VagusNerveMag

THROWBACK ISSUE

what is the vagus nerve

?dj sousay

interview November 2010

Chelsea Seegers

dj sousay interview November 2010

neeksoda

Cover Shot By Kristina Fernandez

Originally, The Vagus Nerve was a literary magazine exclu-sively featuring artists ’ work. Now the Vagus Nerve is trans-forming into an art, culture, and fashion magazine featuring all types of artists such as painters, sculptors, photogra-phers, dancers, musicians, graffiti artists, and DJs. Produced by CSUN,the Vagus Nerve is specific to you because the art-ists featured are people around you. They are UNLV students. You will be able to get to know these artists, their back-ground, and the inspirations behind their work. We focus on showcasing both the artist and his or her art.

This first issue is a issue featuring artists from past issues of Vagus Nerve from '07- '09, as we progress as a magazine, we will need new artists. If you are interested in art, fashion, or culture, here is your magazine. Whether you have been anticipating our kickoff event for weeks or simply stumbled across our little publication, we encourage you to a) enjoy and b) contribute!

Produced by CSUN

THROWBACK ISSUE

what is the vagus nerve

?dj sousay

interview November 2010

Chelsea Seegers

dj sousay interview November 2010

neeksoda

Cover Shot By Kristina Fernandez

Originally, The Vagus Nerve was a literary magazine exclu-sively featuring artists ’ work. Now the Vagus Nerve is trans-forming into an art, culture, and fashion magazine featuring all types of artists such as painters, sculptors, photogra-phers, dancers, musicians, graffiti artists, and DJs. Produced by CSUN,the Vagus Nerve is specific to you because the art-ists featured are people around you. They are UNLV students. You will be able to get to know these artists, their back-ground, and the inspirations behind their work. We focus on showcasing both the artist and his or her art.

This first issue is a issue featuring artists from past issues of Vagus Nerve from '07- '09, as we progress as a magazine, we will need new artists. If you are interested in art, fashion, or culture, here is your magazine. Whether you have been anticipating our kickoff event for weeks or simply stumbled across our little publication, we encourage you to a) enjoy and b) contribute!

Produced by CSUN

Vagus Nerve Staff

join the team Go to vagusnervemag.com and select contributors on the top right corner

Publications Director Zackery Williams

Assistant/journalistChelsea Sendgraff

PhotographersKristina FernandezKatherin Miranda

Produced by CSUN

E l e c t r i c B l u rE r i c k L o p e z

NOW ACCEPTING ART & LITERARY

SUBMISSIONSSEND DIGITAL FILES OF YOUR WORK TO

[email protected]

SEARCHING FOR MUSICIANS & DANCE CREWS

SUBMIT YOUR MP3S AND VIDEOS TO

[email protected]

NOW ACCEPTING ART & LITERARY

SUBMISSIONSSEND DIGITAL FILES OF YOUR WORK TO

[email protected]

SEARCHING FOR MUSICIANS & DANCE CREWS

SUBMIT YOUR MP3S AND VIDEOS TO

[email protected]

B r i g e t t e P a l m e rf i v e f i n g e r s m u s h r o o m

B r i g e t t e P a l m e r

B r i g e t t e P a l m e rf i v e f i n g e r s m u s h r o o m

B r i g e t t e P a l m e r

Oct 21 2010Kristina FernandezKatherine Miranda &Photography by

E V E N T S

I n t e r v i e w w i t hC h e l s e a s e e g e r sD i r e c t o r o f E n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d P r o g r a m m i n g

By Chelsea Sendgraff

Thriller

1. The event offered a

free instruction of “Thriller, Halloween

goodies, and a $100 reward for the best

zombie costume.

3 . The event was “Thriller” dance party. It was a mass

teaching of Michael Jackson’s, famous

“Thriller” video. It was held October 21, 2010 in from 6:00-8:00pm in the

Student Union Ballroom.

