“DO IT THE NEVADA WAY:” VP HARRIS VISITS RENO, SPEAKS ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, GUN CONTROL 91st ASUN Session Speaker,Convenes;Senate Officers,ElectedChairs

By Emerson Drewes

The ninety-first session of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada officially convened on Wednesday to inaugurate the president and vice president, as well as administer the oath of office for the senator-elects.

After an eventful ninetieth session, it came to a close on April 12 with Dionne Stanfill, former ASUN president, Jada Maglinao, former vice president, and Ashley Martinez, former chief of staff, giving a farewell on the ASUN Instagram.

“Thank you for allowing us to execute the Stronger with Nevada administration,” said the post. “Together we worked hard in areas of advocacy, association, opportunities, community, and history; and ultimately, we were Stronger with Nevada.”

The post also outlined the accomplishments of the Stronger with Nevada presidency which included: writing a “real” bill sponsored by state legislators, record attendance at the Welcome Week concert, partnerships with the Multicultural Center and reviving the yearbook, the Artemisia.

Hannah Day Alquiza, ASUN vice presidentelect, took the podium first to give her inaugural address.

She mentioned when Boris Carpio Guerra, ASUN president-elect, asked her to be his vice president, she declined due to the love of her ASUN department, programming. However, she said Guerra saw a potential in her she did not see. Through her election and hopefully in her vice presidency, she hopes to lead with “peace, love and positivity and a ‘Go Pack’ attitude.”

Alquiza acknowledged being a person of color and how her election is important for representation and future members of ASUN and the university.

Guerra followed suit with his inaugural address, mentioning the first time he stepped foot on the University of Nevada, Reno and how empowered he felt as a sixth grader at the university.

Guerra, the Reno native, mentioned in his address he comes from a large Guatemalan family of over thirty people. Growing up low income, he said he worked as a janitor and cleaning offices and now he has his own office as the ASUN president. During his presidency, Guerra hopes to empower students to connect and use their own voices within the association and at the university.

“Let’s just do that, let’s empower,” said Guerra at the end of his address. Speaker, Speaker Pro Tempore, Parliamentarian Elects Fayza Salah, senator-elect from the College of Science, ran for speaker of the Senate uncontested. During a quick discussion, she was highly praised by many senator-elects, calling her the best person for the role. Salah also served as a senator for the ninetieth session of ASUN as a College of Science senator.

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By Emerson Drewes, Lizzie Ramirez and Jessica Cabrera

On an abnormally snowy mid-April morning, students of the University of Nevada, Reno and locals awaited the arrival of a special guest — Kamala Harris, vice president of the United States. Harris visited the Nightingale Concert Hall on April 18 at noon to discuss reproductive rights with moderators Hillary Schieve, Reno mayor, and Rosario Dawson, actress.

Sandoval announced the visit via email on April 14 and included a link for community members to sign up for attendance. The event featured a group of speakers selected by the White House.

“I am beyond excited to announce that on Tuesday, April 18, the University of Nevada, Reno will welcome Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, to our campus,” said Sandoval in the email. “This is an historic official White House visit for our institution.”

The event started with a short speech from Samantha Glover, a senior at the Davidson Academy and abortion advocate. Glover started her speech by thanking the Biden-Harris administration for allowing her to speak and fight for reproductive rights. She stated that young people have the most at stake in the national debate over bodily autonomy.

The host introduced Sandoval to the audience. Sandoval delivered a small introduction to those visiting the campus and a warm hello to students. He speculated this is the first White House visit to the university campus.

“It’s not often that our campus is the site of an official White House visit,” Sandoval said. “We think that, actually, it might be the first, official White House visit to our campus. So, you’re all a part of history today.”

Sandoval described the campus in a quick introduction and mentioned the 150-year anniversary of the university. Additionally, Sandoval noted that UNR is the flagship university in Nevada.

Wrapping up his portion, Sandoval encouraged everyone to give Harris a “Wolf Pack welcome.”

Casey Wolf, counselor to the Secretary of Reproductive Rights, advocated for bodily autonomy and accessible healthcare on a national level. Nevada passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 2022 to ensure equal rights to all Nevadans “regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin.”

Wolf believes citizens should not be required to rely on another state’s policy to access reproductive healthcare.

“Abortion care is healthcare,” Wolf said. “… You are entitled to that care — even in states with restrictive abortion laws.”

Nasser Paydar, assistant secretary of education for postsecondary education, spoke next. He expressed excitement to be on a university campus as a former college chancellor. Paydar’s statement emphasized the importance of accessible reproductive healthcare for students.