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stories that will change the way you look at college
Welcome to the 2016 Join the Pack Guide
e
ver heard of a listicle? No, that’s not a typo. You may not be familiar with this ear-gratingly awful term, but you most definitely do know what I’m talking about. Think “15 ways to make your Brazilian wax suck less” or “nine signs your cat actually loves you” or any number of the other clickbait headlines that pop up on your Facebook feed, promising revelation, entertainment or sound advice—all of it made more palatable by the guarantee that said information is finite, bound by the number clearly stated in the title. So, yeah, listicles, in case you’re still not clear on it, are basically lists—obviously, right?—and articles rolled into one, and they’re the new-ish standard for information dissemination online. They’re commonly associated with millennials and their media consumption habits. There’s even a Forbes article entitled “Five Reasons Why Millennials Love Listicles.” Both millennials and listicles get a bad rap sometimes, deservedly or not. But what does that have to do with our Join the
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Pack Guide? Simple. This year’s guide is a series of college-related listicles written by millennials from the University of Nevada, Reno. Senior Michael Olinger provides us with tips to get back to the grind after a long summer of lazing about. Sophomore Janessa Holman has a short list of reasons why you should skip all of those “essential college checklists” online. Another sophomore, Kevin Bass, wants to help keep others from having to look back on their freshman year of college with regret. And RN&R regular and UNR senior Anna Hart presents a guide to cultural diversity on campus. Plus I’ve got the information you’ll need to make an informed decision about parking at (and transportation to and from) the university. Happy reading! And may your studies be engaging and worthwhile. Regards, Jeri Chadwell-Singley RN&R Special Projects Editor
ListLess
Skip the “essential” college checklists by Janessa Holman
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All things considered, you, the incoming, bright-eyed Nevada student, do not need another “Must-Have Checklist.”
ollege To-Dos: Essentials Every Freshman Needs …” Everyone seems to be an expert when it comes to what you’ll need for your first year of college. From towels to trunks, someone somewhere has thought of every item you could ever want to make your college experience the best ever. But, do you really need all of this? Personally, I scoured the web, searching for every tip and checklist I could get my hands on, desperately hunting YouTube for some basic layout of what I could fit into the University of Nevada, Reno residence halls. I needed a car—obviously—to do all of the things that college students simply must do. A job? Needed it! My entire college career and life planned out? Essential. Networking and dozens of friends from every social sphere? How could I survive without them? Reality check: Easily half or more of these “checklists” you’ll find are useless. I did not end up needing that $45 Target steamer. (Who has time to fight wrinkles in the midst of midterms?) Nor did I need that bedside study lamp. (If you’re studying in bed ’til 4 a.m., you’re not really studying). I spent my Friday nights not out on the town, nor working a prestigious internship, but watching Star Wars marathons with friends. All things considered, you, the incoming, bright-eyed Nevada student, do not need another “Must-Have
Checklist.” Instead, I give you this—a very short list of things you will not need this year.
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A water filter, i.e. Brita and other brands UNR’s campus is littered with refillable water stations. Keep a water bottle on-hand, so pitchers and filters will be one less thing to worry about.
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A car This suggestion may seem like madness, but hear me out. As of last year, UNR has partnered with Zipcar to provide students with affordable transportation, allowing them to book and borrow a Zipcar for as little as one hour and as long as seven days. Parking is limited, permits are expensive, and one of your friends is bound to have one, so why bother?
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A plan for everything before you even arrive Do not freak out during orientation, wondering how you are going to get the best internship possible, or what career path you need to be following, or
even if you’ve found the perfect major—one that you will most assuredly never change. Instead, try spending your time figuring what you don’t like doing. If you dream of becoming a world-class engineer, test yourself to see if you actually enjoy countless math and science courses. If you fancy yourself a budding photojournalist, try using design applications without tearing out your hair. I say these things not to discourage you, but to give you a dose of reality. You don’t have to absolutely love every aspect of your job, but if you hate everything about it, that should be a significant red flag. You don’t have to do anything, but a suggestion is to throw away those checklists. Simply try figuring these things out at your own pace. College proclaims to teach “life enhancing” experiences and skills, and one thing you do need in the adult world is a firm grasp on what your priorities are. In other words, you will need to know what you don’t need. ❑
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We the
people
There’s a place for you at UNR
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our years ago, I began my freshman year at the University of Nevada, Reno. When I recount the story to my grandchildren, I will tell them that the minute I set foot in these hallowed halls, I was immediately filled with a sense of self-assurance and noble purpose. But that will not be the truth. In reality, I started my college experience—like so many others—afraid of my own shadow. I walked into the predominantly white music department of UNR to study classical voice, as a first-generation, bi-racial woman with a septum piercing. Needless to say, I felt out of place. It was not until I started experiencing the cultural diversity of other students on campus that I began to feel confident in my own identity. For any incoming freshman, walking into the fall semester can feel like social, academic, cultural and sensory overload. But that transition can be especially difficult if you are queer, or come from a low-income family, or are African American. Sometimes it is hard to feel comfortable in your own skin when you recognize how different it is from everyone else’s. But at the University of Nevada, Reno a climate is being created that celebrates and unites us through our differences, instead of isolating us because of them. So what exactly does it mean to be diverse? We normally associate the term with race and ethnicity, but diversity has come to mean so much more. It encompasses all of the intersectional factors that create the foundation of who we are individually—from our socioeconomic conditions, to our racial and cultural heritage, gender identification, sexual orientation, and religion.
