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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

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NEWS in REVIEW By Madeline Purdue

VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5

Clinton rallies in Reno

INTERNATIONAL FIFA DISBANDS RACISM TASK FORCE FIFA announced Sunday, Sept. 25, that it is removing its anti-racism task force after three years. The decision has received backlash from groups who believe there is more work to be done. “The fight against racism is far from over and the notion that the current FIFA leadership believes that the ‘task force’s recommendations have been implemented’ is shameful,” said Prince Ali, FIFA vice president, to the Associated Press. The task force was formed in 2013 by then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter. It was then directed by the vice president at the time, Jeffrey Webb, until he was arrested with other FIFA officials in 2015 on racketeering charges. “The reality, as with many programs within FIFA, is that the task force was never given real support since its conception and its role was more about FIFA’s image than actually tackling the issues,” Prince Ali said to AP. Many people are concerned with the disbandment of the task force as the 2018 World Cup in Russia approaches.

NATIONAL SAILOR RESCUED WEEK AFTER BOAT SINKS Nathan Carman was rescued Sunday, Sept. 25, after spending a week on a life raft off the coast of Massachusetts. Carman, 22, was sailing with his mom, Linda, last week when their boat began to swiftly sink. She is presumed dead, though a body has not been found. Carman told the Coast Guard he did not see his mother when the boat began to take on water. He jumped on the life raft after gathering the food and water he could find. The Coast Guard did not receive a distress call, and it is unclear whether there was a radio on board. Carman was found by a freighter boat that spotted his raft about 100 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. They are expected to dock Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts. He will be questioned by Coast Guard officials when he arrives so they have a better understanding of what happened. “I was ecstatic, and then I found out Linda wasn’t with him, and I was terrified,” said Sharon Hartstein, a family friend of the Carmans. Nathan has Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism. He has been a subject of a missing persons case before, when he ran away from home at the age of 17.

LOCAL FIRE DESTROYS LOCAL FUNERAL HOME Sparks and Reno firefighters responded Friday, Sept. 23, to a fire at Walton’s Funeral Home and Cremation Center located at the intersection of Oddie Boulevard and El Rancho Drive. When firefighters arrived at the funeral home, they learned that everyone had made it safely out of the building, despite the rapidly spreading fire. There were no injuries and only one civilian was checked by paramedics. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The building is now unusable due to the damage and the owners have not decided whether or not to rebuild their business, according to News 4. There were two bodies inside the funeral home, but neither were harmed by the fire. Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madelinepurdue.

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Jacob Solis /Nevada Sagebrush

(Above) Democratic vice presidential hopeful Tim Kaine waves to the crowd gathered in the UNR Student Services circle on Thursday, Sept. 22. Members of the community and students alike showed their support despite chilling weather conditions. (Left) Students raised signs in support of Clinton’s campaign slogan “Stronger Together.”

By Rachel Spacek As Election Day draws closer, the Hillary Clinton campaign has been ramping up efforts in the Biggest Little City to mobilize supporters and seize votes. In what the Clinton campaign dubbed “Glass Breakers Week,” women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem spoke at the University of Nevada, Reno, to a group of firstgeneration Latina students, and vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine gave a speech on campus to energize voters in the Battle Born State.

STEINEM EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE OF LATINA VOTE In a small room at UNR’s Latino Research Center, Steinem spoke to a group of passionate first-generation Latina students. Steinem was there to campaign for Clinton, but she had a deeper conversation with the group about the importance of their votes in the upcoming election. “This is the first election that I am aware of which the Latina vote could decide the presidency,” Steinem said. “And it depends on turnout because so far the Latina vote is the least likely to turn out, less likely than the African-American vote or the Asian-American vote, but this election could make all the difference.”

According to Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public on issues and trends, a record 27.3 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential election, an increase since the 2012 election in which 23.3 million Latinos were eligible to vote. In July, Pew reported Clinton had a 66 percent approval rating among Latino voters, while Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had a 24 percent approval rating. According to Pew, Clinton is more popular among Latino women than men. Steinem told the crowd that historically Latinas have a larger voter turnout than their Latino counterparts. Steinem said she sees Clinton as the only qualified candidate because she is the only candidate who understands violence against females should be an element in all of U.S. domestic and foreign policy. “If you look at her life history, she is extraordinary,” Steinem said. “She was standing up against the Vietnam War in her commencement speech as a graduating senior. She then went to work for the rights of children; she went to reform the school system in Arkansas. What she has accomplished and what she has

See HILLARY page A2

UNR admission policy Throw a better Halloween party for sex offenders revised By Madeline Purdue The University of Nevada, Reno, is now able to deny registered sex offenders admission to the school, according to a new policy from the Nevada System of Higher Education. The policy clearly states the school’s right to deny or dismiss a student, professor or employee from the campus if they are a registered sex offender. It was written up this year after the other NSHE schools expressed their desire for a formal policy on how to conduct formal matters in regard to sex offenders. The Board of Regents does not have specific guidelines when it comes to admitting people to the university who have been placed on the sex offender registry. Registered sex offenders can apply to the university the same as any other student. After they have been accepted, they then must register with the campus police, who monitor them from there. The new policy now allows the university to ask the offenders to identify themselves during the applica-

tion process. The campus police work with the city police, as well as the offender’s parole officer, to ensure they are not violating any laws while on campus. This includes scheduling classes so that they are not with minors or near the day cares on campus. The university registrar, Heather Turk, was on the committee that devised the new policy. She says that most of the time, sex offenders know what regulations are set for them and go out of their way to follow them. “The university just wants to work with them to make sure they are meeting those restrictions,” Turk said. Turk also said that most of the time, the police will just have a conversation with the sex offender once they are registered on campus. If they are a higher-level threat, there could potentially be scheduled check-in times with the police, along with other precautions. There are three tiers that sex offenders can be

BRANGELINA NO MORE

See OFFENDERS page A3

Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Have you ever wanted to throw a great Halloween party? The Sagebrush has created a difinitive guide to throwing the best Halloween function. More on A4.

ATHLETES TAKE A STAND

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A2 | NEWS

NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

THE

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

Volume 123 • Issue 05 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 • Rebecca Day rday@sagebrush.unr.edu

Hillary

Continued from page A1

done is incredible. Nobody has been so well-prepared to be president.”

KAINE HIGHLIGHTS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CLINTON, TRUMP In his speech to a larger group of UNR students, faculty and community members, Kaine also spoke of Clinton’s qualifications over Trump and the broad differences between the two on several issues historically important to millennial voters. “Do you believe in climate science or don’t you? If you do, Hillary and I are with you. The other guys are against you,” Kaine said. “Do you believe women should be able to make their own health-care decisions? If you do, Hillary and I are with you. The other guys are against you.”

