Murder Trial Begins

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Jury selection ended Monday in the murder trial of the man accused of killing University of Nevada, Reno Professor Judy Calder.

Mohamed Kamaludeen, also known as Rickey Barge, allegedly stabbed Calder in the chest in August 2007, according to court documents.

The trial will start at 9 a.m. Wednesday with opening statements.

Calder’s husband James Calder of Incline Village reported her missing on Aug. 19, 2007 to the Sparks Police Department. He became worried after calling her several times without answer.

The next day he visited her hotel room and found her laptop, clothes and diabetes medication. He then called her office and local hospitals and jails before notifying police.

Her body was found one week later off of Highway 93 between Wells and Jackpot. Calder’s body was identified by dental records.

Kamaludeen, a former business associate of Calder, allegedly stabbed her in the chest as she walked into a Reno warehouse. Kamaludeen owed Calder money.

Mohamed Kamaludeen

He was listed as an owner of the warehouse, Imaging Technologies.

Police arrested Carlos Filemino Aug. 30, 2007 for violating his probation. Filemino, who worked for Kamaludeen, told police he bought a set of knives and three sweat suits with money Kamaludeen gave him.

Filemino told police he helped Kamaludeen clean up the area where Calder was murdered and helped dump Calder’s body.

Carolyn Conger, Calder’s sister, flew in from Santa Monica, Calif. to be at the trial.

“[The family is] eager for this to be resolved,” she said.

nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/10/14/murder-trial-begins/

Abizaid outlines foreign policy issues

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Gen. John Abizaid outlined the four strategic issues that the next president will face.

He spoke Wednesday night to a crowd of 400 students, faculty and members of the public in the Joe Crowley Student Union ballroom, part of the Nevada Speaker series. Abizaid, former commander of the United States Central Command, commanded troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and has an intimate knowledge of the Middle East and its challenges.

al Qaeda and the rise of Sunni extremism

“Al Qaeda knows how to attack the U.S. and Europe on their own soil,” Abizaid said, citing various bombings throughout Europe and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Al Qaeda movement is held together by extremist ideology and connected by the Internet, Abizaid said.

“They’re not a bunch of crazy people in caves,” he said.

The Al Qaeda is made up of a large number of parts, and the suicide bombers and training camps are only one element, he said. Attacking one part of the organization merely pushes the terrorists to another part of the organization. To effectively handle Al Qaeda, the United States must attack it from all sides.

The fight against Al Qaeda will be a long one, Abizaid said.

“They don’t think in five second sound bites,” he said. “They think in 500 years.”

Al Qaeda is committed to not letting go of the United States, he said. Even though they aim to push the United States out of the Middle East, the terrorists will not walk away from the United States, he said.

Iran and the rise of Shia extremism

“Iran wants to be the state with the most influence in the Middle East,” Abizaid said. “[They’re] determined to extend their power.”

He said Iran must be contained, not conquered. Even though Iran must be restricted, the people of Iran are not the ones to be worried about.

“It’s a crazy government, not crazy people,” he said.

Arab-Israeli Conflict

“The Arab-Israeli conflict requires involvement early in an administrations term,” Abizaid said.

The next U.S. president must bring the Israelis and Palestinians to the peace-talks table, he said. The only way to broker peace is for the next president to start talking as soon as possible.

America’s continued dependence on Middle Eastern oil

“Oil exportation from the Middle East fuels the global economy,” Abizaid said. “The United States is the protector of the oil exportation.”

The next president must deal with America’s dependence on oil in a broad sense, he said. The tendency during this campaign has been how to deal with oil dependence in a small sense.

America needs to develop other ways of providing energy to stop its dependence on oil from the Middle East, he said. The money that America sends to the Middle East for its oil often finds its way to terrorist organizations, he said.

nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/10/06/abizaid-outlines-foreign-policy-issues/

General to speak on foreign policy

Monday, September 29, 2008

Gen. John Abizaid, the former commander of the U.S. Central Command, will give a presentation about foreign policy Wednesday.

The four-star general, who oversaw operations in Iraq, will present “The Foreign Policy Challenges of our Next President” at 7 p.m. in the Joe Crowley Student Union Ballroom for free, said Meghan Wagonseller, Associated Students of the University of Nevada director of public relations.

Abizaid will talk about the future of relations with Iran, North Korea and terrorism around the world, said Sundance Bauman, Flipside Productions’ contemporary issues chairman.

