December 13, 2016

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

VOLUME 123, ISSUE 16

NEWS in REVIEW

By Madeline Purdue

INTERNATIONAL WORLD’S HEAVIEST WOMAN CLOSE TO DEATH

An Egyptian woman believed to be the world’s heaviest woman, weighing 1,102 pounds, is fighting for her life.

Eman Ahmed, 36, suffered a stroke in 2014, impairing her speech and mobility. Her sister set up a social media campaign to fly Ahmed to India to see a surgeon who will help save her life.

Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala plans to operate on Ahmed several times to reduce her weight to 220 pounds over the course of at least three years. He’s helped the social media campaign go global.

“She is battling with her life every single day,” Dr. Lakdawala told CNN. “Right now she is like a living bombshell, which could blow up on her any moment.”

According to Ahmed’s family, she gained 500 pounds after suffering from her stroke.

She hasn’t left her house in over 20 years because of her lack of mobility. No one knows how long she has to live.

NATIONAL BOY DIES IN SANTA’S ARMS

A terminally ill 5-year-old boy died in the arms of Santa Claus in Nashville,Tennessee, as reported by USA Today on Monday, Dec. 12.

The boy asked to see Santa as his last wish before he died.

A nurse, realizing he was close to death, called Eric Schmitt-Matzen, also known as Santa Claus. He came to visit the boy 15 minutes later.

Before he went to into the boy’s room, he told the boy’s family and hospital staff that if they were going to cry to not be in the room because he would lose it and not be able to do his job.

The boy asked SchmittMatzen, “How can I tell when I get to where I’m going?”

“When you get there, you tell ‘em you’re Santa’s number-one elf, and I know they’ll let you in,” Schmitt-Matzen said. The boy hugged him and died in his arms.

Schmitt-Matzen told the Knoxville News Sentinel that he was devastated and bawled at the nursing station after the boy died.

LOCAL SEARCH ENDS FOR TAHOE SKIER AFTER AVALANCHE

A 64-year-old skier was caught in an avalanche while skiing in a closed section at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe Saturday, Dec. 10. His body was found by rescue crews on Jackpot Chute the following day.

The skier was reported to be swept away by the avalanche by his friend who was skiing with him. He states they did not have rescue gear on them.

The rescue efforts were called off on Saturday around 2 p.m. for safety concerns, according to Bob Harmon, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, as reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Rescue workers continued the search on Sunday morning. The skier’s body was found around 1 p.m. under 10 feet of snow. Rescue dogs narrowed the search area, but the body was found by rescue crews using a probe.

Sierra Avalanche Center’s website said avalanche danger was considerable on Saturday in the Mt. Rose area, and 16 inches of snow accumulated in Tahoe.

Mt. Rose Highway was closed on Sunday for crews to trigger avalanches in order to increase safety by decreasing the chance of people being caught in natural avalanches.

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

2K16 IN THE REARVIEW

Photo Illustration by Nicole Skarlatos

End of semester finals cause students to turn to ‘study drugs’ to enhance study ability, exam performance

By Rachel Spacek With finals just around the corner, students at the University of Nevada, Reno, are preparing to do whatever it takes to ensure a passing grade on their exams. Some may choose the classic study tactic of re-reading lecture notes and creating intensive study guides while some others will choose to use “study drugs” in order to be hyper-focused and cram for the exam the night before.

“It is crazy how many people are on Adderall late at night in the [Knowledge Center] during finals week. It

seems like everyone is using it, and if they’re not, they’re looking for it,” said Ryan S., a UNR student who asked to remain anonymous.

“Adderall is a prescription drug and medical doctors use it to treat ADD, ADHD and other conditions,” said Dr. Julie Hogan, a professor of substance abuse prevention at UNR. “For students receiving this drug from a prescribing physician, use is safe and encouraged. For students using it without a prescription, this is considered an illegal use of a legal drug and should not be encouraged under any circumstance. Some

students falsely believe that taking study drugs will help them study the night before an exam, so they take the drug, stay up all night, and cram.”

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a chronic condition that includes attention difficulty, impulsivness and hyperactivity.

ADHD often begins in childhood and persists into adulthood. ADHD has been known to cause low self-esteem and difficulty at school and work.

ADHD is treated with medication and therapy.

Adderall is a stimulant prescription drug, identified loosely as a “study

drug.” Adderall contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that cause hyperactivity and impulse control.

As a prescription drug, Adderall is used to treat ADD and narcolepsy.

Side effects of Adderall include anxiety and weight loss, among others.

“Honestly, I really hate taking Adderall. I only take it because I feel that I’m stupid without it. It honestly

See ADDERALL page A2

Previously homeless Pres. Johnson contemplates student set to graduate sanctuary campus petition

By Rachel Spacek From escaping an inhospitable home environment to sleeping on a hotel-room floor with eight other people, Corey McDowell will finally be receiving her master’s degree in social work from the University of Nevada, Reno, this spring.

At the age of 17, McDowell found herself kicked out of her home in Reno as it was overcome by hostility due to a mental illness in her family.

McDowell was homeless throughout her last year in high school and graduated while she was still homeless. She then obtained a stable housing situation, but once she started at UNR, she found herself without a home again.

“Altogether I was probably homeless for a year and a half, and school was probably the one stable thing in my life, and lucky for me I had a lot of mentors and people that were there for me and people who really helped me through the education system, so I was grateful for that,” McDowell said.

During her first year at UNR, McDowell dropped out but stayed on campus doing grant work. McDowell said it was nice to have the

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structure of school, so she went to Truckee Meadows Community College and got her associate’s degree.

After receiving her AA, she decided to give UNR another shot for her master’s degree.

“Being homeless while in school, you have to have a drive that a lot of times your parents give you like to wake up on time, do your homework, go to sleep on time, stuff like that,” McDowell said. “You have to do that on your own, and of course I was a teenager and I was finally free, so a lot of the things that people do to prepare themselves kind of fell to the wayside, and I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to find showers and food, so it was more about my basic needs than the reading that the professor assigned. It was an interesting dichotomy.”

