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Students petition for a sanctuary campus By Rachel Spacek College and university students across the United States have been staging protests and walkouts to show their dissatisfaction with the results of this presidential election. Students at the University of Nevada, Reno, have chosen to show their disapproval of the president-elect in another way. UNR’s Latinx Student Advisory Board gathered over 700 signatures on a letter and petition the group plans to send to UNR’s Office of the President and Office of the Provost asking to make UNR a sanctuary campus. Sanctuary cities are defined as cities in the U.S. that follow procedures sheltering undocumented immigrants. Sanctuary campuses follow the same concept — they are universities that have pledged to protect undocumented students from facing deportation. “We all know someone who is undocumented, and we feel that it is an injustice to try to say that students shouldn’t be allowed to pursue an education, especially if they’ve been here for so long, and it is unimaginable for our community and it us unjust,” said Jeffrey Dominguez, president of LSAB. “At the very basis we know students, faculty and staff that will all be affected by his [Trump’s] policies, so we really want the university to take into consideration the diverse population because, even if I am not a DACA student, I know someone who is going to be affected and that greatly affects my life. It is just really important for us that the university stand with those who pay tuition and those who are part of the community and the system of higher education.” Dominguez said he and the rest of LSAB are concerned over the safety of DACA students as well as other minorities. DACA students are part of what U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services define as “deferred action,” which protects the students from being deported during a defined period of time. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and DACA students generally have come to the U.S. as children and have met the specific guidelines to be granted deferred action. LSAB is a student organization dedicated to contributing to the betterment of the university’s Latinx community. LSAB focuses on the inclusion of the Latino community on campus through socials, community service and community engagement. LSAB has been highly focused on the issues DACA students will face under the Trump administration. “It’s really just about creating a safe space not only for undocumented people but intellectuals that want to have the conversation about these issues that affect us, and I think if we as a university supported that, we could have these safe places of conversation,” Dominguez said. In an email sent to all students at UNR earlier this month after election night, President Marc Johnson told students, “Our President-Elect has used very derogatory and divisive terms related to people of diverse religions, races, national origins, disabilities and genders. It is our sincere hope that these comments from leadership are not taken as license for others to denigrate anyone. As a University, we are committed to fostering a campus environment that respects, supports and values all members of our wonderfully diverse learning community. “Through our words and our actions, we honor every individual who studies and works at the University. We feel very strongly that our diversity is one of our greatest assets; it not only makes our institution whole, it allows all of us to realize our fullest potential as human beings.” During his campaign, president-elect Trump said he planned on deporting about 2 to 3 million undocumented immigrants. Trump saw pushback from a number of Democratic and Republican leaders in response to his deportation comments. President Barack Obama said earlier this month that he will urge the Trump administration not to deport
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VOLUME 123, ISSUE 14
Polian, Nevada mutually part ways following losing season By Neil Patrick Healy TheNevadafootballprogramwillhave a new head coach for the 2017 season. Nevada Athletic Director Doug Knuth announced Sunday, Nov. 27, that the university and head football coach Brian Polian have mutually agreed to part ways, according to a press release from the Nevada athletic department. The announcement comes on the heels of Nevada’s blowout win over rival UNLV to end the season and finish 2016 with a 5-7 record. A national
search for potential replacement candidates will be underway immediately. “I appreciate the opportunity that I was given by President Johnson and the University of Nevada four years ago,” Polian said in a statement. “I felt, and continue to feel, that we were building a solid foundation for this program. However, this season was fraught with adversity and in the end, we did not win enough games. Like every coach, I understandthatthisisabusiness.Iwishwewould have produced better results in 2016.” Since Polian was hired in 2013, Nevada
has had an overall record of 23-27 with a 14-18 record in Mountain West Conference play. He was 4-8 in 2013, had two 7-6 seasons in 2014 and 2015, and digressed back to 4-8 in 2016. Polian also led the Wolf Pack to two bowl appearances in his four seasons at the helm, losing the New Orleans Bowl to Louisiana-Lafayette in 2014 and defeating Colorado State in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl in 2015. Knuth was hired as athletic director in April of 2013, four months after Polian was hired, so this will be Knuth’s first time hiring a football coach at Nevada.
“This decision is about finding a new head coach who will help us win a championship and who will continue to build and strengthen relationships within our department, our campus, our alumni and our great community,” Knuth said. “The support from those constituencies is vital to the success of building a championship program.” Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NP_Healy.
Photo courtesy of the Washoe Country Sheriff’s office.
Nevada junior forward Elijah Foster (pictured) poses for a mug shot on the morning of Monday, Nov. 28 at Washoe County Sheriff’s office. Foster was arrested for domestic battery and contempt of court.
Elijah Foster arrested on domestic battery charge By Jack Rieger
Nathan Brown Silva/Nevada Sagebrush
Former Nevada head football coach Brian Polian ponders on the sidelines of Nevada’s game at Mackay Stadium against Arizona. Polian and the University of Nevada agreed to part ways on Sunday, Nov. 27 after a 5-7 season.
Nevada thumps Rebels by 35 points in Polian’s final game By Jack Rieger
T
he Fremont Cannon has been painted blue for the next year thanks to an unexpected 35-point drubbing of UNLV on Saturday. Nevada came into the game with a 4-7 record and as a 9.5-point underdog against the in-state rival, but the contest was never in question as Nevada dominated UNLV on both sides of the ball for the entirety of the game. The 35-point victory was the largest in the Polian era, as Nevada outgained the Rebels by 208 yards. The elation of beating an in-state rival comes at the end of a disappointing season for Nevada; the Wolf Pack finished 3-5 in conference and won’t go to a bowl game for the first time since 2013. While the victory over UNLV doesn’t change the overall disappointment of the season, it certainly gave Nevada something to be proud of. “I wanted everybody to understand how important this game was, not
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only to our players and our staff but to our department and the northern Nevada community,” Polian said. “I know this season has been a little bit frustrating. Nobody has been as frustrated as we’ve been.” Running back James Butler was all the offense Nevada needed, as he accounted for 244 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Ty Gangi played his best game of the season, completing 15-of-22 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, also adding 99 yards on the ground. Nevada’s rush defense, which ranked as the worst in the entire country, allowed just 184 yards on 34 carries. For comparison, the Wolf Pack gave up 411 yards and four touchdowns per game in the last four contests. UNLV ranked 15th in the nation in rushing offense, but the Nevada defense simply wouldn’t allow the Rebels to find a rhythm. “They played lights out,” Polian said of the Wolf Pack defense. “All we heard about all week is the 15th-ranked rushing offense in the country, and we were struggling
DON’T GLORIFY CASTRO
to stop the run. Our guys stayed in their gaps, we gang tackled and we played really hard.” Early in the second quarter, Nevada raced out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back. Nevada’s defense held UNLV scoreless in the second half and the offense continued to run through tackles in front of red and blue fans peppered throughout Sam Boyd Stadium. When the final whistle blew, Nevada had dominated every facet of the game, winning by a final score of 45-10. Nevada offensive linemen Jeremy Macauley and teammate Jake Henry sprinted toward the locker room after the game to retrieve their prize: a massive red cannon. Teammates dragged the cannon to midfield and began to spray the scarlet cannon navy blue with spray cans. “That moment will be in my brain, in my memory forever,” Macauley said. “I’ll never, ever forget.” Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ JackRieger.
