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Dog Fest

Ask, Don’t Reach

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Service Dog Etiquette 

 

Nothing brightens a college student’s day more than walking into class only to be greeted by the sight of a furry, four-legged friend. It may be tempting to interact with the service dogs, but this takes away from the role they play in their owner’s life. There is proper etiquette that not every dog lover may understand.

Luce Parkyn, a student at the university who is training a young service dog named Arno knows exactly what rules to follow around these dogs. Parkyn explains that a service dog’s main role is to provide support for its owner that traditional medicine cannot supply. These dogs are trained to know what to do when their owner is in need of their assistance.

This training comes in stages, but the main goal throughout all of the dog’s schooling is to teach them how to socialize while still being able to give their attention to their owners. Even though these dogs go through extensive training to earn their vests, they can still get distracted by admirers.

Parkyn tells us that, “A dog’s main position is to service their owner.” When someone is distracting the dog, their attention span is no longer on their owner.

There is basic etiquette that everyone should follow in order to ensure the dog’s ability to aid their owner stays intact. The main rule can drastically affect your interaction with the dog and the owner yet is only three words, “Ask, don’t reach.”

Before going to pet one of these dogs, note that the owner could be in need of assistance at that moment. By not communicating with the owner, their safety and life could be put at risk.

Another guideline to go by is to be aware of the dog’s and the owner’s personal space. By walking too close to one of these dogs, they may not be able to maneuver their owner out to the side when needed.

One more main precedent when in the presence of a service dog is not to give them attention, even if they are giving you their attention. If a service dog gets too friendly, politely tell the owner, so they can address the dog and its behavior. This is especially important with service dogs in training.

The main idea to keep in mind when around service dogs is to make sure they are not distracted from their owners. Everything else is just a sub-rule.

Don’t fear, though. There are many ways in which you can interact with service dogs without imposing on their services.

According the University of Nevada, Reno’s counseling services, the university offers a program called Take 5 on varying days throughout the year. Take 5 offers a variety of services, such as individual consultations, workshops, and stress relief activities in order to battle the everyday stress that college students endure. Delta Gamma, one of the six panhellenic sororities on campus, adopted a philanthropy that revolves around service for the visually impaired, including dogs, schools, and other methods. Reno hosts an annual DogFest every fall. This event raises money and awareness for the training of service dogs while also offering fun attractions.

All of these programs allow the public to beneficially interact with service dogs and their owners in ways that won’t prohibit their duty. The key to interacting with these dogs is knowing when it is appropriate. This is why it is important to communicate with their handlers before acting upon impulse.

It may be tempting upon seeing service dogs on campus to run up and admire them, but their job is to aid their handler. They are not there just to be a cute, fuzzy face for students to pet.

And it is important to remember who’s service these dogs really belong to. Their vests aren’t just an adorable costume, they’re a badge of honor that they worked hard to achieve. You can help honor these dogs by sticking to your space, while letting them stick to theirs.

Reno's arch construction

The Biggest Little Bucket List

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Photo by Andrea Heerdt

1.  Take a picture under the arch. It may sound cheesy at first, but if you ever move out of Reno you’ll thank yourself for capturing a photo of you and your friends smiling in front of the arch. Aww.

Photo by Kellie Sasso

2. Join at least one club or organization. It takes courage to meet new friends and join a new group of people, but as a senior I can promise you that joining a club or org will help you make some great friends and memories. I know I have working on this magazine with my best buds.

3. Put your bottle by Mackay statue during finals week. Many students place a bottle of their choosing in front of the Mackay statue during prep day in hopes of being blessed with good luck on their finals.

4. Participate in Halloweekend. Besides when you’re a kid, college is one of the only other times in your life when it’s acceptable to go all out on your costume. Halloweekend is typically a four-day nonstop party many students participate in.

5. Enjoy mimosas at The Wal before graduation. Many students like to enjoy one last hoorah before walking at graduation. The tradition: drink mimosas the morning of your commencement ceremony with your friends at The Little Waldorf.

6. Eat an awful awfulat The Nugget. Head down to the Nugget to enjoy this half-pound burger that’s been around Northern Nevada for over 60 years. It’s known for being awful big and awful good.

Photo By Kellie Sasso

7. Drink a latte at Hub Coffee Roasters. Whether it’s a study pick-me-up or just want to sip on a fancy drink while enjoying views of downtown and the river head to Hub Coffee Roasters to enjoy the best coffee in town (in my opinion). My favorite? The vanilla latte.

8. Spend your 21st birthday at Brew Brothers. This place is notoriously known for identifying and taking fake IDs. That being said it’s also a popular spot to go on your 21st birthday when you can officially enjoy that alcoholic drink.

9. Attend a UNLV vs UNR game. Nothing like a good rivalry, am I right? Whether it’s football, basketball, or any other sport put on some silver and blue and cheer on the Wolf Pack.

10. Have a snowball fight on campus. With a large portion of the student population being from Las Vegas, many of us haven’t experienced a real snow storm. Grab some of that powdery white stuff that fell from the sky and throw it at one of your friends after class.

