Brian Ford's Journalism Coursework

In the past three months, within a half-mile of the University of Nevada, Reno campus, there have been three gun related crimes. While the institution has a high priority for student safety and well being while on campus, is there more that could be done to help ensure the safety of students who live off campus?

After Valley Market, a convenience store located just east of campus off of Valley Road, was held up twice in one weekend, nearby resident and UNR student, Nicole Porata decided it was time to be more cautious.

“I would like to think that living so close to campus would mean living in a safe neighborhood.” Porata said. Porata makes the walk back and forth from campus and her home located off of Denslowe Drive on an average of five times a day during the school week. During these walks Porata explained that she generally feels safe because other students are usually around. “It’s when its nighttime when I don’t like walking back from campus.” After sunset Porata generally tries to get rides to and form campus due to the recent crimes in the area.

McKenzie Erickson, 20-year-old biology major, feels that it’s more an issue of neighborhood than anything. Erickson lives off-campus just west of UNR on Ralston Drive. Erickson stated that he has never had any concerns for safety over on his side of the campus.

“I feel like the west side of campus is more like a real college town.” Erickson said. Erickson believes that more college students live on the west side of campus making it a safer area for UNR students to live.

Sam Parmar, a 20-year-old employee at Valley Market, unable to comment on the events of the recent robbery still expresses his concern for safety in the area.

“Most the people that come through here are really nice people.” Parmar said. Parmar who has worked at the shop for a little under a year says that he has been held up four times while working. “It’s just every once and a while you get somebody that has to put other peoples lives in danger.” Parmar expressed his appreciation for Reno police department and suggested that making their presence more noticeable may help reduce crime.

When asked about the incident and crime around UNR’s campus, Officer Allison Jenkins of the Reno Police Department was not able to disclose much information.

“RPD does everything it can to make sure Reno is safe for it’s citizens.” Jenkins said.  “And we are always working towards making improvements.”

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Donnell Dike-Anukam

Every Wednesday night at 5 P.M., Voicebox Radio goes on air to debate political issues that are at hand. The radio show that started back in September 2007 is hosted by Donnell Dike-Anukam and Dan Lucas.  Co-Host Dike-Anukam’s goal is to reach out to the students of University of Nevada, Reno and educate them on issues free from spin and hype.

“Make it clear, make it simple, make it trustworthy, make it undoubtable.” Dike-Anukam said.  The senior at UNR believes that one of the big problems with information today is being able trust the credibility of the source.  “I just want to make sure the facts are out there.”

Patrick Kealy, 20-year-old political science major, believes Dike-Anukam’s work to be groundbreaking on UNR’s campus.

“As far as this campus goes, he’s a pioneer for multimedia,” Kealy said. Connecting to students via radio, video, and blog, Kealy reaffirms the information delivered by Dike-Anukam is spin free. “He does a great job of asking questions that are meaty, but at the same time don’t sway the listener one way or another.”

Even with his work being in the field of broadcast media, Dike-Anukam, is actually studying criminal justice and philosophy with intentions of continuing on to law school.  As a moderate Republican and part of the College Republicans, the student/radio host  strives to share his political experience and knowledge with the students of UNR in hopes to create a more socially active and educated campus.

Dike-Anukam prepares to speak to Deidre Pike's journalism 107 class.

“I want them to be informed,” Dike-Anukam said. “I don’t really care about getting my name out. I do care that people know what’s going on.” The program focuses on youth involvement and issues. While discussing topics on economics, jobs, taxes, and social policy, Dike-Anukam hopes to show students that  politics is not this “cloak and dagger” thing they think it is.

On Nov. 5 the Voice Box will be holding a special live edition of the show. Taking place on campus from Hilliard Plaza, Dike-Anukam and Dan Lucas will be covering the debate over “Joint Vision 2017″. The hosts will also be operating a chat window to allow students to share what their thoughts are on the Joint Vision plan.

Today three journalists gathered around to discuss a random assortment of questions.

ASUN Vice President, Charlie Jose

As the 09’-10’ school year continues to roll on at University of Nevada, Reno, new students begin to settle into their surroundings and contribute to the diversity throughout the campus. For the first time at UNR, The Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) has decided to launch the first year round organization dedicated towards promoting cultural awareness and unity on campus.

