Spring Issue 2019

Spring 2019 VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3

MAGAZINE

THE GREEN

ISSUE

Photo by Wenei Philimon

staff

(l eft t o r ig h t ) Elizabeth Pearson: Art Director Kellie Sasso: Photo Director Maggie Schmutz: Editor-in-Chief Tanner Barrett: Copy Editor Rylee Jackson: Staff Writer Insight Magazine is proud to have placed tenth in the 2018 National Associated Collegiate Press Conference in the category of Feature Magazine.

about the magazine You hold in your hands the latest iteration of Insight Magazine. We hope that you will enjoy it. Not only is this issue the result of a tremendous amount of hard work, but it is also a representation of a student publication over a decade in the works (with origins as the Artemisia, the former yearbook of UNR dating back to the 1800's).

Thank you for supporting us. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. If you're interested in getting involved with us, visit insightunr.com > Get Involved.

corrections Insight Magazine works to correct any errors. If you find a mistake or misprint, please contact the editor at insighteditor@asun.unr.edu.

from the editor

A

s Reno’s steady stream of rain showers begins to slowly give way to spring, I’ve started to notice the campus coming back to life. I love the first snow as much as anyone, but as spring rolls around and winter comes to an end, I find myself eagerly waiting for leaves on the trees and flowers along the sidewalks. I love campus in the spring. The air feels cleaner, and the way the sunlight filters through the trees around the quad is heavenly.

I’ve never been much of an outdoor activity person. I’m not super fond of hiking or kayaking, and I’d probably pass if you invited me to throw a football around, but spending time in nature is something I can get behind. I don’t think you have to be stereotypically “outdoorsy” to enjoy the outdoors. I don’t camp unless my friends or family insist I tag along, but I’d spend all day at the beach reading a book. I wouldn’t want to go fishing, but I’d love to take my journal and sit by the lake.

These activities are how I connect with nature. I think that we often take how beautiful the world around us is for granted, and we’re intimidated by people who tell us there’s only one way to interact with it. I believe that there’s a way for everyone to enjoy nature even if you’re like me and have no interest in going anywhere near a sporting goods store.

Sure, being in nature is fun, but it also has health benefits. Studies have shown that walking in nature can help boost short-term memory. Studies have also shown that spending time outside can reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and in some cases, protect your vision.

So when we decided to focus on the environment for this issue, the first thing I thought of was all the great things nature does for us. There is something inherently calming and healing about nature, and that’s what I’ve come to love about it. If nature is healing us and providing us the resources we need to live, then why are we so set on destroying it? We live in a time where some politicians and big businesses have no interest in preserving the natural world around us, which means we need to fight even harder to protect it. There's a long list of ways to help within this issue: change your beauty routine, use reusable containers, or contact your local government representatives to demand change. You have the power to make a difference. I hope that this issue of Insight gives you some ideas about how to do just that.

contributors

Dominique Hall Wenei Philimon Daniel Lang Nikki Moylan Carley Olson Grey Bailey Quintin Mills

Laura Rivas Taylor Avery Josie Steehler Alexandra McVey Crystal Lugo Melissa Vidal Xavier Laguna

MAGAZINE

Photo by Kellie Sasso

contents news An Unexpected Home

8 12 A Look at the Reno Serial Killer Investigation

reviews

16 Book and Album Reviews 18 Local Business Reviews

features 24 25 26 28

Rocking & Rolling Into the Hall of Fame Mountain Biking Season is Coming A Note-Able Journey Reflecting Before Regrowth

lifestyle 32 34 36 38 40

Live Cheap, Live Friendly, Live Clean.

I Took Myself to Liverpool Living Pretty, Naturally No Excuses. Start Journaling.

Eating Clean on a College Budget

opinion

46 Sensationalizing Suicide 48 The Green Issue

news

Photos by Kellie Sasso

INSIGHT 6

7 INSIGHT

AN UNEXPECTED HOME Words by Daniel Lang Photos by Kellie Sasso s Manzanita Hall prepares to reopen this fall, the community of students meant to move into Manzanita four years ago is preparing to graduate.

The Residential Life, Housing and Food Service department promised 72 students year-long housing on campus, but a series of missed communications by the department found those residents caught between the University’s construction aims and a state board’s decision.

That community was moved suddenly into White Pine Hall during fall 2015, which the University originally announced would close after spring 2015. The University would later demolish White Pine in spring 2016 to build Great Basin Hall, which opened fall 2018.

Joyful and sorrowful memories remain among its community members, many of whom will graduate this May. Despite the mostly first-year student community’s short lifespan residing in White Pine, it achieved recognition from the University, the Nevada Sagebrush and the Nevada Residence Hall Association (RHA) student government, considered the University’s largest studentled organization under the Associated Students of the University of Nevada.

“We are a small tribe with a big roar," commented White Pine Resident Assistant Molly Kelly on White Pine’s University-wide Homecoming success. In 2015, “WhipJun,” the combination team of the White Pine and Juniper halls, placed first in March from the Arch and second overall. (Traditionally, this combination team was “ManJun,” linking neighbors Manzanita and Juniper halls.)

Kelly and fellow White Pine resident assistants MaryLyn Silverstein and Andy Cooper received the teamwork award during the spring 2016 RHA banquet.

Former residents Kristin Mitra, Ashley Huston, Isabel Villanueva, Darren Dang and Kris Alighchi from the 2015 community weighed in this year on life after White Pine.

People who lived in White Pine Hall continued to live together. Kristin Mitra went on to live with my former suitemates. She recalled traditions in White Pine that the students continued.

Ashley Huston became engaged to a student she met through living on campus.

Isabel Villanueva says she speaks almost every day with Aleia Wozmak, a friend from White Pine Hall.

Three years later, Dang says he lives with former White Pine residents Liz Delikat and Daniel Molina.

A

How Community Developed

White Pine’s ordeal began summer 2015, when Residential Life, Housing and Food Service Department INSIGHT 8

faced a housing crisis. The University accepted over 10 percent more students for fall 2015 than the year before but closed three residence halls. Whereas White Pine closed for demolition to construct Great Basin Hall, Lincoln and Manzanita closed because Nevada Public Works classified the historic buildings structurally unsafe to house residents.

However, miscommunication caused Residential Life to assume it could still use Manzanita. Students were then moved into other buildings, like White Pine.

Those first August nights in White Pine, residents met by knocking on doors and texting to visit floors and lobbies.

“We would just ... run back and forth between each dorm,” Idalis Figueroa, then-freshman, said. “I was running around with Isabel [Villanueva] to try to meet everyone the first week of school. It was really fun.”

At first glance, White Pine seemed a dismal place to live.

Its three floors of residents compared the weathered bricks and barred outdoor balconies to grungy motels and jail cells. Its cold walkways had cracks, and residents recall awaking to screeching from construction of the Pennington Student Achievement Center before it opened spring 2016.

“Especially the way White Pine was built and the way it looks. It kind of encouraged you to get out of your room. If you’re out of your room, you’re in the shared living room.” said Kris Alighchi.

Strolling the outdoor balconies to find a resident’s room, one would pass open windows to bedrooms and open doors to room suites. The hall enjoyed a piano in its sole lounge, called the “Fishbowl” for its windows on all sides, where students could gather. The hall’s wide lawn included a volleyball sandlot where residents could start a game.

These were the spaces where a northern Californian freshman had met a duo from Las Vegas, and a Japanese exchange student met a rural Nevadan.

The community’s environment encouraged socializing.

Mitra, Isabel Villanueva and Ashley Huston recall the welcoming community of residents who would keep their doors open and welcomed others to visit.

“I’ve honestly had a really good experience with Residential Life. [I thought] ‘what if I’m not going to fit in?

What if I’m going to be really homesick?’ [But] everybody was just so friendly with each other, really connected. Like home away from home.” said Isabel Villanueva, who has since moved back to Hawai’i.

“The second night we were here, after we moved in, everybody on our floor decided to get together and just play games,” Aleia Wozmak recalled. “Everybody took over a role in the friend group, and we all got assigned nicknames. … From 4,000 miles away, you come in, and … people were just so great.”

In some ways, the community’s short time living together

9 INSIGHT

Photo by Daniel Lang accelerated relationships.

“I really, really liked the extended family,” said Mitra, referring to the residents from other White Pine suites and residence halls who visited each other.

During the nights in the White Pine, residents imagined life after moving and wanted to show the University they mattered. This led to “Humans of White Pine,” my six-month outreach project from October 2015 to March 2016, during which I shared 40 interviews from over half my peers, including residents of other halls who visited.

Interviews happened whenever and wherever residents felt comfortable, whether in bedrooms, along balconies or in the lounge. A resident told his story amid a party, whereas another shared hers moments before packing her room to move.

Strained Relationships

In other ways, the community’s short time together strained relationships.