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Nevada forward Elijah Foster was arrested Monday morning and charged with domestic battery and contempt of court, according to the Washoe Country Sherriff’s Office. Foster has been suspended indefinitely from basketball-related activities, head coach Eric Musselman said. “We’re aware Elijah was arrested this morning,” Musselman said. “I’ve suspended him from all basketball-related activities until this matters resolved. This matter is being taken very seriously by our university, the athletic department and our basketball program.” Reno police told the Reno GazetteJournal the contempt of court charge is the result of an unpaid speeding ticket in Esmeralda County. The first-degree domestic battery charge from Monday morning is a misdemeanor. Foster, who is a junior this year, was one of the breakout stars this season. He averaged 12 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, shooting a team-high 61.5 percent from the field. Foster was a big-time contributor to Nevada’s interior defense and added a reliable jump shot and good rebounding. Nevada, who already utilizes a small number of players, will need someone else to step up in Foster’s place. “We’ve already had a short rotation, so obviously somebody has to step up,” Musselman said. “We’re still trying to determine who will start. We feel like we have a couple different options but obviously, from a starting standpoint, somebody’s role is going to change dramatically.”
Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @JackRieger.
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NEVADA SAGEBRUSH
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Student voice of the University of Nevada, Reno, since 1893.
Volume 123 • Issue 14 Editor-in-Chief • Jacob Solis jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu
Managing Editor • Jordan Russell jrussell@sagebrush.unr.edu
News Editor • Rachel Spacek rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu
Asst. News Editor • Madeline Purdue mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu
Sports Editor • Neil Patrick Healy neil@sagebrush.unr.edu
Asst. Sports Editor • Jack Rieger jrieger@sagebrush.unr.edu
Opinion Editor • Ali Schultz alexandraschultz@sagebrush.unr.edu
A&E Editor • Blake Nelson bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu
Design Editor • Nicole Skarlatos nskarlatos@sagebrush.unr.edu
Photo Editor • Andrea Wilkinson awilkinson@sagebrush.unr.edu
Copy Editor • Dominique Kent dkent@sagebrush.unr.edu
Copy Editor • Daniel Putney dputney@sagebrush.unr.edu
Multimedia Editor • Bailey MeCey bmecey@sagebrush.unr.edu
Web Manager • Willis Allstead wallstead@asun.unr.edu
Illustrator • Zak Brady jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu
Social Media Manager • Alana Ridge aridge@sagebrush.unr.edu
Staff Writer • Emily Fisher efisher@sagebrush.unr.edu
Staff Writer • Brandon Cruz bcruz@sagebrush.unr.edu
Distribution • Michele Cardnuto jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu
Distribution • Natalie Delbecq jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu
Media Adviser • Blythe Steelman bsteelman@unr.edu
CONTRIBUTING STAFFERS William Compton
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
Tragedy at Ohio State
Campus
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DACA students. The election rhetoric spurred LSAB to create its petition. The organization created a Google Doc to gain signatures on its petition to make UNR a sanctuary campus. Dominguez said LSAB posted the petition on Facebook two Fridays ago, and the post gained 50 shares by the end of the following weekend. “It was something that grew very quickly, and we had a very positive reaction to it all,” Dominguez said. “I have noticed among friends that have shared it in their groups — for example, one of my white friends shared it on her Facebook and she got some negative comments that said, ‘Hey, why are you supporting illegal activity.’ I think the reactions were mixed depending on the crowd, but for me this is the quickest support we have seen for anything; we have close to 700 signatures, and it is completely social media-based.” In LSAB’s letter, the organization urges the president, provost and the Board of Regents to make UNR a sanctuary campus. The letter states, “As students of a university that serves many of the groups who were targeted and denigrated during the President-Elect’s campaign, we write with urgency to request that you make our campus a sanctuary for our students, our staff, our faculty and their family members who face imminent deportation. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers cannot enter the campus without permission of the university, which means that UNR can protect undocumented individuals. Given that many students, staff and their families are directly affected by this issue, we urge the university to develop a protocol for the University of Nevada, Reno, to serve as a sanctuary campus, placing restrictions on law enforcement.” The letter also asks that amid the election rhetoric, the university reaffirm its commitment to diversity and denounce any hate speech directed toward students, faculty and staff; prohibit campus security from asking about an individual’s immigration status; prohibit housing discrimination;
Student wielding knife attacks campus, 11 injured By Madeline Purdue
Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey Domínguez
The University of Nevada, Reno Latinx Student Advisory Board marches in the UNR Peace Walk for Immigration Reform in November of 2013 at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. The group is currently petitioning the university to make it a sanctuary campus.
and publicly support the continuation of the DACA program. “The petition really highlights certain demands that we have of the university,” Dominguez said. “We want the university to support financial aid for undocumented students to the best of its ability. We also itemize resources that are more inclusive of other minority groups that were under attack during the campaign, so we really just want to create a safe space for minorities and for people who are undocumented because we don’t know what can happen and we really want to fight for people who are scared.” Dominguez said he and the rest of LSAB plan on delivering the letter to the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost on Nov. 29. Dominguez said he and LSAB had a conversation with some faculty members earlier this month to discuss the pushback that might occur if UNR were to become a sanctuary campus. “I think that the bigger it gets, the more of
a negative reaction we’re going to get from it because there are people outside of the community and outside of the university that do not understand the issue completely,” Dominguez said. “Some of the faculty were talking about how if the university were to become a sanctuary university by title, that might anger other donors or people saying, ‘Hey, this is a public university, what are you doing?’ I think the bigger it gets, the opposition will come out, and that is fine because I think it is a conversation we need to have and we want to gain support, but it is also something we want to change people’s minds about and introduce that topic into their heads so we can learn from each other.”
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“Inside the Mind of DaVinci” as it stands on Monday, Nov. 28 on the lawn in front of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center at the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The Burning Man creation will be on display until late May.
Look inside the mind of Leonardo da Vinci By Madeline Purdue Have you ever wanted to look into the mind of one of the greatest thinkers of all time? Now you can on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, where a 10-by-23-foot sculpture of Leonardo da Vinci’s head is on display. “Inside the Mind of DaVinci” lies on the lawn in front of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. It was unveiled there Thursday, Nov. 17, after spending time at the Black Rock Desert for Burning Man. The piece will be displayed on campus until May 20, 2017, according to the lead artist, Mischell Riley. After that, it will be moved to downtown Carson City to be displayed in front of the community center.
