Nevada Sagebrush Archives For 02092016

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NEVADA SAGEBRUSH
SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893
THE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
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VOLUME 122, ISSUE 20
NEWS in REVIEW
By Jacob Solis
INTERNATIONAL
UN security council denounces
North Korean missile test
More sanctions against North
Korea may be incoming after the
U.N. Security Council condemned
the countrys most recent long-range
missile test on Sunday, according to a
U.N. press release.
North Korean authorities said on
the same day that the missile was
able to put a satellite into orbit, and
South Korean intelligence officials
have said the launch marks a notable
advance in North Koreas quest for
an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The satellite reportedly launched on
Sunday is said to be at least twice
as large as a similar satellite North
Korea launched in 2012.
Though the U.N. has promised
to increase penalties, they have not
released any specifics pending deliberations. These deliberations will
likely hinge on whether or not China,
one of the five permanent members
of the Security Council, will change
in its long-standing goodwill toward
its eastern neighbor.
On Monday, China expressed regret over the missile test, and called
for calm on the international stage
amid the possibility that the U.S.
could send missile defense systems
to South Korea. Though South Korea
and the U.S. have said they are strictly
for defense against North Korea,
China has shown apprehension that
the systems could act as a challenge
to Chinese power in the region.
NATIONAL
Cop who shot and killed Chicago
teen to sue teens estate
Officer Robert Rialmo, a Chicago
police officer who shot and killed
a 19-year-old and his neighbor last
year, filed a suit against the teens
estate Friday over what he called
extreme emotional trauma, according to Time Magazine.
The suit is the first account of
the shooting from Rialmos point
of view. On Dec. 26, Rialmo shot
Quintonio LeGrier eight times after
LeGrier allegedly came at Rialmo
with a baseball bat. One of those
bullets passed through LeGrier and
struck and killed his neighbor, Betty
Jones.
The LeGrier familys lawyer,
Basileios Foutris, called the suit
outlandish and a new low for the
Chicago Police Department.
LOCAL
Live entertainment tax on
Burning Man upheld
Nevadas taxation department
officially upheld a decision Thursday that would levy the states live
entertainment tax on the Burning
Man festival, according to the Reno
Gazette-Journal. The annual festival,
which takes place in the Black Rock
Desert and draws tens of thousands
of burners, was previously exempt
because the art at the festival is provided by its patrons.
Even so, the taxation department
found that because access to the
festival grounds is limited to ticket
holders and because organizers
collect taxable receipts from burners, Burning Man is technically live
entertainment.
Organizers have continued to
express their opposition to the tax
and have called it an unfair attempt
to tap Burning Mans resources.
When ticket prices were announced
just last Thursday, main sale tickets
reflected the new tax by jumping
from $390 to $424.
Jacob Solis can be reached at jsolis@
sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter
@TheSagebrush.
DR. DOG DISAPPOINTS
Marcus Lavergne/Nevada Sagebrush
Science writer, David Quammen

lectures inside the Davidson
Math and Science Center on
Thursday, Feb. 4. Quammen
explains that humans, a rapidly
growing population, are at high
risk of contracting animal-tohuman viruses.
OUTBREAK
Increased disruption and connectivity

cause heightened risk of animal-to-human disease
By Marcus Lavergne
iruses discovered decades ago

have come back to haunt humanity, causing some of the worlds
most vicious and mysterious
diseases. In recent cases, such
as the epidemic caused by the Ebola viruss
explosion throughout West Africa, there came
a lethality that disrupted the lives of millions,
even separating families from their loved ones.
More than 25,000 people contracted Ebola,
and it took the lives of about 11,000, making

it the largest outbreak of the disease in history. The World Health Organization officially
deemed it an outbreak in 2014, and although
countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone are
now out of the quarantine stage, scientists
and medical professionals have yet to create
a vaccine for the virus, though at least two are
currently in testing.
Now that Ebola has exited the spotlight,
another virus has entered affecting pregnant
women and their fetuses. Zika virus now
plagues South America in countries like Brazil

and Colombia. On Feb. 1 the WHO declared it
a global public health emergency, putting the
world on high alert, after thousands of confirmed cases came to light.
After the virus initially appeared in Brazil
last May, more reports released in the fall
uncovered a spike in the number of infants
suffering from microcephaly. Studies show that
the virus has a link to the birth defect, which is
See ZIKA page A2
Nevada caucus prep WHITE PINE HALL COMES DOWN

efforts ramp up
By Jacob Solis
With Nevadas third-in-the-nation presidential nominating
contest fast approaching, campaigns across the state are intensifying their operations in a last-ditch effort to get out the
vote. Its caucus is the first in the West and has subsequently
drawn campaigns far and wide to the Silver State in an effort
to gain some momentum going into Super Tuesday at the
beginning of March.
In Reno, campaigns, interest groups and advocacy groups
alike have been setting up dozens of caucus trainings in the
runup to the caucus itself. One of these trainings made its
way to the third floor of the University of Nevada, Renos Joe
Crowley Student Union. There, nearly a dozen students and
a community member or two sat for half an hours worth
of information on the more-than-a-little confusing caucus
process.
A representative from the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees, one of the trainings cosponsors, stood in the front of the room and made his way
See CAUCUS page A2
A4
Breanna Denney/Nevada Sagebrush
Workers tear down White Pine hall on Thursday, Feb. 4. The residence hall was demolished over the
course of several days last week and will serve as the site for the new Great Basin Hall.
CUPID AND CREEPY COHORTS
A7
PERFECT SEASON
A10
@TheSagebrush | nevadasagebrush.com
A2 | NEWS
NEVADA SAGEBRUSH
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Student voice of the University of

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characterized by babies born with

undersized or deformed heads, which is
in turn associated with improper brain
development.
Zika moves fast and far in the bodies of
its vector, the Aedes mosquito. According
to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the virus is being actively
transmitted from person to person in
over 20 countries across the Americas.
Zoonotic viruses like Zika, Ebola,
MERS, Influenza and HIV/AIDS have
all transferred through animals into humans at some point in time. Their prominence in human populations highlights
weaknesses such as the worlds growing
population and a lack of preventative
treatment and cures.
David Quammen is a science writer
who has been addressing these issues.
He has published 15 books on science,
nature and traveling. He focuses on topics such as the hyperinteraction between
humans and areas like tropical rain forests where unknown viruses and diseases
lie dormant.
Last Thursday, he came to the University of Nevada, Reno, where he lectured
on some of those viruses and the potential future of humankind. For Quammen,
whos had science articles published in
periodicals like National Geographic,

Rolling Stone and the New York Times
Book Review, the unknown presents a
chance to travel to interesting places and
meet interesting people.
I like to go to wild places, Quammen
said. Some guys going to walk across the
Congo in a pair of Teva sandals for 2,000
miles studying the presence of gorillas
and forest elephants. Do you want to go
with them? Duh, yeah. So I go, and I do
that assignment.
Zoonotic diseases make up 60 percent
of all known human diseases according
to the CDC. Out of all of the diseases
man has discovered, it turns out that 13
of them kill over 2 million people each
year. During Quammens lecture, Ebola
& Beyond: Scary Viruses in a Globalized
World, he emphasized that this lack
of resilience to zoonoses serves as an
important reminder.
It reminds us of the connectedness between humans and animals,
Quammen said. [Its] the Darwinian
truth we humans are animals, part of
nature, not separate from it or above it.
It comes down to three factors that
Quammen equates with the spillover
that humans are seeing, or the salient
interaction between humanity and the
reservoir hosts that carry dormant and
active viruses. According to him, those
factors are disruption, connectivity and
the biodiversity of viruses.
By becoming so intertwined with

nature and also disrupting the natural
flow of things, humans have opened
up a gateway to that viral biodiversity.
Industrialization,
experimentation,
exploration and the like each help open
up a path for transmission of viruses,
and that could mean the evolution and
survival of new diseases.
Any virus that has lived for a millennia
in an animal that is now becoming an
endangered species makes a really good
career move when it transfers its attention to humans, Quammen said.
Quammen uses the chimpanzee and
the AIDS virus as an example. Chimps are
being pushed past the point of endangerment, but that hasnt stopped AIDS from
taking more than 35 million human lives
between 1908 and 2015. When a virus
moves into a human, its chances for evolutionary success increase. It should be
noted, however, that there remains some
debate over the link between AIDS and
chimpanzees.
According to Quammen, the next great
pandemic, which could be upon humankind in the form of the Zika virus, could
take millions of lives. But it turns out that
humans mightve been asking for this to
happen. Quammen calls human beings
an outbreak population, comparing us to
tent caterpillars.
The tent caterpillars grow exponentially for a time, devastating forest trees
by devouring their leaves. This doesnt

last for long though, and eventually
that population goes through a crash or
significant and rapid drop in population size. According to Quammen, a big
reason for that drop is disease a highly
prevalent part of human life.
With viruses, you cant treat them with
antibiotics, Quammen said. There are
drugs called antivirals, theyre helpful in
some cases, but they arent magic bullets.
You can vaccinate, if you can find a vaccine, but it takes a lot of time and a lot of
money.
During Quammens travels, he discovered hope in the form of a term known
as heterogeneity of behavior. Human
beings can avoid tent caterpillar population crashes through learning, adapting
and using intelligent steps to change
ourselves. He believes that epidemics
like the Ebola outbreak in West Africa
have to be treated as a world problem.
Humanity is ultimately bound to
decline in population size due to several reasons including scarce resources,
space and newly discovered viruses waiting to evolve, but that doesnt have to be a
rapid, disastrous event. It can be a gentle
decline, where humans can thrive, and
not just survive.
Marcus Lavergne can be reached at
mlavergne@sagebrush.unr.edu and on
Twitter @mlavergne21.
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Caucus
through a small packet that had been