Mitra and Huston from the former White Pine community in 2019 said they felt Residential Life did well, considering its difficult situation. In 2015, to help residents understand circumstances around the move, Kile Porter and Stephanie Jones from Residential Life held an information night October 13 in White Pine’s lounge.

When residents asked how there could be space for them in other halls, some felt shocked to hear the department expected at least a hundred residents to leave housing by semester end according to notes taken during the event.

While academic problems, homesickness or conduct INSIGHT 10

issues were possibilities, Porter said, common reasons included “graduation, University withdrawal, and one semester programs.”

Department Director Rod Aeshlimann said during a 2015 interview usually 150 residents drop between fall and spring semesters. The department did not feel challenged to find vacancies for White Pine’s 72 residents.

Nonetheless, Gerald Marczynski, dean of students and associate vice president of Student Life Services, said during an interview the University would not admit new students to housing that spring if former White Pine residents needed rooms. While the department discussed postponing White Pine demolition for the full academic year, finances restricted Residential Life. Aeshlimann said housing revenue could not cover escalating costs for postponing construction.

While Residential Life tried to allow White Pine roommates to move together, many had to separate when single openings emerged. The department organized roommate mixers almost nightly for two weeks to help White Pine residents pair with potential roommates from other halls. Turnouts varied, in part because many students had classes. For residents who found acceptable matches, resident assistants insisted residents accept new moving situations and transfer halls within the week.

Resident assistants provided on-site transfer paperwork.

Although some residents felt staff acted too eagerly and insistently, others gladly packed and moved. Reluctant residents expressed feeling pressured during mixers to leave their first roommates in favor of others, as staff

Wozmak.

CORE worked from 7 a.m. into the evenings tearing down the hall. While clean-up of White Pine’s wreckage continued, Residential Life informed the community that the bridge over North Virginia Street would reopen on March 9, 2016 and Great Basin open August 2017. Neither opened until Great Basin Hall’s delayed completion.

Huston felt she benefited from the community. Huston said she loved idea of events bringing people together, and that they, “create a sense of community where there might not be one.”

Dang felt frustrated about moving. “It was a frustrating experience. Having to move mid-semester, leaving all the people you made friends with. It wasn’t a fun time.”

Housing Future

stressed all White Pine residents would have to move.

Although residents did not have to select new roommates during mixers, those who did not risked missing out on preferred halls.

From the week that followed mixers, residents quickly moved from White Pine. Fourteen residents moved before Halloween, and another 30 moved before Thanksgiving.

According to Aeshlimann, the last 28 residents received assignments before the end of finals. Even during the final two weeks, Residential Life tried to acknowledge preferences.

“I think that the Residential Life department has always had a huge job -- handling upkeep, maintenance, finding a place for students. It’s such a huge job, there’s so much room for error. [They're] necessarily putting people together to live who might not be compatible. [There are] so many more stories of success than these stories of failures,” said Huston, who worked for Residential Life.

Dismantled Home

“I feel like this is hallowed ground,” said Kristin Mitra, 2015 White Pine resident, who graduated 2018 and studies her master’s at Gonzaga University. She visited Great Basin Hall to see how White Pine’s site changed.

“We had this experience when our building was torn down,” Mitra said. On Tuesday, February 2, 2016, CORE Construction began to demolish the 1962 residence hall.

The next week, February 8, displaced residents returned at sunset to see the wreckage and pay respects, middemolition. They gathered beside the fence separating them from rubble heaps of the former building. Mitra recalls one day while passing to have taken a piece of brick in memory of her former home. She still has it.

“I think that we should all have a little respect for what it was,” said Madeleine Williams, then-freshman. “I live in the LLC, but White Pine ... felt like a place that everyone could gather, and I don’t really get that feeling anywhere else.”

Among reunion attendees included Richard Frewert, Kristin Mitra, Ashley Huston, Liz Delikak and Aleia

“I expect promises to be fulfilled,” Mitra said. She recalls Residential Life said a White Pine community photo would appear in Great Basin. Residential Life took the photos Mitra describes December 9, 2015, although as of three years later, Residential Life has not displayed nor found the photos.

Ashley Huston agrees. Huston would like to have seen more action taken to remember the University’s history.

With Manzanita reopening, it helps to alleviate housing troubles by providing more beds.

Hearing Manzanita Hall reopening, Huston said, “I’m in a little bit of disbelief, since that’s what we were told four years ago. I’m hopeful that those students love it. I definitely hope they’ve worked out all the issues -- all the reasons we couldn’t live there. With them taking away White Pine [ this will] preserve some of that history.”

“I like to live somewhere with a rich history … that has that feeling that I’m not the first, I’m not going to be the last,” Huston said. “We thought that was going to be the end of it.”

“White Pine was a big deal to all of us it in its own way,” said Huston.

According to Jerome Maese of Residential Life, the department has a five-year plan to meet demand, which included opening Great Basin last semester and reopening Manzanita this fall.

Kris Alighchi, who graduates this spring summed up his time in White Pine in a few sentences. “[The experience] was unique. No way to replace it.

One-of-a-kind,” Daniel Lang has reported on Manzanita Hall’s intended 2015 community for the past four years as a volunteer contributor to the Nevada Sagebrush. As White Pine’s 2015 outreach board representative, he received an RHA Community Member of the Year award, among 3,000 residents, for his reporting and Facebook project “Humans of White Pine.” His stories about this community published on Medium during November 2015 and in the Nevada Sagebrush during December 2015 (cover story), January 2016 and August 2018.

11 INSIGHT

A LOOK AT THE RENO SERIAL KILLER INVESTIGATION Words by Dominique Hall and Wenei Philimon The “Biggest Little City” is no stranger to controversies and strange things happening in town, like the hit tv show “Reno 9-1-1,” which was a comedy show parodying law enforcement around Reno. Presumptions of Reno typically stem from the stereotypes of Reno being filled with alcoholics, gamblers, and burners. But no one seems to mention the crime rate in Reno.

In 2017, twenty people were killed by homicide in the Reno area. Lieutenant Zack Thew says that twenty wasn’t an unusual number of homicides for Reno and that the city typically sees between 15 and 20 homicides per year. But what the city typically doesn’t see is a 19-year-old serial killer.

In late December of 2018, two women who lived one mile away from each other were murdered two days after one another. Soon after an elderly Reno couple, who lived in Gardnerville, was also murdered in their residence. All four killings being similar in the usage of a firearm and the murderer’s removal of materials.

The presumed killer is Wilbur Ernesto MartinezGuzman who, at the time, was a 19-year-old. It was later discovered that he was in the country illegally.

Reno residents on social media have expressed their opinions on the likelihood of Guzman actually being the killer, and insinuating the

INSIGHT 12

government is only using him as bait for President Trump’s wall funding, which can be related to the timeline of the Reno killer’s slayings.

The four killings occurred within four days of each other, and it didn’t take long for police to find a suspect. Guzman has since confessed to the murder of the four Nevada residents.

Guzman confessed after a three hour interagation.

He told law enforcement that he needed the money for meth. They found that someone had tried to connect their Apple account to the stolen watch, and traced it to Sonia Guzman, Wilber's mother.

Less than 24 hours later, Guzman was arrested.

Guzman confessed to knowing the location of Jerry and Sherri’s stolen firearms. The suspect allegedly stole eleven firearms from the David’s home. He is currently being charged with four counts of murder and five counts of burglary. His trial is scheduled to begin in April 2020.

“We feel strongly that we have the man responsible for this and that you can continue to go about your daily activities and live normally,” Said Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley.

In relation to Trump’s wall funding, his request and efforts were denied, but a National Emergency was declared Feb. 15 concering the border-wall.

Given that Guzman came into the United States illegally from El Salvador, Trump is using this as an example of why the wall must be built.

DECEMBER 22

2018

First day of government shutdown in demand of border-wall funding.

JANUARY 10

2019

Connie Koontz, of Gardnerville, was found murdered in her home in which she lived alone.

Police urge the community and surrounding areas to lock their doors and report any suspicious activity.

JANUARY 18

2019

JANUARY 19

2019

JANUARY 13

2019

Sophia Renken, also of Gardnerville, was found murdered a mile away from Koontz also in her home. Later that day police link the two as related homicides.

A $10,000 reward was offered to whoever can catch the person responsible for the death of these women.

JANUARY 16

2019

Former Reno Rodeo President, along with his wife, Jerry and Sherri David were found murdered in their home located in South Reno.

Police search the580 corridor in Washoe Valley on tips that there could be evidence there connected to the murder.

Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, is arrested on a federal immigration hold and named as the primary suspect in all four killings in the Reno/ Gardnerville area.

JANUARY 21

2019

President Trump tweets about the Reno/ Gardnerville murders and uses the suspect as an example for his push in funding for the Mexican border wall.

JANUARY 25

2019

The government opens following closing for borderwall funding.

