nevada sagebrush archives 10/28/08

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008 VOLUME CXV NUMBER 11SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO SINCE 1893www.nevadasagebrush.comFirst copy free, additional copies 50 each

MY GAY RENOColumnist P.B. Russell talks about the woes of the Biggest Little Citys homosexual curse. Page A6

DEFENSIVE STRUGGLESNevada is ranked last in pass defense this season. The Nevada Sagebrush investigates why. Page B1

GHOST HUNTERSUNRs own Nevada Student Paranormal Investigation has what it takes to bust ghosts this Halloween. Page A12

INDEXVideo: Watch a highlight reel of Saturdays volleyball game. Photo galleries: Take a look at this week in photos. Podcast: Stay tuned for an interview with two ex-terrorists this Thursday.Check for: breaking news and events throughout the week.

ONLINE THIS WEEK AT NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM

WEEKLY UPDATE .............................................A3CLASSIFIEDS ..............................................................A5PERSPECTIVES .......................................................A6ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ......A12SPORTS ....................................................................................B1ELECTION COVERAGE...........................C1

ELECTION 08 WHY VOTE? !!! DOES MY VOTE COUNT? !!! HOW DO I VOTE? !!! SECTION C

By Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Jurors handed Mohamed Kamaludeen a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Thursday after hearing testi-mony from Judy Calders fam-ily and a Canadian inspector investigating a 1993 stabbing that Kamaludeen was allegedly involved in.

Kamaludeen was convicted Wednesday of murdering Uni-

versity of Nevada, Reno professor Judy Calder on Aug. 18, 2007 and soliciting someone else to murder her in 2006.

K a m a l u d e e n owed Calder more than $150,000 and stabbed her four or fi ve times in the chest. He then dumped her body off Highway 93 near Wells, Nev., with the help of an accomplice, Carlos Filomeno. Filomeno testi-fi ed against Ka-maludeen in the murder trial.

Kamaludeen is also wanted in Canada for the stabbing death of a garage owner for a ring, necklace and cash. The Canadian inspector said Kama-ludeen coerced a 17-year-old boy into murdering the man and that he told the boy to cut the ring off his hand.

In the Calder murder trial, Washoe County District Court Judge Patrick Flanagan set the sentencing for Kamaludeens solicitation of murder charge and the two enhancements on his murder charge for Dec. 10.

Kim Calder, Judy Calders daughter, said the sentencing in a sense makes us better able to go on.

She told the jury during sen-tencing that Kamaludeen took advantage of her mothers trust. Sniffl es reverberated through the audience and jury as Kim Calder continued to speak, her voice trembling when recalling her mother.

She believed in people, she said. He used this very kindness to take advantage of her.

Its nice not to have something hanging over our heads, like the trial, Carolyn Conger, Calders sister, said.

Conger told jurors she had to receive a pacemaker shortly after the loss of Calder.

This time has been so dev-astating, the stress so great, my heart has actually stopped work-ing, she said.

Kamaludeen said he forced the British embassy, which handles citizens of Kamaludeens native Guyana, to extradite him to the U.S. for the trial.

He maintained that he did not kill Calder. While addressing the jury, he kept his eyes locked on an empty witness box.

Reno police Detective David Fogarty said Kamaludeen lied to the jury. Kamaludeen planned to travel to Brazil and then walk to his home country of Guyana, he said. Kamaludeen tried to fl ee when he realized authorities wanted to cap-ture him for extradition, he said.

Wheeler Cowperthwaite can be reached at [email protected].

DEVIN SIZEMORE /NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

University of Nevada, Reno student Jeremiah Frank uses canes to walk. He tries to avoid staircases, like the one in front of Edmund J. Cain Hall, but is forced to sometimes take lengthy alternate routes to do so. The extra distance is diffi cult for the 28-year-old, who has cerebral palsy and scoliosis.

Everything is just extra time and that gets tiresome, but its just a way of life.

Jeremiah Frank, UNR student with cerebral palsy and scoliosis

SEPARATE, NOT EQUAL

Calders killer to serve life term

By Jessica Fryman

A s he drags his legs, crooked and bent inward at the knees, Jeremiah Frank slowly pounds his canes into the sidewalk for support. Di-agnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Frank struggles to walk to his University of Nevada, Reno classes. At the campus on the hill, Frank battles stairs, narrow walkways and lengthy routes to accessible entrances.

It gets tiring sometimes, the 28-year-old political science and history major said. I dont have a lot of extra energy to give at the end of the day.

Frank, who also has scoliosis, is one of 24 UNR students who are mobility impaired and used the Disability Resource Center in 2007. Several faculty and staff members have mobility impairments, but the university does not record offi cial numbers.

The university works continuously to provide access for people who are disabled through building improvements, academic accommodations and special assistance at Wolf Pack sporting events.

But sometimes thats not enough. We always need to be diligent in stressing advocacy and more resources for

people with disabilities, said John Burnett, director of the Equal Opportuni-ties and Affi rmative Action Offi ce.

TRAVERSING THE TERRAINWhen Frank arrives at school after his hour-long commute from Truckee, Ca-

lif., he fi rst scans the parking lot behind the Fleischmann Agriculture Building in search of an open handicap space. Usually unsuccessful, Frank fi nds alternative handicap parking across campus by the Reynolds School of Journalism. Then he treks back, walking about two or three times slower than most students.

Its time consuming, but its just the way it is, he said. Along the way, Frank often faces stairs. Some staircases, like the steep set

leading to Edmund J. Cain Hall, he tries to avoid. But others, like the few steps at the entrance of the Reynolds School of Journalism and many other build-ings on campus, he can handle.

Most of the stairs, thank goodness, have railings, but if they dont have rail-ing that becomes really diffi cult, he said. I just have to be really slow and methodical.

If there are handrails, the canes clamped around Franks wrists often get stuck against the metal railing. In some of his worse case scenarios, the entanglement snaps one of his walking crutches off his arm, sending it tumbling to the bottom of the staircase. If this happens, he shimmies his hands down the railing for sup-port and heads back to the base of the steps so he can start over.

To avoid the stairs, most buildings have accessible entrances at the side or back, instead of the front and its often a longer route to get there.

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, which contains all technical

Obamas visits to UNR attract national notoriety

CASEY DURKIN /NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has visited the University of Nevada, Reno twice in the past month, attracting more than 11,000 people in both appearances. University offi cials said the presidential candidates visits bring UNR national recognition.

Mohamed Kamaludeen

Judy Calder

Watch a video featuring UNR student Jeremiah Franks travels through the campus on a hill. Check out an interactive map to see accessible routes versus main-stream paths around campus.NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM

ONLINE

Video: See highlights from Sen. Barack Obamas speech. Podcast: Listen to the can-didates speech at UNR. Photo gallery: Take a look at all the action in an online photo album.

NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM

ONLINE

See ACCESS Page A4

MURDER TRIAL

See OBAMA Page A4

By Jessica Fryman

During both of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obamas recent Univer-sity of Nevada, Reno campaign stops, thousands packed the venues, drawing national me-dia attention.

For UNR, the recognition means a lot. It strengthens programming, increases student recruitment and could lead to better rankings in national reports, UNR spokes-woman Jane Tors said.

I think that having somebody on the national stage make an ap-pearance really helps do that, she said. To have a number of things happening (at UNR) that gain us national awareness could lead to good things for the university.

UNR President Milton Glick said some of those elements in-clude bringing more awareness to the university.

It raises the reputation of the

university which helps gradu-ates when they go out and look for jobs, he said.

Glick said although he is pleased with Obamas visits, stu-dents want to hear both sides.

Because Republican presiden-tial candidate John McCain has yet to visit campus, the Associ-ated Students of the University of Nevada invited his campaign, but no campus stops have been secured, Glick said.

Heidi Smith, chairman of the

Washoe County Republican Par-ty, said McCain wanted to visit the campus before the election cycle, but he couldnt visit UNR and would not specify why. She said the campaign hasnt tried to visit the university since its fi rst attempt.

We would have not turned any presidential candidate down, Glick said.

Glick said its possible the facility McCain requested was not available, but he is unsure of why McCain chose not to visit.

Tors said political campaigns have a lot to consider when de-ciding where to visit, like reach-ing out to a specifi c audience.

For example, Obamas visits to campus are rooted in his cam-paigns efforts to target young voters, said Kristen Searer, com-munications director for the campaign.

news www.nevadasagebrush.comA2 OCTOBER 28, 2008

VOLUME CXV ISSUE 11

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In "Offi cials considering cutting language, ag pro-grams," the University of Nevada, Reno alum's name is Chris Trent. In A roaring revival, the UNR Alumni Association paid for the fi re dancers.

