Join the Pack UNR Student Guide

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— 07.25.19 — A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

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by Matt Bieker

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mattb@newsreview.com

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hanks for picking up the Reno News & Review’s 2019 Join the Pack Guide. As I’ve mentioned before in my letters, I was born and raised in Reno, and I’ve lived a little over a mile from the University of Nevada, Reno campus my entire life.

As both an alumnus of and an instructor at UNR, I can confidently say I’ve never gotten used to how the place seems to change every year—and to the incoming freshman class, I’m sure the prospect of starting school is daunting enough. That’s why this year’s guide takes some big topics and breaks them down for the average college student’s ease of use.

One school topic that will affect freshman more than most is the recent Argenta dorm explosion. In early July, after a broken elevator ignited a gas line, the resulting damage to one of UNR’s newer dorms made national news, but thankfully not for any casualties. On page 5, Temi Durojaiye breaks down what happened and what it means for students who counted on Argenta’s beds and dining hall during the semester.

On page 8, recent UNR graduate Andrea Heerdt explored a topic she found a passion for in college, and many students might think is beyond their means: travel. UNR’s University Study Abroad Consortium (USAC) has different programs, opportunities and scholarships for not just going to a new country to learn, but also to teach.

To some students, starting at UNR means—maybe for the first time—experiencing a level of personal freedom when it comes to their schedules, friends or hobbies.

In between the tests, parties and the odd all-nighter, however, many college students can neglect both their mental and physical health.

On page 11, I spoke to UNR nutritionist for advice on the physical side, but on page 10, Associate Editor Jeri Davis explains some of the resources offered both on and off campus for students living with the realities of mental illness, either their own or a loved one’s. Spoiler alert: hanging out with puppies seems to help.

And on page 16 of our regular issue, I spoke to some dedicated current and former students about how to get in shape, by whatever standards they prefer, while balancing a full course load. Both require some heavy lifting, but balance is key.

I love the start of the new semester, even as an alumnus. UNR is undoubtedly a beautiful campus, but at its base function, its a collection of buildings designed to prepare you for life beyond their walls. It’s a big first step, and hopefully this guide will provide a little clarity in the face of new challenges and possibilities the class of 2023 will meet in a few weeks. Have a good year.

Matt bieker, Special projectS editor

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— 07.25.19 — A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

by Temi Durojaiye

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ust a month and a half into the summer holiday, the University of Nevada, Reno experienced what would surely have been the worst catastrophe in the school’s more than 100-year history.

On July 5, two explosions occurred at the Argenta and Nye Hall complex, destroying major parts of both buildings, but only injuring eight people, including six students and two firefighters, who had to be treated for minor cuts, abrasions and bruises.

Steps toward collecting and returning any personal property lost in the chaos are also underway. Additionally, the university also offered counseling services for people to deal with the trauma and stress of the event.

According to the state inspector, the initial boiler explosion was an “isolated event” that has never occurred in Nevada before. The boiler’s failure severed a gas line, resulting in the second explosion that caused most of the structural damage.

Most of the damage was contained within the first two floors of the building, and the center core “looked like a major earthquake” had occurred, according to the state inspector.

Thankfully, Argenta was built to code with fire-retardant material, preventing any uncontrolled blaze that would have made evacuation efforts more difficult and exacerbated the risk of injury and fatality. Post-incident inspections revealed that the buildings are not structurally compromised, and a lot of the damage to Argenta Hall is superficial.

“We count ourselves extremely fortunate that there weren’t any major injuries or fatalities,” said Marc

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The Argenta dorm explosion was a freak accident that could have been a tragedy

Johnson, president of the university, at a press conference on July 9.

Although, both buildings have been decommissioned ahead of the fall semester, they should return to use once renovation efforts are complete.

However, it remains unclear when both buildings may be recommissioned, with initial feasibility reports suggesting that it may take as long as two years.

“Both buildings for this year will not be used,” Johnson said.

Shutting down the buildings was the easy part. Finding new residential spaces for over 1,000 students with less than 50 days till the semester resumes has posed a greater challenge, but Dr. Shannon Ellis, vice-president for Student Services mentioned that the university has been trying to secure longterm leases with residential options in the area for about 1,300 beds.

The school’s official statement read: “this plan will provide students a safe and first-class opportunity to have a residence life experience, complete with a quality support infrastructure, which is essential for these students’ success.”

While the statement reads as a vague guarantee, there are limited options available for such a widescale relocation in a safe, secure, proximal location. On July 19, UNR issued a statement saying that displaced students would be housed in the west tower of the Circus Circus casino, which in 2017, also served as a temporary home to students who couldn’t immediately access their accommodation at

Identity Reno Apartments after construction work delayed move-in.

