Volume 60 Issue 26

highlandernews.org

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

SPRING MUSIC FESTIVAL COVERAGE

SPRING SPLASH & COACHELLA ON PAGE 10

Highlander University

Established 1954

of

C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e

One Free Copy

[YOU]CR party sweeps ASUCR elections, but with controversy E r i c G a m b oa SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ASUCR elections have concluded with the passage of all three referenda items—ASUCR constitutional substitution, ASPB fee referendum and theater free referendum—and all 20 senate positions filled by [YOU]CR candidates. The goal of 20 percent student voting rates was exceeded with a total of 27.5 percent student participation (4693 votes). “The 27.5 percent turnout for the ASUCR elections was remarkable! It was great to witness over a quarter of the student population using their empowered voice to elect their future ASUCR representatives…We cannot be more thrilled to see a more politically active student population,” stated Elections Chair Jonathan Mansoori in an interview with the Highlander. Graduate Student Association (GSA) results, however, only witnessed 16.9 percent voter participation. Henry Huang

I r i n S o n /HIGHLANDER

UCR recognized as environmentally friendly campus Dean Mayorga CONTRIBUTING WRITER

UC Riverside has been recognized by “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition” for its green practices. The guide, which was released April 17 and includes a profile of each school’s progress in sustaining a green campus, stated that in the areas of “academics, buildings, energy and climate, food, procurement, recycling and waste management, sites, transportation, and water… [UC Riverside] is maintaining aggressive initiatives.” In total, 768 campuses were evaluated by the Princeton Review and given a score ranging from 60-99, with 83 considered a “passing” score; UC Riverside received a score of 95. Weston Lewis, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) analyst for the campus and one of the individuals responsible for the LEED

became the first GSA president to hail from UC Riverside’s Graduate School of Management. Candidates from R’Voice, Students United and independent candidates were notably absent from the results; R’Voice candidates were the only outside party to be designated as “alternates” choices, meaning that they will fill any senate vacancies that may arise. The closest margin between an R’Voice alternate and an elected [YOU]CR student was 128 votes among BCOE students. The same gap for CHASS and CNAS candidates were 433 and 206, respectively. The ASUCR constitutional substitution and ASPB fee referendum both passed with comfortable leads; the “yes” votes outnumbered the “no” votes by over 1,000 entries for these two referenda items. The ASUCR constitutional substitution will result in the restructuring of ASUCR ELECTIONS CONT’D ON PAGE 2

Report calls for more UC campus autonomy, authority to set tuition

L i n C hai /HIGHLANDER

certification, shared his reaction with the Highlander. “It was definitely a positive that we’re recognized. Now we’re really able to show our commitment to our sustainability,” stated Lewis. Lewis is currently working on trying to get more students and members of the community involved with on-campus initiatives aimed at promoting a green future. He also stated that it is his goal to have ev-

ery new building that’s constructed at UC Riverside to receive a minimum LEED rating of Silver standard. One of the achievements that the Princeton Review gave special attention to was the LEED Gold Certification that was awarded to the UC Riverside’s School of Medicine Research Building. John Cook, campus sustainability coordinator, described ENVIRON. CONT’D ON PAGE 2

I r i n S o n /HIGHLANDER

E r i c G a m b oa SENIOR STAFF WRITER

A group of top UC administrators, including UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and former UC Provost C. Judson King, have published a report calling for increased autonomy for UC campuses. The report urges the UC regents to consider

the implementation of individual campus governing boards that would be able to determine their own tuition and out-of-state student enrollment rates—decisions currently reserved for the UC Board of Regents. “[The UC] should adopt a hybrid governance model that preserves constitutionUC REPORT CONT’D ON PAGE 6

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS ALL WEEK

Soles for Souls Shoe Donation Drive 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Well - HUB 248

TUES 5/1

From Sex Trade to Legal Aid 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. HUB 302

Free Speech and Civil Disobedience 2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. INTS 1113

WED 5/2

G-Eazy 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. The Barn

FRI 5/4

Baseball vs. Cal State Northridge 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Riverside Sports Complex

FACEBOOK: UCR HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER -- TWITTER: @ UCRHIGHLANDER -- highlandernews.org

Volume 60

Issue 26

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012 ELECTIONS FROM PAGE 1

elections and governance model, which includes the implementation of a three-branch body of government and a direct voting mechanism for specific senatorial positions. The ASPB fee will seek to improve student events and entertainment (including quarterly concerts) through $10 fee increases for 2012, 2015 and 2018. The theater fee referendum, which entails a $2.50 per quarter fee to subsidize the cost of student admission to campus theater events, passed by a slimmer margin of 282 more “yes” votes. The high voter turnout for ASUCR elections was a particularly difficult feat due to a resolution passed in February that banned laptop campaigning on campus. The ban, which was enacted due to concerns that laptop campaigning unfairly pressured student voters, has prompted new controversy due to a loophole in the resolution. A video recently posted on YouTube revealed numerous [YOU]CR candidates— including those who were elected into office—engaged in laptop campaigning in front of the University Village Theater. The current version of the bill only bans laptop campaigning on campus property; since the theater is not university property, the activity does not fall under ASUCR jurisdiction. “Our commission has discussed the possibilities of resolving the loopholes found in the current elections code…We are

proposing to close physical campaigning in the future to within campus property only, more specifically within the campus loop,” stated Mansoori in an interview with the Highlander. Others have noted that the current language of the elections code is such that the laptop campaigning at the University Village should still be subject to punishment. Item 5, Section J of the ASUCR Elections Code states, “ASUCR is not responsible for campaigning that happens on the internet or off campus unless it is considered ‘negative’ campaigning, bribery or otherwise unfair or criminal.” The word, “unfair,” is being understood by some as encompassing the aforementioned laptop campaigning. “If ‘laptopping’ in areas near UCR isn’t considered unfair, then I don’t know what is...To solicit votes through laptops is unacceptable. Given that a handful of UCR students reside in areas such as the UVT, Sterling, etc., the same outcome is achieved whether the laptopping occurs on OR off-campus,” stated Kareem Shahin in an interview with the Highlander. [YOU]CR, however, was not the only party whose activities prompted complaints. According to Mansoori, the elections committee received reports about Students United candidates engaging in soliciting at the library while R’Voice candidates threatened to engage in laptop campaigning in retaliation of [YOU]CR candidates’ actions. The high turnout was also

HIGHLANDER

G o r d o n H u a n g /HIGHLANDER

notable due to rainy conditions at the beginning of the week and malfunctions with the voting server. A campus-wide announcement notified students on Monday that the server, operated by a company that ASUCR has used for nearly 10 years, was not functioning and votes could not be submitted. According to members of the elections committee, the prospect of extending the voting period was considered but then dropped since it would require senate approval at the next meeting (which was over a week away). The controversy surrounding elections committee members has continued with allegations of favoritism. The issue arose when it was revealed that [YOU]CR candidate sign-ups had not concluded until after the deadline.

Mansoori responded by emphasizing that [YOU]CR was not given special privileges and that the extension was undertaken to resolve an error regarding duplicate party sheets; Mansoori has specifically pointed out that no new candidates were added after the deadline. Nonetheless, former R’Voice candidate Kareem Shahin has insisted that Mansoori favored the [YOU]CR party through “leniency” and by socializing with members of [YOU] CR. “We do admit to talking and ‘speaking’ with [YOU]CR, but as well as to the other parties. Having a conversation with a party does not yield a miraculous vote in their favor on behalf of the elections commission,” stated Mansoori. Elections committee member and current ASUCR Senator Der-

Ban on death penalty qualifies for Nov. ballot Carrie Meng STAFF WRITER

A measure that would replace capital punishment with a life sentence without the possibility of parole has qualified for California’s November ballot. The growing number of individuals who want to repeal the state’s capital punishment law claim that the process is expensive and that execution process is too long, resulting in only a handful of executions being carried out. According to the Los Angeles Times, California has executed 13 inmates in the past 23 years and most prisoners on death row are more likely to die of old age. If the measure passes, approximately 700 California inmates would see their death sentences dropped and replaced with life terms without parole; these inmates would also be relocated from their single-cell rooms, which are more costly for the state, back to the general prison population where they would return to work. Dr. Robert Nash Parker, a sociology professor and co-director of the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies at UC Riverside, is in favor of this measure for a number of reasons. He stated that there is no credible scientific study which shows that the death penalty deters or prevents murder. Furthermore, the death penalty precludes the possibility of new evidence being presented which could potentially acquit a prisoner. “A terrible injustice has been done in many cases where the person has already been executed, but the possibility of evidence to show this was an injustice is now moot,” stated Dr. Parker in an interview with the Highlander. Dr. Parker also denounced capital punishment for the costs associated with ad-

P h o t o C o u rt es y

ministering the death penalty. “Given the barbaric nature of the penalty and the possibility of making a mistake, we have built...a process with many legal challenges and hurdles to execution built into the system—thus adding enormously to the cost,” stated Parker. A study released last year concluded that the death penalty in California costs $183 million more to administer than life without possibility of parole. The cost to taxpayers significantly increases in cases of capital punishment due to additional legal costs and special housing units provided for inmates on death row. The study found that California’s 13 executions have resulted in a $4 billion charge to taxpayers. Second-year UC Riverside student Nathaniel Coyne, who supports the new measure, feels that such costs are too high and that California should invest more in

of whyy.org

other areas such as education. “The death penalty is morally wrong and it’s costing the state money that we [don’t have],” stated Coyne in an interview with the Highlander. The message sent by California voters in the past, however, has been in favor of the death penalty. One example was voter approval to expand the array of crimes that would make individuals subject to capital punishment via the Briggs Death Penalty Initiative of 1978. In an article by the Los Angeles Times, Kent Scheidegger, the legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, stated, “The people of California have regularly voted for the death penalty by wide margins, but of course it has to be a matter of concern.” He noted, however, that the momentum and support of the new measure may mark a shift in H attitude among voters. ■

ek Roberts also came in defense of Mansoori, stating, “[Mansoori] has spoken with all parties on multiple occasions, as have [Elections Committee member Yadira Navarro] and I. Some of the conversations were friendly, and some involved the parties voicing their concerns, and us responding to those concerns.” Roberts himself was the subject of criticism after complaints were brought forth that one of Roberts’ Facebook posts was critical of R’Voice’s campaigning strategies. “As far as posting comments about my opinions, I have every right to say what I want outside of my elections commission duties. When it comes to remaining unbiased when dealing with accusations, I will do just that: remain unbiased,” stated Roberts in an H interview with the Highlander. ■ ENVIRON. FROM PAGE 1

the role of sustainability as a consideration of “social impact, environmental impact and financial impact.” These factors comprise a triple bottomline which are the basis for any awards and recognitions for green campuses. Cook has held the position of the program’s coordinator for a year and a half and stated that UC Riverside started its path toward becoming a green campus in 2003. Compared to other schools, this was a late start, but the campus has made significant strides since; in 2011 and 2012, UC Riverside was designated an American College & Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) signatory and with the honor of Summa Cum Laude. Infrastructure, food and academics are among the sectors that UC Riverside has continued to excel in. For instance, UC Riverside gets 29-32 percent of its eggs from campus operations and offers degrees in environmental studies where students can earn professional certificates in sustainable development and green building design. Cook explained the importance of sustainability by pointing out that UC Riverside’s reputation is now closely tied with being green. “[Students and faculty] want to be at a campus that has [sustainability] as a concern. It’s an ethos. It’s the same way people want to come to UCR for its diverH sity.” ■

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

3

UC to implement nation’s largest trial of HIV-prevention pills Michael Turcios CONTRIBUTING WRITER

WRITE FOR THE HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER

MEETINGS ON MONDAYS 5:15PM @ HUB 101

The California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP) of the University of California recently announced that it would participate in the largest HIV prevention pill test in the United States. The CHRP will divide $11.8 million to medical groups including three UC campuses—UC Los Angeles, UC San Francisco and UC San Diego—to help curb the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in California. “HIV has been with us for more than 30 years, and it’s time to provide some new interventions for high-risk people so they have options to protect themselves and prevent further transmission. We hope this new approach can finally help to curtail the epidemic in this state,” stated Dr. George Lemp, director of the CHRP, in a UC Newsroom article. Two of the three campus teams will be engaged in a four-year program in which they will treat uninfected individuals with the prevention pill (PrEP: pre-exposure prophylaxis with antiretroviral drugs) while infected individuals will re-

ceive innovative medicine and postinfection treatment known as TLC+. The remaining group will not be implementing the TLC+/PrEP program; instead, they will lead a pilot PrEP/TLC+ plan to target young, uninfected men of color who engage in high-risk activities. These programs will provide information to young, high-risk individuals about sexually transmitted diseases, counseling for risk-reduction and sexually transmitted infection screenings. Every group is derived from high-risk communities in California, including Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego and Long Beach. Aside from being the largest prevention pill-based program in the United States, the project also represents the first use of the PrEP treatment in California. Despite the project’s ambitious objectives, other initiatives with similar goals have not produced highly successful outcomes—a problem attributed to the failure of treated individuals to consistently take their medication. Those involved in the project, however, have noted that their study is much more broad and

differs from previous studies in several important ways. “This demonstration project provides a unique opportunity to rigorously evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of biomedical HIV prevention strategies that have shown efficacy for reducing HIV transmission but have not been tested more broadly in high-risk communities outside of the clinical trial setting,” stated Dr. Jennifer Sayles, medical director at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in an article by the UC Newsroom. The project will entail numerous partnerships and will unite the country’s leading HIV/AIDS experts. In Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health and UC Los Angeles will collaborate with AIDS Project Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and the OASIS Clinic at the Charles Drew University. Meanwhile, UC San Diego will work with the Long Beach Health and Human Services Agency, Los Angeles County-USC Rand Schrader Clinic and the San Diego HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch.

