Spirit of the Wolf Pack: A Cultural Portrait
By: Ethan Sension
Intro
Reno is a city that sparks an array of various impressions when observed by different people. One way to view the biggest little city in the world is as a university town. The University of Nevada, Reno is a defining aspect of the city, bringing youthfulness and vitality to an often run-down northern Nevada urban center. Just north across the freeway of Reno’s towering casinos and city lights lays a brick campus sprawling along the city’s vital artery of Virginia Street. As the winding front street makes its way through the university, never-ceasing construction and the bustle of students can be seen out the window of each passing car. The culture that this university brings to the wild west creates a unique environment in the city of Reno. University culture holds a combination of values, both intellectually and socially driven, that shape the future generations of college graduates and white collar workers. The University of Nevada, Reno is a research university and insists on being treated as such. With an integral history of expansion and tradition the school aims to assist students in creating accomplishments of their own. Student life at the University of Nevada reflects many commonalities with the Americanized expectation of what college is like. Various programs promote and strengthen the multiple branches of the university’s functionality, allowing students to thrive and excel in their studies and their livelihood. Throughout the university’s history, developments, lifestyle, student life, and diverse population, there is a sense of culture that encompasses and defines the University of Nevada, Reno.
History
To understand the culture of an institution such as UNR, it is imperative to first contemplate the history of the university. The University first began operating in Elko but later transitioned to the Reno campus in 1885 to seek out a center with more attention and availability. Morrill Hall, now one of the smaller functioning buildings, was the first addition to the Reno campus and was used for housing the president, teaching classes, and even contained a museum (McDonnell). As the mining rush in Nevada diminished, so did the popularity of the university; however, to this day the school has a prominent mining focus and the Mackay School of Mines holds historical prestige. The Mackay family contributed significant amounts of donations to the university and has been rewarded with the memorable sculpture of John Mackay featured prominently at the end of the Quad (“History, Stats, and Highlights”). The Quad mentioned was created by donations from the Mackay family and was designed to resemble the one to be seen on the campus of the University of Virginia (“History, Stats, and Highlights”). To this day, students can be seen enjoying the spacious greenery playing frisbee or petting the occasional pooch to carry on the leisure associated with the historical campus’s scenery.
In the early years of the University of Nevada, Reno, the college was not nearly as desirable as it is today. Enrollment was minuscule as the first graduating class comprised of three individuals received their diplomas in 1891. It’s hard to imagine what the brick campus that now sports impressive architecture and sophisticated buildings was like before it grew towards the twenty-first century university it is today. Up until the 1930’s the college supported roughly one thousand students and only grew to instruct two thousand students in 1958 (“History, Stats, and Highlights”). Life was considerably different at the university before the school became the university it is today.
Developments:
Modern developments have since added to the educational appeal of UNR. The formation of the Jot Travis Student Union in 1958 along with both the education and business colleges began initiating a steady growth in popularity and population (“Jot Travis Building”). The number of majors and courses offered at UNR has grown to over 140 major disciplines, encouraging more students of different interests to become educated at the northern Nevada university (“Degrees and Programs”). A reinvigoration of the university’s research focus has begun to emphasize water resources and arid climate studies. Students can now become involved in studies of atmospheric science, environmental engineering, ecohydrology, rangeland ecology, and renewable energy (“Degrees and Programs”). This environmental focus solidified the influence of UNR into Reno and the Northern Nevada lifestyle. Engineering has also become a dedicated focus of the University of Nevada, Reno throughout more recent years, attracting higher level intellectuals. The Laxalt Mineral Engineering Center combines the school’s emphasis in mining with state-of-the-art engineering practices capable of simulating earthquakes and conducting experiments in a shake-room. The unique Nevada Seismological Laboratory, featuring equipment that monitors the seismic activity of the western united states, is an engineering hallmark of UNR. The prestige of the engineering program holds a reputation of its own, giving the university a better name in academics. Infrastructure, developments, and faculty alike have al boomed since the long-gone origin of the university. The drastic increase of quality in both structural developments and learning opportunities led to UNR becoming a notable institution for higher education.