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Despite the sculpture being in the middle of campus, many students don’t know what it is or why it is here. “I think what caught my attention the most is just the placement of it,” said Cassidy Leslie, a UNR student. “I think it’s a strange area to put it and certainly draws people’s attention. It is just randomly on campus with no clear obvious reason. I know it’s an art thing they’re doing in the Knowledge Center, but I don’t know the details.” “The reason I brought it to UNR is because it started at UNR,” Riley said. “I went to the DeLaMare Library and worked with Dwight Boyko, a tech assistant, who helped me 3-D scan my life-size bust in
clay. I wanted to bring ‘Inside the Mind of DaVinci’ to UNR to say thank you for these wonderful facilities and what you can do with access to them. My challenge to other students is to use the libraries and equipment in a similar or amazing way.” Riley chose to display the sculpture outside the Knowledge Center because DaVinci inspired knowledge for all. The piece is made out of concrete, bronze, recycled glass and metal. There are archways in the back of the head where visitors can enter the sculpture and experience a light show. There are also DaVinci’s sketches and writings etched into the walls inside. There is a resting area inside the head where visitors can sit or play with cement balls. Burning Man attendees were encouraged to take these balls and create artworks in the playa sand. There is a virtual reality experience in the Knowledge Center where students and visitors can see into the mind of the
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A student was shot to death after running pedestrians over with his car and stabbing them with a butcher knife on Ohio State’s campus Monday, Nov. 28. Eleven students were injured in the attacks, one critically with a fractured skull. Officials say they are all expected to live, according to the Associated Press. The FBI has joined in on the investigation of the attack because it has possible terrorist connections. They have raised concerns over extremists encouraging simpler attacks. Extremists want their sympathizers to use whatever weapons are available to them, such as using cars and knives, which is easier than a bombing. Abdul Razak Ali Artan has been identified as the attacker. He was born in Somalia but was a legal resident of the United States. Surveillance videos show Artan was in the car by himself, but officials are looking into possible partners. Artan was shot to death by a campus police officer. The gunshots sent an active-shooter alert around the campus, and it was not lifted for another hour and a half. “There were several moments of chaos,” said Ohio State engineering student Rachel LeMaster to AP. “We barricaded ourselves like we’re supposed to since it was right outside our door and just hunkered down.” The university’s emergency management department tweeted around 10 a.m. and said, “Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College.” Run Hide Fight is standard protocol for active-shooter situations. It means escape if it is safe and possible, hide if it is not safe, or fight if the attacker is directly threatening your life. Students barricaded themselves in offices and classrooms while the alert was active. Classes were canceled for the rest of the day. “I thought it was an accident initially until I saw the guy come out with a knife,” said Martin Schneider, a student at Ohio State, to AP. He heard a car revving and said Artan didn’t say anything when he got out of his car. The Lantern, the student newspaper of Ohio State, interviewed Artan prior to the attacks. “I was kind of scared with everything going on in the media. I’m a Muslim; it’s not what media portrays me to be,” he said during the interview. “If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don’t know what they’re going to think, what’s going to happen. But I don’t blame them. It’s the media that put that picture in their heads.” Artan was considered friendly by his neighbors, according to AP. He attened daily prayer services at a local mosque. He was a third-year logistics management student who transfered to Ohio State from Columbus State in the fall. Muslim mosque and organization leaders in the area condemned the attack. They also asked people to not rush to blame a religion or ethnicity because of the attacks. The attack occurred after students returned to campus after Thanksgiving break. Ohio State is home to 60,000 students and is the country’s thirdlargest public university. Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madelinepurdue.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
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Talking to the human unconscious UNR professor awarded 3-year grant to research the possiblility of having non-concious feelings By Emily Fisher University of Nevada, Reno, professor of psychology Benjamin Young and his research partner, Ran Hassin, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are breaking new ground in the world of psychology. For the first time in experimental psychology their proposed research will allow verbal conversations with the human unconscious. Young and Hassin were recently awarded a three-year research grant to study non-conscious human behavior from the John Templeton Foundation. Young first became interested in non-conscious human behavior after hearing a lecture by Hassin explaining how humans can complete things unconsciously. He used the example of humans nonconsciously doing mathematics. Young, who focused a lot of his research on olfaction, or the human sense of smell, had just written two papers that stated there is reason to think humans have non-conscious qualitative states. “Things turn out to have a smell quality regardless of whether we are aware of it or not,” Young said. “These [smells] modulate our behavior in all sorts of ways”. After hearing Hassin’s lecture and connecting the research with his own, Young proposed a question to Hassin: Is it possible that humans could have nonconscious feelings? And if so, are they a better predictor of what an individual
DaVinci
wants? This question intrigued both Young and Hassin, and the pair began researching and theorizing about how to develop a method to measure non-conscious reports. For two years the pair applied for various grants until, earlier in September the John Templeton Foundation accepted their proposal. The John Templeton Foundation, established in 1987, supports research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution and infinity to creativity, forgiveness, love and free will. According to the foundation’s website, Young and Hassin are among only 19 living Templeton Prize Laureates. The pair’s current research is titled “Conversations with the Human Unconscious: A Potential Breakthrough in Our Understanding of Self-control and the Non-conscious Mind” and will begin this December at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Young and Hassin will start by developing a new method to ask a person a question non-consciously and get them to give an answer without knowing it, said Young. Young’s previous research on secondary feelings and non-conscious smells relied on evidence from indirect measurements like respiration and sniff rates. After the method of collecting nonconscious reports is established, Young and Hassin will compare conscious
and non-conscious reports to analyze self-control conflicts. The two have a working hypothesis that suggests the non-conscious reports will be a better predictor of how we behave. If the pair finds its hypothesis to be correct, Young said it will bring up many questions of responsibility, self-control and ethical obligations in relation to our non-conscious selves, and if it is possible to influence the sub-conscious system. To test this, the pair eventually wants to look at a group of incoming college freshmen. “We want to look at how well [college freshman] want to do. Basically, we will be measuring how well they say that want to do at the beginning of the semester and how committed they are to scholastic performance and then how they are actually behaving,” Young said. By asking the students a series of questions both consciously and nonconsciously throughout the semester, Young hopes they will be able to determine which report is a better predictor and how they might be able to influence students to be more successful. Young will supervise and consult the experiments, data analysis and presentation of the findings while a five-person team at HUJI will conduct research as he continues his current project on the philosophy of olfaction here at UNR. In the summers he will work as a visiting faculty member at HUJI to maintain an active role, Young said.
Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Young
A brain scan, pictured here, shows the non-conscious mind. The research Benjamin Young and Ran Hassin will be conducting will allow them to access and measure the human unconscious and its effects on self-control.
Over the next three years, Young will also be working on another research project with Denis Matthews, an assistant professor of biology at UNR, on the bio-philosophy of smell. Matthews and Young are currently exploring how the smell of a group of monomolecular compounds, or just one type of molecule, changes when you increase the concentration, Young said. Young hopes to explore how molecules, interact as a gaseous plume in Matthews
lab, after compiling the research that has already been completed. “This would bridge the divide between biology and philosophy here to some extent,” Young said. Young and Matthews are also the only philosophy and biology team working on olfaction in the world, Young said. Emily Fisher can be reached at efisher@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ TheSagebrush.
mathematicians, artists and scientists. She wanted them to feel what it was like to stand in the mind of someone great. “The response at Burning Man was amazing. It was the first time I was able to get feedback from people interacting with my art,” Riley said. “I was in costume, so I could listen to the responses without them knowing I was the artist. It was amazing and a life-changing experience for me. Watching them and seeing their faces on the inside of the mind of da Vinci was a special view inside how people experience to my art. That was priceless.” To see more of Riley’s creations and upcoming projects, check out her website at www.bronzesbymischell. com.
