Governor Tim Walz Campaigns in Reno, Spotlighting National Issues and Community Involvement
By Emily Hess
Tim Walz, Minnesota Governor and Kamala Harris’ running mate, made a stop in Reno on Oct. 8 as part of his vice presidential campaign, drawing attention to pressing national issues like health care reform, education and economic growth. The visit emphasized the critical role of community involvement in addressing these challenges, with a particular focus on local engagement as a driving force for national progress.
The event featured discussions on the importance of working together at the grassroots level to tackle broader societal issues. Attendees shared perspectives on how community collaboration can ensure that resources remain accessible and
that voices from all backgrounds are heard. The conversations underscored the significance of local efforts in shaping the nation’s future, particularly as the country navigates complex issues in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
Adding to the day’s energy, Ed Helms, actor and comedian known for his roles in The Office and The Hangover, made an appearance, lending his support to Walz’s campaign. Helms spoke about the importance of civic participation and the power of community-driven change, reinforcing the message that individual and collective efforts are essential in moving the country forward.
Governor Walz’s campaign continues to highlight the need
for collaboration between communities and national leadership to drive meaningful change. His Reno stop brought attention not only to key national issues, but also to the pivotal role communities play in shaping the country’s future. The presence of public figures like Helms further energized the event, sparking conversations about the value of local action in the national dialogue.
Emily Hess can be reached via email at emilyghess3@gmai.com or on Twitter or Instagram via @NevadaSagebrush.
Charlie Kirk’s “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour” Stops at University of Nevada, Reno
By Emily Hess
On Oct. 8, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, brought his “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour” to the University of Nevada, Reno, sparking significant attention on campus. The event, held outside the Joe Crowley Student Union at Gateway Plaza, attracted a crowd of students and community members eager to hear Kirk’s message. Volunteers from Turning Point USA were stationed around the university, distributing flyers and encouraging student participation in the event.
Kirk’s speech focused on challenging what he perceives as left-leaning ideologies dominating college campuses. His presence was met with both support and protest, reflecting the growing political divide on campus. Supporters praised Kirk for his stance on free speech and conservative values, while detractors expressed concerns over his past controversial statements on social issues. The event highlighted the university’s commitment to allowing diverse viewpoints while also sparking a conversation about the balance of free speech and community values.
Although tensions were present, the event concluded without major incidents, showcasing the importance of political discourse at universities. For many, this was an opportunity to engage directly with differing perspectives, whether in support or opposition to Kirk’s message.
Emily Hess can be reached via email at emilyghess3@gmai.com or on Xor Instagram via @NevadaSagebrush.
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Jill Biden Comes to The Silver State Amidst the 2024 Election
By Alex Psak
With only months left in her position, Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States, came into town this past Sunday, Oct. 13 to encourage citizens to vote. She arrived at the RenoTahoe International Airport around 11:25 am with a fully prepared security team and instantly took off to Carson City via an organized motorcade.
Once arriving in Carson City, the First Lady headed to the Carson Piazza Bar, where she then engaged in a quick speech attempting to persuade and support those in attendance to vote. Her speech and presence created an excited, electric buzz in the room. Before departing, she proceeded to take pictures with everybody at the Piazza Bar, including the staff, ensuring to shake hands and showcase her signature smile.
After her short trip to Carson City, she proceeded to travel back to Downtown Reno via motorcade again, arriving at the Automobile Museum around 1:15pm.
While at the Museum, First Lady Biden performed another speech, now encouraging those in attendance to vote in favor of her husband’s vice president and current presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her vice president pick Tim Walz. While campaigning for Harris-Walz, Jill Biden shared stories about Harris and explained Harris’ in-depth political objectives that she would carry out if elected into office.
During her speeches, the First Lady emphasized the importance of women’s rights and choices, along with discussing the costs of living in regards to grocery prices and sustainable household rates across the nation.
“No one has to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government shouldn’t be telling women what to do,” said Biden.
Biden began to list off reasons why voters should vote for Harris.
“Kamala will lower prices, she will fight back against greedy corporations and crack down on price gouging.”
“Our health, safety, and freedoms shouldn’t hinge on the state you live in,” she said while talking about abortion rights.
The First Lady makes it apparent where she stands regarding specific issues plaguing the country and strongly expresses how she believes the Harris-Walz campaign will address that if voted into office.
While endorsing the Harris-Walz campaign, Jill Biden also states how another Trump administration will ultimately lead to chaos and division. Her speech went into deep detail in expressing her negative opinion on Donald Trump and his policies, particularly his plans for taxing.
“While families are paying more for groceries, Donald Trump wants to give those same corporations a tax cut so that they can make more money!” said Biden. Her visit reflected the passion and determination that the Democratic Party currently is conveying, and although the First Lady visit to the Silver State was short-lived, she seemed to have a huge impact on the crowds after this politically driven week.
Nevada Secretary of State Stops By The Joe
By Wade Widmann
Francisco, “Cisco” Aguilar, Nevada’s Secretary of State, visited the University of Nevada, Reno on Sept. 25. The visit was part of “Discussions in Democracy,” a series of events hosted by the Associated Students of the University of Nevada.
The Secretary of State, elected every four years, supervises elections across the state and maintains official records for the executive branch and the legislature. The position is also the third-highest ranking in the state after the governor and lieutenant governor, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
After being introduced by Brian Sandoval, president of the university, Aguilar answered questions by students covering digital voting, new voting machines and budget spending.
“I’ve been everywhere talking to youth,” Aguilar said when asked why he came to the university. He stressed the importance of voting here, describing Washoe County as “a battleground county in a battleground state.”
The Discussions in Democracy series is part of a larger push by ASUN and the Center for Student Engagement called “Vote Pack,” intended to encourage more students to vote this November. Vote Pack also includes their voter registration portal, links to voter resources and a mailing address for students to use when they register to vote if their primary residence is outside of Washoe county.
“[We had] about 72 percent voter turnout from University of Nevada students… in the 2020 general election,” Dawson Deal, president of ASUN, said. “Elections can be determined by only a couple thousand votes… and when we have a population of seventeen thousand plus undergraduate students on top of our graduate students, that can have a significant influence.”
“Discussions in Democracy” continued later in the week on Thursday, Oct. 3, as Cathrine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Senator, and Sandoval led a discussion focused on Latino and Hispanic engagement in politics.
and rates, please call the advertising department at 775-784-7773 or email adnevadasales@gmail.com.
Alex Psak can be reached via email at apsak@unr.edu or on X orInstagram via @alexandrapsak.
Wade Widmann can be reached via email at peregrineh@unr.edu or on Instagram via @NevadaSagebrush.
Registering to vote? Why it might be important for young voters in this upcoming election.
By Alex Psak
With the upcoming 2024 Presidential election fast approaching, citizens are dedicated to getting young voters registered.
After National Voter Registration day on Sept. 17, the university’s students are being closely monitored on their voter status and whether or not they’re registered to vote.
Sean R., a sophomore at the university, has been a registered voter since he turned 18 when he got his driver’s license. He explains that his registration process might be different than some students’.
“I honestly didn’t make the choice,” (last name) said. “I was at the DMV. I just thought it was a lot easier than going through another separate process.”
However, he finds it vital for the younger generations to vote.
“I mean, we all live in America and everyone deserves a chance to be represented and to have their beliefs shown through the government,” last name said. “I think everyone’s vote counts, no one else is gonna put it in for you, so it feels pretty important.”
Bryce K., a junior at UNR, registered to vote around three months ago because of campus resources for registration.
“I think that the young person’s vote is especially crucial in these latest elections, especially in local elections,” (last name) said. “A lot of the time it’ll be older demographics that vote and they tend to lean towards one party-so I think it’s important for us to be a generation of change.”
