Vol. 32 – Issue 10 | Thursday February 16, 2012 999 Tahoe Boulevard, Incline Village, NV | www.sierranevada.edu

S i e r r a N e v a d a C o l l e g e

It was standing room only at the Fireside Chat that took place last Thursday Feb. 2 in room 139 of the Tahoe Center for Environmen-tal Sciences at Sierra Nevada Col-lege. The crowd consisted of com-munity members and few students, but a handful of both groups wore bright orange shirts displaying the slogan “Incline’s problem is Katz not bears” across the chest.

The chat, hosted by Andy Whyman, featured Incline Village resident and attorney Aaron Katz who filed a lawsuit in Aug. 2011 against Incline Village General Im-provement District (IVGID).

Katz sued a number of pub-lic agencies in the past including Mountain View-Whisman School District; El Camino Hospital Dis-trict; West Valley-Mission Com-munity College District; and Campbell Union High School. He was sued by Foothill De-Anza Community College District ac-cording to a press release on the Sierra Nevada College website. Katz was admitted to practice law by the State Bar of California in 1973, though currently his status is inactive.

According to Katz, IVGID over-stepped their authority by offer-ing free and discounted services to non-residents of Incline Village who do not pay a recreation fee to IVGID.

“I don’t mean specifically to be down on Sierra Nevada College, but they’ve entered into a contract

‘aquaponics’ redefines organic growingBY JASON PALADINONews Editor

There’s something fishy going on in sierra Nevada College’s greenhouse.

Visitors to this sunny room in the Tahoe Center for Environ-mental Sciences will notice an 8-foot tall, 14-foot wide contrap-tion that is part-garden, part-fish tank and all home-made.

Seniors Graham Johnson and Ryan Byrge constructed a com-pletely self-sustained agricul-tural system capable of not only growing plants, but raising fish as well. The experiment consists of three tiers of raised vegetable gardens, each growing every-thing from cabbage to beets, ac-cording to Johnson.

At the far end, a large fish tank holds several Black Bass and a sucker fish. A pump delivers the fish tank water to the upper-most tier, where it then trickles through each subsequent level until it ultimately reaches the fish tank where it originated. Nearly all materials were sourced from friends and coworkers, according to Johnson.

“The plants are growing off the waste of the fish and they’re purifying the water at the same time,” said Chuck Levitan, pro-fessor of Environmental Science. “So it’s solving two problems and creating two opportunities, essentially.”

Johnson was inspired by these two major problems, the first in the field of hydroponics, or

growing plants using water rath-er than soil.

“Traditionally in hydroponic agriculture, a medium other than soil is used and water is constantly flushed through the plant’s root system, allowing for very high yield,” said Johnson. “The problem with this is that it requires synthetic fertilizers and the water must be constantly flushed.”

This system is not very sustain-able because it produces a lot of wastewater that must be disposed of, according to Johnson. The second problem that inspired the experiment is with aquaculture, the farming of fish, usually for food.

“The problem with aquacul-ture is that you can raise healthy fish, but you have to constantly change the water and you are

generating a lot of waste,” said Johnson.

After identifying these two problems, Johnson and Byrge had the idea to combine the two processes to form a system com-bining the water-based grow-ing of hydroponics with the fish farming of aquaculture, a system known as “aquaponics.”

DANNY KERNSENIORS GRAHAM JOHNSON AND RYAN BYRGE stand behind their self-sustaining aquaponics system located in the green-house of the Tahoe for Environmental sciences building.

DANNY KERNJUNIOR TAILOR POLLACK represents her stand on the current lawsuit filed against Incline Village General Improve-ment district by Incline Village resident and attorney aaron Katz.

Katz attacks IVGId, sNC privilegesBY JeNN SherIDANFeatures Editor

See AQUAPONICS, 4

Nike Chosen Index

News...........................1,3,4,5Campus...............................2Sports............................6,8,9

Outdoor...............................7A&E...................................10Features.......................11,12

Students send it in South Lake. Turn to page 8 to see results and photos from one of the biggest amateur events of the season.

COURTESY OF JUSTIN MAJECZKY See KATZ, 4

Eagle’s EyeIf a happy Meal looks

gnarly going into a blender, you should have seen it coming out of the

contenders. For more on Club Fear

Factor turn to page 4.

Eagle’s Eye 2 ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012CAMPUS

of eventsCalendar

FEBRUARY 16: THURSDAYPresident’s Cup

6:30 p.m.TCEs 139/141

Zoe Sheehan Saldana:Art Exhibit5:00 p.m.

Tahoe Gallery

FEBRUARY 20: MONDAYPresidents DayCollege Closed

FEBRUARY 21: TUESDAYIce Skating & S’mores

at Northstardeparts 5:30 p.m.

Patterson hall

FEBRUARY 23: THURSDAYThird Annual Tamale Drive

11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Patterson hall

FEBRUARY 23: THURSDAYMangeant8 - 10 p.m.

Patterson hall

FEBRUARY 27: MONDAYFireside Chat:

Joanne Marchetta, TRPA6 - 7:30 p.m.

TCEs 139/141

FEBRUARY 16 - APRIL 6: Nevada Arts Council

Traveling ExhibitTahoe Gallery

The Eagle’s Eye is produced by the Journalism students of sierra Nevada College.

Managing editorsavannah hoover

News editorJason Paladino

Campus editorrich Cooch

Assistant Photo editorsPatricia sainz de rozas

Assistant Photo editor danny Kern

Sports editorandrew dunning

A&e editorChelsea de La rosa

Assistant A&e editorNikka Campora

Copy editor / Advertising Director Caitlin Khoury

Features editorJennifer sheridan

reportersLiz hillJake Pollockspencer OwenPatrick hoeppner

ContributorsMarissa stoneEliza demarestricko ErikssonTaylor PuscBrett sobaski

AdviserTanya Caninotcanino@sierranevada.edu

Letters to the editor:eagleseye@sierranevada.edu

Corrections Policy:The Eagle’s Eye strives to be accurate, fair and complete in its coverage and corrects significant errors of fact. If you see an error, please e-mail the editor at eagleseye@sierrane-vada.edu or call the adviser at 530.386.5042.

Advertising:Businesses who would like to support the student newspa-per at sierra Nevada College while gaining exposure to the Incline Village com-munity are encouraged to advertise in the Eagle’s Eye. For more information, please call our advertising repre-sentative Caitlin Khoury at 603.913.5325 or email caitlinkhoury@yahoo.com

Eagle’s Eye mission statementThe Eagle’s Eye is a student-run publication which covers news of interest and importance to the greater sierra Nevada Col-lege community. We will remain open to your feedback as the Eagle’s Eye progressively im-proves.

The eagle’s eye is a member of:

BY rICh COOChCampus Editor

Name: Todd Holway

Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska

Department: Music

What brought you to SNC? I had met Donna Axton, the head of the

SNC music department through the music community in Tahoe and she asked me to come teach lessons in her program.

