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VOLUME 125, ISSUE 27
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Student Health Center Campus Pharmacy as it stands on Sunday, March 31. The campus pharmacy is set to close by May 17 due to competition with larger chain pharmacies.
Campus Pharmacy to close by May 2019 By Olivia Ali The Campus Pharmacy announced it will be closing its doors on Friday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m. The decision to close was made after the Campus Pharmacy was no longer able to compete with larger chain pharmacies. Until the final day of operation, the Campus Pharmacy will assist students in moving prescriptions to other local pharmacies. “The University of Nevada, Reno Campus Pharmacy team has valued serving you over the years,” the Campus Pharmacy wrote on the School of Medicine’s website. “However, as an independent pharmacy, we are no longer able to compete with larger pharmacies while costeffectively meeting your
needs.” According to Campus Pharmacy manager Leslie Baker, the decision was made by the School of Medicine’s management team. Although the pharmacy is closing, the SHC will still be prescribing medication to students. From this point forward, new medications — one-time or recurring — will be sent to different pharmacies, such as Walmart, Walgreens or CVS, according to SHC Director Dr. Cheryl Hug-English. Students will be able to receive prescriptions for one-time prescriptions, such as antibiotics, or monthly prescriptions, such as birth control, from the SHC. Prior to the decision to close the pharmacy, students were able to indicate what pharmacy
they would like their prescription to be forwarded to. According to Dr. Hug-English, the Campus Pharmacy and SHC are separate entities, allowing students to have a choice between the Campus Pharmacy and other chain pharmacies. The pharmacy closure will not affect the ability to get medications but may affect the ease of getting medications, according to Baker. “Students will not have the convenience of having a pharmacy located next to student health [sic],” Baker said. “This may be an inconvenience for those who are ill and want to pick up their prescriptions right after seeing the student health providers and especially to those that don’t have a car. Students who don’t have insurance will likely
Nevada elderly have the highest suicide rate By Taylor Johnson In a 2018 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found Nevada rates of suicide have declined between 1999 to 2016. Although there has been a decline in youth suicide, Nevada has the highest rate of elderly suicide. As Nevadans aged in 2018, they were more likely to take their lives peaking at ages 75-84. According to the 2018 America’s Health Ranking, the rate of suicide has increased from 19.4 per 100,000 deaths to 22.2 per 100,000. 50 elderly individuals aged 75-84 per 100,000 died by suicide compared to the 18.1 per 100,000 of the U.S. national rate. Nevada has the highest elderly suicide rate of any other state — the second highest being Utah with 28.9 per 100,000. They also found older white or Native American divorced males are the most at risk group for elderly suicide. For other age groups, there is 14.9 per 100,000 deaths for ages 15-24, 22.7 per 100,000 deaths for ages 25-34, 26.8 per 100,000 deaths for ages 45-54, 27.3 per 100,000 deaths for ages 55-64 and 48.1 per 100,000 deaths for ages 85 and beyond.
pay more for many medications.” Baker was unable to tell The Nevada Sagebrush specific prices of prescriptions at the Campus Pharmacy versus chain pharmacies, but said she has been “told by many students that the Campus Pharmacy prices were less expensive if you don’t have insurance.” According to HugEnglish, the process of transferring prescriptions is relatively easy and quick. “It involves the campus pharmacy helping contact another pharmacy the student has indicated they would like to get their medication transferred to,” Hug-English said. The Campus Pharmacy urged students on their website to contact the Campus Pharmacy directly if they need as-
sistance transitioning. “In the meantime, we are committed to making this transition as seamless as possible for you,” the website said. “Please contact us at (775) 7846799 if you would like assistance transitioning your prescriptions to a new pharmacy. It has been a pleasure serving you. Thank you for your business. And please do not hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance during this transition.” More information about the closure can be found at med.unr.edu/ pharmacy.
Actress visits UNR to talk intersectionality See A&E page A2
Olivia Ali can be reached at oali@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @OliviaNAli.
Elko County passes sanctuary county resolution By: Taylor Avery
Don’t stress about post-grad life See OPINION page A7
Garry Knight/Flickr
An elderly couple crossing the street in London, England on June 7, 2011. Nevada has the highest rate of elderly suicide in the country peaking at ages 75 to 84.
Taylor Johnson can be reached at tjohnson@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.
Taylor Avery/The Nevada Sagebrush
Elko County legislators gathering around on Wednesday, March 20 after they passed the Second Amendment sanctuary county resolution
Taylor Avery can be reached at oali@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.
Cunningham’s journey to fan favorite See SPORTS page A8
Student voice of the University of Nevada, Reno, since 1893.
Volume 125 • Issue 27 Editor-in-Chief • Madeline Purdue mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
News Editor • Olivia Ali oali@sagebrush.unr.edu
Asst. News Editor • Taylor Johnson tjohnson@sagebrush.unr.edu
Spanish Editor • Andrew Mendez andrewmendez@sagebrush.unr.edu
Sports Editor • Darion Strugs dstrugs@sagebrush.unr.edu
Opinion Editor • Jacey Gonzalez jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.edu
A&E Editor • Carla Suggs csuggs@sagebrush.unr.edu
Design Editor • Nicole Skarlatos nskarlatos@sagebrush.unr.edu
Photo Editor • Andrea Wilkinson awilkinson@sagebrush.unr.edu
Copy Editor • Robert Roth mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
Copy Editor • Clay Temme ctemme@sagebrush.unr.edu
Multimedia Editor • Bailey MeCey bmecey@sagebrush.unr.edu
Asst. Multimedia Editor • Austin Daly bmecey@sagebrush.unr.edu
Illustrator • Zak Brady mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
Social Media Manager • Jessie Schirrick mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
Staff Writer • Emily Fisher
efisher@sagebrush.unr.edu
Distribution •Ryan Freeberg mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
Media Adviser • Nisha Sridharan nsridharan@unr.edu
CONTRIBUTING STAFFERS Taylor Avery, Isaiah Burrows, Matt Hanifan
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.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
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A2 | NEWS
Actress Krystil Tift gives powerful presentation on intersectionality in performance poetry By Carla Suggs Krystil Tift is not only an assistant professor of Theater and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University, but she’s also an incredibly talented actress who’s been featured in films and television shows like “Hall Pass”, “Greenleaf” and “One Tree Hill”. Her in-depth knowledge of intersectionality and how it fits into black performance poetry was shared with an intimate audience in the Wells Fargo Auditorium of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, on Friday, March 29. Tift started her presentation with a rundown of the black arts movement during the 1960s and ‘70s — a time in which performance art was mainly dominated by white men. The black arts movement, Tift explained, was a response to the lack of representation and inclusion in the art world and was born with the help of black men like Ed Bollins, Larry Neal and Amiri Baraka, who found it necessary to create theaters for black students interested in performance. “However, they were missing a component, right?” Tift asked the audience. “The component that is usually already behind black men’s activism — and that is black women.” Tift went on to introduce several black women who aided in the birth of the 1960s and ‘70s black arts movement, although they are not recognized as much as men in the movement. She named women like Glenda Dickerson, Barbara Ann Teer, Adrienne Kennedy and Alice
Childress, who were directors, producers, playwrights, actresses and more during that time. From there, Tift explained concepts like black feminism and womanism, which champion black women and value intersectionality in all realms of life. Womanism, according to Tift, was first defined by Alice Walker (author of “The Color Purple) and emphasizes spirituality, connections with others and nature as a part of the female experience. It also deals with ideas of sexuality. “A womanist is a woman who loves women,” Tift said, quoting Walker, “loves women’s culture, loves women sexually and non-sexually, loves men sexually and nonsexually [...] A womanist loves music, loves dance, loves the moon, loves the spirit, loves love and food and roundness, loves struggle, loves the folk, loves herself regardless. Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender.” From there, Tift proceeded to present a widely-renown theater piece by Ntozake Shange, called “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”. Published in 1976 as a collection of poems, the piece focuses on seven black women struggling through times of mental illness, domestic violence, sexual violence, suicidal ideation, death and more. Tift brought to light a factor of the poems that was vital to understand, which was the decision to use “ladies” as the names of characters (Lady in Red, Lady in Yellow, Lady in Purple, etc.) “Historically, black women haven’t been thought of as
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Sanchez
Actress and assistant professor of Theater and Performance Studies, Krystil Tift, presents on two AfroCarribean lesbian poets to a crowd in the Wells Fargo Auditorium on Friday, March 29. Her presentation also centered around intersectionality in performance poetry, especially among artists who are black, queer and female.