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By AnnA HARt
The campus of UNR has become a hub for cultural exploration, social engagement and political demonstration, with numerous groups and programs advancing these efforts and making sure that every student is heard.
The center One of the most influential entities on campus that promotes diversity and inclusion in the student population is the Center for Student Cultural Diversity. It opened its doors on the third floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union in 2007. Since then, it has been a lively hub where students of all backgrounds can find financial aid assistance, information on multicultural organizations on campus, and a sense of acceptance. However, many students and parents felt apprehensive about using the center as a resource, worried that it was only for students who were racially or ethnically “diverse.” This prompted a name change for the facility. Now, the program space will be known as The Center. Every Student. Every Story. This is a name that officials feel more broadly embraces the aims of the facility. “Centers such as this one began as places where students of color could gather at predominantly white institutions—where they could meet other students from similar backgrounds, histories and experiences,” said Blaine Harding, the director of the center. “Nowadays, they are for all students. While we are still a cultural center on campus, our primary goal is to get students to graduation.”
A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review
elda solomon, trisden shaw and Ranae christie are unR students who attended the July 15 Black lives matter protest in downtown Reno. PHOTO/ANNA HART
Initiating progress To help address the specific needs of different cultural groups at the university, the center offers support for a number of different initiatives, which each serve a different demographic. Each initiative works to provide equality in opportunity and equity in outcome: • The Black Cultural Cooperative aims to support African American students through retention and outreach efforts, in conjunction with numerous student organizations. These include the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Fraternity and the Black Student Organization. • The Intertribal Higher Education Program seeks to recruit Native American students and guide them on their path to graduation. This initiative also promotes education on Native American heritage through events like the Spring Pow Wow. • Mosaic works to empower those who are first-generation, low
income undergraduate students, through academic planning, career and major exploration and College Life 101—a retention program that is structured to help these students earn their degrees. • Asian American and Pacific Islander Project promotes awareness of different cultures in the community while also connecting Asian and Pacific Islander students through groups like the Asian American Student Union and the Pilipino Undergraduate Student Organization. • Las Culturas fosters academic success and honors the different cultural heritages of Hispanic and LatinX students and their families, as UNR strives to become a Hispanic-serving institution. Spanish orientation sessions, Latin American cultural events, and many clubs work in tandem to value contributions of Hispanic and LatinX students, as well as raise their recruitment and retention levels. • The Pride Collaborative is a broad initiative to advocate for LGBTQIA+ individuals and
promote understanding and acceptance in the community through ally training workshops, an active Queer Student Union and outreach programs in middle and high school.
Something for every student Outside of the center, there are a number of different clubs and organizations that promote cultural celebration and civic engagement. UNR offers various cultural events, like a Holi festival, a Día de los Muertos party and several activities during Black History Month. There are fraternities and sororities, which are open to all but seek to promote the advancement of specific cultural elements. There are also multicultural Greek organizations— like Lambda Phi Xi, which endeavors to blend academic achievement with cultural awareness. Other clubs, like the Reno Justice Coalition, FUSED and Nevada Students for Life bring various social justice causes to the forefront.
Or you can join the ample amount of students who engage in civic and cultural activities in the community, like social justice demonstrations. Regardless of your background, who you are or what you believe in, it’s possible to carve out a place at UNR for you to be you. “What every new student should know is this: You are welcome here,” said Harding. “You are wanted here, And most importantly, you are needed here, We need your experience. We need your different ideas. We need your background. This campus is for you. It welcomes you.”
Learn more by visiting www.unr.edu/cultural-diversity.