What is your position here?I am part of the adjunct faculty working

for the music department as a private piano instructor.

What instruments do you play?I play piano/keyboards, drums and a little

guitar.

Which one is the most developed? Why?

Piano is the instrument I have played my entire life and is the instrument to which I have the strongest connection.

Rumor has it you’re in a band, care to explain?

I initially came to Tahoe from Colorado in 2007 with the band Mama’s Cookin’, and after almost 12 years together we are still making music and talking about re-cording our fourth album. I also am lucky enough to play with a number of other great musicians around Tahoe in the bands

Peter Burtt and the King Tide, Quartet Mi-nus One, Downbeat, Jeff Jones Band and Funky Miracle.

Where was the coolest venue you’ve played?

Locally, you can’t beat Crystal Bay Ca-sino on the north shore with two great rooms to play, both with great sound, free shows every week and there is always a good vibe. Best stage I have ever played, though, would be Telluride, CO’s outdoor main stage because of it’s epic setting right against the San Juans.

What inspires you to play music?It is constantly changing what gives me

the drive to play. Currently I am very much inspired by different types of music that I am not as used to playing. I am pri-marily a jazz/blues guy, but lately I have been getting into studying afro/cuban mu-sic and classical.

If you were to replace a member of a famous musical group, which would you choose? Why?

I would replace Herbie Hancock from his group Headhunters. That band had a great sound mixing the James Brown tight funk with jazz harmony. Herbie Hancock is the man - my dog’s name is Herbie. I’d have to get my chops way up to play in that band, though.

Do you have any upcoming shows scheduled?

This Friday the 17th Peter Burtt and the

King Tide play at the Grid in Kings Beach and Downbeat plays the Auld Dubliner in Squaw on Saturday the 18th.

Who should I talk to if I’m interested in taking music classes at SNC?

Talk to Donna Axton and she will let you know about private lessons for piano, voice, guitar and bass as well as the many music courses available from music history to sound recording. There are currently 50 students taking private lessons at SNC and room for plenty more. Ask Donna about minoring in music!

Any tips for aspiring musicians?Find what it is about music that inspires

you and follow that. Keep listening to the music that you love, try to emulate it, then break free from it and make it your own.

RICh COOChTODD HOLWAY cracks a smile post piano lesson, representing the Eagle’s Eye’s first Faculty of the Fortnight.

Faculty of the Fortnight

Senior Matt Gonzales was chosen as Resident Assistant of first floor Campbell-Friedman dormitory after Senior Chad Hedlund resigned due to schedule con-flicts.

Gonzales began his duties the fourth week of January after being hired by Di-rector of Student Affairs Lizzie Hernan-dez, Director of Housing Jayce Coziar and Director of Student Activities Will Hoida.

“While the decision was tough with sev-eral great candidates applying for this po-sition, Matt had great answers in terms of

student activities, came across very profes-sional and was seen as the most ready to step in on short notice to serve as an RA for the remainder of the semester,” said Hoida.

“I was really excited that the RA posi-tion became available, especially since I just moved back on campus this semester,” said Gonzales. “The position was basically about being in the right place at the right time. It was kind of ironic because over the summer I was thinking of applying. In the end, here I am.”

Responsibilities of an RA include, but are not limited to, scheduled duty shifts at the Patterson front desk two days a week,

assisting students with a variety of prob-lems, chaperoning student activities and trips and making sure students stay safe on campus, according to Hernandez.

“We were really impressed with Matt’s maturity level and his ability to answer every question we had for him. We are confident that he will do his job and see us through to graduation,” said Hernandez.

According to Gonzales, he will be gradu-ating in May and moving back to his home state of Arizona where he will pursue sev-eral job offers and hopefully continue to “be in the right place at the right time.”

BY LIZ hILLStaff Reporter

Matt Gonzales chosen as new resident assistant

Sierra Nevada College professor Sheri Leigh O’Connor battled for her life at the beginning of the semester as she fought against a deadly and highly contagious in-fection called MRSA, known to many as Staph.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Au-reus (MRSA,) is an extreme case of Staph caused by a strain of bacteria that becomes resistant to the antibiotics that are com-monly used to treat ordinary staph infec-tions.

In O’Connor’s case, her infection started out as a cyst - a membranous sac or cavity of abnormal character containing fluid. As per her doctor’s orders, she had it removed.

Shortly after the procedure, she was re-leased from the hospital to go home, where she proceeded to become ill with flu-like symptoms. Just to be safe, O’Connor went to the Truckee hospital where she was ad-mitted into the emergency room immedi-ately upon learning that she had MRSA. O’Connor was scheduled for an operation the following morning.

“The nurses came into the operating room wearing what appeared to be space suits,” said O’Connor. “That’s when I knew this was a big deal.”

In many cases, when MRSA infections are not treated in time, they can result in amputations or even death.

“Most people start out thinking they have a spider bite,” explained O’Connor,

“instead, they find out they have MRSA.” Symptoms of MRSA include small red bumps that resemble pimples or insect bites. Bacteria can spread deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections.

“Staph is spread through skin to skin con-tact,” explained a local nurse at the Incline Village Community Hospital. “To prevent staph infection, avoid close contact with others.”

That can be tricky in a college dorm set-ting when sharing is a common ordeal.

“The most important thing you can do if something unfamiliar shows up on your body is to get it cultured,” she said.

This culture test is to examine the infec-tion for staph cells. “99 percent of cysts

have nothing to do with staph, it’s the one percent you need to worry about,” she said.

O’Connor learned from her doctor at the Truckee hospital that infections like staph and MRSA used to be more common in cities like Reno, but now doctors are see-ing more and more cases in the Lake Tahoe area. It took less than a week from the time O’Connor noticed a cyst on her body to be-ing admitted in the hospital for intensive surgery.

“I was a lucky case, if I hadn’t gone back to the hospital, it could have been fatal,” said O’Connor. “I want to inform students of how serious and contagious this infec-tion really is. It is important to not be ig-norant about it. If you notice something unfamiliar, get it checked out.”

www.sierranevada.edu 3NEWSThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012

Throughout the Sierra Nevada College campus, the many recycling receptacles and eco-friendly designed buildings help promote the school’s mission of sustain-ability. These changes and modifications can be seen taking place all over campus, even in the library.

“We adhere to sustainability practices as indicated by the rest of the college,” said Betts Markle the library director. The li-

brary received a grant from the Nevada State Library for $40,000 to develop a sus-tainability resource center.

“We purchase material related to sustain-ability topics, so they can be used for class and personal use,” said Markle.

According to Markle, the library will use the grant to purchase 200-300 books as well as DVDs.

It will also be expanding the electronic databases in order to promote sustainabil-ity studies, which can be accessed by any-

one in the community. There are aspects of the library that al-

ready adhere to sustainability such as double-sided printers, the recycling recep-tacles, online e-books and a sustainability book section.

