December 6, 2016

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By Madeline Purdue

On Monday, Nov. 28, a plane transporting the Chapecoense soccer team crashed into the side of an Andes mountain, killing all 71 people onboard. Thirty-eight members of the team and staff were killed.

The Chapecoense team was on its way to the Copa Sudamericana final.

Three players survived the crash but have not returned home due to injuries sustained. Eleven other players were not on the plane.

Officials believe the pilot forgot to refuel the plane before takeoff and ran out of gas above the mountain range.

The bodies of the players were transported back to their stadium by military soldiers on Saturday, Dec. 3, in front of 20,000 mourning fans. Thousands more gathered on the streets outside the stadium as the coffins arrived.

“I’m feeling lots of emotion,” supporter Sandra Gonzalez told CNN. “They were our idols; I can’t understand what’s happened. I only feel pain.”

VOLUME 123, ISSUE 15

Students struggle to take 30 credits

INTERNATIONAL PLANE CRASH KILLS BRAZILIAN SOCCER TEAM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

By Rachel Spacek With finals rapidly approaching, students at the University of Nevada, Reno, find themselves frantically studying for the five or more classes they were expected to enroll in since the school implemented the Nevada System of Higher Education’s infamous 15 to Finish program.

UNR adopted its own version of the

degree-completion program, 30 to Complete, which encourages students to take 30 credits each year so that a typical bachelor’s degree can be completed in four years.

Since 30 to Complete was implemented last fall, the downsides of the program are more apparent than ever as students enrolled in less than 30 credits each semester are no longer eligible for their full financial

aid or scholarship packages. In years prior, 12 credits made students full time and allowed them to receive full financial aid.

Christopher Vega, a journalism student at UNR, a parent of three children and a part-time employee, expressed his worry in an opinion article for ThisisReno after receiving an email when the 30 to Complete program began. The email read,

“... Most scholarships from the University require enrollment in at least 15 credits at the University of Nevada, Reno in order for funds to be disbursed.”

After reading the dreaded email, Vega said he was worried about having to come up with an additional $700 to pay for the extra credits, and without having

University anticipates new gym

By Madeline Purdue

Accompanying the program that may be implemented at UNR is an intensive English learning program that is required of international students planning to study at UNR. According to Carman, both companies said they would be responsible for the costs of the training program.

Carman also said the typical graduation rate of students that participate in these international student recruitment programs is 80 to 90 percent, which is a higher graduation rate than the 70 percent graduation rate seen in Nevada high schools.

The two programs will begin their interview process Tuesday, Dec. 6.The University of Nevada, Reno, plans to be a home to more international students next year. The university will be conducting interviews this week with two recruiting companies, INTO and Navitas, to focus on recruiting more international students to diversify the university campus.

INTO is a United Kingdom-based program that has 24 colleges around the world in study abroad partnerships. They are partners with eight colleges in the United States, including the University of Oregon and Colorado State University. INTO has over 18,000 students studying in 152 countries this year alone.

In his State of the University speech in September, university President Marc Johnson said diversity would be a key focus of faculty this year and in years to come.

“Diversity will receive significant attention this year,” Johnson said.

“Over the past several months, our university’s leadership has been actively engaged with our students and student

University of Nevada, Reno, students will have a newer, larger place to get fit. The E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center will be open to students, faculty and staff during the spring 2017 semester. The grand opening of the fitness center is scheduled for February.

The fitness center is located across from the Joe Crowley Student Union and Lawlor Events Center. The four-story building will include three intramural basketball courts and room for other court sports. It will also have floors dedicated to equipment for weightlifting and cardio training.

It will be around three times larger than Lombardi Recreation Center.

There are also large, open spaces for gym-goers to create their own workout instead of just using machines.

There will be an indoor 1/8-mile track around the top floor of the building and a set of stadium stairs for other training and activities.

A variety of fitness classes will be offered at no additional cost.

There will be meditation classes such as yoga and pilates as well as more intense classes such as barre, boxing and cycling. For the more adventurous, acro-yoga and silktraining classes will be available.

The Associated Students of the University of Nevada are getting involved in order to promote the new fitness center.

“We are trying to find a way to let students know that the gym is open and it is free for tuition-paying students,” said ASUN Speaker Noah Teixeira. “We are also trying to find a way to get students excited to use the new programs and classes within the gym.”

ASUN is creating a campaign called Pack Fit designed to bring mental and physical health awareness to students while promoting the new gym.

“Pack Fit is about more than just fitness,” said ASUN Vice President Jacob Springmeyer. “It’s a campaign to educate, promote and inspire students to work on improving their personal health as well as trying to live self-fulfilling lives. Staying active can help you with all the stress we deal with on a daily basis in class and at work and trying to manage all the stuff we have.”

During finals week of the fall 2016 semester, ASUN will be hosting events to help students destress, such as a silent disco and a virtualreality experience.

In the spring, ASUN will be giving away free swag and hosting panels and guest speakers to talk about the importance of mental and physical fitness.

Pack Fit will have its own website

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NATIONAL WAREHOUSE FIRE DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE

A large warehouse fire killed at least 36 in Oakland, California, on Saturday, Dec. 3. Officials believe the death toll will rise after the entire building is searched.

The warehouse, named “Ghost Ship,” was home to artist studios and living spaces. The place went up in flames during a dance party Friday night. According to witnesses, the warehouse was filled with wood and other flammables, as reported by The Associated Press. There were only two exits to the building.

The warehouse was under investigation for code violations and illegal living spaces.

Officials have identified only 11 of the 36 bodies they found in the remains of the warehouse but withheld the names of a minor and a sheriff deputy’s son for privacy reasons. Only 70 percent of the warehouse has been searched.

Parties like the one held Friday night were common at the warehouse. Residents held them and charged people entrance to make money.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

It is the deadliest fire in U.S. history in more than a decade.

LOCAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE COSTS UNLV MILLIONS

The last presidential debate was held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Oct. 19. With the debate long over, the university is still trying to pay off the costs.

UNLV’s president, Len Jessup, went in front of the Nevada System of Higher Education Friday, Dec. 2, to explain the rise of cost from $4 million to $8 million.

According to NSHE, the Board of Regents never approved the costs of the presidential debate and was under the impression it would not cost UNLV anything, as reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority approved $4 million for UNLV to host the debate, covering the costs when combined with the money fundraised by UNLV. Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madelinepurdue.

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Photo Courtesy of Katia Coquis Lossio

Students perform at the 34th annual Night of All Nations in the Joe Crowley Student Union ballrooms at the University of Nevada, Reno, on Nov. 18. Faculty at UNR are looking forward to giving students a more international experience on campus.

UNR looks to recruit internationally

By Rachel Spacek The University of Nevada, Reno, plans to be a home to more international students next year. The university will be conducting interviews this week with two recruiting companies, INTO and Navitas, to focus on recruiting more international students to diversify the university campus.

