Nevada Sagebrush Archives 12/01/09

By Jay Balagna
The recent raise in

tuition for students at-
tending the University
of California system will
not drive debates over
fee increases in Nevada,
university leaders said. In
November, the University
of California Board of Re-
gents voted 25-1 to raise
student fees by 32 percent,
inciting protests from stu-
dents on campuses across
the state, including a day-
long student takeover of a building at the University
of California, Los Angeles as well as similar protests at
other UC schools.
While the situation in California wont frame the
debate over tuition in Nevada, it could cause increased
enrollment, inadvertently reducing funding problems
here.
The hike was made to close an expanding revenue gap
in California. While Nevada faces a budget shortfall simi-
lar to that of its neighbor, there is little chance of a deci-
sion like that being made here when the Nevada System
of Higher Education Board of Regents begins to discuss
tuition and student fees this spring, ofcials said.
I dont think there will be any consideration of that
type of huge increase, University of Nevada, Reno
President Milton Glick said. I dont think thats a pos-
sibility here.
The tuition hike in California brings the average price
of tuition to about $10,300 per year for full-time, in-state
students, compared to about $4,700 for UNR, according
to the Ofce of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Tuition rises are denitely a risk, Ron Knecht, a
regent from Northern Nevada, said. I dont mean 32
percent. I suppose thats theoretically possible, but
weve talking about a much more moderate increase.
Were been looking into the 5 to 10 percent range.
Because Nevadas budget shortfall is less extreme
than Californias, the need for a tuition hike will be less
dire, he said.
Eli Reilly, the Associated Students of the University of
Nevada president, sits on a committee for the Nevada
System of Higher Education Board of Regents dedicated
to examining ways to change the student fee structure
By Jay Balagna
The Nevada System of
Higher Education Board
of Regents will hold
their last meeting of the
semester this week in Las
Vegas.
Among the topics to
be discussed will be the
possible creation of a new
doctoral program at the University of Nevada, Reno, the
merging of two departments under the College of Edu-
cation and a set of fee increases for specic programs
and campus meal plans.
These are mostly small increases that dont affect
all students, Ron Knecht, a member of the Board of
Regents from Northern Nevada, said. I dont think (the
fee increases) pose much of a threat to students at this
time.
Also on the Regents agenda is the transfer of mineral
rights for a property the university owns in Esmeralda
County to a mining company in exchange for a 50 per-
cent interest in the mineral venture.
The meeting, held on the University of Nevada, Las
Vegas campus, will take place Thursday and Friday.
I think these meetings are very important for stu-
dents to keep track of, UNR President Milton Glick
said. That being said, I cant think of anything on this
agenda that will be a ashpoint for students.
Jay Balagna can be reached at jbalagna@
nevadasagebrush.com.
www.nevadasagebrush.com First copy free, additional copies 50 each d b dditi l i 50
HARDER THAN YOU THINK
Experience the difculties
of overcoming addiction as
columnist Nick Coltrain quits
smoking. Page A11
RAH RAH, GAGAGA
Find out how Lady Gagas
newest album, The Fame
Monster, measures up to her
other hits. Page B4
TAR HEELS OUTLAST PACK
Despite a valiant effort from
the Wolf Pack mens basketball
team, it was ousted by No. 11
North Carolina. Page C3
INDEX
Video: Coverage of World AIDS Day events held tomorrow on
campus.
Sports talk: Join Sports Editor Juan Lpez at 3 p.m. Wednesday
for a live chat about all things Wolf Pack.
Regents: Check for full coverage of the Board of Regents meeting.
Video: Coverage of World AIDS Day events held tomorrowon
ONLINE THIS WEEK AT NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
WEEKLY UPDATE.............................................A3
CLASSIFIEDS ..............................................................A6
PERSPECTIVES .....................................................A11
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT............ B1
SPORTS ....................................................................................C1
GAMEDAY....................................................................... C8
By Jessica Fryman
A
bout 40 percent of undergraduate grades at the
University of Nevada, Reno last spring were
As a statistic some faculty say illustrates a
national grade ination problem devaluing
college degrees. Others suggest that the grade distribu-
tion could be attributed to high-achieving students or
improved teaching methods.
The sheer number of As and Bs awarded last semester
together 76 percent, according to UNRs Ofce of
Institutional Analysis is a contrast to Nevadas typical
rankings in national reports on education.
I think its part of a pattern that has been going on
for many years and is the case across the country that
grade ination has been troublesome, said Joe Crow-
ley, UNR president from 1978-2001. I dont think its a
xable issue. We were not unique or alone in having a
grade ination problem Its a problem and what you
do about it I just dont know.
UNR President Milton Glick said he wouldnt comment
on whether grade ination is happening at UNR because
he hasnt done the research. Although he said he didnt
expect quite as many high grades as the numbers show,
he noted the distribution has been constant for several
years.
Some faculty think ination started long before
1993, the earliest year for which institutional analysis
gures are available. They say it stemmed in part from
professors wanting to keep students exempt from the
draft in the 60s and college becoming more accessible
throughout the years.
Glick said he knows grade ination happened nation-
ally during the Vietnam War because professors didnt
want students forced to serve in the military, but he isnt
sure if the trend made its mark at UNR.
UNR journalism professor Jake Highton, who is known
among students and faculty for tough grading, recalled
raising the grade of a student who said hed have to ght
in Vietnam if he didnt pass the class.
Since that era, college has become more accessible
Regents hold last
meeting of 2009
Tuition hike
wont hit NSHE
The University of
California Board of
Regents voted to raise
tuition by 32 percent,
prompting protests
from students.
Despite facing a
similar economic situa-
tion, leaders say such a
large raise in fees wont
happen in Nevada.
Th U i it f
TUITION HIKES
SPECIAL REPORT: GRADES
SEE PAGES A6-A7 FOR A BREAKDOWN OF EACH UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE
Rising trend: Grade ination
Grade ination cited as a national
problem, despite incomplete data
BRIANBOLTON/NEVADASAGEBRUSH
A professor grades student work. Since the 1960s, grades at higher education institutions around the country, including the University of
Nevada, Reno, have steadily been on the rise, leading to accusations from some experts of articial grade ination.
UNR GRADE DISTRIBUTION BY TERM SUMMARY
This chart shows the distribution of undergraduate letter grades A through F
from Spring 1994 to Spring 2009 in ve year increments.
1994
KEY As Bs Cs Ds Fs Data Source: Ofce of Institutional Analysis
SPRING SEMESTER BY YEAR
Note: Distribution gures for earlier years were not available. The chart excludes withdrawals, incompletes, pass-
fail and in-progress grades. Spreadsheet Analysis: Chris Gabriel and Mark Zaski
P
E
R
C
E
N
T
A
G
E
50
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1999 2004
0
2009
37
33
19
6
5
33 33 33 33
43
32
16
4 4
42
32
16
5 5
44
32
15
5 5
Average grades rise
during past 50 years
See INFLATION Page A5
See TUITION Page A5
See NATIONAL GRADES Page A5
By Kathy Grimm-Tucker
The University of Nevada, Reno
gives a higher proportion of As than
the University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
according to the schools institutional
analysis data. In fall 2008, 64 percent
of UNLVs undergraduate grades were
As and Bs, compared to UNRs 74
percent (fall 2008 data was the most
recent available from UNLV).
But national comparisons are harder
to come by.
There is no national organization
that monitors or compares grade
distribution among colleges, aside from
gradeination.com, a Web site that
tracks grade ination trends at several
colleges nationwide. A check of numer-
ous university Web sites found that some
institutions publish their grade distribu-
tion gures, while most others do not.
For updates from the
Board of Regents meet-
ing Thursday and Fri-
day and a PDF of their
agenda, check
NEVADA
SAGEBRUSH.COM
F d t f th
ONLINE
ccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
WINTER 2009 GRADS
Complete list of graduation candidates: PAGES A8-9
Commencement day coverage: NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
A look at this years best video
games and Renos gaming culture
just in time for holiday shopping.
SECTION B
GAMING
GUIDE
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009 VOLUME CXVI NUMBER 16 SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893
By Jessica Fryman
When Tom Nickles colleagues
learned that hed been awarded
Nevada Professor of the Year this
month, they werent surprised.
Nickles, who has taught at the
University of Nevada, Reno for
33 years, does more than just
teach philosophy. He helped
launch the core humanities
requirement and curriculum,
teaches at the Davidson Acad-
emy in the summers and sits on
several graduate committees on
subjects spanning from music
to hard sciences to his area of
expertise, social sciences.
Its so well-deserved, said
history professor Bruce Moran,
who has worked with Nickles
since 1976.
The honor, awarded by the
Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching, was
given to 38 professors nation-
wide this year. Nickles is the
seventh professor from UNR to
earn the award in the past 10
years. He accepted the award in
Washington, D.C., on Nov. 19.
Nickles accolades as a profes-
sor come from a rocky start, he
said.
I was absolutely horrid when
I started out, Nickles recalled.
Im very shy. Appearing in front
of classes was terrifying for me.
I would script whole classes, in
fear of not knowing what to say.
Despite his hesitations at the
beginning of his career, Nickles
hid them well, and some co-
workers thought his lengthy
notes meant extra preparation.
I would come into class
prepared with one or two pages
of an outline. Tom would come
in with 20, said Moran, who
has team-taught several courses
with Nickles.
Tom is extremely knowl-
edgeable and an enthusiastic
teacher, Moran said. His
enthusiasm is contagious. The
students get all together caught
up in not just the subject but
the enthusiasm of their teacher.
Every sentence he utters has got
volumes behind it. You know
how some teachers are sort of
winging it Tom could talk on
his subjects for days.
Nickles has seen the change
in himself too, as he now can
blabber without any notes, he
said, laughing.
It was a very pleasant
surprise, Nickles said of the
award.
For his colleagues, they say
the only surprise was that he
didnt win it sooner.
Those of us who know Tom
and have worked with him gave
him this award a long time ago,
Moran said.
Jessica Fryman can be reached at
jfryman@nevadasaegbrush.com.
news
www.nevadasagebrush.com
A2 DECEMBER 1, 2009
Tom Nickles
Specialty: Philosophy and
core humanities
What he did: Was one of 38
professors nationwide to
be named the best in their
respective state.
FACES OF NEVADA
VOLUME CXVI ISSUE 16
Student voice of the University of
Nevada, Reno since 1893.
CONTACT US:
Ofce: (775) 784-4033
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CORRECTIONS
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brasberry@nevadasagebrush.com
Illustrator Jett Chapman
jchapman@nevadasagebrush.com
By Neal Morton
University ofcials said
students can look forward to a
higher caliber of intellectual dis-
cussion and faculty involvement
with the introduction of nine
new National Merit Scholars
who have joined the student
body this year.
As the incoming freshmen
increase the merit scholar total
to 27, Vice President of Student
Services Shannon Ellis said the
campus as a whole benets
from the academically oriented
scholarship recipients.
They bring this higher schol-
arly aura of higher education,
Ellis said. They bring to light
that this opportunity is available
here in Nevada. Its offered for all
and for those who try.
Each of the incoming nine
students receives a $15,000
annual scholarship in a highly-
competitive national program
to join a cooperating university.
The University of Nevada, Reno
has participated for the past
three years.
Ellis said each student was
hand-picked from high schools
across the state in order to
benet from the academic chal-
lenges offered at UNR.
They really get that this is
(their) chance to be a student,
to be exposed to knowledge and
new experiences, Ellis said.
Theyre coming hungry for
that. I dont think everyone can
say that when they become stu-
dents, and these merit scholars
are wonderfully engaged in the
life of the mind.
UNR is the only college in Ne-
vada to participate in the merit
scholarship program.
Ellis said this does more than
attract future merit scholars to
the university. It also sets UNR
apart from schools on this side
of the country.
We are now viewed as the
only institute in Nevada who is
attracting these incredibly bright
students and scholars, Ellis said.
The degree of regular students
holds regular respect and value
because of that. It shines on the
entire institution.
Ellis went on to say she heard
from parents and prospective
students across the Northwest
that they have heard of UNRs
distinguished higher academics.
She said they were intrigued by a
chance to succeed and research
more than they might be able
elsewhere.
Under the guidance of the uni-
versitys Honors program, director
Tamara Valentine ensures each
scholar benets from the Honors
programs small class sizes.
National Merit Scholars are
guided into a path to prepare for
qualication in post-baccalau-
reate fellowships, scholarships
and studies, including the
Rhodes and Truman programs,
which are known internationally
as prestigious fellowships.
This level of faculty involve-
ment and research opportunity
could not be guaranteed on many
of the other campuses offering
merit scholarships, Ellis said.
We are the perfect size with
a caring faculty, she said. You
wont get lost in a huge campus
in California or the Pacic
Northwest. Youll get a lot of at-
tention and huge amount of op-
portunities that you simply cant
get anywhere else.
Neal Morton can be reached at
news@nevadasagebrush.com.
Staff Report
Tim McFarling, the director
of faculty human resources,
was promoted to the assistant
vice president for human
resources position. McFarling,
who has worked as a University
of Nevada, Reno administrator
since 2004, had been serving as
the interim vice president for
human resources for more than
a year.
(McFarling) brings a great
deal of experience and leader-
ship to the position, Ron
Zurek, the vice president for
administration and nance at
UNR and McFarlings supervi-
sor, said. He has experience in
both the public and private sec-
tors which can help streamline
a lot of processes to save time
and money.
As the vice president for
human resources, McFarling
is responsible for maintain-
ing the relationship between
UNR and the almost 3,500
employees who work for the
school.
The position is an important
one because it affects all of the
universitys employees from
all colleges and departments,
Zurek said.
Prior to his employment at
UNR, McFarling, who holds
degrees from Southern Illinois
University and the University of
Illinois, worked in the human
resources departments at a
number of local corporations,
including Scolaris Food and
Drug Company in Sparks.
The news staff can be reached at
Nine Merit scholars join university
As part of one of the highest-achieving freshman classes in years, the University of Nevada, Reno recruited nine National Merit Scholars.
Prof. wins national award
PHOTOCOURTESYOFUNIVERSITYOFNEVADA, RENOMEDIASERVICES
Tom Nickles, a philosophy professor, was recently awarded the Nevada Professor of the Year Award.
New VP of human
resources named
FROM THE SAGEBRUSH ARCHIVES
NOV. 17, 1944
Manzanita Low
Treasures High
As the waters of Manzanita
Lake recede the University
grab bag is exposed. All of the
laked or otherwise unac-
counted for items from days
and decades past may come
to light. Although the mud
lends a very limiting factor
to the search for the missing
and the ditched, much is very
apparent.
Such unclaimed treasures as
two hat-boxes and a medium-
sized garbage-can lid and elev-
en count em eleven dead
blackbirds rest in unclaimed
oblivion at the shores of Lake
Manzanita.
In the lakes odds and ends
department are such varied
items as one left shoe about
a size ten, mans a pair of tux-
edo suspenders and a hunters
jacket, perhaps a last reminder
of a duck poacher.
For those of the utilitarian
bent, such items as cups, sleds,
drinking glasses, ash-trays,
plates, mops, bricks, odds and
ends of glass, bottles, papers,
rocks, bricks, old pipe and a
chamber pot and one typewriter
can be salvaged. And while in a
salvaging frame of mind, keep
any eye out for the possibility of
a trophy or two.
More than once in the historic
traditions of the University of
Nevada the rumor that a bor-
rowed trophy has been laked
has popped up.
Mrs. Roberta Barnes, assis-
tant dean of women, is under
the impression that at least one
bed and one bath-tub are to be
found in the mud at the bottom
of the lake.
CAMPUS ESCORT TO END
SERVICE FOR SEMESTER
The Campus Escort service,
operated by the Associated
Students of the University of
Nevada, will end service for
the fall semester on Dec. 16.
Hours are from 5 p.m. to 1
a.m. until the last day.
For a ride to or from campus,
call 775-742-6808.
INKBLOT HIRING FOR
VIDEOGRAPHER JOB
The Associated Students of
the University of Nevada ad-
vertising department, Inkblot
Promotions, is looking for a
student to work as a videogra-
pher and newscaster who will
be responsible for creating
video on deadline.
Applicants must be familiar
with Mac hardware and video
editing software. The position
reports directly to the Inkblot
creative director and pays $8
per hour.
To apply, send a resume and
work samples to inkblot@asun.
unr.edu and Amy Koeckes at
amyk@unr.edu.
MED SCHOOL TO OFFER
FREE FAMILY CLINIC
A free general clinic offering
physicals, select lab services
and referrals will be held at
the campus Family Medicine
Center from 8 a.m. to noon
Dec. 12.
Certain diagnostic services
may require fees between $5
and $20.
No appointment is neces-
sary, and early arrival is rec-
ommended.
The clinic is open to the
public.
The Family Medicine Center
is just north of Mackay Sta-
dium off North Virginia Street.
For more information, call
775-682-8646.
Weekly Update
Campus
Events
Student group to host clean energy forum
In honor of World AIDS Day, ags in the shape of a ribbon were put in the grass in front of the Joe Crowley Student Union. A free symposium will be held for World AIDS Day from
5 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in The Joe Ballroom. The World AIDS Day Youth Symposium will feature speakers and information on HIV and AIDS.
STUDENTS ORGANIZE EVENTS, TRIBUTES FOR WORLD AIDS DAY
POLICE BLOTTER NEWS BRIEFS
DECEMBER 1, 2009 A3
By Benjamin Miller
A campus organization is host-
ing a 10-member-panel discus-
sion on clean energy at 11 a.m.
Sunday in ballrooms B and C in
the Joe Crowley Student Union.
The event, called the Clean
Energy Forum, will be free and
include a lunch.
The four-and-a-half-hour
event will feature talks given by
10 local panelists on several en-
ergy issues, from wind and solar
energy to the nuclear waste stor-
age facility at Yucca Mountain.
The panelists are University of
Nevada, Reno professors, local
businesspeople and elected of-
cials.
Renewable energy is a hot
topic right now, Susannah Lee,
the president of the events orga-
nizing group, called the Sustain-
able Energy Forum, said.
Lee said talks given by the pan-
elists will be 15-20 minutes long,
with a question-and-answer ses-
sion after. Topics will also include
biomass, geothermal energy,
local renewable energy centers
and Nevada energy policy.
Several local businesses will
also have booths around the
perimeter of the room to explain
how their businesses use clean
technology and different renew-
able energy sources.
The event is meant to not only
engage students in discussion
about renewable energy, but to
get exposure for the Sustainable
Energy Forum as well, Lee said.
Its important because all too
often our voices arent heard as
the little guy, Jonathan Marti-
nez, a 25-year-old general stud-
ies major and the vice president
of the group, said. Nevada has
a huge potential for renewables
to be implemented, and a huge
potential for jobs.
It should be a really good
conversation, he added.
The group, which started last
year and has about 10 active
members, has been heavily
promoting the event, posting
yers around the community,
sending personal invitations to
local environmental organiza-
tions and using ad space in the
Reno Gazette-Journal and Reno
News and Review.
Its totally the biggest thing
weve done, Martinez said. (The)
campus is on board. Theres a lot
of students mobilizing.
Although the group has hosted
lectures in the past, Martinez
says they are trying to become
a more active organization with
a loose goal of hosting a large
event at least once a semester.
Lee said that formal or busi-
ness dress is preferred for the
forum, but organizers wont turn
people without it away.
Benjamin Miller can be reached
at news@nevadasagebrush.com.
NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM/
CALENDAR
THURSDAY/3
You+Alcohol+Safety
When: Noon to 1 p.m.
Where: Room 402 of the Joe
Crowley Student Union.
The event will feature an
interactive panel discussion
about how alcohol affects
college students lives.
For more information,
contact Katie Olson at
775-682-7998.
Student Health care Booth
When: 2 to 4 p.m.
Where: The Joe
Orvis School of Nursing stu-
dents will host a health care
booth focusing on where to
get health care information.
The booth will also include
information about blood
pressure, body mass index
and H1N1 virus education.
contact Wei-Chen Tung at
775-784-6841.
FRIDAY/4
Brushre release
When: 4 to 7 p.m.
Where: Starbucks in The Joe
Celebrate the Brushres rst
edition of its 62nd volume.
Coffee will be 10 percent off
for those who attend to pick
up a free issue of the literary
arts journal. Cake, music and
poetry will also be provided.
contact Ashley Hennefer at
775-790-4920.
Rock Band contest
When: 4 to 6 p.m.
Where: Room 326 of the
Scrugham Engineering and
Mines building
Judging will be based on
performance, costume, skill
and difculty. Prizes will be
awarded to the top perform-
ers in each category. Free
pizza and drinks will be
provided.
contact Sushil Louis at
775-784-4315.
SATURDAY/5
Winter Commencement
When: 8 a.m. to noon
Where: Lawlor Events Center
All in attendance are
required to stay for the
entire ceremony. For
more information, contact
admissions and records at
775-784-4700.
MONDAY/7
Women in Health Sciences
When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Room 12 of the Pen-
nington Medical Building
The rst Women in Health
Sciences professional de-
velopment event will include
workshops and presenta-
tions. Speaker Elizabeth
Travis, Ph.D., is the featured
guest and will be speaking
on Achieving Work-Life
Balance. An RSVP is neces-
sary to attend.
contact Carol Mitchell at
775-784-6777.
NOVEMBER 30
Ofcers responded to
a report of a suicidal
subject in Nye Hall.
Ofcers responded to a
report of destruction of
property on 15th Street
and W. Stadium Way.
NOVEMBER 29
A 51-year-old man was
arrested on a drug offense
on N. Washington and
W. Seventh streets.
NOVEMBER 25
An ofcer responded to a
report of grand larceny in the
Ansari Business Building.
NOVEMBER 22
An 18-year-old female was
cited for minor in posses-
sion and consumption of
alcohol in Argenta Hall.
NOVEMBER 21
Ofcers made arrests on six
counts of drug possession
in Nye and Canada halls.
NOVEMBER 18
Ofcers responded to a report-
ed hit-and-run near the Reno
Orthopedic Medicine Clinic.
report of copper stolen from
the construction site north
of the University of Nevada
School of Medicine campus.
A bicycle was reported
stolen from Nye Hall.
Ofcers responded to a report
of stalking on Foothill Drive.
Property was re-
ported destroyed in
Lawlor Events Center.
A wallet and a textbook found
in the Mackay Science build-
ing were turned in to police.
trespassing call in the Joe
Crowley Student Union.
NOVEMBER 17
A camera was reported
stolen from Virginia Street
and College Drive.
Ofcers responded to
a harassment call in
Edmund J. Cain Hall.
A vehicle was burglar-
ized on Comstock Drive
and Annelli Lane.
A bicycle was reported stolen
from the Joe Crowley Student
Union.
NOVEMBER 15
Ofcers investigated a
report of grand larceny in the
Family Medicine Center.
Ofcers responded to a report
of harassment at Peccole
Park.
A student was arrested for
burglary and possession
of drug paraphernalia
in Nye Hall.
A person was arrested on
an outstanding warrant
on University Terrace
and Sierra Street.
An arrest was made for petty
larceny, driving under the
inuence of alcohol and
contempt of court near
the Downunder Caf.
NOVEMBER 14
A wallet was reported lost
from the West Stadium
Parking Complex.
High: 40-45
Low: 20-25
WEATHER FORECAST
High campus
temperature:
Low campus tem-
perature:
51 48 49 50
25 27 26 27
UNR WEEKLY WEATHER DISCUSSION: There will be clear skies for the beginning of the week with a few high clouds and light winds.
Cold nights and mild days will persist throughout most of the week. There is a lot of uncertainty about the weekend as a pool of cold air
dives in to the area. The timing of the unsettled weather is still not certain, but as of now expect a cool, partly cloudy weekend, with a
much more unsettled weather pattern next week.
WEDNESDAY TUESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY WEEKEND
Forecast prepared by the
Reno-Lake Tahoe student
chapter of the American
Meteorological Society.
For more information
visit our Web site at
www.ametsoc.org/
chapters/renotahoe/.
Partly cloudy,
light winds
Sunny, calm
winds
Sunny, with light
east winds 5 mph
Sunny and breezy Mostly sunny
What: Clean Energy Forum
When: 11 a.m. Sunday
Where: Joe Crowley Student
Union Ballrooms B and C.
Wh t Cl E F
EVENT DETAILS
A4
DECEMBER 1, 2009
Inside Campus
By Tiffany Moore
About 10 volunteers trav-
eled to Sierra Vista Elementary
School last week to assist in the
classroom, but the school can
use help through the end of the
school year.
Christina Gunn, a 21-year-old
secondary education major, was
responsible for planning the
event. She said she viewed it as
an opportunity to connect the
college to the community.
Stephanie Disuanco, a 21-year-
old education and French double
major, volunteered in a sixth
grade classroom, where she aided
a student in creating a story map
for an assignment.
I like the schooling environ-
ment and love working with kids,
especially the older elementary
ages, she said.
Disuanco is no stranger to
volunteering, as she completed
her practicum for elementary
education through volunteering
at Hunter Lake Elementary and is
looking forward to the chance to
volunteer again.
Sierra Vista third grade teacher
Michon Pincolini shares Disu-
ancos optimism.
The volunteers are much
valued and are a tremendous
help, she said. They increase
overall academic achievement
by allowing the teachers to move
faster through the lessons, as well
as allow for smaller groups. And
the kids enjoy them.
Pincolini said she hopes the
volunteers realize how valuable
they are to Sierra Vista. She also
hopes that some of the non-
education majors that attended
will feel encouraged to consider
purusing a major in education.
The opportunity to volunteer at
Sierra Vista Elementary School is
available throughout the school
year for any students wishing to
expand their educational hori-
zons, and the teachers are always
grateful for any assistance they
receive in the classroom.
Tiffany Moore can be reached at
More volunteers needed at
nearby elementary school
By Jakob Baker
The digital arts festival
Prospectives.09 brought inter-
national artwork to campus,
some of which is still on display
through Dec. 16 in the Sheppard
Fine Arts Gallery.
The Nov. 12 event showcased
the work of international gradu-
ate and Ph.D. art students.
Some 50 entries were submit-
ted to a jury who chose only 37
works to be displayed at the fes-
tival. Of those chosen, 22 artists
were brought to Reno to present
their works during the festival.
Artists from as far away as
India have pieces on display at
the University of Nevada, Reno
during the event.
Highlights from the event
included Project: A/V, which
utilized the entire dome of the
Fleischmann Planetarium to
display both audio and visual
works. David Snedegar, who
is a Ph.D. candidate in music
composition at the University
of Utah, was able to present the
audio piece to a standing room-
only crowd.
(It) was the best experience
listening to my piece, he said.
Snedegar recorded the sounds
of quarters rubbing together,
being dropped and ipped to
construct his three-minute con-
crete piece. Shown in complete
darkness, the piece focused on
audio distance, as the distorted
recordings appeared to be close
by or far away.
Snedegar said the experience
will inspire future projects.
The festival consisted of
performances at the Nevada
Museum of Art. The presenta-
tion included a work titled Vi-
brating Milk by artist Stephanie
Lie. Lie projected a real-time
video of milk as it reacted to
the vibrations of a bass drum
modied to act as an amplier.
The University of California, San
Diego student said she consid-
ers her piece to be drawing
with sound.
Prospectives.09 marks the
second time UNR has hosted the
unique festival, which presents
an opportunity to use technology
to bring together many forms of
art, Festival Director and UNR Art
Professor Joseph DeLappe said.
DeLappe said the festival was
purposefully interdisciplinary.
Jakob Baker can be reached at
Arts festival brings
worldly artwork
Art is exhibited in the Sheppard Gallery on campus as part of the Prospectives.09 art festival. Twenty-
two works of art from artists around the country were exhibited at the event.
What: Prospectives.09
When: Through Dec. 16
Where: Sheppard Fine Arts
Gallery
Wh t P ti 09
DIGITAL ARTS FESTIVAL
DONT FORGET TO CHECK
WWW.NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
DURING BREAK FOR NEWS UPDATES.
What: Help teachers at Sierra
Vista Elementary School
Info: 775-333-5080
Wh t H l t h t Si
VOLUNTEERS
news DECEMBER 1, 2009 A5
to students from low-income
households, those with dis-
abilities and non-traditional
students.
I think there is, in many
places, a need to understand
that students who come from
low-income backgrounds or
who have grown up in challeng-
ing educational surroundings
are treated with the understand-
ing that that has been the case,
Crowley said. I think grading
patterns have changed to recog-
nize that fact.
Professors realize that any
students who lose scholarships
because of grades might not
be able to continue attending
college. Crowley said many stu-
dents go to college to get better
jobs, and some professors might
try to help them along for that
reason.
Professors may also face pres-
sure to give higher grades from
their departments and students.
If a professor consistently cant
ll up a class, thats a red ag
to deans about the instructors
performance, Provost Marc
Johnson said.
Professors disagree on
whether anonymous student
evaluations add another incen-
tive to give higher grades.
There is an underlying pres-
sure that if you are tougher in
grading than the rest of the
department, your evaluations
are going to be lower, Stacy
Gordon Fisher, a political sci-
ence assistant professor, said.
Vernon Luft, a professor and
associate dean in the College
of Education, thinks tough
graders can still get good evalu-
ations from students.
I think there are some pro-
fessors that think they need
to score easy and grade high
to get (good) course evalua-
tions, but I dont think thats
true, Luft said. I think you
can have high standards and
receive good course evalua-
tions too.
Aside from professors roles
in grading, some say that over
time, students have started to
just expect higher grades. High-
ton said hes noticed that his
students consider Cs as failing
grades instead of passing.