McDowell said she was lucky she got good grades throughout her schooling because she received scholarships and grants to pay for school and some of her living expenses. There are not many scholarship opportunities given to homeless students, so McDowell relied strictly

See HOMELESS page A3

SURVIVING FINALS

By Racel Spacek Despite pressure from several student groups and faculty members, President Marc Johnson remains hesitant to declare the university a sanctuary campus. Last week, Johnson signed a petition to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program; however, he has not followed the lead of other college presidents across the United States and declared the campus a sanctuary campus.

Over 28 colleges and universities throughout the United States have put out statements saying they will not enforce federal immigration laws or consent to immigration enforcement activities or share confidential student information such as immigration status with the federal government unless required by court order.

Among these sanctuary campuses are Portland State University; Reed College in Portland, Oregon; Wesleyan University in Middleton, Connecticut; Pitzer College in Claremont, California; the University of Pennsylvania; Connecticut College; Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Columbia University in New York City and all 23 California State University

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campuses.

Several other universities, including Washington State University and Princeton University, have affirmed their commitment to protecting undocumented students by promising to support DACA, like Johnson, but have not officially declared themselves sanctuaries.

DACA students are undocumented students who came to the U.S. before they turned 16. Under the program, these students are given permission to attend school in the U.S. and are given a work permit and a Social Security number.

Officials in Texas and Georgia have threatened to cut funding to schools that designate themselves as sanctuary campuses, said a Fusion news report.

These threats are reflective of the threats made by President-elect Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. During the campaign, Trump said he would defund sanctuary cities in his “first 100 days” in office.

Sanctuary cities are cities dedicated to protecting undocumented immigrants.

Some sanctuary cities include Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

NEVADA’S NEW COACH

See DACA page A2

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A2 | NEWS

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makes me depressed,â&#x20AC;? said a UNR student who was diagnosed with ADHD around the age of 9. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact that people think they need it to finish a 20-minute project makes me feel even worse about my condition.â&#x20AC;?

A study of over 10,000 college students across the United States by the National Center for Health Research found that over half the surveyed students with Adderall or other â&#x20AC;&#x153;study drugâ&#x20AC;? prescriptions were asked to sell the medication to fellow college students.

The students at UNR who will not be relying on Adderall or any other â&#x20AC;&#x153;study drugâ&#x20AC;? this semester to study for big exams may be at a disadvantage compared to those who do. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I [think using Adderall] is 100 percent cheating, except for me because I need it,â&#x20AC;? said the UNR student with diagnosed ADHD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a performance enhancer.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like an athlete taking steroids.

Some people need steroids [for] growth problems; others cheat for personal gain.â&#x20AC;?

This studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of how the drug creates an unequal playing field when it comes to taking exams is contrary to Dr. Hoganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view. She believes that unless a student has a valid prescription for

Adderall, it does not help students to prepare for an exam any better than a student who was not taking the drug.

According to Stacy Burton, UNR vice provost of faculty affairs, the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academic Standards Policy does not specifically prohibit the use of Adderall, but the Student Code of Conduct does.

The code of conduct prohibits the â&#x20AC;&#x153;use or possession of any illegal and/or unauthorized drugs, prescription drugs, and drug paraphernalia including for medical purposes . . . except as expressly permitted by law.â&#x20AC;?

However, the university does not see the use of Adderall for test-taking purposes as an example of academic dishonesty.

Aside from the drugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s controversy as a performance enhancer, Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning there is a high risk for addiction and abuse. Adderall contains amphetamine and, according to the Food and Drug Administration, amphetamines have a high potential for abuse. The administration also said the use of amphetamines for long periods of time may lead to drug dependence and should be avoided. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Admittedly, I am an occasional user of Adderall, but just for exams so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not addictive,â&#x20AC;? Ryan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have a ton of friends who use it and who sell it; they are usually people who were actually diagnosed with ADHD and just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need all the pills they get, so they sell

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

them to make extra money.â&#x20AC;?

The study by the National Center for Health Research also found that over three quarters of prescription stimulant abusers use the drug for academic purposes. Some identified purposes were to help them stay awake, focus and to study for an important exam. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Studies indicate that using Adderall as a study drug, cramming for an exam

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UNR Student all night and sleep deprivation do not help students succeed on exams,â&#x20AC;? Hogan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What does help is keeping up with the reading material, attending class, engaging in class discussions and study groups, and taking and studying class notes.â&#x20AC;?

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

University introduces new Wi-Fi network

jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu bsteelman@unr.edu

2>=CA81DC8=6 BC0554AB Joey Thyne

38B2;08<4A 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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The University of Nevada, Reno, is introducing a new Wi-Fi network for students, faculty and staff on Wednesday, Dec. 28. After that, UNR-WPA will no longer be available.

The new network is called eduroam.

UNR is making the switch because it is better for mobility and more secure in a simple format, according to Tina Hill, associate director of User Services at UNR. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a system we began offering to our faculty and visiting scholars in fall 2015 that has been very successful and well-received,â&#x20AC;? Hill said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re continuing to simplify our network environment; having one less wireless network in our environment reduces traffic and congestion and improves performance for everyone.â&#x20AC;?

Eduroam is a global Wi-Fi network for academic institutions. Students who use it can log on using their UNR Net ID at any institution that uses eduroam. Universities that use this Wi-Fi network include the California state schools, UC schools, Stanford University, University of Washington and other schools across the country.

This will make it easier for clubs, organizations, sports teams and researchers that travel from UNR to other universities.

UNR-WPA will disappear from the list of wireless networks available on campus on Wednesday, Dec. 28. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To prevent delays in wireless access, people should switch to eduroam now,â&#x20AC;? Hill said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People coming back after Dec. 28 will not be able to connect to UNR-WPA, so theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to remove/forget that wireless connection on their mobile device and connect to eduroam.â&#x20AC;?

Students at UNR are looking forward to the new Wi-Fi network and the extra things it offers that UNRWPA does not. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am excited to start using the new Wi-Fi and even more excited that I can easily access Wi-Fi when I go visit my friends at other schools,â&#x20AC;? said UNR student Jean-Yves Diei.