Though there are many future plans that will impact the library, students are un-aware of such developments. “I have not noticed any changes in the library regard-ing sustainability,” student Karen Duran said.

“Although it is a great opportunity, the amount of money seems slightly exces-sive,” said Sonya Hernandez president of the Sustainability Club. “It would be nice if the amounts of money were distributed in different ways.”

According to Markle, the library plans to have an opening reception for the sustain-ability resource center sometime in June. There will be a speaker invited to share this new collection to the public.

Library receives large grant to promote sustainability

BY PATrICK hOePPNerStaff Reporter

Drinking a blended McDonald’s Happy Meal may not be enjoyable to some; nor is placing one’s hand in a mysterious box that contains the object of one’s fear. Sierra Nevada College students representing their clubs were pitted against activities that challenged their mind, body and stomach during the Feb. 3 Fear Fac-tor event. Nine student clubs participated in the event which took place at 3 p.m. in the Camp-bell-Friedman dining hall.

Each club represents a different and diverse group of students.

The event was organized by the Student Gov-ernment Association to provide entertainment for students and to allow the clubs to compete for funds that would directly benefit their cause. Overall there were three activities that students had to endure in order to compete for the $700 grand prize. Second place winners received $600, third place winners received $500 and so on.

“If you guys ever went into a haunted house and put your hand in a box, this is what you’re doing,” said Will Hoida, director of Student Ac-tivities.

The activity had students guess the identities of objects concealed in four boxes.

The student with the most correct answers won. Junior Savannah Hoover, president of the Eagle’s Eye Club, jumped as she reached into a box that contained crickets. The next student in line, Senior Bianca Del Cioppo for Gallery and Clay Club, announced that the objects from the second box had gone missing. It was revealed that the objects were worms, 50 crickets, a cow’s heart and a frozen turkey.

“If you throw up you are disqualified,” said SGA Treasurer Zaira Perez, laying the ground rules for the next activity.

Meanwhile, SGA President Ross Garcia stood

at the other end of the table blending a McDon-ald’s happy meal into a shake. Students that consumed their shake in the fastest time won.

“Oh my gosh, it was so disturbing to try to drink that,” said Brenda Narvaez, representative of the Pride Club. “It was just chunky. Having a blended Happy Meal is not appetizing at all.”

Damon Huber, representing the Climbing Club, took first place for his stomaching abili-ties.

The final activity tested students’ endurance. Moving the event to Incline Beach, students participated in a relay race consisting of three laps.

First students climbed a rock wall on the play-ground, slid down a slide, and ran over into the lake to finish the lap. Students had the option to switch with other club members after complet-ing the lap. Heath Pierson, representing Clay Club and Gallery Club, finished in first place.

BY PATrICK hOePPNerStaff Reporter

Fear encourages students to raise money for clubs

BY TAYLOr PUSCStaff Contributor

DANNY KERNROSS GARCIA AND TAILOR POLLACK prepare themselves physically and mentally just before gulping down their blended Mcdonald’s not-so happy Meal.

sNC professor shares her near death experience with Mrsa

Fear Factor Winners• $700 - Climbing Club

• $600 - Gallery Club/ Clay Club

• $500 - Sustainability Club

• $400 - Eagle’s Eye Club

• $300 - First Generation Club

• $200 - Tribe of Many Nations Club

• $100 - Pride Club

DANNY KERNBRENDA NARVAEZ AND LUIS CHAVEZ express their disgust of their challenge-shake.

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012Eagle’s Eye 4 NEWS

with IVGID where approximately $300,000 of our recreation facilities are given away because Sierra Nevada Col-lege doesn’t have a physical education facility,” said Katz.

In exchange for use of the Recreation Center, IVGID employees may enroll in up to six units a semester at Sierra Ne-vada College. SNC also grants 10 full-ride scholarships to graduates of Incline High School, according to the minutes of an IVGID board meeting conducted in Aug. 2011. The concern is that prop-erty owners are paying for the student use of recreation facilities at no direct benefit to themselves, said Katz.

In addition to his opposition of stu-dent use of the recreational facilities, Katz also disagrees with IVGID’s pol-icy of employee benefits.

“Apparently here, if you’re an em-ployee of IVGID, you’re entitled to free use of all the recreational facilities,” said Katz. “That becomes getting some benefit in addition to your salary that the public has to pay for. This doesn’t go on in any other city anywhere. In fact it’s unlawful.”

IVGID operates as a self-described quasi-public agency. As a public em-ployer, it is inappropriate for public employees to enter into a contract that

grants them personal benefits on top of their salary, said Katz.

When asked if he would prefer IVGID to be run as a government instead of a non-profit business as it is now, Katz re-sponded that he would prefer a govern-ment. This statement received booing from some of the crowd. Katz cited that most of the recreational facilities run by IVGID operate at a loss.

“I wouldn’t want to be in business with anyone like this,” said Katz.

He elicited applause from some of the crowd by saying that IVGID formed fi-nancial partners with businesses in the community.

Katz is not asking for money in his lawsuit other than the return of his Rec-reation fees.

“All I wanted to do was make it right. To put some parameters on what IVGID does so it stays within the law,” said Katz.

Whyman asked Katz if he gave any thought to how his lawsuit would be received by the community. Katz re-sponded that he wasn’t doing it to make a statement to the community.

After the meeting Senior Glen Cheri-ton said, “I think if the community as a whole is okay with [IVGID] then it’s not an issue. I don’t think it’s right for an individual to make changes that the community doesn’t want.”

“Where these come together is the fact that the fish are producing waste, which is food for the plants, who then purify the wa-ter for the fish,” Johnson said.

The water, after being naturally filtered by the plants, is so clean that it is safe to drink, according to Johnson, but he doesn't recommend it. The water is never changed and only a small amount is added to ac-count for evaporation.

“Basically, we've created an environment for a natural cycle, in a man-made contain-er,” Johnson explained. “It's really the only system that I know of that can claim having zero impact on the environment.”

Although there are four powerful grow-lights, they are run off of the solar panels on the roof of the TCES, and thus do not

require outside resources. Johnson and By-rge have big plans for this system and plan on pursuing a commercial application.

“You can set up one of these systems virtually anywhere, as long as you have a light source,” Johnson said. “I really want to take this to a commercial level, where you could produce enough food for a com-munity. Picture 100-foot-long greenhouses and huge beds, and a pond full of fish. High-quality produce and fish protein, in a completely sustainable way.”

Johnson spearheaded a movement to clean up the neglected TCES greenhouse in 2009 and is now employed as the green-house caretaker.

The project, which was started for a en-vironmental studies class in the fall semes-ter, will be showcased at the Tahoe Science Conference May 22-24 at TCES.

As Sierra Nevada College's student body continues to grow, so does it's selection of majors. These majors do not just one day appear on the schedule, however. The deci-sion to create and cut majors is a very in-volved process and one that is not easily demystified.

The entire process starts within each aca-demic department. Faculty in that depart-ment present an idea for a new major to the department chair.