13 INSIGHT

INSIGHT 14

reviews

Photos by Kellie Sasso

15 INSIGHT

ALBUM REVIEWS Thank U, Next

Album by Ariana Grande

Review by Laura Rivas Ariana Grande released her newest album which truly embodies the idea of women’s empowerment. From the songs “Imagine” to “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored,” Ariana's album, Thank You, Next has shaken up music lover's playlist. She first released the “Thank You, Next’ music video which brought heavy media attention to her upcoming album.

Within the song “7 rings,” we see Ariana Grande singing about not being married, and instead spending time with her friends and committing to those healthy relationships. She even goes as far to discuss her personal life and how she and her six friends have matching rings, symbolizing their connection and dedication to one another.

Personally, this album has struck home for me and millions of women worldwide. Ariana Grande has challenged many social norms. In an interview she did with Billboard, Ariana says, "My dream has always been [...] to put out music in the way that a rapper does. I feel like there are certain standards that pop women are held to that men aren’t.” Ariana once again proves that she is able to be vulnerable with her audience and connect with them on an emotional level. This is something she never falls short on.

Human Album By Dodie Clark Review by Grey Bailey Dodie Clark got her start on YouTube, but her music career is what has helped her on her path to fame. Her newest release, “Human,” was released on January 18, 2019. It has seven songs, all of which are about life, relationships, insecurities, and what it is to be human. Each song has its own distinct sound, but Dodie manages to make every song on the album flow with the others. Each song is compelling and moving, as well as catchy.

My personal favorites are “Arms Unfolding” and “She.” Overall, the album is full of enjoyable and catchy songs.

INSIGHT 16

BOOK REVIEWS The Dreamers

Book by Karen Thompson Walker

Words by Nikki Moylan “The Dreamers” is a dystopian novel by Karen Walker Thompson which focuses on a sleepy college town that becomes just that, thanks to an unknown virus that causes its hosts to stay in a permanent dream state.

Paranoia and chaos ensue as it spreads from the college to the rest of Santa Lora, a fictional place in Southern California. There are various characters to follow, such as a college freshman who feels like an outsider, overprotective parents to a newborn baby, a “doomsday” prepping father to two little girls, and a biology professor. Their stories are all equally unique and interesting.

Thompson keeps us intrigued and connected thanks to her beautifully constructed prose, and I felt myself identifying with some of the characters and rooting for them to pull through.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Book by Mark Manson

Words by Carley Olson This book is a breath of fresh air that completely disregards the typically spewed ‘think positive’ advice, and instead teaches you how to understand your values to help you live a better life. Despite what you might think after looking at the title, this book actually teaches you how to give a f*ck, but makes sure you learn how to give a f*ck about the things in life that matter to you. This book teaches us to embrace our imperfections, and forces us to realize that life can be incredibly complicated and hard no matter how positive you try to be. This book is truly eye-opening and provides a different approach to living a good life that may seem counterintuitive at times. I would highly recommend it.

17 INSIGHT

INSIGHT 18

SIZZLE PIE Words by Nikki Moylan Photos by Xavier Laguna

Sizzle Pie pizza, a popular chain based out of Portland, Oregon, has finally opened up in Reno. The restaurant is located in a stretch of town that many are calling “Little Portland” due to multiple shops branching out to the Biggest Little City. Open every day, this place has all of your pizza needs and delivers too.

With options for gluten-free, veggie-lovers and vegans alike, Sizzle Pie also offers a “sauce pentagram” option which they only describe as “pure pizza sorcery.” Their specialty pies have clever names such as “It’s Always Sunny in Portland” and “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” The inside has an industrial vibe, a great bar with local brews and classics, and one wall is covered with cool artwork that uses pizza boxes as the canvas. I tried their $8 slice and salad special with a slice of pepperoni, AKA the “Ace of Spades,” and a Caesar salad option. I really liked the taste of the vegan Caesar dressing, and everything was a good portion for the price. The workers were super friendly to a first-timer like me, and I think that Sizzle Pie is off to a really good start for a place that just opened in early January. I would go back because of the good food and well-stocked bar, and I think it will fit well in Reno because it’s unique and is already very popular with college students.

19 INSIGHT

GLOBAL GOODS Words by Quintin Mills Photo by Kellie Sasso New shops, boutiques, and eateries are popping up all across Reno, and one of the most standout places is starting to make a name for itself. Global Goods Shop in Northwest Reno is bringing a bit of flair, that according to the owner, Jared Marilsa, has been absent.

Global Goods is a consignment store, meaning that people bring in items to sell at the shop and the store keeps 20% of the sale. It features exclusive clothing, footwear, and various accessories that, “aren’t just brands carried at your everyday mall… we carry the unique stuff that raises eyebrows,” said Marilsa.

There is a wide selection of clothes that range from urban/streetwear clothes such as Supreme, Palace, and BAPE, to vintage designer fashion, nostalgic concert T’s, and old school sportswear.

You’re not going to find cheap streetwear or hypebeast apparel anywhere, but, “we work for a reason and only live once for a reason,” said Marlisa, “it’s really about what makes us happy at the end of the day.”

They also carry shoes that would make a sneakerhead rethink their collection.

There’s a whole wall covered in the entire Jordan collection, Yeezy’s, and Off White’s. Sizes are limited, but the shop is always flooding with new shoes.

Many people are actually surprised that Reno has a store with this kind of apparel. So whether you’re a sneakerhead, a vintage old head, or are more interested in new school streetwear or brand name designers, Global Goods has you covered.

Check out the collection on Instagram @ globalgoodsshop.

INSIGHT 20

BUNNY YOGA Words and photo by Rylee Jackson Imagine yourself lunged in the warrior pose. Now, picture furry friends darting around you, and a set of whiskers tickling your skin as you’re attempting to listen to your instructor. Frankly, it is the cutest experience one could encounter.

The phenomenon of yoga is known to provide plenty of benefits whether you are looking for improved flexibility or a relaxed mindset. In recent years, the emergence of yoga with bunnies and other animals has provided participants with an adorable twist.

Good Elephant Reno– a community organization–provides yoga classes in local spaces at an affordable price. Good Elephant Reno joined forces with the Nevada Humane Society to provide their own bunny yoga experience. On top of getting a quality hourlong workout, participants are encouraged to interact with the bunnies as they hop on by.

These classes are kid-friendly and produce a wonderful and relaxing environment.

Not only does this class boost the mood and improve the health of attendees, it also benefits their new favorite buddies as well.

Seventy percent of the proceeds for this joyfilled class go toward the bunnies and small animals at the Nevada Humane Society.

All of this delightfulness is a win-win situation and guaranteed to make you smile.

For those yearning to adopt these beautiful creatures, please call 775-856-2000 or stop by the shelter at 2825 Longley Lane. The Nevada Humane Society is open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.

For those not interested in adopting an animal, donations are a fantastic way to contribute. Check out this website for more information on different methods to donate: http://nevadahumanesociety.org/donate/.

21 INSIGHT

features

Photos by Kellie Sasso

INSIGHT 22

23 INSIGHT

Rocking & Rolling J

INSIGHT 24

Words by Rylee Jackson Illustration by Maggie Schmutz anet Damita Jo Jackson is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. A true powerhouse, she helped dominate one of the most revered eras of popular music with her sonically avantgarde records and fierce stage presence. With so many accolades, Jackson has an unparalleled work ethic spanning four decades. These illustrations compile only an ounce of what this pop superstar is all about.

After three nominations and years of campaigns led by diehard fans, Jackson is finally being inducted into music’s most prestigious hall of fame on Friday, March 29 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. She will be inducted alongside The Cure, Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Roxy Music, and The Zombies. While all these prominent artists and bands deserve their shine, Jackson’s induction has been long overdue and calls for a reminder of her boundless contributions to popular music as we know it.

As the youngest member of music’s most distinguished family, Jackson began her career as a child actress on the hit TV series “Good Times.” After releasing two albums in the early eighties that Jackson didn’t have much creative control over, it was time for reinvention. 1986’s “Control” gave her the longawaited freedom she needed. “Control” served as the genesis of her legacy with longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and aided in the emergence of the new jack swing sound. Examining topics such as taking charge of her own life in “Control” as well as female empowerment in “Nasty,” the general public quickly realized she wasn’t just Michael Jackson’s little sister–she was a force to be reckoned with.

1989’s “Rhythm Nation 1814” called for a completely different subject matter. Rather than holding on to what was already working for her after the success of “Control,” Jackson decided to create a concept album pertaining to poverty, race, and drugs. This was not a very common journey for a pop artist to embark on at the time. With anthems such as “Rhythm Nation” and “State of the World,” Jackson tackled these tough subjects with an irresistible groove.

