April 2010 Insight Magazine

INSIGHT U N R I N S I G H T. C O M

[ The Universit y of Ne vada, Reno’s student MAGA ZINE]

How do you define

Diversity

APRIL 2010 Volume 2 • Issue 5

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 1

Contents APRIL 2010

4 | LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 5 | BEHIND [INSIGHT] 6 | PACK PROFILE 8 | STEREOTYPES IN MEDIA 10 | Food around the world

2 | Insight | April 2010

PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN DIAZ

The bar at LOUIS’ BASQUE CORNER on 301 E FOURTH St, Reno, NV.

14 | walk the steps 16 | transgender journey 20 | beyond the burning times 24 | out-numbered 28 | in hindsight

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 3

U N R I N S I G H T.C O M

LETTER {

FROM THE

} EDITOR

I

t’s surprisingly difficult to produce a diverse “diversity” issue. When we had a staff meeting to discuss possible stories, they were stale. They were over-done. But I am proud to say that these stories push the envelope. Don’t expect every aspect of a diverse culture to be in this issue (it’s impossible in 32 pages!). Rather, we chose these stories based on a lack of prior exposure.

In October of 1971, the Black Student Union was denied an office in the Jot Travis Student Union. The details as to why are vague, as in most cases where racism may have played a part but regardless, the BSU protested the unjust treatment. After a week without reaching any agreements, the Reno police were summoned. They arrived in full riot gear to breakup the peaceful rally. See the pictures and read more about this “In Hindsight” story on page 28.

“Transgender Journey” on page 16 chronicles the tumultuous transition of one UNR student who knew all his life that he was uncomfortable living as a woman. He started the physical change at the age of 21 by removing his breasts. Chris is courageous and lives a life many students don’t understand.

“Out-Numbered” on page 24 tells about a subset of the general undergraduate population that often is overlooked in traditional campus media—those 25 years and older. Campus is a very different place when you’re not a 21 year old.

How would you answer the question, are you diverse? Does it apply to you because of your race or gender or religion? Does it exclude you because you’re seemingly average?

I hope that this issue of Insight will push you to question your personal views on diversity.

A little advice though—be prepared for some intense food cravings after reading “Food Around the World” on page 10. I’m serious. This food is good.

[The University of Nevada, Reno’s student magazine]

Editor-in-Chief KATIE GOODWIN katie@unrinsight.com

Online Managing Editor JESSICA PACHECO pacheco@unrinsight.com

Design Editor GEOFF ROSEBOROUGH geoff@unrinsight.com

Multimedia Editor JESSICA ESTEPA

estepa@unrinsight.com

Assistant Multimedia Editor MICHAEL GJURICH mgjurich@unrinsight.com

Head Photo Editor SEBASTIAN DIAZ

sebastian@unrinsight.com

Assistant Photo Editor COURTNEY SPANGLER courntey@unrinsight.com

Webmaster DEREK JORDAN

webmaster@unrinsight.com

Story Editor SAM DISALVO

sam@unrinsight.com

Story Editor RACHEL WRIGHT rachel@unrinsight.com Staff Intern JAZZMINE HUDSON jazzmine@unrinsight.com

Staff Intern CAITLIN THOMAS caitlin@unrinsight.com

Advertising Coordinator BROOKE BARLOW brookeb@unr.edu

Contributors: Cody Liska, Geoff McFarland, Matt Buccambuso, Sara Kam, Chelsea Houston, Colin Bangert, Brady Rimington, Vicki Tam, Greg Ross, Stephanie Horowitz, Derek Kolstad

Katie Goodwin Editor-in-Chief COVER PHOTO BY COURTNEY SPANGLER

4 | Insight | April 2010

The opinions expressed in this publication and its associated Web site are not necessarily those of the University of Nevada, Reno or the student body.

www.unrinsight.com

Artist CHELSEA HOUSTON prepares artwork for a story.

PHOTO BY MATT BUCCAMBUSO

BEHIND [insight] 2010 April | unrinsight.com | 5

{

PACK PROFILE

Charles Tshimanga-Kashama Assistant professor Charles TshimangaKashama came to the University of Nevada, Reno in 2003 as a post-doctoral fellow and became an assistant professor of history in 2005. Earning his Master’s and PhD in history from the University of Paris 7-Denis Diderot in 1999, his research specialties focus on African, post-colonial and diaspora studies.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Africa and then I grew up in France. I moved there in the 1980s, and got my degree there before coming [to Reno].

Why did you decide to come to Reno?

I got offered a job in America and I wanted to move from France, so I saw it as a good opportunity to make that move. I came [to America] in 2002, and my first year was spent at the University of Michigan. I spent one year there, and from there, I joined the history department here in Reno.

What got you interested in history?

I like to do it. I was interested in learning about the past – about the African past. Since I wanted to understand the history of Africa, I decided to go for it and continue doing this kind of thing.

Did you see yourself as a history professor when you were young?

At the time, I didn’t have any idea that I would become a history teacher - only when I was a college student did that idea come to me. And then when I got my PhD, it was clear to me that it is what I wanted to do.

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INTERVIEW BY VICKI TAM PHOTO BY GEOFF ROSEBOROUGH

What is your fondest memory?

I would say my years as a student in Paris are the best memories. I have many fond memories, but when you are a student, it’s the best moment in your life because you are involved in your education - learning new stuff, raising too many questions about tomorrow, living your life as a student, and opening your mind. To me, that is probably the fondest moment in my life – that moment when you are learning, opening your mind to many new ideas and also challenging things, and questioning them.