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

A professor from the University of Nevada, Reno, was elected as a 2016 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow this semester.

Dr. Jeffrey Harper of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology was elected to the AAAS for his distinguished efforts to advance science and its applications in October. He was one of 392 professors across the globe elected into the AAAS this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel honored, humbled and lucky,â&#x20AC;?

Harper said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now that I am a Fellow, I have the privilege of nominating others. As I think about utilizing that privilege, I plan to nominate people who have worked with a passion to make fundamental scientific discoveries and have inspired others to do the same. I hope that the people who nominated me had the same perspective.â&#x20AC;?

This is not Harperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first award in his career. He was awarded Researcher of the Year within his department in 2009 and Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biology in 2013.

Harper began working at UNR in 2004 as an associate professor and

worked his way to becoming a full professor of molecular biosciences in 2008. He now mentors undergraduate and graduate students in labs. He has helped publish over 100 works since. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This honorary recognition reflects well not only on Jeff Harper as an individual scientist but on his department, the college and indeed the university,â&#x20AC;? dean and professor of the College of Agriculture William Payne said in a press release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very proud of Jeff.â&#x20AC;?

Harper earned his doctorate in cell and integrative biology from Washington University, St. Louis in 1985. His current interests are in plant biology, calcium signal transduction, pollen, and temperature and drought stress.

He is researching how a plant can use as few as 28,000 genes to develop and survive under extreme environmental conditions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My proudest moments are yet to come,â&#x20AC;? Harper said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am currently most proud of the discoveries that I am working on right now and will be published in the next couple of years. I think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m most proud of the continuing journey and the personal satisfaction I

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PUBLIC COMMENT JOHNSON PROTECTS DACA The University of Nevada, Reno, President Marc Johnson spoke to the group of senators in Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Associated Students of the University of Nevada senate meeting about protecting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Johnson announced that he signed a petition this week to protect DACA students who attend the university.

DACA students are undocumented immigrants who came to the United States before they turned 16. Under the program, these students are given a work permit, Social Security number and the ability to attend school.

President-elect Donald Trump threatened to abolish the program during his presidential campaign. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I, along with 500 other presidents of colleges and universities, signed a petition to support the continuation of the policy of DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said.

ASUN ATTORNEY GENERAL RESIGNS

Rachel Spacek/Nevada Sagebrush

The Latinx Student Advisory Board at the University of Nevada, Reno holds a silent demonstration to protest for making UNR a sanctuary campus on Thursday, Dec. 8 in the quad. During the demonstration, President Marc Johnson agreed to have a meeting with LSAB.

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Nevada officials have not threatened to cut funding to UNR, but several students and alumni have expressed a negative reaction to the idea of the university becoming a sanctuary campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that the bigger it gets, the more of a negative reaction weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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,â&#x20AC;? said Jeffrey Dominguez, president of LSAB. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, this is a public university, what are you doing?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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 peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minds about and introduce that topic into their heads so we can learn from each other.â&#x20AC;?

The Latinx Student Advisory Board has been putting pressure on university officials to declare UNR a sanctuary campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all know someone who is undocumented, and we feel that it is an injustice to try to say that students shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be allowed to pursue an education, especially if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been here for so long, and it is unimaginable for our community and it is unjust,â&#x20AC;? Dominguez said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the very basis, we know students, faculty and staff that will all be affected by his [Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 stands with those who pay tuition and those who are part of the community and the system of higher education.â&#x20AC;?

LSAB led a silent demonstration Thursday, Dec. 8, to call on the university to declare it a sanctuary campus. During the demonstration, the marchers dropped off a petition with over 1,000 signatures to make the university a sanctuary campus.

The petition states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As students of a university that serves many of the groups who were targeted and denigrated during the president-electâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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.â&#x20AC;?

During the petition drop-off segment of the silent demonstration, Johnson met with some marchers and agreed to hold a meeting with LSAB this week to discuss the sanctuary campus option.

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

Professorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work earns recognition

By Madeline Purdue

DEC. 7

RESIGNATION

By Madeline Purdue

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get from working with others to create new knowledge.â&#x20AC;?

He is part of a group of UNR professors trying to set up a dryland agriculture center. Dryland agricultural systems are resilient to climate change and maintain or enhance the environment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My work is more than a job- itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity,â&#x20AC;? Harper said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am fortunate to be part of a stimulating group of plant scientists who come to work every day with a goal of making fundamental scientific discoveries and helping students learn about biochemistry.

I have been given the opportunity to create and teach new knowledge, and I am thankful for that every day.â&#x20AC;?

Harper joins several other professors at UNR to be elected into the AAAS. He will be honored Saturday, Feb. 18, at the AAAS Fellows Forum in Boston.

AAAS is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

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

The senate meeting continued as Speaker Noah Teixeira read the resignation of Attorney General Dylan Tedford. Tedford graduated this semester but said he would not hesitate to help President Brandon Boone in his search for another attorney general and would give his input wherever it is needed.

LEGISLATION SENATE AMENDS CLUB SUPPORT FUNDING POLICIES The senate again heard an act to amend the Club Support Funding Policies Manual, after discussing the resolution in depth in a senate meeting a few weeks ago.

The resolution says it may be seen as a conflict of interest to allow ASUN-elected or appointed officials to represent clubs and organizations in club funding meetings. The resolution would deny any ASUN elected official from representing their club or organization in any club funding meetings. The resolution also states if the ASUN president and treasurer are unable to attend the Club Support Funding Hearing, they must submit to a member of the commission a written notification before the end of the meeting or hearing.

The notification must include who the member is and who is acting in their position.

Discussion of the resolution was minimal because Teixeira told the senators to refrain from bringing up any discussion unless it was a new question or issue that the senate had not heard in the prior meeting. The resolution passed by one vote.