distributed to everyone in the room. He
covered everything from why the caucus
is important to how the caucus actually
works, stopping along the way for any
questions.
Iris West, assistant director of the Latino Research Center at the University of
Nevada, Reno and one of the organizers
of that particular training, emphasized
the importance of voting as the reason
for putting the training on.
For me, its a civic duty, West said.
I come from a place where the right to
vote was suppressed, so I do appreciate
to have that and I think that everybody
should. Having the right to vote, for
people in my country, didnt come for
free. It was something that cost blood and
the lives of others.
For concerned citizen and registered
Democrat Peggy Bohn, the training provided an opportunity to prepare for her
first Democratic caucus in eight years.
More generally though, the caucus provides Bohn with the opportunity to talk
through her own voting decision with
fellow voters.
When I originally walked into the
building [in 2008], I was leaning toward a
particular candidate, but by the way that
my questions were answered I did not go
to that candidate, Bohn said. Im pretty
sure who Ill go with [this year], but I was
pretty sure eight years ago. Then I went to
the caucus and my mind was changed.
For student Alejandra Hernandez
Chavez, the caucus is a great way to get
face-to-face with neighbors and talk
bluntly about the issues facing everyone
in the community.
I like the engagement that you see
during a caucus as opposed to a primary
where you just vote, Chavez said. Off of
that, I kind of like the community aspect.
You actually get to talk to people and see
what different opinions the people that
live around you have.
That being said, caucusing is not such a
simple endeavor, nor is it necessarily that
easy to understand, case in point being
the numerous amount of caucus trainings happening all across the state.
The caucus, as demonstrated just a
week ago in the Hawkeye state, is a slew
of small gatherings on a precinct level.
These precincts each elect delegates
based on what proportion of people caucus for a candidate. Delegates, it should
be noted, are elected right after the
caucus is over at each and every precinct
location.
On the Democratic side, thousands of
delegates are chosen to go to the county
and later state conventions. Both these
CA UCUSING
THE MORE YOU KNOW
Feb. 20
Feb. 23
July 18-21
July 25-28
Nevada
Democratic
Caucus
Nevada
Republican
Caucus
Republican
National
Convention
Democratic
National
Convention
15
35
15 states
(including Nevada)
use the caucus in some
way to nominate
presidental candidates
35 states
use a primary as a
way to nominate
presidental
candidates
30
35
Nevada sends
30 delegates to the
Republican convention
Nevada sends
35 delegates to the
Democratic convention
SOURCES: The Nevada State

Democratic Party, The Nevada
Republican Party, Diffen.com,
The Green Papers
Nevada also sends

8 superdelegates to the
Democratic convention
Infographic by Nicole Kowalewski/Nevada Sagebrush
conventions narrow down the final number of pledged delegates, or delegates

who are bound to vote for a certain
candidate at the national convention,
to 35 for the Democrats and 30 for the
Republicans.
It should be noted that the Democrats
also use a great number of superdelegates, or delegates who are not bound by
law to vote for any particular candidate,
in their nomination process. Nevada has
eight and their ranks include elected representatives, like Rep. Dina Titus and Sen.
Harry Reid, as well as other party leaders.
This complexity has drawn plenty of
criticism of the caucus as a nomination
method, and that criticism has been
compounded by some questionable
election practices in Iowa. Coin flips and
head counts have drawn the ire of talking

heads across the nation and have formed
the crux of the criticism facing the caucus. More than that though, few people
actually come out to caucus, which often
means that the most radical voters have
the most say.
Though Nevada Democrats have been
caucusing since 2000, the state first
instituted the caucus for both parties
in 2008, the same time that it was gifted
its third-in-the-nation spot by both the
Democratic and Republican national
committees. That year saw huge turnout
for the Democrats as 118,000 people caucused more than 12 times the amount
of caucusgoers in 2004.
Turnout for the Republicans, however,
was less than stellar. A little over 44,000
Republicans turned out for the caucus

just 9.2 percent of all registered Republicans at the time. More pitiful turnout
in 2012 has led some commentators to
question whether or not Nevada might
keep its third-in-the-nation spot in 2020,
though neither party has made a decision
yet and likely wont for some time.
Nevadas Democratic caucus is on Saturday, Feb. 20, while the Republican caucus is on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Both are closed
caucuses, so anyone wishing to caucus
needs to be registered for a party by the
day of the caucus for the Democrats or by
Feb. 13 for the Republicans.
Jacob Solis can be reached at jsolis@
@TheSagebrush.
NEWS | A3
Crowdfunding ranks among top investment options

By Marcus Lavergne
Money makes the world go round
is the cliche with everlasting prevalence in the business world. For budding entrepreneurs, money presents
an unavoidable barrier to entry into
the world of business-owning; their
new inventions or products simply
cant launch far off the ground without it. But, thanks to a popular trend
pulling some away from traditional
venture capitalism, people are getting
past that barrier more easily.
Crowdfunding involves reaching
out into certain communities, which
could include family, friends, business owners and other investors.
With sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo,
Razoo and Causes making it easier for
people to get started, it could become
the ideal way to propel a new project
off the ground.
In 2012, investor and product
specialist Tanya Prive wrote a Forbes
article, which describes some of the
values behind crowdfunding.
The idea is to create a compelling
message that readers will be drawn
to, Prive wrote.
Experts ... predicted that the industry,

which saw $16 billion funded in 2014,
would soon surpass the venture capitalist
industrys $30 billion yearly average.
Readers are not the only targets of
crowdfunding efforts. Entrepreneurs
are also using video as a way to reach
their audience. Thats according to
Kickstarter, which says theres a 66
percent chance of getting funded
after uploading a good project video.
Without it, theres only about a 30
percent chance.
Kickstarter says its about telling
your story and going further than
just selling people on a product.
Renowned crowdfunding education
site Crowdfundingdojo.com calls it
selling your dream.
For Matt Sikora, crowdfunding
wasnt just helpful, it was essential.
Within 24 hours of the Kickstarter

launch of his campaign, Sikoras new
Reno-based
phone-case
startup,
Candel, reached its $25,000 goal. His
team launched Candel on Jan. 20, and
its raised more than $30,000, 14 days
before the end of the campaign.
For Sikora, crowdfunding means
more than just raising money. Its
building community support and
raising awareness as well.
Typically you can accomplish a
lot of things at once, Sikora said.
So, you do a huge marketing rollout,
youre getting your brand out there
on all these platforms, youre getting
some marketing validation, and then
youre getting feedback too.

On sites like Kickstarter, companies
have the ability to raise high amounts
of money in a short amount of time.
Sikora envisions that soon, all sorts of
different business owners and manufacturers will be launching products
in some kind of crowdfunding system.
Itll be this way because of the
value that you get out of it in terms of
feedback and the marketing exposure
and all of this stuff, Sikora said. It
creates urgency too. It just drives so
many people to one place, and in a
short period of time, you get so much
valuable information. Its the perfect
way to launch a product and build a
brand at the same time.
To say crowdfunding is a growing trend might be understating
things. Experts from Massolution, a
world-recognized crowdfunding and
crowdsourcing research organization,
predicted that the industry, which
saw $16 billion funded in 2014, would
soon surpass the venture capitalist
industrys $30 billion yearly average.
They reported that global crowdfunding platforms would see more
than $34 billion funded in 2015. A
2016 report has not yet confirmed the

more than 200 percent increase, but
between 2013 and 2014 funding more
than doubled from around $6 billion
to $16 billion, providing credible evidence of the estimated growth.
Recognizing crowdfunding as a
prominent option to funding different
endeavors can open doors to eager
supporters and donors. The business
is booming, and its potential is seemingly endless. The chance to build a
solid financial foundation is far from
easy and getting started isnt usually
free, but spending 30 days with a nonprofit like Kickstarter might bring an
individuals dream business closer to
fruition.
Marcus Lavergne can be reached at
mlavergne@sagebrush.unr.edu and on
Twitter @mlavergne21.
@TheSagebrush
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Arts&Entertainment
A4
CONCERT
REVIEW
PACK N
THE EVENTS
THINGS TO
WATCH OUT
FOR THIS WEEK
By Blake Nelson
DR. DOG AND

HOP ALONG
MOLODI LIVE
DATE: Tuesday
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Joe Crowley
Student Union, Glick Grand

Ballroom
INFO: You could spend
Tuesday night at
home, on the
couch, or you
could go see
Molodi Live, an
experience like
nothing else. Molodi
Live is a body percussion
outfit that blends dancing
with step-tapping to
create a loud and exciting
experience. Expect to
be pulled into the action
though, because the group
known to incorporate the
audience into the show. Its
free to all, by the way.
UNIVERSITY
GALLERIES
VALENTINES
AUCTION
DATE: Friday
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Student
Galleries South, Jot Travis

Building
INFO: Check out some of
student art for auction
this Friday with prices
starting at $20. You
could spruce up your
house or get some culture
in your life through this.
Some of the art that is for
sale is on the University
Galleries Instagram feed
if you want to see what
youre getting into. Also,
if you are or become a
member, you could get
into the event an hour
early.
PINCH POTS
WORKSHOP
DATE: Saturday
TIME: 11 a.m.
LOCATION: The
Holland Project
INFO: If you want to go
on a nice date the day
before Valentines Day
or maybe you need to get
your significant other a
last minute gift or maybe
youre planning on going
solo. Any of those options
are suitable if you want to
learn how to make ceramic
pinch pots in a convivial
atmosphere. Door is only $7
dollars and all supplies are
provided.
POW POW! 2016

DATE: Saturday
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Reno Events
Center
INFO: Its Saturday night
and tomorrow is Valentines
Day, but you still want to
get lit. Then go to this EDM
concert that features five
different performances
including headliner
Flosstradamus. There will
be plenty of atmosphere
with drinks and lots of
people. Tickets may be
$40, but you were already
planning on blowing your
paycheck the next day.
anyway.
Blake Nelson can be reached
at tbynum@sagebrush.unr.edu
and on Twitter @b_e_nelson.
Breanna Denney/
Nevada Sagebrush
(Above) Frances Quinlan of Hop Along sings

during the band's
concert at Cargo Concert Hall on Tuesday,
Feb. 2.
(Right) Dr. Dog guitarist Frank McElroy plays
during the headlining
act of the concert.
Dr. Dog plays up to 'touring band'

persona, but at what cost?
By Blake Nelson
strolled into Cargo Concert Hall on Tuesdays cold night, ready to