CORRECTIONS

By Tara Verderosa

CampusBuddy, a new applica-tion on Facebook, aims to help students choose what university classes would be most benefi cial for them to take.

The application provides students with the percentage of each letter grade given at univer-sities, broken down by class and professor. Students can also post reviews of a particular class or professor to better prepare those registering for a class.

Our goal is to put students in charge of their academic career, said Mike Moradian, the creator of CampusBuddy. We want them to be able to make educated decisions about the classes they are choosing.

CampusBuddy was launched Oct. 14. It currently gives students access to the grades given in classes at 250 universi-ties, including the University of Nevada, Reno, with more than 80 million grades. Anyone with a Facebook account can access CampusBuddy by logging onto their page. Access to grades and reviews are free, unlike similar services such as pickaprofessor.com, which charges $10 a year for its service.

We feel that charging defeats the entire purpose of helping students, Moradian said.

He said it is similar to sites such as ratemyprofessor.com but is more benefi cial because of its social networking features. Unlike reading reviews from mostly anonymous sources,

such as pickaprofessor.com, here students can get feedback from people they know and trust.

Its great that we are working with Facebook because it is so college-oriented, Moradian said. Its a great way to foster in-teraction between students and is the best resource for students to fi nd what classes they want to take.

Moradian developed the idea of CampusBuddy three years

ago while he was still a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, and has been col-lecting data from universities for more than two years.

Many students and professors say that while CampusBuddy can be helpful, it can also have a negative effect if used incor-rectly.

I think it can be very ben-efi cial if a student is looking for an easy A, said Jake Carey, an 18-year-old English major.

But if they do that, they might not be getting the most out of their class. It can easily hinder someones education, or it can be benefi cial if it is used to fi nd a professor who teaches well or in the style they like,

Nancy Markee, director of the UNR advising center, agreed.

We usually tell students that when it comes to picking a professor or class, they need to think in terms of their learning style compared to the professors

teaching style. Students need to be thinking about how the class is structured.

Considering how grades are weighted, whether there is homework and how the professor lectures are all important when choosing a class, Markee said.

Through the social network-ing aspect of the site, Moradian said students will have a much easier time discussing classes with other students. By being a part of Facebook, friends and classmates are already linked to each other and can access information more easily.

Its not about easy grades, Moradian said. Its about fi nd-ing classes that will help you succeed and will be more mean-ingful for you.

Grades do not necessarily determine how much you learn in a class, he said.

I tell my students that my hope is to be transparent and fair in grading, journalism professor David Ryfe said. But grades should be a diagnostic of learning, not an end goal in themselves. My hope is to never allow grades to get in the way of student learning.

While most think that Cam-pusBuddy is a good resource, they said it should not be the only way to choose a class.

Its a great place for a student to start, Markee said. But I sug-gest that they dig deeper to fi nd out if the class is best for them.

Tara Verderosa can be reached at [email protected].

SCREEN SHOT

CampusBuddy shows students the grades earned in classes and has social networking tools.

Facebook app grades professors, classes

By Ethan Malone

The only thing to indicate David Lubling-Kolbows age is his birth certifi cate. Few would guess that the University of Ne-vada, Reno student, at a looming 6-feet 2-inches and with a spot in Chemistry 341, is only 14 years old.

The honors student is cur-rently taking 19 credits at UNR, including Calculus 181 and third-year Latin.

Its not that hard for me, said Lubling-Kolbow, an un-decided major who is leaning towards physics or chemistry.

While technically classifi ed as home-schooled, he is earning both college and high school credits simultaneously. He said he will graduate from high school by 2010 and from college by 2011.

Lubling-Kolbow said he will have 60 college credits from UNR by winter 2009.

Despite his extraordinary situ-ation, he said he has adjusted to college life and made friends at UNR.

My age doesnt matter to most

people, he said.Lubling-Kolbow said his

teachers generally dont treat him differently from older stu-dents because of his age.

Most professors are nicer to me, but its because I express an interest, he said.

Lubling-Kolbow has always outshined his peers with his intellect, said his mother, Eve Lubling.

She said it took her son only a few weeks to learn the entire alphabet when he was 2 years old.

Born in Tucson, Ariz., Lubling-Kolbow later moved to Califor-nia, where he spent much of his childhood.

At 12 years old, he came to Reno to attend the Davidson Academy, and he started taking courses at UNR this semester, in hope of fi nding greater chal-lenges.

I always asked a lot of ques-tions and strived to get good grades, Lubling-Kolbow said.

Dr. Tamara Valentine, director of the Honors Program, said she welcomed the rising academic star.

Students with outstanding minds and talents like David help to foster an intellectual community, she said.

Once he graduates from high school, he said he wants to transfer to the University of California, San Diego or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he plans to complete his bachelors degree. He is also consider-ing the California Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

Lubling said he possesses the brains and work ethic to attend these prestigious col-leges last semester he took Robotics 470/670, alongside university seniors and gradu-ate students.

Fascinated by the myster-ies of black holes, subatomic particles and string theory, Lubling-Kolbow envisions a future of heavy graduate research.He said he is also interested in discovering ways for humans to inhabit other planets.

He was given a gift and he will pass it on to humanity, Lubling

said.Although his intelligence can

make his peers a bit jealous, Lubling-Kolbow said he tries to keep his composure.

I dont let myself get cocky, he said.

Aside from being a math and science-whiz, he said he enjoys

playing video games, fencing and drama.

He said he is also aiming to become an Eagle Scout, because it looks good on a transcript.

Ethan Malone can be reached at [email protected].

Ex-terrorists to explain ex-mindsetCOURTESY PHOTO

Walid Shoebat and Kamel Saleem will speak at the University of Nevada, Reno Thursday. The two former terrorists plan to clear up misconceptions about Islam and terrorism.

DEVIN SIZEMORE NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

David Lubling-Kolbow, a 14-year-old university student, is enrolled in 19 credits including chemistry, calculus and Latin. Lubling-Kolbow said he will earn 60 college credits by next winter. He will graduate from high school in 2010 and college in 2011.

By Clint Demeritt

Students hear the word ter-rorist almost daily, but few get the opportunity to hear the terrorists views. Thursday, students will have the chance to listen to two terrorists-turned-peace-activists give their lecture titled Why We Want to Kill You.

Walid Shoebat and Kamel Sal-eem will share their experiences from when they were terrorists

as part of the Palestinian Libera-tion Organization Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth fl oor of the Joe Crowley Student Union.

Im not academic or professo-rial with my speeches, Shoebat said. (Theyre) just like down-to-earth, straight talk about some of the misconceptions that we have.

He said he hopes to shed some light on the Wests fundamen-tally fl awed idea of the Islamic

religion.Shoebat, who has appeared

on CNN and The OReilly Fac-tor, often criticizes Islam in his lectures but is called a bigot for doing so. But other people criticize Christianity without being chastised, Shoebat said. He wants to bring that double standard to the student bodys attention.

He said when he visits college campuses many students try to

make excuses for terrorism with reasons like Western aggression or poverty. Shoebat said he wants to convince students there is no excuse.

It has always been that in the United States itself the youth have always been suckers for revolutionary agendas, Shoebat said.

International Conserva-tives for Reno, a University of Nevada, Reno club, brought

the speakers to campus. Club president Zack Abdalla said the lecture is meant to show students the real reason behind terrorism.

It will wake them (the audi-ence) up to exactly what is going on over the fence, said Abdalla, a 21-year-old international af-fairs major.

Clint Demeritt can be reached at [email protected].

Fourteen-year-old excels in tough, university coursesFACES OF NEVADA

OCTOBER 28, 2008 www.nevadasagebrush.com A3

Weekly UpdatePOLICE BLOTTER NEWS BRIEFS

THE GUIDE

WEATHER FORECAST

Morning campustemperature:

Afternoon campustemperature:

Forecast confi dence level*:

47 49 47 50 73 74 69 65

Lows: 35-40

Highs: 62-66

*Forecast confidence is based on the ensemble forecast model solution spread: Green is high confidence and red is low confidence in a good forecast verification.

Forecast prepared by the Reno-Lake Tahoe student chapter of the American Meteorological Society. For more information visit their Web site at http://www.ametsoc.org/chapters/renotahoe/

! ! ! ! !

UNR CAMPUS WEEKLY WEATHER DISCUSSION: The week will start out with high clouds and warm temperatures. As a trough approaches the west coast late in the week, high clouds and windy conditions will impact campus. Scat-tered rain showers will likely reach the area by late Friday and last through the weekend. Uncertainty is fairly high late in the week due to a low confi dence in the timing of the incoming trough.

