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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

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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

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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,

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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A2 | NEWS

NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

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

Volume 123 • Issue 08 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

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 bmecey@sagebrush.unr.edu

Web Manager • Willis Allstead wallstead@asun.unr.edu

Illustrator • Zak Brady jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu

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Staff Writer • Emily Fisher efisher@sagebrush.unr.edu

Staff Writer • Brandon Cruz bcruz@sagebrush.unr.edu

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CONTRIBUTING STAFFERS Claire Carlson, Annie Guddat, Javier Hernandez, Stephanie Rosauri, Ryan Suppe, Katie Worall

DISCLAIMER The Nevada Sagebrush is a newspaper operated by and for the students of the University of Nevada, Reno. The contents of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those opinions of the university or its students. It is published by the students of the University of Nevada, Reno, and printed by the Sierra Nevada Media Group.

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the Reno City Plaza to the Reno arch, where they had assembled peacefully. According to Police Chief Jason Soto, the man who drove his truck through the protesters, Nicholas Mahaffey, was confirmed to have been seen driving past the group of protesters as they marched toward the arch. Mahaffey was yelling profanities out of his window at the protesters. Several demonstrators at Tuesday night’s protest at the police station said they heard Mahaffey and his passenger yelling “F—k the Indians,” though the expletive was not caught on the videos taken of the protest. After reaching the arch, the protesters began to gather underneath it to take a group photo. Videos taken of the incident showed that the group stayed at the arch to take the photo for about two minutes, Soto said. “Some members of the group expressed to investigators that they intended to take a photograph under the arch, another participant reported that the plan was to occupy and block Virginia Street for two hours,” Soto said. While protesters were still on Virginia Street under the arch, Mahaffey drove up to the group. Mahaffey reportedly revved his engine and honked his horn several times. That’s when, according to Soto, people who were not part of the protest began to surround the truck and threaten Mahaffey and his 17-year-old passenger. According to Soto, some protesters were heard on tape telling Mahaffey to take

a different route through downtown, but several other individuals were heard making threatening statements and saying they would remove him from his vehicle and hurt him. Brightman said the group’s plan was to only take a photo under the arch, not to occupy the street for over a couple of minutes. James Fletcher, a 24-yearold man who was under the arch, tried to open the door of the pickup truck and then punched Mahaffey in the face, Soto said. Fletcher is being charged by the Reno police for simple battery. Mahaffey proceeded to move his truck forward to try to get through the protesters. As Mahaffey moved his truck forward, another individual under the arch, Samuel Harry, 21, is seen in a video punching Mahaffey’s 17-year-old passenger in the face. Soto said Mahaffey then drove through the crowd, injuring 59-year-old Kitty Colbert, who was hospitalized for several fractures, and at least four other protesters. Soto said Mahaffey drove through the crowd because “he feared for his safety and the acts of violence.” After a couple of minutes of driving through the crowd, Mahaffey called the police. In the press conference held after the incident on Tuesday, Soto had not yet said whether the driver would be arrested. Soto did say the protesters did not receive a permit from the City of Reno to protest. “If you want to protest on the sidewalk, there’s no law against that. Once you congregate on the street, there is a law for unlawful assembly,” Soto said.

AFTERMATH OF INCIDENT TRIGGERS RESPONSE FROM CITY OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS After the first press conference last Tuesday afternoon, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve issued a statement: “This incident is troublesome and saddens us deeply. I take these matters very seriously, and I believe they must be investigated thoroughly and promptly. Public safety is our highest priority, and I want all Reno residents to know that we are working swiftly and diligently to make sense of the events that took place last night. Please be advised that the Reno Police Department will hold anyone responsible accountable for their actions once the investigation has concluded. “I respect an individual or group’s right to conduct lawful protest and encourage people to express their First Amendment rights. Following the press conference and the second protest Tuesday evening, the Native American Student Organization hosted an event at the University of Nevada, Reno, on Thursday evening for students to show their support for victims of the Columbus Day protest. The event began with spiritual Native-American music that featured several singers and drummers. Those who gathered for the event on the lawn in front of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center danced and covered themselves in burning incense. Over 30 students and community members gathered at the event to show their support for those injured in the protest and to begin a conversation on why Columbus Day must be abolished. The open mic was

MORE CELEBERITIES WITH HER

ARRESTS MADE IN CONNECTION TO MONDAY NIGHT’S INCIDENT Following the UNR gathering, the Reno Police Department hosted a press conference Thursday evening to announce that three arrest warrants were issued for the incident. A warrant was issued for Mahaffey, who faces a misdemeanor charge of provoking an assault. Fletcher and Harry were both issued warrants for misdemeanor charges of simple battery. After hearing about the misdemeanor charges, several protesters and Native American leaders reported to be disappointed, including Colbert who told Brightman, “She demands that they prosecute and arrest the culprits.” According to Raquel Arthur, president of the American Indian Movement of Northern Nevada, the group plans to seek justice for Colbert. “All of us want to be safe,” Hamy said. “This week, I did not feel safe. I feared for my family and my community.” Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

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avaliable for audience members to discuss how to use one’s voice to show support. They also discussed how to counter racism and intolerance. “Columbus is dead but his legacy is not. It tells us whose lives matter and whose don’t,” said Caroline Hamy of the Pyramid Lake Paiute and Walker River Paiute tribes. “We can break away from this scheme, away from what Columbus created, and appreciate diversity. We can’t do that when this country holds onto a story of lies.”

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Patton Oswalt spoke to a small group of film students on Thursday, Oct. 13 at the University of Nevada, Reno. Oswalt was at the university to campaign for Hillary Clinton and to encourage students to register to vote.