Kaine also spoke on the topic of affordable education, discussing the stark differences between Clinton’s plan for debt- and tuition-free college for households that make less than $125,000 a year and Trump’s experience with higher education, Trump University. “Hillary Clinton looks at education as the great lifter and the great leveler; this is how people get the skills they need to be successful and it also helps all of society to be successful, our economy be strong,” Kaine said. “Donald Trump looks at education and he has a different thought — hey, I think I can make some money out of this.” Trump University has been accused of fraudulent practices and is involved in lawsuits claiming the company’s involvement in illegal practices. “There’s a lesson there for people who are thinking about voting for Trump,” Kaine said. “People who trust Trump tend to get hurt. Don’t be tricked by

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Trump.” Despite Kaine’s attacks on the GOP presidential nominee, Trump supporters stood outside the entrance to the event to try to convince audience members of Clinton’s corruption. “I’m hoping to make people aware that Hillary is not [fit] for president,” said Caroline Smith, an avid Trump supporter. “She hasn’t done anything for the last 30 years, and she’s not going to do anything as president.” A recent Monmouth University poll showed Trump holding a 2-point lead over Clinton in Nevada, a result within the margin of error. Clinton has campaign events scheduled throughout this month and next in preparation for early voting. Early voting for Nevadans begins next month. Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush

Photo Editor • Quinsey Sablan quinsey@asun.unr.edu

Copy Editor • Dominique Kent dkent@sagebrush.unr.edu

Copy Editor • Daniel Putney dputney@sagebrush.unr.edu

Multimedia Editor • Bailey MeCey

Nevada polls scarce compared to other swing states

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 Jesse Allison, Garrett Hirschbers, Alex Kumar, Andrew MrGregar, Larry Olson, Rachel Yelverton

CONTACT US 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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By Emily Fisher As Election Day draws closer, Nevadans are asking one thing: where are the polls? Over 250 polls have been conducted throughout the United States so far in this election, but only 10 have been done in Nevada. Compared to other swing states like Iowa, Florida and Ohio, 10 polls is miniscule. Polls in Nevada are few and far between and the majority of them have an unusually high margin of error — around 4 percent or higher. Taking the sample size of each poll into account, the average error is closer to 1 or 2 percent, according to the Cornell University Roper Center for Public Opinion Research’s recommended allowance chart. Nevada is one of the hardest places to poll, according to Clare Malone, a senior writer at FiveThirtyEight, a popular website that focuses on opinion poll analysis, politics, economics and sports blogging. Historically, Nevada polls have proven to be inaccurate. For example, before the 2008 Republican caucus, the polling average in Nevada gave Mitt Romney a 5-point advantage over John McCain. Instead Romney ended up winning the caucus by 38 points. Another polling failure was seen in Nevada’s 2010 Senate race when Republican Sharron Angle challenged Harry Reid for his seat. The polling average showed her beating Reid by a 3-point margin but she lost to Reid by close to 6 points. “It is really hard to figure out who lives in

the state because the population is pretty transient,” said Kevin Banda, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Reno. “It also becomes a challenge to contact people who live outside of Las Vegas, Henderson and Reno.” According to Eric Herzik, the chair of the Political Science Department at UNR, there are three different Nevadas: the Las Vegas area, Reno and the rural parts of Nevada. Herzik added that it’s often the rural areas in Nevada that cause a lot of trouble for polling firms. “You almost have to oversample the rural areas to have any confidence in what you would say about the statewide view,” Herzik said. The high number of mobile users in the state is another issue facing pollsters. “It’s estimated that a quarter of residents [in Nevada] do not have a landline,” Herzik said. “So if you’re calling landlines you’re losing 25 percent of the population, and you’re also probably losing a demographic group and that is younger voters.” Among other issues like needing the polls to be conducted in both Spanish and English, as well as at different times of the day to account for the state’s 24-hour work schedule due to a large gaming/casino industry, there is also a simple lack of interest or knowledge about politics, Herzik said. “Nevadans, while they have this important swing-vote status, still have very low voter turnout and weak parties,” Herzik said. “All of these things that make it hard to do polling, Nevada has all of them, and at a

high level.” Due to these challenges, the cost of running polls in the Silver State is very high. David Damore, a UNLV political science professor and senior analyst at the Latino political opinion research firm, Latino Decisions, told the Las Vegas Sun that only one of the groups’ polls would typically cost about $30,000 for a sample size of 400-500. “Polling in Nevada is expensive, at least more expensive compared to other states. Especially compared to other states with such a small population like this,” Banda said. Iowa, which has only a slightly larger population than Nevada, has twice the amount of polls so far this year. There’s also the matter of not just how the polls are conducted, but how the public consumes said polls. According to Banda, paying attention to outlier polls instead of aggregate polls is a common mistake people make. He also said that it is common for people to think of the campaigns as a race, while they are not. “Polls are an expression of preference, not an expression of behavior,” Banda said. “The thing that makes polling useful is that by the end of the election you typically have aggregated poll results that look like pretty much what you get on Election D ay, but I don’t know if that is going to happen this year.” Emily Fisher can be reached at efisher@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

For information about display advertising and rates, please call the Advertising Department at 775-784-7773 or email adnevadasales@gmail.com.

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

CORRECTIONS The Nevada Sagebrush fixes mistakes. If you find an error, email jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

Total Polls: 10 Electoral Votes: 6

Nevada

Ohio

Total Polls: 28 Electoral Votes: 18

SOCIAL MEDIA The Nevada Sagebrush @TheSagebrush @SagebrushSports Nevada Sagebrush nvsagebrush nevadasagebrush.com

Total Polls: 20 Electoral Votes: 6

Iowa

Total Polls: 41 Electoral Votes: 29

Florida

The information in this inforgrphic is from Real Clear Politcs. Polls were taken in 2016.

October 5th-6th

SENATE RECAP SEPT. 21 By Rachel Spacek

APPOINTMENTS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS FILLED AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF WAITING FOR CANDIDATE TO SHOW After hearing briefly from University of Nevada, Reno, President Marc Johnson, the 84th session of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada had a lengthy meeting in order to fill an open ASUN office position and two senate seats. Director of Campus and Public Relations Brooklyn Lawton conducted several interviews last summer to find a candidate to fill the assistant director of campus and public relations position. After deliberation, Lawton nominated Maggie McLaughlin for the position. In her speech, McLaughlin emphasized her experience in marketing, communications and business, and she expressed interest in helping Director Lawton with campus public relations. During the senate’s discussion of the candidate, several senators expressed concerns about the candidate’s absence from prior meetings when the vote was supposed to be held. McLaughlin’s nomination had been on the senate agenda for several weeks prior to this meeting when the candidate finally attended to give a speech. The senators agreed to trust Director Lawton’s judgements of the candidate and passed McLaughlin’s nomination in a 9 to 5 vote.

NEW SENATOR FOR THE DIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES EXCITED TO CONNECT WITH CONSTITUENTS The senate heard a speech from Haydon Cook, a candidate for the position of senator for the Division of Health Sciences. In his speech, Cook said if he receives the position, he is looking forward to working with Vice President Jacob Springmeyer on Health Week. He is also interested in getting students connected with the deans of their colleges. In a unanimous vote, the senate approved Cook as Senator of the Division of Health Sciences. colleges.

THREE CANDIDATES BATTLE IT OUT FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS SEAT An election for the senate seat of Interdisciplinary Programs followed the election for the senate seat of the Division of Health Sciences. With three candidates running for the position, the senate heard from Anthony Sofia, Jessie Chiu and Alexis Moreno. Each candidate spoke about their desire to get involved in their college and to help their constituents get more involved with ASUN and campus activities. After hearing and questioning the three candidates, the senate voted to approve Chiu as the Senator of Interdisciplinary Programs. Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

NEWS | A3

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UNR focuses on inclusion of minorities By Rachel Spacek In a political climate dominated by racial tension, the University of Nevada, Reno, has dedicated resources to promoting diversity among the campus community. An upward trend in the enrollment of diverse students at UNR has sparked a conversation among faculty and students about how to create a more tolerant and comfortable campus environment for minority students. In his State of the University speech on Tuesday, Sept. 20, President Marc Johnson reported a growth in the proportions of all students of color from 35 to 36 percent. “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.” Johnson said the population of Hispanic students at UNR has increased from 17 percent to 18.5 percent since last year. The university has already begun taking steps toward becoming a more Hispanic-serving institution. While the number of diverse students has increased significantly in recent years, Blane Harding, director of The Center at UNR, said the number of African-American students on campus still remains far below the other minority proportions. “We have a very diverse campus; we are probably around 35 percent diverse students or students who self-identify as diverse, yet when you break it down, there is a significant number of Hispanics and Asian Americans. We also have a significant number of biracial students, but when you take a look at the African-American population, it is under 700 students,” Harding said. In northern Nevada, only 3 percent self-identify as African American. Harding said it is difficult for black students to feel as though they fit in at UNR because a large percentage come from communities with a much larger population of African Americans. “It is overwhelming to be in a space where people do not look like you,” said Marquis Lawson, a black senior at UNR and the president of Brothers Making a Change. “This is not an initiative where we are trying to separate ourselves. No, we want to help build ourselves and then go out and work with other people.” Brothers Making a Change was created last fall because a number of students and faculty had a