2. over 250 people attended the event

and learned the dance. The event got

student groups and students involved; it was a great new event

to add the UNLV campus and I hope to see it done again in

the future

4. The best part of the event was doing the dance with everyone at

the end. As a former dancer, it was gratifying to see everyone doing something that I have such a pas-

sion for. Plus, it was very gratify-ing to see everyone do the dance so

well after such a short time. Lastly, it was great to see students

learn to excel in their trade. Seeing the student instructors and deejays excel in what they do, and

what they strive to do in the future.

Oct 21 2010Kristina FernandezKatherine Miranda &Photography by

E V E N T S

I n t e r v i e w w i t hC h e l s e a s e e g e r sD i r e c t o r o f E n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d P r o g r a m m i n g

Thriller

1. The event offered a

free instruction of “Thriller, Halloween

goodies, and a $100 reward for the best

zombie costume.

3 . The event was “Thriller” dance party. It was a mass

teaching of Michael Jackson’s, famous

“Thriller” video. It was held October 21, 2010 in from 6:00-8:00pm in the

Student Union Ballroom.

2. over 250 people attended the event

and learned the dance. The event got

student groups and students involved; it was a great new event

to add the UNLV campus and I hope to see it done again in

the future

4. The best part of the event was doing the dance with everyone at

the end. As a former dancer, it was gratifying to see everyone doing something that I have such a pas-

sion for. Plus, it was very gratify-ing to see everyone do the dance so

well after such a short time. Lastly, it was great to see students

learn to excel in their trade. Seeing the student instructors and deejays excel in what they do, and

what they strive to do in the future.

K i t c h e n T a b l e N u d eS t a c i B o b o

S t a c i B o b oL o o k i n g G l a s s

K i t c h e n T a b l e N u d eS t a c i B o b o

S t a c i B o b oL o o k i n g G l a s s

LURKN LURKN By Chelsea Sendgraff

Photo By Zackery Williams

You’re involved in a lot of things. What are some of your projects?

I have a couple di�erent projects going on, whatsone-wearing (explained below), whatsoneeating this is my new project, which involves social networking to have people see what other people are eating. Think of it as a social network for food. Everyone loves to take pictures from their mobile device and upload it on their twitter or facebook, I decided why not dedicate a site just for that, The Lowballers car crew, this is my side project which involve the automotive culture. Me being in loved with cars I started a car crew/club revolving being low and having nice ushed wheels. We are recognized worldwide now with the help of me being a blogger on the popular site Hella ush.com, and last but not least my own brand LURKN (explained below).

What is your favorite project? Why? The spontaneous ones.

When I have an idea I jump right into it and start creating the picture in my head. I try to do it asap before I lose the train of thought. I don’t like planned projects even though I am surrounded by it all the time. My best work comes from fucking around.

You founded the company W.O.W. (whatsonewearing.com). What is the company about? What does it provide?

W.O.W stands for WhatsOneWearing. After participat-ing in What Did you Wear threads on various forums I wanted to have a central website for people to see what other people are wearing all over the world. Kids want to be on websites and blogs now days so W.O.W is a great site for kids to have their chance to be an internet celebrity haha! It is also a great viral marketing site for companies to showcase their latest products. We already have submissions worldwide from England to Singapore and countries in between. The response has been amazing even though the site has been up for only a couple of months.

You travel a lot. What has been your favorite place to visit? Why?

It may seem I travel a lot but lets just say my gateway out of Vegas is the Internet for now. And when I do get out of the city I like to document it by taking photos as much as I can. I have been going to New York most of the time. I love that city, from the food to the culture. The human interaction there is like no other, you can be in the subway next to a thug, hipster, or a bum. It doesn’t matter everyone has to be somewhere; you can sense it all around you. I like to observe people and think of the thoughts that are running into their minds at that moment. All I have to say is if you haven’t been to New York I suggest you go and get lost in the city to experience it.

What is your goal for the future?

My LURKN brand to expand. WhatsOneEating.com to become the number 1 food porn blog. To get a Japanese girl. To travel to Japan to �nd a Japanese girl. And buy a Lexus LS430 by next year…

What is LURKN?