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da Vinci statue. The theme of this year’s festival was da Vinci’s Workshop, chosen because the population of Black Rock City increased to the size of Florence, Italy, during the Renaissance, according to the Burning Man website. “[H]umanist ideals, a rediscovery of science and funding from a newly moneyed class of entrepreneurs fueled a revolutionary cultural movement that redefined Western civilization,” said the website. “Five centuries later, we will attempt to recreate this potent social alchemy by combining Burning Man art, maker culture and creative philanthropy to make Black Rock City the epicenter of a new renaissance.” Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurRiley said she wanted to create due@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ a community space that inspires madelinepurdue.
Photo Courtesy of Mischell Riley
“Inside the Mind of DaVinci” lies in the desert at Burning Man 2016 in Black Rock City. The interactive statue was inspired in part by the da Vinci Workshop theme of the festival.
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
PACK N THE EVENTS
FUJIFILM INSTAX CAMERA STARTING AT $50 The physical version of Instagram. A return to the material world. Splendidly spontaneous. This list of descriptions for this particular line of instant cameras is seemingly endless. This little gadget is basically a Polaroid camera with a sleek exterior and a cult following. The camera immediately spits out a one-of-a-kind, physical photograph. This camera is a nostalgia-ridden resurfacing of 1980s culture. This is the perfect gift for the pioneering millennial in your gift group. Not only is it incredibly unique, it also comes in a variety of colors so they won't mix up which camera is theirs among their friends' cameras. The best part will be seeing pictures of pictures on their Instagram accounts.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK By Blake Nelson
FROM BABY BURLESKS DATE: Wednesday
THE FITBIT STARTING AT $50
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
The Fitbit has taken the middle class by storm in the past year, some economists say even more than the recession. And it only takes a little digging to see why. This is the perfect thing to get for somebody who already has one. By gifting a newer version to someone who already has one, you not only fulfill the present ceremony but also won't offend them by getting them health equipment because they undeniably already use something like it.
LOCATION: Church Fine Arts, 152 INFO: Dr. Katherine Fusco
will give a presentation on the topic of the media and shape identity. The presentation will touch on issues of medias manipulation of human behavior and media theory. The event is free to all those who wish to come.
A WALLET The age-old invention of money has left people for centuries wondering how the heck to not only acquire more by any means but also how to fashionably store it on their person. This holiday season, grab a wallet for somebody you love because nothing says "I'm thinking about your fiscal standing" like the gift of a wallet. Seeing them whip that beautiful little strip of fabric or animal flesh out of their pockets will be all the gratification you need. I recommend the Corkor Men's Travel Wallet on sale for $64 or the Fossil Emma RFID Large Zip Clutch starting at $75.
'THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN' DATE: Thursday TIME: 6 p.m. LOCATION: Joe Crowley
Student Union, Theatre INFO: Hook up with some friends and go see the Western thriller, "The Magnificent Seven." The movie is based on the classic, but it stands on its own merits as an enjoyable film. Snacks and admission are free so give it a shot.
MFA MIDWAY EXHIBITION RECEPTION DATE: Thursday
BEATS HEADPHONES STARTING AT $129 These are the ultimate accessory for anyone who wishes to become an enterprising cool guy. They come in the coolest colors, they have one of the best rappers of all time behind them and they have incredible brand power. Do your family member or friend a favor and buy them these little gems. Give them the special instruction of sliding them on whenever someone says that Beats suck; this way they'll drown out the haters and be able to hear the crisp voice of Drake through the best headphones money can buy.
A COFFEE MUG The only thing cooler than a coffee mug is coffee itself. Coffee, for many, is the life-sustaining drug fed to us from a young age to keep productivity up and sleep at arm's length. That being said, a mug lasts much longer than coffee. So when shopping for a gift for someone, make sure you consider the humble coffee mug. This receptacle for the hot bean beverage could end up being a crucial aspect of somebody's personality, so choose wisely. You might be surprised at how many options there are for mugs. You've got the travelers, the big ones, the little ones, the plain and of course the mugs with witty sayings. Try to choose a mug that reflects the person's character. The best way is to get a mug with one of their favorite popculture icons; this way you not only show that you get them but that you REALLY get them.
TIME: 6 p.m. LOCATION: Jot Travis
Building, Student Galleries South INFO: The annual exhibition of Master of Fine Arts student work. The exhibit will run through Dec. 1, but the reception is where you can meet the artists and converse about the art. Make sure to bring your art world knowledge and your business casual attire.
CANVAS PAINTING NIGHT
GIFT CARDS Aside from forking over some actual cash, a gift card is the best way to give somebody a gift that is tantamount to a shrug. But sometimes you're up against the wall; it's Dec. 23 and you're all out of options for the last few people on your list. The best you can do sometimes is get somebody a piece of plastic with practically no worth other than at the store it's from. That's OK — just make sure that you get it from a store the person is likely to shop at. This present almost has no upsides. When you hand it over, the receiver will probably internally scoff while on the outside their fake smile will only cement how little effort was put into the gift. And just imagining them using it only makes the situation worse because they'll most likely have to spend money since the gift card most likely won't cover the whole of the purchase. So there it is, a list for the college Christmas shopper. Enjoy your holidays.
DATE: Friday TIME: 9 p.m. LOCATION: Joe Crowley
Student Union, Ballrooms INFO: Late Night at the Joe will be held in the Ballrooms this year. Treat yourself to a night of painting and an open mic night at the Joe. The paintings will be judged later for prizes. Also, space is limited, so get sign up early.
COMPOSERS' CONCERT DATE: Sunday TIME: 7:30 p.m. LOCATION: Church Fine
Arts, Nightingale Concert Hall INFO: If you wish to see what your peers, who also happen to be composers, have been up to, then come to Nightingale Hall to see the Composers' Concert. Expect electronic and acoustic music as well as free admission.
Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@nevadasagebrush. unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.
Christmas is finally upon us, and it couldn't have
To rid ourselves of such horrid and ghastly realities,
will spend enough money this season to account for
come any later. Just when you thought you had rid
we only have to delve into the realm of pomp and
yourself of those consumeristic
splendor. Of course, I'm speaking of the neoliberal/
So to truly set the season off right, you have to know
tendencies, 2016 happened. It's
Christian holiday in which followers of the faith cel-
what the special gifts this year are for your family, your
been quite the year to say the least.
ebrate the birth of their prophet: Jesus Christ.
friends and your loved ones so as to show them that
your market power and then some.
