nevada sagebrush archives for 04282015
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This is the fourteenth edition of The Nevada Sagebrush for the spring 2015 semester, released April 28, 2015.TRANSCRIPT
TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015NEVADA SAGEBRUSHTHE SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893
FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS EACH VOLUME 121, NUMBER 31
CHANGING FACE OF THE ARCH A6 FOR ALL THE MARBLES A11TEACHER ROCKS OUT A5
Kayla Carr can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
LOCAL
By Kayla Carr
FOREST SERVICE AND LOCAL TRIBE TO BEGIN WILD HORSE REMOVAL
Starting as soon as mid-July, the United States Forest Service and the Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe plan to remove 2,000 horses owned by the tribe from federal lands located just south of the Nevada-Oregon border according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
The horses that graze on the land have long been a source of frustra-tion to the government, the tribe and local ranchers.
The RGJ reports that a new en-vironmental review has confirmed that the summer roundup will have no considerable environmental consequences. During the opera-tion, the Forest Service and tribe will work with experts to ensure that they avoid capturing wild mustangs. Once the horses are collected, the tribe will decide whether to auction or keep them.
Wild horse advocates remain un-convinced. They foresee significant environmental impacts, mistaken capturing of mustangs and future slaughtering for the auctioned ani-mals.
According to the latest data from the Bureau of Land Management, over 23,000 wild horses currently reside on Nevada’s federal lands.
NEWLY RELEASED NSA REPORT DETAILS LACK OF SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM SUCCESS
Following a lawsuit filed by the New York Times under the Freedom of Information Act, The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a 2009 report that provides new information about the National Security Agency’s Stellarwind pro-gram.
Released Friday, April 24, the redacted report describes how Stel-larwind allowed the NSA to wiretap Americans’ international calls and collect their phone and email data without adhering to the Foreign Intel-ligence Surveillance Act.
The report also notes that only a few government officials outside of the NSA were aware of the program and goes on to suggest that Stel-larwind’s secrecy was to blame for its ineffectiveness.
According to the report, the FBI found that between 2001 and 2004, only 1.2 percent of tips from Stellar-wind proved useful in combatting ter-rorism, and between August 2004 and January 2006, no leads from warrant-less wiretapping were “significant.”
EARTHQUAKE HITS NEPAL, KILLS THOUSANDS
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal Saturday, April 25. As of Monday, state officials say at least 4,000 were killed. It originated 48 miles north of the country’s capital, Kathmandu, and tremors were felt in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. Aftershocks included 6.6 and 6.7 magnitude earthquakes, accord-ing to the United States Geological Survey.
The Guardian reports that the earthquake also caused an avalanche that struck the Mount Everest base camp and killed at least 18 people, including four Americans. Over 300 climbers and hundreds of Sherpas were estimated to be on the moun-tain when the avalanche occurred.
The U.S. State Department has de-ployed a disaster response team and authorized the immediate release of $1 million in relief aid. According to The Guardian, the United Kingdom, Australia, China and India have also promised assistance.
NATIONAL
NEWS IN REVIEW
Student falls into inexplicable comaBy Maddison Cervantes
On April Fool’s Day, Metsihate Ber-tukan received a text message from her 20-year-old cousin Aden Hailu, a University of Nevada, Reno freshman, saying that she had admitted herself to Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center due to abdominal pain.
Bertukan originally assumed the
message was a joke, considering the date. It was not until she received a picture of Hailu sticking her tongue out in a hospital bed that Bertukan called her cousin to determine the reason for her admittance.
Results from Hailu’s labora-tory tests, such as a pelvic exam, abdominal ultrasound and CAT scans, seemed normal to the doctors.
However, Hailu was not responding to the IV fluids given to her, and her vital signs had been inconsistent since she was admitted. Doctors then insisted that Hailu undergo exploratory surgery to detect the source of her illness.
Hailu, whom Bertukan described as a presumably healthy girl, went into cardiac arrest on the operating table.
She is now suffering from severe brain damage as a consequence of edema, or brain swelling. According to Bertu-kan, the last word she and her family have received from the doctors is that Hailu is braindead.
Hailu has been attached to a venti-lator since the surgery, she has been
Photo courtesy of Metsihate Bertukan
University of Nevada, Reno freshman Aden Hailu (right) and cousin Metsihate Bertukan (left) lounge on a bench during a trip to San Francisco. At the beginning of April, Hailu checked into Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center after experiencing abdominal pain. While having an exploratory operation, Hailu went into cardiac arrest which resulted in swelling of the brain and doctors have lost hope in her recovery.
See COMA Page A2
Rocío Hernández/Nevada Sagebrush
Lakota Harden delivers a keynote speech at the Stop Violence Against Women event on Tuesday, April 21 held inside the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre. Harden focused her talk on the historical trauma the Native American community has endured and speculates it is a cause for the emergence of domestic violence committed against women.
By Rocío Hernández
Carol Williams has carried a deep pain in her heart. When she was young, The Native American Fallon resident saw her mother, Julie Mae Potts Williams, die because of domes-tic violence. After she was married, Williams found herself in an abusive relationship.
Since William saw her mother en-dure abuse at the hands of her father, Williams assumed violent behavior was common in families. Her former husband was sometimes left Wil-liams’ face purple and disfigured with cuts. Today, Williams can look past that and still feel beautiful.
“I’m a survivor of domestic violence, emotional, physical, mental and sexual,” Williams said. “I am OK.”
In a Center for Disease Control and Prevention study conducted in 2008, 39 percent of Native women self-identified as victims of intimate partner violence. The U.S. Depart-ment of Justice has found that Native American women’s attackers are more likely to be white than Native
Natives speak out against violence
By Jacob Solis and Jose Olivares
The meeting of the Nevada legisla-ture is, by its very definition, a kind of rarity. Only coming together once every other year for just over five months, Nevada’s legislative sessions are not dissimilar to a shooting star — if you blink, you miss it.
Being so condensed, the legislative session thus creates a more enter-taining political experience than that on Capitol Hill. As legislators scramble to make policy, tensions run high along marked partisan divides as debating, politicking and occasional skullduggery runs to the max.
Even now, at press time, the leg-islative session has but 35 days left in the session and hundreds of bills to pass or kill. Below are some high-lights, both of the bills themselves (of which there are nearly 1,000) and of the occasional political antics that makes state politics infinitely more fun than their national counterpart.
SENATE BILL 2As the law stands now, it is illegal for
the Department of Transportation to establish speed limits above 75 miles per hour. SB 2 aims to completely
Bills work through the ʏQDO�ZHHNV�RI�78th session
POLITICS
See WOMEN Page A2
See BILLS Page A3
FAMILY REFUSES TO GIVE UP
INTERNATIONAL
Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada – Family Violence Prevention Program775-355-0600
Committee to Aid Abused Women775-329-4150
Safe Embrace 775-322-3466
RESOURCES
American and Alaska Natives.
Christine Braunworth, an
intern for the intertribal higher
education program for the
Center for Student Cultural
Diversity, hosted the event title
Stop Violence Against Women
at the University of Nevada,
Reno on Tuesday, April 21. The
event held in partnerships with
the Native American Student
Organization, Inter-Tribal
Council of Nevada, the Pyramid
Lake Paiute Tribe and the Fallon
Pauite Shosone Tribe sought to
bring domestic violence issues
that exist in Native American
communities to light.
In her senior year at UNR,
Braunworth thought it espe-
cially important that the stu-
dents and faculty were aware of
how domestic violence affects
peoples’ lives.
In recent years, there have
been significant strides in the
United States to protect Native
American women. President
Barack Obama signed the
Violence Against Women Reau-
thorization Act in 2013. The act
gives tribal police officer s the
authority to arrest non-Native
people that commit acts of vio-
lence within the reservation, a
power they did not have before.
“Indian Country has some of
the highest rates of domestic
abuse in America,” Obama
said during the act’s signing.
“And one of the reasons is that
when Native American women
are abused on tribal lands by
an attacker who is not Native
American, the attacker is im-
mune from prosecution by
tribal courts… That ends. Tribal
governments have an inherent
right to protect their people,
and all women deserve the right
to live free from fear.”
Ralph Burns has observed
that in his culture, women are
revered because they are givers
of life. Burns said that men
were never taught to hurt to
their partners and wives. He has
heard some men believe violent
acts against women make them
manlier.
Burns grew up on stories
that condemned violence and
taught him to respect women.
He told the audience a story of
two friends; a skunk and a rac-
coon. On a fishing trip, the skunk
grew jealous of the raccoon’s fish
pile, which was significantly
greater than his own. In his rage,
the skunk kicked the raccoon’s
fish.
The act led to a fight. As a
result, the skunk fell into the fire.
The story condemns violence
even if a person feels it’s le-
gitimized, because it can create
regrettable consequences.
Braunworth felt that it was
important for someone to talk
about Native American history
told through stories.
“I think going back to culture, I
think it helps [find] your identity
and who you are,” Braunworth
said.
Like Burns, Braunworth
refused to believe that violence
against women as a part of early
Native American culture.
“I think that stems back to the
destruction of the original cul-
tures and the way they were in-
tended originally,” Braunworth
said. “Even deeper than that,
there is a lot of historical trauma
across the board.”
The event’s keynote speaker,
Lakota Harden focused her talk
on the hardships that Native
American communities have
suffered throughout history.
Many wounds have been in-
flicted on her people through
government initiatives such as
Indian boarding schools. She
suspects that the trauma might
be a reason for the emergence
of violence now found within
reservations.
In her presentation, speaker
Clarice Charlie-Hubbard, the
director of the Family Violence
Program at the Inter-Tribal
Council of Nevada, dispelled
the notion that it is easy to leave
harmful situations. Charlie-
Hubbard said that people often
believe that there are plenty
of resources and shelters for
women who are in abusive
relationship. When women stay,
people can be quick to assume
that it is because the victim
enjoys being mistreated and is
“stupid.”
Instead, Charlie-Hubbard in-
formed the audience that often
times, women are compelled to
endure domestic violence for
reasons that include their kids,
fear, lack of financial indepen-
dence and threats.
Braunworth hopes that every-
one that attended realizes that
violence against Native Ameri-
can women is a problem that
still persists in today’s society
and there is more that can be
done to help victims escape
these situations.
Rocío Hernández can be reached at [email protected] on Twitter @rociohdz19.
receiving medication to pre-
vent seizure activity and medi-
cation to stabilize her blood
pressure and temperature as
needed.
Additionally, Hailu’s fam-
ily has been informed by the
hospital that her insurance will
soon exhaust. As a result, Ber-
tukan has created a GoFundMe
profile in order to raise money
for her cousin’s treatment.
Bertukan stated on the pro-
file that according to Hailu’s
neurological diagnosis, she is
in a persistent vegetative state
and doctors have emphasized
to her family that there is no
chance of Hailu recovering
her higher functions such as
thought and action.
“In a subtle way, we feel pres-
sured to make a life-ending
decision but [Hailu] is only
20-years-old with no history of
illness or family illness,” Bertu-
kan said. “This news not solely
deteriorated my entire family
but it is very difficult to make
a decision especially since the
cause of her primary illness
remains a mystery.”
Bertukan stated that the only
way Saint Mary’s doctors can
explain Hailu’s condition is
by claiming that it is mystery.
Therefore, attempting to make
a life-ending decision with
very little knowledge currently
seems impossible for Bertukan
and the rest of Hailu’s family.