Photo Courtesy of GHT.ORG.UK

Northern California will have a role in the study through UC San Francisco (Center for AIDS Prevention Studies) and the East Bay AIDS Center at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland and Berkeley. The study mainly targets men of color who have sex with other men (MSM) and lack resources for testing and counseling. This research aims to produce positive results by decreasing infection rates and providing medication to HIV-positive

individuals. “Young MSM of color in urban California are especially vulnerable to HIV, with annual rates of new infection comparable to those in sub-Saharan Africa...With CHRP’s support, we hope to implement and evaluate promising new interventions to stem the relentless surge of HIV through our community, potentially reducing its terrible toll on young lives and its costs to our health care system,” stated Dr. Jeffrey Burack of the H East Bay Aids Center. ■

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

5

UC Davis police chief resigns amid release of critical report S a n dy V a n

STAFF WRITER

On April 19, Lieutenant Matthew Carmichael was sworn into office as the UC Davis interim police chief in succession of retired Police Chief Annette Spicuzzi. Spicuzzi resigned just a week after the release of the highly critical UC Davis task force report, which reprimanded the miscommunication within the administration and the breakdown in police protocol in response to student protests last November. Spicuzzi had remained on paid administrative leave for several months after the incident. Carmichael was sworn into office by UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, who described him as a “highly respected as a leader, adviser and innovator not only within our department and across our campus, but also throughout the law enforcement community.” Carmichael was recognized for his leadership abilities, backed by 27 years in law enforcement, and is now tasked with helping to rebuild the department’s image. In his first week as interim police chief, Carmichael presented a report which noted that the department would seek to respect campus-oriented values and promote a greater degree of professionalism. In an interview with the Highlander, UC Riverside Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval also spoke of a similar stance when the campus administration was responding to the aftermath of January’s student protests. He noted that administrators from the campus and police department alike must collaborate in “creating an environment for all individuals to express their voice in matters that are important.” Chancellor Katehi has already begun implementing changes at UC Davis in response to the task force report. One move is a shift in the police department’s home office from the vice chancellor of administrative and resource management to the office of the provost and Executive vice chancellor. The move is based on Katehi’s desire to follow the recommendations contained in the task force report which called for enacting a top-down assessment of the UCD Police Department. “The provost is our campus’s chief academic and operating officer, and this transfer will ensure that, going forward, the department will be closely aligned with our core academic mission and values,” stated Katehi in a press release. Carmichael, along with Provost Ralph Hexter, will be faced with the task of carrying out an internal affairs investigation. By analyzing a report that had been done by two outside firms, they will determine whether disciplinary ac-

tion will be taken against the individual police officers who took part in the Nov. 18 pepper spray incident last year. Carmichael and Hexter will also be part of the new senior administration office which will oversee the campus’s response to protests. The appointment of Carmichael as temporary police chief will eventually lead to a nation-wide search for a permanent position by the end of his one-year term. Carmichael has been encouraged by Katehi to apply for the permanent position, but what will largely determine whether he is suitable will be based on the implementation of new policies and whether they improve campus conditions. Reports that are still underway include a UC system-wide review of police measures in response to protests, suggestions from a senate special committee and an H internal affairs investigation. ■

P h o t o C o u rt es y

of

SACBEE. c o m

6

NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

HIGHLANDER

UC Berkeley officials call upon occupiers to leave farmland Andie Lam STAFF WRITER

In protest of plans to build a Whole Foods Market and senior housing facility on a portion of UC Berkeley-owned land, members of the Occupy movement have established numerous tent encampments on the property. On Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day), about 200 protesters marched onto the undeveloped tract of land and began to plow, de-weed and plant thousands of seeds. Gopal Dayaneni, the event organizer, stated that the “Occupy the Farm” event was to demonstrate that the land should be utilized for the benefit of the public rather than for corporate growth. UC Berkeley administrators, however, have pointed out that while there are plans to construct a senior housing facility, this facility would not be built on the farmland that the protesters are currently occupying. “The existing agricultural fields on the Gill Tract are currently, and for the foreseeable future, being used as an open-air laboratory by the students and faculty of our College of Natural UC REPORT FROM PAGE 1

al autonomy and Regental control while empowering local action and innovation. This would strengthen the UC system as a whole and enable it to maintain, and hopefully increase, access and excellence,” stated the report. UC President Mark Yudof has already expressed his disapproval of the suggestions made by the authors. “It’s like you have 10 children and each has different talents and challenges. We need a system in which each of them receives the kind of attention they need,” stated Birgeneau in an article by the Los Angeles Times. Birgeneau has insisted that campus-unique governing boards would be more informed and better equipped to make “front-line” decisions related to their respective campuses. Aside from bestowing the govern-

Resources for agricultural research,” stated an open letter by the UC Berkeley administration. The letter defended the plan, describing it as the product of a “collaborative, five-year long community engagement process” with Albany residents. “This is the last, best agricultural land in the East Bay,” stated Dayaneni in an article by The Daily Californian. “Some research happens here, but the UC has been chopping it up and selling it off through the years, and it’s now been designated for capitalism.” The Occupy the Farm event started with participants marching from the Ohlone Park in Berkeley to the location in Albany. The occupying of Gill Tract was conducted by a collaboration of protesters from Occupy Cal, Occupy Oakland and Occupy San Francisco. Although the UC Berkeley administration allowed the occupiers to remain on the land for several days, the administration has since called upon the protesters to disperse. “Our researchers need to begin planting in the very near future and we cannot allow their work to be impeded. For that reason we

are calling on the occupiers to dismantle their encampment immediately and establish a representative group to meet with UC Berkeley representatives,” stated the open letter, which also expressed the administration’s concerns with the protesters’ rationale. “We take issue with the protesters’ approach to property rights. By their logic they should be able to seize what they want if, in their minds, they have a better idea of how

to use it.” Students have previously shown interest in the land, particularly with an eye on maintaining its use for the community. In 2009, UC Berkeley alumna Anya Kamenskaya proposed the establishment of a farm that would be used to educate youth about agriculture and nutrition. Although the plan was not implemented, Kamenskaya continued to monitor the land and even assisted in organizing

the Occupy event. “The University of California is a public institution—the land is public land, so it belongs to all of us,” Kamenskaya said in an article by The Daily Californian. “Many people in the East Bay have to depend on the corporate-industrial food complex for financial reasons, but we’re dedicated to teaching them how to grow their own food so they can put it to use in H their individual communities.” ■

ing boards with the freedom to determine undergraduate tuition and out-of-state enrollment levels, the report also calls for control over graduate/professional student tuition, major construction projects, determination of certain salaries (which currently require regent approval) and campus budget decisions. The report also provides guidelines on the makeup of each campus governing board. “It is envisioned that there would be eight general members of campus boards, plus the chancellor of the campus, two student members, and involvement of faculty and staff representatives,” stated the authors, who also recommended that two UC regents would serve on each campus boards for three years before being transferred to another campus. Meetings would be held

once every two months or more frequently under special circumstances, while the number of UC regent meetings would decrease. The report concludes that the combination of regents’ presence on campus governing boards and the familiarity of general board members with each campus would allow for better decision-making at both levels. UC regents would gain a more personal understanding of each campus, thereby influencing their decisions during UC regent meetings. Meanwhile, the new authority of the general members would allow them to micromanage campuses in a way that is impossible with the current system. Some of the recommendations contained in the report, entitled, “Modernizing Governance at the University of California,” have already gained the attention of

UC regents in previous years. The prospect of differential tuition— each UC campus having different tuition rates—received a particularly cold reception when brought up during a UC Board of Regents meeting last May. The UC Commission on the Future immediately opposed the concept due to concerns regarding the plan’s potential impact on the “perceived reputation or academic quality of some campuses.” A frequent prediction made by critics of differential tuition have argued that the most prestigious UC campuses would immediately enact tuition increases—thereby limiting access and negatively influencing public perceptions of less competitive campuses. “If Riverside charges less than UCLA or Berkeley, that will be immediately transformed into a reinforce-

ment of the already existing view that UCLA and Berkeley are a more valuable place to send your children...Riverside would wound up as being among the less expensive campuses but also the least resourced,” stated Douglas E. Mitchell, interim dean and professor of the UC Riverside Graduate School of Education, in an interview with the Highlander last May. Advocates of the plan, however, have argued that individual campuses would not simply be given complete control of tuition rates. It has been suggested that the regents establish a certain tuition rate and allow campuses to charge 25 percent above or below that level. Debate over this and other issues is welcomed by the report authors, who noted that the report was intended to initiate a serious H discussion about proposals. ■

P h o t o C o u rt es y

o f daily cal . o r g

. OPINIONS .

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

On June 6th, the Supreme Court refused to strike down a California law that offers state residents reduced tuition rates at California colleges. The law’s opponents argue that the bill, which does not distinguish between lawful residents and illegal immigrants, violates a federal law that prohibits states from giving college benefits to illegal aliens on the basis of residence within a state. Unfortunately for the law’s detractors, the Supreme Court wouldn’t even hear their challenge. Lawyers for a conservative immigration-law group that backed the appeal claim that the law is patently unfair to the thousands of full-bred American high school graduates who apply to California colleges from other states each year. These students will have to pay as much as $20,00 more for college tuition than the illegal immigrants (and many other California residents) that the bill aids. Others have argued that the bill gives preferential treatment to illegal immigrants - it is just one more derivative of affirmative action, bent on taking positions away from the hard working, middle-class Caucasians who really deserve http://ulife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/rick-santorum-660x320.jpg

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

L i n h C hai /HIGHLANDER

LEG CON SCANDAL MEANS CHANGES FOR ASUCR AND STUDENT BODY It was recently revealed that two ASUCR senators, Albert Yum and Esther Hwang, failed to fulfill their responsibilities at a United States Students Association (USSA) conference earlier this quarter. The senators were not present at the majority of the workshops held at the conference, and, what’s more, they missed their opportunity to lobby for UCR. Now that the dust has settled and all parties have been given a chance to relay their side of the story, it is time to take a hard look at what this controversy means for ASUCR and the UCR student body going forward. At ASUCR’s April 18 meeting, Hwang and Yum were asked to defend their actions, a task for which neither of them seemed particularly wellequipped. Hwang, who missed UCR’s lobbying appointment because she had planned a social trip to New York for the same day, noted that the Legislative Conference (Leg Con) itself was very disorganized and that it was difficult to plan around its hectic and oft-changing schedule. One must wonder, then, why she attempted to organize an excursion to New York during the conference in the first place. Yum, meanwhile, claimed that he has long been wary of the USSA conference and that there are more important things for ASUCR to be concerned with

than the issues addressed there. Needless to say, his testimony, which students present at the meeting took as an admission that he did not think the conference was worth his time, did not help his case. It is exceedingly clear that Hwang and Yum have very little excuse for their actions, and it is more than a little disconcerting that they seem to be so set on dodging accountability. Both senators signed a contract swearing that they would attend all events at the conference and report what they learned back to the UCR community. It now appears that the former of these requirements was not completed, and there is no indication as to when or if the latter will be met. Hwang and Yum, who were supposed to be setting an example as leaders at the conference, let down the students they were there to represent. Since the controversy, Hwang has stepped down as campus organizing director and decided not to pursue another term as an ASUCR senator. Both senators face a $500 fine (a portion of the money it cost UCR to send them to the conference) for their actions. But the Leg Con controversy should not end with a simple condemnation of the senators responsible for this particular malfeasance. There are many reports that Hwang and Yum were not the

HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

editorinchief @highlandernews.org

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

Photography Editor

News Editor

Eric Gamboa

news@highlandernews.org Opinions Editor Townsend Gallinger-Scholz opinions@highlandernews.org A&E Editor

Emily Wells

Kevin Keckeisen

photo@highlandernews.org

Leena Butt, Lin Chai, Kevin Dinh, Jonathan Godoy, Wendy Montero, Wesley Ng, An Tran, Bryan Tuttle, Kirsten Voss Production Manager

Irin Son

radar@highlandernews.org Features Editor

Production Assistants

Fatima Mirza

features@highlandernews.org

Tyler Joe

Winny Woo, Bryan Tuttle, Sireena Sy, Jake Rich Business Manager

Erin Mahoney

highlanderads@ucr.edu

Supreme Court to rule on Arizona immigration law T i m R. A g u i l a r STAFF WRITER

Following final arguments this month, the Supreme Court is expected to release its decision regarding the constitutionality of Arizona’s immigration law; the ruling will come in late June, at the height of the presidential campaign. Under Arizona’s immigration law, law enforcement personnel, when detaining individuals for reasons other than immigration status, must check residency status if they have “reasonable suspicion” that the detained individual is an undocumented immigrant. Detaining an individual constitutes an arrest whether or not there is sufficient evidence to support the commission of a crime. Officers are not permitted to detain an individual based solely on appearance, which has raised concern when establishing “reasonable suspicion,” as it relates to racial profiling. The law also assigns federal immigration responsibilities to state and local law enforcement personnel. Another provision the court will decide in June is the state’s legislative authority to assume federal government’s authority for the administration and enforcement of immigration laws. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. wrote, “It is the national government that has ultimate responsibility to regulate the treatment of aliens while on American soil, because it is the nation as a whole, not any single state, that must respond to the international consequence of such treatment.” Verrilli argued that Arizona is attempting to hijack federal enforcement responsibilities. However, Arizona’s attorney Paul Clement wrote in his brief, “Arizona and its 370-mile border are a conduit for rampant illegal entries and cross-border smuggling. The public safety and economic strains that this places on Arizona and its residents have created an emergency situation…” Clement describes Arizona’s immigration laws as a collaboration between state and federal government. The Supreme Court’s decision is of great importance and will have a significant impact on South Carolina, Alabama, Florida and 13 other states that have aligned themselves with Arizona; but the court’s decision has a much greater implication that reaches far beyond Arizona’s borders and into the presidential campaign. ARIZONA CONT’D ON PAGE 8

Tech Director

Ryan Simon

Administrative Staff Asst. Photography Editor

Staff Photographers

productionmanager @highlandernews.org

Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.

Kendall Peterson

sports@highlandernews.org

Gordon Huang

There also needs to be a greater level of engagement between ASUCR and the students they represent. After the public forum portion of the April 18 meeting was concluded and angry students had said what they came to say, the vast majority of them left. Very few stuck around to listen as ASUCR senators dealt with the primary issues facing the student government that week. It is ironic, to say the least, that students should be so very concerned about the way in which senators are representing them but then show little to no interest in their regular work. There is no excuse for the way in which some senators behaved at Leg Con, but the student body can’t just castigate its leaders every time something goes wrong and then expect the system to right itself. It is our responsibility to remain engaged with ASUCR throughout the year, both because we are passionate about the future of our university and because we never want anything like this to H happen again. ■

Distribution Manager

Sports Editor

Pranav Bhakta

Chris LoCascio

only ASUCR representatives at LegCon who failed to live up to students’ expectations. There were others, apparently, who missed workshops and, ergo, violated the contract they signed prior to attending the conference. While this revelation does not lessen the gravity of Hwang and Yum’s actions, it does force us to question whether or not this problem might be bigger than it seems. The UCR student body pays for senators to attend Leg Con and conferences like it—they are there to benefit our community. The mere possibility that multiple members of ASUCR might not be taking one or some of these conferences seriously is enough to warrant a review of how our student government goes about planning their involvement with them. We need to think twice about what conferences are worth attending, who should be allowed to attend, what their expectations are going to be and how these expectations will be enforced. For their part, ASUCR has vowed that they will reexamine, in the very least, their participation in Leg Con, which some senators have discussed not even attending next year. It should be noted, however, that ensuring that an incident of this nature does not happen again is going to take more than a harsh censuring of ASUCR.

7

Kelly Mahoney

LEGAL

Contact Us Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org Editorial Office:

(951) 827-3617

Classifieds & Billing:

(951) 827-5039

The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They should be 600-800 words in length and include the author’s name and contact information. Contact editor Townsend Gallinger-Scholz at opinions@ highlandernews.org for more information.

Business Office:

(951) 827-3457 Fax:

(951) 827-7049

The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

8

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

HIGHLANDER

Facebook privacy and your professional life Toni Louie STAFF WRITER

The question of whether or not employers should be able to demand access to information on the private profiles employees create for themselves on Facebook has become an increasingly important issue for our technology-centered and highly competitive generation. A teacher’s aide in Michigan named Kimberly Hester was recently fired for a photo she posted on her Facebook. In the photo, Hester posed with her co-worker’s pants around her ankles, humorously titling the caption, “Thinking of you.” Once this photo caught the attention of one student’s parent, action was taken against her, causing school officials to react. Hester, who refused demands from the officials to give them the password to her account, was fired on this basis: “In the absence of you voluntarily granting Lewis Cass ISD administration access to you[r] Facebook page, we will assume the worst and act accordingly.” Assume the worst—this is actually pretty accurate, given the fact that most of the information on an individual’s profile can be interpreted and judged in many unique ways by many different people. Unfortunately, while evaluating an employee’s profile, it is inevitable that an employer will scan it with a type of confirmation bias—that is, subconsciously looking for any red flags and clues to confirm an unfitting candidate. By now, anyone, no matter how young, with even the slightest interest in a professional and stable career has

learned that online reputation is everything. And if Facebook opens up the possibility for other people to assume potential inadequacies about another person’s reputation, then it seems only fair to argue that Facebook is inextricably linked to a person’s career path. However, there is a moral dilemma about whether or not employers should be able to access employees’ private information by obtaining their passwords or even make it a formal requirement for employees to be friends with them on Facebook. After all, an individual can choose to make certain information private and other information public on his or her Facebook profile. This gives one the power to project a certain positive image of oneself while simultaneously eliminating the appearance of any bad quirks. For example, the unspoken rule is to use the picture of yourself wherein you are the most attractive and are having a great time surrounded by great friends in your great, wholesome life as your profile picture—not the one where you are captured lying facedown on the floor, completely obliterated and intoxicated beyond reason or control. However, in reality, the second scenario happens—a lot. And who is to say that some of our society’s best and most trusted entrepreneurs and geniuses have never behaved badly in their lives? Which leads to the next question of whether or not that occasional bad behavior even has anything to do with a person’s work ethic, intelligence, responsibility, creativity or contribution to a company. The only difference is whether or not that unpleas-

c o u rt es y o f clea n c u t m edia . c o m

ant moment is captured in a still frame and shared on the Internet, or if it remains safe in the confines of memory. So really, shameful pieces of so-called evidence of bad behavior on Facebook are just coincidental glimpses into an individual’s personal life. A Facebook profile is not a 100 percent accurate representation of a person’s abilities or lack thereof. The fascination with the notion of one’s “15 minutes of fame” in popular American culture combined with Facebook’s powerful tools give every individual a chance

to create a virtual shrine to him or herself. This is why glorifying signs as well as incriminating signs of a person’s eligibility as a good employee on Facebook are both total illusions. To demand access to these illusions and use them to determine whether or not an individual deserves any further opportunity for advancement is absurd, not to mention unfair. The clearest indicators of an employee’s motivations and skill sets will surface in the H workplace, not a Facebook profile. ■

The US needs to buckle down on the war in Afghanistan Anthony

de

Alwis

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The war in Afghanistan is the longest war in U.S. history. After 11 years of occupation, the war with the Taliban, a war of attrition with an enemy that has no timetable and more importantly the will to keep fighting, still rages on. The problems in Afghanistan are numerous and complex, but the main issues are the impotency of the Afghan government and the lawlessness of the region between Pakistan and Afghanistan that is the Taliban’s stronghold. After the swift defeat of the Taliban in 2001, the coalition hoped to create a functioning democracy in the country. Hamid Karzai was appointed as an interim leader and then eventually won the presidency

in 2004. In the years since his election, Karzai has been unable to secure power in his country, and corruption has become rampant on every level. Corruption is one of the primary problems facing the country right now. On the local level, officials won’t even provide services without bribes. The U.S. has tried to root out corruption to no avail, and as long it exists the government loses all legitimacy. Due to the corruption, the government lacks the power to control the country and govern effectively, an ability that is especially vital in a country where tribalism is the law of the land. While battling corruption is essential to the health and influence of government, providing security for the people is the most impor-

ARIZONA CONT’D FROM PAGE 7

At a recent fundraiser in Florida, Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney said, “We have to get Hispanic voters to vote for our party,” recognizing that a huge percentage of Hispanic voters are supporting President Obama. Failure to do so “spells doom for us,” said Romney as he suggested a “Republican DREAM Act” to woo Hispanics. A court’s decision to uphold Arizona’s immigration law will make Romney’s efforts extremely difficult when considering Republican leadership’s opposition to the DREAM Act in the recent past. Last year the Supreme Court voted 5-3, with one recusal, to pass a separate Arizona provision allowing for the suspension and revocation of an employer’s business license for knowingly employing an undocumented immigrant. This has caused some experts to believe the Supreme Court may rule in Arizona’s favor. However, the court simply ruled that the states have authority over a state business and employer, not an undocumented immigrant; their ruling in this instance silently respects the lines of authority, a matter to be

tant issue. The Taliban wasn’t truly defeated in 2001; they were merely pushed out of Kabul and into the lawless region of Waziristan. There the Taliban set up its stronghold, a place where its members recuperate from battle and fund their insurgency, largely through poppy trade. The US has used drones in the region to kill Taliban leaders, but it has only helped destabilize Pakistan by causing protests and extreme animosity toward the government. Pakistan plays a key role, if not the most important role, in our exit strategy from Afghanistan. Pakistani intelligence has always seen the Taliban as an asset to consolidating power in Afghanistan. They fear that if they do not back the Taliban they could lose a foothold in

decided in the Arizona case. During Justice Scalia’s response to the government’s oral arguments, he said, “Perhaps Congress never expected that the states would have to resort to such massive measures, and they probably wouldn’t have if the law had been uniformly enforced and vigorously enforced, right?” However political his statement, it fails to acknowledge that more undocumented immigrants have been deported under the current administration than during either of the Bush Administrations. Another consideration affecting the Supreme Court’s decision is Justice Elena Kagan’s recusal of herself—the result of a conflict created by her former position as US Solicitor General. This gives the conservative court a 5-3 advantage in the Arizona case. If the vote returns a 4-4 tie, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, striking down Arizona’s law, will be upheld. This might create a political opportunity for Romney, since a decision upholding Arizona’s immigration law would solidify the Hispanic vote in Obama’s favor and greatly disadvantage Romney’s hopes of

Afghanistan, which will allow India to gain influence in the region. The U.S. needs to put pressure on and convince the government of Pakistan that it is in their interest to allow the U.S. to wage war in the tribal region. We cannot rely on the Pakistan military to fight in the region; that was evident in 2004 when they waged war against the Taliban in the region and lost. In the end, they paid off the Taliban to lay down arms and sign a peace deal. If we cannot shut down the Taliban’s stronghold, we cannot win the war in Afghanistan. To many Americans, the war in Afghanistan is a lost cause, and, in its current form, it is. The counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy put in place by General David Petraeus is ineffective without a function-

