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SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893
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TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2019
VOLUME 125, ISSUE 32 ESPAÑOL
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A group of protesters march in Washington D.C. advocating for women’s rights on Oct. 4, 2018. Take Back the Pack is a student-lead organization formed to combat rape culture on campus.
Student-led project works to reform sexual assault case protocol By Olivia Ali and Taylor Johnson After multiple students filed allegations against a fraternity member, student and activist Dennise Mena founded a campaign to advocate for sexual misconduct protocol reform. Founded in January 2019, Take Back the Pack is a student-led organization and campaign working to reform the university’s sexual assault case protocol and rape culture. Their goals include passing a university-wide motion and commitment to end rape culture on campus, reforming Student Misconduct policies to be more survivor-centered and increasing university funding for Title IX and other departments that provide resources to survivors and prevention efforts. “...[T]he students of Take Back The Pack, are demanding that the University of Nevada, Reno begin to explicitly combat rape culture through actionable policy reform which address
deficiencies in the current policies, procedures, and resources regarding sexual assault,” said Take Back the Pack’s Medium article. “This includes reframing current policies through a survivor-centered approach and defining the specific sanctions that would be taken against a student or faculty member should victims choose to report.” The Sexual Conduct and Safety Service Survey found in 2016, 24 percent of female students said they experienced sexual harassment, 13 percent of all respondents experienced sexual coercion and 8 percent of students experienced sexual assault. In Take Back the Pack’s OurTurn Sexual Misconduct Report Card, the university received a 68.88 percent rating overall. Factors influencing the score included the scope, composition of review committee or decision makers, formal and informal complaint process and education of sexual assault. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life instituted a new
policy in 2019 requiring students in Greek Life organizations to submit a report outlining incidents or conduct involving members using the ‘Chapter Standards/Judicial Report Form’ by the final day of classes each semester. Professional counselors at the university are not required to report any information regarding an incident to a Title IX coordinator without students’ permission. If a student wants to maintain confidentiality, the university will not conduct a full investigation on the incident. If a student wishes to report to a “responsible employee”, a university employee who has the duty to report incidents of sexual violence or other student misconduct, responsible employees may only tell university faculty who handles sexual assault reports, this does not include law enforcement. If responsible employees want to keep a student’s identity confidential but wish to report the information given, the university will consider the request, but cannot guarantee it
will honor the request. Disciplinary sanctions for students found to violate Student Code of Conduct may receive one or more of the following: an oral or written warning, a written reprimand, restitution, probation, loss of privileges, discretionary and educational sanctions, no contact order, suspension, expulsion or the withholding of a degree. “Whoever wrote our policies did not keep survivors in mind,” Mena said. “They did not say we want to write policies to encourage students to report. A lot of these things, we have policies around them but they aren’t in Student Conduct Policies, which means when a student is trying to understand what’s going to happen during the investigation and the hearing, this information isn’t available. We provide accommodations for survivors during hearing processes, but they aren’t outlined in there.” Currently, Take Back the Pack
See ASSAULT page A2
The Nevada State Legislature plans to revise provisions regarding the minimum wage of $7.25-$8.25 per hour to $11-$12 per hour with State Bill AB456. The minimum wage in Nevada will increase by $3.75 in the next four years if the bill passes. Introduced to the legislature Thursday, March 25, the bill is currently sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor and was granted a waiver on Friday, April 12. Minimum wage is the lowest amount of pay employers are required to give their employees. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25. J.D. Klippenstein, the executive director of Acting in Community Together Northern
Nevada, wrote a letter to the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor in support of AB456. “We must raise the minimum wage if we want to address our state’s affordable housing crisis,” Klippenstein said in the letter. “Let me be clear, we do not believe that a $12 minimum wage by 2024 is enough, but we think it is a good starting point. This bill and this important conversation must continue to move forward. We cannot wait to act. The wellbeing of thousands of Nevadan families hangs in the balance.” Mac Porter, the chief operating officer of Nevada Casino Holdings, LLC wrote a letter to the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor in opposition of AB456.
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Enraged teens keep enacting change
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Nevada Legislature looks to increase the state’s minimum wage By Taylor Johnson
Reno art scene torn by #MeToo accusations
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A group of neo-Nazis gather for a rally in Washington D.C. on Aug. 24, 2002. UNR was one of 10 universities named for neo-Nazi incidents by the David Horowitz Freedom Center.
UNR named in “top neo-Nazi incidents” By Taylor Johnson
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Baseball swept in final home stead See SPORTS page A9