ladies,” she said. “Or even women. Since American slavery, they were thought of as, what Zora Neale Hurston calls, ‘the mules of the world.’” Tift followed this explanation with a tear-jerking performance of one of the poems from the collection, narrated by the Lady in Red. In the piece, the Lady in Red suffers through an incredibly abusive relationship with a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD and concludes with him dropping their two children from a fifth story window to their deaths. The audience erupted into applause following the performance, after
which Tift showed a clip of the 1982 television adaptation of the theater piece. Right before the event’s Q+A and subsequent closing, Tift presented two black lesbian feminist poets from the Caribbean, named Staceyann Chin and Lenelle Moïse, who each used intersectionality in their poetry. She showed clips of one poem from each artist. In the first clip, Chin gave a moving performance of a poem about the kind of world she wants to live in as a lesbian woman of color. In the second clip, Moïse delivered a poem about the Creole word for lesbian, “madivinez”, which is considered vulgar to
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“Captain Marvel” analyzes xenophobia, consequences of war violence, sexism By Carla Suggs Marvel Studios has always done an exceptional job with analyzing social issues in their stories. In “Captain Marvel”, the latest installment of Disney’s Marvel film universe, Vers (played by Brie Larson) is a member of the Starforce — a military team made up of an alien race called Kree. Vers is a tenacious yet emotion-driven soldier, with unique powers that draw from an energy source from within her, making her much stronger and powerful than her peers. However, Vers has no recollection of her life besides her last six years with Starforce and is constantly told to control her strong emotions by her higher-ups, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) and the Supreme Intelligence (Annette Bening). While on a mission, the Starforce infiltrates a small band of shapeshifters called Skrulls, and Vers is taken hostage in one of their vessels headed for Earth. Aboard the ship, the Skrulls probe her mind for information, allowing her to see brief glimpses of her life as an Air Force pilot before being drafted into the Starforce.
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Carla Suggs can be reached at csuggs@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @carla_suggs.
Family Weekend A Wolf Pack Throwback
2019
APRIL 5-7
Creoles but beautiful to her. The night ended with a Q+A section in which Tift was asked about her own identity, and talked about her experiences as a queer black woman in America. Many in the audience asked her for advice or words of wisdom, and even for a performance of her own art. Tift graciously granted them with a moving song and monologue she wrote about loving, being sexually assaulted and learning to live happily. Carla Suggs can be reached at csuggs@sagebrush.unr.edu, or on Twitter @carla_suggs.
TUESDAY, 2 APRIL, 2019
veldmusicfestival/Flickr
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FESTIVAL GUIDE | A3
Reno fests A4 | FESTIVAL GUIDE
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com
Women headliners needed at
COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVALS
S
By Madeline Purdue
pring and summer time are notorious for the height of country music — new albums are released, people are driving around with their windows down blasting country music and country music festivals are at their peak. As amazing as the headliners of the best festivals are, there are hardly any female headliners. Female representation in country music is already an issue. Beside Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, female country artists hardly rise to the top of the charts as quickly as males do. Lambert has never had a no. 1 song without it being a duet with a male artist. It is no surprise that country music festivals focus more on male artists. Out of arguably the biggest three festivals — Country Thunder, Stagecoach and Tortuga — the headliners are Brett Eldredge, Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean twice, Kenny Chesney, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt. All male. The only high-profile festival with a female headliner is CMA Fest with Carrie Underwood, who finds her name hidden between McGraw, Bryan and Florida Georgia Line. Country music is often critiqued as slow, traditional and a sign of conservatism. However, two women are making headlines as progressive country artists, bringing in a new era to a very traditional genre of music, and could pull the same amount of attention and money as the repeated male headliners. Kacey Musgraves, the new Grammy winner for Album of the Year, is the artist pushing all the boundaries and leaving country music traditions in the dust. Before she created “Golden Hour”, the album that put her into the mainstream spotlight, Musgraves made her debut with “Same Trailer, Different Park” where she made her statement automatically. Instead of playing it safe, Musgraves first single to go big was “Merry Go ‘Round” which discusses marijuana, homosexuality and going against the grain while sticking to a traditional country
music vibe. Fast forward five years and “Golden Hour” has transcended country music to a new, progressive era. Musgraves incorporates disco, jazz and other genres into her songs while still speaking to the country faithful with her lyrics. While her Album of the Year Grammy may have come as a shock, including to Musgraves herself, it is not shocking The Academy recognized her influence over the country music genre and her progressive trends. The other woman bringing female country music stars to the forefront is Maren Morris, who straddles the country and pop line way more gracefully than other country artists turned pop. Morris first landed into the spotlight with her country bops “My Church” and “80’s Mercedes”. She then simultaneously had hits in the country and pop world with “I Could Use a Love Song” and “The Middle” respectively. While Musgraves is notorious for her love ballads, Morris’s music is mostly about having fun and not taking herself too seriously. Her image is not a matter of importance when it comes to the topics of her songs, as she discusses wanting money and going against traditional values associated with country music and lifestyle. While some criticisms of country music are fair, Morris and Musgraves are making huge tidal waves in a maledominated genre by defying the norm and taking on a progressive approach that relates to listeners who may have never considered giving country music a chance. These two women will be taking the country music world by storm and will headline their own festivals, as Lake Shake in Chicago realized. The festival has only women as the headliners, including Morris, Lambert and Lauren Alaina. Country music fans and those who are finding themselves gravitating to the genre with these younger, progressive artists should support the festivals that support female artists and recognize their impact on country music.