Hardships were had around the
What better way to not only assert your market
world, from bombings in Syria to
power as an individual but also shape your image as
mass shootings in the U.S. Let's
an autonomous individual with the wide array of prod-
This list will only have presents that are available
not forget the countless celebrity
ucts at your disposal this holiday season? Don't worry
to the average college student based on price. It just
deaths either; the number of modern-day saints we
if you're a follower of a different religion or consider
seems unfair to prescribe something that is unafford-
have lost this year is astounding.
yourself a mighty secularist; those who do celebrate
able; this is Christmas, after all.
Blake Nelson
the unreturned text messages weren't perpetrated on purpose.
A&E | a5
@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com
tuesday, november 29, 2016
Screenshot courtesy of Titanfall Official
‘Titanfall 2’ unique gem in first-person shooters By Bailey MeCey As one of the newest contenders in the first-person shooter genre, “Titanfall 2” stands out as a great game for both fans of single-player and multiplayer shooters. The gameplay has the player shooting and free-running, with the player running on walls while taking out enemy combatants. Along with this, you can pilot a giant mech with a variety of load-outs ranging from a thermite rifle, predator cannon and even an electric sword. “Titanfall 2” takes place five years after the events of the first game, which has the player fighting as the Frontier Militia or IMC in a battle for control of frontier planets. The first Titanfall lacked a single-player campaign; however, “Titanfall 2” breaks new ground not traditionally done in a first-person shooter. In the single player, you play as Jack Cooper, a Frontier rifleman who finds himself leading the fight against the IMC along with his mech buddy BT-7274. Together your
mission has you bringing the fight back to the IMC. The inventiveness of the level and game design of the single-player makes it unique among the competition. Instead of a by-the-numbers single player campaign, “Titanfall 2” focuses on fun level design. Whether exploring a giant industrial testing factory or wall-running while time distorts all around you, the single player takes some serious risks not seen in other major shooters. If only the main story would have taken some risks like the level design of the campaign does. For the most part, the story has the player trying to kill the opposition, which might push away someone looking for a good narrative game. While the main story feels generic, the relationship between Cooper and BT stands out because they play so well off each other, and by the end of the single player you genuinely care about them. The single player also doesn’t do much to prepare players for the multiplayer, with a lot of the abilities
in multiplayer not given a spotlight to shine in the single player. The multiplayer brings a lot of different elements to make a cohesive multiplayer experience. The multiplayer has nine modes that will be instantly familiar to a shooter fan but also have their own unique twist. Attrition, a team deathmatch game type, has 12 players on the battleground along with AI. teammates fighting to get to the score limit. As you get more points, you build up a meter to then bring your Titan into the match to fight with you. It also has a network system that allows players to easily join a group and play multiplayer together. You can join multiple networks at one time, and when you are in one, other players in the same network can invite you to join their group. One of the new game types, Bounty Hunt, has players trying to take each other out, but after each kill you collect cash. You must “bank” your cash to keep it, and if you die along the way you lose half of it. This
than delivers on both ends of the game type adds real risk to each life spectrum. but does not punish the player too harshly. A lot of the abilities for the ground Bailey MeCey can be reached at bmecsoldier focus on mobility, with items ey@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ bmecey. such as the grappling hook and the stem that allow players to fly across the map. Other abilities, such as the invisibility cloak and the phase shift, help to evade hostile fire. The fast-paced nature of “Titanfall 2” could be a drawback for some, but it keeps it under control with the nature of the controls. The game never feels like it’s two steps ahead of you no matter what you are doing. You always retain control and can easily outmaneuver opponents if you know what to do. I will say that my first matches of “Titanfall 2” multiplayer took some time to settle in. After understanding all the mechanics at play during a match, it has become one of the Titanfall 2 most satisfying games I’ve played this year. Whether you are looking for a fun Release Date: Oct. 28 single-player or multiplayer experience, or even both, “Titanfall 2” more Genre: First-Person Shooter
Game Review
AIRPORT SHUTTLE Campus Escort will provide transportation to the airport for Winter break. We will also provide transportation from the airport to the residence halls at the end of the Winter break. The following are the days and times the airport shuttle will operate.
DECEMBER
SATURDAY 17th 8 AM – 4 PM 5 PM – 1 AM
f /nevadaASUN
JANUARY
SUNDAY 22nd 8 AM – 12 PM 5 PM - 1 AM
(At this time you may use our regular nightly service to request a ride to the airport from the residence halls.)
(At this time you may use our regular nightly service to request a ride from the airport to the residence halls.)
DC to Airport
Airport to DC
TUESDAY 20th & WEDNESDAY 21st 8 AM – 12 PM DC to Airport
MONDAY 23rd 8 AM – 12 PM Airport to DC
@nevadaASUN
NevadaASUN.com
“This is Nevada”
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Opinion
@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com
A6
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
STAFF EDITORIAL
REMEMBER CASTRO FOR WHO HE WAS NOT WHO YOU WANT HIM TO BE
I
nfamous Cuban dictator Fidel Castro passed away last Friday at the age of 90, and his death has caused a mixture of emotions throughout the world. Many world leaders are offering condolences and mourning the loss of the former dictator while others are gathering in celebration for the end of one life marks a beginning of newfound freedom in the lives of others. However, an emotion that is hard to deny in the wake of the passing is a sense of confusion. In the five-plus decades Castro ruled over Cuba, he established both a devout fan base as well as countless detractors that rejected him. In the news, this dichotomy is easy to see. The New York Times’ obituary puts it simply: “[Castro’s] legacy in Cuba and elsewhere has been a mixed record of social progress and abject poverty, of racial equality and political persecution, of medical advances and a degree of misery comparable to the conditions that existed in Cuba when he entered Havana as a victorious guerrilla commander in 1959,” the Times said. That was something Castro’s supporters admired in him. He was seen as a true revolutionary through and through, as well as warrior for those living in poverty. After the announcement of Castro’s passing, leaders from all corners of the globe expressed their condolences for Castro’s family as well as their personal grief, some even referring to
lacked independence. Such
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Castro as a personal friend. The people of Cuba have also expressed their sorrow for the passing, having entered a nine-day mourning process to grieve the loss of their former leader. Across the world, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Fidel Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th
century. India mourns the loss of a great friend.” Closer to home, Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted that “Fidel Castro was a friend of Mexico, promoting bilateral relations based on respect, dialogue and solidarity.” But with all the expressions of sorrow, it seems many people have forgotten that Fidel Castro was a self-
obsessed man who ruled with an iron fist. And though he led the revolution that toppled the abusive regime of Fulgencio Batista, Castro eventually proved to be little more than a reincarnation of his predecessor. Throughout his reign, Castro used authoritarian tactics to maintain his power. Human Rights Watch, in a
damning piece published the day after his death, outlined the myriad ways in which he violated human rights, quashed dissent and imposed draconian punishment on his opposition. Castro’s repression, the group claimed, “was codified in law and enforced by security forces, groups of civilian sympathizers tied to the state, and a judiciary that
abusive practices generated a pervasive climate of fear in Cuba, which hindered the exercise of fundamental rights, and pressured Cubans to show their allegiance to the state while discouraging criticism.” Castro’s Cuba is not without its accomplishments, however. Today, the country boasts nearly universal adult literacy, according to the United Nations Human Development Index, as well as universal healthcare and lower rates of homicide, suicide and incarceration than the United States. This progress, along with his revolutionary roots, can easily make him an iconic leftist figure, used to prop up endorsements of socialism. At the end of the day, Castro is perhaps no more a martyr as he is a demon. He was human, just like the rest of us, and we recognize his success just as much as his failure. Ruling a country for decades doesn’t come without at least some oppression of the masses, but at the same time, his victories in public health and education can’t be brushed aside. History is complicated, people are complicated, and Castro was complicated. We should take care to remember him as he was, not the way we want him to be. The editorial board can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @ TheSagebrush.
