November 1, 2016

SEASON PREVIEW NEVADA COMES IN WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS A12

CAM &THE NBA OLIVER RECOUNTS NBA EVALUATION PROCESS A13

RUN AND GUN PACK WANTS TO PLAY FAST A14

NEWS

HOW TO RIG AN ELECTION A2

A&E

TYLER PERRY IS RIGHT A8

OPINION

THEATER VS SPORTS A10

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A2 | NEWS

NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

THE

Student voice of the University of Nevada, Reno, since 1893.

Volume 123 • Issue 10

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Rigged election comments cause public distrust of democracy

Editor-in-Chief • Jacob Solis jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Managing Editor • Jordan Russell jrussell@sagebrush.unr.edu

News Editor • Rachel Spacek rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu

Asst. News Editor • Madeline Purdue mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu

Sports Editor • Neil Patrick Healy neil@sagebrush.unr.edu

Asst. Sports Editor • Jack Rieger jrieger@sagebrush.unr.edu

Opinion Editor • Ali Schultz alexandraschultz@sagebrush.unr.edu

A&E Editor • Blake Nelson bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu

Design Editor •Nicole Skarlatos jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Photo Editor • Andrea Wilkinson jsolis@sagebrush .unr.edu

Copy Editor • Dominique Kent dkent@sagebrush.unr.edu

Copy Editor • Daniel Putney dputney@sagebrush.unr.edu

Multimedia Editor • Bailey MeCey bmecey@sagebrush.unr.edu

Web Manager • Willis Allstead wallstead@asun.unr.edu

Illustrator • Zak Brady jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Social Media Manager • Alana Ridge aridge@sagebrush.unr.edu

Staff Writer • Emily Fisher efisher@sagebrush.unr.edu

Staff Writer • Brandon Cruz bcruz@sagebrush.unr.edu

Distribution • Michele Cardnuto jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Distribution • Natalie Delbecq jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Media Adviser • Blythe Steelman bsteelman@unr.edu

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Jack Rieger poses at the early voting station on Monday Oct. 31, after casting a ballot in this year’s election. Rieger enjoyed skipping the Election Day crowd by voting early.

CONTRIBUTING STAFFERS Lauren Bain, Chaz Fernandez, Javier Hernandez, Daniel Lang, Adrianne Owens

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, and printed by the Sierra Nevada Media Group.

ADVERTISING For information about display advertising and rates, please call the Advertising Department at 775-784-7773 or email adnevadasales@gmail.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters can be submitted via email at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

CORRECTIONS The Nevada Sagebrush fixes mistakes.

If you find an error, email jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

SOCIAL MEDIA The Nevada Sagebrush @NevadaSagebrush @SagebrushSports Nevada Sagebrush nvsagebrush nevadasagebrush.com

By Rachel Spacek With Election Day only a week away, Republican nominee Donald Trump’s claims that the election is rigged against him have taken center stage.

To support his “rigged” election comments, Trump has made claims about dead Democratic voters taking part in the election, the media’s “refusal” to

report on his inevitable victory and Republican leaders’ rejection of Trump’s candidacy.

These claims have resulted in public discussion and distrust in the electoral system, and several opinion polls suggest Trump’s comments about the election being rigged against him have resulted in a huge public distrust in the election process. According to a Reuters

poll, over two-thirds of all registered Republican voters believe if Clinton wins the election, it means the election was rigged.

THE CLAIMS According to Trump, if he loses the election, it will be due to illegitimate voters. Trump claims there are 1.8 million dead registered voters who will cast their ballots this election

for Clinton.

“You have 1.8 million people who are dead, who are registered to vote and some of them absolutely vote. Now, tell me how they do that,” Trump said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

The Republican’s statistics come from a Pew Research Center report from 2012; however, the “zombie voter” claim has

not spurred any official investigation or criminal prosecutions.

“It is legal to cast an early ballot and then die, but your grandma who has been dead for 20 years does not vote, and even if you somehow figured out a way to do that, that is one ballot and that is not going to matter,” said Kevin Banda, assistant

See ELECTION page A3

Lebanon to Reno: Living the American Dream

By Daniel Lang “I threw behind me 23 years, and I came [to Nevada],” said Jhony Habbouche, a Lebanese graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno. “I have to start from zero. … Everything is new.”

Habbouche, 25, was born in Saudi Arabia and raised in Lebanon. He graduated in the top 10 of Lebanon’s civil engineering students before coming to the United States.

Two years ago, Habbouche arrived at the UNR to pursue an opportunity to study in the United States that he would not have received in Lebanon.

In Lebanese public education, students take a national test to determine programs of study. High school culminates in college entrance exams to vie for scarce seats in each field. His area, civil engineering, admitted fewer than 10 percent of applicants.

Private education in Lebanon, bypassing academic competition, is tremendously expensive – $35,000 per year, Habbouche calculated.

“My dad told me, ‘We can … sell part of our property. … Do it if you’d like,’” Habbouche said.

Neither of Habbouche’s parents finished their high school education.

Still, Habbouche bet on the exam.

From his culture, he knew what awaited — more than eight hours of study per day for weeks.

Habbouche’s resolve reaped success. To his amazement, he ranked ninth in the field and was accepted to Lebanese University — Faculty of Engineering, Branch Two. “At the end … I say thank you, God. But there’s always room for improvement,” Habbouche said.

Four years later, he petitioned his chairman for lab experience abroad.

Dr. Elie Hajj of UNR offered placement for a fully funded graduate program, but in pavement/materials, outside Habbouche’s interest in the field of structural engineering.

Habbouche had no ties in the U.S. except Hajj, who graduated from Lebanese University 16 years before.

Despite his reluctance, Habbouche realized thousands of students wait for such an offer, so he accepted.

Habbouche has experienced several hardships since making the choice to accept the offer to study abroad. “‘You should be a terrorist,’” Habbouche recalled people saying. “I used to take it [as a] kind of funny comment, but seriously it hurts.”

It was through the Catholic Church at Our Lady of Wisdom that he found peace among the difficulties he expe-

Daniel Lang/Nevada Sagebrush

Jhony Habbouche works in the Harry Reid Engineering Laboratory on Thursay, March 10. Habbouche took the opportunity to study abroad in the U.S. and has made the best out of it.

rienced. kind of personality,” Hajj said.

“They made me feel that I am one of “Everyone … can provide somethem,” Habbouche said. thing,” Habbouche said. “They just Inside and outside studies, Hab- have to never underestimate thembouche serves and helps his col- selves and to work hard.” leagues — sometimes when he should Habbouche aims to earn his doctorbe more focused on his own studies, ate by spring 2019. according to Hajj. Habbouche says part of it comes from his culture and a Daniel Lang can be reached at passion for “human relations.” rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on “Very few students, they have that Twitter @TheSagebrush.

The experience you want in your senator.

Julia believes in...

Tackling our state’s teacher shortage.

Protecting a woman’s right to control

Limiting tuition fee increases.

her healthcare.

Ensuring adequate pay for professors

Expanding vocational training and

and staff.

workforce development.

Go out and vote! Early voting has started at a polling station near you. Visit JuliaRatti4nv.com for more information.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Election Continued from page A2 professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Reno. “It would have to happen systematically, and it would have to happen systematically in a lot of places.”

Trump also cited from the Pew Research report that 2.5 million people in the United States are registered to vote in two different states, claiming they all vote twice.

A former Pew official, David Becker, who co-authored the report Trump cited in his claims, said it does not make sense for a person to vote twice in an election with the lack of result the crime offers and the felony at stake if the voter were to be caught.

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

Trump has also blamed his usual victim for rigging the election: the media. He has said the “phony, disgusting, dishonest papers” are wrongly reporting him to be lagging behind Clinton in the polls.

The real-estate mogul has consistently lagged behind his Democratic challenger throughout the last month, according to the Real Clear Politics average. However, the polls have tightened considerably in the past week or so, squeezing Clinton’s lead to three points on average, down from about seven.

IS IT TRUE?

Trump’s outcry may have shocked voters enough to have them questioning if this election could be rigged, hacked or taken over by fraudulent voters. However, according to several Republicans and Democrats, voters need not worry about voter fraud or election-rigging this election.

“You are much likelier to be struck

by lightning than have somebody next to you commit voter fraud,” President Barack Obama said at a Clinton campaign event in Florida.

On Election Day, thousands of Democratic and Republican volunteers will work at different polling places across cities and counties in the United States. According to Banda, it would be impossible for these thousands of volunteers to get together to rig the election in some way.

“All of those thousands of people would have to work together to rig an election in some way, and that is not even accounting for the mechanics of rigging an election,” Banda said. “Do you stuff the ballot box with extra ballots? Do you somehow hack into the electronic system that they have?

Are you screwing with the punch machines?

“Because you have different kinds of voting mechanisms in different

counties and different cities, the likelihood of thousands of people who don’t like each other agreeing to rig an election in one particular way is basically zero.”

The Department of Homeland Security will be providing safeguards in to up to 25 states to detect problems before the election results are in. State officials also make routine backups and checks of who is registered to vote.

THE FALLOUT Several Republicans have withdrawn their support for Trump after the leak of his comments on “Access Hollywood,” and the candidate’s rigged election comments have drawn the party further away from its nominee.