By sharing the link to the
GoFundMe account, Bertu-
kan has been able to reach a
multitude of people, such as
UNR senior Ty Pimienta, who
found it necessary to con-
tinue sharing Hailu’s story
through social media.
“As soon as I saw her face on
[Facebook] and her story, I felt
through my faith that I had to
share her story and have others
help her out as well,” Pimienta
said. “If it wasn’t going to be me,
then who? Everyone deserves
to live a life full of joy and not
have to deal with something
like that.”
There have been a variety of
both anonymous and public
donations to Bertukan’s ac-
count, but the goal of $70,000
has not yet been reached.
Some who contributed to
the GoFundMe left words of
support along with their dona-
tion, such as Rana Abu-Elniaj.
“I love you Aden, you’ll
always be my best friend,”
Abu-Elniaj said. “I know you’re
strong enough to overcome
this. God bless you Aden.”
Others who knew Hailu
personally, such as Isabelle
Langham and Nati Alemayehu
also commented with words of
comfort for Hailu and her fam-
ily members during their time
of distress.
Bertukan is presently stay-
ing with her uncle, Hailu’s
father, in Reno to stay close to
her cousin’s side while Hailu’s
mother remains at home in
Las Vegas attending to three
younger children. According
to Bertukan, another challenge
the family has been facing is the
separation and lack of support.
Along with this, Bertukan
explained that attempting to
understand the many “medical
jargons” provided to the family
has been a difficult feature of
their situation.
Bertukan explained that
aside from the constant trials
each day has held for she and
her family, she still feels as
though she is dreaming. Hailu
had just returned from spend-
ing spring break with Bertukan
when she admitted herself to
Saint Mary’s.
“I go back to look at our
pictures together and it makes
me think that life is so short
and unpredictable,” Bertukan
said. “One day she was walking
and then the next she is lying
in bed.”
Hailu had just declared her
sociology major. The cousins
had continuously conversed
about Hailu’s enthusiasm for
her chosen career path. When
Bertukan asked her cousin
what she enjoyed about the
subject, Hailu said that she
likes to observe and under-
stand people.
Being that the fam-
ily is struggling with acquiring
Hailu’s medical records from
the hospital or any additional
information as to how her
illness developed, the medical
bills are piling up. As of Mon-
day, April 27, a total of $16,403
of $70,000 has been raised.
“We believe that each day
holds a miracle and we cannot
give up on our Aden just in 18
days,” Bertukan said.
Maddison Cervantes can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @madcervantes.
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Harney, Neil Patrick Healy, Jose Olivares, Ryan Suppe, Shelby
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A2 @TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
NEWS IN REVIEW
MOTIVATED VOLUNTEERS WANTEDWork with The Nevada Sagebrush to get your
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Contact [email protected]
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Associated Students of the
University of Nevada President
Caden Fabbi discussed about his
progress in office thus far.
Fabbi explained that he and
ASUN Vice President Jessica
Salsman had been interviewing
potential members of the execu-
tive board throughout last week,
preparing for the appointments
of their elected officials.
Near the end of the meeting,
Fabbi presented and submitted
the current ASUN budget to the
senators. The budget was immedi-
ately referred to the Committee on
Budget and Finance.
Fabbi stated that he would also
present the senate with the budget
justifications including the neces-
sary information and data for the
senators’ knowledge related to the
budget. The justifications were
presented on Monday, April 27.
As Fabbi announced he would
during the meeting, he met with
the Board of Regents on Friday,
April 24 to voice ASUN’s posi-
tions on various bills based on
resolutions made in the previous
session. Fabbi stated that he
would also discuss other subjects
with the Board in which he found
necessary for ASUN to take a
stance on.
Maddison Cervantes can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @madcervantes.
PUBLIC COMMENT
ASUN OFFICIALS APPOINTMENTS
After Sen. Emeritus Raina
Benford’s presentation on what
the senate can expect from her
if appointed to the office of Chief
of Staff, Sen. Thomas Green of
the College of Education voiced
concerns of a conflict of interest.
Benford and Fabbi are long-
time friends and current room-
mates. As a result, some of the
senators were originally hesitant
about appointing Benford.
Green claimed that to ensure
ASUN’s integrity, Benford should
not be assigned the position
due to how it could possibly be
perceived by constituents as a
conflict of interest.
Sen. Brandon Boone of the
College of Business argued that
while he did initially have con-
cerns with Benford’s office due
to her relationship with Fabbi,
after hearing her presentation,
he realized that she is the most
qualified individual on campus
and believes her to be right for
the position.
Newly-elected Attorney Gener-
al Ryan Hood agreed with Boone,
along with Fabbi who voiced his
opinion on the matter. Fabbi
claimed that ASUN’s integrity
would be further in question if he
were to hire someone unquali-
fied, as as he believed the other
applicants to be.
Moreover, Fabbi stated that
regardless of whether or not he
had Benford as a roommate, she
would have been appointed.
Benford was appointed by the
Senate to the office of Chief of
Staff with a vote of 18-1.
THE OTHER APPOINTEES INCLUDED:
Office of Director of Legislative
Affairs:
Marissa Crook
Office of Director of Blue Crew:
Drake Sacenti
Office of Chief Justice:
Kenneth Brooke
Office of Director of Clubs and
Organizations:
Ian Stewart
Office of Director of
Programming:
Tazia Statucki
Office of Attorney General:
Ryan Hood
Office of Director of Campus and
Public Relations:
Ryan Suppe
SENATE RECAP
By Maddison Cervantes
APRIL 22
ComaCONTINUED FROM PAGE A1
Photo courtesy of Metsihate Bertukan
University of Nevada, Reno freshman Aden Hailu poses for a photo during a trip to San Francisco. Hailu’s cousin, Metsihate Bertukan, has created a GoFundMe account in order to raise donations for Hailu’s recent hospitalization.
“ I go back to look at our pictures together and it makes me think that life is so short and unpredictable.” - Metsihate Bertukan
WomenCONTINUED FROM PAGE A1
Rocío Hernández /Nevada Sagebrush
Carol Williams shares her real-life experience in an abusive relationship with audience of Stop Violence Against Women event on Tuesday, April 21 inside the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre. Williams identifies a survivor of physical, emotional and mental domestic violence.
A3@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com NEWSTUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
/nevadaASUN
f@nevadaASUN @nevadaASUN
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Call 742-6808
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5:00pm-1:00am, 7 days a week (closed holidays)Hours
Take Back the
Night
ffacebook.com/voxunr@voxunr @vox_unr
In Front of The
Knowledge Center
April 30, 2015
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Rally, march, and
survivor speak-out to
end sexual assault
destroy that status quo and prop a new one—one that has an 80-mile-an-hour speed limit.
Practically speaking, SB 2 should be a boon for those wishing to zoom as quickly as possible from the greater Reno area to the Las Vegas valley as that extra 5 miles per hour add up over a 7-hour-long journey.
Opponents of the bill have mainly cited concerns with safety. In a report presented to the Senate Transportation committee, the Center for Traf-fic Safety Research found that road fatalities increased by 9.1 percent on rural roads and 4 percent on city highways when speed limits were raised.
Despite the morbid statistics, a slew of other, more positive fact sheets swayed 16 of the 21 senators to vote in favor on April 2 and send the bill on to the Assembly, where it is cur-rently sitting in committee.
ASSEMBLY BILL 253 AND ASSEMBLY BILL 266
Both bills, sponsored by Assemblyman Lynn Stewart, R-Henderson, and Assembly-woman Jill Dickman, R-Sparks, respectively, seek to establish some form of voter identifica-tion in Nevada, bringing the national debate on voter ID back to the Nevadan con-sciousness.
AB 253 was recently amended to resemble a failed voter ID law from the 2013 session that aimed to set up electronic poll books run by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The 2013 effort failed largely due to hefty financial burdens.
The other bill, AB 266, aims to set in stone what identifica-tion someone could use if they wanted to vote and requires the DMV to issue identification at no cost to any eligible voter.
Voter ID, in theory, would tamp down on voter fraud and further legitimize the election process. However, opponents of the idea claim voter ID laws would be used to disenfran-chise minority voters who would be less likely to own the proper ID’s.
Moreover, little evidence exists to support the idea of widespread voter fraud. Even so, many voters believe voter
fraud is a serious problem, with 48 percent of polled vot-ers believing hundreds of votes were fraudulent, according to the Marquette Law School. That public perception has driven a nationwide push by conservative lawmakers to pass voter ID laws, and Nevada is only the latest player in the ongoing game.
However, each bill nearly died in early April as they were shuffled from com-mittee to committee. They were only kept alive through exemptions—a legislative rule that essentially removes a bill from the rigorous schedule the legislature adheres to.
ASSEMBLY BILL 375Nevada students are now
free to choose restrooms that correspond to their gender identity. On Tuesday, April 21, Assembly Bill 375 was defeated in the Nevada State
Assembly. AB 375, also called the “bathroom bully bill,” if passed, would have restricted transgender students’ access to restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gen-der. It meant that transgender students would have to use facilities that are aligned with their biological sex, instead of their gender identity. The bill would have only affected public K-12 schools in Nevada.
There were many opponents to the bill, including groups such as the Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada and the Progressive Leadership Al-liance of Nevada. Laverne Cox, an Emmy-nominated actress of “Orange is the New Black” recently visited the Univer-sity of Nevada, Reno and also expressed her opposition to AB 375. According to Cox, the bill and similar legislation are discriminatory to transgender
people. Other opponents have stated that the passing of this bill would have violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which condemns dis-crimination in public accom-modations.
AB 375 was introduced by Assemblywoman Victoria Dooling (R-Las Vegas) and Sen. Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas). In a statement to the legislature, Dooling quoted an unnamed doctor who said the bill was necessary because stu-dents could claim to be the op-posite gender in order to “gain entrance into bathrooms and locker rooms of the opposite gender to stalk and sexually abuse others.” According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, propo-nents of the bill claim that it is not discriminatory.
A study produced by the Wil-liams Institute at the Univer-sity of California, Los Angeles School of Law, stated that 70
percent of transgender people surveyed reported experienc-ing “verbal harassment, as-sault, and being denied access to public restrooms.” Alex Vitale, a UNR alumnus and transgender community mem-ber, stated that the passing of AB 375 could have elevated negative treatment toward transgender students. Vitale was bullied in school while growing up as a result of gen-der identity discrimination.
The bill failed by vote of 20 to 22 that demonstrated party lines. Assembly members who voted to pass AB 375 included Michele Fiore, R-Las Vegas; Randy Kirner, R-Reno; Jim Wheeler R-Gardnerville; and 17 others. Representatives who voted against AB 375 included Olivia Diaz, D-Las Vegas; Nelson Araujo, D-Las Vegas; and 20 others, including five Republican representatives.
Community activists rejoiced
after the bill was rejected. “I feel extremely relieved that
this bill is dead, but I’m still a little apprehensive about what will happen next session if these legislators are re-elect-ed,” Vitale said. “I’m just glad that the right to bully trans kids isn’t written into law.”
ASSEMBLY BILL 408As of now, the Bureau of Land
Management, a federal agency, owns most of the land in Nevada. That has traditionally upset many rural Nevadans, particularly ranchers, who want to use this land for ranch-ing or grazing but are halted by government regulations.