The Director of Government Affairs, Dillon Moss, born and raised in Sparks, Nevada, worked for the State Legislature two years prior to coming to the University. He encourages everyone to vote, as he finds it a crucial factor in the electoral process.
“I love our state government and
UNRPD, Reno Fire Respond to Gas Leak False Alarm
I know its’ ins and outs. I’ve been a registered voter since I turned 17 because Nevada is a state that does pre-registration.” Moss said. “A big thing in my family is we live by the ‘if you don’t vote, you can’t complain’ motto—we’re not the most political family. I’m like the black sheep in that sense—I’ve engaged and loved politics since the fifth grade.”
Moss thinks that Gen Z is one of the most important demographics in the electoral process at the moment.
“We have such an opportunity to make massive amounts of change, but we can only do that if we exercise our ability to make that change which, in this case, is to vote,” Moss said. “So, I think no matter what party they’re registering with, no matter what, students should register to vote because it is the most important way to make changes especially in this year. I think it is the best way to make change and make a voice heard.”
Although Moss encourages voting within the younger generations, he’s also aware that young voters can be discouraged by older generations through the comparison of their ages to their experiences.
“As young people, we keep being told that you’re not experienced enough, you don’t understand the world,” Moss said. “You really don’t know how to make the decisions at this time. Now, it is so important that we are heard more than ever, because there are so many issues that are affecting us.”
Moss pointed out the specific issues involving young people and college students in this upcoming election, including tuition, living costs, and LGBTQ+ rights. He expressed his love for a specific quote by former Texas governor Ann Richards: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
University of Nevada, Reno Police and Reno Fire responded to a report of a potential gas smell in the Pennington Student Achievement Center at roughly 11:30 a.m. this morning. The report turned out to be a false alarm and the building was cleared for re-entry about 20 minutes later, shortly before 11:51 a.m, according to I. Zerhouni, a UNRPD officer dispatched to the site. Students were alerted via text about the report and response at
11:31 a.m. All four floors of the building, including the counseling center and tutoring offices, were evacuated. “Two officers, along with FD [fire department] were dispatched,” Zerhouni said. “Officers made contact with the reporting party, who took responders to [room] 230.”
Research has shown that as the generations progress, fewer U.S. citizens have registered to vote, creating a possible issue for local, state, and national elections. Moss argues that it’s a reflection of the current political system—especially in regards to the chosen candidates.
“Most young people were not the most engaged voters when it was Trump vs. Biden because they were just not energized about the candidates,” Moss said. “I don’t know the exact numbers off the top of my head, but especially on campus, something that we’ve seen is an exponential increase of voter engagement after Biden dropped out of the race and Harris stepped up.”
Moss clarifies for the record that he is not endorsing any candidate, rather stating the observations the office of Government affairs has made on campus. He instructs those who plan to or are interested in registering to vote, regardless of what party they want to affiliate with, should reference the Secretary of State’s Office and its website for informative resources.
For more information you can visit the Secretary of State website at https://www.nvsos.gov/sos. Dillon Moss, the Director of Government Affairs at the University of Nevada, can be reached via email at directorgovaffairs@asun.unr.edu.
Alex Psak can be reached via email at apsak@unr.edu or on X orInstagram via @alexandrapsak.
Responders detected no smell of gas in the room, and notification was sent out for the allclear shortly after, according to Zerhouni. “Might’ve been a bad lunch,” Zerhouni joked.
Pergrine Hart can be reached via email at or on Instagram via @pintofperegrine.
Gabe Kanae / Nevada Sagebrush
Alex Psak / Nevada Sagebrush
Wait a Minute: How ASUN flopped on Open Meeting Law
By Peregrine Hart
From campaign platforms to senate meetings, transparency is a hot topic for the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, the university’s student body government. But ASUN recently fell short in this transparency, struggling to meet standards laid out in Nevada law for a period beginning in the summer and into the fall semester.
Sandra Rodriguez, Director of the Center for Student Engagement, oversees ASUN operations. She explained that ASUN, as a public body, is held to Nevada Open Meeting Law. Open Meeting Law covers public access to meetings of government bodies, including minutes –– recordings, written or audio, of what happens in these meetings. This includes the ASUN’s senate and any related committees. According to Nevada’s Open Meeting Law Portal, public bodies are required to make written, and any audio, minutes available to the public within 30 working days of the meeting. As of Sept. 2 this year, recurring senate meetings beginning May 8 and ending July 24 had technically passed this deadline without audio recordings of the meetings made public. Minutes are usually posted on the ASUN website, along with meeting details like time, location and agenda.
As of Sept. 25, all the audio minutes from senate meetings except the one on May 29 had been posted. Written minutes, which also need to be made available within 30 working days, were still missing from postings for all the senate meetings from April 17 to Sept. 18, except for July 24. For last year’s senate session, the 91st, written minutes were still missing for meetings dating back to No-
vember 2023. Before they’re uploaded, they’ll also be subject to a review by the senate that allows senators to correct the written record if they don’t feel it reflects what they said the meetings.
ASUN relies on a team of four student secretaries and a legislative clerk to keep the minutes up-to-date. But student secretaries graduate, explained Rodriguez. The most senior member of the team now is Faith Johnson, who serves as Secretary of the Senate. Johnson has been in the position since this May, and has been catching up ever since.
“We’re trying our very best to complete everything that was left over from the 91st [session] while doing the 92nd,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, we are students ourselves. We do under-
Fewer students attend firedelayed watch party for lukewarm VP debate
By Peregrine Hart and Edward Light
A watch party for the 2024 election’s only vice presidential debate between Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, and J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, got off to a late start on Oct. 1 after a fire alarm evacuated the Joe Crowley Student Union.
One engine from Reno Fire arrived at the scene at 5:39 p.m. and left at 6:05 p.m. after the building was cleared and students were allowed to re-enter.
“There was a fire alarm, we responded and they searched and found smoke in one of the elevator control rooms,” a representative from Reno Fire said.
The watch party began after the building was cleared, partway into the first question of the debate. Its audience was lighter than that of the Sept. 10 presidential debate, where students filled 120 of the student union theater’s 200 seats.
The general mood matched this, and the debate, screened in one of the fourth-floor ballrooms by the Associated Students of the University of Nevada as part of its civic engagement programming, was far less fiery than the previous one.
Alex O., a Harris-aligned voter, found the evening fairly uneventful
“[It] went as I expected, very boring, just kind of generic in a sense,” he said. “I wasn’t really surprised that I’d be a little bored by it, but I was more bored by J.D. Vance.”
Alex O. also added that he saw very little chance of it swaying the election, with other voters in his life firmly entrenched on either side. Some other voters, however, found the evening refreshing.
Madison Spencer, who will be voting this year for the first time, compared it favorably with past elections.
“It reminds me of times before 2016, or when Obama was running,” Spencer said. “Even though I was very young when that was happening, I remember it being way more civil then, it wasn’t just constantly dissing the other side.” Voters nationwide polled by CNN came away from the debate with a favorability gain for both candidates. Walz’s post-debate boost was by 13%, and Vance’s was by 11%. A CBS poll had the debate as nearly a tie.
Keaton Ricker, a Trump-aligned voter, said he was shocked at how civil the debate was.
“They didn’t jab at one another for anything stupid, laughable,” Ricker said. “It is an improvement from the actual presidential debate, I would say, because we don’t need all these taking jabs at each other for a whole half an hour of a debate. No need for that.”
Ricker’s only complaint was that he felt Vance
had been fact-checked more than Walz, including an incident where Vance had exceeded his time in a question on immigration and moderators both fact-checked him and cut both candidate’s mics.
A responsibility for live fact-checking was given to the candidates as part of the terms of the debate, according to reporting from the New York Times –– making the resulting rapport even more surprising to some viewers at the watch party.