“I think the claim makes Republicans less likely to turn out and participate because you’ve got their figurehead up there basically saying

NEWS | A3

their vote doesn’t matter, so why should they show up? I think it is making it even worse for him, and it is making it even worse for downballot Republicans,” Banda said.

Earlier this month, Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan released a statement after Trump’s comments, saying he is “confident the states will carry out this election with integrity.”

Trump’s comments have led many voters to lose faith in the electoral system, yet the comments have not resulted in an increase in support for Trump in the polls.

“I think he is making excuse for the loss he knows is coming because that makes it easier for him to say, ‘It wasn’t my fault that I lost because it was rigged against me,’” Banda said.

Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

A4 | NEWS

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

Food-insecure students find resources on campus

Madeline Purdue/Nevada Sagebrush

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 , 2016

Do you think you have what it takes to succeed in journalism?

Prove it to us.

Stacks of cereal bowls line the shelves in the Pack Provisions office on Monday, Oct. 31. Pack Provisions helps those in need at the University of Nevada, Reno, receive food.

Staff Report

on-campus students that I do believe could be homeless, sometimes you see them sleeping in buildings.”

According to Pack Provision’s 2015-16 Wolf Pack Civic Community Assessment, 60 percent of students who took the poll indicated they experienced food insecurity last spring semester.

Of those, 30 percent said they experienced food insecurity frequently. An additional 30 percent said they experience food insecurity sometimes or often. “[They’re] not at the highest level, but they might have to skip a meal here and there or not eat for a week while waiting for their next paycheck,” Sekigawa said.

Pack Provisions also refers students to resources on campus to help with food insecurity and homelessness, such as the Student Health Center and Counseling Services. The organization also educates students about off-campus resources, such as St. Vincent’s Food Pantry, the largest food distribution service in northern Nevada.

“I don’t think there should be a stigma because if professors or fellow students were to know about the situation, I think more than not people would want to help,” Colombant said. “I think it is a growing population, and I think we should all work to end the stigma because it makes it hard for students to be able to do their work.”

In order to receive help from Pack Provisions, students or staff must fill out a form and bring it during office hours. The resource is located on the third floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union and also takes appointments.

“Just because you do not see it doesn’t mean it isn’t apparent or it isn’t here,” said Sekigawa.

The rate of college students who can’t afford to live beyond their basic necessities and who go long periods without eating anything at all is increasing. Success in classwork and academics is very difficult for students who battle food insecurity. A resource at the University of Nevada, Reno, aims to help students focus on their classes rather than where to get their next meal.

Pack Provisions is a resource at UNR that provides food, clothing and everyday items to students and staff who are not able to afford them on their own.

“Food insecurity is a huge problem on any college campus, but I don’t think people are aware of it or they just write it off as ‘oh, you’re in college, you’re supposed to be poor,’” said Natalie Sekigawa, the director of Pack Provisions. “I think that everyone has the right to eat, and it affects your schooling so much. How can you focus on school if you’re hungry or you do not know where your next meal is coming from?”

Four college-based organizations surveyed 3,765 students across 12 states, attending eight community colleges and 26 four-year colleges and universities, and found 48 percent of students reported food insecurity in the previous 30 days.

The United States Education Department reported that research found “students experience significant academic, social and socio-emotional challenges, and that being homeless is associated with lower school achievement and increased risk of dropping out of school.”

Nico Colombant is a co-founder of Our Town Reno, an organization dedicated to telling the stories of the homeless population in Reno.

“The homeless youth population is definitely a The News Desk can be reached at rspacek@sagehidden population,” Colombant said. “I’ve noticed brush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

The Sagebrush is looking for people who love to write, are a whiz with grammar and editing, love sports and are just all-around awesome. Does this sound like you? Send us an application.

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NEVADA

APP

CAMPUS ESCORT

Find the Campus Escort App in the “This is Nevada” mobile app Available for Android & Apple

1. Download “Nevada Campus Escort” on the Apple or Android App Store 2. Sign in use your NetID Allow for push notifications 3. Click “Submit a Ride” Enter your pick up and drop off locations along with any accommodations Reminder: All Campus Escort policies still apply.

For more information please visit us at www.unr.edu/campus-escort or call ASUN Center for Student Engagement at (775) 784-6589

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

NEWS | A5

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TV viewing habits may Summit residents angry predict election result over continued issues

By Rachel Spacek This year has proven to be difficult for polling, from the unexpected rise of Donald Trump’s to an equally unforseen Brexit. But two college professors may have found a suprising alternative — voter television viewing habits.

University of Nevada, Reno, assistant professor of information systems Arash Barfar and his research partner, Balaji Padmanabhan, a professor of information systems and decision sciences at the University of South Florida, researched how to forecast U.S. presidential election outcomes based on the television viewing habits of voters in swing states.

To predict the outcomes of the 2012 presidential election, the two professors used television viewing data from Nielsen, a research company that tracks television viewing habits of large samples of U.S. households. The data Barfar collected was from television shows individuals had watched four weeks ahead of Election Day, Nov. 5, 2012.

“In the big data world, the days of surprise about election outcomes are likely to be fewer in the years ahead,” Barfar said.

By Lauren Bain Along with the data Barfar and Padmanabhan collected from Nielsen, they used data on the minutes each voter spent watching a television program and the percentage of “fans” of different television programs to determine which programs were the most popular and would be the best to analyze.

Barfar and Padmanabhan used television data from states where election results were predictable to create research models in order to predict 2012 outcomes in the battleground states of Florida, Ohio, Iowa and Nevada.

“This approach allowed us to generalize different units of analysis,” Barfar said. “We used them to build predictive models that could potentially be used in real time.”

The research pointed Barfar to two shows that had the highest prediction accuracies: “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Duck Dynasty.” According to Barfar, the two shows also supported two political opposites.

Building off their data and research from the 2012 presidential election, Barfar and Padmanabhan began to change their models to predict outcomes of the 2016 presidential primaries.

Andrew E. Weber/Pexels

A man stands in front of a television with static on the screen. Recent research shows television viewing habits may be able to predict election results.

“Building on our 2012 election work, we recently received television viewing data from Nielsen for the months corresponding to the 2016 primaries,” Barfar said.

“We have embarked on a similar analysis, keeping in mind that primaries are more complex to predict.”

According to Barfar, there were several more challenges in predicting primary election results than general election results because of a voter tendency to be swayed by the results of another state. Barfar also said Nielsen panelists may not have been representative of the voters in the primaries due to the voter restrictions that change state by state.

Even though the presidential primary proved to be a challenge, Barfar created over 31 Trump/ Not-Trump models to predict the outcome of the primaries that resulted in over 80 percent accuracy.

In his Clinton/Sanders models, Barfar’s data from 29 television shows gave him over 73 percent accuracy in his predictions.

According to Barfar, two shows proved best to help predict the outcome. “Chrisley Knows Best,” an American reality television series, was a Trump supporter favorite and “Key and Peele,” an American sketch-comedy television series, was a Clinton supporter pick.

“In both cases, we saw victories for Trump and Clinton in states with higher viewership of these shows,” Barfar said. “We are continuing to examine the individual models and the various timelines to determine how robust these shows might be over the long term.”

Though television viewing data proved an accurate indicator of election results, the researchers say they will be unable to tell if the data is a useful predictor of election outcomes until they are able to test their predictions in real time, ahead of an election outcome.

Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

Sterling Summit apartments are still having problems after opening in August while the complex was still considered an open construction zone. Residents feel the company rushed construction, which has led to broken appliances, unfinished apartments and a lower quality of living than they were promised.

Anthony Carini, a sophomore and resident of Sterling Summit, felt the building construction was rushed and may have led to mistakes with the finished apartment complex.

“There were a lot of very visible cosmetic mistakes that we noticed from the day we moved in,” Carini said. “The floorboards were awkwardly angled inward toward the doors, there were scuffs in the paint on most of the walls and my bathroom floor had paint marks dried onto it. We were also promised a cutting board when we toured the apartment, but our kitchen didn’t come with it and about a month into living there, our dishwasher would not work sometimes.”

When residents began looking at Sterling Summit as a housing

option, the apartment complex made several promises that were not followed through, such as providing cutting boards and snacks. After Carini voiced some of his complaints to management, painters came in for minor fixes. Management of Sterling Summit attempts to maintain direct contact with residents.

“We strive to be the best property in Reno, and the only way to do this is through an open line of communication with our residents,” said Sherman Modeste, community manager at The Dinerstein Companies.

The Dinerstein Companies have constructed the Highlands and Republic apartments. Former resident of the Highlands apartments, UNR senior Julius Funches II, explains one of the factors that led him to move out was rent increases, but overall he had a good experience living there.

A shortage of housing has led to the rapid rent increase Reno is experiencing. The market is right for new apartment complexes, like Sterling Summit to pop up but they do not come at a bargain price, with rents ranging from $600 to $700 per resident.

According to a report by John-

son Perkins Griffin Real Estate Appraisers and Consultants, the average housing rent increased 11 percent from 2015 to the beginning of 2016, with an average rent price at $1,029. UNR sits in the northeast region of Reno, where average rent rates are $895 per month. The Reno Gazette-Journal found that on average renting in this area requires a job that pays $16.40 per hour and working 176 hours in a month, with 30 percent of income going toward rent.

