NEVADA SAGEBRUSH SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893
THE
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
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NEWS in REVIEW By Karolina Rivas
INTERNATIONAL PLANE CRASH IN NEPAL At least 49 people are dead after a plane crashed upon landing in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, on Monday. Around 22 people remain in the hospital being treated for injuries. The cause of the crash remains unknown but the airport has reported that the plane approached from the wrong direction. “The aircraft was permitted to land from the southern side of the runway flying over Koteshwor, but it landed from the northern side,” Sanjiv Gautam, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, told the Kathmandu Post. According to a recording obtained by the BBC, the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control minutes before the plane crashed suggests there was a misunderstanding over which end of the runway the plane was allowed to land on. Moments before the crash one can hear LiveATC telling the pilot: “I say again, turn!” Despite the recording, USBangla Airlines chief executive Imran Asif blamed the air traffic control.
NATIONAL AUSTIN POLICE SAY PACKAGE EXPLOSIONS ARE CONNECTED Authorities in Austin, Texas claim that three package explosions that were delivered to residents within the past 10 days are related. On March 2, a 39-year-old man was killed after opening a package that was delivered to his door overnight, according to police. Ten days later, officials reported that a 17-year-old boy died after a similar package exploded in his kitchen Monday morning. A woman was also injured in the explosion. Later that same evening, a 75-yearold Latino woman suffered life-threatening injuries when another hand-delivered package exploded as she opened it. “I want to assure all Texans, and especially those in Austin, that local, state and federal law enforcement officials are working diligently to find those responsible for these heinous crimes,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “As the investigation continues, the State of Texas will provide any resources necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens, and quickly bring those guilty to justice.”
LOCAL RENO LOCAL DIES IN NYC HELICOPTER CRASH A Reno native and graduate of Galena High School, Tristan Hill, was identified as one of the passengers that was killed in a helicopter crash in New York on Sunday. All five passengers aboard died with the pilot being the only survivor. Hill, 29, was the former director of Northern Nevada Blue Chip Basketball Camp based in Reno, the RenoGazette-Journal reports. According to CNN, this is the third crash to occur in the past 11 years for Liberty Helicopters. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend the helicopter agency’s certificate until an assessment of the company’s safety record is completed. “Three (crashes) is too many,” Schumer told CNN. “There are too many allegations. No one knows what’s happened. I don’t think Liberty should be flying until we get to the bottom of this.” Karolina Rivas can be reached at karolinar@sagebrush.unr. edu and on Twitter @karolinarrivas.
‘NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE’
VOLUME 124, ISSUE 24
New legislation aims to stop underreported harassment incidents
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE 25% to 85% of women reported having experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.
75%
Formal reporting is the least common response to a sexual harassment incident
of employees who spoke out against workplace mistreatment faced some form of retaliation 200
Unwanted physical touching was formally reported as 8%
$193.8
150 100
$93.7
50
One in four people people are affected by workplace sexual harassment
0
Decreased Workgroup Activity
Decreased Individual Activity
Sexually coercive behavior was reported by 30% $14.9 Sick Leave
$24.7 Job Turnover
The Effects of Sexual Harassment Design by Nicole Skarlatos
Statistics representing harassment in the workplace gathered from a 2016 study conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of Workplace Harassment in the United States.
