October 18, 2016

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NEVADA SAGEBRUSH SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893

THE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS EACH

NEWS in REVIEW By Madeline Purdue

VOLUME 123, ISSUE 8

ANGUISH AT THE ARCH

INTERNATIONAL AUSTRIA TO DEMOLISH HITLER’S BIRTH HOME The Austrian government announced Monday, Oct. 17, that it plans to tear down the home where Adolf Hitler was born and replace it with another structure not related to the Nazi leader. The house became a shrine during Nazi rule but was later boarded up in 1944 as the Nazis lost control of western Europe. Later, it was used as a center for those with disabilities, but recently it’s sat empty for the past five years as the owner refuses to allow renovations, according to the BBC. The destruction of the home still has to be approved by the country’s parliament even though the plan was suggested by a government committee. The majority of both political parties agree with the demolition but must receive a formal approval. Government officials want to remove all association with Hitler but not hide the country’s history. The home’s owner refused to sell or renovate the building to remove the association of Hitler and the Nazi Party, and he was legally removed from the property this year. Many admirers of Hitler and neo-Nazi sympathizers would visit the site, despite efforts by the government to deter these kinds of visits.

Community outrage, protests follow incident in downtown Reno By Rachel Spacek After a man drove his pickup truck through a crowd of peaceful Columbus Day protesters under the Reno Arch last Monday night, Reno Native American leaders are calling for justice for the five protesters who were injured at the incident. “It disgusts me to see that these officers did not arrest this culprit for the crime that he committed,” said Quanah Brightman during a protest last Tuesday at the Reno Police Department. “That was a crime, a hit-and-run felony crime. It does not matter what skin color they are. If someone gets hurt, if someone gets injured, [the culprit is] supposed to be detained.”

NATIONAL NATIONAL GRADUATION RATES STEADILY INCREASE The United States government released data on Monday, Oct. 17, that shows high school graduation rates have increased across the country in all racial and ethnic groups. President Obama said the increase is good news, but there is still work to be done. The current graduation rate is at 83.2 percent, a 4 percent increase since the 2010-2011 school year. Several education groups are hoping the graduation rate increases to 90 percent by 2020. Despite the increase, test scores in reading and math have decreased. Obama suggests this is because states have not set up funds and resources for better education. “In too many school districts, we still have schools that, despite the heroic efforts of a lot of great teachers, are not fully preparing their kids for success because they don’t have the resources to do it or the structure to do it,” Obama said.

LOCAL LITTLE VALLEY FIRE OVER HALFWAY CONTAINED The Little Valley Fire in Washoe Valley was 55 percent contained as of Sunday, Oct. 16. The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District hopes fire crews will have it completely contained by Wednesday night. The fire burned just under 3,500 acres in Washoe Valley since it started early Friday morning. It burned 23 homes and 17 other buildings, injuring four people. The evacuation center at Depoali Middle School was cleared, as was UNR’s equestrian center and Fuji Park in Carson City, where livestock was held during the fires. Major rainfall has helped keep the fire in check, leaving fire crews to put out the hot spots. Firefighters have control of the fire according to Sierra Front spokesman Mark Struble, as reported by the Reno GazetteJournal. Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madelinepurdue.

Following Monday night’s incident, dozens of protesters gathered Tuesday evening at the Reno Police Department to protest the inactivity of the Reno Police in the arrest of the driver of the pickup truck. During the protest, several protesters said that if the driver of the car had been any other race but white, he would have been arrested.

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED MONDAY NIGHT?

The crime was reported to Reno police Monday night at around 6:41 p.m. after the Columbus Day protesters had marched from See ARCH page A2 Annie Guddat/Nevada Sagebrush

The Reno Arch stands downtown on N. Virginia Street on Monday, Oct. 17. The Arch was the location of a Columbus Day protest, during which five people were injured.

University heads into 7th year of reaccreditation By Rachel Spacek College students find hope during the semester in knowing that after four years of college, they can go directly into their dream careers. So what is it that gives degrees validity to future employers? It is the university’s accreditation that gives authenticity to its degrees and allows students to head into the workforce after graduation. This year the University of Nevada, Reno, is up for reaccreditation, a process which began Monday, Oct. 17. UNR is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an independent membership organization recognized by the Department of Education as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness. A university’s accreditation allows its students to receive financial aid and gives the university federal funds to support teaching and research. According to NWCCU, accreditation is a self-regulatory process of quality assurance and institutional improvement. Accreditation recognizes higher-education institutions for their performance and quality to instill confidence in the community and public. NWCCU accredits universities using a seven-year cycle. In the first year of the cycle, a university is evaluated based on its mission, core themes and expectations. In year three, an institution is evaluated on the resources it provides to students, faculty and staff. UNR is currently in the seventh year of the cycle. In the seventh year, universities are evaluated on how the university administration works to fulfill the institution’s mission, the university’s sustainability

TAILGATE SCIENTIFICALLY

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and adaptation. “The seventh year is the biggest year where all aspects of the university’s performance will be reviewed,” said Joseph I. Cline, vice provost of undergraduate education and professor of chemistry. “They look at our curricula, they look at what students are learning in our programs, they will be looking at our policies for handling student complaints. All of these are considered important for having a quality institution.” UNR has been an accredited institution since 1938 and has 20 professionally accredited programs. After a university receives accreditation, its separate colleges and programs can receive accreditation. For example, the College of Education must receive accreditation to give graduates the ability to teach after receiving a diploma. NWCCU began its evaluation Monday with a forum for undergraduate and graduate students to discuss their experience at UNR. “I’ve had a great experience at this school,” said Jennifer Posey, an undergraduate student. “There is no doubt in my mind that we’ll be reaccredited because we offer so many amazing programs and services to students. It is really easy to complain about your professors and your classes, but when you step back and look at everything you’ve learned and gained here, it’s a lot.” The Associated Students of the University of Nevada co-hosted the forum with the Graduate Student Association. The forum is only a part of the reaccreditation review process. NWCCU will also be meeting with staff and faculty.

See REVIEW page A2

A SEQUEL OF THE CENTURY

Photo courtesy the United States Geological Survey

A United States Geological Survey map shows the earthquake hazard across the United States. Nevada should expect an increase in earthquakes in years to come because of the activity of the San Andreas fault.

Nevadans not prepared should earthquake occur By Emily Fisher Southern Californians may be used to living with the risk of earthquakes, but the natural disaster is not on the forefront of many Nevadans’ minds. A warning of increased risk of a major earthquake along the San Andreas fault at the beginning of this month was a reminder of Nevada’s potential for earthquakes. “Nevadans need to realize they live in earthquake country,” said Graham Kent, the director of the Nevada Seismological Lab, in a press release. “Nevada has the third highest incidence of large earthquakes in the United States. A major earthquake in any community, north or south, is possible.” Annie Kell, an education and outreach seismologist at the Nevada Seismological Lab, says that while a major event on the San Andreas fault would not cause shaking or trigger earthquakes in our region,

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Nevada could feel the effects in unforeseen ways. “The migration of people displaced from an event [in Southern California] could have a big impact on our natural resources,” Kell said. The effects of a large earthquake in Southern California may not be our state’s biggest worry. Our region rests on top of what is named the Walker-Lane Seismic Belt, a region that, according to the United States Geological Survey, accounts for 25 percent of the boundary motion between the Pacific and North American Plates. Nevada sees as many as 50 earthquakes a day, Kell said, though many of them are too small to be felt or are centered in unpopulated regions. Prior to 1960, Nevada had several earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater and the potential for earthquakes was considered

See EARTHQUAKE page A3

NEVADA’S A SINKING SHIP

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