@NevadaSagebrush
mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
By Olivia Ali
E
very year for three days in the late summer, Reno’s morning sky can be seen clouded with brightlycolored balloons, marking
the end of the summer and the beginning of the Great Reno Balloon Race. The Great Reno Balloon Race began in 1982 with only 20 balloons participating, according to the Great Reno Balloon Race’s official website. However, it has exploded since then to be the world’s largest free hot-air balloon event, with up to 100 balloons and an average of 120,000 spectators a year. The Balloon Race is held annually at Rancho San Rafael Park in the beginning of September. Additionally, the event is free to all, allowing families, groups of friends and more to set up camp in the park just before sunrise. The 2019 Great Reno Balloon Race will run from Friday, Sept. 6 to Sunday, Sept. 8, with a preview media day on Thursday, Sept. 5. Doors will open on Friday to
Sunday at 3:30 a.m., but the first event of the day, the Glow Show, won’t begin until 5:00 a.m., giving spectators time to settle in. Friday, Sept. 6 features a Super Glow Show at 5:15 a.m. Following the Glow Show is Dawn Patrol around 5:30 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Dawn Patrol features several balloons ascending before the sun fully rises, which provides a beautiful view of rainbow-colored balloons in the sunrise. At 7:00 a.m., the main event finally takes place — up to 100 balloons ascend together into the sky to participate in the Great Reno Balloon Race. The balloons race from Rancho San Rafael Park to a specified target in Northwest Reno, which they aim to hit with a beanbag. As the race is very early in the morning, you might be tempted to skip it and catch some extra sleep. However, the festival is truly unlike anything else in Reno — and possibly anywhere. Grab a
Nicole Skarlatos/Nevada Sagebrush
Balloons take off in the early morning after flying for the 36th annual Great Reno Balloon Race on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018.
group of friends, make a cup of coffee to-go and make your way down to Rancho San Rafael Park for the race. In Reno, it’s really just an event you can’t miss. Besides taking over Northern Reno for a full weekend every year, the Great Reno Balloon Race does have some major accomplishments through the years worth noting. In 2002, the Great Reno Balloon Race was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America. In 2003, the event recorded 140,000 spectators throughout the weekend, which remains its highest recorded attendance to date. In 2007, CNN attended the event
and covered the race alongside worldwide news topics. The Great Reno Balloon Race advises wearing layers, bringing lawn chairs or blankets to sit on and to arrive early for the optimal viewing experience.
The event schedule, parking options and more can be found at renoballoon.com. @NevadaSagebrush oali@sagebrush.unr.edu
The Nugget Rib Cook Off,
an overlooked northern Nevada tradition By Jacey Gonzalez
A
fter living in Reno for the past four years, I can confidently tell you that the Nugget Rib Cook-Off is a Reno staple. The rib festival takes place on Victorian Square in Sparks, and between the food, the live music and the shopping, there’s no better place to
be at the end of summer. The rib festival and cook off debuted in 1989, and since then the CookOff has been one of the greatest events in Sparks, Nevada. This festival is a bit of southern charm brought to northern Nevada where residents can enjoy the best food. The ribs are incredible, no matter the stand you buy them from. They’re the most tender and
savory ribs you could ever eat. The meat falls off the bone, the barbeque sauce is sweet but smokey and the sides are even more delicious. The mac and cheese, coleslaw and baked beans come in mass supply, so eat up and enjoy. Even if you’re not a fan of pork ribs, there are so many types of different food available to try. Anything you could ever
imagine being deep-fried, the best cornbread and even random things you’d never see up north like fried alligator are available all week long. One of my personal favorites is fried pickles and here I can try different fried pickles from different restaurants across the country. Another positive about this festival is that it’s maintained and executed to perfection. There’s
always security around, easy-to-find bathrooms and it’s not too hard to find parking. All of the normal festival deterrents are eliminated which makes this an easy-going and relaxing event. The actual rib competition brings competitors from all across the country. Everyone wants a shot at having their ribs or
See COOK OFF page A6
Reno needs to increase Latino representation at festivals, city events By Andrew Mendez
W
ith Reno’s second largest racial/ethnic makeup being individuals who identify as Latino or Hispanic, there has been a lack of visibility in the city in regard to festivals celebrated throughout Latin America. Without much visibility of events that carry cultural significance and years of practice it almost makes me, a Latino, feel isolated in this city. Events like Día de Los Muertos, Carnaval and Cinco de Mayo play a vital role for certain communities, and without that visibility there can not be a strong Latino community. Cities like Los Angeles, El Paso and New York City have embraced their Latino communities, and take value in cultural events by hosting events on days of cultural significance. Events held during Día de Los Muertos are usually hosted by the University of Nevada, but it is not recognized on a city-wide basis. Worldwide, Día de Los Muertos is celebrated to honor dead family members and welcome them back on the first day of November. To welcome back their loved ones
for the day they have individuals set up altars with toys, food and flowery skulls. Parades are usually held with individuals dressed in clothing their loved ones would have worn as well as painting themselves to look like skeletons. The day is filled with music, food and dance but there has yet to be a large festival held or parade held in Reno to celebrate a day that is important for many Mexican Americans. If there were to be a festival hosted not only would it bring increased visibility to the Latino community in Reno, but it would also be a great way for the community to learn about Latinx culture and traditions. According to Data USA, in 2016 the largest make up of foreign-born individuals in the state of Nevada were those of Mexican origin followed by the Philippines and El Salvador. Without cultural representation of an ethnic group so prominent in the city and state, there is a lack of acknowledgment they are a part of the community. Reno hosts amazing festivals every year — Burning man, The Great Eldorado BBQ, Brews and Blues Festival and many more — adding a few more
festivals won’t hurt the community it will only empower it. Events like Carnaval and Cinco de Mayo would bring a new cultural dynamic to the city and involve the Latino community. Despite there being a need for these festivals in the Reno community, there also needs to be a push from the Latino community to bring these events to the city. Without the voices of those who are underrepresented pushing to be represented there cannot be change. With a large population of Latinos in the city, there can be partnerships made with leaders in the Latino community to bring these events. It is a way to show Latinos who come to Reno that there is a sense of unity and support for the community. It will be a way to show Latino students at UNR that their population is active and bringing aspects of home to the city. It would reassure me that I am not alone in a city where I struggle to connect to my culture. @NevadaSagebrush andrewmendez@sagebrush.unr.edu
Larry Lamsa/Flickr
Participants of Día de Los Muertos participate in a parade in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Sunday, November 6, 2011. The second largest population in Reno is individuals who identify as Latino.
Advice
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
FESTIVAL GUIDE | A5
@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com
Festival outfits need to avoid cultural appropriation By Taylor Johnson
A
s festival season comes closer, more and more participants are choosing their outfits for these occasions. For some of these outfits, people choose to use aspects of other peoples’ culture and heritage. This is not okay. Just like Halloween, someone’s culture should not be used as an outfit — people need to respect them. According to the Cambridge dictionary, cultural appropriation is the act of using a thing from a culture that is not one’s own without showing one understands or respects the cultural significance of that thing.