Photo by Andrea Heerdt

11. Float down the Truckee River. You’re not allowed to call yourself a true Reno native until you’ve floated down the Truckee River and bruised yourself on a dozen rocks on the way down the rapids.

12. Do the Undie Run. Probably the most embarrassing thing on the list. I’d elect to get this one over with your freshman year when you haven’t fully grasped the agony of this one. Besides the obvious point of running around campus in your underwear, keep in mind you still have to make the walk of shame back to your dorm or car without pants on.

13. Eat at the DC at least once. Whether you’ve suffered through a whole year eating here or have had a friend “swipe you in” every UNR student should experience DC food at least once.

Photo by Andrea Heerdt

14. See the Balloon Races. If you’re new to Reno you probably woke up one day and saw dozens of hot air balloons flying around and wondered what the hell was happening. This my friends, is the balloon race. For a whole weekend in September hot air balloons are launched from Rancho San Rafael Regional Park and float around Reno’s skies for hours.

15. Do a bar crawl. Zombie Crawl, Santa Crawl, Leprechaun Crawl? Yep, Reno’s got them all, baby. With the purchase of a fancy plastic cup those 21 and older can enjoy Reno’s bar scene without paying covers and with discounted drink prices.

Reno Art Fest Logo

Artech Puts on Reno Art Fest 2018

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Artech, a local non-profit art organization, is putting on the Reno Art Fest this year. The event will run from Saturday, June 30th through Sunday, July 1st near the Playa Art Park in the heart of downtown, which the organization also created. The event will feature art sales and competitions, entertainment, food, and a parade. Maria Partridge, Executive Director of Artech, said that Art Fest is the overarching event, but there will be other things taking place at the same time such as the Circus Circus Mural Marathon which is a 24-hour competition where seven contestants have to each paint a mural that’s nearly 20 feet wide by 14 feet high to compete for prize money. There will also be Controlled Burn’s Fire Fest in which aerialists, drummers, and other fire performers perform while twirling around flames.

Partridge said the art competitions are a major portion of the event. “There’s around 50 artists that are regional and local who’ll have tents, and they will be selling jewelry, paintings, photographs, whatever they got juried in for,” said Partridge, “There’s cash awards of $4,000, and then Circus Circus Mural Marathon is $6,000 in cash awards.”

Partridge said that Artech has been largely influenced by Burning Man — strengthening their focus on collaborations. “We’re Burning Man inspired: interactivity, collaboration, community, all of that,” she said. Partridge is excited that Reno Art Fest will feature this sort of collaboration. “I’m most excited about the fact that this is a collaborative art event. It makes each one of the elements actually stronger because we all bring a different audience,” said Partridge, “I really believe in collaborations and trying to create a larger event, instead of a bunch of small events because these all kind of speak to each other and complement each other.”

One of the events taking place in Reno Art Fest is the Cre8tiv Zone, which will host smaller events itself. The Cre8tiv Zone will feature printmaking and face painting. “There’s going to be ongoing events in the Cre8tiv Zone, and it’s going to be run by the Boys & Girls Club,” said Partridge, “I love that, too. There’s that collaboration as well.”

Partridge said that Artech wants to focus on art and civic engagement with things like the Playa Art Park which is a community gathering spot in an empty lot downtown that features sculptures from past Burning Man festivals and a giant mural to give visitors a Burning Man taste year-round. Instead of having the event at a space that’s more upscael, Partridge said she wanted it to be in the heart of Reno off of Virginia street to add the urban grittiness to the feel of the event which is why they chose the Playa Art Park as the location.

According to Partridge, Artech is hoping to create another Playa Art Park next year on the organization’s property off of Woodland Avenue. “We store a lot of Burning Man art, and we’re hoping that as of next year we can actually set up a bunch of that artwork on the property and create an Artech Playa Art Park back there,” said Partridge, “We could have tours and things like that — invite the public to come see what we’re doing. Right now we’re kind of a hidden secret.”

Be sure to swing by Art Fest happening this weekend to take in all that the festival has to offer.

overview of Lake Tahoe

How to be Environmentally Friendly This Summer

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We get it, we get it. Being a full time student and an environmentally friendly citizen can be time consuming and difficult. You don’t always think about recycling or how much waste you’re producing when you’re running late to class or work. Fear not. Here are some tips and tricks that you can implement into your lifestyle this summer that not only will help keep our planet green but will help you save some money, too.