TUESDAY

High clouds and warm, SW wind

4-6 mph

Some high clouds, SW

wind 5-8 mph

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

Increasing clouds and breezy, SW

wind 8-12 mph

FRIDAY

Chance of rain late and windy, S wind 10-15 mph

WEEKEND

Cooler and scattered

showers, SW wind 5-10 mph

OCTOBER 22A fraternity member reported a parade fl oat had been vandalized on University Terrace.

A traffi c stop at Evans and Ninth streets resulted in the drivers arrest for an outstanding warrant. A passenger in the vehicle was arrested for two outstanding warrants.

OCTOBER 21A university employee reported the theft of a movie projector from the Virginia Street Gym.

A traffi c stop at 17th Street and West Stadium Way resulted in the arrest of the driver for driving under the infl uence of drugs. The driver was also charged with the possession of marijuana, possession of drug para-phernalia, exceeding the posted speed limit and failure to obey a stop sign.

A university student reported a lost wallet in Argenta Hall.

Offi cers responded to a report of a man down in the racquetball court at Lombardi Recreation Center. REMSA also responded to the scene. The adult male was pronounced dead of natural causes.

OCTOBER 20A Sigma Kappa soror-ity member reported a parade fl oat had been vandalized on Uni-versity Terrace.

OCTOBER 19A Sigma Kappa soror-ity member reported a broken window in the sorority house on University Terrace.

A university student was cited for minor in possession and consumption of alcohol on West Stadium Way.

OCTOBER 18Five university students were cited for MIPC at Mackay Stadium.

A university student was arrested for MIPC, posses-sion of false identifi ca-tion, obstructing/resisting an offi cer and battery of a police offi cer.

Two university students were cited for MIPC at Peccole Park.

A university student was cited for MIPC and obstructing/resisting an offi cer in the Peccole Park parking lot.

One university student was cited for MIPC in the North Lot.

A university student was cited for MIPC and pos-session of false identifi ca-tion in the North Lot.

A traffi c stop at Tenth and North Virginia streets resulted in the arrest of a university student for DUI, MIPC, failure to obey a stop light and charges from an outstanding warrant.

OCTOBER 17Sorority house residents reported seeing unknown males covering the outside property with toilet paper at 2:30 and 3:40 a.m.

Two university students and a Truckee Meadows Community College student were cited for MIPC on Faland Way.

OCTOBER 15A university employee re-ported the theft of a camera from a room in the Palmer Engineering Building.

OCTOBER 13An adult male reported to University Police Services to register as a sex of-fender as required by law.

BAKE PUMPKIN SEEDSKyles Pumpkin Seeds (by Silver & Blue Catering), Serves

as many as desired! Ingredients: pumpkin seeds, fresh from the pumpkin

you just carved; two to three tablspoons olive oil, a few pinches of salt.! Rinse seeds, making sure to remove all strings and slime.! Lay out the seeds on paper towels in one even layer, and

leave them to dry for approximately one to two hours or until completely dry.! When dry, place seeds in a mixing bowl and toss them

with the olive oil and salt.! Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray and then bake in

an oven at 350 degrees until crispy (you should watch them to make sure that they are dry but not burned). Season as desired.

MAKE PUMPKIN PIE Libbys Pumpkin Pie (by Silver & Blue Catering), Serves

6-8! Ingredients: one tablespoon fl our, one nine inch pie

crust, two eggs lightly beaten, three-fourths cup sugar, one-half teaspoon salt, one teaspoon. cinnamon, one-half teaspoon ground ginger spice, one teaspoon ground spice clove, one large can of evaporated milk and one can of pumpkin.!Mix all the ingredients together.! Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.! Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 40 min-

utes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

SpiceSpice up your pumpkinFrom pies to seeds to carved works of art, master these tips for the perfect holiday squash

BUY YOUR PUMPKINYou can buy pumpkins from local grocery stores,

but traditional pumpkin patches usually also offer hay and pony rides, petting zoos and corn mazes. There are several pumpkin patches in the Reno area. ! Ferrari Farm, 4701 Mill St. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thurs-

day, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Price: 50 cents and up, depending on size, average pumpkin for carving about $4! Toll House: 12185 S. Virginia St.Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every dayPrice: 49 cents and up, depending on size, average

pumpkin for carving about $3! Nevada Lynn: 435 U.S. 395 North, Washoe ValleyHours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every dayPrice: priced depending on size, average pumpkin

for carving about $6

PICK YOUR PUMPKINYou should pick your pumpkin for how you plan to

use it.! CarvingThe best pumpkin for carving is about eight pounds.

You can pick any size or shape you want, but many opt for round pumpkins.! DecorationAn arrangement of small pumpkins works for deco-

ration. Small gourds are also popular, sometimes ar-ranged with pinecones or fall leaves. White pumpkins are thicker and often last longer, which is best for this use. By properly storing your pumpkin in a cool dry area, it can last for months, through Thanksgiving or even Christmas.! Pumpkin PieYou want something nice and fi rm, with no

wrinkles on it, said Stephanie Couch, manager at Nevada Lynn.

You dont want something that feels hollow, and when you knock on it, you dont want any squishiness.

Watch a guide-to-pump-kins video on our Web site.NEVADASAGEBRUSH.COM

ONLINE

Kathleen Phelan, [email protected]

UNR debate team clinches second in national tournament

The University of Nevada, Reno debate team took second place in the University of Puget Sound Invita-tional Tournament, in Tacoma, Wash. UNR competed against teams from all levels of colleges and universities from around the United States in the competition last weekend. The team fi nished with a 5-1 record.

Max Alderman, a sophomore po-litical science and philosophy major, earned the title of Tournament Cham-pion, only losing four out of 180 points. David Pena, a senior philosophy and womens studies major, took third place, only one point behind Alderman. They were among 75 other participants who competed individually.

Film and discussion to address politics in Latin America

Watch Puedo Hablar? May I Speak? an award-winning docu-mentary about Hugo Chavez, his 2006 reelection and the political conflict in Venezuela.

The event is sponsored by the Latino Research Center and will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Room 124 of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center.

Following the screening will be a discussion with Chris Moore, the producer and co-director. Admis-sion to the event is free. For more information, contact Marcos Picos at 775-682-9044.

National security expert to speak in Knowledge Center

The Northern Nevada Interna-tional Center is sponsoring a speech by national security expert Daniel Benjamin.

Benjamin worked for six years at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a respected public policy research institution.

Benjamin will speak about Middle Eastern, European and NATO affairs, military affairs, Northern Ireland, Africa and international trade. The speech will be from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday in Room 125 of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center.

Free fl u shots availible Wednesday, next week in The Joe

The Student Health Center will provide free fl u shots from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and Nov. 6 in the Joe Crowley Student Union Food Court on the second fl oor.

The fl u virus is one of the most common during the winter months, said Dr. Cheryl Hug-English, medical director for the health center.

Students can get a free fl u shot any day of the week at the health center Students must present their student ID.

For more information, visit the health centers Web site at www.unr.edu/shc.

Dodgeball tourney to raise money for cancer research

A Dodge for the Cause dodge-ball tournament will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Wooster High School to benefit the Ameri-can Cancer Society.

Participants must be 18 or older to participate in the tournament and teams must be preformed and coed. Each team must have at least three boys and three girls.

A registration fee of $125 is due for each team by Wednesday.

For more information or to register, contact Misti Kimball at [email protected] or 775-828-2213.

Foundations new center to hold grand opening Saturday

The Bring Bri Justice Foundation will hold the grand opening of its new center. The celebration will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Suite A-9 of the Smithridge Shop-ping Center on the corner of South Virginia and South McCarran streets.

The event will introduce the com-munity to the new centers functions and provide safety awareness. In addi-tion, the Denison family would like to thank the volunteers, donors and the community for all they have done.

The event is free and open to the public. It will include games, raffl es, live music and food.

For more information, contact Jen-nifer Bushman at 775-287-6859.

CARVE YOUR PUMPKIN

! Find a pumpkin carving kit. A convenient place to fi nd one would be at Spirit Halloween, 3800 S. Keitzke Lane. There you can buy a 17-piece carving kit for about $5.99. The kit also comes with patterns that can help you carve a spooky, funny or traditional design. ! Cut a lid in the top of your pumpkin, making sure that

you angle your carving blade towards the center of the pumpkin. This will create a ledge for your lid so it doesnt fall inside the pumpkin. ! Scoop out all the strings and seeds inside. Scrape the

side of the pumpkin until the surface is smooth, so there are no innards left inside. Remains could rot your pumpkin and make it smell. ! When applying your pattern, be sure to trace it onto

the pumpkin skin fi rst so that you are not carving freehand when it is time to cut. ! If you put a candle inside, remember to cut a chimney

hole in the lid of your pumpkin to let smoke and heat escape.

