Nevada Silver and Blue - University of Nevada, Reno

From the Editor
Silver
NEVADA
& Blue
Serving the households of our 50,000
University of Nevada alumni and friends.
Vol. XV, No. 3 © Copyright 2004
www.unr.edu/alumni
NEVADA SILVER & BLUE is published six times a year by
the Office of University Relations, University of Nevada.
Jones Visitor Center/108
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557-0129
775-784-4945 FAX: 775-784-1422
e-mail: silverblue@unr.edu
ADDRESS CHANGES
University of Nevada, Reno Foundation
MS162, Reno, NV 89557
775-784-1587; silverblue@unr.edu
President
John Lilley
Executive editors
John Trent • John Wheeler
Assistant to the editor
Elaine Casey
Graphic designers
Claudia Ortega-Lukas • Lucy Walker
Technical Assistant
Cathy Osterhout
Newswriters
Jean Dixon — Alumni Relations and Development;
Media Relations; Photo Editor • 784-1580 •
jdixon@adv.unr.edu
Patrick McDonnell — Education; Extended Studies;
Human and Community Sciences; Library; Students •
784-1583 • pmcdonnell@adv.unr.edu
Melanie Supersano — Agriculture, Biotechnology
and Natural Resources; Business Administration;
Engineering; Science • 784-7030 •
msupersano@adv.unr.edu
John Trent — Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural
Resources; Environment; Journalism • 784-1582 •
jtrent@adv.unr.edu
John Wheeler — Graduate School/Research; Liberal
Arts; School of Medicine • 784-1581 •
jwheeler@adv.unr.edu
Board of Regents
Mark Alden
Stavros Anthony, Chair
Marcia Bandera, Vice Chair
Dr. Jill T. Derby
Thalia M. Dondero
Douglas Roman Hill
Linda C. Howard
Dr. Thomas E. Kirkpatrick
Howard Rosenberg
Douglas R. Seastrand
Jack Lund Schofield
Steve Sisolak
Bret Whipple
Jane Nichols, Chancellor
EDITORIAL BOARD
Amy Carothers • Elaine Casey • Richard Daniel • Jean
Dixon • John Frederick • Marilyn Johnson • John Lilley •
Claudia Ortega-Lukas • John Trent • Lucy Walker • John
Wheeler
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
John Byrne • Ted Cook • Theresa Danna-Douglas •
Matt Theilen
2 Nevada Silver & Blue • March/April 2004
Saying goodbye to ‘The Hill’
This is my last issue as editor of Nevada Silver & Blue. A tremendous career
opportunity came my way in February, one that was too enticing to pass up.
Nevadans know Gov. Kenny Guinn well; perhaps not as well known is the fact that
a number of notable University of Nevada alumni, including Chief of Staff Michael
Hillerby and Press Secretary Greg Bortolin, are key players in the Guinn administration.
It will be my distinct pleasure to work with Gov. Guinn, Mike, Greg and a
number of others as Gov. Guinn heads down the homestretch of his career in
Carson City.
Leaving here is not easy, though. In many ways I grew up on this campus. My
late father, John, was a professor in the College of Education for 20 years. On many
weekends, as I was growing up, this
campus was my playground. I delivered
mock lectures in the dusty basement of
Frandsen Humanities. I chased the
geese at Manzanita Lake. I sprinted up
and down the Quad, pretend football in
my hand, imitating the hip-swiveling
moves of the great early 1970s Pack
running back, Earnie O’Leary.
As I grew older, the campus became
my home. I learned in the mid-1980s
that this wasn’t just a fun place to play;
it was a great place to learn. I never
took a class that I felt was a waste. I
never had a professor that I didn’t
admire. I like to think of myself as a
positive person; much of this is directly
related to the endless encouragement I
received from so many wonderful
professors when I was a young man,
growing up on our campus.
In 1998 I returned to the university,
joining the staff of the Office of Communications. It’s been a great place to work. I
will be forever indebted to the woman who encouraged me to join her staff, Sandy
Rogers, and the many talented writers, editors, designers, office staff and students
who have worked in our office over the past six years. In particular, I’d like to single
out Communications “alumni” Sandy, Greg, Carmen Jeschke and former NSB editor
Mike Sion; as well as current staffers Elaine Casey, John Wheeler, Jean Dixon, Pat
McDonnell, Louise Eikleberry, Melanie Supersano, Cathy Osterhout, Lucy Walker,
Claudia Ortega-Lukas, Brandon Stewart, Amanda Gango and Jennifer Sanzi for
their hard work and goodwill.
Silver & Blue has become a total team effort, and I’m indebted to all of the above
people for their enthusiastic commitment to this magazine.
It’s been a great run, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. My life will now be
focused on Carson City, but don’t be surprised if some fall afternoon you see a
balding, middle-aged man running down the middle of the Quad with a pretend
football in his hand. True success, as Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, is always in the
labor, the hope of travel and change, rather than one’s final destination. All of our
journeys never truly end; and happily for many of us, they often intersect here, on
our beautiful campus on The Hill.
— John Trent
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Nevada Silver & Blue welcomes your letters but reserves the right to edit for space and clarity. Send your comments
to NSB Editor, Jones Visitor Center/108, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0129 or e-mail: silverblue@unr.edu.
Photo by Jean Dixon