The casino’s “Sky Tower” will be temporarily renamed “Wolf Pack Tower,” and students will require keycards to access the building, which will house only students and retain round-the-clock security services.

UNR is also planning to construct temporary dining halls near the newly completed Great Basin Hall to serve students, with campus transport providing a link between downtown and the school grounds.

The Artemesia building, which was initially closed for inspection after the accident, has been deemed safe enough for university staff to resume work, and Virginia Street has been reopened for use after being closed for four days in the aftermath. Damaged areas exposed to public view in both buildings will be wrapped in protective material to prevent stray debris from injuring nearby pedestrians.

For the people who experienced the explosion as it happened, it mostly felt surreal. Some thought an earthquake was happening, others thought it was a regular fire; one student thought someone had slammed the doors a little too hard.

Fortunately, they all managed to escape the damage due to a quick response from the Fire Department as well as the initial boiler explosion which forced an evacuation of the building, meaning that UNR’s student body, while a little scattered, remains whole. Ω

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— 07.25.19 — A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

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Wingin’ it

by AndreA Heerdt

UNR students have many opportunities to take their studies abroad

here are many reasons why college students should consider studying, or even teaching, abroad. For many, it can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to immerse themselves in a different culture. For others, it’s the chance to learn a second language or gain valuable experiences that set them apart from their peers after graduation.

But despite the appeal of spending a semester in a new and exciting place, there are many university students who don’t even consider the idea of studying abroad, believing they do not have enough money or time to travel to a foreign country in college. Alyssa Nota, president and CEO of Universities Study Abroad Consortium, has advice for University of Nevada, Reno, students who want to turn their travel dreams into reality.

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challenge if their degree has specific technical or licensing requirements. Luckily, there are short-term alternatives UNR students can enroll in over winter break that will see students spending their cold months someplace warmer—like Spain, Costa Rica or Cuba.

Other things to consider when planning for a semester abroad include getting a passport as early as possible. According to Nota, all USAC students need to make sure their passport is valid for at least six months after their planned return from studying abroad, especially if they’re applying for a visa pre-departure.

Planning early will not only keep students on track to graduate in a timely manner, but will also help students avoid situations like signing a lease on an apartment in Reno when they won’t be in the country.

paying your way According to Nota, there are many ways in which students can finance their time abroad.

USAC provides students with an array of tools and resources in order to lower the cost of their semester abroad.

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Photo/AndreA heerdt

Nota recommends that students meet with their academic advisor as early as possible if they’re even considering the idea of spending time abroad. She said for some majors with very specific course sequencing requirements, students may be better off studying abroad during their sophomore year when they’re still working on general education requirements, including foreign language skills. For other students who want to dive into advanced coursework, like engaging in research projects with faculty abroad, their junior or senior year may be a better choice since they’ll have advanced further in their major.

If students are trying to save specific classes for their time abroad, Nota said upper and lower division foreign languages, social sciences and humanities classes are widely available among USAC’s programs. She also said that students should never feel like it’s too late to study abroad, either.

“Last year, 11 percent of USAC enrollments were students in their senior year,” said Nota, “Many students study abroad during their senior year and are surprised to discover that they can fulfill major requirements and graduate on time.”

That being said, those who wait until their senior year may be faced with more of a

There are many national USAC scholarships students can apply for, but there are a few like the Mullen-Hidalgo-Sandoval Scholarship, R.J. Simcoe Memorial Scholarship, and Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation Scholarship for first-generation and/or high financial need students who graduated from a high school in Carson City, Douglas or Washoe County that have been set aside specifically for UNR students who want to study abroad.

Nota said that USAC even has a scholarship team that walks people through the application processes and helps students brainstorm essay outlines to create the strongest application possible.

In order to apply for study abroad scholarships, students must have already started their

The author during a trip to she took to Iceland after graduating UNR in May 2019.

Nota recommends that once a student is enrolled in their program, they should meet with their program advisor for country-specific information on how to save money. She also said to speak with your bank before departing to see if there are ways to reduce international withdrawal fees.

There are also student public transportation passes available that can cut costs, and USAC offers an app guide that helps many students stay within a budget, including real-time currency convertor apps and budgeting and expense tracking apps.

“Many students study abroad during their senior year and are surprised to discover that they can fulfill major requirements and graduate on time.”

Alyssa Nota

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For those who never had the opportunity to study abroad in college, UNR also offers a graduate certificate that can open the door for teaching English in a foreign country. The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages graduate certificate (TESOL) is a great option for those who have never taught before but want to earn a certificate quickly, according to Dr. Rod Case, associate professor of the college of education.

