Volume 128, Issue 5

SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

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VOLUME 128, ISSUE 5

Campus community protests recent UNR, NSHE mask mandate repeal

Rachel Jackson / Nevada Sagebrush Students and faculty walked out of classes in protest of the Univerity of Nevada, Reno’s decision to repeal a mask mandate on Monday, Feb 24. Memebers of the campus community expressed their frustration with the university and the decison made.

By Nevada Sagebrush News Desk

Members of the campus community protested the recent mask mandate repeal by walking out of their classes at the University of Nevada, Reno on Monday, Feb 14. Approximately 50 people were in attendance at the protest organized by the Nevada Graduate Student Workers, The university and the Nevada System of Higher Education made the decision on Feb. 10 after Gov. Steve Sisolak got rid of the mask mandate across the state. The NGSW created a petition urging the university to keep the mask mandate at the university. Within three days, the petition amassed over 1600 signatures, with over 400 of them being faculty and staff, the rest being from students. Students and faculty walked out of classes at 11:45 a.m., and met at the MathewsonIGT Knowledge Center lawn. Protesters walked from the lawn to the Jones Center, located on the south end of campus.

UNR, NSHE lift mask mandates; follows state recommendations By Emerson Drewes The University of Nevada, Reno and the Nevada System of Higher Education lifted their mast mandates following an announcement from Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, which lifted the state mandate on Feb 10. “Pursuant to Nevada law, NSHE employees, students and members of the public are no longer required to wear face coverings while inside NSHE buildings irrespective of vaccination status,” said Brian Sandoval, UNR’s president, in a statement to the campus community. The implementation of the updated policy will take place immediately and apply to all faculty, staff and stu-

dents. According to UNR’s COVID-19 Dashboard, the campus has amassed 770 positive cases since the start of the spring semester on Jan. 18. Eighty positive cases have been reported, so far, in February since it was last updated on Feb. 4. In response to the lifting of the mask mandate, a petition was made urging university administration to keep mask requirement in place. The petition, sponsored by the Nevada Graduate Student Workers, has obtained over 300 signatures and is growing. Currently, over 140 signatures on the petition are from university faculty and the remaining are students.

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“It feels like one step closer to what life was like before,” said Rylie Thacker, a sophomore at UNR. “Hopefully it does not backfire like it has in the past.” However, Thacker is still concerned with how COVID-19 is spreading. She said she wants students to continue taking safety precautions to slow the spread of the virus even without masks. “Stay home if you feel sick please. We do not need more cases,” Thacker said. Meghan Trowbridge, a staff member for the College of Science, said she trusts Sisolak guidance, but hoped the university would keep the mask mandate on campus. See Mask Mandate on page A2

Those in attendance wore masks as they sang songs and yelled chants like, “Reinstate the Mask Mandate” and “Go Pack? Step Back! Our health is under attack!”, which could be heard across campus. Some also carried signs which read, “UNR Breaks My Heart”, “Are you there Sandoval?”, “Reinstate the Mask Mandate.” Members of the NGSW were the first to arrive and brought signs for protesters to carry. Student, faculty and staff members started to arrive around 11:45 a.m. Emily Bird, a graduate student instructor and NGSW member, was one of the first to arrive on the KC lawn. “We really want to give a platform for NSHE and our admins to hear and see us,” said Bird. “... We need this mask mandate to be instituted, at least until Omicron is down into the low to moderate range.” Bird said they have lost ten people to COVID-19, which is what has made them so passionate about keeping the mask mandate in place. Echoing Bird was Natalie Gonzalez, a fifth-year theater major. She said she hopes the university will reinstate the mandate, not just for herself, but for her friends. Gonzalez has friends who are considered high-risk and joined the protest as a way to advocate for them. “I have friends who are immunocompromised,” said Gonzalez. “I know, like, this means a lot to them. I don’t want to put any of them in danger.” Leif Aucoin, a theater major at UNR who goes by it/its pronouns, was present in support of it’s mother who works at the Davidson Academy. “Fortunately, Davidson Academy chose to keep their mask mandate, but she still has to interact with people that work on UNR campus,” said Leif. Aucoin added the pandemic diminished the quality of it’s theater degree, but said wearing a mask was safer for everyone in the program. “I’d rather be overly cautious and never do a single play on stage ever again without a mask,” Aucoin said. In the last 30 days, there have been 77,592,982 cases of COVID-19 in the United States and 916,977 deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 dashboard. Members and officials within the Associated Students of the University of Nevada were bystanders at the demonstration. The Nevada Sagebrush approached, but they all declined to comment on the matter. Professors were among the group, including Sarah Purdy, lecturer for the Gender, Race and Identity department. Purdy said she is concerned for the health and safety of her students. “I have very large classes, I have a class of 100 students, many of whom live with immunocompromised people,” said Purdy. “... Changing the rule now just doesn’t make any sense considering how easy it still is to spread COVID and get COVID with the transmission rates.” Lydia Huerta, assistant professor in the GRI department carried a large flag reading “solidarity” throughout the duration of the protest. She said she marched alongside students to show them her support and ask for change. “It seems to me like we’re going with politics and not science and that data that is there for a reason,” said Huerta. Huerta said she hopes those who choose not to mask-up try to understand why some people have to mask-up. “[I] would like [the university] to reinstate the mass mandate until the rates go down,” she said. “I hope that people become aware that some of us need to wear masks for a reason and that they respect us and not harass us.” Isabelle Favre, a French professor at the university, said there has to be awareness students and faculty need to have about COVID-19. She said being packed into a classroom with no masking mandate feels like they’re “breathing like sardines.” David Fenimore held a sign that read “This donor has had it!!! No more dough (nut$).” He is emeritus professor at UNR and said, as a donor, he is disappointed with the university’s decision and wished administration would actively care for student safety. “I’m just so disappointed with how the administration has managed this pandemic,” Feinmore said.“It kind of broke my heart. I’m turning away,”

See Protest on page A2

UNR Terminates Covid-19 Testing Contract With Northshore Clinical Laboratories By Emerson Drewes The University of Nevada, Reno announced they will be terminating their contract, effective Feb. 1, with Northshore Clinical Laboratories in an email sent to the campus community. The organization has been the university’s COVID-19 testing partner since November 2021. “Today the University terminated its contract with Northshore Clinical Laboratories, due to our institution’s dissatisfaction with Northshore’s service in helping to conduct on-campus COVID-19 testing for our students, faculty and staff,” Sandoval’s email read. Northshore is a Chicagobased company that has

OPINION

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been under investigation by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and the Illinois Department of Public Health, due to a series of complaints of patients not receiving test results and flawed results. Scott Walquist, Director of Communications at UNR, said the university is currently not looking for any vendors to assist with campus COVID-19 testing needs. “With possible State of Nevada assistance in our testing efforts during this current surge, coupled with us starting to see a decrease in positive cases,” said Walquist in a statement to The Nevada Sagebrush. “... [W]e feel we are appropri-

ately resourced for meeting our campus’s testing needs.” Despite the terminated partnership, the university’s Student Health Center will continue to provide free daily polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 testing. Additionally, the SHC will no longer be offering antigen tests due to limited access in getting the tests. The Nevada Sagebrush reached out to the SHC but did not receive immediate comment. Melissa Burham, a professor of Human Development and Family Science and Early Childhood Education, said the contract termination came as a surprise.

See Northshore on page A2

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A2 | NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Protest SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893

VOLUME 128, ISSUE 5

Editor-in-Chief: Andrew Mendez andrewmendez@sagebrush.unr.edu News Editor: Emerson Drewes edrewes@unr.edu Spanish Editor: Melanie Mendez melaniemendez@sagebrush.unr.edu

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Fenimore added he would not donate anymore to the university. When the marchers reached the south end of campus, testimonies that were left in the petitions free response section were read. “I do not get paid enough to die for this university,” read one testimony. Other testimonies stated individuals were high-risk or live with someone who is high-risk. The demonstration ended around 12:50 p.m. According to the NGSW, 54 percent of people who signed the petition indicated they were “interested in receiving information about further actions in protest of the mask requirement being lifted.” “... [W]e have hundreds and hundreds of people willing to speak out for their safety, and for the safety of our campus community,” said NGSW in an email to The Nevada Sagebrush. “We will continue to take action and provide additional opportunities for activism and involve-

where students can express their opinions. “As an institution of higher learning, it is a responsibility within our educational mission to provide an environment where perspectives and experiences are shared safely, with respect and with a thorough understanding of points of view which sometimes may differ,” said Walquist in an email to The Nevada Sagebrush. “Today’s demonstration was an example where there was an exchange of ideas and constructive, peaceful action regarding public issues.” The COVID-19 dashboard at the university, since the repeal, has not been updated since Feb 4. According to the most current figures there have been 775 positive cases of students, faculty and staff at the university.

I do not get paid enough to die for this university ment, and ensure that UNR and NSHE admins not only listen to us, but hear us and our concerns.” Scott Walquist, director of communications at UNR, said the university has always been a place

The News Desk can be reached at andrewmendez@ s a g e b r u s h . u n r. e d u o r o n Tw i t t e r @ NevadaSagebrush.