Just as the name states “LURKN” is my personal brand that I just started. For now it is a series of logo tee’s that will evolve into workwear inspired clothing from jackets to accessories. I want people to wear it and not afraid to get it dirty. The designs are very simple and each word & design that I create has a meaning towards it. I like attention to detail so I put emphasis the placement of logo’s.

How did you come up with it?

People all the time say that I LURK everywhere. Creepy almost haha. That’s who I am and what I do, I like to observe and think of my surroundings before I proceed to speak. The LURKN brand is everything I like and what I am interested in..

Where can people find it?

For now It is only available thru my online shop. On wheresneek.com/store. In the near future it will be carried in selected shops all over the world.

Neek“I take photos and lurk”

[email protected]

http://www.wheresneek.com

LURKN LURKN By Chelsea Sendgraff

You’re involved in a lot of things. What are some of your projects?

I have a couple di�erent projects going on, whatsone-wearing (explained below), whatsoneeating this is my new project, which involves social networking to have people see what other people are eating. Think of it as a social network for food. Everyone loves to take pictures from their mobile device and upload it on their twitter or facebook, I decided why not dedicate a site just for that, The Lowballers car crew, this is my side project which involve the automotive culture. Me being in loved with cars I started a car crew/club revolving being low and having nice ushed wheels. We are recognized worldwide now with the help of me being a blogger on the popular site Hella ush.com, and last but not least my own brand LURKN (explained below).

What is your favorite project? Why? The spontaneous ones.

When I have an idea I jump right into it and start creating the picture in my head. I try to do it asap before I lose the train of thought. I don’t like planned projects even though I am surrounded by it all the time. My best work comes from fucking around.

You founded the company W.O.W. (whatsonewearing.com). What is the company about? What does it provide?

W.O.W stands for WhatsOneWearing. After participat-ing in What Did you Wear threads on various forums I wanted to have a central website for people to see what other people are wearing all over the world. Kids want to be on websites and blogs now days so W.O.W is a great site for kids to have their chance to be an internet celebrity haha! It is also a great viral marketing site for companies to showcase their latest products. We already have submissions worldwide from England to Singapore and countries in between. The response has been amazing even though the site has been up for only a couple of months.

You travel a lot. What has been your favorite place to visit? Why?

It may seem I travel a lot but lets just say my gateway out of Vegas is the Internet for now. And when I do get out of the city I like to document it by taking photos as much as I can. I have been going to New York most of the time. I love that city, from the food to the culture. The human interaction there is like no other, you can be in the subway next to a thug, hipster, or a bum. It doesn’t matter everyone has to be somewhere; you can sense it all around you. I like to observe people and think of the thoughts that are running into their minds at that moment. All I have to say is if you haven’t been to New York I suggest you go and get lost in the city to experience it.

What is your goal for the future?

My LURKN brand to expand. WhatsOneEating.com to become the number 1 food porn blog. To get a Japanese girl. To travel to Japan to �nd a Japanese girl. And buy a Lexus LS430 by next year…

What is LURKN?

Just as the name states “LURKN” is my personal brand that I just started. For now it is a series of logo tee’s that will evolve into workwear inspired clothing from jackets to accessories. I want people to wear it and not afraid to get it dirty. The designs are very simple and each word & design that I create has a meaning towards it. I like attention to detail so I put emphasis the placement of logo’s.

How did you come up with it?

People all the time say that I LURK everywhere. Creepy almost haha. That’s who I am and what I do, I like to observe and think of my surroundings before I proceed to speak. The LURKN brand is everything I like and what I am interested in..

Where can people find it?

For now It is only available thru my online shop. On wheresneek.com/store. In the near future it will be carried in selected shops all over the world.

Neek“I take photos and lurk”

[email protected]

http://www.wheresneek.com

O p e n S p a c e sC h e l s e a M a n t l e

Dj Sousay

Hip-Hop, Rock,Pop, House and Funk

You’re a Dj for Rebel Radio? How did you get involved with the Rebel Radio?

