Fridays

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff Writer, UAS Whalesong

UAS Native and Rural Student Center’s (NRSC’s) Food Sovereignty Friday series features a new food or product made of ingredients seasonally harvested from the surrounding areas. The series is aimed at educating students on the extremely nutritional food that Alaska can offer. Continue reading “Event Spotlight: Food Sovereignty Fridays”

A Time to Remember: The Lost Battalion

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff  Writer, UAS Whalesong

In 1917 to 1918, American soldiers flooded the battlefields of Europe, propping up the sagging Allied lines, and challenging the exhausted Central Powers. The United States had gone from dormant to full mobilization, and transition to total war conditions in less than a year. This rapid development far outstripped what had been thought possible. Germany had hinged its unrestricted U-Boat warfare on the belief that the U.S. would require a long time to mobilize. German High Command thought they could sufficiently devastate shipping lines, and exhaust Allied supplies long before the North American troops could mobilize. With the expected delay, the Germans also planned to set up enough disruptions in cross-Atlantic travel to prevent the troop carriers from making it across the ocean.

The U.S. smashed all expectations. The first troops landed in France on June 25, less than three months after declaring war. Though this first wave of soldiers was just a small volunteer force, it was a tiny sampling of what was to come. By mid-1918, U.S. troops were arriving in France and England at a rate of some 10,000 a day. The inexperienced but enthusiastic American troops were assigned to battle-wearied Allied deployments across the front. They propped up weak points in the lines, bulked out forces preparing for forward offensives, and filled in cracks that had been growing larger in the tired troops. This led to some strange and unfortunate happenings, as troops went from quiet America to the war torn moonscape of the Western Front with little preparation.

One of these events was the case of the Lost Battalion. Continue reading “A Time to Remember: The Lost Battalion”

Strategic Pathways Simplified (Part 2)

holly-fisher-1BY HOLLY FISHER
Staff Writer, UAS Whalesong

Phase 2 of the Strategic Pathways initiative is assessing the redesign of eight University of Alaska departments in order to reduce costs and streamline the system. The Academic Areas article last issue covered the first four departments.  This one sums up the suggested changes to four main Administrative Areas across the UA system.

Each area under consideration has an in-depth PDF that covers every area of review. The suggestions must streamline functions, decreasing overall costs, and meet the priorities of UA on a statewide level. Each suggestion has a pro/con list that details how it functions under the above parameters. Based on those lists, I have expanded on the top choice for each department. Continue reading “Strategic Pathways Simplified (Part 2)”