The BLM’s ownership of Nevada land came to a head in late 2014 when rancher Cliven Bundy led an armed standoff with federal officials. Bundy had been grazing his cattle ille-gally, amassing over $1 million in fines over the course of two decades. Under threat of vio-lence from militias in support of Bundy, the BLM released Bundy’s cattle back to him.
In an effort to address the underlying causes of the Bundy standoff, AB 408 would essentially shift power from the federal government to the state, reversing the current bureaucratic order so that the BLM is no longer in charge.
However, the bill ultimately amounts to little more than political theater. In its review of AB 408, the Legislative Counsel Bureau found the measure to be unconstitutional and was skeptical the bill would hold up in court based on existing precedence.
AB 408 has also been the source of a war of words between legislators on the As-sembly floor. On Tuesday, April 21, Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, R-Las Vegas, the bill’s primary sponsor and regular source of legislative contro-versy, told fellow Republican Assemblyman Chris Edwards to “sit your a-- down.”
In short order, the entire chamber erupted in outrage, more or less derailing that night’s proceedings. Fiore later apologized to the Assembly, but refused to apologize to Edwards.
Jacob Solis and Jose Olivares can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
BillsCONTINUED FROM PAGE A1
Breanna Denney /Nevada Sagebrush
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval kicks off the 78th legislative session with his State of the State address on Thursday, Jan. 15 in the Assembly Chambers. Legislators have been working tenaciously to push their bills through the legislative process before the session adjourns in early June.
A4 @TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015NEWS
SUMMERSESSION
2015
Registration now open!my.nevada.unr.edu
Transfer student: ‘I am going to school
to better myself’By Rocío Hernández
Ramiro Franco has always had a passion for learning. The 45-year-old transfer student at the University of Nevada, Reno is on track to finish a second semester. While going to school, he juggles a full-time job at the Grand Sierra Resort and his home life as a husband and father of three.
When he was young, Franco’s family could not afford to let him stay in school. Franco was only in middle school when he dropped out in order to get a job to support his mother and two sisters. As the oldest and only male child, he felt it was his re-sponsibility to provide for them. He placed his education on hold.
Franco’s youngest sister, Lucero Trujillo, remembers that the jobs her brother worked paid poorly. Franco was forced to leave his home in Nayarit, Mexico in order to provide his family with a better life.
In the United States, Franco started a family and became a U.S. citizen. Despite his ac-complishments, Franco still felt incomplete without a full education. The opportunity finally presented itself eight years ago when Franco was able to relocate his family from South Lake Tahoe, California to Reno, Nevada. After securing a job at the GSR, he decided it was time to go to back to school and learn English.
In 2011, Franco was able to obtain a GED. He didn’t stop there. In 2013 Franco graduated from Truckee Meadows Com-munity College with an associ-ate degree in criminal justice.
“A lot people my age think that it’s too late to go back to school, that they can’t learn and that it just can’t be done,” Franco said. “Even though I am 45 years old, and I am learning something new. I am going to school to better myself.”
With his busy life, Franco feels that he can only handle taking two classes per semester in order to keep up with every-thing. Franco does his best to start his assignments early to give himself enough time to complete them.
Jessie Porath, a current UNR
student and Franco’s coworker, sees that Franco has to sacrifice time with his family and change his work schedule to accom-modate his class and study schedule.
“He always wants to go and get more educated,” Porath said. “It’s really motivating to see him go through with all of this even with a full-time work schedule and his family at home. He cares so much about learning.”
When he’s on campus, Franco enjoys studying, usually by him-self, at the DeLaMare Library. Sitting next to students that are the same age or younger than his kids, Franco does not feel that he can fit into a group.
Sometimes, Franco hears his classmates planning to get together for study sessions, but Franco does not feel he should join since the age difference is great. Because of his age and his lifestyle, Franco feels that he cannot relate well to his class-mates. These situations make Franco intentionally distance himself from his peers.
“[My classmates] are talking about other things and I cannot talk about the same things,” Franco said.
For somebody who did not have a lot of schooling prior to starting at UNR, Franco said that it is also hard for him to try to meet the demands and standards that university-level courses require. Even after be-ing in school for 10 years, Franco is still struggling to read and write long assignments in English. Math, however, is an easy subject since numbers are a universal language.
Instead of asking his children, who are all fluent in English, for help his daughter, 19, and his son, 9, volunteer to help him. Franco feels proud in these mo-ments.
“Going to school has been worth it,” Franco said. “I defi-nitely do not think that there [is] anything more important than education to progress in life.”
When he is at home, Franco intentionally does his homework near his son. His eldest son does not like school and studying.
“I am 45 years old and I am
doing homework,” Franco said. “He’s 25 and he’s not doing it.”
School has also presented problems for Franco at home. His wife is against him con-tinuing his education and the couple often argues at the beginning of each semester because Franco’s wife does not want him to go to school.
“I believe in myself, I believe in education and I believe that I can make a difference,” Franco said. “I might graduate when I am 105 years old, I don’t care. I just want to prove myself and prove [to] my kids that if I can do it, that they can do it too and that everything is possible.”
Both his mother and son admire Franco’s determination to learn. Franco’s youngest son says he wants to be just like fa-ther. His son dreams about one day going to UNR and becom-ing a doctor.
His mother tells Franco that it can be done and that she’s proud of him. She has told him she does not want to die until she sees him graduate.
At UNR, Franco is pursuing a career in criminal justice. He was inspired to do it after ob-serving that there aren’t many professionals that can speak Spanish. Because Franco has had the privilege to be where he is today, he wants to give back to the less fortune members of his Latino community.
After he graduates, Franco hopes to become a juvenile probation officer to be able to guide troubled youth and keep them from trouble with the crimi-nal justice system.
Trujillo describes her brother as someone who has a lot of perse-verance and has no doubt he will achieve his goals.
“I admire myself because I never thought I would get as far as I have not knowing how to speak English or having only a basic education,” Franco said. “I am proud of myself and I think that I trust in myself because I am very stubborn. I think that even if it takes 20 years, I am going to keep studying if God allows me.”
Rocío Hernández can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @rociohdz19.
Breanna Denney/Nevada Sagebrush
Ramiro Franco, a transfer student at the University of Nevada, Reno, poses for a portrait inside the DeLaMare Science and Engineering Library on Monday, April 27. At 45 years old, Franco is determined to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
By Caroline Ackerman
Massachusetts-based band Speedy Ortiz released their anticipated second album, “Foil Deer” on Sunday, April 21 with Carpark Records. “Foil Deer” recog-nizes Speedy Ortiz’s ability to effortlessly combine upbeat punk with lackadaisical pessimism. The band consists of vocal-ist and guitarist Sadie Dupuis, guitarist Devin McKnight, drummer Mike Fal-cone and bassist Darl Ferm. The talented members have joined forces to create Speedy Ortiz and lay the groundwork for the bright future of both indie and punk.
After a minute of gradually intensify-ing music, Speedy Ortiz’s vocalist Du-puis opens the sophomore album with a drawl on “Good Neck.” The minute-long song kicks off a twelve-track album bursting at the seams from the combi-nation of Dupuis’ lilting vocals and uncompromising lyrics backed by raw instrumentals. “Got a lack of woe. I’ve known you not so very long, but watch your back, because baby’s so good with a blade,” Dupuis sings on the opener.
While the band’s first album, “Major Arcana,” and following EPs maintained a quietly fresh and polite attitude, the newest album has a falsely buoyant pretense and provides an excellent platform for Dupuis to share her un-willingness to back down. The album’s second song “Raising the Skate” leaves Dupuis commanding, “I’m not bossy, I’m the boss.” The lyrics are relent-less, yet poetic—a true ode to Dupuis’ background as a songwriting teacher at a summer camp, where the idea for Speedy Ortiz began with recordings on her laptop.
“Foil Deer” is not to be mistaken as easy listening. In classic punk fashion, the album challenges societal group-think and the push to conform. The song “Dot X” gives way to this with the harmonized lyrics: “You know by now, with all these drops of blood, it is love moonballing bureaucrats. With all this love, it is death. Get in the van and take my hand. We’re onto the next life, smothered and fond, not redolent. Scarred and it’s tiresome.” Almost all
the lyrics throughout the album are equally arcane, and with the addition of complex musicality, “Foil Deer” abso-lutely requires a second listen.
Speedy Ortiz manages to balance out the punk attitude of the album with songs containing relatable lyrics for everyone who has experienced adoles-cence and the awkward shift to adult-hood on their latest album. “Ginger” kicks off with a tale of squalid parties and awkward wallflowers. The slower songs dispersed throughout the album have lyrics that tend to maintain this sort of factual, melancholic attitude, an attitude without regret and bitter nostalgia, which is refreshing to find in the indie genre.
Contrary to the “The Graduates” lyric, which claims, “I was the best at being second place,” the album is certainly not a failure and defeats any possibility of Speedy Ortiz having a sophomore flop. “Foil Deer” is polished yet gives off a necessary edgy vibe and contains lyrical content and composure that only Speedy Ortiz can pull off. Overall the band’s soph-
omore effort is enjoyably high-octane, and a complete success throughout.
Caroline Ackerman can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
SPEEDY ORTIZ‘FOIL DEER’Release Date: April 7Genre: Indie rock/punk
Grade:
Photo provided by pitchfork.com
Tuesday
6:30 p.m.
The Holland Project
For one magical night metal and a magician will come together for a good cause. The Holland Project will be hosting a multitude of heavy metal bands, and magician Chris Lippincott will be accompanying the per-formances with illusions and magic tricks. Tickets are $5 and all of the proceeds will be donated to the Committee to Aid Abused Women.
Thursday
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Joe Gateway Plaza
Free food and philanthro-py abound — students will be able to purchase tickets to Miracle Madness as well as indulge in some hot dogs and hamburgers. Tickets are $7 and offer access to a student-run dance show that ZLOO� EHQHÀW� WKH� &KLOGUHQ·V�Miracle Network.
Thursday
5 p.m.
The Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
Lawn
Voices for Planned Parent-hood will be hosting Take Back the Night, an event aimed at ending sexual violence. The event will be comprised of a rally featur-ing local poets, a survivor speak-out, a march and booths by local and campus organizations. VOX will also be providing pizza.
Friday
6 p.m.
Fleischmann Agricultural Quad
Wolf Pack Radio and WKH� %UXVKÀUH� /LWHUDU\� $UWV�Journal are teaming up to EULQJ�DQ�HQWHUWDLQPHQW�ÀOOHG�night to the University of Nevada, Reno. Local artists 7KH� 5HGÀHOG� &OLSSHU� %DQG��Franc Friday and Bazooka Zoo will be performing and the latest edition of the %UXVKÀUH� ZLOO� EH� DYDLODEOH��The event is free and open to all students wanting to participate.
A5@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015Arts & Entertainment
on the
prowlBy Alexa Solis
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK
MIRACLE MADNESS KICKOFF BBQ
TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
Alexa Solis can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @thealexasolis.
METAL AND MAGIC SHOW!
A.M.P.S. & BRUSHFIRE RELEASE PARTY
Punk rockers Speedy Ortiz defeat sophomore slumpALBUM REVIEW
SCHOOL OF ROCK: local teacher releases new album
By Alexa Solis
Brad McClellan has been teaching English at Reno High School for the past 11 years. While he values forming close bonds with his students, there is something that they may not know EFSYX� LMQ���� LIW� GSQMRK� SYX� [MXL� E�new album. McClellan’s band, A Year From Monday, is nothing new for the much-loved teacher, but the educator and musician feels that they are finally hitting their stride.