SENATE FORMALLY SUPPORTS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON USâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Next the senate a resolution in support of the Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Us campaign. Chief of Staff Sebastian Atienza and Sen. Carissa Bradley of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources have been organizing support and events for the Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Us campaign, but it is a formal resolution to support the campaign. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Us is a national sexual assault prevention campaign that has been endorsed by President Barack Obama and has been utilized by several institutions across the U.S. Before the vote, Bradley moved to amend some of the wording in the resolution as well as add the citations of the sources she used to write the legislation. The resolution passed with unanimous support.

Photo Courtesy of Mike Wolterbeek

Dr. JeďŹ&#x20AC;rey Harper, professor of molecular biosciences, poses for a picture. Harper joins several University of Nevada, Reno, professors in being elected into the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

NEWS | A3

Photo courtsey of Our Town Reno

Corey McDowell, a University of Nevada, Reno, student perfoms street art in downtown Reno for an Our Town Reno documentary called “Invisible Girl.” McDowell said while she was homeless, she got support from the downtown Reno homeless community, who helped quiz her for upcoming quizzes and exams.

Homeless Continued from page A1

on her grades.

“Our prices here are exorbitant; tuition is ridiculous and the federal funding for student aid just now became inclusive of homeless youth,” McDowell said. “Before it was determined by your parents unless you had a child, had been in military ... there was just a few criteria even though I wasn’t able to talk to my family.”

McDowell is graduating next spring with a master’s degree in social work, a major she did not intend on pursuing until the university got rid of its four-year degree in logistics, the degree she had planned on obtaining. McDowell was volunteering at the Children’s Cabinet, an organization dedicated to address the needs of youth and families, when she met a child who told her, “Man, I wish you were my social worker.” McDowell thought, “Well, I could be.”

Not until after McDowell took several classes and participated in the volunteer activities necessary for the social work program did she realize she could have been identified as a homeless youth.

“I didn’t identify as [homeless], which most people don’t, especially if they are younger,” McDowell said. “They are just runaways or they’re just kids hanging out, partying, doing whatever they do. You don’t identify as

that even though it is true. I was sleeping in abandoned buildings, or sometimes I didn’t have any place to sleep at night, so sometimes I would ride the bus all night and sleep in the park during the day, or I was staying in weekly motels or couch-hopping or staying with other friends who were also homeless and young, and we would all go donate plasma to get enough money to get a weekly motel. There would be like eight of us living in literally one room — not a living room with a room ... just a single room. That’s just the way that it was.”

After McDowell found out she had qualified as a homeless youth, she began to focus on that area of the field and used her unique experience to see the logistical side of homelessness.

McDowell has also focused on the homeless situation in Reno, a place where she said it is almost illegal to be homeless because of all the laws against loitering, sitting on the sidewalk and camping. She said the Reno Police Department does a lot to keep homeless people from congregating in places within the city and the way the city has addressed homelessness is certainly not the best way to address the issue.

“We also have a penalizing system for youth who are underage and homeless and that don’t have a family,” McDowell said. “In my situation, I would have been considered ‘a child in need of supervision,’ which is a status offense.

They can’t put you in jail for it, but when I was homeless, they could if you were a runaway

Joining the sagebrush is just one click away.

— you could go to jail — now they just take you back to the home that you were leaving.

Ninety percent of children who run away [do so] because there is some form of violence or abuse or addiction going on in the home, so just putting them right back into the situation doesn’t seem like the best, but it is designed to get kids off the street so that they do have supervision and someone looking out for them.”

McDowell said in some places in the U.S., they are developing a homeless bill of rights.

The homeless bill of rights protects the civil and human rights of homeless people. The bill of rights affirms that homeless people have equal rights to medical care, free speech, free movement, voting and opportunities for employment.

Different homeless bills of rights have been implemented in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Illinois, and one is up for a vote in the California legislative session.

“I think Reno could definitely benefit from something like that,” McDowell said.

As for the university, McDowell said one thing that really helped her when she was homeless in school was that the school offered homeless students a free six-month bus pass.

McDowell also received a meal pass after some struggles with both the university and the food stamp office.

“I went to go sign up for food stamps. They said, ‘Well, you’re part of the university, it is their job to deal with it,’ so I went up to the

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university and said, ‘I have no food, what do I do?’” McDowell said. “And they said, ‘You should apply for food stamps,’ and I said, ‘They told me to talk to you guys.’ And it was like neither wanted to help in that area, so meal passes and stuff could be beneficial to students who have a need. That helps with students who don’t want to stand out. Because you don’t want to stand out when your peers are walking around wearing really nice clothing and they pay for the dorms. Stuff like that would go a long way.”

McDowell said she made it through school and homelessness due to the support she had from people at school. In high school, McDowell was at school all of the time, taking every class she could so that she could get some basic needs met.

“Everybody is homeless for a different reason. Mine fortunately was not addiction or mental illness or something that specifically prevented me from being housed other than just money and situational things,” McDowell said. “I was lucky in that way. For a lot of people, four walls surrounding them is really scary even though a lot of their basic needs go unmet. Some people just cannot coexist within the confines of what we think of as a home.”

The Nevada Sagebrush

Arts&Entertainment @NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

A4

PACK N THE EVENTS THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK

By Blake Nelson

24-HOUR STUDY HALL DATE: Wednesday TIME: All day LOCATION: Joe Crowley Student Union INFO: This is it, you've

reached the crucial moment in the semester.

You can either cram and secure that C or totally bomb. Choose the C and go to the Joe to study for 24 hours straight. Not really, but I believe in you!

Top 11 Albums of 2016

Joey Thyne

COLORING BOOK

LOCATION: Jot Travis

CHANCE THE RAPPER

LEMONADE

INWARD-OPENING RECEPTION DATE: Friday

Project INFO: Catch a batch of local artists' conceptual self-portraiture. Almost 40 artists contributed their self-portraits, a highly personal form of art, so don't miss out.

Snacks will be provided, and I bet most of the artists will be there, intermingling and whatnot, so go.

BEYONCE

Project INFO: Reno's own anti-folk band, People with Bodies, will be playing again at Holland. These guys are super spunky little jammers who shouldn't be missed. With them is Snack, a fun pop band with catchy wit. The price for entrance is only $5 too.

