Isaac R. Cancoby

Promoting the astronomy program at UNR for all, a final feature with this photo by Isaac Cancoby @isaac._2as who was a reporter for Our Town Reno this summer.

“I think a big draw is that it’s a unique opportunity to get to pursue a passion if you have a passion for astronomy or an interest in astronomy without having to make that your full career – and you can,” Kelly Kosmo O'Neil a teaching assistant professor of UNR says of the astronomy program now open to all students.

“I think the fact that it is accessible to all majors, it’s a way to get hands-on experience… learning about our environment, getting to use research-grade, top-notch facilities all in a way that you can still pursue a major you want to pursue,” O’Neil said.

With the Fall semester arriving soon , UNR students who have not chosen their minors yet may find the astronomy program to be an approachable option despite its well-known difficult topics. The astronomy minor at UNR is undergoing changes to become something for students, both STEM and humanities alike, to share a common interest to study together.

O’Neil is involved with teaching almost all astronomy-related courses, and will be teaching AST 109 – Planetary Astronomy – for the first time this Fall. She did her PhD thesis at UCLA before coming to teach at UNR.

“A lot of physics majors do the astronomy minor but students from humanities and stuff can do the minor and get that sense of hands-on experience with science while being able to pursue whatever other field they want,” O’Neil said.

The Fleischmann Planetarium and the Great Basin Observatory are used by the faculty to help students engage with astronomy. The planetarium is sometimes used for classes and is even getting renovations for a larger dome.

“The Great Basin Observatory is also a really cool resource for students. It’s a unique partnership UNR has with the observatory because it’s the only research-graded telescope located in a national park. It’s also pretty unique for students to get access at the undergrad level to a research-grade telescope through coursework and stuff. So, we incorporate that into our Astro 310 course…” O’Neil said.

An artist talk tonight as Artown winds down at the Nevada Museum of Art was called: “Materiality and Environmental Justice with Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio

Rodolfo Aparicio @eddierodolfoaparicio shared a presentation of his artwork throughout the years. His art shows an emphasis on material conservation and how those materials contextualize the political and cultural environments from which they came.

“I think art is a language that is non-hierarchical also, where you can be very specific, scientific, and also very imaginative and subjective. I like that talking about the world and these different histories can hold all of this information. There’s no maximum information that art can hold. It already has so much in it… Art is just kind of the language for it,” he said.

Aparicio researches extensively on the materials he uses for his artwork, which can take years and collaboration with labs to understand how to use the studied material.

One piece of art involved a cube made of special pine sap, fossilized through a process of high pressure and high heat. Aparicio put multiple documents and objects inside the cube. The cube’s shape had warped after four months of the art room’s climate fluctuating from the door opening and closing.

“The material wasn’t fully fossilized and I had realized that at that point I really loved how it was negating its mineralist form. It was changing its shape to its environment and it had this agency of self-determination of what it wanted to be, but also you could see different parts of the documents at different times. So, for me that felt like a way of working with a living archive. Something that works more like how we process memory, which is always changing and you forget about it and then, you know, you see it again in a different context,” he said.

Photos and reporting by Isaac Cancoby @isaac._2as

Reno models took part in displaying many unique outfits made by designers for this year's Reno Fashion Show Saturday night at the Atlantis.

“My favorite process was getting to meet all the people who were also modeling for the same designer as me… My designer, Sophie’s Concept, was more around alternative fashion. So, besides her making the main piece of our outfit, it involved some personal styling,” said Aj Cerda @as.ter.isk a first time participant.

“Just go for it. When I went to audition, I didn't think I was gonna get in. I kinda did it as my side quest and then next you know I got a message and I was like ‘Oh my God. Yay.’”

Photos and reporting by @isaac._2as

#fashionistasofreno #renofashion #renofashionshow

Yasmin De Peralta (left) and Kate Alvarez (right)  are recruiters and trainers for foster care families. Photo and reporting by Isaac Cancoby.  Right now, over 600 children under 18 are estimated to be in the foster care system in Washoe County, while there are about 400 licensed foster families. “We don’t have enough,” says Kate Alvarez whose job is recruitment and training of these families. “And we do want to emphasize that we do need more families if they’re able to – or are interested in le...

Two years ago, Mitchy McGhann, 30, was scrolling on social media and found an aesthetic post of a vending machine offering food. Just one day later, her mother Sarah was already exploring business space options. That was the genesis of Seoulful Bites located at 1651 N Virginia St Suite 100, Reno, NV 89503, up the sidewalk of Gravitate Reno, which used to be Park Place.The family owned self-serve Korean ramen bar will open soon, possibly in the next few weeks offering other Asian food options as...

In an email forwarded to Our Town Reno, Dana Searcy, the County’s Division Director for Housing and Homeless Services, took the time to respond to some of the complaints made by people who say they are currently sleeping at the Cares Campus. Those people all wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.One said her ex-boyfriend had a stroke while staying at the Cares Campus and was sent to the hospital. Upon his return, the next day, she alleges staff refused him entry.  “Typically if a part...

If you live in Argenta Hall at @unevadareno, you should know about the Market to the left of the dining hall! Isaac Cancoby (@isaac._2as) visits the Market to find that it offers many food and drink options, along with a vast array of hygiene and utensil items.

Pay for your items with FoodBucks, card, or Apple Pay (no cash). The Market is open for students living on and off campus.

#placesofunr #unrmarket #studentsofunr

The college experience has a reputation for substance abuse and alcohol consumption. It can be debilitating to fight an existing addiction or emerging addiction while dealing with the workload of college. Nevada’s Recovery and Prevention Program has people dedicated to supporting those in need of assistance with addiction, self-harm, eating disorders, etc.Fred works with students with the same goal in mind; helping UNR students recover from a number of behaviors, or prevent these behaviors from...

Sarah Bottenberg, a former student of the University of Nevada, Reno though that after surviving high school, transitioning into college life should have been no different. However, that idea dissipated after her first semester. The reality of being a college student, and being away from her friends and family, took Bottenberg for a spin. Ultimately, she dropped out.“Honestly, I thought that I would handle it way better than high school… because my whole view was like, ‘This is my chance to ente...