One viewer, Erick Saldate, even felt that the candidates’ civility shielded misinformation from scrutiny.
“I think that J.D. Vance is trying to act like he has more facts, and he kind of hides his misinformation better than Donald Trump does,” Saldate said, referring to the fact checking Trump received from moderators at the Sept. 10 debate.
“When J.D. Vance refused to say that Trump lost the 2020 election…I think that is apparent.
I think he tried to hide that in a long answer of ‘I think we should respect each other, blah, blah blah.’”
Vance’s discussion of immigration was the only instance in which moderators fact checked claims. Vance repeated false claims that illegal Haitian migrants had settled in the town of Springfield, Ohio –– connected with Trump’s claims from the presidential debate that immigrants were “eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats.”
Margaret Brennan, one of the moderators, clarified to the audience that the migrants in Springfield have legal status. Vance then complained about the fact check.
“The rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact check,” Vance said. “And since you’re factchecking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on.”
Jace Ouchida, who was at the watch party with friends, found that moment particularly memorable.
“There was definitely some laughter in this auditorium,” Ouchida said. “And that surprised me, that that was something a VP candidate would say on live TV.”
Walz had some awkward moments of his own.
In one instance, he was discussing gun control.
“I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents,” Walz said. “I’ve become friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it.”
Those two moments were among the few that got a substantial response from the small audience in a debate that some said couldn’t be further from its presidential counterpart on Sept. 10.
Peregrine Hart and Edward Light can be reached via email at peregrineh@unr.edu or on Instagram @pintofperegrine.
stand the urgency, and we want to be held accountable.”
The Center for Student Engagement also lost Ben Griffith, an information technology professional.
“An integral part of the transparency is posting of minutes, keeping track of resolutions and bills, so our IT person plays a role in that,” Rodriguez said. “Our previous IT coordinator got hired away by the state legislature to do that work for them.”
According to Rodriguez, 5 months passed before the CSE hired a replacement, who then had to learn ASUN’s online infrastructure.
Regardless, she argued that ASUN has a long history of recordkeeping and transparency.
“Go to the library, and you will find minutes going back a hundred years,” Rodriguez said. “That is a powerful statement about students on this campus and their willingness to be held accountable.”
For the time being, however, secretaries still have plenty to transcribe.
“Obviously, it’s kind of a big job, and it’s very tedious,” Johnson said. “I think the consensus among all of us is, we really enjoy doing it. We just enjoy the process of making sure everything for our peers is accessible.”
And Rodriguez predicts smooth sailing for the record-keeping process for the foreseeable future.
“Every five years it has a hiccup, when we have a transition,” Rodriguez said.
Peregrine Hart can be reached via email at peregrineh@unr.edu or on Instagram @pintofperegrine.
SENADO
9/18:
Se da de baja a un senator ausente y se aborda el Concierto de la semana de Bienvenida
El Senado de los Estudiantes Asociados de la Universidad de Nevada se reunió para una reunión rápida el 18 de septiembre, con sólo los informes oficiales regulares en el orden del día. Los informes se burlaron de la creación de una tienda de comestibles para satisfacer las necesidades de alimentos del campus, reveló el abrupto final de un senador de la Escuela de Negocios de la tenencia y dio a conocer las circunstancias en torno a la falta de este año de un tradicional Concierto de Semana de Bienvenida. Grandes noticias para los estómagos de los estudiantes de UNR Sephora Lee, directora del Departamento de Sostenibilidad de ASUN, hizo de la inseguridad alimentaria un punto central de su informe del 18 de septiembre.
Lee dijo que estaba en las primeras etapas de la formación de un comité para hacer frente a la inseguridad alimentaria, así como la posibilidad de hacer planes para una tienda de comestibles en el campus.
En respuesta a una pregunta de Kelsea Frobes, senadora de la Facultad de Periodismo, Lee dijo que la tienda también debería ser económica. «Ese fue nuestro gran punto, que los costos tienen que ser más bajos que el promedio», dijo Lee. «Simplemente muy accesible para los estudiantes porque no estamos tratando de obtener un beneficio; estamos tratando de apoyar a los estudiantes».
Adiós, Britson Al comienzo de la reunión, Luis Aguilar-Herrera, Director Asociado del Gobierno Estudiantil de UNR, anunció que un senador había
sido despedido después de «varios intentos de comunicación».
Un informe dado más tarde en la reunión por Aween Ali, Presidente del Senado, detalló el prolongado ghosting de y eventual terminación de Drew Britson, ex senador de la Facultad de Negocios.
Según el portavoz Ali, Britson faltó por primera vez a la reunión del 28 de agosto sin previo aviso. Volvió a ausentarse de todas las reuniones posteriores, y el 4 de septiembre había acumulado cinco puntos, lo que en el sistema de rendición de cuentas de ASUN fue suficiente para que le cayera una censura. Britson no respondió a la notificación de dicha censura, ni a una notificación posterior del 11 de septiembre en la que se le comunicaba que sería despedido si no enviaba una carta de dimisión o se presentaba a la censura, según el portavoz Ali. Al final, dijo la Presidenta Ali, tuvo que tomar esta decisión porque mantener a Britson a bordo también tenía un precio. «[Britson] estuvo cobrando durante todo este tiempo», explicó Ali. «Simplemente siento que moralmente, no está bien que los fondos de los estudiantes vayan a alguien que no está haciendo su trabajo correctamente».
¿Qué ha pasado con el Concierto de la Semana de Bienvenida?
Continúa en lina en nevadasagebrush.com
Se puede contactar con Peregrine Hart en peregrineh@unr.edu o en Instagram @pintofperegrine.
SENATE 10/2: Title IX Liaison Cut, Senators Cheer Tutoring Fee Raises
By Peregrine Hart
The senate of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada eliminated a Title IX Liaison position from one of their committees, mandated a new comprehensive student survey and passed a resolution urging the Board of Regents to double the amount students pay to support tutoring at the university in three bills discussed Oct. 2. The senate also saw presentations that discussed the results of yet another comprehensive survey and introduced a new outdoor adventure and leadership minor.
Food, housing insecurity and campus racism stand out in new survey Every two years, the Center for Student Engagement, which houses ASUN, conducts a comprehensive civic engagement survey in collaboration with the Office of Student Persistence Research. This year, the survey rounded up jarring results, with student respondents struggling to pay for housing and less likely than in 2022 to be registered to vote.
The survey also asked students to assess the “campus engagement climate” and their own sense of belonging.
Black and Indigenous students stood out as the only two ethnic groups in the survey to report a negative overall feeling on related questions. Sandra Rodriguez, director of CSE, invited senators to ask themselves why.
“When we talk about why we’re losing Black students, why they aren’t graduating, this helps explain, then, our retention and graduation issues,” Rodriguez said. “This isn’t about GPA, this isn’t
about how they’re doing in their courses: they do equally well in their courses as other students. This is about the impact that our campus culture has on whether they feel like they belong.”
Rodriguez also pointed out that when the survey was taken in the Spring 2024 term, fewer students had said they were registered to vote than at the same time in 2022.
“My heart broke when I saw it go down seven, eight points,” Rodriguez said of the survey’s result, which also showed only 76% of undergraduate students planning to vote in the upcoming election.
The survey was taken before Kamala Harris, the current democratic candidate for president, became the nominee.
Rodriguez and Jennifer Loman, the director of student persistence research, later discussed the cost-of-living crisis in relation to students.
Food insecurity was striking, with 23% of respondents identifying themselves as “very” food insecure, and another 22% identifying themselves as “medium” food insecure.
“Think about this the next time you walk into your large classrooms,” Rodriguez told senators. “Almost one in five of those students come from food insecure homes.”