Offenders Continued from page A1

classified under, according to the State of Nevada Sexual Offender Registry. Tier one is a lowrisk offender. ified under, according to the State of Nevada Sexual Offender Registry. Tier one is a low-risk offender. This includes individuals who have been convicted of possession of child pornography. Tier two is a moderate-risk offender.

vision of a safe space for black males to express themselves and to communicate with each other. BMAC is a student organization dedicated to helping black males feel more comfortable at the university and to increasing graduation rates of black males at UNR. The Black Male Initiative program is a nationwide program that was established in 2011 for the purpose of increasing the academic and social success of black male students through interactions between other black male students, faculty and staff. The national graduation rate for black males in 2013 was 59 percent, significantly lower than the 80 percent of white males who graduated. In Nevada, the group’s graduation rate is 40.2 percent according to the Schott Foundation for Public Education. “I think graduation rates are so low because there is no organization of this stature on this campus that can help us believe in each other,” Lawson said. “I feel like we don’t get enough support from the university and maybe the reason why is because we are not organized. I believe BMAC will improve graduation rates over time because it has been proven at different universities that have these Black Male Initiatives that their graduation rates have succeeded tremendously.” Harding is the organization’s adviser and says he plans on bringing in speakers to talk to and encourage the students involved. Harding also hopes to hold sessions with the students to assist them with LSAT and GRE prep, or in whatever path they want to pursue after receiving their degrees from UNR. “We all have the same goal, no matter if you’re faculty, student or staff, the ultimate goal is to get these kids graduated,” Harding said. “The goal is to make sure they’re comfortable, the goal is to make sure that they know that they are wanted here. We want them here definitely, but we need them here. We need them here as part of the student population. We need to hear their voices, we need to hear their experiences, we need to see them become successful.” In his State of the University Address, Johnson said the university will be working on a number of initiatives to cater to the growing diversity in student population at the university, such as the hiring of a more diverse faculty. “As the proportion of our students who are of color increases, our faculty composition must also increase to reflect the student population and to help us all build stronger relationships between This includes people who have been convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor 13 years or older or production or distribution of child pornography. Tier three is a high-risk offender. This includes those who have been convicted of kidnapping, rape or sexual misconduct with a minor under the age of 12. The new policy allows the campus police to review the offenders’ classification and decide whether they are a safety concern to the university.

Photo Courtsey of Marquis Lawson

Members of Brothers Making a Change gather at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park on Sunday, Sept. 25, for their first event, a BBQ and casual informational session. BMAC plans to create a space for black students, staff and faculty to help increase their academic success.

students and faculty,” Johnson said. Lawson said having more professors that looked like the diverse student population would be a good start to creating a safe space where black males can communicate and support one another. “There is a difference between recruitment and retention,” Harding said. “You can hire them, but you’ve got to make sure you build a community so that they will stay. I think diversifying the faculty is a fantastic idea. The faculty now is around 18 or 19 percent diverse. I think they hired 90-something

faculty this semester alone, two were African American and one was Native American.” Within BMAC, Lawson said he hopes to see a trickle-down effect, with the faculty and professors mentoring the junior and senior members and the junior and senior members mentoring and guiding the new freshmen and sophomore members.

Turk said the last time she checked, there was only one sex offender enrolled at the university. However, when the Reno Gazette-Journal reported on this matter two weeks ago, they stated there were five sex offenders enrolled at UNR. The Nevada Sagebrush was unable to verify which was the correct figure before print time. Registered sex offenders visiting UNR must identify themselves with the police if they plan to be on campus longer than 48 hours in com-

pliance with the university’s policy. “Our safety and security of our students is our number-one priority, and the police are really exceptional at making sure that we are making the community safe for the students that are here,” Turk said. “Everybody is concerned about protecting everyone’s rights.”

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

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

NEVADA

APP

CAMPUS ESCORT

Find the Campus Escort App in the “This is Nevada” mobile app Available for Android & Apple

1. Download “Nevada Campus Escort” on the Apple or Android App Store 2. Sign in use your NetID Allow for push notifications 3. Click “Submit a Ride” Enter your pick up and drop off locations along with any accommodations Reminder: All Campus Escort policies still apply.

For more information please visit us at www.unr.edu/campus-escort or call ASUN Center for Student Engagement at (775) 784-6589

Arts&Entertainment @TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

PACK N THE EVENTS THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

HOW TO HALLOWEEN 7 WAYS YOUR HALLOWEEN PARTY CAN BE BETTER

By Blake Nelson

ALLY WEEK MOVIE: "RENT"

October is finally upon us, which means two things: the weight of the semester is finally setting in and Halloween is coming up. Both these things indicate that you should party, and this year you want to party with the big dogs. If you’ve always wanted to throw a party where you can dress in drag and dance to the beat of “I Put a Spell on You,” then here are seven ways you can bring your dreams to fruition.

DATE: Wednesday TIME: 6 p.m. LOCATION: Joe Crowley

Student Union, Theatre INFO: One of the most popular LGBTQ+ movies of this century, "Rent," is making its way to our very own campus. Beyond the heavy setting of the AIDS epidemic NYC, the film packs a great message of acceptance and togetherness. Enjoy with your friends for free.

BUSINESS WEEK ICE CREAM GIVEAWAY DATE: Thursday TIME: 11 a.m. LOCATION: Knowledge

Center Lawn INFO: Well, if it ain't the end of summer upon us at last. Why not celebrate with ice cream? I personally enjoy a peach sorbet on my off time, but alas, outside the KC you can get some ice cream instead for free, provided by Coldstone.

SUN FOOT AND SAM COOMES CONCERT DATE: Thursday TIME: 8:30 p.m. LOCATION: The Holland

Project INFO: Oh doggy, we got some indie sweethearts rolling through the Holland Project this week. Upbeat and quirky, Sun Foot is coming with former Elliott Smith bassist, Sam Coomes. Get a little sad and a little happy with your local scenesters this week. Tickets are $5.

COLOR ME RAD DATE: Saturday TIME: 9 p.m. LOCATION: Nevada State

Public Health Lab INFO: Get your colors and your exercise at Color Me Rad, an event that lets you both lightly jog for charity and get some sweet pics for Facebook. You better get your tickets soon because they are getting progressively more expensive. Tickets are $45 until the day of the event.

RBP'S 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY DATE: Saturday TIME: 7 p.m. LOCATION: The Holland

Project INFO: Your favorite bike store is turning 10 this year and they're celebrating it at Holland with the community. Come hang, eat, drink and enjoy some live entertainment with the bike snobs that help you fix your bike. Ride your bike to it for extra fun.

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

1. FORGET HALLOWEEN It may seem counterintuitive but think about it: everyone is throwing a party on Halloween, so why would your guests want to stay at yours? Having the party before the anticipated night could save you some stress and your guests could stick around longer. Have the party a weekend or two before Halloween so that everyone isn't busy with other parties. Having the party earlier will also allow for a more consistent guest list, which means your friends are less likely to bring their tag-along randos with them.