After the magnificent triumph of “Rhythm Nation 1814,” Jackson continued to challenge herself creatively. 1993’s “janet.” delved into all aspects of love and solidified her role as a voice for women’s sexual liberation. Seen as her most autobiographical body of work, 1997’s “The Velvet Rope” was inspired

into the Hall of Fame by the star’s own battle with depression and selfacceptance. With each album Jackson puts out, listeners can expect a profound outlook on a plethora of topics.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame described Ms. Jackson as “a pop icon immediately identifiable on a first-name basis.” Known for her trademark music videos and unprecedented choreography on top of her extensive discography, Jackson is the complete package.

Critics of her induction have argued the superstar as being merely a “pop creation” and “not rock and roll.”

Although Jackson’s prowess as an entertainer cannot be ignored, her songwriting abilities and fearlessness when it comes to experimenting with different genres are often neglected. Jackson has effortlessly blended elements of pop, dance, R&B, rock, and funk into her music and continues to explore new sounds with her most recent single–the dancehall-inspired “Made For Now” featuring Daddy Yankee.

Jackson has cemented herself as one of the best-selling artists having sold over 100 million records worldwide.

She also holds the record for the most consecutive topten entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a female artist. Jackson has tons of notable honors including eleven American Music Awards, five Grammy Awards, nine MTV Video Music Awards, and has earned an Academy Award nomination.

The impact Jackson has left on the music industry is much greater than her accolades. Traces of Jackson seem to be found everywhere in today’s music. From Rihanna to Beyoncé, there is a lengthy list of artists who have credited Jackson as an inspiration. Whether it is being a voice for women all around the world or being an advocate for LGBTQ rights through music and humanitarian work, these artists have taken note of her legacy beyond the dancing and singing.

With all of this information in front of us, it is enraging for fans to think about how long it took for Jackson to get inducted. In early 2018, Questlove characterized her long exclusion as “highly criminal.”

“Not to take away from her peers in the RRHOF that made marks in the 80s. But half of them can NOT claim they changed music,” he wrote on Instagram.

Although the ridiculousness of Jackson not being inducted earlier is still noticeable, there is a new sense of victory and elation surrounding her long-awaited arrival. The ceremony will be an astounding opportunity to celebrate Jackson and the other artists’ groundbreaking careers.

With that being said, we welcome Ms. Jackson to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with open arms. She is more than deserving.

"

Traces of Jackson seem to be found everywhere in today’s music.

25 INSIGHT

Mountain Biking Season is Coming Words by Alexandra McVey Photos by Zach Waymire s the snow begins to melt and the sun shines down on this wholesome earth of trees and pathways, there's a calling to those who love the outdoors. As the pathways turn into trails, mountain biking emerges for yet another season.

Mountain biking starts in the spring and gets heavily involved with the outdoors of the Reno/Tahoe area. With all the mountains, trails, and trees to ride through, this area is exceptional to any mountain biker, a dream in fact.

The bikers thrive in each and every sun shining day in hopes that their season will be phenomenal.

In preparation for the season, the mountain bikers begin to set up their rigs. This includes making sure every aspect of the bike and other equipment are reliable and in good shape for the long season. Some will buy a brand new bike per season, others will keep on adding more enhancements to their used bikes that they’re comfortable with. Ryan Mill tells us “As a bike mechanic I upgrade my bike every year to stay up to date with things.” Either way this goes, it all depends on the rider to sustain their season in their own way. They all must check how the bike is functioning in order to obtain the best ride they can.

North Star Resort holds competitions for mountain bike races. The mountains around us are the best for biking in multiple terrains such as rocks, dirt, mud, and risky jumps.

They also have a trail map for riders to gaze at while they decide which trail is going to give them the best ride of the day. North Star gives bikers the opportunity to buy a season pass at a determined price per season. This season pass can last you all throughout the remainder of spring and summer, making your pass gradually pay for itself if you’re an avid mountain biker. North Stars’ races such as the Downhill Series race are annual, and anyone is able to sign up. Their races can be as early as June to jump start the season. Mill says “This is a very friendly community to be in.” This is a great way to gain racing experience for

A

INSIGHT 26

those who want to take racing to another level.

The adrenaline the bikers get is what they look forward to. All they think about is getting back up to the mountains.

Alex Poroli says “When you’re riding you just feel free, when you’re flying down a trail you feel like you’re floating.” Riding is a way to escape your own reality and jump into something that can challenge you mentally and physically. You have to stay on top of all your senses when you’re out on the trails since you never know what can come across your path. Feeling like you’re on top of the world is how mountain biking says thank you for riding another day. Riding through the trails and finding your own unique way through each and every one of them is what makes this sport your own. This is a sense of empowerment that you can achieve from mountain biking is sense of unstructured control of the activity in front of you.

Biking is not a cheap sport to be involved in. These bikers are dedicated to getting the word out that biking is evolving, but not every biker wants this evolution. Electric bikes are starting to diminish the purpose out of what mountain biking is all about. Let alone these new electric bikes are far more expensive than any regular mountain bike could be. They can also be dangerous for the user if the electric bike malfunctioned. Poroli explains “You can go a lot faster on an E-Bike and it’s a lot easier to get in over your head.” Most electric bikes are not permitted on trails that regular mountain bikes use because of the danger of the two different types of bikes together on the trail. In comparison one can drive as fast as a car and the other is only man powered. True mountain bikers know that an electric bike will never match the feeling they get on the traditional bike.

From fixing and grinding to create the perfect bike, to feeling the rush of going off the “sickest” jump, there are no limitations for these mountain bikers. This is a lifestyle not a fad. Mountain bikers work hard to get where they are and they put their whole lives into it just waiting for the snow to melt so that they can go back out and ride.

A Note-Able Journey

M

Words and photo by Josie Steehler usic is a reminder, a safe place, and an insight into how one can feel. It’s also an understanding, a collection of the most beautiful sounds, and is a powerful form of therapy.

Note-Able Music Therapy Services at the Mckinley Arts and Culture Center located right on the Truckee River invites people of all ages to walk through the doors, attend a class, and be transformed by the rhythm, beat, and aura of music.

Patients ranging in age from young children to the elderly attend classes weekly due to anything from neurological traumas to mental health issues and even physical disabilities.

“This is a fun environment where serious things happen,” Sarah Toney, Director of Development, shares of what Note-Able captures in their effect on the community.

Note-Able contrasts cognitive behavioral therapy where there is often times an end goal of recovery, or a fix to the issues brought forth.

“People who attend sessions at Note-Able are brought into a community where they are celebrated and appreciated,” Toney shares, “it isn’t about getting fixed, it’s about the journey in healing.”

Note-Able hosts weekly sessions lead by their board certified music therapists on the lower level of the Mckinley Arts and Culture Center.

There are two, very generous in size, rooms where patients are able to explore a number of instruments, sounds, lights, and art which personalizes the room and makes it feel like an inclusive community.

Patients can attend three adaptive music classes a week. Which class one attends is dependent on age.

In class, the experience provided is extremely personalized to each attendee. There is a wall of guitars, multiple drum sets, microphones, and basses

to get everyone involved in the day’s activities.

Elizabeth Lenz, one of the three music therapists at Note-Able shares that a little boy in one of her classes falls in love with the vibration bed every time he comes to class.

Note-ables also host two dance classes weekly where people with developmental disabilities are able to gain their fair share of specialized attention in a physical dance class.

Note-ables is also heavily involved in the community where they volunteer at Eddy House, Northern Nevada Medical Center, Renown, Northern Nevada Mental Health Services, The Life Change Center, and Quest Counseling and Consulting in order to spread the healing of music.

“A young girl from Eddy House sang in front of an audience at one of our performances. She wasn’t the best, but she sang with intention and it brought her and the crowd to tears,” Toney explains of the impact that music therapy community plays through these organizations that Note-Able is involved in.

At the Renown Pediatric unit, patients are full of anxiety, are bored, or even do not fully understand the extent of the scenario they are in.

The music therapists from Note-Able come in and are a part of some of the most stressful experiences that the children go through.

Toney shares that one of the music therapists was in the room while a child was being intubated. Doctors were stressed, the child was scared, and the family was concerned of the situation that their child was in.

Through the background of all of pressure from the situation, the music therapist started playing soothing chords and slowly began to ease the tension in the room which was imposed on all occupants of the room of the frightening condition that the child was in.

Note-Able is a non-profit community player that is people focused rather than claim based.

Music Therapy is not covered by insurance so this opens up the terms of standardized outcomes and creates a more journey focused experience rather than an ends based solution.

“Note-Able is here to create a sense of stability, at this time this is what we are doing, this is where we are present,” said Toney.

27 INSIGHT

REFLECTING BEFORE REGROWTH

A

Words by and photo by Taylor Avery ll that’s left of the trees are blackened, twisted forms. They stand together in groups on the steep canyon walls, shaking violently with each gust of the wind as if they might disintegrate. They are survivors of a fire that ran through Lamoille Canyon like a crazed killer on a spree.