“The academic department is in the best position to asses whether we have the fac-ulty depth, the resources and the expertise to introduce a new major,” said Shannon Beets, executive vice president and pro-vost.

If the admissions department gets enough requests from potential students about a major, they will go directly to that depart-ment to inquire about the creation of such a major. The department then looks at the classes they currently have, those that would have to be developed and the fac-ulty that would need to be hired. They then write a report on their findings, according to Beets.

“Once the department writes up that pro-posal and agrees internally what that major will look like, then they take it to the cur-riculum committee,” said Beets. The cur-riculum committee consists of representa-tives from all four academic departments, plus a representative from teacher educa-tion and the associate provost.

“The curriculum committee reviews the creation and modification of all majors, minor and academic certificates,” reads SNC's “Faculty Handbook.”

After the department has ensured that the major fits the college's mission, does not overdraw on its resources and that the major has substantial interest, it is then re-viewed by the curriculum committee.

“Some of the questions we ask when con-sidering a new major are: Does it meet our mission? What will it cost? What faculty will we have to hire?” said Beets. “Then we look at projected enrollment. Will this major help us recruit new students?”

The departments do extensive research using nationwide statistics regarding col-lege students.

“Another thing we look at is the Depart-ment of Labor's statistics about what the fastest growing professions are and what the fastest shrinking professions are,” said Beets. “So you know that if you have a profession that's growing, then putting to-gether a major that serves that profession is likely going to serve you well in the next few years.”

The departments also look at colleges that are geographically close to us, and specifically what they offer, to make sure that nobody else is serving that market, ac-cording to Beets.

The curriculum committee then reviews the proposal and takes a vote. If voted through, the committee posts the proposal on a moodle page to be viewed and com-mented on by the faculty. It is then for-warded to the provost, according to cur-riculum committee Chair Dan O'Bryan.

“I look at the recommendation of the committee, I read through the proposal, I think about the logic, I make sure that I agree with the committee, I make sure that the budget has the resources to sustain the major for the next few years and then I sign the major into existence,” said Beets.

AQUAPONICS, from front page

BY JASON PALADINONews Editor

New majors take time to createKATZ, from front page

PhOTOS BY DANNY KERNSENIORS GRAHAM JOHNSON AND RYAN BYRGE, LEFT, peer into their home-made aquaponics system. a view inside the system, right.

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012 www.sierranevada.edu 5NEWS

The second annual President’s Cup Busi-ness Plan Competition is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in TCES139/141.

The eight undergraduate finalists repre-sent the best three teams selected to show-case their plan for a new business in – the “Big Pitch” - live oral presentations before a panel of prestigious judges and large au-dience. Each 15 minute presentation will be followed by 10 minutes of impromptu questions and answers testing the team’s preparation and knowledge.

Winning teams are selected by combin-ing written plan scores with the results from the evening presentations. The first place team wins $3,000 and the President’s Cup, Second place $2,000 and third place $1,000.

The public is invited to attend and par-ticipate in this lively evening encouraging young entrepreneurs.

The college-wide competition supports the interdisciplinary curriculum empha-sizing entrepreneurial thinking and pro-fessional preparedness. Students study, practice and learn the techniques of for-mulating business plans as an academic exercise over several months. Judges, mentors and professors who represent the “real world” of business start-ups, then provide the students with relevant and timely feedback preparing them to launch a successful business. It is no accident that SNC students have great success in the statewide Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition held each spring. Last year, SNC had two finalists in the statewide competition and since 2004, five teams have won awards in the finals against much larger schools and hundreds of entries.

Although some might regard the changes in the bookstore as excessive or even un-necessary, some might consider them a life-saver, or at least a day-saver.

With changes to cafeteria hours and the discontinuation of Peet’s Coffee on cam-pus, the in between class pick-me-ups are no longer readily available. To fill the void, the bookstore has taken charge to provide students with the fuel to get through class.

“Some of the major changes so far are more options in food,” said Senior Corey Donahue, a recent addition to the book-store staff.

The snack food section expanded, pro-viding a varying selection from healthy granola bars for sustained energy to Snick-ers and Reeses for a quick fix. In addition it offers lots of options like chips, ice teas, beef jerky and Lunchables.

“We also sell Starbucks coffee – double shot cans and frappes - to try and buffer the coffee shortage on campus,” said Junior Ashley Dien, a veteran bookstore employ-ee. Coming soon will be hot drip coffee

and tea in the area where Peet’s used to be. There will also be a smoothie maker soon with many fruit and other sweet flavors, according to Dien. This will go into effect Feb. 27 and will be run by bookstore staff.

With bookstore expansion comes many other opportunities of which most are not aware. Student-made merchandise is read-ily accepted by the store and students are encouraged to sell items from artwork and pottery to T-Shirts, beanies and headbands.

“We want to display and sell anything you make as a way to represent our cre-ative community,” Dien said.

All these extras aside, the main purpose of the bookstore is to provide books. There have been some complaints about the im-mediate availability of required class texts in the bookstore, according to Donahue, but he attributes this occurrence to the recent management changeover. Mishaps are to be expected in these circumstances and he thinks the glitches will be easily smoothed out with time and experience.

‘The manager is trying her best to work with everybody and make sure they get their books on time,” said Donahue.

BY CAITLIN KhOUrYCopy Editor

Bookstore receives a facelift

Staff Reports

DANNY KERNBOOKSTORE OFFERS new snacks, coffee and student made crafts.

Business competition starts Feb. 16

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012Eagle’s Eye 6 SPORTS

The Sierra Nevada College snowboard team competition schedule is now in full swing with back to back competitions the past two weekends.

“The comp at Diamond Peak was a rail jam,” said senior Spencer Reeves, head coach of both snowboard teams.

“The team did awesome this weekend,” added Reeves. “The only problem was that we were incredibly busy with other local competitions at the same time like the Burton Mountain Festival and the Nike Chosen comp. We had riders competing in both of these events.”

Though it was a busy weekend for team members competing in multiple competi-tions, the rail jam was a success for the men’s team, sweeping the top three spots. Putting Eric Verillo in first, Ian Daly in sec-ond and Tom Letson in third.

“It was a really fun comp,” said Verillo, a freshman at SNC. “I had a blast riding the setup and messing around with my buddies while competing.”

“The features were low consequence and fun to get creative with,” Daly added, a sophomore at SNC. “It was a really stress free environment.”

In the girls division, Patricia Sainz De Rozas took second, Maiken Johnsrud in fourth and an injured Arielle Shipe in fifth.

“The set up was super fun,” said Sainz De Rozas. The only problem was SNC had girls competing in the Burton comp at

Northstar at the same time which left just three girls competing for SNC in the Dia-mond Peak rail jam, she said.

“The comp at Mammoth consisted of slopestyle and boarder cross,” said Reeves. “We have not heard back from USCSA about who placed in slopestyle but for boarder cross, Cameron Colenda took first

while Ian Anderson came in second for the men. Ashley Vander Meer took first for the women while Jenise Spetiri finished sec-ond.”