McClellan was many things in his early life — an athlete, student and musician. While playing basketball at a junior college in Utah, McClellan found his voice in music classes. According to McClellan, it was a time in which he wanted to get back into music after pushing it to the side in high school in favor of becoming an athlete. Always deeply involved in music and its calm-ing qualities, music became an outlet for the collegiate athlete.
“I just loved the way I felt after sing-ing, and that was sort of the impetus [to start pursuing music] right there,” McClellan said.
McClellan then made his way to the University of Nevada, Reno. After graduating from the university with a degree in broadcast journalism in 1988, McClellan moved to San Diego where he began writing songs for jazzercise and workout videos. Four years of jazzercise videos later, McClellan de-cided that it was time for a change. He packed up his things, and made his way back to Reno.
McClellan’s highest ambition was to start a band, and after resettling in Reno he did just that in 1991. A Year From Monday’s upcoming release, “Yggdrasil,” is the fifth release for the band. Since its inception, the band has existed in many forms. From Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California the band has gone through many changes in both location and membership.
Needless to say, McClellan’s life has been devoted to his music. According to McClellan, music is the primary way in which he i n t e r a c t s
with the world. Though the up-coming album is different from any work A Year From Monday has previous-ly produced, McClellan feels that they have finally created something that is representative of the group.
The band approached re-cording the record systematically, rehearsing the recording at Stevens’s home studio in San Francisco, Califor-nia. While there are only two members, the group incorporated a variety of different musical styles that required them to turn to outside help. Friends and local artists such as Chris Williams and Georgia Mowers were hired to bring tracks to life with trumpets and other sounds that the duo couldn’t produce alone. While there are only two members, the album incorporates a variety of musical styles with the contribution of outside artists.
Both Stevens and McClellan find working with each other to be incredibly productive. The two have been working together since 1991, when Stevens re-sponded to an ad McClellan had placed in an Austin, Texas newspaper.
“It’s a really interesting dynamic for me because we come from two different kind of places in terms of musical influences, but our ideas work really well together,” Stevens said. “And we’ve known each other for so long now that we don’t have to beat around the bush. When an idea is bad, we can just call it out as bad and move on, and that’s really refreshing.”
According to Stevens, the recording of the album was relatively seamless, even though it was also challenging for him personally. Because this was the first time that Stevens was fully responsible for guitar on any album, he was worried about the process at first.
“I wasn’t quite sure that I was up to the standards,” Stevens said. “Tom Gordon, the recording engineer is very demand-ing. He only accepts excellence in terms
of performance. But coming out of it, I think it was really rewarding
because I think I re-ally played
some s t u f f that sounds OK. I was happy with the work I did.”
Stevens and McClellan also come from two very different points of musical inspiration, but they have managed to meld their dif-fering musical influences and create a pop and alternative rock amalgamate, while also incorporating elements of funk in “Yggdrasil.” The album title references the Norse legend of the tree that bound together heaven, earth, the underworld and the nine other worlds, accord-ing to McClellan.
“A tree is just a [really solid] thing,” McClellan said. “I’ve always tried to find a balance of being spiritual and being in this Earth. And I feel like a tree is a really good example, of having your roots down in the earth, but also reaching upwards. Choosing love instead of hate and all those things. I just think a tree is such a great symbol for that.”
Alexa Solis can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @thealexasolis.
Photo courtesy of Brad McClellan
Singer Georgia Mowers records a track as a guest artist for A Year From Monday’s upcoming album “Yggdrasil.” Though the band is only comprised of two members, the band recruited local artists to supplement their sound.
Photo courtesy of Brad McClellan
(From left to right) Martin McClellan,
Brad McClellan, Jeff Laakso, Tom Gordon and Will Stevens pose for a
photo during the recording of upcoming album “Yggdrasil.” If interested in receiving a text alert when the album becomes available email Brad at [email protected].
Phot
o co
urtesy of Brad McClellan
OpinionA6 @TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
Change the arch to reflect new RenoWhen many people
think of Reno, one of the first things that come to mind
is the Reno arch. The arch across Virginia Street
is one of the most photographed landmarks in the City of Reno’s history. The city and the monu-ment have become inseparable, but after a comment from Mayor Hillary Schieve last week about considering some changes, a conversation gained steam in the following days about potential changes to the sign. Although Schieve only toyed with the idea of replacing lightbulbs to revamp the arch, the idea has caused many in the community to propose their own recommended changes — and it wouldn’t be the first time the arch has been changed.
Since the modern iteration of
the Reno arch was dedicated in 1987, the arch has become one of the most iconic symbols in the history of “The Biggest Little City in the World.” However, there have been a handful of signifi-cant changes over time. The first Reno arch was constructed in 1926 featuring torches and later implemented the “Biggest Little City” slogan after a contest in 1929. A third version of the arch still stands today across Center Street and there was another alteration in 1963.
With members of the community becoming more vocal about the possible new direction of the arch, The Nevada Sagebrush editorial staff weighed on the options for revisiting the arch. While some represent the burgeoning change in Reno’s culture, others represent ideas that might exist
in a perfect world. Regardless of how outlandish some ideas may seem, they all serve to reimagine the iconic symbol in a city that’s changing every day.
ROMAN ARCHA true throwback, a completely
stone arch across Virginia Street would demonstrate the power of the new Reno. With daily gladi-atorial combat along the villas, Reno would be able to show that its true power does not only lie in the city’s art scene, but also in its brute strength. The new arch would lay the first brick in the foundation for Reno to become a modern-day Sparta.
TACKY ARCH As an article in the Las Vegas
Review-Journal stated this weekend, the “Biggest Little City is bouncing back” with little
reliance on gambling. Perhaps revamping the arch in some new ways might spur that change. However, why not take pride in our $2.99 steak dinners and seedy convenience stores? It’s time to make an arch full of the most garish neon colors one could imagine. Cheap novelty T-shirts will rain daily off the new arch in dozens of fashions from howling wolf chic to the more exotic, “literally a moose standing in a river” couture.
“MODERN” ARCHThis version of the arch would
contain reusable water stations with liquids from Pyramid Lake and hologram projectors of famous Renoites from John Mackay to Chris Ault. Addition-ally, the new arch would contain an LED screen that showcases all of what Reno has to offer. From
stunning views of Lake Tahoe to MidTown’s most delectable — though too expensive for college students — restaurants, this screen would pull no punches in the city’s new era.
PAINTED ARCH On a more practical note,
to reflect the city’s continued commitment to the arts, the new arch would be a place for artists around the region to paint their works. Similar to the projects along the walls of Circus Circus Casino, the arch would contain a wide array of works from across the Sierras. However, the biggest downside to this idea is the constant upkeep the arch would require to maintain its pristine look.
As the multitude of ideas start to grow in the minds of the people, ultimately the best
strategy would be to carefully plan out the idea of a new arch, if that is even necessary. With a $10 million surplus in the city’s budget, it might be better to save the money and develop the ideas over time. There’s nothing wrong with saving it for a rainy day fund. The city could also look into revitalizing some of the parks and other areas of the city, especially downtown. Reno city officials could also look into paying off some of the deficit. A new arch, if done correctly, would bring new energy and excitement to the region, but if it is hastily put together then the money used would be for naught.
The Nevada Sagebrush editorial staff can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
Throughout my high school career, I was part of the International Baccalaureate program.
Emphasizing international perspectives in education, IB
classes were often harder, more demanding and more work-intensive than honors or Advanced Placement classes.
However, along with the enriching courses also came the underlying pretention of students who felt that, for some reason, they were more deserv-ing of praise and recognition for their hard work than their peers.
To put it into perspective, the tension in the room was abundant on days when Ivy League schools sent out their acceptance letters — days that were rarely discussed openly but always silently understood among the group. While it’s true that the IB classroom environ-ment often pushed me to better myself, it also created a vacuum of judgment that led most of us to believe that our self-worth was determined by the universi-ties we would ultimately attend.
University of California, Berkeley. Duke. Brown. Yale. Harvard. From Ivy Leagues to highly regarded liberal arts universities, it seemed like majority of the students in my
class would ultimately attend a big-name school, welcoming the debt that would ultimately be accrued. For that reason, it was a bit of a disappointment to know that, despite my acceptance to some of my top schools, I would need to come to the University of Nevada, Reno; in order to save money for graduate school, I was forced to choose a university that would prevent me from drowning in debt up to my eyeballs.
I remember walking around Nevada’s campus, gaping at the beautiful quad and old buildings on my first day of school. While I felt a great sense of pride seeing how lovely Reno could be, I also couldn’t shake
the lingering sense of shame from having to attend a state school.
Nearly four years later, as I sprint through the final stretch of my last semester, I reflect on that shame and laugh at how trivial my concerns were. In four years, I have been challenged throughout my university experience, both academically and personally. The lessons I’ve learned have been rich and the knowledge I’ve gained has been comprehensive. I may not be brandishing the Ivy League logos across my sweatshirt, but these days, I take a sense of pride in that fact. I’m a member of the Nevada Wolf Pack, and that feels awesome.
It’s easy to get caught up in the belief that our university isn’t up to par — I’m sure you feel it every time you have to tell an out-of-state person that Reno is not actually next to Las Vegas. However, if you truly take advantage of the resources on this campus, there is no doubt in my mind that you will receive an education that rivals even the most prestigious universities.
Our Tier 1 university did not earn that status by remaining stagnant; it earned that recognition by offering research opportunities, state-of-the-art technology and an education that prepares students for the real world. In my four years, I’ve seen students win the Marshall
Scholarship, rank first in national competitions (check out the debate team and concrete canoe) and go onto land their dream jobs in nearly every major city across the United States.
While all of these accomplish-ments offer the university a great deal of pride, perhaps the best part of Nevada is that we do amazing things without the underlying pretentious attitudes. Our name recognition, and sometimes lack thereof, pushes students on this campus to work harder to prove that our university is truly something to celebrate if you take advantage of it in the right way.
The Honors Program offers classes and specific mentorship for students seeking national and international fellow-ships and scholarships. Our student government has been recognized for its dedication to civic engagement and provides students the chance to advocate for student issues at the Nevada State Legislature. The University Studies Abroad Consortium is one of the premier study abroad organizations across the country, and it is hosted at our own university.
You have the chance to make the most of your time here if you work to create your own opportunities. It’s important to recognize that you can take pride in your accomplishments on this campus, but you have to take the initiative to find opportunities.
Research the professors on this campus to see if any are conducting research in an academic field you may find
interesting because there are always chances to expand the learning experience outside of the classroom. If there isn’t a club on campus that you feel should exist, then create it because collaboration is the best way to maximize your efforts. Make use of the resources that are given to you — take for example, The Pack Internship Program, which offers paid internships in a wide spectrum of majors. You have the chance to be great at Nevada, and if you don’t feel that’s true, then you’re not looking hard enough.
Most importantly, this is your campus to shape. So what if you’re not attending the school you dreamed of your whole life? You’re here now, and it’s your responsibility to take advantage of that. Our campus community is malleable, so if there is something missing, take it upon yourself to create that opportunity. That’s the beauty of a Tier 1 university like ours; we’re not bound by strict rules or traditions because, as students, we have the chance to create them ourselves. Whether you’re a freshman or senior, this is your one chance to get college right, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and acknowledge the beauty of opportunity at our school. A little bit of initiative will go a long way, so stop waiting for something different to happen — you should choose to be the difference.