The Range 2 Fire started on September 30th, 2018 near Lamoille, NV and burned 9,196 acres of land, including a portion of Lamoille Canyon.

Many watched from their backyards and porches as winds pushed the fire from its point of origin and into the Canyon.

“I saw it before I heard about it. It was just the huge plume of smoke,” said Christy Wilson, a resident of Elko County. “At first, it was just near that shooting area. So it was like ‘Oh, they’ll get it out, no big deal.’ And then I saw it cross that ridge into this canyon and my heart just sank.

We were crying.”

For some, the fire was too close to home. Lisa and Kevin Dinwiddie, residents of the town of Lamoille, were notified by the sheriff that they should be ready to evacuate. “It was INSIGHT 28

just surreal for us. We were running around at midnight trying to get our animals secure and get everything ready in case we had to leave,” said Lisa.

By Monday morning, the fire had already burnt 5,000 acres and had moved into the Canyon, pushed along by winds.

“It just went across there in a straight line and then when it got in the canyon, there was smoke all over. And then at night, it was coming back down the canyon,” said Thomas Kuhl, as a resident of the area since 1968. “It was a straight line all the way across from where the Powerhouse trail starts over to Ruby Dome Ranch. It was just this straight line of flames coming down the hill.”

News of the fire spread around the community as quickly as the flames had in the canyon.

“I think was my initial reaction was complete grief. I was so sad.” said Cathy McAdoo, a resident of the Elko area for 44 years. “This is our heart and this is the place we call home.”

McAdoo was not alone in her reaction.

“It was a community-wide mourning,” said Wilson.

“Everybody was sad, just mourning our loss. It was like

losing a loved one almost.”

Joe Memeo, his wife, and their three daughters live in Lamoille. His wife took their daughters up to the Canyon almost every day for parts of their homeschooling.

“They were up there everyday so they had a big connection to it and watching it burn, they had a hard time with it,” said Memeo. “For about a week, they did, as a part of their art, pictures of the Canyon on fire and they wrote little things about what they missed about the Canyon. So it hit them a lot harder than I think it hit a lot of people.”

At a clean-up event in mid-November, McAdoo saw the Canyon for the first time since before the fire. “I wasn’t emotionally prepared for how much is gone. It was very painful.”

According to an article published by the Nevada Appeal, the scenic byway that goes into the Lamoille Canyon was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and was paved in the 1980s. The Lions Club Camp was built in 1940. The Canyon also features the Thomas Canyon Campgrounds and several hiking trails that lead to lakes.

Many have spent large amounts of their time in the Canyon, engaging in all the activities it has to offer.

Tracey Parker, a resident of the area since 1996, said that she had been coming to the canyon for 30 years. She would come to the Canyon to “hike the trails, smell the pine trees, be in nature.”

“You know, this is really Elko’s playground.

We don’t even call it Lamoille Canyon, it’s the Canyon. And to have this happen, it’s not ruined by any means, it’s going to come back fine, but it’s tough.” said Larry Hyslop, a resident of the area and the chairman of the Friends of the Ruby Mountains. “[We come up to the Canyon] every couple weeks,” Hyslop said. “We used to do a lot of hiking up in here. That was probably every week then.”

“It’s like our little gem, our little secret. Here in Northeastern Nevada, it’s all basically sagebrush and then this is like our little oasis: pine trees and aspens and wildlife, hiking trails. There’s nowhere else this close to home and now it’s all gone.” said Wilson.

Some residents had hope for the future.

“We looked at the devastation and we know it’s going to take ten and hundreds of years for the trees to come back. But to see the areas that were not burnt was astounding,” said Sandy Wilmont, a resident of Elko County. “There’s still areas that are beautiful. That gives us hope.”

At a volunteering event in mid-November, Dr. Kevin Dinwiddie, a local physician, said, “I think seeing it today is helpful to know that it will come back. God has a way of regenerating his glory and beauty here, and he’s going to do it.”

“Right now everyone’s really down on it, but the grass is already coming up and there’ll be trees all over next spring.” said Kuhl.

“The grass is getting green already.”

Photo by Donna Peske

29 INSIGHT

INSIGHT 30

lifestyle

Photos by Kellie Sasso Photo by Kellie Sasso

31 INSIGHT

Live Cheap, Live Friendly, Live Clean.

Words by Carley Olson Illustrations by Maggie Schmutz here are approximately 7 billion people alive on this Earth right now, seven billion! With about 325 million people in the United States of America alone, the U.S. has some serious waste issues. Data from FrontierGrup.org estimates the average American produces around 2500 pounds of waste per individual, per year! That’s insane, especially for just one person out of over 325 million, let alone 7 billion! FrontierGroup even believes that the US alone accounts for 30% of the world’s waste when the US only accounts for 4% of the total population!

It’s absolutely mind-boggling to imagine that only 4% of the entire world's population can make up to 30% of the waste produced! We need to be realistic: the Earth is our home and we need to learn how to take better care of her both on a large and small scale.

Sure, not every one of us has the power to make some great political stride that ripples across the nation, but if we all slowly begin transitioning to more eco-friendly lifestyles we can bring this onto not only other people in our lives, but future generations as well. The goal here is a lifestyle change with a lasting impact, not just a temporary shift.

What most people may not realize is that it’s actually

T

easier to be more eco-friendly than you might think. The concept of being more eco-friendly is a huge buzz word in the business industry with tons of companies trying to become more eco-friendly, and sure it’s great! It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but that is just a small piece of a much larger puzzle. This can still lead to increased prices for more eco-friendly items, or can even lead to disasters like Starbucks jumping on the ‘I wanna be eco’ bandwagon by trying to get rid of plastic straws only to replace them with lids containing more plastic. It’s not just companies and the government that should be responsible for taking a stride in becoming more eco-friendly, we should too. Many people get stuck in the mindset of “Well just one person trying to be eco-friendly won’t really have any lasting impact so why should it matter if I’m a little wasteful?” This mindset is incredibly flawed. We need to lead by example and get on these healthy habits so we can pass them down to future generations. A quote by Helen Keller says, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” There is actually a lot of little things we can do to help lessen our footprint, even as broke college students. Down below are a bunch of little ways we can all start being more eco-friendly. These tips can not only help us diminish the amount of waste we produce, but can actually help save us money too and I mean really, who wouldn’t love that?

Tips for becoming more eco-friendly: 1. Instead of using one time use tea bags, use loose leaf tea and a tea infuser instead.

2. Use reusable rags instead of paper towels for cleaning to reduce waste and save money.

3. Plan out your meals when grocery shopping to help mitigate food waste.

4. Invest in a reusable straw instead of using one time use straws.

5. Use reusable grocery bags to help you limit your usage of plastic bags.

6. Try starting your own garden. You get to grow some of your own food and you’ll also be helping reduce Co2 emissions. Sure it’s nothing huge but that’s okay! The more we INSIGHT 32

get people started in gardening the greater the impact. You don’t even have to garden, just try getting a couple houseplants to get some fresh air around the house.

7. Get in the habit of recycling things such as plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum.

8. Rinse out cans and glass jars before recycling. Not properly rinsing can contaminate the recyclables and send them to the landfill, which is the exact opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish here.

9. Save and recycle plastic bags. Many large retailers provide a place to recycle plastic bags so keep your eye out!

10. Limit shower times and turn off water when brushing your teeth or doing the dishes.

This will help you not only conserve water but will also save you money.

11. Try walking or carpooling a little more and driving a little less. Carpooling helps reduce emissions and walking is inherently good for you, so really it’s a win win.

12. Be mindful of how much power you use at home. Turn off lights behind you to save energy and money.

13. Invest in a reusable water bottle. There's really no reason to be using so many plastic water bottles when you can just use a reusable one, plus it will ultimately help you save money too.

14. If you use plastic water bottles at home try investing in a water filter as another method of cutting back on plastic water bottle usage.

15. Try to go meatless once a week or more.

Going meatless more often helps you reduce your carbon footprint.

16. Donate old clothes and items to thrift stores so they can be reused instead of just throwing them away.

17. On that note, consider buying things second hand! Help reuse and repurpose old belongings. You can find some great things at thrift stores for super cheap too.

18. Pay your bills online to reduce paper waste.

19. Use reusable containers and silverware for leftover food and lunches to help limit your plastic bag and utensil use.

20. Switch to more eco friendly light bulbs in your home to conserve energy.

21. Ditch the air fresheners, they can be bad for the atmosphere and your health.

22. Go to local farmer markets if they’re available. Not only will you be supporting local businesses but you’ll also help mitigate travel time for your food. Normally our produce travels thousands of miles before getting to your table ultimately contributing to more Co2 emissions.

23. Learn to DIY, not only can doing things yourself help you refurbish your belongings, but you can even go as far as to make your own cleaning supplies and a bunch of other useful hacks to help you along your way.