“They are going to be touring the university facilities, they will be talking with faculty, administrators, staff and students and they will be validating the information we’ve provided them,” Cline said. “They will be asking penetrating questions about how do we know Silver Core will work? Do students have enough mathematics? Those kinds of things.” Cline said he has no doubt the university would receive reaccreditation, but if reviewers were not satisfied with the institution, it would be placed in a probationary status for a year in order to allow the institution to clean up its situation. If the reviewers were still not satisfied, Cline said a university would be required to close because students would not receive financial aid and the institution would not receive the federal grants for research. The university’s colleges and programs would also immediately lose their accreditation. Several for-profit colleges have put their accreditation in jeopardy after being criticized for deceptive marketing practices. Colleges like the University of Phoenix have been put on probation, forcing the institution to focus on solving its problems in order to be reaccredited. According to a PBS report from 2015, critics say degrees from these for-profit institutions are not considered credible by employers or graduate programs. “I believe firmly that we will be reaccredited,” Cline said. “I think we are doing a great job here at UNR, but we need to document it, and it is a helpful thing because they will look at us critically and will have recommendations. We are not perfect here, and that is information we can use to improve ourselves, and it is a process of continual introspection and improvement and making the university a special place.” Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Salsas October 23 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Glick Ballroom C

Admission $5 Students $8 Community

Tickets will be available at the door or in advance from Spanish Club members

SENATE RECAP OCT. 12 By Rachel Spacek

BUSINESS WTF NEVADA ABOLISHED In the 84th session of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, the senators held another discussion about the What to Fix Nevada program, which has been in flux since the end of the 83rd session. In a meeting last month, Sen. Luis Barragan began the discussion of rebranding the program. Barragan began the WTF Nevada conversation with a straw poll on changing the name of the program to “Student Voice,” a name previously proposed by Speaker ProTemp Hannah Jackson, or to “Pack Insight.” After a lengthy conversation on why the name of the program needed to be changed, Speaker Noah Teixeira and several other senators concluded that WTF Nevada needs to be given a whole new “name” and “face.” “I think we really have to figure out what the problem is. Is it the name or the branding? Is it the campaign itself and how we’re reaching out to students?” Jackson said. “There are a lot of problems and I think we have to define what the real problem is before we start fixing anything.” Teixeira concluded the conversation by proposing to abolish WTF Nevada completely and create a new program with a Speaker’s task force. Teixeira said he would have the new program up and running in two weeks.

APPOINTMENTS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING SENATE SEAT FILLED In an appointment for the senate seat for the College of Engineering, Trae Taylor, a transfer student from a community college in Las Vegas, was selected to serve ASUN as the college’s senator. After graduating from community college, Taylor worked as a banker where he said he learned to utilize teamwork to reach a common goal. In his speech, Taylor outlined what his goals as a senator would be. He said networking is an important part of engineering and he wants to connect his constituents with future employees. Taylor also said he wants students to have the opportunity to have a professional mentor as he did in his early education. Taylor had a mentor while he was studying at his previous community college, who worked for NASA. Taylor said he wants other students to experience the great benefits he has received from having a great mentor. With no negative comments on the candidate, the senate moved into a roll-call vote where Taylor was approved for the position unanimously. With his banking experience, Taylor was placed on the Committee on Budget and Finance, the Committee on Government Operations and the Committee on University Affairs. Rachel Spacek can be reached at rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

NEWS | A3

Earthquake Continued from page A2

serious, according to shakeout.org. These large earthquakes led Nevadans to be more prepared to make calculated decisions during and following historic quakes. The Silver State has only experienced one major earthquake since 1960. On Feb. 21, 2008, close to Wells, Nevada, in the northeastern part of the state, a 6.0 earthquake struck and caused over $10.5 million dollars in damage with over half of the 80 commercial and government buildings damaged and three homes destroyed. There were no serious injuries. Due to the dry spell since 2008, many Nevadans don’t consider earthquakes and the damage they can cause a major threat, said Kell. It is important to remember Nevada’s earthquake history and that a major event could occur at any time. To help Nevadans be more prepared for a major earthquake, the Great Nevada ShakeOut— an annual statewide public earthquake drill— was established in 2010. Following the example set by the state of California in 2008 with the first ShakeOut drill, Nevada drew over 110,000 participants in the first year. Each year more states participated, and in 2013 over 43 states had a drill of their own. Last year more than 560,000 Nevadans participated and close to 600,000 are registered for this year’s drill on Thursday, Oct. 20. At 10:20 a.m., entire schools, businesses and individual participants across the state of Nevada will be instructed to drop, cover and hold on as if there were a major earthquake, and to stay in that position for at least 60 seconds. The University of Nevada, Reno, will be testing its improved emergency broadcast systems during the drill, and professors are encouraged to take a minute out of their class time to participate. The ShakeOut is important because during a large earthquake, there is not a lot of time to stop and think about what you should do to protect yourself, and earthquakes with higher magnitudes often can cause tremendous movement, said Kell. “Drop, cover, hold on needs to be a knee-jerk reaction,” Kell said. Participants are also encouraged to practice other emergency procedures like preparing emergency kits and family plans and securing objects inside homes to prevent injury. In the United States, most of the injuries associated with earthquakes come from non-structural elements falling on or hitting people, said Kell. “We can’t prevent an earthquake, so we have to be resilient, to be prepared so we can perhaps lessen the impacts on lives and economic destruction that a major earthquake can cause,” Kent said. There is still time to register for this year’s ShakeOut. It takes less than a minute and is a great way to practice protecting yourself in the case of a large earthquake, said Kell. “Even if you aren’t participating in the oneminute drill, as you go through your day, in various locations consider what you would do in each space if an earthquake were to happen,” said Kell. Visit shakeout.org/nevada/register/ to join in on this year’s drill and for more information. Emily Fisher can be reached at efisher@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Sandoval approves new stadium in hope of attracting NFL team By Madeline Purdue Gov. Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 1 in Las Vegas on Monday, Oct. 17, to finalize plans for a new football stadium after calling a special session on Thursday in Carson City. SB-1 paves the way for the stadium to be built in Las Vegas, and backers hope to attract the Oakland Raiders to relocate to the state. The spotlight now turns to the 32 owners of the Raiders. In order for the franchise to relocate, 24 owners would have to approve the move. The decision is expected in January when the owners meet again in Houston, Texas. The stadium is expected to cost about $1.9 billion to build. $500 million will be provided by the Raiders and $650 million by Sheldon Adelson, CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. The other $750 million will be funded by Las Vegas tourists. Taxes on hotel rooms will increase by $1.38 every $100. Taxing will start Jan. 1. The Nevada Department of Transportation stated that $900 million in planned road construction would need to be pushed forward in order to compensate for the traffic the new stadium will bring. “As a Nevada resident, I am okay with [the stadium],” said Steven Coon, a student at the University of Nevada, Reno. “It could mean hectic traffic and potential mayhem because of the nature of the team, but I feel financially it could do the city some good if they use the money properly.” In order for SB-1 to pass, two-thirds of the Assembly and Senate had to approve the legislation. They approved the bill on Friday, Oct. 14.