Modern day additions to the university campus incorporate cutting edge technology and architecture. The Joe Crowley Student Union replaced the prior Jot Travis in 2007 and created a hallmark of innovation and progress by providing UNR students with resources to make professional connections and get assistance where needed. A remarkable library coined the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center opened in 2008 and added both appeal and ability to the university’s image. The Knowledge Center is comprised of a one floor computer lab with a wide range of printing abilities and tech-support, followed by four floors of a traditional library that includes a coffee shop, quiet study rooms, endless bookshelves for research and personal interest, and plenty of desks and tables to complete work. Students can be seen in the library throughout all hours of the day completing assignments and studying for upcoming exams. Up at the northern limit of the university, state of the art medical buildings house the school’s programs for nursing and research in the medical fields. An elaborate new gymnasium is even expected to begin contributing to the students’ physical wellbeing as soon as spring of 2017. As the campus continues to expand northbound towards the bright “N” painted on Peavine Mountain’s peak, buildings continue to sprout up and add value to the University’s combined assets.
Student Life
More important than the buildings that define the campus’s growth are the students who make use of them. Student life at the university is a reflection of the lively culture created by students moving to study from primarily Las Vegas, the Bay Area, Californian cities from north to south, and of course northern Nevada locals. Reno students at the university can be characterized as friendly and helpful even on the coldest and windiest of winter days. The freshman perspective of first year college students at the University of Nevada, Reno is characterized by excitement and anticipation as the new university members adjust to new challenges involved with the college lifestyle. Freshman students at UNR commonly choose to live in on-campus dormitories located near downtown on the southern end of campus along Virginia Street. Dorm dwellers customarily eat their meals at the campus’s dining hall “The Downunder Cafe.” Students eating here can choose from a variety of food and then sit and socialize or watch television on the numerous screens. Including the Downunder Cafe, there are nine unique dining options scattered throughout the UNR campus. New students often take a month or two to transition from the ease of high school to the sometimes strenuous workload received at the university. Despite the stresses of academia there are many enjoyable offerings of things to do throughout the city of Reno and on campus. Throughout the entire student body there is a wide variety of interests; however, all university students experience an overall high quality of life.
Students often study together, eat together, or explore various modes of recreation together around the colorful campus. Groups of chattering students socialize as they meet up in social lounges and campus cafes. The social scene of colleges across America is often determined as fun-loving and sometimes even wild despite the ever-present emphasis on academics and success. Although the University of Nevada, Reno is not prioritized as a party school, groups of students venturing out in clusters are hard to miss on a Friday or Saturday evening. Greek life at the University of Nevada, Reno is nothing tremendous but could not go unnoticed. In the beginning weeks of each semester, greek life’s rush week is held allowing fraternities and sororities a chance to recruit new members. Fraternities and sororities put on and attend events throughout the school year and consequently play a major role in the community activism of UNR. Social occurrences may not be the university’s main purpose but the social scene surely contributes to how culture is perceived at UNR.
Peter Kaufman writes in “The Sociology of College Students’ Identity Formation” that “college is not an individual experience; rather, it is a social experience” (Kaufman). The statement he makes has a resounding truth behind its words. At the University of Nevada, Reno students are constantly surrounded by people in a similar situation as themselves. These students are taking the first steps towards professional careers but they are certainly not walking alone. The way students study, the resources they use, the help they receive, and the instruction they are given is all part of the unique experience of the University of Nevada, Reno. The university offers majors in over 140 disciplines and helps promote research and study throughout a wide variety of subject areas. The difficulty in analyzing the students’ culture comes when all 21,353 students (“Demographic, Population & Proximity Data”) are all grouped together as attendees of the same university.
Academics
Statistics often helps put UNR’s expansive student body into an understandable perspective. The university’s demographics include 20,956 regular time students comprised of 4,608 freshman, 3,840 sophomores, 4,040 juniors, and 5,087 seniors. A total number of 2,887 graduate students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees adds to the range of age and backgrounds in UNR’s population. The total of staff and faculty at the university add up to about 9,240 members that are separate from the student body. Gender can be observed as 10,015 male students are outnumbered by 11,338 female students. 12,763 of the undergraduate students come from an in-state residency whereas 5,428 come from out-of-state. Around 3,100 students live in on-campus residence halls and roughly another 3,100 live in the neighborhoods surrounding the college campus (“Demographic, Population & Proximity Data”). Its important to see the size of the University of Nevada, Reno in order to comprehend the type of culture present and how much it may deviate.