Headdresses Native American headdresses’ or war bonnets’ colors, symbols and meanings vary between each tribe and each individual. According to Indians.org, warriors earned feathers each time they committed an act of bravery. When a warrior collects enough feathers, they create a headdress. It is no secret how many people wear these sacred headdresses for festivals. Are festivals an act of bravery now? “Unless you are a native male from a Plains nation who has earned a headdress, or you have been given permission to wear one ... then you will have a very difficult time making a case for how wearing one is anything other than disrespectful, now that you know these things,” graduate student and Cree language instructor at the Faculty of Native studies at the University of Alberta, Chelsea Vowel, said in a blog post titled “Open Letter to Non-Natives in Headdresses”. “If you choose to be disrespectful, please do not be surprised when people are offended … regardless of why you think you are entitled to do this.”
Braids According to Ebony, braids originated in Africa around 3500 B.C. A common braiding style African Americans use is box braiding. Box-braids are pre-braided strands of hair which are woven into someone’s real hair. They were popular-
Juan Bendana/Flickr
Icelandic artist, Jonsei performing at Coachella April 18, 2009 at Indio, California. Jonsei is wearing a Native American headdress even though he does not identify with Native American culture. Cultural appropriation is a problem found in festivals since people choose to wear things of other cultures they have little knowledge about
ized in the 1990s. Some African Americans have issues with other groups of people wearing boxbraids because many African Americans have faced discrimination due to their hair. “I think people have definitely looked over the history of braids and where and whom it originated from and how special and sacred it is,” freshman Chidera Abiakam said. “Now, it seems like something fun or different to do since it’s not a part of their everyday lifestyle or culture. I don’t think it’s always done with malicious intent but it’s done sometimes with purposeful ignorance, which is staying uneducated on the subject while knowing you can learn more. I think some people do it because they genuinely think it’s beautiful, and it is, but it’s necessary to know where it’s coming from and whose culture you’re wearing, especially when it comes to hairstyles and clothes, or else you shouldn’t wear it at all.” Personally, I have no issue if other groups of people wear these braid styles
any other time, but during festivals, it’s clearly about the ‘look’ and not the culture. There are many other hairstyles a person can use for their outfit without appropriating culture.
Dashikis Dashikis are colorful shirts and tunics which derive from West African culture. They were used as symbols of rebellion during the Civil Rights Era, as more people were embracing their African roots. Due to their colorful nature, other groups of people wear dashikis for festivals. During black empowerment rallies, non-black people are okay to wear dashikis. It shows others they are supporting African American advancement. For festivals, people clearly care more about ‘the look’ than supporting African Americans. “I’ve always known cultural appropriation was wrong even as a child but not necessarily knowing there was a name
for it,” senior Cheyenne Vance said. “I’ve always made it known that I don’t agree with non-black people using our cultural identifiers as a costume. The older I get through the more tired I am of explaining the same thing to people. It’s a slap in the face at this point when I see non-black people participating in our culture but not being a part of it when everything goes sideways. It’s wrong as hell when white women and all them wanna wear box braids, big hoops and have ‘ghetto’ nails but that’s my identity. I get patronized for my honest self. It’s annoying but it’s more common than not to see non-black people participating in black culture when it’s convenient and returning to their lives without the other hassles of being black.”
of marriage and represent the ‘third-eye.’ Bindis are subjected to being culturally appropriated during festivals when people place these bindis on themselves without knowledge of their cultural roots. “Be curious, ask questions, do your research,” writer and law student from Sydney, Vidya Ramachandran, said in an article on Junkee. “Understand your position and be mindful of the impact of the decisions that you make. What is your understanding of the bindi? Why are you wearing it? Is your behavior likely to cause somebody pain or discomfort? Are you contributing to a wider culture of disrespect or dispossession that you would otherwise not support? And sure, if you decide to wear a bindi anyway, not all South Asians will be offended. But some definitely will. And to me, that’s enough of a reason to err on the side of caution.”
Bindis A Bindi is a colored dot or jewel traditionally worn on the center of a forehead which derives from Hindi culture and Jainism. They are often served as signs
@NevadaSagebrush tjohnson@sagebrush.unr.edu
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
A woman is cradled in a man’s arms during The Festival of Colors in Moscow, 2017. It goes without saying that sexual harassment is commonplace in almost any setting, which is why it’s unsurprising that many people — particularly women — report unwanted sexual advances at festivals like Coachella and Burning Man.
By Carla Suggs
F
estivals are one of the many ways people escape the routine of daily life — for hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dollars. Music, food, comedy and film festivals are all opportunities to make memories, meet new people with similar interests and experience those interests up close. Unfortunately, festivals have also become common sites of sexual violence, particularly toward women. Though this is not a new phenomenon, high reports of sexual and physical violence have been brought to light more frequently in recent years. In 2016, a campaign called OurMusicMyBody was launched by organizations like Resilience and Between Friends, which studied rates of harassment at festivals. They identified a number of different types of harassment toward men, women, transgender and nonbinary people, including groping, sexual gestures, unsolicited body comments, sexual assault, physical violence and drugging. According to a 2017 study by the campaign, 92 percent of surveyed women said they experienced some form of harassment at a festival, sexual or otherwise.
At the same time, 60 percent of transgender people reported homophobic or transphobic physical violence at festivals. While severe and incredibly disheartening, these facts are not necessarily shocking. Everyone who’s been to a concert or festival can think of instances involving pushing, yelling, inappropriate comments or coercion in some capacity. In spaces where bodies are pushed so close together, there’s definitely enough room for some form of assault to take place. In 2018, YouGov surveyed 1,188 festival-goers about their own experiences with sexual violence. While nearly half (43 percent) of women under 40 said they experienced unwanted sexual behavior at music festivals, only 2 percent of such incidents were reported to police. Unfortunately, these sexual assault cases rarely result in arrests, much less actual convictions. For law enforcement, there are several forms of sexual deviancy that can result in varying degrees of consequence. Not only that, but sexual assault cases that don’t involve evidence left by penetration are difficult to testify on in court, as they rely solely on verbal accounts. According to the Reno-Gazette Journal, Burning Man reports between five and 20 sexual as-
saults each year. However, most of these reports are never followed up because they involve leering or grabbing, which are not criminalized under Nevada state law. Even reports that are not conducted through surveys or law enforcement can attest for sexual assault that takes place at festivals. One reporter for Teen Vogue, Vera Papisova, reported being groped 22 times within a 10-hour span at Coachella 2018. And the worst part — she was there to investigate sexual assault at that very festival. In her investigation, she met 54 women who also said they experienced sexual harassment at the same festival. Papisova also mentioned a viral photo of a man who wore a shirt that said “Eat Sleep Rape Repeat” to Coachella in 2015. While festivals can be sites to make exciting new memories, people should hold themselves and others accountable for respecting everyone’s boundaries. And although most festivals are quite crowded, invasions of space and bodies are easily recognizable, especially to those on the receiving end. @NevadaSagebrush csuggs@sagebrush.unr.edu
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@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com
A6 | FESTIVAL GUIDE
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
What every virgin burner should know By Jessie Schirrick ith Burning Man ticket sales set to begin on April 10, thousands of people are gearing up for another year of the countercultural experience. At the same time, the Burning Man organization plans to change some of its practices to make the event more inclusive. After Burning Man 2018, 4,804 people from 78 countries answered a survey that was part of an initiative to set a cultural direction in Black Rock City. “Many expressed concerns (which we share) about the dilution of the 10 Principles such as Radical Self-reliance, Decommodification, and Participation on the playa, and offered perspectives on the role that money plays in camps,” wrote Marian Goodell, Burning Man’s Chief Executive Officer, in a blog on the event’s website. In the blog post, Goodell expressed concerns about the recent trends toward exclusivity and commodification at the event. Goodell called out social media influencers exploiting the event to promote brands and companies selling all-inclusive package deals. Goodell also described instances in which older and LGBTQ+ burners were denied access to certain camps and art cars and how participants are failing to contribute while only consuming.