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If the Raiders move to Las Vegas, this would be the second time in under 40 years the team will have left Oakland. However, the fans and members of the city won’t let them leave without a fight. “There is a long and complicated history between this team and this city,” said Oakland City Mayor Libby Schaaf to the Las Vegas ReviewJournal. “We’ve learned from the mistakes of the past and we won’t repeat them. Oakland is neither rolling over nor giving up. Now is the time for everyone in our region to pull together to show the NFL and the Raiders that their future is in Oakland.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell does not support the team’s potential move to Las Vegas. “Well, you never want to see a community lose their franchise once, much less twice,” Goodell said to the Associated Press. “That’s why we work so hard with our communities to say, ‘This is what you have to try to get to,’ because you need to try to make sure this franchise continues to be successful.” The stadium project will continue even if the NFL team does not relocate. A smaller stadium will be built for UNLV if the university can raise $200 million in private funds within a span of two years. The hotel room tax will also decrease so that it would generate $300 million for the project. Stadium backers believe that bringing the Raiders to Las Vegas could benefit Nevada’s economy. However, those against the stadium disagree. The stadium would be owned by the public, but the revenue generated from the Raiders and other events hosted there will be directed back to the private investors, which was the main reason

some Nevada lawmakers opposed the bill. “It is really hard to say if the new stadium is going to bring long-term economic benefit to Nevada,” said Mehmet S. Tosun, chair of the Economics Department at UNR. “The new stadium is thought to have a positive economic impact through jobs created to build and operate it. The economic impact through job creation will likely be short-term, whereas the cost would be over a longer period of time. Even though the tax increase would be borne by nonresidents, we are still talking about tax revenue that could be used elsewhere in the government, particularly in important government programs such as education, health care and infrastructure. Also, this may not be best timing since the state may face a budget shortfall in the next budget cycle.” Darion Strugs, a resident of Las Vegas and a student at UNR, agrees the money should be used elsewhere. “The money being put into trying to get a belowaverage team to Vegas is way too high,” said Strugs. “I’d rather have the effort being put into education or maybe even the hockey team that’s going to be here in a couple of years.” Strugs is referring to the new NHL expansion team Las Vegas has brought to the city. The team is expected to start playing in the new T-Mobile Arena next year. The football stadium is expected to be finished in time for the Raiders to play in Las Vegas by the 2020 season. Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madelinepurdue.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

PACK N THE EVENTS THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS WEEK By Blake Nelson

JOE'S FALL MOVIE SERIES: 'SUICIDE SQUAD' DATE: Thursday TIME: 6 p.m. LOCATION: Joe Crowley Student Union, Theatre INFO: Well, if you wanted

to see this movie and you're a rational human being who saw all the reviews and didn't want to pay to see it, then now's your chance. You can see the whole thing with free popcorn and drinks. Be sure to bring your friends so you can tear it apart after you leave the theater.

UNIVERSITY JAZZ ENSEMBLE #1 DATE: Thursday TIME: 7:30 p.m. LOCATION: Nightingale

Concert Hall INFO: Come to the premiere of UNR's large jazz ensemble. The band will be playing all sorts of music with a full sound that can only be experienced in person. Admission is free for students and $5 for the general public.

A NIGHT WITH DR. CALIGARI DATE: Friday TIME: 4 p.m. LOCATION: Robert Z.

Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park INFO: A screening of the 1920s classic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" will be accompanied by live music, beer and food trucks. Enjoy a night in the park to help support underprivileged students in Washoe County. Admission is only $10.

NEVADA VS. WYOMING TAILGATE DATE: Saturday TIME: 5:30 p.m. LOCATION: Joe Crowley

Student Union, Blind Onion, North Lawn INFO: Load up and get ready for the homecoming game. Get some deals on pizza, play some games and get amped for the most populated game of the year. Don't forget to bring your rally towel.

his week we will come together to celebrate all things Nevada Wolf Pack with our annual homecoming festivities. Besides celebrating all of those who graduated from the university, we come together out of a familial bond we have for one another as peers, as friends and above all, as members of the Wolf Pack. This year we celebrate Pack throwbacks with a multitude of events, including the 4th annual March from the Arch and the Nevada vs. Wyoming game. This year, I’d Blake like to pay some extra Nelson attention to the oftforgotten ritual known as tailgating. I’d like to examine some science related to all things tailgating, whether it’s what the party itself does to you or the things you bring to a party, we’re going to examine it all.

THE STUDY This first one is not necessarily a scientific study; rather, it’s one of the building blocks of the science of sociology. Émile Durkheim was one of the first to canonize sociology as a science. A pioneer in the field, Durkheim helped explore and flesh out much of what modern sociology actually studies. Where he relates to tailgating is in his term “collective effervescence,” or the idea that when people get together for an event and think the same thing, it leads to a state of high emotional energy. The emotional energy is then projected onto something like a symbol or structure, especially in the case of religion. This idea, Durkheim

argues, is one of the ways socialization is unlike solitary activity.

THE TAKE Although Durkheim uses the term “collective effervescence” in relation to religion, considering how much people worship football, I’m sure it applies here. This idea of getting together, getting amped up and then placing that energy on something is strikingly similar to a group of people yelling at their television when their team makes a touchdown. Applied to tailgating, it’s a different story. If you could come together before a game and get excited with other fans, who knows what kind of energy you could send your team before kickoff even occurs.

THE STUDY Two relatively recent studies have shown some compelling information about comfort food and why it is comforting. It’s not the taste of the food; it’s the smell of it. One of the studies has found that scent is one of the biggest factors in nostalgia, even more than music. The other study found that these nostalgia-inducing scents could be used to create a sense of belonging, something reminiscent of a better time. Comfort food, in other words, creates a sense of nostalgia because of the way it smells, usually making people feel like they belong.

THE TAKE What does this scent stuff mean? It means you should bring a barbecue, some meat and put the two together. Nothing is more nostalgic than smelling the smoke of barbecued meat wafting through the air. This will not only set a tone for your epic tailgating party but will also potentially leave everyone around you more happy and relaxed due to the remembrance of things past. It’s kind of poetic and it’s kind of awesome.

THE STUDY A study out of Australia has recently found that people who participate in musical activities are actually happier overall. This extends to musicians who play together, singers, people who attend music festivals and people who dance with other people. The study used “subjective well-being” or how happy people perceived themselves to be. People that were studied who reported to engage with music were overall happier than those who didn’t. The study took extra care to say the engagement had to be in the company of others. This highlights the interpersonal aspect that music has, something many sociologists think is one of the fundamental aspects of music.