INTO is a United Kingdom-based program that has 24 colleges around the world in study abroad partnerships. They are partners with eight colleges in the United States, including the University of Oregon and Colorado State University. INTO has over 18,000 students studying in 152 countries this year alone.

In his State of the University speech in September, university President Marc Johnson said diversity would be a key focus of faculty this year and in years to come.

“Diversity will receive significant attention this year,” Johnson said. “Over the past several months, our university’s leadership has been actively engaged with our students and student leadership to ensure that our campus remains a safe and welcoming place.”

University Provost Kevin Carman echoed Johnson during a faculty meeting.

“We talk about providing an international experience to our students. We want them to study abroad, but part of that international experience is who they interact with here on campus,” Carman told the faculty.

This year, 3 percent of the students enrolled at UNR are international students, out of the university’s 21,353 total students.

“Diversity will receive significant attention this year,” Johnson said. “Over the past several months, our university’s

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leadership has been actively engaged with our students and student leadership to ensure that our campus remains a safe and welcoming place.”

University Provost Kevin Carman echoed Johnson during a faculty meeting.

“We talk about providing an international experience to our students. We want them to study abroad, but part of that international experience is who they interact with here on campus,” Carman told the faculty.

This year, 3 percent of the students enrolled at UNR are international students, out of the university’s 21,353 total students.

The faculty plans on using one of the programs to increase the number of international students to around 10 percent, a number Carman said is more on par with the international student populations at other colleges and universities.

The other program to be interviewed on campus this week is Navitas, an Australia-based program with partnerships with five U.S. college campuses including the University of Massachusetts and the University of New Hampshire.

Navitas also has partnerships with universities in Australia, Canada, the U.K., Singapore, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

According to administrators at UNR, the programs represent a way to bring more money to the university through tuition and fees in addition to increasing student diversity.

“These are full-pay, out-of-state students,” Carman said.

In-state students pay around $7,000 per year at UNR in tuition and fees.

Out-of-state students pay almost triple what in-state students pay, a little over $21,000. International students would be paying over $21,000 to attend UNR for a year.

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NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

THE

Student voice of the University of Nevada, Reno, since 1893.

Volume 123 • Issue 15 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 Marina Drab, Javier Hernandez, Joey Thyne

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.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters can be submitted via email at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

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Credits

Continued from page A1

scholarships, he would not be able to receive the textbooks he needed for his classes.

Vega got nowhere with the Office of Financial Aid, so he took a look at the appeal form. The form gives three exceptions: disabled students, student athletes and level-three nursing students. Vega did not qualify.

“I began the research,” Vega wrote on ThisisReno. “Complete College America reported that most full time students fail to take enough credits to graduate on time. On time? I didn’t know I was on a schedule. Apparently out of 329 institutions in 30 states, graduation rates are tied to ‘enrollment intensity.’”

According to Alison Gaulden, a professor at UNR’s Reynolds School of Journalism, 15 to Finish does not address the challenges working adults face when attending college. She said that prime-time and low-income students do not have the luxury of giving their entire focus to education, and 15 to Finish penalizes students who have limited means and schedules.

UNR has a four-year graduation rate of 21 percent, far below some graduation rates in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. According to the Nevada System

Students Continued from page A1

leadership to ensure that our campus remains a safe and welcoming place.”

University Provost Kevin Carman echoed Johnson during a faculty meeting.

“We talk about providing an international experience to our students. We want them to study abroad, but part of that international experience is who they interact with here on campus,” Carman told the faculty.

This year, 3 percent of the students enrolled at UNR are international students, out of the university’s 21,353 total students.

The faculty plans on using one of the programs to increase the number of international students to around 10 percent, a number Carman said is on par with the international student populations at other colleges and universities.

The other program is Navitas, an Australia-based program with partnerships with five U.S. college campuses including the University of Massachusetts and the University of New Hampshire. Navitas also has partnerships with universities in Australia, Canada, the U.K., Singapore, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

According to administrators at UNR, the programs represent a way to bring more money to the university through tuition and fees in addition to increasing student diversity.

“These are full-pay, out-of-state students,” Carman said.

In-state students pay around $7,000 per year at UNR in tuition and fees.

Out-of-state students pay almost triple, a little over $21,000. International students would be paying over $21,000 to attend UNR for a year.

Accompanying the programs that may be implemented at UNR is an intensive English learning program that is required of international students planning to study at UNR. According to Carman, both companies said they would be responsible for the costs of the training program.

Carman also said the typical graduation rate of students that participate in these international student recruitment programs is 80 to 90 percent, much a higher rate than the 70 percent graduation rate seen in Nevada high schools.

The two programs will begin their interview process Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush

of Higher Education, students enrolled in 15 credits per semester are more than twice as likely to earn a degree than those who don’t.

Complete College America, the report cited by universities that have implemented the 15 to Finish campaign, reported last year that the vast majority of American college students do not graduate on time. The report said many more students should be encouraged to graduate in four years so that they can save time and money. In the report, Complete College America recognizes that “not every student can or will graduate on time. And there are understandable reasons. However, something is clearly wrong when the overwhelming majority of public colleges graduate less than 50 percent of their full-time students in four years.”

Complete College America reported it costs $15,933 more for a student to attend each extra year at a public two-year college and $22,826 more for each year over four years at a public four-year college or university. Complete College America said, “Our best strategy to make college more affordable and a sure way to boost graduation rates overall is to ensure that many more students graduate on time.”

Gaulden said 15 to Finish does not address the working class of today’s students or the mental and physical health issues that challenge students today.

While the 30 to Complete program

Gym

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dedicated to helping students find the right kind of fitness for them.

There will be videos on how to use the equipment as well as class schedules and links to other fitness pages.

During the grand opening, students will be given tours of the new gym and will be able to test classes they may want to participate in.

Springmeyer says this effort is to help UNR become a healthier community.

Jim Fitzsimmons, the director of campus recreation at UNR, has been teaming up with ASUN to get the word out about the new fitness center.

“We’ve been listening to the students, and they’ve been wanting a larger recreation center,” Fitzsim-

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

may not address the time needs of many students, it also does not allow students who take less than 15 credits a semester to receive their full amount of financial aid.

“Institutional awards such as the Access Grant and State Access Grant and most scholarships from the university require enrollment in 30 credits at the University of Nevada, Reno, for the academic year,” said Shannon Ellis, vice president for student services at UNR. “We are vigorous in our communications with students to ask that they review their financial aid offers to see if any of their awards are dependent on the 30 to Complete enrollment.”

The Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Teach Grant and the federal loans from the Department of Education are among the financial aid resources that do not require students to take 15 credits each semester.