“It’s a good outlet for students that aren’t involved in activities on campus, to get involved,” said Charlie Jose, ASUN Vice President and director of The Unity Commission. Jose has hopes for the organization to unify the campus by highlighting the diversity on campus and teaching students to value these differences and understand that unity is a key component of life.

On September 22, 2009 the organization held its first meeting to discuss upcoming business. On the list were things such as a High School Outreach Program, possible collaboration with the art department to hold an art show displaying themes of diversity, and the planning of Diversity Week.

The Unity Commission meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union.

Unity Commission meeting

“We are open to everybody and anybody. We are always looking for new perspectives and ideas for the campus and how people perceive the university.” Said Vice President Jose.

Throughout the year Unity Commission commissioners like Kristen Srocynzski, a 20-year-old education major, will be working on making the organization’s goals a reality and looks forward to getting students involved.

“It’s made for students that feel there isn’t enough diversity on campus,” said Srocynzski. “It’s where students can come to voice opinions and ideas.”

On campus issues of diversity may not be too pressing, but nonetheless students agree that it is something that should be promoted and that people should be aware of.

“It’s great that the school has an organization geared towards unifying the students,” said Ronnie Evans, 19-year-old political science major. “I think unity is something no community, especially our school, can ever have enough of.”

Alex Noles, 21-year-old speech pathology major

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Group of boys in 1894

From 1890 until it closed in 1980, the Stewart Indian School in Carson City was the only off-reservation boarding school in Nevada for Native American children. Children from Nevada and throughout the West were forced to attend the institution through secondary school age. Students came from many tribes including the Nevada-based Washoe and Paiute tribes, as well as Hopi, Apache, Pima, Mohave, Walapai, Ute, and others.

In 1888 the Nevada Legislature passed a bill that authorized the sale of bonds to purchase land for an Indian boarding school. Once purchased, the land was conveyed to the Bureau of Indian Affairs who established the boarding school to train and educate Indian children with the ultimate goal of assimilation.

Listen to an interview with Daisy Smith:

The campus began with a Victorian-style wood framed dormitory and school house. As enrollment increased, new buildings included shops for training, a hospital, and a recreation room. A Virginia and Truckee Railroad stop was established by 1906 to deliver supplies and facilitate transporting students to and from the school. By 1919, 400 students attended the school.

Classes included reading, writing, and arithmetic but focused on vocational training in various trades, agriculture, and the service industry. Classes offered for boys included ranching and farming, mechanics, woodworking, painting, and carpentry. Students learned stone masonry from their teachers, including Hopi stone masons, and helped to construct more than 60 native stone buildings on the campus.

Stewart girls attended classes in baking, cooking, sewing, laundry, and practical nursing. Much of the school’s basic needs were supplied by students’ products or fulfilled by their newly acquired skills. Vocational training remained the school’s principal focus until a shift to academics occurred in the late 1960’s.

The Stewart Indian School was initially intended to assimilate the young people into mainstream American culture. Policies prohibiting speaking native languages and practicing native customs anguished both students and their parents. The Federal policy toward American Indians radically changed with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, after which self-determination and self-government were supported.

1905. Organized sports began at Stewart Indian School in 1896. Teams competed under the school mascot ­ the Braves. The football team became Nevada State Champions in 1916. In the late 1920s Stewart became a member of the state interscholastic athletic league.  In 1937 a new stone gymnasium was built. Team sports such as baseball and football provided friendly interchange between schools and communities

Stewart coach Robbie Willis talks about the Old Gymnasium:

Stewart Indian School Band Marching on Carson Street.  In later years, the Bureau of Indian Affairs encouraged schools such as Stewart to let students speak their native languages and to promote classes in native cultures. Today, the State of Nevada Indian Commission annually hosts the Stewart Father’s Day Powwow, which presents traditional competition dancing, Stewart School alumni recognition, arts and crafts, special events and exhibits. Photograph courtesy Nevada State Museum.

Frederick Snyder, who served as the school superintendent from 1919 to 1934, began the practice of using colored native stone (quarried along the Carson River) for campus buildings; much of the masonry used in the vernacular-style buildings is the work of student apprentices working under Hopi stonemasons. The majority of the surviving buildings were built between 1922 and the beginning of World War II.

Text courtesy State of Nevada Indian Commission
Photographs courtesy Nevada State Museum

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