TOYS AND TRADITION DATE: Friday TIME: 12 p.m.

LOCATION: Nevada

Museum of Art INFO: Come share a piece of history at the Museum this Friday. The Nevada Woodchucks, a group that creates handmade wooden toys for the community, will be giving a talk on the history and culture surrounding wooden toy-making. It may seem dry, but so is UNR. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@nevadasagebrush. unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

In a scene that advocates joyless artists who take themselves way too seriously, Chance provides something that’s become scarce: genuinely good vibes. Chance sounds excited to make music, therefore people are excited to hear him. Aside from making awesome songs, he is a total bro and gives away all his music for free. He still sounds like that kid from Chicago posting on SoundCloud. But now he’s hit the big time, working with Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Future, T-Pain and many more. On “Coloring Book” he invites everyone else to celebrate with him.

When I was wondering how Death Grips would follow up last year's monumental “The Powers That B,” I should have known it would be with an album like “Bottomless Pit” — one that both destroys and takes inspiration from past Death Grips projects. The band’s characteristic blending of genres is highlighted by the punk and pop influences in “Bottomless Pit.” That being said, this album is not for the casual listener. This album inspires, frustrates and exhilarates me like no other. So watch your step.

Beyoncé did not need to release this album. She is one of the most successful artists in the history of ever. Instead of coasting, she decides to release the most daring pop album of the year, both sonically and conceptually. On “Lemonade” she explores such massive issues as racism and misogyny through the lens of a tumultuous marriage. If the Grammys hold any dominion over your musical opinion (which they shouldn’t, but bear with me for the sake of the argument), she is able to organically navigate through several genres, as she is nominated in four separate categories. It would've been five if it weren’t for those stupid, elitist country-music gatekeepers. Nearly every song on this album could be a huge single if it weren’t for a stubborn insistence on keeping it as a Tidal exclusive.

It’s difficult to breathe new life into a genre as played out as country-rock.

Somehow Angel Olsen does. The indie darling left behind her low-fi sound for a more polished production without compromising her raw emotion. She puts new perspectives on love songs that are clever and poignant.

Favorite song: “Sister”

DEATH GRIPS

BLACKSTAR As if Bowie himself wanted to act as a harbinger for what 2016 had in store for all of us, he released “Blackstar” shortly before he quietly passed on. The album he left us with is chaotic, fast and characteristically Bowie. And by characteristically Bowie, I mean he was able to make an album in 2016 that sounds like it was made in 2016 but is still intrinsically Bowie-sounding: heady and cryptic with great storytelling throughout. I can’t help but look back on the album as one looks back on the way a loved one’s room was before they died — it’s a solidified reminder of what was, with all the emotions still fresh.

TEENS OF DENIAL Will Toledo tore into the music scene from the depths of Bandcamp with a boiling passion and an anxious knack for writing songs. His latest album, “Teens of Denial,” melds his lo-fi roots with his newfound fame, resulting in an album that both inspires and depresses. I always find myself relating to the overactive self-analysis found in Toledo’s lyrics; it’s almost correlative to the way people change as they grow out of their youth. It’s a great album for a person in their early to mid-twenties.

Favorite song: “The Ballad of the Costa Concordia”

The master-sampling trip-hop DJs returned from a 16-year hiatus. “Wildflower” has a breezy exuberance perfect for its July release date. Without skipping a beat, the Avalanches combine a plethora of styles to form a kaleidoscopic vibrance equal parts bizarre and wonderful. The only difference is this time around they get help from some key guests, including Danny Brown, MF Doom, Father John Misty and Biz Markie, all adding to the album’s ever-shifting mayhem. I challenge anyone to put on “Subways” without inevitably dancing.

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

CAR SEAT HEADREST

MALIBU

WILDFLOWER

WE GOT IT FROM HERE ... THANK YOU 4 YOUR SERVICE

DAVID BOWIE

Favorite song: “Blackstar”

ANGEL OLSEN

THE AVALANCHES

BOTTOMLESS PIT

Favorite song: “Bubbles Buried in This Jungle”

Favorite song: “Summer Friends”

MY WOMAN

DATE: Friday LOCATION: The Holland

Favorite song: “Nights”

Favorite song: “Freedom”

PEOPLE WITH BODIES TIME: 8 p.m.

It has taken me countless listens to Frank Ocean’s album “Blonde” to begin to glance the seemingly endless nuances and sheer brilliance the album has to offer. Much like the artist, the album is enigmatic, but it is undeniably personal and heartbreaking. The theme of a love that is beholden to circumstance rather than people is woven throughout the album. Not many artists can describe something so poignantly as Frank singing “I’m not him, but I’ll mean something to you.” This album is fleeting, delicate and bashful on one hand while catchy, resilient and contemplative on the other. I imagine that myself, like many more who were struck by the grace of “Blonde,” will be studying the masterful work done on it for years to come.

FRANK OCEAN

TIME: 10 a.m.

LOCATION: The Holland

Blake Nelson

Favorite song: “Self Control”

DATE: Thursday

TIME: 6 p.m.

BLONDE

In the time since “Channel Orange,” Frank abandoned any responsibility to be trendy and focused on creating something more timeless. “Blonde” embraces a less-is-more mentality: melody-driven and stripped-down instrumentals. It’s pop, hip-hop and R&B all at the same time, yet it’s something else entirely. He reaches out, forming an intimate connection with the listener. At times the music is so vulnerable it can be painful to listen to. It’s one of those magical albums that is so incredibly personal, making you feel less lonely and more lonely all at once as well as causing you to question how other people could possibly listen to it and feel the same way. Awh, Frank, you run my mind, boy.