HALLOWEEN COVER SHOW DATE: Saturday TIME: 6 p.m. LOCATION: The Holland

Project INFO: Have you ever wanted to see Blondie, Minor Threat or Modest Mouse? Well, the closest thing you'll get to seeing all of them and more at the same time is happening at Holland. Enjoy local rockers totally killing their respective sets. Only $5 at the door! Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@nevadasagebrush. unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

Examining science for better partying

Quinsey Sablan/Inkbot Marketing, ASUN

The Nevada stunt team carries the UNR flag onto the field on Oct. 3, 2015. Football games usually boast tailgate parties.

sign of a society working well. So do yourself a favor and turn the volume up.

THE STUDY An article posted by Trinity University describes “The Optimal Buzz” or the right amount of alcohol consumption that will allow you to have a good time and not have a hangover the next day. The article says the sweet spot is between .04 and .06 percent blood alcohol level. The issue here is that everybody's digestion of alcohol is different, so you have to pace yourself, about one drink an hour, and use a BAC calculator to know how much it would take to get you to the optimal buzz.

THE TAKE A few caveats here before we get into the awesome parts about alcohol: I am not advocating for underage drinking by any means — drinking while underage has been shown to cause health risks earlier for those who drink. Also, college students are hurting themselves more and more while under the influence of alcohol.

Drinking and driving is a public health issue and by no means should any person drive while under the influence of alcohol. Now that we got all of the dour parts out of the way, we can all collectively agree that alcohol is a wonderful stimulant that is great for parties, tailgates included. So you should bring a cooler filled with alcohol, probably something like beer because it is the easiest to pace yourself with. The ideal state is the optimal buzz; you’re trying to have a good time, not puke while heading into the stadium, so just relax, drink some water and have a beer once an hour. By doing this you’ll have a great time and you’ll be able to remember most of the game. So take what you want from this exploration of tailgating. I’m by no means saying that there is a best way to tailgate, but science is. Play your music, drink your beer, burn some meat and above all, get pumped. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

THE TAKE

Quinsey Sablan/ Inkblot Marketing, ASUN

A crowd cheers for the Wolf Pack at Lawlor Events Center on Jan. 23. Basketball experiences similar tailgating parties.

For one, go to more music festivals, but also bring music to the tailgate. If you can’t get a boombox to bring along, then just open up your truck doors and blast whatever dance music you want to listen to. This dancing will add to the overall atmosphere of the tailgate, but will also make everyone who attends the party happier in life. This goes along with some of what Durkheim was positing: the idea that doing things together, including listening and dancing to music, is a healthy

Flicker photo courtesy of Clayton Parker

Beer chills in a cooler on April 22, 2006. Beer is a popular alcoholic beverage for tailgating parties.

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

A&E | A5

Screenshot courtesy of Youtube.com

Ben Affleck reclines on a truck bed during the trailer for “The Account,” out on Oct. 14. Affleck plays a savant who is a hitman and a mathematical genius.

‘The Accountant’ proves to be inclusive, ultimately retelling the same old stuff By Stephanie Rosauri The movie opens with a man running across a busy street and into a brick building. He pulls out a gun and creeps past a hallway that is strewn with dead bodies. He makes his way up a staircase, careful not to make any noise. When he gets to the top of the staircase he hears a man pleading for his life from the other side of a door. The person inside the room is killed and someone creeps up behind the man and puts a gun to his head, roll title: “The Accountant.” The whole movie is like the opening: well-timed and able to inspire tension and anxiety in the audience, but nothing new. We have seen these characters and this plot before. Ben Affleck plays the main character, a savant who uses his math skills to do CPA work but is also a tough guy. J.K. Simmons plays a Treasury man on the verge of retirement, which creates a nice deadline for his and Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s storyline. Addai-Robinson plays a behavior analyst with a rough past, and if you can get over the numerous times she searches things on a knock-off Google only to find out absolutely no information, then you might actually like her character. Last but not least, we insert a nerdy Anna Kendrick who is there to offer some moments of comedy and show that Affleck’s character has a heart. All of these characters are just a rehashing

of characters that have been in many other action films. “The Accountant” is told in a myriad of flashbacks and side stories that come together in the end like a perfectly put-together puzzle: where all of the pieces fit together flawlessly, but in a bit of a predictable way and nothing that moviegoers haven’t seen already. In the end, it offers a cute and funny story with a moral of how people are different, not less than, by portraying developmental disorders in a unique but not altogether believable way. There have been many cases of people with developmental disorders like autism doing exceptionally in specific aspects of life. There is a real man who can fly over a city once and recreate the entire city. We also see these abilities portrayed in movies like “Rain Man,” where Raymond, the character with autism, has an incredible ability to recall information. These portrayals in the media allow audiences to extend their belief that Affleck’s character is able to do incredible accounting for bad guys, allowing him to amass a hefty sum of money and valuable items such as a cherished original Jackson Pollock painting. However, this belief may not be able to be extended to believing that Affleck’s character is also able to use those abilities to become a stone cold killer. One aspect of the representation of developmental disorders

in this movie is unique and a bit refreshing. In many movies when someone has a developmental disorder, the movie ends with the character changing and trying to become more neurotypical. Pleasingly that is not what happens at the end of this movie. If you want to find out how it does end, you will just have to go see it! Stephanie Rosauri can be reached at bnelson@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @b_e_nelson.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

‘THE ACCOUNTANT’ Release Date: Oct. 14 Genre: Action

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Nevada vs. Wyoming

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Opinion A6

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

STAFF EDITORIAL

Hold Reno police accountable O

n Friday, Oct. 14, local law enforcement failed those who were victims of the violent incident that occured downtown last week. That is not an exaggeration, nor is it fabrication. A young man who hatefully and mercilessly drove through a crowd of peaceful protesters is free once more, after only hours in custody, confirming for those with any lingering doubts that Reno is not immune to the kind of racialized policing that plagues the rest of this country. For those that may be unaware of the full sequence of events, this is the way things unfolded: Monday, Oct. 10: A group of demonstrators gathered under the Reno arch as part of a protest against Columbus Day. A white pickup approached the group and its driver repeatedly revved the engine. A brief altercation ensued between bystanders, protesters and the driver. The driver then drove through the crowd, which included seniors and small children in strollers, seriously injuring a 59-year-old woman. Tuesday, Oct. 11: Reno Police Chief Jason Soto held a news conference.