The livelihood that thrives on the university campus during the arid Nevadan daylight is a clear depiction of academic culture. Freshman flow out of their residence halls to attend classes and dwell with their peers while completing homework. Students fill the seats in the library to complete assignments and do research as part of their daily regime to study and work towards receiving grades that fit their taste. Students are expected to succeed independently and are left with many intellectual resources at their disposal. The Pennington Student Achievement Center, located in the middle of campus, provides daily services for students of the university. Anyone in need of assistance can make use of the math center or writing center to get advice on assignments that aren't easily completed. The student achievement center also houses counseling services, the advising center, the tutoring center, and the disabilities resource center. The college vibe is unavoidable as the university displays its personalized sense of norms and expectations.
Traditions
The one hundred and forty two year-old university has seen its fair share of decades come and go, thus developing many rich traditions. Perhaps the most prominent aspect of traditional culture is the fierce rivalry between the Wolf Pack and their Southern Nevada rivals, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas lumber jacks. Football and basketball games between the rivals are all the hype as UNR’s student section deemed the Blue Crew cheers the Wolf Pack on. Since 1970, the rivalry football game has awarded a trophy known as the Fremont Cannon to the winner of the annual match up. After a UNR victory they paint the cannon blue and display it in the football center (“Nevada Traditions”). College sports are often seen as a way to broadcast the university’s name and compete to boost the school’s reputation. Traditions and rivalries in sports are only a small bit of the practices that help define the university’s culture.
Another key tradition of the University of Nevada, Reno is homecoming week. The week in October is packed full of events to promote school spirit and welcome back alumni to the school that possesses a multitude of youthful memories for them. During the week students experience a bonfire and greek life or residential competitions to build excitement for the week’s grand finale: the annual homecoming parade and football game (“Nevada Traditions”). Alumni return to their previous university and have fun attending reunions to welcome them back. Homecoming tends to bring about a mentality of unity and community amongst the students and alumni. The week long event lends to boosting the sense of culture throughout UNR as loyalty and pride are expressed for the university.
Painting the “N” on Peavine Peak is one more University of Nevada, Reno tradition that has become a hallmark for students of the university. Every fall an assembly of spirited traditionalists hike up Peavine to the bright white letter that faces the expanse of the Truckee Meadows in order to give it a fresh paint job. The “N” is made up of rocks painted white arranged so that the huge letter can be seen from miles around. The letter is even visible from Mackay Stadium during football games adding a spirited aesthetic to the already memorable events . All of the traditions included as norms for student life bring about a longstanding sense of hospitality and appreciation for the culture of UNR.
Diversity
The mission statement of the University of Nevada, Reno depicts the general feeling of culture that is directly implemented by the institution itself. UNR’s mission statement reads: “Inspired by its land-grant foundation, the University of Nevada, Reno provides outstanding learning, discovery, and engagement programs that serve the economic, social, environmental, and cultural needs of the citizens of Nevada, the nation, and the world. The University recognizes and embraces the critical importance of diversity in preparing students for global citizenship and is committed to a culture of excellence, inclusion, and accessibility” (Mission & Core Themes). The statement claims the university prioritizes education, service, and diversity in order to create respectable global citizens. This mission statement clearly lays out the themes that are found vital to achieving the image desired by the university’s administration.
Three floors up in the Joe Crowley Student Union is The Center, dedicated to enhancing the university’s mission of recognizing diversity. The director of The Center, Blane Harding, answered some questions of diversity that give a firsthand look at what the diversity of UNR is truly like. Harding says that the university is far above above average in regards to diversity pointing out that the school has “38 to 39 percent self identified diverse students.” He made a strong point that a diverse university enhances education by saying that being around people of diverse backgrounds “enhances your ability to function when you get out of college.”
When asked of the difference between cultural and ethnic diversity, Blane Harding chimed, “Where do your ancestors come from? Thats your ethnicity. If they come from Italy you're Italian, If they come from Ireland you're Irish and so forth. Cultural diversity is just how people live: their morals, their values, their food, their music, their language. You can live any culture you want.” (Harding). He also remarked that the University of Nevada, Reno is speaking of their diversity in terms of black, latino, asian, biracial, native american, LGBTQ gay community, and first-generation college students that attend the university. The collaboration of different ethnicities coming together at the University of Nevada, Reno creates a unique learning environment that promotes open mindedness and cultural flexibility.