2. LOCK DOWN YOUR GUEST LIST This may not be a big deal for some, but a specific group of people coming into your home is sort of important for a lot of people. Having a random person show up to your home can bring your party from convivial to straight-up awkward. Just let your friends know by word of mouth to keep the details personal; that way less randos are likely to show up. Tell only the people you want to come, keeping it as lowkey as possible. Everyone appreciates a good party that doesn’t require too many “Hi, my name is …” situations.

3. LET YOUR GUESTS EXPRESS THEMSELVES Don’t impose a strict costume rule or theme. I know that Harry Potter is a great theme, but not everyone is into it, which means you’ll either get some halfassed attempts at Peter Pettigrew or, at worst, people won’t come dressed at all. Make sure you tell your guests to come dressed as whatever they want. Sure, you’ll still have your slacker friends dressed as three-hole paper, but you might also be surprised by some of your friends dressed as Blue Tobias Fünke.

4. GET SCHWIFTY WITH THE LIBATIONS At this point you got all of your closest friends and that one cute guy from your class to show up, but they didn’t show up to this party to drink Miller Lites and eat party peanuts — you have to bust out all the stops. Get some good party food like hot wings and hummus dip. All types of alcohol should be provided: beer, wine and liquor with chasers. While you’re at it, make some festive drinks too: blood martinis, green Jell-o shots, etc. Get spooky.

5. KEEP IT POPPIN' Now that everyone has a drink and is socializing, what next? Your winning personality may be able to keep some people interested, but you can’t entertain everybody forever. You need to have a great Halloween-themed playlist. I’m talking great horror movie scores, some funky '80s music and the occasional gothic dance piece. If you can’t make it, look one up. Or play a horror movie classic like "Halloween" or "Dawn of the Dead." As for the decorations, you need to make an effort to have some stuff that is pretty cool. Think about all your favorite party movies; none of them were set in a bachelor pad with nothing but blank walls and a futon. Since it’s Halloween there are plenty of ways to be festive and make your place cozy at the same time. Streamers close the overhead space, rugs carpet the foot area and dim lights hide all the times you opened a beer on your counter.

Photo Illustration by Rebecca Day/Nevada Sagebrush

6. INVITE YOUR CRANKY NEIGHBORS Mr. Williams is a drag, but invite him anyway. Nothing aggravates your neighbors more than telling them you might be loud and then actually being loud. Avoid the noise complaint with the friendly invitation. This way they know you’re having a party and are less likely to call the cops on you, because you extended an olive branch to them before the party took off. Worse comes to worse, they show up and you have to hear Mr. Williams tell you about his delinquent son a few more times while he takes some of your booze.

7. ENJOY THE SOIREE All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so enjoy your excellently crafted party. Pull pranks, discuss horror films in depth, show off your wicked priest costume or just sit back and enjoy the company of your friends and Mr. Williams. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

Blake Nelson/Nevada Sagebrush

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

A&E | A5

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

A Q&A with locals Crush Local band Crush recently had one of its songs, “Funky Good,” put into syndication on a local radio station. The band has been together for a number of years and is beginning to encounter some success. We decided to ask the members some questions in regard to the band’s interesting sound and recent come-ups.

Jimmy Dunn Drummer

HOW DID YOU ALL MEET? AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN EACH OTHER? We met in Jazz band at Wooster High School between the years of 2003 and 2009. WHAT KIND OF BONDS HAVE YOU ALL FORMED WITH EACH OTHER THROUGHOUT THE BAND’S EXISTENCE? Every kind you can imagine, including some semi-sexual. WHAT HAS THE SYNDICATION OF “FUNKY GOOD” DONE FOR THE BAND? It’s certainly been exciting, motivating and made the world of radio accessible and real to us.

Daniel Sion Bass Player

WHAT ARE THE BAND’S FEELINGS TOWARD “THRIFT ROCK,” CONSIDERING IT HAS GARNERED SO MUCH ATTENTION? We look forward to spreading it to a worldwide market. EXPLAIN WHAT THE GENRE “THRIFT ROCK” IS. We wanted it to feel like a random cassette tape you picked off a shelf that actually turned out to be pretty f*cking dope and you rock it in your POS automobile. WHERE DO THE MAIN INFLUENCES OF THE BAND LIE? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICIANS? Beatles, Mac Demarco, Green Day, Lana Del Rey. HOW HAS THE SETTING OF RENO AFFECTED THE BAND? Reno’s given us the chance to gig literally 24/7 and learn how to connect with people, and being an art-centric town it is a good place to be inspired. It’s pretty hip, but not in a Portland way, thank god. WHAT DO YOU ALL DO ON THE SIDE, BESIDES PLAYING MUSIC? We like to edit video, slam down on the basketball courts, spiritually cleanse ourselves in the Truckee River and Lake Tahoe, and kick it with our dogs (canines and otherwise.) SO YOU HAVE BEEN TOURING AND RECORDING FOR AROUND 10 YEARS. WHAT HAS THE BAND LEARNED IN ALL THOSE YEARS? If you want to pursue entertainment as a career, get ready to sacrifice everything that’s ever meant anything to you, except for the art itself.

HOW OFTEN DOES THE BAND PLAY? Always. Three to four times a week for paid gigs.

Aaron Sion Guitar Player & Vocalist

WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY? WHY? Anywhere there’s a young engaged audience. Holland Project, Potentialist Workshop and any of the cool art initiatives here. Also historical venues like the Red Dog Saloon.

ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO PLAY OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY? Yes, in 2017.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CRUSH? We’r e working on landing some p l a c e ments on TV for

Photo Courtesy of Crush The members of Crush from left to right, Daniel Sion, Jimmy Dunn and Aaron Sion pose together on Dec. 11, 2015 . The band released its self-produced album “Thrift Rock” this August. Crush is a local band from Reno that has been playing for around 10 years. Brothers Aaron and Daniel Sion met Jimmy Dunn in high school and have been playing music together since.

our song “Higher” as well as releasing new music videos and kinds of content you’ve never seen before (stay tuned at www.crush.band). The staff can be reached at jsolis@sagebrish.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

‘Magnificent Seven’: a flawed but good time By Blake Nelson Antoine Fuqua’s remake of “The Magnificent Seven” had me nervous as soon as it was announced. Not only is the original “Magnificent Seven” a classic western, but that film was based on the all-time classic “Seven Samurai,” an Akira Kurosawa masterpiece. After seeing the finished product, it’s safe to say that I wasn’t blown away. But I can honestly say that I had a good time watching the movie. I even enjoyed Fuqua’s retelling better than (and this might be controversial) Quentin Tarantino’s homage, “The Hateful Eight.” Tarantino’s film was good, probably technically better than Fuqua’s, but “The Hateful Eight” had too many Tarantino quirks for me to truly like it. The striking characters, the dialogue and the tonguein-cheek directing is just too much for me. It seems Fuqua set out to make a western — plain and simple. There was never

any sort of irony to take me out of the film, which is a trend in Hollywood that I don’t necessarily like. Also, none of the characters felt like actors, except for Josh Faraday, played by the unmistakably singular Chris Pratt. Because of all this, the film was actually engaging. There are multiple points throughout the film that were truly engrossing. The one that sticks out to me is the scene in which the troops are descending upon the small town our protagonists intend to protect. Beyond that, the acting by Denzel Washington who plays Chisolm, the lead, and Vincent D’Onofrio who plays the eccentric mountain man Jack Horn was great. The rest of the cast delivered fair performances, really getting into the roles. The film does have its major flaws, however. Namely, the film doesn’t have finesse — or the attention to detail the original(s) have. Characters’ backstories are either

glossed over or so briefly mentioned it seems comical. The Native American character Red Harvest has literally one line of backstory: “The elders told me I had a different path.” I guess they needed a seventh and he was the one to fill it. There are some incredibly implausible moments in the film as well. Specifically, the end battle that has a gatling gun unloading hundreds of bullets with one clip. Or characters taking multiple gunshots and still being able to ride horses. That was one of the only things that really took me out of the movie. This might be nitpicking, but what is going on with the score? The original “Magnificent Seven” has one of the most highly regarded soundtracks of all time, but the new soundtrack is forgettable compared to it. It’s such a missed opportunity to pay proper tribute to the original by making a great score. Anyway, Fuqua’s film is no masterpiece, and probably won’t be considered a classic

by any means. The film’s flaws, at times, outweigh its goods, but for me the major triumph comes in the making of a film for the sake of making a film, rather than making an ironic and dull film that purely strokes the director’s ego. I would gladly take 2016’s flawed remake of a classic “The Magnificent Seven” as a genuine western than the homage of “The Hateful Eight” Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