Are there any hardships in your life that you’ve had to overcome?

Well, there are always hardships. In my case, when I left Africa to go to France. It puts you in a new culture that you don’t know so you have to overcome all of this by interacting with the people you have met [and] by opening your mind to the new culture. It might seem easy, but in real life, sometimes, it’s not. That’s the one of the challenges you have to overcome because changing countries [and] changing into a new culture is always a challenge.

Why was it challenging to move from Africa to France?

When you arrive in a new country, you don’t know about the culture. At the time, I wasn’t speaking French. All of those things you don’t know. You have to learn them. The good thing is that when joining a new country, you are not in a fixed identity because you are adapting, changing, shifting. All of this is challenging. I think I had the chance to meet people who would come to me, helping me to understand this new culture.

Did your parents come with you?

No, my parents did not come with me. They stayed in Africa at the time, and because I had a scholarship, they wanted me to go there. I was young, which is good because if you are young, you can adapt very quickly. The first months were not easy. It is a new place with new people you haven’t met before and a new culture. When you have people on the other side also lending a hand, you can overcome this kind of new situation.

Would you ever go back to Africa?

Yes. I went back, and since then, my parents have died. I do have a brother and a sister living there.

What do you like about Reno?

There are many things. Reno is a small, beautiful place. It’s sunny. I like the sun.

It’s warm. Of course, we have this snow, but most of the time, Reno is warm. So I like the weather, and the environment is good. If you want to just get away, you have this beautiful lake around and these mountains. All of these places you could go to just enjoy yourself. And the university is a very good community.

What do you cherish most in your life?

[I cherish] many things. I like what I am doing – what I am preaching – [and] my research. I like being on debates about some of the issues going on. For example, what is going on in France, [about] which I published the book Frenchness and the African Diaspora: Identity and Uprising in Contemporary France.

What is the best advice anyone has given you?

[It is] to try to keep going no matter what is happening. Problems could always be solved. Sometimes, you can’t.

You have no control over them, but you should always try. I would like to give that advice to my students.

Are there any other interests you have besides history and researching?

Well, I like reading a lot. This is another interest I have. [I like] spending time with friends. That’s some of them.

What kind of things do you like to read?

Oh, [I like to read] novels, books about history, books about what’s going on, [and] newspapers.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Just to continue questioning what you have. You can use your critical thinking to understand what is going on around you. Never take things for granted.

Visit UNRINSIGHT.COM to meet Assistant Professor Charles Tshimanga-Kashama.

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 7

Writing the script for a TV show.

Actually watching the show.

Stereotypes in the MEDIA

WORDS BY COLIN BANGERT ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK KOLSTAD

T

he 90’s are over and so is television at its simplest. The days are dead in which TV shows are based on groups of ordinary people living in ordinary circumstances being…well, ordinary. Today, the shows that are “in” have been known to push the boundaries on what can be considered appropriate.

These shows are the ones we hear about on the news causing controversy and making us question: Is reality TV an accurate portrayal of diversity in the world? Are popular fare like MTV’s Jersey Shore, Bravo’s Real Housewives series, and TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras as “real” as some of their titles lead us to believe? Has TV come to rely on gimmicks and extremism to attract viewers, or does modern television mark a creative resurgence in what cable once was?

In recent years, cable television has done the seemingly impossible by providing a reality television show for nearly every niche group of people. Fishermen found refuge in the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch. Bounty hunters have fugitive recovery Agent Dog. Until recently, one group was always on the outside looking in. Through Snooki, JWoww, The Situation, and DJ Pauly D, “guidos” and “guidettes” everywhere found their voice. But underneath the bronzer and hair gel and through all the 8 | Insight | April 2010

fist pumping came a figurative shitstorm.

Response from the Italian-American community was largely unfavorable, and criticism was brought upon the cast for their frequenting of tanning beds, nightly fights, and promotion of casual sex.

But did anyone truly expect the cast of Jersey Shore to serve as role models for younger teens? No one has ever looked to MTV to be the guiding light on diversity before. Overall, the media continues to perpetuate long-living stereotypes of the world’s people. In everyday life,

people continue to subscribe to racial and cultural stereotypes, and the media does nothing to change or challenge this.

Why should the Italian-American community be upset over how Jersey Shore cast members act? Not all Middle Eastern people are terrorists and not all women are bad drivers. These sorts of stereotypes stopped being so cut and dry several years ago. The actions of the eight New Jersey-ans speak nothing of their cultural history, but only of their own lives.

Instead of looking at the cast as long-

City and TLC’s 19 Kids and Count“[The cast] is represented fairly because ing introduced people to the practices it’s all about how they represent themof the Amish and conservative Baptists, selves. Stereotypes on TV [are] normal. respectively. Before going off the air in I don’t think it’s either a good thing or 2004, Amish in the City drew considerbad thing because everyone judges one able coverage from the press. The show another, no matter what they say.” focused on a group More than ever More than ever before, of six Amish people before, explicit or and six regular explicit or risqué material risqué material can Americans learnbe shown. Only can be shown. Only two ing and living from two months ago, months ago, the first sex the first sex scene each other. After a few months of life between two men scene between two men away from Amish (ever on TV) was society, the six were (ever on TV) was shown on shown on ABC’s forced to choose One Life to Live.

