Take a look inside the plans of the new Delta Gamma house

By Madison Wanco

Editor’s Note: Madison Wanco is affiliated with Greek Life on campus, although not Delta Gamma. However, this story is written without bias.

The wait is over for Delta Gamma members: the lavish 14-thousand square-feet house is underway and set to complete construction soon — making it the largest sorority house on the University of Nevada, Reno campus.

Construction on the exterior is scheduled for completion in February and the interior in July. Members of the Delta Gamma chapter will have the opportunity to live in the house starting in the fall semester of next year, hopefully before their work week, where they practice for the process of allowing other women to seek membership in their sororities’ chapters on campus.

“It is a long process, getting the lot, and because of COVID-19 we were pushed back a little bit,” said Lauren Garner, former Delta Gamma president. “We were supposed to have a house a few years ago and it just never ended up working out because of Covid and the delays and all of the supply chain issues. So we are glad that it is finally coming together.”

Set to be adorned with Delta Gamma colors — bronze, pink and blue — the house will be able to accommodate 40 members to live-in, with 15 bedrooms on the second floor of the home, two in the basement and a room for the house director.

The main floor will have a foyer, access to the staircase and a formal living room that will also double as a guest room if necessary. There will also be an informal living room with a television and a dining room to accompany it. The main floor will also occupy the kitchen and the housing director will have a designated office space, bathroom, living space and bedroom.

Garner has played a hands-on role in the building and design of the chapter’s upcoming house, however she will not have the opportunity to live in the house.

“I will not be here because I graduate in May, but I will still come back and see it and everything and I will have a room that says my name on it,” said Garner. “I have done a lot of work for the house. I have been meeting with interior designers, we have been talking about different things we want to do and deciding as the housing corporation on what we want to do design wise.”

“It will be very modern and timeless looking because we want it to last forever and age well,” Garner said.

Claire Glover, a new member of the Delta Gamma sorority, who is hopeful about living in the house in the future. She was asked if she would want to live in the house during her time at the university.

“I was thinking about it. Probably, yes. That would be fun to get to know everybody better, meet everyone and hang out, become genuine sisters and have fun with all of them,” Glover said.

The sorority will not own the house due to a lease-to-build agreement with 9th Street Properties, whom they are currently renting from and are also the builders for the house.

Since the chapter currently does not own the house, they will be holding capital fundraisers to help the chapter fully purchase and own the house. The chapter is not sure if the fundraisers will be open to the public or be for Delta gamma members and alumni exclusively.

“I think that most Delta Gamma’s would want to buy them but I think it would be a really cool opportunity if we open it up to the community,” said Garner. “Delta Gamma’s across the nation are excited for us which I think is fun.”

Once the walls are finished, and it is safe for people to be in the house they want to have an event that allows Delta Gamma members and alumni to pay to sign the walls. They also plan to sell bricks as well. There will also be an opportunity for people to sponsor a room and Garner will be one of the sponsors.

Currently, Delta Gamma pays the smallest amount of dues for their members, $776 for fall and $907.75 for spring. However, due to the new house their dues will be raised, similar to the other sororities on campus.

“We are paying the lowest amount of dues on campus right now. It will be a little bit of a jump for our women but I think that they are ready for it and they are excited to have a house finally and we will be comparable to the other sororities on campus dues wise which is cool,” Garner said.

Plans for the construction, general information and updates are all featured on the website dgraisetheroof.com.

Madison Wanco can be reached via email at mwanco@sagebrush.unr.edu or via Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.

Self-defense classes help UNR students feel confident, safe around reno

By Madison Wanco

There are two classes at the University of Nevada, Reno teaching women safety techniques, giving them the ability and the knowledge needed to protect them from danger: Girls on Guard and Rape Agression Defense— or RAD.

Human and sex trafficking, domestic violence and other violent acts against women have been receiving more public awareness due to an increase in media attention and isolation due to COVID-19, according to university police. The University of Nevada, Reno is attempting to educate students on the signs of danger and make them feel confident in their selfdefense skills through courses taught by UNR Police Department officers and officials.

Girls on Guard is taught at the E.L Wiegand Fitness Center. According to the UNR Recreation Portal Girls on Guard is “a women’s self-defense session focusing on risk awareness, risk reduction and personal safety.”

RAD is a women’s self-defense class taught by police officers like Joshua Reynolds, deputy chief of UNRPD. Only female presenting people can take the course.

“I always start my semester, the first couple of classes we do not do any physical self-defense. We talk about risk avoidance, risk awareness and risk reduction. That is 90 percent of self-defense,” said Reynolds. “Being more aware of your surroundings, building that confidence and hopefully you never get to the point where you have to use the physical techniques because you have taken those steps.”

Reynolds, the RAD instructor, said they talk about confidence in the course and how to prevent being chosen as a target by an offender. The class emphasizes being confident to prevent an offender or “bad guy” thinking that an individual is an “easy” target. The class also talks about always being aware and cautious about the surrounding environment to prevent dangerous situations.

Taking precautions limits the need of having to defend oneself physically. Madison Eifert, community relations specialist at UNRPD, previously taught Girls on Guard and emphasizes the importance of drawing attention to oneself.

“The two things that offenders typically want is for you to comply and be quiet,” said Eifert. “If you reduce those by screaming, or having a whistle on you to use or pull an alarm, I know those are really popular with students right now and those can significantly reduce the risk.”

Eiffert made sure to talk about the strategies used in teaching students today.

“Even in the women’s self-defense class we have been told not to use the word ‘victim,’ use the word ‘survivor’ or do not use ‘perpetrator,’ use ‘bad-guy’ just to make it a little bit more in the vernacular with students and they are able to better relate to it,” Eifert said.

Media attention surrounding trafficking issues has made the issue more public.

“I think awareness to sex trafficking is being increased and human trafficking,” said Faith Syfrett, detective at UNRPD.

A lot of Syfrett’s work focuses on trafficking issues pertaining to campus and the Reno area. Syfrett argues human trafficking has remained as pertinent of an issue it always has, but more awareness has been brought due to high profile cases.

Reynolds mentioned that most of the sex trafficking issues he had known about on campus, have been via grooming on the internet. Syfrett added that this issue was amplified since the pandemic.

“We never want to scare anybody. We just want to make people aware. I met my husband on Bumble. I still vetted him before I met him,” Syfrett said about the importance of internet safety for all people.

Syfrett also mentioned that although being followed by strangers is a worthy reason for anyone to call the non-emergency police department phone number, however it is not the typical route that offenders take when trying to abduct their target.

“It is going to be a family member, it is going to be a close friend, it is going to be somebody that sees an opportunity based off of somebody’s struggles. If somebody is struggling and they are needing, let’s just say: love or care or shelter in their life,” said Syfrett. “Somebody who is opportunistic is going to see that, they are going to groom them on social media, a dating website … so you are likely not going to be kidnapped from those people following you at Walmart,”

The class counts as a physical education credit at the university. Although many of the things taught in the class require physical strength, some of the class is devoted to being mentally aware of the tactics of possible assailants.

“I would say the main focus is learning how to defend yourself against a possible attacker and learning how to constantly be aware of your surroundings so that if possible you can prevent being in that situation in the first place,” Brie Albright, a student at UNR who has taken an RAD class said.

Madison Wanco can be reached via email at mwanco@sagebrush.unr.edu or via Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.