Movie Review ‘THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’ Release Date: Sept. 23 Genre: Western

Opinion A6

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

STAFF EDITORIAL

No excuse to sit out election I

f you’re not excited about this year’s presidential election, you’re not alone. The choice is between two of the least popular candidates in recent memory, and it can be all-too easy to dismiss them for their respective flaws. But guess what? You still need to vote. Here’s why:

FIRST: VOTING ISN’T DIFFICULT If you’re a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, there is little stopping you from registering to vote and then putting that vote into action. Those annoying people standing around campus with clipboards? They’re probably volunteers, there to help you register to vote. Instead of turning up your headphones and avoiding eye contact as you rush past them, take three minutes out of your day to make sure your registration is up to date. If you don’t want to talk to people, that’s fine too. You can still register online. Tools like Turbovote, which has a partnership with the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, make registering even simpler.

And if you’re still looking for an excuse to register, Tuesday is national voter registration day. Voter registration drives will abound as those volunteers with their clipboards seek to get as many people as possible registered. But even if you miss out on the fun of national voter registration day, you have until Oct. 18 to register online or in person, or until Oct. 8 to register by mail. Once you’re registered, next comes the voting. If you can’t make it out to the polls on Nov. 8, getting an absentee ballot or early voting are must. Early voting starts in Nevada on Oct. 22 and runs until Nov. 4. For more info on absentee ballots and how to get them mailed to you, a quick Google search and a visit to the county clerk’s office before Nov. 1 will get you squared away.

SECOND: THERE’S MORE THAN JUST THE WHITE HOUSE UP FOR GRABS We get it. Donald Trump is a racist whose best friend is Vladimir Putin. Hillary Clinton has a private email server that’s cleaner than her voting record and doesn’t have the pizazz

to make that OK. The hard part about voting is always making the choice. This year’s choices are perhaps the most polarizing in recent memory, and it’s not uncommon for voters, especially young voters, to feel left out by this year’s election. But just because neither Trump nor Clinton tickles your democracy bone (and you’re too smart to vote third party) there is no excuse to sit out the election. The ballot is not just the presidency. There are at least a dozen state and local races up for grabs, as well as multiple initiatives. The legality of marijuana, NV Energy’s monopoly and the future of Washoe County schools are all hanging in the balance. Regardless of how the presidential election goes, you have the opportunity, nay, the power to influence the future of Nevadans for years to come. “But I don’t plan on staying in Nevada,” you say. “I won’t be here to reap the fruits of my democratic labor,” you say. To that, we retort: you’re not the only person that matters. Census data reports that nearly 3 million people lived in Nevada as of July 2015. That’s nearly 3 million people who will be affected not only by the election of a new president,

but by the myriad of state and local ballot questions. Let’s be realistic: whether you’re a Nevada native or not, you’re here to take advantage of a Tier One education at rock-bottom prices. The least you can do is give back just a little bit by participating in the democratic process. In his official proclamation for National Voter Registration Day, President Barack Obama put it succinctly. “Democracy is not a spectator sport,” Obama said. “If we are serious about improving our country and ensuring our government reflects our values, we cannot afford to sit out on Election Day.” Millennials are the largest voting bloc of them all; Pew Research reports that they number around 75.4 million as of 2015. But consistently, young people are disenfranchised by their own apathy. In 2014, Nevada saw its lowest voter turnout since World War II when only 20 percent of youth voters came to the polls. Make this year an outlier. The editorial board can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Wasted youth: public schools need to teach the skills that pay the bills

A “

li! Someone must’ve stolen your identity. You have a shit credit score.” Those were the little magic words I woke up to this past weekend when I went home to visit my parents. This was news to me. How could my credit score even be bad yet? Do I even have credit? I think I make most of my payments on time. How do I even check my credit score? Did I really eat that entire pizza last night? Can I fix this awful score or is this damning? I am never going to be a home owner. These are the thoughts that automatically came to my mind. After the worry began to subside, I started to think of all the basic life skills, such as checking my credit score, that I was never taught in school. Ali No one taught me how to Schultz balance a checkbook. I have Schultz Happens absolutely no clue how to file my taxes. I have never been taught how to thoroughly read contracts. And don’t even get me started on retirement funds. I am dumbfounded when it comes to being an adult. I was never taught any basic life skills in school and if it wasn’t for my parents, I would be lost down the rabbit hole of life. When bringing this up to my friend group, everyone was in agreement. In elementary school, I spent almost the entire year learning cursive, only to be informed later in life that I would never in my life actually write in cursive. In middle school, I was taught how to draw a parabola. In high school, I wasted an entire semester building a roller coaster in physics. Years later, here I am — never once having encountered a real-life situation that called for parabolas. I can only remember a third of the cursive letters and I for sure don’t remember how the hell I actually got the marble to make it through the two loops in my model coaster. This then poses the obvious question: wouldn’t students and people in general be more successful in the real world if teaching a few basic life skills were incorporated into our curriculum? The other day I had a sense of complete helplessness when I told my parents that I didn’t know how to do these things. I can’t be the only person that feels this way. If I was taught more basic skills in school, this whole “adulting” thing would be much easier. Instead, much of my early education years were dedicated to a curriculum of curated nonsense. How about instead of ceramics or woodshop being offered as electives in high school, they offer classes that teach you how to change a tire or how to apply for financial aid correctly? It’s almost similar to the principle that a person could be as book smart as they want to be; however, if they have no street smarts they are going to be lost in some worldly sense. If a student is taught more worldly skills there really might be more successful individuals in the real world. Thankfully, cheat sites like Turbo Tax and freecreditscore.com give even the most helpless individual hope. So come on. Let’s give up the semester of geometry. Don’t kid yourself, we all know none of us remembers how to make a proof anyway. Ali Schultz studies journalism. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Illustration by Zak Brady/Nevada Sagebrush

Brangelina falls apart, along with our childhood dreams A s far as I have always been concerned, Beyoncé and Jay-Z might be the queen and king of pop culture, but Angelina and Brad have held the ultimate title of Hera and Zeus. It was only by their eternal benevolence that we all have been able to conduct our lives day in and day out. You can therefore imagine my devastation when I heard that Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from Brad Pitt late last week. I am in equal disbelief that the campus administration has not done the honorable thing and granted students a period of grief by canceling classes for the day. I was in the fifth grade when “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” came out Rachel (soon to be followed by BrangeYelverston lina), and I spent most of my afternoons either watching “Days of Our Lives” or sitting in the computer room of

my childhood home reading about every development in the Jolie-Aniston feud. It is still undecided which of these activities was more melodramatic. Brad, Jen and Angelina represented one of the internet’s first huge 24/7 news-cycle scandals, and that’s why their split hurts so much more than another Kardashian or some bench-riding basketball player. Even though paparazzi have always been willing to scale a building to get a picture of Katie Holmes’ side salad, the early 2000s gave everyday people access to the lives of celebrities in an unprecedented way. I saw nearly every part of these people’s lives play out in real time just as they did. Every day we were bombarded with pictures of Jennifer Aniston taking out the trash in sweatpants, and for some reason we all cared. I even look back on those memories fondly. Today’s Hollywood could never recreate a Brangelina-level relationship. Over a decade later, the situation would seem trite in the grand scheme of celebrity gossip. But in my impressionable and bratty preteen mind, it was fascinating.