Daniel Coffey studies journalism. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
‘This is your campus to shape:’ maximize university opportunitiesCOFFEY BREAK
DanielCoffey
STAFF EDITORIALIllustration by Leona Novio /Nevada Sagebrush
Breanna Denney /Nevada Sagebrush
A student walks through the Quadrangle at the University of Nevada, Reno on Friday, Nov. 1, 2013. The quad serves as a selling point to a variety of students considering the university.
S he’s a woman. That’s what she wants you to remember in order for you to vote for her.
The party that nominated our first black president and will most likely nominate a woman for the office of the presidency will make
gender a big issue, because that is the only way Hillary Clinton will win the White House.
Supporters of Hillary Clinton for president will tout her announcement video, in which she is not the focus, finally appearing at the ninety-second mark. But look beyond the smoke-screen of an announcement video and you will see that
her record is more than enough of a reason to not vote for her.
Hillary Clinton, besides relying on her name to get her anywhere in her life, has had no major accomplishments as either senator or secretary of state. Let’s examine her time as secretary of state; she was the principal adviser on foreign policy while one of our Ambassadors was killed, something that has only happened seven times in U.S. history. This mistake as Secretary of State had dangerous consequences, which leaves voters with the question of whether or not she can make effective foreign policy decisions as President. There are still on-going investigations to see what could have been done on her part to stop it.
Also, a new book coming out on May 5, “Clinton Cash,” by Peter Schweizer, a former policy advisor, claims that foreign entities who made payments to Mr. and Mrs. Clinton’s Foundation received favors from the Hillary Clinton led State Department. Although the book has yet to come out, various media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post are adding to the growing evidence that Clinton used her position as Secretary of State to secure foreign funds to the Clinton Foundation.
During this tenure as well, she was one of the biggest proponents of the illegal use of drones against enemy combatants that has been known to have a high rate of killing innocent civilians, even killing an American and Italian aid worker in a strike this past January.
But above all, the number one reason you should not vote for Hillary is because of her support of wars abroad.
She is the only candidate running for president who voted, as a senator, for the use of force in Iraq that led to the toppling of a dictator, 4,486 Americans dead, $1.7 trillion spent and a power vacuum which has led to the self proclaimed Islamic State taking over territory and beheading Americans, like journalist James Foley, for the whole world to see.
Later as secretary of state, she advocated for the toppling of the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who had renounced his support of terrorism and given up his nuclear weapons. The country was then thrown into a civil war where terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida and the Islamic State have built a stronghold in the midst of all the chaos a few hundred miles away from our European allies.
Clinton is right when she says, “Everyday Americans need a champion.” But we as Americans need a champion who will lead us where we are going not where we have been. So when election season comes around here in Nevada look to the fresh faces of both parties to lead our country into the third decade of the 21st century; because the errors of the past need no repeating.
Austin Harney studies political science. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
When I first came to this univer-sity, school was a necessary evil. I was working a full-time job with plenty of room for
growth. School was simply getting in the way of that. I failed to see the benefit of
applying myself in anything outside of the classes I was required to take. I diligently enrolled in 12 credits each semester, slowly chipping away at my degree. I thought just having a degree would be enough to set me apart. I
thought I was learning everything I needed to know. I was wrong.
Many advised me to get involved on campus. “I don’t see the point. I’m busy. I have a full-time job.” My excuses were endless. I saw myself as brilliant. I was sure of myself, to the point of entitlement, until I met Aida.
Aida was two years further along in our program. We were both studying journalism, both with a focus in strategic communica-tions. She was a friend of my cousin, and quickly became one of mine. She urged me to get involved, explaining that it was an invaluable asset to my college career and my future professional career. Her constant pressure to get involved compounded with my growing fear of missing out led me to the hypothetical doors of the Public Relations Student Society of America, or PRSSA.
PRSSA is a network of over 11,000 students who are interested in public relations. When I joined, I didn’t know what PR meant. There were 10 active members in the Nevada chapter of PRSSA when I came aboard in the spring of 2014, but something had stirred within me. After my first meeting, a LinkedIn workshop, I was hooked. I became deter-mined to squeeze every ounce of experience from PRSSA.
After a semester’s worth of PRSSA activities, I felt willing and able to jump into an internship. I had no former training, as I was still drudging through my core requirements. I knew it would be difficult to balance a full-time job and a summer internship, but I was determined. I applied for an internship with the Nevada Museum of Art, still unsure of what PR really was. The communications director, Amanda Horn, is a former PRSSA board member and Reynold’s School alumna. We connected instantly through our affiliation with PRSSA and our shared passion for public relations. Amanda gave me a chance and hired me. She became a mentor to me, and still is today.
Through my internship, I learned things which were never presented to me in class. I developed social media plans, I received hands-on experience, I helped to organize and run events at the museum as well as in the community. My internship allowed me to apply knowledge I had learned from PRSSA to real world situations. I became hungry for more. I suddenly wanted to be hyper-involved. In the fall of 2014, I was asked to be on the executive board of PRSSA Nevada.
When the fall semester began, PRSSA had barely enough members to be considered a club. However, I met some of the most intelligent and influential people of my life. The entire board was passionate. I was the director of public relations, allowing me to use my social media skills for the benefit of the club. I felt connected to my university, my community, and my future profession. We, as a board, helped members take advantage of every opportunity PRSSA offers; networking, fundraising, profes-sional mentors, professional development, the national Bateman competition and eventually a student-run firm called “Wolf Pack Relations.” Last October, I attended the Public Relations Student Society of America’s national conference in Washington, D.C. It was an inspiring weekend of speakers from all over the country, experts in the PR industry. One speaker quoted author Steven Pressfield in his speech stating “Start before you’re ready.” The quote resonated with me. I can still feel it ringing in my ears.
As the 2014-2015 school year comes to a close, I reflect on my year with PRSSA. A year ago, I was unsure of what PR meant and just this month I was on a team of five that received an honorable mention in the Bateman competition. I would never spend more than the time required for class on campus, and now I find it difficult to leave campus. PRSSA helped me create a dream for myself to one day own a public relations firm of my own. It then provided me with the tools to start a student-run firm here on campus, so that other students can be inspired and energized. Our membership has grown from 10 to 30 members, and it is still growing.
Being involved on campus is more than meeting people or packing your resume. Being involved on campus is a chance to receive experimental education, which is otherwise unavailable. Being involved in extracurricular activities, whether it pertains to your major or just your hobby, can open your eyes to your true potential. A potential of leadership. A potential of understanding. A potential for experience. Unlock your potential, and start before you’re ready.
JamalEdeen Barghouti studies journalism. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
I t’s not fair.” It is the phrase that has become society’s personal crutch. Three simple words that hinder people from taking
ownership and responsibility for their actions. The sentence used as justi-
fication for us to fall apart. Often, we examine our experiences and instantly resort to pointing out what’s “unfair.”
To a certain degree, “It’s not fair” is our comfort blanket.
Yes, in many situations, things
are unfortunate and completely out of our control. Circumstances arise and life throws some pretty hard curve balls. However, do you know what is in our control? The way we approach our adversity.
We need to stop wallowing in sorrow and making excuses. You lost your job? Does that mean you should have a pity party for yourself? No. Work on your resume and start hunting for a new one. You did not get accepted into a program. Should you give up on your dream of being in the field? No. Start exploring alternative ideas and mapping out potential paths.
If you want something, fight for it. Do not become paralyzed by fear or rejection. Success comes through repeated mistakes. What is the worst that could happen? You get denied? Well at least you tried it. Sure, it might take 10 attempts, maybe 100, but if it’s your life dream: go for it! Keep striving for it until you see results.
Instead of focusing on the prob-lems, start discovering solutions. Every new day is an opportunity to transform our lives. Heartaches and disappointment should not control us. Personal pain should not break our spirits.
View the challenges of your life as a “fitting.” Figure out what works best for you. The trial and error process is natural, so embrace it. Friendships and relationships might shift. Career plans may take you in an entirely different direction than you expected. The best thing you can do is keep moving forward and press toward the finish line.
Avoid becoming lost in comparing journeys with the people around you. Instead of constantly over-analyzing personal flaws, embrace them. Instead of taking in the disappoint-ment, take in the memories. Just because things did not work in your favor now does not mean it will never happen.
It’s about having optimism and being content — understanding that the timing you have planned might just not be what is right for you at this time. Maybe grad school is not happening right now, because an even greater is opportunity is coming along.
Actions always have consequences, but stop allowing them dictate your life. Sure, there will be times where you wonder “why?” There will be times where you put in so much effort, but there is no return. However, be comforted in knowing that is natural.
Everyone has an individual life map. So, venture out and map out uncharted territory. Find your passion. Start doing what you want to do, regardless of what people think. The people who truly matter will be there to support you through the process. So go, be brave and stop second-guessing yourself. Someday when you achieve your dream, the satisfaction of knowing you fought for it will be invaluable.
We evolve every single day. Whether or not you realize it, you’re probably not the same type of person you were five years ago. Not even five months ago. Stop beating yourself up for regrets you may have about the past. Supposed “mistakes” often open doors of opportunity. Life isn’t fair. It is a balancing act of highs and lows. Ironically, that is what makes it beautiful. The challenges we face allow us to appreciate our successes. Rough times make great ones even greater.
It is OK to acknowledge something is not fair, but avoid resting in that state of mind. Embrace obstacles, learn lessons, keep your chin up and blaze a trail toward the future. Chal-lenges present the deepest learning experiences and sometimes, the most cherished memories. We might not know what lies ahead, but at least we have the power to choose what we leave behind.
Shelby Wilburn studies journalism. She can be reached at [email protected] on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
A7@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com OPINIONTUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
JamalEdeenBarghouti
Find clubs to become part of campus life
Create the solutions to your greatest problems
PROBLEM SOLVINGPRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 2016
(CC): www.dailymotion.com
“Clinton Cash,” a book by Peter Schweizer that will be released on May 5, claims to have evidence that the Clinton Foundation received money from foreign investors as a result of actions Hillary Clinton took as Secretary of State. After receiving a copy of the book, The New York Times, Washington Post and Fox News have launched their own investigations.
AustinHarney
Look to the future, not past: a criticism of Hillary Clinton
ShelbyWilburn
BENGHAZI INFO
U��Islamic militants attack U.S. diplomatic compound on Sept. 11, 2012 in Benghazi, Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens
U�Hillary Clinton and State Department are criticized in the following months for ignoring requests for better protection
at the compound prior to the attack.