Vega’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid paid for the 12 credits he enrolled in at UNR; however, he received nothing in financial aid from scholarships through Nevada.

UNR faculty encourages students who are unable to take 15 credits each semester to fill out the 30 to Complete Request for Approval form on the financial aid website.

Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.

mons said. “Lombardi was built in 1974 when the campus was much smaller.”

Fitzsimmons and his team have been working on the E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center since the beginning. He has made sure that student demands will be met and the fitness center will be a place of high activity on campus.

According to Fitzsimmons, a large fitness center helps attract and retain more students than campuses without one.

Students attend schools with a fitness center 30 percent more often, and 50 to 75 percent of those students will stay at that school because of it.

His data also show that students who are physically active three to four times a week have a grade point average tone point higher han those who do not exercise, but this isn’t news to Fitzsimmons.

“Students who are fit

and active perform better academically,” Fitzsimmons said. “The data has always shown that.”

Students have expressed concern that tuition would once the new recreation center is finsihed, but ultimately, it is less expensive to pay for the new fitness center than a Lombardi pass. A membership to Lombardi costs $80 a semester while tuition will only increase $30 per semester to pay for a membership to the new gym.

“I’m excited for the students to get in there and see their responses when they look at the new stuff they have in there,” Springmeyer said. “I hope it helps in every aspect of [students’] lives and hopefully has a positive impact.”

Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madelinepurdue

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

The E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center under construction on Monday, Dec. 5. The fitness center, wich opens officially in February, is long awaited by students and the community because of its ability to recruit and retain students.

SENATE RECAP NOV. 30

By Rachel Spacek

LEGISLATION The 84th session of the senate of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada moved quickly through several pieces of legislation to amend parts of the Statutes of the Associated Students. The session kicked off with an Act to Amend the Tom Davies Book Scholarship, introduced by Sen. Zachary Jacoby of the College of Liberal Arts. The Tom Davies Book Scholarship states that the scholarship must specifically be used for a student’s purchase of textbooks. However, ASUN and the Office of Financial Aid do not have any way to enforce the rule that the scholarship must only be used for textbooks. Since the scholarship lowers a student’s tuition, the amendment would change the SAS to describe the scholarship as just the Tom Davies Book Scholarship and would remove the condition that the scholarship must only be used for textbooks. The legislation passed without discussion with unanimous support.

The next piece of legislation the senators heard was an Act to Amend the Compensation Limits for Senators. The amendment, proposed by Sen. Hayden Smith of the College of Business, would put a time frame on the compensation amounts senators receive for holding their positions. The amended bill in the SAS would read, “Senator: The aggregate amount of equivalent to the cost of six undergraduate credit-hours per semester at the university.” The bill would not change the amount of compensation the senators receive but instead would enforce the rule that the senators get six undergraduate credits paid for each semester. The bill passed with unanimous support.

Sen. Trenton Jackson, College of Business, introduced a bill to amend Turbo Vote in the SAS. Jackson proposed that the Turbo Vote section of the SAS be amended to say, “Through the use of student voter initiatives, such as Turbo Vote, Nevada students will be more involved within local politics and thus have a larger influence on our surrounding area.” By saying “student voter initiatives” instead of only “Turbo Vote,” the SAS would allow future members of ASUN to use voter initiatives other than Turbo Vote.

The bill passed with unanimous support.

S.B. 84 was next in line to be amended by changing the SAS to read “Inkblot Marketing” instead of “Inkblot Promotions” and changing the SAS from referring to Inkblot’s director of marketing as creative director. The bill passed with unanimous support.

The last piece of legislation the senate heard was an Act to Amend the Mahmoud “Mike” Hendi Public Service Award. The award recognizes students who have exhibited community spirit and a dedication to public service. Since the Office of Financial Aid is responsible for distributing the money from the award, the service award is technically a scholarship. Sen. Jacoby introduced the amendment by saying the term “award” does not accurately represent the scholarship, and in order for it to be recorded and distributed accurately, the words in the bill must be changed from “award” to “scholarship.” The amendment passed with unanimous support.

Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

Emily Fisher/Nevada Sagebrush

Julie Thomas, the academic coordinator and assistant professor for the Physician Assistant Studies Program at UNR lectures in the new PA classroom at UNR’s Redfield campus on Monday, Dec. 5. Thomas said the program received huge support from the community and students.

University introduces PA program

By Emily Fisher Among the freshly painted walls and boxes of office supplies, the staff of the University of Nevada, Reno’s new Physician Assistant Program is looking forward to welcoming their first group of students to their new office and classroom at UNR’s Redfield Campus.

The new 27-month, full-time Master’s degree program aims to bring workforce diversity and cultural competence to the medical industry in Nevada.

“With the initial class size of 24, state-of-the-art anatomy lab, simulation lab, clinical professors, and supportive community-based partners to develop and master clinical skills, the program is able to fulfill its intention to prepare PA graduates for a successful and rewarding career,” wrote Brian Lauf MPAS, PA-C the founding program director, on the program’s website.

The new PA program came to fruition because of coordination between Lauf; Dr. Thomas L. Schwenk, the dean of the School of Medicine and Evan Klass, the senior associate dean of Office of Statewide Initiatives.

UNR’s PA program is a part of the Office of Statewide Initiatives, which aims to increase access to quality healthcare statewide.

“Our mission is to educate Nevadans to serve Nevada…[specifically] the underserved and rural areas in Nevada,” said Julie Thomas, the academic coordinator and assistant professor for the Physician Assistant Studies Program.

Thomas is a physician assistant and has been actively involved in the Nevada PA community since 2006.

Recently a selection committee interviewed 36 applicants for the new program in November and are set to interview another 36 on Dec.10.

The applicants that get through to the interview stage spend a day at the Redfield Campus participating in group and individual interviews, getting a tour of the building and interacting with professionals, Thomas said.

“Going forward, this first class will play an integral

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part in developing the program for years to come,” Thomas said.

The PA Program is currently in the process of becoming Accredited-Provisional by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). This is an accreditation status for new PA programs that have not yet enrolled students but have proved to be prepared to initiate a program.

In March, the program will receive official confirmation about whether they will receive Accreditation-Provisional. This stage will last for about three years, with yearly visits from the accreditation council to help successfully establish the program, Thomas said.

A PA program has been a desire and a necessity in Nevada, but due to lack of funding had never been implemented, Thomas said.

Initially, UNR had an exchange program with the University of Washington that provided PA education to four Nevada students, but as the need for more medical professionals in Nevada grew, so did the need for a local program.

The collaboration between UNR’s medical school and the Office of Statewide Initiatives, funding from the Pennington Foundation and a partnership with Renown has made the program a reality.

The new program has a full-time schedule, with 15 months of classroom education from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday, said Thomas. After the first 15 months, the students will complete clinical rotations at hospitals and clinics around the state.