Brad and Angelina were some of the first massmedia superstars and thus feel almost like a piece of my adolescence. Just like orange VCRs and iPods, only ‘90s kids will actually remember a time before celebrity personas were in every crevice of our lives. Brangelina were larger than life because they were the first example of society building up celebrity couples through the internet. Before we could see what Chrissy Teigen made for brunch by tapping on Snapchat, our only knowledge of celebrities’ lives came from interviews and press releases. So as Brad and Angelina finally call it quits, I want to thank them both for paving the way into the world of mass media. Without their initial roles, I might not be able to retweet Kanye West’s opinion on Persian rugs. Their iconic status will never be paralleled, and their legend never forgotten. Rachel Yelverton studies public administration and can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

OPINION | A7

Recent U.S. events show that black lives are valued less By Dominique Kent

don’t remember the precise moment when I understood what racism was and that I was on the wrong end of it. It’s just always been that way. It never mattered that I was half white. It didn’t matter to the people who suggested people like me should “go back to Africa” that I’m part Jamaican. To some people, it didn’t matter that I was the fastest reader in my class or that I was an honors student. There was something about me that was bad, and that was my skin color. All of these personal realizations occurred long before Black Lives Matter started blowing up Twitter. The sudden comprehension that I was an unwanted minority came long Dominique before I started to hear about Kent the shootings. I had been repeatedly told racism wasn’t real ages before the All Lives Matter people came around to reinforce the idea. The moment in 2012 when Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, can be viewed in many ways. Some view it as the moment that sparked the heated controversy we see today. Others see it as the moment an innocent boy lost his life. Some see it as a justifiable instance of self-defense. I remember it as the day my mother told my brother not to wear a hoodie outside when it was dark, no matter how cold he was. Trayvon Martin’s death, and the death of countless other black people at the hands of police, served to reinforce a single realization that had been culminating over years of subtly being treated differently: black lives did not matter as much as white lives. This realization did not come as a huge surprise. Segregation in America didn’t end 1,000 years ago. It didn’t even end 100 years ago. It was 62 years ago that a controversial Supreme Court ruling ended legal separation of black people and white people. It took years after that for black individuals to be accepted to the same schools, to be hired at the same jobs or to be accepted into the same circles as their white counterparts. In fact, the latest school district to obey the Supreme Court ruling — in Cleveland, Mississippi — did so in May of 2016. The reason things like the Dance Theatre of Harlem, predominantly black universities and “The Wiz” began was because as little as 30 years ago black people were not accepted into their white equivalents. When white people complain they don’t have a chance to participate in these things, they should think about asking their grandparents how much they enjoyed being allowed to sit at the front of the bus. Similarly, the reason that Black Lives Matter began was because it was universally understood by the black community that many people viewed black lives as worth less than their white counterparts. A few days ago I was shown an article about a 13-year-old boy named Tyre King who pulled a fake gun on a police officer and was shot multiple times. The individuals around me made comments justifying the cop’s actions and lamenting the fact that the public would most likely call for him to lose his job. It’s true the child painted a toy gun to look like a real gun and the cop felt threatened. Maybe it’s also true the cop felt his life was in danger and acted in self-defense. The issue here is I never once heard a comment about the 13-year-old boy who lost his life. Nobody said anything about a little boy, probably still in middle school, who will never get to go to school again. That is what Black Lives Matter means. It means that a 13-year-old black boy with a toy gun is an acceptable loss while an adult rapist like Brock Turner can’t possibly have his future taken away by jail time. It means that a man in Charlotte with a book, the 173rd black individual shot by the police in the U.S. this year, is automatically guilty while men like Dylann Roof can kill nine individuals and still get the due process of law. Of the 708 people killed by the police in 2016, 23 percent were black men. Given that black males only make up approximately 6 percent of the total population in the U.S., this statistic is wildly out of proportion. These kinds of numbers don’t seem justifiable, yet in more than half of these cases, according to the Washington Post, the officers who fired the lethal shots have been protected and their names have not been released. To those across the country who, like me, have been watching the growing death toll with fear and anxiety, this sends a clear signal that our lives do not matter. My life matters. My little brother’s life matters. The black men, women and children who have been killed at an alarming rate this year? Their lives mattered. Don’t tell me all lives matter until you can cry about Tyre King or Trayvon Martin like you would cry about a white boy who never got to grow up. Don’t tell me all lives matter when I know you don’t mean it. Not all cops are racist, but when the few who are racist get away with using their power against those who are innocent, it becomes clear that in this country not all lives matter. Only white lives matter. Dominique Kent studies English. She can be reached at dkent@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @DominiqueTrekker.

Breanna Denney/Nevada Sagebrush

In this Dec. 9, 2014 file photo, members of the Reno Justice Coalition begin to stage a “die-in” outside the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. The demonstration was held to bring attention to the killing of unarmed black men by police, an issue that remains prevalent in America almost two years later.

Kaep protest proves tricky I think one of the biggest problems with our country today is that everybody is sure. I was sure that the Los Angeles Rams would always be my favorite team. As soon as I popped out of the womb, my dad started taking me to their games. Even though they had good players like Eric Dickerson, Jim Everett and Jackie Slater, it wasn’t easy rooting for the Rams because it always seemed like the team from northern California was better. The Rams might have won in the regular season, but the 49ers were always better in the postseason. Nevertheless my passion for the Rams never wavered until I learned as a very young man that sports is a business. Business moved my beloved team out of town. People are supposed to disappoint you. Larry Parents’ jobs are supposed Olson to move you. Divorces break up families. But your favorite team never leaves you. I was crushed as the Rams left Southern California and headed to St. Louis. I was sure that I would never love another NFL team as long as I lived. I actually became the anti-fan. If your favorite team was the Steelers, I rooted that week for whomever the Steelers were playing. About the time the Rams left, I left as well and headed from Southern California to Reno. I soon had a new favorite team to root for: the Pack! I came along at the perfect time to witness the magic of Chris Vargas. In 1991 it was a 35-point comeback against Weber State, and in 1993 I watched him lead the nation in passing yards. I was sure he was my favorite UNR player of all time, and he was until 2007. That year a redshirt freshman was thrown into a game after an injury to the starting quarterback. Colin Kaepernick entered in the second quarter and passed

for 384 yards, threw 4 TDs and rushed for 60 yards in a 49–41 loss to Fresno State. I was sure Kaep was my new favorite player. Kaepernick did not disappoint me over his career at UNR. He was more than once the WAC offensive player of the year and the first player in NCAA history to record back-toback 2,000/1,000-yard seasons. And yes, I did rush the field on his final game at Mackay Stadium when the Pack stunned unbeaten Boise State and broke the team’s 24-game winning streak. And what a break — the team in the city I live in, the San Francisco 49ers, drafted him. My favorite player coming to my city, I was sure I was now a fan of the NFL again. Kaep did not play a lot in the first year, but in that second year, a familiar thing happened. The starting quarterback got hurt and Kaepernick got his chance. I remember boldly announcing to my co-workers on the day Kaep got his first start against the Bears on Monday night football that Kaep would win the game that night and lead the team to the Super Bowl. He sure did! Kaep followed the Super Bowl season with another great year leading the team to the NFC Championship. I was sure Kaepernick was going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I was sure Kaep was on his way to becoming our most famous alumnus because of his football ability. After a few down years, some injuries, coaching changes and a tense relationship with the 49ers organization, Kaepernick is no longer the best player on the team. I was sure his best days were behind him. But then, Kaep took a stand, actually a knee, refusing to stand for the national anthem in protest of what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United

