#10

The “houseless,” as Jim Burklo puts it in his essay “Houselessness and Homelessness,” are sometimes the most resourceful people. They don’t have much, so they make the most of what they do have. Because of their limited resources, they are very mindful about what is around them, they recycle many items, and live by the recycling mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle” to a greater extent than most people do. They find recycled cardboard for cushioning, fish someone’s Arrowhead plastic water bottle out of the trashcan to use as their own water bottle, etc.

The “houseless” of downtown Reno know the in and outs of the area. They know a safe place to sleep, a cheap place to get food, and they are probably smart enough to use the casino bathrooms. They have their own community. They come together out of necessity, as humans are sociable animals. They come together out of necessity partially because, unfortunately, most people ostracize them. The networks they do have are vital because living out in the open can be dangerous. There is the occasional crime against “houseless” people because they live such a vulnerable life style: it is entirely public. Yes, sometimes “houseless” people commit crimes themselves, so some will say it is karma, but other “houseless” people are good civilians, just like the rest of us.

#9

Downtown Reno!

The casino district downtown definitely has it’s own feel. It’s where pretty much all of the casinos in Reno are, 70+ bowling lanes under just one roof, and plenty of hotels. However, it’s not the most glamorous place on Earth. There is litter in the streets and on the sidewalks, lots of entrances to buildings look spooky, and you wonder what really happens inside the shops. Some of the casinos seem to have no doors; it’s just a cave with a large opening on the street. You can tell that these casinos have been here a while, based on the signs, architecture, and the wear and tear. You peek in and it looks dark, and people are smoking inside. Lots of people downtown seem to be your average citizen, averagely dressed. One of the casinos we walked by was the Virginian Casino, which looks pretty 50s-60s, with its light-up sign. However, some of the hotels look very nice; you can easily turn the corner and you see well-dressed valets assisting equally well-dressed people with their vehicles.

I don't see why this area used to be off-limits to college students. Perhaps so they wouldn't get addicted to gambling instead of going to class? There's always the possibility of alcohol, but that is everywhere. Spending a night out downtown could be a fun time if the people going are interested in participating in the night life. Having so many distractions (if that is why college students weren't allowed to be there), is something people need to learn to be able to deal with and not get sucked into something they don't or shouldn't do.

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to turn this picture, but here's the Virginian Casino

#8

Getting educated about the fish and tree box filters

Petting the animal fountains

Today I went down to the Truckee River with some of my classmates, and while we were walking to and from the riverwalk from campus, we definitely saw a couple of divides of cleanliness when it came to the buildings and streets. From the LLC down to the southern tip of campus (around Manzanita) the streets and buildings were pretty appealing. Once we got south of campus, but north of the freeway, it got a little dingier. When we crossed the freeway and got into downtown, a lot of the buildings and shops were pretty rundown. A lot of buildings looked mysterious by not having any windows, and even the well-known casinos looked a bit sketchy. A couple of classmates and I came to the quick conclusion that we would not feel comfortable walking around downtown at night even in a small group, but we would feel comfortable walking around campus at night in a small group.

Emily and I hanging out along the Truckee!

When we got right along the river at the river walk, it looked a lot newer and cleaner. We headed against the current and walked over to the green lawn several streets off of Virginia. I think the riverwalk is worth it. Right in the city, you feel a bit calmer when you’re along the river, listening to it and the fountains flow, and you have the opportunity to sit in the grass and take a bit of a breather from the busy downtown of the biggest little city in the world.

Japanese garden-esque

#7

Large deer along the freeway in Carson City

When I was in Carson City this weekend, I saw one deer in my friend’s front yard. I saw some birds, but when it came to wildlife, that was about it. However, in Carson City, along the freeway you can find metal sculptures of local animals including deer and birds of prey. They are larger than life bronze artworks that catch the eye, yet camouflage nicely into the landscape.  In contrast to the bronze animals, along the streets under the freeway, there are figurines of miners and mine carts. This shows the mesh between wildlife and how humans are using resources, taking away from possible land for wildlife. But the fact that the city put money towards constructing these bronze animals along the freeway instead of building billboards to make a profit by displaying advertisements shows that they are at least somewhat nature-conscience.

As I try to tie this into my research about recycling in Nevada, I consider the relationship between the wildlife and human mining action in Nevada and compare it to the relationship between the Earth and the amount and number of landfills there are in Nevada. Right now Nevada does not do much when it comes to recycling. Nevada needs to be mindful of keeping habitat for its wildlife, and it also needs to be aware of its garbage impact. Recycling more would decrease its garbage impact. I will be doing community service this semester with Nevada Wildlife, so hopefully I’ll be able to learn more about the wildlife/Earth, garbage/recycling and citizens of Nevada relationship, and if people are trying to change it, how are they going about doing it.

#6

I went on a run with one of my friends last night, and part of it was my route between some of my classes.

It was kind of eerie to be passing buildings that are usually busy with people going in and out of the doors and having plenty of room to run on the pathways and not having to weave in and out of mobs of people. It was relaxing to see such a busy place be at a stand still. Going by the Quad with the sprinklers going was the best part. That white noise from the sprinklers and the rhythmic sounds from our feet planting on the ground from running allowed me to stop thinking about homework and everything that I had on my list to do and just enjoy what was around me. Usually when I walk by the Quad, I’m rushing to my next class or heading back to the dorms or stressing about my long list of homework items to accomplish.

We also passed Mackay Stadium on our run, and it was quite impressive to look into such an empty and quiet stadium. We commented on how loud and packed it is for home football games, and noticing the vast contract was remarkable. Noticing polar opposite settings in places on campus at totally different times was really cool. It seemed like University of Nevada was a totally different place.

It’s the people here (students, faculty, alumni, visitors, etc) who bring to life the university.

#5

My main mode of transportation here is walking. When a friend who has a car is offering to go to the store or some other place, I eagerly raise my hand so I can go get something I desperately need that is out farther than walking distance, or just to go explore around the city. Fortunately, I have many friends who have cars, so not having a car myself is not the end of the world. If I didn’t have very many friends with cars, that would be a huge obstacle.

The public transportation options here are very poor compared to where I’m from. I’m used to seeing at least one public bus at all times. I have not used public transportation yet, not even the free Sierra bus (or whatever it’s called). I also have not used the shuttle bus around campus yet. People who do not have cars, either because they are poor, ecofriendly, or for any other reason, take advantage of public transportation more frequently than those who do have cars.

If public transportation were better around here, I would definitely take advantage of it. Using public transportation means that when my friends and I arrive at our destination, we do not need to find a parking spot, especially if we are going somewhere where it is hard to find a parking spot. If there were many different bus routes, following routes that people already use or would use, a variety of people would be able to get to different places in a short amount of time, at any time during the day. With buses going places where people want to go, it would cut down on the number of cars on the street, reducing congestion and pollution.