On November 14th, 2023, around 3:30pm, the fire alarm went off in the Stevens Dorm Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

On Oct. 3, Fairbanks North Star Borough residents voted in favor of Proposition 2, which will exempt some farmers from paying property taxes on their buildings.

We live beside pristine nature and are aware that, by most measures, our state is feeling the effects of global warming four times faster than elsewhere in the world, all while funding this existence by pumping gas and oil. But the first step in addressing these problems is to be informed, so I wanted to share my research regarding our current state of affairs in this petrostate we call home. And between the approval of the Willow Project last spring, followed this fall by reneging of permits and the implementation of protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) this fall, there’s a lot to catch up on.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is in charge of issuing permits for roads that cross federal land. That includes the permits for the Ambler Road, a contentious road that will connect a proposed open pit mine in the Ambler Mining District to the Dalton Highway. Since this is a federal process, all U.S. citizens can let their thoughts be known about this road. Click the link below to make your thoughts known to the government before time runs out. The public comment period for this project ends soon, December 22nd, 2023.

After a two-week online voting window, the vote is in: graduate student workers at UA have overwhelmingly voted to form a union. UA Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, Research Fellows, and hourly employees who are students at the graduate level will be represented by AGWA-UAW.

UAF celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 9th, 2023. It is recognized yearly on the second Monday of October as a day to honor Alaska Native people, culture, and knowledge. It was celebrated for the first time at UAF in 2017, after numerous resolutions were made by students, faculty, and staff for the day to be recognized.

“They didn’t do anything about it.”

It’s a sad statement to hear when you know it’s reality and not a figment of your imagination. In the process of drafting this article, two women were interviewed and asked to remain anonymous. The reason for the request of staying anonymous is that this could be potentially dangerous for them. The two women that were interviewed each had a scarily similar response. How is it that both anonymous storytellers who were interviewed are strangers and have almost the same story?

From October 13th through 26th, UA Graduate workers will be voting on whether or not to establish a labor union.

The Office of Sustainability’s Food Pantry is now open on Sundays, along with extended hours throughout the week. They are open Wednesdays from 2pm-7pm, Thursdays from 1pm-3 pm, and Sundays from 2pm-4 pm. The extended hours make the Food Pantry more accessible to students who have long schedules during the week.

The student-run Traditions Board leads the charge into the thick of the fall semester with Starvation Gulch. Starvation Gulch typically takes place during the last weekend of September, and is full of events, music, and community (and bonfire) building. Starvation Gulch 2023 is September 21st-23rd, with the bonfires starting at 9pm on Saturday the 23rd. For more information about participating or the schedule, check out the Traditions Board page on Nanook Engage!

The sun may be high in the sky, but the academic work doesn’t stop during summer for everyone. I recently spoke with Hannah Woody, an M.S. student in Microbial Ecology, about her summer research project—and I’m here to tell you all the microscopic details.

This July, Fairbanks celebrated Indigenous culture as the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) 2023 took over the Big Dipper sporting arena. Athletes of all ages traveled from across the state and even internationally to compete in a diverse array of traditional games, from the awe-inspiring strength of the Alaskan high kick to the precision of the one-foot high kick to the baby regalia competition. Alaska Center for Energy and Power’s (ACEP) data team members joined the festivities to observe how data is used in WEIO competition.

A historical non-profit brings together people from all over Alaska to reconnect and celebrate.

The Alaska Native Sisterhood Executive Committee elected Millie Schoonover of Craig, Alaska as Grand President Emeritus, which is the highest elected position with the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS).

On Wednesday, March 8th, the Fresh Eyes on Ice field team, consisting of Chris Arp, Sarah Clement, and Allen Bondurant, departed for a 550 mile snow machine trip. The three began their journey with a delayed flight into McGrath, before continuing on to Shageluk, Koyukuk, and finally, Galena. Their route took them along the mighty Kuskokwim and Yukon Rivers, along the Iditarod Trail, and overland through through the western interior’s spruce birch forests.

A group of three guys from Minnesota, calling themselves “3 Old Guys” are giving adventure a run for its money. Rob Hallstrom, Paul Dick and Rex Hibbort are three guys from Minnesota that are taking on an epic journey, a 4,000-mile snowmachine ride from Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Fairbanks.

Fairbanks, AK – This Friday, March 31st at 12:00 noon, University of Alaska graduate student workers will march on campus to continue their campaign for a union. After filing a petition to form a union with the Alaska Labor Relations Agency, they are expressing their continued support for unionization and to proceed rapidly to a union election so they can confirm their choice to collectively bargain. Press is welcome to attend.

March Details:

• What: A march to show support for a union, and for proceeding rapidly to a union election.

• When: 12:00 (noon) on Friday, March 31

• Where: Wood Center, UAF Campus

• Who: University of Alaska graduate workers, community allies and campus supporters.

Seth Green is a ceramic artist who captures the structural and symbolic beauty of architecture with utilitarian pottery. During his sabbatical in the fall of 2022, Green took a detour from his artist residency at Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana to be the UAF visiting artist.

This past Friday I got the chance to sit down with the band Dilemma before their show at the Pub. We discussed their music career, and their experience as musicians in Fairbanks. 

This February, for the first time in years, The Sun Star is released a print issue! In addition, we are happy to announce the launch of The Sun Star’s new sister magazine, Moon Planet.