Some 25% of student respondents said they were housing insecure. Over a third of respondents, 37%, also said they were struggling to pay for housing.
Rafting on a field trip? It’s more likely than you think
Andy Rost, a professor recently employed at the university by way of the UNR at Lake Tahoe campus, visited the senate to discuss a new minor coming to the university.
The outdoor adventure & leadership minor, which is expected
to offer its first classes this May, gives students the opportunity to take coursework centered around leading recreation opportunities outdoors.
Coursework, however, comes with hefty additional course fees.
Liesel Kemmelmeier, ASUN’s vice president and a member of a committee that reviews new course fees, said she approved the fees only on the condition that there be a scholarship created to cover them for low-income students interested in the program.
Extra Title IX liaison position axed in new bill
Two senators on two committees were previously tasked with communicating with UNR’s Center for Civil Rights & Equal Access — previously known as the Title IX office.
Madison Kitch, senator for the Honors College, fills the position for the Committee on Safety, Sustainability and Wellness. Kitch, with Joel Martin, a senator for the College of Liberal Arts, sponsored the bill to remove a similar position from the Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA), leaving her the only senator tasked with the job for a committee.
“I think that adding two confuses it more for an office that has backed-up issues,” Kitch said. “Simply because the director came in four months before the biggest case of the year.”
Continued online at nevadasagebrush.com.
Peregrine Hart can be reached via email at peregrineh@unr.edu or on Instagram @pintofperegrine.
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“Oh, Sh*t, We’re About to Get a Concert”: AFTRPRTY Rocks
UNR’s First-Ever Tailgate Show at Nevada vs. Fresno State Game
By Emily Hess
On the eve of the highly anticipated Nevada vs. Fresno State football game, the University of Nevada, Reno transformed its traditional tailgate into a historic musical event. Local band AFTRPRTY headlined UNR’s first-ever tailgate concert, blending school spirit with Reno’s vibrant music scene. As fans gathered in the parking lot, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement. An enthusiastic attendee’s exclamation— “Oh, sh*t, we’re about to get a concert!”—perfectly captured the anticipation in the air. AFTRPRTY, known for their dynamic performances, took the stage against the backdrop of a setting sun, igniting the crowd’s energy.
The band delivered a captivating set, featuring unreleased tracks like “Nine Lives” and favorites such as “Missing You.” Their rendition of “Brazil” added a unique twist to the evening’s festivities. Mid-performance, a brief microphone malfunction threatened to disrupt the momentum. However, lead singer Gabriel Le Grange handled the situation with poise, seamlessly improvising while his counterpart, Clayton Posey, engaged the audience with effortless riffs. This quick recovery not only showcased their professionalism, but also intensified the crowd’s enthusiasm.
This groundbreaking event united diverse facets of the UNR community, fostering a sense of
camaraderie among music enthusiasts and football fans alike. By integrating live music into the tailgate experience, UNR established a new tradition that resonated with attendees, leaving a lasting impression.
As the concert concluded and the crowd dispersed, the excitement for the upcoming game remained palpable. AFTRPRTY’s performance had set the tone for a memorable weekend, exemplifying the fusion of local talent and school pride.
Emily Hess can be reached via email at emilyhess@ sagebrush.unr.edu or via Twitter @emilyghess03
Reno Riffs: Evening Spirits and AFTRPRTY Spark Buzz at ASUN Pop-Up Concert
By Emily Hess
This Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Gateway Plaza outside the Joe Crowley Student Union became a hub for live music as ASUN hosted Reno Riff, a pop-up concert that brought together local talent and gave students a much-needed midweek escape. While the
crowd wasn’t as large as it could have been, those who attended were treated to more than just a casual evening—there was free merch, great music and an undeniable energy that built as the night unfolded. Kicking off with a local DJ who asked not to be named, the event quickly drew in curious passersby and dedicated music fans.
The DJ set a playful, relaxed tone for the evening as students gathered on the grass and around the makeshift stage, ready to see what the night had to offer. The excitement surrounding the local bands that followed created an intimate, electric atmosphere that attendees seemed to embrace. Evening Spirits, a local band known for blending indie sounds with alternative flair, performed a mix of original songs and covers that had people on their feet. Their setlist featured tracks like “Death of Me,” “Josephine” and “Daydreamer Man,” along with crowd-pleasing covers of Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and Surf Curse’s “Disco.” Their originals, including “Graffiti,” “Lockhart,” “BDC” and “Divine,” kept the audience engaged, adding depth to their performance and showcasing the band’s unique style. While the crowd might not have been massive, those in attendance were hooked, swaying to the music and cheering between songs.
AFTRPRTY took the stage next, closing the evening with their signature energetic style. They brought a mix of unreleased tracks and fan-favorites like “Nine Lives,” “Missing You” and “Better if U Were Here.” Their set was rounded out with covers that resonated with the crowd, including “Brazil,” “Teenage Dream” and “So Fast,” adding a nostalgic element to the night’s end. AFTRPRTY’s lively performance left a lasting impression, as by the time they finished, the crowd was buzzing with excitement.
As the event wrapped up and the lights dimmed, you could feel the lingering buzz. People left talking about the bands they had just seen, their conversations filled with excitement for what they had discovered. On a campus full of busy schedules and constant noise, Reno Riff served as a reminder that local talent deserves the spotlight, and sometimes the best experiences happen when you least expect them.
With its mix of great music, free swag and a dedicated audience, Reno Riff was a testament to the power of community and local artistry. ASUN’s pop-up concerts continue to provide a stage for emerging artists while creating unique moments for students—moments that will undoubtedly keep Reno’s music scene alive and growing.
Clayton Posey and Gabriel LeGrange perform at Reno Riffs
Jack Barrington and Luke Merlino preforming at the AFTRPRTY tailgate
Photo Courtesy of Kiawna Lavery
Nick Stewart/Nevada Sagebrush
Nick Stewart/Nevada Sagebrush
From Student to Seamstress: Theater Grad Lands A Living On Life
By Peregrine Hart
Fabric takes up shelves’ worth of space in Kate Caufield’s South Reno atelier. The studio, which has produced local theater costumes, custom cosplays, bridal wear and alterations of all kinds, is tucked into a loft on the second floor of Caufield’s mom’s house.
The room’s closet, Caufield told the Sagebrush, is overflowing with costumes. Its doors are blocked with mountains more.
Caufield, who uses both she and him pronouns, learned to sew back in her late teens: first from a grandmother, and then from trialand-error with YouTube tutorials and sewing patterns. He never expected to do this as a living, even as he entered the art program at the University of Nevada, Reno.
“I always planned on it just being a hobby,” Caufield explained. “And then it was one of those things where it was stress relief for me for a while. It was always the answer whenever I was like, ‘man I wish I could be doing something else right now. I wish I could be at my sewing machine.’”
After Caufield switched majors from art into secondary education –– thinking it would be more practical –– she took a theater class for a diversity credit and loved it, but still didn’t let
herself make the switch back to the arts.
“My (now) wife can attest: it was walking to where we parked in the parking garage and [I was] literally having a full-blown meltdown,” Caufield said. “Just crying, like, ‘I don’t want to do secondary education, I just want to do theater.’ I was constantly falling for that old, ‘Well if I’m going to college and spending money on a college degree, I should do something useful.’ But if I’m dreading going to class every day, or I’m dreading the thought of what might happen after I graduate, I’d rather not at all.”
Post-epiphany, it took Caufield another three years to graduate with a theater degree from the university. By then, he’d made costumes for almost all the department’s shows, he said –– and fell in love.
Caufield also started working with Good Luck Macbeth under Lyndsey Langdale, the local theater company’s costume director.