Bill Cathey, who started
teaching in the physics depart-
ment in the late 60s, has also
noticed that trend.
A C is supposed to be an
average grade, said Cathey,
now the vice provost of in-
struction and undergraduate
programs. Not only at our
university but elsewhere, it
has sort of disappeared as the
average.
Although some say grade
ination is a problem at UNR,
Cathey said he doesnt know
many people who consider it
a serious one. Crowley said he
doesnt lose sleep over it.
But in the 80s, some faculty
found it to be a pressing issue.
In 1986, the universitys criminal
justice department established
a policy to ght grade ination.
Now, professors in that depart-
ment can only give 40 percent
As and Bs in lower-division
classes and no more than 60
percent As and Bs in upper-
division courses, plus or minus
5 percent.
In most departments, how-
ever, faculty members set their
own grading policies.
I think our faculty take
grading very seriously, Glick
said about current grading
practices.
Highton, who said he has
been questioned by both stu-
dents and a college dean for his
tough grading practices, said he
thinks UNR professors grade
too easily.
Noting that he seldom gives
As, Highton said, A means ex-
cellent. I have few students that
are excellent.
Jerri Cuerden, Valerie Foley,
Damian Tromerhauser and
Mark Zaski contributed to this
report. Jessica Fryman can be
reached at jfryman@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
for the states higher educa-
tion institutions. He said that
the actions taken by the UC
system might actually reduce
the systems budget problems,
adding a new factor to the dis-
cussion on a tuition increase
in 2010.
It will (have an effect), but
not in the way you think,
he said. It will drive more
students from California to
Nevada, causing enrollment to
rise. That might mean theres
less of a need to raise fees.
While Glick said it makes
sense for California students
to come to Nevada, where out
of state tuition is cheaper than
Californias in-state costs for
higher education, thats not
something he said hes seen.
I think the combination of
limitations on enrollment and
rising tuition will push more
students here, he said. (But)
as of this point we havent seen
evidence of that.
The Association of Public
and Land Grant Universities, a
nonprot association of pub-
lic research universities like
UNR, does not compile such
data, said Christine M. Keller,
director of research policy &
analysis in academic affairs.
I am not aware of any orga-
nization that monitors grade
distributions for colleges and
universities, Keller said.
Practices vary among
doctoral -degree-granti ng
institutions accredited by
The Northwest Commission
on Colleges and Universities,
the accrediting organization
for UNR. For example, Boise
State University provides a
password-protected link to its
grade distribution informa-
tion, while Washington State
University only publicly links
to college-by-college and
class-by-class statistics. The
University of Alaska published
a report that 55 percent of
undergraduates received As
and Bs last fall, compared to
UNRs 74 percent.
Kathy Grimm-Tucker can be
reached at news@nevadasage-
brush.com.
Nevada is 17 percentage
points below the national
benchmark in workforce
preparation, as seen in profes-
sional license exams.
Nevada is more than 28
percentage points below the
national benchmark in pre-
paring students for graduate
schools, as seen in graduate
admission exams.
Source: Measuring Up 2004 and 2006.
N d i 17 t
GRADE INFLATION
Ination
CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1
Tuition
National
Grades
While estimates on the reasons vary, many faculty members at UNR
have noticed an upward trend in grade expectations.
Check our Web site to see
grade distribution from Fall
1993 every semester through
Spring 2009
NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
Ch k W b it t
ONLINE
The Nevada
Sagebrush
staff always
misspells
words
or uses
grammer
bad. We
seam to right
things wrong
everyday. Plz
help us.
Paid copy
editor
positions are
available
for the
Spring 2009
semester. Get
paid to be
nitpicky!
Contact Jessica
Fryman at editor@
nevadasagebrush.
com for a copy test
SPECIAL REPORT: GRADES
www.nevadasagebrush.com A67 DECEMBER 1, 2009
College of Agriculture, Biotechnology,
and Natural Resources
College of Business College of Education College of Engineering
By Melinda Chemor
The College of Agriculture, Biotechnology
and Natural Resources is rigorous but many
students rise to the occasion, Associate Dean
Carol Condit said.
Our students work hard and they earn their
grades, Condit said.
Last spring, 49 percent of grades given were
As and 32 percent Bs.
Assistant professor of nutrition Karen
Spears agreed that her students excel despite
the tough expectations.
I have taught one undergraduate class and
the grading was rigorous and the assignments
were time consuming and relied on extensive
critical thinking, she said.
Condit said she used to teach an introduc-
tory course and then another course students
must take their senior year, just to see the
change in their progress.
Its amazing, she said of the improve-
ment.
Condit said that she is not surprised that her
students excel.
CABNR must be rigorous because it is
geared toward students who are interested in
later going on to some type of medical school,
she said.
About 25 percent of the colleges students go
on to medical school, she said.
Melinda Chemor can be reached at news@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
The College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources includes the
following undergraduate degrees: animal biotechnology, biochemistry & molecular
biology, natural resource & environmental science and nutrition.
By Jerri Cuerden
Grades in the College of Business are in line
with expectations for professional schools, As-
sociate Dean Kambiz Rafee said.
As and Bs accounted for about 73 percent of
undergraduate grades awarded in the college for
the spring semester of the 2008- 09 school year, a
slightly lower percentage than other colleges, but
still within the average.
NathanDevlin, a20-year-oldbusiness major, did
not nd these numbers to be out of the ordinary.
Becausewerenot signicantlylower thanother
colleges, Im not surprised to nd that we are on
par with the rest of the university, he said.
The business school did differ from other col-
leges in that the number of As was signicantly
lower than that of Bs, making up only 35 percent
of the grades.
Rafee was unwilling to comment specically
on the grade distributions, but he said he thinks
that if distributions for lower-division courses
were separately identied, they would showfewer
As and more Cs and Bs.
Rafee said the school does not have a uniform
grading scale and the faculty has the ultimate
authority to assign grades in their own classes.
The College of Business alsohouses a number of
general core classes, suchas mathand economics,
making it more likely for the school to have lower
grades because many students arent majors.
Jerri Cuerden can be reached at news@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
The College of Business includes the following undergraduate degrees: accounting,
economics, nance, information systems, international business,
management, marketing and supply chain management.
By Damian Tromerhauser
Almost 70 percent of undergraduate grades
distributed within the College of Education
throughout the past semester were As. Another 21
percent were Bs.
Professor Diane Barone creditedthe high grades
to the backgrounds of many professors who teach
education courses.
Most of the professors in the college were
K-12 teachers, so we become accustomed to
wanting to see the students do well, Barone
said.
For this reason, professors may allow re-dos
or be more attentive if a student needs help, she
said.
Associate Dean Vernon Luft also associated the
high grades in the college with students commit-
ment to its mission.
In other colleges you have everyone taking
those courses, and some are core courses that
people are takingbecause they have totake them,
Luft said. When you have to take something and
its not in your area of interest, you may not do as
well in it.
One professor agreed and said grades are usu-
ally higher because the college doesnt have core
classes that any student can take.
With our undergraduate students, they have to
be admitted into a teacher education programto
take classes, so we are looking at the creamof the
crop anyway, assistant professor Ann Bingham
said.
Damian Tromerhauser can be reached at news@
TheCollegeof Educationoffersthefollowingundergraduatedegrees: elementaryeducation,
special education, secondary education and early childhood education.
By Melinda Chemor
College of Engineering Dean Emmanuel Mara-
gakis said he wasnt surprised by the colleges grade
distribution, which showed a lower number of As
giventhanthe university average.
Last spring, 39 percent of the grades were As and
30 percent were Bs.
Are students more diligent today than they were
years ago? asked Charles Corenella, a professor of
chemical and materials engineering. That seems
unlikely, but its certainly true, at least in engineer-
ing, that students are more capable than they were
way back.
Although students may be more capable today,
the rigor of the courses is the same.
The curriculum today is no less rigorous than it
was years ago, but theres certainly pressure on fac-
ulty to issue higher grades thanthere was, he said.
Mark Talavera, a 21-year-old civil engineering
major, said courses inthe college are average.
The classes that Ive taken have been pretty bal-
anced, Talavera said. Its pretty abstract. Professors
expect you to do our own research and they dont
tell you much about the project. You are forced to do
your ownthinking.
You get out of it what you put into it, he said.
Melinda Chemor can be reached at news@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
TheCollegeof Engineeringoffersthefollowingundergraduatedegrees: chemical engineering,
materials scienceandengineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, computer
science, computer and information engineering, electrical engineering, engineering
physics and mechanical engineering.
Grade distribution breakdown byundergraduate colleges
How rigorous is the grading at UNR?
Compiled by Jen Kamen
CAMPUSCHAT
Im very
against the
universitys
grading system.
Everything is
based off points,
not quality.
Adam Allen
21, speech
communications
I can get Cs on
all assignments
but still get an
A in the class.
But I do appreci-
ate that some
teachers grade
on progress.
Misty Kinser
27, English
When I was
here 20 years
ago, I couldnt
pull a C. Its a
joke now. Teach-
ers are afraid to
unk students.
David Kerr
44, geological
engineering
I feel that I get
the grades that
I deserved. If
I dont put the
work in, I usually
know what to
expect.
Kelly Peyton
21, ne arts
Teachers
dont hold high
standards. They
arent willing
to put forth the
effort to require
higher stan-
dards.
Allison Anderson
25, business
administration
The education
major isnt that
hard. Teachers
just want stu-
dents to pass.
We are the fu-
ture.
Rachel Davis
19, education
Homework is
easy but exams
are hard. Quiz-
zes are easy
because theyre
open book. Dis-
cussion points
also help.
Manisha Patel
23, information
systems
It is entirely
dependent on
the class and the
teacher.
Matt Johnson
26, education
College of Liberal Arts
By Valerie Foley

Whether students enjoy their classes often
impacts their grades, professors in the College of
Liberal Arts said. The college offers several lower-
division and core classes, which could affect its
grade distribution, which is signicantly lower
than the universitys average.
Forty-six percent of undergraduate grades
awarded in the college last spring were As and
another 33 percent were Bs.
Assistant sociology professor Markus Kem-
melmeier said the University of Nevada, Renos
overall statistics, which showed 75 percent of
undergraduate grades awarded last spring were
As and Bs, are similar to the distribution in his
advanced classes, but not other courses.
In upper-division classes, the stats of 75 per-
cent As and Bs does reect the statistics in my
classes, but when it comes to my Sociology 101
class, they do not, Kemmelmeier said.
Preparedness is the most signicant factor
affecting college grades, Kathleen Boardman,
associate dean for the college, said.
Several other professors agreed that being pre-
pared for college is a huge factor when it comes
to grade distribution. Kemmelmeier said he has
seen preparedness drop in his freshmen classes
over the years.
In higher level courses, there is a built-in dy-
namic. Success in classes comes fromprofessors
teaching what the students need to know, Kem-
melmeier said. When students like their classes,
their grades will reect that. Its the quality of
teaching that is important. Preparation is key.
Valerie Foley can be reached at news@nevadasage-
brush.com.
TheCollegeof Liberal Arts includes thefollowingundergraduatedegrees: anthropology,
art, criminal justice, English, French, history, international affairs, interior design,
music, neuroscience, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, Spanish,
speech communications, theater and womens studies.
As 49%
Bs 32%
Cs 13%
Ds 4%
Fs 3%
As 35%
Bs 38%
Cs 18%
Ds 4%
Fs 5%
As 69%
Bs 21%
Cs 6%
Ds 2%
Fs 2%
As 39%
Bs 30%
Cs 19%
Ds 7%
Fs 5%
As 46%
Bs 33%
Cs 13%
Ds 4%
Fs 4%
College of Science
By Juan Lpez
The number of non-science majors taking sci-
ence courses greatly affects the College of Sciences
undergraduategradedistribution, professors inthe
college said.
We have a lot of students in here who take
these courses because they have to, said physics
professor Ronald Phaneuf, who has taught at the
University of Nevada, Reno for 17 years.
With this, you get some who dont want to be in
there, so their grades suffer, so they bring down the
grade distribution. Whereas in colleges like educa-
tion and engineering, most of the students in there
are also majors of that school.
Sixth-year physics professor Melodi Rodrigue
said having sciences as required courses skewed
the grade distribution and added that it had to do
with the quality of students.
In entry-level, required classes, we have a lot
of freshmen and people who are just getting ac-
climated to college, said Rodrigue, who teaches
upper-level astrophysics as well as entry-level
classes. And theres always a fewin the bunch who
dont know what it takes to be successful in a col-
lege class so they dont put forth the effort.
While they all agreed that the numbers were
distorted, Rodrigue saidif she couldjust teachand
not have to grade, I would love that.
Chemistry professor and department chair Vin-
cent Catalano begged to differ.
When I was a student, that was the only insti-
tutional mark left from you taking that class so I
always took them very seriously, he said. Think
about it this way: Do you play sports? ... Do you
keep score? People arent out there just to play the
game. Its the same inschool.
Juan Lpez can be reached at jlopez@nevadasage-
brush.com.
The College of Science offers the following undergraduate degrees: biology,
chemistry, geography, geological engineering, geology, mathematics and statistics,
mining engineering and physics.
By Chris Gabriel
In the spring 2009 semester, the Division of
Health Sciences gave 58 percent of undergradu-
ate As, the University of Nevada, Renos second-
highest percentage.
Immore concerned about success and reten-
tion of undergraduate students in college than I
amabout the grades, John McDonald, vice presi-
dent for the Division of Health Sciences, said.
The division has a heterogeneous student
population, McDonald said. There are some stu-
dents who declare for a major in what used to be
health ecology, now community health sciences,
as freshmen. Others are pre-majors. So we have
pre-social work and pre-nursing.
The Division of Health Sciences is comprised of
four programs of study: The School of Commu-
nity Health Sciences (formerly Health Ecology),
School of Medicine, Orvis School of Nursing and
the School of Social Work. McDonald said each
has rigorous admission standards.
This most recent class that was accepted re-
quired almost a 3.7 grade point average to get into
nursing school, McDonald said. Thats in the ba-
sic science core of courses. So youre starting witha
group of students who have already demonstrated
their ability to performat a very high level.
As is relatively common throughout the univer-
sity, grading rigor in any school is subjective and
depends on the professor.
(The grading rigor) depends on the courses
youre taking, Priscilla Acosta, a 22-year-old
community health sciences major, said. There
are courses that are more analytical. Those are
the courses that students will complain about the
most. Then you have integrated health in which
the grading on that is more subjective. Its not an
easy A.
Chris Gabriel can be reached at news@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
The Division of Health Sciences offers the following undergraduate degrees: speech
pathology and audiology, community health sciences, nursing and social work.
Division of Health Sciences
As 38%
Bs 29%
Cs 19%
Ds 7%
Fs 7%
As 58%
Bs 28%
Cs 10%
Ds 2%
Fs 2%
As 33%
Bs 43%
Cs 15%
Ds 5%
Fs 3%
Reynolds School of Journalism
By Jerri Cuerden
The Reynolds School of Journalismvalues learn-
ing above grades, Dean Jerry Ceppos said.
In a study of grade distributions between col-
leges for last year, the Reynolds School of Journal-
ism earned roughly 75 percent As and Bs for the
spring semester of the 2008- 09 school year.
The main deviation between the Reynolds
school and others was that the 75 percentage
points were made up of mostly Bs with As making
up just about a third in both semesters, where in
other schools the difference is more evenly split.
The journalism school is counted among the
professional schools at UNR, meaning that a num-
ber of its instructors have worked in journalism-
related elds for most of their careers. Ceppos said
he is unsure if this has an effect on grade distribu-
tions of his school, but either way he is happy for
it to be the case.
Ceppos said that he does look at the grades
between different sections of the same class, to
ensure that things are uniform, but overall he
said that he would like to try to nd other ways
aside fromletter grades to measure if students are
retaining the information.
In all my years in newspapers, if I were going to
hire you, it would never have occurred to me in a
million years, no, two million years to check your
grade in depth reporting, Ceppos said. I would
just want to see what you had written.
Journalism professor Rosemary McCarthy
agreed that it is difcult in elds such as journal-
ismto base everything on numbers, but said that it
is a necessary part of school.
With liberal arts, there are also subjective mea-
surements that reect progress, she said. There
are a lot of things not measured in numbers.
However, assignments are designed to get at very
specic things, and we make sure that there are
elements of those that can be measured.
Jerri Cuerden can be reached at news@nevadasage-
brush.com.
The Reynolds School of Journalism offers the undergraduate degree of journalism.
Legend: As Bs Cs Ds Fs
Note: Minus and Plus grades are included within each whole grade category. Grades are for the
Spring 2009 semester.
Source: University of Nevada, Reno Ofce of Institutional Analysis
class of 2009
A8 DECEMBER 1, 2009
All undergraduate
candidates
Candidates presented by the dean of each school and college
Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude, High Distinction, Distinction
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND
NATURAL RESOURCES
Ronald Pardini, Acting Dean
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
August 2009
Nicolette Celia Cohen
Shaun Allen Robinson
December 2009
Shayne Mahealani Ahwah
Melany Eve Aten
Gabriel Paul Barbato
Patricia Bobo
Kellyn M. Bricker
Ashlie Kimberly Brown
Sansan Cao
Bryan Adrian Daane
John Brent Daggett
Matthew C. Embrey-McClain
Jessica Brooke Felton
Carlie Joelle Frydman
Daniel William Hopper
Anna Malgorzata Johnson
Nicole Marie Johnson
Travis Eugene Jones
Michael Conrad Laca
Arthur Justin Lewis
Tara Starr Linderman
Heather Lynn Mitcham
Christopher Raymond Morris
Cynthia Renel Nuckols
Kevin Glen Reeder
Kyndra Pauline Riddle
Darryl Thomas Rush
Guillermo Sanchez
Karianne Solvijg Staehlin
Michael Anthony Starr
Melinda A. Stubbleeld
Annette Jensen Taylor
Charles Morton Whitmer
Maria Elsa Felicia Young
Christina Lynn Zint
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
Gregory Mosier, Dean
BACHELOR OF ARTS
December 2009
Dustin T. Hanson
Nathan Osborne
John Alexander Tanchek
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
August 2009
Yevonne Faith Allen
Peter Pezant Attashian
Tristan Steffan Bamberger
Bo Bryant Bernhagen
Holly Michele Brabo
Brian John Brisbois
Cierra Michele Cassingham
Tyler Copeland
Russell Kenneth Elder
Sumit Gulati
Yoojin Han
Jeana Suzanne Hays
Shih-Yung Huang
Maiko Ikeuchi
Rachel A. Jensen
Adam Marshall Jones
Yuka Kobayashi
Anthony Kordonowy
Matthew Jordan Levinsky
Marjori Annette Lindsey
Joseph James Linscott
William Alexander McDonald
Nicholas Emerson Meyer
Rory John OBrien
Darrell Placido Padilla
Kristen Anne Rieger
Casey Curtis Rodacker
Abigail Marie Schaller
Raheleh Holly Soltani
Koji Yoshida
December 2009
Natalya S. Alekhina
Thomas Zachary Anderson
Jeffrey Michael Appel
Andrew Scott Apple
Trenton Lee Arlint
Michael Donovan Armario-Lyons
Meghan Bartley
Adrian Kenneth Benny
Sohan Harivanden Bhakta
Devon M. L. Biancalana-Jensen
Noelle Maria Blassingame
Reana Jean Bye
Faith Abad Cabillo
Kyle Russell Carraher
Dustin Lee Carroll
Robert William Carson
Mayte Castro
Marly Chachas
Yareli Chavez
Kyle Joseph Christman
Anastasia Breaun Clemons
Jacob Michael Cook
Jonathan B. Crane
John Lewis Darlington
Theresa Marie Davis
Jeanette Gayle Dory
Lucas Michael Draeger
Alyssa Patricia Durham
Kreston Wayne Eaton
Thomas Martin Ellis
Shaun Ermita
Maria Fernandez
Daniel Anthony Fiorentini
Antonio Garcia-Melendres
Jesse Owen Gauthier
Patrice Dannielle Godwin
Crystal Marie Gonzales
Stephen Michael Graves
Ksenia Griswold
Brian Matthew Groce
Dinahrie Bautista Gutual
Aaron Christopher Haid
Michael Hanson
Mami Hayashi
Adam Kenneth Hyde
Erika Victoria Ibaibarriaga
Lindsay Marie Jaworski
Rosana Jenson
Austin Isamu Jo
Brittany Angela Johnson
Jake M. Johnson
Parker Beckett Johnson
Jenna Marie Kamplin
Lyni-Ann S. Kaplar
Justin Micheal Kargl
Joel Yoshi Kawasaki
Gabriel Steven Kemp
Shauna Rae Kilty
Brett Michael Kishkis
James Jesper Kjeldsen
Ko Ko
Jerome Erik Kulenkamp
Ai-Ling Lee
Matthew David LeGrand
Michael Ryan Leszczynski
Scott Jay Mathews
Ian Michael McMenemy
Frank William Meese
Daniel Jason Meissner
Lukonus J. Michelsen
Samuel Alexander Miller
Lauren Marie Morcom
Jeremy Scott Morgado
Addie Nicole Munson
Nicholas Arthur Nistler
Melvie J. Ordinario
Gregory Lloyd Orlando
Tiffany Marie Pack-Baleme
Crystal Dawn Pack
Nilay Kirit Patel
Norman Phan
Warren Phan
Brett James Phelps
Stephen Patrick Pickering
Kelsey Poentis
Daniel Wayne Powell
Rachel L. Premo
Lutz Preussler
Makena Kimberley Quinn
Kyle Alexander Rassuchine
Kristina Steele Reno
Ricardo Sandoval Robledo
Ana Rodriguez
William Maxwell Sabo
Alexander Middleton Sampson
Soa Sanchez
Dwayne Corian Sanders
Erika Sasaki
Justin Michael Shane
Adam Ray Simpson
Helen Yunfang Slattengren
Kirsten Jade Slavin
Robin Smith
Stephanie Rae Smith
Mark Aaron Stevenson
Hunter Harry Storey
Michelle Rica Taghap
Sierra Rose Tiske
Katherine Rose Tooker
Jacqueline A. Tozer
Bryce Adam Twichell
Linda Kathleen Valencia
Ryan Stanley Van Reken
Dillon Garrett Vought
Daniel Wadhams
Pinsi Wang
Chad Christopher Ward
Stephanie Violet Wescott
Terry Ray Weskamp
Kendra Anne Windham
Marc Evan Woodstuff
Katelyn Joan Zuppan
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
William E. Sparkman, Dean
BACHELOR OF ARTS
IN EDUCATION
August 2009
Lindsey Nicole Clewell
Beau James Walker
December 2009
Logan Dee Adams
Jamie Lynn Bennett
Morgan John Bishop
Conrad Alan Burt
Garion Edwin Casale
Kristi Nicole Cooley
Ronald Okey Flesher
Jennifer Marie Gent
Coty Alan Gray
Paige Kathryn Gustafson
Stormy Sean-Paul Herald
Aunnalesha Carol Kress
Jillian Jean Lauderdale
Sarah Lorraine Losofsky
Carina Diane Meisenheimer
Ashley Marie Mitchell
Antonio Felipe Quintana
Isis E. Rodarte
Jordan Michael Salazar
Nancy M. Sanchez
Kacie Lynn Vermillion
Nicole Diane Wilson
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
August 2009
Christina Nicole Herrera
December 2009
Nathaniel Tuuao Agaiava
Kristy Leigh Cambra
Joy Elise Foremaster
Nicole Gainley
Jennifer Megan Gianola
Mandi Elizabeth Gundersen
Tracie Marie Hauck
Jessica Marie Hawpe
Sarah Elaine Hubbs
Roberta Roxanne McCullough
Brooke Anne Milholland
Samantha Ann Miller
Kyoko Nishimoto
Cristina Lucille Priest
Jennifer Roberti
Daley-Anne Ruthven
Kirstie-Kate Simeon Sapuay
Denna Annette Smout
Claribel Sotelo Zecena
Violet Patricia Zuniga
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN EDUCATION
August 2009
Rachel H. Ashford
Susan Loraine Cimino
Brittany Lee Franklin
Sarah Ruth Fuller
Jessica Lane Funston
Melissa Nicole Greeneld
Jacqueline Jean Kautz
Sarah Jane Linaman
Kimberly Lynn Maldonado
Ashley Anne Mather
Rachel Marguerite Miller
Amanda Jo Urquhart
Casey Kathleen Wootan
December 2009
Amy Mischon Arnold
Samantha Erin Biehle
Robert Ralph Blalock
Tiffany Dawn Boltz
Casandra Rose Bymers
Jordan Wade Connell
Michele Marie DelCastillo
Matthew Robert Della Sala
Jessica Nicole Diek
Kelly Anne Douglas
Kaylea Rae Dunn
Kristina Patricia Eguen
Katherine Mary Ford
Courtney Michelle Garcia
Goldie April Gurling
Danielle Elise Halbert
Caitlin Whitney Hicks
Sharon Louise Isakson
Sara Johnson
Desiree Kilen
Su Yeon Kim
Caitlin Ann Mathisen
Amanda Nicole Maydeck
Dean Rae McCabe
Mame Alberta McGovern
Stephen Russell McKinney
Kirstie Leigh Miller
Teheura Lemert Moore
Erin Leigh Mosey
Ashley Taylor Nebeker
Caille Marie Nehrkorn
Caroline Ann Nuttall
Abigail Joy Parkin
Jeanne Ann Pasero
Amy Jean Pfeifer
Christine Marie Pike
Sumantha Alethea Pitts
Ashley Richardson
Christina Arlene Ruzzine
John David Stern
Breeana Nikole Sutton
Maegen Rae Tolley