Since the need for medical providers in Nevada is so high, Thomas said the program gives priority to applicants that live in Nevada. Out of the 727 total applicants, 115 were in-state.

“There’s been tremendous support from the community and the University, and the School of Medicine,” Thomas said. “Everything is [going] really great.”

Emily Fisher can be reached at efisher@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

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PACK N THE EVENTS THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK

By Blake Nelson

COFFEE HOUSE SERIES: LADY CARESS DATE: Tuesday TIME: 6 p.m.

LOCATION: Joe Crowley Student Union, Food Court INFO:If you haven't made

it to any of the Coffee House Series, then you can still make it to the last one. Lady Caress is a spoken-word poet who infuses comedy and beatboxing into her performance. There will be free coffee and muffins for all those who attend.

JONATHAN RICHMAN CONCERT DATE: Thursday TIME: 8 p.m.

LOCATION: The Holland

Project INFO: Jonathan Richman was previously part of The Modern Lovers, a proto-punk band out of Boston. Beyond those chops, Richman has a killer solo repertoire that is truly wonderful. His meandering style is a great reason to see him.

Tickets are $15.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

A Lil Traffic Christmas

Local rapper, Lil Traffic, opens Reno hip-hop to a wider audience with involvement by Holland Project

By Blake Nelson It's been about a year since Lil Traffic started taking music seriously, and he's only grown since.

Lil Traffic's SoundCloud boasts tracks with nearly 100,000 views, something no other rapper in Reno can claim. Following the release of his track, "I wanna be a superhero," Lil Traffic broke into the SoundCloud zeitgeist.

Different producers from around the country and the globe lend themselves to tracks for Lil Traffic, culminating in an eclectic and sometimes hectic sound. Drawing from big artists like Childish Gambino and Denzel Curry, Traffic's sound and flow is textured and quick.

Lil Traffic still likes to keep it local though. Last weekend, Lil Traffic hosted a concert at The Holland Project titled "A Lil Traffic Christmas," which also doubled as a charity event — canned food, clothes and hygiene products were accepted at the door for entrance. The concert drew a considerable crowd and featured other local rappers and DJs, resulting in a large load of items to be donated.

"I'd love for everybody to make it out and $5 isn't really that much, but some people don't have it," Lil Traffic said. "And I think the best way to give back would be by doing some kind of clothing and food drive."

Because of artists like Lil Traffic, DJ Young Milkcrate and Josh Alexander, there has been an emergence of a hip-hop scene in Reno. It's not too strange to find a hip-hop concert with local artists at The Holland Project or at one of the venues around town nowadays.

The emergence of the scene has been steady; crowds grow with every show. When starting out, Traffic had a hard time getting more than 20 people to come to a concert.

"It's just work," Lil Traffic said. "I feel like people don't really understand that you actually have to Blake Nelson/Nevada Sagebrush put in work to get what you want out of it."

Lil Traffic stands outside of Bad Apple Vintage on Monday, Lil Traffic credits part of his success to The Hol- Dec. 5. Lil Traffic moonlights as a shopkeep at Bad Apple.

land Project by allowing him and other hip-hop artists to perform. The venue has played a considerable role in the development of the hip-hop scene in Reno.

"We stepped in last year and it was like testing the waters," Lil Traffic said. "We did the first one in October [of last year] and since then it's been shows and shows and shows. Brigdon [Markward] and everybody there just loved us and became like family."

Since beginning to play shows, Lil Traffic and Daniel Cruz, a fellow rapper, have become part of the Program Committee at Holland, allowing them to have a hand in what kind of concerts are put on

by Holland.

The crowd at "A Lil Traffic Christmas" was large enough to create a party atmosphere that had everyone moving, swaying wildly from people vibing to a full-on mosh pit that enveloped the entire room at one point.

The highlights were the squad songs with almost all the artists involved grabbing mics and getting the crowd hyped.

Lil Traffic also credits Reno itself in his success.

"I don't see a point of leaving Reno," Lil Traffic said. "I could become a fricking billionaire and I'd still love to live in Reno. We have so many nice things and opportunities that people don't really take advantage of, and I've definitely been able to learn what it can do for me."

After this last concert, Lil Traffic will be releasing something at the beginning of next year with Young Milkcrate and Icy Dave. Beyond that he wants to stay consistent and stay up on SoundCloud, release a full album, tour and possibly play a concert at UNR. As for now you can listen to his and various other artists' music on his SoundCloud at soundcloud. com/luvliltraffic Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

POETRY NIGHT WITH JOE @ THE JOE DATE: Friday TIME: 4 p.m.

LOCATION: Joe Crowley

Student Union, Great Room INFO: Joe Crowley returns to his very own student union to read from his book of poetry, "Hats off to the Cap." His poetry is very easy going, contemplative and insightful. Joe will also be selling his book for $15 and will be giving a Q&A after the reading is over with.

ROGUE ART + CRAFT DATE: Saturday TIME: 10 a.m.

LOCATION: The Holland

Project INFO: Each year, artists and crafters from around Reno come together to sell their wares at The Holland Project. This is a perfect way to get all of your holiday shopping done in one place and done locally.

Support your neighbor and your community all at once.

WINTER COMMENCEMENT DATE: Saturday TIME: 8 a.m.

LOCATION: Lawlor Events

Center

INFO: Here it is,

the culmination of several years of work, all celebrated in one commencement. Come watch all the people graduating walk the stage.

The piece of paper doesn't represent the tears spent, but it helps.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@nevadasagebrush. unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

Blake Nelson/Nevada Sagebrush

(Top Left) Lil Traffic takes a break in between songs at The Holland Project on Saturday, Dec. 3. (Bottom Left) DJ Peach Sprite and DJ Young Milkcrate perform their set alongside Lil Traffic and Icy Dave. (Right) Daniel Cruz raps to the audience during the "A Lil Traffic Christmas" concert.

The Weeknd plays it safe with his newest album 'Starboy'

By Joey Thyne The Weeknd came into the spotlight in 2011 when he contributed to Drake’s “Take Care.” The next year, the Canadian singer released three mixtapes — “House of Balloons,” “Thursday” and “Echoes of Silence” — together under the title “Trilogy.”

He was a part of a generation of R&B singers in a post-“808s and Heartbreak” hip-hop landscape, marked by their moody sonics. The Weeknd in particular drew attention for his poignantly druggy and sensual imagery.

In 2015, he sold his soul to the Billboard Hot 100 with “Beauty Behind the Madness,” releasing songs about cocaine that middle schoolers could sing along to.

Cynicism aside, it was a behemoth of a success, and that level of pop songwriting is admirable. It was his “Thriller,” with six separate singles charting. While the album was mostly a departure from his old sound, a few of his darker tones remained like on “The Hills.”