A&E Editor: Jaedyn Young jaedynyoung@sagebrush.unr.edu Opinion Editor: Jessica Cabrera jessicacabrera@sagebrush.unr.edu Sports Editor: Kelsey Middleton kelseymiddleton@sagebrush.unr.edu Copy Editor: Olive Giner oginer@sagebrush.unr. edu Design Editor: Brooke Germain andrewmendez@sagebrush.unr.edu Photo Editor: Rachel Jackson rjackson@sagebrush.unr. edu Multimedia Editor: Morgan Bobbera mbobbera@sagebrush. unr.edu Sports Multimeda Editor: Matt Hannifan mhan ifan@sagebrush.unr.edu

CONTRIBUTING STAFFERS Anthony Miranda, Devanshe Mehra , Summer Steinsrud

DISCLAIMER The Nevada Sagebrush is a newspaper operated by and for the students of the University of Nevada, Reno. The contents of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those opinions of the university or its students. It is published by the students of the University of Nevada, Reno.

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Rachel Jackson / Nevada Sagebrush

Northshore

“What’s most interesting to me is that faculty were assured during the last Faculty Senate meeting that the administration was confident in NorthShore labs given the extra protocols that were in place for the university contract … Then, 2 weeks later, the contract is terminated,” Burham said in an email to The Nevada Sagebrush. Additionally, Burnham said the university needs to find other means of testing for the sake of students. “We need testing. It needs to be accurate. Testing on campus is our only link to knowing which students are positive unless they self-report,” Burnham said. “So, we

Mask Mandate

Rachel Jackson / Nevada Sagebrush

Continued from page A1 either need to work in closer concert with the county or figure it out with another contractor.” The Nevada Sagebrush reached out to Northshore Clinical Labs but did not receive immediate comment. Washoe County and Washoe County School District still continue to use Northshore for COVID-19 testing. Both partnered with Northshore in early January to help reduce the high demand for COVID-19 testing for county residents.

Emerson Drewes can be reached at edrewes@unr. edu or on Twitter @EmersonDrewes

Continued from page A1

At home, she has a one-year-old son who is not vaccine eligible, and she is concerned for his health and safety. Sisolak cited a rapid decline in the number of COVID-19 cases with around 200 testing positive daily. He said this in contrast to Jan. 10, the highest day for COVID-19 cases, which was over 7000 positive cases. “Now is the appropriate time to announce that Nevada will rescind our mask mandate effective immediately,” Sisolak said during a press conference. “Masks will no longer be required in public places, but there are still locations where you still will be asked to wear a mask.” Over 2 million Nevadans have reported to have initiated the vaccination process and over 1.6 million have reported their vaccination process as completed. Emerson Drewes can be reached at edrewes@unr.edu or on Twitter @ EmersonDrewes

New campus charity encourages Wolf Pack students to express their identity Hinojos was inspired by UC Davis’ own Gender Affirming Charity after a trip to the university with the McNair Scholars program. Following the trip, Hinojos and fellow club staff quickly decided to start up their own charity on campus. “Something really cool about a lot of the UC schools is that they have really good resources for students. UC Davis has an LGBTQ center and within the center they have a gender affirming closet.” Hinojos also hopes this event will help teach empathy to others outside of the LGBTQ community, inviting more conversation not only on the student, faculty and administrator levels. “I am a non-binary identifying student and haven’t been able to afford certain things,” stated Rachel Jackson / Nevada Sagebrush Hinojos. “I have friends who can’t go out and buy Boxes sit in the GRI suite in the Thompson building on Jan. clothing they feel comfortable in because their 28. Students can donate to the families watch their bank accounts.” Stating there aren’t many campus resources for By Summer Steinsrud LGBTQ+ members, Hinojos’ intent with the GenThe University of Nevada, Reno’s Gender, Race der Affirming Charity and the founding of the GRI and Identity club is hosting its own Gender Af- club is to create a safe space for both students and firming Charity throughout the month of Febru- faculty to express their identities, connect and ary. Students, faculty, staff and anyone else inter- converse. The GRI club has grown significantly since its ested may donate clothing items to support the founding in late 2019, which has in turn allowed university’s LGBTQ+ community. The GRI club will be accepting lightly worn gen- for conversations surrounding gender and idender-neutral clothing with no stains or significant tity to grow as they’ve worked with bigger departwear to them. Masculine and feminine clothing ments, other clubs, fraternities and sororities. Hipieces are also accepted as donations. The GRI nojos adds they enjoy being a “walking resource” club is seeking out plus-size clothing, too, since on campus and a help to freshmen who may have the majority of donations have been of straight found the transition from homelife to college intimidating. sizes. “We’ve filled every box we’ve put out so far. I’m Donations may include shoes, sanitized jewelry, new makeup and hairstyling products. Addi- hoping we continue to grow,” said Hinojos. The Gender Affirming Charity is also working tionally, the club is accepting monetary donations which will go towards new chest-binders, packers its way into the Reno community with hopes to have a tabling session with Planned Parenthood— and other intimate gender-affirming items. “Gender-neutral clothing can be any clothing the largest place supplying hormones in Reno and that doesn’t have an assigned gender. Sweatpants Northern Nevada. The GRI club strives to have are gender-neutral because they don’t have an as- conversations with the local LGBTQ+ Our Center. Other clubs which are involved in this campus signed gender, and anyone can wear them,” said project are O-stem, the Grad-Queer Collective, the Indigo Hinojos, co-founder of the GRI Club. Donation boxes can be found in the Multicul- Queer-Leadership Advisory Board, the E-Board tural Center, located on the third floor of the Joe for the Queer Student Union, the Multicultural Crowley Student Union and the GRI suite in the Center and the GRI department. Thompson Building in Room 106. There are seven Summer Steinsrud can be reached at edrewes@unr. boxes spread across each on-campus housing faedu or on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush. cility.

TechWise Provides New Opportunity For Students To Work With Google By Summer Steinsrud University of Nevada, Reno’s President Brian Sandoval announced the university will partner with TalentSprint Inc., a global innovator supported by Google, in an announcement on Jan. 19. TechWise is an innovative program selecting five universities and colleges across the nation to help propel a cohort of 120 undergraduate students towards a career in tech or programming. The five selected universities and colleges are: University of Nevada, Reno; Mercy College, Bronx; Benedict College, South Carolina; Community College of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa. Twenty students will be selected from each educational institution, receive a scholarship and an additional stipend bonus of $5,000 to fund them through the 18-month virtual program. Students will also receive exclusive 1-on-1 Google mentorship. Classes are expected to begin March 5, 2022. The application process closed Feb. 3, consisting of three further selection steps. Those selected began the next step on Feb. 1 through Feb 7. Following the online assessments is the ‘Coding Training Assessment’, which takes Feb. 8 to 18. Finalists will attend a ‘Final Selection Interview’ which will range between Feb. 19 to 25. “Google is working very hard to increase the diversity of their employee base,” Said Jess Thompson, vice president and provost of UNR. “They wanted to offer support to students that could become employees of Google, educate them, train them, and provide mentoring. Since we have very good computer science, engineering, data science, and information science programs, and have a very diverse student body we were a natural fit.” UNR ranks 231 nationwide for Engineering and comes in first in Nevada for Engineering and Computer Science according to CollegeFactual. The virtual program will be incorporated alongside students’ class schedules and will most likely be self-paced, however, those selected will be expected to meet the completion dates. “I think it’s going to be a good program for students. I think it’s going to be a very rigorous program too. They’re going to have to work pretty hard,” said Thompson. Thompson, however, emphasized the support which will be available for the educational part of the program if students find themselves struggling. “Being in the program will allow students to have state-of-the-art education in what’s currently going on in some of the tech industries,” Thompson said. “It’s also a paid internship so the students will be paid and at the end have an opportunity to interview for a job with Google.” The idea was first introduced to Sandoval and Thompson just before Thanksgiving of last year. Thompson describes the program as being in its “pilot” stage, as it’s the first year and is only selecting a limited number of students. Although Sandoval and Thompson remain optimistic about TechWise, they hope the program can expand and attract similar opportunities to students across various departments, not just the College of Science. Summer Steinsrud can be reached at edrewes@unr.edu or on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.

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Stanfill-Fitzpatrick campaign seeks make UNR “Stronger with Nevada”

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Ramirez-Kidd campaign strives to advocate “For All Students” By Summer Steinsrud

Rachel Jackson / Nevada Sagebrush Dionne Stanfill (right) and Bayla Fitzpatrick (left) pose for a photo in the Delamare Library. Their campaign “Stronger with Nevada” plans to bring students together.