There you have it my friends, a list of some of the ways you can start living a more eco-friendly lifestyle even as a broke college student. If you’re interested in seeing how much waste you produce you can check out your eco footprint over at footprintcalculator.org.

33 INSIGHT

I took myself to

LIVERPOOL L

Words and photos by Crystal Lugo ast Autumn, I took myself to a place where the seagulls are louder than people, the people smoke cigarettes to keep warm, and where The Beatles are from: Liverpool, England. I had traveled alone before, but Liverpool taught me some new tips, tricks, and things about myself. It was my first time traveling alone abroad and traveling to a place I had never been before. I applied past knowledge but knew I had to be open to the new adventure that awaited me.

Since I was a teenager, I dreamt of visiting Liverpool because of The Beatles. By the time I moved to London they had been my favorite band for almost seven years. I had to visit their hometown and I knew I had to do it alone.

I had waited years for the trip and didn’t want anyone changing my plans or getting bored while I visited areas that wouldn’t mean as much to others. Because I went alone, I got to visit each of their childhood homes, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, the Cavern Club where they performed pre-fame, and other Beatles-related areas including The Beatles Story museum. I even got to watch the sunset at Albert Dock and pick lavender from Paul McCartney’s childhood home. All in my own time.

I think something a lot of people are afraid of when solo traveling is missing out on experiencing things with their friends and family. Sure, solo traveling is not for everyone and some people thrive most when they are around others, but if you really want and need the time alone, then do it. Before going to Liverpool I wanted to go with a group of people because I felt safer that way, but I noticed I was listening more to my fear than my gut. Looking back at it, INSIGHT 34

I’m glad I went alone because I learned how to navigate around an unknown city and learned to trust myself.

I also learned to pay attention to what I want most. Do I want to go to a museum? Do I want to go on a walk?

Do I want to do some shopping? All up to me. Learning to trust myself helped me gain confidence in helping plan holidays with friends. I now have confidence in my recommendations and suggestions.

Patience was something I struggled with before Liverpool.

It can be frustrating getting around a place you don’t know, but using apps on your phone and asking locals always helps. Now I have the patience to travel around without worrying about getting lost. There is always a way to find your way back home. All you have to do is ask.

Aside from learning about myself, I also learned more about traveling. When traveling alone it is critical to be safe and comfortable. Also, it is important to enjoy every second of your time alone! How do you do these things? By taking advice from someone who’s been through it.

A good suitcase: I have used the same thrifted suitcase for the last five years, but when traveling outside the states and having to jump from train to bus, traveling with a handheld suitcase can ruin things. I suggest purchasing a good quality suitcase that rolls or carrying a backpack instead. Think like a minimalist when packing. The less you bring, the better.

Research your Airbnb, hostel or hotel: Aim to stay in places that provide complimentary essentials like towels and shampoo. This will help save space in your luggage.

Also, make sure the accommodation fits your expectations.

If you’re not comfortable sharing bathrooms with other

guests or the place is too far from certain attractions, maybe it’s not the place for you. Make sure to research and ask questions before booking.

Trains/buses are your best friend: This, of course, depends on where you’re staying, but I have learned that commuting via buses and trains is the best way to get around the city or town you’re staying in without dedicating your whole budget to commuting. Just make sure to research online, at the station or stop, or ask a local about the times and cost. If you must use apps like Uber, try Uber carpool if applicable.

Research free museums and attractions: When I was in Liverpool I actually found a free John Lennon and Yoko Ono exhibition at the Liverpool Museum while walking around. I suggest looking out for cool events, researching online, or asking around.

Live in the moment: Avoid taking too many photos or being on your phone too much unless you’re checking in with loved ones. I enjoy being away from my phone while on holiday and it helps me focus on the things in front of me. Because I wanted to visit Liverpool for the longest time, I spent most of my time just experiencing things and taking photographs of things I really wanted to remember.

Journaling after your day out really helps with reflection as well. I try to take everything in and write about it later.

Download Google Maps or Maps: Because it was my first time traveling alone abroad and going somewhere I

had never been to, I used Google Maps for everything. I found my way to the Cavern Club and Albert Dock walking instead of Ubering. Walking around turned out to be the best because I saw things I could have missed if I had taken an Uber.

Ask the locals: I wanted to do the touristy things first, but after I went on the tours and saw the museums I planned, I asked locals for recommendations. They will usually suggest unknown restaurants and other great finds. If you’re traveling alone, make sure you ask people who seem trustworthy and avoid disclosing where you’re staying.

(Just for safety reasons!)

Food: Avoid ethnocentrism and be open to eating different foods. Instead of eating American food I ate traditional English food to truly get the most of out my holiday. Something a friend of mine told me was when you’re on holiday, always go for the option you don’t often eat at home.

Liverpool is only a two-hour train ride from London with wonderful countryside scenery which included many, many cute sheep and picturesque hills. I was lucky to have visited and lucky it was close, but do not let distance discourage you. If you have the opportunity to solo travel, take it. Take it wherever it takes you. Remember to be safe, cherish the sights, and trust yourself! Happy travels from one solo traveler to another, or at least an aspiring one.

"I also learned to pay attention to what I want most."

35 INSIGHT

living pretty, naturally.

A guide to becoming more eco-friendly in your beauty routine

INSIGHT 36

Words by Rylee Jackson Photo by Carley Olson

T

here are several benefits relating to the recent development of eco-friendly products. Not only do these products create a safer planet, they also aid in improving our own quality of life. All natural products help us stray away from chemicals and additives that could be dangerous to our bodies. Here are some tips to heighten your eco-friendly self-care.

Exfoliation is a major part of anyone’s skin care routine. Most of these products claiming to scrub away dead skin cells contain microbeads. However, these little plastic beads contribute negatively to the environment. Known as an international campaign to ban these plastic beads in beauty products, Beat The Microbeads claims that microbeads are damaging marine life and water supplies. Despite all of this, there are plenty of cost-friendly and homemade alternatives for exfoliation.

Using whole oats for exfoliation is recommended to those with sensitive skin. This natural alternative soothes dry and damaged skin while having antiinflammatory properties at the same time. To create a paste, all you need to do is to ground these oats up in a blender and add water. Ground coffee is another fantastic alternative as it is well-known for getting rid of appearances of cellulite on the body as well as stretch marks. Mixing fine sugar with natural massage oil or honey can create a wonderful deep exfoliation. Also, there is no denying that sugar is a source of glycolic acid and helps elevate cell production. There are many more options to choose from, but all are excellent depending on your skin type and the level of exfoliation you want.

Continuing with the theme of reducing plastic in beauty and self-care products, there has been a recent boom of products serving as alternatives to regular shampoo and conditioner brands that use harmful packaging.

Bar shampoos are wonderful for those who want to go plastic-free and make the transition from using liquid shampoo. Known for their fresh and handmade products, Lush Cosmetics is the most popular brand that provides these alternatives.

Written in their website description, Lush states that these bars “can outlast two to three bottles of the liquid stuff” and that “one bar will last up to 80 washes.” These bar shampoos can be bought with a reusable round tin as well. In addition to the reduced packaging, these bars are jam-packed with essential oils, natural scents, and

fresh ingredients unlike the everyday products you see in regular beauty shops. For those worried about not having something for their own hair type, Lush sells over ten different bars for a variety of hair textures.

Another fascinating alternative to the plastic packaging of these hair washing products includes soap nuts. Soap nuts are dried brown wooden berries. It is advised to place 9-10 of these nuts into a jug and pour 500mL of boiling water. After letting it sit overnight, remove the soap nuts from the jug and keep the liquid in the fridge until you are ready to wash your hair. What’s cool about soap nuts is that they can be reused several times, which is cost-friendly and very convenient.

When it comes to makeup, skincare, and any type of personal hygiene products, there have been an emergence of brands that implement principles of being eco-friendly and filling their products with natural ingredients. Here are three brands to consider next time you decide to revive your beauty product collection–– some you may have heard of and some you haven’t.

Juice Beauty is a wonderful example of a company that has vegan and cruelty-free products specializing in skincare and pigmented foundations. For those who find it difficult to find lip and eye products among the same principles, Juice Beauty sells mascaras and lip colors that meet these expectations. They are USDA certified organic, there should be no concern about what you apply on your skin.

Deodorants are filled with parabens and unpronounceable names, many do not realize the hazards involved when using any sort of chemicalfilled deodorants. Thankfully, there are a lot of brands providing more natural choices. Among these brands is Native. Native products are concentrated with plant extracts and their deodorant is filled with simple ingredients and vitamins on top of being an odor remover.

Found in just about any drug store, Burt’s Bees is one of the most popular natural companies in the world.

Their well-known lip products have natural botanical oils, herbs and beeswax imbedded in the formula.

Recently, this company has been creating more skincare products. Burt’s Bees is easily accessible and remain some of the least costly products to be found.