It’s Yelp, not a soapbox
T
here are certain types of people in this world that, no matter how you look at them, are just the absolute worst. There are slow walkers, people who smack their food around in their mouths when they chew, able-bodied people who take the elevator one floor up, DMV employees, and grocery-store patrons who appear to be stocking up for doomsday and happen to beat you in the footrace to the checkout counter. Recently I was able to add to this list of undesirables Ali — bad Yelpers. Schultz Originally I used to commend other Yelpers for helping me make the pressing decision of what place in town has the meanest Mexican food. However, the other day my mind changed — and not for the better. What originally started as any other regular day in hell (a five-hour shift at my Mexican restaurant) quickly spiraled into some sort of “Twilight Zone” nightmare. My shift immediately started in a turmoil of dysfunction when I was called in half an hour early. Although this was an inconvenience, it was nothing I wasn’t used to. A server quit midshift, a line cook never showed and some bratty 7-year-old stuck his fingers in the salsa bar. Just another day in paradise. Obviously short-staffed all around the restaurant, delivering food to one of my tables took a whopping 15 minutes instead of the normal 10. I clearly was dealing with someone who had never worked a customer-service job in their life because suddenly I was no longer Ali the human being who happens to work as a waitress for beer money but rather the peasant woman who brings out Mexican food five minutes too late. After tuning out a constant string of complaints from my disgruntled customer, I came back to reality hard when I heard the words “You’ll be hearing from me on Yelp.” It dawned on me. Despite all the disgruntled people I have had the unfortunate opportunity to serve, I never thought to check out my restaurant’s Yelp reviews. There I was with no other choice. For the next few hours I would get lost down the rabbit hole that is the trenches of Yelp. It was here I discovered Yelpers were among the worst of the worst humans. One of my biggest concerns with the posts really came from my inability to understand who in their right mind even had the time to curate these posts. A common theme I came across was people feeling the need to give a 500-word prelude to why they decided to try the restaurant. Listen, Fitzgerald, this is a basic food review; I don’t need backstory. How about instead you cut to the chase. It’s either the burritos were good or they weren’t. So here’s a simple tip for all you Yelpers out
there: better to keep it short and sweet. If we wanted you to carry on for 30 minutes, we would have added you on Facebook and kept up with your asinine election comments. Then there were the professionals — those who posted Yelp reviews for mediocre restaurants as if they were reviewing a Four Seasons. “The picayune options that proved to be ever too insipid will guarantee me and my pompous ass will not return.” First of all, what the hell does “picayune” even mean? Second of all, if Guy Fieri described food this way, no one would eat at any “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” restaurants. If you’re such an expert, how about you create a review that’s able to be understood by the common folk. Then of course I discovered the PITA Yelpers. Yes, folks, that means Pain in the Ass Yelpers. These are the critics who go to restaurants expecting the establishment to cater specifically to you. Despite popular belief, no restaurant is held to an obligation to serve gluten-free, vegan, low-carb or half-order options to you. So when you immediately start with dissing a restaurant for its lack thereof, maybe you should consider re-evaluating your diet fads. Then there were those who used Yelp as a blog forum. If you don’t have feelings on a restaurant, whether they be positive or negative, why waste your time posting? I don’t know about you, but I have a job. In my spare time I am binge-watching “Game of Thrones” and shoving my face with assorted pastries, not Yelping about the “not great but not bad” experience I had at a restaurant last Saturday. I know what they say: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Yelpers, how about if you have nothing of substance to say other than “no complaints but not good either,” go get a hobby. Because “South Park” said it best: Your insignificant post “is not Yelping.” All I am saying is that there has to be a better way of using Yelp. Quit the backstory. Ditch the fancy-pants language. Vegans, just stay home. Use Yelp to actually help your restaurant-inquiring peers. If you’ve visited a place recently and the service was great and the food was yummy, cut to the chase and say so! If you had a terrible experience somewhere (I’m sorry), warn others to enter if they dare. Try to refrain from docking points from a tasty restaurant because the interior decor isn’t aesthetically up to your standards (leave those comments for Martha Stewart). Try and remember restaurant staffers are people too. Just because you’ve had one bad experience doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try a place again. If there were no such things as second chances, Keanu Reeves would’ve been exiled from Hollywood a while ago. Fortunately it’s never too late to improve your Yelping etiquette. Yelp me Yelp you. Ali Schultz studies journalism. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @Alischultzee.
Flickr photo courtesy of Fred Von Lohhmon
Above the R&B sensation, The Weeknd performs at day 3 of Coachella 2012. The Weeknd just released his newest album last week.
The Weeknd basically owns the world of R&B
U
nless by some crazy illusion, or you simply are living like a potato and are sleeping in the ground, then you know that Abél Makkonen Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd, dropped his newest album, titled “Starboy,” on Thanksgiving day. Within 24 hours, the R&B singer’s fourth debut album was the No. 1 album in over 80 countries. It went on to become No. 1 in the world soon after. The album hasn’t Will even been out a week. Compton The Weeknd has captivated the music world with his sexual instrumentals and his ability to smoothly alternate between high and low pitches. With his new album out and a world tour on the way, raking in millions in the process, The Weeknd absolutely owns the R&B game. There are three solid reasons why the 26-yearold Canada native is the best in the game right now. The first is his popularity. Outside of fangirls tweeting his lyrics and putting it in their bio next to their zodiac sign, the Weeknd has over 15.5 million followers across his social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), making him one of the most followed R&B singers to date. His last tour, “Beauty Behind the Madness,” absolutely crushed ticket sales and sold out in about a month. No other R&B artist has sold out a tour in that time in the past decade. How the hell does he even do that? His popularity is what drives it all, and of course, his sound. The Weeknd’s ability to make girls want to put their drinks in the air and “woo” at their friends from across the bar is the second factor. Imagine this: It is a typical Wing Wednesday and you’re standing at the bar drink in hand when you see a lovely group of girls dancing to the music. All of a sudden “Starboy,” which was the first song released off the album, blares
through the speakers and the girls go wide eyed and say “oh shit,” in pure excitement (This happens, you know this does). The Weeknd’s ability not only to turn up a party, but give you something to listen to when you might be getting lucky, is almost unheard of. His soothing voice interchanging pitch between low and high is truly what gives him his popularity, as it is his trademark sound. Today, no one can really do it the same way he can. It’s why he’s taking over the game, from his voice to his income. According to Forbes, when The Weeknd dropped his sophomore album, “Beauty Behind the Madness,” hit songs “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel My Face” placed him in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 100 for a record-setting 42 weeks. Those statistics listed his net worth around $55 million, not counting radio royalties, features in other songs, advertisements or sponsorships. That is from last year’s performance of “Beauty Behind the Madness” alone. He is swimming in money at this point. Now add all the advertisements, all the royalties, all the sponsorships and all the promotions and the tour funds The Weeknd will make from Starboy. Scary math, isn’t it? Whether you know how to calculate that off the top of your head or not you can come to the conclusion, that’s a lot of money. The Weeknd himself is worth $50 million. That’s extremely impressive for someone who started to gain presence a little over a year and a half ago. But this seems like it is just the beginning for superstar. Expect more from The Weeknd, as he is expected to soon collab with stars such as Gallant, Logic and even Marshmello in the upcoming year. There is no doubt that he has completely captivated the world with his sound, and will continue to run the R&B game for years to come. Will Compton studies journalism. He can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.