U��Investigations have been launched to question if Clinton could have prevented the attack.
time to peaK MWC Tourney looms as
Nevada hosts Saint Mary’s
6$,17�0$5<·615, A. Gonsolin, DH, Jr.269 AVG, 36 H, 20 R20, Connor Hornsby, LF, Jr.331 AVG, 42 H, 48 TB18, Zach Kirtley, 2B, Fr.365 AVG, 28 R, 57 H7,Anthony Villa, 3B, Jr.353 AVG, 4 HR, 31RBI32, C. Ferguson, 1B, Sr.296 AVG, 47 H, 85 TB29, Davis Strong, RF, Jr.244 AVG, 19 H, 13 R24, J. Thoreson, C, Fr.304 AVG, 12 RBI, 21 H19, Joey Fiske, CF, Fr.216 AVG, 18 TB, 16 H8, Austin Piscotty, SS, Fr.138 AVG, 9 H, 7 R
6$,17�0$5<·616, RHP, Corbin BurnesSophomore, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds; 6-4, 2.59 ERA, 11 APP, 10 GS, 73.0 INP, 72 SO, 22 BB26, LHP, Johnny YorkSophomore, 6-foot-0, 175 pounds; 5-4, 3.59 ERA, 11 APP, 11 GS, 62.2 INP, 58 SO, 23 BB11, RHP, Cameron NeffSophomore, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds; 1-2, 3.19 ERA, 10 APP, 5 GS, 40.1 INP, 37 SO, 12 BB27, RHP, Jake ValdezJunior, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds; 1-1, 4.66 ERA, 7 APP, 5 GS, 19.1 INP, 15 SO, 10 BB
NEVADA12, LHP, Christian Stolo Junior, 6-foot-0, 189 pounds; 5-1, 3.11 ERA, 12 APP, 9 GS, 55.0 INP, 50 SO, 25 BB 23, RHP, Jason DeitrichSenior, 6-foot-6, 185 pounds; 5-3, 3.68 ERA, 11 APP, 11 GS, 58.2 INP, 36 SO, 15 BB33, RHP, Michael FainJunior, 6-foot-6, 185 pounds; 3-2, 7.04 ERA, 11 APP, 7 GS, 38.1 INP, 27 SO, 21 BB15, LHP, Cameron RowlandJunior, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds; 4-3, 4.47 ERA, 16 APP, 6 GS, 39.2 INP, 34 SO, 21 BB
1. LSU (30) 37-72. UCLA 31-93. Texas A&M 37-74. Louisville 34-105. TCU 34-86. Vanderbilt 33-127. Illinois 36-6-18. Florida 33-129. UC-Santa Barbara 31-1010. Arizona State 28-1211. Florida State 33-1312. USC 30-12 13. Oklahoma State 29-1414. Miami (FL) 31-1315. Florida Atlantic 33-10 16. Dallas Baptist 32-917. Rice 29-1618. Charleston 24-1219. Iowa 30-1120. Missouri State 30-10 21. Maryland 30-1322. Houston 29-1523. Virginia 27-1724. Texas Tech 27-1725. Ohio State 31-10
Nevada Category SMCOFFENSE
.313 Batting average .296 8.18 Runs scored per game 10.09 .492 Slugging percentage .387.415 On-base percentage .381 PITCHING3.81 Earned run average 4.21.262 Opposing batting average .2788.9 Hits allowed per game 9.3 FIELDING.974 Fielding percentage .96945 Errors 51
TALE OF THE TAPE
MWC STANDINGS
Standings Conference OverallNevada 18-6 33-11San Diego State 16-8 29-16New Mexico 13-8 24-19Fresno State 11-10 21-23Air Force 10-14 19-23UNLV 6-15 19-23San Jose State 4-17 11-33
Date Opponent Result Feb. 13 at Abilene Christian W, 12-2Feb. 14 at Abilene Christian W, 9-6Feb. 15 at Abilene Christian W, 3-2 Feb. 17 at Texas Tech W, 8-4 Feb. 20 vs. Fresno State W, 9-8 (10)Feb. 21 vs. Fresno State W, 12-7Feb. 22 vs. Fresno State W, 7-4 Feb. 24 at Stanford L, 6-5Feb. 27 YV��3DFLÀF� :������0DUFK��� YV��3DFLÀF� :�������0DUFK��� YV��3DFLÀF� :��������������March 3 vs. UC Davis W, 7-6March 6 at UNLV W, 5-4March 7 at UNLV L, 1-0March 8 at UNLV W, 8-5March 10 at UC Davis L, 10-4March 13 vs. New Mexico L, 3-1March 14 vs. New Mexico W, 3-1March 15 vs. New Mexico W, 9-2March 17 at Sacramento State W, 6-2March 18 vs. Cincinnati W, 5-3March 19 vs. Cincinnati W, 5-3March 20 vs. Cincinnati W, 11-10March 21 vs. Cincinnati W, 17-6 March 24 vs. Sacramento State W, 5-0March 27 at San Jose State L, 5-4March 28 at San Jose State W, 22-1March 29 at San Jose State W, 4-2March 30 at Santa Clara L, 3-0April 2 vs. UNLV W, 10-9April 3 vs. UNLV W, 12-1April 4 vs. UNLV W, 6-2April 6 vs. San Francisco L, 8-3April 7 at Reno Aces L, 7-3April 10 at Fresno State W, 5-4April 11 at Fresno State L, 14-10April 12 at Fresno State L, 3-1April 13 at San Francisco W, 16-4 April 17 at San Diego State W, 14-3April 18 at San Diego State W, 8-5April 19 at San Diego State W, 16-4April 20 at San Diego L, 9-8April 24 vs. San Jose State W, 12-0April 25 vs. San Jose State W, 27-2April 26 vs. San Jose State L, 6-4$SULO���� YV��6DLQW�0DU\·V� ��S�P�$SULO���� YV��6DLQW�0DU\·V� ��S�P�May 1 at New Mexico 5 p.m.May 2 at New Mexico 1 p.m.May 3 at New Mexico 12 p.m.0D\��� DW�6DLQW�0DU\·V� ��S�P�May 8 at Creighton 4:30 p.m.May 9 at Creighton 4:30 p.m.May 10 at Creighton 10 a.m.May 14 vs. Air Force 6 p.m.May 15 vs. Air Force 6 p.m.May 16 vs. Air Force 1 p.m.
NEVADA SCHEDULE
*All statistics thru games 4/28/15
On Deck
Chris Overmyer/ Nevada Sagebrush
Senior Kewby Meyer (27) tries to leg out a single against San Jose State on Sunday, April 16 at Peccole Park. Nevada was unable to secure a series sweep losing to the Spartans 6-4.
STAFF PICKSPESSIMIST SAYS: Nevada may come out sloppy due to overlooking the Gaels. However, the Wolf Pack will right the ship and survive game one. Game two will be a blowout with a more focused Wolf Pack DQG�D�WRXJK�KRPH�FURZG��6DLQW�0DU\·V�GRHVQ·W�PDWFK�XS�ZHOO�ZLWK�WKH�3DFN�
OUTCOME: Nevada sweeps
IMPACT PLAYER COLLIN FERGUSONOPTIMIST SAYS: The Wolf Pack will take RXW�LWV�IUXVWUDWLRQV�RQ�6DLQW�0DU\·V�DIWHU�not being able to pull off the sweep against lowly San Jose State. Austin Byler and Ryan Howell will hit two home runs a piece and Peccole Park will be rocking after two wins.
OUTCOME: Nevada sweeps
Nevada pitching has been a step behind the offense all season and this week it will have to GHDO�ZLWK�D�WUXH�SRZHU�KLWWHU�LQ�)HUJXVRQ��7KH�ÀUVW�baseman is batting .296 while leading the team LQ�KRPH�UXQV�ZLWK�VHYHQ�DQG�5%,·V�ZLWK�����2QH�good hitting performance can change a game and if Ferguson is able to have a game where he hits a home run and drives in a few runs, the Gaels could possibly pull off a major upset against a nationally-ranked Nevada team.
MAKING THE CALL
| TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
NEVADA4, Cal Stevenson, CF, Fr.370 AVG, 60 H, 44 R 21, Ryan Howell, 2B, Jr.353 AVG, 14 HR, 57 RBI28, Austin Byler, RF, Sr.331 AVG, 12 HR, 46 RBI13, Trenton Brooks, RF, So.342 AVG, 54 H, 81 TB27, Kewby Meyer, LF, Sr.344 AVG, 96 TB, 47 R 1, Bryce Greager, 3B, Jr.333 AVG, 4 HR, 29 R14, Jordan Pearce, DH, Fr.276 AVG, 21 RBI, 37 TB16, Ryan Teel, C, Sr.333 AVG, 2 HR, 16 RBI11, Kyle Hunt, SS, Sr.239 AVG, 23 RBI, 29 R
POSSIBLE LINEUP
PROBABLE ROTATION
USA TODAY/ESPN POLL
SPORTS @SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com
By Stone Harper
Nevada continues its historic season. Win-ning two of three games against San Jose State last weekend, the Wolf Pack improved its record
to 33-11, while also moving up in the Top-25 polls. Although most of the polls still have
Nevada unranked, the Wolf Pack is cur-rently sitting at 24 in the Baseball America
poll. The team has also won seven of its last nine games. With a big series still left in this
season. Nevada will host Saint Mary’s for a two game midweek series looking to improve on an
already extraordinary season.With this being the second-to-last home series
of the regular season, Nevada fans have one more shot at helping the Wolf Pack tuneup for the con-
ference championship, which will be hosted at Peccole Park.
PECCOLE PARK MAGICA part of Nevada’s success this sea-
son is its ability to play at home. For the year, Nevada has amassed a 19-3 record inside
the friendly parameters of Peccole Park. The 86 percent home winning percentage is one of the highest in Divison-I this season. The Wolf Pack more impressively already has one more home win this season than it did all of last year.
This series is the second to last series that Nevada will play in Reno so it is a good opportunity for fans to get a final look at the Wolf Pack. If the Wolf Pack crowd can show up in bunches and make the Saint
Mary’s players feel uncomfortable it will be tough for the outmatched Gaels to have any
momentum which will make it that much easier for Nevada to clinch another home series and improve on its best season in a long time.
NEVADA GETS A TASTE OF ITS OWN MEDICINEIt is no secret that Nevada is an of-
fensively minded team. Currently on the season the Wolf Pack as a team IS hitting
.303, which is good enough for 18th in the country. Led by senior Austin Byler and junior
Ryan Howell who both hit over 10 home runs this season, the Wolf Pack can hit with the best
of them.The Wolf Pack’s opponent has the same offensive
mentality. While the Gaels are only hitting .292 on the year, it features nine players who are hitting over .300. This includes Zach Kirtley who is hitting .365 and Anthony Villa who is hitting .353 while
smashing four home runs and driving in 31 RBI’s ,both of which are good enough for second on the team.
Although Saint Mary’s is overmatched against a nationally-ranked Nevada team, the one thing the Gaels can do is hit. If Saint Mary’s is able to rough up the Wolf Pack’s pitching, then Nevada could be in for a lot of trouble in this series.
Stone Harper can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @StoneHarperNVSB.
A8
@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com A9SPORTSTUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
By Stone Harper
Mackay Stadium was the sight of something Nevada fans haven’t seen in over five months — a football game as the Blue squad was able to defeat the Silver squad 40-26 in the annual Silver and Blue scrimmage to end spring football.
“That was a good day,” Wolf Pack head coach Brian Polian said. “We got some good work done and had a little bit of fun, we came out healthy. I’m pleased with it.”
The main storyline coming into this game was the ongoing quarterback competition between junior Tyler Stewart, redshirt sophomore Dante Mayes and redshirt freshman Hunter Fralick. With the man who these three are looking to replace in attendance, each member of the trio each got his chance to impress.
In the end, Fralick emerged as the most impressive while taking the opening reps with the number one offense. The Reno native completed 8-of-9 passes for 62 yards and dis-played his mobility on a few read option keepers.
“I think as a unit today we did really well,” Fralick said. “We got the ball where it needed to go for the most part, obviously there are plays that we
want to have back, but for the most part we did well. Personally I did my job, I did what I needed to do.”
Stewart, the only man in the group with starting experience ,completed 5-of-11 passes for 49 yards while throwing an interception. Mayes completed 3-of-4 passes for 36 yards.