Anna Marie Williams
Brinn Marie Willmer
William Dave Wilson
Jessica Marie Wright
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Manos Maragakis, Dean
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
August 2009
Matthew Adam Charles
Michael Wailoa Larsen
December 2009
Cody Daniel Albee
Derek Lance Barney
Ryan Carl Barrett
Angela Rene Bezzone
Christine Chia
Cole Levi Dowty
Alissa Christine Ellis
Elizabeth Catherine English
Kaitlin Jean Florey
Brian Michael Gach
Jorge Manuel Gonzalez-Calvillo
Michael Ross Juden
Bryce Robert Juzek
Jacob Seth Kelgard
David Frederick Maynard
Christopher Peter McCreary
Daniel Loren Millikin
Christopher Gabriel Moltz
Milad A. Oliaee
Stephen Michael Pottey
Elizabeth Inez Rankl
Julius Sandiego Samson
Christopher Allen Schmitt
Saeid Shakeri
Rachel Ann Siekerman
Tara Michele Smaltz
Matthew Kocka Sutherland
Patrick Lawrence Wood
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION
ENGINEERING
December 2009
Kelvin Herico Parian
Michael Alexander Picerno
Matt Sawyer Whipple
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
August 2009
Miran Kim
December 2009
Trevor Bullock
Kellen C. Dale
Jeffrey Naruchitparames
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
August 2009
Alexander Michael Cerjanic
December 2009
Nathan Andrew Collingham
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN ENGINEERING PHYSICS
August 2009
Alexander Walter Carr
Joseph Michael Vesco
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
December 2009
Brandon Berry
David Paul Johnson
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
December 2009
John Holland Akerley
Robert Louis Asbury
Brett James Barlow
Michael Craig Brunell
Kevin Brooks Chafey
Kyle R. Egelhofer
Cheryll Mei Go
Alex Junzo Heller
Joel Jackson Hubbard
Matthew Bryan Kengott
John Daniel Malinowski
Michael David Marchese
Dugan Jay Murray
Christina Ann Perkins
Christopher Glenn Richardson
Benjamin Christopher Stolpman
DIVISION OF
HEALTH SCIENCES
John McDonald, Vice President
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
August 2009
Ashley Ann Davis
Brooke Nicole Hilke
Kathrin Rose Hobron
Jennifer Faye Sattereld
Krista Marie Stryker
Rebeca Da Franca Teixeira
December 2009
Melissa Anderson
Timothy Dewanyne Barnett
Allyson Nicole Carrick
Erin Ryan Carson
Allison Ilene Cunningham
Lisa Renee DeMartini
Katherine Louella Ferenchak
Adrian David Forero
Kelly Ann Fruhwirth
Kristen Ellen Goff
Heather R. Hargis
Allison Samantha Hernandez
Chelsea Marie Holmes
JayDee Marie Huppert
Tyson John Jaquez
Natalia Malgorzata Jarawka
Gregory Michael John
Jeremy Edward Jones
Addie Nicole Kee
Lauren Kristina Kelly
Danielle Marie Kozlowski
Amy Marie Milholland
Miranda Christina Montejo
Kimberly Rae Nelson
Karina Marie Phipps
Amy Pillon
Robert William Potts
Thomas Jay Prescott
Daniel Ian Presley
Lawrence Taylor Preston
Kelley Ann Schott
Jared Roy Seidenstricker
Leslie-Anne Reyes Serra
Kevin Robert Snow
Teresa Siobhan Urrutia
Ashlee Elizabeth Watson
Carla Renee Wheeler
BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN NURSING
August 2009
Zackary Edward Ballingham
Shelinda Dennis
Alice Louise Kidd
Kimberly Marie Mason
December 2009
Ji Hong Ahn
Kitty Lee Chan
Dara Elise Christopher
Amy Katherine Clisham
Chelsea Anne Dake
Kristen Helen Davenport
Paula Lu Davies
Brianna Rashelle DePaoli
Briana Danyale Dodge
Amber A. Felce
Lorna Ruth Fichter
Amberly Ann Galli
Maria Paula Giraldo
Shawna Nichole Greer
Amy Nicole Hanson
Darren Jacob Hill
Aspen Nicole Holloway
Brooke Alyssa Hopson
Justin Jeffery Johnson
Danelle Kay Kessler
Nicole Christine Kleine
Lyndsay Marie Knight
Michelle Steele Koval
Eileen F. Krembs
John Alan Lilley
Amanda Joy Mahon
Patrice L. Mara
Kathryn Anne McCarthy
Kimberley Kristen McGlothlin
Laura Lynn Moore
Cristina Mosqueda
Elaina Reuel Munoz
Shannon Marie OBrien
Lisa Papa
Sarah Marie Pipitone
Johanna Marie Raymond
Sarah Louise Shaw
Holly Lanae Stephenson
Alyssa Joy Struble
Logan Emmett Turner
Danielle Marie Wagner
Heather Marie White
Sarah Jean White
Kelley Anne Young
Nicole Zellers
Melissa Ann Zuk
BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK
December 2009
Lindsay Michelle Maurins
REYNOLDS SCHOOL
OF JOURNALISM
Jerry Ceppos, Dean
BACHELOR OF ARTS
August 2009
Lane Romano Bussa
Kristine Alexandra Delanoy
Jennifer Monzon
Kenzie Nicole Prust
Meredith Priest Richardson
December 2009
Allison Remillard Anderson
Maggie Attashian
Carmello Baviera
Christopher Peter Bosco
Angelina Chachas
Stephen Douglas Chavez
Ashley Brooke Clupper
Nicholas James Coltrain
Carissa Dorothy Cook
Sarah Elizabeth Cooper
Brett Elizabeth Corbin
Trevor Hollis Diehl
Jessica Rae Glasgow
Sydney Marie Johnson
Brittani Nichole Keefe
Jasa Nicole Laliberte
Kara Michelle LaPoint
Brie Anna Lenzini
Janette Amber Logan
Jessie Lee Marchesseau
Riley Janee Marriage
Morgan Jeanne McEntire
Robert Andrew Mills
Jeffrey Mosier
Brad Nelson
Lynsey Erica Nelson
Jessica Ann Pacheco
Emma Katherine Palmer
Denise Susan Parker
Nathaniel John Petersen
LaTasha Renee Porter
Nicholas Joseph Saccomanno
William Michael Sankuer
Lindsay Catherine Smith
Steve Martin Spigelmyer
Emily Jane Stott
Lauren Elise Tabar
Patricia Marian Tartaglia
Hailee D. Vance
Ashlee Marie Verba
Silvia Uzan Villanueva
Nicolle Chantay Welch
Kelley Wong
Jarrod Bruce York
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Heather Hardy, Dean
BACHELOR OF ARTS
August 2009
Derek Keith Achelpohl
Stacy Andelin
James Bryman Anderson
Ryan Charles Brewer
Christopher Cory Candelari
Darin Patrick Cavallero
Mark Alan Ceccarelli
Ashley N. Friedli
Vanessa Catherine Grabau
Steven Harold Haines
Angela Renee Hall
Evan Roy Hancock
Daniel Craig Harrison
Karina Marie Heinz
Mitchell Kenneth Hyett
Krystal Marie Jackson
Francisco Carlos Jaramillo
Rachel Catherine Kaiser
Sarah Coffey Kugler
Molly Kathleen Lester
Ariene Della Maclean
Marc Paulo Mangosing Maranon
Teal Marisa McAllister
Monte McCann
Gwendolen Holly Meyer
Melanie Ann Moglich
Joanna Meghan Moritz
Trisha Diana Mullally
Whitney Paige Myer
Jenica Elizabeth Park
December Faye Peters
Ariana Rose Prusa
Danielle Ann Redlin
Christine Marie Retherford
Christine Carmen Salvo
Courtney Ann Sermone
David Matthew Seth
Shanelle Marie Sloan
Amy Renee Stapleton
Michelle Lynn Sudano
Jamie Rebecca Swift
Marina Taktaykina
Sunny Gail Utterback
Joel Robert Zerr
December 2009
Lidya Admasu
Courtney Joy Amer
Alisha Renae Anderson
Jillian Katherine Anderson
David L. Aonga
Selah Allegra Arnold
Blaire Angela Babich
Brandon Devere Barker
Kyle Robert Bergquist
Emily Louise Berry
Christopher Lee Bessette
Lindsey R. Bird
Christopher M. Blue
Kevin Michael Bohr
Jessica Morgan Bombard
Zachary Jaymes Bonkowski
Stefany Dale Bonnet
Clayton Val Bowen
Roxanna Isabel Brooks
Ericson Douglas Burnett
Lorien Starr Busick
Clayton Derek Bussiere
Ashley Lauren Butler
Michael William Cabrera
Heidi Jean Callan
Leslie Nicole Carlen
Adam Richard Carpenter
James P. Casarez
Nichole Danielle Castagnola
Julian C. Castro
Toni Marie Cervantes
Sarah Chvilicek
Kyle Anthony Cirac
Joel Robert Cochran
Nicholas James Cranston
Nicholas Edward Critcheld
Nahid Ruintan Dastyar
Jordan Barbara Davis
Melissa Marie Davis
Melanie Elise De Leon
Jennifer R. De Luna
Danielle Dewey
Nathan C. Digangi
Megan Jean Doerr
Russell Jon Dorn
Seamus Scott Dufurrena
Alonzo James Durham
Alexander Franklin Earring
Andrea Marie Ellingson
Adrian Paul Faccinetti
Regina Mari Fleischmann
Lauren Jean Garnese
Adam H. Giuliano
Michael Kristopher Gjurich
Sayaka Gokita
Alec Cole Graham
Jordan Ashby Grow
Jenna Grubbs
Sean Christian Hansen
Carolan Harris
Maggie Rose Hart
Matthew Scott Hartnett
Sheena Irene Haw
Jaron Scott Hildebrand
Matthew Scott Holihan
Michael Kern Holoman
Aaron Samuel Hubbard
Sarah Elise Hughes
Garrett Gregory Johnson
Emlen Makalii Kahoano II
Scarlet Reem Kako
Sayaka Kaneko
Katrina Maree Kindall
Misty Noel Kinser
Courtney Danae Knapp
Michael Kossow
Jennifer Aleen Lanyon
Joshua T. Levig
Cameron Mark Lewis
Dominic Richard Licata
Brianna June Ling
Weston Mitchell Lippia
Jennifer Renee Long
George Louis Lopes III
Georgina Noemi Lopez
Jennifer Luna
Ian Robert MacNeil
Matthew August Maggy
Alexandros Maragakis
Malcolm Ian McCaskill
Nicole Jillian McEneaney
Judith Ann McKenna
Claire Anne McNeil
Bethany Karen Michaels
Jannal Lee Milich
Rachel Ann Miller
Shane Matthew Milyko
Michael Christopher Moltz
Alexandre Laurence Monibi
Marcelina Danielle Morn
Megan Anne Morrison
Suzanne Lin Muller
Almon DWayne Myles
Kristina Nalder
Samantha Lindsay Neff
Travis Allen Nielsen
Alexis Michelle Niemann
Brandon Tyler Nissl
Brendan Tighe ONeal
Robert Xavier Ogaldez
Peter Reese Olander
Jessica Danielle Osborne
Sherry Lynn Pearson
Nikki Bargen Pederson
Chelsea Lea Peterson
Lindsay Anne Peterson
Christopher Allen Pettinari
Blaine Allen Pickett
Marc Cameron Powell
Ciarra Rene Proulx
Courtney Eliza Prouty
Brittany Kaye Puzey
Brittany Anne Ramsey
Kyle Gregory Rea
Jole Ana Rector
Rebecca Regalado
Lauren Marie Renda
Sarah Kimball Rice
Joseph Riley
Natalie Patricia Rodas
Valorie J. Roper
Jessica Rosas
Angela Rock Rudolph
Bryan Howard Rush
Michael Keith Samples
Lindsey Arlene Sanford
Naul Sarkar
Kristen Carmela Schroeder
Katherine Margaret Sedinger
Ryan J. Senft
Bailey Rose Sharrocks
Elizabeth Michele Shipley
Kymberly Joanne Silagyi
Cesar Daniel Silva
Andrew Lawson Smith
Megan Pauline Smith
Gregory Robert Spriggs
Colin Charles Stromberg
Isak Van Swearingen
Lauren Elise Tabar
Timothy Kyle Taycher
Carolyn Elizabeth Teemer
Melissa Joan Test
Tucker Timothy Thomas
Barbara J. Tornquist
Christopher Cooper Tucker
Michael Gene Tunseth
Lana Tyson
Jillian Christine Urbani
Katlynn Maria Van Ogtrop
David Miles Vanderpool
Amanda A. Vesco
Kent Anthony Wallace
Nathaniel Michael Walsh
Alicia Nicole Ward
Elizabeth Marie Weiss
Scott David Wideman
Brienna Lyn Wilson
Randi E. Woolley
David Aleksandr Young
Kristina Claire Zahtilla
Yuta Zembayashi
BACHELOR OF ARTS
IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
August 2009
Rosa Isela Albarran
December 2009
Joel Phillip Ackerson
David Dewitt Armer
Christine Sierra Baker
Andrew John Barba
Supriya Amber Beach
Noah Alexander Bessette
Natasha Reanea Cain
Christopher Joseph Carson
Jenna Elizabeth Castillo
Gabriel Chavez
Martin Ira Coffey
Daniell Copeland
Brijido Robert Cruz, Jr.
Roshaun Lanae Dauphine
Jennifer R. De Luna
Geoffrey Mahlon Dieringer
Michael James Dittenber
Amy Lou Fletcher
Whitney Marie Fountain
Matthew David Franco
Victor Lee Gamboa
Alexander William Goldberg
Erin Nicole Grieve
Brittany Helene Grifn
Bethany Mae Henry
Kimberlee Mauree Hermant
Ashley Lynn Jarvis
Michael Christopher Jerauld
Andrew Christopher Joy
Rosemary Lerg
Natalie Mann
Brady C. Phillips
Jason Eric Pruyn
Priscilla Angelique Salgado
Monica Leanna Sanford
Ana Daniela Sasa
Daniel Lee Schaich
William Jacob Schilling
Claudia Edith Servin
Aaron von Stiehl Sieczkowski
Christina Nicole Tonkins
Ruth Marleen Torres
Jeremy Paul Tye
Cynthia B. Vera
Rebecca Elizabeth Vowels
Candace Lynn Wiltsie
Kyle Allen Winter
Emily Marie Wooten
Hilary T. Wortman
Ashley Elizabeth Zarker
BACHELOR OF
GENERAL STUDIES
August 2009
Ryan James Bristol
Jason Patrick Demars
David Dale Fisher
Mathew Robert Howell
Daniel Leslie Hubbard
Brandi Breon Jones-Fitzgerald
Shunsuke Kakazu
Mai Matsuo
Lindy Danielle Miller
William Brennan Mishler
Vinh N. Ngu
Nicholas Palmer Pfaff
Garrett Roy
December 2009
Kenneth Ronald Ackerman
Daniel Salei Agaiava
Stephen Jesus Bautista
Cameron Allen Bayne
Christopher Chase Coleman
Danielle Lynn Costella
Rebecca Anne Cowles
Dustin Lawrence DeBard
Dorothy Kathryn Deines
Donna Lynn Dutra
Jay Tatsuo Egami
Maria Deborah Entzel
Bryan Matthew Fritz
Seth Tallon Gardner
Juan Carlos Gonzalez
Dominic Andrew Green
Timothy James Helton
Timothy William Hines
Jacquesne Porter Jones IV
Ursula Kirsten Kirch
Felicia Evan Katharina Ladson
Brian Robert Lloyd
James Michael Maffett
Jonathan Curtis Martinez
Meghan Ann McDonald
Ronald Ray Miller
Girly Jose Ordinario
Jennifer Jose Ordinario
Stacie Lynette Owens
Cindy Foote Peterson
Erika Renee Pfendler
Richard Shariff Phillips
Jason Johann Pond
Heather Danae Prosser
Aaron William Reinhardt
Patrick Slattery Reuther
Aaron Clayton-Paul Roots
Eric Joseph Schembri
Keri Jaye Swendseid
Haley C. Swift
Carla Grace Thompson
Nathan Allen Vrtiska
Michelle Elizabeth Wathen
Jessica Renee Weiss
Mark D. Welker
BACHELOR OF MUSIC
August 2009
Timothy Neil Tietjen
December 2009
Boden Bradley
Elizabeth Ann Cadigan
Lysa Marie Gelles
Maxwell Ryan Kutner
Brittinie Jo Lacey
Brian Francis Lanzone
Adam Wayne Machart
Eric James Rogers
Zachary Christopher Teran
Kristina Claire Zahtilla
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
August 2009
Carly Anne Gribble
Stacy Marie Lopez
December 2009
Li Bei
Ellen Marie Brabham
Rachel Megan Kinser
Carolyn W. Littlewood
Jessie Lee Marchesseau
Angella Danielle McAdara
Breanne Lynn Morton
Elizabeth Ann Redmon
Kristina Nicole Shaw
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Jeffrey Thompson, Dean
BACHELOR OF ARTS
December 2009
Leilani S. Bailey
Rie Hashimoto
Martin Andrew Markee
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
August 2009
Caroline Bailly
Chaya Bharath
Alexander Walter Carr
Ashley N. Friedli
Stefanie Suzanne Lentz
Jessica Anne McBurney
Timothy James Musick
December 2009
Shayne Mahealani Ahwah
Casey James Bisard
Thomas Elliott Calhoun
Joshua Stephen Catapano
Jeffrey Lee Chapman
Jonathan H. Cho
Lauren Danielle Clark
Robin Michelle Cleveland
Zachary Thomas Cook
Kerra Rane Curley
Ruslana Dalinina
Cassandra Lynn Deck
Tavia Marie Dorostkar-Thurman
Sarah Elizabeth Duclos
Andrea Marie Ellingson
April Grace Diancin Faller
Suzette Marie Feilen
Jeffrey Michael Fulstone
Allison Marie Gardner
Alexander Lawrence Gevedon
Roy Peter Gulla
Sheena Danielle Jones
Jihyun Jung
Louis Jonathan Kouch
Keith David Lantz
Gary Wyatt Moody
Ashley Marie Naughton
Nicole Patricia Obritsch
Kelly Marie Paul
Shaquenta Y. Niesha Perkins
Naul Sarkar
Elizabeth Michele Shipley
Andres Silverio
Guerin Smith
Kristi Snodgrass
Devin Luke Stoll
Garrett Richard Swanson
Katlynn Maria Van Ogtrop
Debra Marie Wallace
Amber Whitworth
Carl Richard Youngs
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN GEOGRAPHY
August 2009
Christopher Michael Baker
Abbey Katherine Grimmer
Katelin Faye Jones
December 2009
Daniel Michael Curtin
Jason Lee Merchant
GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
December 2009
Michael Casper Barcia
Ryan Michael Turner
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN GEOLOGY
December 2009
Daniel William Domenichelli
Wilson Tyler Shumway
Ryan Michael Turner
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN HYDROGEOLOGY
August 2009
Zachary Thomas Walter
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN MINING ENGINEERING
December 2009
Daniel Lawrence Scott
class of 2009
DECEMBER 1, 2009 A9 www.nevadasagebrush.com
All graduate
candidates
Candidates presented by the dean
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Marsha Read, Dean
MASTER DEGREES
EDUCATION SPECIALIST
August 2009
Gonca Pekcan
Educational Leadership
Michael B. Walker, Jr.
MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY
August 2009
Xinyi Shao
Casey Dean Smith
December 2009
Joseph Aaron Rosenfeld
Chen Shi
MASTER OF ARTS
August 2009
Nalani C. Agee-Rodriguez
Teaching English to Speakers of
Other Languages
Diana Cabarcas
Other Languages
Jennifer Erin Carrete
Other Languages
Laura Anne Davidson
Social Psychology
Brian David Fox
Foreign Language and Literature
Stephen Charles Wesley Graves
Political Science
Kimberly Anne Hopkinson
Anthropology
Christina Ann Lydon
Psychology
Juana Botello Reynoza-Gomez
Counseling and Educational
Psychology
Paul David Rogers
Psychology
Aditi Vijay
Psychology
December 2009
Palwasha Ahad
Psychology
Russell Kent Ames
Anthropology
Sarah Elizabeth Andreano
Psychology
Paula Ani Arzoian
Other Languages
Christina Marie Barthe
Elementary Education
Laura Patricia Becerra
Other Languages
Joel Isaia Bolling
Jennifer Ann Castellanos Bonow
Psychology
Cristianne Bray
Journalism
Kelli Marie Brown
Christopher Llee Chapman
Philosophy
Thomas Dobbert
Jennifer Calloway Dustin
Psychology
Rebecca Ann Eckland
English
Elizabeth Elmas Eren
Journalism
Gideon For-Mukwai For-Mukwai
Journalism
Kelly Marie Frank
Speech Communication
Mayanne Marie Getts
English
Ashley Eden Greenwald
Psychology
Molly Halligan
Psychology
Pamla Harvey
Criminal Justice
Amanda Suzane Haslem
Psychology
Raeann Elaine Hill
Literacy Studies
Michelle Jean Horton
Journalism
Darren Wayne Jenkins
English
Laila Kazemi
Amy Marie Koeckes
Norbert Emil Lorenz
Barrie Elizabeth Meadows
English
Geralda Dorothy Miller
History
Jill Mitchell
Other Languages
Mary Martha Morton
Other Languages
Leticia Ann Neal
Anthropology
Marius Ovidiu Nintas
Political Science
Aisha Kasmir Ganzon OBrien
Journalism
Cody Reuben Olivas
Journalism
Patricia Ann Porter
Sarah Jean Purdy
English
Annie Christine Rosenfeld
Secondary Education
Ehraeda Faith-Noelle Rucker
Kristen Lee Saibini
Sean Michael Simpson
Anthropology
Brithany Jean Thomson
Sociology
Laurel Kathleen Topken
English
Carla Louise Trounson
History
Kristina Anne Van Winkle
Foreign Language and Literature
Kenneth Coffey Walker
English
Lijun Wang
Journalism
Tamera Elizabeth West
Secondary Education
Christopher James Westin
Psychology
James Edward Yadavaia III
Psychology
Sarah Michelle Yeats
Anthropology
MASTER OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
August 2009
Angie Renee Holden
Nitin Kohli
Brenda Somich
Siganga Wawdo
Sara Woodard
December 2009
Brian Finn Bennett
Chad J. Blanchard
Kendrick Alan Bratcher
Charles Carpenter
Patrick Timothy Egan
Michael G. Eliopulos
Marianne Ardelle Foster
Charles Arthur Good
Lisa Gayle Harkins
Lani Kaahumanu Havlicek
Christiaan Adam Hofmann
Mathias Michael Hughes
Anthony John Lostra
Rajesh Masina
Erin Michele McDermott
Gregory Allen Minter
Paul Ryan Mudgett
Jason Charles Portereld
Harini Rajasekhar
Ryan Patrick Ross
Johana Helena Silva e Franca
Neha Singh
Andrew Christian Strolin
Mark Brendan Wegmann
Brian Michael Wiltshire
Geoffrey Scott Zahler
Ahmed Bashir Zarrugh
MASTER OF EDUCATION
August 2009
Erin Rae Baerwaldt
Special Education
Jessica Alice Cherry
Secondary Education
Jacqueline Christine Coburn
Secondary Education
Neil Paul Gallagher
Secondary Education
Shawn Guard Lady
Secondary Education
Minda Latona
Special Education
Andrea Suzanne Malm
Special Education
Melinda Day Mort
Secondary Education
Erin Rebecca Reese
Special Education
December 2009
Monica Anne Anderson
Literacy Studies
Akasha Samantha Asencio
Kathleen Marie Barakat-Windle
Special Education
Morgan Teresa Barr
Literacy Studies
Kelly Sue Bruskotter
Literacy Studies
Lindsey Marie Christensen
Secondary Education
Erin Leigh Damron
Special Education
Holly Anne Dorman
Special Education
Robin Lynn Elias
Secondary Education
Melissa Jane Fichtner
Special Education
Michelle Ann Flores
Literacy Studies
Sarah Wine Frazier
Special Education
Ashley Elizabeth Gotta
Literacy Studies
Dawn Michelle Halloran
Literacy Studies
Brianna Leigh Harrower
Special Education
Rachael Ann Homrichhausen
Secondary Education
Sonia Christine Joy
Literacy Studies
Marisa L. Kendall
Secondary Education
Jennifer Whiston Kimble
Special Education
Natalie Joanne Kobza
Misty Ann Landeros
Mary Elizabeth Magee
Literacy Studies
Adriana Isabel Marin-Herrera
Secondary Education
Elizabeth Jean McCann
Secondary Education
Elleanor Brooks McCoy
Jane Ann Miller
Jacklynn Michelle Norris
Lorraine Marie Perez
Literacy Studies
Kelly Marie Schlosser
Literacy Studies
Lacy Carroll Snelling
Literacy Studies
Debra C. Stebbins
Special Education
Barbara Renee Stinson
Literacy Studies
Nurit Wildenberg Stites
Literacy Studies
Charlene R. Summers
Special Education
Chevonne Elena Sutter Arthur
Special Education
Diana Lynn Tangen
Special Education
Matthew Clifton Templeton
Literacy Studies
Carey Lee Truitt
Literacy Studies
Christine Marie Waugaman
Literacy Studies
Mariah Diane Wedemeyer
Special Education
Rosemary Whistler
Literacy Studies
Donna Jean Wood
Literacy Studies
MASTER OF JUDICIAL STUDIES
August 2009
Walter Jan Brudzinski
Trial Judges
Donald Ray Johnson
Trial Judges
Jewel Edward Welch, Jr.
Trial Judges
December 2009
Teresa P. Froncek Rankin
Trial Judges
Brian Tollefson
Trial Judges
MASTER OF JUSTICE
MANAGEMENT
August 2009
Joe Black Krug
December 2009
Mary Helen Brock
Zanny Marsh
Lorena Parada-Valdes
Fernando Serrano
Jerome Tushbant
John Whitney
MASTER OF MUSIC
December 2009
Lusa Rylski
Bryan Matthew Smith
MASTER OF PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
December 2009
Tekia Catherine Powell
Public Administration and Policy
MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
August 2009
Lindsey Christine Gray
December 2009
Maureen Marie Molini-Blandford
Stephanie Lynn OMara
Clive Bernard Rodrigues
MASTER OF SCIENCE
August 2009
Matthew Benjamin Anthony
Electrical Engineering
Rei Arai
Geological Engineering
Kerrie Alisa Badalucco
Erika Batten
Speech Pathology and
Audiology
Sathya Chandrasekar
Computer Science
Zong-Liang Chang
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Kai Huang
Computer Science
Michael Scott Meinert
Hydrogeology
Jennifer Ann Mortensen
Human Development and Family
Studies
Sean Joseph Penley
Mechanical Engineering
Leslie Delane Rogers
Studies
Manjari Sapre
Computer Science
Frederick Emile Sawyer
Hydrogeology
Ronald E. Starr
Stacie Ellen Tatman
Mathematics
Marcela Felicia Velcherean
Resource and Applied
Economics
Rebecca Jean Wallstrum
Yiling Zhang
Economics
December 2009
Franklin Ofon Abanda
Chemistry
Anasuya Adibhatla
Chemical Engineering
Gary Gregory Aftoora
Economics
Scott Albright
Finance
Rose Michelle Beeler
Chemistry
Tracy Lee Blair
Studies
Joao Paulo Pinto Braz
Materials Science and Engineering
James Kenneth Brown
Land Use Planning
Todd Eugene Carney
Finance
Jonathan W. Cheek
Geography
Patrick Shane Cleary
Geography
Jacob Franklin Coleman
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Edward Madariaga Cortez
Civil Engineering
Katie Leandra Dean
Environmental Science and Health
Mahesh Singh Dhar
Geophysics
Joel Conard Donalson
Civil and Environmental
Engineering
Mary Catherine Doucette
Psychology
Blake Meneken Engelhardt
Environmental and Natural
Resource Sciences
Harmony Ann Farnsworth
Hydrogeology
Travis Duane Fields
Peter Michael Fleischmann
Civil Engineering
James Conor Fleming
Economics
Brian Campbell Foley
Finance
Charles Arthur Good
Finance
Tasha Sharon Goodrich
Physics
Brandon Matthew Harrison
Economics
Jessica Lynn Henning
David G. Hillis, Jr.
Engineering
Christopher Jannusch
Resource Sciences
Zachary Joseph Jarvie
Geology
Yuting Jin
Brittany Gesina Johnson
Hydrology
Zachary Christian Johnson
Hydrology
Krishna Kumar Kamichetty
Eung Cheun Kang
Steve Michael Koepnick
Computer Science
Jayashree Konda
Computer Science
Durgesh Rani Kumari
Computer Science
Malieka Te Landis
Resource and Applied Economics
Stephanie Marie Locke
Biology
Stephanie Anna Luongo
Deln Guardario Mahinay, Jr.
Chemistry
Sreeram Mantripragada
Anthony Joseph Menicucci
Geology
Matthieu Beaudon Miller
Hydrology
Ramesh Mulupuri
Praveen Mysore
Elena Ramona Nitu
Finance
Stephen Reynold Noble
Atmospheric Science
Neil Declan OKane
Mutyala Rao Potnuru
Pramod Raja
Raghu Raj Rangaraju
Materials Science and
Engineering
Sandra Rentas
Economics
Randy Ringstad
Mathematics
David Thomas Rios
Resource Sciences
Jesse Nikoma Ruppert
Richard Conrad Salas, Jr.
Land Use Planning
Nirmal Kumar Sarangi
Irene Marie Seelye
Geography
Wendy Sequeira Rojas
Civil Engineering
Sivakkolunthar Sivakulam
Engineering
Jessica Leigh Smith
Geology
Sebastian Thomas Smith
Computer Science
Joseph Carter Sullivan
Resource Sciences
Stephanie Sunderman
Resource Sciences
Ricard Armand Tache
Ashley Irene Thibedeau
Civil Engineering
Yoganathan Thierumaran
Engineering
Sathanathan Thileepan
Engineering
Mayo Thompson
Geophysics
Alvaro Ulloa
Civil Engineering
Bryce E. Wallis
Matt Boyce Weller
Geophysics
Amanda Lynn Woods
Finance
Matthew Yaquinto
DUAL DEGREE BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE/MASTER OF SCIENCE
August 2009
Mark Shawn Lemos
Biotechnology
December 2009
Sarah Elizabeth Buzby
Biotechnology
Andrea Michelle Jydstrup
Biotechnology
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
August 2009
Scott Alan Collier
December 2009
John Mark Week
Laurence Owen Woods, Jr.
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN NURSING
December 2009
Rochelle Ann Harding
Laura Khristine Padilla
DOCTORATE DEGREES
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
August 2008
Ahmed Mohamed Ali Abdel-Mohti
Andrea Achilli
Maurie Jay Beck
Andrew David Bourelle
Angela Beth Collins
Michael Dugbanor Dornoo
Christopher M. Gienger
Seth Neeley Lyman
Toby Macrae
Paul Herman Mitrovich
Adria Nicole Tobola Pearson
Rakesh Kumar Sit
Tiffany Renee Threatt
Ruby Jee Tun
Wei Xu
December 2009
Gholamreza Amayeh
Milena Angelova Angelova
Jaime Lee Kelly Anstee
Sreenivasa Reddy Anugu
Thomas James Awe
Anita Ann Castledine
Annamarie Cohen
Rose Ellen Dixon
Arash Esmaili Zaghi
David Anthony Esteves
Stephanie Carleen Everhart
David Michael Flores
Sandrine Anne Gaillard
Abdelmoula Haboub
Ronald Lee Hershey
Alonso Victor Jaques
Archana Kar
Andrew Ryan Kuhn
Paul Joseph Laca
Alp Manavbasi
Esmaeel Mohammed Masadeh
Susan J. Merideth
Shahnewaz Mohammad
Susan Grace Mortenson
Radhika Parameswaran Nair
Yukiko Kawashima Nakamura
Anne Michelle Nathan
Ozlem Ozmen
Carrie L. Paras
Danyal Allen Petersen
Dee Anna Phares
Gautam Priyadarshan
Juan Carlos Quiroz
Mari Elena Righettini
Hillary Lindsay Robison
Daniel Patrick Ryan
Livia M. Souza Franco De Sa
Harouna Salif
Ahmad Farid Samin
Shahryar Samy
Franziska Cornelia Sandmeier
Christopher Lee Shope
Michele Pasquale Steever
Rashi Tiwari
Xuan Wang
Matthew Daniel Wheatley
Dazhi Xiong
HATS OFF TO THE CLASS OF 2009 GRADUATES
FROM THE NEVADA SAGEBRUSH!
Be sure to look for photos of your special grad at www.nevadasagebrush.com.
classifieds
A10 DECEMBER 1, 2009
Pr|cos uno purl|c|pul|on muy vury. 2CC9 McDonu|o's.
Get published
is always on the hunt
for writers, designers
and photographers.
Contact Jessica
Fryman at editor@
nevadasagebrush.com
Perspectives
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Second place in the WAC and back to square one.
Professors need to enforce stricter policies
STAFF EDITORIAL I GRADE INFLATION
Boise-Nevada
game worth
the frustration
CHEESE AND WHINE
What should Nevada do next year to beat Boise State?