Changing Course In an effort to promote inclusion, Burning Man organizers are implementing several changes to ticket sales such as expanding the low-income ticket allocation by 18% and reducing the overall number of high-priced tickets by 30%.
Cook Off
Continued from page A4 barbecue sauce winning another award. Most of the booths that are featured are already awardwinners in some other fashion, so you know you’re really getting the best quality in the country right here in Sparks. One of the best parts of this event is that it’s free for spectators. You don’t have to pay anything to
The Burning Man organization classifies Black Rock City as a safe haven from the “typical consumerist, status-driven, brand-saturated, optimized-for-yourconvenience world.” This meaning gets lost when virgin burners attend the event without fully understanding its purpose. Here is my non-exhaustive list of guidelines that every virgin burner should know.
Request permission to take pictures
Dan O’Day/Flickr
A building on fire collapses during the 2010 Burning Man festival on September 14 in Reno, Nevada.The Burning Man organization is planning to be more inclusive in the future.
The fascinating murals, sculptures, art cars and costumes make Burning Man one of the most photogenic places on Earth. But, participants should always ask for a subject’s consent before taking a photo — especially if the individual is naked or if the photo makes them easily identifiable. At Burning Man, participants can engage in radical self-expression without fear of the repercussions they would normally face in the default world (defined by Burning Man as “the rest of the world that is not Black Rock City during the Burning Man event.”) The irresistible urge to flaunt the amazing experience on social media should never outweigh another burner’s right to privacy.
What I learned at Burning Man Full disclosure — I only attended Burning Man. However, in that experience I saw how attendees forgot the 10 Principles while incorrectly categorizing the event as a music or an art festival. Burning Man is NOT a festival. It is a community that all members must contribute to and respect for it to work.
get into Victorian Square, which means you can enjoy the fun of the event even on a low budget, even if you’re a broke college student. You only pay for what you eat, so if you just want to walk around and enjoy the event, it’s completely free. This festival is always family-friendly and is open to people of all ages. Even though this is a local’s best-kept secret, people still travel to Reno/Sparks to experience all of the fun that happens at this
or a bindi. It’s not. Even in the middle of the Black Rock desert, it’s not OK to wear a culture as a costume. Many commonly-appropriated items and styles hold significance for the group from which they are appropriated. That significance still applies in Black Rock City, as does everyone’s responsibility to respect it.
Participate in the gifting economy The 10 Principles of Burning Man state that the event “is devoted to acts of gift giving” and that “the value of a gift is unconditional.” The principal promotes the wonderful feeling that comes from giving without expecting anything in return, contrary to the economy of the default world. This principle has been criticized for making Black Rock City a place only the wealthy can go to, which is partly true. Many of the aspects that make Burning Man so great would not be possible without contributions from people who have enough disposable income to spend constructing massive art pieces or hosting hundreds of people at camps that offer free alcohol and food.
I believe every burner gives what they can to the playa. For those going to the event on a low-income ticket, handmade items of kind gestures are a meaningful, affordable way to contribute. At the same time, wealthier participants must be willing to share their contributions freely. As long as every person actively contributes to what they can and shares selflessly, Black Rock City may continue to thrive.
Love openly On the playa, I felt incredibly loved and accepted by everyone with whom I interacted. Hands-down, what made Burning Man so special for me was the ability to engage with so many people from all over the world and celebrate universal truths of the human experience. The event challenged me to be accepting and open-minded, which allowed me to experience the benefits of complete acceptance on my wellbeing. I truly believe there is something for everyone on the playa. @NevadaSagebrush mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
Don’t engage in cultural appropriation With radical self-expression in mind, Burning Man may seem like the perfect opportunity to don a headdress
festival. Late August is the perfect time of year to have this festival because the weather is perfect and everyone in town plans their entire weekend around going to the rib cook-off. Everyone deserves to experience this festival at least once, so when August rolls around take the time to go experience Reno’s best-kept secret.