Harding believes that diversity adds to the culture of the University by influencing the instruction provided during courses. According to him, diversity influences how the faculty teaches and even affects the curriculum. Harding gave the example of the new Dean of Liberal Arts and her recent attempts to bring in studies that directly observe diversity in a global sense. The fact that administrative faculty continuously work to promote diversity in education is a healthy practice for both UNR and the student. The University of Nevada, Reno actually requires that all students complete a diversity course in order to graduate. Diversity is so embedded in the ideology of the university that it actually affects the school’s functionality.
The university prides itself on the diversity between ethnicities of the student population in an attempt to set the college apart from other schools with less diversification. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the state of Nevada and the University of Nevada, Reno both host a 66 percent white population. With over two thousand students being Hispanic, UNR now services almost seven and a half thousand minority students (“Student Life”). The recent leap in diversity over the last decade proves the university to be accepting of different cultures and nationalities. The fact of academics not being shrouded by negative ethnic conceptions strengthens the image and functionality of the university as a whole. Different ethnic backgrounds help enhance the university’s culture by providing a conglomeration of perspectives all merging into one unified sense of belonging.
Culture as a whole cannot be so easily pinpointed. Yes, it is easy to say that the University of Nevada, Reno has its own culture but what defines the culture as different?
The Culture
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives the word culture six different definitions that define culture as both “the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education” and “the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations” (Merriam-Webster). Each of these definitions involves the things that people learn and start to apply within their lifestyle.
If we combine the definitions of culture to the observances made upon the lifestyle within the university we can begin to form concrete conclusions to define the culture of the University of Nevada, Reno. The historical significance behind the university contributes to culture because there are many longstanding trends in the behavior and morals that have come to define UNR students. The university’s students have always been dedicated to their academic responsibilities at but also stay engaged with their fellow students creating a strong attachment to the culture. There has been a noticeable exponential growth in the quality of both facilities and faculty in recent decades. The student body’s emergence in a growing university emphasizes progress and helps boost the transfer of knowledge. The improvements all contribute to making students part of a culture of education and resourcefulness. Observances of student life at the university are possibly the clearest portrayal of what the culture is like. Students study and make friends just like at any other college, but UNR’s unique traditions set it apart. A combination of the college party scene, stress for academics, and freshman learning the ropes all make up life at the university. Community and pride characterize the culture in regards to student social life. The sizable population of UNR also contributes to certain aspects of culture. So many different people bring loads of different beliefs, knowledge, and behavior to the university, all having an effect on the general college culture. Such diversity is a key trait to the University of Nevada, Reno as the school aims to be all inclusive and bring about an ethical sense of education. Diversity is promoted as a perk of the university that helps to make a culture consisting of open-minded individuals. Overall, the culture of UNR is created from lots of different standpoints that all call the Reno campus home.
The cultural situation of college campuses across the United States all have some similarities but each one is different in its own ways. The University of Nevada, Reno contains a prized culture that adds both appeal and functionality to the city near the foothills of the northeastern Sierra Mountains. A culture of scholarly individuals, all looking to enjoy their youth while preparing for their later careers, continues to carry on the the values, behavior, and traditions that have preceded their enrollment at UNR. Regardless of your experience, the university’s culture is unavoidable as it has forged an unmistakable image in the city of Reno.
Works Cited
“Culture” Merriam-Webster, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture. Accessed 21 November 2016.
“Degrees and Programs.” University of Nevada, Reno. http://www.unr.edu/degrees. Accessed 12 December 2016.
Harding, Blane (director of The Center) in discussion with the author, November 28, 2016. “History Stats & Highlights.” University of Nevada, Reno, http://www.unr.edu/about/university- history. Accessed 21 November 2016.
Hulse, James. “The University of Nevada: A Centennial History.” U of Nevada P, 1974.
“Jot Travis Building.” University of Nevada, Reno, http://www.unr.edu/around-campus/jot-travis- building. Accessed 12 December 2016.
Kaufman, Peter. “The Sociology of College Students’ Identity Formation.” New Directions for Higher Education, vol. 3, no. 166, 2014, pp 35-42, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ 10.1002/he.20093/full. Accessed 12 December 2016.