STADIUMCHAT
THE FURY
A knife, a bird and the
ght to quit smoking
DECEMBER 1, 2009 A11
Q
uitting smoking is
like killing a small
bird with your bare
hands: hard. Sure,
I could do it, but
do I have the will? And more
importantly: Do I really want
to?
I can speak truthfully about
that strange analogy. I quit
smoking nine-plus-three days
ago (I relapsed during the
weekend).
More
than nine
years ago,
I held a
crippled
bird in one
hand and
a butchers
knife in the
other.
I was 12
years old
and trying
to will
myself to put the billiard ball-
sized animal out of its misery
after finding my grandpas cat
tormenting the thing. I chased
the cat off and, when the bird
couldnt fly or even hop away,
I wrestled with what I knew I
must do.
And come to think of it,
that was the same trip to my
grandpas during which I took
cigarettes from his wife and
began the abusive relation-
ship known as addiction.
I didnt consider myself a
smoker for three more years,
but goddamn did the small
cylinders of cancer already
appeal to me.
And while killing the bird
didnt have the appeal of
the cigarettes, giving in and
letting the animal suffer
instead of making a tough call
sure did.
Carrying the bird and the
knife to the granite tabletop
ravaged my preteen sense of
responsibility. Retrospectively,
I probably saw it as a hurdle
into manhood.
It was why, with the trepida-
tion and heavy-handedness of
a child doing what he thought
needed doing but couldnt
bear to do, I dropped the knife
and grabbed the tiny head
with the intent to twist.
Almost a decade later and
cursing over my breath, I
used the same twist to destroy
the mostly-smoked pack of
Camel Lights that was the rest
of my stash. I was still heavy
handed. And I was still trepid
committing to ending the
habit was literally changing
my life. No more five-minute
vacations or excuses to go
outside.
It was a choice as excruciat-
ing as whether or not to kill
a bird with my bare hands. I
knew it was what I needed to
do; cigarettes were controlling
me, dictating my schedule and
my budget and starting to take
a noticeable toll on my health.
I didnt kill that bird because
I couldnt summon the will to
do what was necessary. I didnt
quit smoking in the years
before for the same reason.
But the addiction didnt
flutter away like the bird
eventually did. Thats the
trouble with trying to end an
addiction. Its right there and,
if you pay attention, its easy
to see what must be done. But
it also makes a simple twist of
your hands one of the hardest
things in the world.
If you see Nick Coltrain smok-
ing, tell him how disappointed
you are by e-mailing ncoltrain@
M
y dad, my brother and I were all alone in a
sea of orange. Whenever the stands went
silent in Boise as Nevada stole the ball or
gained some ground, you might just have
been able to hear my brother and me chanting Wolf
Pack back and forth. If you were really listening, you
probably could also hear everyone around us disap-
proving. We were at the Boise-Nevada football game
and the three of us were the only Nevada fans on our
side of the stands.
A few days earlier, the three of us had driven over the
river and through the woods for Thanksgiving dinner at
our relatives house in the battleground city itself. Over
turkey with my dads brothers, their wives and their
children, who had all grown up in Idaho, there were two
reactions to conversation about
the game: They were sure Boise
would be victorious and they were
shocked I even cared.
I have often been at odds with my
extended family. These are practical
people and Im as whimsical as
they come. Almost all my cousins
hold records for various high school
sports, and post-college (where
most of them study practical things,
like business), they go on to careers
of tactile work as doctors, farmers
or deckhands on yachts. My biggest
victory in high school was graduating and realizing I
never had to play sports again. Im a liberal arts major
and looking forward to doing abstract work in an ofce.
I hadnt seen a lot of this family in a long time. Some of
them I hadnt seen in nearly a decade and I hadnt even
met my cousins wife. But all ice was immediately broken
when my dad said, Emilys going to the game, too.
Instead of foundering in awkward small talk,
we spent the rest of the evening trash-talking and
footballing, which, since I like Nevada sports, I could
actually participate in (though once discussion traveled
outside the WAC, I was lost).
The next day, my dad, brother and I wore our Wolf
Pack gear at the mall. Once again, I was with two guys
I usually have less to discuss with than my mom and
sister (the three of us can debate color combinations
forever), but it didnt matter. We scowled at every
Broncos hat and made jokes about the animal superi-
ority of wolves over ponies.
At the game that night, it was rainy, chilly and so
steamy from the more than 32,000 bodies in the
stadium that I thought my glasses were fogging up. We
yelled, we chanted, we moaned when everyone around
us cheered and we tried to stay warm. By the end of the
rst quarter, I couldnt feel my toes. By halftime, my
ngers and nose had joined them in numbness. By the
beginning of the fourth quarter, our tinny chants had
gotten a little more desperate.
We all wanted to win. My dad, my brother, me
and every Nevada fan in the small, vocal, navy blue
bleachers across from us wanted Nevada to wipe the
annoying blue eld with the Broncos pride. But when
we milled out of the stadium that night, even though
our team was defeated, we were smiling.
It was wet, cold and disappointing, but it was fun.
It was cozy in my immediate familys bubble of Pack
Pride and even cozier in the extended familys ring
of football debates. And as for the team itself, theres
always next year.
Emily Katseanes is still puzzled by Boise States blue eld.
Reach her at ekatseanes@nevadasagebrush.com.
G
rade ination
devalues degrees,
eliminates fairness
and is running
rampant at the University of
Nevada, Reno and across the
United States.
The problem breeds a
slew of others: teachers who
continue to educate students
at levels below national
averages, a state budget crisis
with no one able to solve it
and a health care system with
not enough nurses, among
other issues. More disturbing:
Hardly anyone has tried to
curb the trend.
Professors are doing a great
disservice to students when
they articially inate grades
just enough for a scholarship,
parents approval or gradua-
tion requirements.
Instead of handing out
uneducated 4.0s, professors
should be thinking of the
long-term effects of passing
students through classes with
grades they dont deserve.
First, sending recent college
graduates into the workforce
unprepared is unacceptable.
It breeds some of the follow-
ing embarrassing statistics:
Nevada scores 17 percentage
points lower than the national
benchmark in workforce prepa-
ration, as seen in professional
license exams, and is more
than 28 percentage points
below the national benchmark
in preparing students for
graduate schools, according to
Measuring Up 2004 and 2006,
a national higher education
report card.
What about the doctor
who slid into medical school
thanks to teachers who
handed out higher grades
than deserved? Or the
architect that shouldnt
have passed classes about
building bridges?
Higher education is about
learning, not grades. But
our generation depends on
grades to measure academic
progress.
Students would be more
likely to try to learn more if
their grades (which should
reect material learned) were
slipping. Instead, students are
slacking off, receiving As and
learning very little in between.
Professors should be
educating and challenging the
next generations workforce to
be critical thinkers, indepen-
dent workers, problem solvers
and strong leaders.
The Nevada Sagebrush staff can
be reached at editor@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
More of the
same. Weve
been getting
better every
year.
Rob Lindberg
24, criminal
justice
Fire Chris Ault.
Matt Trabert
20, business
We need to
improve our
secondary. We
have no passing
defense.
Andy Shoepp
19, physics
To kick Boises
butt I think the
rst thing we
need to work on
is tackling.
DJ Lynn
21, international
business
Emily
Katseanes
Nick
Coltrain
WEB
NOTES
STORY: IMMIGRATION
PANEL INCITES FREE
SPEECH DEBATE
On Nov. 22, 3:12 a.m., DJ
wrote:
While I wouldnt say that he
shouldnt be allowed to speak
his mind in the public forum,
a more rational proponent for
the opposite side of the issue
could be found. the man IS
very racist, and his organiza-
tion works outside legal juris-
diction. Heres a quote:
Illegal immigration is bank-
rupting states along the border,
but this is about more than
economics were placing our
national security at risk. Drug
lords and violent gangs like
MS-13 are streaming into the
U.S. from Mexico. Terrorists are
also walking in unopposed; our
southwestern border is littered
with Arabic papers and Islamic
prayer rugs.
He is generalizing all of Islam,
and all Muslims by extension,
as terrorists. He is using tried-
and-true white rage to whip
up some xenophobic hysteria.
His unsuccessful Congres-
sional campaign was aided by
neo-nazi white supremacists.
(http://www.splcenter.org/
center/splcreport/article.
jsp?aid=150)
I have no problems with con-
trary views being expressed,
and I do believe that having
both sides of the discussion
speak is important. How-
ever, it seems a bit odd to let
somebody like this onto our
campus.
Meh, free speech is a ckle
bitch, aint she? :/
On Nov. 24, 5:36 p.m., Mayo
Thompson wrote:
I think that if an argument
can stand up to debate in an
open and civil atmosphere
then it is a viable argument.
We can only see the aws in
one side of an argument when
compared to others. I think we
miss a chance to see the valid-
ity of our stances when we
do not allow opposing views.
Plus, the LRC loss the chance
to possibly convert some
community views of those
that might be for Gilchrist. I
believe this could have been
a major chance to thrust the
immigration issue into the
spotlight at UNR.
STORY: BRONCOS
JUMP ON PACK EARLY,
HOLD ON FOR WAC
TITLE
On Nov. 29, 6:33 a.m., Ne-
vadaFanatic.net wrote:
Bummer. Not a terrible loss,
though. BSU is terric. I was
especially proud of how our
fans turned out dont look
now but our fans might nally
be catching up (slightly) with
our teams success
COLUMN: HUMANITIES
COMPLEMENT SCIENCE
IN EXPLAINING WORLD
On Nov. 18, 10:17 p.m., ARC
wrote:
Barry, thanks for having a bal-
anced view of science. I have
a bachelor of science and am
studying for my master of sci-
ence, and even then I believe
that humanities are very im-
portant. I would even classify
religious studies in that group
in order to be a well-rounded
individual. There will always
be decisions in this world
that science cannot help with
and that is where those other
disciplines can help. It was
Noam Chomsky who said As
soon as questions of will or
decision or reason or choice of
action arise, human science is
at a loss.
The UNR psychology de-
partment is trying to help. Join
a smoking cessation study
by e-mailing Michael Levin at
levinm2@gmail.com.
Th UNR h l d
QUITTING SMOKING?
To see the University of Ne-
vada Renos grade distribution
charts go to
NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
To see the University of Ne
ONLINE
perspectives www.nevadasagebrush.com A12 DECEMBER 1, 2009
YOUR BRAIN ON TURKEY
Use critical thinking skills to avoid
believing common myths
W
ith our bellies almost recov-
ered from their Thanksgiving
lls and our minds shaking
off that pleasant numbness
that accompanies familial comforts, weve
reached the unfortunate time that comes
between having learned a lot this semester
and having to learn that
little bit more to prepare
us for the nal.
But this seems to al-
ways be our state in life:
knowing just enough to
know what we have to
learn next. Having spent
Thanksgiving weekend
away from the university
community and out in
the real world, I had the
chance to interact with
people more set in their
ways; people less likely
to want to learn that little bit more.
Perhaps the quip I overheard most while
waiting in line, sipping hot cocoa in cafs or
stufng stufng as far in as itd go, was the
one about that chemical in turkey that makes
you sleepy. Trip-toe tryptu trip-to-
something.Tryptophan.
When someone throws out a scientic-
sounding word with hesitation, my ears
prick up and I become a tad skeptical of the
semi-plausible, semi-outlandish claim that
accompanies it.
I rst heard this staple of holiday wisdom
early in my childhood, before my critical
thinking muscle was sufciently developed,
and hearing it again so many years later
threw my baloney detector into overdrive.
Investigating this pernicious little myth
is not just an academic exercise. Rather,
separating the truths, half-truths and
misconceptions of this simple case will
demonstrate the importance of thinking
critically and relying on evidence, and
show how even the smallest quasi-facts can
distort our reasoning.
Postprandial somnolence is the overly
fancy term for the sleepiness that occurs
after ingesting a large meal. The evolution-
ary reasoning behind this concept is fairly
straightforward. If youve spent all day
hunting and gathering, it makes no sense to
get sleepy before eating, but it is perfectly
reasonable to expend as few calories as
possible digesting the food you have eaten.
However, this phenomenon is not the
result of the oft-toted mystery chemical
tryptophan. In fact, tryptophan is just
a plain old amino acid. It is in a lot of
foods, from chocolate to yogurt to sesame
seeds, and, yes, in large doses has been
experimentally shown to cause sleepiness.
But theres not enough in an entire turkey
to cause drowsiness, let alone the small
amount any particular person eats.
In fact, post-feast sleepiness is likely
caused by two things: the large amount of
food eaten and the huge intake of carbohy-
drates, which boosts insulin levels (which in
turn causes some interesting biochemical
reactions).
So what? you may be asking yourself.
Whats the big deal? So what if I believe in
some little falsity? It doesnt hurt anybody.
But how can one ever justify this type of
believing-what-you-hear reasoning? Did you
hear the one about using 10 percent of your
brain? Or the one about pigeons exploding
after eating rice? Alligators in New York City
sewers? Intelligent design? How can your
opinion on anything be respected if you so
easily fall victim to faulty beliefs?
Thus, though it may be a constant struggle,
we must ever be on guard against supersti-
tions, urban legends, pseudoscience and
all types of poor thinking if we are to make
informed and meaningful decisions. We must
always know enough to know what to learn
next.
Barry Belmont studies mechanical engineer-
ing and biology. He ate a wonderful Thanks-
giving dinner with his family, where he bored
them with his science talk. Reach him at
perspectives@nevadasagebrush.com.
Barry
Belmont
VETERANS DAY
S
omewhere in my brain, memories of the war are tucked
away. They mingle with the other unpleasant memories
that I now laugh at, like those of losing my virginity or my
ex-husbands chronic snoring.
But the humor was not there four years ago when I came home
and I explained to shocked faces that, yes, women do see combat
and shoot weapons. I didnt want to have to explain what I did
or didnt do while I was there. I just wanted help getting started
with my real life. It was weird for me having
people shake my hand and pay attention to
me just because I went to war. It made me
feel like somehow I had been inadequate my
whole life until then.
I thought it was ridiculous. It made me
angry.
As the years passed, I began to nally make
a life that I thought seemed more seless
than anything I had ever done in the war. I
ignored the signicance and strength that
the army and the war had given me. I passed
it off as just another moment in my life. Why
did everyone still want to talk to me about it?
I began working at the Veterans Center
in a work/study position. I again had to explain, this time to
Vietnam veterans, that, yes,
I am a woman and I did go
to war. Yet this time it didnt
make me angry. The look
on their faces was different.
There was no doubt or a
need to further elaborate.
They understood.
Because of my major
in social work, I began to
co-facilitate a post-traumatic
stress disorder group. That
is where I rst heard the
voices of those who had been forgotten and ignored. They were
abandoned by their country and by those who did not know how
to help them. I began to think about what it would be like to be
muted and silenced by the country you fought for. What would
you do?
Working with these Vietnam veterans taught me something
that I never would have learned on my own. They taught me to
be grateful. Grateful that I am alive and healthy and grateful that I
can say and feel anything I want about the war I fought.
I cannot compare my experiences in the war to anything I
have ever done in my life. I still see a cold bottle of water as
amazing. I see war as a moment in my life that I will remember,
but it will certainly not be the best thing I ever do. My ght has
just begun. Instead of being a solider with a weapon, I will be
in the trenches as a social worker, ghting for those who are
ignored and abandoned.
To know me as a veteran is to know a veteran who can laugh
and shake her head at the stuff shes done and seen. It was so
horrible sometimes, it was funny. What else can I say? The ght
to stay alive lasts forever and it can be a struggle every day.
The next time you thank a veteran, wipe that sympathetic
look off your face; just tell them theyre awesome and ask where
they went to the bathroom or what shit detail is. Those stories
will be endless.
Dharma Klock is studying social work. Reach her at perspectives@
Dharma
Klock
MEMO ON YOUR HEALTH
Children show necessity of playtime
I
miss elementary school. Not because
of the endlessly joyful routine of
chasing girls around the schoolyard, but
because of the one thing that many of
us seem to have lost somewhere along the
way since then.
I miss elemen-
tary school because of
playtime.
Right now, I live across
the street from a park
with a school right next
to it. Rain or shine,
boy or girl, socialite or
outcast, those kids go
completely nuts when-
ever theyre let loose in
the big grassy eld with
the adjoining asphalt,
basketball courts and
the intersecting row of
oak trees in between. Its a complete circus
during recess and is absolutely the greatest
show on earth to watch whenever I need a
break from studying.
Kids scatter through the park yelping,
squealing and screaming themselves into
a boisterous frenzy of kicking soccer balls,
playing tag and wreaking havoc on the
tranquility that once occupied Plumas Park.
How I envy them. Unapologetically living
and playing in their worry-free universe,
unrestrained by the complexities the outside
world can innitely provide. No tests loom-
ing over their heads like dark and portentous
clouds. No nancial worries invading their
thoughts. No family obligations to fulll,
grades to keep up or graduate schools to
constantly be preparing for.
When I daydream about my own elemen-
tary school experiences, the utopia known as
Doris French Elementary, I always wonder at
what point in my adult life I became so seri-
ous. At what point did my own playground
also encompass my schoolhouse?
I think we all can learn something from
children. At the moment when their minia-
ture tennis shoes sink into the luminescent
green grass, nothing else matters. They
charge enthusiastically onto the playground
without a second thought on their mind. All
that exists in their world at that exact instant
are the joys and pleasures found in roaming
the playground with their friends.
As graduation approaches and the
real world begins knocking at our doors,
playtime morphs from a bountiful luxury to
another task on the to-do list. In the process,
we lose a part of that instinctive drive for fun
that denes us as children.
Finding time for recess amidst the chaos
of everyday life has become increasingly
difcult, but having fun is what makes us
complete. No matter how hectic our lives and
schedules become, nding playtime is as es-
sential to our well-being as the air we breathe.
It is an essential component in reaching our
full potential at any point in our lives.
Without the acceptance, appreciation and
sense of belonging from our peers and fam-
ily members that we nd when were having
fun, life would be hopelessly lopsided and
unfullling.
So, as the distant squall known as nal
exams looms on the horizon, dont forget
to take a break from the books and do what
you love to do with those you love most.
If youre anything like me, that constitutes
either playing soccer or chasing girls. Or girl,
I should say.
But thats OK with me; shes a quick one.
Youre going down, Jacque.
Memo Sanchez would like to remind ev-
eryone that a Memo a day keeps the doctor
away. Reach him at perspectives@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
Memo
Sanchez
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Thanksgiving brings up reections on life, death
I
ts time to be thankful for family,
friends, life and death. These last
few months of the year are for
reecting on all that went well and
all that you learned.
On the job, I always remind myself
how lucky I am to be in this position
and have a dened career path, even
when that means we euthanize an
animal or lose a battle we fought hard.
To many, losing an animal has
increasingly become more like losing a
family member. Though its usually the
right decision, delivering death to the
suffering never gets easier. When we
put down an animal at work, I realize
how precious life is and how thankful I
am to be alive.
The rst euthanasia I took part in
was not for one of my own animals, but
for one of a 14-year-old girls who had
rescued an old, starved horse from a
slow death. She had ridden him years
earlier and brought him home to have
a happy summer.
But as the weeks passed, he couldnt
get up easily and his eyes showed he
was done ghting. As a noble and
strong horse, not being able to rise
broke his spirit and he was scared,
so the right thing to do was let him
go. When we arrived, the girl and her
parents were brushing the old gelding
and loving him, with tears streaming
from their eyes. This poor girl was
losing her close friend. We lled the
syringe and talked to the family before
delivering the shot. When the horse
hit the ground, so did the young girl.
I lost it. Tears streamed down my own
cheeks.
Over the next
year, I grew stron-
ger on the outside
with each life lost.
My boss always
says, It never gets
easier to push
the plunger on
the syringe. But I learned to contain
my tears and instead give comforting
words to my clients.
Last summer we had another
emergency call about an old horse that
was unable to rise. When we arrived,
the horse was barely breathing. It was
obvious it was too late.
Because the horse was unable to rise,
he had become extremely dehydrated,
which made it difcult to get the needle
into his vein. After many tries, my boss
nally got it in, but was unable to push
the plunger without losing the needle
placing. So she asked me to do it. I was
in emergency mode. I didnt think twice;
I just acted. I connected the syringe,
pushed, discarded and grabbed the
second syringe of euthanasia solution.
As we drove away, it hit me. I had
taken a life. I pushed the plunger full of
the lethal chemicals. My boss seemed
to notice this at the same time I did,
and asked if I was OK. It hurt. Deep
inside, my heart ached. But I realized I
did not take his life; I took his suffering.
I ended the pain.
On hard days like those, I still try to
realize how thankful I am to have my
job and for everything I learn from
it. I am thankful I had a wonderful
Thanksgiving and that I attend an
amazing university. Im thankful for
each breath every day.
Hayley Rasmussen is a pre-veterinary
major and rides big, pretty horses in her
spare time. Reach her at perspectives@
Hayley
Rasmussen
As we drove away, it hit me. I had taken a
life. I pushed the plunger full of the lethal
chemicals.
After serving in
war, focus stays
on continuing to
help people
Dharma Klocks column is
the third of a three-part series
of columns written by student
veterans. Read the previous
two columns at
NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
Dh Kl k l i
COLUMN SERIES
Illustrated by: Kurt Hirsch Written by: Clint Demeritt Created by: David Worthington and Mike Geraghty
S
P
A
C
E
!
UUNNNRRR 222002222 IINNN
THE UNR OF THE FUTURE!
And here is your sandwich.
Thanks for choosing Ricky Rons.
Who else ordered a sandwich?
Right here.
Hmmm, if this is the
ham, then where...
Here you go.
Hey, this is ham. I ordered
the live tentacle sandwich.
Oh.
advertisements DECEMBER 1, 2009 A13
advertisements
A14 DECEMBER 1, 2009
F
or the video game community in Reno, options are
limited. An ofcial gaming center has yet to withstand
the economic downturn and many students struggle to
afford the rising prices of consoles, games and equip-
ment. But a club on campus, Fragfest, is trying to ll that void.
The club offers a six-hour slot every week for gamers to come
together, play a variety of games and socialize all for free.
While Fragfest is the only venue in Reno, other Nevada cities
offer more options. In the Las Vegas area, ve major LAN (local
area network) centers are available to gamers, as well as several
other Internet cafes.
Most people wont travel 25 to 30 minutes to a LAN center,
said Matthew Levin, owner of Cybernetix, a LAN center in Las
Vegas that recently scouted the Reno area to open a second
store. Most of our customers come here because they prefer it to
the other [LAN stores] near me, or dont know about any others
because they arent close enough. And Id say more than half of
my customers dont own a car. They walk or bike. You would have
a good chance if you were close to the university, but otherwise
Reno is pretty spread out.
Although a LAN center
named Level Up made a
brief appearance in Reno
and even had a shuttle
running to and from the
university dorms, it closed
because of slow business,
making Fragfest the only
recognized LAN communi-
ty in Reno, Nicholas Sellers,
treasurer of Fragfest, said.
As the sole gaming com-
munity option, Fragfest,
which caters to University
of Nevada, Reno students,
requires gamers to use
a university netID to log
on to a computer. Many
gamers, however, often
bring friends from other
schools and universities
because the club is the
only option in the area.
Brendan Kallaus, a 21-year-old geology major and regular
Fragfest member, said he comes every week because it is the
LAN center an outlet where gamers can link computers to
play together in Reno that all of his friends attend.
All the games I play are multiplayer no single players, Kal-
laus said. Gaming is like a sport to me; I like to play with other
people. It stresses me out if I game by myself. I started playing
games with my dad. Ive done RTSs (real-time strategy games)
since I was old enough to understand what they were.
Participating in his second year of Fragfest, 19-year-old Mark
Lerner said the Reno gaming community seems smaller than
the one in Vegas, and that Fragfest is the only place he plays
games other than home.
I havent seen anything else like this place, Lerner said about
Fragfest. Plus its free, when LAN centers usually charge.
Sellers agreed, saying most of the gaming community in Reno
is limited to the university.
Although the club specializes in PC games including Coun-
terstrike, Half Life 2, Left 4 Dead, Heroes of Newerth and
Warcraft, it also brings console games such as Halo and Street
Fighter. Instead of individual members purchasing each game
and equipment, such as headsets, members are given free access
to all games and gear provided by the Knowledge Center.
Game Force owner Scott Yauger, however, said
the future of gaming is no longer in social
atmospheres such as an arcade or LAN
center because of online play. Because
gamers can now connect and play
together online, Reno has no need for
a social LAN outlet, he said. Despite
Yaugers assessment, Fragfest has
continued to grow since it was rst
created nearly four years ago by
club president Ben Beal.
As more gamers are
attracted, members
are looking to ex-
pand into a larger
computer lab,
receive funding from Associated Students of the
University of Nevada and compete in national
competitions, Sellers said.
Things slow down at the end of the semester be-
cause of midterms and things, but at the beginning
of the year, we had to turn people away
because the computers were full,
Sellers said.
Although none of the
gamers are currently
competing nationally,
members Kallaus and
Jared McCleskey
ranked 80th in last
seasons national
2v2 competi-
tion of Frozen
Throne. While
they are now out
of practice, Kal-
laus said he hopes
that Fragfest
players can train
harder and place
nationally again
in other events and
tournaments.
It always feels good
to win, Kallaus said.
Other than being a
venue for competitive
play, Fragfest is also an
outlet for gamers to so-
cialize, study and try out
new releases together.
The best time is when
we try out new games,
Lerner said. Everyone
tries together and no one
knows whats going on, so
its a lot of fun.
Many members of Fragfest
also minor in game develop-
ment, a program at the univer-
sity that teaches students about
game theory and creation
using a program named
Gamemaker.
B1
DECEMBER 1, 2009
Arts&Entertainment
Scott Yauger, howev , said
future of gami ming is no longer in social
mospheres such as an arcade or LAN
nter because of online play. Because
mers can now connect and play
gether online, Reno has no need for
social LAN outlet, he said. Despite
Yaugers assessment, Fragfest has
continued to grow since it was rst
created nearly four years ago by
club president Ben Beal.
As more gamers are
attracted, members
are looking to ex-
pand into a larger
computer lab,
because the computers
Sellers said.
Although no
gamers are
competing
member
Jared
rank
sea
2v
ti
T
to
to w
v
UNR gaming club offers only LAN in Reno
What: Free gaming and LAN for six hours
When: 6 p.m. every Thursday
Where: @One in the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge
Center
Wh t F i d LANf i h
FRAGFEST
PHOTOSBYBRIANBOLTON/NEVADASAGEBRUSH
Brendan Kallaus, a 21-year-old geology major, has been attending Fragfest for two years because he enjoys the social environment
not offered anywhere else for Reno gamers.
For a video game buyers guide, The Nevada
Sagebrushs picks of the years best video games and
more gaming coverage:
SEE PAGE B2 AND B3
F id b id Th N d
INSIDE
TARA VERDEROSA |
TVERDEROSA@NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
Members of Fragfest strategize together for their next game at the weekly
Thursday meeting in the @One.
Things slow down
at the end of the
semester because of
midterms and things,
Treasurer of Fragfest
Nicholas Sellers said.
But at the beginning
of the year, we had
to turn people away
because the computers
were full.
arts & entertainment
B2 DECEMBER 1, 2009
By Casey OLear
Since 1993, local indepen-
dently owned video game store
Game Force has been offering
hard-to-nd video games and
consoles to the Reno commu-
nity, while competing for busi-
ness with big-name video game
retailers in the area.
The store, located in the Airport
Square-Costco Center, offers a
wide variety of games, consoles
and services but specializes in
older games that are not sold in
most video game stores.
Thats our specialty, Game
Force owner Scott Yauger said.
Anything you can play on your
TV, we have in the store, and well
save you money on it. Were the
only store in Northern Nevada that
specializes in old school games.
Yauger, a video game connois-
seur himself, opened the store in
order to offer competitive prices
for the games that he enjoyed
playing.
I love video games and Im a
natural-born salesman, he said.
Ive been playing every game
thats created. I could have a video
game museum. But Im more of
an old school guy. Theres a huge
market for it that needed to be
lled. The competition wasnt
there to save people money.
Yauger believes that older
video games and consoles still
sell for nostalgic reasons and
because the games are simpler
than more contemporary games
like Modern Warfare 2.
Games these days are com-
plicated, he said. Theres one
button to jump, one to kick My
wife is never going to play that.
[Older games] are still fun. They
dont rust or degrade. Its the
exact same experience today as it
was 25 years ago. If you bought a
car 25 years ago and put it in the
garage, the tires would go at,
the rubber would wear out. But a
program is still a program.
Although Reno does not of-
fer many places for gamers to
convene or play together, Yauger
says that gaming is progressing
to become a more Internet-
based medium, following the
lead of console features like
Xbox Live that enable players to
interact and compete with other
players on the network.
It isnt about arcades, Yauger
said. Just like music and mov-
ies, video games will become all
downloads. Theyre just a few
years behind.
Despite the advances in video
game technology over the years,
older consoles continue to sell at
Game Force and in similar stores
nationwide. Yauger attributes
the success of his store to the
devotion behind it.
We are a unique store, he
said. Weve been there all these
years because were dedicated
to customer service. We want to
play games and have fun.
Most of the games sold in the
store are within the $2-5 price
range and Yauger offers custom-
ers an opportunity to take the
video game challenge if
they can beat him, any game in
the store is free.
With their commitment to
creating a fun atmosphere for
customers and unique services,
Game Force is an important
aspect of Renos gaming culture.
Not the whole world has the
Internet, Yauger said. A lot of
people just want to play PacMan.
Casey OLear can be reached at
colear@nevadasagebrush.com.