@NevadaSagebrush jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.edu
Reno’s best brew fest: BBQ, Brews and Blues
By Ryan Freeberg
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ith over 15 breweries in the Reno area, craft beer is one of the fastest-growing trends in the biggest little city. One local festival celebrating not only the local populace’s love for craft brews — but the national and international community — is the 23rd Annual Great Eldorado BBQ, Brews and Blues Festival. The 2019 event will be held on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15. The festival, held yearly on Virginia Street in the heart of downtown Reno, is a celebration of barbecue and the beer that pairs so well with it, as well as some live music to help set the mood. The barbecue is prepared and supplied primarily by the Eldorado Resort Casino, but smaller booths, typically run by local businesses, also attend and set up their smokers and pits ready to feed and sell to attendees of the festival. As the name implies, patrons aren’t just coming for the barbecue though, some may be looking to just enjoy some music. The festival stretches from around Seventh St. and stops just before Second St., and at each end of the festival, stages can be found. At any given time, one or both of these stages may be in use. Blues is the genre mainly highlighted during the event but other musical acts have appeared in the past, including 90s rapper Vanilla Ice who performed at the 2018 festival. Musical talent for this year has yet to be announced but with acts such as Everclear and Smashmouth performing in the past, attendees can expect an interesting lineup of musicians and bands. The majority of patrons coming out for the festival are most likely looking coming for the beer. Accord-
ing to VistiRenoTahoe’s website, the current lineup of breweries in attendance for the 2019 festival is up to 65, but that number is subject to change as the event approaches. Some of the breweries set to attend include Hop Valley Brewing Co., Lagunitas and local favorite Lead Dog Brewing. The breweries that set up shop along Virginia Street aren’t just doing it to showcase their beers though, they are also doing it for competition. Visitors to the festival are given a sheet of paper upon entry to be used to help score each brewery based on flavor and enjoyability. Votes are taken over a texting service and from the paper scorecards, votes are then tallied and awards are given out. The categories for this year’s festival have yet to be announced. The festival is free and open to the public, but everything other than the music requires a payment to be enjoyed. A tasting package is offered to attendees who wish to sample from each of the attending breweries. If a package is purchased, visitors will pick up a wristband and a small cup for tasting at a centrally-located booth inside of the event. The beer tasting package is arguably the best deal if you’re wanting to sample as many beers as possible. If you choose to opt out of the beer tasting package, patrons will need to buy “beer tokens” to be used at each beer sampling location they visit. More information about the 23rd Annual Great BBQ, Brews and Blues festival can be found at https://www.eldoradoreno.com/event/events/ great-eldorado-bbq-brews-blues-festival. @NevadaSagebrush mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
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Opinion
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
OPINION| A7
@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com
STAFF EDITORIAL
Reporting on suicides must be done respectfully
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n Feb. 14, 2018, 17 students and staff members were killed and 17 others were injured after a shooter opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, becoming the deadliest school shooting in American history. Survivors of the shooting came together to create Never Again MSD, a gun control advocacy group. The group organized the “March For Our Lives” in March 2018. More than a year after the shooting, Parkland survivor Sydney Aiello took her own life on Sunday, March 17, according to Coral Springs police. Aiello’s best friend, Meadow Pollack, was one of the victims in the 2018 massacre. Aiello’s
parents said she suffered from “survivor’s guilt” after the shooting. On Saturday, March 23, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School sophomore Calvin Desir died by suicide and was found by Coral Springs Police. On Dec. 14, 2012, a man killed 28 faculty and children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Jeremy Richman, the father of a Sandy Hook victim, took his life on Monday, March 25. Richman quit his job as a neurologist to advocate for prison reform after the Sandy Hook shooting. Richman and his wife, Jennifer, started the Avielle Foundation, created to prevent violence and bullying
through brain research and education. As the stories of these suicide victims make headlines, it is important to remember reporting on suicides must be done respectfully. Journalists need to remember their stories have consequences, whether they are positive or negative. Respectfully-done reporting can bring light to mental health issues and honor the victims. Disrespectful reporting tactics can cast suicide victims in a negative light and can cause contagion. As reporters, we need to avoid thinking of these people as stories. These incidents can easily happen to one of our family members, friends or even ourselves. Although this industry is cutthroat, we
are people and must have empathy in these situations. Reciting graphic descriptions of suicide isn’t going to help our audiences — it will hinder them. Reporters will never know and understand what a person is going through when they are in such a state of mind. Suicide reporting shouldn’t be for the clicks; it should be a way to get our audience help if they are experiencing suicidal ideation. With the number of guides released for journalists and reporters, it is irresponsible for reporting to continue to be done on suicides in a way that is disrespectful or illmannered to the victims or the victims’ family. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
released a “Top 10 Tips for Reporting on Suicide”. The guide clearly outlines dos and don’ts of reporting on suicide. The tips range from word usage to withholding of graphic information. According to the AFSP guide, reporters should use only “died by suicide” or “took his/her life”. Reporters should not refer to suicide attempts as “successful,” “unsuccessful” or as a “failed attempt.” By referring to suicide as an “epidemic,” “growing problem” or “skyrocketing,” journalists are contributing to the spread of suicidal thoughts. Reports should not include graphic descriptions of suicide because it may trigger suicidal thoughts in the reader. Reporters should also exclude
Graduation is coming, you don't need a life plan
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ongratulations class of 2019, we’ve finally made it. Graduation season is upon us which means it’s the time for senior photos, our last few college nights at the Wal and deciding what you want to do after you graduate. If you have a clean cut plan of what you want to do after you get your diploma – congratulations, you’re Jacey part of the lucky few. Gonzalez If you don’t have any clue what you want to do after graduation, that’s fine too. We’ve just dedicated the majority of the past four years of our lives slaving away trying to finish a degree while also trying to have as much fun as we can fit into our undergraduate career. We’ve changed majors, changed relationship statuses and changed the way we think about ourselves. College is a period of time used to transition to the “real world” and with any transition period, the goal is to have an idea of what comes next. But we’re also 21 and 22 years old, we’re just beginning our post-graduate lives. It seems a little ridiculous to have every inch of your life planned out especially when we’re just beginning our professional careers. We need time to figure our lives out, who we want to be as adults and how we want to pursue what we want in life. Everyone has that one friend who has so much forethought and direction, they know exactly what is happening the moment after they shake Marc Johnson’s hand. If you don’t have a friend like this, you are the friend that is like this. You should be proud to know your next steps and be decisive enough to know what you want out of life. It takes another level of determination to figure everything out before you graduate. But if you still stress cry yourself to sleep at night because of the creeping thoughts that get into your head, that’s
File Photo/Nevada Sagebrush
University of Nevada, Reno graduates sit in Lawlor Events Center before their winter commencement on Dec. 8, 2019. Even if you're graduating in 45 days, you don't need to have your life figured out.
okay too. If you’re the type of person who has no idea what they’re doing after graduation and would rather just wing it, that’s completely okay. We were taught english and math, we weren’t taught how to buy a house or refinance a loan. You build more adult skills the longer you are in college, but that doesn’t mean you know what you want to do for the next 50 years or where you want to live. Sometimes it’s easier to go with the flow and figure out your life as things come your way. After working your tail off for four, maybe five years, it's okay
to take a breather and not have your next steps planned out. But this is different than when you graduated high school. After graduation, we have a little more maturity and life experience under your belt. You've spent the past four years really exploring what's going to make you happy and what you need out of life. And that's a good thing. We got to experience collegiate life and were probably faced with multiple hard decisions. We grew a little bit more with every single hard choice and it's made us stronger and better. Everyone will find their own way in their own
time. There's no reason to stress about the future and there's no reason to judge others who haven't figured out what they want yet. Enjoy the time you have left here, and worry about the future when you get there. Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Jacey Gonzalez is a student at the University of Nevada and studies journalism. She can be reached at jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.ed and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.
graphic descriptions of how people take their lives. This can lead suicidal readers to find other methods of suicide. Also, reports need to avoid suggesting a person’s suicide was based off an event. Suicide can be based on multiple factors, which are not always visible to reporters. The guide also advises reporters to offer helpline information for those in crisis. That being said, please do not hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. The Editorial Board can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.
