Oral history interview with Arianna Villanueva conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 13, 2024 for the UNLV Remembers: an Oral History of the 6 December 2023 Shootings project. In this interview, Secondary Education/Social Studies major Arianna Villanueva recalls the events of the day. She and her fellow Seminar II students had set up their posters for their final presentations to begin at 11:30 in the Student Union Ballroom. About 30 minutes after the poster session began, people began grouping together and whispering; they saw police outside the building, and she started receiving texts from a friend group who all happened to be off campus. They heard shots, and were told to they were going into lockdown and to gather at the back wall, but no one knew how to react in this unfamiliar setting. Students were crying; her mother called from San Diego, said the gunshots were probably police but she didn't actually know. After they heard more gunshots, they ran to the corner farthest from the entry doors. Her friend held her hand and told her to push toward the middle, to not look back, and to focus on getting out to tell the story. Suddenly, the door was kicked open; everyone screamed and hit the ground; the teacher grabbed Villanueva's arm. She recalls the officers made a tunnel down the interior staircase of the Student Union to the front (Maryland Parkway) entrance; and she heard walkie-talkies saying "bodies down." As she was descending the stairs, she started video recording on her phone. An officer told them to go as far as they could and gestured east. They didn't know where to go, so they continued as far as Dorothy Avenue and Villanueva She realized she left her backpack with her wallet, laptop, and keys in the Student Union. She walked to the Southwest Medical Center on Eastern Avenue at Harmon, where she and her friend met their rides home. Villanueva did not return to campus until the following week to get her belongings, meeting officers at the campus bus station. She saw all the abandoned items and food; "clear" written on the doors, and posters in the ballroom. She, her friend, and her cousin attended the vigil to show respect to the professors who died. She was formerly very organized and outgoing, but feels less show since the shooting. Digital audio and transcript available.
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Oral history interview with John Pellissier conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on February 24, 2025 for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Pellissier talks about growing up in Las Vegas, spending his formative years driving in the desert with his father, which grew into attending off-road races with his uncle and dirt biking with his cousins. He got involved in off-road racing as an adult, which led to him getting involved with S.N.O.R.E., where he has now spent over a decade being involved on the Board of Directors in various positions. He has been the Sergeant at Arms, Vice President, and is the current President. He speaks about the environmental impact for both racers and wildlife, and how the Bureau of Land Management has not always been supportive of desert racing. He has learned how to effectively 'lobby the hobby' and make sure that we continue to protect the environment, while still giving off-road racing a chance to thrive. He speaks about S.N.O.R.E. reaching 56 years of consistent operation as a non-profit, and how he hopes to see the group continue to grow and put on more races in the desert.
In the second interview with John Pellissier conducted by Stefani Evans and Bethany Dayton on March 24, 2025, Pellissier talks in detail about the Mint 400 race and its history and growth. The race originally ran from the Mint Hotel, into the desert, and through Moapa. After land and permit issues arose, the race was moved to be closer to the Speedrome (now Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and through Jean. While he was President of S.N.O.R.E., Pellissier and other board members did research and found that the copyright for the Mint 400, originally owned by Norm Johnson, was available, and made the decision to purchase the rights for $20,000. S.N.O.R.E. put on their first Mint 400 race in 2008, running the original track through Moapa. It was a huge success and they were able to run the race for two more years, moving to the Jean track after the first year. With the newfound success, S.N.O.R.E. was not able to keep up with what the Mint 400 now demanded, and decided to sell the copyright to Josh and Matt Martelli. He speaks about his hope for the future of the Mint 400, and says it will continue to be the biggest off-road race in North America, save the Baja 1000. Digital audio and transcript available.
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Series XXII. Social Functions
Sands Hotel and Casino
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