Whether you change up your exfoliators or purchase an all natural formulation of a tinted moisturizer, any little adjustment is one step closer to bettering ourselves and our own planet. Hopefully, more companies and organizations will consider adding these natural alternatives to our everyday routines.

37 INSIGHT

No Exuses.

Start Journaling.

Words by Crystal Lugo Photo by Carley Olson

I

have been an avid journaler for five years. The feeling of putting pen to paper and completing a journal are some of the reasons why I’ve made journaling a habit and hobby of mine.

A lot of people don’t like the idea of keeping a journal. Some feel they have to write every day or be great writers with some great interpretation of the world, but that’s not the case. The only difference between a journaler and a non-journaler is that a non-journaler doesn’t write in a journal yet.

Why journal?

There are numerous reasons to keep a journal and many of them have benefits. Journaling can be cathartic.

Sometimes your best confidant can be a piece of paper and letting everything out can help you handle and reflect on situations. It can help your healing process, but you don’t always have to be in a bad mood to write.

Write whenever. Write honestly.

One of my favorite quotes about keeping a journal is by writer Joan Didion: “Remember what it was to be me: that is always the point.” And she’s right. Journaling is a great way to document your life. It’s something to look back on and reminisce and learn from. I have read old journals and have laughed, cried, and cringed at the old entries, but ultimately it’s a good feeling. We go through many phases and chapters so it’s kind of cool to have a tangible thing that holds them.

Journaling can also be a great way to relax after a long day. I find myself writing most after a long day of errands and classes or after traveling. It’s something that doesn’t require anything but you, a pen, and some paper.

Keeping a journal helps increase your writing ability.

I have found the more I write, the better my academic

INSIGHT 38

writing and other forms of writing become. Journaling really helps me pour ideas out easily and has helped me strengthen my voice in writing.

But I can’t write every day!

There’s a preconceived notion about writing in a journal that people must write every day or they’re not doing it right. This isn’t true because it takes time to get into the writing groove. The end goal doesn’t have to be writing every day. It should just be to write. You can start writing a line a day or just writing when you need to put some ideas down. If you do want to become an everyday journaler, just write and work towards developing the habit. Write whenever you have some free time. If you’re lacking the motivation try decorating your pages with collages, pictures, tickets, and other things that relate to what you want to write about.

Do I need a fancy journal?

Though I’ve been writing in journals for five years, I have only been an everyday journaler for the past three years. I started daily journaling in a composition journal from Dollar Tree. You don’t need an expensive leather journal or overly adorable journal you’re too afraid to write in. I only recently started using Moleskine journals because I felt ready for a fancy journal. Moleskines are amazing and I can’t see myself going back, but I still appreciate other journals. I suggest checking out your local Dollar Tree, Walmart or Target. Experiment with different journals; find the type of journal you’re most comfortable writing in.

If you rather save some money there are always other options. You make your own out of loose paper or even

use an old school notebook. Repurposing is always a great option. Want to make a plain old notebook a bit lively? Try decorating its cover with a collage, stickers, or photos.

Where should I journal?

The best place for me to journal is when I’m commuting.

Living in London and having to take the London Underground has helped me write more because of the lack of service. I also enjoy writing on the bus, train, and even on plane rides. There’s something about going to places that inspires me to write. Also, not having service surely helps.

When I lived in Reno, I loved writing all around campus.

One of my favorite places to write is inside the Reynold’s School of Journalism. It’s very quiet and if you’re lucky, the triangular corner couch next to the elevator is available.

I also enjoyed writing under a tree in the quad, in the

Knowledge Center, in the quiet computer room inside the Pennington, and inside the @One. Outside of campus, coffee shops are always a great place to write. Get a nice cup of tea or coffee and sit down for a little with your earphones in and write about your day. I also suggest grabbing lunch at Laughing Planet and writing upstairs or heading to the riverside and writing on a bench or the rocks next to the river. Reno has many wonderful places to write and many interesting Renonians and sights to write about and be inspired by.

Last few tips: Bring your journal with you everywhere.

If it’s available to you, you will write. Also, always keep a pen around. I never leave my place without a pen in my pocket. It’s the best way to build the habit of writing frequently or at all really. So, off you go. Grab your journal and pen and write something. Write to remember, to reflect, and for release. Write anything, but write honestly.

Wishing you lots of luck and motivation.

39 INSIGHT

Eating Clean

On a College Budget

Words by Domonique Hall Photos by Kellie Sasso

B

eing a college student while being away from home can do terrible things to your eating habits. The cafeteria supplies healthy food, but most of it is processed and not fresh. The on-campus options for dining have healthy options, but most are expensive.

These options leave us college students with minimal options to eat clean for a decent price.

From my own experience, being away from home has completely changed the way I look at food. At home, I

was used to extremely greasy meals with processed ingredients and huge portions; good, but not good for me.

The second semester of my freshman year I lost about 20 pounds by eating less, and now I have lost another 10 pounds from eating clean!

Clean eating is important because you don’t want to put much-processed food into your body. Processed food can increase the chances of heart disease, high blood pressure, and so much more, including weight gain. Not that weight gain is always a bad thing, but when it comes from processed foods it can be harder to lose compared to weight gain from a healthy diet. Clean eating can be achieved with a few easy steps!

1. Train your mind to eat simpler I am someone who grew up with diverse taste in food. I had the experience of going to multiple different food festivals a year, and being fed meals with strong tastes. Because of this, my mind related food to always being strong in flavor. It took me awhile to achieve, but when I finally trained my mind to realize that food is fuel and should be simple, my life became much healthier.

It’s one of the greatest things that has happened to me.

2. Make a strict budget I personally like to be as organized with my finances as possible. Which is why every time I go grocery shopping, I try to keep my budget under $30 for two weeks of food. Being cautious about the price of food while shopping makes me realize just how expensive it is to eat processed. A pack of my favorite ramen noodles costs $1 for one serving while a bag of frozen blueberries that’ll last me about two weeks only costs $1.97. Having a budget makes me stay on track to eating cleaner.

3. Stick to the same recipes

I have found that sticking to the same recipes, rotating them of course, keeps me on track for sticking with clean eating. By keeping the motto “Food is Fuel” I have learned that as long as you’re eating clean, it doesn’t matter what you eat. Which is why I try to keep the same recipes in a rotation because when I do splurge on take-out food, I enjoy it more than I used to. The purpose of eating the same things keeps costs low, and myself healthy.

INSIGHT 40

Cheap staple items in my grocery trip: • Quick Oats (Bulk)

$0.60/POUND

• Frozen Blueberries

$1.97/PACKAGE

• Spaghetti Noodles

$0.80/8 SERVINGS

• Spaghetti Sauce

$0.80/5 SERVINGS

• Frozen Berry Medley

$3.98/PACKAGE

• Sweet Potatoes

$0.98/POUND

• Eggs

$3.00/DOZEN

• Almonds (Bulk)

$1.50/POUND

• Bananas

$3.00/DOZEN

• White Rice

$2.00/20 SERVINGS

• Large Avocados

$2.00 FOR 2

• Everything Bagels

$1.98/PACKAGE

Total: About $22.00 for staple ingredients for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

41 INSIGHT

clean & California Bagel Toast One of my Favorite lunches, not the healthiest, but clean nonetheless!

• Half of a everything bagel • Serving of whipped cream cheese • Half an avocado • One egg • Top it off with garlic powder

Green Smoothie

A smoothie is a quick and filling breakfast option to go along with a small pairing, or can simply be a breakfast alternative for fast-paced mornings!

• Half a banana • Half of a serving of frozen berry medley • Handful of fresh spinach (I freeze mine for longevity) • Water INSIGHT 42

tasty recipes Sweet Potato Scramble A great breakfast, lunch or dinner idea!

• One-third of a large sweet potato • 2 eggs • A quarter of a green bell pepper • One fresh jalapeño • Minced garlic

Quick Oats Fruit Bowl Qucik oats are filling, nutritious and can be extremely tasty with the right toppings.

• Serving of quick oats • Serving of frozen blueberries • Quarter of a Granny Smith Apple (diced) • Half a banana • Top with PB2 Powder

Simple Spaghetti For pasta lovers like me.

• Spaghetti sauce • Roman Parmesan Cheese • Garlic powder (a lot of it)

43 INSIGHT

opinion

Photos by Kellie Sasso

INSIGHT 44

45 INSIGHT

Photo by Andrea Heerdt

The problem with 13 Reasons Why INSIGHT 46

W

Words by Grey Bailey Photo by Kellie Sasso hile a new season of 13 Reasons Why has not premiered since May 2018, a new season is set to premiere on Netflix this summer that will attract most of its original viewers and a horde of new ones. The show is marketed towards teenagers and young adults, which is dangerous, given the themes of the show. 13 Reasons Why plays into suicide and rape culture in very dangerous and graphic ways with little to no trigger warnings or indication that they will be touching on these topics as graphically as they do.