see Dr. Dog and Hop Along. The two bands are similarly known for
styles ranging from indie folk to baroque pop. While both bands
have toured extensively, this was the first time either had performed
in Reno.
Arriving a little early gave me the opportunity to take in the venue,
which is one of the newest in town. The venue consists of a wide
open floor plan, a full bar on the far wall and a large stage, perfect
for what was to come.
The venue didnt necessarily fill up for the first band, but the majority of
people that did show up early were there specifically to see Hop Along.
Hop Along came out on the stage with little more than a glance at the crowd
and quickly set up, something that is usually associated with shyness, causing
the crowd to fall into a nervous silence the moment before Hop Along started.
Yet the band jumped right into its first song The Knock, perfectly exhibiting
the range of lead singer Frances Quinlans powerful voice, going from strong
vocals that crescendo at the chorus to quiet almost whisper-like verses.
The band paused just long enough between songs to tune up and speak
about touring with a favorite band of theirs, mentioning that it was the bands
first time visiting Reno.
Going from song to song, the band ran through its set
effortlessly by virtue of a rigorous touring schedule.
Though the band has been on tour for much of 2015
following the success of its album Painted Shut,
the group still played wonderfully, never
sounding overworked or unhappy to be
performing for fans.
The set was succinct, consisting of
around nine songs, mostly from
Painted Shut and a couple of
tracks from previous effort
Get Disowned. It was
a shame considering
how the band had the
crowd excited and
exuberantly shouting for
Hop Along to
return once it had exited.
By the end, the crowd wasnt
only made up of Hop Along fans.
However, this short set might have
boded well for the band in the
end, due to what was to come.
By the time Hop Along had
made its exit Cargo was filling
up with people in their late
teens all the way to their late
twenties who were milling
in for the headliner Dr.
Dog.
After taking what
seemed like an inordinate
amount of time to set up,
nearly 15 minutes, Dr. Dog
came on stage. The large band
composed of six musicians
spread out on the expansive stage.
The band came out strong, starting
with a hit off its popular 2012 album
Be The Void named How Long Must
I Wait? The hit spurred the crowd into
revelry as they jumped and, occasionally,
sang along with the chorus.
The band then skipped around from its
three most recent albums to the crowds
delight. Playing such hits as Distant
Light, Shadow People, and Lonesome, the mood varied between
loud and boisterous to mellow
and contemplative.
Throughout the set Dr. Dog
maintained a lively energy,
dancing about while trying
to keep sunglasses and
hats on, playing to the
crowds expectation ... a
little too perfectly.
It was about 30
minutes into the
band's set that I realized that the songs all started to blend together, and necessarily by design. The
songs all started with a driving drumbeat and occasional instrument juggling
between the band members, which proved to be somewhat of a gimmick.
The band played for over an hour, and it was a long hour due to the sound
being somewhere between danceable pop punk and slow-paced indie. This
middle-of-the-road aesthetic even had the crowd confused at times. The
crowd would be dancing at points and within seconds swaying and trying to
sing along to the slower parts of the songs.
Even though the band had peaked stylistically around the third song, the
crowd was still enjoying the show past the 30-minute mark. This led me to
wonder if I just wasnt a fan of the band's style, and just wasnt getting it.
Then I remembered a shirt I had spied in the merchandise section earlier
that read Dr. Dog: Touring Band.
While I first took the shirt to be an odd joke, as the set moved on past 30
minutes I realized that this shirt might be touching on something more
than just a joke: the band was playing to the hits because thats what
sells tickets.
Something inauthentic seems to occur with this sort of crowd servicing; of course other bands do it too, but Dr. Dog was playing to this
touring band persona a little too well. Never was I fully engaged by
the performance that seemed formulaic, nor was I convinced the band
hadnt done this many times before.
Around the 50-minute mark the lead singer and bassist Toby Leaman of
Dr. Dog, in typical rock-star fashion, took it upon himself to crowd surf.
This seemed to have caught the crowd off-guard because they didnt keep
him afloat for very long, which lent itself to the routine feeling of the show.
After security struggled to get Leaman back onstage the band played
through two or three more songs and ended on another unremarkable
song, of course to the crowds delight.
The band exited the stage after the climax of the last song, which was
immediately followed by the crowd cheering and eventually calling for an
encore. I found this to be strange due to the fact that Dr. Dog seemed to
have played for an overly long time as it was and had played all its hits.
The band came back onstage after around five minutes and played yet
another popular song, then when that wrapped up Dr. Dog asked the crowd
what to play. The crowd called out a variety of obscure tracks and the band
eventually settled on the cover Heart It Races, then ended on The Rabbit,
The Bat, and The Reindeer.
The concert fizzled out under the pressure of an overloaded set and a
fan-servicing band playing to the lowest common denominator. As I left I
was exhausted rather than excited by the performance, making it feel like an
endurance test.
It seemed that if you were a fan of Dr. Dog then the concert would have
been perfect, if you like to see a band you like play every hit they have back
to back in an indistinguishable way. But hey, maybe I really just didnt get it.
Blake Nelson can be reached at tbynum@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter
@b_e_nelson.
Renos redneck rapper is

making moves to success
Hail, Caesar! brings

laughs but lacks depth
By Blake Nelson
By Tyler Berns
On the south side of Reno by Damonte
Ranch lives a young man who is making
a name for himself. Alex Ficco, better
known by his stage name, Feeki, has entered the rap game. But he brings with
him his own special twist.
Feeki is a mullet-headed, dirt-bikeriding all-American who is blessed with
the ability to sing and rap. His unconventional look and Americana-inspired
lyrics make him stand out. Hes one of a
kind at the start of his career.
I met with him in his garage, which
doubles as his recording studio, after he
just got back from a photo shoot. The
recording booth is well known among
Feekis fans as it is featured in some of
his most popular videos.
I have never really built anything before, so [the studio] was a good project,
said Feeki when explaining how he built
the studio himself.
By day you can find Feeki parking cars
at the Atlantis hotel where he works as
a valet. He starts his day by waking up
and going to the gym where he listens to
music and finds inspiration. He makes
it back home around 10 a.m. and listens
to tracks when he starts to write a song.
Very rarely can I do it all in one day,
said Feeki. I only have four hours so I try
to get the song written in that amount
of time, but there is hardly ever enough
time to go record it.
Like most artists he starts with the
hook and writes from there. After he is
happy with the song, he pays for studio
time at a professional studio in town to
ensure the sound quality with the money
he makes from working as a valet.
I can just go to the studio and bust it
out right away, so I can record a whole
song in an hour there, said Feeki.
Despite hard work and an active fan
base he struggles to get his name out.
His fans are quick to like and comment
on social media, but rarely share their
love for him with their friends and family. That can be frustrating for a young
artist who wants nothing more than to
have his music heard.
Feeki isnt the biggest fan of social
media, but knows its importance in promoting his brand. He currently has close
to 89,000 Facebook likes and counting.
Fans used to be able to message him on
Facebook with an average response time
of around an hour before he closed that
service. I contacted him in this way and
was responded to in half an hour.
A&E | A5
Photo courtesy of Feeki
Alex Feeki Ficco poses in front of the Reno arch on Saturday, Jan. 23. Feeki is a local
rapper that recently performed at Cargo Concert Hall after the Super Bowl.
With just under 2,000 Twitter followers, Feekis Twitter presence can be
summed up by the buzz he creates on it.
Nothing but @YoitsFeeki has been
coming out of my speakers lately,
said @csimmins115, a fan of Feekis on
Twitter. Keep on keepin on, brother
#ToTheTop.
His fan outreach on social media is
incredible as well. He recently released a
new song for free to his fans for 200,000
plays on SoundCloud. This move has
been great for getting his name out. The
new song already has over 4,000 plays,
and numerous people have shared it on
social media.
I first heard of him from a YouTube
video titled Haha! This guy with a mullet raps back to the haters! Internet
trolls had commented on the video.
Your style alone will be the downfall
of your career read one comment.
However, when people hear his name
they think, Feeki? Thats that white guy
with a mullet, right? He is the only rapper I know who can rock a mullet and a
f*ck ISIS T-shirt. Its what makes him
so popular. Its a distinguished part of
his image, which makes him stand out
in a crowd, especially around other rappers.
His fans strongly disagree with people
who dislike the mullet. They believe
his style is what will carry him into

stardom. There is a large portion of the
population that will relate to Feeki and
be opened up to rap music. His countryboy persona and Americana-inspired
songs will bridge a gap between country
fans and rap music unlike anyone else in
the music industry.
Although he tries his best to engage
fans on social media, he struggles to get
more and more people to listen to his
music. In addition to social media he
has started to expand his local presence
with a show at LEX Nightclub on Jan.
28, 2016, and a recent Super Bowl afterparty at Cargo Concert Hall.
Feeki dreams of quitting his job and
working on his music full time.
Im grinding till I get it, said Feeki.
He will continue to work long hours
and balance a busy life of work, love and
rap to achieve this dream. He has blinders on only looking forward. Hate goes
in one ear and out the other. He is also a
humble man who has a lot of respect for
himself and others in the game. There
are high expectations for the future as
he looks for his big break, which I think
could be just around the corner in 2016.
Tyler Berns can be reached at tbynum@
@TheSagebrush.
The Coen Brothers have released

another witty comedy in the same
vein as The Big Lebowski, but the
slacker mentality doesnt necessarily translate to the Golden Age of
cinema.
After coming off a string of contemplative movies including Inside
Llewyn Davis, the Coens are returning to their comedic side with Hail,
Caesar!, a film set in Hollywood
during the 1950s.
The film follows a day in the life of
Eddie Mannix, played by Josh Brolin,
the head of physical production at
fictional Capital Studios. As the film
progresses it becomes clear that
Mannix is more of a babysitter for
the studio, taking on responsibilities
far beyond any job description could
have foretold.
The viewer is treated to the Coens
dry wit and humor throughout this
24-hour spanning film from the
ensemble cast, most notably the
short yet hilarious appearance of
Channing Tatums, character Burt
Gurney. The rest of the big-name actors, which include Tilda Swinton and
Ralph Fiennes, do great with almost
cameo-sized roles specifically written
for them.
Many scenes do very well comedically with the 1950s film studio
setting, playing on different tropes
associated with the era think
cowboy movies and homoerotic
sailor musicals. I was personally
laughing openly at scenes that were
specifically set in fabricated movie
studios. The self-aware designs and
characters that were presented in
them worked perfectly.
Beyond the laughs the film seems
disjointed and nearly directionless.
Although the Coen Brothers are
known for their incongruent storylines and non-ending resolutions,
most notably with The Big Lebowski, this movie seems to build up
to something with all the storylines
neither converging nor fully climaxing in any way.
The main conflict involving George
Clooneys character, Baird Whitlock,
ends after building the whole film on
a punchline, rather than wrapping
things up. Possibly the Coens were
trying to convey a sense of being
out of the main character, Mannixs,
hands. However, this isnt really
shown to be fruitful, even in a Coen
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Movie Review
HAIL, CAESAR!
Release Date: Feb. 1
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Brother-esque way.
Weighty themes are touched on in
spite of the day in the lifestyle of the
film, including religion and McCarthy
era politics, but the film doesnt seem
to make statements on the topics;
rather it seems to just present them
to the viewer, neither criticizing the
topics nor allowing for a cohesive
statement on them. This is uncharacteristic for the Coens because almost
all their films, again like The Big
Lebowski, make statements through
their non-statements.
Of course it isnt really fair to
compare every movie the Coens
make with The Big Lebowski, their
biggest success, but it is also the film
that Hail, Caesar! is most related
to tonally, which makes me wonder
what the film was exactly going for.
This isnt to say that Hail, Caesar!
is bad by any means; its probably the
best thing in theaters besides The
Revenant and Star Wars: Episode VII
- The Force Awakens. The film could
have been 20 to 30 minutes longer to
explore the themes a little more, but
by all means this is still a good film to
see if you have the chance.
Blake Nelson can be reached at tbynum@sagebrush.unr.edu or Tweeted
@b_e_nelson.
Enter to win a 2016-2017 Annual