This 15-credit graduate program is for students of any background who have a bachelor’s degree and are interested in languages, culture and

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Ghana. USAC also provides students with an interactive budget sheet that allows them to calculate the cost of airfare, housing, courses, personal expenses and more.

Although it can be difficult for students to obtain part-time jobs while studying abroad due to the complications of work visas, USAC offers an array of academic internships for those who want to gain valuable professional experience in health care facilities, marketing firms, community service organizations, environmental agencies, the arts and media and local schools.

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program application. This isn’t the final commitment to study abroad, but it does open the door to potential scholarship funding. If students are relying on the funding, they should be keeping track of important application deadlines. The USAC scholarship application deadline is March 15 for summer and fall programs and October 15 for January and spring programs.

Where you choose to study abroad also matters financially. According to Nota, USAC’s most affordable programs are located in India, Latin America, Asia and

education. According to Case, it’s a great opportunity for a person to give teaching a try before enrolling in a master’s program and then potentially realizing it’s not for them.

The courses offered at UNR are solely online, and teach students how long it takes to speak, write and read a language, how pronunciation is learned and whether or not learning in a classroom or learning abroad is most effective.

Once a student has earned a TESOL certificate, Case offers a summer course that teaches them everything from where to look for teaching jobs, to visa requirements, to how to create a lesson plan.

Case also brings in guest speakers to talk about their teaching experiences abroad, so students can best determine which country and what type of school they want to teach at.

Most of the jobs students participate in after earning their TESOL certificate are programs that teach adults English.

Case said they’re usually yearly positions typically in Asia, South America or Europe.

Whether you choose to study or teach abroad, UNR students have the opportunity to learn not just about a new country, but how to find practical resources for maximizing your experience abroad. Ω

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Maintain your mental health during your pursuit of knowledge

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ollege is a rewarding and also stressful experience. And managing both our physical and mental health can be difficult during these years. Whether you’re currently living with mental illness or experience it at some point during your time at the university, you should know that there are resources available to you in the community—your community, now—both on campus and off.

Before we begin, when seeking guidance or care, it’s important to consider what our real needs are. And when it comes to mental health, that can depend on a lot of factors— but one really big one is substance use and abuse. That’s not to say that one leads to the other, but either can exacerbate the other, most certainly. That’s why you’ll find here both organizations that offer general support and others that are geared toward people recovering from substance abuse.

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As its student body has swelled, the University of Nevada, Reno has taken steps to broaden the scope of the mental health care it offers students. At the William Pennington Student Achievement Center, you can access individual, group and crisis counseling. But that’s not the only place care is available.

If you’re walking through the Knowledge Center this semester, you’re likely to encounter the staff and volunteers from UNR’s Take 5 program.

The Take 5 program is designed to reach out to students in the places they frequent on campus, and Program Coordinator Alexa Alessi can be found several times a week with a table full of information about accessing care, plus a fun activity—which, by the way, could be anything from coloring to petting a gang of fluffy therapy dogs. It’s also a good time to ask for help.

“Sometimes students just come over and sit down and start crying,” she said. And that’s all right. If you’re having a tough time, be aware that when you see the Take 5 table, there’s a clinician on hand that you can sit down with in private to discuss what’s going on. They can direct you to the right resources to help you manage your mental health.

(The phone number for counseling services is 784-4648, or visit unr.edu/counseling.)

Of course, in addition to its counseling services, UNR has a slew of clubs and organizations geared toward wellness. And among them is Nevada’s Recovery & Prevention Community (NRAP). If you’re trying to lead a sober life, you can join this organization for academic support, social support through peer-to-peer services and activities, professional development advisement, scholarships,

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leadership training, 12-step meetings, sober events both on and off campus, and more.

(Find NRAP here: facebook.com/NevadaRAP.)

care in the community The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Northern Nevada has been a fixture in the community for 40 years now—but they don’t care if you’re new to town. NAMI hosts two weekly group therapy sessions on Monday evenings at Renown Regional Medical Center, 1155 Mill St. One is for people living with mental illness. The other other is for families of people with mental illness. Both are free. You don’t need need to register for either. You just show up at the Education and Simulation Center on the first floor near the Emergency Department at 6:30 p.m.

Having a family member who lives with mental illness can be its own challenge, thus why NAMI offers group therapy for folks in this situation, too. And according to executive director for NAMI Northern Nevada Sandy Stamates, the organization also offers a series of free classes designed specifically for people coping with a family member’s mental illness.

Family-to-Family is an eight-class course that’s taught three times a year over the course of a few weeks.

“I know college students are already so, so busy with classes,” Stamates said. Still, she said, learning about mental illness, its causes and its symptoms can bring people a lot of perspective and help them empathize with an ill loved one.