Sophomore Cameron Colenda felt that the new snow the night before made the course slower than normal and it seemed that most of the guys making the finals were

the heavier guys with the faster boards who didn’t fall, he said.

“I was getting good starts all day, and when you get good starts, it makes board-ercross a lot easier to win,” said Colenda. “I also lapped the course with my team-mates a lot in warm-ups and I feel like that has a huge reason why I did so well.”

snowboard team stays busy during competition season BY JAKe POLLOCKStaff Reporter

DANNY KERNFRESHMAN ERIC VERILLO takes first place at the diamond Peak rail jam.

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012 www.sierranevada.edu 7OUTDOORS

On the weekend of Feb. 3-5, my Introduction to Out-door Skills class hiked five miles in snowshoes along the northern edge of Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness. We backpacked to Ludlow Hut, where we learned about basic snow science and principles of outdoor safety. The days spent away from our ordinary lives were filled with sun-shine, blue skies and the opportunity to be in nature.

Planning ahead and being prepared is the most important aspect of expedition hiking. Professor Crystal Winn met with my class early Friday morning to check out equip-ment and to review the 10 essentials of hiking in the back-country: water, food, first aid kit, compass, map, knife/multitool, insulated layers, headlamp, lighter/matches and sun protection.

During the trip, we reviewed a substantial set of prin-ciples called Leave No Trace. A crucial thing to remember while in the wilderness is to be aware of your surround-ings. Always dispose of waste properly, leave anything you find, respect the wildlife and be considerate of any other visitors. The area should always be left as if no one was ever there.

After hiking a challenging seven hours to the hut, we unpacked, chopped wood, warmed up and made dinner. We melted snow for water on small camping stoves and began to cook fairly simple meals such as pesto pasta. As the weekend progressed, we learned hands-on tips about

avalanche safety with real examples using beacons and probes.

“The best part about this trip is being out here with the class, getting to know the students and to see the progres-sion each one of them has made, said Winn.

In addition to being taught a wide range of outdoor skills, we enjoyed a short day hike to Lost Corner Mountain with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and the backside of the Desolation Wilderness. Being able to access such beauty right outside our back door is unique and reminded us of why we live in Tahoe.

“This was more of a personal than class related goal for me,” said Freshman Keck Angle. “Being able to finally enjoy hiking something from start to finish has been great. I’m in my classroom environment, and it’s unique to be able to have a sleepover with my classmates in the wilder-ness. I can’t believe a school like this actually exists.”

We learned valuable outdoor skills on this trip but were also able to gain personal knowledge we will always ap-preciate.

Our group left Sunday morning with a solid perspective of camping in the backcountry. We all agreed that the trip was more than spectacular. Even though the hike was ex-hausting at points, everyone had a positive attitude and left grateful to have spent a weekend away with people who became new friends.

“The sense that we get to do a lot of different things, be in the outdoors and have these experiences makes this class very unique,” said Winn. “Being able to experience winter, oceans and rivers all in one class is amazing. My hope is that everyone discovers something they do love and that they pursue in that activity.”

BY eLIZA DeMAreST Staff Contributor

COURTESY OF COLI hAACK THE INTRODUCTION TO OUTDOOR SKILLS CLASS stops to enjoy the view of Lake Tahoe from the northern ridge of desolation Wilderness.

COURTESY OF COLI hAACKTHE GROUP practices probing techniques, an essential avalanche saftey skill.

A Ludlow Hut Adventure

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012Eagle’s Eye 8 SPORTS

The sun descended behind the western crest of Lake Tahoe, adding to the already impressive sight. The Nike Chosen North American and Canadian tour made its fifth stop at Heavenly Mountain Resort from 4 - 7 p.m. on the evening of Feb. 4.

For Senior Brandon Sorel, this invite-only competition meant a large cash prize, but on the day of the competition, he was presented with something a little different than he had expected.

“I showed up expecting to compete in a rail jam, little did I know it was more of a big air competition,” said Sorel. “I haven’t hit a jump that big yet this season, but it was fun. Having the comp set under crazy lights with music blasting and people do-ing tricks you usually see in the X-Games and other pro big air contests made it a re-ally entertaining night to say the least.”

Each of the five stops of the Nike Chosen Tour has had a completely different set up.

“This jam format contest was to show-case Tahoe’s local talent while making them feel like professional riders in a pro-fessional event,” said Mike Thomas, ter-rain park manager at Heavenly Resort.

The competition consisted of a jump two stories tall (21 feet) with a 70-foot gap to the knuckle. In the gap of the jump, a 31-foot long rail led directly into the Nike Chosen wall-ride (14 feet tall, 20 feet

wide) and an 18-foot quarter pipe elbow-ing that. Along the spectators’ side of the jump’s landing was a staircase feature with a down rail and two flat boxes that gave the event a bit more of an urban flow, accord-

ing to Thomas.“The Chosen set up was designed by

Aaron Dettling of Snow Park Technologies (SPT) and myself,” said Thomas. “It took SPT about a week to build the feature and consisted of a lot of snowmaking and farm-ing of natural snow.”

The work paid off and the final product looked exceptional, he said.

“Roughly 50 competitors showed up to compete on Satur-day,” said Keenan Kelly, an onsite Nike correspon-dent.

The event was split into two heats and a fi-nal, the first two heats consisted of 25 contestants per heat and last-ed about an hour. For the finals, the pro judges, Austen Smith, Andrew Brewer and Brendan Gerard chose 15 finalists to com-pete in the 35-minute final.

“We want the competitors to feel like they are in a huge contest competing for a large cash prize, which they are,” Kelly added. “The winner of the event won $2,500 and is invited to Mammoth for the final stop of the tour on Feb 18. The winner of Mam-moth will be invited to Innsbruck, Austria for the Air and Style Competition and a chance to live like a pro.”

The Nike Chosen competition had it all, from professional snowboarder Andy Finch as the MC, calling out tricks as the competitors flew over him, to DJ Rundown mixing beats throughout the competition.

“The point was to make the atmosphere as unique as possible using multi-colored

lights to add to the effect, following the riders with a spotlight, turning an amateur competition into a professional feeling competition,” said Kelly.

Senior Matt Douglass showed up to the event unregistered but was allowed entry by Nike employees for this invite-only event.

“I figured someone who leaves an over-all good impression on the judges would

be someone who does well on the jumps and the jibs, but things didn’t go as I had planned and I didn’t make the finals,” said Dou-glass. “Nonethe-less, I had a lot of fun hitting a perfectly shaped

jump and snowboarding with some of the best local riders we have here in Tahoe.”

Freshman Brady Lem continued onto the finals only to injure himself trying to keep up with who he would call the big boys.

“I had a ton of fun and somehow ended up making the finals,” said Lem. “Al-though injuring myself in the third run of the finals put me out for the rest of the night, it was still the best contest I’ve ever ridden in and I hope that Nike comes back next year.”