I am the founder of UNLV Rebel Radio. Being a very involved student on campus, I always wondered why such a small percentage of the student body participated in on campus activities. A majority of the students do not know what is going on with our athletic teams. I noticed I never knew what student government (CSUN) was trying to accomplish. Greek Life life has always been the answer to help keep me involved on campus as I am a member of Sigma Alpha Mu . That being said I was thinking of a way to share my music with more people and I thought it would be awesome to start a podcast for the UNLV students, faculty, alumni, and sports fans to keep everyone in the know about the events going on around campus and stay up to day with some good music. I thought it was a win win situation for everyone. I want nothing more than to help raise the amount of "school spirit" we have at UNLV in all senses of the term.

How do you feel about being a part of Rebel Radio?

I love it! It de�nitely pushes me as a DJ. Every time I play, I want to impress my listeners by the way I am able to manipu-late di�erent songs through scratching, word play, or other turntablism techniques so I am always searching for new ways to accomplish this. I get to participate in a lot more things on campus. Last month I played at some great philanthropies including the LB3 (Lindsey Bennet Memorial) Kick O� which was incredible. Coach Kruger of the UNLV Men's Basketball team came out along with the Rebel Girls to help raise money for the community. I also played at some events for student government (CSUN) and the Intra-Fraternity Council (IFC).

What is the best part of being a Dj?

The best part of being a DJ is the exhilaration of guiding a packed dance �oor of people through their night. It is almost hard to describe in words. It is my job to set the mood and control the energy for the night. My favorite part of being a DJ is the reaction I get from a packed dance �oor when I drop a track they haven't heard in a while and I see everyone on the �oor go crazy screaming, "OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!" If I am successful in building the energy of the room up I am able to mute the track and have the entire crowd sing the chorus in unison. That feeling I get when I mute the chorus of a song everyone is going crazy screaming the words acapella to what I live for as a DJ.

What are your goals for the future?

I want to continue to improve my turntabilsm skills. Rebel Radio is growing much faster than I ever imag-ined so I am excited to see what new opportunities it will bring me. School is also very important to me and I take it very seriously. My major at UNLV is Comprehen-sive Medical Imaging. After graduation from UNLV I hope to continue on to medical school during the day while rockin' the club at night! Where can people find your mixes?

Two places! You can visit my website at www.DJSousay.com or you can go to the UNLV Rebel Radio webpage at www.UNLVRebelRadio.com.

Is there anything I missed that you would like to add?

I would like to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting me through all of my endeavors especially the UNLV Student Body, my brothers of Sigma Alpha Mu, and my family.

What is your favorite genre of music to play? Why?

I like to play all genres of music. I love it when I have the freedom to combine Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, House, and Funk all together. Unfortunately, I don't always get to do this. Depend-ing on where I am spinning that night changes what genre of music I am called on to play. My favorite way to spin is when I have the freedom to read the crowd and combine the various genres together as I see �t to get everyone at the establish-ment out on the dance �oor.

What inspires you musically?I listen to other DJs play as much as I can. DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) has hands down been my biggest inspiration. DJ AM was so innovative. In his sets you would hear classic rock songs like AC/DC seamlessly blended with hip hop with �awless scratching. What AM was able to do with two turntables still blows my mind. No one will ever sound like him. I was devastated when he passed away. AM was always getting better. He revolutionized the way people look at disc jockey's in the US. Most of the things DJs do today were made popular by AM. It seems like new technology, whether it be software or equipment comes out every week. I can't imagine what new things AM would have invented by now. AM was always paving the way for others. When I have a particularly big gig sometimes I get nervous. To help calm my nerves and get myself in the right mindset to perform, I always listen to my favorite DJ AM mixtape on my drive to work. He will always and forever be my favorite DJ. Like DJ AM always said, "Feed the soul, Starve the Ego."