Laverne, Marcus. “UNR Strives to Build on Recent History of Ethnic Diversification.” The Nevada Sagebrush, 29 September 2016, http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2015/09/29/ unr-strives-to-build-on-recent-history-of-ethnic-diversification/. Accessed 31 October 2016.
McDonnell, Patrick. “Campus on the Hill.” Nevada Magazine .com, 31 January 2002,
https://web.archive.org/web/20100830040811/http://www.delamare.unr.edu/CampusOnAHill/. accessed 31 October 2016.
“Mission & Core Themes.” University of Nevada, Reno, http://www.unr.edu/accreditation/ mission-and-core-themes. Accessed 21 November 2016.
“Nevada Traditions.” University of Nevada, Reno, http://www.unr.edu/student-life/nevada- traditions. Accessed 21 November 2016.
Sporn, Barbara. “Managing University Culture: an analysis of the relationship between institutional culture and management approaches.” Higher Education, vol. 32, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-61, http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/925/art. accessed 31 October 2016.
“Student Life.” U.S. News and World Report, 2016, http://colleges.usnews.
rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-nevada-2568/student-life. Accessed 21 November 2016.
Intro
Reno is a city that sparks an array of various impressions when observed by different people. One way to view the biggest little city in the world is as a university town. The University of Nevada, Reno is a defining aspect of the city, bringing youthfulness and vitality to an often run-down northern Nevada urban center. Just north across the freeway of Reno’s towering casinos and city lights lays a brick campus sprawling along the city’s vital artery of Virginia Street. As the winding front street makes its way through the university, never-ceasing construction and the bustle of students can be seen out the window of each passing car. The culture that this university brings to the wild west creates a unique environment in the city of Reno. University culture holds a combination of values, both intellectually and socially driven, that shape the future generations of college graduates and white collar workers. The University of Nevada, Reno is a research university and insists on being treated as such. With an integral history of expansion and tradition the school aims to assist students in creating accomplishments of their own. Student life at the University of Nevada reflects many commonalities with the Americanized expectation of what college is like. Various programs promote and strengthen the multiple branches of the university’s functionality, allowing students to thrive and excel in their studies and their livelihood. Throughout the university’s history, developments, lifestyle, student life, and diverse population, there is a sense of culture that encompasses and defines the University of Nevada, Reno.
History
To understand the culture of an institution such as UNR, it is imperative to first contemplate the history of the university. The University first began operating in Elko but later transitioned to the Reno campus in 1885 to seek out a center with more attention and availability. Morrill Hall, now one of the smaller functioning buildings, was the first addition to the Reno campus and was used for housing the president, teaching classes, and even contained a museum (McDonnell). As the mining rush in Nevada diminished, so did the popularity of the university; however, to this day the school has a prominent mining focus and the Mackay School of Mines holds historical prestige. The Mackay family contributed significant amounts of donations to the university and has been rewarded with the memorable sculpture of John Mackay featured prominently at the end of the Quad (“History, Stats, and Highlights”). The Quad mentioned was created by donations from the Mackay family and was designed to resemble the one to be seen on the campus of the University of Virginia (“History, Stats, and Highlights”). To this day, students can be seen enjoying the spacious greenery playing frisbee or petting the occasional pooch to carry on the leisure associated with the historical campus’s scenery.
In the early years of the University of Nevada, Reno, the college was not nearly as desirable as it is today. Enrollment was minuscule as the first graduating class comprised of three individuals received their diplomas in 1891. It’s hard to imagine what the brick campus that now sports impressive architecture and sophisticated buildings was like before it grew towards the twenty-first century university it is today. Up until the 1930’s the college supported roughly one thousand students and only grew to instruct two thousand students in 1958 (“History, Stats, and Highlights”). Life was considerably different at the university before the school became the university it is today.