13 Reasons Why starts as a drama about a teenager, Hannah Baker, in high school who has committed suicide and left audio tapes for the 13 people in her life who she says played a part in her final decision to end her life.

The show eventually strays from its source material, a book by the same name, to change the method of suicide and expand upon the story by making a second (and forthcoming third) season.

The show very graphically shows the main character slitting her wrists in the final episode of the first season.

When the show originally aired, there was no warning before it that such a graphic scene was going to be shown.

After lots of backlash and a couple of weeks, they finally put a content warning before this episode and one episode earlier in the season that graphically depicts a rape. In the book, the main character ends her life by swallowing some pills. This is just mentioned in passing, not shown in a several minute scene. The main character is also shown in flashbacks and as a ghost-like figure haunting one of the other characters with her bloody wrists in the second season. There is no warning this will be shown

either, and it happens in more than one episode and more than one instance.

More than once, the ghost of the main character asks one of the other characters why he “let her die” or “didn’t do anything” to help her. The tapes she records for the 13 people she blames for her suicide do just that, blame others for her actions. She explains what each character did to her, and why this culminated in her decision to end her life, but she does not take any responsibility for any of her actions throughout the show. This idea that others are responsible for your actions is a very harmful one that can give people the wrong ideas.

13 Reasons Why also shows two girls, one of whom is the main character, being raped graphically. Each scene goes on for several moments to a few minutes, and there is no panning away to let the viewer infer what is happening.

You are shown very plainly that two girls are being raped with no content warning. The characters are raped by the same man, and while he is confronted by one of the other people on the tapes, he does not face any consequences.

Self-harm, suicide, and rape are all very touchy and triggering subjects that should not be shown so graphically or recklessly. The show did not add trigger or content warnings until a good couple of weeks after the first season aired, so viewers were left with a shock and no way to prepare themselves to witness such triggering scenes.

No show or movie should ever film and show anything that graphic, much less without any sort of warning. 13 Reasons Why manages to very poorly cover the topics of rape and suicide while sensationalizing them for their teen drama show. The show was originally marketed as a way to start a healthy conversation about suicide and bullying but ends up missing the mark entirely and doing way more harm than good.

47 INSIGHT

THE GREEN

ISSUE INSIGHT 48

N

Words by Tanner Barrett Photo by Kellie Sasso

o matter how hard we try to follow an eco-friendly lifestyle by recycling, watching our water consumption, using reusable water bottles, and other ways seen throughout this issue, we have to get used to trying even harder. The future demands it.

From the first pitch meeting for this issue the idea of an eco-friendly focused theme with multiple stories on various aspects about cleaner and simpler lifestyles took shape. It was just up to the writers to deliver the stories that have been a consistent theme throughout Insight in the two years I’ve been onboard. As a university student magazine that speaks to what young people are thinking about and want to share with others, it was unsettling to read “Is This the End of Recycling?” by Alana Semuels on March 5, 2019 for The Atlantic Magazine after spending the previous two weekends copy editing an issue that had such positive goals for a cleaner environment. The article is a must read for the growing number of Americans who are recycling as an “easy” way to be more eco-friendly, but the current recycling system is inarguably broken as Semuels reported, saying “about 25 percent of what ends up in the blue (recycling) bins is contaminated, according to the National Waste & Recycling Association.”

It is a double-edged sword to properly wash recycles with clean water to ensure they can actually be recycled and avoid the incinerator or a landfill, but what other options are there? Semuels suggested the easiest solution would be for people to just “buy less stuff,” but goes on to show how in our increasingly commercial driven society with online shopping that a decrease in consumption is unlikely anytime soon.

We can thank Amazon (but ourselves too) for getting consumers online to shop for just about anything in the

49 INSIGHT

ultimate online catalog. Buried in the article was the fact the white and blue plastic bags Amazon uses for shipments are actually difficult to recycle.

The bags have recycling information on them, but often get stuck in machinery and then require costly labor to cut them out.

Despite our growing efforts to recycle, companies aren’t incentivized to make their products or packaging easy to recycle because making new materials is still cheaper in the long run than recycled materials, and they don’t cover the costs of disposal - recycling plants/waste management companies do.

It’s difficult knowing you belong to a generation who will have to deal with environmental consequences that generations past never considered. Following eco-friendly tips found throughout this issue, no matter the odds and unpleasant realities of what the country and the world will have to deal with in one way or another, INSIGHT 50

is the future. As the world becomes ever more connected in all regards, and the global population continues to rise, Samuels noted that the U.S. continues to increase its consumption and waste with upwards of 60% more waste generated since 1985.

When the inevitable drain of natural resources from the world draws nearer and trash continues piling up or ending up in the ocean, the world will suffer the consequences collectively.

So is it really “radical” to support ideas that could address the environmental issues of the future that can only be addressed now? Of course not, but you may have heard of the Green New Deal as introduced by 29-year-old Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez from the 14 District of New York whose conservative critics label as a radical socialist in the Democratic party looking to cripple and change what America is all about. The Green New Deal is a resolution that seeks to prioritize climate change policy by getting rid of carbon emissions by 2030 while also guaranteeing jobs, universal healthcare, and a family sustaining minimum wage for all Americans. Ambitious as legislation can get, the proposal has received intense scrutiny across the political spectrum, but the goals that define it are at the helm of what Cortez and an increasing number of young people stand for.

Cortez’s beliefs and social media flare have made her the fascination of left and right wing media in a way that mirrors Donald Trump’s transformation from impossible Republican nominee to the presidency. If it wasn’t going to be Trump who revolutionized the way a president or politician can speak to their supporters and engage with the media, it would have happened eventually.

But look at most news coverage, and you'll be told that the Green New Deal is progressive because it falls out of bounds of what the majority of voters and the Democratic party leaders believe and therefore has no chance of becoming serious legislation. They would also say that other less radical legislation is more plausible and would have their support. (Yes, I’m talking about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Get to know her and other leading Democrats in Congress as the older generation of people who are on the side of today’s youthful Democrats, but not at their demanding pace at the expense of the party’s older and much more loyal voters – So VOTE!)

The news isn’t totally wrong about the politics of it all, or wrong in seeing the Republican party

and President Trump using it to dismiss Democrats and rile up their strongest base of voters leading into 2020. But it is wrong to dismiss both Cortez herself and the legislation she has introduced as wishful thinking or full of things voters do not want. There are plenty of signals toward people wanting a greener future despite those who are quick to dismiss the possibilities the country faces next well beyond the Trump era.

In a February Business Insider poll 80% of Americans expressed support for key clean energy aspects found in the Green New Deal, and a number of Democratic Party candidates for 2020 thus far have endorsed it. As reported by the New York Times on March 28, 2019, the state of New York will join California and Hawaii as the only states with bans on single use plastic bags. And as I reported at #NevadaVote covering the 2018 midterms, Nevadans voted “yes” to taking steps toward requiring the state’s natural resources to come from 50% renewable resources by 2030.

Those who are older who rail against the rising youth, who already outnumber older generations in the electorate, will not be the ones to lead a serious response to attempt to mitigate climate, economic, and social circumstances as the Green New Deal aspires to - people like AOC and the younger generation she represents will.

It isn’t alarmist to want quicker and swift actions on issues we can only address now for the betterment of the future. Congress operates by what’s next on the agenda of the party leaders and whatever expired program is next in needing to be reauthorized or addressed. The climate and subsequent issues can’t wait to be addressed at this pace forever.

The Green New Deal and its goals are certainly not new, but it has sparked fresh national debate and urgency over environmental issues that aren’t going away anytime soon. The deal has become the face of the further left movement in the Democratic party, and a generational change in government leadership can be closer than you’d expect because of the amount of young people continuing to enter the electorate bringing new ideas and beliefs to the table.

Change is slow, but with the amount of younger people in the always shifting demographics of the country, it doesn’t have to be.

The Green New Deal was put up for a vote by the Republican-controlled Senate in March to emphasize political divisions in the Democratic party. This loses sight of what could actually be addressed in real policy like vital legislation to mend the broken recycling system that we cannot just willfully ignore

the faults of while we try to do what’s right. With Trump in office, divides among Democrats, and other climate deniers in Congress, it is easy to be cynical and think that nothing can be done about certain issues in the remaining two years of Trump’s first term, and that is accurate. But regardless of your politics, it’s not crazy to say another four years of a Trump White House that refuses to take climate change and other environmental issues seriously is something the future cannot count on.

So by all means, follow an eco-friendly lifestyle the best you possibly can, but it will be in vain if not addressed through proper institutional and legislative channels to get us there as a society. Moving forward it’s going to be key for us to keep an eye out on what to consider about the future not just for ourselves, but for the global community.

51 INSIGHT

insightunr.com

This publication is made possible by the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, Reno

@insightmagazineunr