“It’s really good working with her both as an assistant designer and also just working in her space to see how theater costume design works in a smaller scale,” Caufield said. “UNR has a pretty extensive costume shop, whereas community theater like Good Luck Macbeth is going to be very like, ‘OK, what is the cheapest and quickest and easiest way to get our vision
across without cutting corners?’”
After a few years of working in a university lab full-time post-graduation, Caufield took a leap and withdrew the position’s retirement savings after she quit. That money became the basis of a one-person business that he still runs, Anything Sews.
“I was able to use that to really get it off the ground,” Caufield explained. “That paid for my first several craft shows, it paid to get a lot of the work done in my workshop and a lot of trial and error stuff.”
For a few years, Anything Sews paid the bills entirely. Caufield filled her entire week with commissions, constantly on the hunt for more. He even debuted a collection in “A Queer Fairytale,” a fashion show hosted by Good Luck Macbeth and funded by a Nevada Arts Council grant. But being a self-employed seamstress often isn’t about sewing, he explained.
“It’s a lot of marketing, it’s a lot of admin work,” Caufield said. “And it’s a lot of, ‘Well, if I don’t have anything going on this month, what can I do to make sure I’m still bringing in the money, and what can I do to make sure I’m still paying bills?’”
Caufield eventually found a happier compromise with a full-time sewing job at a casino. It’s
much more alterations-based, she said, and a more comfortable use of her skills than dreaming up bespoke costumes from scratch. Now, he focuses on a lighter creative load, spending less time in the studio.
“I’ve started figuring out what I can do at home,” Caufield added. “I bring a lot of hand sewing, a lot of painting and detail work, because then I can put on Netflix and chill with my embroidery hoop. I’m re-learning how to do it as a hobby, I think is the big thing now.” It’s a hobby she recommends, especially for people who’ve never considered how much effort goes into the clothes they wear every day.
“For me, it’s a very technical process,” Caufield said. “But at the same time, being able to say I took that flat piece of whatever fabric and turned it into a wearable garment, it’s magic. It’s very hard magic, but it’s magic.”
Peregrine Hart can be reached via email at emilyhess@sagebrush.unr. edu or via Twitter @emilyghess03
The Manhattan Short Film Festival returns to UNR at the Joe Crowley Student Union Theater
By Sterling Moore
The festival celebrates their 27th year of celebrating short films in over 500 different venues across six different continents. As part of the celebration, audience members were greeted with a paper shortly summarizing the films, a bag of popcorn and a small card to vote for their favorite movie and which actor left the biggest mark. This year’s finalists featured films from the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Italy, France, Australia, Croatia, Ireland and two from the United States.
Each film selected as a finalist was automatically eligible for nominations at the 2025 Oscar’s. And they’re well deserved. From stories focused on what it would take to make an AI human, to humorous love stories between a Mr. Dickley and a Miss Estrogenia, every film brings a unique sense of self through the actors, directors, and production teams’ involved.
“The Talent” from the United Kingdom, directed by Thomas May Bailey, follows an ambiguously gendered production assistant on a commercial set who finds themselves yearning for the affection and attention of the commercial’s star. Using the juxtaposed throughline of knowing what you want but not knowing how to get it, the film follows the assistant’s attempts at gaining this star’s attention, ultimately resulting in a fascinating 15 minute exploration of desire and masculinity.
“I’m Not a Robot” from the Netherlands is directed by Victoria Warmerdam. The film opens with the protagonist facing a familiar situation for many: failing a series of captcha tests to log into an email account. After becoming exces-
sively frustrated, the story quickly turns from a humorous scenario to a sobering question about what really defines humanity.
“The Mother” is an adaptation of a true story about a Ukrainian family during the start of the war and was directed by Mariia Felenko. A daughter tries desperately to get her mother to leave the country with her, but her mother is instead focused on seemingly trivial things like her pedicure, as well as gifts and promises from a mysterious new romance. The story is based on “When the Whales Run” by Kate Uteva, and showcases the terror and difficulties faced in Ukraine as their mundane lives are threatened every day.
“Dovecote” is an Italian near-silent film directed by Marco Perego following a woman (played by Zoe Saldana) who is in their last day at a prison. The short film quietly explores the caring communities that are found in times of distress. Even without sound, the film captures the tender care and affection each woman holds for the rest of their newfound sisterhood.
“Pathological,” an American dark comedy, pivots the festival’s mood with the first openly comedic film. Allison Rich both directs and stars in the film as the titular character Juliet. Juliet believes she’s too boring for her colleagues at work and can’t help but make up extravagant tales about going to Oxford and having a former-model-current-NASA-neurosurgeon boyfriend, among others. This comes back to bite her when she wakes up and finds all of her lies have suddenly become true – including ones that make her life much worse.
Beneath the darkly comedic story is a narrative about Juliet coming to terms with online perceptions, not needing to lie to be interesting
and accepting that sometimes other people will not want to be friends.
“Alarms” is a French short directed by Nicolas Panay that puts the audience into the mind of a construction foreman named Pierre as he juggles the ever-growing stresses of a rushed construction site, alongside those of his personal life. Throughout the film is a constant beeping of one alarm or another, persisting enough to even drown out some of the character’s talking until you learn to ignore it. Once the alarms have been successfully turned off, Pierre and the audience both realize there’s more danger than at first realized.
“Favourites” is another dark comedy for the festival, and at only 5 minutes long, Australian director Nick Russell delivers a sickeningly effective (and hilarious) short about two parents forced to make a supposedly impossible choice on a camping trip with their two children.
Nebojša Slijepčević directs the Croatian/ Bulgarian film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent,” based on a true story from 1993 about a man named Tomo Buzov. Buzov is the man who stands for what is right, speaking out against an unnamed paramilitary group that is performing an ethnic cleansing raid on a passenger train. Buzov however, is not the character the story initially posits as our protagonist. That instead is a man who promises a Muslim passenger they’ll protect them before falling silent in the face of evil. The fake out is effective on a reconsideration of a story that serves as a reminder of the bravery required to stand for what’s right.
TJ O’Grady’s Irish film “Room Taken” tells a heartwarming story about a Yoruba man who secretly moves into the upstairs attic of a blind
widow’s home. After the man performs several helpful deeds around the house, the woman forms an attachment to his unseen presence. Despite the two never properly acknowledging each other throughout the film, you can feel the love they hold for each other just through the simple actions they’ve done for each other.
Finally, “Jane Austen’s Period Drama” by the American directors Julia Aks and Steve Pinder is a hysterical satire of 19th century English period dramas (noted by the director’s themselves before the film, since they are not English, you cannot get mad at them). Miss Estrogenia argues with her sisters Vagianna and Labinia about how to tell her hopeful suitor, the very wealthy Mr. Dickley about the origins of blood on her white dress. The film is a delight from start to finish, and a very strong end to the 2024 finalists. At the end of the festival, you’ll find yourself only disappointed in having to select only one of the films and only one of a preselected six actors to cast your vote for as the best of 2024. Room Taken won for the 2024 Manhattan Shorts Festival.
Sterling Moore is a student at the University of Nevada-Reno studying journalism. He can be reached via email at emilyhess@sagebrush.unr. edu or via Twitter @emilyghess03
The Talent /Photo Courtest of Manhattan Shorts
Nick Stewart / Nevada Sagebrush
Photo Courtest of Manhattan Shorts
Room Taken /Photo Courtest of Manhattan Shorts
Confessions of a Hot Mess is a candid and relatable column by Emily Hess, where she dives into the highs and lows of navigating college life and your twenties. Through personal stories about boys, friendships, love, and family, COHM unpacks the messy, beautiful chaos of growing up. From heartbreaks and betrayals to moments of self-discovery, she offers an honest look at the challenges and triumphs that come with this transformative time in life. Each week, readers can expect raw insights, witty anecdotes, and reflections on the messy process of becoming.