In the past year, his signature falsetto was applied to songs by artists such as Beyoncé, Kanye West and Future.

The Weeknd returned once again on Sept. 21, with his iconic locks chopped off to drop the title track of his upcoming album, “Starboy.” The single got an instant flash pass to radio oversaturation.

The song is the thesis statement of the album and represents what The Weeknd sets out to accomplish: a catchy melody and danceable rhythm at the expense of any substantial storytelling.

This isn’t always a bad thing. While listening, it’s difficult to resist headbobbing. The production sounds clean.

His voice hits all the right notes.

“Sidewalks” is a groovy jam with wailing guitar and a reliably solid verse from Kendrick Lamar. “True Colors” has a laidback, ethereal instrumental.

Daft Punk lends its production on a couple of songs, reminding listeners that the group's trailblazing electro-funk is timeless.

Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd collaborating makes sense: both have garnered prosperity through a pouty mystique. On their song “Stargirl Interlude,” they sing out to one another as star-crossed lovers.

“I Feel It Coming” and “Rockin’” are guaranteed to get overplayed on the radio

within a matter of months until listeners collectively bleed from their ears.

In his early work, he expressed a unique point of view from a hungry artist immersed in a treacherously hedonistic party culture. That has now been replaced by brags of his material gains since blowing up and overly sexualized depictions of women.

This detached misogyny is contrasted by the cliched lyrics in all of the filler ballads. “The distance and the time between us / It’ll never change my mind, 'cause baby / I would die for you” he sings on “Die for You.” “I ask you what your heart desires / My love, my love / You tell me I’m the only one / My love, my love” he sings on “Secrets.” “I’d be nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing without you / Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing” he sings on “Nothing Without You.” At 18 songs and over an hour in length, “Starboy” overstays its welcome. Meandering from the hyper-punk of “False Alarm” to the disco of “A Lonely Night” to the trap of “Party Monster,” it works more as a lopsided playlist.

Ultimately, “Starboy” is even more diluted than “BBTM.” If “BBTM” were

an epic, albeit gluttonous, Thanksgiving feast, then “Starboy” is the insipid mashed potatoes Tupperwared in the fridge days after. Regardless, it has already broken streaming records and will most likely continue to do so.

The Weeknd no longer seems to have his heart in it, more interested in money than artistic gratification. Abel Tesfaye now has the mentality of a businessman — a mogul promoting his brand — and will continue diligently releasing generic and formulated products every year to much avail.

Album Review ‘STARBOY’ Release Date: Nov. 25 Genre: R&B Joey Thyne can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

A&E | A5

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

‘Moana’ refreshes Disney’s output Screenshot courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studio

By Blake Nelson

It’s been quite a few years since I truly appreciated a Disney film. Come to think of it, I can’t really remember a Disney movie (that wasn’t a Pixar film) that really touched me since “The Lion King.”

“Moana” finally broke the Disney dry spell and was a landmark in a few other areas as far as Disney goes.

The best comparison I can make is with “Frozen.” So yes, this will be somewhat of a slam piece against “Frozen” but for good reason. In my opinion, “Frozen” was pretty much everything that is wrong with Disney, with slick packaging and a dash of updated gender roles.

In contrast, it seems that with “Moana” the studio wanted to make a movie in which the main character is actually a woman — better yet, a person. A person in the sense that at no time was there ever an issue of Moana falling into stereotypical gender roles for the sake of the plot or for a joke. Also, Moana doesn’t have a love interest, which may not seem like a big deal, but holy moly, every Disney movie has some kind of a romantic subplot.

The voice actors’ ethnicities are also mostly representative of the characters. Again; may not seem like a big deal, but if you want to see ‘MOANA’ what it looks like when a character’s ethnicity is Release Date: Nov. 24 not represented Genre: Family, animated

Movie Review

by the actor, then you simply have to look at Matt Damon’s next movie, “The Great Wall.” Suffice it to say that it looks terrible.

So now that I got all of the PC-housekeeping stuff out of the way — thanks for sticking around if you have — I can finally get on to how great the movie actually is.

“Moana” hits every note in the hero’s journey pretty nicely. Moana has to leave home, journey to new lands, learn, fight and ultimately grow as a person.

The Polynesian mythology the story is based on helps add flare to the film and is perfect fodder for character development and beautiful animation.

Throughout the movie, you can really feel Moana’s struggle and experience her inner turmoil right along with her. I’m not sure about the rest of the audience, but Moana’s conflict between staying on the island and leaving really resonated with me. The decision on whether or not to stay with your family or follow your desires is one I think many college students can empathize with. Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, really brings the character’s intricacies to life.

As for the mythical demigod Maui, a better actor could not have been chosen for the role than Dwayne Johnson. Johnson embodies this type of character in real life as well as in the movie.

Maui is a boisterous, strong and gifted character who seems to be the biggest thing in almost every scene. Johnson is much like this in interviews and some of the other roles he has played. But beyond the strong exterior, Johnson, much like Maui, is contemplative and smart. Maui is easily one of my favorite Disney characters.

The greatest achievement the film has to offer are the visuals. The animation is so crisp and clean that even if you watched the movie without the sound on the film would still be able to stand on its own merits. A scene underwater was truly breathtaking and hearkened back to “The Little Mermaid.”

Here comes another “Frozen” slam — the songs quality material. I can’t wait to see what the studio in “Moana” blew the songs in “Frozen” out of the comes out with in the coming years. Hopefully it water. “How Far I’ll Go” is a great song with actual stays on par with “Moana,” but by looking at some song parts, not just a chorus played ad nausea. Af- of the projects on the way right now, it seems ter the fifth “Let It Go” I wanted to puke. Johnson Disney will be milking the “Frozen” cow for some also crushes his song, adding yet another skill to time. his ever-growing resume.

This movie finally proved that Disney might just Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush. be able to change with the times while still making unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

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”

@nevadaASUN

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Opinion A6

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

STAFF EDITORIAL

Flickr photo courtesy of Paula Kirman

Protestors congregate in order to protest the Dakota Access pipeline. The building of this pipeline would potentially jeporadize the drinking water of thousands of Native Americans. On Sunday the protestors recieved news that the Pipeline would not be built. this was considered a major victory for the protestors.

Change requires more than just yelling

T

he final months of 2016 have seen waves of protest wash over all corners of the U.S. From anti-Trump demonstrations across the country to the ongoing and increasingly volatile protest at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, the discontent of the masses shows no sign of retreating into obscurity.

Yesterday, journalist and activist Shaun King launched what he’s dubbed “the Injustice Boycott,” which seeks to target cities and companies that support, or turn a blind eye to, police brutality and other forms of social injustice. Now San Francisco, New York and Standing Rock, North Dakota have all found themselves on the bad side of more than 200,000 boycotters.