In the end, Nick Poohachoff took first, Jordan Nield finished second and Nick Geisen stole third while Sawyer Dean won the votes for best trick. For the women, Jo-anna Dzierzawski was awarded first while Michelle Zeller came in second.

Tahoe local riders invited to the amateur event sponsored by NIKE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: HUNDREDS OF SPECTATORS gather at heavenly ski resort to watch the compe-tition on Feb. 4. BILLY GARCIA AND MATT DOUGLASS take another lap while enjoying the fantastic view. COMPETITOR HITS the 70-foot jump with the colorful lights leading to the landing. THE COMPETITOR spins grabbing his board and the judges’ attention. COMPETITORS send it to place in Nike Chosen finals.

CHOSENBY JAKe POLLOCK Sraff Reporter

PhOTOS BY JAKE POLLACK

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012 www.sierranevada.edu 9SPORTS

Sierra Nevada College has a long reputa-tion of dominance within its winter sports program. The ski team is a 19-time United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard As-sociation (USCSA) National Champion, and the snowboard team has won six na-tional titles. Now in its second year, the SNC Freestyle ski team is looking to pur-sue similar successes and create a national reputation of its own.

The team was formed so that experienced skiers who were interested in competing and advancing in their sport could train with a coach and represent the school at events.

The Freestyle team competes in three disciplines: skier cross, slopestyle and halfpipe. Preparation for the winter season included dry land training and trampoline practice at Starz gym in Reno while winter training happens predominantly on snow.

The team tries to meet at least three times weekly, usually at Northstar or Heavenly.

“Due to a lack of snow this season, we’ve had fewer competitions than normal,” said Freestyle Coach Jon Cherry. “Earlier this winter, Sugar Bowl and Northstar canceled events on us.”

The team has had USCSA events at Dia-mond Peak and Mammoth this year and is looking to send both a men and women’s team to nationals March 5-10 in Sunday River, Maine.

“We have a really well-rounded team this year; each skier has specific strengths,” said Cherry.

In addition to the USCSA events this winter, two members of the women’s team, Katie Souza and Rebecca Roberts, have pursued competing in upper-level freestyle events. Both skiers competed in The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series (PPOS) this past weekend at Northstar where Rob-erts placed fourth in slopestyle.

The North Face PPOS is a three-stop tour with an international roster of competitors and over $60,000 of prize money. The event is an opportunity for pro and ama-teur freeskiers to showcase their skills in an open competition format.

“The features at the North Face PPOS were really big, probably bigger than I had hit all year,” said Roberts. “During practice I had a couple of bad crashes, so going into the event I was pretty nervous, but I was able to get my run down by the end.”

Souza and Roberts are new students at SNC this semester and the freestyle ski team was partly a factor for both of them deciding to come here.

“We want the team to grow,” said Souza. “The University of Vermont has a freestyle team that competes in college events and the more upper level events like the Dew Tour, that’s what we’d like our team to do.”

The team will compete at regionals in Mammoth next weekend Feb. 18-19.

For nearly every skier and boarder in Tahoe, a shortage of snowfall has defined this season as sub par, but one group re-mains unfazed by a winter of high pressure and blue skies; the Sierra Nevada College Ski Team.

“We like the hard and icy conditions,” said head Ski Coach Branko Zagar. “When there is more snow, we have more options on where to train, but right now the surface conditions are fine.”

The team’s long-standing tradition of winning doesn’t come without sacrifice. While the team takes preventative mea-sures to reduce the risk of injury, Philip Brattstroem and Angie Elliot have already incurred season-ending injuries this winter.

“If no one else gets hurt this winter, the team is looking really strong for nation-als,” said Zagar.

Although the SNC Ski Team trains and races all season long, they normally don’t get to compete directly against their most chal-lenging rivals until Nation-als in March. To ensure that his racers will be competitive against schools such as Rocky Mountain Col-lege, who took the overall na-tional title last year, Zagar follows the top racers from each school.

“We need to know how our competition

is doing so we know how to train,” said Zagar.

In addition to racing at United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) events the ski team also travels to compete indi-vidually at FIS events.

“Even though it’s not a college event, we can see if we are competitive against the other college racers who show up,” said Sophomore Luca Ricou.

The competitions start to get more serious with Regionals in Mammoth this weekend.

“Then when we get to Regionals the pressure starts building, because if we blow it there we don’t go to Nationals.”

“

“

“When we race the conference races, it’s more like an opportunity to train with a bib and in ‘real race’ conditions, but there isn’t much pressure.”

Luca RicouTeam Rider

BY ANDreW DUNNINgSports Editor

Freestyle team seeks recognition of its own

despite injuries, ski team keeps competitive edge

BY ANDreW DUNNINgSports Editor

PhOTOS BY DANNY KERNFREESTYLE SKI TEAM MEMBERS compete and place at a college rail jam at diamond Peak resort on Feb. 5.

Though facing some challenges early in the season, Sierra Nevada College’s Freestyle Ski Team finds opportunities to make a name for themselves.

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012Eagle’s Eye 10 A&E

Chances are you will have the oppor-tunity to camp in the backcountry while you are at Sierra Nevada Col-

lege. Even if Outdoor Adventure Leader-ship is not part of your major, SNC’s Out-door Adventures programs offer weekend trips that include backpacking, rock climb-ing, rafting and much more. Part of plan-ning for an outdoor adventure is creating a menu. Ensuring a menu that will keep you fueled will help contribute to the overall success of your trip. One could resort to buying freeze dried or dehydrated meals from REI but at approximately $7-$15 a meal these are often outside of the college student budget. Here are some things to think about when planning your backcoun-try meals.

Stoking the fireWhen planning your menu it is impor-

tant to consider what conditions you will be camping in. In the winter it is important to eat foods that will give you the energy to stay warm. SNC senior Katie Lambert compares fueling your body in the winter to building a fire.

Sugar - Sugars are compared to the tinder that will help ignite the fire.

Sugary snacks such as chocolate cov-ered nuts, give your body a quick boost throughout the day.

Fat – Fat is the small logs that will get your fire burning hotTrue fats such as but-ter, olive oil and cheese will help your body stay warmer longer.

Carbohydrates and Proteins – These are the large logs that will keep the fire burn-ing through the night.

Foods high in carbohydrates include pas-ta, rice and bread. These along with protein rich foods such as tuna or peanut butter will give you a supply of energy to stay warm during the coldest of nights.

During the summer it is important to eat foods to replace essential salts lost through sweat. You will want to pack more salty snacks instead of sugary snacks. Remem-ber to drink water throughout the day espe-cially if you pack dehydrated fruit or jerky. Dehydrated foods need to be rehydrated in your body before they can be digested.

Pack it in, Pack it outThe kinds of foods you can bring are lim-

ited by what kind of trip you are taking. For example, when backpacking it is im-portant to consider the weight of the food and the amount of space it will take up in your backpack. If you are required to use a bear canister the amount of space becomes a bigger issue.