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Opinion
A6
Stop complicating
your relationships
y boyfriend, Jake, and I have been dating

for over five years now. In ways it feels like
our relationship has gone by in a blink of
an eye, all while somehow feeling like we
have spent forever together.
In these past five years we have gone through
many milestones. We graduated high school together,
moved from Las Vegas to Reno for college together,
started living together and even got a cat together.
Our relationship is so natural and
easygoing that when I was asked
how we are still in love after all this
time I realized that it was kind of
difficult to answer.
But when I sat down to think
about things it became apparent
to me that being in a successful relationship is not nearly as difficult as
we make it out to be. Being in love is
Sam
easy. It is the being in a relationship
Cox
part that is hard. But it is only
difficult if we let it become so.
Yes, there are a million things that I love about
Jake, but being in love is more than loving something
about a person. It is waking up in the morning and
realizing that no matter what happens that day your
significant other will be there to support you. There
will be hardships and not every day is a walk in the
park, but it is possible. We mustnt let love be put on
the back burner. If we stop complicating things in our
love lives we can begin to say that we put our best foot
forward in all relationships.
So instead of going on about how happy I am and
making you jealous of my perfect relationship,
I decided to pass on the valuable advice that my
parents gave me when Jake and I moved in together
two years ago.
Here are five very simple concepts that couples
overlook when trying to have a successful relationship:
NUMBER ONE: ALWAYS COMMUNICATE

You should always be open and communicate how
you feel because we can all agree none of us are mind
readers. This rule of thumb is important, especially if
you are upset about something. Do not keep thoughts
bottled up; talk things out with your partner because
that is what they are there for. Communication is a
two-way street, so make sure that you are listening to
what your significant other has to say. Their feelings
are just as important as yours. Keep things honest
with them and give thoughtful feedback. Stray away
from communicating via texting. Texting is a great
argument starter! Texting is no way to convey your
feelings. You should care about your partner enough
to have a face-to-face conversation with them.
NUMBER TWO: NEVER GO TO BED ANGRY

If you and your partner are fighting and it gets to
the end of the night, do not go to bed. Stay up all
night if you have to and solve whatever is going on.
If you go to bed angry then you will probably dream
about what you were fighting about and then you will
wake up even more upset. Love is the most important
thing in this world. Taking a few extra minutes to
talk things over and express your feelings can truly
separate a successful relationship from an unsuccessful one.
NUMBER THREE: DO NOT MAKE YOUR

PROBLEMS PUBLIC
No one wants to know the problems in your
relationship and you should not want other people
to know your problems either. This leads to nothing
more than drama and rumors. Dont forget, every
relationship has its problems. My relationship is far
from perfect. However, all my friends can probably
come to an agreeance that they have never seen
my boyfriend and I fight. My and my boyfriends
problems are ours and ours only. Work through your
problems in the comfort of your own privacy. No one
likes to see others dirty laundry. This, too, will also
establish a sense of respect between you and your
partner.
NUMBER FOUR: NEVER STOP DOING

LITTLE THINGS FOR EACH OTHER
Whether you make them a lunch to bring to work
the next day or compliment them on how they look,
little things are what go a long way. When I come
home after a long day and Im stressed, whether it be
about the paper I havent gotten to yet or having to
go to work later, my boyfriend straightening up our
apartment or making dinner makes all the difference.
As college students we sometimes feel like we cant
do things even for ourselves. We get caught up in our
own responsibilities and sometimes forget the needs
of others. However, if we take time to think about it,
doing little things doesnt require much effort. Leave
a little note on their car or surprise them with flowers.
Trust me, they will love your effort and you for trying.
Most importantly, remember to never stop doing
these things.
NUMBER FIVE: DONT FORGET TO

HAVE FUN
It may sound so cliched, but relationships are about
having fun. If you cant have fun with your partner,
then I am sorry but they are not the one for you. Life
is about going out and trying new things and when
you are in a relationship, especially a long-term
relationship, you get to experience so many wonderful things with that person. You do not even have to
go out and do something extravagant to have fun. I
know that after a long week I love to hop in the car,
blast some music, and sing along with Jake while we
go and get junk food. When you are with the right
person, even the simplest of tasks can bring the most
fun into your life. Whether you are watching a movie
or spending quality time on a date, enjoy all of the
special time you have with your significant other.
Being in love is the most beautiful thing life has to
offer. It isnt always easy, but it is worth it. Dont forget
to do the little things for your partner, never stop
communicating and have endless amounts of fun.
Sam Cox studies secondary education. She can be
reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter
@TheSagebrush.
Photo courtesy the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green (85) hangs on to a 38 yard reception during fourth quarter action against the Oakland Raiders in the NFL game at
Sports Authority Field in Denver, CO, December 28, 2014.
STAFF EDITORIAL
The NFL is indestructible

Nothing seems to stop
footballs popularity
uper Bowl 50 was the final nail in the

subpar coffin. The Broncos beat the
Panthers 24-10 that was yet another
anticlimactic game in a long line of
disappointments in the 2015 season, yet the stats
show the league has never been more popular.
Sundays Super Bowl drew the third largest
crowd in U.S. television history, with an average
audience of 111.9 million viewers. Just one year
ago, the Super Bowl drew the largest TV audience
ever 114.4 million viewers. These audiences
prove year after year that it doesnt matter what
kind of controversy the National Football League
is able to court, how badly the League or team
owners treat cities, players or fans, they will
still maintain their spot as guardians of the
most popular sport in America unless the fans
demand an end to the madness.
In the pros, the main discussion is centered
around concussions. The highly publicized
suicides of Dave Duerson, Mike Webster and
Junior Seau are what led to the discovery of
chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is
marked by the accumulation of the tau protein
in brain tissue. This then causes reduction in
memory and cognition, as well as everything
from suicidal thoughts to dementia, Parkinsons
and Alzheimers disease.
Even the NFL has admitted that CTE and the
diseases and disorders it causes have become
endemic. In a 2014 court filing, the League

estimated that a third of former players would
develop some kind of degenerative brain
disease like Parkinsons or dementia. Those
numbers came after 5,000 former players sued
the NFL because it allegedly covered up the
danger behind repeated concussions.
The issue has trickled down to the college and
youth levels and Dr. Bennet Omalu, the Nigerianborn Pennsylvania doctor who first discovered
CTE in the brains of deceased football players,
has achieved relative stardom with his portrayal
by Will Smith in the movie Concussion.
Even so, it is fairly safe to say that football,
in all its forms from pee-wee to the NFL, is in
a state of invincibility. The 2015 season saw
11 football-related deaths in youth football
across the country. The outbreak was covered
by the national media and was a major talking
point across the sport. Is football safe for kids?
Should parents let their kids play? For the most
part, the numbers arent showing that parents
think the game is dangerous. Despite a near 10
percent decrease in Pop Warner participation in
2010-2012, high school football has remained as
popular as ever.
More than that, the NFL has also shown a clear
disregard for the cities and fans who bankroll
their operation. Despite the fact that the City of
St. Louis offered hundreds of millions in public
money for a new stadium, the NFL rejected the
offer, calling it inadequate.
The St. Louis Rams will now be the Los Angeles
Rams.
But the NFLs monetary skullduggery is not
limited to St. Louis. When the San Francisco

49ers moved from their old stadium, Candlestick
Park, the personal seat licenses for 1,000 seats
went for $80,000. Sixty-six-year-old Henry Gross
had season tickets on Candlesticks 50-yard-line
for $129 per game. To keep the rights to his seats
in the new stadium, Gross would have had to pay
$350 per ticket, plus a one-time PSL of $30,000
for each seat. Gross story was a common one in
the Bay Area, but the 49ers had no trouble selling
out their new stadium.
Despite all of this, every major network
reported an increase in NFL ratings for the 2016
season. The NFL is an organization driven by
money. As long as its revenue streams remain
untouched, it will not change. The NFL has
proven to America that it would rather pay
lawyers to discredit the science behind CTE than
take steps to protect its players. It would sooner
extort American cities than cater to its existing
fans and all to turn a bigger profit.
None of this will stop unless the money stops,
and the money stops at the consumer level.
Everything from TV deals to merchandising
details depends on the average Americans
continued consumption. To change the NFL,
we must all vote with our wallets and make our
voices known.
If we continue to do nothing, football will stay
stuck in its rut and the League will continue to
run roughshod over its fans, its players and the
cities that host it all.
The editorial staff can be reached at tbynum@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
Get knocked down, but get back up again
oses are red, violets are blue, its not love

