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Summer Photo ContestGraduate ListTackling Online InterviewsMat-SuPAGES 6 & 7PAGE 2PAGE 11SUMMER 2020STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS ARECOMING UP SOON!MonitorCalling All Student Leaders!By Angeli KristovichEver since the outbreak of Covid-19, a lot has changed, and thesame rings true with the goingson in student government. We,the student government, weresupposed to hold elections forthe offices of President and VicePresident in April, but because ofCovid, it’s just not going to happen.So, we came up with a plan to holdelections in the fall. This is goodbecause it will give students moretime over the summer to thinkabout whether they would like torun for said offices.WE WANT YOU TORUN FOR OFFICE OF2020VOLUME 43 NUMBER 6Are you thinking about running?Curious about what it’s like? Well,wonder no more buddy! I’ll giveyou the scoop. First let me tell youthe qualifications for office; youmust be taking at least three credithours per semester, and your GPAcannot go below 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.Those are the two set-in-stonequalifications.Choosingto bein studentgovernment willbuild on yourleadershipskillsI was in office for one year andit was super fun! I had never run areal meeting before, so that experience alone was fun, and often soridiculous that it was funny. Sittingalongside the VP, Shane O’Quinn,was the best. We made a really goodteam because we are both positivepeople. Throughout the semesterswe both went through tough times,and fun times, and whined abouthomework, but we made it through,always with a smile on our faces.So, if you choose to be in office,you will make really great friends.You get to work alongside staffand faculty, and they show youhow things work within the college. For example, when the student government chooses to hostan event, hand out swag, or giveaway food, there are proper channels to navigate to do so, and thestaff and faculty show you how tomake it happen until you can do iton your own.See ELECTIONS page 3UAA: Here When You Need Us.By Cathy Sandeen, UAA ChancellorMany of you have heard medescribe UAA as Alaska’s modern,opportunity through education.UAA is Anchorage’s hometownuniversity. We’re here to solvereal-world problems. These wordscannot fully describe the importantasset UAA has become over itshistory.At no time has the value ofUAA to this community beenmore apparent than during ourcurrent response to the COVID-19pandemic.Cathy Sandeen, UAA Chancellorrelevant,connectedurbanmetropolitan university. UAA hasbecome the school of choice forAlaska’s best and brightest, and weopen our doors to anyone seekingFor the last fifteen years, UAAbiology researchers have beenstudying coronavirus strains,most recently in bats in Alaska,developing tools that can now beapplied to the virus that causesCOVID-19. Mutated coronavirusstrains jumping from bats tohumans are known to be the causeof the SARS outbreak in 2003 andthe MERS outbreak in 2012.Our researchers have partneredwith the Centers of Excellencefor Influenza Research andSurveillancetostandardize,catalog, and make accessible datato everyone around the world,with the hope of painting a clearerpicture of regional coronavirusvariants.In addition to this research, theUAA College of Health is workingto graduate up to seventy-twonursing students early so that theycan join the healthcare workforce inAlaska. The college is coordinatingwith relevant university offices,the Alaska Board of Nursing, andthe accrediting agency.See UAA CONTRIBUTIONS page 4Back in Time withRenaissance Cookie Co.INDEXResources. 2Student Government. 3Around Campus. 4Opinions. 5Graduates. 6-7From the Students. 8Entertainment. 9Puzzles .10By Ricque AntolinI think we can all relateto being nervouswhen it comes tomeeting new people. When it comesto one-on-one interviews, I myself get a littleantsy. However,thepersonmentioned inthis article issomeone I hadalready known priorto the interview, whichmade the interaction mucheasier. I had spent a dayof my Spring Breakeating cookiesand drinkingtea with Mrs.Talia Swansonto question herexperience asa cookie creator. I was nostranger to Mrs.Swanson’s home,havingvisitedit multiple timesbefore as a guest. It wasSee COOKIES page 8Blue and Oliver. At the end of it all, even after a full day of tormentingeach other, they still find a way to forgive one another and love each otherMovingyour club meetings onlineBy Brad StorchOn March 12, in themiddle of spring break,UA President Johnsen announced a move to onlineclasses and a ban on gatherings of more than 25 people.Within days, the Universitytightened up those rules andlocal, state, and federal recommendations and restrictions came into effect. Theend result is that most students haven’t stepped footon campus since Springbreak started.This left the Monitor in abind. How would we put outanother paper without ourweekly meetings? Wouldpeople even want to do another paper if it had to becoordinated online? Turnsout, to the last person, ourgroup wanted to press on.They were willing to con-tribute articles and to meetonline. That’s a testamentto the quality of the presentMonitor crew.See CLUBS ONLINE page 3