WeightWhen buying foods such as tuna or soups,

look for brands that come in pouches in-stead of cans. Pouches take up less space, and weigh less than cans.

SpaceRepackage boxed foods in freezer bags

so they are easier to pack. Freezer bags can also double as garbage bags reducing the amount of waste you have to pack out.

easy Clean UpAfter a long day of exploring the out-

doors the last thing on your mind is wash-ing dishes. Consider planning meals that can be cooked in one pot and require little scrubbing afterwards.

Foods such as rice, couscous, precooked dehydrated pastas and ramen can be cooked in freezer bags according to backcountry food blog, trailcooking.com

Pack your rice in a freezer bag along with whatever seasonings you choose.

Add near-boiling water.Keep the bag insulated and let stand for

10-15 minutes.I have yet to try the freezer bag cooking

method myself, but it sounds like an inter-esting option for easy clean up and mini-mal waste.

MealsBreakfastA popular choice for a backcountry

breakfast is oatmeal. Oatmeal is cheap, light and easy to prepare. Add some variety to your oatmeal by adding ingredients such as brown sugar, honey, trail mix, granola and peanut butter.

LunchPlan something that requires little prepa-

ration for lunch such as sandwiches or wraps. Using bagels or tortillas is prefer-able to bread because it is less likely to get crushed in your pack.

Supplement your lunch with fruits and a snack.

Avoid foods that are difficult to digest such as salami.

DinnerConsider soup as the first course of your

meal. Soup is quick and easy to prepare. It can warm you up and satiate your appetite while you wait for the real meal.

Dinner is a good meal to load up on foods that will take longer to digest such as meats.

a guide to fueling your body year round in the backcountry

JENN SHERIDAN

Calling all movie lovers! Did you know Prim Library has movies available for rent? The library’s expanding movie sec-tion features 666 titles from classics to documentaries. Going into its third year of movie rentals, the library is experiencing a monthly growth of four to five movies.

“It is a good rotation on the movies,” said Eva Gyawali, who works in the library.

There is a distinct preference toward classic movies, averaging about three out of every five rentals, she said. Pointing to-

ward the classic movie section, she said, “look which stand that has the least movies at the moment.”

A main focus is to give students the op-portunity to rent movies that are either classical or educational.

“Today, the library is combining educa-tion with fun,” said the Library Director Betts Markle.

The collection also features movies used as class materials as well as foreign films that engage students in a foreign language.

“We are building up our movie collec-tion based on one of the core themes of the

college: active learning,” said Markle. “We don’t want to become a Red Box of SNC.”

Prim library offers students the oppor-tunity to checkout movies free of charge. Students will be charged a penalty fee only if the film is not returned at all.

“There are no late fees,” said Markle.Just as with books, the library takes re-

quests for movie titles.Markle would appreciate students’ input

on future films for the expansion of Prim li-brary’s movie selection. A new educational grant for sustainability from the State of Nevada has given Prim library resources to

expand its movie collection. “The library’s movie section is lacking

promotion,” said senior Kelby Furrer. Senior Patrick O’Neil agreed, “I did not

even know that the library was offering movies, but now that I know about it, I will definitely take a look at it.”

Averaging four to five new movies per month, Prim library’s movie section is growing close to 1 percent monthly.

“With the growth rate that we have now I am positive that in one year from now ev-ery student on campus will know about the movie project in the library,” said Markle.

BY rICKO erIKSSON Staff Contributor

“Here, you smoke it,” he coughed out the words.Jesus passed me the hand-rolled cigarette, blind-

ing me with his mining helmet lamp. I took a long draw, and the glowing embers cast an orange glow through the cavern, illuminating several of the other miners, their cheeks bulging with coca leaves. As I exhaled, I became aware of the combination of things I was holding, and the potential consequences of their meeting: in my left hand, the smoldering, hastily rolled cigarette, in my right, a white cylinder about 12 inches long, the letter-ing reading dinamita, the blasting cap and fuze protruding from the end.

I had heard rumors at the hostel of these impromptu mine tours. I was told that at the miner’s market, I could purchase alcohol, coca leaves and dynamite in exchange for a tour of Cerro Rico’s famous interior. Potosi, Bolivia, at 14,000 feet is one of the highest cities on the planet; it lies in the shadow of the almost perfectly conical Cerro Rico, a mountain rich in silver that has been continually mined since the 15th century. The mountain is 300 feet shorter than it once stood, as it slowly collapses on itself. Once the supply of silver for great Incan kings, and later

the Spanish monarchy, the mountain has yielded tens of thousands of tons of pure silver throughout history. It has a history of brutal slavery, and many native people and African slaves died within its dark shafts.

Fighting off the usual altitude-related nausea, my brother and I set out for the mines at dawn. We

zigzagged our way through Potosi’s half-cob-blestone, half-dirt streets until we reached the miner’s market. The first shop we entered dis-played miner’s helmets and dynamite in the

windows, and we excitedly purchased six sticks and blasting caps for around 20 bolivianos, a little

under $4. The shopkeeper, a chubby man with deep lines in his face from a life spent in the mines, chuckled as we left the shop “Cuidado, amigos!” his guttural voice echoed after us, “Careful, friends!”

We purchased a flask of ceibo, a favorite alcoholic bev-erage of the miners that is also used to remove rust from pipes, a bag of dried coca leaves, the unrefined source of cocaine, and headed for the mountain. I nervously ap-proached a man, covered in soot from head to toe, and asked in my most polite Spanish for a tour.

“Si, Si, you have gifts for the miners?” he asked. I showed him the contents of our backpack, and he led

us toward an ominous opening in the mountain, supported by ancient wooden beams.

To be continued next issue.

BY JASON PALADINONews Editor

Dynamite, alcohol and coca leaves in the mines of Bolivia

Prim Library’s expanding movie selection combines education with fun

JASON PALADINOMINE GUIDE JESUS chews coca in the mines of Cerro rico, Bolivia.

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012 www.sierranevada.edu 11FEATURE

MUSICCash’d Out

Thursday, Feb. 16.Knitting Factory reno, Nev.doors: 7:30 p.m., show 8:30 p.m.Tickets: $13

Cash’d Out live shows respectfully reference the late, great Man in Black’s early Columbia era and sun records sound, combined with the energy of the classic multi-platinum live record-ings from Folsom Prison and san Quentin.

Too $hort Friday, Feb. 24 Cal Neva resort, Crystal Bay, Nev. show: 9 p.m.Tickets: $28 adv. $35 doorall ages Welcome

Too $hort ft. Nilla, Quette daddie, Golden Gloves, Mr?E & dJ Kennan

Tickets are availible at New Moon Natural Foods (Tahoe City & Truckee), recycled records (reno), Mad about Music & Beach hut deli (so. Lake) or online at Ticketweb.com.