that sucks so stop acting like such a tool.
Chad Lords. That was the name of
the first boy who broke my heart. No
boy rocked a polo and cargo shorts better in the
whole first grade class than Chad. He had big
brown dreamy eyes and dusty blonde hair that
could break any 7-year-olds heart. Unfortunately
for me I went through puberty way too young,
shot up to about 5 feet tall in
the first grade and looked 30
years old in comparison to my
elementary school peers.
So basically what Im trying
to say is I never had much
of a chance with the first
grade hottie. Of course at the
time, I was oblivious to the
fact that Chad had his sights
Ali
set elsewhere, so I patiently
Schultz
awaited the calandar day of
Schultz Happens love to tell my adolescent
heart throb my true feelings.
First-grade Valentines Day came. The love notes
were not in shortage. I, of course crafted a love
note tailored especially for Chad. I believe my
boyish penmanship scribbled in red crayon I
like you as more than a friend. What a romantic
I was. Move over Shakespeare. First grade Ali is
kicking ass and stealing hearts. Am I right? Wrong.
I experienced my first heartbreak that day. Chad
gave an intricate card cut out to Haley Wilson,
while I got one from the smelly kid Thane.
Looking back I am not sure how I didnt see that
one coming. Haley had perfectly groomed blonde
hair and only wore Limited too. I wasnt much
competition.
What I didnt know that day was while the
Valentines Day cards werent in shortage, I would
soon come to find out that lifes heartbreaks
would not be either.
In my 21 years of life I can confidently say I
have had my heart broken as well as broken a few
hearts of others. For those who have experienced
heartbreak, you know that there are not many
things that are worse. When your heart is broken
you find yourself in the same sweatpants for one
too many days trying to relate every song on the
radio to your recent breakup. Chinese takeout
becomes the dinner standard and you find you

may have a future in the FBI based on your social
media stalking skills. Its not easy. In fact, it sucks.
If youve ever truly been in love you know the
feeling, there is nothing better in the world. Love
heightens all of your senses. It plants a fire in
your heart and turns your everyday routine into
some sort of cloud dance. You become so smitten
you feel as if every love ballad ever written is
custom-made for you and your special someone.
Its almost absurd in many ways. Love has a way
of making you feel like a little schoolgirl. It can
drive you mad and can bring you to do things you
would never normally do. Love in its purest form
is unexplainable. No matter what anyone says
there is nothing more special than sharing lifes
most precious moments with another person.
Unfortunately heartbreak has the same sort of
effect. It consumes you as well, in differnet ways
of course. It can feel as if it is eating you from the
inside out. All of a sudden the background music
to your life does a swift shift in mood from Im
Walking on Sunshine to some pathetic Adele
song. It becomes hard to look out of your car
window without feeling like youre in some sick
music video meant to be in black and white.
Everything around you transforms into some little
reminder of your love lost.
I cant do laundry anymore, because I used to
do laundry when me and my ex were dating and it
just brings back bad memories. Okay folks save it.
Both love and breakups bring out the most
irrational versions of ourselves, trust me Ive been
there.
But the ultimate lesson learned that I hold
evident with all my being may be a cheesy one,
but valuable nonetheless.
It is better to have loved and lost, than to never
have loved at all.
Love is an unexplainable force. And arguably
the most important thing we have in this life.
We can see this by simply looking at any life trial
thrown our way. Whether we look at peoples
regrets or deathbed wishes we see a reoccurring
theme. Everyone wishes they loved a little more
valiantly.
Of course, we cannot love without the inevitable
risk of heartbreak, which makes love seem
terrifying. To trust another being with your whole
self in hopes that they love you back with similar

unconditionality.
There are infinite forces working against love
at all times to see that it fades, which makes love
look like this big scary entity of uncertainty. And in
many ways it is.
I have had my heart broken a few times since
the first grade and I cant say it gets easier. There
have been days where I resort to binge eating salt
and vinegar chips and dont brush my hair. Ive
had days where I polish off a bottle of wine alone
and sing Taylor Swift songs (the country Taylor
Swift of course). Theres days where seeing happy
couples weaves knots in my stomach.
But as I get older and heartbreaks come and
pass I realize the most important lesson of all is
to never give up on love. Love is the greatest thing
we have. It is consuming, complicated and scary.
There is always risk for it to fail and to truly be
enamored with love your heart is always on the
line. But I can promise there is nothing like being
in love. The feeling that no matter how bad your
day goes you know you have a shoulder to cry
on at the end of the day. Being in love makes the
simplest of days feel like youre walking amongst
the stars. It isnt always easy, but it is worth it.
So this Valentines Day change your sentiment.
Dont shoot down the idea of love or revel in envy
of those around you who have found something
you may have not yet stumbled upon. Stop
subtweeting your ex and dwelling on the bad in
a relationship. Change out of your sweatpants
and stop listening to I hate my ex themed love
ballads.
Chad Lords may have broken my 7-year-old
heart that day, but I learned to love after him (and
let me say thank god because cargo shorts are not
my forte). The way I look at it its simple. Instead
of weeping, scheming ways to get back at your ex,
loathing those in love or giving up on the idea of
love entirely take a second to revel in the fact that
there is more love to be felt.
Roses are red, violets are blue being heartbroken might suck now but never being in love is
worse, you fool.
Alexandra Schultz studies journalism. She can
be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on
Twitter @AliSchultzzz.
OPINION | A7
Illustration by Zak Brady/Nevada Sagebrush
Cupid is one of many holiday creeps

B
efore I begin, I would like
to apologize for excluding
the lucky individuals who
didnt grow up believing in, or
should I say were lied to, about mythical
holiday figures. I would also like to
apologize to those whose childhoods
were made more magical by fictitious
characters such as Saint Nick, the Easter
Bunny, Cupid and the
rest of the frightening
gang . If its any
consolation, I cant
relate to either group
of people. I was one of
those kids who grew
up believing in Santa
and his peers. I was
also one of those kids
Lauren
who grew up being
Gray
absolutely terrified
of mythical holiday
creatures. But now that I am an adult
(apply term loosely) I can express those
fears on a more in-depth level.
With Valentines Day right around the
corner I think it is imperative that we
address the idea of Cupid. Cupids sole
job is to meddle in peoples personal
lives. He flutters around and shoots
arrows at people. I am not sure if I am
the only one that is wildly disturbed by
this, but I really do not want any arrows
being shot at me. What kind of sick idea
is this? Listen, love is great, blah blah

blah. However, if I need to be shot with
a bow in order to have hearts in my
eyes, then forgive me, but I am going
to have to hard pass on this whole love
idea.
I think we can all agree that the
cutesy little drawing of Cupid would be
way off anyway. Lets just say Cupid is
as little as our cartoons like to portray
him. Have you ever seen a bow before?
Because, those are not tools of love.
They are more like weapons of mass
destruction. Pulling the bow back
alone is like pulling 80 pounds. I dont
know about you, but I have trouble
lifting the 10 pounds at the gym, let
alone pulling 80 with my forearms.
That alone is terrifying. There is
something freakish about a little
fairy-like character flying around with
a heavy weapon.
Now lets get the idea of Santa
straight. Hes a big guy with a beard
who drives a reindeer sleigh, from the
North pole and enters our house once
a year to leave us presents and eat our
cookies. Right off the bat, breaking and
entering. Personally, I feel like that is
an incredible breach of boundaries. My
parents didnt lock the doors at night
just so some husky guy in a suit could
finagle his way in through the chimney.
Why cant he just knock on the door?
Then hes a welcomed guest in our

house instead of a fluffy weirdo who
steals my cookies. How about Santa
hitting us with a courtesy call? If he
knows if weve been naughty-or-nice I
dont think Im going out on a limb by
assuming hes capable of getting our
phone numbers.
And on the topic of naughty or nice,
how does Santa come to conclusions
on these character evaluations?
Naughty is never clearly defined in
any sort of literature or song that I can
find. So what constitutes naughty? If
my thoughts are naughty does that
count? What if I apologize after Im
naughty? Five-year-old me had no idea
if I was on the path to pony figurines or
coal. Why would you put that kind of
pressure on children? Also, knowing if
Im naughty or nice, sleeping or awake
all year seems like it would be an
incredibly invasive and arduous task.
The lengths that guy has to go
through to keep everyone on the
right list has to cross ethical lines
somewhere. Adults get riled up about
the NSA spying on them, yet dont even
question the hoops Santa has to jump
through to complete his naughty-ornice analysis of their children.
Elves are also a perplexing aspect of
the Santa regime. There is never a solid
explanation about where they came
Embrace the single life on Valentines

Day and focus on self-empowerment
he day filled with love and

kisses should fuel your appetite for
self-empowerment. Thats right, I said it.
I wont be spending this Valentines Day
with a significant other. Ill be spending it with
friends. People get caught up in this whirlwind of
self-doubt and pity when they see other people
in love or dating. The truth is well always want
what we cant have. Its easy to want love we see
in others; however, maybe we
should focus on appreciating
the love we have for ourselves.
First off, calm down please;
the world isnt going to end if
you arent with anyone right
now. And second, be happy
you have some time alone
to get to know yourself. Im
going to drop some knowledge
Terrance
on you: my mom taught me
Bynum
that you need to think highly
yourself before you can think
highly of someone else, and dedicate time to
them that you should have given to yourself in the
first place.
This message especially goes out to those
people who deem themselves a relationship
person. Give yourself a break and get to know
yourself. Find out who you really are and take
advantage of this new found freedom. It may be
hard at first, but youll find that its much easier
to get acquainted with yourself rather than a new
stranger in your life.
Everywhere you look it appears people are ending relationships. Sometimes people grow apart,
some succumb to infidelity and others draw a
mutual conclusion that they want to explore other
avenues in their life. The common reason that Ive
been witnessing is, I want to work on myself and
dating you is impeding that work. Some people
may call bullshit because theyre too blinded by
their own heartache, but it may be the truth.
Think about it. How can you 100 percent focus
on yourself if someone is constantly needing
your attention? You cant, unless you are already
fully content in your own well-being. If you or

someone you know has experienced self-doubt
while being in a relationship, then you know it can
be a full-fledged shit show or be the most peaceful
thing to happen since the opening of Robertos
last week.
When someone tells you they want to work on
themselves, let them work on themselves. Dont
try and stop them or ridicule their urge for self
betterment. If the person really wants to be with
you, you guys can work on it in the future. But
for right now, dont ever put someone down for
wanting to invest time in themselves and fulfill
their ideals on what being a better person is.
Do not put yourself down or throw your mind in
the blender of thoughts. Stop thinking about the
what ifs and what could have beens. You should
be feeling more empowered than ever to be the
captain of your life. Dont be a Negative Nancy,
because if you are, then even though youre the
captain of your own life, you will be too worried
about the storm that hasnt even hit ship yet.
Take the storm on when it gets here, and stop
trying to control things that are clearly out of your
hands. Theres no stringent remedy I can give you
about how to better yourself, or how to initiate a
self-empowered life. You have to figure that out
on your own. Some people turn to new jobs or
hobbies, some take a more physical approach and
hit the gym like Rambo, but to each their own.
Figure it out, and when you do, give yourself a pat
on the back because some people cant even get
that far.
This Valentines Day may be a solo one, but just
take into account how rewarding it is to reach the
goals youve set for yourself and how much better
youll know yourself by investing time and love
and applying it to your life. Be single. Be brave.
Be disciplined. Remember, someone is waiting
for you out there, you just havent met them yet.
Cheers.
Terrance Bynum studies journalism. He can be
reached at tbynum@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @TerranceJBynum.
from. There is also never a solid reason

given as to why they are working for
Santa. In all honesty, elves seem like
little happy slaves that work super hard
for no pay. Its not like Santa is making
money so how does he feed, house and
keep maintenance up on his operation
of elves? Why are they so happy to only
be toymakers? With all of this in mind I
think its safe to say elves are just little,
brainwashed, empty creatures who do
whatever Santa tells them and thats
just wrong.
The last aspect of Santa that
should have everyone blocking their
chimneys during holiday seasons is his
striking resemblance to the Christmas
monster Krampus. If you dont know
who Krampus is, he is basically a
demonic Austro-Bavarian anti-Santa
who punishes the naughty children
on Christmas. He appears the night
before Dec. 6 and he whips children
with chains and then pulls them into
his sack and drags them into his lair.
This night is called Krampusnacht. A
night where a mystical figure breaks
into your house, has a sack, and
delivers consequences to children;
coincidence? I think not. Its pretty safe
to assume that old Saint Nick may have
an evil alter ego and thats enough for
me to not leave my stockings out by
the fireplace.
Dont even get me started on the