Over/Under on:
Rewatching old television shows is overrated
Each week, The Nevada Sagebrush staff decides on a topic that is either overrated or underrated. Our opinion section then writes this column about the outcome. For suggestions for The Over/Under, tweet them to us @ NevadaSagebrush. hen people find a show they really connect with, it can lead to endless enjoyment. Not only through watching the show, but sharing it with friends. Friendships and communities around the world can spring up around a single show, which is the kind of positivity we need in the world. However, when people continue to rewatch the same shows over and over again they can ruin what made the show so special. At the same time, when people base their entire identity around a show, to which they view any criticism as an attack against that person themselves. Once you finish a show, from there on all the dramatic tension is gone. While it is interesting to rewatch any media knowing where the plot will go, continuing to rewatch tends to be slothful to experiencing new things. It is easy to go with what you know, but it is best to Bailey branch out and find something unique MeCey and new. Streaming services like Hulu and Netflix are a fantastic option for finding new shows but also make it so users keep rewatching the same content. Due to algorithms, these services know which content you like to watch and recommend new options. However, when Netflix spends $100 million on a 90s show about good acquaintances, they also want you to keep watching that same content again and again. There are fantastic shows that are buried by these classics, and when we watch the same thing we award mediocrity instead of uniqueness. Rewatching is a problem, but even more so now with the massive number of great shows no one is watching. The argument of “there is nothing else good to watch” or “it is just easy to go back to what I know” really does not work now, with more services creating new series and giving new voices to young creators. One aspect I agree with is how there is almost too much content now, which makes it impossible to figure out what new show you should check out. However, if we took more of an effort to check out new shows it would be more than easy to share that with others. Many of these popular shows have problematic issues that were not known to be wrong at the time, but when we rewatch without challenging it brings back excuses what they did and ingrains those issues back in our culture. Rewatching lets certain creators off easy for what they did, and in a way rewards their harmful viewpoints. Sometimes just wanting something easy and comforting in your television is needed, it is hard to just move from one new series to another. Especially when most shows either have half a dozen seasons or intricate plot details, it can tend to be overload to explore new options. A problem is how corporations take advantage of group popularity and nostalgia to have us rewatch the same thing again and again for profit for their benefit. There is a reason these shows are classics, but at the end of the day we should be propping up new creators with unique stories versus the same again.
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Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Bailey MeCey is a student at the University of Nevada and studies journalism.
Excessive online class assignments are exhausting
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nline classes are supposed to make your life easier. They’re easily accessible which makes them attractive to students with a busy lifestyle. But the once easy route has become overbearing with constant assignments, quizzes and tests to prove our productivity and aptitude as a student. There’s no reason why an online Jacey class should be more Gonzalez time consuming than an in-person class. Online classes should be an easy answer. Their existence can bail you out when you’ve overcommitted for a semester or help when you’re
not able to physically be present. But year after year, online classes and teachers are requiring more work to prove that a student is meeting the student learning outcomes outlined by the Nevada System of Higher Education. Online classes shouldn’t have more work than in person classes. Understandably, no university wants to have an “easy A” online class, but online teachers constantly overcompensate for the fact that their students don’t have to attend a class every week by assigning multiple assignments within a single week. The most frustrating part of online class overload is when you’re taking in-person classes that require much less work compared to online classes. In a lecture based class, you’ll usually have one to two assignments per week,
usually, something turned in like homework and then a quiz at the end of the week. That’s easy to study for and easy to manage. But sometimes online classes will require multiple essays or quizzes within the same week to ensure their students are actually following along with the class. As beneficial as this is from a learning aspect, it seems dramatic to require online students to complete much more work than they would complete if they were in a normal classroom setting. Obviously, these choices are to each teacher’s discretion and they have their reasons for the amount of work they give, but there shouldn’t be such a huge difference in workload. Sometimes students can’t get away from online classes. From personal experience, I know that there are some classes within my major and minor
that only have online sections available. When you need to complete a class, whether it’s to graduate or to be able to take other classes, you’ll do whatever you need to – even if that means taking an online class. I’ve never willingly taken an online class. I know it doesn’t match my learning styles well and I wouldn’t want to waste money on a class I’m not going to excel in. But because of special niche classes within my minor, I’m forced to take online classes because there aren’t enough students to enroll in an in-person class. I end up doing more work from my laptop to appease a digital teacher compared to what’s asked for me by the teachers I see every week. There’s no reason why an online class should require more work than an in-person class. There should
be an even balance all around. The overcompensation from teachers who are monitoring online classes is not only exhausting as a student but also exhausting to professors who wouldn’t have to grade this much work if they were in a normal classroom setting. There needs to be change. Whether guidelines or student learning outcomes are the center of that change, there’s no excuse for asking online students to complete more work than in-person students. Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Jacey Gonzalez is a student at the University of Nevada and studies journalism. She can be reached at jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.ed and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.
Sports
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com
A8 | SPORTS
David Cunningham’s journey to becoming a fan favorite By Austin Paschke David Cunningham — now a senior wrapping up his four-year career on the Nevada Men’s Basketball team — was identical to many of the students that were stepping onto campus in August of 2015. Right out of high school, David was filled with lofty expectations that strictly included academics, thus leaving sports in the not-so-distant past. “I played four years at Bella Vista High School in Fair Oaks, California,” Cunningham said. “Senior year I kind of took the reins at the point guard spot. I got team MVP and first team all-league. I ended up deciding that I wanted to go to Nevada as a student and then that was kind of my final decision because I wanted to leave home.” Others in Cunningham’s family never gave up on the dream of a college basketball career. “My mom told me to try out the second week of school my freshman year,” Cunningham said. “She kind of like filled out a 30-page medical packet to try out and she filled it out for me.” Following the encouragement from his mom, Cunningham proceeded with the mission and attended the 30-man tryout located at Lawlor Events Center. There was one thing on his mind when walking into the arena on that August day. “I kind of had nothing to lose,” Cunningham said. Even with head coach Eric Musselman closely watching from the stands, Cunningham did not feel the nerves. Quite the contrary, Cunningham confidently outperformed every single one of those 30 other men to gain a roster spot on the Wolf Pack 2015-16 roster. “There’s 30 other people there, so, you kind of have to make an impression,” Cunningham said. “I wasn’t afraid to shoot the ball or anything like that. I hit back-to-back 3’s and then [Musselman] just asked me after practice if I wanted to come back. I said ‘of course I do’.” Cunningham started his freshman season expecting to strictly be a practice player, which quickly changed Nov. 30, 2015, when David logged six minutes in a 108-57 victory against Holy Names University. David went on to log minutes in 14 other
Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush
David Cunningham stands on a ladder after cutting himself a piece of the net after Nevada won their third straight regular season Mountain West title on Saturday, March 9. Cunningham was part of each three of Nevada’s conference title runs.
games in the 2015-16 season, including playing five minutes against basketball powerhouse, Wichita State where he tallied two points and one assist. “When I first walked onto the team I didn’t think I was going to have a major role at all,” Cunningham said. “Muss and I laugh about it now that I played at Wichita State, which is like one of the biggest college basketball schools and two months before that I would have never imagined I was playing there.” Cunningham’s first season laid the foundation of what was to become a special career here at the university. “That first year really taught me everything for the next three years. That set the tone,” Cunningham
Nevada Softball dominates in sweep over New Mexico By Matt Hanifan Nevada Softball swept a three-game series against their conference rival in Albuquerque this weekend. The Pack dominated the Lobos for a combined score of 39-8, improving their record to 20-12, with a 5-1 conference record.