DEVIN SIZEMORE/NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

Pumpkins at the Ferrari Farm on Mill Street.

BECCA EWART /NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

Pumpkin guts.

news www.nevadasagebrush.comA4 OCTOBER 28, 2008

AccessCONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

building requirements, only man-dates one accessible route into buildings.

Although UNR is up to stan-dards, some say that building design should refl ect the intent of the law to make access for people with disabilities easy.

It would always be nice to shoot for the spirit of the law, said Marry Anne Christensen, assistant director of the Disabil-ity Resource Center. It may be up to code, but it may not be as accessible as it could be.

For example, the main en-trance to the Joe Crowley Student Union is not ADA accessible. People who are handicapped use the south side entrance near Starbucks, which is across the building from the elevator.

Separate but equal didnt work for other issues, and it doesnt work for people with disabilities either, Christensen said.

Geoff Kettling, accommoda-tions coordinator at the Disability Resource Center, said he thinks it would be best if no one had to use a separate door.

I always look for the easiest route to get to and from point A to point B, said Kettling, who uses a wheelchair to get around campus. I cant think of any building where I cant get in in some way, shape or form.

When Frank travels from Hill-iard Plaza to the William Raggio building, he passes two entrances with stairs. He continues clunking his canes on the concrete ground, as he slowly walks to an acces-sible ramp, which is a bit further north. The extra distance means exerting more energy that Frank doesnt have.

Everything is just extra time and that gets tiresome, but its just a way of life, he said.

In the past, getting from one building to another was harder.

During the mid 90s, people with disabilities had to travel through buildings to get between south and north campus.

Scott Youngs, the project coordinator of ADA Nevada, said he remembers rolling his wheelchair through the Leifson Physics building and taking the

elevator up to the second fl oor exit to get to the WRB.

Now, a ramp provides access to the northern part of UNR.

But improvements like that are expensive. Youngs said a small ADA accessible ramp could cost $30,000. A push button for auto-matic doors costs $8,000.

Each year, the state gives money to UNR for ADA im-provements. The university re-ceived $400,000 for the 2005-07 biennium and $620,000 for the 2007-09 biennium, said Lyle Woodward, director of facilities services. Most of the money for the 2007-09 biennium went toward making improvements at Mackay Stadium.

You run through that in a heartbeat, Youngs said.

Since Youngs started working at UNR in 1994, he said access has improved. Hes spearheaded several projects, including desig-nating handicap parking spaces in each lot, building more ramps and increasing signage.

The Disability Resource Coali-tions list of 200 plans to improve access even more waits to be accomplished.

I could go to any building on campus or in the community and fi nd (ADA) violations, Youngs said.

Offi cials from the UNR facilities department were not available to comment on disability access over the past two weeks.

BUILDING BETTER ACCESSOnce Frank gets to class, he

runs into more barriers. In lecture halls, the stadium

seating accompanies several steep and narrow steps.

Those are really diffi cult because theyre really small and youre kinda squished together, he said. I always feel bad because I try to put my canes somewhere where people arent tripping over them, but space becomes an is-sue. Sometimes people trip over them. I feel really bad, but I do the best I can do.

Although there is ground access to the rooms, Frank said he has diffi culty sitting in seats where the desk portion is connected. Usu-ally, he opts for a seat at a table, but those are usually situated in the back of the room and he has trouble seeing the board.

Its not the most conducive way to learning, he said.

The Disability Resource Cen-ter serves students with any disability with the main goal to provide academic accom-modations, Christensen said.

That could include anything from getting to class to making academic materials accessible.

Frank said he addresses his con-cerns with the resource center if he can think of a realistic solution.

He said he understands the NSHE budget strain and that older buildings are grandfa-thered in under the ADA.

If a building was built before the ADA was passed in 1990, major renovations to bring the facility up to code are not required. The buildings are required to have basic access for all people, but dont need to fol-low all technical specifi cations.

Despite many detailed require-ments, the ADA does not require doors to have automatic or power access, which poses a problem for UNR student Mack Johnson.

Paralyzed from the shoulders down, the 48-year-old under-graduate student sometimes waits as long as an hour for someone to walk by and open a door for him, he said.

When the Fitzgerald Student Services building was built in 2000, students rammed their wheelchairs into the doors to get them open because they werent automated, Christensen said. The university eventually installed automatic doors at the building.

Other recent improvements include extensive work at Mackay Stadium, Lawlor Events Center and Peccole Park.

Several accessible seats, routes and signs were added at the sta-diums throughout the past three years. About 10 percent of game day staff are dedicated to assisting people who are disabled. Plans to install an elevator on the east side of Mackay Stadium are in motion.

Its important for us to provide every Wolf Pack fan with easy ac-cess to all of our activities, said Keit Hackett, associate athletic di-rector who served on the disability resource coalition from 2005-08. Because they are in a wheelchair or have a mobility impairment doesnt mean they dont deserve the same access as everyone else.

Jessica Fryman can be reached at [email protected].

To request accommodations for accessibility, call: The Disability Resource Center: 775-784-6955 Scott Youngs, ADA coordinator: 775-682-9056

ACCOMODATIONS

SORORITY FLIPS FLAPJACKS FOR CHARITYObamaCONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

CASEY DURKIN /NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

About 11,000 people crammed into the bleachers and fi eld at Peccole Park for Sen. Obamas Saturday speech. The event also drew national media attention to the venue at UNR.

DEVIN SIZEMORE /NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

Getting around campus takes extra time for UNR student Jeremiah Frank. Instead of taking mainstream routes, he has to fi nd handicap accessible ones.

DANIEL CLARK /NEVADA SAGEBRUSH

Melissa Hamilton of Delta Delta Delta serves pancakes during the DHOP Pancake Breakfast. The event brought in about $9,000 for St. Judes Childrens Hospital.

Obama has made stops at UNR because the campaign is looking to invigorate the youth vote, she said.

I think Sen. Obama appeals to younger voters and college students because people our age are looking for a president who addresses issues affecting our generation, said Jeff Giertz, spokesman for the senators Nevada campaign.

When banking on a demo-graphic with historically low turnout, the Obama campaign has to be persistent, some po-litical experts said.

Theres a shorter attention cycle with young people, said Christopher Simon, a UNR political science professor.

Many in the UNR commu-nity said they arent surprised by Obamas recent visits to the university.

Most college students are going to spread the word and

theyre educated so people might listen to (students) more, said David Feemster, a 33-year-old UNR alum, who attended Obamas Saturday speech at Peccole Park.

One UNR student said the frequent visits show that Obama acknowledges the people in Reno, despite the citys small size.

Its huge to think that we

really matter because Obama keeps coming to UNR, said Ronille Pabico, a 23-year-old accounting major, who saw Obama speak at Peccole Park. It makes me feel proud. It feels like I have some kind of influence.

Jessica Fryman can be reached at [email protected].

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Perspectives

EDITORIAL CARTOON

But they were running the spread offense!

Students cannot afford to dismiss local electionsSTAFF EDITORIAL I VOTING

Halloween: Palins only win for 2008

BICKS PICK

Do you believe in ghosts and why?CAMPUSCHAT

MY GAY RENO

Gay curse of the Biggest Little City strikes again

www.nevadasagebrush.comA6 OCTOBER 28, 2008

S o its Saturday night, youve already napped or downed your over-sized caffeine serving and the roar of Reno is calling out to you (or your liver).

You text a friend or four and you fl ick your iHome up a few more clicks to lose yourself while you get funky fresh, dressed to impress and, most defi nitely, ready to party.

You hop in your hooptie and ride a little dirty to your fi rst bar stop of the night.

Couple drinks/shots and youre fl oating on the weekend cloud nine; a few more and youre really buzzin like a pro.

A whispered wave of drama comes to you through your grapevine of friends and in walks your ex and his new toy.

You know, the one you found out about after looking at MySpace for too long? The one who makes you feel like last years New York Times?

You piece the scene together in hindsight. Is that why so-

and-so was acting weird? or I knew I should have worn something to show off my break-up weight loss!

If youve been there, then you know the curse of The Biggest Little City all too well. What happens though, when this town gets a lot smaller?

Well, then you have the gay curse of The Biggest Little City.

With as many bars as there are in Reno, the after-hours hot spots for gays are limited. Theres the 5-Star Saloon, the one downtown where all the tools feel the need to say something ridiculing the local artwork to defend their masculinity while they clutch their wine glasses on the Wine Walk. And then theres Tronix, where a gay hags secret desires may come to fruition on the dance floor with one of the many hand-some lesbians.

Sure, gays may be readily accepted into bars all over town, but as long as you have a full wallet in these times, who isnt?

But a good amount of us cant even walk across campus without getting looks from people for our style of dress, so why would we

want to get them from drunk strangers?