SPORTS FANS: FOR GAMERS WHO ENJOY LIFELIKE SPORTS ACTION
Sports games are an annual tradition of the video game industry, and they have a pretty distinct
audience. If you are buying for a sports fan, it really comes down to their sport of choice and which
controller they prefer. As a general tip, EA Sports is the industry leader, and their titles are often the best
options, with few exceptions (trust 2K Sports for basketball).
Madden 10- Madden is the juggernaut of sports titles, but beyond the cultural hoopla, its a really
deep and involving football game. This game should be the go-to choice for anybody looking to play
some virtual pigskin.
NBA 2K10- If your tastes involve a hard court, hoops and a buzzer-beating good time, NBA 2K10
is the game for you. Great graphics, realistic AI and solid shooting mechanics make this game the
denitive basketball game of 2009.
NHL 10- Hockey might not be the most popular sport among these titles, but that works to NHL
10s advantage, with developers willing to take risks and innovate. EAs NHL franchise has been one of
their most critically acclaimed sports franchises of the past few years, and this game sets a new bar for
quality among the series, a must-have for serious fans of the ice.
FIFA 10- Soccer fans, rejoice! Continuing the trend of quality sports titles from EA, FIFA 10 has
modes and depth to suite the most hardcore of players, while still leaving plenty of game for those
looking for some casual fun. Everyone who prefers their football of the European variety owes it to
themselves to try this game.
Fight Night Round 4- Boxing fans will have a lot to love in this latest iteration of Fight Night. Real-
istic boxing physics will have punches slipping and heads crumpling, just as the sweet science should.
If the words headshot and kill-streak get a lot of use in your house, then you might be living
with some shooter fans nothing to be alarmed about, since shooters have become some of the
most popular genres in the industry and 2009 was jam-packed with some intense shoot-em-ups.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2- If you are looking for some full-on Russian warfare, Modern
Warfare 2 provides the thrills of a big budget summer blockbuster while also offering the best online
multiplayer in the genre. If your intended gift receiver isnt one of the millions who bought the game
at midnight, they are in for a bloody good time. Just remember, this title is not for kids under 17.
Halo 3: ODST- Any game that has Halo in the title is going to generate a lot of interest, but this
adventure takes Master Chief out of the story, instead focusing on the tactics of Orbital Shock Drop
Troopers. This Xbox 360 exclusive is a solid choice for any Halo fans on Santas list.
Killzone 2- Some people might have forgotten about this little gem since it was released early in
the year, but this PS3 exclusive is like the sci- equivalent of Saving Private Ryan. The graphics in
this game are some of the prettiest of the year, making this shooters gritty battles all the more epic.
Borderlands- Dont let the rst-person perspective fool you; this shooter has more in common
with Diablo than Halo, with its collection of RPG elements. With online co-op for up to four
players, this game stands out as one of the most unique shooting experiences of the year, sure to
please any addicts of the loot-heavy games of the past.
The Conduit- For all the Wii owners out there who feel left out of the rst-person thrill, Sega
made The Conduit just for you. The Conduit takes advantage of the unique Wii controls to give
this shooter an accurate and fun pace. This is one of the few Wii games that brings the experience
online for some competitive shootouts.
RACING FANS: FOR GAMERS WITH A NEED FOR SPEED
Racing games have really taken different approaches on how to take an expensive
car and try not to wreck it. From simulations to the X Games, 2009
has proved theres still gas in the tank for this niche genre.
Forza Motorsport 3- In what is becoming the
Xboxs answer to Gran Turismo, Forza delivers
a deep and authentic racing experience that
is packed with content and cool community
features. Online auction houses using in-game
money, insanely deep customization tools for a
cars appearance and useful difculty settings
that reward the player for turning off driving as-
sists make this game a complete racing package.
Dirt 2- Most racing games keep all four tires on
the pavement, but as this games name implies, rally racing
is king here. Tying the game into the extreme sports culture of the
X Games gives this game good appeal to younger racers while at the same time making the
player feel part of a bigger event. Its all unique and very cool.
Need for Speed: Shift- While some fans long for the days when the Need for Speed franchise was
all about illegal street racing and running from the cops, the new, more serious racing direction really
produces a rush. Shift stands out from the pack with its intense in-car perspective that makes slam-
ming into walls at high speeds more terrifying than most real racing crashes.
Gran Turismo PSP- Sonys agship racing series nally makes its way onto a handheld, offering hundreds
of cars to play
around with on-the-go.
While its not the best racing game of the year
by any means, fans of the series should really get a kick out of
having their huge garage of cars available to them anywhere they
go.
FIGHTING FANS: FOR GAMERS WITH A PENCHANT FOR BLOOD
2009 saw the successful rebirth of some ghting franchises, while new contenders made their bid at
the title. As a result, there are a lot of quality ghting games to choose from this year, so which one ts
your ghting style?
Street Fighter IV- One of the biggest ghting franchises of all time made a splash this year with the
fourth iteration of the franchise. Online multiplayer, precise combos and colorful graphics make this
game a worthy addition to any ghting fans collection.
Blaz Blue: Calamity Trigger- A new contender in the 2D ghting scene, Blaz Blue smashes ex-
pectations with a unique cast of strange characters, stages and background stories. The visual rush this
game provides sets it apart from the more traditional ghters on this list.
Tekken 6- Making its debut on the next generation consoles, Tekken denitely looks pretty, but
where it really shines is in its large roster of ghters and customization options. Similar to Soul Calibur
4, all the ghters have many unlockable clothing items that add an extra sense of accomplishment to
the game. It also has a feeling of nostalgia, since Tekken plays primarily the same as its previous entries.
From Indiana Jones-style treasure hunting to supervillain hunting on an island, these games com-
bine high action game play with narrative storytelling and effective atmosphere.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves- Game developer Naughty Dog has a track record for fantastic games,
but the sequel to 2007s Uncharted: Drakes Fortune is easily the developers greatest achievement.
Superb voice acting sells the story, amazing graphics provide a treat for the eyes and smooth shooting/
platforming adventures make this one of the most memorable adventures this year.
Batman: Arkham Asylum- This is the best Batman game ever. The game makes the player really
feel like the Dark Knight, scaling the rooftops in search of evildoers. The atmosphere really sells the
whole package, and this is another must-buy for anyone who enjoys the comics or movies.
Infamous- This is a free roaming game that lets you scale buildings like Spiderman, but also re-
quires you to make morally difcult choices with your powers like the Punisher. A longer game than
most on this list, it is worth playing through twice just to see how the story can change when the
character chooses good versus evil.
Grand Theft Auto 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony- The second of two exclusive downloadable add-ons
for the Xbox 360 version of GTA4, Gay Tony pushes the series back to some of its more over-the-top
times, allowing for some frantic and violent fun. (Again, not a game suitable for children.)
Assassins Creed 2- The sequel to the surprise hit of 2007 recreates Venice, Italy, to striking effect.
Free running and stealthy elimination of bad guys are hallmarks of this series, and they are amplied
by the setting. Contraptions by Leonardo da Vinci add cool methods of exploration to the game play,
and provide interesting historical ambiance to the game. Plus, the whole game can be played in Italian
with English subtitles, which is a nice touch.
The video game shopping season has begun, and according to the Consumer Reports Holiday
Shopping poll, games are the seasons hottest choice for a gift. But to anyone who might not have
followed the avalanche of releases these past few months, have no fear! This guide will help anyone
nd that one special game thatll keep everybody warm inside.
Find the right game to give during the holidays
GEARBOX
Borderlands is a science ction, rst person shooter available on PCs, Xbox 360 and Playstation3.
WITH A NEED FOR SPEED
different approaches on how to take an expensive
mulations to the X Games, 2009
nk for this niche genre.
is becoming the
orza delivers
erience that
community
ing in-game
n tools for a
ulty settings
ff driving as-
cing package.
ep all four tires on
name implies, rally racing
the extreme sports culture of the
peal to younger racers while at the same time making the
s all unique and very cool.
me fans long for the days when the Need for Speed franchise was
unning from the cops, the new, more serious racing direction really
from the pack with its intense in-car perspective that makes slam-
e terrifying than most real racing crashes.
ip racing series nally makes its way onto a handheld, offering hundreds
of cars to play
around with on-the-go.
While its not the best racing game of the year
by any means, fans of the series should really get a kick out of
having their huge garage of cars available to them anywhere they
go.
shopping season has begun, and according to the Consumer Reports Holiday
ames are the seasons hottest choice for a gift. But to anyone who might not have
lanche of releases these past few months, have no fear! This guide will help anyone
cial game thatll keep everybody warm inside.
NAUGHTYDOG
Uncharted 2 in an action/adventure game available for the Playstation 3.
Local video game store offers novelty games and consoles
Game Force sells a variety of old and discontinued systems such as
Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis.
TURN10STUDIOS
ACTION-ADVENTURE FANS: FOR GAMERS WHO APPRECIATE A GOOD STORY LINE AND LIVELY, QUICK GAMEPLAY
SHOOTER FANS: FOR GAMERS WHO LIKE THE REALISTIC, ADRENALINE RUSH OF GUNS AND A LOT OF HIGH SPEED ACTION
GARRETT ESTRADA |
ARTS-ENTERTAINMENT@NEVADASAGBRUSH.COM
arts and entertainment DECEMBER 1, 2009 B3
GAME OF THE YEAR
There were a lot of really
good games this year, so what
does it take to make that next
step from good to great and
from great to the best? Polish,
value, replayability and most
importantly, fun. These games
do all of those in spades and
provide something extra a
memorable gaming experi-
ence.
Nominees
Batman: Arkham Asylum
360, PS3
Dragon Age: Origins 360,
PS3, PC
Modern Warfare 2 360, PS3,
PC
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
PS3
And the best game of the
year is Modern Warfare 2!
This was a toss-up between
Uncharted 2 and Modern
Warfare 2, but in the end, the
years best shooter beats it out
by a hair. Modern Warfare 2s
multiplayer offerings are just
the best in gaming right now,
giving it the edge. The addition
of customizable kill-streaks
online drastically changes how
the game is played. The single-
player campaign again is short
but hits with an adrenaline rush
that few other forms of enter-
tainment can provide. However,
the number one reason Mod-
ern Warfare 2 deserves the title
of Game of the Year is Spec Ops.
The co-operative gives casual
players a lot to have fun with,
while challenging hardcore
players with some very dif-
cult and unique scenarios. This
game breathes new life into the
stagnant rst-person shooter
genre and delivers the most fun
of the year.
At the end of every year, gamers look back at the best games of the year and pick favorites. While
everyone has their own choices, all the games on this list are our picks of the best titles in their
respective genres and are all worthy of a purchase. These are the best of the best games of 2009.
BEST RPG
A great role-playing game needs to do everything right. The story should be engrossing and lengthy,
without becoming repetitive. The characters need to make a connection with the player, so that as the story
progresses, the player will care what happens to each of their party members. Most importantly though, the
gameplay needs to be solid, rewarding the player with a steady level of progression, providing incentive to
constantly work towards leveling up. These are the four best RPGs of 2009.
Nominees
Borderlands 360, PS3, PC
Demons Souls PS3
Dragon Age: Origins 360, PS3, PC
Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story DS
And the Winner is Dragon Age: Origins!
Dragon Age: Origins is the best RPG of 2009 because it has so much to offer and it gets everything right.
From the start of the game, the story pushes the character into difcult situations, forcing the player to
quickly bond with their character, which pays off in a big way once the world opens up. That dark fantasy
world might not be the most original, with themes seemingly taken from the most popular fantasy ction
out there today, but it feels authentic. The games developers, Bioware, have a history of creating a rich lore,
and they do not disappoint here. Extensive voice acting makes each character feel alive and meaningful.
The story takes a large chunk of time, somewhere around the 50-hour mark, yet the game is worth being
played multiple times just to see how everything plays out. Luckily the combat is on par with the rest of the
polished world. While it plays better on a PC, the game does a good job of constantly making the heroes of
the story feel badass yet vunerable. Each of the other nominees might have done certain things brilliantly,
but this game is the grand encompassment of what makes RPGs fun.
BEST FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER
Shooters are becoming one of the biggest draws of the industry, providing blockbuster action scenes
and deep, competitive multiplayer modes, but are these things what make a good shooter? Yes and
no. To be a great rst person shooter these days, it takes a thrilling single player or co-op campaign,
rewarding multiplayer thats balanced and encourages replayability and tight and responsive controls.
The reason why Halo continues to have so much success is because of these core principles. These
are the best First Person Shooters of 2009.
Nominees
Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2 360, PS3, PC
Halo 3: ODST 360
Killzone 2 PS3
Left 4 Dead 2 360, PC
And the winner is Modern Warfare 2!
Modern Warfare 2 stands head and shoulders above its competition this year because it nails the
fun factor. The single-player campaign is short like the previous Modern Warfare, but there is not a
second of downtime. Every mission wows, sometimes through shocking violence, sometimes through
pure adrenaline-pumping vehicle sections; but from beginning to end, the game plays like the best
parts from all the best action movies of the past 20 years. Then there are the Spec Ops Missions, special
designed co-op levels that are an absolute blast to play through with a friend. They are varied and
keep things interesting with a range of different objectives and a choice of difculty. Finally, the online
competitive multiplayer is unrivaled, making use of a hugely deep leveling system that rewards and
challenges players for almost every conceivable way to play. There is a reason so many people play this
game.
BEST SPORTS TITLE
Being the best sports title is tough. It requires enough meaningful additions from the previous years
edition to justify the price, without changing too much of what core sports fans want. Game makers
have to deal with contracts with professional leagues, stay up to date on the status of all the big players
and make the game feel like a genuine sporting event. These are the sports titles of 2009 that capture
what its like to play these sports.
Nominees
Fight Night Round 4 360, PS3
Madden NFL 10 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii
NBA 2K10 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii
FIFA Soccer 10 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS
And the winner is Fight Night Round 4!
Now I might catch some ak for this choice but I stand by it for this reason the jump from Fight
Night Round 3 to Round 4 is a massive improvement. This comes from the extra development time,
as the last game came out over three years ago, but the game is a true sequel and makes the game a
lot closer to the actual combat of boxing. Other yearly installments push minor upgrades and new
features to sell, but they could learn from the Fight Night series, making a fantastic game every few
years instead of a slightly better game every year. The emotions of the ghters are clearly displayed
as they go toe to toe in the ring, trading shots and sweat. The animation, the physics, the controls;
everything ows together to make a dynamic and thrilling experience that usually culminates with one
man left on the ground.
BEST RHYTHM GAME
Sometime in the future, we could look back at these past couple of years and accurately describe
this as the age of the rhythm game. The deluge of Guitar Hero, Rock Band and karaoke titles this year
is bordering on ridiculous, yet there are always some standouts. These are the games that rocked out
the hardest in 2009.
Nominees
The Beatles: Rock Band 360, PS3, Wii
Guitar Hero 5 360, PS3, PS2, Wii
DJ Hero 360, PS3, PS2, Wii
LEGO Rock Band 360, PS3, Wii, DS
And the winner isGuitar Hero 5!
Most people think that The Beatles: Rock Band was the best game rhythm game of 2009, but I will have
to disagree. Guitar Hero 5 offers more than any other music game, with 85 songs. Unlike LEGO or Beatles,
this game has a broader range of music genres, which really works in the games favor, from more popular
music like Coldplay and Kings of Leon to classics from Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, all the way to metal favorites
Megadeth and Iron Maiden. The game has also been streamlined to better t the party-centric gameplay
these types of games are known for. An example of this is how the games Press Start screen actually doubles
as a random music playlist of the games songs, which people can jump right into at any time with any instru-
ment on any difculty, making it just so easy to get in and start rocking. Add in a deep create a song mode
that players can upload online for others to try, and you have the best value in music games this year.
MOST DISAPPOINTING GAME OF THE YEAR
Nobody wants to be disappointed, but when every game is hyped as the next evolution in gameplay,
sometimes its just going to fall at. A disappointing game isnt always a horrible game (although some-
times that is the case), but its just one that promises something great and misses the mark completely.
These games are the ones that failed to deliver on their promises.
Nominees
Fuel 360, PS3
Tony Hawk: Ride 360, PS3, Wii
Bionic Commando 360, PS3
Wolfenstein 360, PS3
And the loser is Tony Hawk: Ride!
The Tony Hawk skateboarding franchise
practically singlehandedly started the ex-
treme sports genre, and it was king for a good
while. After a slew of less than stellar sequels
on the latest consoles, the boys at Activision
dreamed up a reboot, one involving a big plastic
skateboard. Hey, it worked for Guitar Hero, right?
Well, what we gamers end up with is a $120 game that barely
works. The board looks cool and feels sturdy, but thats where the
compliments end. The game only picks up on what the user is trying to do
about half the time, and its nearly impossible to do any one specic trick with
the imprecise foot controls. If thats not bad enough, the graphics are average at best,
the game spends about half the time in load screens, in-game advertising pops up everywhere and the
online component is barebones. It might not be the worst game of the year, but with all the potential this
game had, it denitely fails the hardest.
COURTESYOFACTIVISION
Modern Warfare 2, which was released Nov. 10, has raised controversy for its questionable sequences of shooting innocent bystanders in an airport.
is hyped as the next evolut uuuuuuuuuuuuuu
their promises.
Ride!
franchise
the ex-
good
uels
on
stic
right?
that barely
hats where the
user is trying to do
one specic trick with
raphics are average at best,
Modern Warfare 2 prevails as best in 2009
ACTIVISION
Guitar Hero 5, which was released Sept. 1, allows players to customize their band and play with
multiple, of the same instruments.
GARRETT ESTRADA | ARTS-ENTERTAINMENT@NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM
ACTIVISION
See AWARDS Page B5
By Enjolie Esteve
Lady Gaga is infamous for
doing everything over-the-top,
including her eccentric perfor-
mances involving disco sticks,
pantless leotards, bold wigs
and of course, the amboyant
personality that I have grown
to love. Because of this, its no
surprise that The Fame Monster,
Gagas re-release of her hit 2008
album The Fame, includes eight
new tracks, unlike other artists
who rely on re-releases to score
extra revenue. If you thought
The Fame was amazing, you
are in for a dark and twisted, yet
delightful surprise.
Unlike its predecessor, which
was much more light-hearted
and focused on vapid, sticky-
sweet subjects such as love,
getting drunk in clubs and the
lure of fame, The Fame Monster
has a much darker tone, but in
the best way possible. Much like
how Hitchcock used his mysteri-
ous, frightening lms to explore
the darker side of the human
psyche, The Fame Monster takes
listeners on a ride, showing the
more menacing sides of love,
sex, fame and addiction.
It is obvious that Gaga put her
heart, soul, tears, hell and even
perversions into this record.
While the album lives up to its
name by delving into the inner
monsters and demons all hu-
man possess, it is still very much
a dance-pop album, thanks to
the rhythmic, synth-heavy, Eu-
ro-pop and industrial-inspired
beats and undeniably infectious
hooks and choruses.
The rst single off the album,
Bad Romance, is one of the
ve standout tracks on The
Fame Monster, along with Tele-
phone, Monster, Alejandro
and her newly announced single,
Speechless. Bad Romance,
which was produced by RedOne
(Poker Face, Lovegame,
Just Dance) exemplies Lady
Gaga in all her pop and glitter
glory. The song tells a story of a
woman who wants every facet
By Lukas Eggen
Director James McTeague
(V for Vendetta) returns with
his second feature lm, Ninja
Assassin, starring Korean su-
perstar Rain. The lm is about
a boy who is raised to become
an assassin until a betrayal
forces him to turn against those
who taught him everything he
knows.
Its clear that since the
Wachowski brothers (The
Matrix Trilogy) gave him V
for Vendetta, McTeague has
created a very bright future
for himself. Ninja Assassin,
not surprisingly, shines during
its action scenes. McTeague
is establishing himself as one
of todays top stylized action
directors. Rain is clearly a beast,
and the brutal, gory and over-
the-top killing scenes are fun
to watch. Its true that the story
is completely ridiculous, but,
after all, you are seeing a movie
called Ninja Assassin.
Fans anticipating an all-out
action lm will not be disap-
pointed. This lm earns its
R rating, with lots of severed
heads, blood and some cool
kills using a chain with a blade
at the end of the lm.
Fans of McTeagues lms and
the Wachowski brothers lms
will be in for a treat as the actor
who plays the Key Maker, and
several actors from V for Ven-
detta make cameos in Ninja
Assassin.
It is ofcial that Rains character
may in fact challenge the young
Leonidas in 300 as the most
badass young movie character.
Lets just say, the things he goes
through will make you cringe.
While the action was every-
thing an action fan could want,
the rest of the lm, including
a realistic plot and good act-
ing, was lacking. I realize the
story and acting arent the main
UPCOMING
RELEASES
B4 DECEMBER 1, 2009
InsideLook
TUESDAY/1
THE BRAVERY
STIR THE BLOOD
Genre:
Alternative Rock
Description:
Rock group The Bravery will
release its third album, Stir
the Blood, a follow-up to
the 2008 release, The Sun
and the Moon Complete.
The album will include the
singles Slow Poison and I
am Your Skin, which have
already been released on
iTunes.
R. KELLY
UNTITLED
Genre:
R&B, Hip-Hop
Description:
For his ninth studio album,
R&B singer R. Kelly will
release Untitled featuring
guest artists like Keri Hilson
and Robin Thicke. The album
was intended to be released
in 2008 but was delayed
when album leaks called
for it to be re-recorded and
when the artists legal pro-
ceedings interfered with the
release.
TERMINATOR
SALVATION - DVD
RELEASE
Starring:
Christian Bale, Anton
Yelchin and Sam
Worthington
Description:
A man must struggle to en-
sure that humankind sur-
vives the war between men
and machines that occurs
after Judgment Day.
Genre: Action, Adventure
Rating: PG-13
FRIDAY/4
BROTHERS
Starring:
Tobey Maguire, Jake
Gyllenhaal and Natalie
Portman
Description:
When a young marine is
presumed dead, his char-
ismatic brother steps in to
care for his widow and two
daughters but is ashamed
of the attraction he feels
towards his brothers lonely
wife. However, their new-
found romance is shaken up
when her husband returns
home from the war very
much alive.
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
EVERYBODYS FINE
Starring:
Robert De Niro, Drew Barry-
more and Sam Rockwell
Description:
A widower sets out on an
impromptu roadtrip to visit
and reconnect with each
of his grown children for
the holidays and discovers
that their lives are far from
the perfect image they had
been projecting over the
years.
Genre: Drama, Family
Rating: PG-13
TRANSYLMANIA
Starring:
Patrick Cavanaugh, James
DeBello and Tony Denman
Description:
A group of college students
set out on their semester
abroad studying at an an-
cient university in Transyl-
vania that turns out to be
inhabited by vampires, even
the teachers and the dean
of their new school.
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
November 27
Home
= 95% Fresh
The Road
= 71% Fresh
Ninja Assassin
= 29% Rotten
Old Dogs
= 6% Rotten
ROTTEN TOMATOES WEEKLY GRADES
November 24
Rihanna: Rated R = 79
Lady Gaga: The Fame
Monster = 70
Shakira: She Wolf =68
Adam Lambert: For Your
Entertainment = 67
METACRITIC WEEKLY GRADES
source: rottentomatoes.com (rating system: 100-60% = fresh; 58-0% = rotten) source: metacritic.com (rating system: 100-61 = high; 60-40 =medium; 39-0 = low)
DVD REVIEW
Heart explains the workings of love
OVERTUREFILMS
Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera star as young lovers setting out on a cross-country journey to lm a documentary on the subject of love.
LADYGAGA.COM
Eccentric pop singer Lady Gaga recently released an updated
version of her 2008 breakout album, The Fame, entitled The Fame
Monster, which includes eight new songs.
Gaga unleashes Monster
See LADY GAGA Page B5
CD REVIEW FILM REVIEW
Action-packed Assassin
excels in ght sequences
NINJA
ASSASSIN
Release Date:
Nov. 27
Director:
James McTeague
Starring:
Rain, Naomie
Harris and Sho
Kosugi
Genre:
Action, Thriller
Rating:
R for strong, bloody
violence and lan-
guage
Grade:
B-
LADY GAGA
THE FAME MONSTER
Release Date:
Nov. 18
Genre:
Pop, Dance
Grade:
A+
PAPER HEART
DVD Release Date: Dec. 1
Director: Nicholas Jasenovec
Starring: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera and Jake Johnson
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Mockumentary
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Grade: B-
See NINJA Page B5
By Enjolie Esteve
Love is one of those mysteries
that people spend their whole
lives wondering about and
searching for. Depending on
whom you speak to, love is ei-
ther a magical happening or just
a psychological trick ones mind
plays in order to make someone
more willing to procreate.
Charlyne Yi sets out to solve this
mystery in Paper Heart.
Yi, the actress, musician and
comedienne who is most widely
known for her short role in
Knocked Up, stars as herself
in Paper Heart, an indie lm
about her journey to see if love,
which she doesnt believe in,
actually exists. Along the way,
Yi not only gains insight on
what love means to others from
interviews with several people,
she also nds herself in an un-
expected romance with Michael
Cera, who also plays himself.
Paper Heart, which was co-
written by Yi, displays an inter-
esting format. The lm is a moc-
kumentary, containing footage
See HEART Page B5
arts and entertainment DECEMBER 1, 2009 B5
who wants every facet of her
lover, even the darkest, most
twisted sides. Gaga exclaims, I
want your ugly/I want your dis-
ease and even cleverly alludes
to Hitchcock lms to explain
how she will accept even the
most disturbing parts of her
lover, stating, I want your psy-
cho / Your vertigo stick / Want
you in my rear window / Baby
youre sick / I want your love.
Telephone, a ridiculously
synth- and bass-heavy track
featuring Beyonce, is just too
over-the-top not to love. With
lyrics as absurd as, Can call all
you want / But theres no one
home / And youre not gonna
reach my telephone / Out in
the club / Im sippin that bub
/ Youre not gonna reach my
telephone, its no surprise
Gaga originally wrote this track
for Britney Spears. But the
booming vocals and erceness
Gaga and Beyonce bring to
this song are what truly bring
it to life. We all know Britneys
lifeless singing could never do
that.
Gaga spills her heart, liter-
ally, in the song Monster, which
explores her fears of love and
heartbreak. She speaks about
a player who broke her heart,
metaphorically turning him into a
zombie-like beast, singing, He ate
my heart / Then he ate my brain
/ That boy is a monster. Gagas
gory lyrics are complemented
by an industrial, gothic-inspired
beat and a catchy hook, which
make the song an awesome
dance anthem, as opposed to one
that sounds like its straight out of
The Addams Family.
Gaga delves into her more
international side with the
Latin-inspired Alejandro,
which is lled with boom-
ing beats and accented with
Spanish strings. The RedOne-
produced track, which is about
nally getting away from a
bad romance, features one of
the catchiest choruses off the
whole album and is guaranteed
to have you singing, Dont call
my name / Dont call my name,
Alejandro.
Speechless, Gagas brand
new single, is one of the stron-
gest songs on the album. She
bares her heart and soul on this
grand scale, stadium-status bal-
lad, along with her undeniable
vocal talent and range. While
I love Gagas techno-inspired
songs lled with Auto-Tune and
other vocal effects, its refreshing
to hear this stripped-down song
showcase Gagas voice, because
this girl can sing. Gaga reveals
her rarely seen vulnerable side
by singing, And I know that its
complicated / But Im a loser in
love / So baby raise a glass to
mend all the broken hearts / Of
all my wrecked up friends / Ill
never talk again / Oh boy youve
left me speechless.
Its ofcial: the amazing piece
of pop art that is The Fame
Monster has solidied Lady
Gagas spot as the new reigning
princess of pop. Britney Spears
who?
Enjolie Esteve can be reached at
arts-entertainment@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
Lady Gaga
CONTINUED FROM PAGE B4
reason to see this lm, but after
McTeague directed the amazing
V for Vendetta, I was a little
disappointed to see the story
take such a backseat.
Some of the characters over-
act throughout the lm, and
the lm comes dangerously
close to becoming boring near
the middle when the main con-
spiracy in the plot is revealed.
Ninja Assassin tries too hard at
times to be serious, even though
this lm is not meant to be seri-
ous, and it winds up coming out
cheesy and unintentionally funny.
The writing is well, lets just say
it wont be winning any awards for
best screenplay.
Yes, this lm is completely
over the top and not believable
in parts. Yes, this lm has some
stupid dialogue and the plot
is far from realistic. However,
Ninja Assassin is also a lot of
fun. So, while the holiday season
may be a big season for family
lms, if youre looking for a big,
fun, funny, cool and kickass ac-
tion lm, Ninja Assassin, for
the most part, ts the bill.
Lukas Eggen can be reached at
leggen@nevadasagebrush.com.
Ninja
of unscripted interviews with ev-
eryday people about what they
believe love is, intertwined with
a ctionalized storyline. Think
Bruno, minus the hilarious
exploitation of ignorant people
and close-up penis shots.
The beginning of the lm,
which features Yi unsuccessfully
trying to interview people about
what love means to them, serves
as an indication of what the un-
derlying theme of Paper Heart
is: awkwardness. Every aspect
of the lm is lled with pure,
untactful awkwardness; there is
no other way to explain it.