FRIDAY, MARCH 29 AT NEW MEXICO After being on the losing end of a three-game sweep last weekend against Montana, the team got back in the win column, with a 7-1 victory over New Mexico. The Wolf Pack is now 18-12 and 3-1 in conference play. Kendall Fritz threw seven innings, allowing only one run, walking two and striking out seven. Kenzi Goins, Kwynn Warner, Ashley Salausa and Haley Burda all recorded two-hit games for the Pack. Goins and Salausa both finished with two RBIs apiece. Both teams did not record a hit through the first two innings. Then, the Pack bats woke up. After a leadoff single from Sierra Mello, Goins got the Pack on the board with an RBI single, her first of two RBI’s. Lobos’ only run happened in the fourth inning. Fritz issued a leadoff walk, leading to an RBI double that tied the contest at two. Goins drove in her second RBI on a two-out double, giving the Pack a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. Nevada put two runners on in the sixth inning, before a single by Lauren Gutierrez plated one across, increasing the Pack lead to 3-1. The Pack piled
on insurance runs in the seventh, with four runs on four hits, securing their first win of the series.
SATURDAY, MARCH 30 AT NEW MEXICO The Pack secured a series victory after an a seventh-inning surge led to an 11-6 win over the Lobos. Kali Sargent started the afternoon in the circle, but three earned runs in 0.1 frames brought Julia Jensen into the game. Jensen recorded her eighth victory of the season, striking out a career-high 15 batters — the most by any Pack player this season. She allowed five hits and three earned runs in the final 6.2 innings of the contest. Goins recorded her fourth consecutive multi-hit game, increasing her average to .390 for the season. Salausa and Dallas Millwood were the only other Pack players who reached multihits. Mello recorded a career-high three RBIs, along with Millwood who reached that feat for the fifth time this season. Nevada gained a 1-0 lead after Goins hit a solo home run in the opening frame. Sargent struggled in the first, allowing the first two hitters on base — leading to a three-run home run, giving the Lobos a 3-1 advantage.
Matt Hanifan can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
so I would start telling players like I could see their uncertainty and I would just know from years before what to do in that moment,” Cunningham said. “So, that was kind of like a big thing for me to start telling freshmen and sophomores even what’s up.” Cunningham also served as a role model for the younger players to look up to and use as a reference for hard work and determination. Teammate Lindsey Drew who joined the team the same year as Cunningham highlighted how David interacts with the younger players on the squad. “He looks out for guys,” Drew said. “He’s a team player. He’s a smart guy so he knows all the plays and helps all the guys out with that.” Cunningham became a fan favorite among the Wolf Pack community his senior year, including the student fan base. Lawlor was arguably the loudest it had been all year when Cunningham stepped on the floor for the last time on senior night. Cunningham has one reason in mind as to why he has been such a tremendous hit among the Wolf Pack community. “I think people appreciate the loyalty of being here all four years.” Cunningham said, “Last year I wasn’t on the team for a little while and I think people were really happy that I came back.” Drew had a different reason as to why Cunningham became such a fan favorite this season. “He’s the G.O.A.T. [Greatest Of All Time]” Drew said. Playing in his final season and eventually leaving the school brings some uncertainty as to what the future might bring. Cunningham has some possibilities that might include him going back home where his basketball career all began. “I think I’m going to go back to Sacramento,” Cunningham said. “I was offered a graduate assistant job here and I was also looking at Sac State to be a graduate assistant there.” From walk-on to fan favorite, David Cunningham’s journey was filled with ups and downs but ultimately, even he admitted he never could have imagined this
said. “Marqueze Coleman, Cam Oliver, Lindsey Drew and Jordan Caroline all set the tone going forward for sure.” Cunningham, over a span of three seasons, logged minutes in 24 games leading up to his senior season in 2018-19. In those seasons he posted three assists, three rebounds and seven points total. In Cunningham’s third year, he became somewhat of a player-coach, helping the younger players develop, and passing on the knowledge he gained in previous years while helping in any way he could during practice. “By my third year I think I had the experience Austin Paschke can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush.unr. and kind of like confidence to know what is right edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
Joshua Zamora helping Nevada Baseball rise in the Mountain West standings By Isaiah Burrows
Joshua Zamora is tearing the cover off the baseball, and his hot stretch arrived when the Nevada Wolf Pack needed him most. The sophomore third baseman is batting .318 with seven hits, three home runs and six RBIs over Nevada’s past five games. From March 24–27, Zamora homered in three-straight games and his impressive offensive stretch has helped the Pack go 3-3 over its last six games. His production at the plate has been infectious over the team’s recent stretch. The Wolf Pack recorded six-straight games with five or more runs. Batting leadoff, Zamora catalyzes the Wolf Pack offense. His savvy at the plate is key for Nevada heading into an April full of conference opponents. He’s up to .320 on the season with a team-leading 32 hits, six homers and 19 RBIs with a .942 OPS. “I’m just trying to keep it simple and see the ball well,” Zamora said. “But it’s not the at-bats that are important, it’s the outcome at the end of the game.” The 5’11” third baseman’s smooth swing has overshadowed his overall improvement in the infield. From snagging
line-drives down the third base line to gunning down runners trying to reach first base off a drag bunt, Zamora isn’t afraid to get the jersey dirty. “It’s something I have been trying to improve on,” Zamora said. “I think it’s important for my role on the team to be sort of a two-way player and make plays on offense and defense.” Off the field, Zamora’s impact has the Wolf Pack gaining a sense of momentum heading toward its final two months. Coach T.J. Bruce noticed Zamora’s leadership qualities heading into his sophomore season. “He’s a guy we can rely on and the rest of the guys feed off his energy,” Bruce said. “The team looks up to him and he’s becoming a real leader for us. That’s important for some of the young guys we have here.” Growing up in Foothill Ranch, California, Zamora shares something in common with a pair of MLB superstars. He attended El Toro High School, as did six-time Gold Glove winner and Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and Oakland A’s third baseman Matt Chapman. Zamora lettered in baseball all four years at El Toro and was named all-league in his junior and senior seasons. His high school team won the California
File Photo/Nevada Sagebrush
Josh Zamora finishes swinging at a pitch on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018 against Santa Clara. Zamora leads the team with 32 hits this season.
Interscholastic Federation the Pack to a second consecuDivision 1 Championship in tive Mountain West Confer2017. ence title. With solid pitching The rangy infielder’s break- depth led by southpaw Ryan out freshman season in 2018 Anderson, Nevada’s potential led to Nevada’s second-ever postseason run must start on Mountain West Conference the offensive side of the ball. championship. He earned “Every single day is a day Mountain West Freshman of for us to improve as a whole,” the Year and first-team All Zamora said. “You are never Mountain West after leading as good as you want to be and the conference with a .427 bat- everyone on this team unting average. His nine homers derstands that and everyone and .563 slugging percentage knows that there’s always ranked first and second on the something to improve upon.” team. Despite gaining momentum Isaiah Burrows can be reached at as a highly touted prospect, dstrugs@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Zamora is focused on leading Twitter @SagebrushSports.