SPORTS TransWorld TransAM Saturday, Feb. 25Northstar California, Truckee, Calif.

TransWorld sNOWboarding Magazine will once again host an amateur snowboard-ing contest at Northstar California as part of the TransWorld sNOWboarding TransaM series - a six-stop tour hosted by the most progressive park resorts from coast to coast. The 2012 series will no doubt repeat as a melting pot for some of the best up and coming riders in the region.

ride with Woodward Saturday, Feb. 25 Time: 11a.m.-2p.m.Boreal Mtn. 11am - 2pm Two days a week skiers and riders can cruise Boreal with Woodward Tahoe Coach Brandon hollins.Participants will meet at the Woodward Tent located in the base lodge. ride with Woodward is free for park riders of all abilities (basic skiing and snowboarding skills required for park coaching)…all you need is a Boreal season pass or valid lift ticket!

FESTIVALS ETC.Wayne Brady Saturday, Feb.18MontBleu Theater, stateline, Nev. Tickets: $40/$50 (Plus Tax & Fees)

Wayne Brady is an Emmy award winning actor, record-ing artist, improvisational-ist, dancer, and television personality. his work can be seen on television or film, in the theater, or heard on the radio. his show, “Makin’ It up,” was met with critical acclaim and has been hearalded as “pure genius,” “hysterically funny” and “amazing.”

Snowlive Festival Feb. 22-25Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, Nev.Tickets: $25 adv. $30 door

Wednesday Feb. 22reggae NightMatisyahu w/ soulive + after Party w/ Keyser soze

Thursday Feb.23rock&roll Nightsoulive w/ special Guest-Luther dickinson(N. Miss allstars/Black Crowes)

Friday Feb. 24New Orleans Tributesoulive w/ special Guests anders Osborne, George Porter Jr. and Karl denson

saturday Feb. 25Grand FinaleClassic-soulive w/ Mati-syahu, Ivan Neville, anders Osborne,George Porter Jr. and Karl denson

BY NIKKA CAMPOrAA&E Assistant Editor

Name: Henrik MikkelsgardYear: Junior Age: 22hometown: Gjovik, NorwayMajor: Art

What attracted you to Sierra Nevada Col-lege?

Friends, and Tahoe is a warmer place to snowboard. Gambling is also a plus.

What do you enjoy most about SNC? It has a very laid back environment with

nice surroundings.

how long have you been snowboarding?For 15 years.

What is your favorite place to ride and why?In Tahoe, I would have to say Northstar

because it has a good park and it’s almost always sunny. While I’m home, the resort is pretty much out my back door so I can ride whenever I want.

how many countries have you visited and snowboarded in?

I have been to 25 countries and have rid-den in 13 of them.

Which country was your favorite?It’s hard to pick one, but my top three

would be Spain, the Netherlands and the United States.

Do you have any siblings?Yes, one older sister. Her name is Thea.

has your sister ever come to visit you?Not yet, but she is planning a trip over

here in late April. She and her friends are checking out Coachella, Vegas and New York. Hopefully she drops by.

have they traveled as much as you have? No, the only reason I have traveled that

much is because of snowboarding, but she is not far behind!

Are your rommates from Norway?Yes, Sebastian Krohn and Ian Andersen,

we live up in Fairway Pines. What do they have in Norway that you wish

they had here?Politics and girls.

What do you mean by that?What I mean by politics and girls is that

I wish America had the same political sys-tem as we do in Norway: bigger middle class and less rich and poor. And the girls back home are something for themselves!

What’s your favorite food?Blodpudding, a Norwegian classic!

What is Blodpudding?It’s basically blood cooked down with a

filler until it is thick and cool enough to turn to sausage.

What are your plans after you graduate?Ha-ha.

BY eLIZA DeMAreSTContributor

ELIZA DEMARESTHenrik Mikkelsgard enjoys the winter weather outside of the Prim-schultz Library in between his classes.

Henrik MikkelsgardCame to Lake Tahoe for the sunshine

ThURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2012Eagle’s Eye 12

Local Knits is a one-of-a-kind handmade knitting company known for its quality and creativity and it is gaining in popularity.

Ethan Rollins, founder of Local Knits, started making his product in 2009 in ef-fort to design homemade knits that were different than the major brands that made beanies.

“Basically what inspired me to start Lo-cal Knits was the fact that it was incred-ibly hard to find a beanie with a design

and color that I really liked enough to spend money on,” said Rollins. “Person-ally, I really liked the idea and style of handmade knits.”

Local Knits is a brand mostly known for its beanies; however, Rollins makes each product by hand, not machine, allowing room for a more diverse line of product. “Neckies are sort of my specialty item, but I can make basically anything out of yarn,” said Rollins.

Other products include hand knit-ted gloves, headbands, beanies, custom goggle straps and headbands.

Each and every product Rollins makes is ordered via Facebook, word of mouth or face-to-face transactions. Local Knits customers place orders with what colors and designs they want, then Rollins hand knits them himself at home.

Obviously, to ensure quality rather than quantity, his product is somewhat limited by time.

“Local Knits creates really cool prod-uct and the fact they make homemade is something you really don’t see too much

of these days,” said Sophomore Ethan Cairns.

As a company marketed through word of mouth, Rollins has been advertising his company’s unique methods over the past few months.

“Lately I’ve been promoting Local Knits through guerilla marketing,” said Rollins. “I have been wrapping the chair-lifts in yarn at local Tahoe resorts. Along with the ‘yarnfitti’ I have been passing out and sticking die cut stickers places like they are candy. Anything that will get my company publicity I try to do.”

Rollins’ unique promotion techniques have helped him grow tremendously over the past year, gaining the notice of websites like unofficialnetworks.com. Last December an article was written by Unofficial Networks author Mark Fisher. Titled “Introducing “Local Knits” | Knit-ting Bandits Identified,” the article was written out of curiosity toward who had been “knit bombing” the chairlifts all over Alpine Meadows Ski Resort.

Even as Local Knits continues to grow,

Rollins still remains committed to the service and reputation of his company.

“My mission is to just deliver custom-ers with a good quality product. One of the major goals for local knits is to have the company produce beanies and knitted/crocheted products that are ‘for snow-boarders, by snowboarders’ and keep the company local!” said Rollins.

For more information on Lo-cal Knits, visit the facebook page at www.facebook.com/localknits.

BY SPeNCer OWeNStaff Reporter

COURTESY OF SPENCER OWEN.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: FOUNDER ETHAN ROLLINS shows off his signature goggle strap, beanie and neckwarmer; ROLLINS COMBINES artistic ability and marketing prowess with his sticker production; SENIOR ASHTON LEUTNER models some Local Knits merchandise; KNIT BOMBING is replacing stick-ers in the chairlift pole advertising trend.

COURTESY OF MARK FIShER

Student’s entrepreneurial venture weaves its way into Tahoe culture

COURTESY OF NICK CAhILL COURTESY OF EThAN ROLLINS