The only thing that makes that situation worse is when your ex walks in the door at the straight bar too. Biggest Little just starts to feel even littler.

So what has Reno cornered me into after six weeks of unplanned, yet slightly anticipated run-ins with the ex-signifi cant other with a brand new lover?

Well, Im becoming an ex-socialite. With the usual places being occupied by the usual faces, it seems like a boring night at home leaves less bad decisions to make than the haze after fi nishing your second Long Island while your ex stares at you from 15 feet away.

Hell, I fi gure the money I save because Im not going out as often will get me much closer to my one way trip away from this gay curse of The Biggest Little City.

You cant tell me you dont know one person ready to do the same. It is a small town, after all.

P.B. Russell is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. He can be reached at [email protected].

T o spare readers the pain and slight blinding of the eyes due to seeing election printed 20 more times in one article space, Ive decided to change the pace a little bit here. While Nov. 4 is kinda important (refer to the other 99

percent of news on the issue for further details), I want to focus on its recently overshadowed distant cousin, Oct. 31.

And to do just that, Ive compiled a rundown of my prediction of what will be running amok in the streets around campus this Halloween and how you too can make a difference in one holidays life.

First off, Sarah Palin. OK, so lets just get it out of the way. Regardless of how much you think shes a raving lunatic disguised as Caribou Barbie, this woman has been 2008s best punch line. And the sad part is, she makes it so damn

easy. Pick up that plastic rifl e and your best $150,000 suit knock-off and make Tina Fey proud. Go hockey moms!

Pairing with Palin is simple and easy. Obama and McCain masks are avail-able at most costume stores and suits can be rented for the night if necessary. You can also grab a simple clipboard and practice the Are you a registered voter? line, and (ta da!) youre a campaign canvasser in the making.

Next, we have the undeniable Joker from this summers hit, The Dark Knight. I dont know whats weirder

though seeing that many creepily smeared, red smiles or the line Why so serious? repeated every 10 seconds.

Calling all ladies that dont want to be cold on All Hal-lows Eve. Heres an early 2008 throwback. Remember Warren Jeffs Mormon Neverland-style ranch? Throw on a long, gingham dress, tease those bangs into an arch and let the polygamist fun begin. Travel in packs for added effect, each girl carrying at least four baby dolls that get accidentally mixed up along the way.

For those even bigger wimps that like lots of layers for extra warmth, this past summers Sasquatch should prove furry and cuddle-worthy. Round up two back-country hillbillies with trucker hats and cameras to chase you around and, who knows, there might be someone drunk enough nearby you could fool for a good laugh.

Naturally, Halloween wouldnt be complete without the scantily-clad. But this time lets give the ladies a break. For any guy with some guts and preferably lacking the gut, Michael Phelps costumes should be a fun conversation starter. Pick up some swimming goggles and cap, eight gold medals and an American fl ag-decorated speedo.

(And if you get the chance, some hard whiskey to warm you up. Youre going to need it.)

As for the couple costume, I will barf if I have to see another Mr. and Mrs. Smith pair. Instead, I recommend for the more creative and budget-concerned couple, Juno MacGuff and Paulie Bleeker. Ladies, all you need are some regular clothes and a believable pillow underneath as your bun in the oven, and guys, round up that two sizes too small track outfi t. And dont worry, no one will expect you to sing Moldy Peaches songs, but it couldnt hurt, right?

Oddball outfi ts: Heres where I just list some random ones that were thrown off my list of possible outfi t ideas but youre more than welcome to grab: David Bowie from the movie Labyrinth; Bob Ross, the painter with the fro; the gnome from the Travelocity commercials; the Mac and PC guys; zombie Hannah Montana; and a foaming at the mouth McCain supporter. Sorry, I just couldnt help myself on that last one.

Krystal Bick can be reached at [email protected].

P residential elections have a way of stealing the nations attention with the latest scandal, attack ad or gaffe.

The dance between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain is as hypnotizing as it is important. After all, the outcome will dictate the next four years for the entire country.

But local political races shouldnt become collateral damage to the hypnotism of presidential politics.

Those politicians, though

involved in less engrossing races, play an arguably more important role in our daily lives.

They will infl uence the budgets and the taxes that in turn dictate the services available to us.

We must not let those races fall to the side when we cast our ballots. Our choices, or lack thereof, could bear greater consequences than all presidential rhetoric of the next four years.

If we pick correctly, we could theoretically end up with a state assembly and senate that

will solve our states dismal budget problems.

They could, again theo-retically, save our tutoring centers and stop class sections from being cut. But only if we learn about the candidates and elect the best ones.

If we elect the correct people to the Board of Regents, then our university and all institutions of higher education in Nevada could see an unparalleled level of prosperity.

Similar arguments apply to the city councils, judges and

ballot initiatives that face us.We are not so presumptu-

ous as to tell you who the most qualified candidates are or to define prosperity for our university, city, state and nation. All we ask is for you to learn about the candidates and choose the one that best fits your ideals.

The youth demographic already receives a bad rap as the apathetic, uniformed electorate who votes based on appearances and the coolness of a candidates last name.

Of course, a vote is at least

being cast. Just not with the forethought it deserves.

So forgive us for asking that you dedicate more time to researching issues and candidates, especially with classes in full swing. But we maintain that it is for the best for all involved.

We should stand up as the most informed and prudent demographic.

After all, any changes will hit us as hard or benefi t us as much as the other demographics.

This is our chance to shatter expectations and dictate how our future will play out.

Maybe I heard a ghost once, but Im pretty sure it was a bear when I was camping.

Aurel Baker20, biology

I dont know whether I believe in ghosts or not because Ive never had an encounter with a ghost. Dan Pitbladdo

21, math

I believe in the Holy Spirit, but I dont think I believe in ghosts fl oating around here and that kind thing here with us on earth.

Colleen Medina40, nursing

I believe in ghosts because I was born in China, and in China we have lots of mysterious myths to describe ghosts.

Siqi Lihu18, English

KrystalBick

P.B.Russell

LETTERS TO THE EDITORANTI-OBAMA DOES NOT EQUATE RACISM

Playing the race card!Editor, remember Hillary!1.) Dont vote for Obama, youre a racist!2.) Expose Obamas close, far left associates, youre a racist!3.) Point out Obamas far, far left economic plans, youre a racist! Remember Hillary in the primary!4.) Show Obamas far left vot-ing record, youre a racist!5.) Highlight Obamas fl unk-ing the test by Citizens against government waste, youre a racist!Alright, already! Give it a rest! I get it! This is being done to prevent discussion of Obamas far left beliefs! Re-member Hillary!Instead, dont vote for Obama, because his inexperience! Dont vote for Obama, be-cause his far left economic plans have never worked anywhere at anytime in the world! Dont vote for Obama, because we owe blacks! Dont vote for Obama, because of his poor judgment by associ-ating with far left extremists!Obama is the wrong man at the wrong time, economic crisis!Dont forget what happened to Hillary.-Kris Kersch of Yerington, Nev.

CONSERVATION CONCERNS

I would just like to raise a con-cern I have about our school, their budget crisis, and being green. Have you ever noticed the number of unused com-puters that are constantly on in the libraries and other facili-ties? We as students/faculty/others should be aware of the massive waste of power and money that leaving these devices on is causing. Simply turning off the computers when they are not in use could save our school tens of thou-sands in electrical bills each year. As an institute for higher learning we should be the fi rst to WANT to be more green, and conscious about what we do.-Jess Gurley, via e-mail

STORY: A ROARING REVIVAL: LARGER BUDGET, NEW DEPARTMENT PAYS OFF IN STUDENT TURNOUT

On Oct. 21, at 10:43 a.m., Mayo Thompson wrote:I liked the fact that the bonfi re was somewhat of a family event. I think that turnout for the football game maybe bet-ter with a later game. I wanted to do tailgate but it was to early in the morning. Just my $19.14.

STORY: FORMER ATO MEMBERS POKE FUN AT HAZING SCANDAL

On Oct. 21, at 9:15 a.m., TimTaycher wrote:The harm of ATO being in the parade is more than evident, they are perpetuating a cul-ture of Hazing on campus. They have no respect for the punishment that they deserve. Whether or not they were making fun of themselves, providing a tongue-in-cheek admission of guilt, or basically telling the administration that they do not care about what happens to them it makes the entire Greek Community look bad.

WEB NOTES

perspectives OCTOBER 28, 2008 A7www.nevadasagebrush.com

AFRICAN CAUSE

Street boys face dangers of country unrest, forced to become soldiersC hild Soldier.A pairing of words that should never exist.But it does. In Africa, we have seen it in Sierra Leone. We have seen it in Sudan. We have seen it in Uganda. We will see it in Kenya.