As demand for off-campus student housing becomes more apparent, construction projects line Virginia Street, attempting to jump into the competitive student housing market. Building on the new housing complexes is hastened by the demand, but only time will show if the new buildings will deliver what they promise.

“They threw up those buildings so fast, so you had to expect something was going to go wrong,” Carini said. “It looks like the pictures they advertised though, so I’ll give them that.”

Lauren Bain can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.

Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

A construction worker fixes a balcony outside the Sterling Summit student living apartments on Aug. 30. Residents are upset that conditions have not improved months after they moved in.

LOVE THE

Photo Courtesy of Cecy Cervantes

Cecy Cervantes and other members of Environmental Club and the Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society clean up Mayberry Park during the Spring 2016 semester. Cervantes is being honored with the Golden Pinecone award for her environmental efforts.

Student receives environmental award for erosion-control efforts

By Madeline Purdue Cecilia “Cecy” Cervantes has been passionate about conserving the environment since she was in elementary school. Now a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno, her efforts around the university and community are being recognized.

Cervantes will be honored by Green Nevada, an organization that recognizes achievements in environmental education and sustainability. She has been awarded the Golden Pinecone Award for Youth Leadership.

Seven other individuals and companies have also been awarded.

“I was honestly surprised,” Cervantes said. “It made my heart happy because a lot of people don’t think about the environment and getting recognized was nice.”

Cervantes was nominated by her sorority sister, Jade Erikson.

Erikson became aware of the award after seeing a post about it on Reno Earth Day’s Instagram page and decided to nominate Cervantes because of her work through ASUN and the Environmental Club.

“It is clear that Cecy truly cares about the environment,” Erikson said. “Seeing how she works for what she believes in and actually makes a difference inspires me to do the same.”

Cervantes was inspired to help the environment by her fifthgrade teacher, Katy Stangland, who taught her class about recycling, water conservation and other ways to sustain the environment. Stangland passed away during Cervantes’s freshman year at UNR. “I always felt really connected to her, and I wanted to carry out her legacy,” Cervantes said.

Cervantes is the current vice president of the Environmental Club on campus, having previously served as president of the club. According to Cervantes, the club had been inactive for two years when she became president and gave it a presence on campus.

She also served as a senator during the 83rd session of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada. Her platform was to help campus become more eco-friendly.

One of the projects she helped create was to plant 192 tree saplings behind the intramural friends with the Arboretum Board. Soil had been falling onto the fields, causing erosion and destruction to the area surrounding the fields. Planting the trees stopped the erosion because the root systems hold the soil in place while protecting from excess water .

Cervantes said there were simpler things she did before

college in order to create an ecofriendly environment. She often carpooled to school with her friends. There weren’t very many recycling bins located throughout campus, but she went out of her way to make sure she recycled.

She was known in her classes to be passionate about recycling, and her classmates gave her their water bottles and cans so she could recycle for them.

Cervantes credits the Arboretum Board with helping her succeed with her goals at the university. She said they were welcoming and supportive of her ideas, and helped create more ideas to keep campus eco-friendly.

After she graduates, Cervantes wants to continue to spread education and her message.

“I definitely can see myself volunteering abroad in the future,” Cervantes said. “I want to travel, helping sustainability in thirdworld countries.”

She encourages students who are passionate about the environment to join the Environmental Club, like its page on Facebook and keep a look out for the club’s events on GivePulse.

Cervantes will be honored with the Golden Pinecone Award on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madelinepurdue.

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A6

PACK N THE EVENTS THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

FROM BURNING MAN TO RENO

By Blake Nelson

DIALOG AND A MOVIE: 'THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT' DATE: Tuesday TIME: 5:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Joe Crowley Student Union, Theater INFO: A film about an

actual experiment where people went all "Lord of the Flies" on each other and a discussion about the ramifications of this experiment's results.

If that doesn't get you, then the free snacks and admission will. Enjoy!

GABRIELA GARCIA MEDINA DATE: Tuesday TIME: 6 p.m.

LOCATION: Joe Crowley

Student Union, Milt Glick Grand Ballroom INFO: Gabriela Garcia Medina will be performing her moving spoken-word poetry here at our very own campus. Medina explores themes of identity and culture in the modern era through her poetry. Free for anyone to attend.

NEVADA STANDS WITH STANDING ROCK DATE: Wednesday TIME: 6 p.m.

LOCATION: Jot Travis, Rm

100 INFO: To bring in Native

American Heritage Month, join in protest against the extractive pipeline companies. If you haven't seen the controversy, research it and be appalled by what is happening. Also, go to the meeting.

'BEFORE THE FLOOD:' SPECIAL SCREENING DATE: Thursday TIME: 5:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Davidson

Mathematics and Science Center, Rm 110 INFO: Join for the screening of the National Geographic documentary that starkly reveals the effects of climate change.

If that doesn't make you want to see it then maybe Leonardo DiCaprio being in it will. Admission is free.

Blake Nelson/Nevada Sagebrush

The mural by Joe C. Rock sits, recently finished, on Sunday, Oct. 30. The mural is part of the Reno Playa Art Park on South Virgina Street in downtown Reno.

City of Reno set to add the Reno Playa Art Park, part of Reno's planned rebranding

By Blake Nelson As Reno’s push for a vibrant and community-based downtown area begins, an area which was previously “blighted” motels in the downtown area is getting a new attraction.

An area between Fifth and Sixth Street on South Virginia Street is getting what is being called the Reno Playa Art Park.

The Art Park is set to feature an array of sculptures from this year’s Burning Man. The temporary installation is part of Reno’s rebranding toward a more artsand culture-oriented community.

“If companies like Tesla are going to come [to Reno],” said Maria Partridge, the event coordinator for RPAP, “we have to have arts and culture for the people that work for those companies.”

The opening of the Art Park is slated for Thursday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m. Members of the community are invited to attend the event and witness Burning Man art being unveiled in their very own city.

The Reno Playa Art Park is part of The Gateway Project in Reno. The Project is a coalition of nonprofits and communitybased businesses that acquire art featured at Burning Man and bring it to the city for the enjoyment of the people in the community.

The Gateway Project has worked to place other Burning Man artwork around town, including an installation of a piece called “Pantemonium” at the Lear Theater on First Street.

The Project’s contributors include the

Eldorado Resort Casino as well as Junkee Clothing Exchange.

A multitude of statues will be installed in the coming week for the park, including “Imago,” a large butterfly sculpture by Kirsten Berg and a mural by Joe C. Rock.

The Project has had support from the City of Reno in the form of a $5,000 grant from the city’s Arts and Culture Commission.

Partridge said The Gateway Project is looking to raise between $20,000 and $30,000 for payment to the artists whose art will be featured at the park and for installation costs.

The area the park will be residing in was once a couple of “blighted” motels.

The City of Reno paid $217,000 from its blight fund to demolish the structures.

The money is in the form of a loan that the owners of the property will eventually have to pay back, albeit without any interest.

The approval of the demolition and eventual demolition came after developer HabeRae offered to buy the entire block for $1.2 million in cash, which Northern Nevada Development Co., the owners of the property, refused. HabeRae then upped the offer to $2.4 million, but to no avail. HabeRae planned on building affordable housing on the property.

RPAP is also a recipient of Burning Man’s Global Art Grant. The grant is given to institutions that wish to bring interactive art to communities across the world.

Burning Man has previously collaborated on another temporary installations

Photo Courtesy of Biggest Little Group

"Star Way," a sculpture by Debbie Davies, is embedded in the playa at 2016's Burning Man. The sculpture depicts a star which fell to Earth.

in Reno. The Mangrove was an installation on Sierra Street, much like what will be seen with RPAP. The installation consisted of a group of tree sculptures from five different artist collectives.

The Gateway Project eventually found the space, which Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve intended to be a cultural fixture, after Partridge heard about the space opening up while on the Arts and Culture Commission.

The installation was originally intended for the Lear Theater but eventually found its place where the Golden West Motor Lodge and Heart o’Town motels once sat.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

OFF BEAT MUSIC FESTIVAL DATE: Thursday through

Sunday TIME: 7:30 p.m.

LOCATION: City of Reno INFO: A sprawling festival throughout downtown Reno incorporating art, music and food. Enjoy all sorts of acts, both indie and about to make it big.

Tickets start at $69 for general admission.

Photo courtesy of Biggest Little Group

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@nevadasagebrush. unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

"Electric Renaissance (A Tribute to Cadillac Ranch)," a sculpture by Bodo Jülicher, Keith Muscutt, Andrzej Sztur and Jakub Sztur, rests on the playa during 2016's Burning Man. The sculpture will be featured as part of the Reno Playa Art Park opening on Nov. 10.

Photo courtesy of Biggest Little Group

"Imago," a sculpture by Kirsten Berg, stands on the playa during 2016's Burning Man. Berg's sculpture was chosen to be part of the Reno Playa Art Park.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Tyler Perry’s uphill battle: why his work is actually better than most

I

t’s been well over a decade of criticisms from fellow directors and respected critics alike, and Tyler Perry will not stop making films. It seems that no matter what, Perry will go on making films until the day he dies.

The reason why this is a problem stems from the constant criticism itself.

If Perry can keep on making films that are 1) successful and 2) employ mostly black casts and crews, then why is this an issue? Some detractors point to the lampooning of black archetypes, his overuse of religion or the underlying sexism in many of his films.