By Emerson Drewes

Election season is here for the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, and students will be submitting ballots on March 8. Their campaign “Stronger with Nevada” is aimed at helping students find their place and being vocal about their needs. The pair both currently serve as elected members of ASUN. Stanfill, a junior criminal justice major, is in her third year at ASUN and started in the eightyseventh session. She started as a senate intern, then senator for the College of Liberal Arts where she won “senator of the year” and now serves as the chief justice as elected by Austin Brown, current ASUN president. Fitzpatrick, a sophomore biochemistry major, is serving her first term at ASUN as a senator for the College of Biotechnology, Agriculture and Natural Resources. She has passed two substantial pieces of legislation: A Resolution in Support of Pronoun Inclusion and A Resolution in Support of Mandatory Vaccination for In-Person Attendance. The campaign is based around four pillars: community, advocacy, organization and association. Their main goal is to get students excited to be at the university and build a strong campus community. “So we want to advocate for all students to make sure that they feel comfortable on campus, they have safe places to go to, and they feel a part of our community,” said Fitzpatrick, vice presidential candidate. “Which leads us to like the community, part of our campaign, just like building a community, building the spirit at games, building the spirit on campus, making people want to come to campus.” According to Stanfill, presidential candidate, the pillars are ever growing and changing with the campus community. “... Something that we want the students to know is that there is no end goal with all of our pillars that are ever changing and ever growing,” said Stanfill. “Every day when we meet with students, and we talk to them what their concerns, what their needs are, they are ever growing to truly make a stronger Nevada.” The pair said they plan to take advantage of the president’s cabinet within ASUN and fully utilize each department to its fullest potential. Stanfill, as chief justice, already serves as an ex-officio member of the president’s cabinet. “There’s different departments within the cabinet such as diversity, equity, inclusion, wellness, sustainability,” said Stanfill. “Hiring the perfect cabinet so that they can use their experiences in implementing some of those campaigns that we planned out, especially within the pillars of community opportunity, advocacy and association.” With Fitzpatrick being in pre-dental and Stanfill being in pre-law, there is an emphasis on pre-professional programs for students in their campaign. Additionally, they want to make an emphasis on clubs and organizations to help students find their place on campus. “So working with clubs and orgs, just expanding Club Fair, and just getting people to find their home on campus,” said Fitzpatrick. “... Because I think once you find your home, and once you find that niche of people, and like groups that you want to work with, then you’re just excited to go to everything because you have people to go with.” “Nevada Wow” is an event the two have planned in enabling students to get excited about being on campus and to fully utilize the president’s cabinet. “... Every department within the president’s cabinet is going to have a week that’s devoted when we come back for the first week of the semester,” said Stanfill. “... Having like Wellness Week, sustainability week, and keeping the welcome weeks rolling in order to make students feel welcome.” Additionally, they would like to bring Greek Life back onto campus. Multiple Greek life associations at the university are not recognized. Fitzpatrick is an active member of her sorority, Sigma Kappa, and said she thinks it is a great opportunity for students. “We want them to be excited to be on campus, not just off campus. So that is definitely one of my goals,” said Fitzpatrick. “But in terms of on campus, Greek life, fraternities, sororities, I think that just improving their general association with campus and like their general well being whether it’s funding or just support from the association is really important.” As for advocacy, they have both emphasized hearing student voices through means of town halls and other programs. “So a lot of our direct programs that we have to practice is town halls and associations and committees,” said Stanfill. “... With clubs, with diversity clubs, with Greek life, with athletics, with RHA ResLife. In order to like hear their feedback, and put that into place.” Stanfill and Fitzpatrick are confident in their campaign and believe they are fit to fulfill the duties of president and vice president. “I am 100 percent the best person to fill this role. I 100 percent think that I could fulfill this to my best capacities, that I could do everything in my power, that I could be the best vice president this university has seen,” said Fitzpatrick. “That’s why I’m running because I think that we are the best fit for this role, and I’m 100 percent confident in us.” Both noted they are actively involved in the campus community through different clubs and organizations, and show up to all the sporting events they can. “I know that personally, Bayla and I are willing to show up, we go to all events in every department, and we’re involved in different clubs on campus,” said Stanfill. “We’re willing to show up for the students and listen to their perspectives, regardless of what it is.” For more information on their campaign, they can be found on Instagram @ StrongerwithNV.

Emerson Drewes can be reached via email at edrewes@unr.edu or via Twitter @EmersonDrewes

The Associated Students of the University of Nevada student elections are right around the corner and candidates have begun their campaigns. Leslie Ramirez, student-president candidate, and Autumn Kidd, student vicepresident candidate, has their campaign revolving around the phrase “For ALL Students”. Ramirez and Kidd said the phrase stems from their principle of complete equity. “The idea is that the word ‘ALL’ can be replaced with however students would like to identify at the moment, and we will still represent and support them no matter what, because they will always be students to us, first,” said Kidd. Their campaign also includes the idea of improving quality of life for all students as they wish to represent all identities, opinions and values regardless of different backgrounds. Additionally, the wish to simultaneously establish peace within the student-campus community. “With the political climate being so divisive, we want to rebuild those burned bridges among the students to create a unified campus,” said Leslie Ramirez, presidential candidate. The pair said their four pillars — community pride; student health and wellness; diversity, equity and inclusion; and tradition, legacy and pride — will allow them to foster a more equitable campus community. Leslie Ramirez is a current senator for the College of Business in the ASUN, and is the chair on the Committee of Budget and Finance. Ramirez said herer endeavors include pushing for sexual assault policy reform, advocating for a Women’s Week. Ramirez said she is running with the intent to serve “as a voice to all students” and emphasized how she doesn’t want to fall into the routine of leaving goals and initiatives unfinished. Ramirez added is also running to be an example for students of color, like herself. “Since I’ve been a student representative, I have been able to see the opportunities that I am privileged to have despite being a daughter of an immigrant household,” said Ramirez. “I can use my presence as a leader to set an example and inspire others to do the same.” If elected, Ramirez plans to establish campus policies which will have a positive effect on the mental and physical wellbeing of students. One goal she has set towards this, is to find a grocery store to build on campus which will help towards housing and food security for students and faculty. “I don’t want students to feel overwhelmed and hinder their own education, because they can not provide for themselves,” Ramirez explains. “Education is a right for all students, and I want them to take advantage of this right.” Ramirez also plans to lay a foundation for better financial literacy which goes beyond knowing how to fill out a FAFSA form. A foundation which she believes should’ve been taught to students in high school in preparation for the next step into adulthood. “Students need to learn the basic adult skills that are not taught in high school,” Ramirez states. “Skills can include filing taxes, investments, and legal documentation comprehension. With this, the University of Nevada, Reno can confidently say that their graduates are ready for their life and career.” Ramirez hopes offering knowledge towards better financial literacy will help students gain better knowledge on adulting-skills such as tax filing, investments and legal document comprehension. Ramirez is enrolled in the College of Business, majoring in Management and Marketing with an expectation to graduate Spring 2023. Her post-grad plans include pursuing a master’s degree and eventually completing a doctorate in Business Psychology. Autumn Kidd is running for the ASUN position of Vice President and has partnered up to campaign alongside Leslie Ramirez. Kidd has served as a senator for the School of Public Health at ASUN for two terms. Through her position as senator, she said she expresses the leadership skills she has gained and how she believes they will help her if elected as vice president. Some of her success as a senator includes helping pass legislation for the COVID-19 S/U Policy and the Grade Replacement Policy. Kidd emphasized how she shall continue to actively work towards listening to all students and their voices, and represent them in office. If elected, Kidd plans to “be the best advocate for all students.” She hopes to work towards offering Reno cuisine to students in a food truck fashion on campus, which in turn will increase the list of Pack-Friendly businesses affiliated with the university. “I have heard of students wanting to be more involved in campus life. Some examples for campus life and community involvement include potentially offering Reno cuisine in food-truck fashion and increasing our list of Pack-Friendly businesses.” Kidd also has several athletic-specific goals, some of which include increasing opportunities for both club and intramural sports. Developing an athletic training room for members to help with any acute or lengthy rehabilitation of injury is one of her goals. Another goal is to obtain statewide, and potentially even nationwide, television coverage and recognition for all of UNR’s Division One teams. Enrolled in the School of Public Health, Kidd is majoring in kinesiology and minoring in sports management. She has plans to graduate in Spring 2023. Post-graduation, Kidd hopes to further her education by obtaining a doctorate in physical therapy. More information on the Ramirez-Kidd campaign can be found on the ASUN website and on their Instagram page @RamirezKiddNV.

