Issue 21 02/19/19

Page 1

SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES $1.00 EACH

VOLUME 125, ISSUE 21

Lilley Art Museum previews art building

See A&E page A4

File Photo/Nevada Sagebrush

Chenay Arberry addresses the crowd of protesters gathered on the steps of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. African American graduation rates are significantly lower than any other race in the U.S. and at the University of Nevada, Reno.

African-American students graduates at lower rates regionally, nationally By Taylor Johnson In light of Black History Month, the disproportional African American populations and graduation rates at universities across the nation are being brought to attention. Throughout national higher education institutions, African Americans graduate at a lower rate than any other race — including at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Center reported approximately 3.2 percent of undergraduates at the university identified as African American in fall 2017. During the same year, around 2.76 percent of black students received their degrees in four years. “Research shows that financial aid and personal problems as an issue,” the student development coordinator in The Center, Jody Lykes said. “I think we look at black student

retention as what programming are we doing. Black student retention depends on our campus climate. Supporting black students has been more than programming. When you think of the Center, it’s not just this physical place. We support all students. It’s been a strong place for people to come and feel comfortable. It’s a place of resource. I’ll do my best to make you feel more connected so they don’t feel isolated. When you look at a diverse group of black students, they need diverse needs.” Although black students’ attainment of their bachelor’s degree has increased since the 1960s from being less than 5 percent to 23.9 percent in 2017, African American students continue to lag behind other races. A 2010 study by the U.S. Department of Education found only 21.4 percent of Af-

rican American students graduate in four years compared to other races. “I do feel a little discouraged to graduate from the university because as an African American person, there’s really no emphasis on the black college experience unless the community of African Americans creates it,” Faith Thomas, a junior at the university said. “The university can invest in African American students by hiring more African staff. By showing that there is more administration that looks like us, it will motivate us to stay here. People like Dr. Paul Mitchell have deeply inspired me and I was excited to learn that I would be able to be taught by someone who’s shared a similar experience as I have. With the correct support, black students can be successful at this PWI (predominately white institution).”

Some individuals “High dropout rates blame high-school gradu- appear to be primaration rates for the cause ily caused by inferior of lower enrollment and K-12 preparation and an graduation for African absence of a family colAmericans in higher lege tradition, conditions education and blame that apply to a very large financials to play a role as percentage of today’s well. college-bound African In 2012, Nevada had 48 Americans,” the JBHE percent of African Ameri- said in their study. “But cans graduate high school equally important considand California had 66 per- erations are family wealth cent of African Americans and the availability of graduate high school. In financial aid. According to 2017, the Journal of Blacks a study by Nellie Mae, the in Higher Education, an largest nonprofit provider organization dedicated of federal and private to investigating the status education loan funds in and prospects for African this country, 69 percent Americans in higher edu- of African Americans who cation, found there were enrolled in college but did over 9,234,000 African not finish said that they Americans living below left college because of the official poverty line high student loan debt as in the United States — opposed to 43 percent of which is 22 percent of the white students who cited entire black population in the same reason.” the United States — while 8.8 percent of the nonHispanic white populaSee GRADUATION page A2 tion were in poverty.

Award shows need to change

ASUN passes legislation in support of SSOG expansion By Olivia Ali The Associated Students of the University of Nevada passed legislation on Wednesday, Feb. 13, in support of expansion of the Silver State Opportunity Grant. Interdisciplinary Studies Sen. Abrahim Ahmed and CABNR Sen. Aamir Aziz drafted the legislation and presented it to the ASUN Senate during their weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 13. The resolution passed with dissent from College of Business Sen. Hayden Grant. “The resolution states that the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, Reno supports the expansion of the SSOG to allow eligible students to take 30 credits over the academic year instead of a stricter 15 credits per semester,” Sen. Aziz said. The Silver State Opportunity Grant is currently offered to all Nevada state colleges and community colleges. This includes Truckee Meadows Community College, College of Southern Nevada, Western Nevada College, Great Basin College and Nevada State College. Senators discussed why this bill was created during the meeting,. Sen. Aziz and Sen. Ahmed explained the requirement of 15 credits per semester often resulted in students not qualifying for the grant toward the end of their college career, as many students take more than 15 credits early on and do not need to take 15 later on. The expansion of the grant program would allow students to receive benefits from the grant program as long as the student is taking 30 a year or on track to graduate.