ABC’s One Life to Live. whether they This fact helps wanted to return to express how far their old life, or live society has come in in everyday America without the ability terms of acceptance for gay people, and to return home. Meanwhile, 19 Kids and also shows the risks studio executives are Counting centers on the Duggar family willing to take. By using difference as a and the ever-increasing expansion of tool for bringing in ratings, audiences are their numbers. able to experience a world that they othFreshman Chelsea Day says stereotypes erwise would have no idea about, increasare expected when it comes to television. ing tolerance for different demographics.

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standing Italian stereotypes, it’s more important to acknowledge their diversity and the role that they play on TV. University of Nevada, Reno English lecturer Emily Johnston believes that America is on the right track to exposing diverse groups of people to the public, but feels there is more that can be done.

“Stereotypes are based upon trends, which are not the same as absolute truth,” Johnston says, who taught a section of English 102 about identity and difference.

“Mainstream television relies heavily on stereotypes in order to exaggerate situations/characters and entertain viewers and today,” says Johnston. “[It] is increasingly exposing viewers to people who, historically, have been marginalized.” Johnston believes that the media responds to the demands from the American public for more diversity and that more “diversity of diversity” will truly expel discrimination from our society,” she said.

TV shows like UPN’s Amish in the

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 9

FOOD

the

W

T

AROUND

RLD WORDS BY STEPHANIE HOROWITZ PHOTOS BY SEBASTIAN DIAZ

here isn’t a caricature of a college dorm room without the common clutter of pizza boxes, often containing a rogue cold-day-old slice leftover, and what University of Nevada, Reno student isn’t familiar with the late night burgers, subs and frozen food? These calorie-packed (but such a good idea at the time) villains have been a common culprit aiding in the freshmen fifteen, and have also given new meaning to the words “irritable bowel syndrome.”

In an attempt to break away from the common “quick fix” meal and expand my horizons of what my taste buds can do for me, I decided to try three “out-of-the-box” restaurants that cater to people who crave a little more adventure, health or spice in what they choose to eat no passport necessary!

10 | Insight | April 2010

Bangkok Cuisine

It wasn’t until I walked into Bangkok Cuisine that I realized researching this article meant eating good food. Opening their doors in 1996, the restaurant oozes culture from the moment you walk in the door. Bangkok, which is cozily nestled on 55 Mt. Rose Street, is aesthetically pleasing with gold and paisley tapestries dazzling the walls, and iconic bronzed Thai sculptures decorate pillars and sneak around tables. It’s barely enough time to take it all in before being seated by a pleasant and amiable server, decked out in authentic Thai garb.

Although the restaurant has traditional Thai roots in the decor, the environment is fairly modern - perfect for date night, but with enough lighting to feel okay about taking your grandfather there for a visit.

Not quite sure what to order for my visit, owner Kris Lueamrung recommended a favorite dish.

“Our most popular dish is the Pud Thai Noodles,” Lueamrung says. “It is a thin rice noodle stir fried with shrimp, chicken, ground peanuts, eggs, bean sprouts, tofu and scallions. The flavors are a perfect blend of sweet, sour and a little spicy (upon request). It’s the dish that everyone seems to know!”

And for good reason. The Pud Thai was one of the most delicious things I had ever ordered. It immediately had me feeling cultured and light-years away from my Top Ramen waiting for me at home. The noodles were familiar enough not to be too scary, but the sweet, yet spicy, flavors along with the texture and delicious treasure trove of veggies and chicken made it not just a meal, but an experience.

To accompany the Pud Thai, I chose to try the Chicken Coconut Soup, which was, in a word, delightful. The warm coconut textures combined with the Thai herbs and spices make it the most refreshing, and simultaneously exotic, ten minute meal. The soup left me feeling full, but not uncomfortable - mostly just relaxed and ready for a return trip.

Everything on Bangkok’s menu sounds delicious, and the prices won’t break any college budget as far as a dinner out is concerned. Lueamrung said there are no current specials for UNR students, but it’s something he’d like to implement in the future.

BANGKOK CUISINE 55 Mt. Rose St. 775-322-0299 Mon-Sat 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Sunday 4 - 10 p.m..

THE PUD THAI is a favored dish for many visiting Bangkok Cuisine.

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 11

Bavarian World

If Bangkok Cuisine completes the perfect night out, then Bavarian World completes the best night in. Located off 595 Valley Road, Bavarian World has the widest selection of German food in the area. Not only does it have a full service restaurant, but it also has a complete grocery store and bakery of Eastern European imports, and it’s just ten minutes from UNR. The perfect thing for a night at home, or something

to surprise your friends with might be a box of german éclairs. While working at Bavarian World, former server and lederhosen wearer Nic Bortolin’s tasks included promptly delivering schnitzel, a type of German meat, and lager, a type of beer, to famished customers. The 23-year-old music major also had to perform.

“Every hour on the hour we would put our trays down and dance the traditional Austrian ‘Schuhplattling’ dance,” Bortolin says. “The type of dance

LOUIS’ BASQUE CORNER takes it’s guests to the center of San Sebastian, Spain with their menu of basque treats.

12 | Insight | April 2010

that allows a lot of knee slapping, hand gesturing, and leg kicking.”

What better way to take a break from your day than to watch twentysomethings in lederhosen dance around to folk music? For this, and the divine array of unique snacks, Bavarian World is a definite must-visit.