With the quarterbacks getting their feet wet, coach Polian empha-sized the run, with the two-headed monster that consists of senior Don Jackson and sophomore James Butler stealing the show. Jackson had six carries for 21 yards while Butler car-ried the ball seven times for 70 yards and a touchdown.
“I think it went really well today,” Butler said. “The offense had a strong coming out and the defense played really well, I felt like during the spring we all got better.”
Although the offense had its mo-ments, the defense was really the star of the game. The Blue team was con-stantly pressuring the quarterback and making it almost impossible for the running backs to pick up any big runs.
“This defensive line is probably the best in the conference, I am comfort-able saying that,” Fralick said. “Work-ing against them all spring and in the summer it will really benefit us in the fall when the lights come on and it’s
for real.”The defense was able to get sacks
from Patrick Choudja, Jordan Silva and Lenny Jones. The team also got interceptions from big defensive tackles Rakeem Yates and Jake Lacaden while always keeping the offense on its toes.
Another factor of the game that isn’t usually mentioned is special teams, but the Wolf Pack saw a good performance from its kicker Brent Zuzo. The junior, who struggled with consistency last season, was able to hit two field goals from 45 yards, including one at the end of the game with every member of the defensive lining up to try and fake the kicker out.
This was the fans’ first opportunity to get a look at the 2015 Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada will open up its season by taking on UC Davis on Sept. 3 inside the newly renovated Mackay Stadium.
“We were very vanilla on both sides of the ball,” Polian said. “I think that makes life a little better for them so they can just go run around and have a little bit of fun.”
Stone Harper can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @StoneHarperNVSB.
Photo courtesy of Nevada Athletics
Quarterback Hunter Fralick warms up before a spring practice earlier this month at Wolf Pack Park. Fralick completed 8-of-9 passes for 62 yards while directing the first-team offense on Saturday.
Fralick outshines competition in ʏQDO�VKRZFDVH�EHIRUH�IDOO�FDPS
feeling Blue
Coordinator of Involvement
and Promotions Derek Neff.
Indeed, the atmosphere at
the game was a far cry from
how the stadium’s game days
looked last season.
“Last year alone we only
averaged about 360 people a
game, so to get over 3,000 here
today is pretty awesome,” Neff
said.
Even though the Pack did end
up taking the loss in the series
finale, the squad was still able
to take away some positives
from the game.
“The atmosphere here was
amazing, you got the ‘Wolf’ and
the ‘Pack’ chants going and just
to see the seats filled for the
first time ever was awesome,”
said first baseman Austin Byler.
Nevada falls to 33-11 on the
season but is still atop the
Mountain West standings with
a two-game lead over San Diego
State. Additionally, head coach
Jay Johnson pointed out that
freshman Jordan Pearce was
the player of the game as the
native of Oceanside, California
collected three hits and scored
one run. After last week’s slate
of games, the Wolf Pack has the
top three batters in terms of
RBIs in the MWC (Ryan Howell,
Byler and Trenton Brooks)
and Howell is the conference’s
leader in home runs with 14.
The Wolf Pack will stay at
home for the first two games
this week when they take on a
22-20 Saint Mary’s team, and
then will head to New Mexico
for a weekend series with the
third-place Lobos.
Additionally, with the Moun-
tain West Conference tourna-
ment being held in Reno
this year, the All-American
Byler feels as though fans will
“Populate Peccole” on a regu-
lar basis.
“We got Air Force at the last
series of the year and the con-
ference tournament here so I
expect everyone to come out for
that because those are going to
be some big games,” Byler said.
Coach Johnson acknowl-
edged that while the Nevada
fans are incredibly loyal and
supportive, his team needs to
keep up its end on the field
and has high expectations for
the rest of the year.
“We need maximum effort
towards preparation and
execution and we need to take
it one day at a time,” Johnson
said. “We just need to keep
going after it, baseball is about
the team that plays the best
that day and that’s been us
most of the year so we’re just
going to keep attacking that.”
Chris Boline can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @CDBoline.
@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com A10 TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015SPORTS
SelloutCONTINUED FROM PAGE A12
Most SEC, Pac-12, Big 12 and
ACC teams have that guy. He’s
the guy who will go in the first
or second round of the draft
this May. He’ll pitch in Omaha
and then probably pitch in the
big leagues a few months later.
Nevada doesn’t have that guy
with a 88-96 mile-per-hour
fastball and a nasty breaking
ball. Combined, Nevada
starters are 17-9 with a 4.36
ERA. Those aren’t bad num-
bers at all, but let’s compare
them with another first-place
team, UCLA. The Bruins are in
first place in the Pac-12 with
a 31-9 (16-5 Pac-12) record,
which is pretty comparable
to Nevada’s 33-11 (18-5 MW).
UCLA’s starting pitchers have a
combined record of 24-7 with
an ERA of 2.50. The Bruins
have arms that can throw once
a week and dominate, even in
a conference as competitive as
the Pac-12.
You might say all you need
to do to win is score more runs
than you allow, and Nevada
scores a boatload of runs. That
is true, but does the Wolf Pack
consistently score runs?
Offensively, Nevada is
stacked, except it lacks depth.
Stevenson, Howell, Byler,
Brooks, Meyer and Greager
have all been hot at times, and
when they’re all hot they put
up 20 runs per game. Howell
and Byler are Nevada’s biggest
producers. They’ve each
started 44 out of 44 games, and
they are both among the best
in the nation with a bat.
But what happens when
they aren’t hot? What happens
when there’s nobody on base
when Howell hits a home run?
Solo home runs don’t win ball
games. The Wolf Pack needs
the bottom of the lineup to
produce. It can’t rely on a few
guys to score all the runs, even
though that has worked for the
team so far this year. It won’t
cut it in the playoffs.
Howell and Kyle Hunt are
first and third on the team
with the most errors. The
middle infield is supposed
to be your best defensively.
Bryce Greager, who often plays
third base for the Wolf Pack,
has the second most errors
on the team with eight. Errors
turn into runs, and Nevada
can’t expect to not make
plays and be successful in the
postseason.
I commend coach Johnson
for the way he moves
players around defensively.
Howell doesn’t even have a
real position. He’s listed as a
utility player on the roster,
yet he and Hunt turned a
highlight reel double play this
weekend. Johnson knows who
his best guys are and he puts
them where they can make the
biggest impact on the game
and do the least damage.
Nevada will most likely be a
No. 2 seed in the tournament.
That means they will have to
play a top 16 team in a regional
and will probably have to beat
them twice to advance. Nevada
doesn’t have to be perfect
in the postseason, seeing as
the World Series champion
can lose up to four games
throughout the tournament
without being eliminated, but
they can’t score 27 runs in one
game and then lose to a team
like San Jose State the very next
day. Johnson’s team can’t be an
“embarrassment” on any day
of the week if it expects to beat
teams like UCLA, Texas A&M
or LSU. Those teams will rip
Nevada apart if the Wolf Pack
shows up to play the way it did
on Sunday.
Ryan Suppe can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
Chris Overmyer /Nevada Sagebrush
A Wolf Pack batter takes a swing with a runner on third base during a game on Sunday, April 26 at Peccole Park. Even though Nevada beat San Jose State by a combined score of 39-2 in the first two games of the series, they still fell to the Spartans by a count of 6-4.
Not EliteCONTINUED FROM PAGE A12
This Surin gold standard had
humble beginnings. Katherine
is descended from Haitian immi-
grants who arrived in Montreal,
Canada in 1975. Her grandpar-
ents had to leave a 7-year-old
Bruny in Haiti with his two sisters
for a year before they could be
brought over. Her grandmother
was a dressmaker and her grand-
father worked as a mechanic.
When Bruny won the gold
medal in 1996, Katherine was
a mere six-months old. From
then on, she would have the ex-
pectations of being an Olympic
gold metal winner’s daughter.
Katherine’s demeanor shows she
has what the elite athletes have,
which is the calm state of mind
while pressure stares her in the
face.
“Being compared to my
dad all the time got annoying
sometimes, but I got used to it,”
Katherine said. “Others thought
that because I am the daughter of
an Olympian that I would just be
good at everything, but the pres-
sure doesn’t get to me.”
Bruny knew Katherine and
her sister Kimberley, who plays
tennis at Penn State, would expe-
rience the burden of his success.
It was apparent that Katherine
inherited her father’s ability to
handle pressure.
“I’ve seen her gain some ad-
vantage [because of my name]
and I’ve seen her get some
disadvantages as well,” Bruny
said. “She doesn’t pay too much
attention to it and would just
move on. That was my attitude.”
That cool persona has ben-
efited her greatly on the track.
Coming out of high school, she
received offers from programs
around the country such as Okla-
homa, Arkansas and UTEP. She
chose Nevada so that she could
compete right away. Katherine’s
family name raised the interest
of Nevada women’s track head
coach Shantel Twiggs.
“DNA doesn’t lie,” Twiggs said.
“In track and field circles, you
know who Bruny Surin is. We
were interested immediately.”
Katherine’s freshman season
has been a successful one. She
placed fourth in the 400-meter
at the indoor championships this
past March while setting a school
record of 54.36 seconds. Kather-
ine is now aiming for a first round
appearance at nationals and then
being able to compete for one of
the 12 spots in the western divi-
sion that compete in the NCAA
finals in Eugene, Oregon. Twiggs
attributes Katherine’s success to
her calm persona and her ability
to use that on the track.
“She runs to win, but she runs
at a good even pace,” Twiggs said.
“Some runners start fast and lose
speed at the end, but not Kather-
ine. She’s a patient athlete, and
you can’t say that about a lot of
athletes.”
The future is bright Katherine.
Her short-term goals are to make
the first round at nationals and
after this season to make Team
Canada. Her coach has high
expectations going into her next
three years at Nevada. Twiggs
believes Katherine’s ceiling is
limitless.
“The sky is the limit for her,”
Twiggs said. “She could win
national championships and be
an All-American. We try to keep
it in the here and now, but all of
that is possible. She has a very
bright future.”
Bruny also believes that Kath-
erine can go as far as she wants
to go.
“I believe that she can be one
of the tops in the world someday,
but she has to believe it,” Bruny
said. “Already she has surprised
me. She is still young and doesn’t
have too much experience, but
her future is in her hands.”
Katherine Surin will carry her
father’s name and accomplish-
ments with her for the rest of her
life. The comparisons, pressure
and criticisms will never stop.
Every race, she is not only racing
her opponents, but her father’s
legacy. Her desire to make her
own name shows her competi-
tive spirit.
“I want to be good at what I do,
but I don’t want to be compared
to him,” Katherine said. “I want
to make my own path.”
That path already has a school
record and a potential birth at
nationals as a freshman. What
else may lie ahead of Katherine is
in her control. As her father said,
her future is in her hands.
Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
BlazingCONTINUED FROM PAGE A12
Photo courtesy of Nevada Athletics
Katherine Surin runs in the 400-meter dash in the Mountain West Indoor Championships last February in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the event, Surin placed fourth with a time of 55.38 seconds.
Since the Governor’s Series was rolled out two years ago, the head-to-head competition against rival UNLV hasn’t gone
too well for the Wolf Pack.In 2012, the Rebels dominated
with a 37.5-10.5 victory. Last year, UNLV repeated as champions with a slightly more competitive 30-18 win.