By Karolina Rivas The #MeToo movement sparked an unprecedented level of action on sexual harassment in the workplace from public figures such as actors, athletes, employers and now, Capitol Hill. Congresswoman Jacky Rosen of Nevada introduced the Sunlight in Workplace Harassment Act on Feb. 27, in an effort to pass a bill that would require companies to disclose information on how complaints are handled and protect victims of harassment in the workplace. “Sexual harassment in the workplace is not a partisan issue, and I am thrilled to have Republican Congressman Walter B. Jones of North Carolina joining us as a co-sponsor on this important bill to shine a spotlight on this
problem,” Rep. Rosen said. “Having bipartisan support will be key to ensuring this legislation moves out of committee and onto the House floor for a vote.” According to a 2016 study conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of Workplace Harassment in the United States around 25 percent to 85 percent of women reported experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace and predict that one in four people are affected by workplace sexual harassment. Rosen’s proposed measure would require publicly-traded companies to disclose a number of things, such as the number and monetary value of settlements paid out as a result of sexual harassment and other discrimination claims against corporate officers to the Securities and
UNR hosts diversity, inclusion summit By Alejandra Horwitz Students at the University of Nevada, Reno, will have the chance to participate in panel discussions about college diversity and inclusion at the 2018 Northern Nevada Diversity Summit on Thursday, April 12, at the Joe Crowley Student Union. The event, hosted annually by UNR’s Cultural Diversity Committee, aims to present the challenges associated with diversity on college campuses and within surrounding communities, and propose potential changes and solutions. The summit will serve as a forum for students and community members to engage in workshops and panels on such matters as gender, medical treatment across ethnicities and the challenges associated with being ‘non-white’. Presenters, selected based on proposals they submitted over the course of the last several months, were recently announced along with a detailed schedule of events, and are available on the Cultural Diversity Committee’s page of the UNR website. According to event organizer Matthew Aguirre, the summit centers around a different theme every year. He says this year’s theme of diversity, equity and inclusion was heavily influenced by the current political climate. “We always look at what is going on it the community and the country, and determine our theme based on that,” Aguirre said.
See DIVERSITY page A2
Exchange Commission. A report of the average length of time it takes to resolve harassment complaints and detail information on their efforts to prevent the perpetration of harassment, discrimination, and abuse by their employees would also be required, though the act will prohibit the SEC from disclosing the names of accusers and provide accusers with the option of limiting the extent to which details of their settlements are disclosed to the public. “The #MeToo movement has helped shed light on the onceinvisible struggles of countless women who have dealt with sexual misconduct in the workplace,” Rosen said. “For too long, we’ve seen those who have had the courage to speak out against their abusers lose their jobs and
even their careers just for sharing their story. It’s past time we end this culture of abuse by those in power, and I am committed to doing my part to solve this very real problem for workers in Nevada and across the country.” Although the act is placing tougher guidelines on how harassment cases are handled by companies, others believe that the bill should only have to do with the sexual harassment case itself rather than the company. “I have mixed feelings about this Bill. On the one hand, bringing sexual harassment issues out in the open is a very good idea,” said Mark Mausert, a civil rights lawyer representing the women involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit against the City of Reno. “On the other hand, many companies make reasonable efforts
Car burglaries on rise in Reno, police warn By Ryan Suppe
to prevent sexual harassment and to remediate it when it happens. When a settlement occurs, those companies are paying to ensure privacy, to avoid public scrutiny and being stigmatized.” Rosen says that the disclosure of information is needed of publicly-traded companies because it will help diminish powerful companies that are causing victims to suffer financially. In 1994, the Merit Systems Protection Board reported that as a result of sexual harassment, federal agencies faced a multitude of costs. Such costs included job turnover ($24.7 million), sick leave ($14.9 million) and productivity ($193.8 million), costing the government a total of $327.1 million. The
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Unrecognized fraternities feed Reno homeless By Olivia Ali
See CARS page A2 File Photo/Nevada Sagebrush
Cars as they are parked in the West Stadium parking garage in 2017. Vehicular crimes are increasing around Reno and on campus, according to police.
Unrecognized fraternities at the university spent the morning of Saturday, March 10, handing out sandwiches to Reno’s homeless population to show their support for the community. The event took place at the same time the university’s recognized Greek organizations participated in community service as part of Greek Week. Theta Chi, Zeta Psi, Kappa Sigma and Kappa Alpha took to the streets of the downtown Reno area near Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission to distribute peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the homeless people in the area. The fraternities planned this community service event to show their support for the community’s wellbeing, even though they are not recognized organizations by the university. The members of the fraternities made approximately 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Saturday morning to distribute. They handed them out to Reno residents in front of the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission, as well as down Fourth Street and Evans Avenue by the bus station. Any remaining sandwiches were given to the Gospel Mission. According to Theta Chi’s Media Relations Chairman, Michael Bradley, the idea came about after members of Theta Chi learned about the community service events of Theta Chi’s chapter at San Diego State University at a leadership conference.
See FRATERNITY page A2