Court Report TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
SPORTS | A7
@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com
Oliver, Pack lose buzzer beater Nevada dropped in final of tournament
LOOKING BACK By Jack Rieger Nevada basketball spent the week playing in the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska. The Wolf Pack won the first two games of the tournament but lost in the finals to Iona, a team Nevada played at home six days earlier. Nevada’s first opponent was Oakland (4-1), a talented, athletic team with good guard play. Marcus Marshall led the Pack in scoring with 25 points — 20 of which came in the second half — and Cameron Oliver added 22 of his own. Oliver hit a three with 1:16 remaining to extend the Pack’s lead to five points and clinch the win. Oakland led for much of the game, scoring the contest’s first eight points. The Grizzlies led by 16 points at halftime, but Nevada came alive in the second half and advanced to the semifinals of the tournament, winning 82-78. In the next round, Nevada faced off against Buffalo (3-2). Once again, Marshall and Oliver led the Pack in scoring. Marshall hit four 3-pointers, finishing with 23 points,
and Oliver notched a double-double on 12 points and 12 rebounds. Nevada separated itself late in the game with a 13-2 run in what was an ugly offensive showcase for both teams. Nevada won a defensive battle, 67-62. In the finals, Nevada faced Iona (3-2) — the same team Nevada beat six days earlier. Iona’s Jon Severe hit the gamewinning bucket just before the buzzer to give the Gaels a 75-73 win. With Nevada down three with six seconds left, Marcus Marshall drained a long 3-pointer. Iona called a timeout to set up the final play of the game. Severe drove the ball to the rim and gently rolled in a layup with almost no time remaining. It was Nevada’s second loss in its first seven games.
LOOKING Ahead Nevada’s next game is Tuesday, Nov. 29, against Pacific (2-2) at home. Pacific will be playing its first of three games in five days this week. Pacific is led by point guard T.J. Wallace, a 6-foot-3 senior from Stockton, California, with scoring ability. Wallace will probably be guarded by Lindsey Drew when Drew is on the court. Nevada’s challenge will be limiting Pacific’s scoring guards from establishing a rhythm. “They got really good guard play,” said head coach Eric Musselman. “Last year when we were at Pacific, it was a game we really struggled in to try and win. They play really good defense and they have size upfront. We’ve got to try to contain Wallace at their point-guard position. He’s strong, got great size and obviously their off guard can really shoot the ball. Bowles is a guy that had a great game against us last year at
the small-forward spot. They’ve got a couple bigs off the bench who can really shoot the ball.” Last season Nevada beat Pacific in double overtime, 85-82. Nevada will play at Bradley University Saturday, Dec. 3, in Peoria, Illinois. Bradley is currently 3-3 with its most recent loss at the hands of George Mason. Bradley is led by 5-foot-11 freshman guard Darrel Brown, who’s averaged 15.5 points and three assists on 52 percent shooting. Bradley is also led by junior guard JoJo McGlaston, who’s averaged 12 points, five rebounds and one assist on 55 percent shooting. Bradley plays in the Missouri Valley Conference and finished last season 5-27 with a new first-year head coach, Brian Wardle. Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@sagebrush.unr. edu and on Twitter @ Jackrieger.
Photo by Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush
Nevada forward Cam Oliver (0) soars in the air and glides to the basket in Nevada’s game at Lawlor Events Center on Friday, Nov. 12. Nevada is 5-2 on the season after a last-second loss to Iona in the championship game of the Alaska Shootout.
Sports TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2016
SPORTS | A8
@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com
Nathan Brown Silva/Nevada Sagebrush
Former Nevada head coach Brian Polian (right) goes on a verbal tirade against the sideline official (left) during Nevada’s game against Arizona at Mackay Stadium last season. Polian and the university mutually agreed to part ways after the Wolf Pack finished the 2016 season with a 5-7 record. Polian was 23-27 in four seasons at Nevada.
Polian hire doomed to fail from beginning By Neil Patrick Healy
The fresh blue paint on the newlywon Fremont Cannon wasn’t even dry when the news about Brian Polian came down, leaving Nevada football with an uncertain future. Polian and the university mutually agreed to part ways Sunday, Nov. 27. His tenure at Nevada, whether it’s fair or not, will be universally viewed as a disappointment. The highly touted recruiter with stints at Stanford, Notre Dame and Texas A&M was supposed to usher in the new post-Chris Ault era of Nevada football, but instead the program took steps backward in both performance on the field and enthusiasm around the program. Polian went 23-27 in his four years at the helm, and much of the fault will be placed on his feet by the fan base. But when I think of the Brian Polian era at Nevada, I will always think, “The guy didn’t stand a chance.” The failed Polian regime is due to circumstances both inside and outside of his control, but the guy was dealt a bad hand. In my opinion, the Polian hire was doomed from the start.
Nevada has the lowest overall athletic budget in the MW, with $27.01 million annually, compared to the league average of $36.88 million. The more you dig into the numbers, the worse it gets. The Wolf Pack spent the second fewest on both coaching salaries and bonuses ($10.16 million, compared to the league average of $13.32 million). Nevada’s athletic department also received the fewest university funds and the third-fewest student fees, received the least overall subsidy revenue among fellow conference schools, and placed ninth in ticket revenue. When it comes to football specifically, the average MW budget is $10.04 million, but Nevada spends a conference-low $7.02 million on its football program. It’s evident Nevada is a university that isn’t financially prepared or committed to compete in a conference with schools that can afford to shell out millions more on their athletic programs. Since joining the Mountain West, Nevada’s football team is 30-33 over five seasons. The lack of funding wasn’t a guaranteed inhibitor to Polian’s success, but it played a major role.