The legislation was drafted as a response to a bill draft request from the Nevada State Legislature, according to Sen. Aziz. “A special committee called the Committee to Conduct a Study Concerning the Cost and Affordability of Higher Education investigated the rising cost of higher education and solutions to make higher education more affordable for students from low-income backgrounds,” Sen. Aziz said. “One of the solutions included allowing students to take 30 credits over the academic year instead of 15 credits during each semester. As the BDR concerned higher education, Senator Ahmed and I decided to support the idea as a means of increasing affordability of higher education.” The legislation states that requiring 30 credits over the summer, fall and spring semesters is consistent with the credit requirement of that of a four year degree. During the meeting, it was clarified that spring includes Wintermester, as the tuition for winter and spring is combined into one payment. The Silver State Opportunity Grant is a state-supported form of financial aid created by Senate Bill 227 in 2015. “Under the SSOG Program, need based grants will be awarded to eligible low income students who are college-ready to pay for a portion of the cost of education at a community college or state college within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE),” NSHE

See SSOG page A2

Caroline, Martin’s case for MW PotY Background check bill passes legislature after six-year debate File Photo/ Nevada Sagebrush

The Joe Crowley Student Union as it stands in Aug. 2017. The University of Nevada, Reno is releasing campus climate surveys.

UNR releases campus climate survey By Olivia Ali The University of Nevada, Reno, is releasing a survey to assess campus climate on Tuesday, Feb. 19. For four weeks, students, faculty and staff are urged to take the “Speak Your Truth” survey. It assesses “climate for living, learning and working”, according to their website. The survey is the first all inclusive campus climate survey at the university. The results will be used to evaluate how the university should be enhanced. “These results will help the University to develop programs and policies to 1) increase inclusivity in areas that are shown

to be problematic and to 2) enhance and replicate programs and policies in areas that are shown to be successfully meeting the needs of our campus community,” the university wrote on their website. After the survey closes on Friday, March 15, the data will be analyzed from the survey. From May to August 2019, a report will be developed with the findings from the survey. The results will be available to the public in September 2019 and will be used to develop an action plan from October to December 2019. The survey was created by a climate study working group

See SURVEY page A2

By Taylor Avery Gov. Steve Sisolak signed Senate Bill 143 into law on Friday, Feb. 15, after it passed through the Nevada Assembly on a vote of 28-13. The bill requires licensed gun dealers to run a background check on anyone wishing to purchase a firearm. An unlicensed person wishing to sell a gun is required to transfer the gun to a licensed gun dealer, who will then run the background check through the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History. Exceptions include transfers to immediate family members, temporary transfers to the personal representative of an estate after the death of the owner of the firearm and the sale of an antique firearm. The bill was introduced on Monday, Feb. 11, with eight primary sponsors. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Assembly

Committee on Judiciary held a joint meeting. The hearing lasted for eight hours and included testimony from several groups in the community. Governor Steve Sisolak also spoke at the hearing, among other senators and assembly members offering their own testimony. “Most Nevadans understand that   we can  uphold the  Second Amendment rights of Nevada’s many  responsible gun owners and do all we can to prevent  those who should not have access to firearms from  exploiting the background check loophole and putting our families in danger.  ” Gov. Steve Sisolak said at the hearing, according to KOLO8. Senator Kelvin Atkinson, a primary sponsor of the bill, shared the stories of a 14-year-old and a mother of

See BACKGROUND page A2


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