“wooing” the Hispanic vote with a Republican DREAM Act. The court is likely to confirm Arizona’s right to question and reasonably detain an individual for the purpose of confirming residency and reporting undocumented immigrants to immigration authorities. However, given the clearly defined jurisdictional lines of authority, the court will have difficulty not confirming the federal government’s authority over immigration matters in the absence of legislative authority. Immigration issues are complex, political and controversial. Unfortunately, until comprehensive immigration legislation is approved, the Arizona law is only another saga in the ongoing immigration wars that have polarized our leaders and its citizens, resulting in a bevy of legislation intended to circumvent existing laws. Immigration will not be fixed in the courts, and the laws that now exist have done nothing to introduce sanity to the issues surrounding immigration. But this conversation cannot be had until a moratorium calms the fear, hate and deri-

ing government and the shutting down of the Taliban’s stronghold. The current administration hopes trilateral peace talks with the Taliban, the U.S. and the Afghan government will help end this ongoing conflict, but they won’t. Negotiating with terrorists is not the answer, and neither is “cut and run.” We need to double down in Afghanistan—increase special ops missions and predator attacks in the tribal region and beat the Taliban into submission. If we lose in Afghanistan, the Afghan government will crumble and the Taliban will soon be back in power. That will inevitably lead to further destabilizing of Pakistan, and neither the U.S. nor the world can afford to have a failed state in a country with H nuclear weapons. ■

sive, condemning rhetoric that undermine the sensibility required to bring this great nation together in search of solutions and not violence. Undocumented immigrants are not illegal aliens or dirty, filthy criminals looking for a hand out; they are hard working people looking for opportunity. There is only shame in our failure to recognize college graduates, military personnel and American born children as citizens. Last month, hate and fear killed two human beings in the desert near the town of Eloy in Southern Arizona. An unknown number of men wearing camouflage clothing and carrying rifles carried out this murder. Is this the way of progress? Arizona has passed legislation creating “Arizona’s Specials Missions Unit,” a 300 volunteer armed militia to patrol the border. This shoot-first vigilante attitude violates every decent human concept known to mankind. Arizona’s law and the Supreme Court’s decision will decide nothing and do nothing but bring more violence and division in a matter that requires humanity and understanding. When will H the condemnation and killing stop? ■

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

9

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Gordon Huang/HIGHLANDER

10

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Poised to be the West Coast’s knight in shining armor, Kendrick Lamar delivered his first performance at UCR on Saturday night. This year could also mean another first for Lamar; the release of his debut album. With Dr. Dre behind him, it seems that there is a lot of great music to come and a lot of pressure on the young artist. In an interview with the Highlander, Lamar speaks about his growth as an artist, his new single “The Recipe,” and what the future holds.

INTERVIEW W

/ TH

KENDRICK LAMAR D e an Mayo rg a, Contribu ting Writer B r yan Tut t l e, Photogra pher

Highlander: You’re fresh off the Coachella Music Festival. Before that you were on the Club Paradise tour with Drake. What is it like to return back to a more humbled size audience such as tonight? Kendrick Lamar: I mean, it’s the same thing. Just want to bring the same type of energy that I [brought] to [those] shows. I like smaller venues, actually. You know? It’s more intimate. I can look people dead in their eye. Like…20,000 [people] Drake’s pulling in and you can’t really see the people in their face. Highlander: Do you feel like your skills as a performer have improved in these past few months? KL: Definitely. Every show. Highlander: What song do you like to perform the most? KL: The song I like to perform the most would probably have to be “A.D.H.D.” Right now it’s “The Recipe!”“The Recipe” got a whole lot of energy. I always go back and forth. Highlander: J. Cole performed here about two years ago and he was pretty much in the situation that you’re in now (ready to release his debut album). Given his recent success, what are you hoping your album achieves for you? KL: I just hope it achieves—getting my message I’m trying to get across, really. And my whole story and the stories of the people in my city. “Good kid, mad city;” that’s our story. Highlander: That’s not the certified title though (for the album)? KL: It’s not certified. It’s just…when I say “good kid, mad city” that’s the a.k.a. for me and people who I grew up with trying to escape the influences and even [those] involved in the influences. I want that to get across as much as possible as

well as our sound to see…you know, when the whole coast and the world hear this…let them know that it’s a new thing that’s going on that we’re starting. I’m sure they will follow. Highlander: Can you give any insight as to the subject matter of your album? KL: I don’t want to because I’d be giving it away. Highlander: I have a feeling that it’s a concept album. KL: Oh, every time; I’ll give you that. I’ll give you that. Highlander: Because “Section.80” was kind of a concept album. KL: Yeah, “Section.80” was a kind of a concept album. [They’re] two completely different albums though. A lot of people will be like, “it’s going to be better than ‘Section.80.’” I can’t…I don’t like saying it’s going to be better. It’s my best work but [they’re] two completely different things. I don’t like comparing what I’m doing now to “Section.80.” I want to keep elevating and challenging myself. Highlander: Is it true that the song“HiiiPower” was inspired by past conversations with Ab-Soul? KL: Punch, actually; the president of the company. We were on the plane talking. When it came about I started writing immediately on the plane because a lot of these people that we hear about all the time in our schooling, we don’t get the proper teaching on them. You just hear their names in the air but you don’t actually know what they’ve done for us today. Highlander: A lot people have said that Black Hippy is the new N.W.A. Going with that notion, which N.W.A. member correlates with his respective Blacky Hippy member? KL: Of course I’d be Easy (laughs). Compton.

HIGHLANDER [Jay] Rock would fasho be either Ren or Cube just off the raw delivery. Damn, no. Matter of fact, [Schoolboy] Q would be Ren. Rock would be Cube. I guess [Ab] Soul would have to be Dre; the mastermind behind everything. And I’d be the spokesperson. That’s actually a good analogy to that. I should just start putting that in my interviews and saying that on Twitter. That’s tight. I’m going to make sure I give you some percentage on that. Highlander: I’m glad you like it. Okay, so let’s talk about your most recent music to surface. You have “Cartoon and Cereal”and“The Recipe.” You’ve mentioned your hopes for a video for “Cartoon and Cereal,” have you gotten a chance to make that happen? KL: Nah I haven’t. Not yet, not yet. I’m actually talking to a few cats. Highlander: Secondly, I hear the “The Recipe” is actually a song you’ve been sitting on for about six months. What took so long to get that out to the public? KL: I don’t really think it took long. I think it was just the process of us doing a whole lot of records after that. Highlander: I know you’re all about timing. KL: Yeah. I know a lot of people feel like “Oh, he’s with Dre. He ain’t going to put no music out”. Well there you have it. The album is definitely coming (laughs). Dre’s trying to get it off faster than I am. I’m like, “hold up, I need this.” I need to get this right. He understands it. Highlander: I heard you’re almost pretty much set. If you wanted to go you could. KL: Yeah I can. Highlander: Okay, so the lyrics to “The Recipe:” “women, weed and weather” seem to echo Biggie’s “Goin Back to Cali” when he says: “Going back to Cali, strictly for the weather— KL: —“women and the weed”. Highlander: Is that a correlation? KL: Yeah, it definitely is. It definitely is. I mean, I was just inspired by everybody always coming to our town and talking about how beautiful our women [are]. You know, we got the best sticky. I feel like it’s only right that we continue to represent that rather than these people coming out here, always talking about it and putting it in their songs. This is our coast and we got to continue to bless it like that. Highlander: So there are a lot of temptations that come with the life of a college student. I’m sure the same can be said for the life of an artist. Do you have any advice for people trying to maintain sobriety? I know you have songs like “H.O.C.” KL: Man, shit. I don’t man, that’s the toughest thing to do. When I made “H.O.C.” that was me reflecting on the first time I had got high with the homies. I was telling them that I don’t smoke but I [had] constantly seen them smoking so I wanted to do it. So I guess the best thing to do is not try to be around as many people doing it. ‘Cause when you [are] around people doing it that’s when temptation happens. I know Eminem personally; he said that he don’t want to be around that—if someone is across the room smoking he has to get out the room. If someone’s across the room drinking he has to get out the room. ‘Cause he don’t want to go back to that fucked up mind state [that] he was in when he was getting high and shit, trying to calm his nerves. Highlander: So just try to stay away from it. H KL: Yeah, that’s the only way. ■

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

Musiq Soulchild is far from a new act. His career spans over a decade and he has an array of genre-blending hits in his repertoire. With his focus as an artist changing and a new book in the works, Musiq sat down with the Highlander just before his performance to share the experience that he’s picked up along the way.

INTERVIEW W

/ TH

MUSIQ SOULC HILD D e an Mayorga , Contribu ting Writer G o rd o n H u ang, Photogra pher

Highlander: R & B, soul; these are genres that have been around for a fairly long time. How is it that artists such as you are able to reinvent these genres and make new meaning of them for each passing generation? Musiq Soulchild: I don’t think it’s about reinventing anything. I just do what feels right to me—however, realistically speaking, within the parameters of what the record label will allow to come out. There is a lot to me that a lot of people have yet to even still be exposed to that I feel has been a great contribution to the legacy what we call soul music and R & B music. Me, personally, my mind is not “how can I reinvent this and how can I revamp that.” I don’t think that way. I just do my best to be consistent and it depends on how much support I get from you guys. Highlander: So I hear that you’re making a transition more into a songwriter and producer. MS: That’s something that I’ve always done. It just always hasn’t been honored and supported. Now, I’m taking matters in my own hands. I need for people to understand that this is what I do. Rather than artists coming to me and they say “Yo, I need you to do a feature,” it’s like, that’s cool, I don’t mind doing a feature but I would much rather help you with the writing. I would much rather help you with the music production because I have a lot of ideas that [are] in the vein that you’re going—I know what that’s about. Highlander: Who are some artists you’ve been working with? Producing for? Writing for? MS: Recently I was working with Bow Wow; we did a couple of songs. I’m working with Chrisette Michele. I’m working with an artist, her name is Avery Sunshine. She’s a wonderful artist. A few others. I don’t like to mention them because you never know how things are going to go. “I thought you said you were working with so and so.”Politics. Highlander: Can you name any instruments you know how to play? MS:I mess around. I’m not really fluent in any instrument but I can get to wherever I need to get to. But I’m better at articulating my ideas to musicians. I find camaraderie with musicians because they understand where

I’m going… I need to focus though. I need to focus and really learn an instrument and be able to play at least one of them fluently. Highlander: Do you feel like once you learn an instrument it will broaden your view on music? MS: Not necessarily. George Clinton once said to me that “it’s awesome that you have an understanding and an appreciation and an affinity for music without all the technical stuff because that stuff can mess you up, really. If you’re not careful. You already know what you need to know—everything else will just come.” And I was like “Wow, that’s pretty profound coming from you, dude.” And he knows all of that stuff. And he comes from that stuff and he had to go in the opposite direction in order to accomplish what he’s accomplished. People he’s on stage with; they’re geniuses musically. Their ability and dexterity is phenomenal but they don’t really depend on that. They depend on feel. That’s the whole Funk philosophy: it’s a feeling thing. You can’t measure it; it just is. You either get it or you don’t. No one can teach you that and that, I think, is the ultimate goal that every musician is hoping to achieve; that limitlessness like there are no boundaries. Highlander: Lastly, I heard that you’re writing a book pertaining to love and relationships. MS: Yea, it’s called “143: Love According to Musiq.” 143 stands for “I love you” for those who don’t know. One is “I”, four for “love” and three for “you.” Highlander: College is a breeding ground for all types of love and relationships— MS: —yeah it is! Highlander: What is your advice for college students? MS: Wait! [laughs]. That’s my advice. Just chill! I know it’s all “fun and games,” you feel like you in love, you want to get married and everything—just chill! Wait a minute. You don’t even know what you want to do with your life first. Now you want to figure out what you want to do with somebody else’s life. Just chill, man. I know you [are] feeling all of these new feelings and it’s the best thing ever. Whatever man. Trust me. Just give it like five, 10 years. Your H whole perspective on life is going to change. ■

11

12

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Death is an interesting thing. We assume that once something dies, it is never coming back to life and we must accept its passing as ultimate. For a music festival to challenge this very notion is unusual if not downright inappropriate, but that’s exactly what Coachella 2012 challenged us to do. It’s been a well-known fact for years that Coachella’s primary goal as a festival is to reunite legendary acts for exclusive performances. They’ve done it time and time again, with the likes of Rage Against the Machine, The Pixies, Iggy & The Stooges, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Pavement and more. By now, it should hardly come as a surprise when Coachella reunites the artists you’d least expect to return to the stage, but those they choose always do. 2012’s edition of the festival was arguably their most reunion-oriented event to date, listing high-profile performances from long dormant artists like Dr. Dre, At the Drive-In, Pulp, Refused, Jeff Mangum, fIREHOSE and Company Flow. Rounded out with current figures like Radiohead, Bon Iver, The Black Keys, and Justice, as well as rising artists like Yuck, Le Butcherettes and Suedehead, this year’s lineup made for the greatest Coachella in the festival’s 13-year history. Of the over 130 artists who performed each weekend, four particular performances stood out in capturing the spirit of Coachella 2012.