Blake To tackle all these Nelson Hot Take Blake detractions, one has to go back to Perry’s childhood. Perry had it rough when he was a child. His father would beat him, to the point that Perry attempted suicide. Beyond the beatings, he later revealed that he was also molested as a child.

In opposition to his father, his mother would take him to church and was a focal point of ease and peace in his life, something later reflected in his work.

After dropping out of high school, Perry would eventually go on to get his GED. Later in his life, he would begin writing after watching The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Perry would go on to write the play, “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” which he self-financed with his life savings. The play did not get good reviews, but he persisted, rewriting the play and having it played multiple times. In the process, he amassed a large African-American audience.

Flash forward and Perry is not only famous and rich, but he writes, produces, directs and stars in movies which speak to black audiences and employ a marginalized group of people in an overly marginalizing industry.

Perry is, on paper, a great figure in the African-American community.

The issue arises in the criticisms of his film, the ones that call his films harmful to black archetypes, the ones

that call his films religious rantings of an ideologue or pieces of innately sexist trash. More on this later …

His most recent film, “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” somehow upset the box office, coming in number one in its second week, beating out the Tom Hanks film, “Inferno.”

This made me curious, sending me on a journey into the realm of Tyler Perry. I went and saw it.

I was of course biased by all the bad press on Perry’s films. I also thought that it was a little weird that he would incessantly dress as a woman. But I was surprised.

I was set to see a really dumb Halloween comedy, something in the vein of a Disney film which (literally) capitalizes on a holiday. Thirty minutes into the film, however, and there was hardly even a serious mention of Halloween.

It functioned rather as a setting for the themes Perry wished to explore.

The film explored themes that can be found in almost any award-winning film: Themes of family, age, wisdom and unconditional love.

Obviously, the film is pitched as a comedy with a man dressed as a woman, but Perry knows what he’s doing. He uses Madea to be able to write about these things and get people watch it.

The film revolves around the family of Brian, played by Perry himself, a single father with a teenage daughter. His daughter, Tiffany, wants to go to a party with much older, and sexually aggressive men. Perry is justifiably against the idea, but he can’t take care of the issue himself, so he calls in Madea.

Madea functions as what some would call the “beloved matriarch,” the wise old woman that helps the younger people in the story gain wisdom.

Bringing with her some friends, Madea intends to help out Brian and Tiffany.

Beyond the shenanigans and the higher themes, the film even exhibits some postmodern moments of metacriticism within the narrative and some topical nods toward the clown sightings across the country.

The story is about a father trying to teach his children to be good people in a world he might not fully understand.

It is also about how old-time teachings

can be applied to today’s issues.

To make a long story short, Madea’s wisdom helps Brian learn how to be a better father, even though he initially didn’t want to adapt Madea’s older way of thinking to his own. Tiffany is better off and has learned a lesson. Madea didn’t even have to save her, she did it herself. And Madea remains a strong matriarchal figure.

Suffice it to say, I was completely surprised by this realization that Perry was not a complete hack like Adam Sandler, someone Perry has been compared to.

So what does this mean?

Well, for one, it doesn’t seem that the archetype of a wise “beloved matriarch” is harmed in any way. Rather, she is humanized. The character of Madea has flaws, has seen the streets, but still has practical wisdom. Her friends, all old black people, are humanized as well: they are sexually active, have done drugs and are prone to lying. The whole group is a very realistic take on the archetypes, and in a way are actually very progressive.

Secondly, the idea that his films are religious rantings is kind of crazy. If he has religious themes in his films, that’s fine, many people do just that all the time. Perry isn’t ranting when he incorporates Christian themes or imagery into his films, he actually does it quite tamely. Perry is actually religious too, so why wouldn’t his films reflect that?

Lastly, the idea that his films are sexist might have some basis. Apparently his film “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counsel,” does have some sexist undertones about marriage and gender roles. My response to that is if directors like Woody Allen or Roman Polanski are not actively attacked for literally molesting people, then why is Perry attacked for making something that is not fully politically correct? I know that it’s beside the point, but I think that Perry is redeemable. He can learn from it, but people like Allen and Polanski have gone beyond redemption in the realm of pop-culture.

So we have Perry being a self-made artist who faced strong hardships, who has made art directly for the AfricanAmerican community and is doing all this on his own dime most of the time. He’s everything that should be

Photo courtest of Wikipedia.org

respected.

So why is he hated? Is he too conventional? Are his films to kitschy or too dumbed down?

Well, Kerry James Marshall, an acclaimed contemporary artist once made a whole series of paintings in which African-Americans are depicted in kitschy and cliched settings and frames. Marshall believed that this would add to a stunted culture which didn’t represent African Americans in any way besides in stereotypes.

Perry might be doing something like

this. His films, although not high quality, are still adding to black culture.

I’m not saying he’s the best director ever and he’s not the best AfricanAmerican figure ever. Rather he is an African-American pop-culture figure, with all of his surface level inanities, all of his political correctness shortfalls and all of his deeper meanings sprinkled throughout his pop art.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@ unr.edu and on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

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Use facts, not rhetoric, to cast your vote When hitting the polls this election, vote based off actions While politicians are not generally known for telling the truth, this year’s election has been especially devoid of fact. While the electorate might normally get some mix of half-truths and bent facts, 2016 has seen a deluge of misleading rhetoric and flat-out lies.

Politifact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checkers out of the Tampa Bay Times, found only 15 percent of Trump’s comments to be true or mostly true. Conversely, 71 percent was found to be mostly false, false or “pants on fire.” Clinton, by comparison, was found to speak truthfully or mostly truthfully only 50 percent of the time.

And it’s not just Politifact. Fact-

checkers across the spectrum have had a heyday this year attempting to correct the deluge of misleading statements or outright lies that have come from both candidates (though mostly Trump).

A bigger problem, though, is the fact that these lies or half-truths often sound true or true enough. When Trump says Ford is moving all its small car production to Mexico, that’s true.

And when he adds Americans lost jobs because of it, that makes sense. Except for the fact that it’s false, and no Ford worker at that plant lost their job.

Among stronger lies like his assertion that he never told people to “check

out” former Miss Universe contestant Alicia Machado’s sex tape, Trump’s greatest campaign tool is this twisting of the “probably true.” It makes it hard for the media professionals and casual voters who just want to know the truth.

And as the tug of war between Trump’s lies and the media’s factchecking grows more intense, it only serves to fatigue the voters and foster a now deep-rooted cynicism and distrust of all parties involved.

But as voters, all of us with a civic duty to uphold, we must look past the rhetoric from both candidates. As much as we focus on the character of our president, we must focus on their proposed policies. And while Clinton might have more fleshed-out policy proposals than her Republican rival, Trump’s platform is not all rhetoric.

Building a wall is a real platform goal.

So is his plan for taxes and “reforming”

immigration policy (essentially his ban on immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, but we’re counting that as reform here). And sometimes, Trump presents less concrete policy goals like his proposed maybe-maybe-not punishment of women who get abortions. With these kinds of things we have to take the candidate’s latest word for what he wants, and we’ll admit that it makes it tough to nail down exactly what he stands for.

But it’s what we’ve got. So if you don’t like it, express it in your vote. And if you do like it, express it in your vote.

More than that, there’s the issue of a “rigged election.” Trump has used his podium routinely this past month to say the media and a cabal of international bankers are conspiring to rig the polls against him.

All the evidence points to the contrary. It is exceedingly difficult to

rig an American election (especially considering there are 50 different states you would need to rig separately), and there is little to no evidence to back up Trump’s claims.

And it’s true some behavior on the side of the Democrats doesn’t help the perception. Donna Brazile exited CNN just yesterday over giving Clinton questions before a debate. That’s shady business, and it certainly shouldn’t be tolerated. But evidence of a global conspiracy it is not.

At the end of the day, you must vote.

And when you vote, make sure it’s not words you vote for, but actions.

The next four years will ride on the decision.

The editorial board can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

Photo couresy of Zak Brady

It is important to do your best to find something that helps you manage stress. Yoga is a great lifestyle choice to help people manage their stress.

Embark today on your journey to find your inner (less stressed) self through the practice of yoga

A

few months ago, I was dazing off in class per usual. My eyes glazed over due to the countless hours I’ve deprived myself of sleep. I had forgotten to turn in an assignment in an earlier class, so that all-too-familiar feeling of stomach-flooding anxiety still hadn’t subsided. Like most days, it was safe to say I was on autopilot. Helplessly tuning in and out of my professors’ lectures, one thing woke me right up. A chord of relatability instantly struck inside of me when my mind tuned in at the right moment. I heard my professor make the claim, “College students are the most stressed-out people I know.”

Although this statement was a Ali little troubling, I couldn’t help Schultz Schultz Happens but feel a little sense of relief.

Everyone says it all the time — college will be the best few years of your life. And in a way those people are right. College is the place where you meet some of your lifelong friends, take a path down selfdiscovery and spawn some of the finest memories in your life (even if some parts are harder to remember than others). But what a lot of people don’t acknowledge is that college can also be the most self-deprecating time of your life without you even realizing it.

It wasn’t really until my professor made this remark that I began to think about what could be done to aid with the feeling that the weight of the world is on a college student’s back. I thought

about my typical daily routines and the routines of those close to me, and there was an obvious recurring pattern. Very few college students dedicate quality time for themselves. Instead we spend ourselves getting caught in a web of bad habits.