BAVARIAN WORLD 595 Valley Rd 775-323-7646 Tue-Sat 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Louis’ Basque Corner

The last restaurant on my list, and hopefully my waistline, was Louis’ Basque Corner. Found at 301 E. Fourth Street in downtown Reno, it has the best comfort food money can buy.

Both budget and family friendly, Louis’ features traditional Basque family dining, including home-cooked soups, salads, hearty steaks and breads. With its warm and cozy atmosphere, Louis’ will have you feeling like you’re eating at grandma’s

house - if grandma’s house was in the center of San Sebastian, Spain. If you’ve ever wanted to try something crazy like tongue, Louis’ is the place for you, too.

“I love serving our sweetbreads and I always recommend them to first-time visitors,” Natalie Savidge, Louis’ server by night and UNR media specialist by day says. “Sweetbread is the thymus gland in the throat. It sounds disgusting, but it is really delicious. I encourage people to try all of the other traditional and unique Basque dishes like oxtail bourguignon, beef tongue, rabbit, and tripe (intestine lining in the stomach of the cow).

It’s all good!”

Although I love a good old-fashioned sub sandwich on wheat, there is something to be said for living vicariously

through your taste buds. A trip to Thailand, Eastern Europe, or Spain costs thousands of dollars, but for less than it costs to fill up a tank of gas, the food of these countries is found right around the corner.

LOUIS’ BASQUE CORNER 301 E. Fourth St. (775) 323-7203 Lunch: Tue-Sat 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Dinner: Nightly 5 - 9:30 p.m.

Visit UNRINSIGHT.COM for a map of local dining.

Bring in this ad for 10% off a service.

Coupon Expires 06/30/2010

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 13

Visit UNRINSIGHT.COM to hear more about Brady’s experience in college and his post-graduation plans.

WALK the STEPS WORDS BY BRADY RIM INGTON PHOTO BY MATT BUCC AMBUSO

“There are plenty of people who go to college for ten years, Brady,” my friend Kevin says to me over the wall on my Facebook page. “They’re called doctors.”

T

he joke, of course, is on me, for I am certainly not a doctor. Nowhere near to one, in fact. I have, however, been in college on and off for ten years and am finally preparing to graduate this Spring with a degree in English writing and a Journalism minor.

A decade! It’s dizzying to think that 10 years ago I was a fresh-faced freshman, full of hope and vigor, an immense road of possibility laid at my feet. Here I am now at the end of that road, looking back and seeing that, as most of you readers are probably just beginning to find out, that the path is rarely straight. In fact, it’s got more forks than a Texas buffet.

When I decided to return to and finish my education two years ago after an uninspiring stint in the “financial services” sector, I promised myself that when the day came to shed this coil of a Bachelor’s education, I would find a way to impart the real knowledge of my experience to the younger generation. This article, dear reader, is the fulfillment of that promise. I had many adventures and made many mistakes along my path to maturity, but through the good and the bad I always learned a valuable lesson.

Learn from me now, children. I made the mistakes so you don’t have to.

14 | Insight | April 2010

S

Lesson 1: Take the long classes!

I can pinpoint the exact moment that my educational road took a sharp detour down the side of a cliff. It was the second semester of my freshman year and I was registering for Journalism 102 when suddenly I realized that the class was an excruciating three hours long! “Fuck that,” I said. “I’m too important to be cooped up in a stupid class for three hours!

The world needs me. I can better use that time discovering a cure for cancer…or assembling a beer bong.”

I was a particularly stupid freshman. One seemingly simple decision completely changed my life and led me to where I am today, and I don’t mean in a good way. Take the long classes, kiddos. You’d be surprised how fast three hours goes by when you actually pay attention to what the teacher says (or bring in your laptop to obsessively check your Facebook and Twitter).

Lesson 2: Take Summer School and Wintermester!

Know what sucks worse than a three hour class? A five hour class! Right?

Don’t kid yourself. Do you think the professors that teach these hell-sent, vacation-rapers want to be there any more than you do? Hell no! They’re trying to pick up a few extra bucks for teaching in the off-season at the same time that you’re trying to pick up a few extra credits. Your professors would rather be on the beach or shredding the slopes just like you and they’ll be taking it easy on you (and your grades) for suffering through the monotony with them. Summer school and wintermester are some of the easiest A’s and B’s you’ll ever get. Show up, do the ridiculously easy assignments and reap the reward of three easy credits. I cringe when I think of all the times I avoided taking these classes because I was “gonna be tearin’ up the mountain” or “chasin’ skirts at Tahoe with the boys” when in reality I was sweltering in the fraternity house playing Halo.

your advisors and stay as close to the path as possible. A little deviation is okay because that’s where you learn the greatest lessons, but stick with a plan and always keep that in sight (Insight, get it?).

Most importantly, don’t give up. I spent a good deal of time fighting the system. I thought that a college degree wasn’t really worth any more than a good few years of experience out in the field. I was very, very wrong. Say what you will about the true value of a college degree, but having had my ass in the grass, I can tell you quite plainly that you can not imagine the number of doors that will be slammed in your face if you don’t have a degree, whether you’re the right person for the job or not. The simple truth of the matter is that a college degree is simply your paper foot-in-the-door to a better life.

So just keep your head down and keep working hard. If you feel the need to give up, just keep pushing through and know that you can get absolutely hammered when it’s all said and done and go out and make some really bad decisions to alleviate the stress. The only bad decision you shouldn’t make is giving up on your future.