Easter Bunny. What a freaking weirdo,
am I right? The thought of some lifesized rabbit just hopping around like
its nobodys business while scattering
eggs at random just seems too bizarre
to not be questioned. I cannot be the
only person to question the practices
of Easter.
First of all, I like rabbits the size they
are. They are meant to be smaller than
a house cat and hop on all fours, definitely not walk upright like a human!
I can honestly say I have never once
witnessed an Easter Bunny costume
that I wasnt absolutely terrified of.
Every single costume I have seen since
I can remember has soul-sucking eyes.
Dont let me rain on everyones
parade. My cynical views of holiday
characters should not infringe on your
cheery thoughts of the holidays. I,
too, enjoy a reason to celebrate just as
much as the next. Hell, I love holidays.
I just feel like everyone should take
a second and look closer into the
mythical representatives we designate
for them and ask ourselves are these
merry figureheads or just a gang of
creepy cohorts?
Lauren Gray studies journalism. She can
be reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu
and on Twitter @The Sagebrush.
Protect yourself so you can

have a V-day without VD
ith Valentines Day quickly approaching,

many of us are making plans with that
special someone: plans that may include
a big night out or a special night staying
in. When we start talking about Valentines Day we
also need to talk about sex and protecting ourselves.
Sexually transmitted diseases are more common than
you would think, thats why protecting ourselves is
so important. We can reduce our risk of most STDs
through having a conversation
with sexual partners and using
condoms, but not all STDs are the
same. One STD in particular is different when it comes to protecting
yourself: human papillomavirus.
HPV is an urgent public health
issue that most of us dont really
know much about.
HPV is the most common sexuKristen
ally transmitted disease. According
Sant
to Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, in the United States,
there are an estimated 79 million people who are
infected with HPV. Each year there are approximately
14 million new infections. A majority of the new infections occur in people from the ages of 15 to 24. HPV
is most commonly contracted through intercourse,
but it can also be transmitted through other sexual
activities. You can reduce transmission of HPV by the
use of condoms, although condoms cannot eliminate
the complete risk of transmission. The HPV vaccine
is still the safest way to protect oneself. The good
news is that HPV can be easily prevented by a simple
vaccination.
HPV and HPV-related diseases are incredibly
common. About 80 percent of people will come
in contact with HPV at some point in their lives.
Most HPV infections are asymptomatic, meaning
that someone who is infected might not show any
symptoms or know they are infected. All males and
females ages 11-26 are recommended by the CDC to
get the vaccine, whether they are sexually active or
not. The HPV vaccine protects against certain types
of HPV that cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, penis,

anus, vulva, mouth and throat. Although HPV is
commonly associated with women, it is also common
in men. Men are expected to surpass women with the
burden of HPV-related cancers, due to the rise of the
mouth and throat cancers in men.
Sex is usually a hot topic that many people often feel
uncomfortable or awkward talking about. This is especially common in our young adult years. Some people
engage in casual sex, some have serious relationships,
or some people are trying to find themselves through
sex. Although sex is a powerful activity, sex can also
lead to the transmission of HPV if one is not careful
with his or her actions. The transmission is in all forms
of sex, you name it, you could potentially get it.
What a better way to celebrate Valentines Day
than to give yourself the gift of protection. On a day
that is filled with love and emotions, we should treat
ourselves to the knowledge and awareness of our
own health. Even though sex is part of our human
nature, unfortunately safe sex is not. Many dismiss the
importance of safely engaging in sexual intercourse.
As young adults we have the power to control our own
bodies, and the power to make our own decisions.
With that being said, taking charge of your health is
vital for living a happy and healthy life.
Whether you have a Valentine or not, protect
yourself and get the HPV vaccine. Having a conversation with your significant other or with just yourself is
a step in the right direction. For more information, you
can ask your healthcare provider about the vaccine,
including the Student Health Center on campus. You
can also come to the HPV Vaccination Clinic being
held on March 8 at the Joe Crowley Student Union,
inside the Great Room from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. All
ages are welcome at the clinic and no insurance is
needed to get vaccinated! Dont let yourself be part
of the HPV statistic! Visit immunizenevada.org/
hpvfreenv for information on vaccines and HPV.
Kristen Sant studies public health. She can be
reached at alexandraschultz@unr.edu and on Twitter
@TheSagebrush.
Court Report
@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com
A8
UPCOMING
MENS GAMES
WEEKLY TOP 5
Top 5 Sports
Broadcasters
VIN SCULLY
Vincent Edward Scully

has been calling
Dodgers games for 66 years.
Scully is famous for calling
games by himself, which is
unheard of in baseball. He has
a storytelling, romanticized
way of talking about baseball
that is unparalleled. A little
roller up along first, behind
the bag! It gets through
Buckner. Here comes Knight,
and the Mets win it!
AL MICHAELS
Michaels list of
broadcast partners is
a hall of fame cast of its own,
including John Madden, Dan
Dierdorf, Frank Gifford and
Howard Cosell. Michaels
is rumored to have more
airtime than anyone in television history, and has called
almost every sport, including
the Miracle on Ice.
HARRY CARAY
Harry Caray was the

first broadcaster to
celebrate the seventh-inning
stretch. He is a legend with
Chicago locals and his style
was described as a voice of
the fans. Caray was rumored
to show up to work drunk
some days toward the end of
his career. Holy cow!
BRENT
MUSBERGER
Musberger has been

phased out recently by
younger broadcasting teams,
but Musbergers style of storytelling and the background
he gives on players makes
watching a football game
seem like a Broadway play.
Hes theatrical, dramatic
and he loves to drag out
Alabama.
MARV ALBERT
Commonly referred
to as the voice of
basketball, Marv Albert has
called NBA games since 1967.
He was the voice of the Knicks
from 1967 until 2004, and now
does nationally televised games
on TNT. Although he only does
basketball now, Albert has
called six Super Bowls, seven
Stanley Cups, a Wimbledon
Championship and two World
Series. Yes, and the foul!
vs. Air
Force
7 p.m.
2/10
at UNLV
at San Jose
State
7 p.m.
2/17
vs. Fresno
State
4 p.m.
2/13
7 p.m.
2/20
vs. Utah
State
7 p.m.
2/24
Pack beat on boards

Nevada loses late to Colorado State, looks
ahead to Air Force and Fresno State
By Jack Rieger
MOUNTAIN WEST STANDINGS

Standings Conference Overall
SDSU
11-0
18-6
New Mexico
7-3
14-9
Boise State
7-4
16-8
Fresno State
6-4
15-8
Colorado State
5-5
13-10
Nevada
5-5
13-9
Wyoming
5-7
12-13
UNLV
4-7
13-11
Utah State
3-8
11-11
Air Force
3-8
12-12
San Jose State
3-8
8-15
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Last season under David Carter, Nevada basketball lost to Colorado State by a Mountain-West-record 56 points in Moby Arena.
Since then, the Wolf Pack has changed coaching staffs, recycled
players and added new all-black uniforms. This time around,
the Wolf Pack lost to Colorado State by nine points on Saturday,
76-67.
RIFLE
The 13th-ranked Nevada rifle
team fell to the fifth ranked
Alaska Nanooks on Thursday,
Feb. 4, by a score of 4,687-4,633.
The Wolf Pack and Nanooks
competed at the TCU Rifle Range
in preparation for the Patriot
Rifle Championships that got
underway on Saturday at the
same facility. Alaska won the air
rifle competition 2,363-2,340
despite Nevada freshman Mitchell
Van Patten finishing second with
a score of 579. Van Patten fell four
points short of Alaskas Sagen
Maddalena. Nevada lost in the
small-bore competition as well
with Alaska shooting 2,324-2,293.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Nevada basketball has had a lot of success this year, both in and
out of conference play. The Wolf Pack plays with more energy, the
team has better athletes and Musselman has them better prepared. But one thing Nevada lost is depth, and especially big-man
depth.
When AJ West left the program in December, Nevada lost
one of the best rebounders in the schools history, which is finally
starting to surface. When the game ended, Nevada had only five
scholarship players available as three players fouled out. Nevada
was out-rebounded 54-36 by Colorado State, their largest deficit
of the season, even though Nevada players and coaches keyed on
the importance of rebounding before the game.
Coach Musselman was clearly not pleased with his teams
rebounding effort.
It was embarrassing, our lack of rebounding, said Nevada
coach Eric Musselman. But we didnt lose by 56, so I guess theres
progress. When you dont rebound the ball like that, you have no
chance to win. They pounded the backboards. Theyre extremely
physical. They go over the back. They ram you under the rim.
They do a great job of rebounding. Theyre so physical.
One of the reasons for lack of depth and rebounding was
the absence of center Elijah Foster, who didnt play due to a
team-rule violation. His backup Kaileb Rodriguez fouled
out after playing just eight minutes.
Another theme that has shown up lately is Nevadas
inability to close out games. The Wolf Pack led the
game for nearly 31 minutes, but Colorado States
offense hit its stride in the last 10 minutes of the
game, scoring 49 second-half points.
We 100 percent gave that one away, said
senior Marqueze Coleman. Thats all I can say.
We gave it away.
MENS TENNIS
Nevadas mens tennis team beat
Sacramento State by a score of
5-2. Sac State won two of the
three double matches to earn the
first win point of the day despite
Nevadas No. 2 doubles team of
Mile Cilic and Peter ODonovan
winning 6-4. After falling 2-0,
Nevada went on to win the next
five singles matches and Ryan
Andrada won the No. 1 singles
over Miku Losbergs in three sets.
They split the first two sets with
each winning a tiebreaker before
Andrada took the super set 10-7.
WHOS GOT NEXT

