binh cao

RENO, Nev.–Nuclear energy has always been a hot topic in Nevada.  Since 1978, Yucca Mountain has been studied by the Department of Energy to determine whether it is suitable as a viable repository for the nation’s nuclear waste. Because of heavy political opposition of storing nuclear waste in Nevada, plans to open the facility have been greatly delayed. Nevada Senator Harry Reid is a main adversary to the Yucca Mountain project, stating “Hell no, that won’t happen.”

The controversy around Yucca Mountain for holding nuclear waste stems from a mangled history as well as a flawed understanding. Most of those against Yucca are concerned of safety and health issues that come from the radioactive waste. However many of these are widely ill informed myths as well.

The most common argument against the Yucca Mountain project is the much uncertainty of the safety of it as a repository for radioactive waste. Because of it’s location, many worry about the high rate of seismic activity in the area. Also, because there is a water table deep underground, many fear the water being contaminated as well. Both of these concerns have been addressed by the Department of Energy’s research. They have stated in their report that because of the engineered barrier system, it has been designed to protect from both heavy earthquakes and water seepage. However, because of the nature of nuclear power and it’s enormous decay rate, people still fear that it is too risky to take any action at this point. Due to strong political opposition, the president wrote a Memorandum to the Secretary of Energy to study possible alternatives.

On March 3, 2010, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future was created. The panel of experts was organized in order to create a report on alternatives to Yucca by 2012. Despite attempts to slow the project, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act has already designated Yucca Mountain as a permanent repository for the nation’s nuclear waste. Unless this federal law is amended, plans to completely shut down the project would be illegal. If it is found out that Yucca Mountain is indeed unsafe for the project to be finished, a new alternative must be found, as it is the federal government’s obligation to create a nuclear waste repository for the nation.

Despite those against the Yucca project, many advocates still fight for the nuclear waste site’s completion. Former Nevada Governor Robert List has been pushing for the project for nearly a decade. Newly elected Assemblyman Randy Kirner has stated that Nevada is projected to have a $1.5 billion revenue shortfall in 2011.

One of his plans is to drive for making Yucca Mountain into a world-class research and development center.

“Nevada is the perfect location and we already have the technology and workers with the necessary skills,” Kirner said. “Such a start would bring enormous investments and jobs for Nevadans.”

With approximately 77,000 tons of nuclear waste across the nation waiting to be stored in a safe area, something will eventually have to be done. As long as the fearful remain fearful, Yucca Mountain and the billions of dollars already invested in it will have to sit tight.

Original Link – Food Bank of Northern Nevada

For this project, I chose to create a 8.5×11 flyer for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. On their website, they listed an charity event, but in a blog style format. In order to promote this event, I made this smaller flier with 2 colors to cut down on printing costs. Originally, the blog post gave a lot of information, but presented in a lackluster way. By utilizing the information in a flier, it is easy to pass out, send in e-mails, and post up around. There was a lot of information in the blog post, so I had to pick and choose only the important information to put on this multimedia element.

Print Ad, to be used in newspapers/magazines

11×17 poster, to be posted around campus

Since coming to UNR, the lack of interesting things to read have always been a concern– no, I don’t mean the boring textbooks. Currently the University of Nevada, Reno has three main publications: The Nevada Sagebrush, Insight Magazine, and The Brushfire. These are nice and all, but what if ‘average’ news and average stories bore me? I can only read so much about the budget cuts or how Junkee’s is a super secret hot spot to find bargain clothes. Well for others like me, our prayers have been answered! Introducing UNR’s coolest, raddest, feminist(est?) publication– The Hound.

The Hound is neat in that instead of having a theme like Insight Magazine, apathetic news from the Sagebrush, or typical art from the Brushfire, it does its own completely unique thing. It concentrates on feminism and activism, two huge things that most students forget exists. Those who DO know it exists however, are going to be some happy campers. If a magazine isn’t enough, they also have set up a Facebook page, as well as blog at http://thehoundreno.tumblr.com/ (updated weekly with a diary by the Editor-in-Chief herself, Caitlin Thomas). It’s like some kind of awesome Christmas, where instead presents, you get a fantastic new publication!

I for one am ecstatic about the Hound. Besides the columns on fashion, music, and art, how often does one get to read a decent story on the news about feminism? Some students won’t care of course, but they can just keep on reading the Sagebrush or Insight, ha ha. There is something about the concept of ‘diversity’ that many people miss. The fact about diversity is that we need it, we all want it even if we don’t show it. Diversity to new things opens us up, lets us grow as an individual. Insight and the Sagebrush are perfect in their own ways, but are limited in what they want to say. Diversity will build tolerance all around campus with the Hound, this is something we should all embrace with open arms.

Currently, they are accepting submissions in the form of art and articles. I myself have already contributed a story on art, and am planning to help them out with the design and layout of the magazine itself. If you want to send something yourself, don’t hesitate! Send it on over to houndpublications@gmail.com.

Memo

To: Kate Thomas

From: Binh Cao

Date: November 3, 2010

Subject: New UNR publication “The Hound” holding event for first issue in November at the Joe Crowley Student Union

A new publication on campus seeks to hold an event for the opening of their first issue of “The Hound.” The expected date for the event is on November 26. This publication focuses on the diversity of the campus, covering topics that the university’s other publications (Sagebrush, Insight, Brushfire) do not cover. The main topics in the publication will be feminism, activism, sex, and art.

This publication differs from current publications in that it is not a newspaper, and the current magazine isolates a certain audience. It is similar to the Brushfire, in that it does have art and takes many user-submitted content, but it has a much wider range of topics. The art and music are going to be based on the more varied genres, such as metal, hip-hop, and other folk music.

The target audience for this event applies to all students that show interest, as well as staff that show an interest in feminism, activism, as well as new aged culture of the campus. The topics covered in the articles will be very diverse, and the publication itself is supposed to be for those who do not show interest in UNR’s current newspaper and magazines. However, even though the publication is open to all students, the topics it covers are expected to mainly find 18-25 year-old female students of the university. The topics of feminism and activism will be prominent in the publication, so it is mostly expected to tract students studying in the same fields.

The event is planning to have refreshments, as well as food. It is planning to be held at the Joe Crowley Student Union, ballroom B from 5-7 p.m. The main purpose of the event is to spread awareness of the publication, as well as receive comments and suggestions to the editors behind the Hound.

To help promote the event, the Editor-in-Chief, Caitlin Thomas, has posted several videos on Youtube, as well as started a blog site to promote the paper. Currently, there is a Facebook group, and the Hound staff is working on getting submissions from all around– one of the main focuses of the publication are user-submitted articles, as it is proposed as the ‘alternative voice’ of the university.

Specific media outlets to spread word would be UNR’s own publications: The Nevada Sagebrush and Insight magazine. It will not be decided to branch out into the local community until they receive feedback from the first issue (the Reno Gazette-Journal will be a huge possible place for this). Besides placing ads in those, fliers posted around the numerous notice boards around campus would help gain an audience to the event; word-of-mouth through Facebook is also anticipated.

The Nevada Sagebrush

Brooke Barlow– Advertising Manager

(775) 784-7773

Insight Magazine

Katie Goodwin– Editor-in-Chief

(775) 784-7775

Reno Gazette-Journal

Beryl Love – Executive Editor

(775) 788-6596