02 RESOURCESSummer 2020Acing an Online InterviewBy Adélína RodríguézIn the last couple of months, wehave all had to transition into thedigital world: taking online classes, ordering groceries online, visiting friends and family throughvideo chat, and to those applyingfor jobs, scoring an online interview! An interview in itself isnerve wrecking but adding technology can potentially increaseyour level of stress and anxiety.With any interview, whether itis in person or online, preparingcan ultimately set you apart fromothers, boost your confidence,and allow you to focus on yourresponses.In response to COVID-19,more employers are moving toconducting online interviews;therefore, job seekers should expect their next interview to beonline. So, how should you prepare?Tip #1 TechnologyFirst, you will need to have access to a video camera and microphone, which are often builtin features on most laptops orsmartphones. If you plan to usea smartphone, be sure to have aphone stand so you can secure it.This will allow you to be handsfree and keep you from movingthe phone during the interview.Second, familiarize yourself withthe video conferencing softwarethe employer will be using forthe interview. Some popular webconferencing tools are Skype,Google Hangouts, MicrosoftTeams and Zoom. Be sure tologin (by creating an account ifnecessary) or download the app.The employer should provide youwith guidance on what you willneed. If not, reach out to themand ask. Do not leave this to theevening before the interview orminutes before. You should com-plete this a couple of days beforethe interview in addition to running an audio and video test.Tip #2 PreparePrepare your interview space.Yes, you are inviting your futureemployer into your space, whether it is an office, kitchen or family room. Therefore, prepare thespace that is behind you. Avoidhaving a window behind you fortwo reasons. First, if someoneor a pet is in the background,this will be distracting for theemployer. Secondly, unless youhave curtains, the light from thewindow makes it difficult for theemployer to see you. Therefore, Iwould recommend having a wallbehind you and lighting from either in front or above you.Once you identify your interviewing space, prepare your family or roommates. As we practicesocial distancing, we find ourselves amongst our family androommates continuously and aquiet space is harder to find. Letthem know when you are interviewing and remind them thatyou will not be available duringthis time. It would be best to bebehind a closed door for the interview to lessen interruptions.Also, this is a good time to remind you to turn off notificationson your cell phone to eliminatedistractions.Prepare to dress professionally.Yes, it is true that the interviewercan only see what you are wearing on top. However, you need tobe certain that you do not haveto get up and grab a pen becauseyou just ran out of ink. Treat anonline interview as you would anin-person interview, again, beingprepared will make the difference in your online presence andwill allow you to focus on yourresponses.As with an in-person interview, have a copy of your resumewith you. You do not want to trynavigating your computer systemand accidently end the video call.Be prepared to reference yourresume, should they ask you toclarify any of your previous experience. Finally, have paper andpen to take notes and be preparedwith questions about the position.Tip #3 PracticePractice your online interview.Body language is as importantin an online interview as it is inan in-person interview. Makesure to smile, sit-up straight, andlook into the camera. The MatSu College Career Developmentoffice is prepared to conduct amock online interview if you areinterested in practicing and receiving feedback to improve yourinterviewing skills. To schedule amock-interview contact the Career Development Advisor, Adélína Rodríguéz, by email at arodriguez22@alaska.edu.Introducing Handshake!The new recruitment platform foremployment opportunities.By Adélína RodríguézIt should come as no surprise that careernetworking and employer recruitmentstrategies have moved to an online platform,more so now with the COVID-19 pandemic. Asthe Mat-Su College (MSC) Career DevelopmentAdvisor, I wanted to make sure that studentsand alumni had access to resources and toolsthat would give them a competitive advantage,when it came to identifying internships andemployment opportunities. The wait is over. Iam excited to introduce Handshake!MAT-SU MONITOR STAFFEditorJason DunhamFeature WritersRicque AntolinKatrina ClaytonJason DunhamMiles GibsonAngeli KristovichContributing WritersAdélína RodríguézKate StavickPhotographerAlex ZivoticAdvisorsRyan McCrossinAudrey BadgerShane O’QuinnMicah MuerArin TampkeThe Mat-Su Monitor is the student newspaper of Mat-Su College. The Monitor aims to report college news and serve as a forum for student writing. The