I realized I had spent the past 3+ years of my college life wrapped up in these bad habits, always acknowledging how “messy” my life was but never really searching for a solution to my mess.

A few weeks later I was talking to my old college roommate about how stressed we always were and how much hasn’t changed. But this time talking to her something was different. She had a newfound lightness about her. We caught up as expected. She asked me about all the bad dates I had been on recently, and I asked her if she had finally found a major yet. In between laughs and getting caught up to speed, I had to ask her — “What’s so different about you?”

She went on to tell me no matter how busy she is she does something every day for herself. As simple as that sounded to me, I couldn’t help but be sold solely based off her demeanor. And even though I thought I did something for myself by binge-watching “Desperate Housewives” whenever I could, I realized that just wasn’t enough.

It was then I started looking into things that promote self-vitality. Something that kept coming up on my internet feed was yoga and meditation. I’ve never really been one to channel my inner chi, but you could say I was pretty desperate.

By the end of the day, I was signed up for a month’s trial of diverse, unlimited classes at a local yoga studio.

The morning of my first class I was super uncomfortable. I had no idea what to expect. I have never yoga’d before and frankly, if you asked me before my class, I would’ve told you I thought meditation might of been a crock of shit. Much to my surprise, my class left me in complete shock.

It would soon be true that yoga would not only salvage my sanity but also create a quality of life I didn’t know was even possible.

There are countless benefits that come with my newfound practice of yoga. Yoga increases flexibility and muscle strength, maintains a balanced metabolism and improves respiration, energy and vitality. But most importantly yoga is the best stress reliever I have ever come across. I think many college students and people in general who have high levels of stress can relate to being told “just relax” or “stop stressing yourself out” as if it is something we can control. And unfortunately, sometimes the management of stress is out of our hands.

However, I really believe yoga can actually bring you to attaining a manageable level of stress. I was a definite skeptic before beginning my practice. I mean, how was guided breathing supposed to solve the daily battles I tried to face and combat the negative effects that stemmed from a lack of sleep or a buildup of too much anxiety? After starting yoga on a regular basis, I couldn’t help but notice the peace of mind I found. According to Yoga Journal, “Slow down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear and desire that can cause stress. And since stress is implicated in so many health problems — from migraines and insomnia to lupus, MS, eczema, high blood pressure and heart attacks — if you

learn to quiet your mind, you’ll be likely to live longer and healthier.”

The most important thing yoga has done for me is brought me a sense of self-awareness and self-reflection. Through the sessions I have taken thus far, I am reminded to grant myself some sort of deserved self-gratitude. Instead of beating myself up for the assignments I didn’t get to or being late to class, I instead focus on all the things I accomplished. And surprisingly enough this has allowed me to be more productive during my day. Instead of wasting time dwelling on things I didn’t do right, I now allow myself more time in the day to stay on task and complete things.

Another factor that contributes to my newfound productivity is my new sleeping patterns.

Because yoga has been able to reduce my usual angsty feelings, I have found myself getting a better night’s sleep. This allows me to get more done since I feel less groggy during the day.

I know yoga isn’t for everyone, but I urge you wholeheartedly to give it a chance. However, if finding your “inner self” still isn’t your cup of tea, I suggest you take some quality time for yourself.

Sub out the binge drinking every weekend or self-deprecating anxiety sessions for some time reminding yourself what you have accomplished.

Change your mindset from what you’re not accomplishing to what you have accomplished.

Most importantly, allow quality time for yourself.

The stress isn’t going to solve itself, so go kick its ass.

Ali Schultz studies journalism. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

The intimacy of theater beats football

I

t was approaching 6 p.m. My makeup bag was in the passenger seat and a warmup playlist blasted through the speakers as I pulled into the Brian Whalen parking garage on campus, ready for day two of the school musical, “Music Man.” Opening night had gone reasonably well and I had no reason to suspect the Saturday show would be any different.

I didn’t account for football.

That day, Oct. 22, was the night of the homecoming football game. Instead of the placid parking garage I had expected—a low-stress place to park and listen to my playlist until it was time to head to the Church Fine Arts building for Dominique body and vocal warmups—I Kent encountered a nightmare of what seemed like hundreds of people all trying to get to their favorite thing in the world: football.

There are no words for the stress I encountered that day—the honking, the people on the walk from their cars already drinking and the almost rabid devotion to the sport. I ended up parking on the roof, sprinting from my car to the stairwell (narrowly avoiding being hit by a pickup truck) and running into the dressing rooms frazzled, wide-eyed and mad.

How dare these football fans step on the second night of the show? Where would our adoring fans park? These questions ran through my mind as I did angry ballet warmups to upbeat dance music.

But most of all, I was jealous.

Why doesn’t theater ever experience rabid fans running over each other in the parking lot to get a spot?

The difference between sports fans and theater fans is marked. Sports are cherished and promoted. The media flock to cover sports stories or to profile famous athletes. Even at the gradeschool level, the jocks are considered the heroes of the schools while theater kids are the outcasts.

At a higher level, things begin to even out. Actors actually start to get paid and people tend to get interested. But there is still a divide. According to USA Today, an average of 23.7 million people tuned in to watch Sunday night football each week in 2015. In contrast, an average of 14 million people attended an entire Broadway season, according to statista.com.

In one year in the United States, 45.92 million people attended live theater. It took a whole year for live theater in the United States to double the number of people who watched one single football game.

Why is this? Are sports fans more insane because football, and other sports, are just better?

To those fans, and to the man who almost ran me over an hour and a half before I had to be onstage, I say a fervent “No.” Theater is a sport in itself, with an entirely different set of rules. There’s a reason the largest Broadway theater seats less than 20 percent as many people as an average football stadium.

Audiences don’t come to get drunk and watch specks on a field; an audience comes to a production to see the minute costume choices, the tiny facial expressions and the emotions playing out before them.

Theater isn’t viewed by millions at a time because that would lose the intimacy of the theater.

Actors spend months in intense rehearsals and four to five hours at the theater on show days not for cheers but for a quiet laugh in a dark room, or for a tear being shed over a death of a person who never would have existed but for an hour or so of suspended disbelief. We sweat buckets during training, warmups and dance rehearsals not for the hundreds of middle-aged men already three beers deep fighting over a parking spot before a game but for the sweeping applause after a particularly tough dance scene.

The numbers cannot be compared without context. Sports are not all alike. Just as crosscountry runners cannot be measured by the amount of people who gather in a stadium to watch them, theater people cannot be measured by the amount of people who go hoarse yelling from the sidelines.

The media and corporations spend all of their time on sports like football because those are the areas that are guaranteed to make the most money. Of course a football game watched by millions of people is going to make more money than a single sold-out show in a theater that holds 250. This is a fact and the reason theater doesn’t always get the attention it deserves.

The mistake would be to assume this makes theater, especially musical theater, any less of a sport. Like football players, we sweat under hot lights, perform exerting routines and put on a show for an audience. Unlike football players, we do it in full makeup, heeled character shoes

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

The media is known to flock over sports, while theater has a more intimate following. Because sports make so much money, media coverage focuses more on them.

and with a beaming smile, all while keeping up a convincing pretense of being someone other than ourselves.

On homecoming night, college football fans saw two sets of large men fight over a single ball.

Those men did something difficult. But that night I came on stage wearing two skirts, heeled shoes, enough makeup to weigh down an elephant, a wig and a hat laden with feathers and performed

a dance routine while looking moderately happy about it. If you don’t think that’s just as difficult, I dare you to do it. And don’t forget to smile.

Dominique Kent studies English. She can be reached at dkent@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @Dominiquetrekker.

I’m a Republican voting for Clinton

I

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

The picture above displays Donald Trump’s star on The hollywood Walk of Fame before it was defaced by vandals. Adriana, although not a Trump supporter, points out that vandalism is never okay, but people should instead channel their energy at the voting polls.

Vandalism is never justified I am not a Trump supporter.

I also am not a supporter of damaging public property in any way.

Jamie Otis has admitted that he was the man who was seen smashing Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. He is noted as saying that he wanted to sell it to raise money for the 12 women who spoke up against Trump.

Since the star was vandalized, protesters have gathered around construction crews fixing the star.

The protesters also verbally and physically harassed a homeless woman who was defending the star.

I keep trying Adrianne to find the right Owens way to write this because it’s a very complex issue that very well shouldn’t be. On the one hand, it’s upsetting to see so many people wasting their time by the Trump star instead of out doing something that matters. On the other, Trump needs to be stopped.

And it’s terrible we have to fight over a piece of metal and rock in the ground.

Why not go out and effectively change the vote? With the official Election Day just a few days away, why not put all of your effort into canvassing or volunteering with a political organization you support?

By ripping public property from the ground (no matter how much it probably shouldn’t be there), you’re telling the world Trump has already won. He’s getting in the minds of so many and making them think irrationally.

Instead of abusing a woman who’s defending Trump, why not go door to door and commit people to vote for another candidate?

It isn’t difficult to sign up to volunteer with an organization against Trump. Spending time going door to door or even holding a clipboard around campus and talking to students about the election would be an effective use of the crunch time before the Election Day. For those who say that Otis rightfully ripped the star out to “raise money” for the women who accused Trump of sexual assault, why wouldn’t he fundraise in other ways?