Developments:
Modern developments have since added to the educational appeal of UNR. The formation of the Jot Travis Student Union in 1958 along with both the education and business colleges began initiating a steady growth in popularity and population (“Jot Travis Building”). The number of majors and courses offered at UNR has grown to over 140 major disciplines, encouraging more students of different interests to become educated at the northern Nevada university (“Degrees and Programs”). A reinvigoration of the university’s research focus has begun to emphasize water resources and arid climate studies. Students can now become involved in studies of atmospheric science, environmental engineering, ecohydrology, rangeland ecology, and renewable energy (“Degrees and Programs”). This environmental focus solidified the influence of UNR into Reno and the Northern Nevada lifestyle. Engineering has also become a dedicated focus of the University of Nevada, Reno throughout more recent years, attracting higher level intellectuals. The Laxalt Mineral Engineering Center combines the school’s emphasis in mining with state-of-the-art engineering practices capable of simulating earthquakes and conducting experiments in a shake-room. The unique Nevada Seismological Laboratory, featuring equipment that monitors the seismic activity of the western united states, is an engineering hallmark of UNR. The prestige of the engineering program holds a reputation of its own, giving the university a better name in academics. Infrastructure, developments, and faculty alike have al boomed since the long-gone origin of the university. The drastic increase of quality in both structural developments and learning opportunities led to UNR becoming a notable institution for higher education.
Modern day additions to the university campus incorporate cutting edge technology and architecture. The Joe Crowley Student Union replaced the prior Jot Travis in 2007 and created a hallmark of innovation and progress by providing UNR students with resources to make professional connections and get assistance where needed. A remarkable library coined the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center opened in 2008 and added both appeal and ability to the university’s image. The Knowledge Center is comprised of a one floor computer lab with a wide range of printing abilities and tech-support, followed by four floors of a traditional library that includes a coffee shop, quiet study rooms, endless bookshelves for research and personal interest, and plenty of desks and tables to complete work. Students can be seen in the library throughout all hours of the day completing assignments and studying for upcoming exams. Up at the northern limit of the university, state of the art medical buildings house the school’s programs for nursing and research in the medical fields. An elaborate new gymnasium is even expected to begin contributing to the students’ physical wellbeing as soon as spring of 2017. As the campus continues to expand northbound towards the bright “N” painted on Peavine Mountain’s peak, buildings continue to sprout up and add value to the University’s combined assets.
Student Life
More important than the buildings that define the campus’s growth are the students who make use of them. Student life at the university is a reflection of the lively culture created by students moving to study from primarily Las Vegas, the Bay Area, Californian cities from north to south, and of course northern Nevada locals. Reno students at the university can be characterized as friendly and helpful even on the coldest and windiest of winter days. The freshman perspective of first year college students at the University of Nevada, Reno is characterized by excitement and anticipation as the new university members adjust to new challenges involved with the college lifestyle. Freshman students at UNR commonly choose to live in on-campus dormitories located near downtown on the southern end of campus along Virginia Street. Dorm dwellers customarily eat their meals at the campus’s dining hall “The Downunder Cafe.” Students eating here can choose from a variety of food and then sit and socialize or watch television on the numerous screens. Including the Downunder Cafe, there are nine unique dining options scattered throughout the UNR campus. New students often take a month or two to transition from the ease of high school to the sometimes strenuous workload received at the university. Despite the stresses of academia there are many enjoyable offerings of things to do throughout the city of Reno and on campus. Throughout the entire student body there is a wide variety of interests; however, all university students experience an overall high quality of life.
Students often study together, eat together, or explore various modes of recreation together around the colorful campus. Groups of chattering students socialize as they meet up in social lounges and campus cafes. The social scene of colleges across America is often determined as fun-loving and sometimes even wild despite the ever-present emphasis on academics and success. Although the University of Nevada, Reno is not prioritized as a party school, groups of students venturing out in clusters are hard to miss on a Friday or Saturday evening. Greek life at the University of Nevada, Reno is nothing tremendous but could not go unnoticed. In the beginning weeks of each semester, greek life’s rush week is held allowing fraternities and sororities a chance to recruit new members. Fraternities and sororities put on and attend events throughout the school year and consequently play a major role in the community activism of UNR. Social occurrences may not be the university’s main purpose but the social scene surely contributes to how culture is perceived at UNR.
Peter Kaufman writes in “The Sociology of College Students’ Identity Formation” that “college is not an individual experience; rather, it is a social experience” (Kaufman). The statement he makes has a resounding truth behind its words. At the University of Nevada, Reno students are constantly surrounded by people in a similar situation as themselves. These students are taking the first steps towards professional careers but they are certainly not walking alone. The way students study, the resources they use, the help they receive, and the instruction they are given is all part of the unique experience of the University of Nevada, Reno. The university offers majors in over 140 disciplines and helps promote research and study throughout a wide variety of subject areas. The difficulty in analyzing the students’ culture comes when all 21,353 students (“Demographic, Population & Proximity Data”) are all grouped together as attendees of the same university.