(You can learn more about NAMI Northern Nevada here: naminorthernnevada.org, or call its crisis call line at 784-8090.)

Story and photoS by Jeri Davis

jerid@newsreview.com

The Foundation for Recovery is a nonprofit organization that’s been supporting families and individuals recovering from addiction in Las Vegas since 2005. People leading a sober life come to the organization’s facility for peer-to-peer counseling and support and sober activities. On July 25, the Foundation for Recovery opened its doors in Sparks at 621 Pyramid Way. When talking about sobriety support groups, Program Coordinator Lisa Lee is quick to point out that UNR students already have an equivalent organization on campus in NRAP. But Lee and the Foundation for Recovery’s philosophy as an organization is based on the idea that there are many paths to addiction recovery. The organization isn’t a 12-step, faith-based group and recognizes that some people may even walk that path largely on their own.

The Foundation for Recovery is open to college students, and Lee even understands why some students might be seeking an alternative, like if you’re an older student who’s concerned about finding sober companions with similar life experiences—or even if you’re just a grad student.

“I was a teaching assistant in graduate school,” she said—and she can see why a grad student might worry about potentially sharing in a sobriety organization with their students, the people to whom they assign grades.

Nonetheless, her message, like other care providers in the community, is simple: Find the help you need.

It’s like Stamates says, “We don’t like words like ‘suffering.’ People are living with mental illness, and they can live well.”

(Learn more about the Foundation for Recovery here: forrecovery.org.)

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Gut feeling

by Matt Bieker

eating patterns—skipping meals and going long intervals without eating.

These patterns are just not conducive to intellectual thriving, in terms of having adequate energy to get through the day, to think, to be studious and to collaborate well.

mattb@newsreview.com

Advice for eating well from a UNR nutritionist Maureen Molini has been a registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) for the past 15 years, eight of which she spent as the RDN at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Student Health Center. As head lecturer at the Department of Nutrition, she emailed the RN&R with advice for students looking to stay on top of their diet, plan meals around a busy schedule, or simply broaden their understanding of how to eat healthy.

What resources are available for students on campus when it comes to understanding and planning their nutritional needs?

For students who are interested in individualized nutrition counseling, I would recommend setting up an appointment at the UNR Student Health Center with registered dietitian nutritionist Renee Bauer. This service is available at no

additional charge to students if they have paid their mandatory Student Health Fee [per semester].

they are used to eating, and, for those on campus, consuming the majority of meals through campus dining.

In your experience, what are the greatest challenges to understanding nutrition or maintaining a healthy diet as a student?

In the grand scheme of staying healthy, where does nutrition fall in the hierarchy of physical exercise, sleep schedule and mental well-being?

For the vast majority of “traditional” students, this life stage means they are now independently making their own food decisions without support, input or resources from family. This can be a tough transition for some, and, in my experience, many found it difficult to consistently make healthy food choices on their own while trying to balance their school commitments, and, often, work obligations as well. … Often, there are a variety of reasons they are challenged with nutrition–limited skills/experience with grocery shopping, food preparation, meal planning, etc., as well as changes in availability of foods

Of course, all of the lifestyle factors you mentioned are important. I am biased, but, in my opinion, for college students, nutrition should be at the top of the list, perhaps only with sleep above it. Consistently fueling their bodies and brains with nutrient dense foods is extremely important. I observed many students with very erratic

While everyone’s body is different, and people should plan according to their own needs, are there any hard and fast advice/rules you would give college students for staying on top of healthy eating? Any big misconceptions you’d like to address?

1. Maintaining consistent eating patterns throughout the day and avoiding long stretches without eating. For some, getting overly hungry—ravenous—means it can be more challenging to make a healthy choice when they do get Maureen Molini around to eating. is a registered dietician 2. Paying attention nutritionist who knows to their internal signals how difficult it can be for students to maintain of hunger and fullness a healthy diet while and trying to honor in college. them as consistently as possible by eating when physically hungry—not

waiting until they are ravenous—and stopping when comfortably full.

3. Aiming for balanced meals that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and healthy fats.

4. Staying mindful about snacking—especially while studying or late into the night—on very energy dense foods like chips, pizza, fast food, cookies, candy, sweetened beverages and energy drinks.

5. Staying hydrated by choosing water most often—use those hydro flasks.

The “Freshman 15” is a well perpetuated myth. While it is true that some students do gain weight during their first year of college, the research shows, on average, it is only a few pounds, and, of course, some students don’t gain any weight and others may lose weight. In my experience, incoming freshman are fearful of this and may respond by trying to intentionally modify their food intake, which is not always done in an appropriate or healthful way. The UNR Student Health Center and UNR Counseling Services are both great resources for any UNR student that might be struggling with disordered eating. Ω

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