In an age with so many online fundraising platforms, Otis would hardly have to lift a finger off the keyboard to start a GoFundMe for these women.

According to Business Insider, it’s going to take anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 to repair the star. While Otis hasn’t raised any money for these women, Hollywood is paying thousands for labor on Trump’s star.

What started off as vandalism then turned into a protest that got national coverage, making liberals look like savages.

Multiple news headlines across

the nation depict the incident as liberal protesters beating a homeless woman, throwing punches and words alike.

This depiction throws pity votes to Trump, as people are forced to see these liberal protesters as irrational people.

The woman, who held up a sign saying “illegals” sleep in houses while homeless sleep on the streets, is now being sought after by Trump.

A gift is supposedly going to be given to her when she is found for being brave enough to stand up to the liberals.

In short, there is no reason for destroying something that doesn’t even belong to Trump, something that Trump doesn’t have to pay to repair.

No, I don’t think the star should be there, but destroying city property doesn’t help the cause.

Volunteer with a political organization. Get people to register to vote. Get people to the polls. Get awareness out.

And as it has been said for years, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”

Take it in your own hands, and go out and vote against Donald Trump if you want to stop him.

Adrianne Owens studies journalism. she can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

n 1964, LBJ’s presidential campaign ran a TV ad entitled, “Confessions of a Republican.” It was a recording of a young Republican man explaining why he chose to cross party lines and vote for LBJ instead of the GOP nominee Senator Barry Goldwater.

“I certainly don’t feel guilty about being a Republican,” says the man.

“I’ve always been a Republican.” And yet he explains why his opposition to Goldwater brings him to the decision to vote for LBJ: “I think my party made a bad mistake in San Francisco, and I’m going to have to vote against that mistake on the third of November.”

Chaz Half a century Fernandez later, this time in Cleveland, we’ve made an even worse mistake by nominating Donald Trump. Let’s get something straight: angry, right-wing cultural populism is decidedly not conservatism. Jeb Bush put it bluntly and accurately: “Conservatism is temporarily dead.” That’s because modern conservatism should be a policy-focused, big-tent movement.

The bigoted, anti-intellectual, narrow demagoguery of Mr. Trump should have no place in our party. But let’s forget for a minute the claims of a “rigged election,” the misogyny, the name-calling, all the headlines that are disqualifying in and of themselves. Let’s take a look at the actual policy orientation of our nominee.

The GOP has an honorable history of promoting coherent conservative principles. Does Mr. Trump live up to that high standard?

The answer, unfortunately, is a resounding no. Donald Trump trashes GOP leadership, opposes free trade and aligns himself with Vladimir Putin. Is this the party of Lincoln, Eisenhower and Reagan? I doubt I’m the only one who still can’t wrap his head around the fact that the traditionally hawkish party has nominated a virtual Russian puppet for the office of President of the United States. The Republican nominee is effectively running against everything Republicans have stood for over the decades.

There’s a reason he’s been abandoned by party leadership, especially in Nevada, where Dr. Joe Heck, Gov. Brian Sandoval, Sen. Dean Heller and Congressman Cresent Hardy have all either refused to endorse Mr. Trump or have pulled their endorsements.

Both Republican former Secretary of State Colin Powell and, based on some reports, President George H.W. Bush have actually announced

their intentions to vote for Secretary Clinton.

I voted for Heck and Congressman Mark Amodei in early voting. I voted for Republicans all down the ticket, and I’m proud to be a conservative and a Republican. But when it comes to the presidential race, I had to put my country ahead of my party. I had to vote for a greatly flawed but at least minimally qualified, centrist candidate: Secretary Clinton. At risk of making her sound less appealing to her base, I must admit that I actually find her to have a more holistically conservative outlook than Mr. Trump, especially with regard to foreign policy. Will blind party loyalty, then, still deceive millions of Republicans into voting for the candidate with the “R” next to his name, regardless of his conservative credentials? With options like Evan McMullin, Secretary Clinton, and even Nevada’s “None of These Candidates,” I certainly hope not. As the man in that 1964 ad says, “If you unite behind a man you don’t believe in, it’s a lie.”

Before his capitulation to political pressure, Sen. Ted Cruz wisely advised us during the Republican National Convention to vote our consciences.

I know there are many Republicans like me who are dissatisfied with our party’s nominee. And I know if we fail to heed Sen. Cruz’s advice, there will be a price to pay — A political price levied by future generations of voters, no doubt. But more than that, a moral price levied by our future shame and regret. I pray we find the strength to pay that price and rebuild our party in the years to come.

Photographer/Nevada Sagebrush

Donald Trump speaks at a Nevada Trump rally on his 2016 campaign trail.

Chaz Fernandez studies political science. He can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

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Vote for Hillary Clinton for President.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.

Early Vote in Nevada is Saturday, October 22 to Friday, November 4.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

MW Predictions

1 SDSU

The Aztecs have been the best program in the Mountain West under head coach Steve Fisher for the better part of a decade, winning five of the last seven regular-season conference championships.

SDSU is the default choice until further notice.

2 _Nevada Nevada’s hype train is taking all passengers.

With a slew of talented transfers and returning talent from last season, the Wolf Pack is a trendy pick to punch its ticket to the big dance. Nevada lost two good defenders from a season ago, so team defense will be a point of emphasis.

3

New Mexico

Junior guard Elijah Brown looks to build on his stellar sophomore season where he averaged 21 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. He doesn’t have much around him, so there may be a lot of hero ball going on, but Brown is arguably the best player in the conference along with Nevada’s Cameron Oliver.

4 Utah State

The Aggies bring back senior guard Jalen Moore, who averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game last season and is likely to improve. He also gets the added luxury of senior guard Shane Rector in line to have a big year. Expect this backcourt to be one of the best in the conference.

Photo courtesy of Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush. Photo illustration by Nicole Skarlatos/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada forward Cam Oliver grips the ball and roars at the top of his lungs during Nevada’s media day at Lawlor Events Center Thursday, Oct. 27. Oliver was named first team All-Mountain West by Yahoo Sports.

Oliver builds on NBA draft evaluation

By Neil Patrick Healy When Nevada’s star forward Cameron Oliver decided to enter his name into the NBA draft, the motive was not to forgo his college eligibility but to have his skills on display to be evaluated by NBA scouts and GMs. Now he has taken what he learned and is using it to build a successful sophomore season for the Wolf Pack.

“I talked to coach Musselman about [declaring for the draft] and just told him that I wanted to get the feedback from certain coaches and GMs from teams and see how I am outside of the West Coast,” Oliver said. “Just so I could see what I can do, and that’s pretty much how it was. Just see how I am and see what it’s like in the NBA experience.”

With a new rule change announced by the NCAA last year, college basketball players can enter their name into the draft three times throughout their career. If the player hasn’t hired an agent (as in Oliver’s case), he can still return to school before the deadline 10 days after the NBA Combine. Oliver and Musselman both agreed that the process would be beneficial.

“We talked to as many teams as

we could for him, and we were really supportive,” Musselman said. “We felt like it was something that Cam really wanted to do and we wanted him to do it, and we think it’s great for him from an experience standpoint.”

Oliver came alive in the second half of the season and made himself known to NBA scouts by averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds during the Pack’s postseason run that included a CBI championship. He earned Mountain West freshman of the year and MWC first team All-Defense, and he wanted to build off his freshman success with the help of his coach. “[Musselman] was very hands-on,” Oliver said. “He pretty much told me who’s interested and what the workouts were and kind of gave me a feel for it.

He really helped me. He told me what was going on and the business side of the NBA.” Musselman, who was a head coach at the NBA level with the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings, not only helped him prepare for specific NBA workouts but also readied him for the jump in talent level from the MWC to the NBA. “You’re just playing against better

players and you’re working out against better players,” Musselman said.

“You’re entering a man’s world. All those things test you mentally and physically at those NBA workouts.”

In his workout with the Boston Celtics, Oliver showed his potential and versatility but ultimately chose to come back to work on his game for the NBA that is continually evolving.

“As it is with bigs, [it’s important] to be more of a consistent shooter, being able to handle the ball in certain situations and just simple things like that,” Oliver said. “Being more of a Draymond Green type. I mean, I’m probably more athletic than Draymond Green, but in terms of being able to guard the one through five and still have that power forward position and just kind of have that type of versatility.”

Oliver also said that he draws comparisons to Green in regard to his versatility. Being an Oakland native, he enjoys the comparison to the Warriors forward.

Other than news of the workouts and which teams he worked out for, what he brought back to his teammates was some of the gifts teams gave him.

“The main thing he was talking about

was the gear,” said Nevada sophomore guard and teammate Lindsey Drew. “He was loving the gear and he got some stuff. He got shorts, nice shirts and stuff with NBA logos on it.”

Drew’s favorite thing Oliver brought was a pair of Celtics shorts he got after his Boston workout.

Oliver withdrew from the draft and is currently rated by Draft Express as the No. 47 prospect in the 2017 NBA draft, which puts him in the middle of the second round. The combination of his athletic ability and his versatility makes him a very compelling prospect, and coach Musselman expects him to improve his stock, saying he’s a star in the making. Overall, Oliver is happy with how the draft process went.