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UnR caMpUS Map
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This publication was supported by the Nevada State Division of Public and Behavioral Health through Grant Number 5U62PS003654-05 from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Division nor the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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For information on the university’s alternate transportation programs, call the parking and transportation Services department at 784-4654 or visit www.unr.edu/parking/ alternate-transportation.
park it 5 arguably viable
alternatives to buying a parking permit
by JeRi chAdwell-singley
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t this time last year, the University of Nevada, Reno was preparing to welcome a record 20,898 students to campus. That figure represented a nearly five percent increase over the previous year’s enrollment numbers and a 28 percent increase from the fall of 2005. New construction and renovation projects designed to accommodate the growing student population have changed the university’s footprint and routinely made the news over the last several years, as concerns ranging from the way construction contracts are awarded to the need for more on-campus housing have arisen. One enduring issue has been the apparent inadequacy of on-campus parking. In the news and on journalism students’ blogs, it’s easy fodder for stories. And with the numbers reported by the university’s Parking and Transportation Services department, it’s easy to see why. There are nine different parking zones on campus. The permits range in price from $125 to $475 annually. According to Parking and Transportation Services Interim Assistant Director Michelle Horton, there will be a total of 6,461 permitted parking spaces available on campus during the upcoming semester, for which about 10,000 permits will be sold to faculty, staff and students. That means there will be about 55 percent more permits sold than there are spaces available. But do those numbers really speak to a parking shortage? It depends on how you look at it.
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According to Horton, it’s important to keep in mind that not all students are on campus at the same time, and this “allows for some [parking] zones to be sold at a higher ratio.” She explained that the ratio of parking spaces to permits sold is justified based on biannual lots counts, explaining that a count conducted in the spring of 2016 found approximately 1,200 vacant spots during peak occupancy hours. Of course, spring semesters normally see somewhat lower enrollment numbers at the university. Furthermore, the number of permitted spots is only part of the parking puzzle at UNR—as anyone without a permit who regularly searches for parking in the residential neighborhoods surrounding campus can attest. The hunt for an off-campus parking spot might take one as far away as Roller Kingdom on East Seventh Street or Whitaker Park on Washington Street. With a total of 88 new hourly parking spots projected on campus in early 2017, it doesn’t seem likely that parking challenges will be resolved any time in the near future. But Horton points to the university’s alternate transportation programs as another option. The university recognizes five forms of alternate transportation—walking, biking, busing, carpooling and car-sharing. By registering to participate in any one of them, a person also earns five free daily parking passes.
A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review
Busing The Regional Transportation Commission offers discounted bus passes to UNR students. It’s called the Wolf Pass. It’s only available to students, so it’s not an option for faculty or staff. The current cost is $115 per semester. The RTC intercity pass includes buses to Carson City and is $150 per semester.
Car-sharing UNR announced a partnership with the car-sharing service Zipcar last year. It’s available to faculty, staff and students who are at least 18 years old. Students pay a $15 fee for their first year of membership. It’s $25 per year thereafter. Car rentals start at $7.50 per hour and $69 per day. Gas, insurance and 180 miles of driving are included. More information is available at www.zipcar.com/unr.
Carpooling The university offers a limited number of carpool permits in certain parking zones. They’re not any cheaper than the regular parking permits for those zones, and only one carpool member gets a permit—but there are some additional perks, including free Friday permits for the other carpool members and one emergency ride home (within a 15 mile radius) for each member of the carpool per year.
Biking and walking These alternatives may seem obvious, and they are. But there are a few things to know, particularly for those considering biking to campus. First, bicycles must have a parking permit—just like cars. The permits are free, and there are also a limited number of bike lockers available to rent for $30 per year, though the waiting list for lockers can get pretty long. ❑
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the
Changing your mindset from
grinding wheel
last call to roll call is hard
by michAel olingeR
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h, summertime. Maybe you spent it with friends, going out every night? Did you see the world? Did you catch up on your reading? After toiling through fall and spring semesters shackled to studies, summer is—if nothing else—freedom. And transitioning from the wilds of summer back to the structure of the classroom can be daunting. Keeping class commitments, a flurry of due dates and various club responsibilities organized can be overwhelming after a few months of not worrying about much of anything. But fear not. Here are three ways to get back to school the right way.
1 End your break early Classes for fall 2016 start on Monday, Aug. 29. That shouldn’t be the first day you are in a scholastic frame of mind, though. If you need to, start altering your sleep schedule a few days before the semester starts. Go out less, and stay in more. Try reading online about some of the subjects you’ll study in the fall. Runners always stretch before a race, and every semester is a mental marathon. Putting your mind through some calisthenics is a good way to get prepared. At least a few days before the start of the semester, make the transition from “summer you” to “student you”—that way the change won’t be so bracing when it actually happens. Take it from University of Nevada, Reno senior Ryan Coverdell, who uses this technique. “I just know catching up is a pain, so I’d rather be ahead,” said Coverdell, who begins preparing for his return to school about a week before the start of the semester.