LIFE

LIFE, DEATH &

For many of the bands getting back together for Coachella, it was a matter of building bridges and patching up old differences. For Jeff Mangum, it was a matter of leading him out of the cave he’d been hiding in for the past decade. Arguably the most mysterious man in music, Mangum’s public persona is nonexistent. No interviews, few photos and even fewer performances. The multiple announcements over the house PA prior to his performance, asking the crowd to not take photos or video of the performance, served to reinforce this notion. Once Neutral Milk Hotel’s primary member did take the stage, with only a chair and a few acoustic guitars, a hush fell over the crowd. It was as if thousands of people suddenly saw a unicorn. The emotional command Mangum, a mere mortal, could wield over the crowd was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Almost as captivating as his performance was the realization that this person, whose music many of us had been singing along to in solitude for a decade, was an actual human being. When a member of the crowd collapsed to heat stroke, Mangum dropped his guitar, hopped off stage and checked to make sure she was ok. Each time someone yelled “I love you, Jeff,” or “Thanks for coming back,” he responded with thanks. For an hour that weekend, Coachella didn’t feel like a giant festival filled with fancy lights, huge barriers and rockstars, but an intimate, communal gathering of equals. Mangum made clear his gratitude that so many people showed interest in hearing songs he wrote so long ago, and in the form they were written—with just he and his grandfather’s guitar. The audience expressed theirs when they sang along at the tops of their lungs to “Holland, 1945,” “The King of Carrot Flowers,” “Two Headed Boy” and the many others he performed from Neutral Milk Hotel’s classic album “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.” There was just something special about joining the crowd in belting out the lyrics, “But for now we are young / Let us lay in the sun / And count every beautiful thing we can see” that day. Some songs just seem like they were written for you at that very moment, and I think the entire crowd felt the same way. At sunset on the second day of Coachella, Mangum breathed life into a festival otherwise propped up by expensive effects and stage props. His sole acoustic guitar, accented by french horn, trumpet and cello cameos, completed by the chorus of our voices, filled the desert sky with an emotional performance that rivaled anything the festival saw all weekend.

COACHELLA

BY CHRIS LOCASCIO, SENIOR STAFF WRITER PHOTOS BY CHRIS LOCASCIO

HIGHLANDER

DEATH When it comes to summing up punk in the 1990s, there are two bands that immediately come to mind. At the Drive-In and Refused, while coming from completely separate spheres of the punk world, and different parts of the real world, fostered risk-taking and the avantgarde in the then stagnant scene. Neither band having played live in at least 10 years, it was hardly surprising to see how well their music held up over time. Refused’s closing performance on day one was arguably the most wild and electric of the weekend. As soon as the intro to “Worms of the Senses / Faculties of the Skull” blasted across Coachella’s grounds, the festival transformed into the strangest, most massive lovechild of a hardcore show and stadium-rock spectacle. Thankfully, it worked, and Refused were finally able to do 1998’s landmark album “The Shape of Punk to Come” justice. It was inevitable that the band whose last American show took place in a New York basement to 45 people in 1998 would find a few growing pains in the jump to thousands in a huge festival environment, but the punk energy and vibrancy of their performance shook the dirt from the outdoor stage out beyond the distant Sahara tent. Anthems “New Noise” and “Rather Be Dead” sent even the least punk members of the crowded mass into a frenzy filled with dancing, pogoing, moshing and crowd-surfing—all appropriate for a diverse setting like Coachella. When the band split in 2001, the divide between At the Drive-In’s halves, which resulted in the formation of The Mars Volta and Sparta, seemed as far and wide as that of Morrissey and Johnny Marr. But unlike their attempts with the Smiths, Coachella successfully reunited El Paso’s finest (who, coincidentally, was the first band to ever play the festival back in 1999). A sharp contrast with Refused, who seemed as fresh as they did in 1998, there was something different about At the Drive-In. From the first shake of the maracas on opener “Arcarsenal” until the band walked offstage, the set was non-stop fun. But the band’s members had noticeably aged, as did their performance. Instead of jumping and flailing around, guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López played with a general lack of enthusiasm, almost as though he were watching the rest of the band perform. As great as it was to relive high school memories during our favorite songs from “Relationship of Command” and “In/Casino/ Out,” the performance was a little “older” than I’d always pictured it. Luckily, “maturity” never got to vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s eccentric dance moves nor his jokes. Some things never change.

REBIRTH Kicking off only a few weeks after Easter, it seems almost appropriate for Coachella to wield its powers of resurrection to bring back long gone but not forgotten artists. But beyond the spectacle of Denis Lyxzén’s pent up release of punk fury or Jeff Mangum’s simple and celebratory stripped-down set of Neutral Milk songs was a literal resurrection on its own. Having braved the chaos of an At the Drive-In set (which I largely spent lifting exhausted crowd members from the thick of the pit to crowd surf to safety) I positioned myself front-and-center for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. It was the perfect perspective to catch two artists I’ve enjoyed listening to since childhood. The memories of playground competitions of who could recite the lyrics to “Forgot About Dre” most quickly and accurately came rushing back, and when Eminem rose from the stage and burst into “Nowadays everybody wanna talk...” I sure as hell rapped along. But Coachella truly showed its colors when two electric generators descended from the rafters, bearing a slanted piece of glass between them. After Dre and Snoop performed a truncated rendition of “California Love,” against the backdrop of the Los Angeles skyline, the lights shut off, thunder roared and the generators lit up. Then, following an already impressive list of guest appearances by Kurupt, Warren G, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Eminem, the one (and only?) 2Pac rose from the stage, rocking his gold chain, baggy white pants, and glowing faintly purple. As fascinating as it was to watch an extremely detailed computer-generated hologram of the deceased Tupac Shakur onstage, I couldn’t help but wonder the implications of this performance. Dr. Dre got permission from Shakur’s mother to use his likeness, and even donated money to his charity. But where do we go from here? Can music handle these sorts of holographic performances with regularity, or will Tupac’s appearance be an isolated event? Talks of a tour and a fake Coachella poster complete with an exclusively hologram lineup which has gone viral add fuel to the fire of the possibility it could catch on. Imagine the amount of money a Bea-

tles tour would generate with holographic likenesses of John and George. How many stadiums could a hologram of Freddie Mercury or Kurt Cobain pack? 2Pac’s performance at Coachella raises several important questions about live music in the 21st century. For the first time, the technology to display three-dimensional likenesses of human beings is not relegated to just “Star Wars.” It is clear that we now can embrace this hologram and do just about anything we like with it. There’s no doubt that I enjoyed seeing 2Pac onstage. It was a surreal experience to see the lifelike figure of a long-dead artist rise (literally) from the ground and address the Coachella crowd, then burst into two songs. When Snoop joined him onstage to perform “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” together, it was clear that even Tupac’s physical dimensions were accurate. I then started to ask myself whether this is really the right thing to do. Are we, by enjoying this entirely manufactured representation of a deceased artist, in any way dishonoring his life, or are we doing the opposite? With the advent of this technology and the potential it has to create lifelike performances of lifeless artists, one could make the case that we do a disservice to the individual’s legacy by reanimating their likeness and nearly treating it as real. Tupac addressed Coachella, but they weren’t his own words. Engineers created his movements. None of what he said or did on stage was of Tupac Shakur’s actual design. An individual’s identity no longer has to die along with their body, nor does the control over it. Coachella has once again raised the bar for music festivals across the world. It’s managed to reunite bands that everyone (band members included) thought would never play together again. This year, they took it a step further, and pushed the boundaries of what a “live” performance really is. They’ve presented the world with the question: does an artist need to be alive to perform live? But aside from the spectacle and philosophical questioning, I’m sure the hundreds of thousands of attendees lucky enough to enjoy one of the two weekends of Coachella 2012 will agree with me when I say, I’ll be H damned if it wasn’t a good time. ■

13

16

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

HIGHLANDER

g n i r spplash s 2 0 1 2 W r it e r

, Staff T o n i L o u ie P h o t o g r a p h e r t t le , B r y a n Tu

A

warm yet breezy Saturday afternoon welcomed UC Riverside’s annual Spring Splash concert. The first sights after the entrance were a few pieces of innovative and eco-friendly art made from disposable and recyclable materials. A life-size bear stood covered in what seemed like strips of receipts and plastic bags. A few steps past that led to many different graffiti artists in action, spraying colorful images upon the large wooden boards set up around campus. The art was plentiful and diverse; some were inspired by hip-hop elements while others were more naturebased. Next to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf were the cherished food trucks providing concertgoers with snacks and refreshments. Choices included everything from Korean barbeque to crepes. Lined up on the sides of the field were student organizations and clubs offering snacks and refreshments as well. Excited students walked around with pearl milk tea, hot dogs, and free frisbees and sunglasses courtesy of ASPB. Before attending the actual concert, spectators could enjoy the giant Ferris wheel set up outside Rivera Library, or even become works of art themselves by the hands of skilled body painters. When the concert began at 2 p.m., people were already flocking to the stage, laughing, and dancing under the hot April sun. Los Angeles band Capital Cities kicked off the concert with surprising style and energy. A band composed of fun, eccentric men and a lead singer with a full beard stood before students with a laid-back confidence that gained the audience’s trust. Their music was a heavenly combination of retro sounds reminiscent of The Beatles, feel-good jazz and even a little dub step. Matthew Schnarr, a third-year Creative Writing student described Capital Cities’ sound as “pop music that’s ironic.” He explained by accounting for their pop style with their beat structure, which was uncomplex and overdone by many other musicians. They were ironic, however, because members of the band wore dress shoes clashed with casual polo shirts; they were not hipsters but nevertheless “influenced by the hipster direction taken by popular culture”. Smoke filled the air as eyes closed and bodies swayed to the band’s music. As

they left, grateful clapping rewarded their performance, and frenzied shouting began to accumulate for the next guest. The second guest, Musiq Soulchild, strutted on stage in aviators, a slick vest over a white shirt, and a confidence that was all his own. The moment he opened his mouth to showcase amazing vocals that were no less promising than the ones in his recorded work, the crowd was ecstatic. Voices roared back from the audience when many fans began singing along to his hit songs. Musiq’s flexibility and creativity with his voice included travelling along and hitting impressive points in falsetto and even the mastery of rap without the need for any auto tune or special effects. His face twisted into sincere expressions of raw emotion as his music permeated throughout the field, creating a soothing and unifying vibe. Following Musiq Soulchild’s unforgettable performance, the third and final artist, Kendrick Lamar, exploded onto the stage, adorned in yellow gold accessories, rocking 1920s circle glasses, a t-shirt and army pants. Lamar was the only artist who did not use the aid of a live

band; one DJ stood alone behind Lamar at his every cue, beck and call. The audience was definitely the most collectively excited for Lamar judging by the tighter spaces dwindling in between strangers, the adrenalized jumping and the spontaneous shouting. Raunchy lyrics and topics appropriately invigorated UC Riverside’s college audience. After the artist’s uttering of just a few words, audience members were able to finish every line of every song with thunderous accuracy. Lamar was also the most interactive artist of the concert. He stopped abruptly in the middle of one of his songs just to thoroughly compliment an attractive girl in the crowd. He also sat down on stage during his set and explained how related to “being at the bottom.” He gave a short motivational speech before continuing to rap, sitting casually on the floor of the stage, closer than ever to his ecstatic fans. With a light-hearted sense of humor and occasional charming smirks and chuckles, Lamar captured and stimulated the audience’s energy easily. Before finishing his performance, he looked out into the faces of UC Riverside’s students and said, “no matter what ethnicity, we’re

all family here tonight”. Jordan Bradley, a third-year biochemistry student, saw the concert as “a good time” even though she was unfamiliar with the artists performing at Spring Splash. “It was easy to catch on to the lyrics. It gets a little annoying when fans start to shove but the artists always solved problems once they started singing.” Brandon Luu, a second-year biology student, faithfully sang along and grooved enthusiastically to both Musiq Soulchild and Kendrick Lamar’s performances. He expressed extreme gratitude and surprise at Musiq’s unexpected rap and Lamar’s combination of old material from his first mixtape and current tracks. A self-proclaimed true rap and R&B fan and an avid fol-

lower of music blogs, Luu said, “I did not expect UCR to get Kendrick Lamar.” Overall, the Spring Splash music concert was a successful and fun unification of UC Riverside’s students or, at least, a momentary break from H studying for midterms. ■

. FEATURES .