Lesson 5: Enjoy the ride!

Don’t forget to have a drink and smile. You’re in college for God’s sake! Enjoy it. Put off growing up for as long as you can. And, damnit, do all of this with a sense of style and charisma. While I may not be receiving my Ph.D when I walk across the stage this May, I’ll still be rocking my “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor” shirt underneath my robes.

Lesson 3: Get involved!

Speaking of fraternity life, the single greatest thing I will take away from my long tenure at UNR isn’t what I learned in class.

It’s the relationships I built within the Greek system. That’s not to say that everyone should go Greek, but just get involved in some organization. Find something that interests you and jump on that flowery bandwagon! ASUN, band, Anime Club, Zero-Gravity Sudoku Team, it doesn’t matter - just join up and start building those relationships. Befriend people, learn from them, uncover their horrible secrets and file them away for future blackmail opportunities. It’s excellent practice for when you will start having to “network” (big kid word for kissing ass) in the real world. Besides, when you get in trouble, it’s not your honors physics professor that’s going to offer you a job, give you a business sales lead or bail you out of Tijuana prison.

Lesson 4: Stay focused!

I wish to God that someone would build a time machine so that I could hop in that sucker and take a magical trip seven or eight years back in time only to emerge and firmly place my shoe squarely between my younger self ’s nuts. I’m sure that would somehow tear a hole in the space-time continuum, but it would be so worth it. Stay focused, guys. Meet with 2010 April | unrinsight.com | 15

TRANSGENDER

JOURNEY WORDS BY SARA KAM PHOTOS BY COURTNEY SPANGLER

P

utting on make up, or wearing a different style of clothing are some everyday ways of changing appearance, but what if you never felt comfortable in your body? In Chris’s* case he was not happy with his life as a woman. After years of saving money and going through therapy, Chris went through the process of a sex change.

C

hris was born a girl and described his childhood as normal and happy. While growing up, he felt different from the other kids and didn’t connect with society’s definition of being a girl. As time went by and he grew up, he did not feel at ease with the way his body was developing.“My brain was expressing itself and my body was expressing something else.” Chris says.

It wasn’t until he was 15-yearsold when he found out that what he was feeling had a name for it: transsexual.

“As far back as I can remember I didn’t feel like a girl,” Chris says. “I always felt more like a male.”

At 17-years-old, he knew he wanted to make the change and started saving for a bilateral mastectomy, which is the removal of breasts. The procedure costs about $8,000.

That same year, Chris came out to his parents.

“I was terrified of telling them, and it was a very gradual process of explaining how I felt and what I was planning to do concerning a transition,” Chris says. “They cycled through feelings of denial that I would grow out of it and guilt that it was because of something they had done wrong.

Many parents with transgender children will go through a cycle with very similar stages to that of

Editor’s Note: To protect the identity of Chris, his full name has been changed.

16 | Insight | April 2010

grieving a death.”

Chris also shared that his mother feared for his safety during the transition period due to aggression shown toward transsexuals by certain segments of the population.

According to research by Christina Reardon of Social Work Today, it is critical to understand the acceptance and rejection behaviors families of transsexuals go through. Cristina Ryan, founder of the Family Acceptance Project states, “It’s absolutely critical that we understand the role of the family in promoting the well-being of LGBT young people,” This was Chris’ experience as well.

“On one hand, it was relieving that I wasn’t keeping a secret that big to myself anymore,” Chris says. “On the other hand it was very hard to deal with constantly defending my identity to my parents.”

Chris says his parents would blame his gender dysphoria, or inability to identify with one’s gender, on aspects like not having suitable female role models or not thinking his body was physically appealing. These conversations would also often result in his parents

crying. This is also a common reaction that parents have regarding their child’s being transgendered. Most families have not had any experience with gender dysphoria. The Family Acceptance Project says they use a multitude of research methods including indepth interviews with LGBT individuals and their families.

Conversely, Chris has friends that proved to be a wealth of support. “I would talk to them a little bit about how I was progressing, what I was feeling, etcetera, but for the most part I was on my own when it came to my parents.”

Chris was 21-years-old when he had his breasts removed. After the surgery, he was much happier, which started to somewhat justify the operation is his mother’s eyes.

“She still stumbles with calling me ‘she’ instead of ‘he,’ but she tries very hard and isn’t purposefully ignoring my request to be referred to as a male like she did before my surgery and hormones.”

Chris says.

Chris started taking hormone injections once a week at 22-years-old.

The hormone shots change tone of voice, drop weight in female areas such as hips

and buttocks, induce facial and body hair growth, stop menstrual cycles and thickens bones.

In order to make the transition easier for his mother, Chris agreed to see a psychologist alone and with her.

“After counseling with [my mother] for nearly two years, she decided that my gender discomfort was genuine, and I was in a healthy enough state of mind to undergo surgery, hormones,” Chris says. “I think this was a bit disappointing to my parents, who were expecting her to ‘cure’ me, but I think in the long run it made them feel a little better because the doctor believed my condition was genuine.”

After coming out, going to counseling, and completing surgery, Chris feels content in his own skin. Paying the price physically and mentally has made his journey difficult, but worth it. If you or someone you care for is facing any of the challenges Chris has overcome, the Family Acceptance Project is an excellent resource for families. They can be reached online at http://familyproject. sfsu.edu/home.