However, the trophy will be a dead heat this season. With three events re-
maining, the Rebels hold a slim 21-18 edge. The final points will be decided in men’s golf, outdoor women’s track and field and Academic Progress Rate scores.
The scenario for Wolf Pack to hoist the trophy up is simple: win two of the next three events. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
The first trio of points will be up for grabs during the men’s golf Mountain West Championships on May 1-3. Since the tournament, isn’t a one-on-one affair, the school that places higher will take the three points.
Going into the faceoff, the Rebels have the clear-cut leg up. For one, the team holds a No. 25 ranking nation-
ally. UNLV has finished in the top five in seven of its 10 tournaments this year. Moreover, the Rebels have finished third or better on five occa-sions — including two team wins.
Nevada can’t say the same. During the weekend at the Ping Cougar Classic, the Wolf Pack finished eighth out of 10 teams during its final MW Championship tuneup.
Without question, money is on UNLV to win the men’s golf points. It would be smart to parlay that money to include the Rebels taking the outdoor women’s track and field competition, too.
The proof is in the pudding: During the women’s indoor track and field MW Championships on Feb. 26-28, UNLV cruised to an easy three points. The Rebels’ fourth-place finish buried the Wolf Pack’s ninth-place outing.
It would be a shock to no one if the outcome is replicated during the outdoor MW Championships in San Diego, California on May 13-16.
Outside of record-breaking performances from Nevada distance runner Emily Myers, pole vaulter Alison Powers and sprinter Katherine Surin, wins have been few and far between for the Wolf Pack. Last week-end during the Bulldog Invitational, the team won a meager three events. During the same meet, UNLV registered 18 top-eight finishes.
Nevada needs to score an upset win in one of the two competitions to have any hope. However, as the Wolf Pack men’s tennis team demonstrated this past weekend, anything can happen during a tournament.
The score-to-end-all-scores comes in each sport’s APR scores. APR measure team’s academic suc-cess and progress based off player’s eligibility, retention and graduation measurements.
The points will be awarded based on a sport-by-sport comparison of APR scores. The school with the most wins will notch the three points.
Nevada can’t afford any ties besides one: if the Wolf Pack win two of the three remaining events, the Governor Series will be knotted up at 24 points apiece. In that case, the Battle of the Fremont Cannon football game serves as the ultimate tiebreaker.
A 49-27 beatdown of the Rebels by the Wolf Pack back on Nov. 29, 2014 gives Nevada that ever-important advantage.
As much as ties are frowned upon in sports, you can’t help but root for one in this scenario if you’re a Wolf Pack diehard.
Eric Uribe can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @Uribe_Eric.
MEN’S GOLFMountain West Championship, Friday-Sunday, May 1-3, Tucson, Arizona
THE SKINNY: Nevada will travel to Arizona to compete in the Mountain West Championship tournament. The Wolf Pack has had a great season finishing in the top 15 in every tournament Nevada has participated in. The team is led by its trio of freshman — Jooho Lee, Grant Booth and Correy Eddings, who were at one point the top ranked freshman class in the country.
TRACK AND FIELDPayton Jordan, Saturday, May 2, Palo Alto, California
THE SKINNY: After a strong showing at the Bulldog Invitational last weekend, Nevada is back on the road as it travels to the Stanford campus to compete at the Payton Jordan. The one day competition will bring teams from all over the country together in Palo Alto.
WOMEN’S SOFTBALLat San Jose State, Friday-Sunday, May 1-3
THE SKINNY: Nevada will hit the road for the final time this season as it plays San Jose State. On the season Nevada has a 14-33 record which includes a current four game losing streak. This series will be tough for the Wolf Pack with the Spartans sitting second in MWC standings. Nevada’s main struggle this season has been pitching, amassing a 5.34 ERA.
WEEKLY TOP 5
TYLER STEWARTFOOTBALLStewart is one of three men looking to replace Cody Fajardo at quarterback this season. Many pundits believe Stewart has the inside track to replace the prolific quarterback. At Nevada’s spring game the junior took a giant step back completing only five of 11 passes for 49 yards while also throwing an interception. Stewart did not have any control on his passes and was outplayed by both Hunter Fralick and Dante Mayes. Nevada will only go as far as its quarterback goes and if Stewart is named the starter he will have to step up his play if Nevada has any chance of making to a second straight bowl appearance.
MOEZ CHARGUITENNISChargui, who is a senior from Tunisia, was named Mountain West player of the year. Chargui had a 19-13 overall record while recording an impressive 7-2 record. Last weekend Chargui was able to lead the Wolf Pack to an improbable second place finish in the MW conference tournament knocking off multiple ranked teams on its way to the runner up finish. Chargui ended his career in dramatic fashion and made huge strides for the Nevada program.
ON TAP
LEADER OF THE PACK
RUNT OF THE LITTER
File Photo
Former Nevada defensive back Markus Smith chases a receiver into the end zone at the Rose Bowl during a game in 2013. The much-maligned secondary has struggled for years and is in desperate need of stability heading into the 2015 season.
EricUribe
things nevada needs to work on for
summer football
1OFFENSIVE LINEBesides Austin Corbett, this offensive line is in shambles. It showed at the Silver and Blue
game as the run game was not able to get anything going and there were at OHDVW�ÀYH�VDFNV�RQ�WKH�TXDUWHUEDFN��
2 QUARTERBACK PLAY&RDFK�3ROLDQ�VDLG�WKDW�WKH�offense was vanilla for the spring game. Unfortunately WKDW�DIIHFWV�WKH�TXDUWHUEDFN�
DV�QHLWKHU�+XQWHU�)UDOLFN��7\OHU�6WHZDUW�or Dante Mayes were able to truly VHSDUDWH�WKHPVHOYHV�IURP�WKH�SDFN�LQ�WKLV�TXDUWHUEDFN�EDWWOH��7KLV�EDWWOH�ZLOO�UDJH�RQ�through the summer, but whoever wins the job must improve from this spring game or Nevada is in a lot of trouble.
3 SECONDARY PLAY,W�VHHPV�OLNH�WKH�VHFRQGDU\�KDV�EHHQ�1HYDGD·V�$FKLOOHV�KHHO�IRU�WKH�SDVW�IHZ�\HDUV��7KLQJV�
GR�QRW�ORRN�WKH\�KDYH�FKDQJHG�WKLV�VSULQJ�ZLWK�WKH�VHFRQGDU\�URXWLQHO\�GURSSLQJ�WKH�EDOO�WLPH�DIWHU�WLPH��7KLV�PXVW�be improved or teams will throw all over Nevada.
RETURN GAME3ROLDQ�KDV�EHHQ�GXEEHG�DV�D�VSHFLDO�WHDPV�JXUX�EXW�WKDW�KDVQ·W�UHDOO\�WUDQVODWHG�LQ�
the return game. Nevada was KROGLQJ�UHWXUQHU�WU\RXWV�WKH�WKLUG�ZHHN�LQWR�VSULQJ��ZKLFK�VHHPV�FRQFHUQLQJ�GXH�WR�WKH�LPSRUWDQFH�RI�WKH�SRVLWLRQ��
5 7KLV�JRHV�IRU�ERWK�WKH�SOD\HUV�DQG�FRDFKLQJ�VWDII��7KHUH�DUH�WRR�many avoidable penalties that WKH�SOD\HUV�JHW�FDOOHG�IRU��VXFK�DV�
RIIHQVLYH�SDVV�LQWHUIHUHQFH��$OVR�3ROLDQ�QHHGV�WR�VWRS�VFUHDPLQJ�DW�UHIHUHHV��HVSHFLDOO\�ZKHQ�they are refs he hired for this spring game.
COMPOSURE
Inside ScoopA11 SPORTS
4
TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
Nevada needs upset win to claim Governor’s Series
File photo
Rebels’ Goodluck Okonoboh (11) attempts to posterize Nevada’s AJ West (3) on January 27, 2015. The schools split the three men’s basketball points for the Governor’s Series with each taking 1.5 points. UNLV currently holds a 21-18 advantage.
@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com
a legend a legacy
Sports@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com A12 TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
#PopulatePeccole
Nevada sets attendance record in loss to Spartans
By Chris Boline
For the last semester, students and community members had been encour-aged to “Populate Peccole” for last Sunday’s game against San Jose State. Even though the Nevada baseball team fell to the Spartans, they did so in front of a sold-out Peccole Park crowd.
Before a record-setting reported attendance of 3,136, the Pack was unable to over-come a rough first inning that saw starter Jason Deitrich give
up four earned runs. Nevada was able to rally back by scoring three runs in the fifth inning to only go down by one run. However, the Spartans notched another run in the sixth inning and never looked back. The final score of 6-4 was triple the offensive output that San Jose State had put together in the prior two games of the series, but the bigger number was the record-attendance at Peccole Park.
While there were some empty seats in the bleach-ers, the assembled crowd was
almost triple the team’s average attendance total of 1,112. In fact, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval was in attendance to watch to the Wolf Pack take on the Spar-tans. The “Populate Peccole” campaign was the brainchild of the Nevada athletics marketing team. Holly Aycock, the Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing and Promotions and Doug Howe, the Assistant Director of Marketing and Promotions both agreed that this was a group effort by the staff along with
See SELLOUT Page A10
Not-so-elite Pack will run into trouble in playoffs
O n Sunday, Nevada lost 6-4 to San Jose State — the same team the Wolf Pack
beat by 25 runs the day before. As I filmed for Wolf Pack TV, and
I carried my camera back to storage after the game, a Nevada fan said to me, “I hope you weren’t filming that
embarrassment.”At its best, Nevada averages
more runs per game than Brian Polian’s offense scores, but how can it manage just four runs against the Spartans, who are in last place in the Mountain West, a sub-par baseball conference?
Nevada has many bad losses — two against San Jose State, one to UC Davis, one to San Francisco. Those blemishes make me believe Nevada will not make a run in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Winning college baseball games in the playoffs is about consistency, depth and guts.
Nevada has plenty of guts. It is probably one of the scrappiest teams west of the Mississippi, but it lacks consistency on the mound, depth in the batter’s box and confidence in the field.
All year, head coach Jay Johnson has talked about depth in his pitching staff. The Wolf Pack has plenty of guys that can come out of the bullpen and get outs. I don’t doubt that one bit, but who is Nevada’s dominant Friday starter? Who is the guy that can eat innings each outing and give the bullpen a rest?
Chris Overmyer/Nevada Sagebrush
Nevada fans view the action from the seats at Peccole Park on Sunday April 26. Even though the Wolf Pack lost to the Spartans 6-4, Peccole sold out for the first time in stadium history with 3,136 people.
See NOT ELITE Page A10
RyanSuppe
casting a
Photo courtesy of Katherine Surin
Freshman Katherine Surin lines up against her father and 1996 gold metal winner Bruny Surin on the track in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada last year. Katherine works to make a name for herself here at the University of Nevada, Reno in an already famous track family.
By Neil Patrick Healy
All athletes face some form of pressure and expectation. Whether it stems from the me-dia, coaches, teammates or the roar of the crowd, the pressure can run rampant through an athletes’ psyche like a disease.
The pressure facing Nevada women’s track athlete Katherine Surin feels a little different. She faces the pressure of a gold standard — Olympic gold to be exact. Her father Bruny Surin won an Olympic gold metal in the 4x100 meter relay for Canada in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Katherine looks to achieve that standard by making a name for herself, and that name is already in the Nevada record books.
Surin blazing her own
path
See BLAZING Page A10
shadow