Though this boycott represents a solid step in the right direction in the fight against institutionalized racism, it may not go far enough.

Change in our institutions, by and large, must come from the institutions themselves.

As a concept, it’s not exciting and it’s

definitely not satisfying to hear. Often those who are affected most by injustice, those who want change the most, feel spurned by the system, and justifiably so. When the system is built to enforce a racially-motivated power structure, and you find yourself at the bottom of that structure, it is counterintuitive to think that the very system that perpetuates oppression will be the source of justice.

But if the goal is to create a more equitable system, pressure alone — say, the kind of pressure created by protest and demonstration — is insufficient.

As an example, let’s look at Occupy Wall Street. For one month in 2011, the “99 percent” had a voice and they would be heard. The massive New York demonstration dominated the news and satellite occupations cropped up around the country. But in the five years since, the Occupy movement has essentially disappeared, and any political clout it may have had at the time has evaporated.

Now, instead of seeing genuine change to a

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Carolers line the streets at during one of Americas most beloved holiday celebrations, Nevada City Victorian Chritmas. The celebration has street performers, goodies and carriage rides.

Local holiday celebrations If you’re like me you’re a sap for the holidays. I mean what’s there not to love. There’s finally an excuse to drink hot chocolate seven days a week, reason to wear your favorite festive fuzzy socks and even though ABC family is now absurdly called “Freeform” they still broadcast a full 25 days of Christmas movies.

And even though the warmth of a cozy home and watching “Elf” for the sixth time sounds appealing and all there are some really great things you shouldn’t miss out on this holiday season happening in and around Reno!

Here are a few fabulously festive holiday events I wouldn’t want you to miss out on:

NEVADA CITY CHRISTMAS The Nevada City Christmas celebration is hailed as one of the best Christmas celebrations in America.

Nevada City is an old gold town, located about a mile north of Sacramento that has an aesthetically pleasing downtown area. It is a Victorian styled celebration.

And this year the natives are encouraging all those who will attend the celebration Ali to dress in Victorian attire Schultz for the full experience. This Christmas celebration is the closest thing to the real life “Christmas Carol.” There are carriage rides, live entertainment, a special appearance from Father Christmas, bag pipers, a living nativity scene and boastful Christmas goodies. This is definitely one of my favorite holiday celebrations because it has the most genuine feeling of Christmas. The downtown area is surrounded by snow capped mountains and many of the buildings are original. The bars are also great hot spots to hit for great spiked hot chocolates! Nevada City Victorian Christmas takes place on Sunday – Dec. 11 & 18 from 1:30 – 6pm and Wednesday – Dec. 14 & 21 from 5 – 9pm.

TRUCKEE’S FESTIVE FRIDAYS

You get down with Truckee Thursdays? What’s not to love? I mean Truckee Thursdays have great food, street merchants and street performers. Now what’s the only thing that can make this better? How about taking the premise of Truckee Thursdays, and spicing it up for the holiday season. For the first three Fridays of the month the Truckee streets are lit up with hundreds of lights and carolers line the

streets. Truckee is a quick escape from Reno that has a real holiday feel. Most of the stores in Truckee offer sweet discounts at their boutiquey stores. This is a great opportunity to snag some Christmas presents for your loved ones.

RENO RIVERWALK HOUSES Listen I get it. Money is tight this holiday season.

If you’re like me and don’t have the money to spare on hot toddies and bougie Truckee boutiques the Riverwalk house drive is more your speed. Story book like houses line the River Walk that would make Snow Whiter herself jealous. Many of these houses put on incredible holiday displays. There are even a few Griswold like households that have light shows synchronized to music. A fun way to spend one of your December nights would be rounding up your close friends and driving down the street to look at the beautiful displays. Talk about a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

SANTA CRAWL AND SANTA DASH Reno is supposedly the “crawl capital” of America.

One of the most anticipated crawls of them all are the Santa Crawl. This is when thousands of Renoites congregate downtown all in Santa costumes literally crawling from bar to bar. For a small fee, the Santa crawlers can get into bars without cover charges and indulge in holiday “adult” beverages. Because everyone knows the best way to spread Christmas cheer is falling on your ass after drinking too much holiday beer. Something like that right? If the crazy crawl crowds aren’t your thing, the Santa Dash is an awesome local Reno event. On Dec. 17 participants are encouraged to come in Christmas costumes and take part in the fun run course located throughout downtown Reno. Running isn’t really my forte. But free cookies and Christmas caroling is and the Santa Dash has both of those things.

The holiday season really is the most wonderful time of the year. Luckily for locals there are some really awesome events in our area. Whether you spend your holiday taking a little road trip to Nevada City or just go to The Greater Nevada Field for some ice skating, round up your friends and do something festive. Before you know it the holiday season will be over and you’ll soon be looking for an excuse to spike your hot chocolate.

Ali Schultz studies journalism. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.

Wall Street system that is arguably as flawed as it was eight years ago, we have those who look back at Occupy and laugh. And it’s not just those on the left either. The right has had a field day with the protests seen over the last five years, and while the criticism it levels is often more concerned with mockery than debate and dialogue, it’s increasingly a criticism that resonates with middle America.

First, we must recognize that protest is valuable. It is arguably one of the most valuable and accessible ways in which citizens can voice their concerns and begin to effect change in their society. But it’s also just the beginning.

If there is no action, no result of these protests, then there it becomes little more than yelling.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ‘60s is a perfect illustration of the necessary marriage of protest and conventional legislative change. The protests orchestrated by Martin Luther King Jr., served to bring attention to the cause, to generate media attention and sympathy from viewers. But the strategy

did not stop there. At the end of the day, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were social changes that were enacted through legislation, within the governmental and judicial systems that needed to be altered.

If you want to see a change in society, take steps to make that change happen. Take to the streets and join protests that are meaningful to you. But don’t stop there. Going to a protest and Instagramming your angrily-worded sign is not, when all is said and done, going to accomplish anything. Protest is nothing without results to show for it. True change takes work, dedication and organization.

Please, join the Injustice Boycott, but stick to it. Get involved in the efforts of local grassroots organizations like PLAN. Whatever you do, just do something.

To quote Joe Hill: “Don’t mourn, organize.”

The editorial board can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

How losing a loved one can affect the holidays “If only there was a way to know you are in the good old days before you have actually left them.”

A

s much joy as this time of the year brings, there is also a hint of sadness. I think it begins around Thanksgiving for me, it is when I start to feel the tiniest bit of nostalgia as I roll into the driveway of my childhood home. I remember a time when that driveway was overflowing with people walking up the stairs, my entire extended family would be inside waiting with open arms and stories to tell.

In the entire Marina 20 years of Drab my existence I have heard of all the good times involving those who have passed on. There were people in my family that made such a difference in the ways that I was raised, and I never even met them. So around the holidays it becomes evident that I missed out on something extraordinary.