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 17

INSIGHT WANTS YOUR PHOTOS! The staff at Insight Magazine is preparing for it’s annual photo issue and wants your photos of really anything related to the University of Nevada, Reno. We have some simple guidelines for you to follow: • • • • •

Submissions are due by April 19th at 5 p.m.

Send your digital file to submission@unrinsight.com The only files accepted will be in the TIFF format and 300 DPI Make sure the file resolution is as large as possible.

In your e-mail include your full name, major and the approximate location/time of photo taken.

Photographers submit on a volunteer basis only, no compensation will be granted for accepted photos.

If you have any questions please contact Katie Goodwin at editor@unrinsight.com

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GJURICH

18 | Insight | April 2010

PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN DIAZ

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 19

Beyond

the BURNING Times WORDS BY CODY LISKA – PHOTOGRAPHY BY COURTNEY SPANGLER – ILLUSTRATION BY CHELSEA HOUSTON

I

n a dimly lit cave, a sorority of witches stands around a bubbling cauldron, cackling as they await the witching hour. Their faces are lousy with sores and their breath putrid with death. Behind their abysmally black eyes, the devil can be seen looking back… plotting.

The night yields a full moon, magic is aplenty. They’ll need all the help they can get. After all, an unbaptized infant is a delicacy. The midnight bell tolls - time to act. And in devilish accordance, they snatch their broomsticks and vanish into the night.

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lthough a Medieval foreboding of a witch is a far cry from today’s understanding of one, it’s difficult to skirt the misconception. It has a permanent locale in our collective unconscious. Needless to say, a real witch lacks these stereotypical prerequisites.

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simple. In the end, it came down to a lack of went mutual respect. loony, “He said he expected it out of me,” labeling anything Darrah says, about her decision to questionable as become a Wiccan. “Like I was stupid. He witchcraft. just didn’t respect me, so I left.”

“They took this After that, Darrah made her way back beautiful herbal woman home to Reno. There, she again found with soft skin and they sanctuary among a growing community tortured her,” President of local witches. and High Priestess of Tortured in the most brutal ways Children of Temple imaginable, witches of the past did not Earth Church Laura find sanctuary in the religion as Darrah Fitzpatrick says. “Afterwards, they did. They found martyrdom. The 14th paraded her around town. That’s where century wasn’t afforded the same luxuries we get the misconception about the enjoyed today. Catchy little phrases like appearance [of a witch].” “freedom of religion” and “separation The Malleus Malleficarum itself of church and state” weren’t even a presents a catch-22. If a woman refuses brainchild. Instead, conformity was to admit that she is a witch, then she standard and individuality was deemed must be a witch. If she admits to being a suspect. More witch, well, she is often than not, a witch. Since the The religion granted propaganda took authors supported her an opportunity to center stage. In the their claims with improve the confidence forefront of this scripture, no one propaganda was the was in a position her husband had taken biblically-justified to argue. The point away. Unfortunately, it witch hunting was completely and manual, The Malleus also resulted in alienating utterly obvious; a Maleficarum, or The witch is something herself from her family.

Witches Hammer. that should be Before the invention feared. of the printing press, The pentagram each persecution hanging from of witchcraft was Darrah’s neck is isolated, meaning there was no standard arguably the most feared symbol among procedure. Colonies set up their own religions. Witches use this as their guidelines for identifying and persecuting symbol. It is unlike the pentagram of witches. So when the Gutenburg press Satanists, which has two points facing started pumping out Malleus, people down as the witch’s has only one point

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ixty-three-year-old Ellyn Darrah is a witch. In fact, she’s a High Priestess. She writes and orchestrates rituals, dances around campfires and drinks mead. She is not possessed, nor does she eat babies.

She’s more like a hip grandmother than a spooky spell-caster. The depth of her quirkiness is immediately obvious as she orders a vegetarian pizza with pepperoni.

Twenty years ago, Darrah began her journey as a witch. It all started in her college years back at the University of Santa Barbara, California, when a poster read “Come Celebrate Mother Goddess” caught her attention.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Darrah says. “We spent the whole day in this classroom singing and dancing. It was great.”

That first encounter with Wicca had such a positive impact on Darrah that she began consuming herself with the newfound belief. She read books, took classes and attended workshops where she was free to artistically express herself.

“It depends on the individual and their passion,” Darrah says. “Mine happens to be arts and crafts.

Six words govern the decisions witches make. Harm none, do what you will.

One word influences those decisions: karma. The repercussion for every action is magnified by three. So, as long as their mantra is upheld, rites and practices can be tailored to fit the individual. This versatility is what originally appealed to Darrah. However, despite her personal attraction to Wicca, it rattled her relationship with her husband. He considered the religion outdated and

facing down .

Depending on the sect of Satanism, the pentagram generally represents the inversion of Christianity. Instead of love thy neighbor, hate thy neighbor. The witch’s pentagram, however, represents the five elements needed to maintain life— spirit, water, fire, earth and air—while the encompassing pentacle, or circle, represents continuity.

“It all comes down to the earth,” Darrah says. “It’s about bettering yourself in an organic way.”

When Darrah left her husband to pursue Wicca, she was attempting to better herself, personally as well as spiritually. The religion granted her an opportunity to improve the confidence her husband had taken away. Unfortunately, it also resulted in alienating herself from her family.

“They think I’m crazy,” Darrah says.

“I’m just ‘grandma the witch.’ ” Today, she concedes that the decision to leave her husband was probably a bit hasty.