Unless we choose to act now.

While I was in Kenya this August, I watched the nightly news in Kiswahili, then the same broadcast again in English. What I saw couldnt have disturbed me more.

Reports acknowledged the 10th anniversary of the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kenya.

The very terrorist, Fazul, who had committed this atrocious act returned. This time he was discov-ered before he could execute his next act of destruction.

While Fazul fled to escape government authority, his mere presence in the nation rallied rebels together. Small militant groups began to rise up.

But where would they get the manpower?Enter the Kenyan street boy.

When a child survives by sniffi ng glue to stave off hunger pangs and sleeps on the steps of a storefront, the option of joining a militant group to receive proper shelter and food becomes understandably appealing.

Since children in Kenya cannot legally work until the age of 18, many boys survive by working odd jobs and doing whatever they can for many. While the younger kids can beg, the older boys trade in scrap metal, wash cars, clean toilets and remove trash from local businesses.

Once these tasks are completed, the boys are only given a very small fee in exchange for their labor. Because no one is monitoring this, the street kids are often taken advantage of and grossly underpaid.

If any money is made, the boy can purchase lunch. But then hell be hungry again by dinner. Instead, he uses the money to purchase stick-tight-bond shoemakers glue.

Although this is illegal, shoemakers will sell a cup of glue to any child for as little as 10 shillings.

Storing the glue in an old plastic bottle, the child can make an O-shape with his mouth, secure his lips around the bottle opening and deeply inhale. The fumes

from the glue dry out the mouth and burn down the throat. This feeling is comforting to a street boy. It signifi es the assurance that he will get high off the glue. Once high, he will not feel his hunger pains for days.

Trapped in this vicious cycle, a street boy finds it impossible to resist any offer of food and shelter. Even if it comes from a man who will put a gun in a 7-year-olds hands, brainwash and train him to pull the trigger against his own people.

The situation seems hopeless. However, this does not have to happen. If only we act to prevent the possibility of child soldiers now.

How? Build a home. With a boys home in place, many kids will be removed from the streets and given food, shelter, rehabilitation and an education.

These boys should not have to face the possibility, much less the reality, of becoming child soldiers.

They dont have to. Someone else just has to help them fi rst.

For more information, e-mail Project 58: Illuminating Injustice at [email protected].

Ally Patton is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. She can be reached at [email protected].

AllyPatton

THE SEXIST

H eres a question from one of our readers. If you have any follow-up questions or other sex questions, e-mail the address at the end of this column. Everything is strictly confi dential.Dear Mike,My partner recently confi ded in me that he is into role

playing and likes to be dominated. I have never done anything like that, but am defi nitely willing to give it a try. My question is, how do I even get started? Im having trouble creating the scenario and even imagining what I would say. How do you make your partner get on their knees and service you without laughing, or feeling horribly awkward?

-Newbie in NyeGreat question Newbie, youve gotten through

the hardest step: communicating needs and wants.Many couples deal with this step by avoiding

the conversation, which can lead to unfulfi lled sex lives, animosity, cheating and worst of all,

no sex. But you dont appear to have those problems. For everyone else, dont be a dick. Listen to your partner and dont

treat him or her like a freak because they like something you dont.First, you need a barometer for your preferences. Its like playing

house. You have to fi gure out whos your daddy, who needs to be punished, how and why. Did the submissive lie, cheat, steal, back talk or something else? Does he/she need to be hit, yelled at, branded, humiliated, etc.?

For a fi rst timer, its better to stick with a simple kink, with simple characters and props. The last thing you need is a complex system of pulleys bolted to the living room ceiling that youll never use again.

S&M is not for the spontane-ous, so make sure you have what you need ahead of time: ropes, safety (EMT) scissors, toys, etc. But dont be afraid to improvise; you dont need a $100 sling and harness if you can buy $10 clothes line (proper bondage rope) at The Home Depot or a $20 riding crop from an equestrian store instead of a $50 one at the sex shop.

If youre having trouble articulating a preference or imagining a fantasy, watch each others porn. If porn isnt your thing, go to a friendly, well-rounded sex shop and look for gear. Talk to the staff; they usually know a lot about what they sell and how it works.

Prime the pump by sending sexy e-mails, text and phone messages. These allow you to test your partner and yourself with radical ideas to give each other a chance to answer thoughtfully instead of with involuntary grimaces or eww, no! This also helps build anticipation and get you in the mood to try new things.

Halloween is coming up, giving you the perfect excuse to go looking for costumes. If you want to be a cop, put on the uniform, replace the gun with a fl ogger, the mace with a blindfold and more. Get creative; play Death or a favorite celebrity.

If one of you is the teacher and the other is the student, make sure you know if the student is innocent and submissive, or bratty and rebellious. Then stick to it. Try not to break character unless someone yells the safe word. And if your boyfriend laughs, use that as an excuse to punish him. Theres nothing like real pain to stop you from laughing.

Mike Higdon can be reached at [email protected].

MikeHigdon

CULTURE SHOCK

Kindness overcomes hatred, helps heal

I will never forget the words that my father told me A war will break out.On September 11, 2001, as the United States was being attacked by terrorists, I was in Japan watching the second plane crash into the south tower of

the World Trade Center on television.

What I saw seemed so distant from my ordinary life. It didnt seem real to me; instead it was like a scene from a Hollywood action movie.

At that moment, people all over the world witnessed the beginnings of a global war.

The world today has drastically changed since the 9/11 attacks. Almost

3,000 people died that day in September, and after President Bush decided to attack Iraq in 2003, the estimated number of deaths went up to more than 120 million

including civilians and soldiers.The overwhelming number of deaths

shocks me. It seems the root of the war is no longer in the September attacks and people are dying for no reason.

Understandably, anger and hatred are diffi cult feelings to forget. But on the other hand, who wants to let those feelings eat away at them forever?

Ive found that wishing happiness for others is much easier and serves as a better reminder for people years later.

Dogwoods, which are trees fl owering with white and pink blossoms in April and May, are all over Hibiya Park, one of the most famous parks in Tokyo. The trees were sent as a gift from U.S. President Taft in 1915 after Yukio Ozaki, the mayor of Tokyo, sent his gift of 3,000 cherry blossoms in 1912 to be planted on the White House grounds.

Today, over 90 years has passed but the beautiful fl owers still please a lot of people in both of our countries every spring.

The generous gestures of these two men clearly still lives today and has even moved

one Japanese singer, Yo Hitoto.Hitoto was shocked by the 9/11 attacks and

wanted to stop the endless chain reaction of anger and hatred. She was inspired by the story of the dogwood fl owers and wrote a song called Hanamizuki (fl owering dogwood).

She wrote the lyrics with the hope that she can help end some violent misun-derstandings in the world today and also with the hope that with her song, people can exchange tender hearts, just like our countries exchanged fl owers years ago.

I hope my patience bears fruits and/the endless wave is calmed/I hope you can be with your lover for a hundred years.

I might not be able to get rid of the suffering for the victims of the 9/11 attacks or the Iraq war for that matter, but I will start wishing happiness for my friends and their friends.

And hopefully, the ripple of my feelings will reach the victims someday.

Seiko Kamikariya is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. She can be reached at [email protected].

SeikoKamikariya

ELECTION THOUGHTS

Election turns for the worse, disillusions votersI n seven days, we will know who the 44th President of the United States will be (that is, ahem, unless theres vote tampering in certain states like I believe there was in 2000 and 2004).

If you think paying attention to this race for the past three or four months has been bad, try following it since last winter like I have.

Safe to say, itll be a nice respite not to think about electioneering for the next two years.

Anyhow, back to my point.Thanks to the brilliant invention of

early voting, many of you reading this have already cast your vote for either Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. John McCain.

Itd be quite pointless to waste column space endorsing either the young, noble senator from the state of Illinois or the elder senator from the state of Arizona.

Instead, Ill spend this time before Election Day talking to you about the future.

Not about graduation or what kind of job youll land after you leave this university, but about the future of our

political discourse. Over the past few

weeks, we have seen the dark side of politics rear its ugly head on the national stage.

It has taken the shape of everything from radio talk show hosts wild rantings to a vice-presidential candidate touting the virtues of real America.

It has even shown itself in the words of two-bit Congress members. For example, on Hardball with Chris Matthews a few weeks ago, Rep. Michelle Bachman (R - Minn.) equated being liberal with being anti-American and added that the media should take a look at the anti-American views of each member of Congress.

I think people would love to see an expos like that, Bachman said.

Excuse me? We are ankle deep in the worst

economic crisis to hit this country since the Great Depression and she thinks that a 21st-century McCarthy-ism is something people would love to see?

