November 2017

Identity Reno’s website advertises its building as “an entirely new approach to student living, unlike any other property in Reno,” and for students affected by the delayed construction that couldn’t be any more accurate. Originally set to be completed and ready for students to move in late August, the Identity apartments delayed move-in day for its future residents as far back as September 22. When given the news the apartments would not be completed, residents left in limbo were given two options. They could either be temporarily put up at the Circus Circus down the street from campus for free while receiving $100 a day, or they could find their own temporary place to stay while receiving both $200 a day and rent credit for the month of September. Given these two options, decisions had to be made quickly.

For Nathan Woo, that is an understatement. “I was given two days notice before my move in day that my apartment was not going to be ready,” Nathan said. “It was not expected at all.” His original move-in date was August 24, but he received the email that nobody planning on staying at Identity wanted to receive on August 22. Completely blindsided by the news, Nathan had to reach out to a friend and ask if he could stay with him for a week until his pushed back move in day of September 1. Luckily for Nathan, his friend agreed, so the Circus Circus option was off the table. A few days later however, he received another email from Identity saying his move in day was pushed back yet again to September 8. By the time September 8 rolled around, Nathan did not receive any more emails pushing the date back, and moved into his new apartment with ease, but not without noticing some flaws with the building.

“You can see what is supposed to be nice wooden floors with scratches on them. We cannot use the washers and dryers yet because they don’t have parts for them, and you can see some rushed paint jobs on the walls,” he said, adding construction never seemed to fail to begin at 7AM every morning.

With a construction delay as large as Identity’s, these types of technical and cosmetic obscurities are expected, but students are paying for a “luxurious” experience at Identity with the biggest floor plans going for over $1000 a month, so residents are hoping these issues are smoothed out in due time in order to get what they’re paying for.

“I just thought it would be as nice as advertised,” Nathan said, expressing confidence that eventually issues in the building would be attended to.

To the residents who ended up choosing the Circus Circus option, it’s safe to say a few cosmetic issues are not their main concern.

“I’m just excited to meet my new roommates and be closer to campus,” one student put up at the Circus Circus who requested to remain anonymous said.

For her, the decision between the two options Identity laid out to her, the Circus Circus was actually the better option because it was the option that came with free storage.

“I’m from out of state, so [upon Identity’s delay] I just wondered ‘where am I going to put all my stuff?’”

Though she was able to bring all of her things with her and get them stored, her move in date was also pushed back twice. Set to move in on August 24, the date eventually changed to September 22, or nearly a month into the fall semester. That meant collecting $100 a day for about a month, but also meant living in a hotel room without a Fridge.

“There isn’t a fridge in the room, but if I request one it’s extra. I have to eat food from the food court and I eat in my room, and it’s the same 3 places to eat every time,” she said.

As for commuting back and forth to campus she used Uber and paid for it with the money Identity was giving her. What Identity wasn’t giving her was rent credit since she was staying at the hotel and didn’t find her own place to stay. Set to move in September 22 she was still expected to pay full months’ rent for only living at the apartments 8 days out of the month.

The compensation Identity gave every student affected by the delay is essentially their way of righting their wrong, and for some students it was the one positive that came out of the entire experience. Elijah Gutierrez for example signed his lease in November 2016, but was only given seven days notice his apartment would not be ready on time, and as most people affected, had his original move in date pushed back by nearly a month.

“At first I was really frustrated because I didn’t know how I was going to make this whole thing work. Then as time went on I found a place to stay with some of my friends and realized it was a blessing in disguise. I’m making $200 a day and $23 a day in rent credit for doing absolutely nothing,” he said.

Despite being affected, his outlook on the situation overall became positive when things worked out okay for him, and he realized how fortunate he was compared to others. “Honestly for me it wasn’t too bad because I have a lot of places I could stay. For someone who doesn’t have too many places I can imagine it being very stressful for them,” he said.

As reported by News-4, Identity released a statement on August 30 addressing the construction delay.

“The construction crews are working around the clock to make every possible attempt to minimize the disruption and get our residents into their apartments as soon as possible. We are committed to minimizing the delay and ensuring we are accommodating and communicating with our residents throughout this process,” the statement read.

In a city where student housing is in high demand come every semester, what happened at Identity Reno this fall is the potential reality all other new housing complexes slowly rising around campus face. Identity Reno prides itself as a community that isn’t about fitting in, but rather standing out, and thanks to its troubled opening it did just that.

Those who have yet to discover the magic of Grassroots are missing out on a wonderful piece of Reno. Located on East Grove Street, Grassroots is a thriving used book store. Believe it or not, the store began in a mother’s garage near Seattle over a decade ago. Today, this business boasts a variety of tastes and not just in books. They have used and new books, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs, video games, and even notebooks and other bookish items. Walking in, you are treated to a cozy atmosphere of soft pop and rock music and kind employees who have an obvious love for their store. The employees are extremely helpful and never fail to give a great reading suggestion if you’re stuck. They have community events, too. Recently they held a book giveaway to teachers for their classrooms and to elementary school kids. Grassroots also has an event that happens every three weeks: their Warehouse Sales. They are a unique opportunity to accumulate books by the bag, literally. They open up their warehouse and you are allowed to peruse what books have yet to hit the shelves. If so inclined, you can fill a grocery bag to the brim with great reads for a grand total of $4.99. I have attended these sales more than once, and I can attest that it is almost impossible to escape with just one bag. You walk into a room with tables upon tables of books. Even the air smells like paper and hidden treasures. Grassroots is very good at keeping variety on their shelves and keeping costs low. They even carry new copies of books at discounted prices. I suggest that the next time you’re out and about, you check out an amazing local business with a big personality.