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

LA LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS RB

REVIEWS

E S S AY S

INTERVIEWS

17

DONATIONS

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY search

BY FATIMA MIRZA & KEVIN KECKEISEN, SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

In a time when many would contend the world of literature is in decline, Tom Lutz, professor of creative writing, has created a haven for the lovers of words, avid readers and eager knowledge seekers. The literary review journal, Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB), was released recently and has garnered much attention since. After spending some time on the site it becomes clear what is drawing readers by the masses—LARB offers something for all kinds of readers, allows visitors to explore their love for literature and has a sleek and incredibly accessible design. Lutz, the founder of LARB and current editor-in-chief, was deeply concerned about the rapid deterioration of sunday supplement book reviews, as well as the negative changes in the field of journalism. But the idea came to him only after he was offered a job as an editor for another literary journal. Lutz debated whether or not to take the position and spoke with colleagues about the matter. Professor of creative writing Chris Abani asked Lutz why he doesn’t just start a literary journal of his own. In an interview with the Highlander, Lutz said, “And that [comment] got me thinking—if I was going to do a publication what would it be? I decided that this was most needed, right now, some kind of reinvention and reinvigoration of the review of books.”

LARB offers extensive reviews, essays and interviews with authors. Unlike other literary reviews that may discriminate against certain genres, LARB offers reviews of a wide range of genres such as poetry, film, travel and even food. Organized and easy to navigate, the ‘Genres’ page lists tons of genres, from literary fiction to sports to noir, that provide links to any related articles, book reviews, interviews, etc. The design also pays close attention to detail that enhances the visitor’s experience. For example, each genre has a literary quote to accompany it. The ‘Humor’ section features a quote by Jane Austen, which says, “One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.” Encompassing a broad range of genres is one of the strengths of LARB. Lutz said, “We have a lot more science fiction, noir and a lot more young adult than someplace like The New York Review. I want a sports book section that people who read sports books can go to.” Similar to the ‘Genres’ page, visitors can navigate the website by searching through the authors listed alphabetically. Each author page directs visitors to a brief bio, as well as a list of publications they may have written for LARB, or reviews others may have written on their work. LARB also offers a personal touch to some authors through lengthy inter-

views or the lighthearted survey titled, “The Questionnaire,” which offers brief insight into writers who may have contributed to LARB. The design of LARB is not only aesthetically pleasing, but has many neat features. The website boasts an extensive recommendation tool on the side of the page that directs readers to similar articles. Say you’re reading an interview with filmmaker David Cronenberg. Some of the suggested articles include a review of Roger Ebert’s memoir, a review of Steve Boman’s film school memoir, and several other interviews, essays and reviews. The beauty of this recommendation system lies in its vortex-like ability to suck readers deeper into the website, leading them to other similar pieces and exposing them to new, yet familiar subjects and themes. If you spend long enough browsing through the list of recommendations, you’ll probably find yourself coming full circle back to where you started, but now with a wealth of newly found information and hopefully a new book to check out. Lutz has high hopes for the future LARB. He said, “I’m an idealist, and I think that the more good reading people do, the better it is for the world. I’m a kind of proselytizer for the literary arts. In the long run, if this site becomes a lasting institution doing that, I’ll be very H happy.” ■

P h o t o C o u rt es y

of

UCR T o day

H Want to gain experience in design and publishing? MEETINGS ON MONDAYS AT 5:15PM @ HUB 101

18

FEATURES

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

HIGHLANDER

THE DIGITAL WORLD WITH RYAN SIMON GUILD WARS 2 PREVIEW: IT’S BEAUTIFUL When it comes to PC gaming, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) dominate the market. It’s actually a little ridiculous just how many different MMORPGs are available to play. “World of Warcraft” (WOW), “Rift,” “Star Wars: The Old Republic” (TOR) and “Aion” are just a few examples of the dozens of MMOs available to players—many of which follow a popular gameplay philosophy established by the most popular of them all: WOW. Despite their popularity, many gamers have started to become rather tired of the same old MMORPG formula; I am one of those gamers. This past weekend, however, I finally played an MMORPG that I can say not only brings fresh gameplay to the table, but also encourages players to explore a world that is unique and absolutely beautiful. “Guild Wars 2” (GW2) is that game. JAW-DROPPING ART By far one of the most important aspects of any game is its art direction. A game’s visual eloquence or lack thereof, can greatly influence one’s perception of the game and if done right, can improve the overall immersion a player experiences. I don’t know how ArenaNet, the developers behind GW2, were able to accomplish such an expressive and divine art style, but it is darn impressive. It’s so good in fact I spent a decent portion of time exploring GW2’s land of Tyria just in search of gorgeous vistas to take screenshots. Even small details like the blur ef-

WRITTEN BY RYAN SIMON, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

fects issued by your character’s dodging ability, or the glow of the moon and stars in the night sky really add to the artistic brilliance emanating from this game. If there’s any game worth upgrading your aging computer for it’s definitely GW2. YOUR PERSONAL STORY (KIND OF)

One of the most asked for features in MMORPGs is the ability to further customize a character’s backstory. ArenaNet took this idea to heart with GW2, and added in a couple of subtle choices players can make at the beginning of character creation that will influence the story of that character for the rest of the game. Since these choices affect your character’s overall personality, story missions change depending on your character’s unique attributes. It may not be as in-depth or cinematic of a story-telling mechanism as TOR’s conversation system, but it does a good job in creating more interest in the story aspect of GW2. Key character sequences are also fully voiced and animated with great detail, further enhancing the presentation of GW2. TRULY DYNAMIC GAMEPLAY The idea of dynamic gameplay in MMORPGs has been around for a while. Some games like “Rift” say they offer players dynamic content but fail to deliver the kind of diversity and spontaneity that a truly dynamic and believable world can offer. GW2 has promised dynamic RYAN SIMON CONT’D ON PAGE 19

Photo Courtesy of PCGAMER.com

HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM KUCR RADIO 88.3 WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER RYAN SIMON FROM PAGE 18

content from the day of the game’s initial unveiling, and despite all of the skepticism, my few days with the beta version of the game made me a believer. Let’s first start with combat. One of the limiting factors for several MMORPGs is that they force players to choose certain classes of characters, of which their specialty lies in dealing damage (DPS), taking damage (Tank), or healing (Healer)— better known as the “holy trinity” system. GW2 has no such system. Instead, every character profession has the ability to deal a good dose of damage, evade and absorb attacks, and even heal themselves and others. Sure, some professions lend themselves to better perform in certain aspects, but players no longer have to worry about waiting to find a healer for their group to go finish a quest—a serious problem in traditional MMORPGs. Beyond this, players can hot swap weapon sets mid-fight, and depending on the weapon set chosen, that character’s first five of 10 skills

will change accordingly. This allows for an increasing amount of strategy and complexity in what is an intuitive and fun gameplay mechanic. The combat is surely enjoyable and a breath of fresh air from other MMORPGs, but GW2’s dynamic event system easily takes the cake as my favorite gameplay feature. The way the event system works is at random intervals, a zone quest appears and players nearby are alerted to the area. Any number of players can join in because the events scale in difficulty to compensate as more people participate. One event I encountered had me and my fellow comrades fighting off flying harpy creatures in order to save a mining facility. Had we failed to defend the facility, the harpies would have maintained a presence until the event happens again. The amazing thing about it all was that we didn’t have to group up for everyone to benefit from the event. GW2 does away with the idea of kill stealing and mob hogging. The event system also proves to players that there

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

19

CLASSIFIEDS Advertising Information Please submit Classifed ads by calling (951) 827-5039 or by emailing HighlanderClassified@ucr.edu

Payment

Visa and Mastercard Make checks payable to The Highlander Newspaper No refunds

Rates

-Classified: $2 per line; 17 characters (spaces, dashes, etc.)

MISC Photo Courtesy of PCGAMER.com

are consequences for failing to complete certain quests, and adds an extra layer of realism to the game. IT’S THAT GOOD After this short, but ever so sweet experience with “Guild Wars 2,” I just have one thing to say: I want to play more! I know, my thoughts sound overly positive, so where’s the bad stuff? To be honest, I couldn’t find any-

thing that was just so out of place that it would be detrimental to the game. I’ve played my fair share of MMOs and GW2 blows them all out of the water in nearly every aspect imaginable. Oh, and did I mention GW2 will have absolutely no subscription fee? Yeah, doesn’t get much better than that. If you’re a PC gamer who likes MMOs or just likes a beautiful and immersive game experience, GW2 is poised to deliver when it H launches later this year. ■

Tuesday Big Book Study Noon-1 p.m. St. Andrews Newman Center 105 Big Springs Road, 92507 ---------------AA Information: www.inlandempireaa.org 909-825-4700 ---------------EGG DONORS WANTED: Women 21-29, help an infertile couple and make $6500+! Apply at www.bhed.com ---------------Thursday Lunch with Bill Noon - 1 p.m. Discussion St. Andrews Newman Center 105 Big Springs Road, 92507 ---------------WINE FOR EVERY TASTE Canyon Crest Winery in the Canyon Crest Towne Centre across from Ralphs: Tastings, custom labels, private parties www.canyoncrestwinery.com 951-369-9463

HOUSING 1bed/1bath adjacent to UCR 12 mo lease from $770 9 mo lease from $800

Closest location to campus 951-684-6828

257 West Big Springs Road www.walktoucr.com ---------------

UCR rental service - we match UCR students with the perfect house within 1 mi. of campus. Repair/cleaning service on call. 3-7 bdrms starting at

$1450, furnished/unfurnished We do the legwork for you! 951/892-6261 ---------------

1 furnished bdrm. in my home. female pref. $435 util. incl. w/kitchen privileges and

internet access. 951-686-5957 ---------------

Guys house, summer sublet,

$270. Landlord: 951/310-4472 ---------------

Girls house, summer sublet,

$250, Landlord: 951/310-4472

20

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

TOMÁS RIVERA CONFERENCE: A Night of History and Culture Chelsea Santos, Staff Writer Jonathan Godoy, Photographer UCR students, faculty and alumni stood in a seemingly endless line at the HUB last Wednesday, anticipating the highly acclaimed Chicana author Sandra Cisneros. In celebration of the Tomás Rivera Conference and the 40th anniversary of the Chicano Student Programs, Cisneros was this year’s guest speaker, energizing the conference with her literary grace and captivating storytelling. The annual Tomás Rivera Conference began 24 years ago in 1988 in honor of Tomás Rivera, the youngest and first minority chancellor in the UC system. Prior to the start of his term as UC Riverside Chancellor in 1979, Rivera rose to recognition for his Spanish novella “Y No Se lo Trago la Tierra/And the Earth Did Not Part,” which reflected his life experiences growing up in a family of migrant workers. After working in the fields as young boy, Rivera pursued his ambition to become a writer, attaining a collection of degrees through his post-secondary education. His literary work, which emphasized higher education as an avenue for economic mobility for Chicanos, would later set the tone for his role as a professor and chancellor at UC Riverside. During his term, he worked as both a professor and administrator, connecting with members of the UC Riverside community at all levels. After his untimely death in 1984, UC Riverside named the Tomás Rivera Library after him to continue his legacy as an esteemed poet, writer, professor and