The general was scheduled to speak last year for The Joe opening, but the engagement fell through when Abizaid had to go to Washington, Bauman said.

The Northern Nevada International Center asked Abizaid to speak, Bauman said. Flipside provided the venue.

University of Nevada, Reno President Milton Glick will introduce the general. A question-and-answer session will follow the speech. Bauman said he expects about 700 people at the presentation, half of them students and faculty and half the general public.

“He wants to convey to young people what his experiences are,” said Carina Black, the executive director of the Northern Nevada International Center. “He’s been wanting to do this for a really long time.”

The next president will face problems from the area Abizaid commanded, political science professor Leonard Weinberg said. Abizaid’s area of command included substantial oil supply areas and hot spots of terrorist activity.

“His take on what the next president is likely to confront is very important,” Bauman said.

Abizaid headed U.S. Central Command from July 2003 until May 2007 according to UNR’s office of Media Relations. Central Command covers the 27-country region between the European and Pacific commands. He also oversaw operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Army Times.

Abizaid served for 34 years in the Army and rose from infantry platoon leader to four-star general. He served in Lebanon, Bosnia, Kurdistan, Grenada, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. He studied at the University of Jordan and has a master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. He is fluent in Arabic.

A protest area will be set up outside of the student union during the event because Abizaid’s speech about foreign policy is “very controversial,” Bauman said.

“People will protest anything,” said Lauren Kohler, the Flipside special events chairman. “We’re preparing for the worst.”

http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/09/29/general-to-speak-on-foreign-policy/

University president answers students’ questions in open forum

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

University of Nevada, Reno President Milton Glick answered questions today from students on topics ranging from the upcoming football game with University of Nevada, Las Vegas to how budget cuts will affect the university.

About 42 students came and went during the one-hour Pizza with the President session. Glick said the group had a high turnout with a low energy level.

Glick answered questions in an informal forum while students ate pizza, cookies and sodas provided through the event.

“This is really my chance to hear from you,” Glick said.

Glick explained he would eat his salad while talking. He said he was jealous of the students and their pizza because his diet restricted him to salad. Students listened to the president from couches and chairs arranged around the Graduate Student Lounge. More chairs were brought in during the course of the event to accommodate students as more attended.

A senior economics major asked what steps the university is taking to lobby the legislature about raising the tuition rate.

Glick said the Nevada Assembly leadership is supportive of raised tuition rates and senate leadership is open to the possibility.

“We have alternatives,” he said.

A nursing student asked about proliferation of online classes, saying most of her classes are online. Glick asked the students who have a majority of online classes to raise their hands. Only one student, an accounting major, did.

Glick said he does not think online classes are the wave of the future.

“If you can’t get to the university, we want to bring the university to you,” he said.

A member of the audience asked what the university is doing to decrease the amount of time it takes students to graduate to four years.

“Most students are still on a four year degree,” Glick said.

The university is considering lowering the required amount of credit hours to graduate from 128 to 120, he said.

Students change their majors two to three times on average, he said, increasing the time it takes to graduate.

“I still haven’t figured out what I want to do when I grow up,” he said.

One student asked about the chatter flying around campus surrounding the possibility of cutting majors. Glick responded that in one worst-case scenario, the university will cut some programs.

“We don’t want to degrade every program so we may have to eliminate a few,” he said. “If we have a $30 million budget cut, we have to stop doing some things.”

When asked about the upcoming football game against Las Vegas, Glick said it will be a tough game.

“It’s too close to call,” he said. “I hope we whip ‘em.”

http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/09/23/president-answers-stude
nts-questions-in-open-forum/

Getchell’s future up to legislature

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The future of Getchell Library is in the hands of the Nevada State Legislature, which will decide whether to pay $10.5 million for renovations or allow the building to mothball.

The legislature will make its decision during its 2009 session. The plan calls for renovating 155,000 square feet of the existing 177,000. If the legislature approves the funding, renovation would start in 2010, said Stephen Mischissin, the interim vice president of facilities services department.

Getchell Library was built in 1962, and the building needs to be brought up to today’s building codes, he said.

The plan calls for a new sprinkler system, fire alarms, ramps and elevators in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said.

“They’re life and safety upgrades,” he said.

The University of Nevada, Reno submitted a Capital Improvements Project request to retrofit the library for another use to the Board of Regents, who sent it to the Nevada Public Works Board.

Paul Neil, director of the university core curriculum office, said the old library would be turned into a student services building and an informal learning space. Student Success Services, currently in the Thompson Student Services building, might move to the Getchell space.