Monitor seeks submissionsof news, editorials, and short fiction from allstudents, staff, and faculty of Mat-Su College.All students are invited to attend the Monitor’sweekly meetings. Details on participating in orsubmitting content to the Monitor can be foundat t/student-clubs/mat-su-monitor.cshtml.The Mat-Su Monitor is funded by the Mat-SuCollege Student Government Association andour advertisers. For information on advertisingin the Monitor contact Micah Muer at mwmuer@alaska.edu or 907-745-9758.The opinions expressed the Monitor articleare solely those of its authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the college, its students and employees, or the widerUniversity of Alaska system.Handshake is free to MSC students and alumniand will connect you to over 500K employers,including 100% of the Fortune 500 Companies,access career tips, and employment events. Youwill also get personalized job and internshiprecommendations based on your interests. Inaddition, you can receive assistance with yourresume, cover letter, and schedule a mockinterview, by contacting your MSC CareerDevelopment Advisor directly, in the CareerCenter, within Handshake.Access your Handshake account today!Step 1: Login with your UA credentials atalaska.joinhandshake.comStep 2: Start building your profile. It’s yourtime to shine, so don’t be shy about listing youraccomplishments.Step 3: Set your preferences for the types ofjobs and locations you’re interested in.Follow these three easy steps to get startedand you will be one-step closer to finding yournext opportunity! Need assistance, contactMat-Su College Career Development Office at907.746-9319.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT 03Summer 2020Elections continued from page 1When students ask for changesto happen on campus, StudentGovernment discusses the proposed changes and work towardsmaking that happen, and if youhave a good group of people in thecouncil, it can be a really fun experience along the way. Choosingto be in student government willbuild on your leadership skills,make you a better public speaker,introduce to all of the awesomestaff and faculty, teach you to hostbig events, and how to budgetmoney.Also, every March, the leadersof the student government get togo to Juneau to talk to the legislators to fight for funding for theUniversity funds. Well, maybefight is the wrong word, morelike advocate and tell them whateducation means to us. We didnot get to go this year because ofCovid-19, but we almost did! Andeven almost going was pretty coolin itself.Okay, I saved the coolest part ofbeing in office for those who readthis till the end. At the end of eachsemester, the President and VPare awarded a service award ofup to 12 credit hours as voted onby the council, if they believe thatyou worked for it. So, your classescan be paid for!Being in Office was the bestdecision that I made while I wasin college. I am a full-time studentand was able to keep my GPA ata 3.75 while I was in office, soit’s doable. I think for anyoneeven considering being in office,you should email me, and we cantalk about it. I assure you thatyou will have so much fun! Also,I will help you get started andteach you what I know as well,so there’s really nothing to worryabout. Unless you’re worriedabout having a really awesometime and becoming a coolerversion of yourself! Email me atamkristovich@alaska.eduThe Monitor Thanks The 2019-2020 Mat-Su Monitor crew had lots of help from family and friends. Inaddition, many helpful people on campus and in the community lightened our load.Here is an incomplete, unordered list of people we’d like to thank:Maggie Boman for quickly and kindlyhandling our paperwork.Mat-Su College Student Governmentcouncil for its support.Shira Crowell for confirming our roomreservations.Pete Praetorius, former Monitor advisor,for continued support and advice andfor talking us up to his students.Paul Younack, the campus’s night janitor,for sharing ideas and catching morethan a few typos.The Mat-Su MonitorAsks: “What was it likedoing all your classesonline?” I have never taken an online classbefore so it was super difficult toget used to. I think it was frustrating for everyone involved butwe got it figured out pretty good.I think the hardest part about being in an online class, for me, isnot letting myself get trapped intogoogling every thought that comesacross my mind. Like, seriously.Every single thought needs to beinvestigated and after a while itjust gets ridiculous. See, I happento know this about myself whichis why I chose to take in-personclasses to begin with. It’s likenow, for instance. My homeworkwas getting difficult so I decidedto take a break from it and write alittle blurb for the paper. I’ll get itfigured out though. I’ve originally signed up for 3 online and 3 in-person classes. Theclasses in person that switched toonline ended up working out, but Iwould have recoiled at the thoughtabout taking six classes online ina semester. In a way, I am happythat this has worked for me, buthopefully by the fall there will beat