WRITE, SHOOT, OR DESIGN FOR THE HIGHLANDER Meetings on Mondays at 5:15pm at HUB 101

administrator. Since then, the Tomás Rivera Conference has been held each year to bring prestigious policymakers and speakers on campus, such as Chicano playwright Luis Valdez and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. The conference aims to shed light on issues of vital importance to the Latino community at the state and national levels. This year’s guest speaker was Chicana author and poet Sandra Cisneros, who generated an undeniable buzz amongst attendees. Her first novel, “The House on Mango Street,” consists of a series of vignettes depicting the transformation of a young Latina girl in an impoverished Latino neighborhood. Exploring the trials of constant migration, poverty, and the mixture of Latino and Anglo-American influence in the Chicano experience, Cisneros infuses her stories with an honest, but humorous tone. “The House on Mango Street” has since been a ubiquitous piece of Chicano literature among all

levels of academia and published into several languages. Robert J. Nava, vice president for university advancement at San Francisco State University and the conference’s host notes, “Sandra Cisneros challenges us to engineer our own destinies without the burden of acceptable patterns of cultural constraints and to give expression to the artistic passion that lies within each of us.” Her personal experiences, which inspired “The House on Mango Street” also form the basis of her body of work, including “My Wicked, Wicked Ways” and “Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories” to name a few. Titled “Siete Noches/Seven Nights,” Cisneros’ talk was met with a standing ovation by attendees. In describing her choice of the title, Cisneros alluded to the series of lectures by Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges, whose prose in short stories had inspired her to write “The House of Mango Street.” Cisneros read seven passages of her literary work, each standing alone to represent each of the nights. Oscillating from a tone of gentle grace, Cisneros’ voice changed to one with animation as she gave life to her characters aloud. In the first night, Cisneros read an excerpt that explored the wonder of storytelling in the dead of night, when one’s intimate thoughts and feelings can be shared with ease. “For me, writing is a process of the transformation of the things I can’t talk about, the things I wish I could forget, and the memories that are very toxic in my heart,” Cisneros said. “I’m so happy that I have writing because it is necessary to transform darkness to light.” The story is about a curious young girl who asks her aunt to tell her story about having a child without a husband. Though the theme is serious in nature, Cisneros infused the aunt’s character

with liveliness, drawing chuckles and smiles from the audience. Her animated voice carried into the second night, which was about a young girl who falls in love with someone she mistakenly thinks is a Mayan king. Cisneros later delved into more sullen themes in the following nights, including the solitude she felt as she came into her own during her 20s. As her voice teetered between soft and intense, her story put attendees in the shoes of her younger self by sharing her deepest worries and budding independence. Cisneros closed her talk by recalling her first death and rebirth as a young writer, struggling with writer’s block during her first year of graduate school in Iowa. She explained, “all of the things I wanted to say, I felt afraid to say.” Alone and away from her family in Chicago, Cisneros shared her feelings of confusion and anxiety at the time. After getting hit by a car, she walked away mostly unscathed, only with bruises on her body. Upon examining her bruises in the dorm shower, Cisneros remembered bursting into tears. “For me, someone died that night, some girl that I used to be that thought I was in control of my life,” she said. “At that moment, I realized that I was writing as if I was dangling on the stirrups of this horse that was my life; and that there was something bigger, called my ‘destino.’ And that is where my spiritual journey began.” From her captivating and revealing stories, Sandra Cisneros was indeed a fitting speaker to celebrate the milestones of the Tomás Rivera Conference and Chicano Student Programs. Much like Tomás Rivera himself, her literary work empowers, giving readers the optimism and will to transcend life’s trials and to emerge from them with H grace and humor. ■

. SPORTS .

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

21

Track competes at two meets P r a n av B h a k ta SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The UC Riverside track and field team competed at two different meets this past weekend as the throwing group traveled down to San Diego looking to set high marks at the UCSD Triton Invitational and at Irvine for the Steve Scott Invitational hosted by UCI. The Highlanders faced competition from not just other collegiate athletes but also from a few Olympic athletes. “We schedule the different meets to give our athletes the best possible competition environment... UCSD Triton Invitational is a perennial trip for our throwers group. The prevailing ocean breezes always seem to aid the discus and hammer in traveling farther. The Steve Scott Invitational is our typical meet two weeks out from conference and that is the one all the other athletes will

H WRITE, SHOOT OR DESIGN FOR THE HIGHLANDER Meetings on Mondays at 5:15pm at HUB 101

go to,” said Coach Browne in an email correspondence with Highlander The throwers found success at the UCSD Triton Invitational, as Caleb Stuart dominated in the hammer throw with a stunning distance of 58.89m placing him in third among collegians. Travis Smith threw a distance of 49.69m in the discus placing him 13th among collegians. Chima Ikeme set a new personal best with his throw of 46.36m. On the women’s side, Deja Watkins in the discus came in fifth among her collegiate peers with a throw of 50.39m. Nikki James threw a 46.73m in the discus placing her in 11th among collegians. James also competed in the hammer throw where she threw a distance of 51.95m placing her sixth among collegians. At the Steve Scott Invitational, notable performances on the men’s side were Talal

Khan qualifying for conference with a time of 14:45.35 in the 5000m where he placed third among his collegiate peers. Khan also ran a 3:58.41 in the 1500m, placing 18th overall. In the 100m, teammates Michael Hern and Hernell Dyer finished back to back, with Hern placing second with a time of 10.72 and Dyer finishing third with a time of 10.72. Bryan Adams placed second among collegians with a time of 48.19 in the 400m dash, trailing first place by just 0.06 seconds. In the men’s field events, Ryan Swafford dominated the triple jump placing first among collegians with a jump of 15.46m. Swafford placed third among collegians in the long jump as well with a jump of 7.17m. Travis Smith finished in first among collegians in the shot put with a throw of 17.75m.

Jonathan Godoy/HIGHLANDER

On the women’s side Katy Daly won her event among collegians in the 5000m with a time of 17:15.92. In the 1500m, Raquel Hefflin and Damajeria Dubose finished back to back, with Dubose claiming first with a time of 4:24.27 and Hefflin placing second with a time of 4:24.41. Danielle Littleton ran a 13.99 placing third in the 100m hurdles. The Highlander 4x100m relay team of Ahmbria Ross, Nechelle Reyes, Adriana Paz

and Michelle Macias placed fifth overall with a time of 47.61 and 10th in the UCR track record book for 4x100m times. Notable performances in the women’s field events were Deja Watkins, placing third in the shot put with a throw of 13.42m. Nikki James placed fourth with a throw of 45.95m in the discus. Ashley Gatewood finished first among collegians in the hammer throw H with a toss of 57.62m. ■

22

SPORTS

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

Men’s tennis eliminated in Big West tournament by UC Irvine P r a n av B h a k ta

HIGHLANDER

Women’s tennis fall in a close one to CSU Fullerton in the first round

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

P r a n av B h a k ta

April 27, 2012

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

April 26, 2012

Anteaters 4 - Highlanders 0 The UC Riverside men’s tennis team competed in the Big West Conference Championship at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Friday afternoon, where they were eliminated by UC Irvine in a decisive 4-0 defeat in round one. The Highlanders were the sixth seed in the tournament while UC Irvine was the third seed. With the loss, the Highlanders concluded their season with a record of 6-18. UC Irvine easily handled the Highlanders as they won matches at courts Nos. 2 and 3 in doubles action. On court No. 2, pair Luis Gastao and Kevin Griffin lost 8-2 to UCI’s pair of Ryan Cheung and Jon Kazarian. Court No. 3 saw Highlanders’ Simon Peters and Jimmy Roberts lose 8-2 to UCI’s pair of Fabian Matthews and Shuhei Shiv-

Titans 4 - Highlanders 3

Leena butt/HIGHLANDER

abara. The other doubles match at court No. 1 was called off as Irvine already won the matches at court Nos. 2 and 3. Highlander’s Austin Andres and Felix Macherez had the lead 7-5 on court No. 1 before the match was stopped. Irvine would go on to dominate the singles matches as well, winning the first three matches to secure the sweep of the Highland-

ers. At court No. 2 Jimmy Roberts was defeated 6-1, 6-0 by UCI’s Sam Gould, and at court No. 5, UCI’s Shuhei Shibahara edged out Highlander Simon Peters 6-4, 6-2 in the match. Irvine’s Ryan Cheung dominated Kelly Dickson defeating him 6-1, 6-0. Since the Anteaters gathered the four points needed to win already, the rest of the single H matched were stopped. ■

The UC Riverside women’s tennis team competed at the the Big West Championship losing in a play-in game to CSU Fullerton 4-3 on Thursday afternoon. Playing at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the Highlanders were seeded ninth while CSU Fullerton were seeded eight. The Highlanders finished the season with a 3-15 overall record. In the doubles action, CSU Fullerton got off to a fast start as they won two of the three doubles matches giving them a 1-0 lead. The Highlanders only victory came on count No. 3, where Kate Bergeson and Courtney Pattugalan defeated the Titan’s Malorie Dela Cruz

and Avriel Tomaiko, 8-5. In the singles matches, the Highlanders won their games on court Nos. 3, 4, and 5, but could not pull out one more game for the win. At No. 4 Natalie McKay won decisvily by a score of 6-4, 6-0 over Titan’s Malorie Dela Cruz. At No. 3, Taylor Raney dominated Titan’s Monica Rodriguez 6-2, 6-4 while Courtney Pattugalan took care of Titan’s Kalika Slevcove with a 6-2, 7-5 victory at No. 5. Highlander Kat Saltarelli drop her match on court No. 2, tying the game at 3-3. The tiebreaker took place at court No. 6, where Titan’s Jessica Pepa took the first set, 6-3 over Highlander Kate Bergeson, but Bergeson rallied back, winning the second set 6-3. However, Bergeson would go on to lose the third set, 6-4, H giving the Titans a 4-3 victory. ■

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

FEATURED COACH:

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

DOUG SMITH

23

BY KENDALL PETERSON, STAFF WRITER

Baseball Head Coach

Baseball Head Coach Doug Smith has been coaching at his alma mater UC Riverside for over 25 years. Coach Smith graduated from UC Riverside in 1975 where in his senior year, led the Highlanders to their first-ever collegiate title. For his success on the field, Smith was named to the All-CCAA First Team the following year. He served as part-time assistant coach after getting his master’s degree in physical education from Cal Poly Pomona, and then returned to UCR in 1983. Smith has helped build the Highlanders into a solid baseball program, which has achieved 10 postseason appearances including one Division 2 National Championship, one Big West Conference Title and two NCAA Division 1 West Regional appearances. With eight completed seasons under his belt as head coach, Smith has achieved an impressive overall record of 210-172 and a 84-73 record in the Big West conference. Smith’s greatest accomplishment has been UC Riverside’s first Big West Conference Baseball Championship in 2007. For leading his team to a championship and setting a UCR best conference record of 16-5,

Smith was awarded the Big West Coach of the Year award for that year. When asked about his success, Smith said, “Winning the Big West Championship was a big accomplishment for our program. It was very gratifying to win it. When we are successful the credit all goes to the players. They are the ones getting the job done. We as coaches feel as though we are good at what we do but the players win games.” After 25 years as Riverside’s assistant and hitting coach Smith was appointed as the fourth head baseball coach in UC Riverside history in September 2004. “The transition was not that difficult. I had been here a long time and knew our program and our university well. I also worked for a guy, Jack Smitheran, which gave me a lot of freedom that helped when I became the head coach” said Coach Smith. Coach Smith’s success as a collegiate player, especially leading his team his senior year to regionals and being named to the all-conference first team, has provided invaluable experience to the coaching side of baseball for Coach Smith.

“It was rewarding being an all conference player but it was more rewarding being part of a team that was UCR’s first regional team. In terms of having playing experience to help with teaching it is invaluable. While it was a long time ago you can remember the feel of the game and can relate to how the players are feeling.” Coach Smith continued, “It was a long time ago. We all get better as we get older. I’m proud of what I accomplished as a player but that was long ago.” The aspects of coaching are different for each individual and Coach Smith noted what he really enjoyed and cherished. “For me, the most important part is the ability to compete every day. Our game is difficult and has a large dose of failure. The ability to compete through those failures is critical. I enjoy the day to day relationship with our players and coaches. That time we get to spend together working for a common goal is irreplaceable.” Being able to make a positive impact is something a coach always wants to achieve. Coach Smith also talked about the big-

gest achievement for him. “The Big West championship is certainly up there, but I think to be honest the biggest accomplishment is when guys come back after their playing days are done and say we had a positive impact on their life.” Coach Smith has had three of his former players become professional baseball players in the major leagues. They are Anthony Claggett (Yankees, 2009), Dan Runzler (Giants. 2010) and Marc Rzepczynski (Cardinals, 2011). Notably, Rzepczynski won World Series rings over the past three major league seasons. Smith, overall, has had over 150 of his players signed to professional contracts. Smith discussed his emotions and thoughts on how he has coached so many great and young athletes. “I’m very proud for our program to have had so many guys go out and be successful. It is a tribute to everyone in our program that works so hard. When you get to see someone like Runzler or Rzep do something special on such a big stage it is thrilling. Knowing how much they are enjoying it makes it H even more enjoyable for us.” ■