States. Most people are sure that he’s either a villain ripping our country apart or a hero for standing up to racial inequality. For once in my life, I’m not sure. I see the average wealth of white families growing by 84 percent, three times the growth of the black population. I read that 1 in every 15 AfricanAmerican men are incarcerated in comparison to 1 in every 106 white men. A black driver is roughly 31 percent more likely to be pulled over by police than a white driver. I also know that if someone very close to you died fighting for our country in a war, it would be hurtful to watch someone snub our national anthem. If my brother died in the line of duty as a cop pulling someone over, if my friend lost his life running into a burning building as a firefighter, if my dad never came home from a mission as a national security officer ... it would not be easy to witness someone disrespecting our symbol of freedom. I’m simply not sure what Kaep’s actions mean to me right now. What I am sure of is that I am thankful he started the dialogue. Kaep’s actions led the nightly news, graced the cover of Time Magazine and have sports-talk radio buzzing constantly. Our country is talking about race thanks to this quarterback who spent five of his formative years living and learning in Reno. I’m now sure his biggest accomplishments will come from off the field. If you’re not sure if people have an opinion on Kaepernick or not, throw on a 49ers jersey with number seven on the back and walk around town. I’m sure that someone will tell you what they think. Larry Olson is a UNR alumnus. He can be reached at alexandraschultz@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @The Sagebrush.

Let’s cooperate, not compete

hrough the ages, we have weathered conflict, tragedy and change, often by changing ourselves. While we form a basis of denial on our need to move ahead, it cannot be denied that the world around us is changing, and with it, we must change too. But in our world where independence is our most revered asset, we fail to realize that it takes more than just one person to make change; if we are truly going to thrive in this new world, we need to evolve to become cooperative, not just coexisting. Our American philosophy has been shaped throughout history by our puritanical values; our founding fathers were vastly Puritan, or of puritanical origin, and many of our laws have shown a deep root in the values of Jesse this society. Despite our Allison outward devotion to a system of unbiased laws and fair and balanced work, and our progression past our old failings, we remain staunchly Puritan. We dislike change, and would rather support a system that allows us to keep tradition; we have added religious remarks to our currency, our pledge of allegiance and our slang; and since the beginning we have had

fundamental leanings away from those not of our culture, despite having been immigrants ourselves. These Puritanical values espouse the ability to thrive, to work hard and to support a family. Since we were young, we were taught that we were different, that different is good and that working together creates more problems than it solves. Our heroes are typically independent, rising from poverty to success, or expanding on what their ancestors could not. If someone has talent, we isolate them from those who are different, and instead of teaching them to work with their peers, we teach them that they are their own natural resource, and that only what they plant can they reap. Unfortunately, these individualistic characteristics are tearing apart our society; despite our potential for success, our individuality creates conflict. Every war in history has been encouraged by two opposed factions, and while conflict can happen between members of a group, the only way that they become conflicted is if one or the other develops a sense of superiority over the other. Companies in our competitive market are viewed not as groups of people working together; they are legally individuals in a system where the masses are characteristically assimilated into larger corporations that function on a much higher scale, but are still subject to

the conditions of encouraging every employee to break from the pack. In the upcoming century, there will be massive changes to every landscape imaginable, as has happened for the past millennia. If we are to survive, we can’t afford to have this widely unforgiving, every-man-for-himself philosophy. No group fighting for equality has ever won by splitting up; they won by working together until their opposition had to back down. No movement has ever gained support by becoming factions. They have moved ahead by allowing their differences become what makes them great. And although many groups have striven to further their goal, only by casting aside their fundamental differences have they ever seen how similar they are and how they can move on. Our very society has survived on its unity, which comes about only when we are able to set aside our lonely mindset and focus on the problem at hand. The oldest organism alive is a grove of aspen trees in Utah. Not a tree, not a single organism, but a grove. And if we are to survive as a society, we have to become the human equivalent: a community. Jesse Allison studies psychology. He can be reached at alexandraschultz@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Sports

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Athletes take a stand Twelve Nevada football players raise fists in protest during national anthem By Neil Patrick Healy

but I’m with what’s right.” L.J. Jackson, James Butler, Patrick Choudja, Dameon Baber, Travis Wilson, Jaxson Kincaide, Randy Uzoma, Cameron Turner, Hasaan Henderson and Malik Reed joined Rufus in the protest. Butler pointed to Rufus’ passion and the heightened coverage of the issues on social media.

“Just trying to do my part with these protests silently and trying to raise awareness,” Butler said. “Asauni is really big into what’s going on in the world and I just tried to pick his brain on what’s going on. Asauni is real big on that and I have the utmost respect for Asauni. You look on social media and every other day somebody is getting brutally murdered. It’s easy to not really feel the pain but kind of feel the pain until it happens to you or somebody you care about.” After laying down the team protocol of standing with helmets off, Nevada head coach Brian Polian let the players decide

what they were going to do. “Legally they have a right to do that and frankly I don’t want to get hung up on something like that,” Polian said after the game. “We’re seeing young people express themselves throughout the country and show social awareness. It was a 1 1/2-minute thing and they have the right to do it and off we roll. I legally have to give them free reign. I’m in no position to tell them what they can and cannot do. I discussed with them what our protocol was, what I hope would happen, but in the end they have a right to express themselves and as long as they do that responsibly and

respectfully, I’m OK with it.” The players were grateful for Polian’s approach to allow them the freedom to express their beliefs without the fear of repercussion. “I just feel like that goes to coach [Polian] showing his character and that we’re individuals and not just football players for the University of Nevada, but we’re also individuals and we live in a society where we can voice our opinion,” Butler said.

When the national anthem is played at Mackay Stadium, the football team isn’t on the field. This is the protocol for most programs across the country, but not at Purdue. The American flag was sprawled Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at across one of the end zones and the neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter anthem began to play with both teams on @NP_Healy. the sidelines. Just like Nevada alums Colin Kaepernick and Brandon Marshall, 12 Nevada players protested during the anthem by raising a singular fist into the air – a salute used to symbolize unity or resistance that dates back to ancient Assyria. Also known as the “Black Power Salute,” the gesture was popularized by the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and was further immortalized by U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos after they raised their fists on the medal stand during the 1968 Olympics. “To me, it’s a sign of unity and that’s what society needs most in this world because we have so much division and hate,” said sophomore safety Asauni Rufus. “It was just us showing that we are with everyone who is fighting against injustice. We want to do it in the most respectful way possible and that’s how we felt we could do it. We discussed that we didn’t want to take a knee because we didn’t want to offend people, but we did want to show our support, so that’s what we came up with.” Rufus later elaborated on why he chose to join the growing number of athletes around the country in demonstrations during the anthem. “I believe that people in society should use their voices and what voice they have to speak out against injustices,” Rufus said. “I feel like playing football you have Photo courtesy of Andrew McGregor/U.S Sport History a little platform and we just wanted to do Nevada football players raise their fists as the national anthem plays at last Saturday’s game at Ross-Ade Stadium. The players’ protest comes on the heels of a slew of that. I respect people who do that. I’m not protests popping up across the nation since football season has begun. against the military or anything like that,