“I may have cut my nose off to spite my face, but I still smile,” Darrah says.

If she had stayed, then she would still be a part of her biological family.

However, if she had stayed, she would not have met Fitzgerald.

“We’re soul sisters,” Darrah says. “I’ve watched her son grow up for the last four years. We write [rituals] together.”

In the Wiccan religion, magic is considered synonymous with prayer. The reason being that many times praying is an attempt to hope for something. The same is true for magic. There are rituals that use magic to heal and there are ones that use it to hurt.

“It gets dangerous when you don’t know how to use it correctly,” Fitzgerald says.

By the same token, white magic is not inherently good, just as black magic isn’t inherently bad. Both are used within Wicca. Like prayer, the outcome depends on the intention. However, when

High Priestess ELLYN DARRAH, pursues Wicca to help herself grow spiritually

meddling with a form of magic you’re unfamiliar with, even intent can be obscured. Fitzgerald recalls the time her son attempted to contact a deceased neighbor using a Quija board.

“He didn’t reach our neighbor,” Fitzgerald says. “[He reached] a man who had died in a car accident. [That man] possessed him and he was using his body to contact his family. My son got really beat up. It almost killed him.”

Preconceived notions of supernatural elements within Wicca are not without precedence. They’re derived from its bloody past and the perpetuation thereof.

“History is written by the victors,” Darrah says.

Historical fabrications have blurred the line separating fact and fiction. Tales of wart-nosed, scraggly women casting hexes are commonplace, whereas stories of organic woman seeking spiritual guidance though natural means is less common. Darrah is well aware of this pigeonhole. For her, it makes more sense to embrace the stereotypes. In fact, as she pulls away, her license plate frame visibly reads “Why yes, I am a witch.”

Learn more about the world of Wicca at WWW.UNRINSIGHT.COM

2010 April | unrinsight.com | 23

STEPHANI FOUST, transfer recruitment coordinator of the Office for Prospective Students, assist incoming students, including those returning to school after a prolongued hiatus.

Out- Numbered students over 25 WORDS BY GEOFF MCFARLAND PHOTO BY MATT BUCCAMBUSO

24 | Insight | April 2010

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icture the most diverse undergraduate student you know. The funkiest. The least traditional. Chances are, even in the most radical mash-up of identity politics—the vegetarian Buddhist lesbian Chicana—the visualization is pretty standard regarding one pretty specific characteristic: age.

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o matter ethnicity, origin, language, or orientation, most University of Nevada, Reno undergraduates still deal with the reality of being 20-ish. The drama is predictable—money, hookups, roommates, parents, but there are students who challenge this cliché. Nontraditional students—of a certain age— constantly redefine and question what it means to be a UNR undergrad.

In 2010, the average UNR undergraduate is 22.1 years old. The Office for Prospective Students defines a non-traditional undergraduate as any student 22 years and older. Institutional Analysis, the department that collects and evaluates UNR data, and the ASUN (Associated Students of the University of Nevada) calculate it differently: students over 25 qualify as non-traditional. Using this definition, currently non-traditional undergraduates make up 16.8 percent of the campus. Easy to count? Yes, but what do we really know?

“It’s impossible to pigeon-hole nontraditional students,” says Stephani Foust, transfer recruitment coordinator of the Office for Prospective Students.

But still, Faust spots a common trend.

“For many, either they’ve left or lost their job or they’re recent empty nesters. Most are coming after some big, life-changing event.”

For Lin, the life-changer was becoming a domestic abuse survivor. The 59-yearold anthropology student fled the South Dakota Cheyenne River Reservation in

August of 2009. She used the experience as a motivation to attend UNR, hoping to one day help other Native women. While she happily considers her classmates peers (“I keep up. I love Lady Gaga”), Lin is driven by her age.

“At this point in my life, I understand that there is limited time to really make the difference I want to make.”

A sense of urgency is not universal: some students are not seeking a degree at all. Agnes Harcar, sexagenarian and a former UNR faculty member, earned her PhD in the 60’s and taught at the Iwaki Meisei University in Japan for 22 years.

Still, she is enrolled in Modern Chinese History course, a “brush-up” she says.

For Harcar, class “adds an element of discipline to my life.” An added perk: “I can

check out library books.”

Some have unfinished business. “We see a lot of students coming to get the degree they left incomplete from before,” says Foust. Steve Micheil (44) is finishing the last 9 credits of a History major he left in 1989. “I have a job, I’m not seeking employment or looking to advance my career,” he says, “but I just got married, just moved. Finishing this degree is part of my beginning fresh.”

Eric Marks dropped out of high school in 1986, a half credit away from graduation. For the next 15 years he “really wasted time…but I got clean, got in shape…joined MENSA, discovered my potential and got my GED.” An English major at 38, Marks feels he brings experience to the class. “Older students have

UNR has

6099 Males 7020 Females 8973 Caucasians 157 Native Americans 382 African Americans 978 Asian-Pacific Islanders 1228 Hispanics 2010 April | unrinsight.com | 25

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the advantage of a perspective that spans Foust. “Now a non-traditional freshman back 3-4 decades,” he says. is treated the same as any other incoming Spanning decades can be tricky when freshman.” it comes to changing tech. Micheil Still, there remain resources for acaremember s his freshman year computer: demics past young adulthood, including “It was a RadioShack TRS80, and I a Non-Traditional Student Union, and backed it up on a cassette tape” Still, ASUN “Non-Traditional Scholarships” most non-traditionals available to undergraduseem eager to adapt.