I took solace in knowing that I had never felt the weight of losing somebody so dear to me.

I was too young to know what that felt like, and never in my life did I imagine myself in all of their shoes.

Seven months ago I lost a family friend that I thought would be in my life forever. It was unexpected, devastating, and beyond anything I could have imagined. His sudden passing struck a different kind of chord inside of me.

For the first time in my entire life, he would not be in my home on Thanksgiving, or passing presents on Christmas Day. These revelations made me reflect back on all of the years we did get to spend together.

I thought about the 18 years of holiday cheer we were able to spread together. I thought about the years he would bring his guitar to any Christmas function we attended, ready to break out into “Santa Claus Is Coming To

Town” on a moment’s notice. I think about the nativity plays we performed in at church every year with our friends. I think about singing in the midnight mass at our church those same nights. I think about everything.

I think about how I will never get to live those moments with him again.

And only now have a realized the pain that I watched my extended family go through every Thanksgiving.

Even with all this heartache, in death there is life.

I have learned from losing a loved one that now more than ever it is important to share your time with ones that matter most. I take those moments that I hold so dear and I have to burn them into my mind for the rest of my life. It will never be the same again, and as hard as that is to come to terms with, it is a fact I must accept.

The holidays bring out a deeper more caring side of humanity. It brings to the surface who and what is important in this crazy thing we call life.

This being the first year that I will be missing somebody, I think it is important to make as many wonderful memories as possible.

Because life is too short to be anything but happy. As cliche as that may sound, it is true.

Far too often people are rushing through life worrying about school or money or work.

Whatever it may be, put it aside this holiday season. I urge you to spend time with loved ones, because you never know when consistency becomes a memory.

“The holidays bring out a deeper, more caring side of humanity.”

Marina Drab studies journalism. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

Court Report TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

SPORTS | A7

Sweet Caroline Nevada forward propels Pack to first place in MWC

LOOKING BACK

By Jack Rieger As of Monday, Dec. 5, Nevada stands alone atop the Mountain West Conference thanks to an undefeated week against Pacific and Bradley.

Nevada hosted Pacific on Tuesday, Nov. 29, in front of 6,920 fans in Lawlor Events Center. The game was closely contested until about halfway through the second half when Nevada went on a 19-2 run to give the Wolf Pack a 65-52 lead with 5:30 remaining. The flurry started with three straight free throws and a Cameron Oliver 3-pointer.

Before the late run, the teams had been tied five different times and had six lead changes.

Nevada was led by Cameron Oliver, who scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting including three 3-pointers.

Marcus Marshall — a transfer point guard having a terrific season — added 17 points, nine of which came from the charity strike. D.J. Fenner contributed 11 points off the bench, and Lindsey Drew had his usual wellrounded game, adding nine points, five rebounds and two blocks.

Nevada won 77-67 against Pacific — a team that took the Wolf Pack to overtime last year.

Nevada traveled to Peoria, Illinois, to take on Bradley in front of 5,384 fans on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Nevada, who was favored by just 6.5 points, ended up winning by 22 thanks to a stellar offensive performance by some unexpected players.

Nevada established a 12-2 lead four minutes into the game and never looked back.

Lindsey Drew played perhaps his best game of his career, collecting 14 rebounds and eight assists and scoring 11 points. Jordan Caroline scored 23 points on just nine shots, and D.J. Fenner added 21 points on nine shots off the bench.

Nevada shot 47.8 percent from the 3-point line.

LOOKING AheaD Nevada will have a week off between games before taking on one of the toughest opponents of the season, the Washington Huskies.

Washington has had a disappointing start to the season thanks to losses to Yale and TCU. The Huskies have the 13th-best offense in basketball, averaging 88 points per game.

Conversely, Washington also gives up 80 points per game, ranked 306th in the nation.

The Huskies are led by freshman guard Markelle Fultz, who averages 22.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game at a 54 percent clip. Fultz has made an astounding 77 percent of his shots inside the arc and 50 percent of his 3-point attempts. Fultz will probably be guarded

by Nevada’s best defensive guard, Lindsey Drew.

Washington will play at eighth-ranked Gonzaga Wednesday, Dec. 7, four days before playing Nevada. Washington’s campus is located in Seattle just off the North Sound.

Following Washington,

the Wolf Pack will host the University of California Irvine Anteaters on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. The Anteaters are currently tied for first with UC Davis, Cal Poly and Hawaii in the Big West Conference at 4-4.

UC Irvine holds opponents to just 63 points per game — 42nd best in the country, but the Anteaters score just 61.3 points per game.

The Anteaters are led offensively by 5’10” senior guard Jaron Martin, who averages 13.8 points, four rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Martin will most likely be guarded by Lindsey Drew or Marcus Marshall while on the court. Senior center Ioannis Dimakopoulos scores 11.4 points per game along with 3.8 rebounds.

UC Irvine has been to just one NCAA tournament in the program’s history.

Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@sagebrush.unr. edu and on Twitter @ Jackrieger.

Photo by Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada forward Jordan Caroline (24) eviscerates the rim as he posterizes two Pacific players in Nevada’s game at Lawlor Events Center on Thursday, Nov. 29. Caroline was named Mountain West Player of the Week, after Nevada’s shellacking of Bradley and 10-point win over Pacific this past week.

Sports TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

SPORTS | A8

Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada running back James Butler (center) thrusts his hand into the night sky in celebration after he scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime over Cal Poly on Sept. 2 at Mackay Stadium. Nevada football is currently in the midst of a coaching search.

Expectations must be realistic moving forward

The search for Nevada’s next head football coach has officially been underway for over a week (and unofficially for a little under a month) and reports say a decision should be made no later than this Friday.

And just like any other coaching search, there is the habitual hope trafficking that comes with it.

With a new coach comes a sense of excitement inside the fan base, and for good reason.

Fans can let their imaginations run wild in thinking they’ll Neil Patrick secure the next young up-andHealy coming coach. A lot of Nevada fans thought former head coach Brian Polian was going to be that guy (there was an attendance bump of about 1,500 fans per game during Polian’s first season), but certainly this coach will be different. Surely this coach will lead the program to the Promised Land of milk, honey and big bowl game payouts, right? Well, it depends on what you think the Promised Land is.

One of the keys to happiness is to have realistic expectations, and the same can be said for Wolf Pack football. If Nevada fans think that the next coach will turn Nevada into Boise State overnight then they’ll forever chase that dream. Boise has been building up to what it is now for almost 20 years, so thinking Nevada will make the jump to that level with just one hire is ridiculous. The university and the surrounding community have to do some self-reflection and ask some tough questions. Just how committed are the powers that be to football’s success?