What opportunities have arisen from your involve-ment with Rebel Radio?

Rebel Radio has opened up a lot of doors for me as far as DJing is concerned. We are very involved with UNLV Athletics so I was privileged enough to be asked if I would be interested in playing at some of the UNLV Basketball games. This is some-thing I have always wanted to do so I hope that this comes to fruition.

www.DjSousay.com

WebSite

www.UNLVRebelRadio.com

Dj Sousay

Hip-Hop, Rock,Pop, House and Funk

You’re a Dj for Rebel Radio? How did you get involved with the Rebel Radio?

I am the founder of UNLV Rebel Radio. Being a very involved student on campus, I always wondered why such a small percentage of the student body participated in on campus activities. A majority of the students do not know what is going on with our athletic teams. I noticed I never knew what student government (CSUN) was trying to accomplish. Greek Life life has always been the answer to help keep me involved on campus as I am a member of Sigma Alpha Mu . That being said I was thinking of a way to share my music with more people and I thought it would be awesome to start a podcast for the UNLV students, faculty, alumni, and sports fans to keep everyone in the know about the events going on around campus and stay up to day with some good music. I thought it was a win win situation for everyone. I want nothing more than to help raise the amount of "school spirit" we have at UNLV in all senses of the term.

How do you feel about being a part of Rebel Radio?

I love it! It de�nitely pushes me as a DJ. Every time I play, I want to impress my listeners by the way I am able to manipu-late di�erent songs through scratching, word play, or other turntablism techniques so I am always searching for new ways to accomplish this. I get to participate in a lot more things on campus. Last month I played at some great philanthropies including the LB3 (Lindsey Bennet Memorial) Kick O� which was incredible. Coach Kruger of the UNLV Men's Basketball team came out along with the Rebel Girls to help raise money for the community. I also played at some events for student government (CSUN) and the Intra-Fraternity Council (IFC).

What is the best part of being a Dj?

The best part of being a DJ is the exhilaration of guiding a packed dance �oor of people through their night. It is almost hard to describe in words. It is my job to set the mood and control the energy for the night. My favorite part of being a DJ is the reaction I get from a packed dance �oor when I drop a track they haven't heard in a while and I see everyone on the �oor go crazy screaming, "OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!" If I am successful in building the energy of the room up I am able to mute the track and have the entire crowd sing the chorus in unison. That feeling I get when I mute the chorus of a song everyone is going crazy screaming the words acapella to what I live for as a DJ.

What are your goals for the future?

I want to continue to improve my turntabilsm skills. Rebel Radio is growing much faster than I ever imag-ined so I am excited to see what new opportunities it will bring me. School is also very important to me and I take it very seriously. My major at UNLV is Comprehen-sive Medical Imaging. After graduation from UNLV I hope to continue on to medical school during the day while rockin' the club at night! Where can people find your mixes?

Two places! You can visit my website at www.DJSousay.com or you can go to the UNLV Rebel Radio webpage at www.UNLVRebelRadio.com.

Is there anything I missed that you would like to add?

I would like to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting me through all of my endeavors especially the UNLV Student Body, my brothers of Sigma Alpha Mu, and my family.

What is your favorite genre of music to play? Why?

I like to play all genres of music. I love it when I have the freedom to combine Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, House, and Funk all together. Unfortunately, I don't always get to do this. Depend-ing on where I am spinning that night changes what genre of music I am called on to play. My favorite way to spin is when I have the freedom to read the crowd and combine the various genres together as I see �t to get everyone at the establish-ment out on the dance �oor.

What inspires you musically?I listen to other DJs play as much as I can. DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) has hands down been my biggest inspiration. DJ AM was so innovative. In his sets you would hear classic rock songs like AC/DC seamlessly blended with hip hop with �awless scratching. What AM was able to do with two turntables still blows my mind. No one will ever sound like him. I was devastated when he passed away. AM was always getting better. He revolutionized the way people look at disc jockey's in the US. Most of the things DJs do today were made popular by AM. It seems like new technology, whether it be software or equipment comes out every week. I can't imagine what new things AM would have invented by now. AM was always paving the way for others. When I have a particularly big gig sometimes I get nervous. To help calm my nerves and get myself in the right mindset to perform, I always listen to my favorite DJ AM mixtape on my drive to work. He will always and forever be my favorite DJ. Like DJ AM always said, "Feed the soul, Starve the Ego."