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2 Bring summer with you The start of school doesn’t have to mean the end of fun. If the prospect of the classroom looms over you like a grim specter and the thought of ending your break at all—let alone early—fills you with sadness, maybe it would be better for you to blend studying and summer sun by making a more gradual transition back to campus life. UNR senior Lizzie McElheney said that the time it takes her to get back in the scholastic mindset is “always varied, but always long,” taking from “as short as month to never fully recovering.” McElheney’s recommended cure for the school-time blues is simple: “Keep doing fun summer stuff—walking around, eating summer foods like watermelon, sun tanning, wearing cute summer clothes while it is still warm.”
3 Break? What break? The start of fall semester 2014 was hard for me. I’d just wrapped up a nice long summer where nothing but a part-time job as a register jockey stood between me and complete freedom. I spent the first few weeks of school utterly adrift in a sea of responsibility I was ill-prepared for. But things changed over these last two summers. I took internships that filled my days with endless responsibility. This summer I’ve put in 60 to 70 hours most weeks. It’s hard work, but also great experience that makes you that much more valuable to employers after graduation. If you’re not in the market for an internship, why not take a summer class or two and put yourself on track to graduate early? While these options may not be as glamorous as hitting the waves or partying the summer away, they certainly look better on a resume, and it’s easier to make the transition from hard work back to school than it is from hard partying. ❑
college is going to punch you in the teeth.
Lesson pLan
Don’t wind up regretting your freshman year of college
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ollege isn’t easy. It takes time to figure it all out, and as a result you may wind up finishing your first year with regrets. You may wish you had or hadn’t done something, and that’s not a good feeling. I had some regrets after my first year as a journalism student at the University of Nevada, Reno, so I’ve written down some of them to help new students. Not everyone is going to have the same issues I did, and that’s fine; college is supposed to be different for everyone. But if I can help, I will—because no one should have regrets after a year of college. It’s an amazing time to try new things and start your adult life. So hopefully my missteps can be an example of what not to do!
Get out There is always something to do at the University of Nevada, Reno. There are clubs and division one sports. There are movie nights at the Joe Crowley Student Union. There are somewhere close to 18,000 undergraduates, and odds are a few are worth doing something with. One of my biggest regrets of freshman year is that I stayed home and watched Netflix way too many times. Don’t get me wrong. House of Cards and Game of Thrones are fantastic, but you can do that anywhere.
Get fed Compared to many schools, our Downunder Cafe is a five-star restaurant. But it’s important to note that the food options aren’t unlimited. If you eat a DC grilled cheese daily (or twice a day), you’re not going to be able to look at it without feeling queasy by year’s end. There’s a lot to choose from on campus, from options like Great Full Gardens and Panda Express in the student union to Las Trojes Express in the Ansari Business building.
Get ratings After your first semester on campus, you alone are responsible for your schedule. And no one told me about the Rate my Professor website, so I’ll make sure you’re in the know. Don’t use it to avoid tough classes—use it to balance your schedule. With Rate my Professor, you can see if that super cool elective you want to take is going to take up 90 percent of your time. At the very least, you can know which classes are going to take up the bulk of your time, so you can adjust. If not, you may accidentally wind up with four of your five classes being what we’ll call “homework heavy.”
Get lost In case you don’t know, Reno is awesome! The city itself is so much more than someone from California like me would ever have expected. And campus is great, but you have to get outside the school to appreciate the area. When my family came up to visit me for the first time, I hardly knew of any places to take them for dinner because I just hadn’t been around town. Go exploring. Look for Pokemon. Go for a hike. Get lost in Midtown. You’ll find there’s a lot more to Reno than the school.
by Kevin bass
Get ahead You can get whatever you want to out of college. If you want to take one class a semester until the end of time, that’s your choice. If you want to take a full course load each semester, that is also your choice. But if you try to get by as easily as possible, you won’t grow as much. If you want to use Rate my Professor to only take easy classes, no one is going to stop you. Take it on yourself to push yourself to your limits, because nothing is more disappointing than realizing you slacked off and took easy classes. Take pride in challenging yourself. Make college a time of growth.
Get real College is going to punch you in the teeth. Whether its academically, or being away from home, or trying to adapt socially—there’s going to be a challenge. What I learned, after the fact, is that you need to get knocked down. You need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and realize that nothing can keep you down unless you let it. It was tough for me to learn, but the best lessons you’ll get from college aren’t from the lecture hall. The best lesson is a sucker punch to the jaw, whether that be a failed test, getting homesick beyond belief, realizing college is hard, or maybe even an actual sucker punch to the jaw. ❑
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