Summer Steinsrud can be reached via email at edrewes@unr.edu or via Twitter @NevadaSagebrush

Photo courtesy of the Ramirez-Kidd campaign

Arts Entertainment A4 | A&E

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

“I’m trying to combine those two worlds”: Kavin Sivakumar, A STEM Major Turned Actor

scientist, slash media personality, slash TV presenter,” he explained. “If I could pick a job right now, I would love to host my own TV show talking about food and culture and food science.” Though he doesn’t think his theater experience will go anywhere career-wise, events like this have taught him he wants to take his degrees and combine them with some type of on-camera job. Sivakumar was able to jump into theater and embrace the new depths of the program. “I think we’re all gonna be kidding ourselves if we say that there isn’t a stigma associated with theater students,’’ Sivakumar explained. “There is stigmas between majors all the time, and I’ve never been someone who major-shamed.” Sivakumar, an Indian American, said he has experienced similar criticism coming from a STEM background. He explained he is surrounded by the common stereotypes in these areas of study. “I’m never in a place to judge what someone wants to pursue,” Sivakumar said. Based on his own experiences, having a positive and focused mindset helped him adapt better to the theater program as he embraced fun adventures with his fellow castmates. Even though he may not be interested in going into acting specifically, Sivakumar still says he would love to do it again. “Whether it be a theater production or short film or any other opportunity, I’m always looking for them. And I’m always auditioning for them … always putting myself out there,” he said. “I’m putting out that energy and seeing what pops up.” Isaac Hoops/ Nevada Sagebrush Sivakumar knows what he wants to do and Kavin Sivakumar prepares for his opening night performance as Theseus in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, his first-ever theater performance. is always looking for new challenges and opportunities for himself. He’s set on the path last semester from the Listserv of the Theater was not a liberal arts major, faculty or gradu- he wants and advises all students at the uniBy Jaedyn Young Kavin Sivakumar sweeps the audience off and Dance programs, Sivakumar decided to ate. The whole situation made him wonder versity level to do the same. Sivakumar works as a Resident Assistant their feet with his refreshing acting chops in try his luck with the Shakesperian classic. if he actually belonged in the theater world, the remake of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer “I [went] in with the mindset thinking ... especially when he struggled throughout the and said he almost had to drop a class at one point to do this production. Night’s Dream”, put on by the University of this is going to be a lesson in rejection thera- practices. “Don’t ever be afraid to pursue what you Nevada, Reno. py ... I need to be able to hear the word ‘no,’” “I was the last person to be off book, which Sivakumar, however, is not a theater major. Sivakumar said. “I was called back for three means the last person to memorize all my want to pursue,” Sivakumar said, offering “I was not a theater kid,” Sivakumar said different roles … I was only able to do two lines,” Sivakumar said. “The hardest thing wisdom to other students. “You never know about his high school life. “I didn’t do any- of them before [the director] said ‘I’ve seen or like the most challenging was memoriz- where [these opportunities] are going to lead thing in front of the camera.” enough everyone’ … and I was the first per- ing my lines … that was probably my biggest you … they can all happen at their own time. You can do it.” He was always interested in STEM-related son that she sent home.” learning curve.” His work ethic and commitment to helping fields and subjects, which led him to double He was moving on from his rejection a However, Sivakumar knew he was chosen major in biology and nutrition. week later, as he tried to convince himself for a reason, and there were people who be- others work as hard as he does helped with the balance of his own responsibilities. Once Sivakumar became interested in he would have better luck next time. When lieved in him. “Especially being in my position as an RA, public speaking, he became consumed with he saw the email that casted him as Theseus He started falling in love with theater. finding opportunities to get his name and in the play it was a monumental moment for He specifically liked the clothing and cos- this is the biggest message that I give out to face out there. Sivakumar. He unlocked an entire new world tume design, though the low budget of the all of my residents or people that I encoun“I’m actively pursuing something in STEM of opportunities, he said. university’s theater program did not allow for ter,” Sivakumar stated. “It’s just like, have that growth mindset where you can push yourself while at the same time pursuing something Despite his excitement, entering this new a lot of costume leeway for the production. in show business,” he said. “I’m trying to theater role was new and daunting territory. After his experience with the theater pro- in different avenues or different fields, becombine those two worlds.” “We talk about imposter syndrome a lot gram and having the opportunity to develop cause you never know where that’s gonna Sivakumar had never performed in front of in the STEM field,” Sivakumar described. his own likes and dislikes, it was a wonder lead you or where that’s going to take you.” a live audience before. He had some experi- “When I entered this field completely, I was to know if he did want to pursue the theater ence with work in front of a camera through- thrown, I was taken aback.” program further and perhaps change up his Jaedyn Young can be reached at jaedynyoung@ out his college career, but nothing like a theSivakumar had to re-adjust to the new lan- path. sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @jaedyn_ ater performance. guage and references the people around him Sivakumar already had an answer. When he found out about the auditions used. He was the only one in the play who “My dream job is to become a notable food young3.

The Abstract Artist Who Remained an Unknown Nevadan By Jaedyn Young Barely published, mostly unknown and rarely recognized, local abstract artist, Richard Guy Walton, has work plastered on the walls as part of the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art. Anthony Shafton, the author of Walton’s biography “A Nevada Life: Richard Guy Walton”, pushed for Walton’s work to get more recognition. Students can see it on display at the University of Nevada, Reno in the Church Fine Arts building. “[Walton] wanted very much to appeal to the young,” Shafton told The Sagebrush. “And the fact that the young people of that generation didn’t respond to him really discouraged him and he quit painting for a number of years.” It seems Walton’s appeal to the younger generation was not seen during his lifetime, but now being on display at the university will give his work a chance to be admired, not only by people on campus, but also by the locals of Reno. Reno was Walton’s final home, so it was only suitable for his work to be remembered here. Walton, also known as Nevada’s “Grand Old Man” of abstract art, was born in San Francisco, Calif. in 1914 and later died in Reno in 2005. A decade before his death, the Nevada Museum of Art allowed him three exhibitions in 1993 and 1994 for his ranges of abstract painting mediums. This artist tried everything. He tried photography and caricature drawings before he got into abstract art with watercolor painting, oil and enamel painting on different surfaces and even acrylic painting. “It’s hard for me to say what the students will take out of this because there’s so many styles, you know, and when I look at student art here, it is also in you know, very many styles,” Shafton said. “But one thing I definitely do hope is that the outtake from it is the technical mastery there because he really was a master of techniques.” Walton struggled because the market wanted people to produce in one certain style of art, but he didn’t want to conform to just one. He wanted to create his own individualism and not be constrained by the art which took hold of him in that moment.

Rachel Jackson/ Nevada Sagebrush Students walk the halls around the Lilley Museum’s Front Gallery whilst the new exhibit surrounding Richard Guy Walton remains on display at the university.

The Walton exhibit has 22 pieces hanging on the walls, each divided into some of their own individual sections and some grouped together. One of Shafton’s favorites is the “Image of Ithaca/Triptych II”, which is an oil and enamel painting on a masonite surface from 1965. The painting has reddish shutters on the outside thirds of the piece and in the center is a mix of colors and designs with a black frame of oil covered in splotches of a cream white mixed in with a pinkish color in the center. “You know, it’s hard for me to tell you why it appeals to me most…[just] something about it,” Shafton said. Shafton also really enjoyed one of his last paintings called “2000 A.D.” from 1992, which is a nude portrayal that’s also a work with oil and enamel on a masonite surface.

“I suspect this [piece] had to do with hopes for some sort of regeneration in the world,” Shafton said, when showing the piece. Not only did Walton have an assortment of paintings which may have never been recognized, or had hardly received any attention, but he also had an assortment of unpublished written works. What did his written work focus on? “Himself,” Shafton said with a chuckle. “[He wrote] some straight autobiography and a lot in the novel format, which would basically [be] autobiographical fiction.” However, Walton also focused on other things. Like a photo book he compiled on Virginia City, which was never published, and individual pieces on theories of perspective. Walton even wrote a bit on an underwater theory based on his piece “Off Riding Rock I” from 1977.

Regardless of unfinished or unrecognized work, Walton still managed to play a huge role in the abstract art community in Nevada’s cultural history and Shafton is here to help reintroduce him to the Reno community where he was previously recognized. For all art students of the university’s community, Shafton said Walton’s advice would be nothing short of political. “He’d say, for God’s sake, save this country from fascism,” Shafton emphasized with a smile. “What I’d say from Walton … Don’t limit yourself in your creative ambitions.” The retrospective exhibit will remain available for the public until April 24 at the Lilley’s Front Door Gallery. Jaedyn Young can be reached at jaedynyoung@ sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @jaedyn_ young3.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

A&E | A5

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Realism Hits “Euphoria” Fans like a Truck