The Ex Factor: Can You Really Be Friends After It’s Over?
By Emily Hess
“I don’t think I’ve had a healthy break up.”
I blurted out that line in the newsroom one afternoon, half-joking, half not. The room got quiet for a moment as I laughed it off, but it stayed with me. The idea that maybe—just maybe—something was wrong with me because I couldn’t manage to stay friends with an ex.
Was that the sign of a failed relationship? Shouldn’t we all strive to be mature and amicable, like those couples who can seamlessly transition from lovers to friends?
In college, though, breaking up doesn’t mean breaking away. It’s impossible to completely avoid someone who was once a big part of your life when they pop up at parties, study spots, the gym or even just walking across campus.
One ex, in particular, seems to show up everywhere—often when I least expect it and usually when I least want to see him. It ended poorly between us, leaving behind the kind of unresolved tension that makes every encounter feel like emotional whiplash.
We pretend like everything’s fine when we’re in the same room. But under the surface, it’s anything but. It’s full of awkward eye contact and pretending we aren’t paying attention to what the other is doing.
And then there was my long-distance relationship. The kind where you convince yourself it’ll work even though deep down you know the odds are stacked against you. When it ended, we both agreed to stay friends because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? It felt like the “mature” choice, the one that would show we were above all the messy emotional drama that typically follows a breakup.
We stayed in touch, exchanged friendly texts and even had a few awkward FaceTime conversations. But as time passed, it became clear that trying to stay friends was only making things harder.
Expectations linger in the shadows, unspoken but always there. Can you really ask someone to be there for you when you’re no longer theirs?
The lines blur between wanting emotional support and realizing you’re expecting too much from someone who isn’t obligated to care anymore. The emotional pull of “staying friends” keeps you anchored to something that’s supposed to be over, making it impossible to move
forward. And the truth is, the more we tried to be friends, the more it hurt. The friendship felt like an extension of our relationship, but without the intimacy or commitment.
Sometimes staying friends can hurt more than letting go. We think it’s the kinder option. But in reality, it keeps us trapped in the past, constantly reminded of what’s been lost.
There’s this unspoken rule that staying friends after a breakup is the sign of emotional maturity, as if ending a relationship without cutting ties is somehow a badge of honor. But what if staying friends isn’t always the healthiest thing to do? What if it’s not about emotional growth, but rather about being too afraid to completely let go?
The hard part is realizing that “staying friends” often means holding on to expectations that neither person can meet. You expect them to still be there for you, to care about your life, to fill that emotional void they once did— but without the intimacy, the commitment or the right to ask for it. And when those expectations aren’t met, the disappointment stings even more. It makes you question whether the relationship was ever real if it can’t survive as a friendship.
But then again, maybe staying friends is a choice we make when we’re not ready to fully close the door. Maybe it’s less about maturity and more about hoping that, somehow, staying connected will ease the pain. It’s the emotional equivalent of keeping a foot in the door, just in case. But sometimes that door needs to be shut for good, and maybe that’s okay.
Some people can transition into friends after a breakup, and good for them! But for the rest of us? Maybe it’s a sign of emotional health to recognize when staying friends is only prolonging the hurt. There’s no universal rule, no perfect way to navigate the post-breakup world. Some people are meant to stay in your life, and some are just passing through.
So, can you really be friends after it’s over? Maybe. But sometimes, walking away completely is the real sign of maturity—the kind that doesn’t come from keeping someone in your life, but from knowing when to let go.
“I Can Fix Them”Well Maybe You Shouldn’t.
By Emily Hess
This past Saturday, I found myself out with friends, enjoying a typical night of dancing and karaoke. That is, until I overheard something that took me out of the moment. Amid the clinking glasses and the chaotic energy of the bar, a girl leaned into her friend and said, over the loud music, «I can fix him!» Her friend rolled her eyes, and in that brief interaction, it felt like the entire bar went silent for me. Everything stopped, and that one phrase echoed in my mind.
Why do we think we can fix people?
It’s a sentiment I’ve come across before, mostly in memes or as a joke or even in music: I Can Fix Him… No Really I Can. But hearing it out loud made it feel uncomfortably real. The idea that someone can—or even should— ‘‘fix’’ another person in a relationship is misguided and harmful.
When you think about it, ‘‘fixing’’ implies that something is inherently wrong or broken with the other person. It frames them as flawed, with the fixer cast as some kind of hero. But relationships aren’t about one person being whole while the other needs to be repaired. That dynamic creates an imbalance, a power struggle where love becomes conditional upon change.
I, myself, have fallen into this trap before. With past partners, I’ve convinced myself that if I just loved them hard enough or supported them enough, I could fix the things that were wrong in their lives. It was a rude awakening to realize that people don’t change because you want them to. They only change when they want to. Trying to fix someone leads to disappointment, frustration and ultimately, resentment.
On the other hand, I’ve been on the receiving end of this mindset. I’ve been told that something was ‘‘broken’’ about me, that I needed to be fixed. It’s a phrase that cuts deep. Being labeled as broken isn’t just insulting—it’s dehumanizing. It strips away your agency, suggesting that your flaws define you, that you’re something less than whole until someone else comes along to patch you up. And the person who says this often frames themselves as the solution, as if they alone hold the key to your healing.
But here’s the truth: no one can fix you. No one else can force you to change, grow or heal.
That’s an internal journey, one you navigate at your own pace and on your own terms.
To me, being called broken, or thinking you can fix someone else, misses the entire point of what relationships should be about. A relationship isn’t a repair project. It’s not about finding someone with cracks and gluing them back together. It’s about seeing someone as they are—flaws, scars, and all—and accepting them without conditions. Real love, real connection, comes from understanding and support, not from trying to mold someone into the image of who you think they should be.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t expect growth in our relationships. Growth is essential, but it doesn’t come from one person pressuring another to change. It comes from mutual respect, from the space you give each other to evolve. It comes from compromise, from meeting each other where you’re at, not from fixing or being fixed.
The truth is, when we think we can fix someone, we’re often avoiding something within ourselves. It’s easier to focus on someone else’s flaws than to confront our own insecurities. In trying to fix others, we shift attention away from the discomfort of looking inward. And in the end, it’s a futile effort. People don’t change just because you want them to, or even because they should. They change when they’re ready, and that’s something we have to respect.
So, the next time you catch yourself thinking, ‘‘I can fix them’’ pause. Ask yourself why you feel the need to. Instead of trying to change someone, try accepting them. Instead of fixing, focus on understanding. Because no one is perfect, but that doesn’t mean anyone is broken.
Emily Hess can be reached via email at emilyhess@sagebrush.unr.edu or via Twitter @emilyghess03
Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff.