When asked about why the driver, who had already been identified, was not in custody Soto’s justification was that “we sat down and had a conversation with the individual.” Thursday, Oct. 13: The Reno Police Department held a news conference outlining the timeline of Monday’s events. Soto stated that the driver called the police after driving through the crowd and “indicated [he and his passenger] were the victim of a battery while they were seated in the vehicle.” Never in this conference did Soto identify those who were purposefully run down as “victims.” Friday, Oct. 14: The driver, Nicholas Mahaffey, was booked into the county jail on a charge of provoking an assault — a misdemeanor. Two others involved in the altercation were charged with simple battery. Mahaffey was quickly released on a $10,000 bail, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. Every step of this investigation has been an illustration of the same privilege that has been seen in countless cases of violent acts by young white males across the country. The RPD has followed in the footsteps of

their counterparts who have allowed rapists to walk free and ensured mass murderers such as Dylann Roof were treated with the utmost respect, including being given a hot Burger King meal. In these instances, the best interest of the criminals was placed above the best interest of their victims. The fact that Mahaffey was convicted of a misdemeanor and only spent a very limited time in jail denies justice to those who were terrified and victimized by his actions. The RPD has attempted to excuse Mahaffey’s crime as an act of self-defense. In the Oct. 13 news conference, Soto described Mahaffey’s side of the story as a sequence of events that caused him to “[fear] for his safety based on the threats and acts of violence” fromthe individuals surrounding his vehicle. He was, apparently, so frightened that the very people he could have killed “caused him to drive through the crowd to avoid being seriously injured.” Take a moment to consider that. They caused his actions, thus he cannot be held responsible, right? Wrong. Let us be perfectly clear: nothing

these demonstrators did or did not do warranted, excused or justified Mahaffey’s action. This was a deliberate hit-and-run, and possible hate crime, committed by an adult who could have easily reversed his car’s direction or made a U-turn. He had a choice, and he chose to endanger the lives of dozens of people. Yet, not once in the course of this investigation has Mahaffey been held responsible for his actions. He portrayed himself as the victim, and our law enforcement seems to have taken his word for it. Meanwhile, the real victims’ voices have gone largely unheard. Multiple people involved in the demonstration have stated that Mahaffey passed by them multiple times and yelled racially-fueled expletives such as “F--k the Indians.” He is seen on video pulling up to the group and revving his engine multiple times, an action that even Soto described as antagonistic. If you were one of the individuals who experienced or witnessed this, would you not feel a need to intervene? To try to prevent the scenario that ultimately occurred? In this instance, it seems that

trying to dissuade a person from committing an atrocity is a more egregious offense than actually committing said atrocity. The actions of the RPD represent a shameful miscarriage of justice. It is incredibly difficult to see the sequence of events as anything but law enforcement allowing yet another young white man to get away with a crime while the people of color who were directly affected by the crime. It is time that we as a community come together to demand that real justice is carried out. It is time to stand with our Native community who was so tragically targeted by this despicable crime. If you, like us, do not want to live in a city where there is a chance that your civic protectors give preferential treatment to some criminals, take action. Letters can be sent to: 455 E. Second St., Reno, Nevada, 89501. Calls can be made to: (775) 334-2121. Emails can be sent to: askrpd@reno. gov. The editorial board can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Hillary is a much needed inspiration

Flickr courtesy of Michelle O’Connell

The Muppets are a cast of puppets who have entertained using sketch comedy. The Muppets have now gained celebrity status on an international level. In recent news, Germany has referred to the 2016 presidential election as “The Muppet Show.“

Kermit for president M

y mornings typically follow a common routine. I roll out of bed, brew the same shitty 8 - ounce cup of coffee and try to catch a glimpse of whatever morning show I am not too late to watch. All doing this of course while switching to “The Price is Right” on commercial breaks (God forbid I miss a game of Plinko). Last Monday was not much different. Morning show of choice - “The Talk.” What one of the cast members said has stuck with me since. It was the morning following the second presidential debate. The topic of conversation was not much different than the thousands of other similar ones being had across America and even the rest Ali of the world. This Schultz election has spiraled Schultz Happens into some sick form of entertainment. Our candidates resemble loathed childhood bullies more than potential world leaders. On this related note, Underwood mentioned that many Germans were calling the 2016 US presidential election “The Muppet Show.” This got me thinking. Germany, this has to be offensive to the Muppets. Maybe if the 2016 candidates had more similar characteristics of the Muppets, this election would be less of a laughing stock and more of a prophetic chance of a brighter future. It’s so unfortunate that the political conversations in our living rooms

have changed from pridefully backing a candidate to instead chatting over the “lesser of two evils.” Something that “The Muppet Show” and the 2016 election have in common is the prevailing theme of jokes. The Muppets ingeniously craft jokes in their skits, while the candidates are pretty much jokes period. Here are a few reasons why The Muppets would be offended by this comparison:

1. THE MUPPETS HAVE BETTER MANNERS. I can confidently say that Kermit the Frog would never make comments about groping Miss Piggy! The Muppets would never make ill-hearted comments regarding their peers!

2. THE MUPPETS ARE ENTERTAINING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. The Muppets have entertained thousands over the years spanning a large age gap. They have taught children lessons through their sketches while also entertaining adults with their clever innuendos. The presidential debates have transitioned into more of an unfortunate form of entertainment instead of an informative platform. Instead of hearing candidates stances on issues, we now listen to the candidates just badger each other until time runs out.

3. THE MUPPETS HAVE MORE NUANCED PERSPECTIVE ON OUR COUNTRY’S RACE ISSUES. Come on, people. Kermit has said it himself. “It ‘ain’t easy being green.” He knows there are problems in this country

in regard to systemic racism. When in the past, Clinton has made the comment insinuating African Americans were “superpredators” in a 1996 interview. And as for Trump, well, do I even have to explain?

4. ANIMAL IS MORE ARTICULATE THAN DONALD TRUMP. One of the Muppets protagonists, Animal, is known for having a very limited vocabulary. Most of what he mutters is grunts and one syllable phrases. I’m sure a lot of the time we wish Trump would just grunt. Maybe that would spare us from the moronic comments we all have witnessed this election. Ah yes, I would take “ummm, ughhhhh” over mocking those with disabilities any day.