Three ways to make Nevada Wolf Pack volleyball football games less boring suffers first MWC loss By Brandon Cruz

On Saturday night, I was stationed at a popular drinking establishment near the University of Nevada campus with several of my fellow students. In between laughing about the new season of “South Park” and being mesmerized that Vin Scully has been broadcasting Dodgers games since 1950, I asked my friends what they thought about the Nevada football game that took place earlier that day. Their answer: “We didn’t watch.” This is the state of Nevada football four weeks into the 2016 season. The vast majority of students are disinterested in discussing — let alone actually watching — the football team play on a Jack weekly basis. And I Rieger don’t blame them. Despite forcing four turnovers against Purdue on Saturday and committing none itself, the Wolf Pack found a way to lose by 10 points to the worst team in the Big 10. Simply losing the game wasn’t all that disappointing, as Purdue was favored by five points at kickoff. It was Nevada refusing to take advantage of four Boilermaker turnovers that made the loss especially frustrating. The single most exciting moment of the day came when kicker Brent Zuzo shanked a 27-yard field goal that would’ve tied the game with 4:20 remaining. Besides the drama at the end, the game was sloppy, lacked rhythm and was uninteresting. Nevada’s

run-heavy offense and its inability to create explosive plays make the offense predictably boring, as the Wolf Pack averaged just 2.1 yards per rush and 5.6 yards per pass on Saturday. While the Nevada defensive line had a hard time containing Purdue’s running game, the Boilermakers did everything they could to lose the game, turning the ball over twice in the red zone. When the football team and the local community complain that student attendance is awful, it’s not because of the intensity of the tailgate or the time of the game; it’s because the product isn’t very good. Nobody wants to watch halfback draws and bubble screens all game, especially if they result in a loss. If Nevada Athletics wants students to come to games instead of just leaving after the tailgate, there needs to be some excitement to negate Nevada’s boring play-calling. Ingeniously, coach Eric Musselman had the basketball team put on a Harlem Globetrotter-like circus act before games last year, along with an exciting slam-dunk contest. This, coupled with the team’s on-court success and aggressive play, greatly boosted attendance at home games. In an effort to inspire more students to attend football games, I’ve come up with three suggestions Nevada Athletics could easily implement starting Oct. 8 when Nevada hosts Fresno State.

students think he is this angry, cold tyrant who doesn’t have a sense of humor. Polian is occasionally kind of witty, and if students see him running a race against another student during the pregame warmups, he immediately becomes much more likable. Secondly, Polian is competitive as hell and would absolutely take this seriously. There is no way he’s letting a student beat him in any sort of athletic competition, and inside sources tell me that Polian runs at a 6.0 speed on a Lombardi treadmill nearly every day.

1. COACH POLIAN RUNS THE 40YARD DASH AGAINST A RANDOM STUDENT

Colin Kaepernick singing the national anthem at his former school would become a national media ejaculation. Nevada Athletics calls Kaepernick and asks if he would be interested in singing the national anthem at the next home game. Considering he isn’t playing much football these days, Kaepernick’s Saturdays are pretty open, so he says yes. Just before kickoff, Kaepernick walks to midfield and sings the national anthem from a knee, confusing all of America and supplying news content for all major networks. Overwhelmed by emotion, Kaepernick then throws on his old Nevada uniform and starts at quarterback for the Wolf Pack. Nevada Athletics benefits hugely from the news coverage and ticket revenue, and Mackay Stadium becomes the most famous stadium in college football for a week. The community loves coach Polian, Nevada has a real mascot and Kaepernick is playing for the Wolf Pack again. You’re welcome, Nevada Athletics.

This accomplishes several things. First of all, Polian has an image problem with the average student; most

Photo courtesy of Alex Kumar/Purdue Exponent

Markell Jones (8) carries the ball against Nevada at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday, Sept. 24. Nevada allowed 166 rushing yards on 44 carries.

2. PLACE THREE WOLVES IN A CAGE AT MIDFIELD Here’s how this works: Nevada hires the Bear Grylls of Reno to capture three wolves, doesn’t feed them for several days and then places them in one cage at midfield before the game starts. Seriously, what’s the worst that could happen? Worst case: the wolves viciously attack each other until one remains, and Nevada then formally names him or her the official wolf for that year. Best case: they don’t react to each other at all and just sit there while thousands of anxious fans wait for something terrible to happen. Either way, it’s great drama and will undoubtedly attract thousands of newfound Nevada fans.

3. HAVE KAEPERNICK SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Jack Rieger can be reached on Twitter @jrieger and by email jrieger@sagebrush.unr.edu.

The University of Nevada, Reno, women’s volleyball team suffered a devastating loss Thursday, Sept. 22, at the hands of the Utah State Aggies. Even with double-digit kills from Madison Foley, Madison Morell and Ayla Fresenius, the Pack was unable to muster a win through the five-set thriller.

SET 1 Nevada’s first set against Utah State was the team’s set to win from the start. Thanks to an impressive kill by Kathryn Groenweghe and a miscommunication by the Aggies, the Wolf Pack would go up 2-0 at the beginning. The Pack would go on to hold the lead for the majority of set one. As the set was coming to a close, Utah State found its second wind, going on a 4-0 run, taking its first lead of the set 23-22. The two teams would go on to have three lead changes, until Nevada eventually edged out the Aggies, 27-25.

SET 2 Set two would also start with the Pack having the early edge. After going up 2-1, Nevada would lose the lead for a stretch of the match, eventually tying the game at 11-11 and taking the lead the following play. The Pack’s resilience would be tested as the Aggies would regain the lead at 19-18. Just when it appeared as if Utah State would pull away, Nevada stole back its lead at 23-22 and once again at 24-23. Unfortunately for the Wolf Pack, the team’s efforts to win this set would be futile, as the Pack ultimately lost 28-26. Set two kept Nevada’s home crowd guessing the entire time.

points. Nevertheless, Nevada was undoubtedly facing a worthy contender, as the Aggies climbed out of the hole they placed themselves in, tying the game at 16-16. Utah State expanded on its lead quickly, taking the set to 23-20. Just when everyone thought the set was over, Nevada made a miraculous five-point run, to take the set 25-23. The two Mountain West foes were now at a 2-2 stalemate going into a much anticipated set five.

SET 5 Set five began with an error at the hands of Foley, allowing Utah State to get on the board first. The two teams would continue to trade blows, as the Pack gained the advantage at 4-3. Sadly Nevada would only be able to hold the lead for a couple of minutes, as the Aggies found their rhythm, taking the lead at 6-5 and keeping it for the remainder of the set. Utah State would finish the set with a win, defeating Nevada 15-8. The Wolf Pack is now 9-4 and 0-1 in conference play. The Pack’s next game will take place in Colorado Springs on Sept. 29, when they will take on the Air Force Falcons. Brandon Cruz can be reached at bcruz@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

SET 3 Utah State used the momentum it garnered from its second set to fuel a third-set victory over Nevada. The Wolf Pack would once again take an early lead behind two kills from Foley and Morell. The Aggies would go on to take the lead after the two tied at 3-3, holding the lead until the Wolf Pack found a way to even the score. This set would be much like the previous two. There was a plethora of lead changes, but Utah State would get the final say, defeating Nevada 25-22.

SET 4 Down 2-1, it was time for Nevada to either sink or swim. The Wolf Pack opened up the fourth set with an impressive scoring display, taking an early lead on the Aggies by seven

Garrett Hirschberg/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada outside hitter Madison Foley winding up to serve at Virginia Street Gym on Thursday, Sept. 22. Foley had 19 kills in a 3-2 loss to the Aggies.

SPORTS | A9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com