Brooke Germain / Nevada Sagebrush
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28,
Nevada’s Ground Game Powers Win Against Oregon State
By James Wolfgang Perez
The Nevada football team secured a thrilling 42-37 home victory against the Oregon State Beavers on Oct. 12 as part of the university’s Sesquicentennial celebration. In a back-andforth battle, the Wolf Pack offense racked up 353 rushing yards while the defense came up with four interceptions. The Beavers received the opening kickoff and got off to a quick start. Gevani McCoy, Oregon State quarterback, connected on an 18-yard pass to Jermaine Terry II, Oregon State tight end, moving the offense close to midfield. After a few short runs, Anthony Hankerson, Oregon State running back, broke free for a 28-yard carry down to Nevada’s three-yard line. Jacke Reichle, Oregon State running back, capped the drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Beavers a 7-0 lead with 10:48 left in the first. In response, Nevada turned to its ground game. Brendon Lewis, Nevada quarterback, led the charge with a 19-yard scramble to midfield. After several short runs, Savion Red, Nevada running back, broke loose for a 33-yard touchdown. In under three minutes, the Wolf Pack tied the game 7-7 with 7:51 left in the first. Oregon State’s offense stayed in rhythm, as Hankerson powered forward on an 18-yard
run. McCoy then connected with Terry II for a 25-yard catch-and-run, putting the Beavers at Nevada’s 20-yard line. Another 10-yard completion from McCoy to Terry II, followed by a series of short runs, brought Oregon State near the goal line. After three attempts to punch it in, McCoy dropped back on fourth down but was intercepted by Tori Daffin, Nevada cornerback, who returned it to Nevada’s 22-yard line.With the sudden change in possession, the Wolf Pack methodically advanced downfield. Lewis and Red split medium-yardage carries, while an 11-yard trick-play pass to Chubba Purdy, Nevada quarterback, helped sustain the drive. A 15-yard scramble by Lewis, followed by a few short runs, set up Red for a five-yard touchdown, giving Nevada a 14-7 lead with 10:44 left in the half.
After a tough series, the Beavers started with a few short-yardage runs before McCoy connected on a 30-yard catch-and-run to Jeremiah Noga, Oregon State wide receiver, advancing to the Nevada 39-yard line. Following a quick completion, Salahadin Allah, Oregon State running back, burst free for a 21-yard run to the four-yard line.
However, the Wolf Pack defense held strong, stuffing Hankerson on two attempts at the goal line and forcing an incompletion on third
on goal, but just missed over the net. The first half ended with no score, leaving some hope for the Pack against one of the best teams in the conference.
However, that hope ended a little after the 47-minute mark, as Carly Cross, Boise State forward, scored the Broncos’ first goal of the game. About seven minutes later, Boise State scored its second goal, courtesy of Olivia Collins, Boise State forward.
Nevada had several opportunities to respond during the second half, with shots from multiple members of the Wolf Pack squad.
Shots from Benson, Gianna Hall, forward, and Cassidy Bell, midfielder, all had close calls, either setting the ball just over the net or hitting the crossbar. However, none of the Pack’s attempts found the back of the net, leading to their 12th loss of the season.
Nevada is tied for seventh with the Wyoming Cowgirls in the Mountain West standings with two games remaining before the playoffs. The Wolf Pack has earned 10 total points, with the New Mexico Lobos sitting in the last playoff spot at 11.
While the team’s chances of clinching the fifth or sixth seed of the Mountain West Conference tournament are slim, they will need to win both of their next games to do so.
Nevada (5-12-1, 3-5-1) will play its final home game of the regular season on Sunday, Oct. 27 against the Utah State Aggies (15-1-3, 6-1-2). The game will begin at 1 p.m. the night.
down, which led to a field goal. Nevada maintained a 14-10 lead with 5:53 left in the half. With an opportunity to score before halftime, the Pack went to work. Patrick Garwo III, Nevada running back, shared carries with Red, pushing the Pack to the Oregon State 43-yard line. After a run for a loss, Lewis threw consecutive incompletions, setting up a field goal attempt by Matthew Killam, Nevada kicker.
However, on a trick play, the ball was flipped to Killam, who attempted to run for the first down but was tackled after gaining only one yard, turning the ball over to the Beavers at their 32-yard line with 1:43 left in the half.As time winded down in the half, McCoy kickstarted the offense with a 16-yard scramble to midfield. He then connected with Noga for a 27-yard completion, setting up Hankerson, who broke free from tackles for an 18-yard touchdown run.
This score allowed the Beavers to reclaim the lead at 17-14 with just 0:38 left in the half. After running out the clock to close the half, the Pack ran two short-yardage carries before an incomplete pass from Lewis forced a punt, giving the ball back to the Beavers.With momentum on their side, Hankerson opened the drive with a 12-yard run, and McCoy followed
with a 37-yard pass to Trent Walker, Oregon State wide receiver, placing the Beavers at the 18-yard line. On the next play, Walker caught a 10-yard pass, which set up an eight-yard touchdown run for Hankerson, extending the Beavers’ lead to 24-14 with 11:04 left in the third.After allowing 17 points to slip past them, the Pack needed a response. Lewis and Red continued to carry the load, exchanging touches to midfield. A 22-yard quarterback run from Lewis set up the Pack at the Oregon State 22-yard line. Following three medium-yardage runs, Red scored on a seven-yard touchdown run— his third of the day—cutting Oregon State’s lead to 24-21 with 5:58 left in the third.The Beavers capitalized on holding and pass interference penalties against the Pack, using short-yardage runs to advance to the Nevada 36-yard line. As McCoy dropped back to pass, Michael Coats Jr., Nevada cornerback, jumped the route and intercepted McCoy, marking the quarterback’s second interception of the night.
A series of costly mistakes in critical moments led to the Nevada football team falling 24-21 to the Fresno State Bulldogs at home on Oct. 18. Blunders, including botched punts, untimely sacks and missed tackles allowed Fresno State to take control of a tightly contested matchup that slipped away from the Pack.
Nevada received the opening kickoff, and its offensive momentum from the Oregon State game appeared to carry over. Brendon Lewis, Nevada quarterback, sparked the drive with a 12-yard run to jumpstart the offense.
After a short completion, Lewis dropped back and launched a 55-yard deep pass to Jaden Smith, Nevada wide receiver, setting up a first-and-goal at the nine-yard line. Following a short run, Savion Red, Nevada running back, capped off the drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Pack a 7-0 lead with 11:03 left in the first quarter.
On the Bulldogs’ first possession, Mikey Keene, Fresno State quarterback, took what the defense offered, completing several short passes. He connected with Mac Dalena, Fresno State wide receiver for gains of 13 and 12 yards, moving the ball near midfield. However, after two short runs and an incomplete pass on third down, the drive stalled and the Bulldogs settled for a field goal, cutting Nevada’s lead to 7-3 with 5:42 left in the first quarter.
Penalties and an incomplete pass on third down forced Nevada to punt the ball back
to Fresno State. After two short runs, Keene connected with Dalena for a 16-yard gain. However, this was followed by a 12-yard sack from Keyshawn Cobb, Nevada defensive back, who came off the edge. Keene quickly recovered, delivering a 27-yard strike to Raylen Sharpe, Fresno State wide receiver, at midfield.
Bryson Donelson, Fresno State running back, then ripped off runs of 14 and 12 yards, pushing the Bulldogs deep into Nevada territory. After a few more short runs, Elijah Gilliam, Fresno State running back, broke free for a 10-yard rushing touchdown, giving Fresno State a 10-7 lead with 12:32 left in the half. Now trailing, the Pack opened their next possession with a series of short runs, including a nine-yard scramble by Lewis, which set the offense up near midfield. On the following snap, Lewis looked downfield and launched a 46-yard touchdown pass to Nate Burleson II, Nevada wide receiver, for his first career touchdown. It put the Pack back on top 14-10 with 9:49 remaining in the half.
By James Wolfgang Perez
Photo Courtesy of Vincent Lozano Jr
Photo Courtesy of Nevada Athletics
Nick Stewart/Nevada Sagebrush
By Dominic Gutierrez
Nevada Volleyball Reverses Decision, Will Forfeit match against San Jose State Amid Transgender Player News
By Dominic Gutierrez
The Nevada women’s volleyball team will forfeit its future match against San Jose State, set for Oct. 26 at home.
This comes just 11 days after Nevada Athletics committed to playing the match. The department released a statement after four schools, three of which being Mountain West programs Boise State, Wyoming and Utah State, also forfeited amid the news that the Spartans have a transgender player on the team.
