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Oral history interview with Jim Clinton conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on October 8, 2024 for the UNLV Remembers: an Oral History of the 6 December 2023 Shootings project. In this interview, Clinton, UNLV's Associate Vice President of Finance and Operations in the Department of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, recalls the events of December 6. He recalls being in the Foundation Building but cannot recall how the staff became aware of the shooting, because their cell phones did not work; they could neither next nor receive texts. Once he was made aware, he went to the front, secured the building, and began to account everyone. He gathered the staff into two conference rooms to make sure the team was protected and that any students had snacks and water. Eventually, police evacuated the building and sent everyone to the Thomas & Mack Center. There, Clinton saw only disorganization; no one seemed to know where to tell them to go. They decided to walk back across campus to get their cars to go home; they saw police everywhere, including some police interrogating a man who looked "out of place," but they allowed the group to continue. Those who were parked in the Cottage Grove parking structure could not access their cars, so those who had parked in Lot Y took their colleagues home. His cell phone connectivity problems meant that Clinton had not spoken to his wife until he returned home that evening. The next day, his wife helped him and his colleagues retrieve their cars and their belongings. He credits Sherandra Owen, Associate Director of IT and Facilities, for making sure the team were able to access the building and their belongings without having to go through the police. His experience with Bridge Counseling led him to reach out to his colleagues to suggest their services. In the interview, he reflects on how the events of December 6 bonded his team closer together. Digital audio and transcript available.
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Oral history interview with Jake Siazon conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 10, 2024 for the UNLV Remembers: an Oral History of the 6 December 2023 Shootings project. In this interview, Jake Siazon describes walking in his December 2023 UNLV graduation ceremony, sitting with his friends and celebrating, just two weeks after the campus shooting. Siazon recalls the morning of December 6, when his photography class was meeting for the last time in the Alta Ham Fine Arts (HFA) building near Maryland Parkway. As the first student's presentation concluded, students began receiving texts telling them of a shooting near the Student Union. They locked the doors to shelter in place. As students received texts of others being evacuated to the Thomas & Mack Center, they knew they would evacuate soon. Police came to escort them out after about three hours, telling them to leave with what they had in their hands and on their person. As they walked across the grassy mall toward Lied Library, Siazon remembered he had his camera and began taking pictures to document the moment, understanding that it was UNLV history. He captured images of students walking, SWAT, students gathering at Thomas & Mack, and the cityscape. After leaving, he realized the lot with his car was closed off, and he retraced his steps back to Tropicana and headed west down to the Excalibur Hotel, where he caught the tram to the Mandalay Bay and met his ride. He captured the city skyline and a deserted Tropicana Avenue while he walked, returning the next day to retrieve his car and his belongings from the classroom. The events of the day taught him to be patient, and that he can support those who need it. He waited to develop his film from December 6, but displayed three images from that day in a student art exhibition in March 2024. Digital audio and transcript available.
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