I have always enjoyed the Fleet Foxes woodsy, renaissance-esque sound. So when I heard they were coming to town on September 18 I leapt at the opportunity to attend the band’s performance. After taking a few years off, the Fleet Foxes have returned to perform their new album Crack-Up and they were far from talentless or disappointing.

Bearded guys and girls with flowing dresses formed a line behind me as we waited for the venue doors to open. As we entered the misty space, I proceeded to walk to the general admission area and stood front row. I overheard some travelers from Portland exchange stories about their favorite Fleet Foxes songs and felt the anticipation of each attendee. After the opening band and a short intermission, five slender men walked on stage.

Frontman Robin Pecknold drank from his cup of tea and began to sing. He resembled a young Eric Clapton in appearance. The seemingly shy singer kept his eyes closed as he harmonized with the other members. Their impeccable harmonies and Pecknold’s high notes would truly fracture our lungs and damage some ears if we dared to try. Other than Pecknold’s nearly mystical voice, I also noticed the band’s virtuosity. In between numbers, they would exchange their instruments for different ones and never failed to rock each one. Each member is a gifted and talented instrumental chameleon. Witnessing this band live is a soothing gift to ears.

“Who stole the light from you? Who turned you so against you?” asked Pecknold as he began “Naiads, Cassadies” a favorite of mine off their new album. The intimate gathering of people sang along with the small-framed lead singer. The band continued on with old hits like “Mountain Tiger Peasant Song,” “Your Protector,” “Blue Ridge Mountains,” and “Helplessness Blues.” Each delicately delivered with passion and perfection. If you missed the Fleet Foxes in Reno, make sure to check them out online or purchase their new album Crack-Up. They are a delightful treat both on the album and live.

After a few glasses of wine and some talk about the universe with my friend Maddy, I would always end up leading the conversation to trauma, writing about trauma, and how integral these experiences often are for an individual. Being raised by a marriage and family therapist, having significant trauma myself, and working with children who have experienced more in their four-year-old lives than many of us ever will, I continue to develop a passion for both working with trauma and learning about these moments in people’s lives.

After months of shuffling around the idea, I created a website called Finding Light (Website No Longer Available) in which I interview those under their first name or anonymously and write their stories. I tell everyone: it doesn’t matter if it’s a broken nail or a car accident, if it ruins your day, it ruins your day. By this I mean, please, don’t think what you are about to tell me is small in comparison to another story. This has influenced you and therefore it is valid, recognized, and important. Everyone’s trauma deserves to be heard.

We start from the beginning and I write until they are done. Sometimes it’s a few paragraphs or multiple pages, but no matter the length, they take a deep breath and utter some confirmation of how good it felt to be listened to, to have talked about it and have it out in the open.

At the end of the conversation, I ask each interviewee to tell me at least ten little things they are thankful for because focusing on such helped me get through some truly challenging times and I hope it will do the same for them. I started with my own story and now have over twenty published onto the site.

These stories may be triggering to read. Monitor yourself and know you are so loved. If you are interested in being interviewed, please contact me at findinglightinterview@gmail.com.

Epic Pole Fitness, located in Victorian Square in Sparks, Nevada, offers a fun opportunity for those who want to try pole dancing for the first time. Pole dancing is an incredible exercise that not only tones and builds your body but also brings out your sexy, confident side.

Epic Pole Fitness offers nine different and unique classes Monday through Saturday, including beginner, intermediate, advanced, open pole, tricks and transitions, choreography, conditioning, fierce flexibility, and exotic flow, all of which allow you to explore the bounds of your body like never before. You can simply drop in for a class or sign up for one of their many memberships. One class even lets you break out your heels and really bring your sexy side to center stage. They also have a boutique that sells heels, workout gear, and your very own take-home pole.

During my time at Epic Pole Fitness, my friend and I instantly fell in love with not only the intense exercise but the facility as well. The staff was friendly, and the studio was clean, with nine poles that can be set to either static or spin. My friend and I took a beginner class, and for the duration of the hour, we learned basic tricks that even us beginners could master. My friend and I fit right in as our class was filled with inexperienced people all there to give it a try. To start, our instructor turned on some music and started us off with a light warm up before making our ways to the pole. Depending how busy the class is it may be one or two people to a pole. If there are two people to a pole you simply take turns trying out the moves and trust me, you’ll be grateful for the chance to rest. Once at the poles the instructor starts by showing us a move she wants us to try and gives us some time to practice as she walks around to see how we’re doing and how we can improve. Finally, at the end of the class, we finished off with a deep stretch. Epic Pole Fitness provided us with an amazing exercise experience that left us both sore for days. I would highly recommend it to someone looking for a new and unique hobby or exercise routine!