By Jaedyn Young Still wondering why Sam Levinson’s hit show “Euphoria” is plastered all over the internet? So is the rest of the world. During 2019, pre-pandemic, “Euphoria” received an average of 6.6 million watchers from merely eight episodes of season one. After the season ended and production was postponed, the anticipation for more of the show grew. The premiere of season two dropped over a year later on Jan. 9, and fans went crazy. The series currently has 13.1 million viewers from HBO and HBO Max. So why is a teeny-bopper sex show getting so many views? The realistic depictions of drugs, sex, manipulation, identity crises, depression and high school as a whole is highlighted in each episode, all while being soaked in glitter and sparkly party clothes. A lot of high school shows miss the concept of tragic situations and the real-life struggles teens deal with. However, “Euphoria” does a good job of tying it together without worrying about villainizing its characters. Not only does one feel the emotional tragedies of each dark and twisted event, but the graphic portrayal of metaphors and hardships requires a serious content warning for every new episode. To revisit the structure of each episode in season one, most of the episodes start with a flashback to a previous moment or significant event in each of the characters’ lives. For example, the second episode of season one starts by retracing the events of Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi, as a kid watching his dad’s secret collection of porn where he has sex with young men and trans women. Now, for recapping the events of each of the characters, things get a bit complicated. Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya, is the narrator and one of the main characters of the story. Rue’s main struggle throughout the series is that she’s a drug addict. Her father died from cancer after she spent all of her time feeding him medication in his bedroom inside her home. When Rue got curious about the pills and drugs, she tried them herself and was hooked from there. We watch the trauma that her mom, Leslie, played by Nika King, and sister, Gia, played by Storm Reid, go through after she overdoses, gets back from rehab and relapses. We meet her drug dealer, Fezco, played by Angus Cloud. Throughout the show, Rue finds a new best friend—whom she later falls in love with—named Jules Vaughn, played by Hunter Schafer, who also rises as a main character. Jules is new to town and she definitely doesn’t start off on the right foot. Like Schafer in real life, Jules is transgender and fluid with her sexuality. She has sex with Nate’s dad, Cal Jacobs, played by Eric Dane, at the beginning of the show, before knowing who he is. Her entire season one experience essentially surrounds her dangerous one-

night stands, her obsession with a mystery internet guy named Tyler, and her complicated friendship with Rue. Nate is the well-loved boy who rules the school, though he has a darker side to him, like most of the other characters. As the season progresses, we see Nate is a toxic, abusive boyfriend to his girlfriend, Maddy Perez, played by Alexa Demie. He plays with Jules’s feelings through the persona of Tyler on a gay dating app, and he is very confused about his sexuality because of seeing his dad’s secret porn collection at such a young age. All the characters are pretty villainous in their own ways, but Nate is the definitely darkest in the bunch. Maddy is a pretty simple character to understand. She was a pageant girl who has always wanted to marry rich. She’s dating Nate and loves him, but also cannot seem to pull herself out of the on-and-off abusive situation she’s in. In one of the episodes, Nate leaves physical bruise marks on her neck, but she still feels love for him— a situation envisioned to be very relatable on screen for a lot of domestic violence survivors. Her best friends are Lexi, Cassie and Kat, who stand alongside her as she rules the school with her popularity. Cassie Howard, played by Sydney Sweeney, has a little more depth to her. Cassie’s dad left her, her mom and her sister, Lexi, played by Maude Apatow, when they were young. Cassie is extremely sexualized in the show, with her nude photographs and videos constantly being brought up, and her chest is always on display. In the first season, Cassie struggles mostly with the relationship she has with Chris McKay, played by Algee Smith. At one point, Cassie even has to deal with an unplanned pregnancy from her on-and-off college boyfriend. F i n a l l y, we have Kat Hernandez, played by Barbie Ferreira, t h e b e s t friend o f Maddy w h o

constantly struggles with her body image. Viewers watch Kat’s love for her body grow as she gains a new sexual confidence and newfound body positivity. She explores her sexuality in real life and on the internet and we watch her adventure off into new worlds and become more comfortable in her skin. All of the characters’ attitudes are mirroring a Gen Z depiction of high school students. The curse words, the drugs, the alcohol, the parties and the confusing relationships, all go along with some of the darker views of what goes on behind teens’ closed doors. One can imagine after seeing full nudity scenes, hearing F-bombs dropped in every scene and watching character dramas unfold, anyone would be drawn back into the action for a season two. Except, season two is even crazier than anyone expected. Remember the good friends Maddy and Cassie who devoted their souls to being best friends? Well, Cassie is now hooking up with Nate behind Maddy’s back. Otherwise, besides the main drama, Kat remains bored with her new vanilla relationship with a normal guy, Rue relapsed on drugs (again) and Jules is pushing to get Rue back. And the dear, pure Lexie started to develop a little feelings for old Fezco— until he beat Nate to a pulp as revenge for tipping the cops off to raid his house. And that was just the first episode. As for the rest of the season, it all moves pretty quickly. The audience meets a recurring character, Elliot, played by Dominic Fike, who was originally seen doing drugs with Rue. Now that she and Jules magically became a couple, Jules is suspicious of Elliot and Rue’s friendship. Jules interrogates him and discovers they aren’t secretly in love, but doesn’t know Rue is doing drugs with him. Throughout the next few

episodes, the three of them hang out. After Jules tries to get Rue to be more sexual with her, we see a downfall to their relationship, as Rue is too high to enjoy sexual activities and Jules is desperate for something. Soon enough, Jules and Elliot decide to jump off a metaphorical bridge one day and almost nearly rip each other’s clothes off, making out when Rue’s in the bathroom. They steal some liquor, almost get killed and Rue goes too far on her high, to which she and Jules sort of break-up and eventually Elliot rats Rue out for her drug use. All of episode five revolves around Jules ratting Rue’s addiction out to her mother,her running away from her problems and essentially ruining all the good relationships she has with her friends and family. This entire episode had phenomenal acting and filming. Zendaya may just win a second Emmy for Best Actress, simply for her engagingly realistic acting in this scene. The audience really sees the difficulty drug addicts have with their life and those in the world around them. By portraying the effects of drugs, young people can open their eyes to the truth behind addiction. As for the rest of the characters, it’s a more mundane sense of drama. Nate is in the hospital, deciding on whether he actually wants Cassie, Maddy or Jules. Cassie is struggling with an identity crisis because she has no idea who she is without a relationship. Maddy doesn’t know whether to get back together with Nate or stay broken up with him. In the end, Maddy and Nate get back together and Cassie does not handle the decision well. A drunken night leads to Cassie vomiting in a hot tub on everyone, making for a nice, unforgettable birthday gift for dear Maddy. Not to mention that shortly, in the midst of the Rue drama in episode 5, Maddy finds out from a relapsing Rue that her best friend and boyfriend had been hooking up since after New Year’s. Can someone say drumroll for episode 6? Otherwise, McKay is pretty irrelevant in college, Kat is stuck in a relationship she can’t stand, Fez is still selling drugs and Lexie is writing a play called “Oklahoma” based on her sister Cassie’s life. And that’s just the beginning of the mess to come. Something about “Euphoria” seems to be keeping people on their toes. Maybe each of the characters has a relatable dark side after all. Or maybe the realism of the show’s emotions and drama for young adults makes it that much more appealing. Season two, episode six is scheduled to air on Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. What could Levison have in store for us next? Ja e d y n Yo u n g c a n b e re a c h e d a t jaedynyoung@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @jaedyn_young3.

Warner TV via Flickr.

“DUNE” Remake Still Lacks Key Details By Jaedyn Young Somehow, even in a two-and-a-half hour timeframe, the glory of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel “Dune” is still not fully expressed on the big screen. Herbert’s extensive world-building and insanely creative imagination was able to come up with an entirely new, futuristic, interstellar world. It is no wonder Denis Villeneuve, the director of the 2021 version, wasn’t even able to include the entire first novel in the film. The plot of the movie consists of roughly a third of the book and leaves the remaining estimated 200 pages to exist only in the soon-tobe “Dune: Part Two”. Even with the majority of the story in the first film, there are major plot discoveries which are left out of Villeneuve’s creation. However, as a brief introduction to the summary of the novel and book, it is important to first note the cast and the importance of their familial and friendship connections. It can be argued you will never see such a spectacular cast fit so well into each of their roles. Based on the descriptions in the novel, the characters’ personalities, physical appearances and portrayals were not only incredibly accurate, but were enticing

and much easier to develop attachments with than the original 1984 “Dune” directed by David Lynch. Timothée Chalamet, who plays the main character, Paul Atreides, was one of the most accurate castings anyone could’ve expected. Paul is 15 years of age in the novel, but his maturity levels are akin to an average adult. Even though the actor is 25, he can still play a young boy well and is able to balance the maturity Paul holds within. In the scene when Paul discovers his true nature of being bred to become the “Kwisatz Haderach”, a man who is supposed to essentially save the world and be the people’s messiah, he plays the freak-out moment exceptionally well. As they sit under a small tent in the middle of nowhere, Paul screams at his mother for making him a “freak” and mourns his father after he has a vision of the future. This was one of the most emotional and important scenes in the book and was captured beautifully by Chalamet and the director to make sure everyone remembered it. Paul’s mother, who’s with him during this scene, is Jessica Atreides. Jessica is portrayed by Rebecca

Ferguson in the film, and she was also an excellent fit. Not only does Ferguson have similar attributes to Chalamet, but she also plays a strong-willed female lead. She’s definitely got some strong wits about her, too. Jessica is a member of the Bene Gesserit, a metaphoric religious organization composed solely of women who condition their minds and bodies to develop superhuman powers. This is where the concept of “the voice” comes into play. We see the voice right in the beginning scene of Paul and his mother at the table. Jessica urges Paul to force her to give him a glass of water by ordering her to with his mind. The scene does an incredible job of summarizing these manipulative powers to help the audience who hasn’t read the book understand the capabilities of the Bene Gesserit and their powers. However, the movie fails to include the deeper definition of a “Menat” and what their capabilities are. Paul has the underlying traits of a Menat, which are essentially “human computers” as defined in the book. The Bene Gesserit training his mother gives him heightens his abili-

ties. The closest definition of a real Menat we get in the book and movie is Duke Leto Atreides’s righthand man, Thufir Hawat. Hawat, portrayed by Stephen McKinley Henderson, is a significant character who does not get mentioned as often in the movie as fans would prefer. He is a loyal commander to the duke and feels a father-like connection with Paul. His future in the novel is eventually placed in the hands of the Harkonnens when they capture him and tell him the entire Atreides family is dead. Duke Leto of Atreides unfortunately is the first to die in the family. His arrival on Arrakis, the desert planet the whole plot revolves around, was doomed from the start. Leto, played by Oscar Isaac, was also a great casting move. His manliness and loving connection to Jessica was as obvious in the movie as it was in the book, even though she only acted as his concubine, not his wife.