The first floor of the old library would house student advising and the academic skills center, he said.

The Thompson building might be turned into an academic space. The philosophy department may move from E.J. Cain Hall to the Thompson building. The English department may extend its offices into the Thompson building.

The middle level of the basement may be removed and the space turned into rehearsal and studio spaces for the art department, Neil said.

Retrofitting the Getchell Library space will postpone the need for more expensive buildings, Ron Zurek, Vice President of Administration and Finance, said.

The renovations will cost about $58 per square foot, he said. A new building would cost between $400-$500 per square foot.

http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/09/23/getchell%e2%80%99s-fut
ure-up-to-legislature/

Campus housing to open University Inn as res hall next fall

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

The University Inn will open as a residence hall for returning students for the upcoming fall semester, housing officials said.

Rod Aeschlimann, director of Residential Life, Housing and Food Service, said ResLife is planning for a June opening so summer conference groups can use the inn for housing.

The inn will house up to 297 students, Aeschlimann said.

A University Inn double room will cost as much as a double Canada Hall room at $5,090, Aeschlimann said. A single room in the University Inn will cost $5,990, $100 more than an Argenta double. A single or double premium room will cost $6,390.

The rooms will include a private bathroom for each unit.

A double room will range from 220 to 260 square feet. Single rooms will range from 150 to 200 square feet, and premium doubles will have 350 square feet and some will have two rooms. All the units will have extra large closets, Aeschlimann said.

The University Inn should accommodate students over winter break, he said, at a cost of $445.

“We hope to provide winter break housing for all resident halls,” Aeschlimann said.

The renovated inn will include Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades, a new lobby and a new key and building entry system. New emergency lighting, sprinkler system, fire alarms and a new corridor ventilation system will be included, making sure the inn meets fire code regulations. A new sprinkler system will be installed in the parking garage.

General improvements include new carpeting, interior painting, new furnishings and a laundry room located on the third floor. The laundry room will house 16 sets of washer and dryer units, facilities supervisor Bill Jacques said.

University Inn residents will access their rooms and enter the building using their WolfCards, he said.

Students will swipe their WolfCards to open their room doors and will use their cards to enter the building.

“We want to make the security that the residence halls provide available to as many students as possible,” Jacques said.

The University Inn will also feature community assistants and Canada Hall will switch to CAs at the beginning of the next semester, said Jerome Maese, associate director for ResLife.

“Community assistants are there to provide service and information for residents and resident assistants are there to provide the transition into the college environment,” he said.

RAs and CAs will both assist with the needs of the residents and provide a safe and secure environment, he said.

nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/02/26/campus-housing-to-open-university-inn-as-res-hall-next-fall/

The Guide: Living lessons

Tuesday, February 5th, 2008

During college years, students may be presented with an unfortunate dilemma: a horribly small dwelling or a large pad with roommates whom you may or may not get along with. The students who choose to have roommates may be asking for more than they can handle. Picking the right roommates means the difference between hell on earth and a nice place to live.

“When you find a good roommate, keep them,” said Jerome Maese, associate director for Residential Life.

Picking roommates:

• Look beyond friends and find people you can be compatible with, Maese said.
• Finding someone with similar habits and patterns works well, he said. Opposites also complement each other well.
• Finding someone who can pay his or her share of the bills is vital.
• If one rents a room, investigating the roommates provides a level of financial and physical security, he said. Pick a six-month lease until you know you and your roommates are compatible, he said.
• “You can put up with a lot of stuff for six months,” he said.
• Asking questions and being honest with the answers helps prove whether two people can live together, he said.

Questions to ask:

• 1. Finances: How much will each person pay? When? How will utilities be split? What can both parties afford?
• 2. Lifestyle compatibility: How much noise is acceptable? How much cleaning must be done? Partying or studying?
• 3. Boundaries: What kind of boundaries will there be in the roommate relationship?
• 4. Comfort level: Do both parties feel comfortable and safe with each other? Can both parties easily communicate?

Communicate:

“Setting up lines of communication is always better than setting up ground rules,” Maese said.

Set up a meeting at least once a month between roommates, he said. Ask if anything over the past month bugged your roommates in an open forum.

Universal rules:

• Buy your fair share of toilet paper.
• Don’t stink up the kitchen. Smelly cooking infiltrates each person’s room.
• “Cleanliness and using other people’s stuff without asking” form the basis of most arguments between roommates, Maese said.

http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/02/05/the-guide-living-lessons/