Academics
Statistics often helps put UNR’s expansive student body into an understandable perspective. The university’s demographics include 20,956 regular time students comprised of 4,608 freshman, 3,840 sophomores, 4,040 juniors, and 5,087 seniors. A total number of 2,887 graduate students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees adds to the range of age and backgrounds in UNR’s population. The total of staff and faculty at the university add up to about 9,240 members that are separate from the student body. Gender can be observed as 10,015 male students are outnumbered by 11,338 female students. 12,763 of the undergraduate students come from an in-state residency whereas 5,428 come from out-of-state. Around 3,100 students live in on-campus residence halls and roughly another 3,100 live in the neighborhoods surrounding the college campus (“Demographic, Population & Proximity Data”). Its important to see the size of the University of Nevada, Reno in order to comprehend the type of culture present and how much it may deviate.
The livelihood that thrives on the university campus during the arid Nevadan daylight is a clear depiction of academic culture. Freshman flow out of their residence halls to attend classes and dwell with their peers while completing homework. Students fill the seats in the library to complete assignments and do research as part of their daily regime to study and work towards receiving grades that fit their taste. Students are expected to succeed independently and are left with many intellectual resources at their disposal. The Pennington Student Achievement Center, located in the middle of campus, provides daily services for students of the university. Anyone in need of assistance can make use of the math center or writing center to get advice on assignments that aren't easily completed. The student achievement center also houses counseling services, the advising center, the tutoring center, and the disabilities resource center. The college vibe is unavoidable as the university displays its personalized sense of norms and expectations.
Traditions
The one hundred and forty two year-old university has seen its fair share of decades come and go, thus developing many rich traditions. Perhaps the most prominent aspect of traditional culture is the fierce rivalry between the Wolf Pack and their Southern Nevada rivals, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas lumber jacks. Football and basketball games between the rivals are all the hype as UNR’s student section deemed the Blue Crew cheers the Wolf Pack on. Since 1970, the rivalry football game has awarded a trophy known as the Fremont Cannon to the winner of the annual match up. After a UNR victory they paint the cannon blue and display it in the football center (“Nevada Traditions”). College sports are often seen as a way to broadcast the university’s name and compete to boost the school’s reputation. Traditions and rivalries in sports are only a small bit of the practices that help define the university’s culture.
Another key tradition of the University of Nevada, Reno is homecoming week. The week in October is packed full of events to promote school spirit and welcome back alumni to the school that possesses a multitude of youthful memories for them. During the week students experience a bonfire and greek life or residential competitions to build excitement for the week’s grand finale: the annual homecoming parade and football game (“Nevada Traditions”). Alumni return to their previous university and have fun attending reunions to welcome them back. Homecoming tends to bring about a mentality of unity and community amongst the students and alumni. The week long event lends to boosting the sense of culture throughout UNR as loyalty and pride are expressed for the university.
Painting the “N” on Peavine Peak is one more University of Nevada, Reno tradition that has become a hallmark for students of the university. Every fall an assembly of spirited traditionalists hike up Peavine to the bright white letter that faces the expanse of the Truckee Meadows in order to give it a fresh paint job. The “N” is made up of rocks painted white arranged so that the huge letter can be seen from miles around. The letter is even visible from Mackay Stadium during football games adding a spirited aesthetic to the already memorable events . All of the traditions included as norms for student life bring about a longstanding sense of hospitality and appreciation for the culture of UNR.
Diversity
The mission statement of the University of Nevada, Reno depicts the general feeling of culture that is directly implemented by the institution itself. UNR’s mission statement reads: “Inspired by its land-grant foundation, the University of Nevada, Reno provides outstanding learning, discovery, and engagement programs that serve the economic, social, environmental, and cultural needs of the citizens of Nevada, the nation, and the world. The University recognizes and embraces the critical importance of diversity in preparing students for global citizenship and is committed to a culture of excellence, inclusion, and accessibility” (Mission & Core Themes). The statement claims the university prioritizes education, service, and diversity in order to create respectable global citizens. This mission statement clearly lays out the themes that are found vital to achieving the image desired by the university’s administration.