Gazzolo consistent finishing 13th overall at the Anteater Invitational P r a n av B h a k ta SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The UC Riverside men’s golf team competed at the Anteater Invitational this past Tuesday afternoon where they finished the tourney in eighth place out of nine teams with a total score of 911. David Gazzolo paced the Highlander with with a total score of 219 placing him in a tie for 13th overall. The winner of the invitational was CSU Long Beach, who won the team title with an impressive score of 862. In second and third place were St. John’s (870) and CSU San Jose (874) respectively. CSU Long Beach’s Kevin Lim was the individual victor as he had a score of 212 after three

rounds of play. In the first day of play, the Highlanders were tied for the eighth position after two rounds of play with a total score of 613. The team had a good start in the first round, firing a 299 but had a less successful second round, shooting 314. David Gazzolo paced the team, having performed consistently scoring 73 in each of the first two rounds. Gazzolo finished day one with a total score four-over-par 146, which placed him in a tie for 14th place. In day two of the tourney, the Highlanders improved from their second round play by 16 strokes, scoring a total of 298. Gazzolo shot a score

of 73 again in the third round, finishing the tourney with a total score of 219, placing him in 13th place. Matt Fitzgerald (73-82-72) shot a total score of 227 finishing 28th overall. Ryan Smith (73-77-76) had a strong outing, scoring 226 in the tourney and placing him in a tie for the 26th spot. Jason Semthiti (80-82-77) finished in the 46th spot with a score of 239. BJ Doucett (81-82-89) rounded out the team scoring 252, finishing 50th overall. The Highlanders will face off in their final tournament of the season at the Big West Conference Championships from April 29-May 1 at the La Quinta Resort in La Quinta, H CA. ■

Archive/HIGHLANDER

Highlander golfer Ek finishes at a solid eighth place spot at Big West P r a n av B h a k ta SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Archive/HIGHLANDER

The UC Riverside’s women’s golf team conclude their season this past Tuesday at the 2012 Big West Conference Women’s Golf Championship, where they finished seventh out of seven teams with a total score of 950. Amelia Ek paced the Highlanders with an eighth place finish, scoring 229 total after three rounds. Ek finished nine strokes behind the winner of the tourney, UC Davis’s Bev Vatananugulkit. Vatananugulkit helped her team win their third consecutive championship as the Aggies scored 898, fending off second place UC Irvine (911) by 13 strokes. In round one of play, the Highlanders finished with a score of 322, placing them in last place. However the Highlanders were only two strokes behind sixth place Cal Poly and three strokes behind fifth place CSU Fullerton. Brittani Ferraro paced the Highlanders with a score of 77 securing her in ninth place while Ek was one stroke behind Ferraro with a score of

78. In round two, the Highlanders remained in last place shooting a 322 in the second round. Their total score after two rounds stood at 644, putting them a large distance of 15 strokes from sixth place Cal Poly. Ferraro continued to lead the Highlanders, scoring a 78 in round two. Ek also finished with a score of 78 in round two. In round three, the Highlanders had their best performance as they shot a 306 for the last round, but it was not good enough to move them up in the standings as they finished in seventh place. Ek had a sensational final round scoring a 73 placing her in eighth place. Ferraro scored a 80 giving her a total of 235 as she finished 21st overall. Savannah Vilaubi (80-79-76) had a total score of 235, tying Ferraro for 21st place. Christy Fogerty (87-87-77) finished 33rd overall with a total score of 251, and Denyse Neville (87-88-82) scored a 257 total, good for H 35th place. ■

24

SPORTS

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

HIGHLANDER

Highlander baseball loses four games in a row on the road K e n da l l P ete r s o n STAFF WRITER

April 24, 2012 Toreros 6 -- Highlanders 5 The UCR baseball team played their first of six consecutive road games against the University of San Diego Toreros last Tuesday afternoon. Riverside jumped into a 4-3 lead after four innings but the Toreros scored in the late innings to take the 6-5 victory. Mitch Patito started the mound for the Highlanders but would only go two innings. Patito allowed two runs on two hits, four walks and achieved two strikeouts. The Highlanders would use four singles in the third inning to score two runs. With the bases loaded Clayton Prestridge struck the ball to left field for a two-run single. In the fourth inning Drake Zarate started a rally with a walk and was advanced by a sacrifice bunt from Steponovich. Alex Rubanowitz singled to left field which sent Zarate to third base. Zarate would then score on an error by San Diego shortstop. Eddie Young came up to the plate and singled to left field for an RBI, which would be Riverside’s last run until the ninth. The ballgame was tied going into the bottom of the ninth and the Highlanders were unable to effectively get the Toreros out. San Diego loaded the bases and Toreros’ Louie Lechich achieved a walk which scored Bryan Harr for the game winner. April 27, 2012 Anteaters 9 -- Highlanders 2 UC Riverside faced off against the UC Irvine Anteaters Friday night but were unable to keep up with the Anteater bats. The Highlanders only scrounged up five hits to Irvine’s 13 in route to a 2-9 loss.

Dylan Stuart (4-5) started the mound for the Highlanders but struggled. Stuart went 4.2 innings while allowing six runs on nine hits, one walk and got two strikeouts. The Highlanders started off well in the first inning as they scored two runs on two hits and one error. Eddie Young singled to shortstop and was later advanced with a SAC bunt laid down by Phil Holinsworth. Vince Gonzalez stepped up to the plate and singled to left field for an RBI single. Gonzalez later scored by an error from Irvine’s third baseman for an early 2-0 lead. UCR would not score any more runs after the first inning and allowed four runs in the third inning and four more the rest of the game. Gonzalez was 2-4 with one RBI and one run scored. The Highlanders kept their strikeouts low at six but the five hits were not enough to make up runs. April 28, 2012 Anteaters 2 -- Highlanders 0 Riverside baseball could not get the handle on their bats as they were helpless and struggled to find holes in the Anteater defense in route to a 0-2 shutout loss against their opponent UC Irvine. Eddie Orozco (4-5) went all eight innings as he started the mound for the Highlanders. Orozco allowed two runs on eight hits, one walk and eight strikeouts. Orozco allowed two crucial doubles that ended up a run in the sixth and eighth innings. UCR was unable to find a hole in the Anteaters defense as they only achieved two hits the entire game. Vince Gonzalez and Bart Steponovich were the only Highlanders to get a hit on base, and both went 1-3. Steponovich was the first one to hit when he singled to center field in the third inning. Then in the ninth inning Gonzalez singled up the middle for hopes of a two out rally but

was left stranded. The Highlanders have continued their struggles in their past three game as they have attained more strikeouts than hits 24-20. In that span of three games they have only scored seven, while their opponent has scored 17 runs. April 29, 2012 Anteaters 6 -- Highlanders 5 UCR baseball (14-23, 4-8) looked to use this weekend to move up in the Big West Standings but failed to do so as they were swept by UC Ir vine Sunday afternoon. The Highlanders couldn’t get a run in extra innings and have now lost four in a row, losing this one 5-6 in the 11th inning. Trevor Frank started the mound for the Highlanders and allowed eight of the 14 hits by the Anteaters. B en Doucette (1-2) was registered the loss with two walks and three strikeouts. Kyle B oudreau got three of the seven hits by Riverside, going 3-5 with three RBI’s and one run scored. Riverside scored two runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to 2-4. In the seventh Riverside tied it with three runs on two this. Holinsworth started it off with a single through the left side and Nick Vilter was hit by a pitch. Young loaded the bases for Riverside with a walk and Kyle B oudreau stepped up and knocked a three RBI double to right center. In the past four games Riverside as only scored 12 runs on 27 hits, but struck out 35 times. They look to finish the long ro ad t r ip t his Tues d ay and We dnes d ay against t he Universit y of Ne vad a, L as Vegas in a t wo game s er ies and w i l l b e b ack for a t hre e game s er ies against Big West r i va l CSU Nor t hr idge st ar t ing t his Fr iH d ay May 4. ■

Softball panned as 49ers rush to sweep the series K e n da l l P ete r s o n STAFF WRITER

April 28, 2012 49ers 10 -- Highlanders 4 The UC Riverside softball team (20-25, 3-10) dropped the first game of a three game series against CSU Long Beach (21-22, 9-4) losing 10-4 Saturday afternoon. The Highlanders started the game well, as they got out to a four run lead in the first inning. With one out in the first, Highlander Jessica Vasser doubled toward the right field line scoring one run. A single straight down midfield by Dionne Anderson scored two runs as Ariel Shore and Vasser came to home plate. This gave the Highlanders a 3-0 lead. A Long Beach error resulted in one more run for the Highlanders as Anderson would score to give the Highlanders a commanding 4-0 lead. Unfortunately the lead was short lived as Long Beach responded in the second inning by scoring seven runs. Highlander pitcher Casey Suda got into trouble quickly as she gave up three straight hits to open the inning. Long Beach would cut into Highlander lead by two runs, with the bases still loaded. A walk issued resulted in the Highlander lead to deci-

mate to one run. 49er Hannah De Gaetano would give the 49ers the lead as she hit a base clearing double scoring three runs for her team and giving them a 6-4 lead over the Highlanders. Long Beach added an extra run as the Long Beach batting order started over, with the second inning ending with the 49ers holding a 7-4 lead. In the third inning, the Long Beach onslaught continued as they would add two more runs to the board making it a 9-4 ball game. The Highlanders had no response for the rest of the game, as the 49ers added a run in the fifth, giving them a 10-4 lead which would end up being the final score. April 28, 2012 49ers 1 -- Highlanders 0 After a disappointing blow out loss in the first game of a double header, the Highlanders (20-26, 3-11) found themselves in a pitchers duel, falling to CSU Long Beach (22-22, 10-4) 1-0 Saturday night. The 49ers’ bats went extremely cold after a 10 run outburst in the first game, while the Highlanders still could not get their offense clicking. The pitching by both Highlander Taylor Alvarez and

49er Erin Jones-Wesley were strong, as both combined to only give up six hits between both teams. In the fourth inning, Long Beach got onto the board as Hannah De Gaetano came through again for the 49ers with a solo blast to score the one and only run in the game. The Highlanders could not provide any run support for starter Alvarez as they only managed to put four players on base. Long Beach would go on to winning the game 1-0, as pitcher Jones-Wesley picked up the win in the shutout. April 29, 2012 49ers 6 -- Highlanders 0 The Highlanders (20-27, 3-12) continued their struggles into the final game and were shutout 6-0 by the 49ers (2322,11-4) on a Sunday afternoon. The Highlanders were jumped quickly by the 49er offense as they would score all six of their runs in the first two innings. In the first inning, Long Beach got runners on base swiftly as Highlander pitcher Amy Lwin hit 49er Shayna Kimbrough with a pitch. A Leilani Tapua-Tautal single and

two sac flies later, the 49ers had a 1-0 lead. A 49er single by Nalani St. Germain brought in another run, giving them a 2-0 lead. The second inning proved rough again for Highlander starter Lwin as she gave up two consecutive singles which led Coach Miner to replace Lwin with Taylor Alvarez in the circle. The 49ers would load the bases and score three runs thanks to the Highlander fielding problems as they recorded two back to back errors. Another single by 49er St. Germain brought in another run giving Long Beach a commanding 6-0 lead with only two innings played. The Highlanders kept Long Beach off the board for the rest of the game but again, the Highlander offense went dead quiet as they only had two hits to show the whole game. 49er starter Erin Jones-Wesley picked up the win in another shutout as Long Beach completed sweeping the series with a 6-0 victory. The Highlanders will return home to host Big West rival CSU Northridge for a three game series beginning with a doubleheader on May 5 and the final game on May 6 at the H Amy S. Harrison Field. ■

PRANAV BHAKTA

P-BHAK’S CORNER The curse of the NBA lockout I was going to write my column on my first round predictions for the NBA playoffs this week, but all that changed with Saturday’s games. Instead, I will talk about the issue with this year’s lockout shortened condense schedule, and how it has degraded the showcase the NBA has to offer its fans. A regular NBA season might have teams playing two games in a span of three days at most. This season, however, teams were playing three games in a span of five days and even pushing it to seven games in 10 days at times. If that does not cause wear and tear on athletes than someone needs to give fans a better explanation. With Derrick Rose going down the way he did Saturday, the NBA and its fans lost an exciting superstar. Rose tore his ACL and will not only miss the rest of the playoffs but probably six to eight months. Any thoughts that Rose’s injury was just coincidence evaporated when Knicks guard Iman Shumpert went down in a very similar fashion and also tore his ACL Saturday. The amount of time spent playing and practicing with little or no rest is very much to blame for these injuries and other injuries such as the Magic’s Dwight Howard‘s back injury. The thing is that some in the NBA saw this coming. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made sure to rest and alternate his players this season even when others questioned his decision. Bulls guard Richard Hamilton said to reporters at the beginning of the season that the condensed season would lead to more injuries. As much as I hate to say it, other NBA players getting seriously hurt would not surprise me. I just hope that teams and players take precautions after seeing what tranH spire Saturday. ■