“The University of Nevada volleyball team remains focused on its upcoming matches with UNLV and San Diego State and intends to play its remaining Mountain West schedule, including the match with San José State University on October 26,” Nevada Athletics said. “The University will continue to abide by the NCAA, Mountain West Conference, and USA Volleyball rules and regulations as well as the laws and Constitution of the State of Nevada.”
However, a report from OutKick.com, a sports website dedicated to “Questioning the consensus and exposing the destructive nature of “woke”
activism” per its about us section, stated that the decision to forfeit was made by the players, not the department. Nevada Athletics declined to comment.
The players released the following statement through the website.
“We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming and Utah State University,” the team wrote in an exclusive statement to OutKick. “We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.”
Sia Liilii, Nevada senior and co-captain, told OutKick the team was extremely frustrated that the athletics department committed to the match without talking with the team first.
“The school released that statement without consulting our team at all,” Liilii told OutKick.
“We were pretty upset that we were not made aware that a statement was going to come out. We were actually in Las Vegas preparing for our match against UNLV, our in-state rival. It was a really frustrating time, especially because we were about to go and play a big game.”
Liilii said the team voted not to play. She also told OutKick “We decided that we’re going to stand in solidarity with other teams that have already forfeited and that we wouldn’t participate in a game that advances sex-based discrimination or injustice against female athletes.”
With the forfeit, Nevada will take a loss. The team is currently 10-8, coming off a 3-1 win over New Mexico on Oct. 12.
San Jose State is currently 9-3, with a 4-3 conference record. Those four conference wins are via forfeit. Blaire Fleming, San Jose State outside hitter, is the alleged transgender athlete and has been with the program since 2022.
The NCAA changed its rules regarding transgender athletes in 2022, stating that a transgender woman athlete must complete a full calendar
year of testosterone suppression treatment before playing for a women’s team.
The updated NCAA rule states “A trans female (MTF) student-athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication for gender dysphoria for the purposes of NCAA competition may continue to compete on a men’s team but may not compete on a women’s team without changing it to a mixed team status until completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment.”
Nevada President Brian Sandoval Releases Statement Regarding Recent Nevada Volleyball Controversy
By Dominic Gutierrez
Brian Sandoval, President of the University of Nevada Reno, released a statement on Oct. 17 regarding the state of the Nevada volleyball team and its scheduled match against San Jose State. Sandoval’s statement was emailed to students and faculty. He mentioned both the university’s and the players’ statements. He emphasized that while the university is legally committed to holding the match, players who opt-out of playing will not be punished.
“Recently, the University and members of our women’s volleyball team have made statements regarding the Wolf Pack volleyball team’s upcoming match on Oct. 26 with San José State University,” Sandoval said. “Certain points regarding this issue needs clarification, specifically where the University stands regarding support for all – and I truly do mean all – of our students, faculty and staff, as well as the laws and rules that govern the University in this situation.
“On Oct. 13, a majority of the Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team issued a statement to the
University informing it that the team had decided it was forfeiting the scheduled match with San José State University. While our players are not authorized to forfeit the match – this decision is one that only the University and our Department of Athletics can officially make – the University continues to support the rights of the volleyball players who choose not to participate.
“I wish to give added emphasis to what was stated on Oct. 13 by the University, that any member of the women’s Wolf Pack Volleyball team may opt out of participating in the match on the day of the contest without consequence. No volleyball team member will be subjected to any team disciplinary action for deciding not to participate in the match.”
Sandoval also mentioned that because of Article I, Section 24 of the Nevada Constitution, the university legally cannot forfeit the match because of an opposing team rostering a transgender player.
“The University made the decision not to declare a forfeiture and move forward with host-
Lawyer Joey Gilbert: Nevada Volleyball Team Considering Lawsuit against University of Nevada, Reno
By Dominic Gutierrez
Amid the recent controversy surrounding the Nevada women’s volleyball team, a potential lawsuit against the University of Nevada, Reno could ensue.
Joey Gilbert, a local criminal justice attorney and UNR alumni, told NSN and KRNV that some volleyball players are considering suing the university.
This potential lawsuit comes after multiple statements were made regarding the Oct. 26 match against San Jose State, which rosters Blaire Fleming, an outside hitter who is an alleged transgender athlete. A majority of the volleyball team voted to forfeit the match. However, the university released a statement saying that despite the vote, it intends to continue with the scheduled match.
Brian Sandoval, university president, released his own statement on Oct. 17, explaining that because of Section 24 in the Nevada Constitution, the university cannot legally forfeit an event due to gender identity or expression.
Gilbert told NSN and KRNV that he represents multiple UNR volleyball players, and they are exploring all potential options regarding player safety and possible Title IX violations.
“As legal counsel for several individual players on the University of Nevada, Reno women’s volleyball team, we are carefully considering all legal options to protect their rights and safety,” Gilbert told KRNV and NSN. “These athletes have expressed
legitimate concerns about the fairness and physical risks of competing against a transgender player from San Jose State University.”
Continued online at thenevadasagebrush.com
Dominic Gutierrez can be reached via email dominicgutierrez@unr.edu or via X @d_m_g_16
ing the match as scheduled based on a number of factors. As a public university, we are legally prohibited by Section 24 of the Nevada Constitution and other laws and regulations to declare a forfeit for reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
Section 24 states that “Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this state or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.”
While Nevada cannot forfeit, the university and Sandoval respect the players First Amendment right to express themselves, which led to a team led vote to not play the match scheduled for Oct. 26.
“The University must protect the First Amendment rights of its students and other individuals,” Sandoval said. “The University acknowledges that a student athlete’s refusal to participate in the match with San José State University can be interpreted as free expression that is protected by the First Amendment
of the United States Constitution. Conversely, we also acknowledge that a student athlete’s choice to play in the same match may also be intended as free expression protected by the First Amendment. Consequently, a forfeiture declared by the University prior to the match for reasons involving gender identity or expression could violate the rights of our student athletes whether they choose to compete or not.”
Continued online at thenevadasagebrush.com
Dominic Gutierrez can be reached via email dominicgutierrez@unr. edu or via X @d_m_g_16
By Dominic Gutierrez
After weeks of speculation, the Nevada women’s volleyball team’s match vs. San Jose State has officially been canceled. Nevada did not reach the minimum six-player requirement to play a match. The university sent a statement on Thursday night.
“Due to not having enough players to compete, the University of Nevada women’s volleyball team will not play its scheduled Mountain West Conference match at San José State on Saturday, Oct. 26,” the University of Nevada, Reno said. “Per Mountain West Conference policy, the match will be recorded as a conference loss for Nevada.”
The match has been in the national news for weeks now after a majority of Nevada’s volleyball players voted to forfeit its match against San Jose State. However, the university said because of the Nevada Constitution, it can’t legally forfeit the match.
Brian Sandoval, university president, said despite the law, players have the First Amendment right to not play, and there would be no punishment for deciding not to play the match.
A dozen players, including Sia Liilii, Nevada co-captain, will be at The Little Waldorf on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. for a “Women
Sports Are For Women Only” rally. The match against the Spartans was scheduled for the same day at noon.
Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, will also be in attendance and will be one of the speakers.
The match was originally set to take place in Reno, but both schools mutually agreed to relocate the match to San Jose. It allowed Nevada to not be responsible for any travel expenses since it was relocated. With the official cancellation, Nevada will take a loss in conference play. This comes just an hour after Nevada lost a road match against Fresno State, and will now 11-10 overall and 4-6 in conference play.
Many Nevada players are also still pursuing a potential lawsuit against the university with Joey Gilbert, a local criminal justice attorney, and UNR alumni.
Derek Raridon/ Nevada Sagebrush
Derek Raridon/Nevada Sagebrush
Official: Nevada Women’s Volleyball Match vs. San Jose State Canceled Due to Lack of Players