5. THE MUPPETS LIVE MORE HONESTLY. Kermit the Frog said it best: “Never try and mess up someone’s life with a lie when yours can be destroyed with the truth.” Our candidates are constantly berating each other. Both are constantly accusing each other of things, and although many things the candidates may say about each other could be argued truthful, others may be undeniably false. It is pretty safe to say both candidates have probably committed some morally questionable things in their pasts. So Germany, yeah, I too agree this election is a laughing stock. But at this point I’m wishing some of my favorite Muppets were running for office. Ali Schultz studies journalism. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr. edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

rowing up in my household, it was customary to be invested in an education and to be grateful for the support system I had because my parents grew up in a time where it was very difficult to get a quality education. Both my parents are first-generation college students and had a difficult time getting to the position they are in today because of the way our society treats working-class families. My father took 15 years to graduate from college Katie because he couldn’t Worall afford it, something that Nevada has progressively been working to fix over the years. My mother’s father came from Portugal, and English was not his first language. Both her parents were constantly working, so she basically had to get through school by herself. She not only couldn’t afford college but was also constantly being told by her peers she couldn’t get through college successfully simply because she was a woman. I remember her telling me a story about how in college men would tell her she couldn’t be an engineer because she wasn’t smart enough. Every time she told me the story, I was so upset I wanted to go straight to those men who doubted her and tell them my mom can do anything a man can do and so can all other women in the world. From an early age, I always wanted to stand up for people who didn’t have a voice and were excluded, though I didn’t realize this was my passion until very later in life. Instead, after my mother’s encouragement, I devoted much of my education to excelling in math and science. I took action on her advice and joined my high school’s science bowl team in the hopes I could learn more about the field and connect with similarminded peers. I remember competing in events and feeling isolated because, more often than not, I was the only girl in the room. I felt like I didn’t belong, and even though I knew I had so much more to offer, being in a maledominated environment made it difficult to have a voice and be taken seriously. Eventually, I went on to college and decided to become an engineer, even though it was a heavily maledominated field. I did not doubt my abilities and was ready to take on the difficult task. I still love science and math, but after seeing so many women in my life feel inferior to men, I decided to pursue social activism in order to guarantee the people being silenced have a voice. I didn’t realize it until very recently, but helping people and advocating for people who aren’t being treated with dignity are the reasons I wake up in the morning. They’re the reasons I pour every last bit of my time into this campaign to elect people who care about other people. We aren’t the people who just walk by someone in need; we talk to them and help them

in every way we can. I only recently reflected on my experience after reading Hillary Clinton’s feature in Humans of New York. For the first time, I became aware of how often situations like my own happen to women and better understood my struggles in a male-dominated world. As the only woman in the room on countless occasions, Hillary Clinton learned at a young age to control her emotions so that she could push forward in a society that was not ready to embrace female success. In their generation, women like Hillary, my mother and my grandmother were expected to stay home, have kids and leave behind any dream for a career. It took women like Hillary to stand up to these stereotypical norms, redefining our role entirely so that women could not only enter the room men have occupied for ages but also take a seat at the front of the table. That is why we need her in the White House. By implementing policies that close the wage gap and increase the minimum wage and investments in STEM education programs, Hillary will continue to shatter glass ceilings for women everywhere. We know this kind of progress is desperately needed right here in Nevada, where the gender wage gap costs our economy a combined $2.4 billion annually. This gap has an even greater impact on women of color, with Latinas in Nevada making on average 52 cents for every dollar a man makes. We can’t continue to ignore this statistic, and we can’t afford to look backward by electing a man like Donald Trump, who would unravel our success and singlehandedly dismantlethe progress women have made since we gained our suffrage. Trump has not only opposed equal-pay-forequal-work legislation but has also insulted women throughout his life and campaign. He’s even gone as far as insinuating violence against Hillary Clinton, joking about disarming her Secret Service agents to see “what would happen to her.” It’s comments like these that confirm how much is at stake in this election. We cannot let Trump set the precedent that this is an acceptable way to treat women. This is not only frightening but dangerous, and we must do all it takes to prevent our future daughters from seeing a world where women are dehumanized. As I have become more politically involved in the fight for women’s rights, tearing down the double standards that prevent women from succeeding no longer feels unattainable. Seeing real progress for gender equality means shattering the ultimate glass ceiling. That’s why I’m putting all my efforts into helping elect Hillary Clinton as our first woman president. I believe that Hillary is the inspiration girls need to feel like we can belong anywhere and can accomplish anything. Women like her and my mother, who consistently shatter glass ceilings, are inspirations and mavericks I am eternally grateful for. Katie Worrall is a sophomore studying political science and psychology. She is a fellow with Hillary for Nevada and a member of the Nevada Young Democrats.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

OPINION | A7

@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com

Is Facebook lame yet? N

“

obody likes that anymore” is a phrase well-known by those who, like me, tend to discover the latest hit song, internet sensation or national trend long after everyone else has lost interest. I heard it when I discovered “Uptown Funk” in 2016, Star Trek years after Roddenberry had died and when I made my first Facebook account in early high school. I remember the Dominique joy — the cocoon of Kent welcomeness — I felt coming from this newfound step into adulthood. I had a Facebook account, therefore my coolness knew no bounds. I faced a harsh reality when, upon approaching other, wiser classmates with my new status, I was met with

a response of “nobody uses that anymore.” Years later, having kept my account and seen firsthand many people do use Facebook, it has become clear that “nobody” is subjective. Today, though, in an America wherein instant gratification is the name of the game and change is the only constant, the question rises again. Is Facebook defunct? Sometimes it would seem so. Although many of my older friends have accounts and use them often, I tend to encounter a significant amount of people my age and younger who don’t bother with Facebook. The situation has even found its way into popular culture. In a skit by CollegeHumor titled “How Facebook Is Like Your Desperate Ex,” the actress lays out the reasons why she left Facebook, saying, “You’re lame now.” All of these signs seem to culmi-

nate in the idea that my worst fear from high school has come true: Facebook is old news and I am lame. I can’t speak definitively about the second point — I might be lame — but as to the first, I’d say don’t close your account just yet. In addition to being a repository for humorous videos, daily comics and pictures of dogs, Facebook still has a real role to play in society and still has a powerful impact. Facebook has more than 1.5 billion viewers, according to adweek. com. This is higher than Instagram (400 million) and Twitter (320 million) combined, two of the social media platforms that are sometimes considered more relevant and more popular with younger users than Facebook. The impact of Facebook became apparent during this election season. Over the course of four days in September, Facebook displayed

a banner on the home pages of all Facebook users who would be voting age or older by the November presidential election urging them to register to vote. The banner included two links, one leading to a voter registration site and the other allowing users who had already registered to post about their intention to vote. The banner led to high numbers of online voter registration in states like California, Maryland, Indiana and Washington. According to The New York Times, Indiana saw its third-highest registration numbers ever. The effect of the banner also proves that not all young people are leaving Facebook. Of the online registration increases in California over the four-day period, 24 percent of them were aged 17 to 25. All of these numbers show I’m not the only one who checks my Facebook feed several times a day.