“It was a really fun experience for me,” Oliver said. “I got the experience that I wanted, as to see how I am, how it feels and get the feedback from certain coaches, GMs and players. It was a fun experience and I could bring back a lot of information to these guys here.”

Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NP_Healy.

Nevada’s in line for a big year in 2016

By Neil Patrick Healy Nevada basketball finished fourth in the Mountain West and won its first postseason tournament in program history last year after unexpectedly winning the CBI. Many were saying that if the team finished with a winning record the season would be a success. Now the Pack has NCAA Tournament expectations surrounding the program, and for good reason, but are those goals just a bit too lofty? It may be premature to predict what happens in March five months in advance, but I’m going to do it anyway. Here are the top storylines for Nevada basketball that will make or break its dreams of going to the big dance.

Style of play Nevada head coach Eric Musselman came in and wanted to play an exciting, high-tempo brand of basketball, and we saw flashes of that as the season progressed, but he couldn’t fully implement his system due to a lack of depth. Now with a full recruiting cycle under his belt and a slew of transfers becoming eligible, it looks like

Musselman will finally have the Wolf Pack looking like its own brand of Showtime. Add to that nine scholarship players available and one or two walkons who can contribute off the bench, and Musselman may have finally constructed the roster he wants.

Cam Oliver The star forward is known for his versatility, and his play above the rim made his presence known to NBA scouts.

After being named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Oliver stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points and 11 rebounds during the Pack’s postseason run. Already named the MWC Preseason Player of the Year by Yahoo Sports, Oliver is poised to have a big sophomore season, and if he continues to improve, specifically on his 41 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line during the CBI, he will be a legit NBA firstround talent.

Transfers finally eligible When Musselman took the Nevada job in March of 2015, he immediately went to work

on the recruiting trail and secured commitments from highly touted transfers around the country. Guards Marcus Marshall (Missouri State) and Jordan Caroline (Southern Illinois) and forward Leland King (Brown) had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, but they seem to be worth the wait.

Marshall can play both the one and two guard spots and is automatic at shooting the ball.

Marshall, a senior, is essentially a rental player and only eligible for this season, but his ability to shoot will help ease the Pack’s offensive struggles from last season.

King and Caroline will also make an impact on both sides of the floor. King averaged 14.6 points per game, shot 30 percent from behind the arc at Brown and provides versatility at the forward position. Caroline, who is a daunting 6 foot 7 and 235 pounds, was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team while at Southern Illinois and provides versatility as a combo guard/ forward that will pair perfectly with Oliver down low. Sitting

on these three for a year will pay big dividends for Nevada this season.

Defensive questions The preseason isn’t all about the hype train for Nevada, as Musselman will point out to anyone who asks. He has been very vocal about his concerns with the team defense his squad has this season. The Wolf Pack lost two great ball defenders last year in Marqueze Coleman and Tyron Criswell, and the team will feel the void those two have left during the early stage of the schedule. Expect the Pack to struggle at first on the defensive side but then turn it around as the season progresses.

Other than having Oliver, who was on the MWC First team All-Defensive last season, Nevada has plenty of length and athleticism on the roster that will grow into itself. Sophomore guard Lindsey Drew is an established defender in the backcourt and the rest of the team will fall in line with him.

son and we will see them make an early impact for the Pack.

Point guard Devearl Ramsey out of Los Angeles is poised to get early playing time off the bench and may even begin to start as the season progresses.

He’s listed at a generous 5 foot 10, but his quick, electric playing style will translate well with the Pack. Josh Hall, a 6-foot-6 forward from Houston, is another Pack player who provides length and versatility and will most likely see time in the second unit. Hall is pretty skinny and will need to put on weight to compete physically with the players in the MWC. Bold predictions I’m not crazy when I say Nevada is a tournament-caliber team. Everything seems to be there to make a run for the big dance. The roster has depth, length and athleticism: all things necessary to win games.

Here are my “crazy predictions” in order of most confident to least confident: Nevada wins 22 to 26 games, Cam Oliver

5 Fresno State

The Bulldogs lose Marvelle Harries, who carried them to a Mountain West conference championship and a berth to an NCAA Tournament. Don’t expect the Bulldogs to repeat that magic and fall back to earth a bit.

6 CSU

Gian Clavell returns for his senior year and looks to improve on his 20 points per game and 42 percent mark from the 3-point line. The Rams do add 6-foot-11 freshman forward Nico Carvacho, so he may help down low and provide a physical presence. Don’t expect the Rams to finish better than .500 this season.

7 Boise State

The Broncos lost versatile forward James Webb III, who almost averaged a double-double every night, so losing him will be tough. They also lose the team’s second leading scorer Anthony Drmic, who averaged 13 points a game. It will be hard to replace that much offensive production, so the Broncos may have a down year.

8 Wyoming

The Cowboys lose lead scorer Josh Adams to graduation, and replacing his 24 points a game is a daunting task. It will be up to first-year head coach Allen Edwards to find some quality back court play to keep the program from falling further down the standings.

9 UNL V

First-year head coach Marvin Menzies inherits a tire fire of a program after the firing of Dave Rice and the Chris Beard leaving UNLV after a monthlong debacle. The Rebels only return three scholarship players and are in rebuild mode.

It will take a while to get the Runnin’ Rebels back to their old winning ways.

Force 10 Air Air Force is a perennial cellar dweller in the Mountain West. No player last year averaged over 2.8 assists a game and the team finished with a dreadful 14-18 record and a 5-13 record in conference. Don’t expect anything more this season.

11 SJSU

The Spartans have been 5-49 over the last five season, and it’s not going to get better any time soon. Not to mention that Youth movement SJSU has to replace both of its leading Nevada brings two four-star Neil Patrick Healy can be reached scorers from last year. The struggle bus will freshmen into the fold this sea- at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and continue to roll through San Jose for a while. on Twitter @NP_Healy.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

SPORTS | A13

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

Childhood friends, teammates reunite Hall and Ramsey join Wolf Pack

By Brandon Cruz Only having four years in college basketball to foster spectacular teammate chemistry can be an especially difficult task. Luckily for Wolf Pack basketball, its two top-150 recruits, Josh Hall and Devearl Ramsey, have been playing with one another for their entire lives.

6-foot-6, 190-pound Hall had nothing but praise for his longtime point guard Ramsey when asked about their chemistry during their upbringing.

“We’ve always played well together.

We used to actually always play against each other and even further back in elementary school,” Hall said.

But the question that surrounds the two is how much did Ramsey’s decision to join Nevada affect Hall’s decision to come to the Battle Born State? Hall was originally committed to play at Rice University in Houston, but it appeared that some summer ventures changed his mind.

“After the summer I wanted to be open to new offers and field new options,” Hall said.

Hall’s summer consisted of a lot of time spent with Ramsey as they played on an AAU team together called the California Supreme. They gelled well, and Hall praised Ramsey’s decisionmaking ability.

“We did a lot of pick-and-roll action, a lot of pick and pop. Whenever I would have a big guarding me, he would recognize the mismatch,” Hall said Although it appears that Ramsey

played a significant role in Hall’s decision to commit to Nevada, Ramsey would not consider himself to be the main factor as to why Hall found himself in the Silver State.

“I don’t know if I played a really big factor, but I think I played a good factor in bringing him here,” Ramsey said.

While Ramsey believes he may have played a small component in getting Hall to commit to Nevada, Hall would say otherwise. Ramsey may have been more important to the process than he actually knows. “[Ramsey] played a really big factor because we were playing together for so long. He just made me feel comfortable being here. He kind of persuaded me too,” Hall said.

Ramsey downplayed his role in helping attract Hall to the University of Nevada. Even without their statements, just watching the two interact demonstrates their relationship with one another.

When there is such a bond between players like Hall and Ramsey, eventually others will notice. Senior shooting guard D.J. Fenner can foresee amazing potential for the two.

“They play really well together,” Fenner said. “Definitely can see them being a really good combo when they’re older. Their games are different.

With Ramsey at the point and Hall at combo guard, you can see them being able to feed off each other.”

Who knows, maybe they will become Nevada’s Michael Jordan and Scottie

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush Josh Hall leans on Devearl Ramsey during Wolf Pack media day at Lawlor Events Center on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. The two freshmen were top-150 recruits who have played together for their entire lives.

Pippen, as their longtime chemistry has star-like qualities. Although they may need a few seasons to confirm that statement, they sure have the ability to make an early impact, according to head coach Eric Musselman.

“The biggest thing is Josh has been such a great surprise, because he can play multiple positions, has a great attitude and a really high basketball IQ,” Muss said.

Musselman also commented about the impact Ramsey could have on the team.

“He can change the complexion of the game with his defense. He’s going to increase the tempo for us, he does a great job of pushing the ball and has really improved his 3-point shooting in a short amount of time,” Musselman said.

From the blacktop basketball courts

of elementary school to the refinished hardwood floor of Lawlor stadium, this duo has played together through it all.

Hall and Ramsey’s potential seem to be without limit, and they have not even played their first college basketball game yet.