Nevadas next game is at home against Air
Force (12-12, 3-8) on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Although the team has had a mostly down season, the Falcons are coming off an impressive
defeat against third-place Boise State in which
Air Force guard CJ Siples scored a career-high
25 points. As of Monday morning, Nevada is
currently fifth in the Mountain West Conference and cant afford to lose games to lesser
opponents if it wants a shot of finishing in the
top three.
Following Air Force, Nevada hosts Fresno State
(15-8, 6-4) who is currently one game ahead of the
Wolf Pack. Fresno State defeated Nevada earlier
this year in the teams most lopsided loss of the
season. Fresno State is led by senior guard Marvelle Harris, whos averaging over 20 points and
five rebounds per game.
Nevada (13-8, 5-4 MW) currently stands at
fifth in the conference, with the next game on
Saturday at Colorado State.
If Nevada can find a way to beat both Air
Force and Fresno state this week, it has an
opportunity to finish second in the Mountain
West Conference, and contend for a bye in the
Mountain West tournament.
WOMENS BASKETBALL
Nevada fell to Mountain West
leading Colorado State 64-37 as
the Rams remain perfect in league
play. Sophomore Teige Zeller tied
her career high of 14 points after
scoring 11 of her 14 points in the
first half. Senior Kelsey Kaelin
produced her third consecutive
game without a turnover, but
Nevada lost the rebounding
battle 42-31. Nevadas 37 points
are a season low and the Pack
sits at 4-17 overall and 3-7 in
conference play.
WOMENS SOCCER
Nevada soccer signed five
players on Wednesday, Feb. 3,
with all five players from either
Nevada or northern California.
Bonnie Ford from Sacramento
and Olivia Torres from Danville
are each from northern
California. Daisy Cabrera from
Las Vegas, Maria Sanchez from
Fernley and Miranda Bradley
from Henderson are the three
prospects from Nevada.
Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@sagebrush.

unr.edu and on Twitter @JackRieger.
THIS WEEKS GAME

Nevada vs. Air Force
Neil Patrick Healy can be reached

at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on
Twitter @SagebrushSports.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Where: Lawlor Events Center
(11,536)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
TV: Campus Insiders
Nevada vs. Fresno State

When: Saturday, Feb. 13.
Where: Lawlor Events Center
(11,536)
TV: NevadaWolfPack.TV
vs. Colorado
State
2 p.m.
2/28
Photo courtesy of Nevada Athletics
Sophomore guard Eric Cooper Jr. (21) shoots a corner three against Colorado State in Moby Arena on Saturday, Feb. 6. Nevada lost 76-67.
Wise men, when in

doubt whether to speak
or keep quiet, give themselves the benefit of the
doubt and remain silent
Hunter S. Thompson
WHERES THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE SUPER BOWL?

On my couch with friends is the way to go. Im not
going to go to a bar on the busiest sports day of the
year to be around a bunch of drunk and hairy dudes
spewing their hot takes my direction while a bunch
of annoying sorority girls say, Were here just for
the beer and commercials, and proceed to ask what
a first down is. On my couch I am stress free, the
food and booze are way cheaper, I dont have to wait
to go to the bathroom, and I can watch Von Miller
attack Carolinas offensive line like the bear in The
Revenant attacked Leonardo DiCaprio.
VS
Neil Patrick
Healy
THE WEEKLY DEBATE
Jack
Rieger
The answer to this question depends on another question:

is your team playing in the Super Bowl? If the answer is yes,
then there is no way in hell Im watching with anyone that is
going to potentially taunt/ridicule/heckle my team. In 2007,
the Packers lost the NFC championship to the Giants on a
last-second interception and I literally had to excuse myself
from the living room so I could cry. I watched the 2010 Super
Bowl by myself in fear of crying in front of my friends. But if
your team isnt in the Super Bowl, then the ideal setup is a
friends house with couches and a keg so that you can make
fun of the person whose team is losing.
A9 | SPORTS
UP
Criswell
Stock
with
DOWN
Neil Patrick Healy
STOCK UP
AQIB TALIB
What would you do after winning
the Super Bowl and shutting down the
most potent offense in the NFL? We
know what Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib would do. During
the postgame news conference Talib
looks at his wife midquestion and
says, Youre looking gorgeous, baby.
Were getting it in tonight. First, the
melons on this dude! I wish everyone
in sports was this blunt during news
conferences. Second, Talib just spent
the entire game basically acting like a
crazy person, which resulted in both a
personal foul and an unsportsmanlike
conduct penalty, and he just shrugs
it off. Third, after playing in the
Super Bowl for four hours, he has the
strength and energy to have sex? It
must be good to be the champ.
STOCK DOWN
BRIAN POLIAN
Its hard sometimes for those of the
older generation to get the swing of
new technology, and Nevada head
coach Brian Polian is no exception.
The day before national signing day
Polian set the Twitterverse on fire
with an accidental tweet he meant to
be a direct message to an unknown
recruit. Be careful, Polian wrote.
Ive heard mixed reviews. Some guys
say he is a bad guy and coaches cant
stand him. ASU is a fun place but a
very average ed
Im not going to go into how ASUs
journalism program is so good its
named after Walter Cronkite. Instead,
Im more concerned with Polians
lack of Twitter skills. Someone
needs to teach him how to slide
into someones DMs properly. Weve
all accidentally sent a message to
someone who wasnt supposed to get
it, but the timing couldnt be worse.
Can Don Jackson or someone on the
team whos good with social media
teach Polian how to slide into DMs
like a gentleman please?
Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at
neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter
@NP_Healy.
Nevada diver Krysta Palmer middive during a meet

last season. Along with qualifying for the Olympic trials, Palmer has been a key member of the undefeated
Pack this season.
Swim
A large part of Harpers game plan comes by not

letting the younger members of the team feel sorry for
themselves.
Youre supposed to feel tired, thats the way the
good teams are, Harper said. They tear themselves
down, they give themselves everything theyve got and
they prepare for the challenge ahead.
Nevadas womens swim and dive team was unrivaled during its regular season, as it swam through the
competition with ease. Though this may be the case,
coach Harper and his team understand the challenges
that come with the postseason.
Mindsets alter, training intensifies and perfection
becomes a need instead of a want. At this point in the
season, Harper is attempting to push the team to its
breaking point.
The idea about swimming is you break them down,
work them hard, throw them to the wall, Harper
said. Have them bounce back the next day and you
push them even harder. Squeeze them for everything
theyve got, and you make them believe they can perform at a level theyve never trained at before.
To some this may seem like excessive training, but in
reality Harper is preparing his team for every situation
it may face in the postseason. He does this to reduce
the chances of the swimmer or diver cracking under
pressure. If anyone knows anything about pressure
its Harper; he is a two-time Olympian and seven-time
All-American.
The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship is
probably the fastest, deepest, challenging meet, that
rivals the Olympics, Harper said. [It is] the pinnacle
of swimming in the world and 70 percent of team
U.S.A. will consist of kids who swam in the NCAA
championships.
The stakes are high when it comes to the NCAA
Swimming and Diving Championship.
Coach Harper has found himself in a Steve Kerr-like
situation. He was given the reigns to a championshipcaliber team in his first season as a head coach at
Nevada. Can he mirror Kerr and take his team to the
promised land? If you ask his team, youll receive a
resounding yes.
During his junior year of high school, Criswell

was on a basketball trip in Chicago with his
Amateur Athletic Union team. A couple of hours
before the game, Criswell talked to his father on the
phone and told him he would call after the game
concluded to talk about how he played. When the
game finally ended, it was late at night and Criswell
decided he would wait until morning to call his
father. That evening, Criswells father had a stroke
and eventually passed away.
Thats one thing he really, really regrets because
his dad was incoherent when he got back home,
Katherine said. He and his brother really helped
me through this. Every time I got down Tyron
would be there for me. I only once saw him cry and
that was at his dads funeral. Every time I would cry
he would just hold me and tell me, Mom, its going
to be all right. Thats when he really grew up.
Criswell said that his father was the greatest
influence in his life.
He taught me a lot, Criswell said. Especially
growing up through adversity and stuff. He pretty
much told me to work hard at everything and if I
want it, Ill be able to get it and achieve whatever
I want. He gave me the drive that I have today to
work hard.
Katherine remembers her husband first as a
family man.
Oh, [Tegory] was awesome, Katherine said.
He was a family man. He really took care of us the
best he could. [Tyrons] dad cheered him on when
he played football and when he played basketball.
His dad was there for him more than I really was.
I was the homemaker. Thats why he really misses
his dad because his dad was so into his life, like a
dad should be.
After his father died, Criswells life changed drastically. He became the man of the house and was
responsible for taking care of his mother.
[My life] changed quite a bit, Criswell said. I
had to be strong for my mom, especially because
my brother was out of the house at the time. It was
just me and my mom at the time so of course she
was grieving hard, so I just tried to be strong for
her.
Not only did Criswell take care of his mother, but
he also became more motivated as a basketball
player and a student following his fathers death.