Facebook might not be growing at the rate it was in its early days when everyone from your great-grandmother to your 11-year-old nephew absolutely had to have a Facebook, but Facebook certainly isn’t dying. Facebook is still an effective tool with a solid presence in the modern world. Maybe 15- and 16-year-olds have lost interest, but much of the rest of the world is still using the platform to keep track of the multitude of relationships, both professional and personal, that are necessary to maintain. The numbers show that Facebook users aren’t lame yet. The social media platform still has a good deal of life in it yet, allowing latecomers like myself to continue updating our statuses with confidence. Dominique Kent studies English. She can be reached at dkent@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @DominiqueTrekker.

Just say yes to a life full of adventure

Photo Courtesy of DVD releases

Christmas comedy, ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,’ came out in 1992. Despite many sequels not living up to the original, ‘Home Alone 2’ did exactly the opposite.

‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’ is one of few quality sequels out there

f Macaulay Culkin ran for president as his pre-adolescent self, he would win in a landslide, and it’s not because of his role in “My Girl” (what kind of hero dies in a bumblebee attack?). As Kevin McCallister in the Chris Columbusdirected and John Hughes-written “Home Alone,” he was James Bond, Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes, Bruce Wayne, the Hardy Boys, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid all at once. He was a misunderstood, crime-fighting, junk food-eating, Ryan punk kid who just Suppe wanted freedom from his oppressive and scatterbrained family. Kevin gets exactly what he wants when he’s left home alone during the holidays, and two idiotic burglars force him to prove his natural cunning. After an hour and 55 minutes of bliss, the world obviously needed more of Kevin and the wet bandits. Two years later, Colum-

bus, Hughes and Culkin reunited and dropped two more hours of bliss, and it became one of the greatest movie sequels of all time on par with “The Godfather Part II,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Toy Story 2.” I’m going to give you five reasons why.

1. IT’S THE SAME STORY AS THE FIRST MOVIE, BUT IT’S STILL ORIGINAL AND NEVER BORING. Most sequels try too hard to come up with a fresh story using the same characters, and they fail miserably, usually because the original story wasn’t all that interesting or there wasn’t anything more that needed to be said. Would you ever try to add anything to “Forrest Gump”? Sequels at their heart are cheap ploys to make more money on previously successful productions. They’re like the iPhone 5C of storytelling.

2. “IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT,” SAID EVERYONE’S COACH/DAD/MENTOR EVER. Kevin, Harry and Marv were

already perfect characters, so the only way to revisit them was to not change anything except the setting. This time, Kevin is in New York instead of Chicago. The wet bandits become the sticky bandits. Kevin’s mom struggles with more holiday season air-travel problems. The snow shovel-wielding neighbor is replaced by a pigeon-feeding homeless woman in Central Park.

3. THE ONLY NEW CHARACTERS ARE TOTALLY UNESSENTIAL, YET TOTALLY ESSENTIAL. What’s the best way to introduce new characters to an alreadysuccessful cast? Make sure those actors are Tim Curry and Eddie Bracken. Tim Curry as a nosy hotel attendant? Perfection. Eddie Bracken as a jolly toy shop owner? The role he was born to play. They didn’t need to be in a “Home Alone” sequel, but they made it so much better, like Jessie and Bullseye in the “Toy Story” sequel or Data in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”

4. IT’S A NEW YORK CITY CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE. As Kevin wisely states, “There are no Christmas trees in Florida.” Everybody loves Christmas, and everybody loves images of New York during Christmas. This formula is infallible: New York City + the holidays = fun. It’s ABC Family’s wet dream. You could take an unwatchable movie like “Suicide Squad” and throw in this formula, and it becomes instantly watchable. Take “Schindler’s List,” add this formula and it becomes a “Christmas comedy.” A few of the best are “Die Hard,” “The Godfather,” “Elf” and most certainly “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”

5. DONALD J. TRUMP MAKES A CAMEO. This fact doesn’t make the movie better in any way, but I included it so my article shows up on a Trump Google search. Ryan Suppe studies philosophy. He can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

’ve always been a big fan of quotes. Any of my Pinterest followers can attest to this: every other photo is a quote about dreaming big, working hard or doing more. I’ve spent many nights browsing through the inspirational quote accounts on Pinterest, thinking about the power of Winston Churchill’s proclamations about courage. Each night I go to bed feeling a tad superior, knowing that I am spending my time doing worthwhile things like being artsy while surfing the internet. Recently, I’ve realized I am a hypocrite. All I do is read quotes about being adventurous without actually being adventurous. Staying at home watching videos about traveling to Cuba isn’t the same as going to Cuba, and it’s about time I change this. My mom (my biggest fan, my smartest adviser) and I talk about doing big things a lot. She herself has done a lot of big things in her life, like hitchhiking across Canada as a 17-year-old, rafting in Nepal with the Nepalese and living in Costa Rica. My mom is possibly the coolest person I know, and she has always encouraged me to travel and take risks, which is a support that I know many people don’t have. I have a wonderful friend Claire who lacks this support in Carlson her life. She is a halfway-first generation American and the first in her family to go to college, which means that she has a lot of pressure on her back already. My friend has spent her entire life trying to live up to her parents’ demands that she become a doctor. Instead of doing what she loves and majoring in English, she now attends UNR as a neuroscience major. Too many students aren’t doing what they want because of pressure from people who probably didn’t do what they wanted in their own life, or because they fear failure or embarrassment or the judgment of their family. I am familiar with how scary failure is and the horror of being embarrassed. This is why I read quotes instead of living them. Being afraid is a stupid reason to not do things. Fear has driven my life to so many places I never wanted to go, and it’s about time I stop this scaredy-cat train. The idea of never pursuing my goals and living an average life is much more terrifying to me than getting a little embarrassed or faltering a step on the way to these goals, and I am ready to throw myself wholeheartedly into the pursuit. I encourage others to do the same. I encourage my friend, the brilliant firstgeneration student, to do what she loves despite the judgment of others. I encourage every student who feels as if they are stuck in a rut or not doing what they’ve always loved to take a step back and remove themselves from their fears. Look at the bigger picture and know that every successful, happy person was at one point just like you and me: a scared, broke college student wanting to do something but not knowing how. I implore you to throw your trepidations to the wind. I know this is far more difficult than said and takes a lot more than just one random girl in one random newspaper piece, but I ask that you follow the lovely Tina Fey’s words of wisdom: “Just say yes and you’ll figure it out afterwards.” Say yes to the unknown, say yes to adventure and say yes to what you’ve always dreamed of. And go ahead and follow my Pinterest account. Claire Carlson studies International affairs. She can be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.