Second-hand embarrassment
ensues several times during the
lm, from the time Yi interviews
bikers in a bar, all while looking
like a confused and frightened
deer in headlights, to the time
she tries on a wedding dress in a
Las Vegas wedding chapel look-
ing like a little inept girl playing
dress-up, and especially in all the
scenes involving Cera and Yis
blossoming romance. Even Yis
quirky and eccentric demeanor
and style, accented by her
mussed hair, oversized spectacles
and the permanently astonished
and bewildered look on her face,
is awkward. But that is what
makes her, and Paper Heart, so
endearing and relatable; the fact
that it documents an average,
discomted girls journey to nd
out what love is. Havent we all
been able to relate to that at some
point in our lives?
Paper Hearts strongest aspect
is the heartwarming and eye-
opening interviews Yi conducts
with people from all different
walks of life, including the young,
old, black, white, gay and straight.
A few celebrities even make
cameo interviews in the lm,
including Seth Rogen and Martin
Starr. The responses Yi receives
about the joys of love, especially
in a segment where she interviews
children, are awe-inspiring and
are sure to warm even those most
cynical about love. My black, icy
heart certainly melted.
But even these insightful
interviews cant save Paper
Heart from the downturn it
takes when the lm shifts its
focus from Yis road trip to her
ctionalized relationship with
Cera. The two actors, who were
reported to have been actu-
ally dating during the making
of Paper Heart, lacked any
on-screen chemistry. Instead
of acting like a true couple, Yis
and Ceras relationship came off
as a contrived, stumbling mess.
Even though its pretty obvious
in the lms context that they
were supposed to come off as
nervous and uncertain lovers
trying to navigate their rela-
tionship during the lming of
Yis documentary, Yi and Cera
missed the note and seem to
be portraying lost puppies. It is
apparent from all the lms Ive
seen Cera in that his shtick is
playing a fumbling, awkward,
sensitive guy and, quite frankly,
its getting old. If Cera had just
let go of playing his comfort
role, the relationship aspect of
the lm wouldve seemed as
authentic as the interviews that
make Paper Heart shine.
While Paper Heart certainly
has some creases that need
to be ironed out, the lm is
pretty well shot and well pro-
duced for such a low-budget
project, and offers multiple
thought-provoking viewpoints
on the meaning of love and if it
truly exists. If anything, people
should see it for the simple fact
that Yis skeptical viewpoint on
love made the lm very refresh-
ing and relatable, especially in
an era where movies about love
are generally sappy and nausea-
inducing rom-coms starring
Katherine Heigl or Hugh Grant.
dasagebrush.com.
Heart
Next you have gay couple
Cam and Mitchell, who have
just adopted an Asian baby
and are trying to t into the
American suburban lifestyle.
Their paranoia about being
too gay is the most humorous
thing about this family. It is
also entertaining because they
are trying so hard to be normal
when everyone has already
seemed to accept them anyway
and thinks nothing of the
situation.
And last, you have your
regular sitcom family, Claire
and Phil, a happily married
couple with two girls and a boy.
But instead of being all cute and
boring like previous prototypes,
they all take on modern
personalities. The father tries
to be the cool dad and does
everything from singing High
School Musical songs to
desperately avoiding dad duties
that he thinks would make
him uncool to his children.
The children include a stupid
high school girl, Haley, who is
always texting and worrying
about parties; a witty brainiac
girl, Alex, who likes to mess with
her older sisters small mind;
and a wild and crazy boy, Dylan,
who seems to have mild brain
damage. And then there is the
somewhat traditional mother
trying to deal with them and
make it all work.
The three families are all
tied together by the fact that
Claire and Mitchell are Jays
children. But what is even more
outstanding is the fact that all
of the characters have a series
of connections to one another
that provide an abundance
of humorous scenarios and
conicts.
Modern Family did
something right. It is old
and familiar but unique and
updated at the same time,
making it a sort of frozen hot
chocolate oxymoron that just
works.
Casey Durkin can be reached at
cdurkin@nevadasagebrush.com.
Family
successful beauty channel
EnKoreMakeup. With all
of his educational videos,
featuring what were once
makeup industry trade secrets,
makeup tutorials, product
reviews, do-it-yourself projects,
behind-the-scene looks at
makeup conventions and even
Halloween makeup how-to
videos, its no wonder his chan-
nel has over 73,000 subscribers.
Zanders tutorial videos are not
just for the advanced crowd; his
directions are so clear and easy
to follow that even a complete
makeup newbie will be able to
achieve the look. These videos
include makeup tricks such
as how to make homemade
lip gloss, how to conceal dark
under-eye circles, how to apply
individual false lashes and how
to conceal tattoos.
Last but not least is profes-
sional makeup artist Kandee
Johnson, who has posted over
100 makeup, hair and style
tutorial videos on her YouTube
channel, KandeeJohnson.
Johnson, according to her Web
site, Kandeethemakeupartist.
com, has made a name for
herself as a makeup artist in the
entertainment industry, work-
ing for MTV, VH1, CNN and
The Tonight Show. Her many
years of expertise are evident
in the numerous theatrical
makeup tutorials that showcase
advanced techniques and
directions for the iconic looks
of Johnny Depp in Edward
Scissorhands, Michael Jackson,
Snow White and even an
Oompa Loompa. Johnson also
offers dozens of simple hair and
makeup tutorial videos, such as
cutting your own bangs, shap-
ing eyebrows and how to get
awless skin using affordable
products. Johnson has a diverse
mix of videos, some showcasing
fashion tutorials and others
giving viewers diet and tness
advice.
dasagebrush.com.
YouTube
BEST ACTION-
ADVENTURE GAME
The action-adventure genre
is always home to some great
stories and cool moments. To
be a great game in this aspect
requires giving a player the
feeling that they are really on
an adventure, with twists and
turns that constantly keep
things interesting. These games
do just that and rival Hollywood
blockbusters in terms of sheer
amounts of awesome.
Nominees
Batman: Arkham Asylum
360, PS3
Uncharted 2: Among
Thieves PS3
Assassins Creed 2 360,
PS3 inFamous PS3
And the winner is Un-
charted 2: Among Thieves!
This is what the latest Indiana
Jones ick shouldve been. Un-
charteds hero, Nathan Drake,
has a lot in common with Indy,
such as international treasure
hunts, beautiful ladies with
their own agendas and a hero
who is able to survive even the
most ridiculous circumstances,
making this game feel like a 12-
hour action movie. Everything
about this game is well done,
from the cinematic storytell-
ing to the amazing graphics. It
all impresses. The new online
multiplayer is some of the most
fun Ive had outside of Modern
Warfare 2 this year, incorpo-
rating the ability to scale build-
ings and build up cash to buy
new upgrades. Throw in co-op
missions and a survival mode
similar to horde mode from
Gears of War 2, and you end
up with the best parts of all the
best action games of the past
few years.
BEST RACING GAME
A good racing game is pretty
simple in concept: Put the
player behind the wheel of a
fast car and let them loose. In
reality, it is quite nuanced. The
number of cars, tracks, level
of difculty, amount of cus-
tomization, online multiplayer
and leaderboards are all very
important in todays racing
games, and each of these titles
does them well.
Nominees
Dirt 2 360, PS3, PC
Forza Motorsport 3 360
Need for Speed: Shift
360, PS3, PSP, PC
Gran Turismo PSP
And the winner is Forza
Motorsport 3!
I will have to admit, in terms
of just style, Dirt 2 and Need
for Speed: Shift take the cake.
But once a player gets past all
the ash and buzz of those
games, they just dont compare
content-wise to Forza. The
third iteration of the Forza
series is massive, unable to
actually t on a single DVD,
and the massive list of cars and
real world tracks are just the
start. Forza has an extensive
online community from previ-
ous games that has carried
over to this title, in large part
because of the array of features
available to them.
One such feature is the car
customization tool. Once a
players work of art is com-
plete, they can turn around
and sell it at a robust online
auction house. Hours can be
spent in this racing game
without ever even putting foot
to the gas. Oh, and the driving
is spot-on, with highly detailed
car models and destruction
physics. It should be interest-
ing to see how next years
Gran Turismo stacks up to
this beast of a game.
Awards
T
hanksgiving has always
been the time of year
when the big hitters in
the game industry are
released. Big game publishers
put out the games that they have
a ton of
condence
in.
Advertising
campaigns
dominate
Web sites
and make
it to all the
big sports
games. But
every now
and then
theres a game that scares the
piss out of publishers, advertis-
ers and game store clerks. That
game this year is Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare 2.
At the beginning of 2009, the
holiday season was looking
quite cramped. Sequels from
almost every major gaming
franchise were scheduled to
launch by Christmas, but as
the year moved on, games were
delayed until the rst quarter of
2010. Moving original titles like
Dark Void and Bayonetta
makes sense due to their lack
of an established franchise, but
then Bioshock 2 and Army
of Two: The Fortieth Day were
delayed as well. Each of those
games sold well and has brand
recognition, but were victims of
the Modern Warfare 2 effect.
The game singlehandedly
declared its stake on peoples
$60 for the holiday season.
Dont believe me?
In all my years playing games,
I have seen a few games that
sent shockwaves through the
industry, dominating most
gaming conversations for a few
weeks. I remember going with
a friend after school to a local
Game Crazy to pick up my copy
of Halo 2 the day it came out.
The store was standing room
only, the entire back wall of
games had been replaced with
copies of Halo and the store
had enough strategy guides
to ll a high school library. I
felt bad for the employees.
Modern Warfare 2 makes that
launch look tame.
Within the rst 24 hours
of being released, Modern
Warfare 2 had sold close to ve
million copies between just the
United States and the United
Kingdom. The game made
$310 million in one night! The
launch has now been called the
biggest launch in entertain-
ment history, not only beating
out previous Halo entries,
but all movie, book and music
launches, according to game
publisher Activision.
The gaming industry needs
to learn something from all this.
Every year, all the big games are
released within a two-month
window and the rest of the year
suffers from a drought. While
it has been proven that things
sell better around Christmas
time, having everything stuffed
together isnt the answer. For
the rst time in a long time, Im
looking forward to January.
Garrett Estrada can be reached
at arts-entertainment@neva-
dasagebrush.com.
New Modern Warfare
pushes back release dates
Garrett
Estrada
Casey Durkin
E
very so often, a show
like The Ofce comes
around and popularizes
a certain genre of TV.
A show like
that is bound
to have
numerous
imitators that,
in most cases,
will be carbon
copies but
with different
and less funny
premises and
characters
who seem to
try really hard to be like their
predecessors (Parks and Recre-
ation, I am looking at you).
Modern Family has been
able to not only take that
mockumentary genre and
do well, but also transform
the show into its own unique
subgenre. The best way to
describe the show is if a witty
family-friendly sitcom and
The Ofce had a bastard love
child.
There is denitely a nice
balance between the two
styles, to the point of being
complementary rather than a
confusing and conicting orgy
of confessional booths and
three-camera set-ups trying to
live as one.
The best part about Modern
Family has to be the characters
because of the fact that it is
trying to embody a modern
family in the 21st century. It
covers all of the different family
types, which are becoming
more and more common and
shies away from the same cute,
snarky family you see all the
freaking time and eventually
wish death upon.
First, you have your retired,
divorced dad, Jay, who struck
big and married a very attrac-
tive foreign woman named
Gloria, who is decades younger
than him. A great addition to
this increasingly popular Anna
Nicole stereotype is that she
is sassy, fun and brought an
eccentric and intelligent child
from a previous marriage
along with her. This creates an
interesting love-hate relation-
ship between the dad and his
new stepson.
B6 DECEMBER 1, 2009
TheScene
Calendar
FRIDAY/4
The Devil Wears Prada with
All That Remains and Story
of the Year at New Oasis
Metalcore groups The Devil
Wears Prada and All That
Remains will co-headline
this show as part of their
coast-to-coast Napalm and
Noise Tour. Post-hardcore
group Story of the Year will
open the show, beginning at
7:30 p.m.
2100 Victorian Ave.
Sparks
Tickets are $20.
Zane Lamprey at Tonic
Lounge
Comedian Zane Lamprey
from the television series
Three Sheets will pres-
ent Drinking Made Easy,
a humorous performance
revolving around drinks and
drinking beginning at 9 p.m.
to an audience of those 21
and older.
231 W. Second St.
Reno
Tickets are $15.
SATURDAY/5
The Nutcracker at Grand
Sierra Resort and Casino
The City Ballet of San Diego
will perform the annual
holiday classic, The Nut-
cracker, starting at 7 p.m. in
the Grand Theatre.
2500 E. Second St.
Reno
Tickets range from $33-
71.50.
Schizopolitans at Studio on
Fourth
Local progressive/experi-
mental pop group Schizo-
politans will perform a Hal-
loween/Christmas show
starting at 8 p.m.
432 E. Fourth St.
Reno
Tickets are $5.
Raiderdave with Alias John
Brown at Tonic Lounge
Hardcore hip-hop/metal
group Raiderdave will per-
form with Alias John Brown
and other special guests for
an audience of those 21 and
older beginning at 8 p.m.
231 W. Second St.
Reno
Tickets are $7.
Bill Engvall at Silver Legacy
Resort and Casino
The comedian will perform
starting at 8 p.m.
407 N. Virginia St.
Reno
Tickets range from $55-75.
Clarkson covers old hits in upbeat show
American Idol season one winner Kelly Clarkson performed hits from of her four studio albums as well
as several covers of other popular songs during a concert at the Reno Events Center on Saturday night.
CONCERT REVIEW
Internet videos offer
valuable fashion help
Y
ouTube is no longer
just the go-to place to
watch hysterical viral
videos of a dramatic
chipmunk or a 7-year-old
stealing his grandmas car to
go to Walmart. YouTube is now
the place to go for fashion
and beauty tips, thanks to the
hundreds of
fashion- and
makeup-
savvy people
posting
helpful
advice for the
masses.
These top
four makeup
and fashion
gurus dole
out even bet-
ter beauty advice than Elle and
Glamour, all while managing to
be extremely entertaining.
Anna Saccone, a fashion
stylist and former Ralph Lau-
ren intern from the UK, runs
the channel TheStyleDiet.
Dont let the name of her
channel fool you, Saccones
videos range everywhere
from beauty advice, makeup
tutorials, product reviews,
hair tutorials, video blogs,
videos of her Maltese puppy
doing tricks and of course,
her specialty, fashion advice
and style how-to videos.
Unlike some other fashion
gurus on YouTube who tend
to focus only on fresh-off-the-
runway trends that are not
only unwearable but often
unaffordable for the majority
of women, Saccone gives
styling advice that will fit
everyones sense of style and
budget. Saccones disarming
demeanor and friendly
personality help set her aside
from the slew of other fashion
gurus on YouTube. When
watching her videos, viewers
get the sense that they are
listening to their best friend
give all these fashion tips
not a stranger from London.
Be sure to check out some of
Saccones most helpful videos,
where she shows viewers how
to style looks for the fall and
winter using navy and black,
how to style boyfriend jeans,
how to dress for your body
shape and how to organize
your closet and accessories.
JuicyTuesday is a beauty
channel created by a profes-
sional hair stylist from Canada
named Teresa. Although she is
a hairstylist and not a makeup
artist by trade, the major-
ity of her videos are in-depth
makeup tutorials. If you are
looking for makeup tutorials
that will show you how to
achieve a particular makeup
look, with simple but fully
explained steps, JuicyTuesday
is the channel for you. Teresa
has made dozens of videos
demonstrating how to achieve
the most sought after makeup
looks, such as a smoky eye
look perfect for a night out,
a vintage red-lipped Marilyn
Monroe-inspired look and even
a Britney Spears-inspired look.
As if Teresas makeup tutorials
werent great enough, she also
often holds contests for those
who subscribe to her videos on
YouTube, giving them a chance
to win a bunch of makeup
goods.
Koren Zander, a professional
makeup artist in the U.S. for
more than 20 years, is the
mastermind behind the widely
See YOUTUBE Page B5
Enjolie Esteve ABC
ABCs latest comedy series, Modern Family, follows the lives of three families a traditional American
family, a family with a younger wife and a gay couple with an adopted baby.
Family transcends genre
Casey Durkin
BLACK FOREST CAKE COFFEE
Recipe from coffeetea.about.
com. To see some quick coffee
recipes from Starbucks, go to
Ingredients:
6 ounces hot coffee
2 tablespoons chocolate
syrup
1 tablespoon maraschino
cherry juice
Whipped cream
Chocolate shavings
Maraschino cherries
Directions:
Pour a mug of coffee and
mix in the syrup and juice.
Add whipped cream
and top with shavings and
cherries.
Weekly
Recipe
By Tara Verderosa
In a night full of powerful
vocals, dance-worthy music
and impressive covers, Virginia
natives Parachute and Ameri-
can Idol winner Kelly Clarkson
took the stage in a high-energy
performance that had the
crowd bouncing. Though many
bleacher seats of the Reno
Events Center were left empty,
the small and intimate fan base
that gathered was enough to
sing along and appreciate the
stunning vocals before them.
Pop-rockers Parachute
opened the show, riling up fans
for the scheduled hour-and-a-
half performance by Clarkson.
With a full entourage, even
equipped with a saxophone
player, Parachute gave a
surprisingly solid perfor-
mance, with good lyrics, great
musicianship and fun stage
presence. The band performed
its hit single She is Love,
followed by other favorites
such as Blame It on Me and
a heart-warming ballad titled
The Mess I Made. Despite
a strange rendition of Aint
No Sunshine, Parachutes
performance was one to com-
mend. Unlike most pop-rock
groups in which usually one
voice or musician prevails as
their lead talent, Parachute is
well-rounded and deserves
the recognition of opening for
Clarkson and other headliners.
Clarkson took the stage
hyped-up and dancing from the
get-go. Accompanied by a full
band, backup singers and even
her music director, Clarksons
performance was full of authen-
tic sound and dance-worthy
tunes. Although she performed
hit singles off most of her studio
releases, such as Breakaway,
Since U Been Gone and
Miss Independent, many fan
favorites were missing from the
set including releases off her
newest album in favor of new
songs and covers.
Though Clarkson is known for
her generally bitter lyrics and
less-than-fairy-tale agendas,
the arena was still full of hun-
dreds of tween girls, bouncing
along to Clarksons lyrics full of
harsh realities. It seemed, how-
ever, that her performance was
geared toward older audiences.
Clarksons stage time was almost
equally split between her own
albums and older covers. Hits by
artists such as The White Stripes,
The Black Keys and Patsy Cline
took Clarksons stage presence
above many young fans heads,
but ultimately transformed her
performance from decent to
fantastic.
While fans are already familiar
with her dynamic vocal range
in tracks such as Since U Been
Gone, Clarksons fresh take on
favorites such as Seven Nation
Army, Lies and Walkin After
Midnight showed Clarksons
ability to cover a variety of
genres and bring life to well-
worn oldies.
Another notable performance
was Behind These Hazel Eyes,
which Clarkson slowed down
with an acoustic feel, leaving
out much of the production
from the album. In a high-
intensity atmosphere, the
mellow alternative showcased
Clarksons voice in a way that
heavier rock pieces couldnt.
Clarkson also wowed fans with
the oldie-but-goodie Because
of You. Before launching into
breathtaking vocals and lyrics,
Clarkson told fans that she
wrote Because of You as a kid,
and was thankful for all her fans
and votes on American Idol,
which brought it to fame.
Clarkson ended the show
with her two current singles,
Already Gone and My Life
Would Suck Without You, both
delivered powerfully and from
underneath a puzzling pair of
mouse ears she decided to wear.
Leaving the stage with a bounce
in her step, Clarkson promised
she would be back leaving
hope for the Reno scene that
some musicians are loyal to
their fan base, no matter where
it may be.
Tara Verderosa can be reached
at tverderosa@nevadasage-
brush.com.
See FAMILY Page B5
Sports
SECTION C TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009
CASEYDURKIN/ NEVADASAGEBRUSH
The Nevada rushing attack was held to 242 yards on 5.5 yards per carry by the Boise State defense. The
Broncos stied the Wolf Pack, en route to a 44-33 win. Read more about the game on page C6.
BOISE SLOWS PACK RUN GAME, WINS BY 11
By Juan Lpez
A toe injury that senior Nevada
running back Luke Lippincott
has been nursing since the Wolf
Pack football teams Nov. 21
game against New Mexico State
might keep the captain out of
the teams bowl game, Nevada
running backs coach Jim Mastro
said through team spokesman
Chad Hartley on Monday.
Lippincotts injury, which
happened in the rst quarter of
the Wolf Packs game against the
Aggies, will require surgery, but it
is still up in the air as to whether
Lippincott will wait until after
Nevadas bowl game to have sur-
gery or if he will forgo the game
and get surgery beforehand.
Hartley said Mastro, who was
out recruiting and could not be
reached directly, could neither
conrm nor deny that Lippincott
would get surgery before the bowl
game, but he did say that Lip-
pincott and team doctors were
going to get more information on
the injury from other sources and
evaluate it this week.
In the game against New
Mexico State, Lippincott rushed
for 162 yards and two touch-
downs on 19 carries. Against
Boise State in the Wolf Packs
next game, Lippincott had just
one carry for six yards.
Nevadas bowl game destina-
tion will likely be determined
next week after all of the Western
Athletic Conference regular-
season games have been played.
Should Lippincott miss the
game due to the injury, his illus-
trious six-year career with the
Wolf Pack will come to an end.
As of now, Lippincott is fth
all-time in the Nevada record
books with 3,014 rushing yards
and sixth all-time with 34 rush-
ing touchdowns.
Juan Lpez can be reached at
jlopez@nevadasagebrush.com.
Senior may miss bowl
Toe injury to Lippincott
will require surgery
Lippincott
needs surgery
on an injury
he incurred
against New
Mexico State.
Lippincott
may miss
Nevadas bowl
game.
Luke
Lippincott
By Juan Lpez
L
ast season was supposed to be Brandon Fields time to
shine.
He was the most experienced and highest-scoring player
returning to a team that was picked to nish rst in the
Western Athletic Conference.
Then came Oct. 15, 2008.
On this day, Fields, along with a pair of freshman teammates,
was cited for misdemeanor petty larceny and was suspended
indenitely from the team.
He did not play in the teams rst two games and was relegated to
the bench after starting 32 games
the prior season.
It hit me hard, Fields, now
a senior, said. Coming off of
the bench it wasnt for me.
It was hard for me to get into a
good rhythm when I did get into
games. But I knew I messed up,
so I had to deal with the conse-
quences.
The guard knew this was not
the legacy he wanted to leave the
Wolf Pack.
It humbled me a lot, Fields
said of last years situation. I
want to leave a positive mark
on this team when I go and I see
things a lot differently now in ev-
ery aspect of life. Im just trying
to put everything behind me.
Now, Fields is back this season
with a vengeance and has put last
years debacle behind him. He is
the seventh leading scorer in the
WAC at 16.2 points per game
(career high) while shooting 47
percent from the eld and averaging ve rebounds per game. The
6-foot-4 slasher has taken his game to a new level of aggression,
frequently driving into the lane with no remorse against much
taller defenders.
Humbled Fields rises above woes
See REDEMPTION Page C6
CASEYDURKIN/NEVADASAGEBRUSH
Wolf Pack senior Brandon Fields is having the best season of his career. The guard is eighth in the Western Athletic Conference in
scoring with 16.2 points per game. He is also averaging ve rebounds per game.
BY THE NUMBERS
Nevada guard Brandon Fields bounced back from a disappointing
junior season in a big way.
0
is the number of games
Fields started last year as a
junior.
9.4
is the number of points
Fields averaged last year
coming off of the bench.
8
is the place Fields stands in
the conference in scoring this
year (16.2 points per game).
46.9
is the percentage Fields is
shooting from the oor this
season.
Sometimes when a
young man gets into
a situation he was in,
its hard to ght and
get back to where you
were ... Unfortunately,
sometimes young men
like him need an eye-
opening experience like
that to put everything
in perspective for
them. Nevada mens
basketball head coach
David Carter
Kaep, Ault cant
win big games
W
hile watching Nevada quarterback Colin
Kaepernick struggle to complete easy passes
on Friday in a loss to Boise State, I thought to
myself, Man, Kaeps going to be remembered
as the guy who cant win a big game.
Yeah, Kaepernick threw three touch-
downs, but his nal stat line overshadowed
his true performance. The junior averaged
only 6.4 yards per pass attempt and was
swallowed up by the Boise State defense,
averaging only 1.9 yards per carry.
He repeatedly underthrew or overthrew
wide open receivers in what was supposed
to be the game where he solidied himself
Juan
Lpez See CHOKE Page C6
Pack athlete moves on after disaster
By Juan Lpez
After a car crashed through
Kristin Palmers house early
in the morning of Oct. 20, not
only was her world shaken, but
her running career was put in
jeopardy.
Palmer, a 21-year-old redshirt
junior at Nevada, along with her
boyfriend, Trent Wood, woke to
a massive white sedan perched
on top of them as they lay in
their bed.
The couple was trapped
under the car for more than 40
minutes as reghters struggled
to free them from the unrelent-
ing weight of the car.
Palmer still remembers the
horrors of that night and the
miraculous rescue vividly.
Where my head was posi-
tioned, if (the reghters) would
have moved the car any more
forward, it would have crushed
my face, so they had to basi-
cally move it up and back, said
Palmer, who runs cross country
and competes in track and eld
for the Wolf Pack.
But Palmer and Wood both
made it out of their former
Sparks home alive. While Wood
escaped with just a few bumps
and bruises, Palmer got the
worst of it, suffering second-
degree burns on her right leg.
She said the healing process
will keep her from running
track during the indoor season
next year, which begins in
mid-January and goes until
mid-March.
It was really painful for about
three weeks and now its getting
to the point where its itching
and healing so thats good,
Palmer said. But the doctors
told me that I cant run on it
Look at photos from the
gruesome accident which
trapped Wood and Palmer
under a car for more than 40
minutes.
Read more about how the
incident has affected Wood
and Palmers personal lives,
such as school.
SEE PAGE C6
L k t h t f th
INSIDE
See PALMER Page C6
Right now, I cant run. Its going to affect my track
season a lot. Im supposed to be back training the
rst week of January and I probably wont be able
to. Nevada track and eld athlete Kristin Palmer
Inside Scoop
C2
DECEMBER 1, 2009 www.nevadasagebrush.com
SHAVON MOORE
WOMENS BASKETBALL
In the opening game of the
Nugget Classic against
Columbia, Moore scored a
career-high 18 points to go
along with 13 rebounds as
Nevada won 64-47. With her
team trailing 10-2 early in the
game, Moore took over, scor-
ing 12 points and grabbing
six rebounds over the next
10:34. She nished the game
8-for-14 from the eld.
DEFENSE
FOOTBALL
It appeared that Nevadas
defense had nally turned the
corner after holding San Jose
State, Fresno State and New
Mexico State to 20 points
or fewer. But against Boise
State, the defense gave up ve
passing touchdowns and let
the Broncos jump to a 27-3
lead in the second quarter.
The D also let Boise State get
crucial scores in the second
half that put the game out of
reach.
SHAVONMOORE
WHOS HOT
DEFENSE
WHOS NOT
BY THE NUMBERS
Mens basketball
at Pacic 7 p.m. Saturday
THE SKINNY: The mens
basketball team concludes
its three-game road trip
against Pacic on Saturday.
The Wolf Pack is coming off
two straight losses to Virginia
Commonwealth University
and North Carolina. Head
coach David Carter will
be looking to get the team
headed back in the right
direction with a victory, but
Pacic, who is 4-1 on the
season, poses another stiff
test for the Wolf Pack.
Womens basketball
vs. Sacramento State 12 p.m.
Wednesday
at Arizona 7 p.m. Friday
vs. UNLV 2 p.m. Sunday
THE SKINNY: The Wolf Pack
will look to forget its last
game against West Virginia,
where the team suffered its
worst loss of the season,
66-41, in the championship
game of the Nugget Classic.
Nevada will play three games
in a ve-day stretch, including
UNLV on Sunday. The games
will be a nice early season
test of Nevadas will and how
they react to a blowout loss.
Forward Shavon Moore, who
had a double double last
week, will look to continue her
strong play in the post.
Swimming and diving
at Idaho 10 a.m. Saturday
THE SKINNY: With only two
meets remaining before the
Western Athletic Conference
Championships, Nevadas
swimming and diving team
will be looking to get ready.
The Wolf Pack had a strong
showing at the teams last
meet. At the Toshiba Classic
last weekend, the Wolf
Pack nished 13th out of 26
teams and was led by senior
Margaret Doolittle, who
nished 26th overall in the
200-yard breaststroke. This
will be Nevadas nal meet
until Jan. 30, when the Wolf
Pack hosts Seattle University
in the teams nal regular
season meet before the WAC
Championships.
Nevada running back Mike Ball led his team to a
63-28 win over the Rebels on Oct. 3.
Nevada started the 2009 season 0-3. The Wolf Pack went on an eight-game winning streak after its loss to Missouri
and made many improvements from the start of the season. Nevada ended the regular season with a record of 8-4.
I
was extremely irritated after
Nevadas latest loss to Boise
State.
How could the Wolf Pack lose
to the Broncos again? It seemed
as though this season was nothing
more than another frustrating failed
attempt to show people Nevada
deserves to
be considered
for the Top 25
polls and that
it is more than
just the average
mid-major
school.
But, now that
a few days have
passed, Ive
realized that
Nevadas had
one heck of a
season. Its easy to only focus on the
negatives, but the team has come a
long way from the rst three games.
True, losing to Boise State was a
hard pill to swallow, but, honestly,
after Nevada started 0-3, how many
people expected the Wolf Pack
would be competitive at all?
It seems like ages ago, but there
was a time people questioned
if Nevada would win more than
three or four games. After being
embarrassed by Notre Dame on
NBC to start the season, the Wolf
Pack lost to Colorado State and
Missouri.