THE TRANSITION TO THE MOUNTAIN WEST
POLIAN WASN’T PREPARED TO BE A HEAD COACH
Nevada made the jump from the WAC to the Mountain West in 2012 before Ault’s final season as head coach. Ault’s only season in the conference was a disappointing 7-6, but he had star players Cody Fajardo and Stefphon Jefferson running his pistol offense, so this along with Ault’s mere presence camouflaged the fact that the school was not ready for the boost in competition. Then Ault spontaneously retired and Jefferson declared early for the NFL, and Polian was left to ease the program into a new conference. Polian had to overcome running a program consistently at the bottom of the conference in terms of athletic funding. According to a study commissioned by the Nevada Board of Regents,
There are two aspects to this point: his lack of major coaching experience and his poor decorum and attitude. Polian had 15 years of coaching experience before taking the headcoaching job at Nevada, but most of that time he was as a special teams coordinator. He had never been appointed even as high as an offensive or defensive coordinator, so it wouldn’t come as a shock to think Polian was in a little over his head. There were persistent questions about his coaching, ability to recruit and lack of self-control on the sideline, but the decision that ultimately may have cost Polian his job was his continued defiance against public pressure to replace quarterback Tyler Stewart
with the young dual-threat sophomore quarterback Ty Gangi. The offense under Stewart was becoming more and more predictable and pedestrian while only averaging 20.9 points per game. Polian refused to entertain the notion of a quarterback change until Stewart suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Wyoming. Then Gangi took the reigns and almost won a shootout with Wyoming, one of the top teams in the conference. Gangi would go on to put up more passing yards in five games than Stewart did in seven while also adding the dual-threat component to the offense that Stewart was severely lacking. Gangi ignited the offense and helped the unit average 31.6 points per game, doing so against the more difficult portion of the schedule. If Nevada had played Gangi for the entirety of the season, maybe those close loses where the offense looked sluggish could have had different outcomes. Imagine Gangi in the Purdue and San Jose State games. His big-play ability could have broken those wide open, and Nevada could be sitting at 7-5 with a bowl berth and a shiny cannon while Polian is signing an extension. Player evaluation is a major key to success in college football, and this may have cost Polian his job. As for Polian’s persona, he didn’t do himself any favors with the brash Northeastern attitude he exhibited on a regular basis. His attitude would have undoubtedly been appreciated and viewed as endearing if he were winning games, but it ended up grinding on a fan base’s nerves when he wasn’t. He started out by telling ESPN in the summer of 2013 that “there isn’t a lot of tradition here.” When you’re replacing someone who won 233 games as the head coach, it’s not the smartest idea to shoot your mouth off about the school not having tradition. It didn’t stop there. When Nevada struggled against Cal Poly to start the season, Polian’s response to that was to
say you “don’t know football” if you’re concerned. After a close win over Utah State, Polian took the opportunity to take a few jabs at the fans for leaving early and being negative on social media. And finally, after winning the cannon and ending a tumultuous season on a high note, Polian is again defiant and questioning the validity of the people’s concerns of the direction of the program. “If anybody believes this program is not on the right track, they’re just not watching,” Polian said. He also gained the reputation of being an excuse-maker, where he would open with saying he’s not going to make excuses for the poor play before proceeding to make excuses for the poor play. Last week he even said he could give a 15-minute presentation on all the circumstances that were out of the team’s control. People got tired of it. The combination of these factors and two home losses to UNLV led to the fan base checking out. This season’s average attendance at Mackay was 18,500, which is the lowest since 2011 when there were just 15,776 attending per game. Keep in mind the attendance figure in 2011 reflects how many people actually showed up, but now the attendance numbers released reflect how many tickets were sold. The real figure isn’t announced, but there were a lot of empty seats in Mackay Stadium this year. Attendance has declined consistently, with a decline of 1,000 in 2014 and about 1,700 in 2015. People simply had enough. Polian’s lack of ability to play the crowd and appease the fan base contributed to his downfall. A coach with a more experienced background being in charge probably would have handled the situation better.
REPLACING A LEGEND Polian was given the task no one has been able to do: successfully replace Chris Ault. The ghost of Ault will for-
ever loom over the football program. Ault is Nevada football. He was around the program in some capacity for over 35 years, so replacing someone of that stature isn’t going to be easy for anyone. No coach has ever replaced Ault successfully. Jeff Horton took off after one season, Jeff Tisdel started out hot with a 9-3 record but sputtered down the stretch and finished with a 23-22 record in four seasons before being fired, and Chris Tormey never had a winning season in his four years. The hardest part for Polian was that he was replacing more than just a successful coach. Ault played quarterback for Nevada, coached high-school football in northern Nevada, made the Wolf Pack a viable program in I-AA, propelled the university into Division I athletics, came back and invented the pistol offense, and made Nevada the Biggest Little Offense in the world. He is Nevada. He put this university on the map, so following that act must have been a daunting task for Polian. One can make the argument, given the current state of Nevada’s athletic programs, that no one can truly live up to the standard Ault left. With Polian out, Nevada will scour the countryside for a viable candidate to try and vault this program back to relevance. Athletic Director Doug Knuth has a tough job ahead of him. Two of these problems will still be there when the new coach takes over. Can Nevada find an under-the-radar guy like basketball did with Eric Musselman? Of course. Knuth has proven he knows how to hire good coaches. One has to wonder, though, if the new coach will fall victim to the same circumstances Polian did. To say this is the most important hire of Knuth’s professional career would be a grave understatement. Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
Last-second layup freezes Pack By Brandon Cruz The University of Nevada, Reno, men’s basketball team traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, over Thanksgiving break in pursuit of the title of GCI Great Alaska Shootout champion. The team’s first two games went according to plan, as the Wolf Pack took down the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies Wednesday, Nov. 23, as well as the University of Buffalo Bulls a few days later. Even though the Pack was riding high on morale entering the championship game, the team would go on to lose to the Gaels, an opponent the Pack had defeated a week prior. “I think it’s really hard for any team to beat a team back to back in the same week,” said Nevada head coach Eric Musselman. NEVADA VS. OAKLAND With a 3-1 record, the Pack entered its first game in the Alaska Shootout against the Golden Grizzlies. The Grizzlies
looked as if they would keep their undefeated streak alive when the Pack had a lackluster first half. Nevada went a dismal 9-33 from the field, shooting just 27.3 percent. The Pack kept the game within eight for a majority of the first until the team dug itself into a huge hole in the waning minutes, down 16 points going into halftime. With such a deficit going into half, many teams would buckle under the pressure, but coach Muss kept it simple for the Pack. “One of the things we’ve talked about to the team since we got here is that belief that there are three runs in a basketball game … and we have to try and control two of those three runs,” Musselman said. “I think for the most part we’ve done that.” The Pack ensured it controlled two runs come the second period, coming out of halftime with a vengeance. Nevada’s second-half comeback was fueled by an impressive
performance by transfer senior Marcus Marshall, as he put up a remarkable 21 points in quick succession. Both Jordan Caroline and Elijah Foster contributed immensely, as they both found their way into double digits in the scoring column. Caroline also recorded his third consecutive double-double, as he also hit double digits in the rebounding category. The Pack would go on to win the game 82-78, outscoring the Grizzlies by 20 points in the second and marking the greatest comeback in the history of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout. NEVADA VS. BUFFALO With Nevada improving to 4-1 on the season following the team’s comeback against the Grizzlies, the Pack moved on
u u Brandon Cruz can be reached at bcruz@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.