Sports

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

Akeel Lynch calls it quits By Brandon Cruz The Nevada Wolf Pack Football program lost more than its .500 record this weekend and linebackers Alex Bertrando and Travis Wilson, who both went down with injuries. The most recent blow came when running back Akeel Lynch announced his retirement from football. “Having suffered two significant concussions in a short period of time, and discussing with doctors and family members, I have made the decision to stop playing football,” said Lynch via twitter. Lynch found his way to Nevada this past summer to join the ranks of James Butler and Jaxson Kincaide. He was originally meant to be the back-up to Butler, but after suffering a concussion during their game at Notre Dame and another in Hawaii, Kincaide replaced Lynch. On his retirement, “Honestly speaking, this is one of the hardest decisions I’ve come across. The decision I made was for my future self. I’ve been battling the internal conflict between a childhood dream and a consequence of another concussion.” Lynch’s concerns regarding the possibility of concussions affecting his future are warranted. After numerous concussions, the quality of life of former players begins to suffer. A prime example is former Nevada defensive end Ian Seau’s uncle Junior Seau. Seau suffered multiple concussions while playing in the NFL and ended up suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This is a type of chronic brain damage found in a great deal of former NFL players. While Lynch seemed disheartened by the fact that he will not be able to play football professionally again, he has seemed to accept the change in the best way possible. “Looking back, I realize this game has blessed me tremendously. It has given a Canadian kid the opportunities to play on a national level, become a college graduate, and is currently allowing me to pursue my Masters in Educational Leadership at UNR. I can’t forget to mention the people I’ve met and life lessons I was given while chasing the American dream. I’ll be forever grateful for this game,” Lynch said via twitter. The Pack will look to rebound against Wyoming this coming weekend, as they attempt to fill the void left by Lynch and the countless other injured players on the roster this season.

Breanna Denney/Nevada Sagebrush

Cameron Oliver rises up to slam down a dunk against Utah State last season at Lawlor Events Center. Oliver was named preseason MWC player of the year.

Oliver named preseason player of the year By Brandon Cruz

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

Quinsey Sablan/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada running back Akeel Lynch (22) kneels during the opening game of the 2016 against Cal Poly on Sept. 2 at Mackay Stadium. Lynch, who was a graduate transfer from Penn State, has retired from football after sustaining multiple concussions.

Kaepernick makes first start against Buffalo By Jack Rieger On Sunday afternoon, Colin Kaepernick started an NFL game for the first time in almost a year. His lack of play hasn’t kept him out of the spotlight, as Kaerpernick’s national anthem protest has become a countrywide storyline for the last two months. In his first start of the season, Kaepernick put in an underwhelming performance, completing 13 of 29 passes for one touchdown and running eight times for 66 yards in a 45-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. His play wasn’t the topic of conversation, but rather his return to the field. Kaepernick has taken a knee before every game to communicate that he will not “show pride in a flag or country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Kaepernick certainly received his share of criticism on Sunday. One fan was spotted selling T-shirts that pictured Kaepernick with a rifle scope aimed at his chest. Another fan was spotted throwing a beer bottle at Kaerpernick while the quarterback was on the sideline. The bottle-throwing fan was found by security and escorted out of the stadium. After the game, reporters asked Kaepernick how he feels about being called un-American. “I don’t understand what’s un-American about fighting for liberty and justice for everybody —

for the equality that this country says it stands for,” Kaepernick said. “To me, I see it as very patriotic and American to uphold the United to States to the standards that it says it lives by. That’s something that needs to be addressed.” Not all Buffalo fans were against Kaepernick’s protest. Before the game, Kaepernick met with Buffalo natives who supported his cause. “That’s huge,” Kaepernick said. “I think it’s something. Once again, people are realizing this is a real issue that affects many people. And it’s something that has to be addressed and until us as people recognize and address that some of us have privilege and some of us don’t. “And some of us are able to do certain things without consequences and others of us can’t. Those are all things that need to be addressed. Me as a black man that plays football and is considered a celebrity, I’m treated differently than a man that’s working a nine-to-five in the hood. And that’s just the reality of it.” On Monday afternoon, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly said Kaepernick would again start this upcoming Sunday against Tampa Bay. Whether he’s the starting quarterback or not, Kaepernick has pledged to continue his protest of kneeling during the national anthem for the rest of the year. Jack Rieger can be reached at jreiger@sagebrush.unr. edu and on Twitter @JackRieger.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco 49ers media services

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) calls out plays against the Miami Dolphins last season at Levi Stadium. Kaepernick made his first start of the season last Sunday against the Bills.

The accolades keep rolling in for Cameron Oliver as the Nevada forward was named preseason Player of the Year by Yahoo Sports on Oct. 11. It should not come as a surprise to anyone who has tuned in to watch Nevada play that Oliver has received yet another award. According to the Nevada basketball website, Oliver had one of the “best freshman seasons in Nevada history.” Oliver proved this statement to be true with the numbers he put up during his rookie campaign. He averaged a shooting percentage of 50.8 from the field and 13.4 points a game. He also led Nevada in rebounds and blocks with 9.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks on average. Oliver’s such an impressive talent he considered pulling a Kevin Durant and entering the NBA draft after his freshman season. Along with being named the preseason player of the year in the Mountain West, Oliver was also named to the 2016-2017 preseason All-Mountain West conference team by College Sports Madness. He also won numerous accolades last season, such as being named Freshman of the Year by conference media, being named to the All-Mountain West Tournament Team and to the All-Mountain West third team. The 6-foot-8 sophomore also stepped up to help the team when it needed him most last season. Oliver shined in the spotlight during the Pack’s six CBI contests, averaging 19 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks a game. He also shot a remarkable percentage from the field at 58.1 percent. “Oliver blossomed into a 20-point, 10-rebound threat late last season and could be the Mountain West’s top big man of the year,” said Yahoo Sports writer Jeff Eisenberg. “He’s the best interior player in the league and one of the most versatile,” wrote Chris Murray of the Reno Gazette-Journal. Brandon Cruz can be reached at bcruz@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @Brandon_Cruz23.

SPORTS | A9

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

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