ANNUAL STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

Building, Student Galleries South INFO: Take a break from the mess in front of you, otherwise known as your chem study guide, and go see some of your peers art. Maybe they took art as a simple elective, but hey, they still put in work on some actual art.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

Favorite song: “It Was A Foldstar”

In a rap world defined by flavor-of-theweek mumble-trappers, A Tribe Called Quest came back to remind us of the importance of real hip-hop. With grieving creativity from Phife Dawg’s death and a successfully xenophobic presidential campaign to comment on, the stage was set for an epic comeback. Still, the group exceeded expectations. The rhyme schemes are as complex as ever and the group's boom-bap-jazz-rap style proves eternal. A few of the artists the group paved the way for — Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, show up to pay respect.

Favorite song: “Dis Generation”

Anderson .Paak is relatively new to me, but I was instantly drawn to his energy and spunk. You can’t listen to the man sing against a backdrop of funk- and soul-inspired instrumentals and not see him smiling while doing it. All of the tracks on “Malibu” have a meandering subtlety that really makes the album stand out from others that are overproduced and practically lifeless. This album makes me feel the music in a way that seems to be lost on popular artists today — a groovy and soulful rendering of emotion in a series of wonderful tracks.

Favorite song: “The Bird”

I wasn’t a fan of Rihanna until I listened to “ANTI.” It’s hard not to appreciate somebody coming into their own, and “ANTI” is Rihanna’s own. The album may be a little disjointed at times, but when Rihanna strikes just the right chord, it can’t be rivaled. I cannot help feeling a sort of sadness associated with love when I hear Rihanna hit that note in “Love on the Brain.” The fractured nature of the album is also representative of a person like Rihanna in 2016: a person who has mass sex appeal but is also incredibly smart, all while being a badass.

Favorite song: “Love on the Brain”

ANDERSON .PAAK

ANTI

RIHANNA

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

A&E | A5

Top tracks of 2016 ‘The Desert Party’ carves JOEY THYNE

BLAKE NELSON

out place for local band

By Blake Nelson

1. “ULTRALIGHT BEAM” - KANYE WEST 2. “DRUNK DRIVERS/KILLER WHALES” - CAR SEAT HEADREST 3. “REALLY DOE” - DANNY BROWN

1. “SAME DRUGS” - CHANCE THE RAPPER

2. “DEAN’S ROO,” - ALLISON CRUTCHFIELD

4. “FEEL NO WAYS” - DRAKE

3. “EVERYBODY WANTS TO LOVE YOU” - JAPANESE BREAKFAST

5. “UNTITLED 02” - KENDRICK LAMAR

4. “WIFI” - D.R.A.M. FT. ERYKAH BADU 5. “EMPTY” - KEVIN ABSTRACT

6. “BURN THE WITCH” - RADIOHEAD

6. “REAL FRIENDS” - KANYE WEST

7. “MINNESOTA” - LIL YACHTY

7. “LOVE ON THE BRAIN” - RIHANNA

8. “TALK TO ME” - RUN THE JEWELS

8. “TELEPHONE CALLS” - A$AP MOB

9. “DIDDY BOP” NONAME

9. “PICK UP THE PHONE” - YOUNG THUG AND TRAVIS SCOTT FT. QUAVO

10. “YOUR BEST AMERICAN GIRL” - MITSKI

10. “BLACK BEATLES” - RAE SREMMURD FT. GUCCI MANE

Bluff Caller recently returned to Reno from Los Angeles to present its hometown with the band’s newest album “The Desert Party.”

The band reached out to me; prior to that I had known very little about them. Suffice it to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Nobody in Reno, to my knowledge, is delving into a sonic texture quite like Bluff Caller. The band’s sound is rich with instrumentation, something that at times works well, and at others works to make the song feel cluttered and overwhelmed. Nonetheless, the band has a sound unique unto itself, something Reno bands sometimes have a hard time with.

As the album opens, immediately the song “Wile E.” hits you with an off-kilter riff, followed by driving drums and the moody voice of the lead singer, Cody Rea. The song comes off as a pop and R&B inspired song about a person contemplating chasing after somebody, much like the fabled coyote.

The next song, “Goddess of Wonder,” offers a similar style; however, the lead guitar catches your ear first, carrying you into the rhythmic chorus. The lyrics, “the woman of my dreams” sound like haunting whispers and inevitably get stuck in your head, making the song have great replayability.

The album falls off a little after the second song,, though. The next two songs are too slow to really make an impression and sound far too similar.

It’s with the next song that the band really seems to express itself rightfully. All of the instrumentation on “Dark Matter” coalesce into a building wall of sound. The funky guitar work with the rock-style drums keep the song moving while Rea’s vocals are able to oscillate between a near whisper and near shouts.

It was around this point in the album that I thought I had it figured out, but the next song, “Everybody’s High / Love for Yourself,” opens with a stripped-down, near a cappella crooning. And when the band breaks into full instrumentation, it’s both satisfying and fitting.

The second half of the album offers the band’s most mature music, seem-

ing to pay homage to its past effort, “The Jungle Academy,” while moving past it as well. No longer is the band preoccupied with rocking guitar riffs, but rather the band seems to want to capture subtle moods and emotions.

That isn’t to say the band doesn’t have great riffs — the riffs are just more reserved and wholesome, with no instrument taking over the other in the latter half of the album. Save for the songs “Thirsty / No Water” and “Same Ground,” the band plays it pretty cool through the rest of the album.

Bluff Caller is something of a gem in Reno. Being neither hardcore nor garage rock, the band exists in a genre not really explored by other bands in Reno. It’s something of a treat to be able to see Reno bands grow into different niches.

It seems the band is in a transitionary phase between its rock roots and a future rife with R&B grooves and hip-hop-inspired drums. I’m both enticed and pleased by “The Desert Party,” and I believe that future listens will reveal further nuances.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @ NevadaSagebrush.

Album Review ‘THE DESERT PARTY’ Release Date: Nov. 3 Genre: Rock, R&B

University

Scholarships 2017 - 2018 school year YAAAS

Winter Break check list 1. Complete the Graduate & Undergraduate Scholarship Application in MyNevada/Supplemental Forms 2. Complete the online 2017-2018 FAFSA form at fafsa.gov

DUE BY:

FEBRUARY 1st For more information please contact finaid@unr.edu or at 784-4666 ASUN reminds you to request a ride from ASUN Campus Escort Services at www.unr.edu/campus-escort or call 742-6808 if you need a ride after an event.