Continued online at thenevadasagebrush.com

The official movie poster from the adaption of Frank Herbert’s “Dune”.

Opinion A6 | OPINION

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

University Students are Tired of Legislative Whiplash By Olive Giner

The COVID-19 pandemic has unequivocally disrupted society since 2020, including the pivotal developmental years which are undergrad. Back in 2020, we thought we’d only be home for a couple extra weeks. A couple weeks turned to months, and months turned to two and a half semesters of virtual learning. Every college student has been affected by the pandemic since its beginning, rolling with the punches in hopes to experience the sort of post-COVID normalcy promised to us when we enrolled into university. First it was masks, then vaccines, all in an effort to combat the spread of the virus. We as students of the University of Nevada, Reno experienced numerous changes in both university policies and administration as our institution has adjusted to

the pandemic. However, the Nevada System of Higher Education’s latest legislative move seeks to cause reprehensible whiplash to the campus community. Last month, the Nevada Legislative Commission overturned the vaccine mandate which prevented unvaccinated students from on-campus class enrollment. While there is much discussion to be had about the public health effects of NSHE’s decision, the implementation of the mandate is an undeniable failure of our legislators and university administration. For many students, the vaccine mandate acted as a vote of confidence for in-person classes, despite a pandemic resurgence due to the Omicron variant. Now, those students who took comfort in knowing they’d be sitting in a classroom of vaccinated individuals are left to fend for themselves, stripped of the hope they were clinging to for a safe in-person environment.

And how about those students who spent weeks waiting on medical and religious exemptions before enrolling in classes? Enrollment dates are given specific times for a reason. Classes fill up—even the ones someone would need to graduate on time. The vaccination enrollment hold has been lifted, but those who left their class schedules up to administration are left with crumbs. Steve Sisolak, governor of Nevada, lifted the statewide mask mandate as well, causing the university to follow suit. For many students concerned about catching COVID, the fear has evolved into an inevitability. Due to directions from university administration, there are no longer hyflex options for students or faculty who have contracted the virus. Becoming infected is now the equivalent of a punishment, forcing you to sacrifice your education for the sake of public health. What will happen in a few weeks when

COVID cases eventually rise? Will we be sent back home? Will we be forced online? Will Sisolak reinstate a mask mandate? Only time will tell—clearly, we the people are only an experiment waiting to produce results. Inconsistent and unclear messaging from those in charge ultimately affects students and faculty on all sides of the pandemic. I urge NSHE, university administrators and our state government to consider the consequences of legislation and policy changes. We’re sick of thoughtless change. Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Olive Giner is a student at the University of Nevada studying journalism. They can be reached at jessicacabrera@sagebrush.unr. edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

The NSHE vaccine, mask mandate overturn is a step back for Nevada By Jessica Cabrera

Noah Scott / Nevada Sagebrush A line for COVID-19 testing at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Student Health Center.

Prior to the start of the Spring 2022 semester, Nevada’s Legislative Commission overturned the emergency student vaccine mandate for educational institutions in the Nevada System of Higher Education. Two months later, Governor Steve Sisolak lifted Nevada’s mask mandate. Some Nevadans rejoice in the government’s decision to start taking steps back, but the government’s recent actions are far from sound. The increasing amount of indifference towards COVID-19 is a consequence of state, local and federal governments being unable to fully address the pandemic. The repealed vaccine mandate for students is one of many systemic failures that led us to this point, and is part of the reason why the public’s concern about the virus dulled into apathy over the past two years. According to the CDC’s weekly review of COVID cases from February 11, the sevenday average for positive COVID cases in the

Nostalgia-heavy movies are a front for lazy cinema By Jessica Cabrera

Sequel or franchise movies have become a mainstay in the film industry over the past three decades, and the number of movies which are merely continuations or remakes of familiar franchises has dramatically increased. In turn, the number of films reliant on quality nostalgia has also risen over time. Franchise movies and sequels come in the forms of horrendous live-action remakes, sequels no one asks for or continuations of character stories nobody really cares about. These “nostalgia-bait” movies parade themselves as being as great as the original movies. At best, the films are serviceable and at least enjoyable. At worst, the movies are incomprehensibly awful. Most of the time, the films are lazy and cannot stand on their own without heavy references to the source material. Nostalgia alone can carry movies to a certain extent. It is easy to appeal to emotions rather than making a competent movie — but the practice is lazy and overused. Avid fans can experience nostalgia intensely, but even people who were less invested will feel some emotional pull from revisited plotlines. In a fairly recent theater-going experience with my brother to the newest “Ghostbusters” movie, I found myself rather unimpressed with the film as a whole. The plot was trite, and the film was accessorized in references to the previous “Ghostbusters” movies to create emotional weight. However, references to the source material do not work when a viewer does not know certain shots or lines are important references. I felt nothing in my viewing experience. My brother, on the other hand, loved the film and proclaimed it was his favorite movie of 2021. He found the film so enjoyable, he was willing to rewatch it. The latest installment in the Marvel Spider-Man franchise was far from awful. Rather than being entirely reliant on references to the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films, the film focused on fan service. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is not without its flaws, because it cannot free itself from the shackles all nostalgia-heavy films are tied down by. While watching “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, I was not expecting to feel the urge to clap like a vintage wind-up monkey with cymbals at the sight of previous actors I enjoyed in my childhood. I did not expect myself, a person who is critical of these types of movies, to overlook the lameness of crucial scenes for the sake of nostalgia. It wasn’t until then I realized how powerful nostalgia-bait truly is. The movie dangles a reference in front of fans, and fans take the bait. Production companies are aware the only viewers powerful enough to withstand its pull are the people who are not familiar with the source material — they’re not likely to watch the latest installment of a film series without having seen the previous ones. Nostalgia-bait is designed to entice invested audiences into superficially enjoying a movie by overriding critical thought with emotion. With the commercialization of the film industry by large production companies, it is unlikely there will be an end to remakes or sequels when the movies generate millions of dollars on opening weekend. Nonetheless, audiences can demand higher-quality movies if society can learn to recognize when they’ve swum into the trap of childhood nostalgia. Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of the Sagebrush or its staff. Jessica Cabrera is a student at the University of Nevada studying journalism. She can be reached at jessicacabrera@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.

United States was 215,418. The spike in COVID cases during the holiday season increases by magnitudes every year, yet the responses from the government continuously lessen. The current seven-day moving average for new cases is worse than the peak of the Delta variant’s wave, so why is the government taking steps back from protecting citizens? Unvaccinated COVID patients continue to overwhelm America’s struggling healthcare system and drain available resources. The severity of illness caused by the Omicron variant is seemingly milder, but the recent spike in COVID hospitalizations tells a different story. It is disappointing that a government designed to protect the interests of the health and safety of Nevadans was split in its decision to protect members of the community. While the vaccine mandate for NSHE employees remains active, a large portion of the people on campus are still students. The potential for the virus to spread across the campus is exponentially higher now that masks are also not mandatory.