the very least a limited amountof classes in a classroom. I’ve had experiences with online classes prior to the changebut somehow this transition wasmore difficult to get used to. It waskind of abrupt and the transitionhadn’t hit me until I found onefailed assignment and one missingworksheet. To shed some light onthe subject, one of my professorsmade the transition easy, makingme feel like I was still in the classroom. It was definitely differentconsidering the circumstances butwhat’s life without experiencingnew things?Petra Albecker and Ryan Sleight at theFrontiersman for always being kindand patient as we struggle to meetdeadlines.Scott Taylor for handling our webpresence.Our advertisers -- please check them allout! They’ve been a joy to work withand have supported us for many years.Every student who submitted a serious,non-vulgar Ask Sophia question, aswell as those students who took partin our contests or in our Word on theStreet series.You can contact the your student government at:Online: t/Email: uaa mscstudentgov@alaska.eduPhone: (907)-745-9759Office: JKB 114 (hours vary)Clubs Online continued from page 1But we should also point out that the university has a lot of tools that clubs can use to meetand work online. In particular, we decided touse Zoom to do live meetings. Live meetingswere the one piece of the puzzle we were missing (we’ve long had file sharing, planning, etc.,online). Zoom has the advantages of beingpretty simple to use and pretty familiar nowthat many classes are using it.Students can easily set up free Zoom meetings using their University of Alaska credentials. Just follow these steps: In your web browser, go to https://alaska.zoom.us Click “Sign in.” Use the “Schedule a new meeting” button toset up a meeting. After putting in a date andtime and other optional details and clickingsubmit, you’ll get a link that you can sharewith the people you want to attend. (But becareful not to share with strangers.)That’s really all there is to it. People justneed to click the link at the time of the meeting;everything after that is pretty self-explanatory.So this solves the technical of hurdle of howto meet. The bigger problems you’ll need tosolve are on the human side of things. Startinga club is easy enough -- you just need someoneto get signatures on some paperwork, and nodoubt Student Government can help you. (Hereis a good place to say Student Government hasalso been using Zoom to conduct its business.)The real challenge is going to be recruitingpeople to your club. We don’t have any readymade answers for that, but we can tell you thatthe Monitor is ready to help you publicize anyclub you might form or want to form. Just let usknow about it by emailing uaa mscmonitor@alaska.edu.PRIVACY POSTSCRIPT:We recognize that some people have reasonable concerns about the security of the Zoomsoftware and the privacy policies of the company behind it. If you fancy a “fully encrypted,100% open source video conferencing solution,” try https://meet.jit.si/. There you can setup a video chat for multiple people without registering and without any software beyond yourweb browser (although you can also get mobileapps if you need them).7 Digital Privacy TipsBy Betty SymingtonNow that you’re spending more time online than ever, it’s important to follow gooddigital privacy practices. Here are toolsyou can use to keep your personal information out of the hands of the big advertisingcorporations.1. Don’t sign up for websites -- use BugMeNot. Imagine a site asks you to login toread an article. You’ll have to hand over atleast your email address, if not more, justto create an account you’ll never use again.Don’t bother! Check bugmenot.com. bugmenot.com lists logins for thousands ofwebsites. Maybe somebody already madean account for the site. Then, since it iswas of no further use to them, maybe theyposted it to bugmenot.com.2. If you do sign up for a website, usea fake email address. You shouldn’t giveout your personal email address to justanyone. That’s how you end up with 10,000unread emails in your inbox. It’s also howbig advertising firms track you -- they buyuser lists from sites and draw connections.You have at least two options to use “fake”email addresses. First, you can register abunch of free email accounts and use them.That’s the safest approach since all thoseaccounts are accessible only to you. Butoften it’s simpler to use a disposable emailaccount from a site like guerrillamail.com.No registration’s needed, but anyone whoknows the address can access the inbox (although mail is only stored for one hour).3. If you are really going to use a website, read about it on Terms of Service;Didn’t Read. Terms of Service; Didn’tRead (tosdr.o
Moving your club meetings online By Brad Storch On March 12, in the . middle of spring break, UA President Johnsen an-nounced a move to online classes and a ban on gather-ings of more than 25 people. Within days, the University tightened up those rules and local, state, and federal rec-ommendations and restric-tions came into effect. The