What opportunities have arisen from your involve-ment with Rebel Radio?

Rebel Radio has opened up a lot of doors for me as far as DJing is concerned. We are very involved with UNLV Athletics so I was privileged enough to be asked if I would be interested in playing at some of the UNLV Basketball games. This is some-thing I have always wanted to do so I hope that this comes to fruition.

www.DjSousay.com

WebSite

www.UNLVRebelRadio.com

SODAINTERVIEW WITH

SODA Oye Mi Canto

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW ENGH

September 23 2010

what is SODA Students Organizing Diversity Activities is an exciting group responsible for the planning and implementation of programs recognizing cul-tural, heritage and awareness months. By col-laborating with various organizations and having a lively group of student members, SODA is able to host amazing events highlighting diversity to the campus community!

Meetings are every Tuesday at 5:00 in SU room 205

You are the president of SODA. What is SODA? Students Organizing Diversity Activities (SODA) is responsible for the planning and implementation of programs recogniz-ing cultural, heritage and awareness months. By collaborating with various organizations and having a lively group of student members, SODA is able to host amazing events highlighting diversity to the campus community. We are a student organization housed under and funded by the O�ce of Civic Engagement and Diversity (OCED). What is the goal of the organization? SODA works to create a space where underrepresented student communities feel connected to campus as well as to develop campus events that provide an environment condu-cive to learning and building awareness within ALL students, no matter how they identify. The organization just held the event "Oye Mi Canto/Hear my Song"? What was the goal of this event? This event was organized to recognize Latin@ Heritage Month. Going along with the title, the purpose of the program was to share the songs of our Latin@ students and the culture present within our greater Las Vegas community. We provided authentic glimpses into the culture through dance, music, spoken word, activism, and food. The goal of this program was to celebrate the Latino/a culture through spoken word, music, art, and dance. As well as to raise awareness of issues that a�ect the Latino community. An important aspect of SODA’s programs are to try to connect students to a di�erent culture that they might not be familiar with and raise awareness of struggles that the community might be facing.

Was this goal met? Yes; with over 500 attendees present, we were able to share the songs of a variety of people who identify as Latin@. Through reading the responses gathered in our program evaluation, students felt empowered after leaving the event to remain connected to their Latin@ culture and/or to get more involved at UNLV and in the community. What was offered at the event? What was the entertainment?The event included dance lessons provided by an instructor from the SRWC and live music from a local mariachi group. It also showcased a variety of other musical and traditional dance performances from a variety of Spanish speaking countries. The highlight of the event was a performance by Mark Gonzales, a Def Jam poet and activist. The event ended with delicious Salvadorean pupusas and a night full of dancing with music provided by 99.3, La Kalle. What other events does SODA hold?SODA hosts at least one program every month for the various underrepresented community that is recognized during the various times of the year. For fall, here are the two events we have coming up: Breaking the Silence! Join us for an evening with Ameri-can Sign Language Comedian Branton Stewart and a night full of discussing topics we often keep silent. 7pm in the SU Theatre on Wednesday, October 20th. Breaking the Cycle, Building a Dream. Join us for an evening with Jessica Yee, founder of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. Free food provided by NASA. 7pm in SU 208 on Thursday, November 18th. Next semester, we will host programs for Black History Month, Womyn's Herstory Month, Pride Month, and APIA Month (o�cially in May, but we recognize it in April). What are some opportunities for interested students to get involved with SODA? The best way for students to get involved with SODA is for them to attend an event we host. If you like what you experience at the event, we encourage you to join us at our meetings should you want to get more involved. Or, your help could always be much appreciated in spread-ing the word about us and inviting friends to our next event. Our Facebook group (UNLV SODA) is where we provide the most updated information to people interested in how we serve UNLV, so join today!