Fans were outraged. People were
scratching their heads. 0-3 how
could this happen? The offense
wasnt clicking, committing turnover
after turnover, and Nevadas
highly praised running game was
being held in check, with only one
100-yard rushing performance
during that span (Luke Lippincott
vs. Missouri).
Fans called for head coach
Chris Ault to be red. People were
losing faith fast in what was one of
Nevadas most-hyped seasons.
But the team wasnt quitting. It
had problems to x, but the team
showed improvement from game to
game. What the team needed was
a breakthrough, a win that would
boost the teams condence.
And then, the UNLV (University
of Nevada, Las Vegas) game hap-
pened. Nevada owes the Rebels a
huge thank you, because without
that game, Nevadas season could
have turned really ugly. Leave it
to an in-state rival to jump start a
season. The Wolf Pack racked up
more than 700 yards of offense,
won 63-28 and its season was
ofcially saved.
After averaging 363.7 yards per
game the rst three games of the
season, Nevadas offense came alive,
nishing the season with an average
of 521.6 yards per game, second in
the nation behind Houston.
Three players, running backs Vai
Taua and Lippincott and quarter-
back Colin Kaepernick, rushed for
more than 1,000 yards, the rst time
this has happened in NCAA history.
The defense improved almost on a
weekly basis, holding three of the
teams last four opponents to 21
points or fewer.
Nevada didnt just beat most of its
opponents; it creamed them. Out of
the Wolf Packs eight wins, ve were
by 23 points or more and only one
by fewer than 10 points.
Along the way, Nevada defeated
an upstart Idaho team, a streaking
Fresno State team and a dangerous
Utah State team.
Kaepernick became only the 10th
quarterback in NCAA history to
rush for more than 1,000 yards in
back-to-back seasons. People began
saying Boise State would have a
difcult time with the Wolf Pack.
This is the same team that, after its
loss to Missouri, was considered one
of the most disappointing teams of
the season.
The fact that heading into the
Boise State game people actually
believed Nevada had a chance was
amazing enough. Two months ago,
no one thought the Wolf Pack could
give the Broncos a game.
And give the team some credit.
After falling behind 27-3, Nevada
didnt quit. The team kept playing
and pulled to within eight in the
second half.
Nevadas rally did fall short, but
the teams ability to come back at all
after falling behind early shows just
how far this team has come since
the start of the season.
The Wolf Pack showed resiliency,
determination and heart in its game
against Boise State. The Broncos
were the better team on Friday, but
Nevada gave fans plenty of reasons
to be excited not only for the
upcoming bowl game, but for future
years as well.
When looking back on the 2009
season, it may be easy to only
remember the Boise State game,
or how Nevada struggled early in
the season. However, just seeing
fans disappointed at the Boise State
game shows just how high peoples
expectations of the team were raised
from the start of the season.
So, although losing is never easy
to take, Nevada has earned my
respect. The team really turned
things around and, despite seeming
unlikely at the time, made Notre
Dames shutout the rst game of the
season seem like nothing more than
a distant memory.
Lukas Eggen can be reached at leggen@
After 0-3 start, 8-4 nish
to the year is big positive
THE EGGHEAD
ON TAP
WEEKLY TOP 5

BEATING UNLV
After an 0-3 start, Nevadas
season was in danger of spiral-
ling out of control. However,
the Wolf Packs 63-28 victory
against the Rebels started an eight-game
winning streak that propelled Nevada to
a second place nish in the Western Ath-
letic Conference and what will be a fourth
straight bowl game appearance. The senior
class, which includes running back Luke Lip-
pincott, will leave the Wolf Pack undefeated
against UNLV.
NOTRE DAME
Although the result was less
than satisfying, beginning the
year at Notre Dame opened
the season with a bang. Playing
in front of more than 90,000 fans and on
national television showed just how far the
football program has come over the last
few years. The game was one of five na-
tionally televised games for the Wolf Pack,
a sign that the program is beginning to turn
a few heads.
BOISE STATE
While its true that the Wolf
Pack lost and the team certainly
struggled early, Nevadas game
against the Broncos showed
the team has come a long way since being
shut out by Notre Dame. Playing on ESPN2,
Nevada once again showed that the team
is a more than worthy opponent for the
Broncos, making Boise State fans sweat in
the second half.
IDAHO
The Vandals were the talk of the
WAC coming into the game. At
that point, Idaho was undefeated
in conference play and had an
overall record of 6-1. At the end of Nevadas
70-45 victory, the Wolf Pack showed every-
one that this team was back and should be
feared by the rest of the conference. And, it
showed that Idaho wasnt quite as good as
everyone thought.
FRESNO STATE
Going into the game, everyone
expected a close score. Instead,
the Wolf Pack smashed Fresno
State 52-14 and rmly estab-
lished itself as Boise States main threat for
a WAC Championship. It was the second
game in a row in which Nevada scored 50
points or more and helped Ne-
vada earn a vote for the
AP Top 25 for the rst
time since the start
of the season.
1
3
4
2
5
Moments of the
regular season
7
IS THE NUMBER OF POINTS BY WHICH THE MENS BASKETBALL TEAM LOST TO NO. 11 NORTH CAROLINA.
TEN IS THE NUMBER OF GAMES IN A ROW THE FOOTBALL TEAM HAS LOST TO BOISE STATE. NEVADAS LAST WIN
CAME IN 1998. 27 IS THE NUMBER OF POINTS FORWARD LUKE BABBITT SCORED AGAINST VIRGINIA COMMON-
WEALTH. THE TOTAL IS BABBITTS SEASON HIGH. TWO IS THE NUMBER OF WOMENS BASKETBALL PLAYERS WHO WERE
NAMED TO THE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM LAST WEEKEND. 18 IS THE NUMBER OF POINTS FORWARD SHAVON MOORE
SCORED AGAINST COLUMBIA ON FRIDAY. MOORE ALSO HAD 13 REBOUNDS IN THE GAME. FIVE IS THE NUMBER OF PASSING TOUCH-
DOWNS THE FOOTBALL TEAM GAVE UP AGAINST BOISE STATE. THE BRONCOS WON THE GAME 44-33. 13 IS THE PLACE THE SWIM-
MING AND DIVING TEAM TOOK AT THE TOSHIBA CLASSIC LAST WEEKEND. THERE WERE 26 TEAMS COMPETING AT THE MEET.
Lukas
Eggen
CASEYDURKIN/ NEVADA
SAGEBRUSH
Nevada
guard Armon
Johnson
points or more and n h
vada earrn
AP Top 2
time si
of the e ss
IINA A.
WWIN IN
MONN-
WERE
ORE
CH-
IM- M
EET.
CASEY

By Lukas Eggen
The mens basketball team
suffered two close losses last
week and is in the midst of
its first losing streak of the
season.
Despite forward Luke Bab-
bitts season-high 27 points
against Virginia Common-
wealth University, including
23 in the second half, and
a double-double against
North Carolina, the Wolf Pack
dropped both road games to
fall to 2-3 on the season. It is
the first time the team is below
.500 since the 2007-08 season,
when the team started 3-4.
Against VCU on Friday, the Wolf
Pack made a furious rally in the
second half, but it was not enough,
leaving the Rams with the win.
Nevada fell behind 35-28 at
halftime and trailed VCU 60-40
with 12:20 left in the game. But
thanks in large part to Babbitt,
the Wolf Pack pulled within
eight points with 5:11 remain-
ing. Nevada, however, would
not get any closer than seven
points for the rest of the contest
and the Rams pulled out the
victory.
Nevada guard Armon Johnson
and forward Dario Hunt failed to
nd any offensive rhythm, going
a combined 7-for-30 from the
eld for just 18 points.
Johnson averages 16 points per
game on the season while Hunt
averages 5.8 points per game.
Two days later, the Wolf Pack
visited Chapel Hill, N.C., to take
on North Carolina. Last season,
the Tar Heels defeated Nevada
84-61 in Reno.
Tar Heels head coach Roy Wil-
liams picked up his 600th career
win as North Carolina defeated
Nevada 80-73. He is only the
eighth active coach in the NCAA
to reach the milestone.
The game, however, was
much closer than many people
expected. After trailing 46-39 at
the half, Nevada went on a 18-6
run midway through the second
half to take a 59-58 lead with
10:31 remaining in the game.
Although they lost both
games, forward Luke Babbitt
continued to shine for the Wolf
Pack. He scored 15 points and
had 11 rebounds against the
Tar Heels, good for his fourth
consecutive double-double of
the season. Babbitt averages a
double-double on the season,
with 19.6 points per game and
10.8 rebounds per game.
Against both VCU and North
Carolina, Nevada matched its
season low in turnovers with
seven in each game.
Forward Joey Shaw contin-
ued his solid play, scoring 14
points against VCU and 11
points against North Carolina.
Shaw averages 14.2 points per
game this season, almost
double his average from last
season (7.4).
With the two losses, the
Wolf Pack is 0-3 on the road
this season. Nevada lost at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
on Nov. 18. VCU and North
Carolina were the rst two of a
three-game road trip for the Wolf
Pack. Nevada plays at Pacic on
Saturday before returning home
on Dec. 8, when the team hosts
Fresno Pacic.
sports DECEMBER 1, 2009 C3
BY THE NUMBERS
Despite going 0-2 last week,
Nevada played competitively.
42
1
is the combined number of
points Luke Babbitt scored
in the two games.
is the number of points Ne-
vada led North Carolina with
10:31 left in the game
7
Nevada trailed VCU by with
1:40 remaining in the game.
Despite great efforts from Nevada forwards Luke Babbitt, left, and Joey Shaw, the Wolf Pack dropped its two road games this season. Babbitt
and Shaw combined for 67 points and 38 rebounds against Virginia Commonwealth University and No. 11 North Carolina.
Tough weekend culminates in two losses
Nevada forward Dario Hunt showcased some of the offsea-
son offensive progression he made. Against North Carolina on
Sunday, Hunt scored a career-high 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting
and pulled down nine rebounds to go along with three blocks. He
even hit a turnaround 14-foot jump shot for good measure.
Although point guard Armon Johnson struggled against Vir-
ginia Commonwealth (just eight points on 3-of-18 shooting),
he stepped it up against the Tar Heels, scoring 20 points on
10-of-20 shooting.
N d f dD i H t h d f th ff
FINDING BRIGHT SPOTS IN A GLOOMY WEEKEND
Pack loses in
championship
game of Classic
Nevada forward Marissa Hammond was silenced for much of the
weekend. The forward, who came into the weekend averaging 8.5
points per game, scored just six points against Columbia on Friday
and was held scoreless against West Virginia on Saturday.
By Lukas Eggen
The Wolf Pack womens bas-
ketball team started out hot be-
fore losing in the championship
game and settling for second
place at the Nugget Classic last
weekend. The Wolf Pack opened
the tournament with a 64-47 vic-
tory against Columbia on Friday
before falling to West Virginia in
the championship game 66-41
on Saturday.
NEVADA PLAYERS SHINE
AGAINST COLUMBIA
During the Wolf Packs victory
against Columbia, two Nevada
players set career highs in
points. Forward Shavon Moore
poured in 18 points while Nicole
Williams added 14 points, four
rebounds and one assist for
the Wolf Pack. In addition to
her 18 points, Moore added
13 rebounds to record her rst
double-double of the season.
The Lions led 10-4 early in the
rst half, but the Wolf Pack went
on a 13-6 run to take the lead
at 17-16. Nevada worked and
extended its lead at halftime
32-26.
Moore and Williams led the
Wolf Pack in the second half, as
the team pulled away from the
Lions and lead Columbia 58-40
with fewer than six minutes
remaining in the game.
WEST VIRGINIA WOES
A day after defeating Colum-
bia, the Wolf Pack faced West
Virginia in the championship
game of the Nugget Classic.
The Mountaineers built up a
16-point lead at halftime and then
withstood Nevadas comeback at-
tempts to take the game 66-41.
The Wolf Pack trailed by eight
points midway through the rst
half, but West Virginia went on
an 18-10 run to end the half to
go up 35-19 heading into the
second half of the game.
The Wolf Pack pulled to within
13 in the second half after a
layup by Nicole Williams, but
the team was not able to get any
closer.
Nevada struggled to nd its
shot during the game, shoot-
ing just 31.4 percent from the
eld, while West Virginia shot
38.7 percent from the eld. The
Mountaineers got to the free
throw line 24 times compared to
just 10 for the Wolf Pack.
One of the few bright spots
for Nevada during the game was
point guard Amanda Johnson. A
day after going 1-for-8 from the
eld, Johnson scored a career-
high 11 points in the losing
effort.
TWO NAMED TO ALL-
TOURNAMENT TEAM
Nevada forward Shavon Moore
and guard Nicole Williams were
named to the Nugget Classic
all-Tournament Team.
Moore averaged 10 points
per game and 10.5 rebounds
per game. She led the team in
rebounds in both of Nevadas
games at the Nugget Classic.
Williams averaged 11 points
land four rebounds over the two
games.
Nevadas next game is
Wednesday, when it hosts
Sacramento State at noon. The
game kicks off a ve-day stretch
in which Nevada will play three
games. The team travels to
Arizona to face the Wildcats at 7
p.m. Friday before returning on
Sunday to take on the Univer-
sity of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels
at 2 p.m.
Nevada for-
ward Shavon
Moore scored
a career-high
18 points on
Friday against
Columbia. She
also pulled
down 13 re-
bounds.
Shavon
Moore
FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Slow start dooms
Nevada vs. Boise
By Lukas Eggen
After giving up 21 points or
fewer in its last four games,
Nevada found itself facing
a 20-0 decit after the rst
quarter against Boise State.
The quick start by the Broncos
began with wide receiver Titus
Youngs 95-yard kickoff return
for a touchdown on the games
rst play.
Im getting tired of falling
behind and jumping back,
Nevada head coach Chris Ault
said. Thats disappointing.
This was the second game
in a row against Boise State in
which Nevada faced a large
early decit. In 2008, the Bron-
cos built a 24-3 lead in the rst
half.
Although the Wolf Pack fell
behind by as many as 24 points
in the rst half, coaches and
players fought their way back
into the game, pulling to within
eight points.
I was proud in the second
half that we played hard, Ault
said. We didnt back off and
kept going.
But the Wolf Packs rally fell
short, leaving players with yet
another lost opportunity to
beat the Broncos.
We battled back, Nevada
running back Vai Taua said.
We just didnt capitalize on the
chances we had.
LOSING STREAK TO THE
BRONCOS EXTENDS
With the loss, Nevada has now
lost the last 10 games against
Boise State. The Wolf Packs last
victory in this series came in
1998.
For Nevada running back
Luke Lippincott, who is winless
against the Broncos in his six
years of eligibility with Nevada,
the loss is difcult to swallow.
Its a sad loss, Lippincott said.
We wanted to take it to them.
Although Boise State
dominated the early part of the
game, Nevada pulled to within
one possession and had various
opportunities to tie the game.
We had our chances and
didnt take advantage of them,
Ault said. They just played
better.
One reason that Nevada was
held in check is that the Bron-
cos held Nevada to 242 rushing
yards in the game, well below
the teams season average of
362.3 yards per game.
I think they just played some
really sound defense, Taua
said. Their guys didnt really
make mistakes.
ONE GAME-SEASON
With a record of 8-4, the
Nevada football team will be
headed to a bowl game this
season. And although the loss
to Boise State stung, players are
looking forward to ending the
season on a high note.
Itll be our seniors last game,
Taua said. I dont see a problem
in getting ready for it.
And although the Wolf Pack
will be coming off a loss, defen-
sive end Dontay Moch said the
team will be ready.
We came back (after) three
losses earlier in the season,
Moch said. We wont let this
loss change us.
Nevada will likely nd out
what bowl game it will compete
in by sometime next week.
NOTES
The win moved Boise State
to 70-2 on its home turf dating
back to the start of the 1999
season.
By kicking off on the games
rst play, the Wolf Pack went
through its entire regular sea-
son always kicking off to start
games.
Nevada quarterback Colin
Kaepernick completed his rst
pass of the second half with
about 10:00 left in the fourth
quarter.
Nevadas eight-game winning
streak was snapped. The streak
was the Wolf Packs longest
since joining the WAC.
The Wolf Pack punted six
times against Boise State.
Coming into the game, it was
averaging just three punts per
contest.
We came back (after)
three losses earlier this
season. We wont let
this loss change us.
Wolf Pack defensive
end Dontay Moch
Three players achieve
career highs over weekend
Junior guard Johnna Ward has provided most of the offense
this year, leading the team in points (12.2 per game) and shots
taken (65).
Despite having the, statistically, worst offense in the Western
Athletic Conference (averaging only 54.8 points per game), Ne-
vada holds a 4-2 record thanks to its defense.
The Wolf Pack leads the WAC in scoring defense, allowing
opponents only 49.7 points per game this year. Nevadas six op-
ponents have combined to shoot just 33.7 percent against the
tenacious Wolf Pack defense which averages 11.7 steals per game.
Nevada is also winning games because of its strong rebound-
ing. The Wolf Pack holds the best defensive rebound percentage
in the WAC this year (69.3) and it has yet to be outrebounded in
a game.
J i d J h W d h id d t f th ff
SEASON TRENDS SO FAR FOR THE PACK
BY THE NUMBERS
Three Nevada players notched
career-bests in points.
11
8
point guard Amanda John-
son scored on Saturday vs.
West Virginia, a career best
is the number of shots Moore
made on Friday, en route to a
career-best 18 points
14
guard Nicole Williams had
Friday, a career best
WOMENS BASKETBALL
MENS BASKETBALL
agate www.nevadasagebrush.com C4 DECEMBER 1, 2009
BRIEFS
WOMENS BASKETBALL
Team to host area
schools event
The womens basketball team
invites all area elementary and
middle schools to Partner with
the Pack and attend Nevadas
game against Sacramento State
on Wednesday at noon.
The eld trip will emphasize
education, especially math.
Each student will receive a
packet of activities to complete
throughout the game.
All participants will receive
free admission to Wednesdays
game and will be allowed to
bring a sack lunch to eat during
the game. Students will also
have a chance to win one of ve
go-peds during the game.
The event is open to all
elementary and middle school
students as well as staff of all
Northern Nevada youth organi-
zations.
If you are interested in partici-
pating, contact Darron Pinkney
at 775-682-6963.
The womens basketball team
nished second at the Nugget
Classic last weekend, losing to
West Virginia in the Champion-
ship game.
FOOTBALL
WAC players receive
academic awards
Fresno State guard Andrew
Jackson has been selected as
a member of ESPN The Maga-
zines Academic All-American
Football First Team for the 2009-
10 season.
To be eligible, student-athletes
must be a starter or key reserve,
maintain a grade point average
of at least 3.30, have reached
sophomore athletic and aca-
demic status and be nominated
by the schools sports informa-
tion director.
Jackson is a key member of
Fresno States offensive line,
which has paved the way for
running back Ryan Mathews,
the nations top running back in
terms of yards per game.
Jackson is a business adminis-
tration management major and
has a GPA of 3.92. Jackson is the
rst Bulldogs football player to
receive the distinction.
In addition to Jackson, Fresno
State punter Robert Malone was
selected to the second-team
Academic All-America team.
Malone is averaging 45.4 yards
per punt and is a kinesiology
major with a GPA of 3.51
VOLLEYBALL
Hawaii earns No. 12
seed in tourney
After winning its 10th straight
Western Athletic Conference
Tournament last week, the
University of Hawaiis vol-
leyball team earned the No. 12
seed in the NCAA Volleyball
Tournament, which begins this
weekend.
The Rainbow Wahine (28-2)
will play New Mexico on Friday
on the campus of the University
of Southern California.
The Lobos, who earned an
at-large berth, nished third in
the Mountain West Conference
with a 10-6 conference record
and 20-9 overall.
Hawaii has earned a top 16
seed in the NCAA Tournament
for six straight years and has ad-
vanced to the NCAA Regionals
in 10 of the last 11 tournaments
Hawaii has competed in.
If Hawaii wins, it will face the
winner of the USC-Oklahoma
match on Dec. 5.
Hawaii will be the only team
from the WAC competing at the
NCAA Tournament.
Nevada fell in the rst round of
the WAC Tournament to Fresno
State 3-2 last Monday.
VOLLEYBALL
Three players earn
WAC honors
Three of Nevadas volleyball
players were awarded confer-
ence honors.
For the second year in a row,
junior Kylie Harrington was
named to rst-team all-Western
Athletic Conference.
Harrington led the Wolf Pack
in kills and points per set, aver-
aging 3.55 kills and 3.89 points
per set.
Junior middle blocker Lindsey
Baldwin was selected to second
team all-WAC after averaging a
team-high 1.06 blocks per set
and was second on the team in
kills with 2.41 per set.
Freshman Elissa Ji was select-
ed to the WAC freshmen squad.
Ji averaged 1.21 kills per set and
1.89 points per set after earning
a starting spot in her rst season
with Nevada.
FOOTBALL
Nate Burleson has
strong game
Former Nevada wide receiver
Nate Burleson had a team-high
four receptions for 46 yards as
the Seattle Seahawks defeated
the St. Louis Rams 27-17 on
Sunday to keep the teams slim
playoff hopes alive.
For the season, Burleson is
second on the team in recep-
tions with 55 but leads the team
in receiving yards with 708. His
three receiving touchdowns are
tied for the team high with T.J.
Houshmandzadeh and John
Carlson.
Burleson played for the Wolf
Pack from 2000-03, where he was
one of Nevadas top receivers.
He was originally drafted by
the Minnesota Vikings in the
2003 National Football League
Draft before being traded to the
Seattle Seahawks.
BASKETBALL
Sessions shines in
loss to Phoenix
Former Nevada basketball
player Ramon Sessions led the
Minnesota Timberwolves in
scoring as the Timberwolves lost
to the Phoenix Suns 120-95.
Sessions was 10 for 13 from
the eld and scored 23 points to
go along with four rebounds.
Sessions played for Nevada
from 2004-07 where he averaged
8.8 points per game and had 478
career assists before foregoing
his senior year to enter the
National Basketball Association
in 2007.
Sessions was drafted by the
Milwaukee Bucks in 2007, with
whom he played for two seasons
before signing with the Timber-
wolves this past offseason.
Sessions has played in all 16
games so far this season for the
Timberwolves and is fourth on
the team in scoring, averaging
8.6 points per game and second
on the team in assists, averaging
3.3 per game. The Timberwovles
are 1-15 on the season.
RESULTS
SATURDAY, NOV. 28
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 T
Nevada 0 16 10 7 33
Boise State 20 7 7 10 44
Boise State Nevada
Rushing Rushing
No. Yds TD No. Yds TD
Martin, D 16 128 0 Taua, V 24 160 1
Avery, J 14 37 0 Wellington, C 3 45 0
Moore, K 2 2 0 Kaepernick, C 16 31 0

Passing Passing
Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD
Moore, K 17-33-0 262 5 Kaepernick, C 12-22-0 141 3
Receiving Receiving
No. Yds TD No. Yds TD
Young, T 4 69 0 Wimberly, B 4 58 1
Moore, K 3 69 1 Session, T 3 47 1
Paul, D 3 22 3 Green, V 2 11 1
Martin, D 2 25 0 Wellington, C 1 31 0

Defense
Tackles Sacks Int Tackles Sacks Int
White, H 8 0 0 Amaya, J 12 0 0
Jeron, J 7 0 0 Moch, D 6 0 0
Percy, JC 7 0 0 Miller, D 6 0 0
Arcey, D 5 0 0 Madonick, Z 5 0 0
Tevis, A 5 1 0 Bethea, M 5 0 0
Thompson, B 5 0 0 Grimes, K 4 0 0
Iloka, G 5 0 0 Johnson, JM 4 0 0
Winn, B 5 0 0 Williams, D 4 0 0
Wilson, K 4 0 0 Agaiava, N 3 0 0
Kickoff Returns
No. Yds Long No. Yds Long
Young, T 5 156 95 Ball, M 5 82 25

2009 WAC STATISTICAL
LEADERS
Category Name School Statistic
Rushing Ryan Mathews FSU 149.1
yds/game
Receiving Greg Salas UH 129.9
yds/game
Total Offense Diondre Borel USU 278.6
yds/game
Punt returns Marcus Anderson NMSU 11.4
yds/return
Kickoff returns Phillip Livas NMSU 27.8
yds/return
Football
WAC FOOTBALL
SCORES FROM NOV. 28
Utah State (W) vs. Idaho 52-49
at Moscow, Idaho
San Jose State (W) vs. New Mexico State 13-10
at San Jose, Calif.
Hawaii (W) vs. Navy 24-17
at Honolulu
Bye week: Louisiana Tech, Fresno State
2009 NEVADA
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Category Name Statistic
Rushing Vai Taua 122.3
yds/game
Receiving Brandon Wimberly 54.4
yds/game
Total Offense Colin Kaepernick 252.9
yds/game
Punt returns Kaelin Burnett 24.0
yds/return
Kickoff returns Mike Ball 24.7
yds/return
Punting Brad Langley 40.6
yds/kick
Tackles Jonathon Amaya 83
Sacks Kevin Basped 7.5

Tackles for loss Moch 19.5

Interceptions Khalid Wooten 2
2009 WAC STANDINGS
Team Conference Standings Overall
Boise State 7-0 12-0
Nevada 7-1 8-4
Fresno State 6-2 7-4
Idaho 4-4 7-5
Hawaii 3-5 6-6
Utah State 3-5 4-8
Louisiana Tech 2-5 3-8
New Mexico State 1-6 3-9
San Jose State 1-6 2-9
Womens Basketball
FRIDAY, NOV. 27
Team 1 2 T
Columbia 26 21 47
Nevada 32 32 64
Columbia FGM-A FTM-A REB AST MIN PTS
Browne, D 4-11 1-3 3 1 30 9
Barry, K 3-7 0-1 4 0 28 8
Yee, S 2-4 2-2 2 1 31 6
Lomax, J 3-11 3-6 10 2 34 9
Dwyer, L 2-7 4-5 3 1 31 8
Simmons, B 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
Fuller, J 0-0 0-0 0 0 5 0
Lee, D 0-0 1-2 0 0 2 1
Stachon, C 0-0 0-0 2 1 10 0
Simpson, B 0-0 0-0 0 0 4 0
Shafer, M 1-5 0-0 0 0 9 3
Chadalavada, B 0-1 0-0 0 0 2 0
Beato, M 0-3 1-2 0 0 9 1
Ball, T 1-1 0-0 0 0 4 2
TOTALS 16-50 12-21 33 6 200 47
Nevada FGM-A FTM-A REB AST MIN PTS
Williams, N 6-9 2-4 4 1 24 14
Ward, J 1-3 2-2 0 0 27 5
Johnson, A 1-8 2-2 3 2 29 5
Hammond, M 1-4 4-4 6 1 24 6
Moore, S 8-14 1-1 13 1 30 18
Woodard, B 1-3 0-0 1 1 9 2
Jones, H 0-5 0-0 1 0 15 0
Gross, J 2-4 0-0 1 0 18 4
Lombardi, M 2-3 4-4 4 2 16 8
Willams, K 1-2 0-2 3 0 11 2

TOTALS 13-55 15-19 41 8 200 64
2009 NATIONAL
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing Ryan Mathews FSU 149.1
yds/game
Receiving Danario Alexander UM 137.0
yds/game
Total Offense Case Keenum UH 420.17
yds/game
Punt returns William Wright UA 19.18
yds/return
2009 NEVADA
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points Luke Babbitt 19.2
/game
Rebounds Luke Babbitt 10.8
/game
Assists Armon Johnson 5.4
/game
Blocks Dario Hunt 2.4
/game
2009 WAC STATISTICAL
LEADERS
Points Jonathan Gibson NMSU 21.6
/game
Rebounds Luke Babbitt Nevada 10.8
/game
Assists Armon Johnson Nevada 5.4
/game
Blocks Marvin Jefferson Idaho 2.6
/game
Mens Basketball
FRIDAY, NOV. 27
Team 1 2 T
Virginia Commonwealth 35 50 85
Nevada 28 48 76
Virginia Commonwealth FGM-A FTM-A REB AST MIN PTS
Gavin, J 3-7 3-6 5 0 20 9
Sanders, L 5-12 7-12 14 2 30 17
Rodriguez, J 2-5 3-3 3 6 30 7
Burgess, B 4-10 3-3 5 0 32 12
Gwynn, TJ 4-8 1-2 7 1 28 9
Theus, D 1-1 1-1 1 2 12 3
Pishschalnikov, K 1-1 2-4 1 0 9 4
Rozzell, B 3-6 0-0 3 1 19 7
Nixon, E 6-9 3-4 3 0 20 17
TOTALS 29-59 23-35 45 12 200 85
Fields, B 4-14 5-9 9 3 36 13
Shaw, J 5-8 3-5 7 1 32 14
Babbitt, L 12-25 3-4 11 2 40 27
Johnson, A 3-18 2-2 5 4 38 8
Hunt, D 4-12 2-4 13 1 26 10
Giles, L 0-1 0-0 2 0 3 0
Cukic, M 1-1 2-2 0 0 9 4
Kraemer, R 0-1 0-0 0 0 14 0
Carp, A 0-2 0-0 0 0 2 0

TOTALS 29-82 17-26 50 11 200 76
SUNDAY, NOV. 29
Team 1 2 T
North Carolina 46 34 80
Nevada 39 34 73
North Carolina FGM-A FTM-A REB AST MIN PTS
Ginyard, M 4-11 1-4 6 4 35 10
Graves, W 2-8 2-3 5 0 20 6
Thompson, D 10-17 3-5 8 3 32 23
Davis, E 6-9 4-8 15 2 29 16
Drew II, L 4-7 2-3 3 10 31 12
Watts, J 1-1 0-1 0 1 6 2
Zeller, T 2-5 0-0 4 0 15 4
Henson, J 3-4 0-0 1 0 10 7
Strickland, D 0-1 0-0 1 0 9 0
Wear, D 0-4 0-0 0 0 10 0
Wear, T 0-0 0-0 0 0 3 0
TOTALS 32-67 12-24 43 20 200 80
Fields, B 3-9 2-2 3 2 35 8
Johnson, A 10-20 0-0 2 4 34 20
Kraemer, R 2-5 0-0 2 0 17 5
Shaw, J 4-10 0-0 7 1 29 11
Babbitt , L 5-17 4-4 11 1 37 15
Carp, A 0-0 0-0 0 0 2 0
Giles, L 0-1 0-0 0 0 6 0
Hunt, D 6-10 0-0 9 0 27 12
Cukic, M 1-3 0-0 0 0 13 2

TOTALS 31-75 6-6 34 8 200 73
SATURDAY, NOV. 28
Team 1 2 T
West Virginia 35 31 66
Nevada 19 22 41
West Virgina FGM-A FTM-A REB AST MIN PTS
Miles, S 5-13 0-0 4 7 34 15
Repella, L 3-8 1-3 9 2 30 10
Bussie, A 6-15 0-0 12 1 27 16
Campbell, K 3-9 1-3 9 2 33 10
Alie, M 1-7 0-1 6 1 25 3
Capers, J 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
House, V 2-5 0-1 1 1 24 4
Richards, K 2-2 0-0 3 1 11 4
Wright, A 0-0 0-0 0 0 2 0
Burton, N 2-3 0-0 2 0 13 4
TOTALS 24-62 2-8 48 15 200 66
Williams, N 4-8 0-0 4 1 27 8
Ward, J 3-12 1-2 1 2 29 8
Johnson, A 4-10 2-2 3 2 30 11
Hammond, M 0-2 0-0 3 0 24 0
Moore, S 0-3 2-2 7 0 21 2
Woodardm B 0-1 2-3 0 0 11 2
Jones, H 0-3 0-0 2 1 11 0
Gross, J 2-3 0-0 0 1 13 4
Lombardi, M 0-4 0-1 5 2 16 0
Williams, K 3-5 0-0 2 1 18 6
TOTALS 16-51 7-10 31 10 200 41
2009 NEVADA
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points Johnna Ward 12.2
/game
Rebounds Shavon Moore 7.12
/game
Assists Amanda Johnson 2.33
/game
Blocks Marissa Hammond 1.33
/game
2009 WAC
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points Jaleesa Ross FSU 21.3
/game
Rebounds Shanavia Dowdell LT 10.0
/game
Assists Jasmine Bendolph LT 4.7
/game
Blocks Shawna Kuehu UH 1.8
/game
sports DECEMBER 1, 2009 C5
Pr|cos uno purl|c|pul|on muy vury. 2CC9 McDonu|o's.
