UAF’s Independent Student Voice
-
The mission of The Sun Star is to provide a consistent and trusted brand of news, opinion, and art that represents the interests and achievements of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ student body.
The Sun Star will provide opportunities for students to hone their skills in pitching stories, writing, editing, and review as well as in adopting best practices in their writing including journalistic ethics and writing standards.
-
The Sun Star was created by the merger of The Polar Star and The Northern Sun. Prior to that time, The Polar Star was published by ASUAF, and The Northern Sun was published by the UAF Journalism Department.
For over seventy years, The Sun Star (formerly The Polar Star) has engaged with the culture of UAF and Fairbanks to produce work which has won journalism awards from the Alaska Press Club, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and others.
After a two-year hiatus, we are proud to continue a tradition of publication, by students, for students.
-
We are always looking for talented writers. Find out more here.
The Sun Star editors value the original writing and authentic voice of the UAF community. In line with this value, we will not accept submissions that have been generated using AI. Thank you for your continued support of genuine creativity and bona fide journalism.
The Sun Star adheres to the standards set by the Associated Press.
Production Staff
Manny Melendez is a poet born and partially raised in Camagüey, Cuba, part of the Taíno peoples’ indigenous lands. He graduated from Otterbein University (née College) with a Bachelor of Arts in English concentrated in poetry. He remains very proud of his bachelor’s thesis: the first completed screenplay adaptation of André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name, and a one-act play titled A Light Rain. He is excited by this foray into journalism and dreams to one day live in a world where poetry and other forms of writing can take permanent physical shape in the world. In the meantime, he settles for a fierce latte, vibrant verses, and trouble in the water.
Nóra McIntyre is an MFA fiction candidate here at UAF. She received her bachelor’s degree from Clark University in 2021, where she studied French and Spanish. She enjoys horror, film, and hiking.
Zeke Shomler is a graduate student in the combined MA/MFA English and Creative Writing program, focusing on poetry. He graduated from Portland State University with a BA in English and BFA in Creative Writing in 2022. He lives with his spouse Kieran and their chihuahua Oscar, and he hopes to use his time with the Sun Star to help strengthen the campus community!
Rachel Heimke is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Marine Sciences. After graduation, she plans to attend grad school for Science Communication. Born and raised in Alaska, she loves the ocean and everything in it. When not doing homework or writing, she can be found curled up on the couch reading, snacking, and watching Parks and Recreation.
Staff Reporter
Rachel Heimke
Autumn is a Digital Journalism Student at UAF who strives for sports photography. She came from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Fairbanks, Alaska in 2023. She is specializing in sports photography and portraits as well as enjoying digital designing and advertising. Autumn is a photographer for The Sun Star, and spends her free time on art and learning about classic cars, specifically, her 1969 Buick Skylark.
Staff Reporter
Autumn McPherson
Colin Arthur Warren is a retired farmer, a haphazard homesteader, occasional horse wrangler, and a former college dropout. He has also worked often for loan sharks. He has lived in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Malibu and Sonoma, but he has been hiding out in the Wrangell Mountains for the last decade. Even though he considers journalism the laziest form of writing, because the material doesn't need to be created, he promises to not be lazy in delivering information to you, dear reader, in this new era of truthiness.
Staff Reporter
Colin Arthur Warren
The Sun Star News
Student Media Offices
UAF Wood Center (Upstairs)
1731 S Chandalar, Fairbanks, AK 99709
Hours:
Monday–Friday
10am–5pm