And honestly when that happened, that made
me a lot hungrier in my sport, Criswell said. It
made me make goals for myself. I told myself Im
going to graduate high school and Im going to
graduate college and Im on track to do that now.
Im just doing these goals for him, honestly.
During his senior year of college, Criswell averaged 17 points and five rebounds at Omaha Benson. Following high school, Criswell didnt receive a
single offer from a Division I school and decided to
attend Central Community College in Columbus,
Nebraska, for two years. At Central, Tyron averaged
20 points, seven rebounds and three steals, and he
was named the NCJAA Division II player of the year,
but he hasnt forgotten all the schools and coaches
that looked past him.
I feel like Im overlooked a lot, said Criswell. I
feel like I was overlooked my whole life, honestly.
Out of high school I didnt have any looks from
colleges. I went the junior college route, and then
after junior college, colleges started finding me. I
just feel like I was overlooked a lot of my life.
One of the schools that finally extended Criswell
an offer before last season was Nevada, and this
season he has become a pivotal member of the
team, averaging 11 points and six rebounds while
shooting 50 percent. Coach Musselman is a big fan
of Criswells attitude and versatility.
Hes just a junkyard dog, Musselman said. Tell
him to guard the point guard one night and he
guards the point guard. Tell him to guard the center
another night. Hes just willing to do whatever and
he never says boo.
When asked what his father would say if he could
see him now, Criswell answered without hesitation.
He would be very proud of me, Criswell said
with a smile. I would be the only one that graduated college in our family. He would be very proud
of me to see where Im at today.
Katherine also couldnt be more proud of her son.
Tyron is a damn good man today, Katherine
said. Im so proud of how he has handled it all.
Even when his grandfather died and we went to his
funeral, Tyron made me laugh. I was like, Where
is this coming from? He made me laugh because
he didnt want me to cry. Just like he is all over the
court, hes all over my life.
Jack Rieger can be reached at jrieger@sagebrush.unr.
edu and on Twitter @JackRieger.
Brandon Cruz can be reached at neil@sagebrush.unr.

edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
Nathan Brown Silva/Nevada Sagebrush
Brian Polian stands on the sidelines against Arizona on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Mackay Stadium. Polian
finished the recruiting cycle on a positive note with the signing of Penn State transfer Akeel Lynch.
Football
We felt like he needed six months of physical growth and maturity, and darned if it wasnt
the best decision that he and I made because
he showed up here 20 pounds heavier, Polian
said.He showed up at 280 pounds and its not
bad weight. He looks really good.
Elections
Visit www.NevadaASUN.com
For more information please contact Dalton Mack at elections@asun.unr.edu or at (775)784-6589
ASUN reminds you to request a ride from ASUN Campus Escort Services at www.unr.edu/campus-escort or call 742-6808
if you need a ride after an event. ASUN supports providing equal access to all programs for people with disabilities.
Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations are encouraged to email elections@asun.unr.edu
HIDDEN GEMS AT RUNNING BACK

With the addition of Lynch, Nevada landed
two running back prospects that seem to be
flying under the radar around most recruiting
circles. Nevada went way beyond its borders in
picking up Jaxson Kincaide from powerhouse St.
Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, and may have found a gem. Kincaide
started his senior season as the third option at
running back (both running backs ahead of him
have signed with Division I programs), but injuries thrust him into the starting role. Kincaide
finished the season with 1,289 yards and 12
touchdowns while averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
Sacramento native Isaiah Hamilton was
forced to miss his senior season due to transfer
rules, which may have cost him bigger schools
taking a look at him. Polian and the rest of the
staff showed interest in Hamilton and were im-
pressed with how he handled the situation.

We really thought highly of him as a player
off his junior film and extended an offer to him
from that evaluation, Polian said. Our feelings
only got stronger as we watched him deal with
the frustration of losing his senior season. He
showed significant maturity and proved himself
to be a great teammate as he went through a
difficult situation.
SIDE NOTES
Nevada has continued to recruit in the state
of Texas with relative success by adding two
prospects from the Houston metro area. Wide
receiver David Harvey and safety Daylon Johnson make up nine recruits from Texas that Polian
has signed from the Lone Star State.
Defensive end Max Christensen III from
Smithfield, Utah, signed his letter of intent,
but is deferring to go on his Mormon mission,
and will enroll in two years after the mission is
complete.
Defensive linemen Nick Gregg is the lone
northern Nevada prospect to sign with the Wolf
Pack. Gregg hails from powerhouse Reed High
School and is the two-time Division I North
Region Defensive Player of the Year.
Neil Patrick Healy can be reached at neil@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NP_Healy.
Sports
A10
Nevada diver Krysta Palmer competes

during a meet at Palo Alto College Aquatic
Center in San Antonio, Texas. Palmer helped lead
Nevada to an undefeated regular season.
Harper leads
Pack to perfect
regular season
By Brandon Cruz
The University of Nevada womens swim and
dive team races into the postseason with an unblemished record of 6-0. The Packs flawless start
must be attributed to someone, but whom? The
vast majority would credit the teams success to
first-year head coach Neil Harper; Harper would
deny these claims.
Although coach Harper believes his role in this
teams success has been minimal, his swimmers
would disagree. Sophomore swimmer Kate Hofmeyer had nothing but praise for her coach. When
asked who the leader of their team was, Hofmeyer
replied Neil without hesitation.
He inspires us every day, Hofmeyer added.
When we get to practice we might not be in the
best mood, but hes always in such a great mood,
which pumps us up!
Harpers attitude and positive energy has
brought this team to new heights. A team that
once dreaded attending practice made a complete
180 over the course of a season, due to a unique
style of coaching.
Its the happiest team Ive ever been a part of.
Everyone loves coming to training, loves competing, Hofmeyer said.
The only thing Harper will take credit for is
enabling his team to realize that theyre all important.
They all can be and should be leaders of their
own right, Harper said.
This approach to coaching allows each swimmer to see their true potential. Freshman Rebecca
Murray understands Harpers approach.
Everyone contributes to every aspect of the
team, she said.
Coach Harpers unorthodox methods have
yielded impressive results.
Hofmeyer wasnt the only swimmer to commend Harper for his unparalleled techniques.
Briana Peterson is now in her second season with
the Pack, and understands the necessity of a positive learning environment.
Its a lot different than last year, Peterson said.
When you walk on the pool deck, its a much
happier environment. Everyone wants to be here,
rather than feeling like youre forced to come to
practice.
In just one season, the team went from a loss
of ambition and motivation, to newfound selfconfidence and an abundance of encouragement.
Teams tend to struggle with a new coach, but in
the case of Harper and the Packs swimmers the
transition was seamless. The team accepted him
with open arms, and allowed him to implement
his game plan with ease.
See SWIM page A9
CRISWELL
plays in
memory of
his father
By Jack Rieger
evada basketball is a group full of exuberant

personalities. At the top theres coach Eric
Musselman, whos constantly yelling with
enthusiasm during practice, games or news
conferences. Next theres Cameron Oliver,
who flaunts his Hollywood smile after every
one of his showtime dunks. And theres even bench contributor Kaileb Rodriguez, who rallies the student section before
every game by clapping and pointing toward the crowd
during pregame warm ups.
Then theres Tyron Criswell a quiet, well-mannered senior
shooting guard who chooses to display his personality
through his relentless style of play on the court.
Criswell was raised with his older brother in Omaha,
Nebraska, by parents Tegory and Katherine. According to his
mother, Tyron was a quiet kid growing up.
He was a shy kid until he went to high school, said Criswells
mother, Katherine. He was bullied a little bit, but his brother
wouldnt let him get bullied too much because they went to the
same school. He was a very good kid in school, no problems at
John Byrne/
Nevada Athletics
all out of him.

Criswell claims he had to work harder than most of his peers
in school in order to get similar grades.
I was an OK student, said Criswell. I had to work hard
at everything. Im not an A or a B student. I would say B or C
and an occasional A. It was tough for me growing up because
Im not the greatest at math or those tough subjects, so it was
tough.
Although Criswell has fond memories of his childhood in
Omaha, he also remembers how hard his parents had to work
to support him and his brother.
We definitely struggled a little bit growing up, Criswell
said. My parents were struggling finding jobs. My dad worked.
My mom didnt at the time, so it was tough only getting money
from one parent. Eventually my mom found a job, but I was
pretty much grown-up by that time.
Criswells father, Tegory, worked relentlessly at an Automax
factory in Omaha to support his wife and two children. He was
also Criswells biggest basketball fan and would go to all of his
games, whether home or away.
See CRISWELL page A9
Penn State transfer running back highlights Nevadas signing day

By Neil Patrick Healy
National signing day has come and
gone. Every team in the country is
undefeated, everyone thinks their
recruiting haul is what will bring the
program to the promise land and all
parties are excited. Nevada is no different. The Pack has worked over a year
to reel in the recruits that can propel
the program over the top. It is time to
highlight some of the key storylines in
Nevadas 2016 class.
NEVADA LANDS FIFTH

YEAR BACK
The surprise for Nevada on signing
day was the commitment of graduate

transfer running back Akeel Lynch.
Lynch played his last four years at Penn
State and will be immediately eligible
to play in 2016. After coming into 2015
as the go-to option for the Nittany Lions, Lynch suffered from injuries and
eventually lost his starting position to
true freshman Saquon Barkley, who
ran for 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns. Head coach Brian Polian said
during the signing day press conference that he likes the size and strength
that Lynch brings.
Hes a grown man, Polian said.
Hes had four years in a Power 5 weight
room. He looks like a grown man. Hes a
downhill guy. Hes not going to outrun

you around the edge. He is a downhill,
one-cut runner who is fast enough to
run away from safeties and weve seen
it on film in the Big 10.
Lynch will help share the load in the
backfield with rising star James Butler
as the Wolf Pack looks to continue the
trend of a two running back offense.
ADDING TALENT AND DEPTH

TO THE SECONDARY
If there was one position that Polian
showed the most excitement about, it
was the secondary. Nevada adds five
players in the defensive backfield and
Polian noted that some will command
early playing time despite the fact that

the current core of defensive backs are
already young.
I think this DB crop is really good,
Polian said. I really do. I think one or
two of these freshmen will end up in
the depth. Hopefully not starting, but
they might have to be in the two-deep
early on.
The Wolf Pack adds four cornerbacks
in Daniel Brown, Kevin Howell, Daq
Irby and Marcus Lucas as well as safety
Daylon Johnson.
OFFENSIVE LINE HELP

Nevadas offensive line play was a
question mark all year due to a lack
of depth and rash of injuries. Polian

responded by adding five offensive
linemen to help fill in the holes. Sean
Krepsz and Jake Nelson come in via junior college, Carl Burton-Hill finished
his senior season at Dixon High School
in California, Ilya Lopez is a blue shirt
that earned a scholarship as a preferred
walk-on and Nate Brown enrolled this
past January after delaying his enrollment six months.
Polian noted that he and Brown
wanted to wait on Browns enrollment
so he could get extra time to develop
without wasting his eligibility.
See FOOTBALL page A9

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COUNTDOWN:

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VOLUME 122, ISSUE 20

DR. DOG DISAPPOINTS

Marcus Lavergne/Nevada Sagebrush

Science writer, David Quammen

Increased disruption and connectivity

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