Three floors up in the Joe Crowley Student Union is The Center, dedicated to enhancing the university’s mission of recognizing diversity. The director of The Center, Blane Harding, answered some questions of diversity that give a firsthand look at what the diversity of UNR is truly like. Harding says that the university is far above above average in regards to diversity pointing out that the school has “38 to 39 percent self identified diverse students.” He made a strong point that a diverse university enhances education by saying that being around people of diverse backgrounds “enhances your ability to function when you get out of college.”
When asked of the difference between cultural and ethnic diversity, Blane Harding chimed, “Where do your ancestors come from? Thats your ethnicity. If they come from Italy you're Italian, If they come from Ireland you're Irish and so forth. Cultural diversity is just how people live: their morals, their values, their food, their music, their language. You can live any culture you want.” (Harding). He also remarked that the University of Nevada, Reno is speaking of their diversity in terms of black, latino, asian, biracial, native american, LGBTQ gay community, and first-generation college students that attend the university. The collaboration of different ethnicities coming together at the University of Nevada, Reno creates a unique learning environment that promotes open mindedness and cultural flexibility.
Harding believes that diversity adds to the culture of the University by influencing the instruction provided during courses. According to him, diversity influences how the faculty teaches and even affects the curriculum. Harding gave the example of the new Dean of Liberal Arts and her recent attempts to bring in studies that directly observe diversity in a global sense. The fact that administrative faculty continuously work to promote diversity in education is a healthy practice for both UNR and the student. The University of Nevada, Reno actually requires that all students complete a diversity course in order to graduate. Diversity is so embedded in the ideology of the university that it actually affects the school’s functionality.
The university prides itself on the diversity between ethnicities of the student population in an attempt to set the college apart from other schools with less diversification. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the state of Nevada and the University of Nevada, Reno both host a 66 percent white population. With over two thousand students being Hispanic, UNR now services almost seven and a half thousand minority students (“Student Life”). The recent leap in diversity over the last decade proves the university to be accepting of different cultures and nationalities. The fact of academics not being shrouded by negative ethnic conceptions strengthens the image and functionality of the university as a whole. Different ethnic backgrounds help enhance the university’s culture by providing a conglomeration of perspectives all merging into one unified sense of belonging.
Culture as a whole cannot be so easily pinpointed. Yes, it is easy to say that the University of Nevada, Reno has its own culture but what defines the culture as different?
The Culture
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives the word culture six different definitions that define culture as both “the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education” and “the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations” (Merriam-Webster). Each of these definitions involves the things that people learn and start to apply within their lifestyle.
If we combine the definitions of culture to the observances made upon the lifestyle within the university we can begin to form concrete conclusions to define the culture of the University of Nevada, Reno. The historical significance behind the university contributes to culture because there are many longstanding trends in the behavior and morals that have come to define UNR students. The university’s students have always been dedicated to their academic responsibilities at but also stay engaged with their fellow students creating a strong attachment to the culture. There has been a noticeable exponential growth in the quality of both facilities and faculty in recent decades. The student body’s emergence in a growing university emphasizes progress and helps boost the transfer of knowledge. The improvements all contribute to making students part of a culture of education and resourcefulness. Observances of student life at the university are possibly the clearest portrayal of what the culture is like. Students study and make friends just like at any other college, but UNR’s unique traditions set it apart. A combination of the college party scene, stress for academics, and freshman learning the ropes all make up life at the university. Community and pride characterize the culture in regards to student social life. The sizable population of UNR also contributes to certain aspects of culture. So many different people bring loads of different beliefs, knowledge, and behavior to the university, all having an effect on the general college culture. Such diversity is a key trait to the University of Nevada, Reno as the school aims to be all inclusive and bring about an ethical sense of education. Diversity is promoted as a perk of the university that helps to make a culture consisting of open-minded individuals. Overall, the culture of UNR is created from lots of different standpoints that all call the Reno campus home.
The cultural situation of college campuses across the United States all have some similarities but each one is different in its own ways. The University of Nevada, Reno contains a prized culture that adds both appeal and functionality to the city near the foothills of the northeastern Sierra Mountains. A culture of scholarly individuals, all looking to enjoy their youth while preparing for their later careers, continues to carry on the the values, behavior, and traditions that have preceded their enrollment at UNR. Regardless of your experience, the university’s culture is unavoidable as it has forged an unmistakable image in the city of Reno.
Works Cited
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