MICHELL OROZCO

Students Organizing Diversity Activities

Interview By Chelsea Sendgraff

SODAINTERVIEW WITH

SODA Oye Mi Canto

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW ENGH

September 23 2010

what is SODA Students Organizing Diversity Activities is an exciting group responsible for the planning and implementation of programs recognizing cul-tural, heritage and awareness months. By col-laborating with various organizations and having a lively group of student members, SODA is able to host amazing events highlighting diversity to the campus community!

Meetings are every Tuesday at 5:00 in SU room 205

You are the president of SODA. What is SODA? Students Organizing Diversity Activities (SODA) is responsible for the planning and implementation of programs recogniz-ing cultural, heritage and awareness months. By collaborating with various organizations and having a lively group of student members, SODA is able to host amazing events highlighting diversity to the campus community. We are a student organization housed under and funded by the O�ce of Civic Engagement and Diversity (OCED). What is the goal of the organization? SODA works to create a space where underrepresented student communities feel connected to campus as well as to develop campus events that provide an environment condu-cive to learning and building awareness within ALL students, no matter how they identify. The organization just held the event "Oye Mi Canto/Hear my Song"? What was the goal of this event? This event was organized to recognize Latin@ Heritage Month. Going along with the title, the purpose of the program was to share the songs of our Latin@ students and the culture present within our greater Las Vegas community. We provided authentic glimpses into the culture through dance, music, spoken word, activism, and food. The goal of this program was to celebrate the Latino/a culture through spoken word, music, art, and dance. As well as to raise awareness of issues that a�ect the Latino community. An important aspect of SODA’s programs are to try to connect students to a di�erent culture that they might not be familiar with and raise awareness of struggles that the community might be facing.

Was this goal met? Yes; with over 500 attendees present, we were able to share the songs of a variety of people who identify as Latin@. Through reading the responses gathered in our program evaluation, students felt empowered after leaving the event to remain connected to their Latin@ culture and/or to get more involved at UNLV and in the community. What was offered at the event? What was the entertainment?The event included dance lessons provided by an instructor from the SRWC and live music from a local mariachi group. It also showcased a variety of other musical and traditional dance performances from a variety of Spanish speaking countries. The highlight of the event was a performance by Mark Gonzales, a Def Jam poet and activist. The event ended with delicious Salvadorean pupusas and a night full of dancing with music provided by 99.3, La Kalle. What other events does SODA hold?SODA hosts at least one program every month for the various underrepresented community that is recognized during the various times of the year. For fall, here are the two events we have coming up: Breaking the Silence! Join us for an evening with Ameri-can Sign Language Comedian Branton Stewart and a night full of discussing topics we often keep silent. 7pm in the SU Theatre on Wednesday, October 20th. Breaking the Cycle, Building a Dream. Join us for an evening with Jessica Yee, founder of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. Free food provided by NASA. 7pm in SU 208 on Thursday, November 18th. Next semester, we will host programs for Black History Month, Womyn's Herstory Month, Pride Month, and APIA Month (o�cially in May, but we recognize it in April). What are some opportunities for interested students to get involved with SODA? The best way for students to get involved with SODA is for them to attend an event we host. If you like what you experience at the event, we encourage you to join us at our meetings should you want to get more involved. Or, your help could always be much appreciated in spread-ing the word about us and inviting friends to our next event. Our Facebook group (UNLV SODA) is where we provide the most updated information to people interested in how we serve UNLV, so join today!

MICHELL OROZCO

Students Organizing Diversity Activities

Interview By Chelsea Sendgraff

L e oK r y s t a l R a m i r e z

Vagus Nerve Staff

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Publications Director Zackery Williams

Assistant/journalistChelsea Sendgraff

PhotographersKristina FernandezKatherin Miranda

Produced by CSUN

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