  1. Participate in the Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue beach cleanup after Independence Day on July 5th. Lake Tahoe gets heavy visitation during summer holidays. Despite the beach being the perfect place to enjoy the season with friends, many visitors don’t pick up after themselves. Last summer volunteers removed 1,676 pounds of trash from Tahoe beaches the day after the Fourth of July, according to The League to Save Lake Tahoe. Plastic and cigarette butts not only look disgusting when left everywhere, but it has damaging effects on local wildlife and lake clarity. The League to Save Lake Tahoe provides reusable cleanup bags, gloves and hand sanitizer, refreshments, giveaways, and free raffle prizes for those who volunteer to clean up. Cleanup sites include Commons Beach, Kings Beach, Kiva Beach, Nevada Beach, and Regan Beach. If you’re unable to attend, you can also make a donation on their website.
  2. Save Water during day-to-day use. According to the City of Reno’s Sustainability Department, if you shorten your shower by just a minute that can be the equivalent of saving 150 gallons of water per month. This not only saves water, but it’ll save you some extra money on your water bill, too. Try to break your habit of turning off the water while you brush your teeth. An average of four gallons is used every minute that your sink is running.
  3. Save Energy by using power strips instead of outlets, and turn off the power strips when you’re not using them to conserve energy. Instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle, let your dishes air-dry. This can cut energy by up to 50%. Another great tip is to use wool or rubber dryer balls to separate your clothes. This allows more air to get to your clothes while drying which also saves you energy and money.
  4. Recycle Properly by knowing what you should and shouldn’t throw away. I know I’ve made this mistake myself. I think just because something is paper or plastic it can be easily recycled. Boy was I wrong. Many items of trash I thought would be great for recycling like cardboard pizza boxes, juice boxes, and milk cartons are actually quite difficult to recycle due to grease contamination, being hard to separate, and being a certain type of plastic. I also realized that recycling shredded paper versus non shredded paper makes a difference as well. The more paper is shredded, the more it reduces the grade of the paper, and thus its quality and value. Not even all recyclers take mixed grade paper such as the paper you find in magazines or telephone books. In this case, composting paper after it’s been reduced to confetti size may be a better option if you don’t want to waste it. For a full list of what you can and can’t recycle check out Waste Management’s list of metals, paper, glass, plastics, and more that won’t be wasted if you try to recycle it.
outlines of houses with red hearts

Eddy House Launches New Initiative Through Community Birthday Party

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The Eddy House, a local nonprofit that seeks to assist homeless youth in Reno, is hosting a Community Birthday Party on Thursday May 31st, from 3-7 PM at their downtown location. Michele Gehr, the Executive Director of Eddy House, said, “We’re inviting the entire community to come and celebrate one of our boys that passed away last year.” According to Gehr, the young man, named Devonte, would have turned twenty-four this month. During the event, Eddy House will launch a new initiative called “Devonte’s Gift.”

According to Gehr, Devonte regularly went to the Eddy House and helped contribute to the overall morale of the facility. “Devonte was a kid that was always just really charismatic and just had lots of personality. Just very real,” said Gehr, “He had a very tough life, but he was extremely resilient. He was the kid that I thought was going to come out of this.” Gehr said that Devonte had enrolled in classes at Truckee Meadows Community College and hoped to work in early childhood development. “He was really working on pulling his life together, and then he got sick,” said Gehr, “He died of a bacterial infection that killed his heart, and everybody took it really hard here.”

Gehr said that Devonte was extremely committed to Eddy House. “When he was dying, his hospice nurse wheeled him here, and the kids went out and carried him up the steps in his chair,” said Gehr, “That says a lot about his level of commitment to the Eddy House and our family unit here that he would come as he was dying, just to kind of say goodbye.”

“He’s very much missed,” said Gehr, “The kids, and I, and staff wanted a way to honor him, and so we decided on a community birthday party.” Gehr said, “Devonte’s Gift will be a way for the community to help support the Eddy House as we expand.” Gehr hopes to expand the Eddy House and its hours of operation. “The goal is a twenty-four hour center with fifty beds. I want to get these kids off the streets,” said Gehr, “We’re hoping that we get enough community support. This is a community problem to solve, and so if the community comes together, they’ll all have a stake in that.”

According to Gehr, Devonte’s Gift could help Eddy House to achieve the funding required to open a twenty-four hour facility for homeless youth in Reno. Gehr said, “What we’re trying to do is get a thousand individuals, business, organizations, faith-based groups, friend groups, grandparents, whatever it is, just a thousand to commit to a thousand dollars over the course of a year. So that’s about eighty six dollars a month if they go through Paypal.”

“This is a safe place,” said Gehr, “Most of our kids are trauma affected, and many of them, if not all of them, suffer from some form of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). So you have to calm the fight or flight before you can take in extraneous information.” Mental health resources are among the most utilized resources at Eddy House. Gehr said, “I have an MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist) that sees 120 clients a month.”

Gehr said that first, the Eddy House focuses on basic survival needs for the homeless youth, and then on life skills, such as job searching. “Homeless kids really want to work. They view this as a temporary situation, a bump in the road.” said Gehr, “They want to be working, they want to get back in school, they want to get their education, whether that’s in trade, or with a vocational certificate, or their degree. I have kids here that want to be everything from marine biologists to social workers.”

Gehr believes that homelessness in Nevada is preventable and that the community can help to end youth homelessness altogether. “The data shows that if you can intervene before the age of twenty-five, they don’t become homeless again,” said Gehr, “You can effectively stop that cycle, and so we are all about prevention.”

Gehr urges the community to become more involved and to spread the word about Eddy House. “I really want to invite the community to come for a tour. I want them to see what we do, and just know that these kids have so much potential,” said Gehr ,“One of the things we track is ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And they just want to be normal.— teachers and doctors. They want to own their own business, and they’re really motivated.”