Its moments like these that stoke the fi res of apathy in the next generations of Americans.

Its moments like these that reinforce ideological divisions in this country.

Its moments like these that make vote tampering and the corruption of large chunks of our electoral system possible.

Everyone is so jaded and disgusted by the practice of politics that they dont care if the election has been stolen!

Thankfully, in this election season,

that can be changed now more than at any other time in our recent memory.

How can it be changed? One word: Vote.

Vote against this garbage and the divisive politics that fueled four years of nothing.

Vote against members of Congress who should know better than to turn the word liberal into the worlds fi rst seven-letter curse word.

Vote against a vice-presidential candidate that divides us into little blobs with the names Pro-American and Real American.

Make this the election one in which we start to pull our politics out of this cavern of stupidity.

Brian Ault is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. He can be reached at [email protected].

BrianAult

How can it be changed? One word: Vote. Vote against this garbage and the divisive politics that fueled four years of nothing.

How to dominate your partner 101

These bindings are far better than cheap fuzzy hand-cuffs and leather cuffs. They are much stronger, softer material and fi t comfortably on wrists and ankles. They are built to get tighter as the wearer struggles and can be easily taken off by a partner. These can be found at Suzies Adult Superstore or on Love-Honey.com.

JAPANESE ROPE CUFFS

WEB NOTESSTORY: KAMALUDEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR CALDER MURDER

On Oct. 21, at 10:43 a.m., Mayo Thompson wrote:I hope this guy rots in prison or better yetmaybe hell get killed the exact same way in which he killed 2 other human beings. I watched a little bit of this trial and just being in the same area with him was so creepy.even with all the armed offi cers! May the Calder family rest in peace knowing that this animal will NEVER be on the streets again. Great job to the Prosecutor, Bruce Hahn. If Im ever in trouble; hes the fi rst one I am callingexcellent lawyer!!!

UNR 2021THE UNR OF THE FUTURE, TOMORROW!

Illustrated by:Kurt Hirsch

Written by: Clint Demeritt

Created by: David Worthington and Mike Geraghty

Glick 5000

Now that we have caught the monster, we can really fi nd out who has been haunting Lincoln Hall.

Well, other than Manzanitas ghost.

Of course.

Glick 5000?!?!?

Foiled again.

FILM REVIEW

MOVIEWEB.COM

Scott Patterson plays a detective out to solve the Jigsaw murders on a hunch that Jigsaw had an accomplice inside the police department. His fi ndings lead him to one man, but, in the tradition of Saw fi lms, catching the bad guy is not that simple.

Five times worse than the fi rstBy Julian Rhodes

Jason did it. Freddy did it. Even Chuckie did it. Hell, everyones done it. Every major horror fi lms antagonists for the past 20 years are guilty of the same crime (excluding cheesy pre-kill one-liners, of course). They each dragged their se-quels and franchises out way past their prime. So it comes as no surprise that in the spirit of tradition, Jigsaw does the same.

Saw V, the second-to-last (hopefully) fi lm in the series, following the death of Jigsaw, focuses on Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor, Beowulf), who is immediately identifi ed as an accomplice to the previous Jigsaw, destroy-ing any possible element of mystery. Narrowly escaping a trap set up by Jigsaw himself, Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Pat-terson, Saw IV) becomes the assumed tragic hero of this Saw fi lm. As in every Saw

movie, early foreshadowing ensures that the supposed hero of the fi lm will die at the end. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Patterson follows in the footsteps of Lyriq Bent, Donnie Wahlberg and other Saw protagonists in meeting an expected demise.

Keeping with the expected route of storytelling, Saw V

relies heavily on fl ashbacks with a side story proceeding in real time. But unlike the last couple of fi lms, the movie does not end in the same scene as its predecessor, but instead focuses on the real time story with a completely predictable ending. The big twist at the end is not quite as surprising as director David Hackl wished it was. Instead, the audience will be sad to see an ending they could have guessed within the fi rst 20 minutes of the movie.

Everything about this fi lm just screams waste of time. From the increasingly predictable sto-rylines to the fact that this movie is the fi fth in the series and given the horrible production that is Saw IV, there just should not be a reason for viewers to want to see this new movie. But alas, cu-riosity has and will undoubtedly lead many to wonder: What are some ways for people to die that I have never seen before on fi lm?

This is the driving force

behind the Saw audience. Saw gave them a grotesque, psychological thriller. Saw II and Saw III contributed two memorable gorefests, ton-ing down the psychological freak-out factor of the original. Saw V fails to prevail over the horrid Saw IV, but instead finds someway to lose all of the attraction that any of the origi-nals had. This movie cannot even deliver in terms of blood and guts. To be frank, Saw V is mostly just sad and pathetic.

A waste of movie theater space, audience time and production money, Saw V is an ultimate failure. This Hal-loween, if you really need to see a scary movie, hit up High School Musical 3 on acid. That should be much more horrifying and a hundred times more satisfying.

Julian Rhodes can be reached at [email protected]

THE TELEVISIONARY

E ver wondered what the weathers like in Philadelphia? Ive never wondered and never cared, but apparently, its always sunny. Or so says FXs hit comedy, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

While Sunny can be described as another com-edy about a quirky group of twenty-something-year-olds going about their lives in some thriving urban setting, The Gang are hardly reminiscent of the happy go-lucky characters of Friends.

After recovering from the shock that FX started to air an original series (more than one!) that didnt suck, I was impressed to see

something really original in Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Sunny isnt sweet. Its not charming. It doesnt make me give a damn about any of its characters. Sunny is just funny, and thats something you dont see very often in television today.

The characters of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia are rude, narcissistic, ignorant and bereft of any moral responsibility. Throughout the run of the series,

The Gang manages to botch a crack deal, run each other over, ruin more than a few peoples lives and have it out with each others parents and crushes.

While their awkward endeav-ors and naivety show traces of Michael Scott from The Offi ce, and Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords, The Gang lacks redeeming qualities that add the sentimental hu-man element to Ricky Gervais comedic stylebut thats not a bad thing.

Antagonistic characters let comedy run wild, without being wrong. I get no sympathetic pangs going off at seeing almost every character in a neckbrace and on crutches when I remem-ber only one or two episodes ago Mac, Dennis, and Dee were pretending to have polio to get free stuff at the mall. Why?

Because in Philadelphia, its okay to think the characters are all douchebagsbecause they are.

Sunny has the freedom to be edgy with its characters because, well, theyre bastards. Watching a bunch of idiots screw themselves over, time and again, is oddly hilarious.

As series like The Offi ce walk the thin line between comedic and dramatic, Sunny focuses only on comedy with-out recreating whats already been done in dozens of sitcoms before it. It doesnt worry about being high brow (seriously, theres an entire episode about poop), and it doesnt revert back to clich catchphrases and safe humorits just funny.

Chelsea Otakan can be reached at [email protected]

ChelseaOtakan

Original FX comedy breaks all the rules

Saw V continues to ride the failing appeal of its franchiseSAW VRelease Date: Oct. 24Director: David HacklStarring: Costas Mandylor, Scott Pat-terson and Meagan GoodGenre: Thriller, HorrorRating: R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and brief nudity.Grade: F

arts & entertainment www.nevadasagebrush.comA8 OCTOBER 28, 2008

GhostCONTINUED FROM PAGE A12

When we were checking out the Gold Hill Hotel when we fi rst started, I was walking behind Sean and we heard a loud knock, Tipp said. We both thought we had made the sound and no one was in the hotel, so we couldnt explain it.

Other than EVPs, inexplicable occurrences are often used for evidence for ghosts. Two of the most prominent are theories surrounding orbs and ectoplas-mic mist. Orbs, as McLoughlin explains, are seen in the fi eld to be collections of energy gathered into a small, fl oating shape. Paranormal experts hypothesize these orbs to be representative of spirits fl oating about, he said. But these orbs are not always reliable.

In pictures, you catch dust and it looks like orbs and many dont even think orbs are anything, he said. Everything about orbs is based on theory.

Ectoplasmic mist, how-ever, is much more realistic, OCallaghan said. Ectoplasmic mist, as OCallaghan explains, is what some people believe to be a ghost. It takes on the form of condensation, but does not refl ect the way smoke or fog does to light or fl ash photogra-phy, he said.

We got some photos of ecto-plasmic mist at Robb Canyon, he said. Within a matter of seconds, a mysterious fog-like substance moved on a very di-rect path and then disappeared into the night.

But despite these two semi-convincing forms of evidence, McLoughlin prefers the strang-est of the three.

McLoughlin said, EVPs, in my opinion, are the most reliable proof one can get for paranormal activity.