Vaccines and masks may not guarantee full protection against infection, but it greatly reduces a person’s risk of contracting the virus or becoming severely ill if they are infected. Ultimately, most people benefit from multiple forms of protection against COVID-19. It is incredibly sad to see policies protecting thousands of people on campus be struck down in – what should be – a clear decision. It is unlikely that Nevada or the United States will return to a pre-pandemic state if the government or relevant authorities do not take action to protect the health of their constituents. Adopting the “everyone will inevitably get COVID,” mindset and refusing to acknowledge the severity of the crisis will result in the exact opposite of returning to normalcy. Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Jessica Cabrera is a student at the University of Nevada studying journalism. She can be reached at jessicacabrera@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

NFTs are the internet’s new favorite ponzi scheme bought ownership. Cryptocurrency mining is not particularly environmentally friendly. The mining of cryptocurrency requires an obscene amount of energy. Ethereum, the cryptocurrency most NFTs are purchased with, emits absurd amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and is not considered sustainable. If NFTs become more popular, the climate crisis will be forced to face another issue to overcome. Beyond the environmental impact of these meaningless licenses, the art is visually unappealing. It is astounding how people would spend the equivalent of thousands of dollars on a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT. Sometimes, the NFTs are not genuine. Some pieces of digital art are stolen and sold on the NFT marketplace or are generated by artificial intelligence. The people who collect NFTs manage to be insufferable on the internet, between mindless shilling for NFTs as being “the future of art” and cryptobros engaging in discrimination to gain clout. The latest incident of racism came from an NFT collection known as the “Meta Slave” collection. The collection consisted of 1,865 portrait photographs of African Americans titled “META SLAVE” with an assigned number and listed at 0.01 ETH (roughly $30). The collection was removed from OpenSea and rebranded to “Meta Humans’’ following the controversy. The NFT marketplace aims to emulate reallife art auctions. Much like real-world art collecting, the NFT space is also an avenue for money laundering. The U.S. Treasury Department cited NFTs as an area of concern for trade-based money laundering activity. While Broooke Germain / Nevada Sagebrush there are no documented cases of incarceration An illustration of an ape in the art style of the Bored Ape related to NFT money laundering, it is likely to occur given the nature of the marketplace. Yacht Club hanging onto the top of a skyscraper. Rather than mining cryptocurrency and buyNon-fungible tokens (NFTs) are, quite possi- ing an NFT for the sake of collecting art in a new way, it would be more beneficial to combly, the worst creation to grace the internet. NFT’s are licenses of ownership for digital mission artists to make pieces. It is a one-offiles which cannot be traded. The files can be a-kind piece designed for the commissioner images, videos or audio files. NFTs that can be and supports the artists. While commissions purchased through the use of cryptocurrency can be on the expensive side, most artists sell through various auction sites or individual art- commissions at prices cheaper than an NFT. If someone wants to support artists and does not ists. The first terrible aspect of owning an NFT is care about the exclusivity of a piece, some artthe fact the buyer does not actually own the ists have subscriptions services, set up booths NFT. The buyer is the owner of a certificate stat- at conventions or sell merchandise online. ing they own a one-of-a-kind digital art piece. Their name appears on the blockchain as proof of their ownership. There is a major flaw with Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are this appeal to art collectors: the art itself is eas- solely those of the author and do not necessarily ily replicable. express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Jessica People online mock NFT owners by simply Cabrera is a student at the University of Nevada screenshotting their supposedly “one-of-a- studying journalism. She can be reached at jeskind” piece. The owner of an NFT doesn’t tru- sicacabrera@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ ly own the piece, just the receipt saying they NevadaSagebrush By Jessica Cabrera

Sports

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

SPORTS | A7

No win after Nevada Men’s basketball drops their sixth game in a major comeback: row in loss to Colorado State

Nevada women’s basketball unable to keep their lead against SDSU

Lexie Givens sets a career high point game. She had a total of 27 points against SDSU. Photo Courtesy / Nevada Athletics

By Kelsey Middleton

finishes. We’ve lost in humiliating fashion to multiple teams that realistically should not be able to compete with us. USD, Santa Clara, USF, and now most recently Boise. One thing seems to constantly happen: poor rotation management, an over reliance on stars like Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Grant Sherfield to shoulder the burden of getting the team out of deficits and an air of stubbornness to not change a thing. What we are seeing is exactly what happened to Steve Alford at UCLA. The reason we see it here on campus today is because of my least favorite trend in college sports— hiring retread coaches who could not make it work at bigger institutions. Now, I know that this may be a bit of a knee jerk reaction and I agree it is to an extent. Alford needs a cold water bath to wake up and come to his senses. What has been tried by him before has not worked, so why try it again. Just like they say, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Devansh Mehra is a student at the University of Nevada.

After coming back from being behind ten points in the second period, Nevada was unable to keep their lead against San Diego State University and faced another ten point deficit in the final period. Nevada played away against SDSU on Feb. 9 and lost 68-57. Amaya West and Da’Ja Hamilton, usually known for their high number of points, did not have a great performance. West did not score a single point and Hamilton only had two. Although, Lexie Givens had a career high setting game scoring 27 points. She was the only Nevada player with double digits in the game. Nevada had a slow start in the first period, not being able to gain a lead. SDSU started off strong with back-to-back 3-pointers. Lexie Givens got a layup for Nevada's first points of the game. Audrey Roden made one of her two free throw attempts after Isabela Hernandez fouled. Nia Alexander and Alyssa Jimenez finished out the half, Jimenez with a 3-pointer. SDSU had multiple second-chance shots which kept them in the lead 14-10 after the first period. SDSU made their lead increase to 10 points in the beginning of the second period. Nevada did not allow that to last long after Natalie Lathrop made two free throws and back-to-back 3-pointers by Kylie Jimenez and Audrey Roden. After a Nevada jumper and layup, the Wolf Pack took the lead 22-20. There were three ties towards the end of the period at 22, 24 and finally at 29. At halftime, Nevada was shooting 37 percent in the field goal, 26.7 percent for threes and 83.3 percent at the charity stripe. Coming into the third period tied at 29, Nevada was able to take the lead right away. Givens made four free throws and Da’Ja Hamilton made her first points of the game off of an opponent turnover. Mercedes Staples sank a three for SDSU and a jumper which got them only one below Nevada at 36-37. It was then a one and two point game for the next five minutes and the lead was switched three times. SDSU got ahead 49-44 after a layup, 3-pointer and two free throws from a foul on Lathrop. The Aztects finished the period with a 9-0 run and ahead 51-44. The four fouls Nevada had in the third period made SDSU have easy opportunities to take a lead. The Aztecs went 8-8 at the charity stripe. The fourth quarter started with another Nevada foul and SDSU gained a lead of 11. The last time they had a lead was in the second period and Nevada responded and tied by halftime. The Wolf Pack went on a five point run at eight minutes and came to only a four point deficit at 49-53. After a couple of layups, jumpers and Staples with two 3-pointers, SDSU gained a large lead again at 65-53. The Jimenez sisters and Givens both had their share of two pointers but it was not enough to shorten the Aztec lead. In the last minute of the game, no points were scored and SDSU won 68-57. SDSU had a high shooting percentage at 52 for field goals and 47.1 for threes. They also had four players in double digits for points. Next the women will face 10-2 New Mexico at home on Feb. 12 at 12:30 p.m. New Mexico is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference. Nevada is ranked third at 7-4 in conference play.

D e va n s h Me h ra c a n b e re a c h e d a t kelseymiddleton@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush

Kelsey Middleton can be reached at kelseymiddleton@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @kelsmiddleunr

Grant Sherfield returns to starting in the game against Colorado State after missing three games due to a foot injury.

By Anthony Miranda Nevada men’s basketball played their first home game after going 0-3 on their recent road trip. They had a tough matchup against the 18-3 Colorado State Rams. This game had a clear star, senior guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. He was stuck on automatic all night. He has been having a great February and it only got better tonight against the Rams. Cambridge Jr dropped 36 points on 13-15 shooting from the field and 7-9 shooting from three. He added four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks to his stat sheet. Junior guard Grant Sherfield had a solid return game after missing the last three. His scoring was not there but he still finished with 11 points, a team high seven assists, and four rebounds. Junior guard Kenan Blackshear broke his streak of three straight games with double digit points. He ended with eight points, five assists, and four rebounds on an efficient 3-6 from the field. Nevada had some help off the bench from junior forward K.J Hymes and sophomore guard Daniel Foster. Hymes had six points and Foster finished with six points, four rebounds, and one assist. The game opened with both teams hitting shots early. Cambridge Jr. started the Nevada scoring with a layup and Blackshear connected on a jumper. This was followed by a Cambridge Jr. dunk and a Baker dunk. Nevada took the lead 8-7 with 15 minutes left in the first half.

Louis Bubala / Nevada Sagebrush

Cambridge Jr. and Foster each scored a bucket but Colorado State began to pull away. The Rams run was ended by Sherfield when he hit a three for his first basket of the game. Nevada continued to put points up as Cambridge Jr. stayed hot, cashing in on another jumper and three pointer. Colorado State responded with a small run of their own. The wolf pack were down 31-23 with four minutes left in the half. Nevada kept battling and they were able to close out the half on a solid run. Foster made a layup and the red hot Cambridge Jr. added two more threes. Nevada was down at half 31-36. The second half had an ugly start for Nevada as they turned the ball over twice on their first two possessions. Sherfield made a jumper to get Nevada on the board with 18 minutes left in the second half. Cambridge Jr. connected on a three but this was not enough. Colorado State took full advantage of the Wolf Pack’s lack of offense in the second half and they increased their lead 53-36 at the 15 minute mark. Cambridge Jr. tried to get his team back in the game with three free throws and a jumper. Nevada’s offense finally started to show up with some good passing and consistent scoring from the team. Nevada tried to mount a comeback with a three from Coleman and a dunk from Hymes. This was followed by buckets from Blackshear, Sherfield, and Hymes. The suc-

cess from their late second half scoring burst had brought the lead down to ten. The Wolf Pack were down 60-70 with five minutes left in the game. Cambridge Jr. continued his marvelous game knocking down back to back threes which dropped the lead to eight. However, Nevada was unable to close the gap as the high powered Colorado State offense kept putting points on the board. Nevada did get some late buckets with a Sherfield layup and another Cambridge Jr. three with a minute left in the game but their comeback was unsuccessful. Nevada did not string together enough meaningful stops and they lost 82-72. This disappointing Nevada basketball season continues to get worse as Nevada struggles to find a win. An outstanding Cambridge Jr. performance is overshadowed by another loss. Nevada needs to play better on both ends of the court and they need more consistent play from their bench. The Wolf Pack will hopefully turn the page next game since Cambridge Jr. is on fire right now and Sherfield will have a game under his belt since returning from injury. Nevada’s next game is at Utah State on Feb.11.