For the student of a ates over 25.

“Tweeting, websites, For the student of a certain age, there’s certain blogs,” says Lin, “there age, there’s an an added incentive added incentive to atare just so many possibilities to communicate tend UNR. It’s free. The to attend UNR. and learn.” Micheil is so Senior Tuition Discount It’s free. impressed with advanceapplies to any full time ments past RadioShack student over 62, and covthat he is considering ers the entirety of tuition another degree in Comfees for all classes. Discounted puter Science. seniors still pay the nominal Student Until 2005, there was a University Union and Health fees. But what the disOffice for Nontraditional Students, count offers is, essentially, a free degree. which sought to ease the transition of A sweet deal, but the discount remains those returning or transferring to finish underutilized by Reno’s senior citizens. degrees. “But it’s been absorbed into the In fall 2009, only 8 prospective students Office of Prospective Students,” explains qualified for the discount. Of these, only 3 matriculated.

Why do so few take advantage of the bargain?

“It’s hard to know why,” Foust says, “but the Senior Discount has never really been advertised.

Mostly, [prospective students] have to stumble across it.”

In recession and amid pressing budget cuts, it’s maybe easy to imagine that UNR officials do not want to openly market free tuition. Still, those demographics may be quickly changing, consistent 26 | Insight | April 2010

with a national trend referred to as “The Graying of America”. “As more baby boomers retire I expect to see upswings in nontraditional and senior enrollment, maybe taking advantage of the discount,” predicts Foust. Current students agree.

“What students look like is always changing, and I have a feeling students will start seeing more people like me in their classes,” says Lin. A positive change? “Yes, definitely,” says Foust, “non-traditional students bring personality and experience to campus.” Marks agrees: “I add a different perspective. I talk about things younger students might not have learned and professors might have forgotten.”

But non-traditionals don’t just change the campus through their presence: the campus changes them. All interviewed expressed one common opinion: that they appreciated college the more for having been away. That may sound strange to a traditional student—could I really miss this? Steve Micheil says it this way: “You work and talk about the same stuff all day. You turn off the news because it’s all bad. You get into a rhythm of not learning about the world. That’s what’s been great about coming back.

It’s good to turn my head back on to learning.”

“Non-traditional students contribute to the diversity of this campus,” says Foust. I’d agree, and suggest they relieve some of the cynicism from our classes.

“There is always something new to learn,” says Harcar.

Visit WWW.UNRINSIGHT.COM for more stories, photos and multimedia.

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In Hindsight One of the first things that the BSU wanted was an office, or somewhere where we could call our own, realizing that we—that is the BSU or black people on this campus—did not have very much. We were more or less aiming towards that as symbolism. The office was more or less a symbol—until it was taken out of context when the crisis came.

—Emerson Davis, president of the Black Student Union, in a 1971 interview.

Words by Greg Ross

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he 1971-1972 school year brought budget cuts to the University of Nevada for the first time since the Great Depression. A 5 percent cut in operational funding and several faculty positions were left unfilled as UNR tightened their belts.

The Black Student Union (BSU) was still being denied their requests for an office space, and the situation finally boiled over. In late October of 1971, 28 black student activists took over the Jot Travis Student Union offices and locked themselves inside. Then UNR President N. Edd Miller, known for his non-traditional style, refused to forcefully take the office back and instead started discussions with the BSU. After more than a week of negotiations, the police were summoned en masse. 16 students were arrested after 12 others escaped through the roof. All of the students’ bail was paid for

by James T. Richardson and Dave Harvey, two teachers from the University.

“Looking back, I can only say that our greatest difficulty in those hours was organization,” said Emerson “Stan” Davis, who was BSU president from 1971 to 1972. “We hadn’t had experience. Because I think the community was ready, but we missed a chance of really mobilizing them because of inexperience.”

“And that only goes back to a lack of black faculty direction on this campus for us. If we would’ve had a black faculty, more or less, we probably wouldn’t have been in this situation.”

In the aftermath, rumors surfaced that Miller was being 28 | Insight | April 2010

forced by the Board of Regents to resign, and a resignation letter was submitted by Miller. The students, pleased with Miller’s actions as president, showed great support for Miller, which resulted in the Regents denying his resignation. Miller would bring ethnic studies, honors, and environmental studies programs to UNR before resigning in autumn of ’73.

The ethnic studies program was to bring what Davis considered the first real black faculty at UNR. Davis criticized the University for counting what he called “secretaries, administrative aides.”

Historian James W. Hulse described the situation in tones that also ring true today. “It was often said that the new generation of students cared little for the contests on the gridiron and the courts; they preferred social action instead,” said Hulse.

To look through the un-narrated pictures in the ’72 Artemisia is to see the heavy weight of the economic times and the frustration of many with the social state of their time. Also are the signs of determination to bring greater change, acceptance and diversity to UNR.

Learn more about this issue’s In Hindsight at WWW.UNRINSIGHT.COM

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Steps: heavy-booted, gun-on-hip, mace-in-hand steps.

Artemesia yearbook (1971-72)

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And his stupidity makes the frustration greater. The blacks march again.

Artemesia yearbook (1971-72)

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COURTNEY SPANGLER

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

GET MORE INSIGHT AT WWW.UNRINSIGHT.COM 32 | Insight | April 2010