By Chris Muller
When University of Nevada,
Reno senior Kara LaPoints col-
legiate athletic eligibility ran out,
the last thing she wanted to do
was stop competing at a high
level.
LaPoint, a 22-year old journal-
ism major and former member
of the Wolf Pack track and eld
and ski teams, started training
to become a triathlete soon after
her NCAA career was nished.
LaPoint, who often writes sto-
ries for The Nevada Sagebrush,
competed in her rst triathlon,
which combines three different
events: cycling, running and
swimming, last July in Sacramen-
to, Calif., which was an Olympic
distance triathlon. It consisted of
a 1.2-mile swim, 24-mile bike and
a 10-kilometer run.
A few weeks ago, LaPoint com-
peted in a three-day Lake Tahoe
marathon. The race consisted of
a three-mile swim on day one,
a 72-mile bike ride around the
lake on day two, followed by a
26-mile marathon run on the
following day. The times were
kept cumulative each day.
(The race) was the hard-
est thing Id ever done, said
LaPoint, a native of Truckee,
Calif. I ended up winning over-
all. I beat all the guys so that was
pretty cool.
After skiing and running track
at the University of Denver
as well as with the Wolf Pack,
LaPoints focus shifted to
running half-marathons and
marathons this semester. The
Truckee Meadows region does
not have a lot of these races, so
LaPoint spends most weekends
traveling solo across California
for races.
Im leaving (the races) and
people are always saying, Dont
you have anyone with you?
she said. Its hard.
With a 17-credit class load and
a daily commute from Truckee
to Reno for classes, LaPoint has
to balance her time effectively.
LaPoint has been running,
skiing and swimming most of
her life. Competitive athletics
have been ingrained within her
family. Her mother, Margie, is
a competitive cyclist and cross
country skier while her father,
Bob, is a former world cham-
pion water skier.
LaPoint considers her athletic
parents her biggest role models.
Margie LaPoint said that Kara
always pushes herself to the
limit.
(Karas) competitive spirit is
in her genes, Margie said.
LaPoint, who will graduate
in December, is looking for-
ward to having extra time to
devote to her training.
Her new goal is to make the
Kona Iron Man triathlon in
Santa Cruz, Calif., next year.
The triathlon consists of a
2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile
bike ride and a 26-mile mara-
thon run in one day. She also
has aspirations of making the
United States Olympic Team
in time for the 2016 Summer
Olympics.
I dont think Ill be ready in
time for (the 2012 games), she
said.
LaPoints best friend, Chelsea
Holmes, who skied for the Wolf
Pack from 2006-09, said that
LaPoint is an amazing all-
around athlete.
Holmes added that LaPoint has
unparalleled mental tough-
ness and has a great chance to
make the United States Olympic
team.
Kara is incredibly strong, she
said. Its just a matter of apply-
ing herself and going for it.
Chris Muller can be reached at
sports@nevadasagebrush.com.
Triathlete aims for Olympics
PHOTOCOURTESYOFNEVADAMEDIASERVICES
Nevada senior Kara LaPoint ran cross country and was on the ski
team for both the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of
Denver. After her NCAA eligibility ran out, she focused on becoming
a triathlete and now hopes to compete in the 2016 Summer
Olympics.
PHOTOCOURTESYOFMARGIELAPOINT
sports
C6 DECEMBER 1, 2009
Wolf Pack mens head bas-
ketball coach David Carter said
he is proud of how Fields has
bounced back from the 2008-09
season.
Sometimes when a young
man gets in a situation he was
in, its hard to ght and get back
to where you were, Carter said.
Hes done a great job in the
spring, the summer and the fall
to let that go. Its a new season,
hes gotten past what happened
and its been good to see him
come out stronger.
Unfortunately, sometimes
young men like him need an
eye-opening experience like
that to put everything in per-
spective for them.
Fields is now back to his regu-
lar role as a starter for the Wolf
Pack this season and his impact
on the team goes far beyond
just his scoring.
Many times at Nevadas
basketball games, Fields takes
younger players aside to share
some of the wisdom hes learned
with them.
Im going to be the senior
leader this year, he said. We
have a sophomore leader in
Luke (Babbitt) and a junior
leader in Armon (Johnson), so
Im going to try to be the main
senior leader. Im going to try
to take everyone under my
wing and teach them. They all
know what Ive been through
and Ive come out better for
it.
Carter is already taking notice
of Fields changed mentality
from last season.
Hes come out this year
very determined, Carter said.
You can tell that hes taken a
leadership position and thats
good because its going to
fall on his shoulders as well
as Armon Johnsons because
theyve been here the longest
and they know the program
best.
Redemption
until its healed over so itll take
probably another month or
two.
Right now, I cant run. Its
going to affect my track season
a lot. Im supposed to be back
training the rst week of Janu-
ary and I probably wont be able
to. Hopefully Ill be able to do
outdoor track, but indoor is out
of the question.
Besides the accident taking a
toll on Palmers athletic career,
both Wood and Palmer have
felt the effects of this tragedy in
their schoolwork.
Wood, a 22-year-old senior,
said he had to miss a lot of
classes and work furiously to
get back on track. Its been more
difcult for Palmer.
Ive had to drop a class
because of this, she admitted.
Since its affected my sleep, its
been hard to even get up and
go to class. It was a traumatic
experience and I go through
ashbacks and anxiety. Its been
extremely hard. My teachers
have been awesome through-
out this whole thing, but its still
going to take me a while to get
back on track.
Amidst the disaster of that
ill-fated night, the couple has
received ample support from
friends, the community and
even strangers.
There was a girl from Sweden
who sent Kristin a message on
Facebook saying she saw her on
the news and offered her sup-
port, Wood said.
Wood added that the entire
ordeal has served as a measur-
ing stick of who your true
friends are. For Palmer, a true
friend came in the form of a
well-wishing teammate.
My teammate Jenifer McEn-
tire immediately opened up
her arms to me, Palmer said.
Her and her roommates have
basically babied me for the past
couple of weeks. It was weird
because before that, her and I
were not that close. But shes
just that kind of person who will
help in any situation. Im really
grateful she came along.
Palmer
as a serious contender for next
years Heisman Trophy.
Simply put, Kaepernick can-
not win a big game. Lets take a
walk down memory lane. In the
last three seasons, in big games
(games against ranked teams
and bowl games), Kaepernick
is 0-8 as a starting quarterback.
He has guided the Wolf Pack to
six losses against ranked teams
(Boise State twice, Missouri
twice, Notre Dame and Texas
Tech) and two in bowl games
(New Mexico and Maryland).
But then I kept thinking: If
Kaepernick is so great against
inferior teams, why is it so hard
for him to win a big game?
Then it hit me its Ault.
Kaepernick is a direct reec-
tion of his head coach Chris
Ault.
Going back even further, Ault
has lost his last 12 big games
(nine vs. ranked opponents
and three bowl games) by an
average score of 40-18.
The most points Nevadas
usually high-powered offense
has scored in one of these
games is 35.
Ault is often criticized when
his team loses to a big-time op-
ponent and its well-deserved.
His players often look awe-
struck, ill-prepared and lacka-
daisical.
But the boo birds go away
when the 25th-year head
coach picks up wins over
teams like Hawaii, the Univer-
sity of Nevada, Las Vegas and
Louisiana Tech. Well, Im tired
of settling for wins against
crappy teams.
If this program wants to get
to the next level, its going to
have to pick up wins against
big opponents.
Im pretty sure everyones
had enough moral victories.
If wins and losses were based
on moral victories, the Wolf
Pack would be in the Bowl
Championship Series na-
tional title game.
Im tired of seeing Nevada fall
short.
Its time to get over the hump,
and if Aults not the one who
can take us to the promised
land, then nd someone who
can. Tenure means nothing if
you cant keep progressing.
Choke
Packs ground game falters
By Juan Lpez
Throwing the ball 22 times
may not seem like a lot.
But for Nevada, who runs the
ball about 48 times per game
(fth-highest in the nation), 22
was too many against Boise in
a mid-30 degree temperature
with heavy rain.
The Broncos (12-0, 7-0 West-
ern Athletic Conference) suc-
cessfully took the Wolf Pack (8-4,
7-1 WAC) out of its game plan by
slowing down its vaunted rush-
ing attack.
Take away a 71-yard touch-
down run from Wolf Pack
running back Vai Taua and the
Broncos defense held Nevada to
171 rushing yards on 43 carries
(four yards per carry) and no
touchdowns a far cry from
the 373 rushing yards, 7.8 yards
per carry and four touchdowns
Nevada averaged before the
game.
Theyre the best defense
weve played in the last four or
ve weeks; theres no question
about it, Nevada football head
coach Chris Ault said after his
teams 44-33 loss to Boise State
on Friday night. But there was
nothing that we hadnt expected
they just played better.
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick
and running back Luke Lippin-
cott were two key players who
under performed for the Wolf
Pack. They came in averaging a
combined 196 rushing yards per
game. Boise State held the pair
to just 37 yards on 17 carries.
They were spying on Kaep
and they were switching up their
(defensive) fronts a lot so we
couldnt really put (the defend-
ers) in the places we wanted to
put them, said Lippincott, who
had just one carry for six yards
in the game.
The Broncos routinely waited
until the Nevada offense lined
up before lining up themselves.
When Kaepernick was ready to
snap the ball, some Boise State
linemen would shift either left
or right, which would force
Kaepernick to switch to a differ-
ent play.
We were just having to
adjust last-second and the
crowd was loud so we did ev-
erything on silent count so we
constantly had to be looking
at the ball, Lippincott said.
We made our adjustments at
halftime, but it was just too
late at that point.
Nevada was not only forced
to adjust to Boise States shift-
ing defense, it was also forced
to alter its playcalling after the
Broncos jumped out to a 27-3
lead early in the fourth quarter.
It was tough after that, Lip-
pincott said. We had to change
up our gameplan a little bit and
throw a little bit more because
we had to score quick touch-
downs.
After slowing down the
Nevada rushing attack for the
majority of the game, Boise
State made its own mark on the
ground. Broncos running back
Doug Martin gashed the Nevada
defense for a career-high 128
yards on 16 carries (eight yards
per carry), becoming the rst
player to rush for more than 100
yards against the Wolf Pack this
season.
After the game, Ault wasnt
shy on praising Boise State for
the job they did offensively and
defensively on the ground.
I think theyre better than
Notre Dame, better than Mis-
souri, Ault said. Theyre the
best team we have played.
(Broncos head coach Chris
Petersen) and those guys do a
great job of coaching them and
thats why theyre where theyre
at.
The Wolf Packs regular sea-
son is now over, but it still has a
bowl game left on the horizon. It
is still uncertain where Nevada
will land, and Saturdays Hawaii
vs. Wisconsin football game will
have large implications for the
Wolf Pack.
Should Hawaii win, the War-
riors would become bowl eli-
gible and likely take the spot for
the Hawaii Bowl, which would
leave Nevada with one fewer
opening for a bowl game.
Running back Luke Lippincott and quarterback Colin Kaeper-
nick came in to the Boise State game averaging a combined 196
rushing yards per game. The Broncos held the duo to 37 yards on
17 carries.
Boise State running back Doug Martin rushed for 128 yards
on 16 carries against Nevada for an average of eight yards per
carry. He was the rst 100-yard rusher the Wolf Pack allowed
this season.
Nevada still has a bowl game left to play. It is unclear, how-
ever, which bowl game the Wolf Pack will be headed to.
The Wolf Pack runs the ball about 48 times per game. That is
the fth highest in the nation.
R i b k L k Li i tt d t b k C li K
RUN GAME GROUNDED
Head coach Chris Ault
is winless in his last nine
games against ranked op-
ponents.
Quarterback Colin Kaep-
ernick is 0-6 against ranked
teams and 0-2 in bowl
games as a starter.
Nevada has lost its last 12
big games (nine vs. ranked
opponents and three bowl
games) by an average of 22.
H d h Ch i A lt
PRESSURE
PHOTOSCOURTESYOFTHESPARKSFIREDEPARTMENT
Top: Fireghters pull the car out of Woods and Palmers home. Bottom: Woods and Palmer, in the middle
of the photo, pose with some of the reghters who helped rescue them from the bottom of the car.
Brandon Fields was
benched last season and did
not start a game.
In 2007, Fields started 32
games and was Nevadas top
returning scorer.
Fields was cited for a
misdemeanor and was sus-
pended indenitely from the
team.
This year, Fields is the
seventh leading scorer in the
conference, averaging 16.2
points per game.
Fields is also averaging
ve rebounds per game and
is shooting 47 percent from
the eld.
B d Fi ld
THIRD OPTION
Wood said the couple
was close to avoiding the car
altogether. He said the night
before the car crashed into
their house, the couple al-
most fell asleep in the living
room watching a movie.
W d id th l
CLOSE CALL
boise beatdown DECEMBER 1, 2009 C7
BSU DOMINATES ON SMURF TURF, WINS WAC
Clockwise from top left:
Nevada quarterback Colin
Kaepernick was held to just 31 rushing
yards on 16 carries by the tenacious
Boise State defense. Kaepernick got
the job done through the air, however,
going 12-for-22 for 141 yards and three
touchdowns. Kaepernick was sacked
twice and pressured multiple times by
the Broncos defense.
Despite Wolf Pack linebacker
Brandon Marshalls (shown
sandwiched in between a pair of Boise
State offensive linemen) best efforts,
Broncos running back Doug Martin,
left, rushed for a career-high 128 yards
on 16 carries in the game. Although
Martin did not break off many long
runs (the longest run was 18 yards), he
consistently ran deep into Nevadas
defense.
The Nevada cheerleaders tried
their best to get their team hyped up
before the game, but Boise State killed
any momentum the Wolf Pack had
on the rst play of the game. Broncos
wide receiver Titus Young took the
opening kickoff and ran 95 yards for a
touchdown.
Boise State quarterback Kellen
Moore proved why he is one of the top
players in the nation against the Wolf
Pack, throwing for 262 yards and ve
touchdowns on just 17 completions
against Nevada. Moore averaged 15.4
yards per completion and completed
passes to nine different receivers.
Wolf Pack wide receiver Brandon
Wimberly caught a touchdown pass
from Kaepernick with just 0:03 left in
the rst half. Wimberlys catch pulled
Nevada to within 27-16. The redshirt
freshman nished the game with four
catches, 58 yards and a touchdown
catch.
PHOTOSBYCASEYDURKIN/NEVADASAGEBRUSH
Nevada kick returner Mike Ball was stied by the Boise State kickoff team, averaging just 16.4 yards per return in his teams 44-33 loss to the Broncos. Boise State won the Western Athletic Conference championship.
Ailing Pack seeks
rst road victory
STAFF PICKS
PESSIMIST SAYS: The Wolf Pack has
lost three of its last four games, despite
having the lead in the second half in all
three losses. The Tigers have yet to let
an opponent score more than 65 points
and they shut down Nevadas main
scorers. The game becomes a slugfest in
the second half and the Wolf Pack blows
another second half lead.
OUTCOME: Pacic wins 69-64.
Wolf Pack looks to break
losing streak on Saturday
Nevada is coming off of
hard-fought losses to Vir-
ginia Commonwealth and
North Carolina. The Wolf
Pack, however, will not get
much of a reprieve when
it faces Pacic. The Tigers
are holding opponents to
fewer than 60 points per
game and Pacic defeated
Nevada in Reno 67-59 last
season. Head coach David
Carter has Nevada playing
well, but the team needs to
show it can win a game that
goes down to the wire in
the second half.
Lukas Eggen
PROBABLE STARTERS
Nevada Category Pacic
OFFENSE
45.2 Field Goal Pct. 47.2
34.8 3-Point Pct. 32.8
70.4 Free Throw Pct. 57.5
14.2 Assists 12.6
13.2 Turnovers 12.4
-0.4 Scoring Margin +7.0
82.2 Scoring 66.6
DEFENSE
45.5 Field Goal Pct. 37.7
+4.6 Rebound Margin +10
4.2 Steals 5.8
5.2 Blocks 2.2
82.6 Scoring 59.6
MISCELLANEOUS
17.2 Personal Fouls 19.0
15.8 Offensive Rebounds 12.0
.40 Won-Lost Pct. .80
TALE OF THE TAPE
WAC STANDINGS
Standings Conference Overall
Louisiana Tech 0-0 5-1
Idaho 0-0 4-1
Boise State 0-0 4-2
Utah State 0-0 3-2
San Jose State 0-0 2-2
Fresno State 0-0 2-3
Hawaii 0-0 2-3
Nevada 0-0 2-3
New Mexico State 0-0 2-3
Date Opponent Result
Nov. 14 Montana State W 75-61
Nov. 18 at UNLV L 88-75
Nov. 21 Houston W 112-99
Nov. 27 at VCU L 85-76
Nov. 29 at North Carolina L 80-73
Saturday at Pacic 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 Fresno Pacic 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 12 South Dakota State 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 17 Eastern Washington 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 19 Wagner 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 22 at BYU 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 23 at Nebraska or Tulsa TBA
Dec. 28 Portland 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 2 at Louisiana Tech 5 p.m.
Jan. 4 at New Mexico State 8 p.m.
Jan. 9 San Jose State 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 13 Utah State 8 p.m.
Jan. 16 Idaho 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Boise State 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 23 at Fresno State 7 p.m.
Jan. 30 Hawaii 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 6 at Utah State 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 at Idaho 8 p.m.
Feb. 13 Boise State 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 17 Fresno State 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 20 BracketBusters TBA
Feb. 25 at San Jose State 7 p.m.
Feb. 27 at Hawaii 9 p.m.
March 4 New Mexico State 7:05 p.m.
March 6 Louisiana Tech 7:05 p.m.
Date Opponent Result
NEVADA SCHEDULE
DIFFERENCE MAKER TERRELL SMITH
OPTIMIST SAYS: Nevada may have
lost to VCU and North Carolina, but the
Wolf Pack nearly beat the Tar Heels.
This team is coming together fast and
Pacic will not have enough repower
to stay with forwards Luke Babbitt and
Joey Shaw and guards Armon Johnson
and Ray Kraemer. The Wolf Pack wins
this one running away.
OUTCOME: Nevada wins 86-70.
Guard Terrell Smith is looking to have his breakout season after scoring 209
points and starting 17 games last season, including a 16-point performance in
a 67-59 victory against the Pack. Smith is the Tigers leading scorer, averaging
12.4 points per game, and will present a formidable challenge for guard Armon
Johnson on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Smith scored a
season-high 16 points in a 71-63 win against San Diego State on Nov. 25. With
Nevada looking to avenge last seasons loss, Smith will be key as to whether the
Pacic can keep up with Nevada offensively and defensively.
AP TOP 25
www.nevadasagebrush.com C8
DECEMBER 1, 2009
Court Report
Wolf Pack looks to break
WEEKLY GLANCE
PACIFIC
1, Forward, Michael Nunally
Senior, 6-foot-8, 225
pounds; 8.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg
34, Forward, Sam Willard
Junior, 6-foot-9, 210 pounds;
11.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg
42, Forward, Joe Ford
RS Senior, 6-foot-6, 210
2, Guard, Lavar Neaufville
pounds; 8.2 ppg, 2 apg
15, Guard, Terrell Smith
Junior, 6-foot-4, 205
pounds; 12.4 ppg, .417 FG
percentage
NEVADA
5, Forward, Luke Babbitt
Sophomore, 6-foot-9, 225
4, Forward, Dario Hunt
Sophomore, 6-foot-8, 230
pounds; 5.8 ppg, 8.8 ppg
21, Forward, Joey Shaw
Senior, 6-foot-6, 210 pounds;
14.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg
0, Guard, Brandon Fields
pounds; 16.2 ppg, 2.2 apg
23, Guard, Armon Johnson
Junior, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds;
16.0 ppg, .458 FG percent-
age
*All statistics thru games 11/29/2009
WAC TOP 50 STAT LEADERS
Points: J. Gibson NMSU 21.6 (21)
FG %: G. Smith Boise State 80.6 (2)
Rebounds: L. Babbitt Nevada 10.8 (18)
* National ranking in parentheses
1. Kansas (63) 5-0
2. Texas (1) 5-0
3. Villanova 6-0
4. Purdue 5-0
5. Kentucky 6-0
6. Duke 6-0
7. West Virginia 5-0
8. Syracuse 6-0
9. Michigan State 5-1
10. North Carolina 6-1
11. Tennessee 5-1
12. Washington 5-0
13. Florida 6-0
14. Connecticut 4-1
15. Ohio State 5-1
16. Georgetown 4-0
17. Gonzaga 5-1
18. Clemson 6-1
19. Texas A&M 5-1
20. Louisville 4-1
21. Florida State 6-1
22. Cincinnati 4-1
23. Butler 4-2
24. UNLV 5-0
25. Portland 5-1
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Oklahoma State 112, Georgia Tech 97,
Marquette 82, Mississippi 79, Miami (FL)
77, Brigham Young 76, Memphis 66, Van-
derbilt 64, Notre Dame 52, Kansas State 41,
Michigan 40, California 39, Minnesota 35,
Wisconsin 28, St. Johns 26, Northwestern
15, Dayton 8, Missouri State 7, New Mexico
6, Pittsburgh 6, Richmond 6, North Carolina
State 5, Arizona State 5, Illinois 5, Illinois
State 4, Washington State 4, South Carolina
3, Maryland 3, Missouri 2, Texas Tech 2, Vir-
ginia Commonwealth 1, Cal State Fullerton 1.
MAKING THE CALL
PACIFICMEDIASERVICES
Tigers guard Terrell smith
Nevada is under .500 for the rst time since 2007-08
CASEYDURKIN/ NEVADASAGEBRUSH
Nevada forward Luke Babbitt
Nevada at Pacic
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Alex G. Spanos
Center (6,150)
Radio: ESPN Radio 630
TV: Comcast
gg
Nevada at Pacic
THIS WEEKS GAME
By Juan Lpez
With ve games in
the books for the mens
basketball team so far, one
thing is evident: When the Wolf
Pack shoots the ball well, it
wins. But bad shooting leads
to losses.
In its two wins this year,
Nevada has shot a combined
57.4 percent from the oor,
and in both games it has
been better than 52 percent
from the eld. In its three
losses, the Wolf Pack is just
38.3 percent from the eld
and hasnt shot better than 42
percent.
Its obvious, right? Put the
ball in the hoop more and win.
Well, Nevada better hope its
offense is on this week when it takes
on hot-shooting Pacic, whose starting
ve are shooting a blazing 50.8 percent from
the oor.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Pacic (4-1) is a balanced team that plays
a lot of guys. Nine Tigers average more than
10 minutes per game (compared to six for
Nevada) and while none of them average more
than 13 points per game, Pacic has a strong
post player it can rely on.
Forward Sam Willard is second on the team
with 11.2 points per game and is fourth in the
conference with 8.2 rebounds per game. He
should give Nevadas post players problems
inside.
While Willard is just one of two players on the
team who averages in double gures, what the
Tigers lack in offense, they make up for in defense.
Led by senior forward Joe Ford, Pacic is rst
in the Big West Conference, allowing only 59.6
points per game and holding its opponents to
just 37.7 percent shooting.
Ford, who was named the Big West Defensive
Player of the Year last season, is fth in the
conference with 1.6 steals per game.
FIELDS AND SHAW BECOMING CONSIS-
TENT
Coming into the season, there was a question
mark in regard to whom Nevada would look to
on offense other than guard Armon Johnson and
forward Luke Babbitt. Last season, no Nevada
player other than those two averaged more than 10
points per game.
But this year, the answer to the Wolf Packs of-
fensive questions have come in the form of Brandon
Fields and Joey Shaw.
The two are averaging a combined 30.4 points per
game this season to go along with 12.2 rebounds per
game.
Fields has upped his scoring from 9.4 points per
game last year to 16.2 this year while Shaw has gone
from 7.4 to 14.2 points per game.
Their added scoring has taken some pressure off of
Babbitt and Johnson, who together are averaging 35.2
points per game this season.
POOR BENCH PRODUCTION
To have a chance against the Tigers (and the rest of
the season), the Wolf Packs bench must step its game
up.
Nevadas bench is averaging just 10.9 points per
game and 7.4 of those points come from guard Ray
Kraemer. The Wolf Packs starting ve and Kraemer
combine for 95.7 percent of the teams points.
While its great that Nevada has four players who
average more than 14 points per game, that will not
last. The Wolf Pack bench needs to grow up quickly
and support their starters.
Juan Lpez can be reached at jlopez@nevadasage-
brush.com.
Wi
the bo
basketb
thing is e
Pack sh
wins. B
to losse
In its
Nevad
57.4 pe
and in
been b
from th
losses,
38.3 pe
and ha
percent
Its obv
ball in the
Well, Nevad
offense is on this
on hot-shooting Pa
ve are shooting a blaz
the oor.
SCOUTING THE TIGE
Pacic (4-1) is a balan
a lot of guys. Nine Tigers
10 minutes per game (co
Nevada) and while none
than 13 points per game
post player it can rely on
Forward Sam Willard is
with 11.2 points per game
conference with 8.2 rebou
should give Nevadas post p
inside.
While Willard is just one of
team who averages in double
Tigers lack in offense, they m
Led by senior forward Joe F
in the Big West Conferenc
points per game and hold
just 37.7 percent shootin
Ford, who was named
Player of the Year last sea
conference with 1.6 steal
FIELDS AND SHAW BE
TENT
Coming into the season,
mark in regard to whom Ne
on offense other than guard
forward Luke Babbitt. Last se
player other than those two a
points per game.
But this year, the answer to t
fensive questions have come i
Fields and Joey Shaw.
The two are averaging a com
game this season to go along w
game.
Fields has upped his scoring
game last year to 16.2 this year
from 7.4 to 14.2 points per gam
Their added scoring has take
Babbitt and Johnson, who toge
points per game this season.
POOR BENCH PRODUCTIO
To have a chance against the
the season), the Wolf Packs ben
up.
Nevadas bench is averaging j
game and 7.4 of those points co
Kraemer. The Wolf Packs startin
combine for 95.7 percent of the
While its great that Nevada h
average more than 14 points pe
last. The Wolf Pack bench need
and support their starters.
brush.com.
09
ce in
ging
rmon
d a
With
her the
ational ranking in parentheses
ASERVICES
ll ith
THE MEN ARENT THE
ONLY TEAM IN ACTION
THIS WEEK. THE
WOLF PACK WOMENS
BASKETBALL TEAM
PLAYS HOME GAMES ON
WEDNESDAY AT NOON
AND SUNDAY AT 2 P.M.

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