ASUN supports providing equal access to all programs for people with disabilities. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations are encouraged to email finaid@unr.edu

RUN FOR ASUN ELECTIONS MARCH 15 & 16 NEVADAASUN.COM/ELECTIONS The ASUN Elections Commission provides an avenue for motivated Nevada students to begin their understanding of public service through election into ASUN. Serving fellow constituents is truly a great experience.

For more information on Elections contact Steve McNeece at electionschair@asun.unr.edu or visit nevadaasun.com/elections

Opinion A6

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

STAFF EDITORIAL

UNR must be made sanctuary campus

A

s the semester comes to an end, there is one issue that will continue after finals are through and most of campus has returned home for the holidays — whether or not the University of Nevada, Reno, will become a sanctuary campus.

Doing so would make UNR one of 31 current colleges and universities to declare themselves safe havens for undocumented students, faculty and staff. In light of the election and the hateful, anti-immigrant rhetoric that has spewed forth from our president-elect, UNR must take the next step to ensure that one of our most vulnerable student populations remain safe and able to complete their education.

The call for sanctuary status was sounded by UNR’s Latinx Student Advisory Board, which created a petition that has now gathered upwards of 1,000 signatures.

The petition calls for UNR to, among other things, “Refuse [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] physical access to all land owned or controlled by the university and all voluntary sharing of information with ICE/ CBP across all aspects of the university to the fullest extent possible under the law.”

Although UNR President Marc Johnson has signed his name to a petition co-signed by 500 other university presidents calling for an extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, at the end of the day

a signature is not enough. These DACA students, along with DREAMers, need to know that their campus will protect them.

According to the American Immigration Council, approximately 65,000 undocumented youths graduate high school every year. Yet, Pew Hispanic Center reports that only 49 percent of undocumented high school graduates attend college, compared to 71 percent of American-born residents.

Once in college, undocumented students face barriers that American-born students do not. Despite being raised in this country, knowing it as their home and wanting to cash in on the opportunities theoretically afforded them, they must reckon with the fact that they lack the basic

forms of identification and documentation that many of us take for granted.

College is difficult enough; living away from home, adjusting to heavy academic loads and working part time or more is enough to push any student to their limits.

No student needs to add to these existing challenges the fear of deportation.

Moreover, DREAMers and students protected by DACA often didn’t ask to come to the United States illegally and were instead brought over as young children. They often live a vast majority of their lives as Americans, and to deport one of these students to a Latin America that they don’t know is absurd. Additionally, DACA and the DREAM Act do provide

legal status for students that can lead to permanent citizenship.

The university’s job is not to take sides in a partisan debate, its job is to ensure students who seek an education here leave the institution with the degrees and knowledge necessary to pursue their goals.

The fact is that some of these students are undocumented. Regardless of their legal status, all students deserve the opportunity to earn their degrees with the same amount of safety and security.

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

Court Report TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

SPORTS | A7

Marshall Madness Nevada guard hits game-winner at Washington

LOOKING BACK

By Jack Rieger Coming into the 2016-17 basketball season, Nevada fans were most excited about the opportunity to see a potential NBA forward play on their home court: Cameron Oliver.

Few people were as excited to see senior transfer Marcus Marshall, but it’s Marshall who’s been Nevada’s most valuable player, and it was Marshall who hit the game-winning floater with .2 seconds left against Washington on Sunday, Dec. 11.

Marshall — a 6-foot-3 scoring guard from St. Paul, Minnesota — finished the night with 32 points, four assists and three rebounds, shooting 11-of-24 from the field.

Marshall was clearly the go-to player down the stretch, as he made the go-ahead jumper with 1:15 remaining and then hit the game-winning 15-foot floater while driving the baseline. The degree of difficulty was off the charts, as Marshall’s defender had a hand in his face and was in a great defensive position.

The game was back and forth for the entire 40 min-

utes it was played, with Marshall and Washington’s stud point guard Markelle Fultz trading haymakers.

Fultz — one of the most celebrated players in the entire country — finished with 21 points and eight assists.

D.J. Fenner contributed in a big way — the senior scored 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including seven free throws. Fenner was playing in his hometown of Seattle and in memory of his grandfather, who passed away a short while ago.

Cameron Oliver, the aforementioned star forward, found himself in early foul trouble and was only able to play 28 minutes. He finished with 18 points and four rebounds.

Nevada is now 8-2 and off to its best start since 2006-07, when the team went to the NCAA tournament.

LOOKING AheaD Nevada hosts the UC Irvine Anteaters on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at Lawlor Events Center.

UC Irvine, which plays in the Big West Conference, currently has a record of 5-6, including a 1-3 road record. The Anteaters kept it close in the second game of the season against 25thranked California, losing by just 10 points. UC Irvine defeated Pacific snd South Dakota State twice, as well as recording a victory over Santa Clara, The Anteaters are led by senior guard Jaron Martin, who averages 12.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. UC Irvine also relies heavily on Ioannis Dimakopoulos — a 7-foot-2 Greek center who averages 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds as well as shoots 42 percent from three. Freshman guard Eyassu Worku also averages 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 23 minutes per game as an off-guard.

UC Irvine scores just 61.8 points per game and shoots 41.6 percent from the field. Nevada needs to rebound well and get out in transition in order to negate Irvine’s size.

On Wednesday, Dec. 21, Nevada will face off against the Towson Tigers in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas. Towson (6-4) is led by 6-foot-5 junior guard Mike Morsell, who averages 18 points, 3.7 rebounds and two assists per game.

Towson is currently first in the Colonial Athletic Association thanks to good offensive production from its guards. Towson most recently beat Fairleigh Dickinson and Loyola by a combined 20 points. The game against Nevada will be one of Towson’s most difficult of the season.

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

Photo by Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada guard Marcus Marshall (1) observes the court before he rises up for a 3-point shot in Nevada’s game at Lawlor Events Center on Thursday, Nov. 29. Marshall’s remarkable 32-point performance and gamewinning shot propelled the Wolf Pack past the University of Washington on Sunday, Dec. 11, at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.