Polian spoke with the Reno Gazette-Journal last week after he and the university “mutually parted ways” and had some thoughts on Nevada’s biggest problems such as funding and overall support.

“At some point, the university has to decide, ‘What do we want to be?’” Polian said. “We’re going to have to invest. To bank on hoping for miracles is difficult.

People might not want to hear it, but I think the case can be made that we outperformed how we were supported. If things stay status quo, there’s a disconnect [between expectations and reality]. There are times when I tried to educate people and articulate that thought, but in the end there’s not much you can do.”

Now after northern Nevada is done rolling its eyes at the imagery of Polian painstakingly trying to “educate people and articulate” the budget problems to the peasants, the fan base should actually take some of his words into account. The support, financial and otherwise, just isn’t where it needs to be.

If the university is truly adamant about making Nevada into a viable mid-major football program then it has some work to do. The first thing to do is to remove some of the obstacles it has put in its own way.

First, Nevada is painfully underfunded. I know Nevada fans are tired of hearing about this by now, but the problem isn’t going away. Nevada’s football budget of $7.02 million is over $3 million below the average Mountain West program’s budget ($10.04 million) and nearly $9 million behind the top school.

Money does not guarantee success (UNLV receives the fourth-most in the conference in revenue from fan support and is still awful), but it is a major inhibitor to

sustained success. Athletics Director Doug Knuth can put on his best suit, wine and dine candidates at La Strada and sell all the positives qualities the program has, but any coach who’s getting other offers will look at the annual salary and will quote Ray Liotta from Goodfellas: “f*** you, pay me.”

Second, Nevada’s fans need to be less fair weather. Attendance for Nevada games is mediocre at best and abysmal at worst. This season Nevada ranked No. 10 in the conference in attendance, which included the lowest attended game at Mackay Stadium since 2011 when only 13,390 fans braved the cold and sat through Nevada’s final home game against Utah State.

Naturally, people will cite the team’s poor performance over the last couple years as the reason for poor turnout, but that just isn’t true either. When former Nevada great Colin Kaepernick was running the show, attendance only averaged 18,302 fans per game, or a mere 61 percent stadium capacity.

The typical Nevada season has so-so attendance throughout the season and will sellout for UNLV for Boise. The opening weekend is always a disappointment, attendance-wise, because of the first day of chukar season (trust me, that’s a legit reason), Memorial Day festivities, high school football games, the game being at night or any other excuse that fans can come up with. Major college sports are an arms race, so if Nevada fans want their team to be viable then they’ll have to stop being so fickle.

Finally, there are the academic requirements.

Nevada has sneakily become a school that has more challenging academic standards than most schools in the conference. In fact, Nevada has the second-highest academic standards in the Mountain West, trailing only Air Force. MW schools have almost the same academic requirements to be admitted, but can accept athletes and other students into the school even if they don’t meet the school’s standards under special admittance rules. Many school use these rules to admit players who wouldn’t be admitted otherwise, but Nevada doesn’t.

Give Nevada credit for taking the high road and having higher expectations for their athletes in the classroom, but that is a hurdle that will make being a competitive football team even more difficult than it already is. When your standards only trail a military academy you’re going to struggle to get players to qualify. Add in the lack of school funding and fan support and you’re pinning a lot of your hopes into your coach being the next Urban Meyer.

The administration needs to make some hard choices from this point on. A new coach isn’t going to rectify these problems. Funding will always be an issue, but where would President Marc Johnson get that extra money? Inevitably, the financial burden would fall on the shoulders of the students, who already pay a gross amount to go to college. As a student, I can see why other students don’t want their fees to be higher than they already are. Our tuition already goes to new buildings and gyms while it’s still a pain to find a parking spot, so a tuition hike would only piss off the student body, many of whom are at Nevada simply because it’s much cheaper than other options.

Sure, Knuth can find a gem who will overcome Then after a while your coach leaves to go after a bigthose obstacles, but that’s not how you build a ger job and you look for the next young guy. sustainable foundation for a program. Boise has Nevada football’s next coach will be named somereplaced three coaches who left for bigger jobs over time this week and the list of candidates is promising. the past 20-something years and that program is the He’ll do the usual routine of talking up the fan base premier mid-major program. Until Nevada can lay and making promises about winning games and down a foundation, the fans need to come to grips being exciting while fans and supporters will talk with what their program is and what a realistic goal is themselves into believing the hype during spring ball for whoever takes over as the Wolf Pack’s next coach. and the offseason. Season ticket sales will go up and Despite problems with money and other internal the athletic department will be reaping the benefits of factors, Nevada is still a decent job for a coach who the hope trafficking it’s running, but I call for Nevada wants to build up their resume and eventually get a fans to be honest with themselves. bigger job, otherwise called a “trampoline program.”

If expectations are where they should be, the new With the program being a short car/plane ride from coach will more than likely live up to them and maybe Las Vegas, L.A., the Bay Area and Sacramento and even exceed them. Have realistic expectations about having a tradition of being a program that has fun, what the program could be. If you do, then you won’t electric offenses, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility be disappointed. to win seven-to-eight games a year and building to that legitimate contender every four or five years. It’s Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at neil@sagenot out of the question to have that be your program. brush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.

Caroline shines in win over Bradley

By Javier Hernandez It was a wire-to-wire victory last night for the Nevada Basketball team after routing the Bradley Braves (4-4, 0-0 MVC) 91-69. The Wolf Pack (7-2, 0-0 MWC) never trailed in the game and held the Braves to 26 points, tied for the lowest an opponent has scored in the first half. In addition, the Wolf Pack’s 91 points ties its season-high in scoring.

The Wolf Pack started the game firing on all cylinders en route to an early 12-2 run to force the Braves to shed an early timeout. Jordan Caroline, the Champaign Illinois native who had 36 of his family and

friends in attendance for the had an efficient game, scoring game, sparked the early run by 21 points (on 7-of-9 shooting). scoring five of Nevada’s first 12 His five 3-pointers are a career points and also had an assist high in 3-point field goals for and a steal in the early goings. him. Lindsey Drew once again Caroline eventually finished flirted with a triple-double, the game with a career-high 23 falling two assists short. He points (on 6-of-9 shooting) and finished with 11 points, 14 added five rebounds and four rebounds, and 8 assists. Marassists. cus Marshall rounded out the For the game, the Wolf Pack double-digit scorers with his 12 shot 55.6 percent from the field points (on 4-of-7 shooting). while also shooting 47.8 percent The Wolf Pack will head from beyond the arc. home and have a week off to Nevada saw five players score prepare for its next matchup on in double figures for the second December 11 against PAC-12 time this season. Like Caroline, opponent, Washington.

Leland King set a career-high in points scoring 12 points (on Javier Hernandez can be reached 5-of-11 shooting) and he also at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on had four rebounds. D.J. Fenner Twitter @SagebrushSports.

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