Jan. 30, 2024

Daylight 6:41:58

Welcome to Week 3! 

Last week was pretty awesome here in Fairbanks. It was cold. It was cold like it hadn’t been for a long time. Things broke, cars didn’t start and heating systems failed. It was really cold. If you are here in Alaska, you know what I mean. Early Friday morning I walked into the Arctic Java coffee shop in the Wood Center. It was bustling. I stood for a moment and took in the scene. About a dozen students chatting while waiting to get a coffee; others waited at the end of the bar for their steaming cups to arrive. Once they wrapped their hands around the warmth, they draped themselves across and among the chairs and tables they shared with their coats and backpacks. The energy was great. Everyone had found a moment, a warm moment, to chat or check their phones before or after class.

It was 42 below outside. Beyond the windows lay a wall of frozen, murky darkness. But inside, inside it was warm and there was a wonderful positive vibe. We were a diverse group, sporting lots of comfort wear and lots of practical clothing choices. Many optimized their attire for warmth, some optimized for speed (slow and warm vs. fast and cold), but all shared one thing in common. These students had all gotten up and gone out to make it to class on a 40-below morning! Who does that in the rest of the world? UAF students on the Troth Yeddha’ campus do this like any other Friday morning. Like it is nothing, we just get up and go to class. Take a moment. Take that in. Whatever it is you did to make it (to keep making it!) through those coldest of days – you are amazing. Such toughness, such resilience.

You may have chosen UAF for many reasons. What you probably didn’t think about when you chose to seek your educational goals at UAF was that you’d be joining a community of hardy souls. Seriously, these experiences with your peers, or even on your own, these are the kinds of transformative experiences that you can draw from for the rest of your life. You got this just making your way to class on an average Friday. You do this just for fun! 

Welcome to week three of the spring 2024 term. You are one-fifth of the way through this semester and it only gets better from here. It happens that fast! Wherever you are, whether you are in Fairbanks, Bethel, Anchorage, Atlanta, Juneau, or Utqiagvik, take care of yourself and take care of those close to you. Spring is coming! 

You are amazing! 

Things to do: 

• If you plan on graduating this spring, apply to graduate! The deadline is Feb. 1. That’s Thursday! If you get it done on time at www.uaf.edu/reg/grad the fee is only $50. After Feb. 1, the fee rises to $80. March 1, is the final deadline.

• ASUAF invites students to nominate graduates to be the student speaker at UAF's spring Commencement ceremony on May 4. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 16, and the application period opens Feb 1. Candidates must have applied for graduation for spring or summer 2024 or have graduated in fall 2023. For more information or questions, please contact Ronnie Houchin at rshouchin@alaska.edu or 907-474-5153.

• Check out Nanook Engage for all kinds of things happening within our community.

As you travel through the spring 2024 term, let me know if you see things we can do better. I’m at obguthrie@alaska.edu. 

— Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management