Anthony Miranda can be reached at kelseymiddleton@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush

Opinion: Men’s Basketball in Desperate Need of a Reality Check By Devansh Mehra I returned to the city of Reno after taking a year-long hiatus 48 hours ago. Naturally, the first thing at the top of my to-do list was to go catch the soonest Nevada men’s basketball game to satisfy my itch for live hoops that I had been scratching for what felt like forever. It was a lovely surprise to see that our rivals from the state known for potatoes, and not much else, had made the trip down to Lawlor Events Center last night. Boise, being 10-4 overall, and the Wolf Pack riding a pretty successful stretch of basketball led me to believe I’d have a front row seat to a highly competitive game. I anticipated the outcome would be decided by less than five points. Boy oh boy, I could not have been more wrong. What I witnessed last night was by far one of the most embarrassing displays put on by any Wolf Pack team since I’ve been a student. And yes, I did just watch the thrashing on the gridiron that came from the hands of Western Michigan University just a few weeks prior. Typically when people think of basketball, they envision a game similar to that of a tide ebbing and flowing on a beach. A constant push and pull, the pendulum known as momentum swinging in and out of favor for your team, until the final buzzer is rung.

Last night felt like a blue and orange tsunami had swept through Lawlor and had left in its wake a defeated team behind. Nevada could not seem to get into a rhythm at any point in the game, constantly trying to counter every move Boise made. Now, I understand if one player is in a funk or slumping, but when the whole rotation from top to bottom can’t get any sort of rhythm and cohesiveness going, it points back to one place and one place only. The coaching. Steve Alford seems to be what is sticking out to me the most as to why this team is not reaching it’s lofty preseason aspirations. The Wolf Pack have a plethora of talent and many have said that this team is one of the most talented the school has ever had the pleasure of calling its own. So what isn’t working? The coaching. Steve Alford came in like a lion in his first season in Reno. He took a team with much less ability and guided them through a promising run in the Mountain West Conference Tournament. This season has demonstrated that he is completely content with going out like a lamb. If you go back and look at every game they’ve played this year, and yes I mean all the way back to when they went to face the University of San Diego, most of these games have wound with disappointing

Sports

@SagebrushSports | nev nevaadasagebrush.com

SPORTS | A8

Upcoming Men’s Games MEN’S CONFERENCE GAME SCORES

San Jose State Feb. 15 Home Feb. 17 Away

Boise State Jan. 12: L 70-85

Air Force Jan. 15: W 75-68

Wyoming Jan. 17: L 67-77

Wyoming Feb. 26 Away

Boise State March 1 Away

Amaya West carries Nevada ‘grit’ in her senior season By Anthony Miranda

New Mexico Jan. 1: W 79-70

UNLV Feb. 22 Home

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022

As Nevada women’s basketball is in the middle of a promising season four seniors are leading the pack, including Amaya West. Currently, the Wolf Pack are 16-8 and are ranked third in the Mountain West Conference. West said she has high hopes for this year’s Mountain West tournament. “I feel like we have had a lot of ups and downs but for the most part we have been consistent in how we play,” West said. “With a lot of new people and people having new roles, it is important for us to keep that stride going and get people not on board, but in that same consistency that we had a year ago.” West is a senior guard hailing from Mesa, Ariz., and is in her fourth year at Nevada’s program. West attended Red Mountain high school where she had a superb career. She was a four time letter-winner and received first team all region as well as All-Tribune honorable mention honors. West averaged nearly 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals per game her junior year while leading her team to a regional championship. All if this led to West receiving interest from Nevada, Arizona State, Army West Point, San Diego and other colleges. “My high school career I played varsity all four years and started playing club at the end of my freshman year,” West said. “I had a few letters of interest coming into my sophomore year but my first division one offer was from Nevada. I got this offer the summer before my senior

year.” Nevada was the only D1 offer West received and was keen on following Head Coach Amanda Levens, who previously coached at Arizona State University. “It wasn’t too far away from home and it made me feel very welcome. I feel like it was the best home away from home,” West said. She averaged 3.3 points and 13.4 minutes per game, in her freshman year season. She shot 40.2 percent from the field and 26.1 from three. Entering her sophomore year, West improved all around where she averaged 17.3 minutes and 4.5 points per game. She was incredibly efficient in her second season as she shot an astounding 49 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from the three point line. All her hard work came to fruition in her junior season when she averaged a team high 30.5 minutes per game. West was putting up great numbers as she averaged 9.8 points and 5.1 rebounds. West said working on her confidence was key in improving her game those first two seasons. She added it ultimately builty her game on the court. “Last year I struggled with that and even this year I would say I’ve struggled with that because I had to learn to embrace a different role so to speak,” West said. “Aside from confidence I would also say immaturity like learning some things are okay. You just have to get over it or learn how to adapt.” West started to round out her game as she started to achieve impressive defen-

sive stats. She was able to create blocks and steals and she shot an astonishing 89.7 percent from the free throw line. The senior guard showcased her work ethic and her determination to play hard for her team when she eclipsed 35 minutes three different times that season. Now, she is an integral piece to the success of this year’s team. She currently averages 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. She averages around 22.8 minutes and is still able to remain efficient as she shoots 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three point line. Even with her improvements, West said being at Nevada “means having grit.” “In the Mountain West, I feel that there is a lot of good competition and it’s hard to say who will win on any night,” West said. “... I have to be consistent and control what I can to ensure the success of the team. I have to be tough. In that sense, I feel like I’ve really benefited from that.” West continues to impact the game’s defense and remains one of the highest free throw shooters as she sits around 88 percent from the charity stripe. “I’m not going to stray away from our offense or do anything flashy. I just play my role …,” she said. There are five games left in the conference season, which is subject to change due to COVID-19 and postponements. She has close to 100 games played and 2000 minutes as she has 95 games under her belt while logging 1884 minute, set-

ting her up for career milestones. Career wise she has 522 points, 82 assists and 287 rebounds. Besides her significant statistics on the court, she said her favorite memory was beating UNLV. “It’s always been fun and there’s always been a different dynamic every year so being able to have that kind of camaraderie, I think would be one of my favorite memories,” West said. West has demonstrated she is a hardworking team player and she is imperative for this team’s success. Despite a team effort, West said the fans make it all worth it. “A lot of times when [fans] reach out to me whether it is through text or social media,” West said. “It is just really comforting and affirming to know that I really matter this much in this community.” Although West is graduating in May, she said she’s planning on pursuing a masters degree. “I don’t know what in yet. I’m getting my undergraduate in finance but I’m thinking something on the lines of sports management for my masters,”she said. West has had a valuable and exciting career but she is also invested in the classroom. She was an academic All Mountain West selection and named a Mountain West scholar athlete.

Anthony Miranda can be reached at kelseymiddleton@ sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush

San Diego State March 5

WOMEN’S CONFERENCE GAME SCORES

Air Force Dec. 28: W 67-52

San Jose State Dec. 31: W 83-48

Utah State Dec. 31: W 65-54

San Diego State Jan. 19: W 58-46

UNLV Jan. 22: L 75-78

Fresno State Jan. 21: W 77-73

Air Force Jan. 24: W 40-39

Colorado State Jan. 25: L 66-77

Colorado State Jan. 27: L 55-66

Utah State Jan. 29: L 49-78

Wyoming Jan. 29: L 53-62

UNLV Feb. 1: L 58-69

Fresno State Feb. 4: L 56-73

San Jose State Feb. 2: W 88-63

San Diego State Feb. 6: L 63-65

Fresno State Feb. 5: W 66-57

Colorado State Feb. 8: L 72-82

San Diego State Feb. 9: L 57-68

Utah State Feb. 11: W 85-72

Rachel Jackson / Nevada Sagebrush Amaya West puts up six points in the home game agaisnt Fresno State on Feb.5.

Upcoming Women’s Games

Fresno State Feb. 14 Away

Colorado State Feb. 20 Home

Boise State Feb. 24 Away

Utah State Feb. 26 Away

New Mexico Feb. 12: W 77-70

UNLV March 2 Away