Brandon Cruz can be reached at bcruz@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

TOP the

1

2 Marcus Marshall

3 Jordan Caroline

Cam is a first-team MW forward

Cameron Oliver

Marshall is especially important

Caroline, a transfer from Southern

4

Old man Fenner is coming back

D.J. Fenner

5 Devearl Ramsey At 5-foot-9, Ramsey goes full

with an NBA body and can stretch

to this team because of his ability

Illinois, is a dynamic player with the

for his fourth year, and he’s bringing

speed at all times and loves to get

the court with a 20-foot jumper. His

to shoot 3-pointers. Marshall might

ability to play shooting guard, small

his intelligence, defensive effort and

out in transition. He’s the engine

showtime dunks were the talk of the

be Nevada’s starting point guard to

forward and power forward. His

clever offensive game. Fenner will

to Nevada’s offense and should

Pack last season, when he aver-

begin the season and will be relied

greatest strength is going to the rim

probably start as Nevada’s shooting

eventually

aged 13 points and nine rebounds.

on to score around 16 per game.

off the dribble and using his hops.

guard and provide valuable offense.

point guard. Ramsey is the X-factor.

become

the

starting

A14 | SPORTS

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

(Left to right) Devearl Ramsey, Cameron Oliver, David Cunningham, Charlie Tooley, Josh Hall, Lindsey Drew and Leland King II pose for a photo in Lawlor Events Center on Thursday, Oct. 27. The group of players was asked to pose with a basketball during the team’s annual media day.

Trust my judgment: Nevada basketball has real chance to make NCAA tourney Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell has a theory about rapid cognition. His theory states people have an incredible ability to come to rational, accurate conclusions about most things within two seconds of analyzing them.

For instance, humans know if they’re physically attracted to someone within a few moments of making eye contact.

But it’s not just instinctive or biological reactions. We can come to accurate, instant conclusions regarding subjects Jack that would appear to demand Rieger lots of information, such as choosing what university to attend or where to live after graduation. Gladwell argues people are innately good at making these decisions quickly.

In fact, he convincingly argues we’re better at making most decisions with less information than more. After spending 30-minutes with the Nevada basketball team, I’ve come to a rapid conclusion: Nevada is going to be very tough to beat this season, and it’s because of the following two reasons.

Musselman Coach Musselman is like the Silicon Valley CEO who takes over failing businesses with horrible products and idiotic management, and in the span of a year makes them profitable again. He took over an unwatchable, disjointed program in March of 2015 and has magically transformed it into a tournament-bubble team. Musselman is a born leader who has an innate ability to excite people.

There’s a psychologist in Massachusetts who predicts the new president of the United States every election based on one thing: body language. People subconsciously prioritize body language when choosing the leaders they decide to follow. Musselman has positive, enveloping body language and an overall confident, engaging personality. This really matters, especially when it comes to leading a group of testosterone-filled 18-to 22-year-old men who can be rattled by a subpar Snapchat story.

“I think it’s his work ethic,” said guard D.J. Fenner, explaining what makes Musselman a great coach. “As players, we see that. He’s up at the crack of dawn every morning walking on the treadmill and highlighting articles and giving them to us. He’s always doing something productive every day, every second of the day. Even our practices are quick.”

Fenner wasn’t the only one to echo that thought; every player I spoke with was enthralled with Musselman’s excitement and passion for basketball. They’ve completely bought in.

The real question with Musselman is how long he will stay at Nevada. When the Wolf Pack wins 22 games this season and goes to the NCAA tournament, big-time programs like the Cal and Oregon State will come calling, offering much more than Nevada can pony up. For those of you who are trying to convince yourself Musselman will stay in Reno, think about this: Muss currently makes $400,000 per year, which is ninth out of 11 head coaches in the Mountain West. He’s worth three times that amount. Musselman is an ambitious, self-aware guy who has left programs for better jobs. If you don’t think he’ll do the same

thing with Nevada, you’re delusional. The great news for Nevada is Dave Rice is one of the most qualified assistant coaches in the Mountain West, so when Musselman decides to take a better job Nevada is situated nicely.

Tempo and defense Nevada’s identity last year was to lock down defensively and convert stops into transition baskets; that’s the Musselman bible. But this strategy was used mostly because Nevada’s half court offense was below average and Cam Oliver is a big-time jumper. This season the team’s strategy is the same, except now they have a halfcourt offense and a point guard that is absolutely perfect for Musselman’s pace: Devearl Ramsey.

Ramsey is a three-star freshman from Chatsworth, California. He stands at just 5 foot 9 and 170 pounds, and he really likes to run.

Musselman recruited Ramsey because he fits his idea of a point guard: lightning quick, defensiveminded and fearless. When asked about Ramsey, the faintest grin appeared on Musselman’s face.

“I think Devearl Ramsey is going to ignite us with his speed and change of tempo,” Musselman said.

Ramsey is the engine that will keep Nevada’s athletic offense on the attack. He has a quick first step and a consistent floater in the paint that he teardrops over big men. Ramsey seems to be able to shoot the three-ball relatively well and is a willing passer once he penetrates the defense. Most importantly for this team, he loves to play defense and picks guys up full court. Ramsey articulates his thoughts into words almost as quickly as he sprints the ball up the court.

“I feel like our identity is to get out in transition,

but we can’t lose our defensive edge,” Ramsey said. “That’s what we talk about every day in practice, and we can’t lose that. Secondly, we have to get out and go. We want to be one of the fastest teams in the country.”

Ramsey might not start on opening night at 17th-ranked St. Mary’s, but he’ll be a major contributor sooner rather than later.

Nevada has a ton of athletic pieces to surround Ramsey with, including transfer Jordan Caroline.

Caroline transferred from Southern Illinois, where he was a Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman player. He stands at 6 foot 7, 235 pounds and has freakish athleticism. His greatest strength to Nevada will be his dribble-drive talent, his offensive rebounding and his ability to finish in transition. Others like phenom Cameron Oliver, four-star guard Josh Hall, sharp-shooting Marcus Marshall and transfer Leland King make Nevada an athletic nightmare for opponents.

If it seems like I’m being overly optimistic, it may be because I’m exhausted from the depressing sideshow that has become Nevada’s football team. But I believe optimistic is the only way to evaluate this team’s chances given its head coach, talent and confidence.

Like Gladwell argues in his award-winning book “Blink”, we as humans should trust our rapid cognition. It doesn’t take long to realize your girlfriend or boyfriend will make a great, or not so great, wife or husband, just like it doesn’t take long to understand Nevada basketball is going to be very tough to beat this season and has a real chance to make the NCAA tournament.

Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @jackrieger.

Transfers prepared to make immediate impact

By Brandon Cruz Great college basketball teams are not solely built upon fresh high-school recruits. Transfers are becoming a popular commodity in the NCAA. According to a Sports Illustrated article titled “Inside the up-transferring boom: Which schools are winning & losing,” “the 2016-17 season ... will set a new record for freshly eligible up-transfers.”

Nevada features three freshly eligible transfers this season with senior Marcus Marshall from Missouri State, sophomore Jordan Caroline from Southern Illinois and junior Leland King II from Brown.

Marshall is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard from St. Paul, Minnesota, with incredible talent and leadership abilities on both sides of the ball.

He can play either the off-guard or the point, and he doesn’t really care where he’s playing as long he’s helping the team. Marshall is also an amazing 3-point shooter, shooting 45.6 percent behind the arc. Champaign, Illinois, native Jordan Caroline is a 6-foot-7 forward who exploded his freshman year while playing basketball at Southern Illinois. He was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team after a stellar freshman campaign, averaging 9.2 points and 6.2 rebounds a game. Lastly, we have Leland King II, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward

originally from Inglewood, California.

King II played two seasons at Brown University where he progressed tremendously from his freshman to sophomore seasons, improving his average point production by five points.

According to them, all of these well-rounded transfers found their way to Nevada because of one man: Eric Musselman.

“I chose Nevada because Musselman. Talking to him on the phone, he was just different from all the other coaches. Musselman is the type who keeps it real with you. I trusted his word,” Marshall said.

“The trust I had in Muss would be the biggest factor. It was where I felt I could fit in best and the coach I had the most trust in developing me as a player,” Caroline said.

“Coach Musselman. His history and player development. I knew if I came here, I’d really get better and have the best chance at accomplishing my goals to play in the NBA. Coming here I felt like I could get all that I needed,” King said.

The three eligible transfers have a certain love for coach Muss, seeing him as a man who says it how it is and can help them achieve their dreams.

Along with their reasoning to join the Wolf Pack, Marshall, Caroline and King all have specific talents and intangibles they bring to the team,

Photo Illustration by Nicole Skarlatos/Nevada Sagebrush (Left to right) Leland King II, Jordan Caroline and Marcus Marshall dribblle the ball for photos during media day at Lawlor Events Center on Thusday, Oct. 27. After being ineligible for the ‘15-’16 season, they are now looking to make an impact on the team this season.

but there seems to be a resounding consensus that they just want to help the team win and will play whatever role necessary to make that happen.

“Helping the team out any way I can, really” is how Caroline described it.

Of all the transfers, senior Marshall has been around college basketball the longest. Because of this he’s expected to take on a leadership role

of sorts.

“I try to [be a team leader] as much as I can. Especially if someone tries to pick my brain about it. Like a couple of freshmen, Josh and Devearl. We’re pretty close and we talk about stuff like that,” Marshall said.

With Marshall, Caroline and King now eligible to play this season, Nevada has increased its firepower

along with a great presence in the paint. The team is poised for a tough road win in its bout against No. 17 St. Mary’s College on Friday, Nov. 11.

Brandon Cruz can be reached at bcruz@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ SagebrushSports.