Sports TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

@NevadaSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

SPORTS | A8

Photo courtesy of Arizona State Athletics

Newly-hired head coach Jay Norvell (right) patrolls the sidelines during a game at Sun Devil Stadium this past season. Norvell was hired last Wednesday as Nevada’s next head football coach.

Norvell hired as Wolf Pack’s next head football coach

By Neil Patrick Healy The Nevada football program has found its new head coach.

FootballScoop reported Wednesday night that Arizona State wide receiver coach/offensive passing coordinator Jay Norvell was named the next head coach at Nevada. ESPN confirmed the report.

It was reported that Norvell was one of three finalists for Nevada’s vacant coaching position and was offered the job Wednesday, Dec. 7. He was hired over Eastern Washington head coach Beau Baldwin and Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports Nevada

wouldn’t let Norvell leave campus without completing a deal. The hire makes Norvell the first African-American head coach in program history.

Norvell, 53, has been an offensive coordinator at Nebraska, UCLA and Oklahoma along with being a position coach at Texas, Iowa State and Wisconsin. While he was the co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma (2011–2014), the Sooners ranked in the top 20 in scoring offense four times. He was also an NFL position coach with the Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders.

While at Arizona State this past season, the Sun Devils ranked 39th in points per game and 43rd in passing offense.

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada head coach Jay Norvell beams at the crowd during his introductory press conference at Mackay Stadium. Norvell was hired last Wednesday.

“[People who I’ve talked to] said there’s no one better at teaching the game of football,” said Nevada Athletic Director Doug Knuth during the introductory press conference last Friday. “He played defense in college, played defense in the pros, but spent the last 30 years coaching offense and perfecting offensive football. And he’s now seen as one of the pre-eminent voices, the pre-eminent people in offensive football.”

Norvell was reportedly selected due to his strong ties to California and Texas, both of which are key recruiting states for Nevada. California in particular was a point of emphasis for Norvell’s hire.

Norvell is replacing Brian Polian, who Gangi, running back James Butler, wide finished with a 23-27 record over his receiver Wyatt Demps and offensive four years at Nevada. Novell will look to tackle Austin Corbitt. improve Nevada’s offense, which was “The University of Nevada is the No. 85 in the nation in points per game flagship program of the state,” Norvell last season. Under Polian, the offense said. “It is our charge to make it the never ranked in the top 50 nationally flagship program of the Mountain West in points per game, never ranked in the Conference.” top 60 in total offense and placed 89th, 110th and 93rd in passing offense the last three years.

Despite the low rankings, Nevada’s Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at offense brings back several key neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter pieces, including quarterback Ty @SagebrushSports.

Otagaki promoted to women’s head soccer coach

By Brandon Cruz The Nevada women’s soccer program is now bolstered down by new head coach Erin Otagaki.

Although there was a national search for a new head coach, Wolf Pack Athletic Director Doug Knuth chose to pick the hometown candidate in Otagaki. She coached at Nevada for both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. She was an assistant coach in 2015 and an interim co-head coach a season ago.

After the program recorded a dismal 15-38-4 record over its past three seasons, Otagaki is faced with the challenge of putting the program back on the map. Otagaki has the chance to bring the team to new heights and seems to have the right plan in mind to do so.

She would like to recruit “blue-collar, hardworking kids who are going to come in and change the landscape in terms of their work ethic and what they’re willing to bring.”

Otagaki also would like to focus on a strong defensive presence, as she wants her team to push the pace of the game by winning the ball higher up the field, which is kind of a funny scheme being that Otagaki herself was an offensive player for the majority of her soccer career. But the phrase “Defense wins championships” is universal in the world of sports, so it’s easy to see why she would gear her focus toward a sound defensive unit.

Granted, Nevada’s new head coach may not be a household name in the realm of coaching, but her resume should make Pack soccer fans a bit more comfortable. Otagaki has spent 11 years coaching between the Purdue Boilermakers and Washington State University. But her coaching career truly began as a volunteer assistant at her

alma mater, the University of Washington. In addition to her coaching resume, she knows what it is like to be on the player side of the ball, as she played four seasons at her alma mater along with the fact she has been playing soccer since she was six. During Otagaki’s stint as a player in Washington, she visited the NCAA tournament three times and was a part of the 2000 Pac-10 championship team.

One intangible any great coach must have is an ability to recruit strong athletes. Knuth has made this a focal point in his hirings, as the men’s basketball head coach, Eric Musselman, is a premier recruiter, and Nevada football’s new head coach, Jay Norvell, seems to have a knack for it as well.

“I have a lot of former teammates who are now in the club level of coaching, so I have a lot of ties with good clubs in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and California that are very strong clubs,” Otagaki said.

A coach’s ability to recruit is revered in the world of sports because it’s a necessity. Without the ability to recruit talent, especially from pipeline states like Oregon and California, programs begin to lose their competitive edge, but it appears Otagaki will do just fine in that area of coaching.

Although Otagaki is looking to recruit heavily, she still believes in the talent Nevada already has.

She doesn’t want to start from scratch but rather build upon her team.

“I think we have a fantastic foundation here, and I’m excited to work with these kids. The key to spring will be development — already developing the things that we have in place. We have a great, great team in place,” Otagaki said.

For all those naysayers who believe Nevada

Photo courtesy of Nevada Athletics

Newly-named Nevada women’s soccer head coach Erin Otagaki gives advice to forward Morgan Beye. Otagaki has an impressive coaching track record, but Nevada will be her first head-coaching position.

can’t be a strong program, coach Otagaki would have to disagree with you, not only because she is the head honcho now but also because she’s always had aspirations of coming to Nevada. She believes “it’s a place you can win” in.

Coach Otagaki has a great deal of work ahead of her, but as long as she sticks to her main goals, Nevada might just be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.

“My main mission is to develop the student athlete academically, athletically and as a person,” Otagaki said.

Brandon Cruz can be reached at bcruz@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.