One doesn’t have to follow the sport of dog mushing to know what the Iditarod is. I’ve met people from the East Coast, Sweden, Germany, and the UK who watch the notorious race from behind their computer screens, and every year, thousands of fans congregate at the starting line. However, few could comprehend the amount of effort, money, and planning that comes before even getting to the weather-beaten, moose-infested, 1,000-mile trail. This year, I got a close glimpse of the Iditarod mania that happens before the race starts because my dad, Will Rhodes, is running it.

If Google Maps says you’re fifty feet away from where you are, it might be because the northern lights are disrupting the signal.

On March 13th, 2024, a student media team consisting of Kevin Huo (General Manager of KSUA), Manny Melendez (Staff Reporter, The Sun Star), Mike Degen (Freelance Reporter, The Sun Star), and Autumn McPherson (Staff Photographer, The Sun Star) traveled together to volunteer and report on the Arctic Winter Games taking place. The Arctic Winter Games, in short, is a circumpolar competition containing athletes from across the world's northern regions. The Arctic Winter Games are no small feat, consisting of twenty sports, 2,000 athletes, and eight continents. The teams represented at this year's games included Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta North, Nunavut, Nunavik-Quebec, Kalaallit Nunaat, and Sapmi.

Ten days before the 58th annual Ice Arch was set to be done, UAF engineering students still had no ice to build it with. They pulled together and made it happen just in time for the Engineering Open House.

Alaskan mushers are all part of a big family, and that community is based around a lifestyle. I never once was left with the impression or saw any evidence that any musher was in the sport purely for business. The first-place purse from winning the Iditarod barely covers the expenses of running a kennel for a year. These people live and breathe dog care, exercise, training, and hard work, including literally shoveling shit daily. They’re all hooked on that ghostly song of wailing desire the dogs let out when waiting to pull the sled. And, most importantly — where answering that call brings them.

If you’ve been wondering how and when to see the aurora, you’re in luck!

March is supposed to be the best time of the year for aurora viewing in Fairbanks. Solar activity is ramping up, and the skies are typically clearer here in March.

On Saturday, February 3rd, mushers and their teams braved the extreme weather to compete in the Yukon Quest, one of Alaska’s premier dog sledding competitions. The temperature in downtown Fairbanks was -43 degrees Fahrenheit when the race kicked off at eleven a.m.!

On a Friday in early February, I entered the Brooks Building and entered a large communal room where people gathered, did beadwork, and set out food and beverages. I found a comfy seat beside a young person playing a somber and beautiful song on the ukulele. We were all there for a screening of the classic ethnographic documentary Uksuum Cauyai: Drums of Winter, directed by Sarah Elder and Professor Emeritus Leonard Kamerling.

For many years, I’ve wanted to visit the Anchorage Museum. This desire was increased significantly several years ago when I heard an interview on Alaska News Nightly with the visiting ambassador from France in which he gave a rave review of the museum. If the French are experts in anything besides food, surely it’s museums and art, no? Well, over the winter break, I had a couple of days in Anchorage, so, on a gloomy and chilly Tuesday, I made my first visit.

On Saturday, February 10th, the UAF community celebrated the Chinese New Year and ushered in the Year of the Dragon.

On Friday, January 19th, the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series hosted the first ever Solstice Poetry Cycle at the Schaible Auditorium. Twenty-nine poets from the Fairbanks area read one poem each.

On November 10th-19th, the UAF Theatre and Film Department presented Dance Nation, directed by Daniel Ponickly. Dance Nation is a play by Clare Barron that delves into the trials and tribulations of youth through the eyes of a competitive dance team.

Colin Warren writes about the November 19th classical music concert at Davis Concert Hall.

This article is about the Content Creation Occupational Endorsement (O.E.) offered at our UAF Interior Alaska Campus located in Fairbanks. This O.E. focuses on monetizing social media platforms both for thriving social media management careers or online entrepreneurship. It is a one-year program that offers practical, hands-on experiences in video storytelling, gaming, blogging, and social media marketing. This program has been tailored for diverse interests and is fully accessible online. The article aims to captivate student interest and showcase UAF's innovative strides in preparing students for the dynamic world of content creation and digital business!

On November 16th-18th, UAF hosted their annual PopCon, a festival that celebrates all manner of pop culture, from TV and film, to gaming, comics, and more.

On November 29th, in the early hours of the morning, a moose was spotted on the steps of the Stevens Dorm Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

This was my first First Friday anywhere, ever. Although a popular phenomenon across the country, I have always avoided crowds and therefore usually go to museums or art galleries in the early weekday hours. But I’m new to Fairbanks and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to dive into the community.

Friday, October 13th, the UAF English Department hosted the First Year Reading, which celebrates the writing of incoming graduate students in English.