NEXT FOR NSPIWith recent investigations

fi nished at Bucklands Station and various extensive investiga-tions coming to a close at Silver Terrace Cemetery and Robb Canyon, NSPI hopes to move on to bigger, better things.

Right now were looking to recruit more people, OCallaghan said. Some of the bigger places were looking at investigating are going to need more people.

Some of those bigger places on their checklist include the Gold Hill Motel, the Old Gold-fi eld Motel, Fourth Ward School and St. Marys Art Center in Virginia City.

But no matter the size of the building, OCallaghan said hed never charge for the groups services.

I dont want it to be a busi-ness, he said. Its strictly a hobby.

The rest of the group shares this sentiment. Tipp and McLoughlin both said they enjoy their investigations.

We all have a great time, McLoughlin said. Were really good friends and we love doing it.

Julian Rhodes can be reached at [email protected]

OCTOBER 28, 2008 A9www.nevadasagebrush.com advertisements

A10 OCTOBER 28, 2008

InsideRenowww.nevadasagebrush.com

CalendarTUESDAY/28National Cowboy Poetry Gathering at Pioneer Cen-ter for the Performing ArtsPoets focussing on subject matter from the Wild West, such as Paul Zarzyski and Wylie Gustafson, will show-case their talents.100 S. Virginia St.Reno, NVShow starts at 7:30 p.m.Tickets range from $29 to $50, and discounted tickets are available to students for $9.

THURSDAY/30Fishbone at John Ascuagas NuggetSka-rock band Fishbone, which gained popularity in the 1980s for their diversity and their unique live perfor-mances, will perform in the Celebrity Showroom of John Ascuagas Nugget in Sparks.1100 Nugget Ave.Sparks, NVShow starts at 8 p.m.Tickets are $18.

FRIDAY/31Senses Fail with Sky Eats Airplane, Foxy Shazam and Dance Gavin Dance at New OasisNew Jersey natives Senses Fail combine their hardcore, punk and metal sounds with the enthusiastic rock music of openers Foxy Shazam, Sky Eats Airplane and Dance Gavin Dance.2100 Victorian Ave.Sparks, NVShow starts at 8 p.m.Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door.

SATURDAY/1Nevada Day Parade in Car-son CityThe annual Nevada Day Parade will begin with the launching of hot air balloons and planes from the Nevada Air Guard and the Fallon Naval Air Station. The pa-rade will also feature fl oats, marching bands and other forms of entertainment.Carson St.Carson City, NVParade starts at 8 a.m.

Neil Young with Death Cab for Cutie and Everest at Reno Events CenterLegendary guitarist and rock musician Neil Young, who has performed in Buf-falo Springfi eld and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as with the band Crazy Horse, will perform in Reno with well-known indie rock-ers Death Cab for Cutie.400 N. Center St.Reno, NVShow starts at 8 p.m.Tickets range from $52.75 to $177.75.

MONDAY/3To Write Her A Letter with RoxyMora, Promises Prom-ises and Everything Col-lides at The UndergroundThis show for ages 21 and older features acoustic rock group To Write Her A Let-ter with gothic Las Vegas natives RoxyMora and local alternative rock openers Promises Promises and Ev-erything Collides.555 E. Fourth St.Reno, NVShow starts at 7:30 p.m.

By Casey OLear

Tucked into the dark re-cesses of the Silver Club Hotel and Casino in Sparks, magi-cian and illusionist Eli Kerr presents Fright Fest, a series of haunted attractions for the Halloween season.

Fright Fest, which features both a haunted house and maze as well as assorted other attractions, is open between 7 p.m. and midnight Thursday to Sunday.

By far, the most interesting aspect of the event is the back-story of the haunted house.

As participants wait in a long, winding line through the front yard of the House of the Dead, numerous television monitors offer a breaking news report that explains the terrifying situation. An outbreak of Solanum has hit Washoe County.

This contagious infection causes cessation of brain activity and death within hours, followed, of course, by reanimation. By the time we reached the front door of the house, the repeated viewings of this news report had of-ficially begun to frighten me.

An eerie doorman finally led our group into the house, forcefully instructing us to

keep the door shut behind us. We found ourselves first standing in a disheveled room wondering what our next move would be when a door burst open and a man carrying a shotgun leapt out, demanding to know whether or not we were infected. After shouting No! at him repeatedly, he told us to get out of there and we politely obliged.

The rest of the house consisted of many routine haunted house residents: a zombie child coloring on the floor of a playroom, a zombie in the kitchen who had to chase us in the direction of the next hallway when we got lost in the dark and other Washoe County residents tot-ing weapons and explosives to protect themselves from the infection.

Overall, the House of the Dead was satisfactorily fright-ening with a unique approach on plenty of the scares typical of haunted houses.

However, the Darkness Maze was far less impressive, despite thoroughly living up to its name. It was completely pitch black inside and the scariest moments occurred when accidentally touching another guest while trying to

feel my way along the walls. My only encounter with a monster in the maze was a faint growling sound minutes before I reached the exit.

Other attractions included psychic readings for $7, cari-catures, roving magicians, a monster photo booth and $5 trick-or-treat bags.

Admission price is $12, or $10 with a canned food donation for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

While the attraction may not have been the best, the Halloween season would be lacking without a haunted house experience, and Fright Fest is still a very fun way to spend an October evening.

Casey OLear can be reached at [email protected].

By Ruth Anderson

In a fading pastel pink strip mall, reminiscent of a 1970s fashion faux pas, sits Mi Ranchito.

The restaurant has cold, fl ores-cent lighting and an eclectic choice of dcor. The walls are an uncanny combination of off-white, beige and pink. On the wall closest to the entrance is a print of Diego Rivera, a world-class Mexican painter and husband of Frida Khalo.

As customers enter they are greeted by a cacophony of sound. The Rowe Ami jukebox bursts with music, playing a customer favorite, El Cuervo by Alegres de la Sierra. The television perched in the corner always has the lat-est news and soap operas, giving those who dont speak Spanish

an excellent introduction to the language.

Mi Ranchitos food and experi-ence are as authentic as they are wonderful.

Their food is so delicious, said Erin McQueen, a University of Nevada, Reno student. I am a huge fan of the tacos and I have heard that the wet burritos are the best.

Servers are always friendly and have an uncanny ability to remember returning customers preferences. The menu features a variety of Mexican dishes ranging from commonplace to the exotic.

Customers can order beef head (cabeza) and cow tongue (lengua) in many dishes. For the less adventurous, Mi Ranchito offers chicken, vegetable or beef

steak (carne asada) as fi llings in burritos and tacos. They also supply a menu with combina-tion and seafood plates.

Among their more popular dishes is the wet chicken burrito with red sauce. It has the instant pang of spice with a comfort-able fi nish. Others may like Mi Ranchitos irresistible carne asada

tacos, which excellently combine cured beef with a garnish of cilan-tro. Each of these dishes should be paired with their homemade chips and salsa, which is an impeccable accompaniment to any dish.

Throughout the years, menu prices have increased slightly (by about fi fty cents) and the custom-ers have changed from neigh-borhood locals to include UNR students. However, the food has remained deliciously delectable.

Martha Rico and her fam-ily have owned and operated the restaurant for eight years, always maintaining the highest standard of service.

Mi Ranchitos cook, George, is most noted for his speed and excellence in serving Reno the best in Mexican food.

Another member of Mi Ranchitos staff is Ricos daughter, Juleanna Uribe, who has worked at the restaurant since they opened.

I was very little when I began washing the dishes, Juleanna said. I have been here since the beginning.

Regardless of taste, Mi Ranchito has a quaintness that its hard to match. Whether it is El Cuervo playing from the jukebox, the atmosphere or the authentic food, customers are able to experience a taste of old Mexico. The staff quickly becomes like family and the cravings for the food linger long after the plate has been cleaned and the meal paid for.

Ruth Anderson can be reached at [email protected] .

By Danielle Gonzalez

Mainstream hip-hop music took a detour from its roots into the money-making arena of Hol-lywood demands.

Hip-hop used to be about the message in the music. It wasnt about making money. It was about spreading truth.

Local hip-hop artist, Lee More-head, also known as L Dubble, is on a lyrical mission to put pas-sion and truth back into hip-hop music.

He said the lyrics in his songs tell people a story about things hes been through. He wants to make music that relates to the real-life struggles his listeners deal with on a daily basis. He said that he will not be a bubblegum hip-hop artist.

Kids love bubble gum until the fl avor runs out and then they spit it out for another piece, L Dubble said.

He admires the artists with longevity and hopes to have that quality attached to his name one day. However, he knows that making a name for himself in Reno might be diffi cult.

Reno doesnt support un-derground music or hip-hop in general, he said.

L Dubble has the advantage of being surrounded by music through the

nevada sagebrush archives 10/28/08

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